New York Yankees & MLB Players Weekend Nicknames

MLB Players Weekend is this weekend across Major League Baseball which will include more than a few little changes and perks for players and for fans alike. The most notable change is baseball’s change of jersey’s and the inclusion of nicknames on the back, or in the case of the Yankees pinstripes… having names on the back at all. Here is a list of all the nicknames that can be found on the back of the New York Yankees this weekend during MLB Players Weekend.



Miguel Andujar: "PAPÁ"
Dellin Betances: "EL ACIDO"
Greg Bird: "BIRD"
Zach Britton: "ANGLADA"
Aroldis Chapman: "THE MISSILE"
A.J. Cole: "AJ"
Jacoby Ellsbury: "ELLSBURY"
Clint Frazier: "EL ROJO"
Brett Gardner: "GARDNER"
Sonny Gray: "PICKLES"
Didi Gregorius: "THE KNIGHT"
Chad Green: "GREENY"
J.A. Happ: "HAPPER"
Ben Heller: "HELLER"
Aaron Hicks: "HICKSIE"
Jonathan Holder: "HOLDY"
Aaron Judge: "JUDGE"
Lance Lynn: "MIA"
Jordan Montgomery: "MONTY"
David Robertson: "D-ROB"
Austin Romine: "RO"
CC Sabathia: "DUB"
Gary Sanchez: "KRAKEN"
Luis Severino: "SEVY"
Giancarlo Stanton: "G"
Masahiro Tanaka: "TANAKA TIME"
Gleyber Torres: "GT"
Luke Voit: "LOUIS"
Neil Walker: "WALKIE"

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers 8/11

The New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers will continue their four-game weekend set this afternoon in the Bronx with the third game of the series. In the start this afternoon the Yankees will send out Lance Lynn to the mound to make his second start for the Yankees while the Rangers will counter with Drew Hutchison. Let’s get to it here in the Bronx.

Lynn impressed Yankees fans in his first start since being acquired from the Minnesota Twins, even if it was against a Triple-A offense in the Chicago White Sox. In the start Lynn went 7.1 innings pitched allowing just two hits while retiring 19 straight batters at one point in the contest. This was the first time all season that Lynn had pitched into the eight inning.

Hutchison will also be making just his second start of the season for his new team after making his first start for Texas last Sunday against the Seattle Mariners. Hutchison did not fare as well as Lynn did in debut allowing six runs in three innings in a 9-5 loss to Seattle.

The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and can be seen on the YES Network locally and MLB Network nationally. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

Enjoy the game, anyone miss Sonny Gray yet? Nope, me either…, and go Yankees!!

Hello… And Don’t Sweat the Division

Good morning Yankees family and welcome back to the blog, finally. Work has been insanely busy, but I have just one more week of training before I think I can call things back to “normal” around here, which in turn should return things back to normal here on the blog.

It seems like I missed a lot, some of it I hate to miss and some of it I am entirely okay with (the sweep at the hands of the Red Sox for instance), but at the end of the day I have come to one conclusion and one conclusion only. I am not going to sweat the division, and I’m not going to for a couple of reasons. One, the Yankees didn’t win the division last year and they, not the Red Sox, were one game from the World Series. Two, until someone a lot better at math tells me the Yankees don’t have a mathematical chance at winning the division… I still believe.

Including last night, the Yankees next 21 of 24 games are against teams with records under .500 with the three games not against teams under .500 with the Tampa Bay Rays who are hovering right at .500, which on paper should give the team a great chance at winning the vast majority of those. With the impending returns of Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge for the stretch run as well as JA Happ coming off the disabled list to make his second start in Yankees pinstripes last night, I have to say I am confident that the team will at least not go down quietly and without a fight. It’s not over until we say it’s over, and even if it is… this team is built to win a one-game playoff series with Luis Severino on the mound, this offense, and that bullpen. Color me not worried.

And baby, it has been far too long since I have been able to scream to the masses my absolute adoration and love for you. I love you and you are my soulmate, I truly believe that. Stay well and stay mine.

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/11: Reggie Jackson Hits #400

Reggie Jackson was only a member of the New York Yankees for a short time but he made the most of his time in pinstripes and even got his number retired. Mr. October made a bit of history on this day in 1980 as he connected for his 400th home run of his career. Reggie hit the milestone home run off the White Sox pitcher Britt Burns. Jackson would finish his career with 563 home runs which was good for sixth all time when he retired in 1987.

