Masahiro Tanaka signs with the New York Yankees
I don’t know about you but I really am not surprised at all. I expected the New York Yankees to sign him all along because of their great interest in him and great need for him. I normally wouldn’t have been so confident with the Los Angeles Dodgers showing interest. They really didn’t have a great need for him though; they already have the highest payroll by a lot. They also just signed Clayton Kershaw to a huge extension and are working on one for Hanley Ramirez. There were sources saying it came down to the Yankees and Cubs. Is that really a choice, the Cubs??
The Yankees missed the postseason for just the second time in the last 18 years. They responded last time with a splurge on CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixiera. They ended up winning the World Series the very next season. The Yankees had been talking about a 189 million cap. Hal Steinbrenner though in the last year has been adamant in saying it is a goal and not a mandate. I don’t think many people believed him especially the Yankee fans. They kept dreaming of the days of the father George running the team. They kept saying how the sons would never be like the father and nothing is the same. I don’t hear much of that going on now. I think the combination of missing the postseason and the Red Sox winning the World Series pushed the Yankees. They chose the importance of winning over saving some money on the luxury tax. They understand that you have to spend money to make money. The Yankees have always been great at that and with the big market and the Yankees name that philosophy really can’t change. The owners did want to try and reduce payroll but when the farm system just wasn’t producing then last year is what happened. The Yankees couldn’t stand for missing the postseason and having their attendance and television ratings go down.
Tanaka signed for seven years and 155 million, which is a huge amount of money. He is also costing g175 million total due to the 20 million-release fee the Yankees have to pay Rakuten his old team. He has never thrown a pitch in the United States. There are a couple of things to consider though. There were at least four other teams seriously involved. Those teams all bid at least 20 million a year for him, the market dictated that he was worth that much. The Yankees also had scouted him extensively since 2007 and were at every single home game of this past season. They also watched him closely during the 2009 World Baseball Classic. They sent a contingent of nine people to visit with him when he was in California last week. This is a player they feel very strongly about and he is also just 25 years old. He has pitched a lot of innings in Japan but I would argue they are getting his prime years 25-28. He can opt out after year four and try to seek a new contract.
The Yankees really had to take this risk for a couple of reasons. They need the pitching and they also need to show the rest of the baseball world that they are back to being the big bad Yankees. I think this is good for the team, ratings, and sponsorships. Tanaka also has Hiroki Kuroda and Ichiro Suzuki as teammates he can hang around with and learn from. He can also lean on Hideki Matsui if need be. Matsui was the star of stars in Japan and then with the Yankees.
The Yankees will pay him 22 million a year for the first six years and then 23 million for the final year of his contract. He is a guy that will be the number three of four starter to start out but eventually the Yankees feel will be their ace. He seems to have the stuff and the makeup to handle that. It will be interesting to see him in action come spring training and especially the regular season. The Yankees are banking on this being a worthy investment and I believe it will be. If it doesn’t work out exactly as they had hoped I still won’t blame the Yankees for making this move. I really think it is worth the risk for them and expect it to pay off big time.
Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts
Friday, January 24, 2014
Monday, December 2, 2013
New York Yankees Hot Stove notes
New York Yankees Hot Stove notes
The New York Yankees officially announced a two-year deal with Brendan Ryan. There is a third year option. He is a defensive whiz who played a lot of SS for them at the end of last year. He is insurance for Derek Jeter. They are giving him two million a year and the third year option is for one million.
The Yankees apparently extended an offer to Hiroki Kuroda. It is for one year and 15-16 million. He takes his time and the Yankees know that but they are really trying to entice him. He has been very good for the Yankees the last two years. He has burned out at the end of the year but the Yankees have enough pitching that they could protect him more now. This would be a big signing for the Yankees considering they only have CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova as sure bets. They want Tanaka from Japan but don’t know when and if he will be posted. If they have CC, Nova and Kuroda they can fill out the other two spots with Phelps, Pineda, Warren, Nuno and feel comfortable.
