Chase Headley's highlights as a New York Yankee. Most are from 2015 but there are some mixed in from 2014 as well including his walk off hit from his first game in the Bronx. Spoiler alert and enjoy.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
If 2015 Was Another 1995 Then Is 2016 Another 1996?
If 1995 had Don Mattingly did 2015 have Alex Rodriguez? If 1995 benched Derek Jeter for much of the September Wild Card push does that mean Robert Refsnyder is destined to be the next Yankees captain? If 1995 had Randy Johnson did 2015 have Dallas Keuchel? If 1995 had Alex Rodriguez, the Mariners edition, then did 2015 have Carlos Correa? I'm not comparing the players, not at all, but I am more comparing the situations. Both the 1995 and 2015 seasons came attached to moderate expectations and teams that were led by hungry veterans and young positional players that were finally starting to come through the farm system again. Both teams seasons ended with a Wild Card berth and a first round loss, albeit in five games to the Seattle Mariners in 1995 and in one game to the Houston Astros in 2015, but should we expect the same World Series in 2016 that the highly unlikely 1996 Yankees delivered?
The Yankees are already "leaning towards" having Dustin Ackley and Robert Refsnyder spend the 2016 season as the starting second baseman while the 1996 Yankees gave some kid named Derek Jeter a chance reluctantly. Again, not comparing the players merely comparing the situations. New York already has that young nucleus of homegrown talent including Dellin Betances, Adam Warren, Luis Severino, Greg Bird, Refsnyder, John Ryan Murphy, Brett Gardner and a slew of bench pieces and relievers that may start the 2016 season in Triple-A. The team also has a core group of veteran free agency and trade additions, and believe it or not both aspects are important to winning a World Series, in Brian McCann, Andrew Miller, Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, Mark Teixeira, Chase Headley, Didi Gregorius, Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury.
The 2015 team never showed the heart that the 1995 team did, again merely comparing the situations and not the teams or the players, but with the finances the team has, the young core of prospects and the team already in place this team could win a World Series in 2016. I know Bryan Van Dusen wrote earlier in the week that he had a bad feeling about 2016, and if you ask me today I may have to agree with him, but if the team can make those key additions like the 1996 team did, the Cecil Fielders, the Darryl Strawberry's and others, then the 2016 team can be special as well. The team just has to believe it and the team just has to prove it.
My, oh my the Houston Astros win it?
Stealing Sonny Gray Away from the Oakland Athletics
The New York Yankees are out of the 2015 postseason and have
already begun planning and meeting about the 2016 version and direction of the
team. Joel Sherman was quick to throw his opinion into the pot, and his opinion
means little to me since he has me blocked on Twitter for lord knows what…
maybe getting the Curtis Granderson to the Mets news almost a week before him
and informing him about it and asking for some accountability? maybe, but
Sherman did have a good idea nonetheless. If the Yankees could pull off a deal
with the Oakland Athletics to pry away right-handed starting pitcher Sonny Gray
then the New York absolutely has to do it and they cannot take no for an
answer.
What will be interesting to see if how new GM David Forst
will handle trade talks and such with teams after Billy Beane was promoted
inside the Athletics organization. Will Forst be willing to trade anyone and
everyone on the team if the price is right or when he says a player is
untouchable are they really untouchable? That’s the wild card here but if it’s
the former and not the latter then I think the Yankees have to be all in on a
deal, even if it costs the team Jorge Mateo and Gary Sanchez. The buck may stop
at Luis Severino and Aaron Judge for me but that’s just if you ask me.
Right-handed starting pitchers of his caliber, age and amount
of team control just don’t become available often and when they do you have to
pay, or overpay. I know recently I have stated I would want the team to stay
away from the likes of Jeff Samardzija if it meant one or two of the team’s
current starters being traded along with the submission of a draft pick in the
2016 draft but that’s because Samardzija is not the sure fire ace that Gray is.
Gray, especially with this offense, would be a perennial All-Star and as close
to a sure thing for 15+ wins every single season. With Samardzija and others
not named Jordan Zimmerman or David Price I honestly cannot bring myself to say
that and truly believe it.
See how this works Sherman? When you have an idea or you
break news first you get credited with it, not blocked on Twitter. I digress,
have a great day.
If Tejada Isn’t Injured is Utley Suspended?
Hey looks it's the @mets David Wright "sliding" into Chase Utley. But that's none of my business...... @Dodgers pic.twitter.com/Z3wed7jvrz
— Greedy Pinstripes (@GreedyStripes) October 12, 2015
We all know what happened by now, even the ones living under
a rock and the ones that don’t watch baseball surely know by now, Chase Utley
slid late into second base on a play that resulted in a season-ending injury
for Ruben Tejada. Joe Torre immediately reviewed the play and decided to
suspend Utley, maybe for his own safety, for Game 3 and Game 4 of the NLDS that
were to be played inside Citi Field in New York while Utley almost immediately
appealed the decision and suspension. We have seen our fair share of late
slides and “dirty” slides in Major League Baseball in our lifetimes but I can’t
recall anyone ever getting suspended for it, did the suspension only come down
because of the fact that Tejada’s postseason is now over due to the injury?
