Saturday, July 11, 2015

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox 7/11


It is Saturday night and it’s time for some good old fashioned rivalry baseball between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Looking at this series about a month or so ago and you wouldn’t have thought these games would mean much, the Red Sox were struggling and the Yankees seemed to be distancing themselves from the rest of the pack in the American League East Division. Fast forward to today and the Yankees are still in first place with a little breathing room but not much as the Red Sox and the rest of the teams in the division are all bunched up with just a handful of games separating the top from the bottom of the division. The Yankees will send Ivan Nova looking to keep that top spot in the division tonight while the Red Sox will send Eduardo Rodriguez to the mound looking to chip away another game from the Yankees lead. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on FOX and possibly on MLB TV depending on your local viewing area.

The Yankees have one more game with the Red Sox before sending three of their own to Cincinnati to represent the American League in the 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The team will then start a series with the Seattle Mariners and Robinson Cano after the much needed All-Star break with everyone fully rested and ready to go, including us fans. Jump on Twitter (@GreedyStripes) during these games, the All-Star break, the All-Star Game or the series with the Mariners to root for the Yankees  because we here at The Greedy Pinstripes never take a day off.


With that said I’m going to watch some Yankees/Red Sox baseball and jump off of here. Go Yankees!

Former Yankees Update: Jesus Montero


The New York Yankees once had a barren farm system with one exception, Jesus Montero. Brian Cashman set the Yankees world on fire back in 2012 when he traded Mr. Montero to the Seattle Mariners along with RHP Hector Noesi for RHP Michael Pineda and RHP Jose Campos. While Montero has basically been in the minor leagues or suspended ever since Pineda missed two seasons with the Yankees before becoming on the verge of being the team’s ace. While Pineda was winning games in the Bronx Mr. Montero was getting suspended for not being able to take an ice cream sandwich joke down in Class-A Ball but Montero has matured since and has made his way all the way back to the Major Leagues.

Montero was called back up to the majors on Thursday after a ton of hard work and a whole lot of growing up over the past calendar year. The Mariners were set to face a trio of left handed starting pitchers before the All-Star Break and the Mariners wanted to give the right handed hitting Montero at least a few games back with the big club after hitting .332 with 15 home runs and 68 RBI in 84 Triple-A games this season. Montero was leading the Pacific Coast League in hits, runs and RBI at the time of the call up and has a true shot to reclaim some of the hype he lost after “failing” as a top prospect in the Yankees system.


Yankees uniform or not Montero, to me anyway, is a Yankee. For that reason I will continue to root for him, even if Cashman did win that trade for Pineda. 

Rare Baseball Auctions Happening Now on Invaluable.com

I was checking my email this week when I saw an interesting message from the guys over at invaluable.com. Apparently they are having a rare baseball memorabilia sale this next Tuesday, July 14th and the team there is asking for bloggers to spread the word. My first question for the team over there was whether some of their things were Yankees related, this is a Yankees fan site and blog after all, so I got looking around the website and found a few notable Yankees gems there. While most of this stuff is clearly out of my price range I still found it interesting to see the pieces and read the information about them and I figured I’d pass along that information to you today. Not only will this auction be held in Cincinnati, it will also be available online at Invaluable.com. This is an online auction site with a variety of collectibles and memorabilia up for auction daily!



This auction, 2015 Live Auction at T-Mobile All-Star FanFest, will be on July 14, 2015, at 10:30am EST, and will feature a selection of noteworthy auction lots.The sale will feature more than 450 lots of rare baseball memorabilia, including a select grouping of items from the Johnny Bench Collection, which will headline the auction. Items being offered as part of the sale include:



Lot 286: Significant Roy Campanella 1953 National League Most Valuable Player award

Estimated Price: $175,000 - $200,000

Significant Roy Campanella 1953 National League Most Valuable Player award. A star player in both the Negro and Mexican Leagues, Campanella transitioned into the Brooklyn Dodgers Minor League system in 1946 and would ultimately join Jackie Robinson in the Major Leagues in 1948. A fixture in every All-Star Game played from 1949 to 1956, Campy was the National League's Most Valuable Player (3) times in that same span of seasons. In 1953 he set then records for home runs (41) and RBIs by a catcher (142) hitting .312 in the Dodgers effort for a second consecutive National League Pennant. Important original award measuring 16" across has octagonal Sterling Silver placard affixed at front. A gold colored bust of K.M. Landis sits below the second base position of a baseball diamond which also holds "Roy Campanella" engraved nameplate below "Most Valuable Player National League" titling, "Brooklyn Dodgers" team name, and a crossed bats/baseball applique which notes year, "1953." Front is marked, "Sterling Dieges & Clust" and their tacked on metal tag remains on back below an eyelet for hanging. Very clean overall with a few minor scattered imperfections. One of the most high profile pieces of its' type to have entered the marketplace. Includes letter of provenance from the Campanella Family: EX/MT



