Sweepless in Seattle...

Credit:  Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports

Mariners 6, Yankees 5…

So much for a potential sweep in Seattle as the Mariners prevailed over the Yankees in extra innings on Saturday night.  Ex-Yankees Ben Gamel and Robinson Cano made themselves heard in this game.  The Yankees can still take three of four with a victory today so they can still end this road trip on a high note.

Masahiro Tanaka didn’t have his best stuff (in a statement that we have made far too often this season).  The Yankees scored first in the second inning when Gary Sanchez doubled to right, a one-hopper off the wall. After Sanchez was nearly picked off at second, Didi Gregorius hit a single to right which moved Sanchez to third.  Todd Frazier hit into a 6-4-3 double play, but Sanchez scored on the play.  After allowing a meaningless single in each of the two first innings, Tanaka lost the lead in the third.  Mike Zunino opened with a blast to left center and the game was tied.  Following a strikeout of Jean Segura, former Yankee Ben Gamel homered on the first pitch to right center.  It was the 26th home run allowed by Tanaka this season, tying him for the  dubious AL lead with Ricky Nolasco. Robinson Cano went down swinging for the second out.  Nelson Cruz singled on an infield grounder to third (Tood Frazier’s long throw was up the line which took Garrett Cooper off first) and Kyle Seager was hit by a pitch on the back toe to put runners at first and second.  Following a coaching visit to the mound by pitching coach Larry Rothschild (it didn’t work), Danny Valencia ripped a single to left to score Cruz and Mitch Haniger singled through the hole to left to score Seager.  It was 4-1 Mariners.  Jarrod Dyson grounded out to end the inning.

Credit:  Ted S Warren/AP

Garrett Cooper tripled to center in the fifth with a near home run which sent center fielder Jarrod Dyson into the wall.  Dyson stayed but you could tell that he was still affected by the collision.  He would depart the game after the inning was over.  Ronald Torreyes lofted a fly ball to Dyson in center as Cooper tagged and scored.  In the sixth, Clint Frazier started the inning with a 10-pitch at-bat against M’s starter Ariel Miranda but chased an upstairs fastball to strike out. The Mariners pulled Miranda and replaced him with Steve Cishek.  Aaron Judge greeted Cishek with a high fly to right center for his 32nd home run of the season.  The Yankees had closed the gap to 4-3.

Credit:  Ted S Warren/AP

The Yankees tied the game in the 8th inning.  With one out, Brett Gardner beat out a grounder to short for a single.  Clint Frazier doubled to center off the top of the wall (if only it had been just a few more inches), Gardner moved to third.  The Mariners intentionally walked Aaron Judge to face Matt Holliday.  Holliday hit a deep sacrifice fly to right, easily scoring Gardner.  The game was tied at 4.  Gary Sanchez lined out to right so the Yankees were unable to push any more runs across the plate.  In retrospect, this was a very big missed opportunity.

In the bottom of the 8th, the Mariners recaptured the lead when Robinson Cano led off with a home run to left off David Robertson. Bummer, but you couldn’t blame D-Rob as it was an excellent pitch. He was able to retire the next three batters to get out of the inning without any further damage. 

The Yankees had life again in the top of the 9th with Mariners closer Edwin Diaz on the mound.  Didi Gregorius walked to start the inning.  Diaz was able to retire the next two batters, Todd Frazier and Chase Headley who pinch-hit for Garrett Cooper.  With Ronald Torreyes at the plate, Jacoby Ellsbury was brought in to pinch run for Gregorius and promptly stole second.  Torreyes singled to left on a line drive, bringing Ellsbury around to score and the game was tied again.  After Tommy Kahnle finished the M’s in the bottom of the 9th, it was off to extra innings.

Credit:  Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports

M’s reliever Tony Zych replaced Diaz in the 10th and easily retired the Yankees, including strikeouts of both Clint Frazier and Aaron Judge.  In the bottom of the 10th, Adam Warren was on the mound.  Warren gave up a lead-off double by Ben Gamel (rapidly becoming a Yankee killer).  Robinson Cano was intentionally walked to open the possibility for a double play, but unfortunately, Nelson Cruz hit a line drive to left and Clint Frazier’s throw to the plate was off the mark as Gamel scored the winning run.  The Mariners win, 6-5.  

Credit:  Ted S Warren/AP

The Yankees (50-46) didn’t lose any ground in the AL East despite the loss.  The Boston Red Sox fell to the Los Angeles Angels, 7-3, while the Texas Rangers rallied to beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-3.  It would have been a great opportunity to pick up ground in the division but it was not meant to be.  The Yankees and Rays remain 3 1/2 games behind Boston.  

