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Splinter from the Ninja Turtles will be at Yankee Stadium tonight!

May 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

splinter

I’m going to spend some quality time with my wife tonight, and for the first time this season we’re going to watch her Yankees. I’m not particulary thrilled about having to watch the Yanks minus Jeter, or a true ace on the bump. There’s just not much to keep my interests.

And THEN I see who is pitching for the Seattle Mariners. I don’t mean to interrupt quality baseball posts with this nonsense that further fills the endless space of the internet, but doesn’t Hisashi Iwakuma look like Splinter? I have always thought that. Besides, this guy has received zero run-time and features some of the best stuff in baseball through 8 starts this year.

Iwakuma

Nastiest splitter in the game, rat-faced Iwakuma (a valuable member of my fantasy team) brings his 0.74 WHIP and 6.38 K to BB ratio into Yankee Stadium. Most likely so that my wife’s Yankees can shit all over him. Ol’ Splinter here better have packed enough wise advice for himself and his four sons. He’s going to need it tonight, because regression is coming and Hell’s coming with it!

Didn’t Michealangelo and the rest of the turtles live in a sewer in New York City? Yes, I am screwed up.

Filed Under: Seattle Mariners, Yankees Tagged With:

The New York Yankees turn the first 4-6-5-6-5-3-4 triple play in MLB History

April 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment

This is pretty cool. Huffing, puffing Cookie Cookie Sabathia gets three outs with just one pitch. This is still going to be an agonizingly long year for the Yankees. Don’t tell my wife or my poor father-in-law that I said that. Ah, Hell. I don’t care if my wife knows. She does an extremely poor job of following the Yankees every year until the ALCS or World Series and then jumps aboard.

Filed Under: History, Yankees Tagged With:

10 Bold Predictions for 2013: Yoenis Cespedes will get more MVP votes than Robinson Cano

March 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Cano and Cespedes

Is Cano or Cespedes going to have the better year?

As part of our preview for the upcoming 2013 season, we’ll be doing a 10 Bold Predictions for 2013 series that will be featured between now and Opening Day. Our third prediction: Yoenis Cespedes collects more MVP votes than Robinson Cano.

Robinson Cano has been one of the best hitters in baseball over past several years.  His three year averages:  .311/.370/.539, 30 HR, 107 RBI, 104 runs, and 5 sB.  The 30/100/100 mark is a milestone and when someone averages that over three years in an increasingly pitching dominated era, it’s incredible.  He has finished 3rd, 6th, and 4th in the MVP race in the past three years.  It seems like any year now he is going to win it.  Well, it’s not likely to be this year.  Let me get this out there to start.  In no way is this prediction based on the fact that Cano will be meaningfully worse this year, but the Yankees lineup is not going to be great this year and two of these stats depend in part on his teammates – RBIs and runs.  In each case, Cano only contributes half of the contribution to the stat.  I don’t think Cano will go over 100 in RBIs or runs this year.  His average should maintain over .300 and the o/u on his HRs this year is probably 30.  Still a great year, but it won’t stack up against his previous seasons.

Let’s look at the other side of the coin, Yoenis Cespedes.  Cespedes came to Oakland last year from Cuba.  It was a bit of a surprise that Oakland spent on what was basically a free agent, but I suppose they saw more value than anyone else did.  Cespedes’ rookie year was going great, certainly overshadowed by Mike Trout, but great nonetheless.  However, he only got to play in 129 games last year due to a wrist injury.  What could he have done with a full season?  His 162 game averages were .292/.356/.505, 29 HR, 103 RBI, 88 runs, and 20 SB.  Take a few counting stats off for a 158 games season and his numbers don’t look too far off of Cano except exchange some runs for some SB.  Cespedes isn’t a young rookie, he’ll be entering his age 27 season this year.  Cespedes has always been rated as plus raw power with speed to match so the 30 HR/20 SB averages aren’t too surprising.  The .292 average to go with it is what can set him apart from the typical power/speed outfield type.  In a season where the overall average with .260 you can count the guys on two hands who can hit for average, power and steal plenty of bases.

