Judge Rules for Freedom...

  

Giancarlo Stanton, Samantha Bracksieck-Judge, & Aaron Judge (Photo Credit: Bryan Bedder/New York Road Runners via Getty Images)

Yankees outfielder is THE top Major League free agent…

It has been a long road for Aaron Judge, but he has finally reached free agency at age thirty. If the Yankees had been more aggressive with their offers before the season, perhaps Judge would not have reached this point. They did not and Judge had one of the greatest seasons in Yankees history. The ultimate “bet on yourself” move. He has earned the right to market himself to all teams. To be wined and dined by the other executives and hear the sales pitches for how fantastic he would be for their organizations would be wonderful for anyone to hear.  The antithesis to an arbitration hearing where your worth is blown up instead of torn down.

As a Yankee fan, it is admittedly tough to watch. He is ours. It is a bit shocking when you look at the current 40-man Yankees roster and the only outfielder named Aaron is Aaron Hicks.  Over the years, it has been hard to see some guys leave via free agency. Robinson Cano stands out as a painful one, and while I am not trying to be disrespectful, the loss of Judge would be far worse. 

The YES Network will air an interview of Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner by Meredith Marakovits on Monday. Through excerpts released from the interview, Steinbrenner told Meredith he has had more than one conversation with Aaron Judge since the end of the season. He expressed his desire to retain Judge by saying, “I have made it clear to him that is our wish. He means a lot to this organization, and I’ve made it clear to him we’re going to do everything we can to make that happen.”

Hal Steinbrenner (Photo Credit: YES Network)

I am slightly disappointed the Judge camp has not told the Yankees they will give them the right to match or beat any final offer.  The words “(Insert team name) to sign Aaron Judge” are going to hit hard one way or the other. The San Francisco Giants are the most frequently mentioned team. Judge is from Linden, California and the Bay Area is a short ride from his parents’ home. Linden is approximately 90 to 100 miles from AT&T Park depending upon the route taken. 

While I get the “home” connection, signing with the Giants would mean the end of Judge’s involvement with the New York City community and he would be far from his current home in Tampa, Florida, near the Yankees training facility. The Giants train in Scottsdale, Arizona. While the Giants have a few more World Series championships than the Yankees since 2009, their seasons tend to run hot and cold. They won the NL West with 107 victories in 2021 and followed it up by winning only 81 games this season.  Another factor is the weather. I know, California weather is beautiful. I live in Southern California, and complaints about the weather are not part of my vocabulary. Yet, San Francisco can be quite cold in the summertime. There is a quote attributed to (possibly misattributed to) Mark Twain that says, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” I experienced this once wearing shorts. The day started in San Jose which sits on the South Bay, with the temperature nearly reaching 90. Made the trip to San Francisco to see the Giants play, and I nearly froze to death. I was surrounded by fans wearing winter coats. I never made that mistake again. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers loom as a factor. Harder for me personally to find reasons not to want to live in the greater Los Angeles area since I do, but Clayton Kershaw is an example of a great player who belongs to stay in one uniform…just like Aaron Judge should remain in Pinstripes. Kershaw was just re-signed by the Dodgers to a one-year, $20 million contract for the 2023 season despite the speculation over the last few years that he would return to his home in North Texas.  Kershaw may no longer be the heart of the Dodgers when he is not even the best pitcher on the team anymore, but he means so much to the organization. He will one day be enshrined in Cooperstown, and no other Dodger will wear number 22. This is exactly the path Judge should take with the Yankees. Ride the Pinstripes to the Hall of Fame, unscathed by not wearing any other uniform.  Judge is the heart of the current Yankees and his stature with the Dodgers would not be the same. Sure, he could become the heart and soul of the team like he is with the Yankees, but it would take time, or it might not happen at all. Why take the chance?

In October 1941, Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio said words that later reached the heart of Hall of Famer Derek Jeter. “I want to thank the Good Lord for making me a Yankee”. I hope these words reach a little further (and higher) into Judge’s heart. He is a Yankee, and he should always be a Yankee.

The next Yankees Captain?

Aaron Judge, please come home to the Yankees. We miss you.

Award Season is upon us. The Silver Slugger Awards were announced Thursday on the MLB Network. The best offensive players at each position are voted on by MLB managers and coaches. Aaron Judge received his third Silver Slugger for the outfield. He was joined by fellow AL outfielders, Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners, the possible AL Rookie of the Year, and Mike Trout, of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  Judge, the likely AL MVP, continues to assemble hardware for the trophy case. He really should not try to move those valuable trophies and awards across country for fear they might get damaged in transit. Just sayin’…

The magical season for Jose Trevino continues. He arrived at Spring Training in Arizona with the Texas Rangers as a backup catcher. By the end of the season, he was the starting catcher for the New York Yankees. Living the dream. On Friday, the winners of the Rawlings Platinum Glove Awards were named. The award is given to the best defensive player in both leagues. Jose Trevino won the award for the American League, while Nolan Arenado of the St Louis Cardinals was the National League winner. It is a tremendous honor for a deserving player.

Jose Trevino (Photo Credit: FOX Sports)

Congratulations to both Aaron Judge and Jose Trevino!

