• Derek Jeter career slash line in the regular season: .310/.377/.440, .817 OPS
• Derek Jeter career slash line in the postseason: .308/.374/.465, .838 OPS

We talk so much about if clutch is real, and while I lean on the side that clutch is not a real thing, I do know that some players just can’t hack it in big moments, and Derek Jeter was not one of them. Against the best competition in the world, on the biggest stage, when the games mattered the most, he was THE EXACT SAME PLAYER that he was in the regular season (if not better). That is all you can ask for out of a team leader and superstar – do what you always do when the team needs it most.

The post The only Derek Jeter stat you need to know appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

Hell yes.

Cone met with Cashman, Boone and other members of the Yankees baseball operations department for several hours. Called it an “interesting” process and was glad he had the chance to do it. Said he’s not sure where things will go from here.

— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) November 5, 2019

On Twitter, Cone is The People’s Choice. His pitching knowledge and willingness to look at the sabermetrics shines through on YES broadcasts, and his experience playing under the bright lights in the Bronx can only help the current Yankees as they’re trying to learn how to win when it matters most.

When Twitter began to buzz about Cone replacing Larry Rothschild, Curry gave an insight into what kind of coach Cone would be:

As a pitching coach, David Cone would stress pitching to your strengths, not a batter's weaknesses. He'd treat everyone individually because he hates "cloning" of pitchers. He'd remind them to be reporters on mound and read swings/reactions. He'd cite value of well-placed walk.

— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) October 31, 2019

More Cone…He’d emphasize importance of pitcher-catcher relationship and “dancing” together. He’d suggest tossing different pitches on both sides to confuse batters (X-Games). He’d reinforce that the best pitch is the one that’s thrown with conviction.

— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) October 31, 2019

Even more Cone…He'd want his pitchers to challenge themselves, trust their instincts & be mentally tough. And part of that toughness is rebounding from failure. He'd tell them "less is more" regarding control vs velocity. And he'd implore them to embrace being king of the hill

— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) October 31, 2019

There have also been reports that the Yankees are looking into hiring college coaches for the job — younger guys who are deeply involved in analytics.

But bring me David Cone.

Not just because, in my opinion, he’d be the perfect fit, but because I’m all for the nostalgia of seeing one of my childhood heroes and one of the key members of the last Yankees dynasty back in pinstripes in the dugout to warm my cold heart.

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New York, I told you I wasn’t going anywhere! #goyankees
——————————————-
Nueva York, se lo dije que yo no iva para ningún lugar! #goyankees pic.twitter.com/gStR6ipR73

— Aroldis Chapman (@AChapman_105) November 3, 2019

Aroldis Chapman had the ability to opt out at midnight and get out of the last two years and $30 million that was owed to him to hit the open market. The hope for every Yankee fan was that he would get a year or two added at a reasonable number so we don’t have to worry about who is closing games for the next couple of years, without taking on a longterm, bad contract.

Just before midnight, Chapman and the Yankees got together to add one year and $18 million to keep him in the Bronx through 2022. This is just the first of many moves the Yankees have to make this offseason, but it’s nice to get the first move out of the way.

The post Where is Aroldis Chapman going? F*CKING NOWHERE! appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

No point in pointing fingers of blame at anyone. Just have to move on. Oh, screw that.

A Savages-less offense

With the exception of DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres, the Yankees offense was anemic in the ALCS. These guys all fizzled:

Edwin Encarnacion 1-18, No parrots, 11 Ks

Brett Gardner 3-22, 10 Ks, 1 run, 1 RBI

Didi Gregorius 5-23

Aaron Hicks 2-13 (But one helluva Game 5 blast.)

Aaron Judge 6-25, 1 xbh, 10 Ks

Gary Sanchez 3-23, 12 Ks

Gio Urshela 5-21

For those of you keeping score at home, that’s  25-145, or a .172 batting average. There’s no point in doing a deep dive into their on-base and slugging percentages. Savages? Not so much.

Roster Selection

Once Giancarlo Stanton was injured in Game 1 of the ALCS, the Yankees should have replaced him on the roster. They hesitated because then Stanton couldn’t have been on the World Series roster. Well, guess what? Stanton only played 18 regular-season games.

The Yankees won 103 regular-season games, most of which Stanton was not a part of. With Stanton being less than 100%, the Yankees could have used a Luke Voit or Mike Ford, or whoever, for the rest of the postseason. It might not have changed the outcome but it could have given the team a different look.

CC Sabathia. This is a tough one. How can you not love the big man? He made a career out of being one of baseball’s savages on the mound. But, Carsten Charles didn’t belong on the ALCS roster.

CC gave his complete body, heart, and soul, for the game.  He was one sneeze, or as it turned out, one pitch from falling apart for good. Since he couldn’t be used often, the Yankees could have even added another hitter rather than carry 13 pitchers.

The Front Office

Yankees’ General Manager Brian Cashman did a tremendous job all season plugging in parts to get the Yankees to the AL East title. But, when it came down to the trade deadline, Cashman didn’t add depth to the Yankees’ starting rotation and that helped to bite the Yankees in the Big Apple.

With Sabathia’s health issues, Luis Severino’s uncertain status, and an erratic J.A. Happ, the Yankees needed another pitcher to add to their arsenal. To make matters worse, the team also lost the services of Domingo German due to his bad behavior/decision-making. (If the accusations are true, I have no problem with the Yankees getting rid of him for next to nothing.)

The Yankees pitching held down the Astros’ potent attack, but the excessive use of the bullpen came back to haunt them. Had the Yankees had another starting pitcher that could’ve given them a start in Game 4, perhaps things could have turned out differently.

Decisions, Decisions

For reasons unbeknownst to all of us, manager Aaron Boone fell in love this summer with free-agent signee Adam Ottavino. While Ottavino earned Boone’s praise for most of the season, Ottovino fell apart down the stretch and continued his decline in the playoffs.

And, it was Ottavino’s pitch in Game 2 that was the turning point of the ALCS. James Paxton made a terrible start and Boone had to go to the bullpen early.

While the Yankees took a 2-1 lead, Chad Green pitched two dominant innings after replacing Paxton in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Boone then went to Ottovino, who kept the lead for zero pitches. His first pitch to George Springer resulted in a game-tying home run.

The Astros went on to win the game in extra innings and tied the series at a game apiece. And, the rest was misery.

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Larry Rothschild is being removed as #Yankees pitching coach. NYY will likely announce later today offically. @Buster_ESPN mentioned possible removal first.

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) October 28, 2019

There is a large contingent of Yankee fans that are rejoicing at the notion of a new pitching coach. I personally think it’s time for the Yankees to make a change there as well, but not because Rothschild was unsuccessful. Sometimes things stagnate if they don’t change, and I think that’s exactly what’s happened with the Yankees current breaking-ball-heavy pitching philosophy.

