Age Is Just a Number

For years, the fans, columnists, and anyone under the sun has claimed the Yankees are too old to compete for a World Series. When Jason Heyward signed with the Chicago Cubs earlier this offseason and indicated that the Cardinals age was a reason he left many reporters took that as an indication that the Yankees had no shot at signing him either.

With the infusion of young talent like Nathan Eovaldi, Didi Gregorius, Starlin Castro, Luis Severino and Greg Bird on the roster I wanted to see how many older players the Yankees are using in comparison to their five most recent World Series victories and the two years they failed to make the postseason.

The results are not what I thought they were going to be. First off the Yankees last five World Series victories.

In 1996, the Yankees used 48 total players, 5 players were 35+. Older players made up 10.4% of the roster.
In 1998, the Yankees used 38 total players and 6 players were 35+. Older made up 15.8% of the roster.
In 1999, the Yankees used 39 total players and 7 players were 35+. Older players made up 17.9% of the roster.
In 2000, the Yankees used 34 total players, and 11 players were 35+. Older players made up 32.4% of the roster.
In 2009, the Yankees used 45 total players, and 7 players were 35+. Older players made up 15.56% of the roster.

Next up the last two times, the Yankees missed the playoffs as well as 2015 to bring it all together.

In 2013, the Yankees used 56 total players and 8 players were 35+. Older players made up 14.3% of the roster.
In 2014, the Yankees used 58 total players and 8 players were 35+. Older players made up 13.8% of the roster.
In 2015, the Yankees used 56 total players and 4 players were 35+. Older players made up 7.1% of the roster.

The Yankees have been using fewer players 35 and older as the years have gone on which would seem contradictory for a team described as "old." The key, however, is the overall usage of the older players. They are using fewer players, but they are relying on them more.  In 2000 when the Yankees used 11 35+ players only 3 of them were regular contributors, David Cone, Roger Clemens and Paul O'Neill. In 2013, the Yankees used eight 35+ players, and all of them were expected to be regular contributors. The 2000 team had older players play in a combined 487 appearances. The 2013 team had older players play in a combined 589 appearances.

That trend continued in 2015 as three of the four older players the Yankees used were regular contributors. The Yankees look to reverse this trend through the on the fly rebuild they have been going through. In 2016, I estimate the Yankees will again have four 35+ players but younger players like Greg Bird, Aaron Hicks will allow them to use Carlos Beltran, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez more effectively.

TGP Daily Poll: Yankees June Slide

The New York Yankees have started out each of the last three seasons red hot and on fire only to have a June slide in both 2013 and 2014. That will happen again in 2015 as New York finishes the month out of first place.

Vote in our prediction poll on Knoda.com

The New York Yankees through May in 2013, 2014 & 2015

I meant to get to this post yesterday since it was the first of the month but the schedule was too full to fit in the post. I guess having too much content and not enough time is never a bad thing but I do apologize anyway. Today we take a look at the Yankees record through the month of May the last three seasons. We pick the last three seasons for obvious reasons as the Yankees missed the playoffs in their 2013 and 2014 campaigns and look to avoid that same fate for a third year in a row.

The Yankees record through May 2013: 31-23 (2nd place)

The Yankees record through May 2014: 29-25 (2nd place)

The Yankees record through May 2015: 26-25 (1^st place)

2013 Run Differential: +18

2014 Run Differential: -10

2015 Run Differential: +10

As you can see this team actually has the worst record of any of the three teams but thankfully for New York the team is also playing in the worst division of any of the three years. The Baltimore Orioles are not bashing people’s skulls in like they were in 2014 and the Boston Red Sox are no longer the juggernaut that they were in 2013 leaving at least some hope for New York. The bottom line is if the team wants to make the postseason it’s going to likely be as a division winner and not a Wild Card so they better at least win more than the Tampa Bay Rays or heads may begin to roll in the Bronx. 

