Via the Post -
For his 45th birthday in 11 days, David Wells wants something pinstriped.
The free-agent left-hander told The Post yesterday he has been working out near his home in San Diego and believes he could bolster a Yankees’ rotation suddenly besieged by question marks.
Could Boomer III be in the cards? Consider that Wells has a huge fan monitoring the situation from Tampa. Hank Steinbrenner admitted yesterday that Wells, who recently made appearances on “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” has crossed his mind as a possibility for the Yankees’ rotation.
“I’ve thought about it,” Steinbrenner told The Post. “I saw him on TV, and I did think about it when I was watching.”
But Steinbrenner said he has not discussed Wells’ availability with GM Brian Cashman or manager Joe Girardi. That, Steinbrenner indicated, could change depending upon how Darrell Rasner and Kei Igawa fare in the rotation as Phil Hughes sits on the disabled list for at least two months with a rib fracture and Ian Kennedy attempts to return from Triple-A.
“You never know,” Steinbrenner said. “[Wells] hasn’t come up in conversation, but I’ve had so much other [bleep] to deal with lately.”
“Obviously, he’ll always be a Yankee to me,” Steinbrenner said.
The Baby Boss then dropped a subtle hint he’s growing disillusioned with the Yankees’ youth movement and could open the door to Wells.
“What sticks out in my mind, that team in the late ’90s, the starting pitching,” he said. “You had [David] Cone, El Duque [Orlando Hernandez], Wells . . . they were all big-game pitchers. They all came from elsewhere – not in the system.
“Everybody talks about the great players from the farm system that we had in the ’90s, but it was the starting rotation. That was a huge part of the success. Huge.”
One veteran Yankee, well aware of the Steinbrenner family’s affection for Wells and the lefty’s appetite for a big stage, said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Wells return.
“It may happen,” the Yankee said.
Let us take a quick inventory here.
David Wells will be 45-years old on May 20th.
He’s fat.
He’s out-spoken and a PITA.
The last season where he’s been more than, at best, an average pitcher was 2002.
It’s been six years since 2002.
Well, outside of the entertainment value of giving Suzyn Waldman another chance to reenact her version of Sally Albright eating at Katz’s Delicatessen, I fail to see anything positive out of the potential of seeing David Wells, the Yankee, Part III.
15 Responses to “Hank Interested In Boomer?”
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May 9th, 2008 at 10:46 am
…And right now he’s better than Kennedy, Hughes, Igawa, or any other prospect they have on the farm.
And still better, they don’t have to give up anyone to get him.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:01 am
You don’t want him to block Hughes or IPK, or even Horne, when they are ready.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:37 am
You don’t want him to block Hughes or IPK, or even Horne, when they are ready.
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Then you cut him loose, or take him out of the rotation, if in fact he lasts that long.
At any rate, it’s a pretty bad idea, but what the hey; take a flyer on him, see if you can catch lightning in a bottle.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Give me any other free agent. This guy is a friggin’ joke. And I don’t care that Girardi caught him from ‘97-’99. Wells wore out his welcome as far as I’m concerned.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Rich–Fine. When they’re ready. I’m not holding my breath.
May 9th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
I think he could probably still do well against certain lineups, but he’s going to get killed against patient teams with power. He wasn’t exactly sparkling in the past two seasons in the NL, so I wouldn’t expect much more than a warm body to pull in some innings. A big warm body.
May 9th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Hankenstein!
David — Walk-off-the-mound-in-the-World-Series — Wells?
This nut didn’t fall very far from the tree.
May 9th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
If David Wells dons pinstripes this year, the season has officially become a joke.
May 9th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
“What sticks out in my mind, that team in the late ’90s, the starting pitching,” he said. “You had [David] Cone, El Duque [Orlando Hernandez], Wells . . . they were all big-game pitchers. They all came from elsewhere – not in the system.
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Call him what you want, but Hank is exactly right.
May 9th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Call him what you want, but Hank is exactly right.
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I guess Andy Pettitte is chopped liver.
Not to mention that their superhuman closer also came from the system. As did their shortstop, catcher and centerfielder, all of whom might say they helped win those rings.
May 9th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
David — Walk-off-the-mound-in-the-World-Series — Wells?
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Sometimes you just can’t go. Kevin Brown gritted it out a year later in game 7 with worse results.
May 9th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Thread hijack alert:
“In another move, the Padres claimed right-handed pitcher Sean Henn off waivers from the Yankees. A corresponding move will be announced later.” – From Padres.com
Given the Padres’ track record at collecting pitchers from other teams and turning them into effective relievers, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see Henn bounce back in the NL.
May 9th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
baileywalk–Of course the Yankees developed some great talent for the dynasty years. But that talent was heavily supplemented by trades and FA signings–especially in the starting rotation.
May 9th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
As long as we’re on the topic of portly southpaws, how about this: The Blue Jays have just DFA’d Gustavo Chacin.
Sure he’s been pretty miserable in AAA this year, but he’s only 27. And just three years ago he finished 5th for AL Rookie of the Year.
May 9th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
The Blue Jays have just DFA’d Gustavo Chacin.
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That would be a far better move than bringing Tubby Wells out of retirement for a third go-around. At the very least he’s young enough to be salvageable.