It's July 4th, the Yankees game is over and I'm taking the boys to eat some good food, see some fireworks and celebrate the nation's independence. I hope everyone that is reading this is reading it after the fact and is in a similar situation because that's what the day is all about, friends, food and fireworks. I leave you tonight with a good summertime music recommendation, "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock.
Saturday, July 4, 2015
July 4th Fireworks Special: The Open Thread
It's July 4th, the Yankees game is over and I'm taking the boys to eat some good food, see some fireworks and celebrate the nation's independence. I hope everyone that is reading this is reading it after the fact and is in a similar situation because that's what the day is all about, friends, food and fireworks. I leave you tonight with a good summertime music recommendation, "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock.
Potential Yankees Trade Targets: Chicago White Sox
The New York Yankees are in the middle of a division race with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays in a division that could come down to who makes the best moves at this year's July 31st trading deadline. The trading deadline is where the pretenders and contenders are determined and the buyers and sellers do their things. The New York Yankees seem to be like they will be big time buyers at this year's trade deadline while teams like the Chicago White Sox will be sellers. Do the Yankees and White Sox matchup for a potential trade this summer?
First thing is first, what are the Yankees true needs this summer? The team could use an upgrade at second base, right field and of course pitching. New York's bench isn't great but adding Stephen Drew to the bench along with Chris Young the team has some home run potential off the bench joining Garrett Jones. Who is currently playing those positions for Chicago you ask?
Jeff Samardzija is posting a 5-4 record with a 4.56 ERA in his first 16 starts and at the time of this writing which is not really encouraging for the club. Samardzija has a much better record with much better peripherals in his career but you have to remember that the bulk of that career came in the National League Central, not the American League and definitely not the American League East. Samardzija has a live arm and has the fundamentals that you simply cannot teach but he's giving more hits up this season than Nathan Eovaldi and may not exactly be cut out for the AL.
Chicago may also move David Robertson after signing him to a bulky four year deal to close games with the White Sox. While it seems unlikely that the Yankees would have two huge contracts at the back end of their bullpen with Robertson and Andrew Miller but one can dream, can't they? Robertson has 16 saves a a 2.76 ERA to go with a 1.01 WHIP so adding him to Miller and Dellin Betances is every Yankees fan's dream.
No offense to Carlos Sanchez, Conor Gillaspie, Alexei Ramirez, Gordon Beckham and others but the White Sox infielders simply don't fit into what the Yankees need. None of them hit for an especially high average and most of them are no better, or worse, than Drew at this point in the season. The outfielders on the other hand are a different story as the team currently trots out Melky Cabrera, Adam Eaton and Avisail Garcia. Melky is hitting just .251 through his first 299 at bats with little power while Eaton is posting similar stats through a comparable sample size. Garcia on the other hand is hitting .273 with seven home runs through 253 at bats and would add a right handed bat to the Yankees outfield. Garcia sounds like a great addition to the team until you remember he's just 24 years old and has just 716 at bats to his name in his career making Chicago more likely to build around him rather than sell him off this July.
Chicago may unload some contracts this summer but I can't see many, or any, of them coming to New York unfortunately. While Melky and Eaton may be better than Beltran there isn't a reason right now to make a trade just for the sake of it. The same can be said for the infield as well as Chicago's infielders are struggling just as much as the Yankees are at key spots, namely second base, while the pitching will be the key to the White Sox selling plan. If the White Sox want to make Chris Sale available or Robertson available for cheap then I'm at least listening but if not I think I'll have to pass at this point.
Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays 7/4
While the rest of us are grilling hot dogs and barbequing chicken and getting our steaks and side dishes just right The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays are facing off head-to-head inside Yankee Stadium. While many of us are watching parades or hanging out with friends and family Michael Pineda and Nathan Karns will be opposing each other on the mound this afternoon in the Bronx. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on FOX Sports One and MLB TV if you don't get blacked out by the national broadcast.
You have a chance tomorrow afternoon to see these same two teams face off before the Yankees stay home to play host to the Oakland Athletics. After today you have five more times to see the Yankees live inside Yankee Stadium so click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog to score a pair of seats in the Bronx. If you can't make it live then jump on Twitter and follow @GreedyStripes or jump on the blog to comment with us in the comments section during each and every Yankees game.
Let's hope for Big Mike today and not Michael Pineda. Go Yankees!
Happy July 4th Independence Day
It's July 4th, the day the Unites States of American was truly formed and granted their Independence from the British. Thanks to our young and brave troops the country fought for their freedom and won setting the precedence for the rest of the world that Democracy was here to stay and this was just the beginning. You all know the history so I won't spend too much time on that instead I'll just say thank you to all that have sacrificed for this country and all that continue to sacrifice their lives, their families etc. for this country go give us the freedom and liberty that we all deserve to have.
Thank you from everyone here on The Greedy Pinstripes and thank you from everyone here in the Burch household, we are all truly grateful and appreciative.
Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays 7/4
Independence Day baseball in the Bronx, New York and inside Yankee Stadium, no better way to bring in the independence of the greatest country on the planet. This afternoon the New York Yankees will play host to the Tampa Bay Rays for the second time in this weekend's three game series in the Bronx. Last night we all watched as Masahiro Tanaka and Chris Archer faced off head-to-head and this afternoon we watch Nathan Karns take the mound for the Rays and Michael Pineda take the mound for the Yankees. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on Fox Sports One and MLB TV (I believe unless it gets blacked out).
- Pineda has looked more like a struggling middle of the rotation pitcher and less like "Big Mike" lately forcing many Yankees fans to worry about the future of his season and the future of the Yankees playoff run this season. Pineda will have to bring his big game this afternoon in the Bronx against a tough Tampa team.
