Tagged: Nady
Answering the questions and entrance themes…
Well I got two comments for my blog yesterday, both asking questions that I feel the need to answer. So let’s do this thing.
Julia (http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com) asks:
“The Yankees signed Swisher this off-season and now they want to trade him? What gives?”
Well first of all Julia, I know you’re a Sox fan, but the Yankees traded for Swishinator, they didn’t sign him…
Second of all, I want to say it’s some sort of brilliant strategy by Cashman to get pitching or to acquire somebody they actually want or to give opponents some false sense of security or something, but come on. You and me both know what went down.
The Yankees traded for Swisher thinking that they would need him to play in the outfield and play first base and that he’d be a nifty hitter for him. However, they completely forgot about him and signed Marky Mark Teixeira. One day they were looking at their roster and were like:
“Holy cucamunga quakes! We forgot about Nick Swisher!”
And so now they’re looking to trade either him or Xavier Nady. In all honesty, that’s the feeling I got from this and I’m probably right on this despite how much I don’t want to be.
metmetmet1 asks(I got a Met fan and a Red Sox fan commenting on my blog, ain’t that special?):
“WOuld you be able to tell me whats so special, besides durability, about Nick Swisher?”
Really, three things… one is that he’s still young and can improve on his bad season. Two is that he has a lot of pop in his bat; he can hit 30-35 homers a season. Three is that he has a great eye and actually has a shot at walking 100 times a year… he actually had exactly 100 in 07, 82 in 08, and 97 in 06. He’s got great plate discipline. Really, Swisher’s main flaw is his low average: .244 lifetime batting average, .219 BA in 2008. In spite of this, he can still contribute a lot to a lineup.
Before we continue, I’d like to correct something I said yesterday.
“… but I’d rather trade Nady than Swish. That’s just me.”
I meant I’d rather trade Swish than Nady… forgive my stupid little head.
In fact, now that we’re on the subject of Nady and Swish…
I’ve become a little more open about trading both of them.
I realize that our outfield is crowded and we could get a lot from those two guys. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to trade either of them, or even to trade both of them. We could get a lot in return. In fact, 08 was a career year for the X Man, and there’s a possibility he won’t put up those same numbers this year.
By trading Xavier Nady, we would be selling high and probably would get a lot more for him than he’s actualy worth. I’m a bit hesitant to do it since, well, I love Xavier Nady, but… sometimes, what has to be done has to be done.
Now let’s move on to something more fun!
When you think of Mo Rivera, you think of maybe the best closer of all time, at least in the top 10. You think of consistency over the years. You think of total dominance out of the bullpen. You think of that nasty cutter that has broken tons of bats, and you think of one of the most perfect mixes of velocity and command that a pitcher has ever shown. Well, not ever, but you get what I’m saying.
Also, you think of his classic entrance music when he comes in to salvage a ballgame: Enter Sandman by Metallica. When that song was played at Yankee Stadium and will be played in Yankee Stadium II, the crowd went/will go crazy. “MARIANO!” some will shout with glee. The stadium went/will shake with excitement.
Thinking about this amazing entrance, it only begs the question. what would your entrance music be if you were a closer? What would you want to come into to get the crowd excited?
There are so many choices, really. I often switch from one song to another. Right now I’d have to say Gunslinger by Avenged Sevenfold..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50c_wgp_UQ4&feature=related
But really, there are so many choices… please, leave a comment and answer!
Stay positive, Yankee fans.
-EJ the Kid from New York
Red Sox sign Saito
I hate the Red Sox.
I hate them. I absolutely detest them. I want to punch them in the face. That’s how bad I hate them.
They’ve signed Takashi Saito, a really strong bullpen pitcher who would’ve gotten more attention had he not ended 08 with an injury.
This is why I hate them… they’re sooo smart with their offseason acquisitions. They make all the smart signings and trades. They’ve also gotten Penny, Baldelli, Smoltz and earlier got Tazawa. It’s like… the Red Sox are off doing all of this and setting up their team to win with low-risk high-reward moves, while the Yanks are just throwing money at whoever is the biggest name. It’s frustrating.
