This Day In New York Yankees History 6/15: Yankee Stadium III

On this day in 2005 George Steinbrenner, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor George Pataki, and team officials announce plans for the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The Yankees will finance the $800 million stadium which will be built north of the current stadium in Macombs Dam Park. The new stadium is announced to mirror the old stadium and will seat 51,800 fans.


Also on this day in 1976 the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles completed a ten player trade in which both teams swapped four pitchers and a catcher each. The Yankees acquire pitchers Ken Holtzman, Doyle Alexander, Jimmy Freeman, Grant Jackson, and catcher Elrod Hendricks. The Orioles acquire pitchers Tippy Martinez, Rudy May, Scott McGregor, Dave Pagan, and catcher Rick Dempsey.


Finally on this day in 1958 the Kansas City Athletics send Woodie Held and Vic Power to the Cleveland Indians for Dick Tomanek, Preston Ward, and Roger Maris. This is significant because Kansas City and owner Arnold Johnson was warned by American League president Will Harridge that they could not send any players, especially Maris, to the Yankees for at least 18 months. The Indians would later trade Maris to the Yankees which made everyone think the deal was a prelude to the deal.

No Fight in this "Dog"...

Credit:  Tony Avelar-Associated Press

A’s 5, Yankees 2…

A funny thing happened on our way to a fun and exciting season.  We got our butts kicked by the American League’s worst team. The season-high losing streak has now reached five games (three in a row to the lowly A's) as the agony on the West Coast continues.  

After the return of the “batting practice” pitcher (Masahiro Tanaka), the Yankees thrust a Triple A pitcher into the role of stopper later today.  It’s going to be a very long flight back to New York for the Yankees if they can’t at least salvage the final game of the four game series.

Masahiro Tanaka’s performance yesterday showed me that I really hope that he opts out of his contract at the end of the year.  But unfortunately, the worse he pitches, the more foolish he’d walk away from guaranteed money that he’d be unable to top on the open market.  Tanaka is no ace and I am becoming very pessimistic about his chances to reclaim any resemblance of a top of the rotation guy.

Tanaka did strike out 10 batters, when the A’s weren’t sending the pitches out of the park (three home runs in the first four innings).  In fact, Tanaka is the only pitcher in the last 100 years to strike out at least ten while allowing three homers in four innings or less.  It’s not exactly a record that I’d be proud of.

After the Yankees failed to score any runs in the top of the first inning despite a runner in scoring position, the A’s Matt Joyce hopped on the first pitch thrown by Tanaka and homered to right-center.  Tanaka struck out the next 3 batters to end the first (giving the false illusion that the homer was an aberration).  

The next inning, the Yankees took a 2-1 lead when they scored two runs on three successive singles and a sac fly against A’s starter Jesse Hahn.  But it was temporary.  In the bottom of the 2nd, Ryon Healy blasted a shot to left center to tie the game.  Like the inning before, Tanaka subsequently recorded all three outs by strikeout, leaving runners at first and second through a double and a walk which followed the homer.  Tanaka faced the minimum of three batters in the third (one by strikeout), but Ryon Healy opened the fourth with his second home run of the game.  The A’s had the lead for good, 3-2.  It was another inning of all three outs recorded by strikeout, but sadly they were mixed in with four singles that produced two more runs.  5-2, A’s.

Credit:  Getty Images

Tanaka (5-7, 6.34 ERA) didn’t come back for the fifth inning, and he was replaced by Domingo German who finished up the game (protecting the other tired arms in the bullpen).  German did an admirable job with four scoreless innings (6 strikeouts of his own) but the Yankees offense was silent for the remainder of the game.  Swinging strikeouts in the 9th by Chris Carter, Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine ended the game (leaving Ronald Torreyes, who had singled and taken second on defensive indifference, stranded).  

The Boston Red Sox missed out on an opportunity to tie the Yankees (38-28) for the AL East lead and they remain one game back thanks to their 7-1 loss to the Houston Astros.  The Red Sox seem to be having their own Tanaka-like problems with last year’s AL Cy Young Award winner, Rick Porcello (3-9, 5.05 ERA).  The Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles both won so they are 4 1/2 and 5 1/2 games behind, respectively.  

