Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox 7/14

Welcome to the second half of baseball here in 2017 and what a way for the New York Yankees to kick it off. This weekend the Yankees and their biggest rivals in the Boston Red Sox will play a four-game set including a huge double-header on Sunday here inside Fenway Park that could go a long way in determining the way the American League East Division shakes up. Divisions cannot be won on July 14^th but they can certainly be lost, especially in the Yankees case, so it’s imperative that New York comes out of the break firing on all cylinders. In the first start of this rivalry renewed series the Yankees will send Jordan Montgomery to the mound to square off with Drew Pomeranz for the Red Sox.  

Montgomery opens the second half back with the Yankees after a brief cameo in the Minor Leagues before the end of the first half. Montgomery was impressive during the first half of his rookie season posting a 6-4 record with a 3.65 ERA in 16 starts. This will be the first time that Montgomery will be facing the Red Sox. 

Pomeranz ended the first half of the season on a high finishing his last five starts with a 3-0 record and a 1.82 ERA. Pomeranz also brings some recent success against the Yankees to Fenway Park tonight as well as the lefty sports a career 2-1 record with a 2.40 ERA in six appearances.

The game will be played at 7:10 pm ET inside Fenway Park and can be seen on the YES Network, NESN, MLB Network and MLB TV. You can also follow along on the radio and in your cars with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN and the WCEC Network if you’re behind enemy lines. Rivalry renewed and a huge four-game series to set the tone for the second half. Let’s get to it. Go Yankees!

Back to Work Friday!...

Aw shucks, do we really hafta?...

I have to admit the break was very nice.  I took full advantage of it and enjoyed every minute.  But alas, all good things must end.  Time to get back to baseball and hopefully what will be a very productive second half for the Pinstripers.  

I am glad the Chicago Cubs laid the Jose Quintana rumors to rest.  It was a serious overpay (in my opinion) and I don’t think the cost was worth the top prospects in the organization.  So, congratulations to GM Brian Cashman for his restraint.  There’s no doubt we need pitching but we’ll just have to find another well, and hopefully a less costly one.  The long term view is still the best view in the house.  I am sure teams will now move to other rumored trade targets, ramping up the cost for guys like Yu Darvish or Gerrit Cole (should they be placed on the market).  I’d rather see Chance Adams get a chance at some point rather than his inclusion in a trade for an older, more established pitcher.  

Credit:  Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

With less than three weeks to the trading deadline, Thursday should just be a slight preview of the days ahead as teams jockey for position.

I thought yesterday’s trade for first baseman Garrett Cooper was a chance worth taking.  Why not?…the Yankees do not have anything to lose.  By trading Tyler Webb, it was an indication that he didn’t fit into their long-term plans.  Plus, he tied up a valuable 40-man roster spot which will be a premium in the off-season when the Yankees have to decide whom to protect and whom to potentially expose to the Rule 5 Draft.  Every move made today has ramifications on the off-season so I am sure that Cashman is being both near- and far-sighted at the same time.  Ji-Man Choi has had a couple of nice home runs but I am not sold on him as a Major League first baseman.  If he falters, it is nice to know that Cooper is waiting in the wings.  He probably represents an upgrade over Mike Ford (currently on the DL for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre).  

Stay tuned as I am sure we’re in for a ride.

I honestly did not think Aaron Judge would win the Home Run Derby last Monday.  The win didn’t surprise me and I certainly loved watching the incredible show as much as anyone.  But there was so much hype about him going into the Derby, I felt the weight of expectations would be too much.  Between Judge and Gary Sanchez, I thought Sanchez would be the one to persevere.  So, my apologies to Aaron and congratulations on the tremendous win.  Now, in one of those bottom of the 9th at-bats when the Yankees are trailing and you represent the tying or winning run, please feel free to mix in a tape measure, Statcast-blowing blast instead of the usual strikeout.  I am not trying to be critical of Judge and I am very appreciative of his consistent contributions game by game...but...outside of Clint Frazier’s recent walk-off, the bottom of the 9th at Yankee Stadium has generally meant three outs in recent weeks.

No All-Star Game recap from me, but it was tough to see a “formerly” beloved ex-Yankee hit the home run to win the game and another “probably still” beloved ex-Yankee save the win.  Robinson Cano hurts more than Andrew Miller since the added measure (salt in the wound) was that Cano on the team as an injury replacement for current Yankee Starlin Castro.  The losses of Cano leaving via free agency and the trade of Miller (not his fault) still sting.  If Cano was still a Yankee, we’d probably be talking about the potential future retirement of his number.  Now, Gary Sanchez gets the honors and Cano has a career that you primarily only see through box scores unless you live in Seattle.

