Over the next six weeks of Spring Training, there will be plenty of time to breakdown the Yankees’ roster and assess the team’s prospects for the 2012 season. Before looking ahead, however, I thought it might be fun to travel back 26 years and see how the Yankees looked heading into the 1986 season. Provided [...]
Archive for the ‘Baseball History’ Category
Breaking Down the Yankees’ Spring Training Roster…in 1986 (Video Included)
Posted in Baseball, Baseball History, MLB, Nostalgia, Spring Training, Video, Yankees, tagged Dave Righetti, Don Mattingly, Phil Rizzuto, WNYW, WPIX on February 22, 2012 | 3 Comments »
It Happens Every Spring: A 111-Year Retrospective of Yankees Spring Training
Posted in Baseball, Baseball History, MLB, Spring Training, Yankee History, Yankees, tagged Spring Training on February 19, 2012 | 1 Comment »
(This post was originally published on February 16, 2011) For 16 years, Tampa has been the Yankees’ spring training home, but it still seems like just yesterday when the team’s camp was located down the coast in Ft. Lauderdale. I am sure most fans who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s still reflexively hearken [...]
A Historical Look at Baseball Attendance and Fan Loyalty
Posted in Baseball, Baseball History, MLB, Yankee Stadium, Yankees, tagged Dodger Stadium, Fenway Park on February 3, 2012 | 9 Comments »
The business of baseball is as strong as it has even been, and nowhere has that been more evident than at the box office. Even in the midst of significant recession and slow economic recovery, average major league attendance has remained above 30,000 and started to trend back toward the all-time record level set in [...]
Grabbing the Bullpen by the Horns: What Is the Optimal Strategy for Using Relievers?
Posted in Baseball, Baseball History, MLB, sabermetrics, Statistical Analysis, tagged Fangraphs on January 28, 2012 | 20 Comments »
(The following was originally published at SB*Nation’s Pinstripe Alley; unless otherwise noted, WAR refers to fangraphs’ calculation of the metric) Is it better to maximize the number of times a reliever can be used or the length of his appearances? Yesterday at frangraphs.com, Dave Cameron tried to answer that question by comparing bullpen performance over the last 30 [...]
Yanks Better Off Welcoming Posada Back Than Saying Goodbye
Posted in Baseball, Baseball History, Hall of Fame, MLB, Roster Analysis, Yankees, tagged Jorge Posada on January 24, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Considering how many great players have passed through the Bronx, one might think retirement press conferences would be a rite of winter for the Yankees, but when Andy Pettitte decided to walk away last February, it was only the third time the franchise had the opportunity to bid farewell to a former great in such a [...]
Don’t Look Back: An Ageless Tale of Satchel Paige
Posted in Baseball, Baseball History, Hall of Fame, MLB, tagged Negro Leagues, Satchel Paige on January 21, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
(The following was originally published at SB*Nation’s Pinstripe Alley) Understandably lost amid the furor surrounding the Yankees and Mariners decision to swap talented young players was news that 49-year old Jamie Moyer, who is recovering from Tommy John Surgery, signed a minor league contract with the Rockies. So much for out with the old. Baseball is a young man’s game, but [...]
Yankees, Mariners Swap One Rare Talent for Another
Posted in Baseball, Baseball History, Hot Stove, MLB, Prospects, Trades, Yankee History, Yankees, tagged Jesus Montero, Michael Pineda, Seattle Mariners on January 15, 2012 | 4 Comments »
Did Brian Cashman make a wise decision when he sent 22-year old offensive wunderkind Jesus Montero to Seattle in exchange for 23-year old phenom Michael Pineda? As much as it pains me to answer that question with a cliché, in this case, it applies: only time will tell. However, what we do know is Pineda [...]
