Tagged: Rafael Soriano
Oh, What a Day!
Today, God let there be baseball. And life.
And with it all came a 6-3 Yankee win over the Tigers, as the Bombers have now won 13 of their last 14 home openers. Today’s win also snapped a two-game Opening Day losing streak, as the Yanks dropped their road openers in 2010 and 2009 – to the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles, respectively.
Where to start?
Curtis Granderson
How nice was he? He made three outstanding catches in center, highlighting the day on defense. Along with notching a few web gems, he was a force at the plate. In the bottom of the seventh Granderson broke a 3-3 tie with a solo home run to deep right field, a shot that landed in the second deck.
It was Granderson’s first home run of the year and it marked the third consecutive time he homered on Opening Day. Last year he took Josh Beckett deep on Opening Night at Fenway Park vs. the Red Sox and as a member of the Tigers in 2009, he homered in a 12-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Ironically enough, Granderson went deep off the same pitcher he was traded for – Phil Coke. Coke took the loss and Granderson was pretty much the player of the game.
Knowing that, it must be tough to be the Tigers.
Granderson homered off Coke, a left-handed pitcher. Last year he scuffled against lefties (.234 batting average), so the fact that he took a southpaw deep today is hopefully a good sign of things to come.
Not to mention he hurt his oblique during Spring Training and showed no lingering signs of an injury.
Overall, Granderson stole the Opening Day show. And if nothing else, he ushered in the Yankees’ first win of 2011 – hopefully the first of many.
Solid Pitching
CC Sabathia ended the day with a good line: six innings pitched, six hits, three runs (two earned), two walks, and seven strikeouts. Overall it was respectable, considering it was the first game of the year and Sabathia hasn’t had a fair amount of success to open up the season.
The big man provided the Yanks with a quality start, but the real story was the perfect bullpen.
Joba Chamberlain relieved Sabathia and pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning, recording one strikeout. He was very effective, although he was only hitting the low-90s on the speed gun.
After Chamberlain was Rafael Soriano, who tossed a scoreless, hitless eighth. The new setup man got the chance to strut his stuff, and I’m sure I can speak for every Yankee fan when say I loved what I saw.
Following him was who else but the great Mariano Rivera. With a new regular season look, sporting his socks high – the same look we saw in Spring Training – Rivera came on to shut down the Tigers in the ninth, 1-2-3 for his 560th career save and first of 2011.
Chamberlain picked up the win while Soriano recorded a hold.
The game has been shortened when it comes to Yankee pitching. If each starter gives the Yankees what Sabathia gave them today, the Bronx Bombers are going to win a heck of a lot of ballgames.
Impact Players
Down 1-0 in the bottom of the third, Mark Teixeira blasted a three-run homer to right field, his first of the year, to put the Yanks ahead, 3-1. Like Granderson’s homer, it landed in the second porch in right field.
Teixeira was 1-for-3, as his homer was the only hit he had. But if he swings the bat the way he did today, he might possibly be able to exorcise his “slow start demons.”
Derek Jeter is still 74 hits away from 3,000 for his career, not reaching base by way of a hit today. He did however draw a walk and he drove in Russell Martin with a sacrifice fly.
Speaking of Martin, he scored two runs today and stole a base. That’s right, a catcher stole a base.
Nick Swisher knocked in the Yankees’ sixth run of the afternoon with an RBI single to score Alex Rodriguez. Swisher hit a blooper into right field and tried to stretch it into a double. He was put out 9-3-6-3, but not before Rodriguez crossed the plate.
Rodriguez had a monster double in the sixth that, on any other day, would have gone out for a home run. It caromed off the wall in right-center field, as A-Rod just missed it. The slugging third baseman quite possibly could have had a triple, but he was in his home run trot when he left the box.
Jogging to first, he turned on the jets and was only able to motor into second. He ended the day 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored.
Overall, the Yankees played a great game. It was a hard-fought win, because the Tigers kept chipping away at their lead. Finally Granderson was able to put the Tigers away with one swing of the bat and from there it snowballed.
Tomorrow the Yanks will have their traditional off-day following Opening Day. They will be back at it on Saturday afternoon against Detroit.
