Author: David Medsker (Page 9 of 20)

Hideki Matsui is out until at least September with a broken left wrist that was supposedly swollen up to twice the size of his right wrist. And just like that, the once formidable Yankees outfield of Godzilla, Damon and Sheffield is Melky Cabrera, Damon and…Jeff Conine? Craig Wilson? Sammy Sosa? Man, wouldn’t that be funny.

Heaven help Brian Cashman. The pressure is now on him to make the impossible deal, with no leverage and few prospects to deal and a pitching staff that’s about to start collecting Social Security. I hope he takes Mike Mussina out to dinner at least once a week right now. Moose is keeping that team afloat all on his own.

So what move(s) should the Yankees make now? Do they go after Conine or Wilson? Maybe trade for Aubrey Huff? Tell us your thoughts.

Delmon Young was suspended 50 games without pay for tossing a bat at a (replacement) umpire earlier in the season after being called out on strikes. This will cost him about $145,000, according to ESPN.

Personally, I think the sentencing is just right. That’s a huge chunk of the season, and he needs to learn that his actions have consequences, not only to himself but to those around him. If the Durham D-Rays spiral as a result of this (though if they’re anything like the parent club, they’re already spiraling), he’s going to be a lonely man in the clubhouse. Worse, this act certainly caught the eye of the major league umps, who will have a very short fuse when dealing with him, much like they appear to have with Milton Bradley.

The only thing I will say in Delmon’s defense is: did you see the pitch? He was right, that wasn’t anywhere near the strike zone.

Barry Bonds took a shot to the head during batting practice. How, you ask? He was standing behind the cage, arms up on the railing, not paying attention, and boom, foul ball drills him above the right eye.

Now, I own Barry Bonds in a fantasy league (he was still there in the 10th round, I had to take him), but even I grinned when I heard the news, as if the fates are coming together to prevent Bonds from surpassing the Babe. But then I saw the video, the closeup of Bonds, followed by the blur of the ball and Bonds hitting the deck…and I laughed my ass off. Okay, first I said, “Oooooooh,” but then I laughed. Hard. Soon after they showed the tape, Orel “Bulldog” Hersheiser, who is calling the Toronto/Boston game on ESPN, commented on how a veteran player like Bonds should know to pull the netting that surrounds the batting cage back far enough to see how much give it has, so they don’t accidentally get beaned like Bonds did. Whoops. Somebody in the house say “Nelson Muntz!” (Nelson Muntz!) Haaaa-ha!