What smart signings have WE made? Well for starters, we signed Kevin Cash. …really? Kevin Cash? Why Cash? What does Cash do that is so special? He has no power, can’t hit, all he really does is catch a knuckleball, and, in case y’all haven’t noticed, THE YANKEES DON’T HAVE A KNUCKLEBALLER.
We also recently signed Angel Berroa. …what’s Angel Berroa going to do? I mean, it’s a low risk low reward move. He’s got speed and.. that’s it as far as I’m concerned. He won rookie of the year with the Royals in 03. With this in mind, he’s 30 years old and stinks. That’s about it. Maybe the Yankees signed him to compete for the backup infield job(with Doug Bernier?). It’s not like he’s going to kill us if he doesn’t succeed… so I don’t mind this signing at all. However, it’s most likely that Berroa will not do anything for us.
Let’s move on…
Apparently the Yankees are shopping Nady and Swisher.
No. Don’t trade Nady. Don’t. Please do not trade Xavier Nady. I love Nady, he’s a good hitter and a good player and I predicted him going to the Bronx! Don’t trade HIM! I’m not exactly too happy about trading Swishinator either… but I’d rather trade Nady than Swish. That’s just me.
Anyways, no matter how hard it gets, I will always try to stay positive, and I hope you do the same.
Stay positive Yankee fans.
-EJ the Kid From New York
Let The Games Begin
Let the games begin.
The Yankees have scored 23 runs in the past 3 games, sweeping the Orioles. We’ve gotten timely, clutch hitting. We’ve gotten clutch pitching. We’ve gotten the outs when we needed to. We’ve been able to pile on and leave the opposing team behind. These are the Yankees we were expecting at the beginning of the year.
The main problem this season for the Bombers is the Yanks’ lack of capitalization. When the big hits were required, they weren’t coming. When the big pitches needed to be made, they weren’t. The Yankees had to rely on homers and occasional RBI hits to win games, and they needed a pitching staff to shut the opposing team down. The Yankees had unrealistic expectations for their pitching staff, and you gotta admit, the pitchers have done better than all expectation.
But now it’s time to get real. The real Yankees have showed up, and now they’ve gotta stick around and beat up all the times that bother trying to face them. We’ve got to hope. We’ve got to hope. We’ve got to cheer on the team, and hope that the playoffs are coming home to the Bronx this year. So let the games begin!
A brand new, full, that’s right I said it, full episode of The Squad is coming tomorrow.
Boom.
Well, maybe we are still alive. I highly doubt it, but this team showed me so much yesterday that you have to wonder if a comeback is coming. They came back from 2 deficits with big hits and big homers. The bullpen showed that it’s still dominant. The offense showed what they really can do. Will we see more of that? Only time will tell. But right now, we gotta hope that this will continue, that the playoffs will be back in the Bronx this season.
I’m hosting an in-gamer tonight, it starts at 6:00. Please, stop by and watch the game with us, it’s going to be a good one in all likelihood.
Yankees Crush O’s 13-3; FARNSWORTH TRADED!
Yankees Crush O’s 13-3; FARNSWORTH TRADED!
Well, the Yankees whooped the Baltimore Orioles’ butt. Seriously, we spanked around those O’s. We got back at them for the first two games of pain and punishment. We smacked them around. 2 homers by Bobby, a homer by A-Rod, a great performance by Joba, 2 RBI Doubles by Nady, even an RBI single by Christian. It was a great game. I loved it. I’m sure all the Yankee fans in the world loved it. But apparently, the game was not the biggest part of the day, suprisingly.
