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Game 6: Yankees vs. Rays

April 11, 2010 by William Juliano

The Yankees send AJ Burnett to the mound as they attempt to win their second straight intra-division road series. After the game, the Yankees will return to New York for the first time since winning their 27th World Championship.

vs. James Shields PA BA OBP SLG HR RBI
Derek Jeter SS 31 0.400 0.419 0.533 1 5
Nick Johnson DH 6 0.400 0.333 0.400 0 1
Mark Teixeira 1B 17 0.188 0.235 0.188 0 0
Alex Rodriguez 3B 18 0.200 0.333 0.467 1 2
Robinson Cano 2B 24 0.478 0.500 1.043 2 6
Jorge Posada C 18 0.222 0.222 0.333 0 2
Curtis Granderson CF 19 0.056 0.105 0.167 0 0
Nick Swisher RF 10 0.222 0.300 0.889 2 6
Brett Gardner LF 1 0.000 0.000 0.000 0 0
Total 144 0.281 0.319 0.511 6 22
             
vs. AJ Burnett PA BA OBP SLG HR RBI
Jason Bartlett SS 23 0.238 0.273 0.429 1 2
Carl Crawford LF 48 0.341 0.375 0.455 1 3
Ben Zobrist RF 15 0.214 0.267 0.571 1 2
Evan Longoria 3B 25 0.320 0.320 0.520 1 3
Carlos Pena 1B 34 0.111 0.294 0.222 1 3
B.J. Upton CF 34 0.207 0.324 0.207 0 1
Pat Burrell DH 57 0.205 0.368 0.386 2 9
Dioner Navarro C 27 0.200 0.259 0.360 1 3
Sean Rodriguez 2B 4 0.500 0.500 1.500 1 3
Total 267 0.240 0.307 0.403 9 29
  • The Yankees look to continue last year’s success playing on Sundays. In 2009, the Yankees were 16-9 (19-9 including the playoffs) on the last day of the week.
  • Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano should be happy to see James Shields. Jeter (32 PAs) is batting .400 off Big Game James, while Cano (24 PAs) is hitting a lusty .478/.500/1.043 against him.
  • On the other hand, Curtis Granderson is probably less than thrilled by the matchup against Shields. Granderson is 1-19 against the Rays’ righty.
  • Yesterday’s game was the 94th time in their history that the Yankees scored 10 or more runs while shutting out the other team. The White Sox, with 69, have the next highest total.
  • The Rays are unveiling their new  powder blue alternate uniform tops, which will be worn on every home Sunday during the season.
  • Alex Rodriguez remains stuck on 583 HRs. His next long ball will move him past Mark McGwire for sole possession of 8th place on the all-time list.
  •  Mark Teixeira turns 30 today.

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C.C., No, No? No.

April 10, 2010 by William Juliano

  • C.C. Sabathia was dominant from the get-go, using a sharp mid-90s fastball (topping out at 96) with his regular complement of off speed to keep the Rays hitless for 7 2/3 innings. When Kelly Shoppach lined a single to left with two outs in the 8th, it was the longest Sabathia had ever gone into a game before giving up a hit. His previous high was on April 7, 2002, when Sabathia kept the Tigers hitless for 7 innings. Randall Simon broke up that no-hitter attempt with a single leading off the 8th inning.  

    C.C. Sabathia had full command as he flirted with a no-hitter in Tampa.

  • Today’s performance was the fourth time in his career that Sabathia pitched at least 7 innings and gave up only one hit. One of those games was a CG shutout of the Pittsburg Pirates while C.C. was with the Brewers. The only base hit occurred on an infield single to the pitcher by Adam LaRoche. The play was very controversial at the time as many felt it should have been scored an error.
  • The last Yankee to throw a no-hitter was David Cone, who actually tossed a perfect game at the Montreal Expos on July 18, 1999. The last Yankee lefty to throw a no-hitter was Jim Abbott, who kept the Cleveland Indians hitless on September 4, 1993.
  • In support of Sabathia’s command performance, the Yankees also flashed some leather. Arod made two spectacular diving plays, one in the first off Evan Longoria and another to end the seventh against BJ Upton. Teixeira also ended an inning with a great play, laying out to snag Jason Bartlett’s liner at the end of the sixth. Continue Reading »

Posted in Game Recap, Yankees | 1 Comment »

Game 5: Yankees vs. Rays

April 10, 2010 by William Juliano

The Yankees look to rebound from their 9-3 loss in game one of the series, but will have to face another young Rays’ pitcher with electric stuff. After besting Andy Sonnanstine in the competition for the Rays’ 5th starter role, Wade Davis makes his 2010 debut. Ironically, he begins this season the same way he ended the last one. On the last game of the 2009 season, Davis took the loss in a 10-2 Yankee win. He yielded 5 runs/3 earned in 5 innings, and gave up the first of Alex Rodriquez’ two HRs in his record setting 7 RBI sixth inning. Meanwhile, Sabathia will have his hands full with a middle of a Rays lineup that has had incredible success against him. Ben Zobrist, Evan Longoria and BJ Upton have combined for 5 HRs and 14 RBIs in only 41 plate appearances.

