Saturday, November 30, 2013

MLB And MLBPA Release 2013 Report On PED Testing


Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association released their report on Performance Enhancing Drug testing from the 2012-2013 seasons today and the results look encouraging. This report was done by independent Dr. Jeffrey M. Anderson and went from the offseason of the 2012 season through the 2013 postseason.

A total of 5,391 drugs tests were conducted including 4,022 urine samples for PED's and stimulants and the remainind 1,369 were blood tests testing for Human Growth Hormone, or HGH. Of all the samples only eight tests were failed tests for stimulants, all Adderall or Morthylhexaneamine, and thirteen "non-analytic positives" were also reported. All told 122 therapeutic use exemptions were handed out, mainly for those players with Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD. Zero positive PED tests were identified which is down seven from the 2012 season but we still saw thirteen suspensions in the Biogenesis scandal and fallout which tells you that something is not right here with this testing.

Just as a reminder all players are subject to a urine test before attending Spring Training and one random test at some point during the season before the offseason begins. Every player must also provide a blood sample for HGH at a random point in Spring Training. This is on top of all the other random testing that the Joint Drug Association does including extra testing for those with reasonable cause and formerly disciplined players under the JDA. Doing the math and considering that most of the testing is done in Spring Training the projected number of players actually being tested in all levels of MLB is a bit less than 1%.

It's not a perfect system, and I cannot say with full confidence with the Biogenesis thing that the system is actually working, but it is what it is. Well it is what it is until after the 2016 season when the new system and the new Collective Bargaining Agreement expires.


2013 New York Yankees Highlights

Enjoy!

List Of Potential Replacements For Mike Harkey


Mike Harkey got a pitching coach job with the Arizona Diamondbacks leaving a hole in the Yankees bullpen coach seat and George A King released a list of possible replacements. The list includes internal options like Cal Eldred as well as outside of the organization replacements.

Cal Aldred is currently the Scranton Wilkes Barre pitching coach and is seemingly the early favorite to replace Harkey as the bullpen coach as he was interviewed by the Diamondback as well. The Yankees have a couple of other internal options including Greg Pavlick, Gil Patterson, Tom Nieto, and Julio Mosquera. Pavlich is a senior pitching instructor with the team and spent time as a bullpen coach in the 80's and 90's with the New York Mets. Patterson is a minor league pitching instructor in the organization with experience as a former Blue Jays pitching coach. Nieto was a big league catcher for seven seasons and was the Yankees catching instructor in the 2000 and 2001 season and was also the Mets first base coach in 2008. Mosquera has been the Yankees catching coordinator for the past eight seasons and is very involved during the Yankees Spring Training work outs.

Former Manager of the Year Dave Miley, formerly of the Scranton Wilkes Barre RailRiders and a quick term as a manager in the Dominican Winter League, is also available. Miley was a minor league catcher for seven seasons in the Red system and managed the Reds from 2003 to the mid way point of the 2005 season.

There are also a few options outside of the organization including Gary Tuck who was the Yankees bullpen coach way back in 1990 and recently was the Yankees catching instructor in the 1998 and 1999 seasons tutoring now manager Joe Girardi. Tuck was also the Marlins bench coach under Joe Girardi in 2006. From 2007 - 2012 Tuck was the Boston Red Sox's bullpen coach.

If I had to rank the candidates I would have to think that Aldred is the early favorite followed by Tuck and then a cluster of everyone else.

Robinson Cano Denies Asking For $300 Million


Robinson Cano is a free agent for the first time in his career and has started it off by asking for a 10 year deal worth $300 million, or did he? Cano denies asking for the Yankees for $300 million during the mid-season meetings that he and the Yankees had. The numbers may not have come out of Cano's mouth but that does not mean it did not come out of his representatives name, whether directly or indirectly. I think this is nothing more than damage control for Cano as the number of suitors he was expecting has dwindled or been nonexistent to this point. At this point whatever gets a reasonable deal for both sides done I will take at this point.

