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Off-Day Notes: Chamberlain, Robertson, Rodriguez, Jeter, Teixeira, Pineda, Nelson, Granderson
Beauty comes with a price, doesn’t it? On a day where it’s 73 degrees in New York City…there had to be some news about the Yankees somewhere. Let’s get to them.
– Joba Chamberlain was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a tight oblique. He said he felt something when he was warming up to pitch on Tuesday and complained of soreness when he arrived at the stadium yesterday. Brian Cashman said that the strain is “mild” and Joba should be back to pitch in two weeks. There wasn’t a move on the roster to replace Chamberlain but Cashman did say that he had three names in mind when it came to taking that roster spot: Mark Montgomery, Preston Claiborne and Sam Demel.
– David Robertson spent his off-day at the doctors office after feeling discomfort near his knee/hamstring. The doctors did an MRI and the diagnosis is a “cranky hamstring”. Robertson won’t have to go on the DL; instead he is day-to-day.
– Alex Rodriguez posted on Facebook that he had been cleared to do baseball activities and that he will head to Tampa on Monday in order to join Curtis Granderson rehabbing their way back to the team. Rodriguez is still expected to be back after the All-Star break, along with Derek Jeter.
Derek Jeter
– Derek Jeter is still in the walking boot, but he’s able to remove it to do exercises. He’s expected to be back after the All-Star Break.
– After doing tee and toss, Teixeira will stay with the Yankees until the end of the homestand, then head off to Florida to rehab with A-Rod and Granderson. Teixeira is expected to be back in June.
– Michael Pineda is throwing to hitters down in Florida. He’s reached 93-95 MPH on his fastball.
– After being acquired by the Yankees late last night, he’s officially been put on the 25-man roster and is activated for tomorrow. Corban Joseph was optioned to Triple-AAA to complete the roster move.
Curtis Granderson
– Curtis Granderson is on the road back to the Yankees today. He took more at-bats in an extended Spring Training game. If all goes well, Granderson is slated to come back in about two weeks.
Some Notes: Robertson, Nelson, Teixeira, Granderson,
Here are some notes from today:
– David Robertson: David Robertson looked as if he turned on his ankle during the last pitch of his outing and immediately went to the clubhouse. According to Girardi, Robertson is fine after icing his ankle and he should be ready to go on Friday.
– Chris Nelson: After the game, the Yankees announced that they traded either cash or a player to be named later to the Colorado Rockies for INF Chris Nelson. Nelson is batting .242 (16-for-66) with 0 HR and 4 RBI’s with his time in Colorado. The Yankees have not made a 25-man roster move but they did move Francisco Cervelli to the 60-Day-DL.
– Mark Teixeira: Mark Teixeira is one step closer to returning to the Yankees lineup. Texieria hit balls off a tee and hit baseballs that were thrown by the coaches towards him. He’s not close to getting into a rehab game and he’ll continue to build strength in his wrist.
– Curtis Granderson: Curtis Granderson is the closest to returning to the Yankees lineup. Granderson had two AB in an extended Spring Training game today (there was rain in the forecast that suspended the game) and said he felt great. He feels he needs at least 50 AB before he could return to the Yankees which puts him to return in 2 weeks.
Love them or hate them: The John Sterling home-run calls
Ever since 1989, John Sterling has been in the broadcast booth calling Yankees games through thick and thin. He’s entertaining, he’s interesting and one of the few radio announcers I can turn to when it’s time to mute a FOX game. One of the reasons that I enjoy listening to Sterling is for his inventive and interesting home-run calls. His home-run calls are one of those staples that are needed to be memorized by every Yankees fan. Over the years, he has created home-run calls that cannot be forgotten. Remember Bernie William’s famous home-run call “Bern Baby Bern” or Tino Martinez‘s “Bam-Tino?” Yep, that was John Sterling’s entertaining mind. When a new Yankee hits a home-run, fans turn and ask “What’s John Sterling’s home-run call for this player?” Well, being the John Sterling radio fanatic that I am, I compiled a list of some of our favorite New York Yankees home-run calls for the players on the current team. (that includes our new Yankees brethren as well).
Brett Gardner: Brett Gardner has two home-run calls, depending of the mood that John Sterling is. Personally, I love hearing them both since Gardner rarely hits HR’s. The first one is fun to say because he went yard, yet the second one is a pun on his last name ‘Gardner’ which is an actual word.
1) “Gardy goes Yardy!”
2) “Gardner plants one in the (left or right) field seats!”
Ichiro Suzuki: Ichiro’s home-run call. I felt like John Sterling could have been more inventive with Ichiro’s home-run call, but it is what it is.
“Ichiro, the Yankees rising son, says sayonara.”
Curtis Granderson: The second home-run call is one of my favorites. The first one is a pun on his last name, but the second one you get to sing! Every time Granderson goes to bat, I find myself singing it. I can’t wait to start singing it when Granderson comes back from the DL.
1) “Isn’t he something sort of Grand-ish?”
2) “Oh, the Grandyman Can! Oh, the Grandyman can!”
Derek Jeter: Derek Jeter is the captain of the Yankees, so his home-run call is rather fitting.
“El Capitan.”
Mark Teixeira: Mark Teixeria is another one of those Yankees that has two home run calls. I actually enjoy the first one more since it’s a pun on getting a text message. (And I like to look at my smartphone and ask why haven’t I got a ‘Tex’ Message yet when he goes to the plate).
1) “Mark sends a Tex Message to the (left or right) field seats!
2) “You’re on the Mark, Teixeira”
Alex Rodriguez: Everyone knows A-Rod’s HR call. It’s not a secret.
