Friday, August 31, 2012

Orioles @ Yankees 8/31/12

Yankees lose 6-1

The Yankees will begin a weekend series with AL East foe and wild card hopeful the Baltimore Orioles at Yankees Stadium tonight. On the mound for the Yankees will be Hiroki Kuroda looking for yet another quality start. On the mound for the Orioles will be Miguel Gonzalez who has not pitched in 11 days. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on the YES Network.

Lineups

1. Jeter SS
2. Swish 1B
3. Cano 2B
4. Granderson CF
5. Chavez 3B
6. Ibanez LF
7. Martin C
8. Ichiro RF
9. Nix DH


Go Yankees!!

Mega Prediction Game


Do not forget to get your predictions in before first pitch. Here are mine:

8/31- 9/2 Baltimore Orioles Vs New York Yankees

Game 1 Win - 3 Pts (Gonzalez vs. Kuroda)
Game 2 Win - 1 Pt (Chen vs. Garcia)
Game 3 Win - 2 Pts (TBD vs. Phelps)




The Next 10 Days Will Make Or Break Our Season



The title says it all the next 10 games will absolutely make or break our season. We spend the next 10 days facing the only two threats to us winning the AL East division, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles. It starts tonight when the Yankees will host the second place Baltimore Orioles for a three game set at Yankees Stadium only three games ahead in the standings and includes a three game set with the Rays and another four game set with the O's.With just 4 games separating these three teams and with us playing each other a ton in the next month things should get all figured out, or more jumbled up.

We are set up as well as we could want for the Tampa Bay series as we have Phil Hughes, CC Sabathia, and Hiroki Kuroda set to pitch in the three game set. The series is down in Tropicana Field in Tampa where we have had some trouble as of late but this is a veteran team and this is officially crunch time. The best news of all is that we miss David Price so I want to feel good about this series, as hard as it has been lately to feel optimistic about anything to do with this team.

After the Tampa series we travel to Baltimore for a big four game set that will really determine the AL East in my opinion. The Yankees will have CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, David Phelps/Freddy Garcia, and if everything goes well Ivan Nova will be eligible to come off the 15 day DL.

The Yankees basically control their own destiny. It is a pretty simple philosophy but it could not be more true... If we win, we are in. If we lose, things get interesting. I am getting older now and do not want even MORE years taken off my life with a division run down to the last weekend... so just win!!

Take A Stadium Journey Of George Steinbrenner Field


Our friends over at Stadium Journey are at it again and this time visiting George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida home of the High A Yankees affiliate the Tampa Yankees. The first line of the article I found amusing as it says "George Steinbrenner would not be amused" and it totally caught my attention. This will tell you everything you need to know about the stadium and a little bit of the history of the Yankees and their presence in Tampa, Florida. Check it out for a great read!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

David Aardsma To Begin Rehab Assignment Tomorrow


This post feels eerily familiar. Earlier we reported that Alex Rodriguez would begin his rehab assignment tomorrow for the Tampa Yankees and he will have some company in David Aardsma. Aardsma has been shut down since June when he felt some fatigue in his surgically repaired arm. If he can make it back without any set backs he looks like he could be in the bullpen come late September. Do not expect him to come back and be Mariano though just be happy that he is back.

TGP's Mega Prediction Game


Starting with the series tomorrow against the Baltimore Orioles, 8/31, The Greedy Pinstripes will be test running something that we plan to implement EXCLUSIVELY on TGP next season... A Mega Prediction Game. We will be running this from tomorrow all the way to the end of the season to see who is the best at wagering and predicting the New York Yankees.

No game is without a prize. The winner will receive a New York Yankees keychain seen HERE!

 Now here are the rules for the game:

You will predict the outcome of every game one series at a time. You will predict whether the Yankees will win or lose the game but will also wager a point amount determined by how many games are in the series. If there is a three game series , like the one starting tomorrow, you will be able to wage a 3 Pt, a 2Pt, and a 1 Pt game. In a four game series you will see a 4 Pt game added. For example:

8/31- 9/2 Baltimore Orioles Vs New York Yankees

Game 1 Win - 3 Pts(Kuroda)
Game 2 Win - 1 Pt(Garcia)
Game 3 Win - 2 Pts (Phelps)

All predictions must be submitted in the comment box, on twitter @GreedyStripes, or via email at TheGreedyPinstripes@gmail.com BEFORE the first pitch of the game. If it is not predicted before the first pitch of the game then you are penalized your highest point game. If you were to miss the prediction tomorrow then you would only be allowed your two lowest wagers. See example:


8/31- 9/2 Baltimore Orioles Vs New York Yankees

Game 1 MISSED (Kuroda)
Game 2 Win - 1 Pt(Garcia)
Game 3 Win - 2 Pts (Phelps)

Tie breakers will be whoever predicts the most perfect series meaning who gets the most series predicted correctly. If there is still not a winner then we will use the playoffs as a tie breaker. You MUST be a registered user to use the comment box to play the game. No anonymous users will be counted in our tallies or be eligible for the prize, although you can still play for fun if you would like.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask. I encourage everyone reading this to participate because it is completely free and really fun. I have run this now for 5 seasons in the Yankees forum at DailySportsPages.com and it has always been a big hit. This, again, is a dry run so any comments or feedback is appreciated. Go Yankees!!

