WHAT HAPPENED TO PRONK?

That is the million dollar question. Early in the season it was all about Pronk! He has hit some very memorable home runs for us this season and given us a lot to smile about and write about here....but not lately. I keep trying to convince myself that it is just a slump and not to read too into it. But is it?

I have always liked Travis Hafner. Back when he was with the Cleveland Indians he was a staple for the team. In 2006 he had a career year. Look at his achievements on baseball reference and it jumps out at you on the computer. He was a beast and the Indians were lucky to have him. Years ago I was wishing that we could snag him. Just like many other players, we do eventually end up getting them....but it's usually past their prime. Similarly here, I think we got Hafner a few years and a few injuries too late.

I am very thankful for what Hafner helped us do during the first half of the season. Without some of his timely hits we would not have won some of those games and we might be more than 7 games out of first place. But it is the second half now...and I don't know if it is just me but Hafner doesn't look like the same player to me. We need his bat now more than ever.

Maybe I am a little too paranoid here, but I am worried that something is wrong with Hafner. He looks different at the plate and even when he isn't hitting. The intensity isn't there. He is swinging at pitches that he wasn't even flinching at in the first half and he just doesn't look "locked in" to me at all. Maybe I am over analyzing it. I don't know....but it certainly wouldn't be the first time.

I think the Yankees have far too many needs right now to keep him. If he were hitting, I wouldn't be writing this right now, but fact is that he isn't. In the past two months he has a .160BA, he isn't getting on base and he is striking out more. I was actually relieved when Joe Girardi kept Brent Lillibridge in the game on Tuesday instead of pinch hitting him for Hafner. I never thought I would say that....but yes, I went there. Who knows, if Hafner would have come into the game Eduardo Nunez may not have crossed home plate that night and we may not have won the game. I hate to think about "what ifs" and go back in time because usually it does you no good but in this case I think you have to mention it.

The Yankees have a revolving door in the infield right now. We all know it. On Tuesday night My 9 asked viewers to vote on which area the Yankees needed the most improvement on and 51% of the fans voted on the infield. What does that mean? It means right now the Yankees should at least consider the fact that keeping someone who can ONLY be a designated hitter (and is not hitting lately) not a strategic move. Hafner hasn't been a position player since 2007 when he used to play first base and the Yankee bench is depleted.

If I were Brian Cashman I would start considering the idea of pairing Hafner with Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain and see what I can get back. I would ask check in on Carlos Pena. The Houston Astros aren't going to be a contender and Pena is pretty cheap and is going to be a free agent at the end of the year so the Yankees have nothing to lose here. He would also give the Yankees a proper backup at first base, which is something the Yankees are lacking. If Lyle Overbay goes down I will probably crawl up into the fetal position and cry hysterically because we would be screwed.

The Yankees need to make some moves. I don't really know where to begin at this point because the checklist is just so long. But the Yankees need to start somewhere. We can easily fill a DH....but if another man goes down and there is no replacement then it is going to be chaos. Now I feel like I need to go throw holy water over my shoulder, knock on wood and get my prayer beads out of my dresser drawer......

What would you do with Hafner? Should he stay or should he go? Tell us.

--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Senior Writer and Editor
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ

 



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HOW THE YANKEES STACK UP: MANAGER

In five years as the New York Yankees manager, Joe Girardi has a .591 winning percentage and his team’s average finish is 1.6.  During that time the team won its 27th world championship and has reached the playoffs four times, winning the AL East three times.  The Yankees have won at least 95 games each of the last four seasons.

Yet Joe Girardi remains the “Jeff Gordon” of the franchise – you either love him or you hate him. The fans that admire Girardi see the leader taking a team criticized for being too old and overrated to the playoffs every year.  The manager of their boys in pinstripes is constantly handed challenges that he overcomes time and again.

They point to last season where the team lost young hurler Michael Pineda – slated to be in the rotation – for the year before he had ever taken the mound in the Bronx.  Then to make matters worse, starting left fielder Brett Gardner was gone for most of the season (starting in April) with injuries to his arm and elbow.

When April turned to May, things only got worse for the Bombers.  Certain Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera tore his ACL while shagging fly balls on the warning track before a game against Kansas City and was out for the year.

At the end of June, Girardi was handed more hurdles to clear when CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte were placed on the DL within hours of each other.  They were the rotation’s only southpaws and arguably the team’s best pitchers. When the smoke cleared and the final game of the regular season completed the Yankees sat atop the AL East with 95 wins – the most in the American League.