Kyle Farnsworth, our set-up reliever, the one with great stuff who Girardi exercised so much patience and confidence in, is no longer with the Yankees. We have traded him to the Detroit Tigers, and who did we get back? Well, none other than 14-time-All-Star and 13-Time Gold Glover catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. I, of course, think we won this trade. Not only that, I think that we blew out this trade. We owned this trade. Sure, Pudge isn’t what he used to be, but he’s a pretty solid offensive producer. He’s hitting close to 300, and he runs pretty well too, with 6 steals. Plus, he’s always had an absolute cannon behind the plate, and he is rock solid defensively. We give up a guy who has great stuff and was having a pretty good season, but he’s inconsistent. He gives up too many homers when he’s off, he’s off. You don’t know what you can get from him. So, we once again bolster our team, adding a great defensive and a pretty good offensive catcher. Plus, he adds a great veteran influence who has plenty of experience and won a World Series. I wish Farnsworth well, I hope he pitches well for Detroit, in fact, I think he could be closer for the Tigers for a period of time.
Alright, time for the next segment;
7 Years From Now…
Alright! Welcome to a brand new segment that I’ve been thinking about for a long while! Here, we talk about very young, lower-level prospects who could become big, impact players about 7 years from now. These guys have great talent and a big future ahead of them. Here are today’s first three!
#1: Dellin Betances
Dellin Betances is a BIG prospect. He’s one of those lesser-known prospects, but he is a TREMENDOUS part of the future of the New York Yankees. The 20-year-old Betances is 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds. His stuff is overpowering; a mid-90s fastball with heavy movement that continues to improve. He has a developing PLUS knuckle-curveball and a good changeup that also continues to improve. He has good command, though he sometimes has difficulty repeating his delivery as usual tall pitchers do. This guy will be an ace one day, and I’m really high on him. He’s dominating Charleston, with a mid-3s ERA and well over a strikeout per inning. 7 years from now, he’ll have All-Star appearances under his belt and All-star appearances in the future.
#2: Jairo Heredia
Jairo Heredia is 19-years old, but he pitches like he’s 29-years old. The Dominican starter has very good control that only gets better. He has a low-90s fastball that he throws for quality strikes. He has a big overhand-curveball that, when located well(which is pretty often) can dominate. He has a 3rd pitch, a changeup, but it really isn’t as good as his first two pitches and will improve over time. At times he throws too many strikes and he needs to build up his stamina, but he can be a solid starter. In 7 years I see him pitching well at the major league level and improving even more as time goes on.
#3: Brandon Laird
Brandon Laird is a big power hitter. He has 12 homers in the GCL this year. He’s got power to all fields, and he’s got plenty of it. He hits righties and lefties out of the park. He’s a big guy who, when he gets a hold of one, can send it out. The 20-year-old (turns 21 on 9/11) corner-infielder also has a plus arm, however he doesn’t have much accuracy with it. Laird also has good plate discipline that’ll get better as time goes on and he matures. The younger brother of Gerald has a future with the Yankees, considering he’s probably their best 1st base prospect and Jason Giambi is at the end of his career. 7 years from now I can see him tearing up the majors, though not yet fully reaching his stride.
Information from River Ave. Blues and Pending Pinstripes.
Final Thoughts
Well, it’s time for the blog to come to a close, but before I do that, it’s time to keep up the new tradition of the Bold Statement of the Day! If you’re new to the blog here and you don’t know what this is, well, you better aks somebody(not a typo). Here’s today’s Bold Statement of the Day!
The Yankees, led by Xavier Nady and Pudge Rodriguez, will beat the Angels and Mark Texeira in the upcoming 4-game-set.
My Bold Predictions and Bold Statements are always positive towards the Yankees… anyway, you heard it here first, Nady and Pudge are going to lead the Yankees to a series win against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Thanks for reading, see you after tomorrow’s game, I’ll have a brand new, fun post.
Stay positive, Yankee fans! Have a good day.
-EJ/Kid From New York
Cano Keeps It Up, Yanks Take Series, Make it 8 Straight
Cano Keeps It Up, Yanks Take Series, Make it 8 Straight
Well, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again;
Life is good in Yankeeland.
Everything is going well; the starting pitching is great, the bullpen is awesome, the offense is on fire, the defense is sparkling. Nothing is stopping the Yankees. We’re unstoppable.
Led by Robinson Cano, the offense has come up with clutch hits (or hit by pitches, I’m lookin’ at you, Jose). The offense has been able to bury teams, something they weren’t doing earlier. They’ve given the team big leads, and with this superb pitching, we’ve been able to depress opposing teams’ fans. A-Rod’s come up big at times, Abreu’s come up big at times. But none, I repeat, none, have gone nearly as big as a young man by the name of Robinson Jose Cano.
