Welcome Back Nick Rumbelow!

The New York Yankees are at it again, this time they brought back Nick Rumbelow. The team designated Rumbelow for assignment earlier this winter as the right-hander will miss most of, if not all of, the 2017 regular season as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery but the team has brought him back on a new minor league deal according to Robert Pimpsner and our friends over at Pinstriped Prospects.

Rumbelow, just 25-years old, was originally drafted by the New York Yankees in the seventh round of the 2013 MLB First Year Players Draft out of LSU. By the 2015 season Rumbelow had already reached the Major Leagues appearing in 17 games down the stretch before hurting his arm just one game into the 2016 season.

Rumbelow had Tommy John surgery this season after going on the disabled list on April 11^th so a late August or September call up is not completely out of the realm of possibilities but it is very likely that he misses the entire regular season just to be sure he’s healthy and ready. Either way, welcome home.

Yankees Re-Sign Culver, Release O’Neill

According to our friends over at Pinstriped Prospects, shout out to Robert Pimpsner and his crew for a continued year of great success and even better work by the way, the New York Yankees made a couple minor league deals that I think are noteworthy. The Yankees signed Cito Culver to a minor league deal and they also released outfielder Michael O’Neill from his contract.

Culver is still somehow just 24-years old after being the Yankees first round draft pick in 2010. The Yankees promoted Culver to Triple-A for the 2015 and 2016 seasons but never made the call to bring him to the Major Leagues. Culver has always been considered to be a top notch defensive shortstop but his bat has always lacked which has kept him from taking the big step to the Bronx.

O’Neill, son of former Yankees star Paul O’Neill, is also 24-years old and was a third round pick for the Yankees in the 2013 MLB Draft. O’Neill reached Double-A with the Trenton Thunder this past season but his bat lacked in 60 games after a strong start to the season in Tampa. O’Neill will now look to latch on with another team to continue his dream of reaching the show.

Good luck to both. Oh, and good morning Yankees family. We’re back!

Yankees Release 10 Minor Leaguers

According to Robert Pimpsner and Pinstriped Prospects the New York Yankees have released 10 minor league players from their contracts already this offseason. The Yankees have released now 11 minor league players according to Pimpsner including the release of RHP Jeris Casanova earlier in the month. All but two of these players played in the Dominican Summer League while two were from the GCL Yankees.

The list includes RHP Luis Rosario and  RHP Juan Escorcia, both from the GCL Yankees, and RHP Juan Rodriguez, RHP Arcadio Campusano, LHP Orby Tavares, LHP Eduardo Peluso, LHP Carlos Diaz, LHP Edintson Naranjo, 3B Kleiber Maneiro and SS Holman Miranda.

Check out THIS link from Pinstriped Prospects as Mr. Pimpsner has some information and write ups regarding the prospects that were released. Enjoy.

http://pinstripedprospects.com/yankees-release-ten-minor-leaguers-18221

Weekly Prospects Check In: Blake Rutherford

We’ll end this Saturday night not with an open thread, which for whatever reason get underutilized on this site, but with another weekly prospects check in. There are just so many prospects that I want to check in with each and every week and not enough time in the day to check in with them all. That’s where great sites like Pinstriped Prospects, run by my friend Robert Pimpsner and his talented crew, and Baseball Reference come in. So let’s use this evening and this thread to check in with the Yankees top pick from the 2016 MLB Draft Blake Rutherford.

Rutherford has already conquered the Gulf Coast League and now finds himself in Pulaski. For some reason I have a feeling that is the first of many call ups and promotions for Rutherford while this will be one of many check in posts for the future Yankees star.

Year	Age	Lg	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2016	19	2 Lgs	16	66	7	18	5	2	6	0	7	15	.316	.394	.544	.938
2016	19	APPY	8	36	4	12	4	1	3	0	3	9	.375	.444	.656	1.101
2016	19	GULF	8	30	3	6	1	1	3	0	4	6	.240	.333	.400	.733

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

TGP Prospects Night featuring Domingo Acevedo

Robert Pimpsner, the owner and founder of the YES Network affiliated Pinstriped Prospects blog, called him the best Yankees pitching prospect besides James Kaprielian and, spoiler alert, he ranked awfully high on my personal Top 30 Prospects List. Domingo Acevedo may be the future of the Yankees farm system and the future of the Yankees starting rotation. At worst, his floor, his comparison is that of Dellin Betances. A shutdown All-Star reliever with 100+ strikeouts in consecutive seasons. At best he's an ace in the making that may struggle with command at times because of his heavy fastball and huge frame. Are you excited yet? If you're not watch him throw this bullpen session as a member of the Staten Island Yankees. If that doesn't get you excited then go and get your pulse checked, you may be dead. 

