Who Takes The Fall If Yankees Continue To Flounder?

There are a few things certain, namely life, death and Yankees fans calling for the jobs of the Manager and General Manager when the team falls short of expectations. The calendar has barely turned to May and fans and the media have invoked the all too familiar phrase "If George were still alive..."

The Yankees have struggled tremendously out of the gate stumbling to an 8-15 record at the time this was writing. There is still some hope for the Yankees as no team in the AL East has run away with the division however if the ship doesn't right itself, and the Yankees finish with a sub .500 record / last place it is hard to see Joe Girardi, his staff, and Brian Cashman retain their jobs.

Joe Girardi's Staff - Girardi's staff has born the brunt of punishment for failing to make the playoffs in the past, Kevin Long after 2014 and Mick Kelleher, Jeff Pentland did not return after their Wild Card Game loss in 2015. Girardi's staff is not looked on as fondly as Torre's staff to fans. With the Yankees already replacing staff the past few years doing so again may be seen as a half-measure.

Joe Girardi - Manager's are fired because teams can't fire the players. Joe Girardi has never had a losing record in his 8+ years at the helm of the Yankees though he has failed to make the playoffs in 3 of those years, 4 depending on your feelings on the Wild Card Game. It can be argued that in 2013 and 2014 Girardi did a tremendous job of getting those teams to a winning record. Fans despise Joe for his strict adherence to his binder. I like Girardi though I do find myself frustrated with his defined roles for relief pitchers. I believe he is one of the better Managers in the game but with his contract only running through 2017, he could be shown the door.

Brian Cashman - Cashman has been GM since the 1998 season and has seen tremendous success. He has also proven himself to be an evolving GM embracing analytics, an increased focus on drafting and development and more. In recent years, he has consistently made excellent trades acquiring the likes of Didi Gregorius, Nathan Eovaldi, and Justin Wilson. Hal Steinbrenner appears to have full faith in Cashman from top to bottom within the organization. If changes are made I could see Cashman surviving them.

When it comes down to it I think the Yankees will end up recovering from this abysmal start to be competitive. Whether they are competitive enough to ensure no one loses their jobs is still to be seen.

Yankees Stat Leaders Through 23 Games

Offense

Games Played:

Four players have played in all 23 games. Mark Teixeira, Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury and Starlin Castro.

At Bats:

Jacoby Ellsbury has 89 at bats.

Runs Scored:

Brian McCann has scored 14 times this season.


Hits:

Starlin Castro leads the team with 27 hits.


Doubles:

Jacoby Ellsburh has six doubles.


Home Runs:

All of a sudden Alex Rodriguez has five home runs. When did that happen?


RBI:

Alex Rodriguez has also caught Starlin Castro for the team lead in RBI with 12. 


AVG:

Qualifying: Starlin Castro .314
Non Qualifying: Ronald Torreyes .375

Pitching

GS:

Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda and Nathan Eovaldi all have five starts each.

AP:

Dellin Betances has seen 12 games this season already, his last two we could have done without though. 


Wins:

Eight different Yankees have one win each. No one has two. Problem?


Losses:

Michael Pineda and Luis Severino both have three losses. Problem?


ERA:

Bullpen: Andrew Miller 0.00

Rotation: Masahiro Tanaka 2.87

K's:

Rotation: Nathan Eovaldi - 31

Bullpen: Dellin Betances - 24

Weekly Check In: Nick Swisher

Over the weekend we wrote about the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees rivalry needing a spark but before any rivalry or division can be sparked the Yankees offense needs to be sparked first. The Yankees offense is stagnant, the pitching is mediocre and the bullpen is going through some ups and downs currently, namely Dellin Betances. The New York Yankees need a shot in the arm, they need a change of pace. What they need is a hero. Could that possibly be Nick Swisher?

I’m not donning Swisher as the savior of the 2016 season by any means but you’re almost at the point in the season where you have to start throwing crap at the wall and see what sticks. It’s getting late awfully early and the Yankees cannot try the same thing over and over again and expect a different result, that’s the exact definition of lunacy.

The Yankees have three potential 60-day DL candidates so the 40 man roster spot wouldn’t be an issue and with Swisher’s versatility at first base and in the outfield the bench would survive in my opinion. Swisher’s Triple-A stats support it and if anything New York should be riding this hot streak in the Bronx rather than down in Scranton. But hey, what do I know. I’m just a frustrated and passionate Yankees fan who rants and raves on the internet.

Year	Age	Lev	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2016	35	AAA	14	58	54	5	17	1	3	6	0	3	11	.315	.345	.500	.845

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

This Day In New York Yankees History 5/3: Three Sac Flies in One Game

On this day in 1986 Don Mattingly hit three sacrifice flies in a 9-4 victory over the Texas Rangers. The Yankees first baseman and All Star is only the sixth player to ever have three sac flies in one game in major league history.

