This time for the Double-A Trenton Thunder, who clinched the Eastern League title for the second straight year with a 5-1 win over Akron (winning the series, 3-1).
Humberto Sanchez, the most highly regarded player received in the Gary Sheffield deal, was promoted to the majors. He rehabbed from Tommy John surgery this year and pitched just 15.2 innings, but is being rushed due to his age (25).
- from Bryan Hoch
Robinson Cano stopped in his tracks and stared at a rolling baseball, as it headed into the Yankee Stadium outfield. Joe Girardi punished him with more time to watch idly.The Yankees' second baseman was pulled from Sunday's game after the fourth inning and benched after he did not chase a ball hit by the Rays' Cliff Floyd. Girardi cited a lack of effort on the ground ball, which Floyd hustled into a double.
"This is a game where you have to play hard every day," Girardi said. "There are people that are hungry that want your job. Our job is to play hard and give your best every day. That's what we ask, and you need to do it on a daily basis, because there's people that want to do it."
I have not seen the play yet, but credit Girardi for taking him to task. Should it have been done earlier though?
- Go get 'em Phil. Perhaps the season won't end on a sour note. If Phil Hughes pitches well for the Yanks the rest of the way, it will at least give us some confidence going into 2009 (I know, it didn't translate to this year, but at some point, it will). He'll start Wednesday's game in Chicago. and he's coming off a dominant four game streak: 25 ip, 18 h, 4 er, 9 bb, 38 k.
- If you're at all interested in the science of pitching mechanics, check out the latest from Will Carroll regarding Mike Marhshall's insanity.
- Carlos Zambrano threw the first no-hitter for the Cubs in 36 years. He was one walk and one HBP from a perfect game.
I once hoped he would reach free agency in the 2007-08 offseason, but he re-signed during the '07 season. You just can't count on great players making it to free agency anymore. That's why when one does slip through the cracks, he has to be snatched up (yeah, I'm talking about the lumbering southpaw from Milwaukee).