$500 Million Doesn't Buy What It Used To

The New York Yankees went on an absolute shopping spree this winter and spent in excess of $500 million bringing in the likes of Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, Masahiro Tanaka, Brian Roberts, Kelly Johnson,  and others but the team actually did worse, record wise, than the 2013 Yankees did. Is the record column the only place where the 2014 Yankees were lacking in comparison to the 2013 Yankees? The answers may surprise you, keep reading.

2014 Yankees: record 84-78 (-31 run differential) -- Pythagorean W/L 77-85

Rk	Pos	Name	Age	G	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
		Team Totals	32.9	162	633	1349	247	26	147	591	112	452	1133	.245	.307	.380	.687	93
		Rank in 15 AL teams			13	13	13	8	7		3	9	4	11	14	10	12
		Non-Pitcher Totals	32.9	162	633	1347	247	26	147	591	112	452	1127	.246	.308	.381	.689	94
Rk	Pos	Name	Age	G	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

2013 Yankees: record 85-77 (-21 run differential) -- Pythagorean W/L 79-83

Rk	Pos	Name	Age	G	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
		Team Totals	31.9	162	650	1321	247	24	144	614	115	466	1214	.242	.307	.376	.683	88
		Rank in 15 AL teams			10	13	14	5	14		5	10	9	12	12	14	13
		Non-Pitcher Totals	31.9	162	650	1321	247	24	144	613	115	466	1202	.243	.308	.377	.685	89
Rk	Pos	Name	Age	G	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

So $500 million got you an older team by a full year, although Hiroki Kuroda, Ichiro Suzuki, and Derek Jeter all returning from 2013 another year older did not help. The team also scored 17 runs less, won one less game, drove in less RBI, and had comparable numbers pretty much everywhere else across the board. Was Robinson Cano THAT valuable to the Yankees and their offense or were these stats skewed a tad by Alfonso Soriano's incredible second half? I don't really think it matters, both teams missed the playoffs when their All Star's were retiring. 

2013 Yankees Moments & Achievements Highlights

Do not mind the typo from the video uploader and enjoy the 2013 Yankees moments and achievements. 

The Broken Ankle That Started It All

Many baseball people like to argue that the "Dynasty" era of Yankees baseball ended with Luis Gonzalez's bloop single off of Mariano Rivera that won the Diamondbacks the 2001 World Series. Others claim that it was Josh Beckett tagging Jorge Posada out in the middle of the first base line that won the Marlins the 2003 World Series.

Personally, I believe the Dynasty continued on long after that, but ended one year ago today - October 14th, 2012.

The day before, October 13th, had made most of the Yankee faithfuls believe the Dynasty was alive and well. The Yankees took the field for Game 1 of the ALCS, just a handful of wins away from a trip to the 2012 World Series. After suffering through an inept offense for much of the ALDS, they were given a second chance to back up their "Bronx Bombers" mantra. And wow, did they ever!

Down 4-0 in the 9th, facing Tigers' closer Jose Valverde, Ichiro Suzuki roped a two-run home run that curved just inside the right field foul pole, cutting the Detroit lead in half. With two outs, Mark Teixeira was able to work his way on with a walk, and up came Raul Ibanez. The 40-year old New York native had provided plenty of clutch moments for fans to enjoy all season, including game-tying and game-winning home runs in Game 3 of the ALDS just a few days prior.

And after swinging and missing for strike one...this happened:

As TBS announcer Ernie Johnson proclaimed, "He's done it again!", Raul HAD done it again. It was unbelievable, and with a win seemingly inevitable, his home run would go down with the likes of Reggie's three homers in '77, Bucky's go-ahead shot in '78, Leyrtiz's in '96, Brosius' in '01, and so on. If anyone said otherwise at the time, I probably would have called them insane.

If not already, ALCS Game 1 was becoming an instant classic as the game went into extra innings and each team failed to score. With Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, and Delmon Young due up in the top of the 12th, most people felt a momentum shift, if only slightly. 

Cabrera led off with a single, but David Phelps then got Fielder to ground out. Young then laced a fly-ball into right field, in which Nick Swisher swatted at and missed completely as it went to the wall. Cabrera scored the go-ahead run, and the Tigers were now up 5-4.