Given the constant setbacks of a year ago, it is hard to argue with anyone who says 2012 was one of Joe Girardi’s finest as a manager. However, the Yankees manager does have his detractors.

The Yankee followers that criticize Girardi point out his reliance on statistical matchups during a game.  “Old School” fans dislike the fact that rather than show more of a feel for how a game is flowing, Girardi will refer to a “binder” of computer generated historical comparisons and let that dictate his next move.

One need not look past the first game of 2012 to see their argument.

In the bottom of the first inning of the game against division rival Tampa Bay, Yankees ace CC Sabathia allowed two of the first three batters to reach base before getting a ground ball for the second out.  With runners on second and third and two away, right handed hitter Sean Rodriguez stepped to the plate.  All-or-nothing slugger Carlos Pena, a left-hander, was on deck.  Girardi decided to play the numbers and intentionally walk Rodriguez to get the lefty-lefty matchup with Pena.

The rest is history.

Pena blasted a 3 – 2 pitch into the seats for a grand slam leaving the Yankees manager open for criticism as to why, in the first inning of the first game with two outs he did not let his number one starter work his way out of the frame.  Why would he put added pressure on the pitcher so early in the game and the season by loading the bases for the sake of getting a favorable statistical scenario?

That was just one example out of many through the season which led to some referring to the “Binder” as if it were the team’s manager.

The reality is that Joe Girardi falls somewhere between the two sides of the argument.  Clearly he handles personnel well in adverse situations, and squeezes every ounce of success from the hand he is dealt.

He also lives and dies on what historical data dictates and many times ignores the “big picture” in doing so.

However, there is one thing that cannot be argued with, and that is the results.  In his tenure, no other team in the AL East has finished first more than his, and none of the other managers within the division has won more games.  He’s doing something right.

Here’s who Joe Girardi will be matching wits with in the division this season:

Toronto Blue Jays:  John Gibbons returns for his second stint as manager of the Blue Jays.  During his first run at the helm (from 2004 – 2008) he put together a 305 – 305 record, however he never had the talent that this year’s club provides.  This season will be a good indication of how Gibbons handles high expectations as many have picked his team to win the division

Baltimore Orioles: With every passing season Buck Showalter’s standing among the game’s greatest managers grows.  It seems that every team he commands turns into a winner.  Other than his time with the Texas Rangers (2003 through 2006), Showalter has posted a winning record with every club he has managed (including the Yankees from ’92 to ’95).  The Orioles are no different as he had the young club contending for the division title into the final week of the season in 2012.

Tampa Bay Rays:  Joe Maddon has led the Rays to 90 or more wins in four of the last five seasons.  In that stretch the team has not finished lower than third in the division and has made a World Series appearance (2008).  He is known as a players’ manager and his strategies are often unpredictable, yet successful (the shift for Mark Teixeira is an example).  He is quickly rising to a status among the most respected managers in the game.

Boston Red Sox:  In a unique trade, the Red Sox and the Blue Jays engaged in a deal last October that brought manager John Farrell to Boston.  As manager in Toronto over the previous two seasons, Farrell holds a 154 – 170 record and two fourth-place finishes in the American League East Division.  He inherits a Red Sox team that finished last season on an eight game losing streak, leaving them with a 69 – 93 record – their worst in 18 years.  Only time will tell if Farrell can turn the franchise around.

Here is how we see the managers of the AL East division stacking up:

1. Baltimore – Buck Showalter’s legend will continue to grow as he turns the Orioles into perennial contenders.

2. Tampa Bay – Joe Maddon’s imagination and unpredictability will keep the Rays at, or near the top of the American League.

3. New York – Joe Girardi will need to adapt to a roster with less power and depth to keep his string of playoff appearances intact.

4. Toronto – John Gibbons is on the hot seat as he has been handed a completely new lineup and rotation for 2013.

5. Boston – John Farrell will get the chance to show if he can turn a struggling organization around.

Let us know what you think!

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

 

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WITNESSING ANOTHER YANKEE LOSS FROM SECTON 203

Just out of reach, again. Tonight's game began the last home stand for the New York Yankees, and it was a battle of "aces". I put that in quotes because neither pitcher has really pitched well of late. Still, it was a battle of pitching giants, with the potential of a playoff spot on the line. CC Sabathia took the mound tonight for the Yankees and David Price started for the Rays. This one was a little special for me, as I had the privilege of sitting with the Bleacher Creatures during tonight's game. I got to see the game and prepare a recap while feeling the palpable intensity of the crowd.

