They called Jack Curry a madman because he told them what they didn't want to hear: the Yankees and right-handed pitcher Tatsuya Imai didn't have "a connection," and fans shouldn't count on New York being his ultimate landing spot. With just four days to go before Imai's signing deadline (Jan. 2), the right-hander's lack of connection to the Yankees makes a bit more sense now than it did when Curry first dropped the bomb on a group of frustrated fans hungry for action.
The Yankees, along with the Cubs, were considered the nebulous "favorites" for Imai throughout the month of December, even as Curry raged against the burbling reports.