The Launch of the Cuban Missile is Delayed...

Photo Credit: Kathy Willens, AP

Chapman becomes latest to test positive for COVID-19…

We thought last year was the Year of Last Man Standing, but now, the Yankees have lost their third player, Aroldis Chapman, to the coronavirus. With D.J. LeMahieu and Luis Cessa both already sidelined and now the team’s closer, it becomes a question of who’s next. Chapman, perhaps one of the most if not THE most physically gifted athlete on the team, proved he is not invincible against the resurgent virus. It’s been reported that his symptoms are mild but the strength of the virus should never be underestimated. Here’s hoping for a full and speedy recovery for Chapman, as well as Le Machine and Cessa. The sooner they are back (most importantly the first two), the better, assuming they’re fully healthy. If the Yankees win the 2020 World Series, it will be because of their championship-level contributions. In other words, they are desperately needed aside from just being great guys to have on the team. 

As much as I want baseball back, there is a part of me that feels cancelling the season before it starts makes some sense. That’s difficult to say, or in this case…write, but I feel the safety and health of the players and their families are the most important factors. 

For now, the Show goes on. I hope, and I pray, the increasing number of COVID-19 cases starts to subside soon. Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants and Michael Kopech of the Chicago White Sox are the latest significant players to opt out, with more expected. As with David Price, I do not fault any player who decides the risk is too great for whatever reason(s). It’s their right and I’ll respect them for it. It would be unfair for us to criticize them for making a decision to protect their own best interests.  

With Tyler Wade the most likely fill-in second baseman for LeMahieu, Zack Britton becomes the interim closer. It’s fortunate the Yankees have a strong bullpen to cover for Chappy’s absence but it probably would have been nicer to have Dellin Betances on the roster. Oh well. It’s an opportunity for other deserving guys to step up.  

Photo Credit: Brendan Kuty, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Aaron Hicks had a good comment after Saturday’s game when asked if there will be a season. He said the team is prepared and motivated to play and no Yankees have opted out. The Yankees want to play and are ready. He didn’t know about other teams and if there are teams that don’t want to play, it could end the season but he didn’t see any reason why the game should halt. Fair enough. I know guys like Mookie Betts have expressed concerns. Sure, Betts is not a Yankee, but there are other big name guys like him who have expressed concerns and no doubt there are players on the Yankees with the same concerns they’ve kept to themselves.  

It’s been tough to watch the intra-squad games for the lack of energy normally generated by the missing fans in attendance. It fills a little like a golf match, with less than a golf clap to celebrate home runs. A home run, followed by dead silence in Yankee Stadium. It’s not the same. Maybe facing opposing teams rather than teammates will heighten the interest in games but so far there has been no joy in the summer training games.  

I am excited about the future for Clarke Schmidt. With the Yankees potentially losing several starters in the off-season, Schmidt can solidify his role as a 2021 starter with a solid performance in the upcoming 60 games. Both James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka can be free agents after the season. I hope the Yankees bring both back, but at the very least, Masa. J.A. Happ can also leave since he will be unable to reach the milestones that would have triggered an additional year as a result of the shortened season. I am okay with Happ leaving as I see his spot in the rotation as the one I have marked for Schmidt next season. Nothing against Happ but age happens. I’ll gladly go with younger, talented arms like Schmidt and Deivi Garcia.

Photo Credit: New York Yankees, via Pinstriped Prospects

I know the stiff neck Aaron Judge woke up with yesterday is no big deal (using Aaron Boone’s words), and missing an intra-squad game is negligible, but it always seems like “what’s next?” for the big guy. I am really hopeful for a healthy season for Judge as the Yankees really need him. Judge is expected back today. I continue to hold my breath for his good health.

I am excited for the Yankees’ one-two starting punch with Gerrit Cole and James Paxton. I’d prefer to have Masahiro Tanaka as part of the equation but I know he’ll be a little behind with his current concussion protocol. It’s scary to think what the rotation could have been with a healthy Luis Severino this year. Sevy will be back next year but I always think pitchers need a season to ‘right the ship’ so we might not see the best of Sevy until 2022 at the earliest. It’s best to hope for the best but to prepare for the worst…as the saying goes. Sevy would not be the first pitcher to struggle post-Tommy John surgery and he wouldn’t be the last. As we know, there are no sure things in Major League Baseball…except for maybe Mike Trout.

