If you’re wondering why Yankee starter Carl Pavano missed his scheduled start against Tampa Bay Friday, fret not. Stand Up Carl has a reasonable explanation that the entire clubhouse will surely understand, writes MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.
Carl Pavano addressed his recent abrupt departure from the Yankees, saying on Sunday that he had to attend to a personal matter involving his girlfriend, 22-year-old Gia Allemand.
Pavano had been scheduled to start Friday’s game against the Devil Rays, but left Legends Field less than an hour before first pitch after being informed of a “severe medical condition” involving Allemand, which Pavano didn’t comment on.
“It was definitely weighing on me,” Pavano said. “There was definitely a little bit of struggle about me wanting to pitch. I needed a voice of reason because my head was going in both directions. Sometimes there’s things you’ve got to take care or that take precedent over the situation at hand.”
Pavano said that Allemand was “doing well” following the unspecified issue.
Because of Pavano’s injury-checkered history with the Yankees — he has not appeared in a Major League game since June 27, 2005 — the 31-year-old right-hander said he wrestled with the decision to leave what would have been his second start of the spring.
“My mind was playing games with me a little bit,” Pavano said. “Joe’s a voice of reason. Joe is a wiser man than I am. He made the right decision.”
Pavano said that Allemand’s situation will not be an ongoing distraction.
Dilligent tabloid readers will recall that Ms. Allemand was a passenger in Pavano’s Porsche during the West Palm Beach collision last August the ethically challenged right-hander neglected to mention to the team.
While Pavano’s teammate Phillip Hughes has struggled today against Cleveland (3 earned runs, 4 hits, 3 walks in 1.1 IP), the Tribe have to be encouraged by the showing of starter Fausto Carmona Not Glue, who allowed just one single in 3 innings of work.