PEDRO FELICIANO GOT A JOB

The New York Mets have signed Pedro Feliciano to a minor league deal.  That story is coming from MLB Trade Rumors, HERE.

This is the same player that ripped the Mets in 2011 when he got hurt. Read HERE. It was in the New York Post that Feliciano shot back at the Mets. Mind you, this is from 2011 and as you remember, Feliciano never pitched in the major leagues for the Yankees:  "In response to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman saying the Mets 'abused' Feliciano, Warthen said the Mets did not re-sign Feliciano this winter because of how much they had used him. 

'That's not right when he said, 'That's why we let him go,' ' said Feliciano... Feliciano said he never felt abused by the Mets, but he did question why they left him in some games to face right-handed batters. His bigger issue, however, was with Warthen.

'He said I would blow up this year. They didn't want to sign me because I'll blow up. It hurts.'"

I guess you go where you can go if you need a paycheck.  I don't fault Feliciano for wanting a job, I just wonder if after that silly spat with the Mets, is it really the right place to run back too? I mean, the Yankees paid this guy for 2 years and we never saw him. Who knows... just weird to me I guess.

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AROUND THE YANKEES RIGHT NOW

David Aardsma: All indications are we will see David Aardsma this season.  After this season, 2012, he has an option for 2013 and that could work out perfectly for the Yankees too because with all the chatter about Rafael Soriano possibly opting out after this season and Mariano Rivera coming back in 2013 (we think), David Aardsma, a former closer with the Mariners, may be the guy who fills that void. Right now he's still rehabbing, so I hope this all works out.

We shall see, but my gut says the Animal is up this fall. Read more HERE.

Pedro Feliciano: Close, but no cigar. The New York Post has the disappointing story HERE,about Feliciano and his latest injury...I'm not kidding.  In case you missed it, Feliciano sprained his ankle covering first base in his first rehab outing.  What a disappointment.  I really feel bad for this dude.  It's clear to me he won't ever pitch in pinstripes.  There's no way he'll be up this year and his contract is over after this season.  You have to admit though, the dude came real close...he had guts.

Billy Connors: Well Billy Connors, the long time pitching coach of the New York Yankees is no longer.  He was relieved of his duties. According to the New York Post HERE, "...he was relieved of his duties as VP, player personnel immediately, though he will continue to get paid until the end of the calendar year. General manager Brian Cashman refused comment when asked if Connors were fired, demoted or re-assigned. A fixture at big league spring training camp, Connors has been offered to keep that gig. Connors, 70, has held numerous jobs with the Yankees. His most recent was working with pitchers in the injury rehab program at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa..." Good luck Billy, whatever you end up doing.

Mark Teixeira: When will Mark Teixiera be back? Remember when he slide into first, was called out on a lousy play and then suddenly there was a report that he'd be out another 10-14 days? I told you then it was BS. That's because no matter what time table the Yankees put on returning players, you always have to be realistic and tack on an additional 10 days.  Well, word on the street is we may not even see Tex the rest of the season.  Are you kidding? Brian Cashman was on Sirius XM and said this: “I don’t think he’s close to getting back here... I think we’ll have a chance to get him back before the season’s over … maybe the Toronto series on the road, which is a little ways down the line here in that last week of the season.” In other words, no one really knows. I hope he comes back, I'm not going to lie, I don't like Nick Swisher at 1st base, he's not stable.

If any other news surfaces about our Yankees, we will bring it to you right here on Bleeding Yankee Blue!

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YANKEE CHRONICLES: AROD, AARDSMA, TEX & NOVA

Alex Rodriguez: Alex Rodriguez is rehabbing down in Tampa.  It was his 1st of 3 rehabs games.  I feel like Alex Rodriguez has been gone forever.  I pray this guy gets healthy and gets that fire in his belly for the final stretch of the season.  Last night in Tampa, Alex went 0-3 with a walk.  He also struck out twice, read HERE.  In a minor league game, he struck out twice... you know my feeling about strikeouts in the first place when it comes to Alex, it's a problem for him. It means he's not seeing the ball and he's slow with his swing.   I hope he can shake that. The good news for Alex is he's expected to join the big team when they are in Tampa Bay to play the Rays Monday night.  Alex could be the key to getting things started for the Yanks in September. God, let's hope so.

