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New York Yankee fans: You want another reason to hate Curt Schilling

Posted by on 25 February 2012, 2:22 am

Earlier this week during an interview with Conan O’Brian, retired Diamondback and Red Sox pitcher Curt Schillingdecided to speak his

Curt Schilling - Philadelphia - 1997 Road

Curt Schilling - Philadelphia - 1997 Road (Photo credit: BaseballBacks)

mind about the 2013 Hall-of-Fame ballot, which his name will be on for the first time.

Along with Schilling as a newbie candidate are Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza, Sammy Sosa, David Wells, Kenny Lofton, and Julio Franco.

Conan asked Schilling what his opinion was on fellow candidates who were lined to steroids, specifically Sosa, Bonds and Clemens possible induction into the HOF.

Schilling started by saying:

“I think you get rid of [their records].” And continued to voice his opinion:

“If you cheated, you’re done. If characters and morals don’t matter, then I’m not sure what it stands for.”

Ok, so if Mr. Schilling really means what he says about all HOF candidates linked to PED/Steroids records should be thrown out, than should the voters not take into consideration his 2004 and 2007 World Series Championships? Continue reading ‘New York Yankee fans: You want another reason to hate Curt Schilling’ »

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New York Yankees Hot Stove: Missing Eric Chavez

Posted by on 3 February 2012, 3:24 am

What happened to re-signing six-time Gold Glove winner Eric Chavez?

Eric Chavez

Image via Wikipedia

Somewhere between the Pineda-Montero trade, Kuroda signing and the never-ending fifth starter debate, Chavez’s status got pushed aside.

Also, baseball in general has taken a back seat to Super Bowl XLVI but especially in New York with the football Giants playing in it.

Chavez had been an Oakland Athletic lifer until he signed with the Yankees last season to serve as A-rod’s backup at third base. A role he filled effortlessly when A-rod was sidelined.

Chavez’s natural talent has never been in question, but his lengthy and torrid injury history is what limited him to just a backup role. This bad luck continues to haunt him still, as Chavez spent most of May on the DL in 2011.

In his 160 at-bats, Chavez batted .263 for the Yanks last season, with 42 hits, seven doubles, one triple, two homers and 26 RBIs. Out of the 58 games Chavez appeared in, the Yankees as a team won 34.

Another interesting stat to note is that Chavez posted a .415 RISP (Runners In Scoring Position) in 42 at-bats. RISP measures a player’s batting average with runners on second or third base. The higher the number, the more ‘clutch’ a hitter is considered because fewer runners are left on base. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Hot Stove: Missing Eric Chavez’ »

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New York Yankees: Manny Delcarmen Why You Bugging

Posted by on 1 February 2012, 3:38 am

Since my mind has been on the New York Giants and Super Bowl XLVI, I neglected to comment on New York Post Joel Sherman’s tweet

Manny Delcarmen

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from this past Sunday, about the Yankees signing reliever Manny Delcarmen to a minor league deal.

Truthfully, I didn’t realize Delcarmen still pitched because I hadn’t heard his name since he was a Boston Red Sox years ago.

Delcarmen was a solid righty reliever for Red Sox in both the 2007 and 2008 regular seasons.

On Boston’s 2007 Championship run he made 44 appearances, pitched 44 innings; posted a 2.05 ERA, giving up just four homers, 10 earned runs, 17 walks and struck out 41 batters of the 176 he faced.

And in 2008 Delcarmen earned himself a heavier workload appearing in 73 games, and throwing a total of 74.1 innings. He gave up just five homers, and almost doubled his strikeouts with 72 but he also walked 28 batters too.

Delcarmen also pitched in both postseason’s for Boston, and other than the two decent innings he threw joined in the back-to-back ALCS’s, he stunk.

In 2007 and 2008, Delcarmen posted a 24.55 ERA, over 3.2 innings for the Red Sox in both ALCS series collectively; and went on to crap out in the one inning he threw in the 2007 World Series, where he gave up a homer, a walk, an earned run and only struck out one of the eight bats he faced.