Somehow, the Yankees need to get Todd Frazier going.  His 0-for-4 night dropped his season batting average to .201.  Anything from him last night could have been a difference-maker.  Among the starting position players, he was the only one without a hit for the second game in a row.

Odds & Ends…

Second baseman Starlin Castro has been placed on the 10-Day DL after re-aggravating his hamstring.  Tyler Wade, who was seen in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre locker room before the RailRiders’ game yesterday, was recalled and didn’t get to Seattle until late last night.  Presumably, he’ll share time at second with Ronald Torreyes.  Wade had a tremendous game on Thursday when the RailRiders defeated the Charlotte Knights, 13-2.  He tripled and homered, driving in 4 RBI’s.  

Caleb Smith (0-1, 6.00 ERA) will start today’s getaway game against the Mariners in place of Luis Cessa.  I am very glad to see this move.  I’d rather see what Smith is capable of doing with his first Major League start versus another uneven performance by Luis Cessa.  I am sure that Cessa will be the first call to the pen if Smith gets into trouble early but hopefully he is able to show the great success he has enjoyed in Triple A this year.  Yovanni Gallardo (4-7, 5.59 ERA) will oppose Smith.  

Jacoby Ellsbury, at least temporarily, has lost his starting gig.  With over $68 million still owed Ellsbury after this year, there’s probably not much chance he’ll be exiting anytime soon.  Manager Joe Girardi has said that he wants to go with the hot hand which means keeping Clint Frazier in the lineup.  The threat of Frazier being demoted to Triple A when Aaron Hicks returns still looms as the Yankees are not going to cut Ellsbury.  This goes against the premise of putting your best players on the field but obviously there are more factors at play.  

The Yankees get a much needed day off on Monday following their cross-country flight home.  Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox, flying up from Orange County, will replace the Yankees at Safeco Field for a three-game series against the Mariners.

Have a great Sunday!  Let’s make this a fun day with a much-needed win!  Go Yankees!

Alex Rodriguez Deserved Better Than That

While all of this is subject to change both the American League and National League starters, reserves and pitchers have been announced and Alex Rodriguez is not an All-Star this season. Rodriguez, despite his 2014 suspension for his role in the Biogenesis Clinic and despite his use of steroids should have been an All-Star based on his numbers, not his morals, and frankly I believe Alex deserved better than that.

I’m not really all that upset about it only because I didn’t expect many people outside of New York to vote for him, I didn’t expect Ned Yost to choose him and after all the bridges he’s burnt I didn’t expect his peers to choose him, but he still deserved better than this. Rodriguez finished fifth in voting at the designated hitter position despite better numbers than the likes of David Ortiz and others on the list, although I do admit that Nelson Cruz absolutely should have won the starting nod there.

At the time of this writing Rodriguez was currently batting .284 with 16 home runs and 47 RBI just a few weeks short of his 40^th birthday. That’s before mentioning that Alex missed most of the 2013 season with a second hip surgery and various lower leg injuries and the entire 2014 season due to suspension, this is the epitome of a “comeback” player of the year. Alex is halfway to his first full season since the 2007 season and is a 14 time All-Star but has not been named to the team since 2011, but he should have made it this season.

In my opinion I believe Alex is better than and more deserving than Kendrys Morales, Victor Martinez and Edwin Encarnacion, although a debate could be made with Encarnacion due to his power and RBI totals. Cruz had a .304 average with 21 home runs and 50 RBI at the time the voting ended and won the vote despite missing the final 50 games of 2013 due to the same Biogenesis fallout as Alex while the National League’s starting shortstop, Jhonny Peralta, was also suspended the final 50 games and was also named a starter in the game. If it’s good for one it’s good for all, no? Alex deserved better than that and he deserves better than this, although you won’t hear him say a word about it. 

Quick Hit: All-Star Game Balloting Ends TOMORROW

Attention fans of the New York Yankees, balloting for the 2015 MLB All Star Game ends tomorrow, July 2^nd. That means you have just over a day to send one of your New York Yankees to the All-Star Game while sending one Kansas City Royals player potentially home for a few days. The All-Star Game is just two weeks away and as it stands right now, before the pitchers are selected, the Yankees are sending none of their positional players to the game. Of course the Yankees will have a representative, every team has at least one, but it’s looking less and less likely that the player will be a positional player or a starter without your help.