The Roster Chess Match begins. Facing minor league free agency, the Yankees made several moves to add players to the 40-man roster this week. RHP Jhony Brito and LHP Matt Krook were added to the Major League roster, and the Yankees selected the contract of RHP Jimmy Cordero from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Cordero, the former White Sox reliever, underwent Tommy John surgery in early 2021. He signed a minor league contract with the Yankees last year while rehabbing. He should be ready to compete for a spot in the bullpen in 2023. 

Jimmy Cordero (Photo Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Speedy Tim Locastro elected free agency after he was removed from the 40-man roster, so he joins Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo, Jameson Taillon, Andrew Benintendi, Marwin Gonzalez, Matt Carpenter, Zack Britton, Miguel Castro, Chad Green, and Aroldis Chapman as guys on the open market.

The Yankees must set their 40-man roster for Rule 5 Draft protection by next Tuesday so there should be a few more moves made between now and then.

Here are some of the minor league players who elected free agency:

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Triple A)

RHP Richard Rodriguez, RHP Jose Mujica, RHP Tyler Duffey, DH Jake Bauers, RHP Matt Bowman, LHP Chasen Shreve (I had legitimately forgotten he had returned to the organization), C Rob Brantly, RHP Braden Bristo, LF Ryan LaMarre, LF Michael Beltre, RHP Reggie McClain, CF Blake Perkins, 3B Armando Alvarez, 2B Derek Dietrich, SS Chris Owings, RHP Shane Greene, and 3B Phillip Evans.

Somerset Patriots (Double A)

RHP Carlos Espinal, RHP Emmanuel Ramirez, and C Rodolfo Duran.

Hudson Valley Renegades (High-A)

SS Wilkerman Garcia, C Saul Torres, and RHP Wellington Diaz.

Tampa Tarpons (Single-A)

RHP Nolan Martinez.

I remember my optimism when the Yankees signed Wilkerman Garcia as an international free agent in 2014 for $1.35 million. The Yankees made a big splash in international free agency that year, blowing past the bonus allotment (which was allowed with penalty at the time).  Dermis Garcia was the big fish that year, signing for $3.2 million. He is currently with the Oakland A’s. The other forgotten names are 3B Nelson Gomez, OF Juan De Leon, OF Jonathan Amundaray, C Miguel Flames, and SS Hoy Park. Sad to look at the names, and Park is the only one that stands out. He was packaged with infielder Diego Castillo in the July 2021 trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates that brought reliever Clay Holmes to New York.

Houston Astros GM Jim Click departs team shortly after the World Series championship. The contracts for both Click and manager Dusty Baker had expired after the World Series. The Astros re-signed Baker, but everyone was surprised when it was announced on Friday that the Astros had parted ways with their general manager.

Ken Rosenthal had written a piece in The Athletic prior to the World Series that alluded to the possible breakup, so it was not a surprise. Yankee fans immediately began clamoring for Click as the Yankees’ new general manager. Click probably gets too much credit for building the World Champions since the roster was largely put together by disgraced former GM Jeff Luhnow, but he knew enough not to tinker too much with a successful team. He knows how the Astros are built and why they are successful.  I am not saying fire Brian Cashman and hire Click, but a scenario that elevates Cashman to President of Baseball Operations with Click as the new GM is not unreasonable.  I doubt it happens, but I really believe the Yankees would benefit with a new voice in the GM seat and Click certainly carries the qualifications.

To be clear, I am not on the ‘Fire Cashman’ bandwagon. He has a place in the organization and should be promoted accordingly.  I do find it odd that the Yankees have yet to announce a new contract for Cashman who continues as an at-will employee.  If Steinbrenner is struggling to find the right terms with Cashman, what does that say about his ability to get Aaron Judge’s signature on the bottom line? A rhetorical question, it is simply an observation that Steinbrenner can be too passive at times, creating missed opportunities. 

As always, Go Yankees! 

Doubleheader with Sweeping Success...

Photo Credit: Al Bello, Getty Images

Yankees take 2 from the lowly O’s…

After a couple of rainy days and no Yankees baseball, everybody’s favorite team returned yesterday with a sweep of the doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles to salvage two of the three scheduled games of the series. The third game, Tuesday’s rainout, will be played as part of another doubleheader on August 12th.  

The two wins, by scores of 5-3 and 3-1, put the Yankees a half-game behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays, who won a 1-0 pitching duel with the Miami Marlins, entering this weekend’s AL East Showdown between the Yankees and Rays. I really wish that Donnie Baseball’s team could have put up a couple of runs against Tampa. A Rays blowout would have been easier to take than a one-run victory.  

A common phrase during this injury-challenged year is ‘where would we be without (insert player name)?’  Yesterday, the man was Gleyber Torres. His three home runs (two in the first game and one in the second) represented the first time a Yankee at age 22 or younger, had homered three times in one day since Joe DiMaggio homered three times during a game in 1937. Joltin’ Joe actually did it twice with three homers during a 1936 doubleheader, but still, anytime you can put your name with DiMaggio, you’re doing something right.  

