This Day in New York Yankees History 7/13: Retired Numbers

Brandon McCarthy 

✔@BMcCarthy32

*Kramer's moviefone voice* "well why don't you just tell me what number isn't retired"

3:02 PM - 8 Jul 2014

  
•   2,4012,401 Retweets
   
•   3,0363,036 likes

Brandon McCarthy, a player that the team acquired before the July 31st trading deadline in 2014, made the joke that the Yankees should just issue him a number rather than him trying to pick one since so many numbers are retired. Well on this day in 1984 the Yankees retired two more numbers as Roger Maris's #9 jersey and Elston Howard's #32 were enshrined in Yankee history forever. Plaques were also put up in their honor to pay tribute to the two Yankees players.


Also on this day in 1960 Yankee Stadium held the second All Star Game in three days as the game marked the return of Willie Mays to New York. The San Francisco Giants superstar would go 3-4 with a home run and single off the Yankees Whitey Ford to lead the National League to a 6-0 victory.


Also on this day in 1973 Bobby Murcer hits three home runs off Gene Garber to account for all five of the Yankees runs in a 5-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals. This game was played on Friday the 13th at Yankee Stadium as it took only one hour and 51 minutes to play.

The other Yankee to hit three home runs on this day was Joe DiMaggio in 1940 in a double header against the St. Louis Browns. DiMaggio drove in nine runs as the Yankees sweep the Browns by the scores of 10-4 and 12-6.

This Day in New York Yankees History 7/13: Retired Numbers

Brandon McCarthy 

✔@BMcCarthy32

*Kramer's moviefone voice* "well why don't you just tell me what number isn't retired"

3:02 PM - 8 Jul 2014

 
•  2,4012,401 Retweets
 
•  3,0363,036 likes

Brandon McCarthy, a player that the team acquired before the July 31st trading deadline in 2014, made the joke that the Yankees should just issue him a number rather than him trying to pick one since so many numbers are retired. Well on this day in 1984 the Yankees retired two more numbers as Roger Maris's #9 jersey and Elston Howard's #32 were enshrined in Yankee history forever. Plaques were also put up in their honor to pay tribute to the two Yankees players.


Also on this day in 1960 Yankee Stadium held the second All Star Game in three days as the game marked the return of Willie Mays to New York. The San Francisco Giants superstar would go 3-4 with a home run and single off the Yankees Whitey Ford to lead the National League to a 6-0 victory.


Also on this day in 1973 Bobby Murcer hits three home runs off Gene Garber to account for all five of the Yankees runs in a 5-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals. This game was played on Friday the 13th at Yankee Stadium as it took only one hour and 51 minutes to play.

The other Yankee to hit three home runs on this day was Joe DiMaggio in 1940 in a double header against the St. Louis Browns. DiMaggio drove in nine runs as the Yankees sweep the Browns by the scores of 10-4 and 12-6.

This Day In New York Yankees History 7/6: Hello Brandon McCarthy

On this day in 2014 the New York Yankees acquired Brandon McCarthy from the Arizona Diamondbacks along with some cash to offset his salary for starting pitcher Vidal Nuno and a prospect. McCarthy was a great trade for the Yankees as he reinvented himself and kept the team in the playoff chase for much of the second half.


Also on this day in 2014 the Yankees finally designated struggling outfielder Alfonso Soriano for assignment to make room for Bruce Billings in the bullpen. Soriano had burst onto the scene in the second half of 2013 with the team but could not replicate that success in 2014. Soriano would later retire after the designation.


Also on this day in 2002 the Yankees were in a center field plaque kind of mood again as they unveiled one for Reggie Jackson prior to Old Timers Day. Jackson spent five seasons in New York and helped the Yankees reach the playoffs four times and win two World Series in 1977 and 1978.


Also on this day in 1941 the Yankees construct and unveil and center field monument for the late Lou Gehrig at Yankee Stadium. The memorial was much like the memorial the Yankees bestowed on Miller Huggins in 1932. This was a tribute from Gehrig's teammates to their beloved captain who died just a month earlier of ALS.


