Saturday, June 30, 2012

Phillies Agree To Trade Jim Thome To Baltimore Orioles



I know that this is not exactly Yankees related but it is relevant to the AL East so I decided that I would post it anyway. This afternoon the Philadelphia Phillies agreed to trade 1B Jim Thome to the Baltimore Orioles for  A ball pitching prospect Kyle Simon and 19 year old catching prospect Gabriel Lino (basically nothing....).

The Orioles were in need of a DH type hitter and someone to help from the left side and they got both with this Thome deal. Is he going to be the one to lead the Orioles to the promised land? Probably not... Is he going to help? Immensely in my opinion.

White Sox @ Yankees 6/30/12

The Yankees win behind 7 shut out innings from Hiroki Kuroda.
Yankees win 4-0

The Yankees look to break a two game losing streak against the Chicago Whitesox. Hiroki Kuroda will be on the mound this afternoon against Jake Peavy. The game will be televised at 1:05 pm ET on YES and MLB Network's matinee.

1. Derek Jeter SS
2. Curtis Granderson CF
3. Alex Rodriguez 3B
4. Robinson Cano 2B
5. Mark Teixeira 1B
6. Nick Swisher DH
7. Raul Ibanez RF
8. Russell Martin C
9. Dewayne Wise LF


Go Yankees!!

Friday, June 29, 2012

Jim Thome and the Yankees

I was just over at ESPN.com and read something from Jayson Stark saying that the Phillies would start listening to offers for Jim Thome. The problem for the Phils is that Thome can't play the field anymore due to his back, therefore he's become a DH-only in a league that doesn't give teams a DH (*stupid*cough*stupid*).

Thome has said he'd like to return to a team that he already played for, but since the White Sox already have Adam Dunn, and the Indians will soon get back Travis Hafner, that option just isn't possible. But... is the option of being dealt to the Yankees a possibility? I say "no".

Although I'd love to see Jim walking up to the plate, instead of either Andruw Jones or Lord Voldemort's long-lost brother, the cost to get him wouldn't be worth it. Now, I'm not saying Jim Thome isn't worth what Philadelphia could get for him. What I'm saying is Jim Thome is not worth the cost to the Yankees.

The Yankees have to give guys like Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter half days off, meaning they DH instead of playing the field. In that case Thome would ride the bench. Sounds okay in theory, but in practice that means the Yankees would have traded away some good prospects for a guy that doesn't play everyday.

To put it another way, the cost of acquiring Jim Thome is too much not to play hin everyday. So I'm sorry to say that you'll be seeing more of Jones and Ibanez.

White Sox @ Yankees 6/29/12


Adam Warren makes his major league debut tonight in place of the injured CC Sabathia against the Chicago White Sox. The Sox are flying high after getting to the Yankees bullpen in the 9th and coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win 4-3. For the Sox on the mound will be Jose Quintana,  former Yankee farm hand. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on YES and MLB Network. 

Lineups

1. Jeter SS
2. Granderson CF
3. Teixeira 1B
4. A-Rod 3B
5. Cano 2B
6. Swisher RF
7. Jones DH
8. Nix LF
9. Stewart C

Go Yankees!!

HOPE Week Wraps Up With The Childrens Alopecia Project


The Yankees wrap up HOPE week with by helping the Childrens Alopecia Project. Many Yankees and sports figures, including Bald Vinny, will be having a picnic in a botanical garden in the Bronx to celebrate.

This Has been a great week and I wish more organizations would participate in this. Kudos to the Yankees for being the classiest evil empire of all time. 

THE STORY OF THE CHILDREN’S ALOPECIA PROJECT (CAP)
www.childrensalopeciaproject.org
In October 2003, while Betsy Woytovich was undoing the braids of her 5-year-old daughter Madison, hair began coming out in clumps. A doctor soon confirmed that Madison had alopecia, an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, leading to hair loss on the scalp and elsewhere in varying degrees. It is a condition that affects approximately 4 million Americans.
Madison’s father, Jeff, searched for a support network, only to discover that there was no organization that focused on children with alopecia. They wanted to make sure that Madison and children like her maintained their confidence and self-esteem heading into their teenage years. So in August 2004, Jeff and Betsy created the Children’s Alopecia Project which focuses on three goals—to build self-esteem, provide support and raise awareness.
There are now 15 “CAP” Kids Support Groups all around the country that regularly work with families from 30 states. Additionally, there are associated groups in Hong Kong, Canada, South America and Russia. Over 1,000 families are registered members of CAP, while at least 10,000 families have received information or been counseled by members of CAP.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

White Sox @ Yankees 6/28/12

The bullpen could not hold a lead in the 9th and the Yankees lose 4-3



Tonight the Yankees start a four game series with the Chicago White Sox at the stadium in the Bronx. With the battery of injuries to the starting rotation in the last 24 hours the pressure is really on Yankees stud Ivan Nova tonight to give a good outing and to give length. Opposing Nova will be  Dylan Axelrod. This will be the first time that we have seen recently acquired Kevin Youkilis in a White Sox uniform. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on YES and MLB Network.