Since Rothschild was hired in 2011, here are the Yankees’ American League ranks in each pitching category:

By just about any metric, Rothschild has had a great deal of success with the Yankees. The majority of the current pitching staff are arms developed in our farm system, or pitchers we’ve acquired via trade. Rothschild has gotten the most out of the talent he has been given in my eyes. Some people will complain that Sonny Gray was terrible with NY, and then he left and found success etc. But for every Sonny Gray story, I’ll raise you a Chad Green or a Dellin Betances. Hell, even Luis Cessa has improved dramatically. He was shutting down guys in the ALCS this year. Who saw that coming?

Pitching coaches all have success and failure stories, and Rothschild has done a relatively decent job with the Yankees. I would liken Rothschild’s departure to Joe Girardi’s end with the Yankees. Both sides enjoyed a modicum of success, but it may be time to bring someone else in to see if they can lift them to the next level. Cheers, Larry.

So who will the next pitching coach be? Here’s my vote:

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They arrived here in the most peculiar way, one no one would have written, yet it brought them closer together, gave them a reason to rally together, and offered a chip on their shoulder as everybody counted them out with each new injury. Against all odds, they showed up every day and delivered the big hit, no matter who it was.

It seemed as though this was a magical year. It was a year of destiny. A year that could only end in one way…

Victoriously.

But when CC walked off the mound last night in tears, it looked to be a fitting end to a series that has thus far been the opposite of the magic they have bestowed upon us all year long. The series has been sloppy, the offense a no-show, and in as close to a must-win game as you could have, the team looked all but ready. They looked nothing like the 2019 #NextManUp Yankees.

The boat is quickly filling with water and Justin Verlander is on the mound tonight to try and officially sink it.

And all I can say is, the Yankees can’t go out like this.

Not like this. Not without a fight. Not without some magic.

If they do, they’re not the team we thought they were.

The Yankees have their backs against the wall. Something they are all too familiar with this season. And if they have taught us anything this year, they will throw up punches until the bitter end. They will battle, and they will play for each other.

And now, play for CC.

As the game ended with the sad reality that Sabathia has pitched his last pitch in Major League Baseball, perhaps Aaron Boone’s closed-door meeting reiterated that very sentiment:

Do it for CC.

Maybe, just maybe, something good could come of this injury. If Sabathia would want anything to come of it, it’d be the motivation to see through his wish of a World Championship. To go out there and be warriors, just like he was. To go out there and throw punches until you can’t throw anymore.

Go out there until your shoulder literally dislocates.

That’s what this team has done all year, and that’s what CC has done his entire career.

And our hope is they go out there tonight and do the same.

Because this is not how the story is supposed to end for the 2019 Yankees.

The story ends with the Yankees doing what they’ve done all year long. Overcoming impossible odds and finding a way to get it done.

No matter what. No matter who. No matter how.

The Yankees can’t go out like this.

And if someone could tell Justin Verlander this, that would be great.

The post The Yankees can’t go out like this. appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

Five hours of excruciating at bats, pitching changes, and commercial breaks. We stayed up till one in the morning with our hearts pounding, only for Carlos Correa to finally put us out of our misery just before 1 a.m. With a golden chance to go up 2-0, we instead settled for a split in H-town.

That’s over now.

Today, we are back in the big apple. No more roof, no more train whistles, no more fans that look like they belong at a nascar race.

On the mound for Houston is the supposedly unbeatable Gerrit Cole. According to the analytics, Cole has struck out a thousand batters this year. He hasn’t lost in months. John Smoltz seems to believe that Cole is on the verge of curing cancer.

Cole has to toe the slab in the boogie down. He has to get through a relentless group of hitters that will undoubtedly make him work for every out. Despite the dud in Game 2, this is the still the best offense in the world.

Even with the gut wrenching feeling Sunday night, everything is front of us. We take care of business at home, we go to the World Series. This is the best homefield advantage in baseball. It’s not because we have a roof, or because we have an annoying train whistle. It’s because we have the greatest fans in the world.

See you at the parade.

The post It’s time for Game 3 appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

Before you doubt me, let’s take a look at what has transpired ever since Upton’s husband Justin Verlander lost out on the 2016 AL Cy Young Award to his former teammate Rick Porcello.

Prior to being traded to Boston, Porcello and Verlander were members of the Detroit Tigers from 2009 through 2014. Two years later, Porcello put together a career year.

He led the AL with 22 wins, posted a fabulous 1.009 WHIP and a 3.15 ERA, tossed 223 innings, and led the league with a career-high 5.91 K/BB ratio. Additionally, Porcello sported a 3.40 FIP, a 4.8 WAR, and a 142 ERA+, all career bests.

Verlander’s season was just good as good if not better. He finished with 16 wins, a 3.04 ERA, a 1.001 WHIP, threw 227.2 innings and struck out a league-high 254 hitters. He also sported a 7.2 WAR, a 3.48 FIP, and a 140 ERA+.

That winter, the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) opted for Porcello in the Cy Young voting, 137 to 132. Verlander received more first-place votes (14) than Porcello (8) but the latter received more votes overall .

What happened next seemed to set the wheels in motion for what has happened to Cy Young winners and contenders ever since.

Upton, then Verlander’s fiancee, shredded the BBWAA on Twitter and threw shade at Porcello with a sorry, not sorry attitude.

He had the majority of 1st place votes and 2 writers didn’t have him on their ballots?!! can you pick more out of touch people to vote?@MLB

— Kate Upton (@KateUpton) November 16, 2016

Sorry Rick but you didn’t get any 1st place votes? you didn’t win. #ByeFelicia @MLB keep up with the times and fire those writers

— Kate Upton (@KateUpton) November 16, 2016

The Kate Upton Hex

So, what happened next? Porcello, building off his Cy Young year, went 11-17, 4.65 in 2017. He led the league in hits, home runs, and batters faced, and had a 1.397 WHIP. He threw 20 fewer innings than the previous year and his K/BB ratio dropped more than two points. Porcello’s WAR dropped from 4.8 to -0.2 and his ERA+ was under the standard 100 average.

Though Porcello bounced back with an improved 2018, he was horrible this past season. He put up a career-worst ERA (5.89), had his worst K/9 IP in five years, and averaged less than six innings per start.

The 2017 Wipeout

Verlander’s 2017 campaign was solid but not as good as the four pitchers that finished ahead of him in the Cy Young voting that offseason.

The Indians’ Corey Kluber took home the prize, followed by the Red Sox’ Chris Sale, the Yankees’ Luis Severino, and the Indians’ Carlos Carrasco.

Two years later, Kluber, Sale, and Severino all had arm issues to one degree or another, and Carrasco was diagnosed with Leukemia. I am in NO WAY saying Kate Upton-Verlander is responsible for Carrasco’s serious illness. But, the other three pitchers…

Kluber started to struggle last season and was terrible out of the gate this year. His season then prematurely ended on May 1st when a line drive broke his right arm.

Sale’s skills and fastball diminished as the season went on. He was shut down for the season in mid-August and was examined by an elbow specialist. Luckily, Tommy John surgery was not needed.

And, Severino only made his season debut in mid-September after missing the entire year with right shoulder and lat issues.

So you want to win a Cy Young, Snell?

