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

Recap: Yankees 4, Rays 1

Adam Warren tossed 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball and the Yankees pitched their way past the Rays, 4-1, on Monday night at Yankee Stadium.

Warren's Smooth Start: With the exception of two wild pitches in the sixth that contributed to the Rays' only run of the evening, Warren was great for the Yankees in this one -- solidly recording six strikeouts while allowing just five hits. He escaped a second-and-third jam in the first with a punch-out of Evan Longoria and a groundout from James Loney -- impressively striking out the side later in the second. 

Working the Count: Due to a similarly nice outing by the Rays' Nathan Karns, the contest remained scoreless into the bottom of the fifth -- when the Yankees finally threatened against Karns with a couple of walks and a single. New York indeed had the bases-loaded when Brandon Gomes issued yet another base on balls to Brett Gardner, giving the Yankees their first run and with it their first lead. 

McCann Can: Batting with one out and the game even at one in the sixth, Brian McCann crushed the go-ahead solo homer off Gomes to the right-field upper-deck -- McCann's second four-bagger of the season and first since April 12. It was a no-doubter on an 0-1 fastball that McCann stopped to admire for a moment, the catcher apparently realizing it was gone off the bat.

Insurance: Shortly after McCann's blast, the Yankees' offense crossed home again on a pair of doubles by Carlos Beltran and Stephen Drew -- stretching their advantage to 3-1 with their dominant bullpen ready to enter. Beltran's knock ended an 0-for-14 skid for the veteran, who is now hitting .167 on the year.

Wilson Helps Warren: Justin Wilson likely hasn't performed to his potential so far in 2015, but at least in this victory, the lefty looked sharp. Wilson fanned the aforementioned Loney to strand a runner at second in the sixth, keeping the Rays in check and ultimately setting Andrew Miller up for the save.

Next Up: The Yankees will try to win this series early when they face the Rays again on Tuesday -- beginning at 7:05 p.m. ET and airing live on MLB Network. Triple-A prospect Chase Whitley (2-0, 2.12 ERA in the minors) will make his first major-league start of 2015 in relief of the regular rotation, opposing Tampa Bay's Jake Odorizzi (2-1, 1.65 ERA).

This Day in New York Yankees History 4/28: Yogi Berra Fired, Billy Martin Hired (Again)


On this day in 1985 Yogi Berra was fired as manager of the New York Yankees after starting the season 6-10. Billy Martin is hired to replace Berra who would be managing the Yankees for his fourth time. Berra vows to never return to Yankee Stadium for as long as George Steinbrenner is the owner of the team and he didn't for 14 years. Eventually Berra and Steinbrenner reconciled and Berra is now a mainstay at Yankee Stadium and in spring training camps.