Luis Cessa will be on the mound for the Yankees later today, making his season debut.  The Yankees bullpen will be at its strongest for the first time in a long time with the expected activation of closer Aroldis Chapman.  I am hopeful that the return of Tyler Clippard to the 7th inning allows him to be more effective with the pressurized latter innings under the control of Dellin Betances and Chapman.  

Odds & Ends…

Since his elevation to the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 28th, first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger, son of former Yankees pitcher Clay Bellinger, has been on a home-run tear.  He already has four multi-homer games, and his 19th home run yesterday matched Gary Sanchez’s MLB record for most home runs in a player’s first 49 games.  The Dodger Days for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, currently on the DL with a degenerative disc in his lower back, appear to be numbered.

Credit:  Jeff Roberson-Associated Press

The Yankees received a scare yesterday when top prospect Gleyber Torres was pulled from the game with an injury suffered on a headfirst slide at home plate.  He has been diagnosed with a hyperextended elbow.  X-rays performed after the game were negative.  He’ll undergo further medical evaluation before returning to Scranton.  Hopefully all is well except for a few days of rest.

I hadn’t really seen a list yet, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported this weekend that the Yankees must place the following players on the 40-man roster between now and November 20th or risk losing them in the Rule 5 draft:  Gleyber Torres, Albert Abreu, Domingo Acevedo, Tyler Wade, Zack Littell, Thairo Estrada, Clint Frazier, Dustin Fowler, Ian Clarkin, Billy McKinney and J.P. Feyereisen.  It would seem that the abundance of talented prospects requiring protection will be a factor in the days leading up the trading deadline next month.  

Happy Father’s Day to all dads in the Yankees Universe!  I hope it’s a tremendous day for you, complete with a Yankees victory!  Enjoy!

This Day In New York Yankees History 6/15: Yankee Stadium III

On this day in 2005 George Steinbrenner, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor George Pataki, and team officials announce plans for the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The Yankees will finance the $800 million stadium which will be built north of the current stadium in Macombs Dam Park. The new stadium is announced to mirror the old stadium and will seat 51,800 fans.


Also on this day in 1976 the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles completed a ten player trade in which both teams swapped four pitchers and a catcher each. The Yankees acquire pitchers Ken Holtzman, Doyle Alexander, Jimmy Freeman, Grant Jackson, and catcher Elrod Hendricks. The Orioles acquire pitchers Tippy Martinez, Rudy May, Scott McGregor, Dave Pagan, and catcher Rick Dempsey.


Finally on this day in 1958 the Kansas City Athletics send Woodie Held and Vic Power to the Cleveland Indians for Dick Tomanek, Preston Ward, and Roger Maris. This is significant because Kansas City and owner Arnold Johnson was warned by American League president Will Harridge that they could not send any players, especially Maris, to the Yankees for at least 18 months. The Indians would later trade Maris to the Yankees which made everyone think the deal was a prelude to the deal.

This Day In New York Yankees History 6/15: Yankee Stadium III

On this day in 2005 George Steinbrenner, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor George Pataki, and team officials announce plans for the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The Yankees will finance the $800 million stadium which will be built north of the current stadium in Macombs Dam Park. The new stadium is announced to mirror the old stadium and will seat 51,800 fans.


Also on this day in 1976 the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles completed a ten player trade in which both teams swapped four pitchers and a catcher each. The Yankees acquire pitchers Ken Holtzman, Doyle Alexander, Jimmy Freeman, Grant Jackson, and catcher Elrod Hendricks. The Orioles acquire pitchers Tippy Martinez, Rudy May, Scott McGregor, Dave Pagan, and catcher Rick Dempsey.


Finally on this day in 1958 the Kansas City Athletics send Woodie Held and Vic Power to the Cleveland Indians for Dick Tomanek, Preston Ward, and Roger Maris. This is significant because Kansas City and owner Arnold Johnson was warned by American League president Will Harridge that they could not send any players, especially Maris, to the Yankees for at least 18 months. The Indians would later trade Maris to the Yankees which made everyone think the deal was a prelude to the deal.

