Twitter | Mark Feinsand: Former Yankees reliever and current free agent David Robertson threw his second showcase for major league scouts and coaches on Friday. More than a dozen teams traveled to Winter Haven, Florida to watch D-Rob’s throwing session. According to Robertson, he looks good on the hill a tweet by Feinsand, who said Robertson’s stands ‘in the 90-91 mph range’. Robertson last played in a major league game on April 14, 2019 when he ended an elbow strain of the season that Tommy John had to undergo surgery. Last season, Robertson did not appear on the hill at all, due to a setback he experienced when he recovered from surgery.
New York Daily News | Kristie Ackert: It’s official. The 14th annual Gardy party takes place during 2021 in the baseball season in Bronx. Veteran Yankees player and longest-serving player agreed on Friday to a $ 4 million one-year contract, with an option for 2022, pending a physical. Considering the Yankees’ desire to stay below the luxury tax threshold and that the team turned down Gardner’s $ 10 million option in November, Gardner’s time in pinstripes for much of the off-season in the scales remained.
In addition to being the Yankees’ last remaining link to the 2009 World Cup, Gardner is valued in the organization for his leadership in the clubhouse. He also adds a left-hand bat to a mostly right-handed Yankees series. In a number of interviews, Gardy mentioned his desire to remain a Yankee for his entire MLB career. In particular, Gardner will have to assume a new role on the bench, as Aaron Boone said during Friday’s press conference that Clint Frazier is expected to be the Yankees’ starting left-back in 2021.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: A number of Yankees pitchers, including Zach Britton and Darren O’Day, have commented on the team’s new yard lab, called the “gas station.” The new modern facility is located in the Yankees Development Complex in Tampa and has been in operation for several years. The filling station is equipped with the latest technological equipment for collecting data for storage, including high-speed cameras and tools for detecting pitches such as Rapsodo and Edgertronics.
According to Lindsey Adler van The Athletics, from outside “the building [housing the Gas Station] looks like a big blue barn. ‘The construction of the pitching lab demonstrates how the Yankees have taken full advantage of technological innovation in game and new-school pitching philosophies over the past few years. The gas station offers Yankee throwers access to the latest pitch design tools and enables them to get instant feedback in areas such as tunneling or the turning efficiency of their stands.
Orlando Sentinel | Hannah Phillips: Former Yankees and Red Sox fielder Johnny Damon was arrested Friday in Windermere, Florida, on charges of driving under the influence and resistance of a non-violent police officer. According to the arrest report, Damon, 47, was pulled over early Friday morning by a Windermere police officer who saw Damon’s black Lincoln SUV swerve and hit a curb. A breath test measured Damon’s blood alcohol level between .294 and .300 – about four times the legal limit of .08 in Florida. The arrest report also contains some statements Damon made during the stop and the subsequent arrest. After being asked to perform a sobriety test, the two-time World Series champion said he would agree to the test because he is a big boy. ‘When Damon was released from the Orange County Department of Corrections, he gave his opinion on what it’s like to be behind bars. “The prison is terrible,” he told reporters.
Damon’s wife, Michelle Mangan-Damon, was also arrested during the incident. She was charged on a charge by a law enforcement officer and for arresting her by force.
Damon played for the Yankees from 2006 to 2009.