Opening Day Warfare and Spring Recap

Everyone wants to be a part of it. Regardless of what team you cheer for, opening night in baseball is one of a kind. It is a day that recognizes America’s past time. The amount of viewers on opening night this season should be ready for a barn-burner. One of the most anticipated openers this season will be when the Boston Red Sox host the New York Yankees on Sunday April 4th at Fenway. From what it looks like, the Yankee’s will throw starting pitcher CC Sabathia in hopes to pick up right where the ACE left off last season. This spring has been nothing short of a success from Sabathia. He is peaking right at the end of spring training into the start of the 2010 season.

After reading over the New York Yankee website that I have been following, Yankees manager Joe Girardi, has spoke highly over Sabathia’s past two starts and mentioned briefly that he plans for Sabathia to take the mound on opening night. In the brief article, Girardi made gestures that sum up the ACE and his spring performances:

"I really liked what CC did today," Girardi said. "His last two starts, he's been extremely efficient, and he had command all day today -- an outstanding changeup, very good breaking ball, the location was great. It's pretty much what CC is."

As you can reference for yourself on the Yankee website, the article begins with the homerun heroics once again of Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez. But Rodriguez’s moment of glory was shattered by Sabathia’s routing of the Detroit Tigers. Sabathia pitched 5 1/3 innings of two-run, eight-strikeout ball in a 6-2 victory over the Tigers.

As the spring is almost near its end, Phil Hughes name is still mentioned as a possible candidate for the 5th spot in this seasons starting rotation. Today looked to be a great opportunity to prove himself in a starting role against the Tigers. However, the weather became an issue as today’s matchup was cancelled due to rain. He was listed to follow starting pitcher A.J. Burnett. Hughes would have pitched against a quality Detroit lineup. The Tigers listed they had planned to play almost all their projected season starters in today’s game. Here is a look at what would have been the starting lineup for both teams:

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Johnson 1B
Jorge Posada C
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Curtis Granderson CF
Randy Winn LF
Francisco Cervelli DH

RHP A.J. Burnett

TIGERS
Brandon Inge 3B
Johnny Damon LF
Magglio Ordonez RF
Miguel Cabrera 1B
Carlos Guillen DH
Don Kelly CF
Gerald Laird C
Scott Sizemore 2B
Adam Everett SS

RHP Justin Verlander

Reaching back to Opening Day and what it means to the Yankees would be nothing short of 2 out of 3 minimum wins against the Red Sox. Starting the season off on the wrong foot could tarnish a positive spring. In the Yankees situation, not having such a great spring season would mean getting back on track with a couple wins in Boston. Given the past few years, it has been more difficult than ever to defeat the Red Sox at Fenway. Let’s face it, the team finally found a way to win when it matters. The team has tasted World Series victory twice in the past 10 years, something they hadn’t done since the departure of Babe Ruth from their organization back in 1918. Plus, from a fan’s perspective, anytime your team defeats their divisions rival it is always bittersweet.

After doing some research on the New York Yankee and Boston Red sox rivalry, I learned information from the earlier days in baseball. Here was a timeline that I pulled from a great online source in the USA Today.

History still on Yankees' side in Red Sox rivalry

From staff reports
The Boston Red Sox (as the Boston Americans) first played the New York Yankees (then the Baltimore Orioles) on April 26, 1901. (Baltimore won 10-6.) It has been a rivalry ever since and history favors the Yankees:

April 20, 1912
Fenway Park opens with the Red Sox beating the New York Highlanders (Yankees) 7-6.

Sept. 11, 1918
Boston beats the Chicago Cubs, four games to two, and wins the last of its five World Series titles.

Jan. 3, 1920
Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sells George Herman "Babe" Ruth's contract to Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert for $125,000 and a $350,000 loan. Ruth becomes the greatest player in history and the Red Sox don't break .500 for a decade.

April 18, 1923
New York wins its inaugural game in Yankee Stadium by beating Boston 4-1. It becomes "The House that Ruth Built."

Oct. 15, 1923
The Yankees beat the New York Giants four games to two and win the first of their 26 World Series titles.

Oct. 8, 1927
The Yankees sweep the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Series four games to none, capping a banner year. Ruth hits 60 home runs. The Red Sox lose 103 games.

The 1940s
The two purest hitters in baseball, Joe DiMaggio (New York) and Ted Williams (Boston), dominate play.

