GCL Yanks are Champs!

Dante Bichette and the GCL Yankees just took game three and the Championship over the GCL Marlins in the Gulf Coast League final. Dante homered to tie the game early, then doubled and sacrificed later. Duran got a hit then scored to make it 3-1 in the 9th and that was the final. Muriel Checo got the win and he has come a long way this season. Morton had a big year on the mound, but the rest of the pitching was a little inconsistent. What wasn't inconsistent was the GCL Yankee offense, which was the best I can ever remember them having in the GCL. Even after Tyler Austin got promoted and Ravel Santana got injured, they kept chugging.

I wonder if any of them will be promoted for the rest of the season. If not, we'll see them next in instructs. But congrats to a great group of kids.

CC Beats Boston

He only lasted 6 innings, but that was enough for CC Sabathia to K 10, and give up two runs, in his first win over Boston this season. He got a little shaky in the 4th, but then settled in. This could be a real turning point for him, and that's good, because we need him to cruise the rest of the way. Cano and Swisher both had three hits, and Cervelli homered. There was some controversy in the bottom of the ninth when a Red Sox player was awarded first base after being hit with a ball he had swung at, but Mo worked around it, stranding two as the Yanks won 5-2. It would behoove them to keep winning. But it was a great turnaround for CC.

Wow

The Yanks took game three of their 4 game Oriole series with another power show. Nova won his 14th, and Grandy hit his 37th and 38th homers. Curtis could end up with 50. Cano, Swisher and Andruw Jones hit back to back to back homers. David Robertson game in with 2 on and no out in the 8th. He gave up a hit to load the bases then struck out the side. Just awesome. Now let's see if they can get the split with Garcia then get back to actually winning series. Go Yanks!

Yanks Slam A's in Comeback Finale

Holy crap, what a comeback. Hughes was awful and the Yanks were quickly down 7-1. It looked like they were going to get swept. And then the offense woke up. Cano hit a grand slam, Martin who had already homered, hit a grand slam, and Curtis Granderson hit a grand slam to give him 36 homers and 103 RBI on August 25th! This was a first time any team has ever hit 3 grand slams in the same game. Andruw Jones also homered and the Yanks ended up winning 22-9. Just an awesome showing and perhaps the beginning of a correction in there RISP luck. Meanwhile, Hughes needs to be rebuilt. We'll see if we can get any games in over the weekend of Irene. Be safe everyone! Go Yanks!

Giants Crush Bears But Lose Thomas

The Giants started out a little slowly tonight, but then the OL started to jell a bit and they dominated the Bears. ST coverage was much improved, and both punters did well. David Carr looked much more aggressive than Sage Rosenfels did last week. And the young players started to figure things out. All of the young linebackers looked good and Herzlich had a great int. in goalline D. Then Da'Rel Scott showed why he's not gonna get cut by taking the ball 97 yards for a score on the series. The sad news was Terrell Thomas tearing his ACL. He will be out for the year and he is, of course, one of our best players and not easy to replace. I wish him the speediest of recoveries and I hope that he always stays a Giant. Brian Witherspoon may have also hurt his knee, so they are going to have to find some help at corner. Perhaps a player trade.

Nova!

Nova pitched seven scoreless innings as the Yanks shutout the Twins today to wrap up a 5-2 road trip. Curtis Granderson hit his 35th homer on an inside the park job. Tex followed immediately with his 34th. Nova really may be a late bloomer. Ever since he picked up that slider, he's been much better. The Yanks head home 29 games over .500. They're a really good team when AJ's not out there.

Phil Wins!

Phil Hughes didn't have his classic velocity, but he was otherwise masterful, going 7.2 inninngs while giving up only 2 hits, 3 walks and K'ing 2. The K's are down, but they were swinging early and not getting good contact. On at least one of the walks it looked like Phil was squeezed. This was a big step for Phil, as he really did deal without his mid-90s stuff. The curve and change were working. Russell Martin hit two homers and the machinelike O generated 8 runs. They are starting to tack on runs late in games and that's a really good thing. Boon Logan got the last 4 outs without incident and the Yanks won 8-1. And this team will still be adding ARod and Montero down the stretch. I've got a very good feeling about this team and that Phil will keep on winning. 29 games over! Go Yanks!

Yanks Win!

Mark Teixeira, Andruw Jone and Nick Swisher all homered as the Yanks beat the Twins 8-4. CC, started and once again was not the ultra ace he had been for a long stretch of the season, but he battled and won. The Twins almost got credit for another non-homer against the Yanks tonight, but this time the review worked and the umps knew the rules. I really hope we do not lose the division by a game. ARod should be back Saturday. The Yanks are now 28 games over .500. Not sure who goes tomorrow. Hughes? Go Yanks!

Yanks Win Again!

Cano had the big blow, a three run shot, in a slugfest the Yanks finally won 9-7 in KC. Nova got the win, but he was ineffective. Jeter's pictured because he's raking again and may not be quite as done as he has looked for the past year or so. Whatever Denbo showed him in Tampa has turned him back into Derek Jeter. And that's a good thing for the Yanks. Yanks go for the sweep tomorrow.

