Yankee Stadium Off Day Music Recommendation featuring Aaron Judge

Back in January someone asked Aaron Judge what he wanted his walk-up music to be if and when he reached the Major Leagues and he answered with something I don't think anyone before him has. He said he would use the intro music to the popular television show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Okay then, when you're that big and that good you can do whatever you want.

In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.

Press Release: Nestor Cortes Wins FSL Pitcher of the Week Award for Tampa Yankees

LHP Nestor Cortes Named FSL Pitcher of the Week

Tampa, Fla. - The Florida State League named Tampa Yankees LHP Nestor Cortes "Pitcher of the Week" today. This honor was for games played August 15th - 21st.

Cortes retired the first 19 batters he faced, taking a perfect game into the 7th inning in a win at Brevard County on Friday, August 19th. The 21-year-old pitched seven (7.0) innings, allowing only two (2) hits while striking out nine (9) batters and not issuing a walk to earn his fourth win of the season.

This is the fourth year of professional baseball for the 2013 First-Year Player Draft pick (36th round) from Hialeah, FL.


The Tampa Yankees are the Single-A Advanced Affiliate of the New York Yankees. For more information about the Tampa Yankees call (813) 673-3055 or visitwww.tybaseball.com.

Press Release: Single-A Classification and Realignment Changes Coming to MiLB

Minor League Baseball Announces Realignment in its Single-A Classification 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Minor League Baseball today announced the Class-A Advanced Carolina League will add two teams for the 2017 season as part of a broader realignment at that level of play. The California League’s Bakersfield Blaze and High Desert Mavericks will cease operations at the completion of the 2016 season.

 
The 2017 season will see a return of professional baseball to Kinston, North Carolina. Kinston served as the home of Carolina League clubs from 1956-57, 1962-74 and 1978-2011. Several locations are under consideration for the second Carolina League club, with Fayetteville, North Carolina having made steady progress toward a stadium that would see play beginning with the 2019 season. Fayetteville served as the home of a Carolina League club from 1950-56, and as the home of a South Atlantic League club from 1987-2000. 

 
“This step was taken with the best interests of Minor League Baseball, both leagues and our Major League Baseball partners in mind,” said Minor League Baseball President & CEO Pat O’Conner. “California League President Charlie Blaney, Carolina League President John Hopkins and the club owners in both leagues worked to address this important issue and I thank them for their efforts. We are happy that professional baseball will return to Kinston and we are pleased with the steps Fayetteville has taken to bring professional baseball back to that great city as well.” 

 
The Kinston club will be owned by the Texas Rangers, who have a 12-year agreement with the city of Kinston to provide a team to play at historic Grainger Stadium. The city of Fayetteville recently approved a memorandum of understanding, a key step toward a new downtown ballpark. The affiliate and ownership of that club will be announced at a later date, and the club would play in a temporary location until the ballpark is completed. 

 
“The Texas Rangers are very happy to be bringing baseball back to the great city of Kinston and we want to thank Minor League Baseball and the Kinston leadership for helping us to make this a reality for 2017,” said Texas Rangers Ownership Committee Chairman Neil Leibman. “We are excited about creating the best fan experience possible at Grainger Stadium, and we look forward to working with the city of Kinston and its residents to make it a top Carolina League franchise.” 

 
“Realignment doesn’t happen often, and we are excited to be a part of this process that addresses some issues important to our industry,” said Carolina League President John Hopkins. “It’s flattering that clubs are making a major commitment to become part of our league, enabling us to return Carolina League baseball to an outstanding community where we have some memorable history and we look forward to selecting our 10th city in the near future.” 

 
“As a league we worked diligently to explore alternatives to realignment, but the lack of alternatives combined with the importance of this project to address broader issues within Minor League Baseball led us to help facilitate this realignment,” added California League President Charlie Blaney.   

“It is with great regret and reluctance that the Mavericks are one of two teams being contracted from the California League, as the Mavericks would prefer to remain in Adelanto as members of the California League,” said High Desert owner Dave Heller. “The uncertainty of the future, stemming directly from the City of Adelanto’s effort to lock us out of a ballpark for which we have a binding legal contract, creates too much uncertainty for next season and beyond. That uncertainty is simply unacceptable to the team, the other members of the California League, the Texas Rangers and Minor League Baseball. As a result, this unfortunate action had to be taken.” 

 
"Baseball has had a long and wonderful history in Bakersfield,” said Bakersfield owner D.G. Elmore. “I am sorry to see it come to a close."

2017 Yankees Auditions Needs to Include Relievers

The youth movement has begun in the Bronx with the explosions onto the scene of Tyler Austin, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and others but there is one part of the Yankees team that could use a little youth infusion. That part of the Yankees team is the bullpen. If the Yankees are really committed to this whole rebuilding thing and they are auditioning for the 2017 season now then they need to go all in and include relievers into the mix as well. No more Anthony Swarzak, who has been terrible and has been since been placed on the 15 day DL, no more Richard Bleier and no more Kirby Yates. Prospects and power arms only.

I get it that the Yankees haven’t had much in terms of pitching depth proving themselves this season but I would rather watch Nick Goody, James Pazos, Jordan Montgomery and others get their feet wet right now than to watch Swarzak and company blow another lead for this team. You can’t sit here with a straight face and tell me that this team and this manager is trying to win games despite the youth movement as Anthony “All I Do Is Win  Give Up Home Runs No Matter What” enters the game a few times a week. And if you can you’re a good liar.