Alex Rodriguez To Begin Rehab Assignment Tomorrow

Hallelujah!!!
Alex Rodriguez will start his rehab assignment for a broken hand tomorrow when he plays DH for the High A Yankees affiliate the Tampa Yankees. If all goes well with the hand Alex will be available in the field Saturday for the Tampa squad. Getting Alex back in the middle of that lineup can really change things, whether he is producing or not, so let us hope he gets back soon.

Take A Stadium Journey Of The Home Of The Trenton Thunder


Our friends over at Stadium Journey have done another visit to a park and this time it is Mercer County Waterfront Park, home of the AA Yankees affiliate the Trenton Thunder! This site will tell you everything you need to know about the park down to the food, the bathrooms, the lines, the fans, the neighborhood around the stadium, and really much more then you ever would think. Go check them out as they have a stadium journey for about every team you can think of. Great site and great guys!

Playoff Predictions : The Teams


We are a little over a month away from the playoffs with almost half the teams fighting for a playoff spot. With MLB adding a second wild card it has definitely made these games more interesting and maybe a little more parity to Major League Baseball. If the season were to end today this is how the playoff teams would rank and stack up:



East - New York Yankees (3.5 game lead) 

 Central - Chicago White Sox (3) 

 West - Texas Rangers (4.5) 

Wild Card 1 - Oakland A's (0.5)

Wild Card 2 - Baltimore Orioles (0.5)


 East - Washington Nationals (5 game lead)

 Central - Cincinnati Reds (8) 

 West - San Francisco Giants (3.5)

 Wild Card 1 - Atlanta Braves (3)

 Wild Card 2 - St. Louis Cardinals (0.5)

If the playoffs started today this is how the first round of the playoffs, including the one game playoff for the wild card teams, would look according to records and such:


Baltimore Orioles vs  Oakland Athletics

Wild Card Winner vs Texas Rangers

Chicago White Sox vs New York Yankees




St. Louis Cardinals vs Atlanta Braves

Wild Card Winner vs Washington Nationals 

San Francisco Giants vs Cincinnati Reds



I fully do not expect these standings to look like this come October baseball. There are too many teams out there who would love to spoil a playoff run. Here are the changes that I think are going to happen this September and early October:

I do not buy the Oakland Athletics as real contenders. They walk off a lot of games and it is to the point where they almost expect to walk off, which is great for confidence, but it is almost like they are relying on the walk off too much. Are the Angels good enough to make a run?

I really see Detroit making yet another second half push behind Verlander, Fister, etc. The White Sox are dealing with a tired arm of Chris Sale and a rookie in Jose Quintana to name a few. I expect the young pitching, mixed with the second half's biggest spoilers the Minnesota Twins, to knock the White Sox off their throne and all the way out of the playoffs. Plus they have Baltimore in front of them for the 2nd Wild Card and I see them as a much better team then the Orioles.

I do not buy the Pittsburgh Pirates. I did until they just continued to fade away from the Reds. They have a scary pitching staff that I would not want to see in a 1 game or 3 game series but they have to get their first and the Dodgers are MUCH improved. I see the Dodgers finding a way to get in that second playoff wild card spot. How can they not when getting Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Nick Punto, and Carl Crawford (for next season).

I think we see 3 playoff teams come from the AL East this season and 2 each from the NL West and NL East to round out the playoff teams.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Feliciano Shaky In Latest Rehab Assignment


Pedro Feliciano seems like he has cleared yet another hurdle as he entered a game for the Trenton Thunder last night. Feliciano for the first time in this rehab pitched in back to back games and also for the first time came in during the middle of an inning. Pedro faced two batters with runners on 2nd and 3rd and nobody out. He induced a ground ball for the first batter, although a runner scored, and then walked his second batter. Mixed in there was a passed ball that allowed a second inherited runner to score. Pedro threw five pitches and only one of them was a strike. 

Mike Ashmore spoke with Feliciano and tells us that Feliciano will pitch again on Thursday and if all goes well he will be in the major leagues when the rosters expand on Saturday. What a road back for Feliciano who is actually way ahead of schedule. Great work Pedro!

Blue Jays @ Yankees 8/29/12

Yankees lose 8-5

The Yankees finish their three game set this afternoon with the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankees Stadium. On the mound for the Yankees will be ace CC Sabathia and will be facing off against J.A.Happ who shut us down just a few Sunday's ago for the Toronto Blue Jays. The game will be televised at 1:05 pm ET on YES Network.

Lineups

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Andruw Jones RF
Curtis Granderson CF
Steve Pearce DH
Jayson Nix 3B
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Chris Stewart C


Go Yankees!!

Take A Stadium Journey Of The Home Of The Riverdogs!


Our friends over at Stadium Journey are at it again, this time covering the stadium of the Low A Yankees affiliate the Charleston Riverdogs! He does a great job covering everything there is to know and see about the stadium so if you are wanting to go to a game or just read about Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park then this is a must read for you. Enjoy!!

Meet A Prospect : Austin Romine

With September call ups and an expanded active roster on the way I thought it would be a good time to look at the prospects that we have on the 40 man roster that may not be household names. We will continue our series with AAA affiliate Empire State Yankees catching prospect Austin Romine.


