The minors today

AAA: SWB lost 9-4. Graham Stoneburner 6 R in 3 1/3. 2B Corban Joseph 3 H, rbi. Thomas Neal 2 H, up to .340. (PLEASE, CASHMAN. Replace Francisco with Neal!)

AA: Trenton lost 4-2. Zach Nuding 3 R in 5 IP. A tough luck 1-6, 3.48 record so far. 2 H LF Ramon Flores. 2-Run HR RF Tyler Austin. 2 H SS Walt Ibarra.

High A: Tampa scored 3 in the bottom of the 9th to win 4-3. Corey Black 2 R,  1 ER in 6 IP. 3-run walkoff hr 1B Casey Stevenson. 2 H CF Mason Williams and C Francisco Arcia.

Low A: Charleston lost 12-2. 3 H, solo HR 3B Dante Bichette, Jr.

The minors today.

The big club was off today.

AAA: SWB lost 8-5. I will be heading there on June 8th for a game. Brett Marshall 8 R in 4 IP. 2 RBI for 1B Josh Bell (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/belljo01.shtml) who was signed as a free agent by the Yanks five days ago. Brennan Boesch 3 h, rbi. 2 h for Thomas Neal, double, rbi (did I mention he should be up and DFA Francisco? Oh yeah, a lot. Listening Cashman?)

AA: Trenton lost 9-4. Nik Turley 2 R in 3 IP, but 3 H, 5 walks to go with his 5 K. 2B Jose Pirela solo HR. C J.R. Murphy 2 hits. (.295) DH Slade Heathcott 2 RBI.

High A: Tampa lost 12-4. Bryan Mitchell 10 R, 5 ER in 4 2/3. CF Mason Williams 3 hits. C Gary Sanchez 2 Hits, rbi. 3 hits RF Jose Toussen. 2 H LF Ben Gamel.

Low A: 12-7 win for Charleston. Jose Campos 4 R, 2 ER in 4 IP. CF Jake Cave (.315) 3 H, 4 RBI. DH Kelvin De Leon 3 H, solo HR. LF Taylor Dugas 2 h, rbi.

Meanwhile ex-Yankee Jesus Montero was sent down to AAA by Seattle.

The minors today.

AAA: SWB lost 4-3. Jim Miller, 1 R in 2/3 IP the loss. 0-4, 5.68. Corban Joseph, 2B, double, HR, 2 RBI. Thomas Neal (please bring him up to replace Ben Francisco. Are you reading, Cashman?) 1 for 2, 2 walks, .326.

AA: 6-1 win for Trenton. Nik Turley 6 Ip, 1 R, 1 H, 2 walks and 6 K. 2 H, rbi 2B Jose Pirela.

High A: Tampa won 5-4 in 10. DH Angelo Gumbs 3 H, rbi. 2 H, 2 RBI SS Carmen Angelini.

Low A: Charleston won 10-8. Jose Campos 1 r in 3 IP. 1B Rey Nunez 3 H and 3 RBI. 2 H, 2 RBI for 2B Claudio Custodio.

Gm. 26. Kuroda guts it out, Yanks win 7-4. Save #10 for Mo. Yanks finish April 16-10.

The Castaways are doing ok. I’m not talking the Skipper, Gilligan, Ginger or Maryanne here.

I’m talking Overbay, Hafner, Wells …. players discarded by their former teams who are with the Yanks now. Players with a chip on their shoulder and who have something to prove. For these players have helped the Yanks end April at 16-10 after a 1-4 start.

16-10 x 6 = 96-60 with 6 games left. Any Yankees’ fan will sign up for that in a heartbeat.

Hiroki Kuroda struggled early but put it together for 7 scoreless innings tonight. He stranded 7 in the first 3 innings, but rebounded. 7 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 4 walks and 8 K. He goes to 4-1, 2.25.

Funny but I remember how Cashman was blasted for signing him. Some said he was no good (forgetting that he got no run support while with the Dodgers) and would stink with the Yanks in the AL East.

Well, since the Yanks signed him, he is 20-12 as a Yankee. He had a good ERA last year (3.32) and is at 2.25 now. I argued with those people then that Kuroda would be fine.

I wonder if they are listening now?

One of the castaways, Travis Hafner, had 3 hits tonight and drove in 3 runs. Ichiro is finally starting to heat up. He was down at .200 a while ago and his 3 hits tonight put him at .268. Overbay had a solo HR (4) tonight and most importantly, Eduardo Nunez had 3 hits to take him to .203. Granted Nunez’ BA is still terrible, but he was down at .169 and maybe this gets him going.

