The Yankees do the unthinkable and actually score some runs for Kuroda.
In what could be Hiroki Kuroda's last start at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees did the unthinkable and actually provided him with some run support. Although they did not score a run after the fourth inning, they did enough damage early on to hold onto the win.
The game got off to a quick start, with the Blue Jays getting on the board immediately thanks to a two-run home run by Edwin Encarnacion. Kuroda settled down after that, and ended the night with seven strikeouts and zero walks. Toronto tacked on another run in the fifth inning after Jose Reyes singled, stole second base, and advanced to third on a throwing error by Brian McCann before Jose Bautista grounded out for the RBI. Other than the first inning, it was a great outing by Kuroda who has been solid all year.
The Yankees wasted no time in making up those runs. Jacoby Ellsbury led off with with a double that almost left the park, but bounced off the wall instead. That was followed by a line drive by Derek Jeter that deflected off of Adam Lind's glove, then McCann beat the shift with an RBI through the hole in left. In the third inning, Ichiro Suzuki hit a lead off single, then Ellsbury got to re-do the first inning, and hit a long home run to give the Yankees the lead. The final runs came in the fourth inning, when Ellsbury grounded into a force out with one out and the bases loaded. Stephen Drew and Chase Headley both made it home safely, but Ellsbury injured himself running to first base. He was removed from the game and replaced by Chris Young, and it was later confirmed that Ellsbury left the game with a right hamstring strain. He will be getting an MRI, because of course that would happen.
With two outs in the seventh inning, Josh Outman entered the game and promptly gave up a ground rule double to Reyes. Esmil Rogers replaced him and worked himself into (and out of) a bases loaded jam, then went back out for the eighth inning. Adam Warren was called on to close out the last 1.2 innings of the game, and he did a great job, notching three strikeouts without giving up a hit.
That's three wins in a row for the Yankees. They'll try to keep the streak going tomorrow with Chris Capuano set to face Marcus Stroman at 4:05 pm EST.
Grantland | Ben Lindbergh: Dellin Betances reopens the debate for the use of a "fireman" in the bullpen, but current baseball strategies might make that impossible.
Notgraphs | Carson Cistulli: See what happens when Derek Jeter is inserted into the 20 basic plots of fiction.
The Yankees have enough promising relief prospects to build a bullpen entirely out of homegrown players
For years people have cried out for a Yankees team built on young, homegrown players and for years the Steinbrenners have said no. While we're still waiting for that everyday position player to show up on the scene and get everyone excited, 2015 might still be the year for young, homegrown players. I understand that we basically say this every year and somehow we end up disappointed, but the Yankees really have a gluttony of young cost-controlled relievers that could make an impact. So, and this is key, not only could we get an all-homegrown bullpen, but also an all-talented one too.
The biggest roadblock to this dream is actually Shawn Kelley. As a Super-Two player he still has one more year of arbitration before he's a free agent and I don't know how the Yankees plan to deal with that. Kelley made $1.7 million in 2014 and he could push past $2 million in 2015. He's certainly been decent, but do the Yankees really want to invest that much when they could conceivably replace him with someone younger and cheaper? For the purpose of this silly exercise, let's say that the Yankees decide to trade or simply cut ties with Shawn Kelley. Only after we have accepted this can we hope to envision our bullpen truth.
Something would also have to be done about Josh Outman, Esmil Rogers, David Huff, and Chaz Roe, but these four won't be nearly as difficult to get rid of. All four are in various years of team control, but all four are fringe major leaguers at best, so cutting them won't be too big of a loss. Then you lose Rich Hill to free agency and you're left with plenty of homegrown talent to choose from.
It honestly doesn't even matter if the Yankees end up re-signing David Robertson. Obviously, they're better off with him than without him, but the organization still has enough talent to make their corps of relievers the way we want them to:
If we keep in mind that the four/three veterans will be on the 2015 team, we then have room for one long reliever, one lefty, now that Matt Thornton is gone, and one other right-hander. If Robertson ends up leaving then you can probably include a second pitcher from the right-hander category. A bullpen of Robertson, Betances, Phelps, Warren, Whitley, Lindgren, and Rumbelow sounds pretty legitimate to me. If a new reliever is needed you then have a good amount of youth to choose from. Keep in mind that this is just who is currently on the MLB radar, not necessarily the only people who could contribute next season. Chase Whitley was not really on the radar before this year, so we could definitely end up seeing James Pazos or Danny Burawa, or someone else that I'm currently not thinking about. The bottom line is that the Yankees have a ton of young talent that they're developing, and sure, it would be nice if that talent was more dispersed across the diamond, but it's not like there's no one.
Shawn Kelley isn't likely going anywhere so our imaginary bullpen might have to stay just that for one more year, but that doesn't necessarily matter. What matters is that there is all this talent and we're now talking about living, breathing prospects coming up and having an impact on the New York Yankees. Watching Betances has been nice, just think how nice it will be to see more players come up and succeed. Or even just get a chance, really.