Domingo German (8-1, 2.41 ERA) continues to amaze. Entering the season, it was a question if he’d even make the MLB roster and if so, a swing role probably represented his best opportunity. Asked to step in for the injured Luis Severino, German has never looked back. His eight wins, one more than Houston’s Justin Verlander, lead Major League Baseball. If he continues to pitch like this, there’s no doubt he’ll be at Progressive Field in Cleveland on July 9th for the All-Star Game. Yesterday, he pitched seven innings in the second game, yielding only a single run although he did have to escape a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh inning. He struck out eight. His emotion in getting the final out on a groundout to third by Joey Rickard told the story. He was great this game. Despite the struggles in his final inning, he pitched very efficiently with only 85 pitches, walking just one (the next to last batter he faced).  

When James Paxton and Luis Severino return, the Yankees will have an interesting decision to make. Of course, this is one of those situations where you worry about it when it happens, but there’s no way the Yankees can pull German from the starting rotation if he continues to pitch like this. I can easily see J.A. Happ as the odd man out, but then the question is what do you do with Happ. Signed to a two year deal, with vesting option for a third year, in the off-season, Happ seems to be coming around despite the two homers he allowed yesterday.  His vesting option is not impacted by innings or starts in 2019 so he seemingly is a candidate to move into the bullpen as the long man if necessary. 

Photo Credit: Charles Wenzelberg, NY Post

Seems a bit of a waste of a proven Major League starter but honestly who else are you going to pull from the starting rotation? Tanaka is not going anywhere and CC Sabathia, in his final season, has earned the right to start to season’s end. These things usually work themselves out and while I don’t want to see any more injuries, it is inevitable somebody will go down beyond the present list of injured players. If Happ gets on a summer-time roll or pitches like he did down the stretch last year for the Yankees, it will be hard to remove him from the rotation but I honestly see no other alternatives and do not feel the Yankees would move to a six-man rotation. Oh well, that’s a problem to think about if/when it happens. I’d much prefer having guys Domingo German and Gio Urshela take strangleholds on their positions and forcing the hard decisions by Brian Cashman and his team.

Speaking of Urshela, his long-term future with the Yankees for the season was solidified with the somber news that Miguel Andujar has opted for season-ending surgery to repair the torn labrum in his right shoulder. While Miggy was contemplating whether or not to have the surgery, I felt it was the right move from the start. He tried rest and rehab and it didn’t work. Rather than gamble with continued rest and potential setbacks, get the problem fixed and come back healthy and strong. It may mean 9-12 months lost, but that’s better than trying to play deeper into the 2019 season  with unsuccessful results and potentially losing all of next year. Hopefully Andujar comes back as good as new and enjoys a Didi Gregorius-like road to recovery.  

Someone mentioned the Yankees should make a trade for Toronto’s Brandon Drury for third base. No question he is a good player, the Yankees liked him and he only lost out with the team because of Andujar’s stellar play. However, I think the Yankees are in good hands with Urshela and DJ LeMahieu. I really liked Drury during his brief Yankees career but once Didi comes back, Torres will take back second base. You have to keep LeMahieu in the lineup so I think you’ll see him spend the majority of his time at third when Didi and Gleyber are on the field. Regardless of whether it is Gio or DJ at third, you know great glove work will be in play. No offense to Andujar but I love above-average defense at third base.  

I am not sure what I think about the Yankees’ acquisition of Kendrys Morales. I don’t necessarily look at him as a feared hitter but he always seemed to have the annoying knack of clobbering home runs at the worst times against the Yankees. At least he can’t do that anymore since his dingers will only help the team. I guess i’s a good, cheap move. The Yankees have no long-term commitments to Morales and he can help now. I think his body of work in 2019 with the Oakland A’s was too limited to draw any conclusions, and feel he’ll be closer to the guy he was last year in Toronto. He is what he is. He’s a .250 hitter that will potentially give you 20 bombs.  Nothing special but he can help until the Yankees get the big bats back in the lineup. When Morales was at first base three times during yesterday’s second game (two walks and a single), I couldn’t help but think it was a reunion of sorts for Morales and first base coach Reggie Willits. Willits is only two years older than Morales and they were teammates on the Los Angeles Angels for a few years, as recently as 2011 (Willits’ final year as an active player). If Morales helps, great. If not, GM Brian Cashman will be on to his next “discovery”. I have confidence this will work out. But no doubt I’ll sleep better once Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are back in the everyday lineup. I doubt Morales is on the team by season’s end but if he is, it means his bat made the difference.

Photo Credit: Frank Franklin II, AP

I am proud of the 2019 New York Yankees. They’ve faced more adversity than most teams, yet they are 26-16. If you had told me during Spring Training the Yankees would be ten games above .500 by mid-May without Severino, Betances, Judge, Stanton, Gregorius and others, I would have laughed at you. I would have been thinking about division battles for positioning with the Baltimore Orioles, not the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox. I am not sure how this season will play out if we don’t start getting some of the big guns back but I am sure the ‘never quit’ mentality will persevere. It’s a little early to say the team has the “it” quality to it this year, but they are on their way of proving the point. 

After no Yankees baseball in two of the last three days, it’s another off-day today. At least we have yesterday’s wins to carry us into the AL East Showdown that starts tomorrow night in the Bronx. Thank God we don’t have to play at the horrific Tropicana Field this series. Not that I mind road games, but man, I hate that empty warehouse posing as a Major League park.

As always, Go Yankees!  

