Posted by: Patrick
All-Star balloting for Triple-A has now opened. You can vote online, as many as 25 times. Voting closes on June 26.
Via Peter Abraham.
Via Peter Abraham.
Posted by: Patrick
Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports has an interesting article on Mo's weekend.
See the full write up for more.
Thanks Jack for the tip.
For several hours before Rivera took the ball Saturday afternoon in that tie game, he’d suffered with a stomach ailment that brought aches and repeated vomiting, according to one Yankee. Rivera had rolled off the trainer’s table, where he’d hoped to sleep it off, and into the bullpen in the eighth inning, when he began to warm up. ...
“He was so upset afterward,” the teammate said.
And yet, Rivera did not mention it after the game, and he did not reveal it late Sunday afternoon, when it would have played less like an excuse than, in victory, the simple retelling of a trying 30 hours. He did not hang those hittable fastballs or that loss on his illness. He did not blame manager Joe Girardi for asking him to pitch in a tie game when a healthier body might have – and probably should have – done.
“He was so upset afterward,” the teammate said.
And yet, Rivera did not mention it after the game, and he did not reveal it late Sunday afternoon, when it would have played less like an excuse than, in victory, the simple retelling of a trying 30 hours. He did not hang those hittable fastballs or that loss on his illness. He did not blame manager Joe Girardi for asking him to pitch in a tie game when a healthier body might have – and probably should have – done.
See the full write up for more.
Thanks Jack for the tip.
Posted by: Patrick
MLB.com's Jared Diamond reports that Brian Bruney threw a pain-free 30 pitch bullpen session today. Peter Abraham guesses that he's 8-10 days and also passes along word from Jose Molina, who thinks he's 7-10 days away.
Finally, Abraham notes that Nady threw from 90 feet yesterday, an improvement upon Friday's 75 feet, which Joe Girardi said would need to grow before he came back.
Finally, Abraham notes that Nady threw from 90 feet yesterday, an improvement upon Friday's 75 feet, which Joe Girardi said would need to grow before he came back.
Posted by: Seamus
The Yankees moved back into first place in the A.L. East after a late rally helped the Yankees climb over the Rays in the ballgame and over the Red Sox in the standings (Boston lost to Texas). The Yankees trailed 3–1 in the 8th but a three-run bottom of the inning helped net the Yankees their league-leading 20th come from behind victory of the season.
Both teams scored in their half of the 3rd inning (B.J. Upton RBI double for Tampa Bay, Nick Swisher solo homer for the Yanks), but that was all of the offense until the 6th, when Joba Chamberlain coughed up two runs that put the Rays up by a score of 3–1. Despite the rough inning, Joba had a pretty decent outing, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits in his 6 innings of work. Alfredo Aceves relieved Chamerlain to start the 7th and pitched two strong, scoreless innings to keep the Yankees in the game.
The Yankees remained behind until they were able to battle back with a 3-spot in the bottom of the 8th. The Yanks made it 3–2 after Grant Balfour walked in Robinson Cano, and that was followed up by a key play in which the Yankees tied the game when Rays third baseman Willy Aybar bobbled a ground ball from Jorge Posada that could've been an inning-ending double play had he handled it cleanly. Hideki Matsui then gave the Yankees the lead in the ensuing at bat, as he was able to beat out a double play for an RBI fielder's choice groundout.
Mariano Rivera bounced back from his rough 9th inning in yesterday's ballgame, and punched out the Rays 1-2-3 to earn his 13th save of the season.
The Yanks will try to take the rubber game of this series tomorrow evening as they'll send Andy Pettitte to the mound to face Andy Sonnanstine and the Rays. Game starts at 7:05 ET.
Recap records: Patrick: 16–7, Seamus: 13–11, Andrew: 4–5
Both teams scored in their half of the 3rd inning (B.J. Upton RBI double for Tampa Bay, Nick Swisher solo homer for the Yanks), but that was all of the offense until the 6th, when Joba Chamberlain coughed up two runs that put the Rays up by a score of 3–1. Despite the rough inning, Joba had a pretty decent outing, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits in his 6 innings of work. Alfredo Aceves relieved Chamerlain to start the 7th and pitched two strong, scoreless innings to keep the Yankees in the game.
