Bronx Sports Roundup: Yankees-Red Sox, Youth Baseball Controversy, Fordham Footballers Go Pro and More

Editor's Note: In lieu of a news roundup today, which we couldn't get to because of a fire and school building contamination, we offer you this Bronx sports roundup, courtesy of BxNN intern and Yankee fan Justin Bodden.

By Justin Bodden

Red-hot Yankees set to take on Red Sox for division lead
The most famous rivalry in all of sports resumes tonight as the Yankees face the Red Sox at Fenway for the lead in the AL East. The Bombers come into the series sizzling: winners of their last 7 games and coming off a sweep of the White Sox in which they didn’t walk a single batter. The Red Sox and their line-up full of MVP candidates are coming off a split with the Cleveland Indians. Both teams are tied for the second best record in the majors at 68-42. This season, the Yankees have struggled against the Sox, losing 8 out of 9. The Bombers hope for a replay of the 2009 season when they also struggled early against the Sox, losing their first eight games to their AL East rivals, but then finished the season winning 9 of the last 10 against them. That, the Yanks went on to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies for their 27th championship.

The Yankees, Unobstructed — June 21

England hasn't won, France hasn't won, Spain hasn't won, this World Cup has been bana....wait, baseball is still on? Ugh, fine. We can talk about that.

The Yankees have recaptured first place! They've got the best record in baseball and they lead the division by a whopping one game over two teams.

Two teams? The Rays and who? While New York and Tampa have busied themselves squabbling with each other, slowly — stealthily even — the Boston Red Sox have become an unstoppable winning-machine, capable of destroying everything that's good and holy in this world....well, at least in this American League East.

But even with the (somewhat fading) Tampa Bay Rays and (totally resurgent) Boston Red Sox breathing down their necks, there's plenty for the Yankees to be thrilled about. Their pitching has been for the most part, stellar, and one through nine, the batting lineup now only has a single hole. Albeit a very big hole. The #4 spot. Álex Rodriguez.

Currently on pace for his lowest home run total since his sophomore campaign — way back in 1997 — ÁROD has just not had the "pop" we're accustomed to. He doesn't get on top of pitches as much, so he's been driving the ball less and less. And when he does drive the ball, it tends to go flat. It seems like once every two games, a ball leaves ÁROD's bat looking like a home run, only to find itself just shy of the warning track. They are pitches he used to hit for home runs, and swings that used to signal home runs. Only this season they've been long, frustrating, fly outs.

(Full Disclosure: I used the #4 pick in one of my fantasy baseball drafts for Rodriguez, so I keep an especially close watch on his production (or lack thereof).)

That isn't to say he's a waste in the clean-up spot. ÁROD is part of the growing contingent of Yankee hitters who have been shouting "Stop letting us load the bases!" to the rest of baseball.

The LoHud Yankee Blog's Josh Thomson explains:

The Yankees lead the bigs with seven grand slams (Alex Rodriguez, 2; Jorge Posada, 2; Teixeira; Curtis Granderson; Robinson Cano) after belting three this homestand alone. But check out these stats: the club is batting .420 with 37 hits and 103 RBI with the bags juiced this season.

The production already dwarfs last season when the team hit just three slams all year. Even the club record is in jeopardy this season; it sits at 10, which was accomplished in 1987 (thank Don Mattingly for that).

Postgame Notes: Yank homers are grand

Prediction time!

The fates of a lineup's third and fourth hitters are often inextricably intertwined, and so far this season, the Yankees three and four guys (Mark Teixeira and ÁROD) have both contributed lackluster production. But Tex has hit two homers in the last two games (and three in the last six), which might mean he's finally returning to form. If the guy who's up before Rodriguez is getting on base more often, than Rodriguez is much more likely to see strikes consistently, which can only be a good thing. So the prediction is that a good Teixeira equals a strong ÁROD, which in turns equals the Yankees being able to weather the coming Boston onslaught.

NOTE: Make sure to check back every week for The Yankees, Unobstructed, BNN's Yankees opinion column.

