Monday, June 6, 2016

Beltran's Late Inning Heroics Lift Yanks Over Angels, 5-2

     On a breezy night in the Bronx, the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim squared off in game one of a four-game series. New York sent ace Masahiro Tanaka(3-1, 2.78 ERA) to the mound to face the Halos. On the mound for Los Angeles was the curious case of Matt Shoemaker. Shoemaker has an elevated ERA of 5.30, but has set an Angel record of pitching three consecutive games with 10+ strikeouts and is on the brink of making MLB history if he could record at least eight strikeouts with no walks for the fourth consecutive game. But, some clutch hitting and another solid Tanaka outing led New York to a game one win.
     The Angels got the scoring going in the top of the first inning when Tanaka allowed a leadoff single to Yunel Escobar, who scored on a single dumped into centerfield off the bat of Albert Pujols, making it a very early one run Angel lead. In the top of the third, LA extended their lead even farther when Tanaka allowed a ground rule double to former Yankee Gregorio Petit. Escobar then bunted Petit to third and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Kole Calhoun, 2-0 Angels. To make matters worse, the Yankees had to burn their challenge on a call of "out" when Jacoby Ellsbury tried to steal second base in the first. The call on the field was upheld despite the fact that Ellsbury was CLEARLY safe. Then, in the third inning, Mike Trout was CLEARLY out on a steal of second base but was called safe. But, Girardi and New York could not challenge due to the fact that they lost the ability to challenge in the first. It's hard enough to watch the game when the Yankees are struggling to score as much as they are recently. When the umpiring staff makes blatantly obvious mistakes like this, it makes it even worse.
     On the other side of the ball, the Yankees were making an all star out of Matt Shoemaker, who had a minuscule pitch count of 46 beginning this sixth inning. It wasn't until the bottom of the seventh that the Yankees got to Shoemaker, where Brian McCann and Starlin Castro hit back-to-back upper deck bombs that tied the game at two. And then, in the bottom of the eighth inning, Shoemaker allowed one out singles to Jacoby Ellsbury, his third hit of the night, and Brett Gardner. Carlos Beltran ended his night when he dbelted a long three run blast to right that gave the Yankees a 5-2 lead, where the score would remain for the duration.
     The Yankees will look to keep it going tomorrow night in game two against the angels, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM ET.

Live Game Updates: Angels at Yankees - 6/6

8:06 p.m., End 3rd: Bad start for the Yankees tonight. They trail the Angels so far 2-0, having recorded just two hits across the first three frames.

8:29 p.m., End 5th: Yankees haven't put a baserunner on since the second. They go down 1-2-3 again in the fifth, as their already ice-cold offense somehow continues to get worse.

9:15 p.m., End 7th: Out of nowhere, the Yankees tie the game in the seventh with back-to-back two-out solo shots by Brian McCann and Starlin Castro. Just like that, it's a brand new ballgame in the Bronx.

9:40 p.m., End 8th: Big hit! After Angels starter Matt Schoemaker exits with men on the corners and two outs, Carlos Beltran crushes a three-run home run to right off lefty reliever Jose Alvarez. Yankees now lead 5-2 and it's up to Aroldis Chapman to close it out in the ninth.

9:47 p.m., Mid 9th: Chapman seals the victory with a 1-2-3 ninth. Yankees take the opener of this seven-game homestand.

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 6/6


Home Sweet Home. The New York Yankees have finally made their way back home to the Bronx and New York to play host to Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and the rest of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound looking to get this series off on the right foot with a victory while the Angels will counter with a very productive pitcher of their own in Matt Shoemaker. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

No flash gimmicks to get you to buy Yankees tickets and no plugging our Twitter handle, @GreedyStripes if you please, just a declaration of victory. Go Yankees!

ICYMI: Giants Considering a Run at Andrew Miller

Will the Yankees trade Andrew Miller this summer and would they trade him to the San Francisco Giants? Would the Giants top pitching prospect Tyler Beede be enough to acquire the Yankees left-hander and again, would the Yankees want to make the move?