Austin Allen Romine was born on November 22nd 1988 in Lake Forest California. Austin Romine has major league blood running through his veins with his father, Kevin Romine, being a former Boston Red Sox for 6 seasons. His brother, Andrew Romine, also currently plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Austin was drafted out of El Toro High School to the New York Yankees in the second round in the 2007 MLB First Years Players Draft. 

Austin has been highly touted in the Yankees system being ranked as high as the Yankees second best prospect in 2010 and fourth best in 2009. In that same 2009 season Austin was named Florida State League Player of the Year and was a member of the American All Star Futures team in 2010. He has been linked with former Yankees super hitting prospect Jesus Montero and spent most of his time splitting time behind the dish with him before Montero was traded this winter. 


Austin Romine has flashed some good power as a catcher, something you do not see enough of, and has shown that he will be no slouch with the bat in the majors. Austin Romine hits the ball to all parts of the field and even has 15-20 home run power in the majors in my opinion. His defense is considered to be a little behind the curve compared to his bat with a great ability to handle balls in the dirt but an average arm. There are many question marks about his ability to handle a big league staff on a consistent basis but that kind of stuff can be taught. He has below average speed so he will not be stealing any bases but he is still quicker then Jesus Montero if that counts for anything. 

I really think that Austin Romine could be a above average catcher in the major leagues and I really think the plan is for that to be with the Yankees. He lost most of his season due to a back injury in spring training which, in my opinion, is what brought on the Chris Stewart trade or he would have been in the majors as a back up THIS season. He does not have a huge glaring hole in his game whatsoever and has a long career ahead of him in my opinion. If I had to find a guy to compare Austin Romine to I think I would have to go with a .280 hitting catcher with power named John Buck. 

Austin will be going to the Arizona Fall League this season so he looks to be healthy and back on the fast track to the majors as soon as 2013. 







Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Not Feeling So Good

A couple weeks ago I made the comment to my colleague, Burch, that I wasn't scared of the Rays. Although the team wasn't playing well, I felt they would play better sooner rather than later. To go along with that was the fact the Yankees had a 6 game lead in the AL East. Well here we are today, and I'm starting to get a little worried. That's right, good ole Mr. Optimistic is not feeling so... optimistic.

I still believe the Yankees will win the division, and avoid a one-game playoff with the other Wild Card winner, but I'm not as strong in that belief as I was. So I took a trip over to Fangraphs in order to see if the numbers gave me a clearer picture of things.

Did you know that Fangraphs is located in the middle of a desert?

I wanted to look at things over the last 30 days, because in that time I've been disappointed with the way the team has played. The starting pitching has been good, but the relievers have been less than impressive. The Yankee bullpen, over the last 30 days, rank 5th in WAR, 5th in FIP, and 11th in ERA in the American League. Those rankings may not seem bad, but when you see that the Rays rank 3rd, 1st, and 1st in those same stats then you start to see a problem.

When you look at starting pitching, and add that to what I just said about relief pitching, things get more worrisome. While the Yankees rank 4th in starter's WAR in the AL, the Rays starters rank 2nd. When it comes to starter's FIP the Yanks rank 5th and the Rays 2nd. And in ERA it's Yankees 7th and Rays 1st.

So whether you look at things from a starting standpoint, or a relieving standpoint, the Rays have been better in the last 30 days.

But team hitting is clearly in the Yankees favor.

Doh!

When you look at each teams hitting WAR, wRC+, and wOBA over the last 30 days the Yankees better in all three. The Bombers have a WAR of 4.6, wRC+ of 111, and wOBA of .339. Not that the Rays offense isn't good though, as their team WAR is 3.8, wRC+ is 98, and wOBA is .310. But the Yankees team hitting is better.

It's when I looked at each team's runs scored and runs against that I started to look like the guy in that last picture (yeah, sorry, that's not actually me). You see, while the Yankees have scored 136 runs over the last 30 days, the Rays have scored 125. And you have to keep in mind that the Rays didn't have Evan Longoria for 9 of those games in said time period. When it comes to run prevention things really separate... the Yankees have given up 123 runs, while the Rays have only given up 64. That all works out to the Yankees having a run differential, over the past 30 days, of +13, while the Rays run differential is +61.

Finally you have to look at the fact the Yankees have lost Mark Teixeira for at least a week (Jeter missed 18 games with a calf strain last season), Alex Rodriguez's return is probably a couple of weeks away,  and if it wasn't for Jeter and Swisher having OPSs of 1.078 and 1.168, this team could already be looking up at Tampa Bay in the AL East standings.

Oh, and to top it all off, Steve Pearce is batting clean-up for the Yankees tonight against Cleveland.

Yankee fans felt the same way after seeing tonight's lineup.

So while I still believe the Yankees will win the AL East, they are making it harder and harder to be so optimistic.

Blue Jays @ Yankees 8/28/12

Casey McGehee was sent down to Low A Charleston to make room for Steve Pearce because he will be eligible to be called up back up on 9/3 because Charleston is not going to the playoffs and the Thunder and Empire State Yankees probably are.

Yankees win 2-1
#untuck


The Yankees will play the second game of their three game set against the Toronto Blue Jays tonight at Yankees Stadium. On the mound for the Yankees will be Phil Hughes on an extra day's rest so maybe he will be sharp with that curveball. Opposing him will be the Blue Jays Ricky Romero. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on YES.