Lineups

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher RF
Raul Ibanez LF
Eric Chavez 3B
Chris Stewart C

Go Yankees

HOPE Week Honors The GlamourGals On Day 4

A select few of the Yankees players will be surprising some senior citizens with make overs at a Nursing Home and a Rehab Center today. Here is the write up from the Yankees.


THE STORY OF GLAMOURGALS
http://www.glamourgals.org/
Rachel Doyle was a sophomore in high school when her grandmother passed away in a Nevada nursing home. To honor her memory and create a bridge between the generations, Doyle, then 17, created the first chapter of GlamourGals in 2000. The organization is comprised of male and female high school and college-age volunteers who give manicures and makeovers to the elderly at senior homes. The organization’s goal is to foster self-esteem and mutual respect while building meaningful relationships. Additionally, many seniors in nursing homes do not receive frequent visitors, and GlamourGals helps to fill that void.
More than a decade after her first makeover, Doyle serves as CEO. Her vision and dedication has seen the organization grow to approximately 1,300 volunteers in more than 62 chapters spanning 13 states, along with a chapter in St. Andrews, Scotland. The organization just expanded to the Bronx in April 2012.

Roster and Payroll Updated

I have updated the Roster and Payroll pages. Due to the fact that Pettitte's move to the DL has not been made official, that does not reflect on the changes here. Nor has Ryoto Igarashi been added to the 25-man/active roster yet.

This will leave the 40-man roster full, while the 25-man/active roster will be at only 24 after the Pettitte/Igarashi switch. I will change that as official news becomes available.

Really!?!?

That was me. You know... besides the fact I'm not a young black kid.

I went to work this morning at 8:30am, and then went directly to a camp for basketball officials. I didn't get home until a little while ago, and as far as I knew the day was a good one for the Yankees as they beat the Indians 5-4. So you can imagine how hard my jaw hit the desk when I went to the LoHud Yankees Blog to check out their postgame notes.

The first thing I read was a post regarding Adam Warren being called up. Chad Jennings started out by saying Adam was being planned on as the long-man to replace Freddy Garcia. At that point I stopped reading and scrolled down to see what was going on. I mean... why was Garcia not going to be in that spot anymore? Was Garcia released? Traded? Or... *gasp*... was somebody hurt?

I was going to put a picture of a Yankee pitcher I'd be okay with being injured, but there isn't one. So here's a cute picture of a chimp and a white tiger.

My first bit of news was that Andy Pettitte fractured his ankle. Initially I thought the worst, as the words "Joba" and "Chamberlain" popped into my head. So it was a weird feeling of sadness/relief when I read that Andy may be out for a couple of months.

Of course, that wasn't all. I hadn't read that Adam Warren was going to start for the Yanks, meaning somebody else was hurt. So when I went further down the page, and read that Sabathia too was injured, I was simply in a state of shock.

I know! Let's pretend it's 2010, and Javier Vazquez is hurt. That makes me feel a bit better.

Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia were both lost on the same day (technically, CC was hurt last night, but it was official that he'd miss a couple starts today)? You've got to be kidding me!

Now for the moment you all have been waiting for... my positive spin on things.

The Yankees are currently 46-28, good for the best record in Major League Baseball (the Rangers are at 47-29, .004 percentage points below NY). They've scored 102 runs over their last 20 games, which averages out to 5.1 runs per game. Over the last 30 days the Yankees have actually scored 133 runs, third most in MLB (the Rockies and Red Sox have both scored 141 runs in that time). So if there was a time in which this should happen, where the offense has to pick up some slack, this looks to be it.

Adam Warren, who is somebody that prospect humpers have been dying to see get a shot, will face the White Sox on Friday. The southside Chicago team has scored 348 runs, 5th in the American League. However over the past 30 days their bats have cooled off a bit, as they've only scored 108 runs in that time, which is 21st in MLB. On top of that, Adam is lined up to face the Rays on July 4th in Tampa. The Devil Rays are 8th in the AL in runs scored with 317, but have only scored 103 runs in the past 30 days, which is tied for 23rd in the Majors. So the Yankees have lucked out a bit here.

On second thought, this guy doesn't look scared of anybody.

Then there's Freddy Garcia. The sweaty guy will likely face the Rays next Monday in the series opener, and as I just said... that team is not exactly hitting the snot out of the ball. The only unfortunate thing I really see happening is that Garcia is lined up to face the Red Sox, who have been blistering the ball this season. Sadly for those guys they are having issues on the other side of the ball, which could lead to a high-scoring game. Of course, I'm assuming Freddy doesn't pitch that well. But I'm thinking worst-case scenario with him, which is hardly a ridiculous thing to do.

