Results tagged ‘ Baseball ’
A Minor Assignment
Yesterday afternoon was almost awesome for the Yankees, in their series finale vs. the Los Angeles Angels. But what’s that old saying? “Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”
With the tying run on second base, the potential winning run on first base, and two outs in the ninth, Alex Rodriguez had a chance to channel his inner 2007 and walk off the Yankee Stadium field a hero. Instead he came up short, popping the ball up behind first base; the cowhide falling into waiting glove of Albert Pujols for a 10-8 loss.
Nonetheless, the Yankees still own the best record in baseball at 54-34, and remain in first place in the AL East, a cool eight games ahead of the second place Baltimore Orioles.
While the Yankees were taking two games out of three from the Angels this weekend, I had the opportunity to cover the same minor league team I interned for in 2010, the Hudson Valley Renegades, who are connected to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Since the high school sports scene is obviously voided for summer vacation, my editor thought it might be fun for me to cover some Renegades games, just to give me some work and a chance to cover some professional baseball.
Saturday evening I made my way to up Dutchess Stadium, much like I did every game day two years ago, to cover the Renegades’ game vs. the Mahoning Valley Scrappers – a minor league team affiliated with the Cleveland Indians.
It was a different feeling on the way to the ballpark, however, knowing I’d be sitting up in the press box rather than setting up for the game and handling all the oftentimes unpleasant tasks interns have to do. Like this…
When I walked into the Stadium, it felt surreal. Not having been there in two years and having so many memories – and all those memories coming back to me in that moment – was a little overwhelming. All of the players (including Robinson Cano’s cousin Burt Reynolds) and interns who were there in 2010 have moved on; it was so strange looking around and not seeing all the familiar faces.
Wearing my press pass, I made my way up to the breezeway, past the luxury boxes and into the press box, where a number of MiLB personnel and beat writers were.
A group of them were conversing about the recent draft, and speculating about which players were going to make an impact in the future. They also shared with each other some stories about traveling, going from city to city following their respective teams. It was a little intimidating for me, knowing these reporters are the real deal; not that I’m not the real deal, but they are writers that get to experience professional baseball on a daily basis.
I guess it was only natural to feel intimidated; me being just a fresh, relatively new high school sports reporter who was given an assignment – they being writers with years of experience in the business. I’ll admit I was nervous – nervous, but not scared. Believe it or not, a Tweet from one of my former co-workers at the Renegades put my mind at ease.
Thanks, Dan.
The other writers eventually left though, and took seats down the left field line in a designated area for press members. I elected to remain in the press box with another reporter, the official scorer, and the girl who runs the Renegades’ Twitter page. The group of us shared a lot of laughs and banter throughout the game.
Before the game started, I kind of soaked it in; took in the view.
The Renegades led off the bottom of the first with a home run from their center fielder Joey Rickard. They then took a 2-0 lead after two innings when their left fielder, DeShun Dixon, led off the bottom of the second with a home run.
Dixon would knock in a run on an RBI single in the third after an RBI single off the bat of Renegades’ shortstop Ryan Dunn (Yes, Ryan Dunn. I’m aware he shares the same name as Bam Margera’s late friend).
Leading 4-0 heading into the fourth, the Scrappers put up two runs on back-to-back RBI doubles off reliever Brandon Henderson. Renegades’ starter, 19-year-old Taylor Guerrieri – who was Tampa Bay’s top pick out of Columbia, S.C. a year ago – left the game after three innings, using up a lot of his pitches.
Following the back-to-back RBI doubles, the ‘Gades bent but didn’t break. They held the score until the seventh when second baseman Tommy Coyle blasted a two-run homer, the Renegades’ third round-tripper of the night.
Trailing 6-2, the Scrappers threatened in the ninth. Mahoning Valley loaded the bases with nobody out, but again, the Renegades refused to fold. Reliever Ryan Garton induced a 6-4-3 double play, which allowed a run to come home, before notching the last out.
Final score: Renegades 6, Scrappers 3
It marked the Renegades’ eighth win at home this year, and they are only a game out of first place in their division behind the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets’ farm team.
I left the press box and went to the clubhouse where I caught up with Jared Sandberg, the Renegades’ manager, ex-Devil Ray, and nephew of famed Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg. I had to ask him what makes his team so good when they’re playing at home.
“We get the last at-bats, we make it exciting, and we get the chance to put on a show for the home crowd,” he said.
“The crowd comes out and supports us every night, with 4,000-plus, and it’s fun to play in front of a big crowd. They get behind us and it’s good energy.”
I then questioned him about the home runs, seeing as how a power surge led to the win. He admitted the long ball raised his eyebrows.
“We haven’t hit many homers this year, so it was a little bit of a surprise,” he said.
“It was also good to see because guys aren’t trying to hit home runs and they’re hitting home runs. Any time Joey Rickard can lead off the game with a homer and give us that boost, that’s nice, and then DeShun Dixon hits a two-run homer with a flick of the bat. Then obviously Tommy Coyle’s late home run gave us some breathing room.”
With the top pick on the mound, and a decent job from the relief corps, I inquired about how well the Renegades’ pitching has been anchoring the team.
“The pitching is keeping our season going in the right direction,” Sandberg said.
“We can lean on the pitchers right now because they’re throwing strikes and competing extremely well. The team is playing relaxed but we’re going out there competing every night and that’s what a manager wants.”
Overall I was extremely satisfied with how it went. My editor thought I did a great job with the story, and I hope this is just serving as a warm-up; the start of what I pray is a long career covering pro baseball.
Perhaps I’ll be one of those beat writers in the press box, talking about the new draft picks and sharing stories about life on the road, covering pro baseball teams.
Maybe someday. Until then, I have this story: getting the chance to cover a pro baseball game for the first time.
Bottom line: I loved it.
Yankees Are Swinging, Red Sox Must Rise
This week Spiderman once again webbed his way onto the big screen and into our hearts. In just about two weeks’ time, Batman will yet again make everyone say “oooohhhh” and “aaaahhhh” when “The Dark Knight Rises” hits theaters.