David Aardsma: Aardsma the Animal is coming...I feel it.  He was in Class A Tampa with Alex and tossed a scoreless inning, read HERE.  It was his first rehab appearance since being shut down temporarily.  I feel like Aardsma is on the right track and almost feel like a swap of he and Joba Chamberlain may do the team good. That's not a slap at Joba, It's honesty. I don't think Joba is ready, something still isn't right.  Anyway, this is about Aardsma anyway... I'm looking forward to seeing this guy in pinstripes, hopefully it happens.

Mark Teixeira: Remember when we thought Tex would be back in a week after he tweaked his calf? Not happening.  The report is that Tex is not expected to return to the Yankees lineup until next Thursday.  That's according to the Yankees, read Sweeny Murti HERE.  Let's just say, I predict Tex is back next Saturday. Ironically, the Yankees want these guys healthy for the playoffs so they're not rushing them. What they are failing to realize is, if they don't get there...there is no playoffs and this is all for naught.

Ivan Nova: Nova told Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record that he feels much better and we should see this guy soon.  According to Caldera, nova said "I was getting crazy... Hopefully I'll be back soon."  He also said his arm feels "much better." Remember, Nova was shut down with some shoulder inflammation, read HERE.

Pedro Feliciano: Another guy we need to tell you about is lefty Pedro Feliciano.  You have to love this guy working his way back.  He had a rehab appearance too.  He was with the Staten Island Yankees and allowed 1 run in 1 inning of work, read HERE.  I bet we see him in September.  Good for Pedro!

If we have any other info about any other injury stuff... we will for sure bring it to you here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.

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VOTE FOR PEDRO

 

Just when everyone thought Pedro Feliciano would never pitch in a real game for the New York Yankees, something happened.  Pedro Feliciano believed and in turn, worked his tail off and word on the street is we would see him in September.

Newsday's David Lennon says that Saturday Pedro made another rehab appearance and pitched a scoreless inning in his 3 rehab start in the Gulf Coast League.  Read Lennon's piece HERE.

It's amazing to think that since Feliciano was signed, he hasn't pitched for the team yet.  Remember, he signed a 2 year, $8 million deal with the Yanks and then had to undergo surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, read HERE.

Now, after his long road, i need to tell you... having another lefty in the pen with Boone Logan and Clay Rapada could actually happen and damn, it's a win, win for both the Yanks and Feliciano! So yeah, would I vote for Pedro right now? I would.  This guy has proven everyone wrong and if we can see this guy in 2012 it'll be a real accomplishment no doubt. Good for him, I really hope he makes it to the Bigs again.

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THE BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE NEWSSTAND XII

Once again, here are a bunch of nuggets not worthy of an entire post... so we put them in the Bleeding Yankee Blue Newsstand, a widely popular post for all you dedicated readers. Have a cup of coffee...happy reading, after all,  we freaking love you all.

(Photo credit: Thomas A. Ferrara) 

THE COMEBACK KID:  I read Newsday a lot lately.  It seems like they have the scoop on a lot of stuff happening.  For instance, Pedro Feliciano is coming.  We don’t know when, but soon.  According to Eric Boland, Feliciano has thrown batting practice in Tampa could be cleared to start a rehab assignment ‘very soon’. Read it all HERE.  Then, it was revealed that he HAD a rehab session, allowing 1 hit and striking out 3. Read HERE. A September call up anyone? Look, I have always believed that 2 lefties in the Yankees pen would be valuable (Read THE EXTRA LEFTY THE YANKEES NEVER HAD), how about 3?  I love what Boone Logan and Clay Rapada have done and to add another lefty like Feliciano could prove to be dynamic. That’s right, I said dynamic.
 

ANTI-MONEYBALL:  I hate Sabermetrics. I’m an old fart that believes that if you can’t tell what a player does by average, doubles, stolen bases and home runs, go watch Soccer.  That being said, some people swear by it, that’s fine, that’s their opinion of course.  There seems to be a new movie coming out by Clint Eastwood called Trouble with the Curve that, if you watch the trailer, it seems like he, playing an old time scout, hate Sabermetrics too.  Damn, maybe I’m turning in Clint.  That’s fine with me.  Check out the trailer.  I’m actually looking forward to seeing this film.  It comes out in September.

TRIBE TROUBLE? This is hilarious.  It’s a parody about the Cleveland Indians and the trouble they’ve been having now as a franchise.  It’s all in good fun.  I don’t truly hate any team… except the Red Sox, so this is merely posted just for a laugh, I didn’t make it.  Enjoy this.

Now check out the original Indians Campaign above. Fun stuff.

