The 2012 New York Yankees batting order is not so hard to project, which is a Godsend for skipper Joe Girardi who will already have his hands full weeding though an abundance of starting pitchers.
The only real lineup issue the Yankees have is a lack of a fulltime DH, which is not an imminent need but certainly a luxury that GM Brian Cashman would like to secure.
Here is the presumed 2012 batting order: Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: 2012 Projected Batting Order’ »
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The latest question swirling around Yankee Universe is who will fill the void at DH?
Rumors are that the Bombers are interested in Johnny Damon and Carlos Pena, but have actually reached out to Hideki Matsui according to a tweet from Jon Heyman at CBS.
Matsui was the 2009 World Series MVP and was let go after single-handily leading the Yankees to their 27th Championship, and fans were not happy at all.
So, when I told my dad that the Yankees were thinking of bringing back Hideki Matsui in 2012 his hopeful excitement made me reconsider if I should have said anything.
Matsui has been my father’s favorite player from the day he came to the US from Japan, and he still rants about the reason behind letting Godzilla leave in the first place.
My thought is would Matsui want to come back after being treated so poorly?
One aspect of Japanese culture that I am in utter awe of is the sense respect, tradition and commitment that each possesses in all aspects of life. Matsui was so level-headed, and like my father his work ethic and sportsmanship was almost surreal.
So, this makes me wonder whether Matsui would even listen to the suggestion of playing in the Bronx again because it is a sign of disrespect? Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Hot Stove: Matsui Rumors Are Not Funny For My Dad’ »
The Tampa Bay Rays finished last season with 96-66 record, the top in the AL and were the AL East champs for the second time in the last three seasons.
Heading into the off-season, as expected this homegrown, dynamic group was going to take a hit.
Rays fans are complaining, but they shoulder a lot of the blame for the team’s $40-$45 million dollar payroll. The Rays were awesome the last three seasons, but no one came to watch. Yes, they play in a dumpy dome known as Tropicana Field, but for only 12,000+ fans to show up on the night the Rays clinched the AL East is sad.
Winning normally fills ballparks, which means more revenue for a team to invest in good players.
No Rays fans can criticize that the 2011 season is already over because the door was open for three seasons to give their stars a reason not to want to leave.
The Positives:
The Rays still have 3B Evan Longoria, who is arguably the best in baseball. Longoria was named Rookie Of The Year in 2008; he has also won two Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger all before turning his current age of 25. Longoria is only going to get better.
Voted second behind King Felix in the 2010 CY Young ballot, the Rays still have their staff ace David Price. He finished 19-6, with an ERA of 2.72, with 188 strikeouts and only giving up 15 home-runs pitching just shy of 205 innings.
Price is the leader of a still very viable starting rotation. Trading Matt Garza for a slew of prospects was a move that the Rays could afford with the emergence of ace prospect Jeremy Hellickson, who scouts say will dominate in his first full season, at the bottom of the order. In between sits Wade Davis, James Shields and Jeff Niemann, which is still a solid group.
Skipper Joe Maddon is an oddball, but he has molded so many youngsters into superstars that it overrides anything else. For two seasons straight, not one Rays starting pitcher went on the DL for an arm issue and that is all due to Maddon.
The Rays signed old teammates Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, which give them a needed veteran presence. Nothing calls for incentive more for these two than sticking it to both the Red Sox and Yankees. This was a great move by the Rays front office, as it gives the youngsters something to get excited about.
The Negatives: Continue reading ‘2011 MLB Team Preview: Tampa Bay Rays’ »
Last week the Tampa Bay Rays reunited two old pals, but will it feel good enough to make the Rays legit in 2011?
The Rays are now proud owners of Johnny Damon‘s and Manny Ramirez’s talents heading into the season.
Veterans, who both have two World Series rings (Manny’s are both with the Boston Red Sox, and Damon has one with Boston and the other with the New York Yankees). The two were teammates on the historical 2004 Red Sox, who broke an 86-year-old curse.
Now, as part of the Rays organization, the two 38-year-old stars have a chance to stick it to their old teams, but is it enough to help Tampa Bay finally beat their two division rivals?
Not necessarily, but it does give the Rays something they have been missing the last few seasons, and that is experience.
Even with Manny being Manny, his power bat gives the Rays a solid DH. Over his 18 seasons, Manny has 555 home runs and 1,830 RBIs. Manny only played in 90 games last season, with nine home runs and 42 RBIs as part of the Dodgers and White Sox organizations.
Damon is a solid clubhouse guy and he will play everyday as an outfielder. Damon is not physically close to making up for Carl Crawford, both on the field and on the bases, but he can get the job done.
