Tag: Yankees

Good Monday Morning Red Sox Nation!

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The Red Sox are 9-1 in August. They’ve won 10 of their last 11 games.  The arrival of Eduardo Nunez and the ascension of Rafael Devers have helped jump start a sluggish offense. Devers’s home run off Chapman in the 9th inning last night was the first home run Chapman allowed to a left handed hitter since 2011, and just the second he has allowed to a lefty in his career. And the pitch was 103 mph. And Devers hit it out to the opposite field. NBD.

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The Sox are also 11-3 since David Price went to the disabled list. Chris Sale did his part again last night, striking out a dozen. Pomeranz got the job done in a a blowout win Saturday. He’s having the best year of his career. And Eduardo Rodriguez deserved a win on Friday night, but the bullpen couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain. If/when Price returns, he better have a short leash. This team that was unlikable not even three weeks ago now has an identity and some chemistry. They can’t let Price break that up.

It’s a good Monday morning for Red Sox fans. If John Farrell can brush up on the rule book, this team might be unstoppable.

 

The Yankees Have Succumb to Names on Jerseys for Players Weekend and it Makes Me Laugh

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For years the Yankees and their fans have had a smug sense of entitlement because they all sport a Boys Regular haircut, shave their beards, and most importantly don’t have names on the backs of their jerseys. Well that and the obscene number of WS trophies. But, hey its the Yankees, you should know who the players are without any names on the jerseys.

Welp, throw that shit right out the window because later this month, just like the rest of us common folk, the Yankees players will be wearing jerseys at home with players names on the back for the FIRST TIME SINCE 1915.

And its not just any jersey its the ridiculous cash-grab of a marketing scheme jerseys with not only players’ names on the back, but WACKY nicknames to boot. Names like “All Rise,” “Red Thunder,” and “All Staarlin” will desecrate the sacred confines of Yankee Stadium. Welcome to the poor house with the rest of us, Yankees fans.

PS – Shoutout to Brett Gardner for saying ya know what fuck this, just put my name on the back. Respect that hate.

Dave Dombrowski is Playing Fast and Loose With the English Language to Cover His Ass if Red Sox Falter

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So the MLB trade deadline was yesterday and the Red Sox added a legitimate reliever in Addison Russell, whom they acquired from the Mets. However, the Yankees did more than just add a nice piece, they loaded the fuck up. They added Sonny Gray, the A’s ace thats currently sporting a 3.43 ERA and 8.7 Ks per 9 IP. Not to mention their slew of other moves, without having given up too much of value…

So now we’ve got Dave Dombrowski in full on Cover Your Ass mode it would seem. The Sox added Nunez, who’s been playing really well and then just picked up Reed, but this is a team with glaring holes that has been struggling badly, and now the hottest team in the division just got a LOT better.

Now after the Yankees were wheeling and dealing all week loading up and basically making the Bombers the favorite to win the AL East, Dombrowski starts off by jokingly calling them the Golden State Warriors.

Just really playing up how great the Yankees are and how the Red Sox are really just underdogs for the rest of the season, except leaving out the fact that the Sox were the heavy pre-season FAVORITE to win the AL East. This is the definition of hedging your bets.

Now, I’m sure Dombrowski had some limitations put on him by ownership to avoid going over the luxury tax, but he still built this team. He signed Price and traded for Sale, and Kimbrel, and Pomeranz. Not to mention the trades for guys who have been injury plagued disasters in Tyler Thornburg and Carson Smith. If this team fails its on him. But, by pointing out how stacked the Yankees are and how the Sox are just some plucky underdogs  (with a $190M payroll) scrapping to compete, he’s already hedging so that if the Sox falter and don’t win the division or even straight up miss the playoffs, its not on him. Bullshit. Dave’s conveniently forgetting the fact that the expectations for this team were to compete for a World Series, not sneak into a Wild Card one-game playoff.

Dombrowski has been doing this a lot recently too, its not just his reaction to the trade deadline yesterday. After the Sox put David Price on the DL the same day he was supposed to start and potentially take a verbal beating from the fans, people were rightfully suspicious. Dombrowski scoffed at the suggestion they DL’d price just to skip a start. Dave went on a rant about how you can’t just put a guy on the DL without a serious medical issue that gets clearance from MLB. Uhhh did we already forget about Pablo Sandoval’s ear infection that knocked him out for like 2 weeks?? Thats a vicious ear infection. Did the Sox send a full ear X-ray to the commissioners office to get approval? Get the fuck outta here.

Dombrowski is preemptively chilling his seat before it gets too hot if the Sox do get bounced early, but I’m on to you Dave.

Did the Red Sox Commit Another Error at Third?

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I’m old enough to remember the last time the Yankees made a mid-season deal to pick up a third baseman and, spoiler alert, it did not end well for the Red Sox.

