The Longer This Goes On The More Attractive Curtis Granderson Looks

I am the first person to admit when I am wrong or that I misjudged something, and the longer this thing goes on the more it looks like Curtis Granderson really is the only option for the New York Yankees this season. Now, I admit that I wrote a post detailing why the New York Yankees did not need Granderson, but keep in mind before flaming me or before accusing me that I am playing both sides and flipflopping that this was written while Judge was still on his original 3-week timetable, and not the unknown timetable that we are faced with today. It seems like Granderson may be more valuable to the Yankees than I originally thought, and here’s why.

The Yankees need an outfielder, period. I don’t trust Shane Robinson on the roster and I don’t trust him in the middle of a pennant race. Could the Yankees survive three weeks as originally planned with Robinson? Absolutely, but we could be looking at another three-to-four weeks for all we know, and the need for an outfielder has become more pressing. Granderson has cleared waivers and looks a lot more feasible for the Yankees than other outfielders that have cleared revocable waivers, including but not limited to Adam Jones and Andrew McCutchen. Why? Money.

Granderson is set to make roughly $1 million for the remainder of the season while both McCutchen and Jones will make roughly $4 million or a shade under for the remainder of the 2018 season. The Yankees reportedly have about $4 million to play with for the remainder of the season while remaining under the luxury tax threshold, something that is going to happen whether the fans think they are “not committed to winning” because of it or not. With Granderson acquired the Yankees would still have enough money on the books left to go out and add to the bullpen, to the bench, to the rotation, whatever. With Jones, who has a full no-trade clause with 10-and-5 rights, and McCutchen the Yankees would not have that wiggle room.

So, let me eat my crow and take my foot out of my mouth while you, Brian Cashman, go out and acquire Granderson. He is a left-handed veteran outfielder that is familiar with the New York market, the team and the postseason. He can still hit for power and play a good defense in right field. Make the move, and make me ultimately look dumb, because if it makes the team better then I am okay with that.

Game Preview: New York Yankees VS. Chicago White Sox 8/29

The New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox will finish off their three-game set tonight in the Bronx with another interesting pitching matchup. In the game tonight the Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound for his second start since returning from the disabled list while the White Sox will counter with Reynaldo Lopez. Let’s get to it here in the Bronx.

Sabathia pitched well in his first start off the disabled list last time out against the Baltimore Orioles. In the start the Yankees veteran left-hander allowed two runs on five hits in six innings of work resulting in a no-decision. Sabathia also pitched well the last time he faced the White Sox on August 7^th striking out 12 in 5.2 innings allowing just one run in another no-decision.

Lopez pitched well in his last start as well, with his start coming at home against the Detroit Tigers. Lopez allowed just two runs in 5.2 innings pitched to the Tigers after allowing 10 runs in his last seven innings combined in his two starts prior. Lopez has faced the Yankees once this season and allowed just one run in seven innings of work in an eventual loss for Chicago.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB 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.

Enjoy the game… it’s the White Sox… come on… and go Yankees!!

Hello… Quintin Berry

Good morning Yankees family and welcome back to the blog. Quintin Berry, welcome to the organization, welcome to the Yankees family, and welcome to coming off the bench and stealing bases as a September call up for the New York Yankees. That’s why he is here, and that’s what he will do. He will likely make the playoff roster as well if he does his job, which there isn’t really a reason why he wouldn’t. Get used to the name, because he is here to stay for a while.

Speaking of staying for a while, will you stay with me for a while? Maybe forever? I hope so, because I love you and I cannot do this thing called life without you, Kari. I love you.

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/29: Derek Jeter Sets The Mark For Yankees Shortstops

Derek Jeter has set many marks and records not only in New York Yankees history but in baseball history as well but on this day he was making his mark for shortstops in Yankees history. Jeter would connect for his 17th home run of the season on this day in 1998 setting a new Yankees record for home runs from a New York shortstop. The 24 year old would pass Roy Smalley's previous record set in 1982 when he hit a home run off Bob Wells in an 11-6 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Also on this day in 1985 Don Baylor was hit for the 190th time of his career. The Yankees DH would pass Minnie Minoso for the most hit by pitches in the history of Major League Baseball when the Angels' pitcher Kirk McCaskill kit him in the first inning.

Game Thread: New York Yankees VS. Chicago White Sox 8/28

And just like that it is game time here in the Bronx between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox. In the middle game of this three-game set to kick off the week the Yankees will send Lance Lynn to the mound to face off with James Shields for the White Sox. 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.

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, this isn’t a “big game” so Shields will likely stink up the joint… and go Yankees!!

Looking Ahead to 2019: Jed Lowrie

I hate to look ahead to the 2019 season with the 2018 season still in full swing, but I can’t help it. I not only want to win this season, but I want to win next season as well, and every season for that matter. With that said I want to take a peek into the 2019 free agency really quick and suggest someone that should be on Brian Cashman’s radar now, so he can go ahead and get to work on it as soon as possible. Cashman loves his veteran players that can provide versatility, see Neil Walker for the 2018 season for a recent example of this, and Jed Lowrie should be a priority for him and the Yankees for the 2019 season in my opinion.