CC Sabathia came out strong in his first four innings, almost completely dominating the Rays. CC struck out four, one in each inning. He allowed only two base runners, one of those base runners reaching because of a passed ball on a third strike. His fastball was in the low 90s and his slider was in the mid-to-low 80s, creating enough variance that it kept hitters guessing and missing. Sabathia was cruising.

David Price seemed to be behind in the count for much of the night. Even though his fastball was in the mid to high 90s, he seemed to have trouble locating it. The bottom of the second brought out the roar of the crowd as the Yankees drew first blood. Russell Martin led off with a single. After being sacrificed to second by Andruw Jones, was singled in by Steve Pearce.

Sabathia lost his command in the top of the fifth, as Chris Gimenez led off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. Carlos Pena walked and Elliot Johnson singled in the tying run. Desmond Jennings singled in the go-ahead run and things started to get nervously quiet in the Stadium. A wild pitch moved the runners forward one base and took the double play - and a quick end to the inning - out of the equation. After Ben Zobrist walked to load the bases, Evan Longoria hit into a 5-5-3 double play that allowed the third run to score. CC finally escaped by inducing B.J. Upton to fly out, but the Yankees were in a hole.

In what could have been a turning point for the night, the Yankees offense responded immediately. Curtis Granderson led off with a monster shot over the center field wall just beyond the reach of the center fielder Upton, bringing the Yankees within one. Eduardo Nunez and Derek Jeter hit back-to-back singles, putting the tying run in scoring position. Nevertheless, the RISP goblins came back out again, as the Yankees threat ended right there. Here's a thought. Fill-in first baseman Steve Pearce batted 1.000 with men in scoring position tonight. The rest of the team batted .000 with one walk. What's wrong with this picture?

Derek Jeter's single was number 3284 of his career, and moved him past Willie Mays to #10 on the all-time hit list. The crowd was on its feet for what felt like a 5-minute standing ovation, as we chanted Jeter's name well into Nick Swisher's at-bat. Sorry Swish - nothing personal.

After a good sixth inning for CC, the seventh inning would be his last. Elliot Johnson reached first on a fielder's choice and stole second. A Ben Zobrist single brought Johnson in for a 4-2 lead and CC would hand the ball over to Cody Eppley. Eppley got out of the inning, but gave up a home run to Upton to lead off the eighth.

David Price settled down after the Jeter single, retiring the next eight batters before handing the ball over to Joel Peralta in the bottom of the eighth. Price's line for the night was 7 innings, six strikeouts, five hits, 2 runs. The box score makes him look dominant on a night when he was probably more hittable than usual.

With Peralta on the mound in the eighth, Jeter singled to lead off the inning. Alex Rodriguez hit a 420-foot home run into the second deck in left field, bringing us to our feet screaming our lungs out. More importantly, it was a meaningful home run that brought the team to within one. However, that would be all the offense we would see tonight.

Joba Chamberlain came in for the ninth. After retiring Matt Joyce, Desmond Jennings singled and stole second. Joba then retired Ben Zobrist and would have retired Evan Longoria to end the inning, except that Eduardo Nunez inexplicably lost a routine grounder, scoring Jennings. This would be the final deathblow to the Yankees tonight. Fernando Rodney would retire the side in order in the ninth.

Tonight was another frustrating loss. It was not that the Rays played better than we did. It was that we did not play well at all. Championship teams do not let the opposition steal second at will (three times tonight), failing to throw out a single runner. They do not issue a pair of wild pitches and a passed ball, putting men in scoring position in each case. Someone mentioned to me tonight about checking the score in the Baltimore game, how we needed the Orioles to lose. The problem with our playoff hopes is not the Baltimore Orioles. The problem is the New York Yankees. From July 18, when we had the 10-game lead, if we had just played .500 ball, we would be holding a 4-game lead now. Time is running out to get back on track.

Final Score: Rays 6, Yankees 4

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon

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YANKEES COME UP BIG LATE; BEAT RAYS TODAY 4-3

Since its the 4th of July I figured I would try and come up with an analogy using today's Yankees win to America's Birthday.  Here's what I came up with...you remember as a kid when you or your friend would quickly light a firecracker in their hand and throw it?  But when you throw it the fuse burns and nothing happens.  You slowly walk up to the firecracker, and gently lean down to see why it didn't explode then, BANG!!! 

(pictured:  Cano smacks a two-run single in the 7th inning)

The Yankees were that firecracker for 7 innings today.  Their fuse was lit at the beginning of the game but nothing happened.  Then in the 8th inning, BANG!...the Yankees offense were patient at the plate and behind Robinson Cano's 2-run single with the bases juiced, took a 4-3 lead and held on to salvage the final game of this three game series vs. the Tampa Bay Rays.

