The New York Yankees drop game to the Toronto Blue Jays

The New York Yankees were defeated by the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon.  This was the first game of the grapefruit league season for both teams.  The final score was 6-4 Toronto.  Michael King started for the Yankees and he didn’t pitch very well, the bullpen was pretty good and the hitting was a mixed bag.  They did hit two homeruns but early on weren’t even able to produce a hit. 

King started and he ended up pitching two innings giving up three hits and three runs with two walks and a strikeout.  He took the loss, Asher Wojciechowski pitched an inning giving up three hits and a run with two strikeouts, Kyle Barraclough pitched an inning giving up a hit and a run with a walk and two strikeouts and Adam Warren pitched an inning giving up a hit and he struck out two.  Lucas Luetge pitched an inning giving up a hit and he struck out two and Nick Goody pitched an inning giving up a hit and a run. 

Anthony Kay started for the Blue Jays and he pitched two perfect innings with two strikeouts.  T.J. Zeuch pitched two innings giving up two hits and a run and he picked up the win, Jacob Waguespack pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up three hits and three runs and Anthony Castro pitched 2/3 of an inning with a strikeout.  Joey Murray pitched an inning with a strikeout and Bryan Baker pitched an inning with two strikeouts. 

DJ LeMahieu had a hit, Gleyber Torres had a hit and Luke Voit had an RBI.  Miguel Andujar had a hit, Rob Brantly had a hit and two RBI and Mike Tauchman had a hit and an RBI.  Torres hit a double, Brantly and Tauchman each hit a homerun and the Yankees were 0-3 with runners in scoring position and left two men on base. 

Cavan Biggio had a hit and an RBI, Marcus Semien had a hit and drew a walk and Bo Bichette drew two walks.  Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had a hit and an RBI, Forrest Wall had a hit and Vlad Guerrero Jr. had a hit.  Rowdy Tellez had two hits and two RBI, Logan Warmoth had two hits and an RBI and Jonathan Davis had a hit and an RBI.  Tellez, Biggio and Warmoth each hit a double, Warmoth hit a homerun and the Blue Jays were 4-15 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.  Davis Lopez and Wall each had a stolen base.  Lopez committed an error. 

In the first Tellez hit a two-run double to give the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead.  In the second Biggio hit an RBI double making it 3-0.  In the third Davis hit an RBI single to extend the Blue Jay lead to 4-0 and Gurriel Jr. hit an RBI single pushing the lead to 5-0.  In the bottom of the fourth Voit reached on a fielding error and a run scored cutting the lead to 5-1.  In the bottom of the fifth Brantly hit a two-run homerun followed by a Tauchman solo homerun cutting the lead to 5-4.  In the seventh Warmoth hit a solo homerun making it 6-4 and that was the final in seven innings.  Yes in spring training this year and right now they are able to play 5 or 7 inning games if they don’t want to play nine then in a couple weeks they will all be eighter seven or nine innings. 

The Yankees will remain at home and take on the Detroit Tigers tomorrow.  Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon will get their first action of the spring in the game. 

New York Yankees shutout the New York Mets

The New York Yankees played the New York Mets on Sunday July 20, 2020.  The game took place at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York and the final score was 6-0 Yankees.  This was the second exhibition game and second of three for the Yankees.  It really wasn’t the second but second of Summer Camp leading up to the regular season beginning on Thursday night. 

Jordan Montgomery started for the Yankees and he pitched great.  Montgomery earned the win pitching five shutout innings giving up two hits.  He walked one and struck out six.  Jonathan Loaisiga pitched three innings giving up a hit and he struck out one and Jonathan Holder pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts. 

Corey Oswalt started for the Mets and he pitched three innings giving up five hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts.  Oswalt took the loss, Hunter Strickland pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts, Drew Smith pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up three hits and three runs with two walks and a strikeout and Chasen Shreve pitched 1 1/3 innings giving up a hit and a run with a strikeout.  Seth Lugo pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout. 

Thairo Estrada had a hit, Aaron Judge had two hits and three RBI and Gleyber Torres had a hit.  Giancarlo Stanton had a hit and an RBI, Aaron Hicks drew a walk and Gary Sanchez had a hit and an RBI.  Luke Voit had a hit, an RBI and drew two walks, Brett Gardner had two hits and drew a walk and Gardner hit a double, Judge hit two homeruns and Sanchez, Voit and Stanton each hit a homerun.  The Yankees were 0-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.  Matt Duffy committed an error and Montgomery had a pickoff. 

Robinson Cano had a hit, Michael Conforto drew a walk and Amed Rosario had two hits.  Rosario hit a double and the Mets were 0-4 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base.  Conforto was picked off and Cano committed an error. 

In the first Judge hit a homerun giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead.  In the fourth Sanchez hit a solo homerun to push the Yankees lead to 2-0.  In the sixth Voit hit a solo homerun giving the Yankees a 3-0 lead.  Judge hit a two-run homerun pushing the Yankees lead to 5-0 and in the seventh Stanton hit a solo homerun making it 6-0 and that would be the final score. 

The Yankees will play their final exhibition game on Monday night against the Phillies at Yankee Stadium.  They will then workout for a couple more days before beginning the season on Thursday night in Washington against the Nationals. 

New York Yankees Summer Camp

The New York Yankees have been engaging in Summer Camp or Spring Training 2.0.  Whatever you want to call it, personally I think they are all kind of lame but it is what it is.  Baseball is back though and two weeks from today the Yankees will be opening up in Washington at 7:00PM.  Cole will be on the mound and it looks like Judge and Hicks will be in the lineup.  It will be a different kind of season with a 60 game sprint but the expectations for the Yankees shouldn't change.  They have a stacked team and should have the motivation to go out and try to win the whole thing.  Yes there will be an asterick this year but who cares if you are the champion you are still the champion and that should be just fine. 

