Baseball - 2016

[mikeyank]

I find myself greatly anticipating tonight at Yankee Stadium as they sold out the house for one last goodbye for Alex Rodriguez. There will be pomp and ceremony as one of the most controversial Yankees ever says his goodbye to The Bronx. He is guaranteed another $25 million I think for next year so even though the Yanks are releasing him, I think another team may sign him, perhaps his hometown Miami Marlins to draw some big crowds in his quest for 700 home runs as the Yankees are obligated to pay him the bulk of the money.

Alex helped the Yankees win just one World Series in 2009, but it has been quite a 12 year stretch since they signed him back in 2004.
Thanks for the memories A-Rod!

 

[mikeyank]

Well, somehow the baseball gods were once again at Yankee Stadium last night as everthing worked out great. They had the pre-game ceremony with dark clouds over the Stadium and just as they were concluding and A-Rod was presented with two memento gifts from his teammates and the Steinbrenner family with his mom and his two daughters by his side, there was a roar of thunder and lightening and it started pouring, symbolic of A-Rod's career.

After the heavy rain there was a rainbow in the sky and as they played the game in his first at bat A-Rod lined a double to right to drive in the final run of his career, (maybe). And in the ninth inning Yankee manager Joe Girardi put A-Rod in the field for one out at third base, his old position and then took him out of the game to a thunderous ovation from the crowd. A very turbulent and troubled Yankee career ended on a dramatic high note!!!

 

[mikeyank]

A post script to Friday's finale for A Rod was Saturday when the Yankees promoted two minor league players to the Yanks and they made their major league debut on the sunny ultra hot day at Yankee Stadium. Twenty-four year old's Tyler Austin and "giant" Aaron Judge, 6'7" 230 pounds batted back to back in the Yankee lineup and became the first ever pair of rookies to hit home runs in the same game in their first major league at bats, and they were "back to back".

It was kind of symbolic with the changing of the guard from A-Rod to the "Baby Bombers"! I love baseball and the Yankees!!!!

 

[tampa24]

6'7'' and 230 lbs? Well alright! haha

I wonder if the rest of him is in proportion.

 

[mikeyank]

6'7'' and 230 lbs? Well alright! haha

I wonder if the rest of him is in proportion.

Not all that cute but definitely a big boy!

The other kid Tyler Austin hasn't played as much after his debut, but he's more my type!

 

[tampa24]

Agreed. Looks-wise at least. But can they type? haha That will be the real question long term.

 

[mikeyank]

2016 World Series

The end of the 2016 season is upon us with the World Series beginning tonight. I am not usually that into the series unless my Yankees are involved, but this is an intriguing match-up as the Chicago Cubs last won a world series in 1908 and Cleveland in 1948, so a long drought will end for one of these traditional baseball cities, and the Cubs play in one of the two old time ball parks, along with the Boston Red Sox. I've had the privilege to see about five or six games over the years in Chicago's Wrigley Field on the north side of Chicago and while they've made some improvements over the years, one still feels like you are in a different era when watching a game in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field with the ivy covered walls.

And both teams have a Yankee relief pitcher from earlier this year as the Yanks unloaded them for young prospects, so I will watch closely when Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman come in for their respective teams. I am mostly rooting for the Cubbies but it will be a fun series to observe.

 

[mikeyank]

Aroldis Chapman signs reported 5-year, $86 million deal with Yankees

I just read that the Yankees are getting back the 100 mph + flame throwing relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman back for five years. They traded him to the Cubs last summer for a bunch of great prospects including a 19 year old great shortstop prospect named Gleyber Torres, plus others and now we got Chapman back too.

Great news for Yankee fans everywhere!!!!!! Merry Christmas to me!!!!! lol

 

[mikeyank]

Sunday April 2nd will begin a new season with ALL teams tied for first place, where hope springs eternal. The weather on the east coast has been cool and rainy but my Yankees open up in the dome in St. Petersburg Florida against the Rays, so I should have no worries about a rain or snow out for opening Day. The Yankees are rebuilding but have three young players with lots of hope for the future, catcher Gary Sanchez, first baseman Greg Bird and right fielder Aaron Judge, with many more still in the minors developing for the future.

I know that Peter roots for the Mariners

and Stowe for the Pirates,

Tampa for, guess who? Tampa. lol

and Johnny loves the San Francisco catcher Buster Posey.

But whatever team you may root for, I am always very happy that the long hard winter is over when the umpire yells, "Play Ball" on Opening Day. Yeaaahhhh!!!!!

 

[mikeyank]

 

[stowe1]

Yeah, mikey, I've been working my way through SI's MLB preview issue. I always keep that issue until the end of the season to see how well the so-called experts' predictions held up. As we have discussed several times, I've always been a Yankees fan since the days of my childhood when the Baltimore Orioles were in the International League and then there is the fact that the Sultan of Swat was from Baltimore. When the O's moved up to the majors then I cheered for them and the Yanks and when they play each other, then my loyalties go with my hometown team. Never paid much attention to the NL until I married Pat who was from Pittsburgh so I became a Piraes fan. And of course I've lived in the 'Burgh for almost 34 years so I'm a Pirates fan through and through. Unless they play the O's then I cheer for them - if I didn't my Father would send bad karma from Heaven because he was an inveterate Orioles fan.

 

[mikeyank]

I'm usually at work on Mondays but my company is closed for Passover week, so it works out that I am home to watch the Yankees home opener on a beautiful 70 degree day from the "cathedral" in the Bronx, Yankee Stadium in front of a jam packed sell out crowd. I just watched the opening day ceremonies and the game is about to begin, and I love opening day, I love baseball and I love the Yankees.

