Bleeding Yankee Blue: 03/01/2016

Thursday, March 31, 2016

GREGORIUS & CASTRO ARE STEP BROTHERS!

If you haven't seen this yet, do it now... then, let's talk after the clip... I'll wait:

Yup, that was Didi Gregorius and Starlin Castro reenacting a scene from the movie Step Brothers featuring Will Ferrell and John C Reilly. Here's the actual scene:

Personally, I'm waiting for them to perfect the scene when the boys go on their job interview together... "Is it Pan or Pand?"

Enjoy this... share it... whatever you gotta do. I love it.

Thank you for your loyalty to Bleeding Yankee Blue.
Please shop at the BYB store!
On Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu
On Facebook, LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue!
Don't forget to check out the BYB Hub.

PINEDA IS A SLEEPER HIT FOR 2016

I like Mark Simon of ESPN. I want to be clear here. I really don't like many folks from ESPN at all. I like Wally Matthews, Simon, Marchand... these guys are top notch, they do it right. They, like me aren't about the hate, but they will have banter when it comes to opinion as long as you have a brain in your head and you're not a douche. It's a respect thing, you know the drill.

Some of the folks at ESPN bother me and reek of arrogance, like our buddy Peter Keating from a few years ago. That guy thought it would be fun to try to use BYB as an example in his article about Robinson Cano (Read HUSTLE TO BE NUMBER 1... NOT 2.) I guess he thought we didn't read him or didn't think we'd notice or whatever. When I asked him about it via email, even after I thanked him for the mention us and told him we strongly disagreed on Twitter, there was nothing. He coiled up like the roly poly he is, kept his nose in the air, and ignored us.

Sad for him. That's not how this works. What he didn't realize is that kind of behavior taints a franchise and arrogance never wins... bottom line.

Anyway... off to bigger and better folks... Mark Simon's great piece! He wrote a piece about Michael Pineda and Carlos Martinez and how they are the sleepers for the Cy Young. The piece is smart and good and I wanted to share some of it with you:

"This year, I’m going with Carlos Martinez of the St. Louis Cardinals and Michael Pineda of the New York Yankees... Why Pineda? Pineda underachieved in 2015. He had a strikeout-to-walk rate of better than 7-to-1, but a 4.37 ERA because of a propensity for giving up home runs (16 in Yankee Stadium, five on the road).

I’m going to gamble that he figures it out. He’s 27 and healthy and a lot was expected of him early in his career, so why can’t he fulfill those expectations now? He’s also looked awfully good in spring training.

The key for Pineda will be full-season maintenance. He had a 2.72 ERA through seven starts (including a 16-strikeout gem against the Orioles) last season, and seven starts after that in which he allowed no runs or one run, but he also had a bunch of clunkers in which he got fried by the long ball.

There’s also the advanced stats case to be made for Pineda. Though his ERA was 4.37 last season, he had a 3.34 FIP (based on strikeouts, walks and home runs allowed). His 1.03 ERA-FIP differential was third-biggest among those who pitched at least 100 innings last season and was the product of a lousy BABIP (.332) and a low-strand rate (68.6 percent).

If Pineda pitches as well as he did last season -- and there’s no reason to believe he won’t -- he’s going to be pretty good. And if he’s a little better, he might be Cy Young Award worthy."

Now, much like Mark, I do too believe Pineda will have a really great year. Even BYB reader and friend Tony Zeppieri thought Pineda should have been handed the Opening Day start this season:

@BleednYankeeBlu @MikeandDawnNY @MikeSkrzenski @gymkoukla @ChristyMartin if I were the Yankees I'd stop worrying about these guys egos....
— Tony Zeppieri (@ZeppieriTony) March 31, 2016

@BleednYankeeBlu @MikeandDawnNY @MikeSkrzenski @gymkoukla @ChristyMartin and contract status'. My opening day starter would be Pineda...
— Tony Zeppieri (@ZeppieriTony) March 31, 2016

He's right. Pineda's been solid and I agree. Tie that in with Mark Simon's analysis, and yes, it's a guess... but it's an educated one.

