Nathan Eovaldi Archives

A Series Win at Fenway…and More A-Rod Drama

August 11, 2016

After saying A-Rod could have as many at-bats as he wanted during the countdown to tomorrow’s last hurrah as a Yankee player, Girardi backtracked and held A-Rod out of the lineup for the series opener at Fenway. While many (including me) thought the Yankees were being petty and spiteful, Girardi said he was merely trying to win games – reasoning that rang hollow when he seemed to have no problem using Romine, Tex and McCann, none of whom are exactly tearing it up with their offense. The Yankees lost that one. A-Rod pinch hit last night (a win) and finally batted cleanup in tonight’s game (another win). The Sox fans, predictably, gave A-Rod a rousing chorus of boos.

Which brings us to tomorrow at home against Tampa, A-Rod’s last game in pinstripes. The Yankees have said they plan to “recognize” their polarizing star with some sort of ceremony. Does he get a gold watch? A plaque? A gift card to NYY Steak? We shall see. Bets are also being made regarding the likelihood of A-Rod landing with another team, the Marlins being the number one contender for many. Again, we shall see.

Meanwhile, Gary Sanchez = superstar. How impressive has he been since getting called up! He is our future for sure. He can DH when either McCann or Romine is catching (although I think McCann is the next to pack his bags) or be behind the plate as he was tonight – very capably.

On the negative side, I couldn’t believe that Evo came out of last night’s game with more elbow problems. The kid already had Tommy John surgery early in his career. Does he need a redo? And who will slide into the rotation to replace him?

Questions. Always questions.

Chad Green?

July 4, 2016

Yes, Chad Green. The rookie was our savior in the finale yesterday against the Padres. Yes, the Padres, the lowly Padres, who beat the Yankees in a couple of heartbreakers in Games 1 and 2. Why we don’t beat the teams we’re supposed to beat beats me, but at least we salvaged the last game with the help of Betances and Chapman and – surprisingly – two homers by Teixeira, including homer #400. Maybe the California weather agrees with him. I’ve come to stop counting on him for his power or even for his presence in the lineup, but he certainly delivered both yesterday.

Miller and the AWOL offense were the problems in Game 2, and Evo was just awful in Game 1 – again. What happened to that guy? Earlier in the season, it looked as if he was going to be a solid, even great, starter for us. Now? He loses. That’s what he does. He gives up runs, particularly homers, and put the Yankees hitters in a hole from which they usually can’t come back.

And so the season of mediocrity continues in Chicago for a July 4th matinee. We’re almost at the All-Star break. Are the Yankees buyers or sellers? Or, in the case of A-Rod, releasers? We’ll know soon enough.

Rocky Mountain Low

June 16, 2016

Wow, do the Yankees stink right now. First against the Tigers, then against the Rockies. Yes, the Rockies – the team they should have beaten and didn’t.

In the first game, they mounted a big comeback to no avail – a Janer that only resulted in a losing effort because the pitching (I’m looking at you, Evo, along with the pen) was so pathetic. I watched Girardi’s post-game chat with the beat writers and boy was he testy. There was an errant pick-off throw by Kirby Yates to Rob Refsnyder at first base and he wouldn’t talk about it. “I’m just not gonna talk about it,” he kept saying. “It has to do with strategy.” Or whatever. If you ask me, he’s sick of all the losing.

In last night’s finale of the two-game series, Nova couldn’t hold on and neither could Chapman. As for the offense, our only reliable hitter, Carlos Beltran, is out with a bum knee, and there’s no one else to pick up the slack – no one. That’s just sad. (What happened to McCann this year? Didn’t he used to have power?)

I started off the season in skeptic mode, wondering why we didn’t acquire one of the front-line pitchers for sale and what, exactly, the Yanks would do to improve the offense, given the age and declining power of A-Rod and Teixeira. Then I moved into hopeful mode after the more recent series when the Yankees played better, when Evo and Nova appeared to have turned a corner and CC had really made a nice comeback. Now I’m in grouchy-person mode. Why? Because this team is just not good enough to win on a consistent basis. Guys who showed promise have regressed. We don’t have any standouts in the minors to bring up and save the day.

So the question is: Does Cashman make some moves to help the team win? Does he think they have a shot and, if so, is it time to make a trade for Miller, Chapman or even Betances, our only real bargaining chips? Or does he go into a “sell” phase and decide to rebuild the team for the future? Because right now they’re limping along without much promise.

I hate being so negative, but I’m just telling it the way I see it. Sorry. If the Yanks have a decent series in Minnesota, maybe I’ll feel better.

