This Day In New York Yankees History 7/12: Denny Neagle

The New York Yankees had an absolutely loaded pitching staff in the late 90's and early 2000's but it was the off the radar type deals that really put New York over the edge and into the World Series in 2000 against the New York Mets. Deals like the Yankees made on this day in 2000 where Denny Neagle (8-2, 3.52 ERA) and outfielder Mike Frank were to sent to the Yankees and Drew Henson, Jackson Melian, Brian Reith, and Ed Yarnall (basically nobody) was sent to Cincinnati in return.

Also on this day in 1989 Major League Baseball lost another great arm as Louisiana Lightning Ron Guidry called it a career. Guidry finishes with a 170-91 record and a 3.29 ERA during his 14 year career, all with the Yankees. Guidry won the 1978 American League Cy Young Award unanimously after posting a 25-3 record with a 1.74 ERA. Incredible.

Remembering Game Four of the 2000 Subway World Series

The 2000 World Series featured the New York Yankees and the New York Mets facing off in the World Series for the first time in their history. This was the first Subway Series since 1956 when the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees faced off. Let's take the time to remember Game 4 of the 2000 World Series.

The New York Yankees sent Denny Neagle to the mound to face off with the Mets Bobby Jones in Game 4 of the Subway World Series. Derek Jeter led off the game and blasted a home run over the left field fence giving the Yankees a lead that they would never relinquish in this game. This would extend Derek Jeter's World Series hitting streak to 13 games and would be only the 16th lead off home run in World Series history. The Yankees would win the game 3-2 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the Subway World Series. Jeff Nelson would take the victory and Bobby Jones would take the loss with Mariano Rivera notching the save for the pinstripers.

Remembering Game Four of the 2000 Subway World Series

The 2000 World Series featured the New York Yankees and the New York Mets facing off in the World Series for the first time in their history. This was the first Subway Series since 1956 when the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees faced off. Let's take the time to remember Game 4 of the 2000 World Series.

The New York Yankees sent Denny Neagle to the mound to face off with the Mets Bobby Jones in Game 4 of the Subway World Series. Derek Jeter led off the game and blasted a home run over the left field fence giving the Yankees a lead that they would never relinquish in this game. This would extend Derek Jeter's World Series hitting streak to 13 games and would be only the 16th lead off home run in World Series history. The Yankees would win the game 3-2 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the Subway World Series. Jeff Nelson would take the victory and Bobby Jones would take the loss with Mariano Rivera notching the save for the pinstripers.

This Day In New York Yankees History 7/12: Denny Neagle

The New York Yankees had an absolutely loaded pitching staff in the late 90's and early 2000's but it was the off the radar type deals that really put New York over the edge and into the World Series in 2000 against the New York Mets. Deals like the Yankees made on this day in 2000 where Denny Neagle (8-2, 3.52 ERA) and outfielder Mike Frank were to sent to the Yankees and Drew Henson, Jackson Melian, Brian Reith, and Ed Yarnall (basically nobody) was sent to Cincinnati in return.

Also on this day in 1989 Major League Baseball lost another great arm as Louisiana Lightning Ron Guidry called it a career. Guidry finishes with a 170-91 record and a 3.29 ERA during his 14 year career, all with the Yankees. Guidry won the 1978 American League Cy Young Award unanimously after posting a 25-3 record with a 1.74 ERA. Incredible.

Remembering Game Four of the 2000 Subway World Series

The 2000 World Series featured the New York Yankees and the New York Mets facing off in the World Series for the first time in their history. This was the first Subway Series since 1956 when the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees faced off. Let's take the time to remember Game 4 of the 2000 World Series.

The New York Yankees sent Denny Neagle to the mound to face off with the Mets Bobby Jones in Game 4 of the Subway World Series. Derek Jeter led off the game and blasted a home run over the left field fence giving the Yankees a lead that they would never relinquish in this game. This would extend Derek Jeter's World Series hitting streak to 13 games and would be only the 16th lead off home run in World Series history. The Yankees would win the game 3-2 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the Subway World Series. Jeff Nelson would take the victory and Bobby Jones would take the loss with Mariano Rivera notching the save for the pinstripers.

