COULD AUSTIN WELLS WIN AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR?

Source: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Wow. When Paul O'Neill read out Austin Wells' stats for the season against the rest of the American League during Tuesday night's game against the Royals,  I was blown away. According to MLB.com, "At the plate, his 121 wRC+ (meaning he's been 21% better than a league-average hitter) is now the best among AL catchers -- Wells leapfrogged his counterpart with the Royals, Salvador Perez, thanks to his big game Monday. Behind the plate, Wells has been the AL's second-most valuable defensive catcher behind only the Mariners' Cal Raleigh, per Statcast, thanks to excellent pitch-framing and blocking." 

Wells has been a white knight in this Yankee lineup, consistently and quietly helping the Yankees win games like they did in the opener against Kansas City on Monday night. Could Austin Wells win ROY honors? Yea, he really could. 

Source: NJ.com

According to MLB.com, "The 25-year-old catcher has emerged as one of the top contenders for AL Rookie of the Year honors down the stretch, along with the Orioles' Colton Cowser. Wells is batting .295 with a .511 slugging percentage and .891 OPS in 39 games since the All-Star break." He came in for the ailing Jose Trevino who went down with a quad injury earlier this season. And he hasn't stopped his persistently strong offense and defense, among the top rookies and catchers this season.

As The New York Post reports, "Wells has a .252/.342/.438 slash line with 13 home runs and 49 RBIs in 100 games for the Yankees this season." Among other favorites for the AL Rookie of the Year are Orioles phenom Jackson Holliday and Wells' standout teammate Luis Gil. Both have slowed down in their dominance once shown earlier this season, leaving the door open for Wells. Not since 1970 has a Yankee catcher won Rookie of the Year honors. And that guy was Thurman Munson. 

Wouldn't that be something? Aaron Judge wins AL MVP and Austin Wells wins AL ROY in the same season- homegrown stars in the Yankee organization. Now top that with a World Series victory and a Judge Triple Crown- I just can't. Exciting times for the Yankees if they can just get out of their own way. For Wells, I am just overjoyed for this young man's success. He has battled and if he continues to demonstrate his talent the way he has over the last several weeks, he just might find himself as the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

FREAK ACCIDENT K.O.'s SALVADOR PEREZ

I've heard of some stupid accidents, but this one will no doubt hurt the Royals this season.

According to MLB.com's Jeffrey Flanagan, the Royals catcher got hurt, slipping while carrying his luggage and doing some damage. Check this out:

Salvy Perez slipped last night carrying his luggage and has MCL tear. Out 4-6 weeks.

— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) March 28, 2018

Wow!

What happened next from fans is pretty hilarious:

OK then.

Perez is a major piece of the Royals.  You gotta feel bad here for him and that team...except for when we play them of course.  MLB Trade Rumors writes:

"Perez’s accident may well lead to a career low in games played this season for the 27-year-old, who has been eminently durable throughout his Kansas City tenure. Since 2013, his first full season, Perez has appeared in no fewer than 129 games in any regular-season campaign. He logged that total last year during a season in which he hit .268/.297/.495 (103 wRC+) with a personal-best 27 home runs across 499 plate appearances. On the defensive side, Perez threw out a league-average 27 percent of would-be base stealers – a significant decline from the 48 percent he caught in 2016 – and ranked as one of Baseball Prospectus’ worst pitch framers. Statistics aside, Perez is arguably the heart and soul of the Royals, which brings value that’s impossible to quantify. "

He and Moose are the leaders.  Remember Eric Hosmer is gonzo. Same with Lorenzo Cain.

Oh well.  This is just nuts. I had to share it.

THE GRASS ISN'T ALWAYS GREENER

Now that we have entered the off-season in MLB (congratulations to the Kansas City Royals) rumors have already begun swirling as to who the Yankees will pursue.  What over-priced, past his prime, veteran will GM Brian Cashman be swayed to sign to a 3-to-5 year contract by the likes of Jon Heyman and Scott Boras? 

Will he bring back Girardi’s favorite son Stephen Drew (the worst hitting regular second baseman in the history of the Yankees)?  Will he open up the vault for David Price or Zack Greinke or Johnny Cueto? 

