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Ichiro Suzuki and other memorably forgettable Yankees

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Looking back at high profile players' low-key tenures in the Bronx

It's been about a week since Ichiro Suzuki signed with the Miami Marlins, thus offering unceremonious closure to his time with the Yankees organization. Looking back, it's almost hard to believe he spent nearly two and a half seasons in the Bronx. He wasn't marred by injuries and his production wasn't terrible, even if it was far from what it was in his prime years. The Yankees are no strangers to having players who were once perennial all-stars come aboard during the back-end of their careers, but it's not as common for them to have them assume the diminished role of a fringe third/fourth outfielder. Ichiro was never a disappointment, nor was he a savior. He was an afterthought (we learned yesterday that this was not something he was crazy about).

When all is said and done, Ichiro was a pioneer for Japanese position-players, an electrifying talent, and a shoe-in for Cooperstown. However, when his career highlights are shown you probably won't see much of him in a Yankee uniform. Well, except for this play...

This got me thinking about all the players in recent memory that had built up significant resumes elsewhere, only to come to the Yankees for brief, fairly insignificant stretches. The kind of guys who, when you look at their Baseball Reference page years down the road, have you doing a double take when you see that "NYY" listed next to one of their later seasons. The guys we know and love as baseball fans, but didn't get enough of a chance to develop a connection with as Yankee fans. Here are a few of my favorite "Oh yeah, they had a stint with the Yankees" Yankees from the last fifteen years:

Lance Berkman (2010)

Acquired in a deadline deal with Houston in exchange for Mark Melancon and Jimmy Paredes, the Yankees hoped a change of environment would lead to the Big Puma rediscovering his stroke. Unfortunately, aside from the ALDS homer above, Lance was unable to inject any power into the lineup. He went on to bounce back the next year with the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals before ending his career back in Texas, this time with the Rangers.

Ivan Rodriguez (2008)

Another product of a deadline trade, the Yanks brought in Pudge from Detroit after Jorge was sidelined for the season due to shoulder surgery. Despite being 36 at the time, Rodriguez was still one of the best two-way catchers in the game and a more than serviceable replacement. He saw a drastic dip in offensive production in New York, and wound up platooning behind the plate with Jose Molina. The Yankees missed the playoffs, and Pudge would leave in free agency for the Astros.

Kenny Lofton (2004)

Between 2002 and 2007, Lofton played for nine different teams. One of his stops on his six-season tour de Major League Baseball was in the Bronx. Like Ichiro, he performed okay, but guys who rely on their legs tend to lose effectiveness in their late 30's, and Lofton only had seven stolen bases for the year. Lofton was sent to Philadelphia after the season in exchange for reliever Felix Rodriguez.

John Olerud (2004)

Batting champion, Gold Glove winner, and All-Star first baseman John Olerud was another midseason injury replacement whose tenure with the Yanks lasted under 50 games. The 35 year-old Olerud gave the Yanks all they could have asked for, playing superb defense while hitting to the tune of .280/.367/.396.

Jose Canseco (2000)

If you're going to associate Canseco with a team, it's got to be the "Bash Brother" Oakland A's teams of the late 80's and early 90's, though lately Canseco's reputation is closer to that of a reality star. Canseco hit 462 juice-fueled home runs over the course of his career, with six of those coming during his brief stint in the Bronx.

Those are the players that I still find odd to see in pinstripes from time to time. Who are your's?


The most impressive offensive seasons by Yankees in the past decade

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Since 2005, the Yankees have put up some eye-popping offensive numbers. Who had the most remarkable seasons, and what made them so sensational?

From 2005 to 2014, the New York Yankees scored 8,301 runs as a collective unit. That figure is more than any other team's total (the Red Sox, not surprisingly, scored the second most). Over this decade of offensive excellence, five of the franchise's highest home run totals have taken place, and some of the best individual performances in team history have occurred.

To determine what the most impressive five single-season campaigns by Yankees in this time span were, I looked at a combination of both traditional statistics (HRs, RBI, OBP) and more advanced figures (WAR, OPS+, Runs Created). However, there were other, more qualitative aspects to account for. Was the performance unexpected? How did that players' year compare to the offense as a whole that season? Keep in mind that only regular-season performances were assessed.

Note: "most impressive" is used here instead of "best" for many of the reasons described above–circumstances surrounding that player and that team could cause their statistics to have more significance than they may appear. Otherwise, this would really be just A-Rod's first five seasons with the team, and that would annoy the internet.

5. Curtis Granderson, 2011

Granderson's 2011 fits the "unexpected performance" description the best out of any season on this list. His first year with the club in 2010 wasn't quite a disappointment, but his career-long struggles against left-handers persisted, as he posted just four homers and a .647 OPS against southpaws. A year later, with help from the awful, wretched, Kevin Long, Granderson was a born-again masher versus lefties. He slugged a robust .597, with 16 of his 41 home runs and a eye-catching 156 OPS+ coming against lefty hurlers. The Grandy Man, to boot, led the American League in runs scored and RBI, totals that figured heavily in his 4th-place MVP finish. Unless some late-career resurgence is in the works for Curtis, 2011 is likely to go down as his best professional year.

4. Mark Teixeira, 2009

Practically out of nowhere, the Yankees shocked (or is annoyed the right word?) the baseball world by inking Mark Teixeira to an eight-year deal before the 2009 season. Like most of the team's acquisitions in that offseason, Teixeira's first year in pinstripes did not disappoint. In his age-29 season, Tex tied for the AL lead in home runs with 39, and no junior circuit player drove in more runs than his 122. His 344 total bases were also a league-best (would you have guessed that Aaron Hill was second?). Teixeira has often been accused of not coming through when it counts, but 2009, like it was for the entire team, was an exception. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Texieira posted a ridiculous .413 batting average on balls in play, which goes nicely with a 197 OPS+. He finished second in the MVP voting behind Joe Mauer. If this version of Tex is still around, tell him position players report to Tampa on February 25th.

3. Robinson Cano, 2013

Cano's 2013 season, his last in the Bronx, is, by most metrics, not his best with the Yankees. However, given the circumstances of being surrounded by the worst New York lineup in two decades, his excellent performance earns him the third spot on this list. For the first time since 1991, the Yankees posted a below-average offense, but that didn't prevent Cano from driving in 107 runs, recording a career-best .383 OBP, and a fantastic 147 OPS+. How important was Cano to a Yankees team that struggled so badly to score? In games the team won, Cano put up a .353/.432/.631/1.064 slash line, with 21 of his 27 home runs and 75 RBIs. To boot, his 118 Runs Created were ninth-best in the entire league. Had Jeter/Teixeira/A-Rod had more of a presence in the lineup that year, Cano's fifth-place MVP finish would most likely have been elevated. We miss you, Robinson.

2. Alex Rodriguez, 2005

The lesser of A-Rod's two MVP campaigns with the Yankees, but a remarkable season nonetheless. It began with one of the most sensational performances in team history, when Rodriguez hit three home runs and drove in ten runs in an April game in the Bronx. 2005 saw A-Rod, in his age-29 season, lead the league in runs scored (124) home runs (48), slugging percentage (.610), OPS (1.031), and OPS+ (173). As is the case with most MVPs, Rodriguez was at his best in team wins, of which there were 95 for the Yankees that year. In victories, the third baseman posted a .376/.490/.736//1.226 slash-line. Rodriguez created 163 runs, the second highest total of his career. His 48 home runs established a new franchise record for right-handers, breaking 1937 Joe Dimaggio's mark of 46. That was, until....

1. Alex Rodriguez, 2007

Quite possibly the best regular season by any Yankee hitter in the last 50 years. I chronicled the achievements of A-Rod's monster year in a previous piece, but there are a number of different ways to break down the second MVP campaign in the span of three years for number 13. It began once again with a torrid start, as Rodriguez tied the league record for home runs in April with 14. His OPS+ for the month was an absurd 245. April saw Rodriguez blast two walk-off home runs within the span of two weeks, indicating that this would be a different type of year for the embattled slugger. So much of the narrative for his tenure in pinstripes had been a failure to come up when it counted, but A-Rod flipped the script in '07 (at least until October, but that goes without saying, no?). In innings 7-9, he raked to the tune of a .356/.467/.706/1.173 line. The raw numbers of 54 home runs (a new team record for right-handed hitters) and a career-high 156 RBIs speak volumes as to how dominant a year it was for Rodriguez. How incredible is that RBI figure? Rodriguez had 708 plate appearances. The average number of RBIs for a player with that amount of trips to the dish is just 83. 166 runs created (a career-best). An OPS+ of 176. Anyway you look at it, A-Rod's 2007 is the best year of any Yankee within the past decade, and one of the best years in franchise history.

(Note: I don't believe anyone is in a position, rightly or wrongly, to dismiss the seasons Rodriguez posted in '05 and '07 based on potential PED use. Yes, something was probably going on in at least one, if not both, of these campaigns. History is history, however. Let's begin to try to accept that.)

Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 2/1/15

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New York Daily News | Justin Tasch: Even though tension between Alex Rodriguez and the front office seems to be building as spring training approaches, manager Joe Girardi says his relationship with A-Rod remains a good one.

New York Post | Mike Puma: Joe Girardi plans to try Rodriguez at designated hitter and third base in spring training to see where he is physically before possibly testing the waters at first base.

ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand: Representing the Yankees on every prospect list in existence, Aaron Judge has positioned himself to possibly join the outfield mix for 2016 with a great deal of upside and personality.

Hartford Courant | Dom Amore: The Yankees have signed 22-year-old former UConn pitcher Anthony Marzi and invited him to spring training. He previously went undrafted his junior and senior years of college.

Newsday | Colin Stephenson: Spring training will mark the first one without Derek Jeter in more than 20 years, and that's just one of the big unknowns Joe Girardi will have to face when the team gathers in Tampa later this month.

What's the best-case scenario for Alex Rodriguez?

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No one is expecting much from A-Rod, but if he keeps his head down off the field and becomes a productive DH on it, he could still be of value to the Yankees.

The Yankees and Alex Rodriguez are fighting again.  What's new?  While their squabbling over his milestone bonuses just adds to the baggage A-Rod will bring to Spring Training, the fact remains that he will (presumably) return to the diamond in 2015.  Few people are optimistic about this: Brian Cashman has said he has "low expectations" and reportedly won't even talk to Rodriguez before spring training, and Steamer has already predicted that A-Rod won't even be a league-average hitter this year.  But what if things break right for Rodriguez, and he's got something left in the tank?  Let's take a look at what the best-case scenario is for Rodriguez's 2015 season.

On the field:

Steamer projections are quite pessimistic regarding Rodriguez: just a .235/.316/.382 triple slash and a 96 wRC+. PECOTA isn't much better, offering a .247/.324/.408 line over 250 plate appearances. Obviously, neither is not what teams expect from their DH.  In fact, if A-Rod posted Steamer's stat line last year, he would've had the lowest wRC+ among qualified designated hitters, and he would've been near the bottom in slugging as well.  Optimistically, the most we could expect from A-Rod is a return to something close to his 2012 form.  That year, Rodriguez hit .272/.353/.430 with a 113 wRC+.  Numbers slightly lower than this - say an average around .250 and slugging closer to .400, along with a wRC+ of about 110 - is probably the best Rodriguez can hope for this season.  While they're not the MVP-caliber numbers he used to post, this result would still make A-Rod a valuable bat and a decent everyday DH.