Looks like this tweet didn’t age well:

Regardless, I can’t get too worked up over this deal. I don’t know what the answer is at third base for the Red Sox, but I never thought it was Todd Frazier. Everyone said the Red Sox could get him for nothing, so I would’ve been okay if they brought him in as a flyer but Bobby Abreu he is not. Despite his pop™, Frazier is still just hitting .207 this season. Pablo Sandoval was hitting .212 when the Red Sox DFA’d him.

On a related note, here was Brock Holt after hearing that Frazier went to the Yankees:

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The Red Sox – Yankees rivalry cooled off a few years ago, but hopefully this trade puts it back on the front burner. Every Red Sox – Yankees game was an event in Boston from 2003 through about 2010.

Maybe the rivalry cooling off had to do with George Steinbrenner passing away and Brian Cashman running the Yankees like a normal franchise. But the urge to dump high-ranked prospects for washed up veterans is hard to shake. I’ll take this as a sign that the rivalry is back on. I’m in.

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Yankees Trade for Todd Frazier and I Can’t Help But Think of the 2006 Bobby Abreu Trade the Red Sox Didn’t Make

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Yahoo – The New York Yankees are going for it. They boosted their lineup and the backend of their bullpen in a trade Tuesday with the Chicago White Sox that’s sending slugger Todd Frazier and relief pitchers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to the Bronx..The White Sox (38-52) were already in full rebuilding mode and this adds to their minor-league riches, as the Yankees send Chicago a package that includes outfield prospect Blake Rutherford (New York’s No. 3 prospect) and left-handed pitcher Ian Clarkin (No. 19). Big-league reliever Tyler Clippard is also reportedly in the deal, as is outfielder Tito Polo.

The Yankees traded for Todd Frazier last night, swept in under the cloak of night and traded for the guy while I was enjoying a few Bud heavys at Fenway.

This trade did not come lightly though as the Yankees (with a suddenly flourishing minor league system) dealt their No. 3 prospect as part of the deal. Pretty steep for a guy who’s hitting .207 and will be a free agent at the end of the year if you ask me. He does provide some pop though with 16 Home Runs and 44 RBIs on the year. Not convinced? The last 3 years Frazier finished with 40, 35, and 29 Home Runs respectively. (On a side note, as that story points out the White Sox are rebuilding the smart way as they now have 5 of the top 30 prospects and 10 of the top 100 in all of baseball thanks to their recent fire sales.)

Now I wasn’t one of the people clamoring for the Sox to deal more prospects just to put a band-aid on third base. Especially with $50M in dead money from the euthanized Panda we just DFA’d. I’m definitely in the camp that the Red Sox should bolster the bullpen before brining in your 12th third baseman of the year.

HOWEVER, seeing this trade instantly reminded me of 2006 when the Yankees traded for Bobby Abreu because its a similar situation. Abreu, like Frazier, was a solid if not spectacular hitter who was on the market and the Red Sox were rumored to be in on. Then the Yankees swooped in and made the deal for Abreu. Wouldn’t have been as big of a kick in the dick if it wasn’t for the so called Boston Massacre that summer when the Yankees came to Fenway and swept the Red Sox in a rare 5-game series. Complete beatdown. And how’d Abreu do in that series you ask? Oh he merely hit fucking .500 in the series going 10-20 over the 5 games.

Over the course of the 2006 season Abreu hit .297 with 15 Home Runs, 107 RBIs and also had 30 stolen bases. In the second half of the 2006 season alone, playing for the Yankees Abreu hit .330 7 Home Runs, 42 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

So, yea not a bad guy to have.

Ended up biting the Red Sox in the ass as they never really got right after that 5-game sweep and famously missed the playoffs. Lets just hope Todd Frazier doesn’t repeat history and go on a goddamn tear for the Yankees.

PS – Complex ranked that 5-game regular season sweep as one of the greatest moments in Yankees HISTORY. What a sad and sorry existence in the Bronx.

Twins Bringin’ Big Sexy Back

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The last time we saw Bartolo Colon at the Major League level was on June 28 in San Diego. As a member of the Atlanta Braves, Colon gave up six runs on eight hits and three walks over four innings against the Padres. It was his fourth straight clunker of start, and it looked like the end was near for the 44-year-old Big Sexy.

Colon was 2-8 this year for the Braves with an 8.14 ERA. Even with the weak definition of a quality start, only two of Colon’s 13 starts with the Braves this year qualified as quality starts. But rumors of his demise have been greatly exaggerated (for now), and Colon will play for his tenth Major League team on Tuesday night when he starts for the Minnesota Twins. The Twins will be hosting the New York Yankees.

It’s a start, and a series, with potential playoff implications. The Yankees currently find themselves just a half game ahead of the Twins for the second wild card spot in the American League. After getting out to a 38-23 start, the Yankees have gone 9-20 since June 13.  The Twins, after losing 103 games last year, have returned to respectability this year.

The Twins have been a surprise near the top of the AL Central this season. They haven’t set the world on fire but they have been consistent – they’ve never been up or down more than three games for first place in the AL Central. But their run differential is -63, 12th in the American League. They are the only team in baseball with a negative run differential and a record better than .500. They’re 10-5 in one-run games, but 12-21 in games decided by five runs or more.