For more of Graham Kates' sports writing, check out his True/Slant blog "Coaches in the Crosshairs" (http://trueslant.com/grahamkates).

The Yankees, Unobstructed — May 9

The Yankees have won seven of nine to start May, but not all is swell.

Three games into a stretch of 17 without a day off, the Yankees are already looking worn. Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson recently joined Chan Ho Park on the disabled list, and Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, Alfredo Aceves and Mariano Rivera have all been dealing with minor injuries.

The 17 games includes 12 against above .500 teams — the other five games are against the Red Sox (they're still below .500, isn't that fun).

On the bright side of things, the Yankees won two of three against Boston over the weekend.

On the even brighter side (this is pyramidal), the Yankees look like farm-system geniuses right now:

• Brett Gardner has the fourth highest average in the American League (.348).
• Francisco Cervelli filled in for Jorge Posada and looked like a young catcher-version of Tony Gwynn.
• Phil Hughes has been the best pitcher on the team (other than Mariano, of course).
• Even Joba has settled comfortably into his setup role.

On the darkest side (see, pyramidal), Yankee youngster David Robertson has continued to suffer through the worst stretch of his career. Robertson has given up runs in four of his last five appearances, and his ERA has ballooned to 12.91. It's gotten ugly, and it's all my fault.

NOTE: Make sure to check back every weekend for The Yankees, Unobstructed, BNN's weekly Yankees opinion column.

For more of Graham Kates' sports writing, check out his True/Slant blog "Coaches in the Crosshairs" (http://trueslant.com/grahamkates).

The Yankees, Unobstructed: A New Season Begins with Closure

This spring has been all about closure for the Yankees.

The old Stadium is finally coming down, the Joba Chamberlain debate seems to be settled and the terrible mid-decade trades of Nick Johnson and Javier Vazquez have been rectified.

Much of the Yankees' spring training coverage has been spent dwelling on Joba. For the last few years the Chamberlain starter/reliever debate has been a bit of a tradition. He’s the Punxsatawney Phil of Yankees camp — sometimes we’d see the shadow of a potential starter, so we’d have to wait awhile to get him in the bullpen where he belongs — but this spring there was nothing.

He was competing with Phil Hughes for the fifth starting job, but only because Hughes is a bit of a Staten Island Chuck himself.

Wait. What’s that you say? The rodent metaphor is lame? Fine then, but just remember, you asked for it….on to Lord of the Rings!

Nick Johnson and Javier Vazquez are the Merry and Pip of our tale. Separated from their friends by a series of unfortunate events several years ago, the two travelling hobbits have only just been reunited with the Yankees — having just missed out on the destruction of the Phillies at Mount Doom. Sure, while they were separated from the Yankees they crafted their own storylines and gained notoriety as capable, if eminently fallible warriors. But I think we all knew — or at least hoped — that we’d see them returned to the Shire.

Just a reminder. You asked for it.

Unfortunately for our hobbit friends, the land they returned to has vastly changed — having felt the unholy touch of the dark lord Sauron and his henchman, Steiner Collectibles. Yes, when Vazquez and Johnson arrive for the home opener, on Apr. 13, the old Yankee Stadium will be but a memory.

This seems like a good spot to discuss the rotting corpse of the old Yankee Stadium, and the replacement parkland it sits upon — but let’s call in a pro for this part.

TIME FOR A QUICK MID-COLUMN Q&A

As the founder and president of the New York City Park Advocates, Geoffrey Croft has often been a pain in the neck for City Hall, because of his willingess to closely examine plans for projects like the Yankee Stadium redevelopment. I spoke with Croft recently about the Yankee Stadium demolition and the replacement parks, a condensed version of our Q & A follows:

Bronx News Network: When all is said and done, how are the new parks going to compare to the old parks, in terms of green space?

Geoffrey Croft: Well, there’s no comparison. The community is losing three acres of parkland. They’re losing two ball fields, which of course is ironic. It’s just a sham. You know, the Yankees are having Bar Mitzvahs up there, and prize fights, and they’re doing Victoria’s Secret shows, and that’s what it is. It’s an event space, which the public were forced to give over to them for free. It’s the poorest congressional district in the United States, and you know, when Bloomberg was asked — at least he was honest about this — “would this ever happen in Central Park,” he said “no.

