Tonight, the prodigal son returns. A homegrown star, a consistent force in the lineup, and a wiz in the field, Robinson Cano was the Yankees's MVP since 2010. This offseason, the Yankees spent a great amount of money on importing better free agents and offered Cano around $175 million. Many believe that Jay-Z, Cano's agent, wanted to make a splash and insisted that Cano hold out for the most money. After hearing the Yankees's offer, Cano signed with the Seattle Mariners, a rebuilding team, for $240 million. The Yankees's were not necessarily outbid, as they refused to offer 10 years/240 to their own player. If you were expecting a home discount to sign with the team that offered a great chance at the playoffs, you were mistaken. Cano took the money, which he probably should have, and ran, but also threw a small slight out that he was disrespected with the small offer. I'm calling shenanigans on that one.
This all leads to the 10-14 Mariners coming into the Bronx tonight. Jimmy Fallon was kind enough to gauge what the common Yankee fan's thoughts on Robinson Cano were going to be. All resoundingly bood a cardboard poster of Cano, only to recant and apologize to the actual Cano when he appeared from behind the poster. Some have called this typical Yankee fans, flip flopping around gutlessly. Other writes have asked that New York sports fans, who pride themselves on being knowledgeable and classy, refrain from booing. Most arguments are in the same genre, that either everyone in similar situations would have taken the money, or that the Yankees attract free agents by offering the most money, similar to the Mariners. Counterarguments suggest that the fans are still upset about Robbie not hustling enough in the field or running it out to first.
But what should the reaction from the fans be tonight at the stadium? What precedents have we seen so far from fans who welcome homegrown stars? Jacoby Ellsbury, in his return to Fenway, was greeted with a smattering of boos amidst a mild cheer: mostly mixed. If there were the boo meter, I would say it was at 50%. Ellsbury left Boston under slightly different circumstances; he did leave for more money, but that money was only between a handful of teams: the Red Sox did not offer him a sizable contract. The Yankees did offer Cano a large contract, and he still left. Fans may feel like Cano owed the organization something, but he did not. It is a business. Cano is trying to make the most money for Cano. And that is why it does not matter whether you boo or cheer for him tonight. He will be content swimming in his green mounds of cash.
Thus, it is my belief that fans should boo Cano. Absolutely give him the best showering of hate you can afford. It is a business, and fans should want their team to win. Let's cheer for the laundry tonight. When Cano is older and winding down and somehow makes his way back to the Yankees, you can cheer then. Let the emotion run wild in the meantime. Are you angry at him leaving? Do you not like his beard? Maybe you don't want him to hit in the game. Do you want to get in the head's of the opposition? Then let it out! To you Robinson Cano, boo!
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Friday, April 18, 2014
Never Nervous Yangervis
Every once and a while, there is a sports storyline that captures everyone's attention. These are the feel good stories, the ones fans from every team are interested in and may even celebrate. R. A. Dickey comes to mind. A knuckleballer having the best success of his career at age 35 was unfathomable. Yet, Mets fans and baseball fans all around cheered for him every 5th day. He went on to win the Cy Young and sign a nice contract. No one could begrudge his success. This year, another storyline has developed. Success from an unexpected player that you can't help but feel good for and cheer. And this player, his name is hard to pronounce. You probably never heard of him. And if it were not for a great Spring Training, you never would have. This is the growing legend of Never Nervous Yangervis.
Yangervis Solarte is a 26 year old utility infielder for the New York Yankees. He is from Valncia, Carabobo in Venezuela. If that place sounds familiar to you, it is probably because that is the hometown of several other current major leaguers including Felix Hernandez, Salvador Perez, Henderson Alvarez, Francisco Cervelli, and Wilmer Flores. Baseball runs in the family, as his uncle is Roger Cedeno. In fact, Cedeno asked a favor of his agent: take on his nephew as a client. But all great stories have a past seeded in hardship. Solarte spent eight years in the minor leagues, six for the Twins and two for the Rangers. He totaled a .286/.336/.397 slash line with an OPS of .733: good but nothing great. In fact, applying the "Quad-A" moniker to Solarte seemed reasonable. If it were not for Cano taking a huge deal in Seattle, we may have never seen him play. The Yankees spent good money this year, except for in the infield. Solarte's versatility as a 2nd and 3rd basemen, his ability to hit from both sides, and his desire to make it led the Yankees to offer him a minor league deal. Everyone is familiar with the spring training he had: .429 average, 2 hrs, and an OPS of 1.061. It seemed logical that he should make the club over long time fan headache Eduardo Nunez. Fortunately, he did.
