Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Sneak Peek Into The 2014 MLB First Year Player's Draft


Baseball America has released their Top 50 prospects heading into the 2014 MLB First Year Player's Draft and it can be seen HERE. While we can't, and shouldn't for that matter, put much stock into this seeing as it is the middle of October and the draft is not for another eight months or so but it is still fun to look ahead. The Yankees have the 18th pick overall in the first round as it stand right now but that can obviously change with us losing that pick to sign a guy that has declined a qualifying offer, a Brian McCann for example. We can also move up if a team in front of us not in the top ten, since those are protected picks, signs one of those same free agents thus losing their picks. Also we could gain picks in the first round if we extend qualifying offers to our free agents only for them to decline and sign elsewhere. Either way there are a lot of "if's" and "but's" so again don't put much stock into these rankings at all.

Former Yankee Update: Don Mattingly


In the end the Yankees, like they have accustomed to doing, got their man when they signed Joe Girardi to a four year deal worth $16 million. During that little waiting period rumors swirled that Don Mattingly could be out as the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and come back to the Yankees to be their manager for the 2014 season. Obviously that speculation is now over and so is any speculation regarding Mattingly coaching somewhere other than Los Angeles for next season. The Dodgers picked up their team option for Mattingly's 2014 season so that is the end of that. Now let's move on to the important stuff.

RiverDogs to Host Monster Bash...A Ballyard Smash


Halloween Party Set for Oct. 24 at The Joe; $1,000 Cash Goes to Best Costume

CHARLESTON, SC - Kick off Halloween at The Monster Bash … A Ballyard Smash presented by Halloween Express on Thursday, Oct. 24, from 7-10 pm at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park in the Ashley View Pub, which is Charleston's well-known Thirsty Thursday hot spot.

The Beer Shake gained national popularity during the 2013 RiverDogs season and now there is a new fall flavor brewing that will be unveiled during the Monster Bash. The limited-edition Pumpkin Beer Shake will be available this one night only. Patrons will be able to indulge in a toppings bar that will include pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, caramel, candy corn and nutmeg. RiverDogs Facebook followers can make recommendations as to what other toppings they would like to try.This Blood Thirsty Thursday at The Joe will feature $1 beer, Sangria Witches Brew and specialty food items including mummified hot dogs and other themed concession items.
DJ Natty Heavy will be spinning from the dark and daunting Ashley View Pub as he does every Thirsty Thursday during the RiverDogs' season.
Get in touch with your inner zombie, vampire or Miley Cyrus for a chance to win cash prizes in the Costume Contest that is sponsored by Guilty Pleasures. The winner with the best costume will take home $1,000 in cash and a party prize package from the sponsors. Second and third place winners will also be awarded cash and prizes.
The American Red Cross and Dracula will be on-site for a blood drive from 12 noon until 5 pm on Oct. 24, and donors will receive free admission to the Monster Bash. Log on to RedCrossBlood.org and enter the sponsor code "Monster Bash" to schedule your appointment to save a life.
Tickets are $5 in advance and $10 at the door. Order tickets through RileyParkEvents.com or call 843/577-DOGS (3647) for more information. Patrons must be 21 (and older) to enter.

Being posted with permission from the Charleston Riverdogs organization. The original post can be seen HERE.

The Beginning Of The End Of Revenue Sharing Starts Now


Let's face it, and I am speaking generally within the entire United States, Major League Baseball is not on the same level as the NFL. Even though the MLB has not seen a work stoppage since the 1994 strike that cancelled the World Series they are still not on the same level of the NFL and arguably the NBA as well. Many reasons include having so many teams, so many games, and teams like the Houston Astros who have a lower payroll then 30 some players alone including the Yankees Alex Rodriguez.

As the MLB has expanded all the way to 30 teams with four expansion teams in the last 20 or so seasons we have seen smaller and smaller markets trying to get their foothold in the baseball fandom, and many without success. The issue here is, and I am not here to say that the MLB or any of the teams are hurting for money because nobody is, when the smaller market teams are playing on ESPN, MLB Network, or even in the playoffs you just don't see the ratings that you do when you see the Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, the Detroit Tigers, etc are on television and playing in October. I believe the root of the problem, and something we may see heading down the drain in our lifetime, is the revenue sharing.

