2013 AB4AR "Best Of The Month" Awards: September 2013

There was hope.  After 5 months of mostly bad baseball, there was still hope for a late Yankee playoff run in September, hope that they themselves helped inspire with a 17-12 run from mid-August to mid-September.  But in the end everything that plagued them in the first 5 months came back to kill the hope in the final 2+ weeks of the regular season.  Injuries, extended stretches of dormant offense, and to put it mildly, incredibly uneven starting and relief pitching.  The Yankees went 6-9 in their final 15 games of the season, including 2 separate 4-game losing streaks, to eliminate themselves from postseason contention and render the final handful of games meaningless, save for the career celebrations of Mo and Andy.

It was a long season, one with more bad than good.  But there were still some noteworthy performances in September, and after the jump you can check out the final batch of monthly AB4AR awards honoring those performances.

Oh Yeah, The A-Rod Suspension Appeal Started Yesterday

(Courtesy of the AP)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

For as much news as his initial connection to the Biogenesis Clinic made, and as much as the MSM hyped him up as a villain when the suspensions were handed down and he was the only one to appeal, the opening day of the Alex Rodriguez appeal hearing yesterday didn't generate much buzz.  A-Rod himself was there with his legal team, as was former Biogenesis head Anthony Bosch, but for the most part the coverage seemed to be limited to just that and a few quick words from A-Rod and Joe Tacopina on their way out.  I don't know if it was because there was the AL tiebreaker game last night or if everybody was super stoked about Saints-Dolphins on MNF.  I even forget about it myself before I saw a few things come across Twitter late yesterday morning, which is surprising considering the results of this appeal are the most important part of the Yankees' offseason.

Don't Get Worked Up About Joe's Contract Situation Either, People

I understand that Robbie Cano and Joe are very important parts to the Yankees' future plans, guys.  But can we not get overboard excited about what their contract "demands" are and what they may or may not do this early in the offseason game?  Please?

I'll admit, there were a lot of little things happening yesterday that could have made it appear as though Joe was jumping ship.  He wouldn't commit to coming back to the Yankees beyond saying he had to sit down and discuss it with his family, Buster Olney reported that it would take a significant raise from his current $3 million salary to bring him back to New York, his hometown Cubs fired Dale Sveum after 2 relatively unproductive seasons, and the roster he could be looking at in 2014 could be worse than what he just got done managing.  Still, if you think his decision is that simple to leave a potentially sinking ship to return home and become a hero, it's not.

Picking The Hypothetical Yankee Playoff Roster

The Yankees aren't going to be participating in the postseason this year.  It's only the second time we've been able to say that since 1994, and with the type of baseball we watched them play for the majority of the season it's probably for the best that they're on the outside looking in.  I've gotten so used to doing the end-of-year debate about the playoff roster that it's strange to not have to think about that this year.  Chances are the Yankees wouldn't get very far in the playoffs regardless of what 25 guys they took, but trying to predict the playoff roster is usually one of the more fun exercises of the year.  In the interest of trying to have a little fun, here's what my hypothetical 25-man playoff roster would look like.

Some Final Statistical Perspective On The Yankees' Season

The Yankees finished up their 2013 season with a series sweep of the god-awful Houston Astros this past weekend.  Those 3 wins gave them an 85-77 final record, expected when you consider where a lot of the preseason projections had them and somewhat surprising when you consider their -21 run differential.  That figure painted the Yankees as a sub-.500 team, 79-83 according to the Pythagorean W-L projections, and it's worth noting that the Yankees were the only team in MLB with a negative run differential that finished above .500 on the season.

There was no return of mystique and aura to carry this old, extremely flawed ballclub to the postseason.  There was no last magical run for Andy and Mo.  There was just a crummy baseball team that somehow slightly outperformed its mediocre statistical expectations.  If you need further proof of that, here it is in a nutshell.

No Mo This Weekend Was The Right Thing To Do

(Courtesy of the AP)

Along with Andy making his final career start in front of his second home fans, the only other source of buzz to this weekend's season-concluding series in Houston was what else Mariano Rivera had in store for a goodbye.  Would he pitch?  Would he play the outfield?  How much would Joe let him pitch if he was going to play the outfield?  Turns out the answer to all those questions was either "no" or "none".  After Joe said he was letting Mo call his own shots for the series, Mo ended up not pitching or playing at all in the final 3 games, citing arm soreness and general fatigue and a desire to respect the game and not play when he wasn't at his best.

