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Yankees were the closest team to acquiring Cole Hamels

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It's no surprise that the Yankees would look into acquiring Cole Hamels at some point this season. He's on a Phillies team that desperately needs to shed payroll, he's probably their best movable piece, and the Yankees currently have Chris Capuano written in as their fifth starter. The only thing holding a trade back would be Hamels' exorbitant contract–$94 million over the next four years with a $20 team option/$24 million vesting option for 2019–and the prospects that Ruben Amaro will surely demand from any team.

When a player's high cost is in both money and personnel, teams get a little hesitant, which is likely why the Red Sox balked at the proposed package of top catching prospect Blake Swihart and prized talent Mookie Betts. According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the Phillies were also in talks with the Rangers, Padres, and Yankees the most and, according to a source, the Yankees were the closest to acquiring Hamels.

It's hard to say who the Yankees offered, but a package that included, say, Gary Sanchez and Rob Refsnyder would be closest in matching the trade that Boston turned down. Of course, anyone from Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, and Greg Bird could be made available to acquire someone like Hamels, but hopefully Brian Cashman is crafty enough to know that, while the Phillies could simply decide not to trade their ace, he shouldn't give Amaro everything he asks for. Of course, this could also all be talk in order to get the Red Sox to commit to a deal before their rivals get a new weapon.

For the Yankees, Hamels might be the perfect addition for the 2015 season. They have room for him, and he would fit right into the top of their rotation, serving as their alternative to signing Max Scherzer and Jon Lester to big free agent deals. Even if nothing happens during spring training, this could be a story line to follow through the first half of the season and into the trade deadline. If the Yankees are in contention and Hamels is effective and healthy, expect talks to continue and more rumors to swirl until the 31-year-old finally ends up somewhere.


PSA Comments of the Day 3/8/15: Yankees get some comeback practice

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Yes, Bird remains the word. If you haven't heard.

The Yankees scored six runs in the ninth inning to win yesterday's game 9-4. May this not be the last time I get to type that sentence this year. Yankees hit three homeruns, but we have no homerun gifs for you, because the game was not televised. It's very sad, really. Maybe one day technology will advance to where we can watch road spring training games from anywhere in the world.

Comments of the Day

tanya loves gregbird

This may come as a surprise to you, but Tanya feels strongly about Greg Bird.

b-rar sterling

No, this was not Sterling's home run call of Greg Bird yesterday, but b-rar is putting a suggestion in the bank for future use.

GIF of the Day

*crickets*.  I blame the television overlords.

Greg is back tomorrow though, so if you wanted to welcome him back with a gif overload, I'm sure it will go down well.

Honorable Mod Mention

HMM goes to Greg Kirkland for taking a well-deserved vacation. SBNation really missed Greg for a bit on Friday, but we had a bit of a chat and now it is just happy that he'll be back Monday.

Fun Question

Just one today.

What would you rather do on a Saturday? All-day at the roller coasters or 18 hour crash-course speed-lesson in skydiving. If it matters, after either option you'll spend Sunday chilling at home with pizza.

Song of the Day

Tiny Dancer - Elton John. I wish I had a better reason than this happens to be the song I'm listening to as I'm writing this, but I do not. There it is though.

This can be your open thread for the day, if you wish it so.

The Yankees are back on television for the 1:05 ET clash with the Washington Nationals, and they'll be a game thread coming up ahead of first pitch. Go baseball, no spring injuries! Oh, also, go Yankees, but mostly the no injuries thing.

Washington Nationals Grapefruit League GameThread: Nats at Yankees

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The Washington Nationals are in Tampa, Florida this afternoon to take on the New York Yankees in Grapefruit League action. Game Time: 1:05 PM EDT. RADIO: 106.7 the FAN in D.C., 660 AM in NY; TV: YES Network, MLB Network (Delayed).

In an interview with ESPN980's Thom Loverro and Kevin Sheehan on "The Sports Fix" in January, shortly after the Washington Nationals signed Max Scherzer to a 7-year/$210M free agent deal, Nats' GM Mike Rizzo talked about having pursued Scherzer briefly the previous winter before working out a deal for Detroit Tigers' starter Doug Fister.

"We inquired about Max first and moved to Doug shortly thereafter," Rizzo told the show's hosts. "All their indications were that they wanted to hold on to Max for that season. The discussions didn't take that long and we moved on to trying to see if we could get a Fister deal done."

"I'm a pitcher for the Washington Nationals right now and that's the stance I always take. I'm a part of this group. I'm a part of this team." -Doug Fister on ignoring the trade rumors this winter

One year later, after a (16-6), +1.3 fWAR campaign in the nation's capital over which he posted a 2.41 ERA, a 3.93 FIP, 24 walks (1.32 BB/9) and 98 Ks (5.38 K/9) in 25 starts and 164 IP, Fister was once again talked about as a possible trade candidate this winter, since he was entering the second of the two years of team control he had left when the Nats acquired him.

Fister told reporters in December he didn't listen to the rumors out there.

"I'm a pitcher for the Washington Nationals right now and that's the stance I always take," he said. "I'm a part of this group. I'm a part of this team. And that's what I want to be and until something else happens, until I'm told otherwise that's what I want to be."

"This is the uniform I wear," Fister continued. "I know as of right now I'd be a free agent after next year, but I love this uniform, I love the team that we have."

Fister said the same when he arrived at Spring Training. He wasn't traded this winter in spite of his pending free agency. Neither was Jordan Zimmermann, another free agent after this season, who was mentioned often this winter in trade rumors.

For Fister, the opportunity to come back and be part of an even stronger rotation than he was part of last season was an exciting proposition.

"'Last year was a great rotation, this one is even better, I think,'" Fister told reporters including the Washington Post's Chelsea Janes.

"'The additions we have, and now, again, having that relationship after a year with the other guys is for me a huge plus. It’s an honor to be a part of this staff, and I think it’s going to be a good thing for us.'"

Fister's first outing of his contract year takes place this afternoon when he and the Nationals take on the New York Yankees in George M. Steinbrenner Field.

The game is being broadcast on 106.7 the FAN in D.C. and it's also on WFAN 660 AM in NY and the YES Network at 1:05 PM EDT.

Here's the Nationals' lineup via the WaPost's Chelsea Janes:

MLB.com's Bill Ladson posted a list of the pitchers who are expected to follow Fister on the mound:

Who's watching the Nationals?

Super Astros Crawfish Boil: March 8, 2015

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Astros news and notes from the past week.

Good morning boys and girls, Spring Training is in full swing. Here is some of the excellent daily coverage has received for the past week.

Game Over for the Astrodome, ‘Stadium of the Future’
The stadium was a gargantuan advertisement for the possibilities suggested by American technology, and yet was rendered a relic within decades.

Changes in offseason program a boost for Astros' Springer
Already strapping, George Springer arrived at Astros camp 10 pounds heavier than last year, at 225 pounds. The gain, without question, is all muscle, aside from whatever amount is owed to the bizarre Mohawk he's grooming on his head.

