8/24 Yankees Open Game Thread vs. Chicago White Sox

The New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox will finish up their three game set this weekend at Yankee Stadium with an afternoon game in the Bronx. The Yankees will send Chris Capuano to the mound to face off with the White Sox ace Chris Sale. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be see on the YES Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with WFAN.

Get your Hello Kitty Bobblehead and get your Yankees tickets for today right here on the blog. Also be sure to follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes and like our page on Facebook by searching for The Greedy Pinstripes.

It's an open thread and a game thread so talk about whatever you would like. Who needs that Sunday nap? Enjoy the game Yankees family and enjoy the rest of your afternoon. Go Yankees!

Hiroki Kuroda Undecided About Playing Next Season

Hiroki Kuroda remains undecided on whether he will play next season or not and where he will play if he does play in 2015. For two consecutive seasons now Kuroda has decided late in the offseason whether he would return and where he would return to so this time around seems no different.

Kuroda has stated that he would like to finish his career in Japan where he career started and has also expressed a mild interest in returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers as well. The last two winters Kuroda has stated he would only pitch for the Dodgers, the Yankees, Japan, or retire and no signs point to that being any different this time around.

After two consecutive fades in August and September and a third still incomplete he may be pitching his final month and a half in New York either way.

Three Greatest Disasters In Chicago History

Tanaka Faces Live Hitters; Reports No Pain

In a likable series of events, Yankees' ace Masahiro Tanaka threw 2 innings and 35 pitches against live hitters yesterday, USA Today reports. 

After the outing, interestingly, Tanaka admitted he didn't have great control, but since he still didn't claim to have any pain this news is definitely good for the Yanks. 

Tanaka, 25, hasn't faced anyone with a bat in over a month, a fact that's forced New York to rely on inconsistent guys like Chris Capuano and Shane Greene more often than they'd like.

"I feel it's a little bit still rusty, but there were some good balls that I was able to throw," Tanaka told the Associated Press through a translator. "I want to keep moving forward."

While healthy with the Yankees this season, as we all know, Tanaka was one of the best hurlers in baseball, going 12-4 with a 2.51 ERA and 135 strikeouts. 

Also included in those amazing stats, impressively, were three complete games, coming versus the Mets, Mariners, and Red Sox with the Mets one being a shutout. 

In other words, it's pretty obvious to anyone with a mind that Tanaka returning would be a huge boost for the currently-in-limbo Bombers, who presently trail the Mariners by 3 1/2 games in the AL Wild Card Standings. 

8/24 Yankees Game Preview vs. Chicago White Sox

The New York Yankees finish off their series this afternoon with the Chicago White Sox before heading out on the road for a seven game road trip. The Yankees will send Chris Capuano to the mound to face off with the White Sox ace Chris Sale. This is the first of a huge and difficult four game set for the Yankees that could make or break their season. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Capuano is coming off a start in which he failed to reach the sixth inning for the first time in a Yankees uniform. Capuano only pitched 5.1 innings and struck out eight batters against the Houston Astros. The Yankees and Capuano lost the game in a heartbreaking fashion to the team's playoff hopes and aspirations.

Sale is coming off a month in which he has lost his last two decisions and has not won a game for the entire month of August, a trend the Yankees look to continue this afternoon in the Bronx. Sale has allowed nine earned runs and allowed 23 hits in 26 innings striking out 36 batters and walking seven guys.

This is not a joke, it's Hello Kitty Bobblehead Day at Yankee Stadium today for the first 18,000 guests 14 years and younger. If you have a daughter or just want to see the Yankees live grab a pair of Yankees tickets for today's game before the team heads out on the road next week. 

Go Yankees!!

Can't Predict Baseball: All Star Game Rematch In 2013

Major League Baseball has been around for over 100 years now but only once in the history of the games have we seen an All Star Game rematch, but we were all treated to this in 2013. The All Star Game was played in Citi Field in 2013 and on this day in 2013 the Mets were back home in Citi Field to host the Detroit Tigers.

Both the All Star Game and this game were played at Citi Field with the Mets Matt Harvey on the mound for the home team and facing off with the Tigers Max Scherzer. 

Detroit would win the game 3-0 while Harvey gave up 13 hits in 6.2 innings. After the game Harvey would end up on the disabled list and would ultimately have to go under the knife with Tommy John surgery. Scherzer in the same game would become the third pitcher in the history of baseball to start a season 19-1. 

The other two pitchers to start a season  19-1 were Rube Marquard in 1912 with the New York Giants and Roger Clemens with the 2001 New York Yankees. You know what they say Suzyn, you really can't predict baseball. 

Complete List Of Retired Yankees Numbers

Joe Torre's #6 jersey was retired yesterday afternoon in a pre-game ceremony at Yankee Stadium and Derek Jeter's #2 jersey will be retired in two weeks time giving the Yankees 19 retired jersey numbers in their history. The Yankees may have to soon hand out the #0 and triple digit numbers soon enough.

