Happy New Year to the Yankees Universe! ...

  

Will the New Year bring Labor Peace?...

Now that we are nearly through the holidays, here is to the cautiously optimistic hope that MLB Owners and the MLB Players Association can sit down in earnest and begin tackling the core issues that divide the parties. Hopefully, they will find the motivation to aggressively seek resolution of their differing opinions and reach an agreement for a new collective bargaining agreement that will be mutually beneficial for all concerned. The owners and the players owe it to the fans to find common ground and bring Major League Baseball activity back into our lives.

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens always start strong in the Hall of Fame balloting before losing their hold on candidacy as the later and final votes trickle in. This year is no different. Through 103 public and seven anonymous ballots as of 12/31/21, as reported by Ryan Thibodeaux’s 2022 BBHOF Tracker, Bonds has eighty-nine votes (80.9%), and Clemens has eighty-eight votes (80.00%). The leader is David Ortiz with ninety-one votes (82.7%). Former Yankee Alex Rodriguez only has fifty-one votes (46.4%).

Ortiz has a particularly good chance for success. Suspected of PED use, it was never proven or confirmed despite the allegations, and Ortiz has denied it. Yet, if Ortiz makes the Hall, I do feel it is time to consider the known PED users. Both Bonds and Clemens were talented players, with or without the aid of the performance enhancing drugs at various points of their respective careers. If the Hall of Fame has a high standard for its code of ethics, there are probably more than a few Hall of Famers who should be removed. I have softened on my stance with Bonds and Clemens as I once felt they did not deserve the honor. Time heals all wounds. Before other known (or suspected) PED users make the Hall of Fame, I feel Bonds and Clemens should be the first entrants. I will never forgive Bonds and Clemens for their indiscretions, but you do not have to like someone personally to respect them professionally.

Barry Bonds & Roger Clemens / Photo Credit: AP and Getty Images

Although I think he should eventually get in, I do not feel that Alex Rodriguez should be a first year HOF entrant. The early voters apparently feel the same way. Andy Pettitte, in his fourth year of eligibility, currently has only thirteen votes (11.8%) and is unlikely to ever make the Hall. He will always be a great Yankee in my mind, but I recognize he will never have a date to visit Cooperstown unless he buys a ticket to see a friend’s induction.

If the Yankees want to trade for Oakland’s Matt Chapman to play third base, it is fine by me, but I did not like Buster Olney’s report on the Michael Kay Show this week that the Yankees have had some internal discussions about acquiring Chapman to play shortstop. Chapman is an elite third baseman, and while I am sure he has the athleticism to make a position switch, the question is why? He is better than Gio Urshela and last year’s move of Gleyber Torres to shortstop did not work out. It does not mean Chapman would not be successful but clearly, Chapman is a terrific third baseman who should stay there. I personally think the Los Angeles Dodgers should consider trading for Chapman. Justin Turner is on the downside of a distinguished career and might be better suited for DH if the position is adopted for the National League. Matt Olson remains the Athletic that I most want to see in Pinstripes although I do want the Yankees to pivot quickly to Anthony Rizzo before he signs elsewhere if there are any snags in a potential deal with Oakland.

I remain fearful that Andrelton Simmons will be the shortstop answer (he is not). I love the potential of Anthony Volpe as much as anybody but until he proves it at the Major League level, it is just potential. Plus, the rise to elite status is not generally an overnight proposition. It literally takes years. The Yankees have championship aspirations if they make the right moves once the MLB lockout ends. If they settle for trying to fill the areas of need with stopgap solutions, they will spend the summer chasing the Rays, Blue Jays and Red Sox. I do not really expect Boston to over-achieve again next year but, so far, the Yankees have done nothing to close the gap with the team that sent them packing last October.

I do not want to lose Volpe in any trades. When he is ready the Show, opportunity will open for him. Let him force the day the Yankees must make the tough decisions rather than trying to make the decisions now with the hope the player fulfills his destiny. We have the best years of Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton at stake.

Although he is not a starting shortstop solution, I am anxious to see what Oswaldo Cabrera can do this year as the new and improved Tyler Wade. I guess we will see if he is an active and viable bench solution with his versatility and speed or if he is a regular rider on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Shuttle, but it is fun to see a young prospect on the cusp of making the Major League team. Primarily a second baseman, Cabrera, 23, has played third base and shortstop.

Oswaldo Cabrera / Photo Credit: Michael Reaves, Getty Images

It was a tough week with the loss of legendary NFL coach and TV analyst John Madden. I remember how disappointed I was during the 1977 Super Bowl when Madden and the Oakland Raiders crushed the Minnesota Vikings with total domination from start to finish. The image of Vikings running back Chuck Foreman sitting on his helmet at the end of the game in sadness is burned into my memory. I so disliked Madden back then, but he won me over with his success and the brilliance he brought to the broadcast booth after his premature retirement as a coach. My wife once met Madden in a Livermore Valley, California winery, and her recollection is “Big guy!” He was big…not only in physical stature, but with the impact and imprint he made on professional football. I am very saddened to see his departure. He will be missed. Rest in Peace, Coach!