With Dexter Fowler gone, Jose Altuve could be permanent fixture atop Astros’ batting order
Jose Altuve’s the likely but not singular candidate to be the Astros’ leadoff hitter. With Dexter Fowler and his .375 on-base percentage traded away, there’s no one on the Astros who gets on base at a remarkable clip except for Altuve.

Correa makes return as Astros fall to Cardinals in exhibition
Top Astros prospect Carlos Correa returned to game action Friday, notching an RBI single in Houston’s 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium.

Nolan Ryan says a power arm not a must for Astros’ success
Power can help you win, but you don’t necessarily need power to win.

Astros catchers looking to figure out how to hit southpaws
Having a pair of catchers who do not complement each other as a platoon isn’t ideal, but Astros manager A.J. Hinch wants to see how Hank Conger, a switch-hitter and the back-up to starting catcher Jason Castro, can fare against lefthanded pitching before making any playing time determinations.

Houston Astros might have a problem, a good problem
Are the Houston Astros suddenly progressing too fast for their own good? Unless the team finds spots for all their promising youngsters and new acquisitions, they just might.

Unsigned Astros picks Aiken, Nix move past draft debacle
Astros owner Jim Crane and general manager Jeff Luhnow made the trip to Jupiter, Fla., to watch the Astros take on the Cardinals on Friday.

Camp sights: Astros expect more than a whiff of success
The Astros are hopeful of – you won't get anyone to officially admit to counting on – what general manager Luhnow calls, "A couple of interesting debuts" in shortstop Carlos Correa and pitcher Mark Appel

Houston Astros boast toughest early AL schedule - MLB - ESPN Insider Required
Buster Olney ranks the toughest early-season schedules in the American League. He leads with the Houston Astros.

X-rays negative after Astros prospect Preston Tucker hit by pitch
X-rays taken on Astros outfielder Preston Tucker’s right hand came back negative Saturday after he was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning and exited a 9-4 Astros loss to the Yankees.

Astros scout turned away from Venezuela
The Astros will have to wait to watch the next Jose Altuve.

Spring training game 7: Yankees vs. Nationals

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Yankees! Nationals! Baseball!

Five expected opening day starters will be in the starting lineup for the Yankees as they take on the Nationals at the spring training home base in Tampa. Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and Alex Rodriguez are all in the lineup, along with Garrett Jones and Chris Young who are also expected to make the Opening Day roster. Adam Warren will get the start on the mound for the Yankees, while the bullpen includes the likes of Andrew Miller, Dellin Betances and Luis Severino. Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez headline the Yankees' bench. PSA favorites Greg Bird and Rob Refsnyder, among others, are available to DH. The game can be seen live on YES and heard on WFAN.

Go Yankees, go baseball.

Photo Gallery: Astros vs. Yankees, March 7, 2015

Yankees 3-2 over Nationals: Doug Fister throws two scoreless in Spring debut

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The Washington Nationals and New York Yankees were tied at 2-2 in the eighth when the Yanks scored the go-ahead run. Doug Fister put in a solid outing. Michael Taylor and Tyler Moore kept hitting, but the Nats came up short, 3-2 NY.

Doug Fister dealt with an elbow issue and a right lat strain which limited his activity last Spring and delayed the start of his first season in the Washington Nationals' rotation, but once he was healthy and on the mound, the 31-year-old right-hander provided what the Nats expected when they acquired him from the Detroit Tigers.

"The radar gun doesn't blow up," Nationals' manager Matt Williams told reporters last August. "But he throws the ball where he wants to."

Fister, the Nats' skipper explained, worked down in the zone consistently and induced ground balls. "That's kind of what he provides for us, the ability with one pitch to get two outs and that's huge."

Fister took the mound for the first time this Spring this afternoon for his two innings (40-45-ish pitches?) of work with a 1-0 lead courtesy of Michael Taylor, who took New York Yankees' starter Adam Warren deep on the first pitch of the opening frame. Taylor hit one into the wind and out of the park to the left of center for a solo blast and a 1-0 lead.

Yankees' outfielder Brett Gardner drew a one-out walk out of Fister in the bottom of the first inning, but the Nats' right-hander got Carlos Beltran to ground into an inning-ending 4-6-3. Nine-pitch frame for Fister.

Completely non-controversial Yankee Alex Rodriguez "doubled" down the right field line with one out in the second on a pop fly that dropped in fair just inside the line in front of both a backtracking Wilmer Difo and charging right fielder Clint Robinson. Groundout no.3 of the afternoon for Fister off Garrett Jones' bat gave the righty two outs and Chris Young hit groundout no.4 to Kevin Frandsen at third base. 11-pitch frame, 20 pitches total.

That was it for Fister.

Sammy Solis took over on the mound in the Yankees' half of the third and gave up a leadoff, line drive double to right field by Jose Pirela, who scored on a two-out infield single by Brett Gardner, when Gardner sent a roller toward the hole at short that Ian Desmond got to but threw high to first. 1-1. Solis backdoored Carlos Beltran with an 0-2 bender to end a 15-pitch frame.

Brian McCann beat the shift with an opposite field single off Solis in the first at bat of the Yankees' fourth, but the Nats' left-hander struck A-Rod out with a 2-2 bender and popped Garrett Jones up to short center for the second out with his 29th and final pitch. Nice outing for Solis.

Blake Treinen inherited a runner on first. Chris Young reached on a throwing error by Kevin Frandsen that allowed McCann to take third and an infield single by Jose Pirela drove in the go-ahead run. 2-1 NY.

Three ground ball outs got Treinen through a quick fifth inning.

Tyler Moore hit his second double of the game and his fourth of the Spring in his third at bat of the afternoon, taking a fastball from hard-throwing Yankees' hurler Luis Severino to left-center for another two-base hit.

Moore: 2 for 3, 2 doubles today, 6 for 8, 4 doubles, triple and a home run so far this Spring.

A walk by Tony Gwnn, Jr. and an error on a grounder to right off WIlmer Difo's bat put runners on second and third with one and ended Severino's outing. Derrick Robinson dropped a swinging bunt down the first base line to bring Gwynn, Jr. in from first to tie it up at 2-2. Yankees' lefty James Pazos held it there.

Aaron Barrett gave up a single and hit a batter in a scoreless 15-pitch seventh.

Mitch Lively gave up back-to-back-to-back two-out singles by Jonathan Galviez, Kyle Roller and Cole Figueroa in the home-half of the eighth and the Yankees took a 3-2 lead.

Yankees 3, Nationals 2: Pitching impresses in win

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The Yankees' pitching looked good as a late rally gave the Yankees a win over the Nationals.

For much of the day, it was the Yankees' pitching that impressed. Adam Warren was okay. Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances both looked really good. Luis Severino had his moments. Even James Pazos, Wilking Rodriguez and Jared Burton looked decent. It was the collection of nice pitching outings that allowed the Yankees' eighth inning rally to hold up and give the Yankees a 3-2 win over the Nationals.

Warren got the start on the mound for the Yankees but his day got off to a bad start when he allowed a home run to Michael Taylor on the very first pitch of the game. That was the only run Warren would surrender, but he allowed four hits in his three innings.

