Making Easy Things Hard...

Photo Credit: New York Post (Corey Sipkin)

Yankees Able to Overcome Betances…

The Yankees won their game on Friday night but it was not without unnecessary drama. The Yankees thoroughly dominated the Detroit Tigers in all phases of the game, yet the Tigers had the go-ahead run at the plate in the bottom of the eighth, thanks to a mess created by Dellin Betances. Although he was able to get two outs in the inning, it was not before the Tigers had gotten five hits and three runs off him. Mercifully, Chad Green came in to get the final out against his former team, leaving two runners stranded, to help propel the Yankees to the 8-6 victory. 

After the game, Manager Aaron Boone was very supportive of Betances. Betances felt he was throwing good pitches but the Tigers were hitting everything. Betances made the comment that if he picked up the rosin bag and threw it, it was going to be hit. If the delivery is correct and both the fastball and breaking pitches are working, we can only hope good results are right around the corner. We’ll see. It’s troublesome to watch the All-Star reliever struggle in key spots. Fortunately, it didn’t cost the Yankees a game last night, but Boone had to burn Chad Green on a night he didn’t want to.  

Nice job by Aroldis Chapman who struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to earn his second save of the season.  

The game was a much stronger outing for starter Jordan Montgomery. He pitched better than his final line, 6 innings, 5 hits, 3 runs, no walks and 4 strikeouts, in picking up his first victory of the season.  

Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports (Raj Mehta)

The star of the game was Aaron Hicks. It was so fun to watch his inside-the-park home run in the second inning off Tigers starter and former Astro Mike Fiers. The ball hit by Hicks to right-center looked like it had the distance to go yard, but it careened off the wall and away from the Tigers outfielders. Gary Sanchez, who had doubled in the preceding at-bat, scored on the play, while Hicks came around and slid headfirst into home plate ahead of the throw with a huge grin on his face.  

Photo Credit: Getty Images (Gregory Shamus)

Hicks added a traditional home run in the sixth inning to become the fifth Yankee hitter with a multi-home run game this year. This is an incredible accomplishment considering only fourteen games have been played. Plus, Aaron Judge has yet to join the multi-HR parade and you know it is only a matter of time. The way this season is going, Ronald Torreyes will probably be the next hitter to have a two home run game.  

This weekend’s games against the Tigers are looking very questionable right now. The weather forecast calls for rain on both Saturday and Sunday. The Yankees do not make any further trips to Detroit this season so if either one of the next two games are postponed, it will create a schedule challenge for the makeup. Hopefully it doesn’t lead to a double-header tomorrow before the Yankees head for home. 

I am not excited about the anticipated start today (weather-permitting) by Luis Cessa. I really prefer to see Cessa in limited relief appearances.  But I guess the hand-writing was on the wall that he’d be the spot starter in place of the injured CC Sabathia when Domingo German pitched three innings in relief of Sonny Gray (very effectively, I might add) on Thursday. Hopefully, if they get the game in, Cessa will pitch much better than I expect.  I’d love to see him prove me wrong. Sadly, he never seems to but today is a new day.

I hate to dwell on what could have been, but reading this morning’s sports page shows that Todd Frazier hit two home runs last night to help the New York Mets improve their record to 11-1 and Gerrit Cole of the Houston Astros struck out 14 batters for his third consecutive game with 10+ strikeouts. Cole would look really good in the Yankees rotation right now but it was not meant to be. I remain hopeful that GM Brian Cashman will deliver us something better by the trading deadline but the early results do not look good.  

Photo Credit: Houston Chronicle (Karen Warren)

If the Yankees decide to promote top prospect Gleyber Torres next Thursday, they have very difficult roster decisions to make. The obvious move is to option Tyler Wade to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. At the start of the season, I thought that Ronald Torreyes was the most vulnerable potential roster casualty but the guy simply performs every time he is called upon. His versatility and ability to come into games with effective results after sitting on the bench for days makes him too valuable to lose. The only way I can see Torres and Wade on the active roster together would be through a trade of an active roster member (but who?). As I’ve said before, I’ll gladly take Torres over Wade any day of the week. It’s not that I don’t think Wade will be a good player, I just feel Gleyber will be a star. Not right away, but I am ready for the maturation process in the Majors for the young superstar-in-waiting.