John Madden / Photo Credit: Chris Zuppa, AP

As always, Go Yankees!

All I Want For Christmas Is Baseball...

  

MLB Lockout with no end in sight…

If life were fair, we would have been analyzing the free agent signings and trades of the last week during Baseball’s annual Winter Meetings. But alas, no meetings this year thanks to the greedy MLB owners. They live up to the name of The Greedy Pinstripes blog but for all the wrong reasons.

I think if there is one singular topic, I would like to see resolved is the pay inequity between the superstars (the clear minority of professional baseball players), who get their money and then some, and the minor leaguers and others trying to find their way while living on peanuts. The superstars will always get paid, but Major League teams should be more financially responsible for the care of the younger players in their organization. Obviously, there are multiple other prominent issues that require resolution, and I am not trying to marginalize any of them. It just stands out to me that while owners pocket billions, there is room to help everyone in the game, especially those who struggle to live the dream.

Nearly two weeks into the MLB Lockout, it feels like there has been no progress. It is unfortunate to me that we are heading into 2022 without resolution which most likely means the standoff will be present in February when it is normally time for pitchers and catchers to report for Spring Training. Why cannot grown men lock themselves into a room and settle their differences? For the good the game, they need to work harder to find compromise, and re-open the sport for its fans. The best Christmas present would be a surprise announcement the two sides have been secretly meeting and have come to a fair and mutually beneficial agreement to present to the owners and players for final approval. Yeah, that is not happening.

MLB, please get your shit together. Love, the Fans.

December and the biggest Yankees news is the free-agent minor league re-signing of catcher Rob Brantly. With teams actively signing minor league contracts, maybe the Yankees should sign Carlos Correa to a $350 million minor league deal. Okay, I jest but I am concerned about how much time the Yankees will have to improve their roster once the Lockout ends. Also, on a side note, I have cooled to the idea of handing out $350 million to Correa, an incredibly talented player, when you can sign a gifted Trevor Story and improve other areas of the rosters for less money. I think a stopgap shortstop would be a mistake since it does nothing to improve the roster, but Story would be a good enhancement. Corey Seager would have been a better fit, but Story plus a potential trade for first baseman Matt Olson or re-signing Anthony Rizzo makes more sense at this point. I try not to think about Freddie Freeman as I still think he will go back to Atlanta or at least he should for how much he means to that organization. Would I take Freeman if I had the opportunity? Yes, in a New York minute.

Freddie Freeman, Photo Credit: Carmen Mandato, Getty Images

I respect both CC Sabathia and Jeff Nelson, two former great Yankees, for speaking out this week against the immature comments made by former Yankee Clint Frazier. Nellie’s tweet (@NYnellie43) on December 9^th read: “Here is something for you. You can talk the talk but, you have not walked the walk. Love the confidence but, you have to do something on the field.” My feeling about Frazier is simply that he needs to turn the page. I wish him no ill will and hope he finds the success that has eluded him in Chicago. He needs to focus on his new team and opportunity and take the high road when he looks back on his failed time with the Yankees. I am tired of the infamous attention Frazier has received and feel it is time everyone moves on.

For as mad as Yankee fans were when the Yankees traded outfielder Mike Tauchman, it is funny the guy the Yankees acquired, Wandy Peralta, is the only current Major Leaguer involved in the April 2021 trade. Tauchman started his Giants career with a bang (a homer and four RBIs in his fourth game with San Francisco), but it was all downhill from there as he eventually found himself off the 40-man roster by the end of July. Tauchman has signed a $1 million contract ($300K bonus and $700 salary) with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization. For his sake, I hope it is a path that will lead Tauchman back to the Major Leagues although I do not pine for his return to the Yankees.

Welcome to the new newest members of the Yankees organization. During last week’s Minor League Rule 5 Draft, they selected 49-year-old outfielder…checks notes…sorry…22-year-old RHP Manny Ramirez from the Astros organization and 22-year-old RHP Steven Jennings from the Pirates organization. The only loss was 27-year-old RHP Brian Keller. He was chosen by the Boston Red Sox as they attempt to find gold in the Yankees organization like they did last year with Garrett Whitlock. Even though Keller is not the prospect Whitlock was, I hate the continued poaching by the Red Sox.

Congratulations to the former players who were elected to the MLB Hall of Fame by the Early Baseball Era Committee. All the names were HOF-worthy…Gil Hodges, Minnie Miñoso, Tony Oliva, Jim Kaat, Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neil. Kaat, a one-time Yank, was nice but I am most excited for the late John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil, Jr.