A.J. Burnett, who is battling a cold, will make his first start of 2011. The number two man is hoping to erase his 10-15 record last year, and what better way to do that than by beginning this season with a win?
He will face Brad Penny of the Tigers.
What the 25 Man Roster Should Look Like
Today the Yankees beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 in Tampa, leaving only three more Grapefruit League games left on the schedule before they start playing for real on Thursday. The highlight of the afternoon was a towering, two-run homer off the bat of Alex Rodriguez that flew over the batter’s eye in centerfield, his sixth round-tripper of the spring.
A few decisions and moves were made recently, most notably the trade of Sergio Mitre, the signing of Kevin Millwood, and the naming of the fourth and fifth starting pitchers.
Yesterday Mitre was dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers for outfielder Chris Dickerson. In this afternoon’s win over the Bucs, Dickerson made his Yankee debut and put on quite a hitting show. The 28 year-old pounded out three hits (including a double) in three at-bats while knocking in a run.
Unfortunately Dickerson was forced to leave the game with an apparent hamstring injury after notching his third hit. As of this point, the Yankee medical staff can only diagnose his injury as “spasms and cramping.”
Tough luck for the kid to go down – especially following such an impressive debut. What’s more, it hurts the Yankees, being that Curtis Granderson is not yet confirmed to be playing on Opening Day in light of his oblique injury. Yesterday Granderson did some running and agility drills, as he hopes to avoid beginning the 2011 season on the disabled list.
Millwood, 36, was signed just yesterday. He owned the worst record in baseball last year, going 4-16 for the Baltimore Orioles with a 5.10 ERA. However, he has been a dominant pitcher in the past, leading the league with the lowest ERA in 2005 (2.86), making the All-Star team in 1999, and finishing third in the N.L. Cy Young voting in 1999 as a member of the Atlanta Braves.
Even though he has proven himself in the past, he hasn’t proven anything yet. He will probably have to go through extended Spring Training and wouldn’t make the team unless he flourishes, another pitcher struggles, or another pitcher gets hurt.
Along with the trade and the signing, it was announced that Ivan Nova will be the Yankees’ number four starter this year, and Freddy Garcia will pitch every fifth day. Bartolo Colon, who many people feel had a better spring than Garcia, will pitch out of the bullpen.
Garcia owned a 5.93 ERA in four spring outings, throwing 13 2/3 innings. Colon held down a 2.40 ERA in 15 innings, giving most people the impression Colon should have won the number five job.
Yankee Manager Joe Girardi maintained that Garcia, 35, was the favorite to win the spot because Colon, 37, hasn’t pitched in a Major League game since 2009. Girardi added that, for his standards, Garcia had a good spring.
Now that we are only six days away from Opening Day, here is how Girardi should build his roster. Only 25 players can be at Yankee Stadium on Thursday and these men (I feel) have earned the honor of making the trek from Tampa to the Bronx.
Position Players
1) Derek Jeter – SS
2) Alex Rodriguez – 3B
3) Robinson Cano – 2B
4) Mark Teixeira – 1B
5) Jorge Posada – DH
6) Russell Martin – C
7) Brett Gardner – LF
8) Nick Swisher – RF
9) Curtis Granderson* -CF (*if he does not start the season on the DL)
10) Andruw Jones – Fourth Outfielder
11) Eric Chavez – Backup IF/Utility
12) Eduardo Nunez – Backup IF/Utility
13) Jesus Montero – Backup Catcher
Pitchers
14) CC Sabathia – No. 1 Starter
15) A.J. Burnett -No. 2 Starter
16) Phil Hughes – No. 3 Starter
17) Ivan Nova – No. 4 Starter
18) Freddy Garcia – No. 5 Starter
19) Bartolo Colon – Long Relief
20) Mark Prior – Middle/Long Relief (he is interchangeable; can be used for both)
21) Joba Chamberlain – Middle Relief
22) David Robertson – Middle Relief
23) Rafael Soriano – Setup Man
24) Boone Logan* (*Pedro Feliciano will most likely start the season on the DL) – Lefty specialist(s)
25) Mariano Rivera – Closer
Most of these players will be in the Bronx next week and all of them deserve to be. Girardi will probably make a few modifications to my Opening Day roster, but expect to see most of these names called during the pregame ceremony on Thursday.
