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Tag: New York Yankees

  • James Taylor Lauds Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park With New Original Song

    James Taylor returned to Fenway Park in Boston this weekend–home of the Boston Red Sox–to laud both the baseball team and the venue with an original song. ‘Angels of Fenway’ has been a labor of love for the singer. He’s worked on it ever since the Red Sox broke their 86-year title drought back in 2004, winning the World Series.

    It was then he came up with the music for ‘Angels of Fenway,’ but it took him quite some time to create the lyrics.

    “It took me a long time to get back into the saddle of writing lyrics again,” James Taylor said during a recent interview with Billboard.

    ‘Angels of Fenway’ debuted on the public address system Sunday, as the Boston Red Sox hosted the New York Yankees. A video with Red Sox highlights throughout the years accompanied the music.

    The song and the video will be hosted at Fenway Park starting on Monday, May 4th. James Taylor will release the album on which ‘Angels of Fenway’ is featured, on June 16th.

    So how did James Taylor become such an avid Boston Red Sox fan?

    He hails from the Boston area. When his family moved to North Carolina, he kept his interest strong. He returned to attend high school in the Boston suburb of Milton, becoming even further ensconced in the city’s baseball scene.

    James Taylor threw out the ceremonial first pitch in Boston on Sunday. Dressed in a Red Sox T-shirt and a baseball cap featuring Ted Williams’ retired No. 9, he also sang ‘America the Beautiful’ during the seventh-inning stretch.

    James Taylor will return to Fenway Park in Boston on August 6th, where he is scheduled to do a concert with Bonnie Raitt.

    He will likely share ‘Angels of Fenway’ yet again with the Red Sox fans who grace the park to hear him perform.

  • Derek Jeter: My Captain For Life

    Derek Jeter: My Captain For Life

    Today is the first day in twenty years that Derek Jeter is not a Yankee.

    A lot has been said and written over the past week about Derek Jeter. By now, everyone knows that Jeter is a winner who gave 100% of his effort every single time he stepped onto a baseball field.

    Jeter is sixth on the all-time hit list, a five-time World Series Champ, and a shoo-in first ballot Hall of Famer, who should be the first player in history to receive 100% of the vote. However, those are just stats and theories for historians and baseball analysts to ponder.

    Derek Jeter is bigger than that.

    Jeter had the uncanny ability to not only be grander than the moment, but by some incredible good fortune, to find the moment, like in the flip play. In order for that play to even occur, Shane Spencer had to miss both cut-off men, the slow-footed Jeremy Giambi had to be waved home, and Jeter had to be in a place on the diamond where as a short stop, he had no business being.

    Remember October 31, 2001? The World Series had been pushed back one week due to the tragic events of 9-11. The Yankees were playing the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 4 of the World Series. Tino Martinez tied the game up in the bottom of the ninth inning with a monstrous home run to send the game into extras.

    Then, the clock struck midnight. It was the first time that America’s Pastime was played in November.

    Jeter steps to the plate. There are already two outs in the bottom of the tenth inning. The Captain, who had struggled throughout the entire post season, steps up to battle Diamondback closer Byung-Hyun Kim. Jeter swings at the first pitch and crushes a home run to right field. The Yanks walk off.

    Mr. November is born.

    When the world waited and waited for him to make history and get hit number 3,000, he did it with a dramatic home run to left field. Michael Kay is gold on the call, “History with an exclamation point!”

    When all eyes were on him Thursday night, his last game at Yankee stadium, with the game tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, every baseball fan wanted Jeter to have the storybook ending to win the game. But to even get to that moment, Yankee closer David Robertson, who had been automatic for most of the year, first had to give up a three-run lead. After a two-run homer from Adam Jones and a solo home run from Steve Pearce, Jeter’s final home game was all tied up. All of a sudden, there would be a bottom of the ninth with the Captain hitting third.

    Jose Pirela leads the bottom of the ninth off with a single, Brett Gardner bunts pinch runner Antoan Richardson over to second, and another moment is created out of thin air for Jeter to be a hero once again. What do you think he did with that opportunity?

    Wasting no time, the Captain displayed his patented Jeterian swing on the first pitch to bring home Richardson, and walk off a winner for his final game in pinstripes. Another great Michael Kay call, “Where fantasy becomes reality.”

    David Robertson said after the game, “I created another Derek Jeter moment. As much as wish I hadn’t created it, I’m glad it happened.”

    As a Yankee fan who breathes with the success and failure of the team, today is a sad day. What I’ve known for the past twenty years is over. My captain is leaving the green grass of a childhood game and most likely already setting up the pieces for his next life. Or more likely, those pieces are magically already coming together, waiting to be conquered and won over.

    If they are lucky, each fan gets that special player, their favorite player “ever.” It is essentially a person whom can be trusted with the state of your heart in moments where you can barely stand to watch. I know I’m a big wuss, I’ve watched so many post season Yankee games on the edge of my couch with my hands over my eyes, nearly unable to bear what I cannot control.

    I’m about to turn 40, Jeter’s age. I’ve grown up with the guy, I’ve watched almost every single game that he’s played in. Sure, I’ve loved other Yankees: Tino, Jorge, Andy, Bernie, Paulie, Mo. But Jeter is the one. He’s my once-in-a-lifetime player. There will never be another, no one will even come close.

