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New York Yankees: Injury Updates Are Just Alright

Posted by on 21 June 2011, 2:59 am

With the recent way they are playing, it is easy to forget that the New York Yankees are riddled with injuries.

Minus the great Mo, Robertson and technically Boone Logan, the entire bullpen, along with the Captain Derek Jeter, two top starting pitchers Colon and Hughes, and Yankees new bench player, Oakland A’s legend Eric Chavez all are on the disabled list.

The updates on the Yankee injured are just all right; with no official return dates know for any yet.

HERE ARE THE RECENT REPORTS FROM THE YANKEES DL:

One positive report from Daniel Barbarisi at the Wall Street Journal, that skipper Joe Girardi said Jeter’s rehab is going smoothly down in Tampa, FL. The Captain is right on track to be back at the end of the month, which is the end of his 15-day DL stint.

The latest on surprise Yankee ace Bartolo Colon, who is out with a strained left hamstring was not good. Colon has supposedly not even begun to throw yet, which is not a good sign considering his absence is about to hit the two-week mark.

On the Phil Hughes front, ESPN New York reports that Hughes clocked 95 mph in his rehab start with the Staten Island Yankees. Hughes threw 61 pitches, 41 for strikes in a 4 1/3-inning start, fanning seven and issuing just one walk. It is said that the Yankees want Hughes to make at least three to five more rehab starts, with his next in Double-A Scranton on Friday.

The Associated Press had the latest on Eric Chavez, reporting that Chavez took batting practice on the field for the first time since breaking his left foot May 5. Chavez has already been out way longer than expected, but it is good news that he is out of the walking boot and on the field again.

Oh and Yankee fans need not worry about Andruw Jones being hurt on his run to first-base against the Reds on Monday. Jones was just being lazy, no thanks to Russell Martin sliding into second hard with the intent of helping Jones get to first safely. Brett Gardner should start against all pitchers for a while. I was in shock that Jones pulled this crap, as it is unacceptable and you would think that a player of his stature would give his all. It makes you remember that at just 33, Jones is already burnt out and that he gave-up about three seasons ago.

NOTABLE INJURIES FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE:

The only team now in worse shape than the Yankees is the St. Louis Cardinals, who just lost arguably the best player in baseball, 1B Albert Pujols.

Reported on St. Louis Today the Cardinals will be without Pujols for a minimum of six weeks, after being diagnosed with a fractured wrist after a collision with Kansas City Royals and ex-Yankee Wilson Betemit. That is just terrible and heart-breaking news for the Cardinals and their fans.

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New York Yankees: Super Nova Not Letting Phil Hughes Steal His Spot

Posted by on 21 June 2011, 12:49 am
CINCINNATI, OH - JUNE 20: A Cincinnati Reds fa...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The New York Yankees have not been void of injuries this season, with almost the entire bullpen, the Captain and two starting pitchers all currently sitting on the Disabled List.

Well, you certainly wouldn’t know it, as the active Yankees are cruising right along on the road and packing in the crowds during the first week of Interleague Play.

Over the weekend, the Bombers won two of three in Wrigley Field, the famous home of the Chicago Cubs. Also, according to ESPN Chicago the Cubs set a new attendance record during this three-game series with 126,283 fans in total to see them play the Yankees.

After the Sunday finale, they flew to Cincinnati and beat the Reds in the first of three with a score of 5-3.

This Monday night belonged to rookie pitcher Ivan Nova, who irrefutably flaunted how vital he can be in the starting rotation.

Nova pitched eight innings of one-run ball, fanning seven Reds, throwing 70 of his 105 pitches for strikes and didn’t issue one walk. He was locating his sinker to both sides of the plate, and he established a strikeout curveball early.

Closer Mariano Rivera had to come in and save the game, after lefty non-specialist Boone Logan hit 2010 MVP Joey Votto in the back with his first pitch. Logan got pulled after that one, and Mo posted his 18th save on the season.

Still, there was just one paramount performance and goes without saying that the Great American Ballpark is known to be a batting heaven, but not with Nova on the mound.

Nova clocked his third win in a row, certainly making the possibility of plunking Phil Hughes into the bullpen more realistic.

The Yankees have won nine of 11 and maybe the Boston Red Sox are to thank for this surge.

The Yankee players are sans their Captain for the first time since 2003, as Derek Jeter is in Tampa rehabbing his left calf. Even without Jeter, the players’ determination is undeniable and for the first time all season they look unstoppable.