SHORTS IN BASEBALL…NOT:  On August 8^th, many things happened in history, but did you know it’s the 36^th Anniversary of the Chicago White Sox wearing shorts as part of their uniform? Freaking ridiculous right? There is a deep history to this actually, and you can read about it HERE, but you know me, I’m a baseball nut so I needed to at least bring this to you and not ignore it.  Bravo to Hardball Talk. No one does it better than Craig Calcaterra and that's where I read it. Happy Anniversary White Sox…I think.

TIP OF THE CAP: Lady Loves Pinstripes mentioned Bleeding Yankee Blue HERE, not by name of course, why would anyone do that?  No, she mentioned our link in her piece about AJ Burnett and how Pittsburgh must be pretty happy now, after all they have a great pitcher in Burnett, while we didn’t when he was in the Bronx. It almost seems like she blasts the Yankee fans for his demise, although, I'm not so sure I'd go that far.  She highlighted a piece I wrote back in the day titled WHY CRUCIFYING AJ BURNETT NEEDS TO STOP, But all I was suggesting was we didn't need to pile on.  Let's just let him pitch and hopefully he would work out the kinks.  That was when the world hated AJ and I was merely suggesting to give him a chance.   We also recently wrote THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER IN PITTSBURGH about AJ’s rejuvenation.  Anyway you slice it, you need to give Burnett a tip of the cap…as well as Lady Loves Pinstripes… that’s for the acknowledgment.

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THE KEY TO THE YANKEES 2ND HALF? HEALTH

Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record, you know him... you love him, had a great piece a few days ago about the Yankees and their second half.  Instead of talking about all the guys the Yankees need and could use by the trade deadline to win down the stretch, Pete goes with the nugget that we’re all missing…a great Yankee team that only needs 1 thing to win it all... health. (Read HERE.)

Let’s face it, the Yankees are a damn good ball club.  They have good players, their bench is amazing, the pen is the best in baseball and their starting rotation, despite recent injury has been great! Plus, the lineup, besides a few like Russell Martin and Alex Rodriguez, have been wonderful.  To put it simply…the Yankees have gelled.

Caldera asked Joe Girardi on what he was thinking about for the second half as far as talent was concerned…. Girardi’s response? “I’d like us to stay healthy in the second half…how’s that?”  It’s true though, now is the time, the second half that many of the Yankee players are coming back from injury.   

Clearly if you’re going to get hurt, the first half of the season is where you need to do it because right now, the Yankees are about to sit pretty.  Many of their talent is coming back soon, all are ready to contribute and we’ll make that run for #28 that we’ve all been waiting for.

•   CC Sabathia: reports are he will come off the DL on July 17^th, read Bryan Hoch HERE.  That’s a good thing because we need our ace.  That being said, Hiroki Kuroda, Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova have don’t great in his absence.

• Joba Chamberlain: Joba is shooting for an August 1^st return.  That is just amazing to me.  He has been pitching rehabs and so far so good.  Having him there as an extra arm in the pen will be awesome. 

• David Aardsma: Aardsma has been filling everyone in on Twitter on his status and he only had 1 recent setback where Cashman had decribed it as his arm was moving faster than his body could handle.  Put it this way, he may need to move alittle slower but he’s on track.  Read about that Cashman statement HERE.

• Pedro Feliciano: The lefty that hasn’t pitched yet for the Yankees may just get to pitch in 2012.  Another amazing story because after his horror show with being overworked, he had enough determination to push himself back to the pros.  I hope we see him this season. Read more about Pedro HERE.

• Brett Gardner: his speed is crucial to this Yankees lineup down the stretch.  We need him and hopefully he will be back.  Don’t forget, the last thing we reported was Brett Gardner would be back in 2 to 3 weeks…that was about 2 weeks ago, read HERE. 

The Yankees are about to have the stretch of a lifetime…but as Caldera reported… health is the biggest issue according to Girairdi… and you know what? With the team we have…I believe him.

 

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PEDRO FELICIANO: THE COMEBACK KID

Pedro Feliciano is making the comeback of a lifetime after so many people and writers, including us (Read PEDRO FELICIANO: THE LONELY MAN), didn't think he'd ever appear in a major league game uniform as a New York Yankee.  I love the determination in Pedro, you really need to give this guy credit.

According Eric Boland on Twitter, HERE, Pedro threw a 25 pitch bullpen session off a full mound and according to many, this is huge. This is now wide speculation that he will throw this season in the Bigs, with the Yanks.  According to Girardi,  “If we thought he was done, we wouldn’t have brought him to spring training.”

I just wanted to inform all of you.  I love heart on guys that are told they have a slim chance to do anything and they do it any way.  I love when guys believe in themselves and it's evident, Pedro Feliciano believes. Hats off to you Pedro.