We had COVID-19 testing at my work early last week when one of my co-workers tested positive but we’re still waiting for the results. With the increased testing, there’s clearly a backlog. With as many days that have passed since the test, receiving a negative result is no strong assurance to be in the clear since the coronavirus can be caught easily and at any time. The virus is certainly not waiting to see if we get our test results back before continuing its assault on our bodies. I did not work near the sick co-worker, but the members of her team were all sent home to work for the foreseeable future (anybody who came in close contact with her on a day-to-day basis).

As they say, WEAR YOUR MASK! I wear a mask when I am out and I recognize that I am not wearing my mask for me, I am wearing it for you.  

As always, Go Yankees!

Astros Sorry They Got Caught...

Photo Credit: USA TODAY

Fake Remorse by the Cheaters...

Houston Astros owner Jim Crane is trash.

It’s no wonder the Astros players resorted to a cheating system that included beating on trash cans to signal stolen pitching signs. Crane set the example from the top of the organization and the trash rolled downhill. 

I was angered after listening to the Astros’ poorly organized press conference this week. Despite their preparation a day before, I knew there probably was not anything the Astros could have said or done to gain forgiveness but I felt the entire charade was botched. From the canned brief statements from cheating leaders Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve to Crane’s use of new manager Dusty Baker as a shield, it was truly a clown show. It was absurd when Crane said the cheating did not impact the 2017 ALCS against the Yankees and then turned around less than a minute later to say he never said those words. Huh?

I’ll give the players after the press conference some credit. Carlos Correa, in particular, sounded much better and more remorseful than his teammates.

I think Major League Baseball butchered this by not taking away the deceitfully-gained 2017 World Series championship from the Houston Astros. At this point, you can’t give it to the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Yankees, but, in my opinion, the championship should be vacated. I don’t care there is no precedent for this. Considering we did not personally experience the great Black Sox Scandal a century ago when eight players were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series, this is the worst stain of the game in our lifetimes. The players were granted immunity. They should not be allowed to represent themselves as champions. 

I am ready to close the book on the Astros and move on. MLB is not going to do anything further to the Astros organization and we can only look forward at this point. However, I do think there will be some residual anger and frustration as players gather in Arizona and Florida.

Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers was very hard on the Astros yesterday when interviewed at Camelback Ranch, the Dodgers’ spring training home in Arizona. Per the LA Times, Bellinger said, “I thought the apologies were whatever. I thought Jim Crane’s was weak. I thought Manfred’s punishment was weak, giving them immunity. I mean these guys were cheating for three years. I think what people don’t realize is Altuve stole an MVP from (Aaron) Judge in ’17. Everyone knows they stole the ring from us.” 

Photo Credit: ESPN

Despite the Astros’ claims the cheating was isolated to 2017 and a small part of ’18, Bellinger feels the cheating extended into the 2019 post-season. Bellinger probably said it best, “I know I personally lost respect for those guys. I think I would say everyone in the show, in the big leagues, lost respect for those guys.” I’ll take it further and say baseball fans everywhere, except perhaps for those in Houston, have lost respect for the Houston Astros.  

I am not sure we’ll ever get over this, but we do need to move forward. However, I know I’ll enjoy watching the reception the Astros get when they visit different cities this season. They deserve everything headed their way. I am not endorsing physical harm, but let the verbal abuse begin. They created this mess and now they must face the music. I can’t wait for the Yankee Stadium reaction in September when the Cheaters come to the Bronx for a four-game series.

The Houston Asterisks, the Houston Cheaters, the Houston Asstros, the Houston Trashtros, whatever you want to call the worthless collection of scum, are coming to a city near you. Let the booing begin…

Moving on to other topics. The long awaited trade of Mookie Betts and David Price was finally made official this week after the Dodgers had to re-structure the deal. I still feel it wasn’t so much about the medical records of former Twins reliever Brusdar Graterol but more about Boston’s knee-jerk reaction to the poor reception over trading their homegrown superstar and getting minimal in return, thanks to the salary dump of Price. In the restructured trades, the Dodgers kept Graterol, who will fit nicely into the Dodgers’ bullpen with his 100 mph heat, after sending starting pitcher Kenta Maeda to the Twins. Replacing Graterol in the trade to Boston, the Dodgers added prospects Jeter Downs, a childhood Yankee fan named after a recently named Hall of Fame player, and catcher Connor Wong, to accompany the previously agreed upon outfielder Alex Verdugo. Downs, a shortstop/second baseman, was blocked in LA with Corey Seager at short and highly ranked prospect Gavin Lux in line to take over at second. Wong profiles as a backup catcher and the Dodgers have stronger catching prospects in Keibert Ruiz and Diego Cartaya.