As YES announcer Michael Kay says:

“Put that one on the left side!”

The Yankees are certainly showing that they can do that, at least away from Yankee Stadium.

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New York Yankees: Boston Massacre To Begin As Red Sox Are In Town

Posted by on 7 June 2011, 2:19 am

It is no secret that the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox did not look like themselves up until now; because as of a month ago both ball-clubs fans shared the same serious concern.

Well it seems that both veteran-filled roasters just needed some added time to warm-up and the AL East is starting to look like it always does.

So with that said, Yankee fans are looking for nothing less than a Boston massacre this week, as the Red Sox are back in town and have owned the Bombers winning five of six games so far in 2011.

With both teams decisively playing first-rate baseball, there will be no excuse for losing this time. This pertains more so for the Yankees, who start the three-game set a game ahead of Boston in the AL East standings.

Also, Yankee Universe remembers the Red Sox brought their brooms the last time they visited the Bronx, which was only back on May 13th. Leaving a wound that is still very fresh for anyone who wears the pinstripes, but especially for the fans who seem to take this even more seriously than the players.

Not to say the Yankee players would tolerate another series loss at the hands of Big Sloppy Papi and his prick closer Papelbon in their own house, again.

Even more so, the Stadium will be rocking with Yankee fans cheering on their team who is finally home from a very fruitful 6-3-road trip.

The pitching schedule is as follows:

TUESDAY, June 7, 2011, 7:05 PM EST

Freddy Garcia (4-4, 3.34 ERA) vs. Jon Lester (7-2, 3.94 ERA)

WEDNESDAY, June 8, 2011, 7:05 PM EST

AJ Burnett (6-3, 3.86 ERA) vs. Tim Wakefield (2-1, 4.40 ERA)

THURSDAY, June 9, 2011, 7:05 PM EST

CC Sabathia (7-3, 2.80 ERA) vs. Josh Beckett (4-2, 2.01 ERA)

(Look for ladylovespinstripes.com individual pitching previews for each game to follow.)

MY SERIES THOUGHTS AND PREDICTION: Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Boston Massacre To Begin As Red Sox Are In Town’ »

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2011 New York Yankees: One-Third Season Team Report Card

Posted by on 31 May 2011, 1:00 am

The New York Yankees have officially played 52 games and post a 29-23 record respectively, which makes them now tied for first place with the Boston Red Sox, who are 30-24.

So, how has the 2011 Yankees preformed with 108 games (+two make-up games) remaining on the regular season’s schedule?

PITCHING:

The starting rotation has been surprisingly better than everyone predicted and the main reasons are solid outings by veterans Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, who both have 3.26 ERAs.

CC Sabathia is the obvious ace and continues to eat innings, posting a 6-3 record, with a 2.98 ERA over 85 innings pitched. The Yankee brass would be smart to not let Sabathia hit the free agent market when he opts out at the end of the season and give him two more years on his current contract.

Also, AJ Burnett has been a different pitcher, as mentally he is in much more control than in the past. Burnett has earned the fans and his teammates trust again, as he hasn’t allowed himself to collapse on the mound like we were so used to seeing every fourth or fifth start.

The bullpen has been pretty good considering they have one lefty, Boone Logan. Led by the chief Mariano Rivera, Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson have been solid.

GRADE: B

HITTING:

The Yankees line-up is top to bottom stacked, but they have been weaker than anticipated even with the most home-runs in all of baseball, a whooping 80 on the season so far.

The bats also have the most RBIs with 262 and the highest slugging percentage with .447. Still, leaving runners stranded on base is becoming an all to common issue that has to improve as the team heads into the summer months.

Another issue is the lack of small ball which has killed the team, but that seems to be improving.

The players are well aware of these issues and are the first to admit that they need to fine-tune this, which is half the battle right there.

Fact is this line-up has the ability to hit better and the team should not be losing as many games because of the bats.

GRADE: B-/C+

SURPRISES:

Catcher Russell Martin has fit in like a glove in New York.

ESPN’s Amy K. Nelson recently interviewed Martin and when asked what is most important he said:

“The relationship I have with my pitchers. I want them to have to trust me with their lives.”

Not only has he earned the trust of the pitchers, his bat has come up big more than a few times already this season. Martin is posting nine home-runs, six doubles, 26 RBIs, 22 walks and has stolen five bases since donning the pinstripes.

Martin’s talent was never in question but whether he still had a wish to play after countless injuries was what no one knew for sure, but now we do and Yankee fans couldn’t be happier.