Our Annual Prospects Month Interview w/ Robert Pimpsner

What would a Prospects Month be without an interview with my very dear friend and owner of the YES Network affiliated Pinstriped Prospects blog Robert Pimpsner? Pimpsner is back on the blog for the third Prospects Month in a row with his third interview he has been so gracious to give us and this time he comes with a little bit of an announcement. Before we get to that and the meat and potatoes of the interview I want to thank Mr. Pimpsner for reaching out and doing this for us a third time, it truly means the world to me to have friends and colleagues in this business that are willing to help out and take the time. Robert, thank you! And without further delay or mush from me I bring you the interview we did with the owner of Pinstriped Prospects, Robert Pimpsner.

The Greedy Pinstripes:

Robert, thank you once again for taking the time to do an interview with us during our Prospects Month. This is our third year interviewing you for the event and we have seen some amazing changes in your site Pinstripes Prospects. In the first interview you just teased us with its opening and now you have a great team of writers including Matt Kardos, Gershon Rabinowitz, Josh Sabo and others and a well-oiled machine in the world of covering Yankees prospects. Do you have any advice for anyone trying to get into the world of writing, blogging or covering prospects?

Robert Pimpsner:

First is don’t be afraid to reach out and talk to those who have been doing this a while. Second remember to stay humble, sometimes in this business it is easy to get an ego and you start to build a reputation as someone. Also remember that to be in this business you need a thick skin and to be able to take constructive criticism. It is just part of the job.


TGP:

So I have been reading your Top 50 Prospects list that you guys released, SEEN HERE, and I have a lot of questions for you. The main difference between your list and my list is Tyler Wade. While I don't think he's an organizational prospect by any means I just don't get why he is listed so high on so many prospects lists. Can you explain to me and anyone else who may scratch their head when they compare his rankings to his stats and scout grades?

RP:

From a scouting standpoint there is just a lot to really like about the guy. He does a lot of things very well and has the potential to be a contributor at the MLB level in the next few years. That said if you look at his stats he has pretty much hit everywhere he has been except for the brief cameo he had in AA. The key for him now is how takes that challenge and if he can make the adjustment to get back to his previous success.

TGP: 

Kyle Holder is another prospect that is all over the place on many prominent prospects lists for the Yankees. Some have him and his elite defense in or around the Top 10 while others, like your list, have him in the late 20's or early 30's. Is it because he is so raw and has only been playing full-time baseball for a couple years now or is it because his bat just simply hasn't translated yet that keeps him so low for you?

RP:
I really like Holder as a player personally. He does not strike out a lot, he gets the bat on the ball but always seems to find a glove. He is a guy that if he had a bit more muscle a lot of those balls would have gotten past the fielders and be base hits, and a few would have gone over the fence. Now he can put the muscle on in the off season but everything will depends on if he can make the adjustments to go along with it.

TGP: 

Luis Torrens had a very serious shoulder operation and missed the entire 2015 season. Torrens was once thought to be the best catcher in the Yankees minor league system, even ranked ahead of Gary Sanchez on most projection lists, so what do you know about the surgery he had and what are his chances of getting back to his 2013 form after the surgery?

RP:

Well the Yankees like to keep injury information close to the chest, not much information gets out but from my understanding everything was a success. We tweeted out in September that he returned during the Instructional League where he got time as Designated Hitter, everything seems to be okay for him now but can’t really make a statement on the health of the shoulder until I see him in game action. He is a guy that I have a lot of high hopes for, to me he is a better all-around catcher than Sanchez. He can defend and hit the ball well when healthy, let us not forget that Brian McCann went through something similar.

TGP: 

Speaking of prospects with a lot to prove, what are your thoughts on Tyler Austin and what do you think he can do in 2016? Personally I think he is in line to be the next Mason Williams, the prospect that gets outrighted off the 40 man only to force his way back onto the scene with a big season. Your thoughts?

RP:

I am struggling to find a place with the Yankees for Tyler Austin. He is crunched out of the outfield in the upper levels and his only other position would be first base. Now the question is: do the Yankees give Austin the shot as the everyday first baseman in Trenton or Scranton or is he regulated to a bench bat? Unless he has a big season and really bounces back I do not expect him back with the Yankees in 2017.

TGP:

And quite possibly the biggest reclamation project and the prospect with the most to prove to me is Ty Hensley? Personally I love the guy and his family as people but I left him off my list completely while you have him ranked 24th. Is that because of his projections and ceiling or do you know something that I don't? I am generally pessimistic about players in the first year removed from Tommy John surgery.

