Classic Stories: Wickman throwing up to make weight

Pretty sure this story was originally about Rich Folkers.

In Classic Stories, we will try to bring you some fun tales throughout the year. Here is one from Yankees GM Brian Cashman on why he doesn’t believe in weight clauses, relating a story about Bob Wickman in the ‘90s.

“He had weight clauses,” Cashman said. “My recollection would be is, say, it was on the first and 15th or every five days he had to be a certain weight on a day, in season, when he is trying to pitch out of the bullpen he’s drinking water, sitting in saunas, dieting, doing everything he can to lose weight, maybe even sticking his finger down his throat to make the weight. Then, all of a sudden, our manager might be asking him that day to pitch the seventh inning. You are not getting the real player at that point. You are getting a worn out, drawn out [player], trying to make a $30,000 bonus or whatever it was at the time. So I believe those things are counter-productive.”