GRADE: A

 

HONORABLE MENTION: Relief Pitcher David Robertson who has dominated under pressure and come up big when the team needed some help. Robertson has a 1.27 ERA, 35 strikeouts, allowed zero home-runs, in over 21 innings of work.

CLASS CLOWNS:

Rafael Soriano, as the $13 million set-up man has only brought negative energy and now he is on the DL with an inflamed elbow for the next two months. Continue reading ‘2011 New York Yankees: One-Third Season Team Report Card’ »

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New York Yankees: 15 Innings To Put One On The Left Side

Posted by on 19 May 2011, 3:26 am

What a long night Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees, who battled 15 innings only for the Yankees to come away with their second, win in a row 4-1.

The game finished just shy of five hours and into early Wednesday morning, so here is a quick list of seven things I took away from the longest game played so far in 2011.

  1. Yankees Bartolo Colon threw a classic game, going eight full innings and throwing an efficient 87 pitches in total. Without question this was Colon’s best start as a Yankee. I am the first to admit that I never expected much from Colon, nothing even close to a 3.16 ERA, in just over 51 innings pitched, with 48 strikeouts, in his six starts for New York.
  2. Alex Rodriguez is hitting going four for seven against the Orioles, and the night before in Tampa he hit two bombs in the game. Both games the team won, snapping a 0-6 losing streak and once again proving how vital A-rod’s performance is to the team as a whole.
  3. Skipper Joe Girardi pulled Colon after eight with a 1-0 lead, only to have the rare occurrence of Mariano Rivera giving up the tying run; which in essence extended the game an extra six innings. Girardi has been under the gun lately and if the team hadn’t won was about to face major adversity again. Someone has to be the bad guy, but Girardi is not a terrible manager and it’s time for Yankee fans to stop pouncing all over him. Girardi is a good man and trying his best and that is all you can ask for from any manager.
  4. After Rivera’s 19-pitch outing, the Yankees bullpen arms of Luis Ayala, Boone Logan and Hector Noesi (major league debut) threw six scoreless innings and kept the Orioles at bay.
  5. After being called up 16 days prior, the 24-year old Noesi’s finally made his Yankees debut in the 12th inning. Even though the situation of Noesi taking the bump was out of desperation, the rookie showed his true colors and earned the respect of his new teammates. Noesi threw four scoreless innings and got the win.
  6. I did have a minor heart attack in the 15th inning when Orioles pitcher Mike Gonzalez threw a 93 mph fastball that hit the head of Chris Dickerson. Dickerson fell to the ground and was down for about five minutes surrounded by Girardi, bench coach Tony Pena and trainer Gene Monahan. It was a scary moment, but Dickerson got up on his own and handed off his cracked helmet to reveal a welt on the side of his left eye. Girardi pulled him out and Mark Craig from The Star-Ledger reports that Dickerson was taken to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Let’s just pray Dickerson is alright.
  7. The biggest difference I noticed missing form the 2011 Yankees was their fight to win. After watching this 15-inning battle I finally saw it again. Considering I was home on my couch and started getting worn out after the 11th inning. It makes me realize how hard they fought to win.

Thursday night Yankees ace CC Sabathia will take the bump. Sabathia will be looking to lead his team to their third win in a row, as well as pitching deep into the game considering how shredded the Yankees bullpen will be.

Orioles skipper Buck Schowalter burned through nine pitchers and in the end had to use his starter for Thursday night’s game Jeremy Gunthrie. No word yet from the Orioles on whether Gunthrie will go or not, everyone is exhausted so probably won’t know to closer to game time.

Overall, long night but good things are starting to happen for New York and hopefully it will continue.

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New York Yankees: Updates On Some Minor Tweaking Since Yesterday

Posted by on 17 May 2011, 8:35 pm

The New York Yankees are hoping to break their six-game losing streak in Tropicana Field, the dome that the first-place Tampa Bay Rays call home.

Currently the Yankees are tied for second place with the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, but with another loss they could drop to fourth in the AL East standings.

The Yankees did some minor tweaking in the last 24 hours; nothing mountainous but worth noting:

MLB Trade Rumors reports that Flores just opted out of his minor league deal with the San Diego Padres this past Sunday and that four teams displayed interest in the 35-year-old. Cashman inked him to a minor-league deal with an opt-out prior to the All-Star break.

