Former major leaguer Derek Dietrich, who was with the Yankees’ AAA team at SWB (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) was suspended for 80 games (done for season) for violating the rules against using certain stimulants.
AAA: SWB (54-50) won 5-1. SS Oswald Peraza 2 hits #2 prospect .259-15-42, 26 SB RF Michael Beltre 2-run HR (1st in AAA)
Clarke Schmidt (W, 1-0 in AAA) 5 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 0 W, 3 K 3.63 M. Gomez (H, 3) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K. 5.93 Espinal 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K. 3.38 Shane Greene 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 2 K. 4.21
AA: Somerset (61-39, won 1st half division title) won 4-2. LF Jeisson Rosario 2 hits. 2B Max Burt 2 hits, RBI
Boyle (W, 8-4) 7 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 W, 7 K. 3.75 Ramirez (S, 2) 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 W, 1 K. 1.35
High A: Hudson Valley (53-47) lost both games of a DH. Game 1: lost 8-2. CF Jasson Dominguez 2 hits, 2 RBI. 2-run HR (2) #3 prospect. (Total A/A+ numbers: .264-11-44, 22 SB)
Panacual (L, 2-4) 3 IP, 6 R, 9 H, 2 W, 3 K. Gave up 2 HR. 5.28 Ruegger 2 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 0 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 HR. 5.24 Milam 1 IP, 0 R, 0 R, 0 W, 0 K. 9.00 (High A ERA only; started at Low A)
Game 2: Lost 2-0, getting just two hits.
Matt Sauer (L, 5-3) 6 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 2 W, 5 K. 1 HBP. 3.77 #30 prospect.
Low A: Tampa (48-51) won 5-4 in 10 innings. SS Alexander Vargas 2 hits, 3 RBI. Solo HR (8) #14 prospect .201-8-31, 25 SB 3B Benjamin Cowles 2 hits CF Madison Santos 2 hits, RBI LF Christopher Familia 2 hits.
Messinger 4 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 5 W, 6 K. 1 WP 4.23 van Zijll 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 4 K. 3.10 Dees (H, 3) 2 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 2 W, 2 K. 3.86 Santana (BS, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2 WP 1.33 Kohn (W, 3-0) 1 IP 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 6.75
STANDINGS AAA: SWB 54-50 Tied for 4th, 10-team division, IL East, 5 GB
AA: Somerset won the first half-division title, going 44-25. Eastern League Northeast, 6-team division. In the second half, they are 17-14, 3rd, 1 1/2 GB
High A: Hudson Valley was 3rd, 34-32, 9 GB in the first half. 6-team division, SAL North. In the second half they are 19-15, tied for 2nd, 1 1/2 GB
Low A: Tampa was 27-39, 6th and last, in the first half, 15 GB. Fla. State League West. 2nd half: 1st. 21-12, virtual tie, percentage points ahead (.636 to .629)
Aaron Judge can’t do it all himself, although he tried. The rest of the lineup has to help out, and that lineup was compromised on Monday night.
Josh Donaldson joined Joey Gallo and Kyle Higashioka on the Covid list, and D.J. LeMahieu had a day of rest (except for pinch-hitting late in the game) as the Yanks (29-13) lost to Baltimore 6-4. It was their third straight loss. Before the game, David McKay was sent back to SWB. Estevan Florial stayed with the team because of the players lost to the virus, and C Ben Rortvedt was moved to the 60-day IL.
Judge homered in the first to give the Yanks a 1-0 lead.
In the second inning, Aaron Hicks walked, and Estevan Florial reached on a fielder’s choice. Hicks went to third on an error. Jose Trevino then singled to make it 2-0.
Gerrit Cole had one bad inning, but that, and a HR given up later, cost him the game. You hoped the ace would be the stopper after the Yanks lost both games of a doubleheader on Sunday, but it wasn’t to be. Cole gave up four runs in the third inning, and Baltimore was up 4-2.
Judge hit his second homer of the game, #17 for the season, a 2-run blast, that tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, but Cole gave up a HR right away in the top of the sixth, and the Orioles were up 5-4.
