The Yankees and the 2020 MLB Schedule

Graphic incorrectly says "NL West" It should say NL East*

The 2020 season for Major League Baseball is happening, at least where we stand here today at the end of June. What a year it's been, but the return of baseball (at least to me) means so much more than just a return to normalcy. To me, it's a return to everything.

While the entire 2020 schedule has not been released as of yet, we do know that the Yankees will be inside Nationals Park facing off against Max Scherzer and the defending MLB World Series Champions on July 23rd. Once the MLB odds are released, we will be able to see what the point-spread is. The presumed starting pitching matchup on that night will be Gerrit Cole, who will finally be making his Yankees debut after signing a 9-year deal worth $324 million, against Scherzer. 

What we do know thus far is that the Yankees will play 10 games each against each of their AL East rivals, as well as a total of 20 games against National League East teams as well. In some capacity, the Yankees will play 10 games each against the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays. New York will also play three games each with the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies, while playing four games against the Washington Nationals and the Miami Marlins. In a bit of a twist, MLB has decided to allow teams to play their "rivals" from their opposing division an extra two times, so the New York Yankees and New York Mets will play a total of six times head-to-head in 2020. 

 Check back in a few days after the full schedule is out.

The World Series is Back On in New York!

Welcome back to the blog!

As I am sure most everyone has heard, baseball is back for the 2020 season. Despite the concerns surrounding the country right now, including COVID-19, Major League Baseball and the Players Union have agreed to a 60-game season here in 2020. The 2020 season will be unlike any other that any of have seen during our lifetime, and not just because the number of games being played is significantly less than the usual 162-game marathon. The universal DH will be making its way to the league, giving the National League their first real taste of the designated hitter. Also, there will be a schedule change that will include 40 games within your own division and 20 games against teams in the NL that share your divisional alignment (The AL East plays the NL East, the AL Central plays the NL Central, the AL West plays the NL West). The Yankees will play 10 games each against the Baltimore Orioles, the Boston Red Sox, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays while they will also play 4 games each against the Atlanta Braves, the New York Mets, the Miami Marlins, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the defending World Series Champion Washington Nationals.

There will be no expanded playoffs, and whether anyone likes it or not... the World Series WILL count for 2020. It's in the record books, deal with it. No asterisk. Wouldn't be an asterisk if the Red Sox, Astros, or Mets won it, so there won't be one when the Yankees win it. Deal with it and save your tears.

I am so excited to be back, ladies and gents. The game needed this, in some opinions the country needed this, and I really, REALLY needed this.

Big Maple domination

                                                (Photo credit: New York Yankees official Twitter)


It was a great outing by Paxton tonight. Going 8 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts & 1 walk. Huge confidence builder after his first 2 starts weren’t ones to remember. Paxton becomes the first Yankees’ pitcher with 12+ strikeouts & 2 hits or less vs Boston at home. Paxton can now build on this  start, it was one to remember.


Chris Sale continues his struggles for the 2019 season. He did go 5 innings but gave up 4 earned runs to the Yankees lineup. Yankees took advantage with 3 homeruns by Frazier, Tauchman & Frazier. Tauchman had a break out game with 2 hits & 4 RBI’s. Urshela had an insane defensive play, throwing from his knees to nail Betts.


It was a great game for the Yankees winning 8-0 over Boston. Confidence for the Yankees as they look to win the Series tomorrow. J.A Happ pitching tomorrow, he’s looking to find it as he’s had rough starts to the season.

TGP Trivia and Fact of the Day for April 5th, 2019

Good morning Yankees family!

What shortstop did the Yankees acquire on this day in 1977? Hint: He later hit a very famous home run for the team.

Highlight below to see your answer!!



Bucky Dent was acquired from the Chicago White Sox for Oscar Gamble, future Cy Young Award winner LaMarr Hoyt, Bob Polinsky and cash. Dent hit a home run in the one-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox in 1978, thus earning the nickname "Bucky F'in Dent."



And a special good morning to the most beautiful woman alive. I love you Kari, and I am so glad and grateful that you are mine!

This Day In New York Yankees History 3/29: The Yankees 9/11 Tribute

On this day in 2009 the Evil Empire struck again as they placed a permanent September 11 memorial at the entrance of George M. Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees Spring Training home in Tampa, Florida. The tribute showcased a foundation in the shape of the Pentagon that supported two towers made from steel from the World Trade Center that was placed on a grassy spot representing where United Flight 93 was hijacked and flown into the Earth in Pennsylvania. The Red Sox did nothing.

Also on this day in 1975 the Yankees released Mel Stottlemyre after he tore his rotator cuff. Mel finished with a 164-139 record and a 2.97 ERA with 40 shutouts before he became New York's pitching coach.

