The Official New York Yankees Thread

[maineyankee]

Welcome to the thread that covers the greatest sport's team of all time ... The New York Yankees (27 World Series Titles) !!

In your opinion, what pitcher would you be looking at to add in the bullpen? Would you go after a left - hander or right - hander? What would you do with Jorge, being a free agent? Would you go after Papi as a DH if you were to get rid of Posada?

It looks like it will be a winter that will be very memorable to say the very least. There are many players coming up that are looking for that chance to make it big, and there is no better place to make that debut than at Yankee Stadium.

Looking forward to some great fun in here, as we whittle away those long and cold winter months, especially up here in the Northeast.

The MaineYankee

 

[Total Head]

papi's best years are behind him and snails pass him on the basepaths. he's beloved in boston because of his personality and his legacy of being clutch, but if the yankees scooped him i'd point and laugh. replacing posada with papi would NOT be an upgrade. do it, i dare you

 

[wayno30]

ya i dont like the yankees

 

[Sunbiz1]

Hmm, the Yankees...greatest team to ever try and buy a title.

 

[maineyankee]

I really do value everyone's opinion. That is why I choose to live in the United States.

When you state Sun that the Yankees buy a title, lest you forget those years way back ... perhaps when we both were not around. Those were the days of the American dream, to someday play the sport that was/is America's pastime. I agree that times have changed, not only in baseball, but all sports. It is now all about money and the bottom line. I too cannot longer afford to take my 5 year old grandson to go and see a game (pro sport), but opt rather to see a local high school, or college game. ( At least these players play with heart). If money warrants, I take my grandson to see our local AA Team the Portland SeaDogs (An affiliate of the Red Sox). At these games, I wear my Yankee gear, and take it on the chin being a Yankee Fan in Red Sox Nation.

I do agree somewhat that the Yankees do spend a lot of cash buying players, and have not really used their farm system since bringing up the "Fantastic Four" way back when. It is a crying shame that the average Joe cannot afford to see a game unless one mortgages their house, if not already foreclosed. But please bear in mind that in 2011, the Boston Red Sox spent over $2 Million more in payroll than the Yankees. In some polls, both teams are equal in value as far as sports team wear and related articles, although I think there are more #2 Jeter shirts out there in closets all over the world. Again, The Market and the Return.

In closing this post, I strongly feel that if it were not for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, being in the major market (Northeast Sector) there would be no good Major League Baseball ... in general. Studies show that if you take those two teams (Especially the Red Sox since 2004) out of the World Series equation, the market would have a hard time pressing 25% of viewers watching the possible 7 games.

My saying is this .. "The Boston Red Sox ... New York Yankees... Two Great Teams, One Great Rivalry" !!

The MaineYankee

 

[wayno30]

i make it to wrigley two or three times a summer it dont cost that much...... couple hundred after beer and parking...... is that what your talkn bout or are the prices way more for a yankees game?

 

[Total Head]

as a sox fan i can't really point the finger on the spending, but i will say this:

if stienbrenner didn't turn it into such a business, and force other teams to overextend themeselves just to stay afloat, the game would have been better off. the sox were the first team that stood up to the yankees financially, and now you have multiple teams in both leagues spending boku bucks and fucking up the pay scale.

a 3rd rate player on the yankees would still pull in a higher salary than the golden boy on the royals. now teams like the royals will NEVER be able to compete because all their best players that they spent years building up in the farm are going elsewhere.

much respect to the managers and gms who turn trash into treasure, even if they never get their championship.

i always wondered what kind of manager joe torre would have been if he had to manage a crap team instead of an all star team. i bet he'd still be a winner, but not a legend.

 

[wayno30]

15 teams whos average salary was less than the mlb average............ rangers did pretty good

 

[Sunbiz1]

I really do value everyone's opinion. That is why I choose to live in the United States.

When you state Sun that the Yankees buy a title, lest you forget those years way back ... perhaps when we both were not around. Those were the days of the American dream, to someday play the sport that was/is America's pastime. I agree that times have changed, not only in baseball, but all sports. It is now all about money and the bottom line. I too cannot longer afford to take my 5 year old grandson to go and see a game (pro sport), but opt rather to see a local high school, or college game. ( At least these players play with heart). If money warrants, I take my grandson to see our local AA Team the Portland SeaDogs (An affiliate of the Red Sox). At these games, I wear my Yankee gear, and take it on the chin being a Yankee Fan in Red Sox Nation.

