Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. San Francisco Giants 7/23

Afternoon baseball is back in the Bronx and back inside Yankee Stadium as the New York Yankees welcome the eventual 2016 World Series Champion (sarcasm at its best here people) San Francisco Giants to town for the second of a three-game set. In this afternoon’s matchup the Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound looking for another good start and maybe looking for the right-hander to get back on a roll while the Giants will counter with a familiar face for New York in Johnny Cueto. The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network locally and MLB TV anywhere you are.

You have one more shot to see the Giants and the Yankees in the Bronx tomorrow in the finale so click the Yankees Tickets button at the top of the blog and secure your seats right now before it is too late. Also look the part of a crazed Yankees fan while at the game by clicking the TGP T-Shirts link at the top of the blog and support the blog while you do it. Thank you in advanced.

Follow along during this game and any game this season with us by either liking us on Facebook or by giving @GreedyStripes a follow on Twitter. Nova vs. Samardzija with the wind blowing out in right field in the Bronx. This should be fun. Go Yankees!

Yankees Trade Partner: The Toronto Blue Jays?

Yeah, you read that correctly and no that is not a typo. The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays could potentially line up for a trade before the August 1^st trading deadline if all the stars align and all the right cards fall into the right place. The Blue Jays are looking to defend their American League East Division crown but they will need some starting pitching if they want to do it and scouts for the team were inside Yankee Stadium watching and taking notes this week and they were specifically looking at Yankees veteran CC Sabathia. Yes, again you read that correctly and no, again, that is not a typographical error. The Jays might want to take on Big CC.

Now there are quite a few obstacles that the Yankees and Blue Jays would have to hurdle to accommodate such a trade which makes this unlikely to happen but I feel like it’s still worth a discussion. First CC Sabathia has a full no-trade clause and even if he didn’t he has ten-and-five rights so he can refuse a trade to all of the other 29 teams in Major League Baseball and there isn’t much the Yankees can do about it. Let’s say New York does approach CC about a trade and he does accept a potential deal to Toronto, do the Blue Jays have what it takes to land CC or would New York simply be selling low on Sabathia. And one final question I don’t have an answer for yet, would it be worth it for New York to deplete their pitching depth even more and add even more of a strain on their already over-worked bullpen?

This is a developing story but it may be just a developing story due to due diligence. I can’t see Sabathia accepting a trade out of New York, especially to Toronto after the debacle in the streets and on the balcony of his hotel room last season, and this trade just doesn’t pass the sniff test. I know the pitching market is expected to be thin this trading season and I know Sabathia has looked much improved in 2016 over his last two-or-three seasons but that is an awful lot of money and an awful lot of risk for Toronto to take on as long as the likes of Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Pineda, Rich Hill are still on the board.

Stay tuned. 

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. San Francisco Giants 7/23

The New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants are back for Round Two today in the Bronx as they continue their three-game weekend set in the Bronx. The Giants laid down a bit against the Boston Red Sox towards the end of the week and now send their best three pitchers to the mound against the Yankees this weekend, lucky us. Last night it was Madison Bumgarner taking the mound for San Francisco and today it is Jeff Samardzija while the Yankees counter with Ivan Nova.

Nova has had just one start in his career against the San Francisco Giants and it was arguably the best start of his career. Now while this is an entirely different Giants offense today Nova did toss a shutout back in September of 2013 allowing just six hits and striking out seven San Francisco Giants. Yeah, more of that today please.

Samardzija has not been the greatest pitcher when it comes to Interleague Play during his career which is evident by his 15 career starts, 3-9 win/loss record and his 5.28 ERA. Samardzija has also been pretty home run prone lately allowing 12 home runs in his last eight starts which doesn’t bode well when you are set to pitch inside Yankee Stadium in an afternoon game.

Johnny Cueto moves up a day and will start this afternoon, Samardzija will start tomorrow.

The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. Coming into this series I had this game as the easiest or most likely to win for New York which means if the past is any indicator of the future New York will get no-hit today. In all seriousness though New York has had success against right-handed pitching this season and have especially had success against Samardzija during his career and most recently while he was with the Chicago White Sox so there is always that to build on. Get a victory, make me look intelligent. Go Yankees, I need all the help I can get here lately. 

Yankees Trade Partners: The Chicago White Sox Redeux

We’ve already discussed the Chicago White Sox as potential trade partners for the New York Yankees once this season but that was when many of us were under the impression that the Chi Sox were in the hunt as buyers at the August 1^st trading deadline. Recent comments from their GM Rick Hahn state otherwise as the team is now prepared to once again rebuild so we have decided to give the White Sox a redeux, or remix, to their trade partner post to see if the team still matches up with New York on a potential trade this season.