The Yankees traded what ended up as their starting catcher last year. Chris Stewart is headed to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named later. He was a guy that most likely would have been non-tendered so instead they traded him getting something for him. It will most likely be a single A player.
The Yankees non-tendered David Adams who was a huge disappointment last year when he got his chance. Matt Daley and Jayson Nix were the other two players who were non-tendered. There were no surprises with this.
How about Robinson Cano, the Yankees and him remain about 80 million apart. He wants somewhere in the neighborhood of nine years and 250-260 million. The Yankees have offered him seven years and 160-170 million. I expect the Yankees and him to eventually come to an agreement but I don’t think the Yankees are going to budge much. They may go to 8 years and 200 million. He could find a team but right now there doesn’t appear to be any other team.
The New York Yankees officially announced a two-year deal with Brendan Ryan. There is a third year option. He is a defensive whiz who played a lot of SS for them at the end of last year. He is insurance for Derek Jeter. They are giving him two million a year and the third year option is for one million.
The Yankees apparently extended an offer to Hiroki Kuroda. It is for one year and 15-16 million. He takes his time and the Yankees know that but they are really trying to entice him. He has been very good for the Yankees the last two years. He has burned out at the end of the year but the Yankees have enough pitching that they could protect him more now. This would be a big signing for the Yankees considering they only have CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova as sure bets. They want Tanaka from Japan but don’t know when and if he will be posted. If they have CC, Nova and Kuroda they can fill out the other two spots with Phelps, Pineda, Warren, Nuno and feel comfortable.
The Yankees traded what ended up as their starting catcher last year. Chris Stewart is headed to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named later. He was a guy that most likely would have been non-tendered so instead they traded him getting something for him. It will most likely be a single A player.
The Yankees non-tendered David Adams who was a huge disappointment last year when he got his chance. Matt Daley and Jayson Nix were the other two players who were non-tendered. There were no surprises with this.
How about Robinson Cano, the Yankees and him remain about 80 million apart. He wants somewhere in the neighborhood of nine years and 250-260 million. The Yankees have offered him seven years and 160-170 million. I expect the Yankees and him to eventually come to an agreement but I don’t think the Yankees are going to budge much. They may go to 8 years and 200 million. He could find a team but right now there doesn’t appear to be any other team.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Hideki Matsui retires from baseball and the Yankees react
Hideki Matsui announced his retirement from professional baseball today. Matsui played in the United States for ten years after coming over from Japan where he played for ten years. Matsui was nicknamed Godzilla, he played with the New York Yankees from 2003-2009 after playing for the Tokyo Giants which is Japans version of the Yankees. He was a very good player, very clutch and also very classy.. He batted 292 with the Yankees, scoring 536 runs, hitting 196 doubles, 140 homeruns and driving in 597 runs. He became the first player in Yankees franchise history to hit a grand slam in his Yankee Stadium debut. He accomplished that feat against the Minnesota Twins on April 8, 2003. He was a two time all star who didn’t miss a game in his first three years, 518 consecutive games which is a record still today for longest streak to start a career. Matsui always had a flair for the dramatic and in his final game as a Yankee he went 3-4 and drove in six runs to clinch World Series Game 6 on November 4, 2009 against the Philadelphia Phillies. He was loved by everyone and that came out today upon the news of his retirement. Here are some of the Yankees reacting to the news.
Hal Steinbrenner: “Hideki Matsui in many ways , embodied what this organization stands for. He was dedicated to his craft, embraced his responsibilities to his team and fans, and elevated his play when he was needed the most. He did all these things with a humility that was distinctly his own, which is why he was such a big part of our success and why he will always be a cherished member of the Yankees family.”
Brian Cashman: “Hideki is proof that baseball is an international attraction that brings people from all over the world together in their passion for the game. He was the type of player and person you want young fans of this game to emulate. He played with pride, discipline and of course talent, and flourished when the lights were at their brightest. People naturally gravitated towards him, and that’s a direct reflection of his character. He was a true professional in every sense of the word and it feels good knowing he was able to raise the championship trophy as a member of the Yankees.”
