Let the Luis Severino Era Begin

Luis Severino is ready to bring his electric stuff to the Bronx.

There was a time that most fans of the New York Yankees didn't care about the team's farmhands. They didn't even know their names. But all that changed with publications like Baseball Weekly and Baseball America and the advent of social media.

While some fans still will quickly fork over top prospects for a current or former star, more and more fans want to see home grown ball players don their team's uniform for more than Spring Training.

The Yankees farm system was derided for some time after poor scouting, drafting, and trades for veterans left it bereft of ready for prime time players. Now the farm system has become replenished with top grade prospects. Those prospects were in demand during last week's trade deadline, but General Manager Brian Cashman refused to part with any of the cream of the crop. Aaron Judge, Jorge Mateo, Greg Bird and tonight's Yankees' starter Luis Severino remained in the Yankees system, much to the delight of the Yankees fan base.

While there is no such thing as a sure thing, the Yankees front office, manager Joe Girardi, and pitching coach Larry Rothschild expect a lot from Severino, the Yankees top rated minor leaguer.
It's not the first time a pitcher made his highly anticipated debut in the last decade. Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain both turned in some terrific performances in their initial lengthy recall with the team. Neither of them are in the organization any more, and Cashman is hoping (and probably praying) that will not be the case with Severino.

You probably need to go all the way back to 1964 to find a time when a Yankees staff was counting this heavily on a rookie this late in the season. Long before he was the Yankees coach, Mel Stottlemyre made his debut as a 22-year old stud on August 12, 1964. "Stot" went 9-3 with a 2.06 ERA in 12 starts and one relief appearance. He had five complete games in a time when starting pitchers still went the distance. He also made three starts in the '64 World Series, finishing 1-1 against a St. Louis Cardinals team that captured the championship in seven games. It would be the only postseason appearance for Stottlemyre.

Severino made eight starts for Double-A Trenton this season and averaged over 11 strikeouts per 9 innings before a promotion to Triple-A Scranton. He excelled at the challenge of facing hitters in a hitters' league, the International League. Severino compiled a 7-0 mark with  a 1.91 ERA in 11 starts. He allowed less than a base runner per inning, with just 40 hits allowed in 61.1 innings.

And now he'll put on #40 and face the Boston Red Sox in Yankee Stadium.

Yankees Can't Afford To Put This One In The Ell Column

When Jacoby Ellsbury and the Yankees agreed to a seven-year, $153MM contract this past offseason, a very loud, "WHAT?" was said in unison in the baseball world. For Jacoby Ellsbury? The guy who had one very good season and was known more for his injury plagued years. That Jacoby Ellsbury?

It's only the first year of his contract, but the Yankees would be nowhere without Ellsbury, unquestionably the team's MVP. (Masahiro Tanaka would have been in the mix had he not injured his elbow - be very glad they are shutting him down now after he experienced soreness in his elbow after his latest rehab throw.)

Ellbsury had the misfortune Friday night to slide into the league in the leg of Toronto Blue Jays' catcher Dioner Navarro. Not only was Ellsbury out at the plate, but sprained/jammed his ankle. Tests results came back negative, but Ellsbury is hurting. He sat out Saturday's game with Toronto, and though he feels he'll play on Sunday, a conservative Joe Girardi is more likely to give him another day off. Especially since the Yankees have their next to last off day on Monday.

It's an especially painful loss for a team that has had trouble scoring runs all season. The former Red Sox outfielder has been on a tear of late - 11-22 (.500), 4 HR, 9 RBI, 6 runs in his last six games - and entered Sunday leading the team with 64 RBI and 37 steals, and is second to Brett Gardner with 64 runs scored.

Like everyone else, Ellsbury has had his dry spells too. He hit just .231 in May with a .664 OPS. But as the race for the second wild card has heated up, so has Ellsbury. In 25 starts and one substitute appearance in August, his slash line is .317/.360/.525 with 5 HR, 16 RBI, 9 SB (without being thrown out), 32 hits, and 13 runs scored. Girardi has used him primarily in the three-hole in the lineup this season, but as of late has inserted him into the lead off spot. Ellsbury has a robust .926 OPS at the top of the order, compared to a .728 OPS batting behind #2, Derek Jeter in the two-hole.

Over the years, many teams have thrown left-handers at the Yankees so as not to let them take advantage of the short porch in Yankee Stadium's right field, but Ellsbury has hit better - nearly .100 points higher in his OPS - against southpaws rather than right-handers. Sunday's game is no different, though it's on the road. The Blue Jays have lefty J.A. Happ scheduled to make a start. The Yankees can only hope the first batter he faces is Jacoby Ellsbury. Otherwise, the Yankees are already going into the game trying to come from behind.

RIP Zim, We'll Miss Ya

Don Zimmer had so many jobs in baseball, he became famous, sometimes infamous, for so many things. His family and his baseball families suffered a loss today when the colorful 83-year old died two months after having heart surgery.

Zimmer's first personna was that of a player in the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. He was a member of the '55 "Bums" that finally beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. He nearly died though before he put together a 12-year career, primarily as a reserve. Playing for St. Paul in 1953, Zimmer lost sight of a pitch and leaned right into the ball.

In the days before helmets, Zimmer suffered a devastating head injury. He was unconscious for nearly two week and had to have holes drilled in his head to relieve the pressure. The 170 pound infielder dropped down to 124 pounds and was told he would never play a game. The doctors didn't know just how tough Zim was.

He went with the Dodgers when they moved to Los Angeles and picked up another World Series ring with the 1959 team. He bounced around after that. Taken by the Mets in the expansion draft in 1961, Zimmer had the misfortune of playing on the sad sack Mets squad that lost 120 games in 1962. Zimmer retired from MLB after the 1965 season with stops in Cincinnati, briefly back with the Dodgers, and three years in Washington. There was one more season in professional baseball for Zimmer though, as a member of the 1966 Toei Flyers in the Nippon Professional Baseball League.

