Sunday, June 15, 2014

Nuno's Rough Start Dooms Yankees in Rubber Game

In his last start in Seattle, Yankees Pitcher Vidal Nuno gave us something to smile about.

The struggling lefty, who began the season as a long reliever, tossed 5.2 innings of one-run ball, giving the Yanks a much-needed chance to win.

After that performance, it was only reasonable to believe he'd do something similar today, although that simply didn't happen, as Nuno didn't even make it out of the fourth in a 10-5 A's victory.

For the rookie, the game ended pretty early, as Derek Norris and Coco Crisp each hit three-run home runs in Oakland's first two at-bats.

After giving up another pair in the bottom of the fourth, Nuno's outing was finally over, with his line reading a tough 3+ frames of 8-earned run ball, dropping his 2014 record to 1-3 and raising his ERA to 5.90.

From that point on, the Yanks' bullpen did hold their ground (getting a combined four scoreless innings from Shawn Kelley, Adam Warren, and Matt Thornton), something that didn't really matter, as the scoreboard read 10-0 Oakland after four innings of play.

In the final five frames, the Bombers' bats did begin to improve after Jesse Chavez' (6 IP, ER, gave up an RBI Double to Mark Teixeira) departure, bringing the contest to within five thanks to a Sac Fly from Derek Jeter, a Solo Homer from Carlos Beltran, and a two-run shot from Brett Gardner.

Still, the double-digit deficit they faced proved too large for them to overcome, as they lost for the second time in the three-game series, fell to 35-33 overall, and lost the second wild card spot to the suddenly-hot Royals.

As for their road trip, its record dropped to 5-4, with two of its three sets resulting in frustrating defeat after the openers were won. 

Yankees Release 35 Year Old Brian Gordon

The New York Yankees have released journeyman and 35 year old prospect Brian Gordon from their Triple-A Scranton Railriders roster. Gordon made 13 starts this season for Scranton and had a 4.75 ERA, 5.8 K/9, and 3.2 BB/9 in 77 innings pitched this season. Gordon was obviously nothing more than an organizational guy at this point so no big loss here.

Game Thread: Yankees vs. Athletics 6/15


The New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics will play in the finale of their three game set in Oakland this weekend with some Father's Day baseball. The Yankees will send Vidal Nuno to the mound looking to hand the A's Jesse Chavez his fourth straight loss. The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with WFAN.

Treat your dad to some Yankees tickets for Father's Day, or just because, by CLICKING HERE. You get them with no fees and free shipping. Follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes or find us on Facebook to chat during the game. You can always leave us a comment in our comments section as well if social media is not really your thing.

Enjoy the game Yankees family and enjoy the rest of your weekend and Father's Day.

Appreciating The 90 Win Plus Yankees... Meme

The one thing that bandwagon fans don't understand and cannot appreciate. 

Giants Showing Strong Interest in Cubs' Jeff Samardzija

Around this time of year, it's a well known fact to us all that trade rumors are everywhere.

Whether they're the ones that say teams aren't interested or the ones that say clubs are, they're always intriguing, even when they say the exact opposite of what you want.

That scenario has unfortunately come true today, as USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports that the Giants are showing strong interest in Cubs Pitcher Jeff Samardzija.

As of now, it's unknown how close the two actually are to a deal, as the Cubs are also rumored to have had discussions with others.

Still, this news is pretty unsettling for the Yankees, who are currently in need of a starting pitcher.

Their ace, CC Sabathia, will be out past the All-Star Break, while their #5 man Michael Pineda and #3 Ivan Nova will be absent until August and next year, respectively. 

To put it simply, they're a little short-handed right now, as fill-ins Vidal Nuno and David Phelps have been inconsistent.

Samardzija, the most coveted starter on this year's market, currently holds a dominant 2.77 ERA, the 17th-best in baseball. 

Contributing to that statistic was a May 21 outing against the Yankees, where he tossed a scoreless 7 innings in a no-decision. 

