WHY IT'S THE FIRST YANKEE WALKOFF OF 2012

Friday night’s game was a wild one. It had big hits, big homers, poor pitching, awful fielding, awful umpiring, but most importantly, a Yankees win. Walkoff style, 7-6.

Let’s get to the most important part of the game first: The walkoff win. It was tied at six in the ninth and with one out Derek Jeter, who was trying to extend his 15-game hit streak, worked a walk to set up the meat of the order. After a wild pitch, Jeter advanced from first to third (he was going on the 3-2 pitch) with one out and ARod at the plate. Moments later a passed ball by Alex Avila allowed Derek Jeter to score the winning run. Happy day. Oh, and there was no pie after the walkoff, so boo-hoo to that, I guess.

The pitching matchup of Ivan Nova versus Justin Verlander looked great on paper, but baseball’s not played on paper, it’s played on a field and anything can happen. Instead, both starters struggled in this one. Nova went 5.1, allowing six runs on 11 hits while striking out five and walking three. Verlander went 6 while allowing four runs while striking out four and not walking anyone.

Ivan Nova was able to wiggle out some jams, though he gave up six runs. In the first inning he overcame a lead off hit by Austin Jackson who then stole second with nobody out, though he was out, but the umpire called him safe anyway. In the second inning he overcame an awful gaffe by Raul Ibanez in left field when he inexplicably dove for a ball he had no business catching. Because of this, Don Kelly scored from first. Fortunately, Nova was able to retire the next three to limit the damage. But seriously, why is Joe Girardi still running Ibanez out there in the field? He’s an awful defender. Everyone and their mother knows about it, so why the hell is he still out there?

The Yankees offense was very good tonight, considering they faced arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball. ARod went 3-for-4 with a solo homer off Verlander in the fourth. The only out he made came on a deep fly ball to center in which looked like a homer off the bat. He was also at the plate when Jeter scored the winning run. Russell Martin also tagged Verlander for a home run, a two run wall-scraper in the fifth, for his only hit of the night. In total, the Yankees collected nine hits.

The umpiring in this game was pretty awful, though it shouldn’t surprise anyone because Joe West was behind the plate. Joe Girardi got ejected for arguing balls and strikes, considering the strike zone were brutally inconsistent, and he got his money’s worth out of it. Good for Girardi. But can someone tell me why Joe West still has a job? We’ve gone on with his charade for too long now. It’s time for Major League Baseball to “retire” him from his job. He seems to want to be the centerpiece of the game, though that’s the worst thing he can possibly do. Bud Selig, it’s time to cut him loose and move on. That's the end of my rant.

Final was 7-6, Yankees. Freddy Garcia opposes Drew Smyly in today’s game, so I hope you pack a lunch for that, it may end up being a four hour affair.



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse


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WHY THE YANKEES COULD SNAG INGE FOR NOTHING

Sure, this is coming out of left field, but what the hell, I’m always the type that likes to think too hard in ways to improve our New York Yankees and I love asking questions and getting reaction.  I like to get your thoughts and then we all move on... after all, we're fans and sure, I run Bleeding Yankee Blue, but in no way am I suggesting my word is law…this is just too much fun, that’s it so enjoy this craziness...

The Tigers just gave Brandon Inge an unconditional release on Thursday, read HERE, and plenty of people were surprised and puzzled by it, but according to several reports, the Tigers felt like it was just time.  Many teams are interested in Inge, read about the Athletics HERE and the Twins HERE... and that got us here at BYB thinking: “Why not try to get Brandon Inge for, probably nothing, and ask him to contribute with his excellent defense when we need him?"  

Inge can play third base and was a catcher much earlier in his career. He's a solid defender and would be a perfect back up in not only third, but in my estimation even first base or the outfield.  He's agile and great with the glove. He’s a gritty veteran and while his numbers have never been outstanding, he may just be the defensive piece of the puzzle the Yankees are looking for in that backup role...  Make sense?

One thing you need to think about with Brandon Inge is, he may just be the diamond in the rough that needs to be explored.  Yes, we have Eric Chavez and yes, we have guys like Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones, but I said it once and I’ll say it again, Raul and Andruw were signed for their bats, and sure, if they needed to get out in the outfield to try and snag a fly ball, we’d cross our fingers, but as we’ve seen with Raul and Jones… there isn’t exactly faith when they're out there.  Might I suggest someone like Brandon Inge as a possible substitute for the outfield?  We've heard the Yankees suggest someone like Derek Jeter could play the outfield near the end of his career... why not a Brandon Inge? He's got the defensive talent under his belt...why not? 