Baseball was still in Popeye's blood even though he was no longer a player. He got his first Major League managerial job with the San Diego Padres in 1972 after Preston Gomez was fired 11 games into the season. The Padres were 114 and 190 under Zimmer, who was fired after the 1973 season. The next stop was in Boston to replace Darrell Johnson after 86 games into the 1976 season. In 1978, the Red Sox built up a 14.5 game lead over the New York Yankees. But the Yankees began a Summer surge while the Red Sox swooned. A 163rd game was needed to decide the AL East winner and Bucky Dent ruined Zimmer's and Boston's dreams. Zimmer, unfairly, became the scapegoat for the blown division lead.

Zimmer was let go by Boston near the end of the 1980 season, but got a job the following year as the Texas Rangers manager. He was fired 96 games into the 1982 season. Zimmer's final managerial stint came as the skipper of the Chicago Cubs from 1988 into 1991. The 1989 team won 93 games, but lost in the NLCS to San Francisco in five games.

Zimmer got a new lease on his baseball life when Joe Torre, barely an acquaintance at the time, asked him to be his bench coach for his new gig as the New York Yankees manager. Zim became a lovable character during his time in New York, whether it was from Derek Jeter rubbing his head for luck, donning an army helmet after a Chuck Knoblauch foul ball hit him, taking on George Steinbrenner, or charging Pedro Martinez during a bench clearing brawl.

Zimmer stayed closer to his home in Florida the last 11 years as a senior advisor for the Tampa Bay Rays. Baseball wasn't his dearest family though. That distinction belonged to his wife Jean, better known as "Soot", who he met in the 10th grade. The couple was married for 63 years and had two children, a son, Tom, and a daughter, Donna, who gave them four grandchildren.

Zim's health began to deteriorate and he suffered a stroke in 2008. This past April he endured surgery to repair a leaky heart valve, but never fully recovered. My thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to his family and friends. Don Zimmer, one of a kind.

Updated 6/5

Derek Jeter reflects back on Zim

Feinsand: Ellsbury and Yankees Agree to 7 Year-$153MM Deal

I tried to keep my head from spinning after I heard CBS Sports' Jon Heyman report that the Yankees and free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury were close to a seven year deal. Now comes word from the NY Daily News' Mark Feinsand that it's a done deal worth $153MM pending a physical on Wednesday. Perhaps it's a leaked rumor to get Robinson Cano into a panic mode since he and the Yankees are still well apart in negotiations or the Yankees are simply moving on.

Ellsbury is a very good player..when healthy. He missed all but 18 games in 2010, was limited to 74 games in 2012 and missed 28 games this past season. He was an AL MVP candidate in 2011 when he hit 32 home runs, drove in 105 runs, scored 119, stole 39 bases, put up a .928 OPS, and had a league high 364 total bases.

The 30-yr old has led the league in steals three times including this past season when he swiped 52 in 56 attempts. With Alfonso Soriano set to play left field, this could spell the end of Brett Gardner's days in pinstripes or a possible demotion to the fourth outfield position.

According to Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan, Ellsbury's deal includes an eighth year option with a buyout that could bring the total to $169MM. There will be a $21.86 hit on the luxury tax. Passan still feels the Yankees can still get Cano on board as well if he lowers his demands. The Yankees are reportedly still pursuing Shin-Soo Choo and are out of the Carlos Beltran sweepstakes.

Things just got a whole lot crazier.

Update 10 pm: Getting more torqued thinking about this deal. The Yankees supposedly won't budge off the $160MM, 7 years they've offered Cano, yet they are willing to give a very good, but not great player almost the equal amount.

I don't want to hear about Cano not busting it down to first base, he's a superior player to Ellsbury with the bat and with the glove. He's also played at least 159 games in the last six seasons.

Yankees Would Be Making a Mistake in Acquiring Kemp

The rumor mill has the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox in hot pursuit of LA Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp. If true, the Yankees should bow out and bow out fast. Kemp is a talented, banged up, streaky player who is guaranteed $128MM over the next six years.

Perhaps this is all part of a ruse to throw a scare into Robinson Cano; to test his claim that he wants to remain in New York. If the Yankees are really pursuing Kemp the cost would not necessarily be high in the players sent to LA..if LA were to pick up much of the monies owed. If that's not the case, the Yankees are going to take a big hit to wallet, something they claim they do not want to do.

The 29-year old has always been loaded with potential and he reached new heights when he lost out (some would say robbed even before Braun got caught cheating) to Ryan Braun for the 2011 NL MVP. Kemp played all but one game that year, hit 39 dingers, drove in 126 runs, scored 115, and amassed 353 total bases. The latter four stats all led the National League and were career highs, as was his .986 OPS.

Kemp followed up his near MVP campaign with a solid 2012 season, but it was limited to 106 games due to an injured hammy. Problems with his shoulder, hammy, and ankle lmited him to 73 games this past season with and his numbers (.723 OPS) reflected it.

With Kemp on the precipice of turning 30, a (not necessarily earned) reputation of going through the motions at times, and going from laid back LA to the pressure cooker in New York, the Yankees should remember, "Let the buyer beware."

- - -

Yankees fans will rejoice at a minor matter that took place a short time ago Monday- catcher Chris Stewart was shown the door, traded to the place where ex-Yankees go to die play, Pittsburgh. The Yankees will receive a player to be named later or cash from the Pirates in return.

An ex-Yankees catcher is returning to the AL East. Dioner Navarro, who at one time the Yankees had high hopes for, has signed a two year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. It's reportedly worth $8MM. Navarro began his career in the Yankees farm system, but never got a shot to show what he could do in the Bronx. He played with the Dodgers, Rays, and Cubs and had a bounce back offensive season in 2013. The Blue Jays are reportedly shopping current starting catcher J.P. Arencibia, who either hits a home run or makes no contact.