For the record, Shane Greene should totally get a shot in the rotation next year, but we'll see. We say this every year. The Yankees have talent, they do, but they need to let it show itself at some point. Let the all-homegrown bullpen be that show-and-tell everyone has been waiting for.
After blowing the save Sunday at CBP, Papelbon not-so-subtlely grabbed his crotch as he walked off the field, staring into the crowd as he did so. He was suspended seven games and was also fined for the gesture, which he said was him simply adjusting his athletic supporter and we all know that's BS. When Joe West ejected him, Papelbon saw fit to jump out of the dugout and get in West's face, prompting him to grab him by the jersey and jerk him out of the way. Since neither umpires nor players are allowed to initiate contact with each other, West was suspended for one game (Wednesday).
I know we like to rag on umpires, but I'll side with them on this. Papelbon was being a d*ck (pun intended) and deserved what he got.
I applaud him for coming out and admitting his unfaithfulness, but I don't think he really needed to do so. His reasons for resigning are his own and weren't required to be made public. One could argue that he did so to keep the press from pressuring him about it.
Jeter will playing his final home games as a Yankee this coming week against Baltimore, and I'm sure there won't be a dry eye in the house when September 25th rolls around. Meanwhile, Gatorade released a commercial filmed earlier this summer featuring Jeter and I must say, it'll hit you right in the feels.
It didn't seem to affect this guy, though, calling Jeter a "fraud".
It's highly unlikely that these games will matter much, but hey winning is better than losing. Capuano gets the start this afternoon.
Comment of the Game
Waffles gets the COTG, as I said she would. Nothing like a little sweet nerd cred to earn you points on Pinstripe Alley!
Best GIF of the Recap
Keeping with the Harry Potter theme, I'm giving myself the BGOTR award. Again, nerd cred!
Honorable Mod Mention
Andrew is once again the HMM award winner for this GIF of our captain, Derek Jeter, nodding in our direction. This was taken from the Gatorade ad. He's almost gone, folks.
Best Comments of the Day
Nothing really spectacular in the comments section yesterday. It is highly unlikely that our comments section will yield much today, it being a Saturday and all. Prove me wrong, PSAers.
Fun Questions
Who would you like to see play that you haven't yet?
It's threeway call. And he knows nothing. As always link us you song of the day!
Chris Capuano gets the start for the Yankees this afternoon. I think we would all rather see Bryan Mitchell start over him, but here we are. Also, hopefully Derek Jeter can continue his little hot streak here at the end of all things.
With Kuroda telling reporters during the postgame that he would wait until the offseason to decide whether to pitch another season, he's officially entered the Andy Pettitte stage of his career. If the Yankees are lucky, Kuroda can be convinced to pitch another season and provide some stability to a rotation in flux.
But even if he doesn't come back, his seven-year-career has been impressive. Of the active pitchers who have thrown at least 1000 innings, Kuroda stands alongside starters like Jon Lester and Matt Cain by measures like FIP and innings per season. He's not quite an ace but more than an innings eater. Considering that Kuroda didn't arrive in the States until his age-33 season, it's a pretty obvious conclusion that we've only seen the downside of his career, and that he missed the chance to truly prove himself an ace.
Although he was never a star in Japan like rivals Daisuke Matsuzaka or Yu Darvish, it's not hard to imagine Kuroda pitching 180 or so innings each season from age 26 to 32 (he reached the NPB at 22, but his first 4 seasons were weak, and I have to think he'd have bounced between the majors and minors in the US).
I don't know if the Baseball Hall of Fame should induct Japanese players for their performance in Japan; a Hall of Fame without Sadaharo Oh seems a poorer one. On the one hand, the Hall is full of Negro League players, but they were forcibly excluded from MLB in a way Japanese players are not (though I think the Japanese reserve clause is excessive and the posting system is a joke).
I don't think Hiroki Kuroda is a Hall of Famer, even considering his Japanese performance, but I do think he's a candidate for the Hall of Very Good, and the Yankees have been lucky to have him steadying the ship this season when every other starter has gotten hurt.
When an offense is bad nobody gets on base. When nobody gets on base, the first base coach gets lonely. That means that Mick Kelleher is a lonely, sad panda.
Just a few years ago Mick Kelleher was riding high. The Yankees lineup was full of quality offensive players and first base was a revolving door of high-fiving friends. He could trot out to the first base coaches box each inning, confident that he wouldn't have to pretend to get along with the opposing first baseman for long. The past two seasons have been a different story though. The 2013 and 2014 versions of the Yankees have on-base percentages that rank in the bottom ten all-time in franchise history, making poor old Mick one of the loneliest men in baseball.
Not only does Mick have to stand and watch one futile at-bat after another each day, but he has to do it knowing that most innings he won't even get the chance to shoot the breeze with another pinstriped pal. Most baseball fans would dream of becoming a first base coach, but let this be a cautionary tale. The dream can quickly lead you to a lonely, dark place where you're forced to watch ugliness in place of the greatness that was once there. They say misery loves company, but Mick Kelleher gets no such luxury.