 

[mikeyank]

It all turned out great for the Yanks, winning 8-1, and their starting pitcher Michael Pineda had a perfect game going into the seventh inning, and he did strike out eleven and the Yanks hit three home runs sending home the sell out crowd in a very happy mood! I'm going to my first game in late May this year and hope for a similar fun day!

Here are some images from today at The Stadium!

 

[Buckeye1]

The end of the 2016 season is upon us with the World Series beginning tonight. I am not usually that into the series unless my Yankees are involved, but this is an intriguing match-up as the Chicago Cubs last won a world series in 1908 and Cleveland in 1948, so a long drought will end for one of these traditional baseball cities, and the Cubs play in one of the two old time ball parks, along with the Boston Red Sox. I've had the privilege to see about five or six games over the years in Chicago's Wrigley Field on the north side of Chicago and while they've made some improvements over the years, one still feels like you are in a different era when watching a game in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field with the ivy covered walls.

And both teams have a Yankee relief pitcher from earlier this year as the Yanks unloaded them for young prospects, so I will watch closely when Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman come in for their respective teams. I am mostly rooting for the Cubbies but it will be a fun series to observe.

I know I'm a little late with this, but I just found this pic, thought it was cute and wanted to share it with you guys.

 

[mikeyank]

I know I'm a little late with this, but I just found this pic, thought it was cute and wanted to share it with you guys.

View attachment 17669

That is funny Robb, but I actually thought that Stowe might be making a post on this thread this weekend, as the Yankees are making a rare weekend visit to Pittsburgh and I have fallen in love with their ball park PNC Park with the Golden Bridge named after their great Roberto Clemente where the fans walk across the river to go to the games.

And the Yankees and Pirates have a rich history together going back to the classic 1960 World Series where the Pirates outslugged the Yanks with Bill Mazeroski hitting a game winning homer that will forever remain in Pittsburgh mythology, and they have a statue for him at PNC Park as well as for Roberto Clemente.

Pretty cool stuff. I do love the history of the game as well as the current game!

 

[Buckeye1]

Do they have artificial turf or real grass? Either way, it is beautiful.

 

[mikeyank]

Do they have artificial turf or real grass? Either way, it is beautiful.

View attachment 17675

It's real Robb. The only artificial turf left in baseball is in the few domes, like Tampa Bay and Toronto. I'm not sure about Seattle as they have a retractable one, but real grass is a lot prettier than artificial and better for the players as there are less injuries on the real thing.

 

[stowe1]

Hockey playoffs are my main concentration now, mikey, although I knew the Yanks were in town over the weekend. As we've discussed previously, not a big baseball fan generally (game too long for me; if it ended after 6 innings, I'd be happier - lol), although I read about the Buccos in the morning paper (I believe we took the series 2-1 - lol!!!). After the all star break I begin to follow bb a little more closely heading into the playoffs, championships and the Series. Thanks for kind words about PNC Park. It is a gem; I've been to a few games in the past. Not any more - too much walking for my tired old feet and legs.

 

[mikeyank]

A post script to Friday's finale for A Rod was Saturday when the Yankees promoted two minor league players to the Yanks and they made their major league debut on the sunny ultra hot day at Yankee Stadium. Twenty-four year old's Tyler Austin and "giant" Aaron Judge, 6'7" 230 pounds batted back to back in the Yankee lineup and became the first ever pair of rookies to hit home runs in the same game in their first major league at bats, and they were "back to back".

It was kind of symbolic with the changing of the guard from A-Rod to the "Baby Bombers"! I love baseball and the Yankees!!!!

6'7'' and 230 lbs? Well alright! haha

I wonder if the rest of him is in proportion.

Not all that cute but definitely a big boy!

Well, that was last August when Aaron Judge made his major league debut. This season he is tied for the major league lead in home runs with ten, and he is hitting monster shots Last night's home run set a record for "exit velocity", the new stat that measures the speed that a pitch leaves the bat.

From MLB.com:

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | @BryanHoch | April 28th, 2017 + 57 COMMENTS
NEW YORK -- All rise; the verdict is in. Aaron Judge now owns the hardest-hit home run in the Statcast™ Era, toppling Giancarlo Stanton's previous record with a 119.4-mph rocket that landed in Monument Park during Friday's wild 14-11 Yankees win over the Orioles at Yankee Stadium.

And Aaron Judge is bigger than I had thought last year.

Height 6′ 7″, Weight 282 lbs

But he is lean and muscular, No fat on this kid.

 

[mikeyank]

A post script to Friday's finale for A Rod was Saturday when the Yankees promoted two minor league players to the Yanks and they made their major league debut on the sunny ultra hot day at Yankee Stadium. Twenty-four year old's Tyler Austin and "giant" Aaron Judge, 6'7" 230 pounds batted back to back in the Yankee lineup and became the first ever pair of rookies to hit home runs in the same game in their first major league at bats, and they were "back to back".

It was kind of symbolic with the changing of the guard from A-Rod to the "Baby Bombers"! I love baseball and the Yankees!!!!

Last August on the day that A-Rod left the Yankees they promoted two kids from the minor leagues and one of them Aaron Judge, after struggling last year is having a monster first sixty games of the 2017 season, leading the league in home runs, batting average, runs batted in and runs scored. On Saturday his home run had an exit velocity of 121 miles per hour, which is the fastest a ball has left the bat in the two year history of that stat. And yesterday he hit a monster 495 foot home run that is the furthest a ball has traveled so far this season. All Rise. Here comes the Judge!