Pitcher's Duel

Another season adding up to 100 wins. This is a statement running through the mind of all Yankee fans. Will it happen? Will the pitching rotation stay healthy enough into the month of October to bring yet another World Series title to New York? Logistically speaking, the Yankees have moved a few pitchers in and out of the line up to set up another potential run for glory. For example, the big news in Tampa right now is the recent edition of relief pitcher, Chan Ho Park. We acquired Park from the Phillies last season. Brian Cashman, head of operations for the Yankees, has stated that Park hasn’t filled shoes quite yet but he expects a high level of performance from the bullpen this season. The Yankees have also posted the expected pitchers for the first 11 spring training games:

[The first name listed is that day’s starter. The other names will pitch in relief.]

March 3 vs. Pittsburgh
Chad Gaudin, Sergio Mitre, Alfredo Aceves

March 4 at Philadelphia
CC Sabathia

March 5 vs. Tampa Bay
Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain

March 6 vs. Toronto
A.J. Burnett

March 7 at Minnesota
Sergio Mitre, Chad Gaudin

March 8 vs. Philadelphia (ss)
Javier Vazquez

March 8 at Pittsburgh (ss)
Alfredo Aceves

March 9 vs. Pittsburgh
CC Sabathia

March 10 at Detroit
Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes

March 11 vs. Atlanta
A.J. Burnett

March 12 at Washington
Andy Pettitte

March 13 vs. Baltimore (ss)
Javier Vazquez

March 13 at Detroit (ss)
undecided

The third game of spring training against Tampa should be interesting. Both Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes will pitch in the same game. Hughes is listed first; therefore, he should get the ball first with Chamberlain coming in relief. However, it is interesting because these two are battling for the 5th spot in the starting rotation this season. This isn’t the last time Giarardi is placing them together. It will come down to who has worked the hardest throughout the offseason to state their claim for a starting role.



Speaking of stating a claim, I predict the Yankees should be on tract to win another 100 + games this season if not repeat as World Series champs. This could be the start of another Yankee dynasty in which they win consecutive titles throughout a span of the next couple years.

It is evident that the Yankees are attempting to do so with the recent off season transactions they have made. They have replaced all that have departed with, in my opinion, better players that will step up to back another great season. The Yankees made a lot of pitching moves but have also added depth to their outfield with the recent signing of Detroit free agent, Curtis Granderson. Let’s face it, Damon was clutch but he was also getting old and needy. No one wants to resign a player who probably has a couple years left to a major contract. After all, it seems Damon was more about the money rather than playing for a team willing to resign him. He is lucky he had that offer. Damon’s an asshole, period.

Granderson is a dependable every day starter with plus speed and a quick bat. He was a great pick up for an outfield that gave the wave to several average outfielders during the offseason. The names range from: Melky Cabrera, Xavier Nady, Johnny Damon, and backup outfielder Hideki Matsui. (Not cutting Matsui short with a reference to a back up but he was strictly named the designated hitter throughout the 2009 season). The Yankees seem to be starting a trend by going with young talent in the outfield and speed. Even though Nick Swisher is neither of the two, he earned a starting job last season when he stepped up in several clutch situations. When we lost Xavier Nady for the season due to injuries, Swisher’s bat kept him in the lineup throughout the remainder of the Championship run. Another trend set is consistency within the outfield. Granderson will most likely, given how he does this spring training, takeover the starting centerfield position. Ever since his rookie season, the guy has put up promising numbers that would keep him in the starting lineup on any ball club. Despite his .249 batting average, Granderson hit for power last season. He hit 30 home runs and had an on base percentage of .327. He also was a member of the 2009 American League All-Star team. Quite frankly, if we are saying goodbye to demanding Damon and welcoming an All-Star, we didn’t make out half bad after all.

The ACE That Beats Any Hand

Want to know the ace? Over the past week there were several blogs written about the report of pitchers and catchers to spring training. The Yankees have 3 set in stone returning starters from last season. With the recent addition of dominant pitcher, Javier Vasquez, the Yankees look to add more fire power and depth to an already successful rotation. More towards the beginning of spring training talks, Vasquez was rumored for his “lack of interest” in playing much longer. It was said that he wasn’t planning to be that guy who pitches until 40 years of age and plans to do other things with his future after baseball. Coming to a conclusion of rumors, mainly family related, Vasquez has a revamped attitude and is totally stoked about being the 4th starter in the Yankee rotation. Vasquez has even requested to throw early bullpens to prepare his mental and physical drive into the upcoming season.

