Sweet Home Yankee Stadium...

Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports, via Reuters (Adam Hunger)

Yanks kick off final regular season home stand with an easy win…

For all of the struggles by the Yankees this month, last night was fun.  The Yankees were in charge from the start and never looked back en route to the 11-0 thrashing of the Toronto Blue Jays behind the stellar pitching of restored staff ace Masahiro Tanaka.  

Photo Credit: Getty Images (Jim McIsaac)

After a disappointing nine-game road trip that saw the Yankees drop series in Oakland and Minneapolis to finish 4-5, allowing the A’s to close the gap in the AL Wild Card standings, the Yankees needed a strong game with contributions across the roster.  I suppose it was a good sign when it was announced Aaron Judge had been activated off the disabled list prior to the game, even if his bat wasn’t activated with him.  Judge will serve as a pinch runner and defensive specialist until it is time to take a few swings in simulated games in Tampa before he gets an opportunity to seek his 27th home run for the Bombers.  Given that Judge is the obvious heart and soul of this team (and its future Captain if the Yankees do what’s right), I am glad to see him on the active roster even with his limitations. 

I am resigned to the fact that this has been a special season for the Boston Red Sox.  I hope they fail in the post-season (like the 2001 Seattle Mariners) but there’s been no doubt they’ve owned the regular season.  Unlike the Yankees, they’ve been able to limit the slumps and no opposing lead seems safe against J.D. Martinez and Company.  I remain hopeful that they’ll fail in the post-season with their questionable bullpen but at the moment they are the best Red Sox team of my lifetime (well, anybody’s lifetime for that matter).  I hate the Houston Astros but if the AL Championship comes down to the Astros and the Red Sox, I’d have to pull for a repeat World Series appearance for the defending champs.  

There’s been so much talk about which pitcher should get the call in the inevitable Wild Card game against the Oakland A’s.  Right now, it would seem that Tanaka is the man of the hour.  Many have mentioned J.A. Happ as a possibility but as good as he has been as a Yankee, I really think the choice should be limited to Tanaka or Luis Severino.  I guess I can still remember the times when the Yankees had their way with Happ when he was wearing a Blue Jays uniform.  In his last game against the Yankees in July, he was pounded for six runs in 2 2/3 innings in Toronto’s 10-5 loss to the Yanks.  Although Severino has been struggling for awhile, he pitched much better in Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins when the Yankees didn’t get their first hit until the eighth inning.  He held the Twins to only one run on four hits in 5 2/3 innings and didn’t walk anybody in the tough luck loss.  He struck out five.  It’s a start, both literally and figuratively.

As the Yankees begin their final home stand, it is a little sad that it could be the last regular season games at Yankee Stadium for a few of the guys.  Brett Gardner, CC Sabathia, and David Robertson are the names that stick out the most to me.  Several guys, like Sonny Gray and maybe even Greg Bird, may have played themselves off the roster after the season.  It’s doubtful the Yankees will re-sign Andrew McCutchen or Zach Britton so their brief Pinstriped careers could soon be coming to an end and there is no certainty the Yankees will re-sign J.A. Happ. MLB Trade Rumors speculated this morning that Happ could earn more than a guaranteed $40 million for three years on his next deal when he becomes a free agent after the season.  That’s a lot of money for a guy who turns 36 next month. Hopefully the Yankees hang on to their Wild Card lead so that there is at least one more game at Yankee Stadium  for the impending departees after the current home stand ends.  

I am not sure how I feel about the Yankees’ chances for October.  If they play like the team we’ve seen in recent weeks, it will be ‘one and done’ in the Wild Card game.  If they can capitalize on the momentum of last night’s game and propel themselves into the playoffs on a roll, anything can happen.  We know this team is capable of beating anybody including the Red Sox.  But we also know that the bats can go into silent mode with runners in scoring position at times (more often than I would like).  I guess I could say that while I am hopeful for the best, I am braced for the worst.  I do know the Yankees need a healthy Aaron Judge and Aroldis Chapman before we play the final regular season series in Boston at the end of the month.  We need both guys firing on all cylinders for the team’s hopes to advance deep into October.  