In the bottom of the second the Yankees picked up their first hit when Alex Rodriguez managed to just drop one in between two Nationals in right field. The ball just stayed fair and bounced into the stands for a ground-rule double. The Yankees couldn't bring him home, but they would get on the board an inning later. Jose Pirela led off the inning with a double. Nick Noonan then grounded out, moving Pirela to third. After Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out, Brett Gardner hit one to Ian Desmond at short. Desmond made the play, but his throw was off and late anyway. Pirela scored and game was tied at one.

The Yankees took the lead an inning later. Brian McCann led off the inning with a single. After Rodriguez and Garrett Jones couldn't do anything, Chris Young reached after a throwing error by third baseman Kevin Frandsen. That moved McCann to third and brought Pirela up. The Yankees then scored their second run much like how they scored the first. Pirela hit one to short. Desmond made the play, but his thrown was late and the run scored. That made it 2-1 Yankees.

Miller replaced Warren. Both he and Betances had nice, impressive outings before Severino came in to pitch the sixth. He allowed a hit but struck out two in his first inning. He came back out for a second inning and after getting one strike out, he would get in some trouble. He walked Tony Gwynn Jr. and then allowed a single to Wilmer Difo. Aaron Judge, who was now playing right field, misfielded the ball, allowing Gwynn to go to third and Difo to second. After that, Severino would be replaced by James Pazos. Severino went 1.1 innings, striking out three, allowing one hit and one walk.

Pazos got Derrick Robinson to ground one softly down the first base line and he made a nice play to get the out at second. A run would score on the play however and the game was tied at two.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Yankees would re-take the lead. With two outs in the inning, Kyle Roller kept the inning alive with a single up the middle. That brought Judge to the plate. Judge made up for his earlier mistake by hitting a single that moved Roller to third. Cole Figueroa then added a third straight single. That scored Roller and made it 3-2.

Jared Burton came in to pitch the ninth to try and finish off the game. He did so without much trouble as the Yankees picked up a 3-2 win over the Nationals.

The Yankees will take on the Rays tomorrow at Steinbrenner Field in a game start at 1:05 eastern. Michael Pineda is expected to get the start and the game will air live on YES.

Box score.


What if the Yankees played basketball?

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With March Madness almost upon us here's a look at how the Yankees might fit into a basketball lineup.

Spring training is in full swing much to the delight of baseball fans across the country. However, March's premier sporting event is nipping at its heels. From next week up until the start of the real baseball season, college basketball will dominate the headlines. So why not get the best of both worlds and imagine what it would look like if the current Yankees squad lined up as a basketball team?

Starting Frontcourt

The two largest men on the Yankees, CC Sabathia and Dellin Betances, are physically reminiscent of a pair of Hall of Fame big men that dominated the NBA in the 1970s. Much like Sabathia, Bullets center Wes Unseld was 6' 7" and about as wide as he was tall. Unseld's teammate, power forward Elvin Hayes, was to him what Betances is to Sabathia, a slightly taller and less wide version of himself. Together Unseld and Hayes racked up rebounds at record rates while consistently being two of the best defensive big men in the league. Sabathia and Betances wouldn't be nearly as nimble on the court as those two but they could certainly grab their fair share of boards and serve as the anchor of a quality defense by taking up a whole lot of space in the paint. To round out the frontcourt the Yankees would need an athletic player with decent size and the ability to score from anywhere on the floor. The only player that even remotely fits that description is Alex Rodriguez. It's pretty sad that a 39-year old with bad hips would be the most athletic forward on this team.

Starting Backcourt

When the Yankees signed center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury last year, he brought with him a skillset similar to the Yankees incumbent center fielder Brett Gardner. They proved that having two strong outfielders with speed at the top of the order is a good problem to have as they were the two most productive Yankees last year. It didn't matter that they had overlapping attributes and were hated rivals before they were teammates. What does this have to do with basketball? Well over 40 years ago the Knicks made a similar move when they acquired All-Star guard Earl "The Pearl" Monroe to play alongside his former nemesis, New York's own All-Star guard Walt "Clyde" Frazier. As two guys who needed the ball in their hands to be effective, most fans didn't think they would work out as teammates. Just a year later they figured out how to make their styles blend and were dubbed the Rolls Royce Backcourt on their way to winning the NBA Title in 1973. The thought here is that Gardner and Ellsbury could probably make it work like this on the basketball court as well. Ok, so maybe they would be more like the Dodge Dart Backcourt, but Gardner could be the patient facilitator on offense while Ellsbury could be more aggressive and attack the rim.

Bench

They'll need a big man to backup Sabathia and Betances and at 6' 7" and 260 pounds Michael Pineda is just the man to do it. Something tells me foul trouble is in his future though. With a tall, wiry frame Andrew Miller could be instant offense as a jump-shooting forward. Combo guards are a staple on any good basketball team these days and Didi Gregorius could probably fill that role to backup Gardner or Ellsbury. Chase Headley could play the wing and be the "glue guy" that college basketball analysts love to talk about. The type of player that does all the little things that can make the difference between winning and losing.

How do you see the current Yankees filling out a basketball roster? Let us know in the comments below.

Pinstripe Alley Top 100 Yankees: #73 Tiny Bonham

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A forefather of forkball artists, Bonham was terrific for the Yankees in the '40s before meeting a sad fate.

Name: Ernest "Tiny" Bonham
Position: Starting pitcher
Born: August 13, 1913 (Ione, CA)
Died: September 25, 1949 (Pittsburgh, PA)
Yankee Years: 1940-46
Primary number: 20
Yankee statistics: 79-50, 2.73 ERA, 3.24 FIP, 141 GS, 1,176 2/3 IP, 348 K, 91 CG, 17 SHO, 78 ERA-, 92 FIP-, 19.4 rWAR, 18.6 fWAR

Biography

A common theme throughout Yankees history is the unheralded pitching staff. The big bashers like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and company always seemed to grab the most headlines, but without competent pitchers, those great teams would have struggled to win pennants year after year. Although pitchers like Vic Raschi and Monte Pearson were unknown to many fans, their contributions were pivotal. Bonham fits in nicely with such men, as his success with the forkball helped the Yankees win three straight pennants in the early '40s and two World Series rings. He played 10 years in the majors until his life was sadly cut short, but his memory lives on through his championship legacy.

Bonham pitching

Not so "Tiny"

Born Ernest Edward Bonham to Andrew Bonham and the former Clara Wells in a huge Californian family 40 miles outside of Sacramento, Bonham demonstrated his impressive work ethic during his youth. His family owned a farm, and he and his several siblings were all expected to help out in some way. Bonham himself described it as "manual labor of the toughest kind," though he did credit his imposing frame (6'2", 215 pounds) to such rigorous work. The nickname "Tiny" was certainly ironic, but Bonham did not care in the slightest.

When he wasn't in lumber camps or on Oakland docks, Bonham went to school and played on the football and baseball teams. He continued working for lumber companies and pitching for semi-pro teams until late in 1935, when a fireman named Joe Oeschger spotted him. Oeschger encouraged his friend and Yankees scout Joe Devine to sign the 22-year-old righty, and Bonham's career officially began the next season. Bonham took the train out to Ohio, where he pitched for the Class C Akron Yankees. He was strong, recording a 3.61 ERA and walking just 46 men in 182 innings (29 starts).

