BYB HOT STOVE: VOLUME VII

Replacing Derek Jeter is a ridiculous goal but yet many in the media speak these words when referring to the Yankees apparent rebuild of their middle infield.  Yes, the Yanks invested four years in 24-year-old Didi Gregorius but there is still talk that Troy Tulowitzki could still be in play.  We called it a hoax earlier this week, TRICKING YOU INTO THE TULOWITZKI RUMOR, but hear me out.  With Martin Prado in Miami and the Mets willing to move some of their pitching around, could it still happen?  I'm reporting only what I'm hearing and frankly, Tulo, who has had his share of injuries, could be another money pit for us, but there is buzz. Could Gregorius play second base and Tulo at short?  Anything could happen but, according to ESPN's Andrew Marchand, there are six reasons why the Yankees won't consider the Rockies' short stop:

1) He just had hip surgery.
2) He is owed $114 million.
3) He has averaged only 88 games per year during the past three seasons.
4) They acquired Didi Gregorius to be their shortstop, possibly in a platoon.
5) They want to get younger and healthier. Tulo is 30 and has a bad hip.
6) Unless the Rockies are going to give him away, the Yankees would have to sacrifice top-end talent from a farm system they are attempting to rebuild.

Let's end the rumors here... no go on Tulo.

But, let's begin some rumors on 28-year-old Jordy Mercer, short stop for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Now we wrote about him last winter, HEY JORDY MERCER, HOW'D YOU LIKE TO PLAY IN PINSTRIPES,  just because we like him and he did hit a modest .255 last season with a career .263. Since coming up to the majors in 2012, he's played 294 games, playing 149 last season.  My point, he is healthy, he is young, he is developing and with the Pirates winning the bid on Korean infielder Jung-ho Kang, Mercer could be sidelined or used as a utility player, a role he may not like or deserve.  According to MLB Rumors' Steve Adams, "The Pirates have plenty of infield depth as is, with Neil Walker entrenched at second base and Josh Harrison set to man third base in 2015 and beyond. Jordy Mercer played a solid shortstop in 2014, but he seems the most likely to be displaced if Kang is signed and the looks the part of an everyday shortstop." Now let's talk moving Gregorius to second and slide Mercer in at short.  I like the idea of that.

Next up, the San Francisco Giants could be in the market for a middle infielder like Mercer or Tulo. According to Giants, GM Brian Sabean announced yesterday that their regular second baseman Marco Scutaro has undergone back fusion surgery on Sunday.  This does not sound good at all for Scutaro who I have always admired when he played for the Blue Jays years back.  Look for some possibilities here.

One final note, pitching.  Max Scherzer remain the last big free agent pitcher on the market and word is that Detroit may just sign him.  Many have speculated that the Yankees would not come in at the 11th hour to swoop him up, but with the Padres and Red Sox eyes on Phillies ace Cole Hamels and Detroit showing some interest in James Shields, could the Yankees make a miracle deal? Hard to say, but I think the Tigers will probably sign him.  Bah Humbug!

That's it for BYB Hot Stove.  See you one more time before the New Year!  Have a great holiday and keep the rumors and chatter coming!

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




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NO "DOOM & GLOOM" WITH OLD AGE... JUST SKILL

I just downloaded Doom and Gloom by the Rolling Stones on my iPod. The Stones are one of the greatest bands on this earth.  I have no idea why, but I was thinking about the Yankees when I read the title and was listening to the lyrics.  The Stones are at the top of their game and they’re old men, let’s keep it real.


Yet, Mick Jagger jumps around like he’s 23 years old and I equate the rejuvenation of Derek Jeter to Mick's subscription to perfecting ones craft the older you get.  There is nothing better to me than watching 38 year old Jeter lead our guys out of the dugout on a home game.  It’s huge to me, because I don’t see age like every Yankee critic does and maybe that’s because I’ve followed these guys forever and appreciate skill.  Sure, players break down, but the focus and the message is clear… they want to win and they will grind it out any way possible to get it done. I guess that's just the Yankee way.

 I’ve been reading a lot about how OLD the Yankees are.  How OLD the players are they re-signed this off season and how they just aren’t the competitors they once were. Mind you, it's the winter...they haven't taken the field yet.  That Sean Hartnett /CBS piece HERE featured buzz words like "Yankees" and "Uncertainty" and "Aging" from a few days ago and it annoyed me.  He clearly was focusing on the Yankees "OLD" guys without looking at the other teams with a ton of "OLD" guys.  His piece is pointed, there is no big picture here with Hartnett.  Hey, that’s fine, it’s his piece.  Critics can criticize the Yankees all they want. But in the end, we’re gamers.  It doesn’t matter how old you are. Don’t believe me? Ask Derek Jeter about that.  His focus has always been the same…You go out and win a game, one game at a time... that’s the goal and it's always been the goal.

The World Championship San Francisco Giants have quite a few old guys sprinkled in with veterans. Barry Zito is 34 and Ryan Vogelsong is 35. They just won a freaking championship. Marco Scutaro is 37. Really.  He looks 28 out there. Really.