Posting these numbers in over 100 games would go a long way to stabilizing the Yankees offense and would give them quite a bit more punch than they had last year.  In fact, his 113 wRC+ from 2012 would've been second highest on the team last year among players with more than 200 at-bats (Headley's 121 wRC+ in the Bronx led the team).  Adding a mildly productive A-Rod like the 2012 version to the Yankee lineup would give them another dangerous bat, as well as helping to mitigate the risk of relying on Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann having the bounce-back years needed to shore up the offense.

Off the field:

Off the field, the best-case scenario is something that hasn't happened much during A-Rod's tenure in New York: radio silence.  Obviously, there will be a lot of coverage of Rodriguez in the media, but he can do a lot to both appease the front office and gain perhaps some mild acceptance from fans if he'd just be quiet.  He would limit his attention-grabbing quotes, refrain from firing shots at Cashman or the front office, and just play the game.  Unfortunately, this is about as likely as Rodriguez hitting .300, but his quiet year away from the game should give fans some hope that Rodriguez might keep his head down this year.

While A-Rod likely will be a disappointment this season, there is a chance he could exceed expectations and top out as a serviceable DH.  While it's not going to make him beloved or even an All-Star, perhaps, for this once-in-a-generation talent, just being a productive everyday player will finally be enough for Rodriguez.

PSA Comments of the Day 2/1/15: Puppy Bowl and Kitten Bowl Sunday

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Djokovic wins the Australian Open Men's Singles Final, the Puppy and Kitten Bowl are coming up soon, and oh yeah some popular football game is on later tonight. Pitchers and Catchers report in Masahiro Tanaka days!

While some people were sleeping, others were watching the finale of the Australian Open last night/this morning. Novak Djokovic defeated Andy Murray in four sets to with the Australian Open Men's Singles Finals. Meanwhile, there is some other popular sporting event happening later on in the evening. I think. I do know that the Puppy Bowl and Kitten Bowl take place today. An adorable time is in store for all.

Comments of the Day

It was one of those days.

Derek Jeter: the idol of millions!

Good luckchiro!

Well now, that's all kinds of adorable.

Your 2015 New York Yankees, ladies and gentlemen.

Your 2013 New York Yankees, ladies and gentlemen.

Your "What if they played in 2007" New York Yankees, ladies and gentlemen.

"INCOMING!!!"

GIF of the Day

Ouch.

Honorable Mod Mention

Our newest writers, Vince Lia and Martin Stezano win the HMM award. Welcome aboard and don't spend all that sweet blogger coin in one place.

Fun Questions
  • Which are the most adorable: puppies or kittens?
  • Do you have any Super Bowl plans tonight?
Song of the Day

Sports Song by Weird Al Yankovic

This week is Sports Theme Week on Pinstripe Alley. I mean, it is Super Bowl Sunday after all. What better day than to kick off this week's theme and what better song to start us off than the classic mockery of Weird Al Yankovic. As always, please link us your Song of the Day.

Feel free to use this as your open thread for the afternoon. Will you be watching the Puppy or Kitten Bowl this afternoon? Do you think your pet could win if he or she was entered?

So hey, are you moderately prepared for some football?

BABIP indicates Brian McCann and other Yankees should improve in 2015

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Even though last year's disappointing lineup has changed very little, the Yankee offense will likely produce more in 2015.

In 2015, the Yankees' lineup will look very similar to the same one that floundered through the 2014 season. Yet there's still hope that the offense will improve because the argument can be made that they were extremely unlucky last year. Luck, or lack thereof, can be somewhat quantified in the baseball world by using BABIP (batting average on balls in play). As explained in this FanGraphs post, one of the biggest factors for the fluctuations in a player's BABIP from year to year is luck. That means a player could be seeing the ball well, hitting it hard, but not seeing results because those well-hit balls are finding an opposing fielder's glove at a higher rate than usual.

The Yankees took advantage of this phenomenon prior to the 2009 season when they acquired Nick Swisher from the White Sox. In 2008, Swisher had what most considered a miserable season, hitting just .219 with a career-low 69 RBI. However, his .249 BABIP was well below his career standard and it was coupled with a line drive rate of 20.9%, by far a career-high. So while his baseball card numbers were suffering, the reality was that Swisher was hitting the ball harder than he ever had, just right at defenders. Luckily for Yankee fans, Brian Cashman recognized that Swisher was due to rebound in a big way while White Sox GM Kenny Williams apparently did not. He was sent to New York for next to nothing and became an everyday force in a lineup that eventually won the World Series. Thanks to his improved luck he went from below average in 2008 to about 25% above average in 2009.

The table below lists the 13 Yankees who are likely to contribute the most for the Yankees in 2015. Their 2014 BABIP and line drive rates are given in comparison to their career rates to see if there are any candidates for a Swisher-esque rebound this year. Please note that the career line drive rates given here are only since 2002, when FanGraphs started tracking them.

2014CareerDifference
PlayerBABIPLD%BABIPLD%BABIPLD%
.23122.2 %.28320.2 %-.0522.0%
.23321.2 %.28720.9 %-.0543.0%
.19417.4 %.29920.8 %-.105-3.4%
.25719.6 %.28020.2 %-.023-0.6%
.30127.4 %.33121.0 %-.0306.4%
.30521.6 %.32120.5 %-.0161.1%
.29624.7 %.32121.0 %-.0253.7%
.25216.5 %.30119.7 %-.049-3.2%
.29220.4 %.31817.9 %-.0262.5%
.24719.5 %.27218.6 %-.0250.9%
.29019.7 %.28619.2 %.0040.5%
.22115.3 %.27719.1 %-.056-3.8%
J.R. Murphy.37927.1 %.34725.3 %.0321.8%

*2013 rates for A-Rod as he did not play in 2014

The general inference from this table is that the Yankee offense should improve across the board this year. Out of the 13 players given, 11 of them had BABIPs last year that were lower than their career mark, and nine of them hit line drives at a higher rate than they usually do. Good things tend to happen for players in this situation.

Brian McCannMark Teixeira, and Stephen Drew seem to be due for the biggest improvement according to these metrics. While promising, it's probably unreasonable to expect McCann and Teixeira to return to their career BABIP level when they're constantly facing a defensive shift. Still, if a change in luck bumps their BABIPs to .250 or above, it could pay some serious dividends for the Yankees. As for Drew, there's no way he could possibly be worse in 2015 than he was last year. After missing the entirety of spring training in 2014 due to a lack of contract offers, the key to his improvement might be a full training camp.

Another reason for optimism here is that the three best hitters on the Yankees last year show no signs of slowing down heading into 2015. Chase HeadleyBrett Gardner, and Jacoby Ellsbury are all clearly still in their primes and are hitting the ball as well as they ever have. Barring injury, they should continue to anchor the Yankee offense and could even be due for a slight bump in production this summer. Lady Luck might just be on the Yankees' side again.

Yankees need to be prepared if the rotation falls apart

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After the rotation was decimated by injuries last year, the Yankees should be stockpiling starting pitchers just in case.

It's officially February, which means spring training games are just around the corner. A couple of weeks have passed since the Yankees did anything major in terms of improving the team, and while it seems like they might be done making moves, the rotation could still be strengthened.

The biggest area of concern at this point has to be the rotation. Maybe it's just me, but after last season, it feels like the team should be stockpiling starting pitchers. There are legitimate concerns about nearly everyone in the rotation. CC Sabathia is returning from a significant knee problem, and while offseason reports have said that his knee feels fine, we really won't know how it will hold up until he pitches in real games. Even if his knee is okay, he could be a black hole in the rotation. Likewise, all we can do is hope that Masahiro Tanaka's elbow holds up and he makes it through the season without needing Tommy John surgery. Then there's Michael Pineda, who hasn't made it through a complete season since being traded to the Yankees back in 2012. Realistically, all three of them could wind up on the disabled list. Sabathia could also pitch his way out of the rotation. Chris Capuano is in the mix, but he hasn't been a full-time starter in a few seasons.

The Yankees need to be prepared for the worst case scenario, and right now just they aren't. What if everything that could go wrong does go wrong? That is basically what happened last year, and they somehow managed to adequately fill in the gaps, but that was thanks to a lot of pitchers performing better than expected. If things go poorly, the 2015 rotation could be reduced to Nathan Eovaldi, Capuano, Bryan Mitchell, Esmil Rogers and Scott Baker (who they recently signed to a minor league deal). Adam Warren could be stretched out during spring training, but that would weaken the bullpen. Ivan Nova should return in May or June, but there's no way of telling how well he will pitch. They might have enough pitchers to fill out the rotation if they need to, but it wouldn't hurt to have more options.

There are still some free agent starting pitchers out there that the Yankees could sign. If they still wanted to make a splash, they could sign James Shields, but that seems improbable. Chad Billingsley might have had the highest potential among all the free agent pitchers recovering from injuries, but he signed a deal with the Phillies a few days ago. Brandon Beachy is available and could be low-risk, high-reward signing. Like Nova, he had Tommy John surgery last year, and is not expected to be ready when the season starts. (Beachy's agent said that he won't sign until closer to spring training, but the Yankees should still keep their eyes on him.) Paul Maholm is recovering from ACL surgery that shortened his 2014 season with the Dodgers, but his rehab is supposedly going well. Kyle Kendrick and Chris Young are some of the other free agents who are still available, though mediocre.

I wouldn't mind seeing the Yankees sign any of these players who are recovering from injury, or any of the others out there who they could sign to a cheap deal, on the off-chance that they just might be able to pitch well. If not, they could release them. It's better to have too many pitchers (and the ability to pick and choose among them) than not enough.

The Yankees are finally prioritizing command for starting pitchers

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After several failures, it looks like the Yankees have found a winning formula for putting a starting rotation together.

Since the turn of the century, the Yankees have been all too familiar with pitching acquisitions who did not pan out. Between Kevin Brown, Jaret Wright, Javier Vazquez, Carl Pavano, Jeff Weaver, Randy Johnson, Esteban Loaiza, A.J. Burnett, Vazquez again, and Sidney Ponson twice, a lot of bad memories come back to mind. But out of the pitchers who have succeeded in pinstripes, one thing has remained relatively constant (Tanaka's Japan stats are from Baseball-Reference, everything else is from Fangraphs):

PlayerYear Before NYYTeam Before NYYK/BB Before NYYERA- w/ NYYFIP- w/ NYY
Mike Mussina2000BAL4.578780
Jon Lieber2002CHC7.259584
CC Sabathia2008CLE/MIL4.258582
Michael Pineda2011SEA3.154870
Masahiro Tanaka2013Japan5.727178
Hiroki Kuroda2011LAD3.298490
Brandon McCarthy2014 (Partial)ARI4.657483


To explain the significance of this trend, some historical context is needed. During the early/mid 2000s, the cause of the Yankees' rotational woes was believed to be the newer pitchers' lack of mental toughness. The correlation was definitely there. Anyone who has read The Yankee Years by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci knows how much of a role the former Yankees manager thinks mental toughness played during his career. He often cited Mike Mussina, David Cone, and Andy Pettitte as being unfazed regardless of the situation at hand. In comparison, Carl Pavano allegedly did not have any drive, Randy Johnson was supposedly consumed by the notion that he was tipping his pitches, and Kevin Brown was apparently a complete mess.

