Spring Training Game Thread: Split Squad
By
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Yankees are playing a pair of split squad games this afternoon. Half the team will stay in Tampa to play the Blue Jays while the other half travels to Kissimmee to play the Astros. You get one guess where the projected big league regulars will play. Hey, when you’ve made it to the show you don’t have to travel in Spring Training if it can be avoided.
Grapefruit League records mean nothing, but hot damn it would be nice if the Yankees won one of these games today just to keep up appearances. They’ve lost their last four games, including yesterday’s error-filled laughing stock. They’ll surely start winning some of these meaningless contests once the projected big league starters get into game action — Hiroki Kuroda will start tomorrow, coincidentally — but for now we’ll just have to wait. Here is the lineup for the home team in Tampa, which will be managed by Joe Girardi…
- CF Brett Gardner
- RF Ichiro Suzuki
- 1B Mark Teixeira
- DH Travis Hafner
- LF Juan Rivera
- C Chris Stewart
- 3B Dan Johnson
- 2B Jose Pirela
- SS Gil Velazquez
And on the mound is the right-hander from the St. Louis suburbs, David Phelps. Here are the second string pitchers and positions players courtesy of Chad Jennings.
Available Pitchers: RHP David Aardsma, LHP Clay Rapada, RHP Branden Pinder, LHP Juan Cedeno, RHP Chase Whitley, and RHP Jim Miller will all come out of the bullpen
Available Position Players: C Bobby Wilson, 1B Kyle Roller, SS Addison Maruszak, 3B Rob Segedin, LF Thomas Neal, CF Slade Heathcott, RF Ronnier Mustelier, and DH Gary Sanchez will all come off the bench. I guess Pirela will play all nine innings.
Here is the lineup for the road team heading about 90 minutes northeast to play the Astros, which will be managed by bench coach Tony Pena…
- SS Eduardo Nunez
- 2B Jayson Nix
- RF Zoilo Almonte
- LF Matt Diaz
- CF Melky Mesa
- C Frankie Cervelli
- 3B Corban Joseph
- 1B Luke Murton
- DH J.R. Murphy
And on the mound is the right-hander from the suburbs of Houston, Brett Marshall. Here are the second stringers, again courtesy of Jennings.
Available Pitchers: RHP Dellin Betances, RHP Mikey O’Brien, RHP Shane Greene, RHP Kelvin Perez, RHP Corey Black, and RHP Zach Nuding are all coming out of the bullpen.
Available Position Players: C Austin Romine, 1B Greg Bird, 2B Walt Ibarra, SS Cito Culver, 3B Kevin Mahoney, LF Ramon Flores, CF Adonis Garcia, RF Tyler Austin, and DH Francisco Arcia are all coming off the bench.
Both games are scheduled to start a little after 1pm ET and can be seen on MLB.tv (no local blackouts). Only the home game will be available on YES. Enjoy.
206 Comments»
RAB Info
The Founders
Mike Axisa, Ben Kabak, Joe Pawlikowski
Editor-In-Chief
Mike Axisa Archives | Email
Managing Editors
Ben Kabak Archives | E-mail
Joe Pawlikowski Archives | E-mail
Contributing Editors
Larry Koestler (Archives)
Moshe Mandel (Archives)
Eric Schultz (Archives)
Weekend Writers
Hannah Ehrlich (Archives)
Matthew Warden (Archives)
Special Contributor
J.R. O'Grady (Archives)
Technical Consultant
Jay Gordon
Subscribe to RAB by RSS
Follow @RiverAveBlues
Search RAB
Yankees News from YESNetwork.com
- New York Yankees fall to Baltimore Orioles on Nate McLouth's homer in the 10th
- YES to televise Yankees/MLS Press Conference on Wednesday morning
- Ex-New York Yankees pitcher Scott Proctor retires
- Ex-Yankees farmhands Gil Velazquez and Cody Johnson find new homes
- New York Yankees top Baltimore Orioles in dramatic fashion at Camden Yards
- Rehabbing Alex Rodriguez partakes in defensive drills, hits in batting cage
- Robinson Cano surprises a young fan at the MLB Fan Cave
- Texas Rangers designate RHP Derek Lowe for assignment
- New York Mets sign RHP David Aardsma to a Minor League deal
- Mark Teixeira makes first appearance in Extended Spring Training game
Banner Design By
The Tyler Austin Watch
I know which I’ll be streaming. Road game FTW!!