RP:

The first year back from Tommy John surgery is the worst, that is when they are struggling the most and will have a short leash out there. He is a guy that I believe come back from, after covering his season in 2014 with the Staten Island Yankees I have said he is the most mentally strong person I have ever met. The guy has the best outlook on life and with all the struggles he has had he needs it. Having seen his stuff there is a lot to like, his biggest issue is staying healthy. When he is healthy his stuff is great and he can be a big league starter eventually.

TGP: 

Who has the better chance to make the Major Leagues in 2016, Chance Adams or Will Carter? Why?

RP:

Good question, there is a lot to consider. Does Chance Adams move to the rotation for the 2016 season? Can the Yankees push Carter through the system quickly? It is really tough to say right now without knowing where they will be.

TGP: 

The two prospects the Yankees acquired from Detroit in the Justin Wilson trade, Luis Cessa and Chad Green, were brought in as Triple-A starting pitching depth. Do either have a spot on the Yankees in the future in your mind?

RP:

It is tough to say. I really don’t know that much about either of them. I am looking forward to seeing them pitch and get a better feel for their stuff and abilities.

TGP: 

And your 50th prospect, Jhalan Jackson. I love what he brings to the plate but do you think he can cut down on his strikeouts and if he does what do you think his projection is in say five years?

RP:

Amazing plus raw power, this guy can really knock the ball out of the park. His struggles last season was mostly because of the injuries he racked up, whether it was his thumb, back, leg, etc. He spent a lot of time on the disabled list for a short-season team. I think he can be a contributor in the future, especially if he goes back to how he was the first 2 weeks of the SI Yanks season.

TGP:

Besides James Kaprielian who do you think the Yankees best starting pitching prospect is left in the system?

RP:

Hands down Domingo Acevedo. He is a guy that profiles as a front of the rotation starter with a plus-fastball that has already hit 103MPH, his slider has seen great improvement over the few months he was with Staten Island and has a changeup that has been effective so far. At worst the guy can be a lights out closer but I don’t see that happening. A lot of people bring up the Betances comp with him and I don’t see that, I saw both play early in their careers and can tell you that they are two different guys. Acevedo has the ability to stick, just have to be patient and let him work things out. The guy has the best work ethic I have seen ever.

TGP:

Which prospects can you see falling off the list due to inning pitched or at bat milestones and who do you think is in danger of falling off due to development and progression?

RP:

I think we can see Jacob Lindgren and James Pazos could see a lot of time in The Bronx this season and exhaust their rookie eligibility. Guys like DeCarr, Hensley, etc do need to come back strong this year or they are in danger of either falling to the back of the list or off the list completely.

TGP:

Name one prospect that the casual fan probably doesn't know now but will know by the end of the 2016 season?

RP:

Wilkerman Garcia, this is a guy that is similar to Jorge Mateo in many ways but is also a bit more well-rounded and has better power.

TGP:

I know you have a passion for cooking, what’s the last thing that you cooked that you were truly impressed with or proud of?

RP:

I just recently branching out and trying to be a bit more creative. I made a nice spicey-meatball mac and cheese that was delicious but still love my Beef Wellington the most.

TGP: 

You're a fan of WWE, what Yankees player (prospect or established player) do you think would do the best in the WWE assuming it was real? You don't have to be realistic here.

RP:

Hmm. I have never thought about this before. You need to be a natural athlete to success in wrestling. It is probably one of the hardest things to do, nothing can compare to cardiovascular durability you need to go even 5 minutes in a ring. Guys like Mateo, Garcia, etc. could be good luchadores. Aside from that I am not sure.

TGP: 

You used to wear suits in the booth when you covered the Staten Island Yankees and you're still the best dressed person I know, where do you get your attire?

RP:

Most of my clothes now are custom made from this place called Enzo Custom Clothiers. They make awesome clothes and I get to pick everything I want and fits perfectly. I highly suggest checking them out, and if you do drop my name.

TGP: 

Tell us a little bit, or as much as you can, about your soon-to-be launched Amazin Prospects which covers the prospects of the New York Mets.

RP:

Amazin’ Prospects will launch in March on the 2-year birthday of Pinstriped Prospects. Myself and a several members of the Pinstriped Prospects team will be contributing to Amazin’ Prospects in one fashion or another. We really want to bring MLB-quality coverage to the minor leagues for all teams, not just the Yankees.