Like many Yankee fans, I am very pleased with the production and energy that we’ve seen from first baseman Luke Voit.  I certainly never dreamed that GM Brian Cashman would be able to flip relievers Chasen Shreve and Giovanny Gallegos for a guy who has become such a big part of the Yankees offense.  I don’t know what the future holds for Voit but I am enjoying the current ride.  I think the Yankees will look to upgrade the position in the off-season but Voit has certainly earned the right to battle Greg Bird for the starting position next Spring.  

Photo Credit: Getty Images (Jim McIsaac)

I’ve seen so many people call for the head of Aaron Boone.  Sure, he’s made his share of rookie mistakes in his first year as Yankees manager but I think he’ll be stronger for it in 2019.  There’s not anybody out there I would prefer to see as the team’s manager at this point and I am certainly not pining for the return of Joe Girardi.  When Boone was announced as the Yankees manager last off-season, I had been hopeful that he’d select a veteran manager as his bench coach.  So I was a little disappointed when he went with Josh Bard who has not managed at any level.  Bard may be smart and confident, but I really preferred a battle tested veteran manager in the role as lead consultant for Boone.  Boone does have managerial experience on his staff with Larry Rothschild who was the original manager for the Tampa Bay Rays (then Devil Rays) when they entered the American League.  Third base coach Phil Nevin has minor league managerial experience. But that’s not the same as your right hand guy. The best case scenario would have been for the Yankees to have retained former bench coach Rob Thomson who now serves in the same role for the Philadelphia Phillies and their infant manager, Gabe Kapler.  Another veteran manager who left the organization last off-season will most likely be coaching first base for the Yankees’ Wild Card opponent.  Al Pedrique, the former manager of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, is presently first base coach for the Oakland A’s.  In my opinion, Thomson or Pedrique would have been much better options to sit (or rather stand) beside Boone in the Yankees dugout than Bard.  

Speaking of Joe Girardi, I am not sure where he’ll get his next opportunity.  I had thought St Louis was an obvious destination but the Cardinals have committed to their interim manager, Mike Shildt, by dropping the interim tag. Shildt has made the Cardinals relevant again after their disappointing performance under former manager Mike Matheny. I thought Washington might be another possibility but it sounds like first-year manager Dave Martinez will get another shot in 2019 even if the team will be Bryce Harper-less.  The Toronto Blue Jays have been mentioned as a possibility given the speculation that their manager, John Gibbons, is managing his final games in a Blue Jays uniform.  It would be weird to see Girardi in the AL East with another team. But when you look at teams with great young prospects on the horizon, the Blue Jays would be near the top of the list with the highly rated sons of former Major Leaguers Vladimir Guerrero, Dante Bichette, and Craig Biggio among others. All things considered, I am hopeful Girardi likes his job with MLB Network well enough to wait for a Chicago job to open at some point in the future.

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders beat the heavily favored Durham Bulls last night to send the International League’s Governors’ Cup Finals to the winner-take-all Game Five to be played in Moosic, PA later today.  Domingo German will start for the RailRiders against Durham’s Kyle Bird (part of the Bulls planned bullpen day). The Bulls are the defending IL champs, while the RailRiders were the Wild Card entrant and last year’s championship series loser.  Win or lose, this has been a great season for the Yankees’ top farm team.  The Bulls have been at a disadvantage for the series since all of the games have been played at PNC Field in Moosic due to the weather conditions in the Carolinas.  

Entering play today, the magic number for the Boston Red Sox to win the AL East championship is six games.  The Yankees (91-56) currently trail the Red Sox by 9 1/2 games so at this point it is only a matter of time until the Red Sox are sipping champagne.  My hope is that they do not do it next week on Yankee Stadium soil.  The Yankees lead the AL Wild Card by a game and a half over the Oakland A’s but hold the tie-breaker.  The Seattle Mariners trail the A’s by 8 1/2 games so barring any miracle comebacks, the AL Wild Card will be Yankees-A’s with location being the only question.  