Next Up:  Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Boston, MA…

The Yankees get a very quick and hard test to open the second half.  They’ll travel to Boston to play the first place Red Sox for four games in three days.  The break, outside of Chris Sale, gave the Sox the opportunity to reset their pitching rotation.  With Sale pitching Tuesday’s All-Star Game, he’ll take the mound on Saturday.  But we’ll see the top 4 pitchers in Boston’s rotation for this series.  So no fifth starters this go-around.  The Red Sox are starting to play like everyone expected although they did lose their most recent series when they were beaten by the Tampa Bay Rays, the team currently tied with the Yankees for second place in the AL East.  If Boston finds a solution for their third base problem and perhaps more arms for the pen, they’ll be a formidable team although at this point, I’d have to say the Houston Astros are the likely winners of the ALCS regardless of who they play.

By catching closer Craig Kimbrel in the All-Star Game, I am hopeful that Gary Sanchez picked up a thing or two to use during his at-bats.  I think he was surprised at the movement of Kimbrel’s pitches from the catcher’s point of view.  Very weird to see a Yankee catch a Red Sox pitcher.

The Red Sox can be beaten but not by the Yankees team we saw the last couple of weeks.  They’ll need to rise to the challenge.  I hope that Dellin Betances can right the ship once and for all.  The same goes for Masahiro Tanaka.  I only hope that we are not forced to use Tyler Clippard in a critical situation.

As of this post, the Yankees had not announced their scheduled starters.  Boston's starters will be:

FRIDAY:  Drew Pomeranz (9-4, 3.60 ERA)
SATURDAY:  Chris Sale (11-4, 2.75 ERA)
SUNDAY-GAME 1:  Rick Porcello (4-11, 4.75 ERA)
SUNDAY-GAME 2:  David Price (4-2, 3.91 ERA)

Final Notes…

As expected, the Yankees have sent Starlin Castro to Double-A Trenton on a rehab assignment.  They also released Chris Carter after he cleared waivers so there will be no Carter Experiment III.  

Have a great Friday!  Let’s start the second half off right with a win in Beantown!  Let’s Go Yankees!

Meet a Prospect: Garrett Cooper

The New York Yankees made a relatively minor trade yesterday trading left-handed relief pitcher Tyler Webb to the Milwaukee Brewers for a first bas prospect named Garrett Cooper. Cooper was immediately assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre with the RailRiders so at least for now this move doesn’t seem like the last New York will make potentially at first base but it’s an interesting trade nonetheless if you ask me. Let’s meet the man that the Yankees just acquired for Webb. This is Meet a Prospect: The Garrett Cooper Edition.

Garrett Cooper was born on December, 25 1990 in Auburn Alabama but spent much of his childhood growing up in California. It was California and specifically El Camino Community College where Cooper’s amateur baseball career begun before he transferred to the University of Auburn for his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility. While at Auburn the Milwaukee Brewers drafted the right in the 6^th round of the 2013 MLB First Year Players Draft as a first baseman. It is worth mentioning that Cooper can also play some outfield in a pinch which makes him all the more versatile for a team like the New York Yankees.

Cooper is a huge guy standing 6’6” and weighing in at 230 lbs. Cooper hits right-handed so he could be the right-handed platoon partner the Yankees thought they were getting in Chris Carter when they signed the former Milwaukee Brewer to a one-year deal this offseason.

In 75 games at Triple-A this season Cooper has hit .366 with a 1.080 OPS, 17 home runs and 82 RBI for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. With numbers like that it makes you wonder why Milwaukee would part with him for a frivolous left-handed reliever. Am I missing something? Did the Yankees just steal an awesome first baseman and a huge part of their future for a left-handed relief pitcher? Maybe I am, if I am leave it below in the comments section.

Welcome to the family Garrett! I have a feeling we will be seeing you really, really soon.

So it Seems We are Back!!

Good morning everyone, Happy Friday and we’re back. The All-Star break always feels like it’s at least one day too long to the fans although I’m sure the players and the players families would disagree. Regardless we are back and the second half kicks off tonight. The clock is ticking and every day that passes by brings us one day closer to the end of the season. Every win is important, every loss is devastating and every roster move is built towards the future in some way. I hope you’re well rested because you’re going to need it as we grind towards the end of the season.