It was enough to earn a late-season promotion to the Class A Binghamton Triplets, a move that preceded a return out west. Bonham got to pitch close to home in '37, as the Pacific Coast League's Oakland Oaks were a Yankees affiliate and were managed by the respected Billy Meyer, a former major league catcher. Bonham won Meyer's trust with his dedication and talent, and he led the Oakland staff with 278 innings, during which time he notched a 3.66 ERA while again limited his walks. He even mixed a seven-inning no-hitter in with his performances. Bonham took the next step in '38, advancing to the doorstep of the majors by splitting the season with the Yankees' top minor clubs: the Kansas City Blues and the dominant Newark Bears.

Meyer had moved on to the Blues in '38, and over the next few years, he came to rely on Bonham even more. Bonham pitched for the Blues through the middle of the 1940 campaign, posting solid numbers each year, culminating in a 2.32 ERA over 16 starts during that last season. The Yankees' starting pitchers were dropping like flies, and the Tigers were nine games ahead in first place, threatening to end their streak of four straight World Series titles. Hall of Fame skipper Joe McCarthy called upon Meyer to send him his best pitcher. Even though Bonham had missed a little bit of time over the past couple seasons due to back pain, Meyer had ironclad faith in him, so off Bonham went to the major leagues.

Vaulting to the top

Although they were between championships and still quite successful in 1940, the Yankees were a team in transition. Hall of Fame first baseman Lou Gehrig's was tragically over due to the terminal disease that now bears his name. Former '30s stalwarts Lefty Gomez, Red Rolfe, and Frankie Crosetti were all in rapid declines. The rotation wasn't that impressive either, as Red Ruffing was still effective but not as dominant as he used to be and everyone else were younger question marks.

The opportunity to impress "Marse Joe" was there, and Bonham seized it. In 12 starts down the stretch, Bonham was red-hot, pitching to a 1.90 ERA and 3.01 FIP while allowing under a baserunner per inning. He completed all but two of his starts and twirled three shutouts as the Yankees roared back. After a five-hit shutout in Bonham's second career start, the Yankees went a remarkable 36-15 down the stretch, and they were only a game back of the Tigers as late as September 11th. Unfortunately, the mediocre start was too much to overcome and while they maintained a deficit of just a couple games, the Tigers indeed won the pennant to end the Yankees' run. Had they called Bonham up earlier, McCarthy claimed they would have ended on top.

As disappointing as the '40 campaign was, the Yankees entered '41 with a very capable team and more confidence in their pitching staff thanks to Bonham. The young pitcher dazzled opposing hitters with some impressive offerings, which were well-detailed by Warren Corbett in his SABR biography of Bonham:

Bonham threw a high, hard fastball, but he said his best pitch was the forkball: "It sinks and is a fine change of pace." The forkball, thrown by wedging the baseball between the index and middle fingers, took a sudden dive as it approached the plate. Few pitchers used it, perhaps because it requires a large hand and long fingers to throw it comfortably. Bonham said he learned it from a failed Yankee prospect, Frank Makosky, at Kansas City in 1938.

The forkball was a definite strength for Bonham and it added a measure of unpredictability to his delivery, as batters did not often see this unusual pitch. It seemed that the only thing that could prevent Bonham from taking the league by storm was that creaky back. He missed a few months of the '41 season due to the ailment, and it limited him to 13 starts and 23 games total. Nonetheless, he continued to put up fine performances when he did pitch, as he had a 76 ERA- and 1.176 WHIP in his 126 2/3 innings.

This time, the Yankees were storming their way to the pennant. Several games back in mid-May, Joe DiMaggio's record 56-game hitting streak propelled them to a near-season long hot streak, and they ended up dominating the league with 101 victories, finishing an amazing 17 games ahead of the second-place Red Sox. For the first of many times, they played against the crosstown NL champion Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series. It was a tense affair, highlighted by an unbelievable Yankees comeback at Ebbets Field in Game 4, when Tommy Henrich seemingly struck out to end the game and tie the series at 2-2, only to have the catcher miss it as well, allowing Henrich to reach and the Yankees to rally. With Brooklyn demoralized, McCarthy gave the ball to Bonham in Game 5, hoping that he would close it out without needing to return to Yankee Stadium. Bonham more than delivered, pitching a four-hitter as the Yankees went ahead early and won, 3-1. They became World Series champions for the ninth time.

The Yankees seemed well-position to repeat as champions in '42. They won over 100 games again to win another AL pennant by a wide margin, and MVP second baseman Joe Gordon delivered a tremendous season. On the pitching side however, the clear-cut ace was Bonham. It was a career year for the 28-year-old, who was named to the All-Star team and led the league in complete games (22), shutouts (6), FIP (2.75), WHIP (0.987), and walk rate (1.9 BB/9). In traditional stats, he captured the competition's attention with a 21-5 record, good for the top winning percentage in the league as well. Bonham finished fifth in AL MVP voting, and if the award had existed at the time, he would have been a top contender for the Cy Young Award, too. This time in the World Series, the Yankees played a spunky Cardinals team who surprised baseball by standing strong against the Bronx Bombers, taking them down in five games. Bonham allowed just six hits in a complete game in Game 2, but the Cardinals' Johnny Beazley outpitched him, 4-3.

Many of baseball's stars departed both during and after the '42 season, as they were drafted to serve in World War II. Bonham was not drafted though, and he remained with the team in '43. Although DiMaggio, Ruffing, Phil Rizzuto, and other stars were gone, the Yankees still had a formidable club. Although AL MVP Spud Chandler emerged as the ace, Bonham continued to be a force near the top of the rotation, coming an out shy of his '42 total with 225 2/3 innings while posting a 64 ERA- and an 81 FIP-. He was an All-Star for the second straight year, and for the third straight season, the Yankees ran roughshod over the competition to win the pennant. The World Series was a rematch of the Yankees & Cardinals, and Bonham lost his Game 2 start to Mort Cooper. Fortunately, that was the only game the Yankees dropped in the series, and they captured their 10th World Series title.

Back-induced decline

In the 1943-44 off-season, Bonham was drafted, but when the draft board doctors examined his back, they marked him "4-F," physically unfit for battle. So though he missed a few weeks, he rejoined the Yankees. It wasn't quite the same though. The team was further depleted by championship players departing for the military and they finished in third place behind the lowly St. Louis Browns of all teams. Bonham pitched to a 2.99 ERA but wasn't as formidable as he was in the past. He recorded over 200 innings, but his back problems made it more and more difficult for him to sustain his performance.

Bonham ended up pitching two more years in pinstripes, bridging the gap between the Yankees' wartime teams. In '46, the stars returned, but there were clear signs of rust and they again ended the year in third place. Over his last two seasons, continually plagued by his back, Bonham still pitched 285 1/3 total innings with a roughly league-average 3.44 ERA. He wasn't the force he was in '42 anymore, but he remained a competent pitcher. Now past his 33rd birthday though, management was unsure of his future, so shortly after the end of the '46 World Series, he was dealt to the Pirates for Cookie Cuccurullo.

