Bronx Bomber Ball

I shouldn't be upset but I am. I don't remember the last time any Yankees news incited anger out of me yet this one pinched a nerve. ESPN has reported that Adam Warren has been moved to the bullpen. I wrote a fierce defense on Warren not too long ago explaining how the move of Warren would be based more on politics than merit. Lo and behold, the Yankees made a genius out of me. Just a short while after the 3-8 with a 5.59 ERA Sabathia lost another game, the Yankees made their announcement. Interestingly enough it was made after the clubhouse was closed so Warren was not available for comment. That's about the only smart move in this whole situation the Yankees have executed.

I don't know you much but I woke up feeling like I wanted to stir you up. Let us all escape reality for a moment and enter the portal of anarchy. If you're an employee let's pretend your boss is out of town and crank up that music. You are married with kids but they left town so go ahead and pee with the door open. You live at home and your parents just caught a cab to the airport so go ahead and finish uploading that picture of the empty house on Instagram. Whatever your scenario is, it's time to eat some forbidden fruit. After we celebrate our temporary freedom, blurry lines transition our space into a scene out of an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. You know the kind. That hidden room located on the other side of his walk-in closet that reveals a glorious amount of weapons. He bypasses the grenades, machine guns and even big Bertha that shoots actual nuclear missiles. The knives that can cut a deer in half, nothing disrupts his focus. His tunnel vision leads him t...

Following a 13-26 week at the plate (.500) with a .581 on base percentage, and an .885 slugging percentage, Brett Gardner was rewarded with the American League Player of the Week honors. Gardner also slugged two home runs, four doubles and drove in nine runs. This is Brett Garnder’s third Player of the Week award in his career as he is on a tear at the plate. On the season Brett Gardner is hitting to a slash line of .300/.373/.493 with an OPS of .866. He has nine home runs, 39 RBIs, 19 doubles, three triples and 15 stolen bases in 18 attempts. I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty All-Star worthy to me. Click the link below the vote! http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2015/ballot.jsp?tcid=ASG15_mlb_navlink Article by: Chad Raines Follow me on twitter @Chad_Rain Keep up with our blog on twitter @BronxBomberBlog Photo Via  http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/04/17/brett-gardner-wrist-injury-yankees/

The week didn’t go exactly as planned for the Yankees. They hosted and lost a three game set against the lowly Phillies, then traveled to Houston where they split (but easily could have won) a four game series. The Yanks finished the week 3-4 and now sit .5 games out of a crunched up AL East division.

The way Brian Cashman configured the Yankees infield this offseason left me quite perplexed. While it only took below average starting pitcher Shane Greene to land the offensively challenged shortstop Didi Gregorius, I wasn’t in love with the move, but didn’t hate it either. On the other hand, I was livid when he traded one of our best offensive players in Martin Prado to the Marlins for the not so nasty Nathan Eovaldi. Even if Cashman was intent on acquiring Eovaldi, I’m pretty sure it could have been done without giving up Prado, and trading from a position of weakness. He also re-signed Chase Headley to a four-year deal, and everyone’s favorite guy to pick on Stephen Drew to a one-year deal. With this set-up, the Yankees have been getting virtually no offensive production from the two middle infield spots. If the Yankees plan on winning the AL East and contending for a championship this season, either Drew or Didi must go. Unfortunately, Gregorius has not given me any reason to bel...

After taking two out of three against the Tigers and winning the last game of a three-game set against the Phillies, both in New York, the Yankees traveled to Houston on Thursday to begin a 4-game set at Minute Maid Park in Houston. After being completely dominated by one of the aces in the game, Dallas Keuchel, the Yankees took Games 2 and 3 by going ahead in the final frames but lost Game 4 after McHugh outpitched Michael Pineda.