Finally on this day in 1948 the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox played an exceptionally long exhibition game that went 17 innings, unheard of nowadays. The game still ended in a 2-2 tie in a four hour and two minute game. The Yankees scored a run in each of the bottom of the ninth and tenth innings to keep the game tied and moving along. New York had the winning run at third base in the bottom of the 17th inning but Frank Crosetti attempted a bunt to squeeze the runner home and failed.

This Day in New York Yankees History 3/28: YES Network Pulls the Plug

On this day in 2003, just three days prior to Opening Day, the YES Network claims Cablevision has pulled out of a deal signed 17 days ago that would have provided televised Yankee games to three million cable subscribers in the New York City area. According to the YES Network Cablevision failed to sign a finalized version of the hand-written document that both parties exchanged on March 12.


Also on this day in 1988 the Yankees decided to waive pitcher Phil Niekro just four days shy of his 47th birthday.


Finally on this day in 1986 the Boston Red Sox traded designated hitter Mike Easler to the New York Yankees for designated hitter Don Baylor in a rare trade between the two rivals.

Predicting the 2019 Season: The Cy Young Awards

Pitching can make or break a team, ask the 2018 Yankees that, according to some fans anyway, could never have enough pitchers. To a point, it’s true. Look at the first half Yankees from last season and the first half that their ace, Luis Severino, had. He was money and the Yankees were in first place. In the second half, Severino tailed off a bit, as did the Yankees who ultimately settled for a Wild Card berth and an eventual dismissal in the ALDS at the hands of the Boston Red Sox. Pitching makes a huge difference, especially when you have Cy Young caliber pitching. Who will have that Cy Young caliber year in 2019 and win the award? Keep reading to find out!

Chris Sale has somehow never won a Cy Young Award. Shocking, right? Sale has finished in the top five of the votes for six straight seasons, but I truly think the 2019 season will be the year that he finally closes the gap and captures the award. I know this sounds like an easy pick, and I know many expected me to pick a Yankee like Luis Severino, but really, it’s not. Not after the second half that Sale had and the shoulder problems that he may or may not have had. I don’t feel like this is a safe pick whatsoever. Sale wins the award, but the Yankees win the ultimate prize. I’ll take that.

In the National League I wanted to go with Max Scherzer or even Jacob deGrom, but I just can’t. Aaron Nola is special and with the security of a long-term extension now comforting him, I can see the Phillies right-hander breaking out in a big way in 2019. Nola may win 20 games for all we know. Do I think Nola will have enough help behind him in the rotation to really put the Phillies over the edge as a team? Probably not, especially if you look at my predictions that had Philadelphia finishing third, but I truly think Aaron is lining up for a special kind of season here in 2019.

Predicting the 2019 Season: The Comeback Players of the Year

The Comeback Player of the Year Award is a tough one to predict from year-to-year. For example, David Price won the award in 2018 with the Boston Red Sox, but my initial thought was what exactly did Price come back from? He came back from getting shelled by the Yankees in 2017, so that made him eligible to win the award? So, with that said I tried to do my best to make an educated guess at these awards, but like most of my predictions they will very likely be wrong.

I know everyone expects me to pick Gary Sanchez of the New York Yankees, partly because of his terrible offensive season in 2018 and partly because I am a self-professed “Yankees homer” in a lot of cases, but that would be too easy. Instead, I’ll pick a guy that made Gary Sanchez want to punch him in the mouth, Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers. Cabrera has been down for quite a number of seasons now, but I think a lot of that wear-and-tear will be nullified with his full-time move to the DH position this coming year. I think the Tigers can extend Miggy’s career by a couple years with the move and I also think the team will see immediate dividends here in 2019.

In the National League I tried to pick a true comeback player. I tried to pick a player that had come back from adversity or injury to take the 2019 season by storm. I tried to pick a pitcher that came back from Tommy John surgery only to suffer a pretty serious shoulder injury that cost him much of his 2018 campaign as well. My pick for the NL Comeback Player of the Year is Alex Reyes of the St. Louis Cardinals, for all the aforementioned reasons.

Predicting the 2019 Season: The Postseason

162 games are in the books, the field is set, and the new season is upon us. Welcome to October, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the postseason. If you tuned into the blog yesterday you saw the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics win their respective divisions in the American League while the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros clawed their way to the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. In the National League the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers captured their respective divisions while the Washington Nationals and the Colorado Rockies will battle it out in the one-game Wild Card playoff game in the National League. Who will win the pennant? Keep reading to find out!