Anyway... I wanted to share this with all of you. Nice piece Mark.

Do me a favor...tell Keating to get some balls.

Thank you for your loyalty to Bleeding Yankee Blue.
Please shop at the BYB store!
On Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu
On Facebook, LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue!
Don't forget to check out the BYB Hub.

WE KNOW THE OPENING DAY STARTER...

And no... it's not CC Sabathia. That was fun putting CC's picture up there though, right? No? Oh... whatever.

Now to be fair, I would have suggested that Michael Pineda should have gotten the ball for Opening day, but I believe that Yankees are willing to take chances early and that's why they are handing the ball to Masahiro Tanaka. Nothing wrong with it, but to be honest, I really worry about Tanaka. He's not lights out, not that he would be in Spring Training... all I'm saying is I feel like he's unsteady more than he's steady. Does that make sense?

The Yankees made the announcement today. Yahoo Sports writes: " Masahiro Tanaka will be the New York Yankees' opening day starter Monday against the Houston Astros.

Manager Joe Girardi announced the decision Thursday. He says Tanaka 'felt good today' and is 'confident he's ready to go.'

Tanaka will be followed in the rotation by Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi and Luis Severino..."

The 5th starter is still not announced yet, but I'll put a few bucks on Sabathia. Nova can start or relieve and that's what he should do... float. They gave away Adam Warren and it's my belief Nova is now that guy.

Anyway, I wanted to give you that update. Cross that info off the list.

Thank you for your loyalty to Bleeding Yankee Blue.
Please shop at the BYB store!
On Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu
On Facebook, LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue!
Don't forget to check out the BYB Hub.

WHERE IS THE 'REAL' HOME PLATE?

What if home plate, from the original Yankees stadium, never made it over to the stadium they use now when the team moved across the street in 2009? What if the location of the original Home Plate is a complete mystery?

A few days ago I got a message from Casey asking if I could do some investigating. Apparently there is a discussion going on about the whereabouts of the "real" home plate. Several people seem to think that it stayed at Heritage field.

To begin, I have to say that I am truly skeptical that the Yankees, a team that prides themselves in its rich history, would leave such an iconic part of the stadium behind. It seems more like the kind of thing they would take with them. If not for continued usage, then for display at the Yankee Museum. The museum has just about everything else on display, including Thurman Munson's locker, every World Series pocket watch and ring, jerseys, hats, and an entire wall of signed baseball by nearly every Yankee to have ever played. It's a beautiful place for fans to visit, and the most likely place for home plate to end up.

You also have to consider some facts about Heritage field. For starters, the baseball field consist of three diamonds. When discussing location of the original home plate in relation to the new field, home plate would have been where second base is on the field closest to the corner of River Ave, and 161st St. Usually, when a stadium moves from one location to another, a plaque is left behind at the site of home plate to commemorate it. That seems unlikely in this case given that it would interfere with any game played on that field. The same is true for the actual home plate.

Of course you could argue that it's not on the field, but in the area around it. The walk around Heritage field is known as Ruppert Plaza, named after Jacob Ruppert, past owner of the Yankees.

If you walk around the baseball fields, you'll occasionally see tiles with some fun Yankees facts. There is also the Lou Gehrig quote wall, as well as a decorative bench. It really is a nice little walk to take. Full of Yankees history, but no sign of the Yankees original Home Plate. Of course, I will just assume that is because the other objects are permanently placed, where home plate would be easily removed by anyone. But it's not there. No sign of it at all. The question is, where is it? What happened to the real home plate?

Well, home plate seems to be at Yankee stadium. In November of 2008, Scott Brosius, Paul O'Neill, David Cone, Jeff Nelson and the 1998 World Championship Team, were joined by a group of kids from a Bronx Youth group and dug up home plate and the pitching rubber from the old stadium, and transported them over to the "new" stadium, along with some dirt from the House that Ruth Built (HERE).

So, there you have it, folks! The REAL home plate, is in fact at home at Yankee Stadium. Makes sense, if you ask me. Again, the Yankees pride themselves in the rich history. Leaving such iconic pieces of the stadium behind is not in the Yankees character. So the next time you're at the stadium, rest assured that a little piece of the old stadium is there with you.

