Yup, it's Old Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium today. For anyone lucky enough to have the means to attend, Marc Carig has your specifics and rosters at the The Star-Ledger. It's always fun to see the ex-players get back out there for a couple innings every year. Especially Paul O'Neill, since you know he's going up there hacking so he can both rub it in Michael Kay's face if he runs into a homer and get back to shoveling free food once the game is over.
Taking an separate break from stuffing his face and making fun of Kay, O'Neill noticed some unusual movement on Phil Hughes' curveball in his last start. The Yankee Analysts put his theory to the test and found Hughes' new curveball might be better than the old one.
Alex Rodriguez is currently second on the all-time list for RBI in the American League; 66 behind Lou Gehrig. Or is he? Yes and no. Mostly no, but still yes. I don't know. Maybe? Check with Rob Neyer. He has a better idea what's going on with this whole situation.
The Yankees could be near a "lucrative" deal with Venezuelan catcher Luis Torrens. Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports it and MLB Trade Rumors translates it. Ben Badler over at Baseball America ranks Torrens #2 on his top-20 list of international free agents. This could be interesting given what kind of player the Yankees found the last time they signed a Venezuelan catcher. Before the whole trade thing that is.
It isn't a HOPE Week thing, but it's close enough. Scranton Wilkes-Barre made the switch to Empire State jerseys for one night only on Friday to help raise money for Lipson Cancer Center at Rochester General Hospital. An auction for the special game-worn jerseys runs until 8 p.m. Want a new jersey and to do something pretty cool? There's your outlet. Except for maybe the Cervelli jersey. Not that I needed more proof that he's just about the only reason people show up to the games at Frontier Field, but now it's a little more obvious.
Other stuff from around the minors:
- Scranton Wilkes-Barre: Russell Branyan keeps mashing in a 6-4 win over the Rochester Red Wings.
- Trenton: Dellin Betances only walks three hitters and doesn't allow a run in six innings, but the Thunder lose 4-3 in walk-off fashion against the Portland Sea Dogs. Baby steps.
- Tampa: J.R. Murphy continues his hot hitting in a 5-3 win over one of the best named teams in MiLB, the Brevard County Manatees. Great name, but still can't come close to the Montgomery Biscuits.
- Charleston: Mason Williams and Ben Gamel play well. That's about it. The RiverDogs lose 5-3 to the Greenville Drive.
- Staten Island: Ravel Santana has three hits, but Yankees lose 6-4 to the Hudson Valley Renegades.