I do agree somewhat that the Yankees do spend a lot of cash buying players, and have not really used their farm system since bringing up the "Fantastic Four" way back when. It is a crying shame that the average Joe cannot afford to see a game unless one mortgages their house, if not already foreclosed. But please bear in mind that in 2011, the Boston Red Sox spent over $2 Million more in payroll than the Yankees. In some polls, both teams are equal in value as far as sports team wear and related articles, although I think there are more #2 Jeter shirts out there in closets all over the world. Again, The Market and the Return.

In closing this post, I strongly feel that if it were not for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, being in the major market (Northeast Sector) there would be no good Major League Baseball ... in general. Studies show that if you take those two teams (Especially the Red Sox since 2004) out of the World Series equation, the market would have a hard time pressing 25% of viewers watching the possible 7 games.

My saying is this .. "The Boston Red Sox ... New York Yankees... Two Great Teams, One Great Rivalry" !!

The MaineYankee

I grew up watching(and disliking)Reggie Jackson and the whole string of Yankee/Dodger match-ups...been a disgruntled Cub fan that won't go anywhere near Wrigley Field until I see a winner. Bleacher tickets were like $5.50 or something back in the 70's, school districts could actually afford to take field trips to games. Now the average family(and fans)of 4 has to shell out close to 250 easily for a weekday value game. Guaranteed contracts are what have caused this, payrolls are simply a reflection of the market. The good news is, it appears owners are getting fed up with long-term deals/albatross contracts they cannot unload without taking a loss(Soriano etc). MLB players should be subjected to the same treatment as the NFL, if you don't perform you're fired...like the rest of the world. Speaking of the Red Sox, I really wanted Bill James in Chicago years ago but I'm content with what we did get from Boston.

 

[maineyankee]

15 teams whos average salary was less than the mlb average............ rangers did pretty good

i make it to wrigley two or three times a summer it dont cost that much...... couple hundred after beer and parking...... is that what your talkn bout or are the prices way more for a yankees game?

I agree Wayno that the Texas Rangers did very well in 2011. It just proves to ppl like myself that money always does not win you World Series titles. Heck, I even wished the the Washington Nationals would have at least a shot at it ...

As far as ticket prices at Yankee, the following is what they were in 2011 ; (All Figures are Starting Prices ~ Hope you are sitting down) Jim Beam $95 per seat, Field $110, Field MVP $260, Champions $300, Delta Sky $305, and Legends $600.

I have heard rumors from several ppl that I know that if the game was nationally televised, they would scour the upper tier seats and ask the fans if they would like to get closer to the field so that when the cameras showed the batters box, it would appear that the seats were fuller than actual tickets sold for that section. It would not surprize me. The only person that I know that can afford the Legends seat is Ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani

 

[maineyankee]

Yankees Like Flexibility As Meeting Approaches
Bryan Hoch MLB.com 11/29/11

NEW YORK -- The chances of spotting Brian Cashman wandering far from the confines of the Yankees' suite next week are slim. Such is life for the Yankees general manager during the Winter Meetings.

The Yankees will be on site to conduct business at the Hilton Anatole when the baseball world converges upon Dallas beginning Monday, considering possibilities to improve a roster that already appears quite formidable.

"I think we have a great team," Cashman said recently. "We need to continue to explore opportunities to find ways to get better, but we have a lot of depth. We have a lot of youth coming, we have a lot of support. We have some flexibility."

The Yankees won 97 games and brought home an American League East title, but that didn't seem to erase much of the sting as the club went home early, dispatched by the Tigers in the first round of the postseason.
Their offseason has been a relatively quiet one, by Yankees standards, although it has been efficient.

With his own contract situation quietly hammered out, Cashman left no question that the club's top priority was to ensure CC Sabathia was in place as its left-handed ace not only for 2012, but years beyond that.

"He was certainly the most important piece as we entered this process," Cashman said.

That was all taken care of by Halloween, as Sabathia and the Yankees agreed to a new deal that will have the 31-year-old Sabathia earning $122 million through 2016.

