Open Thread: 3/22 Camp Notes

March 22, 2014 by Mike Axisa 40 Comments

The Grapefruit League winning streak is up to seven after the Yankees beat the Twins 5-4 on Saturday afternoon. Masahiro Tanaka had his worst start of the spring, allowing three runs on five hits, one walk, and one hit batsman in 5.2 innings before hitting his pitch count. He struck out six, got six ground ball outs, and four fly ball outs. Tanaka got burned by the shaky infield defense a few times but he was also behind in the count quite a bit early. He wasn’t sharp but it was hardly a disaster.

Zoilo Almonte and Zelous Wheeler both had a pair of hits, including a double. Scott Sizemore singled in two runs. Brett Gardner went 0-for-3 and both Eduardo Nunez and Kelly Johnson went 1-for-4 with a run scored. Frankie Cervelli had a rough day physically, getting hit by a pitch in the left hand and also getting hit by a few foul tips. He remained in the game through it all, so I guess he’s fine. Cervelli went 0-for-2 with a run scored and the hit-by-pitch at the plate. Here’s the box score, here are the video highlights, and here’s the rest from camp.

While Tanaka was pitching against the Twins, Hiroki Kuroda started a minor league game in Tampa. He allowed two runs in six innings and threw 84 pitches. “I feel like I’m all set,” he said afterward. Shawn Kelley, Matt Thornton, Dellin Betances, Preston Claiborne, and Cesar Cabral all threw perfect innings in a minor league game. [Jorge Castillo, Donnie Collins]
Derek Jeter took batting practice today and said he’s fine. He fouled two pitches off his left foot/ankle in last night’s game (in the same at-bat, so one right after the other), the ankle he had surgically repaired in October 2012. [Dan Martin]
As expected, Joe Girardi officially named CC Sabathia the team’s Opening Day starter. Girardi said the rest of the rotation could be announced on Tuesday — “Maybe Tuesday we’ll announce it, would be my guess.” — though the bullpen and bench decisions are still a ways off. [Chad Jennings]
And finally, Collins has a bunch of notes from the minor league complex, if you’re interested.

This is your open thread for the evening. This afternoon’s game will not be replayed anywhere, but MLB Network will show the Dodgers and Diamondbacks live from Australia at 10pm ET (Ryu vs. Cahill). That’s a regular season game and the second of the two-game series — the Dodgers won the first game of the year this morning. The Devils and Rangers are playing (each other) as well, so talk about these games or anything else here.

W.B. Mason Williams

5 runs in 11.2 innings? Ichiro doesn’t even bat?!

DFA ALL JAPANESE PLAYERS!!!
Alex Rodriguez

Can’t wait for 2015.
- Bud Selig
  
  me too
- Steinbrenner’s Ghost
  
  I’m sure your 40th birthday party will be a blowout.
Mickey Scheister

So where exactly did the pitch in the video miss? It, as well as several other pitches thrown by Tanaka, could’ve gone either way. The ump was inconsistent at best today, perhaps that’s another big adjustment Tanaka has to endure, the cocky ass MLB umps. Don’t stare in Tanky, don’t ever stare in to home plate….they never forget.
- CashmanNinja
  
  That ump really pissed me off today. He was inconsistent as hell. Sometimes a pitch would be a strike, other times it’d be a ball. But it seemed like Tanaka got the benefit of the doubt when he least needed it (i.e. when their weren’t runners on and 1 or 2 outs like in his final inning). The ump seemed to expand his zone all day when it was Mauer’s turn to hit. I agree Tanaka shouldn’t stare in too long, but that’s a lot better than a pitcher who throws a hissy fit and huffs and puffs or screams into his glove. Staring at the ump is a subtle way of saying he needs to call a better game.
  - Snake Wiltsie
    
    Meh. Sometimes the better course of action would be to knock some of these guys’ teeth out(the umpires, that is). But, hey, it’s only ST.
Farewell Mo

Who would you guys pick out of Dustin Ackley, Oswaldo Arcia, Raul Ibanez, Dayan Viciedo or Grady Sizemore for 5th outfielder. I had George Springer but he’s sent down.
- Preston
  
  Is this a bench player or a starter? As a starter Ackley and Ibanez are the most likely to play everyday. Ackley probably gives you better BA, SB, R. Ibanez probably gives you more HR, RBI. So it depends on what you need. If you can afford to stash him I’d just keep Springer. He definitely has the most upside, and they’re just sending him down to play the service clock game.
- john duci
  
  Seriously? Grady. Hurts to say this as a huge Yankee can but he’s going to have a big year
  - forensic
    
    I wouldn’t be so sure about that. He hasn’t been an above average hitter since 2009.
    
