Baseball Toaster: Bronx Banter : And That's That

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The Soul of Baseball by Joe Posnanaski
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The Dodgers: 120 Years of Dodgers Baseball

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25-man Roster:

Infielders:
J. Giambi BR BP E MLB
R. Cano BR BP E MLB
D. Jeter BR BP E MLB
A. Rodriguez BR BP E MLB
W. Betemit BR BP E MLB mi
C. Ransom BR BP E MLB mi

Outfielders:
B. Abreu BR BP E MLB
J. Damon BR BP E MLB
X. Nady BR BP E MLB
H. Matsui BR BP E MLB mi
B. Gardner BR E MLB mi

Catchers:
I. Rodriguez BR BP E MLB
J. Molina BR BP E MLB

Starting Pitchers:
M. Mussina BR BP BC E
A. Pettitte (L) BR BP BC E
S. Ponson BR BP BC E mi
D. Rasner BR BP BC E mi

Relief Pitchers:
M. Rivera BR BP BC E
D. Marte BR BP BC E
J. Veras BR BP BC E mi
E. Ramirez BR BP BC E mi
B. Bruney BR BP BC E mi
D. Robertson BR BC E mi
B. Traber (L) BR BP BC E mi
C. Britton BR BP BC E mi

15-day DL:
J. Chamberlain BR BP BC E
D. Giese BR BP BC E mi
J. Posada BR BP E MLB
C. Wang BR BP BC E
60-day DL:
C. Pavano BR BP BC E mi
J. Albaladejo BR BP BC E mi
A. Brackman BC
H. Sanchez BC mi

Coaches:
J. Girardi (Mgr) BR BP BC
R. Thomson (Bench) BC
Kevin Long (Hit) BR
D. Eiland (Pitch) BR BP BC
B. Meacham (3B) BR BP BC
T. Peña (1B) BR BP BC
M. Harkey (Pen) BR BP BC

40-man Roster:
AAA
S. Duncan BR BP E MLB mi
J. Miranda BR BC mi
M. Cabrera BR BP E MLB
J. Christian BR BP E MLB mi
P. Hughes BR BP BC E mi
I. Kennedy BR BP BC E mi
C. Wright (L) BR BP BC E mi
S. Patterson BR BC mi
AA
F. Cervelli BR BC mi
J. Marquez BR BC mi DL

Select Minor Leaguers:

AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees:
B. Castro BR mi DL
C. Basak BR BP BC E MLB mi
E. Duncan BC mi
N. Green BR mi
B. Broussard BR mi
M. Carson BC mi
C. Moeller BR BP E MLB mi
C. Stewart BR BP E MLB mi
J. Brown BC mi DL
A. Aceves BR mi
K. Igawa (L) BR BP BC E JB mi
P. Coke (L) BC mi
M. Melancon BC mi
J.B. Cox BC mi
S. Strickland BR BC mi
S. Jackson BC mi
E. Milton BR BC mi DL
V. Zambrano BR BC mi DL

AA Trenton Thunder:
K. Russo BR mi
R. Peña BC mi DL
C. Malec BC mi
M. Vechionacci BC mi DL
A. Jackson BC mi
C. Curtis BC mi
E. Gonzalez BR mi
P.J. Pilittere BC mi
J. Jones BC mi
G. Kontos BC mi
J. Nuñez BC mi
B. Smith BC mi DL
A. Claggett BC mi
O. Perez BR BC mi
M. Gardner BC mi
K. Whelan BC mi
W. Arias (L) BC mi

A Tampa Yankees:
E. Nuñez BC mi
C.J. Henry BC mi DL
T. Battle BC mi
K. Anson BC mi
J. Gil BC mi
A. Horne BC mi DL
Z. McAllister BC mi
W. De La Rosa (L) BC mi
C. Garcia BC mi

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:
J. Snyder BC mi
M. Cusick BC mi
B. Suttle BC mi
A. Romine BC mi
J. Montero BC mi
D. Betances BC mi
J. Heredia BC mi
J. Ortiz BC mi
C. Heyer BC mi