I wish Lettuce Man was with the home squad. Stuart/Wilson, Over/Under .5 One Base between the two today.
.5
onebase**The fact that Cervelli is travelling with the B squad gives us some insight into Giardi’s thinking…
I disagree because the B squad has 3 other guys I think break camp on the 25 man (Nix, Nuie, and Diaz)
That, aparently, he has fallen in love with a crappy craptcher?
I wouldn’t read much into it.
no, not at all
Is there even a remote possibility that Dan Johnson will be a LF at some point in April/May? IMO, his hitting slightly outweighs the defense in LF, but I think Gardner and Ichiro could balance it out. Not many inspiring options, but Zolio and Ronnie are interesting ideas.
I doubt it. I don’t think he’s proven enough at the plate in the majors to try to force him into the lineup that way. I think his best chance at making the club is by playing a solid 3B and taking Nix’s spot on the roster.
I just watched the Francessa interview with Cano.
Everyone will have their different impressions. I didn’t think I would get this impression, but I did. He’s not coming back.
Yankees ranked 5th in ESPN’s organizational future ranks. Top 4 were Cardinals, Rangers, Rays and Nationals.
That’s a pretty strong ranking. Can’t argue with that considering how much uncertainty there is over the next few years.
Although I’d put more stock in a random drawing than any ESPN baseball ranking.
I’ll believe their baseball guys over MLBN or any other site out there. It’s their local guys (cough*WallyMatt*cough) who suck.
Not that MLBN is much better, but who’s opinion do you respect at ESPN? Kurkjian is fun to listen to but not much for analysis. Keith Law is the only opinion I respect and pretty much the only one who uses and has a demonstrated knowledge of advanced metrics.
John Kruk, Jim Bowden, Schoenfield, Jim Caple?? No thanks.
I’m just referring to their website, not so much the TV side. I definitely don’t care what John Kruk and Curt Schilling would ever say.
KLaw is obviously the best guy. Schoenfield, believe it or not, has grown on me. I think the SweetSpot blog is decent enough. Olney is good. Stark and Kurkjian are OK, I’m selective about what I read from them. Caple I only read for humor, not for actual analysis. I like his CSI:Boxscore segment.
Tough day when two squads added together don’t yield a single squad that inspires much confidence.
Here’s to another impressive spring for Phelps
to risk riling up the Preppers and the “Cashman SUX” crowd, saw this on LoHud:
FAMILIAR NAMES: Two opposing outfielders are pretty familiar. For the Blue Jays it’s left fielder Melky Cabrera. For the Astros it’s center fielder Justin Maxwell. After being designated for assignment last spring, Maxwell settled in with the Astros and actually became one of their standouts. He might be the best player on that team.
Sal Fasano would be the best player on the Astros.
hehehe. Sidebar, Fasano coaches up here in NH now. Head Coach of the AA Toronto team, NH Fisher Cats.
guy has gotten “not slim”. looks like a goddam walrus waddling out to coach 3B
He was always like that if I’m not mistaken
Haha yeah he was very walrus-like during his playing days. I’m sure that likeness has only increased now that he’s able to to let himself go.
Fasano always stood out to me by being surprisingly flexible for a portly fellow.
More of an indictment on how bad the Astros are.
This.
also true
for the record, BOTH games are on Gameday audio.
And the Toronto radio guys are being cheeky about the old and brittle Yankees.
Let the plebians have their moment.
I was amused by the
Announcer 1: “Is all the outrage because Stewarts not a superstar?”
Announcer 2: “Well, it’s because he’s soooooo not a superstar”
exchange.
