Sabathia's PitCCh In Foundation fields NYC Marathon team

"This was definitely not something on my bucket list," Amber Sabathia said. "I have never run in my life. Even when I worked out, I would never get on the treadmill. I've totally transformed into something that I never thought I could be, which is amazing."

The Sabathias' PitCCh In Foundation is fielding a 15-member team for the marathon, raising funds for signature programs in the tri-state area that include youth backpacks and a holiday caravan. Former NFL star Tiki Barber and Alexis Stoudemire, the wife of Knicks standout Amar'e Stoudemire, are also on the roster.

The PitCCh In Foundation backed a five-runner team for last year's marathon, and while tracking their progress over the 26.2-mile course, Amber told foundation program director Candy Crary that she was feeling inspired to lace up her sneakers.

"I turned to Candy and said, 'I'm doing it next year,'" Amber recalled. "She said, 'No, Amber, you can't. This takes a lot of time.' I said, 'If they can run for our foundation and they're fundraising, then I'm going to do it, too.'"

The baseball family has lent its support. Amber's CrowdRise page has raised more than $70,000 in donations, with contributors including the families of Carlos Beltran, Prince Fielder, Joe Girardi, Cliff Lee, Brandon McCarthy and David Robertson.

"They're so tired of me sending them e-mails for support. They can't wait for it to be over," Amber said, with a laugh. "I've been getting so much support from the wives and the baseball world. There are so many players that have sent out and are supporting."

Amber said that her marathon preparations started 16 weeks ago, walking four miles on the first day of training. She could hardly walk the next day, an important lesson on the importance of recovery; CC has been able to help with some of his baseball gear, like an ice machine and compression pants.

"As athletes, they know what goes into it," Amber said. "Even eating -- I'm so hungry all the time. I didn't know that by running, you can be burning 2,500 calories. You've got to replenish, because that helps the recovery."

Training has been a common theme in the household; CC is recovering from right knee surgery with expectations of being ready for Spring Training, recently saying that he expects to pitch 200 innings in 2015. The offseason has allowed him to be available to help in other ways.

"He's very supportive," Amber said. "The next day after I do a long run, he'll always get the kids up and take them to school for me. I told him, 'Monday and Tuesday, I'm out. I'm not here, I'm not available after this marathon.'

"One question he did ask me, which was really funny, he said, 'You know, we would be in the World Series right now. Which one would be more important?' I said, after these 16 weeks of training, it would be the marathon."

Amber said that her goal on Sunday is to finish in under five hours, and she has been picking up bits and pieces of advice along the way -- removing her earbuds along Manhattan's First Avenue, for example, to absorb the roar of the crowd. She also plans to use landmarks to count down the miles to the finish line.

"I'm excited about the bridges, and being able to run on those to really get a push," Amber said. "I just looked at the map right now and counted the bridges, so in my mind once I get out of the Bronx after that fourth bridge, it's six miles. Mentally, I'll know that and be ready."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jeter's farewell receives seven GIBBY nominations

"I couldn't believe what had happened," Jeter said then. "I've been a part of a lot of big moments in my career. I've been fortunate and lucky to be on the field, and that was just another one. I couldn't have thought of a better way for it to end in New York."

The Yankees' April 17 triple play on a ball hit by the Rays' Sean Rodriguez earned recognition as a candidate for the year's top Play: third baseman Yangervis Solarte to second baseman Brian Roberts to first baseman Scott Sizemore, with CC Sabathia pitching.

There are off-beat items included, like eccentric infielder Brendan Ryan catching raindrops in his mouth (Oddity) and an appearance by Jeter's nephew, Jalen, whose adorable cap tips highlighted this year's Cut4 topics.

Major League Baseball's A-listers will take home 2014 GIBBY trophies -- the ultimate honors of the industry's awards season -- based on votes by media, front-office personnel, MLB alumni, fans at MLB.com and the Society for American Baseball Research.

This year's GIBBY Awards feature nominees in 23 categories. Individual honors will go to the MLB MVP, in addition to the year's best Starting Pitcher, Hitter, Closer, Setup Man, Rookie, Breakout Hitter, Breakout Pitcher, Bounceback Player, Defensive Player, Manager, Executive and Postseason Performer.

