Archive for May, 2012
New York Yankees: Alex Rodriguez No Longer Capable of »
It's not a secret that the New York Yankees have struggled to score in the clutch—or at all, really—so far this season.Derek Jeter, Raul Ibanez and Curtis Granderson have carried the offensive load thus far, which is unacceptable considering the fact that Jeter and Ibanez were considered complementary pieces at best entering spring [...]
Is Kevin Long on a Short Leash as Yankees Hitting »
Kevin Long is in his sixth season as the New York Yankees hitting coach, but you can't blame him if he is wondering about job security. The Los Angeles Angels recently fired hitting coach Mickey Hatcher, who was made a scapegoat because the mega-million dollar man known as Albert Pujols is off to the worst start of his career. (The Angels front [...]
New York Yankees: Are They the Worst They’ve »
In 1992 the New York Yankees finished with a 76-86 record, 20 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays and tied for fourth place in the AL East. It was Buck Showalter's first year at the helm That year, the Yankees missed the playoffs for the 11th year in a row. Since 1992 they've missed the playoffs just twice. That was 20 years ago. That was then [...]
Thurman Munson’s 10 Seasons vs. Carlton »
Scott Taylor of Bleacherreport suggested that I compare Thurman Munson and Carlton Fisk based on their first 10 full seasons, since Munson had a short career. Taylor opined that Munson never had the chance to experience the fall-off in production that occurs during a player's middle- and late-30s.Here we go. Munson (1970-79) batted .292/.347/.411 [...]
Mark Teixeira Sitting out Third Straight Game on »
Mark Teixeira, who has been suffering from a bronchial infection since early April, will sit on Sunday for the third straight game, reports Paul Casella of MLB.com.Manager Joe Girardi hopes that the weekend of rest will be the cure to the ailment that has been hampering Teixeira all season long.Although not many players would be okay with being [...]
Mickey Mantle’s Recurring Bad Dream That Never »
Two men approached Mickey Mantle at his restaurant. One was a baseball writer that knew Mantle quite well. ''Mickey,'' said the writer, ''I'd like you to meet a friend, Dr. Herschkopf. He's a psychiatrist.'' Mantle looked at the writer, then looked at writer's friend, but he didn't extend his hand. Instead, Mantle extended his head to the [...]
New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox: Teams Just a Few »
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox both find themselves in a dog fight. At 21-19 and 5.5 games behind the upstart Baltimore Orioles in the AL East, the New York struggling to find its groove. At 19-21 the Red Sox are battling several pitching woes to rebound from a slow start to the 2012 season. In this slideshow, we [...]
Why Yankee Stadium Has Lost Its Mystic Lore »
Yankee Stadium at one point was the Roman Colosseum, the Greek Parthenon, the holy grail of baseball—today it is just another ballpark.Yankees fans may hate me for this, but deep down they know that it is true. What was once before, no longer is. The Yankee Stadium of today is literally a completely new and different stadium. [...]
Updated MLB Power Rankings: Atlanta Braves Knock Texas »
The 2012 MLB season is about to hit the quarter mark, and a lot of teams who were considered "playoff contenders" are still struggling to find their footing. A lot of baseball fans are counting out the Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox, Angels and Tigers, but be warned, there's a ton of baseball left to play, and all five of these teams will lean on [...]
Yankees’ Andy Pettitte: A Modest Proposal to »
"Aging" Andy Pettitte wasn't too old to pitch a brilliant eight-inning shutout game Friday night against a formidable Cincinnati Reds team. This gave him his first win in 2012, and it made up for a weakish previous start against the Seattle MarinersHis skills are still what they used to be. That is not unexpected for an older player, even a [...]