Once upon a time, Ichiro Suzuki was a run-scoring, hit-producing machine at the top of the order for the Seattle Mariners. Ichiro scored at least 100 runs in his first eight seasons in the major leagues after coming to the Mariners from the Japanese League in 2001 and recorded at least 200 hits a season for 10 straight years (2001-10). At one point during Suzuki’s run of excellence in Seattle, Raul Ibanez was in the middle of the Mariners order, driving in Suzuki and others while racking up three straight ...
The month of September has been a fight for the New York Yankees.In years past, they would normally put the cruise control on and coast into a playoff spot.They did it in 2011. They had the AL East all wrapped up with a lot of time left in the season, then they took their foot off the pedal, and during their last series, they allowed the Tampa Bay Rays to jump the Boston Red Sox for the wild-card spot.In 2010, the Yankees didn't push the envelope in the final month ...
The New York Yankees surely hoped Andy Pettitte would return to become a key part of their starting rotation once he recovered from a broken leg. But even the Yanks—and perhaps Pettitte himself—have to be surprised by the results of his first two starts since being activated from the disabled list. Pettitte hasn't allowed a run over 11 innings, giving up 11 hits and three walks while striking out six batters.Yes, Pettitte faced the Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins in those two appearances, both last place teams (or near last, ...
The New York Yankees haven't clinched anything yet, but the only thing that could keep them from going to the postseason for the 17th time in the last 18 seasons is some sort of unforeseen natural disaster.Presently, the Bronx Bombers have a 1.5-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. In the event that they fail to capture the division title, they have the wild card to fall back on as a safety net.Judging from the way they've been playing lately, however, the Yankees are ...
Monday night's game for the Yankees would feature Andy Pettitte's second start since coming off the disabled list.And just like his first start, he did not disappoint his teammates and fans.Against the Minnesota Twins, Pettitte tossed six shutout innings, allowed no runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out three and picked up the win in a 6-1 Yankees victory.The victory for Pettitte is his second since coming off the DL and improves his record for 2012 to 5-3 and also lowered his ERA to 2.71.The 40-year-old lefty threw ...
A good pinch runner can make a huge difference in a must-win game, and this is something that the New York Yankees know as well as anyone. It's a lesson they learned way back in 2004, and their teacher was none other than Dave Roberts.Roberts, as both Yankees and Red Sox fans well know, was the one who stole second base in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS off of Mariano Rivera, eventually coming around to score the tying run. From there, it was pretty much ...
WhatIfSports.com utilizes its award-winning baseball simulation engine to present the most comprehensive and unbiased ranking possible of all 30 teams in baseball each Monday during the regular season. To come up with the rankings, using only their statistical performance to date this season, each team is simulated against every other team 100 times—50 at home and 50 at the opposing ballpark so that all five pitchers in the current rotation start ten times at each location. (Note: This means that if a pitcher who was in the ...
While the New York Yankees are still in the midst of a battle for AL East supremacy with the Baltimore Orioles and don't have the luxury of looking ahead, we do.It's never too early to start thinking about what the team might look like in 2013 and beyond, especially given that incumbent right fielder Nick Swisher is likely to depart as a free agent this winter.Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe reports that while Cody Ross would like to stay in Boston, two other big-market teams, the Phillies and the Yankees, ...
Nick Swisher is a free agent in 2013, and it is quite possible that his time putting on the Yankees pinstripes is coming to an end. Who will New York look at in replacing the spirited outfielder and backup first baseman?In his four years with the "Bombers," Nick Swisher has averaged 26 HR and 85 RBI. As a switch-hitter, he has made himself a valuable component to the Yankees' lineup, and in the field he has proven to be a solid right fielder. When first baseman Mark Teixeira has needed rest ...
Joe Girardi's report card for the 2012 season is obviously incomplete.We've seen the Yankees play some extraordinary baseball this season, but there have also been times when the team appears uninspired.Although Girardi's incessant need to micromanage every aspect of the game has led some pundits to call for his firing (pending a disappointing conclusion to the Yankees 2012 campaign), the team would be wise to stick with him for at least one more season.If the Bombers fail to make noise in the playoffs this October, Yankees brass will have a ...