But then came the trio of pitchers deemed to be the future of the Yankees: Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy. Yankee fans had just seen groundball machine Chien-Ming Wang serve as the team's ace, then proceeded to watch Hughes's high flyball rate lead to an ugly tenure in pinstripes. This led many to believe that a high groundball rate virtually guaranteed success at Yankee Stadium. However, A.J. Burnett and Sidney Ponson would probably disagree (data from Fangraphs):

PlayerK/BB w/ NYYGB% w/ NYYHR/9 w/ NYYERA- w/ NYYFIP- w/ NYY
A.J. Burnett1.9945.6%1.25111107
Sidney Ponson1.2351.3%1.31151124


Even though both pitchers had solid groundball rates as Yankees, they actually ended up getting burned by home runs at a Hughes-like level. Obviously, walking a few batters here and there never really hurt anyone. But if a pitcher walks a lot of batters because pitches aimed at the corner of the strike zone become balls, there is also a good chance that he is missing towards the middle of the plate. Serving one down the middle is probably even worse for pitchers who rely on sinkers and two-seam fastballs, especially at Yankee Stadium. To further illustrate this point, look at the Zone Profile for Burnett on the 2011 Yankees (49.2 GB%, 5.15 ERA) vs. his 2012 data when he went to the Piratescourtesy of Brooks Baseball.



In 2011, hitters put up an insane .564 ISO against pitches down the middle. Moving to the wild expanses of PNC Park in 2012 probably helped him bring that number down to reasonable levels.

It is well-known that the key to pitching in Yankee Stadium is mitigating of "mistake" pitches. While pitching to groundball contact undeniable helps limit mistakes, location is as--if not more--important. With this in mind, it is clear that the wheels are in motion when it comes to putting together a command-oriented rotation for the future. Newcomer Nathan Eovaldi put up a career-best 3.30 K/BB ratio in 2014, which should be enough if he consistently hits the high 90s with his fastball. After all, there really is no such thing as a 99-mph "mistake" pitch. Domingo German, the other pitcher to come from the Marlins trade, put up a K/BB ratio of 4.52 last season. Given the Yankees' resources and greater emphasis on defense, it might not be long before the Yankees finally get over the starting pitching hump.


MondoLinks:18 days until pitchers report!

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The world now belongs to baseball. And a reminder to all of us, we fans are a superstitious lot, but for valid reasons. Use your powers for good. Because with great power, comes great responsibility.

Weekend-recap_medium

Coaches exist to make the decisions, often times they are hard decisions that need to be made in tough times. The world rarely remembers any of the millions of decisions made in unimportant times, especially all those decisions that go right. Those are mechanical. Those are inevitable. Those are credited to the players.

But when a coach makes a decision that goes horribly wrong, and those only come at inopportune moments, the world never forgets. Never. It's why August 1st is no longer on our calendar. It's why Kole Calhoun will never attempt to bunt again. It's why Grady Little will never shed his relationship with an exhausted Pedro Martinez. And it's why Pete Carroll will never again take the ball out of the hands of one of the best running backs in all of football with only inches needed to win a championship. Because, after all, he's made that kind of mistake twice now.

But if you are an anti-Patriots person, as I know 99.999% of you all are, don't curse Carroll. Don't curse Darrell Bevell. Stand down, for they are innocent. It was fate. Kismet. Inevitability. Certitude. It was a cinch. It was me. Me and my own ritual. And one can of beer. See my essay below for an explanation.

P.S. - Was it just me, or did any of you feel like somebody sent out a message to advertisers to get together and create a plethora of feel-good-for-family, feel-good-for-dads, commercials? Also, I don't know a thing about Katy Perry, but that half time show sure beat the hell out of marching bands lining up like UFOs while trying to poof out Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra.

(OT: File this under, "We predict that this is going to be the worst ever", thus "Forget what you think you saw, this wasn't exciting because we told you it wasn't going to be.")

_____________

Elsewhere in the Heavens of Anaheim: So the big news since Friday is a one year agreement between the Halos and the rapidly returning Garrett Richards$3.2 million for 2015. It's an interesting figure, is it not? From one perspective it's a hell of a lot of money for 20 - 30 days of work. From another perspective it's a great bargain for the yield, in the context of player pay throughout baseball. And from a third perspective it's an important tracking figure due to the leveraging impact, or lack of any, it will have on future contract bumps...............By the way, this leaves Matt Joyce as the final arb holdover............Rocky Bridges, one of the original MLB Angels and a coach over a couple of spells in the 60's, passed away over the weekend. I do recall him, but my memory fogs and I don't recall him distinctly.This appears to be a significant loss on my part, as some research will pull up more than a few gems. He was 87...........Roberto Baldoquin will not be invited to Spring Training. Shouldn't that bolster the perspective of the LAA farm system just a little bit?............By the way, the list of invitees is here.

Around Baseball: Here you go: how to mow your lawn in style, from the pros..............Zack Grienke is turning into a risky business associate, is he not?..............Baseball is heating up in Baltimore..........Ok, so about that rule change idea from Theo Epstein I posted on Friday, forcing teams to keep a reliever in for TWO batters? Here is a variation on that theme brought back to life by Dave Cameron: limit teams to 4 total pitchers over the first 9 innings............I also made quick mention on Friday of Tom Brady's potential as an MLB player. Well, apparently so was Russell Wilson. "Average" speed? "Average" arm? Hits the wrong target? Sounds like another Jeff Mathis to me. Follow along this Spring as he dons a uni with the Rangers..........The Yankees are going pretty far to turn the screws on Alex Rodriguezeven to the point of walking away from their contractual bonus obligations. But we know how fickle fans and franchises can be. What will be their tune if a pennant race heats up and ARod carries the Yanks on his back into the post-season? Hmmm???..........Here is your 2015 Opening Day logo.

_____________________

One-big-idea_medium

An Essay on the Ritual of a Fan

We sports fans have a fatal flaw. A scheme that mocks us, and allows others to make mockery of us. It is a conceit, a vanity, a foolish faith of childish origin that strips us of dignity and our hard-earned regard as an intelligent and rational follower of our pastime, and belies any trust we have in our chosen heroes.

It is, in word, superstition. And I suffer under it as significantly as any. As much as any of you, and as much as any you might now or ever know. It is, in practice, another thing. A very real thing. Something that defies logic and understanding, requiring an odd feedback loop that warps through time to render a prophecy made by one's self, fulfilled by the very same personage. I raise this today in recognition of this phenomenon. It will happen often in the season to come, and in the many to come beyond this. Not just by me, but by many...maybe even many of you. And the only foolish thing is that which others do in an effort to deny the odd way our world works as a sports fan.

Last night, by fair example, I rolled through an hour of life as a fan in hope that my superstition of choice would carry the day. It did, thus reinforcing (to me) that real thing. That very real thing.

As you can read for yourself in my profile, I am a fan of the New England Patriots. Dismaying, I do know. It's difficult to be a Patriots fan, mostly because the Patriots have these things called fans. Insufferable, arrogant, churlish and hostile. They are full of a sense of entitlement fabricated out of the whole cloth of (nonsensically) being owed some special things after so much misery. And yet, at the same time full of that other sense of entitlement that comes from inordinate success. I hate them, too. But I make no apologies for myself. I was a fan before most of them and I am not about to let them take that from me. (Yes, I did suffer years of angst, and will again someday, but I don't feel that grants me any special obligation from anyone or anything.) Thank God I live so far away.

Anyway, by now you know that last night worked out pretty well for me. But here is the thing; when it was not, when my team was down by 10 points late, I did that very real thing. In my beer fridge remained a single, last, Christmas gift of a can of Heady Topper. A classic New England brew of global renown, discussed here on HH as recently as this past Friday. Think about this: from New England...greatness...contained...brought to me and placed into my hands as a special gift. How could this be any form of accident at this time of need? I deemed that this would be my totem, surely a lucky ale that required attention from me in order for fortune to turn. To the fridge I went, and popping the top of this final can the gasses of providence escaped and sent forth their power to change the history now at my doorstep.

Like any faithful fan immersed by tension into the warming bath of superstition, I began to sip. And observe. And fortunes turned immediately. That these same fortunes has been swinging back and forth, and forth and back, of their own volition for hours now, and that the swing was set to run its course in my direction anyway, mattered not then, nor matter now. But, as a fan, don't we all raise the question at this timing, and don't we all throw ourselves onto the side of the river that is known as Cause, ignoring that foreign shore peopled by more rational citizens who call that place Coincidence? Surely we do. Surely we must.

Another sip.

More success.

The tide had turned and remained with me all the way though the slowly emptying can.

Then, in a mad rush to the end, too fast to ward off by parrying with my beverage, fate chose to rise up and twist the blade as it had in other, recent, finales. One last taunt to remind me of the ultimate mortality of my fandom's hope. Another lucky this by my foe, another miracle that, and how rapidly then a mere 18 inches stood between me and yet another shocking thrust of everlasting pain. One more prick of the Needle of Ignominy to be born to the ending of my days.

But left in my can was yet three good sips of Heady. I still had the power. Down one.

A brilliant response! A pass?? A boneheaded decision that could only be made one out of a hundred chances, resulting in an outcome that only occurs once in a hundred tries! An interception??? Huzzah!!

After shouts and leaps and grappling and shaking of my opponent fans, and after the breathless dancing and prancing, a turn back to the event itself revealed that the woods were not clear. There was still a way to find tragedy. The risk remained (kneel down - touchback - punt - pass completion - field goal - LOSE!). But I still had power. Down two.

Again! An even more amazing response!! Infraction into the neutral zone?? Who does that, then? There? But let's not ask "why?", for we know the "why"!

A kneel down. A clock expired. A celebration. And one final sip of power left for the toast. Down three.

So it is. A belief in the fantasy that one nameless minor person sitting hundreds of miles away doing something as inane as drinking a beer should have the potency to alter the future and bend events into outcomes most favorable to that one person's personal fancy. And, as that person goes through ritual, that which happens, happens. Thus, for that person, it becomes that real thing. For now and ever more, it becomes that very real thing.

It's what we do, we fans.

Around the Empire: New York Yankees News 2/2/15

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A-Rod, international scouting, WAR and Super Bowl picks!

