'BEST RECORDS' DON'T MEAN A THING IN THE POST SEASON

The Texas Rangers had the best record in the American League.  It didn't matter... a much hungrier Toronto Blue Jays team beat them in the ALDS.  They were more determined, had their fans behind them and they literally punched the Rangers in the gut.

There will be no recap at BYB tonight only to say that it was the right thing to do for Jeff Banister to at least question the slide to second base on that last double play attempt of the game, even though the WORLD knew the Blue Jays won that walk-off and series fair and square.  Banister was grasping for anything, to help his team out and extend their chances... but they really had none.  The check with the umps didn't matter, the Blue Jays were incredible in this series. 

Odor gets the error on the throw to first baseman Mitch Moreland on that double play attempt and Josh Donaldson did what hungry ballplayers should do... go hard, go fast and make things happen.

My son and I watched this game tonight and while we both can't stand to see the Blue Jays win and advance, 2 things came to mind.  For one, my son said to me, "You gotta wonder if the first baseman was a righty... would they have made that throw to home to sack out Donaldson?"  I agreed... if Prince Fielder was there, maybe it's easier to pivot the body and throw home. Maybe he would have been able to come off the bag to secure the ball and at least make sure Donaldson wouldn't try to go. Whatever the case, you can't second guess it at this point... it is just interesting and I was impressed my kid thought it through.

Secondly... the Blue Jays played hard tonight, and even though Texas fought this game... it wasn't enough... and so they go home... the Jays advance.

I tip my cap.

Final: Blue Jays 7 - Rangers 6

THE 3 SIDES OF THE LaROCHE SAGA

There are three sides to every story: your side, their side and the truth.  If you are like me, you have been listening to both sides of the Adam LaRoche retirement story and are having difficulty deciphering the truth from all of the mouths talking. Let's see if I can give you the sides and let you determine what you feel is the truth.  I will give you my two cents too, for what it is worth.

What We Know as Truth: We know that Adam LaRoche has decided to retire from the game of baseball prior to the official start of the 2016 season.  His decision seems to have a connection to the statement made by the White Sox organization that LaRoche scale back the time his 14-year-old son, Drake, spends with his dad and the team this year.  Traditionally, LaRoche brought Drake to most of the Sox practices, games and Drake even kept a locker in the clubhouse and practice field.  White Sox officials and others in and around baseball say that his time with the team during his work hours was just too much.  Even Today Show hosts stated as they reported the LaRoche story that when they bring their kids to work, they worry if their presence is too much of an interference for the staff.  And we are only talking about a day or two, not every day.

The Players' Side of the Story:  "In his statement, LaRoche said that before he signed his two-year, $25 million contract with the Chicago White Sox last year, "my first question to the club concerned my [son Drake's] ability to be a part of the team. After some due diligence on the club's part, we reached an agreement" and there were no problems with his son's presence in the clubhouse in 2015," reported ESPN on Friday.  Then according to LaRoche and his teammates, White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams changed his tune.  First LaRoche was told to scale back the time Drake spends with the team and later he was directed to not bring his son to the ballpark at all. According to White Sox pitcher and former teammate to LaRoche Chris Sale, Williams changed his story multiple times, making it difficult to understand the reasoning behind the decision and ticking the team and other MLB players off along the way.

According to ESPN, "Sale said Williams has contradicted himself, first saying that players complained about LaRoche's son being in the clubhouse, then saying it was coaches who spoke against it, and then saying the decision came down from ownership."We got bald-faced lied to by someone that we trust," Sale said."

Club owner Jerry Reinsdorf may have a grievance on his hands come early next week.  Word on the street is that White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton told reporters that he spoke to the Major League Baseball Player's Union about filing a grievance on behalf of his former teammate LaRoche.

Reisndorf stated that players have asked to speak with him but it is too early to comment officially on the situation.  Bryce Harper, Robin Ventura and even the Chicago Bears all support LaRoche's "Family First" stance. Sox closer and former Yankee, David Robertson "thought of Drake as "part of the team" and said "the entire clubhouse is with Adam on this one."   