Boone Logan being the sole lefty in the bullpen with Pedro Feliciano and Damaso Marte on the DL does leave a hole whether Flores can actually help is doubtful. To be honest I forgot about Feliciano, who’s arm would have been a great addition, but Yankees might not even have in till 2012.

This deal doesn’t enthrall me what so ever and River Ave Blues posted A Quick Look At Randy Flores, which will give you a good idea why.

I don’t understand why we can’t dip into our farm system, bring up Manny Banuelos, who is a lefty, and throw him in the bullpen for a game or two. Why the heck not?

Other teams do this all the time and I have no idea what the Yankees plan on doing with all these prospects, as we hear about them enough. Cashman needs to take a chance, as odds are most washed up, older arms will not produce like a Bartolo Colon.

Not really sure why Soriano is moving to the DL, as his MRI came back clear according to ESPN New York’s Wallace Matthews.

Soriano has complained of elbow soreness, but if the MRI showed nothing you have to wonder about a player with a reputation of having a poor attitude, like Soriano. This guy seems to do what he wants, when he wants and the Yankees have enough to deal with already.

Soriano can opt-out at the end of the season and so far there is no reason for him not too. Could things change? Yes, but the is up to Soriano and whether he wants to part of this team or not.

  • Yankees recall Chris Dickerson from AAA Scranton.

Dickerson came to the Yankees via trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for Sergio Mitre this past March.

Skipper Joe Girardi said the 28-year-old Dickerson would start in rightfield and bat ninth, in place of an ill Nick Swisher.

Swisher has been in a funk since the playoffs last season, but Yankee fans are hoping he gets out of it soon. Everyone wants Swisher’s in pinstripes in 2012, but his contract is up this season unless the Yankees sign the one-year extension. Swisher is making him a very hard sell right now.

 

 

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New York Yankees: White Sox Not Struggling Thanks To Rafael Soriano

Posted by on 27 April 2011, 1:37 am

It was another tough night in the Bronx, as the New York Yankees lost for the second night in a row to the Chicago White Sox.

Rookie pitcher Ivan Nova pitched a great game, as did White Sox’s Gavin Floyd who was still on the bump on the ninth inning. Skipper Ozzie Guillen knows that his bullpen has blown too many close games already this season so it was a no-brainer to leave Floyd out there while he was still dealing.

Ivan Nova left the game to 40,000+ Yankee fans on their feet cheering on a great outing, smart move by skipper Joe Girardi to get Nova out on a high like that.

David Robertson came in and did his job, keeping the White Sox at bay 2-1 but handing the ball to 2010’s AL top closer once again failed the Yankees.

Rafael Soriano is definitely proving GM Brian Cashman’s reasoning behind NOT signing him during the off-season semi-true.

Hey, I was a huge supporter in grabbing Soriano after being burned by Cliff Lee. I thought Soriano would make the bullpen lights-out, but he honestly just looks like he doesn’t care.

Joba Chamberlain, Boone Logan and Robertson have all shaken off their early season jitters and are whizzing threw innings to keep the team in a position to win. These are the younger pitchers who should be admiring Soriano and it is not even his performance necessarily, but his attitude, which is evident and apparent when he gets into trouble.

Look, I hate to admit booing players and up to this point, other than Kyle Farnsworth I have been not participated in that at games. Then I sat tonight watching a pitcher who just didn’t seem to care, as if it was everybody’s fault but his and that is what bothered me more.

At this point I need to get a tattoo on my forehead that reads, CASHMAN RIGHT. I AM SORRY.

This is not disregarding what Hank and Hal Steinbrenner had to do because Yankees fans would have rioted if the off-season did produce some big-time player contract signing. That my friend, is a fact.

So after the amount of time I wasted criticizing Cashman, look at how things are turning out. Guess that is why I am not the Yankees GM, but can I please blame something for all of my anger?

Yes, it is crazy but the rejection by Cliff Lee did break my heart a little because who would not want to come to New York? It is my hometown and isn’t everything about money these days?

Add that to the re-signing Derek Jeter stress, and my aggression had to be taken out on someone, I guess. I just forgot that being the most expensive doesn’t guarantee anything but a nicer seat.

Hey, now who looks like the fool?

I do but booing doesn’t make me look any better.

What it really comes down too is the reality is that Soriano has appeared in 10 games this season and the team boosts a 7-3 record respectively.

So, it is more of just expecting Soriano to be a little bit better and maybe it is because I wanted him to be the Cliff Lee the Yankees will never have.

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