O’Neil was a special player and manager in the Negro Leagues. He was a first baseman for the Kansas City Monarchs for 10 years and managed them for 8 years. He was a two-time Negro American League batting champ and won four Negro American League titles as manager from 1948 to 1955. He became the first black coach for the Chicago Cubs in 1962. He was later a scout for the Cubs and the Kansas City Royals. His career in baseball spanned 70 years. Famed Big Red Machine second baseman, the late Joe Morgan, once said “Buck was similar to Jackie Robinson. There was more to him than just baseball.” Morgan also said, “He was probably the greatest ambassador the Negro Leagues had ever had.”

O’Neil is credited for scouting former Yankee Oscar Gamble while working for the Chicago Cubs organization in 1968. I never had the opportunity to meet O’Neil, but I did meet Gamble earlier in my life, and it remains one of the greatest baseball memories of my lifetime (all made possible because O’Neil saw the talent in Gamble). Gamble remains one of the kindest and most genuine players I have ever met, and I can only imagine O’Neil was even more so. O’Neil is credited for scouting Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Lou Brock, Lee Smith, and Joe Carter.

For years, I have felt O’Neil deserved a place in the Hall of Fame. Like many, I became aware of O’Neil through Ken Burns’ baseball documentary in 1994. Honestly, it saddens me that it took that long to discover the legend the O’Neil. O’Neil passed away in 2006 at the age of ninety-four. It is unfortunate he did not live to see his induction into Cooperstown, but we will never forget his greatness and enormous impact on the game of baseball.

Buck O'Neil, Photo Credit: Associated Press

As always, Go Yankees!

The Sights and Sounds of Spring Training...

Nearing the End of the Off-Season…

Two months from tomorrow, Gerrit Cole will be taking the mound in Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland, wearing the Yankee road grays and ready to throw his first official pitch as a member of Major League Baseball’s most storied franchise. Life is good.

I guess I should slow down and just be excited for the opening of Spring Training in less than three weeks. It will be fun to see activity at Steinbrenner Field again. I always love the first televised games of the Spring even if we don’t get to see very much of our favorite players. The interviews with players as they arrive at camp. The informal and subsequent formal workouts as the players get ready for the 2020 season. It’s just great to see those Spring pics of the Yankee rotation starters throwing bullpen sessions side-by-side. I look forward to the first pic featuring Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino, James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka. Yankees baseball, I love it.

But first, congratulations to Derek Jeter for his election to MLB’s Hall of Fame. Although expected, the announcement of his election this week was very exciting and it was so great to hear Jeter talk as a former Yankee great rather than as the CEO of the Miami Marlins.  I was convinced prior to the announcement there would be voters who would choose not to vote for Jeter so I never held the expectation he should be a unanimous selection but I’ll admit it was a bit disappointing there was just a single dissenting vote. Honestly, I don’t really care to ever find out who the voter was. I hope he had legitimate reasons for his choices although I cannot imagine what they would possibly be. Jeter was clearly the best candidate on this year’s ballot. Regardless, Jeter goes in with the second highest percentage (99.7%) ever with 396 of 397 votes. Once you’re in, it doesn’t matter if you got in with 99.7% or if you barely did it with 76.6% like Larry Walker. Walker (I am very happy about his election) is no less a Hall of Famer than Jeter. For Jeter, it has been great to hear his stories and how he still feels today that Yankee fans are the best in the World. There’s a part of me that kind of wishes the Steinbrenner family could have found a place for Jeter in the Yankees organization for his post-playing career but I suppose they were never going to sell him a stake in the team like he has in Miami. Jeter has reminded us this week of why he was such a special player in New York. 

Credit: Mark Ulriksen, The New Yorker

It will be exciting this summer (July 26^th) when Jeter is officially inducted into the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York. No doubt guys like Jorge Posada, Tino Martinez, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera will be there. An encore musical performance by Bernie Williams, who played last year, would be nice.

Photo Credit: Bebeto Matthews, AP

I am probably softening on my stance against Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds. I am not condoning PED use, but they were two great players before the suspected PED involvement. There are worse guys in the Hall of Fame. Clemens and Bonds are running out of time and did not really make up much ground this year. With Clemens and Bonds receiving 61.0% and 60.7% of the votes this year, they would have needed 156 and 157 more votes, respectively, to have made it into the Hall of Fame. That seems like a tall order with just two years of eligibility left. But if these two can’t get in, there’s no way for Alex Rodriguez who becomes eligible in 2022. 

Nice recovery by the New York Mets who stayed in-house when they named Felipe Alou’s son Luis Rojas as their new manager replacing Carlos Beltran. Although Rojas is not the “name” Beltran was, I think he is better positioned to be a successful manager. As a long-time member of the Mets organization, he has extensive minor league managerial experience. Assuming Hensley Meulens does not get the Boston job, he’ll provide good experience for Rojas as the team’s bench coach. For as dysfunctional as the Mets can be, this was a good move, in my opinion. I am not really sure why Meulens keeps getting bypassed. I think he’d be a good manager but it would suck to see him go to the Boston Red Sox so I hope he gets bypassed one more time before getting his opportunity.

