Once upon a time, about a week ago, the New York Yankees had the third-highest chance of winning the World Series according to Baseball Prospectus. Now, they don’t even have the best shot in their own division. Entering the week, the Toronto Blue Jays have the second-highest World Series odds at 11.5 percent. Joe Girardi said it. […]
Author: Kenny Ducey
This Is 40
Alex Rodriguez has blown our minds this year, and it certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed. Each week, Rodriguez silences more of his critics with his solid performance at the plate, and in turn we read a new column in the paper on how he’s changed this season. So, by now, we know A-Rod has turned things around in his […]
So Fresh, So Shreve
24-year-old Chasen Shreve was supposed to be a deal sweetener. In January, the Yankees dealt Manny Banuelos, who Mariano Rivera once called the greatest pitching prospect he had ever seen, to the Braves. In exchange, they were to receive a sturdy veteran reliever in David Carpenter, along with Shreve, who had seen brief Major League action and hadn’t […]
Despite Gloomy Sunday, July 4th Weekend a Success
NEW YORK — The Yankees were floating on cloud nine entering Sunday, so it’s only natural the locker room after their 8-1 loss to Tampa Bay felt as lifeless as the sky after the conclusion of a fireworks display. And yet, even after such a disheartening loss, the Yankees can still walk away from their holiday weekends with their heads held high. After […]
Is the Yankees’ Rotation a Strength?
NEW YORK — Before Wednesday, the Yankees were in dire straits. The Philadelphia Phillies, MLB’s worst team, had marched in to the Bronx and posted 22 runs in two games for two disheartening victories. Masahiro Tanaka, the Yankees’ ace, surrendered five runs in five innings to the Tigers on Sunday. Michael Pineda gave up eight runs to […]
Rodriguez at 3,000 – An A-Bomb to the Old A-Rod
It’s 4:47 PM at Yankee Stadium. The Bronx is overcast. A handful of dedicated fans are in the stands – maybe a few hundred. A group of writers and photographers stand on the warning track in front of the first-base dugout. A collection of special visitors stand a bit to their left, directly behind the […]
Good Things Come to Those Who Wait
It’s no secret that for the last couple of decades, the New York Yankees have been fond of older, more experienced hitters. This season in particular, the average age of their Opening Day starting lineup was 29 years-old – with only one position player, 25-year-old Didi Gregorius, under the age of 30. With age and […]
Who Should Primarily Handle the 7th Inning?
A season ago, the Yankees cycled through a hefty bunch of relief pitchers to use in the seventh inning or later. Adam Warren, David Huff, Preston Claiborne, Shawn Kelley, Esmil Rogers, Matt Thornton, Jose Ramirez, and others all got chances late in games. Obviously the situations varied in leverage, but outside of Warren, Dellin Betances, David Robertson, and […]
Inside Alex Rodriguez’s Success
Alex Rodriguez is the current face of the New York Yankees. Last season, the 39 year-old Rodriguez was working out in Miami, doing two-a-days in an effort to maintain game shape. In the time he took grounders and hit the gym, a myriad of baseball writers and TV analysts cast a cloud of doubt over the rest of his […]
Words of Encouragement
If you’re a Yankees fan, this past week and change has been grueling. The team stood 21-12, atop the AL East, after winning in Tampa Bay to start their 9-game road trip. What followed was seven losses in their next eight games. You probably need reasons to believe again. You need something to grab you by […]