“An A-Bomb for A-Rod.”
Robinson Cano: If I were John Sterling, I would trademark this home-run call. It’s became a very popular saying among Yankees fans.
“Robbie Cano, Don’t Ya Know!”
Francisco Cervelli: I personally am a sucker for this home-run call. It simply reminds me of food.
“Cisco the Kid Cerv’s one up!”
Travis Hafner: All right, I love John Sterling and all but…this call was L-A-M-E! It lacks the magic. Did Sterling figure that he wasn’t going to be a Yankee past this season and gave him a home-run call that was sad yet lame?
1) “The Pronx Bomber.”
2) “A Hafner Homer.”
Vernon Wells: So Vernon Wells has two HR calls that are slightly better than Travis Hafner’s. Wells’s walk-up song may be awesome…but his HR call is something that’s almost cringe-worthy.
1) “The Bronx is Vernon.”
2) “Wells rings the bells.”
Kevin Youkilis: So all of my favorite things in life has to have carbon copies of something? My favorite T.V show has carbon copies of the original characters and Kevin Youkilis’s HR call is a carbon copy of Alex Rodriguez’s.
“A Nuke for Youk.”
Yeah, that was really inventive.
Yep, we may love them and we may hate them but the John Sterling HR calls are iconic to the Yankees. When a new Yankee hits a home-run, you never know what call John Sterling could come up with.
Behind the music: The 2013 Yankees walk-up songs
When the baseball season starts, fans usually go to the ball park in order to take in nine innings of glorious baseball. As much as I enjoy going to the ball park to hear the crack of the bat, the fans cheering loudly and the food, I usually love going to the ball park in order to listen to the walk-up music of the Yankees. Music is one of my biggest passions, and to me the Yankees have done more than play great baseball over the years; they’ve also introduced me to new music and have filled up my iTunes with songs that I listen to on a consistent basis. Since Opening Day for the Yankees is tomorrow, I went on the Yankees website, found the list to some of the Yankees walk-up songs and took a listen to them, introducing myself to the different types of music that our players listen to.
1. Brennan Boesch: Brennan Boesch didn’t waste any time in choosing his songs for the 2013 season as he went and chose two songs for his walk-up music. The first song was “Sail” by Awolnation. When I first took a listen to the song, I found it intimidating in a good way. It’s not as intimidating as Evan Longoria‘s walk-up song (which is arguably one of the best walk-up songs in the Major Leagues), but it makes you think that something big is coming. The second song that Boesch chose was “We’ll Be Fine” by Drake. This is one of those songs that has you nodding your head while Boesch comes to the plate. Boesch hasn’t played a real game for the Yankees yet, but if I must applaud him on one thing, it’s his good taste in music.
2. Brett Gardner: I have to admit that before I started watching Gardner play baseball, I did not listen to country music; at all. But in 2011, Gardner had “Dirt Road Anthem” by Jason Aldean as one of his walk-up songs and ever since then, half my iTunes is consumed with country music. This year, Gardner went with “Hell On Wheels” by Brantely Gilbert which is another great country song. Now, let’s hope that Gardner’s 2013 season is as dynamite as his walk-up song choice.
3. Chris Stewart: Chris Stewart is close to having one of the best walk-up songs on the Yankees if he only played the first twenty seconds of the song over the P.A. Stewart’s song choice is “Forsaken” by Skillet and if there’s one thing I must say, is that the guitar riffs were amazing. I wouldn’t normally listen to music like this, but after today now I would. Now, all he has to do is play on a consistent basis so I could heart this song over and over at the ball park. I wouldn’t mind paying money for that.
4. Curtis Granderson: We all remember the famous video where Curtis Granderson was picking his at-bat music and then almost cried when he chose “Friday.” Well, maybe all those hours of going through his laptop did the Grandy Man some good. His walk-up song (when he comes back) is none other than “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See (Instrumental)” by Busta Rhymes. Not too fond of the lyrics, but I do love the beat, so a smart move by Granderson in just using the instrumental.
5. David Robertson: We all know that David Robertson is an Alabama boy. He was born in Tuscaloosa and he is constantly helping his hometown with High Socks For Hope. So it doesn’t surprise me that his walk-up song is the awesome “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. It’s actually a good thing I know about this now because I made a deadly mistake in asking my Twitter followers last season what D-Rob’s walk-up song was. Let’s just say they weren’t too happy with me during the game when they found out I seriously didn’t know. Well, I know now and it’s an awesome song. I’m looking forward to the 8th inning where I could sit back and listen to the tune that introduces us to the Yankees favorite set-up man.
6. Derek Jeter: The Captain won’t be there on Opening Day for us to hear his walk-up music but he made sure that he chose a song. I’m not too fond of rap music but, “Otis” by Jay-Z and Kanye West was a decent choice by Jeter. It would be nice to hear it at Yankee Stadium when The Captain returns, but in the meantime I guess the closest we can hear this song is on Youtube (and on iTunes if you have it already).
7. Hiroki Kuroda: Hiroki Kuroda has some great taste in music! Kuroda’s walk-up music is “The Whip” by Locksley and when I heard it for the first time, I heard some influence of ‘The Beatles’ in the chorus of the song. It’s nice that Kuroda was able to take us back to the good music–without actually taking us all the way back to the 1960′s.
8. Ivan Nova: Ah, is there nothing better than listening to some awesome Spanish music at Yankee Stadium? That’s what Ivan Nova introduced to the fans when he made his walk-up choice “Marta La Reina” by Antony Santos. This is one of those songs where you can’t help but get up from your seat and start dancing. According to the Yankees website, I don’t think it’s available for purchase but they have the song on Youtube where you can hear it over and over and over. It’s actually a great song to hear on a Sunday morning (with your headphones on).