Many generally assumed that Sabathia would make use of the opt-out clause in his contract, and a proactive offer helped avoid a sticky situation like the one Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees went through after the 2007 season.

"I didn't want to be a part of that being a free agent and doing everything, opting out and all that stuff," Sabathia said. "It was clear to everybody that I wanted to be a Yankee, wanted to end my career as a Yankee. Hopefully, I've done that."

In fact, considering the course the Yankees' offseason took last year with Derek Jeter's contract situation, this already figures to be a less turbulent winter in the Bronx.
Cashman still identifies his top priority as "pitching, pitching, pitching," and the Yankees added some cushion for their rotation over the Thanksgiving weekend by bringing back veteran Freddy Garcia on a one-year deal.

The 35-year-old right-hander will earn between $4 million and $5 million this year, picking up a raise after he went 12-8 with a 3.62 ERA in 25 starts and one relief appearance for New York, coming to camp on a Minor League contract.

That gives the Yankees five starting pitchers, with A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova all set to return, plus possible spring contention from hopefuls like Hector Noesi, Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos.

There may be other names coming. The Yankees have had varying levels of interest in free-agent options like C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle, Edwin Jackson and Yu Darvish, and Cashman could use the Winter Meetings to feel out those situations, as well as talk about potential swaps with other clubs.

But while other teams will flirt with pursuits of stars like Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes and Prince Fielder, Cashman says that the Yankees aren't expecting to deal for any big hitters.

"As we enter the process this winter, I don't anticipate a bat being of need at all," Cashman said. "I anticipate people knocking on our door about the current bats we have. Offense is not a problem with this club."

There have been rumors of the Braves having interest in infielder Eduardo Nunez, and Jesus Montero has repeatedly been a popular trade target for other teams. But both players impressed in 2011 and could be viewed as cogs for the Yankees' future.

The Yankees are also high on catcher Austin Romine after his first taste of big league duty, and his progress could wind up displacing Francisco Cervelli from his backup catching role, making him a possible trade chip.

In other needs, the YaOver the last few years, the Winter Meetings have presented busy times for the Yankees. In 2008, Cashman escaped Las Vegas and jetted off to California to personally deliver a seven-year, $161 million contract offer to Sabathia, a tactic that worked.

In 2009, Cashman not only was able to help coordinate a three-team trade with Detroit and Arizona that delivered Curtis Granderson to New York, but he also secured the services of Andy Pettitte for his farewell season.

Last time around in Tampa, Fla., the Yankees did get Jeter's signature on a new contract, but they whiffed on top target Cliff Lee. Who can tell what Dallas will bring?

"We will be challenged with, I'm sure, people knocking on our door with various interest levels in assets," Cashman said.

This much seems certain: Cashman and his staff figure to have their hands full with hot rumors, wild proposals and perhaps the occasional room-service delivery.

"I'm just going to try to improve on what we have, which is very very good, as is," Cashman said. "Is there a way to make it better? I think so, and we're certainly going to pursue it to the fullest extent."

 

[Sparks207]

Your a trator to the state of maine. ( lol kind of kidding ) Benedict arnold.

As long as Bobby v turns it around




Go sox! Go pats! BIG B's BOSTON BRUINS!
Go CELTS!

 

[maineyankee]

I kind of like Bobby Valentine being at the helm of the Sox for the 2012 season. ( I think Alomar would have been a better choice though). Bobby has a temper and I don't know how that will affect the front office, as well as some of the players, especially Youk. I think those 2 will surly square off before the season ends.

I hear the rumor mill saying that Papi is looking at Baltimore and Toronto. If your opinion (For Red Sox Fans as well as others) ... Do you think he will go to one or the other, or will Boston see fit to keep him ?

Go Pats ! Go Bruins ! Go Celts ( If they play this year ) and Best of All ... Go Yanks !! hehehe

The MaineYankee

 

[Sunbiz1]

I agree Wayno that the Texas Rangers did very well in 2011. It just proves to ppl like myself that money always does not win you World Series titles. Heck, I even wished the the Washington Nationals would have at least a shot at it ...

As far as ticket prices at Yankee, the following is what they were in 2011 ; (All Figures are Starting Prices ~ Hope you are sitting down) Jim Beam $95 per seat, Field $110, Field MVP $260, Champions $300, Delta Sky $305, and Legends $600.