Finally on this day in 1938 and the All Star Game was being played at Crosley Field with the New York Yankees Lefty Gomez on the mound to start against the National League. This was Gomez's fourth All Star start and his first loss as the NL beat the AL 4-1. The NL shortstop Leo Durocher becomes the first Dodger to start in an All Star Game and gets a bunt home run.

Most Popular Article of the Week: Yankees Potential Trade Partners: Los Angeles Dodgers

The New York Yankees need starting pitching and pitching of any kind this winter if the team wants to compete for a playoff spot again in 2017. As we look at a list of potential trade partners for the team I wanted to focus on that first before I start thinking about any potential additions to the offense or the bench because pitching wins championships and pitching is what the Yankees lack most. The team has a ton of depth, don’t get me wrong, but the team lacks that starting rotation that can scare teams in a best-of-five or best-of-seven series in October. Could the Los Angeles Dodgers be of some help to the Yankees in this department?


The Dodgers have a lot of good-to-great pitchers but their problem is they haven’t been able to rely on many of them as much as they could have wanted due to injury. Clayton Kershaw battled a bad back this season and when the team was eliminated from the postseason they did so without three of their more high-paid pitchers in Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-jin Ryu. Would any of the three be dangled this winter in trades and would the Yankees be interested?


The last thing the Yankees need is another injury-prone or risk in their starting rotation but with the free agent market as barren as it’s ever been the team might be able to use that logic and acquire one of these guys for less than their values because of the injury. Ryu has two years left and $14 million on his contract with McCarthy, a former Yankee who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, has two years and $20 million remaining on his deal. Kazmir has a larger deal but can opt out this season leaving two years and $32 million on the table. Interesting.


Honestly I don’t believe the Yankees would be interested in Ryu and I personally don’t put much stock into what McCarthy did while with the Yankees a few seasons back but Kazmir is an interesting option if he decides to opt out this winter. Kazmir pitched poorly with the Dodgers last season and for much of this season while he also missed a month with a neck injury and many inside the Dodgers organization have speculated that Kazmir may want to leave the team. How it all works out will decide it all though. If Kazmir opts out the Dodgers could offer him a qualifying offer which means, assuming he rejects it and all signs seem to point to that he would, he would be linked to draft pick compensation. I’m not comfortable with giving up a draft pick that early in the first round for Kazmir but if he stays and doesn’t opt out I’d love to have him and his salary for a smaller prospect package.





We’re monitoring this one closely. Stay tuned. Kazmir has three days from the end of the World Series to opt out.

Yankees Potential Trade Partners: Los Angeles Dodgers

The New York Yankees need starting pitching and pitching of any kind this winter if the team wants to compete for a playoff spot again in 2017. As we look at a list of potential trade partners for the team I wanted to focus on that first before I start thinking about any potential additions to the offense or the bench because pitching wins championships and pitching is what the Yankees lack most. The team has a ton of depth, don’t get me wrong, but the team lacks that starting rotation that can scare teams in a best-of-five or best-of-seven series in October. Could the Los Angeles Dodgers be of some help to the Yankees in this department?

The Dodgers have a lot of good-to-great pitchers but their problem is they haven’t been able to rely on many of them as much as they could have wanted due to injury. Clayton Kershaw battled a bad back this season and when the team was eliminated from the postseason they did so without three of their more high-paid pitchers in Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-jin Ryu. Would any of the three be dangled this winter in trades and would the Yankees be interested?

The last thing the Yankees need is another injury-prone or risk in their starting rotation but with the free agent market as barren as it’s ever been the team might be able to use that logic and acquire one of these guys for less than their values because of the injury. Ryu has two years left and $14 million on his contract with McCarthy, a former Yankee who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, has two years and $20 million remaining on his deal. Kazmir has a larger deal but can opt out this season leaving two years and $32 million on the table. Interesting.

