Let's Say Jacoby Ellsbury Has a Setback

The New York Yankees had a bit of a scare over the weekend when the team faced off with the Atlanta Braves in a Grapefruit League spring training game. The Yankees watched as Jacoby Ellsbury made a spectacular running and diving catch to help preserve another good start for Michael Pineda and then watched as he took a pitch off his wrist while at bat. Ellsbury was immediately sent for tests and X-rays and everything came back as negative, which is good news, giving Ellsbury a little over two weeks to get rid of any lingering soreness and doubt in the wrist which should be plenty of time to heal. What if he doesn't though? What if Ellsbury has a setback or injures the wrist again in the field or something? Devil's Advocate.. and go!

First and foremost the Yankees would not only lose their center fielder but would lose their leadoff hitter as well. The good news for New York is they have a pair of center fielders, maybe three or more truth be told, and a pair of leadoff hitters currently on the roster. Brett Gardner would take over the everyday center field duties and would be the first Yankees hitter out of the dugout game in and game out. Aaron Hicks would likely slide into the everyday left field position while Starlin Castro would probably hit second in the Yankees batting order. Hicks is no Ellsbury, assuming Ellsbury is healthy, but he would fill in more than adequately in my opinion.

Slade Heathcott would likely win the bench job out of spring training since he can play all three outfield positions and is still in Yankees camp. Ben Gamel may have had the inside track but Heathcott is on the 40 man and still in camp while Gamel was sent down over the weekend making the decision easy.

Could the Yankees survive a 15-day DL trip for Ellsbury? Absolutely. They have such an interchangeable lineup and defensive alignment that they could survive almost any injury, it's if the team gets multiple injuries at the same position that things may get interesting. Interesting being a bad thing for the Yankees.

Any Chance New York Gets Jake Cave Back in 2016?

The New York Yankees had every opportunity in the world to protect and keep a member of their farm system safe from the Rule 5 Draft but the team chose not to. Jake Cave, lefty swinging outfielder, was left unprotected and taken in the draft by the Cincinnati Reds. As you already probably know the Reds have to keep Cave on their 25 man roster all season long or have to offer him back to his original club, the Yankees, after passing him through waivers. Will Cave stick on the roster all season long or is there any shot he is coming back to the Bronx?

Cave started out the spring hitting like a man possessed but has slacked off in the hitting department as of late. Cave was seen hitting above .300 for much of the spring thanks in large part to hits in seven of his first nine spring games including two multiple-hit contests. After that Cave's decline began with four straight hitless games dropping his average to where it stands today, .286. Cave has just one home run and three RBI this spring but Cave does have a few saving grace's if he wants to stay in Cincinnati this season.

The Reds are expected to be one of the worst teams in the National League if not in all of baseball so the team may be willing to keep the 23-year old on the roster for the entire season. Billy Hamilton, the team's best young player, still has concerns over his shoulder and the Reds may need a bit of depth in the outfield and especially at center field this coming season. Whether that's Cave backing up Hamilton or a combination of Tyler Holt, Adam Duvall or Scott Schebler remains to be seen.

Is there a chance that Cave returns to the Bronx in 2016? Sure there is, it's far too early to tell at this point though. Is there a chance he sticks in Cincinnati and is gone from the Yankees organization forever, or more realistically for at least six seasons of service time? That's also just as likely. We don't know, we'll just have to stay tuned. I'm leaning towards "no" though.

This Day In New York Yankees History 3/22: Britt Burns Pulls an Alex Rodriguez

On this day in 1986 the Yankees 18 game winner Britt Burns announces he will miss the entire coming season due to a degenerative hip condition.

Also on this day in 1972 the Yankees trade first baseman Danny Cater to the Red Sox for left handed reliever Albert Walter Lyle. Over the next seven years Albert, you may know him as Sparky, will pitch in 420 games in relief with a 57-40 record and a 2.41 ERA with 141 saves. Lyle appeared in three World Series with the Yankees and won two of them while with New York.

