Last Updated on May 15, 2007 7:30 pm by admin
CHICAGO (AP) -The New York Yankees called up Ron Villone on Tuesday to strengthen their overworked bullpen, and optioned left-hander Sean Henn to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Villone’s minor league contract contained a Tuesday deadline to add him to the major league roster. If Villone wasn’t brought up, he could have become a free agent.
“This is where I wanted to be in the first place. It was the reason I went back to Scranton. So things have seemed to work out so far,” Villone said.
“I have a better idea of where the ball’s going. It’s good to get out there and feel like you have command. I guess that’s the difference.”
The 37-year-old left-hander was 0-1 with a 1.90 ERA and one save in 17 appearances with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Villone failed to make the opening-day roster after compiling a 14.40 ERA in spring training, allowing 10 runs – eight earned – and 13 hits in five innings over nine games. He was 3-3 with a 5.04 ERA in 70 appearances with the Yankees last year.
Henn was 1-0 with a 5.19 ERA in 16 appearances for the Yankees. He was hurt by 11 walks in his 17 1-3 innings.
“They put me in some good situations and I thought I responded well. But there were also some other situations that I definitely didn’t do well on,” Henn said.
“I felt great. … I just haven’t been able to find the zone.”
Manager Joe Torre said the Yankees want Henn to be more aggressive and that he could be back up soon.
“We think a great deal of this young man and we had a long talk today. We just felt he needed to get his aggressiveness back,” Torre said.