Eric Chavez can play first and third, and yes, he’s the natural backup for Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira and there is no denying that, but what’s to say Mr. Fragile gets hurt? Then what? Inge could fill in at third if needed and as a veteran, you know you’re getting quality. I think it’s foolish to allow Eduardo Nunez to play a base position, he can’t catch, so my solution with him is simple, either train him hard at shortstop and train him to be a future outfielder for the New York Yankees.

Look, this is all my head spinning trying to think of way to plug the holes and help out team win.  Inge may be an unusual idea… but hey, he may just work. What do you think? Comment.

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YANKEE GREAT BILL "MOOSE" SKOWRON HAS DIED

(Bill "Moose" Skowron was a fixture at Yankee Old Timer's Day)

Some very, very sad news to report out of Yankeeland this afternoon.  The Yankee family has lost a great man.  Bill "Moose" Skowron has passed away at the age of 81 after a long battle with lung cancer.

(L-R, Maris, Berra, Mantle, Skowron)

"Moose was a six-time All-Star first baseman who starred for the Yankees from 1954-1962 and played alongside some of the greatest Yankees ever:  Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Roger Maris, to name a few.  "Moose" hit .292 with 165 homers and in 1,087 games over those nine seasons with the Yankees before being traded to the Dodgers in 1962. He played another five seasons for the Dodgers, White Sox, Senators, and Angels. Skowron was a clutch postseason hitter as well, batting .293 with eight homers in 39 playoff games, including a long ball against his old teammates as the Dodgers swept the Yankees in the 1963 World Series.

("Moose" Skowron with his memorable swing)

We will miss you "Moose".  God bless you and thank you for the wonderful memories and for making us proud to call you a New York Yankee great! 

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer
Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com
Twitter: @MikeyBlu23


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WHY THE YANKEES HAVE REVENGE ON THEIR MINDS

The Detroit Tigers (10-9) roll into the Bronx this evening to play the first of a three game series.  The Yankees (10-8) need to bounce back after losing two-of-three in Arlington while the Tigers enter this series having dropped four straight, capping a 1-6 home stand.  Look, we all remember the last time the Tigers were at the Stadium...something all Yankee fans would rather forget.  So, although I'm sure none of the Yankee players would admit it, you know they have to have a bit of revenge on their minds.  I know as a fan I am always hoping for a sweep, but will certainly take 2-out-of-3 this weekend.  Okay, so let's take a look at tonight's match ups and the pitching match ups the rest of the series....

Tonight, 7:05pm
Pitching match up:  Ivan Nova takes the hill for the Yankees and he will be up against the AL's reigning MVP and CY Young winner, Justin Verlander.  Nova has won his first 3 starts and has a healthy .ERA of 3.57.  While Verlander has pretty much picked up where he left off last year.  He's 2-1 with an outstanding .ERA of 1.79.  Good news for Yankees, Verlander has not won in the Bronx in almost 5 years!  Yeah, I know, amazing, right?  He is 0-2 with a 4.26 ERA in four starts at Yankee Stadium since getting his only career win in New York on Aug. 16. 2007.  Let's hope the Yankees keep his losing streak alive tonight.

Saturday, 4:05pm
Pitching match up (scheduled to change):  New York Yankees, Freddy Garcia (0-1, .ERA 9.75) vs. Detroit Tigers, Drew Smyly (0-0), 1.13 .ERA)

Sunday, 1:05pm (TBS)
Pitching match up (scheduled to change): New York Yankees, CC Sabathia (2-0, .ERA 5.27) vs. Detroit Tigers, Max Scherzer (1-2), 8.24 .ERA)

Who's Hot:
Derek Jeter enters this series as one of the hottest hitters, if not the hottest, in all of MLB. He is batting .420 and is 11 for 17 over the past four games. Jeter's 15-game hitting streak is his longest since a 16-game run from May 17-June 2, 2009. And on the Tigers side, make no mistake, Miguel Cabrera is the guy we have to hold. The guy just kills the Yankees. In his last 19 trips to the Bronx, Cabrera is batting .382 with 9 Home runs and 20 RBI.