Once again I want to thank Robert for taking the time to do this for us. I truly enjoy speaking with you and we don’t do it nearly enough. You can check out Pinstripes Prospects HERE directly or on the YES Network where they are affiliated. Also be on the lookout for Amazin’s Prospects if you’re a fan of the Mets as the crew over there brings you the same up-to-the-minute news and coverage for that OTHER team that calls New York home and their prospects. 

Yanks Go Yard Radio Show Rewind Featuring The Greedy Pinstripes

Check Out Baseball Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Yanks Go Yard Radio Show on BlogTalkRadio

As many of you hopefully heard last night Bryan Van Dusen represented the Greedy Pinstripes on the Yanks Go Yard radio show last night. Bryan was joined by a friend of the blog and owner of the Yankees Unscripted blog Chris Carelli and was followed by another friend of the blog and owner of Pinstriped Prospects, Mr. Robert Pimpsner. This was actually the first time I had ever listened to the radio show that Yanks Go Yard puts on weekly and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the show as a fan listening to Bryan and Chris go back and forth over the Yankees season with their first half wrap ups.

CLICK HERE to give that a listen and support not only Yanks Go Yard but The Greedy Pinstripes as well, it is truly appreciated by us all./  

The Follow up Interview You've All Been Waiting For: Robert Pimpsner

This is the follow up interview that you have all been waiting for as once again we spoke with Mr. Robert Pimpsner, a beat writer that covers the Staten Island Yankees and the owner of the very popular and YES Network affiliated Pinstriped Prospects. We want to thank Mr. Pimpsner for taking the time to do another interview with us, it truly is appreciated.


The Greedy Pinstripes: 

So you started off our last interview by predicting the breakout of Dellin Betances, thank you for that by the way, is there anyone you would like to predict as that breakout player in 2015?


Well the easy answer would be to say a guy like Rob Refsnyder or Jacob Lindgren, both should make their MLB debuts this year.  However I am going to say Jose Pirela, whose versatility will be a major component of it.  He is a guy that will be able to back up pretty much all around the field in a pinch. 

TGP:

Another question I mean't to ask in our previous interview that I didn't get to ask is what Yankee, if anyone specific, actually made you a Yankees fan?


I can’t really say it is just one Yankee.  I became a Yankee fan due to everyone I became friends with being in the Yankees organization.  It is great to see some of these guys I have called my friend play in the bigs.

TGP:

Also when we last spoke you were readying the release of your site, which I love by the way, Pinstriped Prospects. How is that going? Tell the readers who may not have checked it out yet a little about it.

Thanks for the kind words, it was a long process to work on building the site.  Took almost a year and a half to get it going after a setback after setback.  It is going great actually, the site is growing faster than I expected so it can be tough to keep up with that.  The thing that really helps us is our partnership with the YES Network and the Yankees affiliates.  Unlike almost every other site or blog out there we have a person there at each ballpark.  They are there to watch the players, talk to them, talk to the coaches, scouts, etc.  We believe that in order to really report about prospects you have to see them.  We don’t do the so called “box score scouting” or regurgitate what another site writes.  Our writers are there at the ballparks, getting to see these guys play and getting the first-hand report.

TGP:

When you cover a team as a beat writer or even as a blogger do you consider your fellow bloggers and beats to be more like a family where you go out and eat together and such or is it more strictly business?

Well it is tough, in Staten Island all but myself and the Staten Island Advance guys are new each year.  There sometimes the occasional two or three year guy but for the most part it is a new group of media each year.  I am good friends with the folks at the Advance and we talk regularly.  Usually grab a bite to eat together before Opening Day and help each other out on stories. We sort of act like the older brothers in the press box, helping out the young kids and teaching them what to do.  Some come in scared others come in cocky and arrogant so it can be tough.

TGP:

Which prospects do you see making impacts in the Bronx in 2015?

There are a bunch I see making an impact this year.  The easiest ones to bring up are Rob Refsnyder, Jose Pirela, Bryan Mitchell, Jacob Lindgren.  But look out for guys like James Pazos, Tyler Webb, Nick Rumbelow they are knocking on the door.

TGP:

Anyone your secretly hoping rehabs down in Staten Island sometime this season?

I hope to see zero injuries and a phenomenal team on the field in Staten Island.

TGP:

Have you cooked up anything good lately that would make Chef Gordon Ramsay proud?

I have been working on my family-recipe BBQ sauce.  Making some of my own alterations, so far I have gotten rave reviews from my family and friends.  You should see the ribs I made for my friend’s super bowl party.