Many have suggested that he should grab playoff-hero Daniel Murphy or Yoenis Cespedes.

I think we need a change in our business model.

There’s a saying that goes: “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence”, meaning that we tend to view things not ours as being better than what we have.  That seems to be the case with the Yankees and those suggesting the numerous off-season signings.  For instance, take the popular thought that the Bombers should seize the opportunity to sign Daniel Murphy. 

Those that make the suggestion will tell you that second base has been a serious area of need for the team over the past two seasons.  Only, what they seem to overlook is that once Drew was out of the picture, the team’s forced reliance upon Dustin Ackley and Rob Refsnyder created a productive combo at second.  From September 16th (when Drew stopped playing on regular basis) until the end of the season, the two “replacements” for WHSBIYH (Worst Hitting Second Baseman In Yankees History) hit a combined .303 with 4 HR, 11 RBI and 6 runs scored.  We suddenly had a productive bottom of the order – not the automatic out that Drew represented.  Would Murphy actually be an upgrade? 

If so, would it be so much of an improvement to make the club’s investment in Refsnyder irrelevant?

At what point does our GM finally learn from what the Royals represent?  The world champions feature a home-grown “core four” of Eric Hosmer (26), Mike Moustakas (27), Salvador Perez (26, and WS MVP), and “old man” Alex Gordon (31).  The team has won the ALCS two consecutive years and that group - if kept together – will only continue to see success.  They are what the Yankees once were – a team that believes in their prospects and gives them a legitimate chance to succeed.

It’s time for Cashman to stop using our minor league system as nothing more than a hatchery for deals that make our team older, and lower the potential for playing well into October.  Refsnyder, Slade Heathcott, Greg Bird and Luis Severino all proved they belonged in the Bronx during their limited opportunities in 2015. It should not take injury to open a door for players who showed during Spring Training their immense potential. 

Refsnyder hit .385 over the final 2 weeks of the season, Heathcott hit .400, including .421 in the five games Joe Girardi allowed him to play from start to finish, Bird proved to be just as productive as the player he replaced (Mark Teixeira), and Severino was arguably the team’s best starter from the moment he was called up.

The Yankees desperately need to change their philosophy, or we may only continue to see other teams create eras that we once held the patent on.  Let’s give the “Baby Bombers” mentioned above – who have already proven themselves, as well as others who reportedly are on the cusp of breaking out (Aaron Judge comes to mind) a REAL chance at becoming the new identity of the New York Yankees.  Instead of quickly signing veterans (often past their peaks) this winter, let’s believe in what we have and inject the energy and potential at our fingertips.  Sure, some may fail, but you won’t know that without giving it a shot.  Often we become mesmerized by what lies on the other side of the fence without realizing the beauty of the ground we already stand on.  For once, let’s open our eyes and understand that their grass isn’t always greener.


    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1


    

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HERE WE GO. METS LOSE & SALVADOR PEREZ IS CHEATING NOW

I watched last night's World Series, Game 1.  The Mets and the Royals are 2 great teams.  It was a truly great Game 1, with a crushing loss to the Mets in the 14th on a Royals walk-off.  Hey, that's baseball. But here's the good news for Mets fans, and I said this when I went to bed...

"deGrom goes Game 2. It's gonna be a see-saw all Series."

My statement wasn't unusual.  It's pretty accurate seeing what I saw in Game 1.  Plus, deGrom's freaking great, better than that chubby Harvey guy. 

I woke up this morning with Mets beat writers all up in arms because Salvador Perez, the Royals catcher is apparently a cheater now, and I guess when the Mets lose, New York's supposed to get into a tizzy and blame someone.  Just stop... PLEASE!

Last night Salvador Perez "appeared" to have something on his shin guard.  It could have been dirt, which, if you look at the picture above, it clearly is. It could have been a foreign substance.  Here's what it wasn't...ILLEGAL. You know what's illegal? When you scuff a baseball in the open like Joe Niekro did back in the day. 

