Monday, April 18, 2016

Female Players in MLB? Clint Hurdle Thinks So

Major League Baseball celebrated Jackie Robinson Day on April 15th like they do each and every April 15th but this year things may be a little different. As Major League Baseball continues to grow and diversify itself it seems like these days celebrate less of an African American ball player breaking the color barrier and more of a knocking down of each and every door and stereotype in the league. No longer does it seem limited to just minorities in the game that we all love and enjoy, now it seems like the flood gates are open for anything and everything. Will those flood gates bring in the first female player in MLB? Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle thinks so.

Hurdle, in an interview with ESPNw and the Beaver County Times, was quoted as saying:

"I still believe firmly there is going to be a day where there is a female player in the big leagues. I got that. Where it goes, I don’t know. I don’t believe I’ll be in the dugout to see it.”

Hurdle may be onto something here. We’ve already seen Mo’ne Davis take over the Little League World Series and French shortstop Melissa Mayeux become the first female to be included on MLB’s international registration list in 2015 so the steps are being made in that direction both domestically and abroad. Remember the same Sarah Hudek though, a Bossier Parish Community College student and pitcher, as she already has an amateur win under her belt to boast about.

The potential is there and the necessary steps and movements are being made. I wonder what Goose Gossage will have to say about this one….


ICYMI: Yankees Release Jaron Long, Five Others


Every week the guys and crew over at Baseball America bring us the minor league transactions from the week that used to get overlooked in years past. If it weren't for Baseball America we wouldn't know that the Yankees released six more prospects this week including one pretty big name in my opinion in Jaron Long.

All told the Yankees released Long, the son of former hitting coach Kevin Long, along with KJ Alexander (C), Jake Hernandez (C), Chris Breen (OF), Frank Frias (OF) and another bit of a shocker in outfielder Taylor Dugas.

For the complete list CLICK HERE. 

Most Popular Article of the Week: Imagining a Lineup without Teixeira & with Swisher


The talk all week around the Yankees blogosphere, especially after an off day Monday and a rainout on Sunday, and on Twitter has been the second coming of the man they call Swish, Nick Swisher. Swisher is still working out down in Tampa at the Yankees minor league complex waiting on his minor league deal to be finalized and waiting for his number to be called so he can return to the Bronx. Swisher is not what he once was, not after a pair of knee surgeries and not by a long shot, but the grim reality is that same man that couldn’t crack a rebuilding Atlanta Braves roster could be on his way to a Yankees bench near you. Nostalgia aside what would the Yankees lineup look like tonight in Toronto if Swisher were in it and Mark Teixeira was not?



Let the speculation begin:

Jacoby Ellsbury
Brett Gardner
Alex Rodriguez
Brian McCann
Carlos Beltran
Chase Headley
Starlin Castro
Didi Gregorius
Nick Swisher



Keep in mind this is the lineup I think the Yankees will put out there. This is my speculation on Joe Girardi’s lineup, not my own. Please forward the hate mail accordingly. I’d personally have Starlin Castro hitting second, McCann third to keep the left, right, left thing going and maybe A Rod cleaning up. This lineup doesn’t look as much like a daunting task for opposing pitchers with Swisher in it and Teixeira out of it, does it? Let’s hope for the health of Teixeira if we plan on watching any meaningful baseball this October in the Bronx.

Yankees Off Day Update on the Scranton Shuttle


The New York Yankees may have found a new untapped strategy with their bullpen and what I like to refer to as the Scranton Shuttle. New York over the past calendar year has exploited their 40 man roster a bit by consistently moving players in and out of their bullpen to always have a fresh arm to burn out on any given night. We saw it a ton last season with a pitcher coming up for a game to  throw two or three innings only to head back down to Scranton the very next day for a fresh arm for Joe Girardi to use and abuse.

We didn't show this too much attention last season so this season I wanted to take advantage of slow news days or even Yankees off days to keep a running tally on the Scranton Shuttle just for informational purposes only. Keep it bookmarked because we're going to be updating it all the time.

4/15/16:

Yankees option RHP Luis Cessa to Triple-A. Yankees call up LHP Tyler Olson.

4/16/16:

Yankees option LHP Tyler Olson to Triple-A. Yankees call up RHP Branden Pinder.

Weekly Check In: James Kaprielian


Here we go, the sample sizes are now big enough to justify our weekly check in posts with many of the top or close prospects inside the Yankees farm system. Last year I think we went from top to bottom in our checks with Yankees top prospect Luis Severino being checked first, Aaron Judge second and so on and so forth but this season I want to do a little something different. Now that the Yankees can actually rely on their farm system and have MLB caliber and MLB ready players I wanted to take a look at the prospects closest to the Major Leagues and making their MLB or season debuts in the Bronx.

So who do we start with? I toyed around with starting out the check in posts with Aaron Judge but I truly think it will be James Kaprielian who gets the call first on the Scranton Shuttle all the way to the Bronx. So let's check in with the Yankees first round draft pick from the 2015 MLB Draft who many deemed MLB ready straight out the draft.

YearAgeLevWLERAGGSIPHRERHRBBSOWHIPH9HR9BB9SO9
201622A+110.752212.044102130.5003.00.01.59.8

This Day in New York Yankees History 4/18: Jackson Tricks Tippy


On this day in 1978 Reggie Jackson deceived Indians pitcher Tippy Martinez when Reggie pretended to get angered by getting a sign from third base coach Dick Howser. It was well known that Reggie had the green light in 3-0 counts but pretended to be forced to take a pitch. Martinez threw a fastball right down the middle and Reggie slugged the ball into the bleachers and gave the Yankees a 4-3 walk off victory.


Also on this day in 1972 for the first time in the Yankees storied franchise they played a night game on Opening Day in Yankee Stadium. The Yankees beat the Brewers 3-0 behind a gem by Steve Kline.


Also on this day in 1929 the Yankees became the second team to wear numbers on their uniforms when their Opening Day game was postponed due to rain. The Indians became the first team to wear numbers on their jerseys thanks to Mother Nature. New York assigned their numbers by where you hit in the lineup. Earle Combs wore #1, Mark Koenig #2, Babe Ruth #3, Lou Gehrig #4, Bob Meusel #5, Tony Lazzeri #6, Leo Durocher #7, Johnny Grabowski #8, Benny Bengough #9, and Bill Dickey #10.


Finally on this day in 1923 the Yankees new $2.5 million ballpark was opened in style as Babe Ruth hit the first home run of the parks history. This is where the term "The House That Ruth Built" first started when referring to the original Yankees Stadium. This was the first ballpark to have three decks which sold over 72,000 Yankees tickets on this day. The Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 beating the Sox hurler Howard Ehmke.