Lineups

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Steve Pearce DH
Russell Martin C
Curtis Granderson CF
Andruw Jones RF
Jayson Nix 3B
Ichiro Suzuki LF


Go Yankees!!

Dave Miley Wins IL Manager Of The Year Award


Yankees AAA manager Dave Miley has won the minor league International League manager of the year. The Scranton WIlkes-Barre Yankees, or the Empire State Yankees whichever way you look at it, are one game away from winning their division which is not too shabby for a team without a home this season. Miley also won the award in 2007 with the same Scranton team.  Scranton has the second best record in the International League with a 81-47 record this season. Congrats to Dave!

Alex Rodriguez & Andy Pettitte Injury Update

Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte both went to see the team doctor before last night's devastating loss and we got some more good and encouraging news for both of them.


Alex Rodriguez is cleared to take full batting practice with no restrictions. He has been long tossing and hitting off of a tee for weeks now so this is a major step. Barring any *gulp* setbacks we should see Arod in a minor league game as early as the weekend or early next week. We really need him back so hopefully this all goes well for his sake and the Yankees sake.


Andy Pettitte is taking another step forward in his possible September return as he was cleared to start throwing off of a mound this week. Andy has been throwing off of flat ground and has had no troubles or set backs so this is the next step. Andy is expected to, again without any setbacks *quivers*, pitch in minor league rehab assignments possibly during the AA and AAA playoffs. Talk about a playoff tune up for the old left hander. We, much like A Rod, really need a healthy Andy back right now so again I hope that all goes well in this next major step.

Another Scoreless Inning For Feliciano In Rehab


Pedro Feliciano made his sixth rehab appearance tonight, this time with the AA affiliate Trenton Thunder. Pedro threw 17 pitches, 9 for strikes, with two strike outs and a walk in his latest scoreless inning. He was only hitting 84 MPH on the radar gun. A mid September return for Feliciano is still the plan going forward which is encouraging for us.

Meet A Prospect : Brandon Laird

With September call ups and an expanded active roster on the way I thought it would be a good time to look at the prospects that we have on the 40 man roster that may not be household names. We will continue our series with AAA affiliate Empire State Yankees 3B prospect Brandon Laird.


Brandon J Laird was born on September 11th, 1987 in Cypress California. Brandon comes from baseball bloodlines with his older brother, Gerald Laird, being a catcher in the majors for the Detroit Tigers. Brandon spent his high school years at La Quinta High School in Westminster, California. After finishing his high school career he was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 27th round in 2005 but did not sign and instead decided to attend Cypress College in California. Two years Later Laird was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 27th round and later signed.

This is Laird's second season under 40 man protection from the Rule 5 draft and is playing at the hot corner for the AAA Empire State Yankees. This was after Laird was named the MVP and Rookie of the Year of the Eastern League after belting over 20 home runs in a season. He was called up to the show for a short cup of coffee in July of 2011 after a Ramiro Pena injury and is looking to make that happen again. After getting a hit and an RBI in his first game off then Atheltics pitcher Craig Breslow he came around to score his first run in that game. When he was quickly sent back down the minors he did nothing but win the 2011 Minor League Gold Glove award at 3B.  Laird, now 24 years old, is running out of time and options though if he has any dreams of being a Yankee. Laird seems like an all or nothing kind of Adam Dunn power hitter but he may have a future in the majors, albeit in a limited role, because of his defense. 

Laird has great bat speed and even has great plate discipline, which sounds weird when you see him swing out of the zone sometimes, and is never off balance at the plate. His main downfall, besides a pretty high K/BB ratio, is he is a little over aggressive sometimes and likes to go outside the strike zone trying to do too  much. Laird has very raw power that he is trying to tap into in AAA and is very streaky with his power but seems to be an excellent August hitter with a career .335 average in August. His range at 3B is considered mediocre and his footwork is considered atrocious, although his first base mechanics and foot work is really bragged on by most scouts. He is far from a defensive liability or someone you have to hide at DH but he has a lot to work on. 




Monday, August 27, 2012

Roger Clemens Looks Good In Independent League


Roger Clemens, at age 50, proved that he can still get hitters out. Those hitters may be in the Independent League but still that league is full of former majors leaguers. Roger Clemens pitched 3.1 IP in his first start in nearly five years while striking out two guys, allowing one hit, no walks, while throwing 37 pitches and hitting as high as 88 mph.

Obviously Clemens is trying to get back to the majors to delay his Hall of Fame eligibility, which would reset if he throws just one major league pitch this season, but he is not saying that. If he just has the competitive spirit and wants to pitch in the Independent League to get it out of his system, fine. Just do not lie to us yet "again" Roger and that will go farther then five years of waiting and hoping that people "misremember" your perjury trial and steroid accusations.

Mark Teixeira To Miss 1-2 Weeks With Calf Strain


UPDATE: Mark Teixeira has a grade 1 calf strain and will miss 1-2 weeks with this injury. Happy Happy..... Joy Joy..

Mark Teixeira has a left calf strain and is going for an MRI tonight to check it out. We will know more after the MRI is done. 