Honestly I don’t believe the Yankees would be interested in Ryu and I personally don’t put much stock into what McCarthy did while with the Yankees a few seasons back but Kazmir is an interesting option if he decides to opt out this winter. Kazmir pitched poorly with the Dodgers last season and for much of this season while he also missed a month with a neck injury and many inside the Dodgers organization have speculated that Kazmir may want to leave the team. How it all works out will decide it all though. If Kazmir opts out the Dodgers could offer him a qualifying offer which means, assuming he rejects it and all signs seem to point to that he would, he would be linked to draft pick compensation. I’m not comfortable with giving up a draft pick that early in the first round for Kazmir but if he stays and doesn’t opt out I’d love to have him and his salary for a smaller prospect package.

We’re monitoring this one closely. Stay tuned. Kazmir has three days from the end of the World Series to opt out. 

This Day in New York Yankees History 7/13: Retired Numbers

Brandon McCarthy 

✔@BMcCarthy32

*Kramer's moviefone voice* "well why don't you just tell me what number isn't retired"

3:02 PM - 8 Jul 2014

 
•  2,4012,401 Retweets
 
•  3,0363,036 likes

Brandon McCarthy, a player that the team acquired before the July 31st trading deadline in 2014, made the joke that the Yankees should just issue him a number rather than him trying to pick one since so many numbers are retired. Well on this day in 1984 the Yankees retired two more numbers as Roger Maris's #9 jersey and Elston Howard's #32 were enshrined in Yankee history forever. Plaques were also put up in their honor to pay tribute to the two Yankees players.


Also on this day in 1960 Yankee Stadium held the second All Star Game in three days as the game marked the return of Willie Mays to New York. The San Francisco Giants superstar would go 3-4 with a home run and single off the Yankees Whitey Ford to lead the National League to a 6-0 victory.


Also on this day in 1973 Bobby Murcer hits three home runs off Gene Garber to account for all five of the Yankees runs in a 5-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals. This game was played on Friday the 13th at Yankee Stadium as it took only one hour and 51 minutes to play.

The other Yankee to hit three home runs on this day was Joe DiMaggio in 1940 in a double header against the St. Louis Browns. DiMaggio drove in nine runs as the Yankees sweep the Browns by the scores of 10-4 and 12-6.

This Day In New York Yankees History 7/6: Hello Brandon McCarthy

On this day in 2014 the New York Yankees acquired Brandon McCarthy from the Arizona Diamondbacks along with some cash to offset his salary for starting pitcher Vidal Nuno and a prospect. McCarthy was a great trade for the Yankees as he reinvented himself and kept the team in the playoff chase for much of the second half.


Also on this day in 2014 the Yankees finally designated struggling outfielder Alfonso Soriano for assignment to make room for Bruce Billings in the bullpen. Soriano had burst onto the scene in the second half of 2013 with the team but could not replicate that success in 2014. Soriano would later retire after the designation.


Also on this day in 2002 the Yankees were in a center field plaque kind of mood again as they unveiled one for Reggie Jackson prior to Old Timers Day. Jackson spent five seasons in New York and helped the Yankees reach the playoffs four times and win two World Series in 1977 and 1978.


Also on this day in 1941 the Yankees construct and unveil and center field monument for the late Lou Gehrig at Yankee Stadium. The memorial was much like the memorial the Yankees bestowed on Miller Huggins in 1932. This was a tribute from Gehrig's teammates to their beloved captain who died just a month earlier of ALS.


Finally on this day in 1938 and the All Star Game was being played at Crosley Field with the New York Yankees Lefty Gomez on the mound to start against the National League. This was Gomez's fourth All Star start and his first loss as the NL beat the AL 4-1. The NL shortstop Leo Durocher becomes the first Dodger to start in an All Star Game and gets a bunt home run.

Digging in the TGP Archive: Didi Gregorius Due for an Offensive Breakout?

See the original post HERE. I make the case for Didi Gregorius having an offensive breakout during the 2015 season long before he did. I guess I need to make another bold prediction or two, no?