I have no clue what the Red Sox are going to do. On paper, they still have a very good team. Everybody seems quick to dismiss them but they have the players capable of making noise in the AL East. They’d be weakened if the rumored trade of Mookie Betts happens but if they hold onto him, the AL East will be no cakewalk for the Yankees. Boston’s famed Truck Day is February 3^rd so you’d think they would have a manager in place by then. I think Buck Showalter would be an outstanding choice for them but like Meulens, I’d hate to see Buck go there. Even though he’d be a good manager, I am hopeful the Sox elevate bench coach Ron Roenicke to the post. Jason Varitek seems like the eventual manager so it would be wise for them to open a spot on the coaching staff for Tek and let Roenicke groom him for the position. 

I thought it was funny this week to see the Houston Astros are going to interview Brad Ausmus. After stints in Detroit and Anaheim, he has proven he is not a very good manager. I know he was a long-time Astro but his selection as manager would probably be a great thing for Yankee fans. The Astros, if they are serious about putting the cheating scandal behind them and naming a guy who can rebuild their credibility, should go with either Showalter or Dusty Baker.  

Back to the Yankees, I think we’re ready to go. There will be no trades for Josh Hader, Francisco Lindor or Nolan Arenado. I’ve been hoping for some under-the-radar minor league signings of high upside players but even that is probably not going to happen. They signed a few catchers to minor league deals (Erik Kratz, Chris Iannetta, and John Mazza) to bring catching depth to camp. Former Mets reliever Luis Avilan, 30, was signed to a minor league contract and is presumably a potential replacement for the departed Stephen Tarpley although the significance of a lefty specialist was diminished with this year’s installation of the three batter minimum rule. 

The only change I see with the roster between now and Opening Day is the potential trade of J.A. Happ. I still think it happens.  I can’t see the Yankees taking Happ and his contract into the regular season with a chance to reach the innings threshold to activate his 2021 option. If they mess with his innings pitched by pulling him out of the rotation at times, that’s not really fair to Happ. I think best case scenario, which would help the team from a luxury tax standpoint, would be to move Happ now rather than wait. The deeper we go into the season with Happ, the greater percentage of his 2020 salary, $17 million, going against team payroll for luxury tax purposes. I suppose the Yankees want to see where Jordan Montgomery is at in Spring Training but I continue to believe Happ will be wearing another uniform by Opening Day.

The other guy who has to go is Clint Frazier. Now with the talk about Miguel Andujar being asked to learn first base and left field, it would further diminish opportunities for Frazier. There are things I don’t like about Clint but he remains a talented player and I think he would strongly benefit from a change of scenery. I get the argument you’d be selling low on the player but I do not see any positives for stashing Frazier in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for another year.  You want to see players in the best possible position to succeed and sadly I feel that time has passed for Frazier with the Yankees.

It’s funny but in interviews, I think I’ve heard Manager Aaron Boone talk more about “Mendy” (new bench coach Carlos Mendoza) than he ever talked about his friend and former bench coach Josh Bard (who returned to his role as bullpen coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers). I am excited about what Mendy brings to the bench in his new role. He also inherits the role as organizer of Spring Training activities (which always reminds me of former Yankees coach and now Phillies bench coach Rob Thomson who ran Yankees camp for years). A popular coach, I think this is an underrated and very positive move for the Yankees. 

Speaking of the Phillies, I have to say it sucked this week when I saw this image on Sir Didi’s Twitter account courtesy of MLB.com's Bryan Hoch:

Lastly, I want to say thanks to Mike Fiers. I know he is going to take much heat this year as the whistleblower of the Houston Astros cheating scandal but if he had not stepped forward, it’s not like the Astros were going to self-police and report themselves. Houston cost the Yankees potential opportunities to advance to the World Series through fraudulent measures. Fiers was the guy Yankee fans loved to hate. His infamy grew as the guy who threw the pitch in September 2014 that shattered Giancarlo Stanton’s face. But I honestly hope he gets cheers from the fans for his role in bringing light to the Houston cheaters. Also, congrats to Dallas Keuchel for taking accountability yesterday. I know his words were a little watered down but I appreciate his proactiveness and accountability, something that guys like Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve seemingly cannot comprehend. 

When Spring Training opens, I do feel that former Astro Gerrit Cole needs to address the media regarding any knowledge he may have had. While I do not feel the pitchers were directly involved (including the despised Justin Verlander), the topic is the elephant in the room and Cole needs to be open and honest about what he does or does not know. I remain very excited that Cole is a Yankee but he does not get a free pass simply because he is a Yankee. 

As always, Go Yankees! 

Missing the New York Yankees...

