Thursday, March 24, 2016

Gary Sanchez Sent to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

I'm not surprised at this tweet from Mr. Boland, as I've expected the Yankees to send Sanchez to AAA for some time now. Not because he can't cut it in the Majors, but because it makes sense to hold onto as many options as possible until your forced to do differently.

As for the other two catchers vying for the backup role behind Brian McCann, there's Austin Romine and Carlos Corporan. It's possible that only one of those two will be with the Yankees come Opening Day, as Romine is out of options and Corporan can opt-out of his contract at the end of Spring Training.

Therefore, if Sanchez won the backup role, the Yankees could have very well lost two... not just one... catching option. It's possible Corporan would accept a minor league position, seeing as how nobody seemed willing to give him a Major League contract this offseason. But why risk it?

My guess is the Yankees take Austin Romine to New York, and let Carlos Corporan decide whether to take the backup role in Scranton or try another team. This way the Yankees could keep all three catchers in the organization. However, I think Corporan will opt-out and at least try to find a starting AAA gig elsewhere.

Yankees Spring Training Open Thread 3/24


So what happened today down at Yankees spring training camp today? Let's get caught back up.

Chaz Hebert, Yankees pitching prospect that went down to the Arizona Fall League this season, informed us all that he would require Tommy John surgery and would miss the entire 2016 season. This is terrible news for a guy that was on the brink of Triple-A and eventually the Major Leagues. Come back stronger Chaz and if you're reading this (and you'll know what this means) "Princess Probz."

The Yankees and the Rays are facing off tonight at George M. Steinbrenner Field with CC Sabathia going for New York. This will be one of the last starts this spring for Sabathia and if he wants to win a starting rotation job he needs to start pitching like it tonight.

More when the game is over!


David Ortiz Talks Bat Flips, Hypocritically I May Add




If you ask 100 people and baseball fans around the country you’re likely to get a pretty good divide on where they stand as far as bat flipping goes. Some fans will be all about it, remember hitting a Major League pitch is one of the hardest things to do in the world and hitting a big home run in a big spot is about a million times harder, while some will look down on the players who do it. That’s what makes the game so much fun as a fan, you have the traditionalists and you have the progressive fans all thrown into one ballpark with one common goal and prize that we’re all rooting for, winning. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, including today’s receiver of my latest rant Mr. David Ortiz, but all I ask for personally is some consistency. 

Ortiz did an interview with the Boston Globe on the subject of bat flips and was quoted as saying this:
“Whenever somebody criticizes a power hitter for what we do after we hit a home run, I consider that person someone who is not able to hit a homer ever in his life. Look at who criticizes the power hitters in the game and what we do. It’s either a pitcher or somebody that never played the game. Think about it. You don’t know that feeling. You don’t know what it takes to hit a homer off a guy who throws 95 miles per hour. You don’t know anything about it. And if you don’t know anything about it, [shut up]. [Shut up]. Seriously. If you don’t know anything about it, [shut up], because that is another level.”

Ortiz continued to say this:
“Of course as a pitcher you’re not going to like it if I take you deep, but after I do it, suck it up, man. Take it like a man. I don’t mind anybody doing anything when you strike me out or get myself out. You’re never going to see me criticizing anybody, because you know what? Whatever you do out there, you just motivate me. You just motivate me. If I take you deep and I pimp the [expletive] out of it that should be motivation for you to try to get me out in my next at-bat, instead of just talking [expletive]. That’s the way I see it.” 

Now this is where my issue comes in. Ortiz did later say that pitchers are allowed to fist pump and shoot fake arrows and all that stuff, and he’s right, but he also said there was “no babysitting” and “no crying” in baseball. Really? Like Ortiz has done for years every time someone has thrown him inside or he struck out on a pitch he didn’t agree with? Come on Papi, really? You’re telling people not to cry? Seriously? I don’t even have it in me to rant about this, this one wrote itself.

What are your thoughts? Leave them down below or tweet me @GreedyStripes.


New York State Says Goodbye to DraftKings & FanDuel


After much speculation and rumors and after a long battle in court the state of New York has won their court case against online daily fantasy sports sites like DraftKings and FanDuel. Both DraftKings and FanDuel will halt paid contests in the state of New York as a part of a deal reached between the sites and the state’s attorney general. No more daily fantasy for many of the people reading this right now, bummer.

