BBWAA elects no one to Hall.

The Baseball Writers elected no one to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2021.

There will still be a ceremony, because COVID cancelled out 2020’s ceremony, those elected in 2020 will be inducted in 2021.

75% of the vote is required for induction. The top 3 finishers are controversial, in various ways. They were Curt Schilling at 71.1%, Barry Bonds at 61.8% and Roger Clemens at 61.6%.

Next year will be the last year on the ballot for all three of them.

There were some, like Scott Rolen, who made big jumps but still fell fall short.

But for Schilling, Bonds and Clemens, the gains were miniscule.

Ex-Yankees Gary Sheffield (40.6%), Andruw Jones (33.9%), Andy Pettitte (13.7%) and Bobby Abreu (8.7%) remain on the ballot.

You need 5% or more to remain on the ballot.

Ex-Yankees Latroy Hawkins (2 votes, 0.5%), A.J. Burnett (no votes) and Nick Swisher (no votes) fall off of the ballot.

S.T. Game 25. Yanks win, but problems loom.

The Yankees’ 9-3 win today that raised their spring record to 19-6 was overshadowed by other concerns.

I don’t like the World Baseball Classic because of its timing. Players should be getting ready and not competing heavily in games in March. The WBC advances the timetable, which is why I am concerned about injuries in March to players going all out when they should be pacing themselves.

The Yanks found out today that Didi Gregorius, who was doing well in the WBC, will probably miss the start of the regular season because of a sore throwing shoulder.

As good as phenom Gleyber Torres has been this spring training, he has never played above High A ball (Tampa) and the Yanks won’t consider jumping him three levels to replace Didi. Instead, it looks as if it would be Tyler Wade at SS until Didi is ready. Wade is versatile, has more experience and has played at a higher level than Torres. It seems either he or Ronald Torreyes will man SS until Didi gets back.Ruben Tejada could be in the mix as well.

A blow and why I don’t like the WBC. As for Wade, all the Yanks want from him is to make the plays, and do the little things. He doesn’t have the power Didi would have. Just make all the plays on D, and do the little things offensively—steal a base, lay down a bunt, move the runner over. Nothing spectacular.

Michael Pineda exasperated us today. One outing after a 15 up, 15 down, 8 strikeout performance, he was knocked out in the second inning. This is why he drives us nuts. So much potential, so little consistency. Just like A.J Burnett.

The Yanks got four in the second. Refsnyder doubled in one, Torreyes singled in one and Gardner singled in two.

Given a 4-0 lead, Pineda drove us nuts again, giving up three runs and not making it out of the second inning. How long do we have to wait for him to realize his potential consistently? Thank goodness it is spring training. Starting pitchers just can’t give back four run leads in the regular season.

The Yanks got two in the fifth on a two-run HR by Matt Holliday.

Gleyber Torres doubled in two in the eighth (and I, like many others, wish this kid would be the one replacing Didi until Didi is ready, but at 20, and no experience above High A, I could see not putting him the major league roster just yet, but yes, we all are impatient for him to arrive).

Dustin Fowler got a SF for the final run.

So a win, but concerns about Didi’s injury and Pineda’s inconsistency.

Two RBI for Gardner, two hits for Bird. Holliday with the 2-run HR. Billy McKinney went 2 for 2.

To me, besides Mitchell, Green has done very well. I would put Mitchell and Green in the rotation, send Severino and Cessa back to AAA and Warren to the bullpen. We’ll see what Girardi does.

Pineda 1 2/3 IP, 3 R, 1 H, 2 walks, 1 K.
Graham (H) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 3H, 1 walk, 0 K.
Green (H) 3 1/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 walk, 2 K.
Heller (H) 2/3, 0 R, 1 H, 1 walk, 0 K.
Holder 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 0 K.

 

Spring Training has started.

I don’t have much to report, since I am still trying to get going after a major snowstorm. We got 19 1/2 ” of snow Thursday, another 2-4 Saturday and expect 2-4 again tomorrow. I’m sick of it.

The Yanks just began spring training and questions on their bullpen and infield need to be answered.

In other baseball news, Hank Aaron needed hip surgery after falling on ice. Aaron turned 80 earlier this month.

Also, former SS (6x All-Star) and manager Jim Fregosi died at 71 after a stroke.

A.J. Burnett signed with the Phillies.

Berkman, Burnett and more

Not much news on the Yankees front, but a couple former Yanks are in the news.

Lance Berkman, who was briefly with the Yanks in 2010, announced his retirement. Berkman, who mostly played with Houston, retires with a .293 career batting average and with 366 HR. Only three switch-hitters hit more HR in their career than Berkman—Mickey Mantle, Eddie Murray, and Chipper Jones.