On this day in 1952 the Yankees traded Jackie Jensen and right handed pitcher Spec Shea to the Washington Senators for veteran outfielder Irv Noren. The Yankees felt the need to make the move after Joe DiMaggio retired and Mickey Mantle required a knee surgery that season. In 1958 Jensen would win the American League MVP award for the Boston Red Sox.

On this day in 1936 Joe DiMaggio finally makes his major league debut after his season was delayed due to a foot injury. The 21 year old rookie outfielder started off great with three hits, one of them a triple, and scored three runs in a Yankees 14-5 victory over the Browns.

The Aroldis Chapman Countdown Has Officially Begun Yankees Open Thread

The countdown has officially begun for the return of the Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman. Chapman was suspended for 30 games after agreeing to not appeal any suspension levied under the new domestic violence policy in Major League Baseball. I'll save you the trouble of getting out your pocket schedules or looking it up on Google, the Yankees 31st game comes on May 9th against the Kansas City Royals, meaning we are one week away from Chapman's 103 MPH fastball debuting in Yankees pinstripes.

So with yet another off day tonight I leave you with some Aroldis Chapman highlight reels to salivate over rather than our normal musical recommendation. Enjoy and anticipate Dellin Betances becoming the best 7th inning man in the history of baseball, Andrew Miller pitching in the 8th and Aroldis Chapman nailing down the final three outs of every game.

Herrera Named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

Herrera Named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week 

HIGHLIGHTS 4/29 

The Thunder and the Eastern League announced that RHP Ronald Herrera was named the Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 25th - May 1st.


Herrera's recognition comes after he threw eight no-hit innings as part of the second nine-inning no-hitter in franchise history on Tuesdaynight. He allowed two walks, hit one batter, and struck out five against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in his lone start of the week.


The 20-year-old right-hander, acquired in the off-season by the Yankees in exchange for INF Jose Pirela, is 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA this season. He's allowed seven hits and four walks in 21 innings with the Thunder this season, striking out 20 Eastern League batters.


Your Thunder open a four-game series with the Akron RubberDucks tonight at 6:35pm at Canal Park. RHP Cale Coshow (0-1) will go for the Thunder, RHP Adam Plutko (1-2) will start for Akron. Pre-game coverage begins at 6:20 on 91.3 WTSR and online at Trentonthunder.com.

Tim Lincecum Showcase Finally Happens Friday

For much of the winter we here in Yankee-Land salivated over the idea of adding some of the top tier free agents that hit the free agent market. When the top tiered players came off many of us salivated over much of the second tiered players until they all came off the board as well. What we were left with were minor league deals and reclamation projects, none more noteworthy than Tim Lincecum formerly of the San Francisco Giants. Lincecum was coming off of hip surgery and many times this winter it was teased that Lincecum would throw and showcase for teams as he looked to sign a deal before Opening Day. January came, February came as did March and April but we are happy to report that the Tim Lincecum showcase is finally scheduled and it’s scheduled for this Friday, May 6^th.

Lincecum will throw Friday in Arizona although a time and place has not been announced to the public thus far. The San Francisco Giants will be there along with anywhere from 15-25 teams but you have to wonder if one of those teams will be the New York Yankees. Lincecum is somehow still just 31-years old and is coming off a season where he missed half the year due to degenerative hips. Those hips were operated on in September of last year although with the pain and discomfort Lincecum still managed to pitch to a 7-4 record with a 4.13 ERA in 15 starts.

This is almost a must sign for the Yankees if he looks ready and healthy. If they manage to turn things around they can have a proven arm not only for the rotation but for the bullpen as well and a right arm that has seen his fair share of playoff and World Series games. If the team does not manage to turn things around they have a trade chip that could help speed along the rebuilding phase currently going down in the Bronx. It’s truly a win-win situation for any team that signs him as it’s just money, and a pro-rated salary at that, so here’ to hoping that Brian Cashman makes the trip this Friday. If not, well I can’t say I’ll be surprised anymore. 

Minnesota Attempted to Acquire Justin Wilson

The New York Yankees had all hands on deck this winter and had all their players available via trade for the right price. At the end of the day the Yankees sent a Rookie Davis and Caleb Cotham package to the Cincinnati Reds for Aroldis Chapman and also sent an Adam Warren and Brendan Ryan package to the Chicago Cubs for Starlin Castro. Those deals we know, they were the big ones, but Brian Cashman pulled off a couple smaller ones as well including the trade for Ronald Herrera that sent Jose Pirela to the San Diego Padres and the deal that sent Justin Wilson to the Detroit Tigers for Luis Cessa and Chad Green.

The biggest shocker trade of them all was probably the Aroldis Chapman trade, although I suggested it a good month before it actually happened, but coming in with the close second place prize had to be the Justin Wilson to Detroit trade. Wilson was a huge part of the Yankees bullpen in 2015 but Cashman and company felt the team needed more starting pitching depth at the Triple-A level while the team thought they could fill his spot from within, and they have thus far. What I found was interesting though was that Detroit was not the only team to go after Wilson this winter, apparently the Minnesota Twins did as well.

