New York Signs Ji-Man Choi to Minor League Deal

The New York Yankees are starting to stockpile the minor leagues and this year’s spring training camp with some depth and that continued this week when the organization signed South Korea born Ji-Man Choi to a minor league deal. The contract is worth $700,000 and includes an invitation to Yankees spring training camp in 2017. If Choi can earn a spot on the Yankees roster out of camp he will immediately receive another $400K in incentives.

Choi is fresh off making his MLB debut in 2016 with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim where he played 54 games for the club. Choi managed just a .170/.271/.339 triple slash with five home runs in 112 at-bats though after the club chose Choi in the Rule 5 Draft taking him from the Baltimore Orioles.

Choi, originally signed by the Seattle Mariners way back in 2009, has seen time at first base, in left field and at the DH position in his career making just one error in 265 total innings. Choi will join Greg Bird, Tyler Austin and Rob Refsnyder who will all be vying for the first base job in 2017. If Choi does not win the job out of spring, which seems like a long shot at this point, he could always serve as an injury replacement and depth piece for the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders.

Good luck to Choi and welcome to the family. 

Remembering Yankees of the Past: Bob Turley

Robert Lee Turley, also known as Bullet Bob Turley, was born on September 19, 1930 in Troy, Illinois where he spent his High School days attending East St. Louis Senior High School in East St. Louis, Illinois. Turley was used as both a starting pitcher and a relief pitcher there where he caught the attention of Bill DeWitt, the general manager for the St. Louis Browns. Turley attended a workout camp for the New York Yankees before signing with the Browns for a $600 signing bonus in 1948.


Turley pitched for the Browns until the 1955 season when he was traded to the New York Yankees. Turley started off his Yankees tenure with a 17 win season while recording 210 strikeouts and a league-leading 177 walks. Turley led the Yankees staff to a World Series in 1955 against the Brooklyn Dodgers but ultimately fell in seven games. The disappointment didn’t stop there for Turley though unfortunately as he finished his second season in the Bronx with an 8-4 record but with a 5.05 ERA. Despite Turley’s struggles the Yankees were once again back in the World Series and Turley was back to facing off against the Brooklyn Dodgers, this time as a relief pitcher. Turley started Game Six but lost 1-0 against Clem Labine in a pitcher’s duel that forced a second consecutive seven game series between the two clubs. This time the Yankees would get the best of Brooklyn winning the series in seven games. Turley had his first World Series ring.


For the 1957 season Turley developed a curve ball to add to his arsenal and saw immediate dividends with his new pitching throwing the fourth best ERA in the American League, 2.71, and leading the Yankees to their third consecutive World Series berth. Turley won his Game Six start to force a Game 7 but the Yankees would fall to the Milwaukee Braves in seven games, Turley’s second disappointment with the club in the World Series. Turley reinvented himself once again in 1958 as he eliminated his wind up and had his best season of his Yankees tenure. Turley went 21-7 that season including 19 complete games and finished with a 2.97 ERA. Turley still struggled with his command, 128 walks surrendered in 1958, and once again struggled in the World Series against a familiar foe in the Milwaukee Braves. Turley saved the Yankees from elimination with a complete game shutout in Game 5 before coming back in Game Six to get a save I the 10th inning forcing a Game 7. Turley relieved Don Larsen in Game 7 and won his second game in three days with 6.2 innings of relief as he led the New York Yankees to another World Series championship.


Turley won the World Series MVP Award in 1958 while also taking home the Cy Young Award and the Hickok Belt Award which rewarded and recognized the top professional athlete of the year. Turley finished second in the American League’s MVP Award vote losing to Jackie Jensen of the Boston Red Sox to finish out his season. After all the accolades that followed his 1958 season Turley was due for a raise before 1959 and quickly became the highest paid player in Major League Baseball history at the time when he agreed to a deal worth $35,000. Turley started on Opening Day and gave the Yankees a 3-2 victory over the Red Sox but the overuse and abuse on his arm was evident for the remainder of that season. Turley finished the season just 8-11 and the Yankees did not make the World Series for the first time in his tenure, although Turley did bounce back in 1960 recording a 9-3 record with a 3.27 ERA. Turley was back in the New York groove and back in the World Series in 1960 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Turley won Game Two of the series and started Game 7 before Bill Mazeroski hit the home run that walked off the final game of the series and gave the Pirates their World Series victory.

