Another Sox Jumps Ship

Another Red Sox has joined the archenemy New York Yankees. The one player the Yankees faithful loved to hate is now a guy those same fans will love to cheer.

Kevin Youkilis will now join Johnny Damon, Roger Clemens, and Babe Ruth (to name a few) that have jumped ship to come to the “dark side” by verbally agreeing to a 1 year, $12 million deal with the New York Yankees, according to sources.

Youkilis’ options were dwindling the moment the Cleveland Indians signed Mark Reynolds. So, Youkilis decided to do the unthinkable and sign with the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees also got what they need, a third baseman. However, that is not all that Youk will bring to the table. He is a very gritty, clutch, hardnosed ball player, and a type of guy that resembles former Yankee Paul O’Neill.

So the Yankees got their man but this might be the first of many moves the Yankees could potentially make. Ichiro Suzuki seems to be the next man that will be signed completing their starting outfield. But that might not be all.

The Yanks could look to deal Curtis Granderson, Phil Hughes or Ivan Nova. There have also been rumblings that the Yankees are checking in on Josh Hamilton and essentially could get him and stay under the $189 million cap. They will have to trade Granderson in order to do that but Cashman seems to always have something up his sleeve and maybe something big is brewing.

            

Yankees 3rd Base Options Dwindling

    When news surfaced about Alex Rodriguez needing another hip surgery on another hip, the list of free agent targets grew for the Yankees. Rodriguez is expected to have his surgery in January and the recovery is expected to be 4 to 6 months. However, Alex might not play at all in 2013. Joe Girardi believes the Yankees third basemen will have to play 162 games next season. "I think you have to assume those guys can play out the whole year depending on when Alex gets back," Girardi said. "Our hope is it's going to be four to six months. You can't predict what's going to happen, and you can't predict how he's going to come back." The Yankees should be concerned. Alex might not come back and the Yanks might be stuck with Eduardo NunEEEEEz at third base. Why? The Yankees have been targeting many third basemen after the news about A-Rod. They have targeted Jeff Keppinger, Eric Chavez, and Kevin Youkilis. However, Keppinger (3 yrs, $12 million) and Chavez (1 year, $3 million) are off the market. Jeff signed with the White Sox today and Chavez signed with the Diamondbacks.

The Yankees are not hard on former Red Sox Youkilis because he is asking for more money than the Yankees are willing to pay. At this point they might not have a choice.  I do not see the Yankees standing pat at third base and going with a platoon of Jayson Nix and Nunez throughout the year. I believe they get something done with someone and may have to be willing to pay a little more then they want to get someone. 

Martin Bolting to the Bucs

    Fox News has reported that former Yankees catcher Russell Martin is headed to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The details of his deal are unknown but Martin is reuniting with old Yankee teammate AJ Burnett. What does this means for the Yankees? A lot. This is not good news for the Yankees and their fan base. Martin was a tremendous defensive catcher for the Bombers. He worked very well with the pitching staff, ultimately leading the staff to becoming a top rotation. He was tough and gritty, the type of player Joe Girardi coveted. Martin’s offense is the complete opposite. He will not hit for average but does have some pop and gets on base with walks. He is also a very patient hitter, a guy who fit very nicely into the Yankees lineup.     

The Yankees can replace his offense but can the Yanks replace his defense and leadership? As of right now, Chris Stewart is the Yankees starting catcher with Francisco Cervelli the backup. They do have youngsters Austine Romine and Gary Sanchez but neither seems to be ready to take over full time. Soon to be 36-year-olds AJ Pierzynski and Mike Napoli are the only other two free agent catchers worth talking about. AJ is an average defender with a solid bat. His power would go great at Yankee Stadium and his personality would fit in New York. The only problem is, is that Pierzynski is most likely going to get a multi year deal and the Yankees do not seem keen on giving a 36-year-old a multi year deal because the Steinbrenner’s want to get the payroll under $189 million. Mike Napoli is not an everyday catcher and will not fit in with what Girardi wants. The Yankees do not even seem to be interested in him. So what can they do? Cashman always seems to surprise everyone and now he has to think of what to do to replace Martin. It will not be easy but what will be easy about this Yankees offseason? These Yankees will definitely have their work cut out for them because this offseason just got a little bit harder.  

On the other hand, good news came out of the Yanks camp today, they have announced that Andy Pettitte (1 year, $12 million) and Mariano Rivera (1 year, $10 million) will both be back with the team next season. 

