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New York Yankees Hot Stove: Thank God We Did Not Lose Andruw Jones

Posted by on 31 December 2011, 12:42 am

Well, it looks like the New York Yankees are ended 2011 on a positive note, as CBS Jon Heyman tweeted that GM Brain Cashman finally

Andruw Jones

re-sign 10-time Gold Glove winner Andruw Jones.

Jones is not the five-time All-Star he once was, but he is well worth the $2 million bucks plus another $1.4 million in incentives the Yankees just gave him for another season.

Jones is only 34-years old and still has enough pop and glove to be a sizeable and solid fourth outfielder. And it was puzzling how long the Yankees waited to make sure Jones didn’t wind-up in an opposing team’s dugout, but that seems to fit the bill perfectly for this off-season.

Jones posted a .291 average, .416 OBP and .612 slugging during the second-half of 2011. He did that by hitting nine homers, six doubles, 21 RBIs, and drawing 19 walks. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Hot Stove: Thank God We Did Not Lose Andruw Jones’ »

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New York Yankees: Big Puma Got Nothing On Alex Rodriguez

Posted by on 14 November 2011, 12:20 am

“The Yankees made two big moves this offseason. Keeping CC, and I expect to be who I have been in the past.”

Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

Image via Wikipediapast.”

That was the first quote New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez offered up to the NY Post’s Joel Sherman in an exclusive interview from this past Sunday’s paper.

A-rod told Sherman how last year was the worst in his career and how humiliated he was of letting down the Yankees fans, as well as his own teammates.

Sherman reported that A-rod has started his off-season workout three weeks early, focusing on “functional movement” like he did back in his heydays of 2007-2008.

The article goes on to question if A-rod has become delusional about his own mortality, using age, his steroid omission and Derek Jeter to back up his reasoning.

Sherman is not far-fetched in doubting A-rod, but he never counter argued the other side of the argument; so I will and it starts and ends with the name Lance Berkman.

THE BIG PUMA:

If Berkman, aka Big Puma could come back in 2011, there is absolutely no reason that A-rod cannot do the same in 2012.

Berkman was a 35-year-old veteran and a Houston Astros lifer, who was without question a player on the decline after 2010.

The main reason is as the 2010 season progressed things continued to get worse for Berkman. His baseball demise really came to light after the Astros traded him mid-season to the Yankees, as Berkman could not produce at all as the team’s DH after hitting 29+ home-runs, and over 102 RBIs in the three seasons prior.

Essentially, the Yankees paid Berkman around $4 million for nine RBIs, one home-run, 13 walks and 15 strikeouts in 106 at-bats as a second-half rental. It was frivolous spending for a veteran who had come into the season after having knee surgery. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Big Puma Got Nothing On Alex Rodriguez’ »

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MLB: 2011 Comeback Players Of The Year Award Winners

Posted by on 15 October 2011, 3:16 am
Jacoby Ellsbury 01:32, 23 July 2008 . . Phredd...

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MLB announced that Red Sox’s Jacoby Ellsbury (AL) and Cardinals Lance Berkman (NL) as the winners of the 2011 Comeback Player of The Year Awards.

LANCE BERKMAN:

Berkman would have gotten my vote as his career looked to be in the toilet the moment he got traded from the Astros to the Yankees.

Berkman was useless in the Bronx, maybe being a two-month rental and not playing in the field hurt his routine because he is thriving in St. Louis.

In 2011, Berkman was voted to the All-Star team after hitting 31 home-runs, 94 RBIs, 92 walks and posting a .301 batting average. He is certainly in the 2011 MVP discussion and should get some votes, but it is doubtful he will win.

Still, it is a far cry from the Berkman of 2010 so the award is well deserved.

JACOBY ELLSBURY:

I do not feel the same way about Ellsbury, who only played 18 games in 2010 because of an injury.

Also, what exactly is Ellsbury coming back from?

He put up the best numbers of his five-year career in 2011, with 32 home-runs and 105 RBIs. In the four years earlier, Ellsbury hit 20 homers and drove in 125 RBIs in total.

Ellsbury’s 364 total bases was the highest number across both leagues this season, but it was another career best for the just turned 28-year-old outfielder.

Doesn’t this seem more like a first-time than a comeback for such a young player with just five seasons under his belt?

Where was the love for Yankees Bartolo Colon? Continue reading ‘MLB: 2011 Comeback Players Of The Year Award Winners’ »

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New York Yankees: It’s Not You It’s Baseball

Posted by on 15 September 2011, 6:15 am

Even though I hate reporting on Yankee player’s personal lives, but exceptions are made when it is pertains to helping the team win.