The Yankees have been practicing and playing intrasquad games.  What have I noticed early on, well first of all Cole is maybe even more impressive then we thought.  We obviously all know how great he is as a pitcher.  But he is one heck of a competitor and leader as well.  Just listen to him talk and watch how he operates, it is amazing and just what the Yankees needed to lead their rotation.  James Paxton will be back as well as he had the extra time to heal from back surgery.  Masahiro Tanaka got hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton and suffered a concussion but he is doing well and should be ready to go for Opening day.  All of the pitchers have looked good but of course they are ahead of the hitters at this point. 

The hitters haven't really looked good at all, Thairo Estrada has stood out though as he has hit two homeruns.  Miguel Andujar took Cole deep so that is impressive and I think some people forget about him but he can hit and the Yankees will find at bats for him between outfield, DH, 3B and maybe even some 1B. 

Luke Voit has shed some pounds and looks great.  It will be interesting to see if he just takes the job or will there be any kind of platoon with Mike Ford as he is a lefty.  How about DH, it looks like especially early on it will be all Stanton as he is also healthy and they want to keep him out of the OF but eventually they may want to get other guys in the DH spot. 

It is such a different year because you really can't fool around and try things and say there is always tomorrow.  In baseball it is such a long season and they are used to not getting too high or too low but this year it is different because 60 games is so quick.  You can't afford to get off to a bad start or have a 10 game bad stretch, that could end your season. 

I think the Yankees still have the best team and so much depth that will help them.  I think they will win the division and then the playoffs are a crapshoot but I think they have a great chance to win it all.  Another interesting thing is no fans so there really is no homefield advantage this year.  That will be interesting to see how that affects teams. 

New York Mets Pitchers and Catchers Report

The crowd on Friday was the largest in Tradition Field history for the Mets.  I guess it would be expected as they were in the World Series last year and everyone wants to get a glimpse of that great starting pitching staff.  David Wright spoke with reporters and said he doesn't have a specific goal for games played but wants to be out there if he is productive.  He said his mindset hasn't changed due to his spinal stenosis but his preperation has changed.   He said the Mets should follow the Royals lead this year about getting back to the World Series and winning it.  He said the Mets have a great team on paper but that doesn't mean anything, it is how the team comes together and that teams will be gunning for them now since they are the NL Champs. 

He said winning in the NL is more important than beating the Yankees and their focus is on winning the NL East.  He said it is incredible to see how many players are showing up early to camp.  I guess winning will do that for you.  He said as for goals for this season confidence is good but cockiness is dangerous.  He said that he will miss Daniel Murphy this season. 

Terry Collins had this to say on Friday.  He said Jenrry Mejia used extremely bad judgement and his permanent suspension was very disappointing.  He will sit down next week with captain Wright and speak about their plan for the season.  He said they will slow down Wright in Spring Training so fatigue doesn't set in.  He said the players were told to take it easy early in spring training to avoid injuries.  The Mets don't know yet how the starting pitching depth will shake out after the five known starters. 

Travis d'Arnaud will mostly play three days in a row before getting a rest.  That will be the case most times he said.  Kevin Plawecki has to work well with the pitchers, that is the biggest thing for him.  On Saturday Michael Cuddyer was talking about Michael Conforto being an impact hitter.  There are definitely high expectations with the kid.  The big story on Sunday was Yoenis Cespedes showing up to camp.  He got his work in, took some batting practice and spoke with the media. 

Why did he come back to the Mets?  He said it was a little of everything.  He said he feels at home and relaxed.  He said he isn't worried about all the attention he will be getting. He said that he works hard and isn't too concerned with the salary.  He said one of the reasons for reporting early was to reestablish the bond with his teammates.  He said it was natural last season after the trade to the Mets in July.  The fans, team, coaches, everything is why he came back.  He said such a positive atmosphere.  Is this the Mets he was talking about, what a change in a few months.  Before the run to the World Series last year, you couldn't say anything close to that for many  years.  It really does feel different now, everyone is confident including the fans who are notorius for waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

The New York Mets deal the Atlanta Braves their first loss of the season

The New York Mets defeated the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon.  The game took place at Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia and the final score was 4-3.  Bartolo Colon started and pitched well, he also had an RBI.  David Wright had a couple of hits and Lucas Duda had three hits. 

Colon pitched seven innings giving up six hits and three runs.  He walked none and struck out five and earned his second win of the season.  Carlos Torres pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up a hit, Jerry Blevins pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts and Jeurys Familia pitched 2/3 of an inning striking out one and picking up his first save of the season. 

Alex Wood pitched 6 2/3 innings giving up eight hits and three runs.  He walked three and struck out seven.  Cody Martin pitched to one batter and struck him out, Juan Jaime pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up a run and three walks and he took his first loss of the season.  Andrew McKirahan 1 2/3 innings giving up a hit. 

Wright had two hits and drew a walk, Duda had three hits and Michael Cuddyer had a hit, two RBI and drew a walk.  John Mayberry Jr. had a hit, Curtis Granderson drew a walk and Anthony Recker drew a walk.  Wilmer Flores had a hit, Ruben Tejada drew a walk and Colon had a hit and an RBI.  Daniel Murphy had an RBI, Flores hit a double and Cuddyer hit a homerun.  The Mets were 1-9 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.  Granderson had a stolen base. 

Jace Peterson had a hit, A.J. Pierzynski had a hit and Jonny Gomes had a hit and an RBI.  Alberto Callaspo had two hits, Andrelton Simmons had two hits and two RBI and Simmons hit a double.  Simmons also hit a triple and Gomes hit a homerun.  The Braves were 1-5 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base.  Peterson had a stolen base. 