(pictured:  David Phelps)

Today it was David Phelps who took the mound for the Yanks just trying his best to salvage the Yankees from being swept.  He did his best.  Phelps went only went 4.1 innings but surrendered just 1 run on 3 hits.  He did get himself in some jams with 3 walks but struck out 8 to put an end to any real Tampa threat.  Cody Eplley and Clay Rapada held the Rays in check and turned the ball over to Boone Logan in the 7th.  Unfortunately Logan fell into the "Carlos Pena spell".  Pena hit a towering 2-run shot to give the Rays a 3-1 lead.  It was Pena's 4th home run against the Yankees this year.  Pena has become the "David Ortiz" of the Rays against the Yanks.  Seems like the guy is going yard or knocking in a big run whenever we play them this year.  But, thankfully, the Yankees rallied to take the lead and were able to go to David Robertson in the 8th who shut down the Rays.  Then it was Rafael Soriano in the 9th.  Soriano set the Rays down went 1-2-3 to earn his 19th Save of the season in 20 tries.

Look, it was an ugly series for the Yankees in Tampa but you know they have to be happy to win today the way they did and get out of Dodge.  Up next, the Yankees head to Boston for a four game series at Fenway which begins Friday at 8:05pm.  Expect fireworks in Boston, and, speaking of fireworks, enjoy your 4th of July evening!  God Bless America!

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer
Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com
Twitter: @MikeyBlu23

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WHY IBANEZ HAS WORKED OUT FOR THE YANKEES...SO FAR

After the Yankees traded Jesus Montero to the Seattle Mariners this past off season, the Yankees needed to fill their void at the DH position. There were plenty of worthy candidates on the free agent market, at least in the eyes of Yankee fans, that could do the job. Some of those guys included Carlos Pena – who I preferred the most – Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, and Raul Ibanez. Personally, and I’m sure a lot of you could relate to this, but I much preferred one of the former three candidates than the latter, but, sure enough, the Yankees chose Ibanez.

I’ll be first to admit that I hated the Ibanez signing from day one. I even went as far as going out of my own way to ridicule him in a piece I wrote during Spring Training titled WHY THE YANKEES & ANGELS SHOULD MAKE A TRADE. I called him out for a number of things including his inability to get on base at a good enough rate the last few years, his inability to hit left-handed pitching, and his porous play in the outfield, among other things. But boy, was I wrong with this one or what?

In 29 games, 102 plate appearances, Ibanez has a batting line of .261/.324/.543 (average/on-base/slugging). He’s also hit seven home runs (Tied-2nd on the team), driven in 22 runs (2nd on the team) and is fourth on the team with a .867 OPS. Ibanez did get a guaranteed Major League contract when he signed on with the Yankees, but he’s making just a hair over $1 million this season and at least for now, the Yankees are definitely getting enough bang for their buck.

I get it, it’s early, but if Ibanez can provide anywhere near the production he has so far, he’ll prove to be a major steal for this team. Maybe he can keep this production up the entire season, who knows. He plays his home games at Yankee Stadium, of course, so his swing is perfect for the ballpark. When the Yankees signed Ibanez I thought they would end up having to wait until the July 31 Trade Deadline to acquire a bat to replace him once he crapped out. But now, Ibanez has made me eat crow, and I like it. Here’s to hoping Ibanez keeps it up for the duration of the season so we don’t have to search for a bat at the Trade Deadline.

 


--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse



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WHY UGLY IS JUST UGLY

There is no way to sugar coat the New York Yankees start to this 2012 season. It's been pretty brutal. For the second day in a row the Yankees starting pitching got rocked early and often and our offense is leaving too many runners on base. Tonight, Hiroki Kuroda made his regular season debut for the Yankees and it was a first impression I hope to soon forget. Kuroda allowed six runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings in his Yankees debut.

Make no mistake, the Yankee pitching staff is starting the 2012 campaign against a Tampa team who are swinging hot bats. Yesterday it was Carlos Pena who smoked us, tonight it was Luke Scott. Scott had three hits and drove in three runs in his debut as Tampa Bay's DH.

