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Yankees vs. Rays: 3 things to watch as 2012 starts

Posted by on 5 April 2012, 11:13 pm

The start of a new baseball season makes me feel like a kid on Christmas again.

CC Sabathia

CC Sabathia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am both excited and nervous just thinking of what the 2012 season could bring.

Finally, it is the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays turn to open the season tomorrow at Tropicana Field.

Two division rivals, that are both primed to make the post season, and with 162-games left to be played anything can happen.

The AL East is as much talented as it is torturous, and it looks to be a battle-royale once again in baseball’s toughest division.

So, what should Yankee fans be watching against the Rays this weekend?

Here are three situations I will be keeping tabs on….

1) The starting pitching match-ups are fierce.

CC Sabathia vs. James Shields – Friday

Hiroki Kuroda vs. David Price – Saturday

Phil Hughes vs. Jeremy Hellickson – Sunday

Out of all three, I will be closely watching Sunday’s match-up of Hughes vs. Hellickson as it intrigues me because I haven’t seen a really productive Hughes since before the 2010 All-Star Break.

Also, Hellickson, who won the 2011 AL Rookie of the Year, and Hughes have very similar  stats against each others active hitters, so I want to see if Hughes can hold his own without the Yankees having to score 6+ runs for him to get the win. Continue reading ‘Yankees vs. Rays: 3 things to watch as 2012 starts’ »

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New York Yankees: Opening Day at Tropicana Field

Posted by on 31 March 2012, 8:02 pm

Opening Day in MLBis one of the best days of the season.

Tropicana Field

Tropicana Field (Photo credit: Kwong Yee Cheng)

I don’t know if you have ever been to an Opening Day, but I have been to many at Yankee Stadium and highly recommend going because it is a memorable experience.

The excitement in the air is undeniable, as it is only other game where each player gets announced like it does in the postseason.

The Air Force flies usually planes overhead, or shots are fired by military before the first pitch. Along with a ceremony that pays either tribute to the military or honors something important. This tradition varies at every ballpark.

There is always a live singer to perform the National Anthem, which most fans only experience before postseason games, the All-Star game or if a team is having a special tribute.

Still there is one thing that has never faltered about Opening Day, and that is all teams are considered equal, like a clean slate for both players and fans alike.

The game is mesmerizing like in the postseason but without the intensity, as everyone is just happy to have baseball back again.

2012 OPENING DAY at The Trop:

The Yankees open the season next Friday, April 6th against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

This is a travesty in my opinion because no one should be subjected to starting the season at the Trop, not even the Rays.

The fact that baseball fans in Central Florida don’t run to see the Rays was beyond me until I went to a game at the Trop.

I will cut to the chase by saying the Trop is a total dump. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Opening Day at Tropicana Field’ »

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2012 MLB Team Preview: Tampa Bay Rays

Posted by on 8 March 2012, 12:16 am

Tampa Bay Rays logo.

The Tampa Bay Rays had a typical quiet off-season, as they don’t have the money to be flashy or newsworthy but you wouldn’t know it from the way this team competes.

Through utilizing high draft picks after years of losing as the Devil Rays, the franchise has built a team that is a force to be reckoned with. The Rays have proven this by playing in the postseason three of the last four years and ironically it all happened the day the word devil came off their jerseys.

The youngsters have a few years under their belts now, including losing to the Phillies in the 2008 World Series and evidently they are hungry to get back there after watching them fight their way into October last season.

The Rays have made the AL East a three-team race and have certainly earned the respect of the Red Sox and Yankees, as well as being now considered one of the élite teams in baseball.

So, will 2012 lead to another postseason berth for Tampa Bay?

Let’s take a look…

THE POSITIVES:

The Rays starting rotation features young and electric arms that only look to be getting better. In 2011 the starting five held batters to a .234 and averaged a 1.24 WHIP, which was second best in all of baseball in both categories. Expect James Shields and David Price to be bigger studs this season, as neither of the two has even peaked yet. Following them is Jeremy Hellickson who had a great rookie campaign last year, making 29 starts, and finishing 13-10, with a 2.95 ERA and pitching just shy of 190 total innings. After Hellickson comes Wade Davis and Jeff Neimann who won a combined 22 games, as the duo is one of the more solid four and five in baseball. The real buzz everyone is watching is 22-year-old Matt Moore who is one of the most promising pitching prospects.

In my opinion the Rays batting line-up will be better this season, and that they are getting undervalued. Led by homegrown star Evan Longoria who at just 26-years old is already deemed one of the best hitters in baseball. The Rays need big seasons at the plate from BJ Upton who hopefully can stop free swinging at everything. And I like that they brought back Carlos Pena, who played for the Cubs last season, as he should bring some added power. They need solid performances from Matt Joyce, Ben Zobrist and xxx. Also, expect big things from rookie Desmond Jennings who finally provides the team with the everyday leadoff hitter they have needed.

The biggest strength that the Rays hitters have is speed, as they stole the second most bases in baseball in 2011 with 155 in total. Nothing irritates or agitates an opposing team more than pesky base runners, as it can be a game changer. The Rays should focus on stealing bases more successfully this Spring, as they also got caught 62 times last year.

THE NEGATIVES: Continue reading ‘2012 MLB Team Preview: Tampa Bay Rays’ »

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Congratulations 2011 MLB Rookie of the Year Award Winners

Posted by on 15 November 2011, 12:11 am

Congratulations to Tampa Bay Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson and Atlanta Braves closer Craig Kimbrel for being named the 2011 Rookies of the Year.

