Saturday, September 6, 2014

Bats Come to Life in 6-2 Win Over Royals

Brandon McCarthy tossed 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball and five different batters drove in runs today as the Yankees bounced back perfectly from last night's 1-0 flop with a 6-2 win over the Royals.

For McCarthy, the W was his first since August 21, when he shutout the Astros to avoid a series sweep. Unfortunately, this afternoon's outing wasn't nearly as good as that one, although it was still definitely likable, with McCarthy only surrendering six hits in it while also striking out four.

Needless to say, his putting up of those numbers empowered the offense.

After KC starter Danny Duffy left after throwing one pitch with a shoulder injury in the bottom of the first, the Yankees took an early lead off reliever Liam Hendriks (4 IP, 3 ER), crossing home standing when Martin Prado doubled and Mark Teixeira got him in with a single.

Then in the third, following an Alex Gordon RBI that made it 1-1, the Yanks' bats continued to rake against Hendriks, circling the bases twice more when John Ryan Murphy led off with a flyball off the wall, Jacoby Ellsbury tripled, and Derek Jeter flew out to center. 

No, the contest wasn't over at that point, but once a Salvador Perez error and a couple more run-scoring knocks by Carlos Beltran and Ichiro Suzuki brought things to 6-1 in the next two frames it definitely was going in New York's favor, the third time that's happened in the last four days.

Thinking About 2015: The Conclusion, I’m Greedy


For the past few days I have been thinking about the 2015 season and the team the New York Yankees will put out on the field and I have come to the conclusion that I am absolutely greedy. I haven’t lived up to the Greedy Pinstripes moniker as much in recent years as I did before the 2009 season when this blog was unofficially formed. This season I decided I have gone all out when I started constructing this All Star roster. If you remember correctly I added James Shields to the starting rotation, Nelson Cruz to a rotational DH spot, Asdrubal Cabrera to the shortstop position, and Grady Sizemore to the outfield rotation as well and I think I may have too many good players and not enough spots to give everyone playing time without gutting the roster.

Using the players added above the roster would look something like this:

SP1: CC Sabathia
SP2: Masahiro Tanaka
SP3: Michael Pineda
SP4: James Shields
SP5: Shane Greene
SP6: David Phelps
SP7: Ivan Nova

CL: David Robertson
SU: Dellin Betances
MR: Adam Warren
MR: Shawn Kelley
LR: Chase Whitley
LOOGY: Jacob Lindgren
LR: Manny Banuelos

C: Brian McCann
1B: Mark Teixiera
2B: Robert Refsnyder
SS: Asdrubal Cabrera
3B: Chase Headley

OF: Brett Gardner
OF: Jacoby Ellsbury
OF: Carlos Beltran

BN: Grady Sizemore
BN: Brendan Ryan
BN: Martin Prado
BN: Francisco Cervelli

BN/DH: Alex Rodriguez
BN/DH: Nelson Cruz


Obviously one or two of the pitchers would need to go, and that is before you consider Bryan Mitchell and others for a spot. We also have far too many options with the bats but hey, those problems are for the GM and the manager to figure out. Just bring me the best players to do the job and get me to the Promised Land. Get Greedy, get them all. 

9/6 Yankees Open Thread vs. Kansas City Royals


Welcome to the Saturday afternoon edition of the Yankees open thread for the game between the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals. The Royals are one of the many teams that the Yankees are chasing in the Wild Card standings so this, just like every other game lately, is as close to a must win as you’re going to get for New York. The Yankees will send Brandon McCarthy to the mound to face off with the Royals lefty Danny Duffy. The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET and can be seen on Fox Sport 1, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with WFAN.

Get your Yankees tickets now. It’s probably too late for tomorrow’s Derek Jeter Day tickets but New York also hosts the Tampa Bay Rays next week as well before heading out on the road so buy now. Also be sure to give us a follow on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes and like our page on Facebook by searching for The Greedy Pinstripes.


It’s an open thread and one of those always dreaded Saturday afternoon games so be sure to leave us a line in the comments section of the site. Enjoy the game Yankees family and enjoy the rest of your weekend. Go Yankees!

After Losing 1-0, is There Any Hope Left For the Yankees?

Let's just get to the point here: yesterday's game was a disaster. 

Whether it was because the Yankees never reached third in it or because they made James Shields look like Cy Young two weeks after scoring six runs off of him, it was an absolute embrassment for the loaded-with-talent team, who slipped to 4 1/2 out in the wild card standings with its occurance. 

Still, since it is just September 6, do the Yanks have time to make a big run? Maybe. It's easy to doubt their ability to do so, but could it happen? Let's explore. 

First Scenario: YES
Think about it. The Tigers aren't playing well right now, and the Mariners have two series left against both the A's and Angels. Who do the Yankees face off with  exactly? Just the Orioles and Blue Jays. So, assuming effort on their part, it's definitely possible that New York will be fine here. They just have to make sure they play hard.

Second Scenario: NO
Unfortunately, this one's more likely. Yes, the above paragraph makes a point or two (?), but come on, the Yankees have rarely done what they should this season. Usually I try to be positive when it comes to this team, but I just think I've seen too much at this point. I want them to succeed, but that doesn't I can't still be honest.

Leave your thoughts below on what you think the answer to this post's title is.

Austin Romine Recalled


The New York Yankees have called up catcher Austin Romine to the major leagues to give the team some additional depth behind the plate. Romine was already on the 40 man roster so no roster move is needed and Romine has been called up once already this season so there is no worry about burning an option.