The Yanks need something from the left side of the infield, esp. with no A-Rod, Youk (for now) or Jeter. Nunez is at .203 and Nix at .219. That can’t last for long. They have to heat up.

Chris Stewart got two hits and is at .294—-much better than anyone expected.

Youk was put on the DL and Corban Joseph (24, lefty bat, .273-4-9, 1B/2B/3B) was brought up from AAA.

Things got interesting late. Up 4-0, D-Rob gave up 2. After the Yanks came back with 3 in the bottom of the 8th, the Astros got 2 in the top of the 9th and Mo was needed.

Mo picked up save #10, #618 for his career. ERA to 1.74. He doesn’t look like a 43-year-old who is retiring to me.

D-Rob 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 0 walks and 2 K. ERA to 4.22.

Kelley 2/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 7.84.

Hence Mo. 1 batter, 5 pitches and the save.

Yankee GM Cashman breaks leg, dislocates ankle

Yankees GM Brian Cashman went skydiving for charity today (Wounded Warriors) and while his first jump went well, the second not so much.

Cashman enjoyed the first jump so much he agreed to do a second. On the second, he broke his fibula and dislocated his ankle.

Cashman has also gone down the side of a building at Christmastime the last few years (rapelling? I forget the term).

Ouch.

Did a stress fracture give way?

What happened to cause Derek Jeter’s broken ankle is the conjecture today. Jeter mentioned that a bone bruise led to a stress fracture that finally split apart. When asked about it, neither GM Brian Cashman or Manager Joe Girardi knew anything about a stress fracture. It wouldn’t surprise me if Jeter did have a stress fracture and continued to play on it until it gave way.

Mariano Rivera dropped hints that if he were able to make it back from his ACL tear to pitch in last year’s postseason that he probably would have ten retired. Is this a precursor to his thinking now? Will 2013 be it for the 43 year old Rivera? Mo is the last player left who was born in the 1960s.

Finally, country singer Mindy McCready committed suicide yesterday. I’m not a big country fan and don’t know her music. But she made headlines years ago by admitting that she had an affair with the married (and still married) Roger Clemens when she was still a teenager. Clemens denies it, but Clemens has been denying lots of things. The thing with Roger is, what do you believe?

Swisher to Indians

We knew Nick Swisher wasn’t going to be coming back as a Yankee, but we just wondered where he’d wind up. Baltimore? Dodgers? Phillies?

With the Indians trade of Shin-Soo Choo to the Reds, a spot opened up in Cleveland for the former Buckeye, and Swisher is headed there. Swisher and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame do seem to mesh. The Yankees haven’t been giving out multi-year deals (except to the 39 yr. old Ichiro) and Swish got a 4-yr., $56 MM deal with the Tribe, with a $14 MM vesting option for a fifth year.

As for the Yankees’ holes, we can only wonder if Cashman has a trade forthcoming. As of now, here are the options, internally.

OF: The OF right now has Granderson, Gardner and Ichiro. Chris Dickerson could backup, but he’s another lefty bat. They need a righty bat. They’d like Scott Hairston, who’ll be 33 next year, can play all three OF positions as well as 2B. Hairston, who spent 2012 with the Mets, is looking for a multi-year deal (aren’t they all?) and that may be a deal-breaker. He hit .263-20-57, OPS+ 117 for the Mets in 2012 and is a .247 career hitter, OPS+ 100. Average player, but has pop. 162 g. ave: .247-20-58.

Internal options could be Melky Mesa, 26 next year who was 1 for 2 with an RBI in a brief September callup last year. Mesa hit .264-23-67 between AA/AAA last year with 22 SB. He provides some athleticism and speed that’s sorely needed but you wonder if he is ready. He’s only had 33 games at AAA (.230-9-21) and that .230 average makes you wonder. Also, at age 26, he’d be an old rookie. He’s mostly played CF and RF.

They also could give Ronnier Mustelier a shot. The 28-yr. old defector from Cuba hit .314-15-69 with 10 SB between AA/AAA last year. But unlike Mesa, Mustelier got more time at AAA and did well (89 games, .303-10-49) and probably has an upper hand. Mustelier has spent time at LF, RF and also 3B. He’s also played a couple games at 2B and CF. This may be to his advantage as he tries to make the team. He hasn’t been invited to major league camp yet. That should change. I was surprised he wasn’t brought up last year. I wanted him to replace Andruw Jones last midseason. Heck, Jones (now to play in Japan), hit only .197 last year. After the ASG he was just .142-3-12. You would think Mustelier could have done better than that.