Off-Season Prep for 2020 is Underway…

I think I can speak for the entire Yankees fanbase when I say that we miss Yankees Baseball. We are in the part of the off-season where there is talk and speculation but not much action. Things should start warming up next week. Not that there will be signings and trades, but the General Manager meetings will be held Monday through Thursday in Scottsdale, Arizona. The groundwork for the future trades could be laid and of course there could be finalization of the new deal for Brett Gardner. When you get all the GM’s together in one place, anything can happen.  Let the alcohol flow! After a couple of shots, maybe Jacoby Ellsbury would look attractive to somebody. I’d love for a rival GM to wake up from a drunken stupor one morning, screaming “WTF! How did we end up with Ellsbury???!!!” Sadly, it won’t be that easy to get rid of Jacoby but I’ll always hold out hope. Fortunately, we are only one season away from the $5 million buyout and the end of Ellsbury’s time in New York. 

The biggest news for the Yankees this week was the appointment of Matt Blake as the new pitching coach, replacing the fired Larry Rothschild. Blake, 33, had been promoted last Tuesday to Director of Pitching Development for the Cleveland Indians. Two days later, he was the newest member of Aaron Boone’s staff.  Blake has been with the Indians for four seasons and was, prior to his promotion, the Assistant Director of Player Development. Before joining the Indians in late 2015, Blake was a pitching coordinator for Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson, MA.  He began his career as a pitching coach for a Boston area high school (Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in Sudbury, MA) in 2009. In 2010, he served as an area scout for the Yankees before moving on to Cressey. He served as the pitching coach in 2015 for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, a collegiate summer baseball team in the Cape Cod Baseball League.  

Blake is a native of Concord, New Hampshire and graduated from the College of the Holy Cross with degrees in psychology and philosophy. He was on the Holy Cross baseball team for all four years.

While I think we have to recognize that most of us are not qualified to assess who is or is not a good pitching coach, I like the hire. I know everybody wanted the sexy pick of David Cone. Me too. I thought Cone or Andy Pettitte would be good choices, but conversely, I know that just because Cone was a very good pitcher and a great broadcaster does not mean that he would have been a terrific pitching coach. Also, the pitching coach job would have required Cone to take a pay cut. Frankly, I am glad that we’ll continue to hear Coney on YES Network broadcasts with Michael Key. I suppose he could always pursue coaching jobs elsewhere if he is so inclined but for now, I like his presence on my TV screen for games.  

The Yankees have evolved into one of Baseball’s most advanced analytic teams. They’ve sunk huge costs into acquiring some of the best  available analytic minds to support VP, Assistant General Manager Michael Fishman and his team of analysts. The word is Blake is very good at taking analytics and breaking it down into laymen’s terms for pitchers to understand and how to apply them. I know the Yankees didn’t wake up one morning and say ‘hey, let’s steal Blake from the Indians!’. They did their research, and multiple members within the Yankees organization had the opportunity to meet with Blake. The consensus of the greatest minds in the organization was the hiring of Blake as the next pitching coach. That’s good enough for me.  

I do think the Yankees should join the recent trend in MLB to hire an assistant pitching coach. The unknown about Blake is that he has never played or coached at the Major League level. I am not saying he can’t do it, but I think two voices on the coaching staff for the pitchers is smart. I personally like RailRiders pitching coach Tommy Phelps. He has good knowledge and experience with many of the high level prospects and we know that he has done good work with the Major League pitchers sent down for additional instruction, with Chad Green representing the most recent example. Who knows if Green’s rebound was because of Phelps or was based on a plan developed by Larry Rothschild, but I do know that Phelps is highly respected and would make a good partner for Blake.  

Speaking of Larry Rothschild, it didn’t take him long to find new employment. One day after the Yankees hired Blake, the San Diego Padres announced their had re-assigned their pitching coach of 17 years, Darren Balsey, to other duties within the organization and had hired Rothschild to be their next pitching coach. I think everyone expected Larry to follow Joe Girardi to Philadelphia, but all things considered, I think landing in San Diego is an ideal opportunity for him. I was a little surprised when Girardi went with Bryan Price as his pitching coach. Not that I think Price is a bad coach, but as a recent manager, I am sure he has aspirations to manage again, and I can’t help but think there could be potential for conflict with Girardi who we know can be hard-headed at times. Maybe I am reading too much into that, but at this state of his career, Rothschild is content with serving as a pitching coach until retirement calls his name. He’ll now get his opportunity to help break in another rookie manager (Jayce Tingler) and will be charged to help develop one of the best pitching prospects in the game in MacKenzie Gore. I don’t get the hate directed at Rothschild by Yankee fans. While I think it was time for the Yankees and Rothschild to part ways, I realize that Larry did many things right and there was much we were unable to see from the outside looking in. I am appreciative for the years he gave the Yankees. The Padres are a young, analytics-driven team, and they chose to go with experience. Good for Larry. I wish him the best for his new opportunity.  