Wandy Peralta gave up a run to Baltimore in the ninth, and the Orioles had an insurance run as they won 6-4.
Judge 2 hits, both HR (17) 3 RBI. He had 2 of the Yanks’ 5 hits.
Cole (L, 4-1) 8 IP, 5 R, 7 H, 0 W, 11 K. 1 WP. Gave up 1 HR, 3.31 Peralta 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1.93
When Donaldson is healthy, he faces a one game suspension for his altercation with Tim Anderson of the White Sox on Saturday. Donaldson is appealing.
OF minor league prospect Jake Sanford was released by the New York Yankees yesterday. Here is the NY Post report. (edited)
Following in the footsteps of the infamous Ruben Rivera, another Yankees prospect has been released for allegedly stealing from his teammates. The Yankees cut 2019 third-round pick Jake Sanford last Thursday for allegedly stealing from his minor league teammates and scamming people for money online, The Post confirmed. According to a source, the 24-year-old outfielder was released last week after a team investigation found Sanford had stolen from teammates, including equipment that he would then try to sell online, as first reported by NJ Advance Media. Additionally, a source said Sanford, who played college baseball at Western Kentucky, also accepted money from prospective buyers for the equipment then failed to deliver the products.
Sanford spent last year at A ball, both Low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley. He hit .285-16-61 combined in 101 games.
Yankees’ #10 prospect, Luis Gil, injured his elbow in his start last night for AAA SWB. He called for the trainer and said “I’m done”. Gil has started 7 MLB games for the Yankees, including one this year. We’ll see how bad it is and if he needs TJ surgery.
AAA: SWB (13-24) lost 5-2. CF Estevan Florial 2 hits, solo HR (4). ( #30 prospect .266) 3B Miguel Andujar 2 hits (.310) DH Greg Bird 2 hits (.169)
Gil 4 2/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 3 W, 6 K. Gave up 1 HR. 7.89 #10 prospect. INJURED. SEE ABOVE. M. Gomez (L, 1-2) 2/3 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 0 W, 1 K. 4.91 Lane 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.29 Marinaccio 2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 5 K. Gave up 1 HR. 2.70
AA: Somerset (23-11) won 7-6. SS Anthony Volpe 2 hits (#1 prospect, but off to slow start, hitting just .183) RF Elijah Dunham 2 hits, 2 RBI (#27 prospect, .226) DH Josh Breaux 2-run HR (6) (#26 prospect, .195) CF Brandon Lockridge 2 RBI (#18 prospect .236) 1B Chad Bell 2 hits 3B Max Burt 2 hits, solo HR (3)
The purpose of the batting averages above is to emphasize the point I have made that a lot of the Yankees’ top prospects, and even ex-major league players now in the minors, are not hitting so far this year. And it’s not just the ones listed here.
Spence 5 IP, 6 R, 7 H, 1 W, 4 K. Gave up 1 HR 5.46 Coleman 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 0.00 Ramirez (W, 2-0) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.00 Espinal (S, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.25
High A: Hudson Valley (15-19) lost 5-4. 1B Spencer Henson 2 hits DH Eric Wagaman 2 hits. LF Aaron Palensky 2-run HR (2)
Warren (L, 1-3) 3 2/3 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 5 H, 1 W, 2 K. 3.41 Myatt 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 3 K. 1 WP 1.20 C. Gomez 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 W, 2 K. 0.00
Low A: Tampa (14-20) lost 9-3. SS Alexander Vargas 2 hits, 2 RBI CF Jasson Dominguez 2 hits, RBI. (#3 prospect, .240) DH Anthony Garcia 2 hits.
Castro (L, 0-2) 4 1/3 IP, 7 R, 7 H, 1 W, 6 K. Gave up 1 HR. 1 HBP 4.09 Anderson 1 2/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 2 W, 2 K. 2.50 Messinger 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. 4.26 Watson 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3.60
One final note. I haven’t seen any Yankees games on WPIX Channel 11, New York, this year, nor do I see any games scheduled for them. If so, it’s sad a long tradition has ended. Channel 11 and Yankees games go back to before I was even born, and that was a little over 60 years ago. I grew up on Yankees’ games on WPIX Channel 11.