9. Mariano Rivera: Mariano Rivera’s song choice is as fitting as his role on the Yankees. When the Yankees have a lead and they go to the 9th inning, Mariano Rivera comes in the game and puts it to bed, dubbing him “The Sandman.” Rivera’s song choice is the best song choice by far on the Yankees with “Enter Sandman” by Metallica. The guitar riffs in the song are simply amazing and when Yankees fans hear it, they can’t help but get excited, knowing that the greatest closer of all time is coming in to make the opposing team’s offense go to sleep. Yankees fans better soak in all of “Enter Sandman” that they can this season, since Rivera plans on retiring at the end of the season. I know I’ll soak up every moment.
10. Mark Teixeira: If there’s anyone that we can count on to take us back to when rap music was at it’s best, it’s Mark Teixeira. His song choice “It’s Tricky” by Run D.M.C is a great way to pay a homage to rap at it’s finest. Of course, we expect nothing less of Teixeira since he has been famously known of using classics from the Twisted Sisters in the past. But Teixeira didn’t stop there. His second song choice was “This Town” by O.A.R. which is one of my favorite songs. Teixeira hit a home run with his song choices and I can’t wait until he gets back on the field so we can hear it blaring from the P.A speakers.
11. Phil Hughes: Phil Hughes’s walk-up song is pretty vague. There’s no artist next to his song choice ”Tomorrowland” so I did a search on Youtube and it sounds more like Hughes is ready for summer in a club than ready to play baseball. If this is his song, I’m not too fond of the techno-beat, but I can see it getting fans excited.
12. Robinson Cano: Robinson Cano simply outdid everyone when it came to choosing songs. He didn’t choose two songs, he went the extra mile and chose three! His first song was “El Que No Aguante La Presion” by Secreto El Biberon which is a great song choice. It reminds me of summer like Hughes’s song choice, but Cano’s song reminds me more of running through fire hydrants that have water coming out of them than the club. Cano’s second song choice was “Me Kitee” by Black Point. Again, it reminded me of summer. Cano’s last song was “Te Prendo” by Chimbala. As far as Spanish songs go, all three of Cano’s song choices hit it out of the ball park. Simply great. If his goal was to get Yankees fans on their feet while he comes to bat, he succeeded.
13. Vernon Wells: I’m not a fan of rap music, but if you choose a song with Dr. Dre and Eminem, then you are in my good graces for the entire season. And that’s exactly what Vernon Wells did by choosing “Forgot About Dre” by Dr. Dre & Eminem. The beat is fantastic and this was when rap was still at it is greatest. It’s great that someone chose a throwback song, and now I will await his arrival to the plate just to hear this awesome song.
The Yankees choosing their own walk-up music is a way for them to connect to their fans. It shows fans what kind of music their idols like and in their own way, they introduce you to music you may have never heard of before. The Yankees are always winners in the fans eyes, but they’ve become more than. They’re role models with impeccable taste in music. So the next time you go to the ball park, open your ears when your favorite Yankee goes to the plate. You just might have a new favorite song that you’ll want as soon as you get home.
The roster begins to shape up for the Yankees
The Opening Day 25-man roster has to be set by Sunday, but the Yankees got a head start and started making some cuts and additions. Here’s what manager Joe Girardi and the Yankees did after the Yankees 4-2 win over the Nationals.
1. The Yankees optioned Melky Mesa to Triple-A Scranton along with newly acquired pitcher Sam Demel.
2. Lyle Overbay officially made the team today. Overbay’s defense impressed Joe Girardi enough that he will be the 1B against right handed pitchers while Kevin Youkilis plays third base.
3. Ben Francisco and Jayson Nix also made the team as the 4th OF and a utility guy off the bench.
4. David Aardsma was designated for assignment by the Yankees today. The reason behind it was that Girardi felt the Yankees already felt that they had enough one inning pitchers. Didn’t seem the need to carry another one.
5. Shawn Kelley made the team. Girardi liked his approach on the mound as well as the fact that he’s a strikeout pitcher.
6. Vidal Nuno along with a handful of other players were reassigned to minor league camp. I guess winning the Dawson Award didn’t mean much in the Yankees eyes.
7. Before the game today, Joe Girardi and Mark Teixeira were watching Brennan Boesch do first base drills while Teixeira was giving him pointers. It seems as if the Yankees plan on carrying Boesch as the emergency first baseman although the Yankees didn’t officially announce that as of yet.
8. After the Yankees released David Adams, he became a free agent today and the Yankees re-signed him. Seemed like a lengthy process to get him off the 40-man roster and back into the organization.
Final Spring Notes: Rivera, Boesch, Overbay, Mustelier, Francisco, Teixeira, Jeter, Granderson
Spring Training has come to close and GMS Field is done with Yankees games until next March, but the Yankees still have a job to do before Opening Day on Monday. That includes making cuts, adding people and setting their roster for Opening Day. Here’s what happened after today’s game.
Juan Rivera: Juan Rivera was released by the Yankees following today’s game, so it’s apparent that he won’t make the Yankees. The Yankees had to pay $100,000 in order to keep him on Tuesday and cut him today. Hopefully he’ll attach to another team. Unfortunatley, that team won’t be the Yankees.
Ronnier Mustelier: Ronnier Mustelier had a slim chance of making the roster but he was very impressive this Spring. Brian Cashman made it clear that Mustelier didn’t make the team after suffering a knee bruise. He was supposed to play last night in Sarasota but was scratched. Mustelier will stay in Tampa instead.
