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.

Jacoby Out For Year...

The New York Yankees’ Jacoby Ellsbury will miss the remainder of the season(what a shock 😐) after undergoing surgery Monday to repair a torn labrum in his hip. The surgery was performed by Dr. Bryan Kelly in Manhattan at the hospital for special surgery. Ellsbury, who has been plagued by injuries pretty much his whole carrer has been has been on the disabled list since the start of the season. This guy has been a major disappointment since signing with the Yanks.  For what it’s worth he is expected to recover from the arthroscopic procedure in six months. Which would put him in line to start next season fresh out the gate in spring training. I for one might consider this the time to just cut the losses and let him go.  Ellsbury, 34, had oblique and heel injuries during spring training before suffering the hip injury in April during his rehabilitation. 3 Injuries before even seeing the field in real game time action, is a cause for concern. Jacoby was already an injury prone player and as he gets older the injuries keep adding up more and more. He has two seasons remaining on the seven-year, $153 million deal he signed with the Yankees before the 2014 season. Well not worth the production he gives.  Hell its even less being he can’t seem to find the field.  Oh well in any case I wish him a speedy and fast recovery!   

As always I can be reached at JamesCPalma@Yahoo.Com Remember if you are reading this in the MLB News App be sure to check us out at the The greedypinstripes.com.    

Jacoby Ellsbury Out Six Months w/ Torn Labrum

The New York Yankees announced that Jacoby Ellsbury will miss at least the next six months after tearing his labrum in his left hip. If that injury sounds familiar to you, it should. Alex Rodriguez tore both of his labrums in both of his hips in separate off-season's requiring the long recover back to the Bronx that Ellsbury now has to look forward to. Ellsbury did not play a game in 2018 and will miss at least the rest of this season, if not some of next season as well.

Ellsbury, now 34-years old, signed a seven-year deal with New York worth $153 million and is still owed through the 2020 season. There is a $21 million option for the 2021 season with a $5 million buyout as well that the Yankees, in all likelihood, will have to absorb.

In a word, ugh. In another word or two, get well soon. That's all you can really say.

Micheal Kay’s Comments Out of Line!

Whatever respect I had for Michael Kay went right out the door, with these comments........."When you're playing Luke Voit and Shane Robinson in important games, you know shame on the Yankees for not having the depth but again shame on guys like Jacoby Ellsbury for not getting healthy, shame on Clint Frazier for not getting healthy," Kay said. "Again you can't make them get healthy but if those guys are available it's a completely different animal."Don’t get me wrong he is most likely right when it comes to Jacoby, but Clint Frazier? Michael Kay you are dead wrong!!! The comment should not have been made. Totally unprofessional and uncalled for. Shame on Michael Kay for being a boring announcer. Yeah you can call a home run and make it great, but shame on you for never getting better at your job!!! Sorry Rant Over on to tonight game. The Yankees won 7-0 today. Lance Lynn pitched awesome giving up 2 hits in 7 plus innings. He struck out 9 and walked 1 giving up no runs.  (Picture my own screen Shot..not to shabby).😎⚾️Torres hit his 18th dinger of the season. Neil Walker his 4th and the Yankees A.J. Cole contributed 1.2 innings of shut out ball to drop his ER to 1.69 on the season. Cole has been very good in his few chances this year. Finally the Yankees lineup woke up and the Bombers seem to be over there beat down in Boston. Thank God! 

Have a amazing night fans.  As always I can be reached at JamesCPalma@Yahoo.Com.  Or by leavening a comment below I’ll do my best to answer all of them. If you are reading this post in the MLB News App please be sure to check out the site.....thegreedypinstripes.com

Yankees Go Belly Up in Boston!

The Yankees were spwet in Boston, on Sunday night. The final game a crushing 5-4 extra in loss thanks to Chapman’s blown Save. The look says it all! Chapman walked the bases loaded to start the 9th (At which point where is Aaron Boone to pull him). The Yankee closer showed he didn’t have it on this night, but Boone stuck with him anyway, and the end result most likely killed any hope of the Yanks winning the AL East. The Yankees do need to right the ship, but do have the 3rd best record in baseball. That being said it’s no need to panic but time to get back to winning.  From what I’ve seen is time to shake up the lineup once more.  I’ll break down what I’m seeing in and what I think should happen. Firstly Aaron Hicks is not a lead off hitter and is way to streaky in that spot. If moved down in the lineup his outs wat at least get more productive. 

Secondly Mr Torres is proving he is not ready to be in the middle of the Yankees batting order. He is struggled is returning from the DL and it may just be the spot in the order in which is expected to produce from.  Also may be due to the pitches he sees bating 5th then the ones he does batting 9.

Sir Didi is not a 3 hitter and needs to start hitting more consistently bottom line. Whoever wouldn’t take Manny Machado over Didi needs there head examined. But that is a debate for another day. (Well thinking about it I’ll touch on that a little later). Neil Walker has been one of their best hitters since heating up. Greg Bird has shown some signs of life but still can’t get it going on a nightly basis but I love his potential pop.  The one issue I see is the Yankees don’t have a legit Leadoff option. So Gardner is should be. Anyways here is the line up the Bombers should be giving a try, at least until the back up gets healthy.  

1. Gardner LF
2. Stanton RF
3. Bird 1B 
4. Hicks CF 
5. Walker DH 
6. Gregorius SS
7. Romine C 
8. Andujar 3B 
9. Torres 2B 

Putting the 2 rookies back at the bottom of the order may be what the Bombers need to turn over the lineup and get back to winning.  Greg Bird getting moved up may be the confidence builder he needs to finally stay consistent. Hopefully Judge, Sanchez, and Red Thunder can get back soon and provide the help they need. 

Now just some Quick thoughts on next years lineup and what the Bombers should look like to keep pace with the BoSox As I mentioned the Yankees need a leadoff hitter however I don’t see a legit one on this years free agent market might have to think about a trade there or getting creative. (Which might just save Sir Didi). Either way here goes nothing. 

1. Manny Machado 3B 
2. Aaron Judge RF 
3. Bryce Harper CF 
4. Giancarlo Stanton LF 
5. Gray Sanchez C 
6. Didi Gregorius SS 
7. Miguel Andujar DH 
8. Greg Bird 1B 
9. Gleyber Torres 2B 

I know I know I’m dreaming here singing both Manny and Bryce but hey you never know. To be honest with you I’d rather see Didi traded to the reds for Billy Hamilton. Then giving you .....

1. Hamilton CF
2. Judge RF 
3. Stanton DH 
4. Harper LF 
5. Machado SS 
6. Sanchez C 
7. Bird 1B 
8. Andujar 3B 
9. Torres 2B

Dream Big and Chase down the Red Sox, and damn does Manny and Bryce look awesome in Pinstripes. 

As always I can be reached at JamesCPalma@Yahoo.Com          Goodnight Fans!!