While Spiderman and Batman will be squaring off against their sworn enemies – the Lizard and Bane, respectively – the Yankees will do battle this weekend against their primary foes, the Boston Red Sox. The Yanks will travel into enemy territory tomorrow and play four games (including a doubleheader on Saturday; making up a rainout from April 22) in three days.
The Yankees are standing about as tall as the caped crusader on top of a Gotham City skyscraper at press time; 49-32, in first place, five games ahead of the second place Baltimore Orioles in the AL East. The Red Sox on the other hand look more like a defeated Joker, at 42-40 in fourth place in the east.
Tomorrow night Hiroki Kuroda (8-7, 3.17 ERA) will put on his cape and cowl, to do battle with one of New York’s fiercest adversaries, Josh Beckett (4-7, 4.06 ERA). Kuroda has only faced the Red Sox once in his career – and it was a losing effort – but did not see many of Boston’s current hitters in that game.
However, two hitters Kuroda must look out for are Adrian Gonzalez and Cody Ross. Gonzalez is .261 lifetime off Kuroda with two homers and five RBIs. Ross is just as pesky, as he is .263 in his career with a homer and four RBIs against him.
Beckett has to watch out for Robinson Cano, who currently owns a .302 lifetime BA against him with two homers and 10 RBIs. Curtis Granderson has also punished Beckett in the past, hitting .241 with three home runs and four RBIs.
If they want to escape tomorrow night with a win, the Yanks have to step up. Despite his poor numbers on Cano and Granderson, last year Beckett puzzled the Yankees, going 4-0 with a 1.85 ERA against the Bronx Bombers.
Although it hasn’t been formally announced yet, Phil Hughes (9-6, 4.29 ERA) will throw on his cape and start one of Saturday’s games, coming off his spectacular winning performance on Sunday over the Chicago White Sox. Hughes will likely go head-to-head with Franklin Morales (1-1, 2.50 ERA).
Hughes is in a groove right now, but does not have good career numbers against Boston (2-5, 6.65 ERA). He must be on the lookout for David Ortiz, who yesterday clubbed his 400th career home run. Two of those 400 came off Hughes, and he’s knocked in seven runs off the 26-year-old righty – all while possessing a lifetime .471 batting average against him.
The Yankees haven’t seen much of Morales, but Russell Martin does have an RBI on him.
Freddy Garcia (2-2, 5.94 ERA), almost playing the role of Robin filling in for Batman – helping fill the rotation void for a hobbled Andy Pettitte and an injured CC Sabathia – is slated to start the other game of the doubleheader.
Last time Garcia toed the rubber in Boston, it wasn’t pretty. At least not to begin with.
The Red Sox put a hurting on him, lighting him up for five runs in just 1.2 innings pitched on April 21. With some super-duper heroics, the Yankee offense bailed him out though, rallying from a huge deficit to beat the Red Sox, 15-9.
Felix Doubront (8-4, 4.42 ERA) started Boston’s losing effort on April 21, and will probably face Garcia again. Doubront has to beware of Granderson: he homered off Doubront last time and drove in two.
Who knows? Maybe Garcia vs. Doubront II will be another roller coaster ride; one that would put butterflies in the stomach of the Incredible Hulk.
Finally on Sunday night Ivan Nova (9-3, 4.05 ERA) will suit up to take on lefty Jon Lester (5-5, 4.33 ERA). Nova will look to get back in the win column on the road, having suffered his first loss away from Yankee Stadium since June 3, 2011 on Tuesday at the Rays.
No Red Sox hitter has numbers against Nova that jump out, except Dustin Pedroia, who has a .600 BA vs. the 25-year-old righty and two RBIs. Lucky for Nova and the Yanks, Pedroia has been ruled out for this weekend’s series with a thumb injury.
Lester meanwhile needs to be careful with several Yankee hitters. Granderson, Derek Jeter, Andruw Jones, Nick Swisher, and Mark Teixeira have each homered off Lester in their respective careers. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jayson Nix in the lineup Sunday, as he sports a .333 average against Lester with two homers and five RBIs.
When facing the Yankees Lester must feel like Lex Luthor, trying to beat Superman. But his biggest form of kryptonite has to be the Yankee third baseman.
Alex Rodriguez has three homers lifetime off Boston’s southpaw, with six RBIs. A-Rod has a chance to add to that total and hurt the Red Sox ace even more to close out the series.
Like Spiderman, the Yankees are swinging. But the Red Sox need to be more like Batman – and rise – if they wish to keep their postseason hopes and dreams alive.
And this weekend could be their only chance.
If the Yankees were to unleash a Boston Massacre, and sweep these four games in three days, it would put the Red Sox in a position where they would need to do nothing but win after the All-Star break.
Clean Rocket Fuel
Perjury was the case that they gave him. And he’s innocent.
Innocent?
In May, 2007 I sat in a sports bar with my dad. Roger Clemens had just agreed to return to the New York Yankees days before, having spent three seasons with the Houston Astros, dipping in and out of retirement. I overheard another fan sitting at a nearby table, fawning over Clemens’s comeback.
“He is THE greatest pitcher of our era,” he said to his friend. “I’m so glad he’s back.”
Clemens went on to have a mediocre half-season for the Yanks, finishing 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA. He had to leave his only postseason start vs. Cleveland in the ALDS early with a groin injury.
Knowing Clemens’s history – admitting his career was over, only for him to rejoin his team halfway through the year – I never expected his start vs. the Indians in the ‘07 ALDS to be his last game. I got the feeling that Clemens, even at 45 years old, would somehow find his way back to the majors in 2008.
That is, until the can of worms was opened on Dec. 13, 2007; the possible secret to his longevity revealed.
Clemens was named in the infamous Mitchell Report, a 409-page document which deeply explored steroid usage in Major League Baseball. The Rocket’s name was mentioned 82 times. Upon the release of the report, and his name being linked with steroid usage, Clemens vehemently denied using performance-enhancing drugs, steroids, HGH, or any other illegal substance in order to gain an unfair advantage on the diamond.
The main whistleblower in the whole ordeal was Brian McNamee, a former personal strength coach of Clemens and his former teammate and friend, the recently hobbled Andy Pettitte. McNamee confessed that he personally injected Clemens with steroids, sparking a huge he said-she said case.
