Ivan Nova threw off a mound yesterday, which is only notable because he ended last season with a strained flexor tendon. The team says he’s fully healed and healthy, but there’s always that little bit of concern until you hear that he got back on a mound and didn’t report any problems. Phil Hughes and Cory Wade also threw off a mound, and Derek Jeter is scheduled to hit on the field for the first time on Monday.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Joba, Nova, Hughes and Wade all throwing in Tampa already

Right-Handed Pitchers
Dan Burawa
Matt Daley
Manny Delcarmen
Brett Marshall
Adam Miller
Ryan Pope
Graham Stoneburner
Adam Warren
Kevin Whelan
Chase Whitley

Left-Handed Pitchers
Manny Banuelos
Juan Cedeno
Mike O’Connor
Hideki Okajima

Catchers
Jose Gil
Kyle Higashioka
Gus Molina
J.R. Murphy
Gary Sanchez

Infielders
Doug Bernier
Russell Branyan
Bill Hall
Jorge Vazquez
Jayson Nix

Outfielders
Colin Curtis
Cole Garner
Dewayne Wise

This will be the first big league Spring Training assignment for Burawa, Marshall, Stoneburner, Whitley, Cedeno (I think), Murphy, and Sanchez. They’re bringing all those catchers just because they need guys to catch bullpens and throwing sessions early in camp, not necessarily because they want to see them in games. I think we’re all excited to see Banuelos again after his strong showing last spring, but I’m really looking forward to seeing Miller and Marshall as well.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Banuelos headlines Spring Training invitees

The problem is, there’s a lot of different was to go with your countdown. Do you start at when pitchers and catchers report? Wait for Spring Training for begin? Is Opening Day the only one that really counts? Let’s break down the different events and see what the best place is to be waiting for.

Pitchers and Catchers report.
Pro: It’s the first thing to happen.
Con: There’s no games to be had.

(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

In less than a month, the optional reporting date for batteries rolls around. The pitchers and catchers can show up if they want and begin their stretches, long-toss, short-toss, running up and down the steps – whatever it is they’d like to do. Here’s where a few pictures start trickling in from the beat writers and official twitter accounts, along with Best Shape of His Life stories and subtle comments about who was lazing off during the offseason (Phil Hughes, don’t hide). It’s hard not to be excited about the reporting date, because getting the pitchers to the spring complexes is pretty important — hard to play a game if you don’t have a pitcher — but in essence, you’re waiting for a day when there’s no games.

The fact is, it’s an optional reporting day for only a small part of the team. There’s a solid chance that most of the people won’t even be there, and Mo only knows when all the beat guys are going to show up. The day, besides being a great day when the cogs of baseball start to break the rust and begin to turn, is a day of nothing. If you’re counting down to actual baseball, you’re going to be sorely disappointed, unless you can be satisfied by pictures of CC Sabathia running steps and Phil Hughes looking not-so-chubby. Like the pitchers and catchers themselves, the fans need to warm up to the constant stream of baseball information that we haven’t had in what seems like so long. The cold, dark offseason is done. Baseball is back. (Cue YES music.)

Or…. maybe you’re waiting for some actual games. Maybe you can only be satisfied by the crack of the bat and the thwock of the catcher’s mitt and the analyzation of pitch types and batting stances. In that case, you’re most likely looking forward to…

Spring Training games begin.
Pro: Actual baseball being played!
Con: Games don’t matter, and managers treat them like so.

(AP Photo)

In Spring Training 2011, A.J. Burnett didn’t issue a single walk.

There’s so much hope in the Florida sun! So much excitement! Baby Yankees running around striking out major leaguers! Rotation competitions (that aren’t actually competitions)! Hope for the hopeless! The weak competition, plus the rust coming off the rest of the league, usually makes the fans feel pretty optimistic about everything. This is gonna be the year. Look at all our players! They look awesome! Totally get a ring in 2012, guys. I can feel it.

There’s nothing better than Spring Training in the sense that after a cold, hard offseason nothing hits the spot like baseball. It’s like hot chocolate after dragging yourself down a snowy street or your air-conditioned house when it’s boiling and humid outside. Real baseball, with hits and strikeouts and eye-rollingly bad plays, and pitchers, and outfielders… God, what’s better, honestly? It’s a breath of fresh air with the hopes and dreams of everyone waiting.

Of course, the games don’t matter. They’re try-outs for the invites and practice for the veterans, and usually feature three to four innings of what one might call “competitive baseball” before the AAAA outfielders come in. There’s funky lineup changes, pitchers trying to make pitches work (when they don’t), hitters testing out new everything, players in strange positions, all the stuff that makes a fan go nuts when he (or she) sees it happen. And, as I mentioned earlier, the wins and the losses are both equally meaningless. It’s frustrating, when watching a game, to know it means nothing.