This Day In New York Yankees History 7/12: Denny Neagle

The New York Yankees had an absolutely loaded pitching staff in the late 90's and early 2000's but it was the off the radar type deals that really put New York over the edge and into the World Series in 2000 against the New York Mets. Deals like the Yankees made on this day in 2000 where Denny Neagle (8-2, 3.52 ERA) and outfielder Mike Frank were to sent to the Yankees and Drew Henson, Jackson Melian, Brian Reith, and Ed Yarnall (basically nobody) was sent to Cincinnati in return.

Also on this day in 1989 Major League Baseball lost another great arm as Louisiana Lightning Ron Guidry called it a career. Guidry finishes with a 170-91 record and a 3.29 ERA during his 14 year career, all with the Yankees. Guidry won the 1978 American League Cy Young Award unanimously after posting a 25-3 record with a 1.74 ERA. Incredible.

ICYMI: Is Nathan Eovaldi Throwing Enough Innings?

Many have been extremely critical of Nathan Eovaldi in his short tenure as a member of the New York Yankees, and not without good reason. At the beginning of the season my stance was always that Eovaldi was donned as a work in progress and of course I preached sample size. Eovaldi was brought to the Yankees not to be an ace but to be a fifth starter in the rotation basically, for the sake of this post anyway we'll go with fifth starter as it could be argued that he was a fourth starter but that is simply sematics.

Since Eovaldi has seemingly "figured it out" by adding a splitter to his repetoire the knock on him has been his inability to pitch late into ball game. Is this a legitimate beef with a guy who is donned as the team's fifth starter(on the depth chart, not according to performance)? I didn't think so but rather than simply throw my opinion out there I decided to take a look at the history of the Yankees in my lifetime with their fifth starters and how it translated to how deep they went into games.

Keep in mind that the game has changed drastically over the past four or five seasons, especially in New York. Back in the late 90's and throughout the 2000's the emphasis was more or less on strong starting pitching and bashing the hell out of the opponent. Lately the emphasis has changed to strong and deeper bullpens, shortening the games, etc. Naturally with that you would theoretically see your fifth start especially being affected by this mindset which I think it shown on the graph above.

The problem is not that Eovaldi is throwing less than six innings in a start, the problem is that Brian Cashman made moved that forced our fifth starter into a potential five game series playoff start. It's Cashman and company that still believe in CC Sabathia a lot more than we all do, it is Cashman and company that moved Adam Warren back to the bullpen and it is Cashman who did not upgrade the team before the July 31st trade deadline. Luis Severino is on the way, let's hope he's the savior and this all becomes a moot point.

*all stats courtesy of Baseball Reference 

Is Nathan Eovaldi Throwing Enough Innings?

Many have been extremely critical of Nathan Eovaldi in his short tenure as a member of the New York Yankees, and not without good reason. At the beginning of the season my stance was always that Eovaldi was donned as a work in progress and of course I preached sample size. Eovaldi was brought to the Yankees not to be an ace but to be a fifth starter in the rotation basically, for the sake of this post anyway we'll go with fifth starter as it could be argued that he was a fourth starter but that is simply sematics.

Since Eovaldi has seemingly "figured it out" by adding a splitter to his repetoire the knock on him has been his inability to pitch late into ball game. Is this a legitimate beef with a guy who is donned as the team's fifth starter(on the depth chart, not according to performance)? I didn't think so but rather than simply throw my opinion out there I decided to take a look at the history of the Yankees in my lifetime with their fifth starters and how it translated to how deep they went into games.

Keep in mind that the game has changed drastically over the past four or five seasons, especially in New York. Back in the late 90's and throughout the 2000's the emphasis was more or less on strong starting pitching and bashing the hell out of the opponent. Lately the emphasis has changed to strong and deeper bullpens, shortening the games, etc. Naturally with that you would theoretically see your fifth start especially being affected by this mindset which I think it shown on the graph above.

