Thursday, April 30, 2015

Yankees Off Night Open Thread


The Yankees are off tonight so instead of a game thread I promised a few of my friends in the comments section of the site that we would start doing more off night open threads. You asked and I forgot 100 times but I finally came through, open thread! Talk about anything, the Baltimore riots, the upcoming series with the Red Sox, Masahiro Tanaka’s forearm, anything goes. Have fun guys and enjoy the night off!

Andrew Bailey Shut Down w/ Shoulder Strain


The New York Yankees have been bringing relief pitcher Andrew Bailey along for parts of two seasons now and when the team thought they were finally close to getting him back they have to shut him down. Bailey has been shut down and had an MRI on his throwing shoulder that showed a slight strain. There is no word on how long this will keep him out but considering everything the Yankees have invested in him for two years I'd say it will be longer than necessary.

Bailey was close to being activated after finally pitching in back to back games and has come in to start fresh innings as well as in the middle of innings. Bailey had hurdled every challenge before the strain slowed him down so let's hope it's a small bump in the road and he gets back on the mound sooner rather than later.

Highly-Touted Aguilar Joins RiverDogs



Highly-Touted Aguilar Joins RiverDogs

Infielder promoted to Charleston; Valerio transferred to Extended Spring Training

CHARLESTON, SC - The New York Yankees have announced that infielder Angel Aguilar has been added to the Charleston RiverDogs roster and that infielder Allen Valerio has been transferred from Charleston’s roster to extended spring training.

Aguilar was signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent in 2012 and embarks on his fourth season in professional baseball. The Venezuela-native played in 39 games with the GCL Yankees 2 squad and hit .311 with 11 doubles, a triple, 7 home runs and 31 RBI. He is ranked by Baseball America as the No. 22-ranked prospect in the Yankees’ organization. In his young career, the 19-year old has compiled a .267 average with 10 home runs and 79 RBI in 150 games.

Valerio leaves the RiverDogs after playing in 13 of the first 18 games this season. He hit .125 (6-for-48) with a home run and 8 RBI. He was signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent in 2012 and has a career average of .254 with 14 homers and 94 RBI.

COMING UP: Charleston and Asheville square off in the opener of a three-game series today (Tuesday) beginning at 7:05 p.m. The RiverDogs are scheduled to send LHP Jordan Montgomery (2-1, 3.52) to the hill while the Tourists send RHP Zach Jemiola (2-1, 3.00).

The RiverDogs remain on the road for three more games before they return home and play host to the Hickory Crawdads (Rangers affiliate) for a four-game series starting Friday, May 1. The homestand opens with an ISHPI Red Shirt Friday and a postgame fireworks show sponsored by Home Telecom. If you can't make it to the games, be sure to tune in and listen to the broadcast starting with the Zaxby's pregame show beginning at 7:00 p.m. on "The Big Talker" 1250 WTMA. The game can also be heard on WTMA.com and RiverDogs.com.

Off Day Yankees Walk Up Music Recommendation


This marks the second off day for the New York Yankees that we have recommended a player’s walk up music so it’s only right that the music should come from the second batter in the Yankees lineup, Brett Gardner. The first time we did this post we led it off with Jacoby Ellsbury’s music and today we bring you Gardner’s music which is Hell on Wheels by Brantley Gilbert, whoever that is. 

Can The Yankees Keep Hitting?

The most surprising thing about the 2015 season so far is the fact that the Yankees are scoring quite a few runs. Before the season I don't think anybody thought the Yanks would be anything like the "Bombers" of the past. And when I say "Bomber", I'm not just talking about runs scored, as the 2015 Yankees are actually one home run away from being tied for having the most in all of Major League Baseball.

"Yep, this came from an actual Yankees home run."

When it comes to run production, the Yankees are currently tied for 3rd in total runs in the American League at 109, meaning they've scored 4.95 runs/game. For reference, they only scored 3.96 runs per game over the past two seasons.

So the question on my mind, and likely on the minds of many, is this... can the bats keep it up?

Well, in order to try and predict that, I decided to take a look at three statistics.

The first two are likely to sound familiar to people that have read my stuff before... Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP) and Line Drive Percentage. The third one is something that I feel bad for not paying attention to before... Contact Percentage. 

Those three stats answer three key questions...

Is this guy making more or less contact than normal?

Is he hitting the ball as well as normal?

Is he getting lucky or unlucky on batted balls falling in for base hits or not?

