Phelps looks sharp as Yanks clobber Braves 8-3 in Spring opener

David Phelps knew how vital this start could be in the factoring decision on whether or not he would get the fifth rotation spot. So far, so good for the young pitcher who is entering his sophomore season in the majors with the Yankees and is desperately trying to win a roster spot, whether it be in the rotation or in the bullpen.

Yesterday, Joe Girardi said he expected Phelps to go two innings or throw 37 pitches. Phelps made it through his two innings, not allowing a single run. Phelps's final line was 2 innings, no runs, three hits, no strike outs and no walks.

The Yankees bats were quiet for the first two innings but a third inning where the Braves committed two errors, a pass ball and a wild pitch opened the door for them when Zolio Almonte hit a two run homer, bringing home Melky Mesa. Eduardo Nunez also reached on an error and Robinson Cano reached on poor fielding, putting on a four spot in the third. Cano homered in the fifth inning, extending the Yankees lead while Austin Romine hit a two run single with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh.

The Yankees displayed both Francisco Cervelli and Austin Romine in the game, Cervelli throwing out a runner in the second and Austin showing off his bat in the seventh.

Major League Players Look

-- Robinson Cano went 1 for 3 with a HR and an RBI.

-- Mark Teixeira went 0 for 3, grounded into a double play and has an RBI on a fielders choice.

Back at Yankees camp:

-- Derek Jeter ran on the field back in Tampa, showing progress on trying to make it back to the Yankees by Opening Day.

What's Next?

The Yankees will take on the Toronto Blue Jays tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m, the first televised Yankees game by YES. Players such as Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson, Ichiro Suzuki and Kevin Youkilis are expected to be in the lineup. Adam Warren is slated to start the game.

Yankees Spring Training In Pictures Part 2

We are sharing part two of a member of The Greedy Pinstripe's family, @RobbinsDynasty on twitter, sharing Yankees spring training pictures while he spends time down in Tampa with his family. Give @RobbinsDynasty a follow and tell him thank you for sharing these awesome pictures. Also follow The Greedy Pinstripes on twitter @GreedyStripes. Enjoy!

Tyler Austin, Brett Gardner, and Ichiro standing out in the outfield 

Huddles around the cage watching batting practice

Catching drills and work outs

Gary Sanchez taking pop up drills

Tyler Austin

Sandman Returns

[caption id="attachment_14936" align="aligncenter" width="572"] Mo (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)[/caption]

298 days.

That's how long it had been since Mariano Rivera faced live batters until throwing a batting practice session yesterday. On April 30, 2012 Mo picked up his fifth save of the season in a 2-1 victory over Baltimore at the Stadium. Three days later he tore his ACL shagging flies in Kansas City. The 20-pitch effort is a small body of work, but Rivera was optimistic afterwards saying to MLB.com's Adam Berry, "[It was] the first BP that I threw in almost a year, so I'm real happy with the results. It will get better. The longer I keep throwing, it will get better... It's good, man. I feel real good. I feel real good with the results."

Others at Yankee camp voiced similar optimism after witnessing the Sandman take the mound. Manager Joe Girardi said he looked "like what you expect him to look like, which is a good thing. Delivery, the ball movement, the strikes he's throwing, he's throwing it where he wants to, not taking a lot of time in between pitches -- he looked normal to me." Jorge Posada may have spoken the four most prolific words of spring training when he said, "The cutter's still cutting."

Rivera's outlook has remained entirely positive since first throwing a bullpen session on February 13th. After that 25-pitch performance in front of some 40 reporters, Newsday's David Lennon quoted Mo at a press conference saying he was a "9 out of 10" and would be a 10 by the start of the season. During his entire time in Tampa Mo has reported feeling no discomfort, has not appeared to be favoring his left knee at all, and by all accounts seems to be back to his old self, right down to his pinpoint accuracy.

For those of us who have watched Mariano during his 17-year, Hall of Fame career the positive news is what we were hoping for last May, but were not sure was possible. Seeing him writhing on the warning track in pain was almost more than we could bear, because if you've watched Mariano for any amount of time, you become a fan not only of his supreme talent but of who he is as a person. There is simply not a classier player in baseball. While a cold-blooded assassin on the mound, Mo is a humble and quiet man off of it, always ready to deflect praise to God or his teammates. He has built churches both in his native Panama and locally in New Rochelle and has given back in a myriad ways through his Rivera Foundation.

We wanted him to come back healthy not just for the service of his beguiling cutter, but because hurting his knee while shagging flies would have been a far too ignominious end for one of the best players and people in baseball history. For those of us that are fans of Mariano, beyond our own selfishness to have the best closer in baseball back in the bullpen, we simply wanted him to be able to go out on his own terms. If the early reports from Tampa hold true it appears he will be able to do that, if only for one Mo go around.

Spring Training 2/23/13 Lineup

Eduardo Nunez SS
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Juan Rivera DH
Matt Diaz LF
Francisco Cervelli C
Melky Mesa CF
Zoilo Almonte RF
Corban Joseph 3B

RHP David Phelps

First Pitch: 1:05pm
T.V: None
Radio: Atlanta Braves: WCNN

Meet A Prospect : Cody Eppley

I know that Cody Eppley is not exactly still a prospect but Cody Allen Eppley was born on October 8th, 1985 in Dillsburg, PA where he went to Northern High School in Dillsburg, PA. Cody spent his college years at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond Virginia. With a 6'5" 205 lb frame and a jerky delivery from the right side you can see why the Texas Rangers drafted Cody in the 43rd round of the 2008 MLB First Year Players Draft. With his very unusual sidearm delivery that allows him to hide his four seam fastball and sinker that sit in the high 80 mph range and slider and change up. After a surprise 2012 season for the New York Yankees where Cody continually handcuffed right handed batters he will look to improve and build on that in 2013.