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer
Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com
Twitter: @MikeyBlu23


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WHY THE YANKEES WILL WIN IT ALL WITHOUT PINEDA

There is no denying it; the recent Michael Pineda news was awful to hear. It was pretty much the worst news we could get, as the young right-hander will be out until May…of 2013. A lot of fans are close to calling this season a wash and are ready to jump off the ledge. My message to you: Don’t jump off the cliff just yet, there’s still hope! Even without Michael Pineda, the Yankees can win the 2012 World Series.

Now, of course the Yankees starting rotation was deeper than a deep dish pizza about a month or so ago, but these days, not so much. Everyone was drooling when we had a rotation of CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova, Michael Pineda, and Phil Hughes, with Freddy Garcia coming off a strong 2011 and Andy Pettitte waiting in the wings. Now flip the page to today, and the Yankees have a front three in Sabathia, who isn’t in his usual grove yet, Nova, who has been strong, but still has to prove himself, and Kuroda, who’s been erratic, though it’s just a four start sample for him. Now, the back two, Hughes and Garcia, have been dreadful. They’ve combined to go 1-4 in seven starts with an 8.67 ERA and a 5.71 FIP*.

With all that said, it seems as though it’d be OK to panic, but fear not. We know CC will get on a roll. That’s pretty much inevitable. The Yankees do need Nova and Kuroda to pitch like number 2 and 3 starters, respectively, and I’m confident they can. Yes, the Yankees did bring Kuroda in to be a number two starter, but if he can pitch like a quality number three starter, the Yankees should be good to go. Then there’s Pettitte, who we all want to pitch well, but nothing’s certain. I don’t doubt him, but I’m not going to get my hopes up too much. If he can pitch like a number four starter, the Yankees should be fine. In the early going, the starters have compiled the fifth fewest innings (99.0), third worst ERA (5.73), and fourth worst FIP (4.45) in the American League. With the talent the Yankees possess in the rotation, it’s safe to say that these rotation failures are unsustainable.

Ok, I’ve been talking about the starting rotation this whole time though it takes a TEAM to win the World Series. The Yankees have an awesome bullpen, that’s pretty much a fact. They have the greatest closer ever in Mariano Rivera, two set-up men in David Robertson and Rafael Soriano who could close for the majority of teams, as well as guys like Boone Logan and Cory Wade who are definitely capable of setting up for most teams. You also have guys like Clay Rapada and David Phelps who each have had their share of bright spots in the early going. And finally, Hughes and/or Garcia will go to the bullpen sometime in the near future with Pettitte returning. In total, the Yankees have the third best ERA (2.31) and second best FIP (3.19) in the AL out of the ‘pen, though they’ve pitched the fifth most innings (62.1).

As well as having a great bullpen, the Yankees have an explosive offense. They may or may not be the best offense in baseball, but they’re certainly right there. Derek Jeter has been out of his mind to start the season with the bat and Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Raul Ibanez, and Nick Swisher have gotten off to solid starts, while guys like Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, Russell Martin, and Andruw Jones are still trying to find their stride. The eventual return of Brett Gardner will certainly help, too. In total, the Yankees have scored the second most runs (100) in the AL while sporting a 126 wRC+*, tied with Texas for best in the AL. Oh, and they have the fourth highest batting average with RISP at .277. Raise your hand if you knew that ….Thought so.

The Pineda surgery definitely hurts the Yankees, there’s no denying that. But that doesn’t mean the team can’t win it all without him. This team is still stacked and full of depth in just about every category. Fortunately, the Yankees have an easy schedule for the next two and a half weeks following the series against the Tigers, so if they get on a roll maybe it’ll lift everyone’s spirits. We’ll have to wait and see, but I’m very confident in this team and you should feel the same.

• You can read more about FIP and wRC+ by clicking on the BYB Sabermetrics terms page on the left-hand side of the page, or by clicking HERE.

--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse


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WHY BUSTER OLNEY DOESN'T GET SOCIAL NETWORKS

I'm not about to rank on Buster Olney, but I need to poke alittle fun, after all, it's 2012, not 1978. Although if a pitcher the Yankees signed had a torn labrum then, the world too would be turned upside down too...minus the Internet of course. It was a the Bronx Zoo after all. Read Buster HERE.

Olney made some comments in reference to the Social media and the recent "explosion" and uproar over Michael Pineda's injury... all over the Internet, Twitter, and everywhere else. He writes:  "The explosion of social media has fueled the desire to identify incompetence, to illuminate failure, to expose the cheaters. Within seconds that news broke that Michael Pineda will miss the rest of the year with a labrum tear, Twitter was flooded with theories -- that the New York Yankees blew it, that the Seattle Mariners knew that Pineda was hurt, that there were idiots and schemers."