Does anyone remember Gaylord Perry? He doctored better than anyone... AND WE ALL KNEW ABOUT IT. He's also in the Hall of Fame.

You know what's illegal? Having a goop of pine tar the size of a small car on your neck like Michael Pineda did and then act like Jeter put it there.   When pitchers doctor the ball, it's illegal.

You know what isn't? When a catcher is rolling around in the dirt for 9 innings, or in last night's game... 14, and getting filthy and trying to get his pitchers to do their best.  And you know what? Sometimes in the transfer or the game itself, there may be something on the catcher's shinguard. This isn't Watergate ladies and gentlemen.

Zach Braziller of the New York Post, a Mets beat writer and clearly siding with the Mets, writes:

"A mini-controversy appears to be brewing after Fox cameras caught Royals catcher Salvador Perez with some kind of brown substance on his shinguards.

Perez didn’t speak to reporters after the game and manager Ned Yost correctly pointed out that there is nothing wrong with the catcher — or any position player — having the substance, believed to be pine tar, there.

'It’s not illegal,' Yost said. 'I don’t know what it was. It was brown. It’s not illegal for a catcher to have it on his shinguard. It’s illegal for a pitcher.'”

Ned Yost ladies and gentlemen, a former catcher himself. Trust me, he knows a few things about catching and he is definitely not a bullshit artist. He tells it to you straight.

Let me be crystal clear on this; The New York Mets were in that game hard all night last night.  They were, and ARE fighters, but so are the Royals, and the Royals won. That's it.  There is NO controversy. There's no nothing except for the Mets being in a 0-1 hole, and trust me... this World Series might be the most action packed ever. It will go back and forth. The Mets are still in it.

Everyone in New York that's a Mets fan needs to freaking relax.  Trust your team. Stop looking to blame someone.  The Mets are good... so are the Royals.

 Here's a bigger question... anyone concerned about where that small portion of Perez's thumb went? It's alarming to me.


 

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WHAT WE SHOULD LEARN FROM THE ROYALS

The Kansas City Royals aren’t the league’s most powerful team.  In fact, they hit the lowest number of home runs in MLB this season, not even reaching 100 – the only team not to do so.  Instead, the Royals have used a combination of speed (they led the majors in stolen bases), hitting with runners in scoring position (they ranked 4^th in MLB), and as my colleague Suzie Pinstripe pointed out in WHY CAN'T THE YANKEES BE MORE LIKE THE ROYALS? – chemistry and hustle to create a winning formula.

Does that mean every team should look to play “small ball” to win?  Of course not.  What it does mean is that a winning formula has to be developed according to the personnel you have and the stadium you play in.

The Royals’ most frequent lineup was an average age of 27.8 years-old.  It included 24-year-old stars Salvador Perez (Catcher) and Eric Hosmer (1B) as well as four other “20-somethings”.  There’s lots of energy there to be had, and they’ve used it in their run to the World Series.  They play in a large park, so it only makes sense that they play a station-to-station type of game.

With a strong starting staff anchored by James Shields and 23-year-old fireballer Yordano Ventura, and bullpen that ranked 6^th in baseball, the Royals aren’t a fluke.  They are a team built for their stadium and managed to their talents.

Can the Yankees find that same type of recipe? They can, but they’ll need a change in mindset.

Beleaguered by injuries over the past two seasons, the Bombers have ranked 22^nd and 12^th in home runs.

The previous three seasons they were 1^st, 3^rd, and 1^st.  The bottom line is that their advanced age – the average age of the Yankees most frequent lineup was 33.7 (with no one under the age of 30) – is resulting in a higher frequency of downtime and sapping their power.  The replacements for the fallen starters have included the likes of Chris Stewart, Lyle Overbay, Brendan Ryan, Ichiro Suzuki, and many others whose best power was seasons long in the past.

When a starting nine that once included Robinson Cano, a healthy Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira, and Jorge Posada is replaced with players like those mentioned above, you need to adjust your style of baseball.  You no longer have consistent power, and need to compensate for that.

