IKE DAVIS HAS A GIG!

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The dude is still working, folks.  You gotta respect the grind.

Ike Davis signed a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Matt Eddy of Baseball America, the same guy who thought he got the Clay Rapada scoop before BYB a while back (Read the HERE), tweeted this:

#Dodgers sign 1B Ike Davis and RHP Brandon Morrow to minor league deals.

— Matt Eddy (@MattEddyBA) January 27, 2017

MLB Trade Rumors wrote of Davis:

Photo: New York Post

"Davis, 29, appeared in just eight major league games in 2016, spending much of his season at the Triple-A level with the Yankees’ and Rangers’ top minor league affiliates.  The left-handed hitting Davis has a solid career slash line (.251/.351/.441) against right-handed pitching over his career, though even those numbers were on the decline over the last two seasons as Davis struggled to retain a big league job.  After an impressive start to his MLB career as the Mets’ regular first baseman, Davis has hit just .222/.327/.354 over 1058 PA since the start of the 2013 season, bouncing from the Mets to the Pirates to the A’s and last year’s brief stint with the Yankees."

Photo: AP / David Zalubowski

Well, now he gets another shot. Dodger Blue writes this:

"Assuming Davis does not make the Dodgers roster out of camp but doesn’t opt out of his deal, the 29-year-old presumably will serve as depth for Triple-A Oklahoma City and insurance if Adrian Gonzalez is lost to injury for a prolonged stretch."

Anything Dodgers, they have their finger on the pulse. I endorse them!

Anyway... Good Luck Ike.



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SEE YOU LATER, NICK SWISHER!

Nick Swisher's quest to come back to the big leagues has come to an end....well for now at least. I don't think many people are surprised at this point.  So Swisher finally opted out of his minor league contract with the Yankees yesterday afternoon. He may be done this season but it doesn't sound like he is ready to hang up his uniform and call it a career just yet.

    "After the birth of my second child, I’ve decided to take a step back and spend the rest of this season full time with my wife and two daughters. Make no mistake, I am not hanging it up. I love this game with the same amount of passion that I had as a rookie 12 years ago. I want to thank the Yankees for giving me the opportunity to return to the organization that I love so much and wish them nothing but success for the rest of 2016. Despite not being at the ballpark every day, I will continue to train on a daily basis and evaluate my options for next season at the appropriate time." - Nick Swisher

Swisher played first base and designated hitter for the New York Yankees in AAA where he had a 255 BA, 7 home runs, and 25 RBIs in 55 games. Swisher was red hot early in his new assignment but then he seemed to fizzle at a bad time when the Yankees were hit by the injury bug. The Yankees passed him up several times after injuries to Mark Teixeira, Dustin Ackley and Chris Parmelee.

They even signed Ike Davis to a very fast deal instead of calling up Swisher. Despite the Yankees desperation and the many opportunities they had, he never made it back up to the Bronx.

Swisher is undoubtedly very disappointed that the Yankees never gave him the opportunity that he was waiting for but that wasn't obvious in his social media announcements. This journey may not have worked out the way he wanted it to but Joe Girardi says he doesn't think his time is up yet and I hope he is right. He may not be the same player but no matter what the future holds for him we are still pulling for him. He was a fan favorite during his time with the Yankees and a helped bring us our last championship back in 2009. His energy and personality are truly one of a kind.

So for now, Swisher's baseball journey is coming to an end....and hopefully this is just a temporary hiatus. Swisher is a good guy and this is the start of a new chapter for him. I am glad he is taking a step back and taking a "family first" attitude right now. Being a baseball player is cool, but I am sure being a parent is infinitely even better.

For now... I am not going to say goodbye. I am going to say "see you later" because I have a feeling one day we will hear your name pop back up in the baseball world once again. Life is all about journeys and after you enjoy this time with your family I can't wait to see what new journey awaits you.

 --Jeana Bellezza, BYB Senior Writer & Editor
  Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

DON'T DRINK THE KOOL-AID

I like the power of optimism. I am definitely a "the glass is half full" kind of gal versus looking at it being half gone. I feed off of positivity and I am drawn to that energy. So I should be excited about Mark Teixeira says he is feeling pretty good but I think that hopeful side of me has been sucked dry. I know his particular song and dance all too well.

I think the New York Post nailed the headline in their last piece about Tex, you can find that HERE. It is brutal honesty. He has no idea. If this was last season Tex would not have returned to the lineup on Saturday and this is something I am 1000% sure of. He would've sat out for a little while longer, figured out the knee was still not right and then had season ending surgery and focused on next season. But no, money talks and his future lays in the balance.

I want that future to be bright for him. He won't be here next year and while it sucks to think about my favorite player leaving to wear some other uniform but I know that everything comes to and end at some point. I knew the end was coming, but I am still not okay with watching it end so unhappily ever after. I gave myself a pep talk at the end of last season that I was at least going to get one more good season....and now I just feel cheated quite honestly.

