Tag: Yankees

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Steal Facts: Aaron Judge

Aaron judge

  • Aaron Judge was born April 26, 1992 in Linden California. He was adopted the day he was born by his foster parents, the Judges. Despite being officially being told at age ten, Judge knew he was adopted due to his already strong and soon to be six foot seven, 282 pound frame. Now, Judge is a MVP candidate for the New York Yankees.
  • Aaron Judge won not only the 2017 MLB Home Run Derby, but he also won the 2012 College Home Run Derby.
  • After hitting a home run in his first Major League at-bat, Judge fell off the table in 2016, batting .179 with 42 strikeouts in 84 at bats. Using these statistics as motivation, Judge plugged them into his phone and told him that he could slump any time in his career.
  • In 2017, Aaron Judge was the unanimous American League Rookie of the Year. He set all time rookie records with 52 home runs and 127 walks. He also won the Silver Slugger for American League right fielders and was nominated for a Gold Glove.
  • Judge finished in second place in MVP voting just behind the Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve.
  • Judge also drove in 114 RBIs and scored 128 runs in his 155 game season. His overall WAR (Wins Above Replacement) was a solid 8.1.

Stats and Info

espn.com

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Big Weekend Around Baseball

The holidays came early for us baseball fans this weekend. Two way Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Angels, significantly strengthening their pitching and offense. Ohtani’s new teammate, Mike Trout, is getting married to fiancé Jessica Cox. Also, the New York Yankees have been reported as the winners of the Giancarlo Stanton sweepstakes, making the Yankees lineup look a lot like the 1927 Murders Row.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

What Joe Girardi Did Wrong in Game 2 of the ALDS

In second game of the 2017 American League Division series, Yankees manager Joe Girardi made some questionable mistakes. It looked like it was supposed to be a pitching duel with Cy Young front runner Corey Kluber against postseason veteran CC Sabathia. Kluber fell apart giving up six earned runs. By the sixth inning, the Yankees were up 8-3. With two runners on and one out, Girardi brings in Chad Green to face Lonnie Chisenhall. CC was over 70 pitches, but clearly still had gas in the tank and wanted to stay in the game. Green, with a two strike count, supposedly hit Chisenhall. The ball clearly hit the bat and went into catcher Gary Sanchez’s glove. Sanchez and Chase Headley were yelling at their skipper to challenge the play, but he did not. If he did, the pitch would be void and redone. Because of Girardi’s hesitance, Chisenhall was awarded first base. Now, Lindor comes up, hits a grand slam, and now it’s a one run game.David Robertson comes in, who pitched 3.1 innings in the Wild Card game, a career most. He gives up the game tying home run to Jay Bruce. Girardi later brings in Chapman, who pitchers 2+ innings, and Dellin Betances, who blows the game, with 2+ innings of work. Such use of relievers in the playoffs has been proved not good as shown in Aroldis Chapman’s arm discomfort in the 2016 World Series. If Girardi keeps on messing up these crucial games, his career as Yankees manager is in danger.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

BP Report with Jacoby Nolnaho: All Good Things Come to an End

On July 31, 2017, I went to yet another Yankee game at Yankee Stadium. I got there early right when the gates opened, but there was some season ticket holder event that let other people in earlier. By the time I got in, right field was really crowded. The Yankees groups hit about ten baseballs into the home bullpen. I went over there, put my hands in the air, and got, well, “competed” by a kid. He put his thumb in my earhole, the middle finger around the earlobe, and twisted. It really hurt and I went down. I would’ve accepted it, but the kid got the ball, and I was empty. Later in BP, Zack Hample showed up. I went over to him and had a nice chat. This is the second time I’ve talked to him. I warned him about the kid, and asked him how many balls he had gotten. He only had two, and you could see he was having a rough day. I helped him out by telling him who was up at the plate. I didn’t get any balls during batting practice or during the course of the game. This ended my three game streak.

The game was very interesting and fun as the Yankees won 7-2 over the Detroit Tigers. Aaron Judge hit a home run, but sadly I missed it as I was in the bathroom. I enjoyed a milkshake from Johnny Rockets and a bowl of soup noodles from the Noodle Bowl. Even though I didn’t get I ball, I know that people are always better than possessions.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Did You Know?: New York Sports Teams