In 2010, Damon played in 145 games posting his lowest numbers with eight home runs, 51 RBIs and 11 steals.
Still, nothing calls for motivation more for these two than sticking it to both the Red Sox and Yankees. Continue reading ‘2011 MLB Predictions: Is the AL East a 3-Team Race Again?’ »
The day was April 14, 2010, the second home game of the season.
The Yankees were the reigning 2009 World Series champions, making New York glow with pride. Yankee fans’ subdued looks of unfamiliarity from 2009 were replaced with smiles because our new house felt like a home.
At least that is how I felt that Wednesday afternoon, until the game started.
The Yankees were hosts to the Los Angeles Angels, so as the home team took the field my cheers were silenced with booing, cursing as if the season were over already.
As I sat down in confusion, which was more like a polite denial, my heart sank as I knew what was happening. My dad was on my left and initially he was not as affected by the whole situation.
So, I stood up again, and cheered. To be more specific, I was rooting for starting pitcher Javier Vazquez. Vazquez was acquired in the offseason, but it was his second time in pinstripes.
To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.
Vazquez was a Yankee back in 2004, the year the Boston Red Sox broke a World Series curse dating back to 1918. Vazquez had been phenomenal the first half of the season and was voted an AL All-Star by fans.
Vazquez struggled in the second half of the season, but the anger was based on Game Seven of the 2004 ALCS when Vazquez came in to replace Kevin Brown and gave up a grand slam to then-Red Sox Johnny Damon.
It was so ridiculous and immature that Yankees fans were living that far in the past. The 2004 ALCS was lost way before Game Seven. The whole team fell apart, considering they were up three games to none and the Red Sox came back to win the next four and the World Series. Continue reading ‘Javier Vazquez Wins And New York Yankee Fans Shut-Up’ »
It felt like a heat wave in New York City on that October 8th night, back in 2007.
Fans were funneling into Yankee Stadium extra early for Game 4 of the ALDS.
The prior evening, I had watched my Yankees pull out a win to avoid getting swept.
Which, was all thanks to a home run hit by Johnny Damon in the seventh inning. I remember how I jumped on my stadium seat as my Yankees dreams of the post-season were not over yet.
Now, the Cleveland Indians were up 2-1 over the New York Yankees. Losing meant the season would end, but there was a lot more on the line that year for the Yankees.
Fans were just as aware as the players, but no one wanted to believe it. It broke my heart to think of being in the Bronx without Joe Torre, as he had become such an figure and was a father to an entire city.
In my life, I have never been to a baseball game with such tense and ardent fans, which made it difficult to imagine how the players were handling it.
By the end of the seventh inning, the Yankees chances were bleak. The Yankees were playing as hard as they could, but the Indians were the better team and the fans knew it.
As the eighth inning began, low chants of “JOE TORRE, JOE TORRE, JOE TORRE, JOE….” were becoming louder every moment, as fans started to rise and join in like a slow, chaotic wave that took over Yankee Stadium.
It continued well after the last pitch because the team’s loss was incomparable to losing our skipper. For 12 years, Joe Torre leads the Yankees to four World Series titles, six AL Pennants, and a record of 1173-767 in games. More than all the baseball accomplishments, Torre was admired by Yankees fans for his everyday demeanor and were so proud to call him our leader.
As I dried my tears and exited the Stadium, it was hard to let go of never seeing Mr. Torre in pinstripes again. That is why I bought a photo from a stadium vendor of Torre with Mariano Rivera. Early the next morning I had my ticket and the image professionally framed, so I would never have to forget it.
No one knew this would be the last post-season ever played in the Old Yankees Stadium that night, as well. Crazy.The days right after October 8th were filled with Yankees fans fighting for Torre. To describe it as an uproar would be an understatement, as protests, newspaper ads and innumerable letters sent to the Boss all pleading to keep Torre here forever.
Now it is 2010, and numerous adverse events have come between my feelings about Joe Torre. Sadly, it eventually led me to taking down my Joe Torre collage from my wall. Continue reading ‘Do You Remember 2007 When Joe Torre Was Our Hero’ »
Javier Vazquez knows what he has to do tonight against the Detroit Tigers.
It’s time to pitch.
To no surprise, the New York Yankees are on the cusp of a losing streak and it’s Vazquez who will decide it’s fate.
The team is frustrated and believe me when I say Yankee fans want Vazquez to fail.
This is not the minor leagues anymore, but that reality is next for Javier Vazquez does not get back to being major league ready.
Previously, Vazquez has done well against the Tigers as a team pitching a minimum of 6+ innings and over last five meeting striking out 37 Tiger bats. Continue reading ‘Vazquez vs Tigers Not Going To Be Easy’ »
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