"I had to make a decision," LaRoche said. "Do I choose my teammates and my career? Or do I choose my family? The decision was easy, but in no way was it a reflection of how I feel about my teammates, manager (Robin Ventura), general manager (Rick Hahn) or the club's owner Jerry Reinsdorf."

White Sox Management Side of the Story:  As reported by ESPN on Thursday, "When news of the reason became public Wednesday, Williams addressed the issue with reporters and said that kids are still permitted in the White Sox clubhouse, but they shouldn't be there every day, saying no job would allow that."Sometimes you have to make decisions in this world that are unpopular," he said.  Now even LaRoche admitted that it has been a privilege to have his son with him as he played for both the White Sox and Washington Nationals over the last five years.  "We all think his kid is a great young man. I just felt it should not be every day, that's all. You tell me, where in this country can you bring your child to work every day?" stated Williams.

My Take: My opinion represents dozens of others shared with me over the last several days.  I guess it stems from this statement made by LaRoche himself.  "It's like having your son and your best friend alongside you all day long, at work, which never gets to happen," LaRoche said. "I don't know many jobs where you can bring your kid and not have to put him in daycare somewhere. It's been awesome."  My daughter is 14 and my son is 18.  They both came with me to work from time to time as I worked on multiple university campuses over the years.  They came sometimes.  As Kenny Williams said to LaRoche, "I don't think he should be here 100 percent of the time. And he has been here 100 percent, every day, in the clubhouse. I said that I don't even think he should be here 50 percent of the time. Figure it out, somewhere in between."  I agree.  Doesn't he need to be in school? Shouldn't he be socializing with kids his own age? My thought process is yes and yes.  I have had to pay babysitters and juggle schedules to figure out who was taking what kid to what practice or event and when.  Why should LaRoche get special treatment?  The Washington Post reported that Nationals phenom Bryce Harper "admired the father-son relationship between LaRoche and Drake. Sure, most jobs don’t allow employees to bring their children to the workplace daily. But most jobs don’t have their employees traveling and away from home as frequently as professional baseball players."  I beg to differ.

As parents, we have to make shifts and changes to our own schedules and the reality is we don't get to spend every waking moment with our kids.  It's not really healthy to do so either.  That's not to say we don't make sacrifices or make waves when we need to when it comes to our kids.  We most certainly do. We travel for work, some multiple days a month like ball players.  It is just a balance.  It's called work-life balance and at the end of the day, that's the real truth.

The reality is this story isn't going anywhere.  It is staying in the headlines because it is an issue that simply has not come up in the headlines before.  Guys like Ken Griffey Jr., Prince Fielder and Cal Ripken Jr. all spent many a day at the ballpark with their ball player fathers.  "Different teams have had different rules. Some clubs allowed kids in the clubhouse after Sunday games, provided they won."

And that's the bottom line.  There are rules.  And that is the truth too.  With the controversy just heating up, we will keep close ties on the LaRoche matter, a grievance if filed and any other official word from the team.  You can decide from here what you think is the right side to the LaRoche Saga.

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

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AROD'S COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR...

despite what they say!

I know, I'm pretty blown away by the results as well.  Alex Rodriguez did not get the American League Comeback player of the year award... Prince Fielder did.  Can someone explain to me why? I guess they just felt as though rewarding a former PEDs user would be bad business. Whatever the case, I need to say, I'm calling bullshit.

The Washington Post even editorializes that ARod deserved it over Fielder.  Hell, Fielder probably agrees.

The Post writes: " we need to turn to expectations heading into the season to see which player truly had a “comeback” season.

According to the 2015 ZiPS projections by Dan Szymborski, both Fielder and Rodriguez were expected to contribute 1.2 wins above replacement. Fielder’s 1.6 wins above replacement ranked fifth on the team while Rodriguez produced an fWAR of 2.7, which ranked fourth on the Yankees. So right away, Rodriguez exceeded expectations by a larger margin than Fielder.

Szymborski’s projections gave Fielder a 82.7 percent chance at slugging better than .400, and he did, finishing the season with at .474. Rodriguez, on the other hand, had a 41.3 percent chance at hitting the same mark, and finished the season at .486. So not only higher, but also with the chances less in his favor.