  • Masahiro Tanaka Will Get Another Start On Saturday

    The New York Yankees were so pleased with Japanese sensation Masahiro Tanaka’s performance last Sunday, that they are giving the right-hander another start this Saturday at Fenway Park against the Red Sox. Tanaka allowed just a single run on five hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 5-2 victory over the Blue Jays.

    The Yanks shut the rookie down in July with a partially torn ligament in his right elbow. Instead of going ahead with Tommy John surgery, which would have sidelined Tanaka for 12-16 months, doctors instead recommended rehab with a “wait and see” plan.

    Tanaka reported feeling good after his Sunday start. “From where I am right now, I should be able to have a good offseason of training on what I want to do and I should be good to go next season,” Tanaka said through his translator.

    Tanaka experienced only general soreness after throwing 70 pitches on Sunday. Manager Joe Giradi said about Tanaka, “He was all smiles today, which was good.”

    Before being sidelined with the injury, the 25-year-old pitcher was everything the Yankees could have asked for after signing a $175 million contract last winter. In his first 14 starts, Tanaka was sensational, going 11-1 with a 1.99 ERA.

    It looks like the Yankees will most likely fail to make the post season for the second year in a row. They are currently three games out of the Wild Card with only six games left to play.

    Tanaka will need to come back strong next season if the Yanks want to get back to playing October baseball. Their rotation for next spring is very much in flux. CC Sabathia will be coming off knee surgery, Ivan Nova may not pitch at all next year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, and Hiroki Kuroda may opt to retire instead of signing another one-year deal with the team.

    The Yankees are set to face the Baltimore Orioles tonight at Yankee Stadium at 7:05 ET. The Orioles have already clinched the AL East, while the Yanks are hoping for a miracle.

  • Alex Rodriguez Sued by Own Lawyer Over Alleged Unpaid Legal Fees

    Alex Rodriguez is being sued by his own attorney, David Cornwell, over $380,000 in allegedly unpaid legal fees.

    In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan on Monday, Cornwell and his firm Gordan & Rees said Rodriguez never finished paying them for work performed on his failed bid to overturn a lengthy doping suspension received in connection with the Biogenesis scandal.

    Rodriguez’ troubles started back in January 2013 when the Miami New Times published an article linking him, Ryan Braun, Melky Cabrera, Bartolo Colón, and others to the Biogenesis Clinic. Although Biogensis billed itself as an anti-aging clinic, it was actually providing the athletes with performance-enhancing drugs.

    When the MLB commenced a series of meetings and investigations, Rodriguez set about assembling what he called a “legal dream team.” He included Cornwell because the veteran sports attorney had been a key player in getting Ryan Braun’s 2012 doping suspension overturned.

    In August the MLB banned Rodriguez for 211 games. In January the suspension was reduced to 162 games, effectively keeping the New York Yankees third baseman off the field for the entire 2014 season.

    At the time, Rodriguez issued a statement on Facebook:

    Post by Alex Rodriguez.

    In a 12-page complaint filed by Gordon & Rees in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the firm said that Rodriguez is acting at least partially upon the recommendation of Roc Nation Sports, a sports management company owned by Shawn “Jay Z” Carter.

    “Most recently, Mr. Rodriguez admitted that his advisers at Roc Nation, most specifically, Desiree Perez, instructed him ‘not to pay the invoices, and to make Gordon & Rees sue’ him.”

    Post by Alex Rodriguez.

    Desiree Perez is one of Jay Z’s top advisors at Roc Nation. And she’s had her own share of trouble with the law. In 1994 she was arrested for intent to distribute cocaine and later served as a cooperating witness for the Drug Enforcement Administration.

    Back in May, when Rodriguez was set to cut a deal with the MLB and retire early, Perez allegedly convinced him to continue fighting the charges.

    Post by Alex Rodriguez.

    What does A-Rod have to say about all of this?

    “Alex Rodriguez has already paid substantial legal fees to this firm,” said his spokesman. “There are additional fees being sought from hours that continued to be billed and are the source of the disagreement between the parties. Alex looks forward to swiftly resolving this matter and moving on.”

    And Rodriguez has denied being influenced by Perez, saying he has no official ties to Roc Nation Sports:

    “I made my own decisions with my legal team over the last year, and I have accepted my penalties and am trying to serve my penalty.”

    Post by Alex Rodriguez.

    The Gordan & Rees lawsuit comes at a time when Rodriguez appears to be attempting to lie low and quietly ride out his suspension.

    His Facebook feed is filled with photos of him spending time with daughters Natasha and Ella and volunteering for the Boys and Girls Club in Miami.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • New York Yankees Pitcher Ejected For Cheating

    Some pitchers will do anything to give themselves an edge over the opposition. Unfortunately, that includes questionable behaviors on the mound.

    New York Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda had been accused of using a foreign substance, pine tar, to give him an unfair advantage over hitters for the opposition.

    The Boston Red Sox were not amused when Pineda’s antics cost them during the previous meeting of the two teams.

    While the Yankees weren’t exactly apologetic about the matter, The Red Sox had already decided that they would not suffer the consequences a second time.

    During Wednesday’s game, Red Sox manager John Farrell asked an umpire to take a closer look at Pineda’s neck at the start of the second inning. Umpire Gerry Davis examined the pitcher closely and found that Pineda had coated the side of his neck with a “foreign substance”.

    It was eventually confirmed to have been his trusty pine tar concoction. No one bought the “dirt” excuse when Pineda was previously questioned about using it before.

