Author Archive
Yankees Take Next Step in Destroying Joba »
So it was all for nothing. The innings limits, the pitch limits, the extra days off between starts the Yankees forced Joba Chamberlain to undergo during the second half of 2009—that rendered him impotent come the playoffs—under the guise that they were "protecting his arm" so that he could at long last become a full fledged starter [...]
Phil Hughes’ Uneven Outing Keeps Yankees No. 5 »
Entering Monday, many pundits believed Phil Hughes had all but locked up the fifth starter's role in the Yankees rotation, but by 4 p.m., everything grew a bit hazy again. Coming off a solid three inning, three strikeout, one run performance against the Phillies on Wednesday, Joba Chamberlain, Hughes' main competitor, again pitched well [...]
Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain Struggle in Spring »
If the competition for the Yankees' No. 5 starter's spot is truly a five-man race, frontrunners Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes would currently rank fourth and fifth on the depth chart. After Chad Gaudin, Sergio Mitre and Alfredo Aceves each turned in two scoreless innings of work in Wednesday's spring opener against the Pirates, Hughes and [...]
Yankees-Pirates: Spring Opener Highlighted by Fifth »
One of the few question marks for the Yankees entering the 2010 season is who will fill the fifth starter's role. While the obvious choice would be Joba Chamberlain because of how the organization has babied the right-hander in preparation for what should be his coming-out party this year, manager Joe Girardi has decided to extend the saga by [...]
Johnny Come Lately: Damon Joins Austin Jackson in »
With free-agent outfielder Johnny Damon reportedly signing a one-year, $8 million contract with Detroit, it appears as if two former Yankees will be prowling the Tigers' outfield in 2010. Earlier this offseason, Austin Jackson was traded to Detroit in a three-team deal that also sent pitcher Ian Kennedy to Arizona and outfielder Curtis Granderson [...]
Small Ball, Big Advantage: Brett Gardner To Bunt More »
Brett Gardner had 284 plate appearances last year, and during approximately 284 of them I was screaming at my TV begging him to bunt. Maybe 284 bunts is a bit much for one season, but when you have as much speed as the Yankees' outfielder does, it makes sense to lay one down once in a while to see if you can beat the throw to first. This is why I [...]
Trade of Melky Cabrera Leaves New York Yankees in Need »
They just keep trading away young talent. After sending Austin Jackson and Ian Kennedy to the Tigers and D-backs in a three-team deal that netted the Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson, New York has reportedly once again returned to its old ways, acquiring Javier Vazquez from the Braves in exchange for Melky Cabrera, Mike Dunn and Arodys [...]
The 50 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time »
There is no definitive way to rank the greatest baseball players of all time, but I've created a mathematical formula that I think gets us pretty close. First, I awarded points to the top 50 hitters in 11 offensive categories (runs, hits, doubles, triples, homers, walks, steals, average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage). The leader in [...]
Dealing Austin Jackson for Curtis Granderson: Yankees »
The Yankees are reportedly nearing a three-team deal that would essentially send outfield prospect Austin Jackson to the Tigers in exchange for Curtis Granderson. In the trade, the D-backs would get Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy, while Detroit would also obtain Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth, and Phil Coke. After years of shipping out young talent [...]
Yankees Start Trimming the Fat: Brian Bruney Traded to »
The Yankees, who are reportedly on a quest to reduce payroll this offseason, have traded right-handed reliever Brian Bruney to the Washington Nationals for a player to be named later. Bruney, who made $1.25 million this year, was due for salary arbitration and could've made around $2 million after putting up what appeared to be a good season. The [...]