  • The New York Yankees had a mascot called Dandy from 1979 to 1981. It was shaped like a bowling pin and had a Thurman Munson mustache. George Steinbrenner did not like the look so Dandy was archived and never seen again.
  • The New York Mets is actually a shortened version of the full team’s name. Mets is short for Metropolitans, a tribute to New York. So, technically, the Mets full name is the New York Metropolitans.
  • The Yankees were originally called the Highlanders.
  • It was rumored that there was a jail cell beneath the original Yankee Stadium. There is no proving evidence, letting us to believe this rumor is false.
  • The Mets have a large apple underneath the batters eye that shoots through the tunnel into sight whenever a Met goes deep.
  • The Yankees removed the retired numbers circle on the concourse near the Monument Park Store before the 2017 season.
  • The Manchester City Football Club plays some games at Yankee Stadium.
  • The Mets’ current stadium is Citi Field, but the original Mets’ stomping grounds was Shea Stadium.
by Jacoby Nolnaho

Steal Facts: Thurman Munson

Thurman Munson

  • Thurman Munson was born on June 7 of 1947.
  • Thurman weighed in at 190 pounds and stood at 5 feet 11 inches.
  • He played his full 11 year career with the New York Yankees.
  • After a short stint with the Yankees in 1969, Munson won the American League Rookie of the Year in 1970 after posting a .302 batting average with 6 home runs and 25 doubles.
  • Thurman won the MVP award in 1976 after batting .302 with 17 home runs and 105 RBIs.
  • From 1975 to 1977, Munson had 100 or more RBI in each season.
  • He was named team captain by the Yankees in 1976.
  • He won the Gold Glove for American League catchers in 1973, 1974, and 1975.
  • Thurman Munson died at the age of 32 in a plane crash on August 2, 1979.
  • The Yankees retired Munson’s number 15 on September 20 of 1980 at Yankee Stadium.
  • The Yankees left Munson’s locker untouched until they moved it to the new Yankee Stadium in 2009.
by Jacoby Nolnaho

AL East Rivalry News and Notes

The Yankees and Red Sox have a storied rivalry involving players. Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone, Babe Ruth. These are some of the names that make these games tense. But before the 2017 mid season series, both teams suffered setbacks. Yankees starting pitcher Michael Pineda is most likely out for the season with a partially torn UCL. There have been rumors that the Yankees would deal Pineda at the Trade Deadline, for he is in his last year of his contract. Now, the Yankees are stuck with an injured arm. Pineda is seeking a second opinion, but it looks grim for the tall righty. On the Boston side of the things, the Sox management parted with possibly the worst contract in team history, Pablo Sandoval. The former San Francisco hero signed a five year, $95 million dollar deal with the Red Sox after winning a World Series with the Giants in 2016. Sandoval played just 161 games over his first three years of the contract. The Red Sox owe him more than $50 million dollards over the last two years of his deal.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

BP Report with Jacoby Nolnaho: Old Timers’ Day

On June 25, 2017, I arrived at Yankee Stadium at 10:00. It was the 71st annual Old Timers’ Day. After an hour of absolute nothing, the Yankees greats finally took batting practice. Since these legends are getting up there in age, the baseballs were not flying out. My one (and only) chance came when a weak dribbler hit against the wall. Four time World Champion Jeff Nelson came over a tossed me the ball (For those of you who don’t know, I have actually met Jeff Nelson at an AT&T grand opening celebration). And as many of pitchers have noticed, the seams on the 2017 baseball around more thin and tighter wounded compared to the 2016 baseballs. This has been thought to have happened after the incline in home runs. Old Timers’ Day was fun, but it was extremely hot.

For the actual game, I was sitting in home run territory right near the left field foul. Despite an epic comeback from a 7-0 devastate, the Yankees fell to the Texas Rangers 7-6. In this game, Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks left with a rib cage/oblique injury and took an MRI. Team officials say he will be out 3 to 4 weeks.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

BP Report With Jacoby Nolnaho: Dingers

On April 28, 2017, I went to my third game of the season. Everything went right. It looked like I wasn’t going to make the train, but it was late, and switched to the train I currently was on. When I got to stadium, I was able to get the fleece blanket. I made a beeline to left field. I missed the Yankees’ BP, but not the Orioles’ BP. I expected a lot of home runs to come to left field. A matter of fact, there was only one lefty in the Orioles’ lineup. After a disappointing BP,  I got my food, and watched the game.

I had free seats in the upper deck, so I decided to get up and walk around. I went to the Toyota Terrace to watch the rest of game. It looked like the Yankees were going to lose. They were down 9-1!  But after Jacoby Ellsbury hit a grand slam and later, when Starlin Castro hit the game tying home run, we were back in it. In the beginning of the tenth inning, Aroldis Chapman was warming up. When he was done with his warmups, bullpen catcher Jason Brown threw me the ball. Overall, it was a great game. I got a ball, made it on the jumbotron, made it on TV three times, and got a pressed penny for my pressed penny collection. The Yankees ended up winning 14-11 on Matt Holliday’s walk off homer.