AB4AR End Of Season Update

You may have noticed the site wasn't very active this past weekend.  That's partially due to the fact that I spent Saturday picking winners and making money hand over fist at Arlington Park in Chicago and mostly due to the fact that the season was already over and I didn't see the point in analyzing or reporting on stuff that didn't matter anymore. But now that one season is over, another can begin.  It's time for another Yankee offseason and here's the rough plan for what you can expect from AB4AR in the next 4+ months.

We'll start off this week with some random recap stuff and the AB4AR year end awards posts later in the week, then transition right into the 3-week 2013 season recap next week.  The format of the 3 weeks will be the same as it was for the season preview: 1st week will be the "2013 Storylines" follow-ups, 2nd will be the "What We Thought We Knew & What We Learned" to bridge the gap between 2013 and 2014, and the last week will be the "2013 Season Review" posts by roster group (lineup, rotation, bullpen, bench).

After everything is put to bed on 2013, we'll start diving into the hot stove stuff.  I'd like to do more trade and free agent target profile pieces, since the Yankees are going to have to get creative with both to have any hope of being competitive next year on a budget, and there will be plenty of posts devoted to that budget and payroll breakdown as well.  There will also be plenty of prospect talk, including AB4AR Prospect Week and the release of the 2014 AB4AR Top 30 sometime in January, and maybe another post or 2 devoted to at-bat/closer entrance music.

Baseball season never really ends at AB4AR, so get ready to re-live all the not fun and non-excitement of the 2013 season over the next few weeks.  If you want to refresh on the season preview topics before next week, you can get a head start by revisiting the "2013 Storylines" series here.

Game 162 Wrap-Up: NYY 5 HOU 1

(Courtesy of the AP)

With Mo and Andy's goodbyes out of the way and the playoffs long gone from view, there was nothing left to play for on the season's final day.  Joe managed the game that way, sitting Robinson Cano and Ichiro to give them some needed rest and giving the ball to David Huff to start the game.  If there was anything on the line today, it may have been chances for the young guys like Adams, Zoilo, Murphy, and Betances to make a positive last impression on the coaching staff before spring camp next year.  The game went long and the Yankees came away with a win to finish their 2013 season on a somewhat positive note.

Game Notes:

- Huff wasn't quite as effective as he's been as Phil Hughes' caddy in the 1st.  He gave up a double and a single to 2 guys named Jonathan Villar and Matt Dominguez to give Houston the early 1-0 lead.

- As expected, the skeleton lineup didn't produce much against Erik Bedard.  3 hits - a Curtis Granderson double and a pair of singles by Eduardo Nunez and Brendan Ryan - was all they mustered while striking out 7 times in a scoreless first 5 innings.

- To his credit, Huff shook off the tough 1st to pitch 4 straight scoreless frames of his own through 5.  He only gave up 1 single in that span and retired 11 in a row (including 5 strikeouts) with a good 2-seamer/slider combo.

- Bedard left after 7 scoreless and just like yesterday, the Yankee offense finally struck late.  Nunez doubled with 1 out to give the Yanks just their second RISP of the day, and with 2 outs C-Grand came through with a base hit to tie the game at 1.

- When it's the last game of the season, why not have some free baseball?  The game stretched into the thanks to solid relief pitching and poor hitting by both sides.  Biggest Yankee highlight was the combined 2.1 shutout, 4-K innings from Dellin Betances.

- At long last, Mark Reynolds got an "all" at-bat instead of a "nothing" one and homered to lead off the 14th.  After 2 strikeouts, the Yankees rattled off 4 straight hits to bring in 3 more runs and give D-Rob a comfy cushion to close things out.