Need a win, get a win. 

Hey you. A special Happy Friday to you, because love. I love you Kari Ann Burch. Always have, always will. 

This Day in New York Yankees History 7/14: Posada & Jeter Were Teammates a Long Time

We have all heard the stories about the Core Four and how Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada were teammates coming through the system and were teammates for a long time as members of the New York Yankees. On this day in 2011 the latter two, Jeter and Posada, appeared in their 1,660th regular season game as teammates, the most two players have been together in franchise history. Jeter and Posada entered the game as pinch hitters in the Yankees 16-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays passing Lou Gehrig and Tony Lazzeri who held the previous team mark in 1937.

Also on this day in 1934 the Yankees got a little creative to keep Lou Gehrig's consecutive games streak going in a game against the Detroit Tigers. The Yankees listed Gehrig as their leadoff batter and shortstop and after Gehrig singled in the top of the first he was replaced defensively at short. The streak continued, Gehrig rested his lumbago injury and the Yankees lost the game 12-11.


Finally it's worth mentioning that on this day in 2015 the first MLB All Star Game I ever watched without Derek Jeter took place. There's always that.

Garrett (don't call me Gary) Cooper in a Webb of Intrigue...

Mini Cooper he is not...

The Yankees have made their first trade of July 2017 with the acquisition of Garrett Cooper, a first baseman for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, the Triple A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.  When I first heard that the Yankees had traded lefty reliever Tyler Webb to Milwaukee to acquire Cooper, I admit that I was skeptical.  I have not been following the Brewers farm system nor did I watch this week's Triple A All-Star Game.  If I had, I would have realized that the Yankees have acquired a promising first baseman which happens to be a great need.  

Cooper was named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for the week ending July 9th.  He was also the starting first baseman for the PCL in the Triple A All-Star Game yesterday.  He has steadily progressed through the ranks.  He was taken in the 6th round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Brewers, and is considered a "late bloomer" in the midst of a breakout year.  Cooper is currently hitting .366 with 17 HR and 82 RBI in 75 games for the Sky Sox.  There's not much doubt he'll soon be the latest Baby Bomber in Pinstripes even if he has never played a game for the organization.  He's 26 and is a "big boy" (6'6", 230 lbs).  He has benefited from the altitude of Colorado Springs and playing in a hitters' league but why not roll the dice.  

After watching the Chicago Cubs send their top prospect, outfielder Eloy Jimenez, the #5 prospect in the MLB according to Baseball America's midseason update, and other prospects to the Chicago White Sox for starting pitcher Jose Quintana, it's clear that the cost of pitching is astronomical (as if we didn't know that already).  There's no way I would have signed off on a deal to send Gleyber Torres or even Clint Frazier to the White Sox for Quintana.  Let the Cubs fork over the farm.  This reinforces that the Yankees should stay the course and continue to build for the next few years and avoid the "quick fix" for the Wild Card.  So, I am okay with the under-the-radar moves that do not cost high-ranking prospects.  

I hated to see Webb go as I've liked the pitcher and I was excited that he finally had his opportunity at the big league level.  I felt that he performed well in his few appearances for the Yankees.  He obviously was not one of Joe Girardi's "go to" guys in the pen but he played a valuable support role.  I guess all things considered, this was a modest cost for a guy who has torn apart Triple A pitching.  How that translates to the Major Leagues only time will tell.  But if my name was Ji-Man Choi, I'd probably be packing my bags.  Yanks will want to see how Cooper performs in the International League before making his MLB debut but the guy with the similar name to the actor who played Lou Gehrig in The Pride of the Yankees is on his way.  If he fields his position, knocks in a few runs, and doesn't kill rallies by hitting into double plays, he'll be better than anything we've seen yet at first base.  

Cooper has been assigned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  

Welcome to the Yankees, Garrett!

Ranking the Best Baseball Movies of All Time

Because why not? It’s not like we have much else to do. Maybe catch up on some television, read a book, watch a movie, catch a Pokemon. Whatever. With this first official off day of the All-Star break I wanted to take the opportunity to rank the best baseball movies of all time, in my opinion. If your opinion differs leave it down below in the comments section of the site.

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. 42

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

An honorable mention goes to Eight Men Out which covered the Black Sox scandal and Shoeless Joe Jackson. If memory served it had Charlie Sheen playing Shoeless Joe (talk about some foreshadowing) so you can’t really go wrong with that now can you?

