Minor League Report. Big Day for Gleyber Torres.

AAA: Tyler Austin was activated off the DL and assigned to AAA SWB. I’m a little surprised and disappointed. I would have liked him to be brought right up to the big club and for Chris Carter to be let go. I am not the only one.

SWB (32-22) won 6-3. A huge game for SS Gleyber Torres. 3 for 3 with a walk. HR, 4 RBI.

Mitchell 2 1/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 0 W, 1 K. 4.76
German (W, 2-1, 3.76) 5 1/3, 1 R, 5 H, 2 W, 7 K.
Heller (s, 3) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.84

AA: Trenton off.

High A: Tampa (30-28) won 6-0. Rehabbing 1B Greg Bird 1 for 3, single, RBI.

RF Trey Amburgey 2-run HR.  LF Tito Polo 2 hits, RBI.

Clarkin 4 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 2 W, 2 K. 1.56
Hissong (W, 1-0, 4.82) 3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 4 K.
Harvey 1 IP 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K, 0.00
Foley 1 IP, 0 r, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 0.00

Low A:   Charleston off.

Now, you can ask how someone could get a save in a 17-0 win (which Charleston had on Sunday) . Here’s how (although it seems ridiculous).

That rule states the official scorer shall credit a pitcher with a save when such pitcher meets all four of the following conditions:

1. He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his team;
2. He is not the winning pitcher;
3. He is credited with at least ⅓ of an inning pitched; and
4. He satisfies one of the following conditions:
   1. He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning
   2. He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, at bat or on deck
   3. He pitches for at least three innings.

Now in Charleston’s 17-0 win on Sunday, the relief pitcher, who pitched 4 innings, met criteria #1.

He met criteria #2.

He pitched 4 innings, so he met criteria #3.

and…

He met the 3rd subcriteria of criteria #4 by pitching 4 innings.

So as silly as it seems, this pitcher got a save in a 17-0 win.

 

 

Game 28. Yanks bomb Cubs 11-6 behind Hicks, Castro.

Starlin Castro and Adam Warren came back to haunt their former team, and Aaron Hicks continued his amazing year as the Yanks scored five in the first and bombed the Cubs 11-6 last night.

The win keeps the Yanks in first place in the AL East at 19-9, 1/2 game ahead of the 19-10 Orioles. The Yanks have won 18 of their last 23 games.

Jordan Montgomery was again was steady and kept his team in the game. I’m impressed with his five major league starts so far.

In the first, Brett Gardner, Friday’s hero, picked up where he left off, doubling to lead off the game. Hicks singled on a bunt (bunt more often, Joe) and Gardner scored on a throwing error, Hicks not being able to advance. Castro then doubled in Hicks to make it 2-0. After Judge struck out, Sanchez singled to make it 3-0. Gregorius singled, then Headley doubled in two runs and before the Cubs’ fans were comfortable in their seats, it was 5-0 Yanks.

In the third, Sanchez and Gregorius singled and Sanchez scored on an error.

In the fifth, ex-Cub Castro hit a 2-run HR (6) to make it 8-0. Castro is rivaling Judge for team MVP right now. He’s hitting .381.

The Cubs got two in the fifth (one of the runs unearned because of a two-out error by Didi) and another in the seventh to cut the Yanks lead to 8-3.

Then Hicks basically insured the win with a 3-run HR (6) in the eighth. I, like many Yankees fans, was all over Hicks last year when he hit just .217-8-31 in 327 AB, OPS+ just 63. This year he’s been a revelation as the fourth OF, hitting .355-6-15, OPS+ 216! I don’t know where that came from, but wow, we’ll take it.

Tommy Layne had a terrible bottom of the eighth, giving up three runs that really blows up his ERA, but Adam Warren, who struggled last year with the Cubs before coming back to the Yankees, came in to slam the door. Being back with the Yankees has worked out well for Warren. Last year with the Cubs, he was 3-2, 5.91 before being traded back to the Yanks, for whom he went 4-2, 3.26. This year, 0-0, 0.57 so far. Since Warren wasn’t with the Cubs in the postseason, and since he didn’t pitch well for them, he decided to receive his WS ring in the bullpen privately on Friday than on the field.