Mark Teixeira was seen grimacing and limping noticeably while running the bases in the 4th inning. He immediately ran back to the clubhouse after scoring on a Russell Martin RBI single. Mark Teixeira has left the game after running the bases and replaced by Eric Chavez. We will keep you updated on whether this is just a cramp or yet another loss to the middle of the Yankees lineup.

Luke Joseph Robertson Born Today


Congrats to David and his wife Erin Robertson on the birth of their first child, a baby boy, Luke Joseph Robertson. Luke came in weighing 8 lbs 7 oz and healthy. Congrats to them again they, with their big hearts and generosity, are going to make absolutely amazing parents.

David Robertson is going to, amazingly, be in uniform tonight for the Yankees and available to pitch tonight. That is either being nuts or dedicated David but we are in a pennant race so I cannot say that I do not appreciate the dedication.

Blue Jays @ Yankees 8/27/12

Robinson Cano Home Run ties the game at 1-1
Cano hits his 2nd home run to put the Yankees up 2-1
Russell Martin hits an RBI single to put the Yankees up 3-1
Swish Bomb Makes it 6-3 Yanks!
Yankees lose a wild one 8-7

The Yankees start a stretch where they play 22 consecutive games against American League East opponents so we will really see where we stand really soon. This stretch starts tonight against the Toronto Blue Jays at home at Yankees Stadium. David Phelps will be starting in place of Ivan Nova tonight and will be facing off against Henderson Alvarez. Jose Bautista will be back for the Jays so the pitching needs to be on point tonight. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on YES.

Lineups

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Eric Chavez 3B
Russell Martin C
Raul Ibanez LF
Ichiro Suzuki RF


Go Yankees!!

Yankees Acquire Steve Pearce


In the head scratcher of the day the Yankees have acquired, for the second time this season, 1B and OF prospect Steve Pearce. This time the Yankees receive him from the Houston Astros for cash considerations, which means we will pay his salary for the rest of the season.

Steve has bounced around from the Minnesota Twins, then to the Yankees, then traded to the Orioles, then claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros and now re acquired by the Yankees in a trade all in one season.

Brandon Laird, this is where the head scratching part comes in, was designated for assignment to make room on the 40 man roster for Pearce. Apparently there will also be a 25 man roster move to make room for him with the big club. What?!?!

First off I do not expect anyone to take a waiver on Laird so, assuming he accepts a AAA job(which he will), then it will be nice to have him off the 40 man. The thing I do not understand is why bring Pearce up to the majors? There is something we are all missing here and not being told.

8 Current Yankees With At Least 200 Home Runs


With Curtis Granderson's 200th career home run yesterday in Cleveland the Yankees currently have 8 active players with at least 200 career home runs. That is an amazing stat if you think about it to have that many current players with that many home runs in one lineup. Granted some guys had most of theirs with other teams but still impressive nonetheless.


Alex Rodriguez - 644
Andruw Jones - 433
Mark Teixeira - 337
Raul Ibanez - 267
Derek Jeter - 253
Eric Chavez - 245
Nick Swisher - 204
Curtis Granderson - 200


The next highest home run total is Robinson Cano at 169 career so expect him to reach the 200 plateau sometime next year. Too bad it is a bad thing to hit too many home runs #sarcasm

Meet A Prospect : Melky Mesa

With September call ups and an expanded active roster on the way I thought it would be a good time to look at the prospects that we have on the 40 man roster that may not be household names. We will continue our series with AAA affiliate Empire State Yankees OF prospect Melky Mesa.


Melquisdec Mesa was born January 31st, 1987 in Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic. This is Melky's second season under 40 man roster and Rule 5 Draft protection and he has done nothing to disappoint the Yankees brass thus far. He has impressed so much that he recently has been promoted to AAA Empire State Yankees. The speculation has yet to begin but with a few good weeks in Scranton it could start that the Yankees are looking to and willing to put Melky in place of Nick Swisher in 2013. 

Melky has shown, although raw, some amazing power and even more amazing plate discipline at such a young age in the Yankees system. Melky Mesa has the potential to be a five tool player with great defensive ability and a cannon for an arm, out of this world speed, raw power and discipline at the plate, and even hit for average. He has not quite lived up those expectation yet but he was signed as a 16 year old IFA in 2003 so he has some more time to go. The problem is whether the Yankees will wait out his "Jekyll and Hyde" kind of offensive spurts. 

The closest comparison to a current major leaguer I could come up with would be Alfonso Soriano when he was a Yankee. He could easily hit 30 + home runs in a season and steal 30+ bases and play really solid defense. The problem will be a lack of taking walks and way too many strike outs. I would take another Soriano though if that is what Mesa became. 

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Yankee Hitters Have Been "In The Dark" Lately

I have a thing for hard rock/metal bands with female lead singers. Actually, any female member of a hard rock/metal band kicks ass, but it's female leads that really appeal to me. There's something about hearing a female voice with driving music behind it that's awesome. And The Birthday Massacre may be the best example of that, as lead singer Chibi has a voice that could be from a pop star, but instead mixes so well with the music.

Tell me what you think.


