TEAM USA: CHAMPS!

Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports

It happened... USA won the World Baseball Classic and huge ups to Marcus Stroman who was a superstar last night. I gotta tell ya, it must have felt amazing to wear a USA uniform and perform the way he did! He made us all proud!

CBSSports.com writes:

Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports

"...the United States defeated Puerto Rico by an 8-0 final to win the 2017 World Baseball Classic championship. 

Kevin Kuo, USA Today Sports

Marcus Stroman was the star of the show, tossing six no-hit innings against a previously undefeated Puerto Rico squad  before being lifted following a leadoff double. Ian Kinsler and Brandon Crawford -- Team USA’s double-play combination -- both drove in a pair of runs apiece. "

Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports

People criticize the World Baseball Classic, and sure, it may not be as popular because folks don't feel like it should happen before the regular baseball season and all of that, but in a game like last night, the pride you see on these players faces wearing their countries uniform... you kind of get why it's so important in this day and age.

Congrats Team USA!

GUILT & REMINISCING

I have hit a new low and it sucks. On Tuesday night I watched most of the Angels and Tigers game (worth noting: it was against my will). As I watched I saw so many plays that reminded me of what was the Yankees past but not lately. I saw hits that the Yankees used to make and energy that we used to have. Now, it's a memory. I was watching another team make magic happen and I was jealous.

We all have moments of weakness and this one was mine. As I was making a late dinner the game started out pretty boring. My other half was enjoying everything he was seeing. in fact, he compared it to the first game in the Diamondbacks and Yankees series where we got our asses handed to us. It was THAT kind of game. The Angels were dominating with a 9-2 lead and I was salivating.

The Tigers made it interesting and at one point tied the game but I just kept thinking back on the Angels offense last night. Sure, they don't do this every night. In fact, they are just as bad as we are but.....they have done something that we haven't been able to do. It sucks watching another team show signs of life as we drown.

I wish I could remember what a 17 hit game looked like. Tuesday night, I had to listen to the other half run around celebrating as Mike Trout hit a three run homer. It sucked. He does nothing but talk about how he idolizes this guy and I had to watch and hear him celebrate.

Watching C.J. Cron hit not one but two home runs made me violently ill. He is a young 26 year old kid who is a freaking infant in the big leagues and he is hitting bombs. Meanwhile, our power hitters can't even get an infield single. Yeah, and for once I am calling you out Mark Teixeira! 

I know you have an "owie" right now but that doesn't matter. You may not be playing much lately but you can't even hit your weight and it disgusts me. If there is anyone here who can give you that dose of tough love right now, it is ME.

I wanted to throw up my dinner after Ian Kinsler hit his grand slam. I wasn't sure how to feel. I was sick thinking about how he just hit his very first grand slam while of course our Bronx Bombers look like Bronx Bummers. At the same time, he hit a grand slam against the Angels and made the game interesting again and I wanted to see them lose! It was nice to watch the Angels bullpen melt down even if it was short lived.

All of these home runs the other night and all I can think about is August 25, 2011 when the Yankees made history by hitting three grand slams in one game thanks to Curtis Granderson, Russell Martin and Robinson Cano.....all guys that are gone. It's sad that I am sitting her missing players that are no longer here while I can't even reflect on anything good for this season right now.

There's still a long way to go his season, but the Yankees are giving games away. On paper this team is better than last year and we shouldn't be 8.5 games out of first place. We are digging a hole that is getting too deep. We can't expect this team to make a dent and climb back up when they don't hit, the starters can't pitch deep into games and we burn out our bullpen. I don't want to see the Yankees become sellers, but if things don't change we are going to start a garage sale and give away some prized pieces.....like a good bullpen arm.

The last thing I want to think about is teams approaching us to pick apart our team because they know we are too far out of it or think that we have given up. Maybe I am too prideful, but I don't want to give other teams that satisfaction but they aren't blind. They know we are open to trade ideas even if we aren't advertising them, like trading Nathan Eovaldi for example. They also know that the Yankees are scrambling to get a backup for glass man Tex now that Dustin Ackley is out for the season. So far our answer seems to be throwing Rob Refsnyder at first, read that HERE where hopefully he won't suck and maybe he will give us some offense. Way to be reactive, Yankees.

The Yankees wasted yet another good start by Masahiro Tanaka last night. There is a troublesome pattern here that cannot be ignored. In six of his last 11 starts, the Yankees have scored three or fewer runs for him. The Yankees just can't score. A combined five runs in the last four games just isn't going to cut it. Tanaka deserved better last night. He wasn't at his best but one earned run on seven hits and one walk in six innings is still a winnable game if your offense shows up.....which ours never does anymore. My grandmother could probably do better. Wake me up when we get a new hitting coach!

