Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Oakland Athletics 6/17

The New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics are set to continue their four-game set with an afternoon game out in Oakland. You have to love those day games after night games and you have to remember that it’s only 1:00 pm out there on the West Coast. Anyway, in the matchup this afternoon the New York Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound to face off with Jesse Hahn for the A’s. The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET inside the Oakland Coliseum and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. You can also follow along on the radio and in your cars by tuning into the WFAN broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

Follow us on Twitter by giving @GreedyStripes a follow and enjoy the game. Go Yankees!

Candy Cummings & Inventions of the Curveball and Glove

William Arthur "Candy" Cummings was born on October 18,1848 in Ware Massachusetts and went on to be a professional baseball player that was eventually one of the first members to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. What Cummings added to the game of baseball was the addition of a curveball to a pitcher's repetroire and the addition of a glove for the catcher to catch the ball with.

When Cummings pitched the pitcher threw underhand and was essentially there to throw the ball where the "striker," or more commonly known as the batter today, wanted the ball to be thrown. The story goes that one day as a teenager Cummings was throwing clam shells into the ocean when he learned to added a bit of a curve to the shell when he threw. Cummings tried this with a baseball as a member of the National Association of Base Ball Players team the Brooklyn Excelsior's. Cummings pitched with Brooklyn in 1866 and 1867 before pitching for the Stars of Brooklyn from 1868 to 1871.

The problem with the curveball at that time was the fact that the catcher stood twenty feet behind the batter to catch the ball without a glove. When the curveball hit the ground it would skip away allowing runners to move up or score which led Cummings catcher, Nat Hicks, to stand behind the batter and catch the ball on the fly. Hicks and Cummings came up with the idea of the catcher having leather bound gloves with the fingers cut out of them to help with catching the ball and saving the catcher's hands.

The sport of baseball was in its infancy at the time but within a few years the way the pitcher played the game was changed, the pitcher's repertoire was changed, the catcher position was changed and how the catcher did his job was changed. All because of a 17 year old kid throwing sea shells by the sea shore that just loved playing this great game of baseball.

Cummings was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939.

Now the Yankees know why they have those gloves on their hands and now it's time to start using them. Thanks.

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Oakland Athletics 6/17

With the injuries simply piling up for the New York Yankees the team needs their ace to be their ace and their stopper to be their stopper. Enter Masahiro Tanaka. Happy Tanaka Day Yankees fans! This afternoon out on the west coast the Yankees will send their bonafide ace Masahiro Tanaka to the mound looking for a second straight good outing while the Athletics will look to remain pesky by sending Jesse Hahn to the mound. This should be a fun one.

Tanaka had been horrible for the Yankees before his last start against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Let’s not mince words, he was horrible. In his last start though on an extra day of rest Tanaka lasted 6.2 innings allowing just four hits and one run with eight strikeouts in a victory. More of that please.

Hahn broke a little losing streak of his own in his last time out against the Toronto Blue Jays. Hahn had a three-game losing streak heading into the start before throwing six innings without allowing an earned run. I don’t particularly care for this version of Hahn, I like the one that loses better. More of that please.

The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET inside the Oakland Coliseum and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. You can also follow along with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on the radio and in your cars by tuning into WFAN. Enjoy the game Yankees family. Go Yankees!

How do you spell "R-E-L-I-E-F"? No clue...

Credit:  Ben Margot-Associated Press

A’s 7, Yankees 6…

I am not gonna lie.  This has been a tough week with games that don’t start until after 10 pm EDT and a series of losses that could have been wins if not for bullpen breakdowns.  Aroldis Chapman is within our sights yet he seems so far away as the bullpen provides loss after loss. Sunday cannot get here quick enough.

This was another game that saw the Yankees fight back after falling behind early.  The A’s jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning but the Yankees answered with a three-run homer by Aaron Judge in the top of the 3rd, his 23rd HR of the year.  

Credit:  John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

They picked up single runs in the 5th through 7th innings, including a solo shot by Chris Carter in the 6th, to take a 6-4 lead.  

In the bottom of the 7th, with Chasen Shreve on the mound, the A’s picked up a run on a sac fly by Chad Pinder.  Jonathan Holder replaced Shreve for the 8th, but a walk, double and intentional walk, which loaded the bases, set the stage for A’s rookie third baseman Matt Chapman to deliver the game-winning hit with a two-run single.

