Saturday, June 20, 2015

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers 6/20


The New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers were nationally televised last night when the two faced off on MLB Network and will once again be on the stage for all to see tonight on FOX. The New York Yankees will play host to the Detroit Tigers tonight inside Yankee Stadium for the second time in their three game set this weekend. The Yankees will send Nathan Eovaldi to the mound to face off with the Tigers starter Alfredo Simon. The game will be played at 7:15 pm ET and can be seen on FOX and MLB TV.

The Yankees have one more game with the Tigers tomorrow and then three more with the Philadelphia Phillies before setting back out on the road to play the Houston Astros out west. You have four more opportunities after tonight to see the Yankees play live in the Bronx so if you’re wanting to make it out live simply click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog to get your tickets in hand to see the team live. If you can’t make it then that’s not a problem simply jump on Twitter (@GreedyStripes) or the comments section of the blog to interact with us during each and every Yankees game.


This is going to potentially be a very important start for Eovaldi so I’ll let him and his 100 MPH throwing right arm do the talking from here. Go Yankees!

Verlander unhappy after allowing A-Rod's 3,000th hit

Though his teammate David Price views a similar experience positively, Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander isn't exactly thrilled he surrendered Alex Rodriguez's 3,000th hit.

"We've talked about it before and have differing views on it," Verlander told the New York Post after allowing the milestone knock, a solo home run, to Rodriguez in Friday's 7-2 Yankees victory. "I don't ever want to give up a hit. I definitely don't want to be part of history that way. Hats off to him."

Rodriguez deposited a first-pitch fastball from Verlander into the right-field seats in the game's first inning, marking the impressive feat in a way only two others have before. Red Sox great Wade Boggs and former Yankee Derek Jeter also logged their 3,000th hits on long balls, Jeter having done so against Price in 2011.

Verlander said he approached Price in between frames, relating to him over their near-identical encounters.

"I came in the dugout and said, 'I know how you feel now,'" Verlander said.

Rodriguez's homer, his thirteenth of the season, gave the Yankees an early 1-0 lead -- the third straight day he has driven in a run.

It wasn't a bomb by any means -- it reportedly traveled just 373 feet -- but it was still far enough to reach the short porch. ESPN Stats and Info tweeted that the shot would have stayed in play anywhere else, a rather telling sign of Yankee Stadium's offensive advantages.

Even Verlander had his doubts about its distance, brief as they might have been.

“I thought it was questionable,” he said. “But then I realized where we were and I knew it was gone. The guy does have 670-ish homers. I didn’t miss by much. He’s just a really good hitter.”

My Plan for the Return of Jacoby Ellsbury


Jacoby Ellsbury is reportedly ahead of schedule in his rehab on his right knee and could be back in the Yankees lineup as soon as the end of June. With the return of Ellsbury looming the Yankees are going to have some decisions to make regarding the roster, a set of decisions that players like Mason Williams are making tougher and tougher on the club.

First and foremost you have to think that Chris Young’s roster spot is safe seeing that he is the only right handed outfielder the Yankees currently have. Also you have to think that Brett Gardner’s spot is safe and his lineup position will be shifted back down to the #2 hole rather than having him leadoff leaving Carlos Beltran and Mason Williams fighting it out for the last spot on the team. Beltran has this year and next year on his contract for roughly $23 million combined while Williams has all his minor league options and is able to be sent down. Williams will be sent down, we all know this, but should he?

Williams is a left handed bat while Beltran is a switch hitter which would leave the Yankees with one less right handed bat option when the team is facing off against a left handed pitcher on the mound if Beltran were to be designated for assignment making the decision tough, but probably necessary, to demote Williams. Mason is another player that can play center field and his speed and energy is a much needed shot in the arm to this team and this offense but the deck is stacked against Williams unfortunately here.


If it were me I would cut our losses and ties with Beltran and send him on his way while I kept Williams around for the rest of the season but I realize how unrealistic that is. This is just another curious case of the Yankees signing of a veteran player and playing him regardless of his track record and effectiveness and how it’s going to affect the team negatively. 