Instead, the team has ignored the hand it has been dealt and attempted to recreate the success of 2009 with players of a different caliber.  There is no statement more telling of that ignorance than a quote from manager Joe Girardi in 2013.  In responding to reports that hitting coach Kevin Long suggested the team play more “small ball”, Girardi was quoted as saying “We’re the Bronx Bombers, not the Bronx Bunters”.  At the time, the team featured Stewart behind the plate, Overbay at first (Teixeira was down with a wrist injury), Jayson Nix at third base and Eduardo Nunez at shortstop (Derek Jeter was out with an ankle injury for most of the year).  In 2013 only one player – Robinson Cano – hit more than 20 home runs.  How could they NOT be the Bronx Bunters?

I’m not just focusing on 2013 as the “stubbornness” seemingly has continued through the most recent season.  In spite of an injury to Carlos Beltran that clearly hampered his talent at the plate (.233 average with 15 hr in just 109 games) and the continued decline of Mark Teixeira (.216 average with 22 home runs and 62 RBI), Girardi repeatedly left them in the middle of the order (Beltran had 88 games in either the 3^rd, 4^th, or 5^th spot, Teixeira had 109 games in either the 4^th or 5^th spot) as the team hopelessly battled for the final playoff berth.  As much as it pains me to say it, the manager’s refusal to move Derek Jeter from the number two spot in the lineup (where he hit .258 with a .306 on-base percentage) was yet another example of failure to adapt to the talent at hand.  It is one thing to be loyal to your players, but to do so at the expense of the team is tantamount to sabotage.

Without dwelling on the mistakes that are now water under the bridge (I could go on about Stephen Drew, or David Huff, or Matt Thornton, or any other desperate attempt to find a left handed pitcher just for the sake of having a left handed pitcher), what change of direction can the Yankees take to create the success that the Royals have?

First, they need to trust some of the players that have proven themselves in the minor league system and promote from within.  The 2014 Royals starting lineup features five “home grown” players.  Their rotation has two starters that began their MLB careers as Royals and their All-Star closer, Greg Holland, has never known another major league team.

Do the Yankees have that kind of talent in the minors?  How are we going to know if they aren’t given a chance?  Already, out of necessity (due to numerous injuries to the staff), the team stumbled upon a couple of gems on the mound in Chase Whitley and Shane Greene.   Both are 25-years-old and both can expect more time in the Bronx next season.  Greene may actually break into the starting rotation.  Need I even bring up what Dellin Betances did in 2014?

Instead of lamenting the need for a shortstop, let Jose Pirela have a shot at proving he belongs in “the show” (he has over 300 games at short in MiLB and hit over .300 with Scranton).  Bring up Rob Refsnyder and start him at second base.  He has proven himself at Triple A (hitting .300 in 77 games with the RailRiders).  At the ages of 24 and 23 respectively, they would not only fill needs on the field, but inject some youthful energy into our stale, old team.

Aside from personnel, the Yankees game management needs to be more flexible.  If one of the aging stars is in a prolonged period of..well…aging…then move them to a different spot in the order!  Realize what you have at that moment, and adjust accordingly.  Broken egos are much easier to recover than lost games.

Should we end up with a team made up of hitters more capable of hitting doubles than home runs, then we need to manage the game to make that sort of character a strength.  Why do I get the feeling that as a toddler, young Joe Girardi repeatedly attempted to pound the square block through the round hole?

It is my hope that our GM and manager are following what the Kansas City Royals are accomplishing and how they are doing it.  Let’s learn from an organization that has somehow passed us by and rekindle our future simply by utilizing what we have.


    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1

   





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DAVID PHELPS DOESN’T STAND A CHANCE IN THIS CITY!

I will not disagree that David Phelps had a terrible outing this past weekend in Kansas City.  I will also say that he over thinks his stuff a bit, but in reality, with all of the criticism, lack of support and experience from Yankee players and leadership and frankly, just overall pressure, he doesn’t stand a chance in this city. 

Criticism: we all get it and sometimes it is warranted and sometimes it is just harmful to a person’s psyche.  My daughter keeps singing this song by Magic entitled, “Why You Gotta to Be So Rude.”  The refrain reads, “Why you gotta be so rude?  Don’t you know I’m human too.” Yep, that about sums up my sentiment.  