BNN: Shea was demolished in a few months and Giants Stadium has a similar timetable, what do you think makes Yankee Stadium different?

GC: Well, the politics. This administration has bent over backwards to serve the Yankees. Shea Stadium, the day after the season ended they started demolition. With Yankee stadium, we found out they had a deal to allow them to stay in the stadium for up to two years. These kinds of behind-close-doors deals are just so abhorrent.

BNN: What did you think when you saw all the coverage last year of Steiner Collectibles collecting tokens of stadium soil and cubes of turf — as someone who has advocated for speedy replacement of parks?

GC: When they were taking up the issue at City Council, only six seconds were spent talking about the actual parkland. So, it’s not about the parks, it’s not about the people, it’s about servicing the New York Yankees. So when Steiner has this deal, the City bends over backwards. There’s so little transparency in the fact that they’re taking their sweet time to remove all that while the public wasn’t getting their parkland.

BACK TO BASEBALL

The Yankees' season starts tomorrow in Boston. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 pm. That should give all you Easter revelers enough time to worship during the day, before returning to the living room alter for some Yankees-based exaltation.

If for no other reason, watch the game to see Boston's opening day starter Josh Beckett. Each time I see him, I’m awed by just how ugly a chinstrap can be. Great pitcher, ugly ugly facial hair. Just hideous.

It’s going to be a fun season.

NOTE: Make sure to check back every weekend for The Yankees, Unobstructed, BNN's weekly Yankees opinion column.

For more of Graham Kates' sports writing, check out his True/Slant blog "Coaches in the Crosshairs" (http://trueslant.com/grahamkates).

The Yankees Unobstructed August 21

Some thoughts on this weekend's Yankee-Red Sox series...

• Another Boston-New York series!? I know I know, it's getting to be a tiring affair.
  

• The Sox are playing good baseball right now....but the Yankees are playing better. Prior to yesterday's day-off, the Yankees played sixteen consecutive games, and won thirteen of them.

• The starting-pitching match-ups for this weekend's series would seem to portend a 2-1 advantage for the Yankees, but this also has the feeling of one of those trap-series'. While the Yankees are flying-high, and should be cruising to the playoffs (barring a disaster), the Sox are in a hot Wild Card battle. In other words, this series is much more important to the Red Sox than the Yankees. Furthermore, Boston's record when playing at home (38-18) is second in the majors (behind only, of course, the Yankees). It's no secret that the Sox are adept at taking advantage of Fenway's unique contours.

• Since the start of May, the Yankees are 16-5 in the three games following a day-off. While that certainly should give Yankees fans a sense of relief, not everyone spent last night relaxing. Johnny Damon and a few others spent the night taking in a Creed concert in Hartford....on second thought, it's safe to assume that everyone got plenty of sleep last night.

On the Joba Rules...

• Like it or not, these Rules are here to stay. Joba Chamberlain will get six more starts over the next six weeks, because the Yankees are dead-set on keeping his innings-pitched total down. To baseball purists, it seems like the Yankees and other teams who set innings-limits for their young talent are coddling their players, but there is solid evidence that a light workload for young guns is an integral investment-protection strategy. Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci writes often about his "Year-After Effect" theory. The premise of this theory is simple: the year after a young pitcher (defined as 25-and-under) has his workload increased by at least thirty innings, he is significantly more likely to get injured.
  

• While it's nice to know that the Yankees are thinking about the long-time health of their young arms, they are not quite following Verducci's guidelines. Chamberlain pitched 100 innings last year, and will throw 160 this year (plus as much as necessary during the playoffs). Does that mean he'll get injured or regress next year? Maybe not, but Verducci would argue that he'll be at an increased risk.

Also.....

Just for fun, check out this video of the Yankees' ambidextrous minor-league pitching prospect. Pat Venditte throws both righty and lefty, switching from batter to batter.