Twitter Poll: All Star Game Caps


The All-Star Game is being played in Cincinnati this season with the Red and the Great American Ballpark playing host to the best from around Major League Baseball. I use the term “best” because if anyone thinks that Omar Infante or 20 of the 27 Royals currently starting the game are the best at their positions then we will have to just agree to disagree. That’s not the point of this blog post, and besides Bryan Van Dusen already crushed that post this week so CLICK HERE if you haven’t read it, but what is at the front and center is just how ugly those hats are. They are ugly aren’t they? Sounds like a Twitter poll:




To be involved in our next Twitter poll head over and follow @GreedyStripes to join nearly 3200 people around the world that follow us. Be on the lookout for our next Twitter poll tweet and your tweet may be showcased on the blog. We will never use your tweet without informing you first!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers 6/20


The New York Yankees will be showcased in prime time on a Saturday Night on the FOX station for a third week in a row when the team plays host to the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium. This is normally Masahiro Tanaka’s normal day to pitch but the Yankees have decided to push him back and give him, and the rest of the starting rotation, an extra day of rest and will instead plug in Nathan Eovaldi on technically short rest. The Tigers have also shuffled around their rotation after being rained out Thursday night and will start Alfredo Simon to oppose Eovaldi. The game will be played at 7:15 pm ET and can be seen on FOX and MLB TV.

  • Eovaldi managed just 36 pitches in his last start recording two outs while allowing eight runs to the Miami Marlins in his first start against his former team. Eovaldi may be pitching for his rotation spot tonight in the Bronx with the impending return of Ivan Nova from the disabled list.


  • Simon was originally slated to start last night against the Yankees and Adam Warren but a rain out allowed the Tigers to reshuffle their rotation and back everyone back a day. Justin Verlander started last night and Simon will face off with Eovaldi still looking to limit the home run ball inside Yankee Stadium.



The Yankees have one more game with these same Tigers tomorrow before welcoming the Philadelphia Phillies to the Bronx to end their home stand. Ivan Nova is expected to be activated either during the Phillies series or shortly after since he worked his way back from the Tommy John surgery that he had in 2014. What the Yankees will do when he is activated is probably dependent on Eovaldi’s performance tonight in the Bronx. Go Yankees!

Meet a Prospect: Willie Randolph


Tonight before the game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers the Yankees will honor former second baseman and team captain Willie Randolph with a plaque in Monument Park. Today is Old Timer’s Day at Yankee Stadium as well with Randolph taking up usual position at second base making this a great day all around for the former Yankees player. The Old Timer’s Day invitation and the plaque in Monument Park do not compare to the honor that I, Daniel Burch, am about to bestow upon him though as I introduce you all to and ask that you meet a prospect, Willie Randolph.

Willie Larry Randolph was born on July 6, 1954 and became a Major League Baseball player and manager before his plaque was put up inside Monument Park this afternoon. Randolph played 18 seasons with six different teams including the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Oakland Athletics, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Mets. At the time of his retirement after the 1992 season Randolph ranked fifth in games played for the position with 2,152, ninth in putouts with 4,859, seventh in assists with 6,336, eighth in total chances with 11,429 and third in double plays turned with 1,547.

Randolph grew up in Brooklyn, New York where he graduated from Samuel J. Tilden High School. While attending there he caught the eye of the Pittsburgh Pirates enough for the team to draft him in the 7th round of the 1972 draft. Randolph made his major league debut three seasons later in 1975 at age 21 before being shipped away with Ken Brett and Dock Ellis to the New York Yankees for Doc Medich. Randolph would go on to spend 13 of his 18 professional seasons with the Yankees and even was named co-captain along with Ron Guidry from 1986 to 1988 by the late George Steinbrenner. As a player Randolph was named to six All-Star teams and a World Series Champion twice in 1977 and 1978 as the Yankees starting second baseman.