Then came the knockout blow. Not just for 2012, but for everything that had happened up until this moment:

It was known that it was sore, but Derek Jeter's ankle finally snapped. After suffering only a handful of minor injuries that resulted in little-to-no time lost throughout his career, at age 38, the Yankees shortstop had suffered as bad a "break" (no pun intended) as any infielder can have. He was helped off the field and wouldn't return for the remainder of the playoffs -- which in reality was only a few days, since Detroit made quick work of New York and swept them aside.

Since Game 1 concluded in the wee hours of October 14th, Game 2 began later that afternoon, in which I was in attendance for. At no fault of their own, Yankees fans were terribly demoralized, as the Captain was done for the year and hopes for a pennant were as bleak as they'll ever be in mid-October at Yankee Stadium. 

The stats say that 47,082 fans made their way to the Bronx, but you wouldn't believe it by all the empty seats there were. The crowd was deathly silent all throughout the game, as was the lineup, which was only able to muster up 4 hits against Anibal Sanchez and Detroit's bullpen, headlined by 2009 Yankee alumni Phil Coke. It was like being in some alternate universe, where you could hear a pin drop at Yankee Stadium and Derek Jeter was not playing shortstop for the Yankees in October.

It was so surreal, but it was a perfect preview of this season and beyond. The game featured an 11-strikeout game by Hiroki Kuroda, but Jayson Nix was at shortstop and the lineup was putrid. With Mariano Rivera on the bench nursing a torn ACL, there also was no chance Mo could jog in from the bullpen and close out a win, which will become the norm come 2014. 

While the streak of winning multiple championships ended in 2001, the Yankees continued to be at the top of the division almost every season, always putting themselves in a position to add more titles to their illustrious history. They even did, of course, win it all in 2009, with the Core Four leading the way. 

Now, Andy, Jorge and Mo are all gone, and Jeter is still trying to limp back onto the field and be an everyday player. Even if he can, next season very likely will be Derek's last, so there is no denying that their time as the core of the Yankees is over, though it did live on way longer than many people ever expected.

Still, October 14th, 2012, may be the date we look back on in a few years when the Yankees are either A) Suffering through a period of mediocrity, or B) Returning to glory without their familiar playoff heroes. The future ensures a lot of change, and maybe its for the better. But wow, it's a shame how abruptly the Dynasty ended, isn't it?

2013 Yankees Superlatives

The BEST (and WORST) memories from 2013

YANKEES SUPERLATIVES!!!!

(VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!)

 

Mo's Magical Day Ends With A Helpless Look Into The Future

Come on...don't lie. You thought...no...you KNEW the Yankees were going to win yesterday, right? It was the only way for Mariano Rivera Day to finish up at Yankee Stadium. Many people thought it wouldn't just be a win, but that it would be re-aired on YES for years to come, with a graphic overlaid on the top-right corner that reads, "Yankees Classics".

It certainly had the makings of one, for sure. After all the emotional, incredible moments of a 50-minute long ceremony honoring Mo, his fellow Core Four brother Andy Pettitte jogged out to the Stadium mound for the final time in his career. With a white number 42 painted along each baseline, it reminded me of David Cone's perfect game (with a white number 8 on the field in the same fashion) on Yogi Berra Day, especially when Andy breezed through a perfect top of half of the first inning. And the second. And the third. And the fourth.

That's right, as apropos as possible, #46 was perfect through four innings. Thanks to a solo shot into the Giants' bullpen by Mark Reynolds, the Yanks had a 1-0 lead as Andy went back out for the fifth. It started to approach "call your friends and tell them to shut off the ugly Giants football game" time, especially when he got the next two outs.

A walk to Pablo Sandoval ended his chance for a perfecto, but Andy got the final out of the fifth and personally, I thought a no-no was imminent. It had to happen. Perhaps it was a bit late, but the mystique and aura of the New York Yankees had finally found its way back to the Bronx.