Jays Making Moves

     With the Toronto Blue Jays set to acquire a plethora of talented players, the American League East just go a whole lot harder. Sources say that the Miami Marlins and Blue Jays are on the verge of agreeing on a blockbuster trade. The Marlins will send half their team to the Jays for some young guns relieving the Marlins of contracts that just have not worked out for them. The Blue Jays are set to acquire former Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, former White Sox pitcher Mark Buerhle, catcher John Buck, injury prone ace Josh Johnson, and super sub Emilio Bonifacio. The Blue Jays are sending shortstop Yunel Escobar, right-hander Henderson Alvarez, catcher Jeff Mathis and prospects Jake Marisnick (OF), Adeiny Hechavarria (SS), Justin Nicolino (LHP) and Anthony DeSclafani (RHP). The Blue Jays did not have to sacrifice top prospects Kyle Drabeck and catcher Travis d’Arnaud.

     This is scary for the rest of this division as the Blue Jays, barring injuries, have leap frogged to the top of the division. The Blue Jays have fortified their rotation with Buerhle and Johnson combining with Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow to form one of the top rotations in the game. This can only happening if Romero gets back to his 2011 form when he was an all-star pitcher and only if Johnson can stay healthy which has been a problem for him in the past couple years.     

     With that said, a lineup that ranked in the top ten last year, just got better. Jose Reyes is not the player he was two years ago but everyone knows how talented he is and he can hit well over .300 every season. Bonifacio will join Reyes at the top of the order to go with Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Brett Lawrie, and Colby Rasmus. This team will be very dangerous and they did not ruin their future either.

     The question becomes will the Blue Jays live up to high expectations? I still see them finishing fourth because they have so many injury prone players and guys who might not adjust well to the American League East (Josh Johnson). However, the Yankees, Orioles, and Rays all have tons of questions that need to be answered this offseason and I would not be surprised if the Blue Jays win the division next year. Everything must fall their way in order for them to do so but there is still a long offseason ahead with teams just beginning to make moves.

     This is a monster move for the Jays, as they will finally become relevant and dangerous again in now an even better AL East. With the Yankees, Rays, Orioles and Red Sox all expected to make a ton of moves, next season sure is shaping up to be something special. 

A New Yankee Low

When the Yankees went on a big spending spree in 2009, the Yankees faithful believed it was time to go back to becoming baseballs best. The Yankees signed superstar first baseman Mark Teixeira, and two stud pitchers in CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett. The Yankees and there fans were thinking large. 2009 turned out to be a great year as the Yankees did what they had to do, they won the World Series. They won it for the first time since 2000. Yankees fans were rejoiced and thinking repeat the next season. That did not turn out as the fans had hoped and the Texas Rangers eliminated them in the American League Championship Series. The following year the Yankees were thinking championship as they do every year. After another great regular season the Yankees fell to the Detroit Tigers in the American League Division Series. That was crushing, deflating the Yankees faithful after an early and disappointing exit.

2012 comes around and the Yankees trade AJ Burnett, and sign Hiroki Kuroda and Raul Ibanez. Also, Andy Pettitte makes his return to the majors after a year off. The Yankees were set for a title run except people doubted them because of their old age. Well the Yankees failed to disappoint as they had a ten game division lead,that crumbled by the wayside as the young Orioles shocked the world. The Yankees never relinquished that division lead and were the number one seed in the American League. They faced the resilient Orioles in the division series and barely got by winning the series three games to two behind a masterful game five performance by CC Sabathia. Then came the American League Championship Series.

The Yankees once again would face the Detroit Tigers. This time the Yankees came into the series with a struggling offense but great pitching. That offense just got worse. The Yankees pitching was masterful in the first three games but the Yankees offense fell quicker than Felix Baumgartner. This was one of the worst Yankees offenses in the postseason batting less than .200 as a team. Their big hitters were nowhere to be found and their captain went down. With Derek Jeter breaking his ankle in game one, the outlook of the series for the Yankees looked bleak. The series was still very much in their grasp but the offense had to pick it up. It didn’t. Alex Rodriguez was the center of all the criticism because of his ridiculous contract (probably the worst ever). But he does not deserve all of the blame. He definitely deserves some however because he batted .130 with no runs batted in, leading to Joe Girardi benching him in games three and four and his replacement, Eric Chavez, went hitless in the postseason. I was a huge advocate for the Yankees to play Alex as I was hoping he would break through. He did not even get a chance. Does this mean we have seen the last of A-Rod in pinstripes? Who knows but I do know that it is going to be extremely tough for Alex to return to half the player he once was.

Nick Swisher, Robinson Cano, and Curtis Granderson deserve equal if not more blame than Alex for this debacle. Nick Swisher has played his last game as a Yankee and he could not get out of New York quick enough. He batted just about .150 in the postseason and is 1-for-35 with runners in scoring position in his postseason career. Granderson could not hit the ball if it was the size of Prince Fielder’s stomach. He hit just around .110 with 15 strikeouts. Cano might have been the worst of the all. He was the best hitter in the world just a couple weeks ago batting .615 in nine games. This postseason? Cano is batting .080. The worst postseason showing I have ever heard of.