For today’s game, the Yankees send CC Sabathia (7-6, 3.54 ERA) to the mound.  He’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Sean Reid-Foley (1-3, 6.86 ERA).  Sabathia has not looked good in his recent outings and he really needs to step his game soon.  Hopefully today is the start.  We want a win, we need a win, let’s get a win.  Go Yankees!

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Minnesota Twins 9/12

And just like that it is game time here inside Target Field as the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins finish up their three-game set. In the finale of the series tonight the Yankees will send Luis Severino out to the mound to face off with Jake Odorizzi for the Twins. The game will be played at 8:10 pm ET inside Target Field in Minnesota and can be seen on the YES Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app, and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the team all season long. Enjoy the game, head into the off day with a victory, and go Yankees!!

Second Guessing My Hypothetical Wild Card Game Starter

The thing about predictions, hypotheticals, and fandom in general is that everything is subject to change. Remember when Giancarlo Stanton “sucked” and everyone (most “fans” anyway) wanted him traded after just a month? Where were those fans in August? Silent. Also, remember when everyone wanted Austin Romine to start every day over Gary Sanchez? Where were those fans on Monday night when he launched an 800 ft (exaggeration) home run against the Minnesota Twins in a victory? Also, silent. My point is that fans and opinions can change, and I have changed my mind concerning the Yankees potential and hypothetical Wild Card Playoff Game starter. 

In my initial post I listed JA Happ as my Wild Card Game starter followed by Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, and CC Sabathia in that order, but on second thought I think I changed my mind just a bit. Looking ahead a bit, which I understand can be dangerous, I think if I were making the calls I would have Masahiro Tanaka start the AL Wild Card Game and not Happ. My reasoning? Well, that’s where it gets tricky. 

Masahiro Tanaka has playoff experience, specifically AL Wild Card Game experience, and has proven that he can pitch under the bright lights in the Bronx in October. Tanaka started the AL Wild Card Game for the Yankees in 2015 against the Houston Astros and Dallas Keuchel slinging five innings of work while allowing two runs, both solo home runs, with three strikeouts. Happ has playoff experience with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 in the NLCS, again in 2009 when the Phillies matched the New York Yankees in the World Series, and during the 2016 ALDS and ALCS with the Toronto Blue Jays, pitching to varying degrees of success. While Happ has pitched in the postseason and the World Series with Philadelphia he has done so as a relief pitcher with the exception of one start (that lasted just three innings) in the 2009 NLDS against the Colorado Rockies. Happ’s two starts for the Blue Jays both lasted five innings each and resulted in a combined 1.50 WHIP and over 11 hits per nine innings. In the immortal words of former Yankees manager Joe Girardi, that’s not what you want. 

The past is the past though and we cannot focus solely on the past when making this decision. Let’s look at the present. Who would you want starting two games and a decisive Game Five for the Yankees, assuming they make it that far? You have to think, especially against the Boston Red Sox,
that that’s Happ. I mean, sure, we would love to see Tanaka make two starts as well, but the team has to get their first and right now Severino just isn’t an arm that can be relied on in a one-game playoff scenario. Having Tanaka start the Wild Card Game, Happ starting Game One of the presumed ALDS, followed by Severino, Sabathia and Tanaka gives the Yankees at least a fighting chance. If the series goes five games I don’t think I’d want anyone else on the mound AS WE STAND TODAY in that decisive Game Five than JA Happ.


Happ has been the most consistent Yankees starter and has great numbers career against the Red Sox. It just makes logistical sense to me, even if it is looking ahead and subject to second guessing a bit. Having Tanaka start the AL Wild Card Game is not exactly throwing in the towel by any means, but if the Yankees can win that game with Masahiro on the mound the team would be ideally set up to take down the big, bad “best team to walk the planet” Boston Red Sox, in my opinion.