Lackey Knows All About The Pressure on Wacha

Michael Wacha will take the mound tonight for the St. Louis Cardinals in a win or go home Game 6 of the World Series. The rookie has performed admirably throughout the playoffs, but tonight he'll face the most pressure to date and he'll do it in front of a sold out, hostile Fenway Park crowd.

His opponent, Red Sox starter John Lackey, knows all about the pressures put on a rookie in a big game. It was 11 years ago that Lackey and fellow rookie Francisco Rodriguez (later to be known simply as "K-Rod") stood out in the World Series as rookie performers.

Lackey took the mound for the then Anaheim Angels on October 27, 2002, better known as the decisive 7th game of the 2002 World Series against the San Francisco Giants. Lackey had been far from good in his Game 4 start four days earlier - 5 IP 3 ER 9 H - but manager Mike Scioscia had faith in him to bring Lackey back on three days rest to start the finale on his home field.

Just as Wacha faces a veteran tonight, Lackey faced veteran Livan Hernandez, one of the heroes of the 1997 World Champion Florida Marlins, in Game 7. Lackey went just five innings again, but his removal from the ball game had more to do with pitching on three days rest than his performance. He departed with a 4-1 lead and had allowed just four hits and a walk. The bullpen did the rest and the Angels captured their first championship. (Hernandez, on the other hand, lasted only two official innings and allowed all five base runners he faced in the 3rd inning to reach base safely before he was pulled from the game.)

When he was queried Tuesday about the 2002 Series, Lackey didn't remember much and pretty much pushed the experience aside.

"That was a long time ago, man. I don't think that's going to play much into (Wednesday). I think most of those guys in that game aren't even playing anymore."

"I was trying to get five or six innings," he said, "and turn it over to those guys (Brendan Donnelly, K-Rod, and Troy Percival). My job was just basically not to screw it up."¹

Like Wacha, Lackey was instrumental in getting his team to the World Series in '02. He replaced Ramon Ortiz in the third inning of  Game 3 of the ALDS with his team down 6-1 and tossed three scoreless innings. The Angels rallied for a 9-6 win and a 2 to 1 advantage in the best of five series with the New York Yankees.

Lackey's seven innings of shutout ball gave the Angeles a commanding 3 games to 1 lead over the Minnesota Twins in the '02 ALCS. He allowed three hits, walked none, and struck out 7 for his first post-season win. His 86 pitch performance in the decisive game of the World Series quickly made him a household name.

Wacha has already gotten his 15 minutes of fame and then some. The rookie isn't going anywhere but up though after being the 19th pick in the first round of the 2012 MLB Amateur Draft. Wacha has allowed three earned runs in the 27 innings he's thrown over four post-season starts. He has struck out 28 hitters and earned the victory in those four contests.

His numbers include a Game 2 victory against Boston in which he allowed two earned runs in six innings pitched. Now he has a must win game to deal with just as his opposing pitcher did 11 years ago.


1 - newstelegram.com

Cardinals Have Plenty Of Confidence in Wacha

Wacha may look 16, but he pitches like a veteran ace.

Entering the 2013 season the St. Louis Cardinals knew they were going to have to rely on their highly touted young right-hander to help them win the NL Central or capture one of the two National League wild card spots.

Not only did the rookie help win the division, but the Cardinals would not have advanced to the World Series without him. Oh, you though I meant Shelby Miller. While Miller's regular season performance was a big factor in the Cardinal's 2013 success, it was the pitching of fellow rookie Michael Wacha that got them to the fall classic for the fourth time since 2004.

Wacha (pronounced wok-kuh - think Fozzy Bear - wok-kuh wok-kuh) was the 19th overall selection out of Texas A&M University in the 2012 amateur draft and made his Major League debut on May 30 of this year. Passed over in the draft during his high school days, it is remarkable Wacha made it to the 19th pick when he was drafted after a stellar three year collegiate career. His numbers as an Aggie were a 27-7 record, a 2.78 ERA, 8.6 K's per 9 innings, and a 1.06 WHIP. He came into this season with a fastball that topped out at 95-mph, a strong curveball, and a low 80's changeup. Wacha also knew how to pitch.

Coincidentally, Miller was the 19th overall pick out of Texas' Brownwood High School in 2009. After six appearances, all but one in relief, in 2012, Miller made 31 starts for the Cards this year. He finished 15-9 with a 3.06 ERA and a 1.206 WHIP. But with about a 180 regular season innings limit, Miller made his last start on September 25 and was moved to the bullpen for the post-season.

Meanwhile, Wacha made three starts for the Cardinals between his May debut and June 11 before he was returned to Triple-A Memphis (PCL). He put together an outstanding season for the minor league Redbirds, going 5-3, 2.65 in 15 starts with an average of 7.7 K's per 9 innings. The Cardinals took note and recall him in the second week of August.

The 22-year old made six starts and six relief appearances down the stretch to finish 4-1, 2.78 with 9 K's per 9 innings and a 1.098 WHIP. With Miller moved to the pen, Wacha was the logical selection to take the baseball in Game 4 of the NL Division Series.

The Pirates held a 2 games to 1 lead in the best of five, but a Wacha-led victory meant St. Louis had ace Adam Wainwright for the fifth game. To say that Wacha was successful is an understatement.

The former Texarkana, TX high schooler (he and Miller lived equidistant from Dallas in opposite directions.) retired the first 15 men he faced. Pirates’ catcher Russell Martin finally drew a walk to lead off the 6th inning, but Wacha retired the next six hitters in order and took a no-hitter into the 8th inning.

