Yankees Acquire Lindros, Marbury
NEW YORK – In a move to bolster their already powerful lineup, the Yankees announced Thursday the acquisitions of New York sports staples Eric Lindros and Stephon Marbury.
"I'm happy to have athletes such as these," said an ecstatic George Steinbrenner, "Isiah [Thomas, General Manager of the New York Knicks], Glen Sather [GM of the New York Rangers] and I all got together one night and realized we think very much alike." Steinbrenner later noted that former Mets GM Jim Duquette attended the meeting as well, adding, "I believe the fans of New York will really take a liking to these familiar faces. We're really going the extra mile here."
"Eric might take a while to adjust from playing in the Garden," stated a mostly confused Joe Torre, "I haven't seen him yet without his skates on, so it could take a few games before I get a good look at him. We'll get him some at-bats soon."
Torre also said that Lindros, whose crowning achievement in the Big Apple was enduring an alarming number of on-ice concussions, will most likely take over the catching duties while batting 5th or 6th in the order. He later added, "He brings a real physical presence to the team, which we like."
Marbury is also seen as having a strong upside for the Yanks, since it is impossible to commit a turnover on the baseball diamond. "George really wanted him," said Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman, "since, according to him, we really needed a shooting guard. He was fairly easy to acquire-- it's the playoffs in the NBA right now so obviously the Knicks won't need him." Marbury averaged 21.7 points this season for the Knicks, and Cashman is hopeful those point totals can help jumpstart the Yankees' slumping offense.
"We're seeing Stephon mostly as a leadoff guy," said Torre, "although we might use him out of the bullpen too. We could probably stick him in center for a few games, see if he can protect that wall out there, like a Torii Hunter type of guy."
Current Yankees had mixed reactions to the acquisitions.
"I think, like any sport, there's a learning curve," said captain Derek Jeter, "during infield drills Stephon kept yelling 'I'm open, I'm open,' only he was playing in left field at the time."
"I hear this guy Lindros can really swat," said a beaming Kevin Brown, as he shadowboxed around the clubhouse, "I can't wait to meet him, [and] trade a few tips."
"Good luck to the both of them," muttered backup veteran catcher John Flaherty, who was optioned to AA Trenton, "real class acts, the both of them. Great [expletive] idea, George."
Steinbrenner mentioned conversations regarding Giants' end Michael Strahan to shore up the defense, but backed off, saying football was "too much of a team sport. We're really focusing on the individual in 2005."
posted by BJC @ 12:08 PM
Your thoughts (0 so far)
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home