Saturday, May 23, 2015

Yankees To Call Up Jacob Lindgren!

Yes!!!!!!!!

Saturday Night Open Thread


The Yankees game for the day is in the books as the grounds crew and personnel at Yankee Stadium prepare for Bernie Williams Day tomorrow night in the Bronx. I am preparing for that myself right here on the blog so tonight I leave you with a Saturday night open thread to discuss anything you guys want. Bernie Williams Day, the NBA playoffs, the fact that you’re still mad about the Draft Lottery, whatever you want. Have fun with it and enjoy.


Manfred Thinks New York Shouldn’t Pay A-Rod


The New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez has an unlikely admirer in Robert Manfred, new Commissioner of Major League Baseball, but that doesn’t mean that he necessarily thinks the Yankees should pay him his $6 million bonus. Alex has a clause written into a marketing contract that states that the team owes him $6 million for certain home run plateaus including tying Willie Mays like he did in Fenway Park last month. The Yankees stated before the home run happened that they would fight the $6 million bonus and refuse to pay it and Manfred has been quoted as saying that he thinks the Yankees have grounds not to pay Mr. Rodriguez.

The marketing deal that the team and Rodriguez agreed to in December of 2007 was a separate deal aside from his 10 year deal worth $275 million. With that in mind Manfred was quoted as saying “The Yankees have a well-founded legal position.” We all know why the Yankees are fighting it, the steroid suspension, the black eye to the team, the fact that the home run is no longer marketable in their eyes, etc. The Yankees had 30 days to pay Rodriguez for the milestone home run and when they don’t Rodriguez will have to file a grievance against the team. Rodriguez has been told he will have the backing of the Major League Baseball Players Association if and when he does file the suit which bodes well for his however slim chances.


Rodriguez is batting .246 with 10 home runs and 22 RBI entering the weekend series with the Rangers doing a great job re-entering a difficult situation with his teammates and the fan. The man deserves his money, pay him. You’re only making yourself and the team look bad Mr. Steinbrenner. 

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers 5/23


It feels like we just got done doing one of these and here we are again a mere 16 hours later doing another as it’s game time between the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers. This marks the second time this weekend and the second time in this three game set that these two teams will go head-to-head in the Bronx. This afternoon CC Sabathia is on the mound for the Yankees facing off against the Rangers starter Nick Martinez. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on MLB Network, WPIX Channel 11 and MLB TV.

Tomorrow night is the big ceremony for Bernie Williams Day where he will receive a plaque in Monument Park and his #51 jersey retired. Believe it or not there are still tickets available and we need as many fans as possible to be there because I have said it once and I will say it again, suits don’t cheer. If you can’t make it then that’s fine just join us Twitter (@GreedyStripes) or in the comments section to cheer on Bernie from afar.


It’s a beautiful afternoon in the Bronx and the ball should be flying out of right field today and frankly I’m looking forward to it. Go Yankees!

My Plan for the Return of Masahiro Tanaka


Masahiro Tanaka threw three scoreless innings in a rehab start Thursday night with the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and will likely need two more starts before returning to the major league rotation. The Yankees rotation currently sports Adam Warren, Chris Capuano, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi and today’s starter CC Sabathia leaving what could become a very hard decision for manager Joe Girardi to make when the young Japanese RHP comes back. The good news for Girardi and his binder is I, as always, have a plan.

The Yankees bullpen outside of Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller has not been the strength that the team expected it to be coming into the season, not yet anyway. With the injury to Chris Martin and the inability to get batters out by David Carpenter the team’s biggest strength has turned into a major weakness thus far this season. Although Warren has pitched better of late in the rotation and much better than Capuano did in his debut in 2015, I know all about the one start sample size but after 2014 I just plain ole’ do not like Capuano, Warren would be the better option for the bullpen. Warren has closed games out on New York as recently as last year and can pitch in the 7th, 8th or 9th inning for New York. With his right arm already being stretched out the team could conceivably use him for multiple innings like they do with Miller and Betances taking some of the burden off the other relievers, namely Justin Wilson, Carpenter and Chasen Shreve.