    Having been absolutely busted during gameplay, there was nothing else for the umpire to do but to instruct Pineda to hit the bricks.

    The use of pine tar violates an important Major League Baseball rule which states that “the pitcher shall not apply a foreign substance of any kind to the ball.”

    This rule says that a pitcher found to be in violation is subject to a suspension of ten games.

    The last time Pineda put one over on the Red Sox, it was widely blamed on pine tar. He was not punished at that time for the use of the substance.

    As it turns out, it’s fairly common for pitchers to use certain substances to allow for better pitching success. It’s a rule that isn’t enforced often at all.

    The Red Sox just weren’t interested in seeing their rivals get one over on them so blatantly and then defiantly brag about it in the media.

    Image via YouTube

  • Masahiro Tanaka Dominating MLB Hitters

    In the 2013-14 Major League Baseball offseason, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, a Japanese major league baseball team, listed pitcher Masahiro Tanaka as an available player to the MLB postings at a fee of $20 million. Shortly following the listing, MLB teams came clamoring to Tanaka, longing to sign the Japanese ace to their team. The early frontrunners were the Yankees and the Cubs, with the Bronx Bombers eventually signing Tanaka to a 7-year, $155 million deal.

    On Wednesday, Tanaka made his third major league start by squaring-off against his former suitors, the Chicago Cubs. By the end of the first game of Wednesday’s double-header, the entire Cubs line-up vehemently wished their club would have put up more money to acquire Tanaka, especially considering his stat-line Wednesday placed Tanaka in the MLB record books.

    8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 10 Ks.

    While one may dismiss Tanaka’s performance due to the ability of the competing team, these numbers are not a fluke. Over his first three games, Tanaka has struck out 28 batters while walking only two. His efficiency is devastating, and it is led by his sickeningly-good split-fingered fastball.

    In his three games thus far, Tanaka has thrown the splitter 24 percent of the time. The average speed of his splitter is 87 mph, coming in only 4.6 mph slower than his average fastball speed – this margin being the closest of any MLB who uses the splitter with any frequency.

    What makes his splitter even more devastating, however, is how far it drops while coming through the strike zone. As Tanaka’s splitter travels toward the plate, it drops vertically at a rate of 17 feet per second. In comparison, Tanaka’s fastball drops at 11.6 feet per second as it travels from the mound to the hitting box. This 5.4 feet per second differential in vertical drop places Tanaka second in the league, only behind Tim Hudson.

    Tanaka’s fellow Yankee Carlos Beltran, who is on pace for early MVP honors, describes what batters are facing as they stand in the box across from Tanaka: “It’s at your knees and a lot of guys think it’s a fastball, and all of a sudden the ball drops because it’s a splitter and it’s 87-88 [mph]. It’s not like it’s 82 or 83, where you have time to recognize it. In your mind, you’re thinking fastball, so you swing.’’

    The data supports Beltran’s assessment. Batters swing at Tanaka’s splitter 65 percent of the time, with more than half of those swings being whiffs. Even if the batters make contact, 72 percent of the balls put in play against the splitter wind-up as ground-ball outs.

    Perhaps Cubs manager Rick Renteria said it best when he tried to downplay Tanaka’s dominant performance against his struggling Cubbies: “His split-finger fastball, when it’s down, is pretty good. He can elevate his fastball a little bit. He’s pretty good.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Carmen “Mrs. Yogi” Berra Dies at 85

    The wife of New York Yankees’ 88-year-old legendary catcher, Yogi Berra, has died.

    Carmen “Mrs. Yogi” Berra passed away Thursday night at Crane’s Mill Assisted Living Facility in West Caldwell, N.J.

    Sources say that Carmen had dealt with complications from a stroke prior to her death.

    The director of the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center in Little Fall, N.J., announced and confirmed her death.

    “She was a remarkable woman and consummate companion of Yogi, and both fervently believed in the core values of the museum and learning centre,” Dave Kaplan wrote in an email to CTV News. “We will miss her terribly.”

    The children museum not only displays memorabilia from Yogi’s career, but also provides sportsmanship and social justice educational programs.

    Carmen’s marriage to a famous baseball athlete entails 65 years of noble status. (image)

    Mr. and Mrs. Berra both were dedicated parents who spent most of their lives in Montclair, N.J.

    However, Carmen was a very devoted fan of her husband. Kaplan says that she would often attend events held by the Yogi Museum in honor of her husband’s achievements.

    Yogi holds the title as 10-time World Series champion. Following his retirement, he became manager of the Yankees on two occasions and now is the team’s unofficial ambassador.

    According to Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, the Berras were always viewed as a committed power couple:

    “On behalf of the entire New York Yankees organization, we offer our deepest condolences to the Berra family. Having known Yogi and Carmen for so long, it is almost impossible to imagine two people who complemented each other better than they did. We will always remember Carmen’s smile and sense of humor, and her kindness and generosity will be dearly missed.”

    Carmen is survived by her husband, three children, 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

    She was 85 years old.

    Image via YouTube

  • Joe Namath Called Jeter ‘an Angel’

    Joe Namath Called Jeter ‘an Angel’

    Joe Namath and Derek Jeter, two iconic figures in New York sports history, met on Monday at the Yankees’ Grapefruit League game at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

    Namath, wearing a Yankees uniform with his old No. 12 on the jersey, sat in the dugout with the Yankees captain during batting practice of the team’s spring training game against the Washington Nationals.