American League Wild Card Game

Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros

Anything can happen in a one-game playoff, which is why the Houston Astros, despite how much pitching they lost during this offseason, at least have a chance in this game against the Boston Red Sox. Undoubtedly the Red Sox will have Chris Sale on the mound against Justin Verlander, so I expect a low-scoring affair for much of the night. The Astros are a scrappy team, and the Red Sox have a great offense, but the battle of the bullpens may decide it. If this were a seven-game series, or even a five-game series, I’d be inclined to pick the Astros because of the state of the Red Sox bullpen, but it’s not and I think Boston will be fine. Alex Cora will do whatever it takes to win, whether that is pitching David Price or Rick Porcello in relief, or simply running Sale out there until his arm falls off. Cora will do whatever he has to in order to win, and I think at the end of the day he will.

Winner: Boston Red Sox

National League Wild Card Game

Washington Nationals vs. Colorado Rockies

You have to wonder who the Nationals will pick to start this game. Will it be Max Scherzer or will it be Patrick Corbin? If it’s Scherzer you have to give the clear advantage, in my opinion, to the Nationals, but if the team uses Scherzer down the stretch to clinch this game at home the Rockies have a lot more of a fighting chance. At the end of the day I think the Nationals will win the game regardless, but only because I feel like they are a more complete team than the Rockies this season.

Winner: Washington Nationals

American League Division Series

New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox

The rematch of the century, but this time the Yankees have the home field advantage. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what I mentioned just a few paragraphs above in the AL Wild Card Game prediction. The Red Sox and their bullpen can, and in my opinion will, be exposed in a five-or-seven-game series. The Red Sox will likely have to use a starter in the AL Wild Card Game that they would prefer to start twice against the Yankees, but you can’t really plan for that and look past a team like the Astros. This will all work in the Yankees favor, but I still don’t see how this goes at least four or five games before we crown the New York Yankees the victor.

Winner: New York Yankees in five games

American League Division Series

Oakland Athletics vs. Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians have great pitching, but their bullpen is suspect, and their offense is not as high-powered as you would like. The Indians have really benefited from a weak division in the AL Central and that will never be more obvious than it will be in the ALDS against the Oakland Athletics. The Athletics have a great, young team that is only getting better, and I think the team will make easy work of the Indians in four games… and Billy Beane won’t see a single inning of it.

Winner: Oakland Athletics in four games

National League Division Series

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the most games of any team in the league in 2019 and that will continue heading into the postseason. The Washington Nationals will give the Dodger their money’s worth in my opinion, pushing the series to five-games, but if Clayton Kershaw is healthy, I cannot see a way the Dodgers go out this early in the postseason. They are too talented and far too good to lose in an extended series.

Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers in five games

 National League Division Series

Atlanta Braves vs. Milwaukee Brewers

The Atlanta Braves are the new kids, literally and figuratively, on the block while the Milwaukee Brewers just grind out victories and find ways to win. If I were a betting man, I’d guess that we would see more Atlanta Braves highlights on Top Plays on Sportscenter and such than we will see the Milwaukee Brewers, yet I think it will be the Brewers that edge the Braves in four games in this series. Playing in the Midwest means a lot of casual fans don’t get to watch your games or pay attention to your team much, but the Brewers have a pretty damn good team that is stacked with talent. I can see first baseman Eric Thames having a huge 2019 season and an even bigger postseason, leading Milwaukee at least to the National League Championship Series.

Winner: Milwaukee Brewers in four games

American League Championship Series

New York Yankees vs. Oakland Athletics

In a rematch of the 2018 American League Wild Card Game the New York Yankees will play host to the Oakland Athletics in the 2019 ALCS. I think these two teams are more evenly matched than most people would admit or give Oakland credit for, but I think the Yankees are a much deeper and complete team. The Athletics may push the Yankees to six games, but I can see New York clinching their first American League pennant in front of the Bronx faithful since the 2009 season.

Call me a homer if you want to, but I truly believe in this team and I TRULY believe this team can be special.

Winner: New York Yankees in six games

National League Championship Series

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Classic David vs. Goliath. The Los Angeles Dodgers and their roughly $209 million payroll vs. the Milwaukee Brewers and their roughly $121 million payroll. The names on the Brewers roster will only pale in comparison to names like Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Corey Seager, and others, but where the Brewers lack in “names” they more than make up for it in the talent department. Christian Yelich is the reigning NL MVP, Eric Thames is one or two injuries away from having a huge breakout season in 2018, guys like Jimmy Nelson, Corey Knebel, Chase Anderson and others now have Yasmani Grandal to pitch to, and guys like Ben Gamel, Josh Hader, and others can only get better in 2019 in my opinion. The Dodgers will presumably want a fight, and a fight they will get from Milwaukee. Just remember though, LA, sometimes even the most dominant fighter gets caught leaning, ask Anderson Silva, and I can totally see that happening again this year.

Winner: Milwaukee Brewers in six games

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2019 World Series will include the New York Yankees and the Milwaukee Brewers. May the best team win, and good luck to both teams. Tune in tomorrow to find out the winner.