The third question, and the stat that attempts to answer it (BABIP), isn't so "cut and dry". However, you can't deny that luck can play a part in production, so I think it's something that should be taken into account.

For example, if a hitter is making the same amount of contact as he normally does (Contact Percentage), is hitting the ball as hard as he normally does (Line Drive Percentage), and is as lucky as he normally is (BABIP), then chances are what we're seeing is what we can expect in the future.

I'm going to look at all the regular players... splitting them up into three categories. And after giving their name and numbers in the three aforementioned statistics, I'll give each a quick write-up.

They're Going To Keep It Up

Brian McCann
BABIP: .300/.283 (.231 last season) Line Drive Percentage: 21/19 (24 last season) Contact Percentage: 88.1/84.3 (86.1 last season)
- While I could see his numbers coming down, due to his BABIP and Contact% being a bit higher than normal, I don't think it'll be much.

Stephen Drew
BABIP: .163/.297 (.194 last season) Line Drive Percentage 29/21 (19 last season) Contact Percentage: 82.8/81.5 (78.8 last season)
- That low BABIP, plus the fact he's making a similar amount of contact as he normally does, may make you think brighter days are ahead fo Drew. However, his line drive percentage is going to go down a decent amount, which makes me think we'll see more of the same.

Chase Headley
BABIP: .296/.330 (.301 last season) Line Drive Percentage: 27/22 (31 last season) Contact Percentage: 76.4/77 (79.8 last season)
- I can't bring myself to believe his BABIP will go up towards the .330 it's been throughout his career. His contact rate is right in line with what we should keep seeing. And although he might not hit the ball as hard as he has so far this season, I don't see him going down much... if at all.

Brett Gardner
BABIP: .311/.266 (.256 last season) Line Drive Percentage 14/19 (22 last season) Contact Percentage: 83.5/88.5/86.5
-A rare example of somebody that's not hitting the ball hard, but has a higher than normal BABIP. Chances are both those numbers return closer to average, meaning his overall production with the bat remains the same. If you want to be optimstic, though, his contact percentage should improve, making his numbers go up a bit.

They're In For A Negative Correction

Jacoby Ellsbury
BABIP: .359/.322 (.296 last season) Line Drive Percentage 22/21 (27 last season) Contact Percentage: 87.2/87.6 (86.5 last season)
-That BABIP is just too high to continue. Adding the fact that his line drive and contact percentages are in line with his career norms makes me think his production will go down some.

Alex Rodriguez
BABIP: .282/.318 (.292 in 2013) Line Drive Percentage 32/19 (25 in 2013) Contact Percentage: 67.2/75.4 (72.2 in 2013)
-As you can see by that line drive percentage, Alex is hitting the ball very well. Unfortunately, I think it's too well to continue. When you take into account that a lower BABIP and contact rate makes sense after more than a year away from the game, I can see his production slipping some.

Chris Young
BABIP: .324/.273 (.247 last season) Line Drive Percentage: 21/18 (23 last season) Contact Percentage: 77.1/77.5 (81.2 last season)
-Did you really think Young was going to continue hitting for an OPS of .950? If it makes you feel any better, and I think it should, there's a good chance his production doesn't go down a whole hell of a lot. I mean, he'll still hit the ball as hard as he has been, and as often, it's just that a few less batted balls will fall for base hits.

They're In For A Positive Correction

Mark Teixeira
BABIP: .157/.286 (.233 last season) Line Drive Percentage: 22/20 (22 last season) Contact Percentage: 83.3/80.6 (79.3 last season)
-He's hitting the ball as hard as ever, so that BABIP tells me his numbers will go up. Perhaps he won't hit home runs at his currect clip, but he continue to contribute nicely with the bat. Mind you, his contact rate is a bit higher than normal, but it's not enough that I don't think an improvement is coming.

Didi Gregorius
BABIP: .271/.279 Line Drive Percentage: 13/25 Contact Percentage: 79.8/79 *he's young enough that I don't think it's necessary to look at his previous season
-He's not hitting the ball nearly as well as he has in previous seasons, but he's still making as much contact as ever. So while he's not getting "unlucky" when it comes to BABIP, there's reason to believe his production at the plate will go up.

Carlos Beltran
BABIP: .227/.300 (.252 last season) Line Drive Percentage: 23/20 (21 last season) Contact Percentage: 78.9/82.8 (83.9 last season)
-Watching him at the plate makes it really hard for anyone, let alone Yankees fans, to think he'll improve. But that BABIP is incredibly low, he's still hitting the ball hard, and he's not making as much contact. Add it all together, and I can't help but be optimistic about Beltran's future as a hitter.