Then you will pay the price. The 2018 awards season saw Tampa Bay’s Blake Snell capture the Cy Young Award. The runner up? Verlander, aka Mr. Kate Upton, came in second for the third time in his career.

Snell’s season proved that he was the clear winner, yet he only had four more first-place votes than Verlander. Snell did, however, win the award by 15 votes overall.

The left-hander got off to a slow start this season and it was determined that one of the reasons was an issue with his prized left arm. In late July, Snell underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove “loose bodies” (pieces of former Cy Young winners?) from his left elbow.

Even though he returned in September, the loss to the Rays’ rotation was immeasurable. Snell faced a pitch count/innings limit upon his return, which included the the AL Wild Card game and a division series loss to Verlander’s Houston Astros.

And, the winner is…

The 2019 AL Cy Young winner will either be Verlander or his teammate, Gerrit Cole. Now, I cannot confirm or deny this rumor, but I have heard that Kate Upton has a voodoo doll of Cole.

Beware, Gerrit Cole, beware!

The post Is Kate Upton a witch? appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

The grass is cut. The dirt is raked. The smells of stadium food are in the air. The sounds of beer vendors so eloquently pierce our ears. It’s that time of year; the best time of year. It’s time for Baseball.

And when Mariano Rivera walked out of the dugout to throw the first pitch to start the season, it gave you all the feels. It’s gonna be a great year.

Welcome to the 2019 Major League Baseball season. The season where the New York Yankees are destined for greatness…

Six months ago we marked the new Yankee season with these words. We watched as Game 1 unfolded, expecting to see a bunch of stars make their mark, mash home runs, and tear through the American League. We were ready for complete dominance from the biggest studs in the game.

Instead, the Yankees embarked on a journey no one could foresee and no one would ask for. Yet ironically, no one would change.

We got the misfits, the nobody’s, the Scranton crew who stole our hearts and filled us with pride; filled us with one unifying rallying cry.

#NextManUp.

“30 players down, 39 IL stints, over 2000 player-games missed… It didn’t matter.”

30 players down, 39 IL stints, over 2000 player-games missed.

It didn't matter… #NextManUp pic.twitter.com/f4zGPiEzQ1

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 3, 2019

I’d argue it did. It all mattered. Every freaking moment mattered. Every trial, every injury, every setback, every next man, every limp, tear, break, pop and … glute, mattered. Because it brought us to tonight bruised and battered, but stronger and humbled … ready. The Yankees have faced every test they could have faced this year. They are better for it, stronger because of it, more so than if they never faced a test at all.

Of course, no one asks for trouble. No one asks for trials. No one asks for tests. Most want problem-free living, cruise control, and predictability. We don’t just want the cake, we want to eat it, too. But this season proved over and over again you can’t enjoy the good times, without the bad. You can’t know joy without pain. You can’t see the sun without clouds. You can’t have a Yankees Championship without hardship.

Hard, it was. Stressful, it was. Troubling, it was.

Sweeter, it will be.

If they have one more fight in them, those tests will soon become their testimony. Their trials will become their triumph. Their hardship will become their championship.

The Yankees have played one-hundred and sixty-two baseball games.

But the season starts now.

The pitching is set.

The lineup is stacked.

The roster is ready.

Are you?

T-minus 4 hours…

Let’s. Go.

“This is the regular season. They can say that 162 is the regular season, but that Spring Training. This is when it counts. This is when it all counts. This is when it matters. The first 11. So it’s going to be some fun.” – Aaron Judge

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We have all had those days asking ourselves, “How in the world did we get here?” We’ve all said the words, “If someone said this is how the season would go before it ever started…” It’s been that kind of year. One big ol’ head-scratcher, one confusing, anxiety-inducing, “what just happened?” kind of year.

It’s been … weird. And there are still three games left. Part of me wants to bubble wrap them up and not let them play an inning of meaningless baseball. The other part of me says there is no such thing as meaningless baseball. And I’m going with the latter part.

Meaningless, shmeaningless. These games are important, and I want to see the Yankees act like it. We are all rushing to get to the postseason, but if the Yankees are going to play in the postseason the way they’ve looked this past week, then I’m happy to not rush things at all.

I think it’s safe to say most of us are eager to end this dangerous regular season and move on to the bright lights of the playoffs. I also think it’s safe to say the Yankees are more eager than we are. It’d be so easy to look past these three games in Texas and think, “Let’s get this party started.” However, I think this Yankee team needs some party prep, and these three games are a way to do just that.

Home-field advantage shouldn’t be the goal anymore. Sadly, this feat may be lost, but that doesn’t mean the Yankees can’t go out and show us a little something this weekend to end their season strong. Since clinching the A.L. East, they’ve won two of their last five games. Yes, it’s a small sample size, but watching this team play in Tampa was difficult. Guys are slumping, tired, and as usual, scaring us with “that was close” injuries. Of course, we want home field, but most importantly, we want guys strong and healthy and swinging the bats well.

I don’t necessarily believe how you enter the postseason determines how you’ll play in the postseason, but I do believe it’s better to go in with a few good games under your belt to feel confident and ready. They will have four days off after their last regular-season game, and we want those four days to be days during which they can build on the confidence of their final at-bats, not worry why they are still slumping and sluggish.

We want to see Gleyber Torres with some hits and clean defense, Gary Sanchez running to first (okay, jogging) without issues, and Edwin Encarnacion walk the parrot without a grimace. We want Luis Severino to rack up some more scoreless innings, Tommy Kahnle and Adam Ottavino to have some clean outings, Gio Urshela‘s hand to stop scaring us with bruising and swelling, and Giancarlo Stanton to stop wearing golden sombreros. We’d also love to see DJ LeMahieu go like 12 for 12 and win the batting title, but I digress.

The point is, we want to see this team firing on all cylinders, and at the moment, they are not. Perhaps they are just taking it easy, purposely being lax so they can stay fresh and healthy for next Friday when they’ll break out the bats and act as if this end-of-season malaise never happened. That’s what we hope, at least, but that’s always a slippery slope. No team wants to end the season on a bad note, even if the team isn’t going anywhere. Players compete, regardless of the importance.

Whatever the reason for their current sleepwalking, my hope is the Texas heat wakes them up. My hope is Sanchez and Encarnacion coming back sparks them. There are three games left of this ridiculous 2019 regular season. It’s not over yet, and I expect them to go into Texas and take care of business. Let’s not rush to the playoffs. Let’s end this season the right way.

I’m looking to see a clean sweep in Texas, to go out with a bang, and head into the postseason looking like the best team in baseball.

Because that’s what they are: the best team in baseball. Regardless of Houston’s record.

P.S. Enjoy that afternoon, non-prime-time slot next weekend, Houston. Well earned!

The post The Yankees need to show us something this weekend. appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

The conversation with RoFlo got me thinking: If the Yankees and Astros combined to build a super roster, could they beat the rest of the 28 teams in Major League baseball? We discussed…

If the Yankees and Astros combined rosters, could they beat the rest of MLB? pic.twitter.com/82FgLfPR5J

— The BP Show (@YankeesPodcast) September 26, 2019

Let’s break it down

On the surface it sounds ridiculous, but let’s break it down.

