When they brought him on as an instructor, Cashman said that Sojo wouldn’t play for the team–he played anyway. When rosters expanded and Derek Jeter injured his ribs, they signed Sojo to a minor league deal and suited him up for real against the Blue Jays on Sept. 1.
After the season, Sojo signed on to become the Yankees’ third-base coach where, I have no doubt, he’s looking at Enrique Wilson and thinking he could outplay that kid if given the chance.
Though it rarely occurs, this could theoretically happen again, and not just on the Yankees (“Distributing championship rings to the undeserving since 1996!”). Many once-excellent players are hanging around currently-bad teams in coaching capacities, and it’s easy to imagine that in a moment of weakness, a GM might consider a conversion.
I got an e-mail from Yankees.com today imploring me to vote for Hideki Matsui for the final slot on the American League team. First of all, I’m a little shocked that I’m even on the Yankees.com mailing list. Second, I’m even more shocked that the Yankees are actively campaigning to get one of their own onto the squad. How utterly undignified. It’s like those ads movie companies run in the trade publications promoting their pathetic offerings for Academy Awards. “Members of the Academy, for your consideration: Ben Affleck in Gigli…” Campaigning is for dog catchers and county aldermen, not the most successful, storied and–allegedly–classy franchise in American sport.
Perhaps I doth protest too much. After all, the All-Star Game voting and selection is so completely bescrewed that it’s much too late to bring any sanity to the proceedings now. If you would like to take a stab at doing so, however, you wouldn’t be voting for Matsui.
Indians’ GM Mark Shapiro likes picking up Colorado retreads, for whatever reason. The Expos have a number of hitters–including Orlando Cabrera–who could fetch some value on the trade market. And the Mariners, following their excellent pick-up of Jeremy Reed and Miguel Olivo for Freddy Garcia, seem unwilling to part with other usable parts like Jamie Moyer. All this and much more news from Cleveland, Montreal, and Seattle in your Tuesday edition of Prospectus Triple Play.
I’ve been trying and I can’t find anyone that has a career path like Phil Nevin’s. He’s gone from first-round pick to first-round bust to journeyman to star to injury-prone in the space of a decade. He’s been traded three times for a collection of warm bodies. Even PECOTA’s comps list can’t find anything quite like Nevin.
He’s down, once again, and headed for surgery. This time, it’s a torn meniscus, the second such surgery he’s had. Nevin should be out until mid-August, but it’s a straightforward procedure. The injury shouldn’t affect his hitting, and Nevin wasn’t exactly tearing up the basepaths anyway, so this shouldn’t change his game upon return. This does give me a chance to point at the attrition and drop rates that PECOTA has for Nevin. If you’re in a keeper league or are Kevin
Towers, take note.
Eric Chavez is not only a fast healer, he appears to be rust-resistant. In his start at Triple-A, Chavez came back with two singles and a
walk. He started at DH, but his fielding isn’t expected to be a problem. The rehab assignment is not expected to be a long one, so Chavez could be back later this week.
McKeon chose Larkin over Bobby Abreu, a reasonable MVP candidate in a world that just gives Barry Bonds the lifetime achievement award. He chose Larkin over J.D. Drew, who’s one of the only reasons to watch the Braves this year. Lyle Overbay appears on a lot of “snubbed” lists, and although I can forgive McKeon for not adding a fourth first baseman or third Brewer, Overbay clearly belongs ahead of Larkin.
As does Beltre. Regardless of whether I’d rather see the veteran I like over
the disappointment I have no attachment to, choosing Barry Larkin over any or
all of these players is a mistake. Based on the established criteria, and even
giving Larkin credit for his long and distinguished career, I can’t see snubbing players like Beltre and Abreu in favor of Larkin.
Still, the All-Star selection process has become a paint-by-numbers one, as the player selections and the various roster requirements fill out the teams without requiring much input from the managers. Maybe we should be thankful to
McKeon for adding some spice to the process.
Billy Wagner isn’t happy that 11-game winner Eric Milton was “snubbed” by Jack McKeon for the NL All-Star squad. Then again, he also doesn’t think ERA should factor into the decision-making process, so whatever. Gary Sheffield wants what may or may not be contractually his. Some current- and former-players talk about pitch counts, and there is shockingly some disagreement on the subject. Mariners president Chuck Armstrong is convinced that women and children care more about bright, shiny objects than on-field success, which is somehow supposed to justify giving Dan Wilson $3.5 million. Billy Beane is mad at Cal St. Fullerton coach George Horton. And Ozzie Guillen hates Wrigley field, and probably kicks puppies in his free time as well (Just kidding!). All this and many more quips in your Tuesday edition of The Week In Quotes.