Ol' reliable had the 8-9-1 hitters due up for the sixth, convincing me he'd at least take his no-hit bid to the seventh. He got Tony Abreu to ground out, and now up was Ehire Adrianza, whose unique name caught my eye when I saw it on the lineup card.

And wouldn't you know it, it was the rookie shortstop, batting ninth, who zapped the magic out of the afternoon when he got the best of an inside pitch and drove it over the left field wall for a home run.

Still, it was a tie-game, and the Yanks were well-equipped to come away with the win that was rightfully theirs. Yusmeiro Petit was showing signs of vulnerability, and the Yankees had him on the ropes in the seventh. There were runners on first and second with one out, and Petit was pulled for left-hander Javier Lopez. But, he promptly struck out the Vernon Wells and Ichiro Suzuki, ending the threat.

Andy Pettitte left to a huge ovation after surrendering a lead-off double in the eighth, and in came future closer David Robertson to try and keep the San Francisco Giants at bay. And, he simply didn't get the job done. Abreu laced a double down the right field line that scored pinch-runner Nick Noonan and gave the Gigantes a 2-1 lead. The Stadium, as loud and jam-packed as it was hours prior, was now emptying and as silent as it's ever been.

However, the Bombers muscled up another rally in the bottom half. A-Rod singled and Robinson Cano doubled, putting runners at second and third with no one out. This was it. Here was the moment of the game. The Yanks would take the lead, and hand the ball to Mo in the ninth. He'd pick up the save and beautifully end a majestic day in the Bronx.

If only it happened that way.

Soriano grounded into a fielder's choice, as Noonan threw out a clueless Zoilo Almonte at the plate. Curtis Granderson struck out, and then...wait, what?!?! Eduardo Nunez got a hit! Coming home was Cano and the Yankees were gonna tie the game!

Then, Juan Perez fired a bullet. Cano was easily tagged out for the third out of the inning. It was that abrupt, and it was that moment, more than any other this season, that made me realize that the era of Yankee baseball that started in the mid-1990s had ended.

Although Mariano fired 1 2/3 of scoreless baseball, the Yankees went down without a fight in the bottom of the ninth. It was the team's 74th loss of the year, guaranteeing them of their worst finish since 1993 when they went 88-74 - and it's safe to say they won't get to 88 wins either.

Sunday's game was the Yankees' past, present, and future in a nutshell. It started off as magical as any night in the Bronx from 1995-2001, with Andy throwing 4.2 perfect innings. Then the Yankees were hampered by numerous RISP fails, as was the case in each of their championship-less seasons from 2002-2008. Then, the never-say-die mentality of the 2009 team showed through in the late innings, but then shattered into a million pieces as it did with heart-breaking playoff loses in the 2010, 2011, and 2012 postseasons.

And with the bottom of the ninth's feeble comeback attempt led by Mark Reynolds, Brendan Ryan, and J.R. Murphy, it was a retrospective on this season and the impending changes - and not for the better - that our beloved Yankees will undergo starting this offseason.

On top of losing Mo and Andy, there are a ton of players whose days in pinstripes look numbered as well. Robinson Cano, Hiroki Kuroda, Curtis Granderson, Phil Hughes, Boone Logan, Joba Chamberlain, Mark Reynolds, Kevin Youkilis, Brendan Ryan, and Lyle Overbay are all impending free agents. While Cano will likely stay put and most of the other guys are expendable, their losses create a ton of holes on the roster. The Yankees will be have just two starters in place for 2014 - CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova - and have no clear-cut closer, set-up man, lefty specialist, left fielder, shortstop, and third baseman if Alex Rodriguez's suspension is not reduced significantly. Not to mention the catching position, which right now still looks to have Chris Stewart and Austin Romine serving as the dynamic duo for another season.

One could look at all those likely departures and say, "Well, the Yankees will have a ton of room on the payroll!" Which is very true. But, if last offseason was any indication, the team is not looking to spend the money to adequately field a "championship-caliber team" as Hal Steinbrenner claimed to strive for a few years ago.

