Breaking News: Yankees Spring Invite List
Just got this list of non-roster players the Yankees have invited to Spring Training…
C Kyle Anson, C Jason Brown, INF Bernie Castro, OF Justin Christian, OF Colin Curtis, INF Eric Duncan, OF Brett Gardner, RHP Daniel Giese, INF Nick Green, RHP Alan Horne, OF Austin Jackson, RHP Steven Jackson, OF Jason Lane, RHP Daniel McCutchen, RHP Mark Melancon, C Jesus Montero, LHP Heath Phillips, C P.J. Pilittere, OF Greg Porter, INF Cody Ransom, RHP Darrell Rasner, C Austin Romine, RHP Scott Strickland, OF Jose Tabata, LHP Billy Traber and INF Marcos Vechionacci.
If my math is correct, 11 Thunder alums are on the list — Brown, Christian, Curtis, Duncan, Gardner, Horne, A. Jackson, S. Jackson, McCutchen, Pilittere and Vechionacci.
It’s interesting to me that Kyle Anson got an invite. Although Anson has only played at low-A Charleston last season, he’ll turn 25 a few weeks into the 2008 season, so it doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility that he could be a candidate to catch in Trenton if the Yankees don’t think Francisco Cervelli is ready for the jump — although that seems like a very unlikely scenario.
I also wonder if this is Eric Duncan’s last chance to make an impact when it matters. I think the fact that he was unprotected for the Rule 5 draft and went unclaimed speaks volumes as to how far he’s plummeted in baseball circles.
Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com
Tags: Daniel McCutchen, Jason Brown, P.J. Pilittere, Austin Jackson, Jose Tabata, Alan Horne, Jesus Montero, Brett Gardner, Kyle Anson, Bernie Castro, Justin Christian, Colin Curtis, Eric Duncan, Daniel Giese, Nick Green, Steven Jackson, Jason Lane, Mark Melancon, Heath Phillips, Greg Porter, Cody Ransom, Darrell Rasner, Austin Romine, Scott Strickland, Billy Traber, Marcos Vechionacci
January 16, 2008 at 4:06 am
Actually, Giese played for Trenton in 2002 when they were a Boston affiliate.
So, I guess that makes 12 Thunder alums…lol
January 16, 2008 at 10:59 am
About the only thing I remember from the 2002 season is freezing my ass off to see the immortal Seung Song in the season opener.
That’s a great catch by you, though. So nearly half of the non-roster invites have put on a Thunder uniform…and technically, Rasner was assigned to Trenton late in the year if you want to get real picky.
Whatever the number is, it’s pretty impressive.