In a nutshell, McNamee claimed, “Yes, Roger took steroids. I know because I gave them to him.” Clemens contended, “No, I didn’t take them. Brian is lying.”
Determined to tell his side of the story, Clemens appeared on 60 Minutes in January of 2007 to plead his case. In the interview, he stated that McNamee only injected him with Lidocaine (a pain reliever) and B-12 (or Vitamin B).
What particularly stood out to me in that interview was his response to Mike Wallace’s question about the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Wallace inquired about what Clemens’s chances of making the hall might be, given the steroid allegations.
“What makes you think I give a damn about the Hall of Fame?” Clemens answered, in clearly a frustrated tone.
That did it right there for me. That response alone wiped away a great deal of respect I once had for the Rocket. No player, no matter what, should ever speak that way about the Hall of Fame, because being a member of that exclusive club is an honor every player should “give a damn about.”
The saga continued in February of 2008 when Clemens stood before congress and claimed he never used PEDs, steroids, or HGH. Being that Clemens swore under oath he never used steroids, if it came out that he was lying, he could have faced jail time – such is the punishment for lying under oath, or in judicial terminology, perjury.
The host of congressmen were divided during the hearing. In fact, I recall watching the coverage of the hearing and it seemed half of the committee believed Clemens and the other half sided with McNamee.
Talk about giving new meaning to the phrase, “a house divided.”
Clemens was indicted in August 2010 and his trial began July 13 of last year. The case was declared a mistrial and as a result Clemens was retried.
This whole mess finally came to a head 11 days ago, Monday, June 18, when Clemens was found not guilty on six counts of lying to congress about using steroids, HGH, and performance-enhancing drugs.
Where was I when I learned of the Rocket’s innocence?
Of all places, Yankee Stadium. I guess that’s poetically just.
Perhaps in a way to celebrate his successful trial, Clemens attended a Boston Red Sox game recently. He sat in the Green Monster seats, protected by a group of security guards. Maybe it was the Rocket’s way of attempting to endear himself back into the hearts of his baseball fans in Boston, where he started his career and flourished.
But it was for naught. Clemens was booed by the Fenway Faithful.
Clemens, to me, will now forever be a mystery. Now I have a barrage of questions that I’m not sure will ever be answered.
Should the fans, now knowing he technically didn’t lie, forgive him and consider him one of the most elite pitchers in not only Yankee history, but baseball history?
Does the fact that he was found not guilty really prove he was innocent? Or in other words, did he get away with perjury?
If he really was telling the truth, is he the rightful “greatest pitcher of our era?”
Despite his asinine comments, is he worthy of the Hall of Fame now?
If he came back to Yankee Stadium and sat amongst the bleacher creatures, how would he be received by Yankee Universe in comparison to how Red Sox Nation reacted to his presence?
I don’t know. And I might never know, for sure.
Phil’s Fails: Is it Time to Say Goodbye to Hughes?
They say all good things eventually come to an end, and the Yankees’ 10-game winning streak came to an end on Tuesday night. The Atlanta Braves were able to sneak out a 4-3 win to stop the Bombers.
In the rubber game of the series yesterday afternoon, Phil Hughes took the mound, looking to steer the Yankees back into the win column. But, like the majority of his starts this season, Hughes cracked. He allowed six earned runs in the 4.1 innings he pitched, serving up a career-high four home runs to the Braves.
The Yanks went on to lose, 10-5.
Hughes has now given up 19 homers this season, and is 7-6 with an ERA of 4.94. Facing teams with records above .500, Hughes is 2-6, and in six of his 14 starts this year, he’s given up four or more earned runs.
Only one question needs to be asked right now: how many more anvils are the Yankees going to let this guy drop on them?
When he pitches, this is basically what we’re all forced to witness:
Before Hughes first debuted in April, 2007, he was dubbed the “Pocket Rocket” – being compared to a young Roger Clemens; a power righty with a sidesplitting fastball and dazzling breaking stuff. Hughes lived up to the nickname on May 1, 2007 – the night he spun a gem and nearly no-hit the Texas Rangers in Arlington.
A hamstring injury forced him out of the game and he lost his bid for the no-no at Texas. In a lot of ways that scenario has defined his career. Hughes has always been close to achieving greatness, but it seems to elude him.
Case in point: 2010.
For the first half of the season, Hughes was as dominant as a Cy Young candidate; blowing hitters away with his, dare I say, “Phil-thy” stuff. But after registering the loss for the American League in the All-Star Game, everything went downhill for him.
Hughes went on to lose two important games in the American League Championship Series to the Texas Rangers, and in 2011, was shut down with a fatigued arm. Which brings us to this year – and his inconsistency; his inability to defeat viable opponents.
Two of Hughes’s seven wins this season are legitimate victories. On June 3 he tossed a complete game against the Detroit Tigers on the road, allowing just one earned run on four hits. Being that Hughes pitched well against a team (that at the time was) near the top of the AL Central – and a lineup which holds Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder – it was a solid win.
On Friday Hughes faced off with the NL East’s best, the Washington Nationals. He threw up six innings, while only allowing one earned run. Hughes struck out nine and walked two on the way to another road victory. The win over the Nats marked the first game this season Hughes started in which he did not allow a home run.
The rest of Hughes’s wins this year have come against teams who the Yankees have no business losing to: the Mets (June 9), the Kansas City Royals (May 6 and May 22), and the Minnesota Twins (April 19).
As for his losses: (along with the Braves) the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, and Rangers have each lit him up. The Los Angeles Angels have beaten him twice.
If you ask me, Hughes’s biggest problem is his mechanics.
Just from watching him pitch these last few seasons, I’ve noticed a little bit of a pattern. Hitters who face Hughes usually see a lot of his pitches, and more importantly foul a lot of his pitches off. His fastball a lot of the time has life on it, but never a whole lot of movement; it has no tailing action, it’s as straight as an arrow.
In baseball, hitters can absolutely feast on a flat fastball. And the same goes for off-speed pitching.