It's not like the Yankee hitters aren't getting on base these first two games, they are... it's just that they aren't getting the key hits, yet. Tonight the Yankees faced David Price and had him on the ropes a couple times but could not pull the trigger. The left hander Price (1-0) allowed two runs and five hits over 6 1/3 innings to win for the first time since Aug. 28. He also walked four and struck out five.The Yankees actually put together a decent rally in the 9th but came up short after ARod came up as the tying run but grounded out to end the game. Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson both had two hits and Nick Swisher had a 3-run bomb that started that rally in the top of the 9th for the Yankees. Also, Raul Ibanez knocked in another run tonight so he now has 5 RBI's in the first two games of the season. But again, it wasn't the lack of hits tonight for the Bombers, it was when they needed them... and we didn't get them that cost the game tonight. Look, I think it's just a matter of time, maybe even tomorrow, before our bats put out a 10+ run onslaught. We shall see. The Yanks wrap up their series with the Rays tomorrow in St. Petersburg at at 1pm...It's Phil Hughes vs. Jeremy Hellickson.

Some other game notes:
A bit of controversy in the 7th inning tonight. Evan Longoria hit a fly to the wall in right field that was changed to a ground-rule double. Replays showed a fan wearing a Yankees jersey reached over the railing and caught the ball, which would not have carried into the stands, with a glove. The reversal left runners on second and third, and Joyce followed with his two-run single to make it 8-2.

Jeter was the DH tonight, and manager Joe Girardi said ARod might DH or get a day off Sunday. Girardi's desire to keep his veteran players fresh during the season and on artificial turf at Tropicana Field were factors in the manager's thinking.

Also, New York #2 hitter Curtis Granderson and #6 hitter Swisher switched spots against Price tonight. Girardi said the change might be used on a regular basis when the opposition starts a lefthander. I just found that interesting.

Final Score: Rays 8 - Yankees 6.

Big game tomorrow... Let's Go Yankees!

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer
Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com
Twitter: @MikeyBlu23


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THE BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE NEWSSTAND

We're going to put together this Newsstand feature every once in a while and it will give you all a chance to focus alittle more on important nuggets and information that you're bound to miss if you reading recaps and opinion pieces... don't worry, we got your back.

SAYING WHAT YOU MEAN AND MEANING WHAT YOU SAY: A special thanks to the Epoch Times for quoting me correctly in a piece about what Opening Day means to me. Kristen Meriwether did the piece and did exactly what she said she would do. You never know how the media will portray you, but she did what she said she would do, a fair piece on Opening day from a Mets and Yankees fan perspective. Kudos to Kristen and Thank you. They run a great Sports column over there, shout out to Dave Martin too... Anyway, be sure to check out their Opening Day piece titled Baseball Kicks off in New York. It was very kind of them to reach out and ask me to contribute. You guys rock...hint, I'd do it again.
AARDSMA TWEETS...WHO KNEW?: David Aardsma apparently threw his first bullpen session and is on his way back from Tommy John Surgery. How do I know? He Tweeted it, read HERE. I love that athletes interact with the fans and Twitter is the future, we're getting news there before the news hits the web...talk about fast, it's awesome.

NO ONE CARES ABOUT BOBBY V: New York Post's George King III writes HERE that Valentine will do a weekly spot on Michael Kay's radio show: "Valentine confirmed he will do a weekly spot on ESPN 1050 Radio, which started Wednesday afternoon. Valentine, who managed the Mets from 1996-2002, will chat with host and Yankees play-by-play man Michael Kay." Seriously, there are a ton of guys out there that New Yorkers want to hear from...Bobby V? Really? Disappointing Kay, I'm not going to lie.

THE GREATEST NETTLES PICTURE I'VE EVER SEEN: No, I have no idea who took this photo, or where it came from, but if you grew up loving Graig Nettles manning third base, this brings a smile to your face. Truly one of the greatest defensive third basemen ever in the game. Enjoy this shot, I did. Also, read MY ALL-TIME YANKEES TEAM... Nettles is the 3B starter on my Yankees team, without question.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU: Bronx Baseball Daily mentioned our work with High Socks for Hope in their post yesterday HERE. We are trying to raise money for David and Erin's foundation and if you buy a Bleedingyankeeblue.com shirt during the regular season this year, we'll take $1 of that purchase and put it toward their fund. We will also give $1 of our own BYB money to them for every strikeout David gets this season. David clearly knows how important it is... he struck out 3 in Game 1. Nice! Thank you to Rob at BBD, my first friend in the blog world. Great work DRob!

A FINAL THOUGHT: Joe Girardi has received harsh criticism with the handling of the Yankees yesterday...the intentional walk that led to the Carlos Pena Grand Slam, read HERE. Let me say this... I get it. But this is Game 1 with 161 to go. Much like the players, the skipper can be rusty too and yes, "Binder Joe" struck again. I'm not going to sit here and defend him. What I am going to do is state that calling for Girardi's head is much too harsh this early on. Let the season play out, collect data...then we see where we are in May or July or August. I hate ripping on my team this early... we're the Yankees... we lost one we shouldn't have, but we move on now and we get it back today. That's my take anyway.