Brennan Boesch, Ben Francisco & Lyle Overbay: The Yankees seem keen on having Brennan Boesch, Ben Francisco and Lyle Overbay on the Yankees, and Cashman coy-fully suggested that the three of them would be at Yankee Stadium on Monday. I know we only saw Overbay for two days, but his defense was impressive and I wouldn’t mind having him on the team. Francisco and Boesch since coming to Yankees camp impressed, so it’s not surprising that they’re being considered for a role with the ball club.
Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson & Derek Jeter: The Yankees are breaking camp today and only one of these three players will actually go north with the team. Mark Teixeira will go with the Yankees and will get checked on Monday by the doctor for his wrist. If all goes well, Teixeira can take off the brace and will start strengthening his wrist. Curtis Granderson and Derek Jeter are staying in Tampa because they are closer to baseball activities than Teixeira. For example, Granderson can shag fly balls, pick up a bat and grip it without the arm hurting. Derek Jeter will get into a baseball game next week. Teixeira is a little far off from doing those quite yet.
Opening Day is coming, so how’s the team shaping up?
Brett Gardner could be a valuable player in the Yankees lineup…
In a little less than three weeks, the Yankees will begin their home-opener against the Boston Red Sox with CC Sabathia on the mound. However, this year’s Opening Day lineup might be a little different than what we’re used to due to all of the injuries the Yankees were plagued with during the 2013 season. The Yankees are missing Curtis Granderson (broken forearm), Mark Teixeira (strained forearm) and Alex Rodriguez (hip surgery) in their offense which is sure to look like the ‘Robinson Cano Show’ for the first month and a half. But with still some time to go, just how are the Yankees shaping up as they prepare for the season?
Lineup:
The Yankees lineup has many question marks after losing so many players to free agency and injuries. The bats of Nick Swisher, Russell Martin, Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez will be with different ball clubs, while we will most likely have to wait for Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson to return to their post in early to mid-May. However, the lineup hasn’t looked as puzzling as it did when Spring Training started. The Yankees proved that they can manufacture runs by using a key element that they possess: speed. Players like Brett Gardner, Ichiro Suzuki and Eduardo Nunez are capable of getting on base, going station to station on their own before a key teammate has to drive them in with an RBI. Speed will play an important part this season since the Yankees have lost over 100 home runs than in season’s past. But just because the Yankees are relying on speed, it doesn’t mean we should start calling them the ‘Bronx Bunters’. They will still find a way to hit home runs with Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira making their way back into the starting lineup.
Starting Pitching:
Throughout the course of Spring Training, the starting pitching has been one early glimpse of how our starters will perform during the 2013 season. It looks as if they left off from last season. Hiroki Kuroda looks to be in mid-season form, David Phelps has a 0.63 ERA 14 Spring appearances Ivan Nova has an ERA of 1. Andy Pettitte has still proven that his pitches are effective although he’s the oldest starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. And as expected, there is no concern over CC Sabathia, whatsoever. The starting pitching looks to be one of the Yankees strong points like it was in season’s past. Let’s hope that the pitching can carry the Yanks this season.
Bullpen:
…while Mariano Rivera could be a dynamic piece to the Yankees bullpen
The Yankees bullpen was another one of their key pieces that helped define the Yankees last season. With pitchers such as David Robertson, Boone Logan, Clay Rapada and Joba Chamberlain, it seemed like an easy task to get the ball to the 9th inning before handing it off to the greatest closer of all time, Mariano Rivera. Last season’s bullpen dynamic was different since there was no Mariano in the bullpen due to an ACL injury, giving the Yankees a glimpse of what it would look like if Mariano Rivera wasn’t there. With Rafael Soriano, the Yankees were able to still close games with a dominant force but this year there is no Rafael Soriano. Mariano Rivera plans to retire after the 2013 season, which gives Yankees fans one last look of the greatest closer before he hangs up his cleats and says goodbye to the game. The bullpen is expected to be a strong part of the Yankees once again, and from Spring observations, I wouldn’t be surprised if Shawn Kelley and David Phelps get spots in the bullpen. With both of their arms this spring, the Yankees bullpen could become an iron gate to prevent runs from scoring.
There’s only 17 days until Opening Day so from now until Spring Training is over, it would be a good time to start watching the games to see who has a legitimate shot of making the team. And from what I’ve seen all Spring so far, there are quite a few who have a chance to go north.
With Teixeira out, who plays first?
If the Yankees weren’t in trouble when Curtis Granderson went down, then they were really in trouble when Mark Teixeira went down. With two-thirds of the Yankees power bats down due to injury, the Yankees have to scramble to figure out who is going to take the coveted honor of being the Opening Day first baseman. Out of curiosity yesterday, I asked my Twitter followers what they think the Yankees should do about the first base situation. Their answers actually made more sense and gave more insight than anything Brian Cashman has said so far. Here were some of their suggestions (and me adding commentary).
@dfiregirl4 trade Cleveland for Mark Reynolds … Or move Youk to 1st and Nix at 3rd
— Mike (@NYRxngers) March 6, 2013
My thoughts: The Mark Reynolds idea, I actually liked but there was a small problem. If we sign Mark Reynolds he would basically be Curtis Granderson 2.0. He has the power but he also strikes out a lot. The second suggestion of moving Youkilis to first and Nix to third is a more realistic idea. Youkilis has played first in his career so him moving him there would be a good idea and for the meantime have Nix go to third. Defensively that would work out great. Offensively, Nix would have to step out (and so would Youkilis).
@dfiregirl4 – Dan Johnson or Juan Rivera can play first, not well, but they can play.