Catcher – Gary Sanchez

Robinson Chirinos has had a great first year in Houston, but El Gary has had a huge bounce-back season with 34 home runs (Yankees franchise record for a catcher) and miraculously cut down on his passed balls.

First Base – Yuli Gurriel

As RoFlo pointed out, the Yankees have had a revolving door at first base. Greg Bird, Luke Voit, and Edwin Encarnacion have all been the Yankees “first baseman” at one point or another. DJ LeMahieu has floated all over the field, and will probably start at first base for the Yanks in the playoffs, but is not a first baseman. Because of this we landed on Gurriel, who has slugged 30 homers, 40 doubles and is hitting an even .300 in 600+ plate appearances this year.

Second Base – Jose Altuve

Yankees fans might be mad at this choice because they have hated Altuve ever since he beat-out Judge for the 2017 MVP Award. Altuve this season is still one of the best second baseman in baseball, with a 137 wRC+ and 3.4 fWAR. One interesting note on Altuve is that his defense has definitely taken a step back, which is why having LeMahieu on this roster is key (more on that later).

Shortstop – Gleyber Torres

Would you believe it if I told you Gleyber has spent more time at SS than 2B this year? 650 innings at SS compared to 539 at 2B. A kind word to describe his defense at shortstop is average. An accurate word to describe his defense at second base is poor. But his value is not in his glove. Gleyber has bashed 38 dingers with a 125 wRC+ and managed to cut-down on his strikeout rate this year.

Third Base – Alex Bregman

Bregman has a chance to win the AL MVP if the writers decide to not treat the award like the “best player” award this season (that goes to Trout, obviously). RoFlo and I get into MVP award voting on the episode as well if you’d like to listen (definitely listen). Bregman is a beast; he is second behind Trout in AL fWAR and only strikes out 12% of the time, which may be my favorite Bregman stat.

Super Utility Infielder – DJ LeMahieu

Is it a slap in the face to put a top-5 MVP guy on the bench? Maybe. But the infield is stacked and DJLM’s versatility and defense will come in handy on this roster. Remember when we thought there would be no place for LeMahieu to play this season on the Yankees? Well here we are in the last week of the season and he leads the Yankees in plate appearances and batting average.

Left Field – Giancarlo Stanton

Stanton has been injured all year, so why is he in left field? Because he’s still Giancarlo Stanton and if he’s healthy, he starts in LF (for the Yankees and for this made up team I’m calling the Yanksros).

Center Field – George Springer

Had Springer not been injured he might be the AL MVP this year. He ranks 6th in AL fWAR despite having missed significant time. He’s also from Connecticut, according to Suzyn Waldman.

Right Field – Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge is the best right fielder in baseball don’t @ me.

Backup Outfielder – Brett Gardner

Gardner can still play an elite left field and solid center field, and has revolutionized his approach and somehow sniffed 30 home runs this year. Amazing.

Designated Hitter – Yordan Alvarez

Alvarez is a freak. He’s a 22-year old phenom with a 185 wRC+ and, as Robert says on the podcast, seems to know the strike zone like a seasoned vet.

Starting Rotation – Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, James Paxton, Luis Severino, Zack Greinke

BAHAHAHHAHAHAHA. Sooooooo many strikeouts.

Bullpen – Basically just the Yankees bullpen + Will Harris and Roberto Osuna

The Yankees bullpen is tied for first in MLB for WAR, but that also has to due with the fact they pitch a lot of innings. The Astros pen ranks 10th for WAR, but ranks 23rd in innings pitched. Adding Harris and Osuna, the ‘stros two best relievers to the Yankees bullpen of Chapman, Miller, Betan… whoops, wrong year…. Chapman, Britton, Ottavino, Kahnle, and Green would make it a 7-headed death monster. *update* I omitted Ryan Pressly from the original post and should not have. He’s had a fantastic season, posting a sub-2.50 ERA and sub-3.00 FIP. Add him to the list!

Who wins?

To answer the question: Yes, I think the Yankstros would edge out the rest of MLB if they played a series. The difference will come down to pitching, and I’ll take that rotation and bullpen against any offensive squad the rest of MLB can assemble. I also don’t hate a lineup of:

CF Springer
RF Judge
DH Alvarez
3B Bregman
LF Stanton
1B Gurriel
C Sanchez
2B Altuve
SS Gleyber

I know, I know… it’s right handed heavy. But it’s still insane.

The post If the Yankees and Astros combined rosters, could they beat the rest of MLB? appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

Not sure what to write.

I’m numb at this point

From this injury plight.

It’s not so much a plight,

As it is a massacre.

This Yankee team

Has taken more hits than a boxer,

Who keeps getting knocked down,

And standing back up,

Only for the next blow,

It just doesn’t let up.

From one night to the next

Another Yankee gets hurt.

I have a feeling this current medical staff

Will soon be looking for work.

30 players have hit the IL,

38 stints to be exact,

So many new faces,

50 different ones, in fact.

We’ve used 26 pitchers,

That’s more than a roster,

Another 14 infielders,

Any more and we’ll soon have imposters

Playing for the Yankees,

Yeah this could be true,

Grab a glove and bat,

You’re not scared of MRI booths, are you?

The back and forth news of injuries and come-backs,

Have our heads spinning,

Wondering who the heck is next.

Just when we thought our team was rounding into shape,

More injury blows are threatening our ticker-tape parade.

As fans we’re crying out,

“Please stop this madness!”

We’re going to bed every night,

Praying for the miraculous.

We’re offering our own groins to Gary,

And watching Judge’s expressions.

“Was he grimacing right there?”

Someone, please stop this obsession!

See, we fans are going crazy,

That’s how weird things have been.

Even Boone is strangely calling injuries

“A gray kind of thing.”

What does that even mean?

We’re making things up now?!

Sigh, everyone take a deep breath,

And relax the eyebrows.

Because in spite of it all,

Guys are showing up somehow.

Ready to play,

“Next Man Up” is their cry,

And “Let Brett bang,”

To let umpires know why

They’ve been so bad behind the dish,

Calling strikes at the socks.

“DON’T YOU KNOW,”

Boone will tell you,

“MY GUYS ARE SAVAGES IN THE BOX?!”

They just keep stepping up,

With every new face,

These next men up

Have played themselves into first place.

These boys keep throwing their fists up,

Ready to fight their way through,

While Maybin spreads the love

With “Hug Season”, too,

Because they keep mashing home runs,

And breaking all the records

But nobody cares,

Because of all they’ve weathered…

From the one record we didn’t wanna break:

The most IL’d players in history,

Can anyone explain this?

I blame Jacoby Ellsbury.

We didn’t draw it up this way,

Boone’s probably gained some gray hairs,

Nothing like Girardi, though,

Dude aged fifty years.

We’ve all aged some watching this year unfold,

It’s been an adventure, to say the least,

A team and year to behold.

It’s almost become predictable,

Injury after injury.

Our #ReplaceFor28 motto,

Is now an old decree.

“Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Another Yankee is hurt,

‘Yada, yada, yada’,

Is this really news?”

Fans, these Yankees are here for it,

They’ve battled through ALL the adversity.

And as our man CC already said,

It’ll just make for a “really good World Series DVD.”

The post The 2019 #NextManUp Yankees: A Poem appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

At 2 years old, Jax now knows every single @Yankees player by name & position before the actual alphabet

(wait till the end. Jax loves @t_masahiro18 bc he is Asian like him ) pic.twitter.com/WTe73BVh4i

— Bo Han (@bohan) September 4, 2019

This video is making the rounds of not just Yankees Twitter, but the whole internet. Two-year-old Jax is just flying through these cards, and apparently knows EVERY SINGLE PLAYER on the Yankees, which is tough to do when you have 10,000 injuries in a season. Let’s be honest, he probably knows more about the team than a lot of the people who will be sitting up close during the playoffs.

For these reasons, I have decided to pull a Lane Kiffin and offer a 2-year-old a spot at Bronx Pinstripes when he becomes eligible.

Hell, let’s just make him a September call up. He takes daddy hacks.

pic.twitter.com/LdqhvyPvjw

— Bo Han (@bohan) September 4, 2019

PS: Shoutout to the dad for calling out that he likes Tanaka because they’re both asian, and not making us all wonder if we’re bad people for thinking it on our own.

The post This 2-year-old has an open invite to join Bronx Pinstripes appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

Seventy. In one month. That’s a lot of home runs. Of course, that’s been the sentiment around the entire league. A lot of home runs have been hit, and there has been one major reason why.

Steroids.

Wait, just kidding, this isn’t 1998. My bad. Perhaps steroids aren’t as prevalent in ball players anymore as much as it is inside the actual baseball.

The ball is juiced! The new rallying cry of baseball purists of this era is alive and well, but what’s important to note is, they’re not wrong. In the future, this will most certainly be looked upon as the “juiced ball era” just like the time of steroids will be the “steroid era.”

It seems as though in every new era of baseball, there has been something to jeopardize the integrity of the game, and maybe it’s not hurting the entertainment value itself (baseball is making more money than it ever has), but it is hurting the one thing baseball is built around: records.

There is no question the balls have been doctored, whether intentionally or not. Home runs are happening at a record clip, and players who statistically were never home run hitters are suddenly Babe Ruth-esque. This is no secret anymore, and it’s widely talked about around the league, among the fans, and even among the players.

So with the incredible amount of home runs being hit, and nothing seemingly ending that any time soon, it had me wondering.

If someone active in this league, right now, were to break the home run record, how would people perceive it? Would we care? Would we follow? Would we celebrate? Would we champion them the true home run king? Would we scoff? Would we complain? Furthermore, what is the home run record in people’s eyes? Is it Barry Bonds‘ 72 home runs or is it Roger Maris‘ 61?

We are technically in the post-steroid era, and if that’s the case, we should technically be watching clean baseball, so records should mean something again, right?

Unfortunately, the home run record in baseball will always come with controversy, and I’m certain no matter who it is, even if it’s the greatest baseball player living right now in Mike Trout, there will never be unanimous agreement on its relevance.

In short, in my opinion, the home run record is dead. Perhaps a physical asterisk won’t accompany home run number 73, but there will surely be a mental one among enough people where it will never truly feel meaningful again. This is nothing new. Even when Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth’s record, it came with controversy (it took him more games than Babe Ruth).

So to some, the home run king is still Ruth. To others, it’s Maris. Still to others, it’s Hank Aaron, and there are even some who consider Bonds the king. He does have the most, after all, steroids or not. However, this is the problem. In every era, there’s a new king, and in every era, the game of baseball is simply different.

So perhaps the only way to move forward while still appreciating this great game is we effectively close the record books on home runs, and we stop comparing players from one generation to another. We take baseball for what it is: a game that looks slightly different in every new era, where great players exist that don’t need to be compared to other great players that existed before them.

Hank Aaron vs. Barry Bonds.

Mickey Mantle vs. Mike Trout.

Babe Ruth vs… Adam Ottavino?

The fact is it is impossible to compare players from different generations because the game always has an asterisk. It always has something. It always has a difference. You simply cannot compare Babe Ruth to Mike Trout because Mike Tout can’t play in the 1920’s and Ruth can’t play in 2019. What we can do is choose who the best or most dominant player was in each era, celebrating the fact they were the best in their era of ball, in the time where they had nothing to compare it to but the competition around them. Mike Trout can only compare himself the competition of today, to those around him, in the era of the game he’s in.

The record books are like the Bible to baseball, and part of playing this game is to watch great ball players strive to break records. The problem, though, is now we question everything we watch, instead of enjoying the moments for what they are – all-star players doing all-star things.

Will the home run record book ever actually be closed? Of course not. If a player like Mike Trout broke the home run record, he would be the home run king and it would ultimately be celebrated by Major League Baseball.

However, the conversation will start all over again. Some will find it meaningful. Some won’t. Some will crown him king, some will crown an asterisk over it. Some won’t care whatsoever and some will rejoice it’s no longer Barry Bonds. Wherever you stand, the bottom line is it will be questioned more than it will be celebrated, just like it has over the course of history.

So my question to you is this: If someone broke the home run record today, would you care? Or is the HR record effectively dead?

And could baseball ever find a way to bring it back to life again?

The post Is the home run record dead? appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

Maybin is well-known for his good vibes and his celebratory hugs with teammates. He’s always spreading positivity, both in the Yankees dugout and through his interactions on social media. Not only is he a great veteran presence in the Yankees clubhouse, but Maybin has certainly made his presence known with his play on the field by slashing .308/.516/.905 with 8HRs and providing the Yankees much-needed flexibility by playing all three outfield positions.

The #TradeDeadline got everyone stressed, man… Who needs a hug? I got y’all. Bring it on in pic.twitter.com/NwQR1x276M

— Cameron Maybin (@CameronMaybin) July 31, 2019

Being a fan community, we also love to see when our guys are doing good things off-the-field, and Maybin has certainly been an active participant in the local community.  We’re very excited at Bronx Pinstripes to partner with Cam and his team by designing a great t-shirt that will help spread his positive attitude and raise money to benefit his mission, Maybin Mission, and DREAM Charter School in Harlem.

Since the first day I stepped foot in the New York Yankees clubhouse, it felt like home. Teammates have become brothers and fans have become family. I couldn’t be more grateful to wear the pinstripes. I’m excited to partner with Bronx Pinstripes and the #BPCrew on this special collaboration, so I can share my famous hugs with Yankees fans near and far and help raise funds for a cause that’s so important to me, my Maybin Mission. – Cameron Maybin

'HUG SZN' & 'Savages Gotta Hug' shirts are live on the @BronxPinstripes site

I better see some of y'all with the shirts at the next home stand! Hit me with that #HugSzn hashtag so I can see it https://t.co/h2SuuLo3QZ pic.twitter.com/CnWTJgrrSh

— Cameron Maybin (@CameronMaybin) August 21, 2019

We’re proud to say that 100% of the proceeds from the HUG SZN and Savages Gotta Hug t-shirts will benefit Maybin Mission and will be donated to DREAM Charter School in Harlem. 