Gardner 2 hits, scored 2 runs.
Hicks 4 hits, scored 3, drove in 3, HR.
Castro 3 hits, scored 2, drove in 3, HR.
Sanchez 2 hits, rbi.
Gregorius 2 hits.
Headley 2 RBI

Montgomery (w, 2-1, 3.81) 6 2/3 IP, 3 R, 2 earned, 4 W, 3 K.
Clippard 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W,  0 K. 1.50. Threw one pitch, got the out.
Layne 2/3 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 1 W, 0 K. 9.45.
Warren 1 1/3, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. 0.57.

The Yanks/Cubs game is the ESPN Sunday night game tonight, then to Cincinnati. More games w/out the DH. You may see Matt Holliday at 1B tonight to get him playing time.

 

 

1950s Slugger Sievers dies at 90.

Roy Sievers, who led the AL in HR and RBI in 1957, has died at the age of 90.

Sievers was one of the last of the St. Louis Browns. He played for the Browns from 1949-1953, winning the ROY award in 1949, when he hit .306-16-91 with an OPS+ of 125.

He played for the Washington Senators from 1954-1959, finishing third for the MVP award in 1957 (behind Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams) when he hit .301-42-114 with an OPS+ of 164. He led the league in total bases that year. He led the AL in SF in 1954.

The following year, Sievers finished 6th in MVP voting after hitting .295-39-108, OPS+ 147.

He spent 1960-1961 with the White Sox, finishing 7th in the MVP voting in 1960 with a mark of .295-28-93, OPS+ 150. He led the AL in intentional walks that year.

From 1962-1964, he was with the Phillies, his last decent year being 1963, before ending his career back with the “new” Washington Senators (the one from the 1950s moved to become the Minnesota Twins) from 1964-1965. (The “new” Senators are now the Texas Rangers).

Primarily a 1B/LF, Sievers also played CF, 3B and RF in his career. A 5x All Star, he got Top-10 MVP consideration 3x and MVP consideration 7x.

He hit .267 in his career with 318 HR. His 162 g. average was .267-27-98, OPS+124. Solid.

 

Recent baseball passings.

There hasn’t been much going on in Yankeeland recently, so no recent posts. I will touch on a couple of recent baseball passings.

Phil Gagliano, a utility infielder for the 1967 and 1968 Cardinals teams that were in back to back WS, winning in 1967, losing in 1968, passed away recently at the age of 74.

Chris Cannizzaro, a C who was on the original 1962 Mets team and later on the original 1969 Padres’ team, passed away at age 78.

Hope for the future.

Age for Opening 2017 season, 2016 stats

C Kyle Higashioka 27, AA/AAA .276-21-81
1B Greg Bird missed 2016 season 24
.261-11-31 in 46 games with Yanks in 2015
1B/OF Tyler Austin 25, .241-5-12 in 31 games with Yanks in 2016
2B/SS Gleyber Torres 20, .270-11-66, 21 SB at High A in 2016
2B/SS Jorge Mateo (may be moved to CF? Has been taking instruction there. Runs like the wind, and with Torres, Didi, Castro, could be Ellsbury replacement?)

21, .254-8-47, 36 SB in High A

3B Andujar 22, .273-12-83 High A/AA
LF Clint Frazier 22, .263-16-55, 13 SB AA/AAA
RF Aaron Judge 24, .179-4-10, 27 games with Yanks in 2016

UT Rob Refsnyder 26, .262-2-17 in 74 games with Yanks 2015-2016

UT Tyler Wade 22, .259-5-27, 27 SB at AA in 2016.
CF Dustin Fowler 22, .281-12-88, 15 triples, 25 SB at AA.

OF Blake Rutherford 19, .351-3-12 in 33 games in Rookie League Ball.

P Chance Adams 22, 13-1, 2.33 between High A and AA
P Justus Sheffield 20, 10-6, 3.09 between High A and AA.
P Dietrich Enns 25, 14-4, 1.73 between AA/AAA

Add them to Gary Sanchez, 24, .299-20-42 in 53 games with the Yanks this year,

and… there’s hope for the future…

and there are others I didn’t mention.