In the first Cuddyer hit a two run homerun to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.  In the second Simmons hit a two run triple to tie the game at two.  In the fourth Colon hit an RBI single to give the Mets a 3-2 lead.  Gomes hit a solo homerun in the seventh to tie the game at three.  Murphy hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth to give the Mets a 4-3 lead and that was the final score.  The Mets will come home to New York to  have their home opener on Monday afternoon.  They will take on the Philadelphia Phillies. 

New York Yankees release their non roster spring training invite list

The New York Yankees announced on Thursday afternoon their non roster spring training invite list.  It is headlined by top prospects Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, Greg Bird, Jacob Lindgren and Rob Refsnyder.  The Yankees also announced six minor league signings and then the 20 other players that were the invites to go with everyone on the 40 man roster. 

The six minor league contract guys with invites to spring training are Scott Baker a right handed pitcher, infielder Cole Figueroa, infielder Jonathan Galvez, catcher Juan Graterol, infielder Nick Noonan and catcher Eddy Rodriguez.  Baker is a guy who has had a decent career as a starting pitcher mainly with the Minnesota Twins.  He will be insurance in case someone gets hurt in spring training and he has an out clause but we don't know when that is.  I am sure if he doesn't make the team he won't want to go to AAA.  The infielders are guys who could also potentially make the team but I would list that as very unlikely unless major injuries happen.  The Yankees are probably going to have Stephen Drew at second and Didi Gregorius at short with Rob Refsnyder in AAA ready to take over at second sometime this year or next year.  The utility guy is probably going to be Jose Pirela. 

The bright up and comers that headline the prospects that will be in camp are Severino and Judge.  Severino is a dynamite starter who led all Yankees farmhands last season with 127 strikeouts.  He should start the year in AA Trenton and is rated as baseballs 23rd best prospect.  He will have a chance to make a good first impression and could even reach AAA at some point this year and be knocking on the door to the big leagues.  Judge is a power hitting right fielder who should also start out at AA Trenton.  He led the prospects in RBI last year with 78 and was rated as 68 prospect in baseball.  The Yankees have 14 guys in camp who were originally drafted by the Yankees.  Lindgren is included in this list as he was the second round pick in last year draft.  He is a left handed reliever and considered the Yankees ninth best prospect.  He could appear in the majors this season after advancing to AA last year and posting a 2.16 ERA.  Right handed reliever Nick Rumbelow, left handed reliever Tyler Webb and catcher Trent Garrison are also products of the 2014 draft.  Infielder Rob Refsnyder who is the Yankees number 6 prospect, right hander Nick Goody, left hander James Pazos were drafted in 2012 and infielder Greg Bird who is the Yankees number 11 prospect and Jack Cave the number 8 prospect were drafted in 2011.  The Yankees draft selections are rounded out by Cito Culver and Slade Heathcott who were first round selections.  Kyle Roller who is a 1B and catcher Kyle Higashioka.  In addition catcher Francisco Arcia, right hander Vincente Campos, right hander Diego Moreno and right hander Wilking Rodriguez have been invited to camp.  Andrew Bailey was also included in the list, he is a former big league closer who had been rehabbing with the Yankees last year.  He is 30 years old and owns 89 saves over 206 career appearances with the Athletics and Red Sox. 

The total number of players expected to report to camp is 66 with pitchers and catchers reporting on Friday February 20, 2015 and position players reporting a few days later with the first full squad workout scheduled for February 26, 2015. 

New York Yankees news and notes as we hit the new year

The New York Yankees have been busy even if it doesn't seem like it.  They have been making a bunch of smaller moves instead of signing some big free agents.  They have remade their bullpen.  David Robertson signed with the Chicago White Sox and Andrew Miller was signed by the Yankees.  David Phelps and Shawn Kelley were traded away.  The Yankees also just traded away former top prospect Manny Banuelos this  past weekend.  They acquired two relievers from the Atlanta Braves for him. 

The Yankees bullpen right now has Dellin Betances and Miller on the backend with Justin Wilson, David Carpenter who they just picked up from the Braves in front of them.  It would appear that Esmil Rogers will be the swingman like Phelps was.  The Yankees are expected to go with a seven man bullpen so they could have a couple more lefties such as Chasen Schreve from Atlanta or their top pick from last year Jacob Lindgren. 

The Yankees have also remade their infield from last season.  Mark Teixeira is the only incumbant.  Chase Headley was signed for four years and he was with the Yankees from the end of July on but he didn't start the season with them.  They have a new shortstop as their captain retired and they now also have a new second baseman in Stephen Drew.  Drew was also with the Yankees at the end of last season but he wasn't with  them for most of the season.  Alex Rodriguez is also back but he is expected to me mostly a DH and maybe only a part time one at that. 

The Yankees defense looks to be very good.  The left side has Headley and Gregorius which is very good with a lot of range and now the right side also has very good with lots of range in Drew and Teixeira.  Brian McCann is a very good catcher and the outfield defense especially in left and center field is very good.  Carlos Beltran might be the leakest weak defensively and he really isn't that bad he is just getting old. 

If the Yankees stay healthy they could have a pretty good season but that is a big if.  They are going to need their pitchers to stay healthy especially because they could really limit the runs allowed with their pitching and defense.  If their pitchers especially at the top are not healthy though that all changes.  I also think their offense will be better, how can it be any worse really and that should help them.  It should be an interesting year as they are definitely transitioning but yet still trying to stay competitive and a winning team. 

The New York Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3

The New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday afternoon.  The game took

place at Brighthouse Field in Clearwater, Florida.  The final score was 4-3 Yankees.  The game got

started after a 90 minute delay and featured the spring debuts of Mark Teixeira and Alfonso

Soriano. 

