Meet a Prospect: Evan Rutckyj

Evan Rutckyj has been returned to the New York Yankees after being taken in the Rule 5 Draft by the Atlanta Braves this winter. The Canadian-born left-hander was a bit of a surprise pick in the Rule 5 Draft this winter and frankly I'm not surprised he was returned, his command issues were the reason his development has been delayed in New York and it's the reason he is back in New York, so let's meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Evan Rutckyj Edition.

Evan Rutckyj was born on January 31, 1992 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada and came over to the United States and the Major Leagues after the New York Yankees drafted him with their 16th round pick in the 2010 MLB First Year Players Draft. Rutckyj spent his amateur baseball career at St. Joseph's Catholic High School before making the trek across the border and into the Yankees organization.

Rutckyj was a part of the Pan American Games representing the Team Canada team that won the gold medal in 2015.

For the majority of his Yankees tenure he showcased flashy "stuff" as a starting pitcher before being moved to the bullpen full-time due to concerns with his control. Rutckyj took strides in 2015 across the board and caught the eye of the Atlanta Braves who took him in the Rule 5 Draft. Rutckyj continued to struggle with his command and walks in spring training and was returned back to the Yankees this week so he can continue what is going to be an awkward situation for him.

Rutckyj told the local Atlanta media that he did not like the Yankees organization because he felt like the trainers and coaches were unapproachable. Rutckyj praised the Braves organization for making him feel welcomed while the Yankees organization seemingly gave the lefty the cold shoulder. This is the first time I've heard anything like this so hopefully these two sides can make up and get Rutckyj on the right track going forward.

Welcome back Evan, welcome back to the family.

Yankees ST: New York Yankees @ Minnesota Twins 3/20

The New York Yankees, for what its worth, are hot lately in spring training winning four of their last five Grapefruit League games heading into today's contest with the Minnesota Twins. The Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound looking to have another great start this spring against another man who has had a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, who rested and rehabbed it rather than undergoing the Tommy John surgery, and another who has yet to have the dreaded Tommy John surgery to this date in Ervin Santana.

The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on MLB TV only. Go Yankees!

And the 2016 TGP Andrew Jones Award Goes To….

It seems like every single season I am a little harder on a member of the Yankees than I probably should be. Last season it was Stephen Drew, I can remember being especially hard on Andruw Jones, Esmil Rogers, Sergio Mitre, Chris Stewart and Travis Hafner. I can remember even getting down on Mark Teixeira and I can remember stating that if he stepped on a crack and broke his mother’s back that he would need a day to recover. I’m hard on these guys because it’s my God given right to be as a fan and I’m hard on these guys because I’m passionate. I mean no ill-will in what I say and I try to point that out every chance I get while writing so who will I be doing that to in 2016 and who will win the award that nobody wants to win, the “TGP Andruw Jones Award?? I have a sneaking suspicion that player is going to be Chase Headley.

Even though NJ.com reported that the Yankees “located” the error, yes pun intended, in Headley’s way defensively this spring it may not take long for him to find his way back to throwing the ball where they ain’t in 2016. I hope I’m wrong, truth be told I want to be wrong because I like Chase a lot, but he seems like he is the most likely to take a step back in 2016. His power is seemingly gone, he doesn’t hit for a particularly high average from either side of the plate and if he can’t play defense he may become a problem child for the team in 2016.

Problem child is a term I am using loosely here. He is a great clubhouse presence and I’m sure he is a great person but when you’re not producing sometimes you can be your own worst enemy. You can spend more time in your head than outside of your head, you can lock yourself in the video room watching tape rather than getting advice or help from your teammates and coaching staff. Negativity is contagious and negativity is poison. And no, I don’t have access to the players so no I’m not saying this is going to happen, write it down in stone. I’m simply using my judgement, my opinion and my experiences to determine what could happen.

I’m rooting for you more than anyone Chase because I know you can do it. You have to believe it first. 

