THE FACE OF THE FRANCHISE

In the wake of big money, big data and a combination of both, I have been asking myself and been posed this question a lot lately, "is there such a thing today as the face of a franchise?"  Has this been a past trend that has become virtually outdated or invisible in recent years or months?  I say yes, franchise players have all but disappeared at this point in MLB and other sports as well, with big money and big data replacing the iconic symbol of the game.

MLB Network is in the midst of its "Face of MLB" competition on its Hot Stove for the next few weeks.  I never paid any mind to these sort of competitions because I felt it was sort of senseless.  But, this year, I have been giving it some thought.  With the retirement of Derek Jeter, the shift of guys like Cole Hamels to the auction block, Nick Markakis checking out of Baltimore and Billy Butler, who helped lead and ignite the Kansas City Royals back into the limelight and World Series, moving to the West Coast Oakland A's in a three-year deal worth $30 million, I sit hear baffled as to whether or not we can even honestly and assuredly vote for a franchise player today. 

There has been speculation among fans and bloggers alike that Brett Gardner is the Yankees' new franchise player but really, I am not sold.  Before I can actually make that assertion, I would need to first define what a franchise player is and what characteristics he holds.  According to ESPN's David Schoenfield of the Franchise Player Draft, a "franchise player is someone who you would build your team around." Some of the qualities of this player would be youth, resourcefulness, leadership and charisma.  "Youth can be overrated over a super performer sometimes," adds Schoenfield.  So, let's add super performer to the mix. 

Schoenfield also brings up the importance of building the middle of your club.  Pitchers, catchers, short stops and center fielders are important to general managers when building their clubs.  And one cannot underestimate the importance of power hitting.  You don't need to be the best player in baseball either. Even Mike Trout, arguably the best player in baseball all around, did not have the best season last year, but still goes first or second in a fantasy draft.  He has been compared to Willie Mays and has been called the Modern Day Mays on several occasions.

Now let's take Jeter and Gardner for argument's sake.  If the rubric for franchise player has these components: youth, resourcefulness, leadership, charisma, longevity and performance, Derek Jeter scores high on all five out of the six measures if we were voting last year.  Of course, when he was first selected, he would probably hit all six, but what about Gardy? Many like Gardy for his grittiness, his passion and work ethic.  He is young, he is resourceful, he carries himself well both on and off the field fulfilling charisma, but does he fulfill leadership, longevity and performance?  I am not completely sure he does, at first sight, but let's take a second look. 

Gardner is 31-years-old with a career batting average of .265 over seven years.  He has 40 home runs and 235 RBIs and 659 hits.  He plays a good amount of games, 768 in his career and has only a few minor injuries.  He carries himself well and always appears to be in good shape.  He has fan appeal but he is no Mike Trout, Miguel Cabrera or Derek Jeter.  Those guys are the next level up and Gardy's not there yet or ever.  Until he takes on a leadership role and performs at a higher level, both on and off the field, he's not a franchise player according to the rubric.  

My argument actually goes much deeper than Gardy being awarded franchise player status though.  It is my fear that the franchise player is a thing of the past because of the focus on money and power.  I'm afraid that sports agents and greed have taken the place of the face of the franchise role and that makes for a very sour feeling in my soul.  

The game of baseball, much like technology today, is changing at such a rapid pace that I sometimes lose myself in its complexity.  And one of its losses for me is the face of the franchise, tossed out like yesterday's Atari game system, today's desk top computer and tomorrow's smart phone.   The Face of the Franchise: another relic of the old game of baseball.  

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

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HOMEGROWN IS NOT FOREVER

The Northeast has been cold and windy and depending on what part of the Northeast you reside, non-stop rain, snow, ice, flooding and just pre-winter awfulness.  The weather is symptomatic of how I feel about homegrown players seeking other avenues to live out their baseball dreams. Cold- body cold and disposition cold.

The other day, I woke up to a middle of the night text from my friend from Staten Island, NY, Hammer. His words were intentional and blunt: "Robertson to White Sox." This on the heels of Orioles franchise player Nick Markakis jetting down south to the Braves' organization. My student worker @KennyMac1985 expressed his dissatisfaction with the move with these words, "not sure why they would do that."  They, as in the Orioles. My Yankee informant who woke me with the news of DRob's flight to the Windy City said, "The Yanks could have afforded that contract." Sure, they probably could have but they obviously didn't want to or maybe DRob nor Markakis wanted to stay in the neighborhood.

