By Larry Barnes | Yankees 'n More and The New York Yankees Daily-Press
New York Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland has been gone from the team since the first week of June. Beyond saying that it's not a health issue, the organization refuses to say why.
Tonight, we might finally have an answer as a source informs Yankees 'n More that Dave Eiland is in rehab.
If the source we heard from tonight were the first person from which we've heard this, we would not be running this story. But that's not the case. Almost from the day he left, we've heard multiple whispers from multiple sources, some more reliable than others, that Eiland is indeed in rehab.
Were this a newspaper, there is basically no chance this story would (or even should) run. However, this is not a newspaper. It's a blog, which allows certain freedoms, for lack of a better term.
You could call this information a rumor and not be totally off-base. However, it's a rumor that has been repeated to us numerous times from several completely different places. Moreover, the way some are reacting (or NOT reacting) to it is also suspicious.
One reporter, who shall remain nameless, but a guy who regularly covers the Yankees, happens to be a guy with whom we have contact on a semi-regular basis throughout the season. This particular reporter is always extremely responsive to questions, even if it's to tell us how completely off our rocker we are.
And, in fact, Yankees 'n More had a techno conversation flowing to and fro with this reporter tonight. The subject of the conversation was Dave Eiland, and it lasted right up until I told him what I had heard again this evening.
The conversation stopped immediately. No reply whatsoever. I cannot begin to tell you how completely out of character this is for this particular person.
We didn't even ask for information. We just questioned whether or not an addiction would/should be considered a "health" issue, which the Yankees insist is not involved here. Still nothing but the sounds of silence.
Would I bet my life that Eiland has an addiction problem that forced him to leave the team for rehab? Absolutely not. I also wouldn't bet my life that the sun comes up in the east tomorrow. But I can tell you this: The smoke is starting to get pretty damned thick around this issue, which usually means there's some fire in there somewhere.
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