Author Archive
Derek Jeter Is Retiring on His Own Terms, but Can He »
Derek Jeter made it official on Wednesday: Yes, he is retiring after 2014. Good luck trying to stop him, because it doesn't sound like the New York Yankees captain is going to pull a Brett Favre. Why exactly is Jeter ready to walk away from baseball? There's still a shred of mystery there. But during a gathering with the media on Wednesday, it [...]
How Does Masahiro Tanaka Fit into Yankee Stadium, »
So, an interesting thing happened on Wednesday. The New York Yankees agreed to pay $175 million for a pitcher who's never thrown a pitch in the majors, and all they're asking him to do is conquer an extremely tough AL East while pitching primarily at Yankee Stadium. It sounds like a recipe for disaster. But in reality, it probably won't be all [...]
Could Fully Rested A-Rod Be an Impact Player Again in »
Alex Rodriguez is facing the reality of his situation, and he's doing so with an optimistic outlook that, given the circumstances, also passes well enough for a realistic outlook. Less than a week after A-Rod's 211-game ban resulting from MLB's investigation into Biogenesis was reduced to 162 games and the postseason in 2014 by arbitrator [...]
How Yankees’ Spending Spree Is a Perfect Storm »
Robinson Cano chose to bolt for the Seattle Mariners over re-signing with the New York Yankees, as one is wont to do when 10 years for $240 million is offered. But never mind that. They may have lost Cano, but the Yankees most definitely haven't gotten cheap. On the contrary, they're in the middle of a classic pinstriped spending spree, one born [...]
Why Brian McCann and the New York Yankees Are the »
New York Yankees catchers made for a living, breathing definition of the term "pushover" in 2013. Combined, they managed just a .289 on-base percentage and 26 extra-base hits. Thanks to the club's latest signing, however, the position can now be considered upgraded. As Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News was first to report, the Yankees [...]
Why Robinson Cano Getting ‘More Realistic’ »
Hey, you can't blame Robinson Cano for dreaming big. The up-until-now New York Yankees second baseman is a free agent, after all. Dreaming big is what free agents are supposed to do. To dream small is to lowball oneself, and one should never do that. But Cano and his people aren't going to get what they want. You know that. I know that. The [...]
Is Masahiro Tanaka Worth the New York Yankees’ »
After keeping it holstered last winter, the word is that the New York Yankees are ready to get their checkbook out again this winter, and that they're not going to be messing around when they do. That will be the case as far as their pursuit of Japanese right-handed pitcher Masahiro Tanaka is concerned anyway, and yours truly is inclined to say [...]
What Joe Girardi’s New 4-Year Contract Means for »
It's official. The New York Yankees have made their first big signing of the offseason. No, not Robinson Cano or any other free-agent hitter or pitcher. It's a bit too soon for that. As it was announced via MLB's official Twitter account, the Yankees re-signed their manager instead: Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com was able to dig up the terms [...]
Where Does Mariano Rivera Rank Among the Greatest »
The countdown on the great Mariano Rivera's career is nearing the end, but the longtime New York Yankees closer shouldn't be in a hurry to prove anything at the last minute. Either way, he's poised to walk away from baseball as the single best relief pitcher the game has ever known. There's also the fact that Rivera ranks among the greatest [...]
Q&A with the Man Who Came Up with Mariano »
There are a few things that go hand-in-hand with Mariano Rivera's legacy. There's the cutter. The pinstripes. The all-time saves record. The rings. The class. Oh, and don't forget "Enter Sandman." The longtime New York Yankees closer may not have had a hand in making Metallica's 1991 heavy-metal classic, but it's certainly had a hand in [...]