A’s closer Santiago Casilla struck out three of the four batters he faced to seal the 7-6 victory for Oakland.  

Aside from the disastrous second inning, Luis Severino pitched well. He went six innings, allowing four hits, runs, and walks.  He struck out six.  He banged his knee against a locker prior to the game but didn’t attribute it as a cause for his early struggles.  Jonathan Holder (1-1) took the loss with a pitch that was supposed to be in the dirt but was left where Chapman could emerge as the victor with the winning hit. 

With a starting lineup that included Rob Refsnyder, Mason Williams, Austin Romine, and Ronald Torreyes, I was concerned about this game from the start.  Nothing against those guys, but the players who sat (Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, Gary Sanchez, and Didi Gregorius) are heavy artillery.  Hopefully everyone is feeling a little healthier and/or rested today.  

The 8th inning has been a major problem area with Dellin Betances as the designated ninth inning guy.  It will be nice to have Betances back to provide the late setup coverage when Chapman returns.  For all the bullpen failures, Betances has stood alone as the bright spot.  Note to Yankees Prez Randy Levine, Betances is worth more than $3 million.  Pay him, you blithering idiot.

While the Yankees (38-27) were losing to the American League’s worst team, the Boston Red Sox were beating its best (2-1 victory over the Houston Astros).  So, the Red Sox have pulled to within one game of the Yankees in the AL East standings.  All the other AL East teams lost.  The Yankees have now lost four in a row, a new season high, after snapping their six-game winning streak in Anaheim.  

Odds & Ends…

Prior to Friday’s game, the Yankees made a few roster moves.  The injuries to Gary Sanchez and Aaron Hicks forced their hand.  With both players day to day, a trip to the DL doesn’t make sense for either guy.  So, roster help had to come from other areas.  Adam Warren, dealing with a sore trapezius muscle, was moved to the DL and Giovanny Gallegos was returned to AAA-Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  Kyle Higashioka was recalled to back up Austin Romine while Sanchez is dealing with his tight groin muscle, and Mason Williams was elevated to provide the Yankees an additional outfielder to help offset the temporary loss of Hicks.  Necessary moves, but ones that weakened an already strained bullpen. 

Speaking of Aroldis Chapman, the results of his final rehab tune-out at AA-Trenton were less than ideal.  Chapman started the Thunder’s game on Friday against the Erie SeaWolves.  He threw 20 pitches (his pitch limit).  While he struck out two in pitching 2/3rd’s of an inning, he walked two and threw two wild pitches which allowed the SeaWolves to score a run.  The Thunder eventually won the game, 4-2.  After the game, Chapman, through an interpreter, said, “I felt good out there.  I know my command wasn’t 100%, but I felt really good.  The good thing is I know I am going to come back strong.”  I hope so as the Yankees need a strong and healthy Chapman now more than ever.

Credit:  Greg Slaboda-The Trentonian

It does not sound good for first baseman Greg Bird.  He met with the Yankees team physician and had a CT scan and MRI for his knee and ankle on Friday.  He'll meet with Dr Bob Anderson in North Carolina for a second opinion.  It's starting to look as though this will be another lost year for Bird.  

Yesterday saw a nice Triple A debut for starting pitcher Domingo Acevedo.  He pitched 7 innings of three-hit ball in the RailRiders’ 8-1 win over the Buffalo Bisons.  He gave up only one run, and struck out four.  Walks were high (five) but it was a great start for Acevedo.  Gleyber Torres was 3-for-4 in the game with a run scored.  

Have a great Saturday!  Please let today be the start of a new winning streak.  Go Yankees!

FYI: The Yankees 2017 Draft Recap

All twenty rounds of the 2017 MLB First Year Players Draft are in the books. The players are picked, the slot recommendations are made, the tears of joy and disdain have been shed and the rest, as they say, is history. Here is a quick recap for your information of the Yankees draft from 2017, who they took, what round they were drafted, etc. etc. etc. Bookmark me!