That fact, coupled with the Yanks' barren farm system, points to 2014 being potentially even more disastrous than 2013.

This offseason will probably be the most intriguing one the Yanks have had in a very long time. It could be somewhat beneficial, but in all likelihood next season will make Mo and Andy's absences even more glaring.

And, to conclude, I'll add a personal prediction of mine - I think Joe Girardi will not return as manager. Not because the Yankees don't want him back, but because he doesn't want to be back with the Yankees. The Cubs, Nationals, and Angels all will likely have managerial openings, and they all have brighter futures than New York at this point. Joe likely realizes that this winter and bolts for one of those three clubs. It'll be tough, but it may be a move that makes even the most confident Yankees fan see that, as Bob Dylan sang, the Times They Are A-Changin'. And not for the better.

A Goodbye Letter to the winningest post-season pitcher

 

To the all-time winningest pitcher in the post-season aka Andy Pettitte,

I can’t believe it all started in 1995… My Dad had season tickets to the Yankees and would take me with him to the games. I enjoyed the games but I didn’t understand much about the rules and I didn’t pay much attention to the numbers on the back of the jerseys. I cheered when the people around me did and chimed in occasionally with their Tino chant. I hit Freddy’s pot a bunch of times… I don’t really remember the exact day this changed, but I do remember choosing my own favorite player. It was you, Andy Pettitte.

You were in pinstripes, of course, #46. In the beginning you weren’t the guy that everyone in the stadium was cheering for, but I remember seeing you on the mound and for the first time, I was interested in the game. Now I get to say that my favorite athlete of all time is a legend, a role model, a leader… so thank you. Thank you for helping me to fall in love with The New York Yankees.

As time progressed and you continued to take the mound and win games (while remaining as humble as you are today) I found myself looking up the Yankees baseball schedule and begging my Dad to take me to more and more games. The games I didn’t attend I watched on TV, cheering for every strike out… trying to guess whether it was a ball or a strike before the umpire did. Whenever you pitch I make sure to watch your post-game interviews. Andy, you are way too hard on yourself! I have to admit though; it is very honorable and inspiring. It shows your true character and proves again and again how passionate you are about baseball.

Earlier today you stated that you wanted to thank your fans, but we are the ones that are thankful. I hope you realize how lucky WE are. It seems selfish for me to be sad over your retirement. The fact is, I really am just grateful to have been able to watch you play. I will do the best I can to keep these memories in my mind so that when I have children of my own some day I can tell them that I got to watch baseball’s winningest all-time postseason pitcher.

I can’t imagine watching the Yankees without the Core Four but I know that I will because the passion and heart that you, Posada, Jeter and Mo brought to each game rubbed off on me (and many other fans). You play baseball the way that I hope to live my life: passionately, loyally, and selflessly. I wish you and your family happiness, health and luck in the future. Hopefully one day my children will be writing a similar letter to your sons (when they wear the pinstripes).

So for absolutely everything,

Thank you. 

Red Sox Honor Mo with...

Please excuse the tone of this post... I am a little hostile and bitter right now (aren't we all?) So apparently, the Boston Red are going to honor Mariano Rivera before his final game at Fenway Park. SHOCKER. Are we supposed to be thankful and grateful for this? I think Buck Showalter pretty much summed it up when he said "If you know me, it's tough for me to go out and be a part of that, but I'm going to do it... he then continued by stating "we're toward the end of the schedule, so all the good gifts are gone," and finished with "I'd like to give him a blown save." Cool. Thank you, Bucky. Very classy thing to say, unfortunately you didn't give him that.

Going back to my original point- the Red Sox plan to honor Mariano before his last game at Fenway Park and I cannot wait to see what they will give him. While we wait I figured we could play a guessing game. What do YOU think the Red Sox will give Mo? Here are my guesses below... comment with yours!

1) A T-Shirt that says "I AM NOT THE FATHER" (...because Pedro Martinez)

2) A gift basket full of PEDs (because they just hate Jeter and A-Rod)

3) Facial hair

 

....I'll come up with more after you do! Post some comments!