Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Lail, Lindgren, Smith Called Up to Tampa

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RiverDogs pitching trio promoted following strong final outings at Savannah last week

CHARLESTON, SC – The New York Yankees have announced that Charleston RiverDogs right-handed pitcher Brady Lail and left-handed pitchers Jacob Lindgren and Caleb Smith have been promoted to the Single-A Tampa Yankees. Lindgren, New York’s first draft pick in 2014, remains on a fast track up the Yankees’ system while Lail and Smith, who were both South Atlantic League All-Stars this season, earn promotions as well.

Also, the RiverDogs have activated left-handed pitcher Ian Clarkin from the disabled list and received right-handed pitchers Andy Beresford and Stefan Lopez from the short-season Single-A Staten Island Yankees and the Single-A Tampa Yankees, respectively. Charleston’s roster will continue to hold the maximum of 25 active players.
Lail was a consistent performer on Charleston’s pitching staff to open the season. He won a team-record six straight starts earlier this year and also picked up a win in his last RiverDogs appearance on July 12 at the Savannah Sand Gnats. Lail leaves the RiverDogs with a team-best eight victories and 95 strikeouts, the latter ranking second in the entire South Atlantic League.

Smith also posted a solid streak with the RiverDogs and won his last start with the team. Smith tossed 23.1 consecutive scoreless innings, striking out a then-Minor League Baseball-best 13 Delmarva Shorebirds on April 24 during that streak. He earned five wins for Charleston and recorded six shutout innings in a victory at the Savannah Sand Gnats on July 13 in his last start.

Lindgren had a short but successful stint in the RiverDogs bullpen. After making his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Yankees 1, Lindgren earned his first career victory and first career save while making four relief outings with Charleston. The southpaw picked up a rare four-strikeout inning to record his first professional save on July 12 at the Savannah Sand Gnats.

Clarkin returns to the active roster with a 3-3 record and a 3.49 ERA over his first two months in Charleston’s rotation. Clarkin was drafted by the Yankees last season with the 33rd overall pick at the end of the first round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft.

Lopez and Beresford return to Charleston for their second stints in the Lowcountry. Lopez was promoted to the Tampa Yankees in May and spent the past two months in the T-Yanks bullpen. Beresford was a starter for Staten Island over the last month, posting a 1-0 record and a microscopic 0.46 ERA.

Betances Not Upset That He Didn't Get to Pitch in the ASG

When an underrated rookie like Dellin Betances makes the All Star Game, it's not unreasonable to believe that he should get a chance to pitch. 

Betances, a 26-year-old prospect who was originally expected to start during his big league career, has put together a 4-0 record and a 1.46 ERA so far in 2014, stats that only get better when you consider that 84 (50.6%) of the 166 outs he's recorded have come via the strikeout.

Still, during last night's Mid-Summer Classic Red Sox Manager John Farrell decided not to use the youngster, something that apparently doesn't bother him, with the Yanks' prized right-hander saying afterwards that he enjoyed the experience despite not getting to pitch. 

"I would have loved to pitch, but I enjoyed it," Betances told Newsday's Erik Boland. "Next year hopefully if things go my way, hopefully I get to participate again."

In the contest's ninth inning, in order to please the home crowd, the aforementioned Farrell allowed Twins' Reliever Glen Perkins to end things, an act that probably didn't need to happen.

Yes, Perkins should've been able to finish the ballgame, but since he was just one of two non-starters to get more than two outs on the night you have to wonder if letting him throw for that long was necessary, as Betances as well as Toronto's Mark Buehrle were still eligible to contribute. 

The New York Yankees & The MLB Futures Game 2014


One of the better parts of All Star week in Major League Baseball is the Home Run Derby and the Futures Game. The Yankees didn't send anyone to the derby but they did send two to the Futures Game in Peter O'Brien and Luis Severino. In case you missed it you can check out these two doing work with Severino pitching and O'Brien taking batting practice. Consider this a glimpse into the Yankees future, no pun intended. 