Buster Olney Suggest Yankees Should Cut A Rod


It is not well thought out articles like this that are used just to garner attention and views that ultimately got me into the blogging and, I use the word lightly here, media field. Olney of ESPN reported that the Yankees should and will outright cut and release Alex Rodriguez, the only thing is when they will do it, and my question is why?

The Yankees owe Alex Rodriguez $86 million over the next four seasons, a financial commitment that may be lightened if an arbitrator rules against him and sustains some sort of suspension, and if that ruling stands up to any inevitable legal challenge that Rodriguez may mount.

I don’t think it matters. I’m guessing — and that’s all it is, a guess — that Rodriguez has played his last game for the Yankees.If Rodriguez is ordered to serve the full 211 games in his suspension, I think they’ll cut him upon completion of his sentence. If his suspension is reduced, I think they’ll cut him. If he wins his case outright, I think they’ll cut him.

If Alex is suspended for 211 games, or hell at this point even if it is reduced to 162 games, there is a good possibility that Alex will retire after the suspension is over. If Alex does not retire then we have to pay him, and probably pay him to play for another team, so why cut him? Seems like a waste of time and a severe waste of money, something the coupon clipping brothers do not seem keen on doing.

Who is better, available, and on the market right now for the Yankees at third base better then Alex Rodriguez? Don't say Chase Headley because I said "for the Yankees" and we already went down that road and failed much like we did with David Freese. Who? Nobody, that is why you don't cut him. Well that and the $86 million.

This Day In New York Yankees History 11/30


On this day in 1952 Jackie Robinson went on a  New York television show accusing the Yankees of being racist for not having a black player on their team. The Yankees would not sign a black baseball player until three years later when they signed Elston Howard, nine years after Jackie broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball.


On this day in 2000 the New York Yankees signed Mike Mussina to a six year deal worth $88.5 million stealing him from the rival Baltimore Orioles. Mussina would stay with the Yankees through the 2008 season and finally get his 20 win season in pinstripes before riding off into the sunset.


On this day in 2009 the Yankees short stop Derek Jeter was named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. The Yankees captain would be the first Yankee to ever be named the winner of the award since SI started giving out the award in 1954.


Friday, November 29, 2013

Chris Stewart Drawing Trade Interest From Teams


Chris Stewart is drawing trade interest from more then one unnamed team before Monday's non tender deadline for the Yankees. Stewart is going through arbitration for the first time and is expected to earn somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 million. The Yankees are also discussing a contract with Stewart to be the backup for Brian McCann so this reports seems to be all over the place.

Stewart is definitely the odd man out on the Yankees 40 man roster it is just whether we will get something for him or not at this point. Personally if we got an A Ball type pitcher to replace Ben Paullus for Stewart I would jump for joy. We have this weekend to send Stewart off so let's hope someone takes him off our hands as a capable backup catcher.

What I Am Thankful For: YOU!


In the finale of my look at what I am thankful for in honor of Thanksgiving I give you my Black Friday thankful list. I am going to keep it kind of personal but I am also going to keep it Yankees related if I can. I am thankful for each and every one of you reading this. Yesterday I thanked my wife because this blog would not be what it is today without her well the same could and should be said about you guys.

We have about 400,000 views something I thought was simply unattainable when we first started with this project and the numbers continue to grow everyday. We're sitting right around 1,800 Twitter followers and growing which makes me happier then the views do because I love talking Yankees baseball with you guys and girls. I just want everyone to know that you ARE appreciated by everyone here at The Greedy Pinstripes and we love you guys, and we thank you for making our lives better and our jobs more worth doing by stopping by and reading our stuff, commenting on our stuff, and chatting with us on Twitter.

I'll end this mushy Christmas spirit taking over stuff here by just thanking you once again and promising that we will not let our foot up off the gas and we look forward to another great season in 2014. Everyone be safe, be full of leftover turkey, and be loved. 27 more days until Christmas.

This Day In New York Yankees History 11/29


On this day in 1965 the New York Yankees traded Phil Linz to the Phillies for infielder Ruben Amaro. Over the next three seasons Amaro got famous for playing the harmonica on the team bus and playing in only 165 games before retiring after seven major league seasons.


