Hi Sine! As I love telling you every year we do this, I am still so lucky we met over a decade ago in this fandom and that we can still call ourselves friends! ♥ Thank you for being a great friend and co-mod!
I managed to make a fill for you, and I know it's a gift for you, but I wanted to thank you because it really inspired me. I really, really hope that I can break myself out of this writing rut to expand on it further because I have more SCENES and a potential OUTLINE for an actual longfic, but here you go as a start!!
--
@ JeffPassan
BREAKING: Left-hander Tony Stark and the New York Avengers are in agreement on a one-year, $15 million contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. Stark, 32, returns to the Show after several years away, including the last year in the NPB with the Hanshin Tigers. The two-time Cy Young winner joins the crosstown rivals of his former team.
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Sources: Tony Stark and Avengers agree on 1-year, $15M deal
Jeff Passan, Senior MLB Insider
January 7, 2025, 06:16 PM ET
Left-hander Tony Stark and the New York Avengers are in agreement on a one-year, $15 million contract, sources told ESPN on Monday. The former Yankee star returns to New York to join the crosstown rivals.
"I keep my promises - 🥌🧔🏻" Stark teased on his Instagram story, before the deal was announced.
The deal includes an additional $1.5 million in performance bonuses, sources said.
Stark's accolades should speak for themselves: Rookie of the Year, two-time Cy Young winner, two-time Gold Glove, and four-time All-Star. In his remarkable 2018 Cy Young-winning season, he posted a 1.96 ERA over 192 innings. Stark's fastball averaged 97, and his slider had a compelling argument for being the best in the world. The then-best pitcher in the game accomplished one of its rarest achievements by throwing a perfect game against the Blue Jays on June 16, the 24th in the history of the Major Leagues.
But, in a show of irony for the "Iron Man", his most memorable moment in the game's brightest spotlight left an entirely different legacy.
In Game 7 of the 2019 World Series, Stark, then the undisputed ace of the Yankees rotation, came out of the bullpen in the bottom of the 10th inning to face the top of the San Francisco Mutants order to preserve a 1-run lead. He struck out his first batter faced, and got the second to fly out to center. The pieces were in placed for the Yankees' first World Series win this century. The next few fateful minutes, however, saw the tower of cards topple. Stark issued a walk, followed up shortly by an uncharacteristic balk, his first ever committed in the Major Leagues. But New York was still set to celebrate, when Stark induced a slow roller groundball to his right: an easy put-out to first base. But Stark bobbled the ball in his throw to first, and was beat out by the runner. The 2018 Golden Glove winner was charged with an error, and faced his next batter with runners on first and third. Baseball history was created out of Stark's nightmare, as he gave up a walk-off 3-run home-run to blow the save, and the World Series.
The next season, Stark didn't make it to his first start of Spring Training, leaving the field after warm-ups. The news soon followed that he would be out for the season with a torn UCL necessitating his second Tommy John surgery.
In 2021, Stark returned to the New York Yankees and allowed a dreadful 6.01 ERA in 12 starts. The former ace was designated for assignment before the All-Star Break, and cleared waivers to be optioned to the minor leagues. It was unthinkable for someone who was once baseball's first overall pick in the draft, and no. 1 prospect.
Many pitchers struggle to regain their form after a second elbow reconstruction, oftentimes losing a few crucial ticks in velocity. But, beyond the unsurprising dip in his fastball speed, many also believed Stark to be battling a case of the yips. In his 2021 season, his walk rate soared, he threw more wild pitches than his prior three seasons combined, and he committed the most errors for any pitcher in the AL. The yips, and its causes, are as mysterious as they are aggravating to athletes and fans of any professional sport. But, it was hard for fans not to hone in on that fateful Game 7 tenth inning, and divide Stark's seemingly Hall of Fame-bound career before, and his struggles to remain relevant in the Major Leagues after.
2021 marked Stark's fall from glory on the diamond. But, unthinkable tragedy struck off the field. Stark's father and mother, Howard and Maria Stark of Stark Industries, died in a car crash on October 30. It was the two-year anniversary of Stark's blown save.
In 2022, the then-free agent Stark turned down multiple multi-year offers from teams looking to refind his form, opting instead to sign a minor-league deal with the Yankees, with a non-roster invite to their spring training. However, a week before pitchers reported to camp, Stark took to Instagram to announce that he would not be participating in baseball for the season to focus on Stark Industries affairs as the sole heir to his late parents' company. He signed off his announcement with a promise: "Iron Man will return."
Stark did not return to baseball for the 2023 season. However, 2024 came with a surprise announcement that Stark would be taking his talents overseas, joining the NPB in a 1-year deal with the Hanshin Tigers. With the Tigers, Stark put up a servicable 3.39 ERA in 22 starts (The NPB trends toward a pitcher-dominated league.)
In 2025, 4 years after he last stepped foot on a Major League Baseball diamond, and 6 years after he was one of the brightest stars in the game, Stark fulfills his promise to return to the United States. He joins an up-and-coming Avengers team, headlined by catcher Steve Rogers and outfielder Thor, and joining a rotation that includes former-teammate right-hander James Rhodes. If the Avengers can get the best version of Tony Stark to the mound at Avengers Field, the team will be a serious contender to watch.
no subject
I managed to make a fill for you, and I know it's a gift for you, but I wanted to thank you because it really inspired me. I really, really hope that I can break myself out of this writing rut to expand on it further because I have more SCENES and a potential OUTLINE for an actual longfic, but here you go as a start!!