Look at the Philadelpiha Phillies, they just signed 36 year old Michael Young.  They have a guy named Chase Utley who isn’t exactly young (34) and while we’re on the subject of young players, there are plenty of young players that may be mildly young, but get hurt. Hey, Chase Utley is one of them and there's also Ryan Howard and his 33 year old frame. I mean, come on? How old is Cliff Lee again? He’s 34 and Roy Halladay is 35, yet, he’s one of the top pitchers in the game.  What does age really mean as long as you play to win and do it well.  Halladay does, Jeter does, Jorge Posada did.

Look at the Boston Red Sox. How old is David Ortiz? 37. Yet, just when you think he’s slowing down, he’s cranking out 20 + home runs.  The Sox just signed 32 year old Shane Victorino who had a crumby 2012. Plus they just signed veteran pitcher, 35 year old Ryan Dempster. So yeah, we’re going to focus on the Yankees and their age? Last time I checked Nick Swisher is 32 and he just signed a 4 year deal with the Cleveland Indians. Sure 32 is fine for Swish and Victorino, trust me, I’m not saying they're 60, but they are on the downside of their careers.  And how about those Texas Rangers and 36 year old Lance Berkman. And I could go on and on... there are a ton of examples.  It's funny though, alot of the guys I listed seem older than they actually are.  And that's my point.

Age don't mean a thing unless you, the player, are thinking about it. Jeter doesn't think about that crap. Neither does Andy Pettitte... if he did, he would have stayed retired. No, the ones who think about it are the haters.  Hey, that's fine, but they don't play the game, so they don't get it.

Yeah, I get protective of my Yankees.  I never understood the critics who decide that every year they need to do an “Yankees are old” piece and I guess they just hope no one actually does the research.  I do.  Why? Because it’s slanted, it’s overly critical and most of all, it’s a non-story.

Age doesn’t matter.  Again, it’s true, player DO slow down, but in the end, you re-invent yourself to lengthen your career… until you can’t any longer. But look at someone like Freddy Garcia. Garcia was a genius when it came to re-invention and he extended his career 2 extra years with the Yankees mixing up pitches. He did great.  

If you’re a Yankee fan like me… the field is split, meaning, some of us like the veterans and some want to see the kids come up.  I have always said the perfect team is a sprinkling of young and veterans.  The kids play and learn, the veterans play and lead by example.  I often look at the teams of the past and I see that formula.  The Yankees are not old, they’re seasoned, or skilled as I like the say and trust me, there’s a very big difference. Age is also something that as a ball player, you can’t let get in your head.  I mean, for me personally, I don’t feel 40… and trust me, Jeter doesn’t feel like he’s 38. 

The Rolling Stones? Hell, they’ll be around forever.

It’s all in how you want to feel.  If you want to feel old, you’re old. But critics who like to analyze on the surface without looking at the work that’s put into the daily grind, well, dare I say, it’s lazy journalism and easy.  Especially if we haven’t even seen the 2013 Yankees play yet.

Trust me... it's time to consider these "old" players as, not old, but "skilled"...  yet all I hear is doom and gloom. That's too bad.

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WHY BOSTON GOT SERVED HUMBLE PIE

OK, I've been waiting to do this piece for months now. On January 2nd, a NESN.com writer wrote a piece on why the 2011 Red Sox could unseat the 1927 Yankees as the greatest team in the history of Major League Baseball. You can read the comedic gold HERE. Mind you, it was written before 1 pitch was thrown in spring training or even the season itself.

Casey was immediately outraged as well, and wrote WHY BOSTON SUCKS: PART II. Read it.

I saved the NESN piece the moment I read it. I knew at the time that this prediction would backfire on them easily and now, the season is over, the Red Sox didn't make the playoffs and, I just have to laugh. Who would dare suggest something so silly? Let's break it down. The piece started off saying: "The Red Sox have won 100 or more games three times in their 110-year existence. They will make it four in 2011."

We all know by now that he was way off in this prediction. The Red Sox finished with a 90-72 record and finished 3rd in the American League East. Meanwhile, the 1927 Yankees finished with an astounding 110-44 record. Can you say, EPIC fail? I can...oh, I did.

Next, the writer showcased the Red Sox lineup which looks like this:

CF. Jacoby Ellsbury- .321/.376/.552/.928 (BA/OBP/SLG/OPS), 32 Hrs, 105 RBI, 39 SBs
2B. Dustin Pedroia- .307/.387/.474/.861, 21 Hrs, 91 RBI, 26 SBsLF. Carl Crawford- .255/.289/.405/.694, 11 Hrs, 56 RBI, 18 SBs
1B. Adrian Gonzalez- .338/.410/.548/.957, 27 Hrs, 117 RBI
3B. Kevin Youkilis- .258/.373/.459/.833, 17 Hrs, 80 RBI
DH. David Ortiz- .309/.398/.554/.953, 29 Hrs, 96 RBI
RF. JD Drew- .222/.315/.302/.617, 4 Hrs, 22 RBI, 81 games
C. Jarrod Saltalamacchia- .235/.288/.450/.737, 16 Hrs, 56 RBI
SS. Marco Scutaro- .299/.358/.423/.781, 7 Hrs, 54 RBI
SS. Jed Lowrie- .252/.303/.382/.685, 6 Hrs, 36 RBI