So if things go well, Sabathia will likely return in the 2nd week of July, and bump one of Garcia or Warren from the rotation. At that point the team will be looking for one fill-in to help the team for the next six or so weeks. Playing Toronto (3 series), Oakland, Seattle (2 series), Baltimore, Detroit, and Cleveland during that stretch will be nice.

I'm not saying the news isn't bad. There's no way a team can lose it's ace, and one of it's other top starters, and feel good. The point I'm making is that things could be much worse than they are, and I didn't even mention that the All Star break will be in there as well, to help make sure CC is good to return, and give Andy more time to recover without the team having a few more games than they normally would.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Yankees Call Up Adam Warren & Ryoto Igarashi


The Yankees have called up starter Adam Warren from AAA Empire State Yankees and reliever Ryoto Igarashi. Warren will get the start in his major league debut on Friday in place of CC Sabathia against the Chicago White Sox. 

Andy Pettitte To Miss 6 Weeks With Fractured Ankle



And the hits just keep on coming... ok sorry, maybe my choice of words and analogies was not the greatest right there. Just hours after we heard that CC Sabathia would be going to the DL we learned that Andy Pettitte would be joining him. Andy took a line drive come backer to the left ankle and x rays showed that it is fractured. He will not require surgery but it will take at least 6 weeks of healing before we see Andy back on the mound.

No word yet on who will come up to start and take his spot on the roster but my money is still on Adam Warren coming up with David Phelps.

HOPE Week Day 3 : Andy Fass

Andy Fass is legally blind 5 year old child but still plays tee Ball for fun. Many Yankees will be surprising him today with a visit in honor of him and for HOPE Week. Here is a little story about Andy...


THE STORY OF ANDY FASS:
A chance encounter gave five-year-old Andy Fass a new goal and hope. As someone who has a condition called oculocutaneous albinism, which affects approximately 40,000 people around the world, Andy is legally blind and without pigment in his skin, forcing him to avoid long exposure to the sun. Though Andy has always gravitated to people and many individual activities, he was told baseball would never be an option due to the contact and the chance of injury due to moving objects.
All of that changed, however, on April 25, 2012, when Andy Pettitte, who was making a start at Trenton, gave little Andy the baseball he was using to warm up. Encouraged by the gesture, little Andy – who was attending his first-ever professional baseball game – was immediately inspired to sign up for tee-ball and take on the challenge.

CC Sabathia Placed On 15 Day DL


CC Sabathia has been placed on the 15 day DL today with a Grade 1 strain in his left groin. He never mentioned this until it persisted in his bullpen yesterday afternoon. CC will miss at least 2 starts with this abductor muscle injury and will be out until after the All Star Break. No mention on who will make his starts or, if anybody, who will take his roster spot. 

My thoughts would be that either David Phelps or Adam Warren come up to the majors to fill in the long relief role and Freddy Garcia gets CC's two starts against the White Sox and the Rays. That is just my pure speculation though and I could possibly be totally wrong. 

Indians @ Yankees 6/27/12

UPDATE

ANDY PETTITTE has left the game with an apparent ankle injury after being hit in the left ankle with a come back line drive. No news yet on the severity of the injury.

Robinson Cano hit a two run home run to put the Yankees up 4-3 in the bottom of the 7th inning. 



This afternoon the Yankees look for the sweep over the Cleveland Indians. The game will be televised at 1:05 pm ET on MLB Network and the YES Network. Andy Pettitte will be on the mound for the Yankees and will be facing Indians righty Ubaldo Jimenez.

Curtis Granderson CF
Nick Swisher RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira DH
Raul Ibanez LF
Eric Chavez 1B
Russell Martin C
Jayson Nix SS



Go Yankees!!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Injury & Roster Updates



Brett Gardner is expected to take some dry swings while nursing his sore elbow when the Yankees are down in Tampa playing the Rays. Girardi stands by the late July time table for Gardner and rules out any chance of us seeing Brett before the All Star Break in a little over two weeks.



Speaking of Brett Gardner the Yankees moved him to the 60 day DL today to make room on the 40 man roster for Danny Farquhar. The Yankees claimed him off waiver from the Oakland Athletics today in a real head scratcher. He looks like he will be headed to AA Trenton and only has 2 IP of major league experience. With the plethora of minor league arms and options I do not see the point in going out of the organization for a guy that we need to guarantee a 40 man roster spot on. Not to mention that him being a Yankee is a waste of a good 'stache.