I’ll admit I begrdugingly laughed at that then immediately sobbed into my desk.
I just love how everyone forgets that the dynasty teams were not a team of superstars.
The #1 sign that you’ll never, ever know what it’s like to be the Yankees is when you think you’ve got pegged what the Yankees are and wind up missing badly.
Fuck em. It may, or may not, be this season, but they’ll continue to eat at a lot of crow.
#27more
Yea, I’ve greatly enjoyed pointing out to friends, co-workers and random people on ESPN comments how wrong they are when they say something about the Yankees.
Very true. It’s because of the dynasty years that they became superstars. I’d like to have an average starting catcher than a backup catcher pretending he can start though. Hopefully it’s not as bad as I think it’ll be.
Girardi, Posada >>>> Cervelli, Stewart
They weren’t “superstars” I guess. They were just nearly all awesome.
It was the “bubble wrap” comments that turned me…
Yea…the pot shots are starting to pile up. I just wanted to listen to how Phelp’s start goes.
I’d rather have nothing but John and Suzyn for the rest of my life than have to listen to these two for an entire game.
Oh FUCK YOU for dismissing Chris Stewart’s OPS like that.
Reyes and that turf? Lol.
Playing the part of front desk receptionist this afternoon? Me. Maybe I can sneak some of this game in.
I thought you had people to do that.
And sometimes they leave on medical appointments and sometimes the high school work/study kids we have as backup don’t show up and the workers are busy doing the work that actually meets contractual obligations.
The stuff they never tell you about being in charge is sometimes, someone has to sweep the floor when no one else is going to, and that usually winds up being the person in charge.
So being in charge sucks like any other job, huh? Glad to know.
Not that I’m THAT high up or anything, but never forget that, the higher up you go, the more you’re beholden to someone else (much nicer way to say that than the “someone else’s bitch” I was initially going to type in.)
I’ll never forget how awesome it felt when I hired somebody to take out the trash
I just assumed this was his repayment for
playing hookeystaying home with no babysitter yesterday…Now you know full well that should never be confused with an actual day off.
Nunez in midseason form!!
Throwing or fielding?
Just keep doing that, Ichiro. Please.
God I hope he can hit .290 this year.
I wonder how many more years of declining offense it will take before a movement to “ban the shift” starts.
Why should they ban them? I hitter who can’t beat the shift is no different than someone who can’t hit a breaking ball.
I didn’t say they should. I was speculating on whether people might start thinking that way.
As extreme as that shift was, at what point does it make more sense for Mark to start bunting it into left field?
Damn, Cervy. That was literally a perfect throw. Altuve is fast, too.
He’s been really fucking impressive.
Cervelli showing off
Which game should I listen to here?
I am on the T.O. game, if for no other reason Pronk.
How are you listening to the game? any way to do so from my desk?
MLB At Bat app
I picked Toronto. Who the hell is this play-by-play guy? That is NOT a baseball voice.
Juan Rivera!
One point for Rivera in that debate.
Chris Stewart with the intensity!
Chris Stewart fighting for his right to party!
I love the fire and passion from Chris Stewart. He doesn’t take any game lightly, even Spring Training.
OK, now I am positive this is not the real Eddard. This is a little *too* on the nose…
I think now Gary Sanchez will catch most of the game? Thank you Chris Stewart.
Wait, Gary Sanchez is catching the Home game?
Stewart was, but got ejected. Mike has Sanchez listed as a DH up above, so I’m guessing it’ll be Bobby Wilson that comes in instead.
Marty Foster is a fucking moron.
wow at the first base ump tossing out chris stewart
Marshall flashing a niiiiiice change.
He’s go the best changeup in the org I read.
I think Manny is #1, but Marshall and Jose Ramirez are fighting for 2nd.
Hope Mike will give us some HOT .GIF ACTION of his change.
Nope, wasn’t really paying attention. Saving the hot .GIFs for Betances if he does anything decent.
Then I’ll be looking forward to a hot .GIF of that one pitch he threw over the plate.