On this day in 1966 the Yankees traded third basemen Clete Boyer to the Braves for outfielder Bill Robinson and a player to be named later.


On this day in 1976 the Yankees got their drink stirred when they signed Reggie Jackson to a free agent contract worth five years and $3.5 million. Reggie would help the Yankees win four division titles, three American League pennants, and two World Series championships in his tenure thus becoming Mr. October.


Thursday, November 28, 2013

Phil Hughes Likely To Get A Multi Year Deal


Even though the Yankees starting pitcher Phil Hughes posted an atrocious 4-14 record in 2013 the right hander is still in line to receive at least a two year deal this year in free agency. If Hughes only received a two year deal he would still be under 30 years old and would have two seasons outside of home run friendly Yankee Stadium and the high pressure of New York to improve his stock.

The New York Mets were interested in Hughes on a one year deal so logical thinking would say that they are out. The Minnesota Twins just locked up Ricky Nolasco and are now expecting to make Hughes their number one target after announcing a need for two veteran starting pitchers in free agency this season. The Angels, Mariners, and Royals are also said to be interested in Hughes.

With the lack of starting pitching on the market mixed in with Hughes age and durability he should at least be able to land a two year deal this year.

Bud Selig Telling The A Rod Story In Sign Language


 "Once upon a time, there was one player..."


"He was very stubborn...

"When told the rules, he pretended not to hear...

"He turned a blind-eye to his king,
the Commissioner...

"When asked if he broke the rules,
he replied, 'Who? Me?'

 
"The king told this man, 'YOU MUST STOP!'...


"But the man, who called himself A-Rod,
said, 'Feh! Harumph! Pah.!'

 "You wanna piece a me? Come on, king..."

The King said to his court, 'We shall pray for the truth.'

"But they did not hear him properly...

"They thought he said, 'We shall PAY for the truth.'

"The King said, 'Wowzer!'

"He said, 'Somebody must grab this man, A-Rod, by the neck...'

"... And then plug him in the head!"

"And so A-Rod was put horizontal...

"The stench that permeated the kingdom went away...

"And the king went out and got really, really stoned!"

Being posted as a part of Syndicated Sunday, on Thanksgiving, from It Is High...

What I Am Thankful For: My Wife



First of all once again Happy Thanksgiving to all of our readers out there. This week I have been going through everything, Yankees related anyway, that I am thankful for but today I wanted to go in a little different direction. I want to take this time to say out loud how much I appreciate and love my wife. If it were not for her and her support, patience, and understanding this site would not be what it is today, I truly believe that.

I have known my wife my entire life, literally, as I was her next store neighbor when we lived in Stony Point, New York and then again in Haverstraw, New York. When her mom moved down here to Georgia my mom moved down here with her and while I originally stayed in New York to stay with my father I eventually followed suit in 1999. We went to the same High School and on January 17th, 2000 we began dating officially and long story short the girl next door and the high school sweethearts ended up getting married on October 13, 2007. We have had our ups and down, we have had our fights, we even took a break once or twice, but in the end what's meant to be will always be and this, in my heart, is meant to be.

My wife, Crystal, is the mother to my pride and joy Evan who was born on March 14th, 2010 and the mother to our second born, Hayden, on November 22. If it were not for her understanding that this site and writing is my passion and what I want to do full time eventually she would not put up with me sitting on the computer for multiple hours a day working on the site. I try and do as much of the work as I can at work or on my phone but sometimes it gets in the way of being a father, a husband, and a friend. She has never complained, out loud anyway, and has never asked me to take a step back. If it were not for her The Greedy Pinstripes would not be the gorilla that it is today and for that I thank her.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, what are you thankful for?

Yankees "Upbeat" About A Kuroda Return In 2014


The New York Yankees are said to be more "upbeat" about the possibility of having Hiroki Kuroda return to the team for the 2014 season. At the beginning of the offseason there were concerns that Kuroda would return to Japan to finish out his career, retire, or head west to play with the Dodgers. The Dodgers signed Dan Haren so they seem like an unlikely fit for Kuroda and more and more speculation is flying around about him staying in the states with the Yankees.

