demolitionofyankeesstadium.com has recent photos of them tearing down the seats at the old Yankee Stadium.
Baseball history buffs, ol’ Yankee fans and purists may want to avert their eyes. It’s probably a tough sight to see.
Tag: Yankees
War of words between execs
Looks like MLS commish Don Garber and Yanks prez Randy Levine are having a hissy fight… all over the issue of attendance figures.
Sez Levine:
"Don Garber discussing Yankee attendance must be a joke. We draw more people in a year than his entire league does in a year. If he ever gets Major League Soccer into the same time zone as the Yankees, we might take him seriously… Hey Don, worry about Beckham, not the Yankees. Even he wants out of your league.
Garber had earlier made a comment about the empty front row seats at Yankee Stadium.
There’s no point in taking sides in this one. They’re both being idiotic. Garber is taking on the seven-headed giant and worse, Levine is stooping to respond to the comment in a rather childish manner.
Take a time out, guys.
The Yankees and confidentiality agreements
It’s being said that the New York Yankee organization is thinking of putting in a “non-disparagement clause” in management and player contracts to help dispel future tell-all books that reflect badly on the team.
It’s already being done on the front office level.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a Yankee official said yesterday that some members of the front office staff already are required to sign a confidentiality agreement in order to protect “proprietary knowledge of our business model.” The proposed clause is intended to ensure that future books about the Yankees are “positive in tone,” and “do not breach the sanctity of our clubhouse.”
One, I’m surprised it’s not being done already. I don’t agree with the policy but most large corporations do this on some level and to some degree. With the high popularity of baseball, it surprising that all team organizations don’t do this.
Two, assuming that this is in place, I’d be surprised that this would hold up in court. Say Joe Torre did sign this and then wrote The Yankee Years. I’m not a lawyer (and don’t even play one on this blog) but I’d reckon the Yankees would be hard pressed to make a good case in court despite the confidentiality agreement.
Three, *if* it went to court, I hope it someone like Torre. Maybe it’s me, but Joe Torre seems to have a little more authority (fairly or unfairly) compared to a lowly draft pick or a rookie who would probably have to sign the the same the clause.
No, I don’t like the non-disparagement clause. It smacks of withholding information. Yes, there’s the danger of inaccurate information which Steinbrenner and Co insinuate. But let’s be realistic, that’s not what they’re after. It’s an issue of media control. If they don’t have to worry about players or managers leaving and speaking their mind, then that’s less work for their PR guys. They get pretty dizzy from all the spinning they do, you know.
(h/t The Hardball Times and Baseball Musings)
Upon Further Review Joe Deserves HOF Nod
A while back I wrote a controversial piece, saying the Veteran’s Committee got it wrong, and Joe Gordon didn’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Well I’m not too big to admit it when I made a mistake, and boy, did I ever make one here! Here is why I changed my mind.
Nine of Gordon’s eleven years in the majors, he was an All Star. In 1942 he won the AL MVP Award over Triple Crown winner, Ted Williams. He was arguably the best secondbaseman of the forties. Known for his acrobatic defense, he led the AL in assists four times and in double plays three times. He was the first AL second baseman to hit 20 home runs in a season, doing so seven times, and holds the league mark for career HRs at second base (246), Joe held the single season mark until 2001. Gordon’s 25 home runs as a rookie set an AL record for second basemen which stood until 2006. All of these accomplishments were achieved with the heart of career yanked out, as he went off to fight a war for two years, when he was 29 & 30, in the prime of his career.
After the war Joe had his worst season with the Yankees before being shipped off to Cleveland, batting .210, with 11 HRs, & 47 RBIs, in only 112 games played. With the Indians Gordon rebounded to find his game, hitting 29 HRs & 93 RBIs in 1947. Then in 1948, teaming with DP partner Lou Boudreau, to make the Cleveland Indians World Series Champions, leading the team in HR’s (32) & RBIs (124).