First and foremost I want to start off by saying that I was 100% in favor of basically the Shane Greene for Didi Gregorius trade. As much as I love Shane Greene and that slider he is replaceable in the organization with Bryan Mitchell, in the farm system with Manny Banuelos and on the free agency market with Brandon McCarthy, Jon Lester and/or Max Scherzer. There are no above average shortstops on the team right now and the farm system is barren at the position, although not as barren as the free agency market. Didi is better than Stephen Drew, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jed Lowrie and Brendan Ryan.

I realize that Gregorius is not without his faults, especially on the offensive side of the game, but that doesn't worry me as much when I look at the stats. First it's worth mentioning that Didi was a much better hitter in Triple-A than he has been in the majors but I have to wonder if he is due for a breakout season. In 2014 Gregorius hit just .226 in 80 games and still gathered a WAR, 1.1, that was more than five times better than Derek Jeter's 0.2 WAR.

I think Didi has simply fallen into a mixture of not playing enough while running into some bad luck when he plays. First and foremost Gregorius needs to play everyday and the team needs to ditch the "Brendan Ryan platoon" right now before it gets into his head. I mention this because Didi's BAbip was incredibly low at .257, down from his career BAbip of .280 (which granted is a little skewed by a partial season in 2012 with Cincinnati), while his line drive percentage was up to 28% and has gone up every season in the majors. These stats, along with the fact that Didi is still young and left handed inside Yankee Stadium, tell me that Gregorius is due to bounce back and possibly breakout as soon as 2015.

This Day in New York Yankees History 7/13: Retired Numbers

*Kramer's moviefone voice* "well why don't you just tell me what number isn't retired"
— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) July 8, 2014

Brandon McCarthy, a player that the team acquired before the July 31st trading deadline in 2014, made the joke that the Yankees should just issue him a number rather than him trying to pick one since so many numbers are retired. Well on this day in 1984 the Yankees retired two more numbers as Roger Maris's #9 jersey and Elston Howard's #32 were enshrined in Yankee history forever. Plaques were also put up in their honor to pay tribute to the two Yankees players.


Also on this day in 1960 Yankee Stadium held the second All Star Game in three days as the game marked the return of Willie Mays to New York. The San Francisco Giants superstar would go 3-4 with a home run and single off the Yankees Whitey Ford to lead the National League to a 6-0 victory.


Also on this day in 1973 Bobby Murcer hits three home runs off Gene Garber to account for all five of the Yankees runs in a 5-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals. This game was played on Friday the 13th at Yankee Stadium as it took only one hour and 51 minutes to play.

The other Yankee to hit three home runs on this day was Joe DiMaggio in 1940 in a double header against the St. Louis Browns. DiMaggio drove in nine runs as the Yankees sweep the Browns by the scores of 10-4 and 12-6.

This Day In New York Yankees History 7/6: Hello Brandon McCarthy

On this day in 2014 the New York Yankees acquired Brandon McCarthy from the Arizona Diamondbacks along with some cash to offset his salary for starting pitcher Vidal Nuno and a prospect. McCarthy was a great trade for the Yankees as he reinvented himself and kept the team in the playoff chase for much of the second half.


Also on this day in 2014 the Yankees finally designated struggling outfielder Alfonso Soriano for assignment to make room for Bruce Billings in the bullpen. Soriano had burst onto the scene in the second half of 2013 with the team but could not replicate that success in 2014. Soriano would later retire after the designation.


Also on this day in 2002 the Yankees were in a center field plaque kind of mood again as they unveiled one for Reggie Jackson prior to Old Timers Day. Jackson spent five seasons in New York and helped the Yankees reach the playoffs four times and win two World Series in 1977 and 1978.


Also on this day in 1941 the Yankees construct and unveil and center field monument for the late Lou Gehrig at Yankee Stadium. The memorial was much like the memorial the Yankees bestowed on Miller Huggins in 1932. This was a tribute from Gehrig's teammates to their beloved captain who died just a month earlier of ALS.


Finally on this day in 1938 and the All Star Game was being played at Crosley Field with the New York Yankees Lefty Gomez on the mound to start against the National League. This was Gomez's fourth All Star start and his first loss as the NL beat the AL 4-1. The NL shortstop Leo Durocher becomes the first Dodger to start in an All Star Game and gets a bunt home run.

