So Maybe I Was Wrong About Luke Voit

Insert foot in mouth, followed up by a healthy serving of crow. That’s what is on the agenda for me today as I make my not-so-triumphant return to the blog. I have to admit it, I was completely and utterly wrong, as of today anyway, about Luke Voit.

As we enter play on this last day of April, the Yankees first baseman is hitting .283/.397/.538/.935 with eight home runs, 25 RBI, 30 hits in 106 at-bats, and has a 0.8 WAR already. This came after I, Daniel Burch, was very much on-board with trading high on the current MLB Player of the Week. I made mention more than once this offseason that the Yankees should sell high on Voit and bring in another first baseman, and I was wrong.

Where would the Yankees be right now if it were not for Voit getting on base every day for nearly 40 straight games now? Where would the Yankees be if they relied heavily on Greg Bird once again and his ailing lower half in 2019? Where would the Yankees be if it were not for, another point of contention for me this winter, what seems to be Voit’s improved defense over at first base and knack for absolutely clobbering the crap out of the ball to the deepest part of almost every ballpark that he plays in?

Not where they are today.

Here is a better question for you. Where would the Yankees be, and I mean specifically this current crop of players, without Luke Voit’s leadership role that he has taken on and his warm embraces after a victory? You want to talk about leading a young group of guys and having fun while the team is winning? We haven’t seen that on this team, to this degree, since Nick Swisher was with the club back in 2009.

I’m not comparing the two teams, but you know what? Maybe I am comparing the two men. Clubhouse wise. Leadership wise. Personality wise. Yankee wise.

Luke, no one is happier than I am to gladly and fully admit that I was 100% wrong about you as a player. Keep proving me wrong, and I’ll keep appreciating it every step of the way.

photo credit: River Ave Blues

Also, a quick shout out to River Ave Blues on their final day. If it weren’t for publications and groups like you, I would likely not be here today, so I am forever grateful for Mike Axisa and his crew for all their hard work and generosity throughout the years. You will truly be missed.

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Brett Gardner

The New York Yankees may or may not be cheap, may or may not be trying to win a World Series in 2019, may or may not have been on Bryce Harper and Manny Machado all along, but one thing you cannot say about this organization is that it is not loyal. Ask Brett Gardner. Gardner lost his starting job in 2018 and was still re-signed for the 2019 season, presumably to see the bulk of the starting time in left field. Let’s meet the longest current tenured Yankees player on the team, Mr. Brett Gardner.

Brett Gardner, 35-years old, is a left-handed outfielder that has predominantly played center field and left field for the New York Yankees. Gardner has an uppercut swing that can produce 10-20 home run power inside of Yankee Stadium along with an exceptionally patient approach at the plate. Gardner, standing at 5’11” and weighing in at 195 lbs., will work the count, see a lot of pitches, and take his walks when they are given to him making him the perfect candidate to either hit at the top of the Yankees batting order, or towards the bottom to give the Yankees two lead-off type options back-to-back.

Brett Michael Gardner was born on August 24, 1983 in Holly Hill, South Carolina where he attended Holly Hill Academy and played for the school’s baseball team. Gardner was not given a scholarship to attend college and instead walked on at the College of Charleston in 2001. Gardner won a spot on the team and became a three-year starter for the College of Charleston Cougars before the New York Yankees drafted the speedy outfielder in the third round, 109^th overall, of the 2005 MLB First Year Players Draft. Gardner received a $210,000 signing bonus and immediate began his professional career in the New York-Penn League.

Gardner was a Florida State League All-Star in 2006 with the Tampa Yankees and by 2007, despite missing time with a broken hand, Gardner made it all the way to Triple-A and the Arizona Fall League. Gardner was on the cusp of the big leagues in 2008 and would finally receive that promotion call on June 30 to make his MLB debut against the Texas Rangers. The Yankees would later acquire outfielder Xavier Nady, thus pushing Gardner back down to the Minor Leagues, in 2008, although Brett was called back up later and finished the season in New York. Gardner impressed the Yankees in 2008 and continued to do so in the spring of 2009, winning the Opening Day center field job for the club. Gardner helped lead the Yankees to the 2009 World Series championship over the Philadelphia Phillies. Gardner was shifted to left field starting in 2010 and won a Fielding Bible Award there. Gardner was named the Yankees lead-off hitter starting in 2011, although he struggled in the role and was demoted to the bottom third of the order until an injury to Derek Jeter forced him back to the top of the lineup. Gardner won his second consecutive Fielding Bible Award in 2011 and also led the American League in stolen bases with 49, tying Coco Crisp.

Gardner underwent right elbow surgery on July 24, 2012 to remove a bone spur and some inflamed tissue and his season was in jeopardy. Gardner was able to return to the club after a setback in his rehab and finished the season playing just 16 games for the Yankees, posting a .323 average with two stolen bases and three RBI. Gardner returned to center field in 2013 after Curtis Granderson fractured his right forearm during a spring training game, and after the season the Yankees center fielder earned a four-year extension worth $52 million from the team beginning in 2015. Gardner rewarded the Yankees with a strong 2014 season and a career high in home runs with 17, all despite a rectus abdominis muscle injury that hampered him for much of the second half of the season and the same injury that required surgery after the year. Gardner was named an American League All-Star reserve in 2015 and won his first Gold Glove Award in 2016 as a left fielder.