Turley’s ineffectiveness and heavy reliance on his curve ball was explained during the 1961 season when Turley battled through right elbow injuries for much of the season. Turley was reduced to just 15 starts and a 3-5 record and 5.75 ERA before being delegated to the bullpen by manager Ralph Houk. Turley was back in the World Series in 1961 and the Yankees were back to their winning ways defeating the Cincinnati Reds four games to one but Turley did not make an appearance. Turley had bone chips removed from his elbow before the 1962 season and saw a slight improvement in his performance. Turley negotiated with the Yankees to reduce his salary from $28,000 to $25,000 and only gave the Yankees 69 innings and a 4.57 ERA after his bone chip problem flared back up during the season.


The 1962 season would be Turley’s final season in pinstripes and it was one to be remembered for ole Bullet Bob. Turley was named the American League’s player representative for the union and Turley watched, watched being the key word as he did not pitch, as the New York Yankees defeated the San Francisco Giants for yet another World Series victory. Turley was sold to the Los Angeles Angels following the 1962 season with the condition that Los Angeles could return him if they were not satisfied with the deal. Turley lasted until July of 1963 before the Angels released him and allowed him to sign with the Boston Red Sox where he would finish his playing career.





Turley finished his career with a 101-85 record and a 3.64 ERA in his 12 seasons, most of which with the Yankees, including five World Series championships. After the 1963 season Turley agreed to remain with the Boston Red Sox as their pitching coach before ultimately ending his career in the International League with the Atlanta Braves. Turley moved to Alpharetta, Georgia for the final two years of his life before falling to liver cancer at age 82 in Lenbrook, a retirement community in Atlanta, Georgia. Turley was survived by his second wife, Janet, three children, seventeen grandchildren and a whole lot of Yankees fans. Rest in peace Bob as we remember you today.

Remembering Yankees of the Past: Bob Turley

Robert Lee Turley, also known as Bullet Bob Turley, was born on September 19, 1930 in Troy, Illinois where he spent his High School days attending East St. Louis Senior High School in East St. Louis, Illinois. Turley was used as both a starting pitcher and a relief pitcher there where he caught the attention of Bill DeWitt, the general manager for the St. Louis Browns. Turley attended a workout camp for the New York Yankees before signing with the Browns for a $600 signing bonus in 1948.

Turley pitched for the Browns until the 1955 season when he was traded to the New York Yankees. Turley started off his Yankees tenure with a 17 win season while recording 210 strikeouts and a league-leading 177 walks. Turley led the Yankees staff to a World Series in 1955 against the Brooklyn Dodgers but ultimately fell in seven games. The disappointment didn’t stop there for Turley though unfortunately as he finished his second season in the Bronx with an 8-4 record but with a 5.05 ERA. Despite Turley’s struggles the Yankees were once again back in the World Series and Turley was back to facing off against the Brooklyn Dodgers, this time as a relief pitcher. Turley started Game Six but lost 1-0 against Clem Labine in a pitcher’s duel that forced a second consecutive seven game series between the two clubs. This time the Yankees would get the best of Brooklyn winning the series in seven games. Turley had his first World Series ring.

