You Can't Predict Baseball Suzyn

John Sterling is right again! Earlier this week Curtis Granderson got picked off to end a loss to the Angels with Mark Teixeira at the plate. The next night Granderson homered in the first inning and again later in the game in a Yankees win.

Friday night CC Sabathia got pounded by the Rays for a career high five home runs for his second straight loss. Then on Saturday Jorge Posada emerged from oblivion to hit a grand slam, collected three hits, and drove in six runs in the Yankees 9-2 pasting of Tampa Bay.

Phil Hughes also emerged from the shadows to throw six very effective innings to pick up his third win. The performance could have made Joe Girardi's decision regarding the rotation that much tougher, but for now Girardi is off the hook thanks to a cut suffered earlier this week by Freddy Garcia.

Girardi revealed the news during his post-game press conference. The cut won't allow Garcia to grip the baseball properly and he's out indefinitely. Weather permitting, A.J. Burnett will face James Shields in the series finale on Sunday before the Yankees embark on a seven game swing through KC and Minnesota.

Posada came up with the bases loaded his first time up and ripped a 2-run single to right. After Granderson took Jeremy Hellickson deep to tie Jose Bautista for the Major League lead with 33 home runs in the 5th, Posada broke the game open later in the inning with a slam off Brandon Gomes for a 7-0 lead. It would be all Hughes needed. With pressure on the 25-yr old to deliver, Hughes allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out six. He gave up both runs in his final inning, including a home run by Desmond Jennings.

Notes

Before the game, Derek Jeter was presented with several momentos for his 3,000th hit. Jeter gave his batting gloves and helmet to the Hall of Fame.

The Yankees brought back one of their own, signing Scott Proctor to a minor league contract.

Scott Proctor Cleaning up Life and Elbow

A revealing article about former Yankee Scott Proctor, by Mark Feinsand, is in today's Daily News.

It seems Proctor's elbow wasn't the only thing giving him trouble. The Yankees one time reliever has confessed to living as hard as he was playing.

So he decided to quit drinking entirely, started attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and vowed to live his life differently.

"I was miserable," Proctor said. "I'd lived my life miserable for so long, because I was living two different lifestyles. I just got to a point where enough was enough."

Proctor doesn't view himself as an alcoholic in the traditional sense of the word.

"Did I wake up starving for a drink every day? No. Did I know how to say no? No," Proctor said. "Was I an alcoholic? Yes, but it wasn't due to the fact that I had to have alcohol. It was due to the fact that it was affecting my life in negative ways. AA, to me, it's not just about alcohol; it's about everything. Every day, you have decision-making to do, and you can do it the right way or the wrong way. I was choosing the wrong way a lot."

As a result of those choices, Proctor believes his performance on the field suffered, though he insists he was never intoxicated during a game.

"When your body's that dry from all the booze, it's got to have an effect," Proctor said. "Do I know exactly what it did? No. I can't sit here and say, ‘I remember that home run that guy hit, it was because I was blasted.' You can't be as consistent when you're doing that kind of thing."

Proctor gave his all to the Yankees and we hope he can make a full recovery from both problems.

Scott Proctor for Wilson Betemit - Fail

You remember the deal - July 31, 2007, the Yankees send a Joe Torre-worn out Scott Proctor to the LA Dodgers for one time prospect Wilson Betemit. Betemit had been on the Yankees radar ever since he was a member of the Atlanta Braves and continued after the Braves sent him to the Dodgers for Willy Aybar, Danys Baez and cash in July, 2006.

Proctor is now with the Marlins, but his arm woes continued and Tommy John surgery was performed last month. Betemit has never come close to the hitter that teams thought he would be. The Yankees sent him to the White Sox this past off-season as part of a deal for Nick Swisher. Yesterday Chicago designated Betemit for assignment to make room for their 2008 first round draft pick (#8 overall), Gordon Beckham.

Torre: Proctor was stupid

No, Joe Torre does not think Scott Proctor is an idiot. But Torre recently told the Sun-Sentinal that he does feel Proctor hurt his career by not being truthful about how his arm felt.