Russell Martin left the game Sunday with a stiff back and is expected to take batting practice today and if everything goes well will be back in the game as early as tomorrow. He would be welcomed back with open arms, not that Chris Stewart has done a bad job.



Pedro Feliciano threw 25 pitches, his first pitches thrown since his rotator cuff surgery, in the bullpen today. This was his first full mound throwing session since the surgery although he still has a very long way to go. I do not think anyone has any hopes of him helping the Yankees out this season.





Indians @ Yankees 6/26/12

UPDATE:

Happy 38th Birthday Derek Sanderson Jeter

Yankees win 6-4




Tonight is game 2 of a three game set between the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees. The Yankees look to remain red hot in June with another victory last night over the Indians. Tonight Phil Hughes will be on the mound for the Yanks and faces former Red Sox prospect Justin Masterson. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on MY9.

Lineups

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher RF
Raul Ibanez DH
Dewayne Wise LF
Chris Stewart C

Go Yankees!!

Old Timers Day July 1st 2012


This Sunday, July 1st, the Yankees will host their annual "Old Timers Day" at the Stadium. Here is a list of those scheduled to attend. 

It will be interesting to see guys like Yogi Berra(as always), David Cone, Cecil Fielder, Gene Monahan making his first appearance, Paul O'Niell etc.

I am quite confused by why guys like Sterling Hitchcock and Tanyon Sturtz were invited but hey, it is not my party... 

List of those scheduled to attend
*Denotes first-time Old-Timer
Luis Arroyo
Jesse Barfield
Yogi Berra
Ron Blomberg
Dr. Bobby Brown
Homer Bush
Jerry Coleman
David Cone
Bucky Dent
Al Downing
Brian Doyle
Cecil Fielder
Whitey Ford
Oscar Gamble
Jake Gibbs
Joe Girardi
Rich “Goose” Gossage
Ron Guidry
Charlie Hayes
Rickey Henderson
Sterling Hitchcock*
Arlene Howard
Helen Hunter
Reggie Jackson
Tommy John
Pat Kelly
Don Larsen
Graeme Lloyd
Hector Lopez
Jill Martin
Tino Martinez
Lee Mazzilli
Stump Merrill*
Gene Monahan*
Diana Munson
Kay Murcer
Matt Nokes*
Paul O’Neill
Joe Pepitone
Lou Piniella
Willie Randolph
Bobby Richardson
Mickey Rivers
Aaron Small
Mel Stottlemyre
Darryl Strawberry
Tanyon Sturtze*
Ralph Terry
Joe Torre
Bob Turley
Roy White
Bernie Williams


HOPE Week Day 2 : Jorge Munoz

Borrowed from Lohud

Here is a little information about Jorge Munoz.


THE STORY OF JORGE MUNOZ, “AN ANGEL IN QUEENS”
http://www.anangelinqueens.org/
Known as the “Angel in Queens,” Jorge Munoz, 48, emigrated from his native Colombia in the 1980s with his mother and sister, and spent his subsequent years working in retail stores and as a school bus driver. In 2004, he drove past a group of mostly Latino day laborers who were standing underneath the elevated subway tracks on the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and 73rd Street in Jackson Heights, Queens. They told him that on days they cannot find work, they go hungry.
Identifying with their plight, he began bringing them food. That first night it was eight brown bag sandwiches. Now, eight years later, he is responsible for feeding as many as 140 individuals a night with meals ranging from chicken with rice, to beef with pasta, to pork with beans. While some neighborhood businesses contribute supplies, the majority of cooking is done by Munoz, his sister and an assistant cook in the tiny Queens home he shares with his mother, his sister and her son.
Since beginning his work with the hungry in 2004, he has established his own nonprofit and served over 70,000 meals to New Yorkers who otherwise could not afford to routinely enjoy a hot meal. Jorge has missed serving food just one night over the last seven years due to an impassable snowstorm. He continues despite being laid off from his job in December.



Monday, June 25, 2012

Indians @ Yankees 6/25/12

Yankees win 7-1!!!



Interleague play is over, now it is time to start beating up on American League teams again. Tonight the Yankees start a three game set with the Cleveland Indians. Hiroki Kuroda will start tonight for the Yankees and will be opposed by Josh Tomlin for the Indians. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm et on ESPN 2 and the YES Network.

