Thursday, October 1, 2015

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox 10/1


The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox one more time this season. This time of the year is always bittersweet, sure the team is likely going to the postseason and will host a Wild Card playoff game but at the same time even if the team runs the gauntlet I know that baseball is over no matter what in a month. Cherish these four, five or however many games we have left. The Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound tonight to face off against Rich Hill for the Red Sox. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, ESPN2 and MLB TV.

The Yankees are hosting a playoff game this season against one of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Minnesota Twins or Houston Astros so be sure to click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog to secure your seat now. If the past two seasons prior to 2015 has taught us anything it’s that the postseason is no longer guaranteed in the Bronx so take advantage while you still can and let’s make sure the house is rocking come October 6th because as we all know #SuitsDontCheer. Also be sure to follow @GreedyStripes on Twitter to root for the team if you can’t be there live.


One last time in the Bronx and one last time against the Red Sox. Go Yankees. 

Recapping Stephen Drew’s Tenure as a Yankee


In all my years of being a fan of the New York Yankees I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a tenure for a player than that of Stephen Drew. The Yankees have shown Drew the utmost confidence, respect and patience during his season and a half tenure with the team and I have not, for that I apologize. I never truly meant anything by it, the “Stephen Drew Sucks” tweets and such, I am just a fan at the end of the day who happens to put his opinion on the internet in a blog form. Sometimes I was unruly and rude and sometimes I was just plain out unreasonable, I apologize. My sudden change of heart comes after the news that Drew may or may not have a concussion and has been battling a dizziness that may end his tenure and season with the New York Yankees.

Drew was acquired by the New York Yankees at the July 31 trade deadline in 2014 when the team sent Kelly Johnson to Boston straight up for the shortstop. Drew was moved to second base for the Yankees, a position he never played full-time in his career, and after a few early missteps actually took to the position well. Drew’s defense was never the concern, it was always his hitting and his seemingly inability to hit above .200 for any stretch of his tenure here in the Bronx. Drew only played half a season in 2014 after declining a qualifying offer that attached him to draft pick compensation as a free agent and left him unsigned until after the draft that season. That was the reasoning and what caught most of the blame for Drew’s lackluster 2014 campaign so the Yankees decided to take a waiver and give him a one year deal worth $5 million for the 2015 season.

Unfortunately for the Yankees the lack of hitting for average continued in 2015 despite him having a full spring training and even with him playing the full season. Drew did manage 17 home runs this season but barely kept his batting line above the Mendoza line finishing at .201. Home runs are nice but #TooManyDamnHRs is bad and in a lineup that hits far too many home runs, solo home runs at that since no one gets on base consistently, Drew just did not fit into the lineup. Drew finished his Yankees tenure with the below batting line and may or may not be back in 2016. Stay tuned.

Year G PA R H 2B HR RBI SB BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+
2014 46 155 7 21 8 3 15 0 13 36 .150 .219 .271 .491 38
2015 131 428 43 77 16 17 44 0 37 71 .201 .271 .381 .652 79
We wish Drew nothing but the best as he battles these dizzy spells. Even if he hit .000 his health and his life after baseball and away from baseball far supersedes anything that goes on in the stadium. Get well soon Drew and maybe we’ll see you in October. 

End of the Season Comparisons: The Closer


The New York Yankees were heavily criticized this winter when the team allowed former closer David Robertson to leave via free agency to greener pastures in Chicago with the Chicago White Sox after the team signed Andrew Miller to close games in the Bronx. Robertson ended up signing a four-year deal with Chicago worth $46 million while Miller signed for four-years and $36 million, in case you’re terrible at math and don’t have a calculator handy that’s a $10 million difference. Did the Yankees make the right move in allowing Robertson to walk in favor of Miller for less money and comparable stats, you know the kind of move that 29 other teams would make and be praised for, or did the Yankees drop the ball in letting the temporary heir to Mariano Rivera walk?