The situation has gotten so dire that Brett Gardner has even taken notice. Gardner has taken on a leadership role in recent years and it's clear that his first order of business is keeping his first base coach company. In 2011 he couldn't get to second base fast enough after reaching first, stealing a total of 49 bases. However, last year he was one of only two Yankee players that got to first base regularly and he recognized how lonely Mick was. As a result, he stuck around to chat with him more often and stole just 24 bases, less than half of his peak total. This year he's being even more generous to Kelleher and has just 20 steals to his name. There's no other logical explanation for this trend, and while it's very sweet of Gardner, the team is suffering because of it.
There would be many benefits to the Yankees focusing on an improved offense heading into next season, but none of them more noble than ending the loneliness of their trusty old first base coach. Also, it would finally put an end to Mick playing the same Al Green song in the clubhouse after each game.
We got 3 in the 6th. Bautista walked, Edwin singled and Dioner Navarro walked. A ground rule double from Danny Valencia scored two and John Mayberry hit a sac fly.
Bautista hit an opposite field home run to start the 7th.
And Bautista walked and scored on a Navarro single in the 9th.
Four runs scored for Baustista. We had 10 hits. 3 from Encarnacion. 2 each from Bautista and Kevin Pillar. Dalton Pompey had an 0 for 4 in his second career start.
Marcus Stroman had a very nice start, it might be his last of the season depending on how his suspension hearing goes. He went 6 innings, allowed 8 hits, 2 earned with 7 strikeouts.
Aaron Sanchez pitched a quick 7th, then gave up a hit and a walk, getting just one out in the 8th, but Brett Cecil got us out of the inning without a run scoring.
Brandon Morrow started the 9th, got an out, then gave up a single to Brett Gardner and a RBI double to DEREK JETER (with a strike zone that was roughly the width of a baseball). Casey Janssen took over and hit Brian McCann to amp up the drama. But he got Brandon Ryan to strikeout and Chris Young to hit a very soft 'liner' to Ryan Goins at second.
Navarro had a particularly bad game behind the plate, reaching for and missing two pitches for 'wild pitches', both could have, maybe should have, been passed balls. He just didn't seem that interested behind the plate.
Tomorrow is the last game we will be subjected to non-stop Derek Jeter talk. YAY. I understand he's retiring. Someone should mention that, BUT JUST ONCE AND THEN SHUT UP ABOUT IT.
Jays of the Day are Edwin (.238), Bautista (.205) and Cecil (.125).
Capuano struggled and the mini win streak was snapped.
The Yankees playoff chances heading into this game were very slim, but a three-game win streak at least left some hope in our minds. The Yankees are still not technically out of the running, but the win streak is now gone as the Blue Jays beat the Yankees 6-3.
It did not take long for the Blue Jays to open the scoring against Chris Capuano. With one out in the inning, Jose Bautista picked up a single. Edwin Encarnacion then hit one over the head of Brett Gardner into center field. Bautista easily scored to make it 1-0 Toronto.
The Yankees would tie the game in the bottom of the third. With two outs, Derek Jeter kept the inning alive with a single that second baseman Steve Tolleson got to, but had no real play on. He would advance to second on a wild pitch. Brian McCann would then punch through a single. Jeter beat the throw home and the game was tied.
An inning later, the Yankees took the lead. With one out in the inning, Chase Headley singled. After Stephen Drew flew out, Ichiro Suzuki then hit a blooper that landed just in the perfect spot in shallow center field. Francisco Cervelli then added a single that scored Headley and made it 2-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, Brendan Ryan was sent up as a pinch hitter for Mark Teixeira, who was taken out due to concerns with his wrist.
A bad inning from Capuano in the sixth gave the Blue Jays the lead back. Bautista led off the inning by drawing a walk. Encarnacion then reached after Drew made a nice play to get to a grounder but then threw it away. Capuano then walked Dioner Navarro to load the bases with still no one out. Danny Valencia would drive home two runs with a double, giving the Blue Jays a 3-2 lead. John Mayberry would fly out to left for the first out of the inning, but it was deep enough for a run to tag up and score. After Dalton Pompey flew out, Capuano was taken out. He went 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on five hits and four walks. Chase Whitley came in and got out of the inning, but only after allowing a walk and a hit.
The Yankees couldn't cut into that least in the bottom of the sixth and Whitley came back out to start the seventh. He wouldn't last long as Bautista led off the inning with a home run to make it 5-2. Whitley was immediately taken out. Esmil Rogers came in for Whitley. Rogers came in and struck out the side after allowing a single to Encarnacion. After another scoreless inning from the Yankees' offense, David Huff piched a scoreless inning himself in the eighth.
The Yankees got a little something going in the bottom of the eighth when Chris Young picked up a one-out double. Headley then drew a walk with Young moving to third after a ball four wild pitch by Aaron Sanchez. Brett Cecil came in and promptly struck out Drew for the second out. Ichiro would then ground out, ending that rally.
