Pavano Progress Report

[RobRiv]

The Hartford Courant has an update today from Pavano:

http://www.courant.com/sports/baseba...lines-baseball

This is my favorite quote:

"I grew up in an Italian family," Pavano said. "So I can appreciate brutal honesty. I'm as hard on myself when things go badly. You don't accomplish anything by lying to yourself about what's going on. They're the greatest fans in the world. Win or lose, they're always there for us."

Here's hoping Carl is the comeback king of '06!

[RhodeyYankee2638]

He put up some pretty bad numbers in the NL. I wonder how they will be after a full season in the AL

[gdn]

http://forums.nyyfans.com/showpost.p...&postcount=641

[Sixty one]

Here's hoping that Carl stays healthy and bounces back with 20 wins for the Pinstripers.

[RhodyYanksFan]

Here's hoping that Carl stays healthy and bounces back with 20 wins for the Pinstripers.

I'll take 10 quality starts. Gotta crawl before you can walk.

[BronxBombers2005]

Here's hoping that Carl stays healthy and bounces back with 20 wins for the Pinstripers.

we can only hope.....

[JeterRodriguezSheff]

Heres hoping he gets traded or somehow puts up his 2004 numbers again

[genius-24]

Pavano can be a good pitcher/15game winner, if he stays healthy. That's the bottom line.

[JeterRodriguezSheff]

Pavano can be a good pitcher/15game winner, if he stays healthy. That's the bottom line.

he has only been healthy and good in one fluke season

[JeffWeaverFan]

he has only been healthy and good in one fluke season

People seem to forget this... Not to mention, it was the NL and in a great pitchers park.

[TEPLimey]

You know, I would have a lot more empathy for Pavano if I had any clue what his injury actually was from day one. He goes does with a mystery ailness (out for 6 months with "rotator cuff tendonitis? come on...) when we are in desperate need of starter and the disappears for the season without so much as a by-your-leave. While I don't truly believe he was a "quitter" or "baby" (maybe he lacked a "bellyful of guts"?) his actions do make him appear that way to a less-forgiving fan. Even Kevin Brown pitched through extreme pain to try to give us innings.

In fairness, I understand that the organization has to (a) protect Carl's privacy and; (b) preserve his trade value. As a result, it may not be in their best interests to keep the public informed.

[gdn]

I'd rather Pavano have a "mystery ailment" and not pitch, than pitch with back spasms and give up 5 runs in the first two innings and take up a roster spot.

[surge511]

I'd rather Pavano have a "mystery ailment" and not pitch, than pitch with back spasms and give up 5 runs in the first two innings and take up a roster spot.

Exactly, and then get nothing out of our 40 million for the next 3 years.

[Mattpat11]

I'd rather Pavano have a "mystery ailment" and not pitch, than pitch with back spasms and give up 5 runs in the first two innings and take up a roster spot.

Whose roster spot was Brown taking, exactly? I'd much rather a guy try to earn his money when the team needs a starter than sit at home with a fairly minor injury.

[gdn]

Whose roster spot was Brown taking, exactly? I'd much rather a guy try to earn his money when the team needs a starter than sit at home with a fairly minor injury.

Really? Brown didn't cost us any games at all? Huh... my bad.

[Mattpat11]

Really? Brown didn't cost us any games at all? Huh... my bad.

Of course he did. But when the team needed him most, he tried. More than I can say for some people.

[ZIM 2002]

Brown had less at stake - he was at the end of his career anyway.Pavano still has a long time to go, not the least of which is 3 more years on this contract.

[gdn]

Of course he did. But when the team needed him most, he tried. More than I can say for some people.

That's exactly my point. If he hadn't "tried", maybe someone else could have stepped in and we wouldn't have lost those games. No sense in false heroics. Vanity will never trump prudence.

[TEPLimey]

I'd rather Pavano have a "mystery ailment" and not pitch, than pitch with back spasms and give up 5 runs in the first two innings and take up a roster spot.

My point that was, in light of Brown's effort in the face of serious risks (both on and off the field), Pavano was nowhere to be found with basically no explaination. My orginial post simply pointed out that I would have more faith in Pavano if we knew what was going on with him last season. Instead, we got "out for two weeks" then "out for a month" then "will be back in August" then "out for the season." I wasn't suggesting that we risk our investment in him by starting him. I was simply saying that, with that litany of changing stories, little to no information about the injury (or his recovery from it), and his injury history, I'm not exactly inspired by his chances of pitching a full season.

