My wife adores baseball mascots. I think she’d rather meet the Phillie Phanatic than any player–oh, how she wants a kiss from that furry green beast. She complains that the Yankees don’t have a mascot. “What a bunch of tight asses,” she says. This helps explain why she is attracted to Francisco Cervelli, the closest thing the team has to a fuzzy cheerleader. She’s liked Cervelli ever since he joined the team a few years ago–though she did not like when he crossed home plate in a hot dog fashion up in Boston last season.
Ever since I’ve braced her for the possibility that he’s a short-timer in pinstripes. He’s spirited, throws the ball to third after a strike out with flair. The pitchers seem to like throwing to him though he doesn’t have a great arm and despite a few Luis Sojo-like streaks of clutch hitting, he’s not much with the stick either. And yet he’s still around and will go into spring training as the favorite to be the Yankees’ back-up catcher.
Over at Lo-Hud, Chad Jennings looks at organizational depth at catcher. There’s also a news-and-notes post featuring word on Phil Hughes and a rumor about Godzilla Matsui. As always, the Lo Hud remains an essential stop for the well-informed Yankee fan.
[Photo Credit: Barton Silverman/The New York Times]
the last furry mascot the Yankees had was Sal Fasano.
He was a good one, too.
I would feel better if the Yankees used Cervelli exclusively as a mascot.
To echo Alex from the other thread, I doubt Godzilla has that many homers left in him, too. But it is worth remembering where he played last year AND our right field porch. He'd hit more than he did on the west coast. Still, that means ANYONE would hit hrs if they can pull from the left side.
My preference for Damon (remember we are talking 2 million dollar contracts!) is IF he can still carry a glove out to left once in a while, Gardy to center, Grandy sits a bit. Jones can do it still, I know but has real issues now vs righties, no? Some added OF depth feels like it matters. Consider the impact of a month long injury for any of our OF starters.
[4] he couldn't much carry a glove out to LF when he was iNY a couple of seasons ago, so I doubt he's going to offer much defensively next season.
[6] He wasn't very good with the leather, but wasn't a total abortion, and could play out there once in a great while. Meanwhile, his bat plays in YS, and he would (again) be great for the clubhouse. I also think he would be highly energized being back on the Yankees.
I wouldn't pay $8m for him, but at $2-3m, I think he would be a good fit. I think he will be better than Matsui in OBP, and will certainly run and field better.
If OYF and Hoss agree, who can dare dissent??? Surely not Cash?
(But yeah, Damon's a very shaky OF at this point. Emerg, rest a regular...)
Victor Martinez Likely Out For Season With Torn ACL.
Ay, caramba!