It's Time To Call Up Robert Refsnyder

"Here's Reffy!"

As many of you know, if you follow @GreedyStripes on Twitter anyway, I have been the biggest component for showing some patience with Robert Refsnyder. Refnsyder at the time had a handful of games played for Scranton and was still in the middle of learning the second base position. I am a huge advocate for learning a new position as a rookie in the minor leagues, not the Bronx, so the player has one less thing to worry about but all these points are moot now and the time is now.

Refsnyder played 28 games at second base in Triple-A and made only one error in the field although he did make nine errors in Trenton at the same position. Refsnyder was then moved to the outfield and has experience there from his High School days. Refsnyder is hitting well over .300 in every stop he has made this season and is not just knocking on Brian Cashman's door, he's banging it down "The Shining" style.

Refsnyder can play all over and should play all over just to get his bat in the lineup. If Beltran and Ichiro need a day off you can plug Refsnyder into right field. If Brian Roberts needs a day off you can plug him in at second base. If you simple need a right handed bat in the lineup you can plug Ref in at the designated hitter spot. Just get him up and get him into the lineup. Now.

Can't Predict Baseball: Two Grand Slams To Start Career


The Yankees have become well known over the course of Major League history for their grand slams. For the longest time the man with the most grand slams in Major League history was Lou Gehrig with 23 before another Yankee, Alex Rodriguez, passed the mark in 2013. While the Yankees Horace Clarke never approached crooked numbers like that in the grand slam department he did have a noteworthy mark in grand slam history.

Clarke would hit a grand slam on this day in 1966 in the tenth inning to beat the Kansas City A's 9-5 and give the Yankees a victory. This was Clarke's second career home run and second career grand slam. The Yankees shortstop's first career home run was also a grand slam that he hit in 1965.

I'm not sure if that's a record or even really significant but it's still a pretty incredible stat and it goes to show you that you really cannot predict baseball. Right Suzyn?


Yankees Off Day Walk Up Music Recommendation


The Home Run Derby is over and so is the All Star Game and now it's time for the Yankees to rest up for two more days before heading home to host the Cincinnati Reds. This off day, like any off day, we start the day off with a little music that members of the Yankees enter to (for pitchers) or walk up to (for batters) and today is the newest Yankee Brandon McCarthy.


McCarthy actually has two that he alternates, the one above is "Comfortable Liar" by Chevelle and the one below is "Lonely Boy" by the Black Keys. Both are pretty good songs and the Black Keys can definitely get your day going right so I recommend giving them a listen first.



Enjoy your day Yankees family.


This Day In New York Yankees History 7/16 Exit Sandman


The 2014 season has been mostly about the retirement of Derek Jeter if your a Yankees fan and last year was all about Mariano Rivera. Yesterday we were all treated to Derek's last All Star Game and on this day in 2013 the Yankees fans and fans all across Major League Baseball enjoyed #ExitSandman, from the All Star Game anyway. In the first All Star Game played in Queens in 49 years the American League would beat the National League 3-0 by holding them to just three hits in the game. Rivera entered the game in the eight inning to a standing ovation in front of 45,186 fans with no other players on the field. Rivera retired three consecutive NL batters and was named the game's MVP.

Also on this day in 2010 the Yankees and their fans honored the late Bob Sheppard in the Yankees first home game since his passing. The players wore patches on their left sleeve of their uniforms to pay tribute and no public address announcements were made in the empty Yankees booth.

Also on this day in 2006 Mariano Rivera notched his 400th career save becoming only the fourth major league pitcher to reach the milestone. The Yankees would beat the Chicago White Sox 6-4.

The Yankees made a couple of not so notable trade acquisitions on this day in 2003 when they acquired Armando Benitez from the New York Mets and 2005 when they acquired 39 year old left hander Al Leiter from the Florida Marlins. Benitez was quickly shipped to Seattle in less than a week and Leiter immediately held the Boston Red Sox to just one run and three hits in his first start in pinstripes.