Results tagged ‘ Brian Bruney ’
Rumor Mill: Cashman wings it home
The nice part about holding the General Managers’ meetings at a Chicago airport hotel must have been that it was easy for Brian Cashman to get back to New York.
Cobbling through this morning’s reports, it’s clear that the Hot Stove is alive and well, though there isn’t much concrete to hitch onto. Sure, the Yankees would be interested if the Blue Jays decide to move Roy Halladay — just the way they were in July (New York Daily News). But who’s to say Toronto can really stomach seeing Doc in their division pitching for either the Yankees or the Red Sox? That’d have to be one heck of a prospect package.
File the name Curtis Granderson under those that we might be seeing a lot of this winter (New York Post). We said in Spring Training that if the Yankees didn’t make the playoffs, it would be because a lot of things more important than Melky Cabrera vs. Brett Gardner went wrong. Well, neither really played All-Star caliber ball and the Yankees didn’t seem to suffer a bit. But looking to 2010, Granderson could be an impact player for a team that could lose both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui.
Also today in the Post, the Yankees are planning to wait until after 2010 to discuss extensions with Joe Girardi and Derek Jeter. Arbitration-eligible Brian Bruney is expected to be tendered a contract, and Cashman has received some level of interest from Japanese teams in the long-forgotten Kei Igawa, though his preference would be to stay.
The most significant moves this week were to outright Josh Towers and Freddy Guzman into free agency. That means there’s still plenty of work left to do.
Sticking with two lefties for the Halos
Today Joe Girardi discussed his decision to keep lefty Damaso Marte on the roster for the ALCS instead of bringing Brian Bruney up from the workout camp in Tampa:
“We decided to stay with Marte, looking at (Kendry) Morales as a guy you like turning around,” Girardi said. “(Chone) Figgins is a guy you like turning around. On a day like today, when Bobby (Abreu) follows Figgins, that scenario might come up.”
Girardi said that Eric Hinske was disappointed when he was told that he had been replaced by pinch-runner Freddy Guzman for the ALCS.
“He was, but Hinske’s a pro,” Girardi said. “I told him, ‘We’re going to keep you here and we’re going to keep you going, because we want you ready in case something happens or in the next round.”
Starting it back up at Fenway Park
Here’s the statue of an 8-foot-tall Ted Williams placing a Red Sox cap on a cancer-stricken boy outside Fenway Park, which coincidentally happened to be where my taxi cab dropped me off this afternoon.
Some 11 hours after leaving, we’re back at here in Boston, where the Yankees and Red Sox will try to find some pitching after last night’s slugfest. I wouldn’t expect Johnny Damon to be in the lineup this afternoon for the Yankees, as he said his right knee was probably going to swell up considerably overnight. We’ll check on that downstairs but I’d expect Eric Hinske would be in.
It got lost in the frantic scoring last night, but Brian Bruney might have evaporated all of the trust he’s built with Joe Girardi over the last few weeks. The fact that Bruney came in and couldn’t throw strikes with an 11-run lead is troubling. When he fell behind 2-0 on Alex Gonzalez, both Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez sprinted to the mound and got in Bruney’s face, as if to say, “It’s Alex Gonzalez – get the ball over the plate!”
Damaso Marte did what the Yankees paid him $12 million over three years to do … get David Ortiz out. Sergio Mitre didn’t look sharp in a ‘just-keep-it-close’ appearance, but you’d figure he stays in the rotation when we get back to New York.
I wasn’t here for the ’99 All-Star Game, wish I had been. But I do have a quick Ted Williams story for you — back in my baseball card collecting days, I pulled what would become the unchallenged prize of my collection one day (for you Rocklanders, a shout-out to T.J.’s in Suffern, N.Y. Anyone know if it still there?). Stowed within a pack of cards was a Ted Williams autograph, serially numbered at No. 6 of 406.
While I very rarely go through those cards anymore, I know that I still have it, sealed in thick plastic. Someday I know I’ll pass it on, and it remains the most valuable card I’ve ever owned …unless someone wants to gift me a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, which would be just fine. I promise I’d give it a good home.
The shaved-head brigade gets a new member
Phil Coke walked into the clubhouse today, beaming and pretending he didn’t know why people were gawking at his suddenly-shaved head. He didn’t really offer a lot of reasons for the switch, other than that it seems he got over his exhaustion last night to set a date with the razor.
Then he stood underneath the lamp in his locker and said he was going to try to get some color on top of his head. With Brian Bruney also having shed his locks while the Yankees were in Toronto (you know, that’s also where Nick Swisher unveiled the Swish-Hawk), what are the chances this trend eventually gets to the Jeters and A-Rods?
A lot of question marks in the Bronx
The Yankees lineup card shows 26 players with one hour to go before game time. Brian Bruney is back, but who’s out? It’s anyone’s guess right now. There will be something to report — you’d hope — by first pitch.
But one thing you can rule out — Joe Girardi said the Yankees aren’t ready to go without two infielders to back up Alex Rodriguez just yet. Ramiro Pena and Angel Berroa will apparently stay. Joe Girardi said that Bruney could be pitching in the eighth inning as soon as tonight.
“I’m not sure exactly how sharp he’ll be his first outing out, but it’s good to have him back,” Girardi said. “We need him back and we need him to throw like he’s been throwing in the eighth inning for us.”
Chien-Ming Wang threw 50 pitches in the bullpen and says he is ready to pitch in the big leagues, and that he has the ability to keep his sinker down in the zone. He said he feels “almost the same” as last year. Will the Yankees agree? Again, stay tuned.
Bruney back tomorrow; Wang decision looming
Brian Bruney will be activated from the disabled list tomorrow, Yankees manager Joe Girardi has confirmed. The Yankees will lose a reliever as Girardi said it was unlikely they will carry a 12-man staff.