Lot 254: Important Ted Williams 1960 All-Star Game autographed professional model bat used for his final All-Star game appearance and base hit (Ted Williams Collection Provenance)

Estimated Price: $100,000 - $150,000

We were honored to conduct the Ted Williams Collection live auction event on behalf of the Williams family in 2012 at Fenway Park in Boston. Within that sale was included Ted’s other 1960 All-Star Game bat which also exhibited fine overall use indicative of regular season use after the All-Star Game similar to the offered specimen. The offered bat was only recently discovered within Ted Williams’s former personal residence in Florida along with an incredible handwritten note by William’s own hand. The note is written in pencil by Ted Williams on the back of a local safe company note paper and reads, “1960 Last Bat used single NY Kansas City”. Williams went 0-1 in a pinch hit appearance in the first 1960 All-Star Game played in Kansas City. In the second game played in New York, Ted collected a single in a pinch hit appearance which was also his final base hit in his All-Star Game career (14 total in his career).



Lot 253: 1953 Mickey Mantle All-Star Game professional model bat

Estimated Price: $75,000 - $100,000

1953 Mickey Mantle All-Star Game professional model bat (Direct Team Employee Provenance, PSA/DNA "GU 9"). Significant bat as issued to Mickey Mantle for use in his second All-Star Game appearance is one of the earliest dated examples, which can be definitively dated, to have surfaced. Louisville Slugger 125 model bat has Mantle facsimile signature burned into the barrel along with "All Star Game Cincinnati 1953" in block letter. Model "K55" is factory stamped in the knob and the bat measures 35" long and weighs 33.2oz. An expected level of mild but well defined use is evident throughout with ball and stitch marks visible on the hitting surface along with some rack streaks. The offered bat was obtained directly from Mickey Mantle by the former equipment manager of the Washington Senators continuing with the Minnesota Twins. The young man had worked to earn Mantle's trust by assisting the player while in town for visiting games. In return, the young man asked Mantle for his bat after he was done with it at the 1953 All-Star Game. Mantle obliged and the bat has remained in his personal collection until its current offering. Hitting for both average and power through all of his (18) seasons in baseball Mickey Mantle is firmly established as one of the games' greatest sluggers. Named Most Valuable Player of the American League (3) times, he won the Triple Crown in 1956, and played on (7) Championship teams. In total Mantle enjoyed (20) All-Star Game appearances, a feat topped only by Aaron, Musial, and Mays. Statistics aside, there is a lore which surrounds his name that few others can conjure up. Mantle simply had intangibles which cannot be charted in box scores or accounted for in comparison to the standard measure of pure athletic ability. Includes full LOA from PSA/DNA (graded "GU 9"),LOA from Hunt Auctions, and letter of provenance with related photo (see catalogue image) from the equipment manager: EX



Lot 156: Pete Rose “Babe Ruth Crown” for Outstanding Batting Achievement

Estimated Price: $50,000 - $75,000

Pete Rose "Babe Ruth Crown" for "Outstanding Batting Achievement." Highly visual award piece done in the fashion of the "Sultan of Swat Award" which was an honor bestowed each year, starting in 1956, to the player with the highest slugging percentage. The roster of recipients read like a who's who of great hitters to include Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Ernie Banks, Harmon Killebrew, and even Joe DiMaggio whom was honored in 1956 for his 1939 season statistics. This later period piece, awarded by the same organization, offers similar display value with some subtle differences in text/design. Done in brass with affixed placard at front that reads, in both applied block letter and engraved text, "Babe Ruth Crown Presented to Pete Rose, For Outstanding Batting Achievement, Maryland Professional Baseball Players Association." The (6) points are each done to resemble a baseball diamond with colored jewel fitted at center. Ringing the body are applied crossed bat/ball decor pieces alternating with engraved career related statistics/notations. In fine overall condition with hint of light tarnish/wear mentioned for accuracy. Includes signed letter of provenance from Pete Rose: EX/MT


Feel free to check out other memorabilia and collectibles up for auction.

I want to finish this by pointing out that the site or myself are not making a dime off these. This isn’t some sales pitch that gives me a percentage for clicks or sales, no commissions etc. I just geniunly wanted to bring this to you guys and let you know what was going on. Buy something, look around or don’t it is all fine by me. Just giving you something to do before the game begins here in a couple of hours.




Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox 7/11


For the second time this weekend the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will go head-to-head inside of Boston’s Fenway Park. Last night we were entertained by a pair of aces as Michael Pineda and Clay Buchholz faced off and tonight should be another good pitching matchup with the Yankees sending Ivan Nova to the mound to face off against the Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on FOX and maybe MLB TV. The last two times the Yankees played on FOX I had one game blacked out and one game available on the site, I guess it depends on what is showing on FOX in your local area.

  • Nova is coming off his first rough start of his 2015 season after he gave up for runs, three of them earned, on six hits to the Tampa Bay Rays. Nova did last five innings though and kept the team in the game in an eventual loss. It should be expected that Nova will struggle from time to time with his command and effectiveness after coming back from Tommy John surgery so quickly so let’s hope it was just a bump in the road.