This Day in New York Yankees History 5/4: Yogi Berra & the New Jersey Hall of Fame

On this day in 2008 Yogi Berra was one of 15 inaugural honorees to be inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Yogi was not without a "Yogism" as he called fellow inductee Albert Einstein "a pretty smart guy," although he did not think the Nobel Prize winner for physics would have made a good MLB manager.

Also on this day in 2006 Forbes magazine valued the New York Yankees at $1 billion making the Yanks the first Major League Baseball team to be valued over $1 billion. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays were valued at $209 million coming in last in the publication.

Also on this day in 1981 the Yankees Ron Davis set a major league mark for consecutive strikeouts by a reliever when he struck out eight consecutive Angels batters in a 4-2 New York victory. Davis came in for the seventh inning and immediately got Don Baylor to pop up and followed to strike out the rest of the batters he faced en route to a save and a Yankees victory.

Also on this day in 1968 the song Mrs. Robinson made its debut on the Billboard Top 40. The lyrics in the song ask "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you."

Finally on this day in 1931 the Yankees put Babe Ruth at first base to take some strain off his legs and moved Lou Gehrig to right field. Gehrig commits an error in right and the Senators would win the game 7-3.

This Day In New York Yankees History 5/3: Three Sac Flies in One Game

On this day in 1986 Don Mattingly hit three sacrifice flies in a 9-4 victory over the Texas Rangers. The Yankees first baseman and All Star is only the sixth player to ever have three sac flies in one game in major league history.

On this day in 1952 the Yankees traded Jackie Jensen and right handed pitcher Spec Shea to the Washington Senators for veteran outfielder Irv Noren. The Yankees felt the need to make the move after Joe DiMaggio retired and Mickey Mantle required a knee surgery that season. In 1958 Jensen would win the American League MVP award for the Boston Red Sox.

On this day in 1936 Joe DiMaggio finally makes his major league debut after his season was delayed due to a foot injury. The 21 year old rookie outfielder started off great with three hits, one of them a triple, and scored three runs in a Yankees 14-5 victory over the Browns.

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Miguel Andujar

“Call me.” Miguel Andujar said that to Gleyber Torres a whole lot throughout the 2018 season, and he presumably hopes to do a lot more of it as we approach the 2019 season. Andujar and Torres made that their “thing” last season, telling the other one to call them if they needed a hit, and Andujar did a whole lot of that last season, leading the powerful Yankees in hitting as a rookie. What will Andujar do for a follow up? Stay tuned, but until then let’s get reacquainted with the man that made the Yankees comfortable enough to pass on a generational talent like Manny Machado this winter. Mr. Miguel Andujar.

Miguel Andujar, 23-years old for a few more days, is a right-handed hitting and throwing third baseman in the New York Yankees organization and, to many, the 2018 American League Rookie of the Year Award winner. Andujar is a high-contact guy that doesn’t strike out a lot. Andujar puts the ball in play, but it seemed at times that no matter what pitch was thrown, or where it was thrown, that Andujar was going to swing at it regardless in 2018. If Andujar can work on hit pitch recognition a bit and improve his walks he could truly go from a great hitter, to a special kind of hitter. Andujar, 6’0” and 215 lb., is a tough out regardless and is a huge component of the Yankees offense, and the future here in New York.

Miguel Enrique Andujar was born on March 2, 1995 in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic where the New York Yankees snatched him off the international free agent market in July of 2011. Andujar destroyed minor league pitching in the Yankees organization and even attended the Arizona Fall League for New York after the 2016 season before being promoted all the way to Triple-A during the 2017 season. Andujar lasted just seven games in Triple-A with the RailRiders before the Yankees called him up to make his MLB debut on June 28, 2017. Andujar spent one game in the majors before being sent back down to Scranton to continue working as a third baseman before being called back up on September 16 as a part of September call-ups.

Andujar went to Yankees spring training camp looking to win the starting third base job in 2018 but was ultimately sent down to Triple-A to start the season after the trade that brought Brandon Drury to the Bronx. Andujar refused to relinquish the job after being called up, this beginning an assault on Major League hitting that included setting the all-time Yankees rookie record for doubles in a season, breaking a record held by some dude named Joe DiMaggio. Andujar finished the season second in the AL Rookie of the Year Award voting behind Shohei Otani of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after putting up a .297/.328/.527 triple slash for New York.

Again, what will Andujar do in his sophomore season? Can he be better than he was in 2018? I think so, but to know for sure you will just have to stay tuned…

Yankees' Front Office Enjoying Time Off (Allegedly)...

Meanwhile, the Rumor Mill runs rampant…

As 2018 winds down to a close, all is quiet in the Yankees Universe except for Yankee Twitter and the endless possibilities expressed, again and again, by Yankee fans. The Yankees still have holes to fill in the bullpen and no confirmed plan at this moment in time to use anybody other than Tyler Wade and Gleyber Torres at shortstop to cover for Didi Gregorius. It does not appear these answers will be provided in 2018 and must wait until the calendar year changes. 