In 150 minor league games, Mustelier has a .324-18-96 line with 19 SB. I’d give him a shot at that righty-hitting, backup OF job.

As for DH, who knows? Ibanez and Jones are both gone. Maybe it’d be best to DH Jeter the first half of the year because he’s coming off that fractured ankle. It’d be nice to see Nunez get some playing time. He, Ichiro and Gardner could provide a speed dimension to the club that was sorely lacking last year. The problem is, with the catching situation (I’ll get to that in a bit), where will the power come from, esp. with A-Rod out for half the year? Having a weak-hitting C in the lineup, along with Ichiro, Nunez AND Gardner means not much pop at all.

Not only that, but if Jeter DH’s and Nunez plays SS, you wonder about Nunez’ defense. Jeter’s range is not the greatest, has been criticized for years. and could be worse after the injury. But at least he is sure-handed, unlike Nunez.

Nunez, 26 next year, has just an 88 OPS+, but he’s interesting because his 162 g. average is .272-6-43 with 34 SB. But Cashman says he’s just a SS, and not a utility guy.

I really wonder if the Yanks should just go with Nix as the utility IF and trade Nunez while Nunez’ value is high. Nix can play 2B, SS and 3B and some OF. He hit just .243-4-18 last yr., OPS+ 86 and is just .214 with an OPS+ of 75 in his career. He doesn’t have the speed of Nunez but is more sure-handed.

They have to find a way to utilize Nunez and his speed, or trade him.

Of course, once A-Rod returns from his hip surgery, it may be in the Yanks’ best interest to DH Alex (not to stress the hip) and keep Youkilis at 3B. By then, hopefully Jeter won’t need as many DH at bats and his ankle is fully recovered. Time will tell.

But there is now the question of power. Cano, Granderson and Teixeira (switch-hitter) provide pop, but you lost lefty power in Ibanez and Swisher. So what kind of lefty-hitting DH is there?

I can’t see it being Dickerson, 31 next year. The Yanks probably want someone more experienced. Dickerson has 518 MLB at bats, .266-11-47 with 27 SB. OPS+ 101. He probably deserves a shot somewhere but the Yanks already have three lefty-hitting OF. Outside of DH, he wouldn’t have a chance to play, not with the starting OF of Ichiro, Gardner and Granderson. He hit .316-7-25, 17 SB in 69 AAA games last year. I just can’t see a DH platoon of Dickerson/Nunez, although both would provide more athleticism and speed.

Two DH options out there with pop are two old guys. You know I’m not big on getting older.

One is Lance Berkman, who, as a switch-hitter, would be a good option. You don’t want two DH-only types on your team. If you can just have one, who switch-hits and can DH every day, that’s a good thing (think Chili Davis in 1999). Berkman is good friends with Andy Pettitte, and was with the Yanks in 2010.

However “Fat Elvis” didn’t exactly do that well his first time in the Bronx. the 1B/OF hit just .255-1-9 in 106 AB (37 games), OPS+ 90 in 2010. He did go 5 for 16, 1 HR, 4 RBI in the postseason that year for the Yanks.

Berkman did have a rebound season in 2011, winning a WS ring with St. Louis, hitting .301-31-94, OPS+ 164 and finishing 7th in the MVP voting. But last year he played in just 32 games, getting only 81 at bats, hitting .259-2-7, OPS+ 126.

If healthy, Berkman could be decent one-year option at age 37. His 162 g. average is .296-32-108, OPS+ 146. He has 360 career HR (two more than Yogi, one less than Joe D.) and that 162 g. average includes 104 walks. He has a good eye, and along with Youkilis, would give the Yanks some good at bats, lots of walks and help wear pitchers out. He is a 6x All-Star, and has finished in the top 10 in MVP voting six times.

But is he healthy? Is there anything left in his tank? We’ve seen the fading Berkman before he resurrected himself in 2011. Can he put up decent numbers again or was 2011 the last hurrah (FYI, Berkman’s 2011 WS was superb: 11 for 26).

The other option would be Jim Thome. Thome’s big body and lefty swing along with the short porch make you wonder what he could have done playing in Yankee Stadium his whole career. But Thome is 42, 43 next August. He’d strictly DH vs. righty pitching and while Berkman can probably still play a game at 1B or in a corner OF spot occasionally, Thome cannot play the field anymore. He’s played just nine games in the field since 2005.

While it would be interesting to see the first set of teammates wherein each teammate has over 600 HR (Alex 647, Thome 612), you wonder about the lumbering Thome.

He still had something left in 2012, hitting .252-8-25 in 163 at bats for the Phils and Baltimore. His OPS+ was 112. On a one-year deal, he might be ok. But he can’t play the field and hasn’t had 300 AB’s in a season since 2009.