    The 70-year-old Hall of Fame quarterback referred to the meeting as “another highlight in my sporting life!” on his Facebook page.

    Post by Joe Namath.

    Namath praised Jeter for his conduct on and off the field during his career in baseball.

    “Knowing the scrutiny that he’s had over the years, I can’t imagine how the guy could be an angel like this,” Namath said.

    “He’s to be respected in every phase of his life, it seems,” he said.

    “Many of us fell short with some of that, but you learn to bounce back. It’s human to err, and I know about that. We do our best to come back. Derek hasn’t made many errors that I’ve witnessed,” Namath added.

    Post by Joe Namath.

    The two had met once before, Jeter said, and spoke briefly while filming a commercial 1997 in for Nobody Beats the Wiz, a former electronics chain. The Yankees player was glad to spend more time conversing with Namath.

    “I didn’t watch him play football, because I’m too young, but I’ve admired his confidence, the confidence he played with,” Jeter said.

    Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he was excited to have Namath in uniform and at the game, and asked Namath to serve as a team co-manager for the day. Namath brought the lineup card to home plate.

    “It’s special. This was excitement from the get-go, when I talked to some folks about being here,” Namath said.

    “I’m a baseball fan, I’m a Yankees fan, I’m a people fan. So yeah, this is very special,” Namath continued.

    Image via Facebook

  • Derek Jeter Announces Reasons For Retirement

    Derek Jeter has watched the players he came up with through the Yankee farm system retire one by one. First, Bernie Williams, then his best friend Jorge Posada and finally both Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte last year. The Captain has played more games in a Yankee uniform, 2602, and has more hits, 3,316, than any other Bronx Bomber. He also owns five World Series rings. According to Jeter, he is not retiring at the end of the 2014 season because he is going to turn 40 in June. It’s also not because he is worried that the injured ankle that cost almost the entire 2013 season will not be strong enough.

    The Captain is simply ready to move on. We first heard of his retirement news via his personal Facebook page on February 12. Today was the first day of spring training for position players. Jeter had his normal press conference this morning, but even though he didn’t seem to really want to talk about retirement, the media needed to know why.

    So, for 26 minutes, Jeter sat at the press conference, stoic, nearly emotionless and simply explained why his 20th season playing Major League Baseball would be his last. “Because I feel as though the time is right. There’s other things I want to do. I look forward to doing other things. This is a difficult job. I put everything into it each and every year. It’s a 12-month job. It’s not a six-month season. This is 12 months. And I look forward to doing other things — not yet — but the idea of doing other things is something I look forward to.” He added, “I’m in the greatest shape of my life. But who’s to measure that? I know I worked harder than I ever worked before, but I feel good.”

    Everyone knows that Derek Jeter is a winner. He is a player who somehow has the knack to remain calm in big moments, to make the enormity of the game seem compartmentalized and manageable. Nothing ever seemed to matter to Jeter except winning. “You work out the entire year and the ultimate goal is to win. That’s the bottom line. When we win, those are the memories that stand out for me. I’ve done a lot of things personally in my career that I appreciated and mean a lot. But if you ask me what stands out the most, it’s winning.”

    Jeter and the new-look Yankees will take the field this year with a chip on their shoulders. They missed out on the post season last fall for only the second time in 19 years. They added several key pieces via free agency this winter: Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, and Japanese sensation Masahiro Tanaka.

    The Yankees opening day is set for April 1. They will begin their season with a three-game away series against the Houston Astros.

    Image via Wikimedia

  • Derek Jeter’s Exit Will Be Tough on Yankee Fans

    They came up together, in a farm system bounty for the ages: Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte. Together, they won four World Series Rings. Then Pettitte left for his hometown Houston Astros in 2004 and Williams retired in 2006. It was the end of an era.

    But the story wasn’t over, a new chapter was just beginning. Pettitte returned to the pinstripes in 2007 and was part of a three-man rotation that helped to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in 2009 to capture a fifth World Series ring.

    The “Core-Four” had its encore, another championship in the Bronx during the inaugural season of the New Yankee Stadium. However, time moves on and nothing lasts forever.

    Posada retired after the 2011 season. Both Pettitte and Rivera followed after the 2013 season. Now, after 19 seasons, the Captain, with over 3,000 hits, a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer, a five-time Gold-Glove winner, and considered by all, even the most ardent Yankee-haters, as one of the classiest guys to play the game, has officially announced that the 2014 season will be his last.

    The short stop who always played the game of baseball with respect had an injury-plagued 2013 season. That was enough for Jeter to know that it was time to move on, pursue other interests like traveling the world, starting a family, and maybe even one day realizing his dream of eventually owning a baseball team of his own.

    The Captain officially announced his retirement to the world on his personal Facebook page on Wednesday.

    Post by Derek Jeter.

    The 39 year old will have his swan song season like Rivera did last year. His retirement signals the end of an era for Yankee fans and baseball fans alike. Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman said of the Captain, “It has been an incredible honor having a front row seat for one of the great players of all time. Derek has been a winner every step of the way.”

    (image)

    This will be a tough pill to swallow for Yankee fans. Jeter is perhaps the most beloved Yankee of all time, certainly of this generation. If he is healthy and plays well, watching him leave will only be more difficult. But no matter how much time passes, we will always have memories of “the flip play,” the bloody catch in the stands, Jeffrey Maier, Mr. November, and a homerun that counted as number 3,000.