Kuroda received and rejected a $14.1 million qualifying offer on a one year deal so you would have to expect him to receive more than that if a deal is struck. You would also have to think that a raise from the $15 million he made in 2013 would be in line as well. I love Kuroda and I think if we monitor his innings load a little bit by strengthening our bullpen I think we can eliminate the consecutive streak of late season fall outs. Also if we signed a Masahiro Tanaka then Kuroda could be more of a number three starter for us, assuming CC Sabathia comes back to Earth, then our ace.

I would not totally blow up the $189 million goal for him but if he came at a marginal raise from the 2013 season then sign me up for one more year of #HIRO.


Happy Thanksgiving From The Greedy Pinstripes


All of us here at The Greedy Pinstripes want to take this time to wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving this year. Hopefully everyone is spending this holiday with friends, family, and around enough food to feed a third world country for three weeks. Enjoy the day, enjoy the family, enjoy the family, and enjoy life because it does not get any better than this. Yes I am getting cheezy and yes it is because I am in the Christmas spirit, or I'm on a turkey high, and you should be too! Have a great day everyone!

This Day In New York Yankees History 11/28


On this day in 1974 Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was suspended from Major League Baseball for two years by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. George was convicted for making illegal contributions to the re-elect Nixon campaign which caused the suspension.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!!

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Mike Harkey Becomes Pitching Coach For DBack's


The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed Yankees longtime bullpen coach Mike Harkey to be their pitching coach. The is still unofficial as the deal is not expected to be announced until Monday but the deal is in place and the Yankees will now have to find a new pitching coach for this coming season.

Harkey was hired in 2008 along with Joe Girardi and is considered to be one of Girardi's closest and loyal friends. The front runner for the Yankees job is Cal Eldred, who was also interviewed by Arizona and in the Yankees system in Scranton.

In other Yankees coaching and staff news we have a new strength and conditioning coach as we signed Matthew Krause for the job. Krause has been in the Reds organization since 2002 and in this job since 2004 so he comes with all the credentials and experience you would want for the job. Krause replaces Dana Cavalea for the job and hopefully lays low and does a good job because it is never a good thing if the fan base is on a first name basis with your strength and conditioning coach.

Yankees Hosting Black Friday/Cyber Monday Deals


The 2014 season looks like it has all the makings of another Yankees postseason birth, a long run into the playoffs, and possibly a World Series. The Yankees have already opened up their purse strings for catcher Brian McCann and more exciting and must see players seem to be in the pipeline as well, which not seeing Chris Stewart anymore is reason enough to head back to Yankee Stadium. The Yankees are getting into the Black Friday and Cyber Monday game by offering Black Friday deals on Yankees tickets.


The New York Yankees are the premier franchise in all of professional sports having won an unprecedented 27 World Series Championships throughout their storied history. As such they have rarely offered discounted ticket specials. However for 2014 season they have decided to reward their loyal fan base by offering some fantastic deals for the upcoming season. Beginning at 12 pm EST on Black Friday (November 29) and lasting until December 24th the Yankees, in conjunction with MasterCard, will offer three different promotions for fans to purchase tickets

MasterCard Preferred Pricing
  • $15 off select seats when purchasing tickets with your MasterCard. 
  • Available for every home game through June.
  • New for the 2014 season! 
MasterCard Holiday Buy 2, Get 2
  • Save 50% on select seats (Terrace Level, Grandstand Level or Bleachers) for the following games:
  • Must be purchased with a MasterCard between 12 pm EST on Black Friday (11/29) through Cyber Monday (12/2). 
  • Entering the promo code “MCB2G2” at check out. 
Offer available for these games:
  • 4/8 vs Baltimore Orioles 
  • 4/9 vs Baltimore Orioles 
  • 4/15 vs Chicago Cubs
  • 4/16 vs Chicago Cubs
  • 4/29 vs Seattle Mariners
  • 4/30 vs Seattle Mariners
  • 5/1 vs Seattle Mariners
MasterCard $5 & 1/2 Priced Games
  • Tickets available in select areas of the Stadium in the Terrace Level, Grandstand Level or Bleachers
  • Tickets must be purchased with a MasterCard.
  • Tickets can be purchased on the day of the game. 
Offer available for these games: 