LA Dodgers Set To Visit Yankees Stadium In 2013


Mike Axisa from River Avenue Blues writes that we will see the Dodgers come to Yankees Stadium for the first time since the 1981 World Series. This will only be the fourth time the Dodgers have come to Yankees Stadium since moving to Los Angeles, most recently in 1981, then in back to back World Series in 1977 and 1978, and in 1963. This should be an entertaining series with the Yankees offense and that short porch going against Hanley Ramirez, Matt Kemp, Adrian Gonzalez, and the 19 other guys I could name since the Dodgers became the Yankees of the west.

Should the Yankees Trade For Shin-Soo Choo?


As we all know the Yankees have some decisions to make not only this off season but next off season as well if they plan to get under the 2014 $189 million luxury tax thresh hold. Nick Swisher will be a free agent after the 2012 season and with him already hinting, whether directly or indirectly, at wanting Jayson Werth money he may already be out of the Yankees plans this off season. The Indians came out and said that they would be willing to listen to offers for Shin-Soo Choo this off season while he will be in the last season of his contract and entering his age 30 season.

Shin-Soo Choo is currently 30 years old and will not turn 31years of age until the middle of July 2013 so he is in the middle of his prime. Choo is considered to be a strong defensive player with an absolute cannon for an arm with a good average, on base percentage, and OPS. Choo has a career 19.0 WAR and 13.9 of that have come in the last four seasons. He also has a career .290 batting average including his rookie season in Seattle where he only batted .056 in 21 plate appearances. Choo has been good for around 15-20 home runs a season with 15-20 stolen bases and over .100 points higher with his OBP then his batting average, which is considered to be well above average.

Choo also would only be on a one year deal since 2013 would be the final year of his contract that will pay him slightly higher then the $4.9 million he made this season in his final year of arbitration. His AAV, even if he were to re sign with the Yankees,would have to be lower then Swisher's AAV if he came anywhere near Jayson Werth money. Also the new Collective Bargaining Agreement for MLB states that you can offer a player a qualifying offer, which he would be expected to decline for a multi year deal, and if ti is declined you can get draft pick compensation. I mean Scott Boras is his agent so I do not see any chance of him accepting that qualifying one year offer.


The problem would be that if we did trade for Choo we would have a 2014 free agency class that would include Shin-Soo Choo, Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter(if he declines his player option), Rafael Soriano (if he does not opt out sooner), and whoever else comes out way between then and now. Joe Girardi will also no longer be under contract but I do not see a situation less then a Bobby V season where he does not come back. The 2014 free agency class highlights Jason Kubel, Martin Prado, Nelson Cruz, Carlos Beltran, Hunter Pence,  Chris Young, Jacoby Ellsbury, and others seen HERE.

Whether the Yankees even have the interest or the pieces after the disappointment in the minor leagues this season is the real question here but I plan on monitoring this closely. This news just took some of the leverage away from Nick Swisher when it comes to the Yankees though and part of me says that Nick will give the Yankees a "home town discount" and sign a three or four year deal worth 12-15 million per. Either way, the shorter deal for Swisher or trading for Choo without emptying the farm, I am down because both put the Yankees in a great position to win.

Yankees @ Indians 8/26/12

UPDATE:

Yankees take a 1-0 lead on a Ichiro single.. Jeter rbi sac makes it 2-0..Swisher RBI single makes it 3-0 Yankees in the 2nd inning. 

Curtis Granderson's 200th career home run makes it 4-2 Yanks

#Untuck Yankees win 4-2

The Yankees will look for the series win this afternoon against the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland, Ohio. On the mound for the Yankees will be Freddy Garcia and he will be facing off against Ubaldo Jimenez. The game will be televised at 1:05 pm ET on the YES Network.

Line ups

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Eric Chavez 3B
Raul Ibanez DH
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Chris Stewart C

Go Yankees!!

Meet A Prospect : Corban Joseph

With September call ups and an expanded active roster on the way I thought it would be a good time to look at the prospects that we have on the 40 man roster that may not be household names. We will continue our series with AA affiliate Trenton Thunder 2B Corban Joseph.


Corban R. Joseph was born in Franklin, TN on October 28th 1988. Joseph, now 23 years old,  is running out of time in the Yankees system after being added to the 40 man roster before this season. The Yankees selected him in the 2008 draft, the same year as David Adams, a round later then Adams in the 4th round.  Corban is considered below average defensively and has not really progressed enough with the bat in the Yankees system. The Yankees, in my opinion, are only holding on to him because of the lack of depth in the upper levels of the system in the infield. The former 4th round pick for the Yankees has been totally less then stellar in his New York Yankees career which got him as high as AAA Scranton before being sent back down to Trenton. He has enjoyed as high as an 8 game hitting streak this season though so there is always the late bloomer philosophy.

Corban was originally drafted as a highly advanced power hitting short stop straight out of high school after getting huge praises from Yankees scout Damon Oppenheimer. While he is proof, until now, that not every draft pick who showed promise in the lower levels will work out the Yankees are being very patient with him. After moving him to 2B, mainly because of his lack of speed, the Yankees are looking to give him one more shot before DFA'ing him for nothing. He has been making up for some up it lately as he has been tearing up AAA pitching lately. Maybe a glimmer of hope?

