Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Mark Reynolds Wants To Stay A New York Yankee


Mark Reynolds was picked up mid season by the New York Yankees after being designated for assignment and released by the Cleveland Indians and expressed a wish to stay in New York for 2014. Reynolds told both GM Brian Cashman and his agent after hitting .236/.300/.455 with six home runs in 26 games for the Yanks. The market on third basemen is pretty thin this off season with Reynolds, Michael Young, and Eric Chavez headlining so the Yankees may be interested in bringing back Reynolds as an insurance plan. The Yankees first need to find out what is going to happen with Alex Rodriguez and his potential 211 game suspension before making any rash decisions, see Kevin Youkilis in 2013. There is always the option, my option if I am the GM, to let Eduardo Nunez be the third basemen and let Brendan Ryan be the back up short stop but that is another post for another day.

Derek Jeter Still Undecided About 2014


Before I even get too far in depth with this please remember that it is October 1st, not November 1st or December 1st, before we start burning down stuff. Derek Jeter announced today that he has not yet decided whether he will exercise or decline his 2014 players option worth $9,500,000. I remind you of the date because Jeter has three days after the World Series ends before he has to make that decision and the Fall Classic could stretch almost until November so we have some time.

Jeter wen't to the disabled list, what, four times in 2013? Derek has absolutely no leverage at this point and has to exercise the option or retire at this point. I cannot see any other option for Derek at this point because the Yankees are not going to be handing him a multi-year deal at this point.

Reminder: Win Free Tickets From TiqIQ and TGP


TiqIQ wants us to represent our home town of New York and is willing to give away up to $500 in ticket credits for doing so. These don't necessarily have to be used on Yankees games, or even New York sports teams to be honest, but can be used on anything that TiqIQ offers. Signing up and being eligible for this giveaway could not be any easier either, see below:


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Eric Jagielo Lone Yankee On Baseball America's Top 20 New York-Penn League Prospect List

Unlike Baseball America's list of Top 20 Prospects of the Gulf Coast League, which I mentioned last week, only one Yankee made their list of the Top 20 Prospects of the New York-Pennsylvania League.

That player was Eric Jagielo.


Jagielo, who was the team's top pick in the 2013 amateur draft, hit .266/.376/.451 with six home runs in 218 plate appearances. Here is the write-up on Eric...
He has a smooth lefthanded swing with good rhythm, and he can turn on a fastball or wait back for an offspeed pitch. His swing can get long at times, but he projects as a solid-average hitter with plus power potential. He’s a below-average runner, and he doesn’t figure to have the mobility to be a standout at third, but most evaluators give him a chance to stick at the position. He has enough arm strength and good accuracy.
Tomorrow Baseball America will release their list of the Top 20 Prospects of the South Atlantic League.

Name The Yankees 2013 Roster


Created by the great minds at Pinstripe Alley is a fun game to try and guess all 56 players that the New York Yankees used this season. It is a lot tougher than you think, well if you do not cheat, and the game can be found HERE.

DO NOT CHEAT, at least the first time, and post your results here. I got 55 of the 56 but I got lucky getting a couple guys. I missed one guy that played 17 games at short stop this season... And when it revealed the answer to me I felt like a complete idiot. Here I will help you with one so SPOILER ALERT, I missed Brendan freaking Ryan!

HERE IS THE LINK AGAIN

Have fun and enjoy.

Joe Girardi Wants A Raise

There has been a lot of discussion in terms of the Yankees spending, but there's one area in which the team may have to spend more that shouldn't matter to Yankees fans.

At least there's one place I can spend without having to worry too much.

Buster Olney, via his Twitter account, said that the Yankees would have to give Joe Girardi a "significant" raise in order to bring him back to manage the team. At the end of the 2010 season, the Yankees signed Girardi to a 3 year contract worth $3 million a season.

I think it's fair to say that managing the Yankees is the most stressful of all managing jobs in baseball. No other team carries with it the same expectations for winning, year in and year out, that the Yankees do. Couple that with the fact that the Yankees payroll is as high as it is, and you can make an argument that any Yankees manager should be the highest paid.

However, Girardi wasn't the highest paid manager last season. I couldn't find a definitive list, but I did see that Mike Scioscia made $5 million last year as the manager of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. After managing the Yankees for six years, if the team decides to bring Joe back, then he should be the highest paid.

Besides, I'm not at all concerned what the manager of the Yankees makes. It's not like the manager's salary affects the team's payroll in terms of the Luxury Tax. So give the guy $10 million a year for all I care.

Looking Back At My 2013 AL East Predictions

2013 Predictions : The American League East


The 2013 season is right around the corner so I wanted to take the chance to look at what the standings will look like, in my opinion, at the end of the 2013 season. How often are these things pre-season ever even close to right? Here goes:

1. New York Yankees 93-69
2. Tampa Bay Rays 92-70
3. Toronto Blue Jays 91-71
4. Boston Red Sox 90-72
5. Baltimore Orioles 88-74

Actual:

1. Boston Red Sox 97-65
2. Tampa Bay Rays 91-71
3. New York Yankees 85-77
4. Baltimore Orioles 85-77
5. Toronto Blue Jays 74-88


I really think the Yankees dominance of the division continues in 2013. Whether that is more because of what happened this off season, my unwillingness to acknowledge that Derek Jeter WILL in fact age, or the fact that I am just a huge homer with a Yankees blog I have not figured that part out yet. Either way the Yankees will finish at the top of their division once again, miss the Wild Card playoff game, and march towards the ultimate goal of our 28th World Championship.