GIBBY trophies also will be awarded for the year's top Play, Outfield Throw, Storyline, Hitting Performance, Pitching Performance, Oddity, Walk-Off, Cut4 Topic, Regular-Season Moment and Postseason Moment, with video available via MLB.com's Must C highlight reels.

Over the past several seasons, fans have cast millions of votes across the GIBBY categories -- none of which are restricted to individual league affiliation. That's how you know the GIBBYs consider the best of the best.

All 30 clubs are represented among the award candidates. In fact, every team will have multiple nominees to begin voting -- a testament to the parity of talent around the game.

Several categories -- Play, Oddity, Walk-Off and Cut4 Topic -- will each open balloting with at least one nominee per club. After a week, the four lists will be pared to 10 finalists per group by an expert panel.

Fans can vote as many times as they want through Nov. 21 at 11:59 p.m. ET by visiting mlb.com/gibbys, and winners will be announced live on the MLB Network and MLB.com on Dec. 6.

Tanaka and Betances are both mentioned as candidates for this year's top Rookie, and Betances is included in the Setup Man category.

"It's been a long, long journey for me coming up the Minor League system," Betances said, "and for me to have the year I've had this year, I'm definitely honored and thankful."

Jeter's farewell is listed among the year's best Storylines -- and three Moments focus on Jeter: the All-Star Game, the Sept. 7 date at Yankee Stadium in Jeter's honor and Jeter's last home game on Sept. 25.

Jeter's game-winning single off the Orioles' Evan Meek in his final home game draws a nomination as the best Walk-Off of the year. Jeter's final nomination is of the light-hearted variety, when he answered the ringing cell phone of Bergen Record columnist Tara Sullivan during a press conference.

"I'm ready for my career to be over with," Jeter said, "so I tried to have as much fun as I could."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Judge continues raking with two homers in AFL win

Box Score

Judge, the Yankees' No. 5 prospect according to MLBpipeline.com, was selected in the first round of the 2013 Draft and went 2-for-4 with two homers and four RBIs on Thursday.

The 22-year-old began the scoring with a towering two-run homer to left in the top of the first.

In the fourth, Judge hammered a fastball and hit a line drive over the wall to straightaway center for another two-run homer, his fourth of the Arizona Fall League season.

"It all started with our pitching and great defense," Judge said. "[Pirates prospect Tyler Glasnow] came out and had a good start. Against a good offensive team like Mesa, only holding them to one or two runs in the first few innings was huge for us. Then our defense, Tyler [Austin] had a good throw to get [Dalton] Pompey, who is a really fast runner, makes hitting a little easier for us."

Judge's Scottsdale teammates may have made things easier for him Thursday, but hitting for power has never been troublesome for the right fielder.

Judge won the TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby in 2012 while at Fresno State and also hit .308 with 17 homers in 131 games at Class A Advanced Tampa and Class A Charleston this season.

Judge also left his mark on the game defensively as he showed off his arm on back-to-back plays in the seventh.

With no outs and Blue Jays prospect Dalton Pompey on third, Angels prospect Chad Hinshaw flew out to right. Judge unleashed a strong throw home and Pompey, who had initially tagged up, retreated back to third.

However, the very next batter, Angels prospect Cal Towey, hit a fly ball to right, and this time Pompey elected to challenge Judge's arm. He lost.

"A little bit, but you've always got to be prepared," Judge said when asked if he was surprised Pompey took off. "I wanted to make a play for [Tyler Rogers]. He was pitching his butt off out there, so I wanted to make a play for him."

The multi-hit effort extended Judge's AFL hitting streak to five games, but he's far from the only Yankee prospect thriving at the plate and will be joined by another Yankees prospect in Saturday's Fall Stars Game.

"I'm excited," Judge said. "It's an honor to represent the Yankees. Greg Bird's going to be there with me too, so I'm just going to go out there and have some fun and play some ball."

Bird, the No. 11 prospect in the Yankees organization, finished 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and now has 19 hits in 24 AFL games.

Tyler Austin, the Yankees 2012 Minor League Player of the Year and No. 15 prospect, had his third multi-hit game in the last four contests, as he went 3-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base.

"It's huge when you affiliate teammates do well like that," Judge said. "It's fun watching them. Bird's a great competitor and Tyler Austin, he's always hungry. It's fun to watch."

Austin, like Judge, was credited with an outfield assist.