Mark Prior deserves to be on the roster because of how well he pitched this spring (eight games, 7 2/3 innings pitched, three hits, three runs, one earned run, 1.17 ERA, 11 Ks, and five walks).
He earned the chance to prove himself and could provide the Yanks with some solid middle and/or long relief. I’m not sure if Girardi will send Prior to the Bronx, but if they don’t call him up, at least at some point in the season, they are making a mistake.
If Granderson does start the season on the DL, obviously a spot will be open and it’ll be a toss up. I would expect someone like Justin Maxwell (.206 in Spring Training, but he only had 34 at-bats, three RBIs, and four runs scored) or even Dickerson (if he is healthy, given his injury today) to backup Jones in centerfield. That spot would only be open until Granderson returns, anyway.
Another position in question is the backup catcher role. I feel it is time for Montero to at least gain some experience on the Major League level. Today it was reported that Gustavo Molina could back up Martin at catcher, until Francisco Cervelli returns from his foot injury.
If you ask me though, Montero needs a taste of the big leagues – even if he doesn’t spend the entire season in the show.
Whichever way it goes, in a matter of days, anticipate Girardi giving the official word on who is going to the Bronx and who will be heading to the minors.
Yankees Battle to Tie With Blue Jays, Marks Strong, Notes
A tie in baseball? You know it. On Saturday afternoon the Yankees battled the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa Bay to a 5-5 tie in ten innings.
With the Blue Jays leading 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth, Eduardo Nunez chopped a single up the middle to score Doug Bernier, tying the game at five. From there, neither team could scrape a run across the plate.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Yanks and Jays were tied at three until Jorge Posada lined a single to right field to plate Mark Teixeira, putting the Yanks ahead 4-3. Toronto answered with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth, a blast off the bat of David Cooper to give the Blue Jays a 5-4 lead.
It looked as though Cooper took a golf swing, and Yankees’ starter Freddy Garcia knew the ball was gone as soon as it was hit. Garcia pitched six innings and was charged with five earned runs on five hits. He did not walk a batter, and struck out six.
Robinson Cano took a big swing of his own in the bottom of the first, belting a two-run homer over the right-center field wall. His shot gave the Yanks a 3-0 lead, as Cano’s round-tripper followed an RBI double hit by Alex Rodriguez.
Leading 3-0 heading into the top of the fourth, the Jays tied it up. On a wild pitch by Garcia, Rajai Davis crossed the plate. After the wild pitch, Brett Lawrie singled to drive in Yunel Escobar. Later in the frame Cooper hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Eric Thames, knotting the game at three.
Brett Cecil started for Toronto. He pitched 4 1/3 innings and gave up four earned runs on seven hits. He walked three batters and fanned one.
Mark-Out Moments
This has been an unbelievable spring for Mark Teixeira. The slugging first baseman is batting .353 and added a double and a run scored today, going 1-for-4 at the plate. As previously documented, Teixeira is a slow-starter. At the beginning of each year, it seems he presses and scuffles along before getting into a groove.
This year could be a different story.
Teixeira hasn’t had a spring like this since becoming a Yankee. I can recall him swinging a hot bat, but nothing like this, at least in terms of his batting average. He has been getting on base, despite not hitting any home runs this spring. His philosophy is “home runs come in bunches” and he has hit over 30 both years in pinstripes, leaving us not to worry about his power numbers.
Speaking of Mark…
Mark Prior once again proved his worth today, tossing a scoreless eighth inning. He worked around a double by Adam Loewen and recorded two strikeouts, lowering his spring ERA to 1.53.
Right now he deserves a spot on the roster. Prior has been one of the Yanks’ most consistent pitchers this spring and can be a valuable asset to the already-strengthened bullpen.
If he doesn’t make the team, it will be a travesty.
Notes & Things to Look Out For
· Alex Rodriguez was 1-for-2 today with two walks, an RBI, and a run scored. He is hitting a mind-boggling .412 this spring. If he continues this throughout the regular season, he will have one amazing 2011 season. He has the ability to put the team on his back and carry them. Hopefully it won’t come to that, because the team does much better when everyone is contributing. However, A-Rod looks as though he will dominate headlines this year.