I've been the only Tex supporter on this Yankee website, and that is a fact. I was looking forward to writing about the grand finale, and saying goodbye, good luck and thanks for all of the memories. Right now though, this is no grand finale. It's hard to watch Tex go out there and no that he is not playing healthy and he's having a bad enough season as it is. It's one thing to play through an injury and still be productive.....but that's not the case here. Its a struggle. It's an overwhelming challenge just to hold on. I don't want to watch him go out like that!

This is a bad chapter in a book right now. He's out there playing for that new opportunity for next season because he's not ready to retire. I admire and respect that. But this is not the way to do it and Tex not being able to sound more confident in his health right now is scary. As soon as he struggles it going to come down to his bum knee. It will be the "I told you so" of media coverage.

Should Ike Davis clear waivers and accept his assignment to AAA he is inevitably going to be recalled in a few weeks and then people will say "SEE I TOLD YOU SO....we needed to keep him" and that will come regardless of if Davis sucks or not.

And similarly, Joe Girardi will now have to find a way to keep Rob Refsnyder and his ht bat in the lineup. In the event that he starts to skid it will also turn into a "I told you so" moment. There's just no great answer here.

I really hope that Tex can be a productive hitter and stay healthy. Otherwise, we are doing more harm than good to the team just to find a way for a broken down player to get on the daily lineup and be unsuccessful. I continue to put my faith in the plan....but even I am wavering at this point.
I am starting to think Mike O'Hara poisoned my Kool-Aid.


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





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IKE DAVIS STINKS... AND HE KNOWS IT

I kind of feel bad for Ike Davis, but the reality is, when you don't perform at the major league level, you shouldn't be playing. The trouble is the Yankees have Mark Teixeira coming back, Rob Refsnyder can now play first, AND he's hitting and Ike's about the get squeezed out.

New York Post has this:

"...with Mark Teixeira potentially on the verge of rejoining the Yankees on Saturday after rehabbing a knee injury, it’s anyone’s guess how many chances Davis will get in The Bronx. It’s hardly the first time things haven’t gone according to plan for the former Met.

'I think I’ve had a great experience,' said Davis, who signed with the Yankees after being released by the Rangers this month. 'I don’t think I performed the way I wanted to or that my career has gone the way I hoped it would go. But I also had a lot of weird things happen and I don’t think that’s given enough credit. I ran into some bad luck.'”

Whatever the case, I guess we just gotta see what happens to Davis in the Bronx.  Just so you know, in 14 at bats, Ike has just 3 hits.  Maybe it's a small scale, maybe he's just terrible... who knows.  I do know this, the Yankees needed to make a move with the possibility of Tex not coming back, and Ike was the move.  Can't blame them for that.




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MUSICAL CHAIRS

So Mark Teixeira is down in Triple-A Scranton working out that knee in hopes to get back to the team this weekend....the keyword is 'hope'. I don't throw a lot of faith into this plan. I want to but given his track record I am hoping for the best but planning for the worst case scenario because let's face it, Tex is as fragile as the porcelain figurines my mom had in our china cabinet when I was growing up.

So in the event that he does make it back somehow....who gets to stay and who gets bumped off of the team? Some may instantly think about Ike Davis since he is the newbie on the team, others may say Refsnyder since he is the rookie with all of the options but there is one more option that I think makes more sense.

I think the Yankees should consider sending Ronald Torreyes down to AAA. No disrespect to Torreyes because he has done the job that the Yankees asked him to do but I think he is the least important piece on the team right now. He is a backup shortstop, and the Yankees have already shown that they are willing to put Starlin Castro back in that position if they feel that Didi Gregorius needs a day off.

Castro has the experience to fill in and help out. It's not ideal, but it would still work. Not only that but....I kind of forgot Torreyes existed. He has made very brief one inning appearances lately and his bat has cooled off. It's unfair to keep him up and deter his own development if he isn't getting the workload. He's still young. Let him go back down and get consistent at bats.

I can't say that I am a huge fan of Ike Davis, but I think it would be wise to keep him around at this point. He is the only true first base man and I can't believe I said that because I laughed when we picked him up....but the Yankees need the depth. It's unrealistic to think that Teixeira is going to come back from a complicated injury and just play everyday until the end. The realist in me says it's not going to happen.

Davis is the Yankees fifth first base man we have seen with Chris Parmelee and Dustin Ackley currently out. There's still so much of the season left so it wouldn't hurt to have a little more insurance so we aren't scrambling again when Tex gets a boo boo. The Yankees could choose to option Davis to AAA instead since he does have options but since he has 5 years of service time he could refuse the assignment. He has bounced back and forth between the minors and majors before but who knows if he wants to do it again.