Olney then goes on to explain some facts of the Pineda for Jesus Montero trade, here's 1:

"At the time of the deal, the overwhelming majority of rival executives thought this was a great trade for the Yankees. Not a good trade, but a great trade. A lot of the same executives understood the rationale of the Mariners and liked Jesus Montero as a prospect, but they loved the Yankees' end of the trade."

Right... got it.  Buster's a smart guy, I think he understands that all this doom an gloom all over the net is just a sign of the times, more technology, faster news and information at your finger tips in seconds, and that leads to immediate conversation, on your phone to Twitter and Facebook.  Couple that with us Yankee fans who are never unhappy unless we win 162 games, and I think it all makes sense.  Look, I'm not saying all the bitching and moaning is the right way to go about it, I'm merely suggesting to Olney..."What do you expect?" To be honest, it didn't even phase me the way the Internet blew up on Wednesday when news broke that Pineda would be out the entire season.  It's instant conversation, unhappiness, laughter, depending on which side your on.  So many of us deal with the every day hustle and bustle of life, sometimes we need to blow off alittle steam... that's where social networks come in.  Wednesday's report of Pineda was a serious blow to the Yankees rotation as well as a human being in Pineda, but does that mean we CAN'T talk about it?

I like Buster, but I didn't like to feel like I was being reprimanded, like I needed a refresher course on the facts of the trade.  We all were there when news broke that Jesus Montero was traded for Michael Pineda, it was a big day in Yankeeland and on that day, I remember the same thing happening, social networks going bonkers.  That's sports in 2012 Buster, it moves pretty fast these days and sure all the sports writers utilize it too and to be honest, it's amazing. All I'm saying is, Buster, we love you pal, but open your mind... go with it... it's gonna be OK pal... I swear.

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HOW DO YOU LIKE PINEDA NOW?

Injury to starting pitchers is always the worst thing you want to hear, especially when your team’s goal is to put the best guys on the field and deliver every time until you win a championship. In our case it’s clear, we’re the Yankees, we have to win it all, it’s expected and that's with or without out injured acquisitions...enter Michael Pineda.

This news coming out about young Michael Pineda was a punch to my gut yesterday, and all I keep thinking about right now is Jesus Montero. Why does my mind do that? It’s annoying… Look, I was excited about Michael Pineda coming to the Yankees, I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t, but I wasn’t happy about Jesus Montero leaving either.  It just so happened that the Yankees needed starting pitching and Brian Cashman did what he was supposed to do, his job.  You can sit here and blame Brian Cashman for something that was beyond his control, like Pineda’s injury, but let’s face facts… he didn’t know it would happen! Come on!  He even referenced it last night explaining to reporters that we received a healthy pitcher in Pineda from the Mariners.  The injury happens on our watch, bottom line.  So yeah. now it seems Pineda’s out for 2012 and a portion of 2013, Read HERE.  Listen though, trust me…don’t blame Cash, don’t blame Pineda… blame a fierce competition for the starting rotation spot in the final days of Spring Training. That’s all you can blame… now we move on, we still have baseball to play.

Michael Pineda will not be a bust long term. Sure, he had a rocky start, and don’t forget, we’ve had many who have had rough starts.

Some pitchers can’t even hack it on the New York Yankees and some learn to adjust and some get hurt alot...  Jack McDowell, Carl Pavano, Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown, Jeff Weaver…let's not put Michael Pineda in this category yet.  The point is this 23 year old kid couldn’t wait to get started! Granted, he walked into Spring Training looking like a linebacker, overweight, but I’m not exactly sure weight gain contributed to his injury either. Maybe it did, maybe it didn't.  Quite simply, I think Pineda just pushed himself too hard too soon. That’s me with simple thinking and obvious info gathering.  Plus, and you can mock me if you’d like, I think young arms need to be properly stretched out.  Sure you can’t just jump from 60 innings to 171 innings in my eyes, but a gradual increase makes more sense. That's not Pineda's case, but another thing to think about, after all I wrote WHY THE INNINGS LOAD FOR PINEDA & NOVA WORRIES ME. Look, it's something to think about, that's all I'm saying.

