Brett Gardner Had Abdominal Surgery

Brett Gardner apparently had abdominal surgery this offseason to fix a core muscle in his abdominal area. This could explain all the lower abdominal issues that Gardner had this season, no? Guess those muscles aren't used to hitting 15 home runs a season. Anyway, here is the press release from the Yankees:

Yankees OF Brett Gardner underwent surgery to repair a core muscle injury to his right rectus abdominis muscle on October 16. The surgery was performed by Dr. William Meyers at the Philadelphia Vincera Institute in Philadelphia, PA.

Gardner would need four weeks of recovery time to begin baseball activities and the surgery happened three weeks ago so we should see a 100% healthy Gardner in spring training 2015.

Sports Illustrated: Top 50 Free Agent Rankings

On Monday we looked at MLB Trade Rumors predictions and rankings for the Top 50 free agents this offseason and where the crew thinks they will land. Today we will look at the list that Sports Illustrated released to compare. CLICK HERE to see the full article but I have picked the Yankees related excerpts for you here.

MAX SCHERZER

Position: SP | Age: 30

Current Team: Tigers

Best Fit: Yankees

2014 Stats: 18-5, 3.15 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 10.3 K/9

Scherzer bet on his health and his performance by turning down the Tigers' reported offer of a six-year, $144 extension last March. We've got a winner. He exceeded 30 starts for the sixth straight year, and he even surpassed the standard he set during his Cy Young-winning 2013 in a few ways, including strikeout rate and innings pitched. Now he's in line for a richer deal and can play where he chooses. Rather than list the reasons why he'll end up in New York, it might be easier to ask: Why wouldn't he end up in New York?

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  HANLEY RAMIREZ

  Position: SS | Age: 30

  Current Team: Dodgers

  Best Fit: Yankees

  2014 Stats: .283 BA, .817 OPS, 13 HR, 71 RBI, 14 SB

  Ramirez is the scariest type of free agent. He is a player whose superior talent will earn him lots of money for a long time, but who has at various points had issues with attitude, effort and injury (he's missed at least 34 games in three of the past four years), and who is no longer exactly young. Still: the talent. You might have heard that the Yankees need a shortstop, and while Ramirez should really be playing third at this point in his career, the shortstop market is thin, especially after the Orioles resigned free-agent-to-be J.J. Hardy in September. They could turn to Ramirez, with the idea that he'd move fifty feet to his right after a few years.

Watch the Entire Game 6 of the 2009 World Series Here

I know I am a couple days late on this but there has actually been stuff to talk about in the news and such. On this day yesterday in 2009 the New York Yankees were back on top of the baseball world when they captured their 27^th World Series championship in a six game victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Watch the entire series clinching victory here on the blog. Don’t let the boss catch you. Enjoy. 

Which Top 10 Free Agents Should the Yankees Sign?

The offseason is upon us and the hot stove is warming up as the World Series is over and it’s time for qualifying offers, arbitration, and free agency. The Top 10 free agents always have the biggest names and biggest contracts every season and the Yankees always seem to be right in the middle of the ruckus every single year. The Top 10 free agents this season, in no particular order, include Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, Max Scherzer, Jon Lester, James Shields, Melky Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Yasmany Tomas, Nelson Cruz, and Russell Martin. Which free agent should the Yankees sign?

This space was left intentionally blank because I don’t think the Yankees should sign any of them. The more I see and the more I read about Ramirez the more I want to walk away. The rest seem like potentially the next in line of terrible contracts I will be complaining about on the blog in four or five years. The Yankees should stay away from the top heavy free agents and contracts and go middle of the road and for the right fit this time around. Throwing money at people is not working anymore and it’s time to try something new. Try something that the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and others are doing rather than what we have been doing for the last 50 years, it may work. 

Alex Rodriguez Admits Steroid Use From 2010-2012

How ironic on the same day I ask for a day free of Alex Rodriguez bashing that the news would break that Alex actually admitted steroid use according to the Miami Herald. Alex met with the Drug Enforcement Administration this January and admitted to steroid use during the 2010-2012 seasons.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

Yes, he bought performance-enhancing drugs from Biogenesis of America, paying roughly $12,000 a month to Anthony Bosch, the fake doctor who owned the clinic. Yes, Bosch gave him pre-filled syringes for hormone injections into the ballplayer’s stomach, and even drew blood from him in the men’s room of a South Beach nightclub. And yes, the ballplayer’s cousin, Yuri Sucart, was his steroid go-fer.

Alex Rodriguez and a Challenge

Monday my friend and fellow writer Jack Niemuth reported that Alex Rodriguez paid his cousin Yuri Sucrat (I know it’s Sucart but when you have to be paid by your flesh and blood not to tell on you and then you do it anyway, you’re a rat) $900,000 to keep is steroid use quiet. It’s just another day in the New York Yankees offseason before the 2015 season and another story concerning Alex Rodriguez.

I have a challenge for all you sports writers, bloggers, beat writers, etc. I fully understand and appreciate the fact that it’s your job to report on what’s going on. I can also relate to the fact that sometimes you put a misleading headline or harp on certain things to garner views and such. I get it, I do, but when Bryan Van Dusen and myself started this blog we wanted to do things a little different than most. We didn’t want to recycle the same garbage and the same posts and the same stats like everyone else because why would they come read us when they could read that on River Avenue Blues, Lohud, NJ.com, etc. Plus we want to do things our way because we are fans, we’re not paid and we don’t expect to ever get paid out of this venture we do it because we love to do it.

On to the challenge…. Can we go one day, I’m not asking a lot for just one day, without bashing A Rod? Can we go one day without dedicating this offseason to A Rod? Can we go one day without mentioning A Rod? Please? See what you can do and get back to me. Thanks. 

TGP Daily Poll: Ervin Santana Will Accept Qualifying Offer

Just a quick poll to get your Wednesday started. Last season Ervin Santana declined his qualifying offer from the Kansas City Royals and if it weren't for a rash of Tommy John surgeries in the Atlanta Braves rotation he would have likely faced the same fate as Stephen Drew and Kendrys Morales. Santana will accept the qualifying offer from Atlanta.

Vote in our poll.

Madison Bumgarner is no Wade Boggs

Just an interesting tidbit to start your day Yankees family. I was reading my bookmarked material as I always do and came across an article that stated how San Francisco Giants World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner wanted to ride a horse during the World Series parade. Bumgarner is an experienced horse rider but was ultimately not allowed to ride the police horse down the streets of San Francisco.

Concerns over the rain, the confetti cannons going off, and the golden shoulder and arm on Bumgarner kept him from riding the horse but the police chief did compromise and let him take a picture on it. This got me reminiscing about Wade Boggs riding the police horse through Yankee Stadium after the 1996 World Series victory.

Bumgarner may be good but he’s no Wade Boggs. 

This Day in New York Yankees History 11/5: Derek Jeter Wins Rookie of the Year

It was on this day back in 1996 that Derek Jeter was unanimously selected by the Baseball Writers Association of American to be the American League Rookie of the Year. Jeter hit .314 with 10 home runs and 78 RBI in his rookie campaign as the 22 year old shortstop became only the 8th Yankees to win the award and the first since Dave Righetti in 1981. Congrats Jete, that kid is going to go far I think.