Bubba Links
Baseball Links
Because how can you not love a baseball player named "Bubba"?
The photo is the Yankees' Opening Day 2004 picture. (Click for a larger version.) That was the year they were in Japan, and New Yorkers had to wake up at 3am if they wanted to watch the game. Technically, it was a Tampa Bay Devil Rays home game, even though it was played in Tokyo. (They bribed the Rays to give up the profits of a real home game against the Yanks.) But the Japanese fans wanted to see the Yankees in their famous pinstripes. Road grays just wouldn't do. Tampa agreed, so the Yanks wore their home uniforms for an "away" game.
Bubba went along on the trip, though IIRC, he still hadn't officially made the team. Darren Bragg also went to Japan, and he and Bubba were battling it out for the last spot on the roster. Everyone (except maybe Darren Bragg's mom ;-) thought Bubba had clearly won a place on the team, but with Torre in charge, everyone was half-expecting Bragg to get it. (Amazingly, they would eventually make the right choice and pick Bubba.)
Anyway, Bubba is in the photo. He's in the second row, on the right side. Here's a detail:
And speaking of Bubba, he is reportedly back in Sarasota, working with the training staff there to rehab his shoulder. I guess that means things are going well.
Reminder: If you want to send Bubba get well wishes or birthday greetings (his birthday is August 11), and you're too lazy to use snail mail, you can e-mail me your message, or post it to the Bubba-Crosby.com Guestbook. I'll print it out and snail-mail it to Bubba. Get them to me by tomorrow.
A couple of links...
Jose Canseco has rather sleazily hinted that A-Rod's done 'roids. Ugh. I hope not.
Pete Rose is not a guy you want talking to your kids.