Gardner was an integral part of the Yankees 2017 season and their march to the ALCS against the Houston Astros. The Yankees would get within one game of the World Series before falling to the eventual World Series champion Houston Astros. Gardner began taking a step back in 2018 as Father Time may have begun to catch up with the speedy Yankees left fielder. Gardner saw his playing time decrease after the Yankees acquired Andrew McCutchen and saw his statistics drop to an all-time low as an everyday player. Gardner’s team option was declined for the 2019 season, but the team ultimately brought him back for at least one more season, signing him to a one-year deal worth $7.5 million. Now Gardner will look to turn things around and finish his career strong, either as an everyday left fielder for the Yankees, in a platoon with a guy like Clint Frazier, or on the bench behind a guy like (dream big or don’t dream at all) Bryce Harper.

Good luck Gardy, I look forward to the Gardy Party all season long…

Meet the 2019 Yankees: CC Sabathia

“That’s for you, bitch.” I may or may not have imagined the Yankees and their GM, Brian Cashman, saying this as they offered CC Sabathia a one-year deal to anchor the Yankees rotation here in 2019. CC is a grizzly veteran and a great clubhouse presence that everyone around the league, players and fans alike, not only know, but respect as well. We don’t really need to re-introduce you to Mr. Sabathia, so we will more just check in with the big Yankees lefty.

CC Sabathia, 38-years old, is a veteran left-handed starting pitcher for the New York Yankees that is expected to anchor the rotation here in 2019 as the team’s fifth starter. CC will go out to the mound every fifth day or so and look to give the Yankees at least five innings of work with his 89 MPH cutter, 81 MPH slider, 91 MPH sinker, 84 MPH changeup and some impeccable command and control. CC is a big man, standing 6’6” and weighing in at 300 lbs. prior to his weight loss this winter, and comes with constant concerns about his right knee and the lack of cartilage surrounding it.

Carsten Charles “CC” Sabathia was born on July 21, 1980 in Vallejo, California where he attended Vallejo High School and played baseball for the school’s team while also playing football and basket as well. Sabathia was a pitcher in high school in baseball and a tight end in football, drawing scholarship opportunities from UCLA and Hawaii. Hawaii gave Sabathia the opportunity to play both football and baseball, so Sabathia signed a letter of intent to play there during his collegiate career. Instead, the Cleveland Indians came calling in the first round, 20^th overall, of the 1998 MLB First Year Players Draft, signing for $1.3 million. Sabathia would make his MLB debut with the Indians by the 2001 season and stayed with the Indians until the 2008 season when Cleveland moved the big left-hander to the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade. On July 7, 2008 the Indians traded Sabathia to the playoff-hopeful Brewers for Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, Zach Jackson and Rob Bryson. Sabathia dominated down the stretch and led the Brewers into the NLDS, but Milwaukee would eventually falter and fall to the eventual World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies. Sabathia would hit the free agent market for the first time in his career at the conclusion of the 2008 season.

On December 18, 2008 the New York Yankees agreed to sign the big left-hander to a seven-year deal worth $161 million, the biggest contract ever given to a pitcher at the time. Sabathia was named the Yankees Opening Day starter in 2009 as the team opened up the newest version of Yankee Stadium. Sabathia, along with new arrivals in AJ Burnett, Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira, led the Yankees to a World Series championship in his first season, the team’s 27^th World Series championship in their history. Sabathia pitched well again in 2010, finishing third in the AL Cy Young Award vote, but his offseason was disrupted after a scan found a torn meniscus in his right knee. Sabathia was the Yankees Opening Day starter for the third year in a row in 2011, fresh off recovering from his torn meniscus surgery, with a little added pressure on the big lefty. Sabathia had an opt-out clause written into his contract that would have allowed Sabathia to opt-out of his deal after the 2011 season, but Sabathia made it clear that he had no intentions of doing so. Instead, Sabathia signed an extension with the Yankees worth an additional year and $25 million in salary, along with a $25 million vesting option for the 2018 season.

Another year in 2012 and another Opening Day start for Sabathia and for the New York Yankees. Sabathia was also named to his third consecutive All-Star Game with the Yankees in 2012, but a strained abductor muscle kept the lefty out of the game. Sabathia led the Yankees to the ALCS, but New York could not overcome a broken ankle from their captain and shortstop, Derek Jeter, and ultimately fell to the Detroit Tigers. After the season, Sabathia has surgery on his left elbow to remove bone spurs and was ready for the start of the 2013 season, another Opening Day start. Sabathia had to learn how to pitch with diminished velocity in 2013, and it was not always an easy transition. Sabathia struggled throughout the season after dropping 40 lbs. but did see flashes of improvement as he moved towards the 2014 season. His 2014 season was cut short, though, after learning that CC had a degenerative knee condition that cost him all but eight of his starts in 2014. The Yankees initially worried that CC needed microfracture surgery on the knee, a surgery that would have essentially ended his career, and were pleased with the relatively good news.