· Robinson Cano clubbed his first home run of the spring, a bomb to deep right-center field. The ball flew right over an insurance sales sign – which is next to the Hooters sign at Steinbrenner Field. I have never been to Hooters, but I want to go. (You now know something about me).
· Designated hitter Jorge Posada was 2-for-3 with an RBI today, and he raised his spring batting average to .243. He has been streaky this spring, but I expect him to become a little more consistent at the plate during the regular season.
· The Great Mariano Rivera once again showed dominance in a spring outing today. Rivera, sporting the hiked-up socks, tossed a perfect inning and recorded two strikeouts. His spring ERA is, no surprise, 0.00. Typical Mo.
· Derek Jeter had three hits today, going 3-for-4 with a run scored. After the game he spoke about his stride, and how it isn’t a big deal. He also mentioned that he doesn’t care where he hits in the lineup. He was recently plugged into the number two hole in the lineup, as Girardi allowed Brett Gardner to lead off. I don’t think it matters where Jeter hits. He has hit in the two hole a lot in the past as well as the leadoff spot – and he has flourished in both roles. The Captain was wearing a Michigan shirt during his postgame interview. He wants them to beat Duke tomorrow. March Madness even reaches baseball, I suppose.
· Speaking of Gardner, he has a bruised right shin and sat out today. He was injured on Thursday when he fouled a ball off his the bottom of his leg. Foul balls off body parts (I guess I could say) are becoming a real problem in baseball. When you think about it, you are only redirecting the ball when you foul it; it isn’t slowing down an awful lot, and it is still traveling at a high speed. Many players, notably Francisco Cervelli this spring, have been hurt because of foul balls off the feet/ankles.
· Eduardo Nunez played left field today. An infielder by trade, he made a stellar over-the-shoulder catch to end the fifth inning. He did drop a catch later in the game, but it’s no big deal; after all he is an infielder. Nunez’s offense has been unreal. He is hitting .317 for the spring and was 1-for-4 today with an RBI. In my mind, he will make the team. The Yanks would be crazy not to give him a ticket to New York.
· Joba Chamberlain, who like Mitre suffered a strained oblique, threw off a mound today and seemed alright, according to reports. He is expected to pitch in a game within the next few days.
· Pedro Feliciano (sore upper left arm) and Boone Logan (sore back) are expected to be ready for Opening Day. This so-called “revolutionary bullpen” needs to stay healthy.
· Rafael Soriano doesn’t want to face A.L. East opponents during Spring Training. He actually had his pitching schedule changed so he didn’t have to face the Orioles on Wednesday. I just have one question: is this guy for real?
· Tomorrow afternoon the Yankees will travel to Phillies camp. CC Sabathia will start against Joe Blanton. The Bombers will play the Rays at their camp on Monday night, followed by a game at Orioles camp on Tuesday afternoon – which is the next televised game on the YES Network.
· The Yankees’ spring record is now 8-12-3.
Yankees Drop Fifth Straight to Twins, Rodriguez Homers, Notes
Spring Training is simply practice. It’s easy to talk about and it’s easy to sum it up – yes we are talking about practice. Of late, the Yankees have not been practicing very well, dropping their fifth straight Grapefruit League game today against a team they usually have no problem beating, the Minnesota Twins. The Bombers lost a squadoosh, 9-2.
The highlight of the afternoon was a solo home run hit by Alex Rodriguez in the bottom of the second inning. His homer tied the game at one and was his second of the spring.
The only other run the Yankees plated was a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning off the bat of Kevin Russo which knocked in Eric Chavez.
The Twins roughed up starter Freddy Garcia for four earned runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings. Garcia walked two and struck out three, but was scuffling from the get-go. In the top of the first, Jeff Bailey singled to score Denard Span.
In the bottom of the third the Twins took the lead, scoring three runs. Luke Hughes doubled to drive in Bailey. He later came to the plate, as did Bailey, on a ground-rule double by Rene Rivera later in the frame, giving Minnesota a 4-1 edge.
The Twins widened their lead in the fourth, scoring four more runs. The highlight of the inning was a three-run blast off the bat of Brian Dinkelman. Earlier in the inning Hughes reached on an error by Derek Jeter, as the Yankee Captain dropped a popup in the infield.