Without a doubt this is going to be a long offseason. This is no longer the Yankees team we witnessed in 2009. This was pathetic and every single player, coach, and staff member should be embarrassed. 

The Fall of Champions

The New York Yankees are going to enter one of the longest off-seasons in recent memory. This team looked old and slow in the postseason. They have a laundry list of free agents and guys they need to let go. Lets start with the big three free agents.

Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson have team options but will need to be re-signed. Cano is their best pure hitter and player and without a doubt will be a Yankee next season. It just depends on how long. I have heard rumblings of the Yankees offering Cano a ten-year deal. I sure hope that is not the case, as we know the history of players who receive ten-year contracts ala Alex Rodriguez. Cano deserves big money but after this postseason failure, he better not get what he really wants. 

Curtis Granderson will also most likely be resigned. I completely disagree with this statement. With Granderson, it is either strikeout or home run. That is not what the Yankees need. He does not deserve big money and his time in New York better be over.

Now we move to Nick Swisher. This guy should not even be offered a contract from the Yankees. He should be the first one out the door because just about every one in New York is fed up with him, including me. Swisher and Boras better wake up and realize that they will not be getting Jayson Werth money (7 yrs/$126 million). He has a thick head if he thinks he is getting that. If I were a contending team, I would not even bring him to my team because every one knows how bad he is in the postseason. I loved you Swish, you were a great personality and a lot of fun but it is certainly, as LeBron James has said, “about damn time” for you to leave New York.

Now the Yankees have some key free agents. Ichiro Suzuki should no doubt get a one-year deal to be a stopgap in right field for a season. Raul Ibanez is tough because he came up so clutch for the Yankees in the postseason but he has to go to. If he is willing to just come off the bench and DH once in a blue moon, then sign him for a season with no guaranteed money. Russell Martin is another free agent who I think will be back but again I disagree. He is a great catcher, defensively. But Martin just cannot hit the ball and is getting older. He needs to go to make way for the young catching prospects the Yankees have. Rafael Soriano is also another interesting decision. He will opt out of his contract and command big money, rightfully so. The Yankees cannot afford to pay him big money again and let him walk. Thank you so much though Soriano as the Yanks would be nowhere without you.

The final decision will be what to do with Alex Rodriguez. Him and his $114 million contract will be hovering over this team for five more years. They need to explore all options on the trade front whether it is with the Miami Marlins or the Los Angeles Dodgers. They will have to suck it up and eat probably around $100 million and take a bad contract in return. If this does not happen, well, the Yankees will be stuck with the “new” A-Rod. A person most Yankee fans have loved to hate.

This will be a very interesting offseason. The Yankees MUST get younger, faster, and smarter. No more of the old style of the Yankees where they just mash home runs. They need guys who will hit around .290 and steal bases and play sound fundamental baseball.

Cashman, please do everything possible to shed salary and become younger because if this Yankee team is the same for next season, fans are looking at a 70 win team. The Yankees need guys who can hit in the clutch and in the postseason. They need an overhaul of this team and need to start over because the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays are going to be very good for a long, long time. 

Case for AL MVP

      This race might be the tightest race in recent memory. Two guys stand out above most others. Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers and Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have separated themselves from the rest of the American League and the chase for Most Valuable Player is a two-horse race. It comes down to a 21-year-old phenom, and a player chasing the Triple Crown. Other players like Josh Hamilton, Derek Jeter, and Robinson Cano deserve recognition but not one of those players compare to the seasons of Trout and Cabrera. Here is the case for Cabrera and Trout winning the American League MVP:

Miguel Cabrera

Miguel Cabrera blasts his second home run of the night against the Athletics

He has officially jumped Mike Trout for the MVP award. This guy does everything and everything exceptionally well. Yes the Tigers are not winning the division but Miguel Cabrera is doing everything in his power to get his team past the White Sox. He is putting up numbers people have not seen in a long time. He may very well become the first Triple Crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski did it in 1967. Cabrera is not only heating up, he is heating up at the perfect time as his team is making a push for the playoffs. Cabrera owns a 6.5 wins above replacement (WAR) which ranks fourth in the AL. Cabrera’s numbers are ridiculous this season leading the American League in batting average (.333), runs batted in (130), slugging percentage (.613), and on-base percentage (1.011). He is also only one home run away from Josh Hamilton’s league leading 42. If he surpasses Hamilton and wins the Triple Crown, leading the league in home runs, runs batted in, and average, he will be the clear-cut winner for Most Valuable Player. If he doe not win the Triple Crown, Cabrera still has the numbers and should still be crowned MVP.

