On a spending spree, off with their beards…

Pretty much right after I clicked “publish” yesterday, the Yankees continued to make some announcements that certainly would have made yesterday’s post, especially due to all the contract lingo. They have non-tendered Jayson Nix, Matt Daley, and David Adams, which means they have released them to pursue other contract options (which can still technically include the Yankees). None of them have been major producers for the 40-man roster, but all have their moments, points of development, and youth that could definitely come in handy when negotiating a contract for the next season.

Today, the Yankees announced a press conference this Thursday in which they will officially sign catcher Brian McCann to his contract and unveil his number with the pinstripes. A friend recently mentioned that he will have to get used to wearing that catcher’s mask without the cushion (and warmth in those early spring months) of his trademark scruffy beard. All players know that being a Yankee means “clean-cut, clean-shaven”, and this has deterred some players (including recently a very notable, very bearded pitcher) from signing with the Bronx Bombers. Honestly, this seems like a rather superficial (not to mention vain) reason not to sign with a team that’s willing to invest their money in your career, as hair does this miraculous thing and grow on its own when you don’t cut it.

And the biggest news story has to be that the Yankees officially signed Jacoby Ellsbury for a 7-year, $153 million deal, with an 8th year option. Yet another Red Sox refugee to Yankee pinstripes. Ellsbury has played center field for the Red Sox since the beginning of his career and turned down their qualifying offer earlier this fall. Now, this doesn’t mean that Gardner is somehow out in the cold as Girardi has a way of working out an overly-packed roster for the overall benefit of the team. Much like Gardner, Ellsbury is known for his speed around the bases, stealing 52 last year alone (1st in the AL). The addition of Ellsbury actually signals a newer rotation for the “experienced” players that were in the outfield due to injuries last year (Soriano, Ichiro, and Wells), which could mean that the Yankees will now return to a rotating DH.

In smaller contract news: Curtis Granderson met with the Mets and had salmon (not joking), the Mariners might be interested in Robinson Cano (not joking), Phil Hughes signed with the Twins (still not joking), Alex Rodriguez’s arbitration could be over with a final decision by January 1 (not joking), and they cancelled Christmas (okay, that’s the bad joke). I think Hughes signing with a smaller-market team could certainly help his ERA and overall pitching career, as a change of scenery is often all that’s needed to put some fire into a player (think: Ichiro, Soriano, or even Raul Ibanez). Granderson and Cano are exploring their first time on the free agent market, and while personally I wish to see #14 and #24 back in pinstripes for 2014, the realistic side of me knows that there’s still a long way to go for both players (especially to bridge the gulf of Cano’s negotiations). And the Yankees will know whether they have a 3rd baseman for 2014 by the new year, and that’s really what’s holding up most of the larger contract signings for now.

Well, I say that because it’s the Yankees. They’re signing two very large contracts for McCann and Ellsbury before the end of the year, but to most people (especially those of us who remember the spending spree of 2008-9 grabbing Teixeira, Sabathia, and AJ Burnett), this seems like a “cheap year” for them. It’s amazing how relative all the contract talk seems.

I should note that today it’s been hard to keep up with my Twitter feed on the trade/contract news, which sort of flies in the face of my original assumption that it was going to be a little slow this off-season. It also forces me to push back some planned blog posts on Yankees history until there isn’t a million news stories. They say that “no news is good news”, but not to a blogger. No news means I have to be creative and original and can’t just comment and opine about current events. Of course, on days like today, I kind of wish I could have just been a little creative.

I guess part of me kind of loves that the Yankees just recruited to of its rivals to work for them — McCann from the (great 90’s rival) Braves and Ellsbury from the (forever infamous rival) Red Sox. There is a certain amount of justification and satisfaction. Of course, who doesn’t want to play in New York? Oh yeah, the bearded ones…

Go Yankees!

Game 162: NYY vs. HOU — 14th inning fanfare farewell

Today was the last game of the season, and in true Yankee fashion this year, it was anything but normal.

Yankees started their final game with David Huff on the mound, who really did a pretty stellar job, 71 pitches, 5 innings, just 3 hits, 1 run, and 7 strikeouts. That lone run came as an RBI single back in the 1st inning, and the Astros would never cross the plate again for the entire game. Brett Marshall took his turn in the 6th and 7th innings, keeping Huff’s tight game rolling smoothly. Then in the 9th, the Yankees brought in the young Dellin Betances, who really just found his niche and brought the game to a whole new level.

The Yankees weren’t really doing much as far as offense, even with Travis Hafner’s comeback after his stint on the DL and promptly got on base due to being hit by an errant pitch twice. That is until the 8th inning. Eduardo Nunez doubled and scored on Curtis Granderson’s single to tie up the game. And then that’s all she wrote for 6 more innings. Oh sure, there were plenty of opportunities, like in the 9th when David Adams hit a really beautiful triple (his first career triple). Or in the 13th inning, with two men on base with a single and a really bad fielding error on a fielder’s choice, but again, they came up empty.

Keeping the game tied while the Yankees worked on finding their offense, Betances threw into the 10th and was pulled after the first out, with clear congratulations from Girardi and the entire Yankee team for a job well done. Claiborne finished the rest of the inning, and Phelps took the 11th. Matt Daley took over for the 12th and 13th.