— The Tax Man Cometh (@Stateman1952) March 6, 2013
My Thoughts: Not well, but they can play. That would be a great way to describe the two suggestions, mostly Rivera. Johnson has actually been impressive at first when he’s played during the Spring. His defense this Spring has almost been Teixeira-like. Almost. But I think Dan Johnson could be a good defensive first baseman in the meantime while we wait for Teixeira to come back. It’s not like we’re really missing anything with Teixeira’s bat in April, anyway. It’s more about defense for the first month.
@dfiregirl4 move Youk to first play Nunez at third
— Don Draper (@brooklyngohard) March 6, 2013
My Thoughts: Again, good idea to move Youkilis to first but the Yankees would never move Nunez to third. Yankees made it clear he was just the shortstop. Nothing else. Besides, moving around and committing errors was what got Nunez sent to the minors last season in the first place.
@dfiregirl4 How about Carlos Lee, or Aubrey Huff, Yankees can sign one of them.. or maybe yankees can stay in house use Dan Johnson
— Shawn Brooks (@sportsgurufsr) March 6, 2013
My Thoughts: Carlos Lee and Aubrey Huff as replacements for Teixeira. All right, that sounds like a good idea but what happens to them after Teixeira comes back? They’d have to go somewhere and I don’t think either of them have minor league options. Staying in house with Dan Johnson seems more realistic.
@dfiregirl4 Maybe make that phone call to Johnny Damon? He’s played 1st before. Now losing Ibanez hurts more. He was a 1st baseman.
— That Guy (@ThisGuyGD) March 6, 2013
My Thoughts: I’m sold! I’m sold! I am sold! Johnny Damon did offer his services to the Yankees for the outfield position but Cashman said no. Maybe Johnny would like to come back at the first baseman. But, we can’t get our hopes up. Cashman would most likely say no again. And losing Raul Ibanez does hurt a lot more now. Ibanez had a great bat and wasn’t bad when you put him in the outfield. It now hurts a lot that the Yankees didn’t even bother making an offer for Ibanez. That could have helped.
@dfiregirl4 trade for Chavez ? Might not cost a lot to do ..
— Mike (@NYRxngers) March 6, 2013
My Thoughts: It hurts even more now that the Yankees don’t have Eric Chavez. Chavez had been one great bat and a good defender for the Yanks, so having him back would be a great idea. Only question would be, what would the Yankees have to give in order to get Chavez, and would the Arizona Diamondbacks want to actually give up Chavez. He’s there now, and the Yankees doing nothing to bring him back in the offseason is coming back to bite them.
It seemed the popular option when I asked was Dan Johnson to be the first baseman. I wouldn’t mind Dan Johnson taking over for Teixeira in April, and he can’t possibly hit any worse in April than Tex. Choosing a first baseman for the Yankees leads to fans thinking of a lot of possibilities for the team. So, who would you choose?
Teixeira, Ichiro, Murphy provide offense as Yanks fall to Phillies 4-3
Spring Training is Spring Training so the Yankees losing three in a row shouldn’t be that alarming, especially since the Yankees placed all their minor leaguers in during the 6th inning. However, if you’re a fan, you’d like to see more than one win come from the Yankees so the Yankees are going to have to try and go back to the drawing board to figure out what they have to do to win tomorrow. But instead of talking about how the Yankees lost, let’s take a look at some positives from today’s game.
Mark Teixeira: Teixeira provided the Yankees with an early lead in the ball game, hitting an RBI double that scored Ichiro Suzuki. Teixeira was 1-for-3 on the day, but we’ll take the RBI.
Ichiro Suzuki: It looks as if Ichiro and Brett Gardner are having their own little competition. After Gardner had a three-hit day yesterday, Ichiro answered back with a three-hit day of his own. He also showed hustle and was a thrill to watch as he ran around the bases. Typical Ichiro.
David Robertson: David Robertson made his Spring debut today and proved that he still had it, pitching a scoreless inning although he gave up a walk. I would say Robertson is in mid-season form if he can have constant 1-2-3 innings.
Joba Chamberlain: Joba Chamberlain (along with his unpopular mustache) made his Spring debut as well, also working a scoreless inning although he gave up the first hit for the Phillies to Ryan Howard. Still, it was a good outing. He also made sure to ruffle some feathers when he said that he believes he could be a starter again.
J.R Murphy: J.R Murphy came into the game during the 7th inning, but he made a lasting impression during the end of the game when he hit a towering 2-run HR to give the Yankees at the time a 3-1 lead. He then doubled in the 9th while the Yankees were trailing 4-3 yet he just missed his second HR of the game.
HONORABLE MENTION
Eduardo Nunez: Nunez went 0-for-3 today, I know–but at first he gave some fans a warm and hearty laugh when his helmet fell off after showing some hustle to first base. The warm and hearty laughter soon turned into annoyance after his helmet fell off another two times, making us wonder if Nunez might want to consider getting a new helmet size.
WHAT’S NEXT:
– Tomorrow the Yankees will play the Baltimore Orioles at GMS Field at 1:05 p.m. only on YES Network.
Phelps looks sharp as Yanks clobber Braves 8-3 in Spring opener
David Phelps knew how vital this start could be in the factoring decision on whether or not he would get the fifth rotation spot. So far, so good for the young pitcher who is entering his sophomore season in the majors with the Yankees and is desperately trying to win a roster spot, whether it be in the rotation or in the bullpen.
Yesterday, Joe Girardi said he expected Phelps to go two innings or throw 37 pitches. Phelps made it through his two innings, not allowing a single run. Phelps’s final line was 2 innings, no runs, three hits, no strike outs and no walks.