In the bottom of the third, Mesa had a runner on third with one out and A's prospect Daniel Robertson hit a fly ball to left. Pompey thought he could tag up and score on the play, but Austin caught the fly ball and promptly fired a strike to the plate to complete the double play.

The New York trio finished 7-for-10 as Scottsdale stopped its two-game skid and fought its way back to a game under .500.

William Boor is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @wboor. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Inbox: Is Robertson in Yankees' plans for 2015?

What are the Yankees thinking with regards to David Robertson? Will they bring him back or are they leaning toward giving the closer's job to Dellin Betances?
-- Mark N., New York

The first step with Robertson will revolve around the decision of issuing him a qualifying offer, which is valued at $15.3 million this year. No player has accepted one to date, but a case can be made for Robertson becoming the first; it would nearly triple his $5.215 million salary from 2014 for just one more year of service in pinstripes.

This will be Robertson's first crack at free agency, and there is understandable temptation to see what the market may provide on a multiyear basis -- especially after the Yankees did not engage him about an extension at any point this year. Given how many clubs had closer issues this past season, Robertson should draw interest out there. For reference, only one closer has received a qualifying offer: Rafael Soriano, who got one from the Yankees and instead signed a two-year, $28 million deal with the Nationals before the 2013 season.

Robertson, 29, converted 39 of 44 save opportunities in his first year as a full-time closer, posting a 3.08 ERA and 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings. In taking over Mariano Rivera's old job, general manager Brian Cashman recently said that Robertson "graduated with honors -- he mastered that and he is a bona fide closer without question," while acknowledging that the ninth inning is always a greater challenge than setup work.

Betances offers a fail-safe in the event that Robertson should exit, much the way that Rivera was thrust into the closer's role after John Wetteland left the Yankees as a free agent after the 1996 season. Given that the bullpen was a season-long strength, the Yankees' preference would likely be to keep Robertson for one more year in the closer's role and allow Betances more time to develop and flourish.

Do you think the departure of hitting coach Kevin Long is going to help or hurt the offense, especially guys like Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann?
-- Chad R., Nampa, Idaho

It was not a huge surprise that the Yankees decided to make changes on the coaching staff after missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Long took the fall because the team ranked 13th in the American League in runs scored (and 10th the year before). That dictated that a change of some sort was inevitable.

Whatever the issue was, it cannot be traced to Long's work ethic and preparation, both of which were judged to be exemplary by the organization. The fact that Long was snapped up so quickly by the Mets speaks to his reputation around the game. Still, a new voice and approach may create the difference that the Yankees are looking for -- though in the case of Beltran, better health should be the biggest factor.

Outside of a few weeks in April, Beltran was never able to be the player that the Yankees expected; the bone spur was an obvious issue, and that tumble over the right-field wall on April 17 at Tropicana Field may have had more of a cumulative effect than anyone let on. As for McCann, if the Yankees can get a full year that is more like what he produced from July 1 on (14 homers, .749 OPS), the back of his baseball card would look a lot more respectable.

Beltran takes a tumble 00:01:15

4/17/14: Carlos Beltran takes a nasty tumble over the wall down the right-field line trying to track down Desmond Jennings' foul popup

If they re-sign Brandon McCarthy, do the Yanks still need to sign another pitcher?
-- Steve P., Burlington, Vt.

Not necessarily. McCarthy would be a solid fit for the middle of a Yankees rotation that has injury-related question marks in CC Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka and Ivan Nova, plus the possible retirement of Hiroki Kuroda. It's likely that the Yankees will flirt with the market for big-name talent like Max Scherzer, Jon Lester and James Shields, but the urgency to land a huge fish would be reduced by bringing back McCarthy at a more reasonable price.

Tanaka and Michael Pineda could be a dominant 1-2 punch at the top, even with the danger of losing one or both to the disabled list. The Yankees had four of their five Opening Day starters on the shelf this past year, and even though most people say you can't prepare for that kind of impact, Cashman's staff did a remarkable job patching the ship. They'll also have depth options like Shane Greene and David Phelps on board.

Should the Yankees consider using a six-man rotation to help the health issues that come later in the season?
-- Greg G., White City, Fla.

This was a topic that pitching coach Larry Rothschild floated in August, looking at the possibility on a limited basis in September to accommodate Tanaka's return, and it's something that organizations will talk about given the rash of pitching injuries -- particularly Tommy John surgeries -- that have plagued the game in recent years. It would cut the bullpen short and force some extra creativity, but we've already seen teams move the norm from four starters to five. This could be an inevitable next step.