And then the dam broke open in the 14th inning when Mark Reynolds hit a solid solo home run to left-center field. And the score was up to 2-1 Yankees. Two outs later, the Yankees weren’t done yet. Brendan Ryan and Zoilo Almonte single and then score on Eduardo Nunez’s double. Even after a pitching change, JR Murphy singles home Nunez (Murphy’s first career RBI), and the Yankees were leading 5-1.

And to close out the last game of the season, the Yankees got another preview of what it will be like when (hopefully) David Robertson closes out more Yankee wins next year. Robertson gave a solid 1-2-3 14th inning, and the Yankees finished their season with a sweep and a flair.

And while today’s game seemed more like a show of the future, the past looked on from the dugout. Pettitte, Jeter, and Sabathia congregated at one end of the dugout, watching all 14 innings draped over the guard rail. Rivera and Rodriguez chatted up at the other end. And then there was Jayson Nix, still out with his oblique injury, who somehow managed a role usually reserved for veteran or retiring players — manager for the day. That’s right, it was Nix calling the shots for 9 innings, and when the scoreboard rolled over to extra inning, Nix quit and handed the reins back to Girardi. Normally a fun last day job for veterans (last year, the honor went to Jeter, with Rodriguez as his bench coach), this year Rivera and Pettitte declined the honor saying they were “too busy”. From the looks of it, they were having fun being with the guys one last time, which I think is exactly where they wanted to be.

The Astros farewell gift to Rivera

Prior to tonight’s game, the Astros honored Mariano Rivera with a special ceremony. They presented him with a painting of sorts, thirteen different highlights of his career over the number 42, a very creative gesture. Also at the ceremony were Roger Clemens, a former teammate, and Joe Torre, Rivera’s former manager and current MLB executive.

Torre and Clemens both gave wonderful speeches, honoring Rivera contributions to the Yankees, the entire sport of baseball, and to themselves personally. Torre also gave a special shout out to Pettitte and Jeter, who, with Rivera, he credits with making his job all that much easier. Torre is himself a figure of the “good old days” of Yankee history, but he understands the idea of finding and developing new, fresh talent. Torre was fortunate enough to be the Yankees manager when they were in the process of rebuilding, before anyone thought much of the Core Four. But he believed in their potential, combining that with the experience of the veterans in the clubhouse, and built a dynasty.

There is hope for the Yankees, and don’t let anyone tell you different. Look at who played for the Yankees today, and who made the difference in every aspect of the game — the pitching, the catching, the fielding, the hits — it all adds up for a great futures. And while they aren’t going to be playing October baseball, and have to instead say farewell to two more of the Core Four, maybe saying farewell to this entire rollercoaster year is a good thing. Close the door on that chapter and look forward to all the potential of 2014, some of it may already be lurking in the corners of the clubhouse, just waiting for the opportunity to spread their wings and do something Yankee-like. It could be the next dynasty in the making. You just never know.

Go Yankees!

Game 160: NYY vs. HOU — The expected from the unexpected

The Yankees began their final series of this year in Houston tonight. And after some recent disappointments, it was nice to begin the end with a win. The Astros aren’t really as competitive a team as the Yankees have been playing this month, like most of the AL East teams, but the Yankees aren’t really playing at full steam right now, wrapping up what is essentially a disappointing season. Remember, according to Yankee logic, anything short of a World Series win is considered a “failed season”.

But tonight was a win.

Resting much of their regulars either flirting with or fully on the DL, a reflection of the entire season, the Yankees actually put a lot of the replacement guys on the field tonight, and they did a really good job. Adam Warren was given the start, 64 pitches through 5 innings, just 2 hits and a walk, and 4 strikeouts. With more consistent outings like that, Warren could easily work his way into a more permanent spot in the rotation, or at least long-term bullpen relief.

In the meantime, the Yankees’ offense decided to make their dent in the 4th inning. With one out, Cano singled, Soriano walked, so that Mark Reynold’s nice single scored Cano. Both Soriano and Reynolds then advanced on a throwing error, a bounced relay throw to home plate, missing Cano’s slide. Then David Adams reminded the Yankees why they liked him in the first place earlier this year with a solid double in the right field corner, scoring Soriano and Reynolds. And the Yankees were up 3-0.

So David Phelps came on in the 6th and back in the 7th, but with two outs and two runners on base, they opted for a pitching change. And they went to someone with a less consistent year — Joba Chamberlain. A double immediately scores 2 runs for Houston. Then he allows a bases loaded situation before the Yankees defense got him out of the jam. Preston Claiborne gets his 8th inning, and in for the save is David Robertson (get used to that, people). Houston fans weren’t all that happy to see Robertson, even to the point of booing his entry (way to stay classy, Texas!), but Rivera wasn’t available because (despite the rumors) he’s not Superman. So it’s Robertson that takes the save on the 3-2 win tonight.

Also there was a bit of a disputed play in the 6th inning. Alfonso Soriano hits a long ball off the back wall in left field, which is awarded a double, but the play is immediately disputed. Was their fan interference? Yes, but would it have a home run hitting the top of the wall if not for the interference? Not according to the umpires after a replay. A home run would have been nice padding to the Yankees’ lead because that double came out to nothing, due to some easy outs the other batters in the inning hit into.