vs. Wade Davis PA BA OBP SLG HR RBI
Derek Jeter SS 3 0.667 0.667 0.667 0 0
Nick Johnson DH 0 0.000 0.000 0.000 0 0
Mark Teixeira 1B 3 0.000 0.333 0.000 0 0
Alex Rodriguez 3B 3 0.667 0.667 1.667 1 3
Robinson Cano 2B 2 0.000 0.000 0.000 0 0
Nick Swisher RF 3 0.000 0.333 0.000 0 0
Curtis Granderson CF 3 0.333 0.333 0.667 0 0
Brett Gardner LF 0 0.000 0.000 0.000 0 0
Francisco Cervelli C 0 0.000 0.000 0.000 0 0
Total 17 0.333 0.412 0.600 1 3
             
vs. CC Sabathia PA BA OBP SLG HR RBI
Jason Bartlett SS 42 0.314 0.405 0.457 1 3
Carl Crawford LF 38 0.263 0.263 0.395 0 2
Ben Zobrist 2B 16 0.462 0.533 0.923 1 4
Evan Longoria 3B 9 0.500 0.667 1.500 2 4
B.J. Upton CF 16 0.429 0.500 1.143 2 6
Willy Aybar 1B 8 0.250 0.250 0.625 1 3
Pat Burrell DH 12 0.100 0.250 0.200 0 1
Kelly Shoppach C 5 0.250 0.400 0.500 0 1
Gabe Kapler RF 25 0.250 0.400 0.450 1 2
Total 171 0.304 0.374 0.581 8 26
  • The Yankees will play their first day game of the season, the longest the team has gone without playing under the sun at the start of a season.
  • Alex Rodriguez remains tied with Mark McGwire for 8th place on the All-Time HR list.
  • Francisco Cervelli will make his 2010 season debut, leaving Ramiro Pena and Phil Hughes as the only two members of the 25-man roster to not see game action.
  • The last time Carlos Pena faced CC Sabathia, his hand was broken by a pitch. Pena is not playing this afternoon.

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Gate 2 Gets a Reprise

April 10, 2010 by William Juliano

One of the Gate 2 balconies that will be preserved.

The Daily News is reporting that the three balconies that adorned “Gate 2” of Yankee Stadium will be preserved and incorporated into the development of the new Heritage Park (h/t River Avenue Blues). The balconies dated back to the original construction of the Stadium

Groups like the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium and the Save the Yankee Gate 2 Committee had rallied to preserve more of the structure, but ultimately failed. Even though the balconies were just a small portion of the original Yankee Stadium, this reversal by the Parks Department is at least a moral victory.

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Birth of the Yankees

April 10, 2010 by William Juliano

On April 10, 1913, the New York Highlanders played their first game with a new official team name: the Yankees. Often referred to as the Americans (to distinguish them from the Giants, New York’s National League team), and by extension the Yankees, the Highlanders had been the team’s official name since moving from Baltimore at the end of the 1902 season. However, with the team coming off an abysmal 50-102 season and facing declining attendance and rising costs, owners “Big Bill” Devery and Frank Ferrell figured some changes were in order. In addition to adopting Yankees as the team’s new moniker, Devery and Ferrell also moved the team out of Hilltop Park and into the Polo Grounds, home of the Giants.

A scene from outside Hilltop Park (1912), where the Yankees (then Highlanders) played from 1903 unitl that year.

The Yankees would wind up finishing the season at 57-94. Attendance did increase by over 100,000 fans (a nearly 50% rise), however, and the team had adopted a name that would rank among sports’ most widely recognized. Devery and Ferrell wound up selling the team two years later, so they never reaped the rewards of these changes. Little did they know that they had placed a name on so much future success.

The date, which was also the home opener for the Washington Senators, was also notable because it featured a ceremonial first pitch delivered by the newly elected President Woodrow Wilson. Wilson, who attended the game with his entire cabinet, threw out the first pitch to Senators’ star pitcher Walter Johnson, a tradition started three years earlier when Warren Harding did the very same. Walter Johnson then proceeded to shut down the Yankees as the Senators held on for a 2-1 victory. For a box score and game summary from the New York Times archive, click here (note the early use of the “Americans” nickname, which would remain common for sometime thereafter).

Posted in Baseball History, MLB, Yankee History, Yankees | 1 Comment »

Price Is Right

April 9, 2010 by William Juliano

  • David Price was dominant at times, using a high-90s fastball to overpower several of the Yankee hitters. The 7 2/3 inning stint was Price’s longest of his career, but one wonders if the 111 pitches needed were an unnecessary taxation on the young lefty’s arm, especially so early in the season.

