Poll: 2008 Yankee of the Year

Update - 5:45 p.m.: If you've already voted, please vote again. I added a different poll (same choices), but this one is easier to read.


It's poll time again. This is a big one, Scott Proctor's Arm Nation.

I know this was a down year for the New York Yankees, but we need some closure here. So, I ask:

Who is your vote for 2008 Yankee of the Year?

Bobby Abreu: .296 BA, 20 HR, 100 RBI
Johnny Damon: .303 BA, 17 HR, 71 RBI
Derek Jeter: .300 BA, 11 HR, 69 RBI
Mike Mussina: 20-9, 3.37 ERA
Alex Rodriguez: .302 BA, 35 HR, 103 RBI
Mariano Rivera: 39 saves, 1.40 ERA

The poll is located in the right-hand sidebar (I'm aware of the problems with the color scheme. I can't control that.) The choices are in alphabetical order by last name. The poll will be open until Dec. 31 at 11:59 p.m.

Discuss your choice here.

Cameron trade talks off

Kat O'Brien from Newsday spoke to Brewers GM Doug Melvin about the Mike Cameron trade talks. He didn't seem too optimistic about getting something done.

"Nothing new. At this point, I don't anticipate it's something that we would (do). ... I haven't talked to Brian (Cashman) since last week."

Melvin said they had originally looked at moving Cameron to gain some flexibility on the pitching front but that is no longer such a need.

Said Melvin: "I like Mike Cameron a lot. He means a lot in our clubhouse. He's a very positive presence. He's a good player. He's played on a lot of playoff teams -- maybe more than anybody. He's got a lot of intangibles. (A trade is) not something that we're pushing at this time."

Good think I didn't make a hat for Cameron yet.

The Yankees have devoted much of their time since the Winter Meetings to finalizing the contracts of their pitching acquisitions. They have also been making a push for Manny Ramirez's services. It's not surprising Brian Cashman hasn't talked to Melvin in a week.

Off-topic link

My good friend Jeremy Schilling (two L's) asked me to guest blog on his blog, J Schil's Blog (one L). I happily obliged.

Needing an idea, I asked another good friend of mine, Andrew Vazzano (two Z's) of The 'Ropolitans (no Metro). Having already written about how he hates tomatoes, he suggested writing about how much I hate headphones. Enjoy.

During the course of the school year, I will post my articles from The Quinnipiac Chronicle as well. Hopefully they won't be as ridiculous and nonsensical as what I wrote for Jeremy was.

Joba's repenting

The Daily News has some quotes from Joba Chamberlain at the Police Athletic League dinner last night regarding his arrest earlier this off-season.

"I had to deal with some situations growing up and now I have this situation. It's all part of the growing experience," Chamberlain said before accepting an award from the Police Athletic League Tuesday night at the Grand Hyatt in midtown.

"As a 23-year-old man I am still trying to grow up. We all make mistakes. That is part of being human. I am not trying to hide from it, not trying to run from it. I am going to take the bull by the horns. Everybody makes mistakes, and that's part of growing up."
...

"It's been a blessing in disguise," Chamberlain said of the incident. "It happened once and it was a mistake, but it allows me to teach kids from my experience."

It's good to hear these words from him. He has a great future ahead of him, and hopefully he won't screw it up.

'Going hard' at Manny

Mark Feinsand is reporting that the Yankees' interest in Manny Ramirez is growing. He cites a baseball official who says the Yankees are "going hard" after Ramirez, and could be willing to offer him a three-year contract between $22 and $25 million per year.

Feinsand also has reports from another source, saying Brian Cashman is skeptical about signing Ramirez, but the brothers Steinbrenner are on board.

I know some of you don't want Ramirez at all, but for those who do, do you think three years is too many? Personally, I'd only sign him for two. Three years is pushing it in my eyes.

Update on press conferences

Earlier today (well, yesterday, technically), I quoted George King regarding the introductions of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

At the time, King said the Yankees could introduce both pitchers at the same time, but it was unclear at the time. Well, he has since updated the article, saying both pitchers will be introduced at 1:00 p.m. Thursday.

Here's the fun part: I will be here, liveblogging the press conference. I will be using Cover It Live, so if you're also watching and want to chat along with me, you can. If you're at work, don't have YES, etc., you can also check it to see what's going on at Yankee Stadium. This is my first time doing something like this, and hopefully some good discussion will take place.

Yankees still expect Pettitte to sign; Lowe update

Jon Heyman said the Yankees still expect Andy Pettitte to be a member of the 2009 New York Yankees.

Heyman said the Yankees haven't set a deadline, but they expect an answer before Christmas. He also said Pettitte wants to pitch in the new Yankee Stadium.