Finally on this day in 1962 the New York Mets defeat the New York Yankees the first ever time the two New York teams would meet. It was just a spring training game but the Yankees were the reigning World Series champions so that is worth mentioning. The former Yankee manager Casey Stengel and the Mets would beat the Bronx Bombers 4-3.

Yankees Spring Training Open Thread 3/21

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

Not much to get caught up on today unfortunately. The Yankees did not platy in the Grapefruit League today ad they prepare to play host to the New York Mets tomorrow in spring training. Like they have often this spring the team has an off day so they also didn't work out or anything either.

A true day off, what's that like? I don't remember.

ICYMI: Are the Yankees & Angels Now Trade Partners Again?

Just a quick hit and a little bit of me thinking out loud here. The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim were thought to be potential trade partners for much of the winter with zero trades getting done when all the ink was dry. Are these two teams potentially trade partners again just a few weeks into their spring training schedules?


All winter long many of the fans wondered if the Angels would part with some of their young starting pitching to acquire the Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner. The Angels were looking for some outfield help to replace the traded Josh Hamilton and were able to find it elsewhere leaving Gardner back in the Bronx presumably for another season. Now the Yankees, who looked for starting pitching much of the winter, may have an extra starter or two on their hands while the Angels are stuck looking for at least one heading into the season.


The Angels have already lost a pair of starters this spring in Jered Weaver, who is dealing with chronic neck pain, and C.J. Wilson, who is struggling with his shoulder after injuring it last season. There is no word on when Weaver will continue throwing this spring but all signs point to Wilson being on the disabled list on Opening Day 2016 so is it time to make a deal?


The Yankees seem extremely impressed with what Luis Cessa has been able to do this spring and it almost seems like the ultimate “hype him up and sell him high” scenario that Brian Cashman is becoming known for. Would the Angels GM, and former Yankees assistant GM, Billy Eppler bite on Cessa or would he rather a commodity that he is already familiar with. A commodity like Ivan Nova or Bryan Mitchell perhaps?


I don’t pretend to know what the state of the Angels system is, their strengths and weaknesses, but if New York could turn Cessa into a nice prospect or two that would go a long way in making the Justin Wilson trade not hurt so bad. If the Yankees could sell even higher on Nova, who has also looked great this spring by the way, and fetch two or three starting prospects in his contract year then even better. If not then it may be another season without the postseason for the Angels and frankly, either would suit me just fine.

Most Popular Article of the Week: A Different Sense of the Game: Baseball Through the Eyes of the Blind

I would like to introduce you to our newest writer, his name is Benny Tomko. This is his introductory article. He would have posted it himself but we had some issues with getting him signed up, Google can make things awfully difficult at times. So without further delay I introduce you to the latest writer in the stable of writers we are building here, Mr. Benny Tomko.


Please comment and welcome him to the site and if you want to follow him on Twitter follow @BennyTomko.

The crack of the bat, the smell of fresh cut grass. These are things that baseball fans with eyesight tend to take for granted. I should know, I was a part of that demographic at one point in my life. I played baseball, catcher, and all I ever wanted to do was wear the pinstripes of the Bronx Bombers. But, the Man upstairs had different ideas. On October 31, 1996, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor in the portion of the brain that controls eyesight (occipital lobe). Ultimately, I was blessed enough to be cancer free, but, would lose my eyesight as a result. This, however, would not remove my passion for the game


The last game that I attended with 20/15 vision was game two of the 1996 World Series. Greg Maddux pitched an absolute gem against my boys, in route to a 4-0 shout out. All told, he threw 86 pitches, and, gave up four hits, none of which were particularly hit hard. I remember being so frustrated with the outcome that I was unable to appreciate my surroundings. It took the gleamy eyes of my grandfather, Sparky, to remind me just exactly where we were; Yankee Stadium. If I knew then what I know now, I would have soaked it up just a little bit more.