Jacoby Ellsbury gave up his homegrown Red Sox where he was groomed through the minor leagues up through Pawtucket, RI, to play in the Bronx. David Wright stayed in Flushing and invested in the Mets but his counterpart Jose Reyes has been hopping from team to team. My point is this, the one team for life era is truly over and it has this coldness about it.

Honestly, I never thought Robertson was all that. He has promise and maybe he will find more success in Chi-town than he did in New York, but frankly, why leave?  Money?  New signing Andrew Miller left money on the table in Houston in order to play for the Yankees.  So, what else? Big fish in small pond syndrome?  Perhaps.  

I am a marathon runner and I recently completed two marathons in three weeks.  They were big market marathons, not in the woods with trees and squirrels marathons.  They collectively welcomed close to a million spectators to energize runners from across the world.  That's the kind of marathon I want to run.  So, why go to a small market team, or even a team with no winning history to spend the rest of your life as a player?  To spend your days with fair weather fans, empty ball parks and gimmicky give aways?  Two words: dollars and cents.  Frankly, the Yankees were right in not signing Robinson Cano and David Robertson.  You don't want to be here badly enough, don't be. Enjoy Seattle and Chicago, guys.

Homegrown as in Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, Cal Ripken, Jr. and perhaps one day Dustin Pedroia, is just about finished.  Gone are born and raised in pinstripes or orange or whatever your team's color is.  Homegrown does not mean forever.  And with the looks of the free agency market these days, homegrown is pretty much gone.

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


 




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BYB HOT STOVE: VOLUME V

Well, we have some movement folks!  No more Fall flat-lining from Yankeeland! There is life in Brian Cashman's purse and with the Winter Meetings in full swing, and, for a moment, there were some inklings that Cashman would make four year deals with Chase Headley and David Robertson.  Then word got out that DRob made a mad dash to the Chicago White Sox for 4 years, $46 million. I guess he got impatient!

The one thing the Yankees have and no one can ever take away is tradition.  There is something to be said about legacy and history and there is honor in wearing pinstripes.  Otherwise why would Andrew Miller leave four million dollars in Houston in exchange to play in the Bronx?  "The Yankees have a perennial expectation of capturing the World Series title. Miller said he got to watch as his 2013 Red Sox won a ring and finally participated in his first playoffs in 2014 with the Orioles. He said pitching in the postseason was “the most fun I’ve ever had” and that he believes the Yankees give him the best chance to return," reported NJ.com this week.

Perhaps we will see the same with Headley. He now has a taste of the New York state of mind.  According to the New York Post article entitled, The 10 people to keep an eye on at the Winter Meetings, "Cashman — armed with the Yankees’ budget and brand — will engage in discussions with his own free agents Chase Headley, Brandon McCarthy and David Robertson, while looking for other pitching and bench upgrades."  Love Headley. McCarthy, I could take or leave.  Robertson was one of us... but now he's gone. 

I am still swallowing the Nick Markakis trade to Atlanta last week.  My student worker @KennyMac1985 is still trying to coming to grips with the loss of his team's franchise player.  "Markakis, the Orioles’ first-round MLB draft pick in 2003, was a rare homegrown product, playing his entire nine-year major league career in Baltimore and quickly becoming a fan favorite after cracking the Opening Day starting lineup as a 22-year-old rookie in 2006," stated an article in the Baltimore Sun last week.  I bring this up because the Orioles have put themselves in an awkward position.  Dan Duquette, Orioles VP, is rumored to be up for the Toronto Blue Jays' President and CEO opening. The Orioles have a lot going on, and with the heat off the Yankees a bit, according to MLB.com questions looming the O's include, "Should Duquette add to the outfield through trades or free agency? Will parting with a starter be a necessary move to plugging other holes? And how will the O's invest the money they saved on not retaining Cruz and Markakis?"

According to CBS Sports.com, Justin Masterson talks are heating up with the Boston Red Sox, Miami Marlins and Chicago's two teams in hot pursuit.  "Masterson broke into the big leagues with the Red Sox and he is very familiar with Cubs bosses Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer from their days in Boston. The Cubs just agreed to a deal with Jason Hammel for $20 million over two years and are pursuing Jon Lester."