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Minnesota Twins 9/12

The New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins will finish off their three-game set and their season set tonight inside Target Field with the finale of the series. In the finale the Yankees will send Luis Severino to the mound on an extra day of rest to face off with Jake Odorizzi for the Twins. Must win for the Yankees with the A’s nipping at their feet, so let’s get to it here inside Target Field.

Severino heads into the start tonight fresh off his shortest outing of the season last time out against the Oakland Athletics. In the start Severino lasted just 2.2 innings while allowing six runs in the Yankees 8-2 loss out in Oakland. Since July 7^th Severino has posted a 4-5 record with a 6.83 ERA in 11 starts and the Yankees hope an extra day of rest can help the right-hander turn things around.

Odorizzi also struggled in his last start against the Houston Astros where the right-hander gave up five runs in 4.2 innings pitched in a loss. Odorizzi was strong early, but it all came apart in the fifth innings, which has been an issue for him all season long.

The game will be played at 8:10 pm ET inside Target Field in Minnesota and can be seen on the YES Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app, and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

Enjoy the game, gain some breathing room in the Wild Card chase, and go Yankees!!

Hello… Chapter 1 of Book 2

Good morning Yankees family and welcome back to the blog. As many of you know earlier this year I wrote a book, well I wrote another. Here is Chapter 1. Enjoy. And baby, I hope you especially enjoy because these books are for you. They are our love story!! I love you.

From Defiance to Undefeated, available for purchase on Amazon.  

Prologue

Standing in a room called the Hygge House are the last known remaining members of the Valkyries regime, the faction of men and women that once ran and owned the Land of Bartow. Dan, the former Valkyries council member and Territories expert that was in charge of not only keeping the Valkyries safe, but was also in charge of keeping tabs on the numerous splinter cells of resistance that popped up across the region, namely the group called Defiance. Andy, the former leader of the Valkyries after one of their own, a Defiance spy and operative working undercover, assassinated the former leader, Poke. Andy’s first decision as leader of the Valkyries ended up being his last after his orders to send the entire Valkyries military out to attack in response to the assassination kicked off the plan for Defiance to take over not only their compound, but all of Bartow. Jax, another leader of the Valkyries council and the man in charge of recruitment for the entire Valkyries regime. Jax had brought in many heavy hitters during his time with the Valkyries and his charm and skills as a recruiter were unmatched until Defiance came along. Jax could see things in people that many others couldn’t or wouldn’t. Jax saw potential in people that no one else did, and for that he was special.

Zero, the leader of the Valkyries military and war machine. Zero could have been the leader of the Valkyries, or in their council in the very least, but he always decided to simply stay where he was atop the Valkyries war list. If the towers needed taken, the opposing generals needed to be blown up, or if the final blow of the war needed to be handed down Zero was the man to do it. Zero led the Valkyries military with pride, precision and a heavy hand that you didn’t want to get in the way of when he was on a mission. Adam, a member of the Valkyries military that worked under Zero. Adam preferred to stay quiet and out of the limelight with his head down doing his job. Adam didn’t speak much but when he did his commanding presence and authoritative voice to match demanded the attention of the room. Phil, a member of the Valkyries military that also worked under Zero and with Adam. Phil was small in stature and his voice did not command the attention of a room, but there must have been a reason he was in the Valkyries military. Whether it be his brains, his brawn, or the fact that he had a wild streak that didn’t mix well with adrenaline remained to be seen, but there was certainly a reason he was picked by Zero to work under him.

These were the six remaining Valkyries, at least to the best of their knowledge, and they were all huddled up in a place north of their former compound in a house known as the Hygge House. After their battle with Defiance had come to an end with devastating losses and casualties for the Valkyries their remaining members and soldiers were left to pick up the pieces. Now the crew was left with the decision of what to do next. Do they run and hide? Do they try to rebuild and bring the fight back to Defiance? Or do they sell their souls in exchange for security, peace, food and a home to join Defiance?