Cano, in the 8 games since the All-Star Break(all of which the Yankees have won), Cano has a hit in each. Sounds good, right? You don’t know the half of it. 7 of those eight games were multi-hit games. Now your eyes are wide open, and you’re in disbelief. Now let’s go even further; in those eight games, he’s driven in 10 runs. There’s no possible way he’s not Player of the Week. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say that if Cano isn’t Player of the Week, it’s because MLB hates the Yankees. There’s simply nobody else that can come nearly as close to Cano’s redhotness. It’s pretty much impossible. He’s just destroyed opposing pitching.
Speaking of pitching, let’s talk about tonight’s pitcher.
Houdini of Aruba
There’s a lot of nicknames to call Sidney Ponson. Sid the Kid… El Sid… Sid the Great. I call him Houdini. He doesn’t dominate. He doesn’t embarass hitters. He doesn’t have phenomenal stuff. But he has a low-90s sinker and he’s a scrappy, work-hard pitcher. He doesn’t have the benefit of great stuff like a C.C. Sabathia or a Josh Beckett. But he works hard. He gets himself into bad jams, and he works out of them, somehow. That’s why Ponson is Houdini.
Ponson has pitched 4 games for the Yankees. He hasn’t dominated, he hasn’t gone farther than the 6th inning, and he’s given up at least 5 hits. But he’s pitched well in 3 of those games, against the Mets and Rays, two big games. He hasn’t struck out more than 4 hitters. But he’s won 2 games, and he’s pitched pretty well. He’s gotten out of his own pickles; bases-loaded, no outs twice in the Mets game and he got out of it. If Sidney Ponson can do what he’s done before; 6 innings, 2 or 3 runs, 7 hits, 4 Ks, and pass it to the bullpen, we’ll have the Red Sox swept. The offense, the bullpen, the defense, they’re all too good right now.
Final Thoughts
Okay, it’s a short blog post, but it’s still a good one, so hah. Here’s everybody’s favorite segment, the beloved Bold Statement of the Day! Yaaaaaay! Okay, so after tons of thinking, here it is…
Xavier Nady will go on a tear in the very near future.
It’s quite a bold one. It’s quite a difficult thing to predict hot streaks, but I just feel like he’s right there, and that he’s ready to drive some balls. He’s only played one day, but… that’s what I feel.
Thanks for reading my blog post, guys. It’s time to say what I usually say;
Stay positive, Yankees fans!
-EJ/Kid From New York
Joba vs. Beckett: The Boskees Rivalry Continues
Joba vs. Beckett: The Boskees Rivalry Continues
Yes, the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is alive and well! The two top teams in the AL East(no offense, Tampa Bay) will face off again this season, as the two hated rivals go at it. This is a big, nay, HUGE series considering the condition the AL East is in right now. And what a way to start off the series as well; the young flamethrowers from both teams go at it today. Joba Chamberlain from our proud Yankees goes for us(I predicted he’d dominate today), and Josh Beckett, who I think is overrated, pitches for Boston. Both pitchers have absolute filthy stuff. Joba with his great fastball, solid slider and big curve, and Josh Beckett with his flaming 4-seamer, his great curveball, and his hard sinker. Oh yes, this is potentially one of those games you just want to record and watch over and over again.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to record it with all the things we record on this HUGE flat-screen HD Sharp Aquos TV(which I really do have), but if I can, I will. It’s going to be a fun game. Big hits, great pitches, fantastic defensive plays. Nailbiting at-bats, homers, doubles, strikeouts, homerun catches, and all sorts of out-of-the-ordinary plays. One thing we’ll be looking for, of course, are the brawls. People will get plunked. Brushback pitches are encouraged. Hard slides and dirty plays are encouraged. Fighting is all part of the fun of a big Red Sox-Yankees game. This is going to be exciting.