As it stands at the time of this writing Mark Teixeira sits in sixth place among American League first baseman while Brett Gardner isn’t even a Top 15 outfielder according to the vote. Alex Rodriguez’s early charge at the DH position has subsided a bit while Nelson Cruz leads the position for the AL. Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran and others are in the discussion for starting jobs but seem unlikely at this point to nail down the victory in the vote. Dellin Betances is probably the Yankees best shot as making the All-Star Game along with Chasen Shreve and Andrew Miller although fans cannot vote for pitchers, and they shouldn’t.

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Oakland Athletics 5/31

For the fourth and final time this week the New York Yankees will travel to Oakland County Coliseum to take on Billy Beane’s Oakland Athletics. The Yankees lack of situational hitting, pitching and defense have been exposed this week after sweeping the Kansas City Royals as New York looks to salvage the rubber game of the series. On the mound for New York is Adam Warren who is looking to pitch his way into staying with the rotation this afternoon as he faces off with Jesse Chavez for the Athletics. The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV.

• Warren is coming into the contest fresh off another strong start against the Kansas City Royals where he allowed just one run on 6.1 IP. Warren received praise from manager Joe Girardi after the start, a start he left after just 88 pitches, as the Yankees manager stated Warren was pitching as well as anyone in the rotation at this point in the season.

• Chavez comes into the contest still looking for some run support from his club as the RHP is fresh off another tough 1-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers in his last start. Chavez went eight innings allowing just the unearned run in the loss pushing his record to 1-5 and his ERA down to 2.44 on the season.

The Yankees head north to Seattle tomorrow to face off with Felix Hernandez, Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano and the rest of the Seattle Mariners for another west coast road trip. Hopefully New York will use the energy pulled from facing off against their former second baseman and translate it into a big victory for the Yankees today and going forward. Go Yankees!

My 2015 All Star Game Ballot

Yesterday afternoon we informed everyone that may not have known that All Star Game voting had begun for the 2015 Mid-Summer Classic set to take place in Cincinnati. Well this morning I took my own advice and voted for my favorite players and New York Yankees to head to the game this summer and I once again reiterate that you should do the same. Head over to Yankees.com to vote as the paper ballots are now a thing of the past, and honestly they probably should be anyway by now. In case you were wondering, and I know that you were, this is my ballot for the 2015 All Star Game that I have submitted my maximum of 15 times. What’s yours? Leave it in the comments section.

1B: Jose Abreu CHW – Paul Goldschmidt ARI

2B: Jose Altuve HOU – Howie Kendrick LAD

SS: Marcus Semien OAK – Adeiny Hechavarria MIA

3B: Josh Donaldson TOR – Matt Carpenter STL

C: Stephen Vogt OAK – Buster Posey SFG

OF: Hanley Ramirez BOS – Giancarlo Stanton MIA

OF: Mike Trout LAA – Justin Upton SD

OF: Adam Jones BAL – Bryce Harper WAS

DH: Nelson Cruz – Mark Trumbo ARI

Write in: Alex Rodriguez. Yes, I went there.

There are more than a few players that I could have voted for and wanted to vote for, especially in the outfield, that I just could not justify including Kansas City’s Lorenzo Cain and my homer pick for Jacoby Ellsbury of the Yankees. 

Players to Avoid in Your Fantasy Draft

If you haven’t already had your Fantasy Baseball draft this season you may want to read this first as I introduce some players that I think you should avoid this season. Most of these players had career years in 2014 and will be picked up a lot higher than they should be, in my opinion, in 2015.

Nobody better to start off with then the Astros Jose Altuve who won the American League batting title in 2014. Altuve isn’t going to hit .341 again and the offense around him is not significantly better that it will improve his runs, stolen bases or RBI total. The same can be said for the Twins Phil Hughes who walked a total of 0.69 batters per nine innings in 2014. Hughes dialed up his velocity in Minnesota but was still prone to the fly ball and to being hit hard, which he was even in his career season in 2014, so I expect his ERA and peripherals to rise. He’s still worth taking, just not in the first few rounds.

Yoenis Cespedes will be hurt from a change in his home park. Cespedes has played in the Oakland Coliseum but Comerica Park is no friendlier than his stadium was in Oakland. He should get plenty of pitches to hit with Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera in the lineup but his average is dropping and so are his home run and RBI totals. He doesn’t take walks and he doesn’t steal bases. Unless he’s a no brainer kind of late in the draft I say you pass. The same can be said for Nelson Cruz as he moves from one of the most beautiful stadiums in Major League Baseball to Safeco Field in Seattle. I think Cruz peaked and had a chip on his shoulder in 2014, the same will not be said in 2015 with a much bigger salary and only Robinson Cano protecting him in the lineup.