Although Manny Machado has indicated he will not make his long-awaited decision until after the first of the year, I don’t think anybody knows what that really means. I think some Yankee fans and industry experts think we’ll have his choice on New Year’s Day or worst case, the next day. I honestly do not think this will be resolved that quickly. To account for some of the inevitable back and forth between teams (if that hasn’t already happened), I’ll predict we have Manny’s decision by Tuesday, January 8^th. I think the first week of January will be trying to elicit the best possible offers from the interested teams. As much as I want the Yankees to sign Machado, it remains my belief he’ll take more money to play in the City of Brotherly Love or the Windy City. I heard Larry Bowa on MLB Network yesterday talking about how the Phillies can overcome Machado’s childhood fascination with the Yankees by adding a few more zeroes to the check. If this goes into an all-out bidding war, I have no doubt the Yankees will come in third to the Phillies and White Sox. At that point, Manny has to decide what is best for him and his family.

Manny Machado and wife, Yainee Alonso

The sooner Manny decides, the sooner we can move on to Plan B.  I am ready to close the door, one way or the other. I am mentally prepared. If we have to settle for Freddy Galvis at shortstop, so be it. Let’s move on. At this point, pitching remains the team’s most critical need. 

MLB Network’s Jon Paul Morosi is reporting the Los Angeles Angels are interested in David Robertson.  Despite D-Rob’s expressed interest in playing close to his Rhode Island home, Morosi notes that Robertson would have the opportunity to close for the Angels and of course he knows Angels GM Billy Eppler well from their time together with the Yankees. It makes sense to me. I’d rather see D-Rob go to Anaheim versus pitching at Fenway Park for the Red Sox. I personally love Southern California so, in my opinion, it’s a no-brainer.  I think it would be fun to play on the same team with Mike Trout.  Eppler is trying to squeeze a few more wins out of his team with the recent signings of Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill. He needs to protect those investments by getting a reliable reliever to close out games. Robertson will be a much cheaper option than guys like Zach Britton and Craig Kimbrel and he’d fit well under new manager Brad Ausmus. Not that I am wishing D-Rob to the Angels. I’d still like to see him come back to the Bronx, but if that doesn’t happen, Anaheim is a preferred destination over division rivals.   

Angels GM Billy Eppler

Gumby had a birthday yesterday. Jordan Montgomery turned 26 as he continues to work his way back from last summer’s Tommy John surgery. No doubt we’ll see the former Gamecock somewhere around the time Didi Gregorius returns (or maybe a little later in the season if Didi is somehow ready to go by June or July). Not expecting much out of Montgomery next season but I am looking forward to seeing him in Pinstripes again. Happy Belated Birthday, Jordan!

Photo Credit: Getty Images (Elsa)

Searching for things to watch on TV last night, I settled on the original version of A Star Is Born (1937) starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. Of course, it made me think of the 1937 Yankees. They won the ninth World Series in franchise history that year, finishing 102-52 to win the AL Pennant by 13 games over the Detroit Tigers. They defeated the New York Giants in five games to claim the World Series championship. What a year for Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig! The 34-year-old Gehrig, within two years from being forced from the game due to ALS, had 37 home runs and 158 RBIs. He batted .351/.473/.643 and had an OPS of 1.116. He took 127 walks to only 49 strikeouts. 22 year-old Joe DiMaggio had staggering numbers for such a young player. 46 homers, 167 RBIs, .346/.412/.673 and 1.085 OPS. He took fewer walks than Gehrig (64), but only struck out 37 times. Hall of Fame catcher Bill Dickey, Tony Lazzeri at second, Frankie Crosetti at short, Red Rolfe at third and a pitching staff anchored by Lefty Gomez and Red Ruffing.  Collectively, Gomez and Ruffing won 41 games as both pitchers reached the 20-win mark. Gomez threw six shutouts in 34 starts, pitching 278 1/3 innings, allowing only 72 earned runs for 2.33 ERA. Total Yankees domination. I love it! I know I left out some other great Yankees for the 1937 team but it must have been grand watching the Yankees annihilate their opponents year by year in the late 1930’s. 

Final Out, 1937 World Series at the Polo Grounds, Gehrig to Gomez

Moving back into current times, I felt kind of bad for Tyler Austin yesterday. When the Twins elected not to retain Logan Morrison after one year and Twins great Joe Mauer decided to retire, it appeared that Austin had a clear path to playing time for Minnesota next season. Then, the Twins acquired first baseman C.J. Cron from the Tampa Bay Rays and yesterday they inked former Seattle Mariners slugger and DH Nelson Cruz to a one-year deal with an option. Austin’s path to playing time appears to be blocked once again like it was with the Yankees. I was surprised Cruz went with Minnesota. I had really expected him to end up with the Houston Astros. He would have been a deadly bat in that lineup.  I guess it’s better for the Yankees he went with Minnesota but of course he adds a weapon if the Twins can get a Wild Card rematch with the Yankees to avenge their loss in 2017. Cruz may be 38 but he has that David Ortiz knack for smashing huge home runs at the best times (or worst times, depending upon your perspective). I guess Ronald Torreyes will have plenty of opportunities for his Toe Night Show at Target Field next season.

