I guess I’ve been living under a rock, but I thought he’d gone away. Apparently, he’s a Brave. During the broadcast of the Yankees-Braves game today I had to roll my eyes when Michael Kay said of Proctor, “He’s had an awful lot of arm problems.” Yeah, and Joe Torre used that arm more often than I use the keyboard of this computer. Oh well. I’m glad he’s still in the bigs. He always seemed like a decent guy.
Another stellar start by Freddy Garcia today, who was interviewed after he came out of the game and sounded like he’s very focused on winning a spot in the rotation. Great, right? Except what happens if he does win the job but then loses his incentive? Maybe Girardi should keep the competition going all season long.
And while I’m on the subject of pitchers, I had my first look at Andrew Brackman and here’s what I thought: He’s tall.
He makes Mo look like a bobblehead doll, doesn’t he?
By the way, did Charlie Sheen have to be wearing a Yankees shirt in his latest video rant?
There are no words for how much I loathe Charlie Sheen. Even more so now I’ve seen that picture. Just…ugh! That’s one guy I’d rather not have associated with our team in any way.
I feel sorry for him more than I loathe him, Anji. He’s in the throes of a bad mania and unless he gets help it’s not going to end well. I just found out he was wearing a Cincinnati Reds shirt tonight, so the Yankees are off the hook!
Yeah, Proctor was easy to lose track of. He had Tommy John’s a few years ago and then quietly went to the minors.
Wow, Andrew Brackman is tall. He almost looks like he’s walking on stilts behind Mo.
I’ll say up front that I am a Blue Jays fan, but I followed your Blog on mlb.com and always enjoyed your (Yankee-centric) comments. Garcia seems to have the inside track for the #5 spot at the moment, justifiably so from what I have seen on video. I do not expect either Garcia or Colon to be on the 25-man roster come June/July. A trade for a decent pitcher will have been done by then – maybe Liriano or even Carpenter. Going into a post-season with CC/Hughes/AJ/Nova is not what the NYY will want to do (they will make the post-season, BTW). Betances and Banuelos, while great prospects, are not ML ready…I think they combined for about 150 Innings in the minors last year? Could be wrong about that. This IS an outsider’s point of view, though.
Hope I haven’t ruffled too many feathers…Gotta keep tabs on the opposition though!!
Tony (I live down-Under, BTW).
Mennnnnnnnnnn!
Mennnnnnnn!
Ya know… I was gonna say something about Sheen and his Yankees gear… but I thought better of it. He is not quite the representation y’all are lookin’ for, I’m sure. Joba looks ginormously wide next to Mo and the tall skinny fella.
Brackman is almost 7′ feet tall, I think, Kristen. He wanted to play basketball, I understand, but the Yankees drafted him and now he’s determined to make the starting rotation one of these days. He, too, had Tommy John surgery but the Yankees took him anyway.
Hi, Tony. Welcome from Down Under. How did an Australian get to be a Blue Jays fan or did you move there from Toronto? Anyhow, I’m glad you see the Yankees making the postseason. Me too. And I agree about Banuelos and Betances. They need innings. Garcia does look to have the inside track right now and if he continues to pitch well he could really help the team – at least in the short term.
John, are you speaking in tongues today?
Apparently, Sheen has been spreading the love, Jeff. He started off wearing that Giants cap in his first interviews on TV. Then he wore the Yankees shirt the other night. And last night he had on a Reds shirt. What’s next? Cardinals?
Whoa, Brackman IS tall! The pic of him with Mo and Joba reminds me of some of my son’s teams, when some of the kids have gone through their growth spurt and some haven’t, and the size differentials can be pretty amusing. And please, I hope someone keeps Charlie away from any Phillies garb! He is a total train wreck.
Don’t think Sheen has donned any Phillies’ garb so far, Sue, but I fear that no one is safe! He seems to vary his wardrobe.
Am I the only one who is tired of spring training already?
Am I really the only one wanting the damn season to just start already?
Am I the only one tired of hearing Kruk and the boys say every day on Baseball tonight that the Yanks don’t have a chance. (it was stellar coming from Shilling yesterday….argh!)
Am I the only one tired of hearing about our lack of starting pitching as much as I am tired of seeing Sheen ranting everywhere.
Gee, maybe I’m just tired and should go lay down until the season starts. :-)
You must not be a 21/2 men junkie. They sing “mennnnnn” at the end of the show jungle.
No, you’re not the only one who’s tired, period, Peg! I woke up at 5 this morning and am ready for a nap. I don’t watch Kruk and the others, and I suggest you tune them out too. Seriously, Schilling? I’d lose my appetite.
I haven’t watched a single episode of that show, John. And by the sound of it I never will.
Andrew Brackman. When you kept saying how TALL he is (and he IS 6-11), and how he wanted to play hoops instead, it jogged my memory…so I checked, and sure enough, verified that he went to N.C. State, and for two years he was a dual-sport guy, beisbol and b-ball. The NCSU Wolfpack are in the ACC, (that’s the Atlantic Coast Conference, folks), which is my school’s league, and I remember him well. Good shooter for a big man; had some future in hoops, or so I thought at the time…but now, I’m SURE glad he chose differently!!
