Pena Out 4-6 Weeks After Appendectomy Surgery, Laird Called Up

From George A. King III:

Yankees reserve infielder Ramiro Pena underwent an emergency appendectomy surgery this morning at a Tampa Hospital, The Post has learned.

It was the second appendectomy in two weeks for a Yankees player. Joba Chamberlain, who is out for the year due to Tommy John surgery, had his appendix removed two weeks ago in New York, according to a source.

...

He is expected to be out 4-6 weeks; third baseman Brandon Laird was summoned from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A) to take Pena’s place on the roster. Laird is expected to be on hand for Monday night’s game against the Rays at Tropicana Field. When he gets into a game, Laird will be making his major-league debut.

In 90 games with SWB, Laird hit .266 with 10 home runs and 49 RBIs.

Tough break for Pena, but I'm interested to see how Laird does in the big leagues.

Hartnett: Mattingly & Hernandez Are Hall Of Famers

From Sean Hartnett:

The value of skillful fielding at first base has gone down in recent years as ‘The Juiced Era of Baseball’ (either the baseballs and/or the players themselves) has changed the perception of the position. The prototype for the modern first basemen is in the mold of a low average hitter who compensates for his poor glove with tremendous power and a high on-base percentage. A term was introduced to describe players of this ilk as they were deemed ‘jack and jog’ ballplayers.

Not only were Hernandez and Mattingly two of the more deft-fielding first basemen in recent memory but were also high average hitters with a good amount of pop. Power isn’t entirely defined by home runs and each of these men regularly hit over 35 doubles throughout their careers. Fences were moved back during 1980’s and cut short the power strokes of batters who played before the introduction of the juiced ball and clamoring for long balls after 1994 strike.

...

The Case For Mattingly

‘Donnie Baseball’ was also a prodigious fielder as he claimed 9 first base Gold Gloves which is only second in history to Hernandez himself. Mattingly was more of a hybrid player than Hernandez as he excelled at the plate and is considered one of the more dominant hitters of the 1980’s. In fact, he held the highest batting average (.323) and slugging percentage (.521) of all first basemen during the 80’s and the most RBIs in a single season (145) during the decade.

The fact that Mattingly was hampered by back injuries throughout the 1990’s only enhances his reputation. He won each of his 3 Silver Sluggers and was named to the AL All-Star team 6 times before the 90’s even began. Mattingly almost completed back-to-back MVP-winning seasons in 1985 and 1986. He took home the 1985 award but lost out to Roger Clemens in the latter year despite batting .352 and leading the AL in hits, doubles, total bases and slugging percentage.

He stands as a .307 lifetime hitter even while dealing with the said back issues and had an unbelievable hitter’s eye. Mattingly finished with 588 walks and only struck out 444 times in 7,721 plate appearances during his career. He may have never won that elusive World Series ring but anyone who saw ‘Donnie Baseball’ play understood that he was as vital to the New York Yankees as Derek Jeter was during the championship years following Mattingly’s retirement in 1995.

He also stated his case for Hernandez, which you can read here.

I'm extremely bias here. Donnie was and still is my favorite player of all time, and to me he is a Hall of Famer. But the reason I'm posting this is because I want to know what you guys think. Vote in the polls below...

Heyman: Montero Will Not Be Centerpiece of Jimenez

This Week in Yankees History (7/17-7/23)

This Week in Yankee History 

July 17th - July 23rd

July 17th

1919 - The Yankees (21) and Browns (17) combined for 38 hits during the St. Louis Browns 7-6, 17-inning win. The Browns winning run was a scored on a squeeze play.

1923 - An un-sympatric Yankees Manager Miller Huggins refuses to remove Yankees starter Carl Mays as he allows the Cleveland Indians to batter Mays for 20 hits and 13 runs during a Tribe 13-0 victory. Yankees Manager Miller Huggins and Carl Mays never got along well, it will end with Carl Mays later being traded to the Cincinnati Reds after the 1923 AL season ends.