I am sure Verdugo and Downs will have their moments against the Yankees in upcoming seasons, but I am glad to see Mookie Betts out of the division. Yankee fans have been moaning how they’ll miss beating up on Price, but I actually think the move to the NL West will be good for him. Regardless of how you feel about him, David Price is a good pitcher. If healthy, I think he has a chance to be much better for the Dodgers. Although Price was a reason the Red Sox celebrated a World Series championship in 2018, his overall tenure in Boston was not favorable. I don’t really buy into the Yankee fans who say they can’t wait to face Price in the 2020 World Series. First, we need to get to the World Series and there is a long road between now and then, but if we are fortunate enough to get there and face the Dodgers, it’s not a guarantee the Yankees would dominate Price. Just because they’ve enjoyed past success against him does not mean that they’ll forever own him. Price is a quality Major League pitcher and he’s motivated to improve. Therefore, you’ll find no disparaging words from me about him. As for Mookie, I am excited that I can finally root for the supremely talented outfielder. I appreciate his play and by all accounts, he is a fantastic person both on and off the field. I have no idea if Betts will be a Dodger for only one season or if he’ll re-sign with them when he hits the free market next off-season, but for now, I look forward to going to Dodger Stadium this season to see two great players sharing the outfield for the Dodgers. 

There’s no question the Red Sox are a weaker team today than they were last week.  I think they realize they can’t compete with the Yankees or even the Tampa Bay Rays at the top of the division but I’d say they remain a dangerous team that can make some noise. They need many things to go right, but I wouldn’t totally discount Boston’s ability to snag a Wild Card spot. Once in the playoffs, anything can happen (as long as you aren’t cheating). 

This week has been fun, as far as the Yankees go. It was great to see Gerrit Cole wearing Yankees gear, throwing to Gary Sanchez. I love the perfectionist on the mound and it’s clear he is a notch above anything we’ve seen in recent times with no disrespect to Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton or Luis Severino. I thought his words during the Thursday press conference were exemplary, as usual. Cole is quickly becoming one of my favorite players to listen to. No doubt he’s already there with his pitching. 

Photo Credit: Frank Franklin II, AP

As one who preached all winter for the Yankees to trade J.A. Happ, it was good to hear Happ say this week that he wanted to stay with the Yankees when he heard the trade rumors. He recognizes his shortcomings in last year’s juiced ball environment and he has been working on making the necessary adjustments. Given we need Happ with Paxton on the shelf for the first couple of months of the season, I’ve warmed up to the idea of keeping Happ for now. It’s possible he’ll be stronger this year than last. I still think he’s a trade candidate at some point depending upon how it goes with Jordan Montgomery, in addition to the eventual return of the suspended Domingo German and maybe a breakout by Deivi Garcia at some point. But as long as he is in pinstripes, I’ll cheer for him. As long as he puts the Yankees in position to win every fifth day, life will be good.

Gary Sanchez’s comment that you could rip his pants off if he hit a homer to send the Yankees to the World Series was priceless with its statement clearly direct at Jose Altuve’s obvious attempt to protect his jersey after last fall’s homer off Aroldis Chapman to end the ALCS. 

The Spring has brought a few more number changes. In addition to J.A. Happ’s recent switch from 34 to 33, Mike Ford dropped 36 in favor of 72 and Thairo Estrada took the departed Stephen Tarpley’s 71. With Luke Voit now wearing 59, the Yankees have a linebacker and an offensive lineman at first base. Probably because of David Cone, 36 seems more like a pitcher’s number to me so I am glad to see Ford grab a power number. 

It was funny to see Greg Bird and Austin Romine, in Rangers and Tigers camps, respectively, sporting beards. It seems like the first thing players do when they leave the Yankees is toss the razor. 