I do not think I did half bad on these predictions. Sure the Yankees did not win the division nor did they win the World Series but I was not all that far off everywhere else. I had Tampa Bay in second place, which they were, and had them winning 92 games and they won 91. I had Boston winning nine less games then they actually won and had them as a fourth place team. I had Baltimore winning three more games, 88, then they actually did, 85, and finishing in last place although in reality they finished in fourth. Toronto I just bombed on as I had them as a third place team and they ended up in the cellar of the AL East with a 74-88 record. Had the Yankees winning eight more games and the division and honestly I think that could have happened had the Yankees had their "A" squad on the field all season long. Oh well I am still better at predicting stuff then Mike Francesca. 

Mariano Rivera's New York Yankees Career Is Over


Mariano Rivera has been a pitcher for the New York Yankees for 19 years now, 17 of them as the Yankees closer, and his Yankees career is now over. Rivera finishes his career as the greatest closer to ever pitch in the game of baseball and spent his entire career doing so with the New York Yankees. This season did not end the way that the Yankees or Mariano wanted it to, with a World Series championship, but Mo went out on top with a healthy and productive season and I think that is all Mo wanted.

Thank you for everything you have done both on and off the field Mo and we wish you nothing but the best in all your future endeavors as long as it includes teaching those three sons of yours that cutter.

Here is Mariano's career stat line as his career comes to an end:

19 seasons played, all for the New York Yankees, and 1115 games played.


  • 82-60 record with a major league record 2.21 ERA
  • 8-1 record with a 0.70 ERA in the post season
  • Most saves of all time with 652
  • Most post season saves of all time with 42
  • Most games finished in major league history with 652
  • 78 games finished in the post season in 96 appearances
  • Best ERA+ of all time with a 205 mark 
  • 1.000 WHIP for his career (3rd lowest in major league history)
  • 0.759 WHIP in the post season
  • 12 men to walk on the moon, 11 earned runs against Rivera in the post season
  • 56.6 career WAR
  • SIX errors and has not made one since 2004 while never having more than two in a season
  • 13 time All Star
  • Five AL Rolaids Relief Awards, A World Series, All Star, and ALCS MVP award each, and a Babe Ruth award
  • Nine times garnering an MVP vote and six times garnering a Cy Young Vote
  • 5 World Series Rings in 7 chances
  • Greatest of all time



Finished making $169,441,825 in his career, not bad for a fisherman's son from Panama.


Mariano went out like he wanted to on top and on the top of his game and that is really all you can ask for as a player. Thank you once again Mo for everything that you do and everything that you are, us Yankees fans do appreciate it and appreciate you.

For Mo's next trick he will install peace in the middle east.

2013 Yankees Superlatives

The BEST (and WORST) memories from 2013

YANKEES SUPERLATIVES!!!!

(VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!)

 

Postseason Problems

Yes, this is a Yankee blog, but I saw something before that I wanted to throw out there...see what everyone thinks. 2 points:

1) Ron Washington is more deserving of being on the chopping block than Girardi. For four straight seasons, the Rangers have choked miserably. First the two World Series, getting swept three straight in Oakland last year, and playing 13-16 baseball since August 28th this year. He's had tremendous tools to win: Cliff Lee, Yu Darvish, Hamilton, Cruz, Beltre, C.J. Wilson, Feliz, Joe Nathan, etc. He should easily have a World Series, especially since two years ago he was a strike away TWICE. Willie Randolph was fired for one season of the same thing, why should he be safe after four?

2) How dumb is baseball for scheduling Game Two in Oakland late Saturday night before a Raider game Sunday afternoon?! Forget the obscurity of the multi-purpose stadium, (OMG, so 1971) take a look at the scheduling that weekend. Game One is Friday night at 9:30 eastern. Game Two is 9 eastern. The only other game that it competes with is Boston's Game Two on Saturday, 5:30 eastern. Ironically the Red Sox have two afternoon games--you'd think they'd attract a bigger primetime audience than the Tigers-A's. If I'm running this show, I put the Red Sox at early afternoon or primetime Saturday, and the A's at 4/4:30 eastern Saturday. That way when the A's end at 4/4:30 pacific Saturday, there's plenty of time to make the Coliseum football ready.

Now obviously, no one except the gamblers care about a Chargers/Raiders game on the east coast, but Californians sure do! I hate it when sports don't work together. I'll be here all winter talking offseason, don't worry!

'Till Next Time!

Neil Dwyer @neildwyer1993

This Day In New York Yankees History 10/1


On this day in 1932 the Yankees 18 year old short stop prospect Joe DiMaggio makes his professional debut with the San Francisco Seals organization. In his age 19 season DiMaggio would hit .340 with 169 RBI's and 28 home runs in his first season in the Gulf Coast League.


On this day in 1933 Babe Ruth would make his final appearance as a pitcher in the major leagues as he goes the distance to beat the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees won 6-5 in a meaningless game that saw Ruth on the mound to draw fans to the ball park. Ruth would finish his pitching career with a 94-46 record.


On this day in 1961 the Yankees beat the Red Sox 1-0 but that is not what is important about this day. This is the day that Roger Maris hit his 61st home run of the season passing Babe Ruth's single season home run record, asterisk or not.


On this day in 1973 the Yankees are renovating the original Yankees Stadium and decide to present Mrs. Babe Ruth and Mrs. Lou Gehrig with home plate and first base respectively.


On this day in 1995 the New York Yankees and the Colorado Rockies become the first ever Wild Card teams in major league baseball history. Don Mattingly would see his first and only taste of the post season in his career.