Friday, January 22, 2016
Hunter Pense PILATES WORKOUT
http://youtu.be/HdeV-GNDtk0
Check out Hunter Pense as he rehabilitates an abdominal injury from last season. This is the type of injury prevention and performance enhancement program I like to see when recommending players for your fantasy teams. Pilates is an excellent core strength and stability program many Yankees would benefit from; particularly Chase Headley and Dustin Ackley, who have had their share of lower back issues. Let's hope they're friends with Hunter.
therehabreport.blogspot.com
The Boring Winter Ahead: Watch the 2001 World Series Game Six HERE
Game 6 of the 2001 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Agent for Cespedes Called the Yankees & Loves New York
Yoenis Cespedes loves New York, who doesn’t though right?
Call me bias since I was born in the Bronx and lived there for much of my life
but New York is the greatest place on Earth. The greatest place I’ve ever been
to anyway. The place is so diverse, the food is amazing, the atmosphere is
breathtaking and every once in a while the people surprise you and will be
friendly. There’s a Starbucks on every corner and its home to some of the
greatest sports franchises in the world including the New York Giants and Jets,
the New York Rangers and Islanders, the Buffalo Bills, the New York Knicks and
Brooklyn Nets and the New York Yankees and New York Mets. Cespedes got a taste
of the Big Apple last season with the Mets as he helped the team reach the
World Series for the first time since 2000 and he doesn’t want to leave any
time soon.
While Cespedes was negotiating with the New York Mets to
stay and the Washington Nationals to leave on a free agency contract the agent
for Yoenis made an interesting phone call to Brian Cashman. Apparently Cespedes
would prefer to stay in New York and turn down a five-year deal worth a
reported $100 million from Washington and he doesn’t seem to have a preference
which New York team he would sign with. Roc Nation, yes that Roc Nation,
reached out to the Yankees on Thursday to tell them of Cespedes’ interest in
playing the outfield inside Yankee Stadium in 2016. The agents asked the
Yankees if they wanted to “jump in with a three-year offer” and I wonder who
hung up first, Hal Steinbrenner, Jay-Z or Robinson Cano.
Labels:
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Yoenis Cespedes
To DH or not to DH?
To DH or not to DH, that is the question facing Commissioner
of Baseball Rob Manfred and the National League as we inch towards the owners
meetings later this month. While there is no traction just yet and nothing
seems imminent in the department of the National League adopting the DH like
the American League the two sides are talking about it and that, in my opinion,
is progress.
The St. Louis Cardinals GM John Mozeliak echoed these
statements recently telling reporters that he has heard the discussion about
the adoption of the DH more so in the last year than ever before in his time as
the GM. That doesn’t necessarily mean he is in favor of it though as he quickly
stated that he liked the way things were and honestly, I do too.
I will preface that statement with a small disclaimer. I
prefer the DH and I do not find watching an automatic out come up to the plate
four or five times a night, sometimes more if you’re 8th hitter is
just there for defense, and I don’t think the whole “strategy behind the game”
thing sells itself enough. How many times a night do you see a true situation
where a strategy needs to be employed? Not as often as the traditional baseball
and NL fans would like you to think.
Is there more strategy in the NL? Sure there is but that can
be counterproductive. Sometimes you have to take out a pitcher prematurely
because you’re down on the scoreboard while sometimes a pitcher is left in for
too long simply because he’s pitching a nice game. Is the game more boring
because of the pitcher’s hitting? In my opinion, yes it is. What draws more
casual fans (because truth be told the hardcore fans are going to watch
regardless) to the game, offense or 1-0 games that are won in the 8th
inning by a suicide squeeze with a pinch hitter hitting for the pitcher? As
exciting as that is many of the fair-weather or casual fans have already turned
the game off and gone to bed by then anyway and don’t even get to see it.
Do I think the DH would be good for the NL? Absolutely. Do I
think the DH should be pushed and forced on the NL? No, absolutely not. There
are still pitchers that truly like to hit and managers that truly like the old
school version of the game. Who am I, or anyway for that matter, to take that
away from them? Do I think eventually it will come to a DH in both leagues if
anything to boost offense, ratings and to protect the pitchers? Yes, absolutely
I do. Maybe as soon as the next collective bargaining agreement.
It starts with discussions and it ends with action. The
discussions are happening now as we speak.
