Countdown To Opening Day: #33

[Update: 10:58PM: Thanks to a comment by our always vigilant reader mmb1980, I made a few corrections to this post. Check the comment itself for some more detail because it's about three times better than my half-assed effort.]

A few things I didn't know about Charlie Hayes:

• Hayes is one of only 11 players to play in the World Series and Little League World Series, appearing for his hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 1977.
• He was the Yankees starting 3rd baseman for most of the 1992 season.
  
• And played games for seven MLB teams (Yanks, Pirates, Phillies, Giants, Brewers, Astros, Rockies)
  

Hayes arrived just in the nick of time. He was traded to the Yankees a day before the waiver deadline in 1996 by the Pirates, for Chris Corn. Despite the fact that he played in 20 of the team's final 28 regular season games, spelling an aging Wade Boggs in his last year as an All-Star, Hayes had more at bats in the WS than Boggs (16 to 11).

He was brought in the top of the 7th of Game 6 as a defensive replacement, which is why he was drifting towards the stands along the third baseline when John Wetteland got Mark Lemke to pop up.

I briefly shared the story of where I was when Charlie made that catch. Would anyone else like to chime in? I'm sure some of you weren't awkward 12 year olds with braces, sitting alone, saying to themselves, "Thisccch isscch scchhoooo sccccchhweeet!"

You Happy Now?

Nice work, Manny, you've accepted a deal that you just rejected under a week ago. Please step forward and claim the $5M you earned by forcing your way out of Boston. Hey, at least you got to shove around our anti-namesake in the process...

All it cost you was your hallowed place in the hearts of Red Sox Nation, your competitive integrity and your overall reputation! Isn't it rather heartwarming to see dubious move by a doobie-ous character go up in smoke? The economic environment certainly conspired against him, but karma can certainly be a bitch.

Rejoice, Yankee fans, because he officially will no longer be terrorizing the Yankees to the tune of .321/.411/.618 for 18 games a year. Good riddance Man-Ram, have fun in Cali. Joe Torre tells me the wheatgrass is amazing.

Give Jeter an Extension Now!

Playing against the Yankees for the US and A, Jeter went 2-4, including a walk and a two-run single off of Phil Hughes in the third inning of the Americans' 6-5 victory over New York on Tuesday.

This was the first time The Captain has played against the Yankees.

Note to Brian Cashman: You don't want Jeter going 2-4 against the Yankees in every game that he plays against you. Most importantly, you definitely don't want to lose every game where he starts against you. Lock him up now!

I Always Knew There Was Something Special About This Kid

Image via LoHud of the Rings.

Joba Chamberlain, just before he entered the phone booth.

That was for you, Shawn.