Mike Trout

Mike Trout makes one of the greatest catches ever just showing how great of a fielder he is

Just having his name in the discussion for MVP at the young age of 21 years old is an accomplishment. Winning it would put Mike Trout in elite company. This kid is putting up numbers like he has been in the league for ten years; however, he did not even get called up until April 28. Instantly, Trout made the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim a better team and that showed in their record. The Angels, like the Tigers, are battling for a playoff spot and at this point the Angels are in a tough position but that is not because of Trout. Trout has been constantly putting up huge numbers this season. Trout is second in the American league in batting average (.327), trailing only Cabrera. He has also hit 27 home runs to go along with 77 runs batted in. Though those do not seem like MVP caliber stats, Trout is more than just a power hitter. He also has eight triples and 46 stolen bases, the most in the AL. With the 46 stolen bases, Mike has only been thrown out four times. His defense however is what separates him from Cabrera and every other player in the MVP race. He has made spectacular play after spectacular play. Trout also leads the American League with a 10.52 WAR, and a 7.8 offensive WAR. This kid means more to his team then Miguel Cabrera and when you factor in everything else, Mike Trout might very well be your 2012 American League Most Valuable Player.

Tyler Fiedler

Time For Panic?

        With yet another Yankees loss today and an Orioles win, the Yankees lead in the American League East is down to one. It is no secret that the Yankees have been struggling mightily of late and it is no secret that the Orioles have been very hot and a very big surprise. The Yankees have seen their ten game lead dwindle and all but disappear. Without a doubt it is time for Yankee fans and for the New York Yankees to panic. The Baltimore Orioles are not going away and have been one of the best stories in baseball this season. The Tampa Bay Rays are not going away as well as they always seem to get hot and make things very interesting in September. These three teams will be battling it out the rest of the month as the Yankees will have five more games against Tampa Bay and four games against Baltimore in Baltimore. 
         The Yankees struggles are far and many. They have a plethora of injuries to the biggest names on their team, their bullpen is struggling, and they can not hit with runners in scoring position. The Yankees have lost Mariano Rivera, Brett Gardner, Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Ivan Nova and Curtis Granderson all to injury. Alex has come back and Granderson is expected back tomorrow but when your two, four, and five hitters are all hurt, it will affect any lineup. Yet, the Yankees have had plenty of opportunities to blow games open or take leads late. They just have not been able to capitalize with big hits. Right now,  the Yankees are playing their worst baseball of the season, by far. They need to get everyone healthy and they need to pick up their play. Right now, for all Yankee fans, it is scary seeing a very comfortable lead go down to just one game. Their pitching has not been good and when it has, they are not scoring enough runs. No doubt a healthy Yankees team will make the playoffs but will this team? If they do not get these injured players back and back soon, Yankee fans might look at the standings and see their team in second or third place. 
         With all the injured players back for the playoffs, will the Yankees be another first round flop? The way this team has hit with runners in scoring position, and in the clutch, it is hard to win playoff games. The Yankees are the only team in Major League Baseball this season to not have won a game when trailing after eight innings. Nothing for the Yankees is clicking right now. They must figure everything out soon or else they could be playing golf a little bite earlier than what Yankee fans are used to. 

Give The King His Throne

      27 up, 27 down. On a sunny day in Seattle, Felix Hernandez became the 23rd pitcher in Major League Baseball history to throw a perfect game. Not one hit, not one error, not one walk. The Tampa Bay Rays hitters looked baffled, and confused. "King" Felix has always wanted to complete the feat of pitching a perfect game. He finally has completed that feat. He turned in one of the greatest pitching performances ever. He had filthy stuff and made the Rays hitters look silly. They had no business being up there as Hernandez would just sit them back down. He set down a World Series caliber team with relative ease. Yesterday, Hernandez was completely dominant. However, this was not the first time Felix has been dominant. This kid, at only 26 years of age, is one of the best pitchers in the league, if not the best. He showed that he should be considered the best by turning in a performance like that. Every team will now be chasing him as they should. This kid is in the early stage of his prime and is still the nastiest pitcher in baseball. He can do it all.
      Every team desires a once in a decade pitcher. Felix Hernandez is that pitcher. He will be coveted during free agency when and if he enters in 2015. But forget all that. Felix Hernandez needs to become a New York Yankee. Yes I know the Steinbrenner's and Cashman have been trying to cut down their payroll. Whatever they have to do, they must manage to fit Felix into their payroll. This kid is young and an absolute animal. He is, in my opinion, the best pitcher in the American League. Yes, better than Justin Verlander and Jered Weaver. The Yankees need him more than anyone else in the Bigs. He immediately makes this team ten times better and a true, true force of a rotation. They Yankees would immediately have the best one-two punch in the league with Hernandez and CC Sabathia. Pairing Felix with CC just makes so much sense. Game one of the World Series you face CC, a lefty. Next game you get the right handed Felix Hernandez. Two of the best at their position. I understand the Yankees have four significant free agents this offseason in Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher, and Russell Martin and need to definitely sign Cano. If getting Felix means sacrificing Granderson and Swisher then they have to do it. Yes that is two-thirds of their starting lineup and two fan favorites but There are not many Felix Hernandez's just walking around. I would hate to see both those players go as they are both great players and great people. However, King Felix is just too good. The Yankees have a kid Mason Williams in the minors who will be their future center fielder anyway and Ichiro to replace Swisher for a year. If I am the Yankees, you sacrifice those two for one of the most dominant rotations out there.
       The Yankees have tried countless times to acquire Hernandez from Seattle but Seattle's general manager Jack Zduriencik have been reluctant to trade away their face of the franchise. The Yankees have too. It is time for the Yankees to stop keeping their farm system away from Seattle. They have to get this guy and if it means trading Dellin Betances and Manuel Banuelos (their top pitching prospects) along with a top position player not named Mason Williams. First of all, Felix is a proven stud. He is the most consistent pitcher in baseball and is still very young. Banuelos is the Yankees future but has made two starts this season and has been on the DL ever since. Betances in 25 games this season with Double and Triple-A has posted a 6-7 record with a 5.98 earned run average. Is that really what the Yankees want out of their supposed future ace? I sure no that I am scared if that is the Yankees future. Trading those two to get a pitcher like Hernandez, in my opinion, is a steal. Hernandez is in line for another amazing year and if he had a lineup like the Yankees, he would be a CY Young award winner every year. The Yankees need to go all in for this guy if they want to get back to the dominance that they had in the late 1990's. Like they say if you "can't beat 'em, get 'em." The Yankees need to get him [Felix] and need him as soon as they can. As a Yankee fan, I want the Yankees to "crown the king" and give him his throne. 