Wacha retired Marlon Byrd to start the next to last "regular" inning, but National League home run leader Pedro Alvarez broke up the no-hitter and the shutout with a solo shot to halve the lead. Matheny only pulled his starter when Wacha followed it up with another walk to Martin. The bullpen closed out a 2-1 win and then took the night off to watch Wainright's complete game victory in Game 5 to advance to the NLCS.

After an exciting 13-inning, 3-2 win in Game 1, the Cardinals went back to Wacha to face the best pitcher in baseball, Clayton Kershaw in Game 2. The Dodgers left-hander held the Cards to two hits...and lost thanks to Wacha's performance.

It only took LA two batters into their lineup before they got their first hit, but the next 12 Dodgers went down in order. A.J. Ellis broke the string with a 2-out double in the 5th inning, but was stranded there. John Jay's sacrifice fly gave the Cards a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning, but it looked like Wacha's magic had ended when the Dodgers loaded the bases in the 6^th.

Kershaw and Carl Crawford reached on back to back singles and one out later Adrian Gonzalez was given an intentional free pass. Wacha battled phenom Yasiel Puig to a full count before he struck out his fellow rookie for the second out. Wacha then got veteran Juan Uribe swinging at a third strike to escape the jam. Wacha was pulled after he allowed a 2-out hit in the 7th, but once again the rookie pitched deep into the game and the Cardinals held on for a 1-0 triumph.

The Cardinals held a 3 games to 2 advantage when Wacha and Kershaw met for a rematch in a crucial Game 6. If you had no knowledge of the outcome and just heard the statistics, you would have been crazy not to think the Dodgers had evened the series up and forced a seventh and decisive game. But you would have been wrong.

Wacha may have been even better than in his first two post-season appearances. Crawford reached on an infield single to start the game, but was quickly erased by a double play. Outside of a 4th inning walk, no Dodgers’ batter would reach safely via a base hit until Ellis led off the 6th with a double. He was stranded there of course, and Wacha retired the next six hitters to finish with seven innings of 2-hit, shutout baseball.

The Cardinals jumped all over Kershaw and went on to a 9-0 win though they probably would have won the game had they managed just one run, thanks to Texas' Michael Wacha.

World Series Game 2 Note

Wacha faces John Lackey with the Cardinals in desperate need of a good performance after Game 1's poor pitching, poor hitting, and poor fielding performance. The rookie has allowed one earned run in 21 innings pitched (0.43 ERA), with 9.4 K's per 9 innings, a 0.57 WHIP and just eight hits allowed.

Red Sox Will Clean Their Beards With Champagne

The last decade has been full of ups and downs for the Boston Red Sox. There was the blown ALCS to the New York Yankees in 2003, followed a year later by their first World Series championship in 86 years. It would not have been accomplished had they not redeemed themselves by coming back from a 3-0 deficit to the Yankees in the ALCS to advance.

They grabbed another title in 2007, but a playoff bound team collapsed in 2011 and respected manager Terry Francona lost control of the clubhouse (Especially the eating and drinking habits of his pitchers.)

There were the horrible contracts given to Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford that helped to force out boy wonder GM Theo Epstein.  There was the childish behavior of Manny Ramirez and the ornery, expletive filled behavior displayed by one time ace Josh Beckett.  That was topped though by the one and done hire of Bobby Valentine, who alienated himself from most of the team with his behavior and remarks before the regular season was even a week old. Valentine’s squad managed just 69 wins in 2012, but the team was re-born, with some help from the LA Dodgers, when they jettisoned Gonzalez and Crawford and brought in guys like Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino. The result was a worst to first turnaround in the AL East and 97 wins under new manager John Farrell.

The current roster is led, of course, by veteran holdovers Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz, who brought their usual consistency to the plate. It's a team that can rely on just about anyone in the lineup to come through with a big hit at a big time.

You still don’t without pitching, but with Beckett gone, so were the distractions to Lester and Buchholz, who got back to being two of the best young pitchers in baseball.  Veteran Jake Peavy was picked up from Chicago to solidify the rotation at the deadline, Ryan Dempster was free agent signee, and John Lackey bounced back from surgery to have a solid season.

All of it – the talent, some luck, and a never- give-up-attitude are what will lead the Red Sox to their third World Series championship since 2004.

Make no mistake though, it won't be easy. Their opponents, the St. Louis Cardinals, are nothing like the pushovers the Red Sox beat back in 2004. With veteran ace Adam Wainwright and red hot rookie Michael Wacha, the Cardinals have the starting pitching to hang with anyone. A strong bullpen anchored by closer Trevor Rosenthal should do a much better job of closing out games than the Detroit Tigers did in the ALCS.

I do believe in teams of destiny, however, and this Red Sox team is one of them. Whether you watch this series or listen to it on the radio, you will hear about the way the Red Sox grind out at-bats - they led the Major Leagues in pitches seen per at-bat this season. You will hear it so often that it may be prefaced by "I don't want to beat a dead horse, but..."  Most of the championship teams in the last 20 years did the same thing (see Yankees dynasty from 1996-2000.)

Backing up the rotation of Lester, a revived Lackey, Buchholz, Dempster and Peavy has been a solid, clutch bullpen. It was a bullpen that got even better when the pitching of veteran Koji Uehara said “this role is mine!”

The Red Sox dealt for closer Jack Hanrahan prior to the season, but he was felled by surgery and never pitched a regular season game. Often injured Andrew Bailey failed at the role that earned him the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2009 and then was injured and out for the season as well. Uehara stepped in and stepped up. He is not your typical closer. He doesn't have an upper 90s fastball or a cutter that no one can hit. But he does throw a nasty splitter that has allowed him to strike out 10.4 batters per 9 innings for his career. (He had struck out a career high 12.2 this season).

