We are just nine days away from opening day! Now that we have established Boston and Kansas City as the predicted AL division winners, we need to jump into the American League West. This division saw two representatives in the postseason last year, Texas and Houston. Will it be the same again in 2016? Let's go...
5. Oakland Athletics
Billy Beane strikes again. A year after trading away the eventual MVP, Josh Donaldson, the "Moneyball" man traded away the main return piece of that trade, Brett Lawrie, to the South Side. They did sign Jed Lowry, Ryan Madson and Rich Hill. They made trades for Kris Davis and Yonder Alonso. Despite the typical off season for the A's, I don't see how this team finishes anywhere but last in the division.
4. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Despite the fact that the Angels continue to have the best player in baseball in Mike Trout, they continue to squander their opportunities of maximizing his talent. They tried signing the top free agent pitchers this off-season, but failed. They tried trading for an outfield piece in Michael Saunders, and failed. The Halos also managed to trade away the few remaining quality pieces in their farm system for Andrelton Simmons. There are so many question marks in both their lineup and rotation that it will be difficult for them to fair any better then cellar dwelling.
3. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners might be the most overhauled team in all of baseball this off-season. They began the offseason by hiring a new GM from within the division, Jack Sorenzic. He then proceeded to make several trades, including Morrison and Miller for Nathan Karns, Carson Smith and Elias for Wade Miley and Mark Trumbo for Steve Clevenger. In addition, the M's also acquired Leonys Martin, Steve Cishek, Chris Iannetta, Adam Lind, Rob Brantly, Ryan Cook and re-signed Iwakuma, after his deal with the Dodgers fell through. Despite all the moves, as previously referenced, this team could end up third or a top the division depending on how the cards fall.
2. Texas Rangers
After finishing the 2015 campaign strong, the team from Texas went into the off-season with a head of steam, looking forward to 2016. After acquiring Cole Hamels mid season, they await the return of Yu Darvish to join Hamels atop the Rangers rotation, as one of the best one-two punches in all of baseball. They added Tom Wilhelmson to the back of the bullpen to help Tollison's efforts, although at first glance, Choo's contract appeared to be a bust, he blossomed towards the end of the year and put up numbers we come to expect from a quality corner outfielder such as himself. In an ironic twist, they acquired Ian Desmond to play the outfield, although if Elvis Andrus can't get the job done at short(ALDS game 5), Desmond could move back to his original position. And, if Hamilton and Beltre can stay healthy for the season, I could see this team winning the division for a second straight year.
1. Houston Astros
Just like the Minnesota Twins, the Astros really took the league by storm last season. We baseball fans got to witness the breakout season for the game's next big superstar, Carlos Correa. Dallas Kuechel won the AL Cy Young Award, and looks to continue his dominance in the upcoming season. The Achilles Heel for the 'Stros in '15 was their inability to close out ballgames, which they addressed by adding Ken Giles in a trade with the Philidelphia Phillies. They re-signed Tony Sipp and Colby Rasmus, Who had an unbelievable postseason for Houston in 2015. I made the mistake of picking them last a season ago, and, won't make the same mistake again. Houston, we have no problems.
Friday, March 25, 2016
Mark Teixeira & a Future in Acting?
Mark Teixeira wants to play at least four or five more
seasons and he wants to reach the 500 home run plateau, these are goals that
have come out of his mouth. I wonder though, does he have a plan for after he
gets done playing Major League Baseball? And if he does you have to wonder
whether it’s a potential job in acting.
For the second time in the last five seasons the Yankees
first baseman has made an appearance on television playing himself. Teixeira
was on Showtime’s show “Billions” this month and was seen at the Big Apple
Circus signing autographs for the actors and the boys playing their sons.
Teixeira was also seen on the HBO show “Entourage” back in 2011 as he appeared
at a Yankees batting practice alongside fellow Yankee Alex Rodriguez.
Mark also hosted his own show while with the Yankees, Foul
Territory, which aired on the YES Network a few years back. Mark caught a lot
of flak for this show because for much of it he was too injured or beat up to
play on the field but continued on with the show through the end of the season.
Will Teixeira act and/or host a show when his playing career
is done? Who knows, if I see him I’ll ask him for you all. Stay tuned.