  • 4/9 vs Baltimore Orioles
  • 4/29 vs Seattle Mariners
  • 4/30 vs Seattle Mariners
  • 5/1 vs Seattle Mariners
  • 6/3 vs Oakland Athletics
  • 6/17 vs Toronto Blue Jays

To take advantage of these great deals on 2014 New York Yankees tickets, click here

Omar Luis Is Unprotected From Rule 5 Draft


Last year the New York Yankees made a huge splash in the International Free Agent market before the new collective bargaining agreement put a cap on each teams spending in the international pool when they signed pitcher Omar Luis for $4 million. Luis is a left handed pitcher and 21 years old and he defected from his native Cuba and obtained residency in Haiti last season before being signed the night before the new rules were implemented. Long story story the Yankees did not like something they saw on his physical, voided the contract, and re-signed him to a slightly smaller $2.5 million contract.

Major League Baseball ruled that since the original deal was signed before the new rules were implemented that he would be grandfathered in under the old rules but the problems did not stop there. Due to the fact that he was signed twice by the same team and was not added to the 40 man roster he will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft next month. Ben Badler reports that this is not unprecedented as teams like the Brewers, Reds, and Mariners have had similar situations pop up in recent years since the new CBA was implemented.

There is no way that Luis is chosen this year and if he is there is no way he stick on a 40 man roster all season, being hidden or not, but that is not the problem. The problem is next year he will be Rule 5 draft eligible as well, and the year after that, and the year after that. The Yankees can always protect him and add him to the 40 man roster but that starts to burn up minor league options quickly as Luis has never pitched above rookie ball in his career. If Luis gets taken and returned twice he can also elect free agency rather then be returned to the Yankees so a ton of things can go wrong with one of the better Yankees prospects in their system right now.

The 2014 season will be a big indicator for Luis and the Yankees going forward as we have to rush his development, protect him, or risk him going to pitch for someone else.

Brendan Ryan Contract Details


Brendan Ryan's contract details are in and they are much richer then initially expected. Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Ryan will receive a two year deal worth $5 million with a $5 million player option for the 2016 season. The total value of the contract will likely amount to $10 million for a part time bench player, wow, what a difference an offseason makes. According to Mike Axisa of RiverAvenueBlues.com the AAV will be $2.5 million since the player option does not exceed 50% of the total value of the deal.

Yankees Met With Cano, No Contract Updates


We can file this under the "nothing to see here" file but the New York Yankees met with Robinson Cano's representatives today and made little to no progress on their contract negotiations. The two sides will take a break for the Thanksgiving holiday and resume discussions next week. Cano's side has reportedly come down from their initial $310 million demands, but not by much, and no word on how high the Yankees have come up if at all. Things seem tense around the negotiations and probably will be for a long time, I do not see this coming to a conclusion any time soon.

What I Am Thankful For: New Additions To Family


On Thanksgiving eve we continue our look at what we are thankful for here on The Greedy Pinstripes and today I want to talk about the birth of my second son, Hayden Alexander. Normally I try to keep my personal life as my personal life and the Yankees life as the blogs life but it's Thanksgiving eve and I want to share the recent addition to our family.

Hayden broke Mrs. Greedy Pinstripes water at 12:26 on 11/22 and made his added one more Yankees fan to the crowd at 6:15 that morning. He weighed 8 lbs even and was right at 21 inches long, perfectly healthy.

Spend this holiday with family and friends because nothing is more important, especially on days like today. Have a safe and great holiday everyone and we will be back to full strength in the coming days.

Alex Rodriguez Amends "Witch Hunt" Lawsuit


Let's start the day off with some drama, shall we?

Alex Rodriguez updated his lawsuit against Major League Baseball and Bud Selig yesterday due to the fact that Selig refused to testify against Alex in his Biogenesis suspension appeal. The lawyers for Rodriguez filed the 33 page amendment to the lawsuit that was originally filed on October 6th to the judge.