Game 161 Wrap-Up: NYY 2 HOU 1

These last few games of the season have little meaning  in the grand scheme of things, but they've given us a few great moments to remember as we watch the final days of 2/3 of the remaining Core Four.  Mo's exit on Thursday night at The Stadium was as emotional a scene as I can ever remember at The Stadium, maybe the most emotional since President Bush came out to throw that first pitch after 9/11.  Last night, Andy Pettitte made his final start, and although it wasn't at home, there was still a lot of emotion attached and a lot to remember.  With nothing left to hold out for, Joe gave Andy the longest leash of the season and Andy responded by pitching his best game of the season, even better than his last home start last Sunday.

Game Notes:

- Andy put at least 1 runner on base in each of the first 4 innings, but worked his way out of trouble most of the time.  He gave up a run in the 4th on a single and a pair of groundouts, but he looked good and he was working quickly.

- The kid-filled Yankee lineup did its typical worst to help Andy early.  They stranded 2 runners in the 2nd, got sat down in order from the 3rd through the 5th, and generally looked weak and pathetic.

- They finally got their act together in the top of the 6th, on the back of a Chris Stewart leadoff single.  Eduardo Nunez and Robinson Cano followed up with singles of their own to score Stewart and chase Houston starter Paul Clemens from the game.  Alfonso Soriano walked to load the bases, and Nunez came around to score on a throwing error to give Andy a 2-1 lead.

- Once he had that lead, Andy buckled down and pitched like the postseason ace we've seen time and time again.  He walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the 6th and then retired the next 11 batters he faced into the bottom of the 9th.  He gave up a 2-out hit, but Joe was going to let him finish what he started and he did just that by getting a groundball out to end the game, earn the win, and end his career in style.

Game 160 Wrap-Up: NYY 3 HOU 2

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

Normally the Yankees ending their regular season in the AL basement that is Houston would be a borderline insult.  This year, it's strangely fitting.  The Yankees are out of the postseason race, Mo had has day and night in the sun during the final homestand, there's just nothing left to care about this season.  Joe finally made the call to go to the younglings for this series and there were starting pitching holes to fill against the Astros.  Adam Warren got the spot start last night, in an early audition for the rotation competition next year.  After an up and down year as the primary long reliever, something positive to end his season would have been a good thing.

Game Notes:

- Something positive was exactly what he got.  Warren tossed 5 scoreless innings on less than 70 pitches, surprising considering how little he's pitched lately.  He gave up just 2 hits and 1 walk, and retired the final 8 batters he faced.

- The offense gave him all the support they could muster in the top of the 4th when a Robinson Cano single and Alfonso Soriano walk set the table with 1 out.  Mark Reynolds singled a run in to get the Yankees on the board and David Adams doubled to bring in 2 more and make it 3-0 Yanks.

- David Phelps relieved Warren in the 6th and pitched into the 7th.  With 2 outs and 2 on, Joe decided to take him out and go to Joba Chamberlain.  In typical Joba fashion, Chamberlain was a human dumpster fire, giving up a 2-run double on the first pitch he threw, a single on the next, and walking a batter before getting out of the inning.

- Preston Claiborne worked an effective 8th, highlighted by a J.R. Murphy-to-Adams caught stealing to end the inning, and David Robertson got a save opportunity in the 9th that he converted in 1-2-3 fashion.

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 9/27/13

I don't know about everybody else, but I've been completely drained by this season.  I am literally (figuratively) sputtering to the finish line and I apologize if the quality of my writing or content has slacked in the past few weeks.  For a team that wasn't expected to seriously contend for a postseason spot and a season that played out about as we expected, it's been incredibly taxing and I'm going to be very glad when it's over so I can just kick back and watch the postseason games without having to stay up late or drag my ass out of bad early to write another depressing recap.  Now onto the links!

- On Monday, William Juliano of The Captain's Blog commented on the pending retirements of Mo and Andy and in what direction that might spur the organization going forward.

- EJ Fagan of IIATMS/TYA displayed an interesting graphical representation of the Yankee farm system's rapid decline in the last 3-5 years, or Exhibit B in the case of why the Yanks aren't built to contend on a budget.

- On Tuesday, SJK of NoMaas questioned many of the late season lineup decisions that Joe was sticking with after the team's postseason hopes were dashed.

- On Wednesday, Andrew Mearns of Pinstriped Bible ranked the top 5 moments of Andy Pettitte's career.  Hard to argue with number 1.