CC returned to the mound in 2015 fresh off the degenerative knee condition diagnosis still trying to learn to pitch without being able to rear back and blow away opposing hitters with his fastball. Sabathia had his worst statistical season of his career this year, but he improved after coming back towards the end of the season with a new brace on his knee. CC pitched the Yankees into the 2015 postseason, but the team ultimately lost the Wild Card Game against the Houston Astros. CC missed the game after checking himself into a rehabilitation center after a struggle with alcoholism became too much for him to handle on his own. Sabathia continued to improve with his pitching in 2016 after the surgery before seeing his career revitalized in 2017. CC posted his best statistical season since 2012 back in 2017 and ended up finishing the season with a 14-5 record and a 3.69 ERA with 120 strikeouts in 148.2 innings pitched. CC pitched the Yankees to the American League Championship Series before ultimately losing to the Houston Astros in seven games. Sabathia became a free agent after the season and quickly agreed to a one-year deal worth $10 million for the 2018 season.

CC continued to finesse his way through his starts in 2018, well until a pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays, Andrew Kittredge, threw at the head of Austin Romine. In response, CC hit the Rays catcher Jesus Sucre and was seen leaving the field pointing into the Rays dugout yelling “That’s for you, bitch!” CC was suspended for five games and will serve the suspension at the beginning of the 2019 season after agreeing to return to the New York Yankees on a one-year deal worth $8 million. CC is the heart and soul of this pitching staff, both on and off the field, in my opinion and is an asset worth $8 million tenfold. We all love you, CC, and we can’t wait to see what you bring us here in 2019.

…But is Cole Hamels REALLY an Option in July?

Earlier this week, albeit sarcastically, I declared it “trade season” in Major League Baseball and for the New York Yankees. While I believe it is still a little too early to start making concrete plans for the trading deadline before the calendar even strikes June, I think it may be safe to remove one player particularly from the Yankees wish list. His name is Cole Hamels and he was the starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers last night against the Yankees.

Cole Hamels is intriguing. Hamels is a veteran pitcher now pitching at 34-years old, and a pitcher with a ton of postseason experience including the 2008 World Series where Hamels won the MVP award. Hamels can still be an elite pitcher, not every fifth night but from time-to-time and is still throwing in the low 90 MPH with a devastating changeup. The Yankees would presumably love to add Hamels to their postseason push and to the mix, but Hal Steinbrenner is not likely to sign off on any acquisition for the Rangers left-hander. Why? Money.

Steinbrenner has stated the Yankees will keep payroll under the $197 million luxury tax threshold this season no matter what. Hamels is due to make $23 million in 2018 and would come with a $20 million club option or $6 million buyout for the 2019 season. Sure, with a trade the Yankees would only be on the hook for around $13.7 million of that, a prorated $7.7 million if the trade were to happen on July 31 plus the $6 million buyout, but that leaves New York a lot closer to the threshold cusp than they would like to be. The Yankees would have to pay more if they were to acquire him before July 31, that’s the way prorating works, and there will be plenty of competition for him making him equally as expensive in terms of prospects.

This is all before you remember that Hamels can veto ANY deal to 20 teams this July, including the New York Yankees. Hamels may make the financial decision a moot point, who is to say that Hamels even wants to come to New York? Hamels has his World Series ring, so he may or may not be chasing a ring, or another shot in the postseason. Hamels may be content just pitching the rest of the season in Texas for all we know. Hamels may want to return to Philadelphia. We just don’t know!

Thankfully NJ.com did an interview with Hamels this week while the team was in Texas and there were a few nuggets that came out of the Q&A. Here are a few questions and answers, for the entire list head over to NJ.com and read their amazing write up on Hamels and his potential trip to the Bronx.

Q: Are you aware that a lot of Yankee fans are bringing your name up quite a bit thinking that you're going to the final piece to their next championship?

Hamels: “Shoot, I helped them get a World Series in ‘09, so I’m sure they like me! … No, no. I understand it. It’s kind of the nature of what happens, and I think anytime you get traded once, you understand that the possibilities are there. And as you get older if you’re able to play well and keep of what I know I’m capable of doing, then it’s each year you could be on a different team hunting down a postseason. So, it’s kind of the nature of where I think I am in my career and in the contract and in the situation. (The Yankees) have a tremendous team. So really looking at them, it’s some of the best baseball is now being able to watch the Yankees and Boston and I think that’s just exciting for baseball fans in general and the game and the scope of it now creates with that drama that they’ve always had in their history. It’s been good to see.”

Q: You've always been super competitive. How important is it for you to be in a playoff race as opposed to just pitching?