It was reported the Yankees and Brett Gardner’s camp are talking and it should result in a new deal soon. I am in favor of bringing Gardy back, however, I do not feel the Yankees should spend more than $8-$10 million on a one-year contract.  Maybe throw in some incentives for a couple more million. But to expect Gardy to replicate his 2019 season (enhanced by the alleged juiced baseball) is asking too much. The Yankees need a starting center fielder next year and I hate seeing Gardner’s name automatically written in while Aaron Hicks recovers from Tommy John surgery. The guy will be 37 in August. I think he is best served as the team’s fourth outfielder with random starts rather than every day. The Yankees need to field the best players in 2020, not swim in sentimental waters. I’ve seen some Yankee fans suggest Gardy’s number should be retired when his playing days are finished. Sorry, while he has been a good Yankee for a long-time, he is not a Hall of Fame level player and never has been. I value Gardy’s leadership but I believe he is overrated in the eyes of many fans. I am not sure if the center field should be Mike Tauchman or maybe someone who is not in the organization right now, but I think the Yankees will go with the best man for the job and not simply pay for past performance.  

I know the Yankees will be okay if Didi Gregorius leaves, but I’ll be sad. I like his left-handed bat and I think he’ll rebound for a stronger 2020 season as he gets further away from TJ surgery.  The Yankees are still a championship-level team with Gleyber Torres at short and D.J. LeMahieu at second, but I think Didi still has much left in the tank. I know, I am making these statements after saying the Yankees shouldn’t stay with Gardy for sentimental reasons. But unlike Gardy, I think the best years can still be ahead for Didi. There’s growing speculation that Didi’s original team, the Cincinnati Reds, are interested in bringing him back. I guess if Didi does leave, I’d rather see him go to the National League so the Reds would probably be best-case scenario. But minus his bat, the Yankees will need to find another left-handed hitter to sandwich between Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.   I am not sure if lefties like Mike Ford, Mike Tauchman, or (gasp!) Greg Bird can be that guy or if Brian Cashman will have to go for outside help. Also, unless the Yankees sign LeMahieu to an extension, there could be an infield void after next season. I’d hate to go back to rolling out guys like Brian Roberts and Stephen Drew  to fill in at second base like we did when Robinson Cano left. If you say Tyler Wade, then we obviously have differing opinions about the player.   

A much speculated target for shortstop has been Cleveland’s Francisco Lindor. Granted, he is not a left-handed bat but clearly he’s one of the best players in the game today. He is only 25 and would fit nicely into the Yankees lineup as a replacement for Gregorius. If the Indians move Lindor, it will only be for a huge haul so we’d have to expect to lose some very talented and promising players. Another suggestion is Corey Seager if the Los Angeles Dodgers acquire Lindor. I’d be fine with either Lindor or Seager at shortstop (using Aaron Boone’s favorite word, “obviously”). But honestly, I wish the Yankees would just re-sign Gregorius and save the trade bullets for an ace. A package of Lindor and Corey Kluber would be awesome, but the price tag would be outrageous. Nevertheless, I am sure you’ll be able to see Cashman in conversation with Chris Antonetti, Cleveland’s President of Baseball Operations, and/or Mike Chernoff, the Tribe’s GM, next week. You never know what can happen in Baseball.  

I am cautiously optimistic about Thurman Munson’s presence on the 2020 Modern Era Committee ballot for Hall of Fame consideration. The results will be announced on December 8th. I’ve always said that Jim “Catfish” Hunter is the reason I became a Yankee fan, but it didn’t take long for Thurman to become my favorite player.  The others on the ballot are Don Mattingly, Dwight Evans, Steve Garvey, Tommy John, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Ted Simmons, Lou Whitaker, and former MLBPA head Marvin Miller. Mattingly was my favorite player after Munson. While I think both players are Hall of Fame-worthy, if I had to pick one, I’d say it is time for Thurman to get his deserved recognition as one of the game’s all-time greats. I loved the passion and intensity of that guy.  He was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1970 and the AL MVP in 1976. Even though the Yankees were swept in the World Series that year, it was not because of Munson who hit .529 (9 for 17) in the series. He was the heart and soul of two World Series championship teams in 1977 and 1978. Thurman’s death in 1979 remains one of those “I know exactly where I was when I heard the news” moments in my life. I was devastated and it’s sad that we didn’t get to see what Thurman could have done past age 32. I know there was speculation at the time about Thurman’s desire to get closer to home and perhaps sign with the Cleveland Indians, but it would have been hard to see him in anything other than Pinstripes. He was truly one of the Yankee Legends despite his premature departure and deserves his place among the other greats. I hope this is the year.  

As always, Go Yankees! 

CC Sabathia and the Hall of Fame...

Photo Credit: Bill Kostroun, NY Post

Resume now includes 250 wins and 3,000 strikeouts…

Many of us fans were getting discouraged with the June Yankees after the May Yankees had made baseball fun again, but it’s funny how a nice little five-game win streak quickly changes one’s perspective.  I was a little late tuning into yesterday’s series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays, and it was already 6-0 in the first inning and the Rays were on their second pitcher after AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell had been pulled after one out and 39 pitches. Yikes! That’s the Yankee Juggernaut this team is capable of. 