After several years of the Yankees fielding a poor farm system, the farm is rebuilding and is pretty quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. In addition to potential superstars in the MLB, the Yankees also have a ton of potential solid major leaguers and some prospects flying ay under the radar. This blog isn’t to focus on the big names you’ve probably heard one thousand times (Severino, Judge, Bird, Refsnyder). Let’s take a look at some of the prospects flying under the radar. Tyler Wade

Coming into this season, there were many questions surrounding the team. Believe it or not, not all of these questions were centered around Alex Rodriguez. How would a healthy, gluten free Mark Teixeira perform? Would Chris Young continue his success he enjoyed in Pinstripes in 2014? Could Brett Gardner hit for a higher average or was his ceiling in the .270’s? Would Chasen Shreve even make the major league roster on Opening Day? How would Adam Warren perform in the starting rotation? Would Justin Wilson return to his 2013 form? And, of course, the main one, would Alex Rodriguez be remotely the same player he used to be? Fortunately for the Yankees, all of these questions have been answered with positive results.

We often picture success as a horizontal line slanting upwards, reaching planes so high you can no longer see where the journey originated from. In hearing from those who have actually reached the mountain top so to speak, you come to learn that it is quite the contrary. Much like the lines in a heart monitor there are many ups and downs. It seems like every sports writer is asking how long Adam Warren is going to have to answer questions about the possibility of being taken out of the rotation and perhaps a demotion. Here I am wondering to myself, why should he even have to? Does no one see what is going on here?

After just 1.1 innings pitched, 4 hits allowed and 6 earned runs and 2 home runs allowed, Houston Astros starting pitcher Brett Oberholtzer had been ejected. His ejection came after blatantly throwing inside with the intention of hitting Alex Rodriguez after serving up a 2-run home run to Chris Young. Clearly frustrated, Oberholtzer was tossed without warning or arguing.

We are not even at the half way point of the season and I already feel like the Yankees are running out of time. I get the sense that soon enough another team from the AL east will figure things out and sprint ahead. Speaking of figuring things out, these Yankees have been harder to solve than Chinese Algebra. We might have a better chance of finding out why the Cardinals hacked into the Astros system before we solve the 2015 Yankee riddle. How I wish the FBI was involved in our dilemma as well.

Yankee Stadium can be a loud place. I'm not familiar with the acoustics of the ball park but I do know a thing or two about those who occupy it. We are passionate with a high volume and the mute button broken. You ignite us and so help us God, we'll make the weather turn on you. But I feel like the stadium's full potential has not been realized.

Yankees top prospect Luis Severino was back on the mound Friday night and he tossed yet another gem. The 21-year old right-hander has raced through the ranks of the Yankees minor league system and has rapidly reached triple-A. After dominating hitters at every minor league level since 2012, Severino’s success has dragged over into the closest level he could possibly be to the major leagues.

It took only 4 games at the next level for Aaron Judge to blast hit first triple-A homer, his 14 th total of the season. In a 12-0 game, Judge hit an absolute missile into the bullpen in leftfield. An 0-1 pitch, Judge jumped all over the fastball down Broadway and crushed it. Despite the homer, Judge is hitting just .154 with 1 home run and 4 RBIs but don’t look too much into the low batting average as the sample size is very small. Judge is still adjusting to hitting off-speed pitches but once he makes that leap, the next leap for Judge will be Pinstripes. CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO AARON JUDGE HOME RUN VIDEO Article By: Chad Raines Follow me on twitter @Chad_Rain Keep up with our blog on twitter @BronxBomberBlog Photo Via  http://thetimes-tribune.com/sports/collins-scranton-has-never-seen-a-prospect-quite-like-judge-1.1902086

After his latest beat down by the pathetic Philadelphia Phillies, the Yankees higher ups must be contemplating what to do with their former ace CC Sabathia. Most Yankees fans view every single CC Sabathia start as a likely loss. They do this because if the Yankees lose, which is the most likely result when he is on the mound, they will not be disappointed, and if they surprisingly win, then that win will be that much more satisfying. 

The Yankees honored an unlikely candidate for the player of the month award for May. This player clobbered six home runs and drove in 14 in May while hitting .316 and slugging .571 with a .941 OPS. This player followed his acceptance with a 2-for-4 game, a home run and collected two RBI. I would have never imagined this player winning anything, or being successful one bit this season. Who is this player? Alex Rodriguez.

