My Thoughts On Scott Proctor

When Scott Proctor was a Yankee, he was one of my favorites.  Unlike most Yankee fans, I always enjoyed watching him pitch, even if he was a bit inconsistent.  The day Scott got is first career save (in 2006 against the Orioles) was a day that I, for some reason, will never ever forget.  And then you also have the games where he'll walk in the game-winning run, recording another loss, yet again.  However, no matter how terrible he did, I was always a loyal fan.  (Kind of like now, when it comes to Phil Hughes and David Robertson.)  I had mixed feelings when it came to Joe Torre's abuse to Scott.  Part of me was 'happy' that I had another opportunity to see one of my favorite Yankees pitch, but another part of me was frustrated with Torre's overuse of the reliever.  When the Yankees traded Scott for some guy named, Wilson Betemit, I was sure it was because of Proctor's inconsistency and the apparent need for an utility infielder.  I had absolutely no idea that it had to do with his off-field decisions. (It does make sense now, when I think about it.) But because I had no idea about his drinking problems and other off-field activities, I was more than devastated when I heard about the trade in July of 2007.  I slowly got over it with new(er) additions to the bullpen: Hughes, Robertson, and even Edwar Ramirez (when he was filthy).  I would cringe every time I read about Scott's reunion in LA with Torre and wondered, why is the guy not injured yet.  I would later hear that sometime in the 2008 season, Scott would go on the DL for (only) the first time because of an injured arm.  Later on, he had some sort of elbow surgery (not Tommy John) and signed with the Marlins in the 2008-2009 off-season.  As he was preparing to start a brand new season with a team close to his family, his elbow started to give him problems yet again.  This time, he went for TJ surgery and will be out for the rest of the season.  During this time, Scott has announced that he is working on his problem and hopes to be a healthy, weathly, and wise pitcher come Spring Training 2010.  What caught me off guard was the he wants to return to the Bronx.  (He loves the pressure, the organization, etc.) But what caught be more off guard was that I want him to come back.  It has nothing to do with the current Yankee bullpen, I just think that maybe Joe Girardi would approach him differently than Torre did.  Scott's rejoining the Yankees may never ever happen, but there's a small chance that it might.  The fact that Scott has spoken out about his past decisions and is getting help should tell Yankee (and baseball) fans that, maybe, we should give him a break.  Maybe he did start drinking because of Torre, or maybe it had nothing to do with baseball at all.  Whatever the reason is, he's trying to come back and rejuvenate into a brand new pitcher.  I think that we should all give him that chance.  With that, I wish Scott the best of luck to both recoveries.  I hope to see him back on the mound (whether that's with the Yankees or not) by next year's Spring Training.