But there’s more.  You also need to take into account the amount of starting pitching the Yankees had near the end of spring training.  With Andy Pettitte coming in and Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes competing for a spot, what’s to say Pineda didn’t do too much and just “tweak” something.  Then as he pitched that last game of the Spring, a start that would seal his fate in the Yankee rotation, he sealed his fate on the DL instead and it all happened because he wanted to impress Yankee brass.  At the time I was actively calling for “old fashioned” competition to get pitchers spots fair and square.  I couldn’t have imagined that this could happen, but it did. And no, it’s not my fault either…don’t go there.

You have to feel bad for Michael Pineda. He wanted to prove himself this season.  I remember the New York sports media jumped on the fact that Pineda showed up early ready to go, showing his excitement and appreciation for the New York Yankees and his willingness to work hard to make things happen in the Bronx. Read HERE. I remember Twitter was buzzing, some psyched for the new kid, some pissed that Montero went to Seattle…many had a lot to say about Brian Cashman, you can imagine the mixed bag on that one, but you get the point.  I had my highest readership when the Pineda/Montero trade happened… it was the biggest story of the off season for the New York Yankees and now… it’s the biggest story again for different reasons. 

Is Michael Pineda a lemon? No, but he got a really bad break. You can blast Brian Cashman for not having a crystal ball, but that’s the only thing you can blame him for, because if you really look over what Cashman had done all these years, there were some pretty darn good trades as well as bad, not to mention brilliant free agent signings…after all, didn’t we win just recently…in 2009?  Cashman did his job and it's not an easy job to do especially with a fan base like the New York Yankees. I’m just saying no one’s to blame and the best thing that can happen right now, at this very moment is this: We say a prayer for Michael Pineda, we hope Jesus Montero has a lousy season and the Yankees go out and win... Win for the Yankees fans, win for Michael Pineda and let us all forget about the Pineda injury for now.  No sense bitching and moaning, we have work to do….we need to win, win without Pineda, win a championship in our Quest for 28… it’s our time...and we'll be fine.

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WHY SWISHER'S FUTURE IN PINSTRIPES LOOKS DIM

We all know it’s coming… and no one wants to talk about the reality of it…except Joel Sherman of the New York Post, and guess what, he’s entitled. Read HERE.
 

The Yankees have pretty big decisions coming up this off season, and yes, I hate to rush this season along, but there are really important things to think about.  One of course is Robinson Cano, the other is Curtis Granderson.  Joel Sherman writes: "...the Yankees are serious about getting under the $189 million luxury tax threshold in 2014, which means they are not re-signing Nick Swisher after this season."

So, where does that leave Nick Swisher, the most fun loving New York Yankee in recent memory? Probably not returning to the Bronx. That’s the harsh reality.  Look, it works like this, Nick Swisher has a huge opportunity to have his best season ever as a New York Yankee…I believe he will, I said it here on Bleeding Yankee Blue plenty of times.  Swish has gotten off to a decent start and the reality is, he has an opportunity to get a real nice contract and pay day from any team in Major League Baseball if this season is extra special.  He can play a decent right field, has a great arm and can even play first base if needed.  Plus if the Yankees were to try to keep Curtis Granderson, which would be a smart thing to do as well as signing Robinson Cano, which should be their top priority, to a long term deal, where does that leave Nick Swisher?

And factor this in... could Eduardo Nunez play the outfield and if the Yankees can train this kid to become an every day right fielder at a cheaper price, than why would we need Nick? I'm not rooting against Swish, I'm just suggesting that there are cheaper options for the Yanks. No, it doesn't need to be Nunez, it would be a cheap free agent, all I'm saying is, if Sherman is serious, we have to consider it. By the way, read BYB's piece on Nunez titled WHY NOT MAKE NUNEZ AN OUTFIELDER?

Now sure, it’s always possible that Nick Swisher comes back to the New York Yankees next year, but let’s be honest, that’s not fair to Nick Swisher.  What I mean is, say he does have a monster year in pinstripes, are you really going to insult him with a low ball contract to continue to play right field for the Mighty Yankees? No. It’s wrong to do and if the Yankees want to stick to that $189 million figure, Nick Swisher is not in the Yankees plans.  Don’t get all pissed at me… that’s business and good for Nick Swisher if he can go somewhere for whatever long term deal he can get. He can thank Curt Flood for that because he’s the one that made these free agency moves possible in baseball. (Read HERE.)  Nick has the right and can and should move on if the opportunity is big enough.