1	16			Schmidt, Clarke	South Carolina		R/R	JR		6'1" 200lbs DOB: 02/20/96	--
2	54			Sauer, Matt	Ernest Righetti HS			HS		6'4" 195lbs DOB: 01/21/99	--
3	92			Stephan, Trevor	Arkansas		R/R	JR		6'5" 225lbs DOB: 11/25/95	--
4	122			Smith, Canaan	Rockwall-Heath HS		L/R	HS	--	6'0" 215lbs DOB: 04/30/99	--
5	152			Otto, Glenn	Rice		R/R	JR		6'5" 240lbs DOB: 03/11/96	--
6	182			Lehnen, Dalton	Augustana College		L/L	JR	--	6'2" 195lbs DOB: 05/16/96	--
7	212			Higgins, Dalton	Dallas Baptist		R/R	JR	--	6'2" 200lbs DOB: 08/08/95	--
8	242			Zurak, Kyle	Radford U		R/R	SR	--	6'0" 205lbs DOB: 11/28/94	--
9	272			Gardner, Austin	U Texas Arlington		R/R	SR	--	6'2" 215lbs DOB: 12/02/94	--
10	302			Whitmer, Chad	Southern Illinois U Carbondale		R/R	SR	--	6'3" 195lbs DOB: 05/11/95	--
11	332			Semple, Shawn	University of New Orleans		R/R	JR	--	6'1" 195lbs DOB: 10/09/95	--
12	362			Sensley, Steven	University of Louisiana - Lafayette		L/L	SR	--	6'2" 220lbs DOB: 09/06/95	--
13	392			Wagaman, Eric	Orange Coast College		R/R	J2	--	6'4" 210lbs DOB: 08/14/97	--
14	422			Cortijo, Harold	Riverdale Baptist School		R/R	HS	--	6'2" 180lbs DOB: 04/27/98	--
15	452			McGarity, Aaron	Virginia Tech		R/R	SR	--	6'3" 185lbs DOB: 01/31/95	--
16	482			Surum, Ricky	U Mt Olive		R/R	SR	--	5'10" 170lbs DOB: 12/07/94	--
17	512			Hess, Chris	U Rhode Island		R/R	SR	--	6'2" 195lbs DOB: 12/03/94	--
18	542			Whitlock, Garrett	Alabama - Birmingham		R/R	JR	--	6'5" 190lbs DOB: 06/11/96	--
19	572			Marinaccio, Ron	U Delaware		R/R	SR	--	6'2" 205lbs DOB: 07/01/95	--
20	602			Lidge, Ryan	Notre Dame				--	6'2" 205lbs DOB: 10/27/94

This Day in New York Yankees History 6/17: Stand & Clap w/ Two Strikes!

On this day in 1978 Louisiana Lightning and Yankees pitcher Ron Guidry started a new tradition at Yankee Stadium. Guidry would strike out 15 Angels in six innings and finish the game with 18 K's to establish a new American League record for southpaws in the game. The Yankee Stadium crows would begin to clap each time Guidry got two strikes on a batter. This is also where Guidry got his nickname Louisiana Lightning from when called that by television announcer Phil Rizzuto.


Also on this day in 1962 Gene Woodling becomes the first major league player to play for both of New York's teams, the Yankees and the Mets. The 38 year old outfielder would go 2-4 scoring two runs for New York's National League expansion team in an 8-7 loss to the Chicago Cubs at the Polo Grounds.

Speaking of the Yankees and this day in history in 1962 the Yankees would lose their third and fourth games of the series in a double header with the Cleveland Indians to get swept by the Tribe. In the second inning of Game 1 the Indians Jerry Kindall, Bubba Phillips, and Jim Mahoney hit three consecutive home runs to give Dick Donovan his 10th win of the season. The Cleveland crowd, the largest Indians crows in eight seasons, would enjoy watching the Indians sweep the Bronx Bombers.



Finally on this day in 1941 Joe DiMaggio extends his hitting streak to 30 consecutive games with a little help from a bad hop off Luke Appling's shoulder. DiMaggio would break the team's record for hits in consecutive games with the bit of luck passing Roger Peckinpaugh in 1919 and Earle Combs in 1931. The Yankees would lose the game 8-7 to the Chicago White Sox.

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Oakland Athletics 6/16

FINALLY! It is game time in Oakland as the New York Yankees made the trip for the second time this series to take on the Oakland Athletics inside the Oakland Coliseum. The Yankees will send the future that is the now, which is not logistically possible but just roll with it, in Luis Severino to the mound to square off with Sean Manaea for the Athletics. The game will be played at 9:35 pm ET inside the Oakland Coliseum and can be seen on

Follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes. Enjoy the game and as always… Go Yankees!