Now for some really fun trivia for y’all. Only TWO guys, to my knowledge, have ever played in the college basketball Final Four, and also in the World Series. One was Kenny Lofton (played at Arizona, and for the SF Giants). The other one — the first one — a big strapping righty, who played on NC State’s National Champs in ’74, and then for the Orioles in the ’79 Series — is Tim Stoddard. Remember him?? So even though State wasn’t so lucky with Andrew — maybe his beisbol team will be!!!
Way to do your research, Dave. I had no idea that Kenny Lofton was a two-sport guy, especially at that level. Never heard of Tim Stoddard though. Here’s hoping Brackman will stay healthy and end up being an ace for us one of these days.
I have been avoiding watching any of Charlie Sheen’s videos. He does not look good in that shot! 2 and a half weeks until I see my first spring training game! They are playing the Pittsburgh Pirates.
You’ve really put my (sports) memory banks to the test today, Jane. Now, I wouldn’t necessarily expect you to remember Ol’ Timmy Stoddard, but would you believe he was a YANKEE? Yes he was! For three seasons…from ’86 to ’88. Admittedly, not exactly our Glory Daze. And even I might not recognize him without his walrus mustache. Big beefy reliever. About 6-foot-7. Popular in Baltimore, but that was surely his heyday. Probably didn’t do much of anything in Gotham, which is why his name rings no bells with you. But I will NEVER forget his presence on the 1974 NC State team that ended UCLA’s run of 7 consecutive national titles…one gloriously sweet memory…we take our college basketball seriously in these parts…
Anyway, Ol’ Tim is still involved with beisbol. Coaches at Northwestern, of all places. Wonder if he’s ever had any contact with Brackman…maybe quite a bit!
Hey Bob, Thanks for the trivia! I don’t really know either of those guys, but it’s always fun to learn new things about sports, especially baseball. Now I don’t know how good Northwestern is in baseball (I have loyalties to another Big 10 team), but if they are doing well, maybe Tim will come work for Joe G. in a few years, since Joe went to Northwestern too?
I am also ready for the real season to begin, but I’ll take any baseball I can get after this depressing off-season. Bring on the boys of summer!!
Very excited about your trip to Tampa, Darren. I hope you have the same great weather they seem to be having now!
Thanks for the follow up, Dave. You’re positively encyclopedic!
I feel the same way, DJ. I’m not that wild about spring training, but any baseball is better than no baseball.
Oh yes, he’s tall. The first thing I thought was: Why isn’t he playing Basketball? Lol! I don’t know, isn’t it harder to throw the ball accurately if you’re that tall? I just hope he can keep up the good work. No matter if Majors or Minors. Lol to that bobblehead comment, Jane! ;) Really made me laugh!
Wow, Charlie Sheen should stop giving interviews and check into a rehab facility. Or see a shrink…a lot of them. Oh and I hope someone takes that Yankees shirt from him, so he can’t wear it again, ever! And he’s not allowed to buy another one!
Tall can be a very good thing for a pitcher, Nadine. Randy Johnson comes to mind. They gets lots of downward motion and must be so intimidating for a hitter. Glad to make you laugh.:)
Sheen is not doing the Yanks any favors with his drug-induced rants sporting the “NY.”
So, my second thought on Brackman after “he’s tall” was “I hope he does not snap in half like a toothpick.” SO skinny! FEED HIM, Yankees! lol
Jenn
http://philliesphollowers.mlblogs.com/
I don’t think Brackman is that much thinner than Randy Johnson, Jenn, and he still has some filling out to do. But I’d be glad to send him my chocolate cake. It’s just full of calories!
Poor Scott Proctor. He’s definitely had his challenges, but I hope he can ride into the sunset in a wave of glory. He was always a great competitor and quality pitcher. I really like Brackman and hope that he supplants Colon/Garcia at some point in the season. Why couldn’t have Charlie invested in a Red Sox shirt? We should send a ‘sorry, we’re full’ tweet to Charlie!
Here’s a great article on River Ave Blues on the godly one himself praising Banuelos:
http://riveraveblues.com/2011/03/rivera-praises-banuelos-i-like-everything-about-him-44464/#comments
The kid must be stoked to have gotten praise from the greatest closer of all time. You are definitely doing something well to receive such a compliment from the great one and I have to agree with him. I have such high hopes for Banuelos and watching him pitch last year in the Arizona Fall League was a joy. Unless we can get an elite talent(Felix Hernandez anyone?), I would not want to see him traded.
I don’t see Brackman supplanting anybody this season, Scott. But I’ve been wrong before – plenty of times. I don’t know what to say about Charlie’s wardrobe except that he does change his clothes, which suggests he pays at least some attention to his grooming.
I wouldn’t want to see Banuelos traded either, Leo. (Thanks for the link. Love it.) Ditto Betances and Brackman. If you’d asked me during the off-season I would have said, “Trade them all for King Felix.” Not anymore.
Isn’t Proctor up for a job in the commissioner’s office working for Joe? He’ll have carpal tunnel within a month.
http://paullebowitz.com.previewyoursite.com/blog/?p=544
I thought Proctor’s right arm was mounted on Torre’s wall in his office.
LOL, Paul. Maybe if things don’t work out with the Braves, Proctor could give his old manager a call – if his arm still works.
It might be, Greg!