For now though, we have a ton of Yankee baseball to play, and let’s be honest, I love watching Swisher this season.  There was nothing better than seeing the Yankees rout the Red Sox this past weekend and Swisher pounding his chest like King Kong in Fenway Park.

There’s nothing better…and the more I think about it, the more I feel like it was expected…even Red Sox fans understood that passion. They didn't like it, but they understood it.  So message to John Kruk…chillax. Swisher had adrenaline pumping through his veins that day, that’s why Yankee fans love him.  You should try that with your gig at ESPN, maybe you’d be better at your job... just a thought.

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WHY THE YANKEES LOST A LOT TODAY

The Yankees lost both Michael Pineda and their game to the Texas Rangers tonight 7-3.  Double whammy and there's nothing we can do about it, except move on.

 Let's talk about the game first... Hughes started out great, but Hughes fell apart again and let's call it what it is... a disappointment.  I've been barking about the Golden Boy and Freddy Garcia all season, each and every start is a disaster.  Let's call Phil Hughes what he is and what he should be, a reliever. I've written about it for a while now and while the Yankees want the magic of 2010 all over again with an 18 win season, let's face it, he won't get there again, if he could, he would be already.  Listening to Girardi tonight, it's clear, the Yankees still believe this kid can be the guy they called the next Roger Clemens back in 2006. Well, it's not 2006 anymore and a lot of years and a lot of injuries and problems later, I think maybe we start the transition.  Maybe the pen is the right spot.  Read WHY THE PEN IS WHERE HUGHES BELONGS. I wrote that last season and I'm sticking by it.  It's time and the Yankees need to make it happen once Andy Pettitte comes back. Look, it's my opinion on this mess, things can change, but for now, this is where my heads at.

Speaking of Andy, he pitched tonight in Trenton for the Thunder, going 5 innings, allowing 7 hits and 4 runs.  Baby steps for Andy and I'm looking forward to him coming back soon.

But back to the game tonight, Hughes went 2.2 IP, he allowed 5 hits and 4 runs and struck out 2.  His ERA is up to 7.88. That stinks Ladies and Gentlemen. I don't care that he retired 6 out of 7 batters he faced to start the game off tonight, if you fall apart like Hughes is falling apart, something is a miss and Larry Rothschild has some work to do. Will he leave the rotation right now? No, but they need to fix this kid or move him.

David Phelps allowed 3 runs tonight in 2.1 IPs. He also gave up 5 hits and sadly, he did better than Hughes...slightly.  I know, I shouldn't be comparing, I'm just making a point. I've heard cries to give Phelps a shot as a starter... I'm on board with that. Phelps has pleased me this season, the kid's alright with me.

Derek Jeter had 2 more hits tonight and his average is up to.420.  Usually right around the end of April, your average starts to go down as a ballplayer...Jeet's is going up. Unheard of, but I absolutely love it. Raul Ibanez had 2 hits and 2 RBI's tonight, he had a double and a home run. I mean offensively, that's really it for the Yankees tonight.

Final Score: Rangers 7 - Yankees 3.

Also, in case you live under a rock, news out of Yankeeland suggests Michael Pineda will now be out for the entire season and a portion of 2013 as well.  He has a torn labrum and it will require surgery, surgery that will take place Tuesday. Read about it HERE. It's a damn shame and BYB will have a full analysis and opinion on this mess early tomoorrow so keep checking back. I really just want to get my hands on enough info before formulating an opinion on the Pineda situation. 

Go Yankees... off day tomorrow and Friday they play the Tigers...looking forward to getting back on track and start winning.

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BREAKING: PINEDA HAS SHOULDER TEAR; SURGERY NEEDED

Yankees right hander Michael Pineda has been diagnosed with an anterior labral tear of his right shoulder and is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday.

Pineda will have a labral repair procedure performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Dr. David Altchek will perform the procedure, assisted by Yankees team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said the timetable for Pineda's recovery is 12 months, meaning the right-hander will not return to the field until next season at the earliest.

BYB will have further analysis on this later today and tomorrow morning.

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer
Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com
Twitter: @MikeyBlu23


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YANKEES AWAIT RESULTS, 2ND OPINION ON PINEDA'S SHOULDER

The Yankees are waiting for a second opinion on right-hander Michael Pineda, who had a dye contrast MRI exam performed on his ailing right shoulder on Tuesday in New York. Pineda was examined by the Yankees team physician but Joe Girardi said that Pineda's agent has requested that the Mets team physician also provide an opinion.