In a separate article, Heyman suggests the Yankees can resume their talks with Derek Lowe if Pettitte rejects the Yankees' offer. They were in serious talks with him before signing A.J. Burnett.

At this rate, I'd resort to taking back Pettitte for a year instead of signing Lowe to a multi-year deal.

Joba honored by police, misses court date

Joba Chamberlain missed his court date to attend a Police Athletic League event tonight. Kat O'Brien was there, and delivered some details about the evening:

On his way into the dinner, he talked about trying to turn a negative (his DUI arrest) into a positive by talking to kids about his mistake. He says they might listen more to somebody who has actually had that problem.

Joba also talked about being excited about the upcoming season and the new additions of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

Hopefully Joba keeps doing events like this to ensure himself (and the team) that what happened this off-season won't happen again in the future.

Regarding the court appearance, don't worry. Joba has already filed his plea and requested a waiver in writing.

O'Brien also has quotes from Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal who was on hand representing the Yankees. She really said nothing of importance, but you can what she said in the link above the blockquote.

Both pitchers take physicals

A.J. Burnett took his physical yesterday, and CC Sabathia's physical was scheduled for today, according to George King.

As a result, the Yankees have scheduled a 1 p.m. news conference on Thursday. There is a chance both could be introduced at the same time, but King's source said those plans weren't finalized.

At the end of this article, there is a quote from a Yankees source regarding the stalled Mike Cameron trade. "It's not dead but it might not get done," the source said.

Heyman on Manny

The latest on the Manny Ramirez front, from Jon Heyman:

The Yankees are in on the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes but don't appear overly optimistic to outbid the determined Angels or Red Sox. Should the Yankees lose out for Teixeira, who's drawing interest from the perennially also-ran Nationals and Orioles in addition to the three aforementioned clubs, they seem ready to pounce for Manny Ramirez.

Heyman says there are those suggesting that the Yankees are in on Mark Teixeira only to drive up his price. Also, if Teixeira goes to Boston, the Angels could involved in Ramirez talks.

I think there's zero chance Teixeira winds up a Yankee. But I have a strange feeling Ramirez will be batting behind Alex Rodriguez next year.

CC introduction may be on Thursday

Both Kat O'Brien and George King believe CC Sabathia's press conference will take place on Thursday after likely taking his physical today.

King said that the Mets introducing Francisco Rodriguez at their Christmas Party tomorrow is the likely reason for the Yankees waiting another day, but I'm sure the Thursday papers will have giant pictures of Sabathia with clever headlines, like "WelCCome" or "Sabathiarrival." Hehe.

There is still no word on when A.J. Burnett will take his physical and subsequently be introduced, but O'Brien said the Yankees would like to do both this week while Joe Girardi is in town. She said it's unsure, however, if Burnett will be done with his physical by then.

www.ScottProctorsArm.com

Big news, folks. I bought the domain www.scottproctorsarm.com this evening. No more having to say ".blogspot.com" when I tell people where to find my site.

http://scottproctorsarm.blogspot.com will simply redirect to the regular .com, so you don't have to update your bookmarks. Though you can if you want to.

Kepner's latest on Cameron

Tyler Kepner posted his latest update on the Mike Cameron for Melky Cabrera trade.

In talking to some people involved today, I get the feeling the Yankees are backing away from a potential Melky Cabrera-for-Mike Cameron trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, at least for now. There’s a deal the teams could make, and while I’m not sure of the particulars, at this point the Yankees’ main question is baseball-related, not financial.

We know they do not value Cameron at $10 million, which is why they wanted the Brewers to include some money — or take on Kei Igawa — to make the deal happen. Now that a fair deal seems to be in place, the question is whether it makes baseball sense.

I’m not sure it does. If the Yankees add Cameron, he would bat in the bottom third of the order. Presumably, Nick Swisher will be there, too. Those two hitters are good for a combined 300 strikeouts a season.

Good news. The more I think about this trade, the Yankees are better off not going through with it, even if it means getting rid of both Cabrera and Kei Igawa.

Kepner also doesn't expect anything regarding Manny Ramirez soon.

Breaking news: Phil Hughes likes Christian rock

Phil Hughes is back and blogging. Here's a snippet from his latest post:

Also, what would one of my posts be without a music mention? If you've never heard of the band Skillet you should really have a listen. They're an awesome Christian group. If that's not your thing then you should check em out anyways. They play some great hard rock tunes. The song "Savior" is a good one.

Oh yeah, he also said he started working out at Athletes' Performance last week.

"Staying healthy is my number one priority and I feel like if I can do that then I will have a successful season," Hughes said.

My interview with YanksBlog

I was Patrick's latest guest on YanksBlog's Interviewing the Yankees Blogosphere.

Check out what I said in the above link.

Thanks, Patrick, for thinking of me.

Pettitte has another offer?

