New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez made a bit of history on Tuesday night. He clubbed a key grand slam in the Yankees' 6-4 win over the Atlanta Braves, bringing his career total to 23 grand slams.That ties him with Lou Gehrig for the most career grand slams in baseball history.A-Rod said this after the game, via The New York Times:It means a lot. It’s very special. This game is very, very difficult and if you’re not going to enjoy these great moments, then it’s not any fun. Lou ...
June 12, 2012 ranks among the saddest of all days in baseball history.Lou Gehrig will be linked with Alex Rodriguez until Rodriguez hits his 24th grand slam home run. Then Gehrig will be mentioned less when fans are informed that Rodriguez holds the career grand slam record. Gehrig epitomizes excellence on and off the field. Rodriguez has admitted using performance-enhancing drugs. Gehrig was grace under pressure. Rodriguez can’t take pressure. "When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt like I had all ...
Have you ever seen Andre Ethier and Nick Swisher in the same room together?I only ask because, from 2009 through 2011, you couldn't tell the difference between the two at the plate.You're not sure? Take a look:Swisher: 503 G, .267/.368/.486, 81 HR, 256 RBIEthier: 434 G, .284/.364/.477, 65 HR, 250 RBIBut in 2012, it's been a different story.Even without Matt Kemp in the lineup for a large chunk of the season, Ethier is on pace to have one of his best seasons as a pro. Through last night's game, he ...
Right now, the New York Yankees find themselves in a tie atop the AL East with a 35-25 record. But by the time October rolls around, they will not be so fortunate.The Yankees are always expected to be in postseason contention, so it takes a little bit of digging to discover that the Bronx Bombers are playing over their heads.Their elder statesmen are delivering uncharacteristically strong production that cannot be expected to hold up over a full season. When the run production starts to slip, there will be no one ...
Knocked around, battered and bruised just about sums up my fantasy pitching rotation. Where does yours stack up?As we approach the Midsummer Classic, it is a good time to reflect on the pieces that have taken shape and the pieces that have fallen off the tracks.The fantasy free-agency market should spark in the coming weeks, and so I have put together a few gems that were once tabbed as "trash" that have now turned into another man's treasure.Hurry, because you don’t want to see wasted talent on the market hung ...
When the Yankees made the trade before the 2009 season to land Nick Swisher, who knew he would be such a big part of the offense?He was originally going to be a platoon player for the Yankees, but he ended up turning into an everyday player for the Bombers over the last four seasons, averaging at least 20 home runs and 80 RBI.He was a free agent after the 2011 season, but the Yankees picked up the $10.25 million option for Swisher for the 2012 season, and thus far, Swisher ...
Ivan Nova was a revelation for the New York Yankees in 2011. He had a breakout season, finishing 16-4 with a respectable, if not lights out, ERA of 3.70.One year, however, doesn't make a career. No one was penciling in Nova for another 16 victories this season until he showed he wasn't going to be a one-hit wonder.Nova is on pace to duplicate his first full season in the majors. He is 8-2 and allowed only one run in 15 innings of his last two starts.Still, the question remains: Is ...
It was incredible when it occurred, but it might be impossible to convince some younger fans that it's the truth:In 1932, New York Yankees third baseman Joe Sewell batted 576 times. He struck out three times—once for every 192 plate appearances. In 2011, Juan Pierre had 711 plate appearances and he struck out 41 times. That calculates to one strike out for every 15.6 plate appearances.Sewell was an integral part of that 1932 world champion Yankees team. He hit a career-high 11 home runs, walked 56 times and batted .272/.349/.392. ...
When I last wrote about Russell Martin, I was singing his praises for hitting two clutch home runs on Sunday against the New York Mets, including a walk-off homer that sealed a sweep for Martin's Yankees.For his efforts, I gave Martin an American League "Best of the Night" award, a prestigious award reserved only for the best of the best of the best from baseball's superior league (yeah, I said it).Today, however, I am giving Martin an entirely different award: American League "Worst of the Night." This marks the first ...
With most eyes on the suddenly surging New York Yankees in the Bronx, many might have missed the Yankees' selections in the recent MLB draft. Some picks are far from making an impact, while others could quickly be on the cusp of "The Show." So with the addition of new members to the Yankee family, let’s take a revamped look at the top 10 Bombers on the farm.Begin Slideshow