First 2015 Draft Pick to Reach MLB
The New York Yankees have not had the greatest draft history
under current GM Brian Cashman. To put it into a word or two the Yankees draft
status has actually sucked since the farm system produced the Core Four but times
seem to be a changing down on the farm. The Yankees are actually, and finally,
producing MLB ready and caliber talent out of their farm system through
international free agent signings and the draft and actually saw their top
overall draft pick from 2014, Jacob Lindgren, make his Major League debut in
2015. The Yankees drafted 16th overall in the 2015 MLB Draft taking
James Kaprielian in a draft where the team went very heavy on college players
to mix with the batch of 16-18 year old IFA’s they signed, which one will pull
a Jacob Lindgren and reach the Major Leagues first? Is it Kaprielian or the
team’s other first round pick Kyle Holder? Maybe a wild card?
Predicting what will happen in the minor leagues is like
predicting the winning powerball number when the jackpot gets up above a
billion dollars. Everyone thinks they can do it but not many truly can with any
consistency. Kaprielian looks like the most obvious choice because he was
deemed Major League ready straight out of the draft but the Yankees have not
been historically aggressive with their minor league players. For every Ian
Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain there were the others who stayed in the minor
leagues for far too long thus reversing any development they had. Mix that in
with the fact that the Yankees already have six or seven options for the
starting rotation on the active roster and the fact that Kaprielian does not have
a 40 man roster spot on a suddenly overcrowded roster means that Kap may not be
the first time come up.
What about Holder, the pick that shocked the fans at the end
of the first round and left many scratching their heads as to what Brian
Cashman and his group of trusted associates were actually thinking there.
Holder, a shortstop by trade, runs into the same familiar position that
Kaprielian finds himself in. Holder plays a position that is seemingly blocked
for a long, long time by Didi Gregorius. A switch to second base wouldn’t even
help Holder at this point as Starlin Castro seems to have the lockdown on that
spot for the next five seasons so maybe third base is in Holder’s future? If it
is it will take Holder more than a season or two to learn the position while
develop enough with the bat to justify his placement there. Remember Holder was
taken as a raw prospect despite going to college because he recently switched
to baseball full-time, although his defense is said to be ready and elite.
So if it’s not Kaprielian and it’s not Holder and it’s not a
player like Jeff Degano who simply doesn’t have the professional innings to
make a serious run at the big leagues then who? Well I have two options and it
seems like both will be in a sprint towards the Bronx as soon as this summer if
all goes according to plan. Chance Adams was drafted in the 5th
round by the Yankees while Will Carter was drafted in the 14th round
for the Yankees and are both right-handed pitchers. Adams is 21-years old and
has already dominated at three levels of the minor leagues for New York
starting in Staten Island and finishing the season with five games with the
High-A Tampa Yankees. If Adams continues his dominance he could be at Double-A
Trenton within a month or so and Triple-A by the All Star Game.
Adams posted a combined 35.1 innings in his debut season
with 45 strikeouts, nine walks, a 1.78 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and a 32.2 K/9 ratio as
his 95-96 MPH fastball and sharp slider were on full display. Meanwhile Carter
was drafted as a starting pitcher out of the University of Alabama and
immediately converted into a relief pitcher after struggling with the Crimson
Tide. Carter started with the Staten Island Yankees after being drafted last
season and posted a 2.04 ERA in 17.2 innings with 13 K’s and nine walks. Carter
struggles with his command but showcases a fastball that touches 97 MPH and
above as a relief pitcher which generates a ton of ground balls. Carter induces
almost 60% of his outs on the ground which can help when he is in the zone and
not walking batters. Control will always be Carter’s biggest issue though and
until or unless he fixes that he will always be one step behind Adams in the
race for the Major Leagues in 2016.
Cliff Lee Gets More Specific on the “Perfect Fit”
Earlier this winter a team of doctors cleared former
Philadelphia Phillies left-handed starting pitcher Cliff Lee to pitch again in
the Major Leagues after a pair of scary elbow and arm injuries in 2014 and
2015. Lee was bought out of his contract with the Phillies and allowed to hit
free agency at 37-years old leaving many to wonder if he would simply retire
rather than give it another go. Lee responded to these rumors and speculations
by saying that he would have to have the “perfect fit” to come back to the
Major Leagues in 2016 and if he didn’t find it he would be content with simply
riding off into the sunset with his family into retirement. There hasn’t been
much Cliff Lee chatter since but this week Lee got a little more specific on
just what the “perfect fit” is for him and his family.
Lee, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, wants to
pitch for a contender in 2016. Lee is also said to be asking for a high base salary
despite his health questions rather than a smaller deal with incentives written
into the contract like many pitchers at this stage would sign after not
pitching in a MLB game since August of 2014. Many teams have shown interest in
Lee including the New York Yankees, the Houston Astros, the Toronto Blue Jays,
the Baltimore Orioles, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Texas Rangers and the Kansas
City Royals but all teams involved are worried about his readiness to pitch
again at the big league level.