+1
Stewart showing some fire!
Bobby Wilson in for Chris Stewart. NO Sanchez
Not surprised, though a little disappointed. Hopefully he pitch hits at some point.
Dan Johnson flashing some leather
no gary sanchez
Perfect throw from Wilson.
They must have some great weed in the Toronto booth.
Why, are they giggling a lot or talking about snacks?
No. They sound like Pauly Shore.
Dear gods! That’s cut off your own ears territory.
I’m absolutely appalled by how shitty these guys are. Who are they? I’d cry if there was a Blue Jay great like Dave Steib or something in the booth.
I love you, John Sterling.
Wow. They ARE bad.
Robby Alomar didn’t lead off for Toronto, Kenny.
This in from the Toronto announcers…. Melky was a “not a good” Yankee, came into his own in KC and SF… and they want to see if he is as good as last year without the “extra help”
Wow, Nobody will ever run on the Yankees again.
Try not to break any bones out there today, Happ.
Nice job, Mr. Marshall.
Think everyone should go up to the plate against Happ with a catchers leg protector strapped to his arm.
“It wasn’t Happs fault that Granderson decided to jump on front of Happs pitch….”
Those shit bricks on Toronto’s radio network
Oh that’s just beyond stupidity. Who’s blaming Happ anyway?
This is where you have your non-roster guys all charge the mound in unison.
More like the broadcast booth.
Both.
I had a “shoot them all” joke in mind, then I realized that after Newtown it’s definitely in poor taste.
….whaaa? Are they trying to say that it’s Granderson’s fault for getting hit? Really?
That’s one of the most dumbass things I’ve ever heard, not to mention vaguely insulting.
OO Dellin coming in? I’m kind of dreading this.
Wonder if he’s learned to keep his head more straight up when he throws.
Only one way to get better.
If Betances was an Oriole he would have been in the show two years ago and brained at least 10 Yankees by now.
He’d both have started on Opening Day and been optioned down to Single-A.
And the other side of the coin is that strikeout of Carlos Pena.
Aardsma looked pretty good. Keep it up!
Betances goes 0-2 on Altuve then plunks him. Shocking.
Personally, I’d love to see Dikembe Mutombo randomly showing up and swatting things away in my life. So long as he wasn’t doing them to me.
Hahahaha awesome! I can picture my ex-girlfriend calling to bother me for the third time this week and Mutombo crashing into her room and swatting the shit out of her.
“Nah ah ah! Not today!!! AHHH HAHAHA!”
It’d be great if I could get him to hide in the bushes by my mailbox and leap out when the mailman comes and swat away my student loan bill and/or my Comcast bill.
That would be brilliant!!
Houston announcers a ton better. Lacking personality, but know their stuff.
Apparently I missed some stuff…anyway who is number 99 on the Yankees?
That’s Brandon Pinder I think.
Ahh the old “Throw it over his head and hope it hits the bat routine”
http://www.yankeeanalysts.com/.....esfoul.gif
Beautiful. Probably one of the most effective weapons for a pitcher to have.
David Aardsma is now “Aardy”.
*sigh*
I like you, Girardi, but you gotta stop forcing these nicknames.
Now I wish we would’ve traded for Upton…would it be Jusy, Justy, Upy, Tinny, we’ll never know.
Either “Uppy” or “Upty,” definitely.
My money would be on “Upty”.
Uppity?
/racebaiting
Betances being Betances I see.
Houston announcers just described him as “scary wild”.
Seems appropriate.
Would Kyle Lohse accept a 3 year 20 million deal? I think with Kuroda and Pettitte gone that it makes too much sense to take advantage of his status. He wants years and stability at this point, and we want cheap. Is there a tiny bit of a match? I know that there has been much doubt surrounding signing Lohse, but I want to see it happen.
Reasons I don’t like Kyle Lohse, in no perticular order:
He’s coming off two years were his babip against is over 30 points under his career norm.
