Cleveland Sports Forum

Yankees sign Swisher to minor league contract.

I missed it, but the Braves dfa'd Michael Bourne on 4/2.

Pirates have signed Masterson to a minor league deal.

Atlanta seems out as a vacation spot for Nick Swisher. The veteran certainly prefers The Bronx.

Swisher called his spring release from the Braves a “slap in the face” because it was done so late in the spring, limiting his opportunities to go elsewhere. He was cut on March 28 and signed a minor league contract with the Yankees on April 14.

“I’m a respect guy,” the 35-year-old outfielder told NJ.com after going 1-for-4 for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday in a loss to the Phillies’ affiliate. “I think for somebody who has accumulated that many years — you know what you’re going to do. [And then] you’re told, ‘You don’t fit in?’ That’s kind of a slap in the face.

“So I think for myself, whether I’m trying to prove them wrong … more than anything, it’s just the love and the backing I’ve gotten from all the New York fans since I’ve been back in this organization, that’s the stuff I have time for man.”

Since rejoining the Yankees’ organization, Swisher has been impressive, hitting .357 with three homers, six RBIs and an .863 OPS in 11 games while playing mostly first base. [actually the OPS is 987, don't where he got his numbers] The Yankees don’t have a quality backup option for Mark Teixeira. At the moment, that role belongs to utility man Dustin Ackley.

" I just feel it’s time, man,” Swisher said. “This is my shot. This is it. It’s going to happen or it’s not. I’m going to fight for it, man. I’m going to scratch and claw and do whatever I can to get myself on a team. I hope it’s with the Yankees. And if it’s not, it’s somebody else. I just want to get myself back.”

Swisher was used predominantly as a right fielder in his four seasons with the Yankees. He played there on Monday for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He believes he could be an option there for the Yankees, too.

“It’s nice to be able to do that, show people I can do that,” Swisher said. “I’ve never been a burner. I’ve never been one of those super-fast guys. And there’s nothing really that I’m going to do right now that really surprises people. I’m going to go out there, bring passion and fire every day, and do the same thing I’ve been doing for the past 13 years.”

Brandon never ceases to amaze


http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2016/04/30/175 ... -back-dabs

ESPN is revising sports history:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-l ... soc_trk=fb

Worst calls ever by the home plate ump give the Skankees a win over the Red Sox tonight!

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/15478 ... rk-yankees

WoW !!!

Gotta love those Cubbies. What a fun team to watch !

Reminds me of our 90's Indians only younger & better. Just doesn't appear to be any holes even with Schwarber in the stands taking in today's ball game as a spectator with his female companion.

Not to mention Jake Arrieta!

And...............

How about Bartolo ????

Like a Timex, "He takes a licking and keeps on ticking — a true champion’.”

First homer:

http://m.mets.mlb.com/news/article/1768 ... -of-career

So if Bartolo hits his first homer in 2016, that would be the same as if Danny Salazar hits his first in about 2034. I should live so long.

Frazier had a big game last night. His 10 homers and 27 rbi would be leading our guys but the .215 batting average kinda sucks and that's coming off a 4-6 performance. He's only got 2 errors in 33 games. Our guys have 3 total (Ramirez 0 in 16 games and Uribe 3 in 21 games). The sox have shored up their defense this year......main reason for their best record in the AL. The cub and sox fans out here are coming out of the woodwork this year.

Fans don't "come out of the woodwork." They were never in.

Byung-Ho-Park

Indians fall short in Park bidding

[ It's a good feeling to know that the Tribe fed Park a few bread crumbs ]

The Indians are in the market for power and right-handed slugging has been seemingly an annual need for the club in recent years. One intriguing solution would have been Korean slugger Byung-ho Park.

The Nexen Heroes made Park available to Major League teams via the posting system last week, setting a deadline of 5 p.m. ET on Friday. Cleveland was among the teams that submitted a blind bid, though the Tribe did not win the right to negotiate a contract with Park.

Reports out of Korea indicated that the Heroes accepted a top bid of $12.85 million, though the winning club has yet to be revealed. MLB.com learned Saturday morning that the Indians fell short of that price, which will give the top team an exclusive 30-day window to try to sign the first baseman.

It isn’t immediately known how much Cleveland bid for the right to talk to Park. { An inquiring mind would like to know }

[ Maybe! Maybe one day, the people in this organization are gong to realize that there are actually players in Cuba and Asia that can play this game at the major league level. ]

Of course you've seen this. I've never seen a baseball player land such a solid punch, and yet Bautista seemed to be OK!

http://screengrabber.deadspin.com/watch ... 1776800607