A very pleasant surprise for Farrell has been the pitching of Journeyman left-hander Craig Breslow.  The eight year veteran was picked up at the 2012 trade deadline for Matt Albers and Scott Podsednik. Not exactly a head turning move. But Breslow, who was on the Sox in 2006, has done a great job on…right-handed hitters. That's no typo; Breslow has held righties to a .581 OPS and has faced more hitters in the right batter's box than he has from the left side. He’s mixed 90-mph two- and four-seam fastballs with a 75-mph cutter and an occasional changeup and slider to keep hitters honest.

There’s also 25-year old rookie right-hander Brandon Workman, who has struck out 10.2 batters per 9 innings in his first year in the bigs. Though he still has some control issues, Farrell does not hesitate to throw Workman into the mix in setting up the bridge to Uehara.

For all of the reasons stated up, that good old word, intangibles, and destiny, the Sox should be popping a cork or two after six games. Then maybe someone can hose them down and shave those beards off.

35 Years Later, Bucky "Bleepin" Dent's Swing Still Resonates

Monday, October 2, 1978 was a sun splashed day in Boston, Mass. Fenway Park was filled to the brim for Game #163 between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Many schools were closed due to the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, so there was a large crowd seated at home in front of their television sets in the living rooms and dens of America.

Back in July no one thought a one game, winner-take-all contest would take place. The Red Sox had a comfortable 14 game lead over the Yankees on the 19th of the month. Yankees manager Billy Martin was fired after he blasted outfielder Reggie Jackson and owner George Steinbrenner- "One's a born liar, the other's convicted." Bob Lemon replaced Martin and steadied the ship, and the Yankees started to play better.  The Red Sox were led by manager Don Zimmer, who found his own place in Pinstripes nearly 20 years later.

The Yankees won 11 of 15 and Boson started to stumble a bit. The 14 game lead was reduced to 6.5 when the calendar turned to August. Hope was quickly dashed, however, when  the Red Sox swept a three game series at Yankee Stadium that put the Bronx Bombers back in the soup.

A team made up of battle worn veterans, the Yankees went on another tear against the A's, Angels, Orioles, Mariners, and Tigers (13-3) to move with four games of the slumping Red Sox. The calendar read September 7th as the Yankees entered Fenway Park for a four game series.

Four days later, after the Yankees had outscored the Red Sox 42-9, the two teams were tied for first place with identical 84-56 records. A three games series in the Bronx a week later saw the Yankees take the first two, 4-0 and 3-2 to build up a 3.5 game lead. The Red Sox won the finale and left town 2.5 games behind the Yankees.

The Yankees stayed hot, but despite nine wins in 13 games, they couldn’t shake the suddenly resurgent Red Sox. Boston won seven straight and 10 of 12 as the two teams entered the final Sunday of the regular season schedule. A Yankees win or a Red Sox loss would clinch the division for the Pinstripes.

The Yankees faced left-hander Rick Waits and the Cleveland Indians while Boston sent Luis Tiant out against the Toronto Blue Jays, who were in the midst of a seven game losing streak. The Indians jumped all over Catfish Hunter in the first two innings to build a 6-0 lead and coasted to a 9-2 win. Meanwhile, "El Tiante" dominated the neighbors to the North with a 2-hit complete game shutout. There would be a Game 163 in Boston on Monday.

Monday's game matched the about-to-be-crowned AL Cy Young winner Ron Guidry against his former teammate Mike Torrez. The 1977 World Series ended when Torrez snared Lee Lacy’s pop up to give the Yankees their 21st World Championship.

Guidry's '78 performance was one for the ages. He entered Monday's game 24-3, with all three losses coming against pitchers, ironically, named Mike. The Brewers Mike Caldwell, the Orioles Mike Flanagan and the Blue Jays Mike Willis provided the only blemishes on Guidry’s record.

The lefty’s ERA stood at 1.72 and he had thrown five complete games in his previous six starts, three of them shutouts. (Guidry led the league with nine shutouts.) He also had 243 strikeouts and a WHIP under 1.000. The only disadvantage he had was pitching Game 163 on three days rest.

Torrez was 16-12, 3.92 and had thrown a complete game shutout against the Detroit Tigers in his last start. He too was going on three days rest and was 1-3 against the Yankees during the regular season.

Torrez looked nervous when he walked the game’s lead off hitter Mickey Rivers on four pitches and “Mick the Quick” promptly stole second base. But after falling behind 2-1 to Thurman Munson, Torrez struck out the Yankees catcher and retired Lou Piniella and Reggie Jackson to escape the jam

Guidry, on the other hand, retired the side in order and struck out a pair of Sox, including the league's top hitter, Jim Rice. One inning later though, Carl Yastrzemski ripped a flyball to right that stayed just inside the Pesky Pole for a 1-0 Boston lead.

Torrez settled down and was barely tested by the Yankees lineup. He gave up a double to Rivers in the 3rd inning, a single to Piniella in the 4th and a leadoff walk to Roy White in the 5th. When Torrez retired the side in order in the 6th and Rice delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the inning, it appeared that two runs might be enough to decide the contest.

Then came the 7th inning and the team’s fortunes changed. Chris Chambliss reached on a one out single, the Yankees’ first hit since the 4th inning. White followed that with a single of his own to centerfield to put the tying runs on base. Torrez retired pinch-hitter Jim Spencer  for the second out, which left things in the hands of Bucky Dent.

The Yankees shortstop had a miserable season at the plate- he entered the game with a .243 average and .596 OPS and was already 0-2 on the day- but rather than go to another pinch-hitter, Lemon stuck with him.

Dent barely laid off a low breaking pitch on the first delivery from Torrez for a ball.  Torrez followed with a fastball on the inside of the plate that hobbled Dent when he fouled it off his left in-step.  Trainer Gene Monahan tended to Dent for several minutes before number 20 stepped back in the batter's box. Just as he did, a bat boy brought him some new lumber courtesy of Rivers.