Photo Credit: Smiley N Pool, The Dallas Morning News

Photo Credit: Kimberly P Mitchell, Detroit Free Press

Now that pitchers and catchers are in camp, we anxiously await the arrival of all position players on Monday. Most are already in Tampa, but the band will officially be together again when President’s Day rolls around. I am looking forward to the first of the exhibition games until the monotony sets in a few weeks from now.  On the bright side, the regular season will soon be here as March 26^th is not really that far away anymore. My expectations for the upcoming season are reasonable…total domination and obliteration of the American League (and the NL’s October representative)  by the Yankees will suffice.

As always, Go Yankees!

A Hinch In Our Step...

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Hinch makes first public appearance...

A.J. Hinch will get another opportunity to manage in Major League Baseball.

This is not an endorsement or a belief he said the right things during his interview by Tom Verducci of the MLB Network. In fact, the interview might have raised more questions than answers but I do feel it was the critical first step for Hinch as he tries to rebuild his image and position himself for a job in 2021. 

There is no doubt Hinch is still very protective of his Astros players even though he is no longer their leader. On one hand, it’s an admirable trait that he’s willing to be the sacrificial lamb for his guys but on the other, his players showed no respect for their manager when they continued their deceitful and illegal practices despite Hinch’s displeasure as evidenced by his use of a baseball bat to two monitors. Hinch should have said something, done something (beyond taking batting practice on the monitors), but I am glad to know he was not in favor of the cheating. His inaction to stop the cheating is not an honorable quality. 

I am not really trying to dissect Hinch’s interview. I’ve never been a big fan of his and the perspectives of the fans will be based on our own individual biases. When I think of the smug answers he gave at Yankee Stadium during the ALCS last fall, it does infuriate me. Yet, on a human level, it’s hard to watch a man stripped of the game he loves. I don’t know if he has the proper remorse. He said the things he needed to say to take responsibility and accountability, which I appreciate. However, there are many unresolved questions. Ultimately, it comes across as ‘I am sorry I (we) got caught’. 

The 2017 World Series Championship is forever tainted. There is nothing that can be said or done that will absolve the Astros of the sins they committed to take away a potential championship from two teams that, as far as we know, played the game the right way…the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees. Championships are very hard to come by and we were deprived of the joy and excitement of potentially winning the World Series in 2017. 

When the one year suspension is over, I am confident Hinch will be given consideration for a MLB job. Maybe he has to serve as a bench coach first but eventually he’ll be given a managerial post again. I’ve wondered if the opportunity could present itself with the team that fired him, the Houston Astros. There is nothing in the rule book that says he can’t manage the Astros again. Dusty Baker may be the current manager but there’s really no doubt he does not represent the long-term future as the team’s leader. He’s on the last stop of his long career, armed with only a one-year contract. He serves a purpose today, but it could open the door for Hinch’s return. The upcoming season gives owner Jim Crane a year to say they did the right thing by parting ways with Hinch and GM Jeffrey Luhnow but a year from now, there will be talk about how Hinch has served his punishment and his time away has given him the necessary introspection and redemption to resume his role as the Astros manager. If the Astros have a winning season this year without the trash can banging and other illegal practices, it helps Hinch’s case to return. I am not defending Hinch. This is just the reality of the situation. I firmly believe that he’ll see a Major League dugout again regardless of what we think or feel. 

I want to see the Astros players take accountability. So far, only former Astros Mike Fiers, the whistleblower, and Dallas Keuchel have stepped forward. Houston pitchers report to Spring Training next Thursday, and the players (the heart of the conspirators) report a week from Monday. We’ll be watching closely as the players are asked about their involvement and I think it behooves the Astros organization to hold a press conference with key team players to address the elephant in the room sooner than later. 

The Astros play their first Spring game on Saturday, February 22^nd in West Palm Beach, FL against the team they share FITTEAM Ballpark of The Palm Beaches, the defending World Champion Washington Nationals. It will be interesting to see what type of reception they receive from the crowd. It’s too bad the Astros don’t come to Steinbrenner Field for any games during the exhibition season. The first regular season road crowd the Astros will face is the Oakland A’s on Monday, March 30^th (they open the season at home against the Los Angeles Angels). I really hope the Oakland crowd, not one to hold back their feelings, lets the Astros players have it with their vocal displeasure. 