This Day in New York Yankees History 7/13: Retired Numbers

Brandon McCarthy 

✔@BMcCarthy32

*Kramer's moviefone voice* "well why don't you just tell me what number isn't retired"

3:02 PM - 8 Jul 2014

 
•  2,4012,401 Retweets
 
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Brandon McCarthy, a player that the team acquired before the July 31st trading deadline in 2014, made the joke that the Yankees should just issue him a number rather than him trying to pick one since so many numbers are retired. Well on this day in 1984 the Yankees retired two more numbers as Roger Maris's #9 jersey and Elston Howard's #32 were enshrined in Yankee history forever. Plaques were also put up in their honor to pay tribute to the two Yankees players.


Also on this day in 1960 Yankee Stadium held the second All Star Game in three days as the game marked the return of Willie Mays to New York. The San Francisco Giants superstar would go 3-4 with a home run and single off the Yankees Whitey Ford to lead the National League to a 6-0 victory.


Also on this day in 1973 Bobby Murcer hits three home runs off Gene Garber to account for all five of the Yankees runs in a 5-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals. This game was played on Friday the 13th at Yankee Stadium as it took only one hour and 51 minutes to play.

The other Yankee to hit three home runs on this day was Joe DiMaggio in 1940 in a double header against the St. Louis Browns. DiMaggio drove in nine runs as the Yankees sweep the Browns by the scores of 10-4 and 12-6.

Yankees Interested in David Phelps, AJ Ramos

The New York Yankees are said to be interested in adding to their bullpen during this year’s July 31^st trading deadline and the team’s search for bullpen relief may lead them to the Miami Marlins and a familiar face. According to reports the New York Yankees are said to be interested in both David Phelps and AJ Ramos of the Miami Marlins.

According to that guy that blocked us over at the New York Post because we broke a story before him and then requested that he at least mention us or credit us in his article the Yankees have been in connection with Miami regarding Justin Bour, which we knew and have reported here on the blog, but the Yankees have also been poking around asking about both Phelps and Ramos as well. Both Phelps and Ramos are under team control through the 2018 season.

Phelps should be familiar with New York and the atmosphere here as the righty pitched in the Bronx for three seasons before being traded to the Miami Marlins in the Martin Prado deal back in December of 2014.

Heading into the break here are the stat lines for both Phelps and Ramos from Baseball Reference:

There’s no speculation or reports on what it would take to land either of these arms, Bour or Martin Prado who the Yankees have also been linked to and I don’t pretend to know much about the status of the Miami Marlins farm system. It seems like Miami is destined towards another rebuild though and fire sale this July so that opens the door to a plethora of prospects options, something the Yankees have plenty of finally. Stay tuned as this develops, we’ll have it here. 

My MLB Midseason Awards

The Home Run Derby is over and the All-Star Game is in the books so what in the world do we talk about here on the blog until Friday when play resumes? Well how about we take advantage of the lull and bring you my midseason awards for all the major awards around Major League Baseball.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

MVP: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

Cy Young Award: Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox

Manager of the Year Award: Paul Molitor, Minnesota Twins

Rookie of the Year Award: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

All rise for the Judge. You may be seated. Really these picks are no-brainers in my opinion. Aaron Judge is dominating the world right now in every offensive category it feels like making him not only the obvious choice for the Rookie of the Year but for the MVP as well. Also, who is going to argue against Chris Sale for the AL Cy Young right now? That guy has been fantastic for Boston as much as I hate to admit and acknowledge that outloud. Then you have the Minnesota Twins who no one expected to compete in 2017 hanging around the top of the American League Central Division race and that is due in large part to the Hall of Famer, Paul Molitor. I wanted to go with AJ Hinch in this spot but he has much more talent and many more established players than Minnesota giving Molitor the slight edge in my book.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

MVP: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals

Cy Young Award: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals

Manager of the Year Award: Torey Lovullo, Arizona Diamondbacks

Rookie of the Year Award: Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers

Trust me guys, I wanted to go with Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the National League MVP Award. I did. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Harper has comparable or better stats in my opinion and is on a better team. It’s really a 1 and 1A type situation at this point for me and it was a hard decision. I also wanted to go with Craig Counsell of the Milwaukee Brewers for manager of the year but I doubted whether his team was that good or if his team just benefited from down seasons and slow starts from the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates. That’s why I gave the nod to Lovullo.