"He wasn't afraid of anything," Torre said. "Very aggressive. Ability aside, the fact he was a good teammate was very important."

"There's playing hurt, and then there's playing stupid," Torre said. "It doesn't have anything to do with someone's intelligence. If you can endure pain and still are able to do what you do, that's one thing."

Torre went on to compare Proctor's willingness and ability to play hurt to that of quarterback Brett Favre.

"If you're willing to play, which means you certainly are brave, but you can't be the player that you need to be, then it's not very smart to do for your own health, and you're not helping the team either," Torre said.

Proctor underwent season ending Tommy John surgery a week ago.

He doesn't know what hurt is," Torre said. "The dumbest question I could ask him was: 'Are you OK?' Because I knew what the answer was going to be."

Okay, so if Torre knew that Proctor couldn't possibly always feel good, why did Torre constantly warm him up and/or use him? You have to take some of the blame Joe!

Will Torre Pick up the Tab?

The Sun Sentintal reports that Scott Proctor's season is done due to Tommy John surgery. The hard throwing right-hander has never been the same since his use/abuse by Joe Torre and the Yankees.

Proctor appeared in 83 games and 102.1 innings for the 2006 Yankees. By the time he was dealt to the Dodgers at the '07 trade deadline, his arm was practically shot. He appeared in 52 games prior to the trade and ended up working 83 total once again.

Proctor was limited to 38.2 innings last season and hadn't pitched in a game this year. We wish the best of luck to Proctor, who was never afraid to take the ball, even at his own physical risk.

Proctor Still Brings Relief

Scott Proctor may no longer be a Yankee, but his former teammates Johnny Damon and Kyle Farnsworth, as well as his new manager - who is also his old manager - Joe Torre, are helping the right-hander bring relief to his fellow Floridians.

Damon and Torre will be in attendance at Proctor's M.E.’s Team Celebrity Benefit Ball at The Tesoro Club in Port St. Lucie on February 1st. M.E. stands for Mary Elizabeth, Scott Proctor's daughter, who had open heart surgery when she was just 3 weeks old. The benefit will help raise money for pediatric heart ailment research.

“I think Joe Torre’s character as an individual and as a leader will bring some class to the event and will get some people interested in getting out there. Him and Johnny both, I think they’re just classy individuals, and I think they’re going to be fun to hang out with,” Proctor said. “I was really picky with who I asked. With Johnny and Joe, I just asked a big favor.”

The ball as well as the clay shooting tournament the next day in Okeechobee, will also raise funds for Little League challenger division baseball. Farnsworth is expected to partake in the 2nd day's events along with Damon.

The ball will also include a performance by up and coming country singer Ryan Weaver, who lost a brother in the war in Iraq. Proctor will also be hosting a free baseball clinic on Feb. 9th to help fund education costs in Stuart, Florida.

Nice job Scotty!

Source

Proctor Still Brings Relief

Scott Proctor may no longer be a Yankee, but his former teammates Johnny Damon and Kyle Farnsworth, as well as his new manager - who is also his old manager - Joe Torre, are helping the right-hander bring relief to his fellow Floridians.

Damon and Torre will be in attendance at Proctor's M.E.’s Team Celebrity Benefit Ball at The Tesoro Club in Port St. Lucie on February 1st. M.E. stands for Mary Elizabeth, Scott Proctor's daughter, who had open heart surgery when she was just 3 weeks old. The benefit will help raise money for pediatric heart ailment research.

“I think Joe Torre’s character as an individual and as a leader will bring some class to the event and will get some people interested in getting out there. Him and Johnny both, I think they’re just classy individuals, and I think they’re going to be fun to hang out with,” Proctor said. “I was really picky with who I asked. With Johnny and Joe, I just asked a big favor.”

The ball as well as the clay shooting tournament the next day in Okeechobee, will also raise funds for Little League challenger division baseball. Farnsworth is expected to partake in the 2nd day's events along with Damon.