Derek Jeter: “I’ve said numerous times over the years, but it’s worth repeating now. I’ve had a lot of teammates over the years with the Yankees, but I will always consider Hideki one of my favorites. The way he went about his business day in and day out was impressive. Despite being overshadowed by a large group of reporters, having the pressures of performing for both his fans both in New York and Japan and becoming acclimated to the bright lights of New York City, he always remained focused and committed to his job and to those of us he shared the clubhouse with. I have a lot of respect for Hideki. He was someone we counted on a great deal and he’s a big reason why we became World Champions in 2009.”
I was at that first game in 2003 and he became an instant fan favorite. He always had a flair for the dramatic and was so clutch and that is why he was loved in New York. The Yankees today don’t really have guys like that and that is why they have struggled in the postseason. I like what they have done this off-season because I feel like they are going back to what made them successful, not so much guys that just hit homeruns but guys who can do a lot and be clutch players. I wish Hideki all the best and I am sure his fans and the Yankees look forward to seeing him at future Old Timers day celebrations.
Hal Steinbrenner: “Hideki Matsui in many ways , embodied what this organization stands for. He was dedicated to his craft, embraced his responsibilities to his team and fans, and elevated his play when he was needed the most. He did all these things with a humility that was distinctly his own, which is why he was such a big part of our success and why he will always be a cherished member of the Yankees family.”
Brian Cashman: “Hideki is proof that baseball is an international attraction that brings people from all over the world together in their passion for the game. He was the type of player and person you want young fans of this game to emulate. He played with pride, discipline and of course talent, and flourished when the lights were at their brightest. People naturally gravitated towards him, and that’s a direct reflection of his character. He was a true professional in every sense of the word and it feels good knowing he was able to raise the championship trophy as a member of the Yankees.”
Derek Jeter: “I’ve said numerous times over the years, but it’s worth repeating now. I’ve had a lot of teammates over the years with the Yankees, but I will always consider Hideki one of my favorites. The way he went about his business day in and day out was impressive. Despite being overshadowed by a large group of reporters, having the pressures of performing for both his fans both in New York and Japan and becoming acclimated to the bright lights of New York City, he always remained focused and committed to his job and to those of us he shared the clubhouse with. I have a lot of respect for Hideki. He was someone we counted on a great deal and he’s a big reason why we became World Champions in 2009.”
I was at that first game in 2003 and he became an instant fan favorite. He always had a flair for the dramatic and was so clutch and that is why he was loved in New York. The Yankees today don’t really have guys like that and that is why they have struggled in the postseason. I like what they have done this off-season because I feel like they are going back to what made them successful, not so much guys that just hit homeruns but guys who can do a lot and be clutch players. I wish Hideki all the best and I am sure his fans and the Yankees look forward to seeing him at future Old Timers day celebrations.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
The New York Yankees lose the battle of Japanese pitchers to the Texas Rangers
The New York Yankees were defeated by the Texas Rangers by the score of 2-0 on Tuesday night. Hiroki Kuroda started for the Yankees and pitched very well but Yu Darvish started for the Rangers and was even better. The Yankees offense didn’t do much, Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano led the team with two hits each. The Rangers got a leadoff homerun from Ian Kinsler and not much else.
Kuroda pitched 6 2/3 innings giving up two runs on five hits. He walked two batters and struck out five. He is now 1-3 on the season. Clay Rapada faced one batter and got him out, Cory Wade faced two batters and got both of them out and Boone Logan struck out the only batter that he faced. Darvish earned his third win of the season by pitching 8 1/3 shutout innings giving up seven hits. He walked two and struck out ten. Joe Nathan earned the save by making one pitching and getting a double play.
Jeter had two hits, Curtis Granderson drew a walk and Cano had two hits. Nick Swisher had a hit, Eric Chavez had a hit and Russell Martin had a hit and drew a walk. Cano had a double and the Yankees were 1-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.
Kinsler had a hit, RBI and drew a walk for the Rangers. Elvis Andrus drew a walk, Josh Hamilton had a hit and an RBI and Nelson Cruz had a hit. David Murphy had a hit, Mike Napoli had a hit. Kinsler had a homerun, the Rangers were 1-2 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base. Andrus had a stolen base.
