This is bad timing; I know the Yankees opened spring training today--but I meant to write this earlier in the week, but school and then Jeter got in the way.
Sunday, I went up to Gulfstream Park up in Hallandale Beach for the day; for a newcomer to horse betting and being at the track, I have to grade the experience as an A+. Every stereotype you may have heard about a racetrack was not true in this case. There were plenty of families there, it wasn't a bad environment, and they don't even shove the gambling down your throat. If you just want to go, take in some sun, fresh air and watch a few races, you're totally free to do so. If you want to box your picks and bet on the quinella in Tampa Downs, you can do that too.
If you get a nice cashier, they won't look down on you for being a rookie to the gambling aspect. Just a warning; I spent more on lunch than on the ponies. The racing form cost eight dollars; pocket change compared to Yankee Stadium, I guess. I just thought I'd write and share this cool experience. If you're ever bored on a nice sunny Sunday, and you're near one, head to a racetrack.
Neil Dwyer @neildwyer1993
Friday, February 14, 2014
Yankees Recently Scouted Aledmys Diaz
Yankees were among teams scouting Cuban free agent shortstop Aledmys Diaz at his showcase today, sources say. @FOXSports1
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) February 13, 2014
Whether the news of Derek Jeter's retirement had anything to do with it or not remains to be seen but the Yankees have recently been scouting Cuban shortstop Aledmys Diaz. Just as a quick reminder Diaz is ineligible to sign until next week due to originally lying about his age. Diaz is 23 years old and will not count against the International Spending cap this season and is treated as a true free agent.
Yankees Assign New Numbers To New Players
The Yankees wasted no time giving away Robinson Cano's old number, and not to someone who has exactly earned it either. Brian Roberts was given the #14, Scott Sizemore was given Cano's #24, Kelly Johnson will wear #33, and Matt Thornton will wear #48. Just as a reminder Carlos Beltran will wear #35, Brian McCann will wear #34, Jacoby Ellsbury will wear #22, and Masahiro Tanaka will wear #19.
News & Notes From Girardi's Spring Training Presser
Joe Girardi held his annual beginning of Spring Training press conference today and mentioned a few notable news and notes that I feel compelled to share. Did I mention that I am so glad baseball is back? I know I did in my last post but I felt the need to reiterate it, I love coming home and typing out stuff about baseball!
The batting order is still undecided but Derek Jeter is the "ideal" number two hitter in the lineup. That means Brett Gardner is going to be batting eight or ninth for the Yankees this season.
Kelly Johnson is the backup first basemen for Mark Teixeira this season. Johnson has two career starts at first base in his career. Oh and he is likely the starting third basemen too.
David Robertson is the closer. Nobody will say the words "David Robertson is the closer" but they have basically said as much, so Robertson is the closer.
Michael Pineda may start off in the bullpen to get his feet wet and his arm strong. I don't really like the idea of Pineda in the pen as much as I did a Manny Banuelos but it could work, I guess. Girardi did acknowledge that Pineda is a starter and the Yankees envision him as a starter so there is always that.
News & Notes From Pitchers & Catchers Day One
My apologies to everyone for the late post but I have a job that actually makes me work, imagine that, and then I took the wife and my kids out to dinner and such for Valentines. Anyway, congratulations everybody we made it. Spring Training officially starts today with pitchers and catchers reporting to camp. Here are a few quick hit news and notes from the day, an uneventful day for once.
CC Sabathia came to camp weighing in at 275 pounds, the least he has weighed since his early days in Cleveland. Some are worried and chalked up his struggles last season to his weight gain but I am not worried at all. Can't blame a guy for wanting to wanting to get into shape for his family and for the rest of his career, not just 2014.
Michael Pineda threw a bullpen session with Francisco Cervelli this morning. Cervelli had nothing but rave reviews on Pineda and how he is progressing and coming back from his shoulder surgery. Great news.
David Phelps and Adam Warren are already throwing to live batters. You also remember that they were well ahead of schedule last season as well. Warren said others were already facing hitters as well but no names were mentioned.