Photo Credit: Scott Strazzante, San Francisco Chronicle

Baseball continues to sit in limbo with the Mookie Betts trade. I feel badly for the players involved. Spring Training opens this coming week and Mookie has no idea if he needs to head for Arizona or Florida. On Tuesday night, it was reported the Boston Red Sox had agreed to send Betts, a free agent next off-season, and part of David Price’s contract (with the pitcher attached to it) to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In return, the Red Sox would receive young Dodgers outfielder Alex Verdugo and Minnesota Twins pitcher Brusdar Graterol. For Graterol, the Dodgers dealt pitcher Kenta Maeda to the Twins. Standing behind this pending trade is the Dodgers’ pending trade of outfielder Joc Pederson and pitcher Ross Stripling to the Los Angeles Angels for infielder Luis Rengifo and prospects.  Four days later and the trades have yet to be finalized due to Boston’s concerns about Graterol’s health. The Dodgers got to go to arbitration to make their negative arguments against Pederson on Thursday, winning the case, so it’s hard to think Joc has warm, fuzzy feelings about his present/former team after a week of limbo and negativity.

The Red Sox, based on Graterol’s medical evaluation, are pushing for additional compensation. The Twins are resisting and the Dodgers do not seem willing to send any of their prospects to close the deal. It seems like the deal will eventually go through, perhaps as soon as today with the Player’s Union and agent Scott Boras coming out publicly to demand closure. So long as the Twins did not “hide” any medical knowledge about Graterol, I think the Dodgers should step up and send a quality prospect to Boston if they truly want Betts.  In no way should they send a top prospect like second baseman Gavin Lux, catcher Keibert Ruiz, or pitcher Dustin May, or even the well-named infielder Jeter Downs, for only a year of Mookie.  But a prospect with some potential makes sense.

When the trade finally goes down, the Red Sox, for the short-term, will be worse. Perhaps they’ll be stronger for the long run. The elimination of a significant chunk of Price’s contract and the money owed to Betts for the 2020 season will allow them to reset luxury tax penalties.  For me, it’s hard to fathom trading one of the game’s best players. I get the fear of losing a top player to free agency without a quality return but you have to look no further than the Washington Nationals to see a team that kept star players through the end of their contracts in two successive years, only to watch them leave (Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon). For the Nats, it paid off with the latter who helped deliver a World Series championship to the Capitol City.  Not that the Red Sox are a legitimate World Series contender this year, with or without Mookie, but it does seem odd when a big city team screams small market poverty. 

There’s a chance the Betts trade could fall apart altogether. I doubt it and it would be very awkward if Mookie and Price have to show up in Fort Myers, FL.  Hopefully the trade gets done today or tomorrow at the latest. 

Based on MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s words this week, we should expect news of the Red Sox investigation before teams start reporting to camp on Thursday.  I am not expecting much in the way of penalties against Boston but I hope their former manager Alex Cora receives no less than a two-year suspension. A lifetime ban would be better. Unlike Hinch who did not support the cheating but did nothing about it, Cora was an active conspirator with the players, perhaps its ring leader, and the proven liar should receive harsher treatment than Hinch. How the Commissioner handles Cora’s involvement as an active participant in the cheating scandal sets the tone for MLB’s future tolerance of dishonest play. Be a man, Manfred. Eliminate the game’s cancer.

I guess I should touch on the Yankees since this is a Yankees blog. Like all of you, I was disappointed to hear the news about James Paxton and how the lower back surgery to remove a cyst will keep him out of action until late May or early June. It certainly shows why J.A. Happ, now sporting number 33, has remained on the Yankees roster. I had expected Happ to be traded before Opening Day but at this point, he will accompany the team to Baltimore for the March 26^th opener.  I have my doubts whether he’ll end the season as a Yankee.  I can’t see the Yankees allowing him to reach the milestone to kick in the 2021 option on his contract (165 innings pitched or 27 games started). I also can’t see the Yankees sitting Happ to keep him from reaching those milestones. I think they’ll find a way to move Happ at some point without sacrificing his ability to trigger the 2021 option. It makes too much sense to eliminate all or part of the money owed to Happ to create opportunity for younger, cheaper arms.

