I just heard a blurb on ESPN that Henson has decided that this is his last year in baseball and will go back into football?? Anybody else hear it? I was channel surfing and missed the whole report by Mortensen or whover does the NFL reports...
I just heard a blurb on ESPN that Henson has decided that this is his last year in baseball and will go back into football?? Anybody else hear it? I was channel surfing and missed the whole report by Mortensen or whover does the NFL reports...
I heard something to this affect a couple of days ago on a Detroit sports station-" unsubstantiated rumors" type of thing that he was considering hanging it up.
" My whole thing is, you're only playing for three hours a day. The least you can do is play hard. " Derek Jeter
Check out this thread too:
http://forums.nyyfans.com/showthread...threadid=48079
It would be kind of strange timing, as it seems he is just beginning to hit. If he is a September call up, this story is bogus.
Nooooooooooooooooo way.
Oh George won't be happy.
This was posted a couple of days ago also, but it seems to be the only source of the rumor.
I think this title is a bit misleading.....more like, "may be quitting"...
That's shocking to me, It's great for the yankees though, they save a lot of cash. I'm surprised he didn't try to negotiate for a buyout, I'm sure the yankees would gladly have payed half, if that's what he asked for as a buy out.
He is just starting to quit and he choses now to quit? That doesn't maek much sense to me, I think that article might be bogus but I guess we will soon see...
Have they called up anyone yet?
Goodbye Pettitte..I will miss you forever...
Goodluck in Houston....
That's as good a reason as any that the article is likely false.Originally posted by Jeter&Johnson
That's shocking to me, It's great for the yankees though, they save a lot of cash. I'm surprised he didn't try to negotiate for a buyout, I'm sure the yankees would gladly have payed half, if that's what he asked for as a buy out.
Well if it turns out to be true, I would think George would be happy since he'll save a lot of money on this guy who isn't going to make it to the major leagues anyway .... I mean, as a baseball player.
Besides, I'm kind of hoping the Dallas Cowboys will make a trade for him. He might not be able to hit a baseball too well, but he sure can throw a football.
The Yankees have been blessed with great players over the years. Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Phil Rizzuto, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and now Mark Teixeira to name a few.
Houston would have to be out of their minds to trade a potential franchise QB to their in-state rival.Originally posted by Don Mack
Besides, I'm kind of hoping the Dallas Cowboys will make a trade for him. He might not be able to hit a baseball too well, but he sure can throw a football.
Actually, George will be very happy. The Yanks basically made it clear that Henson has no future with them, and they'd love to not have to pay him $12 million to play in Columbus for another few years.Originally posted by deranged2005
Nooooooooooooooooo way.
Oh George won't be happy.
There was a quote from Henson a couple of days ago that said just the opposite, so who knows. I don't think the Yankee brass would mind at all if Henson called it a career, as far as baseball is concerned. I believe it is their intention to re-sign Aaron Boone to a multi-year deal, otherwise they would never have given up Claussen. Drew has no future as a Yankee.
If Henson quits, it would also give us more millions to splurge on free-agents in the off-season.
~John
The article's sourcing is suspect, and that's being kind. 'League sources', 'sources close to Henson'...journalism at its best. Anyway, I wouldn't fault him for walking away from baseball to pursue another sport he seemed destined for $17 million ago. If he walks away now he would save the Yankees about $12 million of that contract. Perhaps the organization wouldn't be as upset as one may think.
James
I'm assuming that there is some kind of clause that will let Henson walk away from the deal. I believe the article mentioned something about an exit plan.
Because if there's not, and if Henson is going to walk away from a contract that specifically forbids him from playing football, he can expect a breach of contract suit that will cost him much more than he ever made from the Yankees.
There is no out clause for Henson. The Yankees insisted on that when they agreed to give him that huge contract. They didn't want to invest all that money and time to develop him, then have him turn around and leave for football.Originally posted by DiMaggio5CF
I'm assuming that there is some kind of clause that will let Henson walk away from the deal. I believe the article mentioned something about an exit plan.
Because if there's not, and if Henson is going to walk away from a contract that specifically forbids him from playing football, he can expect a breach of contract suit that will cost him much more than he ever made from the Yankees.
Henson would have to come to the Yankees and ask out of the remainder of the deal.
