Game 2 Yankees @ Red Sox 7/7/12

Yankees Lose 9-5

The night cap of a day night double header. We should be treated to some weird lineups and thin bullpens tonight in Fenway. Remember though that Bud Selig added a new rule that a 26th player can be called up for the day in the instance of a day night double header. The Yankees will call up Cory Wade so fully expect him to pitch his arm off today and save the pen before the break. Phil Hughes, who had put together a nice string of great starts for the Yankees, will be on the mound to face off against another tough left handed pitcher in Franklin Morales.  The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on the YES Network and FOX.

Lineups

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher 1B
Andruw Jones LF
Jayson Nix 3B
Russell Martin C
Darnell McDonald RF

Go Yankees!!!

Exclusive Interview With Alan Horne

The Greedy Pinstripes has snagged an exclusive interview with former Yankees starting pitcher and farm hand Alan Horne. We want to thank Mr. Horne for taking the time to answer our questions and be an all around friendly and nice guy for a small time blog like ourselves.

Alan was one of the Yankees pitchers that seemed to be the "next big thing" much like Adam Warren and David Phelps are now but a shoulder injury set him back for good unfortunately. He did not let them keep him back or knock him down though and he continues to do his thing and live his life so kudos to him. Now on to the interview.

Was your dream as a child always to be a baseball player? If not then what did you want to be when you grew up?

I always wanted to be a baseball player as long as I can remember. I didn't really play other sports when I was younger besides soccer for a few years and it was more to get in shape for baseball season. I've always been kind of an all in or not at all person and baseball was the only sport I was like that with. When I wasn't playing I was hunting or fishing. Truth be told my dream as a little guys was to play baseball long enough that I could be famous enough to have my own hunting and fishing show. Aspirations of a small town country kid I guess.

What team did you root for growing up as a kid? 

For whatever reason growing up I loves the cardinals. I have no idea why because I had absolutely no ties to them what so ever. 

Favorite player(s) growing up? 

My favorite players growing up were definitely Nolan Ryan, Mark McGwire, and Dale Murphy.

Your biggest inspiration when it came to baseball? 

My biggest inspiration was definitely my dad. He was a heck of a ball player himself playing at Chipola Junior College and Florida State. Unfortunately he had his career derailed by injuries as well. He taught how to do things the right way from the very beginning. That was the only option I had and I have a deep respect for him teaching the game to me that way.

Favorite moment as a Yankees prospect? 

My favorite moment would have to be the culmination of the 2007 season. I was lucky enough to have a great season, get named pitcher of the year, and go up to NY for several days after our season. I'll never forget that phone call from Cash congratulating me and telling me he would see me soon.

Who was the best prospect in the Yankees system that you ever played with? 

You know I played with so many talented guys.....Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, David Robertson, Brett Gardner, Austin Jackson....it really goes on and on so it's hard to pick a best or favorite. If I had to pick a player and pitcher who I admired how they played the game and loved watching them play it would have been Brett and Ian. They are both ultimate competitors and even more outstanding guys. I'm still close with them to this day.

Do you keep in touch with any other current or former Yankees prospects or coaches? 

I keep in touch with a lot of guys and a handful of coaches as well. Our lifestyle is a kind of fraternity I guess and will forever share bonds with the people we play with.

Hardest part of being a prospect? 

Being a prospect was never hard for me because I was very goal oriented and had bigger hopes and dreams than any person could have had for me. Unfortunately things didn't work out but I got to leave the game knowing it wasn't that I wasn't good enough or I didn't work hard enough. Just some bad breaks and that's the way the game works.

Why did you decide to sign with the Yankees when they drafted you and not the Angels or the Indians? 

Ya know what all three teams are great organizations and it was never about that. I tried to make the decision that was right for me at the time in each case. I'll be forever grateful to each for giving me an opportunity and extremely proud of being a Yankee for 7 years. Not everyone gets to be a part of the greatest organization in professional sports and I'll cherish every up and down that went with it. 

Do you have plans to try and give baseball another shot? Do you have long term goals and plans for life after baseball? 

Again unfortunately I'm done with baseball. My shoulder is to the point where it is pretty miserable for me just to play catch. I'd have to have another shoulder surgery just to try again and it just wasn't worth it after all I've been through. As for plans after baseball I'm currently in training to become a State Farm Agent in Jasper, Georgia. It would have been way too hard for me to stay in baseball after everything that happened. I don't think I could be around it everyday. And this is a great opportunity. Instead of coaching baseball it gives me a chance to coach people in financially structuring their lives so they too can one day have a chance to achieve all their hopes and dreams. It's something I'm very excited about and look forward to.

How are you adjusting to living in small town America? 

Small town America is no adjustment for me. It's how I've lived my whole life and wouldn't have it any other way now that I am through with baseball

Most famous person in your cell phone? 

Most famous person. I have no idea. I'll probably have to give my buddy Ian props on that one haha.

Most embarrassing song/artist in your ipod? 

And as far as my iPod goes I'm quite prejudice in the fact that I have the best iPod ever assembled. No bad or embarrassing stuff on there haha.