Derek Jeter also started in the game and had two hits, Masahiro Tanaka started the game and

pitched well again. 

Tanaka pitched three innings giving up two hits and a run.  He struck out a batter.  Bruce Billings pitched two innings giving up two hits and two runs with a walk and three strikeouts.  Chris Leroux pitched an inning giving up a hit with two strikeouts.  Burawa pitched an inning picking up the win.  He gave up a hit, Fred Lewis pitched a perfect inning and a third and Mark Montgomery picked up the save getting the last two outs. 

Derek Jeter had two hits, Adonis Garcia had a hit and an RBI and Yangervis Solarte had a hit and drew a walk.  Corban Joseph drew a walk, Gary Sanchez had a hit and Kelly Johnson had two hits.  Brian Roberts drew a walk, Jose Pirela had a hit and an RBI and Scott Sizemore had a hit and drew a walk.  Ramon Flores had a hit and two RBI. 

Jeter, Sizemore and Pirela each hit a double and Flores hit a homerun.  The Yankees were 1-9 with runners in scoring position and left ten men on base.  Johnson had a stolen base and Garcia had an outfield assist.  The Yankees will play at home on Friday night against the Detroit Tigers. 

New York Yankees news and notes

The Yankees have some roster openings this spring.  It isn't always the case, some of the young guys

have a chance to break camp and head north.  The Yankees have bullpen positions open and the

fifth starter in the rotation.  They also have utility type and technically second and third although

they expect Kelly Johnson and Brian Roberts to play a lot.  Dellin Betances is one of the young guys

trying to make the team. 

Betances had been a starter all through the minors until last year where he was converted.  He did well as a reliever and has impressed this spring.  I would be on him being in the Yankees bullpen this year.  Betances is a big guy and sometimes it is harder for those guys to get their mechanics in order.  He has done that as a reliever and his biggest problem has been solved.  Control was his main issue but doesn't seem to be much of an issue at this point. 

Betances is only 25 years old and appears to be much more comfortable.  He has pitched 5 1/3 innings this spring which are the most on the team.  He has allowed one hit and two walks with four strikeouts.  Betances said this "I think it's just more time on the mound.  Instead of having to wait every five days, I get to pitch every two, three days: maybe every day when its back-to-back.  I feel like the more time I have on the mound, I feel like the more consistent I'm able to be with my delivery and that's, I think, the key for me." 

Eduardo Nunez had a big day on Wednesday.  He was 3-3 with a double and single but more importantly he played a good second base.  Nunez said he is just trying to prove he can play.  He is hitting 364 through 11 at bats.  There really isn't much question about his offense though, it is his defense that has been the question mark.  Nunez worked out with Robinson Cano again this winter.  He said he did spend time working out at second as well as short and third.  This winter included more second then usual though.  He figured after Cano signed with Seattle that he would need to be able to play second to be on the team. 

Yangervis Solarte is a utility guy who is having a great spring.  He had another hit on Wednesday and made his second start.  He has eight total hits and an average of 667 this spring.  Mark Teixeira will make his spring debut on Thursday. 

There are no injuries to report which is good because last year it started early in the spring.  Teixeira and Jeter were both hurt as well as Curtis Granderson.  They have only had Tex recovering from his wrist surgery and Soriano being sick this year. 

CC Sabathia was supposed to throw a simulated game on Thursday but he didn't on the field due to rain.  I am not sure if he ended up doing it inside.  Manny Banuelos is scheduled for an inning on Saturday.  It will be his first time facing opposing hitters since having Tommy John surgery in 2012. 

Tyler Austin hit off a tee on Thursday morning.  He said it felt great.  He has been easing back into baseball activities since experiencing right wrist soreness earlier in the spring.  Scott Sizemore is scheduled to play again on Thursday off the bench.  David Phelps had a side on Thursday.  He and CC were the only pitchers scheduled to do non-game work on Thursday. 

The New York Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-0

The New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday afternoon.  It was an

exhibition game that took place at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida.  The Yankees had their top

three starters all pitching in the game.  CC Sabathia started followed by Hiroki Kuroda and then

finally by Masahiro Tanaka.  They all pitched well and Derek Jeter played in his second game. 

The final score was 4-0 and the Yankees won the game.  CC Sabathia started and pitched two scoreless innings.  He gave up two hits and struck out one.  Kuroda pitched two innings and only threw 17 pitches.  He gave up a hit and struck out two batters.  He was so effective that he had to throw more in the bullpen after his outing.  Tanaka pitched two scoreless innings giving up two hits.  He struck out three and was impressive for his first outing.  Dellin Betances pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up a walk and Cesar Cabral pitched 1 1/3 innings striking out two. 

Brett Gardner had a hit, Jeter drew a walk and reached on an error and Dean Anna had a hit.  Brian McCann had a hit and drew two walks, Francisco Cervelli had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk and John Ryan Murphy drew a walk.  Kelly Johnson drew a walk, Yangervis Solarte drew a walk and Ichiro Suzuki had a hit and an RBI.  Adonis Garcia had a hit and two RBI, Corban Joseph had a hit and Antoan Richardson had a hit. 

McCann hit a double, the Yankees were 3-13 with runners in scoring position and left ten men on base.  Anna had a stolen base and Joseph was caught stealing.  Anna committed an error.  The Yankees will travel to Dunedin on Sunday to face the Toronto Blue Jays.  The Yankees starter will be Vidal Nuno.   

Yankees Thursday spring training notes

Derek Jeter made his debut in 1996 and Kelly Johnson now his teammate was in the eighth grade.  I

was a senior in high school and it is crazy how time passes by.  Johnson said he is now 32 and that

isn't even that young.  He said it is surreal, that he feels like he is back to being a rookie again. 