Part of this prediction is based on the fact that the MVP is voted on.  It’s not a mathematical calculation of who had the best year.  Although Cano possibly has the advantage of being in a bigger market, the media is national enough that Cespedes will get plenty of press, especially if Oakland comes close to their 2012 season.  Another great year from Cespedes will be exciting as he is still relatively unknown to the casual fan and he could still have the “breakout” year narrative since last season was cut short by injury.  I don’t think either of these guys will necessarily win the MVP, but we can count the votes at the end of the year.  Check back to see if I’m brilliant or a complete idiot, or a little bit of neither.

Final Predictions:

  • Cano:  .301, 28 HR, 94 RBI, 90 runs, 4 SB
  • Cespedes:  .296, 34 HR, 105 RBI, 85 runs, 23 SB
Filed Under: Oakland A's, Yankees Tagged With: , ,

2013 New York Yankees Team Preview

March 18, 2013 by 2 Comments

Is it bad that this is what I think of when I think of the typical Yankees fan?  27 rangz yo.  I don’t even dislike the Yankees.  This is just what happens when your the team everybody loves to hate and even file and win a lawsuit claiming that only your team can be called the evil empire.  For years the Yankees rode a huge TV contract to massive free agent signings, although many of the key players during their late 90′s World Series runs were home grown, and drew the ire of many sports fans that felt like they bought wins and rings.  I never really thought you can blame them for playing the pocket aces they were dealt.  These are the new Yankees though.  they haven’t really had a recent huge signing after Mark Texiera and CC Sabathia, their best current player, Robinson Cano, is home grown, and they’ve even vowed to get below the $189M luxury tax cap.  If anything, the Dodgers, are the new Yankees.  As the try to pare payroll back, they face the reality that their high priced veterans are getting old – they still owe Alex Rodriguez over $100M dollars – and they don’t have a excess of young talent to fill those voids.  I don’t know if they’ll get back to their spendy ways to fill those spots or if they’ll suffer a few worse years in order to restock for another 5-6 year run of dominance.  Those are long term questions, and we can only talk semi-intelligently about this year.

So what does a “light” offseason for the Yankees look like?

Major Off-Season Moves:

  • Signed 3B Kevin Youkilis
  • Signed DH Travis Hafner
  • Resigned SP Hiroki Kuroda
  • Resigned SP Andy Pettitte

The Youkilis signing turned a few heads since all fans think a long time Red Sox player would hate the Yankees and never sign – right Johnny Damon?  Youk still swings a nice bat will be serviceable at 3B.  This is a good 1 yr signing.  I think taking a chance on Hafner is good idea.  The Yankees lost some nice production from Nick Swisher and Hafner will fill that power gap some.  (You know, as long as e can play more than 20 games)  the Kuroda and Pettitte signings were absolutely necessary to fill out the rotation with some quality arms.  If they hadn’t. they would be looking at signing a free agent and potentially giving up a draft pick – hello Kyle Lohse.  Some of the bigger off season moves were the ones the Yankees didn’t make.  They let Nick Swisher and Rafael Soriano – players that had very good years – walk because they both wanted bigger money long term deals.  The Yankees were not going to make that commitment.

Now onto the lineup after the jump. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 Diamond Hoggers Season Previews, Yankees Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2012 American League Division Series Predictions

October 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Oakland Athletics vs. Detroit Tigers

Prediction: Detroit Tigers over Oakland Athletics in four games.

Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees

Prediction: New York Yankees over Baltimore Orioles in three games.

Filed Under: Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, League Division Series, Oakland A's, Yankees

Ichiro to the Bronx

July 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Only in American baseball can a guy walk across the other side of the field and into the dugout that belonged to opponents moments earlier and call it home.

It was a strange scene that the baseball world didn’t have a lot of time to prepare for. I never pictured Ichiro Suzuki in anything other than a Mariners uniform. And if it was going to happen it would be okay; we would all have a long off-season to place in him in a Giants uniform or whatever team he ends up with as a free agent.

Except it happened quickly. We got the text that Ichiro had been dealt to the Yankees for just the price of two nameless minor league pitchers. After twelve years and 2,533 hits as a Mariner the ’51′ was gone and he was wearing a strange number and hitting towards the bottom of the Seattle New York lineup. And I really did mis-type that last sentence, my brain wasn’t adjusted.

He got a standing ovation. He singled, of course; stole second and the Yankees rolled on to a ho-hum victory.