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WHY IT WAS A YANKEES BUZZ KILL

You gotta admit, even though the Yankees lost this one in the ninth inning 7-6 (Read HERE) with Mariano Rivera giving up the tying and winning run, it was still a great game overall; lots of ups and downs and highs and lows on Opening Day at Tropicana Field.

In the bottom of the first inning, the Rays had runners on 2nd and 3rd with two out with Sean Rodriguez at the plate. Joe Girardi decided he wanted CC Sabathia to intentionally walk him to load the bases for Carlos Pena. Keep in mind; it’s the first inning of the first game of the season. Pena then promptly destroyed the ball for a grand slam; Rays up 4-0. Girardi’s decision to walk the light hitting Sean Rodriguez in favor of the power hitting Carlos Pena was definitely a head scratcher.The Yankees offense was resilient in this one, however, following Pena’s slam. The Yanks manufactured two runs in the second with Raul Ibanez driving in a run on a ground out, and Mark Teixeira scoring on a wild pitch. Then, in the third, the Yanks took the lead by scoring four runs; three coming off the bat of Ibanez on a three run blast. I’ll admit that I didn’t like the Ibanez signing, and so far he’s making me eat crow…And I like it.

There was only run scored until the bottom of the ninth after Ibanez’s bomb, and that came off the bat of Evan Longoria when he launched a homer off CC in the third. Following Longo’s homer, CC settled down the final three innings and finished with a pitching line of 6 innings, five runs, eight hits, seven strikeouts, three walks, and two homers. The opposing starter, James Shields, allowed six runs in 5 innings.
The Yanks went into the bottom of the eighth with a 6-5 lead and David Robertson had a typical David Robertson inning; allow runners to reach first and third with no one out, strike out the side to end the inning. Ho-hum! That's 3 strikeouts on the David Robertson's strikeout counter. Remember be sure to buy a BYB shirt too and Bleeding Yankee Blue will also donate a dollar of that purchase to David and Erin's foundation. Do it, you’ll feel a lot better inside.

Anyway... let me get back on track. The Yanks then went into the bottom of the ninth, still holding onto their one run lead, and Mariano Rivera was most likely making his final Opening Day appearance in his career. Unfortunately, it did not go that well, as he allowed a booming triple to Ben Zobrist following a single to Desmond Jennings to tie the game at 6. Mo then intentionally walked the next two batters to load the bases with no one out before striking out Sean Rodriguez and allowing a walk off long single to Carlos Pena to lose the game 7-6. What a shame.

Another thing you can point to that hurt the Yankees in this game was their inability to hit with RISP. The Yanks hit 2-for-11 with RISP today and left 12 runners on base. Though scoring six runs should be good enough to win a game against a team whose cleanup hitter is Jeff Keppinger, it certainly would have been nice if they got an extra hit or three with RISP.

With all of this said, you have to move onto the next day. The great thing about baseball is that when you lose a tough game like this you get to go right back at it in the near future, and that’s tomorrow night. Hiroki Kuroda will make his Yankee regular season debut against David Price. Go Yanks!



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse

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THE YANKEES GUIDE TO THE AL EAST

It’s almost time again, Opening Day is around the corner and I can hardly wait! The Yankees made a lot of moves during the off season, and now it is time to see Cashman’s plan put into motion. The AL East is always a tough division, which also makes it so exciting to watch every year. You can find it all here from fierce rivalries to some of the best hitters in the game. This year will be no different, the Yankees aren't the only one to make changes and it is about to get interesting….so let’s break out the scouting report!

Baltimore Orioles

(In Photo: Brian Matusz)
Buck Showalter has a very young team that has a lot of potential but depends heavily on a few key players. Last year, the Orioles young and promising pitching staff did not pan out as they had hoped. This year, Brian Matusz is likely headed back to AAA and and Jake Arrieta is looking for a bounce back year after having shoulder surgery. Showalter has already named Arrieta as his opening day starter, so all eyes are on him. The Orioles are also going to count on Mark Reynolds to make more contact with the ball than he does with thin air since the Orioles do not have a lineup rich in offense. Another key to the offense will be Brian Roberts. Although he is currently on the disabled list with a concussion, he is the best lead-off hitter they have, and if his bat is out of the lineup it is noticeable. Matt Wieters is also crucial to the lineup, and while he is pretty solid defensively he has a hard time batting from the left side. The Orioles are still going through some growing pains, but they have a lot of potential.