But that was spring training. Plenty of guys have great spring trainings, racking up stats against other career minor leaguers. There was a chance that Solarte was all smoke and mirrors, that pitchers hadn't gotten a full scouting report on him. And still that may be. However, he has done his part to stick around in the big leagues. Take a look at these two stat lines: .314/.383/.516 OPS .899 and .373/.448/.569 OPS 1.017. Care to take a guess as to who they belong? The first is Robinson Cano's 2013 season. The second is Solarte's 2014 season. Of course, I don't expect Solarte to keep up this incredible pace. Remember Zoilo Almonte? He had his flash in the pan last year, too, then dropped off. However, Solarte has done two things really well this year. Indisputably, he gets on base. With six walks to eight strikeouts, he has shown that he has good plate discipline. And he plays solid defense. How solid? How about triple play solid? In his first game at the Trop against the Rays, Solarte started a 5-4-3 triple play. His ability to get on base and to play defense is what should keep getting him consistent playing time.
Let's throw some praise his way. Currently, he leads all AL 2nd Basemen in hits (19), doubles (7), RBI (9), and all slash lines and OPS. In this young season, he is 4th in AL OPS behind Jose Bautista, Alexei Ramirez, and Mike Trout; not bad company. His .373 average is 2nd in the AL. And just yesterday, he cranked his first home run, which he said eagerly would go to his mother.
He has the hot streak fans want to cheer for and he has the background and personality to go with it. Sample size be damned! Enjoy the legend of Yangervis. Wouldn't it be something if he kept up these numbers into the All Star break? What if we were seeing a good player finally get his shot, seizing the opportunity, and never letting it go? That, would be a story.
Yangervis Solarte is a 26 year old utility infielder for the New York Yankees. He is from Valncia, Carabobo in Venezuela. If that place sounds familiar to you, it is probably because that is the hometown of several other current major leaguers including Felix Hernandez, Salvador Perez, Henderson Alvarez, Francisco Cervelli, and Wilmer Flores. Baseball runs in the family, as his uncle is Roger Cedeno. In fact, Cedeno asked a favor of his agent: take on his nephew as a client. But all great stories have a past seeded in hardship. Solarte spent eight years in the minor leagues, six for the Twins and two for the Rangers. He totaled a .286/.336/.397 slash line with an OPS of .733: good but nothing great. In fact, applying the "Quad-A" moniker to Solarte seemed reasonable. If it were not for Cano taking a huge deal in Seattle, we may have never seen him play. The Yankees spent good money this year, except for in the infield. Solarte's versatility as a 2nd and 3rd basemen, his ability to hit from both sides, and his desire to make it led the Yankees to offer him a minor league deal. Everyone is familiar with the spring training he had: .429 average, 2 hrs, and an OPS of 1.061. It seemed logical that he should make the club over long time fan headache Eduardo Nunez. Fortunately, he did.
But that was spring training. Plenty of guys have great spring trainings, racking up stats against other career minor leaguers. There was a chance that Solarte was all smoke and mirrors, that pitchers hadn't gotten a full scouting report on him. And still that may be. However, he has done his part to stick around in the big leagues. Take a look at these two stat lines: .314/.383/.516 OPS .899 and .373/.448/.569 OPS 1.017. Care to take a guess as to who they belong? The first is Robinson Cano's 2013 season. The second is Solarte's 2014 season. Of course, I don't expect Solarte to keep up this incredible pace. Remember Zoilo Almonte? He had his flash in the pan last year, too, then dropped off. However, Solarte has done two things really well this year. Indisputably, he gets on base. With six walks to eight strikeouts, he has shown that he has good plate discipline. And he plays solid defense. How solid? How about triple play solid? In his first game at the Trop against the Rays, Solarte started a 5-4-3 triple play. His ability to get on base and to play defense is what should keep getting him consistent playing time.
Let's throw some praise his way. Currently, he leads all AL 2nd Basemen in hits (19), doubles (7), RBI (9), and all slash lines and OPS. In this young season, he is 4th in AL OPS behind Jose Bautista, Alexei Ramirez, and Mike Trout; not bad company. His .373 average is 2nd in the AL. And just yesterday, he cranked his first home run, which he said eagerly would go to his mother.
He has the hot streak fans want to cheer for and he has the background and personality to go with it. Sample size be damned! Enjoy the legend of Yangervis. Wouldn't it be something if he kept up these numbers into the All Star break? What if we were seeing a good player finally get his shot, seizing the opportunity, and never letting it go? That, would be a story.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
How do you invest $155 million dollars?