We finish with Masahiro Tanaka as the ultimate high risk high reward type player in fantasy. If he’s healthy and he’s on he is as dominant as anyone else on the field and in fantasy. If the elbow pops, and it could at any second of any day and ultimately it probably will before his pitching career is over, then you ultimately wasted a first or second round pick on a guy that will end up on waivers and in the free agency bin for the next two seasons more than likely. 

Seattle Still Getting Their Hopes Up w/ Jesus Montero

Every morning when I am supposed to be working I take a minute to skim the headlines and read the sports news, especially from the USA Today. Yesterday morning I read an article that the Seattle Mariners were still hopeful that Jesus Montero could help the team in the future. Montero, the same guy who was trolled by an ice cream sandwich in a minor league game (he was sent to the minors because he came to camp 40 lbs. overweight and couldn’t hit a lick) by one of his own scouts in Single-A. Yeah good luck with that.

Montero has reportedly lost the 40 lbs. this offseason which is great news for him but, and not to play Devil’s Advocate and rub it in too much, he did not hit a lick before he gained a pound. Montero was traded from the Yankees for RHP Michael Pineda for the same reasons he is struggling in Seattle; his weight and size made his future look unlikely at the catcher position, his hitting would likely make him an average at best corner outfielder or first baseman, his drive and motivation along with his attitude were always being questioned and his hitting was never able to get over the “great” hump out of just being good or average.

The Biogenesis suspension didn’t help Montero’s stock and value last season which has left the former top prospect and catcher as a designated hitter only, and that’s if he even makes the team. Remember Seattle signed Nelson Cruz to presumably be what Montero was supposed to be so it’s going to be tough for the 25 year old Venezuelan and former Yankee to start the season in the major leagues. If he wants to come back to New York though, all things considered, I think I welcome him back with open arms and plenty of forgiveness and understanding. 

Yankees Named As One of Five Potential Landing Spots for Ryan Howard

I was reading the USA Today yesterday morning and I clicked on a link titled “five potential landing spots for Ryan Howard” simply because I had a feeling the Yankees were going to be on the list. Low and behold New York was on the list along with the Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Here is the write up from the article concerning the Yankees:

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/11/philadelphia-phillies-ryan-howard-mlb

3. New York Yankees

It sounds ridiculous, but the Yankees have: A) Plenty of bad contracts they could deal, B) A park that seems perfectly catered to Howard’s strengths, C) No clear limit on how much they’re willing to spend to stay competitive and D) An apparent fondness for aging former stars. First baseman Mark Teixeira’s signed through the end of 2016, but he, like Howard, has been injured and ineffective in recent seasons. The Yanks could get creative with a mix of Howard, Teixeira and Carlos Beltran in the DH spot, and hope time away from first base helps Howard stay healthy enough to mash again.

Howard is owed roughly $60 million in salary for the remainder of his contract that runs through 2016 including a $10 million buyout for the 2017 season. If the Phillies want to move him they are going to have to eat a huge chunk of that salary after lower body injuries has diminished his power, speed, and defense in recent years. Philadelphia is also venturing out into a market flooded with DH type players in Mike Morse, Victor Martinez, Billy Butler, Kendrys Morales, Nelson Cruz, Delmon Young, Corey Hart, and Evan Gattis.

I would take a free Ryan Howard but that’s about the extent of it. Pass. 

Which Top 10 Free Agents Should the Yankees Sign?

The offseason is upon us and the hot stove is warming up as the World Series is over and it’s time for qualifying offers, arbitration, and free agency. The Top 10 free agents always have the biggest names and biggest contracts every season and the Yankees always seem to be right in the middle of the ruckus every single year. The Top 10 free agents this season, in no particular order, include Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, Max Scherzer, Jon Lester, James Shields, Melky Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Yasmany Tomas, Nelson Cruz, and Russell Martin. Which free agent should the Yankees sign?

This space was left intentionally blank because I don’t think the Yankees should sign any of them. The more I see and the more I read about Ramirez the more I want to walk away. The rest seem like potentially the next in line of terrible contracts I will be complaining about on the blog in four or five years. The Yankees should stay away from the top heavy free agents and contracts and go middle of the road and for the right fit this time around. Throwing money at people is not working anymore and it’s time to try something new. Try something that the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and others are doing rather than what we have been doing for the last 50 years, it may work. 

TGP Daily Poll: New York Won’t Sign ANY of the Top 10 Free Agents

New York will not sign Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, Max Scherzer, Jon Lester, Yasmany Tomas, Victor Martinez, Nelson Cruz, Russell Martin, Melky Cabrera or James Shields this offseason.