When Hughes’s opponents see his breaking ball enough times, they are eventually able to catch up to it. Quite a few of the home runs he’s allowed this year have come on breaking balls; he’s been hanging them up in the zone for the batters to crush.
It’s obvious an adjustment needs to be made in order for him to be successful. Yet, for a five-year veteran who was once compared to Roger Clemens, shouldn’t that adjustment have already been made?
The Yankees signed Hughes to a one-year deal on Jan. 16 this year worth $3.25 million. The way I see it, the team has two options. They can either let him finish out this year and let his season play out, or trade him before the end of July.
If the Yankees allow him to stay on board and his 2012 season pans out to a record barely above .500 combined with an elevated ERA, they don’t have to re-sign him – and I don’t they will. They’d probably rather let him walk away and hope Michael Pineda can fill what would be the void.
The Yankees also have the option of trading him this year. The 24-45 Chicago Cubs have said they are willing to hear offers for virtually anybody, and have a few starting pitchers that could potentially be successful in New York – Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster, to name a couple.
If the decision was up to me, I would put Hughes on the trading block; throw his name out there and see if a National League team might want to take a chance on him. The alternative of trading him as opposed to keeping him on the team might pay dividends. Why keep him aboard and risk him losing important playoff games, as he did in ’10?
His next start will come on Tuesday at home against the Cleveland Indians, a team currently above .500 at 36-32. Hughes last faced the Indians in 2011 – and lost.
At the end of the day, Hughes hasn’t exactly been the “Pocket Rocket.” At most he’s been an unreliable, inconsistent pitcher whose claim to fame (thus far) has been a good season as a reliever in 2009.
Thankfully for me – and most Yankee fans who are growing tired of watching him fail – his time in pinstripes could be coming to an end.
Catching Up with Eli Manning
Look out, baseball world. The Yankees have caught fire.
A power surge in the eighth inning of last night’s game led to a 6-4 win for the Yanks over the Atlanta Braves, the fifth consecutive win for the boys from the Bronx. The Yankees have now won 15 of their last 19 games and are in sole possession of first place in the American League East – a game ahead of both the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays.
Alex Rodriguez did his best Superman impression, saving the day for his team. The Bombers trailed 4-0 in the eighth, and with the bases chucked, Rodriguez delivered. He launched a game-tying grand slam, a screaming line drive off reliever Jonny Venters that took practically no time to leave the yard.
It marked A-Rod’s 10th homer of the season and his 23rd career trip to granny’s house, tying him with another Yankee, Lou Gehrig, on baseball’s all-time grand slams list.
One more homer with the bases loaded, and Rodriguez is the all-time leader.
Nick Swisher then finished the job with a two-run homer later in the frame, his ninth of the year, to put the Braves away for good.
While the Swisher and A-Rod came through in the clutch last night, this week I had the opportunity to meet and interview (along with a number of other reporters) another New York sports hero who always comes up big when it matters: two-time Super Bowl Champion and MVP Eli Manning.
For the sixth straight year Manning hosted the Guiding Eyes for the Blind Golf Classic in Mount Kisco, N.Y. The Giants’ quarterback was asked by Pat Browne, a blind golf champion and friend of the Manning family from New Orleans, to attend the event six years ago. He happily accepted and each year since, he’s come back.
When I got the call from my editor to cover Manning’s appearance at the golf outing on Monday, I was absolutely ecstatic. Obviously I followed the Giants during the regular season this past year, and certainly enjoyed their Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots on Feb. 5.
I arrived to the Mount Kisco Country Club where the tournament was held and there were a lot of other media outlets present – both local and national. The Journal News, Patch, News 12, the New York Daily News, and even ESPN were all on hand.
Manning arrived and met with the press in what’s called a “media scrum,” or an informal press conference in which journalists/reporters gather around an interview subject and ask questions. On the High School sports scene, media scrums aren’t very common, so it felt extremely good to be a part of one among a group of fellow press members.
That’s me…well, the back of my head, on the right, next to the cameraman.
One reporter asked him about the recent arrest of teammate David Diehl, who was charged with a DWI earlier this week. Not knowing a lot about the situation, Manning had no comment.
After he fielded some questions, the reigning Super Bowl MVP then stood on the practice green for a demonstration. He sank a putt blindfolded, getting the feel for what blind golfers like Browne experience when they are putting.
He felt attempting to golf without sight was more difficult than throwing a game-winning touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of a football game.
“I don’t think I could play football blindfolded,” Manning said of the demo. “It’s a totally different game and I had no idea how long I was going to hit that putt.”
I then got a chance to ask him how excited he was, being that not only was he at a good event for charity, but after the golf classic he was heading to mini-camp with the Giants.
“It’s always been the day before mini-camp starts, so it’s an exciting week,” Manning answered me.
“The tournament is fun and it seems that it’s just grown and grown each year, and Guiding Eyes has grown – it’s moved on to helping kids with autism, so I’m just happy that it affects so many different people and helps peoples’ lives.”
Since no one had mentioned anything about it up until the end, I just had to go there…
“I heard Denver got a new quarterback during the off-season, and I heard he’s pretty good. If the Giants happen to play the Broncos in the future, what are you going to be thinking about?” I asked.
Manning kind of shot me that all-too-familiar “awww shucks” expression; he darted his eyes and smirked, right after I mentioned the Broncos.
“I’ll be thinking, how are we going to get some points on the board against that guy?”
Manning, myself, and the scrum of reporters let out a good-spirited laugh.
Overall, it was a great experience; one I hope to experience again with other big-ticket athletes. Manning was a great interview subject and it was a little bit of a challenge for me to keep my cool; maintain my excitement level (even as a reporter) being such a huge fan of his and the Giants.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what I am: a fan.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
At the end of the first inning of last night’s Subway Series game, I sent out a specific tweet.
“I hope Robinson Cano blasts a 450’ homer off Johan. But that’s just me.”
Lo and behold, on the first pitch he saw in the second inning, Cano absolutely blasted Johan Santana’s offering over the right-centerfield wall, giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead. I then received a reply to that tweet:
Thanks, Kev.