 

Game 161. Yanks rally for 7-3 win.

Today is the final game of the season for the Yankees. They are 84-77 after yesterday’s come-from-behind, 7-3 win over Baltimore.

There are three playoff spots still to be decided, and five teams fighting for those spots, so  the possibility of a 163rd game is very real.

Unfortunately the Yanks have already been eliminated, so today is it for this year.

Eventually, the Yanks have to figure out what to do with Luis Severino. It is in their best interest that he develop into a good starter, but his splits this year make you wonder.

As a starter: 0-8, 8.50
As a reliever: 3-0, 0.39

He started yesterday, and gave up 3 runs in just 3 2/3 IP.

After the Orioles scored two off Severino in the third, and another in the fourth on Manny Machado’s 37th HR, the Yanks went to work, scoring one run in each of the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, and putting the game away with four in the eighth.

In the fifth, Mark Teixeira (whose last game will be today) singled, Chase Headley walked, and Austin Romine grounded into a forceout at third. Tyler Austin singled in a run to make it 3-1.

In the sixth, with two out, Billy Butler and Rob Refsnyder singled, and Headley doubled in a run.

In the seventh, Austin tied the game with his fifth HR of the year. All of his homers have been at home, and all by going the other way to right field.

In the eighth, Jacoby Ellsbury walked with one out. Headley doubled and Romine singled in two runs. After Austin struck out, Ronald Torreyes walked. Brett Gardner doubled in two runs.

Severino 3 2/3 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 2 walks, 3 K. 5.83
Holder 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 0 K. 5.40
Bleier 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 walk, 0 K. 2.05
Yates 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 walk, 0 K. 5.23
Clippard (w, 4-6, 3.57 AZ/NYY) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 0 K.
Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 3 K. 3.08

I’ve seen reports that at the trade deadline, the Yanks were looking at Joe Panik from the Giants as compensation. It didn’t happen, and you wonder what the Yanks would have done with Castro if it did. Move him to 3B? What then with Headley?

As far as WAR (wins above replacement) this year, the Yanks’ best player in 2016 has been Masahiro Tanaka.

Game 154. 0-ffensive. Yanks blanked for third straight game.

You can’t win if you don’t score. For the third consecutive game, the Yanks were shut out as they lost to Toronto 3-0.

Lately, Joe Girardi’s bullpen moves have been questioned, leading Girardi to become very testy lately in his dealings with the media. Even when he appears to make the right move, as yesterday, it doesn’t work out.

CC Sabathia pitched his heart out, pitching seven shutout innings,  but was pulled for Tyler Clippard in the eighth. Clippard gave up a two-out, three-run HR to Jose Bautista to lose the game.

The Yanks managed only three hits all game. With injuries to Headley, Teixeira, Castro …. and the youngsters now on the team, the lineup lately has looked like a spring training lineup.

I worked all day yesterday, but did hear one thing on the radio on the way home. At one point in the game, Gardner was on first base. Gardner has 16 SB this season. This from a guy who led the league a few years ago. A guy who stole 49 and 47 not long ago. In other words, Gardner isn’t running enough. He should have at least twice as many steals as he has now (that goes for Ellsbury too, who has just 18). Sterling and Waldman mentioned that he doesn’t run enough, then wondered how, when he finally decides to try and steal, he tried to do so on an 0-2 pitch with two out—-the easiest pitch for the other team to pitch out on. Sure enough, Toronto pitched out and Gardner was out. Sigh.

The loss drops the Yanks to 79-75. They are 4 1/2 games out of the final wild card spot with just 8 games to go. Their tragic # is 4.

They need to go 3-5 in the last 8 games to avoid a non-winning season, which would be their first since 1992. Even at that, they have to go 5-3 even to match their worst season since 1992 (which was 2014 at 84-78). Those 8 games are against the three teams ahead of them, Toronto, Boston and Baltimore. Not only that, Tanaka, who will miss his next start, may miss the other one as well.

Sabathia 7 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 3 walks, 2 K. 4.02
Clippard (L, 3-5, 3.60 AZ/NYY) 1 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 2 walks, 0 K. Gave up 1 HR.