If you won the lotto and received lump sum of $155 million, what would you do? Would you be the good hearted child who buys his parents a new house or new car? How about hooking your friends up with some red corvettes like Mr. Deeds? Perhaps you buy a mansion and never work a day again. But if you're the Yankees, you go out and buy the best pitcher on the international market and hope he is everything scouts say he is.
There is so much trepidation that comes with signing international players. Will their games translate? Will they be able to adjust to the 162 game schedule? As a fan, when I heard the Yankees signed Masahiro Tanaka for $155 mil, I was excited. I appreciate management making the effort to better the team. From scouts and press, it seemed like Tanaka was going to be worth it. But then the rotation was setup so that Tanaka was slotted 4th. You don't pay 155 big ones for a 4th pitcher. You pay that money for an ace.
After three games, Cashman has got to be feeling good about his money. Sure, spring training was good to Tanaka, but regular season is where it counts. Thankfully, after three games, Tanaka has fit right in and some. His control has definitely translated over, even with the larger MLB ball: 28 strikeouts to 2 walks. Incredible! His splitter, as advertised, is nigh unhittable. But even more so, he has a full repertoire that he can use. His slider, splitter, and two seamer are all plus pitches. If you have not had the chance to see him pitch, please do. You will enjoy seeing a young pitcher grow into an ace in front of your eyes.
If you have a couple 100 million dollars lying around, go buy yourself an international star. It just might work out for you.
There is so much trepidation that comes with signing international players. Will their games translate? Will they be able to adjust to the 162 game schedule? As a fan, when I heard the Yankees signed Masahiro Tanaka for $155 mil, I was excited. I appreciate management making the effort to better the team. From scouts and press, it seemed like Tanaka was going to be worth it. But then the rotation was setup so that Tanaka was slotted 4th. You don't pay 155 big ones for a 4th pitcher. You pay that money for an ace.
After three games, Cashman has got to be feeling good about his money. Sure, spring training was good to Tanaka, but regular season is where it counts. Thankfully, after three games, Tanaka has fit right in and some. His control has definitely translated over, even with the larger MLB ball: 28 strikeouts to 2 walks. Incredible! His splitter, as advertised, is nigh unhittable. But even more so, he has a full repertoire that he can use. His slider, splitter, and two seamer are all plus pitches. If you have not had the chance to see him pitch, please do. You will enjoy seeing a young pitcher grow into an ace in front of your eyes.
If you have a couple 100 million dollars lying around, go buy yourself an international star. It just might work out for you.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Pour one out for the Knicks
Relieved. That is the one term I can use to adequately describe this Knicks's season. I am glad it is over. It would have been great to snag a playoff spot, because, as everyone knows, anything can happen in the playoffs. But it is relieving to know that fans will not have to suffer through inconsistency, countless face palms, angry tirades from YouTube users, or general mocking from other fanbases -- for now.
Has any other team been so wildly inconsistent this year? Perhaps the Nets with their sweep of the Heat yet blowout losses every other week. Even they are allowed a pass as they have a winning record and the 5th seed. The Knicks on the other hand took fans up, down, side to side, and down again on one of the wildest roller coaster rides this season. The only fan base more excited and let down than the Knicks would have to be the Suns who were a part of the playoff picture from the beginning only to be edged out last night by the Grizzlies. But even the Suns can rest their laurels on the knowledge that a young team grew, developed, perhaps over achieved, but tasted success!
What do the Knicks leave with this week? No steps forward taken as a team like the Suns. No draft positioning like the Sixers. And, most importantly, promise for a better season next year. They have too many immovable contracts, not enough draft picks, and a star who may or may not leave. But you already know that. I will put a positive spin on it for you, to help you feel better. Tim Hardaway Jr seems to be a great complementary piece. Without Bargnani, the Knicks played .500 ball. And Stoudemire won't require surgery this year! Talk about a glass half full.
If you were in charge of the Knicks, what would be the most effective move you can make to fix this team or improve it? I asked this question at the local gym and the response was either one of these two: new head coach or new point guard. I can see where the new point guard definitely improves the team right away. Felton and Prigioni are defensive liabilities. The dribble penetration is non-existent. Those are basically the two things you require from a competent point guard (read: Rondo). But the head coach, now that is a more effective solution. How many times did the New York press rip apart Woodson for not knowing game situations? Do you think with a different head coach some of those boneheaded plays (looking at you Bargnani and JR) go away? You must! If we as fans don't blame the coach, then we'll head into the offseason with no hope. Unfortunately, this cast of characters will be here next season, unless a miracle trade happens.
