You Can't Spell Immaturity Without the I in Ian Kennedy

Most likely by now you either saw the Arizona Diamondbacks-Los Angeles Dodgers game live Tuesday night, watched the "lowlights" or read about everything that is not what baseball is supposed to be about. When all is said and done Diamondbacks pitcher Ian Kennedy should be hit, no pun intended, with a lengthy suspension and a hefty fine.

Things started out when Zack Greine hit the Dbacks' Cody Ross, which probably looked innocent enough to most observers. However, Greinke has a reputation for well placed pitches that connect with body tissue and broke his collarbone earlier this year when San Diego's Carlos Quentin bull rushed the mound. Hitting Ross also backfired when the next hitter, Jason Kubel, hit a 2-run home run.

Arizona's Kennedy must have been one of those who though Greinke's pitch had a purpose, since he took thingst one step further and went head hunting at rookie standout Yasiel Puig. The ball hit Puig's shoulder and ricocheted off his nose. Luckily the Cuban native was only shaken up, but the benches emptied due to the location of the pitch. Things could have been let go there, but you can't blame Greinke when he retaliated.

His teammate didn't get hit below the waist, his career and life was put in jeopardy in a matter of seconds by Kennedy's irresponsibility. Greinke responded with a fastball in the back of catcher Miguel Montero. That is where it should have stayed, but Kennedy, who was immensely immature when he was in the Yankees organization, nailed Greinke up high when the Dodgers pitcher came to bat in the 7th inning.

In doing so, Kennedy set off an even nastier bench clearer that had managers and coaches pushing and shoving, and squaring off.  (Dodgers manager Don Mattingly shoved down Diamondbacks coach Alan Trammell; perhaps that was really retaliation for all the times Trammell's late innings hits helped the Tigers beat the Yankees back in the day.) Mattingly and fellow manager Kirk Gibson all had to be separated.  Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire was ejected after a shouting match with Gibson.

Jimmy Dugan aka Tom Hanks said, "There's no crying in baseball.", but a better saying is there is no room for stupidity in baseball. What Kennedy did Tuesday night was the ultimate in stupidity. There is no place in baseball for pitches thrown from the shoulders up.

Those of you who are Yankees fans remember when Kennedy pitched for the Bronx Bombers organization from the time he was drafted in 2006 into 2009 when he made his final Major League start for the pinstripes.  No loss was ever his fault. His pitchers were good ones, somehow the other team just hit them. His fielders let him down, the team didn't score, etc. Kennedy needed a change of scenery and attitude. It appears he only got one.

Two years later he was a 21-game winner and finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting for the Diamondbacks. However, his numbers weren't as good in 2012 and have been much worse this season. (5.49 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, -0.8 WAR) You can bet Kennedy must be frustrated by the season he is having, but his behavior in LA Tuesday night is no excuse. Forget the somewhat standard eight game suspension and double it...at least.

And the worst may still be to come if Kennedy faces the Dodgers again this season.

Yankees Hope For More O'Neill Bull's-eyes

Paul O'Neill was a fixture in right field for nine years in the old Yankee Stadium. Fans in the right field seats would hold signs with bull's-eyes on them, prompting O'Neill to hit a home run to them. Never mind that quite a few misspelled his last name (O'Neil).  Now the Yankees are hoping that O'Neill's nephew Michael will one day be a fixture in the new Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees used their third round pick (103rd overall) to select Michael O'Neill, the son of Paul's brother Mike. The 6'1" center fielder is a junior at the University of Michigan.

Unlike his southpaw uncle, Mike throws and bats right-handed. He was named a freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and was a member of the All-Big 10 second team. As a sophomore he led the Wolverines in batting average and slugging percentage despite missing 15 games due to an injury.

O'Neill junior season was even more successful as he led the team in almost every offensive category and was an All-Big 10 first team member.

O'Neill, who will turn 21 next week, was also drafted out of high school by the Yankees in the 42nd round of the 2010 draft.