Yankees ST: New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles 3/25
It's Friday, you ain't got no job and you've got nothing to do, let's watch the Yankees today. Surely most of you get the reference and hopefully you understand why I had to clean that up a bit, we're PG for the most part here but the message remains the same. It is in fact a Friday and the New York Yankees are in fact taking on the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon inside Ed Smith Stadium. The Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound looking to secure a fifth starter spot in the Yankees rotation.
The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.
Since an Alex Rodriguez Farewell Tour May Never Come
If you’ve been paying attention to Alex Rodriguez
specifically, the New York Yankees at all or Major League Baseball in general
then you know why there may never be a farewell retirement tour for slugger and
steroid user Alex Rodriguez. While Rodriguez may have finally put it all
together and figured it all out some people refuse or absolutely cannot leave
the past where it belongs, in the past. There were multiple steroid allegations
and admissions and multiple lawsuits that came associated with these
allegations and admissions including Rodriguez suing the Yankees team doctor
Dr. Chris Ahmad and the MLB Players Union that is entrusted with protecting him
and his best interest. A lot can happen between now and the end of the 2017
season, look at how far Alex has come in the hearts and minds of many just last
season, but since the Alex Rodriguez Farewell Tour may never come to fruition
in 2017 I wanted to go ahead and get our ceremony out of the way now.
Who didn’t see the framed Centaur picture joke coming? If
you didn’t, you should have. Centaur framed photo etched in gold. Either that
or the picture of him kissing himself in the mirror. Why not? You have to laugh
at yourself in this world.
On a serious note though I think Alex always wanted to be a
true leader, a true Yankee and a captain. Give the man the captain for a day.
Yes, I know how some feel about him and yes I know this will be unpopular as a
decision but it’s just for a day. Let him know what it feels like. Especially
if he has a 2016 and 2017 season like he had in 2015 both on and off the field,
in and out of the clubhouse.
Alex donated his $6 million home run milestone bonus to
charity in 2015 when he tied Willie Mays on the all-time home run list inside
Fenway Park. Alex showed a good faith gesture to the team and proved that he
could follow the Yankee way. Give it back, give it back in a donation to his
children’s softball team or the Boys and Girls Club or something.
Finally I would give Alex a 2017 World Series ring, wait….
He’s going to give that to us.
Smokeless Tobacco No Longer a Thing in New York
The State of New York and the New York City Council
announced this week that smokeless tobacco inside both Yankee Stadium and Citi
Field will not be a thing anymore come the 2016 regular season. The council
approved a bill that will ban the consumption altogether in 2016 after a 44-3
in favor vote was cast this week.
Smokeless tobacco had already been banned in Boston’s Fenway
Park, Los Angeles’s Dodger Stadium and Angels Stadium, San Francisco’ AT&T
Park and Chicago’s Wrigley Field and US Cellular Field while the Cleveland
Indians, Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates don’t allow smoking at all at
their stadiums.
How is this going to be enforced? That’s my main question
about this. Will they stop a game if a player is seen using it or will they
simply get a letter/fine/citation after the game? Will fans be asked to leave
games or get similar citations and fines? Right now it seems like there are
more questions than answers so I guess you’ll just have to stay tuned.
This Day in New York Yankees History 3/25: Enter Pat Malone
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Gary Sanchez Sent to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Yankees announce Gary Sanchez, 1-for-21 this spring, optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and reassigned to minor league camp— Erik Boland (@eboland11) March 24, 2016
I'm not surprised at this tweet from Mr. Boland, as I've expected the Yankees to send Sanchez to AAA for some time now. Not because he can't cut it in the Majors, but because it makes sense to hold onto as many options as possible until your forced to do differently.
As for the other two catchers vying for the backup role behind Brian McCann, there's Austin Romine and Carlos Corporan. It's possible that only one of those two will be with the Yankees come Opening Day, as Romine is out of options and Corporan can opt-out of his contract at the end of Spring Training.
Therefore, if Sanchez won the backup role, the Yankees could have very well lost two... not just one... catching option. It's possible Corporan would accept a minor league position, seeing as how nobody seemed willing to give him a Major League contract this offseason. But why risk it?