But for the next few weeks or months, fans can rest easy knowing that there are no more shootouts without defense, no more blank stares, no cursing in the huddle, and, my worst favorite, no more yawns from disinterested millionaires. Relief.
Has any other team been so wildly inconsistent this year? Perhaps the Nets with their sweep of the Heat yet blowout losses every other week. Even they are allowed a pass as they have a winning record and the 5th seed. The Knicks on the other hand took fans up, down, side to side, and down again on one of the wildest roller coaster rides this season. The only fan base more excited and let down than the Knicks would have to be the Suns who were a part of the playoff picture from the beginning only to be edged out last night by the Grizzlies. But even the Suns can rest their laurels on the knowledge that a young team grew, developed, perhaps over achieved, but tasted success!
What do the Knicks leave with this week? No steps forward taken as a team like the Suns. No draft positioning like the Sixers. And, most importantly, promise for a better season next year. They have too many immovable contracts, not enough draft picks, and a star who may or may not leave. But you already know that. I will put a positive spin on it for you, to help you feel better. Tim Hardaway Jr seems to be a great complementary piece. Without Bargnani, the Knicks played .500 ball. And Stoudemire won't require surgery this year! Talk about a glass half full.
If you were in charge of the Knicks, what would be the most effective move you can make to fix this team or improve it? I asked this question at the local gym and the response was either one of these two: new head coach or new point guard. I can see where the new point guard definitely improves the team right away. Felton and Prigioni are defensive liabilities. The dribble penetration is non-existent. Those are basically the two things you require from a competent point guard (read: Rondo). But the head coach, now that is a more effective solution. How many times did the New York press rip apart Woodson for not knowing game situations? Do you think with a different head coach some of those boneheaded plays (looking at you Bargnani and JR) go away? You must! If we as fans don't blame the coach, then we'll head into the offseason with no hope. Unfortunately, this cast of characters will be here next season, unless a miracle trade happens.
But for the next few weeks or months, fans can rest easy knowing that there are no more shootouts without defense, no more blank stares, no cursing in the huddle, and, my worst favorite, no more yawns from disinterested millionaires. Relief.
Friday, April 11, 2014
The Yankees have the "Mets Problems"
Rarely, if ever, do you hear someone compare the Yankees to the Mets. But this season, it seems more applicable than ever to compare the two as similar. Are the Yankees being run by incompetent ownership, struggling to make ends meet? No. But they both seem to have bullpen issues.
The Mets just lost closer Bobby Parnell for the season. Granted, he was not exactly the best closer in baseball or the savior of the Mets this year. He was, however, serviceable and capable. As for the Yanks, David Robertson just headed to the DL with a groin strain. He is by far the best Yankee reliever and replacing him will be hard.
If you watched any of the Mets versus Atlanta games, you would have seen that the Mets are doing just fine without Parnell. The bullpen did not give up a single run in 3 games against the Braves. Impressive work for any team. The Yankees, however, were not as fortunate, failing to hold a tie in a game against the Orioles and letting another game get away from them. David Phelps, who had been having a rough year, rebounded nicely against the Red Sox to earn a save after throwing 2.1 scoreless innings.
Both teams have no high profile reliever, and both are trying to make it work. Success in the bullpen is only temporary. Let's hope New York can get their act together and hold on all season!
The Mets just lost closer Bobby Parnell for the season. Granted, he was not exactly the best closer in baseball or the savior of the Mets this year. He was, however, serviceable and capable. As for the Yanks, David Robertson just headed to the DL with a groin strain. He is by far the best Yankee reliever and replacing him will be hard.
If you watched any of the Mets versus Atlanta games, you would have seen that the Mets are doing just fine without Parnell. The bullpen did not give up a single run in 3 games against the Braves. Impressive work for any team. The Yankees, however, were not as fortunate, failing to hold a tie in a game against the Orioles and letting another game get away from them. David Phelps, who had been having a rough year, rebounded nicely against the Red Sox to earn a save after throwing 2.1 scoreless innings.
Both teams have no high profile reliever, and both are trying to make it work. Success in the bullpen is only temporary. Let's hope New York can get their act together and hold on all season!
Friday, April 4, 2014
Opening Series Overreactions
Guy 1: CC's velocity is gone
Guy 2: Did you see how many hard hit balls he gave up?
Guy 1: Yeah! He was practically throwing BP. How can he be our ace if he can't even beat the Astros on Opening Day?