Same for home runs: Fielder had a 6.7 percent chance at hitting 30 or more over the fence while Rodriguez had just a 0.3 percent chance, and Rodriguez hit 10 more than Fielder to boot."

I know, nerdy stats and I never get that detailed because I prefer the eye test, normal statistics and full season analysis, because when you think about it honestly, Fielder missed a portion of a season with a neck injury in 2014, while ARod missed the entire season.  Coming back from that and putting up the numbers ARod did... it's just kind of a no brainer to me.

In other words, it's my opinion that ARod wins. That's it.  But again, this is political when it comes to MLB.  They clearly didn't want to reward Alex Rodriguez after his PEDs situation.  While Alex has fallen into favor and we're seeing the guys true personality right now... it's not enough... in the end Fielder wins.

And life goes on.

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AROD NOMINATED FOR AL COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR

After a season-long suspension in 2014, Alex Rodriguez had a lot to prove. With the legal debacle and everything he faced, it was hard to see a time when ARod would be welcomed back to the fold. As fans, most of us were ready to write him off. How would a 40 yr old, who attempted to sue the MLB and the players union, that hasn't played ball in a year, come back and be an asset to the team?

Easy! He just plays ball.

It's really been that simple for ARod. He kept quiet during the 2014 season, and as soon as he could, started putting in work to return to the field ready to play. And it's paid off. With the exception of the last few weeks of the season, ARod has been a serious threat at the plate. He's got a .252 batting average with 33 homers. He ranks second to Mark Teixeira on the Yankees. It's more than most people expected, and it's truly helped the team. Even the Players Union has noticed.

The MLB Players Association have nominated ARod for AL comeback player of the year. The other players nominated were Prince Fielder and Kendry Morales. Fielder is coming back from an injury while Morales sat out two months after not landing a deal during his free agency. All three players have proven themselves this season and played incredibly well despite what the expectations of them have been.

According to the New York Daily News, Joe Girardi was pleased to learn about the nomination. "I think it's good that people have recognized what he's done on te field and not let what's happened in the past cloud their judgment," he said. "He's been extremely important to our club, extremely important to our clubhouse and he's had a really good year." 

ARod really has done incredibly this season, despite what your personal opinions of him are. He's been a serious asset to the team, on and off the field. The award is voted on by the players, and the winner will be announced November 9th on the MLB network.

Best of luck to you, Alex. You certainly have earned this nomination.

-Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 
Twitter: @e_morales1804





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HOMETOWN HERO WINS HOME RUN DERBY

Honestly, I absolutely love the All Star Break! It turns me into a 5 year old on Christmas morning. I love watching the talent from all over the MLB. And the Home Run Derby always makes me super excited.

The rules have changed a little this season. It's now a head to head, single elimination game. Each contestant gets 5 minutes to swing for the fences. Then for two homers hit 420+ feet, they get an extra minute, and for one homer hit 475+ feet, they get an extra thirty seconds. Here's a picture for those of you who are visual.

This years Derby featured some incredible bats, including two time champ Prince Fielder. Personally, I thought Fielder had it in the bag. I was so very wrong. Josh Donaldson, Albert Pujols, Manny Machado, Joc Pederson, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Todd Frazier also participated.

The first round went to Donaldson, Pederson, Pujols and Frazier. The most exciting first round was the match up between Fielder and Frazier. Like I said, my money was on Fielder. He came out strong, and hit an impressive 13 homers. Frazier proved that 13 was not enough, with an equally impressive 14 homers. Pederson also had an impressive first round, hitting 13 homers in 3 minutes.

Pederson would again give an impressive show in the semi-finals beating Pujols, 12 homer runs to 11. He went on to face Frazier in the finals, where he hit 14 homers. Incredibly, 14 was not enough to get Pederson the win. Frazier, this years ASG Hometown Hero, managed to hit 15 insane home runs.

I didn't really enjoy this years rule change. I know it's meant to keep the derby from going all night. However, Fielder and Machado who had 13 and 12 homers in the first round respectively, both out hit Pujols and Donaldson who only hit 9 and 10 homers in their match ups. The fact that they out hit Pujols and Donaldson, and were still eliminated from the semi's seems rather absurd. The best performing hitters should have moved forward. Of course, the MLB will probably make another change to the rule next season. The MLB is always looking for ways to bring in an audience.