Oct. 2, 1949
The Red Sox and the Yankees battle for the pennant in the last two games of the season. New York wins both games (5-4, 5-3) and goes on to beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series four games to one.

Oct. 2, 1978
The Yankees and Red Sox, tied for first at the end of the regular season, meet in a one-game playoff. Bucky Dent helps end Boston's postseason hopes with a three-run home run. New York wins 5-4.

Oct. 13, 1999
New York and Boston meet for the first time in postseason play. New York prevails four games to one.

Oct. 8, 2003
New York and Boston meet in postseason play for the second time. New York wins 6-5 in Game 7.

Feb. 16, 2004
The New York Yankees trade for Alex Rodriguez. Boston was trying reach a deal for A-Rod two months earlier.

Jumping ship
Among the players who have swapped uniforms over the years: Former Boston third baseman Wade Boggs (1993) and pitcher Roger Clemens (1999) donned New York pinstripes. Former Yankees outfielder Danny Cater (1972) and pitcher Ramiro Mendoza (2003) joined the Red Sox.

There's No "I" In Team

The smell of baseball brings the smell of spring. We’re already more than 10 games into this 2010 spring season and are seeing quite a bit of action daily. Spring is the time for the new guys to state their claim and, well, of course the veterans to solidify their spot for another long season. The key to a successful spring, from a manager’s perspective, is simply to find the right gel amongst his team that will provide for a winning season. During spring training the team is always split up into what is called a “split-squad” for every game. Sounds simple right? However, this is designed to see which players gel the best alongside each other. Spring is always exciting to follow because of the battles that take place for an open starting position whether it is a pitching spot in the starting rotation or a field player. As for the Yankees, the two battles taking place is the spot for a left and center field position as well as a 5th spot in the starting rotation.

After reading over recent blog posts on the LoHud and reviewing spring statistics, I found that neither Joba Chamberlain nor Phil Hughes have been stepping up to take on that 5th starter role. However, it is still early in the spring season and it is just simply THE spring season. But isn’t this the time where you’re supposed to prove yourself? Joba seems to almost be written off as a leading candidate instead of stating his claim. After reading more in depth, Phil Hughes name was like trying to find a needle in a hay stack. Other pitchers are stepping up such as Alfredo Aceves and Sergio Mitre. As mentioned in my previous blog Mitre was continuously dominating his opponents faced. Aceves has also shown great dominance on the mound as he has only allowed 1 earned run in 10 innings pitched this spring. Last season Aceves proved himself as a go-to-guy out of the bullpen. He was also a solid guy in relief as he set up the great Mariano Rivera several times for the victory.
Alfredo Aceves

On March 13, the Yankee’s had a split squad game against the Detroit Tigers and against division rival the Baltimore Orioles. It was another great day for Aceves against the O’s; however, Mitre struggled for one of the first times this spring in Lakeland against the Tigers. He surrendered a solo home run to former Yankee Johnny Damon in the 5th inning. Out of all players to give a home run up to Mitre surrendered it to Damon? That’s a home run Yankee fans will remember even if it is spring season. Looking on the bright side of the spectrum, Mitre has more opportunities to bounce back before the start of the season.

As the spring season progresses, were are finding out that there is never an “I” in team. It is awesome to see several players, even some of the non-big name players, hit for average and contribute to the Yankee wins this spring. For example; Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano, and Juan Miranda all had consecutive hits in the first inning against the Orioles compiling a 3-0 score from the very beginning. There was no looking back from there either as the Yankees took the matchup in a 5-3 win. It was also another great day for the newer Yankee offseason additions as well as the guys trying to make a name for themselves. As the LoHud had mentioned on more than one occasion, Ramiro Pena can play shortstop and play it extremely well. The guy has an amazing arm, great defense and superb range from the shortstop position. He made two highlight-reel plays from short against the Orioles today that made it clear he will be waiting in the wings for the day Jeter decides he cannot provide solid play no longer at shortstop.

As for the outfield, both Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner proved that speed makes routine fly balls look easy. Granderson showed off his exceptional speed when he made a catch on the run into foul territory against the O’s. The Yankee manager, Joe Girardi, stated that he plans to juggle the two outfielders between the left and center field positions to see which is the best fit for the two fielders. The game against the Orioles marked the first game this spring in which Granderson played left field. Regardless of where Girardi places either one, having both in the outfield at the same time is almost like putting 3 average speed players out there. Their speed combined will make it one of the quicker outfields in the entire league. However, Gardener’s bat still remains quiet, as it did last season. This was a main reason for him strictly coming in as a pinch runner or hitter in a situation where the Yankee’s needed a bunt laid down to advance a runner into scoring position. The Yankee’s have a tremendous hitting coach and I am truly convinced that he will turn Gardener into a solid all around player for the team this season.