He said it is amazing to be playing next to him, he grew up watching him.  It was a comfortable

feeling for the Yankees and their fans to see Jeter back at shortstop and smiling again.  He was

0-2 and didn't have to make a play in the field but he looked good running and everything seems

to be fine.  He won't play on Friday but should be back in the lineup on Saturday and then just start

getting more into the flow of things.  David Phelps said he is the leader and it was nice having him

out there.  He said even on a pop up hearing him say who has it and good job Phelps, things like that.

Phelps in his first spring start got through two innings allowing a run.  He struck out four guys though

and didn't walk anyone.  He said his control was good and he was pleased with the outing. 

Phelps is off the radar a little although he will be a big part of the team either as a fifth starter or out

of the bullpen.  He doesn't get the attention of Michael Pineda or Mashahiro Tanaka and even joked

about that.  He said it has been nuts all the extra media to see him.  I think that is pretty funny and

it seems like a good group so far that is having fun.  They seem to be meshing together well and that

is a good thing.  We will have to see how it translates on the field but so far so good. 

Brian Roberts was the last of the regulars to make his spring debut and said the strangest part was

putting on a different uniform.  He said he has played against the Yankees a lot and staying in the

same division makes it easier.  Mark Teixeira will get into a game next week as he is taking it slow

coming back from a major wrist injury. 

Roberts said the basic same thing as Jeter.  That he isn't worried about anything injury wise, he feels

good and expects to play.  It doesn't mean that he will play all the time and I would have my concerns

most with him.  He hasn't played a full year in four years although last year is the most he has played

and he was healthy the whole second half so that is a good sign. 

Eduardo Nunez was feeling better on Thursday.  He said it was just bad salmon he ate on Tuesday

and not related to what Alfonso Soriano had.  Nunez had a good line about missing a week like

Soriano.  He said "A week, if I miss a week I don't make the team."  I agree though he is on the

bubble.  This is probably his last chance, he needs to make the team and play well and stay healthy.

I think he could be their third baseman with Kelly Johnson but the Yankees don't seem to feel the

same way. 

New York Yankees notes as exhibition games begin

Kelly Johnson played third base briefly for the Yankees on Tuesday.  He is getting acclimated there

but in reality it was last year when he was thrown into the fire.  He never played there but then he

was becoming Evan Longoria back-up.  This is what Johnson said "They just said, Hey lets go out and

get some early stuff and see how you look over there."  "I played that day, and I played like a week

straight .

Just whenever Longoria needed something, a day off or a DH day."  He went on to say that as an

infielder in the big leagues you kind of know and have an eye on other positions.  He said the one

thing that stood out to him about third base was you don't have as much time to throw over to first.

He said at second your mechanics don't have to be perfect but at third they do because you have

less time. Johnson said that Mick Kelleher, Willie Randolph and minor league coach Jody Reed have

all been helping him at third.  Yankees camp is light on true third baseman so he fits in but he said

he had one of the best teachers last year in Longoria.  I would agree with him on that one, he is one

of the best players in the league. 

Alfonso Soriano was able to hit and workout in the morning.  He said that he was feeling much

better according to Chad Jennings of the Journal News.  Ozzie Smith has teamed up with Budweiser

to try and make Opening Day a national holiday.  They need 100,000 signatures in 30 days and then

it will be brought to Washington D.C. to try and make it a law.  I think it is pretty cool and you

should check it out if you haven't already.   It is on MLB.com and budweiser.com.  The Yankees

played their first exhibition against major leaguers on Wednesday afternoon.  They played in

Bradenton against the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

Eduardo Nunez was the starting shortstop on Wednesday but was scratched with a stomach bug.  It

sounds like the Yankees have it going around as he is the second one to have it now.  Soriano was

the first and he is just starting to workout and feel better.  The Yankees decided to give Soriano five

days of workouts before putting him in a game.  He is only on day two so by the weekend he should

be ready to go.  Nova started on Wednesday and wasn't great but he wasn't horrible.  He already

has trust in his new catcher Brian McCann.  McCann went out to talk with him in the first inning and

let him know what he was seeing.  Nova said he listened and he told him I am not going to shake

you much as you have a plan and I trust you know what you are doing.  I think McCann will have a

huge impact on the Yankees both offensively and defensively.  Jose Ramirez who is a pitching

prospect is the latest spring training injury.  He felt his back tighten up warming up in the bullpen. 

There are no change of plans with Derek Jeter.  He is expected in the lineup on Thursday and to play

about five innings at shortstop.  Brian Cashman again shot down any thought of someone like

Stephen Drew.  He said we have spent our money and only things that are cost effective.  So either

a trade for infield help or a waiver claim, I tend to agree with this.  I don't think they are lying about

it.  I think if anything, they could make a trade but they could also do that at midseason if things

aren't working. 

Ellsbury reached base three times on Wednesday and didn't try to steal.  He stated that was

intentional. He said he does try and save them for the regular season.  Yangervis Solarte was the

standout of Wednesday.  He is a guy to keep an eye on as he may be able to help at third this

season.  They have Johnson and Nunez for there right now but Johnson is also the backup first

baseman and probably second also.  It isn't an ideal situation so someone else may have a chance to

open up eyes and get their shot in the infield.  Chase Whitley had a rough outing taking the loss and

being charged with all four runs in the seventh inning.  Dellin Betances pitched two scoreless innings

and had two strikeouts and no walks.  He is a guy who I think will make the team in the bullpen and

could have a big impact. 

The first televised game of the spring is on Thursday afternoon.  It is a 1:00PM start on YES and from

Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida.  You should see most of the regulars for about half of the

game.  David Phelps gets the start in the game and Adam Warren will start on Friday.  The fifth

starter derby really starts to heat up. 