Despite being in the wild card race near the trade deadline, I’d bet against the Twins making the playoffs. That’s why picking up Bartolo Colon is a great move. It will only cost the Twins a few hundred thousand dollars and no prospects. No need to “mortgage the future” to make this move.

If Colon catches fire, it’s a great story and fun little run in August and September. If Colon can’t straighten things out, and it really is the end of the road for him, he’s not much worse than what they’ve been running out there every fifth day anyways. And I find it hard to believe that a veteran pitcher could seriously disrupt any clubhouse chemistry. So again, all there really is to lose is a few bucks.

And then there’s this. The Twins 60-year-old manager, Paul Molitor, played his final Major League game on September 27, 1998. He faced the Cleveland Indians and Bartolo Colon that day. Molitor went 1-for-3 that day against Colon, and was 2-for-8 lifetime against Colon.

 

 

Derek Jeter Just Crushed His Nephew’s Dreams

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So Jeter’s little nephew Jalen, who is internet famous for adorably tipping his cap at Jeter’s last game, asked Uncle Derek if he could wear his No. 2 when he plays for the Yankees one day. And Jeter shut that shit down REAL quick.

I think Derek probably has to work on the little kid communication a bit since he’s got one on the way. I give Jeets props for not lying to the kid but a hard NOPE in his face, probably isn’t the best way to handle that question. But hey, alpha males gotta let everyone know what belongs to them right off the bat so no one challenges them. Little kids are no exception. #Re2pect

PS – I didn’t want to include this but I had to. Any time there is a directly relevant Simpsons clip, my hands are tied. The internet gods would strike me down if I didn’t post it.

Red Sox-Yankees Games in April Should Be Outlawed

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baseball-rainA spring nor’easter is heading up the east coast this week, with a 100% chance of rain and temperatures in the 40’s in Boston today. Things only look slightly better for tomorrow. Glad the Yankees are in town!

I know there’s no way to please everyone, and I don’t want to ask the league for special treatment, but I am tired of Red Sox-Yankees games in April. The NFL makes sure teams play more divisional games late in the season (the Patriots will only play one non-divisional opponent after Thanksgiving in 2017), why can’t MLB do something similar?

In 2003, the Red Sox didn’t play the Yankees until May 19. Meeting a little bit later in the season allowed each team to get established before squaring off. The anticipation made that first series more compelling. Unbelievably, tickets are still available to tonight’s game through the Red Sox box office. Hell, Bud Deck tables are still available for tonight’s game. How’s that for apathy?

Not meeting until late May also means 19 Red Sox-Yankees games in just over four months. When I went to school in the city during the height of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry in the mid-2000s, classmates would ask why the Red Sox and Yankees play each other every weekend. It was great.

I know the rivalry has cooled off this decade, both teams have been off and on the last few years, but this would seem like an easy fix to generate some buzz. It doesn’t have to be every year, but it would be nice to see the Red Sox and Yankees not meet until Memorial Day occasionally. Let the warm weather rivals own April.

Yankees Prospect Asks Team to Un-Retire Mickey Mantle’s Number for Him

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Yahoo Sports – The number on the back of a baseball player’s jersey is more than just a number. In a game filled with superstition, having your lucky number could make a huge difference in your performance…But when that number is retired by the franchise, that player is out of luck. It’s time to find a new number. Well … unless you’re New York Yankees prospect Clint Frazier. The 22-year-old outfielder reportedly asked the team if it “un-retire” numbers, according to Yankees broadcaster Suzyn Waldman. Predictably, Frazier was denied. Teams don’t un-retire numbers. It doesn’t happen. It was an absurd request by Frazier. And yet, the whole thing gets even more ludicrous. Frazier wanted the Yankees to un-retire No. 7. Yes, he wanted to wear Mickey Mantle’s number!

Goddamnit you’re gonna make me like you Clint Frazier aren’t you? I’ve already written about my fascination with the up and coming Yankees prospect before because of his absolute mane of red hair that the NYY will ultimately make him chop off because they still think its 1920. But now this comes out that Frazier is legit asking to wear numbers the Yanks have already RETIRED and I’m starting to develop a man crush on a guy who will one day play for the team I despise. A juiced redhead who absolutely mashes the ball. He’s like the Neo of gingers. The one to reset the Matrix of abuse that redheads have taken for decades.

Now this same guy is just pissing on Yankees tradition and asking to wear Mickey Mantle’s number? Love it. Kid probably doesn’t even know who the Mick is. Guy banged Marilyn Monroe, have some respect.

Hilarious lack of self awareness and it probably just makes Yankees fans like the kid less, which I always enjoy. It’s like when A-Rod was hitting 40 dingers with 140 RBIs and all of New York just absolutely loathed the guy. “Still not better than our light hitting shortstop who’s defense should’ve forced him to left field years ago.” Oh Yankees fans, what a bunch of wacky loudmouths.