Maybin Mission, which was founded by Cameron and his wife Courtney in 2016, focuses on enriching the lives of inner-city youth. Today, Maybin Mission programs and partnerships reach thousands of kids from coast to coast and everywhere in between. Through positive play, education, and cultural programming, the Maybin’s are dedicated to impacting the communities in which they live and serve.

It’s officially #HugSZN, and we’re here for it!

Purchase your t-shirt today: shop.bronxpinstripes.com

For more information about Maybin Mission: maybinmission.com

The post Savages gotta hug: Maybin brings #HugSZN to the Bronx appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

The Mets and the Yankees are both good teams with holes. This question just came up in the newsroom: If they agreed to combine rosters and just play the postseason as "New York," would they win the World Series. 5 min poll

— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) August 6, 2019

I mean, what the hell are we talking about here? The New York Yankees currently have the best record in baseball and the New York Mets are a 4th place team, in a softer-than-baby-shit division. I’ll be honest, I don’t track the Mets that close and with all the playoff talk on Twitter from their loser fans, I assumed they were at a minimum in 3rd place.

Are there players on the Mets that we would want on the Yankees? Of course, but the Mets aren’t even the first 4th place team I would raid. With the Angels in 4th place, you always take Mike Trout.

Andy Martino’s twitter bio features a quote from a reader of his, which says: “He may have relevant baseball news, but as a human being he’s an embarrassment.” Now he doesn’t even have the baseball news. He’s just an embarrassment for trying to lump that amateur organization in Queens that has happened to go on a hot streak, THAT WILL END, with a team that has overcome approximately 10,000 injuries to represent the greatest organization on earth.

The Mets are not a good team with holes. The Mets are a hole; a blackhole that their fan base falls into every time they make a push when its already too late for them.

PS: Yes, I am mad online.

The @mets are a 4th place team and the @Yankees have the best record in baseball. WTF are we talking about? https://t.co/S1Mha3FYXc

— JJ (@JJFromTheBronx) August 6, 2019

The post Here is the dumbest take about the Yankees you’ll see all day appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

A little nervous.

A little doubtful.

A little bit of high blood pressure.

This is very poor timing for these Sox series. Well, when is it ever a good time to have a heart attack?

The last time the Yankees faced the Red Sox, fans were salivating over the upcoming trade deadline. This was the year Cashman would cash in his chips, find the ace in Trevor Bauer or Madison Bumgarner, and leave behind a questionable off-season of non-signings. Excitement and optimism filled the air, even after Minnesota scored a billion runs against the Yankees, because, rest assured, we won the series and, rest assured, Cashman might fix this. There was still time.

Then they went to Fenway Park, where the starting pitching staff capped off one of its worst weeks in the history of this storied franchise (and there’s a lot of history). Humiliated by a team they couldn’t seem to get out, the fans’ rest was anything but assured. Cashman MUST fix this. There was no time.

Time. That was about the only thing to pass through that Yankee clubhouse come 4PM on July 31st, not the new pitcher everyone thought it’d be, unless you count a twenty-year-old Alfredo Garcia in Single-A. Cashman seemed as though he was creating a pasta menu (Alfredo, Jonathan Loaisiga, aka Lasagna) rather than a pitching staff.

But perhaps now time is the only thing to pass in order to heal the broken hearts of Yankee fans. It’s been two days since the deadline and no newly-acquired pitcher is walking through those doors. Heartache still lingers, but there are still games to be played. Fans must move forward with a pitching staff that they tried to leave behind. Fans must put their trust in players deemed untrustworthy. Fans must see now that the only deals Cashman can make are the ones he’s already made.

The pitchers on this roster are capable of greatness, and now is the time for them to look themselves in the mirror – not just to peer at the new baseball grip that they’ve learned, but to peer into their souls. Now is the time to step up, show up, and silence the critics who called the trade deadline a disaster.

After losing three out of four to the Red Sox, a historically bad stretch of pitching, inactivity at the trade deadline, and the acquisition of an ace by the Astros, you can’t blame the critics for their “F” grade for Cashman and the Yankees. This stretch has not been a good one, even the Yankees will admit that — but because it’s all crumpled together, perhaps panic has ensued unnecessarily. Perhaps it looks worse than it is. The shoe is certainly falling, yes, but the Yankees still have a chance to catch it. They’ve had a great season of baseball, due in part to timely hitting and great offense along with facing bad teams, all without penciling in their fully-loaded lineup yet this season.

Maybe Cashman doesn’t have the best track record with signing pitchers, but he’s also been a victim of good signings turned bad. When the Yankees signed Tanaka after 2013, it was praised. When the Yankees traded for Sonny Gray two years ago, it was praised. When the Yankees traded for J.A. Happ mid-season last year, it was praised. And when the Yankees traded for James Paxton in the off-season, it was praised.

Sonny Gray was an all-star this year, as was Masahiro Tanaka. J.A. Happ was an all-star last year, and James Paxton has shown flashes of greatness throughout his early career in Seattle. Gray is now on the Cincinnati Reds, but the others are still here, and if they pitched to their abilities, Cashman, again, would be praised.

Masahiro Tanaka‘s career ERA is 3.75. This year, it’s 4.78. J.A. Happ’s career ERA is 3.98. This year, it’s 5.19. James Paxton’s career ERA is 3.59. This year, it’s 4.72. ERA is not always the most informative stat anymore with advanced metrics on the rise, but it does give us a glimpse at how these pitchers could and should be performing.

This doesn’t mean Cashman isn’t to blame, either. It’s hard to stand by the old Yankee fan cliche, In Cashman we trust, when we’ve seen guys like Patrick Corbin, Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander, and Dallas Keuchel go to other teams whose pants have pockets that their hands aren’t afraid to reach into. There have been some massive misses, and now the Yankees are paying the price — by not paying at all. This left Cashman with some urgency at the deadline, and other teams knew it.

We don’t know what happens behind closed doors, but what we can surmise from the information given is that other teams charge a “Yankee tax” – the Yankees face a higher asking price than most teams do. In order to find the ace to move the needle, the Yankees would have had to give up the farm and then some (Gleyber Torres), something Cashman was not willing to do, and for good reason. From the outside looking in, it seems as though Cashman and the Yanks were getting the shaft. Their hands were tied, and it wasn’t worth losing great prospects for a middle-of-the-pack starter. No Marcus Stroman, no Bauer, no Bumgarner? No dice. The Yankees shared that they weren’t really even close, and they had to move on.

And so we have to move on too.

There’s a lot of baseball left to be played, and now the fans’ hopes are in these current starters, for better or worse, along with hopes of Luis Severino and Dellin Betances giving us something, anything, in September. The good news is that August and September are two of the better months statistically for many Yankee pitchers. The bad new is that the playoffs don’t begin until October.

And only one thing will tell if they’re ready for October.

Time.