The baseball world is a crazy place of existence. Ichiro in the Pacific Northwest was about as perfect a marriage as there could have been. This transaction is evidence that nothing is sacred in the baseball world, and the Yankees can still have whatever they want for the price of just a few nameless minor leaguers despite having a ‘depleted’ farm system for the past decade. Will someone just tell them ‘no’ sometime?

Filed Under: evil empires, Seattle Mariners, Trades, Yankees Tagged With:

Jeffrey Maier Sounds Like Your Typical Average Asshole Goomba New Yorker

July 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment

We’ve got to tip our caps to Deadspin, for the joyful tale they brought us about New York Yankee hero Jeffrey Maier. If you were born in the early to mid 80′s and were a baseball fan, you surely remember who Jeffrey Maier is.

Also, he’s on Twitter and has a total of 105 followers.

  • The Second Time They Met, Jeffrey Maier Didn’t Dare Mess With Tony Tarasco. [Deadspin]
Filed Under: New Yorkers, Yankees Tagged With:

Interleague Play Holiday

May 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment

With the first interleague game about to go final here any minute now, another year of mixed-league play has begun. We’ve always liked it. Though it’s not as special as it was the first few years we got to see all of the newfangled match-ups, it’s still something we hope continues albeit with some minor tweaking.

My Reds head to New Yankee Stadium to take on the Bronx Bombers (Mrs. Diamond Hoggers’ team). We’ve got a gentleman’s bet on the series, don’t you worry. But man, it was really four years ago I was at the old barn to see a Reds win. In a lot of ways it seems like just yesterday. It makes a guy sentimental.

So what’s everyone up to this weekend, other than of course baseball? Good weekend to break out the golf clubs, methinks. Let’s do it. I’ll do 18 tomorrow, followed by 18 Sunday. Hopefully wrapping up with a birdie-putt just in time to see the Reds mash at that new bandbox in the Bronx.

Filed Under: Cincinnati Reds, Interleague Play, Yankees

I’m actually pulling for the Yankees tonight

October 6, 2011 by 1 Comment

I’ve definitely got reason to root against the Yankees tonight. I mean, New Yorkers are really a loud, brash, cocky breed of fan. My roomate, teammate, and probably my best friend from early on in my college career; George, was a big Yankees fan. I watched the entire 2001 and 2002 postseason with him. He changed my mind about Yankees fans, at least for a short period in my life.

I was the best man in his wedding back in 2009. To the outsider–it was that postseason when A-Rod went off. In fact he hit a dramatic home run the night of his wedding. What a great feeling that must have been for my lucky friend huh?

Well shortly after his wedding–of which I delivered a best man speech at–my friend disowned me. For no reason at all. The true reason was his new wife didn’t really like me and he lost his damn mind. That’s really all I can figure. At that point, I figured that every time the Yankees lost it was a good night for me because I knew that somewhere in this world my fraud of a friend might be distraught about it out in his new whine & cheese lifestyle of a world in Connecticut. That’s if, he could ask for his wife for his nuts back long enough to check the box score the morning after. I assume he stopped watching baseball altogether. He probably spends his days and nights buying her flowers or fancy chocolates and disowning other friends she doesn’t like.

But if he’s out there and he has her permission to watch television on his own for a little bit tonight, he’ll be tuning in to the game. And as fun as the thought is of his agony if they get pounded tonight–he would get over it. Because baseball isn’t that important to him anymore. Things that were important to the friend and teammate I knew now play second fiddle to his mean wife and his bullshit house and pets.

Wouldn’t you know three years after I met George, I met the girl I would marry. And as my damned luck would have it–Yankees fan. First line she ever said to me was about the Yankees. Her brothers love the Yankees. They’ll be in New Yankee Stadium tonight. Her best friends mostly love the Yankees. Again–they’re going to the game tonight. My father-in-law? Asks me my thoughts on the Yankees in whatever series they’re in before he asks me how work is going. Or how his daugther is doing.

So I realize, there’s enough people I love in my life right now who love the Yankees that sure; I’ll pull for your damn Bronx Bombers. Whether it’s negative or positive interest that I have in them, there’s always interest. They interest me more than the Tigers–minus that little chain-smoking managerial ball of perfection that they have standing on the top stoop.

They’ve got Doug Fister opposing them tonight. He’s been lights out scary good since becoming a Tiger. Hell, I might even say this guy will contend for 20 wins next year. He was a scrub for the Mariners. He’s definitely figured it out. I have a feeling that he is the story of tonight’s game when the dust settles. Let’s just call it a gut feeling.

