Quick Hit: John Sterling Named Honorary 2017 Voice of the Atlantic League All-Star Game

Quick hit, not so quick title. That’s how we do it here on The Greedy Pinstripes, however we want to do it. Anyway, I digress. The Somerset Patriots and the Atlanta League of Professional Baseball have both announced that the New York Yankees (infamous to some) broadcasting legend John Sterling has been named the Honorary Voice of the 2017 Atlantic League All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 12^th. The game will be played inside TD Bank Ballpark.

Sterling will be on the field during pre-game festivities and will be the color commentator during the Home Run Derby which is ironic and really fun all in itself. Sterling will also introduce the honorary managers Sparky Lyle and Willie Randolph as well as calling the All-Stars to the line during introductions.

Sterling has been the Yankees play-by-play man since 1989 and has not missed a single game in his 27 seasons in the booth. This includes the 2005 season when Sterling called every single pitch of every single Yankees game that season solo in the booth.

The 2017 Atlantic League All-Star Game is the premiere event of the summer, hosted by the Somerset Patriots at TD Bank Ballpark on Wednesday, July 12th. The event is presented by RWJBarnabas Health and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and will feature the biggest Fireworks Show in ballpark history, commemorative giveaways for all ages, entertainment, and a Home Run Derby. For tickets, stop by the ballpark, call (908) 252-0700 or visit www.somersetpatriots.com.

About The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)

The Atlantic League has been a leader in professional baseball and a gateway to Major League Baseball since 1998. Over 36 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 800 players and 50 managers and coaches have joined MLB organizations directly from the ALPB. The Atlantic League emphasizes winning baseball games, showcasing the talent of top-caliber players and offering affordable family entertainment to metropolitan markets serving nearly 15% of the US population.

This Day In New York Yankees History 3/22: Britt Burns Pulls an Alex Rodriguez

On this day in 1986 the Yankees 18 game winner Britt Burns announces he will miss the entire coming season due to a degenerative hip condition.

Also on this day in 1972 the Yankees trade first baseman Danny Cater to the Red Sox for left handed reliever Albert Walter Lyle. Over the next seven years Albert, you may know him as Sparky, will pitch in 420 games in relief with a 57-40 record and a 2.41 ERA with 141 saves. Lyle appeared in three World Series with the Yankees and won two of them while with New York.

Finally on this day in 1962 the New York Mets defeat the New York Yankees the first ever time the two New York teams would meet. It was just a spring training game but the Yankees were the reigning World Series champions so that is worth mentioning. The former Yankee manager Casey Stengel and the Mets would beat the Bronx Bombers 4-3.

This Day in New York Yankees History 11/10: Enter Sheffield

On this day in 2006 the New York Yankees traded Gary Sheffield to the Detroit Tigers for pitching prospects Kevin Whelan, Humberto Sanchez, and Anthony Claggett. The deal included a two year extension for Sheffield worth $28,000,000 through the 2009 season. Nothing ever came of any of the three pitching prospects but Sheffield had to watch from home as we won the 2009 World Series so there is always that memory to hang on to.

Also on this day in 1978 the New York Yankees traded the 1977 Cy Young Award winner Sparky Lyle, Dave Rajsich, Larry McCall, Domingo Ramos, Mike Heath, and $400,000 to the Texas Rangers for left handed pitchers Dave Righetti and Paul Mirabella, right handed pitcher Mike Griffin, and outfielder Juan Beniquez. What made this deal interesting was earlier in the year Graig Nettles spoke of Lyle by saying he would go from "Cy Young to sayonara" making his prediction a reality.

This Day In New York Yankees History 3/22: Britt Burns Pulls an Alex Rodriguez

On this day in 1986 the Yankees 18 game winner Britt Burns announces he will miss the entire coming season due to a degenerative hip condition.

Also on this day in 1972 the Yankees trade first baseman Danny Cater to the Red Sox for left handed reliever Albert Walter Lyle. Over the next seven years Albert, you may know him as Sparky, will pitch in 420 games in relief with a 57-40 record and a 2.41 ERA with 141 saves. Lyle appeared in three World Series with the Yankees and won two of them while with New York.

Finally on this day in 1962 the New York Mets defeat the New York Yankees the first ever time the two New York teams would meet. It was just a spring training game but the Yankees were the reigning World Series champions so that is worth mentioning. The former Yankee manager Casey Stengel and the Mets would beat the Bronx Bombers 4-3.