The post In time we trust. appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

— Oh, there goes Marcus Stroman at the trade deadline — but according to media sources, “we” didn’t really want him.

The Yankees MUST make a move for a starting pitcher. Not for the sake of making a deal, but a deal that will actually benefit the team. The Yankees roster, in its present form, is not World Series-winning material. Mostly because of J.A. Happ and, as much as I love him, CC Sabathia.

— Sox add a starter at the trade deadline —

Happ can barely make it through five innings these days and manager Aaron Boone isn’t afraid to give him a quick hook before that. CC’s knee is a mess, and despite his fiery attitude and leadership, the big man can’t be relied on to take his spot in the rotation every fifth or sixth day.

So, CASHMAN, MAKE LIKE YOUR SUPERHERO MONIKER AND GET A MAJOR MOVE DONE. NOW!

If the Baseball Gods smile upon the Yankees, Luis Severino will make it back this season. But, the Yankees are targeting September, and how effective could he possibly be? I see Sevy returning as an opener, a 2-3 inning starter (based on a low-pitch count limit), or another arm in the pen when a big strikeout is needed.

The latter depends on whether or not Dellin Betances returns and is effective.

— A’s add a starter at the trade deadline —

Masahiro Tanaka has the stuff of an ace, but at times he also looks like a newbie fresh out of Double-A.  One day, he throws like Justin Verlander, and on another he tosses like Justin Timberlake.

Domingo German is the most consistent, reliable starter, and that should not be the case. No knock on German, but the Yankees shouldn’t have to put that much physical and mental stress on a young arm.

— Cubs add a starter at the trade deadline —

So, here we sit. Flash back to 2010. The Yankees were the reigning World Series champions. They were on their way to a 97-win season. And who did they get at the deadline?

An over the hill-ish Kerry Wood. An over the hill-ish Lance Berkman. A mediocre Austin Kearns and a less than mediocre Chan Ho Park (during the now-defunct August waiver period).

The team lost the ALCS in six games to the Texas Rangers. Better reinforcements could have changed the outcome. So, yeah, the fanbase is worried about what moves will or will not be made.

If the Yankees current rotation was doing its part, you could go out and add a middle or back-end of the rotation starter, but they’re not. So, no Wade LeBlanc or Mike Leake types.

The Yankees need a real, live, formidable pitcher.

Who’s Left

So, Cash, Matthew Boyd is not a realistic target for the Yankees. The Tigers will be asking for the moon for a guy who can’t be a free agent until 2023. And the Tigers don’t need to trade him.

Forget the Mets. I will continue that mantra for the rest of eternity. It. Will. Not. Happen. (No Thor, No Wheeler, No Mets)

Robbie Ray is a realistic target. The Diamondbacks are sellers. But, they can keep Archie Bradley. And don’t even bring Zack Greinke and his ridiculous contract into the conversation.

Madison Bumgarner. The Giants got on a roll and are in playoff contention. But, do they think they can get far? He’s a rental, but the kind of rental you give up the goods for.

Trevor Bauer is not likely to go anywhere, at least until the off-season. But, as much as I think personally he’s a wart on the butt of civilization, I could see why you would want to get him. (Our beloved Dave Righetti threw a ball over the fence too and his manager was thorny Lou Piniella!)

Trade Deadline – Do Something

I usually have faith in you, Cash. Even when you gave ridiculous deals to Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, Chase Headley, etc. But it’s time to put down your data analytics sheet and actually get something done.

NOW!

Anything less is unacceptable.

The post The Trade Deadline keeps on churning appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

“I was at this game,” I said with a reminiscent smile and tear-filled eyes. “It was 20 years ago today.”

“Oh. Was it an important game or something?” He asked.

“It was a perfect game. There have only been 23 perfect games in the history of baseball.”

“That’s like when a pitcher doesn’t give up any runs or something, right?” He asks politely, acting as if he’s interested.

“It’s amazing. The pitcher has to be completely perfect. No hits. No walks. No errors in the field. No hit by pitches. Do you know how much could go wrong in a baseball game? One inch here, one inch there. A dribbler. An error. A bad ump behind the plate. It’s amazing it ever even happens. It hasn’t happened since 2012.” … I went on and on as he watched me rant and rave with passion about the significance of a perfect game and the history that goes along with it.

“Anyway,” realizing I was going on for too long, “It’s a big deal. And I can say I was at one.”

He knew I was a big sports fan, so knowing a lot about baseball didn’t surprise him, but the amount of passion and visible love I had for the game did. Watching me for a few more seconds as I began to entrance myself in the highlights once more,  he asked an intriguing question.

“What is it about baseball?”

“What do you mean?” I perked up.

“What makes it so different from other sports for you? Why does it envoke so much passion among baseball fans?”

Another co-worker chimed in, “Yeah, isn’t it just a numbers game? It’s all stats and no substance.”

His question stopped me in my tracks as all these advanced metrics entered my head. He was right, it is basically about numbers, especially in 2019. But I knew it wasn’t the numbers that gave people passion. It was something more, something I couldn’t put my finger on, something numbers couldn’t measure. I stuttered, fumbled my words, and tried to put together something that made sense, using phrases like “there’s just something about it” and “it’s hard to explain” or weirdly, “baseball has ghosts.” Baseball has ghosts? Finally, I stopped my freight train of thoughts, gathered myself, and sat silent for a moment.

“It’s not the tangible numbers that make baseball so great,” I said finally. “It’s the intangibles that make it great. Baseball isn’t just about numbers. It’s bigger than the numbers.”

I went on.

It’s about records being broken, and stats being challenged.

It’s about curses and storied franchizes and mythical “calling the shot” moments from The Babe or “600 foot” home runs by Mickey Mantle.

It’s about a home run king who’s not really the home run king and the debate of who the real home run king is.

It’s about asterics and Hall of Famers, who’s in and who’s out and who cheated and who didn’t, because we care.

It’s Bill Buckner making an error to prolong a century curse for another seventeen years, Aaron Boone pinch hitting and extending that curse just one more year, and the Yankees giving up a 3-0 series lead to help break said curse the following year.

It’s one “Billy Goat.”

And yet another GOAT that featured just one pitch that God Himself gave him.

It’s a 1996 playoff home run by a rookie that wasn’t actually a home run because an imperfect umpire made an imperfect call.

It’s a guy not pitching a perfect game that was actually a perfect game because an imperfect umpire made a very imperfect call.

It’s the game within the game.

A manager feuling his team by getting thrown out as he crouches down and shows an ump what’s a strike and what’s not.

A brawl on the field in Boston that ignites a nearly undefeated tear for a month.

It’s giving up your body and diving into the stands and getting your face bloodied during a regular season game because you have to beat the Red Sox.

A boombox blasting “New York, New York” past a Red Sox clubhouse being used as motivation.

A CC Sabathia starting something out of nothing because he knows his team needs a jolt.

An Aaron Boone gaining respect from all his “savages” after an epic rant.

It’s the goosebumps, the mystique, and the almost religious feel of the game, and it’s the heartbeat and emotions of the players within it.

It’s Bobby Murcer getting the winning hit and having the best game of his career the same day he buried his best friend and captain of the team.