Cody Eppley started his professional career in the 2008 season after the Texas Rangers drafted him and made his way from the Rookie League all the way to Class A for the Clinton Lumber Kings where he was named an Arizona League All Star. Eppley would spend the next three seasons in the Rangers Class A, Class A+, AA, and AAA affiliates between 2009 - 2011 before being promoted to the majors in April of 2011. He would be sent back down to the minors in May of that year where he spent his time with the Rangers new PCL AAA affiliate the Round Rock Express. Eppley would spend the rest of the 2011 season and ultimately his Rangers career down in AAA.

The Rangers designated Cody for assignment at the end of Spring Training in 2012 and the Yankees scooped him up and hid him in AAA with their Scranton Wilkes-Barre team. The Yankees called him up the first time on April 19th where he went 0-0 with a 1.69 ERA in 4 games before being sent back down to Scranton on April 29th. The Yankees would recall him again, this time for good, on May 15th when David Robertson went down with a strained oblique muscle. Cody would put up a 2012 pitching line of 1-2 with a 3.33 ERA in 46 IP while striking out 32 batters and putting up a 1.37 WHIP. Cody looks to be once again an integral part as a right handed specialist in one of the leagues stronger bullpens.

Yankees Spring Training In Pictures Part 1

A member of The Greedy Pinstripes family, @RobbinsDynasty on twitter, has been spending a lot of time down in Tampa at Spring Training camp at George Steinbrenner Field lately and was kind enough to share some photos with the blog. Follow @RobbinsDynasty on twitter and say thanks for the photos if you enjoy them as much as I have. There were so many we will have to do this in a three part series or more. Enjoy!

Mariano Rivera playing catch 

CC Sabathia looking "slim"

Kevin Youkilis taking ground balls

Curtis Granderson in center field

Expecting big things from Brett Gardner

Ichiro taking it easy in right field

Jay Z & Justin Timberlake To Perform At Yankee Stadium

On July 19th Justin Timberlake and Jay Z will perform at Yankees Stadium as part of their Legends of Summer tour. Tickets will be available at LiveNation.com as part of a 12 city tour that also includes the home of the Toronto Blue Jays when they travel to Rogers Centre.

New York Yankees Spring Training Notes 2/22 Part 2

More news from Yankees camp today...

Mark Montgomery threw his 25 pitch bullpen side session today as expected and came through it with no set backs, pain, stiffness or, complications. Montgomery threw all of his pitches and is scheduled to play catch tomorrow before facing live batters on Sunday. His back has not bothered him at all so I am going to file this as a non issue at this point.

Michael Pineda also threw a 25 pitch bullpen side session today throwing all fastballs while working back from shoulder surgery. He expects to throw 30 pitches at his next bullpen sessions and is expected to also start throwing change ups. Pineda has only thrown change ups while playing catch, not on a mound, since the surgery. Everything seems fine on the shoulder and Pineda has said that he does not even think about it while pitching anymore.

Yankees prospect Pat Venditte will pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic as a left handed pitcher only. Pat is coming off of shoulder surgery on his right shoulder and has not been cleared to pitch right handed just yet.

Jorge Posada arrived at Yankees camp today to fulfill his job as a special guest instructor and watched Mariano Rivera throw his first batting practice. Posada, when asked if he would consider coming back a la Andy Pettitte, said he knows that he cannot play the game anymore and has no intentions of making a come back in the majors.

New York Yankees Spring Training Notes 2/22

The Yankees have announced that Francisco Cervelli will get the first shot at winning the starting catcher job as he will start in tomorrow's Grapefruit League opener with David Phelps on the mound. Cervelli is expected to catch four or five innings tomorrow.

Phil Hughes said his back is significantly better after resting it the past couple of days. Hughes is expected to do some pool exercises and work tomorrow while trying to get back to camp. We won't know truly how well he is progressing until he gets back on a mound but any progress is good.

Mariano Rivera threw live batting practice today for the first time since his ACL surgery last season and everything seems to have gone great. Apparently he threw cutters and everything so everything seems to be fine for Rivera.

Rockies Willing To Trade A Catcher

The Colorado Rockies are looking for pitching help, and apparently are willing to give up one of their catchers to do so.

Don't get your hopes up about the Yankees possibly acquiring Wilin Rosario, who finished 4th in National League Rookie of the Year voting last season. Wilin is the last guy I'd expect the Rockies to part with due to him being only 24 and having years of team control remaining, along with the fact that Colorado doesn't have any big catching prospects in their system. Sure, if the Yankees offered the right player(s) for Rosario then there's a chance, but does the team have that guy? Although Phil Hughes' injury doesn't seem to be serious, it wouldn't be a good idea for them to offer him, Ivan Nova, or David Phelps for the Rockies' young catcher. Outside of Sabathia, Kuroda, and Pettitte, the only other possible candidate in a trade would be Adam Warren, but I doubt one MLB start is going to make the Rockies bite.

So if anything were to happen involving one of Colorado's catchers it would have to be for Ramon Hernandez or Jordan Pacheco, and neither player tickles my fancy. Hernandez is coming off a season in which he hit .217/.247/.353 in only 52 games for the Rockies in 2012, and hasn't played more than 97 games in a season since 2008. Pacheco is a bit more intriguing thanks to having hit .306/.338/.413 in 593 MLB plate appearances, but from what I've read he's not much of a defensive catcher (something Girardi is big on), which led to him playing the vast majority of the time at third of first base for the Rockies.

Call me crazy, but I'd like to see what Austin Romine could do as a regular backstop for the Yankees before they deal away somebody with even modest value. And who knows? Maybe the Yankees should listen to what Yogi Berra said, and get Eduardo Nunez more at bats by teaching him to catch.