One of the big reasons for my change of heart comes from the MLB Network. I got a chance to see some film of him playing the game, AMAZING! Congratulations to HOFer Joe Gordon, a deserving recognition that was long over due.
HOF ’09: Don Mattingly
“Honestly, at one time I thought Babe Ruth was a cartoon character. I really did, I mean I wasn’t born until 1961 and I grew up in Indiana.”
Don Mattingly
Donnie Baseball, a nickname bestowed on him by the late Kirby Puckett, was arguably the best firstbaseman in the American League from 1984-87. In 1985 he was named AL MVP, driving in 145 runs, with 211 basehits, including 48 doubles & 35 HRs, winning the first of nine consecutive Gold Gloves. His average soared to .352 in 1986, with an amazing 238 hits, & 53 doubles, 113 RBIs. In 1984, Don was no slouch in his first full year in the bigs, batting .343, with 207 hits, and 110 runs batted in. Despite injuring his back during the 1987 season, Mattingly managed to put up some pretty good numbers, .327, 30 HRs, & 115 RBIs. Over the next two years he wasn’t the same, only 88 RBIs in 1988, bouncing back with 113 ribbies in 1989, batting .311 & .303 respectively, however his homers dropped to 18 & 23. The next year was the beginning of the end, only five homers, with a very average .256 batting average.
Turns out Don Mattingly’s injured back was the result of horseplay between himself and teammate Bob Shirley. A friend, in the know, said Bob Shirley brought drugs to the San Diego Padres during the 80s, now here’s another reason to dislike him. Without a doubt, Mattingly was on the fast track to Cooperstown, until the Shirley incident. He still managed a .307 batting average over 14 years, with 1,099 RBIs, 2,153 hits, and 222 home runs.
Although Mattingly never played in a World Series game during his fourteen year career with the Yanks, he’s one of the most popular Bronx Bombers ever. The Yankees lost the 1981 World Series, the year before Don Mattingly made his debut, in his first 13 years in pinstripes New York did not make it to postseason play. In 1994 the Yankees had the best record in the American League, but a players strike cut short the season and meant no postseason play. On the final day of his final regular season (1995) New York won the Wild Card, Mattingly batted .417 with 6 RBIs, but Seattle beat the Yankees in 11 innings of the decisive game five.
Despite his enormous popularity, his .300 batting average, and his HOF first four years of his career, I have to ask, “Why is this guy even on the ballot?”
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Hall of Very Good |
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Why is he even on the Ballot? |
While we wait for January 12 ballot results, The Baseball Zealot will be profiling those players who are on the 2009 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. Read the rest the of the profiles.
Teixeira Signs With the Yankees
An Angel Fan’s Viewpoint:
As a fan of the team that got the short end of the stick in this, here are my observations and conclusions:
Does anyone doubt that The Boss remains in charge of the Yankees? Maybe not the day-to-day operations of the team, but the BIG decisions. Who do they spend the money on? How much money is spent? Maybe even whether Joba starts or relieves. I think that The Boss still makes the big decisions.
I also think he was embarrassed last year to spend all that money and miss the playoffs. And he has vowed that IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. Maybe he was even pounding on the desk.
Meaningless DonS Observation: One way to make it less likely to happen again is to have a third baseman who is less interested in chasing Madonna and more interested in chasing the pennant, but that’s just MY opinion. Well, mine and Nick’s.
Two Other Interlocked DonS Observations: 1) I hate The Boss – in nice way, as “The One, The, Only Groucho” used to say. “Say the secret word and a duck will come down and give you fifty bucks. It’s a common word, one that people use every day.” 2) I wish The Boss owned a team that I root for, because he settles for no less than victory…and spares no effort to achieve that victory. I think he would be spending similar money even without the New York financial advantages that he enjoys, because he is the most competitive owner in sports.
Who says “money can’t buy me love?”