Will the Yankees try to re-sign Ichiro Suzuki and see him to 3,000 hits?
-- Brink M., Alpharetta, Ga.

Ichiro is 156 hits shy of 3,000 in the Majors and intends to keep playing, but it's doubtful that he will be back in the Bronx. He is looking for at-bats that the Yankees don't figure to be able to provide, not after he started 2014 as a fifth outfielder without a clear role. And Ichiro's cryptic comments after the season's final game hinted he might be ready for a change of scenery:

"Obviously, a lot of things go on that the fans and the media don't see, but what I can say is that the experiences I've had this year will help me in the future," Ichiro said on Sept. 28. "It will be somewhat of a support for me because of the experiences I had this year. It will help me in the future."

Though his skills have been in decline from his All-Star days and there's a solid argument that the Yankees played him too much out of necessity in 2014, it's easy to picture Ichiro bouncing back in a complementary role elsewhere -- especially for a National League club, where he could come off the bench to pinch-run, pinch-hit and play the outfield in the late innings.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Judge to represent Yankees in Fall Stars Game

NEW YORK -- Power-hitting Yankees outfield prospect Aaron Judge has been selected to represent the East Division in the Arizona Fall League's Fall Stars Game, which can be seen at 8 p.m. ET on MLB Network and MLB.com on Nov. 1 at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Rosters are selected by scouting and farm directors from every Major League organization, in consultation with Arizona Fall League Director Steve Cobb and his baseball personnel staff. Each organization is offered the opportunity to be represented by at least one player.

Judge, 22, is ranked as Yankees' No. 5 prospect by MLB.com. He posted a split line of .250/.311/.475 in his first 10 Fall League games, spanning 40 at-bats, with three doubles, two home runs and nine RBIs. Judge worked four walks and struck out nine times.

The 32nd overall selection in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, the 6-foot-7, 230-pound Judge split this past season with Class A Charleston and Tampa.

He batted .333 with nine home runs, 45 RBIs and a .958 OPS in 65 games at Charleston before being promoted to Tampa, where he batted .283 with eight home runs, 33 RBIs and an .853 OPS in 66 games.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sabathia's PitCCh In Foundation fields NYC Marathon team

"This was definitely not something on my bucket list," Amber Sabathia said. "I have never run in my life. Even when I worked out, I would never get on the treadmill. I've totally transformed into something that I never thought I could be, which is amazing."

The Sabathias' PitCCh In Foundation is fielding a 15-member team for the marathon, raising funds for signature programs in the tri-state area that include youth backpacks and a holiday caravan. Former NFL star Tiki Barber and Alexis Stoudemire, the wife of Knicks standout Amar'e Stoudemire, are also on the roster.

The PitCCh In Foundation backed a five-runner team for last year's marathon, and while tracking their progress over the 26.2-mile course, Amber told foundation program director Candy Crary that she was feeling inspired to lace up her sneakers.

"I turned to Candy and said, 'I'm doing it next year,'" Amber recalled. "She said, 'No, Amber, you can't. This takes a lot of time.' I said, 'If they can run for our foundation and they're fundraising, then I'm going to do it, too.'"

The baseball family has lent its support. Amber's CrowdRise page has raised more than $70,000 in donations, with contributors including the families of Carlos Beltran, Prince Fielder, Joe Girardi, Cliff Lee, Brandon McCarthy and David Robertson.

"They're so tired of me sending them e-mails for support. They can't wait for it to be over," Amber said, with a laugh. "I've been getting so much support from the wives and the baseball world. There are so many players that have sent out and are supporting."

Amber said that her marathon preparations started 16 weeks ago, walking four miles on the first day of training. She could hardly walk the next day, an important lesson on the importance of recovery; CC has been able to help with some of his baseball gear, like an ice machine and compression pants.

"As athletes, they know what goes into it," Amber said. "Even eating -- I'm so hungry all the time. I didn't know that by running, you can be burning 2,500 calories. You've got to replenish, because that helps the recovery."

Training has been a common theme in the household; CC is recovering from right knee surgery with expectations of being ready for Spring Training, recently saying that he expects to pitch 200 innings in 2015. The offseason has allowed him to be available to help in other ways.