Toronto Blue Jays

(In Photo: Ricky Romero)
The Blue Jays become even more dangerous with every year, if the Blue Jays were in the AL Central, they might be division winners. This team has a lot of young talent including a strong starting rotation and two closers. Ricky Romero has turned into the ace of a young staff, who has inexplicably managed to induce ground balls at an amazing ratio but has a higher than average fly ball ratio to go with it. Somehow, he keeps batters guessing and it works for him. The bullpen is also going to be a strength for them with two potential closers Francisco Cordero and Sergio Santos both capable of shutting down the game. Offensively, the Blue Jays have a big question mark with Adam Lind who is very streaky but can hit for power. Of course, Jose Bautista knows how to hit for power. After putting up similar numbers in both 2010 and 2011 there is no reason to think his numbers will be any less impressive.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays have one of the strongest starting rotations in the entire league along with a productive offense to back it up. David Price is back again along with James “Big Game” Shields who are one of the most dangerous 1-2 pitching combinations in the game. Last year’s Rookie of the Year award winner Jeremy Hellickson is also back after working on some adjustments. One notable difference this year is Wade Davis transitioning to the bullpen, which will only make the bullpen bridge to Kyle Farnsworth even stronger. Offensively, the Rays may not hit for as much power but BJ Upon, Evan Longoria and newly reunited Carlos Pena (yes, again) can come in and deliver during a clutch situation. One of the biggest strengths that the Rays have is their defense, which is fundamentally sound. It will be interesting to see how the lineup changes without Johnny Damon this year, but make no mistake, this is a dangerous lineup.

Boston Red Sox

Oh can you feel the rivalry? The team has gone through a drastic makeover. Goodbye Theo, Francona, Captain Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield, and Jonathon Papelbon….and hello change. After an epic collapse, it is time to see what Bobby Valentine brings out of the announcers box and onto the field. The starting rotation is still a big question mark with Daniel Bard taking on a starting position, Matsuzaka still out and John Lackey missing all of 2012. New closer Andrew Bailey is now dealing with a thumb problem which makes things even more complicated. The Red Sox have options, but they could use some depth. The offense is still as lethal as always, but it will be interesting to see how the lineup changes now that Marco Scutaro is not on the team, can Nick Punto handle a starting role at shortstop? Carl Crawford is still injured and will be looking for a comeback, but the Red Sox still have a lot of power in Adrian Gonzalez, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Dustin Pedroia. It’s a new look to an old rivalry and I can’t wait to watch the drama unfold!

On Friday the long 162 game season starts and I can’t wait to see how the Yankees new roster stacks up against everyone else. The battle for the AL East is always exciting, but this year it is going to be even more intense. It is hard to predict anything, but you can count on one thing…..it will be a fight to the finish. PLAY BALL!

--Jeana Bellezza --BYB Writer and Editor

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WHY JOHNNY DAMON NEEDS TO COME HOME

It seems as though the majority of people I speak to on Facebook and Twitter really want to see Johnny Damon back in pinstripes and if it happens to be in 2012... that's just great with them. Couple those conversations with the poll we conducted asked the question: Who would you want as the Yankees DH? Out of the 199 people that voted, 45% of you, 90 of you wanted Johnny Damon back over Carlos Pena (Who signed with the Rays this week, read HERE.) 54 of you chose neither Pena nor Damon. Interesting. Here's the poll:
Look, over this past weekend, I thought about the Yankees and the DH. Do they need to hire from a list for free agents? No. Can they just wing it? Sure. Will they? No. They're the Yankees, sure they want to keep their budget down, it's clear now, but they still want to win. If they didn't they wouldn't have traded Jesus Montero. When I read the guys on the free agent list, Damon, Vladimir Guerrero, Cody Ross, Raul Ibanez, Hideki Matsui, any would be a nice addition to our ball club, but I have a gut feeling again, and I feel like at the end of the day, or this week, or next, Johnny Bravo is coming home to the Bronx. For 1, he'll be inexpensive, and 2, he wants to get back to the Yankees badly. Read Joel Sherman's tweet HERE. Now, Sherman's right, the Michael Pineda / Montero deal is not official yet, hopefully when that is announced this week, the Yankees can concentrate on the DH. Until then though, it appears the Yankees won't be doing anything. But I suspect, and this is my opinion, that if it was a race for the Yankees' DH slot, Johnny Damon's in the lead. It just makes sense to me.