- Chad Jennings of LoHud had all the quotes from CC Sabathia on his tough 2013, what he thinks the problems were, and what he's already doing to start re-working things for next season.

- El duque of It Is High... used the Mo bobblehead disaster as a reason to recap the state of the Yankee organization since Hank and Hal took over.

- Alex Pugliese of Yanks Go Yard commented on the double standard for Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez when it comes to PEDs.  A very fair point that too often gets passed over by the MSM.

- Mike Axisa of RAB analyzed the upcoming A-Rod suspension appeal and how each potential scenario would work in and against the Yankees' best interests.

- On Thursday, Clive Barker of The Greedy Pinstripes mused on Mo and Andy's retirement and the all but official end of the last great era of Yankee baseball that comes with it.

- SG of RLYW looked back at the history of Yankee 1st round draft picks and where Phil Hughes fits into that history now that his Yankee career is almost assuredly over.

- On Friday, Greg Corcoran of Bronx Baseball Daily weighed the pros and cons of this offseason's top 2 international FAs, Jose Abreu and Masahiro Tanaka, and how they could fit the Yankees' needs.

- Chris Mitchell of Pinstripe Pundits looked back on the never-ending rotation of warm bodies through the Yankee infield in 2013, and how bad the performance from the majority of that group was.

This week's jam is "Enter Sandman."  For obvious reasons.



Enjoy your weekends, everybody.

What A Moment

Awesome.  Undeniably awesome and hands down the most memorable moment of the season.

No, thank you, Mo.  Thank you.

Game 159 Wrap-Up: TB 4 NYY 0

(Courtesy of the AP)

There's nothing to really say about the first 7 innings of last night's game.  The Yankees as a baseball team are a dead stick, they know it, and they're playing like it.  Joe can say whatever he wants about respecting the game, but his team isn't stepping on the field with any real passion or desire to compete and it's putting a sour ending to what's already been a tough season.  The real story last night was Mariano Rivera's final appearance at Yankee Stadium and it was a memorable one.  He pitched well, got countless standing ovations, and got to share a really touching moment on the mound with Andy and Jeter when they came out to get him and give him a chance to walk off the Yankee Stadium mound to applause one more time.  It was a very emotional finish to an otherwise emotionless game.

Game Notes:

- Ivan Nova made his final start of the season and he was pretty good again.  He gave up a few hits early, but escaped thanks to some key double plays on well-located fastballs down in the zone.  He also had the curveball working for swings and misses, and got 3 Ks in the first 3 innings.

- He gave up his first run of the night on a single, walk, single combo to start the 4th, then loaded the bases with only 1 out.  Needing to limit the damage to give his offense a chance, he retired the next 2 batters to hold the game at 1-0.

- Not that it really mattered, because even with a few kids in the lineup it was still limp.  They got 1 hit off Tampa starter Alex Cobb through the first 7 innings - in the bottom of the 1st - and only Curtis Granderson reached second base after walking and stealing a bag in the 2nd.

- Nova made 1 bad mistake with a fastball to Delmon Young to lead off the top of the 7th and Young, still a Yankee killer, hit it for a home run to double the lead.  He gave way to Dellin Betances in the 8th and Betances promptly created a 2-run mess to set up Mo.

- The crowd was only there to see Mo and he gave them a helluva show.  With 2 on and 1 out, he escaped the 8th on 6 pitches, then he came out and retired the first 2 batters of the 9th to set up the dramatics.

- Wanting to give him a special send-off, Joe sent Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter out to the mound to get the ball from Mo.  As soon as they reached the mound and Mo hugged Andy, all the emotion came out of him in what was truly a touching sports moment.  3 teammates, together for the last time, the final image of the great Yankee dynasty of the last 15+ years.  Mo got the moment he deserved, the applause he deserved, the love he deserved, and the final score of the game didn't mean a thing.

Let's All Calm Down About The Reported Cano Contract Figures

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

With the season unofficially over as of last night, the focus has already shifted to the upcoming offseason and all the things the Yankees are going to have to address while building their 2014 roster.  The obvious number 1 topic of discussion on that list is Robinson Cano's free agency and what the Yankees will or won't be willing to pay to retain him.  That stayed quiet for the majority of the regular season, but business started picking up this morning when reports of a 10-year/$300 million proposal from Cano's camp came out.