MLB.com's scouting report had this to say:

Back in 2010, Ryan LaMarre had scouts checking out the University of Michigan outfield regularly, eventually going in the second round. Now it's O'Neill's turn. Paul O'Neill's nephew really knows how to hit, making consistent hard contact and spraying line drives to all fields. He has mostly doubles power, with some room to add strength, and average speed, though he's smart on the basepaths. He should be a solid average defender. It's not clear where O'Neill profiles, with not quite enough speed for center and not enough power for a corner, but his ability to hit at the college level will certainly help him on Draft day.

Wang Headed to Toronto

Chien-Ming Wang is headed back to the Major Leagues according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. The Yankees signed their former two time 19-game winner prior to this season and assigned him to the minor leaguers. Wang's deal had a number of target dates that gave him the opportunity to leave the organization if the Yankees didn't call him up from Scranton. That day has come.

Wang was offered a Major League deal by the Toronto Blue Jays and will be the team's starting pitcher when the team faces the White Sox in Chicago on Tuesday.

Wang was 4-4, 2.33 in nine starts, but his trademark, hard biting sinker was only clocked in the 88-90 mph range instead of the 93-95 he used to throw.  Rookie Vidal Nuno's success and the possible return of Michael Pineda made Wang expendable.

Good luck to the Wanger, one of my favorite Yankees of the last decade.

From Cano to Katoh?

Years from now Robinson Cano could be grooming his eventual replacement, Gosuke Katoh. The second baseman for Rancho Bernardo High School in California was the Yankees fourth selection in Thursday's MLB Amateur draft.

After three picks in the first round, the Yankees took Katoh with the 27th pick of the second round, 66th overall. Current Yankee Ichiro Suzuki is Katoh's idol and has influenced the 18-year old's approach at the plate. The senior is listed as 6'2", 180 lbs and bats from the left side.

The Yankees will be competing with UCLA for Katoh's services. Here's MLB.com's scouting report:

Katoh is the rare high school second baseman who is regarded as a legitimate prospect. He is a solid defender with sure hands and good range. His arm is below average, but it is good enough for second base. Offensively, Katoh has modeled his swing after Ichiro Suzuki. He makes a lot of contact with his compact stroke and takes advantage of his plus speed. Katoh isn't known for his power, but showed some pop this spring. Katoh has a good feel for the game and his instincts allow his tools to play up. He is committed to UCLA.

Yankees Finish 1st Round With Center Fielder and Pitcher

A Yankees Pro? Aaron will be the Judge of that.

That's not a small forward playing center fielder for Fresno State, it's 6'7" Aaron Judge. He's also the 32nd overall pick of the MLB amateur draft and the second first-round pick for the New York Yankees.

Here's the MLB.com scouting report on Judge, a native of Linden, CA (MLB lists him as 240, the Fresno St. website as 255.)

Guys his size -- Judge is 6-foot-7, 240 pounds -- stand out on the baseball field. As one would imagine, Judge has considerable raw power from the right side of the plate, winning a college home run derby over the summer. That pop has not shown up consistently in games for Fresno State much, though he did flex his muscles for five homers on the Cape last summer. Judge has patience at the plate, runs pretty well and has a strong arm, all the tools for a future right fielder. How he performed during his junior season with the bat was going to determine where he lands on Draft boards. That performance was a bit up-and-down but a team that saw him on a good day -- and put stock in his strong Cape performance --might be willing to gamble he'll hit enough to tap into that power at the next level.

And from the Bulldogs website.

Two-time First-Team All-WAC (2011 & '12)
WAC All-Tournament Team (2012)
TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby Champion (2012)
No. 3 prospect in Cape Cod Baseball League - Perfect Game (2012)
No. 6 prospect in Cape Cod Baseball League - Baseball America (2012)
Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American (2011)

One pick later the Yankees took high school pitcher Ian Clarkin, a 6'2" left-hander.

MLB.com had this to say:

Like Stephen Gonsalves, Clarkin is an intriguing high school lefty from the San Diego area, and both are committed to the University of San Diego, should they go that route. Clarkin's power stuff may keep that from happening however, as he throws his fastall up to 92-93 mph and a power curve. His breaking ball and changeup are both average, giving him the makings of a good three-pitch mix. His results over the summer were a bit mixed, throwing well at the Area Code Games, but struggling with fastball command elsewhere. That didn't keep him from getting a ton of attention this spring, though he's dealt with some inconsistencies during his senior season as well. The raw stuff from the left side should keep many first-round teams interested on Draft day.

