NY Yankees News, Information & Community

Spring Training Game Thread: The Experiment Begins

February 24, 2013 by Mike 335 Comments

The Yankees are playing their second game of the Grapefruit League season this afternoon, but it will be the first for both Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson. As expected, Granderson will slide over to left field with Gardner taking over in center as the club looks to shore up its outfield defense. Joe Girardi & Co. have remained adamant that this is nothing more than a Spring Training experiment at the moment, but let’s not kid ourselves here. The switch is going to happen barring something completely unforeseen, like injury.

I guess that Gardner-Granderson stuff is the good news. The bad news is the weather, as it rained in Tampa this morning and is expected to do the same this afternoon. Teams don’t like to risk injury by running their players out there on wet fields in early-February, so there’s at least a small chance today’s game will not be played. Hopefully it’ll just be a short delay, if anything. I know we’re all starved for baseball. Here is the starting lineup…

CF Brett Gardner
RF Ichiro Suzuki
2B Robinson Cano
1B Mark Teixeira
LF Curtis Granderson
3B Kevin Youkilis
DH Travis Hafner
SS Eduardo Nunez
C Chris Stewart

Right-hander Adam Warren is the scheduled starting pitcher. Here are the day’s reserves, courtesy of Chad Jennings…

Available Pitchers: RHP Cody Eppley, RHP Matt Daley, LHP Francisco Rondon, RHP Preston Claiborne, LHP Juan Cedeno, and RHP Jim Miller will follow Warren. RHP Corey Black, RHP Bryan Mitchell, and RHP Shane Greene are available if needed.

Available Position Players: C Bobby Wilson, 1B Addison Maruszak, 2B Jayson Nix, SS Cito Culver, 3B Rob Segedin, LF Ronnie Mustelier, CF Adonis Garcia, RF Thomas Neal, and DH Gary Sanchez will all come off the bench in the middle innings.

Today’s game is scheduled to begin at 1:05pm ET, but again, the weather. The game will be broadcast on YES locally and MLB.tv all over the place, the blackout restrictions do not apply. At least I don’t think they do since I was able to watch the Mets on my computer yesterday. Hopefully that’s the case so I can .GIF anything interesting. Enjoy the game if they play, baseball’s back.

Winning the winter

February 24, 2013 by Mike 87 Comments

He’s a fun little article to hold you over as you wait for the Yankees to play their first (broadcasted) exhibition game of the spring. Brian Costa used ZiPS projections to see which teams added the most wins (or WAR) to their roster this season, and unsurprisingly the Blue Jays come out on top at +10.7. The Cubs (+8.2) and Indians (+7.2) round out the top three while the Marlins bring up the rear at -11.6. Like I said, unsurprising.

The Yankees, fresh off their patchwork offseason effort, rank 20th out of the 30 teams at -2.7 wins added. In other words, they lost roughly three wins worth of production. To be complete honest, that surprised me. Three wins lost seems to be letting them off easy, but hey, I’ll take it. Could be worse.

Open Thread: 2/23 Camp Notes

February 23, 2013 by Mike 76 Comments

Corban and Zoilo. Peas in a pod. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

The Yankees beat the Braves in their first game of the Grapefruit League season this afternoon. David Phelps allowed three singles in two scoreless innings and was the only projected big leaguer to pitch. Robinson Cano reached base in each of his three at-bats, twice on errors and once on a solo homer to left. Juan Rivera (1-for-2, 1 BB) took the early lead in the right-handed outfield bat competition over Matt Diaz (0-for-3, 2 K), plus Zoilo Almonte hit an opposite field two-run homer off Jordan Walden. He also threw a runner out at third from right field and is the early favorite for Spring Training MVP.

Frankie Cervelli got the catching competition underway by going 0-for-2 with a walk, though apparently he had a base hit taken away on a diving stop by shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Cervelli also threw a runner out trying to steal second. Austin Romine took over in the sixth and plated two runs with a two-out, bases loaded single in his first at-bat. He grounded out to third in his other at-bat. Can’t believe this catching thing is really happening. Anyway, here’s the box score and here’s the rest from Florida…

As always, Chad Jennings has the workouts assignments for everyone who didn’t travel for the game. Joba Chamberlain threw a simulated game while Boone Logan threw a side session. The club is taking it slow the left-hander (and his elbow), and I believe this was his first time on a mound this spring.
Derek Jeter (ankle) continued to ramp up his workouts by doing agility drills and running with teammates for the first time. Hooray for that. [Erik Boland]
Phil Hughes (bulging disk) finished his round of anti-inflammatory medication and plans to begin working out in a pool tomorrow. He’s still a ways off from picking up a baseball. [Andy McCullough]
Right-handed relief prospect Nick Goody is on crutches with a sprained right ankle. Apparently he got hurt in a car accident and will be shutdown for a while. That stinks. [Jennings]
Right-hander Adam Warren will start tomorrow’s exhibition home opener against the Blue Jays, which will be on television (1pm ET on YES). It’ll be interesting to see whether Brett Gardner or Curtis Granderson plays center field.

Here is your open thread for the evening. The Rangers and Islanders are both playing, but talk about whatever you like here. Enjoy.