The ball will also include a performance by up and coming country singer Ryan Weaver, who lost a brother in the war in Iraq. Proctor will also be hosting a free baseball clinic on Feb. 9th to help fund education costs in Stuart, Florida.

Nice job Scotty!

Source

Proctor Sent to Dodgers

The Dodgers and Yankees have agreed in principle on a trade that would send reliever Scott Proctor to the Dodgers for infielder Wilson Betemit, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

The Dodgers, who have a 5.61 bullpen ERA since the All-Star break, have been in on a number of trade discussions involving relievers but zeroed in on Proctor over the last 24 hours.

The Yankees view Betemit as another first-base/DH/bench option for this year, and a potential third-base replacement for Alex Rodriguez next year.

Betemit is batting .231 with 10 home runs and 26 RBIs this season off the Dodgers' bench. Proctor is 2-5 with a 3.81 ERA in 54 1/3 innings out of the Yankees' bullpen. Source

Proctor Sent to Dodgers

The Dodgers and Yankees have agreed in principle on a trade that would send reliever Scott Proctor to the Dodgers for infielder Wilson Betemit, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

The Dodgers, who have a 5.61 bullpen ERA since the All-Star break, have been in on a number of trade discussions involving relievers but zeroed in on Proctor over the last 24 hours.

The Yankees view Betemit as another first-base/DH/bench option for this year, and a potential third-base replacement for Alex Rodriguez next year.

Betemit is batting .231 with 10 home runs and 26 RBIs this season off the Dodgers' bench. Proctor is 2-5 with a 3.81 ERA in 54 1/3 innings out of the Yankees' bullpen. Source

Wiggington-Proctor Talk Heats Up

Right off the bat, I'm going to say why? Do the Yankees view Wiggington as an upgrade to Andy Phillips, or an eventual replacement for A-Rod? He's simply not that good.

This from George King in today's NY Post:

July 21, 2007 -- Earlier this week the Devil Rays believed it would take more than Scott Proctor for the Yankees to pry utility man Ty Wigginton away from them. Now, according to multiple sources, the Devil Rays would make the trade. And though it's not clear if the Yankees have made an offer, they have been talking to the Devil Rays and have discussed converting stud prospect Joba Chamberlain from Double-A starter to big-league reliever to take Proctor's place.

"They don't want anything else of significance," a source said of the Devil Rays' plans. "They are ready to make the deal."

...

Wigginton, a well-respected 29-year-old right-handed hitter, would provide the Yankees with a player who can play first, second, third base and be used as a designated hitter. He went 0-for-3 in last night's 14-4 Devil Rays victory and is batting .278 with 14 homers and 47 RBIs.

Because the Yankees are looking to upgrade their bullpen, deleting the disappointing Proctor seemingly hurts their weakest unit. Nevertheless, elevating Chamberlain from Trenton (Double-A) and using him in relief could more than fill the vacancy. They also could bring up lefty Sean Henn from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A).

Source

Wiggington-Proctor Talk Heats Up

Right off the bat, I'm going to say why? Do the Yankees view Wiggington as an upgrade to Andy Phillips, or an eventual replacement for A-Rod? He's simply not that good.

This from George King in today's NY Post:

July 21, 2007 -- Earlier this week the Devil Rays believed it would take more than Scott Proctor for the Yankees to pry utility man Ty Wigginton away from them. Now, according to multiple sources, the Devil Rays would make the trade. And though it's not clear if the Yankees have made an offer, they have been talking to the Devil Rays and have discussed converting stud prospect Joba Chamberlain from Double-A starter to big-league reliever to take Proctor's place.

"They don't want anything else of significance," a source said of the Devil Rays' plans. "They are ready to make the deal."

...

Wigginton, a well-respected 29-year-old right-handed hitter, would provide the Yankees with a player who can play first, second, third base and be used as a designated hitter. He went 0-for-3 in last night's 14-4 Devil Rays victory and is batting .278 with 14 homers and 47 RBIs.