In summary, four players should keep doing what their doing, three players should hit better, and two* should hit a little worse. If both of the guys that could get worse were hitting in the heart of the order then I might be little worried, but the ups and downs are spread throughout the order making me think that the Yankees could keep scoring like they have been. 

*I said "two" instead of "three" because one of them (Chris Young) is a part-timer, meaning his production or lack thereof shouldn't make a big different. Plus, if he's hitting poorly, his playing time will go down. The only reason I included him in this is because I was curious if he could keep hitting like he has.

How cool is that?

Twitter: Will Tanaka Pitch Again For Yankees in 2015?


The game on Tuesday night was ruined for many after news broke that Masahiro Tanaka would be heading to the 15 day DL with a small forearm strain. The calls for Brian Cashman’s head for not allowing Tanaka to get Tommy John surgery last season began almost immediately even though the elbow was reported to be unchanged in the MRI. Either way it’s a bummer to lose your #1 starter for at least a month but will the Yankees lose him for the entire year? Well I asked that very same question to our followers on Twitter and here are their responses.






To be involved in the next one of these posts, because I usually do one at least once a week, then give us a follow on Twitter (@GreedyStripes) and look out for one of my tweets. I will always inform the readers that I will use their tweet in a blog post before I use it. What say you, assuming you don’t have a Twitter or missed this tweet, will Tanaka pitch again for the Yankees this season? Leave a comment in the comments section. 

Didi Gregorius and others for Troy Tulowitzki, Would You Do It?


Let’s have a little fun this morning since there isn’t a Yankees game to get ready for and I’m frankly tired of talking about Masahiro Tanaka. Let’s talk about making an off the wall trade that will probably never happen and a trade that I’m not even sure I would be all for to be honest, let’s talk about another trade for the Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Many this offseason scoffed at the idea of having Tulo in the Yankees lineup due to his hip surgery and general health questions but Tulo seems to be full recovered from the hip injury and may be primed to finally play shortstop in Yankees pinstripes in the Bronx if the Rockies decide to trade him in July.

If the Rockies trade Tulowitzki then the team has to go into full blown rebuild mode, and will have to trade Carlos Gonzalez as well if healthy, which is where Didi Gregorius comes in. Gregorius has a ton of team control left for a marginal league minimum salary heading into his arbitration years. Didi will miss out on Super Two status in 2015 and even with a few break out seasons will cost the Rockies less in the long haul then Tulo would. Obviously the Yankees would have to throw more into the deal but as long as that deal did not include Aaron Judge or Luis Severino then I think the deal could conceivably get done and get done in the Yankees favor.

What Tulo brings back to the Yankees would be a right handed power threat to balance out the lineup and really add some dynamic to the team. If you look at things from 2014 and compare them to 2015 offensively Brian McCann is still off to a slow start and so is Carlos Beltran. Mark Teixeira is better but overall the only real addition to the team has been a right handed hitting Alex Rodriguez. Chase Headley is on the team but his stats aren’t as good as Yangervis Solarte’s were at the beginning of the 2014 season and Stephen Drew pretty much pushes Brian Roberts’s production. One man, a soon to be 40 year old man at that, changed the dynamic of the lineup simply because he takes his walks, hits for power and can balance out a very left handed lineup. Adding Tulowitzki to that mix and taking essentially your worst hitter and turning him into your best hitter can only make this team better.


For those worried about Tulo’s health one must consider the fact that the Yankees have the DH in the American League and can give him half days off at least once a week if they so choose. Also the team has a suitable defense replacement in Brendan Ryan for those times that Joe Girardi feels compelled to give Tulo a day like he’s been known to do. Tulo’s hip surgery doesn’t worry me as much as it this offseason either after the shortstop came out of the gate, albeit in still a small sample size, hitting .297 with a .312 on-base percentage with two home runs and 10 RBI. I’m not dogging on Didi here and I’m not calling for him to be traded no matter what but if the deal makes sense then you have to do it. This deal, depending on the other moving pieces, makes sense for the Yankees even if it still likely won’t happen for New York. 

TGP Daily Poll: Yankees Continue Winning in Boston



The New York Yankees have won consecutive series against the Tampa Bay Rays twice, the New York Mets and the Detroit Tigers. That trend continues this weekend when the team takes two of three against the Boston Red Sox in Fenway.