Saturday, August 25, 2012

David Aardsma Takes Step Towards The Bronx


David Aardsma threw a bullpen session today which consisted of 35 pitches, including sliders, today to live batters. David is working himself back from Tommy John surgery and, depending on whose report your read, will or will not be back this season for the Yankees. It does not matter if he gets back this season, although it would obviously be better for everyone involved, because the team has a measly 500K team option for next season that will undoubtedly be picked up. With the minor league season drawing to a close it is now or never on the rehab assignments for David.

Yankees @ Indians 8/25/12

UPDATE:
3-0 Indians after 1 IP
Indians win 3-1

Tonight the Yankees will play their 2nd game of a weekend series against the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland, Ohio. On the mound tonight for the Yankees will  be Yankees "ace" Hiroki Kuroda looking to put some space in between us and the Rays. Standing in our way will be Justin Masterson, former Red Sox and current Cleveland Indians right handed starter. The game will be televised at 7:10 pm ET on YES and on MLB Network.

Lineups

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Eric Chavez 3B
Russell Martin C
Raul Ibanez DH
Ichiro Suzuki LF


Go Yankees!!

Fiscal Look At The Yankees Disabled List

One of our fans asked to see a total of salary that we have dished out this season to players missing time on the disabled list or just sitting and resting nagging injuries. Here are the findings:

I only included guys that have missed a minimum of 2 games missed. Everyone has that one day they take off for a sore this or a nagging that.

Alex Rodriguez        27 Games Missed    $29,000,000 salary     $179,012.36 per game = $4,833,333.72
David Aardsma       125 Games Missed   $500,000 salary         $3,086.42 per game = $385,502.50
Cesar Cabral          125 Games Missed   $480,000 salary          $2,962.96 per game = $370,370.00
Pedro Feliciano      125 Games Missed    $4,000,000 salary      $24,691.36 per game = $3,086,420.00
Brad Meyers          125 Games Missed   $480,000 salary          $2,962.96 per game = $370,370.00
Andy Pettitte           49 Games Missed     $2,500,000 salary      $15,432.10 per game = $756,172.90
Michael Pineda       125 Games Missed   $528,000 salary          $3,259.26 per game =  $407,407.50
Mariano Rivera       99 Games Missed     $15,000,000 salary    $92,592.59 per game = $9,166,666.41
CC Sabathia           20 Games Missed     $23,000,000 salary    $141,975.31 per game = $2,839,506.20
Brett Gardner         114 Games Missed    $2,800,000 salary     $17,283.95 per game =  $1,970,370.30
Austin Romine        121 Games Missed    $482,000 salary        $2,975.31 per game = $360,012.51
Mark Teixeira         9 Games Missed       $22,500,000 salary    $138,888.89 per game = $1,250,000.01
Nick Swisher          8 Games Missed       $10,250,000 salary   $63,271.60 per game = $506,172.80
Robinson Cano       2 Games Missed       $14,000,000 salary   $86,419.75 per game = $172,839.50
Eric Chavez            7 Games Missed       $900,000 salary        $5,555.56 per game = $38,888.92
Eduardo Nunez      60 Games Missed      $524,000 salary       $3,234.58 per game = $194,074.80
Russell Martin        10 Games Missed      $7,500,000 salary    $46,296.30 per game = $462,963.00
David Robertson    28 Games Missed      $1,600,000 salary    $9,876.54 per game = $276,543.12
Joba Chamberlain  113 Games Missed    $1,675,000 salary    $10,339.51 per game = $1,168,364.63


The Yankees , to date, have lost a total of $28,615,978.82 to players missing time due to injuries with or without a disabled list trip. Really kind of scary when you think about the fact we're in the discussion for best record in the American League and running away with the American League East.

Don't worry I know your tired of reading about the Yankees and their DL so this will be the last post on it.

Reviewing The Boston/Los Angeles Trade

When it comes to looking to free up money, the Sox did a great job. Adrian Gonzalez is set to make $127 million over the next 6 years, Josh Beckett's contract gives him $31.5 million over the next two years, Carl Crawford will receive $102.5 million between 2013 and 2017, and Nick Punto has 1 year and $1.5 million remaining on his 2 year deal. That's a total of $262.5 million, of which Boston will only pay $12 million, putting the Dodgers on the hook for $250.5 million.

But was the money well spent, and will it be well spent for either team? Let's take a look at the key pieces of the deal, all coming from Boston.

Raise your hand if you want to move back to the west coast.

When it comes to dealing Gonzalez I'm not really sure why Boston did that. I'm not saying it isn't a lot of money, but it's not as if Adrian hasn't been a big contributor to the team. For starters, according to Fangraph's, Gonzo was worth $29.5 million last season, well above the AAV of his contract ($22 million). This season hasn't been going quite as well, as he's only been worth $12.3 million, but he's still putting up pretty respectable numbers (.300/.343/.469 with 15 HR and 86 RBI). If the Sox were looking into the future, which I believe they are, then it would make sense if Gonzalez only had a year or two left on his contract, but as I've pointed out... that's not the case.

The Sox didn't have any first basemen on Baseball America's preseason top 10 prospect list, but perhaps they believe Mauro Gomez, who is hitting .310/.371/.589 in AAA Pawtucket so far this season, is the long-term answer at 1B. Or it could be Jerry Sands, who was acquired from Los Angeles. Sands hit well in the minors, batting .303/.380/.531 with 24 HR in AAA, although his 251 plate appearances in MLB haven't been "all that" (.244/.325/.376). But Jerry is only 24 years old, so maybe Boston has something here.

