Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Hurry Up & Wait

With Major League ballclubs beginning to file into their respective Spring training sites, sportswriters fight for juicy info on dry topics. One thing remains constant, Andy Pettitte's Bronx return means lots of fluff pieces. And I love every single one of them.

Pettitte feels good to be back in pinstripes. And back in Tampa for Spring training.

"Me and my wife just looked at each other. It's like, 'an, it seems like we never left. It's all the same as it was,'" he said.

After three seasons with his hometown Houston Astros, Pettitte is back with the New York Yankees, his hair a little shorter and some hints of gray starting to show.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman remembered the conversation he had with Pettitte the day the two-time All-Star decided to sign with the Astros.

"You never know, you might come back this way again," Cashman said then.

"I feel good and I feel like I'm going to be strong and I'm going to hold up, or I wouldn't gave done this. I don't want to go through it. I don't want to go through the agony of feeling like I let everybody down if I'm not able to toe the rubber. To me it's just not worth it. I've made plenty enough money to live in Deer Park, Texas, for a long, long time."

The piece also discussed groundbreaking issues such as Andy's personal ringtone for his wife - "I'm So In Love With You" as performed by Al Green. Maybe Carlos Zambrano will interview Rickey Henderson during Cubbie training camp, giving columnists nationwide something to write about besides Mariano, Bernie and Torre. That interview might sound a little something like this:
Big-Z: Carlos Zambrano thinks you are the best leadoff hitter in the history of the game. What do you think?

Style-Dog: Rickey Henderson thinks that Rickey is the best period.

Big-Z: Carlos might take fellow Dominican, Alex Rodriguez, over Rickey.

Style-Dog: Rickey has something A-Rod don't (flashes World Series ring).

Big-Z: The Z abides.
Ok, so maybe sports columnists aren't the only ones effected by dry, inactive February baseball-camps. Cubs GM Jim Hendry isn't worried about Zambrano.


*Da MeatHook is close to completing a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals. After a couple of impressive seasons with Detroit, Dimitri Young eroded due to issues on and off the field.
Former All-Star Dmitri Young agreed to a minor league contract with the Washington NationalsDetroit Tigers cut him last year following legal and substance-abuse problems.

Young was released in September, and later that month he was sentenced by a court in Michigan to a year's probation for assaulting his former girlfriend. Last summer, Young spent 30 days at a rehabilitation center for depression and alcohol abuse.

Goodbye Sori, hello Da Meathook. Do the Nationals realize they are required to field a team in less than a month?


*Barry Zito ditches Duff, Milano, arrives at Spring training. Calls his Bay City switcharoo a "seamless" transition.

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