Vote in our prediction poll on Knoda.com

Weekly Check In: Tyler Austin


At first we started off by just checking in with a few of the top Yankees prospects and we have now grown into checking in with a different prospect every single day. We have gone from Luis Severino to Robert Refsnyder and now to one of my personal favorites, Georgia boy Mr. Tyler Austin. Austin has been bounced all over the field since being drafted by New York playing various infield positions before settling in as an everyday outfielder for the Scranton RailRiders. Let’s check in and see just how Austin is doing as he continued his quest towards manning the right field position in the Bronx and inside Yankee Stadium: 


YearLevGPARH2B3BHRRBIBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
2015AAA18756152018219.208.227.278.504

Recap: Rays 3, Yankees 2

Michael Pineda tossed a pedestrian 5 2/3 innings, surrendering two earned runs on six hits as the
Yankees fell to the Rays, 3-2, in a 13-inning affair Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. 

Pineda Hittable: Pineda cruised through this one's first two frames -- recording three of his five strikeouts while not allowing a baserunner -- but struggled to put hitters away from the third inning on. He gave up a two-out, two-run triple to Kevin Kiermaier in the fourth -- ultimately settling for his second no-decision of the season. 

Bronx Bombing: Down 2-0 and floundering offensively against the Rays' Drew Smyly, the Yankees got on the board in the fifth with Chase Headley's third home run of the year -- a line drive to left that cleared the wall in a hurry. Chris Young then connected on a solo shot of his own in the sixth, tying the contest in a way obviously displeasurable to Smyly. 

You Can Exhale, It's Just a Blister: Shortly after fanning two in a scoreless top of the eighth, Dellin Betances could be seen limping on his walk to the Yankees' dugout -- a scene that must've scared the club in the midst of Tuesday's injury to Masahiro Tanaka. Joe Girardi revealed in a post-game interview, however, that it was just a blister ailing Betances -- nothing that will sideline the reliever this weekend.

Good, But Not Perfect: The Yankees' bullpen solidly held the Rays to just one run over 7 1/3 innings on the afternoon, but was unable to claim the victory due to that one mistake. It came with Chasen Shreve on the mound in the Rays' half of the thirteenth, when James Loney plated Steven Souza with a sharp single to right.

A-Disappointment: Still one homer shy of 660 for his career, Alex Rodriguez had a truly terrible day at the dish for the Yankees -- failing to reach base and striking out four times in six at-bats. He had a chance to do some damage with a man on in the thirteenth, but rolled into an inning-ending double play instead.

Next Up: The Yankees are off on Thursday, but return to action Friday with a visit to the Red Sox. First pitch for the series opener at Fenway is set for 7:10 p.m. ET, with the winless CC Sabathia (0-4, 5.96 ERA) facing Boston's Justin Masterson (2-0, 5.16 ERA).

This Day in New York Yankees History 4/30: 51 Saves in a Row for Mo


On this day in 2010 Mariano Rivera ties Eric Gagne's major league mark when he saved his 51st straight game at home in as row in a 6-4 Yankees win over Chicago. Rivera also struck out two batters to move ahead of Roger Clemens for 10th place on the Yankees all-time list with 1,015 K's.

Also on this day in 1989 the Toronto Blue Jays traded outfielder Jesse Barfield to the Yankees for pitcher Al Leiter. Barfield led the American League with 40 home runs in 1986 but would only bat .231 with 62 home runs in four seasons in the Bronx. Leiter would finish 26-24 in seven years in Toronto.

Also on this day in 1988 Dave Winfield ties the major league RBI record for April with 29 RBI's. Winfield was on base for every single game that April and tied the Dodgers Ron Cey in 1977 and Dale Murphy for the Braves in 1985.

Also on this day in 1939 Lou Gehrig's iron man streak comes to an end at Yankee Stadium. Gehrig's final game would be a 0-4 against the Washington Senators and the streak would come to an end at 2,130 consecutive games played. Gehrig finishes with a career .340 batting average and 490 home runs in 17 seasons, all with the Yankees.


Finally on this day in 1903 the New York Highlanders, which 10 years later would be renamed the New York Yankees, would play the first game ever played at Hilltop Park. The Highlanders would beat the Washington Senators 6-2. The Highlanders would finish in fourth place but would have a 41-26 home record in their first season which is very impressive.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Ivan Nova & Chris Capuano Injury Updates


The New York Yankees have a pair of starting pitchers that are working their way back from various injuries in Ivan Nova who had Tommy John surgery and Chris Capuano who is battling a right quad  injury. Both are expected back sometime soon with Capuano possibly coming back in May and Nova finally coming all the way back sometime in June, if not sooner.

