Dad's Timeout
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Showing posts tagged yankees
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Rafael Soriano Signing is Latest Boras/Nationals Mega Deal
I wrote about the Nationals signing Rafael Soriano, the payroll implications, and the team’s strange love affair with known scoundrel Scott Boras for Gunaxin.com.
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Put a Stake Through the Yankees Heart
2013 could be the year when New York falls apart, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
ESPN’s Buster Olney wrote The Last Night of the Yankees Dynasty back in 2004. The book focused on New York’s dominant run from 1996-2000 when the franchise captured four World Series titles in five seasons. Olney’s title was a bit premature. Sure, the Yankees didn’t win another title until the 2009 season, but the team has made the playoffs in 17 of the last 18 seasons. That dynastic run may finally come to an end this season.
Since the start of Spring Training New York has lost CF Curtis Granderson and 1B Mark Teixeira to injury; both stars could be out until early June. Alex Rodriguez might miss the entire season as he recovers from another injury to his troublesome hip. Derek Jeter is coming back from a broken ankle suffered in last year’s playoffs, a tough task for anyone much less a 39-year-old playing shortstop. Age has even caught up to New York’s GM Brian Cashman, who suffered a broken leg jumping out of an airplane for charity earlier this week.
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Root, Root, Root for the …Yankees?
At least on the tee-ball field.
I’m officially a baseball coach. Tee-ball to be exact.
I helped out with my son’s tee-ball squad last year on an unofficial basis. I wasn’t involved in practices and generally tried to keep the bench from degenerating into a scene from Porky’s during games. It was fun to see my little guy having fun and making friends with his teammates, but mostly I was glad I wasn’t the coach.
When January rolled around my son and I headed up to the local township building to register for another season of. On our way into the building we had this exchange:
Dad: Are you excited for tee-ball?
Greyson: I’m excited that you’ll be on the field with me.
Dad: What do you mean?
Greyson: You’re gonna be my coach.
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AL East Bias - 4/29/13 Edition
In my bi-weekly column for IhateJJRedick.com I wrote about the AL East and its preponderance of punch and judy shortstops. Also, Francisco Cervelli broke his hand over the weekend thus fulfilling my prediction for a decline in his performance.
The American League East is suddenly over run with weak hitting, punchless shortstops. Injuries to Jose Reyes and Derek Jeter, Boston’s ongoing shortstop quagmire, and declines from JJ Hardy and Yunel Escobar have left the AL East with a growing collection of unproductive shortstops. Jeter isn’t expected to return to the Yankees lineup for another couple of months. His absence has left Joe Girardi with the daily task of choosing between Eduardo Nunez (.467 OPS) and Jayson Nix(.612 OPS). Their names might as well be Punch and Judy. Jose Reyes’ severe ankle sprain has left the underwhelming Blue Jays with Maicer Izturis and Munenori Kawasaki and his career .505 OPS at short. JJ Hardy has been in a slump that’s now spanned two seasons for the Orioles. Hardy has been responsible for more cans of corn than Del Monte so far this spring. The Rays signed Jays’ castoff Yunel Escobar to bolster their production at shortstop but Escobar has rewarded Tampa’s $5 million investment with four runs scored and a .174 batting average in 2013. The Red Sox recently demoted Jose Iglesias to make room for free agent acquisition Stephen Drew. In 42 at bats for theBoSox Drew has just five hits and 15 strikeouts.
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Baseball’s Black Holes
Orioles, Yanks, Cubs & Tigers looking for answers.
Baltimore Orioles fans are all too familiar with the team’s struggles to find a reliable option at second base. Since Brian Roberts’ injury woes struck in 2010 the Orioles have trotted out the likes of Steve Tolleson, Ryan Adams, Julio Lugo, Omar Quintanilla, Ryan Flaherty and Robert Andino to second base. Roberts posted a solid spring, and decent first series in Tampa, before succumbing to another injury, his hamstring this time. Ryan Flaherty and Alexi Casilla (aka: New Robert Andino) have done their best to fill in. Their best has generally been awful. Flaherty has just seven hits in 52 at bats this season. He and Casilla have combined to strike out 24 times, while drawing just five walks, in 84 at bats. The best way to describe the Orioles second base output would be non-existent. Jonathan Schoop, a well-regarded Orioles’ prospect, has been splitting time between second base and shortstop at Triple-A this season but his .218 batting average suggests he may not be ready for big league action this summer. If Roberts fails again in his latest comeback the Orioles could be forced to seek an option from outside the organization.
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Orioles Weather Rough Early Season Schedule
The Baltimore Orioles’ success in 2012 was labeled as lucky, a fluke, or unsustainable by most media outlets. The O’s are off to a great start to the 2013 season despite a grueling April schedule and a revolving door at the back end of the rotation. It’s time to recognize that Buck Showalter’s club may just be pretty damned good.
The Orioles didn’t look so lucky when the 2013 schedule was released. Baltimore started the season with nine of its first 12 games on the road, including trips to division rivals Boston, Tampa Bay, and New York. After a 10-game homestand the Birds hit the road again for an 11-game/11-day trip to Oakland, Seattle, and Anaheim. Baltimore went 7-4 on the extended West Coast swing thanks in large part to the daily heroics of Manny Machado. The Orioles are at 20-13 after defeating the Kansas City Royals last night in just their third homestand of the season. Baltimore has played a league-high 20 road games and have gone 12-8 in those contests. Showalter’s club is just 8-5 at home but will look to improve upon that record with 12 of their next 15 games to be played at Camden Yards.
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AL East Bias
A hot week from the Orioles and Yankees, coupled with a three game losing streak by the Red Sox, has resulted in a three way tie atop the American League East. New York is percentage points ahead of Baltimore so we’ll start our trip around the division with the Yankees.
New York Yankees
The Yankees continue to defy the odds, and logic, as they currently have the second best record in the American League despite employing Vernon Wells in the cleanup spot. Wells was acquired from the Angels in Spring Training in an act of sheer desperation. He’s responded by hitting .294 with seven home runs and providing lineup protection for Robinson Cano.
The Yankees benefited from an early season schedule heavy on home games. New York is 12-7 at Yankee Stadium but just 8-6 on the road. The Yankees took two of three from the Rockies in Colorado this week. New York will next travel to Kansas City and Cleveland. Ivan Nova was originally scheduled to return from the disabled list to start next Monday but he walked four in four innings in his latest rehab start and doesn’t appear ready to return. Nova has a 6.48 ERA and 1.86 WHIP in four starts for the Yankees.
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