No one knew right now, but they were all about to figure it out rather quickly.

Chapter 1 Six Remain

“So, what are we going to do now?”

In the Hygge House stood the six remaining Valkyries left after their brutal war with Defiance. The Valkyries took heavy losses and had lost control not only of their compound, but of Bartow as well. Like the Valkyries had done to Scopely all those years ago Defiance showed off their might and seized control over the region. The Valkyries as everyone knew them were gone, they had fallen, but if anything, the war with the Defiance gave the remaining Valkyries members something they never would have had before, a clean slate. As far as anyone knew all the remaining members of the Valkyries were dead, and with the amount of revolutionary leaders that Dan had seen die before his eyes there were fewer and fewer people that could even identify these six men even if they wanted to. They could run, but where would they run to? They could hide, but no one really knew who they would be hiding from. The group could try to blend in, but Nacho, the leader of Defiance, had seen Dan’s face as well as many others including the Phoenix Rises members that joined Defiance along with Dan’s girlfriend, Kari Ann. Tee, Gee and Darth could all identify Dan. So, what would they do? The group of six sat in the empty room surrounded by nothing but glass panes and brainstormed.

“I think we have to run, bro!” Jax exclaimed to the group.

“Where the hell are we running to, Jax?” Andy questioned.

“Hell, I don’t know, but we can’t stay here” Jax replied, sounding almost annoyed.

“Why can’t we stay here?” Zero was speaking up now. “Nobody knows where this place is but Daizie, who is dead, and the Valkyries, which are all in this room as far as we know.”

“As far as we know!” Adam was speaking up now. “We don’t know who the hell is alive out there. None of us thought that Dan was alive. None of us saw Phil lying there besides the Ultra-Rare Gear shop. There could be Valkyries still out there!”

“Yeah, and we don’t who was working with Defiance from within. This wasn’t just a coincidence that they knew just when to hit, and where. Someone was spying for them from within the Valkyries, I just know it.” Andy didn’t know about Jessica apparently, not yet anyway.

“Jessica…” was all that Dan was able to mutter amidst all the talking that was going on. Dan knew he was going to have to tell the story that Jessica told him, and he knew that he was about to break at least five more people’s hearts by doing so.

“Yeah, did anyone see Jessica when all this shit started?” Jax asked the question that Dan was waiting for someone to ask. The question that would jump start his story.

“I saw Jessica, yeah. I saw Jessica in her house right before I jumped the wall, and she was meeting with the leader of Defiance. His name is Nacho.” Dan began to tell his story as the jaws of the Valkyries members collected in the room seemingly dropped all at once. Dan revealed every detail to the men that stood in that room beside him. Dan told them how she was abducted by a man named Fox and he told them how they held medical treatments over her head in exchange for her cooperation. Dan explained to the Valkyries how Jessica infiltrated the Valkyries council, and Poke specifically, with the intent of bringing down the Valkyries after spending time with the rebel group named Kill All and Dan explained how she was the one that ordered Dan to be abducted, much like she was however many years before. Dan explained to them that it was Jessica, or “Light” which was apparently her code name with Defiance, that came over the wall and set off the alarms, seemingly on purpose, the night that Dan was abducted, and it was Jessica that sent Fox to his home with orders to burn it down and to kill Dan if he resisted.

The room was silent, and all eyes were on Dan. He had their full attentions as he continued to recant his story of what happened just a few hours prior within the home that Jessica and Dan shared. Dan explained how it was Jessica who pulled the trigger, killing Poke the fallen leader of the Valkyries and he explained how it was her who tipped off Defiance that the military was on its way in full force outside the walls of the compound and headed towards Phoenix Rises. Dan told them everything, even down to the smallest of details. Dan especially told them about when her story was just about over how Nacho busted into the room and put a bullet through her head as if she was no longer useful to Defiance or to their leader any longer, discarding her like yesterday’s trash.

