Results tagged ‘ Mark Melancon ’

As the deadline approaches…

061210berkman.jpgThe Yankees already have one deal in the books, another expected to be completed and perhaps something else on the way as Saturday’s 4 p.m. ET non-waivers Trade Deadline approaches.

By the time the clock hits the deadline, Austin Kearns should have passed through customs and have tried on his Yankees gear for the first time. Lance Berkman is also expected to be at Tropicana Field by first pitch and could be in the lineup, as soon as the deal for Minor Leaguers Mark Melancon and Jimmy Paredes is officially finalized. 
Berkman’s going to be an interesting fit here. He’s very close with Andy Pettitte and it’s believed that Pettitte helped convince Berkman to approve the deal to the Yankees, although Berkman admitted he’s “nervous” and “apprehensive” about the whole idea of playing home games in a city that isn’t Houston. It’s all he knows, and that’s understandable, but it’s also not exactly what you want to hear.
Then there’s this – Berkman is hitting .245 with 13 home runs and 49 RBIs in 85 games this year, but he’s hitting .188 with one home run and four RBIs in 64 at-bats against left-handed pitching. Kearns’ right-handed bat can help balance that, along with covering for Curtis Granderson’s troubles against lefties. Berkman has also hit .194 away from Minute Maid Park this year, but the Yankees still consider him an upgrade over Colin Curtis.
So, is there anything else to keep on the radar? The New York Daily News noted that the Yankees are still talking to the Cubs about lefty Ted Lilly, but ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets that the Yankees are not pursuing Lilly unless the Cubs want “to put him on a platter and give him away.” (Of course, the Yankees could have had Lilly back in 2007 but decided to go with Kei Igawa instead, but that’s an item for another day.) 
Olney also tweets the Yankees may be looking to pick up an infielder before 4 p.m. today. Also, I thought it was interesting that Joe Girardi said Kearns’ name wasn’t even mentioned to him in passing by Brian Cashman until Thursday — and that’s after New York just completed a four-game series in Cleveland. If that’s so, things move quick, huh?

Granderson headed for disabled list

From the Yankees:

Yankees CF Curtis Granderson, who left today’s game vs. Chicago-AL in the bottom of the sixth inning, was taken to NewYork Presbyterian Hospital, where he received an MRI. He was diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain of the left groin. He will be placed on the 15-day disabled list.
The Yankees will recall RHP Mark Melancon from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. This season with Scranton/WB, he is 3-0 with a 1.76 ERA in 10 relief appearances (15.1IP, 13H, 4R, 3ER, 5BB, 15K, 2HR, .228 opp. avg). 

Tune in tomorrow – same Bat-time, same Bat-channel

Adam West.jpgVia the New York Post’s George King comes this tidbit: the Yankees will haze their rookies tomorrow as they depart Safeco Field en route to Anaheim. The theme of this year’s dress-up disaster: the campy 1960s ‘Batman’ TV series.

King reports that Mark Melancon will be dressed as Batman. Catwoman will be played by Ramiro Pena and Mike Dunn will be dressed as The Riddler. Video coordinator Anthony Flynn will be in Robin garb and massage therapist Lou Potter will don The Penguin’s clothes. Radar gun operator Brett Weber will be The Joker.

CC Sabathia is taking the ‘cast’ to dinner in California, as Jason Giambi used to do. Last year’s hazing took place in Boston, when the youngest Bombers had to walk out of Fenway Park dressed as the Village People after a rainout on the next-to-last day of the season.

In 2007, they walked out of Yankee Stadium dressed as characters from ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ complete with the soundtrack blaring from the clubhouse speakers.

Yankees call up five

The Yankees have promoted Francisco Cervelli, Ramiro Pena, Mark Melancon, Edwar Ramirez and Mike Dunn as their Sept. 1 callups, according to Chad Jennings of the Scranton Times-Tribune. We’ll have more updates and information from the clubhouse here at Camden Yards.

Yankees call up Towers; option Melancon

The Yankees have purchased the contract of RHP Josh Towers from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and optioned RHP Mark Melancon to Triple-A. LHP Damaso Marte was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

This is really just a complementary move to get some innings up after last night’s 15-inning marathon, but it’s a good opportunity to dredge this story up from the archive: Yanks, Jays empty benches twice. Wonder if Tony Pena will be waiting with open arms to welcome Towers into the Yankee clubhouse?

“I heard somebody chirping when I was talking to Lyle [Overbay],” Towers said. “I
asked who it was, and Tony Pena is running his mouth. I was like, ‘What
is this guy running his mouth for?’ He’s a quitter. He was managing a
team and he quit in the middle of a season, because he couldn’t hack
it. Hey, he’s going to run his mouth at me?”

Melancon called up

Mark Melancon has been summoned to join the Yankees bullpen for tonight’s game against the Angels, according to the Scranton Times-Tribune.

After yesterday’s game, Joe Girardi told reporters that adding an arm to the bullpen would be “something we’re going to have to talk about,” after five relievers backed up an ineffective Alfredo Aceves and helped the Bombers post an 8-6 victory over the Twins, completing a three-game sweep at the Metrodome and running New York’s road winning streak to eight games.

A roster move will be announced before tonight’s game. Dave Robertson walked in two runs yesterday and did, in his words, “a terrible job,” so he could be the leading candidate to be sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Jonathan Albaladejo picked up the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, Phil Coke recorded two outs and Phil Hughes added four more to get the ball to Mariano Rivera.

The right-handed Melancon, 24, was 4-0 with three saves and a 2.50 ERA in 25 appearances at Triple-A. In 39 2/3 innings, Melancon allowed 25 hits and 14 runs (11 earned), walking nine and striking out 42 while holding opponents to a .175 batting average.

He made four appearances with the Yankees from in late April and early May, allowing two runs in 3 1/3 innings (5.40 ERA).

Did the K-man do it, or did the K-man do it?

One of the running jokes of the Yankees ’08 season was bringing up Kei Igawa’s name any time there was a need for a starting pitcher. That happened a lot, and after a one-shot deal in Detroit on May 9, Igawa was never the guy they called up to start.

Joe Girardi’s last assignment to Igawa was to record the final three outs in a June 27 game at Shea Stadium, with the Yankees leading 9-0. Igawa got the job done (cue Cosmo Kramer: “Did the K-man do it, or did the K-man do it?”) but gave up two hard singles in the process before inducing Luis Castillo to hit into a game-ending double play.

He was not heard from again on the big league level. There’s no clearer sign than how far Igawa’s star has fallen than the fact he is no longer on the Yankees’ 40-man roster, a Triple-A filler part with $12 million still owed to him through the 2011 season.

So it seems that in the much-rumored trade that would plant Mike Cameron in center field at Yankee Stadium, while shipping Melky Cabrera to the Milwaukee Brewers, the holdup may be Igawa. The New York Post reported that the Brewers want to pick up as little of his salary as possible, as Milwaukee is dropping Cameron’s $10 million deal for 2009 as a salary dump.

The Post reported that the Brewers asked for Phil Coke, Jose Veras and Mark Melancon before Igawa’s name surfaced, but the Yankees quickly said no. That brings the Brewers to Milwaukee, a touted import from Japan who may need this chance more than anyone to revive his stalled career.

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