Another One Falls

       Upon the suspension of the San Francisco Giants all-star outfielder Melky Cabrera, one has to think when this era will ever end, if it will ever end. This new era of baseball has been deemed as the "steroid era." Another player has fallen victim to steroids and a suspension. Since 2005, 30 Major League Baseball players including Melky Cabrera have been caught and suspended because of the use of drugs. These 30 players do not even include Barry Bonds who has been victimized along with Alex Rodriguez. Melky Cabrera is just another player to go down with the use of illegal drugs to enhance his performance. This report stunned many and came as a huge surprise as well. Former teammate Derek Jeter said, "I enjoyed playing with him, I enjoyed watching him get better throughout the years. Yeah, it's too bad." Melky's best friend and former teammate Robinson Cano is devastated by the news as he said that he is "100 percent surprised" about Cabrera's suspension. He went on to say that it is a "sad day." Melky himself made a statement today apologizing for his actions. Will he ever move on from this? Is he reputation tarnished? These questions will be debated for a while and all Melky can do is live and learn from his mistakes.
        Melky Cabrera was having a career year this season. He is batting .346 with 11 home runs, 60 runs batted in, and a .516 slugging percentage.  With Melky's 50 game suspension for testing positive for testosterone, that all but ends his regular season. The Giants have 45 games left in the regular season and if they make the postseason he will finish his suspension then. This can also carry over to next season if the Giants do not make the playoffs or do not play five games in the postseason. Melky's career year continued by winning the All-Star game most valuable player award helping the National League secure home-field advantage in the World Series. Cabrera also surpassed Giant legend Willie Mays for most hits in a month in Giants history when Melky had 50 hits in May. Writers and fans want that record taken away from Melky. With this career year, it was also a contract year for Melky. This report has all but damaged his chances for big money. He was on pace for 215 hits this season and in line for a long-term, big money contract. Jayson Stark of ESPN said that this "costs him millions of dollars," going on to say, "he was set up to have a huge payday." Melky's reputation will also be very affected. He was a fan favorite and a well like teammate and respected player. Now? Who knows.
      Melky's career just took a turn for the worse and it will be up to him to turn that around. He will have to take a small contract just to keep playing. He will also have to show teams that he can play without the steroids and play affectively. Melky is a career .269 hitter. His numbers went up every year since the start of his career. Is it because of the steroids? No one will know until he comes out and says when he first started using PEDs. Melky's incline in production could have been from hard work and maturity. However, now, it does not matter. All that matters is that he has been caught cheating.
       Major League Baseball has upped their anty on the steroid front. They have been increasing their production every year and they keep catching more and more players. This however is not good for baseball. A feel good story has gone completely wrong. Players are ruining records which is the backbone of baseball because of steroids. This needs to stop and until it does, people will never know which records are for real and which records are tainted. Is this fair to think? No, but it is how everyone that is associated with baseball and follows baseball feels. This affects every player. Can the usage of steroids stop? Probably not but it must.
     

Anniversary of a Legend

    17 years ago today on August 13th, 1995, a Yankee legend passed away. Number 7, Mickey Mantle was the victim of alcoholism which eventually led to his death. Mantle played 18 seasons with the New York Yankees. However, he got his start with the semi-professional Baxter Springs Whiz Kids baseball team. In 1948, Yankees' scout Tom Greenwade came to Baxter Springs to watch Mantle's teammate, third baseman Billy Johnson. During the game, Mantle hit three home runs. Greenwade returned in 1949, after Mantle's high school graduation, to sign Mantle to a minor league contract. Mantle signed for $140 per month with a $1,500. His contract today would be worth $1,367 per month with $14,652 in signing bonuses. 