Predicting the 2019 Season: The Standings

The 2018 saw three teams in the American League win at least 100 games, but on the flip side of that coin we also watched as teams like the Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles, and others struggled mightily to win games all season long. To have just one team win 100 games is not the most common thing in the league in recent memory, so to have three is downright special. Will we see a repeat of that here in 2019? Only time will tell, but I will do my best to predict whether they will, or they won’t, as well as what teams will make the postseason and win their respective divisions as well. Bookmark this. I have a feeling by the end of the season I will be eating a whole lot of crow with these predictions, as usual.

American League East

New York Yankees: 96-66

Boston Red Sox: 92-70

Tampa Bay Rays: 87-75

Toronto Blue Jays: 66-96

Baltimore Orioles: 59-103

I know, most will call me a homer for picking the New York Yankees to win the division. Guess what? I don’t care. Maybe I am a homer, or maybe I can just see better than most that the team has done a lot to improve themselves here in 2019, especially on the pitching side of things. Boston will undoubtedly take a step back with that bullpen and the loss of Craig Kimbrel while you cannot expect Ian Snell to repeat what he did in 2018. Not to say that the Red Sox or Rays are necessarily worse teams in 2019, but an awful lot has to go right for a team to win 90 games, 100 games, or even 108 games. There’s a certain luck factor there and that historically just doesn’t translate from year-to-year.

American League Central

Cleveland Indians: 88-76

Minnesota Twins: 82-80

Chicago White Sox: 74-88

Detroit Tigers: 72-90

Kansas City Royals: 70-92

I don’t think there are any real surprises here other than maybe the win total of the Minnesota Twins. I know the Twins lost one of their better and more consistent starters, when healthy, in Ervin Santana, but I really like the young core of guys that the Twins have. Extending a couple of their guys allows them to focus solely on the game, and that generally translates into production on the field. I think they will at least be in the conversation for the second Wild Card this season, assuming the health of their key contributors.

American League West

Oakland Athletics: 91-71

Houston Astros: 90-72

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: 81-81

Texas Rangers: 73-89

Seattle Mariners: 70-92

Kill me if you want to, but the Houston Astros lost a whole lot of pitching this offseason, Justin Verlander has to age eventually, and the Oakland Athletics are just a damn good team. I could end up with egg on my face by the end of the season, but these are my predictions regardless. Also, I love how Seattle “reinvented their roster” rather than rebuild the team. Same difference, at least according to the above.

Wild Card #1 – Boston Red Sox

Wild Card #2 – Houston Astros

National League East

Atlanta Braves: 93-69

Washington Nationals: 91-71

Philadelphia Phillies: 88-74

New York Mets: 80-82

Miami Marlins: 60-102

I truly believe that the Atlanta Braves are a much better team than they were in 2018, and here’s why. Josh Donaldson, if healthy and we all presume he will be, is a monster on a one-year deal and will provide a legitimate bat in the middle of that lineup. I also think that Brian McCann, even a shell of his former self, will help more than can be expressed or quantified with the Braves pitching staff. I expect Washington to be in the thick of things again and better than they were last year, maybe even in spite of Bryce Harper, while the Phillies “stupid money” offseason plan will fall just short.

National League Central

Milwaukee Brewers: 91-71

St. Louis Cardinals: 87-75

Chicago Cubs: 85-77

Cincinnati Reds: 81-81

Pittsburgh Pirates: 80-82

I think the NL Central will be the most competitive division in all of Major League Baseball in 2019. The Brewers should be the cream of the crop, but the Cardinals and Cubs should be right on their tails for much of the season. The Reds added a ton of pitching to go with their young group of players while the Pirates, while still rebuilding, still have great pitching with Chris Archer and others.

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers: 97-65

Colorado Rockies: 89-73

San Diego Padres: 80-82

San Francisco Giants: 75-87

Arizona Diamondbacks: 73-89

No, I am not jumping on the Manny Machado bandwagon and donning him the reason the Padres improve by 16 games in 2019. He will help, sure, but the Padres have a great young team that is absolutely stacked with talent. That, alongside Machado, will be the reason the Padres make a real stride this season. I expect Eric Hosmer to be better as well, compared to what he produced in Kansas City to what he did in San Diego he almost has to improve you would think, which should help the Padres win more games in what should be a weaker division overall in 2019.

Wild Card #1 - Washington Nationals

Wild Card #2 - Colorado Rockies

What will happen in the postseason? You have to tune in tomorrow to find out!

Predicting the Yankees 2019 Season

The New York Yankees enter the 2019 season with expectations higher than the 2018 season, and maybe expectations that cannot simply be put into words. This is the season for the Bronx Bombers to win the World Series and make a deep run into the postseason. We have been told that the team was going to get under the luxury tax threshold, and we all watched as a fan base as the team passed on marque free agents like Max Scherzer, Manny Machado, Bryce Harper and others. We watched as the Boston Red Sox won World Series championships and we watched as the game as we once knew it passed us by. Well, the time for excuses is over in my opinion. The Yankees are no longer “re-tooling” or rebuilding, no, they are in win-now mode. Will that translate onto the field here in 2019? That we will have to stay tuned for, but this is what I see happening this year for the Yankees.

