From today’s NY Daily News, Tony Womack sums up his 2005 campaign with the Yankees.
“I went through it because they put me through it,” he told MLB.com at Reds training camp in Sarasota, Fla. “It wasn’t like I did it to myself. I still like to play. It’s no fun knowing that you can still play and contribute to somebody when this team is holding you back. The Yankees held me back.”
When the Yanks struggled last season, GM Brian Cashman and Joe Torre tried to shake things up by moving Womack from second base to the outfield and calling up Cano; Womack didn’t last long as an everyday outfielder and ended up as a pinch-runner. He hit .249 while appearing in 108 games.
“The only thing that makes me mad is it messes up my baseball card,” Womack said. “I was consistent for a long time and then that comes up. It was a learning experience for me. I’m a stronger person. I had to be. I had to bite my tongue a lot. I had to keep myself going and make sure I got my work in.”
Former Mets 1B Roberto Petagine, most recently with the Red Sox, has signed a minor league deal with Seattle.