Finally, there is some chatter that the Angels could be shopping CJ Wilson.  Angels beat report Alden Gonzalez says that with the starting pitcher market being so thick, the Angels would have to eat some of the 34-year-old pitcher's contract.  Other action on the West Coast include talks centering around sending Jeff Samardzija to the Chicago White Sox. It's a done deal. He packed up and is meeting DRob at a diner somewhere in Chi-town.  As the Chicago Tribune reported before the move: "Samardzija is expected to test the free agent waters after 2015, and with the price of starting pitching continuing to rise to astronomical levels, there’s little reason to believe he would change his mind and sign an extension now."

Well, Shark is also Chicago bound, according to several reports:

Reports: The @whitesox add pitching, trading for Jeff Samardzija and signing @DRob30. http://t.co/sNfdb3f5Xc pic.twitter.com/iPIKWRoMMC
— Baseball Tonight (@BBTN) December 9, 2014

That's it for BYB Hot Stove.  Winter Meetings will continue to heat up.  Stay tuned for updates right here at BleedingYankeeBlue.com.

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



 


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BYB HOT STOVE: VOLUME III

What has sparked my interest, as far as the Yankees go, is the idea of a deal with Washington Nationals' starter Gio Gonzalez.  The left-handed starter has one year left on his contract and with an ERA below 4 for 2014, he could be of interest to teams this year.  "Lefties are essential at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees would love CC Sabathia to bounce back and Manny Banuelos to show his potential. But if they don’t, the Yankees aren’t winning without quality left-handed pitching. Not in that ballpark," stated Sweeny Murti who also said that the Nationals would consider anyone on their team if the deal was right.  I like him and I think his youthfulness is an asset for us. You may recall that Gonzalez had an opportunity to work with Jorge Posada in the off season last year.

"Gonzalez called training with Posada a “childhood dream” and an “inspiration.” The 29-year-old is alright with me.  Let's make a deal.

I guess we can't talk starting pitching without bringing up the Jon Lester conversation again. Interestingly enough, teams are anxious about what the Yankees and Brian Cashman are thinking. According to the Boston Globe on Sunday, "You don’t think the Red Sox are fretting about the Yankees being the team that swoops in and takes Jon Lester, for all the talk about the Cubs being the competition? Of course everyone is worried about what the Yankees might do."  It could happen or the Bombers could wait it out for Max Scherzer.

We are getting a big name pitcher or we are going to be left out of the playoffs again in 2015.  Scherzer or Lester?  Time will tell, but frankly, the Lester clock is just about up.  "With free agency moving quickly this year, the Yankees probably have to start making decisions on Lester in particular, since he’s already visited Boston, Chicago, and Atlanta, and possibly Toronto in the near future. It appears Lester doesn’t want this process to drag on," according to the Globe.  Peter Gammons also reported that Lester wants a deal before the winter meetings, which are scheduled to start on December 7th.  Lester is also set to meet with the St. Louis Cardinals next week.

According to MASN's Roch Kubatko, the Baltimore Orioles have a real interest in Melky Cabrera if they can't sign Nick Markakis.  "What's the appeal with Cabrera? He's a 30-year-old switch-hitter with a career .339 on-base percentage." I say they have to sign Markakis, but the Orioles feel the outfielder's "power numbers are in decline." The Blue Jays may not want to re-sign Cabrera after signing Russell Martin last week.  He may in fact head to the White Sox who are also reportedly interested in the Melk Man according to CBS Sports.

Finally, according to Ken Rosenthal, the Red Sox and Cubs are both interested in Phillies' ace Cole Hamels.  I say don't count the Yankees out of that conversation as Cashman has a reputation of not revealing his hand and doing a lot of bluffing along the way.  It will certainly be a domino effect once Lester gets signed.  Teams will begin scrambling after that.  The sands in the free-agency hour glass are moving briskly now as far as starting pitching.

That's it for BYB Hot Stove for this week.  Happy Thanksgiving...hoping to have a Yankee deal on the table before next week.

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






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GREENE WINS & THE PLAY ON WORDS BEGIN

I read a ton of clever Greene "play of words" today. "Greene with envy" may have been my favorite.

Greene with Envy today...Great performance today by Shane Greene. I eagerly await his next performance! @Yankees @BleednYankeeBlu
— Luc Jacobson (@LucJacobson) July 12, 2014

Good work Luc.