This Day in New York Yankees History 11/10: Enter Sheffield

On this day in 2006 the New York Yankees traded Gary Sheffield to the Detroit Tigers for pitching prospects Kevin Whelan, Humberto Sanchez, and Anthony Claggett. The deal included a two year extension for Sheffield worth $28,000,000 through the 2009 season. Nothing ever came of any of the three pitching prospects but Sheffield had to watch from home as we won the 2009 World Series so there is always that memory to hang on to.

Also on this day in 1978 the New York Yankees traded the 1977 Cy Young Award winner Sparky Lyle, Dave Rajsich, Larry McCall, Domingo Ramos, Mike Heath, and $400,000 to the Texas Rangers for left handed pitchers Dave Righetti and Paul Mirabella, right handed pitcher Mike Griffin, and outfielder Juan Beniquez. What made this deal interesting was earlier in the year Graig Nettles spoke of Lyle by saying he would go from "Cy Young to sayonara" making his prediction a reality.

Dave Dombrowski “Open to Trading w/ Yankees”

Dave Dombrowski has won everywhere he has gone in Major League Baseball and has swindled away some major Yankees prospects and players along the way, especially as the GM of the Florida Marlins and the Detroit Tigers. Remember when the Yankees traded Mike Lowell to the Marlins or Phil Coke, Austin Jackson and Ian Kennedy in that three team deal that brought back Curtis Granderson? Those were Dombrowski and those are just two of many examples we could have given of the Yankees getting the short end of the straw dealing with Dombrowski. When Dombrowski signed on to be the President of baseball operations in Boston many of us let out a sigh of relief finally figuring that the Yankees GM Brian Cashman was safe until this week when Dombrowski told the media he was open to trading with the Yankees as a member of the front office for the Boston Red Sox.

Ending the Cold War type standoff between the Yankees and Red Sox would be significant, and no I don’t consider the Stephen Drew (sucks) for Kelly Johnson trade from 2014 significant, in the way New York does business. Giving New York’s GM Brian Cashman a new trading partner could open up a whole new realm of possibilities for New York, for better or worse, and could really make things interesting in the American League East.

Just for fun here is what I believe to be a complete list of every significant trade between these two clubs in their history in Major League Baseball:

 Source: Boston Red Sox

August 13, 1997: 

The New York Yankees traded a player to be named later and Tony Armas to the Boston Red Sox for Randy Brown (minors) and Mike Stanley. The New York Yankees sent Jim Mecir (September 29, 1997) to the Boston Red Sox to complete the trade.

March 28, 1986: 

The New York Yankees traded Don Baylor to the Boston Red Sox for Mike Easler.

March 22, 1972: 

The Boston Red Sox traded Sparky Lyle to the New York Yankees for a player to be named later and Danny Cater. The New York Yankees sent Mario Guerrero (June 30, 1972) to the Boston Red Sox to complete the trade.

August 3, 1967: 

The New York Yankees traded Elston Howard to the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named later and Pete Magrini. The Boston Red Sox sent Ron Klimkowski (August 8, 1967) to the New York Yankees to complete the trade.

December 26, 1919: 

The New York Yankees purchased Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox for $100,000.

This Day In New York Yankees History 3/22: Britt Burns Pulls an Alex Rodriguez

On this day in 1986 the Yankees 18 game winner Britt Burns announces he will miss the entire coming season due to a degenerative hip condition.

Also on this day in 1972 the Yankees trade first baseman Danny Cater to the Red Sox for left handed reliever Albert Walter Lyle. Over the next seven years Albert, you may know him as Sparky, will pitch in 420 games in relief with a 57-40 record and a 2.41 ERA with 141 saves. Lyle appeared in three World Series with the Yankees and won two of them while with New York.

Finally on this day in 1962 the New York Mets defeat the New York Yankees the first ever time the two New York teams would meet. It was just a spring training game but the Yankees were the reigning World Series champions so that is worth mentioning. The former Yankee manager Casey Stengel and the Mets would beat the Bronx Bombers 4-3.

This Day in New York Yankees History 11/10: Enter Sheffield

On this day in 2006 the New York Yankees traded Gary Sheffield to the Detroit Tigers for pitching prospects Kevin Whelan, Humberto Sanchez, and Anthony Claggett.  The deal included a two year extension for Sheffield worth $28,000,000 through the 2009 season. Nothing ever came of any of the three pitching prospects but Sheffield had to watch from home as we won the 2009 World Series so there is always that memory to hang on to.