I think the Yankees will surprise a lot of people this season, even though they shouldn’t. I think the first base situation will be much improved over the 2018 version, whether that be with Luke Voit as the incumbent or with Greg Bird finally putting it all together for a full season, and I think the catching situation will be much better as well. I don’t want to speculate on the health of Gary’s shoulder last season and guess at how it affected his ability to hit, nor do I want to speculate on the health of his groin/hamstring muscles and how they affected his ability to run down the line and block pitches behind the plate. Instead, I’ll just focus on the fact that throughout his professional career he has shown an ability to defend much better, hit much better, and just overall be a much better overall player. I don’t think the league figured him out and I don’t think he is just lazy, those are just lazy excuses to make for a young player that struggles for the first time. Gary will be better, and the fans need to be too.

The Yankees pitching should be much better in 2019. Severino is changing things up to battle him tipping pitches and he is also working on not tiring out in the second half of the season. It happens with young pitchers, especially after throwing 200 innings for the first time in their careers. They tire out. Severino will be fine and should be much better in the second half of 2019. James Paxton is essentially replacing Sonny Gray and as long as Paxton can pitch inside Yankee Stadium, where Gray could not, he should do just fine. Lefties just pitch better inside Yankee Stadium because of the narrative that they can neutralize left-handed hitting and eliminate the short porch in right field. A full season of Happ, even if he doesn’t pitch like the 7-0 madman that he was with the Yankees in the second half last season, will only benefit the Yankees while many forget that we should also see the return of Jordan Montgomery at some point as well. Tanaka will be Tanaka and CC will be CC but look out for Jonathan Loaisiga. If this kid can stay healthy, he could be a rotation mainstay as soon as the 2019 season, barring an injury to one of the Yankees current starters.

The bullpen will be the bullpen. There’s nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said a million times. On paper it should be amazing and a force to be reckoned with. The bench will likely be Tyler Wade, who can play everywhere, Austin Romine as the backup catcher, and maybe Clint Frazier? I know the team has all but said that he would start the season in Triple-A, but until that happens, I am in the camp that just doesn’t buy it. Who is the fourth outfielder? Stanton? Something isn’t adding up.

Right around the time of the year where every team is looking to add an impact bat or arm the Yankees will do both with the presumed returns of both Didi Gregorius and Jordan Montgomery from Tommy John surgery. That's nothing to shake a stick at, and it doesn't cost the Yankees a thing. 

In closing, the Yankees will be a much-improved team in 2019. I truly believe they will win the division, and not just because I am a Yankees fan. Check my previous posts. I have picked the Yankees to place second, win the first Wild Card, win the second Wild Card, and even miss the playoffs completely in my time with the blog. I truly believe in this team, now they just have to go out there and make me look like a genius and win a World Series championship.

Tune in tomorrow for my predictions for the rest of the league and their standings for the 2019 season!

TGP Trivia and Fact of the Day for March 5th, 2019

Good morning Yankees family!

The Yankees made one of their finest trades in the franchise's history on March 22, 1972, sending Danny Cater and a player to be named later (Mario Guerrero in June) to the Boston Red Sox for Sparkly Lyle. Lyle starred in the Yankees bullpen and won the 1977 American League Cy Young Award while, and not to be disrespectful by any means, I've never even heard of Danny Cater or Mario Guerrero.

The best trade that I ever made in my personal life was when I traded anger, depression, and unhappiness for the one thing in the world that has made me happier than I could have ever dreamed... my wife, Kari. I love you and I am forever grateful for you as well!

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Josh Bard

The only constant every offseason, both for the New York Yankees and their coach staff, is change. Out after ten seasons in the Bronx was Joe Girardi, in was a former Yankees postseason hero in Aaron Boone. Out with the Yankees bench coach after not landing the Yankees managerial position was Rob Thomson, in his spot as bench coach is now Boone’s right-hand man Josh Bard. That was 2018, but both Boone and Bard are back for the 2019 season, as well as the entire coaching staff, so let's meet them once again. This is Meet a Manager: The Josh Bard Edition.


The only constant this offseason for the New York Yankees and their coach staff has been change. Out after ten seasons in the Bronx was Joe Girardi, in was a former Yankees postseason hero in Aaron Boone. Out with the Yankees bench coach after not landing the Yankees managerial position was Rob Thomson, in his spot as bench coach is now Boone’s right-hand man Josh Bard. Let’s meet the former MLB player and current bench coach of the New York Yankees. This is Meet a Manager: The Josh Bard Edition.