HOF ’09: Rickey Henderson
“If my uniform doesn’t get dirty, I haven’t done anything in the baseball game.”
Rickey Henderson
In 2003 Rickey signed on with the Independent League Newark Bears, the LA Dodgers signed Henderson after the All Star break. Amazingly at the age of 44 in 30 games in Los Angeles, he hit two homers, batted .208, while stealing three bases without being caught. This guy reminds me of a player, who’d play the game for nothing, he loved it that much, definitely a throwback.
There are all kinds of stories of Rickey speaking in the third person and an account him seeing John Olerud playing firstbase with a batting helmet on, “Hey, Rickey used to have a teammate with the Mets who played first with a helmet.” Olerud then informed Rickey that they were teammates with the Mets, but that story is false. Here is a quote from Henderson that shows how much he loved to play, one month after the Oakland A’s offered to sign him up for one day in September, 2007, so Rickey could retire an Oakland A, Rickey said, “One day? I don’t want one day. I want to play again, man. I don’t want nobody’s spot… I just want to see if I deserve to be out there. If I don’t, just get rid of me, release me. And if I belong, you don’t have to pay me but the minimum — and I’ll donate every penny of that to some charity. So, how’s that hurtin’ anybody?… Don’t say goodbye for me… When I want that one day they want to give me so bad, I’ll let you know.”
Rickey Henderson was born on Christmas Day 1958 in Chicago, but moved to Oakland when his father left when Rickey was only two. His father died when Henderson was just twelve years of age. Rickey’s mother remarried and the family took on her new husband’s surname of Henderson. He was a natural lefthander, but learned to bat from the right side because he thought that was the way you were supposed to hit. Rickey married his high school sweetheart Pamela, together they have three children, Angela, Alexis, & Adriann.
He finished his career with more stolen bases (1,406) and more runs scored (2,295) than anybody in the history of the game. In a game in 1977 he stole seven bases, tying a major league record. Some say, I’d have to agree, he was the greatest leadoff man in the history of the game, certainly of his era. He had 3,055 hits & 2,190 walks, 510 doubles, and three homers shy of 300, with a lifetime batting average of .279, and an incredible .401 OBP. Three times within his first five years he stole over 100 bases, a record 130 in 1982, only two other ballplayers in the modern era stole 100 bases in a year, each only once.
Henderson started with the A’s, was traded to the NY Yankees in time to score 146 times in 1985, he’d return to play for Oakland three more times. In 13 seasons he scored over 100 runs. Despite the wear and tear running had on his body, he played an unbelievable 25 years in the major leagues. Even though he wasn’t a power hitter, he could go yard, as evidenced by his career high in home runs of 28 in both 1986 & 1990. Seven times he walked over 100 times, five more years with more than 90 bases on balls, in 1989 he walked a career high 126 times. Along with a keen eye, Henderson perfected a crouched batting style, which gave him a very small strike zone.
He was on two World Championship teams, 1989 Oakland & 1993 Toronto, ironically both times he was traded midseason. Ten times he was an All Star, three times he won Silver Slugger Awards, once he won a Gold Glove, in 1990 he was the American League MVP, and in 1999 at the age of 40 he was named NL Comeback Player of the Year. He hit a record high 81 leadoff home runs.
Here’s proof as to how great of a ballplayer Rickey Henderson was, statistician Bill James was quoted as saying, “If you could split him in two, you’d have two Hall of Famers.”
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Hall of Fame |
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Hall of Very Good |
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| Why is he even on the Ballot? |
While we wait for January 12 ballot results, The Baseball Zealot will be profiling those players who are on the 2009 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. Read the rest the of the profiles.
RIP: Dock Ellis
Just received an e-mail from Captain Will, it said…
“One of my favorites. I used to love to watch him pitch
When he was with Yanks, one preseason the Yanks were struggling and a reporter asked Dock, “Why are the Yanks struggling?” Dock replied, “Well it is by design, the more we lose, the more George flies down here, and the more George flies, the better the odds are of a plane crash.”
