You've Got One Chance, One Opportunity...To Step In The Batter's Box That Is (Video Blog)

Yes, I know I quoted Eminem in my title.  Well, sort of.  I changed the lyrics around a bit, but I wanted to put a somewhat creative spin on my blog title to introduce the blog for this week.  Okay, so what if the batters have more than one chance and one opportunity?  Everyone gets the point, right?  It is about that feeling of stepping up to the plate, literally and figuratively, and using it in the most opportune way.  I decided to stray away from the facts about the Yankees on this blog post, and focus more about songs the players' use when they step up to the batter's box.  To be honest, I have not heard some of these songs; but who's to say they aren't good songs?  The whole point is to pump up the crowd and the player, himself. I just wanted to give you all an idea of what the players like to listen to. 

The New York Yankees Line-Up Songs:

1)  Alex Rodriguez-

International Love: Pitbull and Chris Brown

 

 

2) Robinson Cano-                  Rack City: Tyga

 

3) Andy Pettitte-                 The Boys of Summer: Don Henley

 

4) Boone Logan-                Here Me Now: Hollywood Undead

5) Brett Gardner- Dirt Road Anthem: Jason Aldean

6) CC Sabathia-                        Big Poppa: Notorious B.I.G

 

7) Chris Stewart-
                                                      Skillet: Foresaken

8) Curtis Granderson-
                                  Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See You; Break Ya: Busta Rhymes

9) Derek Jeter- Otis: Jay-Z

10) Ichiro Suzuki-
                                              Party Rock Anthem: LMFAO

 

11) Mariano Rivera- Enter Sandman: Metallica

12) Mark Teixeira-
                                             I Wanna Rock: Twisted Sister

 
 
The names that I posted are not the entire Yankee line-up because I did not want to overwhelm you with too many songs. I did list some pitchers because I was interested to see what type of music helps get them in the zone as they are walking or running to the mound to pitch. 

Hope everyone enjoys the songs! Feel free to comment about what songs hype you up or motivate you to get moving!

With Grandy out, Center Field Is In Doubt

When I first heard the news that Curtis Granderson broke his forearm and would be out until mid-May, I literally did not believe it.  Considering the Yankees have a lot of big decisions to make before the regular season begins, this new injury to the team could not be more heart-breaking. Personally, I would put Curtis Granderson up there as one of the classiest guys in the MLB.  He has been a positive and motivating part of the Yankees ever since his 2010 trade from the Detroit Tigers. 


In his first plate appearance of Spring Training, Granderson was five pitches in when he was hit with a fastball by J.A. Happ of the Toronto Blue Jays.  He was evaluated after the game, and the results showed that the 31 year-old fractured his forearm.  This puts the Yankees in a compromising position because it seemed that they had their outfield positions lined up with Curtis Granderson in left field, Brett Gardner in center, and Ichiro Suzuki in right field.  Although it was not set in stone, it took to being the more probable outcome.  The two big Yankee prospects for left field, Juan Rivera and Matt Diaz, are said to not be ready for the big leagues just yet. 

In a little bit of a surprising twist, though, former NY Yankee Johnny Damon stated that he would accept a low budget contract and come back just for the amount of time that Granderson will be out.  He was recently let go by the Cleaveland Indians after playing for three different teams in the past three years.  So why am I bringing that little twist into this blog when Brian Cashman does not seem so interested in the idea as of right now?  Well, Johnny Damon thinks his bat can do the talking because he was so comfortable hitting in Yankee Stadium.  Although there are some big shoes to fill since Granderson was a big offensive threat for the Yankees, Damon thinks his actions will speak louder than his words. With Travis Hafner being the new addition to the team, the Yankees are hoping they he can bring some offensive magic to the line-up. Let's go through the batting situation the Yankees need to compensate for.

• Curtis Granderson: (Out until May with a forearm injury)
• Eric Chavez : (Traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks) 
• Raul Ibanez: (Traded to Seattle Mariners)
• Alex Rodriguez: (Recently had hip surgery)
• Russell Martin: (Traded to Pittsburgh Pirates)
• Nick Swisher: (Traded to Cleavland Indians)
• Andruw Jones: (Signed a contract to play in Japan)

These seven players accumulated 155 home runs for the Yankees last year. 

The young rookies need to step it up and show why they should be given a chance in the big leagues with the Yankees.  With Granderson sidelined until May, Girardi and Cashman need to decide what is best for the team.  It seems as though they are thinking to stay within the realm of the team, instead of searching elsewhere for a backup. 

All I know is that the NY Yankees are an experienced team, the veterans know when to step it up, and the rookies will hopefully follow suit.  They aren't considered champions just for the heck of it.  They have earned that title over and over again. With or without injuries the Yankees will prevail!

"Win Today, Worry About Tomorrow Later"

So I was kind of stuck when thinking what specific Yankees topic I should write my blog about this week.  I took to asking around and seeing what people are interested in reading.  Most of the responses I received were about A-rod and the steroid scandal; others were about the respect Joe Girardi receives as a manager, and some questioned the Yankees starting rotation.  All good suggestions, but since I already talked about two out of three of the topics in my past blogs, I wanted to come from a bit of a different direction.