He’s only ever had one season w/ a better than 6.5 k/9 ratio, way back in 2006
Before 2011 he never had a WHIP below 1.3
His fastball has been trending downward since 2007
He’s never thrown more than 190ip in back to back seasons.
This is the thing about the Toronto radio guys: it’s an America/Canada tension and a New York/Toronto tension. Remember Chicago’s alleged Second City Syndrome, vis-a-vis New York. Same thing, on an international plane. Toronto has always felt itself underestimated by New York. Canada has always felt itself disrespected by the US. (See the fuss in Canada about whether the country’s role was properly represented in that recent movie, Argo.)
In the Jays’ glory days, the Canadian press (including broadcasters) were unspeakably smug. Then they fell apart, and I’m told that Yankee caps began outselling Blue Jay caps across the country.
Now they’re convinced it’s payback time for being cast into the shadows for 20 years.
Let the Yankees NOT be in the hunt this year, and this attitude will become the norm, coast to coast, border or no border.
I’m pretty sure I’m faster then who ever #85 on the Yankees is, and that is seriously saying something.
I’m pretty sure I’m 85% slower than #85.
Jose Pirela is definitely not a pudgy white pitcher. Who’s pitching now for the Yanks?
Which game are you watching?! This is madness because Rappada, while white is definitely not pudgy.
I’m assuming he’s watching the Houston game. This is weird, having two games at once in the same game thread.
That was Mikey O’Brien.
Rick Ankiel has been resurrected in Houston. IN other news, Rick Ankiel is alive.
Wow I have never hated two announcers more than these idiots from Toronto – just example #6749 of why Canada sucks.
Their bacon being #1 on the list.
During KLaw’s chat today, someone asked him this:
Craig (NJ)
NYY offer the Marlins: B Gardner, I Nova, and D Phelps for G Stanton… Who says no?
Klaw (1:11 PM)
Let me guess. You’re a Yankee fan, right?
He also answered a question about someone supposedly saying Montgomery’s slider is the best that person had ever seen, which he summarily dismisses.
That’s funny. Talk about “your trade proposal sucks”.
I’ve seen a lot of scouts say they’re not impressed with his slider. Who knows, maybe he hides it well or something. He certainly gets results.
Law described it as a 55 pitch that plays late because hitters pick it up so late.
Plays up, not plays late.
If it’s a 55 pitch that plays up because of delivery shouldn’t it be rated higher?
Try to ask him that next week.
Haha, Craig…try again.
Well that was fucking scary.
Heathcott with a perfect openfield tackle on Mustlier.
thats a 15 yard penaly in the nfl
Mustelier was a defenseless receiver.
yes he was
Heathcott not content with just injuring himself. Now he wipes out teammates as well.
Slade needs to chill, it’s ST.
He’s trying to impress, I can’t blame him.
Being over aggressive is kind of his thing. Up until last season he had a pretty awful CS% especially considering his speed 21 steals in 39 attempts.
Yikes that was scary.
I nominate that Nunez limbo for our double secret probation bonus gif today.
That was incredible.
Holy crap guys, it’s spring training! Take it easy.
On another note, Heathcott covered a ton of ground there.
He could cover the whole outfield himself.
These Houston announcers are awesome. Their mid inning interviews are really good.
Seems like they have had an interview every inning.
They do God Bless America during Spring Training? Jeez. Time to go get a snack.
I won’t be shocked to see the Yanks trade Heathcott. It’s hard to give someone a ML starting position if you don’t feel comfortable that they’re ever going to stay healthy. My guess is the Yanks don’t think he’ll stay healthy because of his style.
He’s too athletic for his own good.
I would be upset if they trade him “because he plays to hard.”
I understand. But staying healthy is a skill and if he’s always running into walls (and teammates) he’s never going to be very good at it.
Heathcott might play wreckless, but by the same token he leaves it all out on the field and hustles on EVERY play.Those are things fans wish they could get from every player. I think as he gets older he will start to understand that he has to reel it in a bit and start to figure out when and when not to take such risk out on the field. Lets not forget that this is a 22 year old kid trying to impress the Yankees and make it to the show. Way too much talent to just trade away because he plays a bit crazy at this point in his career.