I have heard rumors from several ppl that I know that if the game was nationally televised, they would scour the upper tier seats and ask the fans if they would like to get closer to the field so that when the cameras showed the batters box, it would appear that the seats were fuller than actual tickets sold for that section. It would not surprize me. The only person that I know that can afford the Legends seat is Ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani

There was an entire ESPN segment on guaranteed MLB contracts last night...they've been stealing my material for years...lol

 

[Total Head]

I kind of like Bobby Valentine being at the helm of the Sox for the 2012 season. ( I think Alomar would have been a better choice though). Bobby has a temper and I don't know how that will affect the front office, as well as some of the players, especially Youk. I think those 2 will surly square off before the season ends.

I hear the rumor mill saying that Papi is looking at Baltimore and Toronto. If your opinion (For Red Sox Fans as well as others) ... Do you think he will go to one or the other, or will Boston see fit to keep him ?

Go Pats ! Go Bruins ! Go Celts ( If they play this year ) and Best of All ... Go Yanks !! hehehe

The MaineYankee

i kind of hear you on alomar. i would have liked to see what he's capable of but the decision was based on his lack of experience as a team manager. valentine definitely has the experience and maybe the japanese leagues mellowed him a bit.

as far as papi, i honestly don't know. i don't know enough about cherington to know what he has up his sleeve. if theo was still gm i'd make a bet they'd try to keep him around.

 

[maineyankee]

Morning Sentinel
December 2, 2011

Commentary ~ Valentine's Reputation Complex

BOSTON -- Sixty-one days after Terry Francona's reign as Boston Red Sox manager came to an unsavory end, Bobby Valentine rode into town as the 45th manager in franchise history.ust who are the Red Sox getting in Valentine?

"I think it's a perfect hire. He's exactly what they need," said Tom Grieve, who was the first general manager to hire Valentine as a manager back in 1985 with the Rangers. "I applaud them for having the courage to hire him."

Courage generally isn't viewed as a trait that goes into a managerial hire. But then again, Valentine comes to the Red Sox with enough baggage to stretch from Boston to his last managerial stop in Japan. He's polarizing. He spars with players, with brass and with the media. He's candid to a fault, and opponents love nothing more than beating his team.

But several players who have played for Valentine spoke glowingly about him.

"You talk about Mr. Baseball. He is Mr. Baseball," said former Red Sox Benny Agbayani, who played parts of nine seasons under Valentine with the Mets and with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. "He has a love and passion for this game. He studies this game."

"I'm thankful that I did get a chance to play for him," said Brian Sikorski, who suited up for Valentine's Marines in 2008 and 2009. "He has a lot of baseball knowledge. It's always great to play for a manager like that."One thing everyone can agree on is that Valentine will do the seemingly impossible by bringing even more intrigue to baseball in Boston. Most every analysis of his hiring has concluded with a coy acknowledgement that, at the very least, he won't be dull. Valentine has never shied away from the spotlight -- many would accuse him of seeking it out -- and he doesn't mind using the media to send messages to his players.

During his managerial career, Valentine's style, depending on your perspective or the day of the week, has vacillated between utter chaos and complete harmony. It has worked more often than not, with a record just above .500 and one National League pennant to show for it.

"He's a pretty straightforward man. If you screwed up, he would let you know," Agbayani said. "Some players, they didn't like that. Some players did. They just came to play."

Grieve thinks Valentine's reputation as a manipulator within the clubhouse and an organization is unearned.

"I know that that's (his reputation), but a lot of the reasons that I see for it, when people get to know him, they'll find out that those reasons aren't really valid," said Grieve. ".... To me, he's the ultimate team player."Grieve and others considered Valentine's in-game acumen and attention to detail as his strengths as a manager. Joe McEwing, currently the third-base coach for the Chicago White Sox, attributed much of what he learned as a coach to his playing years with Valentine.

"He doesn't miss a thing. He's a stickler to detail," said McEwing. "Once that game starts, he's always thinking three or four innings ahead. He's very well-prepared on and off the field. I definitely enjoyed playing for him and learned a lot from him."

Grieve had effusive praise for a man he once had to fire in Texas.