On another note, Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes are still the main candidates for the possible 5th starter in this season’s Yankee rotation. Personally I liked Joba up until the mid to latter parts of last season. His control became an issue and his consistency was unpredictable. He was either blowing it by hitters or blowing the game away. It will be interesting to see what he can produce this spring training. However, as for Phil Hughes, he was a guy we considered releasing a couple seasons ago in a trade deal. But the Yankees held on to Hughes and it has paid off. He was a key contributor once relief pitcher Brian Bruney was troubled with injuries last season. Hughes spent time throughout last season making a name for himself again. He was consistent in the later innings which helped the Yankees close out must win games. Therefore, these wins helped contribute towards keeping the Red Sox in second and helping us clinch the division in first place. Our bullpen is probably one of the weaker parts to our team. It has been inconsistent with injuries and pitchers who bounce in and out of the lineup.

As mentioned in the opening line, “Want to know the ace?” CC Sabathia is hands down THE ACE of the Yankees rotation. I do not have to follow a blog to know the answer to this question. However, Chad Jennings, fellow blogger of the LoHud Yankee blog I follow, spoke on Sabathia's behalf that he is yet ready to pitch another long and full season. Jennings wrote:

Counting the playoffs, Sabathia pitched more than 240 innings for a third straight season, but he said it’s too early in his career to think about cutting back to save his arm. Sabathia doesn’t mind pitching on short rest and wouldn’t mind pitching into November again. Jennings said.

“I’ll do it every year,” he said. “I’ve got no problem with that.” Sabathia said.

As for how his ace manages such a workload every season, Joe Girardi compared Sabathia to Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. Jennings said.

Jennings is simply pointing out that Sabathia stands out amongst the Yankee rotation with his ability to pitch a full season with consistency. If you look at Sabathia’s past, he is good on short rest and still supplies win after win without a sore arm. The guy has a rubber arm I think. Jennings also pointed out within his blog in the opening paragraph how Sabathia only waited 3 weeks to begin throwing after the World Series. This is a sign of a true ace. He is also a player that has a passion and love for the game, his team, and appreciates his salary. In order to appreciate Jennings argument of Sabathia being the Yankee ace, it has helped the fans knowledge with the facts and in depth following of Sabathia’s off season work that Jennings has provided. I say this in agreement with Jennings, Sabathia simply is the ace because he wants to be. It is up for grabs within any rotation on any team. However, whoever has the most determination to put in the extra work is going to be the pitcher that will solidify the “ACE” spot on a pitching staff.

As mentioned previously, Vasquez may throw bullpens early, but were his rumored talks 3 weeks after his previous season more important than his upcoming season? This is the difference between Sabathia and Vasquez my friends. Also, Vasquez is a new addition so he still has to go through his trial and tribulations in the Bronx. Also mentioned in one of my previous blogs, if Vasquez can’t back his efforts for his early work, the Bronx is a jungle that will eat him right out of New York. To even consider becoming the ace, Vasquez would need to earn his pinstripes first. This will come with his first dominant must need win and could come against any team within the division, preferably the Boston Red Sox.

Later this week look for more updated pitching news and Chan Ho Park in New York?

Jeter: The Definition of Shortstop

State of the Yankees: Shortstop. Really? After reading several blogs about my Yankee’s this past week, I strolled across a blog discussing the shortstop position. The question ranged from “Is Jeter’s age a factor? Does Derek have what it takes to produce the numbers he has in recent years?” The answer is hell yes. The Lohud Yankees blog really fired me up over this one. I understand as a writer, to make headlines you must state questionable information from time to time knowing in fact it will bring more appeal to reading the article.

Derek Jeter has been the face of the New York Yankees since his rookie season in 1996. He is a 9-time MLB all-star and takes pride in being named the captain of the squad. When Derek is out of the lineup you can tell. He plays such a crucial role in the Yankee offense. With Jeter missing, they pitch around the bigger hitters such as Teixeira and Rodriguez. Let’s face it, with a gap in any lineup your team seems to falter just a tad. It takes a team to gel and play together to get the best out of a season. Jeter has been known for his substantial optimum health throughout his playing years as well as his consistency at the plate. He may not hit for power but he sure knows how to make contact and that’s what matters most in clutch situations. Jeter also has been known for his strong offensive game and acrobatic play in the field during the month of October. He has never had a year where you question him individually or his play by any means at all. This is why it is hard for me to take in the title of the LoHud blog this week called “State of the Yankees: Shortstop.” Come on, are we serious? For a player like Jeter to never have had a bad year and coming off a monumental season where he led Yankees to their 27th World Series title leaves me with a blank stare at this article.

Chad Jennings, author of the LoHud Yankee blog, laid out his blog with a worse-case and best-case scenario. At the beginning of his article he mentions how Jeter will be turning 36 this season. He then builds into his worst-case scenario on how it makes sense to worry about a lack of production from most 35-year-old shortstops. His following sentence was a weak attempt to cover up the fact that he previously mentioned Jeter potentially having a non-productive season. What kind of Yankee fan is he questioning someone who hasn’t stopped his production since the day he put on the pinstripes. Ok, I could agree with Jennings if Jeter’s previous season was just “average.” Quite frankly, I personally believe an article such as this one, should not have even been posted until the day Jeter’s previous season is labeled as average.

