| HOUSTON -- The New York Yankees finally made a trade, just
not the one everyone expected.
The World Series champions picked up defensive insurance for
struggling second baseman Chuck Knoblauch, acquiring infielder Jose
Vizcaino from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Jim Leyritz.
| |  | |
| Leyritz |
| |  | |
| Vizcaino |
"I'll have a lot of chances to win over there," Vizcaino said.
"I think I'll have more playing time over there."
Vizcaino, a switch-hitter who plays second, third and shortstop,
was hitting .204 with four RBI, including a go-ahead pinch-hit
single in Los Angeles' 9-6 10-inning victory over Houston on Tuesday
night.
More importantly, Vizcaino has only two errors in 34 games,
giving Yankees manager Joe Torre a late-inning defensive
replacement option for Knoblauch, who has 13 errors in 48 games.
Torre said he would use a defensive replacement for the 1997
Gold Glove winner for the immediate future. Knoblauch made three
throwing errors last Thursday, forcing Torre to send him home
early, and hit a fan in the stands with a throw Saturday.
|
Lance Parrish's son
signs with Yankees
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|
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan catcher David
Parrish has signed a contract with the Yankees that
includes a $1.4 million signing bonus, said his father, Detroit
Tigers coach and ex-All-Star catcher Lance Parrish.
The Yankees selected Parrish in the first round, the 28th pick
overall, in the amateur draft two weeks ago.
"David is very, very excited," said his father, who negotiated
his son's signing bonus.
Parrish, 21, will start with the Yankees' Staten Island club in
the Class A New York-Penn League. In his junior season at Michigan this year, he was the
Wolverines' MVP, leading the team in batting average (.356), home
runs (11), RBIs (41) and slugging percentage (.621).
He was the first Michigan player drafted in the first round
since pitcher Jim Abbott was chosen by the California Angels in
1988.
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Leyritz was hitting .218 with one homer and four RBI in limited
playing time with the Yankees.
"We've been talking about it for a week," Dodgers general
manager Kevin Malone said. "It came to fruition tonight. I think
it will help us both. Leyritz has been on championship clubs before
and knows how to win."
With starting catcher Todd Hundley on the disabled list with a
strained muscle in his right side, Leyritz will get a chance to
catch and be a pinch hitter.
"I can catch him occasionally but basically he is a threat from
the right side," manager Davey Johnson said. "He'll strengthen
our bench."
After losing four straight games to the Chicago White Sox over
the weekend, there was speculation New York was close to making a
trade. Detroit's Juan Gonzalez and the Cubs' Sammy Sosa have been
the most prominent names mentioned for the Yankees.
New York also received an undisclosed amount of cash from the
Dodgers in the deal. Vizcaino makes $3.5 million this season; Leyritz makes $1 million. | |
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