For the short-term, keeping Happ is fine. It opens the door for Jordan Montgomery to grab a spot in the rotation. If everyone was healthy and Happ still on the roster, it most likely would have meant a trip to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for Monty. But now, he seems to be the odds-on favorite to head north with the big league club. While it is possible that we’ll see Deivi Garcia, Michael King, and/or Clarke Schmidt make their Major League debuts this season, I feel their time will come later in the summer.

I do hate the talk that James Paxton (and the suspended Domingo German) will be like ‘trade deadline acquisitions’. The team will be better when they return but they are not deadline acquisitions…just like Gleyber Torres is no longer 22. The downside or risk is potential injury to other starters before or when Paxton and German return, making them replacements instead of additional starters.  Paxton will easily slide back into the rotation (obviously), but German’s future probably depends upon how well Montgomery does. I am hoping Monty grabs his rotation spot and does not let go.

Photo Credit: Lynne Sladky, AP

As teams are scurrying to bring in veteran players on minor league deals, I thought the Yankees would be more active than they have been. The latest veteran receiving a MiLB deal from the Yankees with Spring Training invitation is former Cleveland Indians reliever Dan Otero. Not exactly a name to get excited about. With Paxton headed to the 60-day Injured List to start the season, it seems like now would be a good time to ink Taijuan Walker or Aaron Sanchez to a minor league deal. The bloom is off both pitchers but they once held great promise and are still young. Both are summer of ’92 babies, making them 27 years old to start the season. I like the upside potential, especially if they come to camp on a minor league contract. As The Greedy Pinstripes’ Daniel Burch likes to say, there is no such thing as a bad minor league deal.   

It was great to see Gary Sanchez, Adam Ottavino and Gio Urshela on The Michael Kay Show yesterday. I am ready to see our favorite Pinstriped players voice their words and thoughts from the grounds of Steinbrenner Field in Tampa and watch them prepare for the championship 2020 season. And, oh yeah, Gerrit Cole is a Yankee.

Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran, USA TODAY

As always, Go Yankees!

The Red Sox Offense vs. CC Sabathia Career

All stats and imagery credit go to ESPN and Baseball Reference. 

ALDS Game Two Thread: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox

And just like that it is game time here inside Boston’s historic Fenway Park as the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox continue the 2018 American League Division Series. In the second game of this best-of-five game series the Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka out to the mound to face off with David Price for the Red Sox. The game will be played at 8:15 pm ET inside Fenway Park and can be seen on TBS. You can also follow along with the game on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman all postseason long.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the New York Yankees all postseason long. Enjoy the game, head back to the Bronx with a victory, and go Yankees!!

The Red Sox Offense vs. Masahiro Tanaka – Career

Masahiro Tanaka wants Red Sox blood, and he is going to have all he can handle tonight inside Fenway Park. Do these stats matter tonight? Probably not, especially given how much rest the Japanese-born right-hander will have tonight. Enjoy!

All stats and imagery credit go to ESPN and Baseball Reference.

ALDS Game Two Preview: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox

The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will continue the American League Division Series tonight inside historic Fenway Park with the second game of this best-of-five series. In the start tonight the Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka out to the mound to face off with David Price for the Red Sox. Tanaka is out for Red Sox blood while Price is just merely looking to survive. It should be a fun one, so let’s get to it here in Boston.

Tanaka struggled in each of his last two starts before the end of the season, but tonight the right-hander heads into Fenway Park on extra rest. Tanaka gave up eight runs in eight innings pitched combined in his last two starts to post an ugly 9.00 ERA. Tanaka has been a much better pitcher in the postseason though boasting a career 1.44 ERA in four career playoff starts.

Price was great in the second half of the 2018 season posting a 6-1 record with a 2.25 ERA in 11 starts after the All-Star Break. The one blip on the radar? A start against the Yankees on September 19 inside Yankee Stadium that saw the left-hander allow six runs in 5.1 IP of work. Price also pitched against the Yankees on August 5^th inside Fenway Park and allowed two runs in six innings of work in a no-decision. Price has a career 5.03 ERA in the postseason.

The game will be played at 8:15 pm ET inside Fenway Park and can be seen on TBS. You can also follow along with the game on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman all postseason long.

Enjoy the game, LOL David Price, and go Yankees!!

