2025 New York Yankees thread

[BADOLBILZ]

Pitchers and catchers report injured on Feb 12!

 

(And.......sure enough.......RH reliever Jake Cousins out for a month with shoulder soreness.    Never fails some of these dudes always arrived injured.)

 

 

Edited February 13 by BADOLBILZ

[Bob Lamb]

21 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

Pitchers and catchers report injured on Feb 12!

MGM Grand

Dodgers + 250

Yankees  +800

21 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

 

[US Egg]

Looking through my Yankee crap found my autographed Tommy Heinrich photo of him getting on base due to a dropped 3rd strike in the 9th of game 4, that they were losing and then won, in the ‘41 series which ultimately led to the Yankees winning it.

 

Bored, I googled it and came across an article about universally applying the rule at any point in an at bat. Thought it intriguing.
 

https://fansided.com/mlb-needs-to-ditch-the-terrible-ghost-runner-and-adopt-this-new-rule-instead

[BADOLBILZ]

8 minutes ago, US Egg said:

Looking through my Yankee crap found my autographed Tommy Heinrich photo of him getting on base due to a dropped 3rd strike in the 9th of game 4, that they were losing and then won, in the ‘41 series which ultimately led to the Yankees winning it.

 

Bored, I googled it and came across an article about universally applying the rule at any point in an at bat. Thought it intriguing.
 

https://fansided.com/mlb-needs-to-ditch-the-terrible-ghost-runner-and-adopt-this-new-rule-instead

 

Yeah I am all for ideas that force pitchers to throw the ball in the strike zone.   Not being able to bounce sliders without consequence with nobody on base is a good thing for me.   But I do think that's a much bigger rules change than the manfred man on second base in extra innings.   The inherited runner on second doesn't bother me at all........if you can't resolve the game in regulation then you get what you get.   And the author complains about the luck of the draw between getting a fast runner on second or a slow one because the ghost runner is the last batter of the prior inning?  Well, how about having more athletic players?   Add the ability to steal first rule to the Manfred man rule.   Not one or the other.   More action and less games decided by nameless relievers who are spent after 15 pitches is GOOOOD.

 

I've said it before, but the strike zone needs to be a circle that fits inside the current zone.   Take away all those corners.   This stuff they are throwing combined with the fact that the zone is expanded by the width of a baseball on all 4 sides because all you gotta' do is hit a seam on the corner to get the call?   That is why the league hit .242 last year.  And if they don't take away those corners, they will never be able to automate the strike zone.  Pitchers will learn how to nail the edge of that up and in corner that umps usually don't give them........and then batting averages will drop again.   If suddenly pitchers have to locate in a smaller zone then MPH will drop and there will be less of those unhittable breaking pitches thrown..........and the ball will be in play more and hit squarer etc..  

[US Egg]

12 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

Add the ability to steal first rule to the Manfred man rule.

Like that idea. Maybe I missed it, but never heard the steal first rule being in the conversation. Unlike the NBA, there are a few options to consider to enhance the game. 
 

Pitching and the strike zone….ughhh. I can ignore it though.

[Mike in Horseheads]

On 2/6/2025 at 12:58 PM, BADOLBILZ said:

 

Yeah I am all for ideas that force pitchers to throw the ball in the strike zone.   Not being able to bounce sliders without consequence with nobody on base is a good thing for me.   But I do think that's a much bigger rules change than the manfred man on second base in extra innings.   The inherited runner on second doesn't bother me at all........if you can't resolve the game in regulation then you get what you get.   And the author complains about the luck of the draw between getting a fast runner on second or a slow one because the ghost runner is the last batter of the prior inning?  Well, how about having more athletic players?   Add the ability to steal first rule to the Manfred man rule.   Not one or the other.   More action and less games decided by nameless relievers who are spent after 15 pitches is GOOOOD.

 

I've said it before, but the strike zone needs to be a circle that fits inside the current zone.   Take away all those corners.   This stuff they are throwing combined with the fact that the zone is expanded by the width of a baseball on all 4 sides because all you gotta' do is hit a seam on the corner to get the call?   That is why the league hit .242 last year.  And if they don't take away those corners, they will never be able to automate the strike zone.  Pitchers will learn how to nail the edge of that up and in corner that umps usually don't give them........and then batting averages will drop again.   If suddenly pitchers have to locate in a smaller zone then MPH will drop and there will be less of those unhittable breaking pitches thrown..........and the ball will be in play more and hit squarer etc..  

How do you steal 1st?

[BADOLBILZ]

On 2/7/2025 at 1:40 AM, US Egg said:

Like that idea. Maybe I missed it, but never heard the steal first rule being in the conversation. Unlike the NBA, there are a few options to consider to enhance the game. 
 

Pitching and the strike zone….ughhh. I can ignore it though.

 

3 minutes ago, Mike in Horseheads said:

How do you steal 1st?

 

Explaining his idea about stealing first base is the author of the articles intention.   Excerpt:

 

If a ball gets away from the catcher in any count, the hitter can take off and try to take first base. For the offense, it would create some strategy and add importance to having some speed at your disposal. For pitchers, they can't just spike balls in the dirt at will without consequences and the rule would force guys to throw more strikes. More pitches in the strike zone and less completely non-competitive pitches means more opportunities for tests of skill between hitters and pitchers and will no longer allow teams to field a statue behind the plate.

[US Egg]

On 2/6/2025 at 12:58 PM, BADOLBILZ said:

And if they don't take away those corners, they will never be able to automate the strike zone.

Forgot they’re using the auto-strike zone in spring training. I’m not ready…..

[BringMetheHeadofLeonLett]

Missing Steinbrenner vs. Martin

 

Wishing you and yours a crappy-ass season,

 

Go Dodgers.  )

[BADOLBILZ]

10 hours ago, US Egg said:

Forgot they’re using the auto-strike zone in spring training. I’m not ready…..