Look, the Utley slide was not only late but it was illegal
as well but it was far from unprecedented. Take for instance the American
League Wild Card Game from this season between the New York Yankees and the
Houston Astros. Didi Gregorius was Chase Utley in this scenario sliding past
the bag and making contact with Jose Altuve, or Ruben Tejada in this instance,
but the difference here was that Altuve ate the contact and is still playing
today. I couldn’t even find a link or a video to compare the two slides for you
because that’s how insignificant the slide was to the general MLB fan base.
Why? Because Altuve didn’t get hurt. The Yankees did the same thing just a week
prior to the Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia without a comment
made. Guess the rivalry gets a pass too.
I hate that Tejada broke his fibula and will miss what could
be a deep and magical postseason run for the New York Mets, I do, but the rule
is written pretty clear if you ask me. If you can make contact with the bag,
which Utley did with his left hand, then the slide is legal. You’re allowed to
disrupt the second baseman or shortstop to the point where you’re making
“deliberate” interference, hence the whole touching the bag during the slide
guidelines. The play was dirty, the slide was late and the injury was
unfortunate but the suspension was complete and udder BS. If it works for one
it works for all. If you suspend Utley you have to suspend everyone, and if you
don’t suspend everybody then you can’t suspend Utley.
Just my two pennies, leave yours in the comments section.
Is Jeff Samardzija Really Even Worth It?
While many are still watching the Cubs and Cardinals, the
Dodgers and Mets, the Astros and Royals and the Blue Jays and Rangers go at it
head-to-head I have turned almost all my attention over to the 2016 version of
the New York Yankees. I can’t help it. The ink was barely dry on the Yankees
walking papers for the 2015 season when speculation began about what, if any,
free agents that New York would bring in and no name has been mentioned more
than that of former Notre Dame standout and Chicago White Sox right-hander Jeff
Samardzija. Samardzija to the Yankees almost seems like a done deal to many
beat writers and fans but would Samardzija even really be worth it?
In no way is this meant to be a negative article about
Samardzija and what his live arm could bring to the Yankees in 2016 as much as
it’s just me, a fan, thinking out loud. Samardzija would join an already
over-crowded list of names vying for a starting rotation spot in 2016 including
Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, Luis Severino, Ivan Nova, CC Sabathia, Nathan
Eovaldi and Adam Warren. Adding Samardzija would almost 100% send Warren back
to the pen, not that this is the worst thing that could happen to the team this
offseason, while either forcing Severino back down to Triple-A at least to
start the season or force at least two of Pineda, Nova, Eovaldi and Sabathia to
be traded or designated for assignment. Sabathia has a full no-trade clause and
10/5 rights and a huge contract again in 2016 leaving that group conceivably
down to three.
Samardzija would also likely come attached to draft pick
compensation assuming the Chicago White Sox offer him a qualifying offer worth
$15.8 million and he declines. Samardzija would be a great asset to have,
especially after seeing what Larry Rothschild did with another live arm that
was full of talent that just needed a little coaching in Eovaldi in 2015, but
is the risk worth the reward? If you’re asking me and if you’re asking Brian
Cashman that question the answer is likely yes. If you’re asking Hal
Steinbrenner, who is a season or two removed from trying to get under the
luxury tax threshold, then that answer will likely be no.
Baseball America: Four Yankees In International League Top 20 Prospects List
Baseball American has covered every minor league affiliate and league but one this season, the International League. The International League is the home of many of the league's Triple-A Affiliates including the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders. This is likely the toughest league to rank just 20 prospects in because so much talent spent time in Triple-A before graduating to the Major Leagues but somehow Baseball America did it, and the team over there did it with four members of the Yankees on the list.
CLICK HERE to see the entire list from Baseball America, it's free so no worries.
The four members of the Yankees organization were #2 Luis Severino, #6 Greg Bird, #10 Aaron Judge and #18 Gary Sanchez. The top player on the list was the Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor. The future is bright in New York, especially if you look at all these BA rankings, and it's definitely a sight for sore eyes.
This Day in New York Yankees History 10/14: Chris Chambliss Wins the Pennant
Also on this day in 2000 Roger Clemens strikes out a record setting 15 Seattle Mariners in a 5-0 victory in Game Four of the ALCS. The Yankees would win the game behind Clemens’ one hitter.
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