Via Buster Olney (Insider only), the numbers are actually 10 years and $305 million, the total value of Alex Rodriguez's contract with the HR escalator bonuses included.  David Waldstein reported that the Yankees made an offer of 7 years/$161 mil earlier in the season and the distance between those 2 figures has set off a ton of talk around the Yankosphere about what it all means and what the Yankees should do.  Before things get too out of control, I'd like to offer a simple reminder to everyone who's concerned about the numbers.  Relax.  This is how it works.  It's each side making their first offer as part of a negotiation and there's no reason to get worked up.

What A Night For Phil

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

It may have looked like the last in a long line of embarrassing late season outings for Phil Hughes last night.  He was ineffective again and he got yanked after recording only 6 outs and after Joe stopped off to argue a bad call with the umpire before making his way to the mound to get the ball.  But it wasn't all gloom and fastballs over the middle.  Phil actually carved out some nice space for himself in the record books last night.

CC Already On The Road To Reinvention

While he won't make another start this season, and it's still unknown how his hamstring injury will impact his offseason training/throwing schedule, CC Sabathia has already started working on his mechanics and approach in preparation for what everybody hopes will be a bounce back 2014.

Sabathia spoke to the media at length on Tuesday about his struggles this season, what he needs to work on to be better next year, and what he's already started working on to make that transition from power pitcher to pitcher.  There were references to changes in delivery and mechanics, bullpen work between starts in the past few weeks, and most interestingly, Sabathia saying he's started watching video of opposing hitters.  It's not something he's ever done before this season, and Sabathia acknowledged the need to start doing it as part of his pregame preparation, saying:

“I feel like at certain times, I kind of fell in the same pattern, pitching the same way.  Hitters watch video and they know what to expect out of me, so it’s only right for me to do the same thing.  I've always been a guy that never watched video and that’s something that I need to change. My preparation for games probably needs to get a little better in that way."

I was a bit surprised to read that CC has never watched video before.  I figured in today's modern age of analysis that would be at least a small part of every pitcher's prep routine.  If it's something he thinks is going to help next year and he's already started doing it, then good for him for manning up and not being stubborn about changing.  It's what older pitchers have to do to survive, and CC recognizes that he's an older pitcher now.  If he's already begun the transformation of his game, that's reason to be encouraged about a turnaround next season.

Game 158 Wrap-Up: TB 8 NYY 3

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

The Yankees didn't score a single run against a shaky Matt Moore and the Tampa Bay bullpen on Tuesday night.  They trotted out arguably a worse lineup last night against David Price, so if he was even half as on his game as Moore was there was a good chance New York would be filling the scoreboard with zeros again.  Whatever.  If Joe plays the crappy veterans and they don't score, he's an idiot for not playing the kids.  If he subs them all out and they don't score, he's an idiot for putting a bunch of unproven youngsters up against a Cy Young winner.  Not that it would matter much with Phil Hughes on the mound.  He was making his final Yankee Stadium start and it went about as you'd expect.  He was out early, the game was over early, and the Yanks were officially eliminated from the Wild Card race.

Game Notes:

- Phil was his usual self.  He gave up a run on back-to-back doubles in the 1st and put 2 men on base before escaping the 2nd.  Fastballs over the middle, failure to put guys away with 2 strikes, the usual.  He had the whole arsenal working.

- He had runners on the corners with nobody out after a handful of pitches in the top of the 3rd, in part because Vernon Wells is old and shitty, and a few batters later it was curtains.  Hughes didn't retire a batter in the 3rd, left the bases loaded, and got barely a reaction from the lifeless crowd as he walked off the mound.  "Oof" and "da."

- At least the offense kept it close early.  Robinson Cano plated Eduardo Nunez in the 1st with a double to left that just missed being a home run, and Nunez took Price yard to lead off the bottom of the 3rd to make it a 3-2 game.

- That was as close as the Yanks would get.  David Huff pitched 2 scoreless innings in relief of Hughes before blowing up in the 6th.  With 2 outs in the inning he gave up a single to James Loney, a 3-run homer to Evan Longoria, and a solo HR to David DeJesus in 3 consecutive ABs to extend the Tampa lead to 7-2.