New York Yankees win exhibition opener 8-3 over Florida State University

New York Yankees win exhibition opener 8-3 over Florida State University


The New York Yankees defeated the Florida State Seminoles on Tuesday afternoon. The final score was 8-3 and the game took place at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. Vidal Nuno started the game for the Yankees and threw two scoreless innings. The only Yankees regulars who played were Brett Gardner, Francisco Cervelli and Kelly Johnson. The players who had the best days were John Ryan Murphy. He used to be J.R. Murphy but now goes by the name of John Ryan. He had two doubles and an RBI. Jose Gil and Ramon Flores each had two hits also. Flores hit the first homerun of the spring for the Yankees. Brendan Ryan had a hit and an RBI, Dean Anna had a hit and Yangervis had a hit and an RBI. Corban Joseph had a hit and an RBI, Gary Sanchez had an RBI and Zoilo Almonte had a hit.

Nuno got the win pitching two scoreless and giving up a hit. He walked none and struck out three. Nuno kicked off the fifth starter derby and David Phelps and Adam Warren will get their turns in the next couple of days. Nuno was in a no-win situation here, if college kids hit him around it wouldn’t look good and if he did well he is supposed too. He did well and that is better then not pitching well. Brian Gordon pitched two innings giving up four hits and no runs with a strikeout. Shane Greene pitched two innings giving up three hits and three runs with a walk and a strikeout. Bryan Mitchell pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts and Francisco Rondon pitched an inning giving up a hit with two strikeouts.

Ryan hit an RBI double in the second to make it 1-0 Yankees. In the third Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 Yankees. Solarte hit an RBI single, Murphy hit an RBI double and a wild pitch scored another run. The Yankees had a 5-0 lead. Florida State scored three runs in the top of the sixth to make it a game at 5-3 but then the Yankees pulled away again. The Yankees scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on a Corban Joseph RBI single and an error scored another run. In the eighth the Yankees added a final run to make it 8-3 and that was the final score.

The Yankees will head to Bradenton to open the grapefruit league schedule on Wednesday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ivan Nova will get the start and Dellin Betances, Cesar Cabral, Bruce Billings, Preston Claiborne, Matt Daley, Chris Leroux, Jose Ramirez and Chase Whitley are listed as relievers. The Yankees will look to win their second in a row before returning home on Thursday for the first televised game of the spring. Thursday will also mark the debut of Derek Jeter in his final season.

New York Mets spring training notes

New York Mets spring training notes


The Mets as always are getting criticism right now. They signed Chris Young to a one year 7.5 million deal in November. Nelson Cruz just signed with Baltimore for one year and eight million. There were a lot of Mets fans that wanted him and I can see their frustration. They didn’t know in November though that Cruz would come down, he was looking for a five-year deal at the time.

Terry Collins the manager said on Saturday that he liked Ike Davis swing. He believes it is more quite and flat, which creates better backspin on the ball. He said this “I’m really impressed with what I’ve seen.” He went on to say that his swing is completely different then last year. Ike Davis had a tough year and then went through a winter of being in constant trade rumors. He is still a Met and maybe that is a good thing. If he just focuses on baseball and gets it back he will be a valuable asset to the Mets. If he does well they may be able to trade Lucas Duda and Davis can be the first baseman for a long time and help anchor the infield.

Matt Harvey tossed a baseball for the first time since his surgery on Saturday. It doesn’t mean much as there is no way he will be playing this year but good to see for them. He made about 20 throws to the bullpen catcher. He was roughly standing 60 feet away and was being watched by many fans, media and cameras. Harvey told reporters “It was awesome. Everything felt amazing; I’ve got a lot of work to do. It’s going to be a tough process with how things felt today. But I’ve got to stick with it and move forward.”

The Mets catchers have been told to not block home plate regardless of the new rules or not. The Mets offered Stephen Drew a one year 9.5 million dollar deal but he is still looking for more. Maybe they can agree to that with an option, I don’t know what other options he really has at this point.

New York Yankees pitchers and catchers report

New York Yankees pitchers and catchers report


The New York Yankees pitchers and catchers reported to camp on Friday. They held their first official workout on Saturday. Masahiro Tanaka of course had a huge following. CC Sabathia checked in lighter and of course there is a lot of intrigue surrounding him. Here are some of the news and notes from the start of spring training.

Hiroki Kuroda and Masahiro Tanaka basically stuck together all day on Saturday. It is an obvious bond between starting pitchers and countrymen. Joe Girardi said that he didn’t make any direct suggestion about it. He was happy to see the relationship develop though especially this early on. Tanaka stated he was happy to have him around and would like to spend as much time as possible with Kuroda.

Ivan Nova is one of the top four starting pitchers but he isn’t acting like one. He seems to have a better attitude now. He was sent back to the minors last year and I think taught a hard lesson. He came back and was great in the second half of last year. He stated he is treating this camp like any other, which he needs to go out there and win a job.

There were no injuries to report on the first day of camp so that makes it a success. The Yankees last year had lots of injuries right from spring training so you have to think of this. Joe Girardi said he feared that with open competition some guys might push too hard. He said he didn’t see that at all today and he was happy. Francisco Cervelli caught Tanakas first bullpen the other day and he caught him today. He said that they will start to rotate but he would like to catch him as much as he can. He stated this “the fastball command was really good.” Tanaka spoke and said as a player he is honored to have so much attention on him but he has to go out and do well on the field. He said he was a little surprised with how much attention he is getting.

