Tiny hooks a brother up

Uncle Tiny recently shot a nice package my way. He knows Yanks prospects are in my wheelhouse, and is always looking out for them.

I love this Greg Bird manu-relic. It's such a bummer that Bird is out for the season. I was really looking forward to him building on a strong rookie year.

This is the tale of two Tylers. Tyler Austin was once one of the crown jewels of the Yankees system. He was ranked as the 77th best prospect in the entire game heading into the 2013 season. Since then, he's battled injuries and just hasn't raked the way he did in 2011 and 2012. By now, he was supposed to be in the Bronx or right on the cusp. Instead, he's likely headed for another year in Scranton. Maybe he'll have a big start to the season and put himself in position for a call-up the way Slade Heathcott and Mason Williams did last year. However, without an invite to Big League camp, he's certainly not someone the Yankees are counting on. Too bad.

Tyler Wade on the other hand, just keeps climbing the Yankees organizational ladder, and doing so rather quietly. He was a 4th round pick in 2013, and spent last season in A+ and AA ball, where he was on average 3 years younger than the league average. He's likely ticketed for AA to start the season, but he's spending the spring in Big League camp as a 21-year-old, which is impressive. He might not be as sexy of a prospect as Jorge Mateo, but he's closer to the Majors (for now) and has a great chance to be a useful player in the next season or two.

Brad Halsey auto. RIP, sir.

Here's the best of the rest. Leonardo Molina is super young and oozing with tools. Giambi is not young, but is young at heart for sure. I believe he's spending his spring coaching the Indians. I'll be curious to see if he ends up coaching or managing one day.

Tiny, thanks my friend!

RIP Brad Halsey

I just found out that former Yankees pitcher Brad Halsey died at the age of 33. That's so sad. He hadn't pitched in majors since 2006, but I have a fond memory of him.

Halsey's first career start on June 19, 2004 was against the Dodgers. He went 5.2 innings and picked up the W, his only win with the Yankees. That game stands out to me because I remember where I was. I was in the car listening on the radio, driving back to my hometown from Connecticut.

You see, my sister, her husband, and my niece had been living in CT for a few years. We were heartbroken when they moved away, but his job required him to spend a couple of years there. Although just a 3-hour drive, it was the first time anyone in my immediate family had moved away. We only say them a couple of weekends per year after living just a few minutes from them.

However, after their three year stint (may have actually been four years), my brother-in-law landed a job back in our hometown, and the family moved back. We headed to CT early that morning to help them pack the U-Haul (they lived in a small apartment, wasn't a big move), and that afternoon, I drove one of their cars back to my hometown, bringing my little brother and my niece along with me. My sister drove their other car, and my dad and brother-in-law drove the moving truck.

I remember listening to the game as we drove, although I'm sure my little brother and niece would have preferred music. I remember listening to John Sterling talk about how young Halsey looked (he did have a baby face), but also how poised he was on the mound.

That offseason, he was sent to Arizona in the Randy Johnson deal. He played one season for them, and then one in Oakland. Since then, he has bounced around the minors and independent league ball.

RIP, Brad.