Preview: New York Yankees vs. Oakland Athletics 6/15


The New York Yankees will go into Oakland County Coliseum for the final time this season looking for a series victory and a Father's Day win. The Yankees will send Vidal Nuno to the mound to face off with Jesse Chavez for the Athletics. The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Nuno allowed one run and four hits in his last outing that lasted 5.2 innings with far too many fly balls. That will be helped this afternoon in Oakland County Coliseum with that huge outfield and our speedy outfielders. Nuno faced the A's a couple starts ago allowing two runs in 4.2 innings in a no decision. Nuno is 2-0 with a 1.81 ERA in six career road starts.

Chavez is 0-3 in his last three starts including one against the Yankees almost two weeks back. In his last time out Chavez allowed two runs on eight hits in six innings against the Los Angeles Angels. The A's have only scored seven runs in those three starts, a trend I hope continues today.

Get your dad tickets for today's game or any Yankees game this season right here on the blog by CLICKING HERE. We have a very unique partnership with Ticket Monster who brings their customers actual tickets, not print offs, with no additional hidden fees or shipping costs. 

Go Yankees and Happy Father's Day!!

Can't Predict Baseball: Jim Abbott Gets A Hit


On this day in 1999 the unthinkable happened when the Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jim Abbott picked up his first career base hit. Abbott was born without a right hand and still got his first hit in his 11 year career. Abbott was well known for his time with the California Angels and the New York Yankees and didn't bat due to the designated hitter. Abbott also threw a no hitter with one hand proving that anything is possible if you just put your mind to it. Stay inspired Yankees family.


Wade LeBlanc Outrighted To Triple-A

UPDATE:

LeBlanc elected free agency

Wade LeBlanc was designated for assignment to make room for David Huff and has since cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Scranton with the RailRiders. LeBlanc pitched just one inning for the Yankees and allowed two runs. LeBlanc can now decide whether he wants to accept the outright or elect free agency and try and latch on with a third team this season.

Stoneburner Released, Bleich Demoted To Trenton


The Trenton Thunder, Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, have announced multiple roster moves to announce from the past 24 hours.
RHP Graham Stoneburner was released from his contract prior to Friday’s suspended ballgame. The right-hander began the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and allowed two runs in 9.0 innings over three appearances/one start. With the Thunder, Stoneburner went 2-4 with a 7.04 ERA with 39 runs and 61 hits allowed in 46.0 innings. In his final four outings, the Clemson University product tossed 20.1 innings with 37 hits allowed and 24 runs (21 ER).

Added to the Thunder roster to replace Stoneburner Friday night was RHP Mark Montgomery from Scranton. Montgomery did not appear in Friday’s suspended game, and has been transferred to the 7-day Disabled List Saturday.

LHP Jeremy Bleich has been transferred from Scranton back to the Thunder after making his first Triple-A start Thursday at Columbus. The 26-year old Bleich, allowed two hits through the first six innings, but then allowed the first three batters he faced in the seventh inning to reach before being removed from the game. He finished with the loss and was charged with four runs. This season with the Thunder, the Stanford University product is 4-5 with a 3.51 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 66.2 innings.

Dad continues to serve as role model for Gardner


Dad continues to serve as role model for Gardner

Jerry Gardner's life of hard work in fields inspires Yankees outfielder


Being borrowed from MLB.com and Yankees.com:

For Brett Gardner, home is a farm of about 2,600 acres in Holly Hill, S.C., nestled in the heart of hunting and fishing country. Most days, the Yankees outfielder can be sure that at any given moment, Jerry Gardner is out in the fields taking care of what needs to be done.
Brett Gardner was raised around those crops of corn, cotton, soybeans and wheat, and he believes that watching his father tend to that fertile soil instilled the drive and motivation necessary to fuel an undersized college walk-on to beat the odds and get to the big leagues.