Late last night, I had an epiphany. It came to me suddenly that our logo was far too bland and quite honestly, boring. So I sat and pondered over a new logo, and then it hit me. A silhouette of the beautiful New York skyline with a pinstriped background, Yankee symbol, "New York Yankees" printed below it and "Bronx Bomber Blogger" in cursive. I'm pretty excited about the new look, and here it is below! What do you think? Tweet us your thoughts or comment below! Article and Logo By: Chad Raines Follow and tweet us your thoughts  @BronxBomberBlog

After taking two of three games from the Detroit Tigers, the Yankees faced a good opportunity in facing one of the worst teams in baseball in the Philadelphia Phillies. With a ton of offense in games one and two, the Yankees came up on the short-end of them but took game three to avoid the sweep.

With Cole Hamels taking the hill at Yankee Stadium this afternoon, the inconsistent bombers get a free look at a potential addition of a true ace.

As soon as he was acquired from the Texas Rangers, Yankees fans seemed apprehensive towards accepting Alex Rodriguez as one of their own. Despite winning two MVPs while putting up stellar numbers in his first five seasons with the club, A-Rod’s glaring postseason failures proved to be a vehicle many used in their unwillingness to embrace him. I would argue that A-Rod was scapegoated for the team’s general failures in the postseason during that period. Rodriguez was acquired after the Yankees disappointingly lost the 2003 World Series to an underdog Florida Marlins club. Many chose to blame the embarrassing 2004 ALCS collapse against the Boston Red Sox, along with the 2005, 2006, and 2007 early playoff exits in the ALDS, to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Detroit Tigers, and Cleveland Indians, respectively, on the team’s big money super star. I vividly remember many fans saying something along the lines of, “Alex Rodriguez will never be a true Yankee.” This led me to ask myself, wha...

I’ve been to 14 Yankees games as of this writing and I’ve seen a lot of milestones from Alex Rodriguez this year including home run 661 and hits 2,998-3,001. But the biggest milestone, the most important milestone is how A-Rod has been embraced by fans. When I was at opening day he received a mixed chorus and when he put Justin Verlander’s first pitch into right field there was not one person booing in the stadium.

I bet you are all familiar with word association. I'll say a name and you say the first thing that comes to mind. For the common fan, when mentioning the name Aaron, you think of game 7 of the 2003 ALCS when Aaron Boone hit that walk off homerun off Tim Wakefield. As unlikely a hero as he was on that night, his name is sure to live on for centuries. For those passionate fans, the name Aaron is taking up a whole new meaning.

After splitting a 4-game set with the Miami Marlins losing both in Miami but winning both in the Bronx and taking two of three games from the Detroit Tigers, the Yankees finished this week with an overall record of 4-3. Let’s take a look at some Yankees MLB and MiLB updates from this past week.

The Yankees came into the weekend series with the Detroit Tigers looking to catch fire after losing 4 of 7 but riding a 2-game winning streak at the same time. Although the Yankees efforts for a sweep came up short, the series was an overall victory for the Bronx Bombers.

After Joe Torre’s departure following the 2007 season, I sensed our years of being a perennial championship contender were slowing dwindling to an end. This became especially apparent after the obvious choice to replace him, Don Mattingly, was denied the managerial opportunity. Something didn’t feel right about Girardi from the beginning.  

  This wasn’t how it was supposed to be and yet I doubt Alex Rodriguez envisioned it any differently. The longtime Yankee star collected his 3,000 th career hit on Friday, launching and opposite field A-Bomb off Detroit starter Justin Verlander. Yankee Stadium erupted in applause for Alex as he circled the bases and I’m sure 150 thoughts raced through his mind (one being how to get my ball back from the guy who caught it). As he crossed home plate he was greeted with hugs from his teammates. After he entered the dugout he retreated and waved fondly to the legions of Yankee fan so ecstatic they had seen history and were gracing their star with a well deserved curtain call. For a moment Alex Rodriguez was King again. Reality would soon set in with the explosion of “A-Fraud, and steroid user” taunts on social media. People yelling for an asterisk and saying that his accomplishment is tainted. Regardless of your opinion (mine being I would never vote a PED user into the Hall of Fame)...

