AJ Burnett is 33 years old, 2010 will be his 12th season in the major leagues, he’s played for two World Series winning teams, and despite all of that experience he is still learning valuable pitching lessons to this day.
Last season when the Yankees signed Burnett the biggest knock on him was his extensive injury history. A knock he countered by explaining that he had matured as a pitcher. He said that working along side Roy Halladay had taught him that he didn’t need to go all out on every ...
Chan Ho Park spoke with reporters about becoming a Yankee even though he had a better offer from the Phillies and also had an offer from the Washington Nationals.
Here are some quotes from his first day in camp :
On why he choose the Yankees : “It wasn’t easy to make a decision, because a lot of teams asked,” Park said. “But I’m trying to get a ring. That’s the most important thing.”
Park said he wanted to return to Philly, but that it was “too late” once he finally decided: ...
Yesterday, I wrote a piece about Robinson Cano being the best Yankee second baseman in the history of the franchise.
That made me think about the rest of the infield. If you look at the numbers, this Yankee infield is the best that the New York Yankees have ever had.
When you consider overall talent, both offensively and defensively, there has never been an infield to compare to the one now assembled to play in the Bronx.
And the primary reason is the left side of the infield.
There is no serious doubt that ...
It’s that time of the week when I point out some of the best from around the Yankees blogosphere because even though I’d like to believe people only read Bronx Baseball Daily, there are other great blogs out there. So I’ll take a couple of minutes to point out some of the best from the rest.
First, I should probably point out a little bit of stir I created, well maybe I didn’t create it. Was Watching, a very good and maybe slightly pessimistic Yankee blog that I read ...
The Yankees are fresh off a World Series championship. They have no steroid-scandal distractions, no major injuries, and all but about two or three spots of the roster have been solidified. Yes, things are good for the Bombers.
However, the Yankees have issues that could flare up this season. I’ll try to address the 10 biggest, or at least most obvious, questions (potential problems) the Yankees could have in 2010:
1) Will Curtis Granderson Continue To Struggle Against Lefties?
Granderson had a so-so season last year putting up an even 100 OPS+, but ...
New York Yankee Brian Cashman was quoted in today's New York Daily News as saying that Robinson Cano has a chance to make a name for himself that people will remember forever.
Cashman predicted that Cano has the chance to win batting crowns, MVPs, and implied that he could have a Hall of Fame career.
What came to mind is whether Robinson Cano is the best Yankee second baseman who has ever pulled on the pinstripes.
The Yankees have had some very memorable players at second.
With the great teams of the 1920s and ...
In an article about the Yankees outfield depth beyond their starters , I made the assumption that Marcus Thames was going to make the team and made it seem like the only way Jamie Hoffmann would stick with the team is if the Yankees worked out a trade with the Dodgers to keep the Rule 5 pick.
I shouldn’t have done that because while Thames might be the favorite, the Yankees didn’t trade former setup-man Brian Bruney for nothing and Hoffmann still has a shot at sticking in the ...
Among the possible free agents in next year’s class that fans have their eye on is left fielder Carl Crawford , but unlike somebody like Cliff Lee, fans are not unanimous in their support for Crawford.
Many say that he won’t leave Tampa, so why bother worrying. Some fear that 2008 was an indication that he won’t be worth the money, and most fear that as a speedster his game will have a significant drop-off as he ages. All arguments have their merit, but one that I haven’t heard much concerns ...
One player who has contributed a lot to the Yankees success over the years, but has been overlooked, is lefty reliever Arthur Rhodes. Don’t believe me? In 82 career innings against the Yankees, Rhodes has a 7.46 ERA, a 1.76 WHIP, and a .294 BAA.
Now he’s helping the Yankees in a more indirect way—he’s helping AJ Burnett work on his changeup.
Via Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger :
Burnett said he’s never spent more time trying to refine his changeup, even enlisting the help of an old friend and neighbor, Reds ...
In every interview with Alex Rodriguez, there's always at least one moment where I shake my head in disbelief and think to myself, "My God, what a goober."
It's become a cherished part of my Yankee fan experience these past six years.
Here's how it goes: Reporter asks A-Rod question. A-Rod squints his eyes (this indicates that he's listening really hard) and contorts his lips (I'm not sure what this indicates). Then comes the painfully-obvious canned response that includes unnecessary adjectives, unique pronunciations, and best of all, content that is almost ...