A.J. Burnett, a free agent, decided not to retire. Burnett was with the Pirates last season. He had spent three years (2009-2011) with the Yankees. Word is that the Phillies are interested. They are looking to replace the retired Roy Halladay.

The Yanks did sign a teenage pitching star from Australia. It’s too hard to get to excited about someone 17 though. Time will tell if he makes it.

Matt Garza went to the Brewers, but besides Burnett, other pitchers still out there are Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jiminez, and Bronson Arroyo. Johan Santana is out there if he has anything left and if someone wants to take a chance on him. Paul Maholm and Fernando Rodney are also out there.

Position players out there are Kendrys Morales, Nelson Cruz and Stephen Drew.

The Yanks are probably done. I can see a minor-league signing, but nothing major after all they have done so far.

Waiting for the Super Bowl, as you are….

A-Rod decision soon?

Now that the HOF inductees have been announced, we wait for the decision on A-Rod, which could come as early as today. There are reports that Alex may accept a suspension if it’s less than 100 games, to which I say, wouldn’t that be an admission of guilt? Why fight as he has, if he IS guilty? Besides, after his 2009 mea culpa of using while with Texas, how stupid is he to go back on the stuff? Really, I wish he’d just go away.

The Tampa Bay Rays signed ex-Yankee utility IF Jayson Nix. Reports are that ex-Yankee A.J. Burnett may retire.

The BBWAA suspended that writer who sold his ballot to Deadspin.com for one year and that writer won’t ever be allowed to vote for the HOF anymore. It’s too bad that they also didn’t do that for other writers, like the one who voted for Jack Morris and only Jack Morris, or the one who voted for Armando Benitez. Armando Benitez? Really?

Or, for that matter, kick off all 16 writers who did not vote for the winningest living pitcher, Greg Maddux. Maddux won 355 games, and never a whiff of PEDs. To find an MLB pitcher who won more games than Maddux over the course of their career, you need to visit a cemetery.

But then, 23 idiots did NOT vote for Willie Mays in 1979. TWENTY-THREE.

There will be someone who won’t vote for Mariano Rivera in 2019. I only wish we could identify that jackass now so that said jackass could have his ballot stripped from him NOW.

A game of dominoes

As we wait for the process of Tanaka being posted, then the wooing and signing, other pitchers wait.

It seems like a game of dominoes. For Matt Garza, Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jiminez, A.J. Burnett (the Yankees won’t do a Javy Vazquez and go there again, we hope), and Bronson Arroyo are still out there. But it seems like they have to wait until teams get their crack at Tanaka.

So we wait to see where Tanaka, the biggest domino, falls to. After that, it seems, the rest of the dominoes should come tumbling down in quick order.

Tanaka not to be posted?

Reports are coming in that Japanese ace Mashahiro Tanaka will NOT be posted. The star, who was 24-0, 1.27 for Rakuten this season, would be a prize catch for any team that landed him, and yes, the Yanks would be very interested in the 25-year-old.

Without Tanaka, where do the Yanks turn? They still need a #4 starter. Behind CC (who had an awful 2013), Kuroda (39 soon) and Nova, there is a gap at #4. For #5, you can have a battle between Pineda, Phelps, Warren and Nuno… or bring in a retread like Johan Santana on a minor league deal to see what he has left.

But if Tanaka is unavailable, then you have to look. Still available are Garza, Jiminez and Ervin Santana. (A.J. Burnett is also available, but let’s not go there).

Sin-Soo Choo was apparently offered 7 years, $140 MM from the Yanks AFTER they signed Ellsbury but he wanted Ellsbury $$$. The Yanks turned to Beltran on a 3-yr. deal after that happened. Apparently Choo has left an offer by the Rangers on the table for now. Houston is said to be involved. Good luck, there, Choo.

Ex-Yankees Eric Chavez and Raul Ibanez have found teams, Chavez going back to AZ, and Ibanez leaving Seattle to go to the Angels.

Game 40. Hughes, Yanks, hammered, 12-2.

We hit the quarter pole with the Yanks at a surprising 25-15 considering all the injuries.

The bad news is the loss tonight, a 12-2 pasting by Seattle, and it was led by our old buddy, Raul Ibanez.

Phil Hughes is an enigma. When good, he can be very good. When bad, he can be horrendous. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Tonight he was very, very bad.

He only lasted 2/3 of an inning, giving up 7 R (a grand slam to Raul), 6 H, 2 walks and 0 K. He falls to 2-3, 5.88.