--Erica Morales

BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804

OK THEN... SO IT'S NOT MILLER TIME

Just to update you on Andrew Miller. As you know he got hit in the right wrist and as my fellow writer Dan Lucia stated to me yesterday, "Well at least it's the right wrist and not the left." This is true, but Miller will be out for a bit.

Turns out even though the X-ray on Miller's wrist came back negative, the Yankees did a CT-scan too, and that scan revealed a fracture. It's a chip fracture to be exact.

And so now, with Aroldis Chapman about to start serving his 30 game suspension, and Miller out for a bit... Dellin Betances will carry the torch. He can do it, and the rest of the Yankee pen will help. But as we have stated here for a few weeks now, the Yankees are not "jazzed" about their "inexperienced" pen. And no... there is no question Cashman is looking around for a solid piece to get them over the hump.

There you have it. Enjoy the is beautiful weather in the Northeast.

Thank you for your loyalty to Bleeding Yankee Blue.
Please shop at the BYB store!
On Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu
On Facebook, LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue!
Don't forget to check out the BYB Hub.

THE YANKEE ROTATION IS WHAT IT IS!

At the trade deadline in 2015 and this past off season, Yankees GM Brian Cashman decided to stay put when it comes to the Yankees starting pitching candidates. He improved from within by promoting Luis Severino while neglecting to sign any free agents or make a splash in the free agent market. I am not against this strategy as the brass has decided to be more frugal as of late, but the Yankees now have what they have. Only time will tell how that turns out.

Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Pineda are locks for the rotation with just over a week to go before Opening Day. CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova are battling for the last spot and with their most recent performances, it appears CC has the upper hand.

Tanaka has struggled as of late, although he pitched rather well on Tuesday, but that it not terribly concerning since the starts during the spring really don’t mean a whole lot. The guy can pitch, we know this. He is slotted as the Yankees ace, without really being named the ace. As long as he stays healthy, which is a big if, he should be able to keep the Yankees in games more often than not.

Luis Severino has pitched well this spring for the most past, particularly as of late. He got roughed up early in the spring but has compiled a 3.86 ERA over five games while striking out 19 over 16.1 innings. He has just 11 career starts, but has the stuff to be a dominant force and the Yankees need a lot out of the young man this season if they want to make a run.

Nathan Eovaldi has been working on his splitter for over a year now and feels this could be the year it becomes a real weapon in his repertoire. He was blessed with great run support last season, 7.1 runs per start, which helped him to a 14-3 record with a respectable 4.20 ERA. If the Yankees are be compete for a title, Eovaldi will have to be very solid once again… and remain healthy.

Yankees brass and fans alike are waiting for Michael Pineda to break out. He has shown signs of brilliance and times of ‘what the hell is that’? He’s allowed just one run over nine innings in his three spring appearances through this past Sunday and will need to remain healthy and pitch up to his potential.

CC Sabathia struggled mightily as the spring got going but has pitched much better as of late. The opposite has happened for Ivan Nova, however. Nova got off to a good start but not some much his last few outings. It appears that Sabathia has the upper hand for the fifth starter role and as Manager Joe Girardi has said, the clubhouse, which unanimously had Sabathia’s back last October as he fought his alcohol battle, will likely be a factor as to who wins the job.

“This is a good man that comes to work every day and is well respected and always competes and is a fierce competitor and has meant a lot to this organization.” Girardi was quoted as saying. If Sabathia were demoted to a bullpen role, it could have adverse effects behind the scenes.

While there is a ton of potential in the rotation, there are also question marks in both the health department and the performance department. The rotation could be a reason the Yankees are successful or could be a reason they struggle to compete.

If the starters can turn the game over to the bullpen, which is strong, the Yankees will have a good shot to win ballgames. Dellin Betances, Chasen Shreve, Brandon Pinder (who was optioned to minor league camp on Wednesday) and Johnny Barbato have all had very good springs, while arguably their top two relievers in Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller haven’t been their best but are obviously expected to be huge parts of the team. Now with Miller possibly out for a bit (Read ANOTHER BIG BLOW TO THE YANKEES STAFF), we just have to keep an eye on everything very closely.