Finally ready, Dent stepped in and sent one out on Torrez’s next pitch. The fastball took flight and landed into the net atop the "Green Monster" in left field. Yastrzemski watched, hoping for a richochet off the wall, but momentarily collapsed to one knee as he saw the ball clear the wall. In a matter of seconds Dent had turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead.

The Yankees weren't done in the inning either. Torrez walked Rivers for the second time in the game and was pulled in favor of Bob Stanley. Rivers stole second and scored on Munson's double to centerfield. Stanley finally retired Piniella to end the inning.

Guidry had gutted his way through six innings without his best or sharpest stuff, so when Gator gave up a one out single in the 7th to George Scott, Lemon sent for the Yankees closer, Goose Gossage.

A passed ball by Munson put a runner in scoring position, but Gossage struckout Bob Bailey and retired Rick Burleson on a grounder to Dent to keep the score 4-2. It quickly beame 5-2 in the 8th when Jackson led off the inning with a solo home run to dead centerfield, but the Red Sox weren't dead yet.

Boston had blown the big divisional lead, but had rallied to force the one game playoff.  They would rally in Game 163 as well. Jerry Remy led off the 8th with a double and scored on Yaz's RBI single. Carlton Fisk and Fed Lynn followed with a singles of their own to plate Yaz and it was suddenly a one run game again.

Gossage got Butch Hobson to fly out and struck out Scott to keep it 5-4. The Yankees got a hit from Paul Blair in the 9th, but went down pretty quickly. To win the game, Gossage would have to face the heart of the Red Sox lineup.

Goose retired Dwight Evans to start the frame, but then walked Burleson. Remy was down to his final strike when he turned on a Gossage fastball in his wheelhouse and dunked one into right field. With the sun directly in his face, Piniella didn't see the ball to the last minute and stood with his arms outstretched to the side. Intentional or not, it was enough to fool Burleson into thinking he might have a shot at the catch.

Not only did Piniella have no shot of recording the putout, he barely snared the ball after it droppped in.  (He was also playing further over towards the line than he normally would be for a non-power hitter against Gossage.) Burleson hit the brakes as he turned towards third and retreated back to second base. It would prove to be a crucial mistake when Rice hit a deep fly to right that would have easily scored the tying run had Burleson continued on to third. (To this day, Rice still talks about the play costing the Red Sox the game.) So it all came down to two future MLB Hall of Fame members.

The game came down to a one on one battle between  two future MLB Hall of Fame members. Gossage came out on top when Yaz lofted a high infield pop that Graig Nettles squeezed into his glove as he straddled the left field line. The rest as they say, was history.

The Yankees beat Kansas City in four games to reach the World Series and then came back from a 2-0 deficit in games to the LA Dodgers to capture their 22 and last title until the dynasty of the last 1990's.

In 2003, the Red Sox invited Dent back to Fenway Park for the 25th anniversary of the ’78 classic. The man whose name is never uttered in Boston without an unflattering nickname, sat in the new seats atop the Green Monster, not far from where a baseball landed and made him a Yankees legend.

Dempster's Miniscule Punishment Will Only Serve To Cause Animosity

Boston’s Ryan Dempster threw four straight pitches at Alex Rodriguez Sunday night before he finally hit him with a pitch. Home plate umpire Brian O'Nora incorrectly waited until the aftermath to warn both teams. Joe Girardi flipped out and got tossed from the game.

Yesterday, Major League Baseball mishandled things again. While Girardi was fined as expected, Dempster was given just a five game suspension. With two off days this week, the penalty means nothing to the Red Sox, who will push Dempster’s next start from Saturday to Tuesday.  Dempster, meanwhile, could have shown a set had he admitted what he had done, but instead spouted the usual jibberish.

“I thought about appealing. But at the end of the day, Major League Baseball does a really good job of thinking through punishments before they hand them out,” Dempster said before the Red Sox played the Giants. “I just thought it was in the best interests of us as a team to go ahead and serve my suspension.”¹

I believe that Joe Torre, MLB's disciplinarian that handed out the suspension, would have had Dempster sit longer if not for a directive from commissioner Bud Selig or veep Rpb Manfred.

ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted this morning that suspensions for retaliations are usually five games and blatant head hunting will get you a 10 game ban. Dempster's actions should have fallen in between since it was clearly a premeditated act.²

The suspension also lends credence to the defense’s theory that MLB is “out to get” A-Rod and make an example of him. Whether or not it's true, any speculation would have been avoided had MLB merely given Dempster a 7-8 game suspension. I do disagree with people like the NY Post’s Kevin Kernan, however, who felt the ruling meant “open season” on A-Rod.³ Other pitchers would be idiots to put their own teammates in jeopardy; especially since the majority of them have certainly played with a PED player at one time in their career.

The ruling will also add fuel to an already burning fire that could get out of hand when the Yankees and Red Sox meet  in New York for a four game series beginning September 5. The two teams face each other again the following week at Fenway Park (Sept. 13-15). David Ortiz, a likely candidate for retaliation can thank his teammate should he get hit and possibly injured.

Sunday night’s Yankees starter CC Sabathia openly expressed his disappoint to the five game penalty when he spoke to the media on Tuesday.

"I thought he at least should miss a start and he's not going to do that, so I don't think it does anything. You don't throw at a guy four times. He violated every code in every way."⁴

1 - Boston Globe
2 - Buster Olney, Twitter
3 - NY Post
4 - Newsday

Soriano Smash, Reynolds Foils Bosox

The Yankees front office overruled GM Brian Cashman when Alfonso Soriano could be had from the Chicago Cubs for a young pitcher at this year's trade deadline. For a time it was a decent trade with Soriano providing much needed help against left-handed pitchers. For the last four games it has been an incredible trade.

The 37-year old has made like the Incredible Hulk and smashed baseballs and pitcher's egos at an alarming rate. The Boston Red Sox and starter Felix Doubront became the latest victims in the Yankees 10-3 win Friday night.