Congratulations to CC Sabathia for the achievement of his 250^th Major League victory with the 12-1 win.  I know it took a few tries and CC was more worried about getting the Yankees their 46^th win this year than the 250^th of his career, but it’s an amazing achievement for the big guy from Vallejo, California.  With a career record of 250-157, 3.71 ERA, and 3,043 strikeouts, he seems like a shoo-in for Baseball’s Hall of Fame.  As an eleven-year member of the team, it seems natural that he should go into the Hall as a Yankee despite his early years in Cleveland.  I suspect in five years, CC will need to make travel arrangements for Cooperstown, New York. He’s been a great Yankee. 

The sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays couldn’t have come at a better time.  Entering the series, the Yankees held a slim ½ game lead over the Rays and had been scuffling for a few series until they finally won the last two games of the four-game set in Chicago with the White Sox to earn a split.  Now, three days later, the Yankees have a more comfortable 3 ½ game margin on the Rays and barring another tailspin should enter the month of the July atop the AL East Standings. 

Now the challenging part. The Houston Astros are in the Bronx for a four-game series starting this evening. Yes, the Cincinnati Reds just swept the Astros and Houston is on a four-game losing streak but they still have the second-best record in the American League behind the Minnesota Twins at 48-27 (two wins more than the Yankees but the same number of losses).  Regardless of what happened in Cincinnati, playing in Yankee Stadium will energize the Astros and it will almost certainly be a playoff-like atmosphere. I expect it to be a very tough series, more challenging than the last three days.  Not taking anything away from the Rays, they are a very good team, but in my mind, the Astros, who many predict to advance to the World Series this year, are the team to beat.  They are boosted by the return of second baseman Jose Altuve who was activated off the IL yesterday. Similarly, the Yankees benefit from the returns of Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge (the latter played his last rehab game for the RailRiders last night and should be activated for Friday night’s game).  It feels like the Yankees are catching the Astros at the right time, and I am glad the series is in New York and not Houston.  If the Yankees continue to get the pitching performances they’ve seen the last few games, I like the Yankees’ chances of taking at least three of four from the Astros.  After getting swept in Houston earlier this season, it would be fun if the Yankees could return the favor.

The pitching matchups are set:

Thursday:  Houston’s Framber Valdez (3-2, 2.77 ERA) vs Chad Green, Opener (1-2, 7.54 ERA) who will most likely be followed by Nestor Cortes Jr (1-0, 3.79 ERA).

Friday: Houston’s Brad Peacock (6-4, 3.67 ERA) vs James Paxton (4-3, 3.93 ERA)

Saturday: Houston’s Wade Miley (6-4, 3.30 ERA) vs Masahiro Tanaka (5-5, 3.23 ERA)

Sunday: Houston’s Justin Verlander (9-3, 2.59 ERA) vs J.A. Happ (7-3, 4.59 ERA)

I am kind of glad the Yankees will be missing future Yank Gerrit Cole this series.  I think the only matchup that truly concerns me is Verlander-Happ.  Hopefully Happ can go toe-to-toe (or maybe I should say arm-to-arm) with Verlander with the Yankees’ offense providing the difference.

The Cameron Maybin decision. I agree with those who say the best course of action after tonight’s game is to option Cortes Jr to Triple A to clear a spot on the 25-man roster for Aaron Judge.  If Cortes Jr can pitch at least five innings tonight, he won’t be ready to pitch again for five days so it buys more time for Maybin on the Yankees roster.  Sadly, if Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton, and Aaron Judge stay healthy, I do not see room on the roster for Maybin.  It sucks because I think he’s been a fantastic addition and he fits so well into the clubhouse, but inevitably, the Yankees will need his roster spot.  Brett Gardner will provide the necessary outfield insurance so at that point, Maybin becomes a redundant part and one not likely to play much.  Hopefully Brian Cashman can work his magic and get a little something for Maybin rather than just lose him on waivers.  Of course, an injury could change this in a heartbeat.  I do not wish injury upon anyone, but I am in favor of buying as much time with Maybin as we possibly can before the inevitable guillotine falls.  That’s why I feel the Yankees should drop to a 12-man pitching staff at least temporarily.

I really do not get the adverse reaction Giancarlo Stanton has gotten from Yankee fans.  I feel it is unrealistic to expect players who have missed so much time to immediately hit to normal standards.  Recapturing one’s timing is a process. Facing Triple-A pitchers is not the same as MLB pitching.  Stanton missed 68 games until he was activated earlier this week.  I had absolutely no problem with Aaron Boone’s decision to rest Stanton yesterday. If Boone wants to take his time working Stanton back into form, he certainly knows more about the situation (where Stanton is physically and mentally) and it’s his right to make those decisions.  I know Stanton will eventually hit and I am not going to get on him for every strikeout until it happens. He deserves our patience and support, not our abuse.  I am glad Giancarlo Stanton is a Yankee and if the Yankees win the World Series this year, I have no doubts Stanton will be a huge reason why.  If you choose to boo him, I don’t consider you to be real fans anyway.