The AL East is tight. The Wild Card? Tight. Be sure to push and shove and claw and pull your way to a win. What’s this about the integrity of baseball? Screw the integrity of baseball. What about the integrity of an awesome rivalry? It’s all in good fun, anyway.
What about Kevin “Mommy, he poked me!” Youkilis? What about Jason “Set up inside… very inside” Varitek? Let’s hit those guys! Why don’t we show Pedroia who’s boss with a good hard slide? Why don’t we line one up the middle and test Papelbon’s reflexes? That’s what we’re here for! That’s why we watch this game. That’s why this series is so hyped. The hostility, the passion, the excitement, and, who are we kidding– the BRAWLS!
Alright, so in today’s edition of The Squad, we’ll do the 2nd edition of who’s next, I’ll give my Bold Statement of the Day, and that’ll be it. It’s a quick blog post today. So, let’s start with the second edition of everybody’s favorite Minor League section, whoooo’s NEXT!
Who’s Next?
So it’s time for everybody’s favorite Minor League Section, Who’s Next? In this section, we look at three Yankees prospects who are having big success in the minors that could possibly be up at the end of the season. So here we go! Number 1!
JB Cox
Otherwise known as James Brent Cox or J. Brent Cox, Cox has been a big prospect for the Yanks for a couple of years. A closer in college, Cox is a solid relief pitcher who is up there with the replacement for Mo Rivera when he finally decides to call it a career. Cox replaced Huston Street as the closer for the University of Texas, and Cox is similar to Street. He throws from that same 3/4 angle as Street, and he sports a very good low-90s moving fastball, with sinking action. His best pitch, however, is his hard slider. He doesn’t strike out many, but he’s pitched well enough to be called up. His 3.23 ERA in 39 innings in Tampa, Trenton, but mostly Scranton/Wilkes-Barre(Wassup Tara?), is solid. The 24-year-old has a place in the Yankees bullpen.
Matt Carson
With Hideki Matsui possibly out for the season, the Yankees could trade for Jason Bay or Xavier Nady. Or, they can do what they’ve always done and keep going from within. Matt Carson is probably the next guy up after Gardner. He’s hitting .305 with 5 homers and 7 steals in AAA ball right now. He doesn’t really do anything specifically well; he’s a guy who is an-all-around decent player. He’s got pretty good speed, average power, and pretty good average. He could have a role in the majors if Gardner’s struggles continue any longer.
Phil Coke
Phil Coke is one of those odd names that nobody really knows, but is having a great year. Coke throws in the low-90s and has great command, but his secondary pitches are so-so at best. He is, however, dominating AA ball. He has a 2.60 ERA in 114.1 innings, with only 38 walks. He isn’t a dominating-type pitcher at all, but his control and his sinker have gotten the starter here, and if he improves his secondary pitches, he’ll be a successful major league lefty. Since the Yankees are apparently looking for a lefty, Coke may be called up in September or around there to serve as a LOOGY, or maybe a spot starter.
Final Thoughts
Alright, kiddies! It’s time for everybody’s favorite section, the Bold Statement of the Day! If you’re new to the blog, in this section I say something that’s arguable and stands out. So now it’s time for the Bold Statement of the Day!
Here it is:
Derek Jeter will have a very big impact on this series; offensively and defensively.
That would definitely be something. Jeter hasn’t done much this season, but Red Sox fans hate him, and he does come up clutch often, so, let’s hope we see that.
BREAKING NEWS: Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte of the Pirates have been traded. There’s speculation that they have been traded to the Yankees for Ross Ohlendorf(alright…), Phil Coke(okay, okay), George Kontos(alright, fine…) and Jose Tabata(oh snap). If this is true, well, none of those guys really stand out other than Tabata, and Tabata has struggled in his first season, so… okay, I can deal with it. It’s still only a report, it’s not official yet.
Stay positive, Yankees fans!
-EJ/Kid From New York
Another Jampacked Post!
Another Jampacked Post!
Yes, that’s right, readers (all 3 of you). I’m doing another big post here, and this time, it may be bigger than I’ve ever done! Let’s begin, then, with the first topic.
Fuentes To The Yankees?