New York Attorney general Eric Schneiderman agreed to drop all the claims and charges against the sites minus the claim of false advertising in the agreement. The state of New York believes these sites violated the state’s gambling laws although this injunction is still under appeal at this time.

New York is now the ninth state where the daily sites will no longer offer paid contests because of state gambling laws joining Arizona, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Washington and surprisingly Nevada. Texas will become the 10th state on May, 1 2016 when their own lawsuit against DraftKings and FanDuel comes to an agreement.


Yankees ST: Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees 3/24


The Tampa Bay Rays are fresh off their game with the Havana national team and are fresh off the plane from Cuba to face off with the New York Yankees inside George M. Steinbrenner Field. The Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound looking to take the next step towards securing the Yankees 5th starter spot out of spring training.

The game will be played at 6:35 pm ET but unfortunately the game cannot be seen or listened to live anywhere at this time.

Watch out for James Kaprielian


There are many examples of the New York Yankees going against what the fans think they should do and it all working out in the end. Sure there are examples and debates to be made for both sides but at the end of the day we as fans will never have the access or information that the Yankees GM and front office does. It is what they do with it that separates New York from the rest of the league sometimes though, for better or worse, and this was no more evident than in the 2015 MLB First Year Players Draft. Brian Cashman, the Yankees GM, caught much flak for his two first round picks last season in Kyle Holder and James Kaprielian from the fans but at least one of them is making Cashman and company look awfully smart right about now.

When Holder was drafted he was drafted as a raw talent despite the fact that he was a college shortstop. Holder had not committed himself to baseball full-time until a season before being drafted so while his defense at short is considered to be elite and MLB ready his bat leaves much to be desired. While Holder is probably at least two seasons away we may see the MLB debut of Kaprielian this season, and the rest of the league better watch out.

Kaprielian was drafted, we thought anyway including myself, because he was a polished college arm that was considered to be MLB ready straight out of the June draft. What I don’t think any of us saw coming was Kaprielian’s uptick in velocity and absolutely dominating stuff in the minor leagues. Kaprielian came out of the draft with a ceiling of a #3 starter but if Kaprielian can pitch the way he has been pitching at the Yankees minor league complex New York may have another future ace on their hands that is ready as soon as the 2016 season.

On Monday Kaprielian started against the Toronto Blue Jays in a minor league game and worked three innings facing 11 batters. Kaprielian did issue a walk and a hit or two but he managed to strike out seven of the 11 batters he faced with a dominating fastball and devastating slider. Kaprielian was clocked anywhere from 94-97 MPH with the fastball while his slider was coming in at 85-87 MPH.

Kaprielian is expected to skip Low-A Charleston and head straight to High-A Tampa to start the season with his eye on the ultimate prize, the Bronx, before the end of the 2016 season. Kaprielian seems ready and the New York Yankees are absolutely ready to have another stud starter in their rotation, is the rest of the league ready for it? I hope not.


Yankees Rename Four Fields After Four Yankees Legends


The New York Yankees were busy being the Evil Empire again this week when they renamed four of their fields at the team’s minor league complex after four former Yankees legends. The Yankees have four fields down in their minor league complex that were aptly named Field 1, Field 2 so on and so on but now these fields are named after the Yankees legends who wore those specific numbers.

Field 1 is now known as Billy Martin Field, the Yankees former player and manager who has his #1 jersey retired by the team. Field 2 is obviously known as Derek Jeter Field for the former Yankees legend who retired now two seasons ago. Field 3 and Field 4 should be obvious, Babe Ruth Field and Lou Gehrig Field respectively.

Martin, Ruth and Gehrig all have their numbers retired by the Yankees while Jeter is expected to join that exclusive list soon. The minor league facility hosts Yankees minor league players during spring training and also lets the extended spring training players and Gulf Coast League Yankees use the facilities during the regular season.

Another great gesture by another great organization. I am proud to be a part of this family.

This Day in New York Yankees History 3/24: Babe Ruth Takes a Pay Cut


On this day in 1933 Babe Ruth, another victim of the great depression in the United States, was forced to take a pay cut of $23,000 from his $75,000 salary. #Merica