This is how you jump start a rebuild Yankees family but it means the team won't compete in 2016 or 2017. If you're okay with that, and truthfully I am, then Beede would be a great addition to the Yankees staff. If not then you need to hold onto Miller.

Most Popular Article of the Week: The Case For and Against Trading Carlos Beltran


To date the New York Yankees 2016 season has been one step forward and two steps back. Every time the team gets on a roll against a string of good teams they seemingly lay down against the teams they should beat on paper and now find themselves in a hole that may be too insurmountable to climb out of. The hard decisions will need to be made soon as the August 1st trade deadline approaches and many executives in the Yankees front office need to start deciding on who should stay and who should go. One of those members of the team that the organization will have to make a decision on is Carlos Beltran so let’s look at the pros and cons of trading the veteran right fielder and future Hall of Fame player.

The case for a trade:
The Yankees aren’t going anywhere in 2016 and this adds prospects and/or Major League ready talent to the organization while paving the way for more playing time for Aaron Hicks and the eventual call up of Aaron Judge. 

The Yankees team gets younger, more versatile and cheaper with any deal. Even if the Yankees end up eating salary. 

Beltran has still shown an ability to be productive meaning the Yankees could get something meaningful back in return for the rental. 

I know I said it once but Aaron Judge. Aaron Judge. 


The case against a trade:
Beltran reportedly always wanted to be a Yankee which may tarnish the reputation of the club that trades him in some circles. Not all, but some. 

The team is still in contention for a second Wild Card spot and trading away one of their most consistent hitters does not help that cause and may look foolish if the team goes on a second half run like they have been known to do in years past. 

Trading Beltran throws the “World Series contending team” mantra out the window and finally confirms what we already knew, the Yankees are rebuilding. 


Beltran is willing to talk waiving his no-trade clause if approached and can only block a trade to 15 teams anyway so it seems like all the planets are aligning for a trade of Beltran this summer. Will the Yankees be able to pull the trigger though and what would they get in return? That’s anyone’s guess at this point. Stay tuned.

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 6/6


The New York Yankees have finally returned to the Bronx and back to the great state of New York to play host to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim inside Yankee Stadium. Today is the official kick star of HOPE Week where the Yankees showcase individuals or charities that are in need and deserve the showcase from the organization for their charitable actions. In the game tonight the Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound to kick off the series and the home stand while the Angels counter with Matt Shoemaker.

Tanaka has been absolutely lights out in his last three starts for the Yankees and will look to make it four in a row tonight in the Bronx. In Tanaka's last three starts the right-hander has posted a 2-1 record with a 0.90 ERA with 10 K's. 

Shoemaker has been dominant as of late allowing just a total of four runs in his last three starts combined. In that time period Shoemaker has struck out 31 batters in 22.2 innings and it has been 33 strikeouts since Shoemakers last walk. This is going to be a tough one for the Yankees tonight.


The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. HOPE Week, the Yankees ace on the mound and the first time being back in the Bronx for quite some time. It sounds like the stars are aligning for a Yankees victory, now go get us all one.

Go Yankees!!

HOPE WEEK: What Is It, When Did It Start?


The New York Yankees kick off HOPE Week this week at Yankee Stadium with another week filled with charity showcases and good intentions as the Yankees give back to the community. HOPE Week, or Helping Others Persevere & Excel Week, started in 2009 with the goal of "performing acts of goodwill to provide encouragement to more than just the recipient of the gesture."