Joshua David Bard was born on March 30, 1978 (Happy Early BDAY!!) in Ithaca, New York. When bard was just an infant his family moved to Elizabeth, Colorado where he attended Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Bard was drafted out of High School by the Minnesota Twins in the 35th round of the 1996 Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft but did not sign. Instead Bard attended Texas Tech University where he was a three-time All-American while playing baseball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. While there Bard caught the eye of the Colorado Rockies who drafted him in the 3rd round of the 1999 MLB Draft, eventually signing him on August 12, 1999. Bard’s professional career was ready to begin.

Before Bard could make his Major League debut he was traded by the Colorado Rockies alongside Jody Gerut to the Cleveland Indians for Jacob Cruz on June 2, 2001. By August 23, 2002 Bard was in Cleveland and making his MLB debut with the Indians. Bard hit a walk-off home run against the Seattle Mariners in the game becoming just the second player in MLB history to ever do so in their debut, joining Billy Parker. Bard became a semi-regular with the Indians in 2004 appearing in 91 games but missed a bulk of the first half of the season due to an abdominal injury. Bard was back in 2005 though and served as the backup catcher to Victor Martinez before the Indians shipped him to the Boston Red Sox before the 2006 season. The Indians sent Bard, outfielder Coco Crisp and relief pitcher David Riske to the Boston Red Sox for relief pitcher Guillermo Mota, third base prospect Andy Marte, and catcher Kelly Shoppach. Bard immediately became the Red Sox backup catcher for the 2006 season after the team lost John Flaherty the following season to retirement. Bard also quickly became the personal catcher for knuckleball pitcher Tim Wakefield while with the Red Sox.


After serving as the backup catcher in Boston the Red Sox traded Bard to the San Diego Padres along with Cla Meredith for Doug Mirabelli. The Red Sox had traded Mirabelli to the Padres just a few weeks before, had more experience and better results catching Tim Wakefield leading Boston to make the move, apparently Bard and his passed balls were not cutting it in Bean Town. Bard backed up Mike Piazza while in San Diego and hit .338 in 231 at-bats after the trade despite being a career .240 hitter before his time in San Diego. While with the Padres Bard was catching pitcher Clay Hensley on August 4, 2007 as he gave up a pretty big home run to some guy named Barry Lamar Bonds. Apparently, that was like his 755th home run of his career or something, but I don’t know because I have never heard of the guy. Anyway, Bard was finally named as a starting catcher in 2008 with the Padres, but his hot hitting from the previous season did not carry over to the new year. Bard played out the 2008 season with San Diego before leaving the Padres for free agency following the year.


Bard returned to the Boston Red Sox on a one-year deal worth $1.6 million for the 2009 season, but by March 18 he was released by the club. Three days after being released bard signed on with the Washington Nationals on a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Bard made the team and eventually got into 90 games with the Nationals, hitting just .230. After the 2009 season Bard was once again a free agent, this time signing a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners. Bard continued to bounce around with various teams including the Mariners and the Los Angeles Dodgers before retiring officially after the 2012 season.

Bard retired after the 2012 season and chose to remain with the Dodgers as a Special Assistant. Bard toiled around as the Special Assistant to the GM until the 2016 season when Los Angeles promoted the former MLB catcher to the Major League bullpen coach for the 2016 season. Bard was in the same role during the 2017 season with Los Angeles before the New York Yankees, and specifically new manager Aaron Boone, came calling before the 2018 season. Boone wanted Bard to be his right-hand man and bench coach last season, and so it is so after signing with the Yankees. Bard must have left a lasting impression because he is back in the same position for New York here in 2019.


Welcome back, Josh. No experience is no longer an excuse, do us proud and Go Yankees!

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Manager Aaron Boone

The hiring of Aaron Boone as the new manager of the New York Yankees was not a smooth one nor was it a popular one among fans as all sides had very strong opinions on the matter. Me personally, I couldn’t care less. That may come off as a little shocking, given my very opinionated demeanor and tendency to rant and rave, but it shouldn’t. None of the managerial options stood out above the rest in 2018 and I personally got the sense of “six of one, half dozen of the other” while looking over the candidates and following the interview process. Aaron Boone had no managerial or coaching experience, but neither did Carlos Beltran. Hensley Meulens would have been nice, but honestly how much impact does a manager really have? Especially on a team loaded with talent. How many times have we seen the talent bail out Joe Girardi over the past 10 years? More than once, so Yankees fans need to not panic so much and trust the process. Boone will be fine; the Yankees will be fine and we as a fan base and as an organization will survive this.With a full season under his belt, Boone and his analytics should be much better here in 2019 for the New York Yankees. Let’s meet the man that may already be more hated than Clueless Joe 1.0 and Clueless Joe 2.0, Mr. Aaron Boone. This is Meet a Manager: The Aaron Boone Edition.


