The Chase Utley Rant You Should Have Known Was Coming

You guys know me by now, I love to rant and rave about my favorite baseball team the New York Yankees. I truly think I would be an asset to the front office and I believe I do a decent job in player evaluations for someone with two kids, a wife, two jobs and a blog (i.e. a guy too busy to read as many scouting reports or see as many games as I'd like to). The fact that the New York Yankees are interested in second baseman Chase Utley makes me not only question my own intelligence, because honestly I don't see why they would be, but it also makes me question my fandom because it continues to block my favorite prospect Robert Refsnyder.

Utley has been on the disabled list with an ankle injury that will likely keep him from reaching 500 plate appearances in 2015. That milestone is important because there is a vesting option written into Utley's contract for the 2016 season based on plate appearances. With Utley not reaching the milestone he is essentially a month and a half rental for any team that acquires him, why would New York though?

Eventually this little mini hot streak for Brendan Ryan and Stephen Drew is going to subside and they are going to come back down to Earth, why would you throw a monkey wrench into the middle of that during the hot streak for both players? Also this team is built on versatility and defensive consistency, neither of which Utley is at this point in his career.

Where is Jose Pirela? Where is Refsnyder? Could either of them do better then this stat line for Utley? In a word.... likely.

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	65	249	218	18	39	7	4	25	3	21	32	.179	.257	.275	.532	48

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Yet Another Pete Rose Bombshell

No man was more excited about the retirement of former Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig more than Pete Rose. Rose has been banned from Major League Baseball after betting on baseball as a manager of the Cincinnati Reds and also as a player for the same club. Rose almost immediately asked that new Commissioner of Major League Baseball Rob Manfred to review his application for reinstatement and a face-to-face meeting. The deck was already stacked against Rose after the initial investigation into his gambling problem but now it's not just the jokers being removed from the deck for Rose, it's the aces too.

Major League Baseball's all-time hit king has been accused of committing statutory rape not only as a player but also as a member for the Reds. Wow, how the mighty have fallen. Former Rose associate Michael Bertolini admitted to "running down young girls" for Rose in Spring Training as young as 12-14 years old. Rose obviously denied the allegations almost immediately but this has to be the straw that breaks the camels back for his application and potential reinstatement into the league, doesn't it?

In a July 13th interview with WCHE the man who investigated Rose originally, John Dowd, broke the news of these allegations. Here is the exact quote and HERE is the link to the interview:

Q: Do you find Pete a likable person? Did you see the window inside his soul?

Dowd: "Ah, no. I don't. I've been asked that question whether he had any moral bearings at all and the answer is no. There's a lot of other activity. ... Michael Bertolini told us that not only did he run bets, but he ran young girls for him down in spring training. Ages 12-14. Isn't that lovely? So that's statutory rape every time you do that. So he's just not the kind of person that I find very attractive. He's a street guy.

"Did I get along with him? Yes. If I'd had gotten him alone do I think could have brought him around? Yes. He knew we had him. When I played the tapes for him and also showed him the betting slips and fingerprints, he turned green and gray. I mean, I thought he was going to go over in that disposition I took of him. He knew he was a goner. And then he chisels. He gets this book and defrauds the publisher a million bucks. The guy only sold 40,000 copies, so he lost a million. He says, 'I wanna come clean.' He didn't come clean."

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays 8/8

The New York Yankees and the new-look Toronto Blue Jays will face off this afternoon in the second of a three game set this weekend at Yankee Stadium. Pitching is expected to be at a minimum anytime these two teams face off head-to-head although today’s pitching matchup may be the exception to the rule. The Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound looking to build off a great start after fighting tired arm while the Blue Jays will send their newest assassin David Price to the mound to oppose him. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

The Yankees have one more afternoon game tomorrow before and off day and the beginning of a road trip giving you just one more opportunity to click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog and one more chance to see the team live before they leave the Bronx. If you can’t make it live or you’re looking for someone to interact with while the team is out on the road head on over to Twitter and give @GreedyStripes a follow. We’re around for just about each and every Yankees game every season.

Nova is ready to mow down some Blue Jays while the bats are ready to feast on David Price once again in 2015. Let’s watch, Go Yankees!

VIDEO: Watch Yasiel Sierra's Highlight Video

Last week we brought to you the fact that the New York Yankees were interested in right-handed pitcher Yasiel Sierra. Sierra is the latest Cuban born player to defect from his native country in search of a contract with a Major League team and is probably the best pitcher in the pool right now. When we brought you this post we noted that not much was known about Sierra and that we would bring you more when more was available. Well, more is available on Sierra.