    Mantle began his Yankees career with their Class-D Independence team as a shortstop. He struggled mightily and had thoughts with his father about quitting baseball. Mantle was convince to continue his career in baseball and finished the season hitting .311. He was promoted the following season to Class-C in which he won the Western Association batting title. He hit .383 with 26 home runs and 136 runs batted in. A remarkable season for someone who a year earlier wanted to end his baseball career. With all this offensive power, Mantle needed to change positions because he was a weak defensive shortstop. Mantle was invited to the Yankees instructional spring league in 1951 and impressed Yankees management. He was promoted to the big leagues as a right fielder. 

     Mantle made quick impressions on his manager and teammates. Manager Casey Stengal said that "he has more natural power from both sides of the plate than anybody I ever saw." Mickey's teammate Bill Dickey called Mantle "the greatest prospect [he's] seen in [his] time." Mantle struggled once in the bigs and got sent down. Again he contemplated quitting but his father told him otherwise. Mantle immediately broke out of his struggles and hit .311 with 23 home runs. After 40 games in the minors, he was called up again and hit .267 with the Yankees. He also appeared in two World Series games that year. 

     Mantle replaced Joe Dimaggio in 1952 as the Yankees Center Fielder. Mantle's career rocketed in 1952 and did not slow down. 1956 was Mantle's best year as a ball player as he won the Triple Crown by leading the league in batting average (.353), home runs (52), and runs batted in (130). He won his first of three Most Valuable Player awards and won the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year. The next season, Mantle again won the MVP award and batted a career-high .365. 

     Mickey signed a $75,000 contract with the Yankees, making him the highest paid active player. That contract today would be worth $583,296. 

     1961 was a golden year. Mickey Mantle and his teammate Roger Maris went back and forth, shot for shot for the single season home run record. They both tried to break Babe Ruth's record. Nearing the end of the season, Mantle got injured and finished with 54 home runs. Maris on the other hand hit 61 home runs and broke Babe Ruth's record. 

     Mickey's career started to decline in 1965 because of injures and alcoholism. Mantle announced his retirement on March 1, 1969 ending his amazing career. Mantle's livers started to wither away and in 1995 one of the greatest, not only Yankee, but Major League Baseball player ever. Number 7 was remembered by the Yankees as they had a game the day he died. The Yanks payed Mantle a tribute by playing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on the organ as that was Mantle's favorite song. 

     Mickey Mantle's career was really just spectacular. He ended his career with 20 American League All-Star appearances, three MVP awards, one gold glove, a triple crown, and a seven time World Series Champion. Mantle will forever be known as one of the greatest Yankees ever. That is certainly saying something with Babe Ruth, Joe Dimaggio, and Lou Gehrig all playing for the Bronx Bombers. In 1998, "The Sporting News" placed Mantle at 17th on its list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players". That same year, he was one of 100 nominees for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team, and was chosen by fan balloting as one of the team's outfielders. ESPN's SportsCentury series that ran in 1999 ranked him No. 37 on its "50 Greatest Athletes" series. Sportscaster Bob Costas described him as "a fragile hero to whom we had an emotional attachment so strong and lasting that it defied logic." Costas added: "In the last year of his life, Mickey Mantle, always so hard on himself, finally came to accept and appreciate the distinction between a role model and a hero. The first, he often was not. The second, he always will be. And, in the end, people got it."