Again we want to thank Mr. Alan Horne for taking the time for the interview. Guy is a great guy he has never shyed away from talking to me or taking the time for me on facebook and for this blog. It is also cool because I am 15 minutes away from his State Farm Office in Jasper, Georgia! Good luck in all your travels Alan and thank you again!

Game 1 Yankees @ Red Sox 7/7/12

Behind a pair of Back to Back home runs and 6.2 solid innings from Freddy Garcia give the Yankees the win.

Yankees win 6-1

The Yankees are playing a day night double header today (and tonight) at Boston in Fenway Park. After a nearly four hour marathon yesterday where no lead was safe and all those trendy baseball sayings these two teams are right back at it this afternoon. On the mound for the Yankees in the first game will be Freddy Garcia who will be making CC Sabathia's missed start. For the Red Sox will be Felix Doubront who is a tough lefty. Dont expect to see any left handed hitting out there but Cano and Granderson, who both hit lefties well. We may even see Darnell McDonald start a game. Remember that in the stance of a day night double header each team can call up a 26th man for the day. The Yankees have indicated that their choice will be right handed reliever Cory Wade. The game will be televised at 12:30 pm ET on YES and MLB Network's Saturday Matinee. 


Lineups


Derek Jeter DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Andruw Jones LF
Jayson Nix SS
Darnell McDonald CF
Chris Stewart C


Go Yankees!!!

Tyler Austin Out Of Futures Game

@TAustin2121

The Yankees sole representative in the Futures Game and Greedy Pinstripes follower on twitter, super prospect Tyler Austin,  is out of the game because of being hit in the head with a pitch and being placed on the DL. That has to be heartbreaking for him as I know it is heart breaking for me as a fan for him to miss this opportunity. Especially when his mother, Kim Austin (@austinmom03) , says that he is fine, The Yankees just seem to be being cautious and using the "better safe then sorry" method. There is no indication who, if anybody, will be replacing him in the game. It would be an easy fix to just replace him with Yankees outfielder Mason Williams who is also deserving of going, from the same country, and plays the outfield as well but I do not make those decisions. 

Mr. October is not Mr. Nice Guy

It's hard to believe that I like the Red Sox player in this picture more than I like the former Yankee player.

I'm not a Reggie Jackson fan.

Don't get me wrong, I think Reggie was a great player. Hell, he hit .450/.542/1.250 in the 1977 World Series, and .391/.500/.696 in the 1978 World Series... both of which the Yankees won. Even in the 1981 World Series that the Yankees lost Reggie hit .333/429/.667. I totally appreciate what he's done with the bat, but it's his attitude that's always rubbed me the wrong way.

It started with the day he was drafted 2nd overall by the Oakland Athletics. Jackson said that his baseball coach at Arizona State University, Bobby Winkles, told him that the Mets (who selected 1st that season) passed on him due to the fact Reggie had a white girlfriend. Joe McDonald, an executive in the front office for the Mets at the time, said that was untrue. The Mets owner at the time, George Weiss, was a racist, but the story hasn't been confirmed one way or another.

On it's own it's hard to count that against Reggie. But after a bit more research I saw that he turned down a football scholarship offer from the University of Oklahoma because apparently they told him to stop dating white girls. Although racism at the time is not surprising, it is a strange coincidence that his white girlfriend(s) played such a role.

Anyway...

All Yankee fans, and I'm willing to bet most baseball fans, know about the argument Reggie and Billy Martin had when Martin took Jackson out of RF during an inning. Martin felt that Reggie was being lazy in going after a ball that was hit out there, so he made the switch mid-inning. I don't agree with what Billy did, as I would have waited until between innings to either talk to the player or remove him as not to show-up the guy, but I loved Martin and he was in charge. And that's not even the first time Reggie Jackson has been accused of being lazy. Back when Reggie was still with the As he was accused openly by sports author Dick Crouser for being lazy.

Then there's the fact that Reggie has always been very high on himself. I just read a quote that says it all, which came from former Oakland teammate Darold Knowles, when asked if Jackson was a hot-dog (showoff)... "There isn't enough mustard in the world to cover Reggie Jackson". Or how about this quote from an interview in Sport magazine in 1977... "This team, it all flows from me. I'm the straw that stirs the drink. Maybe I should say me and Munson, but he can only stir it bad." Really?

There are other stories you can read about concerning Reggie Jackson and his issues, but I want to move onto his recent statements.

“I didn’t see Kirby Puckett as a Hall of Famer. I didn’t see Gary Carter as a Hall of Famer. I didn’t see Don Sutton as a Hall of Famer. I didn’t see Phil Niekro as a Hall of Famer. As much as I like Jim Rice, I’m not so sure he’s a Hall of Famer.”