Spring Ahead and Already Falling Behind

Spring training is where it all starts. It is the beginning to a long and grueling 162 regular season games without the playoffs taken into consideration. The way a team enters its spring training is very key. You have the teams that are pissed off from the way their previous season ended, to the teams that are just simply going through the motions. Major League Baseball has the highest pay scale in all of sports. So in other words, it is sad to see a team with a lack of a few key players take their upcoming season lightly. You would think, like any other job, every member of a MLB team is ready to give it everything they have.

In the Yankees situation, you’re coming off of a monumental season in which you won the World Series. Believe it or not, a championship team has the hardest upcoming season of all teams. I say this without reasonable doubt due to the simple fact that every team is out to prove that they can beat the best to become the best. For example, when the Yankees play at Tropicana Field this season to face the Rays, the attention towards the Yankees should provide the Ray’s organization with a decent income. Everyone wants to see the Champs. Therefore, even people who are not fans of either team might buy tickets just to see the World Series Champs in action.

The Yankees goal this spring training is to solely eliminate all potential pitchers who show weakness. Also, the team’s main focus this spring is to have a solid pitcher they can name to the rotation before the start of the season. Regardless of a World Series title, every ball club has off season goals they want to fulfill prior to the beginning of the year. From a fan and writer’s perspective, I would love to say that the only issue prior to the upcoming season would be the open question to whom the 5th starting pitcher is going to be. The Yankees are struggling with putting the bat on the ball this spring; a task they made look so easy last season. Also, an 11-0 loss doesn’t speak to highly for the pitchers they are testing out. I say this because every team in spring training plays a few starters at the beginning of every game. The remainder of the team is all the minor league players seeking their opportunity to make the 2010 roster. This means that the Yankees are considering multiple pitchers for the 5th spot in the rotation who are proving they can give up multiple runs. Their record is a scary 1-4 and need to turn things around Monday when they face the Phillies. The matchup against Philadelphia will be no walk in the park. The Phillies already gained an inch of revenge back from last year’s World Series loss by defeating the Yankees 3-2 this past Thursday in the 2nd game of the spring training season.

On a more positive note, it was actually nice to see an eager Sergio Mitre step up to the plate and throw some solid innings. When taking a further look at Sergio Mitre’s numbers from last year, they are not too impressive with a 6.79 ERA in 2009. He finished the year with a 3-3 record in 12 game appearances. However, the real story is how well he has performed this spring so far. It is funny to see how previous years can easily be forgotten through hard work that shows on the field due to off season determination to become a better player. The guy is pitching as if he is already a starting pitcher. He is proving to everyone that he might not be called the “backup” for much longer. The following two rosters explain the lineup for both squads prior to the Twins 11-0 dismantling defeat over the Yankees:



YANKEES
Gardner CF
Swisher DH
Teixeira 1B
Cano 2B
Thames LF
Hoffmann RF
Rivera C
Pena SS
Laird 3B

Pitching: RHP Sergio Mitre (3-3, 6.79 ERA in 2009)

TWINS
Revere CF
Punto 3B
Mauer C
Cuddyer RF
Kubel DH
Peterson 1B
Jones LF
Tolbert SS
Casilla 2B

Pitching: RHP Scott Baker (15-9, 4.36 ERA in 2009)

It is exciting to see those big name roster players mentioned within any line up. If I had to pick the most exciting Yankee to watch, besides Derek Jeter, I would have to say Nick Swisher. The guy brings so much excitement and laughter into the clubhouse. He is the only Yankee I know to test the “clean-cut” role the Yankees enforce and grow out a Mohawk.

Overall, if the Yankees plan to have another successful season they must first get their pitching in order. But why am I even freaking out? It is only the 5th game into the start of spring training and we have yet to even start the regular season. The regular season is what it all boils down to but spring training can also keep you on the edge of your seat as well. I say this because spring training is really a trial and error on the coach’s behalf. It is up to the head coach who he cuts and wants to keep on the full season squad. This always keeps the fans on high alert until the season begins, especially the expectancy performances from last season’s everyday starters.