And JR Murphy and David Adams worked a really nice out in the 8th, when they caught the runner trying to steal 2nd for the final out of that inning. So many great things added up and gave Warren the win, rightfully so.

And in between innings, the Astros presented former teammate Andy Pettitte with a framed numbered jersey (#21) from his time with their team. Yankees fans like to pretend that Pettitte’s Astro years didn’t exist, but instead were more like an extended sabbatical for the Houston-area resident. Pettitte will start the game tomorrow, and I can imagine many of his fellow Texans, family, and friends will be there cheering him on, despite loyalties, saying goodbye to him on his final MLB career start.

These are sad days, so the minor things to celebrate are extra special — Warren’s start, the continued strong display defense, Adams’ double, and of course the win. I have a feeling this will continue to be a bittersweet weekend.

Go Yankees!

Game 145: NYY vs. BAL — SoriSlammin’ around

Tonight’s game proved rather eventful for the Yankees — some great, some okay, some not so good, and surprisingly nothing terrible. This series is going to be a very important as the Yankees and the Orioles are so close in their race to October. And since every game is so vitally important this month, every win just tastes all so much sweeter.

Starter Ivan Nova actually had a really great outing with just 79 pitches over 6 innings. With the exception of the 5th inning, Nova was virtually flawless, just 2 hits, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. In the 5th, he allowed 4 total hits and 4 runs. Here’s his 5th inning, 3 back-to-back singles, scoring 1 run; a sacrifice fly scored the 2nd; a groundout; a 2-run home run; and a final groundout. And suddenly the Orioles had the lead with their 4 runs.

Alfonso Soriano,
hitting 1 of his 2 home runs tonight
via nydailynews.com

But here’s the thing — the Yankees have Alfonso Soriano and a pretty good offense when it decides to come alive. But to start it all, the lot fell on Alex Rodriguez who doubled home Chris Stewart (who looked good tonight after his nasty bruised foot injury Sunday). And the Yankees sat there as the Orioles took the lead 4-1 in the 5th. But they answered back in the 6th, when both Alfonso Soriano and Mark Reynolds each belted solo home runs into the left field seats, still trailing the Orioles 4-3.

So when they got around to the 8th inning, the Yankees decided to pounce. So again, Rodriguez doubles to leadoff the inning and scores on Robinson Cano’s single to tie the game. Then Soriano decides to hit his second home run of the game, this time a 2-run homer. Then after a pitching change (because there’s still no outs), Curtis Granderson and Mark Reynolds hit back-to-back doubles to score the fourth run of the inning for the Yankees. A fielder’s choice, groundout, and two strikeouts end the inning, but the damage is done, with the Yankees leading 7-4.

Adam Warren came to the mound in the 7th for a quick 1-2-3 inning, replacing Nova who came out early with a tightness in his triceps. In the 8th, they sent Shawn Kelley in, who walked a batter that would tack on another Oriole run on a sacrifice fly, after advancing twice on two wild pitches. So to prevent the Orioles from creeping in on the Yankees lead, they decided to go to Mariano Rivera for a 4-out outing, something he did flawlessly getting 4 straight outs in 19 pitches. Warren awarded the win and Rivera his 42nd (magical number this season) save of the season (his 650th of his career) on tonight’s 7-5 win over Baltimore.

Also, two other injury-related events occurred during the game. Rodriguez felt a tightness in his hamstring, something which after being iced and rested, felt much better. He was replaced by David Adams on the field. And at the plate, catcher Austin Romine took a foul ball off his head and was examined for a concussion in the middle of Kelley’s wild pitch bonanza. He was replaced by JR Murphy.

Two interesting roster moves happened today as well. This morning, they moved Hafner to the 60-day DL to promote pitcher Mike Zagurski, who spent the year with AAA Scranton. And after the game, they acquired infielder Brendan Ryan from the Mariners, in exchange for a player to be named later and a roster move to be clarified later. Part of the reason they seem to have picked up Ryan was due to the fact that Jeter still isn’t doing any baseball activities yet.

I like games like the one they played tonight. It was a fun roller coaster-type run in Baltimore tonight — Yankees, then Orioles, then Yankees, then an attempt by the Orioles. Pitching isn’t anywhere near the Orioles best thing going for them, but they do like to hit so it puts a lot of pressure on the opposing team to pitch better than the Birds can hit. And then also hit better than the Birds. But as they have proven so very often this season, when the Yankees decide to win a game with their bats, they know how to do it right. And tonight, they relied on some powerful albeit late-season bats, led by (the quickly becoming legendary) Alfonso Soriano. And if they have to rely on that kind of play to make it to October, it should be a really fun September.

Go Yankees!

Game 143: BOS vs. NYY — Wild Pitch Walk-off & the Rookies

Well, Derek Jeter may have watched from the dugout today, resting his sore ankle, but he certainly got a first-hand view of a really wild game to close out the weekend series against the Red Sox.

Looking to stop the bleeding, the Yankees turned to a reliable source for control, despite a recent slump in reliability. So it was Hiroki Kuroda to the mound. And today, in stark comparison to the other three games, both sides put up some really great pitching and made today’s game into quite a pitching match-up. And unlike the three previous outings, the final score was low and kept low. Maybe they were tired, maybe it’s late in the season, or maybe they actually had good pitching that kept any potential offensive rallies from being too potent.