Next we'll do a few rapid fire questions just for fun. You don't have to answer them but I think they can be fun:



TGP:

Cole Hamels for Luis Severino, Aaron Judge and Robert Refsnyder. Yes or no?

No

TGP:

Alex Rodriguez fan? Yes or no?

No


TGP:

Does your Alma mater St. John's reach the Sweet 16 in March Madness?

Yes (I’m optimistic)

TGP:

Did Apple show you anything new this year that peaked your interest? (since you are un-American, I mean anti-Apple). Apple Pay is outdated and so is the Apple Watch but the new Notebook is pretty impressive you have to admit.

I have to admit that new MacBook looks beautiful and I am really interested in that USB-C tech.

TGP:

We'll end it with this one. What advice do you have to anyone who is either trying to get into the sports blogging or sports photography field as you have seemingly mastered both?

Don’t be afraid to ask those who have been there questions and listen carefully.  See what they are doing and pay attention to it closely.  They are successful for a reason and most will help you out if you need it.

Be sure to check out Pinstripes Prospects by clicking the link and be sure to give those guys a follow on Twitter by following @PinstripedPros. Thanks again Robert for the interview and we wish you, Jed, Gershon and the rest of the crew nothing but the best of luck in the future, although I have a feeling you guys won't be needing it.

Throwback Thursday: Our Interview with Robert Pimpsner

It's Thursday so it's time for Throwback Thursday so we continue our look back with our interview we did last season with Staten Island Yankees beat writer and Pinstripes Prospects owner Robert Pimpsner. Pimpsner emailed me the other day and pointed out that he predicted the breakout for Dellin Betances last season so I guess we all owe him a big thank you. It was said and heard here first so here it is again in its entirety.

The Greedy Pinstripes: Being born and raised in Staten Island were you a Yankees fan growing up? Or were you brainwashed into being a Mets fan like so many at a young age?

Robert Pimpsner: I was always a baseball fan first.  Growing up in a family of Met fans I do have an appreciation for them but I will forever be a Yankees fan first.

TGP: Did you play any sports growing up as a kid?

RP: Growing up I played soccer and Tee-ball, I was not much of an athlete but tried.

TGP: What made you want to cover baseball from this side of the field?

RP: It is something I fell into.  I always had a love for writing and baseball is one of those things where I can get away from the world so it was just a natural fit.

TGP: Do you or do you not have the best job in the world covering baseball every single day? I am going to go with the former over the latter but I would like to hear your thoughts. 

RP: It is a fun job, something I wish I could do full-time.  I have had many great experiences covering the team and have met a lot of great people.  Nothing beats the first week of the season where you are catching up with the regulars whether it be media members or ticket holders at the stadium.

For the most part there is very high turnover year-after-year in the media contingent.  I am the second longest beat writer covering the team, having been around since 2002.  Only the Staten Island Advance beat writers have been there longer.  With that I enjoy helping out the new writers who are getting their first taste of covering a professional team. 

TGP: How did you get involved with baseball and covering the Staten Island Yankees specifically?

RP: It is actually an interesting story.  Back in 2002 I was pretty good friends with two pitchers on the team, Matt Brumitt and Ryan Bicondoa, and one day towards the end of the 2002 season we were talking by the bullpen before a game and they mentioned that their families were having trouble staying up-to-date on their progress.

This is when I was 13 years old and I was experimenting with web design back then so I came up with the idea for a website.  With that Baby-Bombers.com was born.  I ran that website from 2003-2009, I was a junior at St John’s University at the time and decided it was time to move on.  That is when I joined with Gotham Baseball and Going 9 Media who at the time ran BaseballDigest.com.

I was with them until 2011 when I started working full-time in marketing.  I tried to stay away in 2011 but the game called to me and I worked only 6 games that year (4 in Brooklyn, 2 in Staten Island) and I decided that in 2012 I would launch my own site again.  In less than a week I got Pinstriped Prospects up and running and it went well for the first year, that was until I lose everything on the sever and my computer as well as all my backups crashed.

I decided to take 2013 to try to rebuild it slowly, I am still working on the new design and look for the website.  While I was working on that I came up with the idea to use the visual storytelling techniques I love to use in advertising to tell the story of the games so I reached out to my close friend Rob at Bronx Baseball Daily with the idea.  We ran with it for the 2013 season and it was a big success.  As of right now I am not sure if Pinstriped Prospects will be ready for 2014 but I am looking at several options on what I might do this year in regards to baseball.  I say stay tuned to my Twitter account as whatever I decided will be announced there.

TGP: Best/Favorite moment covering the SI Yanks? Doesn't necessarily have to be related to the game itself. 