 

 

I love that they are progressing towards automation and getting calls right.  Because that's what I personally want to see......results that reflect performance.   But baseball will find that a lot of the interest in pro sport is the drama created by human error.   Officiating decisions stir debate and perceived wrongs further bond fans to their teams due to the idea of a shared experience(being wronged).   Without the drama that human error creates(including close games, upsets etc..) a lot of casuals won't be able to enjoy the game.  

 

The NFL knows this which is why, despite occasional claims to the contrary, they don't REALLY mind the perception that their officiating is on par with pro wrestling's.  

 

But I also think the strike zone is too big and includes portions which aren't really "hittable" except for the rarest of instances.   And the point of the zone is to give the batter good pitches to hit.  They give the pitcher AT LEAST 4 chances each at bat to throw the ball out of the zone to get a chase or force weak contact before it's a walk.   The zone should be all pitches that a good hitter can square up and put in play competitively.   The corners are mostly pop-ups and weak contact.  Pop ups to 3B/C or feeble grounders to 2B are no more interesting that whiffs.

 

[LabattBlue]

On 2/6/2025 at 12:58 PM, BADOLBILZ said:

 

Yeah I am all for ideas that force pitchers to throw the ball in the strike zone.   Not being able to bounce sliders without consequence with nobody on base is a good thing for me. 

I cannot stand pitchers whose main pitch is bouncing the ball to home plate.  Too many pitchers refuse to pitch in the strike zone with a “here it comes, try and hit it” approach. 
 

If it would stop “dirt ball”, I would be all for the steal of 1st base. It would be kind of Savannah Banana like, but who cares. 

[4merper4mer]

On 2/13/2025 at 12:33 AM, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Explaining his idea about stealing first base is the author of the articles intention.   Excerpt:

 

If a ball gets away from the catcher in any count, the hitter can take off and try to take first base. For the offense, it would create some strategy and add importance to having some speed at your disposal. For pitchers, they can't just spike balls in the dirt at will without consequences and the rule would force guys to throw more strikes. More pitches in the strike zone and less completely non-competitive pitches means more opportunities for tests of skill between hitters and pitchers and will no longer allow teams to field a statue behind the plate.

It would be a shame for this to happen right after Vogelbach retired.

[SinceThe70s]

2 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

It would be a shame for this to happen right after Vogelbach retired.

 

I want my Vogelbach Vogelbach Vogelbach. Vogelbach. I want my Vogelbach Vogelbach Vogelbach. Vogelbach.  Chili's Vogelbach ribs!

[BADOLBILZ]

2 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

It would be a shame for this to happen right after Vogelbach retired.

 

 

I was thinking more about Tyler Wade.   That guy has never seen a breaking pitch bounce at his feet that he could resist swinging at but he can run like nobody's business out of the left handed batters box.   There are a lot of Billy Hamilton type guys that this would benefit but few of them swing at 55 foot curveballs like Wade so have more to gain.

[Mike in Horseheads]

I wonder how they would score the play if that pitch in the dirt existed. E1 E2 ?

[SinceThe70s]

8 hours ago, Mike in Horseheads said:

I wonder how they would score the play if that pitch in the dirt existed. E1 E2 ?

 

It would have to be discretionary imo. Unless they're going with it has to bounce before it reaches the catcher.

 

Not sure why bounced pitches bother folks so much. Simple answer to me is to watch slo-pitch softball.

[BADOLBILZ]

 

Say it ain't so Junkarlo!

 

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/43876552/yankees-giancarlo-stanton-elbows-uncertain-opening-day

 

Cash needs to get one more bat so they have someone to fill in when Junk misses his 35-75 games and Bellinger and Dominguez miss their time.

 

The obvious fit is Brendan Donovan of the Cardinals.  He'd get 140+ starts between LF, RF and infield with the Yanks injury probabilities.

 

If St. Louis would attach him to Arenado and send the 2 for next to nothing I'd do it.  I can't understand why anyone would take Arenado and his $75M.   Even half of that more than he's going to be worth over the next 3 seasons with his increasingly feeble bat.   Whoever gets him is getting Yankees Josh Donaldson 2.0 in 2026-2027 so you hope to get a platoon season out of him and then dump his carcass.    

 

But if they got arbitration Donovan that would help make up for the lost value.   They'll likely get $60M in value for 3 years of prime Donovan for like $15M in arb salaries so then you are basically just eating $30M taking on Arenado($75M-$45M).   

 

Hal don't want to pay that luxury tax though so probably gotta hope Oswaldo and Oswald step up. 

Edited Sunday at 11:08 PM by BADOLBILZ

[Beast]

On 2/13/2025 at 4:08 AM, BringMetheHeadofLeonLett said:

Missing Steinbrenner vs. Martin

 

Wishing you and yours a crappy-ass season,

 

Go Dodgers.  )

Those were the days. Of course, I remember fat ass Lasorda jumping ip and down after Gibson’s HR and you couldn’t slide a playing card under his feet when he was jumping.

 

Fat ass.

 

Go Yanks!

Edited Wednesday at 01:02 PM by Beast

[SinceThe70s]

1 hour ago, Beast said:

Those were the days. Of course, I remember fat ass Lasorda jumping ip and down after Gibson’s HR and you couldn’t slide a playing card under his feet when he was jumping.

 

Fat ass.

 

Go Yanks!

 

The best unconfirmed Lasorda story is he supposedly sent Don Rickles out to the mound to make a pitching change. 

[US Egg]

2 hours ago, Beast said:

Those were the days.

It was brief, but it was great. Who was the villain? Who was the hero? Greatest tabloid team ever.