Cano would go on to smack another two-run homer in the third, followed by a solo shot off the bat of Nick Swisher. Andruw Jones then came to the plate and clobbered yet another homer, as the Yanks went back-to-back-to-back in home runs, distancing themselves from the Mets.
The power surge led to a glorious 9-1 victory for the Yanks over the Mets, a great way to start off the weekend cross-town showdown.
During the game the Yes Network posed a tweet question, to which I responded:
Little did I know they would use my answer on their “Extra Innings” postgame show – the third time they have used one of my comments on their show!
Hosts Bob Lorenz and Jack Curry praised my insight.
Thanks again to YES for once again using one of my comments on TV. At this point, why don’t they just hire me as an analyst?
The Yanks, meanwhile, will play the second game of their Subway Series vs. the Mets tonight. Coming off his spectacular, complete game win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, Phil Hughes (5-5, 4.96 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Yanks, to be opposed by Dillon Gee (4-3, 4.48 ERA).
Good Luck, Bears
While the Yankees are Mets – and most baseball fans in New York – are gearing up for what’s expected to be a well-played Subway Series at Yankee Stadium this weekend, another team is preparing for a big day tomorrow.
The Briarcliff Bears, one of the local High School baseball teams I have covered this past season for my newspaper, is gunning for a state title. Last Wednesday the Bears won their section, beating Keio – a team that had beaten them 8-1 during the regular season – by a score of 5-0. (Ironically enough the Bears won their Section at Dutchess Stadium, the same Stadium I interned at…yeah, I had to throw that in).
Briarcliff went on to win its region and this weekend will compete in Binghamton for the Class B New York State title. The Bears from Section 1 will take on Albany Academy from Section 2 tomorrow morning. If they beat Albany, they play the winner of Fredonia (Section 6) and Oneonta (Section 4) later in the day for the state crown.
Best of luck, guys.
I had the pleasure of writing Briarcliff’s season preview back in March, and I covered the Bears multiple times this season – and each game of theirs I covered, they won.
At the beginning of the year on April 5, the Bears hosted their annual Diamond Classic tournament. They made the finals and routed rival Irvington 20-7, winning their own tournament for the first time since 2009.
Power-hitting senior third baseman John Fussell – who has received offers to play baseball next year at Wake Forest, UMass, and Virginia Tech – collected six hits throughout the Diamond Classic, including a home run. He took home the honor of tourney MVP.
“I’m proud and it’s a great way to start the year off,” Fussell said. “It’s a good feeling; I’ve been doing what I need to do so far and I hope I keep it up.”
Outfielder Spencer Kulman earned all-tournament honors, as he clubbed his first varsity level home run vs. Irvington. His teammates ran out of the dugout to congratulate him on his first round-tripper, and Kulman was just as happy with his feat.
“It was my first real home run,” he said. “I’ve had a couple in scrimmages the last two years, but it’s good to finally have one count and it was nice to have them come out for me; a good feeling.”
On May 18 the Bears once again won big, beating another rival, Pleasantville, 10-4. Briarcliff had lost to Pleasantville 2-1 two days earlier, but let out all their aggression in the fourth inning, plating nine runs.
Bears’ Head Coach John Consorti attributed the big fourth inning to some tweaking.
“I think we made a little bit of an adjustment in our at-bats,” he said. “Our at-bats were a little better, we were more patient, and we had more opportunity to use some of our speed on the bases, so it was a very positive inning.”
Lastly, on May 26, I covered their quarterfinal game vs. Putnam Valley, the second stop on the road to their Section title. The Bears, seeded at No. 1, had beaten Croton-Harmon 5-0 the day before in the opening round. Unlike a lot of their other games, however, the Bears didn’t win big.
Briarcliff squeaked by Putnam Valley, 3-2.
Bears’ senior pitcher Paul Henshaw had done a nice job shutting PV down the entire game. That is, until the last inning. Ahead 3-0 in the seventh, things got a little dicey for Henshaw, as he let up two runs with the tying run standing on third base with two outs.
But in the pressure-laden predicament, Henshaw remained calm. He got Tigers’ third baseman Chris Wright to ground out to first, as Briarcliff finished the ninth-seeded Tigers off.
Before Henshaw got Wright to ground out to end the game, Consorti made a visit to the mound. The coach talked to his ace, calming him down when the game was on the line.
“He told me to relax and keep doing my thing,” Henshaw said of the powwow. “He told me to bare down and I was able to regain my focus and keep doing what I was doing, which was jamming them inside.”
The Bears only led 2-0 going into the sixth inning, and Henshaw was saved by pinch-hitter Matt Pasternak – who lined an RBI single to left field to drive in Kulman in the frame. The decision to pinch hit paid dividends for Briarcliff, and Consorti was happy Pasternak came up big when he sent him to the plate.
“Well, it made me look good,” he said of the move. “Matt has more of a short swing and is a contact hitter, so I figured I’d give it a shot and it worked out pretty well.”
Overall, it was a lot of fun to be a small part of the Bears’ team this season. I can only hope they make it all the way and bring home a state title tomorrow.
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Other Congratulations
I’d also like to send a special shout out to the Byram Hills baseball team, another squad I was able to cover this year. The Bobcats were seeded at No. 9 and made it all the way to the Class A section finals. Unfortunately they lost to Harrison, but nonetheless, I’d say it’s very impressive for a nine seed to make it that far.
Byram Hills collected a playoff win at Beacon – a field I’m very familiar with. I made a lot of memories when I played summer ball for the town of Beacon and I’m glad they were able to make some memories there, too.
Although they didn’t win, congrats to Head Coach Scott Saunders, Andrew Slosberg, Scott Rose, and the rest of the Bobcats on a wonderful season. It was a lot of fun covering you guys this year.
(Photo Credit: LoHud, Examiner News, Google, Patch)
Base-Running Diary
Good evening fellow Yankee Yappers…
Instead of simply Tweeting the game tonight, I figured I would try something different. I’ll post what’s happening here on the blog as it is happening, giving everyone the fun experience of following me on Twitter, or just watching a game with me; complete with coverage and wise remarks, inside jokes, and obscure references.
Basically, it’s what we journalists call a running diary. Or in keeping with the baseball theme, maybe more appropriately, a “base-running diary.”