RP: There are several moments that stand out from my time covering the Staten Island Yankees.  I have been there for all the brawls in team history but the most interesting one was in 2006 when Gaylen Pitts was manager of the team.  On AUgust 21st the Staten Island Yankees were playing the Brooklyn Cyclones at Keyspan Park (now MCU Park).  Early on in the first inning Pitts was ejected from the game but by the eighth inning the Yankees had a 21-6 lead over Brooklyn.  Tempers flared in the eighth and both benches cleared.  With the players dueling on the field out came Pitts in a ripped tank top, shorts and flip flops to fight.  That has always been one of the most entertaining moments in team history.

TGP: Ripped tank top, shorts, and flip flops and ready to fight... I have now officially heard it all in sports, thank you Robert. That literally made me laugh, and the wife thought it was "cute" as well. 

TGP: Did you get to meet and speak with Hideki Matsui when he threw batting practice for the SI Yankees this past season?

RP: I had the chance to speak with him but I did not take the opportunity.  As much of a Yankees fan I am I figure I let him be, the media that follows him around pretty much asks any question I could think of.  But it was cool to watch him take BP before the final home game.

TGP: What current and former Yankees have you seen, spoke with, and covered down in the New York Penn League?

RP: Well this list is pretty long, there are many I have met including Yankees GM Brian Cashman, Gene Michaels, etc.  I have been around the Staten Island Yankees long enough to be around Robinson Cano, Brett Gardner, Adam Warren, David Phelps, Preston Claiborne.  The list is long, it was fun sharing the dugout with Phil Hughes during his rehab as well as the other rehabbing players.

TGP: Are you the best dressed beat writer in the history of beat writing?

RP: Well I do have my own unique style.  As you might be able to tell from my Twitter and Instagram I like suits.  It is something that I always loved since I was a kid (I know I am weird).  I say my style is sort of a mix between classic Rat Pack and Harvey Specter. 

I am always the most overdressed person in the press box, while my colleagues are in jeans and t-shirt I am there in a tailored suit complete with French cuff shirts and vintage cufflinks.  Last season I was in the camera wells for most games so I pretty much stuck to a collared shirt and slacks since it does get hot down there, the only downside is cleaning the clay off my shoes every night. 

TGP: Any other hobbies you enjoy doing besides baseball? 

RP: I work full-time in the marketing/advertising field.  That is something I really love to do and I stay very active in it.  In my free time I am always researching the latest in the field as well as trying to learn more about building websites and applications.

I am also a big believer in giving back to the community and with that in mind I volunteer as the Alumnus Advisor for the chapter of Kappa Sigma Fraternity I founded with my friends in college as well as do a lot of volunteering in the NYC area with them.  I enjoy working the undergraduates a lot as it allows me to teach them some of the things I have learned along the way.

TGP: Scrolling through your Twitter pictures I noticed you made beef wellington and it looks amazing. Are you a foodie?

RP: I would say yes I am a foodie but I am more of a cook.  I love to cook and there is nothing that relaxes me more than coming home after work going to the store to get fresh ingredients and then making something spectacular in my kitchen.  My beef wellington recipe started off as copying Gordon Ramsay’s recipe that I had at his restaurant in Las Vegas but I have since made changes to reflect my tastes and gotten good reviews of it so far.

TGP: How excited are you about this coming season with all the new additions to the Yankees squad?

RP: This is going to be an interesting year for the Yankees on all fronts.  At the major league level I am very excited for spring training and to see what Tanaka can do.  I have yet to see any film of him pitching so I am very interested.  I want to see some more of the young guys get a chance but I also want to win.

TGP: If you were GM for a day, and this doesn't have to necessarily be realistic, what one move would you make?

RP: I want to put together a long-term vision on how to be competitive in the future for years and decades not just individual seasons.  For that I would sacrifice a year or two to build up a competitive minor league system that pumps out quality player after quality player.  But I know that isn’t realistic in New York.  So for a day I would love to see the Yankees use the open spots in the bullpen to let all the young kids pitch.  I want to see Betances in the majors this year and give him a shot out of the pen.

TGP: Most famous person in your cell phone right now?

RP: Ahh I don’t like to reveal that.

TGP: Most embarrassing song in your iPod?

RP: Well I don’t own an iPod (I have a distaste for Apple products) but on my BlackBerry I have some Taylor Swift that some would consider embarrassing.

TGP: Boo! Long live Apple!

TGP: We'll finish with this, where do you want to end up in your career? What is your ultimate goal?