David Phelps came in to pitch the ninth inning. He walked Bautista to start the inning. Bautista would move to second on a wild pitch and score on a single by Navarro. That made it 6-2.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees had one last chance to score. After Cervelli grounded out, Gardner picked up a single. He moved to second on defensive indifference and would score when Jeter doubled. That cut the Toronto lead to three runs. McCann was then hit by a pitch, which improbably brought the tying run to the plate. Unfortunately, that was in the form of Brendan Ryan, who struck out. That left the game up to Young. Young worked a full count, but wound up popping one up to end the game. The mini win streak was over the Blue Jays got a 6-3 win.
The finale of the Yankees-Blue Jays series tomorrow will feature the return of Masahiro Tanaka. Game will start at 1:05 eastern and I'm sure the mood will be a happy but cautious one.
This season may not have gone how you wanted, but there were still a lot of things to like about it
The Yankees' playoff hopes are essentially gone by all measures save for the most minuscule percentages. This comes as a truly troubling idea to some because for almost two-decades the Yankees have been at the upper echelon of the baseball hierarchy. In the case of many young fans (myself included) it is an adjustment. The thought of missing the playoffs, of watching an offense so unsightly that there should be a notice from the FCC, is something many fans have either never experienced or forgotten. Winning has been the only thing we have known until recently, and that long duration of success breeds arrogance. Having never experienced the Yankees falling out of contention weeks before the regular season’s conclusion also brings about feelings of denial and anger when it finally occurs, as it had this season. To those who are struggling with those feelings, I direct you to the articles of Jason Cohen and Greg Kirklandon how to face that denial, and how to cope with it. For the rest who have already made peace with the Yankees fate, understand that while our favorite baseball team may not have met the ending that we wanted, this season still contained its fair share of fun stories.
It seems so long ago that IF Yangervis Solarte wore pinstripes, even though it has been only a few months. Before the 2014 season, the man with the unusual name appeared as just another non-roster invitee that most of the community assumed was in camp as roster filler. The twenty-six year old had an outstanding spring training outplaying incumbent infielder Eduardo Nunez (not exactly a difficult feat) and taking his place on the Yankees roster. For anyone who has been following the Yankees, this came as a surprise, though Nunez had demonstrated an inability to do anything but lose his helmet, Girardi and company continued to give him ample time in lineups as well as the field. Ousting Eduardo gave birth to Solarte’s first PSA nickname, "Not-Nunez." Solarte would later earn multiple new names when he began mashing in the regular season. For several weeks, the man named Yangervis was not only one of the hottest players on the Yankees, he was one of the hottest players in all of baseball. Though his hot start eventually faded, Solarte proved to be a gift that kept on giving when he was flipped at the trade deadline for Chase Headley who has provided his fair share of good memories that will be discussed at a later time.
Tex has had a frustrating year at the plate. Fortunately for us, the Yankee first baseman did not carry those frustrations off the field or else we may have been denied so much joy. For many years, Tex has built up a reputation of being intense, boring and robotic. Starting last year, we began seeing a different side of him, culminating this year into some legitimately hilarious moments. Maybe his processor has shorted out, maybe he forgot to update his anti-virus software, but all I or anyone else knows is that Mark Teixeira has created more than his share of wonderful, gif-able moments. In January of this year, we got a taste of Tex’s skillful dramatic acting, when he and former ace, CC Sabathia performed a scene from the drama August: Osage County. During spring training when a swarm of bees suddenly descended upon the outfield like it was Nicholas Cage, Tex emerged from the dugout to help, not with a smoke machine or insecticide, but with the stuff all bees love: HONEY!
The biggest gift Mark Teixeira has provided the world is his show "Foul Territory." Shot before the regular season at the Yankees' Tampa facility, "Foul Territory" has the first-baseman as the host as he tries his hand at interviewing with various teammates to awkward and hilarious results.
The McCarthy’s
Brandon McCarthy has been an absolute gem since being traded away from the Diamondbacks in exchange for Vidal Nuno. It has been mentioned before that Arizona forced McCarthy stop throwing the cutter and, after the trade, the Yankees implored the right-hander to pitch how he wants. Results were outstanding, with him pitching to a 2.54 ERA and a 2.97 FIP in the second half. The right-hander is hardly the only McCarthy that has been a great addition to the Yankee organization, as his wife Amanda and her tweets have become must-reads to every Yankee fan. It is very difficult to convey much in 140 characters, but the McCarthy’s have proven to possess deft fingers and quick wits which are able to constantly put out comedy gold in quick little tweets.
The Yankees have had a brutal year, there is no denying that fact. They are not going to make the playoffs but take solace in the bright spots that have existed this season. Take time, think about some of things that you enjoyed this year, because I promise that you will be surprised at how many wonderful things have occured even in a down season.
Everyone seems to have an opinion about Derek Jeter's place in history, and no one can agree as to what that will be.
