Alex Rodriguez: The $21 Million Backup First Baseman

Brian Cashman and the New York Yankees are preparing for the 2015 season without getting regular at bats or playing time in the field from Alex Rodriguez, and they should, but the latest blurbs have me scratching my head. The team has announced that Alex will work out at first base this spring in hopes of him being a viable backup option for Mark Teixeira. This news essentially makes A Rod a $21 million bench player with no real position if it's true and comes to fruition since the team is also looking at third base help to keep Alex off the left side of the infield.

Here's a quote from Cashman himself when talking to Ken Davidoff:

“We’re going to get him exposed to [first base]. It doesn’t mean he’ll be a viable option. But we just want to test the waters on it,” said the GM. “I think there was an area of vulnerability for us last year that was really predicated because of the outfield alignment that we had. We had more outfielders than necessary because the guaranteed commitments that we had kicked in, so I couldn’t get a backup first baseman situation. But hopefully we can alleviate that this year.” 

Either Bubba Crosby is going to be our every day center fielder or this team is really that scared to eat a very necessary $61 million crap sandwich. One would surprise me more than the other. 

Major League Players Born on November, 18

It’s a slow news day so let’s take a look at all the Major League Baseball players that were born on this day, November 18. Maybe the hot stove will pick up soon and we won’t have to fill the blog with these types of posts. Have I mentioned how I hate the winter (baseball wise anyway).