The now 30-year-old Delcarmen didn’t make it out of the Mariners and Rangers Triple-A ball clubs in 2011 and was released immediately after the season. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Manny Delcarmen Why You Bugging’ »

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New York Yankees: Hiroki Kuroda Wants To Win

Posted by on 16 January 2012, 11:02 pm

Along with the four-player trade that sent top prospect Jesus Montero packing for Seattle and pitcher Michael Pinedain pinstripes,

Photograph of Hiroki Kiroda at Dodger Stadium ...

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ESPN’s Buster Onley also verified that the New York Yankees made a deal with ex-Dodger Hiroki Kuroda over this past weekend.

According to an Onley tweet, the 36-year-old agreed to a one-year, at $10 million deal pending a physical; but according to Japan’s Nikkan Sports News, Kuroda’s deal was reported to be around $16 million.

A $6 million difference seems awfully steep considering Kuroda’s caliber and age, but maybe that was the raised one-season rental price. Also remember that last July, Kuroda made no secret of his want to stay on the West Coast, so maybe the Yankees wanted to make sure and cover all moving expenses.

Is Kuroda An Expensive Gamble Or A Sure-Thing?

Kuroda is without a doubt an innings eater, pitching 196 and 202 innings over his last two seasons respectively with the Dodgers.

Over his 4-year MLB career, Kuroda has posted eerily high hit numbers with a 198-season average, but as a groundball pitcher, that number is pretty typical. Kuroda’s 3.45 ERA and low 48 walks per season average proves that he has been effective.

To understand Kuroda better, I compared his numbers from the last two seasons, to groundballer and ex-Yankee Chien-Ming Wang’s two best years in New York.

stats are courtesy of www.baseball-reference.com.

Other than the significant number of wins Wang posted, there are enough similarities here to see why the Yankees paid $10 million+ for Kuroda.

Wang’s 2006-2007 seasons were only his second and third in the Majors, and he was also 10 years younger than Kuroda then. This lowered my concern of Kuroda’s overall stability and his win totals should rise, as the Yankee bats will offer more run support than the Dodgers could. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Hiroki Kuroda Wants To Win’ »

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New York Yankees Hot Stove: Happy New Year You Cheapskates?

Posted by on 30 December 2011, 1:17 am

Cheapskates? Or Victims?

At the start of the 2012 off-season the New York Yankees brass turned reformed savvy shoppers?

The Yankee and cheapskates… it just sounded wrong. And guess what, it just might be.

In actuality, MLB’s new collective bargaining agreement could be a bigger influence behind this thrifty transformation in the Bronx.

See, the Yankees have to pay a 40% tax rate on any money that exceeds MLB’s payroll maximum, which now sits at $178 million. So for 2011, the Yankees will be writing a check for $13.9 million, a franchise low since 2003.

Under the new CBA any team that chooses to overspend year after year will be penalized.

This means the Yankees tax rate will jump to 42.5% in 2012, and 50% in 2013; but the kicker is when overspending teams manage to drop below the set payroll it cuts their respective tax rate by 17.5%.

The league-wide payroll most will stay at $178 million through 2013, but jumps to $189 million for the following three years.

This puts a damper on GM Brian Cashman’s offseason plans, as it seems the baby Stein’s will never be reckless as papa-Boss, but with a current payroll north of $215 million can you blame them?

So is this the post-Boss-era essentially a travesty or are Hank and Hal changing the mantra of winning first?

New Year = New Yankees?

The MLB offseason is baseball’s equivalent to a New Year, as it allows changes to be made, and with any luck for teams to get better.

Inevitably, rules and finances do force teams to look in all directions of how to make these improvements happen.

Certain teams rely on spending cash, others exploit trades and some cultivate the draft.

It is no secret that the Yankees are baseball’s shopaholics, but the new rules implemented even make a big spender, like New York pull in their spending reins.