I don't like looking at cumulative stats to compare players. Take this case... how can you compare a guy with 11,418 plate appearances (Reggie) with another guy that had only 7,831 plate appearances (Kirby Puckett) using cumulative stats? So I use ratios or averages. And while Jackson had a career triple-slash of .262/.356/.490, Puckett's was .318/.360/.477. If Reggie is a Hall of Famer, why not Kirby? Then there's Carter's career fWAR of 66.4 compared to Reggie's 68.4, which doesn't even get into the fact that Gary Carter won 3 Gold Gloves as a catcher. Don Sutton? 324 wins, 178 complete games (this was past the era when starters almost always went the distance), over 3,500 strikeouts, while finishing 5th or higher in Cy Young voting five times. Yeah, I think Don's a fine choice for the Hall of Fame. Phil Niekro's case was pretty good, as was Jim Rice's too. I'm fine with a guy having an opinion, but it doesn't seem very informed.

“If any of those guys get in, no Hall of Famer will attend.”

That quote is in reference to a question about guys that have admitted to using Performance Enhancing Drugs getting into the Hall of Fame. Does Reggie really think all living Hall of Famers hold the same belief regarding this subject as he does? Seeing as how he just shat all over a handful of them, my money is on "no, they don't".

“The question is going to be a guy like Andy Pettitte, who admitted that he got involved for a while, but who is so universally respected in the game. I think he’ll get in, but there will be a lot of [members] who won’t go.”

“He’s an awfully good friend. I’ve known Andy since he was 20. I’ll leave it there.”

Huh? Reggie just said that no Hall of Famers would attend, after knocking guys like Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez for having allegedly or admittedly using PEDs. So which is it? Are you and others in or out? Is Jackson seriously suggesting that players who are respected should get a free pass on PED usage? I really don't understand those last two quotes, and how they go with things he had just said in the same interview.

Reggie, thank you for what you did for the Yankees and the game of baseball, but please keep your illogical and silly thoughts to yourself.

David Phelps Optioned To AA Trenton

Well we know what the roster move to make room for Darnell McDonald will be and it is David Phelps going back down to AA Trenton to be stretched out as a starter. Darnell will take his place on the 25 man roster this weekend for the Yankees and Red Sox series.

Yankees @ Red Sox 7/6/12

Yankees Win a Wild One 10-8

Rivalry renewed!!! The Yankees will face the Boston Red Sox starting tonight in game 1 of a four game set right before the All Star break. Tonight on the mound for the Yankees will be Hiroki Kuroda , who has been red hot in his last 10 or so starts, and will be opposed by Red Sox starter Josh Beckett. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on YES and MLB Network.

Lineups

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher RF
Raul Ibanez LF
Eric Chavez 3B
Russell Martin C

Go Yankees!!!

Yankees At The Half Way Point

We have played exactly 81 games so we are exactly at the half way point in the season. The Yankees are 49-32 which is only .5 game behind the Texas Rangers for the best record in all of baseball. That is .5 games behind FOR THE BEST RECORD IN BASEBALL with guys like Brett Gardner, CC Sabathia, David Robertson, Mariano Rivera, Michael Pineda, and so many more names that have hit the DL for some time this season. Rather then harp on the negative though I prefer to look at the positives. Let us look at the Yankees leaders at the halfway mark.

Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson are the only two Yankees to play in all 81 games thus far this season.

Jeter and Cano are the only Yankees to have 100 hits at the half way mark (103 and 100 respectively)

Cano and Swisher both have 20 + doubles this season so far (23 and 20)

Five Yankees have triples thus far this season. Robinson Cano, DeWayne Wise, Curtis Granderson, Raul Ibanez, and Eduardo Nunez.

Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano seem to be leading most of these categories and home runs is no exception. Granderson has 23 and Cano has 20.

Cano leads the Yankees with 50 RBIs

Quietly Curtis Granderson leads the Yankees in walks, by a lot I might add, with 48 BB's.  He also leads the team by a lot in strike outs with 96 K's.

Without Gardner wreaking havoc on the basepaths it has been up to Alex Rodriguez to lead the team in stolen bases with 7.

The Yankees have three .300 hitters if you count Brett Gardner's 28 at bats. The other two are Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter.

Overall the Yankees, in my opinion, have far exceeded expectations when you see who has been on the DL for what amount of time. I think we can get noticeably better with little or no moves and just health... and that is scary for the rest of the league.

Yankees @ Rays 7/4/12

Yankees win 4-3

July 4th Baseball! Happy Birthday George Steinbrenner you are still very much missed and appreciated in Yankees Land! Happy July 4th everybody!!

The Yankees will look to win for the first time in 9 games at Tropicana Field this afternoon. The Yankees have lost 9 straight games at Tropicana Field and are looking to not make it 10 games in a row. The Yankees will send out David Phelps to the mound to face off with Rays ace David Price. The game will be televised at 3:05 pm ET on YES Network and MLB Network.

Lineups

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Andruw Jones LF
Russell Martin C
Jayson Nix 3B

Go Yankees!!!

Happy 4th Of July From The Greedy Pinstripes

Happy 4th of July from all the writers here at The Greedy Pinstripes. Thank you to everyone who has fought to make and keep this country the way it is today. Thank you for New York Yankees baseball. Everyone be safe and enjoy the fireworks, your family and the festivities.