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AARDSMA THE ANIMAL & JOBA THE HUTT

Trying to talk to my boys about baseball is tricky sometimes. They are young and aren't really interested.  While my oldest knows the players, talking to him about the players is fine, but to the little guys, it's hilarity at it’s best…at least to me it is. 

That’s why for instance I call CC Sabathia, CC Monster.  It’s the combination of Sabathia and Cookie Monster (Read HERE) and don’t ask, it’s my kids and a constant TV diet of Yankee baseball and pop culture.  Whatever... it works.

The latest exchange comes from me telling my 9 year old about David Aardsma and Joba Chamberlain and their injury progress.  He’s starting to really get into it so I'll fill him in from time to time but for some reason one of my twins thought David Aardsma's name is "Animal" when I said "Aardsma's rehabbing. He's an animal." In other words, he's on his way back and he's going to be filthy.   Next thing I know one of the twins is running around the living room throwing a wiffle ball and yelling "Animal" like he was a member of the Muppets.  Yeah, I didn’t know how to handle it…I told him they were nice throws and we moved on. 

Hence the title AARDSMA THE ANIMAL & JOBA THE HUTT. Some kids like the nicknames better, so, I'm going with it.  But enough about me, the Yankees and Yankee fans have some good news to look forward to.  

David Aardsma: The news out of Yankeeland is Aardsma had a pretty impressive 2nd outing.  "Animal" went 2 scoreless innings and struck out the 3 final batters he faced.  According to Newsday, Aardsma said: "I'm very happy with the second inning... That was going to be the big question for me, throwing that second inning. I felt the ball was still coming out good and I was able to control my pitches. That's all you want." Read all about it HERE.

One thing did cross my mind and it's an important part of the Yankee bullpen. If Cory Wade doesn't deliver and continues to have crappy outings like last night, read HERE, would the Yankees unload Wade for David Aardsma? It's a good question.  I think I know the answer.

Joba Chamberlain: Joba is coming too by the way. On Monday he threw 20 pitches in a session.  That's a big deal considering it seemed like the end of Joba's career when that whole trampoline accident happened. If Joba can come back, damn, that would be impressive.  According to another Newsday report, Joba said this of his progress: "It felt good just to get out there... Get a feel for the [strike] zone. Where guys are standing. It's good to get their reaction. You're able to correct things when you see what you missed.... I couldn't ask for anything better as far as how my arm feels and everything up to this point." Read more HERE.

Oh and 1 more piece to the Yankees pitching puzzle that is worth noting:

Pedro Feliciano: There's another nugget out there about Feliciano, a guy that is still a New York Yankee by the way, but don't forget, the guy was shut down last year and he's been rehabbing the entire time with the Yankees in Tampa.  Newsday writes that Pedro is: "rehabbing a left shoulder injury, will throw off a full mound for the first time Tuesday. The lefthanded reliever is optimistic that he will pitch in the majors this season." Damn, I love the heart. The Yankees feel as though Pedro can come back strong.  This is coming from Bryan Hoch and Steve Miller of MLB.com, read HERE. Girardi said of Feliciano:
"If he's throwing bullpens and doesn't have a lot of setbacks, I think it's realistic [he will return]."

Good for him, let's hope Joe's right.

When more happens, you will know about it, so be sure to check it at Bleeding Yankee Blue for more.  

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WHY BOONE LOGAN IS BETTER THAN EVER

Our starters have been the key to our success lately. It’s been nice to watch our starters go out there and pitch deep into games as opposed to earlier in the year, but we have to give credit where credit is due…our bullpen also stepped up their game. Think about it, on Wednesday night we beat the Braves and swept two series in a row….and we did it without two of our best relievers, Mo and David Robertson. Even without our 8th and 9th inning superstars, we have been in good hands with Boone Logan. Yup, I said it. Last year when I would hear his name I would cringe, and pray for a miracle to bring Pedro Feliciano back but this year there is something very different about THIS Boone Logan.

What a difference a year makes. Last season it was hard to rely on Logan, it was like doing a coin toss because you had a 50/50 chance of him coming through for the team. With Feliciano on the shelf the Yankees relied on him to be the fill-in, and perhaps that wasn’t fair to him. After being a second lefty in the pen he went to being the only lefty, and maybe that pressure can explain why he wasn’t as successful. This year, the Yankees use him not only against lefty hitters, but he is in the game pitching to righties and also closing games….and he is succeeding.
So what is different about this Boone Logan? A lot….his control, his demeanor, and the numbers are night and day compared to previous years. Maybe he is eating his Wheaties. Perhaps that explains how Logan has already pitched 22 innings this year when in 2011 he pitched a total of 41.2 innings….and we aren’t even at the halfway point yet. I am not sure what made the difference for him this year but when you look at everything on paper it looks pretty darn good!

