Here’s some stuff to chew on now that you’ve finished gorging yourself on candy corn:
- Daily News blogger Jesse Spector reports that even though Bobby Abreu filed for free agency, his first choice is to come back to the Yankees.
- SI.COM mentions that Double-A RHP Eric Hacker and Class-A LHP Wilkin De La Rosa had their contracts purchased by the club Friday.
- Joe Ricciuti, President of the Staten Island Yankees, has been named Executive of the Year by Ballpark Digest. They noted that during his tenure he’s increased attendance via mini-plans, promotions and restructured sponsorships. Staten Island’s season-ticket accounts jumped from 350 in 2006 to 1,731 in 2008, leading to an 83 percent attendance rise, a 21 percent increase in attendance revenue in 2007 and 40 percent attendance revenue increase in 2008.
- MLB.COM has an article on Brett Gardner’s fight for the starting CF job in 2009.
- Yahoo Sports notes that BetOnline.com already has odds posted for the 2009 World Series. The Yankees and Phillies are each listed at 6-1, behind the BoSox (3-1), Angels (5-1) and Cubs (5-1). The Rays are next at 10-1.
- On this date in 1978, Ron Guidry was named as the unanimous choice for the A.L. Cy Young award. Gator led the league in wins (25), winning percentage (.893), shutouts (9), and ERA (1.74, in a season in which the league ERA was 3.63). His WHIP was a nasty 0.946, and he gave up only 13 dingers in 273.7 innings. Fun little trivia …. his 3 losses came against starting pitchers with the first name of Mike (Flanagan, Caldwell, Willis).
- On this date in 2001, the first major league game ever started in the month of November ends up with D’backs closer Byung-Hyun Kim once again serving up a dramatic homer in the ninth, this time by Scott Brosius. Brosius ties the game with two out, and Alfonso Soriano knocks an RBI single in the 12th to give the Yankees a 3 – 2 victory and 3-2 Series lead over Arizona.
- Joe Torre got hired by the Dodgers exactly one year ago today.
In other absolutely terrifying news, Jorge Julio filed for free agency, He's young, he throws hard, he FINALLY TURNED THE CORNER last year AND he walks a ton of people. The Yankee front office must be salivating.
What about the Yankee bullpen being almost entirely home grown last year makes you think that?
LaTroy Hawkins, for starters. Julio could easily fill that role of "mediocrity we really don't need."
The Yankees' practice of signing almost every so-so player coming off a good year doesn't leave me encouraged either.
And, as mentioned, he walks a ton of people, which has to be viewed as a bonus in the eyes of the Yankee decision makers.
Right, LaTroy really killed the team last year.
For starters? There's someone else on that list? And Hawkins wasn't young and doesn't throw hard and they cut bait on him and replaced him with in-house pitching. I just don't think you have an argument here. You're just looking for a reason to complain.