The Yankees are trying to get under the $189 million luxury tax threshold to prevent other teams sucking off of them and it has hurt not only their finances but the MLB's finances as well. The plan started in 2013 and we saw ticket sales for Yankees Stadium drop and the YES Network ratings, the television program that keeps the Yankees brand afloat if you believe the "operating in the red annually" reports, dropped over 30% in one season. If the Yankees lose Robinson Cano and/or do not compete again in 2014 what do you think happens to the YES Network, revenue sharing, advertising, and ratings and attendance across baseball? It may be marginal but I think this year is the beginning of where we see the trend of all of that dropping.

Think of it this way as a Yankees fan do you care what the Cleveland Indians or Tampa Bay Rays did in the playoffs this year? Probably not unless they were playing the Red Sox which goes back to my big markets matter point. If your a Tigers fan you do not care what the Royals do if they made the playoffs and you didnt. If you are a Rangers fan you don't care what the Seattle Mariners are doing and so on and so on. The idea of revenue sharing, keeping down the bigger markets, creating parity, etc was a great idea that surprisingly I can get behind but that is done with a salary cap, not this revenue sharing. It's not done by choking the international free agent supply that has made this game great and it's not done by limiting teams in the draft. If you want to be like the NFL then add a cap and add a salary floor and kill the revenue sharing because next season, especially if the Yankees get below the $189 million cap, you will see the beginning of a downward trend for Major League Baseball.

The Yankees earned their money, not the Houston Astros so they can gouge their fans and make the highest profit percentage in all of baseball with 197 losses a season. The Yankees fans work their asses off to buy the Yankees tickets, merchandise, YES network subscriptions, etc why should we contribute to making sure the Rays have enough money to take garbage men off the street and turn them into 15 game winners? It's bull and it needs to stop and I think after we have a few successive seasons like we did this year someone a lot smarter at math than I am is going to take notice and kill the revenue sharing in the next collective bargaining agreement in 2016. Remember where you heard it first...

Alex Rodriguez 2013 Home Run Highlights


Watch Alex Rodriguez's home run highlights from the 2013 season with the New York Yankees, all seven of the including the grand slam that gave him the all time grand slams hit record.

Mariano Rivera's Career Graphic

Borrowing this from Chad Jennings over at LoHud. Check out this graphic that details Mariano Rivera's entire career all in one big long shot. Originally posted from Tier10.com.

Exit Sandman - The life and career of Mariano Rivera


Scorpions struggles continue in 7-4 loss in Mesa

Yankees third base prospect Peter O'Brien went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts tonight as the Scorpions dropped their fifth straight game to the Mesa Solar Sox, 7-4. I don't know what's going on with this team, as they just seem to never compete anymore. Their one win came thanks to a ninth inning rally, and since then they just keep getting the crap beat out of them. 

Unfortunetally, O'Brien was the only Yankees prospect who played in this one. So, since the post was so short, I might as well just say that his average on the season has now dropped to a terrible, .083. That's pretty bad, but he still has plenty of time to turn things around. 

This Day In New York Yankees History 10/16


On this day in 1961 the Yankees purchased the contract of Robin Roberts from Philadelphia after he put up a 234-199 record. Roberts would never throw in a game in a Yankees uniform as he was released in May of 1962 before throwing a single regular season pitch.


On this day in 1962 the Yankees beat the Giants 1-0 in Game 7 to win the franchise's 20th World Series championship of their storied history. Willie McCovey would line out to Bobby Richardson for the final out of the series.


On this day in 1976 the Yankees witnessed a little bit of history in Game 1 of the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. The DH was implemented in the American League in 1973 but today we would see the first National League player to ever be a DH in a game. Dan Driessen batted fifth in the Reds lineup and would be the first as MLB used the DH full time right before this Fall Classic.


On this day in 2003 Aaron Boone put himself into Yankees history as he hit an ALCS winning walk off home run off the Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield in Game 7. This 11th inning blast would help the Yankees win 6-5 and win their 39th American League pennant.