Behind the probable starting five, the Yankees have Ivan Nova, Luis Cessa and Bryan Mitchell, amongst others. Cessa and Mitchell have both had good springs, especially Mitchell, who was informed on Tuesday he will be on the Opening Day roster. He could fill a relief role similar to Adam Warren a couple years back and could be a strong candidate to get a start when the need arises.

The rotation has question marks and talent at the same time and the Yankees will definitely have to win games with the offense at times. That pretty much goes for all teams though. I have faith in the club and the arms, as long as they stay healthy. I sure am not going into the season expecting the Yankees to stink. There is no fun in that. It’s a ride we have to enjoy.

We are close to Opening Day and I am excited! It’s almost time for Yankees baseball!

I’d also like to give a quick shout out to my son Evan as he turned seven on Easter Sunday. Happy Birthday Bud!

--Dan Lucia
BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia

Thank you for your loyalty to Bleeding Yankee Blue.
Please shop at the BYB store!
On Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu
On Facebook, LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue!
Don't forget to check out the BYB Hub.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

ANOTHER BIG BLOW TO THE YANKEES STAFF

I swear to Christ there's gotta be a Red Sox jersey still buried somewhere in Yankee Stadium. We just can't get past the injuries.

Remember when the Yankees had 3 guys more than qualified to close? Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and then we signed Aroldis Chapman. Then Chapman got suspended 30 games. That suspension starts the moment the regular season starts. Then we were down to 2. Then today, a hard comebacker struck Andrew Miller on the right wrist. And... if you know anything about wrists, you know that that injury lingers. If you don't know, ask Jacoby Ellsbury...

That's right. Miller got hit and Miller looks like he's hurt.

LoHud writes:

" Against his first batter of the afternoon, Andrew Miller was hit hard by a comebacker and immediately walked off the field. The ball seemed to hit Miller in the right wrist. His glove came off, and Miller never even attempted to get the ball, he just held his wrist and started walking to the dugout. As he got there, Miller threw his hat against the railing before walking down the steps toward the bench."

New York Post writes:

"...Miller was taken for an X-ray and a CT scan..."

Look, you gotta think that players know their bodies and that line from LoHud is significant..."Miller threw his hat against the railing before walking down the steps toward the bench." Maybe he felt something, heard a pop, whatever. I know, it's speculation, but body language in a situation like this is important when it comes to reporting the story.

Now, X-rays have come back negative, that comes from Jack Curry:

Hearing X-rays on Andrew Miller's right wrist were negative. Still needs to undergo CT-scan, presumably tonight.
— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) March 30, 2016

But here's that word again...LINGER. Miller will be out for a bit I would assume.

It sucks. Stay tuned.

Thank you for your loyalty to Bleeding Yankee Blue.
Please shop at the BYB store!
On Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu
On Facebook, LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue!
Don't forget to check out the BYB Hub.

THE YANKEES SHOULD SNATCH UP STEVE DELABAR

Not sure if you know Steve Delabar and his story. If you don't, be sure to check out DON'T STOP BELIEVING...EVER. Bottom line, after injury and pretty much thinking his baseball career may have been over, he stumbled into the fact that maybe he could actually pitch again. The Mariners took a chance on him and eventually he was traded to the Blue Jays. He became an All-Star with the Blue Jays in 2013. He was a fighter. But now it seems, he was released by the Blue Jays.

Bluebird Banter writes:

"The Blue Jays released Steve Delabar...For Delabar, it's the end of his time with the Jays. He didn't have a bad spring. 7.2 innings, 5 hits, 1 home run, 3 walks and 8 strikeouts, but he would have had to be almost perfect to make the Jays."