I’ll need feedback after this one: if you, the readers, like this concept, please let me know. If it receives a “vote of no confidence,” so-to-speak, it’ll only be a one-time deal.
Without any further ado, here’s my insight from tonight’s game, as the action unfolded…
- Alright, 21 minute rain delay is over. Hopefully the leprechaun got the gold at the end of that rainbow. Many thanks to Roy G. Biv. Now let’s play some baseball! (7:32 p.m.)
- CC makes quick work of Elliot Johnson, Ben Zobrist, and Desmond Jennings. Three up, three down. (7:40 p.m.)
- Ugh. Jose Lobaton with a bloop RBI single to RF after B.J. Upton’s double to deep left-center. 1-0 Rays. I swear, I thought Michael Kay said “Toblerone” when he first said Lobaton’s last name. (7:55 p.m.)
- Whack-a-doodle play right there. Wild pitch, Nick Swisher goes to third from second, Andruw Jones tries to advance from first to second, but stays put – while the Rays throw the ball past first base. Nuts. (8:07 p.m.)
- Jayson Nix K’s for one out, Chris Stewart with an excuse me check swing; he’s out at first, Swisher scores. We got ourselves a 1-1 game. (8:10 p.m.)
- Virgil…errrm…David Price whiffs Curtis Granderson to end the second. Knotted up at one. (8:17 p.m.)
- Error on A-Rod, Johnson reaches first. Who does he think he is? The entire Rays team? I believe Tampa Bay is one of the league leaders in unearned runs… (8:21 p.m.)
- Speaking of unearned runs, there’s one for the Yankees. RBI single for Ben Zobrist, Johnson scores, 2-1 Rays. (8:22 p.m.)
- Right away, another hit. Jennings with a double, Rays are set up, second and third with one out. Buckle down, ace. (8:24 p.m.)
- Sac fly for Upton, Rays go up 3-1. (8:26 p.m.)
- Virgil gets the Yanks 1-2-3 in the third. (8:37 p.m.)
- I should clarify that David Price eerily resembles Virgil, “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase’s bodyguard from the old WWF days. (8:38 p.m.)
- Drew Sutton with a two-run double off the LF wall. 5-1 Rays. Not looking like a sweep. (8:47 p.m.)
- Bases chucked in the fifth for the Yanks, one out. They created a chance, now they have to cash in. (9:18 p.m.)
- Virgil Price just hit 97 mph on the speed gun, his 94th pitch of the night. Still firing bullets with a high pitch count. (9:20 p.m.)
- Whoa. A-Rod strikes out swinging with the bases loaded for the second out of the fifth. An 11-pitch battle which Price won; went off-speed on him. That one hurt. (9:25 p.m.)
- Virgil gets Robinson Cano to bounce into a 4-3 putout. Price wiggles out of danger, Rays up 5-1 at the end of five. (9:30 p.m.)
- Into the Ray’s bullpen – and down go the Yanks, quietly. No problems for Tampa’s ‘pen…yet. (9:47 p.m.)
- CC with 12 Ks…and the poor guy is losing. Are you kidding me? (9:52 p.m.)
- Granderson is going shopping after the game for a specific hat: a golden sombrero. Struck out by former Hudson Valley Renegade Wade Davis to end the seventh, his fourth K of the night. Ouch. (10:05 p.m.)
- Yankees have six outs to get four runs for the tie. Perfect time for “Mystique” and “Aura” to appear. (10:15 p.m.)
- A one-out walk for A-Rod and a single by Cano; forces a Rays’ pitching change. Hmmm… (10:19 p.m.)
- Swisher strikes out on a pitch up, out of the zone, but pinch-hitter Raul Ibanez knocks in A-Rod with a single through the right hole. 5-2 Rays in the bottom of the eighth with two outs, runners on the corners. (10:29 p.m.)
- Tying run at the plate in the place of Eric Chavez, but he beats it into the dirt; grounds it right to first base. Got one back, at least (10:32 p.m.)
- Aaaaaand the Yanks give it right back. Sutton with a line drive to RF, Swisher boots it, allowing Matt Joyce to come around to score. E9 on Swisher, 6-2 Rays. (10:43 p.m.)
- Very next batter Johnson knocks Sutton in with an RBI double, 7-2 Rays. I think they have successfully avoided the sweep. (10:44 p.m.)
- I think I picked the wrong night for this little blog experiment. It’d be more fun if the Yanks were winning. (10:45 p.m.)
- Bottom of the ninth. Last licks for the Bombers. (10:50 p.m.)
- Russell the Muscle! Martin with a solo homer, his sixth of the year. He went oppo over the right-centerfield wall to leadoff the ninth. 7-3 Rays. (10:52 p.m.)
- Derek Jeter grounds out, Granderson avoids a platinum sombrero with a 2-3 putout, and Teixeira…gets plunked by J.P. Howell. Game’s still not over. A-Rod is due up and closer Fernando Rodney is coming in. (10:58 p.m.)
- Rodriguez pops it up to right field, Joyce puts it away, ballgame [mercifully] over. Final: Rays 7, Yankees 3. Bombers’ three-game win streak snapped. (11:02 p.m.)
- W: Price (8-3) L: Sabathia (7-3) (11:05 p.m.)
- Moving on. New York bragging rights start tomorrow with the first Subway Series of 2012 at Yankee Stadium. Yanks will be heading into tomorrow night’s game vs. the Mets with tonight’s loss; the Mets beat the Nationals 3-1 this afternoon. (11:08 p.m.)
Little Big Leaguer
The Yankees made it two in a row tonight, winning a decisive 8-3 game against the Royals to take the series two games to one. The Bombers received their second straight brilliant outing from the returning Andy Pettitte, who walked one and struck out eight over seven innings of work. The crafty lefty only made two mistakes, solo homers served up to Billy Butler and Mitch Maier.
Other than those two hiccups, Pettitte twirled a gem. (Stands, applauds)
The Yanks finally saw some production out of Alex Rodriguez, who hadn’t homered since May 6. Tonight Rodriguez smacked two long home runs to help push himself out of his slump. Curtis Granderson also homered, his 14th round-tripper of the year and his first in a week.