The Yankees, Unobstructed August 7

Yankee Fans Collectively Exhale

A baseball season is long and all 162 games are of equivalent value....but didn't last night's game feel great? I know, I know, a game is a game and teams rarely actually "need" to win one in early August, but yesterday's victory sure felt important. If it wasn't a big deal for the players (which is doubtful considering the competitive nature of professional athletes), then it certainly was for the fans. Consider today's headlines....

"Blast from the Past: Just like old times as Yankees snap 0-fer vs. Red Sox" - Daily News
"Bombs Away: Yanks finally crush Sox" - NY Post
"Yanks' First Win Against Boston is a Big One" - NY Times
"Yankees Fans Saved From Having to Endure More Annoying Self-Congratulatory Facebook Status Messages by Friends from New England" - Me

While getting over that "winning one" hump was terrific, the harsh reality of weighted scheduling is that the Yankees and Red Sox still have nine more games to play against each other (exactly 1/6 of their remaining games).

If the Yankees can just eek out four or five of those nine they will be in fine shape to win the division, because they are a much more consistent squad against the rest of baseball than the Sox are. The Red Sox are 62-45 right now. Against the Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles, the Sox are 19-3. Which means against everyone else, they are just one game above .500.

This weekend's three remaining games....

Tonight: The Yankees' toughest pitching match-up comes tonight. The Red Sox are throwing perennial Cy Young contender Josh Beckett. While Beckett has not been great against the Yankees in two starts this year, he has the potential to be masterful any day. Also, A.J. Burnett, our starter, was absolutely demolished in early Yankee-Red Sox action. While Burnett has been pitching very well lately, the Red Sox figure to still cause him issues. His best games are when he keeps his pitches down, and Boston is an extremely adept low-ball hitting offense.

Tomorrow: This should be our easy win. Boston is pitching Clay Bucholz of "flash-in-a-pan" fame, and we've got the big man, C.C. Sabathia. There is no excuse for losing tomorrow. None.

Sunday: With Andy Pettitte facing Jon Lester, all we can do is hope. Pettitte has been much more reliable since the All-Star break, but he still hates pitching at the new Stadium (and the new Stadium hates him). Meanwhile, Lester has produced 11 Quality Starts since May 21.

NOTE: Make sure to check back every Wednesday for Pinstripe Politics, your source for that gray area where the Yankees and society converge. Also, check in with the BNN on Fridays for The Yankees, Unobstructed, our weekly Yankee opinion column.

For more of Graham Kates' sports writing, check out his True/Slant blog "Coaches in the Crosshairs" (www.trueslant.com/grahamkates).

The Yankees, Unobstructed August 1

I apologize for the tardiness of this entry. I could Insert Perfunctory Excuse Here, but I respect the BNN readership too much for that. Instead I'll just say that it made more sense to wait until after Trade Hysteria '09 had officially ended, before considering the state of the Yanks.

That was totally not a perfunctory excuse. Anyway, the column...

Hooray! The Yankees Didn't Do Anything Brash!

The trade deadline has come and gone, and the Yankees made but the smallest of splashes. While other traditional spenders, like the Phillies and Red Sox, were off buying big, the Yankees added the comparatively minor mid-season acquisitions of Eric Hinske and Jerry Hairston Jr. And I couldn't be prouder!

What restraint!

There they were, legitimate big time starting pitchers on the market. Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee (and Brian Bannister, I guess). The Yankees could have had one of them, for just the small price of....everyone on whom the Yankees' future will depend. And for the first time in a decade, the Yankees did not bite.

Right now the Yankees have a deep well of young talent, both in the majors and in the minors. But it was just a few years ago that their farm system featured a dearth of prospects. They had spent like they were 21 year-olds at the blackjack table, drunk on free drinks and yelling "hit me" on every sixteen that came their way. Those days, apparently, are gone.