SB Nation | Grant Brisbee: Brisbee sees in Alex Rodriguez a more nuanced anti-hero than sports may have produced in a long time, if ever. It may not make A-Rod easier to root for, but it's part of what makes him so fascinating to watch.

Fangraphs | Miles Wray: It may not surprise you to learn that the Yankees are not standing head and shoulders above the league in production from international players. Hopefully by the time someone performs this exercise in 2025, we'll be talking about the way the 2014 signing period transformed the Yankees. Tip of the cap to the Dodgers and Braves for winning this field.

Beyond the Box Score | Bryan Grosnick: Grosnick has been engaged in a project to evaluate the various versions of WAR for each player into a single average. While you can be disappointed that no Yankees make the top 15, you can be relieved to learn that no Yankees made the bottom 15 either.

NBC Sports | Bill Baer: In a stunning turn of events that surprises no one, former-Yankee Robinson Cano picks the Seattle Seahawks to win the Super Bowl, while David Ortiz picks the Patriots. Since I'm writing this before kick-off, you'll have to insert your own Super Bowl themed quip in the comments.

The biggest Yankees prospect flops: Ricky Ledee

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According to KATOH -- my system for forecasting prospects -- Ricky Ledee was supposed to be a pretty good player. Unfortunately, he spent most of his career toiling as a replacement-level outfielder. What went wrong?

Shortly before the new year, I wrote a piece for the Hardball Times chronicling KATOH -- a methodology I developed to project prospects' big league performance. I won't get into the nitty-gritty, technical details here -- feel free to check out my original piece if you're interested. Basically, KATOH looks at a hitter's age and league-adjusted minor league stats and estimates the probability that a player will reach certain WAR thresholds. These probabilities can then be used to estimate how many fWAR he's likely to accumulate through age 28.

Last week, I took a look at erstwhile Yankees prospect Nick Johnson, who was projected for 20.7 WAR through age 28 by KATOH, but only ended up with 12.6. His deficit of 8.1 WAR was the largest of any Yankees hitting prospect on record. Today, I'll take a look back at Ricky Ledee, who was second on the list with a deficit of 7.9 (7.9 projected, 0.0 actual). In fact, Ledee technically edges out Johnson if you consider that Ledee actually earned negative WAR through his 28th birthday.

The Yankees drafted Ledee as a 16-year-old out of Puerto Rico in the 16th round of the 1990 amateur draft. Ledee spent his early days in the minors as a wiry singles hitter, but started to hit for some pop in his age 19 and 20 seasons. The power continued to develop during Ledee's minor league days, culminating in a 29 home run season in 1996, his age 22 season. Ledee began that year in Double-A Norwich, but was promoted to Triple-A Columbus after slugging .365/.421/.635 in the season's first six weeks. Despite having all of 39 games above Low-A ball, Ledee continued to mash at the Triple-A level, belting 21 bombs on his way to a .282/.360/.553 batting line -- good for the 3rd highest OPS in the International League that year.

Things were looking up for Ledee. Despite being younger than most Triple-A players, he managed to perform better than league average in terms of hitting for power (.271 ISO), drawing walks (11%), and turning balls in play into hits (.328 BABIP). Ledee wasn't purely a slugger, either. He also possessed above-average speed -- he swiped eight bags that year -- and had an strong arm. KATOH was a fan, pegging him for nearly eight WAR through age 28. For reference, the four hitting prospects closest to that mark this year are Domingo Santana, Corey Seager, Giovanny Urshela, and Javier Baez. Two decent prospects and two excellent ones.

The Yankees really liked Ledee at this point, anticipating that he'd be a member of their outfield for years to come.  In fact, he was the sticking point in the trade negotiations for Hideki Irabu  in the spring of 1997, as the Yankees refused to include Ledee in their package for the Japanese hurler. Ledee returned to Triple-A Columbus for the 1997 season, primed to break onto the scene as soon as there was an opening in the lineup. Unfortunately, that day never came, as a couple of groin injuries limited him to just 43 games with the Clippers. Still, he hit an impressive .306/.385/.565 in limited action, which was enough to vault him to #46 on Baseball America's top 100 list.

Ledee finally got the call in June of 1998, replacing the injuerd Bernie Williams on the roster. Although the 24-year-old stuck with the team for most of the remainder of the year, Ledee played sparingly. Buried behind the likes of Williams, Paul O'Niell, Chad Curtis, Darryl Strawberry, Chili Davis, and Shane Spencer, most of Ledee's action came as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. Due to his limited playing time, Ledee maintained his rookie status for another year, and Baseball America's ranked him #70 on their annual list.

The Yankees finally gave Ledee a real opportunity in 1999, and he rewarded them by showing flashes of what made him such a highly-touted prospect. He spent most of the season at the big league level, and although he scarcely played against left-handed pitching, Ledee managed to log 208 plate appearances of solid hitting. By hitting nine homers and walking a healthy 10% of the time, Ledee posted a batting line of .276/.346/.476 -- good for a 106 wRC+, or 6% better than league average. Still just 25, it was starting to look like Ledee might actually live up to his prospect hype, even if a couple years later than expected.

But Ledee's 1999 wasn't all roses and sunshine. Many questioned Ledee's focus, and even Ledee himself publicly revealed that he strugled to bring his A-game day in and day out. Here's an excerpt from a New York Times article from Spring Training of 2000:

I would like to do this every day, just go hard no matter what, and have that positive attitude every day,'' Ledee said. ''Sometimes you have lazy days. You're going slow. Instead of getting going like everybody else does.

Granted that's just one quote, but that's certainly not the kind of attitude you like to see from any player, let alone one as young and promising as Ledee. Ledee got off to something of a slow start in 2000, hitting .241/.332/.419 in 62 games, but his struggles appeared to be driven by bad luck than anything. His strikeout and walk numbers both improved from his 1999 campaign, but his overall line was held back by a .265 BABIP. In any event, Ledee was dealt to the Indians in late June as part of the package that brought back David Justice.

Ledee spent one forgettable month in Cleveland before finishing out the year with the Texas Rangers, where he hit a miserable .235/.317/.347. Ledee stayed with Texas through the 2001 season, but continued to scuffle, managing just a .231/.303/.351 batting line in 58 games. Ledee rediscovered his power stroke as a 28-year-old in Philadelphia the following year, but saw his overall batting line get bogged down by yet another batting average in the .230 range. A 105 wRC+ coming from a corner outfielder just isn't that valuable, especially given Ledee's poor defensive metrics.

Ledee would bounce around for another five years, but his performance was more of the same: Low average, decent power, a few walks, and poor defense. All told, through age 28, Ledee accumulated all of -0.4 WAR, or roughly half a win below replacement. This was weighed down a bit by a couple of really bad seasons -- he was "worth" -1.6 WAR from 2000 to 2001 -- but there's no denying that Ledee was a massive disappointment. Even at his best, he was nothing more than a platoon outfielder due to his poor defense and inability to get on base.

Its hard to pinpoint exactly what went wrong with Ledee. Maybe all of the missed development time from 1997-1999 stunted his development -- he did miss out on a lot of at bats due to injury and riding the bench. Perhaps the make-up issues were really as bad as the media made them out to be, and he lacked the #want necessary to fulfill his potential. Whatever the case, Ledee's career accomplishments fell well short of the expectations laid out for him in the mid-to-late 1990's. But hey, at least he gave us a couple of timely playoff hits.

Yankees extension candidates for 2015 and beyond

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For years we had heard that the Yankees don't do extensions. They will sign free agents to large deals, but not their own players to new contracts before their old ones run out. It was an odd policy that likely cost them Robinson Cano, but they since broke down the doors to the contract extension when they signed Brett Gardner to a four-year, $52 million contract to begin in 2015 and suddenly everything was different. Unfortunately, they also decided not to extend David Robertson and it meant he would leave in free agency at the end of the season. Now a new crop of young talent is coming in and it's time to consider which of them the Yankees should sign to affordable contracts before they hit free agency.

After what they saw from Michael Pineda when he returned from injury, the Yankees need to start considering an extension for the 26-year-old. He's under team control for another three seasons, not scheduled to hit free agency until after the 2017 season. Since the shoulder injury will keep his arbitration earnings down and be a red flag for any longterm deal, I think it makes a lot of sense for both sides. New York will have a young frontline starter under a team-friendly deal and Pineda would have security in case his shoulder doesn't hold up for the length of his career.

Along with Pineda, the Yankees should also consider an extension for newest Yankee starter Nathan Eovaldi. Obviously, it's way too early to give him one now, but the organization believes that they can harness his abilities and turn him into an effective mid-rotation arm. Maybe he doesn't end up at the top of the rotation, but if he can throw 100 mph and be effective, he's worth keeping around, especially if it's lower than market value. We'll have to see how Eovaldi does in his first season in the Bronx before seriously considering some kind of deal, but 2015 is the first step.

A few other Yankees might not need to be locked up any time soon, but it's worth starting to consider such a longterm arrangement, just in case. Right now there's no reason to worry about losing either Didi Gregorius or Dellin Betances, mainly because they are both under team control until 2020 and make the league minimum in 2015, but there are other concerns as well.

It's entirely possible that Gregorius never turns into a full-time, starting shortstop. While his bat as a whole is questionable, it has yet to be seen whether or not he can hit left-handed pitching at all. If he can't and his production doesn't improve at the plate like the Yankees hope it will, then there's no reason keeping him around on a more expensive deal if he's just going to be a glorified utility player. We will have a few years still before we need to worry about whether or not Didi is worth keeping at under-market value.

When it comes to Dellin Betances, the Yankees need to be patient. He had such a good season that it's highly likely 2015 will be a disappointment by comparison, however, it all comes down to how big of a let down it will be. Betances was one of the most valuable relievers in baseball thanks to his abilities, but it was his league-minimum salary that made him worth so much to the team. There's no rush to have the Yankees pay more for a reliever if they don't have to, so he has another few years before he's arbitration eligible for the first time in 2017. At that point, if he's still who he is now, it could be a good idea to sign him to an extension so they don't have to pay top dollar for their closer. Unless, of course, they have another rookie waiting in the wings by then.

I would have identified Ivan Nova as an extension candidate this offseason if it wasn't for the fact that he's a complete unknown right now as he makes his way back from Tommy John surgery. We need to see if he's even the same pitcher he was before, and whether that's the league-leader-in-hits Nova or the second-half-of-2013 Nova. With two years of control left, we're running out of time to find out, so a successful 2015 season, and I mean unexpectedly better than we all hoped for, could make him an extension candidate next offseason. It's possible that the cautious Yankees might still not consider that enough time to make a longterm commitment, but we just have to see.

If the Yankees are no longer interested in signing players like Jon Lester and Max Scherzer to big contracts, then they're going to have to start retaining their own players and this is how to do that.

Looking back at the worst managerial decisions in Yankees history (Part I)

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In wake of one of the most disastrous coaching moves ever made, which playoff mistakes hurt these Yankee skippers the most?

Last night's Super Bowl between the Seahawks and Patriots was the most-watched game in the history of football, and fans were treated to Seattle coach Pete Carroll utterly blowing the game in the final moments.