Clarkin attends Madison High School in the San Diego area and has committed to the University of San Diego. However, he told the U-T San Diego, "I had a good feeling that my dream would come true today," Clarkin said. "Now, I'm a Yankee. They're a historic organization."

 UPDATE 6/7 8 am: Here's what Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees VP of amateur scouting told the NY Daily News about the Yankees first round picks:

“Eric Jagielo is a physical, left-handed hitter with plus power,” said Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees’ VP of amateur scouting. “He performed well in Cape Cod, and shows a good combination of plate discipline and power.”

(Jagielo is the first college player the Yankees have chosen since Andrew Brackman in 2007.)

“Aaron Judge is a big man, and obviously a great-bodied athlete who has a high upside,” Oppenheimer said. “He can run, he has a good work ethic, he can throw and has the potential to be a five-tool guy with some size and strength.”

“Ian Clarkin has a combination of the things we were looking for,” Oppenheimer said. “He is a left-handed pitcher with plus velocity and has a plus curveball. On top of that, he’s a tireless worker. We think we got something special with him.”

Yankees Snag Fighting Irish Hot Corner With First Pick

Major League Baseball's amateur draft is well underway with Stanford's Mark Appel the first pick taken by the Houston Astros. Appel was the eighth pick of the first round last year by the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he stayed in school.

The Yankees had a wait a while for their first pick, 26th overall and when the time came they went to a college third baseman.  Eric Jagielo, a 6'3", 210 lb 21-year old junior from the University of Notre Dame will hopefully bring his power game to the Yankees organization.

The left-handed hitter wore #7 in college.Here's the scouting report compiled by mlb.com.


Another good looking college bat, Jagielo had a very strong Cape League season, finishing second in the summer circuit in home runs. He has legitimate power from the left side of the plate and as he showed with wood bats over the summer and then into his junior year, it should play just fine at the next level.

 A third baseman for Notre Dame, it remains to be seen if Jagielo can stay at third, with some thinking a defensive move is in store for him. That shouldn't matter. If he reaches his offensive potential, his bat should play just fine at first or a corner outfield spot. Jagielo wasn't just a home run hitter on the Cape. In addition to the 13 long balls, which led to a .589 slugging percentage, he hit .291 and finished with a .374 on-base percentage.


And some accolades from the ND website:

HONORS & AWARDS: Rated as the No. 1 MLB prospect in the BIG EAST by Baseball America and Perfect Game for the 2013 MLB draft ... rated as the No. 30 overall MLB prospect by Baseball America and No. 41 by Perfect Game ... rated as the No. 20 overall college prospect by Baseball America ... rated as the No. 15 MLB prospect from the junior class by Baseball America and No. 24 by Perfect Game ... rated as the No. 49 overall player by MLB.com ... 2013 Golden Spikes Award watch list ... 2013 Preseason Baseball America Third Team All-American ... 2013 Preseason Coaches First Team All-BIG EAST ... 2013 Preseason Perfect Game First Team All-BIG EAST ... 2012 Cape Cod League Post-Season All-League ... 2012 Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star ... 2012 Cape Cod League Home Run Derby participant ... 2012 BIG EAST Second Team All-BIG EAST ... 2012 College Sports Madness First Team All-BIG EAST ... 2012 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I Second Team Mid-East All Region ... 2011 New England Collegiate Baseball League All-Star.

Could Pineda Be the Rotation's Savior

Michael Pineda is about to take the next step in his recovery from shoulder surgery. The Yankees announced that Pineda will start a 30-day rehab assignment on Saturday. With Andy Pettitte struggling with a bad back and Phil Hughes a likely candidate to throw to every hitter in this year's home run derby, Pineda could be the guy that stabilizes the rotation.

The much debated trade that sent the Yankees top hitting prospect, Jesus Montero and promising pitcher Hector Noesi to the Seattle Mariners for Pineda and pitcher Jose Campos was completely in the Mariners favor last season. With the chance to get regular at-bats, Montero produced 15 home runs and 62 RBI in his first full season in the Majors.  Meanwhile, Pineda ended up with shoulder surgery after having to leave a Spring Training game early. Campos was also shut down with a balky elbow.