Regarding Kevin Brown, I couldn't agree more with JeffWeaverFan, he came in and pitched when no one else could on July 18. If you recall, we simply didn't have anyone to pitch. He went out there and gave us 4.1 innings, which is what we needed most. He risked serious off-field injury doing so. Now, I'm no Kevin Brown fan (I hold him most culpable for the 2004 disaster in the post-season), but to say he was "taking up a roster spot" while getting a decimated pitching staff into the 5th inning is a lttle much.

[Jasbro]

My point that was, in light of Brown's effort in the face of serious risks (both on and off the field), Pavano was nowhere to be found with basically no explaination. My orginial post simply pointed out that I would have more faith in Pavano if we knew what was going on with him last season. Instead, we got "out for two weeks" then "out for a month" then "will be back in August" then "out for the season." I wasn't suggesting that we risk our investment in him by starting him. I was simply saying that, with that litany of changing stories, little to no information about the injury (or his recovery from it), and his injury history, I'm not exactly inspired by his chances of pitching a full season.

Regarding Kevin Brown, I couldn't agree more with JeffWeaverFan, he came in and pitched when no one else could on July 18. If you recall, we simply didn't have anyone to pitch. He went out there and gave us 4.1 innings, which is what we needed most. He risked serious off-field injury doing so. Now, I'm no Kevin Brown fan (I hold him most culpable for the 2004 disaster in the post-season), but to say he was "taking up a roster spot" while getting a decimated pitching staff into the 5th inning is a lttle much.

Comparing the Yankees' willingness to further injure Brown versus their reluctance to further injure Pavano is an apples-to-oranges comparison.

Allowing Brown to try to pitch is a no-risk move outside the context of winning or losing that particular game. He was at the end of his contract, the end of his time with the Yankees, and the end of his career. If he were to suffer a catastrophic aggravation of his existing injuries, we lose nothing but that game.

Pavano is more than 10 years younger and still has 3 years and more than $30 million committed to him. Risking a catastrophic injury or aggravation of his existing injuries would be insanity.

Brown's willingness to pitch wasn't an example of him having a bigger heart than Pavano -- it was merely a case of the Yankees desperately squeezing the final drops out of a lemon and hoping it would somehow turn into lemonade.

[Mattpat11]

Pavano is more than 10 years younger and still has 3 years and more than $30 million committed to him. Risking a catastrophic injury or aggravation of his existing injuries would be insanity.

.

Then why did they even ask him?

[38Special]

Comparing the Yankees' willingness to further injure Brown versus their reluctance to further injure Pavano is an apples-to-oranges comparison.

Allowing Brown to try to pitch is a no-risk move outside the context of winning or losing that particular game. He was at the end of his contract, the end of his time with the Yankees, and the end of his career. If he were to suffer a catastrophic aggravation of his existing injuries, we lose nothing but that game.

Pavano is more than 10 years younger and still has 3 years and more than $30 million committed to him. Risking a catastrophic injury or aggravation of his existing injuries would be insanity.

Brown's willingness to pitch wasn't an example of him having a bigger heart than Pavano -- it was merely a case of the Yankees desperately squeezing the final drops out of a lemon and hoping it would somehow turn into lemonade.

Thank you. That post had my eyes rolling deep into the back of my head

[Bub]

Pavano will not disappoint me in 2006. I have him penciled in for zero wins. I can only feel good about any contribution.

[DandyAndy46]

Comparing the Yankees' willingness to further injure Brown versus their reluctance to further injure Pavano is an apples-to-oranges comparison.

Allowing Brown to try to pitch is a no-risk move outside the context of winning or losing that particular game. He was at the end of his contract, the end of his time with the Yankees, and the end of his career. If he were to suffer a catastrophic aggravation of his existing injuries, we lose nothing but that game.

Pavano is more than 10 years younger and still has 3 years and more than $30 million committed to him. Risking a catastrophic injury or aggravation of his existing injuries would be insanity.

Brown's willingness to pitch wasn't an example of him having a bigger heart than Pavano -- it was merely a case of the Yankees desperately squeezing the final drops out of a lemon and hoping it would somehow turn into lemonade.

Finally...evidence of sanity...

[Mattpat11]

Finally...evidence of sanity...

Except that it completely disregards that the Yankees were in fact fools and insane or whatever because they did in fact ask him. Before Brown.

And I just want someone to explain to me, why despite the mountains of evidence that Pavano is a mediocre, injury prone pitcher, THIS is the year it all ends.