For those who missed it or somehow haven't heart about what happened yet, the Seahawks trailed by four with just under a minute to play in the game, but they were right on the precipice of scoring the game-winning touchdown. They were one mere yard away from the end zone and a 30-28 lead that would all but secure the champagne celebration. With one of the best running backs in football, Marshawn Lynch, Carroll elected instead to have Russell Wilson throw a bizarre slant pass up the middle. Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted it, and the Seahawks' dream of a repeat vanished into the Arizona night. Carroll's decision was instantly reviled and regarded as possibly the worst play call in NFL history. It was so bad that conspiracy theorists might even argue that Carroll's call was an inside job. Way to go, not-Patriots.

Many baseball fans who watched the game instantly tried to come up with similar poor decisions by managers and coaches throughout history. Some were spot-on, like comparing it to Red Sox manager Grady Little leaving a weary Pedro Martinez in the game during Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, only to watch the move blow up in his face when Pedro gave up the lead in memorable fashion. Others comparing it Royals third base coach Mike Jirschele's decision not to send Alex Gordon home with one out to go in the season weren't as convincing. My personal favorite was Greg's hypothetical:

Spot on.

The Yankees have been more successful than any team in major league history, but that doesn't mean that they have always made great decisions. Carroll's blunder brought to mind several managerial miscues that Yankees fans have seen over the years. It's difficult to suggest that they were possibly worse than Carroll's call because they weren't in nearly as much of a pivotal "score-or-lose" scenario. Nonetheless, they definitely brought Yankees fans' blood to a boil, and in some cases, led a manager's dismissal à la Grady Little.

I'm certain that Hall of Fame Yankee skippers Miller Huggins and Joe McCarthy made some crucial errors in judgment during some of the many World Series games that they managed. However, none were so dramatic that they were well-publicized, universally hated, or anything like that. (It helps that McCarthy amazingly only lost one World Series out of the eight that he managed with the Yankees.) Plenty of the moves that are easy to criticize today--leaving a starter in too long, calling a bunt in a puzzling situation, etc.--would not be as applicable back then. For instance, Red Ruffing blew Game 5 of the 1942 World Series in the top of the ninth inning when third baseman Whitey Kuowski crushed a two-run homer that broke the tie and put the Cardinals three outs from the World Series crown. Would a reliever have helped? Probably, but going to the bullpen wasn't nearly as common back then.

Thus, Huggins and McCarthy are not going to be in this post. Neither are Ralph Houk or Dick Howser, who didn't really make many obvious mistakes in the playoff series they each lost. However, one Hall of Fame manager will kick it off:

Casey Stengel - 1960

No Whitey Ford in the World Series opener

There's no denying that the "Ol' Perfesser" was one of the sharpest minds to every manage the game of baseball. Even the smartest people can make colossal mistakes though, and that's exactly what Stengel did at the outset of what would be the final World Series of his long career. Having turned 70 that year and in wake of a disappointing 79-75 third-place finish in '59, there were rumors throughout the season that owners Del Webb and Dan Topping were tired of Stengel and wanted him gone. The Yankees kept their skipper at the helm with a terrific season though, finishing 40 games over .500 and easily winning the American League pennant.

They would face the NL champion Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series, but the first decision Stengel made of the series turned out to be the worst. In Game 1 at Forbes Field, Stengel elected to turn to not Hall of Famer Whitey Ford, but righty Art Ditmar. Ford was furious. Peripherally, they had similar statistics during the season, but no one was confusing Ditmar for the Yankees' ace. Ditmar didn't even survive the first inning, and the Yankees lost the opener, 6-4.

The Yankees recovered to blow out the Bucs 16-3 in Game 2, though Ford continue to be wasted on the bench. At least, Ford pitched Game 3 at Yankee Stadium, and the Yankees won, 10-0. Pittsburgh won Game 4 to tie up the series and Ditmar again faced them in Game 5. This time he did better! He only got knocked out in the second inning. The Yankees lost, but Ford sent the series to a Game 7 with another shutout. Unfortunately, without Ford for Game 7, the Yankees fell to the Pirates in crushing fashion on Bill Mazeroski's walk-off home run.

Had Stengel used Ford in a slightly different manner, perhaps Ford could have started the finale, or at least pitched a little bit in relief. After all, Ralph Terry was the pitcher who gave up Mazeroski's homer, and he was available because he started Game 4. If Ford pitched the opener, then he could have conceivably started a maximum of three games in the series, not two. The loss was the last straw for Topping and Webb, who fired Stengel shortly after the series.

Yogi Berra - 1964

No lefty specialist for McCarver

McCarver 64

When longtime catcher Yogi Berra finally got a chance to manage the Yankees in 1964, he won the AL pennant in his first year on the job. Part of that success was the result of an already-talented club and there was certainly some turmoil throughout the season as reporters questioned Yogi's ability to discipline his players, many of whom were previously just friends and teammates. Nonetheless, Yogi certainly deserved some credit for his work.

The Yankees met the upstart Cardinals in the 1964 World Series, and the teams split the first four games. In Game 5 at Yankee Stadium, Tom Tresh stunned Cardinals ace Bob Gibson with a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth down to the Yankees' last out. The game was tied and went into extra innings. Rookie reliever Pete Mikkelsen started the tenth in his third inning of work. He immediately ran into trouble by walking Bill White and allowing a bunt single to Ken Boyer. Mikkelsen induced a force-out from Dick Groat, but that brought young catcher Tim McCarver up to the plate.

The 22-year-old had hit .288/.343/.400 as the Cardinals' catcher, and as a lefty in Yankee Stadium, there was certainly potential for some pop. In the bullpen, Yogi had lefty specialist Steve Hamilton rested and available. Nonetheless, he elected to stick with the weary righty Mikkelsen. One catcher brought pain to another as McCarver crushed a three-run homer into the short porch, giving the Cardinals a 5-2 lead. St. Louis went on to win the game and the series in seven games, and Yogi would not manage the Yankees again for 20 years.

Billy Martin - 1976

Catfish forever

For as much as Billy Martin is associated with the Yankees, it's interesting to note that he only managed the team in two World Series. They won the second one in '77, but the first voyage was a disaster, as the famed "Big Red Machine" swept the Yankees away in '76 following the euphoria of Chris Chambliss's pennant-winning homer. In some ways, the Yankees probably never really had a chance against such a ridiculously dominant team. They didn't make it any easier for themselves though.

The Reds won the opener at Riverfront Stadium on the strength of a 5-1 victory. They were helped by the fact that Yankees ace Catfish Hunter was unavailable to start Game 1 due to a sore arm. With Martin as his manager during his first two years in New York, he pitched a ridiculous amount of innings, as Martin had complete trust in him and was always quite hesitant to go to the bullpen. As a result, Catfish pitched an unfathomable 626 2/3 innings and 51 complete games in 75 starts for the Yankees in '75 and '76. So it should hardly be a surprise that Hunter's arm was starting to get sore; injuries would later end his career early at age 33.

Hunter got the start in Game 2. While he gave up three early runs, the Yankees' offense supported their ace and gradually chipped away, tying it up in the seventh against the Reds' bullpen. The score remained deadlocked as the game continued into the bottom of the ninth. Unsurprisingly, Hunter was still on the mound. He got two fly balls, but Ken Griffey reached on an error by shortstop Fred Stanley that allowed the elder Griffey to reach second.

Martin had the choice of pitching to either Hall of Famer Joe Morgan or Hall of Famer Tony Perez. It wasn't ideal, but Martin chose Perez. Hunter, of course, remained in the game, even though the Yankees' bullpen had dangerous arms like Sparky Lyle, Dick Tidrow, and Grant Jackson potentially available. Martin's trust in Hunter was ironclad though, and he got burned. On Hunter's 135th pitch, Perez scalded the walk-off single to left, and the Reds took a 2-0 lead in the series. That was all she wrote for the Yankees, who never again got that close to winning a game in '76.

Bob Lemon - 1981

Tommy John and the early hook

A midseason replacement in the dugout for the second time in his Yankees career, Lemon took over the Yankees from Gene Michael not long after the second half of the '81 season resumed following the players' strike. George Steinbrenner sought to recapture the magic of '78, but it was not meant to be. The Yankees did win the pennant, taking down the Brewers in the first Division Series and sweeping old friend Billy Martin's Athletics in the ALCS.

In the Fall Classic against the Dodgers, the Yankees took an early 2-0 series lead, winning both games at Yankee Stadium. The next four games did not go nearly as well, and Lemon played a pivotal role in two of the losses. With runners in scoring position and the game tied in the seventh inning of Game 4, Lemon decided to bring starter Tommy John out of the bullpen rather than relief ace Goose Gossage. Against the easier-to-hit John, the Dodgers, Steve Yeager brought the go-ahead run in with a sacrifice fly, and a couple innings later, L.A. tied the series at two games apiece. Could Yeager have made contact against the flamethrowing Goose? We'll never know.

An even more questionable decision was made by Lemon back at Yankee Stadium for Game 6. The Dodgers now held a 3-2 series lead and had the Yankees on the brink of elimination. The game was tied at 1-1 with two outs in the bottom of the fourth and Graig Nettles on second following a dobule. Back in '81, the rules dictated that the DH was only used in the World Series in alternate years, so pitchers unfortunately had to bat at Yankee Stadium during this year. Tommy Lasorda had Burt Hooton walk Larry Milbourne to bring John up, a move that would most likely end the inning.

Even though it was early, Lemon decided he had to try to get the lead, and he removed the flabbergasted John from the game for pinch-hitter Bobby Murcer. The move did not pay off, as the veteran flew out to end the inning, and the Yankees were forced to rely on the bullpen for the rest of the game. It didn't work, as they gave up seven runs in the next two innings, and the Yankees lost the World Series. Lemon survived only 14 games into the '82 season before he was fired.

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That's enough managerial failures for one day. Check back tomorrow to see what Buck Showalter, Joe Torre, and Joe Girardi's darkest playoff moments were. It will be a delight.

What Yankees' moment do you want to relive?

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If you could go back and relive one moment from Yankees' history, what would it be?

No matter what that groundhog said this morning, winter will be over soon. Well maybe not weather-wise, but spring training will be here soon, and that's enough of a reason for me to call it spring. But while it's still winter, lets re-live some more happy Yankees' moments. Yes, that sounds good.

Q: February 2nd is Groundhog Day. In the movie of the same name, Bill Murray's character gets stuck reliving the same day over and over again. If you could relive one moment in Yankees' history over again, what would it be?

Chris

Aaron Boone's walkoff in game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. If tomorrow -- and every proceeding day -- were October 16, 2003, I'd be ok with that.