From the "are you kidding me?" files, Jon Heyman has interesting news regarding Andy Pettitte.

It's been a mystery to many why veteran left-hander Andy Pettitte hasn't taken the Yankees' $10-million offer. But here could be a clue as to why he hasn't: Pettitte's people apparently are telling folks he has a $36-million, three-year offer from another, unnamed team.

I honestly don't believe that for a second.

Heyman says the news of this mysterious offer hasn't caused the Yankees to change their one-year, $10 million offer, nor has Pettitte received a deadline from the team.

He suggests the Yankees will turn their attention to Ben Sheets or Derek Lowe is talks with Pettitte fall through, even though I've heard rumors that the Yankees saw red flags in Sheets' medical history.

Negative Lofton tried to influence CC

According to George King, ex-Yankee malcontent Kenny Lofton tried to influence CC Sabathia's free-agent decision.

"He painted a bad picture of New York and the Yankees," a person in the know said. "A lot of negative things."

Lofton, of course, spent 2004 with the Yankees, and was unhappy. But it wasn't New York's fault.

I really hate hearing stories like this.

Trade talks expected to 'intensify'

George King is reporting that trade talks between the Yankees and Brewers regarding Mike Cameron and Melky Cabrera are expected to intensify tomorrow. Whatever that means.

Apparently the Brewers don't mind Kei Igawa, but they don't want to pay him. Seems reasonable enough.

I still don't see the need for this trade. If the Yankees are looking to upgrade their offense, Cameron isn't exactly the answer.

Latest on Tex, Manny, Cameron, CC and A.J.

George King (I'm still refusing to call him George A. King III) had a bunch of news items spaced out over two articles today.

In the first piece, CC Sabathia is expected in town tomorrow, will take his physical Tuesday and could be formally introduced as early as Wednesday. According to A.J. Burnett's agent, there has been no date set for his physical.

Later, King writes that Kei Igawa's salary has been the latest hold up in the long rumored Mike Cameron for Melky Cabrera trade. Igawa makes $4 million per year, so they don't want to spend that after saving Cameron's $10-million salary. The Yankees have told the Brewers that no pitchers on their 40-man roster are available, so that's why they're settled on the enigmatic lefty. The Brewers asked for Phil Coke, Mark Melancon and Jose Veras, but the Yankees quickly shot that down. King says both sides expect to get the deal done eventually.

I hope they don't.

Now, his second article - Yankee-related news regarding Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez.

According to several baseball officials, the Yankees New York Yankees remain in the Mark Teixeira hunt. But the same connected voices insist if the Yankees don't land the switch-hitting first baseman, they will turn their money toward controversial slugger Manny Ramirez.

"If they can't get Teixeira, they are right there on Manny," an official with knowledge of the Yankees' plan said yesterday.

Imagine getting Teixeira or Ramirez after already signing Sabathia and Burnett? Teixeira has already received an eight-year, $160 million offer from the Angels, so he probably won't get an offer from the Yankees, but according to King, the Yankees "are likely" to offer Ramirez three years at $20 million per.

That would be $59.5 million tied up in free agents, and we're not even talking about Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. But the Yankees were given a lot of money to spend. No matter what, it still sounds like a lot, and it's fascinating to see how much the organizational philosophy has changed after a down year.

A look back at Burnett's career

I meant to post this yesterday, but better late than never. Anthony McCarron takes a (scary) look back at A.J. Burnett's career to date.

July 1, 1997: Returns from a two-week stint on the minor-league disabled list because of a broken left foot.

May 16, 1998: Makes his minor-league season debut after missing the first six weeks after surgery to repair a broken right hand.

March 14, 2000: Suffers a torn thumb ligament during fielding practice in spring training and has surgery a week later. It keeps him out of the majors until July 20.

Feb. 22, 2001: Marlins' doctors find a stress fracture in his right foot, so he starts the season on the disabled list and makes his season debut May 1.

Aug. 19, 2002: Goes on the DL with a bone bruise. Returns nearly a month later.

March 21, 2003: Placed on the DL with an elbow problem which leads to Tommy John surgery.

April 29, 2003: After opening the season on the disabled list because of elbow problems, undergoes Tommy John surgery, a 90-minute procedure performed by Dr. James Andrews.

April 15, 2006: Is activated from the disabled list, where he starts the season because of scar tissue breakup from his previous elbow surgery. Makes two starts before returning to the DL April 22.

June 13, 2007: Goes on the disabled list with a shoulder strain and makes one start when he comes off before going right back on. But after he returns Aug. 12, he goes 5-2 in 10 starts.

Those are only the injuries. Of course, there are 87 wins in 10 years in there somewhere.

I'm scared folks. I understand there's great upside here, but there's also a lot of risk. I can't fathom giving five years to a man with this kind of history. I just can't.