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EASTWARD HO
2003-11-18 13:46
by Alex Belth


Major League Baseball has asked the Yankees to open the 2004 season in Japan. What a homecoming for Godzilla, huh?

Meanwhile, the other Matsui, Kaz, is headed for the States. But he doesn't look like a fit for the Bronx. Not if Boss George gets his man Sheffield. Sheffield is a borderline Hall of Famer who is coming off his greatest season. But he has a history of being a headache too. Reader John Litt sent me an e-mail yesterday hoping beyond hope that Sheffield doesn't wind up in pinstripes:


"Please, please, please, please, please, not Gary Sheffield. Gary Sheffield disgraced the game, disgraced it in a way that few players have, and was never punished, never apologized. These are Gary Sheffield's words about his time in Milwaukee:

"The Brewers brought out the hate in me. I was a crazy man. . . . I hated
everything about the place. If the official scorer gave me an error, I didn't think was an error, I'd say, `OK, here's a real error,' and I'd throw the next ball into the stands on purpose.' "

That's from an article in the LA Times by Bob Nightengale on 9/1/92, quoting a previous article. Nightengale goes on to talk about Brewers' fans "mistakenly believing that Sheffield's quote was an admission that he wasn't performing up to his ability." Excuse me? I don't know how else to read the original quote.

Nightengale's article continues, "Sheffield said Monday: 'What I said was out of frustration. They want to take something and run with it. Why would a player purposely make mistakes? I'd never do anything to hurt the team. You get paid to play.' Sheffield said the only time he may have made an error purposely out of anger was when he was in the Brewer minor-league system."

...The fact that it was a decade ago really doesn't matter to me. And furthermore, it was only a couple of years ago that he demanded a trade from LA because he wasn't happy there, either. He not only demanded a trade, but it basically had to be to Atlanta or New York, so he could be closer to his family. Not surprisingly, the Dodgers traded him; after all, we know what Gary Sheffield can do if he's unhappy.

I don't want this guy on my team. I don't care how he hits. Not now, not ever. Please, please, please, please, please.

I think that Sheffield would be fine in New York for a brief period of time. If he remains healthy, he should be productive as well. But I can understand why John wouldn't want him around.

 

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Infielders:
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A. Pettitte (L) BR BP BC E
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D. Rasner BR BP BC E mi

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M. Rivera BR BP BC E
K. Farnsworth BR BP BC E
J. Veras BR BP BC E mi
E. Ramirez BR BP BC E mi
D. Robertson BR BC E mi
D. Giese BR BP BC E mi
L. Hawkins BR BP BC E

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H. Matsui BR BP E MLB
J. Damon BR BP E MLB
C. Wang BR BP BC E
60-day DL:
C. Pavano BR BP BC E mi
B. Bruney BR BP BC E
P. Hughes BR BP BC E
J. Albaladejo BR BP BC E mi
A. Brackman BC
H. Sanchez BC mi

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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

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AAA
S. Duncan BR BP E MLB mi DL
J. Miranda BR BC mi
A. Gonzalez BR BP E MLB mi
I. Kennedy BR BP BC E mi
R. Ohlendorf BR BP BC E
B. Traber (L) BR BP BC E mi
C. Britton BR BP BC E mi
S. Patterson BR BC mi DL
K. Igawa (L) BR BP BC E JB mi
J. Karstens BR BP BC E mi
J. Marquez BR BC mi DL
AA
C. Wright (L) BR BP BC E mi
High-A
F. Cervelli BR BC mi DL

Designated for Assignment:
O. Perez BR BC mi

Select Minor Leaguers:

AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees:
E. Duncan BC mi
B. Broussard BR mi
B. Castro BR mi DL
C. Basak BR BP BC E MLB mi
C. Ransom BR mi
N. Green BR mi
J. Lane BR mi
M. Carson BC mi
G. Porter BC mi
C. Stewart BR BP E MLB mi
J.D. Closser BR mi
J. Brown BC mi DL
A. Aceves BR mi
A. Horne BC mi DL
D. McCutchen BC mi
J.B. Cox BC mi
S. White BR BC mi
H. Phillips (L) BR BC mi
S. Strickland BR BC mi
S. Jackson BC mi
E. Milton BR BC mi DL

AA Trenton Thunder:
K. Russo BR mi DL
R. Peña BC mi
C. Malec BC mi
M. Vechionacci BC mi DL
A. Jackson BC mi
J. Tabata BC mi DL
C. Curtis BC mi
E. Gonzalez BR mi
P.J. Pilittere BC mi
J. Jones BC mi
P. Coke (L) BC mi
B. Smith BC mi DL
M. Melancon BC mi
A. Claggett BC mi
M. Gardner BC mi DL
K. Whelan BC mi DL

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

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:
J. Snyder BC mi
B. Suttle BC mi
A. Romine BC mi
J. Montero BC mi
J. Heredia BC mi
J. Ortiz BC mi
C. Heyer BC mi
W. De La Rosa (L) BC mi

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

Rookie Gulf Coast Yankees:
C. Joseph mi
C. Smith mi
D. Betances BC 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

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2008 Yankees:
M. Ensberg BR BP E MLB

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S. Henn (L) BR BP BC E mi SD

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J. Torre (Mgr) BR BP BC LAD
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K. Thompson BR BP BC E MLB mi PIT
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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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