Go Yankees

Yankees Kick Off HOPE Week

The Yankees kick off HOPE Week with the Flying Manes. Here is the details straight from the Yankees


The New York Yankees are proud to begin HOPE Week 2012 (Helping Others Persevere & Excel) on Monday by celebrating Flying Manes. Yankees players Mark Teixeira, Eric Chavez, Raul Ibanez and Jayson Nix, along with pitching coach Larry Rothschild will honor Flying Manes by surprising the special-needs children and their instructors during one of their therapeutic horse-riding classes at the Riverdale Equestrian Centre in the Bronx. The Yankees will help students with grooming the horses, and also assist in leading and walking beside the horses during the riding lesson. The children, their parents and the instructors will then be the Yankees’ special guests for their 7:05 p.m. game vs. Cleveland. They will watch batting practice from the field and be part of pregame on-field ceremonies.
THE STORY OF FLYING MANES
http://flyingmanes.org/
Flying Manes is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals with physical and emotional disabilities by providing therapeutic horse riding instruction. The program was started by Stefanie Dwyer (née Pleschinger), along with her husband, Bricklin.
Stefanie grew up in East Berlin before the fall of the Berlin Wall. She became involved with horseback riding as a child and began instructing children with Down syndrome when she was just 15. Upon moving to the United States, she became a certified therapeutic riding instructor in the U.S. as a way to help others while sharing her joy of riding. The riding helps the children build strength physically while increasing their self-esteem as they gain command in riding the horse.
“When I was a child, all the maps of the world that we were allowed to see consisted solely of the Soviet Bloc,” Stefanie said. “Though we knew there was more to the world, everything beyond those borders felt off limits and out of reach. Children with disabilities and their families often feel like the map of their life has been drawn. But I’ve seen what riding can do. Riding can take children to a world that they always thought was for someone else.”
The organization operates at the Riverdale Equestrian Centre in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Now in its fourth year, the program has worked with approximately 100 children and young adults.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Interview With First Round Pick Ty Hensley


Being syndicated from NoMass

In our Stealth Bomber series, we talk to players in the farm system who aren't yet on the New York radar, but hope one day to be so.
With their first round pick in the 2012 draft, the Yankees selected 6'4" pitcher Ty Hensley out of Santa Fe High School in Edmond, Okla. While he has yet to officially sign, higher-ups like Mark Newman are jazzed up about his abilities. We brought Ty into the dojo of NoMaas' Sensei John Kreese, where the two discussed his pitch repertoire, his musical tastes, how he immediately learned not to compliment anything about the Red Sox, and much more.

Sensei John Kreese: Have you officially signed yet?
Ty Hensley: No, we are still in negotiations.

SJK: At what point did you know the Yankees were interested in you? What was that process like?
TH: The Yankees were at all of my starts this season, so I had a pretty good idea that they were interested. The process while you are playing is simple...just go do your thing and everything falls into place. I really didn't worry about it all that much.

SJK: Heading into the draft, did you have a sense the Yankees were selecting you?
TH: I knew that if for some reason I was still on the board that I was a player in the mix for them, yes.

SJK: For those of us who have never and will never be drafted into a professional sports league, what was draft day like for you?
TH: Exciting. It felt like it was happening to someone else most of the day. It wasn't until late that night that I really allowed myself to take in what just happened. I was honored to be a part of something so special.

SJK: Tell us about the repertoire. Where do you sit on the fastball, and tell us about the curveball that people often cite as your best pitch.
TH: Two-seamer, 93-95. Four-seamer, 93-95. Curveball is a 12-6 downer that when it's on is completely unfair to hitters.

SJK: How long have you been throwing your change-up, and how do you hold the pitch?
TH: I have been throwing my circle change off and on since I started pitching. I really didn't need it much in high school, but the last year or so, I knew I needed to work on it and make it a solid offering as I moved into the next phase of my career in order to project as a starter at the major league level.

SJK: Ideal world, tell us your plan is. I've read that you want to hit the bigs by age 21.
TH: That's the plan...and it's definitely ideal!

SJK: On the conference call, you said you needed to improve your command and mechanics. Anything specific about either one that you can point to?
TH: Pitching is a domino effect. When command is off, that is the end result of something else. For me, getting into my lower half and extending my stride has allowed me to get better at repeating an effective delivery and I will continue to work on those things.

SJK: How influential has your dad (1988 2nd round pick of the Cardinals) been in your development as a player?
TH: I would not have had the results I have had without his knowledge and patience along the way. When I was about 9, I kept telling him "I know, I know" when he would try to help me. One day he said "Well since you have it all figured out, you let me know when you want my help."
My Dad and I are both pretty stubborn. It took about a year and a half for me to come back and tell him I wasn't as smart as I thought I was. He has been my mentor ever since.

SJK: I assume once you sign, the Yankees will give you the tour of Yankee Stadium and you'll meet the players? Have you been to New York City before?
TH: We have talked about that and I am looking forward to it! Of all the ballparks I have been to, I have never been to Yankee Stadium, but I have been to NY and I loved it! We did pretty much all the touristy things that we could do in two days: Ellis Island, Tavern on the Green, and the Empire State building. The Yankees weren't in town while we were there. That was in 2002 and we stayed in a hotel in the Financial district. The area was still devastated by the 9/11 tragedy and I won't ever forget that.