This year the worm has turned. Montero was completely ineffective at the plate and behind it. The Mariners demoted him on May ?? While playing for Triple-A Tacoma Montero ruptured his left meniscus and will be out 4-6 weeks after surgery. The Yankees are cautiously optimistic that Pineda can join their rotation if he continues to throw consistently in the low-to-mid 90's. (They've already stated Pineda will not be used as a reliever.)

If Pineda is effective, the Yankees could do one of two things with Hughes. Either move the impending free agent at the trade deadline or move him to the bullpen where he excelled in 2009. The latter could also mean moving Joba Chamberlain, whose inconsistency could drive you crazy, to another team at the deadline (or before so I'll have less agida). I don't expect either Hughes or Chamberlain to be with the Yankees next season.

If things go as planned, it could also build towards next year's rotation which could be comprised of CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, David Phelps, and Pineda,  plus someone acquired through free agency or a trade. This notion is based on the assumption that Pettitte and Hiroki Kuroda both retire.

A-Rod, Braun Could Be Heading for Home

Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun may be heading for home and not rounding third base to get there. T.J. Quinn, Pedro Gomez, and Mike Fish of the ESPN program Outside the Lines are reporting that Major League Baseball is looking to suspend about 20 players including Rodriguez and Braun.

Anthony Bosch, the owner of the Biogenisis anti-aging Clinic that served as a front for the distribution of performance enhancing drugs (PED), has decided to cooperate with MLB. (Shouldn't he be cooperating with law enforecement?) Of course, the burden of proof lies on MLB and speaking of lying, Bosch could certainly do that to wangle his way out of trouble.

But the biggest liars in these cases generally are the users and A-Rod and Braun can certainly spin a tale. You have to think that the Yankees knew about this since just a few days ago Brian Cashman commented on the inability of A-Rod or anyone to live up to the contract Rodriguez has.

Principle owner Hal Steinbrenner told the media that A-Rod had let the team down. He also backed off his statements a bit by stating that everyone makes mistakes and you hope they aren't repeated, etc.

It also created a bit of a debate on ESPN radio this afternoon. Stephen A. Smith called out the Yankees for commenting on Rodriguez while he's rehabbing from hip surgery. Later, Michael Kay defended the Yankees for speaking truthfully.

The sh*t is starting to hit the fan.

That's Really Speakin' Deacon: Remembering Deacon Jones

Deacon Jones was one of the most ferocious football players when it was time to line up against the opposing offensive line. Off the field he was quite a character and an occassional actor. Sadly, we lost him too soon at the age of 74.

The man credited with the coining the term "sack" to describe his takedown of a quarterback, passed away Monday evening of an undisclosed cause.

Jones was selected in the 14th round of the 1961 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams, the team he spent the majority of his 14 year career with. Jones and Ram linemates Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy, and Rosie Greer became known as the "Fearsome Foursome" for the manner in which they abused linemen, running backs, and signal callers.

At 6'5", 272 lbs Jones was an imposing presence made more so by his on-field trash talk. Pro Football Weekly researched Jones' sack total since sacks weren't an officially recognized statistic until 1982 (eight years after Jones retired) and found the Hall of Fame left defensive end totalled 194.5 for his career. He had 10 or more sacks over a span of nine straight seasons and recorded 26 sacks alone during the 1967 season.¹

Jones, whose given name was David, played for the Rams from 1961 thorough 1971. He then joined the San Diego Chargers for two seasons, and made the Pro Bowl for the eighth and final time in 1972. He played his final season in 1974 with the Washington Redskins.

Jones guested on a handful of TV series during and after his playing career and appeared in a couple of motion pictures, including "Heaven Can Wait" with Warren Beatty. My favorite was his appearance on one of my all time favorite TV series, "The Odd Couple", in which he appeared as himself in the first TV commercial that Felix Unger (Tony Randall) ever directed.

Oscar Madison (Jack Klugman) was supposed to say the majority of lines and Jones was basically just going to nod (Madison had explained that Jones was very quiet). When Madison got stage fright, Jones stepped up and delivered the lines for the final cut. That led to Unger's line, "That's really speakin' Deacon."