Resurgence of Eric Chavez

         A Gold Glover, a Silver Slugger, an All-Star, a former top ten third basemen, and an injury-prone stud. These characteristics all describe the 34 year old Eric Chavez. In 1996, the Oakland Athletics used their number tenth overall pick in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft to take the third basemen from Mount Carmel High School in San Diego, California. The Athletics were hoping Chavez would turn into their future every day starting third basemen. Not long after he became just that. On September 8th, 1998, a star was born. Eric made his Major League debut against the Baltimore Orioles pinch-hitting and striking out. He only appeared in 16 games that season hitting .311 with a triple. From 2000 to 2005, Chavez hit a consistent .270 to .280. His offensive production started to decline in 2006 and even more in 2007. In 2004, the A's signed Chavez to a 6 year, $66 million contract. Through his ten seasons with Oakland he posted a .266 average with 227 home runs and 762 runs batted in.
        2008 was a tough year for Chavez and the A's. Chavez began the year on the disabled list with back problems. Oakland really struggled without him and on May 29th, Eric was activated from the DL. A little more than a month later, Chavez was put back onto the DL, only this time it being right shoulder inflammation. The A's finished 75-86 and 24 and a half games back of the Angels.
       Then, in 2009, Chavez was placed on the DL again with back pains. This time however, he did not come back, and was forced to miss the rest of the year. The Athletics again struggled without a key contributor and finished one game worse than they did the previous year.
       Battling these injuries, Chavez was not the same player in 2010 and the Athletics let him walk as he became a free agent. At 32 years old, the New York Yankees took a flyer on Chavez signing him to a minor league contract and an invitation to spring training. The Yankees signed him to a Major League contract in late March and he made the team after spring training. He impressed manager Joe Girardi and teammates. However, on May 5th, he broke a bone in his foot rounding second base. He would again be sidelined being placed on the DL. He would return on July 26th. Eric batted .263 in 58 games for the Yankees that year. The Yankees felt that he was a good compliment to Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez at first and third base. They decided to re-sign Chavez for one more season after the 2011 season.
        This season in 2012, Chavez has been a huge help for the Yankees coming off the bench and having spot starts filling in for Tex and A-Rod. He did spend seven days on the DL with a concussion but for the first time in a long time, Eric Chavez has been healthy and productive. On July 24th of this year, Alex Rodriguez broke his hand after being hit by a pitch and was placed on the DL. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks. During his time on the DL, Eric Chavez has been more than a fill in for the Yankees. He has been a force and is helping the Yankees keep their division lead over Baltimore. Chavez stepped into the starting lineup and has caught fire, especially of late. He is batting .284 with 11 home runs and 28 RBI's. In 94 games, Alex was batting .276 with 15 homers and 44 RBI's. Not only has Chavez helped the Yankees offensively, he has made them better defensively.
         Lately, Chavez has been the Yankees best hitter. Eric has at least two hit in five of his last seven games. He has also hit three home runs over that span. Against Detroit in this last series, he went 9-for-16. That is a remarkable .563. Today, he propelled the Yankees to a victory hitting back-to-back home runs with Mark Teixeira in the eighth inning. That home run by Chavez is the first home run by a Yankees third basemen since 2009. That stat shows how much Alex Rodriguez has shown up in the clutch. If A-Rod was in today's game, would the Yankees have won? That is a question no one will ever know. But what we do know is that Eric Chavez has had a resurgence and is playing like its 2001. He is one of the big reasons why the Yankees have been winning and if he can stay healthy I would not be surprised if he gets a lot of playing time. He will be a major factor the rest of this season and in the playoffs. Eric Chavez is back ladies and gentlemen and teams will have to start being careful when pitching to him.

Yankees Upcoming Series Vs. Seattle

Pitching Matchups:  CC Sabathia and his 10 and 3 record starts for the Yankees as he tries to get back on track after getting roughed up against Boston on July 28th. This is CC's second start since coming back from the disabled list. He has posted a 3.57 earned run average this season. His career numbers verse the Mariners are exceptional, however. Sabathia has won his last seven starts against Seattle. His opposition tonight is right hander Kevin Millwood who has posted solid numbers, not including his record. He is 4 and 8 with a sub-four earned run average and is coming off a month in which he posted three runs or fewer, and at least six innings in four of five starts. He will be facing a very strong lineup in which the numbers are not in his favor. Six Yankees have regular season averages of over .350 against Millwood. This should be a solid matchup. 
    Game two starters consist of Hiroki Kuroda going for the Yanks against King Felix Hernandez. Kuroda is 10 and 7 this season with a 3.28 ERA. His last start verse Boston was masterful, giving up two runs in eight innings of work but taking the loss in a 3-2 pitchers duel. King Felix is 9 and 5 with a 2.79 ERA on the year. He has won his last four decisions, one of them coming against these Yankees. Against New York, he gave up two runs in seven and a third innings of work in the victory. Felix, a power pitcher, is a difficult assignment for the Yankees. Kuroda will certainly have to be on his A-game if the Yankees want to come away with a victory. 
     The rubber match starters consist of Freddy Garcia for New York and Hisashi Iwakuma for Seattle. Garcia is 4 and 5 with a 5.10 ERA on the year, losing his last three starts. Iwakuma is 2 and 2 with a 4.10 ERA as he tries to revenge a loss to the Yankees from July 25th.


Players to Watch: Ichiro Suzuki will be facing his old team for the first time in pinstripes at Yankee Stadium. He is 32 for 81 with seven extra-base hits against former teammate Kevin Millwood. He will try to help the Yankees beat his scrappy old team. Miguel Montero will also be making another return to the Bronx to face his former team. Montero is batting .260 with 10 home runs on the year. However, Montero has been killing left handed pitching of late so CC Sabathia will have to be very careful against this young catcher. 