Yes, it's true, the Tigers are pursuing Damon hard, read HERE and if the money the Tigers offered was right, no doubt, Damon goes back to the Motor City, no sense in waiting. But the reality is... while we don't need Johnny Damon... We should want Johnny Damon, a lefty, a fan favorite. I know I want him back, I want that chemistry with the rest of the ball club again. I want his veteran experience there to education the future New York Yankees, the Eduardo Nunez's of the team and I want to see Johnny, Jeet, Alex and Mo laughing on the field, having fun and kicking ass in 2012... Is that too much to ask?

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WHY JORGE VAZQUEZ COULD GET A SHOT AT DH

Now look, I’m all for testing the waters come Spring Training to find out internally who would perform as the best choice at DH. After all, the Yankees still want to save money and if they were to try and sign Johnny Damon for 1 year, he’d probably want around the same that he made last year with the Rays, alittle over $5 million. While that’s pennies to the Yankees, it’s still money they are trying to save. So, would they go a total other route and give power hitter Jorge Vazquez a shot? It could be fun, right?

Well, while Kevin Long believes that Jorge Vazquez wouldn't be more than a .200 hitting in the pros, Read HERE, it doesn't mean we can't get a look see come Spring Training right? There is one important concern with that though, and it’s simple thinking…the guy strikes out a hell of a lot. Remember all the concern over Carlos Pena striking out a lot? Read HERE. Same drill. The difference is this, we’d be paying Carlos Pena a ton more to strike out, Vazquez is our farm hand and maybe we can harness that power and lessen the K’s at a much much cheaper price. After all, these days it’s about the money and we need to do what we can to save. Look, the rotation may have changed since Friday the 13^th, but we need to look ahead to the days when guys like Matt Cain becomes available, don’t we? There is no rest… Cashman has to continue to figure out ways to be creative so the New York Yankees have the best guys on the field AND save money.

Look, I have no problem giving Jorge Vazquez a shot, but striking out a lot concerns me. But I guess it can’t all be bad, Reggie Jackson struck out a ton in his career and Mr. October’s in the Hall of Fame. Am I comparing Vasquez to Jackson? No, but I’m making a point, if the energy is harnessed correctly, Vazquez can become a cheap alternative and a success for the Yankees at DH…and if not for 2012, then beyond...and why not?

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WHY GODZILLA WILL STORM THE BRONX

Several places reporting that the Yankees and Hideki Matsui have gotten cozy with each other the last few days only fueling the speculation that Matsui may in fact be coming back to the Bronx for a reunion. Read it HERE. This ultimately would make sense if you read and believe the story about the Yankees funds for Designated Hitter only being about $2 million. Read HERE. Look, my opinion on the money is, the Yankees do what they want, and if they need to throw a few extra million at a guy they loved while he was in pinstripes, they'll do it. They are not tied to $1 to $2 million...in fact, 3 extra million is like pennies to you and I. The point is, if they want a guy to DH at this point, they'll do what they need to do. Matsui is someone they'd do it for, they know what they're getting.Look, I have said since October, way before the Jesus Montero trade, that it makes sense to bring a veteran bat familiar with the "Yankee Way" back to the Bronx for extra stability off the bench. Read WHY HIDEKI MATSUI? WHY NOT? To me having Matsui back is the ultimate for all Yankees fans. Sure, there is a constant debate on the Internet that Matsui has a bat and no legs and someone like Johnny Damon can at least hit AND run. I say, you go with your gut at this point. Which meeting worked out better for the Yankee brass? I mean, Damon's great and is loved, but these 2 are about the same age, it's actually a very similar comparison. Yes, both are likable and I see the argument for wanting to have Damon there, but in the short time in the Bronx, millions fell in love with Godzilla and it would be a nice reunion too.As Matt Snyder of CBS Sports puts it:

"...if the Yankees do sign Matsui, the differences in how the home parks play will be significant. Being a left-handed hitter, Matsui would benefit greatly from playing half his games in Yankee Stadium -- a venue that is really easy on lefties and where he's hit 17 home runs in 299 career regular-season at-bats.

Further, the Yankees know Matsui can deal with playing in New York and is familiar with many of the current Yankees."

If I had to guess, between someone like Matsui, Johnny Damon or Carlos Pena at this very moment... I'm betting on the Yankees signing Hideki Matsui... it makes the most sense. Are you ready for the Return of Godzilla? I am... and I can't wait.

By the way, be sure the check out the latest from Yankees Fans Unite HERE.

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