The Yankees bats were quiet for the first two innings but a third inning where the Braves committed two errors, a pass ball and a wild pitch opened the door for them when Zolio Almonte hit a two run homer, bringing home Melky Mesa. Eduardo Nunez also reached on an error and Robinson Cano reached on poor fielding, putting on a four spot in the third. Cano homered in the fifth inning, extending the Yankees lead while Austin Romine hit a two run single with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh.
The Yankees displayed both Francisco Cervelli and Austin Romine in the game, Cervelli throwing out a runner in the second and Austin showing off his bat in the seventh.
Major League Players Look
– Robinson Cano went 1 for 3 with a HR and an RBI.
– Mark Teixeira went 0 for 3, grounded into a double play and has an RBI on a fielders choice.
Back at Yankees camp:
– Derek Jeter ran on the field back in Tampa, showing progress on trying to make it back to the Yankees by Opening Day.
What’s Next?
The Yankees will take on the Toronto Blue Jays tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m, the first televised Yankees game by YES. Players such as Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson, Ichiro Suzuki and Kevin Youkilis are expected to be in the lineup. Adam Warren is slated to start the game.
Spring Training Notes 2/17/12: Jeter, Teixeira
Photo courtesy of Lohud Yankees
Derek Jeter just heard of Kevin Youkilis making the back of every paper in New York City with his “I’ll always be a Red Sox” comment. Andy Pettitte suggested it would be a good idea for Jeter to start some controversy to get everyone’s mind off of Youkilis.
“Pettitte just told me. He told me to say something controversial in this press conference so that I can get Youkilis off the back pages.” Jeter said. “I’ll let him have it. Welcome to New York.”
Jeter then became serious while throwing in some quips now and again about how hard he was working to get into shape. He then poked fun of the New York Post cover where Jeter was considered “overweight.”
“It’s going to be a little harder to to get back in shape–in baseball shape. The Post is here. Gotta say baseball shape.” Then Jeter’s conference got down to business. Where was he in his Spring Training schedule?
“I’m on Mo’s schedule.” Jeter quipped. “Five innings and I’m done. But I’m not concerned with re-injuring the ankle. I know I won’t play be playing when they start playing in a week. You can write that down. I’m not playing in that game. I don’t necessarily think you need all of Spring Training to get ready. I don’t know exactly the date I’m going to play, but it will probably be somewhere there after a couple of weeks.”
The most interesting part of the whole conference? Derek Jeter thought that sitting on his couch for 5-6 weeks was boring and this was the “worst offseason ever”. 5-6 weeks on the couch doing nothing sounds like a dream to me.
– Along with Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira spoke to the media today and basically disclosed what he wanted to do this season.
“Stay healthy and have fun.” Teixeira said.
Teixeira had also done his workouts earlier since he is slated to play in the World Baseball Classic on March 1st. He figures that the World Baseball Classic will help him with not slumping in April, which sounds like a good idea. Teixeira also spoke about his offensive approach this season.
“There’s really no reason for me at this point in my career to try and start things differently. I’ve had such a successful career playing to my strengths. Now that being said, I want to be the best at what I do well, and that’s hitting home runs, driving in runs and playing Gold Glove defense. I know if I do those three things, I’m going to help my team. At the end of the day, that’s why I’m here. I’m here to help my team win. Not put up certain types of numbers.”
Last question. Was it strange not seeing Alex Rodriguez in camp?
“There’s 90 guys in here right now.” Teixeira said. “Even if he was here, I’m not sure I’d see him.”
– Ichiro Suzuki, Brett Gardner, Travis Hafner and Curtis Granderson all reported to camp today and took their physicals. They all passed, don’t worry.
– Backtracking to Ichiro, he was reportedly wearing one ‘glittery’ hat. He came into camp this morning with a Yankees hat but the Yankees logo had glitter on it instead of the normal logo.
– Joe Girardi made it clear that Travis Hafner would be the Yankees DH against right handed hitters and wouldn’t take the field unless he was a backup first baseman. Girardi also said that Jeter could possibly DH against left-handers as the season begins, allowing Eduardo Nunez to play shortstop.
Mark Teixeira admits he’s overpaid
Mark Teixeira is a key piece to the Yankees organization. He’s one of the best first baseman defensively and he’s a good home run hitter, but during an interview with Dan Barbirisi from the Wall Street Journal, Teixeira had a shocking (okay not really) confession to make: He’s completely overpaid!!
“I have no problem with anybody in New York, any fan, saying you’re overpaid. Because I am.” Texieria said. “We all are.”
“Agents are probably going to hate me for saying it, you’re not very valuable when you’re making $20 Million. When you’re Mike Trout making the minimum, you are crazy valuable. My first six years, before I was a free agent I was very valuable. But there’s nothing you can do that can justify a $20 Million contract.” Teixeira added.
In the interview, Teixeira also spoke about him being almost past his prime. Teixeira turns 33 in April, meaning that he’s slowly accepting the fact that his body will start to break down.
“Maybe I’m slowing down to a tick. Look, I’m not going to play forever. Eventually you start, I don’t want to say declining but it gets harder and harder to put up 30 homers and 100 RBI’s.”
Teixeira had admitted that he had tweaked his swing in order to please the fans, wanting to be that .290 hitter that he was when the Yankees signed him to an 8-year deal in 2009. The reality is, Teixeira realized that he wasn’t playing to his strengths, getting off to another slow start before changing his adjustments again in order to fit the way he plays the game.