Because the Yankees are looking to upgrade their bullpen, deleting the disappointing Proctor seemingly hurts their weakest unit. Nevertheless, elevating Chamberlain from Trenton (Double-A) and using him in relief could more than fill the vacancy. They also could bring up lefty Sean Henn from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A).

Source

Proctor Goes Up in Flames

Scott Proctor has been awful lately. His overuse has shown in his performance. Wednesday night in Baltimore he walked in the game winning run. Yesterday the A's smacked him around for 3 runs to totally put the game out of reach.

So what did Proctor do in response? Talk mechanics with Ron Guidry? Nope. Proctor set a match to his game. Spikes, glove, uniform, cap, and miscellaneous items all went up in smoke as Proctor hoped to exorcise the demons from his game.

With the way this season is going, it's surprising he didn't accidentally burn down the Stadium.

Read more from the Daily News' Kristie Ackert.

Proctor Goes Up in Flames

Scott Proctor has been awful lately. His overuse has shown in his performance. Wednesday night in Baltimore he walked in the game winning run. Yesterday the A's smacked him around for 3 runs to totally put the game out of reach.

So what did Proctor do in response? Talk mechanics with Ron Guidry? Nope. Proctor set a match to his game. Spikes, glove, uniform, cap, and miscellaneous items all went up in smoke as Proctor hoped to exorcise the demons from his game.

With the way this season is going, it's surprising he didn't accidentally burn down the Stadium.

Read more from the Daily News' Kristie Ackert.

Time to Say Goodnight Joe

The Yankees-Orioles games ended moments ago with Scott Proctor walking Ramon Hernandez with the bases loaded and 1 out in the bottom of the 9th. It should be the last pitch ever thrown with Joe Torre as manager.

Walks have absolutely killed the Yankees this season and Proctor (does he pitch every day or is that just my imagination?) put himself in immediate trouble by walking Corey Patterson to start the 9th. A Brian Roberts single put two men on and none out.

Did Joe get anyone warming up? No

Proctor then made a tremendous play, diving to snare a bunt off the bat of Chris Gomez. Proctor would have easily doubled Patterson off 2nd, but appeared to be shaken up on the play. With temps around 80 and high humidity, it would have been nice if Torre had come out with Gene Monahan to give Proctor a blow, but this is Joe Torre. He was too busy thinking of ways to blow another game.

Proctor then walked Nick Markakis- meanwhile we see a shot of the Yankees pen, everyone sitting nicely on the bench- to load the bases.

Was the end ever in doubt here? Proctor got away with one pitch as he nearly hit Hernandez with a wild pitch that goes to the backstop. Luck was momentarily on the Yankees side as Patterson froze at 3rd. But the inevitable was to happen.

Ball Four- Yankees lose. Now can Torre. Not in a few weeks, not after the season. NOW.

Time to Say Goodnight Joe

The Yankees-Orioles games ended moments ago with Scott Proctor walking Ramon Hernandez with the bases loaded and 1 out in the bottom of the 9th. It should be the last pitch ever thrown with Joe Torre as manager.

Walks have absolutely killed the Yankees this season and Proctor (does he pitch every day or is that just my imagination?) put himself in immediate trouble by walking Corey Patterson to start the 9th. A Brian Roberts single put two men on and none out.

Did Joe get anyone warming up? No

Proctor then made a tremendous play, diving to snare a bunt off the bat of Chris Gomez. Proctor would have easily doubled Patterson off 2nd, but appeared to be shaken up on the play. With temps around 80 and high humidity, it would have been nice if Torre had come out with Gene Monahan to give Proctor a blow, but this is Joe Torre. He was too busy thinking of ways to blow another game.

Proctor then walked Nick Markakis- meanwhile we see a shot of the Yankees pen, everyone sitting nicely on the bench- to load the bases.

Was the end ever in doubt here? Proctor got away with one pitch as he nearly hit Hernandez with a wild pitch that goes to the backstop. Luck was momentarily on the Yankees side as Patterson froze at 3rd. But the inevitable was to happen.

Ball Four- Yankees lose. Now can Torre. Not in a few weeks, not after the season. NOW.