25 Random Facts About 25 Random Yankees
By Tyler Kepner
There’s a phenomenon going around on Facebook these days where people write a note listing 25 random facts about themselves. With spring training still a week away, I thought we’d take a break from dissecting Joe Torre’s book and offer a similar note here on Bats. So here are “25 Random Facts About 25 Random Yankees,” culled from hanging around the clubhouse over the last seven years on the beat.
Ramiro Mendoza – Had my favorite nickname of any Yankee I’ve covered: Brujo, which is Spanish for “witch doctor.”
Enrique Wilson – Used to love the science fiction anime DragonBall Z. He had these little characters he’d put up on the shelf of his locker at home and on the road.
Drew Henson – The veterans made him wear a wedding gown on a September getaway day at Tampa Bay. That’s an image burned into your brain.
Esteban Loaiza – Watched more DVDs at his locker than any player I’ve ever seen.
Paul Quantrill – Used to pitch 80+ games a year and never, ever iced his arm.
Sam Marsonek – Made major league debut just before the All-Star Game in 2004, hurt himself over the break when he slipped on a dock, never pitched again.
Tanyon Sturtze – A devoted Patriots fan, he returned from the Pats-Eagles Super Bowl in 2005 and told me what a miserable bunch of people Eagles fans are. And he knew that I’m an Eagles fan.
Brandon Claussen – Wasn’t around long (just one start in 2003), but he’s the first person I ever knew who had an iPod.
Terrence Long – Joe Torre used to call him “K. Long,” apparently confusing him with then-minor league hitting instructor Kevin Long.
Tony Clark, the hardest working Yankee in 2004, according to John Flaherty. (Barton Silverman/The New York Times)
Tony Clark – When I asked John Flaherty who was the hardest worker on the team in 2004, he said Clark without hesitation.
Craig Wilson and John Vander Wal – Two most avid fantasy football players I have ever covered.
Mike Myers – Had a baseball signed by almost every pitcher who has ever worked 1,000 games in the majors; he still needed Kent Tekulve and a couple of others.
Bret Prinz – A huge football fan who loved the Bears, and when he saw Chris Berman in the clubhouse one day he was so awestruck he couldn’t say hi.
Doug Mientkiewicz – Had “MOM” stenciled on the side of his glove to honor his mother, who overcame cancer.
Mike Vento – Made a mistake on the bases in his major league debut, and Joe Torre said he was “nervous as a cat.”
Doug Mientkiewicz had “MOM” stenciled on the side of his glove to honor his mother. (Barton Silverman/The New York Times)
Matt Smith – Was physically unable to straighten his pitching elbow.
Bubba Crosby – When the Yankees dressed their rookies like Elvis, they didn’t make him wear a wig because they figured his real hairstyle was close enough.
Sean Henn – Yogi Berra loved him because he thought he had a really cool name.
Rondell White – Had a great sense of humor about himself, admitting that he was injured so often his nickname should be “Ron-D.L.”
Alan Embree – Has a wedding ring tattooed around his finger.
Roger Clemens – O.K., he’s not a “random” Yankee, but he’s probably the only one who built a horseshoe pit in his backyard in case former President George H.W. Bush came by again.
Tyler Clippard – Loved to watch “The Office” on his iPod. He’d sit there with earplugs in and just laugh out loud.
Scott Proctor - Named his first son Camden after Camden Yards in Baltimore. Named his second son Cooper, but not after Cooper Stadium, then the Yankees’ rundown Class AAA ballpark in Columbus.
Chris Hammond - One of the first guys to give out his email address. One night in Oakland he was warming up in the bullpen and a colleague in the press box noted that Hammond was also on Instant Messenger at the same time. I’m sure it was a family member, but still pretty funny.
Gabe White – Once pitched so poorly in spring training that he instructed the media relations director to call us down from the press box because he wanted to vent about himself before he left the park. Now that’s accountability.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by redsmetz