Aaron John Boone was born on March 9, 1973 into the world of Major League Baseball. Aaron was the son of former Major League player Bob Boone, the grandson of Ray Boone and the brother of eventual Seattle Mariners star Bret Boone. Aaron spent time with the Cincinnati Reds, the New York Yankees, the Cleveland Indians, the Florida Marlins, the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros from 1997 through 2009 before eventually retiring and heading into the Broadcast booth with ESPN as a part of their Sunday Night Baseball crew as well as a contributor to Baseball Tonight, also on ESPN.

Boone’s amateur career started at Villa Park High School in Villa Park, California where he played for the school’s baseball team. During Boone’s senior season the right-hander was named the Century League’s co-player of the year, catching the eye of the then California Angels who selected Boone on the third day of the 1991 MLB First Year Players Draft. Boone did not sign and instead went to the University of South California where he played baseball for the USC Trojans. In 1993 Boone also played collegiate summer baseball for the Orleans Cardinals of the Cape Cod Baseball League leading his team to the league’s championship. Once again Boone’s name was called during the MLB Draft in 1994 but this time it was the Cincinnati Reds doing the selecting, and this time it was Boone who was signing the contract thus starting his professional career.


Boone toiled around in the Reds minor league system until making his debut in June of 1997 for the Reds. On the final day of the 1998 season Boone was a part of history with the Reds as on the last day of the season Cincinnati became the only team to every start two sets of brothers in their infield starting Stephen and Barry Larkin beside Bret and Aaron Boone. Boone started to become a household name in 2002 hitting 26 home runs and playing in all 162 games but the third baseman really began to catch the eye of the league when he was named to the 2003 All-Star Game for the National League. One team in particular took notice of Boone’s accomplishments that season and that team was the New York Yankees who traded three prospects to Cincinnati that summer for Boone’s services and Boone was worth every penny and every prospect. Why? The new shot heard round the world.

During Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series Boone hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning of the Boston Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield to give the Yankees a dramatic 6-5 victory while also punching the team’s ticket to the World Series. Boone will forever be known for this home run as the Yankees prolonged the Curse of the Bambino for at least one more season. Boone was on top of the world after the 2003 season and the only thing that could bring him back down was a pick-up basketball game of all things. Boone was playing basketball, something that was specifically written into his contract that he was not supposed to be doing and tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee prompting the Yankees to release Boone on February 27, 2004. The Yankees later acquired Alex Rodriguez in a trade with the Texas Rangers while Boone went on to sign a two-year deal with the Cleveland Indians in June of 2004.


Boone missed the entire 2004 season with the knee injury before spending the 2005 and 2006 seasons with the Indians. Boone signed a one-year deal with the Marlins before the 2007, another one-year deal with the Washington Nationals before the 2008 season and a final one-year deal with the Houston Astros for the 2009 season before officially retiring in 2009. Boone underwent open-heart surgery to replace a bicuspid aortic valve in his heart missing most of the 2009 season. Boone made his return to baseball on August 10 playing for the Astros Double-A minor league team before being activated by the big-league club on September 1 when rosters expanded. Boone played the final month of the season with Houston before retiring at the end of the 2009 season.

Boone went on to become a guest analyst for MLB Network in 2009 covering the ALCS between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim before joining the ESPN crew for Baseball Tonight and Monday Night Baseball in 2010. Boone also called the 2014 and 2015 and 2017 World Series for ESPN Radio with Dan Schulman.


Even if things don’t work out for Aaron as the manager of the New York Yankees, don’t feel bad. Boone married Laura Cover and has her shoulder to cry on when he goes home every night. If that name sounds familiar, Cover was a Playboy Playmate and was Miss October 1998. Boone is doing just fine. Welcome back Boonie!

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Jacoby Ellsbury

Did I just save the best for last, or was the information harder to come by because no one has actually seen Jacoby Ellsbury on a baseball diamond in what feels like two-or-three years? You decide, I am just here to make the formal introductions. Jacoby Ellsbury everyone, in all of his glory.

Jacoby Ellsbury, 35-years old, is a center fielder in the New York Yankees organization. Ellsbury, 6’1” and 195 lbs., is a left-handed hitting and throwing outfielder and leadoff hitter, when he is on the field. Injuries have hampered much of his contract with the Yankees that runs through the 2020 season with a team option for the 2021 season. Ellsbury has the uppercut swing, speed, and defense to do well with the New York Yankees, especially inside Yankee Stadium, but his inability to stay healthy has left a bad taste in the mouths of many Yankees fans around the Yankee Universe.

Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury was born on September 11, 1983 in Madras, Oregon where he attended Madras High School. While at the school, Ellsbury lettered in five sports including baseball, basketball and football. Ellsbury was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 23^rd round of the 2002 MLB First Year Players Draft, but ultimately decided to head to Oregon State University to continue his amateur baseball career. After three years at Oregon State, Ellsbury was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the first round, 23^rd overall, of the 2005 MLB Draft.