“Mr. Selig chose to hide in his office in Milwaukee rather than come testify at the grievance hearing in New York. In Mr. Selig’s world, apparently the ‘buck’ does not stop with Bud,” the new complaint said. “Mr. Selig lacked the courage of his convictions to explain under oath the reasons for the suspension and the conduct of his investigators. His silence on these issues speaks volumes and leads to only one logical conclusion — his actions, and those of the MLB personnel he controls, were aimed at destroying the reputation, career and business prospects of Alex Rodriguez.”


This amendment did include a picture of Bud Selig taking a picture with that fan with the "A-Roid" shirt, which is petty to me but what do I know. 

“Sadly, this cowardly stance by Mr. Selig is consistent with his past and highly inappropriate conduct in posing, smilingly, with a young fan wearing a T-shirt with a derogatory message directed at Mr. Rodriguez,” the amended lawsuit said. “One cannot imagine the Commissioner of any other professional sport — or indeed the CEO of any business — doing something similar with respect to one of his or her players or employees.”

The Bronx is Burning again ladies and gentleman and I need a drink, and I need it stirred ASAP. 

This Day In New York Yankees History 11/27


On this day in 1947 the Yankees Joe DiMaggio edged out Ted Williams to win the American League Most Valuable Player award by one point. Williams won the triple crown this year posting a .343 average with 32 home runs and 162 RBI's but DiMaggio's .315 with 20 home runs and 97 RBI's would take the award. This would be the second time in the 40's, the other in 1941, that DiMaggio narrowly won the award over a more deserving Ted Williams.


On this day in 1972 the Indians and the Yankees hooked up for a trade that saw Graig Nettles and catcher Gerry Moses head to New York for John Ellis, Jerry Kenney, Charlie Spikes, and Rusty Torres. Nettles would be a huge part of three American League pennants and two World Series titles in the late 70's, ask any Dodgers fan about him.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

The Importance Of A Farm System


Courtesy of our new friend Larry Lambert at LameStage

Yankees Interested In Nate McLouth


The New York Yankees added one more free agent to their Christmas shopping list today when they announced an interest in Baltimore Orioles outfielder Nate McLouth. McLouth is obviously going to be a back up plan for Carlos Beltran, Curtis Granderson, or Corey Hart but the interest is still there nonetheless. The chances that McLouth actually comes to the Yankees is probably slim, and the Orioles are monitoring him on free agency as well, but the Yankees are definitely keeping tabs.

Japanese Officials Met Today With MLB


Officials from the Nippon Professional Baseball League met with officials from Major League Baseball to try and hammer out a deal that would make changes to the posting system for Japanese players. Masahiro Tanaka continues to be dangled out there as leverage for the Japanese as he will presumably not be posted until a deal is struck. The Yankees seem willing to go all in on Tanaka so they have to be watching these meetings, and The Greedy Pinstripes (I kid), very closely.

Yankees Met With Robinson Cano's Representatives


According to multiple sources the New York Yankees met with representatives for free agent Robinson Cano today. The two sides are obviously still far apart on contract talks but the fact that they are meeting has to stand for something. Plans are that the two sides will talk again tomorrow before taking off for the Thanksgiving break. The Yankees are playing hardball and low balling Cano while saying they would be okay with him walking away and Cano is sticking to his guns so we will see where this gets us.  The fact that the Yankees signed Brian McCann cannot sit well with Cano though you would think so maybe a deal gets done before Christmas.

Hall of Fame Ballot Announced For This Season


Not a single member was inducted into the Hall of Fame last time around so this year we will see an exciting new crowd, 19 new members on the ballot, mixed in with a bunch of holdovers including all 17 from 2013. More than 600 members will be receiving their ballot in the coming weeks from the Baseball Writers Association of America.

The impressive list of  new players up for election include Greg Maddux, Tom Galvine, Eric Gagne, Frank Thomas, and Jeff Kent. These members join the likes of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Craig Biggio, Jack Morris, Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza, and Tim Raines.