So much criticism for one guy is just ridiculous.  Here are the facts:  David Phelps came in when he was needed; when our ace, CC Sabathia, went down, Ivan Nova went out and Michael Pineda, well, got stuck in pine tar and I guess found his way back to the DL.  Phelps became the fall guy, stepping out of the role he was used to and into a hole that needed to be filled.  At the beginning of the season Phelps said he was up for the challenge of supporting the team anyway he could.  “My job is to go out there and get guys out, regardless of my role.  I haven’t changed the way I approach the season anyway.  I’m just going out there and trying to get on a roll, throw strikes.  Regardless of my role, that’s how I’m going to approach it,” stated Phelps in an interview with MLB.com at the beginning of the pre-season.  We posted a piece about Phelps in early March entitled, “David Phelps: Keeping an Eye on the Ball.” 

But no  one on the team right now takes the heat like the young David Phelps.  According to NY Post article at the end of March, “Nuno doesn’t have the pedigree of Phelps, Warren and Pineda. Phelps came out of Notre Dame; Warren from UNC and Pineda was an All-Star as a rookie in 2011 with Seattle. Nuno, attended Baker University and battled through the independent league circuit before reaching the big leagues last year with the Yankees when he appeared in five games (three starts) going 1-2 with a 2.25 ERA.”  I don’t get it.  Vidal Nuno doesn’t have it quite together either, but he gets a pass.  Adam Warren has been used in the bullpen and it is uncertain, right now, if he will step out of this role into the starting rotation, so we don’t know how he would do.  That leaves Phelps and he stepped into some very big shoes, without the offense to support him in runs and even the defense to make routine plays.  Yes, Salvador Perez hit the ball hard in Kansas City and Phelps got intimidated by Billy Butler's bat so he psyched himself out and walked him.  But, my question is this:  why wasn’t a veteran catcher like Brian McCann behind the plate?  I like John Ryan Murphy, but he is a rookie too and McCann has worked exceedingly well with his pitchers this season.  Why doesn’t he catch for Phelps regularly?  Phelps needs experience over youth to stay focused and build confidence.

Lastly, if the criticism continues the way it has, Phelps will not be able to perform to his potential.  He is over thinking things as it is.  And this negative self talk is keeping him from just keeping it simple: throwing strikes, getting ahead in counts and keeping the ball low.  Phelps may do well to move on to a smaller market ball club, where perhaps, he won’t take the heat and get the mentoring he needs in veteran catchers and pitchers.  I would hate to have us give up on him, but at this point, I am afraid that David Phelps doesn’t stand a chance in the environment the Yankees have created for him so far this season.  

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


   
 
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"HOLY CRAP! ARE THEY STAPLES IN HIS HEAD?"

Many of us know that Aroldis Chapman was hit in the face by a hard comebacker the other day. It looked incredibly serious... and it was. Salvador Perez hit a liner and it smashed Chapman in the face. He went down hard.  He needed surgery and they repaired fractures and put a metal plate in his head.

But here's the thing... he Instagramed a photo of his head... and it's stapled and I just showed my wife and she gasped; "Holy Crap. Are they staples in his head? They peeled his face forward to repair the damage?"  My answer... "I guess so."

So check this out:



And for anyone that lives under a rock and didn't see Chapman get hit in the face, here is that video. It's hard to watch:



Finally... and this is when you realize that there truly good sportsmanship and decency in sports; This moment won't be reported, but we'll tell you about it, because Salvador Perez was clearly upset. 

Perez took a moment on the way to the mound, to kneel, and it appeared that he prayed.   Obviously the whole thing was an accident, and even when 2 teams battle, be it the World Series or a Spring Training game, you play hard. But some times though, bad things happen.  Chapman could have been dead, but thank God he's alive. 

I tip my cap to Chapman, to Perez and to the crew who got out there fast and got Chapman the care he needed.  It's being reported Chapman could be on the mound again in 4 to 6 weeks.  Wow...

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