Bruney had some interesting comments pre-game in which he blamed Major League Baseball’s use of instant replay for his strained flexor tendon. He attributes it to the April 19 game at Yankee Stadium, where a Jorge Posada home run was reviewed by umpires.
The original call on the field stood, with Posada credited with a two-run dinger off Cleveland’s Jensen Lewis, but the review took 8 ½ minutes to complete and Bruney said that he continued throwing throughout the delay.
“I turned around to see the replay, and it was obvious to me by the first replay that it was a home run – which is what they called it anyway,” Bruney said. “I don’t know what the 8 ½ minutes was all about.”
Bruney appeared two days later on April 21 but felt weak, allowing a run on two hits to the A’s, and was subsequently placed on the disabled list. Bruney said he lodged a complaint with the MLB Players Association about the delay and was told the play was reviewed from a remote location.
“I don’t know if somebody was on a lunch break or what, but something went wrong,” Bruney said. “That’s a long time for any pitcher to be throwing. That’s a long inning, plus another long inning. But I’m back.”
Chien-Ming Wang will come to New York for “a change of scenery” tomorrow and throw a bullpen, after which the Yankees will make a decision about his next start, but it does not sound like it will come with the Yankees. There are still concerns about command, as his sinker was high in the zone. His velocity was OK, averaging between 88-92 mph, Girardi said.
Additionally, Brett Gardner has a contusion of his right rotator cuff after his slide into home plate yesterday. He had an MRI today and Girardi said he is day-to-day.
Closing thoughts from Clearwater
Just finishing things up here in Clearwater, where the skies are still overcast and it’s beginning to look like a good thing that I’ve been keeping a fleece sweater in the trunk of my car since … oh, say, February 11.
It appears that Derek Jeter has taken to the friendly skies after Team USA’s loss, hoping to make it back for the Tuesday night game against the Red Sox.
“He’s planning on being here tomorrow night,” Girardi said. “Are we surprised?”
Girardi said that he’s planning on accommodating Jeter and re-writing his lineup card. They don’t necessarily have to do anything special with Jeter for the rest of camp – all things considered, Girardi said Jeter should be able to have had close to 60 at-bats this spring, which is enough.
Chien-Ming Wang took Brett Tomko’s innings today, so the Yankees will stretch out their long relief candidates on Saturday against the Braves. Tomko and Dan Giese will both get a lot of work while Wang stays behind in Tampa … weather permitting. The Yankees didn’t take a long reliever out of camp last year, but this year one may be more crucial because of the limitation on Joba Chamberlain’s innings.
Brian Bruney (7.42 ERA) is having a rough spring. He was half-joking today when he said that he hopes he can still make the team, and Girardi said that he doesn’t need to worry about that – they still want him to be the eighth inning man. But they’d also like to see him not give up two-run bombs to Matt Stairs.
Girardi said the Yankees need to find a way to get him going. If they don’t (me talking, not Girardi), imagine how quickly the ‘Joba needs to be in the bullpen’ crowd will take it to the next level?
Talkin’ a little baseball
And let’s do it today, because tomorrow is going to be all Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez, all the time …
– Francisco Cervelli was sent out of camp today with an upper respiratory ailment, the same one that bothered Christian Garcia and Brian Bruney earlier. Joe Girardi is trying to quarantine his clubhouse, sending him home after a doctor’s appointment today. Jason Johnson was excused from camp today with a personal issue.
– The Yankees are not expecting anyone to be late this spring with visa problems.
– Girardi said he is OK with keeping both Xavier Nady and Nick Swisher around: “I don’t think you can have too many players. You don’t know what’s going to happen in the next seven weeks, if we come out of Spring Training completely healthy. You can never have too many players.”
Teixeira arrives in camp
I was chatting with Brian Bruney downstairs when Mark Teixeira walked in, an Angels bag slung over his left shoulder. Bruney shot up and the two exchanged pleasantries, with Bruney welcoming him to the team and Teixeira saying he was glad to be here.
“This team,” Bruney was saying later, “is going to be the best one, personality-wise, since I’ve been here. These are all good guys we’ve brought in.”
Teixeira certainly seems to fit the part. He shook hands with every single reporter within the county limits and swears that he’s going to try to learn all of our names. The fans should enjoy having him around too – Teixeira said that he is going to have the best year of his career in 2009 and is determined to get off to a fast start.
He’s also ready to get a crash course in the Yankee three-ring circus when Alex Rodriguez takes to the podium tomorrow. Teixeira said he is among those who will be on hand to lend A-Rod support.
“I’ll definitely be there,” Teixeira said. “I’m going to open my arms to Alex.”
Are the Yankees done?
Brian Cashman may be on vacation this week, but Ken Rosenthal suggests that the Yankees aren’t done yet. At FOXSports.com, he wonders if they’ll make a few serious calls about Ben Sheets and/or Juan Cruz before all is said and done.
The Yankees did kick the tires on Sheets back at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, but Sheets has had trouble finding a club willing to take a chance after he experienced injury problems late last year.
With the Andy Pettitte standoff dragging on and his chances apparently dwindling by the day, Sheets represents another choice should the Yankees really not be comfortable with selecting their fifth starter out of the group of Phil Hughes, Alfredo Aceves, Ian Kennedy and Phil Coke.
Cruz would be an addition to a back end of the bullpen, and a welcome one to those who have their doubts about Damaso Marte and Brian Bruney setting up. The rest of the relief corps is certainly amenable to an upgrade, with contenders like Edwar Ramirez and Jose Veras not promised anything heading into the spring.
Bryan Hoch
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