Friday, May 18, 2012

Series Awards - @ Toronto 5/16 - 5/17


Jake Taylor Award
Robinson Cano - In the two games against the Jays, Robbie was 2-for-6 with 2 doubles. He also drew one walk in each game, and scored a run in Game 1. As you can see, the Yankee bats weren't electrifying in this series.

Gentry Award
Nick Swisher - Poor Swish takes this award for the 2nd straight series, as he was 0-for-7. Nick reached base just once, drawing a walk in Game 2. FYI, Russell Martin was 0-for-6, while drawing a walk as well. So this was a close one.

Rick Vaughn Award
NONE - The only pitcher to "get the job done" was Freddy Garcia, as he threw one inning in Game 2 without allowing anybody on base. But he didn't strike anybody out, or do anything special in that outing, so I couldn't give it to him.

Kelner Award
Hiroki Kuroda - Kuroda certainly didn't play the part of the "hiro" during his start in Game 1 of the series. After 5 innings of work, he gave up 7 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks. Hiroki did strike out 6 batters, which is nice, but the 3 home runs definitely didn't help him.

--------------------

*The awards are named after one of the best baseball movies of all time... Major League.

Jake Taylor Award - Awarded to the most valuable position player. Named after the hard-nose veteran catcher that, despite making the league minimum, was the heart and soul of the 1989 American League East winning Cleveland Indians.

Gentry Award - Awarded to the least valuable position player. Named after the very first man cut from the 1989 Cleveland Indians, #47 Gentry. A man so insignificant he wasn't even given a first name.

Rick Vaughn - Awarded to the best pitcher in the series. This one is, of course, named after the "Wild Thing". The man that made Clu Haywood look silly in the division deciding game.

Kelner Award - Awarded to the worst pitcher in the series. Named after the Opening Day starter for the '89 Indians. Not a good game for Mr. Kelner, as Indians' announcer Harry Doyle famously quipped "thank God" after Kelner left the game. And yet another bad player without a first name.

Red @ Yankees 5/17/12

UPDATE:

Alex Rodriguez hits a ground ball to score the first run, 1-0 Yanks


Andy Pettitte pitched tonight like he never took a year off. Pitching 8 scoreless innings, only allowing 4 singles, Andy Pettitte did everything he could and more to give his Yankees a win tonight.

Robinson Cano hits an insurance home run to put the Yanks up 2-0

Raul Ibanez hits a home run (at home imagine that) to put the Yankees up 4-0.


Yanks win 4-0
Win 1 Is That Way?

Like I said in my earlier post, welcome to interleague play. The Yankees will host the Reds for what should be a slug fest for the first series in interleague play. Tonight Andy Pettitte will make his 2nd start in 2010 and will face former Red Sox Bronson Arroyo, which should be fun. The game will be televised on YES at 7:05 pm ET.

1. Jeter SS
2. Granderson CF
3. Cano 2B
4. A-Rod 3B
5. Ibanez RF
6. Swisher 1B
7. Chavez DH
8. Wise LF
9. Stewart C


Meet A Prospect : Cito Culver

Meet a prospect is back and this time we're highlighting another "heir apparent" candidate for the captain Derek Jeter, and his name is Cito Culver. Cito, born September 26th, 1992 in Rochester, New York , was selected 32nd overall in the 2010 First Year Player Draft with the first pick of the New York Yankees. Culver, a big and tall switch hitter who can also play outfield, was committed to playing baseball for the University of Maryland before he signed with the Yankees surprisingly around slot for $954,000. He was actually only the second high school short stop drafted by the Yankees, the other being CJ Henry, since the Yankees drafted Derek Jeter with the 6th overall pick in the 1992 draft. Will Cito be the next Yankees starting short stop? Let us find out, Meet Mr. Cito Culver.


Cito was actually a pitcher before he was a short stop, and a damn good one at that. He pitched so well in high school that he caught the eyes of a lot of scouts and was being looked at seriously as a pitcher for college teams. Culver had a slider and a feel for a changeup which at his age gives him the "project" moniker when it comes to draftability. At the same time though the term "the sky is the limit" is also commonly associated with "project" pitchers. Remember, it was nothing for Cito Culver to hit 95 mph as a pitcher, although the Yankees while watching and scouting him regarded to Cito as more of a "thrower" then a pitcher. I wonder if he does not work out as a short stop if he would be willing to try the conversion a la Red Sox Casey Kelly. 

Josh Norris, seen here, had NOTHING good to say about Cito Culver in his scouting report. I personally disagree with Mr. Norris here as I think that Culver is a very toolsy middle infielder that fell a lot farther down in the draft then he should have due to signability issues. He seems like he is going to have a high average with adequate speed but with minimal power but he is so far away it is hard to put a comparison on him to a current major leaguer. I have heard the Howie Kendricks comparisons, which I would not be terribly upset about, but again I think he is FAR too far away before we start talking about how his major league career is going to be like. Personally I think he is more like Brett Gardner, a slasher, without the speed but that is just me. 


I would give Cito Culver an ETA of 2015. Will that be as a starting short stop? Will that be as an outfielder? A pitcher? A utility infielder? Who knows, the kid is 20 years old. I , for one, am going to enjoy watching the local New York boy grow with the team and eventually make it to the majors. Good luck Cito, make us all proud. 


Interleague Play Begins Today



Love it or hate it... interleague play is back and while on that note it's worth stating that it will be year round starting next season but I digress. The Yankees have the best interleague record of any team in baseball, sweet music to my ears and to the ears of a struggling team. Not to mention that we are going home also music to the ears of the Yankees players who have struggled on the road this season.



The Yankees start their interleague play with three games at home against the Cincinnati Reds. Andy Pettitte, Ivan Nova (scheduled), and CC Sabathia will be pitching for us so I fully expect a sweep here. Go Yankees and go interleague play! Love it or hate it, personally I love it, interleague is here to stay. I may not say that when I see our pitchers having a .068 BA this season but that is because I'm a GREEDY Yankees fan.