“… and before I knew it Nacho was gone from the room, and from the house, and I was left there watching who I thought was my friend bleed out. I knew I couldn’t stay there and I knew I had to get out, so I took off running from the house and I jumped the wall closest to the armory. I didn’t know where else to go, so I came here hoping that a few of us made it and would follow.” Dan was done telling his story, but he knew he left out many key pieces of information. Dan never mentioned Kari, not even once, or the fact that he had been outside the walls and inside the Phoenix base strapped to a table as a prisoner as the assault began from the Valkyries military. Dan also left out that he had a choice whether to join Revolution or not after he was abducted. Sure, declining meant death but how could Dan justify his decision in that way when Ellie, his partner within the Valkyries territories room, was given the same choice and declined. Ellie sacrificed her life to die as a Valkyrie rather than live as a traitor to the regime, a decision that Dan would have to live with for the remainder of his days here in Bartow.

“There was one thing I remember from Jessica’s story that may be able to help us though, if we do it right. Maybe it can give us a starting point anyway.” Dan had the attention of the room as a glimmer of hope came across many of the eyes of the remaining Valkyries members. “When Jessica was talking to Nacho in the kitchen I overheard her talking about a man named ABB, and a place called ‘The Peach.’ Does anyone know a place like that? Or a man named ABB?” Silence overtook the room as the remaining members of the Valkyries all racked their brains trying to think if they ever heard of ABB or The Peach until finally Phil spoke up.

“I know what The Peach is… it is a bar maybe 30 miles or so from here. I know exactly where it is. You think if we went there we would be able to find other Valks?” Phil now had the attention of the room, but he really had the attention of Dan. Members of the Valkyries never referred to themselves as “Valks.” In fact, most members of the Valkyries hated being called Valks, it was almost like a condescending term to them. Poke would never allow a member of his Valkyries to call one another Valks, so it was weird when Dan heard that word come out of Phil’s mouth. Dan never mentioned this in front of the group, he knew he could just paranoid at this point after everything that has gone down and he knew that he may be looking to deeply into it. For all Dan knew, Phil could be a new Valkyrie and he just didn’t have that rule cemented into his head yet like the rest of the Valkyries did. Jax was in charge of recruiting, not Dan, and he didn’t bat an eye when Phil said it. Dan quickly put the idea out of his head and chalked it up to just being paranoid, although that didn’t mean he was going to forget it completely.

“Well, going to The Peach is a better lead than anything else we have to go on. Let’s go!” Andy was still leading the Valkyries, even from the dirt and no longer from the throne, and his Valkyries followed. No one questioned Andy, everyone simply gathered their things and they began shuffling out the door of the Hygge House and back into the unknown. No one knew what they would find when they got to The Peach, but each one of them knew that the five men they stood with was all that they had at that moment, with the exception of Dan who had Kari still in his life. As Dan packed his bags and began walking towards the door thoughts of his beautiful blue-eyed vixen came to his mind. He wished he had time to call her back on his laptop. Even more so he wished that she didn’t have to be such a secret, a feeling that I am sure she reciprocated for Dan. She was patient though and never said a word, but Dan knew that she would grow tired of this secretive world eventually. “Cross that bridge when you get there Dan, if we even get there” he thought to himself as he walked out the door and began his march towards The Peach. 

This Day In New York Yankees History 9/12: Bernie Williams Has a Week of a Game

Not much has happened on this day in New York Yankees history surprisingly but Bernie Williams did have a week of it on this day in 1996. Bernie had two home runs and a single as he went on to knock in eight RBI helping the Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers by the score of 12-3.

Other notable happenings on this day in Major League Baseball history was on this day in 1979 the Red Sox Carl Yastrzemski collected his 3,000th hit of his career in a victory over the Yankees in Fenway Park. Also Sammy Sosa became the fourth player in major league history to hit 60 home runs in a single season on this day in 1998 as he joined Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, and Mark McGwire as McGwire and Sosa attacked Maris' single season home run record.