ALDS Game One Thread: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox

And just like that it is game time here in the Bronx between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. The American League Division Series officially begins tonight. In the opener of the best-of-five series the Yankees will send JA Happ to the mound to face off with the Red Sox ace, Chris Sale. The game will be played at 7:32 pm ET (only in Boston could see such a weird start time, but okay) and can be seen on TBS. You can also follow along on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the New York Yankees for the remainder of the postseason. Enjoy the game, get to Sale early in the first, and go Yankees!!

The Red Sox Offense vs. JA Happ – Career

JA Happ was held back from the AL Wild Card Game specifically to pitch against the Boston Red Sox twice in a potential five-game series. Was that a wise choice? History would seem to indicate that it was, but will it mean anything in October? Stay tuned…

All stats and imagery credit go to ESPN and Baseball Reference.

ALDS Game One Preview: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox

The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will kick off the American League Division Series tonight inside historic Fenway Park. The Boston Red Sox won a whopping 108 games here in 2018 while the New York Yankees finished with 100 victories on the nose which should make for an intense five-game matchup. In the opener of the series the Yankees will send JA Happ to the mound looking to once again neutralize the Red Sox while Boston will counter with their ace, Chris Sale. It’s the playoffs, baby, so let’s get to it here in chowdah town.

Happ was held back from the American League Wild Card Game because of the possibility of him pitching against the Boston Red Sox twice in a potential five-game series. Manager Aaron Boone went with the long game strategy with his decision to pitch Luis Severino on Wednesday night and thus far it has worked according to plan. The first of Happ’s two potential ALDS matchups with the Red Sox comes tonight inside Fenway Park.

Sale was great against the Yankees in two starts this season against New York allowing just one run with 19 strikeouts in a combined 13 innings pitched. That was the regular season though and all that, plus about $15, will get you inside Fenway Park tonight is a beer to wash away your sorrows. Sale has pitched twice in the ALDS as a member of the Red Sox and has lost each of those games last season against the Houston Astros.

The game will be played at 7:32 pm ET inside Fenway Park and can be seen on TBS. You can also follow along with the game on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. Please, for the love of God and everything that is holy, do NOT let Dennis Eckersley and that same crew that announced the AL Wild Card Game to announce tonight. Please, I beg.

Enjoy the game, remember that Chris Sale has a career 8.38 ERA and that Mookie Betts has just as many postseason RBI as you or I do, and go Yankees!!

The Yankees and Red Sox Head-to-Head Comparison for 2018… Thus Far!

As we learned in our game preview this morning the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will renew their rivalry and write the next chapter in their storied franchise’s history head-to-head with a three-game set inside Yankee Stadium over the weekend. What have the Yankees and Red Sox done against each other thus far, and can that maybe tell us what is to come for this latest three-game set?

Team Game-by-Game Schedule

Gm#	Date		Tm		Opp	W/L	R	RA	Win	Loss	Save	Attendance
11	Tuesday, Apr 10	boxscore	NYY	@	BOS	L	1	14	Sale	Severino		32,357
12	Wednesday, Apr 11	boxscore	NYY	@	BOS	W	10	7	Tanaka	Price		32,400
13	Thursday, Apr 12	boxscore	NYY	@	BOS	L	3	6	Porcello	Gray	Kimbrel	36,341
35	Tuesday, May 8	boxscore	NYY		BOS	W	3	2	Robertson	Hembree	Chapman	45,773
36	Wednesday, May 9	boxscore	NYY		BOS	W	9	6	Holder	Barnes	Chapman	47,088
37	Thursday, May 10	boxscore	NYY		BOS	L	4	5	Kelly	Betances	Kimbrel	46,899
79	Friday, Jun 29	preview	NYY		BOS	7:05	7:05	7:05	Game	Game	Game	Game
80	Saturday, Jun 30	preview	NYY		BOS	7:15	7:15	7:15	Game	Game	Game	Game
81	Sunday, Jul 1	preview	NYY		BOS	8:05	8:05	8:05	Game	Game	Game	Game

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Stat set thanks to Baseball Reference.

So, what did we learn? We didn’t exactly learn anything to be completely honest. Both teams are great this season and both teams have played each other tough head-to-head. I expect nothing less tonight and into the weekend as well. Both the Yankees and the Red Sox, even when one or both are struggling, tend to bring their “A” games when they face one another, so it should be another fun weekend in the Bronx. It will be even more fun if David Price can’t find his pitching glove or hurts his back getting out of the shower between now and Sunday, but that is another post for another day.