For the 1957 season Turley developed a curve ball to add to his arsenal and saw immediate dividends with his new pitching throwing the fourth best ERA in the American League, 2.71, and leading the Yankees to their third consecutive World Series berth. Turley won his Game Six start to force a Game 7 but the Yankees would fall to the Milwaukee Braves in seven games, Turley’s second disappointment with the club in the World Series. Turley reinvented himself once again in 1958 as he eliminated his wind up and had his best season of his Yankees tenure. Turley went 21-7 that season including 19 complete games and finished with a 2.97 ERA. Turley still struggled with his command, 128 walks surrendered in 1958, and once again struggled in the World Series against a familiar foe in the Milwaukee Braves. Turley saved the Yankees from elimination with a complete game shutout in Game 5 before coming back in Game Six to get a save I the 10^th inning forcing a Game 7. Turley relieved Don Larsen in Game 7 and won his second game in three days with 6.2 innings of relief as he led the New York Yankees to another World Series championship.

Turley won the World Series MVP Award in 1958 while also taking home the Cy Young Award and the Hickok Belt Award which rewarded and recognized the top professional athlete of the year. Turley finished second in the American League’s MVP Award vote losing to Jackie Jensen of the Boston Red Sox to finish out his season. After all the accolades that followed his 1958 season Turley was due for a raise before 1959 and quickly became the highest paid player in Major League Baseball history at the time when he agreed to a deal worth $35,000. Turley started on Opening Day and gave the Yankees a 3-2 victory over the Red Sox but the overuse and abuse on his arm was evident for the remainder of that season. Turley finished the season just 8-11 and the Yankees did not make the World Series for the first time in his tenure, although Turley did bounce back in 1960 recording a 9-3 record with a 3.27 ERA. Turley was back in the New York groove and back in the World Series in 1960 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Turley won Game Two of the series and started Game 7 before Bill Mazeroski hit the home run that walked off the final game of the series and gave the Pirates their World Series victory.

Turley’s ineffectiveness and heavy reliance on his curve ball was explained during the 1961 season when Turley battled through right elbow injuries for much of the season. Turley was reduced to just 15 starts and a 3-5 record and 5.75 ERA before being delegated to the bullpen by manager Ralph Houk. Turley was back in the World Series in 1961 and the Yankees were back to their winning ways defeating the Cincinnati Reds four games to one but Turley did not make an appearance. Turley had bone chips removed from his elbow before the 1962 season and saw a slight improvement in his performance. Turley negotiated with the Yankees to reduce his salary from $28,000 to $25,000 and only gave the Yankees 69 innings and a 4.57 ERA after his bone chip problem flared back up during the season.

The 1962 season would be Turley’s final season in pinstripes and it was one to be remembered for ole Bullet Bob. Turley was named the American League’s player representative for the union and Turley watched, watched being the key word as he did not pitch, as the New York Yankees defeated the San Francisco Giants for yet another World Series victory. Turley was sold to the Los Angeles Angels following the 1962 season with the condition that Los Angeles could return him if they were not satisfied with the deal. Turley lasted until July of 1963 before the Angels released him and allowed him to sign with the Boston Red Sox where he would finish his playing career.

Turley finished his career with a 101-85 record and a 3.64 ERA in his 12 seasons, most of which with the Yankees, including five World Series championships. After the 1963 season Turley agreed to remain with the Boston Red Sox as their pitching coach before ultimately ending his career in the International League with the Atlanta Braves. Turley moved to Alpharetta, Georgia for the final two years of his life before falling to liver cancer at age 82 in Lenbrook, a retirement community in Atlanta, Georgia. Turley was survived by his second wife, Janet, three children, seventeen grandchildren and a whole lot of Yankees fans. Rest in peace Bob as we remember you today. 

Cashman, Yankees plan to keep Sabathia in rotation

The big man can rest easy a little longer.

The Yankees have no plans to remove CC Sabathia from their rotation despite his recent struggles, general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday.

"That's not something that we're considering at this moment," Cashman told ESPN New York. "We're going to continue to give him every opportunity to work through this for the foreseeable future."

Sabathia surrendered four earned runs over 7 1/3 innings in Monday night's loss to the Angels, dropping his record on the season to 3-8. The Yankees have now lost 10 of Sabathia's 16 starts this year, six of those defeats having come on the road.