Frazier did an incredible job. It was a well earned Home Run Derby win. For it to happen in his home field was great for the fans. Congrats, Frazier. From little leaguer on the field with Captain Derek Jeter, to Home Run King.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 
Twitter: @e_morales1804

  


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LOSING REACHES A NEW LOW

It is one thing to lose a game. It is another to get blown out. When you discover – and I use that word intentionally – the Yankees field crew does, in fact, have cards with double digits for the classic-style scoreboard, that is proof that you have reached a new low. For me, there is something haunting about seeing double digits next to the opposition’s name. There is something very haunting about this team right now, which needs correction.

CC Sabathia started out strong in the first two innings, striking out five of the first eight batters he faced. Then the fateful, ugly third inning happened. The first five batters reached on a walk and four consecutive singles. He followed a foul out with a wild pitch and another single, and by then Joe Girardi had seen enough. It was 5-0 at that point, with still a glimmer of hope of a comeback win. Esmil Rogers took care of that. He allowed three of the next four batters to reach while two more runs scored, before giving up a 3-run home run to Shin-Soo Choo which brought them to 10-0. Hope was gone, and the next six innings were just a ceremony.

Some noteworthy items – Prince Fielder, who came into the series with five home runs on the season, has now hit three in the last two games. Seven of Fielder’s 30 RBI on the season came in those two games as well. Also noteworthy is the double switch in the top of the ninth, where Garrett Jones got to pitch and Alex Rodriguez played first base. To his credit, Jones was the only pitcher not to surrender a run this game. It was Alex’s second major league appearance at first base. Finally, in the bottom of the ninth, John Ryan Murphy tripled in a run and came in to score on a groundout. Call me old-fashioned, but I like seeing my team fighting to the last batter, even when they are down by 13. Tomorrow is another day.

Final: Rangers 15 - Yankees 4

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row







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LATE RALLY, NO DICE

The Yankees had a shot last night, but it wasn't enough and with it, the Yanks have lost 4 in a row.

First off, a lot of homers in the game. Mark Teixeira was "on the mark", Prince Fielder knocked out 2, Didi Gregorius, and even Garrett Jones hit his first home run as a New York Yankee.  You gotta feel good about that. He needs to start hitting.

But in the midst of that, the pitching... the hitting, the Yankees lost all control in the 3rd when the Rangers scored 7 runs. That was the inning that did them in. Sure, in the bottom of the 4th, they were able to get 4 runs back... Brian McCann knocked in a run and then came Didi knocking in 3 on his homer.

But it was a struggle.  The Yankees were able to climb back to 10-8 and then, in the 9th, 10-9 on that Tex homer, but no more would follow.

It left Michael Pineda at 5-2 on the season, and the Yanks are now winless again.

Hopefully today, something turns around. CC's on the hill... what do you say big guy?

Final: Rangers 10 - Yankees 9

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SHORTSTOPS, ELVIS ANDRUS & TROY TULOWITZKI

A lot can be said about Elvis Andrus and Troy Tulowtizki.  Both are shortstops. Both are being eyed by the New York Yankees in some capacity, as they try to figure out how to fill the position after our great Captain, Derek Jeter retired.  

But besides the talent and the numbers, there is a bigger factor, something that back in the George Steinbrenner days, we didn’t think about.  Well, these days we think about it a lot.  It’s money and it’s big contracts and it’s watching players with large contracts break down in front of our eyes… almost as fast we get them into our uniforms.  I don’t have to run down the list.  Alex Rodriguez is a big example in Yankeeland, but it goes further than the Bronx.

Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols, both of the Angels.  Prince Fielder, going to Detroit and then being flipped to Texas.  Are baseball execs any smarter these days? Not exactly.  Look at Miami and Giancarlo Stanton.  