“You can’t make everyone happy.” Teixeira said. “I need to concentrate on what I do well. And what I do well is hitting home runs, driving in a lot of runs and playing great defense.”
“I’d love to be the player who hits home runs, drives in runs. I’d love to get back to the player that I’ve always been, but if I hit .250, .260 instead of .280, so be it.”
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Click to read the entire Mark Teixeira interview with quotes from Brian Cashman on the Wall Street Journal
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Could the Yankees upgrades already be on the team?
Brett Gardner could be one of the Yankees biggest “upgrades” going into the 2013 season
As the offseason winds down, aside from the Alex Rodriguez drama and the small signings of Matt Diaz, Kevin Youkilis and Juan Rivera, the Yankees seem to be almost the exact same team as in 2012 minus a few losses. Nick Swisher packed his bags and went to the Cleveland Indians, Russell Martin did the same and rejoined former Yankees teammate A.J Burnett with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Raul Ibanez decided to take his bat to Seattle where he could end his career on a good note and Andruw Jones went to Japan, one of the few loses the Yankees won’t mind at all. However, as the 2013 season comes upon us, the Yankees look as if they hadn’t done much on the market. The 2013 team has been predicted by multiple fans that they will finish from either 2nd place – 4th place in the AL East.
The Yankees may look like the same old Yankees as the 2012 season, but there’s one small detail that the Yankees completely missed: some of the players that are ready to play this season, weren’t available last season due to injury or health issues. Some of the big names on the team spent quite some time on the DL and the reason that the Yankees didn’t make a deal with other players, is because they believe there’s someone on the team that can do the job better than someone on the market.
Brett Gardner – OF
Last season looked very promising for Brett Gardner. Once April came around, he was hot right off the bat. He looked as if he was going to bounce back from his so-so 2011 season–until injury struck. Gardner was unsure what was going on with his elbow. At first he went on the DL believing that 15 days later, he would be back to help the team. Once he started to swing a bat again, he felt the pain again. The Yankees tried to rehab him for a third time and he still felt pain in his elbow. A concerned Gardner was then sent to a surgeon to see if there was something wrong with his elbow. Alas, the young outfielder once again needed surgery. Gardner is now back for the 2013 season and this time he’s healthy. In the 2010 season, he proved that he was a starter, but his most impressive stat was his stolen base numbers. Although his hitting was down in 2011, Gardner outdid his stolen base numbers from 2010, going from 47-49. A healthy Brett Gardner can steal bases, is the only Yankee that truly knows how to play small ball and can work the count with his impressive patience at the plate. No need for Michael Bourn. Brett Gardner is already an upgrade from what’s on the market.
Yankees Offseason Notes: Yankees sign Juan Rivera; The Captain is back on the field!
Yankees sign Juan Rivera
So while I was at the doctor’s office earlier today, I was skimming through my Yankees twitter feed when I saw that the Yankees had signed none other than Juan Rivera to a minor league deal which includes an invitation to Spring Training. Rivera (no relation to Mariano Rivera), will compete with Russ Canzler, Matt Diaz, Thomas Neal, Ronnie Mustelier and other options to be the fourth outfielders. Rivera if he can stay healthy, is a good signing since he has a career .285/.332/.488 against left handed pitching and could be the bat that the Yankees were looking for this offseason.
Who do you think will ultimately win the fourth outfielder position?
Derek Jeter is back on the field!
Derek Jeter is one inch closer to getting on the field for Opening Day after taking drills at the Yankees minor league complex today. The captain of the Yankees fielded 55 grounders in front of the dirt at shortstop today and also hit in the batting cage.
Jeter was also joined by teammates David Robertson, Francisco Cervelli and Michael Pineda at the complex. Robertson recently signed a deal with the Yankees, Cervelli is competing for the catcher spot (oy vey), and Pineda is working on making his comeback by June of this season.
Mark Teixeira to join Rock of Ages cast for one night only!
It’s no secret Mark Teixeira loves Broadway Musicals and tomorrow he is going to see the Rock of Ages cast for tomorrow’s show. Hmm, I figured that he would have been asked to join the cast of Les Miserables since that is his favorite musical.
Want to sing the National Anthem for the Staten Island Yankees?
The Staten Island Yankees are looking for singers to perform the National Anthem or God Bless America for the upcoming 2013 season. Fill out the form here if you are interested. Tryouts are on February 23 from 12-3pm.
Five Most Important Yankees For 2013
Spring Training is only a little bit over two weeks away and that usually brings about optimism for every baseball fan. There has not been a lot of reason for optimism for Yankees fans this winter. Ownership has not allowed Brian Cashman to spend freely, due to the mandate of getting the payroll under $189 million by 2014. This has led to very little activity from the Yankees this offseason. They have seen other teams in the American League get better like the Angels and Blue Jays. While the pessimism is certainly justified, it is not all doom and gloom for the Yankees. While the Angels and Tigers are a step above them right now, the Yankees should still have a solid team. Toronto is the favorite in the AL East right now, but it certainly is not impossible for the Yankees to win the division. Here are the five most important players for the Yankees to have a successful year this season:
1. Mark Teixeira- While Mark Teixeira has performed like a very good player over the last three years with the Yankees, he has not been the superstar that they were hoping for and that he was in 2009. The Yankees will be counting on Teixeira to bat cleanup and provide protection for Robinson Cano. That means an .OPS in the low .800’s and a batting average around .250 isn’t going to cut it. The Yankees need his OPS back around .900 and his average around .270 or .280. Teixeira is the Yankees’ only power threat from the right side and they need him to produce. Power won’t be the issue as Teixeira has hit close to 40 home runs even in his down seasons. If the Yankees can get anything close to the 2009 version of Teixiera him and Cano would be one of the best 3-4 duo’s in MLB.