George if you’re out there and you see this post, I still have your shoes that I thought I would someday get to return to you when I saw you again. In fact I’m wearing them at work right now while I write this post. They look older now and are stretched out because my feet were always a half size bigger than yours. You missed my wedding, you missed the birth of my child (we bought a puppy but close enough), you didn’t call on my birthday. I know your wench of a wife hates me but I hope your Bombers win tonight old buddy. But it’s not because of you.

Go Yankees.

Filed Under: Detroit Tigers, Game 5s, League Division Series, MLB Playoffs, Postseason, Yankees

My 2011 ALDS & NLDS Predictions Post

September 30, 2011 by 2 Comments

Arizona DiamondBacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Diamond Hoggers’ Prediction: D-Backs over Brewers in 5

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Diamond Hoggers’ Prediction: Phillies over Cardinals in 4

 

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers

Diamond Hoggers’ Prediction: Rays over Rangers in 4
Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees

Diamond Hoggers’ Prediction: Tigers over Yankees in 5

Filed Under: Arizona DiamondBacks, Detroit Tigers, League Division Series, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Postseason, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Texas Rangers, Yankees Tagged With:

Derek Jeter’s 3,000th

July 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Derek Jeter got his 3,000th knock yesterday and he did it in grand fashion. It comes on a bomb, becoming only the second guy in baseball history to do exactly that (Wade Boggs was the other).

Of course, in typical Jeter fashion it happened in the Bronx. And he ended up with 5 hits on the day. [NY Post]

Filed Under: 3000 club, Milestones, Yankees Tagged With:

Reds split doubleheader with Yankees

June 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

[Box Score - Game 1] [Box Score - Game 2]

The doubleheader with the New York Yankees wasn’t quite everything I wanted it to be and then some. The Brewers and Cardinals lost, so with a pair of wins the Reds had the rare chance to pick up 1.5 games on both of those teams. It didn’t happen.

Joey Votto and Jay Bruce picked up 2 hits combined in a full day of action. The Reds are playing such a frustrating brand of baseball right now.

To be honest, this group is stale on me. This group isn’t doing much for me. They need some overhauling. Walt needs to go out and add some power bats with some pop. I’m in favor of bringing up Zach Cozart from Louisville today to play some shortstop. But the Reds have got to trim the fat. They just have to.

Bruce and Votto have got to start compiling some numbers. This season is salting away. The Reds are one up and one down’ing me to death. Something has to give, I can’t be in limbo all summer. I’m not enjoying the ride as much as I did last year. I don’t need a pennant race for this to be enjoyable, I’ve decided.

Major props to Chris Heisey in the nightcap of the doubleheader, a game in which he hit three home runs to left field from the leadoff spot. I like Heisey a lot. I think he’s just about good enough to play every day. This game reminded me a lot of Jay Bruce’s 3 home run masterpiece last year against the Cubs.

Aside from Heisey’s big day, I love the way Johnny Cueto is throwing the baseball. I think the Reds are close to having a stopper, a bonafide #1. At least, as close as they’ve been in a long time to having a true shutdown guy. Cueto has been the brightest spot on this Reds squad this year. The one guy who you would have a hard time saying anything negative about. His ERA is down to 1.63 now. You just have to hope that he continues to stay consistent. Obviously, he’ll have an outing or two where he’s not as sharp. But if he can stay consistent he can really be the catalyst that leads this whole staff and pitches the Reds right into position to take a playoff spot.

Filed Under: 3-homer games, Cincinnati Reds, Interleague Play, Yankees Tagged With: , , , ,

A Very Bronx Doubleheader

June 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Due to yesterday’s rained out game in Cincinnati, the Reds and Yankees will play 18 innings of baseball today. And does it get any better than a baseball day/night doubleheader?

Does anything make a true baseball fan want to play hooky more?

Today is a big chance for the Reds to make a move. Any time you get the rare opportunity to collect two wins in one calendar day, it’s a chance to really get momentum rolling and if the team you’re chasing in the division loses, you pick up 1.5 games. There’s no better feeling.

On the flip side, if the Reds continue to play like they have played of late and continue to not hit; and Dusty sends out the scrub lineup in either one of these two games the Reds will be lucky to get a split today and might just get swept and sent out of town. And we’ll be in an extremely foul mood.