Vote in our poll. 

Twelve Players Get Qualifying Offers, One Yankee

In total twelve players received qualifying offers today that basically equate to one year deals worth $15.3 million. You know the drill, if the player rejects the offer and signs with another team then the players original team gets a compensation draft pick. If the player accepts he is on the roster for one year at the aforementioned $15.3 million. Got it? Now here's the list this offseason and keep in mind that no player has ever accepted one of these. That seemingly backfired last postseason as Stephen Drew and Kendrys Morales had to sit out until after the June MLB draft after failing to find a deal last winter.

Here is the list:

Max Scherzer, SP - Detroit Tigers
Hanley Ramirez, SS - Los Angeles Dodgers
Pablo Sandoval, 3B - San Francisco Giants
James Shields, SP - Kansas City Royals
Nelson Cruz, DH - Baltimore Orioles
Melky Cabrera, LF - Toronto Blue Jays
Russell Martin, C - Pittsburgh Pirates
Francisco Liriano, SP - Pittsburgh Pirates
Victor Martinez, DH - Detroit Tigers
David Robertson, CP - New York Yankees
Ervin Santana, SP - Atlanta Braves
Michael Cuddyer, OF - Colorado Rockies

Boston Globe: Yankees Will Make an Offer to Orioles' Cruz This Offseason

It seems the idea of Nelson Cruz joining the Yankees this offseason isn't that far-fetched. 

Or at least that's what the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo thinks. In a piece he composed recently, Cafardo basically stated that New York making Cruz an offer this winter is a guarantee, though he also cited other teams as possible landing spots for the veteran.

"Cruz is in good position to make some money on a three- or four-year deal," Cafardo wrote. "He enjoys Baltimore and hopes he can stay, but as we’ve written before, the Yankees and Rangers will make bids, as will the Mariners. Cruz, 34, looks like he’ll make a bundle somewhere."

Cruz, who made just $8 million this year, is coming off a regular season in which he hit a league-best 40 home runs. During the course of the schedule, Cruz additionally drove in 108 while solidly batting .271.

Cafardo, in his piece, also provided an update on now-unemployed Hitting Coach Kevin Long, who was fired by the Yankees Friday.

"Long buys into Boston’s grind-it-out system since that’s what he preached in New York," Cafardo pointed out. "He could join Chili Davis, Bill Mueller, and Dave Magadan as possible choices for the Red Sox, along with assistant hitting coach Victor Rodriguez, who is really liked by the players."

To put it simply, two new stories have just come up for Yankees fans to follow. 

Why Nelson Cruz?

In this morning's edition of the TGP Daily Poll, the question of Nelson Cruz reaching free agency was broached. It was unanimously voted that Cruz wouldn't be like JJ Hardy and sign an extension with the Orioles, thus reaching free agency. Many people would love for that to happen, as it would allow the Yankees to make a bid for the Dominican slugger.

But why would the Yankees want Cruz?

Besides having that great smile around?

While his 40 home runs this season may make you stand up and say "wow", keep in mind that it's the most homers he's hit in a season in his career. His next highest HR total was 33 in 2009. In the four years since that '09 season, Cruz hit an average of 26 bombs a year, which ranks 23rd in MLB over that time period (Miguel Cabrera hit the most home runs during those four seasons with 156).

Edit: I should have pointed out that Cruz did miss games in August of 2013 due to suffering a thigh contusion at the end of July that season, so he very well could have hit 4 or 5 more home runs that season, pushing his total above 30 that year. And he had problems with that same thigh in 2010, which likely suppressed his HR total that season too.

The point is... expecting him to hit 40, or even 30, home runs in 2015 is pretty optimistic.

Then there's the fact that Cruz had a line drive percentage this past season much higher than his career norm. Between 2009 and 2013 his line drive percentage was 18%, but he saw that number jump way up to 23% in 2014.

So I'll reiterate.. if you think Nelson Cruz is going to come to the Yankees next year and put up another 40 homers, or even 30 homers, then you're just as optimistic about him as myself and others are about CC Sabathia coming back as an effective pitcher.

But let's put the home run totals aside and look at the biggest issue with signing Mr. Cruz.

Where does he play?

The Yankees already have two guys on the roster to play right field, that being Carlos Beltran and Martin Prado. That's assuming we'd even want Cruz in right field. I mean, he's not exactly a gold glover in the outfield anymore. The current Orioles slugger hasn't posted a postive UZR in right field since 2010. So even if you argue that the reason Buck Showalter kept Cruz at DH most of the season was because they already had Nick Markakis in RF, it doesn't mean that Nelson would have been any good there anyway.