His first two starts this year were not good. That could be written off because he missed a lot of spring training due to a bulging disc in his back. He then rattled off four good outings in which his ERA in those outings was 1.93. Now two bad outings.

You don’t know what you’ll get. That is his problem. He must be more consistent. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The last pitcher I used that on was … A.J. Burnett. Hughes is like Burnett right now. You don’t know which one—good or bad—will show up.

From the LOHUD blog:

In his first two and his last two – the starts when he’s struggled — he’s had a combined ERA of 14.17 with seven strikeouts. In his middle four starts, he’s had a combined ERA of 1.93 with 30 strikeouts.

Preston Claiborne continued his impressive beginning of his MLB career with 2 1/3 scoreless innings. His ERA is still 0.00.

Brett Marshall then made his MLB debut, and unfortunately for him, it was a forgettable one. With the Yanks down by a bunch, he kind of “took one for the team.” He went 5 2/3, 5 R, 9 H, 5 walks and 1 K. He gave up 2 dingers.

The last out was recorded by SS Alberto Gonzalez, who faced one batter and got a flyout. He recorded just one less out than Hughes.

I hope Hughes was watching Monday when Phelps and Nuno did well. For if he continues the inconsistency, then he must know there are others ready to step in. I’ve defended Hughes, but there is no defense for tonight. He was awful. It’s the kind of performance that makes you wonder if he is disguising an injury. If not, there is no need to panic yet. But eight starts into the season, an ERA of 5.88 isn’t anywhere near good enough.

Before the game, David Adams was activated from AAA, and he played 3B, his first MLB game. Recently acquired 3B Chris Nelson was DFA’d. Adams went 1 for 4.

The Yanks got their runs from HR by Vernon Wells (10) and Chris Stewart (3).

It’s funny. Wells, who the Angels couldn’t wait to dump (salary) after two subpar years for them, has more HR combined than Pujols & Hamilton.

Game 60. No DH, Yanks in NL park (Atlanta)

The Yanks will be spending the next week in NL parks (Atlanta & Washington, D.C.), so no DH. Tonight’s game is in jeopardy. The weather forecast isn’t good.

Yanks 34-25, 1/2 game out of 1st in AL East. 2nd place, in WC #1 slot.
Even with Pythagorean record. Both the OPS+ and ERA+ sit at 111.

Jeter 6  .317-6-20  5/6  114    3166 hits. 18 behind Cal. Team BA leader.  
Granderson 8  .251-18-34  3/6  129   team HR leader
Rodriguez 5  .278-9-25  6/6  113   tied w/Nunez for team SB lead 
Cano 4 .296-11-29  1/1  132   OPS leader
Teixeira 3 .252-11-36  1/2  110
Ibanez 7  .255-9-30  2/2  109
Swisher 9  .247-9-37  1/1  103    team RBI leader
Martin 2  .216-8-20  1/1   108   despite average, OPS ok.  
Nova 1    7-2, 5.09  ERA+ 84    need to lower that ERA

Nova has five plate appearances in his career. 1 sac bunt, the rest are strikeouts.

Hmmm. Pirates tied for first… and Burnett is  6-2, 3.61 (ERA+ 106)… This despite a terrible OPS+ of 76 (their ERA+ is 118).

The minors today

AAA: Empire State (SWB) played a “home” game at Coca-Cola Park, against the LV IronPigs (the IronPigs home stadium) about seven miles from my house. A raw, drizzly, cold day however. They got beat 6-4. Ramon Ortiz 4 R, 3 ER in 5 2/3. Mike O’Connor 2 R in 1 1/3. Pat (ambidextrous) Venditte a scoreless inning. Jason Bulger a scoreless inning. 3 hits, HR DeWayne Wise (.407, and if the Yanks need an OF, he looks to be the callup). Kevin Russo 3 h, 2 doubles, RBI.

 

AA: Craig Heyer gave up 7 in the first & Trenton lost 9-2. Heyer went 5, 7 R, 8 H, 4 walks and 1 K. Neil Medchill a solo HR. Yadil Mujica 3 hits.

High A: Tampa lost 2-1 in 11. Rob Segedin 2 hits, .321. J.R. Murphy 2 hits, .266, the RBI. Mike O’Brien 6 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 0 walks, 7 K.

Low A: Charleston lost 5-2. Scottie Allen 5 IP, 3 R, 1 ER. Tyler Austin 3 hits, double, solo HR. (.377-6-14).

How bad is the Yanks’ rotation right now? It almost makes you pine for Burnett, who got the win on Saturday for Pittsburgh with seven scoreless innings, just 3 hits against the defending world champion Cardinals.

Tomorrow (Friday) will be a tough one for the big club. Ivan Nova faces Justin Verlander.