Sabathia said he felt good after Monday's performance, however, focusing on what went well while acknowleding making mistakes.

"I just battled," Sabathia said. "I made some good pitches. I made some bad pitches. It's just part of it. But I'm battling, and I feel like I'm getting better."

Sabathia has indeed showed improvement of late, working 5+ innings and allowing no more than four earned runs in five of his last six outings. He's still not living up to his $142 million contract, but you can't deny he's keeping the Yankees in games.

And that might've been all it took to avoid a demotion to the bullpen, where New York probably doesn't need another southpaw.

"He's still competing and finding himself," Cashman said. "I think early on he had not the best of luck or run support."

Recap: Yankees 6, Angels 2

CC Sabathia threw six innings of two-run ball and the Yankees completed a weekend sweep of the Angels, 6-2, today at Yankee Stadium.

Sabathia Good Again: The veteran left-hander surrendered back-to-back solo homers to Mike Trout and Albert Pujols in the first, but settled in from there en route to his third win of the season. He allowed just five hits while striking out seven, helping him earn his first W in the Bronx since September of 2013.

A Loud Comeback: Down 2-1 heading into the fifth, the Yankees were looking to stage a rally with the bottom of their order due up -- a feat they would accomplish perfectly with a four-spot off C.J. Wilson. The struggling Chris Young began the onslaught with a solo shot to left, followed shortly by a big three-run blast from Brett Gardner to break the tie.

Pirela's Milestone Day: Rookie second baseman Jose Pirela clubbed his first career home run, a solo bomb to left-center, in the seventh -- stretching the Yankees' lead to four and knocking Wilson out of the game. Pirela -- who went 2-for-3 on his productive afternoon -- also doubled to start off the third, scoring later in the inning when Didi Gregorius grounded to second.

Bullpen Stays Effective: It seems to be a pretty common belief that Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller are two of baseball's best relievers, but just in case you need more convincing, the duo made sure to dominate this one's final stages. Indeed, the so-called "Twin Towers" retired all six men they faced in the contest's last two innings -- impressively striking out five to maintain their All-Star numbers.

Too Many Choice Words: After inducing a clutch inning-ending double play in the sixth, Sabathia confronted home plate umpire Dan Bellino about the latter's strike zone -- quickly resulting in a heated argument and an ejection of Sabathia. Sabathia was apparently upset that an earlier 1-1 pitch to Kole Calhoun had been ruled a ball, though nothing ultimately came of L.A.'s threat.

Next Up: The Yankees will take another off-day tomorrow, resuming this homestand on Monday with the first of two against the Nationals. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET, with Masahiro Tanaka (3-1, 2.76 ERA) opposing Max Scherzer (6-4, 1.85 ERA).

Scherzer reportedly not receiving interest from wealthy teams

The Yankees have made headlines in recent weeks due to their assurance they won't pursue former Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer.

Unbeknownst to them, they may just be one of many teams in that category.

The New York Post's Ken Davidoff reported Thursday most of the other wealthy clubs are too shying away from the right-hander, who's gone 39-8 with a 3.02 ERA over the last two seasons. Scherzer is said to be asking for upwards of $200 million, a price few can be expected to want to hand out.

"Many clubs, among them the Yankees, Red Sox, Giants and Dodgers, have been vocal about their disinclination to enter the Scherzer sweepstakes," Davidoff wrote. "The Angels are sending signals they’re good to go with their current starting rotation. The Tigers and Nationals, two favorite destinations for [Scott] Boras clients in the past, also say they aren't going there."

It's worth noting those teams aren't the only ones to express their intention not to negotiate with Scherzer. The Cubs, who signed another free agent ace in Jon Lester at the Winter Meetings, have also stated their plans to stand clear of him, according to Davidoff.

But could that leave the door open for the Nationals and Angels to take him, despite their past claims? 