There was no agreement between the owners and the player’s union at the deadline, and the first couple of series for the baseball season have been cancelled. With no talks on the immediate horizon, you wonder how many more games will be cancelled. When will they finally come to an agreement?
What’s your guess? A 140 game season? 120? 100? Will there be a season at all?
Enjoy your minor league games and get a good look at the prospects. It looks like that is all you’ll have for a while.
Jeremy Giambi, brother of Jason, died yesterday at the age of 47. Sadly, reports are that it was a suicide at the home of his parents.
Giambi played for the Royals 1998-1999, A’s (alongside his brother for a while, before Jason came to the Yankees in 2002) 2000-2002, Phillies 2002 and Red Sox 2003.
He had three decent seasons. In 2000, he hit .254-10-50, OPS+ 95 (100 is average). In 2001, it was .283-12-57, OPS+ 124, and in 2002 his combined total was .259-20-45, OPS+ 147. He was a platoon player.
In 2001, in Game 3 of the ALDS, he was the runner tagged out at home plate on the famous Derek Jeter “flip” play. The Yankees, down 0-2 in games at that point, won that game 1-0 and went on to win the AL pennant.
Later, Giambi confessed, along with his brother, for using the “cream and the clear”—steroids—during the BALCO scandal.
So his career stats are (and probably skewed because of the steroid use): 510 games, .263 career average, OPS+ 111. 162 game average .263-17-66. He was a corner OF, 1B. In 9 postseason games, all against the Yankees, he was 7 for 22 (.318) with 1 double, 3 RBI and 1 SB.
Sad ending to a life, and a sad footnote to an iconic baseball play.
The YES network will have a very different look this year (that is, if there IS a season).
For one thing, Ken Singleton has retired. Buck Showalter is now the Mets manager.
David Cone will be doing games not only for YES, but also Sunday nights on ESPN.
Michael Kay will be doing games with A-Rod, kind of like that Manning brothers style that Eli and Peyton do for football.
To help fill in the gap, Carlos Beltran will be doing 36 games.
For Beltran, its redemption for his part in the Astros cheating scandal. That part may hurt him as he comes on the HOF ballot next year. Beltran, according to baseball-reference. com and an elaborate grading scale, is ranked as the 9th greatest CF of all-time. He played for the Royals, Astros, Mets, Giants, Cardinals, Yankees, Rangers and finished up back with the Astros (and the scandal). He hit .279 in his career with over 2700 hits, 435 HR and 312 SB. An OPS+ of 119 (100 is average; 119 means 19% above average).
He was supposed to become the Mets manager, but his involvement in the cheating scandal had him fired before he even managed a game.
I’m all for redemption and giving someone a second chance, as long as the person is contrite. It matches my faith (not to get religious, here, but the comparison is apt). That goes for me in my own life. I make mistakes and ask the Lord to forgive me.
So for Beltran, a chance to redeem himself (much like A-Rod as A-Rod in trying to do with his broadcasts). I get the hunch that Beltran will be more successful, simply because A-Rod is more flamboyant than Beltran, and, it seems, more likely to mess up again (hope he doesn’t).
You have to wonder if this step back into baseball may lead Beltran into the manager’s office. Will some team forgive Beltran and give him the managing job that Beltran was going to have with the Mets?
Aaron Boone just did get an extension. But with Beltran now working for YES, if the Yanks were going to make a move, could Beltran now be on their short list of possible replacements?
All quiet in Yankeeland but some ex-Yankees found new homes.
Darren O’Day==Braves Clint Frazier—Cubs Rougned Odor—Orioles Phil Nevin—now 3B coach for Angels.
Chris Gittens was released and is going to Japan.
With the catching market thin, the Yankees did tender Gary Sanchez a contract. A couple of potential catching targets dried up. Florida traded Jorge Alfaro to San Diego, and Yan Gomes signed a 2 yr, $13MM deal with the Cubs.
Former CYA winner LaMarr Hoyt died at the age of 66. Hoyt won the 1983 CYA with the White Sox, going 24-10, 3.66 ERA+ 115 in leading them to the AL West crown. He also finished 13th in MVP voting that year. He led the majors in wins.