Now, I'm sure plenty of you are pointing out that having Carlos Beltran in right is hardly an improvement over Cruz. And you'd be right. Heck, I'd accept that Cruz is better in the field than Beltran. But there's a big difference between the two... Beltran is already under contract with the Yankees.

Not only is Beltran already around to (hopefully) play in RF most of the time in 2015, but the team also has Martin Prado, who played 60 innings out there last season. I suppose Prado could play 2B regularly, but what about giving youngsters like Jose Pirela or Rob Refsnyder a shot?

And don't even get me started with the designated hitter slot. I mean, the team is chock full of players that will need to see DH days fairly often (see Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Carlos Beltran himself).

Even if Nelson's bat was a perfect fit for the team, you can't ignore the fact that there's just no place for him to play.

One more thing... what do you have left with Nelson Cruz if he doesn't post 40 home runs? Not much. Cruz hit .271 with an on-base percentage of just .333, and both of those numbers are higher than he hit in his previous three seasons. So even continuing to bat that well overall is being optimistic.

Twenty-five or so home runs, a sub-.270 batting average, a sub-.330 on-base percentage, well below average defense when he does play in the field, and no room for another person that should see the majority of his time at DH. Why in the World should the Yankees make a play at Nelson Cruz?

TGP Daily Poll: Orioles Won’t Lock Up Nelson Cruz before End of Season

The Baltimore Orioles have already taken one option off the board for the New York Yankees this offseason when they signed shortstop JJ Hardy to a three year extension and are reportedly in talks with another potential option for New York in Nelson Cruz. I can’t see Cruz selling himself short after taking a discount to play with Baltimore in 2014 and doing so again without testing the market. Cruz will hit free agency.

Vote in our poll. 

McCarthy's Struggles Doom Yankees in 5-4 Loss to Orioles

Brandon McCarthy surrendered five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings and three different opponents hit home runs tonight as the Yankees' last spark of playoff hope died with a 5-4 loss to the Orioles.

Going into this one's top of the second, after Ubaldo Jimenez (5+ IP, 2 ER) recorded a walk and an HBP in New York's first at-bat of the evening, things were looking alright for McCarthy and the Yanks, who came into the day with a bit of momentum following yesterday's blowout.

Nonetheless, once ex-Pinstripe Kelly Johnson homered to begin that frame and Nick Markakis contributed a two-out RBI Single it was clear McCarthy wasn't in for his best performance. Indeed, from then on things only got worse for the veteran right-hander, who would also got taken deep for a two-run shot by Markakis in the fourth and by Nelson Cruz for a solo one in the fifth.

Fortunetaly, a Chris Young groundout, a Stephen Drew sac fly, and a Brian McCann two-run homer with Derek Jeter on between innings 4-8 would still keep the hosts from getting shut out on the night, but since the Royals simultaneously blew out the Indians over in Cleveland and Zach Britton was able to pitch a scoreless ninth their doing so didn't really prove relevant. Granted, the Yankees aren't yet mathematically eliminated, but considering it'd take a perfect last five days for them along with a nightmarish last five ones for Kansas City it's definitely likely that their season will end Sunday, an unfortunate fact that also means this is probably Jeter's last home series.

Thinking About 2015: The Conclusion, I’m Greedy

For the past few days I have been thinking about the 2015 season and the team the New York Yankees will put out on the field and I have come to the conclusion that I am absolutely greedy. I haven’t lived up to the Greedy Pinstripes moniker as much in recent years as I did before the 2009 season when this blog was unofficially formed. This season I decided I have gone all out when I started constructing this All Star roster. If you remember correctly I added James Shields to the starting rotation, Nelson Cruz to a rotational DH spot, Asdrubal Cabrera to the shortstop position, and Grady Sizemore to the outfield rotation as well and I think I may have too many good players and not enough spots to give everyone playing time without gutting the roster.

Using the players added above the roster would look something like this:

SP1: CC Sabathia

SP2: Masahiro Tanaka

SP3: Michael Pineda

SP4: James Shields

SP5: Shane Greene

SP6: David Phelps

SP7: Ivan Nova

CL: David Robertson

SU: Dellin Betances

MR: Adam Warren

MR: Shawn Kelley

LR: Chase Whitley

LOOGY: Jacob Lindgren

LR: Manny Banuelos

C: Brian McCann

1B: Mark Teixiera

2B: Robert Refsnyder

SS: Asdrubal Cabrera

3B: Chase Headley

OF: Brett Gardner

OF: Jacoby Ellsbury

OF: Carlos Beltran

BN: Grady Sizemore

BN: Brendan Ryan

BN: Martin Prado

BN: Francisco Cervelli

BN/DH: Alex Rodriguez

BN/DH: Nelson Cruz

Obviously one or two of the pitchers would need to go, and that is before you consider Bryan Mitchell and others for a spot. We also have far too many options with the bats but hey, those problems are for the GM and the manager to figure out. Just bring me the best players to do the job and get me to the Promised Land. Get Greedy, get them all. 