I was watching an ESPN highlight reel showing Derek Jeter's best career moments, and the anchor ended the segment by emphasizing that "Stats can't define him" and that one couldn't talk about numbers when talking about him, that he merely played the game the right way and had the intangibles, so to speak. People on the analytical side, of course, rarely mention these defining moments as evidence for his Hall of Fame case; he was statistically one of the best shortstops in history, and that's pretty much all you need to know. These mock debates over what best defines Derek Jeter is just as ridiculous as the "old school vs. new school" debate that was completely fabricated to create some controversy. This "debate" isn't necessarily as high profile as that one, but it still comes from the same template.
In one hundred years from now, what will people say about Derek Jeter? Will baseball go all the way to the dark side and fully accept analytical stats, using wRC+ and WAR as pillars of success, or will his career merely be another highlight reel to show on whichever media these future humans use? That's very hard to say, but I'd have to say that it mixes a bit of both. In the past ten years we've seen an exponential growth in the popularity of advanced metrics, so popular that we see WAR and FIP popping up on popular media and at ballparks themselves. There is no doubt in my mind that advanced metrics will become even more popular in the future, especially as MLBAM's new data will be able to track every aspect of every single play. Baseball fans have and will always continue to like more data, and baseball will give it to them. I don't know if RBI's and batting average will ever become truly extinct, but I doubt it will be at the forefront of baseball discussion.
For that very reason, statistics will always be part of the Derek Jeter discussion as to why he was great. According to Jay Jaffe's JAWS model, Derek Jeter is 12th all time, and five of those never played past 1950. In the modern era (post-WWII), Derek Jeter is easily one of the best shortstops to ever play. According to FanGraphs, since 1945 Derek Jeter is (amongst qualified shortstops): 3rd in fWAR, 7th in wRC+, 5th in home runs, 2nd in batting average, 7th in OBP, and obviously first in hits. These facts alone are enough to warrant praise; with numbers like these, why focus on the moments when all metrics--both advanced and standard--show that Derek Jeter is one of the best shortstops ever?
The fact is--his stats merely can't stand alone. This may mean nothing to baseball and Yankees fans in one hundred years, but Derek Jeter is more so an idea than a person. We know nothing about him. No one knows anything about his personal life, his personality, or anything like that. He's merely an idea in our head, one that most of us were content with. He had an almost Hollywood-esque flair for the dramatic: the Jeffrey Maier home run, the lead-off home run in the 2000 World Series, the Mr. November home run, the flip play, diving into the stands in 2004, and hitting a home run as his 3000th hit.
What people seem to forget though, is that it isn't these moments that wholly define his career because it is not these moments that made him great, it was being great which spurned those moments. The highlight reel and his stat line will forever be tied together like that of an ant on a Möbius strip: one cannot separate one from the other because not only would it be sloppy, but it would cut out the whole picture. That whole picture is what I believe fans of the future will marvel at, not just one aspect alone.
Masahiro Tanaka takes the mound once again, in what will be one of the most highly looked at pitching performances of the year. Please be healthy, Tanaka-San.
Comment of the Game
Yesterday's COTG winner was waw with this wonderful photo of Foul Territory host Mark Teixeira. Sadly, Tex is possibly done for the year due to continuing wrist issues. However, you don't need a wrist to host Foul Territory. Right? Here's hoping he gets better.
Best GIF of the Recap
MinigunMadness wins the BGOTR award by being the only person in the thread besides myself to actually post a GIF. Dark times.
Honorable Mod Mention
Matt F wins the HMM award for honorably suggesting the worst possible outcome for Derek Jeter's final game at Yankee Stadium on Thursday. Yikes.
Best Comments of the Day
Nope. Nothing to see here. Move along, thank you.
Fun Questions
Be honest, how much have you missed seeing Tanaka pitch?
Be honest, do you think Bud Selig likes the Wilpons or just likes to see the Mets fans suffer?
Masahiro Tanaka will once again take the mound for the Yankees this year. This start will be looked at from every possible angle to see how the Yankees' star pitcher has come along with his rehab. Also, I guess the Yankees will try to take the series from the Blue Jays. Really though, I think I speak for everyone of us when I say "Who cares! Just please be okay, Tanaka!"
The Blue Jays try to salvage a series split with the Yankees this afternoon as Drew Hutchison goes up against Masahiro Tanaka. The last time the Japanese rookie started a game (July 8th) the Baltimore Orioles held only a 2.5 game lead in the division over Toronto, so it's been a while since he's taken the mound obviously. The injury that sidelined him was a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament, although he opted not to undergo Tommy John surgery which could ending up being a bad decision if he injures it again.
In his first 18 starts before he went down with the injury Tanaka pitched to a 2.51 ERA and a 26.6% K-rate, which put him well on his way to contending for the AL Rookie of the Year crown that will now easily be won by White Sox slugger Jose Abreu. The righty has faced Toronto twice thus far and has allowed just three earned runs in 13.0 innings, including 18 strikeouts so he's basically dominated them.