Leaving Capuano in the rotation may hurt a bit but a rotation of Tanaka and Capuano with Warren in the bullpen is better overall then a rotation of Tanaka and Warren with Capuano in the bullpen. Now a rotation of Tanaka and Warren with Jacob Lindgren in the bullpen would be ideal but I am trying to remain realistic here and remember who we are dealing with here. Either way though in two more rehab starts, the health of the remaining Yankees starters pending of course, it looks like the best bet is to move Warren back to the bullpen and keep Capuano in the rotation as the 5th starter.


Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers 5/23


The New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers are back at it again in the Bronx this afternoon after playing a night game last night. With the day game after the night game you can expect manager Joe Girardi to give a couple of his regulars a day off or at least a half a day with the DH position so we may see Garrett Jones and too much of Stephen Drew this afternoon. On the mound for the Yankees will be CC Sabathia who will look to start a winning streak against the Rangers Nick Martinez. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on MLB Network, WPIX Channel 11 and MLB TV.

  • Sabathia is looking for his third straight win on the season this afternoon after winning each of his last two decisions. CC has allowed five runs on 12 hits in 14 IP in those victories walking just two batters and striking out 14 leaving many to believe that CC has finally figured out how to pitch and not just throw. CC owns a career 11-3 record with a 4.45 ERA against the Texas Rangers in his career but has not faced the team from Arlington since the 2012 season.


  • Martinez has enjoyed a strong May thus far posting a 1-0 record with a 3.68 ERA in four starts and has also enjoyed a strong road record this season posting a 1-0 record with a 1.52 ERA on the road, both of which are bad signs for the Yankees this afternoon. Martinez faced New York twice in 2014 and posted a 0-1 record with a 4.91 ERA against the Bronx Bombers which is a great sign for New York. Which Martinez will show up this afternoon in the Bronx? Stay tuned.



New York almost has a full day off after this contest as the team does not play again until 8:00 pm ET tomorrow as a part of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. Frankly I cannot wait to sit on my couch and blow through 85% of my cell phone battery tweeting John Kruk to #ShutTheKrukUp I don’t know about you. Go Yankees!

TGP Daily Poll: Yankees Hit Three Home Runs


The Yankees are playing in the Bronx on a Saturday afternoon against a less than stellar starting pitcher for the Rangers. Sounds like a Bronx Bombers kind of day to me as the Yankees will hit at least three home runs in the contest.


Vote in our poll on Knoda.com

Weekly Check In: Jorge Mateo


Jorge Mateo’s pace and attack on Billy Hamilton’s stolen base record for a single season seems to have slowed down a bit in recent weeks leaving many to wonder if the record is safe for another season. Either way, stolen base record or not, Mateo is still a top Yankees prospect and the top Yankees shortstop prospect in the system with an exciting set of tools to look forward to. How many stolen bases did Mateo get this week? Has the bat come around whatsoever? Let’s take a look:

YearLevGPARH2B3BHRRBISBCSBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
2015A371571635511142971231.250.307.321.629

This Day in New York Yankees History 5/23: David Wells First Start Since Perfection


On this day in 1998 the Yankees David Wells extended his American League record for consecutive outs to 38 when the Red Sox leadoff hitter Darren Lewis grounded out to start the game. Wells was coming off his perfect game in his previous start and retired the last ten batters he faced in Kansas City in the start before setting history.

Also on this day in 1962 the Yankees Joe Peptione hit two home runs in the same inning to become the second player in Yankees history to do so. The Yankees scored nine times in the eighth inning and would beat Kansas City 13-7. Joe DiMaggio became the first Yankee to do it as a rookie in 1936.


Finally on this day in 1948 the Yankees Joe DiMaggio would hit three consecutive home runs with the first two coming off the Indians Bob Feller. The Yankees would beat the Indians 6-5 on this day behind DiMaggio's offensive outburst.