Want to talk some Yankees baseball. Do it here. This thread will be moved to the Baseball Board in a few days.
EXCELLENT job Bill.
What better way to start a thread than conjecturing on Mr. Yankee...Derek Jeter.
Personally, I think the chances are great that this is his last season.
We know he will come into camp in great shape, but he is 39. His age is no biggie, but that catastrophic injury he suffered in the playoffs of 2012 doubled with his age I fear are too insurmountable. I expect if he is not having something close to a jeter year by the All Star break, he will announce that this season is his last.
I truly hope not because for me he has been MY once in a lifetime Yankee.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/yankees-ss-jeter-resumes-baseball-203230262--mlb.html (http://sports.yahoo.com/news/yankees-ss-jeter-resumes-baseball-203230262--mlb.html)
I can't even imagine what baseball is going to be like without Rivera closing games. Once Jeter goes too my entire baseball childhood goes with him. I'm still hopeful the Captain can put together one more season of solid hitting and routine defense. He can't be any worse than the crap they were throwing out there last year can he?
I like the team assuming they can get Tanaka. They need to call up that agent and just tell him "listen, whatever the Dodgers offered, we'll add 10 million. Let's get this done" With him in the rotation I think this is a playoff team.
Yankees sign tanaka 7 yrs and 155 mill. Tanaka has an opt out after the 4th year.
Quote from: Section 101 Steve on January 22, 2014, 10:07:02 AM
Yankees sign tanaka 7 yrs and 155 mill. Tanaka has an opt out after the 4th year.
http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/10331816/masahiro-tanaka-new-york-yankees-agree-seven-year-155-million-deal (http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/10331816/masahiro-tanaka-new-york-yankees-agree-seven-year-155-million-deal)
My client is the Director of Scouting for a Major League Baseball team. He personally scouted Tanaka this year. He stated that he is not as good as Darvish. But is still a borderline #1 and solid #2 pitcher.
For St valentine's DAY!!!!!!!!
Pitchers and catchers report :P :P :D :D <:-P <:-P
It sure is going to be strange when the entire core four are gone. DJ is one of those rare players that had both the talent and class. A good friend of mine is a huge Red Sox fan and of course just hates anything Yankees. But he told me he will never say a bad word about Jeter. I hope he plays another 5 years as long is he is healthy and satisfied with his level of play. He would never just hang around. He will know when the time is right.
Don't forget Mo. We were fortunate in being able to watch both Jeter and Mo spend their entire careers with the Yanks. Two top notch players, the epitome of class. One is rare in this day and age. Two is unheard of.
Quote from: todge on January 22, 2014, 10:33:07 AM
My client is the Director of Scouting for a Major League Baseball team. He personally scouted Tanaka this year. He stated that he is not as good as Darvish. But is still a borderline #1 and solid #2 pitcher.
Totally different players. Darvish is a flamethrower. Tanaka is a bit more surgical and has excellent ball placement. His splitter is incredible.
Frankly, I don't care how Tanaka gets the job done, so long as he gets it done. Andy Pettitte never had over-powering stuff either.
Quote from: zephirus on January 24, 2014, 09:30:57 AM
Quote from: todge on January 22, 2014, 10:33:07 AM
My client is the Director of Scouting for a Major League Baseball team. He personally scouted Tanaka this year. He stated that he is not as good as Darvish. But is still a borderline #1 and solid #2 pitcher.
Totally different players. Darvish is a flamethrower. Tanaka is a bit more surgical and has excellent ball placement. His splitter is incredible.
Frankly, I don't care how Tanaka gets the job done, so long as he gets it done. Andy Pettitte never had over-powering stuff either.
Tanaka's fastball ranges from 92 - 96. That's a lot faster than Andy ever dialed up.
Taking a close look at our roster now, I actually think we might contend.
Question....who closes ? Robertson's few chances have had mixed results and he does tend to throw a lot of pitches in an inning.
since the Yankees sold 80% of the yes network they have the money to pay the guys the got in this off season.
Gotta think the yanks will be raking in the money in the japanese market also
Robertson is getting first crack at the job. They will have to work with him on throwing more strikes and being more efficient but he certainly has the stuff to do the job. Hopefully the years spent sitting next to Mo have allowed some magic to rub off.
The biggest problem robertson will have is his propensity to throw a million pitches in an inning thereby limiting how many times he will be available in back to back and sometimes 3 games in a row where a closer is necesary to save game and he won't be available. For that reason alone I will be surprised if he lasts the season as the closer
I will go you one better Steve. I think their closer is in their system. There are 2 guys in the lower minors (do not have their names off the top of my head) whom have had success.
I expect one of them to surface and take the job by the end of summer.
Robertson will get a cursory shot early when games are spread out,but by June they will try someone else.
It is now time for a little Yankee "lightning" (a.k.a good fortune).
I am just happy they ditched Vernon Wells. One year was more than enough.
A lot of uncertainty with the 2014 Yankees, which means that theres a really high ceiling and a really low floor.
How will Tanka's game translate to MLB?
Will CC Sabathia regain form or at least some of it?
Will Nova continue his upward trend?
Will Pineda contribute?
Can Ellsbury stay healthy?