"He's very supportive," Amber said. "The next day after I do a long run, he'll always get the kids up and take them to school for me. I told him, 'Monday and Tuesday, I'm out. I'm not here, I'm not available after this marathon.'

"One question he did ask me, which was really funny, he said, 'You know, we would be in the World Series right now. Which one would be more important?' I said, after these 16 weeks of training, it would be the marathon."

Amber said that her goal on Sunday is to finish in under five hours, and she has been picking up bits and pieces of advice along the way -- removing her earbuds along Manhattan's First Avenue, for example, to absorb the roar of the crowd. She also plans to use landmarks to count down the miles to the finish line.

"I'm excited about the bridges, and being able to run on those to really get a push," Amber said. "I just looked at the map right now and counted the bridges, so in my mind once I get out of the Bronx after that fourth bridge, it's six miles. Mentally, I'll know that and be ready."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fall Bombers: Yankees' prospect trio powers up

• Box score

Judge and Bird wasted no time showing off their power Saturday. The pair hit back-to-back home runs off right-hander Matt Magill in the first inning to give the Scorpions a lead they would never relinquish.

After Judge pulled a homer over the left-field fence, Bird drove Magill's next pitch out to right-center field. Bird said Magill left a fastball up in the zone.

"I was looking for something over the plate," he said. "Just a fastball over the plate and I got one."

The Scorpions scored three more runs in the third inning. Bird drove in his second run of the game on a sacrifice fly and Austin followed with his homer, a two-run shot to left-center field off Magill.

Glendale got on the scoreboard in the first but couldn't keep pace as Scottsdale's offense continued to score in bunches. Center fielder Daniel Fields and first baseman Nick Basto each collected two hits and scored once to lead the Desert Dogs' offense. Third baseman Jason Esposito added two hits and an RBI.

The Scorpions built on their lead, adding four runs in the fifth and three more in the seventh when Mets No. 20 prospect Matt Reynolds homered.

Reynolds on his 2014 season 00:02:45

9/15/14: Mets' Sterling Award winner Matt Reynolds discusses his improvements in the 2014 season and his confidence increasing at the plate

The beneficiary of the offensive explosion was Pirates left-hander Joely Rodriguez. He struck out three and held Glendale to one run on three hits in four innings to win his third game this fall.

The Scorpions' offense was driven by the Yankees' trio. Judge, the designated hitter, finished the game 1-for-4 with a walk. Bird played first base and went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Austin went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and manned right field.

Bird played with both Judge and Austin during the regular season and said he's enjoying the opportunity to do so again.

"It's awesome to see them having success," he said. "We were getting good pitches to hit and putting good wood on them."

The home run was Bird's fifth in 15 games in the Arizona Fall League. He is hitting .349/.382/.651 and leads the circuit in homers, runs (14) and RBIs (14).

Bird said he has been able to carry his success from the regular season into the AFL.

"I finished the year off where I wanted to be and I've been able to continue that," he said. "It's been a lot of fun out here."

Bird on AFL expectations 00:02:37

Yankees 11th-ranked prospect Greg Bird talks about working on his defense and other expectations while playing in the Arizona Fall League

After missing April due to a back injury, Bird began the season with Class A Advanced Tampa and earned a late-season promotion to Double-A Trenton. In 102 games between Tampa and Trenton, the 21-year-old hit .271/.376/.472 with 14 home runs.

While Bird is excelling offensively, he said he has worked hard at his defense this year. He was a catcher in high school when the Yankees selected him in the fifth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, but he has since moved to first base.

Bird is still learning his new position. He said the good weather in Arizona and the developmental focus of the AFL has given him plenty of opportunity to practice his defense.

"That's been a major priority the whole year," Bird said. "I think I've made some major strides and I still have a lot of room left to grow."

Teddy Cahill is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tedcahill. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Inbox: Is Robertson in Yankees' plans for 2015?

What are the Yankees thinking with regards to David Robertson? Will they bring him back or are they leaning toward giving the closer's job to Dellin Betances?
-- Mark N., New York

The first step with Robertson will revolve around the decision of issuing him a qualifying offer, which is valued at $15.3 million this year. No player has accepted one to date, but a case can be made for Robertson becoming the first; it would nearly triple his $5.215 million salary from 2014 for just one more year of service in pinstripes.