Nova threw a simulated game and has been facing live hitters for a few weeks now and seems to be ready to pitch in an extended spring training game as soon as this weekend. Nova threw against minor league hitters Monday and threw 15 pitches in an inning of work, 12 of those pitches were recorded as strikes. 

Capuano has been out since spring training when he strained his right quadriceps muscle but has already made his appearance in extended spring training. Capuano faced some minor league players from the Philadelphia Phillies and threw four shutout innings allowing one hit and striking out seven batters. This was Capuano's second extended spring game  and may be a little more than two weeks away at this point. 


Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays 4/29


There’s no better way to spend an afternoon in New York City than to be sitting in the Bronx at the beautiful and historic Yankee Stadium. This is especially true when the Yankees play host to one of their American League East rivals in the Tampa Bay Rays like they do this afternoon. The pitching matchup for this afternoon is Masahiro Tanaka  Michael Pineda for the Yankees and Drew Smyly for the Rays with Pineda pitching on his normal rest and Smyly making just his second start of the season. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV.

Get your Yankees tickets right here on the blog through our Yankees Tickets link on the top of the blog and have your tickets in hand for when the Yankees return home to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium. If you’re in Boston sleeping with the enemy you can also grab a pair of tickets for this weekend’s series right here on the blog without any fees or shipping costs associated with the purchase. If you’re going to stay home like I am then join me on Twitter (@GreedyStripes) and/or the comments section of the blog to interact during the game. We try and live tweet every single game so join us, we love being social.


That’s enough from me Mr. Pineda take it from here. Go Yankees!

Some of the Better Mustaches in Yankees History


Brett Gardner is leading a mustache growing team building movement inside the clubhouse of the New York Yankees which got me thinking about the history of the Stache' on the Yankees. As we know the Yankees still ban any facial hair besides a well kept mustache and that rule looks here to stay for at least the considerable future but that hasn't stopped some notable Yankees from growing some pretty incredible mustaches. This is not all the mustaches these are just some of my personal favorite, what are yours?

Randy Johnson

Joba Chamberlain

Jason Giambi

Goose Gossage

Jared Burton

Nick Johnson

Jeff Nelson

Reggie Jackson

Wade Boggs

Phil Hughes

Tom Selleck

Dave Winfield

Don Mattingly









Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays 4/29


The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays will finish off their three game at Yankee Stadium this afternoon with a day game and a getaway game in the Bronx. New York looks to keep their strangle hold on the Rays as the Yankees have dominated Tampa Bay thus far this season, a trend that could continue this afternoon with Masahiro Tanaka Michael Pineda on the mound for the Yankees. Drew Smyly will be on the bump for the Rays as he and Tampa Bay looks to get out of New York with a victory. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV.

  • Michael Pineda is making the start on normal rest for the now injured Masahiro Tanaka.


  • Smyly has only made one start this season after starting the year on the disabled list and is still building up his pitch count. Smyly only lasted 4.2 innings against the Blue Jays in his season debut but does own a 1-0 record with a 1.17 ERA in three career appearances at Yankee Stadium. Hopefully the Yankees can ugly up that pitching line a little bit this afternoon.



The Yankees have a day off tomorrow before starting a 17 games in 17 days stretch that starts off on the road in Boston’s Fenway Park. It will likely be all hands on deck this afternoon in the bullpen although Joe Girardi would likely stay away from Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances if he absolutely could. Go Yankees!

TGP Daily Poll: Pineda Wins In Place of Tanaka



Michael Pineda wins this afternoon in place of Masahiro Tanaka. I had more but you know that whole Tanaka injury happened. Oh well. 


Vote in our prediction poll on Knoda.com

Weekly Check In: Greg Bird


This marks the second time that Greg Bird has been checked in on here on the blog as we struggled to get our stables of prospects situated but better late than never is what I always say. Bird has been struggling in the batting average department after winning the Arizona Fall League MVP Award honors but has been hitting his home runs and taking his walks. Most importantly Bird and that back of his have been healthy so let’s take a quick look at how far that back have allowed him to travel this season:

YearLevGPARH2B3BHRRBIBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
2015AA177412157028109.246.378.459.837

Recap: Yankees 4, Rays 2

Chase Whitley had a solid first start of the season, surrendering just one earned over a nice five innings to lead the Yankees past the Rays, 4-2, on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.