According to Mike Bernadino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press the Minnesota Twins made an offer for Wilson that the Yankees eventually turned down. The Twins GM Terry Ryan wouldn't go into details on what was offered for Wilson but he seemed genuinely shocked when the Yankees turned down the deal that was offered. Ultimately the Tigers got their man in Wilson, the Yankees used Cessa in their Opening Day bullpen and the Minnesota Twins found Fernando Abad on the free agent market. Everything works out for a reason, and some teams will make out better than the others in the long run, but I'd still like to see what Minnesota offered for Wilson.

Yankee Stadium Off Day Walk Up Music Recommendation

The New York Yankees just had a day off on Thursday before making the trip to Fenway Park over the weekend and they have another day off today before traveling to Oriole Park and Camden Yards for another big three game set. With every off day I kind of take a step back from the year long, not season long like some other blogs, grind here and I like to have a little bit of fun. Sometimes we post full-length baseball movies on the blog so you actually have something to do at work besides work and sometimes we bring you the walk up music from our favorite Yankee stars. And then sometimes we bring you Chase Headley's walk up music.

I know I've been especially hard on Headley thus far this season but that's only because I expected more and because I'm frustrated. It's nothing personal really, I actually kind of like the guy from what I see during HOPE Week and interviews and such, but I let my passion and my fandom get in the way sometimes. We're all guilty of it so I can't discriminate against him in these features so without further ado here is the song we hear right before Headley is going to strike out, or single, every time in Yankee Stadium.

The name of the song is "Surrender" and it's by the Christian band Third Day. Enjoy and pray for better days in Yankees-land.

ICYMI: Brian Cashman CANNOT Rely Solely on Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira

I hate being right but dammit, when I am right I am usually right. Thus far, again it's only May 2nd, it looks like I was right back in November when I wrote this little article below. In the article it stated that the New York Yankees and Brian Cashman could not solely rely on Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira in the middle of their lineup if they plan on competing in 2016. Long story short the Yankees didn't make any significant moves to the offense other than Starlin Castro, who has been hitting at the bottom of the order for much of the season, and the Yankees offense in struggling. Can't say I didn't warn you although I'm not ready to say I told you so... yet.

The New York Yankees made the postseason for the first time since their 2012 loss in the ALCS to the Detroit Tigers this past season and if the team wants to return improvements will need to be made. Much of why the team made the postseason as the first Wild Card winner in 2015 was the returns of a healthy Mark Teixiera and an effective Alex Rodriguez. The Yankees were flying high until the month of August when Rodriguez’s production, undoubtedly due to fatigue after basically missing the last two seasons with injuries and a suspension, and Teixeira’s health, he fractured his shin and missed the remainder of the season, reared their ugly heads. I’ll say it again, if New York wants to return to the Promised Land in 2016 they absolutely cannot rely solely on the returns of Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira in the middle of the lineup.


In 2015 Rodriguez finished with a .50/.356/.486 triple slash playing in 151 games. Rodriguez hit 33 home runs but it was obvious that the fatigue had set in by the month of August. Rodriguez disappeared in the months of August and September slashing just .215/.313/.454 since August 18th. Speaking of August 18th, this was the day after Teixeira fouled a ball off his shin and it was also the day after Teixeira’s season ended. Teix played again on the 15th and 26th of August before ending his season at .255/.357/.548 and 32 home runs in just 111 games. If Cashman thinks he is going to get another productive season like this out of Rodriguez as he creeps towards 41-years old, even as a full-time DH, and a healthy season of 140+ games out of Teixeira, he hasn’t played in more than 123 games since 2011, then the Yankees are in for another long season.


According to Fangraphs and their Steamer projections system Teixeira is projected to play in 126 games in 2016 and will slash .233/.328/.451 while hitting 27 home runs while Rodriguez projects to hit .240/.335/.415 with 21 home runs in 128 games. To be fair the Steamer projections usually underbid a lot of these projections, the 2015 versions had Teixeira hitting 20 home runs and Rodriguez only hitting nine home runs, but the fact of the matter is this cannot be the middle of your lineup in 2016. The consensus around sabermetric based franchises is that your best hitter is supposed to hit third in the lineup, if Alex is hitting .240 and hits 21 home runs and is the Yankees best hitter in 2016 I think this team is truly in trouble.



New York won’t have the weak Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays to pick on for at least half of the season this time around. Tampa will be better, they always are, and Baltimore could be better as well even if they lose many of their big free agents. Boston will definitely be better, I have the utmost faith in Dave Dombrowski unfortunately, and the Blue Jays will have full seasons with Troy Tulowitzki and their newly revamped offense in 2016. Aaron Hicks is a nice move that compliments the team and the bench well but if another bat isn’t added somewhere that can help the team I truly worry about this team’s chances in 2016. Another year older, another year out of their primes and another year closer to the twilight's of their careers.