I agree with this, especially the last part there. He has every reason at this point in his career to go balls-to-the-wall. He’s trying to make it to the Bigs.
I wasn’t saying they should trade him. But I could see why a team would be willing to trade that type of player. Especially if he helps bring something legit back in return.
I get what your saying.. but why trade away a position of need? Your talking about a outfielder with pretty close to if not elite speed and defense potential. The Yankees need outfielders. What is mason williams or Austin don’t pan out? I don’t think the Yankees would trade away Heathcott before they knew for sure what they have with the other two guys and what the state of our outfield looked like.
I think he covered that in his statement.
His main point is that given Slade’s style of play, he could see the Yanks moving him down the line. He doesn’t endorse that decision, just feels that the Yanks would trade him due to the propensity to get hurt.
I understand that. But who are you trading him for and what position? Were locked up for years at multiple positions. One area of need is the outfield. Heathcott already projects out to be a borderline elite defensive outfielder with tremendous speed and a pretty good bat. You don’t think other teams are aware of his style of play either? I just see no way they would even entertain the idea of trading heathcott until they know for certain what they have in Williams and Austin. Way too much talent to just trade away because he plays wreckless at 22.
Zoilo with a very pretty bloop into RF. Went with the pitch and dumped it over the SS head.
**LF
Zoilo FTW.
Diaz with the fundamentals.
The only thing the knife commercial on YES just succeeded in is making me want ribs.
Melky 2.0 with a 3 run bomb!
I’m really starting to jump on that bandwagon for him to make the team as a Grandy replacement.
And that’s what Melky mesa brings to the table, with plus D at each OF position.
Melky 2.0 FTW.
He was fooled on that and still blasted it to LF.
I already said this earlier but i’ll go again;
I’d like to see a platoon of Melky and Zoilo for LF to start the year.
TBH, screw Die-ass and Juan Rivera.
fwiw, Mesa vs. LHP 2011-12: 216/285/357
He may not be an ideal platoon candidate.
I could see him as an everyday option until Granderson returns though.
Yeah, I know he is no great shakes and his splits are shaky to say the least, but he has the tools to get the job done for a month with Zoilo kinda helping too.
Plus, aparently, he is a solid defender.
Well they’ll probably lose Diaz and Rivera if they don’t make the MLB roster. Considering Grandy’s only out for a month or so, I’d prefer to keep some of that depth by taking one of Mesa/Almonte and one of Diaz/Rivera. This is of course assuming that Diaz and Rivera don’t shit the bed for the rest of spring training.
Fair enough.
And even if they shit the bed, at least one of them, most likely than not, will make the team. It’s how the yankees go about business.
I think Dalek Jeter was commenting on this earlier, and i agree with him. The Yankees love their veterans, wich isn’t an irrational love, but they sure hold some young guys sometimes.
*more likely
This. I think most likely it’ll be one of the vets (Rivera/Diaz) to go along with one of the 40-man roster guys (Mesa/Almonte). I see them wanting to avoid sacrificing too much depth.
I’m agnostic on Melky 2.0, but I would like to see the Yankees beat the Jays today, on analogy to the 1949 ST game between the Yanks and the Red Sox, with the Yanks as the aged team, without an injured Dimaggio, and with the sun (apparently) setting on them.
And starting a 5 year run….
Laird with the big FU grand slam.
I cannot wait for MLB the show to come out next week. Going to have that sweet outfield of Heathcott, Williams, Austin, Obviously Gary Sanchez behind the Dish, A healthy Pineda ( beast mode), and of course DJ,MO,Robbie,and the gang. Glorious.
Phelps was brilliant. This kid is going to be something special. Let’s just hope they don’t treat him like Hughes and Joba, stunting both of their growth and running one right out of town.
Back and better than never indeed.
Tyler fuckin Austin. Picture perfect. That, to turn a phrase, was a professional at-bat.