    Images via Wikimedia, New York Yankees, Twitter

  • Derek Jeter Begins Spring Training Workouts

    Yankees star Derek Jeter hit the field this week for his first baseball workout of 2014. The short stop is attempting a comeback after his season ended early last year due to an ankle injury.

    The team captain could only play 17 games last season because of a broken ankle from two years ago. The 40-year-old fractured the joint during the first game of the American League playoffs against the Detroit Tigers on Oct. 13, 2012. Still bothering him, the injury only allowed Jeter to play in five games, with a meager 11 at bats during last year’s spring training. He even stayed behind in Florida after training for rehabilitation, where he broke his ankle again.

    It’s safe to say that 2013 was an “off” year for Jeter. After missing the first 91 games of the season, he made his first appearance on July 11, only to go back on the disabled list again because of pain in his quadriceps. He came off of the list on July 28, played for three games, and then strained his right calf.

    His season was not over yet, however, as the All-Star played from August 26 to September 7. He had to leave his last game early because of his ankle. Four days later, the team declared he was done for the year. Jeter was only able to hit one homer and earn seven RBIs for the season, with a batting average of .190.

    Things looked promising for the veteran during his workout; he was able to hit the ball off of the tee in the batting cage and field 108 ground balls. Jeter typically begins his workouts for spring training around mid-January.

    The Yankees officially begin their workouts for pitchers, catchers and injured players on February 15. The rest of the team starts five days later.

    Fans took to Twitter to show their support for Jeter:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Alex Rodriguez Files Lawsuit Over Lengthy Suspension

    Following an extended suspension, Alex Rodriguez has decided to fight back and has filed a lawsuit against Major League Baseball and its players’ union.

    He has been attacked throughout his career, and hated by a number of people for a variety of reasons, but was that type of suspension necessary?

    Alex Rodriguez’s most recent suspension was discussed recently after appearing on an episode of 60 Minutes.

    Although he did not make an appearance on the show, much like Lance Armstrong, the man who was directly involved and claiming that he knew what Rodriguez did, did make a special appearance on the show.

    Anthony Bosch, founder of Biogenesis, claims that he started providing A-Rod with PEDs in 2010, and was the one who to reveal the personal account of what happened between him and the star baseball player on national television.

    Frederic Horowitc, the arbitrator in the case, stated that there was clear evidence that Alex Rodriguez used three banned substances and twice tried to obstruct the sport’s drug investigation.

    He believes that there is strong evidence against Rodriguez and wants to bring him to justice. Horowitz said “While this length of suspension may be unprecedented for a MLB player, so is the misconduct he committed.”

    After Major League Baseball released a statement saying that they believed the 211-game suspension was fair, they would focus on their efforts of eliminating performance-enhancing substances from the sport of baseball.

    He retaliated with this post on his Facebook page.

    Post by Alex Rodriguez.

    After their statement, Alex Rodriguez said that he would vow to continue to fight their decision, and wants to be able to continue playing baseball.

    Rodriguez previously had an even longer suspension, but the latest punishment of the illegal drugs that he was taking has been brought down to 162 games, plus all of the postseason games in 2014.

    Despite the fact that he is still campaigning to have it reduced, his punishment was originally set at 211 games last August by baseball Commissioner Bud Selig for violations of the sport’s drug agreement and labor contract.

    Whether his latest punishment seems fair or not, Alex Rodriguez is going to continue to fight and plead his innocence. In his current situation, Rodriguez will not be able to play baseball at all during 2014, and as someone who has been plagued with troubles in the past, who knows what will happen next. What does the future hold for Yankees star Alex Rodriguez?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Shin-Soo Choo Turns Down $140 Million From Yankees

    Off-season acquisitions have been the talk of Major League baseball since the Red Sox won the World Series, with the Yankees’s acquisition of Red Sox infielder Jacoby Ellsbury potentially being the most impressive and productive move so far. However, Shin-Soo Choo, outfielder and lead-off man for the Cincinnati Reds, apparently has a statement to make as the number one free-agent available in the MLB this off-season.

    Yesterday, Jeff Passan, of Yahoo! Sports, reported that Choo and his agent, Scott Boras, had turned down a 7 year, $140 million offer from the Yankees. After Boras respectfully declined the offer from the Yankees, he reportedly asked for more money – money of the $153 million, Jacoby Ellsbury variety. Showing restraint for perhaps the first time ever, the Yankees backed out of negotiations for Choo.

    So where does this leave Choo? The outfielder had a decent year last year with Cincinnati, hitting .285 with 21 home runs, 54 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, 112 walks, and a .423 on-base percentage (In ranks, Choo was first in on-base percentage in the NL, led all lead-off hitters in home runs, and finished 2nd behind Matt Carpenter in slugging percentage for lead-off hitters at .481.)

    While these numbers are impressive for a lead-off hitter, they are not 7 years, $140 million impressive – especially considering Choo is 31 years old. One American League executive commented on Choo’s age, stating, “For the next two or three years, he’s probably going to be an elite on-base guy. He’s a plus makeup guy. He’ll give you some power and probably play average defense on the corners. He’s a very good hitter, but he’s 31 next year. If you sign him to a seven-year deal, you know you’ll be looking at a significantly declining skill set over the last 3-4 years of the deal.”

