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2012 MLB Power Rankings – Week 4

Posted by on 4 May 2012, 1:35 pm
Rays logo

Rays logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Texas Rangers have been kicked out of the #1 spot this week by the Tampa Bay Rays, who took two of three down in Arlington.

The Rays are 18-8, best record in baseball and have gone 9-1 in their last 10 games earning them the right to be on top.

Also, it has been a tough week for Yankees fans, as the great Mariano Rivera tore his ACL and will be out for the season. Luckily for the Yankees they have depth in their bullpen to cover the loss of Mo, but he is irreplaceable in every other way and it is not just a sad day for New Yorker’s but for baseball in general.

Otherwise, the Yankees and Phillies still remain in my top 10, as I think both teams will end up atop the AL East and NL East respectively by the time October comes round.

Here are Lady Loves Pinstripes week 4 power rankings: Continue reading ‘2012 MLB Power Rankings – Week 4’ »

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New York Yankees: Hearts are broken for Mo

Posted by on 4 May 2012, 1:03 am

The greatest closer in baseball history is New York Yankees Mariano Rivera, and now the team will have to go on without him for the 2012 season.

Mariano Rivera celebrates a victory against th...

Mo tore his ACL catching batting practice prior to the game against the Royals in Kansas City. Mo was supposedly on his way back to New York to see the Yankees doctors but he wants to stay with his teammates right now.

As a Yankees fan, Mo is like family and it is beyond crushing.

Since I am at a complete loss for words here, I will turn to twitter and leave you with the sentiments of others:

 

 

Very interesting tweet from @YankeesWFAN about how clubhouse is morgue-like. Not surprised. Rivera is as revered/respected as any Yankee On 4:10 AM May 4th 2012 from web
Derek Jeter: "He's going to be missed. There's no other way to put it. You can't replace him." On 4:10 AM May 4th 2012 from Twitter for iPhone
If Mariano Rivera is done, I might need to take a personal day. This is like finding out Santa Claus died. On 4:22 AM May 4th 2012 from Mobile Web
This phrase is often floated around much too liberally, but there will never be another Mariano Rivera. On 4:20 AM May 4th 2012 from TweetDeck
Mariano Rivera, head bowed and teary-eyed, says he does not know if he will pitch again. On 4:17 AM May 4th 2012 from Twitter for iPhone
This cannot be the end of Mariano Rivera's career. It just can't. On 4:20 AM May 4th 2012 from Twitter for iPhone

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD Mariano Rivera is down on the warning track after hurting his knee shagging fly balls. This is BAD. #Yankees On 11:14 PM May 3rd 2012 from web
Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Hearts are broken for Mo’ »

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New York Yankees: Bullpen might be without Boone

Posted by on 4 April 2012, 1:04 pm
Boone Logan

Just as Spring Training is about to close, Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News tweeted that New York Yankees lefty specialist Boone

Logan showed up at the ballpark today with back problems and was heading to the doctor.

Shortly after, Mark Craig at the Star Ledger confirmed that Logan was sent to get an MRI exam.

Well, this is not great news as Logan was the Yankees best and most experienced option out of the bullpen against left-handed bats.

In his two seasons in pinstripes, the 27-year old Logan has pitched 81 innings, posting a 3.20 ERA, giving up seven homers, while striking out 84 hitters.

The Yankees had one bullpen spot to fill with a righty arm long-man but if Logan’s back is an issue they will need a lefty too and both have to be decided by 5pm today. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Bullpen might be without Boone’ »

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New York Yankees: Injury updates already

Posted by on 3 March 2012, 1:13 am

From the start to the end of Spring Training, players are warming-up their bodies to get ready for the 162-game grind of the regular season.

Unfortunately injury setbacks are inevitable, and daily reports sometimes seem endless but also remember that if a player feels anything is off, he will rest as a precautionary measure.

You can see the most up-to-date injury reports, team-by-team by visiting ESPN Injury Updates ; that is what I do many times daily.

So, here are the early setbacks that have already hit the New York Yankees, courtesy of ESPN: Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Injury updates already’ »

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New York Yankees: Cashman you are losing it again

Posted by on 23 February 2012, 11:05 pm
David Aardsma

Image via Wikipedia

Are the New York Yankees in need of another right-handed reliever?

No, no…. the Yankees need a lefty to aid Boone Logan out of the bullpen, and even more so now that LHR Hideki Okajima failed his physical a few days ago.

Well, not when your GM is named Brian Cashman who is on his quantity vs. quality crusade again hoping to look like a genius; when in actuality it is skipper Joe Girardi & Co. who has to deal with another over-crowded camp in Tampa weeding through a plethora of has-beens.

And he can thank the Yankees GM for once again handing out invites to Spring Training to every injury riddled, washed-up or even old-for-a-veteran player who at one time displayed a little talent.

