Reliever says he is ready to pitch on consecutive days if needed
September 25, 2009, 8:05 PM
By: Pedro Gomez
NEW YORK -- Billy Wagner returned to New York City on Friday for the first time since he had been traded away by the crosstown Mets one month ago.
And while Wagner is a 15-year major league veteran, this is his first taste of the famed Red Sox-Yankees rivalry from the inside. It's still considered the most heated and storied rivalry in all of baseball and arguably in all of sports. But that didn't grab Wagner's attention nearly as much as returning to Yankee Stadium, even if it's not the same one he first played in more than 10 years ago.
"My No. 1 memory of Yankee Stadium will always be the first time I pitched there,'' said Wagner, whose 385 career saves rank sixth on the all-time list. "It's been all downhill since then. How can it not be after what we did?''
Wagner was one of six Houston Astros who combined to no-hit the Yankees on a Friday night on July 18, 1999. The Astros were forced to scramble and finish the game with five relievers after starter Roy Oswalt strained his groin muscle after throwing 23 pitches and was lifted in the second inning. Relievers Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Wagner followed and combined on the only six-man no-hitter in major league history.
Wagner, who underwent Tommy John ligament replacement surgery in his left elbow one year ago, has appeared in 11 games since being acquired by the Red Sox, though he has yet to pitch consecutive days, something he says he's ready for when needed.
"This is about as easy as it could be because we have a stacked bullpen,'' Wagner said. "I just come in and throw an inning and that's it. If they need me to go back-to-back days, I will. I'm ready.''
Comments that include profanity, or personal attacks, or antisocial behavior such as "spamming" or "trolling," or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. We will take steps to block users who violate any of our terms of use. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Contributors
Pedro Gomez
ESPN's Pedro Gomez covered the Oakland A's from 1992 to 1997 and then became the national baseball writer and later a general columnist at The Arizona Republic before becoming an ESPN bureau reporter in 2003.
