Welcome to the start of another week of Pinstripe Alley fun-tivities. Now, some Yankees news...
- Alex Rodriguez told reporters that he intends to train in camp as a third basemen and that he doesn't consider himself a DH. I appreciate this news, as the Yankees are going to need him to play a great deal at third base this year, but I do hope that A-Rod will not feel slighted if Joe Girardi tries to DH or bench him at least once per week (if not more). He has not played more than 140 games in a season since 2007, and the team has to keep him healthy.
- Robinson Cano is excited about the prospect of having A-Rod bat behind him for a full season. If he is indeed named the number three hitter for 2012, he expects to get plenty of more pitches to hit. That being said, I think that teams are much more scared of Cano in his prime than an almost-37-year-old A-Rod and probably will not hesitate to pitch around Cano.
- Sporcle has a quiz up of the players at the Yankees' Spring Training, and it is hard to remember some of those names. I got 42/68 on my first shot; good luck.
- Dan Barry of the New York Times wrote a very nice piece about a time when the Yankees could actually be considered underdogs- the forgotten "Horace Clarke years" of the late-60s and early-70s. Barry seems to have had some bad luck, as he first became a big fan of the team at age seven in 1965, the first of eleven consecutive non-playoff seasons. Nonetheless, it is certainly difficult to remember teams from childhood in a negative light; I know people who remember names like Fritz Peterson just as fondly as Andy Pettitte.
- LoHud had a good summary of Saturday's activities, and it was concerning to hear that Austin Romine was having back problems. That's not good news to start off Spring Training with for the young catcher. Joe Girardi also mentioned that he expects new DH/outfielder Raul Ibanez to make the major league roster so... sorry outfield invitees, I don't even know why you're here then.
- Everyone loves young prospects, and Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News wrote a story about Mason Williams and why everyone likes the 20-year-old so much. He undoubtedly has the skills to succeed, and I hope he continues to progress this year in A-ball.