He’s a great player, but he’s not 13 years, $325 million great, especially when you still need to field 24 others guys as well.  They’re foolish in Miami and while Stanton is a franchise player, you gotta wonder what they’re thinking down there.  Stanton cannot carry the team. Plus, you don't know what type of injury could effect him tomorrow. It's a gamble. Sure, he went for the money… and I wonder if he’ll be scrutinized like the other “big contract” players of yesteryear.  We’ll see…

Believe it or not, this all goes back to Elivs Andrus and Troy Tulowitzki, because with years, comes age and with age comes a slow down that teams don’t see when they're signing their “big player.”  Let me state that I think the idea of Andrus in pinstripes is a terrific idea.  But that’s on the surface.  When you think about the years and salary we’d be paying for, it becomes less appealing.  There is a plus with Andrus though. He’s young and if the Rangers can pick up some (most) of that salary that is owed to him, signing Elvis Andrus is a no-brainer. Why? Because at the end of Andrus’s contract, he will be age 34 . Not 38, not 42…. 34  That’s significant.

A Troy Tulowitzki rumor was floated to us late last week here at BYB.  The source is solid, but the rumor is slightly murky. I say that with respect to our source, because the reality is, What we know for sure is the Rockies have their Yankee prospect targets, and one would suggest the Yankees know about it.  Read SOURCE ON ROCKIES: "THEY KNOW WHAT THEY WANT" for more.  

The Rockies want to unload Tulo, but they want prospects in return. In fact, they want way too much.  “Baseball insiders” that don’t have this information are mad at me.  Well, we clearly have different sources, and guess what, that’s OK. It happens.  

(In Photo: Rob Refsnyder)

Here’s the thing though;  Giving up guys like a Greg Bird or Rob Refsnyder and a pitching sensation like Luis Severino and a “MLB ready” pitcher like a Shane Greene, AND THEN taking the majority of Tulo’s contract is absolute madness.  The price is too high for a shortstop who is almost 29 and has a bad hip.  If the Rockies could take the majority of that contract, and maybe we unload a few "less" prospects, I’m all for it.   But, it's still alot of years on a contract for a guy that is most likely past his prime at age 31. Just my opinion.

Here's the reality. The Yankees cannot part with Bird and Refsnyder. Ref would most likely (and should be) the Yankees second baseman next season. Not only that, may I suggest the Yankees bring up Bird too.  Make Bird the backup first baseman to Mark Teixeira, who’s clearly near the end of his career.  Remember I was talking about broken down players and big contracts before? There’s another one.

While the Troy Tulowitzki rumor is in fact true, the price is ridiculously high and the Yankees cannot commit to something like that.  It doesn’t matter that Troy wears #2. It doesn’t matter that Troy wants to be a Yankee. The Rockies need to be realistic.  Troy Tulowitzki isn’t 24… there is no way in hell I pull the trigger on that the way it stands right now. If I had to choose, and if negotiations would go smoothly, I choose Andrus.

Over the winter, it’s going to get silly in the Rumor Mill.  Many of the players are talented, Troy and Elvis included. But these teams that think they’re trading off solid gold and the Yankees should “pick up their salary”, because we’re the Yankees is ridiculous.  We want to win too and we need to be smart with our signings going forward.

Just a thought…

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I DON'T GET IT. WE'RE RANKING "TANAKA INTEREST" NOW?

I love reading Ben Badler of Baseball America. There has never been a thing I didn't like about his work, until today, when I read a piece discussing team interest and the "lurkers" and "sleepers" and sure things in pursuit of Masahiro Tanaka.  Now, truth be told, there is never a crystal ball when it comes to signing big names to big contracts. You're all smart, you know this.  I mean, if there was, we would have know that the Yankees were going to swoop in and sign Mark Teixeira even though the Red Sox were the "favorites" a while back. And who would have guessed Detroit was going to sign Prince Fielder just in time for the 2012 season?  Not me. I didn't see it coming.

In Badler's piece, there were 10 teams ranked as who are the closest to get Tanaka 10 is furthest away and 1 is the best chance. 10 through 3 are the Los Angeles Angels (10), the Boston Red Sox (9), the Arizona Diamondbacks (8), the Toronto Blue Jays (7), the Texas Rangers (6), the Detroit Tigers (5), the Chicago Cubs (4), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (3).

Then came number 2 and 1.  2 is the Yankees and number 1 is the Seattle Mariners.