Ellsbury did not spend long in the Red Sox minor league system, making his professional debut in July of 2015, and making the big-league club by June 30, 2007, replacing an injured Coco Crisp. Ellsbury was up and down for the Red Sox throughout the 2007 season but made his mark late in the season and into the playoffs, leading the Red Sox to a World Series championship. Ellsbury was on the Red Sox Opening Day roster in 2008 and never looked back, thus becoming a regular for the Red Sox in center field and at the top of the Boston lineup. Ellsbury remained an integral part of the team in center field until the 2010 season when he was bumped to left field after the team acquired Mike Cameron off the free agent market. Ellsbury would undergo many ups-and-downs and many injuries throughout his tenure with Boston but would win two World Series with the club including the 2013 season, the final year before he hit free agency.

In the winter before the 2014 season the New York Yankees signed Ellsbury to a seven-year deal worth $153 million including an option year for an eighth season that would bring the deal to $169 million. Ellsbury had a decent first season in the Bronx batting .271 with 16 home runs and 39 stolen bases in 149 games, but the 2015 season the injury bug crept back into Ellsbury’s career. Ellsbury missed nearly two months with a sprained knee in 2015 and did not start the 2015 American League Wild Card Game for the Yankees against the Houston Astros.

The 2016 season was the season of catcher’s interference for Ellsbury and the Yankees. Ellsbury played in 148 games in 2016 and compiled 12 catcher’s interference calls, breaking the record previously held by Roberto Kelly in a single-season. Ellsbury would set the career mark for catcher’s interference calls in 2017 with his 30^th, passing Pete Rose, but would ultimately lose his starting center field job to Aaron Hicks after another set of injuries derailed his season. Ellsbury would miss the entire 2018 season due to injuries and will likely begin the 2019 season on the injured list as well.

Ellsbury is an enrolled member of the Colorado ricer Indian Tribes. Ellsbury’s mother, Margie Ellsbury, is full-blooded Navajo, while his father, Jim, is of English and German descent. Ellsbury is the first Native American of Navajo descent to reach the major leagues. Now, the only thing that’s left is for Ellsbury is to bounce back healthy in 2019 and lead the team to a World Series championship as the first ever Navajo Native American to win a World Series in the Bronx. Make it happen.

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Chance Adams

One of my favorite Yankees prospects coming through the system was and is Chance Adams. Adams was drafted as a relief pitcher and was converted to the starting role down in the Minor Leagues with varying degrees of success. Chance took off as a starter but fell on hard times at the end of the 2017 season and throughout the 2018 campaign as well. I, personally, am not ready to give up on such a promising arm and I fully expect him to bounce back here in 2019 as a starter for the Yankees. Let’s meet him, Mr. Chance Adams.

Chance Adams, 24-years old, is a right-handed starting pitcher out of the New York Yankees organization. Adams’s repertoire consists of a 93 MPH four-same fastball, a 79 MPH curveball, an 85 MPH slider, and a rarely thrown 85 MPH changeup. Adams’ fastball is considered to be average, with little movement, and is used as a pitch-to-contact pitch rather than to strike out opposing batters. Adams uses his slider to generate groundballs to get the majority of his outs. Adams is 6’1” and weighs in at 220 lbs., unless of course he is sporting that impressive beard that he was seen with during the offseason. That has to add a pound or two, you would think.

Chance Adams, no middle name like myself, was born on August 10, 1994 in Scottsdale, Arizona where he attended Chaparral High School. Adams played college baseball at Yavapai College for two years before transferring to Dallas Baptist University. After one year there, the New York Yankees drafted the right-hander in the fifth round of the 2015 MLB First Year Players Draft. Adams made his professional debut with the Staten Island Yankees and finished his first professional season with the High-A Tampa Yankees.

Adams was converted into a starting pitcher beginning in 2016 and saw immediate results from the conversion. Adams started the 2016 season with a 5-0 record with a 2.65 ERA in 12 games before being promoted to Double-A with the Trenton Thunder. Adams finished the season in Trenton with an 8-1 record and a 2.07 ERA. Adams continued to destroy AA pitching in 2017 and quickly earned a promotion to Triple-A before finishing the season with a combined 15-5 record and a 2.45 ERA in 150.1 innings pitched.

Adams would struggle for a lot of the 2018 season, but he was called up to make his MLB debut against the Boston Red Sox inside Fenway Park on August 4. Now, Adams will look to build on the positives from last season and move forward in his path back towards the big-league level. I’m not ready to give up on you Chance, and I’m sure there’s plenty of fans backing you that feel the exact same way as I do. Good luck to you this season and I look forward to seeing you back in the Bronx at some point here in 2019.