SJK: How do you feel about leaving your days of hitting behind?
TH: When that really sinks in, I will be sad, really sad. I love changing the outcome of a game offensively. It's the closest thing to feeling the way I did when I ran it into the end zone on Friday nights.

SJK: What are you going to do with your old bats?
TH: Most are going to go to my brother J.R. (Jacob Ryan...mom named him after some guy in Sixteen Candles). He is a going to be a sophomore, is a lefty, is taller than me, and can flat out mash. A couple of them I am going to save for my kids.

SJK: Your favorite baseball team before you were taken by the Yankees? It's ok, we won't hold it against you (unless it's Boston).
TH: No it wasn't Boston, although I got blasted the other day on Twitter when I said I wanted to play there. I only want to pitch there because it's the only major league park my Dad played in and one of the two legendary parks left. I pitched at Wrigley this summer during the Under-Amour All-American game, so you can see why I would want to pitch at Fenway. It's about all the others that stood on that mound before me and to be part of that history would be amazing.
My favorite team was the Atlanta Braves, with Chipper Jones being my favorite player.

SJK: Your warming up on the mound at Yankee Stadium...what song is playing?
TH: "Party in the USA"...why not? It would be good for a laugh, but more appropriate would be "Till I Collapse" by Eminem. That was my song this year and I loved it.

SJK: Finish this lyric: Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain, And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet...
TH: When the wind comes right behind the rain...hey I'm no Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Many thanks to Ty for chatting with NoMaas. One thing is certain about this kid...he is ready to go. And we are ready to see the curveball that, "when it's on is completely unfair to hitters." Gotta love it. Best of luck to Ty and we wish him all the best as he begins his Yankee career.

Yankees @ Mets 6/24/12

Yankees win 6-5


Tonight is the final time we will see, barring a World Series run by both teams, the Yankees and the Mets go at it head to head. The Yankees have won 4 of the 5 games so far this season but the Mets have a pretty good shot at winning tonight. See the Mets have their ace , R.A. Dickey, going tonight putting his scoreless innings streak on the line. The Yankees will counter with their own ace CC Sabathia who is already looking for his 8th win of the season.

1. Jeter, SS
2. Granderson, CF
3. A-Rod, 3B
4. Cano, 2B
5. Teixeira, 1B
6. Swisher, RF
7. Ibanez, LF
8. Stewart, C
9. Sabathia, LHP

The game will be televised at 8:00 pm ET on YES Network and on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball

Go Yankees!

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Yankees @ Mets 6/23/12

Yankees Win 4-3



Tonight Ivan Nova is trying to end the Yankees 3 game losing streak. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on FOX and YES Network. Chris Young will be on the mound for the Yankees and he is probably the Yankees best shot at getting a victory.


1. Derek Jeter SS
2. Curtis Granderson CF
3. Alex Rodriguez 3B
4. Robinson Cano 2B
5. Mark Teixeira 1B
6. Nick Swisher RF
7. Raul Ibanez LF
8. Russell Martin C
9. Ivan Nova RHP

Friday, June 22, 2012

Injury Updates On Four Yankees

Via River Avenue Blues


Got a quartet of injury updates courtesy of Erik Boland and various NY Post reporters
  • Joba Chamberlain (ankle, elbow) will throw live batting practice on Monday, his first time facing hitters as part of his rehab. Brian Cashman wouldn’t put an exact date on it, but he expects that the right-hander ““will help us” this season. In other news, Joba got rear-ended on the way to the Tampa complex yesterday but is fine.
  • David Aardsma (elbow) will appear in his second minor league rehab game tomorrow, and Cashman confirmed that if “everything goes all right, in 31, 32 days, he’ll join us.” Aardsma’s 30-day rehab clock started earlier this week, putting him on target for a return shortly after the All-Star break.
  • Austin Romine (back) has been playing catch and hitting off a tee in Tampa. “Assuming there are no setbacks,” he will play this year according to Cashman. A few weeks ago we heard that a July return was in the cards.
  • Pedro Feliciano (shoulder) will throw off a half-mound today and a full mound on Tuesday. He expects to pitch this season but I wouldn’t count on it. Maybe he gets healthy in time to serve as a third lefty reliever during the expanded rosters in September, but anything they get out of him is gravy.

Yankees @ Mets 6/22/12

Mets Win 6-4



For the last time this season the Subway Series will be on center stage in New York, this time in Citi Field. The Yankees and the Mets will go head to head three more times to see who is the King of New York. The Yankees swept the first series, the start of a 10 game winning streak, at Yankee Stadium. Tonight Andy Pettitte takes the mound for the Yankees and faces off against Mets righty Jon Niese.  The game will be televised at 7:10 pm ET on MY9 and MLB Network. 