What was the end result you may ask?  A blog about the Yankees transitioning into territory that may not be too familiar to them.  What do I mean by this unfamiliar territory?  As we true Yankee fans know, a World Series Championship is expected of the team every season.  Those close to George Steinbrenner knew that he demands nothing less than the best.  The American League East is no longer a given to the Yankees or to the Boston Red Sox.  The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have made the playoffs in the past three years, and the Baltimore Orioles have turned around the franchise and won over ninety games. 

Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, and Ichiro Suzuki are technically the only Yankees that will be under contract in 2014.  Those four contracts, alone, are just under $80 million.  Keep in mind that in order to avoid the 50% luxury tax the Yankees will have to pay, they must keep their payroll below $189 million.  What is the team's payroll as of now? $210 million.  That is a substantial amount of money to cut.  In the past five years, the Yankees have traded thirteen of their big prospects and talent.  Their response to those trades?  Five players, including Curtis Granderson, Ichiro Suzuki, and back-up catcher Chris Stewart.  Pitcher Michael Pineda turned out to be a huge disappointment for the team thus far. 

Above all, the New York Yankees will continue with their "win-today, worry-about-tomorrow-later mentality that has not put a lot of value on draft choices and bringing along homegrown players." (Yankees.com)

Fastball, Knuckleball, Curveball...Time for the Pitchers to Step it Up!

 

We all know the Yankees pitching last season was nothing to get excited about.  The injuries were adding up, Pineda turned out to be a huge disappointment, and we were without one of, if not the best closers in the game—Mariano Rivera—to depend on for most of the season because of a torn ACL.  It seemed that the Yankees could not catch a break. Hiroki Kuroda led the Yankees with a 16-11 record.  The 6'1 native of Osaka, Japan pitched just over 219 innings with an ERA of 3.32.  (ERA for the non-sports fans here means earned run average.)  The #1 starter C.C. Sabathia battled through, ending his season with a record of 15 wins and 6 losses. 
 
I could honestly go through the entire roster of pitchers on the NY Yankees, but I will spare everyone of the long, boring blog post! Instead, I'll review the expected rotation for the team thus far. I know it is only the first week into spring training, but there is already a lot of talk about who will make the cut.

The three probable starters are C.C. Sabathia, Hiroki Huroda, and Andy Pettitte.  The fourth starter is yet to be determined, though Ivan Nova's name has been tossed around. Nova, who hails from the Dominican Republic, finished last season with 12 wins and 5 losses.  He had an up and down season, but has shown some promising signs as the Yankees fourth starter.  He has bounced back and forth from the bullpen to a starter.  Nova needs to get his ERA down from a mere 5.02.  Let's hope Nova, being one of the younger Yankees can step up his game and take guidance from the core four.
 
Although the start of the regular season is still some time away, the Yankees need to make sure they can get Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte, and Sabathia healthy and ready to go come game time.  Rivera, Pettitte, Sabathia are you ready to step up to the mound?

The Core Three: Age, Experience, and Wisdom

 Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte bring age, experience, and wisdom to the New York Yankees. With seven American League pennants, eleven American League Championships, and seventeen visits to the post-season, including five World Series championships together; the core four have experienced it all. Excluding the time pitcher Andy Pettitte was traded to the Houston Astros for three years, they have accumulated sixteen seasons together as teammates.  Even more amazing is that they were all brought up to the Major Leagues in 1995. 
 
Okay, okay I'll stop with the facts right now.  Let's move on to why I really decided to write this blog about the core four.  The usual questions of age have come up yet again right before the start of Spring Training.  Jorge Posada has since retired from the MLB so the core four is down to the core three.  Shortstop Derek Jeter recently responded to the questions and concerns about their ages, but he sees it as bringing more experience to the team.  I 100% agree with Jeter.  They may not be able to run as fast as the younger players, but one thing you can guarantee is that they will bring 100%, while representing the Yankees in the classiest way possible.  Experience is what each player earns every time he steps out on to the field or in the batter's box.  Without this experience, young rookies playing in the MLB would not be given the direction they seek in the more senior teammates.  It is a known fact that almost every rookie in the MLB looks up to either Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, or Andy Pettitte as their idols.

 
To sum it all up. With age comes experience.  With experience comes wisdom.  This is what the core four represents.  

The Yankee Stadium Tell-All

  For those of you who haven't gone yet, you must see a game at Yankee Stadium.  There's nothing like it, especially during playoff time.  Some may say that baseball games are too boring to sit through for nine innings.  Come on now! Enjoy yourself and have some fun screaming your lungs out for your favorite team!  Get up on the chairs and cheer like everyone else is doing!  I have been to those games where you just want to leave after five innings because nothing is happening and it seems never-ending, but honestly how often do you really get to go to Yankee games?  Think about it.  You're not going to go to a game every weekend, let alone every month.  Might as well enjoy yourself with the other 30,000+ fans who are freezing in their seats just as you are, cheering as loud as they can for the Yankees. 