- Karns has been the tough luck loser in his last two starts thanks to his offense forgetting their bats in the locker rooms. In Karns last two starts he faced pitchers with perfect-game bids which resulted in a loss and a no-decision for Karns despite giving up just two runs in 12 innings. Karns has faced the Yankees three times in his career and twice this season posting a 1-0 record with a 3.07 ERA.
The Yankees and Rays have one more game tomorrow afternoon in the Bronx to complete the biggest three game series New York may play this month. The American League East Division is a four team race right now and the Boston Red Sox are quietly playing much better of late and are slowly chipping away at the deficit they face from the cellar of the division making this series all that more important. The Yankees know this, let's just hope they play like it. Go Yankees!
Weekly Check In: Jorge Mateo
Mateo turned just 20 years old last month and has already eclipsed the 50 stolen base plateau this season. How long he is going to stay in Charleston with the Riverdogs remains to be seen but with stats like these you would have to think it couldn't be for much longer...
| Year | Lev | G | PA | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | A | 70 | 301 | 35 | 73 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 29 | 53 | 10 | 21 | 61 | .268 | .327 | .375 | .702 |
This Day in New York Yankees History 7/4: July 4th Baseball
On this day in 1984 Yankees pitcher Phil Niekro becomes only the ninth player every to achieve 3,000 strike outs in his career.
Also on this day in 1939 the New York Yankees held Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day making Lou's #4 the first ever uniform number retired by the Yankees. Today is the day that Lou donned himself "the luckiest man on the face of the earth."
Friday, July 3, 2015
Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays 7/3
What better way to spend a Friday night in the Bronx, New
York than to spend it at Yankee Stadium watching the New York Yankees and the
Tampa Bay Rays face off head-to-head. Tonight the Yankees will send Masahiro
Tanaka to the mound looking to regain his ace form while the Tampa Bay Rays
send their ace and Yankee killer Chris Archer to the mound to oppose him. The
game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB
TV.
The Yankees have a July 4th afternoon game
tomorrow and another inside Yankee Stadium on Sunday against this same Rays
team to look forward to going forward. These should be well played games and
should be entertaining to watch either live or on TV so click the Yankees
Tickets link at the top of the blog to grab a pair of tickets without paying
all those fees and shipping costs. If you’d rather watch it on TV then jump on
Twitter as well (@GreedyStripes) or the comments section of the blog to
interact with us during each and every Yankees game.
Happy Tanaka Day ladies and gents, let’s do it. Go Yankees!
Has Nathan Eovaldi Finally Figured It Out?
The Yankees have played a total of 79 games this season as
we all saw in the “Yankees Leaders” post from earlier this morning and I don’t
believe one player has been criticized more than Nathan Eovaldi. Esmil Rogers
has been ragged on by the fans, CC Sabathia’s effectiveness as a starter is a
constant question and concern while Stephen Drew just sucks but I think much of
the animosity this season, whether deserved or not, has been thrown at Eovaldi
after the Yankees traded David Phelps and Martin Prado this winter for Eovaldi
and Garrett Jones. Many fans expected an ace rather than the unfinished work in
progress we were promised by the Yankees brass and revolted when he continued
to lead the league in hits allowed but if you’ve been watching his last three
starts you may have noticed that Eovaldi may have finally figured it out.
Ever since Eovaldi failed to make it out of the first inning
against his former team the Miami Marlins Eovaldi has been sharp, effective and
has pitched much better than his 4th starter title would suggest. In
his first start Eovaldi made a start on short rest against the Detroit Tigers
and looked good pitching 6.0 IP allowing just two runs and a walk with four K’s
notching his 6th victory of the season. His next start came against
the Houston Astros and it was once again Mr. Eovaldi and less of Dr. Jekyll as
Eovaldi pitched another 6.0 IP allowing two earned runs while striking out six
for his 7th victory of the season. On Wednesday night Eovaldi logged
his team-high 8th victory of the season against the Los Angeles
Angels of Anaheim pitching 5.1 IP of scoreless baseball. Eovaldi wasn’t perfect
and he wasn’t always dominant but he pitched to certain spots and walked
certain batters when he had to and ultimately won those three games in a row in
convincing fashion giving Yankees fans everywhere a bit of hope.
Eovaldi was presented to the Yankees fan base as a work in
progress and that’s exactly what he is, a work in progress. Eovaldi will have
his ups and his downs and after this post he may go and lay an egg in his next
start, it’s called growing pains. He has the things you cannot teach though and
that’s velocity and, knock on wood, durability. The rest can be taught
including the baseball IQ to walk an Albert Pujols setting up an inning ending
double play as well as the addition of a new pitch or two to keep batters from
simply sitting on his straight fastball. Eovaldi may not win 15 games this
season or ever become an ace but he’s getting better with every start and
that’s all you can really ask for from a 25 year old flamethrower in his first
season in the Bronx. For the Yankees sake let’s hope Eovaldi is figuring this
thing out.
Yankees Leaders through 79 Games
Offense
Games Played:
Chase Headley - 77
At Bats:
Chase Headley - 298
Runs Scored:
Runs Scored:
Brett Gardner - 58
Hits:
Hits:
Brett Gardner - 86
Doubles:
Doubles:
Brett Gardner - 21
Home Runs:
Home Runs:
Mark Teixeira - 19
RBI:
RBI:
Mark Teixeira - 54
AVG:
AVG:
Pitching
GS:
AP:
Wins:
Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Pineda - 8
Losses:
CC Sabathia - 8
ERA:
Bullpen: Andrew Miller - 1.03
Rotation: Ivan Nova - 1.50
K's:
Rotation: Michael Pineda - 95
Bullpen: Dellin Betances - 64
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