1930 - Former Yankees minor league OF Jerry Lynch was born. Before the start of the 1951 AL Season, Jerry Lynch was purchased by the New York Yankees from Greenville (Cotton States). Jerry never played for the Yankees at the MLB level. On November 30,1953, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Yankees in the 1953 MLB Rule 5 player draft. Jerry Lynch became the greatest pinch-hitter of his era. One of the best pinch-hitters of all time. Although he appeared in 1,184 MLB games, only 710 of them were in the field (mostly as a left fielder). He had only one season with more than 400 at-bats, that being 1958 when he hit .312 with 16 HRs in 420 at-bats. He became more or less a regular outfielder (he appeared in 98 games) as a rookie with the 1954 Pittsburgh Pirates, making his debut at age 23 on a team, whose average age was 26. He would play in the NL with the Prates and the Cincinnati Reds finishing his 14-year MLB career with a lifetime BA of .277.

1934 - New York Yankees slugger Babe Ruth draws his 2,000th MLB base on balls at Cleveland. He will retire from MLB in 1935 with a MLB walk record of 2,062.

1936 - New York Yankees hitters Red Rolfe, Lou Gehrig, and Bill Dickey hit 3rd-inning HRs against the Detroit Tigers to tie the AL record, since topped. Yankees roll to a 9-4 victory, dropping the Bengals to 4th place in the AL. Goose Goslin has a pair of HRS for the Tigers.

Read more »

Would Trading For Jimenez Be The Right Move?

As you may know, the Yankees have recently been talking to the Rockies about acquiring 27-year old Ubaldo Jimenez, who won 19 games last year for Colorado.

According to many reports, it would take the Yankees AT LEAST one of their big three prospects (Jesus Montero, Dellin Betances, and Manny Banuelos), Ivan Nova, and someone like Austin Romine or Andrew Brackman. Some reports have even said Colorado is asking for the entire big three and then some.

All I'm thinking is - what is Colorado smoking???

We all know he was the first half Cy Young and MVP of the 2010 season, as he had 15 wins and an ERA under 2 by the time the All Star Break rolled around. He fell of the tracks in the second half and started this season as a very mediocre pitcher, if not worse.

Since the beginning of June, however, he is 5-3 with a 2.56 ERA, 54 strikeouts, and just 13 walks in 59 and 2/3 innings. And we all know that the starting staff as it is, will not get the Yankees far in the playoffs, if they get there at all.

Jimenez would definitely be a great addition, and would give the Yankees a scary 1-2 punch with CC and Ubaldo. But to me he is not worth what the Rockies are apparently asking for. Of course these are just rumors, but if the Yankees do end up acquiring him, hopefully they don't give up no more than one of their big three and maybe an Ivan Nova or Andrew Brackman. Anything more than that, and Cash should be smart and say no to Colorado. There will be many pitchers available at the deadline, some even better than Jimenez. (*cough cough* Felix Hernandez???)

The Yanks & Rockies Have Also Talked About Wigginton

Heyman: Rockies Wants 4 Top Prospects For Ubaldo

Ummmmm, no freaking way.

Heyman reported earlier today that the Yanks and Rockies have had multiple conversations about Jimenez, but as you might imagine, the Rockies asking price is holding things up. The Yankees are willing to give up Montero with other prospects, but not the three mentioned above.

Game 92: Yankees @ Jays

YANKEES (54-37)
Brett Gardner LF
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Jorge Posada 1B
Russell Martin C
Eduardo Nunez 3B
Ramiro Pena SS

Pitching: RHP Phil Hughes (0-2, 10.57 ERA)

BLUE JAYS (47-48)
Rajai Davis CF
Eric Thames DH
Yunel Escobar SS
Adam Lind 1B
Edwin Encarnacion 3B
Travis Snider LF
Aaron Hill 2B
J.P. Arencibia C
Corey Patterson RF

Pitching: RHP Carlos Villanueva (5-1, 2.99 ERA)

NOTES:

- Greg Golson has been sent back down to Triple-A. Chris Dickerson has been recalled to replace him on the roster.

- Derek Jeter is just getting the day off.