    Might as well be sure that Brian Roberts is going to have a huge year too.
    - Cool Lester Smooth
      
      Hell, he hasn’t played in a professional baseball game since 2011.
      - forensic
        
        You know you’ve had issues when even Roberts has played nearly twice as many games as you in the last four years.
        
        Steinbrenner’s Ghost
        
        But the Saux will simply sprinkle some grit on Grady.
        
        He’s the next Casey Kelley!
        
        forensic
        
        He still looks so young, so the real question is if he can even grow a beard. And if he does, is there any way a beard can injure you and send you to the DL?
        
        Jorge Steinbrenner
        
        Oof.
  - RetroRob
    
    I’ll stick with what Klaw said the other day. If the Red Sox insist on playing Sizemore in CF, he will eventually be taken off the field in a body bag. Okay, he didn’t quite say that, but he basically did.
    
    It won’t work.
- Cool Lester Smooth
  
  Ackley.
  - Cool Lester Smooth
    
    (and shift him to 2B)
http://www.twitter.com/mattpat11 Matt DiBari

Spring Training is entirely too long. I’m ready for some real baseball.
- forensic
  
  There was real baseball very early this morning and there’s more starting right now.
  
  It’s just not real Yankees baseball yet.
  - forensic
    
    I’ll say, though, that since it’s real baseball I hate that they gave each team 3 exempt roster spots, which means they have huge bullpens (such as the Dodgers carrying 10 relievers) or benches. I get that it’s long travel, but they should still have to play the games under the same roster rules.
    - OB/GYN Kenobi
      
      Hmm I didn’t realize that. I agree. I understand fully that they should bring extra players in case of injury so they can be replaced, but that should occur under the same process as would a situation here during the regular season.
  - http://www.twitter.com/mattpat11 Matt DiBari
    
    Oh, and believe me, I’m watching.
  - Alkaline
    
    Fact. I took off work the Yanks home opener for a mental health day. So pumped.
    - OB/GYN Kenobi
      
      Can you ask for a mental health day in advance?
  - Arnie
    
    Did anybody else see Graeme Lloyd with the Yankee jersey on before the game started?
forensic

I see Puig hasn’t learned much about avoiding absurdly stupid outs on the bases since last year.
- vicki
  
  haha, i came here to leave you a note after that play.
  
  can’t blame the scorpion.
  - forensic
    
    lol, guess I’m getting too predictable.
Cheval Anonyme

Nothing would make me happier than for Zelous, Zoilo, Yangervis, and Adonis to make the team.
- lightSABR
  
  Replacing whom? Zoilo, sure, I think most people here agree he’d be better than Ichiro. But the other guys would all require 40-man roster moves. Who are you going to cut to make room for them?
  
  I really don’t think we have enough evidence to say that Solarte’s better than Nunez or Ryan. It’s very unlikely that Wheeler’s better than Johnson or Roberts, at least until Roberts gets injured. And there’s just no way Garcia’s worth dumping one of our better outfielders for.
  - vicki
    
    pretty sure he’s just got a name fetish.
  - BrianMcCannon
    
    I think he was just referring to the fact that all 4 players have an 80 name tool.
lightSABR

Or were you just pointing out that if winning depended on how awesome your players’ first names are, we’d be a lock for the World Series? :)
- vicki
  
  ah. there you go.
Yankee$ (Formerly Pseudoyanks)

Waking to see a nice snow cover in Chicago. I hear a nice little Noreaster could be forming as well, and cold weather will be coming back to most of the northern part of the country this week. I wonder how the first week or two of games will go. Good to start in Houston, I guess.
fred robbins

Does anyone have a guess as to how many games Girardi is willing to lose while Jeter tries to find his swing batting at the top of the lineup? What if he is 1 for 30 hitting into DP’s to start the season and the Yankees lose those games– or heck- even if they win half of them? Does Jeter stay in the lineup no matter what? Maybe I’m just nervous due to watching how Girardi operates over these last few seasons, where his favorite players get far more room to fail regardless of how it affects the team… now we have his boy Phelpsie vs Pineda– the fans want Pineda– his stuff is far superior, but it would not surprise me to see Phelps get the spot unless Pineda throws a shoutout 1 hitter today… I hope I am wrong
Macho Man “Randy Levine”

So did any Indians fans renounce their fandom yesterday?
- Havok9120
  
  How could they not?
  
  Ratings will be down at least 6% from that move alone.