Also on this day in 1973 the Yankees held Old Timers Day at Yankee Stadium and the crowd was treated to a show. Mickey Mantle would hit a home run off his good friend Whitey Ford during the exhibition game a pitch after he hit one foul into the upper deck.

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers 8/10

And just like that it is game time here in the Bronx between the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers. In the second of this four-game extended weekend set the Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound to face off with Mike Minor for the Rangers. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the Yankees all season long. Enjoy the game, it won’t be long until the Judge comes back, and go Yankees!!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers 8/10

The New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers will continue their four-game weekend set in the Bronx tonight with the second game of the series. In the second game of the series the Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound to face off with Mike Minor for the Rangers. While the division looks out of reach the Wild Card is still very much in play. I am in no way conceding the division to the Red Sox at this point, but the division crown will look further and further away with every Yankees loss here going forward… so just win, and let’s get to it here in the Bronx.

Tanaka has been great since returning from the disabled list after straining both his hamstrings running the bases against the New York Mets. Since his return Tanaka has pitched to a 1.78 ERA in 5 starts spanning 30.1 innings with 36 strikeouts and just seven walks.

Minor has also been pitching well lately pitching to a 4-2 record with a 3.26 ERA in his past 10 starts. In his last start Minor allowed just one run in seven innings of work in a victory over the Baltimore Orioles. This will mark the first time that Minor has faced the Yankees since the 2012 season, a lot has changed since then.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Enjoy the game, Happy Tanaka Day, and go Yankees!!

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/10: David Cone & The Streak

David Cone was one of the best Yankees signings in the mid to late 90's but in the year 2000 the right hander seemed to hit a wall. Cone went from throwing a perfect game in front of the Yankee Stadium crowd to not getting a victory in 16 straight decisions, until today. On this day in 2000 Cone finally got the long sought after win when the Yankees beat the Oakland Athletics 12-6. Jose Canseco hit a three run home run to help Cone end his skid.

Also on this day in 1986 the Yankees held Billy Martin Day at Yankee Stadium and retired his #1 jersey and erected a plaque in his honor in Monument Park. The plaque read "There has never been a greater competitor than Billy." The four time manager and former second baseman addresses the sold out crowd by saying "I may not have been the greatest Yankees to put on the uniform, but I am the proudest."

Finally on this day in 1957 Mickey Mantle became the first player to ever hit a home run that cleared the center field hedge at Memorial Stadium. The home run was an estimated 460 feet and helped the Yankees beat the Orioles 6-3.

Notable August Trades in Major League Baseball History

The Yankees season is not over because the team did not make any notable acquisitions at the July 31st trading deadline last month. Earlier today I brought you my wish list for the August 31st trade deadline which included James Shields, Craig Kimbrel, Aroldis Chapman and Martin Prado and I almost immediately caught a ton of flack on Twitter about it. Apparently many fans don't think that big trades like this can happen in July so here are a few notable August trades in the history of the August 31st waiver wire trade deadline.


The Detroit Tigers acquired Doyle Alexander in August of 1987 in a trade with the Atlanta Braves. Who? Yeah, that is exactly what I said until I saw who the Braves got back in return for Alexander, a young right-handed starting pitcher by the name of John Smoltz. Smoltz at the time was just 20-years old and struggling in Double-A with a 5.68 ERA, but the rest, as they say, is history.


A similar situation happened in 1990 when the Houston Asteos traded relief pitcher Larry Andersen to the Boston Red Sox for a first baseman named Jeff Bagwell. Bagwell, then a 22-year old third baseman, quickly became a household name in Houston and eventually ended up in the Hall of Fame as a first basemen with Houston in 2017.

In 2003 the Pittsburgh Pirates sent one of their best players on the team, Brian Giles, to the San Diego Padres for a pair of prospects. You may recognize some of the names that were traded for Giles, Oliver Perez and Jason Bay.


On this day in 2008 the Toronto Blue Jays acquired a player who was not even on the Major League roster at the time. The most notable player at the tgime of the trade was the Pittsburgh Pirates newest player Robinson Diaz but the clear cut winner was Toronto who acquired some dude named Jose Bautista.