In 1970 Dock overcame eight walks in the first game of a doubleheader against the Padres to throw a no-hitter, several years later, he admitted he was high on LSD when he accomplished the feat. He was 19-9 with the Buccos in 1971 when the Pirates won the World Series. On July 13, 1971, Reggie Jackson blasted what almost certainly is the longest home run ever hit in an All-Star game, and one of the longest of all time. Jackson’s home run came at Tiger Stadium in Detroit off the NL pitcher, Dock Ellis. After the 1975 season Ellis was traded to the Yankees along with Willie Randolph & Ken Brett, in exchange for Doc Medich.
In 1986 the Yankees hired him to offer guidance to their minor leaguers on drug & alcohol abuse. Ellis kept up his campaign against addiction for the rest of his life, and frequently joined former teammates to support them on their charity work.
Dock Ellis always spoke his mind, he was one of a kind, he will be missed.
HOF ’09: David Cone
“The Yankees’ David Cone, who could have played linebacker, is what I call a junkyard dog because he’ll knock you out of the box without blinking. He’s got a better-than-average fastball and a real hard slider. Those two pitches help set up one of the best change-ups in either league.”
Umpire Durwood Merrill in You’re Out and You’re Ugly Too
Despite not being a household name, David Brian Cone put together a pretty good career between the years of 1986-2003. Though he missed the 200 win mark at 194 victories, his .606 winning percentage ranks among the best (95th all-time).
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Cone won a Cy Young award in the shortened season of 1994 with a 16-5 record and a 2.94 ERA. Typical of his style, his K/BB ratio was excellent that year at 132 to 54.
One of Cone’s most outstanding seasons came in his first full year in the majors. In 1988 for the Mets, he went 20-3 with an ERA of only 2.22. He struck out 213 that year. Cone’s other 20-win season came ten years later in 1998 while pitching for the cross town rivals, the Yankees. Along with his 20-7 record, he struck out 209 while walking only 59 with an ERA of 3.55.
A hard thrower, Cone led the league in Ks in 1990-91 and K/9 1990-92. He has 2668 career strikeouts which is good for 22nd all-time.
Mostly by virtue of playing for the Yankees, Cone had the privilege of playing on World Champion teams. Five to be exact. What was his World Series record? 5-0 with a 2.12 ERA. Nice. His ALCS record? 5-1.
He probably won’t make it to the Hall but in my eyes it’ll be closer that people think. Let’s face it, the idea at least in my opinion, is to induct players who dominated in their eras. At least for a short while, Cone did that. And the postseason performance doesn’t hurt either. Let’s put him in the Hall of Very Good.
| Hall of Fame | |
| |
Hall of Very Good |
| Why is he even on the Ballot? |
While we wait for January 12 ballot results, The Baseball Zealot will be profiling those players who are on the 2009 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. Read the rest the of the profiles.
Bronx Bombers Land #3 Starter: A.J. Burnett
A.J. Burnett, the 31 year old, 6’5″ righthander out of North Little Rock, Arkansas, picked the perfect time to have his career year, right before becoming a free agent. The Yankees bit, signing Burnett to a five year, $82.5 million dollar deal. A.J., the man with the nasty fastball & the filthy stuff, has had trouble staying healthy, but looked solid in 2008, posting career highs in starts, innings pitched, and wins (34 221′ 18). Before last year the most wins he ever had in a season was 12. Over his ten year big league career, despite his overpowering stuff, his record is only eleven games above .500
If he stays healthy, and that’s a big if (10 trips to the disabled list in 10 years), Burnett should experience success slotted into the #3 position, behind C.C. Sabathia & Chien-Ming Wang. A.J.’s fastball will look like it’s going 200 MPH after hitters bat off Wang’s sinker the day before. This signing still is pending following a physical.