Tanaka said that his first workout was shorter then expected. He said he is going to remember the running the most. The pitchers ran four laps around the field before finishing for the day. He said he is slow to begin with but it was tough. It sounded like he was most likely joking around. Manny Banuelos is coming back from Tommy John surgery. He was 21 and on the verge of the big leagues before being hurt. He is now 23 and could be on the verge. He said he sees this as another opportunity and he will make the most of it. He wants to be a starter but would be happy breaking camp with the big team as a reliever. If he goes to AAA he will be fine and just work hard on getting called up soon. He needs to take a big step forward and I think the Yankees have him in their plans moving forward. He is one of their top prospects and a lot has been expected of him.

J.R. Murphy is now going by John Ryan. That is how they have it listed above his locker and what he is telling everyone. There are a few position players that have a jersey hanging in it. Nunez, Ellsbury, Ryan, Johnson, Tex, Beltran, Jeter, Gardner, Ichiro and Soriano. These guys all figure to break camp with the club. This is a good sign for Nunez, I still think he should be the third baseman to start with Kelly Johnson being a super utility guy. We will see how this plays out though; both guys will have chances to play.

The big thing from Friday besides Tanaka of course was Michael Pineda. He seemed to be a big topic. Cervelli said he has looked good, much better then last year. The Yankees have said it is a competition for the fifth spot in the rotation but I think they want him to win that job. They didn’t trade him for nothing and he could be a fifth starter who could be a number two type starter. If he gets it back and contributes that will be a huge boost to the Yankees and could be a wild card for this season.

New York Yankees news and notes as we head to spring training

New York Yankees news and notes as we head to spring training


The New York Yankees will open up their spring training camp on Friday. Pitchers and catchers report with position players reporting about a week later. Masahiro Tanaka will be the most talked about pitcher and have the most focus on him. CC Sabathia apparently has lost a lot of weight and that will be a big topic as well. I assume David Robertson will also get a lot of attention, as right now he is the closer replacing the legend Mariano Rivera.

Tanaka will have a 1:00PM press conference tomorrow before heading down to Japan. He already made a grand entrance by renting a huge 847 plane to get to New York from Japan. It is a 200-passenger plane that carried him and his entourage. He has already made a grand entrance and he seems like a good fit for the big stage of New York. The first chance to see him will be tomorrow on the YES network.

Derek Jeter continues to participate in pre camp workouts at the minor league camp in Tampa. The reports are encouraging and he appears to be healthy. We won’t really know until he starts getting in games but next week he will report to camp and get it going.

The Yankees do seem like they are done with their winter makeover. They could use another bullpen arm but for now will go with what they have. Robertson as the closer, Thornton as the lefty, Kelley and Claiborne as setup men. Betances is in the mix as well with Phelps or Warren as the long man. I don’t think it is as bad as some others think and bullpens kind of develop as you go along. They just signed a former prospect from the Nationals Cole Kimball to a minor league deal. Manny Banuelos may also be in the mix as a second lefty out of the pen.

Alex Rodriguez dropped all of his lawsuits on Friday and will not be anywhere near spring training camp. He is suspended for all of the 2014 season and the postseason. The Yankees finally have a resolution on this and can move forward. He won’t be a distraction to them this season and they don’t have to worry about anything with him for another year. The question is who plays third base and I think the answer is Kelly Johnson and Eduardo Nunez in a platoon. I think Brian Roberts is the guy for second base and that is more of the question. I think the platoon at third will be a pretty good solution for this season. I am not sure about second base especially with the injury concerns. It will have to play out and the Yankees hope that Roberts is healthy and can at least play a sold defensive second and provide some offense. There really isn’t much going on now until Friday when it all begins and then we will have pretty much daily coverage. It is an exciting time as baseball is almost back.

Masahiro Tanaka signs with the New York Yankees

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.

The Hall Of Fame Vote

The Hall Of Fame Vote


I don’t have a Hall Of Fame Vote but if I did I would have taken it very seriously. I think there are some out there who don’t do that. I don’t think it is a majority though and most do take it very seriously. When you have to get 75 percent of anything it is going to draw a lot of debate, not everyone is going to agree and that is just fine. There is nothing wrong with debate over merit or non-merit but it should be kept civil. Everyone has a right to do what they feel is the right thing and they shouldn’t be killed for it.

There does need to be some change though, I think the 10-player limit should be taken away. I think you should be able to vote for whomever you want to vote for with no limit. If you feel someone is worthy you should be able to vote for that person. I think the BBWAA mostly does a good job but it should be opened up to more of the new age media like the bloggers, announcers and others in the baseball community. Why should just the card-carrying members of the BBWAA decide this? There are others out there who care just as much about the game. There are some out there who care more then some who are currently voting.

I don’t think the vote should be made as an example. Deadspin purchased a vote of a writer; I don’t think that is right. What did we learn in all of this today?? We learned that the PED issue is a very big issue and the writers are still struggling with how to handle it. Jeff Bagwell and Mike Piazza would be in the Hall already if it wasn’t for this issue. They both went upward, the only two on the ballot who did so. They clearly are being hurt by the suspicion of PED use even though there was never any evidence that these players have taken steroids. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are first ballot Hall Of Famers who can’t even crack 40 percent. The reason why is simple, it is because of the PED use or suspected use. I don’t think they are ever going to get in as they went backwards. Rafael Palmeiro didn’t pick up five percent and is off the ballot for good. Mark McGwire only got 11 percent and Sammy Sosa around seven percent. The point is that these steroid guys or suspected guys aren’t coming even close the Hall Of Fame. I do think that Piazza and probably Bagwell will get in soon but should they be punished on suspicion?? Should clean players from the so-called steroid era be singled out because of when they played?? I don’t think so but this is a very complex issue. It is hard to know who did and didn’t use. There are certain guys of course like Bonds and Clemens where the evidence is too great but really how do we know.