If the White Sox decide to totally blow up the team the most attractive, and most expensive, pieces Chicago has will be left-handed starting pitchers Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. Both would also fit into the plans for the Yankees as they search for controllable players beyond the 2017 season. Sale is under contract through the 2019 season while Quintana is an absolute bargain, in my opinion, through the 2020 season. The problem, which has been the problem in New York for quite a few years now, is whether Brian Cashman would be willing to part with the prospects that it would take to land one or both of these arms.

You would have to think that Jose Abreu would at least be discussed in a deal if Chicago were to start selling off everything that isn’t tied down and the general consensus is that New York will be in the market for a first baseman this winter. Whether that first baseman is intended to start or serve as insurance for Greg Bird will obviously be determined by how Bird progresses from shoulder surgery but if the team were to land a talent like Abreu, which again would be expensive and because of that unlikely, you have to think Brian Cashman at least has that conversation with Rick Hahn. Abreu is just 29-years old and under contract through the 2019 season.

The final piece the Yankees would possibly be interested in, with an extension anyway, is third baseman Todd Frazier. Now I know what you’re thinking, the Yankees already have Chase Headley. You’re right but in a perfect world who would you rather have going forward? Headley or Frazier? Yes, Frazier. Frazier is a free agent after the 2017 season and is 30-years old so he isn’t the ideal candidate but like I alluded to earlier he is a major upgrade over Headley in my opinion. Also Headley has been much better of late and his contract isn’t like an Alex Rodriguez or Mark Teixeira contract that is close to unmovable as possible.

Will the Yankees get any of these players from Chicago if they decide to sell? Stay tuned and find out.

Weekly Prospects Check In: Tyler Austin

The New York Yankees may have found something in Tyler Austin but it was possibly at the worst time for the young first baseman. Austin has been played all over the diamond since being drafted by the Yankees and was called up and given the first base duties basically out of necessity and thankfully for the Yankees Austin caught fire and the team may have found some lightening in a bottle. The bad news for Austin is that Mark Teixeira is attempting, and successfully attempting thus far, a rehab program with his knee, Chris Parmelee is almost back from his hamstring injury and the road to the Major Leagues is just as blocked as ever for Austin.

It’s a shame that in New York the injuries have to pile up and the player has to voice his opinion loudly enough o warrant a two week suspension before the moves that so obviously need to be made get done. We’re still rooting for you Tyler, keep proving them wrong! You beat cancer, you can beat a couple ignorant front office people in the Yankees organization. 

Year	Age	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2016	24	AA-AAA	89	377	52	91	26	15	66	4	51	87	.283	.379	.509	.889
2016	24	AA	50	210	22	46	10	4	29	1	30	46	.260	.367	.395	.762
2016	24	AAA	39	167	30	45	16	11	37	3	21	41	.310	.395	.648	1.043

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

This Day in New York Yankees History 7/23: Gehrig’s Grand Slams

During the 2013 season Alex Rodriguez became the all-time leader in career grand slams in Major League Baseball history when he hit his 24th grand slam of his career. Rodriguez tied fellow Yankee Lou Gehrig with his 23rd grand slam of his career in June of the 2012 season against the Atlanta Braves. Gehrig had been the all-time grand slam leader for over 60 seasons before Alex tied and passed him. It all started way back on this day in 1925 when Gehrig hit his first grand slam of his career.

The Yankees would beat the Washington Senators 11-7 on this day with Gehrig's grand slam as the difference. Gehrig would hit 22 more grand slams during his 17 year tenure as the Yankees Captain and Iron Horse.

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. San Francisco Giants 7/22

Interleague Play time. Game time. Tanaka Time. It’s time! It is time for the New York Yankees to play host to the San Francisco Giants in the first of a three game set here this weekend in the Bronx. In the first matchup of the weekend the Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound on regular rest to face off against the ace for the Giants in Madison Bumgarner. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

See Jeff Samardzija back in the Bronx tomorrow and the NL starter in the All-Star Game Johnny Cueto on Sunday in the Bronx live by clicking the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog. Also be sure to look the part and grab a TGP T-Shirt by clicking that section at the top of the blog as well. There are more than just the showcased Jacoby Ellsbury milk carton shirt that immediately pops up so give the site a look around.

Follow along during this game and every game this season either by liking us on Facebook or by giving us a follow on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes. Tanaka vs. Bumgarner. This one will either be really, really fun or really, really frustrating. Stay tuned to find out which one. Go Yankees!