Photo Credit: Associated Press (John Raoux)

It’s not my money but I’d cut bait with Jacoby Ellsbury. I know, that’s a lot of money down the drain but Ellsbury’s presence, when he comes back from the DL, is a hindrance. I know that he’s still a good player but I’d prefer to see him play elsewhere. Let him go back to Boston, even if we are paying the freight. I don’t really care at this point. I am done with Ellsbury.

Jace Peterson cleared waivers yesterday and was sent outright to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders so we may not have seen the last of the former Padre/Brave second baseman.

Another former Yankee made his return to the Yankees organization when Rule 5 draftee Nestor Cortes, Jr was offered back to the Yankees by the Baltimore Orioles. The return of Cortes means that none of the players drafted from the Yankees in the Major League phase of last December’s Rule 5 Draft stuck with their new teams. I saw a story a few days ago that blamed misuse of Cortes by Orioles manager Buck Showalter for putting the young left-hander in a no-win situation. Cortes had yielded two grand slams within a week. Showalter said “If we could have gotten a little deeper into our games with starting pitching, I think I could have protected him more. But, we were forced into some things. I still think he’s got a chance to be a good pitcher.” When Baltimore had selected Cortes, they had high hopes that he’d make the starting rotation and felt that they had “stolen one” from the Yankees. It didn’t work out but we’re glad to see Cortes back in the Yankees family. Cortes will be assigned to Double-A Trenton where he’ll join the other Orioles Rule 5 returnee Jose Mesa, Jr.  

Tyler Austin has appealed his five-game suspension. The appeal will most likely be heard early next week but the downside is that once Austin begins serving his suspension, he can’t be replaced on the roster so the Yankees will be a man down.  Neil Walker would be the full-time starter at first, backed by Austin Romine. That’s dangerously thin for the Yankees, particuarly considering the team will soon embark on a very difficult stretch on the schedule. 

Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter will not be coming to Yankee Stadium for the two game series between the Yankees and the Miami Marlins which starts on Monday. Jeter will make the trip to New York, but won’t travel to the Bronx to see the games in person at Yankee Stadium.  Jeter told ESPN, “I went to a spring training game when we played New York, but it would be an awkward situation for me to actually go to Yankee Stadium. I’m just being honest with you guys, so that’s why I’m not going.” I saw a great twitter line yesterday that said Jeter decided to send Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees as his representative. Works for me.

Photo Credit: Getty Images (Michael Reaves)

Well, let’s hope the Rain Gods allow us to get in today’s game. Never a better time for a win than today.  

Go Yankees!

A Yankees Day in the Life: Tino Martinez

Good morning Yankees family. I woke up this morning feeling a little nostalgic this morning for whatever reason so I wanted to do things a little bit differently today, just because. I have been watching a lot of old games lately (well, clips from old games and not the entire game admittedly) as well as going through the TGP archives... I may or may not be looking to draw inspirations and ideas for a future, much larger, post here on the blog. Stay tuned for that, but until then let us take a look at what it is like to walk in the shoes of the man who, much like Didi Gregorius, replaced a Yankees legend. Like Didi replaced Derek Jeter, Tino Martinez replaced some guy named Don Mattingly back in 1996.

I have to admit Tino became my favorite Yankee immediately and stayed in the top spot for his entire tenure in the Bronx, so I am just as excited as you are to watch this documentary and video. Enjoy!!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers 4/14

The New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers will continue their three-game set this weekend with the middle game of the series this afternoon in Detroit. The Yankees called up a pair of pitchers after losing CC Sabathia to a hip injury, Luis Cessa and Domingo German, and Aaron Boone had those two to decide from when deciding who would make this afternoon’s start. Boone ultimately decided that Luis Cessa would make the start this afternoon facing off with Francisco Liriano for the Tigers. Let’s get to it.