Ben Badler of Baseball America released a highlight video of the best Cuban pitching prospect to emerge during this year's international signing period and we bring you that video today. Just as a reminder Sierra would not count against a team's international signing period cap meaning the restrictions placed on the Yankees for blowing past their cap last signing period would not stop the team from acquiring his services. Sierra is a true free agent at this point.

Be sure to click the link SEEN HERE to read what Badler has to say about Sierra and watch the video while giving him the click and the view that he deserves for this free write up. Enjoy.

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays 8/8

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays face off again head-to-head this afternoon at Yankee Stadium with a familiar face in a new place taking the mound in the Bronx. The Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound looking to build on his strong outing last time out to face off with the Blue Jays newest toy, David Price. The Yankees have done well against Price in recent years and especially have this season but Price is too good of a pitcher to feel too much confidence against heading into the matchup. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

• Nova heads into this start fresh off a dominant start last time out. Nova has made seven starts since returning off the disabled list from Tommy John surgery and holds a 3.10 ERA in that span. As expected Nova has struggled with his command at times and has not struck out nearly as many batters as he did in 2013 and prior but has pitched well enough to give the Yankees a chance to win in almost all seven of his starts.

• Price heads into this start against the Yankees, his second in a Blue Jays uniform, fresh off a dominant performance in his last start. Price allowed zero runs in eight innings retiring the last 15 batters he faced in a Toronto victory. Price struck out 11 batters and will look to get the monkey off his back with the Yankees uniform on tonight.

Day games inside Yankee Stadium are always really frustrating or really fun for the fans. I say that because the ball tends to fly out of the ballpark a lot in the Bronx during the day and these two teams can absolutely smash the ball. The Blue Jays may have the best offense in Major League Baseball this season while the Yankees may have the best home team offense in the league, despite what the stats may say. This is going to be fun, or frustrating, but hopefully fun. Go Yankees!

TGP Daily Poll: #TooManyDamnHRs

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays are both known for hitting the long ball and face off three times this weekend in the Bronx. Yankee Stadium is known for giving up its home runs, especially during the day, with New York will hitting more this series.

Vote in our prediction poll on Knoda.com

Weekly Check In: Jorge Mateo

Jorge Mateo, one of the four untouchable Yankees prospects at this season’s trading deadline, has been stellar this season to say the least. His bat is light years ahead of what it was at this point in 2014 and his stolen base totals are going through the roof with every passing game. Mateo has run and hit his way onto the top of most every Yankees prospects list and has also run his way all the way to the High-A Tampa Yankees after being promoted from the Low-A Charleston Riverdogs.

Mateo has a very outside shot at stealing over 100 bases combined this season between his time in Charleston and Tampa, although he would really have to pick up the pace in order to do so, and at one point this season had an outside shot at chasing down Billy Hamilton’s all-time stolen base record for a single season in Minor League Baseball. While the stolen base record would have been nice a fully, healthy and productive season will have to do for Mateo.

Congratulations on the call up Jorge and keep up the outstanding work!

Year	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2015	A-A+	98	419	54	102	18	2	33	74	37	82	.273	.342	.385	.727
2015	A	96	409	51	98	18	2	33	71	36	80	.268	.338	.378	.716
2015	A+	2	10	3	4	0	0	0	3	1	2	.444	.500	.667	1.167

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

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This Day In New York Yankees History 8/8: The New Yankee Stadium

The 2000 edition of the New York Yankees consistently showed a ton of heart and a never say die attitude. This was on display once again on this day in 2000 when the Yankees went into the bottom of the ninth inning down 3-2 to the Oakland Athletics with the Oakland closer Jason Isringhausen on the mound. Isringhausen would throw just two pitches on this day allowing a home run to Bernie Williams on the first pitch he saw and another home run to David Justice on the first pitch he saw. Just like that the Yankees went from being down 3-2 to walking off with a 4-3 victory in the Bronx.

Also on this day in 1972 the Yankees put to sleep the rumors that the Yankees may be leaving Yankee Stadium as they signed a new 30 year lease to play in the "new" Yankee Stadium starting in 1976. The Yankees would honor the 50th birthday of Yankee Stadium in 1973 and would play their home games in the Mets Shea Stadium for the next two seasons while the House that Ruth Built was remodeled.

Finally on this day in 1970 the Yankees held Old Timers Day at Yankee Stadium where Casey Stengel was honored before the game. The Yankees honored Stengel by retiring his #37 uniform number since he led the team to seven World Series championships during his 12 year tenure with the Yankees from 1949-1960.