Another option would be to send Rob Refsnyder back down to AAA, but that would be counter productive at this point. The Yankees have spent a lot of time molding him into a serviceable first baseman so sending him back down would be foolish. Not only that, the Yankees can't afford to not play him with a .300BA. They need to find a way to put his bat in the lineup whenever possible. This is his time and the Yankees need to let him prove what he can do in the majors. He may not be the most experienced at first base, but he would also give more flexibility in the field. He's played at first, second, third and right field since being recalled in May and while he may not excel at any of these he certainly isn't bad at them either. He is not a defensive liability. Based on what he has been able to do for this team I think he has earned his spot.

I don't think Tex is taking this seriously right now so the Yankees need to be serious about how they reconfigure this roster. Right now, Tex reminds me of Paul Walker's character in the movie Varsity Blues. He ill advisedly took shots to treat an injury in hopes to keep him playing. Granted his coach was irresponsible and only believed in winning at all costs. He pushed Walker's character to ignore the injury and push through the pain. In this case, Tex is a grown man and he is his own worst enemy. Hopefully Yankee brass watched that movie because in the end it cost Paul Walker's character his season and the backup quarterback had to step in.

This is all Teixeira's own doing and I can't support that. I hope the Yankees are smart enough to recognize that Refsnyder and Davis are the necessary backup quarterbacks in this scenario. For now, I will hold my breath and watch nervously. Let's hope for the best.


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








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DON'T RUSH BACK, TEX!

The sad reality of Mark Teixeira is, you just don't know if the guy will be truly very be healthy again.  With his whole Yankee career continually being hurt, you gotta wonder if rushing back to play is actually a good idea. I mean, look, we now have Ike Davis and Rob Refsnyder filling in when Davis needs a rest at 1st.  So, why rush Mark, we're good.  Do we REALLY need Tex back?  I'm kind of over the guy.

Bryan Hoch reported that Tex could be activated if everything goes smooth with him. After all, apparently he's ahead of schedule, didn't do surgery and team physicians feel like he could be activated against the Twins during our home series with them. ESPN says that Tex is looking to return by June 24th.  Bottom line, as I've stated in #TEXDONE2016, meh. I don't care much anymore.

ESPN writes: "Injured first baseman Mark Teixeira believes he can return to the New York Yankees' lineup in a little more than a week, because his knee is healing so well.

A surprised Teixeira said that shots, which included cortisone, have made the articular cartilage tear in his right knee feel stronger and looser. Teixeira plans on playing in minor league rehab games at Double-A Trenton on Tuesday and Wednesday before returning to the Yankees' lineup on June 24 at home against the Minnesota Twins."

I know. It seems like I'm bashing the guy.  I'm just not happy with his career as a Yankee, and while he is trying to impress the Yankees and us fans by coming back, because suddenly, his "knee feels great", I just have to ask...why rush at this point? Honestly.

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NICK SWISHER IS STILL IN SCRANTON, FOLKS

There was a moment where on June 15th, Yankee fans panicked because they knew that Nick Swisher would most likely opt-out of his minor league contract with Scranton and the Yankees and go find another team to latch onto and eventually make it to the majors with.  After all, when Tex got hurt, it almost seemed like a no-brainer that Swisher would be coming up to man first.  But Chris Parmelee did instead... and then he got hurt.  Then Rob Refsnyder filled in, and it was almost like an instant fix... until Ike Davis took over.  That left Swish in the minors with his opt-out date approaching.  But that date has passed.

Nick is still in Scranton, folks.  In fact, just before the opt-out date, he was on a role Yankees 101 writes: "In the last 48 hours, Swisher has also gotten his average up from .238 to .254 and has seven home runs on the season and 23 RBI." That was written June 12th and clearly Swish was making a final push.

In a piece in The Lantern, they speak about Swisher's journey. Here's a portion... "Swisher is currently in his 13th season as a big-leaguer but currently resides in Yankees’ triple-A affiliate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre hoping to don the pinstripes again soon.

Known as one of the more boisterous alumni of OSU, Swisher has never been one to shy away from showing his pride for his alma mater. This past weekend, he played two games against the Cleveland Indians’ triple-A affiliate, Columbus Clippers, at Huntington Park in downtown Columbus. Swisher swung a blistering bat smacking three home runs and six RBIs while going 5-for-9 at the plate.

After each of his home runs, cheers were heard around the stadium for No. 33, causing him to throw up the “O-H-I-O” to the delight of the Columbus-area fans.

'I always try to be a crowd pleaser,' Swisher said."

Be sure to read the full article about Swish in the Lantern, it's a good piece.

In the end, Swish is still playing for Scranton.  Who knows if the Yankees ever DO plan on bringing the guy up. But maybe for Nick, reality has set in.  Maybe he realizes he's not needed and maybe he's at peace with that and enjoys playing in Scranton. Who really knows.  I do know this, he is a crowd pleaser because he's got an amazing personality.  Whether or not he still has the talent to go back to the pros is another story.