Yankees Minor League Pitcher Suspended & the Game is Still Not Clean

Ladies and gentleman this game that we all know and love called Major League Baseball is not clean and it likely never will be. No matter what penalty you associate with a failed test for drugs, alcohol, steroids or behavior human beings are going to continue being human beings and I think that fact needs to be remembered when the new collective bargaining agreement is talked about and presumably agreed upon this winter. This game is not clean and I don’t believe doubling or even tripling the suspensions again will make it clean. Keep reading.

Four more minor league players have been suspended this week for failed drug tests including one member of the Yankees farm system. Jean Peralta is a pitcher in the Yankees organization and he, Angelo Almonte (Arizona Diamondbacks) and Jose Pinales (Chicago White Sox) all received 72 game suspensions while Wally Vrolijk of the Baltimore Orioles received a 50 game suspension.

Almonte, Peralta and Pinales all tested positive for metabolites of Stanozolol while Vrolijk tested positive for the stimulant Methylhexanamine. With these four suspensions, which all come from the Dominican Summer League just as an FYI, the grand total of minor league suspensions climbs to 61 while under the Major League program there have been 13 suspensions in 2016.

And those numbers will continue to climb. Why? Because 61 have gotten caught in the minor leagues and only 13 in the Major Leagues and you can possibly double, triple or quadruple that and get the amount of players who haven’t been caught and may never get caught. The risk is worth the reward, look at Alex Rodriguez’s annual salary and lifetime earnings if you disagree with that.

This game is not clean ladies and gentleman and it never will be. 

Press Release: Thunder Announce 2017 Schedule

Press Release - July 21, 2016

Thunder Announce 2017 Schedule

With just a few weeks of fun remaining in the 2016 Thunder season, the team and the Eastern League announced the first look at the 2017 schedule this afternoon.

The Thunder will begin the 2017 campaign with a seven-game road trip and will celebrate Opening Night at ARM & HAMMER Park onThursday, April 13 against the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox).

2017 will feature 10 straight home games against the rivals of the Thunder beginning on May 19 when the Portland Sea Dogs, Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies), and Binghamton Mets (New York Mets) all visit ARM & HAMMER Park. Reading travels to Trenton for three series' in 2017, May 22-25, July 4-6, and September 1-4. In all, the Thunder will host their rivals 23 times in the 2017 season.

The team will play 10 home games in April, 16 in May, 14 in June, 13 in July, 13 in August and four in September. The Thunder play 70 home games against all 11 Eastern League opponents. All affiliates between Eastern League teams and MLB Parent clubs will remain the same as 2016.

Mid-week day games will continue at ARM & HAMMER Park in 2017 with 10:30am "Education Day" games slated for Thursday April 20,Wednesday May 3, and Wednesday May 24. Special "Camp Day" games are scheduled for Wednesday July 26 and Wednesday August 16. The Thunder will also play their annual "Business Person's Special" at 2:00pm on Wednesday August 23 at ARM & HAMMER Park.

The schedule for fireworks dates and promotions for 2017 will be released at a later date.

Fans can join a waiting list for 2017 ticket packages by calling 609-394-3300.

2017 Schedule

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. San Francisco Giants 7/22

The New York Yankees stay home after an impressive series victory over the Baltimore Orioles to welcome in the probable 2016 World Series Champions (because it’s an even year and because I’m feeling extremely sarcastic today) in the San Francisco Giants to town. On paper, and thank goodness these games are not played on paper, this has all the makings of being a tough and frustrating weekend for the Yankees and their fans as the Giants send their three best pitchers to the mound to square off against the Yankees with Madison Bumgarner taking the mound in the opener. Opposing the former World Series MVP will be the Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka. Happy Tanaka Day.

Tanaka had possibly his best start of the season last time out when he held the Boston Red Sox to just three hits in six innings of work on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. Tanaka did give up a solo home run to Dustin Pedroia for his only earned run of the contest while walking one and striking out seven before handing the win over to “No Runs DMC.”

Bumgarner will be making his first ever trip and appearance at Yankee Stadium, the new one or the original, tonight as he looks to improve on a sketchy interleague play record for his career. In 19 regular-season interleague starts Bumgarner has posted a career 8-7 record with a 3.75 ERA. The postseason on the other hands is a whole different story.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. Madison Bumgarner wanted to participate in the Home Run Derby this season and while it was probably a good idea that he didn’t, no one was touching my pick to win it Giancarlo Stanton, it will still be fun to watch him hit in a very hitters friendly ballpark in the Bronx. It will also be interesting to see the Yankees ace and the Giants ace face off head-to-head tonight inside Yankee Stadium. Go Yankees!