"He knows the game better like nobody I've ever met in the game," said Grieve, now a television analyst for the Rangers. "There will be no one in the Red Sox organization that works harder than he does; there will be no one in the organization that wants to win more than he does."

Valentine has long been able to draw the best out of players like Agbayani, McEwing and Sikorski. He gave Agbayani a shot to be an everyday player on a team that eventually went to the World Series. He maximized McEwing's versatility as a super-utility player. He started using the right-handed Sikorski against lefties, and even taught him the one-seam changeup that helped him succeed in that role.

Agbayani, for one, thinks Valentine will play well in the Red Sox clubhouse, as a veteran manager accustomed to overseeing veteran players.

"One thing he carries with himself is discipline. He knows how to push everybody's buttons," he said. "He's always had veteran players. He knows how to deal with them."

And so Valentine rides into town with a complex history and to an already complex reception. Two full months without a manager tends to get the fan base on edge. Even now, though, the Red Sox and all of New England don't know exactly who they're getting as a manager. It seems that only one thing is clear.

At the very least, Bobby Valentine won't be dull.

 

[Total Head]

this is gonna be good

the guy will keep butts in the seats, that's for sure. i'm just a little concerned about how the locker room will pan out after going from terry "do whatever you want" francona to this guy, but the team really does need some discipline. i don't know how true the fried chicken and beer accusations are, but the goings-on that i can confirm don't please me too much.

 

[maineyankee]

Hurlers head Yankees' Meetings wish list
With formidable roster largely set, club can afford to tweak

Bryan Hoch ~ MLB.Com

DALLAS -- Hours after Brian Cashman once again rappelled down the side of the 22-story Landmark Building in Stamford, Conn., with Santa Claus by his side, the Yankees' general manager was expected to arrive here for another kind of holiday excitement.

Baseball's annual Winter Meetings kick off at the Hilton Anatole on Monday, and you can count on Yankees.com to be on top of all the essentials as the Bronx Bombers look for opportunities to improve what they feel is already a very formidable roster.
"We're having our conversations," Cashman told reporters in advance of the Winter Meetings. "We're talking to other clubs. We've got prospects people like, but we like them too. If it makes sense, we're ready to rock and roll."

MLB.com will have you covered here each day -- all day -- with pertinent rumors, impending signings and any news that breaks. The main site will host rapid updates, with the blog and Twitter serving as complements to the main coverage.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi will meet with the media on Wednesday, offering his thoughts as he chats with reporters en masse for the first time since a Yankee Stadium press conference following the club's elimination in the American League Division Series.

As of now, Girardi's roster looks much the same as it did on the last lineup card he filled out in October, and that doesn't seem to be much of a concern to Cashman.

"We're set in a lot of places, we really are," Cashman said. "Could it be better? It's my job to try to find ways to make it better."News reports will be complemented by a nightly recap of each day's event. The Rule 5 Draft, which begins at 9 a.m. ET on Thursday, should present the Yankees with an opportunity to add a low-risk player to their organization; New York has taken three players in the last two Rule 5 Drafts, though none have been able to crack the big league roster out of camp.

While Cashman has confidence in the roster he has assembled, largely secure after making certain CC Sabathia will head the rotation, the Yankees do have items on their shopping list as they go to Texas.

Pitching is the priority, especially if they can upgrade over their projected starting five, but retaining Sabathia -- and to a lesser extent, Freddy Garcia -- has diminished some of that urgency, especially with Hector Noesi being touted as the next Ivan Nova-type rookie on the way.

With Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett also in the fold, they don't seem especially enthralled with C.J. Wilson, reluctant to dig deep in their wallets for the lefty. But it's expected they will keep an eye on the situations with the likes of Mark Buehrle, Edwin Jackson, Roy Oswalt and Yu Darvish, just in case something presents itself.

New York's bullpen seems largely set with David Robertson, Rafael Soriano and eventually Joba Chamberlain lining up behind Mariano Rivera, though they would be interested in a second left-hander to supplement or challenge Boone Logan in the relief crew.

And while they need some bench pieces, figuring out who will fill the roles that Eric Chavez and Andruw Jones had in '11 (if those players do not, in fact, wind up returning), Cashman said that he feels absolutely set at all his starting positions and that offense is not a problem with his club.