When Randolph retired he was immediately hired on as a coach for the New York Yankees where he spent his next 11 years of his career as a base coach and a bench coach. Randolph also managed the New York Mets from 2005 to 2008 before being relieved of his duties after becoming just the eighth person to ever manage and play for the Mets in the franchise’s history.  Randolph led the Mets to the National League East Division title in 2006 and came within one game of reaching the World Series for the first time since the 2000 season before the St. Louis Cardinals ended their season in seven games.  Randolph then interviewed with the Milwaukee Brewers for their managerial position but lost out to Ken Macha and ultimately settled on a bench coach position with the team in 2009. Randolph held that position with Milwaukee until November of 2010 before being named to Buck Showalter’s Baltimore Orioles staff for the 2011 season. Randolph spent one season as the bench coach and third base coach in Baltimore before deciding to part ways with the organization. Randolph spent the 2012 season mostly out of baseball although he did act as the third base coach for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Randolph now serves as an analyst on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight and occasionally is used as a postseason baseball analyst for the league.

All that means very little to Randolph though presumably as he prepares to enter the immortality that is Monument Park inside Yankee Stadium. Randolph spent much of his life with the club and will forever be linked to the team, the stadium and the history. Welcome to Monument Park Willie, it’s well deserved and long past due.


TGP Daily Poll: Yankees Send Three to All-Star Game


With the All-Star Game looming and with the Kansas City Royals dominating the vote in the American League it’s hard for another team to send more than one representative, although I do believe New York will send at least three. Miller, Betances and Teixeira.


Vote in our prediction poll on Knoda.com

Weekly Check In: Jorge Mateo


The New York Yankees have officially added 30th overall pick and college shortstop Kyle Holder to the organization after drafting him and signing him in the 2015 MLB First year Players Draft. Holder along with a slew of the Yankees prospects in the lower level of the minor leagues can now put some pressure on the Yankees top shortstop prospect Jorge Mateo.


Whether Mateo buckles under the pressure or thrives off of it remains to be seen but reinforcements seem to definitely be on the way for New York in the middle infield department. Mateo continued his great season this week stealing bases and getting on base at an impressive clip resulting in this ever growing stat line: 

YearLevGPARH2B3BHRRBISBBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
2015A59257296176226431758.262.316.369.685

Mariano Rivera is Praying for the Yankees

Mariano Rivera, Major League Baseball’s all-time leader in saves and postseason saves visited Israel this week because he had some praying to do. Well I’m sure that’s not why he went to Israel at all but he did do some praying for his former Yankees battery mates inside Jerusalem. Rivera spent the day touring the Tower of David, an ancient Citadel and other famous landmarks in the Old City.


Rivera was quoted as saying “they have a tremendous bullpen. They have a great team, period” and believes that the Yankees are getting by just fine without him. Either way the Yankees need all the prayers they can get right now as they continue to have another June slide and I’m sure I can speak for everyone associated with the Yankees, ownership, players, managers, fans, etc. when I say that we appreciate that Mo. Thank you. 

This Day in New York Yankees History 6/20: Joe DiMaggio… Again


Okay so if this post looks familiar there is probably a good reason for that…. It was posted yesterday. For some reason I was a day ahead of myself and totally skipped “This Day in Yankees History” for 6/19, you have my apologies. You didn’t miss much, the Yankees signed Darryl Strawberry and some guy named Babe Ruth hit some home runs or something but regardless I do apologize and promise not to let it happen again.

On this day in 1950 Joe DiMaggio had a two hit day and collected his 2,000th hit of his career. DiMaggio had an RBI single in the third inning and had another RBI single in the seventh inning to reach the milestone. The Yankees would beat the Indians 8-2 in DiMaggio's 1,537th game of his career.


On this day in 1921 Babe Ruth vaulted himself into second place on the career list for home runs. Ruth would hit his 127th home run helping the Yankees beat the Red Sox in Fenway Park 7-6 in 10 innings. Ruth would pass Sam Thompson on the All-Time list and would find himself just 11 home runs away from the All-Time record holder Roger Connor.