The Yanks roughed up Kansas City starter Will Smith, who if you follow me on Twitter or the Yankee Yapping Facebook page, was the butt of every “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” obscure reference tonight.
It’s funny how after being read the “Yankee Yapping Riot Act” the bats came alive. The trick for the Yanks will be to keep those bats alive and kicking when they begin their series on the west coast Friday night against the 22-23 Oakland Athletics.
While it’s nice to see the Yanks slowly but surely come out of their funk, something caught my attention over the weekend that I didn’t get a chance to write about, as reporting about the High School sports scene here in the New York suburbs for my newspaper is occupying a lot of my time these days.
This past weekend the Yankees played the Reds, losing their first interleague series of the year, 2-1. Cincinnati has a third baseman by the name of Todd Frazier, who played in the Little League World Series in 1998 – and won.
Frazier, a New Jersey native, was on the Toms Rivers squad that beat Japan in the ’98 LLWS, and once they mentioned that series it was almost as if a spark had gone off in my head. I actually remember that Little League World Series, all because of one memory.
1998 was the first year I played Little League, and at the end of the season each Little Leaguer in the country was issued a newsletter. In the newsletter was an article about the Toms Rivers team winning the LLWS; in fact I vividly remember the picture that came with the article of the team celebrating and the Little Leaguers walking out of South Williamsport, PA with the trophy.
There were also interviews in the newsletter with Derek Jeter and Pettitte – and they talked about their experiences in Little League, which was cool to read about. I recall reading about how Pettitte was an opponent of Little League pitchers throwing curveballs, for fear of ruining their arms at a young age.
Whenever someone mentions Little League, I get this warm, fuzzy, nostalgic feeling inside; it brings back a flood of memories. The Little League I played in was located in Beacon, NY, and I still feel to this day we had one of the best programs in our area at that time.
Our teams were named and fashioned after actual MLB teams: there were the Mets, the Red Sox, the Indians, the Giants, the Dodgers, the Pirates, the Cardinals, the Orioles (although the second year I played they became the Blue Jays), and the Athletics, among others.
As fate would have it, I wound up on the Yankees. Believe it or not, this was my uniform…
Little League was a struggle at first, but I learned as I went along that hard work pays off. Basically the entire first season I played, I only reached base if I walked. I also had to watch each one of my teammates receive the game ball after every game we won for their efforts, always having the feeling I would never be given the game ball because I struggled so mightily.
It was enough to get down on myself and get dejected. But I didn’t quit. I kept trying.
Gradually my swing got a little better; I started making contact. Eventually I recorded my first base hit and first RBI off the Indians, a sharp line drive single to center field which drove in a runner from third.
After the game my coaches awarded me the game ball; my first hit and my first RBI. It felt incredibly good to finally do something positive offensively and even better to be recognized for it. I still have the ball and I will probably hold onto it forever.
The second year I played I was given the game ball after a win over the Dodgers. I drove in what turned out to be the winning run by laying down a bunt, and reaching second base on the throw. Because of my hustle I got the ball – and yes, I kept that one, too.
My Little League years are a cherished time in my life; they were sweet and innocent. I was just a kid who loved baseball, I got to play, and even enjoyed a little bit of success. Obviously not to the degree that Frazier did, but it doesn’t matter. Only a small amount of Little Leaguers do get to enjoy success at the Major League level.
To all the Little Leaguers playing out there this season: my message is to enjoy yourselves. I hope you love taking the field day after day as much as I did when I played.
If you were to ask me to describe my Little League experience in one word, it would “fun.” And that’s what baseball is supposed to be.
The Riot Act
Yesterday night the Yankees snapped a three-game losing streak, beating the Kansas City Royals, 3-2. In typical fashion as of late, the Yanks didn’t make it easy on themselves, putting the tying run on third in the bottom of the ninth with two outs. Yankee Universe held its collective breath as Rafael Soriano got Alcides Escobar to ground out, just missing an infield single that would have tied the game.
Yes the Bronx Bombers won, but claimed victory in the ugliest way ever: on a wing and a prayer.
Lately the team has struggled overwhelmingly on offense, getting outscored 36-18 over the last week. The Yankees have lost seven of their last 10, good enough for fourth place in the American League East. Barely keeping their heads above water, the Bronx Broskis are 22-21, just a game above .500.
It’s not as if the other teams are necessarily winning these games. On the contrary, the Yankees are losing them; beating themselves by not cashing in on chances they create. The team seems to fail at every opportunity with runners in scoring position; in fact, in Monday night’s 6-0 loss to the Royals, they went 0-for-13 with RISP.
Plenty of players need to be held accountable for this recent string of sucktitude.
Curtis Granderson
It’s pretty unfortunate when arguably the best hitter on the team can be read the riot act.
On Saturday the Yankees trailed the Reds 6-3 entering the ninth inning. They fought back however, pulling to within one run with the tying run on third base and two outs. Curtis Granderson worked the count to 3-0, but made some of the worst decisions a hitter could make as the at-bat progressed.
On 3-0, he swung, fouling the ball off to the right. Still in good shape on 3-1, he check-swung at an inside breaking ball that dipped out of the strike zone, a pitch that would have undoubtedly been called ball four to keep the line moving.
Then, with a full count, Granderson beat the payoff pitch into the dirt, grounding out to first to end the game. Yankees lost 6-5, the resilient magic running out of power at the last minute.
Right after I watched them lose, one thought entered my mind: “In 2009, they would have won this game.” Not only that, but it killed me to see Granderson not take a pitch, being in a hitter’s count for basically the entire at-bat.
Granderson is batting .250 for the year, and his BA with runners in scoring position is just .219. He is still leading the team with 13 home runs for the year but hasn’t homered in a week, cementing the Yankees’ slumping status.
Mark Teixeira
The Yankees’ first baseman has been battling some sort of bronchial infection, and he did not start this past weekend’s interleague series vs. the Cincinnati Reds – a series the Yankees lost, two games to one.
Teixeira has only collected 35 hits in 153 at-bats this year, with five homers and 20 RBIs.
