The quintessential American holiday season blew by this time like never before. Monday was Halloween, Wednesday was Thanksgiving, while Christmas/Hanukkah came and went on Friday. Or so it seemed. For many, 2015 was a train-wreck on multiple levels so maybe that was a good thing. After our Yankees literally backed into a 184 minute appearance in the post-season, Spring Training 2016 couldn’t get here quick enough, but we’re half-way there. And the front office still has some work to do, as the starting rotation remains a top concern.
Interestingly enough, there’s a piece by Mark Newman on mlb.com titled 16 storylines to watch out for in ’16, with nary a mention of The Bronx Bombers. But that’s okay — we have 16 storylines of our own, and pitchers and catchers don’t even report for another 6 weeks. Be sure to catch all the latest headlines at Yankees Blogwatch!
MORE UNFINISHED BUSINESS : There are 32 players on the 2016 Hall of Fame ballot, and it will be Mike Mussina‘s third time around. The numbers are there, especially when considering he pitched at the height of the steroid era in the most lethal division in MLB. Bleeding Yankee Blue makes the argument here, and another good read by AJ Cassavell of Sports on Earth is found here.
The results will be announced on Wednesday, January 6th. Here’s hoping the BBWAA does the right thing.
WEBSIGHTS : Looking back at last year’s roller coaster campaign, one of the pleasant surprises for Yankee fans was how Alex Rodriguez performed — on and off the field. The hyperventilating press predicted a season-long circus, but the exact opposite happened. Nice to see it recognized in this piece by Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports: ‘The Top 25 Baseball Stories of 2015 — #4: Alex Rodriguez Makes His Triumphant Return‘.
“The fans were always going to come back to him if he produced. That’s the one thing the commentators never got right when it came to the A-Rod story. While they literally compared him to mass murderers and tried to outdo one another in just how hot their A-Rod takes could be, the fans’ view of him was always pretty straightforward: if he was helping the Yankees win, go-A-Rod! If he was not, the guy was a bum. Note: this is how almost all players are treated by almost all fans. The extremes of those two reactions were intensified by the amount of money A-Rod made — and yes, A-Rod was always laughed at a good bit due to his various antics — but for the most part, he was treated no different than any other player by Yankees fans.”
MEMORY LANE : On today’s date in 2015, the Yankees parted ways with one-time untouchable prospect Manny Banuelos, trading him to the Atlanta Braves for pitchers David Carpenter and Chasen Shreve…
On January 1, 2005, the club brought back fan-favorite and World Series hero Tino Martinez, signing him as a free agent. After not being extended a contract offer at the conclusion of the 2002 season, Martinez spent the next three years with the St. Louis Cardinals and his hometown Tampa Bay Rays. He would retire after the 2005 campaign … (h/t: Baseball-Reference.com, Today in Baseball History)