Brett Gardner learned the game of baseball at a young age from his father, who played as a Minor League outfielder in the Phillies' system in the mid-1970s, getting as far as Double-A before injuries sounded the alarm to go back to South Carolina for the next phase of life.
"It's pretty much been his life every day for the last 35 or so years," Brett Gardner said. "That's obviously how I grew up. It's definitely not the easiest thing in the world to do, but even though it is hard work, it's something that he enjoys doing and can be rewarding."
"Obviously, he's got somewhat of a baseball background and understands the game," Brett Gardner said. "Really, he just always taught me to play hard. I feel like that's something that I still try and do to this day, and will until I'm done playing. I obviously think that playing hard allowed me to play in the Major Leagues probably, and get the most about my abilities."
Growing up on the farm with his dad, his mother, Faye, and his older brother, Glen, Gardner said that he would lend a hand when his parents needed help, driving everything from lawn tractors to combines. Even now, Gardner's thoughts sometimes drift to his dad, who he knows has been grinding from sun-up to sun-down to prepare for harvest.
"He'll be 63 years old this year, and he still works as hard as ever outside on the farm," Brett Gardner said. "That's just what he loves doing. It's not easy work, but there's definitely an ethic that he instilled in me early on: just always work hard and try not to have any regrets. You don't want things to end and wonder, 'What if I had done things differently?'"
Brett Gardner graduated from the College of Charleston in South Carolina in 2005 as the highest-drafted player in school history, a long way from when he tried out for the Cougars as a non-scholarship freshman. He could always run, but the rest of his game was crude. At 5-foot-8 and a spindly 155 pounds, Gardner wasn't going to impress anyone on physique alone.
"There are only a handful of guys that are going to stand out in an environment like that," Gardner said. "You run the 60, you make some throws to third base from right field, and I didn't have that strong of an arm -- still don't, really, but then it wasn't as strong as it is now. You probably get 10, 20 swings in batting practice, and I obviously wasn't going to turn anybody's heads hitting singles over the third baseman's head."
Shortly after the tryout, Brett Gardner did not hear back from the coaching staff and brought his baseball gear home. Restless, Jerry Gardner wrote to Cougars head coach John Pawlowski, asking him to allow Gardner to attend practice with the team. Pawlowski agreed, and Gardner impressed the coaching staff by leaving the field with one of the dirtiest uniforms every afternoon.
"He wrote a letter to the coach, and maybe that influenced the coach's decision, maybe it didn't, but basically I got called back out to practice," Brett Gardner said. "I just kept showing up at practice, and had a few guys that I played with get hurt, some outfielders got hurt that fall of my freshman year.
"I went from barely making the team to pretty much being a sure bet to redshirt my freshman year to playing in [38] games my freshman year. It all kind of came together relatively quickly."
As Gardner has advanced, making it to the Majors in 2008 and signing a large multiyear contract with the Yankees this past offseason, he has done so with his father's words close to his mind and his heart. Jerry Gardner would never let anyone outwork him, and that has been a perfect example for his son to follow.
"We're definitely both hard-headed," Brett Gardner said. "I think just that work ethic and not taking no for an answer -- you try and get the most out of what God gave you, really. You try and make the most out of your abilities.
"I played with plenty of guys that were way more talented than I am, but guys that maybe just didn't want it quite as bad. I feel like that's something that not only has gotten me to where I am, but has helped me stay where I am."

Happy Father's Day

I'd like to take this opportunity to say Happy's Father's Day to all the dads out there, including our very own Daniel Burch. I see what a great father Daniel is and hope that someday I will be nearly as good as he is.

Thankfully they get their looks from their mom.

On a personal note, I lost my father one year to the day. Yes... on Father's Day 2013. I'm sure he knew how much I loved and adored him, but every day I wonder if it was enough. I moved to Ohio nearly 13 years ago, and since then only got to see my parents a few times a year... sometimes less. There are times I wish I was closer to home (I'm from upstate New York), so I could see my mother and the rest of my family more often, to make sure they know how much I love and care for them. But two things make it okay...