Hamels: "I think you always look at it as you want to win every game that you go out and play. And then there’s a lot of games that I don’t get to play in, and you want to be able to see the sort of winning environment, that sort of atmosphere, the excitement from everybody. I think that’s kind of the energy that now has being created over in the AL East with those guys."

Q: Cliff Lee chose the Phillies over the Yankees when he was a free agent after the 2010 season. (Lee brought up his wife being harassed at Yankee Stadium in his signing presser with the Phillies). How do you feel about New York?

Hamels: “Actually, that’s not really the truth. I think it was between the Phillies and Texas truthfully. I don’t think the Yankees really had that sort of opportunity (to sign Lee in 2010). Knowing Cliff, it was Phillies and Texas. For me, it’s to play baseball. This is where I wanted to be. I’m fortunate enough to be here, and we made pretty good runs in ‘15 and ‘16. Last year was kind of tough. This year we’re working through some things. But for me, it’s just to go out there and play. This is the team I enjoy the most to be a part of. But I think you just have to look at it and it is what it is. I don’t really necessarily make the decisions or point the direction of what we’re trying to do or what ownership and management is trying to do. I’m just one piece that’s trying to help win ballgames. It’s a matter of being here and doing what I can until there’s a different situation or the time has come. So, I don’t really get to affect it as much as I think people think.”

Q: Why did you pick the Yankees as a team that you could block from trading for you?

Hamels: “It’s just a list. Really, it’s just kind of like heads up. So, I think what it really comes down to is it’s something that’s there. It just kind of provides a little bit more information, a little bit more bargaining power. That’s kind of really what that entails. But at the end of the day, situations kind of come up and I think everybody understands what can transpire. It’s just kind of a formality. I don’t think it’s anything that kind of needs to be looked into too deeply. I love it here (in Texas) and I’d love to be able to win here. But if management changes the direction, (getting traded) is just an opportunity to win and get to October. I think that’s the real baseball. That’s kind of where you test your skills the most.”

Q: Did you get to know Yankees manager Aaron Boone from his days at ESPN? Have you been interested to see how he's doing with no manager experience?

Hamels: “I think knowing his personality, and I know with him being around baseball so long, I don’t think you have to look at it as inexperienced. I think he was born and bred into baseball, so I think he would know better than anybody you don’t need a college degree to move around lineups and know momentum and who’s better matching up. The initiative of just being who he is has been pretty good. And he’s got a pretty good team to be able to manage too, so I think that helps."

Q: What's it going to be like facing the Yankees with Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge?

Hamels: “I didn’t get to face them last year. I think I was on the DL during the two times we played the Yankees. It was unfortunate because it’s always fun to pitch against the Yankees and especially in that sort of (atmosphere). But they do have a lot of power, so you just have to limit the damage. Solo home runs are probably the key. If you’re going to give up 500-foot home runs, try to make sure they’re solo and they’re not bunched together in fours and fives. Like anybody, there’s holes (in their lineup) and you just have to exploit it and you have to be able to locate. I think really what it comes down to, it’s a chess match and you try to study up as possible. But really at the end of the day you have to execute, and whoever executes the best and the most often comes away with the win.”

Q: You joked about blowing the 2009 World Series. Does your (five-run, 4 1/3-inning) performance in Game 3 still bug you?

Hamels: “The opportunity that I was given … I was a lot of runs early and to not be able to hold that (3-0) lead. The series was even. To not be able to hold that lead, I think it as kind of a pivotal moment and that kind of changes the tide in a series, especially when you’re home. So, I think that kind of always leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, especially against the Yankees. You always want to go to the postseason and beat the Yankees. I think that was kind of how I grew up (in San Diego). I got to watch all those (1990s and 2000) Yankees teams win as a kid, especially when they took down the hometown Padres (in 1998). You always want to try to get one on ‘em, but they got me (in 2009). I wasn’t able to solidify the job and then I didn’t have an opportunity for a Game 7 (because the Yankees won in six games). Who knows what would have happened if I had even been there (in Game 7). It wasn’t a very good postseason for me. It definitely taught me a lot. If that didn’t happen, I wouldn’t have the type of pitches that I have (now) and the repertoire and obviously that toughness.”

So, will Hamels end up in the Bronx? Maybe. Stay tuned.

Breaking News: Roy Halladay Dead

More as the story develops but it looks like Roy Halladay has passed after his plane was found crashed this afternoon. Rest in peace to Roy and our prayers and condolences go out to his friends, family, loved ones and the baseball community. So sad to lose one of our own.

Update:

The plane registered to Halladay crashed in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Halladay was found dead at the scene. Halladay was 40-years old.

No details about how many others, if any, were injured or killed were released after the crashed happened shortly after noon today.

This Day in New York Yankees History 10/25: 2009 Yankees Reach World Series

On this day in 2009 the Yankees would win their 40th American League pennant in their storied history with a victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This will end a six year drought in the World Series for the Yankees as they would take on the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2009 Fall Classic. This would be the Yankees first World Series win since their victory over the Mets in the 2000 Subway World Series.