Here's what Badler says of the Yankees:

"The Yankees desperately need pitching. Even as he enters his age-39 season, Hiroki Kuroda is still a frontline starter, but beyond him the red flags are whipping across the rest of the rotation.

CC Sabathia has lost nearly 3 mph off his fastball over the last two years and is coming off a year with a 4.78 ERA, the worst of his 13-year career. There’s Ivan Nova behind him, and perhaps Michael Pineda can return and be a mid-rotation starter, but he’s extremely risky. Maybe Manny Banuelos can help at some point, but the Yankees can’t count on much from him or anyone else in a farm system that’s thin on starting pitching.

The Yankees are reportedly trying to stay under the $189 million luxury tax, which they’re already pushing up against. Having Alex Rodriguez’s $25 million wiped away would give them more flexibility, which is why Tanaka probably won’t sign until after a decision on Rodriguez’s suspension is announced...

The only penalty for going over the luxury tax is money. The Yankees have plenty of that. What they don’t have is pitching, either in the majors or the minors. The Yankees have sent several of their top personnel to Japan to scout Tanaka, and if they think he’s a frontline starter, that could be an upgrade of four or five wins in a competitive American League East.

If that helps get them to the playoffs, it will be worth the tax money."

Then Balder gives his number 1 pick, the Mariners. Check this out:

"...the Mariners are the favorites to land him. That doesn’t mean they will sign him, but based on conversations with industry officials, Seattle’s resources and the makeup of the team, they are a strong fit.

The Mariners have money to spend. They have a new regional television contract that will pay them $2 billion over 17 years. The Mariners showed off their deep pockets earlier this offseason by signing Robinson Cano to a 10-year, $240 million contract, outbidding everyone by a wide margin... The money is there and so is the need. Seattle’s desire to trade for David Price is no secret. They need to upgrade the team to contend in 2014 and take advantage of Hernandez and Cano while they’re still stars. And the current makeup of the team isn’t enough for them to be strong contenders in the AL West.

(In Photo: Hisashi Iwakuma)

Tanaka would help change that. A starting rotation with Hernandez, Tanaka and Iwakuma (Tanaka’s former Rakuten teammate) would give them three frontline starters, with another potential premium starter in 21-year-old Taijuan Walker, though it may be too soon to count on him performing at that level next season. It would be one of baseball’s scariest rotations, with James Paxton and Erasmo Ramirez candidates to round out the final spot."

But what does it all mean? Sure, I guess anyone can choose the Mariners as the top team to land Tanaka, but aren't they the same team that just came out to claim they were broke?  And what about GM Jack Zduriencik claiming they "aren't going to be making a huge splash" since Robinson Cano and Corey Hart:



So what do you make from that? Are they bluffing? Plus, what's to say the Yankees don't throw everything at Tanaka, especially if Alex Rodriguez gets suspended. I'd say the chances are very, very good for the Yankees over the Mariners here, but of course, I'm biased.

Look, the New York Yankees have made it clear they need to do something to bolster their rotation.  There has been talk from Badler that a Tanaka / Iwakuma rotation in Seattle would be great.  I'll up you one; How about Tanaka / Kuroda?  Even Vernon Wells believes that saying "He's a great person to be a mentor to him." You know what? Wells might feel like the guy with one foot out the door, but he sure knows how to schmooze Yankeeland.  Wells makes sense, and I hope the Yankees take that into account.

Look, I'm not really giving Badler a hard time here. I am confused about ranking "interest".  I really don't think it makes much sense.  What's to say the Red Sox don't have a secret stash somewhere to sign Tanaka at the 11th hour?  How about the Dodgers? You know what I mean?

In the end, something will happen and here at Bleeding Yankee Blue, we "rank" the Yankees first to land Masahiro Tanaka... not that it really means anything... we'll just have to let it play out. But I will tell you this... the Yankees have lost out on big time pitchers before and looking at their rotation right this second, even Yankee brass knows there are too many question marks. What I'm trying to say is, there's going to pull the trigger to get Tanaka "big time"... because they don't want to be stuck in the middle of an empty parking lot with their dick in their hand without him...

To be honest, I don't even know what that means... but you get my point. 

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