Whether on the field or off, Deacon Jones was never afraid to speak his mind. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

1 - ESPN.com

Overbay? Try Over There

"I'm playing where?"

Who's on first? Lyle Overbay. Not this time. Overbay has played 1,272 games at the not-so-hot corner in his 13 year Major League career. Tonight marks the beginning of an experiment to keep him in pinstripes.

With Mark Teixeira back at first base after he sat out nearly two months of the season with an injured wrist, there isn't a whole lot of room for a first baseman that has no big league experience at other positions. On top of that, Overbay is left-handed, so the other infield spots are out of the question. (Unless you're Don Mattingly and your team is in a situation where you need to play third base.)

In attempt to make Overbay more serviceable and therefore an asset to keep on the roster, Joe Girardi has him starting in right field tonight against the Cleveland Indians. Overbay has had a number of clutch hits this season and the current right fielder, Ichiro Suzuki, has slumped all season. While Ichiro is still a superb defender, Girardi is hoping to add some punch to a lineup that has scored one run or less in five of their last seven games. It's no coincidence the Yankees have won only one of those games, a 4-1 triumph in the middle game of the just completed three game series with Boston.

Overbay's .750 OPS is his highest since 2009, the last time the state of Washington native played in more than 100 games. (He's at 51 this season.) 21 of Overbay's 44 hits have been for extra bases. By comparison, only nine of Ichiro's 46 hits have been more than a single.

The Yankees are expected to send Brennan Boesch back to Scranton in order to activate Andy Pettitte for tonight's contest.

Messier is Still the Man, but Not the Right Man to Coach the Rangers

I've been a New York Rangers fan for over 40 years and in that time I never saw another NHL player that was as strong a leader as Mark Messier. Over the span of his 25-year NHL career (plus three seasons in the WHA), Messier did it all- fighter, goal scorer, face off man, checker, specialty teams regular, captain and six time Stanley Cup winner.

He was the man who proved he could win a Cup without Wayne Gretzky in Edmonton and brought the Cup to Rangers fans for the first time in 54 years. Next season's post-season will mark 20 years since the Rangers won that lone title since 1940 and that is just one of the reasons that the man that guaranteed a conference finals win and ensured it with a hat rick is not the right man for the job.

You can be the greatest player of all time, but that doesn't mean you can make a natural transition to coaching.  Just look back at how things went for Ted Williams when he tried to manage Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers. Messier knows just about everything there is to know about hockey, but that doesn't mean he can help coordinate the power play, motivate players that are not teammates, or win hockey games. It's also unusual for a player of any status to become a head coach with no coaching experience in any of the major sports.

It's hard to know how interested Messier is in getting the job since everything we've heard is through the media, but reportedly there is a high interest. His former teammate and the greatest hockey player of all time, Gretzky, is keeping his eyes on the job as well. The "Great One" never finished higher than fourth in his four seasons at the helm of the Phoenix Coyotes.

An experienced, and hopefully successful, coach has a better chance to take the current group of players to the finals. As worn out as the team and fans were with John Tortorella, he had coached a team (Tampa Bay Lightning) to a Stanley Cup championship, and took the Rangers to the Eastern Conference finals last season. Torts' predecessor Tom Renney was a good coach who couldn't get the team past the second round.

There is an urgency for success due to the clock ticking on the team's key to success, Henrik Lundqvist. The 2011-2012 Vezina Trophy winner will be 32-years old when next year's playoffs come around. He'll also be in the final year of his current contract. Right now, Lundqvist's response to reporters' query about an extension is "We'll see." The correct coaching move could entice the "King" to remain in the Rangers' red, white, and blue.

Messier has been an assistant to GM Glen Sather, a job far removed from coaching. If Mess wants to coach, groom him as an assistant to the next coach or let him cut his teeth by having take over the Rangers AHL affiliate in Connecticut.

Whether it be rumored candidates like Lindy Ruff, Alain Vigneault, or Dave Tippett (under contract to Phoenix until June 30), the Rangers need someone familiar with the X's and O's and not just someone who would be an extremely popular choice with the fans.