Lineups


The Yankees are still 2.5 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles and 3.5 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. Watch out though because the Boston Red Sox are still in the hunt and are winners of 6 straight games.


Go Yankees!!

Tyler Austin Chosen To Play In Futures Game

Borrowed from Lohud




Charleston outfielder Tyler Austin has been named to the U.S. Team for next month’s Future’s Game in Kasas City.
The 20-year-old right fielder is hitting .336/.409/.655 with 14 home runs and 50 RBI through 58 games. The converted corner infielder is playing the outfield for the first time, and he’s emerged as one of the top position prospects in the organization.
The Futures Game features will be played on All-Star Sunday, July 8, begin at 5 p.m. ET and televised on ESPN2 and MLB.TV. Major League Baseball, in conjunction with the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau, MLB.com, Baseball America and the 30 Major League team, selected the 25-man rosters for both the U.S. Team and the World Team. Each organization is represented and players from all full-season minor leagues were eligible to participate.

Congratulations to Tyler! He is my favorite Yankees prospect so to see him flourishing really makes me happy. Tell him and his mother congratulations, both Greedy Pinstripes followers, on twitter @taustin2323 and @austinmom23

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Joe Maddon Should Just Shut Up

Hey, Joe, your glasses don't hide the fact that you're an idiot.

Maddon was furious after the game, calling Johnson's actions "cowardly," "bush" and "bogus."

Let's take this one word at a time...

"Cowardly" - Davey Johnson saw a guy, or knew of a guy, breaking the rules and informed the umpires about it. The umpires found that a rule was indeed being broken, and reacted accordingly. It's not "cowardly" in the least. Is it "cowardly" to question the judgement of an umpire on a home run call, ask for video review, and have the call overturned in your favor? No... it's not. It's trying to put your team in position to win.

"Bush" - What? "Bush"? Things that are "bush" are those that are not against the rules, but frowned on by players. Like when Alex Rodriguez yelled "hey" at Howie Clark in 2007. What Davey Johnson did is not "bush" what-so-ever.

"Bogus" - Merriam-Webster defines "bogus" as "not genuine". Joe Maddon needs to be told that, because the word "bogus" does not fit into this situation at all. Other than that, I don't know what to say here.

How about some more Joe Maddon?...
"there's also reading between the lines in some situations that needs to be looked at, too."
What "reading between the lines"? What is Joe talking about? The MLB rulebook states that a pitcher may not "apply a foreign substance of any kind to the ball". What is there to read into that other than "you can't put pine tar on a baseball"? On top of that it is the umpires job to interpret the rules, so if there's any issue with "reading between the lines" then Maddon should take this up with the umpires... not Davey Johnson.
"If you want to talk about -- I don't know if that's a form of cheating or what -- but that's really kind of underhanded, I believe, to use that kind of information."
Yet another example of me not knowing what Maddon is talking about. Should Davey have turned in his own pitcher back when he managed Joel Peralta? It's not up to one manager to do the job of the other manager. In this case, it wasn't up to Johnson to point out the rule violation for the other team. From what Maddon has been saying he was aware of Peralta putting pine tar on the ball, so Joe is guilty himself of not fixing this before somebody else... such as Davey Johnson... nailed Peralta on it. Davey Johnson is getting paid to help the Washington Nationals win. That's it.

Joe Maddon went on to say that pine tar shouldn't be illegal, as he doesn't believe it really helps that much anyway. He says pine tar just gives the pitcher better grip of the ball. THAT'S CHEATING! A batter can't put pine tar on the barrel of his bat, which would give the bat better grip on the ball, so why should a pitcher be able to use it? And again, Maddon shouldn't be whining at Davey Johnson about this. This is for MLB.

Andrew Friedman, general manager of the Rays, went on to say that "I highly doubt that it's something that we would ever initiate". Really? Then you're not doing your job! It's a rule, it could be hurting your team's hitters, so you should be checking it out. Just like any other possible rules violation. I'm all for protecting you players, coaches, and other employees, but that doesn't mean you have to make an ass out of yourself in the process.

The most ridiculous thing Joe Maddon has said regarding this situation, and that's saying something since he's said some pretty dumb things, was this...
"If I'm a major league player that may happen to want to play for the Nationals in the future, I might think twice about it. Because this is one of their former children here that had really performed well and all of a sudden he's going to come back to this town, and they're going to rat on him based on some insider information, insider trading, whatever."
*laughing out loud* Seriously? Look, it all comes down to one simple thing, which was summed up by Jim Carrey's character in the movie "Liar, Liar"...


Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Yankees to sign Cuban left-hander Omar Luis Rodriguez

Borrowed from RAB


Via Jesse Sanchez, the Yankees will sign 18-year-old Cuban left-hander Omar Luis Rodriguez for a bonus in the $4-5M range. It is a minor league contract. He became a free agent earlier this month and would have been subject to the spending restrictions implemented by the Collective Bargaining Agreement had he not signed by July 2nd. More to come.
Rodriguez first garnered serious attention at the World Junior Championships back in 2010, when he threw a complete game shutout against Team USA in the title game. He did get hit around while pitching in Cuba’s top professional league as a 16-year-old a few years ago, but that’s not terribly surprising. Rodriguez is a projection guy with an 88-92 mph fastball to go with a curveball and changeup that still need development, and he’s drawn raves for his poise in the past. Pretty much exactly what the Yankees look for.

Braves @ Yankees 6/20/12

UPDATE:

Its a home run derby...

Freddie Freeman, Martin Prado, Jayson Heyward, and David Ross all homered for the Braves

Derek Jeter. Eric Chavez, Alex Rodriguez, and Robinson Cano all homered for the Yankees

At the beginning of the 7th inning the Braves are leading 6-4

Yankees lose 10-5



This afternoon is the rubber match of a three game series and the last time we will be playing the Atlanta Braves this season barring my World Series prediction coming true. The Yankees had their 10 game winning streak snapped last night against Tim Hudson and the Braves and will look to start a whole new winning streak starting this afternoon. On the mound for the Yankees is Phil Hughes and for the Braves is going to be righty Tommy Hanson. The game will be televised on YES and MLB Network at 1:05 pm ET.

Lineups

Derek Jeter DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Raul Ibanez LF
Eric Chavez 1B
Russell Martin C
Jayson Nix SS


The Yankees remain 2.5 games ahead of Baltimore and 3 games ahead of Tampa Bay for first place in the AL East.

Go Yankees!!

Pineda expects to begin throwing mid-September

Being Borrowed From Bronx Daily Baseball


Michael Pineda showed up at Yankee Stadium for a checkup on his shoulder on Tuesday. He told reporters that he is hopeful to be ready by next Spring Training and that doctors expect that he can begin throwing by mid-September.
“The doctors say everything is great right now, so I’m continuing this plan,” Pineda told Chad Jennings of the Journal News. “… Now I’m just starting working on my exercises. I go to physical therapy every day. No throwing right now.”
Pineda’s next stop is in Tampa to continue his rehab. It sounds like he’s being dilligent about his rehab and multiple sources claimed that he looked to be in better shape than in the spring.
It’s hard to get too excited by this considering he is still so far away. Shoulder injuries can be nasty and sometimes lead to various setbacks too. So far, so good though and his shoulder surgery wasn’t as bad as some. I think at this point it is fair to hope for him to come back and contribute next season, but maybe not smart to count on it just yet.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Remain Calm... All Is Well


I was taking a look at the team stats at ESPN.com and saw that while the Yankees have hit the most home runs in the American League, then are 5th in runs scored. I was ready to write about the fact that home runs are hits too, so people shouldn't worry so much about those "evil" home runs, as many of them would be hits anyway. But then I thought that would be a waste, because if you didn't already realize that then I don't know what else to say.

So I went to the 2012 Yankees' Baseball Reference page and was looking through the players stats, and decided to take a closer look. Here are some things I noticed...

  • In terms of line drive percentage, six of the eight Yankee regulars are above the AL average of 18%. One of the two men currently below average, Mark Teixeira, has had a LD% of 19, 19, and 17 the previous 3 years in New York. And the other, Russell Martin, is at 17%... the same he hit last year with the Pinstripers.
  • Four Yankee regulars are above the league average in strikeout percentage, while the other four are below league average. One of those players above league average in this category is Alex Rodriguez, who has been just below league average the previous 3 seasons with New York. And the 17% mark Russell Martin is currently at is his highest K% of his career.
  • When it comes to drawing walks the Yankees are pretty darn good. Other than the fact they've drawn the 3rd most in the AL, only two of the eight regular hitters are below league average. One of the men under that average, Derek Jeter, has been taking less walks the last few years. But outside of his horrendous 2011 Raul Ibanez, the other guy currently with a BB% below average, hasn't been under that 8.3% since 2004.
  • It's no surprise that the Yankees have quite a bit of "pop" in their lineup. But it's worth nothing that six of the eight Yankee regulars are above the league average in terms of isolated power (ISO). One of the two under that league average is no surprise... Derek Jeter, who hasn't been at the current league average of .154 since 2004. But the other is Alex Rodriguez, and his current .149 ISO is just a bit below his average ISO with the Yankees of .250, so... yeah... no worries there.
So while it's true the Yankees can credit much of their current 10-game winning streak to the starters and their 1.87 ERA during that run, it's not as if the Yankee offense is sputtering. So count me among those Yankee fans that aren't worried about when the Yankee starters come down to Earth.