This will be Robertson's first crack at free agency, and there is understandable temptation to see what the market may provide on a multiyear basis -- especially after the Yankees did not engage him about an extension at any point this year. Given how many clubs had closer issues this past season, Robertson should draw interest out there. For reference, only one closer has received a qualifying offer: Rafael Soriano, who got one from the Yankees and instead signed a two-year, $28 million deal with the Nationals before the 2013 season.

Robertson, 29, converted 39 of 44 save opportunities in his first year as a full-time closer, posting a 3.08 ERA and 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings. In taking over Mariano Rivera's old job, general manager Brian Cashman recently said that Robertson "graduated with honors -- he mastered that and he is a bona fide closer without question," while acknowledging that the ninth inning is always a greater challenge than setup work.

Betances offers a fail-safe in the event that Robertson should exit, much the way that Rivera was thrust into the closer's role after John Wetteland left the Yankees as a free agent after the 1996 season. Given that the bullpen was a season-long strength, the Yankees' preference would likely be to keep Robertson for one more year in the closer's role and allow Betances more time to develop and flourish.

Do you think the departure of hitting coach Kevin Long is going to help or hurt the offense, especially guys like Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann?
-- Chad R., Nampa, Idaho

It was not a huge surprise that the Yankees decided to make changes on the coaching staff after missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Long took the fall because the team ranked 13th in the American League in runs scored (and 10th the year before). That dictated that a change of some sort was inevitable.

Whatever the issue was, it cannot be traced to Long's work ethic and preparation, both of which were judged to be exemplary by the organization. The fact that Long was snapped up so quickly by the Mets speaks to his reputation around the game. Still, a new voice and approach may create the difference that the Yankees are looking for -- though in the case of Beltran, better health should be the biggest factor.

Outside of a few weeks in April, Beltran was never able to be the player that the Yankees expected; the bone spur was an obvious issue, and that tumble over the right-field wall on April 17 at Tropicana Field may have had more of a cumulative effect than anyone let on. As for McCann, if the Yankees can get a full year that is more like what he produced from July 1 on (14 homers, .749 OPS), the back of his baseball card would look a lot more respectable.

Beltran takes a tumble 00:01:15

4/17/14: Carlos Beltran takes a nasty tumble over the wall down the right-field line trying to track down Desmond Jennings' foul popup

If they re-sign Brandon McCarthy, do the Yanks still need to sign another pitcher?
-- Steve P., Burlington, Vt.

Not necessarily. McCarthy would be a solid fit for the middle of a Yankees rotation that has injury-related question marks in CC Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka and Ivan Nova, plus the possible retirement of Hiroki Kuroda. It's likely that the Yankees will flirt with the market for big-name talent like Max Scherzer, Jon Lester and James Shields, but the urgency to land a huge fish would be reduced by bringing back McCarthy at a more reasonable price.

Tanaka and Michael Pineda could be a dominant 1-2 punch at the top, even with the danger of losing one or both to the disabled list. The Yankees had four of their five Opening Day starters on the shelf this past year, and even though most people say you can't prepare for that kind of impact, Cashman's staff did a remarkable job patching the ship. They'll also have depth options like Shane Greene and David Phelps on board.

Should the Yankees consider using a six-man rotation to help the health issues that come later in the season?
-- Greg G., White City, Fla.

This was a topic that pitching coach Larry Rothschild floated in August, looking at the possibility on a limited basis in September to accommodate Tanaka's return, and it's something that organizations will talk about given the rash of pitching injuries -- particularly Tommy John surgeries -- that have plagued the game in recent years. It would cut the bullpen short and force some extra creativity, but we've already seen teams move the norm from four starters to five. This could be an inevitable next step.

Will the Yankees try to re-sign Ichiro Suzuki and see him to 3,000 hits?
-- Brink M., Alpharetta, Ga.

Ichiro is 156 hits shy of 3,000 in the Majors and intends to keep playing, but it's doubtful that he will be back in the Bronx. He is looking for at-bats that the Yankees don't figure to be able to provide, not after he started 2014 as a fifth outfielder without a clear role. And Ichiro's cryptic comments after the season's final game hinted he might be ready for a change of scenery:

"Obviously, a lot of things go on that the fans and the media don't see, but what I can say is that the experiences I've had this year will help me in the future," Ichiro said on Sept. 28. "It will be somewhat of a support for me because of the experiences I had this year. It will help me in the future."