I was reading one blog the other day that talked about trades the Yankees wish they could undo. The blogger listed the Brandon Drury trade as his first choice. I know that trade didn’t work out, but I don’t look at it as one I’d undo.  I really liked Drury’s acquisition at the time of the trade. I liked the player and the potential that I thought he could bring to the team. A solid defender with some pop. I know it cost the Yankees several really good prospects (second baseman Nick Solak, currently rated as the eleventh best prospect for the Tampa Bay Rays by MLB.com and pitcher Taylor Widener, who ranks as second best prospect for the Arizona Diamondbacks) but I can’t say I’d undo the trade. It was a risk worth taking. It didn’t work out. Drury had the undisclosed migraines and never really performed for the Yankees before losing his job to Miguel Andujar and subsequently getting traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in the J.A. Happ deal. I thought then and I still feel that when healthy and given the opportunity, Drury is going to help a team. Not sure the Blue Jays are that team since 2019 should bring the emergence of top prospect Vladimir Guerrero, Jr to the Show at some point during the season to place a stranglehold on third base for years to come but Drury will make good on his promise one day. Look, I’d love to have Widener back but I wouldn’t undo the Drury trade even with the benefit of hindsight. You have to take those types of chances to get better and I’d never want to see GM Brian Cashman get “gun shy” and start holding onto prospects longer than he should. Some trades work, some trades don’t. That’s how it goes.

Not that I am trying to wish the new year to get here any faster, but I am looking forward to getting to next Wednesday so that the Hot Stove League can resume activity. The days of nothingness are long and boring on the baseball front. I am anxious and excited for pitchers and catchers to report to Tampa, FL on February 13^th but there is still so much work to be done. We need to ensure that Aaron Boone, in 2019, knows what it must have felt like to be Joe McCarthy in 1937. No pressure, Cash. Talk to your boss and get it done.

As always, Go Yankees!

Happy Birthday to Mickey Mantle!...

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Yankees Legend would have turned 87 today…

Mickey Mantle was born October 20, 1931 in Spavinaw, Oklahoma, a town with a population of 437 (according to 2010 census) in Northeast OK. He died August 13, 1995 in Dallas, Texas at the age of 63. Mickey was taken from us too soon but he’ll never be forgotten. I remember following the news of his liver cancer and other ailments, subsequent transplant, and finally his death, and even attended his funeral in Dallas. My earliest memories of Mantle were late in his career so I didn’t get to see the great Yankees Legend at his best but you didn’t have to be there to know that he was one of the finest Yankees in the history of the organization. He had his faults, but that’s true of us all. Mantle, the  baseball player, was one of the greatest to ever play the game.  

Photo Credit: Associated Press

A funny thing happened to the Los Angeles Dodgers on their way to the World Series. I’ll have to give Game 6 of the NLCS to the Milwaukee Brewers and especially their fans for getting inside the heads of the Dodgers and Manny Machado. Many on Social Media were referring to the fans as the Milwaukee Booers and there’s no doubt it played a huge role. It will be interesting to see how the Dodgers rebound today for their final chance to win a trip to Boston, Massachusetts to play the Red Sox starting Tuesday night. If the Dodgers lose, I am finished with baseball for 2018 as I have no interest in Brewers/Red Sox even if there are a few former Yankees involved.

I was surprised to see Joe Girardi remove his name from consideration for the Cincinnati Reds managerial vacancy. Girardi apparently had been a frontrunner for the job, in competition with former Detroit Tigers manager, current Los Angeles Angels special assistant and one-time Yankees prospect Brad Ausmus and David Bell, currently VP/Player Development for the San Francisco Giants. I wonder if Girardi has a preference for the American League or if he wants to hold out for a Chicago job should one of the jobs open within the next year or so. Girardi is apparently still under consideration for the job with the Texas Rangers. With no offense to Cincinnatians, I know that I’d prefer to call Dallas/Fort Worth home but that’s me. For now, Girardi will continue his work with The MLB Network. Regardless of what he does, I suspect he doesn’t have to worry about where his next meal is coming from.

I know the Yankees don’t need a superstar at every position (yeah, I am talking to you, Ken Reed). Erik Kratz is proving that you can be one game away from the World Series with a marginal catcher. But the more I think about it, why wouldn’t you want to drop Bryce Harper in the Yankees lineup between Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton? I know, money. But I am confident money is not an issue for the Yankees organization. Sure, I believe you don’t need to spend $200 million to win a World Series, but I also believe in putting the best players on the field. TGP’s Bryan Van Dusen made a great correlation earlier this year about how success = money for those who think Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner doesn’t want to spend money. I don’t just want to beat the Boston Red Sox next year, I want to crush them.  Having Judge-Harper-Stanton in the heart of the Yankees order, with so many great bats elsewhere in the lineup, would truly be the modern Murderer’s Row. Harper can’t pitch, it’s true, but I fully expect the Yankees to bring in reinforcements to help Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka in the starting rotation regardless of any run for Harper.  

The Yankees are apparently going to buy back controlling interest in the YES Network according to reports. The Yankees sold 80% of the network, retaining 20%, in separate deals completed in 2014 to 21st Century Fox.  The YES Network, at the time, was valued at $3.8 billion. If the Yankees have the money to buy back the YES Network, they have the money to sign Bryce Harper. Another superstar for YES Network subscribers? Makes sense to me. Remember, Success = Money.

Photo Credit:  New York Daily News Illustration

If the Yankees were headed for the World Series, non-Yankee fans would be in an uproar about how they are the best team money can buy, yet nobody is saying a word about the nearly $240 million payroll-bloated Red Sox.  