On this day in 2000 Mike Piazza, yes I know a member of the Mets, became the first player in World Series history to hit a home run in both Shea Stadium and Yankees Stadium. Piazza hit the home run off of Yankees starter Denny Neagle in a 3-2 Mets loss in Game 4.


On this day in 1939 Joe DiMaggio would win his first MVP award of his career. DiMaggio beat out Jimmy Foxx and Bob Feller easily for the American League award with 15 of the 24 first place votes. DiMaggio would also win the award in 1941 and 1947 as well.

Can CC make it 2 opening wins in a row?…

Today could very well be the start of the final season in pinstripes for Carsten Charles Sabathia, Jr.  With his contract expiring at the end of the year, I can easily see the Yankees opting to pay a cost-controlled young pitcher to take Sabathia’s spot in the rotation as opposed to shelling out the $10 million or so that it will take to re-sign the soon-to-be 37-year-old Sabathia.

CC has been one of the most revered members of the Yankees clubhouse and he’s made his mark on a franchise that will ensure he’s invited to many future Old Timer’s Days.  

CC was an undisputed ace when he originally signed with the Yankees prior to the 2009 season.  His arrival, along with A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira, helped power the Yankees to their last World Championship. 

Credit:  Andrew Theodorakis, New York Daily News

The first four years of CC’s contract were good.  He had records of 19-8, 21-7, 19-8, and 15-6, respectively.  Then age and injuries hit.  In the last three years combined, CC has won less games than he did in any single year between 2009 and 2011. 

Until last year, CC had never won his first start of the season.  I took a look back at his first starts and the results are ugly.  In his first seasonal starts covering eight years, CC is 1-4, with 3 no decisions.  It doesn’t bode well for today but like last year, he could surprise or at least I hope he does. 

April 6, 2009

Baltimore Orioles 10, New York Yankees 5

4 1/3 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 0 SO (Loss)

April 4, 2010

Boston Red Sox 9, New York Yankees 7

5 1/3 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO (No Decision)

March 31, 2011

New York Yankees 6, Detroit Tigers 3

6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO (No Decision)

April 6, 2012

Tampa Bay Rays 7, New York Yankees 6

6 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO (No Decision)

April 1, 2013

Boston Red Sox 8, New York Yankees 2

5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 5 SO (Loss)

April 1, 2014

Houston Astros 6, New York Yankees 2

6 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO (Loss)

April 9, 2015

Toronto Blue Jays 6, New York Yankees 3

5 2/3 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO (Loss)

April 9, 2016

New York Yankees 8, Detroit Tigers 4

6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO (Win)

If CC plays true to form, he’ll go about 6 innings and give up approximately 8 hits and 5 or 6 runs. 

I hope Gary Sanchez has better results waiting in his bat than an 0-for-5 performance like Opening Day.  We’ll need the offense.

Given this may be CC’s last year, I am hopeful that he provides one of his best season opening starts for his time with the Yankees.  I know that Mark Spitz once said “Past performance speaks a tremendous amount about one’s ability and likelihood for success”, but it doesn’t have to be.  I prefer the quote “Do not give your past the power to define your future.”  If this is indeed CC’s farewell season in Pinstripes, here’s hoping that he provides us with some vintage Sabathia (just not the 'first start of the season' variety).  

Turn back the clock, and let’s go.  

Have a great Tuesday!  A winning Tuesday works for me.

This Day in New York Yankees History 12/9: Andy Pettitte Returns, Again

On this day in 2015 the New York Yankees shipped left-handed relief pitcher Justin Wilson to the Detroit Tigers for a pair of starting pitching prospects, Luis Cessa and Chad Green.



Also on this day in 2009 Yankees starting pitcher Andy Pettitte receives a one year deal worth $11.75 million to return for one more season. This is fresh off of winning all three clinching games in the playoffs including the World Series at age 37. Pettitte finished with a 4-0 record in five postseason starts against the Phillies, Twins, and Angels.



Also on this day in 2008 Tony Kubek would become the first person to ever receive the Ford C. Frick Award which honors broadcast members in the Hall of Fame. The former Yankee and Blue Jays broadcast personality has not watched a single game on television since he signed off in 1994.


Finally on this day in 1988 the New York Yankees signed a twelve year television deal with the Madison Square Garden television network. The Yankees would stay with the MSG network until 2002 when they would start their own network, the YES Network. This move is generally accredited with starting the trend of getting more games on regional sports networks.

This Day in New York Yankees History 10/31: Stuck in the Middle with A Rod

On this day in 2009 Alex Rodriguez hit a long fly ball in right field at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia that resulted in being the first instant replay call in World Series history. Originally the fly ball was called a double but the play was overturned and ruled a home run in the Yankees favor. If you can remember back that far this was the ball that hit the camera on the fence in right field and bounced back into the field of play.