In 2000 the New York Yankees acquired a familiar face to complete their dynasty years, the team sent a prospect to the Pittsburgh Pirates for infielder Luis Sojo. Sojo was a big member of the 1996-1999 Yankees before leaving for Pittsburgh via free agency. Sojo was acquired for the playoff and World Series run and did just that with a four-hit game and the game winning hit to clinch the 2000 World Series over the New York Mets. This isn't exactly a notable trade as much as it was a stretch to include the Yankees on the post. We're a Yankees blog after-all.


And who could forget the mega-deal between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox where over $250,000,000 in dollars changed hands overnight. The Dodgers sent James Loney, Allen Webster, Ivan De Jesus, Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands to the Boston Red Sox for Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett.




The Houston Astros acquired Justin Verlander last year before the August 31st trading deadline and the veteran right-hander led the team to the American League Championship and a World Series title. Verlander pitched in 11 games for Houston during the regular season and postseason combined, with the Astros winning 10 of them. Verlander allowed 13 runs total and a minuscule 1.66 ERA along the way.

Recent, Notable & Yankees Related August Trades in MLB

Just because the July 31st trade deadline has come and gone does not mean that the trades are done around the league. Trades can still happen, in fact trades can happen until the very last day of the season, but they get a little more complicated from here on out. Players must now pass through revocable waivers and can be claimed, and ultimately pulled back, or they can pass through waivers and be traded to any team. It gets complicated but it's not impossible so here are some of the more recent and notable August trades in Major League Baseball history. I even included a Yankees-related trade just because we are The Greedy Pinstripes after all and we need to see trades happen no matter what the calendar says. Don’t judge us. Love us.


In 2003 the Pittsburgh Pirates sent one of their best players on the team, Brian Giles, to the San Diego Padres for a pair of prospects. You may recognize some of the names that were traded for Giles, Oliver Perez and Jason Bay.


On this day in 2008 the Toronto Blue Jays acquired a player who was not even on the Major League roster at the time. The most notable player at the time of the trade was the Pittsburgh Pirates newest player Robinson Diaz but the clear cut winner was Toronto who acquired some dude named Jose Bautista.


In 2000 the New York Yankees acquired a familiar face to complete their dynasty years, the team sent a prospect to the Pittsburgh Pirates for infielder Luis Sojo. Sojo was a big member of the 1996-1999 Yankees before leaving for Pittsburgh via free agency. Sojo was acquired for the playoff and World Series run and did just that with a four-hit game and the game winning hit to clinch the 2000 World Series over the New York Mets. This isn't exactly a notable trade as much as it was a stretch to include the Yankees on the post but it what it is. We're a Yankees blog after all.


And who could forget the mega-deal between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox where over $250,000,000 in dollars changed hands overnight. The Dodgers sent James Loney, Allen Webster, Ivan De Jesus, Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands to the Boston Red Sox for Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett.





Will there be any notable or Yankees related trades in August of 2017 to speak about next season? I guess you’ll just have to stay tuned.

Understanding August Waiver Trades

The July 31st trading deadline has come and gone but that does not mean team's are done making traded. Trades can be done for the rest of the season they are just a little trickier and harder to understand. That's why we're here, you're welcome.

Any player that is traded needs to clear revocable waivers first. Either the player is claimed by a team or he clears waivers. Teams want their players to clear waivers because once they clear once they can be traded to any team for the rest of the season. If the player is claimed the team has three options, they can pull their player back, work out a trade with the team who claimed him, or simply give the player and his contract away to the team that claimed him.

The waiver claim period lasts 47 hours and goes by worst record to best record in the players league (American or National) and then record worst to first in the other league. Teams can block other teams from claiming without any repercussions. When a player is claimed the team has two full days to trade the player or pull him back off waivers regardless of what day of the week it is.

A team can place their player on waivers a second time if they pull him back the first time but this time the waivers are not revocable. In terms even a Boston Red Sox fan could understand the second time around whoever claims him gets him. Players on the disabled list cannot be placed on waivers so therefor cannot be traded.

Finally, for all the playoff teams, any player acquired after the 31st of August is not eligible for the postseason. Now you know, carry on.