Lowrie has been a huge part of the successful season this year out in Oakland, and the 34-year old looks to be far from done going forward. Lowrie has good speed, he hits well for average, he is never an easy at-bat for the opposing pitcher as he is difficult to strike out, and he may just hit 20 home runs this season playing his home games in the spacious Oakland Coliseum. Imagine what his numbers would look like this season if he were playing 81 games in the Bronx.

Any team could use a super utility player like Lowrie that can conceivably play anywhere, but with the Yankees recent rash of injuries it would be imperative to sign a guy that can fill in all over the place specifically for New York. Utility guys generally come cheap and Lowrie would not hurt the Yankees chances at signing Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, Patrick Corbin, or whomever, and would make the team and the bench a whole lot stronger.

Sign Lowrie, then go ahead and get the big fish. Those guys won’t be going anywhere, but I don’t want Lowrie going anywhere next season but the Bronx.

Game Preview: New York Yankees VS. Chicago White Sox 8/28

The New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox will continue their three-game set this week inside Yankee Stadium with the middle game of the series. Tonight the Yankees will send Lance Lynn to the mound to face off with James Shields for the White Sox. Three days until the August 31^st revocable waivers trade deadline, so let’s get to it here in the Bronx.

Lynn was once thought of by Yankees fans as a huge acquisition by Brian Cashman at the trade deadline, then reality hit, and Lynn started pitching to the back of his baseball card… just like I said that he would. In Lyn’s last 9.1 innings pitched the Yankees right-hander has allowed 10 runs. Not the ace Yankees Facebook groups made him out to be, huh?

"I once pitched a game THIS big."

Shields has been home run prone this season and that continued in his last start against the Detroit Tigers. Shields allowed three home runs in one inning against the Tigers in a loss. Shields did go at least six innings for the 22^nd time this season though, which is a silver lining for Chicago if they were looking for one.

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.

"Bye, Bye Birdie, indeed!"

Enjoy the game, beat up on the cupcake teams, and go Yankees!!

Hello… Hypocrites and Bandwagon Fans

Good morning Yankees family and welcome to the blog. Never, and I mean never, join a Facebook group for the New York Yankees. It is pure poison, it will make your blood pressure rise and it will make you lose faith in not only all of humanity, but all Yankees fans alike. The hypocrisy and plain out ignorance is alarming, and it gets worse every day.

“Sonny Gray sucks! He can only pitch well against Triple-A teams like the Orioles!”

“Luke Voit is amazing, and Greg Bird should never see the lineup ever again. Look at what he has done against the Orioles!!”

So, let me get this straight… it is okay to beat up on the Orioles and their “Triple-A” pitching, but it is not okay to beat up on their “Triple-A” offense that includes Adam Jones, Chris Davis and others. Got it, thanks for clearing that up.

Hey you, I loves you. Every day with you is truly special, and I am incredibly lucky to still call you mine. I cannot wait until you are legally my Kari Ann Burch.

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/28: Yankees & Red Sox Play Final Game In The Old Yankee Stadium

The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox have played many historic and meaningful games in the old Yankee Stadium but the two teams played their final game in the House that Ruth Built on this day in 2008. These two teams fought tooth and nail against each other in this stadium for 85 years and it was fitting how the final game ended. The Yankees were losing 2-0 and came from behind thanks to a Jason Giambi seventh inning pinch hit two run home run to tie. Giambi would come up in the ninth inning and would get a walk off single to beat Boston 3-2 to avoid a sweep and keeps their playoff hopes alive.

Also on this day in 2007 the fans at Yankee Stadium were all entertained by a squirrel who stayed on the right field foul pole to watch the Yankees beat the Red Sox 5-3. The squirrel was quickly called a good luck charm and a fan favorite while receiving standing ovations and cheers every time he was shown on the scoreboard screen.

The Puzzling Case of Pickles...

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Yanks Get Double Treat on Saturday…

The Yankees swept the day/night doubleheader in Baltimore on Saturday, and find themselves only seven games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East (just six games back in the loss column). The Yankees took the day game by a score of 10-3 behind the pitching of J.A. “Happer” Happ, his fifth consecutive Yankees victory, and then swept the doubleheader by defeating the O’s 5-1 in the nightcap, a win delivered courtesy of Sonny “Pickles” Gray.

Granted, Gray was facing the worst team in Major League Baseball and they weren’t playing at Yankee Stadium so he had the right conditions for a stellar game. The last time “Pickles” had faced Baltimore, he was pounded for seven runs in only 2 2/3 innings (a 5-7 loss to the O’s on August 1st but that game was in the Bronx. He pitched six scoreless innings of three-hit ball against the Orioles at Camden Yards on July 11th and has only given up one run to Baltimore in three Camden Yards starts this year. He clearly likes pitching in Baltimore even if he can’t pitch anywhere else so I temper Saturday night’s performance. Still, it was a win and that’s what matters most. Gray threw 79 pitches in 6 1/3 innings, limiting Baltimore to three hits and no runs.  He struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter until the final guy he faced in the bottom of the 7th inning.  