His 162 g. average is .276-39-108, OPS+ 147 with 111 walks.

You wonder if Berkman or Thome on a one-year option would be a path the Yankees might take.

If so, I probably would prefer Berkman. Switch-hitter, can probably fill in in the field more.

You also wonder if Nunez could be trade bait, esp. if the Yanks could get some help for him. Besides Nix, maybe one of these two in-house minor leaguers could be a backup IF:

David Adams: 26 next May. His ankle injury made Seattle scrap the Cliff Lee to the Yankees deal a few years ago. Adams, 26 next May, hit .306-8-48 in 86 games at AA in 2012 but the 2b/3B (mostly 2b) hasn’t played a game above the AA level.

Corban Joseph is 24 and a lefty bat (unlike Adams, who bats righty). Joseph does have 84 games of AAA experience, .266-13-56. Nice numbers. He hit .276-15-62 in 107 games in 2012, AA/AAA. Like Adams, 2B/3B, mostly at 2B.

As for catcher, who knows. Cervelli, Stewart, Romine (24, and with just 21 games of AAA experience) and Bobby Wilson. Cervelli is the best hitter of the bunch, but probably the worst defender. Cervelli has 490 MLB at bats, .271-5-71, OPS+ 84. Romine is just 3 for 19 as a major leaguer, and as mentioned, just 21 AAA games. Stewart hit .241-1-13, OPS+ 67 in 141 at bats for the Yanks last year but is a .217 hitter with an OPS+ of 61 in 351 career at bats. Wilson hit .211-3-13, OPS+ 63 for the Angels in 2012 and is just a .208 career hitter in 389 at bats, OPS+ 67.

You wonder what catchers may be available. I also wonder if Nunez may be the trade bait to get that catcher.

The problem is, Nix then becomes your backup SS. Adams & Joseph have some nice minor league numbers, but neither has played SS.

Are you asking about Ramiro Pena? He signed with the Braves. Of course, Pena couldn’t hit…

I’m wondering what moves the Yanks will be making. They will need to make some… and soon.

Who’s left?

Well, two people I would have been interested in are off the market. Victorino signed with Boston and Soria with Texas.

I was thinking Victorino for the OF (younger than Ichiro, and losing Swisher… 3 GG, speed) and Soria, coming off TJ surgery as a replacement for Soriano.

Now they are not there. Meanwhile the Yanks have needs at RF (Swisher leaving), C (Martin left), 3B (Alex out 1/2 a year, Chavez a F.A.),  DH (Ibanez a F.A.) and possibly SS (will Jeter be ready for the opener after that broken ankle?).

One person out there is Cody Ross. Ross, 32 soon, hit .267-22-81, OPS+113, for Boston this year and his 162 g. ave. for his career is .262-22-83, OPS+ 107. Swisher-like, but not a switch-hitter (he hits righty). He has postseason experience, having been on the 2010 WS Champs, the Giants (and he hit .294-5-10 in that postseason, winning the NLCS MVP). You wonder if he and the Yanks could reach a deal. What’s his a$king price?

But he’d fill just one hole (RF). There are many more holes to fill.

How many holes in the dike must Cashman plug?

Ruppert makes HOF, A-Rod to miss 1/2 of 2013

Jacob Ruppert was elected to the Hall of Fame today by the Veterans Committee. The Yanks’ owner in the Ruthian era built the original Yankee Stadium.

Meanwhile, GM Brian Cashman will need to do yeoman work to build a team. We already knew that a catcher and RF may need to be found, what with Martin’s departure and Swisher’s probable departure. Throw in DH if they don’t bring back Ibanez.

Now count 3B into the mix.

Alex Rodriguez will need surgery on his other hip (possibly explaining his poor postseason) and will miss half of the 2013 season.

You wonder if his body is breaking down. It sure appears so. Alex will be 38 in July. You also wonder if that steroid abuse while in Texas has anything to do with it.

You also wonder if he’ll even get the 53 HR he needs for 700. (He needs 99 hits for 3000 and 50 RBI for 2000).

Meanwhile, do the Yanks now bring back 35 year old Eric Chavez for 3B? He’s brittle and would need to platoon. But with whom? Where does Eduardo Nunez slot in, especially if Jeter isn’t ready for Opening Day?

The left side of the Yankees’ infield is now a mess. Two aging, injured players.

Do David Adams (26 in May, AA .306-8-48 in 86 games) or Ronnier Mustelier (28, .314-15-69, AA/AAA, 114 games) get a shot? Platoon one or the other with Chavez?