These days, going to the ballpark is a bit different then it used to be, but that's OK. Now, I take my cane, radio and headphones, and attend the game with someone that I can communicate throughout the game, as to not be "in the dark". I always used to tease others when I saw them at a major-league baseball game with a radio and headphones. I thought, "the game is right in front of you, why do you need someone to tell you what's going on?" Now, I completely understand, and, feel kind of bad about the Smack I used to talk about others. I guess it's the same sense of humor that is used when I used to tease people about going bald, and now, I am. Karma is a funny, funny beast.


Now, I am a degree holder, husband, father and still head over heels for my New York Yankees. I have been able to convey my passion for baseball upon those closest to me. My wife never gave a second thought to the game of baseball, but since she has met me, it's a completely different story. I am so blessed to still be able to appreciate the game that I so love. And now, I get to write about it every day.


I look forward to providing a unique commentary on the game that is the backbone of our great nation. Thank you, Daniel. Put me in, coach, I'm ready to play 

The KBO Posting System Is About to Change

This would normally be the Yankees spring training Grapefruit League post but the Yankees are off today as they prepare to play host to the New York Mets tomorrow. With that said we will cover something that could not only affect the Yankees and the Mets but the entire league, the Korean Baseball Organization posting rules are about to change.

Currently the way Korean-born ballplayers make their way to the United States and the Major Leagues is through the blind posting system much like the Japanese League and Nippon Professional Baseball Organization had until recently. Major League Baseball wants the KBO to adopt a similar or identical policy as well after an influx of talent including Jung-Ho Kang and Byung-Ho Park have made their way over to the states in recent years.

When a Japanese league player is posted a MLB team has to basically post up $20 million to be in the pool of teams that the player picks from and the same will likely come from the KBO players as well. The posting fee will not be as high, the rumor right now is just $8 million, but the basic premise of the policy will be the same.

What the Latest Roster Cuts Truly Mean

In case you missed it on Saturday afternoon the New York Yankees sent down another group of players to minor league camps. By my unofficial count the Yankees now have 40 players left in spring training camp meaning that 20 more need to be cut before Opening Day 2016. What do these latest rounds of roster cuts mean for the players left and their chances of making the club when the team heads north.

First and foremost it is almost a foregone conclusion that Robert Refsnyder is going to be the team's backup third baseman against the Houston Astros and Dallas Keuchel on Opening Day. Donovan Solano is down and so is Jonathan Diaz leaving little in the way of competition.

Ben Gamel is down so it looks like Aaron Hicks will be the starter if Jacoby Ellsbury is not ready, and he should be just as an FYI after taking a pitch off the wrist, and someone like Slade Heathcott would be the 4th outfielder in this worst case scenario.

Chasen Shreve is also the inside man for one of the open spots in the Yankees bullpen. Bryan Mitchell is another along with the loser of the Ivan Nova and CC Sabathia spring battle. The dark horse for the final spot though? Is it James Pazos? He still has a chance but the Yankees seem completely enamored with a young man named Luis Cessa right now.

Mel Stottlemyre is Back in Good Health!

Good news to start your morning Yankees family and it comes from the New York Daily News and John Harper. According to the New York publication former Yankees pitcher and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre is winning his battle with myeloma cancer and his health is improving, great news!

Mel was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, the cancer of the blood, back in 1999 and he presumably thought he was losing his battle with the disease last summer at Old-Timers Day in New York. Mel told the Yankees crowd during a surprise ceremony and plaque presentation in Monument Park that he was ready to coach in Heaven but a change in medications may have saved Stottlemyre's life.

The 74-year old Stottlemyre is living his life again and is considering taking up golf and fishing again, a long cry from the brittle man we saw last June in the Bronx. This is great news and I couldn't be happier about Mel and his new-found health.

Congrats Mel!

This Day in New York Yankees History 3/21: Robin Roberts #36

On this day in 1962 in a ceremony prior to a spring training game the Phillies honored the newest Yankee, and former Philadelphia player, Robin Roberts by retiring his number 36 uniform number. Roberts wore the number for 14 seasons while with the Phillies and started the game against his former team giving up four runs in three innings. Roberts, the future Hall of Fame right hander would get the win in a 13-10 Yankees victory.