Thinking About 2015: The Designated Hitter

I know this post will probably not go over too well for the sole reason of roster flexibility and the return of Alex Rodriguez but hear me out before closing out of the blog in disgust. If the Yankees could somehow sign a full time DH that could also play the outfield, allowing Carlos Beltran to DH whenever necessary, and keep A Rod off the team or on the bench then I think it should be done. The Yankees lack right handed power bats in the lineup and one man that fits the DH, outfield, and right handed power bat mold is Nelson Cruz. It also doesn’t hurt that we would be taking him away from a division rival in the Baltimore Orioles.

Cruz signed a very team friendly deal in 2014 after coming off a Biogenesis induced steroid suspension in 2013 and has done nothing but hit home runs ever since. Cruz has easily been the biggest bargain in all of baseball in 2014 and Baltimore has enjoyed the fruits of his labor. With Baltimore running away with the AL East division this season it’s more important than ever to punch them in the gut and take away one (or two if New York also gets JJ Hardy to replace Derek Jeter) of their better talents.

With Cruz and A Rod in the same lineup the Yankees would finally have true right handed power and balance in a lineup without having to stack switch hitter after switch hitter. With Cruz the Yankees could easily DH him most days, let him play in right field other days, and teach him first base for a backup option for Mark Teixeira. Also Cruz has postseason and World Series experience with the Texas Rangers and soon to be with the Orioles which only helps when coming to a huge market like New York.

Cruz will strike out too much, hit for a .265 average, and knock in 30 home runs and 100 RBI in a season, something that the Yankees completely lack in both departments in 2013. Get it done Cash, or whoever is running the show then. 

The Daily Dozen - August 13, 2014

The Daily Baker's Dozen - August 13th, 2014 - No Pine Tar Allowed Edition
(Twelve Thirteen Takeaways from Tonight's Game vs. the Fake New York Yankees)

1. Everyone knows the Baltimore Orioles want to be the New York Yankees.  They are so jealous...they can't stand the fact that the Yankees were the original Orioles and that Babe Ruth, a native of Baltimore made it big in the Big Apple instead of the Big...well, Biggest City in Maryland.  They have even gone as far as to go out and get a former Yankee manager in Buck Showalter to man their helm.  Well...la-di-freaking-da...say one more thing about Jeter! I dares ya!

Thanks for the memories Buck! (Photo Credit: Washington Post)

2. Michael Pineda is BACK!  And boy was he...he made his first start in the majors since April 23rd, which was shortly after his Pine-tar-gate (everything has to have "gate" added to the end...) incident in Baaaaaaahston.

3. So which part of Mark Teixeira's body will he injure next?  Marky Mark and the Funky Bones was back out there tonight, which begs the question, for how long this time?  Oh Teixeira, you're on the Mark!

4. Pineda was on a 80 to 90 pitch count limit.  What if he got to 80 pitches and was throwing a no-hitter, would the Binder take him out?  Well, we got that answer as after 67 pitches and 4 PERFECT innings he was removed from the game by Girardi for....Betances?  In the 5th? Whaaaaa....?

Right on Burch!

5. Of course the .176 hitter breaks up the double perfect game.  Stephen Drew got the first hit of the game off of Chris Tillman in the 3rd.

6. Francisco Cervelli was an unlikely power source tonight.  He doubled his total home run for the season and increased his RBI output by 33%.  That would be more impressive if his total numbers weren't 2 home runs and 8 RBI.

7. Give the Governor a HARUMPH!  Did anyone else hear the Orioles fans booing Derek Jeter every time he came to the plate?  They might be the only ones to do so on a regular basis this season.  Showalter must be rubbing off on them.  If you didn't get the tag line, watch Blazing Saddles and get back to me...

"I didn't get a HARUMPH outta that guy..." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTmfwklFM-M)

8. Nelson Cruz breaks up the perfect game for Pineda in the 5th.  I'm sorry to say that it was all my fault. #Knepper'sFault.  See my tweet after the 4th inning below:

Sorry Pineda...truly sorry...