Hellickson went 13-10 over 29 starts in his rookie season. The 24-year old righty posted a 2.95 ERA, with 117 strikeouts and pitched 189 innings total. That is no easy feat for any pitcher, but for a rookie to put up those numbers in the heavy hitting AL East makes it even more impressive.

Kimbrel set a new rookie record with 46 saves in the regular season. In 77 innings pitched, Kimbrel posted a 2.10 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP and had 127 strikeouts. The 23-year old righty was named to the 2011 NL All-Star team, and he swept the ROY voting, getting all 32 first place nods.

Below are the 2011 ROY voting totals:

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

al voting results from mlb.com

Continue reading ‘Congratulations 2011 MLB Rookie of the Year Award Winners’ »

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New York Yankees: Losing But Not The Losers

Posted by on 29 September 2011, 4:01 am

No baseball fan could dream up a better finish to the regular season that is unless you are a Boston Red Sox, or Atlanta Braves fan.

Over the last month we saw the mighty Red Sox go from leading the AL East to destination unknown. It was hard to watch, even as a Yankee fan because truthfully I felt bad, the same way I did for the Mets in 2007.

This was the Red Sox team that Sports Illustrated proclaimed would win 100 games, on route to winning another World Series Championship in the magazine’s annual Baseball Preview issue.

Just try to conceive the mutiny that must be going on at ESPN?

ESPN is the sports equivalent of CNN, and minus my favorite expert Skip Bayless, the kitten caboodle made up of ex-players and the game’s most respected analysts must be in shock. Just Gordon Edes’ bold predictions alone are enough for any network to hang their heads in shame.

And let’s not forget about ESPN’s predicting machine that simulates a full season of 162 games, for all 30 teams and it picked the Red Sox too. Just read my preseason article, ESPN’s Baseball Machine Even Hates The Yankees to see exactly what a robot that was MADE IN BEANTOWN forecasted for this 2011 MLB season.

Truthfully, at the start of this historical Wednesday all my pity and heartfelt sentiments for my Yankees hated rivals had still not completely out the window.  The real moment it did was at the top of the 2nd inning; with two outs on the board and the bases loaded, Mark Teixeira had to go to hit a grand slam of ace David Price. And suddenly the scoreboard read 5-0; and I wanted the Yankees to lose.

Call me whatever you want because I deserve it. Anyone with a brain knows that the Yankees would be better off in the ALCS playing a team who went 7-20 in September, over a hot team like Tampa Bay who went 17-10 respectively; but during this game I did not care. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Losing But Not The Losers’ »

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New York Yankees Fans Are You Ready For Some Baseball

Posted by on 28 September 2011, 2:31 pm
Bench-clearing brawl on June 5, 2008 game betw...

Image via Wikipedia

Tonight baseball nation will be watching, as four teams will be battling but not against each other for the last two coveted Wild Card postseason spots.

In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays (90-71) are tied with the Boston Red Sox (90-71) so if both teams win or lose there will be a sudden death game played tomorrow between these to AL East powerhouses.

Same scenario in the National League, as the Atlanta Braves (89-72) and St. Louis Cardinals (89-72) are both striving to clinch a playoff berth tonight, but if tied the two will also duel it out against each other tomorrow to determine the winner.

This is about as good as it gets for baseball fans, and if you have any friends who are on the fence about loving America’s Pastime this would be the night to make sure they are tuned in.

Here is the TV schedule for tonight’s match-ups courtesy of MLB.com (EST listed):

Wed, Sep 28 7:05 pm Boston Red Sox Baltimore Orioles ESPN
Wed, Sep 28 7:10 pm Philadelphia Phillies Atlanta Braves

ESPN2
Wed, Sep 28 7:10 pm New York Yankees Tampa Bay Rays ESPN
Wed, Sep 28 8:05 pm St. Louis Cardinals Houston Astros ESPN2

As the best athlete of out generation once said:

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” – Michael Jordon

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New York Yankees: Red Sox Are Still Alive

Posted by on 26 September 2011, 2:23 am

The New York Yankees have had a lot to smile about this past week, from winning the AL East division to fortifying home field advantage for the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Knocking the Boston Red Sox out of the top spot in the AL Wild Card would have been the icing on the cake, but after fighting for 14-innings in the second game of a double-header that mission failed.

Now with three games left in the regular season, the Red Sox remain a game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card standings.

Why should any Yankee fan be complaining?

Worried would be the more proper word because back on September 1st, the Red Sox were the team atop the AL East. On September 2nd, the Yankees stole first place and never looked back but with a nine game lead in the Wild Card it seemed inevitable that Boston would still be around in October.

That is until Boston broke a franchise record for the worst September slump by losing 18 of the next 24 games.

Still, the Red Sox fought hard to beat the Yankees last night and that might have been just what the doctor ordered.

If you recall the Red Sox started the season 0-7 until they swept the Yankees in Fenway Park and Boston started beating everyone.

Let’s hope history does not repeat itself in this case; or in the case of Yankees ace CC Sabathia not making a start for two weeks before taking the hill in Game One of the ALDS next Friday night.

Ironically, the Yankees will finish the season down in Tampa Bay for a three game set against the Rays. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Red Sox Are Still Alive’ »

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