His repertoire has become pretty clear at this point with a pretty even split between fastballs, sinkers, splitters, and sliders. The splitter has become one of the league's nastiest strikeout pitches and he throws it nearly half of the time when he's ahead in the count or has two strikes. Hitters whiff on the pitch on 46.75% of swings which is just filthy and Tanaka has allowed only one home run off the pitch, which isn't surprising when you see where he locates it:
Masahiro Tanaka looked good in his return to a major league mound as the Yankees beat the Blue Jays 5-2.
Today was a good day for the Yankees. Masahiro Tanaka came back and not only made it through his outing, but looked good doing so. The offense hit a couple dingers, including the 15,000th in team history. And the bullpen sealed a 5-2 win over the Blue Jays without much trouble. Oh, and David Cone mentioned Pinstripe Alley on air.
The Blue Jays picked up an early run against Tanaka in the first. Jose Reyes and Jose Bautista led of the game with two-straight singles, with Reyes moving to third on Bautista's. Tanaka then got Edwin Encarnacion to ground into a double play, but it did score a run.
The Yankees got that run back in the bottom half of the inning when Brian McCann hit a solo home run. After one inning, the game was tied at one.
After that, neither offense could get anything going for a while. Tanaka looked impressive on his return, while Drew Hutchison was also pretty good as he held down the Yankees. It wasn't until the fifth inning until another run was scored. Brett Gardner led off the bottom of the fifth with a home run, which was the 15,000th in Yankees' history. The historical homer gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead.
Tanaka came back out for the sixth, but after allowing a pair of singles on either side of a force out grounder, he was taken out. He went 5.1 innings, allowing one run on five hits and no walks while striking out four. It couldn't have gone much better. It was nice to see him back. Adam Warren came in and got two strikeouts to get out of the jam. Warren also pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, the top of the Yankees' order picked up a couple of insurance runs. Gardner added to his big day with a double. He would score when Derek Jeter followed that with a double. That brought McCann to the plate. For the second time in the game, McCann homered. That made it 5-1 Yankees.
Dellin Betances came in to pitch the eighth. Reyes picked up a single, stole two bases and scored when Encarnacion lined a two-out single off the wall. Betances limited the damage to just one run, but the score was now 5-2.
After the Yankees went down in order in the eighth, David Robertson came in to get the save in the ninth. Robertson got the first two outs without much trouble but allowed a walk to Dalton Pompey. However, Robertson came right back and struck out George Kottaras to seal a 5-2 win. It was an all-around nice win for the Yankees.
The Yankees had 3 cheapie, Yankee Stadium type home runs, 2 for Brian McCann, one for Brett Gardner and that pretty much won the game for them.
Again, only the top of the order could hit. We had 7 hits, 3 for Jose Reys, 1 for Jose Bautista and 2 for Edwin Encarnacion. The rest of the lineup was 1 for 21 (an Munenori Kawasaki double) plus a Dalton Pompey walk, with 8 strikeouts. Jose Reyes scored both our runs, both driven in by Edwin, one on a double play ball.
Our bats had trouble with Masahiro Tanaka, in his first game back from the DL. He went 5.1, allowing 5 hits, 1 earned with 4 strikeouts, but then we didn't hit their relievers any better.
Drew Hutchison was ok, but threw too many pitches. He only went 4+ innings, allowing 5 hits, 3 walks, 2 earned with 6 strikeouts. The runs came off the short porch home runs. Todd Redmond and Daniel Norris had troubles in the 7th, combining to allow 3 runs. Aaron Loup and Dustin McGowan each pitched a clean inning.
The final Jeter count was 86....so Buck and Pat came up short of 100. Great self control guys. He'll be missed, not by me, but others will miss him I'm sure.
Jay of the Day was Jose Reyes (.097 WPA for going 3 for 4, with a couple of stolen bases.
Suckage goes to Dioner Navarro (-.119, for an 0 for 4, with 2 k, plus a passed ball and wild pitch) and Dan Johnson (-097, 0 for 3 with 1 k) though that's hardly fair as he's been sitting all month.
We had 563 comments in the GameThread. I led the way, on the strength of the Jeter count.
It doesn't sound like Jeter plans to sit out the final series against Boston, and why should he?
As you probably know by now, upon completion of this series against the Blue Jays, the Yankees only have two series left to play before the regular season is over. The first is a four-game series against the Orioles at home, while the last is a three-game series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Keeping in mind that they have not been mathematically eliminated, there is an outside chance that the team could make the playoffs, but we shouldn't hold our breath at this point. It is very likely that Derek Jeter will play in that final series against Boston. When asked a few days ago if he would play in Boston if the Yankees were out of playoff contention, he said "Why would I not?" and that seems like the right decision.
When Mariano Rivera retired last year, we got to experience the touching moment of Jeter and Andy Pettitte coming out of the dugout to take him out of his last game at Yankee Stadium. Although the Yankees still had a series to play in Houston, Mo opted for his final appearance in New York to be the final appearance of his career. That made sense for many reasons, including the fact that as the closer, Rivera wasn't an everyday player. There are few arguments that can be made in favor of Jeter sitting out the series at Boston.