The Yankees had a couple of minor league transactions of note yesterday.  Pitchers Drew Hutchison and Danny Farquhar were released.  I never really expected Hutchison to last in the organization.  He wasn’t going to get a chance at the Big League level and apparently he had an opt-out in his minor league contract.  There was a time when I thought the one-time Blue Jay had potential but that time passed years ago.  Farquhar is the sadder story.  After his life-threatening brain aneurysm with the Chicago White Sox last year, he was the feel-good story of the Spring as he attempted his comeback with the Yankees.  While I didn’t think he’d crack the Yankees’ vaunted bullpen, there was a part of me that kind of hoped he would.  I wish him nothing but the best as he continues his journey back to the Major Leagues.  I hope he has better luck with his next organization and I look forward to the day he stands on a Major League mound again.

Lastly, a quick note on the starting pitching speculations for our favorite team.  As much as I would love to have Max Scherzer and there’s probably no untouchable prospects to get him (in my mind), he will never be a Yankee.  Primarily, I don’t think the Washington Nationals will trade him.  They’ve won 16 of 23 games and are only 4 games out in the NL Wild Card hunt.  Sure, much can happen between now and July 31^st, but I don’t see the Nationals in seller’s mode (at least not as far as Scherzer is concerned).  But even if the Nats were willing to trade him, I honestly do not feel the Yankees would take the contract, even if Washington was willing to include a few dollars in the deal.  I know Hal Steinbrenner is on record saying that he’d be willing to surpass the highest luxury tax threshold if necessary to improve pitching but what he says and what he does are often two different things.  There always seems to be the eye on the bottom line and truthfully Scherzer is probably the only pitcher worth paying the highest tax but I don’t see it happening.  I guess you can never say never, but as much as I like Max Scherzer, I don’t think we’ll ever see him calling Yankee Stadium home.

As always, Go Yankees!

The History Of The Yankees Captains

There have been 14 players named the team captain in the Highlanders/Yankees history. Some Yankees/Highlanders players are listed as captains but the first to be officially recognized as the Yankees captain was Hal Chase in 1910. Three of the first four Yankees "captains" were not officially recognized as Yankees captains but I have included them as well with the 11 official captains in our history.

Let's take a look at the complete list now.

(P) Clark Griffith 

Spent 1891-1914 as a Yankees player

Spent 1903-1905 as a Yankees captain

(SS) Kid Elberfeld 

Spent 1898-1914 as a Yankees player

Spent 1906-1909 as a Yankees captain

(1B) Hal Chase #1

Spent 1905-1919 as a Yankees player

Spent 1910-1912 as a Yankees captain

(1B) Frank Chance 

Spent 1898-1914 as a Yankees player

Spent 1913 as a Yankees captain

(SS) Roger Peckinpaugh #2 

Spent 1910-1927 as a Yankees player

Spent 1914-1921 as a Yankees captain

(OF) Babe Ruth #3

Spent 1914-1935 as a Yankees player

Spent 1922 as a Yankees captain

(SS) Everett Scott #4

Spent 1914-1926 as a Yankees player

Spent 1922-1925 as a Yankees captain

(1B) Lou Gehrig #5

Spent 1923-1939 as a Yankees player

Spent 1935-1939 as a Yankees captain

(C) Thurman Munson #6

Spent 1969-1979 as a Yankees player

Spent 1976-1979 as a Yankees captain

(3B) Graig Nettles #7

Spent 1967-1988 as a Yankees player

Spent 1982-1984 as a Yankees captain

(2B) Willie Randolph #8

Spent 1975-1992 as a Yankees player

Spent 1986-1988 as a Yankees co-captain

(P) Ron Guidry #9

Spent 1975-1988 as a Yankees player

Spent 1986-1988 as a Yankees co-captain

(1B) Don Mattingly #10

Spent 1982-1995 as a Yankees player

Spent 1991-1995 as a Yankees captain

(SS) Derek Jeter #11

Spent 1995-2014 as a Yankees player

Spent 2003- 2014 as a Yankees captain

Four Yankees captains have been elected into the Hall of Fame, and obviously it will be five when Derek Jeter is eligible, including Clark Griffith, Frank Chance, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gehrig. It is really amazing to think that players like Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Whitey Ford, Phil Rizzuto, or Catfsh Hunter to name a few have never been named a Yankees captain. It is also interesting to point out that Babe Ruth has only been a captain for a single season in 1922. George Steinbrenner kind of watered down the whole prestige behind being the Yankees captain, in my opinion, when he handed the honor out six times in his tenure as Yankees owner but Derek Jeter did his best to make the best of the situation and bring the prestige back to the most honored spot in all of baseball, the captain of the New York Yankees.