The Yankees remained behind until they were able to battle back with a 3-spot in the bottom of the 8th. The Yanks made it 3–2 after Grant Balfour walked in Robinson Cano, and that was followed up by a key play in which the Yankees tied the game when Rays third baseman Willy Aybar bobbled a ground ball from Jorge Posada that could've been an inning-ending double play had he handled it cleanly. Hideki Matsui then gave the Yankees the lead in the ensuing at bat, as he was able to beat out a double play for an RBI fielder's choice groundout.
Mariano Rivera bounced back from his rough 9th inning in yesterday's ballgame, and punched out the Rays 1-2-3 to earn his 13th save of the season.
The Yanks will try to take the rubber game of this series tomorrow evening as they'll send Andy Pettitte to the mound to face Andy Sonnanstine and the Rays. Game starts at 7:05 ET.
Recap records: Patrick: 16–7, Seamus: 13–11, Andrew: 4–5
Posted by: Patrick
Forbes has their list of baseball's most valuable fans. Here's how they figured this out:
Using this methodology, they came up with being worth $45 each. The top of the list was the Giants at $78 and the bottom was the Marlins at $11.
Via Steve Lombardi.
In our first ranking of the most valuable fans of MLB, we flipped tradition on its head and took a look at what audiences around America are worth to the business of baseball. We divided local revenue of each team (including such sources as local television and radio revenue, gate receipts and sponsorships) for the 2008 season by the population of its metropolitan area, according to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate. The resulting revenue-per-fan figure is a rough yardstick of a team’s ability to capitalize on its fan base, regardless of market size.
Revenue figures are before revenue sharing and exclude national media and licensing revenue, which is divvied up equally to all 30 MLB team. For cities with two teams, we divided the population in half for each team, figuring the city’s fan base was split more or less evenly between the two.
Revenue figures are before revenue sharing and exclude national media and licensing revenue, which is divvied up equally to all 30 MLB team. For cities with two teams, we divided the population in half for each team, figuring the city’s fan base was split more or less evenly between the two.
Using this methodology, they came up with being worth $45 each. The top of the list was the Giants at $78 and the bottom was the Marlins at $11.
Via Steve Lombardi.
Posted by: Patrick
Colin Stephenson of The Star-Ledger reports on the progress of Brian Bruney, Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady.
On Friday, Bruney had a bullpen session in which he threw 20 pitches and indicated that he had no pain. He was reluctant to set a date for his return, but ended up saying he might be out for a week and a half.
Marte had a bullpen session, as well, and threw 25 pitches, including some sliders. Not much detail was provided, so it must have gone according to plan.
Finally, Nady played in an extended spring game and threw from 75 feet. Girardi says that it's a "good sign," but that the team needs to get him throwing from farther back.
Via Mike Axisa.
On Friday, Bruney had a bullpen session in which he threw 20 pitches and indicated that he had no pain. He was reluctant to set a date for his return, but ended up saying he might be out for a week and a half.
Marte had a bullpen session, as well, and threw 25 pitches, including some sliders. Not much detail was provided, so it must have gone according to plan.
Finally, Nady played in an extended spring game and threw from 75 feet. Girardi says that it's a "good sign," but that the team needs to get him throwing from farther back.
Via Mike Axisa.
Posted by: Patrick
SI.com's Jon Heyman reports primarily about the Braves release of Tom Glavine. But, there was a Yankees related bit, when Heyman relayed comments made by John Smoltz.
Via Joseph Pawlikowski via Ben Nicholson-Smith.
Smoltz weighed in on Wednesday, saying that "ain't no way to treat'' Glavine, and of course we all know that Smoltz has his own issues, having been annoyed to see another Braves official (not Wren) question his own decision to leave, by saying that Atlanta offered the very same amount as the Red Sox. The reality is, Smoltz, who told me in the spring that he once rejected a $53 million contract from George Steinbrenner to sign for $30 million with the Braves, received $5 million guaranteed from the Red Sox when the Brave were offering only $2 million guaranteed. So Smoltz understandably smolders over that.
Via Joseph Pawlikowski via Ben Nicholson-Smith.
