Where Is Ferris Bueller? Pavano Needs An Excuse

After a few weeks of speculation and one minor scare, Carl Pavano might actually start a game for the Yankees this Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles, unless he finds an excuse to skip yet another start.

The Newark Star-Ledger broke the news today after Pavano’s agent Tom O’Connell confirmed that the Yankees have spoken with their favorite cripple about starting this weekend.

“He worked extremely hard to put himself in this position, to get back and help the this club,” O’Connell said. “And he’s really excited about the opportunity and he’s up to the challenge.”

It is true, Pavano has seemingly worked hard during his latest comeback attempt, but it is probably the first time in four years he has worked hard at anything. He has come back quickly from Tommy John surgery and that shouldn’t surprise anyone. After all it is a contract season for Pavano and there isn’t a huge market for 30-somethings that haven’t pitched in four years.

OK, to be fair he has pitched during the past four years. Lets take a look at a time-line of his Yankee career.

Off-Season 2004: Pavano is perused by at least six teams including the Yankees after being the runner up Cy Young award winner in 2003. He signs a four-year $39.95 million contract with the Yankees on December 20, 2004 despite reports that other teams have offered him more.

2005: Pavano makes his Yankee debut April 5 and pitched decently. 6.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR. Six of his first 10 starts are quality starts. Although by June 27 he has given up 17 homers, one more than he allowed during the entire 2004 season.

On July 7 Pavano is placed on the disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis. The injury never heals and he misses the rest of the season.

2006: Pavano goes into spring training and is seemingly healthy until he makes an ugly play on a swinging bunt during which he falls down and injures his ass. The injury is termed a bruised buttocks. He starts the season on the disabled list.

Various other minor injuries keep him from making a start until late that summer when he begins rehabbing in late July/early August. On August 15 he is in a car accident, but he does not tell the Yankees who are planning on him to take over Sidney Ponson’s roster spot for the stretch run. On August 28 he finally tells the Yankees about the accident and it is revealed that he has been pitching for two weeks with broken ribs. He was shut down for the season.

2007: On April 2 by mere coincidence Pavano is the only Yankee starter healthy enough to pitch and gets the opening day nod. He is shaky, but in his next start against the Mariners on April 9 he looks like vintage Pavano, 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0 HR.

Then before he even makes another start Pavano is placed on the DL with an elbow strain and on May 23 Pavano and not the Yankees decides he needs Tommy John surgery. At the time it looked like Pavano’s Yankee career was effectively over.

2008: Pavano rehabs from the Tommy John all season and finally gets into a game with the Charleston RiverDogs on July 29.

August 19 the New York Post reports that Pavano misses a bullpen session because of a stiff neck. The article goes on to say that it will cause him to miss his chance at starting this Saturday. The following day Yankee GM Brian Cashman dismisses this report and said that he threw his BP the following day and could still make this Saturday’s start.

On August 23 Pavano is scheduled to make his season debut.