I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a guy already in the Hall who took something and if not I am sure there will be in the near future. The best thing of all of this is that baseball is in the spotlight again. There is no sport that draws so much attention to a hall of fame vote. The passion out there is real and the debate is real, this is a good thing for the sport of baseball. It will be interesting to see if anything changes going forward, in the mean time lets recognize the three very deserving members of the Hall Of Fame Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas. They will be the class of 2014 along with the three managers, Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre.

The New York Yankees Winter Meeting Notes

New York Yankees Winter Meeting Notes


The New York Yankees didn’t do anything at the winter meetings but to be honest nobody else really did either. The New York Mets may have been the most active believe it or not. They officially announced the signing of Curtis Granderson and then on the last day signed Bartolo Colon to a two year and 20 million dollar deal.

The Yankees are in the market for a starting pitcher but may not get it. The general manager Brian Cashman acknowledged on Wednesday afternoon that the trade market or the free agent market is not really encouraging right now. The Yankees preference is adding a high-end starter such as Tanaka from Japan. The Yankees may have to take what they can get though, if they have to sign a back of the rotation innings eater like Bronson Arroyo they will.

The Tanaka situation is clearly affecting the pitching market. We still don’t know when and if Tanaka will be posted. Teams want to go after him especially the Yankees, Dodgers and apparently the Diamondbacks. I personally don’t think the Yankees pitching are as bad as people say it is. I expect CC Sabathia to bounce back and Michael Pineda to be a good pitcher for the Yankees. I think Ivan Nova has taken a step forward and Hiroki Kuroda is a solid pitcher. The Yankees have several options like David Phelps, Vidal Nuno, Adam Warren for the fifth spot and none of them are that bad.

Brian Cashman hinted at trying to get some good value out of non-roster invitees. He said he could add a couple of bullpen pieces and then get a lesser starter. The Yankees clearly are all about Tanaka and then after that they will go to plan B. Dellin Betances has a fourth year option now and can be sent down to AAA. Eduardo Nunez also has an option left. Brendan Ryan and Kelly Johnson are on the team so he may end up back in AAA. I personally would start him at third and play Kelly Johnson at second. If they do sign someone like Omar Infante then that changes that thought process. The Yankees have spoken to Johan Santana agent but not really about him. It doesn’t sound like the Yankees are too interested but they may take a flier on a guy like that.

Matt Krause is the new strength coach and has met with Derek Jeter and CC Sabathia already. Cashman said he wasn’t sure of the exact details but there has been nothing negative in Jeter’s rehab. The Yankees 40 man roster is full so they won’t claim anyone in the Rule V Draft. They could lose a couple of guys though.

Cashman said he thinks it will be easier to get a second baseman then a third baseman. He said second base is deeper in terms of options they have. Cashman said that in any of his talks with relievers no one has stated they want to be a closer and that has to be guaranteed in a contract. The Yankees did a lot of their heavy lifting before the Winter Meetings. They still have some work to do and I am sure Cashman is working the phones like crazy.

A wild day for the Hot Stove league

A wild day for the Hot Stove league


The baseball off-season is never really boring. It does have its ups and downs. There are times that are much more exciting then others. The time is usually coming as the MLB winter meetings begin on Monday. This year though something crazy happened, we had a winter meetings like day a week early. I have never seen anything like it, it was a wild day for the hot stove as there were signings, trades etc. This all happened on a Tuesday, the week before the winter meetings. To be honest I don’t even think a single day during the winter meetings could top this.

I will try to keep up with it all but I am sure I may be missing something. It was so crazy I don’t even know if I could keep up with it. I am a HUGE baseball fan and it was still hard for me to comprehend all that went on. The New York Yankees signed Jacoby Ellsbury to a seven-year 153 million contract. The Oakland Athletics were wheeling and dealing as they traded for Jim Johnson technically the night before. They also traded Seth Smith to the San Diego Padres for Luke Gregorson. The Robinson Cano saga took an interesting turn as it looks like the Seattle Mariners are appearing as major players for him.

The Boston Red Sox signed A.J. Piersynski for one year. The Florida Marlins signed their catcher from last season Jarrod Saltalamacchia to a three year 21 million dollar deal. The Detroit Tigers finally got their closer in Joe Nathan for a two-year deal. The Tampa Bay Rays took part in a three-way deal. They traded for Ryan Hanigan who is a catcher from the Cincinnati Reds and Heath Bell from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Reds received David Holmberg from the D-backs and Arizona received right handed pitcher Justin Choate and a player to be named later or cash considerations from Tampa. The Diamondbacks also sent around 500,000 to the Rays.

The Kansas City Royals were moving closer to signing Carlos Beltran who started his career with them. The Oakland Athletics also completed a rare in the division trade. They got Craig Gentry from the Texas Rangers and right-hander Josh Lindblom and they are exploring trading their pitcher Brett Anderson. The Rangers got from Oakland Michael Choice. The Houston Astros, yeah the Astros got involved. They traded for Colorado centerfielder Dexter Fowler. Colorado reportedly agreed to terms with Justin Morneau. Do you have that all and I hope I didn’t miss anything.

It was the wildest day I can remember without there even being a game. I don’t even remember a day during the winter meetings being like this. The winter meetings won’t be as interesting this year but there are still some things that could happen.

Shin Soo Choo is still out there as well as Robinson Cano. The starting pitching market hasn’t really taken shape and a trade for the Rays David Price could happen during the meetings. If nothing else I am sure you will hear plenty of rumors about it. The intrigue for Tanaka will go up with a new posting system about to be put in place. It looks like it will be a max bid and then basically an all out free for all like free agency for him. There will be plenty to talk about and then it will be holiday time which will lead you into the new year and about a month away from spring training.