RP: My ultimate goal is to have my own company that is broken down into a sports/entertainment division, a marketing agency division and a publications division.  I am actually starting to put together my business plan for it together and will try to build it slowly.  I invite everyone to check out my personal website/blog at http://www.robertpimpsner.com/

We want to thank Mr. Pimpsner for taking the time out of his schedule to do this interview for us, it is much appreciated from all the writers here as well as our readers. It is appreciated and we hope you have nothing but luck and success in everything you do both on and off the field. You can follow Robert on Twitter by following@RPimpsner.

Exclusive Interview With Beat Writer Robert Pimpsner

Yesterday, as a part of Prospects Months here on The Greedy Pinstripes, we shared out interview with Nick Rumbelow of the Staten Island Yankees and today we interview one of the many men covering Nick, Mr. Robert Pimpsner. Robert is a well dressed, good food eating, MLB The Show playing beat writer for the Staten Island Yankees and does a marvelous job covering the team and the players. Check out what the best dressed man in show biz has to say with us in our interview:

The Greedy Pinstripes: Being born and raised in Staten Island were you a Yankees fan growing up? Or were you brainwashed into being a Mets fan like so many at a young age?

Robert Pimpsner: I was always a baseball fan first.  Growing up in a family of Met fans I do have an appreciation for them but I will forever be a Yankees fan first.

TGP: Did you play any sports growing up as a kid?

RP: Growing up I played soccer and Tee-ball, I was not much of an athlete but tried.

TGP: What made you want to cover baseball from this side of the field?

RP: It is something I fell into.  I always had a love for writing and baseball is one of those things where I can get away from the world so it was just a natural fit.

TGP: Do you or do you not have the best job in the world covering baseball every single day? I am going to go with the former over the latter but I would like to hear your thoughts. 

RP: It is a fun job, something I wish I could do full-time.  I have had many great experiences covering the team and have met a lot of great people.  Nothing beats the first week of the season where you are catching up with the regulars whether it be media members or ticket holders at the stadium.

For the most part there is very high turnover year-after-year in the media contingent.  I am the second longest beat writer covering the team, having been around since 2002.  Only the Staten Island Advance beat writers have been there longer.  With that I enjoy helping out the new writers who are getting their first taste of covering a professional team. 

TGP: How did you get involved with baseball and covering the Staten Island Yankees specifically?

RP: It is actually an interesting story.  Back in 2002 I was pretty good friends with two pitchers on the team, Matt Brumitt and Ryan Bicondoa, and one day towards the end of the 2002 season we were talking by the bullpen before a game and they mentioned that their families were having trouble staying up-to-date on their progress.

This is when I was 13 years old and I was experimenting with web design back then so I came up with the idea for a website.  With that Baby-Bombers.com was born.  I ran that website from 2003-2009, I was a junior at St John’s University at the time and decided it was time to move on.  That is when I joined with Gotham Baseball and Going 9 Media who at the time ran BaseballDigest.com.

I was with them until 2011 when I started working full-time in marketing.  I tried to stay away in 2011 but the game called to me and I worked only 6 games that year (4 in Brooklyn, 2 in Staten Island) and I decided that in 2012 I would launch my own site again.  In less than a week I got Pinstriped Prospects up and running and it went well for the first year, that was until I lose everything on the sever and my computer as well as all my backups crashed.

I decided to take 2013 to try to rebuild it slowly, I am still working on the new design and look for the website.  While I was working on that I came up with the idea to use the visual storytelling techniques I love to use in advertising to tell the story of the games so I reached out to my close friend Rob at Bronx Baseball Daily with the idea.  We ran with it for the 2013 season and it was a big success.  As of right now I am not sure if Pinstriped Prospects will be ready for 2014 but I am looking at several options on what I might do this year in regards to baseball.  I say stay tuned to my Twitter account as whatever I decided will be announced there.

TGP: Best/Favorite moment covering the SI Yanks? Doesn't necessarily have to be related to the game itself. 

RP: There are several moments that stand out from my time covering the Staten Island Yankees.  I have been there for all the brawls in team history but the most interesting one was in 2006 when Gaylen Pitts was manager of the team.  On AUgust 21st the Staten Island Yankees were playing the Brooklyn Cyclones at Keyspan Park (now MCU Park).  Early on in the first inning Pitts was ejected from the game but by the eighth inning the Yankees had a 21-6 lead over Brooklyn.  Tempers flared in the eighth and both benches cleared.  With the players dueling on the field out came Pitts in a ripped tank top, shorts and flip flops to fight.  That has always been one of the most entertaining moments in team history.