Look, you're looking at those numbers and thinking that my title is utterly ridiculous. Think of it as you in a Yankee meeting. We offer Delabar a minor league deal, we see what's up and see if we can work with the guy and if he is someone we can use to bolster our middle rotation. Let's not forget, BYB just wrote a piece about exactly that in THE BRIDGE OF HEYMAN COUNTY... OR SOMETHING:

"MLBTradeRumors.com makes a another very interesting point; Those selections for the middle part of the rotation don't have much experience either:

"Current options include pitchers such as right-handers Bryan Mitchell , Johnny Barbato , and Branden Pinder and lefties Chasen Shreve , Tyler Olson, and James Pazos — most of whom have quite limited experience in the majors. While it’s easy to imagine these and other arms all spending time at the big league level, it also makes sense for the club to pursue a veteran addition or two."
And so, here we are. Let's see what the Yankees do next."

Bryan Mitchell has since made the team as a reliever, but no question, Delabar has the experience. All I'm saying is this is a guy that busts his ass. Maybe alittle change of scenery will motivate him in the Bronx. Who knows... I'm spitballing here, but not a bad investment and someone we can get on the cheap and get some eyes on. You know what I mean?

Just a thought... let's see how it goes.

Thank you for your loyalty to Bleeding Yankee Blue.
Please shop at the BYB store!
On Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu
On Facebook, LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue!
Don't forget to check out the BYB Hub.

WHO'S OUR OPENING DAY STARTER?

Are you sort of curious this season? I mean, I am the mother of a freshman son who attends Syracuse University, so of course I am! Syracuse is going to the #FinalFour and they weren't supposed to even be named to the tourney this year. So, actually, all bets are off for me this spring. I guess you really don't know what could happen; you have to be open to anything happening. So despite the headlines that Masahiro Tanaka has not been named as the 2016 #OpeningDay starter, I am open to it happening anyway. I mean why not? He has held his own this spring and his last start yielded a four-inning one-run, seven-hit, five-strikeout ball in a split-squad game against the Phillies in Clearwater.

According to ESPN on Tuesday, "Rothschild expressed the belief that Tanaka was "holding back,'' perhaps due to offseason surgery to remove a bone spur in his elbow. Both (Girardi and Rothschild) thought they saw positive signs in a subsequent bullpen session but without having seen Tanaka pitch against the Phillies, Girardi was not about to offer a judgment on his readiness to go in the opener."

I don't blame Tanaka for holding back, particularly after coming off of surgery. If Girardi and Rothschild decide that Tanaka isn't ready for Monday's #OpeningDay start, it is likely that Ivan Nova or CC Sabathia would take the hill. “It’s part of the job, things that a lot of managers have to go through this time of year,'' Girardi said. "You’re doing what you think is best. We always say that nothing’s final. We have depth here, so if we need to make a change, we make a change.”

Who's our opening day starter? Who's our starting quarterback? Who's going to win the AL East? Who's going to win the NCAA tournament? It's anybody's trophy to earn. So, don't be derailed by this little nugget that could make you believe that Tanaka is anything short of ready. Let's face it, every athlete is a little rusty at the beginning of his or her season. This is just one of those things. Don't make it more than it is...maybe I just did.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof

Thank you for your loyalty to Bleeding Yankee Blue.
Please shop at the BYB store!
On Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu
On Facebook, LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue!
Don't forget to check out the BYB Hub.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

SABATHIA "ROTATION SPOT SEEMS SAFE"

Those words come from Sweeny Murti who knows a thing or 2 about things Yankee related and just a gut reaction to the way the Yankees operate and how things are done. Plus, CC had a good outing today.

Yup, CC Sabathia pitched today in what is being described as his best outing of the Spring. YES Network writes:

"...CC Sabathia to turn in a strong enough outing to earn praise from his manager in a crucial start opportunity.

The veteran lefty tossed four innings against Pittsburgh in his final spring start before Opening Day, giving up two earned runs on three hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts, and winning his first decision in 2016.

It was just what the doctor ordered for CC..."

It was then that Sweeny tweeted this:

505 games for CC Sabathia, all starts since being drafted in 1998. That streak is likely to continue, rotation spot seems safe.
— Sweeny Murti (@YankeesWFAN) March 29, 2016

"Rotation spot seems safe." I like that.