After the game, Gray proclaimed himself as “one of the best starting pitchers in this league” which I thought was a bit much. Maybe he was saying it for the benefit of O’s GM Dan Duquette (future trade possibilities), given his propensity for ‘elite-like’ games in Baltimore. His statement could not have been meant for Yankee fans because we know better. Good for Gray to have confidence, but he shouldn’t rush out to buy shelf space for a Cy Young Award.  

Perhaps the disappointment of the night game was the inability of reliever Tommy Kahnle to preserve the shutout for “Pickles”. It was a messy bottom of the ninth as Kahnle gave up three hits, the last one a single by Yankees castoff Jace Peterson which scored Trey Mancini with Baltimore’s only run. Manager Aaron Boone was forced to bring in Dellin “El Acido” Betances to get the final out with two runners on base. Fortunately, he struck out Caleb Joseph on five pitches to prevent an Orioles rally and gained his first save of the season. There’s no way that should have ever been a save situation and it reinforces why Tommy Kahnle has a long way to go before he can be a trusted member of the bullpen again.  

In the day game, I was a little worried when J.A. Happ gave up two runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning which gave the O’s a one-run lead. He has pitched so well for the Yankees since his acquisition in July and it is inevitable that the wheels will fall off. Happ is exactly the type of trading deadline deal you want to make. Acquire a guy who outperforms his time with his previous club and just wins down the stretch.  The Yankees other lefty July trade target, Cole Hamels, is doing a tremendous job for the Chicago Cubs, but I agree that Happ was the right choice given his AL East experience. Happ ended up with yet another quality start, holding the O’s to just those two runs on five hits over six innings for his 15th win of he year. Happ (15-6) walked a batter and struck out nine and is only a win behind Luis Severino. Luis Cessa, the 26th man, finished up the final three innings for his first save despite the blowout.  

Miguel “Papá ” Andujar, who has become everybody’s favorite choice for AL Rookie of the Year, hit his 21st home run in the first game with 4 RBI’s to pace the Yankees. Aaron “Hicksie” Hicks had three hits and 2 RBI’s. Luke “Louis” Voit got the start in the first game over Greg Bird, and delivered a run-scoring single. Brett “Gardner” Gardner also chipped in a couple of RBI’s and Gleyber “GT” Torres, with two hits, had an RBI as well.   

In the night game, Gardy, Hicks, and Giancarlo “G” Stanton all contributed an RBI, and Austin “Ro” Romine smacked an insurance-providing solo homer in the top of the ninth. Greg “Bird” Bird finally got the start after two successive starts by Luke Voit. He responded to the challenge for his position by going 0-for-3 with a strikeout. 

The Yankees (82-47) play the Boston Red Sox six more times with three games in New York and three in Boston. The New York series is Tuesday, September 18th through Thursday, September 20th, while the Boston series finishes the regular season on Friday, September 28th to Sunday, September 30th. It’s still an uphill battle but the division title remains within reach if the cards fall right for the Yankees. Getting everybody healthy is the first course of business.  

Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe had some interesting comments about the Yankees in his weekly Sunday Baseball Notes.  He stated the Indians and the Yankees “were exploring the possibility of (Andrew) McCutchen, who has cleared waivers and can be traded anywhere”. I find it hard to believe the Yankees would add McCutchen due to the luxury tax threshold limitations but I guess you can never underestimate GM Brian Cashman. I wouldn’t mind seeing McCutchen in pinstripes but then again, he’s a redundant luxury once Aaron Judge returns to good health. Cutch does have that “it” factor and could be capable of delivering huge hits when it matters the most even if he is no longer the player he once was for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Cafardo also said the Yankees were in the hunt for Giants lefthander Madison Bumgarner at the July trading deadline but found the price too high. Bummer, I would have loved Mad-Bum on the Yankees. Of course, I have no idea what the Giants asked for. Handing over our ten best prospects probably would not have been a good idea. LOL! I doubt that was the cost but it probably wasn’t too far off.  

Congrats to former Yankee Matt Holliday for his return to the Majors with his original team, the Colorado Rockies. Holliday was unable to wear his original number (5) since it now belongs to long-time Rockie Carlos Gonzalez and the number he wore with the Yankees (17) is retired in honor of Rockies great Todd Helton. So Holliday opted for number 7 which of course is a hallowed number around here. Holliday went hitless in his Rockies debut on Friday after an absence of ten years in a Colorado uniform but he delivered a pinch hit homer yesterday against another one of his former teams, the St Louis Cardinals.  

The Yankees conclude their series at Camden Yards today. Luis Severino (16-6, 3.28 ERA) will face Dylan Bundy (7-12, 5.31 ERA) tonight at 8 pm ET before the team heads home (sleep?  who needs stinkin’ sleep!). It would be great if Sevy could pitch like he did in the first half. We need THAT guy hitting all cylinders for the sprint to the finish. Baltimore is going to lose 100 games this season with or without our help. We might as well move them one game closer. With the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers on tap for the seven-game homestand starting Monday, the Yankees must continue to put the pressure on the Beantown Bunch.  These are the games that we can and should win before we face the Wild Card contending Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners on the the last West Coast trip of the regular season starting on Labor Day.  

Go Yankees!