Anyway, Kuroda threw a season high 117 pitches over 6 innings, allowing just 5 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and striking out 6 batters. Those two runs came as an RBI double in the 2nd and a sacrifice ground out in the 6th. His reputation through most of the year was a tight ship with minimal runs, and today he righted his ship and stayed the course. Unfortunately, he was not awarded the win, but more on that later.

Offensively, the Yankees trailed the Red Sox 1-0 until the 4th inning, when Mark Reynolds doubled in Rodriguez to tie up the game. In the next inning, Stewart, Ichiro, and Wells all on base with back-to-back-to-back singles and 2 outs, it’s Robinson Cano to double home 2 of them, raising the score to 3-1 Yankees. With the Red Sox score in the 6, the score sat at 3-2.

Finally back from an injury to his triceps, Shawn Kelley took over for Kuroda in the 7th and kept the Red Sox planted there. (Glad to see that he’s back to his usual form.) And going into the 8th, with much of their bullpen depleted from the weekend’s strain (or injuries), they had no choice really but to ask Mariano Rivera to do something big — try to get 6 outs, or go 2 full innings for the save. Rivera made it through the 8th unscathed, but gave up a lead-off solo home run in the 9th to blow the save and tie up the game. Three outs later, the Yankees have to pull magic out of the air to make this work. I think we all knew that if the Red Sox came up to bat again, they would walk away with the game. It was now or nothing.

Fortunately, it turned out to be “now” when Ichiro Suzuki singled. He then stole 2nd and advanced to 3rd on the second out of the inning. Down to their last out, the Yankees put all their hope in Alfonso Soriano, who would hopefully at least do something to score Ichiro, just 90 feet away at 3rd base. But instead of going after Soriano, the Red Sox pitcher threw a really bad wild pitch, which the speedy Ichiro saw coming and took off for home plate. Soriano never got to swing at a ball that at-bat, but he did get to help welcome in Ichiro as the team poured out of the dugout to celebrate. Rivera may have blown the save, but he ended up earning the win instead.

Fun history note: the last time the Yankees had a walk-off wild pitch win was September 27, 1977. They won 2-1 against Cleveland, when legendary catcher and team captain Thurman Munson scored on a wild pitch. Remember, they won the World Series that year — the first time in 15 years.

And the injury update…

Boone Logan is on the mend, receiving a cortisone shot today, and should be working his way back into the regular bullpen soon. David Robertson, with tendinitis in his shoulder, is also watching from the dugout; he will continue to rest and probably isn’t available this next week. Both pitchers are so needed in the reliever front, which means that the Yankees are (rightly so) being cautious and careful with their recovery time; the last thing they need is to rush them back for a little game, and then not be available for a really big one.

And despite what some headlines might scare you to believe, Derek Jeter is resting his ankle for a couple of days and hopes to also work his way back into the line up sometime during this road trip. And Chris Stewart was pulled from the game; he got a ball thrown at his left foot during an at-bat and left the game about half-way out with what they dubbed a “foot contusion” (most people just call it a bad bruise). He will be sore for a few days, but certainly able to play. Fortunately, this comes at a time when there are actual reserves for his position. Rookies, but still available nonetheless.

Rookies as music’s trend setters:
(l to r) Murphy, Cabral, Bang, Marshall, Adams, and Claiborne
(Justin Bieber, Rick James, Psy, Psy’s hype man, Vanilla Ice, & Billy Ray Cyrus)
via Yankees PR

Speaking of rookies, every year, most teams do a little ritual for “Rookie Hazing”. For the last few years, they have fallen on the travel day for their last major road trip. This means that lands on today. I should mention that every year there’s a theme. Last year was “Star Wars”, which meant rookies like David Phelps (who went as Princess Leia, complete with the cinnamon buns hairstyle) had to board the plane, check in the hotel, and be photographed as these characters.

This year, the theme seemed to be crazy music trends (or something like that). They are (from left to right in the picture): catcher JR Murphy (Justin Bieber), pitcher Cesar Cabral (Rick James), Ichiro’s translator Bang (Psy), pitcher Brett Marshall (Psy’s hype man), infielder David Adams (Vanilla Ice), and pitcher Preston Claiborne (Billy Ray Cyrus).

(Oh, and that is the Yankees’ clubhouse they are standing in, something you can only see if you know someone, part of the press corps, or take the official Stadium Tour. Also in the picture, you can see some of the veterans in the background, pretending they had nothing to do with this stunt.)

Go Yankees!

Game 111: NYY vs. CHW — Monday’s media mania

As predicted, Monday was anything but a boring day, especially in what became the media circus of Chicago. And with all that, call it a distraction if you must, it’s curious as to whether the heated crowd was more excited to see the White Sox win or the Yankees lose (and lose poorly). And before you get distracted, let’s focus on the actual game.