After he hit four home runs and drove in 13 runs in back to back games against the Los Angels, Banner Soriano had four hits and a one ribbie in the finale against the Halos. The Hulk was back for the opener of a three game series in Fenway Park. Soriano gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single and then broke open a 3-0 game with a 3-run home run in the 3rd inning.

It gave the left fielder 18 RBI in his last four games over which he has gone 13-18 (.722) Fellow Yankees Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and Tony Lazzeri, and Jim Bottomley and Sammy Sosa are the only other players that have driven in 18 runs in four games. The hot streak has given Soriano a 1.021 OPS in 19 games since his acquisition.

Soriano wasn't the only right-handed hitter to do damage last night. Mark Reynolds, who hadn't hit a home run in his last 68 at-bats before his release by Cleveland, found the top of the Green Monster in his first at-bat as a Yankee. It turned a 1-0 game into a 3-0 game and the rout was on. Reynolds, who also drove in a run with a single in the 9th, became the 22nd different Yankee to a hit home run this year. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it tied the franchise record set by the 1965 and 2000 Yankees teams.

Andy Pettitte earned his 8th win with his best game in months. It would have been even better if Joe Girardi hadn't left him in the game too long. He allowed three unearned runs - Eduardo Nunez with yet another error on his resume - in 6.1 innings pitched. Pettitte scattered six hits, walked one, and struck out five.

Doubront had dominated the Yankees the prior two times he faced them this season, but was charged with six earned runs in just four innings of work.

Alex Rodriguez was booed as expected with an accompaniment of "You do steroids" chant. Needless to say it was hypocritical coming from fans that saw their team win two World Series with failed drug test veterans Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz. A-Rod hit the ball sharply all night and reached base safely with two hits and a walk.

To make room on the roster for Reynolds, the Yankees demoted Preston Claiborne from the 25-man roster and designated Luis Cruz for assignment from the 40-man roster.

Mariano Rivera was prepared to enter the game in the 9th until the Yankees scored three times in the final frame. He had to get up in the pen again though when the Red Sox loaded the bases against Joba Chamberlain with two outs in the bottom of the 9th. David Huff made it unnecessary when he got Jacoby Ellsbury to ground out to Robinson Cano to end the game.

Red Sox Snare Peavy in 3 Team Deal

Peavy going from the outhouse to the penthouse

Several reports late tonight have Chicago White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy going to the Boston Red Sox in a three team deal that involves the Detroit Tigers as well.

Peavy is guaranteed $14.5MM next season and has a $15MM option for 2015 if he meets certain goals over the 2013-14 seasons.  The Red Sox sent shortstop Jose Iglesias, who has played third base in a number of games for Boston, to Detroit.  With Jhonny Peralta's name mentioned in the Biogenesis scandal, Iglesias may soon be the Tigers starting shortstop. Iglesias has a great glove, no hit reputation, but batted .330 with an OPS near .800 for Boston.

The Tigers sent highly touted outfielder Avisail Garcia to Chicago. So far Garcia's minor league success has not translated to the Major Leagues in the 53 games he has played.

Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com reported that 2-3 lower level prospects will also be heading to Chicago. No word so far if they will all come from Boston.

The move could also mean that Will Middlebrooks will be recalled to play third base for Boston.

Cano - Cleveland - Kapow

No one was more annoyed at Robinson Cano than the Dominican-born star himself. A 3-23 start helped contribute to a 2-4 Yankees record and the second baseman realized very quickly that he was trying to do too much at the plate.

Cano is a smoother operator than the subject of Sade's 1984 hit song. So when things go wrong, fans, media, etc. say he doesn't care, he's not trying..yada yada yada. (I'll save the stupidity of Colin Cowherd's "Robinson Cano plays harder for the Dominican Republic than for the Yankees" for another time. Kudos though to ESPN's Pedro Gomez for pointing out the silliness of that statement.)

Cano cared very much after those first six contests against the Red Sox and Tigers produces no extra base hits, runs, or RBI. He knows that with the plethora of injuries that have beset the Yankees, he is now the go to guy. Even without the injuries, he's the go to guy. The team's best hitter, the player that will secure the #3 spot in the order, a leader by example if not by words. The added pressure of playing for a new contract certainly couldn't have helped.

So when the Yankees came to Cleveland on Monday, Cano relaxed and stopped chasing pitches out of the zone, and started to crush the baseball.  After hitting into a right side shift earlier in the week, Cano started to drive the ball with authority the other way. The result was back to back Yankees wins in which Cano went 7-10 (.700) with 3 HRs, 7 RBI, and 3 doubles. His OPS went from .330 to 1.028 in two days and the Yankees won 11-6 and 14-3.

A Wednesday night rain out hopefully won't slow Cano and the Yankees, who have won three straight, down. (Thursday night's game is currently in a rain delay at the 7:05 EDT start time.)

What's everyone else up to?

Not to be overlooked the Yankees pitching has stepped up in the streak.

CC Sabathia is still working his way back to full strength, but he blanked the Tigers for seven innings Sunday to salvage the finale of the three game series in Detroit.  Hiroki Kuroda and his bruised finger struggled on Monday's opener in Cleveland, but he gutted his way through 5.1 innings to give the Yankees their first winning streak of the season.

Andy Pettitte, who was solid in an eight inning performance in the lone win of the three game set with Boston to start the year, was strong again Tuesday night with a seven inning victory.

After a woeful start offensively, just about everyone picked it up in the finale in Detroit and the first two games in Cleveland. For a team not supposed to hit home runs,  Cano (3 times), Kevin Youkilis, Brennan Boesch, Lyle Overbay, Ichiro Suzuki, Jayson Nix, and Travis Hafner all went deep during the winning streak.