Although it didn't really hurt the Yankees, the move did not work out at all, as the lefty Cuccurullo never actually pitched a game for them while Bonham stuck around for three more years. He averaged 125 innings per year with the Bucs, splitting time more often between the rotation and the bullpen. They weren't a good team, but Bonham was at least comforted in '48 by Pittsburgh hiring his old friend Meyer as their manager. They made for a nice team on the squad of young players like Ralph Kiner, and his teammates had great respect for him.

Toward the end of '49 season though, Bonham met a tragic fate. He had told teammates that '49 would likely be his last year as a pitcher, as his back pains were now almost unbearable and he wanted to return to his California farm. He also began to suffer from abdominal pain, and he checked himself into the hospital on September 9th for an appendectomy. The doctors were stunned when they learned he actually had intestinal cancer.

Before a month had even passed, Tiny Bonham was gone at the tender age of 36, leaving his wife Ruth heartbroken. When Meyer and the rest of his teammates were informed of Bonham's passing, they were crushed as well. The Yankees won the '49 World Series, and many of the players did so with Bonham's memory in mind. Bonham's back might have kept him from achieving true greatness, but the peaks he reached in such a short time led to championships and memories for his teammates which will never be forgotten.

Andrew's rank: 79
Tanya's rank: 73
Community rank: 74.29
WAR rank: 73

Season Stats

YearAgeTmWLERAFIPGGSCGSHOIPHRERHRBBSOHBPWPERA-FIP-rWARfWAR
194026NYY931.903.01121210399.1832421413370045743.22.8
194127NYY962.983.97231471126.2118444212314310761042.81.0
194228NYY2152.272.75282722622619965571124711164814.25.3
194329NYY1582.273.232826174225.219763571352711069974.92.9
194430NYY1292.993.462625171213.2228847114415401871012.42.6
194531NYY8113.293.252323120180.218672661122421098941.62.5
194632NYY583.703.22181462104.29747436233001105930.21.6
NYY (7 yrs)79502.733.2415814191171176.211083993577120634843789219.418.6

Stats from Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs

References

Appel, Marty. Pinstripe Empire: The New York Yankeesfrom Before the Babe to After the Boss. New York: Bloomsbury, 2012.

BR Bullpen

Corbett, Warren. SABR Bio.

Deadball Era

"Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (accessed 2015-03-08), entry for Ernest /BONHAM/.

Other Top 100 Yankees

Around the Empire: Yankees News - 3/9/15

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Tanaka to start Thursday's game; Interview with assistant hitting coach Alan Cockrell; Joe Girardi's thoughts on closer and other spring training notes.

ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand: Carlos Beltran will make his first outfield start today; Masahiro Tanaka will make his first spring training start on Thursday night against the Braves.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: This year, the Yankees are trying out an assistant hitting coach for the first time ever. Check out what Alan Cockrell has to say about splitting time and duties with Jeff Pentland.

New York Post | George A. King III: It's hard not to be concerned about Tanaka and CC Sabathia staying healthy this season, especially after hearing about Cliff Lee and Yu Darvish already possibly being out for the season after both experienced injury problems last season.

LoHud Yankees Blog | Chad Jennings: Sunday notes about spring training, including Joe Girardi's thoughts on the role of closer, whether Brendan Ryan will be ready by Opening Day and who would take his place if he is still hurt.

Keys for each potential "sixth starter" in the Yankees rotation

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Larry Rothschild has floated the idea of using six starters at the start of the 2015 season. Esmil Rogers, Adam Warren, and Bryan Mitchell stand the best chance at snagging the sixth spot if they can make these adjustments.

The Yankees' rotation is injury prone. The rotation will (fingers crossed) consist of Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi, and Chris Capuano to start out the season, with Ivan Nova on track to rejoin the team in June. Because of the risky nature of the rotation, pitching coach Larry Rothschild has floated the idea of having a six man rotation to start the season off, which would theoretically last until the end of May, a month with only two off-days for the Yankees. Between April 17th and May 17th, they play 30 games in 31 days.

For teams that don't play in Washington DC, finding five starters is hard enough. Knowing the state of affairs, the fact that the Yankees did not take a flyer on someone like Brett Anderson, Justin Masterson, or even Chad Billingsley as a stopgap is a head scratcher. But the past is the past, and if the Yankees want a six-man rotation, they would presumably have to choose between Esmil Rogers, Adam Warren, and Bryan Mitchell to round the rotation out.

Esmil Rogers has logged more major league starts than the other two combined, by a margin of 43 to four. The biggest obstacle facing Rogers is the left-handed batter's box, as lefties have put up an .864 OPS against him throughout his career, according to FanGraphs. He also probably knows he can't get lefties out, averaging 4.91 BB/9 against lefties, compared to 2.32 BB/9 against righties. Then again, most pitchers would not give lefties anything to hit if hitters had an MVP-caliber 1.014 OPS against their changeup. If Rogers wants to start, or secure a spot on the roster for that matter, he will have to develop an out-pitch for lefties.

Adam Warren's 2014 season is both a gift and a curse for his chances to make the rotation in 2015. After pitching to a 2.97 ERA in 78 2/3 innings out of the bullpen, he has the whole "if it ain't broke don't fix it" thing going against him. He also experienced an increase in velocity across the board in 2014. Whether the Yankees think this is due to mechanical changes or simply knowing that he did not have to throw 100 pitches per outing will certainly factor into the decision of what to do with Warren.

One factor that works in his favor is his full arsenal of pitches. Unlike Rogers, Warren throws a changeup, but at times was too reliant upon his change to get lefties out. As hitters adjusted, he had to use his changeup less after May:

Image courtesy of Brooks Baseball

Looking at his month-by-month stats, his ERA spiked after May. When watching Warren in spring training, look for his curveball. If he can implement it more, he will not have to rely on his changeup too often and will not have to worry about hitters knowing what pitch is coming.

Bryan Mitchell probably has the highest ceiling out of the three, but is also the least advanced as a pitcher. He has a fastball that can touch the high 90s and a curveball that might be good enough to use against both lefties and righties. FanGraphs' Kiley McDaniel compared him to Baltimore's Chris Tillman, which Yankee fans could definitely get used to. Unfortunately, Mitchell has struggled with command, walking almost four batters per nine innings in the minors last season. The International League, home to the Triple-A Scranton RailRiders, is known to be pitcher-friendly. Yankee Stadium is not, especially to pitchers with command issues. Like Rogers, Mitchell is battling for a spot on the major league roster first and a spot in the rotation second. In order to punch his ticket to the Bronx, he will have to show the ability to limit walks in the Grapefruit League.

The cool thing about spring training is that players get the chance to experiment against MLB caliber talent without worrying about hurting the team. For Esmil Rogers, Adam Warren, and Bryan Mitchell, it is an opportunity to make that final adjustment and take their careers to the next level. If it means saving Masahiro Tanaka's elbow and CC Sabathia's knee while holding the fort down until Ivan Nova's return, all the more reason to be excited. Hopefully at least one of these three pitchers can take some of the pressure off of the other guys and help the Yankees save their energy for a playoff run.