#1 Billy Martin
#2 Derek Jeter
#3 Babe Ruth
#4 Lou Gehrig
#5 Joe DiMaggio
#6 Joe Torre
#7 Mickey Mantle
#8 Yogi Berra/ Bill Dickey
#9 Roger Maris
#10 Phil Rizzuto
#15 Thurman Munson
#16 Whitey Ford
#23 Don Mattingly
#32 Elston Howard
#37 Casey Stengel
#42 Mariano Rivera/ Jackie Robinson
#44 Reggie Jackson
#49 Ron Guidry

Quick Hit: Yankees Begin a Tough Postseason Stretch

Starting this afternoon the New York Yankees begin a tough stretch of games that will undoubtedly determine whether the team will make the postseason or not. In the next four games the Yankees finish their three game set with the Chicago White Sox by facing off with Chris Sale, make up a previously rained out game with the Kansas City Royals by facing James Shields, and head to Detroit to take on the Tigers and Rick Porcello and David Price. The third game of the Tigers series the Yankees draw Buck Farmer, a rookie in his third start of his career.

New York finishes off with three games in Toronto against the Blue Jays before beginning September baseball. We will likely know a lot more about the Yankees chances for a playoff berth by then but these next four games are likely to make the team or break the team, hopefully the former.

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/24: Yankees Hats Start a Gang War

Unknown to the New York Yankees their hats may have contributed to an uptick in gang violence in East Harlem, New York. On this day in 2007, a day after protests concerning the gang related items, New Era announced that it will remove the "offensive" hats that bears the colors and symbols of the rival gangs the Bloods, the Crips, and the Latin Kings. Two white hats had been wrapped in red and blue bandannas made by New Era and appeared to represent the Bloods and the Crips. A black Yankees hat with the interlocking NY also had a crown symbolic of the Latin Kings.

Also on this day in 1985 Don Baylor ties a major league record in a Yankees uniform when he is hit by a pitch for the 189th time in his career.

Finally on this day in 1951 Mickey Mantle was recalled from the minor leagues and for the first time in his career wore his #7 jersey. The Yankees would win the game and Mantle would go 1-4 in the 2-0 victory over the Indians. Mantle had previously wore #6 before being demoted six weeks ago and his jersey was given to infielder Bobby Brown.

The Daily Dozen - August 23, 2014

The Daily Half Dozen - August 23rd, 2014
(Twelve Six Takeaways from Today's Game vs. the ChiSox in Honor of #6 being Retired)

1. Today was Joe Torre Day.  The previous special days going back to Mariano Rivera Day had all ended in losses.  But Joe Torre wouldn't have any of that.  Yankee greats David Cone, Reggie Jackson, Willie Randolph, Hideki Matsui, Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, and Yogi Berra were all present for the retiring of Mr. Torre's #6 as well as for the presentation of the newest monument in Monument Park.  In Joe Torre's own words, "Monument Park is a long way from Yankee Stadium."  The last number left in the single digits is...you guessed it #2...Derek Jeter...#2.  Here are just a few of the snapshots of the special day:

(Photo Credit: The New York Yankees Official Twitter Feed)

(Photo Credit: Yankees Magazine Official Twitter Feed)

2. Hiroki Kuroda gave up 3 doubles in the 1st two innings.  It looked like it might be a short day for Kuroda and a LONG day for the bullpen, but he settled down and had a respectable pitching line once again.  He gave up 2 earned runs over 6 innings with 101 pitches and 6 strikeouts.  His ERA now sits at 3.94 and he improved his record to 9-8.  This is a little bit different Hiroki then we've seen in the past that seemed to flounder in August.

3. The White Sox defense in the 2nd inning was deplorable.  But not as deplorable as the Yankees base-running and 3rd base coaching in the 4th inning.  When did Major League Baseball players stop drilling base-running, that is my question because Teixeira and Prado both looked lost.  Although I blame Teixeira's mistake a little more on the coaching since McCann should have been hightailing it on home, especially with the new rule in place allowing catchers to basically get scored on at will.

4. Martin Prado is EN FUEGO at the plate!  That means ON FIRE for those non-Spanish speaking individuals out there.  He was 3 for 4 today with 2 doubles, 2 RBI, and a run scored.  Would have been 2 runs scored if he hadn't messed up on the basepaths (see #3 above).  His .271 average has been helped along by batting .333 with 3 doubles, 2 home runs, and 7 RBI in the last 7 days.  Not to mention his walk-off hit the night before.

5. As hot as Martin Prado has been the last week...Jose Abreu is like a volcano.  In his last 37 games he has a .366 average, 6 home runs, 21 runs scored, and 12 doubles.  He added his 94th RBI in the 5th.  He now has a .965 OPS to go with his season average of .307.  I am really glad he is on my fantasy baseball team.  Really glad.  Ladies and gentlemen, your 2014 AL Rookie of the Year: Jose Abreu.

(Screenshot courtesy of ESPN.com)

6. The Yankees had scored less than 4 runs in 11 games straight.  That streak ended today after Stephen Drew's sacrifice fly in the 6th gave the Yanks a 5-3 victory.  In their last 20 games since August 1st, the Yankees have only scored 5 runs or more 5 times.  They were all wins.  Imagine that!  The Minnesota Twins on the other hand, in doing the Yankees a HUGE favor have mopped up 37 runs in the last 24+ hours versus the Tigers en route to 2 wins and a current 5-4 lead in the night game of a doubleheader.  The Yankees have only scored 70 runs TOTAL since August 1st.  The Twins have half of that in basically one day.  ONLY IN BASEBALL!

(Honorable Mentions: Beltran hit another made-for-Yankee-Stadium home run today...good thing he was able to get a cortisone shot to allow him to DH.  Burch thinks they should give him one everyday...how is this not "performance enhancing?"  David Robertson recorded his "Rivera" save...his 42nd of his career today...congratulations to Houdini!)