Whitley's W: Whitley held the Rays to just six hits in his five frames of work, impressively striking out six while walking one. He let the potential tying run reach third in the third and fourth, but escaped both jams unharmed thanks to some clutch punch-outs. 

McCann Still Can: A day after hitting his second home run of the year off Brandon Gomes, Brian McCann continued to swing a hot bat against Tampa Bay's Jake Odorizzi -- driving in three of the Yankees' four runs on a couple of hard-hit doubles. The latter of those knocks came with two on in the bottom of the fifth, when McCann easily plated a pair with a liner to the left-field gap. 

Esmil's Got This: Esmil Rogers pitched 2 2/3 shutout innings of relief for the Yankees to give the rest of the bullpen a much-needed break -- striking out five and allowing a hit. Rogers entered the contest with Logan Forsythe on third and one out in the sixth, quickly fanning Tim Beckham and inducing a Rene Rivera groundout to end the threat. 

Early Offense: Following a single to start off the Yankees' half of the first, Jacoby Ellsbury stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error -- setting up Brett Gardner favorably for a subsequent RBI groundout. It was the ninth time in their last twelve games the Yankees have scored first, likely contributing to the club's 10 victories during that stretch. 

Martin the Closer?: Due to their notable recent usage of Andrew Miller, the Yankees had Chris Martin close this one out instead -- a task Martin seemed to have no problem with. He retired three of the four Rays he faced to collect his first career save, clinching for New York a fourth straight series win.

Next Up: The Yankees will look to sweep this divisional set Wednesday when they meet the Rays for the finale in the Bronx -- beginning at 1:05 p.m. ET and airing live on the YES Network. Michael Pineda (3-0, 3.86 ERA) will get the ball for the Yankees now that Masahiro Tanaka's hurt, facing former Tigers lefty Drew Smyly (0-0, 3.86 ERA).

This Day in New York Yankees History 4/29: Blue Jays, Thumbs Down

On this day in 2006 the Yankees rout the Toronto Blue Jays 17-4 to become the sixth American League team to score in all eight innings that the team came to bat. The only other time a New York Yankees team scored in every inning of a full game was in July of 1939 when they beat the Browns 14-1 in Yankee Stadium.


On this day in 1939 Lou Gehrig came up to plate at Yankee Stadium in the fourth inning and laced a single off of Washington Senators pitcher Ken Chase for his 2,721st and last hit of his Major League career. Gehrig would finish with the Yankees franchise record for most in history, recently passed by Derek Jeter. The Iron Horse and the Yankee captain's record would stand for 70 seasons until another 35 year old captain passes him in 2009.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Masahiro Tanaka Injured His Wrist?

Stay tuned...

UPDATE 8:35 pm: It looks likely that Tanaka is headed to the 15 day DL. Jack Curry says Tanaka has a mild forearm strain after an MRI.

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays 4/28


It’s a Tuesday night and the New York Yankees are playing at home in the Bronx against one of their bitter rivals in the American League East, the Tampa Bay Rays. Ladies, gentleman and Michael Pawluck it is game time as Yankee Stadium plays host to tonight’s Jake Odorizzi and Chase Whitley pitching matchup in the Bronx. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

Get your Yankees tickets for tomorrow afternoon’s game before the team sets back out on the road and travels to Fenway Park. By clicking our Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog we can give you a discount on top of already discounted ticket prices through our friends at Ticket Monster. If you can’t make it to the Bronx then join me on Twitter (@GreedyStripes) or join your fellow Yankees fans on the comments section of the site to interact during every single game.


That’s enough out of me though I’ll let Mr. Whitley take it from here. Go Yankees!

Alex Rodriguez Coaching, Whitley Coming Up, Petit Going Down

Just a quick catch me up before the game tonight as Didi Gregorius is working with Alex Rodriguez at shortstop. The two went through some defensive drills this afternoon as A Rod looks to at least settle down Gregorius in the field.

It's also worth noting that Chase Whitley has been called up to start tonight while Gregorio Petit has been optioned to Triple-A. It looks more and more likely that after the start Jose Pirela will come up and join the big league club.

Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame Seeks Nominations

Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame Seeks Nominations
Committee solicits nominations from the public by May 11

CHARLESTON, SC – Once again, the Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame is seeking nominations for the Class of 2015.

The Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame is located inside Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park, and once an individual or team has been nominated, there is no need to re-submit.