This Day In New York Yankees History 6/15: Yankee Stadium III

On this day in 2005 George Steinbrenner, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor George Pataki, and team officials announce plans for the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The Yankees will finance the $800 million stadium which will be built north of the current stadium in Macombs Dam Park. The new stadium is announced to mirror the old stadium and will seat 51,800 fans.


Also on this day in 1976 the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles completed a ten player trade in which both teams swapped four pitchers and a catcher each. The Yankees acquire pitchers Ken Holtzman, Doyle Alexander, Jimmy Freeman, Grant Jackson, and catcher Elrod Hendricks. The Orioles acquire pitchers Tippy Martinez, Rudy May, Scott McGregor, Dave Pagan, and catcher Rick Dempsey.


Finally on this day in 1958 the Kansas City Athletics send Woodie Held and Vic Power to the Cleveland Indians for Dick Tomanek, Preston Ward, and Roger Maris. This is significant because Kansas City and owner Arnold Johnson was warned by American League president Will Harridge that they could not send any players, especially Maris, to the Yankees for at least 18 months. The Indians would later trade Maris to the Yankees which made everyone think the deal was a prelude to the deal.

Game Thread: Yankees vs. Athletics 6/15

The New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics will play in the finale of their three game set in Oakland this weekend with some Father's Day baseball. The Yankees will send Vidal Nuno to the mound looking to hand the A's Jesse Chavez his fourth straight loss. The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with WFAN.

Treat your dad to some Yankees tickets for Father's Day, or just because, by CLICKING HERE. You get them with no fees and free shipping. Follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes or find us on Facebook to chat during the game. You can always leave us a comment in our comments section as well if social media is not really your thing.

Enjoy the game Yankees family and enjoy the rest of your weekend and Father's Day.

Preview: New York Yankees vs. Oakland Athletics 6/15

The New York Yankees will go into Oakland County Coliseum for the final time this season looking for a series victory and a Father's Day win. The Yankees will send Vidal Nuno to the mound to face off with Jesse Chavez for the Athletics. The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Nuno allowed one run and four hits in his last outing that lasted 5.2 innings with far too many fly balls. That will be helped this afternoon in Oakland County Coliseum with that huge outfield and our speedy outfielders. Nuno faced the A's a couple starts ago allowing two runs in 4.2 innings in a no decision. Nuno is 2-0 with a 1.81 ERA in six career road starts.

Chavez is 0-3 in his last three starts including one against the Yankees almost two weeks back. In his last time out Chavez allowed two runs on eight hits in six innings against the Los Angeles Angels. The A's have only scored seven runs in those three starts, a trend I hope continues today.

Get your dad tickets for today's game or any Yankees game this season right here on the blog by CLICKING HERE. We have a very unique partnership with Ticket Monster who brings their customers actual tickets, not print offs, with no additional hidden fees or shipping costs. 

Go Yankees and Happy Father's Day!!

Dad continues to serve as role model for Gardner

Dad continues to serve as role model for Gardner

Jerry Gardner's life of hard work in fields inspires Yankees outfielder

Being borrowed from MLB.com and Yankees.com:

For Brett Gardner, home is a farm of about 2,600 acres in Holly Hill, S.C., nestled in the heart of hunting and fishing country. Most days, the Yankees outfielder can be sure that at any given moment, Jerry Gardner is out in the fields taking care of what needs to be done.

Brett Gardner was raised around those crops of corn, cotton, soybeans and wheat, and he believes that watching his father tend to that fertile soil instilled the drive and motivation necessary to fuel an undersized college walk-on to beat the odds and get to the big leagues.

Brett Gardner learned the game of baseball at a young age from his father, who played as a Minor League outfielder in the Phillies' system in the mid-1970s, getting as far as Double-A before injuries sounded the alarm to go back to South Carolina for the next phase of life."It's pretty much been his life every day for the last 35 or so years," Brett Gardner said. "That's obviously how I grew up. It's definitely not the easiest thing in the world to do, but even though it is hard work, it's something that he enjoys doing and can be rewarding."