Though his skills have been in decline from his All-Star days and there's a solid argument that the Yankees played him too much out of necessity in 2014, it's easy to picture Ichiro bouncing back in a complementary role elsewhere -- especially for a National League club, where he could come off the bench to pinch-run, pinch-hit and play the outfield in the late innings.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Judge to represent Yankees in Fall Stars Game

NEW YORK -- Power-hitting Yankees outfield prospect Aaron Judge has been selected to represent the East Division in the Arizona Fall League's Fall Stars Game, which can be seen at 8 p.m. ET on MLB Network and MLB.com on Nov. 1 at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Rosters are selected by scouting and farm directors from every Major League organization, in consultation with Arizona Fall League Director Steve Cobb and his baseball personnel staff. Each organization is offered the opportunity to be represented by at least one player.

Judge, 22, is ranked as Yankees' No. 5 prospect by MLB.com. He posted a split line of .250/.311/.475 in his first 10 Fall League games, spanning 40 at-bats, with three doubles, two home runs and nine RBIs. Judge worked four walks and struck out nine times.

The 32nd overall selection in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, the 6-foot-7, 230-pound Judge split this past season with Class A Charleston and Tampa.

He batted .333 with nine home runs, 45 RBIs and a .958 OPS in 65 games at Charleston before being promoted to Tampa, where he batted .283 with eight home runs, 33 RBIs and an .853 OPS in 66 games.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fall Bombers: Yankees' prospect trio powers up

• Box score

Judge and Bird wasted no time showing off their power Saturday. The pair hit back-to-back home runs off right-hander Matt Magill in the first inning to give the Scorpions a lead they would never relinquish.

After Judge pulled a homer over the left-field fence, Bird drove Magill's next pitch out to right-center field. Bird said Magill left a fastball up in the zone.

"I was looking for something over the plate," he said. "Just a fastball over the plate and I got one."

The Scorpions scored three more runs in the third inning. Bird drove in his second run of the game on a sacrifice fly and Austin followed with his homer, a two-run shot to left-center field off Magill.

Glendale got on the scoreboard in the first but couldn't keep pace as Scottsdale's offense continued to score in bunches. Center fielder Daniel Fields and first baseman Nick Basto each collected two hits and scored once to lead the Desert Dogs' offense. Third baseman Jason Esposito added two hits and an RBI.

The Scorpions built on their lead, adding four runs in the fifth and three more in the seventh when Mets No. 20 prospect Matt Reynolds homered.

Reynolds on his 2014 season 00:02:45

9/15/14: Mets' Sterling Award winner Matt Reynolds discusses his improvements in the 2014 season and his confidence increasing at the plate

The beneficiary of the offensive explosion was Pirates left-hander Joely Rodriguez. He struck out three and held Glendale to one run on three hits in four innings to win his third game this fall.

The Scorpions' offense was driven by the Yankees' trio. Judge, the designated hitter, finished the game 1-for-4 with a walk. Bird played first base and went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Austin went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and manned right field.

Bird played with both Judge and Austin during the regular season and said he's enjoying the opportunity to do so again.

"It's awesome to see them having success," he said. "We were getting good pitches to hit and putting good wood on them."

The home run was Bird's fifth in 15 games in the Arizona Fall League. He is hitting .349/.382/.651 and leads the circuit in homers, runs (14) and RBIs (14).

Bird said he has been able to carry his success from the regular season into the AFL.

"I finished the year off where I wanted to be and I've been able to continue that," he said. "It's been a lot of fun out here."

Bird on AFL expectations 00:02:37

Yankees 11th-ranked prospect Greg Bird talks about working on his defense and other expectations while playing in the Arizona Fall League

After missing April due to a back injury, Bird began the season with Class A Advanced Tampa and earned a late-season promotion to Double-A Trenton. In 102 games between Tampa and Trenton, the 21-year-old hit .271/.376/.472 with 14 home runs.

While Bird is excelling offensively, he said he has worked hard at his defense this year. He was a catcher in high school when the Yankees selected him in the fifth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, but he has since moved to first base.

Bird is still learning his new position. He said the good weather in Arizona and the developmental focus of the AFL has given him plenty of opportunity to practice his defense.

"That's been a major priority the whole year," Bird said. "I think I've made some major strides and I still have a lot of room left to grow."

Teddy Cahill is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tedcahill. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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