The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a Kinsler solo homerun. The Rangers scored their second run and final run of the game in the third inning. Hamilton had an RBI single and that was it for the scoring in the game.
The Yankees four game winning streak came to an end and they are now 10-7 on the season. The Rangers record improved to 14-4. The rubber game will be played tomorrow night. The Yankees won game one on Monday night by the score of 7-4 and they lost this game. The starters tomorrow night will be Phil Hughes and Scott Feldman. The Yankees will have an off day on Thursday and return home on Friday night to take on the Detroit Tigers.
Kuroda pitched 6 2/3 innings giving up two runs on five hits. He walked two batters and struck out five. He is now 1-3 on the season. Clay Rapada faced one batter and got him out, Cory Wade faced two batters and got both of them out and Boone Logan struck out the only batter that he faced. Darvish earned his third win of the season by pitching 8 1/3 shutout innings giving up seven hits. He walked two and struck out ten. Joe Nathan earned the save by making one pitching and getting a double play.
Jeter had two hits, Curtis Granderson drew a walk and Cano had two hits. Nick Swisher had a hit, Eric Chavez had a hit and Russell Martin had a hit and drew a walk. Cano had a double and the Yankees were 1-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.
Kinsler had a hit, RBI and drew a walk for the Rangers. Elvis Andrus drew a walk, Josh Hamilton had a hit and an RBI and Nelson Cruz had a hit. David Murphy had a hit, Mike Napoli had a hit. Kinsler had a homerun, the Rangers were 1-2 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base. Andrus had a stolen base.
The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a Kinsler solo homerun. The Rangers scored their second run and final run of the game in the third inning. Hamilton had an RBI single and that was it for the scoring in the game.
The Yankees four game winning streak came to an end and they are now 10-7 on the season. The Rangers record improved to 14-4. The rubber game will be played tomorrow night. The Yankees won game one on Monday night by the score of 7-4 and they lost this game. The starters tomorrow night will be Phil Hughes and Scott Feldman. The Yankees will have an off day on Thursday and return home on Friday night to take on the Detroit Tigers.
New York Yankees show some muscle in Texas as they defeat the Texas Rangers
The New York Yankees defeated the Texas Rangers by the score of 7-4 on Monday night. CC Sabathia started for the Yankees and pitched well and Mariano Rivera closed it out. The Yankees offense continued to roll with Derek Jeter having a big day. Elvis Andrus had a couple of hits to lead the Texas attack. Derek Holland had a rough day as he usually does against the Yankees.
Sabathia pitched eight innings giving up seven hits and four runs with a walk and eight strikeouts. Sabathia is now 2-0 on the season and Rivera picked up his fourth save of the season with a perfect inning. Holland suffered his first loss of the season for Texas. He pitched six innings giving up nine hits and seven runs with four walks and a strikeout. Mark Lowe pitched two perfect innings with three strikeouts and Koji Uehara pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts.
Jeter had four hits and an RBI and is now batting 411 on the season. Nick Swisher had an RBI, Robinson Cano had two hits and Alex Rodriguez had a hit, three RBI and drew two walks. Curtis Granderson had a hit, two RBI and drew a walk, Chris Stewart had a hit and drew a walk. Stewart and Jeter each had a double. Rodriguez had a double. The Yankees were 5-9 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base. Jeter did commit an error.
Ian Kinsler had a hit for Texas. Andrus had two hits, Josh Hamilton had a hit and an RBI and Nelson Cruz had a hit and drew a walk. Brandon Snyder had a hit and Chris Gentry had a hit and two RBI. Cruz, Snyder and Gentry each had a double. Hamilton had a homerun and the Rangers were 1-5 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base. Napoli committed an error.
Granderson had a two run single in the first to make it 2-0 Yankees. The Rangers got a run back in the bottom of the first on a Hamilton ground out. In the fifth Swisher hit a sacrifice fly to push the Yankees lead to 3-1. Rodriguez hit a three run homerun and it was 6-1 Yankees. The Yankees would add another run in the sixth on a Jeter RBI double. In the bottom of the sixth the final run was scored on a Hamilton solo homerun.
