Today’s update is powered by the almighty Nawlins staple, the po’boy:
- MLB.com examines the versatility of the Yankees’ outfielders.
- Might a former Yankee prospect (since traded) be older than advertised?:
His birth certificate and passport say outfielder Jose Tabata was born Aug. 12, 1988, in Anzoategui, Venezuela. Yet, during a recent radio interview, general manager Neal Huntington admitted there are “a lot of rumblings” that Tabata might actually be in his mid-20s.
In Latin America, record-keeping can be spotty, especially when it comes to youngsters with excellent baseball skills. The New York Yankees investigated Tabata’s background in 2005 and, satisfied he truly was 16, signed him as an undrafted free agent.
The Pirates are not publicly disputing Tabata’s age, and yet …
“All of the documentation he has used to obtain his visa from the U.S. government and his passport from the Venezuelan government indicates his reported age is accurate,” Huntington said in an e-mail to the Tribune-Review. “Apart from unfounded speculation, there is nothing to indicate his age any different than reported. My point is that while we have reason to doubt his reported age, it is a non-issue to us.”
- Joba speaks:
Q: How much of a relief is it to you that the “Joba Rules,” which limited your innings, are now a thing of the past?
JC: It means I’m growing up. As a competitor, I definitely got frustrated at times. But at the end of the day, I also understood why they were doing it. And I have the utmost respect for them taking that time and going through the good and the bad with me. Now we’ve done it. We’re better for it. We all learned how to handle the situation, and now I can just go out and play the game and get 200-plus innings in.
- Chase Wright (he of the four consecutive homers allowed in one inning) turns 27 today.
- Fritz Peterson turns 68 today.
Back on Thursday.
I was reading the comments at Was Watching from 2008-09 concerning Marte and Nady in regard to how (non)effective they were in return for Tabata; though most were happy to see him go, no one was happy with the 2008 results and few if any expected anything from Marte last season (and that was as late as September.) If hiindsight is 20-20, then Marte not only proved a lot of prognosticators wrong (an enjoyable sport when played right), but he made the deal worth it.
It's still too early to tell (and I was not entirely sanguine with the move at first, I admit), but so far it looks like the Yanks sold high on Tabata.
My favorite part of the Tabata quote:
'My point is that while we have reason to doubt his reported age, it is a non-issue to us.”'
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Exhibit #3,475 why the Pirates have had 17 consecutive losing seasons.
[1] probably trading him about two years ago would have been really selling high. but fortunately they didn't sell too low either.
[2] thing is what can the pirates really say at this point.
joba doesn't speak like a man who thinks joel sherman is accurately clued in to the yankees.
200-plus innings. I'm from Missouri.
[4] Don't you mean Missoura? >;)
{5} I reckon I'm just ignert.