Pavano turned down the Red Sox and Reds' more lucrative deals and signed a 4-year, nearly $40 million contract with the New York Yankees. The Yankees always have the best players money can buy and with Pavano near the top of their rotation, they appeared to be a team ready to make the World Series for another few years.But things did not go as Pavano, or the faithful Yankee fans and players would have liked. Pavano was a train wreck in New York. Many baseball fans could have foretold it. His contract looked overpriced to begin with.
He started his first year as a Yankee pitching well, but by June of his first year with New York, he had found himself on the disabled list. He bruised his butt and started the next season on the DL and later that season, when the Yankees wanted to take him off the DL, Pavano informed them that he and his supermodel girlfriend had been in a car accident and that he had broken two ribs. He didn't pitch in 2006.
Injuries plagued the rest of his tenure at New York. He had Tommy John surgery and his teammates and even manager called him out on a number of occasions for a lack of effort. The New York media referred to him as "American Idle". He never was healthy as a Yankee and when he did pitch, he didn't pitch all that well. Many were actually surprised to see the Cleveland Indians give the guy a chance when he hit the free agent market in 2009, thinking his career was done.
But Pavano showed that he could still pitch with Cleveland and against AL Central teams, specifically the Detroit Tigers, he had pitched very well. The Twins traded for him to boost their rotation in 2009 because of his success against Detroit, the team they were in a dead heat race with for the Division title. The Twins won the division by beating Detroit in the infamous "Game 163" and Pavano started Game 3 against the Yankees in the playoffs.
Pavano hit it off with the Twins staff, so he remained with the club in 2010 and pitched better than he had since 2004. By mid-season, his name had even been included in the midst of Cy Young talk. He showed surprising durability by leading the AL in complete games pitched and in shutouts. He started, and lost, Game 2 of the ALDS against the Yankees (again) and signed a two-year contract to remain with the Twins in the off-season. The Twins posted the worst record in baseball in an injury plagued 2011 season and things have started off any better in 2012. Pavano was the only member of the rotation to actually remain in the rotation for the entire season in 2011 and he's the only Twins pitcher in early 2012 that can be relied on to have a quality start each time out.
Pavano is the first major leaguer on the current roster that I have sent to (non-prospect). I sent the baseball to Target Field and it was returned to me in just 5 days! It came back to me dirty and smudged a bit, as if Pavano signed it after practice or a game, right there in the clubhouse. Despite his reputation as a Yankee diva, and his off-the-field dating escapades (Alyssa Milano, other various super models and young bartenders), Pavano has a great reputation among fans and is known to be reliable and speedy through the mail. I can now attest to that. Personally, I like the guy.
I will remember Pavano for revitalizing his career by helping the Twins hold off Detroit in 2009 and for providing the rotation with a reliable, veteran presence in the dark days of 2011 and now, 2012.
Mailed: 4/7/12
Received: 4/12/12 (5 days)
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