I don’t want to say Teixeira is on the decline, because he’s hit 30 or more home runs every year he’s been in the majors since his rookie year – and even in his rookie year (2003) he hit 26. Yet, if Teixeira isn’t hitting a home run, he only seems to pound the ball into the infield shift for a groundout.
Last night he got lucky, weakly squeaking a hit through the shift for a single.
Right now Teixeira’ batting average is at a miniscule .229, his on-base percentage is just .281 and his slugging percentage is only .386. In key spots, when Teixeira is up, the Yankees have to be cringing.
It’s obvious an adjustment has to be made. Whether it’s his batting stance, his swing, his bronchial ailment, or a mental block, Teixeira has become a hitter that the Yanks can’t depend on at the moment.
Russell Martin
There’s an old saying about catchers: if a team has a catcher that can hit, it’s a bonus. For a long time the Yankees had that bonus in Jorge Posada, and it continued for them when they signed Russell Martin.
Lately however, Martin must have forgotten that he is a hitter because he’s on the interstate at .179, with only 19 hits in 106 at-bats. He’s smacked four homers and has driven in 10 runs.
Martin isn’t having the worst offensive season; it could be worse. But like the rest of the team, he is not coming up with hits when chances are created. His groundball percentage is 70% with runners in scoring position for the year.
What also puzzles me is that Martin is known for calling a good game behind the plate, yet when the ace of the staff pitches, he is on the bench. Chris Stewart is CC Sabathia’s personal catcher, and unlike Martin, Stewart poses virtually no offensive threat, whatsoever.
In a nutshell, not only is he almost as useful as a screen door in a submarine at the plate, he can’t catch when the Yankees’ number one pitcher is on the mound.
Alex Rodriguez
On Monday night Alex Rodriguez struck out in the ninth inning, getting blasted by a deafening chorus of boos and jeers as he walked back to the dugout. After the game the press questioned him about getting booed at home. Like a true professional however, he owed up to it, saying he deserved it for his lack of production.
What’s scary about A-Rod’s slump is that he has stated his physical condition is fine. Usually when he struggles offensively there is more to it; a lingering injury or some soreness.
But it’s not the case.
He was recently quoted as saying that he’s fine physically, capable of hitting for power. Obviously that statement has not exactly gone well-founded, considering he hasn’t hit a home run since May 6. With RISP, A-Rod is scuffling just as the rest of the team is, with a groundball percentage of roughly 61 and a .154 average.
Not so good for a player who claims to be in perfect health.
Hiroki Kuroda
The 37-year-old starter certainly hasn’t been what the Yankees had anticipated, as he currently leads the majors in losses with six. His latest defeat came on Monday when he surrendered three earned runs on seven hits to the Royals, striking out four and walking three in 5.1 innings pitched.
Although the stat column for his last start doesn’t sound incredibly poor, Kuroda was absolutely shelled on May 16 in Toronto. The Blue Jays lit him up for seven earned runs on eight hits in just five innings. Kuroda served up three home runs in the loss, and is now 1-3 over his last four starts.
What I can’t understand is his position in the rotation. Clearly he isn’t pitching up to his potential, and it’s costing the Yankees. Maybe a move from the number two slot in the starting five could help him; perhaps Joe Girardi should push him down to the fourth hole and see how it goes.
Either way, something needs to be done.
Phil Hughes
In 2010 Phil Hughes won 18 games, pitching extraordinarily well throughout the first half of the season. After the All-star break he seemed to just fall off the face of the earth; he hasn’t been the same, consistent pitcher since the first half of ’10.
Lately Hughes has been making a case to change that, winning three of his last five games – but those three wins on his ledger are deceptive.
Hughes beat the Seattle Mariners on May 12, a team that has been no-hit this year. He then followed it by beating the Royals, a team eight games below .500, twice. In between he was beaten by the Blue Jays and also lost to the Orioles – two of the three teams in front of the Yankees in the East.
Last night Hughes gave up a home run to Jeff Francoeur and is now the first pitcher since Runelvys Hernandez (2006) to give up at least one homer in each of his first nine starts of the season.
Possibly Hughes’s biggest Achilles Heel has been his pitch count. I lost track last night of how many hitters fouled off his pitches, but I do know that he was up over 70 in the fifth inning. It’s pretty much the story of his every start: the opposing hitters just put good swings on his flat, straight fastball and his pitch count steadily climbs.
Now that Hughes is on a bit of a good streak, I think this is the perfect opportunity for the Yankees to see what they might be able to get for him on the trade block. For awhile now, I’ve heard a lot of chatter about how his value is down and nobody would want him.
But since he’s pitching well at the moment – and he isn’t even signed for next year – I say the Yankees should cut their losses and say goodbye to him. As nicely as Hughes is pitching now, I don’t expect it to continue late in the season against teams like the Rangers, Tigers, and Rays.
Odds are his arm will tire, as it has these past two years, and he will crack down the stretch.
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There are so many other players that deserve to be called out.
Dewayne Wise has only collected three hits in 23 at-bats, and yet is in the starting lineup.
Nick Swisher is batting .239 right now.
Robinson Cano had 31 RBIs on May 23 last year. He has 17 on May 23 this year (barring any RBIs in tonight’s game).
CC Sabathia has lost his last two starts.
Ivan Nova’s ERA is 5.69.
The bullpen is about as makeshift as ever without Mariano Rivera and backup closer David Robertson, not to mention third string closer Rafael Soriano came dangerously close to blowing the save last night.
The whole team is contributing to this mess.
Some serious changes need to be made if the Yankees want to pull this sinking ship from the depths of the ocean that is the AL East. Because the way they’ve been playing, it’s crazy to even put the words “World Series” and “Yankees” in the same sentence.
After one of the recent losses, Derek Jeter made a declaration:
“I don’t see anybody popping champagne in May.”
While the Captain is right, he should heed that currently there are a lot of teams better than his at this point in the season. If the Yankees, for whatever reason, don’t make the playoffs, it will be the second time in Jeter’s career (2008) he won’t be popping champagne.
And for the first time in his career the Captain will be eating crow.
A.J. Martelli
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