"There's not a primary, obvious, stated target that everybody knows about," Cashman said.

As the GMs begin their discussions, go ahead and start yours in the comments section. Should the Yankees be heading to Dallas looking to make a bigger splash this winter, or is Cashman's steady stance the right play at this time in the marketplace?
But of primary interest to fans are the trades and free-agent activity that inevitably come from so many baseball minds being under the same roof.
Writers, general managers, agents, managers and hundreds of other front-office personnel have gathered in Texas, where they will remain for the next four days. There are luncheons, industry meetings and, on Thursday, the Rule 5 Draft.

 

[maineyankee]

I for one .... and being a very ardent Yankee fan, am not fully satisfied with the "Cashman Pitching". I know the numbers of each, but will not use them here as they do not mean anything in a new season (IMO). What I will use is a gut feeling that I have acquired over the past 45 years is baseball knowledge when it comes to pitching.

CC ... in 2011 He started like a house of fire, and then after the All-Star break, diminished his "Fire". He still has that pitching dominance over the plate, but seasoned hitters have grown accustomed to his style. (IMO) Over-Rated by the Media and therefore the fans who expect nothing but perfection .... Dreamers .... Reg Season (14-

Burnett ... This kid has some great stuff when he is on ... When He is off, my mother can throw better than that. A lot of fans agreed with my 2010 assessment on AJ that it all depends on who shows up on game day... The Good, The Bad, or The Ugly ! Reg Season (14-7)

Hughes ... I like Phil ... I really think this kid has the way for the upcoming year (If He can stay healthy, as with everyone). He has a lot of control in and around the plate, and has a great throw to first in getting the runner out before reaching second, and the potential of scoring. Reg Season (18-4)

Garcia ... The potential is there for this kid to do well in the Yankee market. He needs to control his eagerness and slow down just a tad at the mound. If ever I wanted to know what a pitcher is thinking about as he faces a hitter, it is what is Freddy thinking about. Reg Season (17-6)

Noesi ... Ah yes ... The next Joba ... And we all know what happened there with poor old Joba. The Yanks just cannot afford to make the same mistake twice (Or can they?) Great numbers in 2010, but the NY Market will either make or break a rookie. If he stays all season .... Reg Season (14-7)

Robertson, Soriano, Chamberlain .... I wish them the very best, and that they all stay healthy, especially Joba. (The kid has been through the wringer and back). Looking for some great work in the middle, and these are the (3) horses that need to get it to The Sandman.

The Great Mo .... Despite his years, his recent bout with illness (Vocal Cords), I will just leave it at this ... " I am truly blessed that God has given me the life to see such a master of "The Save". One will never see another pitcher who primarily uses one pitch, to get so many outs in the greatest game known to man .... BASEBALL !!"
Thanks Mo for the many, many memories

The MaineYankee

 

[maineyankee]

Manny applies for reinstatement; still faces ban
Slugger retired in 2011 rather than serve 100-game suspension

Tom Singer ~ MLB.com

The first news out of Dallas -- site of the Winter Meetings that formally open Monday morning -- wasn't about a player moving on, but one who wants to move back in.

Manny Ramirez, who went on Major League Baseball's voluntary retired list in April rather than face discipline for a second violation of MLB's drug policy, has applied for reinstatement.

The league released a statement on Sunday night reading: "Free-agent Manny Ramirez has applied to the Commissioner to be reinstated from the voluntary retired list. As a condition of his reinstatement, Ramirez will be required to resolve his outstanding violation of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, which was announced on April 8, 2011."The Office of the Commissioner and the Players Association have agreed that Ramirez will receive a 50-game suspension under the Joint Drug Program upon his reinstatement from the voluntary retired list. Such suspension shall begin with the first game that Ramirez is eligible to play after a Club signs him to a contract."

According to FOXSports.com, which cited a Major League source for the original report, Ramirez has already hired a pair of agents -- Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro -- to oversee his application process.

Ramirez served a 50-game suspension mandated by a first violation in 2009 while a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He signed as a free agent prior to the 2011 season with Tampa Bay, but served as the team's designated hitter in only five games -- with one single in 17 at-bats -- prior to news of his second violation and his immediate retirement.