    Keeping all of those factors in mind, which MLB teams would still be interested in Choo knowing the price? Most analysts seem to believe that the Houston Astros are in the lead to acquire the outfielder. However, issues concerning whether or not the Astros will be willing to give up the number one pick in next year’s draft present a potential roadblock to acquiring Choo. Other teams who have expressed interest in Choo include the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioels, and Arizona Diamondbacks.

    Many may believe that with the Yankees out of the picture, Choo and Boras passed up their sole chance of receiving an outlandish offer. However, when one looks at the outfield free-agents available both this year and next (Colby Rasmus, Brett Gardner, Michael Cuddyer, Torii Hunter, Coco Crisp, Josh Willingham, Nick Markakis, and Norichika Aoki), one has to believe that at least one team will get desperate enough to sign Choo regardless of how much money it costs.

    Image via YouTube

  • Robinson Cano is Done Wearing Pinstripes

    Robinson Cano will not retire a New York Yankee. The five-time All-Star has reportedly signed a 10-year, $240 million contract to play second base for the Seattle Mariners, according to ESPNdeportes.com. The contract also features a full no-trade clause.

    Wondering where the big-pocketed Yankees were? How could they possibly let one of the best players in the game slip away? After spending over $230 million so far this off-season on Brian McCann and wooing Jacoby Ellsbury away from the Red Sox, the Yankees also offered Cano a reported deal in the range of $175 million over seven years. However, after the Ellsbury signing, rumors spread that Cano was unhappy that his mega deal was only $20 million more than Ellsbury’s.

    So off Cano went, under the representation of rapper/mogul/Nets Owner/perfume purveyor Jay-Z, to meet with the Mariners. It’s now more than abundantly clear that Seattle is willing to do everything in their power to fill the empty seats of their beautiful ball park and get out of the dark basement of the American League West.

    (image)

    Cano’s deal is the third largest contract in baseball history behind Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez. Both of those men are already breaking down, age and alleged steroid use (for A. Rod) have taken their toll. Both missed significant time last season with injury. Perhaps the Yankees learned a lesson? Perhaps they didn’t want to give out another $220+ contract to a player who is 31 and already past his prime in terms of athletes. Or perhaps, the team did not think that Cano would want to leave the bright lights of New York City coupled with the pristine and storied history of the New York Yankees to play in the relative obscurity of the West Coast?

    It’s been twelve years since the Marines made the postseason. They’re still short a bat or two and need another arm in the rotation. It will be interesting to see how much more the team plans to spend on the open market and how the Yankees will respond to losing their superstar infielder.

    As you can imagine, fans are passionately reacting on Twitter.

    Tell us what you think. Do you believe Cano made the right move by leaving the Yankees for more money? What about the Yankees? Do you think they did the right thing by letting him walk?

    Images Via Twitter, Facebook

  • Jacoby Ellsbury Is New York Yankees Bound

    Jacoby Ellsbury Is New York Yankees Bound

    Jacoby Ellsbury is moving on to the New York Yankees as he agreed to a seven year deal on Tuesday night.

    Ellsbury, who was part of the Boston Red Sox World Series winning team this past year and who had been a fixture on the club with the likes of David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and Jon Lester is heading to their arch nemesis, the Yankees.

    With this deal in place, the Yankees still have work to do, namely resigning their top star and this winter’s biggest prize, Robinson Cano. However, if they can not, they might have another option. Kelly Johnson, who this past season was with the Tampa Bay Rays, is on the verge of signing with the Yankees. If this happens, this provides the Yankees depth, but also insurance in case Cano becomes too expensive.

    The Yankees are getting a dynamic lead-off hitter in Ellsbury.

    Yet, is Ellsbury worth losing Cano?

    With more holes to fill for the Yankees to contend in 2014, we might find out.

    Image via WikiCommons

  • Derek Jeter Launches His Own Line Of Books

    Well it is certainly not often that we hear about an athlete doing something like this, but in an odd move, Derek Jeter has turned to literature. The all-star baseball player revealed that he would be launching his own line of books today.

    Jeter has inked a deal with the publishing company Simon and Schuster, and will launch his own line of books with them.

    The company will be called Jeter Publishing, and plans to publish adult non-fiction titles, fiction and children’s books.

    Of course, Derek Jeter being the professional baseball player that he is, plans to focus on sports-related books, but will also plan to help out other personalities in the world of pop culture. He said of the business venture, “This publishing partnership is an exciting way for me to discover and develop new books, sharing insights of my own, or from people I believe have interesting stories, philosophies or practices to share.”

    Derek Jeter is one of the highest paid, and most well-known baseball players in the world. He has enjoyed a long career with the New York Yankees, and as he is nearing his retirement soon, it has started to work on his post-baseball career early. With the injuries that he suffered in the past year, he was only able to play in 17 games, and as a 39-year-old athlete, everyone knows that his time will be up soon.

    While it is not the typical route that former baseball players take, Derek Jeter feels that he has always had an interest in business, and wants to finally put that to use, while also connecting with the public through books.

    He mentioned to the New York Times, “I’ve always had an interest in business, and my interest in business has really expanded over the years. And I have an interest in content. So this gives me the opportunity to really combine the two. And it gives me the opportunity to curate and share interesting stories and share content with the public.”

    After returning from his injury, Derek Jeter expects to be the primary shortstop for the Yankees in the spring. However, he certainly has his sights sight on his post-baseball business career already, and through his time being injured, he had a lot of time to think about the future.