Masahiro Tanaka got Mariano Rivera's old locker. Alex Rodriguez's locker is completely empty, not even a name plate above it. Carlos Beltran got the locker next to the vacant locker. Jacoby Ellsbury got Nick Swisher and Kevin Youkilis' old locker in the corner. Shawn Kelley got Andy Pettitte's old locker and Dellin Betances' locker is next to CC Sabathia's.
I love the fact that baseball is back. I'd rather talk about locker assignments then most of the stuff we spoke about this long, cold winter. Baseball is back ladies and gentleman!
Charleston Riverdogs 2014 Schedule Released
The 2014 schedule for the Charleston Riverdogs, the Low A affiliate for the Yankees, is in and being brought to you as a part of Prospects Month here on The Greedy Pinstripes. CLICK HERE to see the full schedule for the Riverdogs and the exciting bunch of prospects that are likely to go through there this season. The Riverdogs season starts on April 3, 2014 and ends on September 1.
Meet A Prospect : Nik Turley
Nikolas C. Turley was born on September 11th, 1989 in La Canada, California where he attended Harvard-Westlake High School in California. With a 6'7" frame and weighing in at 230 lbs while throwing three plus pitches from the left side and has drawn comparisons to a young Andy Pettitte you can understand why the Yankees drafted him in the 50th round of the 2008 MLB First Year Players Draft. The Yankees offered him enough money, thankfully, to get him out of his written commitment to BYU and become a professional baseball player. With his three plus pitches, amazing pitchers frame, and the fact that he throws for control from the left side I cannot see how he fell to the 50th round but I am glad the Yankees scooped him up.
Nik only saw 8 IP in his first professional season for the Gulf Coast Yankees and put up a 2-1 record with a 1.13 ERA in four games, one of them as a starter. He stayed in the GCL in 2009 where he compiled 54.1 IP to go with a 2-3 record and a 2.82 ERA. Nik would start the 2010 season in the GCL once again but was not long for the league as the Yankees moved him up to the Staten Island Yankees where he put up a 4-4 record with a 4.38 ERA in 61.2 IP. By the end of the 2012 season Nik had made it all the way to the Trenton Thunder AA affiliate where he only got to pitch 5 IP before the season ended. In 2012 Nik had a combined record of 10-5 with an 3.00 ERA in 117 IP while splitting time with Tampa and Trenton. 2013 saw Turley repeat at AA Trenton and put up an 11-8 record with a 3.88 ERA before seeing one game in AAA for the RailRiders.
Nik is an intimidating prescence on the mound when he comes out there at 6'7" and throws a 2 seam fastball that sits in the 91-92 mph range. He also throws a nice changeup that sits in the 79-81 mph range and has a big looping curveball that is by far his best pitch. Unlike many tall pitchers in baseball, see Andrew Brackman, Nik has shown to be consistent with his control and his ability to repeat his mechanics and stay on top of the ball. Nik is a ground ball machine so he projects to do very well in the new Yankees Stadium if he can keep the ball down and make hitters pound the ball into the ground a la Chein-Ming Wang or Ivan Nova. Nik projects to be a middle of the rotation kind of starter and if everything goes as planned that will be in the Bronx for the New York Yankees.
ETA Mid to Late 2014
Yankee Stadium Legacy: #45 Sparky Lyle (Again)
Sparky Lyle was one of three Yankees pitchers with a career ERA under 2.50 and Lyle had a Yankees career ERA of 2.41 in seven seasons in pinstripes. Lyle had a career high 35 saves in 1972 and an anemic 1.92 ERA that season. In 1974 he was nearly un-hittable with a 1.66 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP.
45 days until Yankees Opening Day
Prospects Month: Top 28 Yankees Prospects List #15
Continuing our look at The Greedy Pinstripes Top 28 prospects list as a part of Prospects Month we name our #15 prospect, Peter O'Brien!
Here is the complete up to date list. Check back every day as the list fills out and we continue our look at the prospects in the New York Yankees system during Prospects Month here on TGP.
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15. Peter O'Brien
16. Aaron Judge
17. Ty Hensley
18. Luis Severino
19. Abiatal Avelino
20. Rob Refsnyder
21. Nik Turley
22. Cito Culver
23. Ramon Flores
24. Mark Montgomery
25. Rookie Davis
26. Jake Cave
27. Ben Gamel
28. Angelo Gumbs
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