First of all, it's not like there's a way to duplicate the moment that Mo got on the mound last year. They kind of tried to do something like that during the All-Star Game, when Alexei Ramirez ran out before they started playing the fourth inning to replace Jeter and Jeter got his standing ovation. The Yankees could do that, I guess, but replacing him with Brendan Ryan or Stephen Drew wouldn't exactly be a special moment. Considering that fans have practically given him a standing ovation the entire season during every at-bat, it's not like he wont get acknowledgment from the crowd during his last home game either way. It's likely that the Fenway crowd will give him one too.
Maybe it's just me, but it doesn't seem like there are any sentimental reasons that Jeter should finish his last game in New York and sit out the final series against Boston. Except in cases of injury, like most of last season, Jeter has always been an everyday player. He probably even got more playing time than he should have this season. It would be almost anti-Jeterian for him to sit out. There's also the fact that Boston marks the last stop on Jeter's Farewell Tour of 2014, so it would be kind of weird for him not to play at all during that series, though it's true that Mo didn't play in Houston despite being honored there in that final series either. Perhaps the biggest reason not to bench Jeter is that these are going on the last 7 games of his career, so why would you take some of those away from him?
Do you think Jeter should play his last game in New York and sit out the Boston series? Can you think of a way that the team could remove Jeter from the game in a touching moment similar to Mo's last season?
Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury and Mark Teixeira are injured but want to find a way to play until the Yankees are mathematically eliminated.
Carlos Beltran has been suffering with a bone spur in his right elbow for a large part of the season, yet he's been doing everything possible to delay having surgery. He's already had three cortisone shots this season and he's still had to sit out a few games recently because he is still experiencing soreness. For weeks now, they've been saying that Beltran would need to have surgery over the offseason, but maybe he was in denial until recently. He took a few days and decided he does not want to have the surgery before the season ends if there is a chance he could still help the team during the final week of play. That seems unlikely, especially if he's in pain, but in the grand scheme of things it won't impact next season either way.
There is not much to report on Mark Teixeira. He's been experiencing pain in his surgically repaired right wrist throughout the season, and has had two cortisone shots. Like Beltran, Tex doesn't want to sit out the remainder of the season since the Yankees playoff chances are technically still alive. He was planning on meeting with his surgeon after yesterday's game to see about getting a third cortisone shot, but there hasn't been any word on his decision yet. It's troubling to hear that he's had "flare-ups" of pain all season, and the best course of action might be to end his season now. What is the point of having a third cortisone shot when there are only seven games left to play?
You can go ahead and add Jacoby Ellsbury to the list of Yankees who are currently injured, but still want to play. He has a low-grade hamstring strain and just like with everyone else, Joe Girardi said they're going to take the injury day-by-day. There is a small chance that we could see him play again this season, but probably only as a pinch-hitter.
If the Yankees were somehow able to sneak into the playoffs, their chances of advancing don't seem very good with all these players injured, along with Martin Prado who is already out for the season. Given that the odds are so slim, it might be better for all three to just end their seasons early.
Who's the best baserunner in minor league baseball?
When we think about baserunning, we normally picture high-profile speedsters like Billy Hamilton or Mallex Smith. Yes, they may post an astounding number of stolen bases and runs scored, but do they really contribute the most to their team? The SPD score from Fangraphs attempts to classify not those who steal 70 bases in a season, but those whose mindset and speed on the basepaths allow them to capitalize on baserunning efficiency.
SPD is calculated on Fangraphs as a combination of stolen base efficiency, stolen base opportunities taken, runs scored percentage, and percent of triples. Obviously, this is not a perfect statistic. It's outdated in the way we measure runs created because it's on an arbitrary scale with 4.5 being the (estimated) average instead of using linear weights. SPD also doesn't factor in many important baserunning aspects like extra bases taken (XBT%) or movement when the ball is in play. While BsR is the more operative baserunning statistic nowadays, we must make do with SPD because it is available for minor league data whilst BsR is not.
Four prospects stood out from the rest in this category. Jorge Mateo, Wes Rogers, Kevonte Mitchell, and Leland Clemmons highlighted the top four of the listing, and all four are relative unknowns. So let's take a deeper dive into who these players are and why they set the record in SPD.
Starting at the top, Jorge Mateo ranks #1 in the minor leagues with a SPD score of 9.9. For reference, the highest SPD score in the MLB this year belongs to Dee Gordon with an 8.8. First off, we want to look at the scouting report because it may fill in some blanks. Baseball America writes, "Shortstop Jorge Mateo has louder tools, including 80 speed and a plus arm. He has a quick bat, works the count and uses the whole field, and takes advantage of his premium speed, stealing 49 bases in 69 games last year". When he signed with the Yankees for $250,000 back in 2011, he was known for being an incredible athlete with great speed, and the statistics back the report up.