If you actually need that competition, you’re stuck waiting for…

Regular Season begins.
Pro: Actual, real baseball that counts.
Con: Far away.

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

It’s here. The real season. Stuff counts. Anything could happen. The rotation is (probably) set. The lineup has been decided. Alex Rodriguez has hopefully avoided embarrassing himself for a whole month. Phil Hughes is skinny again.

Go time.

Is there any better guaranteed day in the year than Opening Day? Real, actual baseball, with players and teams that mean it, and games that matter towards that offseason that seems like it’s never going to come. While game one is, relatively speaking, just as important as game 162, the first is always the best. Our acceptance level of bunting, manager dumbass-ness, and general stupidity is at a high because baseball is baseball and thank god it’s back. Hell, maybe no one will actually whine about the lineup because it’s been so long.

Ok, that’s unlikely.

But just think about how long the regular season is from now: over two months. It doesn’t seem like a lot typed out, but every day with no real baseball is a painful one, especially when you’re watching Spring Training and waiting and waiting and waiting for it to matter. Staring at a baseball game knowing it’s utterly insignificant can be pretty bad, and knowing even more there’s a month or a week to go before things start counting sounds worse.

For me, pitchers and catchers is the day. It’s just so soon, and there’s so much possibility, and everything’s so close – I just can’t help it. I’ve got a countdown widget and everything.

What are you waiting for?

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

What’s Your Countdown?

The Yankees will play 15 Spring Training games against MLB opponents this year including the Rays, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Orioles. The Bombers will also break in the Marlins’ new ballpark in Miami as the club will play the inaugural exhibition games there on April 1 and April 2. They will end Grapefruit League play with a home-and-home set against the Mets on April 3 in Port St. Lucie and April 4 at Steinbrenner Field. Those games mark the first spring meetings between the New York rivals since 1996. Individual game tickets for all Yankees’ home games go on sale on December 2 at 10 a.m.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

With 101 days to go, Yanks unveil Grapefruit League slate

Alex is ready to go back to New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

At long last, the Yankees will play their final game of the Grapefruit League schedule today. Once this one is over, the team will pack up and fly back to New York and prepare for Thursday’s season opener against these same Tigers they’re playing today. The weather still isn’t great in Tampa, so chances are the regulars will just get an at-bat or two and hit the showers. No sense in risking injury at this point. Here’s the starting lineup, which will probably be what we see against Justin Verlander on Thursday…

Brett Gardner, CF
Derek Jeter, SS
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Robbie Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, RF
Jorge Posada, DH
Andruw Jones, LF
Russell Martin, C

Available Pitchers: Freddy Garcia, Rafael Soriano, Bartolo Colon, Luis Ayala, Mark Prior, Wilkins Arias, Andy Sisco, Eric Wordekemper, and Pat Venditte.

Available Position Players: Austin Romine (C), Eric Chavez (1B), Eduardo Nunez (2B), Ramiro Pena (SS), Doug Bernier (3B), Ray Kruml (LF), Melky Mesa (CF), and Justin Maxwell (RF).

Depending on where you live, you can watch this game live on either YES or ESPN at 1:05pm. Remember, it doesn’t matter if they win or lose, just that no one gets hurt. Enjoy.

Note: Congrats to Manny Banuelos for winning the James P. Dawson Award as the top rookie in camp. Jon Weber, of all people, won the award last year, Gardner the year before.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

ST Game Thread: The Final (Spring Training) Game

Guiliani with the photobomb. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Another televised Spring Training game, another Manny Banuelos appearance. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, but it’s just weird how he seems to pitch in every game that’s on the tv. He’s starting today’s game while CC Sabathia pitches in a minor league game that gives the team some flexibility (in case he has a short inning or something, they can add a fourth out, etc.). From what I understand he’s only going to throw two or three innings as well, since it’s his final tune-up before Opening Day on Thursday. I don’t know how many innings are on the docket for Banuelos, but the more the merrier. Here’s the lineup…

Brett Gardner, CF
Derek Jeter, SS
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Nick Swisher, RF
Jorge Posada, DH
Chris Dickerson, LF – say hello to the new guy
Eduardo Nunez, 2B
Austin Romine, C

Available Pitchers: Manny Banuelos, Mariano Rivera, Rafael Soriano, Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson, Boone Logan, Mark Prior, Luis Ayala, Romulo Sanchez, Steve Garrison, Josh Schmidt, Pat Venditte, and Chase Whitley. It will be the second of back-to-back days for Joba, Robertson, Soriano, and Logan by design.