By comparison, the Red Sox sold their livestock like it had hoof-and-mouth. Desperate to find a bat that could replace David Ortiz and complement the mighty Jason Bay, Boston found catcher Victor Martinez, by far the best hitter on the market. Now, don't get me wrong here, Martinez is a great addition, and he fits into their lineup perfectly. He also relieves the Red Sox of the strain of having to start Old Man Varitek at catcher everyday, but he came at a steep price. As the Mets found out this year, you can only make so many deals before you find yourself without anyone to trade.

And how about that Boston pitching. I think the rotation is set like this - Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, NoOne WorthNoting.

That was unnecessary, but very fun.

Also....

The Yankees finally get a break on Monday, and if you've watched the last few games, then you know they need it. The whole bunch (minus Red-Bull-in-his-veins Swisher) looks fatigued. If they can take one of these final two games against the White Sox this weekend, everyone should be content.

NOTE: Make sure to check back every Wednesday for Pinstripe Politics, your source for that gray area where the Yankees and society converge. Also, check in with the BNN on Fridays for The Yankees, Unobstructed, our weekly Yankee opinion column.

For more of Graham Kates' sports writing, check out his True/Slant blog "Coaches in the Crosshairs" (www.trueslant.com/grahamkates).

The Yankees, Unobstructed

April Baseball is Not Important

One of the toughest aspects of being a baseball fan, is keeping April in its proper context. Some players and teams start hot, other slump from the get-go. Judging from what we have seen so far, Mark Teixera is a bust, Andy Pettitte is unstoppable, Chien-Ming Wang has become the worst pitcher ever, Melky Cabrera is ready to bat clean-up and of course, 700 home runs will be hit at the new Stadium this season.

Undoubtedly, the most striking set-back that the Yankees have had so far, has been the pitching of Wang. A 34.50 era in three starts is unsettling, no matter what time of year it is. While the Yankees say they saw improvement during Wang's extended spring training game yesterday, they also thought he was good enough to pitch at the beginning of the season. Despite Wang's performance of late, even if he ends up on the disabled list with (a totally real and not made up condition, such as) arm fatigue, the Yankees have some solid #5 starters in the minors. Phil Hughes, for instance, has a 1.86 era through three games for the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees (12-1).

Despite Wang, if the Yankees' outfielders keeps producing at the rate they have, the Yankees will be unstoppable. Center field alone, must make Joe Girardi giddy. Each day, Girardi gets to choose between Brett Gardner (who is not hitting well, but has steals on four of his nine singles) and Melky Cabrera, whose .826 slugging leads the team. And of course, flanking the center fielders are Johnny Damon (.407 on-base percentage and three steals) in left field and Nick Swisher, who leads the team or is tied for the lead in home runs (4), runs batted in (12), touched bases (35), walks (10) and on-base percentage (.433), in right field.

This weekend, the Yankees head to Boston for their first meeting of the season. Expect these games to be billed as "Both Team's Most Important Games this month." Although the Red Sox have won seven straight games, the Yankees should be able to squeeze out two wins this weekend. Tonight's starters are Joba Chamberlain (5.06 era) and Jon Lester (5.50 era). Despite Lester's poor start to the season, this might prove to be the Yankees' toughest game. Last season, the Yankees absolutely could not touch Lester. In two starts against the Yanks, he was 2-0 with a 1.79 era. It gets better for the Yankees after Lester though.

In game two A.J. Burnett faces off against Josh Beckett. Against the Yankees, you never know which Beckett will show up, the one who can't be hit, or the one who stomps around on the mound and screams into his mitt all day. Even if the unhittable Becket shows up on Saturday, I like the Yankees' chances, because of Burnett. In eight career starts against Boston, Burnett is 5-0 with a 2.56 era.

For Sunday's match-up, the Yankees have a solid advantage coming in. Andy Pettitte has been the team's best pitcher so far this year and he's facing off against Justin Masterson, who has not had great success against the Yankees (a 4.82 era in five starts).

No matter how this first Boston-New York meeting goes, expect to hear dire predictions for what this series means to both teams....until they meet again in less than two weeks.

Make sure to check back every Wednesday for Pinstripe Politics, your #1 source for news about the Yankees as they relate to the Bronx community, and every Friday for this column, newly titled, "The Yankees, Unobstructed."