~John
I always kind of felt that the Aaron Boone deal was the Yankees' backhanded way of giving up on Henson without having to actually say it. Boone will be a decent 3B once he starts hitting with regularity. I was hoping that they could trade him for SOMETHING before he threw in the towel, but the season he's having makes it difficult.
All this becomes moot if the source is bogus, which it may very well be.
Petezs
Waiting for Sterling to retire so I can start listening to games on the radio again...
Changing fields: Henson to give up baseball
Former quarterback discussing NFL options
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Monday September 1, 2003
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/column...len&id=1607111
His past denials aside, Drew Henson will turn his back on baseball when the Columbus Clippers finish their season Monday.
Henson, 23, has reiterated several times in recent months that he would continue pursuing a career with the Yankees, who signed the former University of Michigan quarterback to a five-year, $17 million contract in 2001. Over the weekend, Henson denied broadcast reports indicating he would abandon his baseball career when this season with New York's Triple-A affiliate concluded.
But league sources, as well as several sources close to Henson, have confirmed that after two full seasons in Columbus -- years in which his strikeouts outnumbered his hits -- he will end his quest to play third base in Yankee Stadium.
"It's been a frustrating time and reality has set in now," one source said. "The feeling for a while was that he would play in Arizona (in the winter league), then see how he felt, and make a decision before spring training next year. But he's ready to walk away now."
And to walk away, as well, from a guaranteed $12 million that remains on his Yankees contract. Henson was scheduled to have base salaries of $2.2 million in 2004, $3.8 million in 2005 and $6 million in 2006. Under the exit plan, the Yankees will not have to buy out the contract or reach any sort of settlement.
Henson, who hasn't played football since he started eight games for the Wolverines in the 2000 season, was selected by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL draft. In recent weeks, contract discussions between Houston officials and representatives for Henson have accelerated.
The gambit by Texans general manager Charley Casserly, whose team holds Henson's draft rights until the 2004 draft, appears like it will pay off. Even on the second day of the draft, after investing a low-round pick to secure Henson's rights, Casserly mentioned a trade as one of several future options.
It now looks as if Henson, who would prefer not to play behind second-year Texans starter David Carr, will forge his NFL career elsewhere. In fact, that issue is one of many that have been discussed, as the two parties have considered their alternatives.
Others elements include contract structure, the timing of a deal, and at what point Houston would trade Henson to another franchise. According to NFL Players Association figures, the Texans only have about $238,170 remaining in their rookie pool allocation, so if they signed Henson to a contract that included a minimum first-year salary of $225,000, that would leave them only able to award a signing bonus that prorated to $13,000 per year.
Both sides, under such financial constraints, would have to exercise creativity -- likely in the form of so-called "unlikely to be earned" incentives.
Casserly said a few weeks ago that one team had already inquired about what it might take to trade for Henson, who almost certainly would have been a top 10 draft pick had he continued his college football career.
One option for Henson would be to not sign with the Texans, begin work exclusively on preparing for football, then re-enter the draft in 2004, but sources said that scenario is unlikely at this point.
At Michigan, Henson completed 214 of 374 passes for 2,946 yards, with 24 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He appeared in 27 games and started eight times before bypassing his remaining eligibility and signing with the Yankees.
The Yankees projected him to be their starting third baseman by this season or next, but the franchise acquired Aaron Boone from Cincinnati at the July 31 deadline and hope to keep him long-term. That move may have helped convince Henson that he wouldn't wear Yankee pinstripes anytime soon.
Entering Monday's season finale (the Clippers were eliminated from the playoff chase over the weekend), Henson was hitting .234 in 133 games, with 40 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs and 78 RBI. He had 113 hits and struck out 122 times in 483 official plate appearances. Last season, his first full year in the minors, he hit .240, with 18 home runs, 65 RBI and 151 strikeouts.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
i'd be disappointed if he gave up baseball. i thought he had turned some sort of corner, with lots of extra base hits. maybe a move to the outfield (with not as many defensive worries) would've pushed his offensive game to another level too. oh well.
Originally posted by unk0wn
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/column...len&id=1607111
This article was quoted frequently on the ESPN bottom line during the games televised today--maybe there is some truth to it.
If he turned down the AFL i
m sure its true.
Not to be evil or anything (yeah, okay, so maybe I am still a little bitter), but my reaction when I saw the article on ESPN.com was "about time." Yeah, I'm one of those who believes he should have stayed with football all along...