Posted by: Patrick
ESPN.com's Jorge Arangure Jr. reports that Cuban outfielder Felix Perez was suspended for one year on May 26 and cannot sign with an MLB team for one year from that date. The Yankees had reportedly been interested in him.
Perez had said he was 20 years old, but they believe that he is really 24 or 25.
The report also says that, according to sources, the Yankees have "shown significant interest" in both pitcher Noel Arguelles and infielder Jose Iglesias, should they be declared free agents. Their agent filed a request for them to be so on April 20.
Via Peter Abraham.
Perez had said he was 20 years old, but they believe that he is really 24 or 25.
The report also says that, according to sources, the Yankees have "shown significant interest" in both pitcher Noel Arguelles and infielder Jose Iglesias, should they be declared free agents. Their agent filed a request for them to be so on April 20.
Via Peter Abraham.
Posted by: Andrew
Mariano Rivera allowed four runs (three earned) in the top of the ninth inning in the Yankees 9-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday afternoon. This game immediately after the Yankees came back to tie the game at 5 in the bottom of the eighth and before the Yankees scored two in the bottom of the ninth. Obviously, the damage had already been done.
Unlike the last time Rivera struggled in a tie game against the Yankees (Rivera gave up two home runs), the Rays kept their damage in the park. Ben Zobrist led off with a triple and scored on a single, B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford also had RBI singles, and another run scored on an error.
Mark Teixeira hit a two-run, no-out double in the ninth to halve the lead, but Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano couldn't even move him over. Old friend Randy Choate retired Cano for his third save of the season.
The Yankees gave CC Sabathia a two-run lead by the end of the fourth inning, but he gave the runs back in the top of the fifth. Zobrist led off with a home run and Joe Dillon reached third after a single and two-base throwing error by Johnny Damon. He would score on a sacrifice fly.
After the Yankees took a 3-2 lead (on one of three of Dioner Navarro's throwing errors), Sabathia gave up a three-run home run to Willy Aybar.
For a while, David Price and Sabathia were the pitchers of record. Price only gave up two hits over 5 2/3 innings, but the five walks he allowed drove up his pitch count and contributed to his early departure. Sabathia gave up five earned runs (the most since April 22) and was done after eight innings.
Matt Garza and Joba Chamberlain will start tomorrow afternoon.
Recap records: Patrick: 16–7, Seamus: 12–11, Andrew: 4–5.
Andrew Fletcher regularly blogs about the Yankees at Scott Proctor's Arm.
Unlike the last time Rivera struggled in a tie game against the Yankees (Rivera gave up two home runs), the Rays kept their damage in the park. Ben Zobrist led off with a triple and scored on a single, B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford also had RBI singles, and another run scored on an error.
Mark Teixeira hit a two-run, no-out double in the ninth to halve the lead, but Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano couldn't even move him over. Old friend Randy Choate retired Cano for his third save of the season.
The Yankees gave CC Sabathia a two-run lead by the end of the fourth inning, but he gave the runs back in the top of the fifth. Zobrist led off with a home run and Joe Dillon reached third after a single and two-base throwing error by Johnny Damon. He would score on a sacrifice fly.
After the Yankees took a 3-2 lead (on one of three of Dioner Navarro's throwing errors), Sabathia gave up a three-run home run to Willy Aybar.
For a while, David Price and Sabathia were the pitchers of record. Price only gave up two hits over 5 2/3 innings, but the five walks he allowed drove up his pitch count and contributed to his early departure. Sabathia gave up five earned runs (the most since April 22) and was done after eight innings.
Matt Garza and Joba Chamberlain will start tomorrow afternoon.
Recap records: Patrick: 16–7, Seamus: 12–11, Andrew: 4–5.
Andrew Fletcher regularly blogs about the Yankees at Scott Proctor's Arm.
06/05: Yanks vs. Rays Postponed
Posted by: Seamus
Tonight's game between the Yankees and Rays has been posptponed due to rain. No makeup date has been announced yet.
UPDATE: Peter Abraham reports that the game will NOT be made up this weekend.
UPDATE: Peter Abraham reports that the game will NOT be made up this weekend.