I created the book above, and then realized that it had nothing to do with Shane Greene or Green Eggs & Ham specifically.  I just got carried away... lost in it. The truth is... when Greene pitches, he ends games in wins! Whatever man, I'm giddy. Actually, I think Yankeeland is giddy as well.  We won today with a guy no one really thought about as quote "dominant", but Greene has great stuff and impressed.

He has a ton of confidence...  he deserves a ton of credit for stepping up while the Yankees are down.  He's 2-0. He's picked up the Yanks as well as us fans.  I like that.

Today Greene went 7.1 innings, gave up 4 hits and zero runs.  Actually, the O's were shut out on a gorgeous day in Baltimore.  How do I know it was truly gorgeous there, while I was here? Jenn tweeted this to me...

Catching the Yanks in Baltimore. This is really quite a nice ballpark! Go #Yankees! @tclaro @Yankees @BleednYankeeBlu pic.twitter.com/ICNUnX6skm
— Jenn Westcott (@westcottjm7) July 12, 2014

I like when the BYB readers help me out. I makes my recaps so much more fun. Thanks Jenn.

Anyway, Greene combined with the pen, were lights out. David Robertson then shut down the O's and got the save... his 23rd of the season.

The Yankee bats went like this:

In the 3rd, Mark Teixeira doubled and knocked in Brett Gardner.  Derek Jeter ended up being tagged out at home. Give credit to Nick Markakis who relayed to Ryan Flaherty to Nick Hundley. Great play. 

In the 7th, Derek Jeter singled knocking in Kelly Johnson.  Shortly after that, Jacoby Ellsbury doubled... and Jeet scored.

Look, we didn't blow anyone out of the water with a 10 run 6th or anything, but we are scoring and we had enough today with the brilliance of Shane Greene and company.  Yankeeland is happy... I am too...

Greene ends with wins! Right? Maybe? No... OK, whatever... but we do feel good at least.

Final: Yankees 3 - Orioles 0

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IS SOMETHING GOING ON WITH CC?

I don't know. I have read so many rumors about our CC Sabathia and I have to admit, some of them are a little scary. The Yankees have so many injuries it's hard to even comprehend at this point. The 40 man roster is very crowded now that there have been so many players that were moved to the 60 day disabled list. The injured list is getting longer and the number of reserves is dwindling.

Some people aren't worried. I have had people tell me that it is pointless to worry so much in May. I understand that to a point.  But what if CC doesn't evolve  into that dominating pitcher next month? Or July? Then things could get ugly in Yankee land.

For years we have said that we shouldn't worry about CC at the beginning of the year. As the weather gets warmer, so does CC. He hasn't disappointed us yet and he has been our rock and he is a gamer. I don't think that what he have been seeing is going to be normal for him. He's still our ace, and I still believe in what he can do. This lineup is battered from top to bottom, so maybe it is just easier to speculate. I'm no expert, but it's a theory. Right now we are so focused on all of the injuries so maybe we are hyping this up.

There have been some abnormalities with CC so far this year, so it is hard to ignore what we have seen. After listening to so many people tell me they thought that CC was hurt and just hiding it I decided to really examine his last start against the Orioles. Looking at the Orioles lineup it was unusual to see four of the seven left handed hitters gets hits on him when he was ahead of them in the count. Usually when CC is looking for that last strike he gets it.

It didn't help that Nick Markakis and Chris Davis put the finishing touches on him either. I think Markakis is always pesky anyway, but he looked a little too comfortable up at the plate. Davis also did some damage with his solo home run. Usually I don't stress too much about solo home runs, but this one the pitch was just right there for the taking. Are people reading into this too much?

There has been some talk about his velocity too. Some may think it is just part of the aftermath from his surgery. I'm not so sure I can share that opinion but it is an idea. A fastball that comes 89-91mph is not going to look different from anything that is off speed, and it is going to give hitters better odds. The velocity is key to giving hitters a different look at the plate and it will differentiate his pitches. I really think it is this combination that is causing opponents to get more hits off him. I could be wrong, but it is at least a theory.

So is there something wrong with CC? Are the Yankees hiding something? They could be. It certainly wouldn't be the first time. Right now, with all of the injuries we do have I am going to sit tight and continue to believe that he is ok because I really don't think I can take too much more bad news before I go crazy.

--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Writer and Editor

Twitter: @NyPrincessJ



 
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