- The Yanks managed only 2 more hits against Price as he cruised through 7 with a 5-run lead, and scored their final meaningless run of the night on a Lyle Overbay bases loaded walk in the 8th.

- Lotta bullpen scrubs got work after Huff left, but for some reason Joe decided to use David Robertson for the 8th.  Longoria tacked on his second homer of the night off Preston Claiborne in the 9th for a final insult.

Goodbye To Hughes

(Ahh, the good old days... )

It's been a homestand full of finales and goodbyes, and it continues tonight when Phil Hughes takes the mound in place of CC Sabathia.  After having the rotation rearranged to remove him from what could have been an important series, Phil gets to step back on the Yankee Stadium mound one more time in what will in all likelihood be his final appearance as a New York Yankee.  Unsurprisingly, there's no pregame ceremony planned.  With the way Hughes' season has devolved, there's almost no point in even giving him the ball in the first place.

Wednesday Late Morning/Early Afternoon Food For Thought

Hiroki Kuroda in the 1st inning in 2013: 32.0 IP, 46 H, 8 BB, 21 ER, 5 HR

Kuroda in the 2nd-9th innings in 2013: 169.1 IP, 145 H, 35 BB, 53 ER, 15 HR

He said he doesn't have an explanation, and given the fact that it's been a season long problem it doesn't seem like Joe or Larry Rothschild do either.  Make no mistake though, the 1st inning has killed Hirok this season.  Subtract that inning and its terrible results and he's probably still in the hunt for the AL Cy Young.  It wouldn't be such a problem if he had some offensive support, but the current lineup Joe's rolling out is almost as short and powerless as it was during the lowest times of the summer.  Once the 1st inning was over last night, so was the game.

The Reason Joe Didn't Play The Kids Last Night

("And I played Wells too, BAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"  Courtesy of Getty Images)

With little to play for entering last night's game except pride, many around the blogopshere were calling for Joe to pull the plug on the sub-replacement level guys like Ichiro Suzuki, Vernon Wells, and Chris Stewart, and play the kids.  Knowing that you've got nothing to work with in those 3, it made sense for next season to see what you've got in guys like J.R. Murphy, Zoilo Almonte, and even David Adams and Dellin Betances.  Yet there were Ichiro's, Wells', and Stewart's names on last night's lineup card while the young guys stayed glued to the bench.

We all saw how that decision worked out and it wasn't pretty.  If you're upset at the call by Joe and don't understand why he did that, the answer is pretty simple.

Game 157 Wrap-Up: TB 7 NYY 0

(Game over.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

I have to admit, there's a small big part of me that enjoyed reading about all the Mo bobblehead night confusion and commotion last night.  I wasn't getting one anyway, so if all you lucky folks who did had to stand outside the stadium a little longer than you anticipated, good.  I hope you value that bobblehead.  And of course, with as perfect as the Mo ceremony on Sunday was, it came as no surprise that the team who paid Ichiro millions of dollars to play baseball for them for 2 full seasons couldn't go 2-for-2 and screwed up the bobblehead night.  Oh yeah, there was a baseball game last night too.  That kinda gets lost in the wash when the Yanks entered the game with a less than 1% chance of making the playoffs.  I wonder if they improved those chances.

Game Notes:

- For some reason, Hiroki Kuroda didn't have the feel for his stuff at the start of the game.  He gave up a leadoff home run to Matt Joyce and it only took him 11 pitches and 4 batters faced to make it a 3-0 Rays lead.

- The Yankee lineup, weak and unnecessarily veteran-heavy as it was, certainly made Matt Moore work early.  His command wasn't there either and they drew 5 walks against him in the first 3 innings.  They also only got 1 hit and had no runs to show for all their patience.

- Whatever it was that wasn't working for Hirok in the 1st got fixed quickly.  He held the Rays hitless through the next 4 innings, their only baserunner coming on an Eduardo Nunez error.

- Then he lost it in the top of the 6th and lost it in a big way.  Kuroda loaded the bases on a pair of walks and an Evan Longoria double and then gave up a 2-run double to James Loney to make it 5-0 Rays.  He didn't make it out of the inning.