Also on this day in 1957 Yogi Berra ruffled a few feathers when he admitted that the Yankees returned money to their players from fines collected in the Copacabana fight. Players like Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and Moose Skowron to name a few were involved in a brawl while celebrating Billy Martin's 29th birthday in May. This obviously garnered some unwanted publicity for the storied New York Yankees franchise so the fines handed down were supposed to calm the waters until Yogi blew the lid off of the whole ordeal.

Joe Girardi & The 2010 Offseason That Could Have Changed Everything

The New York Yankees went into the offseason of the 2010 season after failing to defend their World Series crown and with an early exit in the postseason. The Yankees faced much uncertainty that offseason, much like they do most winters mind you, but this winter was a little different as their manager Joe Girardi was set to become a free agent.

Girardi was hired for the 2008 season on a three year deal to replace the popular and legendary Joe Torre and promptly snapped the Yankees skid of 13 straight seasons of making the postseason. This was not exactly the way the Yankees wanted to say goodbye to Yankee Stadium and goodbye to Joe Torre but the team bounced back in 2009 to win the World Series. The Yankees were back in the playoffs in 2010 but failed to defend their crown leaving Girardi unsure about his job security.


The Chicago Cubs pursued Girardi hard and heavy this offseason but ultimately on this day Girardi signed a new three year deal to stay with the club. What would the state of the Yankees be in today if Girardi had not signed on with New York and went back to Chicago where he spent some of his playing career? Would the Yankees have made the playoffs in 2011 and advanced past the ALCS in 2012? Would the Yankees have missed the postseason in 2013 and 2014? Does the team win the AL Wild Card Game in 2015? What about 2016? Who knows! One thing I do know is that if he had not signed on with New York on this day in 2010 Joe Maddon would probably be donning pinstripes right about now.


It’s something to think about anyway as we head towards a long and cold, dark winter.

This Day in New York Yankees History 10/25: 2009 Yankees Reach World Series

On this day in 2009 the Yankees would win their 40th American League pennant in their storied history with a victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This will end a six year drought in the World Series for the Yankees as they would take on the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2009 Fall Classic. This would be the Yankees first World Series win since their victory over the Mets in the 2000 Subway World Series.

On this day in 2000 Mike Piazza, yes I know a member of the Mets, became the first player in World Series history to hit a home run in both Shea Stadium and Yankees Stadium. Piazza hit the home run off of Yankees starter Denny Neagle in a 3-2 Mets loss in Game 4.


On this day in 1939 Joe DiMaggio would win his first MVP award of his career. DiMaggio beat out Jimmy Foxx and Bob Feller easily for the American League award with 15 of the 24 first place votes. DiMaggio would also win the award in 1941 and 1947 as well.

The Yankees Fell for one of Those “Refinance Now” Commercials

Please overlook the tiny bit of sarcasm that I put in the title of the blog post as I couldn’t help it, that’s just how I am here lately. That was the first thought that popped into my head when I read that the New York Yankees were looking to refinance the $1 billion of debt they have racked up from building the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Hal Steinbrenner is looking for new and inventive ways to make more money for himself each and every day, isn’t he?

Truth be told the Yankees could save around $10 million annually from the loans they took out to build the $1.2 billion stadium in the Bronx that opened in 2009 which could go a long way if it was invested back into the team. The problem is, and of course I’m speculating here, it won’t. It will go straight back into the Steinbrenner family bank account never to be heard from again.

According to reports the Yankees are breaking even right now with the stadium payments (which will rise from $73 million annually to $76 million in 2018), YES Network dues and Legends Hospitality and its workings. The Yankees almost need this to work if they don’t want to operate in the red but since the Yankees used taxpayer dollars to build the stadium it may be easier said than done. Since the Yankees are tax-exempt and has 40-year bonds issued to help fund the stadium by the city of New York the team now has to kiss a little butt.

The team has already announced a willingness to give back 2,000 of the 9,000 parking spots it received from the Bronx Parking Development Co. now that the Yankees are officially losing money on their parking garages. Trust me, if there is a way for Hal to squeeze a penny out of this situation he will. Have no fear, we’ll be back to running in the green in no time. 

The Cry For Homegrown Talent May Be Ill Advised: 2009

This look at the New York Yankees roster in a World Series championship year is the year I was most excited about looking at because of the differences between this roster and the dynasty years. This World Series came a long nine years after the last time Mariano Rivera was seen jumping up and down on the mound in Shea Stadium and a lot has changed. The Yankees actually used a ton of homegrown talent in 2009 but how much? Let's see:

The Yankees infield looked a lot different then the last time we looked as Mark Teixeira (Angels) was our new first baseman, Alex Rodriguez was our new third baseman, and Hideki Matsui (Japan) was the teams DH in 2009. The Yankees did have homegrown talent up the middle as Robinson Cano manned second base and Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada grabbed their fifth World Series with the Yankees after coming up to be the shortstop and catcher respectively through the Yankees system. Angel Berroa (Royals) spent time on the Yankees bench with Jerry Hairston Jr. (Orioles) while the Yankees had homegrown talent in Cody Ransom, Ramiro Pena, and Juan Miranda all getting World Series rings in 2009.