PSA Comments of the Day 3/9/15: Yankees winning, season probably still over

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As nice as it is to see the Yankees winning in Spring Training, their regular season is most likely still over and done with. Sorry fans.

The Yankees are winning. Their future is looking bright. Of course, by future I mean the prospects who are still a couple years away. Their immediate future, as in the 2015 season, is still bleak, abysmal, pointless, dreary, and overall doomed. Sorry Pinstripe Alley. Maybe it'd be better if you don't comment here at all.

(Please do not stop commenting here. We love you.)

Comments of the Day

You can never really tell with Amaro.

Go #HIROK Go

I'm glad the site hasn't changed that much while on my vacation.

That's just science!

This comments by ASR is also included in this COTD. You should click that to see some magnificent and adorable photos of a Yankee fan in the making!

I definitely did not expect to see this when I returned.

GIF of the Day

No GIFs. Perhaps I should have left strict instructions while I was gone.

Honorable Mod Mention

The HMM goes to Matt Providence and Arun for taking over COTD duties while I was gone. I've been keeping tabs on PSA while I've been gone and I'm impressed by their stellar work.

Fun Question

  • Classic question: Beer, wine, ale, or other alcoholic beverage of choice?
  • What kind of art would you like to collect and display, if any at all?

Song of the Day

Chemical Plant Zone by Super Soul Bros.

I'm back and since I've been exposed to Video Game music for the past three or four days, I've decided to share some with you today. This is from a group I discovered this weekend called the Super Soul Bros. I like their work.

Please feel free to use this as your open thread for the day. Well, at least till the Game Thread today. In any case, have fun. It's good to be back. I think.

go yankees go spring training baseball.

Spring training game 8: Yankees vs. Rays

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Big Mike is back. Aw yeah.

Today will be a fun game because one of the Yankees' best starters is taking the mound for the first time this spring. Welcome back, Michael Pineda. We've missed you. On another note, this Yankees lineup is actually quite complete and could very well be the Opening Day lineup. Carlos Beltran sees his first action in right field while A-Rod DHs and everything is pretty much what we're hoping it will be on Opening Day.

Among other players of note, Nathan Eovaldi, David Carpenter, and Justin Wilson are all scheduled to pitch in relief of Pineda, and top prospects Greg Bird&Rob Refsnyder will take over for Mark Teixeira and Stephen Drew. (Hopefully that happens for real sometime in the future as well.)

You can catch the game on either the YES Network or MLB.tv. Go Big Mike go, you are the #1.


Lineup


Yankees 4, Rays 3: Pineda and Eovaldi dominate in tight victory

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It was a bit sloppy late in this one, but there was a lot to like.

It was an exciting day in Tampa, as Joe Girardi put out what looked to be his Opening Day lineup behind "Big Mike" Michael Pineda against the Tampa Bay Rays. Pineda was also followed by another much-anticipated starter, and that was Nathan Eovaldi.

And boy, they definitely impressed. Pineda (2 IP, 1 H, 2 K) and Eovaldi (3 IP, 3 H, 5 K) combined to put up five innings and allowed just four hits and no walks on seven strikeouts. Pineda looked absolutely filthy with velocities up to about 95 mph, and his splitter did not look too shabby for early March. Beware: the video will induce drooling.

Offensively, the Opening Day lineup didn't look too bad, even if it was against Nate Karns. The scoring began in the bottom of the second as a Brian McCann double and Desmond Jennings error on a Chase Headley fly ball put runners on second and third, and then A-Rod knocked in one with an RBI single. A Didi Gregorius RBI ground out capped off the inning, and the Yankees were quickly up 2-0.

The Yankees wouldn't strike again until the seventh, but those runs proved critical. Rob Refsnyder started off the inning with a single, and then he immediately stole second to put himself into scoring position. After an obligatory Cito Culver strikeout, Slade Heathcott brought Refsnyder home with an RBI single to make it 3-0. The Yankees would then score their final run as Greg Bird hit an RBI ground rule double.

All seemed well-and-good at that point, as the Yankees were up 4-0 and the relief pitching was cruising; Justin Wilson and David Carpenter had already thrown an inning each after Eovaldi was removed from the game. But then Joe Girardi put Diego Moreno into the game, and things got sticky as he quickly walked Boog Powell and hit Daniel Robertson. And when it seemed like he would get a crucial ground ball for the double play, Refnsyder botched the throw to first and Powell scored. Eugenio Velez then hit an RBI single, and he advanced to second on an errant throw from Heathcott. And then one more run came in to make it 4-3, as Jake Elmore hit an RBI single. Moreno stopped the bleeding by striking out Corey Brown, but he and the defense made it a close game. Luckily Chris Martin came in in the ninth to finish it off by striking out two (and stranding a runner at second), and the Yankees won 4-3.

Even though some of the prospects played a little sloppily in the eighth inning, this was an exciting game to watch. Pineda and Eovaldi looked excellent, Alex Rodriguez picked up two hits, Greg Bird continued to rake, and we also saw some great infield defense from Chase Headley and Didi Gregorius. I'll take that on any day of the week.

The Yankees will play a game tomorrow against the Baltimore Orioles, as Chase Whitley will take the hill against Wei-Yin Chen. The game will be televised on MLB Network (delayed telecast) and on MLB.tv at 1:05 PM EST.

Box Score


Yankees spring training: Hitters' Making the Team Meter - Week One

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Examining where players without guaranteed spots on the Yankees' Opening Day roster stand in their quest to make the team after one week of spring training.

For players who are invited to spring training without a guaranteed place on the roster the next four weeks represent their time to impress enough people to earn a job. We got to see the hard work pay off last season when Yangervis Solarte unexpectedly wrestled away the final roster spot from Eduardo Nunez after tearing the cover off the ball all camp long. Can any of the players in camp this year do well enough to follow that same path?

It's hard to use less than a full week's worth of statistics to make any real statements about anyone's chances, but we'll see how things play out over the next four weeks. Brendan Ryan's status for Opening Day is already up in the air, making it possible that one lucky infielder will get a chance they wouldn't have otherwise. Mostly this is just a fun exercise to keep track of how those players who aren't handed a spot do between now and when they are ultimately sent back to minor league camp or reassigned elsewhere.

As always, here is the legend we used.

Keep in mind that all spring training players are not created equal. Some can bat 1.000 and still won't have a spot on the team while another could pick up one hit before the team heads north and would still have a spot on the Opening Day roster. The reality of each player's situation is taken into consideration in their ranking.

The biggest takeaway here is that some of the young prospects have really done well in their first week of big league camp. Aaron Judge obviously had the huge ninth inning home run against the Phillies to tie the game, Greg Bird has shown off his highly touted hitting skills with three extra base hits in just four games, and Rob Refsnyder has reached base in more than half of his trips to the plate. It's been a while since the future has looked so bright, and none of those guys are even that far away from the big league level at this point. Refsnyder could be looking at a starting job later this season if Stephen Drew falters. The bat looks every bit as good as promised so far. Even prospects that have fallen out of favor with fans and the organization like Mason Williams and Slade Heathcott have gotten off to fairly nice starts in camp.