An advisory committee consisting of knowledgeable and local volunteers was created to come up with names as potential nominees.  The group selects annually up to seven candidates for consideration and voting is conducted by fans.  Ballots will be available online atwww.riverdogs.com and at Riley Park during RiverDogs home games.

The maximum of three individuals/teams that receive the most votes will be inducted into the Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame during ceremonies prior to the Friday, August 7 RiverDogs 7:05 p.m. game against the Savannah SandGnats.

Originally designed for professional players who played for local professional team, the Hall of Fame seven years ago was adjusted to include amateurs and teams, in addition to those who played in the major leagues.

The Class of 2014 included Reese Havens, David Hoffman and Billy Swails, Jr., while the Class of 2013 consisted of Gettys Glaze, Tom Hatley and John Rhodes.

In the Hall of Fame’s inaugural year in 2003, James Island’s Gorman Thomas and Holly Hill’s Willie Randolph were enshrined as the first members.  David Cone was inducted in 2004 and John Candelaria received the nod in 2005.  Ty Cline, Mike Cook, Gary McJunkin and Chal Port comprised the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2006, marking the first time that amateurs and teams were considered for induction. 

In 2007, inducted were the 1955 Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars and The Citadel’s 1990 College World Series team along with Modie Risher and Anthony Jenkins.  The Class of 2008 included Bryce Florie, Charley Smith, Richard Wieters and Danny Jones while the Class of 2009 consisted of John Dodds, Jr., W.S. “Bull” Durham, Donald Morillo and Doug Pounder. 

In 2010, the enshrined group included Lee Glaze, Fred Jordan, D.K. Walters and Kenny Wilkinson while in 2011, fans selected Roberto Alomar, William Ackerman and Mike Kimbrell.

To nominate an individual or a team for consideration in 2015, please forward appropriate support information to The Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame, c/o Charleston RiverDogs, PO Box 20849, Charleston, SC  29413, or email it to pr1@riverdogs.com.  Deadline for submissions is May 11.

CHARLESTON BASEBALL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

2014 – Reese Havens
            David Hoffman
            Billy Swails, Jr.

2013 – Steven Jackson
Drew Meyer
            Britt Reames

2012 – Gettys Glaze
            Tom Hatley
            John Rhodes

2011 – Bill Ackerman
            Roberto Alomar
            Mike Kimbrell

2010 – Lee Glaze
Fred Jordan
D.K. Walters
Kenny Wilkinson

2009 – John Dodds, Jr.
            W.S. “Bull” Durham
            Donald Morillo
            Doug Pounder

2008 – Bryce Florie
            Danny Jones
            Charley Smith
            Richard Wieters

2007 – 1955 Cannon Street YMCA All-Star Team
            1990 Citadel World Series Team
            Anthony Jenkins
Modie Risher

2006 – Ty Cline
            Mike Cook
            Gary McJunkin
            Chal Port

2005 – John Candelaria

2004 – David Cone

2003 – Willie Randolph
           Gorman Thomas

Are They or Aren’t They Marketable Milestones?


Keeping in mind that I am far from a lawyer and sometimes guilty of living in an oversimplified black and white world when the world we live in is anything but that you have to wonder if Alex Rodriguez has any chance of winning this impending fight with the New York Yankees over his $6 million marketing milestone bonus for tying Willie Mays on the all-time home run list. If I understand this correctly, and I believe I do because I researched this for hours over the past few weeks, the contract that Rodriguez signed with these $6 million bonuses for tying Mays, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds and eventually passing Bonds was a separate contract from his player contract, it was a marketing contract, and you have to wonder if the Yankees don’t have a point about the lack of marketability surrounding Rodriguez.

Again, from what I understand the Yankees were going to pay Alex for the rights to the videos and images of his historic home run which was evidently clearly expressed in the terms of the contract. Again, being pretty black and white, you would think this is a pretty cut and dry case. If the Yankees don’t want to own or use the videos and images when the home run occurs then why would they want to pay for them? If this was written into his MLB mandated guaranteed player contract that would be another story but you cannot write in milestones and accomplishments like that into your player contract according to the collective bargaining agreement. Alex can sue and the Players Union can get involved, and this will get ugly once again before it gets resolved, but I can’t see Mr. Rodriguez getting this one out of the Yankees unfortunately.