Cessa will make the start this afternoon over German, likely his only start with Sabathia expected back on Tuesday. Cessa has posted a 4.54 ERA in 73.3 innings as a Major League starter since coming over to the Yankees from the Detroit Tigers in December of 2015. 

Liriano did not get a full spring training here in 2018, but he hasn’t show any affects of it thus far this season. Liriano had made two good starts for Detroit thus far in 2018 including his last start where he took a no-hitter into the fifth inning against the Cleveland Indians in an eventual 2-0 loss.

The game will be played at 1:10 pm ET inside Comerica Park in Detroit and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app or by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Enjoy the game, even if it doesn’t mean we are going to be seeing Luis Cessa on the mound once again and go Yankees!!

Hello… Glenn Otto

Good morning everyone and Happy Saturday the 14^th to all you lucky and fortunate souls that made it through the evil, bad Friday the 13^th. Man, starting the weekend off with some sarcasm. Who would have thought?

Anyway, I wanted to touch on a young Yankees pitching prospect quickly that I think could be the next Chance Adams. The next college arm that the Yankees drafted as a relief pitcher and successfully transitioned into a starting pitcher because they saw something in the young man. His name is Glenn Otto and he was drafted by the New York Yankees out of Rice University. Otto was the Yankees fifth round pick, 152^nd overall, in the 2017 MLB First Year Players Draft.

The thought of Otto being a starter isn’t really a new idea, he was a starter for the Santa Barbara Foresters of the California Collegiate League in the summer after his freshman year and he also made two spot starts during his junior year at Rice, but it is a new idea for Otto as a professional. Otto has a starting pitcher’s build standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing in at 225 lbs. while possessing a mid-90s fastball that can touch 98-99 MPH. Otto also employs a hard knucklecurve that he throws in the low-80s as well as a developing changeup that New York sees as a viable third pitch.

Keep an eye out for Otto going forward as I truly believe he could be on the fast track to the Major Leagues as a starting pitcher. He could be the next Chance Adams, or he could be the next Jonathan Holder as well. Stay tuned.

Oh, and good morning my beautiful Kari Ann. I love you, enjoy your last Saturday of tax season and your much-deserved break when it is all over.

This Day in New York Yankees History 4/14: Elston Howard Makes JFK Cry

On this day in 1967 21 year old left handed starting pitcher Billy Rohr is one out from pitching a no hitter in his Major League debut when Elston Howard singles on a 3-2 pitch to ruin the no hit bid. The Red Sox would win the game 3-0 but will be forever remembered as the game that John F. Kennedy Jr. was caught crying by the dugout and being consoled by his mother, Jackie Kennedy, because the shot at immortality was lost.


On this day in 1955 Elston Howard, who would later be named the American League MVP in 1963, became the first black player to play for the Yankees. Howard was a nine time All Star and played in 54 World Series games compiling a career batting average of .274.


On this day in 1911 a fire broke out and destroyed much of the Polo Grounds, the home of the New York Giants. The New York Highlanders, now known as the Yankees, offered the Giants a place to play for six weeks. Temporary stands were made at the Polo Grounds and the Giants soon returned.

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers 4/13

And just like that it is game time on this Friday the 13^th between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers. In the first of this three-game weekend set the Yankees will send out Jordan Montgomery taking CC Sabathia’s turn in the rotation while the Tigers will counter with former Houston Astros starter Mike Fiers. The game will be played at 7:10 pm ET inside Comerica Park and can be seen on the YES Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the team all season long. Enjoy the game, Fiers you’re not in Houston anymore, and go Yankees!!

USA Today’s Weekly MLB Power Rankings

Another week down in the 2018 Major League Baseball season and the first set of weekly MLB Power Rankings brought to you by the USA Today here on the blog. I sorta, kinda, maybe missed the first set of power rankings that were released before the season and sorta, kinda, maybe every set released ever since. Work has been busy, and so has life. You have my apologies. Let me make up for it now, though, by getting on with this week’s set of rankings.