    Image via Youtube

  • Alex Rodriguez Files Another Lawsuit

    Alex Rodriguez Files Another Lawsuit

    Sometimes the best offense is a good defense. Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees are not even in the post season and yet the third baseman remains a news headline. Out of the 13 players that were suspended this past season due to the Biogenesis scandal, A. Rod is the only player who appealed his suspension. The explanation is easy to see, he was the only one suspended for 211 games, which for an oft-injured 38-year-old professional baseball player, it would probably mean his career.

    So A. Rod is fighting back with yet another lawsuit. Last night, A. Rod’s litigation team filed a lawsuit against New York Yankee team doctor Chris Ahmad and The New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. In the suit, Rodriguez accuses them of malpractice concerning an MRI which he contends showed a injury to his left hip.

    Friday’s lawsuit was not the first and it seems will not be the last. On Thursday, A. Rod’s legal team went after Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig. The claim states that the Commissioner and MLB were purposely trying to smear Rodriguez’s name and ruin his career, calling the proposed suspension “a witch hunt.”

    The complaint states, “They have ignored the procedures set forth in baseball’s collectively bargained labor agreement; violated the strict confidentiality imposed by these agreements; paid individuals millions of dollars and made promises of future employment to individuals in order to get them to produce documents and to testify on MLB’s behalf; bullied and intimidated those individuals who refused to cooperate with their witch hunt; and singled out plaintiff for an unprecedented 211-game suspension — the longest non-permanent ban in baseball history.”

    As you can expect the twitter world is having its say:

    Image via Facebook

  • Cubs Fire Manager Dale Sveum After Two Awful Seasons

    In not-surprising news at all, the Chicago Cubs fired manager Dale Sveum today. Sveum, who had little coaching experience (Sveum had previously served as the Red Sox third base coach in 2004-05 and as an interim manager of the Brewers in 2008), managed to lead the Cubs to an outstandingly dismal 127-197 record over the past two years – the worst 2 years in Cubs history.

    This year, Sveum led the Cubs to a 66-96 record, with the Cubs losing 41 of their final 59 games. Sveum took over as manager for the Cubs following Mike Quade, who had previously taken over following the sudden retirement of Lou Piniella in 2010.

    Theo Epstein, president of the Chicago Cubs, stated that Sveum was not simply evaluated on his overall record, but more for his development of young talent, in-game decision-making, appropriate use of his roster, and his ability to “create a culture of accountability, hard work and preparation, and the ability to develop a strong trust with his players.”

    Perhaps the most important area, of those listed, where Sveum failed was the development of his younger players. Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo have been pegged as the Cubs building blocks for some time now. However, both players saw a huge offensive slump in 2013. Castro, who hit .307 in 2011, with 66 RBI’s and 22 stolen bases, finished 2013 with a career-low batting average of .237, with a paltry 44 RBI’s and only 9 stolen bases. Rizzo’s numbers are essentially equal to his performance in 2012, but the disappointing fact is that he played double the amount of games in 2013 as he did in 2012.

    However, not all of the Cubs woes can be attributed to Sveum. This year, the Cubs used a team-record 56 total players on their roster, with only 12 players from the original roster at the beginning of the season remaining with the team until the end of the season. Over the course of the 2013 season, the Cubs got rid of notable players such as Alfonso Soriano (who went on a tear right after his trade), Carlos Marmol, David DeJesus, Scott Feldman, Matt Garza, and Tony Campana. During this time, the Cubs acquired….well, no one worth mentioning.

    How the Cubs expected success with these roster moves, no one knows. Theo Epstein, though, believes that the Cubs are making the right moves to become a major league contender for the first time since 2003:

    ”Soon, our organization will transition from a phase in which we have been primarily acquiring young talent to a phase in which we will promote many of our best prospects and actually field a very young, very talented club at the major league level,” he said. ”The losing has been hard on all of us, but we now have one of the top farm systems in baseball, some of the very best prospects in the game, and a clear path forward. In order for us to win with this group – and win consistently – we must have the best possible environment for young players to learn, develop and thrive at the major league level.”

    The next manager the Cubs look for will need to provide “…that spark of a winning culture,” and will need to be “a proven leader. …. We know what we’re looking for and I think we’re going to find it.”

    This has led many to believe that the Cubs will seek to hire New York Yankees’ manager Joe Girardi as their next manager. Girardi, whose contract with the Yankees expires October 31, has close ties to Chicago – he attended Northwestern University and played catcher for the Cubs during his MLB career. However, Girardi has stated that his ties to Chicago are not as close now as they used to be, considering both his parents, who lived in Chicago, have died and he hasn’t been in the city since 2006.

    Whatever the Cubs decide, quick progress will not be made unless the new manager is a genuine miracle worker. The Cubs are currently relying on the talent created in their expansive farm system, talent that has yet to pay off. Perhaps the Cubs should consider Tim Tebow? Maybe Tebow’s fantastic motivational speaking skills can finally convince the fans in Chicago that the Cubs really don’t suck, and everyone will be happy regardless the performance of the Cubbies for many years to come.

    (As a real-life Cubs fan, please, please, please, please do not take that last statement seriously. Thanks.)

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  • Mariano Rivera Bids Farewell to Yankee Stadium

    In a sport that has been marred in recent years by steroids investigations and doping scandals, there are still some shining lights. However, perhaps the brightest star in baseball had his black dwarf moment Thursday night. After coming into the game during the 8th inning, with 2 on and 1 out, Mariano Rivera quickly mowed through the next 4 batters. At that moment, Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte approached the mound, and Rivera knew that his career at Yankee Stadium was over.