"One official from an AL club on Tuesday speculated the possibility of the Nationals trading Jordan Zimmermann, a year away from free agency himself, and signing Scherzer," Davidoff divulged. "Another official from a second AL team pegged the Angels as the team to give in and sign Scherzer."

The Angels could probably use Scherzer as a way to solidify their place at the top of the AL West, seeing as their main divisional competitor, the Mariners, have long been known to have a dominant rotation. Jered Weaver, their veteran contributor, has struggled to stay healthy lately, and lefty C.J. Wilson has underperformed. 

Yet since Weaver and Wilson are both on high-paying contracts, it's also possible Los Angeles will just stick to its guns, an act that'd leave Scherzer on the market even longer and in doing so give others more time to think.

Brendan Ryan Expected Back Tuesday vs. Angels

The New York Yankees are expecting Brendan Ryan to make his 2014 season debut on Tuesday in some capacity against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Ryan has been on a minor league rehab assignment and trying to get the Yankees mandated 40-50 at bats before being activated off the disabled list. Ryan started out in Tampa with the Tampa Yankees and has been moved up to the AA Trenton Thunder for the weekend. Ryan is somewhere around 20 at bats by my unofficial count so he could theoretically get close to 40 at bats by the end of the weekend and Monday.

The Yankees cannot call up Ryan until Tuesday, without another roster move anyway, because Michael Pineda cannot be added to the disabled list while on suspension for using pine tar against the Boston Red Sox. Pineda was suspended for 10 games and with the rain out and the game being pushed to June with the Seattle Mariners the 10th game for Pineda is Monday against the Angels.

Pineda will be added to the disabled list on Tuesday before the game and the Yankees can finally make a roster move. New York will have to play with a 24 man roster tonight, all weekend, and on Monday due to Pineda being a big dummy. With Dean Anna down in AAA with Scranton it looks like Ryan is finally ready to be the back up for Derek Jeter.

Game Thread: Yankees @ Angels 4/27

The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will play their finale this weekend at Yankee Stadium as a part of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. Mashairo Tanaka will go to the mound for the Yankees to face off with Garrett Richards for the Angels at 8:10 pm ET on ESPN. The game can also be seen on your computer with MLB TV or heard on the radio with WFAN.

We try and live tweet every single Yankees game so follow us on twitter by following @GreedyStripes and come chat with us. If Twitter isn't your thing you can always shoot us a line in the comments section of our site, there is always a discussion going on in there as well.

Enjoy the game Yankees family and enjoy the rest of your night because tomorrow is going to suck, it's Monday.

Preview: New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels 4/27

The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will finish their three game set tonight at Yankee Stadium as a part of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. With the off day for the Yankees tomorrow I expect all hands on deck tonight, especially in the bullpen. Hopefully the Yankees will not need the bullpen much as Masahiro Tanaka will be on the mound facing off with Garrett Richards for the Angels. The game will be played at 8:10 pm ET and can be seen on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. It can also be seen on your computer with MLB TV or heard on the radio with WFAN.

Tanaka has been worth every penny thus far in 2014 and has lived up to the hype and more. Tanaka held the Red Sox to just two runs last time out in 7.1 IP and got his third victory of the season. Tanaka took Fenway and a repeat of the 24-0 season is still alive.

Richards has surprisingly been the best Angels pitcher this season, which is saying something in a rotation with Jered Weaver and CJ Wilson, and is one of the more exciting pitchers in all of baseball that you may not have heard of. Richards has only allowed seven runs in 25 innings pitched this season while striking out 24 batters and only walking 14.

Go Yankees!!

Game Thread: Yankees vs. Angels 4/26

The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim play an afternoon game at Yankee Stadium this afternoon in the second of a three game weekend set. The Yankees will send Vidal Nuno out to the mound to face off with Hector Santiago for the Angels. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on Fox Sports 1, which is better than a Fox Saturday baseball game I guess. It can also be seen on your computer with MLBTV and heard on the radio with WFAN.

Follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes to chat during the game or drop us a line in the comments section of our site. We are working hard to try and build that aspect of the site up to offer yet another enjoyable part of the Yankees and The Greedy Pinstripes experience and we need your help with it. Don't be shy, it's free, it's fun, and you instantly become one of the cool kids. :)

Enjoy the game Yankees family, the rest of your day, and the rest of your weekend.

Michael Pineda Cheats & So Do The Angels... Meme

I don't really want to hear another thing about Michael Pineda, cheating, or pine tar this weekend especially from the Angels. I mean come on guys, you were the ORIGINAL cheaters no? Replace this kid, who was too busy making out with Scarlett Johannson, with a "rally monkey" and the same principal applies.

Preview: New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels 4/26

The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will play the second of a three game set this weekend at Yankee Stadium this afternoon. These same two teams met last night so expect some of the Yankees regulars to be out of action today, namely Derek Jeter. The Yankees will send Vidal Nuno to the mound to face off with Hector Santiago in a matchup of left handed starting pitchers. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on Fox Sports 1, on the computer with MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with WFAN.

Nuno is essentially replacing Ivan Nova in the rotation after he decided to get Tommy John surgery and filled in nicely in his last start, his first of the season, pitching five scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. Nuno scattered three hits, walked two, and struck out six on a serious pitch count and will look to improve on that this afternoon in the Bronx.

Santiago is winless in his Angels starting career but has pitched better in his last two times out there on the mound. Santiago held the Oakland A's and the Detroit Tigers, two pretty good offensive teams, to just three runs (one earned) in 12.2 innings pitched.

Go Yankees!!

Game Thread: Yankees vs. Angels 4/23

The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will start a three game weekend series tonight at Yankee Stadium with Hiroki Kuroda heading to the mound for the Yankees. The Angels will counter with CJ Wilson who has a career 2.58 ERA in 38.1 IP in his career in Yankee Stadium. The Yankees will need to get to Wilson early and get into that weak and full of holes Angels bullpen. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, on the computer with MLB TV, and on the radio with WFAN.

Join the discussion on Twitter and talk with us during the game by following @GreedyStripes. If Twitter is not your thing then you can always drop us a line in our comments section of the site. Joining and signing up is always free and we won't email you or anything like that, unless you want us to of course. You can also get all your Yankees tickets needs while your here commenting without even leaving the blog. Don't forget that it's not too late to join our mega prediction game where we have been wagering points on whether the Yankees will win or lose all 162 games this season.

Enjoy the game Yankees family and I hope you all have a great weekend.

Are The Angels World Series Bound w/ Albert Pujols?

I think this map.. meme... meme of a map says it all. For all those who failed geography class the one state that said the Angels would win a World Series with Albert Pujols is Missouri, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. Los Angeles didn't even think they would, although the Dodgers fans may have shut out the Angels fans in this voting. Either way, ouch.

Preview: New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels 4/25

The New York Yankees will host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this weekend at Yankee Stadium for a three game set. The Yankees will send Hiroki Kuroda to the mound to face off with CJ Wilson for the Angels tonight. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, on the computer with MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with WFAN.

Hiroki Kuroda struggled a little with his command and effectivness last time out against the Tampa Bay Rays in a Yankees loss. Kuroda pitched 5.2 IP and allowed seven hits and three runs on 99 pitches. Kuroda struggled with command all night long but only walked two and struck out two. Kuroda will look to improve on that last start tonight against the Angels.

CJ Wilson struggled in his last outing against the Detroit Tigers giving up four runs, albeit only three of them earned, on seven hits and three walks in only five innings pitched. Wilson is a bit of a Yankee killer though, especially at Yankee Stadium, sporting a career 2.58 ERA in 38.1 IP in New York.

Go Yankees!!