Yanks Finalize Their Draft

Pictured is Greg Bird, the C/3B who got a biggest bonus the Yanks gave out this year at 1.1M. He was one of the 4 sons of Tyler Austin I talked about back in June, and they all signed. The Yanks also singed prep OF Jake Cave, and I think that gives them 5 possible Yankee Bats, from a single draft, to me, that's a good number, 10% of their picks. Good stuff. They also landed high upside prep pitchers like Jordan Cote, Rookie Davis, Hayden Sharp and Joey Maher. They only signed two of the prep lefties I had hoped they would sign in Daniel Camarena and Chaz Hebert, who are both smallish lefties, in the honored Yankee tradition.

They also signed some college starters and relievers, most notably closer Mark Montgomery who has made a mockery of the the minors this year. Great pick. They also took some college bats, but nobody terribly interesting, unless you think Justin James is going to hit.

I really liked this draft, and the focus that is turning more and more to finding high upside prep bats and arms. It just makes the most sense given where the Yanks pick, and the kind of resources they can bring to bear on that segment of the talent market.

And this is why the Yanks should raise the draft budget. Their scouts are finding so many deserving picks, that under their current budgets, the Yanks can't sign all of them, but they should! This year, the Yanks took a flyer on a kid name Spencer O'Neil, who is a tall outfielder, who was said to be looking for 1M to sign. Well all he did was go out this summer and prove he deserved a big number. But the Yanks didn't seriously entertain signing him because of the budget. So, I'm not saying the Yanks should jack the budget and start picking kids from Baseball America's lists, but I am saying they should jack the budget so they can sign every kid who deserves to be signed.

That said, they are doing a heck of a great job considering the ludicrously low signing budget they are given to work with.

I still have no idea why they haven't been busier in IFA this year.

Just Like Old Times

Jorge Posada in a rare start at DH, hit a grand slam and drove in 6 on a 3-5 day. Granderson hit his 33rd. Phil Hughes started and was cruising through 5, but had to sit through a long bottom of the 5th as Tampa changed pitchers and the Yanks batter around. He gave up a solo shot and triple to start the 6th, but got out of it only giving up the two runs. Wade and Noesi finished the game. Big win, and another special Saturday at the stadium. Wow. Go Yanks!

Pre Season Game 1

The Giants are back and playing in Carolina tonight. The starters will play 15-18 snaps. The guys to look at are the young and back-up receivers, the new DT's, the young RB's, and the young LB's. Should be lots of fun and we hope for some flashes and perfect health. If anyone really shines, I'll start a thread. But meanwhile, Go Giants!

Robby Rocks Em!

In a game that featured 4 homers, 2 by the Yanks and 2 by the Angels, Robby Cano's game winning Grand Slam spoke loudest. Granderson had the other Yankee homer. Colon was good, Soriano was good, Robertson was good, and Mo gave up a three run shot after relieving Cory Wade with 1 out and men on second and third in the top of the ninth. Mo settled down after that and got the final two outs. Hope he snaps out of it, soon. Yanks take the series 2-1. Let's keep it going!

Yanks Clobber Angels

Curtis Granderson hit two more jacks, and Robinson Cano smacked a tripe and double and a homers as the Yanks pounded the Angels 9-3. Nova had another good start allowing 3 runs over 6 full innings. He left with one in and the bases loaded in the 7th, but Soriano, who looks great, got a dp and and the next guy to get out it. Because Sori limited the damage Robertson and Mo got the night off, and Ayala finished things up. Now let's go on a winning streak. Go Yanks!

Giants Pass on Steve Smith

The news coming up the turnpike is that the Giants first down machine, Steve Smith has signed with the hated Eagles. And I feel fine. Here's why. If anything, the Giants have erred on the side of talent in allowing Smith to sign a one year deal down in crapland. Smith was injured and the Giants didn't like what they saw of that injury yesterday. What's more, there is no guarantee Smith would ever get back to where he was. And where was he? He was a first down catcher, not a touchdown catcher. The Giants have two of those, Nicks and Manningham, who they will have to pay soon. And they should. Smith was also a body catcher, and his habit of engulfing the ball rather than catching it with his hands, lead to him taking insane punishment. There are going to be more injuries if he comes back. And he could not catch a ball over his shoulder and in stride. He was a run to a spot, catch and fall guy. I will forever be grateful for the big play he made in Super Bowl 42, but the year he caught 100 balls, we went 8-8. Eli should have been throwing 100 more times to Nicks and Manningham. Going forward, he will.

It will be interesting to see what else the Giants do now that they don't have to pay Boss or Smith. Go Giants!

Yanks Bullpen Comes Through!

Bartolo Colon, was pretty good, but the Sox were grinding and got his pitch count way up with 2 outs and the bases loaded in 5th. Girardi went to Boone Logan! And it was brilliant. He K'd Gonzalez on three pitches to end the threat. He also got two outs in the 6th before giving up a hit and giving way to Cory Wade. He got the final out, and Rafael Soriano came in to pitch the 7th. This was his biggest inning of the year, up one in Boston. And he came through! Hitting 95 in his 1-2-3 inning. Then Robertson did his thing, and Mo did his. Yanks take the first game! CC goes tomorrow! Go Yankees!!!!!

