Flights for Tampa are Now Boarding...

It’s beginning to look a lot like Spring…

It’s the Monday morning of the week that pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Tampa, Florida. Woohoo! I am so ready for Baseball! Tomorrow, Steinbrenner Field will be buzzing with activity as the voluntary players in camp will be met by the rest of the group. New Manager Aaron Boone has been at Training Camp since Friday. He and his new staff will be among the first to greet the new arrivals.

Photo Credit: NorthJersey.com via USA TODAY Network (Kevin R Wexler)

Position players report must report by Sunday, February 18^th although a number of players are already in town. Others, such as Giancarlo Stanton, should soon be en route. 

Stanton caused a bit of a stir yesterday when he posted an Instagram pic featuring the newest Yankee slugger with mercurial New York Giants star wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. Stanton labeled the pic “Dem City boys”. Stanton is going to find out that he’s not in Miami anymore and his every move will draw attention and will be open for lots and lots of criticism. Stanton has said that he’s looking forward to the ‘big city, bright lights’.  If I have a fear about Stanton in New York City, it’s that he’ll be distracted by the ‘big city, bright lights’. Stanton and Aaron Judge may be similarly sized sluggers but their personas are night and day. Stanton, based on what I’ve seen, enjoys the nightlife. Nevertheless, I am confident that Stanton will arrive in Tampa very focused and determined. This is his first opportunity to play for a winner and he’ll do so pulling on the pinstripes of the most storied franchise in baseball history. I am not trying to criticize him but I do hope that he avoids unnecessary criticism and controversy when the team heads north to the Bronx. 

Now that Yu Darvish is officially off the board, thanks to the Chicago Cubs, it ends any further speculation that the Yankees are trying to find a way to clear salary space for the talented right-hander. I did like the thought of Darvish and Masahiro Tanaka pitching together, but I am glad the Yankees weren't the team handing him the six-year, $126 million contract.  However, it is unlikely the Yankees search for a starting pitcher is over. Many of you feel that the Yankees would be fine with Chance Adams and Justus Sheffield providing the primary rotation support. As much as I would like for both guys to succeed, Sheffield has yet to pitch at Triple A and many speculate that Adams might be better suited for the bullpen. I really do not want to rely upon Luis Cessa or potentially pull Chad Green from the pen for the inevitable replacement starts in the rotation. 

I would not want to see the Yankees pay ("overpay" based on the dollars Agent Scott Boras is seeking) for free agent Jake Arrieta. I feel that Arrieta’s numbers are trending in the wrong direction and the last time he competed in the AL East, he failed miserably while a member of the Baltimore Orioles. However, I do feel that either Lance Lynn or Alex Cobb would represent upgrades. The question is cost and if the Yankees would still be forced to move salary to make it happen (which is most likely the case). Somehow, it feels like this road to pitching will eventually lead us back to the Detroit Tigers and Michael Fulmer. If, by July, the Tigers are in the midst of another lost season (likely), they may be more motivated to move Fulmer for a talented collection of high-end prospects. 

Photo Credit: Icon Sportswire (Scott W Grau)

Personally, I am very excited about the potential of Gleyber Torres as the Yankees starting second baseman, but David Cone took to Twitter this weekend to remind people not to sleep on Tyler Wade. I have been convinced that we’ll see a much better Wade this year and it will not surprise me if Wade is the Opening Day second baseman. Inevitably, I feel that Torres will be the starter but Wade will have a few weeks to show that he belongs in the Major Leagues (for good). The activity and competition at second base this year is very exciting.

As for third, it appears Miguel Andujar will be given first crack at the position. However, I remain of the opinion that we’ll see the signing of a veteran third baseman. I continue to believe Mike Moustakas will not accept a one-year pillow contract (no Moose Tacos in the Bronx), regardless of how sluggish free agency has been this year, so we’re more likely to see Eduardo Nunez (not excited about his defensive skills...or lack thereof) or Neil Walker to compete at third with Andujar.  I'd really be sick if the Yankees gave a minor league contract with training camp invite to a guy like Trevor Plouffe.  

