Yankees Shake up the Staff

Bobby Meacham stunk as a player and we didn't think much of him as a third base coach. Apparently, the Steinbrenner boys didn't think much of him either. Meacham, along with special pitching instructor Rich Monteleone, were let go from the organization this afternoon.

It was thought that the S boys and Brian Cashman didn't like how much Girardi leaned on Meacham and bullpen coach Mike Harkey for advise and strategy, while ignoring the experienced Tony Pena. Word is they also felt players like Robinson Cano were not getting enough individual attention as they had when Larry Bowa was on the coaching staff.

"Whenever you lose a friend on your staff it's going to be tough," Girardi said in a statement. "However, as an organization, it was time to make a change. Bobby is a good baseball man, but moving forward we realize changes are going to have to be made in various areas of the club." Si.com

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The Daily Yankeeland

One of our worst memories of the winless '80s, was the double tag-out at home plate of Dale Berra and Bobby Meacham by White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk. The Daily News' Bill Madden recently spoke to Meacham, ironically now the Yankees 3rd Base coach, about the incident.

"So Bobby," I (Madden) ask him, jokingly, "how long do you think it'll be before you wave two base runners home on the same play?"

"Oh, c'mon," he begs. "Do you know how many times I've seen that play happen every year? I'm serious! There've been so many different instances and ways it's happened or almost happened."

Gene Michael was the 3rd Base coach back on August 4, 1984 when the bizarre incident occurred.

"It wasn't Bobby's fault. It wasn't my fault," Michael said. "It was just one of those freak things. Rickey (Henderson) hit a ball into left-center that looked like it might drop. Bobby was on second, and Dale on first. Bobby held up briefly at second and then starts coming to third. But Dale was running head down, all the way, and he's right behind Bobby coming into third. I know we're gonna have a situation where there's two men on third, so I wave Bobby home. Since there's gonna be an out, it might as well be at the plate. But I couldn't stop Dale! Through the years, I've always told the story that, as I ran off the field, Fisk tagged me, too."

"All I know is that when 'Stick' sent me home, I tried to knock the ball loose from Fisk," said Meacham, "and then I hear the crowd yell again and I say: 'Wait a minute, he (Berra) didn't? Yes, he did!'"

The article also includes the tumultuous time that Meacham spent in pinstripes. A time when George Steinbrenner always brought his (type) 'A' game.

One player not afraid to have blood tests instituted to check for HGH is Derek Jeter. As a matter of fact, the Yankees captain is all for it. Jeter said in a radio interview over the weekend that he would have no problem with it, especially since players already have blood drawn during spring training. Jeter spoke further about it to reporters as did some of his teammates.

"(The problem) has gotten so much attention now, I think it would probably silence a lot of people that were critical of guys ... so I wouldn't mind it," Jeter said. "I can only comment on myself; I don't know about other people. I don't like needles very much, but I wouldn't mind it."

"I'm not saying I would ever be in favor of it, but if we did do it, that would be the only way the general public would finally believe that baseball is completely clean," said Mike Mussina, the Yankees' player union representative. "But I don't know if it will ever come to that."

Even Jason Giambi was on board. "I'm up for whatever they want to do. I don't really care. This has to be a union decision, not an individual one."

Jeter had to be quick on his feet Sunday when Chien-Ming Wang buzzed him under the chin during batting practice. Jeter said the ball really wasn't that close, though he did have to bail out quickly. Johnny Damon playfully threatened to charge the mound in defense of his hitting partner.

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