Rk	Name	Born	Yrs	From	To	ASG	H	HR	RBI	BB	BA	OBP	SLG	W	L	ERA	WHIP	IP	SO
1	Bruce Billings	1985	2	2011	2014	0	0	0	0	0				0	0	9.82	2.182	11.0	14
2	Travis Buck	1983	6	2007	2012	0	197	20	95	78	.243	.316	.399
3	Brent Leach	1982	1	2009	2009	0	0	0	0	0				2	0	5.75	1.377	20.1	19
4	C.J. Wilson	1980	10	2005	2014	2	2	0	0	3	.087	.192	.174	86	62	3.72	1.329	1298.1	1149
5	Steve Bechler	1979	1	2002	2002	0	0	0	0	0				0	0	13.50	2.143	4.2	3
6	Wilkin Ruan	1978	2	2002	2003	0	12	0	5	0	.231	.231	.327
7	Tim Hummel	1978	2	2003	2004	0	43	3	17	16	.222	.285	.314
8	David Ortiz	1975	18	1997	2014	9	2159	466	1533	1162	.285	.379	.547
9	Matt Wise	1975	8	2000	2008	0	2	0	1	0	.286	.286	.286	17	22	4.23	1.274	317.0	244
10	Shawn Camp	1975	11	2004	2014	0	1	0	0	0	1.000	1.000	1.000	29	33	4.41	1.449	592.1	403
11	Allen Watson	1970	8	1993	2000	0	45	0	19	9	.257	.293	.343	51	55	5.03	1.491	892.0	589
12	Darrell Whitmore	1968	3	1993	1995	0	67	5	21	18	.203	.254	.294
13	Phil Stidham	1968	1	1994	1994	0	0	0	0	0				0	0	24.92	3.692	4.1	4
14	Gary Sheffield	1968	22	1988	2009	9	2689	509	1676	1475	.292	.393	.514
15	Clay Bellinger	1968	4	1999	2002	0	60	12	35	22	.193	.257	.363
16	Tom Gordon	1967	21	1988	2009	3	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	138	126	3.96	1.360	2108.0	1928
17	Eddie Tucker	1966	3	1992	1995	0	13	1	7	10	.126	.224	.175
18	Ron Coomer	1966	9	1995	2003	1	827	92	449	177	.274	.313	.421
19	Howard Farmer	1966	1	1990	1990	0	2	0	0	0	.400	.400	.400	0	3	7.04	1.565	23.0	14
20	Scott Hemond	1965	7	1989	1995	0	132	12	58	65	.217	.295	.326
21	Mark Petkovsek	1965	9	1991	2001	0	14	0	3	7	.161	.229	.172	46	28	4.74	1.435	710.0	358
22	Chris Howard	1965	3	1993	1995	0	0	0	0	0				2	0	3.13	1.217	46.0	25
23	Dante Bichette	1963	14	1988	2001	4	1906	274	1141	355	.299	.336	.499
24	Jamie Moyer	1962	25	1986	2012	1	51	0	15	35	.128	.199	.140	269	209	4.25	1.322	4074.0	2441
25	Mike Felder	1961	10	1985	1994	0	564	14	173	168	.249	.301	.322
26	Jeff Heathcock	1959	4	1983	1988	0	1	0	0	4	.029	.128	.029	9	9	3.76	1.190	158.0	64
27	Cliff Pastornicky	1958	1	1983	1983	0	4	2	5	0	.125	.125	.313
28	Luis Pujols	1955	9	1977	1985	0	164	6	81	52	.193	.240	.260
29	Craig Stimac	1954	2	1980	1981	0	12	0	7	1	.203	.206	.237
30	Gil Rondon	1953	2	1976	1979	0	4	0	1	0	.286	.286	.286	2	2	5.40	1.989	63.1	24
31	Dan Briggs	1952	7	1975	1982	0	134	12	53	45	.195	.249	.294
32	Steve Henderson	1952	12	1977	1988	0	976	68	428	386	.280	.352	.413
33	Dick Joyce	1943	1	1965	1965	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	1	2.77	1.231	13.0	7
34	Jim Shellenback	1943	9	1966	1977	0	14	0	7	3	.135	.159	.154	16	30	3.81	1.416	454.0	222
35	Sterling Slaughter	1941	1	1964	1964	0	1	0	0	1	.083	.154	.083	2	4	5.75	1.858	51.2	32
36	Cal Koonce	1940	10	1962	1971	0	24	0	8	17	.100	.166	.113	47	49	3.78	1.380	971.0	504
37	Bud Zipfel	1938	2	1961	1962	0	78	10	39	32	.220	.285	.370
38	Jay Hook	1936	8	1957	1964	0	34	0	10	18	.151	.213	.156	29	62	5.23	1.439	752.2	394
39	Curt Raydon	1933	1	1958	1958	0	1	0	1	6	.026	.159	.026	8	4	3.62	1.333	134.1	85
40	Danny McDevitt	1932	6	1957	1962	0	17	0	7	6	.138	.183	.154	21	27	4.40	1.590	456.0	303
41	Lou Lombardo	1928	1	1948	1948	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0	6.75	1.875	5.1	0
42	Roy Sievers	1926	17	1949	1965	5	1703	318	1147	841	.267	.354	.475
43	Gene Mauch	1925	9	1944	1957	0	176	5	62	104	.239	.333	.312
44	Rocky Nelson	1924	9	1949	1961	0	347	31	173	130	.249	.317	.379
45	Roy Wise	1923	1	1944	1944	0	0	0	0	0				0	0	9.00	2.333	3.0	1
46	Kermit Wahl	1922	5	1944	1951	0	145	3	50	68	.226	.302	.294
47	Les Layton	1921	1	1948	1948	0	21	2	12	6	.231	.286	.429
48	Ken Burkhart	1916	5	1945	1949	0	27	1	11	6	.180	.222	.240	27	20	3.84	1.368	519.2	181
49	Charlie Fuchs	1913	3	1942	1944	0	3	0	2	1	.070	.091	.070	6	10	4.89	1.563	165.2	41
50	Joe Cicero	1910	3	1929	1945	0	18	0	8	2	.222	.250	.358
51	Dykes Potter	1910	1	1938	1938	0	0	0	0	0				0	0	4.50	2.000	2.0	1
52	Spike Merena	1909	1	1934	1934	0	1	0	0	1	.143	.250	.143	1	2	2.92	1.459	24.2	7
53	Joe Coscarart	1909	2	1935	1936	0	157	3	73	35	.241	.285	.301
54	George Blackerby	1903	1	1928	1928	0	21	0	12	4	.253	.287	.253
55	Jim Marquis	1900	1	1925	1925	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0	9.82	2.455	7.1	0
56	Vince Shields	1900	1	1924	1924	0	2	0	1	0	.400	.400	.400	1	1	3.00	1.083	12.0	4
57	Ren Kelly	1899	1	1923	1923	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0	2.57	1.571	7.0	1
58	Dutch Ulrich	1899	3	1925	1927	0	23	0	4	8	.167	.212	.188	19	27	3.48	1.333	406.0	123
59	Bill Hughes	1896	1	1921	1921	0	0	0	0	0				0	0	4.50	2.000	2.0	2
60	Sam Covington	1894	3	1913	1918	0	23	1	14	9	.178	.237	.233
61	Pedro Dibut	1892	2	1924	1925	0	3	0	3	2	.273	.385	.455	3	0	2.70	1.064	36.2	15
62	Les Mann	1892	16	1913	1928	0	1332	44	503	324	.282	.332	.398
63	Harry Trekell	1892	1	1913	1913	0	1	0	0	1	.111	.200	.111	0	1	4.50	1.100	30.0	15
64	Arthur Hauger	1891	1	1912	1912	0	1	0	0	1	.056	.105	.056
65	Ray Shook	1889	1	1916	1916	0	0	0	0	0
66	Howie Gregory	1886	1	1911	1911	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	1	5.14	2.143	7.0	1
67	Rip Vowinkel	1884	1	1905	1905	0	1	0	0	3	.071	.235	.071	3	3	4.17	1.368	45.1	7
68	Bill Shipke	1882	4	1906	1909	0	110	1	29	55	.199	.280	.261
69	Jack Coombs	1882	14	1906	1920	0	261	4	100	59	.235	.278	.295	158	110	2.78	1.239	2320.0	1052
70	Frank Griffith	1872	2	1892	1894	0	8	0	9	1	.320	.346	.560	1	3	10.10	2.374	46.1	18
71	Lou Johnson	1869	1	1894	1894	0	3	0	3	1	.188	.235	.188	1	1	6.06	1.806	32.2	10
72	Deacon McGuire	1863	26	1884	1912	0	1750	45	840	515	.278	.341	.372	0	0	6.75	2.750	4.0	1
73	Jim McLaughlin	1860	1	1884	1884	0	5	0		0	.227	.227	.364	1	2	3.68	1.727	22.0	8
74	John Munce	1857	1	1884	1884	0	4	0		1	.190	.227	.190

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

As you can see by the list former Yankees Bruce Billings, Allen Watson, Gary Sheffield, Tom Gordon, Ron Coomer, Danny McDevitt, Clay Bellinger, Deacon McGuire and Jim Marquis were born on this day. Other notable players included David Ortiz, Dante Bichette, Jamie Moyer, and CJ Wilson.