Hafner got a huge ovation when he was introduced in his return to Cleveland on Monday, which was also the team's 2013 home opener. Like any good Yankees hater though, the fans booed when Hafner came up to bat the first time. He quickly reminded them of one of the reasons they loved him when he slugged a 3-run home run.

Another reason for the Yankees slow start was the inability of Brett Gardner to get on base. The team's table setter was just 5-30 through the team's first seven games, but had four hits and a walk on Tuesday. He also knocked in a pair of runs, scored three times, and had two doubles.

The Yankees need their second table setter at the bottom of the order to get going as well. Ichiro Suzuki has not swung the bat well since the season opener. He did have two hits and in RBI in Monday's win, but was just 1-5, albeit the one hit a line drive home run, on Tuesday. He's just 5-27 for the season with a .530 OPS.

As for the bullpen, things have been up and down. Shawn Kelley and Joba Chamberlain have been dreadful (at least Joba shaved off his equally dreadful mustache.) Adam Warren, who I thought should have been released at the end of Spring Training, has done an outstanding job in the long man/mop up role.

Mariano Rivera has one save and appeared in just two ball games thus far. That's all we've seen from David Robertson as well, both scoreless appearances. Left-hander Boone Logan has been inconsistent and remains the lone lefty in the pen.

Yankees Should Look Into Napoli

It looked like the Boston Red Sox were a cinch to sign free agent Mike Napoli to a three-year, $39MM contract. The only thing that stood in the way was the prerequisite physical. Apparently, the results of which have led to a renegotiation between the Red Sox and Napoli's representation.

The hold up is rumored to be an issue with one of Napoli's hips. Burned or semi-burned by big contracts to Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez in 2010-2011, the Red Sox will be very cautious in what they will pay a player that might be damaged goods.

The situation could still fall apart completely, and is the impetus behind the rumor that the Red Sox have reached out to free agent first baseman Adam LaRoche. The 33-year old is coming off a career year for the Washington Nationals in which he hit a career high 33 home runs, tied his best season with 100 RBI, made his first All-Star appearance, and also snared his first Gold Glove Award. He would almost certainly come at a higher cost than Napoli, despite being two years older than the former member of the  Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers.

You can bet Red Sox GM Ben Cherington has pictured Napoli peppering the Green Monster of Fenway Park, but LaRoche would actually make more sense. The Sox have prided themselves on defense for a number of years now and LaRoche would fit the bill as a superior first baseman to the more inexperienced Napoli (133 career games at first base). On the down side, LaRoche tends to be a pull hitter, which doesn't necessarily work well for a left-handed hitter in Fenway Park.

But enough about the Red Sox; after all, this is supposed to be about the Yankees checking in on Napoli. Obviously, they too would have to check in on the condition of Napoli's hip. (One highly paid player in NY with bad hips is enough.) But they should try to offer Napoli a two year deal worth $30MM or even have only one year guaranteed with an optional second year that can kick in automatically if Napoli meets certain criteria (games played, hits, etc.).

Though Napoli is not as stupendous player as some people think - his 2011 post-season has warped the view of him - he's a much better hitter than the recently signed Matt Diaz. Granted, the two would not be competing for the same spot, but the Yankees are going to need a better right-handed bat than Diaz to make up for the loss of Alex Rodriguez. (Or more precisely, what the A-Rod achieved at one time.)

It's already been made crystal clear that these are not the George Steinbrenner Yankees and staying under the $189MM limit by 2014 is a hard and fast rule in Yankeeland. That being said, some money will be freed up when Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera will likely be coming off the books after the 2013 season (a combined $22MM) and Curtis Granderson's $15MM will as well.

Whether the Yankees are setting things up to sell the team or managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner is being more fiscally prudent than his Dad, the Yankees still need to be competitive if they expect the fans to fork over their hard earned dollars to buy single game and season tickets.

Adding Mike Napoli to the lineup could help in that regard.

Pirates-Red Sox Hanrahan Deal Complete

It's taken several days to become official, but the Pirates and Red Sox have completed a six player deal that sends Pirates' closer Joel Hanrahan to the Red Sox.

In return the Pirates will receive prospects Jerry Sands (1B), Stolmy Pimentel (P), infielder Ivan DeJesus (had been acquired in the trade deadline mega deal with the Dodgers) and reliever Mark Melancon.

Boston will also receive minor league second baseman Brock Holt.

Hanrahan is expected to take over the closer role for Boston, with Andrew Bailey either moved to a set up role or traded away. Hanrahan spent parts of three unremarkable seasons with the Washington Nationals before he was dealt with Lastings Milledge to the Pirates for Sean Burnett and Nyjer Morgan during the 2009 season.

Hanrahan's career took off as a set up man in 2010 and he became the team's full-time closer a year later. The right-hander averaged 38 saves and nine strikeouts per nine innings in 133 total apperances. Hanrahan earned $4.1MM last season and is in his second year of arbitration eligibility. He can become a free agent after this coming season.

Melancon will have a chance to compete for the Pirates' closer role after one undistinguished season in Boston. He had a break out 2011 season when he saved 20 games in 71 appearances for the Houston Astros. Melancon was then dealt to Boston last December for shortstop Jed Lowrie and prospect Kyle Weiland.

As a set up man to Al Aceves, Melancon struggled with his control and finished the season with an ERA over 6. He also had a stint in the minor leagues in attempt to straighten out his pitching issues.

Sands is a slugging first baseman that was part of the same deal (as a player to be named later) that brought DeJesus to Boston last year. After Sands slugged 35 home runs in the minor leagues in 2010, he appeared in 61 games for the Dodgers in 2011, but hit just four home runs in 227 plate appearances. Last season he played in just nine Major Leagues games and was 4-23 with no home runs.

Pilmentel has been in the Red Sox organization since he was a 17-year old in 2007. Thus far his production has been mediocre, but still just 22-years old, the Pirates hope that he can find his 'A' game.