Can Jeter stay healthy?
Can Jeter still perform if healthy?
Will Teixeira be able to regain form?
Who's playing 2B and 3B?
How will Robertson be as a full time closer?
Who will be our key setup guys?
I have so much respect for Derek Jeter and I agree with the poster that called him their once in a lifetime player. He's that sort of player for me. He's so damn good and he's actually underrated, IMO. People see his stats and compare it to a guy like Arod and say Jeter can't compare. I say bullsh*t, I'll take Jeter all day every day.
Jeter is as solid as anyone ever at SS. He doesn't have amazing range like an Omar Vizquel, but he's as good as they come in every other aspect of the position. I've never seen a guy go back on a ball as good as Jeter. If you've ever played SS, you know how hard it is to make those plays and he's amazing at it. He's so good at charging balls and throwing on the run. His backhand and jump throw to his right is legendary. He's got amazing hands. He's always in the right place at the right time and it's not dumb luck, he's a very smart SS. But the number guys tell you that his range factor is terrible so he's a below average SS.
Jeter is an amazing base runner. He's certainly not as fast as someone like Jose Reyes, but he's plenty fast enough. I've watched probably well over 80% of Yankee games since Derek Jeter has been on the team and I can remember one baserunning mistake. The reason I remember that is because I have always been amazed that he's never made a baserunning mistake. I think he got thrown out at 3rd to end an inning and I was in shock because I've never seen that before. I'm not talking about a caught stealing or getting thrown out trying to score. He always knows when to take a shot and when not to. He's as smart on the bases as anyone I've ever watched. But Jeter only averages 20 SB's a season, he's just average.
Jeter is big time. When the pressure is at it's highest, he's as cool as you can be. He performs vs the bad teams and good teams. The star pitchers and the bad pitchers. The junk ballers and the flame throwers. He's just a consistent hitter and it doesn't change in the playoffs. He's not going to hit 40 HR's and 130RBI, that's not his game, but the guy that hits all those HR's isn't going to get 130 RBI if jeter isn't hitting in front of him.
To me, Derek Jeter is just really good at every aspect of the game and brings it each and every night. He will always contribute to a team even though he doesn't have gawdy power numbers. I will miss Derek Jeter who I have always tried to model my game after. Who I teach my daughter to play like when she plays.
Jeter and Rivera are at the highest level in baseball and its history...LEGENDARY.
BUMP
http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/10444978/derek-jeter-says-2014-last-season-via-facebook-post (http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/10444978/derek-jeter-says-2014-last-season-via-facebook-post)
New York Yankees (http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/nyy/new-york-yankees) shortstop Derek Jeter (http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/3246/derek-jeter) announces on Facebook that the 2014 season will be his last.
"The 2014 season will be my last year playing professional baseball," the Yankees captain said in a 15-paragraph note on the social media site.
However, the Yankees say they have not yet been informed, according to a source.
Derek.... say it ain't so....
It has been an honor and a privilege to watch Derek Jeter throughout his career. I feel lucky to have been able to watch the full career of a true Yankee legend. Jeter has been a true professional on and off the field and, a rarity in this day and age, he has embraced his responsibility as a role model. Watching Derek in his final season will be very emotional for me- I have the feeling he will make it a very special year.
Simply stated it was a pleasure to watch the greatest NY shortstop in baseball history perform on the biggest stage in sports for 20 years. The fact that he never had a cringeworthy moment in his career was just a testament to the kids class. It will be a long time if ever that we see another player like him anytime soon and i look forward to his first ballot hall of fame coronation in July 2020. =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>
For players like Jeter and Mo, the HOF should be able to waive the 5 year wait.
Why the wait for something so TOTALLY obvious.
So many moments came straight to him, and he made all of them memorable.
Derek Jeter Legacy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQxSKtCl2ak#ws)
God, I'm going to miss him.
Quote from: Chris on February 13, 2014, 09:40:28 AM
God, I'm going to miss him.
Me too. A great player, a great person, and a great face of the Yankees.
jeter was the one player on the Yankees that everyone respected as a fine person and player.
he is the only yankee to have won the mvp of the all star game and that same season the mvp of the world series.
was 1996 rookie of the year, only yankee with 3000 hits.
leadership and class he always was.
mo rivera was the same, but jeter was an everyday player.
TAMPA, Fla. Ichiro Suzuki watched as the New York Yankees added Jacoby Ellsbury and then Carlos Beltran to an outfield that already included Brett Gardner and the Japanese star plus Alfonso Soriano, a backup who figures to see time at designated hitter.
What did he think?
Suzuki gave his reply, and his interpreter started to translate.
"Obviously I don't get frustrated or angry," the interpreter said. "My reaction was kind - "
And then Suzuki leaned forward and interrupted.
"Oops," he said in English, smiling.
"That's the reaction," the interpreter said.
I feel another championship coming this season to send the captain out the right way. =D> =D> =D>
Am I the only one who thinks 13 mill for Brett Gardner is a bit pricey?
Got my first look at Tanaka on Sunday against Atlanta. I know it is still a long way from pitching a spring training game to the real thing. But so far this kid looks like everything he was billed to be. We'll see.