Meet a Prospect: Chad Whitmer

Wow guys and girls, ten editions of “Meet a Prospect” in just two-or-three days. Are you all tired of hearing about prospects yet? I hope not because I am far from tired of writing about them. With the Yankees 10^th round pick in the 2017 MLB First Year Players Draft the team took, you guessed it, a pitcher in Chad Whitmer. Whitmer is a right-handed arm out of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Chad Whitmer Edition.

Whitmer, another college senior that will likely sign and sign well below the cap allocation, threw a team high 104 innings in 2017 on the way to a 6-3 record and 3.46 ERA in 15 starts. Whitmer was the team’s ace and it showed as the righty struck out 95 batters while walking just 26 en route to making the All-Missouri Valley Conference second-team.

Whitmer looks to be another potential fast mover through the system because of his advanced development, age and the amount of innings that are already on his arm. In the comments section on the site the other day the name Ian Kennedy was brought up and for whatever reason Whitmer reminds me a lot of Kennedy as far as why he was drafted.

Kennedy was drafted to fly through the system and reach the Major Leagues as soon as possible. At the time the Yankees didn’t have a farm system to speak of and were looking to rebuild their prospects through the draft. Now whether the plan was to get Kennedy to the Bronx to groom him or showcase him in a trade at the time of his drafting is anyone’s guess but it ultimately ended up being the latter and not the former when the dust settled. Whitmer could be another Kennedy that simply signs quickly and progresses quickly through the system. Whitmer doesn’t project as an ace but then again neither did Kennedy and he has a Cy Young Award to show for his efforts so hey, you never know.

Welcome to the organization Chad and welcome to the family as well!

Meet a Prospect: Austin Gardner

The last time the New York Yankees drafted some guy named Gardner it really seemed to work out for them. I can only assume that this did not enter the minds of the people making the decisions during this year’s draft but if right-handed pitcher Austin Gardner, the Yankees 9^th round selection of the of the University of Texas at Arlington, can be half as good and half as beloved as Brett Gardner then New York may have found a diamond in the rough here with Austin.

Gardner is yet another pitcher and yet another closer being added to the Yankees system but unlike the others this righty does not have experience at the collegiate level as a starting pitcher. Not to say that the team cannot convert him to one and try it out later but as it stands now I am highly doubtful that this is in the plans right now, and that’s ok. If Gardner signs and pitches strictly out of the bullpen he could be one of the first Yankees prospects out of this draft class to reach Triple-A and the Major Leagues, if not the first. Gardner, Austin, like Gardner, Brett, has the term “fast mover” written all over him in my opinion.

Gardner stands 6’2” and weighs in at 215 lbs. which makes him an intimidating presence when on the mound at the end of games. Gardner appeared in 29 games for UTA as their closer in 2017 posting a 2-1 record with a 2.42 ERA and two saves. Gardner struck out 55 batters in 44.2 innings allowing just 36 hits and 10 walks. Dominance at the collegiate level.

Gardner also has baseball coursing through his veins as his father, Scott Gardner played baseball at Oklahoma before pitching inside the Houston Astros organization from 1980-1983. There’s a good chance that Gardner will sign so let me be the first to congratulate the right-hander and welcome him to the family. Welcome, Austin!

Meet a Prospect: Kyle Zurak

The New York Yankees went searching for, you guessed it, a pitcher in the 8^th round of the 2017 MLB First Year Players Draft and they came back with a right-handed pitcher by the name of Kyle Zurak. Zurak was drafted out of Radford University in Virginia after spending his tenure there as the team’s closer and occasional starter. When I see that a pitcher has some starting experience but was drafted as a reliever by the Yankees my mind always wonders if this pitcher could be the next Jonathan Holder or Chance Adams. I guess only time will tell with Kyle so let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Kyle Zurak Edition.

Zurak was named one of the 25 semifinalists for the Gregg Olson Award in 2017 which honors college baseball’s Breakout Player of the Year. Zurak posted a 4-4 record this season with nine saves and a 2.40 ERA in 60 innings pitched. Along the way Zurak struck out 73 batters while only allowing nine extra-base hits all season long due in large part to a huge spike in velocity.

Zurak once possessed a fastball that only touched 85-87 MPH as a freshman but during his senior season the right-hander saw his fastball touching 95 MPH. Zurak was dominant as a closer and in his one start of the season he threw a complete-game two-hitter against Presbyterian in the Big South Finals. Zurak can do it all.

Zurak is a college senior, he’s going to sign. He is going to sign and he is going to sign for cheap so I feel comfortable welcoming him not only to the organization but to the family as well. Welcome!