Blake Parker, Tyler Clippard, Adam Warren, Dellin Betances and Tommy Layne likely have futures with the club beyond the 2016 season but an argument could be made against both Layne and Parker. Either way guys like Ben Heller, Chasen Shreve, Nick Goody, Johnny Barbato and others who don’t currently occupy a 40 man roster spot need to get their work in now. Get their feet wet now without all the bright lights and expectations on them. The Yankees need to go all-in on this youth movement and scrap what the standings say because beyond this year they won’t matter but what all these young guys learn and gain in terms of experience does.

Make the moves Cashman. Rosters expand in less than a week and I expect the Yankees to have to rent a party bus to get them all here. 

Trump Wins Charleston, Bobblection 2016

GOP Candidate Takes The Joe by Storm in the fourth installment of the quadrennial casting of bobbleheads

CHARLESTON, SC – Donald Trump just got a huge uplift from the voters in South Carolina. The business mogul has won the 2016 Bobblection held at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park on Tuesday night. This news could be a great sign for the GOP contender as RiverDogs fans have correctly predicted the last three Presidential winners in the previous three election cycles.

Every Presidential Election The Goldklang Group and its affiliates hold the quadrennial Bobblection. It is where the fans get a voting slip that they take into a booth where they have the choice of picking the GOP elect or the Democratic elect Bobblehead. This year Trump won in a landslide as 62 percent of the voters passing through the turnstiles at The Joe selected Trump with 37 percent choosing Clinton. One percent of the voters entered for a chance to win a trip out of the country with one lucky fan winning a one way ticket to Canada.

“With our impressive track record of predicting the election, the eyes of the nation were on Charleston, South Carolina last night,” said RiverDogs President and General Manager Dave Echols. “The people of Charleston have once again spoken, and what better way to check the pulse of America than in the confines of Riley Park.”

With the victory in Charleston, Trump has now taken three of the first eight Bobblections being held across minor league parks this year, with the Republican candidate also claiming victories at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, NY, the home of the Hudson Valley Renegades, and Haymarket Park, the home of the Lincoln Saltdogs in Nebraska.

The RiverDogs, Renegades, and the St. Paul Saints all under the Goldklang Group umbrella are among the eight teams taking part in the electoral process this year.

The Goldklang Group is a sports entertainment consulting and management firm. The Group provides operational consulting and management services in all areas relating to sports franchise, event, and venue acquisition, promotion and operation. Armed with a passion for the game and the foresight of growth within professional baseball, Marv Goldklang formed the Goldklang Group. A fan himself, Goldklang set out to capitalize on what he felt were the key ingredients to success once the market and venue was established- providing superior customer service, cutting edge ideas, and family entertainment at affordable prices.

Ticket information for the RiverDogs homestand and any of the remaining home games can be secured by contacting the box office at (843) 577-DOGS (3647) or online at www.riverdogs.com. Tickets for Game Two of the SAL Divisional Series on Friday, September, 9 at 7:05pm are now available. Those that can’t make it to the park can follow every pitch of the RiverDogs season on WTMA 1250 AM and streaming online at riverdogs.com.

Weekly Prospects Check In: Blake Rutherford

Blake Rutherford returned off the bench this week after apparently suffering from some sort of knee injury or condition. Rutherford was never officially placed on the disabled list so it was likely nothing major, especially considering that most of us in the loop never even heard about it, but when a young guy who relies on his legs has a lower body injury you always hold your breath a little bit regardless. Am I right?

So Rutherford is back and ready to make up for lost time. Let’s see what he’s been up to this week: 

Year	Age	Tm	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2016	19	2 Teams	32	125	14	38	8	2	10	0	12	28	.345	.408	.545	.953
2016	19	Pulaski	24	95	11	32	7	1	7	0	8	22	.376	.432	.588	1.020
2016	19	Yankees West	8	30	3	6	1	1	3	0	4	6	.240	.333	.400	.733

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/25: Three Grand Slams In One Game

Never in the history of Major League Baseball had one team hit three grand slams in one game before the New York Yankees accomplished the feat in 2011. The Yankees would beat the Oakland Athletics 22-9 with Robinson Cano, Russell Martin, and Curtis Granderson all going deep with the bases loaded in Yankee Stadium.

Also on this day in 1996 Mickey Mantle joined Miller Huggins, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gehrig as Yankees greats that have a monument in Monument Park. Mantle died of liver cancer last year and is the first new monument to be dedicated by the team in 47 years.

Also on this day in 1968 Yankees outfielder Rocky Colavito pitched 2.1 innings of relief giving up just one hit in a victory for the Yankees 6-5 over the Tigers. The Yankees outfielder, who also hit a home run in the game, will be the last position player to get a win by pitching until Colorado Rockies Brent Mayne would win a game in the year 2000.

Finally on this day in 1956 the Yankees general manager George Weiss and manager Casey Stengel hold a closed door meeting with shortstop Phil Rizzuto. The meeting discussed who should be let go since the team had acquired Enos Slaughter off waivers from the Atheltics. Rizzuto made several suggestions on who he thought who should be released from the Yankees before Weiss informed Scooter that he would be the player to be let go. Shady.