Fans Want Samardzija But Hate on Eovaldi?

When the calendar turned over to July the heat got turned up on every hot stove around Major League Baseball and especially around the New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers are in a dog-fight with the Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles for supremacy in an overall weak American League East Division that as it stands right now is wide open for the taking if anyone wants it. A lot can change between now and August first though as the non-waiver trading deadline will come and go on July 31^st where the contenders and the pretenders distance themselves just a little bit more. A plethora of starting pitching names have been linked to the Yankees including Mike Leake, Johnny Cueto and Cole Hamels but one player that the team has shown interest in is making me scratch my head, Jeff Samardzija.

This more or less makes me wonder because of the fan’s interpretation of Nathan Eovaldi, more on that later on the blog by the way, and the general opinion of the big right hander. Eovaldi had made three straight quality starts for the Yankees and is now tied with Michael Pineda for the team’s lead in victories by a pitcher with eight despite allowing the second most hits in the American League. The only man who has allowed more hits this season than Mr. Eovaldi is Jeff Samardzija who has allowed 123 hits in his first 16 starts this season with the Chicago White Sox. This has easily been one of the worst statistical seasons “Shark” has had in his short MLB career and it couldn’t have come at a worse time.

The upside for the Yankees if they do make a trade for Samardzija is that if he doesn’t work out and continues on this trend he is a free agent after the 2015 season and can be allowed to walk. If he pitches well and turns things around like Brandon McCarthy did in 2014 with the Yankees after a trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks the team could always bring back Samardzija in free agency for 2016 or sign him to a contract extension before the season ends. That’s not the issue here, Samardzija has a great arm and has the velocity, the stuff and the makeup that absolutely cannot be taught and I could see him easily turning things around in pinstripes, the issue is that the Yankees fans in general are all for it.

My point here is this, if it’s good for one then it’s good for the other. Samardzija has a live arm, so does Eovaldi. Samardzija throws hard and while he’s not really an ace yet or a finished product he can give the team innings and keep them in most starts he makes, but so can Eovaldi and especially lately. Samardzija gives up a lot of hits and doesn’t leave the opposing hitters guessing much and you guessed it, neither does Eovaldi. I’m not trying to compare the two but it’s a little unfair to salivate at the idea of trading for the guy that leads the league in hits while constantly bashing the guy who is currently in second place in hits allowed in the league. 

Time to Call the Marlins GM Dan Jennings?

The Miami Marlins have not lived up to expectations this season despite signing Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich to major extensions while signing or acquiring Dan Haren, Dee Gordon, Ichiro Suzuki, David Phelps, Martin Prado, Mat Latos and a slew of other pieces leading many to wonder if a fire sale is in order once again in Miami. On Sunday I posted an article labeled “Bring Me Martin Prado” asking the New York Yankees to re-acquire their second baseman from the second half of 2014 while taking advantage of the Marlins while they are down. Are there any other players besides Prado that may interest the Yankees if Marlins GM Dan Jennings decides to sell this July?

Before we get too ahead of ourselves let’s remember that Stanton broke the hamate bone in his hand over the weekend and may be out at least six weeks or longer which could potentially bury this team in the playoff races and National League East Division. While I don’t expect Miami to flat out start selling every piece they have they could move, as I stated on Sunday in my Prado piece, players that are set to hit free agency before the 2016 season anyway.

We went over Prado Sunday and I don’t think I need to beat that dead horse any longer, if Prado is healthy and proves he is healthy before the trade deadline he could be moved and would be a welcomed addition to the team’s struggling infield. New York needs more than infield help though and could look at some of Miami’s pitching. I am reluctant to include Haren since he is so reluctant to pitch outside of the Southern California area but he has been Miami’s best pitcher and eventually came around to pitching for the Marlins, maybe a playoff race could keep him quiet and happy for two or three more months? If not Haren would you bank on Latos and his 3.62 FIP and ignore his 5.49 ERA and -0.6 WAR in hopes of another Brandon McCarthy resurgence?