That lineup looks pretty good, I mean, this team lead the majors in runs scored with 875, that's 8 runs ahead of the Yankees, but they're NOT the 1927 Yankees who scored 976 runs, 131 more runs than the second place Detroit Tigers... astounding. Also keep in mind that the 1927 Yankees had four Hall of Famers, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, and Earle Combs, in their lineup.Speaking of the 1927 Yankees lineup, let's take a look at how each individual fared that season:

CF. Earle Combs- .356/.414/.511/.925, 6 HRs, 64 RBI
SS. Mark Koenig- .285/.320/.382/.702, 3 HRs, 62 RBI
RF. Babe Ruth- .356/.486/.772/1.258, 60 HRs, 164 RBI...WOW
1B. Lou Gehrig- .373/.474/.765/1.240, 47 HRs, 175 RBI... WOW
LF. Bob Meusel- .337/.393/.510/.902, 8 HRs, 103 RBI, 24 SBs
2B. Tony Lazzeri- .309/.383/.482/.866, 18 HRs, 102 RBI, 22 SBs
3B. Joe Dugan- .269/.321/.362/.683, 2 HRs, 43 RBI
C. Pat Collins- .275/.407/.418/.825, 7 HRs, 36 RBI

Pretty good, huh? A couple of things...One, the writer of the NESN piece had us look at the Boston bench. It looks like this:

OF. Mike Cameron- He got DFA'd from the team in late June after hitting .149/.212/.266/.477 in 33 games with the Sox.
OF. Darnell McDonald- He hit .236/.303/.401/.704 in 79 games. Certainly doesn't strike fear to me.
INF. Marco Scutaro- .299/.358/.423/.781 (above)
INF. Jed Lowrie- .252/.303/.382/.685 (above)
C. Jason Varitek- Hit .221/.300/.423/.723 in 68 games, but he's the Captain of the team and wears that "C" on his jersey!

Now, in all fairness, the Red Sox improved their bench with the call up of outfielder Josh Reddick (.280/.327/.457/.784) and trading for utility man Mike Aviles (.317/.340/.436/.775 in 38 games for Boston).

And finally, I just wanted to say this before we conclude this piece. It is very hard, if not impossible, to compare different players performances between two completely different eras, not to mention that that 2011 season hadn't started yet. Baseball was an entirely different game way back when, and a lot of changed. But, the writer for that NESN piece brought it up in the first place, so it's his own fault.

Next we'll try and break down the pitching for you, comparing the 2011 Red Sox and 1927 Yankees. Stay tuned.




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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WHY SORIANO HAS RETURNED TO FORM

Ladies and Gentleman, it looks as though the Yankees' high priced reliever Rafael Soriano has returned to form. Soriano had a nightmare beginning to his Yankee career. First, he started the season with a 5.40 ERA in 16 games. He landed on the DL due to elbow inflammation, and in an outing in which he blew a four run lead against the Minnesota Twins by allowing four runs in 2/3 of an inning, he refused to talk to the media after the game. A huge no-no in New York. But with his 78 day layoff, he may have recollected himself, and adjusted his attitude a bit, which was needed.Since returning from the DL on July 30th he's been perfect. In three outings he's retired every batter he has faced, including four strikeouts. This is obviously the best he has looked since last season when he was the closer for the Tampa Bay Rays. In fact, the last time Soriano pitched a perfect inning before his return was on Opening Day against the Detroit Tigers. And since his return, he's lowered his ERA from 5.40 to 4.50. Also in his last eight outings dating back to April 30th against the Toronto Blue Jays, he hasn't allowed one run. I'm really starting to believe Soriano is the real deal, and so should you.

But, the one game that made me 100% convinced that he's back was Friday night in Boston. It was another tight one at Fenway Park, they usually are between the Yankees and Red Sox. But, it was a 3-2 game going into the bottom of the seventh. Remember, Soriano came into two blowout games against the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox. But this had a whole new feel to it. Fenway Park, close game, the pressure was on Soriano to perform and God dammit, he did. (Photo: Getty)
He forced Josh Reddick to pop out to Eduardo Nunez in third base foul territory, then he made Marco Scutaro fly out to Brett Gardner in left field, and finally he struck out Jacoby Ellsbury to end the frame. Just a fantastic job by Soriano when the stage was set.

Folks, I know the vast majority of you have doubted Soriano and wanted him out. I'm sure you've changed your minds by now and you should. But I've been behind him he entire time. You can read a piece I wrote way back in May in a piece titled WHY SORIANO WILL BE FINE, check it out.

He was solid in his last few outings before the DL stint, and he's been better than ever since coming off. If he continues it looks like we have a lethal 7-8-9 in the bullpen with Soriano, David Robertson, and Mariano Rivera.



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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