Here are a few examples of what the Yankees have done during HOPE Week via wiki:


2009

In 2009, the program, which ran from July 20–24, honored a United States Army veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division who lost use of his arms and legs to Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS). The veteran and his wife and son were invited to watch batting practice from the field before the game. They were surprised by a party in a suite in Yankee Stadium with several players and their friends and family.[5]

Several Yankees surprised two men who overcame learning and developmental diseases at their place of work at a law firm in New York, where they are mail room employees.[6]Other Yankees visited a sixth-grade Little Leaguer who has cerebral palsy but helps coach his team.[7][8] After the July 24th game, the Yankees hosted a nighttime carnival for people from Camp Sundown, which is for those who suffer from Xeroderma Pigmentosum, a rare disease in which the body cannot repair cells damaged by UV light; sufferers have to avoid exposure to sunlight.[9] The kids arrived at the game after sundown, but because of a rain delay, the game had not started, so they saw the game and did the event with the Yankees until sunrise.[10]
2010[edit]

2010

The 2010 program ran from August 16–20. Manager Joe Girardi visited Jane Lang, a blind woman who attends about 30 Yankees game a season, at her home and invited her to meet the players at that evening's game.[11][12] A man from Sierra Leone, who has provided for his family since he was eight, immigrated to the U.S., and received a scholarship to go to college threw out the ceremonial first pitch before a game, while a 13-year-old quadruple amputee was thrown a pool party with several Yankees.[13]
2011[edit]

2011

In 2011, the Yankees held a barbecue with children from Tuesday's Children, an organization that supports children who lost parents on September 11th.[14] Several Yankees (including Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and CC Sabathia) took survivors of the 2010 Haiti earthquake on a tour of New York City and met Archbishop Timothy Dolan.[15] Other Yankees went to a Broadway performance by a 27-year-old who survived five brain aneurysms.[16]
What will the Yankees do this season? You have to stay tuned to find out as the team doesn't release the details in advance. It's all a surprise. The great thing about it is that the players, managers, coaches and personnel all get involved making it a truly unique and awesome experience. That's what the Evil Empire does and I wish there were more like us. 

Weekly Check In: Jake Cave


No more Nick Swisher ladies and gentleman. The Yankees have seemingly given up on the former 2009 World Series champion and hero and moved on to Chris Parmelee and others at first base in the Bronx. Another player the team seemingly moved past only to get back from the Cincinnati Reds in the Rule 5 Draft is the focus of our weekly check in post for this Monday morning. Let's see what Jake Cave has been up to since coming back to the Yankees.

Here's his stat line:

YearAgeLevGPARH2BHRRBISBBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
201623AA-AAA4820128541552631443.293.348.522.870
201623AA271161230831731028.288.353.510.863
201623AAA218516247290415.300.341.538.879

This Day in New York Yankees History 6/6: Welcome Back, Ichiro!



On this day in 2013 the Seattle Mariners welcomed back Ichiro Suzuki to Safeco Field for the first time this year since being traded to the New York Yankees at the end of the 2012 season. Ichiro was traded in 2012 while the Yankees were in Seattle but no festivities could be planned with that little notice. Ichiro had a .322 average in 12 seasons as a member of the Mariners.


Also on this day in 1999 Derek Jeter's streak of reaching base safely in 54 consecutive games comes to an end against the New York Mets. The Mets would win the game 7-2 in Yankee Stadium and keep Jeter off the base paths with no walks or hits. This game would also end the streak of 20 consecutive wins, an American League record, for Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens.


Also on this day in 1990 Stump Merrill replaced Bucky Dent as the manager of the New York Yankees. Merrill spent two years in the Yankees dugout and compiled a 120-155 record before being fired after the 1991 season and replaced by Buck Showalter.


Also on this day in 1971 the New York Yankees fans broke Yankee Stadium during a rally against the Kansas City Royals, literally. The Yankees hosted Bat Day on this day and every child received a youth sized Bobby Murder wooden Louisville Slugger replica bat. All the fans began banging their bats in unison during a 5-2 Yankees victory and caused pieces of concrete to fall into the lower levels of the stadium.


Also on this day in 1934 Myril Hoag became the first New York Yankee in franchise history to have six hits in one game. Hoag also set a major league record with all six hits being singles in the same game. The Yankees would rout the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on this day 15-3.


Finally on this day in 1913 the New York Yankees lose at the Polo Grounds 2-1 for their 13th consecutive game without a victory. The Yankees have 12 losses and a 3-3 tie with the Boston Red Sox in the last two weeks of baseball. The Yankees set a franchise worst record of 9-34 to start the season.