Starter Andy Pettitte seemed to repeat Hughes’ outing yesterday, throwing his 75 pitches in just over 2 innings, allowing 11 hits and a walk, striking out 4 batters. And where he got in the most trouble was the 7 earned runs he allowed the White Sox to score. Four back-to-back singles, a sacrifice fly, and another single scored 3 runs very quickly for the White Sox in just the 1st inning. Then in the 2nd, two singles and a double score 2 more, and the White Sox are up 5-0. And in the 3rd, three singles, two strikeouts, and a walk, and the White Sox are up 6-0 with bases loaded. And the Yankees go to their bullpen, calling it quits on Pettitte’s night.

Preston Claiborne comes in again and proceeds to walk in another run before closing out the 3rd inning. His 4th inning goes much easier. Shawn Kelley does his part in the 5th and 6th inning fairly well, though he allowed an RBI double to add to the White Sox total in the 6th. Chamberlain threw a decent 7th inning, and Logan threw a rather flawless 8th inning (with two strikeouts).

But it’s the White Sox’s game tonight. The only offensive relief came in the 7th inning. Nunez and Stewart each single, and it’s Brett Gardner’s sacrifice fly scores Nunez. And that’s the only time a Yankee crossed the plate tonight, making the final score 8-1 Chicago. Maybe it was the media circus, maybe it was the change in the roster, maybe it was the rowdy crowd bent on jeering recent news stories over cheering for their own team, or maybe it was just a bad night all around.

Well, It certainly wasn’t the White Sox’s pitching or defense. Many of the Yankees 9 total hits were as a result of their sloppy defense. In fact, Alex Rodriguez’s first hit of the season in his first at-bat should have been an easy out, a fly ball that the outfielder mishandled. It was the Yankees defense that actually shone tonight, with plays by Cano, Rodriguez and Wells, and Nunez

Oh, and in case you’ve been hiding under a rock today, Alex Rodriguez is back in the Yankees’ lineup. Tonight, he was playing 3rd base again, batting 4th (or clean-up, as they call it). To make room to activate him, the Yankees placed Derek Jeter on the DL with his right calf strain, designated Brent Lillibridge for assignment, and recalled David Adams.

Okay, so MLB officially handed down their suspensions to players involved in the Biogenesis scandal. In case you forgot, Biogenesis was the anti-aging clinic in South Florida that is currently closed and under investigation for illegally prescribing and distributing human growth hormones and other performance enhancing drugs. The founder Anthony Bosch was also operating this clinic without a medical license. In late January, a Miami newspaper released a huge story, naming players and hand-written notes from the clinic, implicating the biggest PED-related scandal in nearly a decade. MLB has taken the majority of the year investigating on their own and collecting what evidence there is to see what the appropriate action should be taken against particular players, due to their involvement. Recently, the disgraced Bosch agreed to cooperate with MLB’s investigation because of the threat of a powerful lawsuit. So based on their investigation results, MLB informed the Players’ Association (the player’s union) and every named player and their legal team with a deadline to appeal or accept by Sunday evening. And today, they made a public statement with the rulings.

Today twelve players accepted a 50-game suspension, with another player accepting a longer suspension that began 2 weeks earlier. Francisco Cervelli was among those names, and though he has spent the majority of the year on the DL, he will continue the rest of the year out of pinstripes due to the suspension. The whole situation and its circumstances regarding Cervelli are still a little hazy and will continue to be so unless Cervelli himself desires to clarify the situation.

One name not listed among those players, but still listed as suspended was Alex Rodriguez. Technically, Rodriguez was issued a 211-game suspension that would begin on Thursday. This would take him out of the rest of the year and into 2014. I should note that suspensions are always without pay. But he is the sole player filing an appeal, which I imagine is more due to the lengthened sentence. MLB stated that his extended sentence was due to his “intent to obstruct and frustrate” the investigation. The appeal process could take anywhere from a few days to a couple of months. And in the mean time, Rodriguez is allowed to play baseball, until an arbitrator decides whether to uphold, reduce, or negate his suspension.

(More on the suspension and video of Rodriguez’s press conference today can be found here and here, and the full statement from the commissioner’s office is here. Please note that many other non-MLB sites, like one may find by Googling, are reporting on speculation or unnamed “sources”. And like I’ve said many times on here, this blog is for solid truthful facts only and the opinions based on those facts alone, and as such, I won’t link to or post any of those other reports/blogs/opinions. Be careful what you read/hear; a media circus doesn’t begin to describe the utter chaos of today.)

And until such a final ruling from the arbitrator or a public statement from Rodriguez’s or Cervelli’s camps (or an official MLB/Yankees statement) is made, there is nothing further to talk about on here. Yes, the game needs to be clean, and yes, those who cheat should be held accountable. But unless it’s your job to do either of those (and I mean, you have the title and pay of athlete or MLB executive), tonight the rest of us can rest a little easier knowing that tomorrow bring new opportunities for a fresh start and new beginning.

Oh, and in Chicago-related news, recently released Thomas Neal was picked up by the other Chicago team (the Cubs). The Cubs need a young talented outfielder and hopefully can make good use of his versatility and potential. After all, he had some good experience in pinstripes, and you know what they say: “once a Yankee…”

Go Yankees!

Game 106: NYY vs. LAD — A walk-off win for the other guys

Putting it simply, the Dodgers out-hit the Yankees tonight. Maybe it was because they put up their ace against the slumping offense, or maybe it’s because starter Andy Pettitte hasn’t been on top of his game recently. Maybe it’s just how the chips fell, as it were.