Prince Really Signs This Time

Finally, the longest holdout by a 2011 draftpick ended tonight when Prince Amukamara and the Giants came to terms for the second time. Prince, the most gifted CB we've drafted since Haynes, will have to hit the ground running when he joins Camp tomorrow. Oh and are the vets gonna let him have it. Yikes. Still, a great pick and destined to be a great Giant.

The Giants have made some other moves lately like re-adding DT Rocky Bernard, and former pick RB Andre Brown. There's still more turnover to come. The Osi, Boss and Smith issues remain unsettled.

Yanks Win, Pull Into First Place Tie

Nova made a strong case to stay in the rotation giving up just 1 run over 7 plus innings, as the Yanks easily swept the White Sox, 7-2. Cano hit another homer and is now over .300. This could get fun. Russell Martin hit a 3 run bomb and he may be hitting more like a major leaguer again, but the story tonight was Nova, who is seeming to develop more confidence and pitchability with each big league start. Now it's on to Boston, and let's win there. Go Yanks!

Yanks win 18-7

Derek Jeter had 5 hits for the second time in a month but only the 4th time in his career. he blew by Lou Brock on the hit list in the process. But, obviously, he wasn't the only one hitting tonight. Everyone was! The top of the lineup is really starting to function and we may be seeing a team wide correction going on. Really impressive O in several recent games. On the other hand, AJ almost blew a 13-1 lead and left when it was 13-7 mid-5th. He couldn't get the win. Wade was once again effective as was Ayala. Soriano came in and looked good, he may help before it's over. Yanks have one more, but they have already won this series, and then onto Boston. Go Yanks!

Giants Sign Stacy Andrews

The Giants today signed Shawn Andrews' brother Stacy, and 6'7" tackle, who has played for the Eagles and the Seahawks in the past. This is a bit of a surprise as they were still hoping to get Shawn back. Stacy is a nice depth signing if Kareem's back acts up and Brewer isn't ready.

Osi No Longer Allowed to Shop For Trade

The plot thickens. Osi's agent Tony Agnone was given permission to shop Osi for a 1. They couldn't find a one, so they no longer have the Giants' permission to shop Osi. That doesn't mean the Giants can't still make a normal trade involving Osi, it just means Agnone can no longer be part of the process. Osi's irrationality has now painted him into a corner. He can no longer have any control over his destination, and no assurance they will meet his inane contract demands. I hope he just comes back to his true self and plays for the Giants, but I have a feeling he won't.

That's More Like It

Phil Hughes was utterly dominant in his rain shortened, walk free, shutout of the White Sox tonight. He was getting it up to 95 and getting swings and misses again. He was also producing more grounders, which indicates to me he's getting that front leg more extended. Mark Teixiera hit homers from both sides of the plate, as the Yanks lead 6-0 when the game was called. Just a really good effort from Phil and if he's back to his old mechanics, look out. Go Yanks!

CC Wins #16, Mo Gets Save #28

CC Sabathia didn't have his A stuff tonight. So all he did was pitch 8 innings of 2 run ball. This is what greatness is, folks. And in case you needed another example, Mo pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save. Yanks won 3-2. Just gutsy pitching by CC and Mo. Greatness. The Yanks are now 1 game back. Montero should be up soon. Go Yanks!

Ben Patrick Signs

Ben Patrick has signed a 1 year deal with the Giants It is unknown at this point if this means they are closing the door on Kevin Boss. Patrick is more physical than Boss, and less a receiving threat than Boss or Beckum. This could be interesting, but he will at least beef up the run game.

Bradshaw Re-Ups!

Giant tailback Ahmad Bradshaw finally saw the light a re-signed with the Giants today. It's a multi-year deal, and hopefully it includes incentives for not fumbling. It's great to have him back in the fold and he might average 6 yards per carry behind this year's bigger line. Huge news for the Giants and now the running game will once again be awesome.

In other news, Osi is unhappy that the Giants won't renegotiate, even though they are allowing his agent to shop for a new deal. He'll calm down soon.

Osi Gets Permission To Seek Trade

According to ESPN, the Giants have given irrational DE, Osi Umenyiora's agent, Tony Agnone permission to seek a trade. This is a pretty interesting step. The Giants will, rightfully, only accept a first round pick for Osi, and we'll see if Agnone can make that happen. I think the Giants are betting it won't. Osi's a great passrusher and creates turnovers. Those skills are worth a one. He's also got a hip problem he plays through, that's not worth a one. But everyone in the league usually has something wrong with them, and we have seen plenty of 30ish or older DE's get traded for ones or get contracts more in line with their primes than their inevitable declines. Agnone was Strahan's agent, and he was always pulling contract stuff, but never played a game for any other team. I think Osi will follow suit, but he might not.