Backup catcher presents the biggest battle of the spring. John Ryan Murphy should get the job and is obviously more qualified for the job, but Austin Romine is out of options and the Yankees always seem hesitant to risk losing a player they aren't able to send down. Hopefully the team does the right thing and allows Murphy to have the job, since I have little doubt that he will out-hit Romine this spring. Still, there's an outside chance the team could send Murphy to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start every day and use Romine on the bench in New York.

Just like last spring training, Brendan Ryan is hurt again and could miss Opening Day. It seems like Jose Pirela would be the favorite to play infield backup in Ryan's absence, and he's gotten off to a hot start in camp to make that probability rise even more. Being on the 40-man roster already certainly gives him a leg up over guys like Nick Noonan if Ryan isn't healed up enough to start the season on time. Ramon Flores and Tyler Austin are two outfield prospects that would likely be among the first to get the call if someone like Carlos Beltran missed time with an injury. Flores has hit well in camp to this point, but won't be able to land the job as the fourth outfielder over Chris Young. Austin has the advantage of being more regarded as a potential big league starter than Flores before his stock kind of dropped due to injuries and some ineffectiveness. It seems as though the wrist injury likely responsible for some of that has finally fully healed after Austin was able to put on a show in the second half of last year. He'll likely be heading to Triple-A to start the year, but he would likely get the call if a starting outfielder is needed in the Bronx for whatever reason.

Do you think anyone in camp has the potential to be this year's Solarte? Which players have the best chance of improving their stock over the next few weeks?

Tampa Bay Rays Highlights: BRAWLS!

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Let's take a look back at some of the brawls in team history.

In the Tampa Bay Rays almost 20 year history, they have cleared the benches numerous times to go and pummel an opposing team. Sometimes it was caused by tension-filled encounters that finally escalated to violence, and other times it was against a random opponent for some odd reason.

They've occurred during late season games against teams competing for a playoff spot and even twice during spring training. The Rays have been inconsistent in their willingness to retaliate against an opposing team. But, they sometimes use that to their advantage, like in the game where everyone in the stadium was expecting a player to be hit -- such as when Kyle Farnsworth (the tall, tattooed MMA enthusiast) was specifically brought in to face the most intimidating hitter in the game, Miguel Cabrera,  after some shenanigans Cabrera had pulled earlier in the game. Farnsworth didn't plunk Cabrera, although Cabrera was visibly shaken during the at-bat. He would hit a rocket right at the third baseman for the out, but I doubt most any other batter would do the same.

Anyway, let's take a look back at some of the wild brawls in the franchise's history, starting with a fierce bench clearing fight that took place in 1997.

Tampa Bay VS St. Pete!

(June, 15th, 1997)

Against: Tampa Yankees (NYY Affiliate)

Where: Legends Field in Tampa Bay, Fla

The first actual brawl in team history took place before the Devil Rays began their inaugural season. The St. Petersburg Devil Rays, the organization's High-A team in the FSL, who were in the midst of a potential championship season.

During a typical humid summer day at Legends Field, the Devil Rays were engaging in a beanball war with the Yankees that eventually exploded into a violent brawl when Cody Samuel charged Dennis Pujals on the mound. Both players bounced off of each other and Pujals began throwing punches as Samuel was secured from behind.

Samuel was brought to the ground, as was Pujals, who was also flung to the ground, violently flipping over Samuel. Amazingly, no one was injured during the fracas, but several players were ejected and eventually suspended.

Williams Knocks Down Pedro

(August, 29th, 2000)

Against: The Boston Red Sox

Where: Tropicana Field

Pedro Martinez was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history. During a stretch from the late 90's to the early 2000's, he was incredible. Part of what made him so dominant was his fearlessness in attacking hitters inside, sometimes even intentionally hitting batters. One of those batters, Gerald Williams, had grown tired of Martinez antics.

So on August 29th, 2000, when Williams was leading off the bottom half of the first and Martinez struck his wrist with a 1-2 pitch, he reluctantly decided to charge the mound. The moment after he was hit, Williams walked a few steps towards first, all while staring down Martinez. Finally, something clicked and he took after the two time Cy-Young winner.

Williams got to the mound quickly, and both players met each other with shoves, then Williams connected with a wild right jab that knocked Martinez to the ground. Meanwhile, Jason Varitek approached rapidly from behind and tackled Williams to the ground.

The Red Sox first baseman, Brian Daubach was next into the pile and jammed his forearm when he slid in. The Devil Rays big closer, Robert Hernandez, dragged Daubach from the pile, then proceeded to gesture and yell at him, while Daubach clenched his forearm in pain.

Williams, who had been taken from the pile at this point, had to be restrained multiple times and finally left the field after Greg Vaughn was somewhat able to calm him down. There would be another incident in the 7th that resulted in the benches emptying once more. When it was all said and done, Martinez and the Red Sox had the last laugh as he threw a one-hit shutout in a Boston victory. Meanwhile, eight Devil Rays were ejected for various reasons throughout the game.

The Punch Heard From Around the World

(June 4th, 2008)

Against: The Boston Red Sox

Where: Fenway Park

During the Summer of 2008, the Rays were in the middle of the first meaningful baseball in franchise history. It was new ground for a team that had spent a decade being the punching bag of a mighty AL East dominated by New York and Boston. During spring training, a brawl erupted between the Yankees and Rays after Shelly Duncan slid in hard and took out Akinori Iwamura, prompting Johnny Gomes to come shove Duncan and a brawl to commence.

Now, flash forward to June and the Rays were battling atop the division with the Boston Red Sox, with whom the Rays have built up plenty of bad blood through the years.

The events leading up to this fight started the night before when Coco Crisp stole second in the bottom the 6th inning. Crisp used a headfirst slide and as he was closing in on the bag, Jason Bartlett dropped his knee, causing Crisp to possibly jam his thumb.

Crisp took exception to this, so in the bottom of the 8th, he took off for second again. This time he came in extremely hard and caused Akinori Iwamura to barrel roll towards the pitcher's mound. Crisp was out and retreated to the dugout, feeling he had avenged the earlier misdeed against him. Joe Maddon meanwhile went out to the mound to replace Jason Hammel. While on the field, he began a shouting match with Coco Crisp who was close to jumping over the railing in the Red Sox dugout.

For the next and final game of the series, the Rays sent their ace in James Shields to the mound. He was already off to a rocky start when Crisp came up for his first at bat in the bottom of the 2nd. With a 1-0 count, Shields drilled Crisp in the thigh with an offspeed pitch. Crisp waiting a second, then dropped his bat and tipped his helmet off and charged for Shields.

Shields came at him first with a huge right hand that just missed rearranging Crisp's face. Crisp ducked the haymaker and threw a quick jab that connected. Both players were then wrestled to the ground into two separate piles, with several Rays players jumping on top of the Crisp pile. Johnny Gomes, Carl Crawford, along with Iwamura landed several blows to Crisp as was being held down by Dioner Navarro. The only players ejected were Shields, Crisp, and Gomes.