1. The belief that my family, and friends, know how much they mean to me.

2. An incredible girlfriend here in Ohio, who I don't want to make move away from her own family, like I moved away from mine.

I'm not a big believer in the afterlife, let alone believing my father is looking down upon me now, but just in case he is... I love you, dad.

I hope all of you take a chunk of time out of your day to let your father's, and everybody you love and care for, know how much they mean to you.

I wanted to wrap this up by extending my gratitude to all the dads out there by saying Happy Father's Day to the following Yankees...

Hiroki Kuroda - daughters Hinatsu and Wakana

David Phelps - daughter Adeline

David Robertson - son Luke Joseph

Brian McCann - son Colt Michael and daughter Colbie

Brian Roberts - daughter (name unknown)

Mark Teixeira - sons Jack Gordan and William Charles, and daughter Addison Leigh

Brett Gardner - sons Hunter and Miller

Alfonso Soriano - daughters Alisis, Angeline and Alisha

Winning Streak Ends With 5-1 Loss to A's

While winning streaks are undoubtedly fun to have, they do come with a negative.

That is, enduring the eventual loss.

That depressing defeat came early in tonight's game, as Yankees Starter Hiroki Kuroda surrendered a pair of second inning runs in a 5-1 A's victory, snapping the Yanks four-game run. 

In that frame, Kuroda actually retired two of the first three men he faced, before suddenly losing control.

With a runner on first and two outs, the veteran right-hander allowed the next two hitters to reach, setting up a big, two-RBI single from Eric Sogard.

That clutch knock unknowingly ended the game for the Bombers, who managed just one unearned run in six innings against Oakland's Scott Kazmir.

That trip around the bases came in the Yanks' half of the third, when Derek Jeter reached on a throwing error with men on the corners.

At that point, the Pinstripes were technically still in it, down just 2-1, but after a 38-minute power outage in the middle of the fourth and another pair of A's runs in the fifth it was clear it wasn't their night.

Overall, Kuroda (4-5) wasn't terrible in the outing, recording two 1-2-3 innings, but since he did surrender 4 earned runs in just 4.2 frames he was handed the loss, his second consecutive. 

On the bright side of things, the bullpen was okay after #18 left, as Shawn Kelley struck out the only hitter he faced to end the fifth and David Huff tossed three innings of one-run ball in his team debut.

Unfortunately, the cons still outweighed the pros for the Bombers this evening, with the ending of Jacoby Ellsbury's 17-game hitting streak and a botched scoring opportunity in the fifth being the most notable.

That failure to hit with RISP, something that's been happening a lot lately, came with a man on third and one out, when Jeter (0-for-4) hit into fielder's choice and Ellsbury (0-for-3, Walk) fouled out to third.

Basically, the same problems that we saw last week came back to haunt the Pinstripes tonight, as their 2014 record fell to 35-32.

This Day In New York Yankees History 6/15


On this day in 1958 the Kansas City Athletics send Woodie Held and Vic Power to the Cleveland Indians for Dick Tomanek, Preston Ward, and Roger Maris. This is significant because Kansas City and owner Arnold Johnson was warned by American League president Will Harridge that they could not send any players, especially Maris, to the Yankees for at least 18 months. The Indians would later trade Maris to the Yankees which made everyone think the deal was a prelude to the deal.


On this day in 1976 the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles completed a ten player trade in which  both teams swapped four pitchers and a catcher each. The Yankees acquire pitchers Ken Holtzman, Doyle Alexander, Jimmy Freeman, Grant Jackson, and catcher Elrod Hendricks. The Orioles acquire pitchers Tippy Martinez, Rudy May, Scott McGregor, Dave Pagan, and catcher Rick Dempsey.


On this day in 2005 George Steinbrenner, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor George Pataki, and team officials announce plans for the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The Yankees will finance the $800 million stadium which will be built north of the current stadium in Macombs Dam Park. The new stadium is announced to mirror the old stadium and will seat 51,800 fans.


Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there and especially to all the moms out there that need to be both.