Growing up as a female in the south I always get asked how in the world I became a New York Yankees fan. Is it because of their record breaking championships? Is it because of Derek Jeter? Is it because of a boy? Well the truth is it was a boy, well not so much a boy as a man, my father. Everyone has their reasons for why they love a sports team, whether it is because of a winning streak, or because of a certain player, because of where you live or in the best cases because your hero is a fan so naturally you want to follow in their footsteps and become a fan.

Since today is the ceremony for Willie Randolph’s entrance into Monument Park, I wanted to give you a first person perspective of what it was like to meet him. I never had the privilege to see him play but it is not hard to see how esteemed he was amongst the organization as he was named co captain during his tenure with the Yankees. Through the screen of my television he always seemed likeable. He always seemed to carry himself well, even when he was treated unfairly. All this factored in with the respect I had for him for what he accomplished in his career. He was definitely on my wish list of Yankees I would hope to meet. The following took place in the summer of 2013 at a sports show.

It was a clear night with perfect baseball weather in the Bronx. It was only fitting that a bit of history was made that night, June 19. The man himself, Alex Rodriguez who’s always seemed to have a flare for the dramatic, came up to the plate in the bottom of the first. Facing the former MVP Justin Verlander, Rodriguez took him deep on the first pitch he saw marking the 3,000 th hit of his career.

The notorious and quickly becoming infamous “BallHawk” as he is referred to as just had to be the one on the receiving end of Alex Rodriguez’s 3,000 th hit. It came on the first pitch he saw; a solo blast to the right field seats, and right into the glove on the one and only, Zack Hample.

As was the case with the Yankees in 2014, injuries have gotten the best of the 2015 Yankees up to this point. Luckily, the injuries have been fewer and farer between in 2015, but the point remains – we have yet to see this Yankee team completely healthy. And the fact that a battered Yankee team is in first place goes to show that a healthy roster presents a dangerous team not only in the division race, but the pennate race as well.

I have never been a fan of the idea of bringing in a National League pitcher over to the American League. Throughout the years my opinion behind this at times has been proved to be without merit. But I've also had plenty of "I told you so" moments. It takes plenty for me to be comfortable with seeing a National league pitcher taking the mound for my favorite team. I can't quite decide if it's because of the pride I have for the American League or the fact that I feel the National League will always face a weaker line up due to the fact that there is no designated hitter. Regardless of how I feel, or you for that matter, facts are facts. Why don't we throw the advanced math to the side for a while and look at some cold numbers.

From smothered hot bats to being far too precautionary to unnecessary days off, Joe Girardi is not putting some of his players in the best position to succeed. On an aging roster, players do require more days off than younger players but Girardi’s rest over success mentality he has exhibited throughout this season has prevented the Yankees from reaching their full potential in 2015.

I could spend my day avoiding social media, and avoiding a Yankee game. I could go straight to the Joe Girardi report and easily know who won the game before Bob Lorenz guides us through the night's highlights. If you play poker against Joe Girardi you shouldn't have a hard time taking his money. He's as obvious as the day brings light.

This Yankees season has been an interesting one so far. There have been winning streaks, losing streaks, injuries to key players and triumphant redemptions. Most interesting to me though is what seems to be a fundamental change in the Yankees use of young players, especially prospects.

Following the weekend sweep of the Los Angeles Angels, the Yankees had an off day followed by a 2-game set with the Washington Nationals. After splitting that short series, the team had another day off before a 3-game weekend set with the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees came up on the short side of that series winning just one game to finish with a record of 2-3 this week. Let’s dive into some Yankee MLB and MiLB notes.

After winning 7 of 8 games, the Yankees squared off against division rival, the Baltimore Orioles for a weekend series. In a disappointing series, the Yankees lost 2 of 3 to the O’s and their first place lead over a generally hot AL East has diminished.

Riding a six game winning streak and coming into a two game set with the Nationals, the Yankees were on of the hottest teams in baseball. Looking for a third straight sweep, the Yankees came away with a split in relatively disappointing fashion.

After a long time coming, Yankees veteran shortstop Brendan Ryan has been called up after finishing his rehab stint. In the corresponding roster move, the Yankees have optioned rookie OF Ramon Flores back to triple-A.