ESPN made an interesting point on Sunday night when they were talking about it and it makes you wonder if the Yankees and Alex would be willing to meet in the middle somewhere and avoid another black eye to the organization. No one comes out the good guy if the Yankees refuse to pay Rodriguez and Rodriguez files a grievance but there is one way for everyone to come out on top here. Donate the $6 million to a charity and let the marketability of Rodriguez feed the children of New York City or something like that. Doesn’t that seem like something maybe a certain someone, *cough* Derek Jeter *cough*, would do?


I don’t pretend to know Rodriguez’s financial situation and he may very well need the money but honestly he should have thought about that before doing steroids the second time. I’m the biggest A Rod fan you will meet but I don’t let that blind me to the facts and blind me to what is right and wrong. Rodriguez screwed up and he paid his time and the Yankees don’t see him as marketable to the general media anymore, and if you have listened to any of his at bats on the road this season you would know that they are correct. Rodriguez can take his losses and gain something from it by avoiding lighting the Bronx on fire once again and maybe wins back a few fans in the process. It’s probably not worth $6 million to him but in the end it could mean so much more so do the right thing A Rod and show the world your human side once again. 

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays 4/28


For the second time this week the New York Yankees will play host to the Tampa Bay Rays at home in the Bronx and inside Yankee Stadium. This is the second time that these two teams have faced off and thankfully this is the second time this season that New York has missed having to face Chris Archer who has not allowed a run in his last four starts. On the mound tonight New York faces off against Jake Odorizzi so you have to think Brian McCann will be in the Yankees lineup while catching Chase Whitley. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

  • Whitley will be making his first start of the season after the Yankees called him up from Triple-A after losing out on the 5th starter job in Spring Training. Whitley may have pitched better than any of the candidates for the job but the fact that he had minor league options and the others didn’t was truly the decision maker. In three starts in Scranton Whitley has gone 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA after going 4-3 with a 5.23 ERA in 12 starts and 24 games in 2014 with New York.


  • Odorizzi is fresh off a quality start his last time out which was his fourth in a row including the last time the Yankees and the Rays met. His previous start was made against the Boston Red Sox where he allowed just one run in 6.2 innings in a victory. Odorizzi is not 2-2 in his career against the Yankees including a 5.82 ERA and 1-1 record inside Yankee Stadium.



Tanaka has looked much better in his last two starts and the Yankees bombed Odirizzi when they faced him a couple weeks back so New York has to be confident coming into this game. I know I’m confident and that’s quite a drastic change from the last four or five years when the Rays were always a thorn in the side of the Yankees. Tampa has a ton of pitching on the way back so the Yankees have to get their wins in now while they can and hopefully they get another one tonight over the Rays. Go Yankees!

Will Carlos Beltran Make it through 2015 in Pinstripes?


Yesterday morning and afternoon all that was on my mind was Carlos Beltran and whether he was going to snap out of this funk he’s in. If Beltran does not snap out of it you have to wonder just how long his leash is in New York. Would he make it through the season on the team? Would he get benched? Would he get designated for assignment? Would he accept a trade by waiving his no trade clause and would anyone take him? Those are all legitimate questions that I don’t believe anyone has an answer for, but I asked you guys on Twitter anyway and this is what you had to say.






Honestly I think the Yankees can’t keep running him out there. The window to win a championship or even make the playoffs with this team in its current state is small and getting smaller by the day. There is little room to improve the roster via free agency in 2016 and there is little room, roster wise, to improve the team from within. The team is going to be another year older and another year past their primes in 2016 so if the Yankees are going to win it has to happen now, and I can’t see that happening right now with Carlos Beltran clogging up the middle of the lineup with strikeouts.

To be involved in our next social media blog post follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes. 

TGP Daily Poll: #660 Comes at Home Against Tampa



Alex Rodriguez is a mere one home run away from a milestone, not a marketing home run mind you, home run that would tie Willie Mays on the all-time home run list. That home run will happen before the Yankees leave the Bronx and Yankee Stadium this week.


Vote in our prediction poll on Knoda.com

Weekly Check In: Aaron Judge


Aaron Judge is easily the top outfield prospect that the Yankees have and the right field position may be the biggest glaring weakness that the Yankees have. You would think this was a match made in heaven, and it would be for most teams, but not for the Yankees. New York took a polished college bat and not only delayed his professional debut due to injury they are now keeping him down in Trenton when he has little to prove there. How long can they keep Beltran in the lineup and guy like Judge down on the farm? Well with stats like these, not long I hope. 

YearLevGPARH2B3BHRRBIBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
2015AA16729213138419.313.361.522.883