We'll just have to see...

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IT'S OFFICIAL. IKE DAVIS IS A YANKEE

"This is what I can't stand. Your stupid sight making dumb predictions on why players should play on the yankees! IKE DAVIS WILL NEVER BE A YANKEE DUMBASS!"  

Someone named 'R.J.' sent me that email on February 12th when we wrote IKE DAVIS IN YANKEE PINSTRIPES...

Today it's been officially reported that Ike Davis is a New York Yankee.  NJ.com writes:

"Ron Davis answered the phone on Sunday morning and heard the excitement in his son’s voice.
“Hey, Dad – I’m a Yankee. I wonder if I can get your [uniform] number?”

Ike Davis owns a .429 batting average in 10 games at Coors Field, so there might not be a better place to begin his Yankees’ career tonight.

And his father will be in the stands, arriving from his Arizona home for his son’s first game as a Bronx Bomber – some 35 years after Ron Davis donned a Yankee uniform."

It's a one year deal and he will no doubt fill the shoes of an often hurt Mark Teixeira.

And so you see... Ike Davis is in fact, a New York Yankee...

Dumbass!




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THE SLAP IN NICK SWISHER'S FACE

With Mark Teixeira out, and Chris Parmelee getting a shot at first and then hurting himself... that left Rob Refsnyder as the next choice at first and Girardi said as much.  He earned it.  Meanwhile, Nick Swisher was standing in the minor leagues, palms up, wondering why.

This weekend the Yankees got some security at first, perhaps anticipating that Refsnyder may not be able to hack it there, and it's merely a backup plan one can assume. They signed Ike Davis to a minor league deal.  Meanwhile, Swisher's still standing there... palms up.

We at BYB spoke about Ike Davis last February.  Read IKE DAVIS IN YANKEE PINSTRIPES...  

"Guess what, Ike Davis signing with the Yankees is a real thing idea, and it's being considered and it should be considered... especially if it's a minor league deal."

And it is. The guys got the experience, I don't see him as being overly expensive, and if the Yankees decide Ref ISN'T the guy, Ike can be.  Who knows if he still has anything in the tank. That's something that minor league deal will work out, but I have no problem with this.

But Swisher fans are disappointed, and so is Nick Swisher, but the writing is on the wall at this point. He had his time in the minors and it was logical that his next step would be the play in the Bronx.  But the Yankees aren't interested in that persay.  It's not about gimmicks for them... they are trying to keep it serious.  Do I agree? Hey, I thought for sure Swisher would be up.  But we don't have that at all... we have Rob Refsnyder, and Ike Davis, a first baseman signing a minor league deal.

And Swisher?  He's still down there... palms up.




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RAPID REACTION TO NOT HAVING IKE DAVIS

When Yankee fans feel like they get the shaft or slighted, they get mad.  It's just the way it is because for years, the Yankees and Yankee fans just get whatever the hell we want.  Not anymore.  The Yankees are in a new spending mode.  No big Free Agents. Regular players.  Decent players through trades and counting our money to 2018 when we try to sway Bryce Harper.  That's it.

Recently there was chatter that Ike Davis was trying to decide between the New York Yankees and other teams to sign a minor league deal with.  The reality is the Yankees would have been the most logical fit because Ike's a first baseman and has major league experience and if Mark Teixeira got hurt... he'd be up quickly.

Especially because Mark gets hurt a lot, and Greg Bird is out all season because of surgery.  But Ike didn't choose the Yankees.  He chose the Rangers.  I wrote IKE DAVIS DOESN'T LIKE THE YANKEES THAT MUCH discussing that.

That angered fans and they had all different opinions about it.  Now look... there is something wrong with BYB comments through blogger.  I'm going to suggest folks use Disqus to make comments if they want to be seen.  I'm working on the issue, but I do not know if I can fix it.  So, in my effort to allow everyone to comment on BYB, I wanted to at least share the comments made about Ike Davis after he signed elsewhere.  Enjoy these... it's magical.

Joloman wrote:  "Scrub"

J.Engry wrote: "Disappointing.  He would have been utilized. No doubt he's slowed down, but in a pinch, he would have been useful and it would have cost us nothing."

FC Vinas wrote: "Good, We don't like him much either."

SD Law wrote: "Why waste money on someone who can't hit major league pitching?  Used to be a huge Ike Davis fan but he has had plenty of opportunities, and even in his huge Mets season his flaws were there. Better he's on the Rangers."

Is this an earth shattering post? Nope. But in the celebration and effort of communication between fans and Bleeding Yankee Blue, I will do my best to make sure everyone's voice is heard here, as long as you're not hateful!

Happy Friday!




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