9. So there was a "batter's interference" on Stephen Drew in the 6th inning?  What exactly is batter's interference.  What a freaking crappy call...he was directly over the chalk!  Totally changed the game...umps blew that one!

10. Joe Girardi promptly got ejected after arguing the call.  For once, I agree with the Binder...you suck Jerry Davis!  You be the judge on this one...

The ball is clearly passed Drew at this point and he is DIRECTLY
above the chalk...(Photo Credit: MLB.com from Video)

11. Betances is to Robertson what Rivera was to Wetteland in 1996.  The only difference however is that Rivera wasn't brought in for 3 innings in the 5th inning of a game.  What the heck was that all about???  That 3rd inning proved to be the death nail for the Yankees as Dellin left a hanging curve out there for Schoop to tie the game at 2.

12. Jeter was 0 for 4 tonight and is in a mini-slump if you will.  He if 4 for 20 in his last 7 days batting .200 with only 1 RBI.  Maybe it's time for a few days off for the Captain.  Maybe give Drew some time at Short?

13. In the "That Escalated Quickly" category...Adam Jones hits a 3-run bomb to put the Orioles up 5-2 in the 8th inning effectively ending the Yankees chances for a win and potentially putting away the AL East title for the O's.

Whitley's One Bad Innings Costs Yankees Big in Rain-Shortened Loss to Orioles

While Chase Whitley is undeniably a good pitcher, it seems obvious now that no, he isn't somebody the Yankees can rely on. 

The 25 year old prospect, 4-2 with a 4.94 ERA entering tonight, simply isn't one who can last deep into games, something the Yanks' could really use nowadays with their worn out bullpen. 

For example, in this evening's finale in Baltimore, Whitley lasted just 3 2/3 innings, surrendering three earned runs as the Orioles won pretty easily 3-1.

To start off the contest, Bombers Center Fielder Brett Gardner did take O's Starter Kevin Gausman (5 IP, 1 ER) deep to right, although from then on the Pinstripes struggled to do anything, collecting just three singles while never reaching second to put an unfair pressure on Whitley.

Now in his first three frames of work, #39 did look decently sharp, striking out four (three swinging) while allowing just two hits.

However, in the bottom of the fourth all of that effort was wasted, with Whitley walking Nelson Cruz to start the at-bat before giving up a two-run home run to the sub .200 hitting Chris Davis, followed shortly by another RBI Single from Johnathan Schoop to give Baltimore an advantage.

Immediately after that hit from Schoop, the Yanks' rookie was replaced by David Huff, who finally recorded the last out of the frame, an endeavor that wouldn't end up proving relevant due to New York going down 1-2-3 in their half of the fifth.

Unbeknownst to the Yankees at the time, that turn, which included routine putouts of Ichiro Suzuki, Kelly Johnson, and Yangervis Solarte, would be their last of the night, as rain during the Orioles' next frame ended things after the minimum five innings, with a 2-hour, 20-minute delay only pushing back the inevitable.  

Greene Comes Up Huge For Yankees in Shutout of Orioles

Over the last few weeks, all any of us have heard from the media is that the Yankees are done without four of their five starting pitchers. 

Those four arms, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka, and Ivan Nova, are a lot better than the Yanks' current group of Chase Whitley, Shane Greene, David Phelps, and Brandon McCarthy, although lately that hasn't been too clear, with the latter quad each tossing quality outings over the last few months.

Despite that, it's unlikely that this trend will last forever, a message that again failed to reach the Bombers' backups today, with the aforementioned Greene shutting out the Orioles for 7 1/3 innings as the Pinstripes won a game they really had to 3-0.

In his fun-to-watch, 22-out performance, Greene rarely got into trouble, retiring the first 10 men he faced and not allowing a hit until the bottom of the fifth. 

In that frame and the next, the O's did manage to get runners to third, an effort that would prove worthless due a pair of threat-ending strikeouts of Nick Hundley and Nelson Cruz.

That latter K of Cruz, one of nine Greene had on the day, came on a nice slider in the dirt, pretty much ending the Orioles' day of competitiveness, eventually causing the always-tough Chris Tillman (6.2 IP, 3 ER) to take his fifth loss of the season.

Over on the offensive side of things, as expected, the Yankees again didn't play that well, only collecting three runs thanks to a duo of RBI Doubles from Mark Teixeira and Jacoby Ellsbury along with an RBI Single from Derek Jeter.

Still, what they did do was good enough to get the W, something they obviously really needed, as another defeat this afternoon would've dropped them below the .500 mark.