Last year, Logan struggled to do his job…get out lefties. When comparing his opponents’ batting averages, there was virtually no difference between lefties and righties. 2010 wasn’t a lot better either, he was effective against lefties holding them to a .190BA which any lefty would love to brag about but I am sure that .279BA against righties made his success rates a little easier to forget.  2012 still has a long way to go but so far, Logan is holding lefties to a .212BA. Sure, his numbers against righties are not as pretty (.313BA)….but you can’t fix everything all at once.

As much as I remember about last year, I think Logan’s homeruns stood out more than anything else for me. I wish I could explain why, it’s not like he gave up double digit figures but out of the four homeruns he did give up last year three of those were on the road. It is nice to see that so far this year, he has only given up one home run and he isn’t giving up the big blows.As good as these numbers are, I saved the best for last. Logan’s strikeout rate this year fascinates me. I don’t know if he is just blowing pitches past batters or if he is just fooling the batters but so far he has an amazing K/9 rate of 13.3, which beats his previous best from 2011 of 9.9. So far this season, 34% of all plate appearances from batters have ended with a strikeout. If Logan keeps this up, Robertson won’t be the only Yankee reliever we track strikeouts for. Logan has 31 strikeouts already, and last year was a personal best for him at 46. I know it is still early in the season, but I think Logan has found his groove.

Logan is turning me into a believer, it is hard for me to admit it but it’s true. Last year I used to flinch when I saw him come out of the bullpen. This year, considering how we don’t have a “formula” like we used to when Girardi does put Logan into the game I breathe a sigh of relief. Out of all of our relievers, I will make a bet on Logan, he has proven himself.

--Jeana Bellezza --BYB Writer and Editor

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WHY BYB HAS YOUR YANKEES NOTES

Jack Cust: The Yankees signed lefty lugger Jack Cust to a minor league deal. This was clearly done for a few reasons. Cust probably comes cheap and the Yankees are seeing nothing from Raul Ibanez right now so Cust is Ibanez insurance. It’s getting close to Opening day and they really need a Designated hitter who can…well… hit. Raul isn’t, Cust can, hopefully. If things work out we could see Jack Cust on the big roster, maybe along side Raul Ibanez, maybe with Ibanez released, but it’s clear the Yankees are losing patience. Not sure if you remember Cust with the Athletics from 2007 to 20009, but in case you don’t, he was valuable, hitting 28 home runs and walking over 100 times. That, my friends can be helpful. We’ll keep you posted if anything new develops with Cust.(In Photo: Tatum O'Neal)

Craig Tatum: Tatum was claimed off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks. He’s 29 years old and is a catcher. The majority of his big league experience is in the minors, spending 8 seasons there. That’s all I got. It’s not too exciting, but I just wanted to keep you in the loop. Maybe it would have been more exciting if it was Tatum O’Neal… then again, that may also be really weird.

Bobby Abreu: There’s been plenty of internet chatter about the Yankees trading Freddy Garcia to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for Mr. Abreu. To be honest, with the minor league signing of Jack Cust, I just don’t see this happening anymore. Hell, I could be wrong but the timing now just seems wrong now. Anything can happen of course. Plus, Nick Swisher needs a backup in right once in a while, but one of my readers brought up a good point; do we really want a backup outfielder who’s afraid of the wall in right field? Sure we like Bobby's bat, but not so sure Abreu is the right defensive replacement. Thank you for that Carol.

Pedro Feliciano: Bryan Hoch writes HERE that Felieciano is hoping to try and play in 2012. God bless this guy. I’m pulling for him ,but I just don’t see it. He said of the possible come back: "Any time soon, I'll be helping the team... I'm a hard worker, and I know that I'm going to get back healthy." Goood luck Pedro, I'd love to see you throwing again.

Nick Swisher: Swisher played in a minor league game today and homered on his way back from his groin injury. It was his first game and went 4-8. According to the Washington Post, he has 2 singles, a double and a home run. Read HERE. It's good to see Swish is getting back on track.

If there is any more Yankees news, we'll bring it to you at BYB. Hey, take a minute, go buy a Bleeding Yankee Blue shirt!

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and look for the hashtag #BYB. Also, join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.