Mickey Mantle's torn hamstring muscle in his right thigh prevented him from playing in the opening game of the 1955 World Series, but his bat still beat the Brooklyn Dodgers. Joe Collins, the New York Yankees left-handed hitting first baseman, had been in a severe slump at the end of August. He had tried most of the things that slumping hitters try to no avail.Then he approached Mickey Mantle to request a great favor. He wanted to use Mickey's bat. Mickey granted Collins' request and it was with Mickey's bat ...
Baseball's past is the richest in all of American sports. The sample size is like no other, with thousands of players having filtered through generations of the game. The fraternity is so large, in fact, that it is most likely possible to link every current player to one in the past that was anywhere from remotely to remarkably similar in many aspects. In this article, we will try to accomplish just that, comparing each hitter on the current roster to a player in the past. Let's try not to go ...
Roger Maris decided that he would no longer speak to the press. According to Clete Boyer, who was the third baseman on the 1961 New York Yankees, Maris had managed only one hit in nine at-bats in a doubleheader during the middle of August against the Baltimore Orioles.A check on Retrosheet reveals Boyer was a little confused with respect to the games, but not about what followed.One of the reporters asked Maris if he were choking. That was it. Maris decided that he would not speak to the media. The ...
Freddy Garcia has been an absolute bargain for the Yankees in 2011.It's a shame that he'll likely be out now for them.Because of a cut he sustained on the index finger of his right hand, rendering him unable to throw his split-finger pitch in a bullpen session, it looks like Garcia will be headed to the disabled list, according to George King of the New York Post.Garcia was 10-7 with a 3.16 ERA in 22 starts for the Yankees in 2011 and had a possibility of being a big part ...
Joe Girardi has always respected umpires—sometimes to a fault. When Girardi was managing the Florida Marlins in 2006, Jeffrey Loria, the Marlins owner, was heckling an umpire from his seat behind home plate. Loria was not pleased with the arbiter's interpretation of the strike zone. Girardi, who has always stood for truth, justice and the American way, took umbrage. From the dugout, Girardi asked his boss to stop. After the game, the erstwhile manager spoke to the media. "The gist of the conversation to Jeffrey was, 'I preach to my ...
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are the only possible winners of the deep AL East. That's how the season has unfolded for many years now. Odds are that both teams will earn a playoff spot regardless of who wins the division.The division winner will most likely have to face the Detroit Tigers, while the Wild Card occupant will play the Texas Rangers. Both squads have injury concerns, and how the managers deal with the hurt players will play a large role in determining who is king of ...
In his career with the Yankees, Derek Jeter has received little criticism from an aggressive New York media.This season, things are different.The Yankee captain went into this season coming off a bit of a disappointing year, with Jeter batting just .270, his lowest career average, and the Yankees losing in the ALCS to the Texas Rangers.Jeter started 2011 very slowly, hitting just .256 with five RBI in April. Slowly, we all remembered how cruel it can be to play in New York.With Jeter batting just .274 in May and then ...
It's been a little while since I've been able to write anything on this website, so it does feel good to be back on here again.For those who don't know or weren't a part of this website late last year, in December I got married. Because my wife is a teacher with limited time for vacation, we had to put off going on our honeymoon until August.So we finally got to travel away for almost a week on a cruise to Bermuda.First, if you have never been to Bermuda, go. ...
Anyone who questions Joe Girardi’s desire to win is a fool. From his days as one of the leaders of the 1989 Eastern Division Champion Chicago Cubs to his clutch triple off Greg Maddux in the 1996 World Series to his managing the New York Yankees to the 2009 World Championship, Joe Girardi has been a winner. Joe Girardi is also smart—perhaps too smart for the Yankees good. Last night, Girardi failed to protest the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. It will not be costly, despite ...
$16,500,000 is more than the 2011 salaries of New York Yankees All-Stars Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano. Also, it's exactly twice the salary of Curtis Granderson. The only Yankees making more are Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, and Mark Teixeira. Yet, $16,500,000 is the 2011 salary of AJ Burnett. With a salary like that, you would anticipate a stud, a pitcher who every five days is almost a guaranteed win. Instead, the Yankees are paying the seventh highest starting pitcher’s salary in baseball for a guy who is 9-9 ...