Archive for September, 2011
New York Yankees Had to Keep Frank Leja on Their »
The New York Yankees signed 17-year-old Frank Leja on Oct. 1, 1953 for a reported $45,000. He became, and still remains, the youngest player to appear in a game in a Yankees uniform. In those days, there was a "bonus rule" in effect, which required that players signed in excess of $4,000 had to remain with the major league team for two seasons. [...]
CC Sabathia’s Impending Free Agency: Would He »
CC Sabathia is heading into a very interesting period in his life. A September pennant race will give way to an October quest for his second World Series ring as a member of the New York Yankees. Win or lose, what comes next will be intriguing as well. Sabathia has an option with in the seven-year, $161 million contract he signed following [...]
Andrew Brackman: What a Long, Strange Trip It’s »
Listed as the 78th-best prospect in all of baseball entering the 2011 season by Baseball America, Andrew Brackman has gone from a highly-touted prospect to an afterthought in the span of a few months.One of the three "Killer B's" in the Yankees farm system—along with Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances—Brackman was the second of the [...]
New York Yankees: Interesting Stats for 4 Key Players »
Not only am I a Yankee fan, I am also a numbers fan. The thing I love most about baseball is that there are stats that can be used to explain and analyze everything that happens on the field. I used to be satisfied just by looking at the basic statistics: Who has the most homers? Which pitcher has the lowest ERA? But with [...]
New York Yankees: Is Brett Gardner Hurting the »
It seemed not too long ago that Brett Gardner was hitting above .280 and it looked like he was on his way to .300. Since then, Gardner has been on a downward spiral of sorts, currently sporting an average of .264. Is Brett Gardner hurting the Yankees, and is it time to take him out of the lineup?With Gardner's struggles at the plate, [...]
MLB: Reggie Jackson Saved the 1977 Yankees as Well as »
When the New York Yankees signed Reggie Jackson following the 1976 season, Thurman Munson told the media that he thought Jackson was the type of player who could carry a club for a month. At the end of play on Aug. 9, 1977, the Yankees were in third place, two-and-a-half games behind the second-place Baltimore Orioles and five games behind the [...]
Eduardo Nunez: New York Yankees Ask Nunez, »
If one thing has been consistent all year long for the Yankees, it's been the fact that Eduardo Nunez is a horrible defensive player. That wasn't something we were told by the scouts who called Nunez a top prospect in the MLB. It has certainly come to light in 2011, as Nunez made another big error, one that cost the Yankees the game [...]
Is Rafael Soriano Finally Returning to Form for the »
When the Yankees signed Rafael Soriano to a three-year deal over the winter, they thought they were getting a closer who was going to solidify their bullpen in 2011.Early on in the season, Soriano was anything but the pitcher who was an All-Star for the Tampa Bay Rays a season ago.By April 30, Soriano was 1-1 with a 7.15 ERA in 11 innings pitched [...]
New York Yankees Still Look Impressive in Tough Loss »
A close loss is always more tough than a blowout. I know that being beaten 13-0 is demoralizing, sure, but a player can always say that the team was having an off night and that no one can win 182 games. But there is something about an extra-innings loss by one run that really sticks with a player; something that lets them know that they could [...]
Jesus Montero: The Second Coming of Jesus »
Jesus Montero. Wow, where to begin.You may want to begin where most people do when you talk about Jesus Montero, the most coveted New York Yankees prospect in recent memory. Quite possible almost as coveted as Derek Jeter was back over a decade ago.There is so much hype on this guy and he’s barely allowed to drink legally in America. [...]