Admittedly, I am sure most of us can relate to the havoc that being in an unhappy relationship can create.

So, it came as no surprise that another Yankee star choose baseball over his girlfriend, but the back-to-back timing on is just ironic.

First it was the Captain Derek Jeter, who kicked actress Minka Kelly to the curb post All-Star break and instantaneously ended his yearlong slump. Yes, there was the pressure of Jeter getting his 3000th career hit but the Captain was stinking it up last season too.

Pre-All Star break, Jeter was hitting .270, with 24 RBIs, 35 strikeouts, eight steal; while posting a .330 OBP and a .353 slugging.

Sans Minka, the Captain’s numbers have been superb. Jeter is posting a .330 batting average, knocking 71 hits, 33 RBIs with a .343 OBP and a slugging .428. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: It’s Not You It’s Baseball’ »

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New York Yankees: September Schedule

Posted by on 8 September 2011, 4:17 am

The New York Yankees are off to an ideal start so far this September winning six of seven games.

The rest of September will test the Yankees to the fullest extent. Instead of going on about just how tough the Bronx Bombers have it…. take a look for yourself.

 

“Losers quit when they’re tired. Winners quit when they’ve won.” – Author Unknown

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New York Yankees: Most Valuable Player

Posted by on 7 September 2011, 2:04 am

Without question New York Yankees Curtis Granderson is having an MVP worthy season, but the odds are stacked that he won’t win it.

The one reason being that the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America) has not voted an AL player the MVP with a below .300 average since Alex Rodriguez won the honor posting a .298 back in 2003. Before A-rod, it was California Angels Don Baylor who won in 1979 with a .296 average.

That makes me believe that Granderson’s .271 average is just not going to cut it, which is completely insane in my opinion.

Also the fact that Granderson is a Yankee probably doesn’t help his campaign either; and in the end he will not muster enough votes to win an award he rightly has earned.

Granderson is leading all the Majors in runs (126) and RBIs (109). Not to mention he is second overall in home-runs with 38, is fourth in slugging with .575, ninth in OPS (on-base plus slugging) with .948 and tenth in walks drawing 77 so far. Granderson also has 24 steals on the season.

Another stat that I found interesting was that Granderson has clocked 609 at-bats (as of 09/06), which ranks 15th most in baseball, and tied with Texas Rangers Michael Young. Big deal right…but than I saw that Granderson has made pitchers throw a total of 2724, which is the most in the Majors.

Call me crazy but that translates into Granderson making pitchers have to work the hardest when he is at the plate. Sounds pretty MVP-like to me??

So, why batting average is an invalid excuse?

Just because batting average (BA) is the most recognizable hitting statistic, it is not the only way to test a hitter and can be unfairly interpreted.

For example, power hitters habitually strikeout more, which is the reason for their more modest batting averages. Still this is without taking into consideration that these power bats subsidize this by hitting a lot of extra base hits, which are more effective in scoring runs.

So when assessing a power hitter, slugging percentage (SLG) is the superior statistic in determining real value because it factors in the number of bases achieved by each hit, instead of seeing all hits as equal. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Most Valuable Player’ »

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New York Yankees: Lots To Prove In Boston

Posted by on 30 August 2011, 3:10 am

The New York Yankees are leaving Baltimore after taking two of four against the Orioles on route to Boston, but sans the Captain and possibly A-rod, who both have minor injuries.

Any baseball fan is well aware that the Yankees are the team with something to prove against the Red Sox, who have owned the Bombers in 2011.

The worst part is the Yankees most reliable ace CC Sabathia can’t seem to stop the AL East leading Red Sox either, as he is 0-4 this season, with a 7.20 ERA. The Red Sox are hitting .324 when Sabathia takes the hill, as well as racking up 33 hits, five doubles, one triple, two home-runs, 16 RBIs and 10 walks in four starts.

Sabathia is also having a rotten August, posting a 4.95 ERA and a 2-2 record over the five starts he has made so far this month.

So, not only are the odds against Sabathia statistically but it must also be mentally taxing. Sabathia will try to right himself in enemy terrain, aka. Fenway Park on Tuesday night to open the three games set; the first of nine games the Yankees have left vs. Boston.

The Yankees need CC to have a CC kind of night to get the series momentum going in their direction.

With the Yankees sitting one and a half back behind in the division heading into this series, this could get really ugly if the Yankees don’t take two of the three games at Fenway Park this week. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Lots To Prove In Boston’ »

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