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Minnesota Twins 9/11

And just like that it is game time here in the Bronx between the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins. In the middle game of their three-game set this week the Yankees will send Sonny Gray to the mound, welcome back, while the Twins will counter with Tyler Duffey. The game will be played at 8:10 pm ET inside Target Field and can be seen on the YES Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app, and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the team all season long. Enjoy the game, hope for Sonny skies ahead, and go Yankees!!

Andrew McCutchen Brings a “Clutch” Factor the Yankees Have Been Missing

The New York Yankees this season have not been “clutch” here in 2018 like they were during the 2017 season. If that is even a real thing or whether it is merely something made up by fans and sports writers remains to be seen, but it has gained enough steam regardless among the baseball community that Baseball Reference (and I’m sure others) have tried to find a way to quantify it. Enter Baseball Reference’s “Leverage” stat. Basically what the leverage stat tabulates is a player’s performance in high, medium, and low leverage situations. For example, having the bases loaded with two outs would be considered a “high” leverage stat, while leading off a game would be considered a “low” leverage situation. If you want to know the exact verbiage and the way the stat is tabulated head over to Baseball Reference for their in-depth explanation.

Here are McCutchen’s stats in each leverage situation, courtesy of Baseball Reference:

As you can see McCutchen is a different, and better, hitter in high leverage situations than he is in low or even medium leverage situations, which can only be a good thing for the Yankees heading into the postseason.

Let’s compare that to someone who is universally thought of as “clutch” on this team, Brett Gardner:

Many also consider Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres, albeit in small sample sizes, to be clutch as well:

Torres:

Andujar:

This, my friends, is how you win in October, and this is how you win a World Series. This team is built to do so whether the naysayers believe it or not, now they just have to do it. *Insert Nike add mocking Colin Kaepernick while inserting a Yankees face into the meme*

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Minnesota Twins 9/11

The New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins will continue their three-game set tonight with the middle game of the series. Welcome back to the starting rotation, Sonny Gray. Tonight the Yankees will send Sonny Gray out to the mound to face off with Tyler Duffey for the Twins. This could either be really good, or really bad, so let’s find out and let’s get to it here in Minnesota.

Gray will re-enter the Yankees rotation for a spot start tonight against the Twins. The Yankees have seemingly conceded the division with this move and are focusing on the Wild Card as they are giving each of their starters an extra day of rest with this move. Since Gray has been removed from the Yankees starting rotation the right-hander has gone 2-0 with a 1.83 ERA in 19.2 innings that spanned six games, one of them as a starting pitchah.

Duffey is tonight's starter for the Twins "bullpen game" tonight inside Target Field. Duffey will pitch an inning or two and will look to improve on his 1-2 record and 9.00 ERA in 14 appearances with the Twins this season. 

The game will be played at 8:10 pm ET inside Target Field and can be seen on the YES Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app, and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

Enjoy the game, even though it appears the Yankees have officially conceded the division with this pitching move… and go Yankees!!

Hello… September 11, 2018

LOL at the song, just for you. 

Good morning Yankees family and welcome back to the blog. September 11^th, 17 years later. While many have forgotten or don’t think about the tragedies that happened on September 11, 2001 these incidents still go through my mind from time-to-time. When those terrorists attacked New York City, the Pentagon, and other attempted areas I took that personally. New York City is MY city. New York state is MY state. So, today we remember… but we will never and can never forget. When you get comfortable and complacent is when you become vulnerable, and we need to never become vulnerable ever again. Thank you to everyone who served on this day 17 years ago, in whatever capacity, and my thoughts and prayers are with anyone who was affected and/or lost someone on this tragic day. Much love.

And my baby, my heart always belongs to you and will always be with you. No matter what. I hope you are feeling better this morning, I love you!