~*~ Bleeding Maize and Blue since 2001 ~*~
I don't think he turned down the AFL, I think there is an eligibility limit for the AFL and it ran out for him.Originally posted by Yankyfan
If he turned down the AFL i
m sure its true.
Hey the Jets need a QB.
Ron Dayne for Drew Henson? (Dream on, Rich.)
No falsity at all, this story is true.
Henson quitting
The article is already posted here: http://forums.nyyfans.com/showthread...226#post941226 . But all the quotes are from "sources", so until these sources have names, I'll wait to make judgement.
http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/inde...8326318521.xml
Another day, another report
that Triple-A Columbus third baseman Drew Henson will quit on the remaining three years and $12 million on his contract and leave the Yankees for the NFL. This time, the report came from ESPN.
It may well be true, and may well happen. The Yankees appear more than willing to let Henson go, and his slow progress and the acquisition of Aaron Boone to play third base this year and next season have frustrated Henson. But so far, he hasn't informed the Yankees of any decision.
"I haven't heard a thing," Yankees GM Brian Cashman said. "I know nothing about it. Unless I hear from (agent) Casey Close or from Drew, he's a baseball player as far as we're concerned."
The deal with Drew
9/1/03
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory...sfront/2077162
Here's the latest in what is becoming almost daily speculation about former Michigan quarterback Drew Henson, the Texans draft pick who plays baseball in the Yankees organization.
During the past few days, there have been reports that Henson has decided to walk away from baseball. Henson denied those reports, but many familiar with the situation always have believed the struggling hitter would give football another try. He just finished a season with the Class AAA Columbus Clippers with a .234 average, a year after batting .240 with them.
The Texans own Henson's rights until next year's draft and would benefit if he quit baseball, allowing them to trade him, possibly for as high as a second-round pick. The Texans took Henson in the sixth round of April's draft.
Texans general manager Charley Casserly said there was "zero" truth to reports that discussions between the team and Henson's representatives have accelerated.
"We've had no trade discussions with anyone and no contact with any representatives for Drew Henson," Casserly said. "As far as I know, he has no football representative, and I've never talked to his baseball representative."
Any contract negotiations would be between Henson and a potential suitor, not the Texans, who would help facilitate what amounts to a sign-and-trade agreement.
Henson, 23, is under contract with the Yankees for base salaries of $2.2 million in 2004, $3.8 million in 2005 and $6 million in 2006.
On M&MD on the fan they said unless the Yanks buy out his contract hell stay in baseball.
He was second in the Intl in doubles with 40.Originally posted by Yankyfan
On M&MD on the fan they said unless the Yanks buy out his contract hell stay in baseball.
Let the posturing begin! The Yanks would dearly like to rid themselves of as much of Henson's onerous contract as possible. Henson would like to bolt for the NFL with as much of his baseball contract cash as possible. Drew will insist that he's willing to stick with baseball, unless he gets a nice settlement. The Yankees will insist that they still want him, and are willing to wait on him to develop.Originally posted by Yankyfan
On M&MD on the fan they said unless the Yanks buy out his contract hell stay in baseball.
Both parties want out. It's just a matter of coming up with an agreeable figure to seal the divorce.
~John
R403 I think thats what its all about also.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/03/sp.../03henson.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 3, 2003
Yankees Say Henson Has Taken No Steps to Get Out of Contract
By TYLER KEPNER
If Drew Henson truly wants to quit baseball to pursue an N.F.L. career, as several recent reports in the past few days have said, he has not yet begun the process.
For Henson, the Yankees' third-base prospect, to play in the N.F.L., he would first have to contact the Yankees about getting out of his contract, which forbids him from playing football. He has not done that, and the Yankees' general manager, Brian Cashman, has no plans to contact Henson or his agent, Casey Close.
''I just don't feel like chasing ghost stories," Cashman said. "If there is something, obviously, I'll hear from Drew or Casey Close in the event they want to change their direction. But I have no reason to believe that."
Henson has three years and $12 million remaining on his contract and has failed to progress as quickly as the Yankees had hoped. He hit 40 doubles for Class AAA Columbus this season but batted just .234 with 14 homers and 78 runs batted in. Cashman said Henson would not be called up this month except in case of an injury.