It’s seeing a guy will a ball to stay fair and pump his fist while limping around the bases triumphantly. 

It’s Willie Mays making one of the greatest plays you’ll ever see.

It’s watching a guy with one hand pitch a no-hitter.

It’s seeing a black man, Jackie Robinson, defy the odds, be spat on, mocked, and threatened just to play the game he loved, changing the trajectory of baseball forever.

It’s being in awe of Yogi Berra winning 10 rings after surviving storming the Omaha beaches in WWII.

It’s a man making a speech about being the luckiest guy on the face of the earth, knowing full well he was about to die.

It’s the entire Los Angelas Angels of Aneheim team playing heartbroken and grief stricken while wearing the late pitcher, Tyler Skaggs’ number in his honor, only to pitch a combined no-hitter, the first one in the state of LA since the very day Tyler was born.

It’s players crying over their lost friend in front of the world to see and still going out there and playing a game that seems to mean nothing, but means everything at the same time.

It’s a family heirloom, a nostalgia, passed down from generation to generation, father or mothers bringing their sons or daughters to their first game, almost like a rite of passage, throughout history, each child remembering their ‘very first game’; the smells, the sounds, and most importantly, the memories they made bonding with their dad or mom.

It’s an 11-year-old girl witnessing David Cone pitch a perfect game and falling in love with the game of baseball because her Daddy loved it first.

Okay, so maybe I didn’t say everything above, but I sure tried, and I could have kept going. His question took me down a path that goes on and on, wading through all the historic and almost holy like stories baseball provides. He stared at me blankly, wondering what everything I said just meant. So I give him my nutshell answer.

“Listen, it’s just … sacred. Romantic, even. There are lots of sports movies out there about all the big sports, but none more than baseball. And if you watch them, there’s almost always something romantic about them. There’s a history to this game that goes back longer than any other sport. It’s quite literally America’s pastime. Baseball is like one continuous story, like a romance novel entwined with religious text, an on-going memoir as thick as War & Peace, dating back to the 1800s. It’s a phenomenon, giving you a constant and familiar game since day one with the ability to show you something new every day. You can watch baseball for 100 years straight and still see things you’ve never seen before … just like I did when I saw that perfect game.”

I closed my laptop as if to show my job was done here. I felt good about my answers and I was ready for him to jump for joy and scream, “Hooray, Baseball!” To see that baseball was a worthy passion to follow, to jump on board with me and allow me to teach him anything and everything about the game like he was my own son. To open the door to a new fan who now unlocked the treasure chest that is baseball. Baseball was a religion, of sorts, and I just got him to convert.

“I guess that’s cool. Still seems pretty boring, though,” He concluded. “I mean, even a perfect game sounds boring. Don’t you wanna see some fireworks?”

Annoyed, I stood up and picked up my laptop.

“You don’t watch baseball to see fireworks,” I strongly proclaimed. “You watch baseball to see history.”

Triumphantly I walked away. And without turning back I threw my arm up and yelled,

“And to see the Yankees win!”

The post What is it about baseball? appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

5. Aroldis Chapman

What’s more savage? Throwing 105 MPH or getting the number 105 tatted on your neck? Either way, Chapman has proven to be a total savage ever since he defected from Cuba like a badass 10 years ago. He throws incredibly hard and is intimidating as hell. Tatted from head to toe, Aroldis wears a long sleeve turtleneck during every appearance, even if it’s 100 degrees. Why? Because he loves to sweat. That’s savage. Every time he ends a game with a strikeout, Chapman stares the batter down with death in his eyes. Yesterday on R2C2, Didi and Hicks were adamant that “ Nobody messes with Chappy.” I would have to agree.

4. Gary Sanchez

The Sanchino doesn’t seem like a savage on the surface, but if you peel back the curtain you can see it. Signed as a 16 year old prodigy way back in 2009, he was a millionaire before any of us even had our learner’s permit. Gary has the look of the popular kid in high school who’s too cool to care about anything. He’s not going to bust out every ground ball. He’s not going to speak English to the media even though he’s fairly fluent. He doesn’t care if you call him lazy or nit-pick parts of his game. His bat flips are part relief and part disgust. He’s relieved to have homered, and he’s disgusted with the pitcher for thinking he could sneak a fastball by him. Gary has his last name tatted on his forearm. Did I mention the classic smirk he gives every time he guns someone out?

The best catcher in the game today. Can't @ me on this one. pic.twitter.com/vPfTKXh78g

— Evan Daniel (@mrevandaniel) July 10, 2019

3. DJ LeMahieu

You’re probably scratching your head at this one. DJ is just a quiet, reserved gentleman who goes about his business, right? WRONG. Aaron Boone recently said that “DJ is out there to rip your heart out.” This couldn’t be more accurate. DJ simply has no feelings. He’s a robot. He’s a machine. He is out there to kill, and he doesn’t care who’s in his way. The reason he’s leading the league in hitting with runners in scoring position is that he’s heartless and has no sympathy for the opposition. You never see him smile, or yell, or show any emotion at all really. That’s savage,

A GOD w/ RISP
Elite defender at 3 positions
Talks only w/ his game

Gary calls him, The Machine!

Now, we all call him the STARTING 2B for the American League All Star team.

https://t.co/RWHckrsosX pic.twitter.com/1OcMUb495S

— Bronx Pinstripes (@BronxPinstripes) June 28, 2019

2. CC Sabathia

I couldn’t leave the big man off the list. CC is a total savage from head to toe. He’s about to turn 39 and he’s still out there with essentially one knee grinding out quality starts. Everyone on the team looks up to him. Why? He’s a mad man that will do anything for his team. He’s constantly yelling at umpires, opposing batters, and even the sky. When he’s on the mound, he’s totally unpredictable and can go off at any time. From the “That’s for you bitch!” incident at the trop last year to his recent scuffle with the Rays on Tuesday, CC is always one pitch away from a confrontation. CC is never going to back down and will stop at nothing to protect his teammates and humiliate the opposition. Savage.

1. Brett Gardner

There are a bunch of savages on this team, but Gardy takes the cake. The man once drove from New York to Tampa for spring training. It wasn’t until he got to North Carolina that he realized the radio wasn’t on. He literally drove in silence for 10 hours. I personally can’t think of anyone that would ever do that, and I doubt you can either. Gardy constantly looks like he’s about to explode. He grinds away every single at bat, refusing to chase pitches out of the zone. He’ll stand up there for 10 minutes fouling off pitches until he gets one he likes. Always hustling, Gardner recently dove into first base when the Yankees were up by 11 runs! Never shy with umpires, Gardy will let them know if they miss a call. Last month in Cleveland, he slammed his helmet against the wall and it bounced back and hit him in the face, busting up his lip. He got stitches later that night and refused Novocain. Dude didn’t even take a Motrin. Savage.

"Brett, your thoughts on today's strike zone & home plate umpire?"

Brett Gardner: pic.twitter.com/1taNItaCX6

— A.J. Herrmann (@AJHerrmannYES) July 18, 2019

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