When play was eventually restored, the Rays wound up losing 7-1. When it came time for punishments to be handed out, five Rays and three Red Sox players were suspended.

3 Games - Sean Casey and Akinori Iwamura

4 Games - Carl Crawford

5 Games - Johnny Gomes, Edwin Jackson, and Jon Lester

6 Games - James Shields

7 Games - Coco Crisp

Rays vs Yankees: 3.9.15 Game Recap

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The Rays are finally back on live television thanks to the YES network. Unfortunately, things didn't go the Rays way as they took the loss. Good thing that doesn't matter!

Things started off quietly as the only runner to reach base in the first was Desmond Jennings, who would also steal a base. Nathan Karns was efficient in the first, throwing 6 straight strikes to start the inning and coaxed 3 ground balls to Nick Franklin at short.

The Rays went down quickly in the 2nd, but the Yankees would not as they proceeded to score 2 runs, thanks in large part to Desmond Jennings costly error that put runners on 2nd and 3rd. Public enemy #1, Alex Rodriguez hooked a single into left that scored a runner.

Another run would score after a walk and a groundout.

but Evan Longoria would end the threat after making a nice diving stop and retiring Jacoby Ellsbury to end the inning.

Longoria would also make some nice plays from the right side of the infield today, as the Rays used the shift in full force.

Not much happened after this in the game. Nathan Karns came on for the 3rd after a lengthy 2nd inning and set down the Yankees in order, despite some hard hit line drives.

The Rays had a chance to score in the 4th after Jennings recorded his 2nd hit, followed by a line out and another basehit. But strikeouts from Steven Souza and Kevin Kiermaier ended the threat.

The Rays bullpen was impressive as Brandon Gomes, Jordan Noberto, and Ernesto Frieri pitched 3 scoreless innings. The Rays meanwhile would run themselves out of an inning in 5th after a strikem-out, throwem-out double play.

In the 7th, the Rays managed to get a runner on 3rd after Corey Brown worked a long at bat, singled, stole 2nd, then advanced to 3rd, but he would be stranded as the Rays squandered yet another opportunity.

In the bottom half, the Yankees would score 2 more times after a long rough inning for Kirby Yates.

He'd be taken out of the game after 33 pitches, with the bases loaded and 2 outs. C.J. Riefenhauser recreated his MLB debut as he came on with the bases loaded, but this time he's able to coax a groundball for the final out of the inning.

In the 8th, Diego Moreno came out throwing extremely wild as he walk Boog Powell on 4 pitches. Moreno then struck Daniel Robertson with the next pitch putting runners on 1st and 2nd. Taylor Motter would chop a ball to third, and after the force at 2nd, an error allowed Powell to score the Rays first run.

Eugenio Velez drilled a ball up the middle that scored Motter. As Motter scored, New York centerfielder extremely air mailed a throw home that hit the protection screen behind home plate. Boog Powell  made a similar throw earlier in the game.

Jake Elmore then hit a single that scored Velez making it only a 1 run game, but Corey Brown would be called out on strikes to end the threat.

In the 9th, Luke Maile came about a centimeter away from tying the game as he hit a double that bounced off the top of the wall in left center field. Hak-Ju Lee would pinch run for him with 1 out. Boog Powell was caught looking for the 2nd out, bringing Daniel Robertson up, who'd strikeout to end the game, 4-3 Yanks.

The Rays will split into 2 squads tomorrow as 1 team will stay at Port Charlotte to take on Pittsburgh in a rematch from Saturday and the other will travel to take on Boston.

Some notes:

  • Kevin Cash told reporters earlier that John Jaso will start in left field tomorrow for one of the squads.
  • Burch Smith will start against the Pirates, while Matt Andriese will go against the Red Sox in Split Squad action tomorrow.
  • The Rays won't be back on TV again until the 13th, so be on the lookout for more videos from our Youtube channel, or here on DRaysBay.

Yankees spring training: Pitchers' Making the Team Meter - Week One

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Track the chances that every pitcher in Yankees spring training not already guaranteed a roster spot has at making the team

Yankees spring training is underway and with it comes the inevitable competition for roster spots. In order to track these battles, we will be using our annual Making the Team Meter series to tell you how everyone is doing and what their chances are of making the team. For your viewing pleasure, here is a handy legend to decipher what everyone's chances are:

At the moment, most of the pitching staff seems to be locked up. Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi, and CC Sabathia are all locked in for the Yankees rotation. Chris Capuano currently has the fifth starter role, but he's far from safe going into spring training. The bullpen is almost completely set with Andrew Miller, Dellin Betances, Adam Warren, Chris Carpenter, Justin Wilson, and Esmil Rogers all set for Opening Day. The only thing left is one spot that could go to several different players in the end.

MTTM Pitchers 2

MTTM Pitchers 1

In the battle for the fifth starter spot, Bryan Mitchell could end up giving Chris Capuano a run for his money. Mitchell pitched well while Capuano was beat up, so a few more starts like that could change things around for the rookie. Scott Baker and Kyle Davies are also in camp, but neither will have much of a chance to make the team out of spring training. Maybe Baker can prove to be healthy and effective at some point this year, but Davies isn't going to provide much value to the big league team.

The final spot in the bullpen is a wide-open race between a few favorites and then most of everyone left in camp. The pitchers most likely to be considered for the one bullpen spot include Chasen Shreve, since he was just acquired, as well as Chase Whitley, to serve as a second longman, and Jose Ramirez. From there, prospects like Jacob Lindgren, Tyler Webb, Nick Rumbelow, Branden Pinder, and Danny Burawa all have an outside shot to make the bullpen if they separate themselves from the pack. Even Chris Martin has a shot at making the team out of spring training.

There are also players who are just not going to get a chance at a roster spot this spring. Veterans like Andrew Bailey, Jared Burton, and Kyle Davies, as well as younger options like Jose De Paula and Wilking Rodriguez, are destined for Triple-A. Internal prospects like Jose Campos and Domingo German are going to look to get some footing in the organization, while Nick Goody, Diego Moreno, James Pazos, and top prospect Luis Severino try their best to impress the organization for later in the season.

Who do you think has the best chance of making the team this spring? Who deserves a spot but might not get one?

Around the Empire: Yankees News - 3/10/15

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Michael Pineda and Luis Severino are impressive in the early going, Reggie Jackson is auctioning off a fairly sizable piece of the old stadium, and more.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: It was only a couple of innings in early March, but Michael Pineda's start on Monday inspired a lot of positive vibes from his fellow Yankees. Joe Girardi, Brian McCann, and Alex Rodriguez all expressed satisfaction with how Pineda looked out of the gate, as well as excitement over what this season has in store for the 26-year-old starter.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: If there's a chance of Luis Severino working his way up to the big-league level at some point this season, he's certainly taken the right first step by turning heads early in spring.

New York Post | Kevin Kernan: We all know the Yanks are going to need a lot of breaks to go their way if they want to reach the promised land this season. Kevin Kernan lays out the most important keys to the Yanks' success in 2015.

Fangraphs | Sean Dolinar: If Derek Jeter is indeed the last Yankee captain, here's a timeline of every Yankee captain ever.


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