Eric Hinske and Don Baylor

Eric Hinske managed to see action this post season, thus making his potential inclusion in a trivia question concrete.

The trivia question that I posted at the beginning of the World Series was "Who is the only living person with a World Series ring as a player for both the Yankees and Red Sox?"

As of this writing, it remains Ramiro Mendoza all by his lonesome (who played in the 1998 and 1999 World Series for the Yankees and played in the 2004 post season with the Red Sox.)

Now Hinske rode the pine in the Minnesota series and was off of the ALCS roster, so I wondered if he didn't PLAY in the postseason for this year's Yankees, should he be included with Mendoza and Johnny Damon should the Yankees win.

The point is moot. He drew a walk last night and scored.

Now I hope he NEVER becomes part of that trivia question because I want the Phillies to somehow pull this one out.

But Hey! Hinske! You are already in the world of trivia... and I am not talking about how you struck out to end the 2008 World Series.

You just played in your third straight World Series with three different teams!

Hinske was a member of the 2007 World Champion Red Sox...
He was on the 2008 AL Champion Rays...
And now the 2009 Yankees.

Only one other person has done that before and it is no dishonor to be mentioned in his company!


Don Baylor, best known as an MVP for the Angels, played in the 1986 World Series for my beloved Red Sox...

Then he played in the 1987 World Series on the winning side with the Twins.

Then he was a pinch hitter and sometimes DH in the 1988 World Series.

Baylor was the emotional leader of the '86 Red Sox, establishing a kangaroo court and turning the clubhouse from a 24 player, 24 cab unit to a team that came within one strike of immortality in New England.

Baylor's contributed big time to the Twins stunning World Series run after being picked up from the Red Sox in August.

His pinch hit in Game 1 of the 1987 ALCS put the Twins up in the 8th and was the Game Winning RBI.

And in Game 6 of the 1987 World Series, with the Twins losing 5-2 in the 5th and facing elimination, Baylor hit a game tying homer off of John Tudor and the Twins would eventually win.

Baylor joined the A's mainly to give them some veteran leadership (along with another former MVP Dave Parker.) He had a disappointing season. He did drive in the final run of the 1988 ALCS that helped sink his former Red Sox teammates. His last appearance in the big leagues was a pinch hitting appearance in Game 2 of the 1988 World Series where he struck out against Orel Hershiser.

For years he was the only person to appear in three straight World Series for three different franchises.

He has company now with Hinske.

Now let's hope Hinske doesn't join Mendoza as well.

I want Ramiro Mendoza to remain the answer to a wonderful trivia question

If Red Sox/Yankees was a category on Jeopardy, an answer could be "He is the only living player with World Series rings as a Yankee and a Red Sox."

And the correct response would be "Who is Ramiro Mendoza?"

Mendoza was a middle reliever on the 1998 and 1999 World Series rosters and in fact was the pitcher on the mound when the Yankees won the 1999 AL Pennant in Fenway Park (one of the few times Joe Torre let a pitcher other than Mariano Rivera finish off a series.) Truth be told, Mendoza should have been the series MVP over El Duque Hernandez, but that's another story.

In 2004, Mendoza was a member of the Red Sox. He pitched in the ALCS against the Yankees and had the dishonor of getting the loss in the 19-8 Game 3 massacre... it was also the last loss the 2004 Red Sox would have as they won the last 4 of the ALCS and all 4 games of the World Series.

That was it. The Babe Ruths and Carl Mays and all the other former Red Sox champs who were sold to the Yankees are all dead.

Mendoza remains alone.

But this year, two names threaten to join him.

Johnny Damon and Eric Hinske.

































Damon everyone remembers (and some have forgiven.)

Hinske, lest we forget, was a seldom used pinch hitter on the 2007 Red Sox and is now a seldom used pinch hitter on the 2009 Yankees. But he was on the Division Series roster and is now on the World Series roster.

And last year, Hinske was a member of the Rays and struck out to end the series (and was then analyzed by my wife.)

I have nothing against Damon or Hinske and I appreciate all they did in a Red Sox uniform...

But I hope in a few weeks the answer to that trivia question remains simply "Ramiro Mendoza."

New Yankee Eric Hinske... not sure I get it

The Yankees picked up old friend and one time Rookie of the Year Eric Hinske from the Pirates today. 

Hinske was a left handed bat off of the bench for the 2007 World Champion Boston Red Sox. 

He also homered in the World Series last year for Tampa and made the last out (and was criticized by my wife for his lack of desire.)

Now Hinske is a nice complimentary player and certainly helps the Yankees bench... so I can't really slam Cashman for this deal.

But I can't say I 100% get this deal.

Or 50% get this deal.

The Yankees are a good solid team but they could use a few parts for the second half.

However I never thought they had a LACK of left handed DH/outfielder types.

Johnny Damon is left handed, can no longer play centerfield and needs to DH from time to time.

Hideki Matsui shouldn't even own a glove anymore and these days is a mediocre left handed DH.

Nick Swisher is a switch hitting outfielder who can't play centerfield.

And Jorge Posada at this point should be a switch hitting DH and put young Francisco Cervelli under his wing as he seems to be playing well (and bringing some youth to the Yankee line up.)

Better get ANOTHER one!

And his place on the roster, plus the inevitable recovery of Jose Molina might mean that Cervelli will be sent down... because you wouldn't want young hungry players who are doing a good job on the 25 man roster!

Now I've heard the logic being that Hinske would give some of the players a rest and play third base for A-Rod once a week.

Um, really? Hinske came up as a third baseman and was shifted to first base and the outfield. Don't teams usually do that because the player can't handle third base?

He's played third base 21 times in the last 5 seasons. Am I still the only one stunned that the Yankees still don't have a jack of all trades infielder?

Hey, who am I to criticize Brian Cashman? OK, so I've done it before... but I just don't get this deal.

Watch him go on a tear and win the AL MVP

My wife analyzes Eric Hinske

My wife Lisa and I watched the end of tonight's game at Mike and Anne's, the restaurant down the street.

I saw the baseball season end the way it was meant to be enjoyed... eating mussels at a bar and sipping a cranberry juice next to my wife as I listened to smooth jazz.

The Phillies got to within two strikes of the World Series title when Tampa pinch hitter (and old friend from the 2007 World Champion Red Sox) Eric Hinske had strike two called on him when he tried to check his swing.

It looked to me like he did.
It looked to Eric like he did too.

The next pitch he feebly swung at and the Phillies were World Champs.

And my wife suddenly became a commentator.

"He was still mad about the previous pitch." She said.
"What do you mean?"
"He didn't have that fire... that sense of don't you try to throw a pitch past me you son of a bitch or I'll hit the sh*t out of it. He didn't have that killer look the way Big Papi did where you knew he was going to win. He was unnerved."
"Maybe it was a good pitch."
"No, he wasn't ready. He wasn't ready and now he's a shmuck. I feel bad for the shmuck, but he wasn't ready to hit."

I just looked at my wife... suddenly possessed by a bitter Tampa Bay fan.

She proceeded to breakdown the psychology of Eric Hinske and declared him unready to play.

"You saw it!"

Yes I did.

It's the offseason and it's my wife whose providing the commentary that Tim McCarver and Joe Buck just couldn't pull off.

That's why I married her!