Jeter’s error allowed Span to cross the plate. Leading 8-2 in the ninth, Chris Herrmann grounded into a force out, permitting Justin Huber to score and give the Twins nine runs for the game.
The Yankees, now 6-10-2 in Grapefruit League play, will visit the Red Sox tomorrow night.
Notes & Things to Look Out For
· It’s amazing how things unfold sometimes. Recently I have sung the praises of the starting pitching and as soon as I commend them, they begin to falter. Freddy Garcia had a rough day. 2 2/3 innings pitched, four earned runs, six hits, two walks, and three Ks. His ERA this spring is now 4.70 and he holds a 1-1 record. Is his bid for a spot in the rotation in jeopardy now? Probably not, but I think the Yankees are going to be watching him a little closer from now on.
· Although the Yankees haven’t been scoring a lot of runs, the regulars have been hitting the ball pretty hard. Alex Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with a solo home run today. He is batting .440 at press time and as documented, he is in great shape. I read a few days ago that he “feels like he is in 2007 form.” If you recall, A-Rod hit 54 homers that season with 156 RBIs and secured a .314 batting average. I would like to see that again.
· Mark Teixeira added another spring hit and was 1-for-3 today. He is hitting .360 to this point. Hopefully he will finally start hot instead of pressing at the beginning of the year. Either way, he is raking this spring.
· Mariano Rivera, wearing his socks high, struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth. It was his first spring outing and he looked dominant, to no one’s surprise. There really isn’t anything to say that hasn’t already been said about how Rivera continues to shut down virtually every hitter he faces. He is one of the natural wonders of the world, or at least a natural wonder of baseball. He yawned after he walked off the mound, as if to say, “No big deal.” Nine of the 12 pitches he tossed were strikes.
· Rafael Soriano gave up his first hit of the spring in the fifth inning of today’s game, but worked around it. He surrendered a single to Denard Span, but allowed no runs. No walks or strikeouts, but he is a powerful force – at least that’s what I sense out of him. I get the feeling he is going to be one heck of a setup man.
· This afternoon, Derek Jeter made a defensive blunder by Luis Castillo’ing that popup in the top of the fourth. (Yes, I turned Luis Castillo into a verb, meaning Jeter dropped the ball). At the plate Jeter was 1-for-3, snatching a single that would have played for a 1-3 putout, if pitcher Glen Perkins could have fielded the ball cleanly. The ball caromed off Perkins and Jeter reached. I’m not so worried about Jeter; you can’t be. He generally puts up the same types of numbers every year, and it is easy to know what to expect from him. But it is becoming evident to me that the Yankee Captain isn’t the same player he was 10 years ago.
· The Yanks made their first round of cuts this weekend. Adam Warren, D.J. Mitchell, Andy Sisco, Brian Anderson, Buddy Carlysle, and Hector Noesi have been reassigned to Minor League camp. More cuts will be coming soon I’m sure, what with Opening Day two weeks from this Thursday.
· In yesterday’s 6-5 exhibition loss to the Washington Nationals, A.J. Burnett gave up a two-run home run to Michael Morse, but recovered to retire the next nine batters he faced. He struck out the side in the first inning. It’s good to see him in this form; not getting rattled after giving up a long ball. Burnett is looking a lot better than he did last year around this time. Credit him with nine innings for the spring so far, and just two runs allowed.
· Among the Yankees making the trip to Boston camp in Fort Myers tomorrow: Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher, Jesus Montero, Dellin Betances, Manuel Banuelos, and Mark Prior. Regular starters Jeter, Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, and Jorge Posada will not be there. Sergio Mitre will make the start.
· The next televised game on YES is Wednesday night March 16 vs. the Baltimore Orioles.
Braves Best Yankees in Exhibition, Posada Homers, Other Notes
On Tuesday the Yankees played the Atlanta Braves to a 5-4 win. Today the Braves gained a measure of redemption, beating the Yankees 6-2 in an exhibition at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Tied at two heading into the top of the seventh, Yankees’ reliever Steve Garrison imploded. The Braves scratched four runs across the plate to take lead and eventually the game. Brent Clevlen singled to score Diory Hernandez to give Atlanta a 3-2 edge. Matt Young followed with an RBI single which plated Brooks Conrad, giving the Braves a 4-2 lead.