   I loved going to games at the old Yankee Stadium.  The noise was deafening, nobody could hear themselves talk, and it was a nightmare for the visiting team.  That's exactly what it is all about.  You want the other teams' players to get frustrated in the batter's box, while trying to focus on the pitches.  The visiting team's pitcher should show signs of nervousness and frustration when the fans are screaming their heads off to distract him.  At the new Yankee Stadium this doesn't happen much at all.

   As said in a Wikipedia page that I found about Yankee Stadium: "The stadium has also been criticized for its lack of fan noise. During a Sunday Night Baseball telecast in 2012, commentator and former Red Sox manager Terry Francona spoke about the different atmospheres in the old and new stadiums saying that 'As a visiting team, especially for the Red Sox, by the time the (national) anthem was over, you couldn’t wait to get back in the dugout. Now (there is) a little different (kind) of fan sitting around down there by the dugout. Games at the new stadium do not feature the same deafening crowd moments and often sound eerily silent.^[75] The lack of fan noise has been noticeable in the 2012 playoffs as well, with thousands of unsold seats for Game 5 of the ALDS and Games 1 and 2 of the ALCS. 'This is a very easy place to play now', said Quintin Berry of the Detroit Tigers, the Yankees' ALCS opponents. Coming from Oakland, the fans there were so rowdy. It was easier to come here."

   Really Quintin Berry? It's an easy place to play now? I don't think New York is ever an easy city to play in, especially during the ALCS playoffs. A lot of players have trouble playing in New York because of the amount of pressure the fans give to the players during the game. You think A.J. Burnett or Alex Rodriguez would say it was easy to play here, having been booed so many times. New York fans are some of the greatest and most loyal fans around. I do not think they would ever make it easy on any team to play here.

   This is what I added to the Wikipedia page:
   Yankee Stadium has always been a tough stadium to play in due to the amount of pressure the fans put on the players. The noise, especially during playoff season, is something to experience. The whole stadium is lit up; the fans are running around the streets chanting for the Yankees. Even some Yankee players, such as A.J. Burnett had a tough time playing in New York due to the amount of pressure. Baseball players from other teams look forward to playing here because of the experience. It is like no other stadium.



Little known fact: Yankee Stadium was originally considered to be a left-handers ballpark because of the amount of space on the left field side.  Although the dimensions of the ballpark have not changed once the Yankees moved to the new stadium, the seating capacity and size of the main score board have changed dramatically.

Here We Go Again, A-rod!

Oh, A-Rod. Here we go again! Just when Yankee fans were starting to get over the disappointment that he may (or may not be according to Brian Cashman) out for a full season because of his recent hip surgery, the PED scandal comes around yet gain. It is almost like we came full circle from 2009. Funny how much of a difference 3 years can make—or not in A-rod’s case.  In 2009 he admitted to using performing enhancing drugs around the time that he had hip surgery.  So where are we now in 2013? Well, A-rod is rehabbing from another hip surgery while another PED scandal slowly starts to unfold. Similar to 2009, he is completely denying everything.  Why not just come clean?  He should already be embarrassed by his past actions.  Although, I am not sure embarrassed is the right word in this case.  It is all about A-rod's ego.  The sad part about it is he has a lot of talent.  Those MVP awards are not just awarded to anyone.

 

So what happens now?  While the MLB is 'investigated' all the details of the allegations, A-rod is rehabbing at an undisclosed location.  The Yankees will have to put up a very tough fight in order to opt out of A-rod's 10 year/$275 million contract through the end of 2017. That is if the allegations prove to be true... once again.  He has no plans to retire anytime soon, of course.  Derek Jeter wants us to stop jumping to conclusions by commenting on the situation before A-rod speaks up about it.  If this situation is anything like 2009, I guess we'll have to wait a long time for that one. 

                                           

Who's Ready for Some Yankees Baseball?!

Sports are my passion. I have played sports ever since I was four years old and could kick a soccer ball.  I am now a Division I Cross Country and Track athlete.  Let's just say I have come a long way from first stepping onto the track.  That is besides the point, though. Sports teaches discipline, hard work, and determination. It has a way of bringing people together. Baseball, to be specific, is known as America's pastime. It is widely popular in other countries as well. 

As to what topic to write a blog about, for those who know me, the Yankees was an obvious choice.  The Yankees have won the most World Series championships amongst any other team in the MLB. Yankee fans are some of the most die-hard fans that you will come across. When a Yankee game is on, you will find me yelling at the television, stomping my feet, thinking the players can hear me. (Yes, I am one of those).  I probably go on the Yankees website or ESPN at least three times a day looking up any new information. I have been a devoted Yankee fan ever since I was a young girl, overhearing the heated discussions my dad and grandfather had during every game. 

Throughout this blog, I will be discussing the latest news and events for the Yankees.  From Alex Rodriguez's steroid scandal to the recently traded players— I will discuss it all. I am looking forward to writing about my passion for sports and for my favorite baseball team.  This blog is open for discussion, so feel free to comment any time you'd like.