It’s been a pretty big topic in Yankee-land. As the trade deadline approaches, Brian Fuentes is still pretty much on the trading block. There are rumors of Fuentes going to the Rays and to the Yankees. Reportedly, Colorado is asking for quite highly-touted prospects from Tampa Bay and New York. They want Wade Davis (one of the best pitching prospects in the game, says milb.com) and Jeremy Hellickson, who figures to be a very solid starter, not an ace, but up there. From the Yankees, they want Mark Melancon (who’s absolutely positively dominating AA right now with huge stuff) and possibly another prospect. Apparently, the Rockies think Fuentes is such hot stuff, when really he’s just a very good reliever. If Fuentes threw from his right arm, there really would be less interest in him.
Still, if somehow the Yankees decide to make this deal and Brian Fuentes is a Yankee, well, it would look something like that picture I showed before I started typing. The picture is of Brian Fuentes in a Yankee uniform from my very favorite video game, MLB 08 The Show(again, SUMMER VACATION ROCKS!). If Fuentes were a Yankee, he would be a solid 8th inning guy, which the Yanks need less than people think they do. Again, it’s just the fact that Fuentes throws from his left arm that makes him so valuable. But this is no knock to Brian Fuentes; he can shut down a lineup. He can get those tough lefty hitters out. Plus, he’s a pure setup guy. He’ll allow Veras and Farnsworth(who’s a lot better now) to rotate in the 7th inning. That’ll give Veras and Farnsworth the days off they need. When Bruney comes back(if Bruney comes back) in around late August to early September, this bullpen should be solid, Fuentes or no Fuentes.
But don’t get me wrong, I like Fuentes on this team. He’s a closer, so if for some reason Mo needs a day off, Fuentes is there. He’s a lefty with good stuff, which is perfect for this team because, of course, the lefties have not been doing what they should be (Billy Traber, I’m looking at you). A bullpen that looks a little deep right now would be pretty deep with Fuentes there. Plus, he’s fun to watch. He throws from a sidearm angle, which is death on lefties. I have a feeling that if Fuentes comes here, there’ll be more than a few times where you can just kick back and say, “I’m glad he’s here.” But if he doesn’t come over… oh well.
Last Night’s Game
It was certainly not a good night for the New York Yankees. Last night, the Yankees and Pirates made up a game from earlier this year during interleague play that was rained out before it became an official game.
In that game, the Yankees led off against Paul Maholm with 4 consecutive extra-base-hits; a double, a double, a triple and a double. We took a comfortable early lead, and from there we were pretty much smoothly rolling. Mike Mussina pitched pretty well, and we were winning. But in the make-up game, it was not so howdy-doody. The Yankees offense was silent, as the only 2 runs the Yanks scored came on a 2-run single from Bobby Abreu to tie up the ballgame. The following inning, Nate McClouth hit a 2-run jack and we lost.
Thanks to rain, the Yankees probably lost a W. I hated the rain before; I hate it more now.
Xavier Nady to the Yankees?
More trade talk! I think that the Yankees are really looking at Xavier Nady to acquire in a trade this year. Nady seems to be the right guy to get for the Yankees. The Pirates probably do not a high asking price in terms of prospects, he’s a good hitter, he hits from the right side(lefties have killed the Yanks this season), and he can play left field(both Yankee left fielders on the DL). He’s also had a great year so far where at the beginning he was in the Top 5 in RBIs in the Major Leagues.
Now I don’t know if the Yankees are discussing Nady with the Pirates or not, but I think the Yankees would like having him on the squad.
Final Thoughts
Well, the Yankees lost last night, but there’s a good chance we can take this series win. The Blue Jays are missing two of their best starters, their young talented 2nd baseman, and their Gold Glove and potential 20-20 center fielder. Plus, even with those guys, the Blue Jays were disappointing. They aren’t hitting well, and when you combine that with redhot pitching on the Yankees part, we have a chance to take this series and make sure Toronto won’t be a part of this AL East race. Feel free to leave comments, in fact, please leave comments, Yankee fans.
-EJ/Kid From New York
The Squad 