A-Rod tested negative for banned substances in recent screening

February 23, 2013 by Mike 34 Comments

Via Steven Marcus: Alex Rodriguez tested negative for performance-enhancing drugs in a recent MLB-mandated screening. MLB tested Gio Gonzalez — both blood and urine — two days after he was connected to the South Florida clinic Biogenesis, and I assume A-Rod went through the same thing. They probably ordered everyone in the report to be tested as soon as possible. MLB is still investigating Biogenesis, Anthony Bosch, the players, all of that stuff.

The Yankees are officially* the Evil Empire

February 23, 2013 by Mike 50 Comments

Via Ashby Jones: A panel of trademark judges ruled earlier this month that the Yankees have rights to the phrase “Evil Empire” when used in connection to baseball. A private company called Evil Enterprises Inc. tired to trademark the phrase “Baseball’s Evil Empire” back in July 2008, but the Yankees fought them and won. Pretty silly.

Red Sox president Larry Lucchino first slapped the Evil Empire tag on the Yankees back in 2002 after losing out on free agent right-hander Jose Contreras. Given how that whole turned out, I’m guessing Lucchino isn’t all that upset anymore. The Yankees argued that they are commonly called the Evil Empire and it would create confusion, especially since they’ve embraced the moniker by playing Star Wars music — as the opponent’s lineup is being announced, mind you — at Yankee Stadium. Evil Enterprises Inc. has yet to decide whether to appeal.

* Kinda sorta, anyway.

Heyman: Yankees won’t give up a good prospect for Alfonso Soriano

February 23, 2013 by Mike 60 Comments

Via Jon Heyman: The Yankees are unwilling to give up a good prospect for Alfonso Soriano, nevermind a top prospect. He suspects they would absorb $10M of the $36M left on his contract, however.

Soriano, 37, had a nice bounceback year in 2012 after looking close to finished in 2011. As I wrote in a mailbag over the holidays, his resurgence looks to have been aided by a switch to a lighter bat. The Cubs are reportedly willing to pay $26M of Soriano’s contract, but they want a quality piece in return. I’m not quite sure with the Yankees would do with him other than use him as the right-handed hitting outfielder/Travis Hafner injury replacement, but they could have signed Scott Hairston for like half the money to do that.

Update: Spring Training broadcast schedule

February 22, 2013 by Mike 20 Comments

February 22nd: The MLB.tv schedule is out, and at this point it’s easier to list the games that won’t be broadcast than the ones that will. In addition to tomorrow’s Grapefruit League opener, the games of March 7th, 12th, 14th, 17th, 22nd, 23rd, and 28th will not be available anywhere. That’s it. Twenty-seven of the 35 Spring Training games will watchable somewhere. That’s pretty sweet. The schedule below has been updated (all games are on YES and MLB.tv unless noted) and will be available in the sidebar all spring, within the Opening Day Countdown.

February 14th: Less than ten days from now, Yankees baseball will be on your television. The YES Network released its Spring Training broadcast schedule today, which includes 19 of the team’s 35 exhibition games. That’s an all-time high and doesn’t include ESPN or MLB Network broadcasts, the latter of which has yet to release its schedule. The Yankees will play their first Grapefruit League game next Saturday, but that one won’t be on YES because they’ll be on the road. The next day’s game will be televised, however.

Here’s a partial recap of the broadcast schedule since MLB Network’s plans are still unavailable. We’ll have regular game threads for the broadcasts and even some game chats when the schedule is favorable. All games start between 1-2pm ET and will be on YES, unless otherwise noted…

Sunday, Feb. 24th vs. Blue Jays
Monday, Feb. 25th @ Orioles (MLB.tv only)
Tuesday, Feb. 26th @ Phillies (MLB.tv only)
Wednesday, Feb. 27th vs. Orioles
Thursday, Feb. 28th vs. Blue Jays (split squad)
Thursday, Feb. 28th @ Astros (split squad) (MLB.tv only)
Friday, March 1st vs. Phillies
Saturday, March 2nd vs. Tigers
Sunday, March 3rd @ Red Sox
Tuesday, March 5th vs. Braves (7pm ET)
Wednesday, March 6th vs. Team Dominican Republic
Friday, March 8th @ Marlins (MLB.tv only)
Saturday, March 9th vs. Braves
Sunday, March 10th @ Blue Jays (MLB.tv only)
Monday, March 11th vs. Cardinals (also on ESPN)
Wednesday, March 13th vs. Phillies (7pm ET)
Friday, March 15th vs. Marlins
Saturday, March 16th vs. Phillies (split squad, 12pm ET)
Saturday, March 16th @ Braves (split squad, 5pm ET, MLB.tv only)
Tuesday, March 19th @ Phillies (ESPN and MLB.tv only)
Wednesday, March 20th vs. Red Sox (also on ESPN)
Thursday, March 21st vs. Twins (7pm ET)
Sunday, March 24th vs. Rays
Tuesday, March 26th vs. Astros (7pm ET)
Wednesday, March 27th @ Orioles (7pm ET, MLB.tv only)
Friday, March 29th @ Nationals (in Nationals Park, no MLB.tv)
Saturday, March 30th @ Army (in West Point)

That March 5th game against Robinson Cano and the rest of the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic squad should be a lot of fun. Same goes with the Nationals game in Washington and the West Point game. The Yankees will be off on Sunday, March 31st before opening the regular season at home against the Red Sox on Monday, April 1st.