Casey Stengel was excoriated by the “experts” for not starting Whitey Ford in the opening game of the 1960 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Surprisingly, the experts were right. Art Ditmar, who was the New York Yankees top winner, going 15-9 with a 3.06 ERA and a 117ERA+, started the opener. Ford had finished the season at 12-9 with a 3.08 ERA and a 116 ERA+. The general consensus was that Ford, with all his World Series experience, should have been the opening game starter. But not starting Ford ...
Jesus is coming.Not Jesus Quintana, arguably the best dressed bowler of all time—though Ernie McCracken might have something to say about that.No, Jesus Montero, the seemingly forever-hyped Yankees prospect with the big bat and no position, will join the team tomorrow when rosters expand.Montero is not coming up for a cup of coffee—he's going to see significant playing time and very well could be the one to knock Jorge Posada off the postseason roster, assuming he shows that he can handle major league pitching.Therein lies the problem.Jesus Montero suffers from ...
Francisco Cervelli has way more energy than I do. If I had one ounce of the energy Cervelli has I would not have waited as long as I have waited since my last post to this blog.Apologies to all my loyal readers and advertisers out there for not doing a good job here lately.Cervelli doesn't need to apologize. I love the way this guy plays the game. The way he moves behind the plate and how he pumps his fists and claps his hands is really entertaining. I saw nothing ...
It's that time of year again. The time when the Yankees and Red Sox rivalry reaches its peak.The Red Sox have beaten the Yankees in 10 of 13 games this year. For the Yankees, these upcoming games are must-wins.In the first game of this three-game series, The Yankees came out on top, winning 5-2.In a tight pennant race, Games 2 and 3 are still must-wins for both teams.Here are five ways the Yankees can take those two games.Begin Slideshow
It's that time of year again in Major League Baseball. Rosters expand from 25 men to 40 on September 1, and with that comes numerous September call-ups as teams who are out of contention look for chances to give young guys some experience, and those who are in contention try to fill some holes on their roster, usually in the bullpen. The Yankees fall into the latter category, and here we'll look at five guys in their minor league system with a good chance to get called upon to join ...
Mickey Mantle's pursuit of greatness was hampered greatly by his leg injuries, but it was a shoulder injury that might have been more significant in hamstringing his career. It was the first inning of the third game of the 1957 World Series. Mantle, who had walked, advanced to second when Milwaukee Braves right-hander Bob Buhl walked Yogi Berra.It was the worst walk of Yogi's career. As Mantle took his lead off second, Buhl whirled and fired wildly to second base in a pick-off attempt. Mantle dived back into second headfirst ...
There have been many baseball players and managers that have made a name for themselves not because of their abilities, but rather because of the fact that they tend to outbursts when things do not go their way.These MLB hotheads are known for getting into fights and arguments and there have been many incidents that occurred between the figures on this list. Most of these players and coaches have short-tempers and the smallest things could set them off.Begin Slideshow
New York Yankees fired manager Casey Stengel after the Yankees lost the 1960 World Series to the Pittsburgh Pirates. One of the major reasons the Yankees lost was because Stengel didn’t start Whitey Ford in the opener. He gave the start to Art Ditmar, calling him the Yankees most consistent pitcher that year, which was true. The Pirates blasted Ditmar for three runs in the first inning, sending him to the showers. Dick (Captain Strangeglove) Stuart was the only Pirate he retired. Ford didn’t get a start until the third ...
Before he becomes another Joba Chamberlain, trade him for the sake of the organization. I still don't understand why Montero causes so much excitement: he's not fast, he has improved in his defense but not much, and he fails to hit against even 40-man roster pitchers as proved in spring training. What's even worse? He hasn't improved much at the Triple-A level. Here's the comparison:2010: AB- 453 2B- 34 HR- 21 AVG- .289 BB- 46 2011: AB- 409 2B- 19 HR- 17 AVG- .289 BB- 35 I'm not a nuclear physics person ...
It was vintage Whitey Ford, although some didn't think so.The only run the Milwaukee Braves managed came in the seventh inning when Wes Covington doubled and came home on a Red Schoendient two-out single. The Yankees game left-hander, who had suffered from arm problems during the 1957 season, demonstrated that he was quite healthy as he limited the former Boston team to five hits on his way to a complete game, 3-1 victory over the great Warren Spahn. It was Ford's fifth career World Series win. Mickey Mantle, who suffered ...