Later in the frame Wilkins Castillo grounded out to short, allowing Clevlen to cross the plate. Ed Lucas topped out the huge inning with a single to score Young, giving the Braves six runs in the game.
The Braves scored their initial run in the top of the first on a single by Chipper Jones to score Martin Prado. Jordan Schafer clubbed a solo homer in the second to give the Braves their second run.
The Yankees scored their first run in the second inning on a long solo home run over the right field wall off the bat of Jorge Posada. In the bottom of the sixth, Alex Rodriguez grounded to third, which allowed Andruw Jones to score, tying the game at two.
Tommy Hanson made the start for Atlanta and turned in a good outing. He tossed four innings and gave up one earned run on five hits. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out two.
Phil Hughes started for New York. He pitched four innings, and gave up two earned runs on seven hits. He walked one batter and K’d two.
Notes & Things to Look Out For
· First off, thoughts and sympathy go out to all affected by the earthquake in Japan. An 8.9 on the Richter scale? – Now that is serious. Yankee pitcher Kei Igawa was permitted to leave the Minor League training facility in an attempt to contact his loved ones in Japan. Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Takashi Saito was also allowed to leave camp, concerned for his relatives back home. We as Americans are left praying and hoping everyone in the Far East will be OK. I can’t help but think of Hideki Matsui, too. I am praying for him and everyone else in Japan. May God be with all of them during this crisis.
· Phil Hughes has a 5.00 ERA this spring. Today he fell behind a few hitters and surrendered a home run, also allowing seven hits and nine total base runners. Was I impressed? Not really. Did he look sharp? Not really. Am I concerned? A little bit. A lot of people jump all over A.J. Burnett’s back for having a poor record and an inflated ERA last season – and rightfully so, Burnett had an off-year.
But what they don’t realize, or seem to remember, is that Hughes pitched to a 4.19 ERA last year (about one run lower than Burnett, who notched a 5.26 ERA) and lost the deciding game of the American League Championship Series. His record last season was 18-8, which is probably why everyone is quick to forgive him. I’m just worried Hughes had a “fluke year” in 2010 and will not be as effective in 2011. His arm seemed to tire towards the end of last year and if it happens again, it could cause some problems for the Yankee rotation.
· Derek Jeter had a hit today and his average is now at .333. It’s good to see the Captain hitting above .300 again and I’m sure he will continue to work on the stride adjustment.
· It was documented that Mark Teixeira is in mid-season form. The slugging first baseman is batting .364 this spring and was 1-for-3 today. The Yanks need a lot of production out of Teixeira this year and right now he is proving that there are no carryover effects of his injuries last year – the hamstring and the broken toe. Traditionally he is a slow starter, but maybe he can leap that hurdle this year and have a big month of April.
· Jorge Posada’s home run today was a BOMB. At 39 years old he is still showing that power he has generally possessed throughout his career. Today he homered from the left side of the plate and the ball would have landed in the second deck at Yankee Stadium, had the game been played there. Although he probably won’t catch at all this year, he might still see some field time. In yesterday’s 7-0 loss to the Phillies, he played first base.
· Regulars Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, and Nick Swisher did not play. Granderson and Swisher played in Dunedin against the Toronto Blue Jays, as the Yanks were in split squad action. Granderson was 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Swisher was also 1-for-3 with an RBI.
· Although Granderson and Swisher both had good days at the plate, the other squad lost to the Jays, 10-3.
· Austin Krum made a diving catch to rob Ed Lucas of a hit in the sixth inning. Highlight-reel worthy catch, if I do say so myself. Joba Chamberlain tipped his cap to Krum – and his line: one inning pitched, no runs, two hits, no walks, and one strikeout. Chamberlain’s spring ERA is now 3.60.
· Rafael Soriano made his second appearance of the spring today. He tossed a perfect fifth inning, striking out Brooks Conrad and Martin Prado while getting Chipper Jones to ground out. Soriano will be the eighth inning setup man and I am really excited for him. He looks as though he will be lights out.
· Soriano will be setting up the incomparable Mariano Rivera, who has yet to throw a pitch in a game this spring. He will however get his first spring action on Sunday, according to the YES Network.