From Wikipedia: He pitched a complete game victory over the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of the 1983 American League Championship Series, giving up only one run on five hits with no walks.
Hoyt had led the league in wins with 19 in 1982 (19-15), but led the majors in losses in 1984, going 13-18. After spending 1979-1984 with the White Sox, Hoyt went to San Diego, where he was 16-8 in 1985, and the All-Star game MVP, but (from Wikipedia, below) Hoyt frittered away his career.
Following the 1985 season, he was arrested twice within a month (between January and February 1986) on drug-possession charges, checking into a rehabilitation program nine days after the second arrest. This prevented him from playing most of spring training. He pitched through an injury to his rotator cuff rather than risk a surgery that could end his career, and he logged an 8–11 won-loss record with a 5.15 ERA.
(This was his last year as a MLB player).
Barely a month after the season ended, Hoyt was arrested again for drug possession when he tried to bring 500 pills through the San Ysidro Port of Entry on the U.S.–Mexico border.[3][10] He was sentenced to 45 days in jail on December 16, 1986, and suspended by then-Commissioner Peter Ueberroth on February 25, 1987. An arbitrator reduced his suspension to sixty days in mid-June and ordered the Padres to reinstate him. Though the Padres still owed Hoyt $3 million under the terms of his contract, the team gave him his unconditional release the following day.[3]
Later career The White Sox gave him a second chance, signing him after his San Diego release and giving him time to get back into shape. A fourth arrest on drug charges in December 1987 ended his return.[11] He was sentenced to one year in federal prison in January 1988.[12] He began to serve his sentence at Federal Correctional Complex, Allenwood,[13] and was transferred to a halfway house in Columbia in July.
Just 31, and just 3 years after his CYA winning season, Hoyt was done. Drugs ruined him.
Hoyt was originally drafted by the Yankees in 1973, and was traded to the White Sox in 1977 with Bob Polinsky, Oscar Gamble and $200,000 for Bucky Dent.
Hoyt was 98-68, 3.99 in his career, ERA+ 99. His 162 g. average was 16-11, 3.99. .
Having DFA’d Tyler Wade a few days ago, the Yankees traded the utilityman to the Angels today for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Since Clint Frazier and Rougned Odor were also DFA’d we will see what happens with them.
Doug Jones, a 5x All-closer closer who saved 303 games in his career, died at the age of 64 due to COVID symptoms. Jones pitched for the Brewers (1982), Indians (1986-1991), Astros (1992-1993), Phillies (1994), Orioles (1995), Cubs (1996), Brewers again (1996-1998), Indians again (1998), and A’s (1999-2000). He got MVP consideration 4x. He went 69-79 in his career with an ERA of 3.30 (ERA+ 129). His 162 game average was 6-6, 24 saves, 3.30.
The 2022 HOF ballot (writers, not Veterans’ committee) is out.
New to the ballot are: A-Rod (should get in on accomplishments, but steroids and the suspension will most surely keep him out). David Ortiz (will get in, but had steroid accusations himself and I wonder about that). Also Mark Teixeira, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Carl Crawford, Jake Peavy, Justin Morneau, Prince Fielder, Joe Nathan, Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Papelbon, and A.J. Pierzynski. Some MVPs in that list, also some Cy Young Award winners, Teixeira over 400 HR but I don’t think any of them make it.
Returning are: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling, all for the last time. Steroids has kept Bonds and Clemens out while Schilling’s political views and outspokenness hasn’t helped his cause. Also back are Scott Rolen, Billy Wagner, Omar Vizquel (recent accusations against him won’t help him), Todd Helton, Gary Sheffield, Andruw Jones, Jeff Kent, Manny Ramirez (steroids won’t help him), Sammy Sosa (steroids), Andy Pettitte (HGH hurts him, too), Mark Buehrle, Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, and Tim Hudson.
One crowded ballot.
