Thursday, July 28, 2011
MSNBC: Hideki Irabu found dead; suicide suspected
This is just breaking and, at present, we only have links to stories in Japanese, but apparently former Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu was found dead at his California home yesterday. Suicide is suspected.
Sad news.
It won’t show up anywhere, but Irabu pitched the most dominant game I’ve ever seen in person. It was on Sunday, April 26, 1998 in a game against Detroit. Irabu threw four perfect innings striking out seven eight until the rains came and washed it all away.
He’ll unfortunately be remembered as a disappointment and for what George Steinbrenner called him, but his debut really was exciting and for one night he looked to be every bit as good as the hype. I’ll always remember him as part of what will probably be the best Yankee team I’ll ever see.
He’s had some troubles over the past few years, but this is still a little jarring. RIP Mr. Irabu.
Update: The trouble with relying on memory is that you get stuff wrong. Irabu did pitch the most dominant game I ever saw, but it wasn’t four perfect innings. I’ll blame all the seven dollar beers I had waiting for the rain to stop.
Friday, October 22, 2010
You’re Done, [Joe.] I Gotta Pull You
In the early days of my Yankee fandom, I never concerned myself with Joe Torre. The media seemed to love him, but other than that he was just some guy doing the easy stuff while the individuals I cared about, Bernie and Jeter, did the heavy lifting. Then October 22, 2003 happened. Just like that, Torre went from someone I didn’t care about to someone I loathed.
Since taking over as Yankee manager, I’ve loved Joe Girardi. Sure, he had his faults, but because many were shared by his peers, I tried not to hold them against him. But today…seven years to the day that I turned against Torre, I can no longer give Joe Girardi that which he cherishes most…a free pass.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
CNN.com: George Steinbrenner dead after massive heart attack
[Updated at 9:58 a.m.] New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner has died, Steinbrenner’s spokesman said.
“It is with profound sadness that the family of George M. Steinbrenner III announces his passing,” a statement from his family said. ““He was an incredible and charitable man. First and foremost he was devoted to his entire family – his beloved wife, Joan; his sisters, Susan Norpell and Judy Kamm, his children, Hank, Jennifer, Jessica and Hal; and all of his grandchildren.
“He was a visionary and a giant in the world of sports. He took a great but struggling franchise and turned it into a champion again.”
I can’t say this is shocking given the rumors about his fading health and the way he faded out of the limelight, but it’s still a bit surreal to me. I at least hope he was aware enough to enjoy the 2009 run to the World Series.
Steinbrenner was no saint, but that hardly makes him unique. Whatever you may have thought about him personally, there’s no question the Yankees are better off now than they were before he took over.
RIP Mr. Steinbrenner.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
MLB.com: Former outfielder Azocar dies at 45
Former Major League outfielder Oscar Azocar, whose three-year career was split between the Yankees and Padres, died on Monday, The Associated Press reported. He was 45.
A native of Venezuela, Azocar died at a hospital in Valencia, a press spokesman for one of his former teams, the Navegantes del Magallanes, told the AP.
The Yankees called up the pitcher-turned-outfielder in 1990, and he responded by hitting .350 with four home runs in his first 20 games. Azocar struggled with patience at the plate, however, needing 130 plate appearances before drawing his first walk.
For those of us who suffered through the 1990 Yankees, Oscar Azocar was a bright spot for a few weeks when he was called up in mid-July for the 31-54 (at the time) Yankees. Azocar hit .350/.346/.550 over his first 20 games (yes, his OBP was lower than his AVG), but back then batting average was king so I felt he was going to be one of the building blocks for the future.
It didn’t quite work out that way, although in hindsight it’s pretty obvious why.
Still, when you’re rooting for a bad team, you take enjoyment where you can get it, and Azocar’s start to his career was a brief moment of joy in what ended up being a pretty bad season.
RIP Oscar.
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