Quick Hit: Don't Pitch To Albert Pujols

Do not, I repeat, do not pitch to Albert Pujols. Just don't do it if you want to win these three very winnable games against the Angels at home this weekend. Josh Hamilton is out of the lineup and Pujols has no protection hitting behind him once again, sound familiar St. Louis Cardinals fans? If I am the Yankees I think I would rather attack Howie Kendrick, Yankee killer and all, than a red hot Pujols right now.

The Angels are coming off a great series against the Washington Nationals and Pujols is hot after joining the 500 home run club. You don't need a binder to see this, don't pitch to Pujols this weekend and try to keep Mike Trout off the basepaths. Oh and score more runs then the Angels do, then the Yankees sweep.

Sounds easy enough, now just do it. Happy Friday everybody, have a great day.

Quick Hit: Vidal Nuno Is Your Ivan Nova Replacement

Vidal Nuno has been named the replacement in the starting rotation for the New York Yankees, at least for now. Nuno is expected to make the start this Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim taking over for the injured Ivan Nova. I have to say I am a tad disappointed, not because Nuno is not deserving because lord knows he is, but because I think a David Phelps or Alfredo Aceves makes more sense for this team right now.

The Yankees are with only one left handed pitcher in their bullpen in a Boston Red Sox series that usually tends to be very situational where every pitch and at bat seems to matter. With Matt Thornton the only lefty you can only pitch to David Ortiz with a same side pitcher once a game instead of twice, something that is probably more important than we think. 

Maybe I have just grown spoiled over the years, except for last year obviously, with having two or more left handed relief pitchers in the bullpen. It would have been nice to see an old face in Aceves in the fifth spot and Nuno back in the pen in a bigger role but I admit this is what's probably best for the tea, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. 

Wild Card Watch: September 3, 2013

Good morning Yankees fans! I am back with another Wild Card Watch! Yesterday the Yankees were 3.5 games back and needed to gain some ground. Did they? Here's the results from last night along with the final scores of our Wild Card contending teams:

Wild Card Final Scores (WC Teams are in BOLD):

White Sox 1, Yankees 9: David Huff pitched 5.1 IP of one run ball, Derek Jeter drove in two runs and the Yankees scored a season high 8 runs in the 4th inning as they demolished the White Sox 9-1 to take game one of the three game set. Tonight's pitching match-up: Chris Sale (10-12, 2.99 ERA) vs. Hiroki Kuroda (11-10, 2.89 ERA)

Rays 2, Angels 11: Erick Aybar had a big night for the Angels, hitting a two-run homer and a two-run triple, Grant Green had his first MLB home run and Garret Richards navigated after a shaky start as the Angels hand the Rays their fifth straight loss with a 11-2 victory. Tonight's pitching match-up: Matt Moore (14-3, 3.41 ERA) vs. Jason Vargas (8-5, 3.54 ERA).

Orioles 7, Indians 2: Nate McLouth and Matt Weiters both hit two-run HR's and Bud Norris pitched seven innings of one run ball as the Orioles beat the Indians 7-2. Tonight's pitching match-up: Chris Tillman (15-4, 3.61 ERA) vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (9-9, 3.95 ERA).

Rangers 2, Athletics 4: Coco Crisp hit the game deciding home run and Yoenis Cespedes HR'd as the A's win 4-2. The Rangers and Angels are now tied for first in the AL West (which is why the Rangers are in the Wild Card standings. Tonight's match-up: Martin Perez (8-3, 3.58 ERA) vs. Bartolo Colon (14-5, 2.94 ERA).

Royals 3, Mariners 1: Royals reliever Will Smith tossed 4.1 IP after starter Danny Duffy left the game in the fourth inning and the Royals got to King Felix, scoring three runs including a Mike Moustakas single as the Royals beat the Mariners 3-1. Tonight's pitching match-up: Erasmo Ramirez (5-1, 5.18 ERA) vs. Bruce Chen (6-2, 2.79 ERA).

Come back tomorrow for another Wild Card Update!