Nuno and Nova Hop on the Scranton Shuttle

Much to my surprise it was two pitchers that were removed from the 25-man roster to make room for the return of Kevin Youkilis and Mark Teixeira this evening.

I figured that Vidal Nuno would be sent down upon the return of Andy Pettitte, but with Nuno unavailable after a six inning outing on Thursday night, he became the logical choice for one of the demotions. Nova threw five-plus innings of relief on Wednesday, so he too would be unavailable and the move allows Brian Cashman more time to project a long term plan.

Both players can throw on a regular day at Scranton rather than shorten the Yankees bench by remaining in the Major Leagues.

Decision Day 2 For Chien-Ming Wang

"What to do..what to do."

The Yankees saw the best of Chien-Ming Wang when he won 19 games in back-to-back seasons for them from 2006-2007. He was on his way to another fine season (8-2, 4.07) when he ruptured the Lisfranc ligament in his foot running the bases during a 2008 interleague game against the Houston Astros. Shoulder problems and surgery followed and Wang missed the entire 2010 season.

After two years with the Washington Nationals organization, Wang returned to the Bronx Bombers, but with a clause in his contract that allows the 33-year old to become a free agent today at five different points in the season. May 31 is the second of those selected dates (He chose not to opt out at his first chance.). It might not be a tough decision this time around since the Yankees haven't called up their former Cy Young Award candidate despite injuries to starters Andy Pettitte and Ivan Nova. Brian Cashman recently told the NY Daily News his reasons for not giving Wang a call up.

“He’s pitching some good games but he’s not a candidate for this. He’s not the power sinker he used to be, but we believe he needs to mix in more of his breaking balls to have the type of success necessary to pitch up here consistently,” Cashman said in reference to possible roster replacements when Joba Chamberlain was DL'ed due to a strained oblique.

“He’s becoming a different type of pitcher now because he can’t come up here and just sink that sinker every pitch. He needs to incorporate some of his pitches in there and mix and match because he’s that reduced in velocity,” 

Wang is 3-4, 2.65 in eight starts for the Triple-A Scranton RailRiders. He's put together a 1.176 WHIP in 51 innings with 23 strikeouts and 9 walks. He's allowed just two home runs and is coming off his best start of the season in which he tossed seven shutout innings and allowed only two hits. His ground out to air out ratio of 2.12 is not much different than his seasons in the Major Leagues.

According to the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo there are six teams interested in the Wanger's services. The Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly reported that the Orioles are one of the teams.

If Wang stays on, he can still opt out at the end of June, August 10, and August 31.

Are Ichiro's Hours in the Bronx Numbered?

With Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis set to return to the Yankees lineup tonight two players will need to be removed from the 25-man roster. One is likely to be rookie David Adams, who has started at third base in 13 of the 14 games he's appeared in since his recall from the minor leagues on May 15. But who will be the second player?

There has been speculation that there is no room for Lyle Overbay since he is strictly a first baseman. But how do you jettison someone who has been so clutch through the first 53 games of the season. Overbay's numbers were even comparable to the Teixeira's at the same point last year.

One candidate to be let go/traded/designated for assignment is Ichiro Suzuki. I was against bringing back the one time great hitter, because he only had 1 1/2 good months last season. So many Yankees fans ascribe to the "What have you done lately?" theorem that they overlook what Ichiro did in the first four and one-half months of last season.

Prior to the trade deadline deal, Ichiro had a career low .642 OPS. He's only at .626 so far this season. Ichiro went on a tear the last 45 days of the 2012 season, especially those days that fell in September when he hit .385 with a .916 OPS.

While the 39-year old can still play right field as if he invented the position and can steal a base here or there, his bat has gone back to looking like he's trying to hit a baseball with a whiffle ball bat.  He's produced just nine extra-base hits in 168 at-bats, which has led to the aforementioned horrendous OPS. He's also walked just nine times.

Granted, or more precisely, Grandy, Ichiro would not have played as much this season had Curtis Granderson not been injured or Ben Francisco had been productive. Even though it would leave the Yankees temporarily short-handed in the outfield, it may be time to cut ties with Ichiro.