Nick Swisher is struggling. The New York Yankees right fielder is hitting .247, and that is his lowest batting average since 2008—the year before he joined the "Bombers".Even more shocking is Swisher's sudden drop in on-base percentage. Over his career, the Bronx Bomber's OBP has been .357. This season it currently sits at .308. For a player known for his ability to battle every at-bat and manage to reach base in spite of falling behind in a count, that represents a shocking loss of a key weapon in Swisher's arsenal.Why has ...
Along with death and taxes, it's a certainty New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi will make a blunder during the regular season. But with Girardi, there's always more than one. It isn't easy being a manager, but it is easy for a writer to criticize a manager over mistakes he makes in the heat of whatever moment he's in. So let's get this show on the road.Begin Slideshow
If you are a Yankee fan, the thought has crossed your mind, even if only once.If you have seen him play, whether on TV or live, you have thought of the idea.Now, it's time to really think about the possibility, because, hey, who knows?Could the New York Yankees pursue Josh Hamilton this winter as a free agent?Hamilton will be a free agent this coming winter and is due for a decent pay raise, but he also just turned 31, so he isn't as young as he once was.In this slideshow, ...
This might qualify as kicking someone when he is down, but did Yankee fans notice who was catching for Seattle when six Mariners pitchers combined to no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers? It was Jesus Montero, the player the Mariners acquired from the New York Yankees for pitching phenom Michael Pineda. It's the same Montero who was penciled in as a designated hitter for the Yankees this season because the brain trust concluded that he couldn't catch and had no other position. It was one of the reasons why general manager Brian ...
I just read an article about Mark McGwire in Time Magazine, "Mark McGwire: A Mac For All Seasons," written in Dec. 1998. Next, I looked up McGwire's statements in which he admitted using steroids. What a great feat Roger Maris accomplished when he broke Babe Ruth's single-season home run record. When a reporter discovered androstenedione, a legal steroid, in McGwire's locker, the ersatz home-run champion—whose "record" would soon be eclipsed by an even more disingenuous individual—explained what "andro" couldn't do. It cannot help a hitter's timing. It cannot improve hand-to-eye ...
A month ago, New York Yankees fans were calling for Russell Martin's head, and they were right to do so. Martin couldn't buy a hit in the first few weeks of the 2012 MLB season. His spot in the bottom of the lineup was a black hole.Yankees fans are no longer calling for Martin's head. Heroes don't deserve that kind of treatment, and Martin is most certainly a hero after what he did on Sunday against the New York Mets.Martin's day did not get off to a good start, as ...
Interleague play continues with a series between traditional powerhouses as the New York Yankees travel south to take on the Atlanta Braves. Both teams currently have 34 wins and sit in second place in their respective divisions. After a lackluster start, the Yankees have really picked up the pace recently. The have won eight of their last 10 games and the team's offense has finally started hitting like most people were expecting when the season began. The Braves have been a team of streaks. They started by dropping their first ...
The series between the New York Yankees and Mets was filled with home runs that powered the Yankees offense.It was fitting, then, that the series would end on a home run to win the game for the Yanks. Entering Sunday's game, Joe Girardi's squad had taken the previous two from the Mets and were looking for the sweep.Facing off was a battle of two left-handers—Andy Pettitte for the Yankees and Jonathan Niese for the Mets.The Mets were able to get to Pettitte in the second inning, starting with an RBI ...
Now that Brett Gardner is out until after the All-Star break after suffering yet another setback, it's time for Brian Cashman to start combing the trade market for available outfielders.While the likes of Alfonso Soriano and Josh Willingham will likely be available, the Yankees should focus on San Diego Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin.Even though Cashman has said that he "hasn't been looking," there's no doubt that he's seriously thinking about making a deal.All deals would hinge on Gardner's diagnosis after visiting the esteemed Dr. James Andrews, of course. Unfortunately for ...
Yankee fans all over the world have been waiting anxiously for the return of Brett Gardner from the disabled list.Unfortunately, they will have to wait even longer for his return, as Gardner suffered a setback from his rehab assignment, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, feeling pain in his elbow following a minor-league game on Friday night.Gardner played for the Class A Charleston team last night as part of his rehab. He has been on the disabled list since the end of April with an elbow injury, and it seems ...