It would be nice to wake up one day and write about something other than the under-performing Yankees. I am still looking but right now the Yankees keep digging a a crater sized hole. I really hope this is rock bottom.....but I am not seeing a light at the end of the tunnel here yet.


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





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THE STUD

Everyone loves James Kaprielian.

Quick note and a great piece from Newsday's Erik Boland today about the young Yankee hurler we call "Stud".  Kap is impressing people:

"'A stud,' one opposing team talent evaluator said. 'That [a call-up in 2016] wouldn’t surprise me at all.'

Kaprielian, in his spring training debut Friday against the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium, showed flashes of why so much hype has accompanied him.

The 6-4, 200-pound righthander, who turned 22 on Wednesday, threw two perfect innings, striking out two. His most impressive inning was his first. He struck out Jose Iglesias swinging after falling behind 2-and-0 and fanned Ian Kinsler swinging after falling behind 3-and-1.

Kaprielian, who featured a fastball sitting at 94 to 96 mph, according to scouts in the stands, admitted to being 'anxious' on his way to the mound to start the fifth inning and experiencing “some jitters” as he took the ball.

After the two quick balls to Iglesias, that feeling apparently subsided..."

I would love to see this guy play in the Bigs this year, and yes, it's wishful thinking, because the Yankees don't typically do that. But the reality is, he's got a fast track and it would be refreshing to see.

Anyway, be sure to read Boland's full article.  It's very well done and gives all Yankee fans alot of hope about the youth movement in Yankeeland.



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THE GRASS ISN'T ALWAYS GREENER: PART 2

I recently wrote an article titled THE GRASS ISN'T ALWAYS GREENER regarding the Yankees’ - as well as some of their fans - habit of looking at what other teams have as being better.  My argument was that we have some in-house proven talent that can fit the holes we are looking to shore up if just given the chance.

Greg Bird, Luis Severino, Rob Refsnyder, and Slade Heathcott were examples of that last season.  To some extent, so was the recently departed (traded) John Ryan Murphy.  All came up through our organization and all were successful not only in the spring, but when given their opportunities in the Bronx; either via injury or just plain necessity.

It could be argued that only Severino was a planned introduction to the big leagues.

Those who do read my articles know my opinion of GM Brian Cashman’s idea on how to build a winning team.  He employs a strategy similar to that of the 1980’s George Steinbrenner; acquire once-proven veterans either via free agency or through trade – using the minor league system stars as bartering chips.

(In Photo: Jack Clark)
As I watch Cashman every off-season exercise a worn business model that yields 85 – 87 wins per season and only teases us with memories of players never to again see their peak, I can’t help but remember names like Jack Clark (signed in 1988 at age 32, hit .242 and was traded to Padres at end of season), Rick Rhoden (acquired in trade from Pittsburgh in 1987 at age 35 – for 24 year old Doug Drabek who would go on to win a Cy Young in 1990.

(In Photo: Doug Drabek)
Rhoden would go 28 – 22 with a 4.09 ERA and allow 42 HR in 2 seasons with Yankees), or Rafael Santana (30 year old shortstop acquired in trade from Mets, hit .240 in 1988 and then released the next season).  While only a small representative sample, they characterized Yankee clubs that averaged a little more than 82 wins per season and never finished above 4th place in the A.L. East.

(In Photo: Derek Jeter, 1996)
It wasn’t until young, home-grown players like Don Mattingly and Bernie Williams came onto the scene – to be followed by Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte – that the Bombers emerged from that “dark period” of their history.

Cashman’s line of thinking has only worked once over the past 15 seasons – in 2009 – and the club has played just one playoff game (last season’s loss to the Astros in the Wild card game) over the past three.  At what point does the recent success of the Royals and Giants - teams laden with young, home-grown stars given their chance on an everyday basis – finally sink in?

Lately, there have persistent rumblings about opportunities to fill second base (yet again) with either a position-transplant from another team (Castro of the Cubs – bumped from his starting spot at shortstop by Addison Russell, or a 30-something veteran (Kinsler from the Tigers).  These rumors persist seemingly oblivious to what the Yankees had in the Ackley / Refsnyder combo over the final crucial weeks of 2015.