Top 10 Baseball Movies of All-Time

The offseason is over and Spring Training is in full effect so that means that meaningful baseball is right around the corner. Since most of the spring training games are played at 1:05 pm in the afternoon while I am stuck at work I have really been going through a Yankees and baseball in general craving. That’s when I pull out some baseball movies to watch as I gear up for the grind that will be the 2016 season. People love lists and really love reading them on this blog, the view counter for each post has taught me that, so I will take the time to rank my Top 10 Baseball movies of all-time, in my opinion of course, here for you today. Agree, disagree, or if I left one off the list please let me know if the comments section below:

1. Pride of the Yankees


2. Bull Durham


3. Major League


4. The Sandlot


5. Field of Dreams


6. The Natural


7. Moneyball


8. Bad News Bears


9. Eight Men Out

10. League of Their Own (Women hate me now all around the world)

This Day in New York Yankees History 3/20: Keep Out the New York Mets

On this day in 1961 the New York Yankees announced the team will oppose any plans that would enable the new National League expansion team from New York, later to be called the New York Mets, from using Yankee Stadium. The decision leaves the Polo Grounds as the only viable option for the new team until Shea Stadium was built.


Also on this day in 1958 the Phillies purchased Joe Collins from the New York Yankees after Collins had spent his entire ten season career in pinstripes. Collins, rather than report to the Phillies, decided to retire and finish his career with seven World Series appearances and a .256 lifetime batting average. Good for him, Yankee or bust.

Yankees Spring Training Open Thread 3/19

So what happened today down at Yankees spring training camp? Let's get caught back up!

The New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves faced off with Michael Pineda making the start for the Yankees. Big Mike allowed just one run on four hits in four innings pitched while Aroldis Chapman and Chasen Shreve followed them in the bullpen.

Chapman allowed a run and Shreve retired all three men he faced. Shreve has not allowed a hit or a run in over six innings this spring.

Starlin Castro is making that trade look awfully one-sided with another 2-for-3 day.

Jacoby Ellsbury was hit on the wrist by a pitch and left the game. X-Rays were negative. Ellsbury should be fine.

Tyler Cloyd, Richard Bleier, Mark Montgomery and Vinnie Pestano are headed down to minor league camps along with Ben Gamel, Jonathan Diaz and Donovan Solano.

You Know What? Good for Adam LaRoche!

The now former Chicago White Sox first baseman and DH Adam LaRoche has officially retired from the game he loves, Major League Baseball. Many people were shocked when they learned of the news, LaRoche isn’t old and he had one more year on his contract worth $13 million so why would he walk away? Family, that’s why and good for him!

The White Sox organization led by President Kenny Williams confirmed that they asked LaRoche on two different occasions to “dial it back” with his 14-year old son and his time in the clubhouse. Drake LaRoche, son of Adam LaRoche, has spent a good amount of time in the White Sox clubhouse apparently and the organization was worried it would affect the team’s ability to focus in 2016. Kenny, it’s spring training. Loosen up.

LaRoche is 36-years old and is currently with his sixth team in his career. As a veteran player he wanted to spend time with his family while he could. Again, it’s spring training. If Drake is traveling with the club and hanging out during the season that’s one thing, this is another. LaRoche’s decision has been abrupt and quick but it’s the same decision I think I would have made. The game will one day leave LaRoche behind, if he ultimately doesn’t leave it first, but his family will always be there. His family was there before the game. Good for him for choosing family first over a game. A job. Any job. Good for him.

Look, I truly do see both sides of it. Williams doesn’t want LaRoche’s son distracting the team (although he mentioned numerous times in his interviews that Drake was far from a distraction) and Williams wants to win first and foremost. I also see the side of LaRoche and am left wondering what Prince Fielder, Cal Ripken Jr., Ken Griffey Jr. and a slew of others would have been in this game if they had not come to the ballpark with their fathers on a day-to-day basis. It’s a family game and family comes before any job or any game. Again, the game is going to leave LaRoche behind one day and will turn its cold shoulder on him but Drake won’t.

In a world of deadbeat dads and missing fathers who don’t even know their kids it’s refreshing to see someone put their children and their family first. If I ever meet you Mr. LaRoche I am going to shake your hand because in my eyes you made the right decision. You made your money presumably, you’ve had your fun and your family comes first. The way it should be. 

The Yasiel Puig Rant You All Knew Was Coming

I’m not going to spend a whole lot of time on this rant because honestly, what’s the point? Major League Baseball is going to do what they are going to do and I am going to think what I am going to think. No one is changing MLB, no one is changing my opinion and no one is changing your opinion as the reader. I don’t agree with the Aroldis Chapman suspension as you may or may not already know and I don’t agree with the fact that Yasiel Puig received zero games suspension either, imagine that. 

