HIRO-KEY TO VICTORY

The Toronto Blue Jays were kicking the stuffing out of Hiroki Kuroda. Jose Bautista hit a solo shot off of him. JP Arencibia cranked a two run blast. Edwin Encarnacion rang up a three run dinger. Toronto easily cruised to an 8-1 victory over the New York Yankees.

The date was May 16, 2012. I was attending my last Yankee game in Toronto before moving back to the Apple. This was my first look at Hiroki Kuroda in person. To say that I was unimpressed would be similar in tone to informing a beachfront community in the path of a tidal wave to “expect moisture.”

At that point in the 2012 season, Kuroda was 3-5 with an ERA of 4.50. Baseball pundits everywhere, including myself, figured that the big bad AL East was too much for a guy used to the pitcher friendly National League.

"Hoo boy" I thought, "this guy ain’t the answer."

Thankfully I enjoy the taste of crow. I have had to eat so much of it over my lifetime that I have developed an awesome recipe for it. You would think they were hot wings. Really. Great with beer and baseball.

Kuroda made sure I had plenty of that dish for the rest of the 2012 season. He grabbed his destiny by the scruff of the neck and finished the season 16-11. He dropped his ERA more than a point to 3.32. He threw three complete games, two of them for shutouts.

And just to rub my face in it, the guy who beat me last season in fantasy baseball picked up Kuroda after I had dropped him. Hiroki, of course, was the difference in winning my opponent that week and subsequently, the League Championship.

This season, Kuroda has been a machine. He has picked right up from where he left off last year. As of this writing he is 11-8 with a 2.41 ERA, dropping it by almost another full point. He also has a complete game shutout. He is the ace of the New York staff, and the one pitcher that gets fans excited for the game each and every time he starts. We know we will have a good chance of winning with Hiroki Kuroda on the mound.

So how does this happen? How does a pitcher go from “Hoo boy” to “You da man?” The answer lies with the Toronto Blue Jays.

After getting his butt truly and thoroughly kicked by the Jays that May, Kuroda marked the next time he would face them in his calendar, July 18, 2012. He clamped down, focused, and turned his approach around. When Toronto came to town, Hiroki was ready.

In that rain-shortened game, Kuroda allowed four hits, no runs, and notched five K’s. The game was ended at 6 1/2 innings, technically giving Hiroki a complete game shut out. At that point in the season, this was his third victory in a row. He was firmly above .500 and would not lower himself below that line again.

How does this happen? Determination. Focus. Grit. Heart. All of the attributes that are admirable in great athletes. Hiroki Kuroda was the person most critical of his performance against the Jays. He vowed to turn himself around. He set his jaw and waited for the chance to get at Toronto again. And this time he creamed them.

From there on in, Kuroda’s quiet confidence has been unshakable. He has simply walked to the mound, taken the ball, and located it. His splitter has good motion. His fastball darts in and out. He trusts his abilities. He knows he has good stuff. He carries himself with composure and dignity befitting the pinstripes.

A confident pitcher is a good pitcher. A good pitcher wins games. Hiroki Kuroda is an excellent pitcher. And he is the key to victory for the Yankees.

 
Chad R. MacDonald
BYB Features Writer
Facebook: New York Yankees the Home of Champions
My Blog: ChadRants


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THE NOVA TRAIN IS BROKEN

I have always given a positive review of Ivan Nova.  I know he's a young kid with alot of potential and we saw that potential back in 2011 when he was 16-4.  But there's one problem... it's now 2013 and that potential hasn't catapulted him into the next big thing... like wins.

Ivan Nova struggled today and he's been struggling.  I can't explain what happened, but he lost control today and with that, the Yankees lost.  As the New York Times (HERE) reported it, "He was trying to protect a two-run lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, but he walked the leadoff batter, Adam Lind. He then gave up a double to J. P. Arencibia on a fastball that got too much of the plate.

It was the last pitch Nova threw. The Blue Jays scored four runs in the inning and took the finale of the three-game series, 8-4, at Rogers Centre."

5 innings, 7 hits and 4 runs.  You can blame the bullpen for blowing the Yankees lead, but you really need to blame Nova for not keeping control here.  The Blue Jays obviously were riding on momentum and they took advantage. That's my opinion anyway.

But as far as the game and Yankee highlights, it's all you really need to know.  I mean sure, the Yankees scored 4 today, but there was nothing overly dramatic that I prefer to report about.  Chris Stewart homered and it was a solo shot. Fine.  There were 2 moments in the 5th where 2 runs came in on bases loaded walks. OK. And there was a sacrifice fly by Brett Gardner to score Jayson Nix... but that was it. 

Not exactly a powerful bat day for the Yanks, you know what I mean?

So that's it.  The final today: Blue Jays 8 - Yankees 4. Hey, we won the series against the Blue Jays, an AL East division rival.  I'll take the series, but we should have won and swept.  Life goes on...

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HOW THE YANKEES STACK UP: CATCHER

Much has been made about the Toronto Blue Jays off-season acquisitions.  Many are predicting a rise to the top of the American League East Division for the birds from Canada.  That got me wondering how our Bombers stack up against the others trying to unseat us from the top of the AL East.

This will be the first of several posts breaking down the Yankees.  I’ll take a look at all positions, but today I’ll start with catcher.  Understand this is my take, my opinion, and there certainly will be a variety of opinions out there.  Feel free to give your own thoughts in the comments at the end of the article. 