    The Yankees had their hands full with Rays lefty David Price.

  • In the top of the 4th inning, the Yankees got on the board first when Alex Rodriquez tripled in Nick Johnson and then scored on a throwing error by Dioner Navarro. The ball just missed going out of the ballpark, denying Arod sole possession of 8th place on the all-time HR list.
  • Javier Vazquez pitched well for three innings, but then faltered in the 4th inning. It looked as if Vazquez tired a bit in the inning, losing both command and velocity on his fastball as a result. Nearly every base hit was surrendered on the fastball, making it a little odd that Posada kept going back to the pitch, especially when the off speed was working so well. Posada seemed to over-rely on the fastball in both Sabathia’s and Burnett’s earlier starts, so that’s something worth watching. Because Vazquez has four quality pitches, it will be important for both he and Posada to get on the same page. Otherwise, we could have another pitcher-catcher controversy on our hands.
  • Vazquez wound up yielding 8 runs, which was the most he had given up since June 25, 2006, when he was tagged for 9 runs against the Astros.
  • Vazquez also wasn’t helped out by his defense in the 4th inning. Marcus Thames failed to make two plays that Brett Gardner probably would have. The game tying single by Navarro was a questionable play, but the ill-timed dive on Jason Bartlett’s base clearing double was an obvious mis-play. Thames is going to have to hit a ton against lefties to justify his spot in the lineup because he has already exhibited very poor defense in left.
  • Nick Johnson finally filled the hit column with a single and double off Price. Mark Teixeira, however, remained hitless and has now started the season 0-16. The Yankees record (since 1920) for the longest hitless streak to start a season is 27 PAs and 24 ABs, both by Wally Schang in 1921.

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Game 4: Yankees vs. Rays

April 9, 2010 by William Juliano

After spending most of the last two months in nearby Tampa, the Yankees return to St. Pete for their first series against the Rays. Javier Vazquez will kick off his second stint with the Yankees and hopefully do his best to erase the memories of his last performance in pinstripes (think Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS).

 

vs. David Price PA BA OBP SLG HR RBI
Derek Jeter SS 11 0.100 0.182 0.400 1 1
Nick Johnson DH 0 0.000 0.000 0.000 0 0
Mark Teixeira 1B 8 0.143 0.250 0.143 0 0
Alex Rodriguez 3B 11 0.333 0.455 0.778 1 2
Robinson Cano 2B 8 0.143 0.250 0.143 0 1
Jorge Posada C 8 0.000 0.000 0.000 0 0
Nick Swisher RF 8 0.200 0.500 0.800 1 1
Marcus Thames LF 0 0.000 0.000 0.000 0 0
Curtis Granderson CF 5 0.200 0.200 0.200 0 0
Total 59 0.157 0.254 0.353 3 5
             
vs. Javier Vazquez PA BA OBP SLG HR RBI
Jason Bartlett SS 31 0.267 0.290 0.333 0 0
Carl Crawford LF 27 0.423 0.444 0.692 0 2
Ben Zobrist RF 3 0.288 0.315 0.418 0 0
Evan Longoria 3B 6 0.167 0.167 0.333 0 1
Carlos Pena 1B 17 0.118 0.118 0.353 1 2
B.J. Upton CF 13 0.500 0.538 0.500 0 1
Willie Aybar DH 7 0.143 0.143 0.143 0 0
Dioner Navarro C 12 0.250 0.250 0.333 0 0
Sean Rodriguez 2B 0 0.000 0.000 0.000 0 0
Total 116 0.292 0.302 0.425 1 6
  • At the end of last season, the Yankees suspected that the Rays were purposely throwing at Mark Teixeira in retaliation for C.C. Sabathia breaking Carlos Pena’s hand. It will be interesting to see if the Yankees respond in the new season.
  • Lefty power outage: Chase Utley is the only left handed hitter to go deep against David Price.
  • Familiarity breads contempt: Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriquez have faced Price more than any other hitter. While Jeter has struggled (.100), Arod has had a little more success (.333). However, both have hit a homer off the Rays’ lefty.
  • How far has Pat Burrell fallen on the Rays depth chart? Despite having impressive numbers (.310/.333/.476) against Vazquez in a meaningful sample of 45 PAs, he still rides the bench.
  • Brett Gardner is sitting out once again in favor of Marcus Thames. The over/under on how many times Michael Kay complains about this move has been set at 10.
  • Today is David Robertson’s 25th birthday.
  • Alex Rodriguez will move into sole possession of 8th place on the All-Time HR list with his next long ball. Arod is currently tied with Mark McGwire at 583.
  • Nick Johnson and Mark Teixeira are both looking for their first hits of the season. Johnson has walked six times, however, and has taken over 75% of all pitches thrown to him so far this season.

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