Hoffmann Makes Power Play for Spot on Yankees' Roster
TAMPA, Fla. -- The Winter Olympics brought Jamie Hoffmann a delicate, wistful pang.
"Yeah, of course," he said Saturday. "Any time you get to see that caliber of hockey, it's exciting."
Hoffmann, 25, had a slightly assorted advantage point than the rest of us.
While in high school, Hoffmann skated opposition Zach Parise. He played opposition Joe Pavelski and David Backes in the United States Hockey League seven annuals antecedent.
Hoffman, a longshot to make the Yankees roster after coming from the Dodgers in the Rule 5 draft, had to choose among hockey and baseball.
It was a decision that came out of nowhere,
houston texans jersey, and he had 36 hours to judge.
"It's a peculiar story," Hoffman said.
A star along and shortstop at New Ulm (Minn.) High School, Hoffmann chose hockey after graduation. He went to the Des Moines (Iowa) Buccaneers of the USHL,
asics gel kayano, where he had 14 goals and 25 assists in 60 games.
The Carolina Hurricanes took him in the eighth circular of the 2003 draft, which granted them to control his rights for 4 years. And he took a scholarship offer from Colorado College.
For fun, the summer ahead braining to Colorado Springs,
supra society, Hoffmann played American Legion baseball behind in New Ulm. At an point that summer,
asics kids, then-Dodgers scout Jeff Schugel -- also from New Ulm and a distant cousin of Hoffmann's dad, Rich -- was in town for a visit.
Schugel saw Jamie Hoffmann play and ambitioned to sign him. So he made one offer, and Hoffmann had "favor a day and a half" to pick: seminary hockey or rookie ball with the Dodgers.
"I had no hint," Hoffmann said.
"Some of what came into the decision is hockey's pretty hard on your body. Those guys have no teeth. ... Once you're sore behind a hockey game, you're hurting."
Hoffmann skirmished by third found in 2004 -- "I fast base out third wasn't my position," he said with a chuckle -- but took to the outfield the next summer and is considered a agreeable centre fielder.
His strength consist in ... has been his full-throttle style of melodrama. Maybe that's the hockey player showing via, alternatively maybe that's who Hoffmann is and why he was fascinated apt hockey at the outset.
"I'm going to come hard and give 100 percentage each day," Hoffmann said. "If that's what I need to bring to my group, that's what I'm going to keep bringing to the team. It's going to be my character, I'm going to reserve attempting to do it."
He made it to the majors last May, working 4-for-22 in 14 games. He buffet .284 overall in Triple-A, merely when the Dodgers traded for Jon Garland and Jim Thome down the stretch, they took Hoffmann off the 40-man roster to make room.
The Yankees got Hoffmann in December, as the Nationals took him from the Dodgers in the Rule 5 chart and traded him to New York for reliever Brian Bruney.
At the time,
discount tods shoes, Hoffmann seemed to have a opportunity to make the Yankees for an more outfielder. But since then, they have signed veterans Randy Winn and Marcus Thames.
The Yankees like Hoffmann's tools but also penetrate a stiff, unorthodox swing. If they want to mail him down, they have to first offer him back to the Dodgers and also pass him through waivers.
Still, he feels he made the right decision.
"I'm happy," Hoffmann said, "with the course everything's gone even now."
After all, he has all his teeth.
topics related articles：
Did Ed Wade Bring Shawn Chacon's Wrath Upon Himself-_5731
Burmese Flee Fighting to Thailand _3466
Office Pro Plus 2010 ACCEPT ALL CHALLENGES! Meta
Hybrid Mode