 As I wrote in my first THE GRASS ISN'T ALWAYS GREENER article:

“Only, what they seem to overlook is that once Drew was out of the picture, the team’s forced reliance upon Dustin Ackley and Rob Refsnyder created a productive combo at second.  From September 16th (when Drew stopped playing on regular basis) until the end of the season, the two “replacements” for WHSBIYH (Worst Hitting Second Baseman In Yankees History) hit a combined .303 with 4 HR, 11 RBI and 6 runs scored.”

The Yankees went from ranking dead last at second base to top 5 at the position simply by going with what they had on hand to replace Drew.

My point of all of this is that, sure Kinsler might be an upgrade at second base, but not a significant one and he is an older player with a much larger contract to eat.  Castro is young, but he isn’t a natural second baseman (Refsnyder, long criticized regarding his fielding, actually had a higher fielding percentage at the position and had no errors down the stretch when the Yankees needed him the most), and he has a large contract to boot (8 year contract through 2019, $60 million).  We have more pressing issues at other positions (starting pitching in particular) than to worry about second base (now that the stiff Drew is gone).

My esteemed colleague, and BYB Founder, Robert Casey wrote articles about both Castro and Kinsler that are well worth their read (you can get them Here and Here).  Along with what I’ve said above, he makes the point that – in the words of Lloyd Dobler from the iconic movie “Say Anything” - “You…Must…Chill! “.  Look at what we already have and relax.

Stephen Drew can’t burn us anymore (unless “Dimwit” brings him back again, which I am certain he doesn’t want to bring that upon himself for another season) and we have capable hands already under contract to adequately represent the position. Let’s let Ackley and Refsnyder grow at second base.  They’ve given us a pretty nice glimpse into what they are capable of providing.  After all, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side – or in this case – with the other options.


    

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


    

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WAIT, NOW WE NEED IAN KINSLER AT SECOND?

I just found this humorous and wanted to point it out to you all.

As you know, you read about Hal Steinbrenner liking the direction the Yankees were going... they're getting younger and that's great for us fans because we've been wanting this for a long time. Read HAL'S EXCITED ABOUT THE YOUNG PLAYERS. YOU SHOULD BE TOO for more.

Now comes an article from YESNetwork.com that asks this question... Should the Yankees explore a trade for Detroit Tigers 2B Ian Kinsler?

Really... REALLY?

(In Photo: Dustin Ackley)
First of all, we already have Dustin Ackley and Rob Refsnyder. Plus, we have a nice utility in Brendan Ryan if we need alittle more defense.  The Yankee world just shot down a rumor this week about a much younger Starlin Castro.  Now we're going after Kinsler?  Kinsler is 33.  I thought we were getting younger? Hey, here's an idea, why don't we just platoon our way through the season with what we have and go after some pitching?

Anyway, YESNetwork.com writes: "One player they didn't deal away, however, is second baseman Ian Kinsler, who has quietly been one of the American League's most talented infielders over the last 10 seasons.

Kinsler, 33, has been named an All-Star four times, coincidentally in every even-numbered year since 2008. This pattern would indicate he's due for another one in 2016, but should the Yankees try to bring him to New York via trade?..

...In addition to his team-friendly contract, Kinsler has proven to be an offensive force at the second base position for a full decade in the Majors, as well as a stolen base threat - something the Yankees would surely welcome. Kinsler is a lifetime .276 hitter that has hit at least 10 homers and 50 RBI in all but one season. One year ago, Kinsler led all Major Leaguers with 726 plate appearances, and topped 30 home runs in 2009 and 2011."

While they make a good argument, I ask all of you... would you look to take in Ian Kinsler?  Comment.

 

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TRADE SHOCKER: FIELDER FOR KINSLER DEAL ALL BUT DONE

When I read it, I didn't believe it.  I thought that Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com was screwing with me.  The truth of the matter is, it's true.  It's being revealed tonight that Prince Fielder is pretty much traded to the Texas Rangers for Ian Kinsler.  There are some details that need to be worked out, and sure, it could fall apart in the 11th hour, but for now, it looks like it's just about a done deal.

According to Heyman: "The Rangers and Tigers have agreed on a blockbuster deal to send Prince Fielder to Texas for Ian Kinsler, pending CBSSports.com has learned.

There could be another player involved in the trade as potential well, but that hasn't been confirmed. There may also be money involved as Fielder's $214-million contract is much larger.

 Fielder has a limited no-trade clause that includes the Rangers. But it is believed he is willing to accept the deal.

Kinsler's contract details weren't immediately available.

Physicals would likely be needed."

The first major trade is all but complete and it's the biggest one so far.  Interesting.  What's next?

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