Miller:

Robertson:


Robertson has been Robertson in 2015 while Miller has been Miller other than the save totals. In Miller’s first season as a full-time closer the left-hander has thrived in the position and not let the pressure get to him. That same pressure we as fans used to think Robertson buckled under as he walked the bases loaded or was forced to pull off another Houdini act. Robertson’s stats in 2015 with the White Sox are comparable to his stats in New York and they have been comparable, but not superior, to Miller’s this season. All-in-all it looks like Brian Cashman made the right decision in letting Robertson walk and by signing Miller although I can’t see many people agreeing with that just because. 

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox 10/1


For the final time this season the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will go head-to-head as both teams look to close out their 2015 seasons. The Yankees have run into the buzz saw that is a red hot Red Sox team this week that has delayed their inevitable clinching of a postseason berth while Boston has presumably enjoyed playing the role of spoiler down the stretch. Tonight in the finale the Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound to face off with a familiar foe in Rich Hill. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, ESPN2 and MLB TV.

  • Sabathia heads into this start tonight, possibly his final start of the season, looking to even up his career record against the Boston Red Sox. Sabathia has made 31 starts in his career against Boston and owns an 11-12 record against them.


  • Hill was a member of the New York Yankees in 2014 but he never dreamed of pitching as well for the Bombers as he has down the stretch for Boston. Hill has struck out 10 batters in all three of his September starts and heads into this start fresh off a complete-game shutout against the Baltimore Orioles.



The final game inside Yankee Stadium for the regular season and the final Red Sox vs. Yankees game of the year, you have to send the fans home happy tonight in the Bronx. 10,000 wins pales in comparison in my eyes to a postseason berth because probably 85-90% of those games were played and won before I was alive and watching. I’ve watched every single game this season, either at home or on my phone at work, and I want to be rewarded with a postseason. Now do it. Go Yankees!

The Yankees Patience Has Paid Off in 2015


When the late and great former owner of the New York Yankees, Mr. George Steinbrenner, was alive patience was not a virtue in the Bronx. Patience was not a word and patience was something that was reserved for those small market teams that couldn’t keep up with New York’s financial superiority. If this had been 2005 and not 2015 Carlos Beltran would have been gone after a lackluster 2014 campaign, Mark Teixeira would have been too and Brian McCann wouldn’t likely be far behind. Jacoby Ellsbury would be wearing someone else’s pinstripes and Masahiro Tanaka would likely be in Triple-A like Kei Igawa. Didi Gregorius would be in Triple-A, Robert Refsnyder who? And Luis Severino, Aaron Judge and Greg Bird would be leading someone else to the postseason.

If George were still running the team things would be great on the surface. Max Scherzer would be a Yankee, Pablo Sandoval probably would be too along with Hanley Ramirez and David Price would have shaved his beard for the Yankees pinstripes. Stephen Drew would not be on the team and Dustin Ackley would have never been given a shot to go on the tear he has been on since returning from the disabled list. Brian Cashman would have been fired a long time ago, who goes nine seasons without a World Series anyway, and the payroll would have exceeded $300 million ages ago. All of this looks great on paper for the now but the future wouldn’t be as bright, there would be no light at the end of the tunnel, hell there wouldn’t even be a tunnel anymore. The window would be closed, Joe Girardi would be fired and the same types of GM’s that tried to trade Jorge Posada multiple times, Mariano Rivera multiple times and Andy Pettitte at least once would be running the asylum. No thanks.

The Yankees have shown an immense amount of patience over the past couple of seasons, and maybe that is truly out of necessity and not out of a change in mindset throughout the organization, and the Yankees have benefited from it in 2015. Beltran has been one of the best hitters on the team in 2015, Mark Teixeira was on his way to a 40 home run and 100+ RBI season before his injury, Brian McCann has set new career highs in home runs while leading the offense and the pitching staff, Masahiro Tanaka has emerged as the team’s ace, Jacoby Ellsbury is hitting over .350 in his last 14 games, Didi Gregorius has finally got from under the shadows left behind by Derek Jeter, the farm system has produced Greg Bird, Luis Severino, Mason Williams, Slade Heathcott, Rico Noel, John Ryan Murphy, Branden Pinder, Caleb Cotham, James Pazos and a slew of others and despite it all the Yankees have continued to win.