Martin

I think i'd choose Aaron Boone, 2003. I'll set the scene a bit. I was at Boston College watching the game surrounded by Red Sox fans in my dorm room. They were chirping the entire game, and slowly quieted as the Yankees started coming back. When Boone came in late in the game, I turned to my buddy, Tony - the only other Yankees fan in the room - and jokingly said "Watch. Boone's gonna win this game for us." A few innings later, he did. as soon as he hit the ball, Tony and I jumped up and ran down the hallway of my 6six-man suite and into the storage closet screaming, as the sad Red Sox fans slumped in their seats and slinked sadly back to their rooms. I know the Yankees didn't win that World Series, but that memory, because of the environment I was in, was the best for me.

John

I'm going with Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. Because, like Bill Murray, I'm not going to be content to just live the same day over and over again, I'm going to find a way to make it better.
I'll figure out how to get into the Yankee clubhouse, and I'll give the team advice until I figure out how to change the outcome of the game. Maybe a different approach gets the Yankees their first hit before the 7th inning. Maybe Jorge or Spencer can drive in Bernie from second. Maybe Mo takes the sure out at first instead of trying to turn two and throwing the ball into center field, and that changes the entire inning. Maybe Brosius makes the throw across the diamond. Maybe Soriano wins the MVP and Moose gets a ring and New York City gets a parade.
Maybe I could never find the right combination of little triggers to change the outcome at all. But I'd like the chance to try.

Vince

I'm going to cheat a bit here and pick a full game rather than a single moment. It was July 1 of 2004, a few months before the second of back-to-back New York/Boston American League Championship Series (speaking of which, can we select a Yankees memory we'd most like to perform an Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind procedure on?).

As most of us remember, every meeting between the two teams was an emotionally exhaustive knock-down-drag-out fight (sometimes literally). The late Brad Halsey was taking the hill at home against Pedro in only the third start of his career, and he stunned everyone by matching Martinez pitch-for-pitch into the sixth. The moment that we all remember from the game happened in the top of the 12th, when Jeter chased down a Trot Nixon pop-up and launched himself face-first over the camera pit and into the stands, only to emerge with a battered and bloodied face.

Jeter exited the game, A-Rod took over at short, and Gary Sheffield shifted to third base because this game wasn't crazy or bizarre enough already. Manny goes yard to put Boston up one, and we went to the bottom of the thirteenth with the bottom half of the order due up. The day was saved for the Yanks, though, after a two-out rally consisting of a Ruben Sierra single, Miguel Cairo RBI double, and a John Flaherty pinch-hit walk-off single.

It only counted for one in the win column, but the contributions by the Yankees' core guys (Posada's homer, Jeter's catch, Rivera's two scoreless innings) combined with the heroics by some unexpected players made this whole game the quintessential Yankees' moment that I'd love to relive over and over.

Jim

Charlie Hayes making the last out of the 1996 World Series. It was the final stamp on the Yankees return to prominence and a harbinger of great things to come.

Nikhil

I would have to say April 21, 2012. The Yankees were down 9-0 at Fenway Park and put up 15 unanswered against the Red Sox bullpen. It was also a great day because there were major contributions from Nick Swisher and Russell Martin, two guys I'd definitely love to have as productive Yankees again. Hopefully, Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann can remember who they are and take their places like they were supposed to in 2015.

Andrew

Of any moment in Yankees history, the pennant-winning homer by Chris Chambliss in 1976. That was just a crazy scene with the fans storming the field and it'd be a lot of fun to witness it. Of the moments I actually experienced, I'll say the weak grounder hit by Shane Victorino to Robbie that ended the 2009 World Series. Simple moment, but awesome.

Greg

Probably the 1996 World Series victory. It was my first time seeing a World Series Championship, and you never forget your first time.

Tanya

The 2009 World Series Game 6 would probably be my pick, just because I was finally old enough to really appreciate how awesome winning the World Series felt and it was a lot more special than thinking it just happened all the time like I did when I was growing up watching the dynasty play out. My Tar Heels also won it all in 2009, so it capped off a fantastic sports year for me.

Matt F.

I would love to go back to Game 5 of the 2000 World Series and relive Luis Sojo's thousand hopper to give the Yankees the lead for good. For one, I think that's an underrated hit in Yankees' lore. Yes, it wasn't the prettiest and there was an error made on the throw home. But still, it was a go ahead hit to clinch the World Series against the Mets. Also, at that time, I would've been an annoying nine-year old. While I certainly know better now than to expect a World Series win every year, nine-year old me kind of did. I'm not really old enough to remember any baseball past 1996, so all I knew was success and happiness. I would love to go back and relive that hit with the outlook on baseball I have now. It was the weirdest hit by the randomest player and I want to watch it again with the happiness and excitement it deserves.

Now that you've seen our answers, add your own. What game or moment would you like to relive in all its glory?

Andruw Jones would like to return to MLB, but does he have anything left?

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Jones hasn't been on an MLB roster since 2012 and struggled to be a productive player then.

Former Atlanta Braves center fielder Andruw Jones is hoping to return to Major League Baseball next season, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.

The 37-year-old Jones spent the last two seasons playing in Japan, but wants to return to the U.S., where he made five All-Star teams and won 10 Gold Glove awards over 17 seasons.

That Jones is a decade removed from his prime is the biggest hindrance here. Indeed, Jones spent his last two seasons in MLB with the Yankees in 2011 and 2012, serving as a platoon bat and left fielder. He mustered just a .197/.294/.408 batting line in 94 games in 2012, showcasing some lingering power but also struggling to make consistent contact.

That player was a shell of the Andruw Jones who once hit 51 home runs (51!) in 2005 and is arguably the best defensive center fielder of his generation. But after leaving Atlanta in 2007, where he was an indispensable player for years, Jones' career unraveled quickly. He spent one disastrous season with the Dodgers before bouncing onto the Rangers and White Sox and ultimately the Yankees, who squeezed some value out of him as a platoon option against lefties before his performance deteriorated again in 2012.

Two more years of aging won't help Jones any against major league pitching, no matter what his agent, Scott Boras, claims.

"He wants to play in the big leagues again," Boras told Crasnick. "He's still got his power. If you can hit 25 home runs in Japan, you're doing something."

Even for Boras that's wishful thinking, especially considering Jones has batted just .232 the past two seasons with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles despite hitting 50 homers in 281 games. He also played mainly at first base in Japan, starting only one game in the outfield.

Given all this, Jones will certainly have to settle for a minor league deal and hope to earn a roster spot in spring training. At this point, there is little he can offer teams besides serving as a part-time OF/1B and bench bat.

While Jones and Boras would both love to think that the 17-year veteran can succeed in the majors again, all signs indicate otherwise. Just making a big league roster would be a feat in and of itself. Jones faring well against MLB pitching again would be an even bigger surprise.


Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 2/3/15

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ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand: Yoan Moncada might be the #1 pick in the amateur draft if he was eligible, and could become a Robinson Cano type hitter if he pans out. The Yankees have the ability to go all in if, as rumored, Moncada is able to sign soon.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: The Yankees movement toward youth is an ongoing process with names like John Ryan Murphy, Greg Bird, and Aaron Judge hopefully on the verge of stepping in when veteran contracts expire.

NJ.com | Charles Curtis:Derek Jeter will appear on Saturday Night Live's 40th anniversary episode along with Peyton Manning and other former guests.

It's About the Money | EJ Fagan: Scoring is down across MLB, but expanding the number of teams won't be the solution to the problem.

Taking a look at the 2015 Yankees ZiPS projections

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The last of the projections are in, so let's take a look at the results.

Projection season is just about over. Steamer released its projections and depth charts on Fangraphs a decent while ago, PECOTA released its projections last week, and now the final Yankees projections, ZiPS, are in. ZiPS, or sZymborski Projection System, was created by Dan Szymborski of ESPN and is widely considered as one of the best publicly available systems. According to the Hardball Times, it actually had the lowest mean absolute error of any system:

mle_zips

As far as the strengths and weaknesses of the system goes, ZiPS does best with veteran players and is generally the worst at identifying breakout stars. In terms of overall performance, ZiPS did the best last year. And when it comes to projecting an entire team, the best projection system by mean absolute error could in fact be the best at achieving that end. Anyway, here is what ZiPS has to say about the 2015 Yankees:

zips_yankees

Well then. It's not the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, but it's certainly not the ugliest. First, if we take a look at the position players, we'll notice that the best hitter on the team is projected to be Chase Headley at 111 OPS+, followed by Jacoby Ellsbury and Mark Teixeira a few points behind. Considering the offensive woes this team has had the past few years, it certainly isn't encouraging when not one single hitter is projected to hit above 115 OPS+. The contentious Alex Rodriguez is projected to hit 96 OPS+, which makes some sense, considering where the other projections have been.

In terms of overall projected WAR for position players, it's decent. Not good, not great, but also not horrendous. There are four players projected to have greater than or equal to 2.5 WAR, and ten are projected to put up 1.0 WAR. ZiPS is also much more optimistic about Didi Gregorius than both PECOTA and Steamer, and the team could also get as much as 2 WAR at second base between Stephen Drew and Rob Refsnyder.

For pitchers, ZiPS accurately shows the risk for so many of these starting pitchers. While Masahiro Tanaka's 3.4 WAR (113 ERA+) projection and James Shields comp is lovely, no other starting pitcher is projected to put up more than 1.5 WAR. The only other starting pitcher that is projected to have an ERA+ over 100 is Michael Pineda (108), but unfortunately ZiPS does not believe he'll remain healthy as he is projected to pitch just 80.2 innings.

The bullpen, unlike with the PECOTA projections, is projected to be quite good. ZiPS believes that Andrew Miller will put up a win and a 153 ERA+, and that Adam Warren, David Carpenter, and Chasen Shreve will all be above-average in their middle relief roles. The one interesting projection is Dellin Betances, whose 1.9 WAR and 165 ERA+ projection is pretty different from other projection systems. Sam Miller of Baseball Prospectus admitted that PECOTA (and I would say most projection systems) has difficulty dealing with role changes and poor performances in larger samples. Most systems are regressed over three or five-year samples, most heavily weighting the most recent year but considering the prior two or four. That is a problem for Betances, whose terrible starting pitching performances in the minors greatly skews a lot of his projections. Fortunately, ZiPS does not have this problem. When I asked Dan Szymborski why the projection looked reasonable, he said the following:

That's more like it!

It's pretty clear that ZiPS prefers the Yankees in a different way than PECOTA does. Both of them consider their position players to be about the same, but while PECOTA prefers their starting pitching, ZiPS prefers their relief pitching. For this I'll give the advantage to ZiPS, as more realistic relief projections combined with reasonable skepticism surrounding possible starting pitching injuries makes the most sense.

Either way, though, the Yankees look to be about an 81-84 win team no matter how you slice it. This club does have a bit more upside than it has in the past couple of years, but a lot has to go right for that upside to be achieved. If one wants to believe that the starting pitching will remain healthy (bold), then this is a team that will definitely hang around contention.

Games of Rays Past: 2011's Games 160 & 161

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The thrilling and dramatic games 160 and 161 of the 2011 regular season between the Rays and Yankees that were overshadowed by the pivotal Game 162.

On September 1st, 2011 the Boston Red Sox had a 9 game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East and the season was winding down.