Pettitte threw his 7 innings, giving up 8 hits and no walks and striking out 3 batters. He also allowed 2 runs — an RBI single in the 1st and a solo home run in the 2nd, but put up five solid innings of zeros on the scoreboard. David Robertson threw 9 pitches in the 8th inning and kept the momentum, doing his best to continue his display of (what can only be clearly called) All-Star behavior.

Now, the Yankees offense wasn’t nearly as alive as it was on Sunday. Lyle Overbay (who sat out Sunday’s game) shot a long ball deep into the right field seats in the bottom of the 1st inning. And in the 2nd inning, Alfonso Soriano doubled, advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch, and scored on Overbay’s ground out to tie up the game at 2-2 for the next 5 innings.

So going into the bottom of the 9th, the game is tied and Shawn Kelley comes into keep the Dodgers scoreless and take it into extra innings. Except he didn’t. Two out sand two singles later and the Dodgers have a walk-off victory 3-2.

But the Dodgers did keep the Yankee outfielders hopping, including a great throw by Ichiro Suzuki to get a runner out at home and a diving grab by Soriano.

In more positive news (as I try to steer away from potential speculation and negativity surrounding the PED scandal), the Yankees have Jayson Nix back on their regular roster after his recent stint on the DL for a hamstring strain. David Adams was optioned back to AAA Scranton. And Curtis Granderson is up to AA Trenton for his rehab assignment. And many others on the current DL are scheduled to come back some time in August, and since August begins in 2 days (or tomorrow for half the country already), this gives some hope to those of us wanting the “punch” to return to the team.

I think one of my least favorite parts of this job is having to sift through all the negative press either about the team or certain players or the sport in general. I don’t think I’ve gone a day recently without at least one story like this popping up on my Twitter feed. It’s such a shame that people would waste that much time on negativity. Don’t get me wrong here. I’m well aware of the things that are being said, and I even have my own strong opinions on them. But as long as everything’s still up in the air, there’s no press time on here allowed for assumption or spreading the negativity. Especially when I have to talk about bad news like a last-minute loss. (Not that I’d want to talk about negativity on a great win either, but I think you get the point.)

So instead, seeing as it’s the start of another week of late-nights (aka “West Coast Week, the sequel”), I’m going to wrap it up with hopes for a better tomorrow. I don’t think we can ask for anything more than that fresh start tomorrow, building on what was and moving forward with the desire to see good things by the end of the next day. Who knows? Maybe I’ll find something positive in my Twitter feed tomorrow morning, or maybe there will be a great personal interest story to take a little of the glory from the negative ones. But either way, you’ll always find positivity and hope on this blog. Maybe call it stability in such a chaotic world, but it is what it is.

Go Yankees!

Game 103: TB vs. NYY — Last minute rally can’t save CC, even with Soriano again

CC Sabathia really didn’t have a very good night. In fact, this quickly became his 3rd game this season to give up 7 runs, a career high. Something just got him in the 2nd inning tonight, something that was just too much for the Yankees’ offense was too much to overcome. Sabathia threw 102 pitches in just 5 innings, allowing 9 hits, 7 runs, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts.

But again it was the 2nd inning that the Rays just jumped ahead and never looked back — a double; a fly out advancing the runner to 3rd; a double scoring the runner; a pop up; a walk; a single scoring the lead runner; a bunt that should have been a 3rd out became a single, loaded the bases and scored another runner; another double scored 2 more runs; and a single scored a 6th run of the inning before they got that elusive 3rd out of the inning on the batter’s attempt to make his single a double. Needless to say, that wasn’t exactly the most encouraging inning for the Yankees. Sabathia allowed an RBI single in the 5th inning to add to the Rays’ lead at 7.

Adam Warren came into the game in the 6th inning for long-term relief, and did an excellent job with a minor exception. In the 7th inning, a single and walk set the stage for a 3-run home run to skyrocket the Rays to a 10 run score total.

But you can’t fault the Yankees for their efforts in the batter’s box. In the 3rd inning, Brent Lillibridge singled, advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch, and promptly scored (using some really amazing, and dare I say unexpected speed) on Austin Romine’s single. And there the Yankees sat, with their sole run until the 8th inning. Oh, they threatened quite a bit, prompting Tampa to exhaust their bullpen, using 6 pitchers through the entire game. But in the 8th inning, a 2-inning rally certainly made an effort to chip away at the Rays’ double-digits lead. Melky Mesa doubled, David Adams singled home Mesa, Alfonso Soriano (more on him later) grounded into a force out, and Chris Stewart doubled home Soriano. It was now 10-3 Rays, going into the 9th inning.

With one out, Lillibridge singles, Romine walks, Brett Gardner singles and loads the bases, Mesa singles and scores Lillibridge, Adams singles home Romine, Soriano grounds into another force out but scores Gardner, and a final ground out ends the game. This planted the attempted rally 4 runs shy of the Rays, ending the game at 10-6 Tampa.