Low-A Staten Island Yankees:
D. Adams mi
P. Venditte mi

Rookie Gulf Coast Yankees:
C. Joseph mi
C. Smith mi
K. Higashioka mi

Key:
BR = Baseball-Reference
BP = Baseball Prospectus
BC = Baseball Cube (past mL stats)
mi = MiLB.com (current mL stats)
E = ESPN (current splits, game logs)
MLB = MLB.com hit charts
JB = Japanese Baseball.com

The Recently Departed

2008 Yankees:
R. Sexson BR BP E MLB
M. Ensberg BR BP E MLB
A. Gonzalez BR BP E MLB mi
K. Farnsworth BR BP BC E
L. Hawkins BR BP BC E

Nady/Marte Trade:
J. Tabata BC mi
R. Ohlendorf BR BP BC E
D. McCutchen BC mi
J. Karstens BR BP BC E mi

2008 Campers/mLers:
C. Woodward BR BP BC E MLB PHI mL
J. Lane BR mi BOS mL
G. Porter BC mi WAS mL
J.D. Closser BR mi SD mL
S. Henn (L) BR BP BC E mi SD
H. Phillips (L) BR BC mi TB mL
S. White BR BC mi

2007 Yankees:
J. Torre (Mgr) BR BP BC LAD
D. Mientkiewicz BR BP BC E MLB PIT mL
A. Phillips BR BP BC E MLB mi CIN mL
J. Phelps BR BP BC E MLB STL mL
M. Cairo BR BP BC E MLB SEA
K. Thompson BR BP BC E MLB mi PIT
B. Sardinha BC mi SEA mL
W. Nieves BR BP BC E MLB WAS mL
R. Clemens BR BP BC E mi
T. Clippard BR BP BC E mi WAS
L. Vizcaino BR BP BC E COL $7.5m/2yrs
M. DeSalvo BR BP BC E mi ATL mL
M. Myers (L) BR BP BC E LAD mL
R. Villone (L) BR BP BC E mi STL mL
S. Proctor BR BP BC E LAD
J. Brower BR BP BC E mi CIN mL
C. Bean BR BP BC E mi ATL mL

2007 Campers and mLers:
E. Durazo BR BP BC E MLB mi
A. Cannizaro BR BP BC E MLB mi TB mL
A. Chavez BR BP BC E MLB mi LAD mL
K. Reese BR BP BC E MLB mi
R. Chavez BR BP BC E MLB mi PIT mL
O. Santos BC mi BAL mL
T. Pratt BR BP BC E MLB
T.J. Beam BR BP BC E mi PIT mL
B. Kozlowski (L) BR BP BC E mi Japan

Molina Trade:
J. Kennard BC mi

Abreu Trade
M. Smith (L) BR BP BC E mi PHI
C. Monasterios BC mi PHI
J. Sanchez mi PHI

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And That's That

2005-12-18 07:36

by Alex Belth

ESPN reports this morning that Nomar Gaciaparra will sign with the Dodgers:

Garciaparra, who still needs to take a physical and finalize contract details, will likely play first base for the Dodgers. The deal has a base salary of $6 million and could be worth as much as $8 million, the New York Post reported.

Phone calls from Joe Torre and Jason Giambi proved fruitless for the Yanks, as it appears that home is where the heart is for Nomar.

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Comments

2005-12-18 08:09:07

1. Nick from Washington Heights

it was a nice thought

2005-12-18 08:38:34

2. Freddy Toliver

Maybe Cashman can get the Dodgers to deal Choi to the Yanks now.

2005-12-18 08:44:57

3. rsmith51

It seemed to me he would have been better off as an OF/3B/DH for marketing purposes. Although I can certainly understand wanting to live close to home. My predictions are .775 OPS(Chazez ravine.) in 67 games.

2005-12-18 10:39:23

4. KJC

Well, that's a relief (for me)...seeing Nomar in pinstripes (well, Yankee grays, actually) at Fenway would be too bizarre.

2005-12-18 11:25:02

5. Dimag

So I guess it will be Miguel Cairo as the utility man. I agree with Freddy Toliver, try and get Choi. I also say that the Yanks should still go all out to sign Damon. Damon really gives them a tough lineup and the Yanks certainly didn't break many windows in last season's playoffs.

2005-12-18 12:03:58

6. bp1

Dimag,

The Yankees held a lead in each of the playoff games last year, including the Randy Johnson game. The pitching/defense simply could not hold a lead, in spite of Figgins and Vlad having horrible series.