It’s hard to bank on Miami really trading many, if any, of their players at this year’s trading deadline. The team has already expressed an interest in re-signing Ichiro to a deal for 2016 as he continues his march towards 3,000 hits making a deal for him unlikely while the team obviously does not want to trade away a player to make Stanton or Yelich disgruntled players. Jennings and owner Jeffrey Loria’s hands seem tied at this point so it seems like Haren, Prado, Latos or bust in a deal involving Miami and New York this July.

Yankees Interested in Cueto & Leake?

It seems like the July 31^st trade rumor mill begins earlier and earlier every season with the addition of the second Wild Card in each league. Every team almost is on the bubble and hovering between the contender and pretender slot while some teams, like the New York Yankees, are stockpiling talent hoping for a deep October run. Then you have the teams like the Cincinnati Reds who are not fooling themselves into thinking they have a shot this season and are open for business and ready to sell off some high priced talent in order to start a rebuild, that’s where RHP’s Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake come into the picture.

The Yankees recently sent scout Jeff Datz to Wrigley Field over the weekend to watch the Reds starting pitching duo on the mound as Yankees GM Brian Cashman begins compiling his shopping list and checking it twice. Both players will be a free agent at the end of the season meaning both players would be true rentals and likely expensive to acquire in terms of prospects. Cueto is 29 years old and could be an ace on most teams with a $15 million price tag while Leake figures to settle in more as a third or fourth starter with a $9.78 million price tag associated with his services.

Leake is 3-4 with a 4.35 ERA in 13 games in the National League making me lean towards the fourth starter mold while Cueto has posted a 4-4 record with a 2.85 ERA in 12 starts. Leake in his career is 56-46 with a 3.95 ERA while Cueto boasts an 89-61 record with a 3.24 ERA in his career. The Yankees have a ton of starting pitching options but it would still be nice to get greedy and add at least one of these starters. While Cueto would be nice and the ideal choice the acquisition of Brandon McCarthy in 2014 leaves me hopeful for a similar resurgence from Leake in 2015.

The Reds have reportedly scouted the Yankees system and have specifically watched Ramon Flores, Mason Williams and Bryan Mitchell along with the obvious choices of Luis Severino and Aaron Judge leaving some wiggle room for a potential trade. It seems unlikely that New York would trade either Severino or Judge for a rental but you never know, it’s Cashman and he’s unpredictable. You have to think New York would hold onto Severino and Judge rather than trading them away for rentals, especially when those rentals cannot fetch draft compensation after this season by declining a qualifying offer. Whether New York acquires Cueto, Leake, Cole Hamels or any other starting pitcher at the trade deadline remains to be seen but I just hope, as a fan, that the deal at least makes sense for both sides and doesn’t gut the farm system that I have grown so attached to over the past few seasons.

Former Yankees Faces in Different Spring Places

The New York Yankees have seen a lot of turnover over the past few seasons and especially during the 2015 offseason so I thought now would be a good time to see how those former Yankees faces are doing in different spring places. Not that spring stats mean much of anything at all but it can still be fun to look at to see if the team “won” a specific transaction or not.

Francisco Cervelli:

Tm	Age	GS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
PIT	29		11	27	6	9	2	1	3	5	7	4	.333	.486	.815	1.301

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Shane Greene:

Tm	Age	GS	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
DET	26	4	1	1	3.95	4	13.2	13	9	6	1	3	14	1.171	8.6	0.7	2.0	9.2

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Brandon McCarthy:

Tm	Age	GS	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
LAD	31	4	1	1	6.75	4	14.2	20	11	11	1	3	9	1.568	12.3	0.6	1.8	5.5

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Martin Prado:

Tm	Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
MIA	31	17	46	4	12	2	0	0	4	.261	.306	.304	.610

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/30/2015.

David Phelps:

Tm	Age	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
MIA	28	2	0	1.00	6	18.0	10	3	2	0	7	14	0.944	5.0	0.0	3.5	7.0

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table