Sunday, September 21, 2014

Tanaka Solid in 5-2 Win Over Blue Jays

Returning ace Masahiro Tanaka surrendered just one earned run in a nice 5 1/3 innings and Brian McCann homered twice today as the Yankees impressively clinched this weekend series with a 5-2 win over the Blue Jays.

In his start this afternoon, his first since July 8's loss to Cleveland, Tanaka struggled early on, giving up singles to the first two batters he faced before an Edwin Encarnacion double play gave Toronto an early lead. 

Nonetheless, after McCann took Drew Hutchinson deep to right in the bottom of the first and Brett Gardner followed him with another four-bagger (the 15,000th one in the franchise's 112 year history) in the fifth the right-hander had a one-run advantage, one which lasted forever yet almost disappeared in the visitors' half of the sixth. 

Indeed, the Jays came dangerously close to scoring off Tanaka in that frame, putting two men on with one out to force the rookie's removal after 70 pitches. 

Still, thanks to the two-strikeout heroics of Adam Warren and a three-run spot following the stretch the now 80-75 Yanks would eventually win the contest pretty handily, with that late trio crossing home thanks to a double by the red-hot Derek Jeter and a two-run shot by the aforementioned McCann.

If This Is It For Kuroda In Pinstripes....


If this is it for Hiroki Kuroda in pinstripes I think New York can say that he was the best free agent starting pitching signing since Mike Mussina. Kuroda likely has one more start against the Baltimore Orioles in Yankee Stadium this season and could conceivably return in 2015 as a 40 year old pitcher. However unlikely that is we won't know for sure until the offseason but Kuroda has expressed an interest in finishing his career either in Los Angeles with the Dodgers or in Japan where his career began.

Kuroda has spent three seasons in a Yankee uniform and has a career 38-33 record with a 3.46 ERA. Kuroda currently sits at 96 starts in his American League career with a 117 ERA+, 3.67 FIP, and 1.165 WHIP. If you're not a statmatician let me break it down for you, Kuroda has been great for the Yankees.

If this is it I can't say I am sad but I can say that I'm grateful. Thank you #HIROK.

9/21 Open Game Thread vs. Toronto Blue Jays


Welcome to this afternoon's open thread for the final game of the season between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. In this game the Yankees and their fans are treated to the return of Masahiro Tanaka. The Blue Jays will send Drew Hutchison to the mound to try and spoil Tanaka Day. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with WFAN. 

Get your Tanaka Day Yankees tickets for today's game or for the final four games at Yankee Stadium this season next week against the Baltimore Orioles. Also please follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes and check out our Facebook page by searching for The Greedy Pinstripes. 

It's an open thread so skip that Sunday afternoon nap and chat it up in the comments section. Enjoy the game Yankees family. Go Yankees!

Kuroda: There's a "Possibility" Thursday's Start is My Last as a Yankee

Yankees' Pitcher Hiroki Kuroda admitted yesterday that there's a "possibility" Thursday's start against the Orioles will be his last with the team. 

Kuroda, 39, has been with New York for three seasons now, solidly going 38-33 with a 3.46 ERA during that time.

"It's always a possibility at this age,” Kuroda told The New York Daily News. “Since I started making one-year contracts, I always take it year-by-year. I take every outing as if it’s going to be my last.”

Be that as it may, his Pitching Coach, Larry Rothschild, still has no clue what he'll do when the offseason comes, citing the hurler's being hard to read as a reason. 

“I don’t know; he’s hard to read,” Rothschild said. “I wouldn’t have been surprised if he retired last year. I don’t think he knows right now.”

In recent years, Kuroda has often claimed that he wants to finish his career in Japan. Nonetheless, if a sudden change of heart happens soon it's likely the Yanks would bring him back for another campaign, as the veteran has been nothing but good for them since coming over from the Dodgers.

Yankees Reinstate Tanaka, Designate Chaz Roe


The New York Yankees have officially activated Masahiro Tanaka off the 60 day DL and will pitch him this afternoon against the Toronto Blue Jays. In a corresponding move the Yankees have designated Chaz Roe for assignment. For all you guys that bought your Roe jersey, I'm sorry. Welcome back Tanaka!

9/21 Game Preview vs. Toronto Blue Jays


Happy Tanaka Day! We haven't been able to say that in a couple of months. Today the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays will play for the final time this season as the Yankees continue to play out their Yankee Stadium schedule. The Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound for the first time since July 8 and he will be faced off with the Jays Drew Hutchison. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on on the YES Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Tanaka has been out since July with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament that four doctors suggested he attempt to rest and rehab rather than surgically repair, for now anyway. Tanaka is back and is slated to throw somewhere around 75 pitches this afternoon in the Bronx. Expect Tanaka to be a little rusty and struggle with command and control but the important factor here is to see if he can make it through the start healthy and pain free.

Hutchison is coming off a bad start last time out against the Baltimore Orioles when he allowed six runs to the AL East leading Orioles. Hutchison was shaky early allowing a three run home run in the first inning and a solo home run in the second inning before retiring 15 of 17 batters.

Get your Tanaka Day Yankees tickets for this afternoon's game right here on the blog through Ticket Monster. You get to see Derek Jeter, Tanaka's return to the mound, and you get a Ty Beanie Baby. What you don't get are annoying fees and hidden shipping costs. Buy now. 

Go Yankees!!

SNY Rant Calls Derek Jeter a Fraud



Just in case iframes continues to give this site fits for whatever reason HERE is the direct link to the video.

TGP Daily Poll: The Yankees Won't Use Jose Pirela


The Yankees lost Martin Prado for the remainder of the 2014 season after an emergency appendectomy and in a corresponding roster move purchased the contract of Jose Pirela and called him up to the major leagues. With Pirela becoming a minor league free agent at the end of the season and not heading to the Arizona Fall League you would think the Yankees would want to get him into a few games and evaluate what they have, apparently not. It doesn't look like the Yankees are going to use Pirela at all this season. What say you?

Vote in our poll!

This Day In New York Yankees History 9/21: Farewell to Yankee Stadium


The New York Yankees announced that 2008 would be the final season of the House that Ruth Built as a new billion dollar stadium was nearing completion across the street. Yankee Stadium III, or the House that Jeter Built, was set to be used for the 2009 season and on this day the Yankees said goodbye to the old stadium as they played their final game of the season in Yankee Stadium. The Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles in the last game 7-3 with Julia Ruth Stevens, the daughter of Babe Ruth, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. Derek Jeter and teammates stood on the mound after the game and bid farewell to Yankee Stadium in front of 54,610 fans in attendance.