Fifty years have passed and others have since broken the season home run record. To the families of Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle, Maris' 61 in 1961 remains the legitimate number. "The family feels that it's his record, also knowing that is arguable with a lot of people," Roger Maris Jr., said Saturday before the Yankees culminated a season-long commemoration of the Maris-Mantle...

Posted under mlb

Straight from the Yankees’ Media Relations Department:

YANKEES DECLINE OPTIONS ON 1B JASON GIAMBI AND RHP CARL PAVANO

The New York Yankees announced today they have declined their options on first baseman Jason Giambi and right-handed pitcher Carl Pavano, making each player a free agent.

Giambi, 37, hit .247 (113-for-458) with 19 doubles, 32 home runs and 96 RBI in 145 games with the Yankees in 2008, making 112 starts at first base and 26 starts at designated hitter.  He ranked second on the team in home runs, recording his eighth career 30-homer season and reaching double-digits in home runs for the 13^th consecutive year.  Giambi’s 209 home runs as a Yankee rank 10^th on the club’s all-time list.

Pavano, 32, was 4-2 with a 5.77 ERA in seven starts with the Yankees in 2008.  He made his first Major League start and appearance of the season on August 23 at Baltimore, recording the win.  The victory was his first win and appearance since April 9, 2007 at Minnesota, after recovering from “Tommy John” surgery.  In four seasons with the Yankees (2005-08), Pavano went 9-8 with a 5.00 ERA in 26 starts.

The Yankees’ roster now stands at 36.

Posted under Uncategorized