"When they found out he was going to New York, his agent requested that whatever happens, [they] want a second opinion," Girardi said. "Whatever that means, we should know more as time goes on."

Pineda has been on the disabled list, retroactive to March 31, with what the team termed right rotator cuff tendinitis. He cut short an extended spring outing on Saturday after just 15 pitches due to discomfort in his pitching shoulder. Girardi said that the latest setback figures to knock Pineda out of action for at least another 3 1/2 weeks, regardless of what Altchek's diagnosis shows. There is a very real possibility that Pineda could be out longer, which Girardi called "disappointing."

"It's not what you want," Girardi said. "We thought we were going to get a power pitcher that pitched very well and we believed had a very huge upside. Right now, we don't have him, and right now, I can't tell you when we're going to get him back."

BYB is following this very closely and as soon as news regarding Pineda's second opinion becomes available we will give it to you.

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer
Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com
Twitter: @MikeyBlu23


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JEET DITCHES "JETER SPEAK" & GOOD FOR HIM

On Monday night, I posted a video clip of Derek Jeter chatting it up with Tim Kurkjian of ESPN after the Yankees victory over the Rangers 7-4. I’ll post it again below.  In that game, like almost every night this season, Jeet had multiple hits.  So Tim did what most interviewers would do, he asked DJ about his hot hitting but what caught my ear was nothing about that, but instead how Derek Jeter answered another question.  Tim told Jeet that Girardi said Jeter’s hot hitting had everything to do with him finally getting over the 3000^th hit milestone.  Jeter, for the first time that I can remember went off script and actually gave us something…he was annoyed… and good for our Captain.
Derek Jeter has been a model athlete, one of the greatest in modern memory that has ever worn the pinstripes.  He’s a positive role model, clean cut and follows the company line better than anyone. He won’t give you much in an interview because he never wants to show his hand. Monday night though, he had enough.  The fact of the matter is Joe Girardi has been bitching about the 3000 hit mark and Derek Jeter and the stress of it for a year now.  Guess what Joe, we all knew there was stress, but that’s a minor point.  We here at Bleeding Yankee Blue especially know about the stress because we were always the ones taking the stance that Jeter needed to do it "one day at a time" and we’d always back our Captain, because, while we write about the New York Yankees, we are fans first on BYB.  I guess that’s the luxury we have here, we don’t have to sell papers… you come to read us for raw emotion of Yankee baseball. So, thank God for that… but let me get back on track. Derek Jeter has heard it from the press, from the fans and the last thing he needs to do is hear it from his manager.  It’s my view that Monday night Derek Jeter was annoyed and tired when he heard what Kurkjian said Girardi stated…and I don’t mean he was  “game’s over” tired, I mean he was “Abe Vigoda” tired.

He was beat Monday night. He’s been busting ass every single day since the beginning of the season, he’s been getting his average up to above .410 and he’s leading this team like a captain should. Monday night he wasn’t himself… he was Abe Vigoda…maybe he needed a Snickers... tired, cranky and that Girardi statement just annoyed him too…maybe even triggering his response.
Put it this way, every game now at age 37 takes a toll, but now he’s hitting consistently, mainly because he knew he needed to analyze his mechanics and did so. Now after a lot of hard work, he’s seeing results and he’s hot as hell.  Joe Girardi didn’t help him with that, DJ did that with the help of Kevin Long and now that he’s back on track, it seems alittle “too simple” to hear a sports analyst make it seem like it was “just stress” that allowed Jeter NOT to hit.  Jeter worked hard, he wanted Yankeeland to know that Monday night. So he went off script instead of reading the Yankee playbook and sent Girardi a message… “This Captain works to get results, not waits for results.”

I loved what I saw from Derek Jeter Monday and when I heard what he said, I’m not going to lie, I was taken back just because it’s not “Jeter Speak.”  I’m glad he said it and guess what, now that he said it, trust me, it’s over.  There was never a rift between Jeter and Joe, but there was a moment, a moment to let his manager know that if he speaks out of turn, he’s getting called out…that’s it…now we move on.

We all love Derek Jeter. Monday night, when he defending his hard work and dedication, we will no doubt learn to love this guy more. That being said, it almost seemed like DJ thought Joe DID doubt him and DJ had enough.  Good for him…

Now, let’s get back to hitting, shall we?

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