Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) points out that with Tim Wakefield and Javier Vazquez retired, the active strikeout leader is now C.C. Sabathia with 2,017. Here's a look at a few items out of the American League East..
- It would not be shocking to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) to see Wakefield get a call in June or July if the Red Sox are hit with injuries.
- Scouts like the power arm of Diego Moreno, but there are a lot of questions about his maturity, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) had the early reads on the Yankees' imports from the Pirates. Moreno can reach 98 mph on the gun but has command issues while Exicardo Cayones can hit but doesn't have much in the way of power.
- Before deciding to call it a career, Tim Wakefield had offers from four clubs, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Agent Barry Meister says that one of the four offers was a guaranteed big league deal.
- Wakefield didn't consider any of those offers for long, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Upon hearing of the offers, the pitcher asked his agent, "Do they play for Boston?"
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun ranked the Orioles' offseason acquisitons by potential impact. At the top of the list is 26-year-old left-hander Wei-Yin Chen.
I can honestly say that seeing Wake hang ’em up is as sad a day as seeing Yaz to me.. Even over when Evans decided to finally stop playing (yes.. it was with the O’s his last year) and Greenie as well.
Wake was just a guy who could cheer for and get behind for some reason, not a superstar player like Yaz and Evans was, but a solid player in his own right and hope he enjoys his retirement.
“do they play for Boston?” haha wake you silly, wonderful human being. He was playing for the Sox pretty much my entire life it’ll be strange to not hear, “Number Forty-Nine, Pitcher, Tim Waakefield” on opening day. But at least he’ll probably get to throw out a first pitch
You know, that’s a good point. I wonder if he’ll throw out the first pitch at the first home game this year.
Not sure how far in advance they plan those things, but it would be an awesome gesture by the organization.
I’d like to see him toss out the first pitch to (a hopefully also retired) Jason Varitek on the 100th Anniversary of Fenway Park (April 12 2012) Game. Although I suspect they’re cooking up something spectacular for that game…
Not to nitpick, since I love wake as much as the next guy, but when was the last time Timmy threw on opening day?
well they do announce the entire roster on opening day…soooooooooo
Anyone could have drafted Moreno in the Rule 5 draft. Let’s not elevate him, just because he’s now a Yankee prospect.
who has said a single word of him being a real prospect (in terms of being a top 20 organization prospect)?
Exactly as wrote above a minute ago also while u must have been typing
this.. That deal was all about moving Burnett’s contract.. the slightest
chance of getting anything back was/is a bonus.
He’ll be 26YO, barely played at AA and been brutal at A ball. He looks like more of a discard than anything else. One of those “Josh Fields” type throw ins Boston got in the bedard deal last year who is a 1 in a million chance and never pan out..
Terrible facing younger competition, even when they have a way above average pitch at their disposal.
Hopefully the other guy they got is a better prospect, but am sure most NYY fans realize the Burnett deal was just over dumping as much of his salary as possible.. Not getting anything back.
have to sort of admire the “Sox or nothing” attitude Wake took. Enjoy the fishing sir.
I’m surprised more pitchers don’t throw a knuckleball, it’s the toughest pitch for hitters to track since they never see it. I can’t think of any comparison in any other sport. Remember the spitball, I don’t think anyone throws it anymore. How about the vasoline ball. The split finger fastball seems to have kept many pitchers at the top of their game.
It’s also the hardest inconsistent pitch to throw plus catchers dislike trying to track it. In my opinion the most dominating pitches today are Sergio Romo’s “no-dot” slider, Rivera’s cut fastball, and Lincecum’s Split-Change.
Romo’s pitch is ridiculous even though most RH hitters know its coming they can’t track it.
I think the circle change and the spit-finger fastball are the pitches that are hard for players to adjust to today. Pitching is velocity, location, knowledge, and deception. That’s what make pitchers like Maddux and Halliday so good, they had it all.
Though he didnt pitch last year, Jamie Moyer would now become the active strikeout leader, since he not only is not retired, he is currently under at least a minor league contract.
yep. 2405
A little surprised Vazquez didn’t want to get in on the excitement in Miami. Guy was phenomenal in the 2nd-half of last year and the Marlins were interested in bringing him back all the way up to the Zambrano trade. Guy could’ve made himself another $5M easily, but I suppose over $99 million dollars is enough for a career…..
Ozzie Guillen is why Vazquez got shipped to Atlanta for pennies on the dollar a few years ago.
I remember quite a lot of Braves people saying that they overpaid by including Flowers. In any case, the return the Sox managed wasn’t all that bad considering.
Based on his 98 MPH fastball?
Sounds like another Billy Koch.
Difference is, even with his poor command Bets was dominant in every other facet of pitching.
That being said, the Yanks do a very good job of turning low round draft picks and guys with power arms in general into usable relief pitchers. Maybe Moreno will fill that role. From the few reports I read he had some attitude issues too. Maybe this will wake him up.
Cash made the best of a bad situation. Neither would break the Yanks top 30 right now (probably) but there’s some talent there. Who knows?
Comparing Moreno to Betances is the minor league equivalent of comparing Charlie Morton to Roy Halladay.
Agreed. The knuckleball is just beautiful to watch when it’s done right and Wake was as close to a master as any of us will probably ever see.
Also in the world of the athlete spoiled rotten Wake just defined the word classy. I really hope he stays with the organization in some capacity, scout or special instructor or something. I hope the Sox consider retiring his number.