Spring Training is almost upon us (thank God) and I thought I'd roundup some Yankee news before pitchers and catchers report.
Most of this stuff is old news, but here they are in case you missed some of the more recent happenings in Yankee Land.
My knee still hurts. Hideki Matsui had surgery on his right knee in the off-season, but he's still experiencing lingering soreness. Godzilla said that he "hopes to be healthy enough that he does not have to begin spring training under
a different program than his teammates." Looks like Johnny Damon may get some more playing time in left field come April.
Mix and match. Joba Chamberlain's spot in the starting rotation didn't last long. Reports out of Tampa say the young fireballer will begin the 2008 season in the bullpen. The Yanks will then send Chamberlain down to the Minors in June to stretch out his arm and then call him back up to enter the starting rotation. Kinda wacky, huh?
Brian likes the idea, but I'm not too keen on it. My brother shot me an interesting take on the announcement. Here was his two cents: "I think Cashman is saying this publicly with no intention of putting Joba in the
rotation this year. When June rolls around they'll say it's too important a time
of year to not have him in the bullpen and just like that he stays there all
year. I think this whole stupid plan is a way to not make Hank look stupid for
saying the Yanks wouldn't 'waste' Joba in the bullpen this year." Yes, I reprinted his comments without his permission, but I'm sure he won't mind. Let's see how this thing is going to unfold.
Add another log to the fire. The Bombers signed utility infielder Chris Woodward to a Minor League deal on Friday. The nine-year vet played with the Atlanta Braves last season where he hit a robust .199 in 136 at-bats. Woodward has also played for the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Mets.
A voice silenced? Bob Sheppard, the Yankees legendary public-address announcer, is in poor health and may be unable to resume his duties in 2008. Sheppard has been doing Yankee games since 1951 and it would be a shame if he couldn't return for the final season at "old" Yankee Stadium. Bomber spokesman Howard Rubenstein said that Sheppard's son Chris will "try out" for a spot as a substitute by working some Spring Training games. Get well soon, Bob.
Bring out the steel cage! In case you missed it, Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee testified on Capital Hill on Wednesday. The he-said, he-said meeting lasted for 4 1/2 hours and we're no closer to knowing what really happened. We'll probably never know.
Andy Pettitte wasn't at the hearing (but his presence was definitely felt) and the Yanks have given the lefty starter permission to report to Spring Training on Monday instead of Thursday. Let's hope those four extra days are all that Andy needs to get himself focused on baseball.
Well, that's it. Here's hoping the talk will only be about what happens on the baseball diamond from now on.
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