So now Cashman has to deal with a catcher (unless they are going with Cervelli or Romine), 3B (do you bring back Chavez, and who platoons with him?), possibly a SS if Jeter isn’t ready, a DH (do you bring back Ibanez?) and a RF (do you bring back Ichiro?) Do you sign someone like Cody Ross, Shane Victorino or Ichiro for RF? Trade for a Justin Upton or Mike Cuddyer? Give Melky Mesa a shot at a platoon role? Trade for a catcher? What about DH? Utility infielder?

Position-wise, there are some four positions there where things are a mess.

Cashman has some work to do.

Forget Mike Napoli at C (the Yanks never had interest). The power hitting, but weak defense C signed a 3-yr. deal w/Boston—-to play 1B.

I was kind of hoping that the Yanks would take a flyer on Joakim Soria, thinking that Soria, coming off TJ surgery, might be worth a shot to replace the expected-to-depart Rafael Soriano. Instead, Soria signed with Texas.

Take it to the Limit

Yes, the Eagles have to be happy. Not the Philadelphia Eagles, but the old rock band. For every division series is or has gone the limit. The theme song of the ALDS and NLDS could be Take It to the Limit.

Two series have been decided. The road team won every game as SF defeated Cincinnati, coming from down 0-2 to do so. Game 5 of the NLDS between defending champion St. Louis and Washington will be tonight.

The Tigers shut out Oakland 6-0 in Game 5 to advance to the ALDS. Baltimore and the Yankees play Game 5 starting this afternoon.

As for the Yankees, the pitching has been great, the hitting atrocious. The pitchers have a 1.88 ERA after four games. The Yanks have given up just 9 runs in 43 innings. But the series is tied. I was able to recap Game 1, then had problems in which I couldn’t do a recap until now.

Quickly… Game 2. Pettitte pitched great, he gave up just 3 runs in 7 ip but the Yanks and he lost 3-2 despite some great acrobatic moves by Ichiro to score one of their runs.

Game 3. It looked like the Yanks would lose. Kuroda gave up just two solo HR in 8 1/3, but the Yanks went into the bottom of the 9th down 2-1. I wanted Girardi to PH for A-Rod, who is stinking up the postseason once again (along with others). He showed guts and did what I wanted, sending up Ibanez, who tied up the game with a HR. Ibanez then did it again in the 12th, and the Yanks had a 3-2 win, Robertson getting the victory.

Last night, in Game 4, the Yanks again got great pitching. Hughes went 6 2/3 and gave up just 1 run on 4 hits. The Yanks lost in 13, 2-1, when doubles by Machado and Hardy gave the Orioles a run, Phelps taking the loss.

So in this series, Game 1 went into the 9th 2-2 before the Yanks erupted for five, and the next three games were all decided by one run, with one game going 12 and the next 13 innings.

The Yanks reverted to their evil ways (cue Santana) in game 4, going 0 for 9 with RISP.

What’s worse is that most of the lineup is taking the (big) apple.

Ichiro is hitting .200.
Cano is hitting .111.
A-Rod is at .125 (he was .133 in 2005, .071 in 2006, .190 in 2010, .111 last year… and the boos get louder). Overall in postseason play he’s in the .260′s, with 13 HR (72 games) but…
Swisher is at .133. He’s something like 1 for his last 34 in the playoffs with RISP. For his career, he is a .165 postseason hitter. .. .and he’s something like 1 for 19 vs. Matusz.
Granderson is 1 for 16 in this postseason. .063.

I don’t know what Girardi can do. Should the Yanks lose tonight, there may be calls for him to be fired. That won’t happen, but I’m not too thrilled with hitting coach Kevin Long.

As for Girardi… sympathies. His dad just passed away.

As for the hitters, how about going the other way? Be hitters, not sluggers. Seeing Granderson strike out while trying to pull everything is frustrating.

But what is Girardi to do? Bench half the team? As for me, I’d like to see Chavez and Ibanez in the lineup tonight, even if it means benching A-Rod and Swisher. But Cano needs to wake up. Granderson as well.

Jeter has had a great series despite playing hurt. Teix is playing hurt too, and his inability to run may have cost the Yanks Game 2. That calf he hurt makes him a station-to-station baserunner.

The way the Yanks are hitting, CC may need to pitch a shutout.

Even if they win tonight, I wonder about the Tigers and Verlander. For this Yankees team is not hitting at all.

They better start soon, or the season will be over.

As for Cashman, in the offseason, get some hitters, not sluggers. Guys who can hit the ball to all fields, and play littleball. Especially when littleball is needed this time of year.