YANKEE NOTES
CLEVELAND – Nine months ago the Yankees looked into ways to void the $84 million left on his contract after his BALCO grand jury testimony was leaked to the media. Three months ago they suggested he go to the minors to refine his swing.
Yesterday, the Yankees were praising Jason Giambi, who was named the AL Player of the Month for July. And it all started at the top.
“I am very happy for him, he has gone through a lot and proven to be a winner,” George Steinbrenner said through PR guru Howard Rubenstein. “I am proud of Jason Giambi.”
Last month, Giambi hit 14 homers to tie Mickey Mantle for the most homers hit in a month by a Yankee player.
“It ranks up there pretty high on the lists of things I have accomplished,” said Giambi, the 2000 AL MVP, who hit his 299th and 300th career homers Sunday against the Angels.
Giambi hit .355 (27-for-76) with 24 RBIs in July and led the league with a .947 slugging percentage and a .524 on-base percentage in 26 games. Giambi had one homer in May and one in June after homering three times in April.
“Hard work doesn’t guarantee you anything, but it’s nice,” said Giambi, a five-time winner of the award (three as a Yankee). “It was a big month and a big month for the Yankees.”
“It has to be so satisfying for him, with everything he has gone through,” Joe Torre said of his 1B/DH.
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Brian Cashman has made contact Tuesday night with the agent for right-hander Aaron Sele, who was released Monday by the Mariners.
“I talked to the agent (Adam Katz) and expressed a possible interest,” the GM said prior to last night’s Yankees-Indians game at Jacobs Field.
If the Yankees do anything with Sele, 35, it will be on the minor-league level just like they did with Hideo Nomo after he was cut by the Devil Rays.
Unable to land a second starter beyond Shawn Chacon in the trade market prior to the July 31 deadline, Cashman isn’t leaving any stone unturned looking for arms. He signed reliever Alan Embree after he was released by the Red Sox.
Sele, was 6-12 with a 5.66 ERA in 21 games for the Mariners. In 116 innings he gave up 147 hits. For his career, Sele is 137-104 with a 4.59 ERA.
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Dennys Reyes, another of Cashman’s basement bargains, informed the Yankees yesterday he isn’t reporting to Columbus and instead will remain home in Mexico. The Yankees signed the 28-year-old lefty reliever Tuesday after he was released by the Padres on July 18.
“Ultimately, he didn’t want to come,” Cashman said of the pitcher he tried to get several times from the Reds.
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Ruben Sierra‘s daily workouts won’t include running for a while. Sierra suffered a setback with his left hamstring Tuesday and has been told to back off on the running.
“I am going to rest it and see,” said Sierra, who can still take BP. “I am shut down. Whenever they tell me, I will be ready (to run). I have been a quick healer, but this one is a little different. When I ran it felt like it was pulling so I had to stop.”
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Carl Pavano pitched in a second minor-league rehab game last night for Tampa (Single-A). If he comes through it OK the right-hander is expected to start Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium against the White Sox.