· Ivan Nova started against the Blue Jays today. His line: three innings pitched, two earned runs on five hits, two walks, one K, and he gave up a homer to Jose Bautista. He’s been fairly solid up until now. He can bury one shaky start. He has to come out strong next time to stay in contention for a spot in the rotation.
· Steve Garrison will not make the team. Not after today. But I have a feeling he wasn’t making it anyway. He recorded the loss and basically blew the game against the Braves.
· Jesus Montero went 0-for-3 without a hit today at the Blue Jays. His batting average has dipped below .200 and yes, I am a little worried about that. Especially now that he has a chance to make the team because of Francisco Cervelli’s foot injury.
· Behind the plate for the Braves today was Brian McCann. He threw out Jeter and Justin Maxwell trying to steal. The guy has a great arm.
· Former Yankee Scott Proctor got the win today, even though he blew a save. He is now 1-1 this spring, trying to resurrect a career torn down by arm problems. He has Joe Torre to thank for that. On a side note about Proctor – he really resembles WWE superstar John Cena. It’s uncanny how they look alike.
· The Yankees are now 6-7-2 in Grapefruit League play.
· Tomorrow the Yankees will visit the Washington Nationals. On Sunday they will come back to Tampa to play the Minnesota Twins – which is also the next televised game on the YES Network.
Yankee Bullpen Nickname: You Heard it Here First!
I have given a name to the Yankee bullpen:
“The -ianos.”
That would be (Pedro) Feliciano, (Rafael) Soriano, and Mariano (Rivera).
Right now I am picturing Michael Kay and the rest of the YES commentators and analysts calling them by this nickname. And somehow, I get the feeling that I’ll be sitting down watching a game and Kay will blurt out to John Flaherty,
“Flash, I just came up with the perfect nickname for the Yankee ‘pen: The -ianos. It makes perfect sense!”
Then Flaherty will respond with something like,
“Michael, you always come up with these funny names. You are a genius .”
Then of course I will become upset, yelling at the TV set about how I came up with it first.
Hopefully the Yankee ‘pen will make some noise next year. Former Yankee reliever Jeff Nelson already said the blueprint for the 2011 Yankee bullpen reminds him of the corps of relief pitchers from the Yankee Dynasty from 1996-2000.
That’s a good sign.
“The -ianos” will most likely make up the heart of the bullpen and did well for what it was worth in 2010. With the Mets last season Feliciano was 3-6 with a 3.30 ERA, but was able to dominate most lefties. He only gave up eight extra base hits to hitters batting from the left side of the plate. They only hit .211 against him and he allowed no home runs to left-handed hitters in 92 appearances.
That kind of brilliance will be used to counter David Ortiz and the rest of the A.L. power lefties.
Soriano, as most people know, agreed to a three-year deal with the Yankees last Thursday. The 31 year-old flame-throwing righty will be the eight inning man in the absence of Kerry Wood, who returned to the Chicago Cubs. Soriano led the A.L. in saves last year with 45 for the Tampa Bay Rays.
According to several reports, the decision to sign Soriano was not the decision of Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman. In fact, he was not happy the deal went down, probably because the Yankees paid around $35 million for him and lost their number one draft pick.
Today Soriano was introduced at Yankee Stadium in a press conference and had an apparent exchange with the Yanks’ GM.
One source said Cashman’s conversation with Soriano went something like this:
Soriano: “I’m happy to be a Yankee.”
Cashman: “And we’re happy that you’re a Yankee, too. Although I’d personally be happy with other players instead.”
That would make me terribly uncomfortable.
In any event, Soriano is a Yankee. And he best live up to his contract, or else Cashman will be standing in front of all the executives who pushed for Soriano, smiling and saying, “I told you so.”
Rounding out “The -ianos” is who else but the Sandman, Mariano Rivera. There’s really no need to even go into detail about Rivera’s capability. He is a legend. Last year he picked up 33 saves and boasted a trim ERA of 1.80. He signed a two-year deal this off-season, meaning the Yankees will be treated to his services for at least another two seasons.
Mo is Mo and I expect another solid year from him.
With the bullpen pieces in place, the Yankee relievers should make life easier for the starters. But just remember, if Kay, Flaherty, or anyone else for that matter calls them “The -ianos” and says it’s their idea…
No no no.
You heard it at Yankee Yapping first.
Yankee Yapping 