And before I get too involved in this I will say that no, I am not this upset because Chapman is a Yankee and received a suspension. I followed this situation long before he was a Yankee and I followed it just the same, no more and no less, after he was a Yankee. I know that Chapman did not put his hands on his girlfriend, not enough to leave marks anyway, because if he did and there was evidence that he did he would have went to jail. If there was evidence of domestic violence there would have been domestic violence charges brought against him, but there wasn’t. What there was though was a girlfriend’s story who kept changing and witness accounts that changed more than I change my underwear. Now I’m no lawyer but if you keep changing your story you’re either really forgetful or you’re really just bold face lying. And yes Chapman was an idiot, my opinion, and shot his own registered and legal gun in an UNNATTACHED garage (not enough people are reporting that) that he owned with his kid in the house. It was a dumb ass move but the garage was unattached. If that’s enough to cause a suspension for “domestic violence” then lock me up because I’ve shot in my yard and such with my kids in the house plenty of times. 

But enough about Chapman and on to Puig. In the Chapman case the only evidence they had pointed to the girlfriend’s brother assaulting Chapman (and Chapman assaulted no one but a wall in his UNATTACHED garage) while Puig had a physical altercation with a bouncer. Now I don’t pretend to know why Puig had a physical altercation with the bouncer and video evidence supports that Puig did not hit his sister but what’s the difference? You had the same amount of evidence in the Puig case as you did the Chapman case with the same number of charges filed and sentences handed down. Well minus the one for Chapman where he took his 2^nd amendment rights into his own hands and shot his legally owned gun in his UNATTACHED (ok I’m done with the caps lock.. promise) garage that he owned. 

I just have to wonder if Puig was facing a potential free agency year and if the league knew that if he was suspended so x amount of days his free agency would be pushed back a year if they would have bullied Puig as well. The world may never know. You may have your opinion and I will never stop you from having one but it’s awful convenient that Chapman had to get a suspension less than 45 days to become a free agent in 2016 and the league “knocked off” 15 games and settled on a 30 game suspension for domestic violence without any evidence of domestic violence if he didn’t appeal said suspension. That’s called taking advantage of your power and taking advantage of a situation. That’s called bullying. If it’s good for one it should be good for them all. Well it should be anyway. 

Yankees ST: Atlanta Braves @ New York Yankees 3/19

If this were only a regular season game and if this were only in Atlanta instead of George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. Today the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves face off head-to-head in their latest Grapefruit League schedule game as a part of spring training. The Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound looking to be "Big Mike" once again while looking to continue his impressive spring.

The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network. Go Yankees!

Ruben Tejada, YAY or NAY

EDIT: This was written before Tejada declined a minor league deal from the Yankees. Let's assume this article is for a Major League deal to avoid any confusion.

Spring Training is good for more than a few things as far as Major League Baseball is concerned. It means that games that actually mean something and count are right around the corner and it’s also the last chance for teams to get their rosters in order before the season starts. Every year we hear about spring competitions around the league and we hear about “out of options” players who have to make their respective clubs or be forced onto the waiver wire and free agency. The New York Mets had one such “out of options” player just clear the waiver wire and hit free agency in Ruben Tejada, should the New York Yankees be interested?

Truth be told I believe the St. Louis Cardinals will snatch up Tejada and turn him into a .300 hitter and an All Star but for the sake of the post let’s debate whether New York would be interested in Tejada. The former Mets second baseman can play second base, third base and shortstop so his versatility is something the Yankees would presumably like but his bat leaves much to be desired. Tejada finished the 2015 campaign with just a .261 average with three home runs, 28 RBI and 23 doubles for the Mets before being taken out by Chase Utley of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs. For the $550,000 he will presumably sign for, the major league minimum, that’s sufficient production for a bench piece but he’s definitely not worth the $3 million the Mets were about to be on the hook for.

The Yankees needed a legitimate back up third baseman entering the spring but the move of Robert Refsnyder to third base may have alleviated that situation. If Refsnyder showed he couldn’t handle the position or if Tejada had one of those bats you have to make room for it would be a different thing but Refsnyder has done a lot to impress not only me, his biggest fan aside from his mother, but the Yankees organization as well. Tejada is a good player and will likely latch on somewhere and do well but I don’t think that will be back in New York and I don’t think it will be with the New York Yankees unfortunately.