This sort-of explains why the Yankees have done zilch this offseason, but it also doesn’t.

See, GM Brian Cashman has spent the last few years turning an almost obsolete farm system into one of baseball’s best, so why not dip into the honey jar? Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Hot Stove: Happy New Year You Cheapskates?’ »

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New York Yankees: Phew, Rangers Got Yu

Posted by on 20 December 2011, 6:01 am

Are the New York Yankees are officially cheapskates?

The Ballpark in Arlington home of the Texas Ra...

Yu Darvish's New Home In Arlington, TX.

Not quiet, but when Japan’s Mainichi Daily News publicized that pitcher Yu Darvish had the highest bid for a Japanese player under the posting system, a reported $51.7 million and that the team was the Texas Rangers, I was totally relieved.

The Yankees do not need another Japanese import to implode, or pay millions for a pitcher to be chauffeured to throw in Scranton-Wilkes Barre for five years.

As for now Nolan Ryan and Co have just bought 30-days to negotiate with the latest Japanese import and if Darvish signs a contract the Nippon Ham Fighters will get a cool $51.7 million.

You can bet that the Rangers will have to offer Darvish at least six-years and well-over $60 million bucks for him to stay in Arlington.

Remember that in Japanese culture if Darvish were offered less, or even equal a contract than fellow countryman Daisuke Matsuzaka made with the Boston Red Sox back in 2006, it would be considered a sign of disrespect because Darvish is regarded more talented.

The Red Sox gave Dice-K a six-year, $52 million deal, which had another $8+ million in incentives and a no-trade clause. Also, add in the $51 million posting fee, a personal translator, and a Japanese chef for clubhouse in exchange for one good season in 2008. Not to mention that Red Sox fans can’t stand Dice-K, who will be out till next September recovering from Tommy John surgery. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Phew, Rangers Got Yu’ »

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New York Yankees Hot Stove: Red Sox Been Caught Stealing

Posted by on 6 December 2011, 1:46 am

Wally the Green Monster getting a little loose.

The 2011 Winter Meetings are officially underway down in Dallas, Texas and New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman has yet to make any noise.

The Yankees have not been shy about being quiet, and look to stay that way because the team is already pretty good.

Not that the Yankees are devoid of need, but they are nowhere near desperate enough to pursue a starting pitcher that is not of Cliff Lee-type caliber.

The Yankees would be more serious about Texas Rangers pitcher CJ Wilson, if his demands were not outrageous. Wilson reportedly wants something around 6-years at $100-120+ million, which is mind-boggling.

Look the Yankees have no problem with excessive spending but to fork over ace-type money for a middle of the rotation arm would be stupid. Wilson is more likely to get that from the Marlins or Nationals, who both seem to have retained the Yankees off-season shopping habits.

One move that Cashman should make this week is to resign 10-time Gold Glover Andruw Jones. Jones was a perfect fit in 2011 as a sub for Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson, as well as filling in at DH.

Jones is a right-handed hitter who can rake against lefty pitching. As a Yankee, Jones had 152 at-bats vs. lefties; he hit eight doubles, 12 homers, 31 RBIs and drew 22 walks.

When Jones started games the Yankees, as a team went 39-19; and when Jones made a cameo the team finished 52-25.

Jones did play all season with fluid in his knee, but according to Marc Carig at the Star-Ledger it has been “cleaned-up” as Jones had it drained straightaway after the season.

Even though Cashman stated early today to ESPN New York that these meetings are really to discuss “higher end type” stuff, and he did state why:

“I can’t spend a lot on the smaller stuff right now, even though they are important players.” 

Well, the new rumors flying around is that the party boys in Boston are interested stealing Jones. Cashman might reconsider playing the waiting game for too long; or else the Red Sox’s might get their grimy beer paws all over him.

The Red Sox supposedly want to use Jones in a more everyday role in the outfield, which could be more appealing than coming off the bench in the Bronx. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Hot Stove: Red Sox Been Caught Stealing’ »

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