The Yankees came into the 2015 MLB draft with the 16 th pick and the 30 th pick in the compensation round thanks to the departure of David Robertson. With uncertainties as to which direction the Yankees would go, the Yankees exited the first round drafting a pitcher and a shortstop.   With the 16 th pick, the Yankees drafted UCLA pitcher James Kaprielian whose pre-draft ranking was 21 according to MLB.com. Kaprielian’s repertoire consists of a fastball in the lower 90’s with a slider and curveball to go along with his best pitch, his changeup. Kaprielian’s ability to locate pitches is what makes him so effective as he’s lead the PAC 12 in strikeouts during the past two seasons with 108 and 114, respectively. He went 7-6 with a 2.29 ERA with 108 strikeouts to 35 walks in 106 innings in 2014 and 10-4 with a 2.02 ERA with 114 strikeouts and 33 walks in 106.2 innings in 2015. Overall, the 6’4” 200 pound right-hander was a pretty safe pick in the middle of the first roun...

The Queen City of Cincinnati, Ohio will play host to the 2015 MLB All Star game in a little over a month. The first place Yankees should be well represented at this year’s midsummer classic.  Gone now are the core four who would regularly make the All Star team year after year but that doesn’t mean the Yanks lack any star power. Let’s take a look at some possible Yankee All Stars.

I want to take you back for a moment. Let's pretend its 2014 all over again but I want you to wipe the slate clean. Clear your memory of what occurred last year. Now let's go to Derek Jeter's retirement announcement. After the shock and rush of emotions settle into you I want you to make a prediction for me. What do you predict will happen in Derek Jeter's last season of baseball? Throughout his career he has had a flare for the dramatic. A homerun for his 3000th hit? You have got to be kidding me. It's as if it follows him everywhere. So what did you see happening during his farewell?

Andrew Miller was a signing most Yankee fans were rooting for this offseason. After a bidding war between the Pinstripes and the Astros, Miller turned down more money from Houston to put on said Pinstripes. This alone was a welcome sight for Yankee fans as ex-Yankee closer David Robertson infamously told the media he wasn't offering any hometown discounts to re-sign with the Yankees before eventually departing for the White Sox. Well, Yankee fans don't miss Robertson in slightest. The reason why? None other than Andrew Miller.

As one of the hotter teams in baseball, the Yankees are enjoyed a 6-1 record this week. After dropping the season finale to the Oakland Athletics May 31, the Yankees then swept the Seattle Mariners in three games before getting a day off and sweeping the Los Angeles Angels in 3 games. With timely hitting and pretty good starting pitching, the Yankees are stepping toward more consistency as they extend their first place lead over the Rays and the rest of the AL East. Let’s take a look at the state of the team.

Coming into the weekend series with the Los Angeles Angels, the Yankees were coming in hot off a sweep of the Seattle Mariners. Just a half-game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees extended their lead with a weekend Yankee sweep of the Angels.

So when was the last time any of you checked Esmil Rogers for an expiration date? Brian Cashman sure had an inkling of the sour milk that has been sitting on the pen as it has been reported that he is in the market for righty relievers come the trade deadline.

As I currently sit here and write this evening the Yankees enjoyed what turned into a nail-biting 8-7 win over the Angels thanks to two home runs by Stephen Drew and one by Mark Teixeira respectively. Certainly the start to this game is the type of game the Yankees and their fans were hoping to have coming off a sweep of Seattle earlier this week.  It’s still early June and teams aren’t quite ready to pack it in and sell but that doesn’t mean the Yanks shouldn’t be doing their diligence on the market. Here are a few possible names that could be donning pinstripes come August 1 st .

Number thirteen, for the New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez. What is there to say for a diehard Yankees fan to say about A-Rod? That is when you disregard and ignore the giant scandal that has plagued his name and the Yankees name for what seems like years?

It may be early but with 2 months of the season already gone teams have an idea of whether they’ll be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. There is still time for teams to go on a hot or cold streak but teams like the Brewers, Athletics and Phillies are firmly in sell mode.