The problem is not that Eovaldi is throwing less than six innings in a start, the problem is that Brian Cashman made moved that forced our fifth starter into a potential five game series playoff start. It's Cashman and company that still believe in CC Sabathia a lot more than we all do, it is Cashman and company that moved Adam Warren back to the bullpen and it is Cashman who did not upgrade the team before the July 31st trade deadline. Luis Severino is on the way, let's hope he's the savior and this all becomes a moot point.

*all stats courtesy of Baseball Reference 

This Day In New York Yankees History 7/12: Denny Neagle

The New York Yankees had an absolutely loaded pitching staff in the late 90's and early 2000's but it was the off the radar type deals that really put New York over the edge and into the World Series in 2000 against the New York Mets. Deals like the Yankees made on this day in 2000 where Denny Neagle (8-2, 3.52 ERA) and outfielder Mike Frank were to sent to the Yankees and Drew Henson, Jackson Melian, Brian Reith, and Ed Yarnall (basically nobody) was sent to Cincinnati in return.

Also on this day in 1989 Major League Baseball lost another great arm as Louisiana Lightning Ron Guidry called it a career. Guidry finishes with a 170-91 record and a 3.29 ERA during his 14 year career, all with the Yankees. Guidry won the 1978 American League Cy Young Award unanimously after posting a 25-3 record with a 1.74 ERA. Incredible.

The New York Yankees Have Won w/ Less

I was as upset as the next guy when the New York Yankees signed Chris Capuano to basically be the teams fifth starter but since then I have calmed down and gathered my thoughts. I have come to the conclusion that if you look at history the Yankees have won a whole lot with a whole lot less in the fifth spot of the rotation. Sure the Yankees have plenty of question marks in the rotation and sure Capuano is probably just keeping the seat warm for Ivan Nova's return from Tommy John surgery but I don't think the Yankees season hinges on Capuano like some of the comments I have been reading.

My initial thoughts went to the 2000 season when the Yankees ace Roger Clemens lost a start in the Subway World Series the night before Denny Neagle, the same Denny Neagle that went 7-7 with a 5.81 ERA in the Bronx, won a World Series game as the Yankees fifth starter.

Just the season before Hideki Irabu got a World Series ring in New York as a fifth starter pitching to a 11-7 record and a 4.84 ERA. The 1998 Yankees fifth starter was also Irabu although he did pitch better with a 13-7 record with an ERA barely over four which looks like the exception and not the rule. You see Irabu as the exception even more when you look at the Yankees 1997 fifth starter Kenny Rogers who went 6-7 with a 5.65 ERA.

What do all these teams have in common? They were all successful with a veteran inning eating presence at the end of the rotation. What else do these teams have in common? A shut down bullpen that allowed these starters to come out after five or even six innings a night and still give the team a shot to win. In closing, back off of Capuano. If you want to blame the successes, or failures, of the 2015 season on anyone blame it on Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka and Nathan Eovaldi.

This Day In New York Yankees History 7/12: Gator Calls It Quits

The New York Yankees had an absolutely loaded pitching staff in the late 90's and early 2000's but it was the off the radar type deals that really put New York over the edge and into the World Series in 2000 against the New York Mets. Deals like the Yankees made on this day in 2000 where Denny Neagle (8-2, 3.52 ERA) and outfielder Mike Frank were to sent to the Yankees and Drew Henson, Jackson Melian, Brian Reith, and Ed Yarnall (basically nobody) was sent to Cincinnati in return.

Also on this day in 1989 Major League Baseball lost another great arm as Louisiana Lightning Ron Guidry called it a career. Guidry finishes with a 170-91 record and a 3.29 ERA during his 14 year career, all with the Yankees. Guidry won the 1978 American League Cy Young Award unanimously after posting a 25-3 record with a 1.74 ERA. Incredible.

This Day In New York Yankees History 7/12

On this day in 1989 Louisiana Lightning Ron Guidry retired from baseball. During his 14 season career with the Yankees Guidry finished with 170 wins and a 3.91 ERA.

On this day in 2000 the Yankees sent Drew Henson and prospects to the Cincinnati Reds for Denny Neagle. Neagle would get a victory in the World Series clinching game against the New York Mets.