Back to Chad Green, while the Yankees have asked him to come to camp as a starter, there’s no doubt he’ll be back in the bullpen.  He’s too valuable there. The MLB Network featured its Top Ten Relievers this weekend and Green was the highest rated Yankees reliever at #4. The only relievers ahead of Green were Kenley Jansen of the Los Angeles Dodgers; Andrew Miller of the Cleveland Indians; and Craig Kimbrel of the Boston Red Sox. Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman was #8. I see Green moving toward the back end of the bullpen in the next couple of years. As much as I enjoy David Robertson, he’ll be a free agent at the end of the year.  Given the sizable contracts that quality relievers continue to attract, it’s very possible that the Yankees will let D-Rob walk (if he isn’t traded sooner to add additional room for salary space under the $197 million threshold). I see Green as one of the guys capable of stepping into the late innings with Tommy Kahnle and Dellin Betances to form the bridge to Chapman.  Ben Heller is my pick for bullpen breakout this year and the flame-throwing Domingo Acevedo is on his way so even if D-Rob walks or is traded, the Yankees bullpen should continue to be a strength.

Photo Credit: MLB Network

Lastly, the MLB Network has been running a documentary the last couple of weeks about the late, legendary Tony Gwynn entitled “Mr Padre”. Gwynn was such an incredible personality and force of the game. It is nice to be reminded of his smile and his love and passion for Baseball.  He may be gone but he has certainly not been forgotten. If you haven’t seen the documentary, you should check it out. Thanks for the memories, Tony.

Photo Credit: SI.com (John W McDonough)

Go Yankees! 

Meet a Prospect: Tony Gwynn

In honor of tonight’s 2016 MLB All-Star Game which is being hosted by the San Diego Padres inside their beautiful Petco Park I wanted to honor one of the fallen legends from not only the Padres but from Major League Baseball as well. I’m not great with words, toasts and all that jazz to be completely honest and this is the only way that I know how, or the best way anyway. This is Meet a Prospect: The Tony Gwynn Edition.

Anthony Keith “Tony” Gwynn Sr. was born on May 9, 1960 and passed away on June 16, 2014. In his untimely death “Mr. Padre” was battling cancer and had undergone radiation treatments that deemed him cancer free. It was the day before Father’s Day 2014 when Gwynn went into cardiac arrest and died from complications with the cancer far too soon. Gwynn’s family linked his cancer to his chewing tobacco as a young man and MLB player so Gwynn leaves a legacy and a message not only with his playing career but with his life as well. Gwynn played 20 seasons of MLB all for the San Diego Padres and in that time won eight batting titles with his career .338 batting average and never hit below .309 in any full season. Gwynn was a 15-time All-Star, a seven time Silver Slugger Award winner and a five time Gold Glove Award winner. Gwynn led the Padres to the franchise’s only two trips to the World Series and was inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame in his first year on eligibility in 2007. Gwynn was a truly remarkable baseball player and a truly remarkable man. Let’s meet him again.

Gwynn was born in Los Angeles, California to mother Vendella and father Charles Gwynn where he and his brother Charles Jr. found their love of sports, particularly basketball and baseball. Gwynn attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School and played for the school’s basketball and baseball teams there and while at the school Gwynn actually considered quitting baseball at one point. See his high school basketball team had a 53-6 record in his final two years of high school while his baseball team went a staggering 3-25-2. Gwynn received scholarships to play college basketball but none for college baseball despite hitting .563 in his senior year and went undrafted in the 1977 MLB Draft. Gwynn decided to go to San Diego State University to continue his career in both sports.

While at SDSU Gwynn played three seasons of baseball and four seasons of basketball earning two-time All-American honors as an outfielder in his final two years of baseball. Gwynn was not allowed to play baseball as a freshman due to being overweight according to his coaches. Gwynn impressed playing left field with SDSU and caught the eye of the San Diego Padres who came calling in the third round of the 1981 MLB Draft. Gwynn was selected 58^th overall only before being drafted by the San Diego Clippers in the 10^th round of the NBA Draft as well. It did not take Gwynn long to fly through the Padres system and wear the “ugliest uniforms he had seen in his life” (a quote he used before the draft and before becoming a member of the Padres) as he made his MLB debut in 1982.