After a lost season for Yankees prospect Thairo Estrada (he was shot in the hip during a robbery attempt in Venezuela in late January, missed Spring Training, and then was lost for the season in June due to the hip and a back injury), it’s good to see his participation in the Arizona Fall League. The numbers aren’t there (4-for-25, with no extra base hits and a lone RBI) but at least he’s back on the playing field. Here’s hoping 2019 will be much more productive for the talented shortstop. He still has the bullet lodged in his hip but hopefully he is back stronger than ever next year.  

Photo Credit: Getty Images

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Didi Gregorius.  As most of us know, he had successful Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Wednesday morning in Manhattan. At this point, we don’t know when we’ll see Sir Didi again as some reports say he may be out until August, but I wish him much success and a quick return to good health with his post-surgery rehabilitation. I really hope the Yankees move to lock up Didi long-term and don’t allow the surgery, and subsequent lost time, as a reason to non-tender the player. I’d prefer to see the Yankees find shortstop alternatives to hold them over until Didi’s return, keeping Gleyber Torres at second, rather than moving Torres back to his natural shortstop position and bringing in a name second baseman like Joe Panik or D.J. LeMahieu. I love having Didi Gregorius as this team’s shortstop and I don’t want that to change anytime soon. Get well, Didi!

I am anxious to get the playoffs and World Series over so that we can begin the Hot Stove League season. I am excited to see what presents Santa Cashman has in store for us this year. Fans of the Red Sox, Brewers and Dodgers may think differently, but I am ready to begin building the 2019 New York Yankees and starting their run for the Championship. Pinstripes for you, Pinstripes for everyone. Climb aboard the 2019 Victory Train!

Go Yankees!

Yankees Achieve 100th Win of the Year...

Photo Credit: Getty Images (Omar Rawlings)

For a meaningless game, Saturday’s game featured huge milestones…

Congratulations to the 2018 New York Yankees for their achievement of 100 victories. It is something they have not done since the championship year of 2009 and it is not something that many teams do each year. It usually means that you win the division but the Boston Red Sox were just a little better this time around.  

The Yankees also busted the MLB record yesterday for Team Home Runs. When Gleyber Torres hit his two-run shot in the 4th inning off Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, it gave the Yankees one more than the previous record of 264 set by the Seattle Mariners. Giancarlo Stanton added the 266th of the year with his 38th dinger in the 7th inning. For Stanton, he also had two RBI’s to give him 100 for his new team, matching the team’s win total when the Yankees closed out the 8-5 victory.  But I have to give a big... 

RED SOX SUCK! 

...for their fan who threw Stanton's home run ball back onto the field and hit Giancarlo as he rounded second.  

Miguel Andujar set the new Yankees’ rookie record for doubles with two yesterday to increase his season total to 46, eclipsing the old mark of 44 set by Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio back in 1936.That’s special company when you can rub shoulders with Yankee legends. If Shohei Ohtani wins the AL Rookie of the Year, it won’t detract from the brilliant season Andujar has enjoyed. He deserves the hardware as much as Ohtani, but all things considered, I’d rather have a World Series trophy. Andujar has a chance, Ohtani does not.

In taking the first two games of the three-game series with the Red Sox, the Yankees have prevented Boston from reaching 110 victories which I personally appreciated. Today’s game is probably about as meaningless as a spring training game, but it is a day the Yankees can enjoy and get ready for Wednesday’s Wild Card Game in the Bronx against the Oakland A’s.  

I look back to Boston’s sweep of the Yankees in early August as the defining moment for the AL East. It gave the Sox the momentum and the separation they needed from the Yankees to propel them to the AL East championship. If the Yankees could have at least split that series, I think the race to the finish would have been much tighter.  

Within the last couple of weeks, I had my doubts if the Yankees would be able to hold the lead in the Wild Card standings and thought they could potentially lose home field advantage for the game to the hard charging Oakland A’s. I apologize for the ‘glass is half empty’ approach. Thankfully, the Yankees have picked up some momentum over the last week and grabbed the pole position earlier this week. The A’s did pick up their 97th win of the year yesterday against the Los Angeles Angels, 5-2, which boggles my mind. They are truly a team that came out of nowhere but are loaded with lethal bats and a deadly bullpen. The A’s have a chance to avenge the famous Derek Jeter “Flip Play” which erased the A’s Jeremy Giambi in the 2001 ALDS.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

I like the 2018 Yankees and their chances but I’ll temper any excitement until the conclusion of Wednesday’s game. Anybody can win one game. Heck, the Baltimore Orioles, even with 115 losses, could beat the Boston Red Sox in one game. I know, the stakes are much higher in the post-season and guys elevate their game, but in the span of nine innings, anything can happen. If the Yankees can beat the A’s, then I feel they have a great shot moving forward. It will mean a quick return to Boston for the next round if it happens.  