"Obviously, he's got somewhat of a baseball background and understands the game," Brett Gardner said. "Really, he just always taught me to play hard. I feel like that's something that I still try and do to this day, and will until I'm done playing. I obviously think that playing hard allowed me to play in the Major Leagues probably, and get the most about my abilities."

Growing up on the farm with his dad, his mother, Faye, and his older brother, Glen, Gardner said that he would lend a hand when his parents needed help, driving everything from lawn tractors to combines. Even now, Gardner's thoughts sometimes drift to his dad, who he knows has been grinding from sun-up to sun-down to prepare for harvest.

"He'll be 63 years old this year, and he still works as hard as ever outside on the farm," Brett Gardner said. "That's just what he loves doing. It's not easy work, but there's definitely an ethic that he instilled in me early on: just always work hard and try not to have any regrets. You don't want things to end and wonder, 'What if I had done things differently?'"

Brett Gardner graduated from the College of Charleston in South Carolina in 2005 as the highest-drafted player in school history, a long way from when he tried out for the Cougars as a non-scholarship freshman. He could always run, but the rest of his game was crude. At 5-foot-8 and a spindly 155 pounds, Gardner wasn't going to impress anyone on physique alone.

"There are only a handful of guys that are going to stand out in an environment like that," Gardner said. "You run the 60, you make some throws to third base from right field, and I didn't have that strong of an arm -- still don't, really, but then it wasn't as strong as it is now. You probably get 10, 20 swings in batting practice, and I obviously wasn't going to turn anybody's heads hitting singles over the third baseman's head."

Shortly after the tryout, Brett Gardner did not hear back from the coaching staff and brought his baseball gear home. Restless, Jerry Gardner wrote to Cougars head coach John Pawlowski, asking him to allow Gardner to attend practice with the team. Pawlowski agreed, and Gardner impressed the coaching staff by leaving the field with one of the dirtiest uniforms every afternoon.

"He wrote a letter to the coach, and maybe that influenced the coach's decision, maybe it didn't, but basically I got called back out to practice," Brett Gardner said. "I just kept showing up at practice, and had a few guys that I played with get hurt, some outfielders got hurt that fall of my freshman year.

"I went from barely making the team to pretty much being a sure bet to redshirt my freshman year to playing in [38] games my freshman year. It all kind of came together relatively quickly."

As Gardner has advanced, making it to the Majors in 2008 and signing a large multiyear contract with the Yankees this past offseason, he has done so with his father's words close to his mind and his heart. Jerry Gardner would never let anyone outwork him, and that has been a perfect example for his son to follow.

"We're definitely both hard-headed," Brett Gardner said. "I think just that work ethic and not taking no for an answer -- you try and get the most out of what God gave you, really. You try and make the most out of your abilities.

"I played with plenty of guys that were way more talented than I am, but guys that maybe just didn't want it quite as bad. I feel like that's something that not only has gotten me to where I am, but has helped me stay where I am."

This Day In New York Yankees History 6/15

On this day in 1958 the Kansas City Athletics send Woodie Held and Vic Power to the Cleveland Indians for Dick Tomanek, Preston Ward, and Roger Maris. This is significant because Kansas City and owner Arnold Johnson was warned by American League president Will Harridge that they could not send any players, especially Maris, to the Yankees for at least 18 months. The Indians would later trade Maris to the Yankees which made everyone think the deal was a prelude to the deal.

On this day in 1976 the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles completed a ten player trade in which  both teams swapped four pitchers and a catcher each. The Yankees acquire pitchers Ken Holtzman, Doyle Alexander, Jimmy Freeman, Grant Jackson, and catcher Elrod Hendricks. The Orioles acquire pitchers Tippy Martinez, Rudy May, Scott McGregor, Dave Pagan, and catcher Rick Dempsey.

On this day in 2005 George Steinbrenner, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor George Pataki, and team officials announce plans for the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The Yankees will finance the $800 million stadium which will be built north of the current stadium in Macombs Dam Park. The new stadium is announced to mirror the old stadium and will seat 51,800 fans.


Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there and especially to all the moms out there that need to be both.