--
@ JeffPassan
BREAKING: Left-hander Tony Stark and the New York Avengers are in agreement on a one-year, $15 million contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. Stark, 32, returns to the Show after several years away, including the last year in the NPB with the Hanshin Tigers. The two-time Cy Young winner joins the crosstown rivals of his former team.
---
Sources: Tony Stark and Avengers agree on 1-year, $15M deal
Jeff Passan, Senior MLB Insider
January 7, 2025, 06:16 PM ET
Left-hander Tony Stark and the New York Avengers are in agreement on a one-year, $15 million contract, sources told ESPN on Monday. The former Yankee star returns to New York to join the crosstown rivals.
"I keep my promises - 🥌🧔🏻" Stark teased on his Instagram story, before the deal was announced.
The deal includes an additional $1.5 million in performance bonuses, sources said.
Stark's accolades should speak for themselves: Rookie of the Year, two-time Cy Young winner, two-time Gold Glove, and four-time All-Star. In his remarkable 2018 Cy Young-winning season, he posted a 1.96 ERA over 192 innings. Stark's fastball averaged 97, and his slider had a compelling argument for being the best in the world. The then-best pitcher in the game accomplished one of its rarest achievements by throwing a perfect game against the Blue Jays on June 16, the 24th in the history of the Major Leagues.
But, in a show of irony for the "Iron Man", his most memorable moment in the game's brightest spotlight left an entirely different legacy.
In Game 7 of the 2019 World Series, Stark, then the undisputed ace of the Yankees rotation, came out of the bullpen in the bottom of the 10th inning to face the top of the San Francisco Mutants order to preserve a 1-run lead. He struck out his first batter faced, and got the second to fly out to center. The pieces were in placed for the Yankees' first World Series win this century. The next few fateful minutes, however, saw the tower of cards topple. Stark issued a walk, followed up shortly by an uncharacteristic balk, his first ever committed in the Major Leagues. But New York was still set to celebrate, when Stark induced a slow roller groundball to his right: an easy put-out to first base. But Stark bobbled the ball in his throw to first, and was beat out by the runner. The 2018 Golden Glove winner was charged with an error, and faced his next batter with runners on first and third. Baseball history was created out of Stark's nightmare, as he gave up a walk-off 3-run home-run to blow the save, and the World Series.
The next season, Stark didn't make it to his first start of Spring Training, leaving the field after warm-ups. The news soon followed that he would be out for the season with a torn UCL necessitating his second Tommy John surgery.
In 2021, Stark returned to the New York Yankees and allowed a dreadful 6.01 ERA in 12 starts. The former ace was designated for assignment before the All-Star Break, and cleared waivers to be optioned to the minor leagues. It was unthinkable for someone who was once baseball's first overall pick in the draft, and no. 1 prospect.
Many pitchers struggle to regain their form after a second elbow reconstruction, oftentimes losing a few crucial ticks in velocity. But, beyond the unsurprising dip in his fastball speed, many also believed Stark to be battling a case of the yips. In his 2021 season, his walk rate soared, he threw more wild pitches than his prior three seasons combined, and he committed the most errors for any pitcher in the AL. The yips, and its causes, are as mysterious as they are aggravating to athletes and fans of any professional sport. But, it was hard for fans not to hone in on that fateful Game 7 tenth inning, and divide Stark's seemingly Hall of Fame-bound career before, and his struggles to remain relevant in the Major Leagues after.
2021 marked Stark's fall from glory on the diamond. But, unthinkable tragedy struck off the field. Stark's father and mother, Howard and Maria Stark of Stark Industries, died in a car crash on October 30. It was the two-year anniversary of Stark's blown save.
In 2022, the then-free agent Stark turned down multiple multi-year offers from teams looking to refind his form, opting instead to sign a minor-league deal with the Yankees, with a non-roster invite to their spring training. However, a week before pitchers reported to camp, Stark took to Instagram to announce that he would not be participating in baseball for the season to focus on Stark Industries affairs as the sole heir to his late parents' company. He signed off his announcement with a promise: "Iron Man will return."
Stark did not return to baseball for the 2023 season. However, 2024 came with a surprise announcement that Stark would be taking his talents overseas, joining the NPB in a 1-year deal with the Hanshin Tigers. With the Tigers, Stark put up a servicable 3.39 ERA in 22 starts (The NPB trends toward a pitcher-dominated league.)
In 2025, 4 years after he last stepped foot on a Major League Baseball diamond, and 6 years after he was one of the brightest stars in the game, Stark fulfills his promise to return to the United States. He joins an up-and-coming Avengers team, headlined by catcher Steve Rogers and outfielder Thor, and joining a rotation that includes former-teammate right-hander James Rhodes. If the Avengers can get the best version of Tony Stark to the mound at Avengers Field, the team will be a serious contender to watch.