On a more positive note, it was enlightening to see Jennings post a liberal paragraph titled “The future.” He mentioned the upcoming utility infielders who in fact will see more playtime when Jeter does make the switch to DH. I personally believe the playtime for these minor leaguers will be determined on Jeter’s watch. Jeter still has a flashy glove and as mentioned earlier, Jeter has great range/ acrobatics in the infield. When the time comes to pass the torch in the direction of the next prospect, Jeter will coach and mold this chosen one into the player he is. It was mentioned by the Lohud that Ramiro Pena will be the player with the flashy glove and great defense similar to Jeter. But it is Pena’s bat that is at question when it comes to making him solidified as that man. As for now he is in AAA ball and will continue to work hard into that player we will eventually call up. He is also listed on the roster as the backup and could also see time if Jeter or Rodriguez find themselves on the DL this upcoming season.

Overall, let’s just say Jeter does have a season that is labeled as average. It would be the first average season in his entirety throughout his Yankee career. I am led to believe regardless of an off season or not you must consider as an organization what he has done for the team. He lifts them on and off the field with class and strong determination to win. I disagree with Jennings cheap shot of it being a messier offseason after the duration of this year if Jeter doesn’t put up the numbers expected. Jeter started a Yankee and will retire a Yankee. Period.

A Yankee Narrative

It is intriguing to unveil my timeline that brings forth a passion for Yankee baseball. Where do I start? When I first began to follow the Yankees, I was around the age of 6 or 7. These were the years I started playing little league baseball. These were the years every young boy playing baseball wanted to be the next big league superstar. It can be known as a form of personal drive or just another form of a dream. When I was in the 5th grade, the entire class took time to fill out their goal in life that would later be published in the yearbook. My goal was to play shortstop for the New York Yankees even though I was left handed. (Everyone knows lefties only make it in the Major League as a potential pitcher, first baseman, or outfielder). But that known fact never altered my goal. I wanted to be the next Derek Jeter.

When discussing the word narrative, the words that come to mind are fictive or a self-written story. This form of a narrative tells more about me and why I chose the New York Yankees to be my favorite baseball team. My parents grew up in a town close to New York called Wallingford, Connecticut. In Connecticut, if you’re an avid baseball follower, you are a New York Yankee fan or a Boston Red Sox fan. My father’s uncle always took him to double header games in the Bronx as a child. They always purchased tickets on the first base line right above the Yankee dugout. This could account for the roots of Yankee blue and white that runs in our families’ blood. My dad tells me the stories of watching the great Yankee outfielder’s Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. He even got the opportunity to walk on the field after the games for autographs and monument visits. Another interesting activity was letting anyone who wanted the opportunity to run the base paths. Wow, amazing how times have changed. You pretty much hope to have your ticket number called now-a-days just too even grasp that opportunity. Therefore, my father has always been a Yankee since day one and has been passing the torch to me ever since I can remember. It is hard to state a claim being a die hard Yankee and having been born in the Tampa, Florida area. I don’t receive much credit but do catch a vast amount of criticism. You’re just a band wagon, you’re not even from New York, or they only win because they buy championships. The answer is no, yes, and no.

The Yankees are one of the greatest organizations within the sports realm. Let’s face it; the number of World Series the Yankees have won is leading the pack of previous World Series champions in the dust. It helps their winning ways with the simple fact of having a higher payroll than the remainder of the league. However, like I have mentioned in my last blog, a championship is never won unless a team can put the bat on the ball and play defense. If you don’t have the dedication it takes to win consistently throughout 162 regular season games, no team will produce any kind of season worth a playoff run. I defend the Yankees case until the day is old because they are my number one. The team is built around winning ways and it has served their organization as a great tradition. It is said that everyone wants to be a Yankee. For example, "It's great to be young and a Yankee." -Hall of Fame Pitcher Waite Hoyt. This quote by Hoyt serves as an example of why everyone wants to be a Yankee. I found several other Yankee quotations online that are close in resemblance to the one I used. Overall, their successful past plays such an emotional role when it comes time for the playoffs. I expect them to make it every year and if they don’t I am devastated. It is crazy how a team’s outcome can have such a mental effect on their followers.

I have stayed up late until the end of every thriller whether it’s during the regular season or a strong playoff run. I have seen it all from their years of World Series disappointment to their championship run this past season. I was so happy to see the newer Yankees set yet another traditional winning season. Let’s face it; any year the Red Sox don’t win the World Series is a great one. This blog in its entirety was easier to write than others only because of the fact it was directed towards why I love the Yankees. However, next week I look to deliver information on the upcoming 2010 season. Spring training is only a little over 3 weeks away, GET EXCITED!!