Players must receive at least 75% of the vote to gain admission into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Here is the complete ballot courtesy of Lohud and Chad Jennings:

Moises Alou, Jeff Bagwell, Armando Benitez, Craig Biggio, Barry Bonds, Sean Casey, Roger Clemens, Ray Durham, Eric Gagne, Tom Glavine, Luis Gonzalez, Jacque Jones, Todd Jones, Jeff Kent, Paul Lo Duca, Greg Maddux, Edgar Martinez, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Mark McGwire, Jack Morris, Mike Mussina, Hideo Nomo, Rafael Palmeiro, Mike Piazza, Tim Raines, Kenny Rogers, Curt Schilling, Richie Sexson, Lee Smith, J.T. Snow, Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas, Mike Timlin, Alan Trammell, Larry Walker.


Brian McCann 2013 HD Highlights


Here are the 2013 highlights in HD from our newly acquired catcher Brian McCann.

What I Am Thankful For: The Yankees Depth


Continuing our look at what we are thankful for we showcase the Yankees depth that is being addressed this offseason. The Yankees had no depth last year and it showed on the field and in the win column when half the team went down with injuries. This year the Yankees do not seem like they will be left flat footed if one or two of their infielders go down.

The Yankees have already traded for Dean Anna from the San Diego Padres who can play all over the infield and has played in the outfield as well. The Yankees also signed Yamaico Navarro who can also play the hot corner, short stop, and a few places out in the outfield. The Yankees have brought back Brendan Ryan and already have David Adams and Corban Joseph, among others, on the roster for back up. This is before we even mention guys like Jayson Nix and Eduardo Nunez who are both non tender candidates.

The Yankees have already brought back David Herndon for a shot at the bullpen and are not going to be quiet in the pitching department, whether it be for the starting rotation or the bullpen. The Yankees know they did not have the depth last year and they know they didn't have the impact type youth last year and this year they will not make the same mistake twice, and for that I am thankful.

Spread Some Holiday Cheer With The Trenton Thunder


(Trenton, NJ) - This might be the easiest way to spread some "cheer" this holiday season.

The ninth annual Trenton Thunder Gift of Baseball program begins today, giving fans the chance to share the experience of cheering on the hometown team with underprivileged families in our community. For each Season Ticket, Pic-A-Plan and Mini Plan purchased between November 25 and December 20, the Thunder will provide tickets for families in the Holiday Gift Outreach program run by Children's Home Society to attend a 2014 Thunder game.

"Our fans and corporate partners deserve a big "thank you" for supporting this initative every year," said Thunder General Manager Will Smith. "We're hoping even more families can visit ARM & HAMMER Park next season because our fans do some holiday shopping with us."

In its first eight years, the Gift of Baseball program has allowed the Thunder to donate a total of 5,712 tickets to the Children's Home Society.

2014 Trenton Thunder Mini Plans went on sale today. Mini plans include five or six of the most popular games on the schedule, free food at each game, a Trenton Thunder hat, a complimentary ticket to Opening Night and start as low as $55. More information about Mini Plans can be found here: MINI PLANS

Pic-A-Plans allow fans to choose any 10 or more games and like Mini Plans include free food, a free hat and a free Opening Night ticket. More information about Pic-A-Plans can be found here: PIC-A-PLANS

Season Tickets are available as either a full (71 games) or half (36 games) and include a lot of perks such as early entry, special events and more. More information about Season Tickets can be found here: SEASON TICKETS

The Children's Home Society of New Jersey provides at-risk children and their families with a range of services that empower them to achieve their potential. They are child-oriented, family focused, community based, and outcome-oriented.
The Thunder will begin the 2014 season at ARM & HAMMER Park on Thursday, April 3. Season tickets, group outings, Pic-A-Plans, and Mini Plan renewals are on sale now. Single game tickets will go on sale on March 1, 2014. For more information about tickets, fans should call 609-394-3300 or visit trentonthunder.com.

Being posted with permission from the Trenton Thunder organization. The original article can be seen HERE.