I won’t make you wait long for what you came here for, the ranking for the New York Yankees. The Yankees were ranked 7^th overall this week by the publication, dropping two spots from last week and out of the Top 5. A tough week against the Baltimore Orioles will do that to a team I guess. Rounding out the rest of the American League East Division the Boston Red Sox are ranked 2^nd overall while the Toronto Blue Jays (#17), the Baltimore Orioles (#20) and the Tampa Bay Rays (#29) fall behind the Yankees in succession.

The top five spots in the rankings belong to, in order, the Houston Astros, the Boston Red Sox, the Arizona Diamondbacks, some team that rhymes with New York Jets, and the Chicago Cubs. Meanwhile the five worst teams in the rankings, ranked from 26-30, are the Oakland Athletics, the San Diego Padres, the Cincinnati Reds, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Miami Derek Jeter’s.

The Pittsburgh Pirates had the biggest rise in the rankings this week climbing 12 slots from the 24^th ranking to the #12 spot while the biggest fall went to the Los Angeles Dodgers who fell 11 slots all the way to the 13^th spot overall after being ranked 2^nd in last week’s rankings. Ouch.

For the complete list and write-ups associated with this set of power rankings head over to the USA Today Sports section and read it in its entirety. Thanks everyone. 

Sign Hanley Ramirez's Get Well Soon Card

Everyone sign Hanley Ramirez's "Get Well Soon" card below. Once we receive a few signatures I'll send it to him or something. Yeah.

A Yankees Day in the Life: Aaron Hicks

The New York Yankees starting center fielder is back, so why not check in with him and see what it is like to walk a mile or ten in his cleats shoes? I present to you on this lovely Friday the 13th afternoon, a Yankees day in the life of Aaron Hicks.

The Curse of the Billy Goat & Other Baseball Superstitions

If you’re a fan of Major League Baseball or if you’ve ever played baseball down from Little League all the way to the show chances are there is at least a little superstitious blood running through your body. I can remember wearing a red power rangers shirt under my jersey back in my early Little League years and the first time I did I went 3-4 and we won. So what did I do? I wore that same shirt under my jersey every single game until the superstition ran out. If you’re a fan of Major League Baseball you probably also believe in curses no matter what you say out loud. The Curse of the Bambino was a real thing, even if it was just in the heads of the Boston Red Sox fans and players, and until the Curse of the Billy Goat and other superstitions around baseball are broken by Cubs players and fans alike those traditions will remain a part of the game as well.


While the Cubs were looking to break the Curse of the Billy Goat every fall I wanted to take a look at some of the superstitions in baseball and some of the attempts to specifically end the curse surrounding Wrigley Field. Fans have tried to smuggle in goats into Wrigley Field and one local food company, Carnivore Inc., even went as far as to butcher a goat that lived 90 minutes south of Chicago to turn into sausage that would be served in the Chicago suburbs. Was it the thousands of Cubs fans eating a goat during the playoffs that reversed the Curse of the Billy Goat? Stay tuned, but I doubt it. I have a feeling it had more to do with Theo Epstein, a great farm system and a tad bit of luck.


Some other superstitions around baseball include Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Burnett putting a poker chip in his back pocket before taking the mound, Wade Boggs eating fried chicken before every start, Derek Holland watching scenes from “For the Love of the Game,” Jason Giambi and his gold thong he passed around the Yankees clubhouse, CC Sabathia keeps a picture of his children in his jersey while he pitches and so many other superstitions.

Players won’t step on the white line when entering or leaving the field, players won’t get a new hat or batting helmet if they are hitting well, no matter how disgusting they look. Roger Clemens would not take the mound without first rubbing the forehead of Babe Ruth in Monument Park, Phil Hughes doesn’t shave the day he is scheduled to pitch and so many more. Superstitions run rampant in Major League Baseball! Especially on Friday the 13th.


FYI, they Cubs did break the curse in case you missed it. I know you didn’t, but still. So did the Red Sox and their Curse of the Bambino, so I heard anyway. I'm still skeptical. What is your biggest superstition?