- The offense stayed pathetic, scratching out 3 more measly hits from the 4th on and stranding all 3 runners.  Against the Tampa bullpen they managed just 1 hit and 4 strikeouts in 4 innings.

- Just for good measure, the Rays tacked on 2 in the 9th against Shawn Kelley.  In the end the people who waited in line all night to claim their bobbleheads didn't miss much and the Yankees are now 1 game away from playoff elimination.

Brendan Ryan Is My New Hero, And Needs To Be On The Team Next Year

(Oh so smoove.  Courtesy of the AP)

I have a confession to make.  I think I've got a little man crush on Brendan Ryan.  He's only been a Yankee for 11 games, but in those 11 games he's convinced me that he should absolutely be on the roster as the backup shortstop and de facto utility infielder next season.  It makes too much sense for him not to be on the roster.  He's exactly what the Yankees need at the position and a clear upgrade over any and everything they trotted out there this year in their lame attempt to cover for Derek Jeter's ankle.

Musing On The 2014 Bullpen

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

In case you couldn't figure it out, I'm pretty much done talking about the 2013 season.  It's been a long, disappointing, frustratingly repetitive season to write about, and with 6 games remaining and barely a whisper of a realistic playoff chance remaining I'm starting to turn my attention to next season.  I know, I know, it's probably not going to be much better next season.  I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.  For now I can still hope.

Any discussion about the 2014 Yankees starts with the roster.  The Yankees will be in the unenviable position of having to replace a lot of guys without the traditional means to do it.  Their $189 million payroll goal will put the clamps on their usual way of spending on the free agent market, in a way that will probably make this past offseason look like Black Friday, and they're extremely light on upper-level Minor League talent capable of stepping into everyday roles.  The lineup and the rotation will each have serious issues to address, but what about the bullpen?  The longstanding backbone of the Yankee roster every year is going to undergo a major overhaul and the Yankees aren't exactly preparing themselves well for it down the stretch of this season.

Yanks Put Six In Baseball America's Top 20 GCL Prospects List

Now that the Minor League season has officially been over for a few weeks, it's time to start rolling out the end-of-season top prospects lists.  Baseball America is posting their top 20 for the Rookie Gulf Coast League today, and the Yankees are well represented with 6 players making the list.

The 6 Yankee farmhands to make it, in order, are Luis Torrens (10th), Miguel Andujar (11th), Abi Avelino (13th), Gosuke Katoh (15th), Luis Severino (17th), and Thairo Estrada (20th).  That's an impressive number of reps at any level of the system, but it does come with the obvious disclaimer of the GCL being the lowest level of US pro ball.  These guys are all far too young to say definitively that any of them will be stars or even make the Majors.

Still, it's an encouraging sign that the lower levels of the system are stocked with potential to come up and fill that talent gap that exists in High and Low-A in the near future.  If you're a BA subscriber, you can log in and read the full write-up on each guy.  BA seems especially high on Torrens, praising his "sound hitting approach," and Avelino, who drew positive remarks for his offense and defensive tools.

How The Hell Is The 2014 Outfield Going To Work?

(1, or the number of wins these two have been worth this season.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

There was no shortage of heartbreaking, soul crushing, or facepalming plays in yesterday's 2-1 loss to the Giants.  Pick just about anything the Yankees did from the bottom of the 7th on and you're bound to come up with something that killed their chances to win what should have been an easy-to-win game on Mo Day.  The worst of the worst came when the Yanks were at the plate, which hardly comes as a surprise after 156 team games that have resulted in a .245/.309/.380 team batting line (.304 wOBA, 87 wRC+).

Vernon Wells and Ichiro Suzuki striking out with 2 men on and 1 out in the bottom of the 7th, while not the worst, was certainly on the medal stand of piss poor offensive moments yesterday.  To not even make contact in those at-bats and put the ball in play was the latest slap in the face example of how poorly the front office's plans for cutting payroll and remaining competitive were conceived.  Wells and Ichiro haven't just been bad at the plate this year, they've been terrible.  They're both coming back next year, as part of an outfield that could be even worse than the 2013 edition.