9/6 Yankees Game Preview vs. Kansas City Royals


The New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals will play in the second game of a three game set this weekend at Yankee Stadium as New York continues to try and chase down the teams in front of them for the second Wild Card. The Yankees will send Brandon McCarthy to the mound as he looks to rebound from multiple bad starts and will be faced off with the Royals Danny Duffy.  The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET and can be seen on Fox Sports 1, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

McCarthy looked great in his first few starts with New York but has come back down to Earth in his last three starts as he has struggled to keep the ball in the ballpark. McCarthy has allowed nine earned runs in his last two starts after allowing only eight in his previous 11 starts with the Bronx Bombers. 

Duffy is coming off a solid start against the Cleveland Indians last time out allowing just two runs in 6.2 innings. The game was ultimately suspended in the bottom of the 10th inning with the Royals trailing 4-2. 



Go Yankees!!

Thinking About 2015: The Designated Hitter


I know this post will probably not go over too well for the sole reason of roster flexibility and the return of Alex Rodriguez but hear me out before closing out of the blog in disgust. If the Yankees could somehow sign a full time DH that could also play the outfield, allowing Carlos Beltran to DH whenever necessary, and keep A Rod off the team or on the bench then I think it should be done. The Yankees lack right handed power bats in the lineup and one man that fits the DH, outfield, and right handed power bat mold is Nelson Cruz. It also doesn’t hurt that we would be taking him away from a division rival in the Baltimore Orioles.

Cruz signed a very team friendly deal in 2014 after coming off a Biogenesis induced steroid suspension in 2013 and has done nothing but hit home runs ever since. Cruz has easily been the biggest bargain in all of baseball in 2014 and Baltimore has enjoyed the fruits of his labor. With Baltimore running away with the AL East division this season it’s more important than ever to punch them in the gut and take away one (or two if New York also gets JJ Hardy to replace Derek Jeter) of their better talents.

With Cruz and A Rod in the same lineup the Yankees would finally have true right handed power and balance in a lineup without having to stack switch hitter after switch hitter. With Cruz the Yankees could easily DH him most days, let him play in right field other days, and teach him first base for a backup option for Mark Teixeira. Also Cruz has postseason and World Series experience with the Texas Rangers and soon to be with the Orioles which only helps when coming to a huge market like New York.

Cruz will strike out too much, hit for a .265 average, and knock in 30 home runs and 100 RBI in a season, something that the Yankees completely lack in both departments in 2013. Get it done Cash, or whoever is running the show then. 

The Year of the Walk Off: Part II?


Are we experiencing the year of the walk off part two for the New York Yankees. If you remember back in the 2009 season Michael Kay was quoted as saying “and the year of the walk off continues” as New York walked off against Minnesota three times in three games during a weekend set at Yankee Stadium. While the 2014 version of the Yankees should not and will not be compared to the World Series champion 2009 squad the current edition of the Yankees have walked off quite a bit this season.

Carlos Beltran started the Yankees walk off barrage on June 20 against the Baltimore Orioles when he hit that towering home run to left field at Yankee Stadium. Brian McCann has two walk off hits this season including a walk off single against the Cincinnati Reds and Aroldis Chapman on July 20 and again on August 24 against the Chicago White Sox when he hit a walk off home run. McCann's second walk off came just two nights after teammate Martin Prado got his first walk off hit as a Yankee. Chase Headley also has two after hitting a walk off single in his first game with the team on July 22, just two days after McCann had his first walk off hit with the club, and hitting a walk off home run on Thursday night against the Boston Red Sox. Martin Prado hit a walk off single back on August 22 to help the Yankees win another game against the Chicago White Sox.


In total four different people have had walk offs this season accounting for Brett Gardner wasting perfectly good Gatorade six times. In 2009 the Yankees walked off a staggering 15 walk off wins. The year of the walk off part two? I don't think so but this team has shown some heart and never say die attitudes at times, especially since Brian Cashman made all his July 31 trade acquisitions. 

Quick Hit: Martin Prado Expected Back Today, Finally


Martin Prado is expected back in the Yankees lineup this afternoon finally after not starting the last three games with what was described as a "minor, minor" hamstring strain. Something that minor shouldn't require basically three days off and multiple rounds of treatment but the Yankees are notorious for downplaying their injuries so we may never know the full extent of the injury.

Either way Prado is expected back in the lineup this afternoon against the Kansas City Royals and not a game too soon for a still inconsistent offense.

This Day In New York Yankees History 9/6: The Boss Fires Gene Michael & Releases The Alou Brothers


George Steinbrenner bought the struggling New York Yankees franchise in 1973 for a meager $10 million and eventually turned the team into a perennial winner. Along the way George went through a lot of players, a ton of personnel, and more than his fair share of managers. On this day in 1981 The Boss made the "most agonizing" decision he ever made during his tenure as the Yankees owner when he fired manager Gene Michael and replaced him with Bob Lemon.

Michael announced in a press conference that he could no longer tolerate Steinbrenner's constant threats of dismissal which angered Steinbrenner. George demanded an apology and when Michael refused he was let go as the manager of the New York Yankees.

Also on this day in 1973 both of the Alou Brothers were released from the Yankees squad. Felipe Alou was sold to the Montreal Expos while Matty Alou was sent to the St. Louis Cardinals.