2. Curtis Granderson- Curtis Granderson is in a similar situation as Teixeira. While he hasn’t had the career success that Teixeira has had, Granderson needs to get back to his 2011 season like Teixeira needs to get back to his 2009 form. There is a ton of pressure on Granderson this season because the Yankees did not go and add another bat for the 5th spot in the lineup. Justin Upton or Michael Morse would have been perfect, but obviously the Yankees did not acquire either of them. So, the Yankees will be counting on Granderson to return to his 2011 form. Granderson hit 43 home runs last season, but his line of .232/.319/.492/.811 was simply not good enough. Worst of all, he had an egregious 28.5 K% and looked completely lost at the end of the year. Kevin Long will need to work his magic on Granderson again for the 2013 season.
3. Mariano Rivera- The biggest strength the Yankees have right now is their bullpen. David Robertson, Joba Chamberlian, David Aardsma, Boone Logan and Clay Rapada make up a very solid middle relief core. There is one question about the bullpen Can Mariano Rivera be the Mariano Rivera that we know him to be at age 43 coming off a torn ACL and meniscus? Even for the immortal Rivera it is a legitimate question. If Rivera is injured or ineffective, the Yankees would still have a good bullpen, but probably not an elite one like they do if Rivera is his dominant self. However, I will never bet against Rivera, so I expect him to be just fine.
4. Brett Gardner- The Yankees sorely missed Brett Gardner last season, as a wrist injury in April caused him to miss most of the 2012 season. Gardner, the only Yankees regular starter under 30, will be a key piece for the Yankees this season. Last season, New York’s left fielders hit .253/.315/.444/.759. They largely depended on the power of Raul Ibanez. While Gardner won’t provide that, he will provide many other good qualities. Gardner will provide great patience at the plate, as his career walk percentage (11.0%) and pitches per plate appearance (4.29) are extremely good. Gardner will be huge on the base paths, as he has stolen 47 and 49 bases in his last two healthy seasons. His defense in left field is probably the best in MLB. While we know his defense and base running will be great, his hitting is still a question mark. His career line of .266/.355/.368/.723 is only OK for a non power hitter. Also, he has been poor against lefties for his career (.256/.362/.355/.731). For the Yankees to be an elite offense, they will need Gardner to have a close to .290 average at least. He has never done that in his career, but at age 29 Gardner should be peaking.
5. Phil Hughes- Like the bullpen, the rotation is a strength of the Yankees. CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda form a very solid top of the rotation and Phil Hughes is a little bit of a wild card. Hughes overcame a rough April to have a solid season. He improved on his slider and changeup to help put more hitters away. This helped him to strikeout 7.8 per nine innings and only walk 2.2 per nine innings. Hughes is in a contract year, so he should be motivated to have a great season, as he can cash in big at the end of the year. From June through August, Hughes had a 3.19 ERA. If he can pitch even close to that for the whole 2013 season the Yankees will have a dominant rotation.
Yankees Offseason Notes: Teixeira, Cano & Cervelli make WBC rosters
The World Baseball Classic rosters were released today, confirming that Mark Teixeira made the Team USA roster while Robinson Cano and Francisco Cervelli made different teams. Robinson Cano will play for Team Dominican Republic while Francisco Cervelli will play for Team Italy. One name that was noticeably not on the roster was Andy Pettitte despite reports swirling earlier this week about Pettitte being on the roster. Here are the rosters for Team USA, Team Italy and Team Dominican Republic.
Team Dominican Republic
IF Eric Aybar
IF Adrian Beltre
IF Robinson Cano
IF Edwin Encarnacion
IF Hanley Ramirez
IF Jose Reyes
IF Miguel Tejada
OF Melky Cabrera
OF Nelson Cruz
OF Carlos Gomez
C Miguel Olivo
C Carlos Santana
P Santiago Casilla
P Octavio Dotel
P Pedro Figueroa
P Kelvin Herrera
P Alexi Ogando
P Joel Peralta
P Fernando Rodney
P Wandy Rodriguez
P Esmil Rogers
P Pedro Strop
P Edinson Volquez
Team USA
IF Willie Bloomquist
IF Brandon Phillips
IF Jimmy Rollins
IF Mark Teixeira
IF David Wright
IF Ben Zobrist
OF Ryan Braun
OF Adam Jones
OF Giancarlo Stanton
OF Shane Victorino
C J.P Arencibia
C Jonathan Lucroy
C Joe Mauer
P Jeremy Affeldt
P Heath Bell
P Mitchell Boggs
P Steve Cishek
P Tim Collins
P R.A. Dickey
P Luke Gregerson
P Derek Holland
P Craig Kimbrel
P Kris Medlen
P Chris Perez
P Glen Perkins
P Vinnie Pestano
P Ryan Vogelsong
Team Italy
IF Jeff Bianchi
IF Chris Colabello
IF Anthony Granato
IF Alex Liddi
IF Nick Punto
IF Anthony Rizzo
IF Alessandro Vagilo
OF Lorenzo Avagnina
OF Mario Chiarini
OF Chris Denorfia
C Drew Butera
C Francisco Cervelli
C Tyler LaTorre
P Chris Cooper
P Yovany D’Amico
P Tiago Da Silva
P Jason Grilli
P Alex Maestri
P John Mariotti
P Luca Panerati
P Nick Pugilese
P Dan Serafini
P Brian Sweeney
P Matt Tora
The 2013 World Baseball Classic begins in March. Which team will be victorious? Tune into MLB Network to find out, all through March.
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