All Things Bubba

The photo is from spring training 1999, which would make Bubba 22 years old when it was taken. I've added several more portraits to the Web site, from Bubba's Dodgers and Yankees days.

And I've come across several familiar names recently, and thought I'd do a brief rundown...

Poor Doug Mientkiewicz got kicked in the head by Mike Lowell yesterday in a collision at 1B. He has a concussion, a sprained neck, and a broken wrist. He's on the DL, expected to be out 6-8 weeks. The Yankees have called up pitcher Matt de Salvo again for now, but eventually will have to call up a first baseman. A lot of Yankees fans are hoping for Shelly Duncan, who is raking. But most think that it will be Andy Phillips. He was held out of the Scranton lineup tonight, giving weight to the rumors.

I wouldn't mind seeing Andy again. It did pleck me off when they kept him but DFA'd Bubba. I felt Bubba had a lot more to offer as a bench player than Andy, who couldn't hit, was mediocre on defense, and was a terrible baserunner.

But Andy's defense is much better than Josh Phelps'. And he could probably learn to hit big league pitching. His left/right splits were reversed last year, and I suspect it was because the scouts found a hole in his swing and pitchers adjusted. He has to made adjustments in turn, and I think he can.

Besides, I'm kinda sentimental. I think of former Yankees as old friends, and I'm always happy to see them again.

Speaking of which...I was surprised to find Craig Wilson in the Charlotte Knights lineup last week when they were playing the Bats. I'd heard Atlanta released him, but I hadn't heard he'd been signed. He was. The Chicago White Sox signed him to a minor league deal.

I never expected his stock to fall so far, so fast. He's just never been the same since he left Pittsburgh.

And part of my recent vacation was spent in the Pittsburgh area. I watched a lot of Pirates games. (I stayed with a friend who's a rabid Pirates fan.) Shawn Chacon had been relegated to the bullpen, but did so well there that he was promoted to fifth starter. I saw his first start, and it wasn't great. It was typical Obi-Shawn - a lot of walks, a lot of hits, but the score not as bad as it could be. He was pulled in the 5th inning. Probably partly because he was in trouble, partly because it was his first start. But he did a lot better in his second start: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 10 K. He didn't get the win, though, because the closer, Salomon Torres, blew it. Torres was sent down the minors after the game. Guess they miss Gonzo.

And I watched part of the Yankees Classic game on YES this afternoon. It was the one where Jeter flies face-first into the stands. I hadn't noticed before, but they showed Bubba cheering in the dugout a lot. He got so excited he was jumping up and down like a rabbit on crack.

Labels: Yankees