The outfield had Nick Swisher (White Sox, Athletics) manning right field while Johnny Damon (Red Sox) was in left field fresh from the Boston Red Sox group of idiots. The Yankees did have a homegrown center fielder that season in Melky Cabrera and another in Brett Gardner waiting in the wings on the bench. Xavier Nady (Pirates), Eric Hinske (Blue Jays), and Freddy Guzman (Padres) spent big parts of the 2009 season in the outfield. The Yankees did introduce us to Shelley Duncan this season as well.

The pitching got a makeover in the winter of 2009 as New York brought in CC Sabathia (Indians, Brewers) and AJ Burnett (Marlins, Blue Jays) to join homegrown talent Andy Pettitte and Joba Chamberlain (the starting pitchah!). The fifth starter this season was more or less patched together and it wasn't always pretty.

The bullpen is where Joe Girardi made his name with the Yankees and made the best of the farm system that Brian Cashman put together. Phil Hughes was in the bullpen this season along with Mariano Rivera, David Robertson, Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, Phil Coke, Mike Dunn, Mark Melancon, and Ian Kennedy all pitching out of the pen in 2009. The Yankees did add Damaso Marte (former Yankee farm hand via Pittsburgh), Jonathan Albaladejo (Washington), and Alfredo Aceves (Mexico) to fill out the rest of Girardi's pen.

And the rest, as they say, is history. Maybe the Yankees recipe for success is correct, fill the bullpen with nothing but homegrown power arms and a free agent veteran signing or two. Whatever gets us another World Series I guess....

How I Will Remember Alex Rodriguez

T-Minus less than a week until Alex Rodriguez is no longer listed as a player in uniform, what a bittersweet feeling for many Yankees fans including myself. I kind of ragged on Mark Teixeira in my “How I Will Remember” post about him but I just can’t do that to Alex for some reason. Call it being a homer, call it being bias or whatever label you want to put on it but I find it hard to stay down on someone for long who just wants to play the game and to win. That was Alex. Alex was a student of the game up until the day he announced he would walk away from it and while he has his issues and his imperfections I truly believe his intentions were pure. That’s just one of the many things I will remember about Alex Rodriguez. 

I can remember watching the 2009 version of the Yankees like a kid in the candy store. The Yankees had assembled the best infield of all-time, my opinion at the time anyway, but all those dollars spent and all those huge contracts meant nothing without the heroics of #13 in the postseason. Alex went from being called A-Rod to Clutch-Rod as he broke out like a 13-year old boy over summer vacation leading the Yankees to their 27^th World Series championship and his first championship of his career. 

No one was more disappointed in Alex than I was when he went on television with Pete Gammons and admitted to steroid use and begged for the countries and the game’s forgiveness. He got my forgiveness and I fought for him until the second time a steroid scandal broke out, this time with Biogenesis. Again, utter disappointment rained down from the masses when they learned Alex had used not only once but twice and that was about the time I stopped going to bat for him. 

I stopped going to bat for him but I never stopped rooting for him. Even if he came out and said he has used a third time before hanging up his cleats I would still consider myself to be an Alex Rodriguez fan, I’m loyal like that and loyal to a fault I guess. I just always loved to study him at the plate, study him in the field and modeled my own game after him. I feel pretty guilty about saying this with hindsight being 20/20 and all but while most kids around me in Little League in New York were trying to be Derek Jeter I just wanted to be A-Rod. I wanted to be the big shortstop that could hit 50 home runs a season. I wanted it all, just like A Rod. 

So this is a bittersweet retirement party for me when it comes to Alex Rodriguez. I want to see the youth come up and get a shot and I want the Yankees to put the best 25 guys out there day in and day out not only in 2016 and beyond and Alex just isn’t that anymore. At the same time it’s hard to see the end of an era and it’s equally as hard to see one of the players you grew up watching and idolizing as a kid say goodbye. It shows mortality and I’m not quite ready to feel mortal yet. 

So Alex, congratulations on an awesome career and good luck in everything that you do going forward. And thank you. For everything. 

How I Will Remember Mark Teixeira

As we all have likely heard by now the Yankees first baseman has announced that he will retire at the end of the 2016 season. While this came to a shock to many, including myself, after Teixeira stated he wanted to finish his career with 500 home runs and play another four-or-five years if you look at his injury history and his recent production it is likely the best decision he has ever made. While everyone around the Yankees blogosphere will likely kiss his butt and remind us all about him finishing 2^nd in the AL MVP voting in 2009 after leading the league in home runs and RBI and will remind us of his walk-off home run in Game 2 of the 2009 World Series I will remember Teixeira in a different way. Call me spiteful and call me disrespectful but I cannot remember Teixeira in any other way than the man made of glass, and that’s just keeping it real with you.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m in no way shape or form trying to be disrespectful here and I am the farthest from ungrateful as well. I appreciate Teixeira going out there every day that he could and I appreciate all the production and the memories that we (and I used the term “we” loosely for obvious reasons) had but I just can’t see him in any other form. It’s like that aging veteran that held on for just far too long you always find yourself thinking that he should have retired the season before or retired on top and on his own terms. That didn’t happen this time around with Teixeira, injuries and ineffectiveness forced him out of the game that he loves.

