Wednesday, December 14, 2016

The “It’s Not What You Want” Podcast featuring Jacob Westendorf and Matt Bove w/ Special Guest Brendan Kuty of NJ.com



The “It’s Not What You Want” podcast brought to you by The Greedy Pinstripes is back with both Jacob Westendorf and Matt Bove. This time the guys have a very special guest with them on the broadcast, NJ.com’s insider Brendan Kuty. That alone is worth a listen if you ask me so check out the podcast as there should be plenty of hot stove, offseason and discussions about the upcoming season to be had.


Enjoy and leave your comments below in the comments section. 

MLB Drops Hammer on Rookie Hazing


There’s nothing more American, in my very humble yet bias opinion, than Major League Baseball. It’s tradition and it’s life. When looking deeper into Major League Baseball you see certain other traditions and such that simply come attached to the hip with MLB. Labor Day and Independence Day baseball. Hot dogs and cracker jacks. Rookie hazing. It happens. Some may not like it, especially in this world today that is so “PC” and sensitive, but it happens nonetheless and for that reason MLB is dropping the hammer a bit on teams for it in certain instances.

The certain instances that MLB will now prohibit is the act of hazing that involved men dressing up as women. For example, there will be no more MLB players dressing up as cheerleaders, Wonder Woman or a Hooters Girl. In fact no costume or outfit can be worn that is offensive to the individual’s race, sex, nationality, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or other characteristic.

Everyone has to be sensitive to everyone else and everything these days. Agree with it or not, stuck in your ways or not, that’s just how the world is today. For better or worse. Carrying on.



Meet a Prospect: Ruben Tejada


The New York Yankees have signed former New York Mets product Ruben Tejada to a minor league deal and will presumably have him in spring training camp this spring fighting for a job. While this signing is not on the same level as the Matt Holliday or the Aroldis Chapman signings this could be significant nonetheless, especially with the release of Dustin Ackley and other key losses in the infield both at the Major League and Minor League level. So let’s meet the guy that could be up in the Bronx with an injury or two or a strong showing this spring down in Tampa. This is Meet a Prospect: The Ruben Tejada Edition.

Ruben Dario Tejada was born on October 27, 1989 in Santiago de Veraguas, Panama to Ruben Sr. and Donaji Tejada. Ruben Sr. was a pitcher in Panama for the Los Indios de Veraguas and that mixed with the fact that Tejada Jr. grew up mere feet from Omar Torrijos Herrera Stadium in Panama the middle infielder was destined for baseball. Growing up Tejada idolized the likes of Derek Jeter and Omar Vizquel leading Tejada to sign with the New York Mets in 2006 as a 16-year old international free agent and prospect. 

Tejada toiled around in the Mets minor league system through the 2009 season and it was the year 2010 when Tejada was invited to Mets spring training camp. Tejada impressed the Mets enough to become the youngest position player to make the New York Mets Opening Day roster since Tim Foli in 1971. Tejada was a part-time player and a player that bounced back and forth between Triple-A and the Major Leagues until becoming a fill-time player in 2011 after an injury to third baseman David Wright moved then second baseman Justin Turner to third base.

It was business as usual for Tejada from 2011 through the 2015 regular season but Tejada was in the spotlight again during the 2015 NLDS when Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman ended his season and ultimately his Mets tenure with a slide into second base that broke Tejada’s right fibula. That broken fibula ended his season and in March of 2016 the Mets places Tejada on waivers before releasing him the next day. Tejada latched on with the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants in 2016 but neither resulted in long tenures back in the big leagues unfortunately for Tejada.  


Now Tejada is back in New York, this time with the New York Yankees, and once again back to fighting for his MLB career. Good luck to him and we are very happy to have him. Welcome to the family Ruben. 

Does the Ruben Tejada Signing Make Rob Refsnyder & Ronald Torreyes Expendable?


The New York Yankees signed former New York Mets middle infielder Ruben Tejada to a minor league deal with a presumed invitation to the Yankees spring training camp down in Tampa this coming spring. We’ll meet the man the Yankees signed here in a few hours on the blog but before we get to that I want to share my initial response, impression and the major question that came along with the signing. I also want to explore whether such a signing by the Bronx Bombers now makes both Robert Refsnyder and Ronald Torreyes not only trade bait but expendable as well.

I’ll start slow with my initial response. My initial response to the signing was not a real major one. It’s a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. The Yankees will likely have many veterans and reclamation projects that they sign to similar deals this winter and spring so the fact that it’s Tejada is not a huge deal to me. I think it’s being made into a bigger deal than it is by most because he used to play for the Mets, and truth be told a little of it also has to do with the fact that news is slow right now around the Christmas holidays. This was merely a blip on the radar for me until I started thinking whether this was a precursor to something to come, something much bigger.

Let’s be honest, and this is coming from the biggest Rob Refsnyder fan besides his own mother, both Refsnyder and Torreyes are easily expendable. While I believe with constant and consistent at bats Refsnyder could become a line-drive hitter and an overall good hitter in the Major Leagues manager Joe Girardi has proven time and time again that this is not simply going to happen. With that said Refsnyder and Torreyes lend little to the team in terms of offense, their value is on defense at this point unfortunately and their versatility and ability to play multiple positions. Something that Tejada could also lend the Yankees in the middle infield.


Now we know the Yankees and their seemingly infatuation with having veteran players on the team, even in the midst of a rebuild on the fly, so it worries me that Tejada may get that 25th spot and a young guy who still has some trade value like Refsnyder may be out the door in a deal for a starting pitcher. Of course Refsnyder alone, or Torreyes either for that matter, cannot fetch a pitcher on their own but when thrown into a package with someone else (Brett Gardner) you may have the makings of a deal on your hands. And that worries me if I am being honest. 

Call to the Pen’s Top 10 Yankees Prospects


It’s that time of the year, and just as a reminder Prospects Month here on the site is just around the corner, where various publications, blogs and writers release their Top 10 Prospects lists for their various favorite teams. Today we showcase a site I frequent often and their Top 10 Yankees prospects list. Call to the Pen, check them out and check out their list here.

10. Estevan Florial
9. Dillon Tate
8. Chance Adams
7. Domingo Acevedo
6. Justus Sheffield
5. Jorge Mateo
4. Blake Rutherford
3. James Kaprielian
2. Clint Frazier
1. Gleyber Torres


The actual article has some good information about each prospect so head over to Call to the Pen and check those guys and this article out. Enjoy and Happy Wednesday. HUMP DAY!

This Day In New York Yankees History 12/14: F Youk!


On this day in 2012 Kevin Youkilis became the latest member of Red Sox nation to come over to the Dark Side and sign with the New York Yankees. Youk signed a one year deal worth $12 million to be the third basemen in New York.

Also on this day in 2010 Cliff Lee spurned the Yankees offer of $150 million for a $120 dollar deal to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee joins Roy Halladay in probably what is the best rotation in all of baseball down in Philadelphia.

Also on this day in 1985 Yankees outfielder Roger Maris dies after a two year battle with lymphatic cancer at age 51. Former Yankees teammates Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, John Blanchard, and Bill Skowron served as pall bearers.

Also on this day in 1960 Major League Baseball expanded its team base two additional teams with the "new" Washington Senators and the Los Angeles Angels. The Yankees southpaw Bobby Shantz was selected by Washington and Yankees righty Ed Grba was selected by the Angels in the expansion draft.

Finally on this day in 1950 four owners were selected to choose a new commissioner for baseball, as soon as possible. The Yankees owner Del Webb, Braves owner Lou Perini, Cubs owner Phil Wrigley, and Indians owner Ellis Ryan were the four men who chose the new commissioner.