    As Yankee captain, Derek Jeter, approached the mound, he seemingly stated “It’s time to go.” A fitting statement to end the career of a reliever who approached the game with a humble simplicity and respect that everyone admired.

    Pettitte then told Rivera, “It’s been an honor to play alongside you.” And that was it for Mariano. After 19 years of playing professional baseball for the New York Yankees, he could no longer control his emotions: “I was bombarded with emotions and feeling that I couldn’t describe. Everything hit at that time. I knew that was the last time. Period. I never felt like that before.”

    And neither had Yankees’s fans, baseball fans, or the general populace. It’s a safe bet to assume there was not a dry-eye in Yankee Stadium that night, nor for anyone who watches the video of Rivera’s exit.

    There is good reason for this catharsis. Rivera is, without a shadow of doubt, the best reliever baseball has ever seen. Period. Over his 19 year career, Rivera racked up 652 saves. The next active baseball player on the list has 339 saves, 313 behind Rivera. The “Sandman” (Rivera’s moniker derived from the music he plays while entering games – “Enter Sandman”) also accumulated 42 postseason saves, with an ERA of 0.7. Despite the immense pressure surrounding playoff games (especially for the Yankees), Rivera’s numbers are equivalent to what most top-notch relievers average over the course of an entire regular season.

    Rivera’s all-time ERA is 2.21, making him 13th all-time. While that figure may not seem terribly impressive, Rivera leads the category for pitchers from the modern era of baseball (the 12 preceding him on the list were all born in the 18th century).

    Today’s professional athlete is constantly lambasted for making millions of dollars per year to simply play a game, and doing so without understanding how fortunate they are. Thursday night’s moment at Yankee Stadium was so heart-wrenching because it was obvious how much Rivera truly cared for and appreciated the game. His embrace of Pettitte is one of the most genuine human reactions that has ever been recorded – that of utter devastation of losing something one holds so dear. Regardless of one’s feelings towards the Yankees or baseball, one cannot help but be moved by the genuine outpourings of emotions from Rivera, his fellow baseball players, and the fans in Yankee Stadium. Rivera may not play professional baseball ever again, but hopefully his legacy of professional and respectful dominance carries on.

    tl;dr – Watch the damn video and be prepared to cry.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Alex Rodriguez, 12 others suspended by MLB

    While speaking at a press conference before tonight’s game Alex Rodriguez called the last seven months of his life a “nightmare”. Unfortunately for A-rod, he will not be waking up anytime soon.

    Major League Baseball handed down punishment today of 13 players associated with Florida anti-aging clinic that reportedly supplied them with performance enhancing drugs. MLB came down hard on each individual, but especially Rodriguez, who was banned through the end of 2014 season. While it is a stiff punishment, it is not the lifetime ban that could have been handed out.

    Other players involved in the punishment include all-stars Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers, Jhonny Peralta of the Detroit Tigers, and Everth Cabrera of the San Diego Padres. Those three and the rest of the remaining 9 received 50-game suspensions.

    Rodriguez’s punishment, which is by far the most severe, is scheduled to begin on Thursday and run through the rest of the current season, the post-season, and all of the following regular season. He has 72 hours to appeal the decision and attempt to salvage his career, a decision that his attorney has said he will pursue.

    MLB commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement that “Rodriguez’s discipline under the Basic Agreement is for attempting to cover-up his violations of the program by engaging in a course of conduct intended to obstruct and frustrate the Office of the Commissioner’s investigation.”

    So whether or not Rodriguez is truly guilty of the violations, he is all in at this point. Either he successful defends himself and receives a reduced punishment or no punishment, or he is found guilty and serves his suspension, which could be extended. Either way, it is likely that Rodriguez will never recover from this episode and will go down in history with other tainted superstars like Jose Conseco and Barry Bonds in baseball’s hall of infamy.

    Here are a few humorous Twitter reactions to lighten the mood.

  • Alex Rodriguez May Face Lifetime Ban

    Major League Baseball’s battle with performance enhancing drugs has been widely documented, including here on WPN, but the latest string of players being persecuted for use is starting to show just how damage the fight can be to the sport.

    No current player, save maybe former NL MVP Ryan Braun, is poised for more of a downfall than A-rod himself, Alex Rodriguez. While it is still unclear just how MLB will attempt to punish the Yankees slugger, the possibilities that are being thrown around range from a severe slap on the wrist to ending his career.

    Sources with knowledge of the situation have told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” that some officials would like to seek a lifetime ban for Rodriguez, who was once seen as the golden boy of the big leagues.

    The reasoning behind that decision would be that Rodriguez would have to defend himself in arbitration if slapped with a ban. A suspension would allow him to appeal and continue to play. Some officials would view that as a slap in the face since they claim to have a hefty amount of evidence showing Rodriguez’s guilt.

    The sources also believe that MLB would rather Rodriguez and his team of attorneys accept a long-term suspension in order to same the sport from further tarnishing during an arbitration that would drag some of the demons of the steroid era into the light. Such a suspension would likely keep Rodriguez off of the field for the entirety of next season, but would not end his career.

    Rodriguez’s attorneys have stated that they will fight any suspension, but when faced with a possible lifetime ban they may reconsider. Either way, Rodriguez’s image will likely never recover, and another titan of the game will go down in history as nothing more than another cheater.