The wrist injury that cost Teixeira almost two full seasons, one season to rehab and one season sitting out after the surgery, and the fractured shin that cost him his resurgent 2015 season. The knee injury that robbed him of a big chunk of his 2016 season. The pinky that he cut sliding into home against the Baltimore Orioles that cost him what feels like a month and the other little nagging injuries that every once in a while reminded us all of Carl Pavano. That’s how I will remember Teixeira and honestly, I hate it. The difference between me and us at The Greedy Pinstripes is that we’ll tell you how we really feel, that’s what a blog is for, and not what we think you want to read just to garner more clicks and views.

Hopefully you appreciate that and if Mark is reading this I hope he knows and understands that we truly appreciate everything he did for us, did for the game and did for the Yankees but some things just cannot be helped nor changed. Get healthy, stay well and enjoy retirement Mark and congratulations on an amazing and illustrious career in the greatest game on Earth. Major League Baseball. 

The Nick Swisher Reunion Question You All Knew Was Coming

When the news broke that the Atlanta Braves, despite owing him $15 million in salary for this upcoming season, flat out released Nick Swisher making him a free agent I warned the Yankees GM (jokingly of course) on Twitter not to even think about signing him. This was done very tongue-in-cheek and it was a knee jerk reaction, now that I have had a couple days to bide my time and do my research this is the question you all knew was probably coming, should the New York Yankees make a run at Nick Swisher for a second time in his career?

The New York Yankees are seemingly stacked at the outfield position with their three regulars, Aaron Hicks, Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams, Ben Gamel and Aaron Judge among the prospects right behind him but where Swisher’s value comes is as a backup first baseman. Swisher has played first base before and has played first base in the Bronx before I his first tenure as a New York Yankee, could he do it again? Of course he theoretically could, but will the Yankees pay the league minimum $525K while the Braves pay his $15 million on the whim that the team might need a backup for Mark Teixeira? I honestly can’t see it happening but here’s what I came up with.

Sure Swisher stole the hearts of Yankees fans in 2009 after hitting 29 home runs, driving in 82 RBI and hitting for a .249 average in that World Series season but it has been a steady decline for Swisher since that campaign. His power remained steady on New York but his strikeouts increased while his average declined as his knees began to give out. Swisher missed the end of the 2014 season and the beginning of the 2015 season after having surgery on both his knees but the saving grace for Swisher is that they wouldn’t need him to be the guy that led the team to a 2009 World Series championship. They wouldn’t need him to be the guy that got a contract in excess of $50 million from the Cleveland Indians either, they would just need him to be a better first baseman than Dustin Ackley, which he is, and a better hitter than Chris Parmelee, which he is and so am I for that matter.

Swisher has played his best baseball in the brightest of the bright lights, the biggest of the big stages and in the Bronx so why not? Because he isn’t versatile, he isn’t young or an especially good hitter and he simply clogs up the 40 man roster even further while blocking young talent like Robert Refsnyder. That’s why. Swish, I love you dude but I just don’t love you that much unless you’re coming on a minor league deal. 

The Boring Winter Ahead: The 2009 World Series Championship Movie

Tonight marks the end of the boring winter ahead as tomorrow morning spawns a new day, Prospects Month. Enjoy the last time the Yankees won the World Series back in 2009 and watch their movie. I've watched it twice, it's awesome and comes with the highest of recommendations.

The Boring Winter Ahead: Watch the 2009 World Series Game Six Here

The Yankees are back on top!

The Boring Winter Ahead: Watch the 2009 World Series Game Two HERE

The Yankees got spanked in Game One and in Game Two AJ Burnett comes up big against the Philadelphia Phillies and Yankees-rival Pedro Martinez. These looks back end when Prospects Month begins so let's get to the meat and potatoes of the Yankees last World Series championship, shall we?

This Day in New York Yankees History 10/31: Stuck in the Middle with A Rod

On this day in 2009 Alex Rodriguez hit a long fly ball in right field at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia that resulted in being the first instant replay call in World Series history. Originally the fly ball was called a double but the play was overturned and ruled a home run in the Yankees favor. If you can remember back that far this was the ball that hit the camera on the fence in right field and bounced back into the field of play.

Also on this day in 1957 Yogi Berra ruffled a few feathers when he admitted that the Yankees returned money to their players from fines collected in the Copacabana fight. Players like Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and Moose Skowron to name a few were involved in a brawl while celebrating Billy Martin's 29th birthday in May. This obviously garnered some unwanted publicity for the storied New York Yankees franchise so the fines handed down were supposed to calm the waters until Yogi blew the lid off of the whole ordeal.