My guess is the Yankees take Austin Romine to New York, and let Carlos Corporan decide whether to take the backup role in Scranton or try another team. This way the Yankees could keep all three catchers in the organization. However, I think Corporan will opt-out and at least try to find a starting AAA gig elsewhere.
Yankees Spring Training Open Thread 3/24
So what happened today down at Yankees spring training camp today? Let's get caught back up.
Chaz Hebert, Yankees pitching prospect that went down to the Arizona Fall League this season, informed us all that he would require Tommy John surgery and would miss the entire 2016 season. This is terrible news for a guy that was on the brink of Triple-A and eventually the Major Leagues. Come back stronger Chaz and if you're reading this (and you'll know what this means) "Princess Probz."
The Yankees and the Rays are facing off tonight at George M. Steinbrenner Field with CC Sabathia going for New York. This will be one of the last starts this spring for Sabathia and if he wants to win a starting rotation job he needs to start pitching like it tonight.
More when the game is over!
David Ortiz Talks Bat Flips, Hypocritically I May Add
If you ask 100 people and baseball fans around the country
you’re likely to get a pretty good divide on where they stand as far as bat
flipping goes. Some fans will be all about it, remember hitting a Major League
pitch is one of the hardest things to do in the world and hitting a big home
run in a big spot is about a million times harder, while some will look down on
the players who do it. That’s what makes the game so much fun as a fan, you
have the traditionalists and you have the progressive fans all thrown into one
ballpark with one common goal and prize that we’re all rooting for, winning.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, including today’s receiver of my latest
rant Mr. David Ortiz, but all I ask for personally is some consistency.
Ortiz did an interview with the Boston Globe on the subject
of bat flips and was quoted as saying this:
“Whenever somebody criticizes a power hitter for what we do after we hit a home run, I consider that person someone who is not able to hit a homer ever in his life. Look at who criticizes the power hitters in the game and what we do. It’s either a pitcher or somebody that never played the game. Think about it. You don’t know that feeling. You don’t know what it takes to hit a homer off a guy who throws 95 miles per hour. You don’t know anything about it. And if you don’t know anything about it, [shut up]. [Shut up]. Seriously. If you don’t know anything about it, [shut up], because that is another level.”
Ortiz continued to say this:
“Of course as a pitcher you’re not going to like it if I take you deep, but after I do it, suck it up, man. Take it like a man. I don’t mind anybody doing anything when you strike me out or get myself out. You’re never going to see me criticizing anybody, because you know what? Whatever you do out there, you just motivate me. You just motivate me. If I take you deep and I pimp the [expletive] out of it that should be motivation for you to try to get me out in my next at-bat, instead of just talking [expletive]. That’s the way I see it.”
Now this is where my issue comes in. Ortiz did later say
that pitchers are allowed to fist pump and shoot fake arrows and all that
stuff, and he’s right, but he also said there was “no babysitting” and “no
crying” in baseball. Really? Like Ortiz has done for years every time someone
has thrown him inside or he struck out on a pitch he didn’t agree with? Come on
Papi, really? You’re telling people not to cry? Seriously? I don’t even have it
in me to rant about this, this one wrote itself.
What are your thoughts? Leave them down below or tweet me
@GreedyStripes.
New York State Says Goodbye to DraftKings & FanDuel
After much speculation and rumors and after a long battle in
court the state of New York has won their court case against online daily
fantasy sports sites like DraftKings and FanDuel. Both DraftKings and FanDuel
will halt paid contests in the state of New York as a part of a deal reached
between the sites and the state’s attorney general. No more daily fantasy for
many of the people reading this right now, bummer.
New York Attorney general Eric Schneiderman agreed to drop
all the claims and charges against the sites minus the claim of false
advertising in the agreement. The state of New York believes these sites
violated the state’s gambling laws although this injunction is still under
appeal at this time.
New York is now the ninth state where the daily sites will
no longer offer paid contests because of state gambling laws joining Arizona,
Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Washington and surprisingly
Nevada. Texas will become the 10th state on May, 1 2016 when their
own lawsuit against DraftKings and FanDuel comes to an agreement.
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