I honestly do not know which pitcher I’d go with to start Wednesday’s game. I like the job J.A. Happ has done since he joined the Yankees. I look at his last game against the Red Sox when he gave up four runs as really just a bad pitch to Steve Pearce who didn’t miss it for a grand slam. I am sure that Aaron Boone would have pitched that inning differently in the playoffs and Happ would not have faced Pearce. On recent performance, I’d have to go with Happ, but I can’t discount the argument David Cone made on yesterday’s FOX telecast of the game, “Severino is your Ferrari”, “you can’t keep your Ferrari in the garage”. Sevy has been the ace for the last couple of years and despite his stretch of struggles this summer, he’s still the leader of the staff. So, I’d probably go with Sevy but I can’t really argue against Happ if Boone decides to go that direction. I thought Masahiro Tanaka might the one rounding into form for the one-game ‘do or die’ playoff but his last start showed me that we don’t need his propensity for allowing home runs in a game against a team filled with sluggers like the A’s. Khris Davis hit his 48th of the year yesterday, proving that if you throw him a mistake, the ball will go very, very far. I’d prefer not seeing Tanaka face guys like Davis, Matt Chapman, Matt Olson and Stephen Piscotty. So, in my mind, Tanaka is not an option when your season is on the line. Nevertheless, the Wild Card game is an ‘all hands on deck’ situation so any signs of trouble for the starter should be a quick signal to the pen.  

I was a little disappointed with the forgettable performance of Yankees reliever Jonathan Holder yesterday. This has been a breakout year for Holder who has been relied upon as one of the bullpen’s key performers. Holder was given the ninth to finish off the game, in relief of Sonny Gray who had done a fine job for a couple of innings. The Yankees had a comfortable 8-3 lead, but Tzu-Wei Lin walloped Holder’s first pitch for a ground rule double to left. Brock Holt followed with a homer to right to close the gap with the Yankees to three runs. Sam Travis was next and he singled to center. With Aroldis Chapman warming in the pen, Holder finally got the first out when he struck out the past-his-prime Brandon Phillips. Chapman had to come in and close out the game, picking up his 32nd save in a game that should not have been a save situation. Hopefully this was just an isolated poor outing for Holder. The Yankees need him for middle relief in October if the team advances beyond the Wild Card. Chapman did walk a batter to bring the tying run to the plate, but I am glad to see the Cuban Missile is rounding back into form. He is still not where he needs to be, but I like the insurance card (Zach Britton). A combo of a healthy Chapman and an elite closer like Britton is a solid recipe for success.

Credit to the Yankees for their accomplishments this year. To win 100 games for a team that seemed to struggle for extended periods this year shows that they are a very talented group when healthy. In looking at the National League, it’s not easy to make the playoffs, let alone win 100 games. There are two dead heats entering the last day of the season with ties atop the NL Central and NL West. The NL Central co-leaders, the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers, have the most wins in the NL at 94. For the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies, today’s games could either mean winning the division or heading to Los Angeles for a tie-breaker game tomorrow. The loser of the tie-breaker would then head to Milwaukee or Chicago depending upon who loses the NL Central. The Brewers and Cubs would play a potential tie-breaker Monday in Chicago. Very complicated. I am glad the Yankees don’t enter the final regular season game with so much uncertainty and potentially chaotic travel schedule over the next couple of days.    

Buck Showalter probably manages his last game today. His team has lost three consecutive games and stands at 46-115. They’re facing the Houston Astros at Camden Yards so today they’ll probably see Houston’s backups and minor leaguers. Hopefully it means one final victory for Buck before he goes. His managerial record is 1550-1517-1 for a .505 winning percentage. In my mind, he helped prepare the 90’s Yankees for its run of success even if he never saw the fruits of his labor. Farewell, Buck. I hope this is not the end of the road, but just the closure of another chapter before a new one begins. Maybe the Angelos Family surprises me and decides to keep Buck around but I seriously doubt it. 

Also, farewell to David Wright of the New York Mets. I don’t care for the Mets but I recognize Wright was a special player and it’s too bad his final years were filled with injuries. He is one of the game’s better ambassadors and I am hopeful he stays in the game for his post-playing career. Major League Baseball needs more guys like David Wright.

Photo Credit: Getty Images (Jim McIsaac)

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like the Yankees were just assembling in Tampa in Spring Training. Pitchers and catchers in camp, awaiting the arrival of the position players including new Yankee Giancarlo Stanton.This has been a very fast year. Although the bullpen management has driven me nuts at times, I think Aaron Boone has done a good job as the team’s manager. So many of those bullpen decisions are driven by Brian Cashman’s analytics team so it’s hard to place all of the blame on Boonie. I like the calming effect his personality has on the clubhouse, not too much unlike former Yankees manager Joe Torre. I know that many Yankees fans have anointed the team’s former manager as Saint Girardi, forgetting his faults. But entering Wednesday’s game, win or lose, I am glad Aaron Boone is the manager of the New York Yankees.

Photo Credit: Associated Press

A loss on Wednesday does not end the hopes of this team. They’ll be back, stronger than ever, in 2019, and I think they’ll overtake the Boston Red Sox next year. The Sox benefited from career years from multiple players but I don’t think they’ll catch lightning in a bottle again next year. The Yankees can have a say in ending Boston’s highly successful season with a win on October 3rd. A perfect ending and a beautiful beginning for the Yankees if they can survive the Wild Card game and defeat the Red Sox. The Yankees, right now, can beat anybody. That’s not a boast, but a fact. Let’s prove it on the field.

Go Yankees!