  • Rodriguez will be making his first career start against the New York Yankees tonight inside Fenway Park after making the first four starts of his career against American League East teams. Rodriguez is 1-2 with a 7.08 ERA in his career, a number that hopefully goes up tonight against the Yankees.


The Yankees have one more game on Sunday before the All-Star Break begins and boy do the Yankees need it. The team hasn’t had many off days in this first half, has faced a tough schedule and hasn’t had Mother Nature intervene and cancel a single game this season. That’s what you call a jinx, what was I thinking? Anyway here’s to hoping the team stays healthy and gets a couple more wins before the All-Star Game next week in Cincinnati. Go Yankees!


Pete Rose Officially Grasping At Straws


“One thing I never did was cheat the fans.” – Pete Rose in an interview with the USA Today.

What a way to start an article, a Pete Rose quote that will likely anger some, shock others and make most of us just shake our heads at how delusional the hit king was become. I have been one of the biggest supporters of Rose when everyone thought that the betting on baseball that ended up getting him permanently banned from the game of Major League Baseball happened solely as his time as a manager. When new news broke that there was evidence Rose bet on games as a player I completely washed my hands of him, I had to. Now Rose is still hoping to meet Commissioner Rob Manfred and still has hopes of getting reinstated, even if he’s simply grasping at straws.

Rose said in that same interview that he was “open to almost anything” to get his lifetime ban thrown out and open to almost anything to get back into the game and potentially into the Hall of Fame. Rose is hoping that he can meet with Manfred face-to-face when the game turns its eyes and attention to Cincinnati next week when the Reds host the 2015 MLB All-Star Game. Rose, who has been working as an analyst for Fox Sports and Fox Sports One, has long had his application for reinstatement in and was basically ignored by Commissioner Bud Selig but now has high hopes now that Manfred has taken over.

Rose was banned in 1989, a mere four years after he set the Major League Baseball record for hits in a career, after denying that he bet on baseball. It wasn’t until his autobiography came out in 2004 that he finally admitted to betting on baseball but only as a manager. New evidence revealed to us by ESPN’s Outside the Lines proved that Rose bet as a manager and as a player which seemingly put the nail in his coffin for reinstatement but Rose is still grasping at straws and hopes for the sit down meeting with Manfred.


Whether Rose is really grasping at straws or whether Manfred is ready to forgive and forget remains to be seen but things should get very interesting next week in the Great American Ball Park. Stay tuned. 

TGP Daily Poll: Yankees Get Boston Strong For A Weekend


The New York Yankees are going to get “Boston Strong” this weekend and win the series with at least two victories over their rivals, the Boston Red Sox. A sweep would be better because it could bury Boston but I can’t see it happening.


Vote in our prediction poll on Knoda.com

Weekly Check in: Jorge Mateo


Jorge Mateo has been the talk of the town in recent weeks in regards to prospects in the Yankees farm system. Both Baseball Prospectus and Baseball American released their post-draft Top 50 Prospects List and while Mateo was not quite able to crack the list and join Luis Severino and Aaron Judge the Yankees 20 year old shortstop did get honorable mentions on both lists.

Mateo has eclipsed the 50 stolen base plateau this season for the Charleston Riverdogs and has opened eyes not only at Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America but has also opened the eyes of many Yankees fans. Mateo seems to be the future for not only these top prospects lists but also seems to be the future of the Yankees farm system and the future at the shortstop position.

Mateo’s biggest knock against him has been his bat and he has made tremendous strides this season with it. While he isn’t a .300 hitter, and honestly he may never be, he has shown an ability to get on base, gap power and a baseball IQ beyond his years.


Mateo is the future and we are all witnesses, cheesy I know but it really is the way I feel. 

YearLevGPARH2B3BHRRBISBBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
2015A763253779137229562564.271.333.384.717

This Day in New York Yankees History 7/11: Robbie Cano Wins the Derby


The New York Yankees have not been well represented over the years at the Home Run Derby but in 2011 they had Robinson Cano donning the pinstripes. Cano chose his father to throw his pitches to him in what turned out to be a great decision. Cano would hit 12 home runs in the final round of the derby to beat Adrian Gonzalez to become the fourth straight left handed swinging player to win the derby. What a moment for all families and baseball fans alike as Cano and his father shared an amazing moment.

Also on this day in 2010 the legendary Bob Sheppard died at age 99 as the "Voice of God" returned to God. Sheppard earned the nickname from former Yankee Reggie Jackson and announced over 4,500 games during his 56 years behind the microphone in Yankee Stadium.

Finally on this day in 1999 Major League Baseball held its first Future's Game and the Yankees Alfonso Soriano made the best of it going 2 for 3 hitting two home runs. The World would beat the USA 7-0 at Fenway Park and Soriano would be named the game's MVP.