The early baseball ballot has: Bill Dahlen, Lefty O’Doul, Allie Reynolds, George Scales, Vic Harris, Dick Redding, John Donaldson, Buck O’Neil, Bud Fowler and Grant Johnson. This Yankees fan would love the see “Superchief”, Allie Reynolds, get in. As for Dahlen, he is the best SS that is NOT in.
The Golden Days Ballot has: Ken Boyer, Dick Allen, Minnie Minoso, Billy Pierce, Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva, Roger Maris, Maury Wills, Danny Murtaugh and Gil Hodges.
107 wins? Nope. 106? Nope. 95? Nope. Instead of say the Giants, Dodgers or Brewers going to the WS, the NL Pennant was won by the 88-win Atlanta Braves last night with their 4-2 win over the Dodgers in Game 6 of the NLCS. For the Braves, it is their first trip to the WS since the Yankees swept them in 1999.
They’ll face the Houston Astros, with Houston having the home-field advantage. I’ll be rooting to the Braves, who will be the underdog. There is no way I forgive Houston for the cheating of a few years ago.
For the Dodgers, no repeat. No team has repeated as WS champ since the Yankees three-peated in 1998, 1999 and 2000 (and came oh so close to winning four in a row in 2001).
Yankees’ ace Gerrit Cole didn’t have it last night as the Yankees’ 7-game winning streak was snapped by Toronto, 6-5.
A few starts ago, Cole had to leave the game early with tightness in his hamstring. The Yanks have not said anything since, but Cole hasn’t been the same since. I wonder if there is a correlation, and if it is still bothering him. Cole could be forced to start Sunday on three days rest if the Yankees need to win Sunday to make the postseason.
It is a 4-team scramble for the two wild card spots. Oakland has been eliminated.
Wild Card Standings:
YANKEES 90-68 — top wild card for now, four games to go Boston 89-69 -1 2nd wild card for now Seattle 89-70 – 1 1/2 just 1/2 game behind Boston Toronto 88-70 -2 1 game behind Boston
By the way, Houston still hasn’t clinched the AL West. Their magic # is 1 over Seattle. And how would you like to be San Francisco or the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West? 104 wins for SF, 102 for LAD so far. One will have to host a one-game, sudden-death wild card game despite winning more than 100 games!
If the Yanks do make the postseason, here is hoping no one on the Yanks does what P Devin Williams of Milwaukee did in celebrating. He punched a wall and broke his throwing hand. No postseason for him, and a big loss for the Brew Crew.
Bo Bichette has killed the Yanks this year, hitting seven HR. Last night he hit two in Toronto’s win.
Cole gave up a 2-run HR in the first inning to Marcus Semien. Semien’s 44th HR of the season set a new record for second basemen in a season.
Cole gave up a run in the second. Bichette hit his first HR of the game in the third. After three, it was 4-0, Toronto.
With two out in the top of the fifth, the Yanks got two runs when Gleyber Torres doubled, Gio Urshela singled in Torres, and Brett Gardner doubled in Urshela. Torres was the first Yankee to reach base.
Cole gave up another run in the fifth, and on one double, wasn’t helped by his defense, especially Joey Gallo. 5-2, Toronto.
The Yanks got a run in the top of the sixth to cut it to 5-3. D.J. LeMahieu led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a SF by Aaron Judge.
The Yankees tied it at five in the top of the seventh, but not without injury cost. Gallo led off the inning by getting HBP and had to leave the game later. Torres singled. After an out, Luke Voit PH and struck out but on a WP, both runners advanced, and Voit got injured. Kyle Higashioka singled to tie the game.
Gallo had to go for x-rays, and had to be PH for in the ninth inning. No word yet. Voit may be day-to-day.
In the bottom of the eighth, Bichette hit his second HR of the game, this one off reliever and losing pitcher Clay Holmes, and it was the game-winning blow. 6-5 Toronto.
Before the game, Jonathan Loaisiga activated of the IL, and Andrew Heaney optioned down.
Torres 3 hits Higashioka 2 RBI
Cole 6 IP, 5 R, 9 H, 0 W, 6 K. Gave up 2 HR. 3.23 Loaisiga 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.22 Holmes (L, 8-4) 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.71 (Pit/NYY stats).
The Sommer Frieze 