Gwynn was first invited to Padres spring training camp in 1982 where he impressed with a .375 average but the outfield was set in San Diego that season pushing Gwynn to Triple- A to begin the season. Gwynn spent 93 games in Triple-A hitting .328 before earning his call up in place of a slumping Ruppert Jones. Gwynn finished his rookie campaign with a .289 average in 54 games due in large part to a wrist injury that cost him three weeks of his season. This would be the only season he would ever hit under .300 in a single season. Gwynn would become an All-Star for the first time in his first full season in 1984 and the San Diego Padres went on to also win their first NL West Division title. That season Gwynn also set the Padres single-season record for hits with 213 and finished third in the NL MVP Award voting behind Ryne Sandberg and Keith Hernandez. To finish off Gwynn’s breakout season he led the Padres to their first ever trip to the World Series, and eventual loss to the Detroit Tigers.

From 1985 throughout the rest of his career Gwynn was a staple in the Padres outfield, at or near the top of their lineup and at or near the top of the National League’s batting average list. Gwynn did not let the off-the-field drama affect his play which was a worry of some in 1987 when Gwynn filed for bankruptcy during the season. Gwynn remained steady and remained true to his form, being a contact hitter and not a power hitter, through the 1990’s. It was 1990 when Jack Clark accused Gwynn of being a selfish player worried more about his batting average than his team and winning. Clark mentioned that Gwynn should be swinging with runners in scoring position instead of bunting because Clark saw it as a way of manipulating his batting average if he failed while Gwynn though moving the runners over would help his team win. Whoever was right remains to be seen but Gwynn took the criticism personally forcing him to become distrustful and withdrawn from his teammates. Rumors began circulating that he may be traded after adjusting his style and swing with runners in scoring position and the cherry on top of the sundae was found in September of 1990. Gwynn found a figure of his likeness hanging in the Padres’ dugout and while San Diego said a groundskeeper was to blame Tony always knew in his heart it was Clark trying to send him a message.

Clark left for the Boston Red Sox before the 1991 season and the Padres tried to show their star some appreciation by signing him to a three-year contract extension with 412.25 million which included a $1 million signing bonus. The injuries continued to pile up for Gwynn as he ended the 1992 campaign on the disabled list, the third straight year he had done so, but that did not stop Gwynn from meeting Ted Williams on the field during the 1992 All-Star Game. Dealing with injury after injury was hard for Gwynn but the 1993 season may have been his toughest time in the major Leagues during his career. The Padres lost 101 games and finished just behind the Colorado Rockies in the division who were in their first year as an expansion team. Gwynn also watched many of his teammates including Gary Sheffield and Fred McGriff traded away but Gwynn remained the staple in San Diego. That season Gwynn did collect his 2,000^th hit, almost had a 7-for-7 game and lost his father at just 57-years old due to heart problems. The roller coaster career continues.

Gwynn contemplated leaving the game in 1994 and leaving San Diego as well but he stuck it out and had possibly the best season of his career with his father behind him spiritually rooting him on. Gwynn chased down the .400 mark falling just short that season hitting .394 before losing the rest of the season and the World Series to the strike. Gwynn finished the season due to the strike just three consecutive hits away from hitting .400. Gwynn won his seventh batting title in 1997 but ended up spending a bulk of the season on the disabled list once again while the Padres lost in the postseason to St. Louis. Gwynn was back with vengeance in 1998 though leading the Padres to 98 victories and a trip to their second World Series against the New York Yankees. New York swept the Padres in four games in that series but that was not because of Gwynn’s lack of hitting. Gwynn finished that World Series hitting .500 while the rest of the team batted just .203 against Yankees pitching and even hit a home run against David Wells in the Bronx. This was as close as Gwynn ever got to a World Series victory and ring.

In 1999 Gwynn got to scratch two items off his bucket list, one was escorting Ted Williams around Fenway Park during the All-Star Game and the other was notching his 3,000^th hit. Gwynn turned 40-years old in 2000 and had another season ending surgery which led to a bitter contract negotiation that left Gwynn a free agent for the first time in his career. The Padres wanted to buy out his deal to save the team $4 million but ultimately the team gave Gwynn $2 million of that back after signing him to a one-year deal with incentives that could have pushed the deal to $5.7 million. Injuries continued to pile up for Gwynn until the future Hall of Fame hitter announced his retirement at the end of the season on June 28, 2001.