We don't need a new center fielder because our old one couldn't hit. Anyone thing Bubba is a better hitter than Bernie? Of course not. Bernie sat down because he couldn't play the field. Damon can't throw, and he's not getting any younger.

An extra bat is always welcome, but not at the expense of several years of declining defense in center field. Didn't we just go through that? Either play Bubba until we can sign a real center fielder, or trade Pavano for one now.

Just say No to Johnny Damon.

2005-12-18 12:45:24

7. susan mullen

This wasn't a big surprise, the Yankees having
said recently they weren't optimistic. The Post's report said that Nomar didn't like the
idea of having to deal with NY media---that
would be obvious, considering how he refused to
speak to the Boston media. He & his wife live out there, he also thought the climate would be
better for his legs. It wasn't going to happen.
I'm sorry Torre & Giambi wasted the 25 cents
calling him. I'll never forget Nomar's face in
the dugout.

2005-12-18 13:13:38

8. jonm

In a way, I'm relieved (despite the fact that he would have helped the Yankees). I'm relieved because I was always annoyed by his compulsive mannerisms in the batter's box. It would have driven me nuts next season.

Some good names are being rumored to be non-tenderered (Gerut, Craig Wilson, Choi, Patterson, Bayonne's own Joe Borowski). I hope that the Yankees are very aggressive in that market. Perhaps, that has influenced Cashman's strategy.

2005-12-18 14:24:17

9. brockdc

Not heartbroken at the Garciaparra situation. Though he probably would've helped, Nomar comes with far too many question marks - and baggage - for his 6 million dollar pricetag. There was this huge assumption that he would've been content playing the utility role, and I'm not sure he would've accepted that. He's also a baby, injury-prone, and 32 going on 40.

This team will be appredciably better if they can somehow acquire a Reggie Sanders and/or Jacques Jones to split time in right. Give Sheff the full-time DH job, trade Wright and Proctor for some prospects, and sign Tavarez.

And, please, give Bubba a chance. He's a short-term solution, to be sure; but he'll play exceptional defense and (hopefully) hit at or just below league average. The fact that he knows how to bunt already sets him apart from every other Yankee offesively.

2005-12-18 14:38:58

10. Levy2020

Wright for prospects is the deal I've heard all year.

Only thing better would've been Womack for Johann Santana straigt up. :=:

2005-12-18 14:51:12

11. jonm

I don't think that we should trade Wright now. That would truly be selling at the absolute low point. He has one more year (and a buy out). His one year wonder season at least featured a decent K rate compared with Pavano's one year wonder season. I would rather trade Pavano.

2005-12-18 15:45:50

12. bp1

Jonm,

Agreed re: Wright and Pavano.

Speaking of Wright - was there another pitcher on the planet who had more things hit back at him toward the end of the season? Man - that was crazy.

2005-12-18 17:49:50

13. brockdc

Fine. Then we trade Pavano and cash for Reed and sign Millwood. Done and done.

2005-12-18 21:42:37

14. Alvaro Espinoza

Congratulations LA! You can have Nomar.

And kudos to bp1 for talking some common sense.

2005-12-18 22:16:04

15. BklynBomber

Perfect headline, Alex — brings to mind the scene in Goodfellas when Tommy gets his.

Nomar was not right for this town and at least he was honest enough with himself to act on it, saving the organization, fans and press the trouble. He can underachieve in LA knowing more people there read the 'Calendar' section (arts and entertainment) of the LA Times than the Sports section.

I want the kind of guy who will knock down his mother for the chance to wear the Pinstripes. Not someone who is concerned with how reporters will accept him.

While it was a fairly interesting thought to consider him on the '06 roster for a minute or two, it's good to move on and look at the non-tendered talent now available that could fill defined holes, or at worst provide trade bait for a future deal.

#8 jonm — Bingo! Let Nomar fall in a 2-30 slump and see how that ritual would play in The Bronx. I think he made the right choice.

2005-12-19 04:52:35

16. murphy

non-tendered talent?

did someone say corey patterson?

c'mon, sections 37&39,
HEE-SOP-CHOI!
HEE-SOP-CHOI!
HEE-SOP-CHOI!

(i like this a lot already)

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