The Yankees are now 10-6 on the season and Texas falls to 13-4. The two teams will meet for game two of a three game series on Tuesday night. Yu Darvish will get the start for Texas against fellow countryman Hiroki Kuroda. It could be an offensive night and a very interesting night or day in Japan.
Sabathia pitched eight innings giving up seven hits and four runs with a walk and eight strikeouts. Sabathia is now 2-0 on the season and Rivera picked up his fourth save of the season with a perfect inning. Holland suffered his first loss of the season for Texas. He pitched six innings giving up nine hits and seven runs with four walks and a strikeout. Mark Lowe pitched two perfect innings with three strikeouts and Koji Uehara pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts.
Jeter had four hits and an RBI and is now batting 411 on the season. Nick Swisher had an RBI, Robinson Cano had two hits and Alex Rodriguez had a hit, three RBI and drew two walks. Curtis Granderson had a hit, two RBI and drew a walk, Chris Stewart had a hit and drew a walk. Stewart and Jeter each had a double. Rodriguez had a double. The Yankees were 5-9 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base. Jeter did commit an error.
Ian Kinsler had a hit for Texas. Andrus had two hits, Josh Hamilton had a hit and an RBI and Nelson Cruz had a hit and drew a walk. Brandon Snyder had a hit and Chris Gentry had a hit and two RBI. Cruz, Snyder and Gentry each had a double. Hamilton had a homerun and the Rangers were 1-5 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base. Napoli committed an error.
Granderson had a two run single in the first to make it 2-0 Yankees. The Rangers got a run back in the bottom of the first on a Hamilton ground out. In the fifth Swisher hit a sacrifice fly to push the Yankees lead to 3-1. Rodriguez hit a three run homerun and it was 6-1 Yankees. The Yankees would add another run in the sixth on a Jeter RBI double. In the bottom of the sixth the final run was scored on a Hamilton solo homerun.
The Yankees are now 10-6 on the season and Texas falls to 13-4. The two teams will meet for game two of a three game series on Tuesday night. Yu Darvish will get the start for Texas against fellow countryman Hiroki Kuroda. It could be an offensive night and a very interesting night or day in Japan.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Mets lose in extras to Nats
The New York Mets lost to the Washington Nationals in 10 innings by the score of 7-5 this afternoon. Hisanora Takahashi got the start and pitched 3 innings giving up 4 hits and 4 runs with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. Frankie Rodriguez pitched 2 scoreless innings giving up 2 hits but he had 3 strikeouts. Sean Green pitched a scoreless inning giving up 2 hits and Bobby Parnell did the same. Ryota Igarashi pitched 1 inning giving up 2 hits and 1 run, Kiko Calero pitched 1 1/3 innings giving up 1 hit and 2 runs. He also walked 2 and struck out 2.
David Wright was 3-3 with 2 rbi to lead the offense. Alex Cora had 2 hits, Ruben Tejada had a hit and Luis Castillo had a hit and 3 rbi. Jeff Francouer and Omir Santos each had a hit. The Mets will host the St. Louis Cardinals tomorrow afternoon at 1:00PM on WPIX.
Jose Reyes is hoping to make it back for opening day but is doubtful, I think that is ok as long as he can come back shortly after that, even a couple of weeks wouldn't be bad.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Big night for Asia
The Yankees game tomorrow night in Baltimore is going to be a big deal in Asia. Chien-Ming Wang will pitch for the Yankees vs Koji Uehara. Wang is from Taiwan and Uehara is from Japan and Hideki Matsui from Japan. Hideki Matsui and Uehara played on the Yomiura Giants and in 2002 Matsui won the MVP award and Uehara won the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young. Peter Abraham of the Journal News and the Yankees lohud blog which can be found on http://yankees.lhblogs.com and also Tyler Kepner on his Bats blog and the NY times also had a post on this. Uehara has broken down the last few years and had a hamstring injury in spring training but was cleared to start tomorrows game.
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