Tony Gwynn was elected to the MLB Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York in his first year of eligibility in 2007 and passed away in 2014. Gwynn was the epitome of class, hard work and what it meant to play Major League Baseball. He is missed to this day around the league and will always be missed by anyone who was a fan of MLB during that era, especially myself. Rest in peace Tony and just know even today and even as a Yankees fan we’re still thinking of you and what you meant to the game. Fly high!

The Boring Winter Ahead: Watch the 1998 World Series Game Four HERE

Game Four of the 1998 World Series between the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres

The Boring Winter Ahead: Watch the 1998 World Series Game Three HERE

Game Three of the 1998 World Series between the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres

The Boring Winter Ahead: Watch the 1998 World Series Game Two HERE

Game Two of the 1998 World Series between the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres

The Boring Winter Ahead: Watch the 1998 World Series Game One HERE

Game One of the 1998 World Series between the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres

Remembering Tony Gwynn In The 1998 World Series

As many of you know, and if you haven't I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Tony Gwynn passed away at age 54 yesterday after losing his battle with cancer. Gwynn left behind his wife and two children, one of them currently a player for the Philadelphia Phillies Tony Jr. While I realize this is a New York Yankees blog we have the utmost respect for all ambassadors of the game, especially one who played the game like Gwynn. Gwynn and the Padres did not play much against the New York Yankees due to limited interleague play back in his prime but the two teams did meet up in the 1998 World Series. Allow me to look back just for a second to that World Series and Gwynn specifically.

Gwynn's Padres were 98-64 heading into the playoffs and easily ran though the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros onto the way to the World Series facing off with the New York Yankees. As we all know the Yankees ended up sweeping the Padres in four games and I remember it well sitting on my couch with my broom in hand. Gwynn did everything he could in the series as "Mr. Padre" finished with a .500 average.

Gwynn hit a home run off David Wells in Game One in Yankee Stadium which Gwynn later called his favorite moment and the highlight of his career. Gwynn has 8 hits in 16 at bats and took one walk to finish with a triple slash of .500/.529/.688. Gwynn had three RBI's and the homer off Boomer Wells and an amazing zero strikeouts.

While this wasn't Gwynn's first World Series, his Padres made it to the Fall Classic in 1984 only to lose to the Detroit Tigers, but this was easily the most memorable. Gwynn was the Padres this season and will always be Mr. Padre.

Rest in Peace once again to Tony Gwynn.

Quick Hit: Never Another Like Tony Gwynn

There will never be another player to play this great game of baseball like Tony Gwynn. Gwynn had a plethora of career milestones, zero reported trouble both inside and outside the clubhouse, and never complained even when battling cancer. Gwynn was a special kind of player that I don't think we will ever see again.

Gwynn had 3,000 hits, led the league in hitting eight times, hit over .300 19 of his 20 seasons in the big leagues and only hit .289 in his rookie campaign, had over 200 hits five times in his career and hit 197 two other times, surprisingly had seasons in which he stole 33, 37, 56, and 40 bases, had a career high 40 strike outs for a single season, was a 15 time All Star and garnered MVP votes in 12 different seasons. Gwynn spent his entire career with the San Diego Padres.

Gwynn surprisingly only had 100 plus RBI's once in his career, only hit double digit home runs in five seasons and 135 total in 20 seasons, and never made more than $6.3 million in a single season. We may never see another Tony Gwynn and frankly that's not a bad thing, I'd hate for anyone to take away from what a great man and even better ballplayer he truly was.

RIP To The Padres Tony Gwynn

Tony Gwynn, the San Diego Padres legend, was taken far too young from us today as he passed away at age 54. Gwynn was an eight time batting champion but lost his battle to cancer this morning. Gwynn is survived by his wife Alicia and his children Anisha and Tony Jr. (who plays for the Phillies).

This is a sad day in baseball no matter who you root for. Our condolences, thoughts, and prayers go out to the Gwynn family.