I will say that the Rays barely out-hit the Yankees 12-11, those numbers alone explain why the Rays went through so many pitchers tonight. But it’s never how many hits you get, but how many times you cross home plate. And if it makes Yankees fans feel any better, after today’s games, Boston fell to Baltimore so Tampa’s win actually made them 1st place in the AL East. And as any Yankee fan will tell you, anyone’s better than Boston, especially if it can’t be you.

Now, for Soriano… that’s right, old Yankee fans, Sori’s back. The Yankees front office spent some time orchestrating a trade with the Cubs for Soriano to return back to his former team. They traded a pitching prospect for Sori, who waived his “no-trade” clause to be back in the Bronx. Soriano played for the Yankees from 1999-2003, where he was part of the trade with Texas the Yankees made for Alex Rodriguez. That’s right, if you’re following along at home, Rodriguez isn’t playing with the Yankees right now, but the guy he essentially replaced is back in action on the team. Soriano traded his infield position for an outfield/DH role, being as he is now 37 (it’s still the tradition to make a big deal about the age of the players, right?). And though he had a less-than-outstanding outing in his re-debut in pinstripes, he is still being seen as a better choice than some of the other options the club has.

But Soriano is a welcome sight in the Bronx, a reminder of good seasons and a great clubhouse rapport. Veterans certainly welcomed him home, and the great Yankee fan base certainly welcomed Sori home tonight. What makes it even more awesome is that Vernon Wells (who has been sporting #12 since signing with the Yankees this Spring) traded numbers with Soriano, so that Sori could have his old number back. So Sori donned #12, and Wells took #22. If anything at all, Soriano is certainly bringing out the best in his new teammates, and I have to say that a good clubhouse always makes for a better team than almost anything else.

And for those curious, the Yankees sent Thomas Neal to AAA Scranton to make room for Soriano on the 25-man roster, while the 40-man roster now sits at an even 40. The juggling of this roster this year must keep the cell phones and computer keyboards in near-perpetual motion. I certainly don’t envy their jobs in the least, and they’ve certainly been working overtime too many times this year already. And it’s not over yet with Jeter, Granderson, Nix, Phelps, Cervelli, and Rodriguez just itching to get back in the game as soon as humanly possible.

And while tonight’s game certainly wasn’t the most encouraging one to watch as a Yankees fan, the end of it certainly proved many of my previous posts right — “never, never, never give up” (thanks to Churchill for the quote). Even if you fail, you don’t want to feel like you just handed over the win without at least trying to win. I love that this year so many of the major plays and runs are being made by the guys you’ve barely heard of and least expect anything from. Because isn’t that what makes minor league ball or even little league special? Not the names, but the game itself and the players working their hardest and making every effort to just do their best in the hope that their best is something truly spectacular. Those are the guys that play the game right, and those are the guys I want to root for and cheer on and see succeed in life.

Go Yankees!

Game 101: NYY vs. TEX — Lackluster Wednesday

Game recap first, then drama recap. And there is so much drama for a Wednesday.

Starter Andy Pettitte went into the 7th inning with his 94 pitches. Only one Texas player seemed to have Pettitte’s number to put any dent in the scoreboard. In the 1st inning, the batter hit an RBI single to put the Rangers on top 1-0 until the 6th inning, when the same batter’s solo home run kept the Texas in the lead. Shawn Kelley came on in the 7th with 2 runners on base and no outs and managed to get out of that inning scott-free. But then he allowed a solo home run in the 8th inning, furthering the Rangers’ lead.

Offensively, the Yankees had some rather lackluster moments. Their lone score came in the fateful 6th inning. Brett Gardner singled and advanced to 3rd on a really bad throwing error and complete mess chasing Gardner around the diamond. This put him in the perfect place to score easily on Robinson Cano’s single. They did hit off the newly acquired Rangers’ pitcher, and there were 2 errors made by the less-than-impressive Texas defense (including the one previously mentioned). But the Yankees just weren’t consistent in their offensive attack. Needless to say, the Rangers take their second game in this four game series with a final score of 3-1.

However, the coolest part about tonight’s game was Andy Pettitte passing the great Sandy Koufax on the all-time strikeout list with 2397 strikeouts, making him securely in 39th place, leading the current active players on the list. Teammate CC Sabathia isn’t that far behind him. But the major difference between the two is that Sabathia is a dominant strikeout pitcher, where as Pettitte tends to get batters to ground/fly out. Both still have plenty of time to cement their permanent numbers in the all-time list. But a big congratulations to Andy tonight, and I know we all look forward to watching those numbers continue to climb.

Luis Cruz was moved to the 15-day DL after spraining his right knee after Monday’s game. In his place, they recalled David Adams for that ever-needed infield support. Both Jayson Nix (hamstring) and Curtis Granderson (hand) report to the Tampa Yankees for their rehab assignments. David Phelps (forearm) is rehabbing with AA Trenton. And the Yankees decided to outright Alberto Gonzalez to AAA Scranton, meaning they released him but wanted to keep him nearby in case they need more infield support in the future.

Alex Rodriguez spent time today at the Tampa minor league complex working on his rehab. And because of his injury, his name was circulating all over the internet, Twitter, and sports shows; but not in a good way. Apparently, Rodriguez sought a second opinion on his recent quad strain, but without the consent of the Yankees organization. This is a violation of the standard agreement all players sign. To make matters worse, the doctor not only said there didn’t seem to be a strain, but he was also involved in recent reprimands due to his prescriptions of steroid-like substances. And with the rumors surrounding Rodriguez with the South Florida clinic, the last thing his name needs to be tied with is another questionable medical instance.