One way or another, it’s an eventful and humid summer day in Cincinnati baseball. Let’s be positive. Today *could* be that turning point we’re all waiting for.

Filed Under: Cincinnati Reds, Doubleheaders, Yankee fans would like you to believe they're the only ones that bad things happen to, Yankees

The Night Ivan Nova & the Yankees had their way with the Reds in the Queen City

June 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment

[Box Score]

[Cincinnati.com] [New York Times] [NY Daily News]

My workout is finished for the night, so now I have the opportunity to tell you about my miserable experience last night watching the Reds.

The great part of it is I was able to have a nice night with my fiance (a Yankees fan) and our two good friends Caity and Jimmy (both Yankees fans). The weather held up. I was in the bleachers up in left field for just the second time at Great American Ball Park.

But the way the Reds played yesterday–it just makes me sick and it’s really hard to write about them or enjoy the baseball season when they’re putting up performances like that. No matter how hard I try to be patient, when they’re getting into early holes and not scoring runs or hitting many balls hard; I just want to turn away from them and focus my energies on other things.

The rain-out tonight was a good thing.

The Reds were down 4-0 before I was even in my seat, thanks to my fiance making me hunt down some LaRosa’s pizza for her. This put me in an especially foul mood and I was cursing Travis Wood under my breath. Wood settled in and had a really nice outing–if you decide not to count the 1st inning at all. It was bad enough to get the Reds beat. Especially this Reds team that has had as feeble of an offense as I can remember in any stretch in the recent past.

I’ve seen Alex Rodriguez play live just once before. He did what a Hall of Fame type talent does; showed up into the strange town that he’s not used to playing in and collected a couple of knocks, scored a run and drove in a run. He’s got a biting shoulder. But he’s still hitting .292 on the season.

It is what it is. He’s committed some pretty brutal things that he can never take back. He’s baseball’s Tiger Woods. But I’m happy that I’ve gotten to see A-Rod play a couple of times in my life live and in the flesh, just as a baseball fan.

Here’s Jay Bruce before the game with Reds GM Walt Jocketty, accepting his NL Player of the Month Award for the month of May. You know, it’s great and Bruce’s month of May was something out of a storybook. But is it a stretch to say that his month of June has been something out of a toilet bowl?

It’s frustrating to watch the inconsistency, still. He needed one decent but not superb month this month to cement himself as a National League All-Star. He’s been really poor in the middle of the Reds lineup. Not even average, which is tolerable and which you can with with; but bad. One home run on the first day of the month, and four RBI.

And yes, he went 0 for 4 politely last night against the Yankees. Someone sent him a telegram that we were coming to the park. And he rarely does anything when we’re present. Last night was no different. We should probably just stay away.

Curtis Granderson didn’t hit any bombs last night in going 0 for 3 but it was worth taking a picture of him during this dream season he’s having when he’s sitting on 21 home runs.

Game was on ESPN last night–at least in some areas.

Here’s Joey Votto against Ivan Nova. I predicted and felt in my heart that the Reds would score 8 to 10 runs last night off Nova. I really felt he was due to get lit up.

Instead, he was dominant. And I mean really, really good. He went 8 innings, allowed four hits, one earned run and struck out seven. If you were waiting for him to walk someone you would still be waiting. I just sat around all game waiting for him to work himself into trouble and he didn’t do it. It’s worth noting that the Reds have walked only twice on this homestand so far. Their lack of patience is really hurting them as they continue to slump.

I hope tomorrow when they take the field twice in a HUGE double-header against the Bombers that they exercise patience all day long win or lose and attack those hittable mistakes. Work counts deep.

Mariano Rivera, the legend warming up.

The Reds got a little rally going, Boone Logan nailed Joey Votto with a pitch; and the Yankees brought Mariano in and I told my friends the fun was over. And it wasn’t long after that we were headed for our parking garage and back to Columbus for the late night drive.

Bruce had a really nice at-bat against Mariano Rivera but bounced out to first base for the fourth time in the game.

In the end, a decent night at the park. I’m glad to have gotten to see the Yankees play for the second time in Cincinnati and for the time spent with my friends and my girl on a Monday night. But the Reds are killing me right now night by night with their mediocrity.

Filed Under: Cincinnati Reds, Dispatches, Yankees Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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