Be Very Careful: The New York Yankees cannot take this Seattle team lightly. Though Seattle is only 50 and 57 on the year, they have won seven in a row and are a threat to spoil teams plans for the postseason. They at times struggle to score runs but their pitching has been solid enough lately for them to win games. This will be a tough series for the Yankees especially going up against Felix Hernandez.


   The Yankees are looking to get healthy with key contributors Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Andy Pettitte, and Brett Gardner all sidelined with injuries. However, Mark Teixeira is making his return to the lineup tonight after missing a couple games with a wrist injury. He will be batting fourth against Millwood tonight. Good news for the Yankees that his injury was not too serious. Nevertheless, The Yankees are in a great position to win the division but from this point on, no game will be easy, and no team should be taken lightly. 

Series Vs Baltimore

   The New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles opened a crucial three game set from Yankee Stadium on Monday. The Yankees were looking to blow open the American League East as the Orioles were looking to climb back into the race and erase the Yankees 7.5 game lead. The game one matchup consisted of Miguel Gonzalez for the O's and Freddy Garcia for the Yankees. Gonzalez entered this matchup at 2-2 while Garcia was 4-4. Runs came at a minimum as the Yankees struck first on an Eric Chavez single that drove in Raul Ibanez. The Orioles did not waste any time coming back as the leadoff hitter in the top of the third, Wilson Betemit, hit his 12th home run of the season. The O's would strike again in the top of the fifth scoring two runs on sacrifice flies. One by Omar Quintanilla and the second one by Nick Markakis. With a three to one lead heading into the bottom of the 5th the Yankees needed some runs and Raul Ibanez provided that for them as he lead off the inning with his 14th home run of the season cutting the O's lead to 3-2. However, in an attempt to cool off the red hot Nick Markakis, Manager Joe Girardi relieved Garcia with lefty thrower Boone Logan. Logan served up a double to Nick and eventually another run came around on a JJ Hardy single. Down 5-2 entering the bottom of the frame and with two outs Eric Chavez blasted his 9th homer of the season. And sure enough next batter Ichiro Suzuki hit his first home run as a Yankee and 100th career home run to cut the O's lead to 5-4. The Orioles bullpen shut down the Yanks the rest of the way through and the O's cut the Yankees division lead to 6.5 games. 

   The Yankees came into game two with one of their best pitchers, a pitcher in which they score a tremendous amount of runs for in Ivan Nova. Nova at 10-4 went up against Chris Tilman who pitched to a record of 3-1. The Yankees who score a ton of runs with Nova on the mound did not waste anytime as Derek Jeter led off with a double. Next batter Curtis Granderson drove him in with a single. Tilman off to a shaky start faced the Yankees most dangerous hitter in Robinson Cano. This matchup did not go well for Tilman as he served up a two run home run to Robby, his 24th of the year. The Yankees would cap off the inning scoring two more runs for a five run first inning. Yankee fans believed this was going to be a blow out. Not so fast as the Orioles came storming back in the top of the second. All with two outs the Orioles scored 7 runs off of Nova. Their 7 run outburst was capped off by a Chris Davis grand slam, his 18th home run of the season. The Orioles would not look back either as they scored one more run off Nova in the third. Nova left the game allowing 8 runs, by far his worst outing of the season and maybe of his whole career. The O's scored 3 more runs, two of which came on a Nick Markakis homer, to cap off an 11-5 victory taking the first two in the Bronx and cutting the lead to 5.5 games. 

   The rubber match of this three game set came on a Wednesday matinee in the Bronx. Phil Hughes, 10-8, faced lefty Zach Britton, 1-0, for the Orioles. The Yankees felt a little pressure trying to avoid the sweep and they dealt with it by putting up runs. In the bottom of the first Curtis Granderson started the hit parade with his 29th home run of the season. Andruw Jones hit a sac fly and the Yankees were up 2 zip early. Phil Hughes however gave one back in the top of the second on a ground out to Omar Quintanilla. But the Yanks would strike again scoring two more runs in the bottom half of the inning on a pair of singles from Jeter and Nick Swisher. With a 4-1 lead the Yanks were no where near done. In the bottom of the third, they went off. Robinson Cano capped off what would be a 7 run 3rd with a grand slam, his 24th home run of the season. Zach Britton's day was over giving up 7 runs. With a big lead the Yankees Manager Joe Girardi felt it was time for Joba Chamberlain to make his return. Coming off Tommy John surgery in which he missed the entire 2011 season and then breaking his ankle caused him to miss all of the 2012 season, up to this point. He walked out of the bullpen thrilled to be back and the crowd gave him a huge ovation. Joba was in for a rude awakening as the first batter he has faced since 2010 was JJ Hardy. Needless to say, JJ Hardy crushed a 85 mph slider off Joba for a solo home run. Joba struggled in his 2012 debut giving up two runs on four hits in an inning and a third of work. No harm, no foul however as the Yanks won the game 11-3 and avoided getting swept by the Orioles at the Stadium for the first time since 1989.