The latest in Cashman’s stockpile is injury-riddled player, right-handed reliever/closer David Aardsma.

Aardsma…Who?                      

Good question, as why would you know Aardsma; he didn’t pitch at all in 2011 but he did manage 31 saves over a total of 49 innings in 2010 and 38 saves in 2009.

That doesn’t explain why over his six-year career Aardsma got tossed to five different clubs the Giants, Cubs, White Sox, Red Sox and his last stint was as the Mariners closer from 2009-2010. He spent all of 2005 in AA because of total inefficacy.

Aardsma just turned 30-years old, and has suffered from serious hip and elbow injuries. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Cashman you are losing it again’ »

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New York Yankees hot stove: You want the down-low on Russell Branyan

Posted by on 9 February 2012, 1:17 am
English: Russell Branyan

Image via Wikipedia

Since six-time Gold Glover Eric Chavez seems to be AWOL, at least on the New York Yankees radar, GM Brian Cashman is up to his old tricks and I don’t mean off the field.

Once again Cashman is handing out minor league deals and 2012 Spring Training invites, and the latest recipient, according to the New York Post, is 37-year old Russell Branyan.

The left-handed batting Branyan can play in the outfield, and at first and third base if he makes the team this spring. The latest team Branyan got released from was the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the rest of his 14 MLB seasons reads like a bad wrap sheet.

Branyan started his career as a Cleveland Indian and from there has played for the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Let me just say that this signing makes me think that Cashman is really pushing his luck, or is not thinking clearly.

Last season, Branyan split time between playing first and third base for the D-backs and the Angles. Combined, Branyan had 127 at-bats and posted a .197 batting average, five home-runs, 14 RBIs, 18 walks and struck out 41 times. His OBP was a mere .295, while slugging .370 in the 68 games he played in.

In 2010, Branyan did hit 25 homers, with 57 RBIs and 46 walks over 109 at-bats but he also struck out 131 times. This was again while playing for two teams, as the Indians traded Branyan to the Mariners.

This is almost making me sick knowing Chavez is sitting somewhere as a free agent.

The Yankees should not even waste five cents on Branyan, and here are three reasons why:

1) Throughout his career, Branyan has been prone to injuries but not just on the baseball field. One example dating back to late September 2010, while playing for the Mariners, Branyan reportedly injured himself while out a pizza parlor according to NBC Hardball Talk’s Craig Calcaterra. Calcaterra also broke the news when Branyan had injured himself back in July, this time a hotel table hit his foot at 5am. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees hot stove: You want the down-low on Russell Branyan’ »

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New York Yankees Hot Stove: Why Not Ryan Madson

Posted by on 17 November 2011, 10:16 pm
Ryan Madson signing autographs before the Marc...

Ryan Madson got hung out to dry. Image via Wikipedia

In case you missed reading the NY Post earlier this week, ex-Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon inked a 4-year, $50 million dollar deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Papelbon didn’t waste any time getting the heck out of Beantown, but who can blame him?

A good bet would be the newly ex-Phillies free agent closer Ryan Madson, as it certainly sent his agent Scott Boras into a tailspin.

Boras had declared to be a day away from finalizing the 31-year old Madson, a four-year, $44 million dollar deal to stay in Philadelphia. The Phillies claim that Boras was told that the team’s president vetoed the deal due to length and money; but in typical Boras-form he went to far and got his client screwed in the process.

Madson has been a Philly for his entire 9-year career, and was arguably the team’s best set-up man before converting successfully to a closer last season. In his new role, Madson posted 32 saves in 34 attempts and pitched 60+ innings in total. He gave-up just 16 earned runs, two homers and struck out 62.

So where would Madson fit with the Yankees?

It is no secret that the Yankees are looking to add another starter this off-season, but the realities of a bleak market might not allow for that to happen. So, why not bolster up the bullpen.

I am well aware that Madson is a righty, but in 2011 lefties bats averaged .198 against him, and 28 of his 62 strikeouts came against them too. This makes Madson lethal no matter if a batter hits from between his legs.

Yes, the Yankees do have Robertson and Soriano to set-up for Mo. Then there is Joba, who at the earliest, will return in June; Soriano spent a third of last season on the DL; and Rivera will be 42-years old and morality could set-in at any moment and the possibility that he retires at the end of the season.

Look, if you learned one thing from this past postseason is the importance of a dominant bullpen. This is no new news but after starting pitching hogged the October spotlight for years, the 2011 postseason just reaffirmed that there are other ways to meet success.

As for Madson, too bad he is a Boras client because he put him in this place as he makes players believe they are worth more and in turn teams back out. ESPN New York‘s David Schoenfield said it best, that Madson a bad risk at $40-plus million. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Hot Stove: Why Not Ryan Madson’ »

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