Now let's see how he became the player behind the 9.9 SPD score. In his first season stateside with the GCL Yankees, Mateo played only 15 games and was then lost for the season with an undisclosed back injury. His one triple in 58 at-bats (1.7%) isn't great; however, Mateo did manage to convert getting on base 23 times into 14 runs (60.9%). This can be partially attributed to small sample size and the fact that baserunners only have slight control over their run-scoring ability; most control is derived from the batter. The main reason for Mateo's high score comes from his stolen base characteristics. In the 22 opportunities he's had to steal a base, he's attempted to steal 12 times, making for an outrageous 54.5% stolen base frequency*. Not only did he attempt to steal 54.5% of the time, but he also succeeded in stealing a base in 11 out of 12 tries, or 91.7%. For perspective, if minor league plate appearances leader Daniel Robertson (642 PA) attempted to steal 54.5% of the time possible and succeeded in 91.7% of the times he tried, he would have 120 stolen bases.
You'll notice that as we slide down to player number four, each player's notoriety generally decreases. Next up, Wes Rogers, the Rockies' 4th round pick in the most recent MLB draft, comes in tied for second with a SPD score of 9.8. Signed for $360,000 out of Spartanburg Methodist JC, Rogers was known for his high-profile speed and excellent plate discipline. Baseball America reports that Rogers is "an exceptional athlete and... at least an average runner who is better under way". His skills obviously translated well from college to the MiLB, where he maintained a .357 wOBA over 131 plate appearances at Rookie level Grand Junction.
Statistically speaking, Rogers' two triples in 113 at-bats (1.8%) is on par with Mateo's, and he managed to convert 43 times on base into 22 runs (51.2%). Both scores rival the leader, and like Mateo, Rogers created his value by wreaking havoc on the basepaths through stolen bases. He had 41 opportunities to steal a base, and he attempted to steal 16 times, resulting in a 39.0% stolen base frequency. Even though he was less aggressive in base-stealing than Mateo, Rogers was more efficient at converting. He succeeded in stealing a base 15 times in 16 attempts (93.8%). Using the same Daniel Robertson comparison, Rogers would have stolen 88 bases, good enough to tie for first in the minor leagues.
Kevonte Mitchell, the next player on the list, is actually tied with Wes Rogers for second place with a 9.8 SPD score. The Cubs' 13th round pick from the 2014 MLB draft, Mitchell was known for being an athletic and toolsy player who could handle third base. The Cubs decided to scratch the infield possibility completely and start anew at center field for Mitchell, who quickly proved he could handle the position if given more time. Nathan Rode of Prep Baseball Report described him as being "very raw" and having "thunder in the bat" with quick hands. Not much of a scouting report, but that is the norm for most young high schoolers going through the draft process.
Out of all four players here, Mitchell probably had the most productive season, batting .294 while creating runs at a 20% above league average rate. The amount of triples rarely influences the SPD score because there is such a minor difference between one player and the next; however, Mitchell ran out four triples in just 143 at-bats, good enough for one about every 36 at-bats (2.8%). Additionally, he was able to turn 61 times on base into 30 runs (49.2%). His forte happened to be stealing bases - not the powerful bat he was described as possessing. In 57 possible chances, Mitchell attempted to steal on 20 of them (35.1%) and succeeded every time but one. 19 stolen bases to 1 caught stealing (95%) is an amazing ratio and much more than necessary to be productive. Like Mateo and Rogers before him, Mitchell would have stolen many more bases given the opportunities; the Daniel Robertson comparison would have Kevonte stealing 80 bases.
Last on the list, I can almost guarantee you haven't heard of Leland Clemmons. Signed by the Royals out of Winston-Salem State University in the middle of the season and assigned to Burlington, he was reportedly brought in because of his speed and defense. His bat has many question marks and the .224 batting average only further muddles the picture. His coach in college, Kevin Ritsche, stressed his speed by saying, "he ran a 60-yard dash faster than anyone at tryout" (Reportedly ran a 6.20). Funny enough, Clemmons played in an exhibition game this summer against the Burlington Royals for a summer collegiate team.
Down on the sabermetric front, Clemmons impresses in the speed area even if his bat isn't quite ready. He hit one triple in 85 at-bats (1.2%) and turned 30 times on base into 14 runs (46.7%). Both numbers put him in good company at the top of the leaderboard. Clemmons had 29 opportunities to steal a base and ran on 14 of them (48.3%), only being caught once (92.9%). The final part of the process pits Clemmons on an extrapolated journey over 642 plate appearances, where he steals 108 bases.
So, what did we learn? Well, hopefully this was at least fun look at some great stolen base ratios and run-scoring production. There were many flaws with the process though. Most people probably expected a speed artist like Jose Peraza on top of the list, and to tell the truth, someone more prolific like him most likely deserves it. SPD does have some deep-rooted problems that cannot be solved without a permanent switch to BsR. Small sample size and extraneous factors confuse the statistic and can lead to unlikely scores. At this point in time, SPD has become an outdated statistic that can't be reliably used to measure player development or accurately determine their baserunning acumen. If only more data tracking systems would be implemented in the minor leagues. Imagine the possibilities.
*Note that Stolen Base Frequency is not a calculable statistic from minor league data and this calculation is more of an estimation of when the player could steal and assuming the base ahead of him is always open.