Catcher

The Yankees are in a state of flux behind the plate.  The Russell Martin years are over and we are now three years removed from the last time Jorge Posada called the dish his own.  On the horizon we have Austin Romine and Gary Sanchez, but they are still “green” and require more seasoning before taking on full-time roles with the big league club.  That leaves us with Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart as the most likely to spend time as the team’s backstops.

Cervelli can hit and run.  He has already proven his abilities in those categories (.271 average in 490 AB) , and as of right now is the front-runner to be the starting catcher.  The problem with Cervelli lies on the defensive side.  He has had issues with throwing out runners in the past (only a 20% CS rate).  However, last year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre he was able to gun down runners at a 30% rate.  Perhaps the 27-year old is coming into his own?

What does the rest of the division have? 

Toronto Blue Jays:  Behind the plate will be  JP Arencibia (.233 avg with 18 HR), Josh Thole (.234)  and Henry Blanco (.188 avg in 21 games)

Baltimore Orioles:  Matt Wieters (.249/23/89) will continue to hold down the fort as the Orioles’ backstop.

Tampa Bay Rays:  Former Yankee Jose Molina (.223 avg), Jose Lobaton (.222) and Chris Gimenez (.260) will all see time for the Rays at catcher.

Boston Red Sox: Jarrod Saltalamacchia (..222 with 25 HR) will continue as the primary backstop for the BoSox.

Here is where I think we stand at catcher:

1. Baltimore (Wieters)
2. Tampa Bay
3. Yankees
4. Boston
5. Toronto 

Tomorrow, we analyze first base.  If you like this post, share it.  Examining all the positions against the rest of the American League East, you'll be surprised how the Yankees stack up!



 
--Steve Skinner, BYB Guest Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1





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WHY THERE HAVE BEEN WORSE YANKEE SPRINGS

In the real world, a regular season, this losing streak would be a nightmare…this is Spring ladies and gentlemen, trick your mind not to care. You can’t care because if you do, you will drive yourself absolutely mad. It's headlines like this in the spring that I often wonder why Wally Matthews even bothers writing anything...Ivan the Terrible. Really? REALLY? It's his second start of the Spring and who's to say Nova wouldn't have locked it down after the second inning if this was a real game. It's ridiculous... everyone just breathe.

Believe me, there are other things to be worried about… David Robertson NOT being Houdini-like and instead, he not escaping injury and getting hurt on the stairs in his house...that’s a concern. The Yankees losing in Spring Training looks really minor now, right?

The Yankees lost 6-1 against the Blue Jays today read HERE. The first inning, Nova got the Jays 1,2,3. Adam Lind got Ivan Nova pretty good in the second inning starting things off with a double. Then Brett Lawrie singled and Colby Ramsus drove Lind in. Then, JP Arencibia homered and suddenly the Yankees were in a hole. Later on the Blue Jays scored 2 more. Look, it happens. Don’t read into it. The only thing you need to know is it’s now Rothschild and Girardi’s job to figure out what the hell happened to Ivan Nova so it doesn’t keep happening. The good news…Nova touched 95 on the gun. Not too shabby.

If you think I’m being too calm about these Spring Training games, sure, maybe I am, but I will not allow myself to get crazy yet. It’s way early and there’s a lot of baseball to be played. Everyone take a deep breath and blow it out…. There… don’t you feel a little better?

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WHY NOVA HAS A SHOT AT ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

(Photo: Getty)
It may sound bizarre, considering Ivan Nova was sent down the Scranton at one point during this season, but Ivan Nova is turning heads and proving to the world that he belongs in the major leagues. You don’t believe me? How’s this. Since he’s returned from Scranton, Nova is 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA. I know, that may not be enough for you, but how’s this. According to Jon Lane of YES.com, “Since being locked in the Yankees rotation, Nova is 7-0 with a 3.10 ERA in his last 8 starts.” To me, that speaks one word… Confidence.

Nova has all the confidence in the world and it’s that little thing that goes a long way. He’s not afraid to face anyone. When men are on base, he doesn’t panic anymore. Ivan Nova, dare I say, is pitching like a veteran.

Look, when Nova was demoted, we all know he was the wrong guy that had to go down, but it happened. Apparently, it didn’t hurt him though, it helped him. Why? Because he got a taste for the majors and knew that’s where he needed to be. According to YES.com, Nova harnessed that negative demotion into a positive, it helped him improve his performance on the mound.

(Photo: Getty)

Nova said “Confidence is the key to everything.” Hmmm, where have I heard that before, possibly here? I started writing about the importance of confidence back on September 2010 in WHY CONFIDENCE IS KEY about AJ and then again in March with WHY NOVA AND JOBA ARE KEY. We here at Bleeding Yankee Blue have been preaching confidence and the Pyramid of Pitching Dominance for almost a year now. It’s what makes a pitcher great and it starts with mechanics. With mechanic analysis comes confidence, when the confidence comes, any doubt leaves and focus takes over. Joba Chamberlain went through it, Phil Hughes is going through it and AJ Burnett’s struggling with it now. Nova has confidence, and that’s all you can ask for when putting a youngster out there. Good for him.

So, back to the point of all this, does Nova have a legitamite shot at Rookie of the Year? Sure, but if you’re a New York Yankee, you’re not thinking about individual awards, you're thinking about winning it all as a team. Nova, if he continues on this track has a great shot with other guys in the running too like Mark Trumbo of the Los Angeles Angels, Eric Hosmer of the Kansas City Royals and JP Arencibia of the Toronto Blue Jays, Jeremy Hellickson of the Tampa Bay Rays and Michael Pineda of the Seattle Mariners. Stiff competition? I say so, but right now, I'm putting my money on Supernova.

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