Like I said many times before, I won’t fall into assumptions or presumptions. And I won’t comment until solid facts and sentences have been pronounced or names have been exonerated. But when my Twitter is filled up with more of this medical story than the new royal baby, I have to at least mention the story. It’s days like this that I’m glad I changed my major in college from Journalism to English. So I’m not one of those people stalking stories, but rather reflecting on the application and life lessons you can get from the stories.

So what can we learn from today’s story? When you sign a contract, read it and make sure you’re following it. And make sure you steer clear of people who aren’t 100% above-board, especially when you’re currently mired in your own murky circumstances. Maybe you can learn by example, even if you don’t necessarily agree with how the person got to the point from where you’re drawing the conclusion and life application. Seeing as we are all only ever responsible for our own decisions, learning from another’s bad example is a great way to move forward and not repeat their mistakes. But it’s up to them to also learn from their mistakes and move forward, daring to never repeat their own mistakes.

And perhaps that’s the greatest lesson of all — it’s not if you make mistakes (because you will), but how you move forward from them. History is full of great men who failed spectacularly but figured out how to learn from and excel past those failures. That’s why history isn’t written until that person has lived their life and passed into legend, leaving behind legacy and success in the face of failure. If they wrote history in the middle of someone’s life, you can’t imagine the impact, the good that can come from one person, or to use an old phrase, you “can’t see the forest through the trees”. Biographies are better when there’s an end to the story so you can look back and see how all the pieces fit together.

So we’re still in the middle of the story. There’s still so much that can happen and will happen. So I look forward on reflecting on what did happen and how even the worst parts impacted the world for the better.

Go Yankees!

Game 89: KC vs. NYY — HOPE Week, lots of rain, & a loss

HOPE Week begins with the Rockaway Athletes
via yankees.com

Today began my absolute favorite week of the season: HOPE Week. HOPE Week (Helping Others Persevere & Excel) started in 2009 as a way to publicly recognize and support local charities and organizations that serve the New York community. And for the first time, this year the minor leagues also participated in their local communities during their own HOPE Weeks. But HOPE Week isn’t just for the players, but also for the coaches, front office, and owners to spend time out with the 5 selected charities this year.

Ivan Nova, Preston Claiborne, Adam Warren, David Adams, Zoilo Almonte, and Alberto Gonzalez traveled out to Rockaway (one of the areas in the city hit hardest by Sandy last fall) to surprise a group called the Rockaway Athletes, the local chapter of the Special Olympics. The Yankees played with the special needs young people, served and ate lunch with them, and presented the organization with a $5000 check. (A full article about today’s HOPE Week outing can be found here.) Then, as an honor for their new partnership, one of the Rockaway Athletes threw out the first pitch before tonight’s game against the Kansas City Royals.

Starter Phil Hughes tonight didn’t get off to a good start tonight. At the top of the 2nd inning, he allowed a home run and 2 doubles that put the Royals up 2-0. Hughes was spared any further personal damage (though he ended up with the loss tonight) because about halfway through the bottom of the 4th inning, the heavens opened and rain and reports of hail poured into the stadium at unprecedented speed and volume. The umpires (who have to be the ones to call the rain delay) were late in calling the delay, which ultimately caused many problems with getting the tarp on the infield. It was raining so hard, the tarp became too heavy to pull onto the dirt and had to be dumped before finally applying it properly to the field. The rain and its subsequent clean-up (or should I say dry-out) caused a delay of nearly an hour.

When they resumed play, Hughes was out and Adam Warren was in. Warren seemed ready to deal with long-term relief, except for an RBI double in the 7th inning to put the Royals up 3-0. Lyle Overbay answered in the bottom of that inning with his own deep, pinch-hitting solo home run. When Warren gets into some trouble in the 8th, Preston Claiborne easily gets the last out of that inning and falters on his own in the 9th, allowing a single, an RBI double, and an RBI triple to put the Royals up (to what would prove the unreachable) 5-1. The Yankees had a huge opportunity in the bottom of the 9th inning, loading the bases with a walk and 2 singles and no outs, but the next three batters struck out and gave the game to the Royals tonight.

The Yankees acquired 1st baseman Travis Ishikawa, recently released from the Orioles and on the 2010 Giants (with the ring to prove it), who started at 1st base today but wasn’t as productive both there and at bat, going 0-for-2 with 2 strike outs. To make room for him on the roster, the Yankees moved Kevin Youkilis to the 60-day DL and optioned David Adams to AAA Scranton. This still allows for an Adams recall later in the season should the need arise, but this also allows Adams time to work on his slumping offense (his defense is always quite stellar).

There is other injury updates, but I’d rather keep the focus this week on HOPE Week. I hope it encourages all of you (like it always does me) to go out and be involved actively in your community. Even if we only make a difference in one person’s life, to that person, we have changed the world. And to me, that makes all the difference between passivity and active participation in my world.

Go Yankees! (And vote for David Robertson for the All-Star Game! #HighSocksForVotes)