Skip forward a few weeks to September 26th. The Rays were beginning a crucial home series against the New York Yankees. During the previous weeks, the Yankees had overtaken the Red Sox atop of the East and clinched the division title on the 21st. The Red Sox had only won 6 games during that span; meanwhile, the Rays had caught up to them and were only 1 game back for the AL wild card.

The Red Sox were beginning a 3-game series in Baltimore against the Orioles and the Rays were playing New York at Tropicana Field.

Game 160

Jennings Catch and Shields Dominance

(September 26th, 2011)

James Shields went to the mound for the Rays in the first game of this very important series. Shields was having a remarkable season, showing that 2010 was a down year and that he was worthy of Cy Young Award consideration. He was opposed by Hector Noesi, who was making a spot start for Joe Girardi's Yankees.

Innings 1-3:

Shields started out the game strong, striking out both Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson for the first 2 outs of the game. Then in stepped Robinson Cano, who had very good success off of Shields, batting around .380 off him in over 50 at-bats. With a 1-1 pitch, Cano destroyed a ball to straightaway center that hit off the facade of the Batter's Eye Restaurant for his 28th homer of the year, giving the Yankees an early 1-0 lead.

Shields got Alex Rodriguez to ground out to third for the final out of the inning, but the damage had been done.

In the bottom of the 1st, Desmond Jennings led off by not letting his bat leave his shoulder and watched 3 strikes go by for the 1st out of the inning. B.J. Upton he scorched 1-2 pitch for a line drive into right-center field. Curtis Granderson cut if off before it reached the warning track and got the ball in, but Upton slid in safe at 2nd with a double. Evan Longoria came to the plate with the chance to tie the game, and on the 2-0 pitch, Upton stole 3rd. Longoria walked on the next pitch, to bring up Ben Zobrist.

The count reached 3-2, when Zobrist ripped a groundball right to Jorge Posada at first, whose momentum carried him to the bag for the out. He then turn and fired to Russell Martin at home who scooped the low throw. Upton meanwhile took off for home, but didn't appeared to think that there'd be play. As he was nearing home, Martin received the throw and turned to tag Upton, who, instead of sliding, tried to place his foot on the plate. Martin tagged him as his foot simultaneously landed on home, he was called out by the home plate umpire for the final out of the inning.

The Yankees went down quietly in the 2nd, outside of a single by Martin that Reid Brignac made a tremendous diving stop on, but was late on the throw. In the bottom half, the Rays got a runner to 2nd with 1 out but failed to get a run across.

Brett Gardner led off the 3rd with a groundball up the middle for a leadoff single. Shields then walked Jeter on 4 pitches. Curtis Granderson flew out to left, so now James Shields' nemesis, Robinson Cano stepped up with runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. With a 2-1 pitch, Cano ripped a groundball through the right side of the infield. Gardner came around to score and Jeter advanced to 2nd, 2-0 Yankees.

Shields retired Alex Rodriguez on a popup that was an automatic out from the infield fly rule and a groundout to end the inning.

Reid Brignac led off the 3rd with a line drive though the right side for a single, followed by a Desmond Jennings walk after an eight pitch battle to bring B.J. Upton back up. With a 2-2 pitch, Upton chopped ball just out of the reach of Eric Chavez and up the left field line. Both runners came around to score and Upton went into 2nd with his second double to tie the game at 2-2.

Evan Longoria came up next and hit a hard line drive into left field for a base hit that advanced Upton to 3rd with 1 out. After Longoria's single, Noesi was replaced by Raul Valdez. The first batter to face Valdez would be Zobrist, who would strikeout. Johnny Damon came up to bat with runners on 1st and 3rd with 2 outs. On a 2-2 pitch, Damon hit a slow roller towards the right side, just out of the reach of a diving Cano and into right field to score Upton, also advancing Longoria to 3rd and gave the Rays a 3-2 lead. With the base hit, Damon tied Lou Gehrig on the all-time hits list with 2,721.

With Matt Joyce facing Valdez, Damon took off for 2nd. The 0-1 pitched bounced low and away, but Martin made a good pick and threw to 2nd. Damon stopped short of the base and headed back to first. Jeter received the throw and ran Damon back to first and tossed the ball to Posada, who tagged Damon out. Right after he applied the tag, Posada quickly got the ball and threw it home to nail Longoria at the plate for the final out of the inning.

Innings 4-6:

James Shields allowed a 2-out double to Eduardo Nunez in the 4th, but got out of thanks to a soft flare to short from Brett Gardner.

In the bottom half of the inning, Joyce hit a deep fly ball down the right filed line, but Nunez was able to track it down. Casey Kotchman then grounded to first to bring up Kelly Shoppach. The count reached 3-2, when Valdez hung a curveball that Shoppach crushed on a line into the left field seats for a solo home run, making it 4-2 Rays.

Valdez struck out Brignac to end the inning.

Derek Jeter led off the top of the 5th against Shields, and on a 0-1 pitch, he put the barrel of the bat on the ball and sent it to deep left center field. Desmond Jennings got a good jump, though, and ran full speed at it. At the last second, Jennings stretched out his glove and made a tremendous catch on the track, the momentum of the ball taking him down to the ground and rolling towards the wall.

Shields set down the next batters quickly and ended the inning having only thrown 7 pitches.

Phil Hughes replaced Valdez in the bottom of the 5th. After 2 solidly hit balls that Curtis Granderson was able to track down in center, Hughes walked back-to-back hitters. Johnny Damon stepped up to the plate, but his at-bat would be delayed due to Martin arguing with the homeplate umpire. The umpire ejected Martin, but Damon popped out to 2nd to end the inning.

Shields was able to erase a leadoff single from A-Rod on a double play and ended the inning with a comebacker to the mound.

Matt Joyce led off the bottom of the 6th by lacing a double off the left field wall, but he would be stranded there as Hughes and new Yankees' pitcher, George Kontos, was able to shut the Rays down. At the end of 6 innings, the score was 4-2, Rays.

Innings: 7-9

In the top of the 7th, Shields got the new Yankees catcher, Austin Romine to ground out for the 1st out of the inning. He then walked Nunez after a 7-pitch battle, only to promptly pick him off before the 1st pitch to the next batter.

Shields then retired Gardner on a flyball to end the top half of the 7th.

Desmond Jennings led off the bottom half with an infield popout, then Kontos proceeded to walk both Upton and Longoria. After that, Kontos was relieved by Luis Ayala, who also walked his first batter to load the bases with 1 out for Damon. On a 1-2 pitch, Damon lifted a ball to right field, that was plenty deep enough to score Upton from 3rd for the Rays' 5th run of the game, giving them a 3-run lead.

Ayala struck out Matt Joyce to end the inning.

Derek Jeter led off the 8th with a long fly ball to center that Upton was able to range back and make a nice over the shoulder catch on. Shields then ended the inning with a ground out followed by a strikeout.

Kotchman led off the bottom half of the inning with a single up the middle. Kelly Shoppach was up next, and on the 1st pitch appeared to have hit another HR, but it fell just short of the wall and was caught for the 1st out of the inning. The Rays would add another baserunner with a walk, but both would be stranded after a groundball from B.J. Upton.

Heading into the top of the 9th, the score is 5-2 Rays.

James Shields came out for the top of the 9th to go for his 12th complete game of the season. Alex Rodriguez led off and hit a hard grounder towards third base that Longoria tried to backhand, but failed to get it cleanly, having the ball bounce out of his glove for an error.

Shields was able to erase Rodriguez though, thanks to Jorge Posada's groundball that resulted in a double play.

Only 1 out away from the complete game, Shields walked Eric Chavez. After the walk, Joe Maddon came out of the dugout to a small chorus off boo's to remove Shields in favor of Kyle Farnsworth. Shields pitched a much needed dominant game and the crowd gave him an ovation as he left the field.

Shields Final Line:  8.2 IP / 6 Hits / 2 R / 2 ER / 3 BB / 4 K / 117 pitches (64 strikes/53 balls)

After Chavez moved to 2nd on defensive indifference, Farnsworth was able to get Jesus Montero to ground out to third the end the game and give the Rays a decisive victory over the Yankees. Shields was given his 16th win of the year and Farnsworth earned his 24th save.

A little while later, Boston lost to the Baltimore Orioles 6-3, meaning that the Rays and Red Sox were tied for the AL Wildcard with 2 games left in the regular season.

Full Game Below:

Game 161

Triple Play plus Joyce's Clutch HR

(September 27th, 2011)

The Rays controlled their destiny with that win over New York. They were then tied atop of the AL Wildcard with Boston. Going to the mound for Tampa in Game 2 was Jeremy Hellickson, a potential AL rookie of the year candidate making his 29th start. The Yankees sent out Bartolo Colon, who made his return to the bigs leagues in 2011 after missing all of 2010.

Innings: 1-3

Jeremy Hellickson started the game on a good note, retiring the side in order in the top of the 1st.

Desmond Jennings struckout to lead off the bottom half of the inning, but was followed a B.J. Upton walk. Unfortunately, Upton was quickly picked off before Colon delivered a pitch to the next batter.

Evan Longoria reached on an errant throw that Mark Teixeira failed to pick, but would be stranded after Matt Joyce popped out to end the inning.

Hellickson had another quiet inning in the 2nd, only allowing an infield single to Teixeira on a slow roller to short.

Johnny Damon led off the bottom of the 2nd with a line drive into right field, surpassing Lou Gehrig on the all-time hits list.

Ben Zobrist came up next and on a 1-2 pitch, he went down and mashed a ball high and deep to right field. Nick Swisher ranged back on it, but the ball sailed over the wall and a couple of rows deep into the seats to give the Rays a 2-0 lead and Zobrist his 20th HR of the year.

The next batter up was Sean Rodriguez, who grounded a ball up the middle for a base hit. Kelly Shoppach was now up and during his at-bat, Colon threw the ball away trying to pick off Rodriguez, allowing him to advance to 2nd on the error. Shoppach popped out and was followed by a fly out and a groundout to end the inning and strand Rodriguez on 3rd.

Russell Martin led off the top of the 3rd and on a 3-1 count. Hellickson grooved a fastball right down the middle that Martin smacked deep into the left field seats for his 18th HR, making it a 2-1 ball game.

Hellickson followed the HR by walking Brett Gardner on 4 pitches, then coaxed a pop fly from Nunez. Brett Gardner stole 2nd during Curtis Granderson's at-bat. Gardner would have been out, but the ball popped out of Brignac's glove after he applied the tag, allowing Gardner to be safe. Granderson would pop out on the infield, but would be followed by walks to Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez, Cano's was intentional.

Mark Teixeira stepped up now with the bases loaded and 2 outs in a one run game. Hellickson delivered his 1st pitch and Teixeira just missed it. Off the bat, it looked gone, but Joyce drifted back, near the edge of the track and made the catch, ending the threat.

B.J. Upton led off the bottom of the 3rd and on Colon's 1st pitch, he ripped a ball down the left field line for a leadoff double. Evan Longoria followed the double with a walk, but both players would be stranded after 2 infield popups and a strikeout.