TGP: Ripped tank top, shorts, and flip flops and ready to fight... I have now officially heard it all in sports, thank you Robert. That literally made me laugh, and the wife thought it was "cute" as well. 

TGP: Did you get to meet and speak with Hideki Matsui when he threw batting practice for the SI Yankees this past season?

RP: I had the chance to speak with him but I did not take the opportunity.  As much of a Yankees fan I am I figure I let him be, the media that follows him around pretty much asks any question I could think of.  But it was cool to watch him take BP before the final home game.

TGP: What current and former Yankees have you seen, spoke with, and covered down in the New York Penn League?

RP: Well this list is pretty long, there are many I have met including Yankees GM Brian Cashman, Gene Michaels, etc.  I have been around the Staten Island Yankees long enough to be around Robinson Cano, Brett Gardner, Adam Warren, David Phelps, Preston Claiborne.  The list is long, it was fun sharing the dugout with Phil Hughes during his rehab as well as the other rehabbing players.

TGP: Are you the best dressed beat writer in the history of beat writing?

RP: Well I do have my own unique style.  As you might be able to tell from my Twitter and Instagram I like suits.  It is something that I always loved since I was a kid (I know I am weird).  I say my style is sort of a mix between classic Rat Pack and Harvey Specter. 

I am always the most overdressed person in the press box, while my colleagues are in jeans and t-shirt I am there in a tailored suit complete with French cuff shirts and vintage cufflinks.  Last season I was in the camera wells for most games so I pretty much stuck to a collared shirt and slacks since it does get hot down there, the only downside is cleaning the clay off my shoes every night. 

TGP: Any other hobbies you enjoy doing besides baseball? 

RP: I work full-time in the marketing/advertising field.  That is something I really love to do and I stay very active in it.  In my free time I am always researching the latest in the field as well as trying to learn more about building websites and applications.

I am also a big believer in giving back to the community and with that in mind I volunteer as the Alumnus Advisor for the chapter of Kappa Sigma Fraternity I founded with my friends in college as well as do a lot of volunteering in the NYC area with them.  I enjoy working the undergraduates a lot as it allows me to teach them some of the things I have learned along the way.

@GordonRamsay I made Beef Wellington for the first time today. pic.twitter.com/kk89gqTZiX
— Robert M. Pimpsner (@RPimpsner) September 2, 2013

TGP: Scrolling through your Twitter pictures I noticed you made beef wellington and it looks amazing. Are you a foodie?

RP: I would say yes I am a foodie but I am more of a cook.  I love to cook and there is nothing that relaxes me more than coming home after work going to the store to get fresh ingredients and then making something spectacular in my kitchen.  My beef wellington recipe started off as copying Gordon Ramsay’s recipe that I had at his restaurant in Las Vegas but I have since made changes to reflect my tastes and gotten good reviews of it so far.

TGP: How excited are you about this coming season with all the new additions to the Yankees squad?

RP: This is going to be an interesting year for the Yankees on all fronts.  At the major league level I am very excited for spring training and to see what Tanaka can do.  I have yet to see any film of him pitching so I am very interested.  I want to see some more of the young guys get a chance but I also want to win.

TGP: If you were GM for a day, and this doesn't have to necessarily be realistic, what one move would you make?

RP: I want to put together a long-term vision on how to be competitive in the future for years and decades not just individual seasons.  For that I would sacrifice a year or two to build up a competitive minor league system that pumps out quality player after quality player.  But I know that isn’t realistic in New York.  So for a day I would love to see the Yankees use the open spots in the bullpen to let all the young kids pitch.  I want to see Betances in the majors this year and give him a shot out of the pen.

TGP: Most famous person in your cell phone right now?

RP: Ahh I don’t like to reveal that.

TGP: Most embarrassing song in your iPod?

RP: Well I don’t own an iPod (I have a distaste for Apple products) but on my BlackBerry I have some Taylor Swift that some would consider embarrassing.

TGP: Boo! Long live Apple!

TGP: We'll finish with this, where do you want to end up in your career? What is your ultimate goal?

RP: My ultimate goal is to have my own company that is broken down into a sports/entertainment division, a marketing agency division and a publications division.  I am actually starting to put together my business plan for it together and will try to build it slowly.  I invite everyone to check out my personal website/blog at http://www.robertpimpsner.com/

We want to thank Mr. Pimpsner for taking the time out of his schedule to do this interview for us, it is much appreciated from all the writers here as well as our readers. It is appreciated and we hope you have nothing but luck and success in everything you do both on and off the field. You can follow Robert on Twitter by following @RPimpsner.