Adrian could have been a key part of the future, but now he'll be giving Giants fans headaches instead of giving me and other Yankee fans headaches (in 12 games against the Yankees this season his triple-slash is .375/.388/.667).

On the other hand I understand why the Dodgers traded for Adrian. Gonzalez dominated the NL West for 5 years prior to being traded to Boston before the 2011 season, putting up a triple-slash of .288/.374/.514 to go along with averaging about 32 HRs a year while with the San Diego Padres. Los Angeles had James Loney, who was dealt to Boston in the deal, at 1B this season, but James was putting up a paltry batting line of .254/.302/.344 at the time. So getting a a 30-year old that could hold down that position for the next 6 years makes sense. Although Adrian is earning his money so far, I'm sure that by the end of the deal Dodgers fans will be happy to see him go, just as Yankee fans will be about guys like Mark Teixiera and Alex Rodriguez.

Verdict: Good for the Dodgers, bad for Boston.

"No! Due to the time difference, watching sports on the west coast sucks!"

With Boston possibly thinking a few years down the road, it made sense to unload Josh Beckett. Last season Beckett finished 9th in Cy Young voting, after putting up an ERA of 2.89 and WHIP of 1.026 in 30 starts, last season. This season hasn't been going as well, as Josh's ERA has ballooned to 5.23 and his WHIP has gone up to 1.327. Although, according to Fangraph's, Beckett more the earned his salary in 2011, that won't be the case in 2012.

The Red Sox do have Justin Germano, who has an ERA of 2.40 and WHIP of 0.905 in 16 AAA starts, to go along with 4 other starters already in the Sox rotation that are all under 30 years old (Lester, Buchholz, Doubront, and Bard). And that doesn't include picking up Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa. Webster had an ERA of 3.55 and WHIP of 1.455 in AA Chattanooga so far this season, so he isn't blowing anybody away. De La Rosa was a surprise call-up to the Dodgers this season, having just come back from reconstructive elbow surgery 13 months before, but only lasted .2 innings after walking 2 of the 4 batters he faced. So I'm not sure what they have there.

The Dodgers though picked up a solid pitcher to put behind Clayton Kershaw in the rotation, and at $15.75 million a season, they aren't drastically over-paying. It doesn't look like the Dodgers have better choices within the organization for 2012 and beyond, as nobody in AAA is "killing it" out side of John Ely, and Ely has been lit up so far in MLB to the tune of a 5.35 ERA and 1.456 WHIP in 19 starts and 112.2 innings. Chad Billingsley is a good #3 starter, but he hasn't been able to replicate the great numbers he put up in his 2nd and 3rd years in the Majors.

Verdict: Good for both teams.

Picture this, but with Carl wearing a Dodgers uniform instead.

In his first two seasons with Boston Crawford has earned, again... via Fangraph's Dollar Value, only $2.5 million of the $33.5 million he's been paid. And now Carl's having Tommy John surgery, ensuring that he won't have a shot at making up for at least some of that the rest of this season, and possibly part of next season. So it was a no-brainer for the Red Sox to dump this guy before he cost them any more money, since Carl will be paid $102.5 million more dollars over the next 5 years.

But I have no idea why the Dodgers agreed to this. They recently extended the contracts of Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, and both players are doing pretty well (Kemp has an OPS+ of 168 and Ethier has an OPS+ of 121). LA also has a guy by the name of Alfredo Silverio, who was their #4 prospect in Baseball America's preseason Top 10 list, and is hitting .306/.340/.542 at AA Chattanooga this season. So why clog up an outfield spot with a guy making that much money, and only hitting .260/.292/.419 in his last 664 plate appearances?

Verdict: Good for Boston, bad for Los Angeles

In the end I really don't know how to feel about this trade. The good part about it for both teams, the swap of Josh Beckett, is the least cost-wise out of the key pieces involved. While both of the expensive parts of the deal, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, are a wash (Gonzo good for LA, Crawford good for Boston).

But what really matters here is how it affects the Yankees. Initially I thought that it was not good for the Bombers, as the Red Sox now have a lot of money they can use on buying some good replacement players. But there's a big "if" there, in that one of Mauro Gomez or Jerry Sands would have to be a good replacement for Adrian Gonzalez's contributions, and remember that not only did Adrian hit well but he was a great fielding 1B too. So to be honest, the loss of Gonzo could cost the team more than half of what they just saved to replace. Couple that with the good possibility that the Sox bring back Jacoby Ellsbury, who is a free agent after this season, and that could be that as far as having more money.

The best thing that came out of this trade is that it made for some more exciting baseball stuff to talk about. Unfortunately I don't think the Red Sox front office is in the business of giving people like me stuff to talk about.

"I'm just trying my best to give Bryan more things to write about at The Greedy Pintripes."

Feliciano Strong In 5th Rehab Appearance


Pedro Feliciano was moved up to High A Tampa for his fifth rehab appearance after making his first four appearances for the GCL Yankees. He allowed four hits and one run in his inning but three of the four hits were against right handed hitters and we all know that Feliciano is a lefty specialist and a LOOGY. Feliciano has a long way to go but this was yet another step towards the Bronx.