Look, it is my guess, based on his salary and respect and alittle rooting that CC Sabathia will get a rotation spot in 2016. CC is a starter, he's always been a starter and the Yankees are probably unsure of what CC can do out of the bullpen. I believe ultimately CC will be in the rotation this season and he'll try to grind through it, and if good things happen along the way, that's great too.

That being said, if you ask CC, the guy's so classy he'd tell you he'll do anything the organization needs him to do to help the team win. Love that.

Anyway... alittle nugget from Yankeeland today. Enjoy it. Comment too... tell us what you think. And do me a favor, spare me the opinion of "He's a bum" without a valid reason why... that's tired already.

Oh yeah, and I forgot to tell you... Bryan Mitchell made the Yankees team today as a bullpen guy. Congrats to Mitchell.

WE'RE NOT ROBOTS. WE CARE.

It's a fascinating world out there, isn't it? I mean, the BYB writers are constantly cranking out content to keep you informed and to give you opinion and all of that. We do it often. No... we actually do it every single day. It's a grind, but writing is a passion and if you don't get it, you never will.

I've been swamped. I have kids in competitive sports, baseball in particular, and my wife and I are running around all day, every day. My one son's on 3 teams, my youngest are on tee-ball, my middle child is out to be the greatest athlete on the planet and you know what? Goals are great. I applaud them all. Luckily for my wife and I, the grades are outstanding too... no one is complaining over here. But we are tired and we are busy and that's the reality of the situation. Couple that with my real life job and any other extracurricular activities we are trying to do and you know what? I'm going to be honest with you... BYB is not at the top of my list. And that's just me... my writers are just as busy. But we still love what we do at BYB.

But we're also not robots. We don't crank out stories because every other blog does. We try to be provocative. We try to be informative. We try to bring you important info you may not know about, we'll make you laugh, cry, snicker... whatever... That's why we're here. We're a major force in the Yankees blog world and it's because we do it differently. Our loyal fans know this... and respect it. The newbies come in and read a few pages and are sometimes lost. "Why did you write about that?" or "What does that even mean? YOU'RE STUPID!" Actual quotes from actual people. I say this... Relax... we're not changing for you. Clearly this isn't an appointment for you... go to RAB.

I don't care about laying out hundreds of statistics for you. I hate Sabermetrics. We write about leadership, goals. dominance... hard work, believing... you know, life lessons. Here's an example why...If I told you my oldest son was one of the best baseball players in our town after years of him being ignored because of the politics of Little League, you would believe it... because it's my kid, and the goals are real. And that's the way we operate in my home. It's a human trait to push yourself when you're hated or ignored. The pressure is off. And that's how he did it... that's how BYB became relevant. We set a goal... we accomplished the goal when no one was watching or cared.

We are not looking to be the best. We know we are. People will read that and call it arrogance. It's actually confidence. I have never failed in something I visualize. BYB learns from mistakes and makes great content on the daily... for you, every single day. And you know what? Some days there isn't great news. That's because there isn't. We are not going to waste your time... we are NOT going to write a story because everyone else did. It's not what we do. Buh-Bye.

The Yankees 2016 season will be alot of fun on BYB. We will continue to have content. We'll ask questions, we'll make suggestions, we'll continue to give you opinion and most of all we will engage our audience on social networks. It's what we do. We love the banter... we are not fans of the hate.

We'll sell new merchandise. We made up this shirt and it will be out in about a week or so. We'll put it on the BYB store.

We're also coming out with a BYB shirt featuring our now famous illustration of "Casey" with some recent Yankee greats surrounding him... we'll post an illustration soon.

Bottom line, we're here, we're important to you and we will continue to write about the Yankees and what's important in Yankeeland and life, but we will NOT waste your time with unnecessary crap. Why? Well, because we're not like the others and never want to be. We care about what we present. We're Bleeding Yankee Blue and we take an interest in our readers and fans. We will bring you what's important. We will personally reach out to you and discuss the story. We love the banter... but most important... we're not robots.