Guy 2: Kuroda is definitely the Yanks top arm. It's too bad the offense was terrible.
Guy1: 1 run against some no name starter. Good thing we won that last game. I couldn't bear to get swept by the Astros.
Sound familiar? I have probably heard this conversation at least three times, or something similar. I am always timid about interjecting into stranger's conversations, but, the internet affords an outlet. Did CC get hit hard? Yes. Do you really believe that he is going to stink this bad all year? I do not. He gave up all 6 runs in the first 2 innings, then settled down. I do expect him to give up home runs, but I also expect him to locate better. As Ken Singleton pointed out in the broadcast, most of the hard hits were because he was missing up in the zone. One or two meatballs here and there, but it was not as bad as most people think. As for the offense, look at the following total hits and errors and try to guess which team scored the most?
Team 1: 19 hits, 0 Errors
Team 2: 20 hits, 2 Errors
If you guessed that the Yankees had more hits but committed more errors, you were correct. Defense definitely played into the losses as well as the wins. More often than not, Yankee hitters were hitting the balls hard as well, just into the shift. It was admirable to see McCann and Soriano try to hit into the gap. In fact, I believe McCann did collect a hit that way. But as much as you have bad luck hitting, sometimes, you have good luck hitting as well. Yangervis Solarte's infield single in Game 3 comes to mind. He hit a "silo" of a pop up right between the pitcher and catcher. With 2 outs, Suzuki, who was on 2nd, ran hard around 3rd and headed home. The backup catcher (who had conveniently replaced starting catcher Jason Castro after two HBPs), the pitcher, and the 3rd basemen promptly set up a campfire and watched the ball hit the ground. Suzuki scored, Solarte was safe, and the Yankees had a 2 run lead.
The moral is, luck has such a big factor in this game. A ball hit down the line is a double off the chalk or a foul ball depending on a half an inch. A line drive two feet to the right becomes an RBI so easily. After three games, fans should not overreact for good or bad. As that WWII poster says, "Keep calm, and carry on" or rather keep calm, and cheer on.
One last note: everyone has got to feel good about this Solarte kid. Spent so much time in the minors and finally gets rewarded. Just need to know what John Sterling's HR call for him will be!
Guy 2: Did you see how many hard hit balls he gave up?
Guy 1: Yeah! He was practically throwing BP. How can he be our ace if he can't even beat the Astros on Opening Day?
Guy 2: Kuroda is definitely the Yanks top arm. It's too bad the offense was terrible.
Guy1: 1 run against some no name starter. Good thing we won that last game. I couldn't bear to get swept by the Astros.
Sound familiar? I have probably heard this conversation at least three times, or something similar. I am always timid about interjecting into stranger's conversations, but, the internet affords an outlet. Did CC get hit hard? Yes. Do you really believe that he is going to stink this bad all year? I do not. He gave up all 6 runs in the first 2 innings, then settled down. I do expect him to give up home runs, but I also expect him to locate better. As Ken Singleton pointed out in the broadcast, most of the hard hits were because he was missing up in the zone. One or two meatballs here and there, but it was not as bad as most people think. As for the offense, look at the following total hits and errors and try to guess which team scored the most?
Team 1: 19 hits, 0 Errors
Team 2: 20 hits, 2 Errors
If you guessed that the Yankees had more hits but committed more errors, you were correct. Defense definitely played into the losses as well as the wins. More often than not, Yankee hitters were hitting the balls hard as well, just into the shift. It was admirable to see McCann and Soriano try to hit into the gap. In fact, I believe McCann did collect a hit that way. But as much as you have bad luck hitting, sometimes, you have good luck hitting as well. Yangervis Solarte's infield single in Game 3 comes to mind. He hit a "silo" of a pop up right between the pitcher and catcher. With 2 outs, Suzuki, who was on 2nd, ran hard around 3rd and headed home. The backup catcher (who had conveniently replaced starting catcher Jason Castro after two HBPs), the pitcher, and the 3rd basemen promptly set up a campfire and watched the ball hit the ground. Suzuki scored, Solarte was safe, and the Yankees had a 2 run lead.
The moral is, luck has such a big factor in this game. A ball hit down the line is a double off the chalk or a foul ball depending on a half an inch. A line drive two feet to the right becomes an RBI so easily. After three games, fans should not overreact for good or bad. As that WWII poster says, "Keep calm, and carry on" or rather keep calm, and cheer on.
One last note: everyone has got to feel good about this Solarte kid. Spent so much time in the minors and finally gets rewarded. Just need to know what John Sterling's HR call for him will be!
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