The high base salary may scare off the Yankees and their
owner Hal Steinbrenner but New York is one of the few teams that intends on
competing in 2016 while also having the flexibility both on the roster and
fiscally to take such a chance on Lee. I’m not sure the same can be said for
teams like the Pirates, Orioles, Blue Jays and Royals after the way this winter
has gone down and the way most of these teams have thrown money around already
this offseason.
Sure there are rumors that Lee is not comfortable pitching
in New York, he already once turned down a seven year deal worth $148 million
from Yankees GM Brian Cashman, and sure there are reports that his wife Kristen
was not happy with the Yankees fans but it could still happen. It especially
could still happen if not too many teams come knocking on Lee’s door as we inch
closer to spring training. You have to have a short memory as a pitcher,
hopefully that extends both on the field and off the field for the Yankees and
Lee so they can come to a mutual agreement.
Justin Upton, the Tigers and Fantasy Baseball
If you leave defensive metrics out of the discussion the
best offensive free agent this winter may have been Justin Upton and not Jason
Heyward. Obviously both players will play the outfield for much or the duration
of their contracts so you have to include the defensive metrics but still Upton
was a catch and the Detroit Tigers got him on a huge six-year deal. Upton, who
is no defensive slouch himself mind you, will join the lineup in Detroit that
already showcases Miguel Cabrera and Ian Kinsler which should help the Tigers
immensely as they look to climb back to the top of the American League Central
Division. Upton will help the Tigers both offensively in defensively when the
team plays this season but how much will he help your fantasy team?
Last season while hitting in Major League Baseball’s
equivalent of Yellowstone National Park (if you don’t get the reference Petco
Park, like Yellowstone, is HUGE) Upton managed to hit for just a .251 batting
average and .790 OPS with 26 home runs and stole 19 bases in what many deemed
as a down year for the 28-year old. While the batting average isn’t exactly
where you’d like it the home runs, defense and stolen bases is where you get
your value out of Upton. Upton’s 26 home runs in 2015 marked the third
consecutive year he hit at least 26 homers and the fifth time in the last seven
years he has done so. His power is consistent, even inside the biggest parks around
the league.
Upton has not been on great teams over the past few years
and has seen his RBI total shrink to about 80 RBI per season with 85 runs
scored but that’s a product of the team around him and not him as much. Playing
with a stacked lineup around him in Detroit should help with both of those
numbers as they both likely climb above 100 during the 2016 season. Upton
strikes out a ton, more so than ever actually, but he takes his walks, hits for
power and hits it to the gaps. You can live with the strikeouts if a player
does that making Upton a second or third round pick in my opinion.
Upton will be the second hottest Upton commodity in Detroit
this season behind the beautiful Kate Upton but he should be first on your
fantasy team. If you see him then get him as early as you can. I wouldn’t let
him slide past the second or early third round personally but I expect big
things out of him inside Comerica Park in 2016. Hitting behind Anthony Gose and
Ian Kinsler and hitting in front of Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and JD
Martinez will only help Upton even if Comerica will likely hurt him just a tad.
Pete Rose to Be Inducted into Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame
Major League Baseball may never open their doors for this
man but the Cincinnati Reds are opening up their Hall of Fame to the Hit King,
Mr. Pete Rose. The Cincinnati Reds announced the upcoming induction this week
barely a month after MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the league
would not reinstate him into the game. Convenient timing.
Rose, now 74-years old, will be inducted into the Reds Hall
of Fame sometime over the June 24-26th weekend in Cincinnati. Rose
will be the sole inductee and will join 85 other members in the Hall including
former “Big Red Machine” teammates Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez.
The team will also retire Rose’s #14 jersey.
The Reds and their chief executive Bob Castellini call this
a “defining moment” in the franchise’s history. We’ll see. Outside of
Cincinnati I’m not sure how many people would agree. I’m indifferent.
This Day in New York Yankees History 1/22: Masahiro Tanaka to the Yankees
It was on this day way, way back in 2014 when Japanese righty Masahiro Tanaka accepted the offer from the New York Yankees of seven years and $155 million. This would mark the fifth largest deal ever given to a pitcher and would also be the largest sum of money ever given to a Japanese player. New York also was on the hook for the $20 million posting fee given to the Rakuten Golden Eagles.
Also on this day in 1982 Reggie Jackson signed a free agent deal with the California Angels ending his New York Yankees career after five seasons. Jackson signed a four year deal worth nearly $4 million after winning the 1977 and 1978 World Series with the Yankees and reaching the playoffs four times.
Finally on this day in 1913 the New York Giants agree to share the Polo Grounds with the New York Highlanders. The Highlanders, who played in the American League and will soon become known as the Yankees, had been playing their games at Hilltop Park ever since the franchise moved from Baltimore to New York.
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