Innings: 4-6

Hellickson pitched a 1-2-3 top of the 4th for the first time since the 1st inning. The Rays also had a quiet 4th, as the only player to reach base was Reid Brignac on a single.

Brett Gardner led off the 5th, with a line drive into center for a leadoff single and was followed by Eduardo Nunez, who hit a groundball through the right side for another single, advancing Gardner to third with no outs for Curtis Granderson.

On a 2-2 pitch, Granderson scorched a groundball, right to Brignac who stepped on 2nd for the force and threw onto first to complete the double play. But the play allowed Gardner to score from 3rd to tie the game at 2-2.

Cano was the next batter up and on the first pitch, he ripped a line drive towards the right field wall. Matt Joyce ran back on it though and made a nice catch a few feet from the wall for the final out of the inning.

In the bottom of the 5th, the Rays had another single by Evan Longoria, but he would be the only batter to reach base.

Jeremy Hellickson walked Alex Rodriguez to start the 6th, and the walk was followed by double that Mark Teixeira ripped into right field. Nick Swisher now stepped up the plate with runners on 2nd and 3rd with none out and the chance to give the Yankees the lead, which he promptly did. With a 0-1 pitch, Swisher drove a ball deep into right center field that hit off the wall and Upton fielded on a hop and threw the ball back in. Rodriguez scored easily, but oddly, Teixeira was only able to make it to 3rd after staying at 2nd to see if Upton would catch the ball, but nonetheless, the Yankees had gained a 3-2 lead.

Hellickson intentionally walked Jorge Posada in hopes of turning a double play, loading the bases with none out and Russell Martin coming up to bat. Jim Hickey came out to talk to his young right hander.

After the mound conference, Hellickson was ready to face Martin. On the first pitch, Martin hit a soft groundball right towards third base. Longoria played it on the hop, with his foot already on the bag. He seemed to have trouble at first getting the ball from his glove, but was able to secure it and made a throw onto Zobrist at 2nd, who very quickly turned and threw the ball to Sean Rodriguez at 1st who made a long stretch and was able to catch the ball just before Martin slid into first, completing the triple play and getting Hellickson out of the jam. Hellickson showed a rare explosion of emotion.

Ben Zobrist led off the bottom of the 6th with a base hit and was followed by fly out from Sean Rodriguez. After the fly out, Colon left in favor of Cory Wade, who had spent spring training with the Rays and the majority of the season at Durham before being released in June. Wade got Kelly Shoppach to popout, but allowed a single to Brignac that advanced Zobrist to 3rd with two outs, but Desmond Jennings flew out to left to end the inning. Heading into the 7th, the game was 3-2, Yankees.

Innings: 7-9

Jeremy Hellickson's night was done after 6 innings and Jake McGee came on to relieve the rookie. Brett Gardner led off and bunted a popup towards Rodriguez at 1st who caught it on the fly for the first out of the inning. That was followed by a single up the middle by Nunez, but McGee retired the next two batters to end New York's turn at bat.

The Rays fearsome closer from 2010, Rafael Soriano, came on for the bottom of the 7th as Girardi was turning to his dominant pen to close out the game for New York. Soriano walked Upton to lead off the inning, then Upton stole 2nd during Longoria's at bat, but that wouldn't matter as Longoria eventually walked after a 9-pitch battle.

Matt Joyce came up to face Soriano, who's first pitch missed for a ball. With his 2nd pitch, Soriano was trying to throw a back door slider, but it cut back to much and went over the center of the plate. Joyce was able to capitalize on the mistake and turn on the ball and send it on a line, deep to right field. Swisher ran back on it, but it sailed over the wall into the first row of seats for a 3-run HR to give the Rays a 5-3 lead.

Soriano was able to take down the next 3 batters he faced, getting some help on a nice play from Mark Teixeira at first off a scorched Ben Zobrist line drive, but the damage had been done and the Rays had gained the lead late in the game.

McGee came back out for the 8th and was dominant, striking 2 of the 3 batters he faced and setting down New York in order.

David Robertson replaced Soriano in the bottom of the 8th and hit Kelly Shoppach with a 3-2 pitch. Reid Brignac sacrificed Shoppach over, but was followed by a Desmond Jennings strikeout. After that, Robertson was replaced by Mariano Rivera, who would strikeout B.J. Upton to end the inning.

In the top of the 9th, Kyle Farnsworth came out to attempt his 25th save of the year against the bottom of the Yankees order. First up was Jorge Posada, whom he struck out on 3 pitches for the first out. Russell Martin was now up and on a 1-1 pitch, he lifted a fly ball to shallow center for an easy catch by Upton for the 2nd out. Brett Gardner was New York's last hope and after a 7-pitch battle, Gardner lifted a fly ball right to Jennings in left for the final out of the game giving the Rays the 5-3 victory.

Meanwhile, Boston won 8-7 in Baltimore to preserve the tie atop of the wildcard, which would result in a thrilling and incredible night of baseball on September 28th, 2011.

MLB.com's Recap:

Full Game Below:

The most overrated Yankees in recent years

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Yes, there are some overrated Yankees.

I found myself at lunch the other day with an Orioles fan. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, since I live in Maryland, so if I find myself at lunch with a baseball fan, odds are good he or she is an Orioles fan. So we talked about the usual things: the O's young pitching; how neck-in-neck the four teams at the top of the AL East seem to be; our mutual dislike of the Red Sox.

I try to be pretty congenial about my Yankees-fandom. I explain I was born into this, and apologize for the Jeffrey Maier home run, and ask "if Buck Showalter is so smart, then why'd he let Brian Matusz pitch to Raul Ibanez when everyone in the Stadium knew what was going to happen next?" But I found myself in unusual territory when my colleague kept pushing me to call Derek Jeter the most overrated player of my lifetime.

Now, I'm willing to concede the 2014 version of Derek Jeter as a tremendously overrated player from a viewpoint of raw production. But Derek Jeter, in his entirety, was probably seen about right: one of the most uniquely gifted players of his generation, and among the all-time greats.

So I began to assemble a list of most overrated Yankees of my lifetime. To start, I eliminated flopped prospects. They're overrated by definition, but failed prospects are mostly invisible to fans of other teams. I also eliminated one year players- sure, Aaron Boone's place in Yankee history really boils down to one extra inning knuckleball. I don't think anyone is trying to argue the opposite, that the player was a useful part of the Yankees. So, since it's my list, I looked only for guys who played at least three seasons in pinstripes.

Danny Tartabull: Maybe I'm the only one who overrated Danny Tartabull, but he was basically unstoppable in a handheld Sega baseball game I had. His actual results always seemed to leave something to be desired (130 or fewer games played each season, and a ticket out of town in the midst of the 1995 playoff hunt). Maybe because he was a Yankee at a time when he was completely outshone by import Paul O'Neill and top prospects like Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Ruben Rivera and Jorge Posada demanding the playing time. Maybe he's less overrated in retrospect, but we expected the world of him at the time.

Jeff Nelson: Nelson was part of the perfect "bridge to Rivera" during the championship years, right? Except for his 1.4 WHIP from '96-'01 and a couple long DL stints in '98 and, '99 that might have had something to do with the team's great record in those seasons. Dellin Betances created nearly as many wins above replacement last season than Nelson did in his entire Yankee tenure. But, the Yankees' bullpen troubles in the early 21st century cemented this nostalgia for the good ol' days, so much so that the Yankees actually brought him back in 2003, when he wasn't much worse than he'd been before.

Melky Cabrera: Remember what a train wreck the 2005 Yankees were? Things were so bad they shifted their newly acquired second baseman to left field, and called up some brick-handed prospect named Robinson Cano. Things were so bad that we regularly didn't know who was starting four days in advance, and some Taiwanese sinkerballer was called up because, hey, it beats trading for Shawn Chacon (and then they did that too). For six days in July, the Yankees benched the corpse of Bernie Williams and let a young switch-hitter from Double-A play centerfield. All he had to do was catch the ball. He got three hits in his first two games, then went into an 0-for-13 slump. And he didn't catch the ball. He turned a Trot Nixon single into a homer and generally looked overmatched. Over the next four seasons, Melky would never manage a league-average offensive line while posting negative defensive values each year (except 2008! yay +4 runs). But he won a ring, and he had a catchy nickname, and he was a switch-hitting center fielder. What else could a fanbase ask for really?

Obviously, this list isn't the most in-depth or statistically-minded. I'm sure some of you can tell me which players hurt the team the most in their tenure. But what do you think? Have I forgotten someone who should make an all-overrated team?

Giancarlo Stanton to test out protective face guard in Spring Training

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After getting hit in his face by a pitch last September, Giancarlo Stanton will wear a protective face mask in Spring Training as he eases back into the box.

Giancarlo Stanton's MVP-caliber season was abruptly ended last year after he was hit by a pitch in his face in early September.  Stanton missed the remainder of the season with multiple fractures in his face, along with dental damage.

Before stepping into the box on opening day, the new $315 million man is going to make sure he has no hesitations after enduring his gruesome injury.  According to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, Stanton will wear a protective face guard attached to his helmet while he is at the plate during Spring Training.

In his offseason workouts, Stanton tested his new gear, and he is expected to be ready to go when Marlins position players begin workouts on Feb. 24 at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla.

One of the biggest questions raised during Stanton's contract press conference was whether the Marlins front office, and even Stanton, were concerned about Giancarlo being hesitant when he initially starts to get some live at-bats.  Although the front office and Stanton both shot down any notions that there would be hesitation or readjustments when Giancarlo steps back into the box, it would be human nature for him to feel, at least, somewhat tentative in the early stages of his return to the lineup.  Of course, Stanton will not come out and admit that, but the face guard is a good precautionary measure to help Stanton feel protected and less vulnerable to having the same freak injury occur again.

In Frisaro's piece, Marlins President of Baseball Operations, Michael Hill, described the face guard that Stanton will wear as a "half cage".

The mask that Stanton will wear should be similar to the one that St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jason Heyward currently wears.  Heyward, formerly of the Atlanta Braves, was hit in his face by a Jon Niese fastball in August of 2013.  The pitch fractured the right side of Heyward's jaw in two places causing him to miss just under a month of game action.  Heyward wore the protective mask for the latter part of the 2013 season, and continued to wear it throughout last season.

Chase Headly, of the New York Yankees, also wore a protective mask this past season, after a pitch hit him in the face and injured his jaw.  Upon returning, Headley wore the mask and did not report any major issues with it, noting that the only thing he had to adjust to was that he was able to see the protective mask out of the corner of his eye.

Fisaro also noted in his article that if Stanton feels comfortable wearing the mask, and it does not affect his plate vision, then he will continue to wear it during the regular season as well.  Whether Stanton has any hesitations, or the protective mask causes issues, the Marlins are fortunate that Giancarlo will be ready to go day-one so that he will have all of Spring Training to get reacclimated at the plate and to test out the mask.

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