The Houston Texans drafted Henson, who played quarterback for Michigan, in the sixth round of the N.F.L. draft in April with the intention of trading him if he decided to play football. Charley Casserly, the Texans' general manager, said yesterday that there was nothing new to report on Henson.
"I've had no conversations with anybody," Casserly said of the reports that Henson was headed to the N.F.L. "I'm kind of mystified by it. First of all, we wouldn't negotiate with Drew. We would give him permission to negotiate with another team, in terms of a trade, and we haven't talked to any teams about a trade. My position has been he's the property of the Yankees. When he gets that resolved, then we step in. Nothing has been resolved. He's still under contract with the Yankees."
Breaking that contract would free the Yankees of a costly player who dropped out of their plans when they traded for third baseman Aaron Boone on July 31. Cashman said no major league teams had contacted him about trading for Henson.
Close did not return calls seeking comment, but he and Henson have repeatedly denied that Henson wants to quit baseball.
Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company
From the people who are most pissed off at him...okay, so I'm still bitter, lol.
http://www.michigandaily.com/vnews/d.../3f5580de5c553
Henson swings and misses once again
By Chris Burke: Goin' to Work
September 03, 2003
Consider this the obligatory Drew Henson column for the year.
In case you missed it on Monday, ESPN reported that Henson - the Golden Boy-turned rich New York Yankees prospect-turned baseball failure - is ready to leave the diamond so he can refocus on a football career.
After initially deciding not to forgo his senior season at Michigan for the NFL, Henson then stunned everyone back in 2001, signing a five-year contract with the Yankees worth $17 million over six years. The contract included a clause that Henson give up football.
But after three miserable years in the Yankee farm system - including this year where he batted just .234 in 133 games, including 122 strikeouts and 28 errors at third base - Henson has reportedly figured out that he should explore his NFL options.
That means giving back $12 million in salary to the Yankees for the next three years. That means giving up the sport that Henson always "dreamed" of playing.
And most importantly, that means Henson has now quit both college football and minor league baseball.
Or, to put it in terms Henson might grasp easier, that's strike two.
Strike one came back when he pulled that Barry Sanders-esque bail on the Michigan football team.
Now Drew has swung and missed again, bombing in the Yankees' minor leagues.
So, if I may offer a suggestion to Henson, here it is: You had better take a mighty rip at the NFL because you're down to your last hack.
Who knows why Drew left - maybe he did really love baseball that much. Or maybe the promise of a $17 million check in his wallet was too much to pass up.
Whatever the situation was, the can't-miss two-sport prospect is hanging on by a thread.
The NFL's Houston Texans took a stab at Henson in this year's draft, claiming his rights in hopes of this exact situation unfolding.
But, and perhaps not surprisingly, rumor now has it that Henson would sit out of the NFL this year, not sign with the Texans, and then reenter the draft next year where he would, no doubt, be subject to receiving more money.
By that time, Henson will be 24 years old and have been out of football for four years. Any team taking him would do so in hopes that the former phenom could regain the form he displayed in his years in Ann Arbor.
Any team taking him, though, would also have to hold its breath because Henson's NFL success is far from a guarantee.
And, whether it's fair or not, that seems to be the legacy Henson is leaving himself throughout the sports world.
He left Michigan not as a great quarterback, but someone who deserted a Wolverine team that had more than enough talent to make a national title run.
He now leaves the Yankees as a player who used to be a five-tool future star, but struggled for three years and doesn't want to struggle anymore.
It's sad and disappointing how far Henson has fallen. He's no longer the worshiped hero he once was when he was slinging balls all over Michigan Stadium to David Terrell, Anthony Thomas and the rest. Henson's talent at that time was overwhelming. He had speed, he had an arm that legends are made of, and he had the NFL scouts drooling.
Now he has Michigan fans loathing him, Yankees fans experiencing buyer's remorse, and teams in the NFL hoping he can still be great, but inevitably unsure if he will be.
Henson has to know how gray his situation has become. His one and only option now is to work like crazy for the next year, and then keep that effort alive if and when he makes an NFL roster.
This is the last crack at a home run for the former superstar.
You'll have to forgive Wolverine and Yankees fans if they're expecting a strikeout.
~*~ Bleeding Maize and Blue since 2001 ~*~
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