It’s been business as usual no matter what is going on with the team. Alex Rodriguez misses basically the entire 2013 season with hip and lower leg injuries and follows it up with a steroid suspension and another missed season in 2014? No problem, give him the chance to compete and win back the hearts and minds. A Rod has a very outside shot of hitting 40 home runs in his age 40 season, he did hit three in one game against the Minnesota Twins this season after all. The Yankees lose Michael Pineda two days before the trade deadline and see David Price being lured over their heads like that guy in the State Farm commercial with the dollar and the fishing pole? No thank you, we’ll hold onto our own and plus Luis Severino into the rotation. And by the way, no we don’t want your former Atlanta Braves All-Star closer Mr. Preller, we like our Jorge Mateo thank you very much.


Nathan Eovaldi leads the National League in hits allowed in 2014 and was well on his way to that in 2015, does this team panic? Absolutely not, you put your head down and you keep working until you get it right, even if it takes all season, and he did. Now you’re afraid of a one-game playoff series? Pfft, this team has dealt with more this season than most and win, lose or draw this team is special. They have the character and the heart to win it all. Now we just have to hope that they have the hot hand, the talent and a little bit of luck to go along with it. 

Baseball America Lists One Yankee in Top 20 FSL Prospects List


Baseball America has been releasing their Top 20 prospects lists for every stop in the minor league farm system and the New York Yankees have been well represented in each of them. The Florida State League, the home of the Tampa Yankees, is no exception as the Yankees had one of their own listed on the list, Tyler Wade. CLICK HERE for the complete list and to give BA a view or two, they do great work and the list is free. Reward them.

The top player on the list was the St. Louis Cardinals RHP Alex Reyes while the New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto and the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Austin Meadows finish off the top three on the list. Tyler Wade, the Yankees shortstop, was ranked 18th overall.

Scoreboard Watching: October 1, 2015


Welcome to October baseball Yankees family and welcome to the final Red Sox vs. Yankees game of the 2015 season. Four games (three games for some teams) separate teams like the Yankees, Blue Jays and Royals from the teams like the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays. The former are all but locked into playoff spots while the latter prepare for a long month of October home with their families.

Thursday, October 1


New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox


Toronto Blue Jays @ Baltimore Orioles


Houston Astros - OFF


Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim


Minnesota Twins @ Cleveland Indians


Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Texas Rangers


Cleveland Indians vs. Minnesota Twins

This Day In New York Yankees History 10/1: Wild Card Weekend

Watch the entire Game 2 of the ALDS above for free!

On this day in 2014 it was announced that Derek Jeter, the recently retired Yankees legend and captain, would be opening a blogging format for athletes to speak directly to their fans. The Players Tribune was born, now on to baseball related news on this day in Yankees history.


Major League Baseball added an additional playoff team to each league before the 1995 season and named the winner the Wild Card winner. On this day in 1995 the New York Yankees became the first Wild Card team in the history of the American League while the Colorado Rockies became the first Wild Card winner for the National League.


Also on this day in 1961 on the final game of the season Roger Maris hits his 61st home run of the season passing Babe Ruth for the single season record. The Red Sox pitcher Tracy Stallard gave up the historic home run. Also on this day exactly two years later a baby was born named Mark McGwire. Ironic.


Also on this day in 1949 the Yankees held Joe DiMaggio Day at Yankee Stadium. DiMaggio took home two brand new cars, a boat, three hundred quarts of ice cream, and a cocker spaniel. On this day DiMaggio was quoted as saying “I like to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee.”


Finally on this day in 1932 a mere 17 years before the Yankees honored the retiring Joe DiMaggio the Yankees welcome DiMaggio to the club as he made his professional debut with the San Francisco Seals. DiMaggio was 18 years old and was the team’s shortstop that season where he hit .340 with 169 RBI and 28 home runs.