Also on this day in 1978 the New York Yankees traded the 1977 Cy Young Award winner Sparky Lyle, Dave Rajsich, Larry McCall, Domingo Ramos, Mike Heath, and $400,000 to the Texas Rangers for left handed pitchers Dave Righetti and Paul Mirabella, right handed pitcher Mike Griffin, and outfielder Juan Beniquez. What made this deal interesting was earlier in the year Graig Nettles spoke of Lyle by saying he would go from "Cy Young to sayonara" making his prediction a reality.

This Day In New York Yankees History 3/22

On this day in 1962 the New York Mets defeat the New York Yankees the first ever time the two New York teams would meet. It was just a spring training game but the Yankees were the reigning World Series champions so that is worth mentioning. The former Yankee manager Casey Stengel and the Mets would beat the Bronx Bombers 4-3.

On this day in 1972 the Yankees trade first baseman Danny Cater to the Red Sox for left handed reliever Albert Walter Lyle. Over the next seven years Albert, you may know him as Sparky, will pitch in 420 games in relief with a 57-40 record and a 2.41 ERA with 141 saves. Lyle appeared in three World Series with the Yankees and won two of them while with New York.

On this day in 1986 the Yankees 18 game winner Britt Burns announces he will miss the entire coming season due to a degenerative hip condition.

Yankee Stadium Legacy: #45 Sparky Lyle (Again)

Sparky Lyle was one of three Yankees pitchers with a career ERA under 2.50 and Lyle had a Yankees career ERA of 2.41 in seven seasons in pinstripes. Lyle had a career high 35 saves in 1972 and an anemic 1.92 ERA that season. In 1974 he was nearly un-hittable with a 1.66 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP.

45 days until Yankees Opening Day

Yankee Stadium Legacy: #46 Sparky Lyle

Sparky Lyle won the American League Cy Young Award in 1977 although the award is usually reserved for starting pitchers. Lyle won 13 games out of the Yankees pen and added 26 saves with a 2.17 ERA. Lyle pitched in 72 games that season and finished 60 games which were both good for tops in the league.

46 days until Yankees Opening Day

This Day In New York Yankees History 11/10

On this day in 1978 the New York Yankees traded the 1977 Cy Young Award winner Sparky Lyle, Dave Rajsich, Larry McCall, Domingo Ramos, Mike Heath, and $400,000 to the Texas Rangers for left handed pitchers Dave Righetti and Paul Mirabella, right handed pitcher Mike Griffin, and outfielder Juan Beniquez. What made this deal interesting was earlier in the year Graig Nettles spoke of Lyle by saying he would go from "Cy Young to sayonara" making his prediction a reality.

On this day in 2006 the New York Yankees traded Gary Sheffield to the Detroit Tigers for pitching prospects Kevin Whelan, Humberto Sanchez, and Anthony Claggett.  The deal included a two year extension for Sheffield worth $28,000,000 through the 2009 season. Nothing ever came of any of the three pitching prospects but Sheffield had to watch from home as we won the 2009 World Series so there is always that memory to hang on to.

All Time New York Yankees Team - The Bullpen

 Mariano Rivera

 Goose Gossage

 Dave Righetti

 Johnny Murphy

 Sparky Lyle

 Allie Reynolds

To nobody's surprise Mariano Rivera is at the top of this list as Mo is the greatest closing pitcher of all time on any team, especially the New York Yankees. Before Mo made a failed attempt at being a starter in 1995 and was moved to the set up man spot in 1996 to only start his march towards being the greatest closer of all time the Yankees greatest closer was widely regarded as Goose Gossage. Dave Righetti was a great Yankees closer in the 80's for those terrible Yankees teams that everybody wants to forget.

Johnny Murphy is a name that many of you may not remember or know but I will leave it to you to check the stats. He was the greatest Yankees closer before the closer position was really established. He was more of a Yankees finisher then a closer but either way I want him in my bullpen. Sparky Lyle is my guy that will get left handed batters outs, a LOOGY before the LOOGY had a name. Yankees bullpen standout and has to have a spot in my bullpen as well. Allie Reynolds could have been put in the rotation or in the bullpen which is why I sort of took advantage of his versatility to put him in the last spot in this bullpen.