Available Position Players: Gustavo Molina (C), Eric Chavez (1B), Doug Bernier (2B), Ramiro Pena (SS), Ronnie Belliard (3B), Austin Krum (LF), Justin Maxwell (CF), and Abe Almonte (RF).

The game is scheduled to start at 1:05pm ET and can be seen on YES. Enjoy.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

ST Game Thread: Banuelos on the bump (again)

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Yankees cut three more from Major League camp

Joe Biden offered advice about leveraging relief pitchers, foreign policy. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

As the Yankees run on the clock on their Grapefruit League schedule, Joe Girardi has been tinkering with the lineup somewhat, most notably hitting Brett Gardner leadoff. He’s done that the last few days, but Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher are back in the one-two slot today. Why? Because there’s a lefty on the mound; the Blue Jays are throwing Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo Jo-Jo Reyes. I’ll talk more about this setup tomorrow, but tonight we’ll get to see it in action. Here’s the lineup…

Derek Jeter, SS
Nick Swisher, RF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Robbie Cano, 2B
Jorge Posada, DH
Andruw Jones, LF
Russell Martin, C
Brett Gardner, CF

Available Pitchers: Phil Hughes, Mariano Rivera, Boone Logan, Luis Ayala, Steve Garrison, Eric Wordekemper, Ryan Pope, Buddy Carlyle, and Josh Schmidt.

Available Position Players: Gustavo Molina (C), Brandon Laird (1B), Ronnie Belliard (2B), Ramiro Pena (SS), Eduardo Nunez (3B), Jordan Parraz (LF), Melky Mesa (CF), and Greg Golson (RF).

Tonight’s game will be aired on MLB Network in all markets, they confirmed that the game will not be blacked out in the Tri-State Area via Twitter. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm ET, so enjoy.

Roster Notes: Laird, Golson, Parraz, Jose Gil, Jorge Vazquez, and Kevin Russo have all been reassigned to minor league camp. Golson being sent probably means that Justin Maxwell beat him out for the potential fifth outfielder’s job, should one be needed.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

ST Game Thread: A Familiar Lineup

(AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

As the fourth and fifth starter competition rolls along, it’s tough to see how exactly Sergio Mitre fits into this whole equation. Ivan Nova and Bartolo Colon have shown enough in camp that they should at least be given chances in the regular season, and for whatever reason we keep giving Freddy Garcia the benefit of the doubt. Maybe that lat part is just me.

Anyway, we’ve already talked about the possibility of releasing Mitre, and even though it doesn’t make sense to me, that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Sergio’s on the hill today, and I suppose it could be the last time he ever pitches in the Yankees uniform. Here’s the lineup…

Curtis Granderson, CF – Melky Mesa, CF …  Grandy’s hurt
Nick Swisher, DH
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Andruw Jones, RF
Jesus Montero, C
Greg Golson, LF
Eduardo Nunez, SS
Ronnie Belliard, 2B
Brandon Laird, 3B

Available Pitchers: Sergio Mitre, Joba Chamberlain, Mark Prior, Romulo Sanchez, Luis Ayala, Ryan Pope, Steve Garrison, George Kontos, and Wilkins Arias.

Available Position Players: Gustavo Molina (C), Jose Gil (1B), Ramiro Pena (2B), Doug Bernier (SS), Kevin Russo (3B), Justin Maxwell (LF), Melky Mesa (CF), and Jordan Parraz (RF).

I should probably also mention that Joba will be appearing in his first game since suffering that oblique injury. This Grapefruit League game against the Orioles is being broadcast live on both YES and ESPN at 1:05pm ET. Enjoy.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

ST Game Thread: A last look at Sergio?

(Getty Images/Al Bello)

Surprise! The Yankees’ game is on the televisions tonight. MLB Network sent out a release this morning that tonight’s game against the Rays in Port Charlotte will being airing live on their fine network. The game was originally going to be broadcast on a tape delay at some Mo-awful hour of the night. Here’s the starting nine…

Brett Gardner, CF
Derek Jeter, DH
Jorge Posada, 1B
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Robbie Cano, 2B
Russell Martin, C
Ramiro Pena, SS
Eduardo Nunez, LF
Justin Maxwell, RF

Available Pitchers: Bartolo Colon, Manny Banuelos, Romulo Sanchez, Steve Garrison, Eric Wordekemper, Ryan Pope, Cory Arbiso, and Pat Venditte. Pat Venditte!

Available Position Players: Austin Romine (C), Brandon Laird (1B), Kevin Russo (2B), Doug Bernier (SS), Jorge Vazquez (3B), Jordan Parraz (LF), and Melky Mesa (CF).

Again, the game can be seen on MLB Network at its scheduled start time of 7:05pm ET. Enjoy.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

ST Game Thread: Banuelos on the bump (I think)