Success in Tampa

May 30, 2016

Taking this weekend’s series with the Rays really was a must, and the Yankees accomplished it – barely. On Friday night Tanaka delivered a good start, and both Beltran and A-Rod homered. Last night it was Evo on the hill, pitching well, and while the Yanks were being no-hit for most of the game, Castro’s homer was just enough to give us the win in a surprise comeback. Saturday was the blemish – another stinker by Pineda.

Yes, he’s still young. Yes, he’s got talent. But is he one of those guys who wasn’t meant for New York for whatever reason? The majors are full of pitchers who did well elsewhere but failed for the Yankees. Is it too early to know? And what to do with him in the meantime? Apparently, the brain trust feels he should keep making his regular starts. I’m thinking a stint in the minors to work out the kinks might not be so bad.

Beltran continued his great hitting over the weekend, but now he’s injured. How badly? Didn’t sound serious, but it takes 40-year-old athletes longer to recover. And A-Rod, aside from that one homer, has looked dreadful. Teixeira pinch hit yesterday but is otherwise still suffering from neck spasms. Between the three of them, there goes our power. John Sterling was hammering home how well the Red Sox are hitting this season – they’re far and away the offensive leaders – and I was thinking how anemic our hitting has been by contrast. How things turn around, given where both teams were last year.

On to Toronto.

Ugly in Texas Except for Him

April 28, 2016

Watching Eovaldi almost throw a no-hitter in the middle game of the Yankees’ series in Arlington was a thrill. Evo has had trouble going deep into games, but he lived up to Cashman’s expectations in that one.

The rest of the series, however, was more of the same from this team: limp bats. Yes, A-Rod came back last night from his oblique injury and got some hits, but the Yankees are in last place and look like it.

Chase Headley. Why? Isn’t there a younger, more sure-handed option at third who can hit? He’s just not inspiring. But then who is right now? They can’t seem to break out of their malaise even with decent starting pitching performances across the board. Batters are stranded. The offense can’t get the big hits. Blech. And now they go to Boston? Double blech.

I was just given Legends seats for Yankees-Royals on May 11th and, aside from the fact that I don’t do cold temperatures at night and that my idea of perfect weather for Yankee Stadium is a sweltering afternoon in July, I can’t pass up the opportunity to go. Maybe playing against a really good team like the Royals will motivate the Yanks to play better. I sure hope so.

So Much For Joy in Blue Jaysville

April 15, 2016

After winning the first game in the series in Toronto, I thought…Eh, maybe this’ll work out. But then came Games 2 and 3 and a lost series.

Eovaldi wasn’t shelled but he didn’t inspire a lot of confidence. And while Pineda was encouraging the previous night, Nova in relief was anything but. The starting pitching is and will probably continue to be a problem for the Yankees, but I hope I’m wrong.

What’s up with A-Rod? Is it really what Girardi says – that old guys take longer to get hot at the plate? If that were true, how come Beltran has done ok? And how come A-Rod started off last season, after being away from the game for so long, with a torrid offense? If he continues not to hit, he’ll be a liability in the lineup and retirement will loom large. But it’s early. At least that’s what I tell myself.

I’m really rooting for Severino to have a good start tonight in the Bronx and give everybody a lift.

Miami Vice

June 17, 2015

The Yankees could have used those guys on Monday and Tuesday night. They needed help of any kind. On Monday the story was hitting; nobody could manage it. Tanaka was his high-achieving self, giving them more than enough room to score and win the game, but they couldn’t provide any run support, DH or no DH. And last night the pitching and defense were atrocious along with the silent bats, which is another way of saying it was a bad, bad showing.

Girardi said after the game about Evo (I can never remember how to spell his name so this abbreviation works for me), “He’s still young and growing,” or something like that. “Still young and growing” is fine as long as you’re not clobbered by your former team during a major league baseball game. “He’s still young and growing” is also what Joe has said about Didi. At what point do you keep making errors and still get a pass? If the Yankees were in a rebuilding phase with young and growing players, that would be one thing. But they’re trying to win a championship and fill seats, and you need to win games for that.

Maybe they’ll pull it together and go on another winning streak. Who knows. But someone commented here the other day that Ellsbury is a key missing factor and I agree. Without his bat and his glove and his speed, the Yanks have lost their catalyst. He’s reportedly not making good progress on healing, so I don’t know when he’ll be back but it isn’t soon. Cashman needs reinforcements. I hope he doesn’t wait until July.

Hello and Goodbye

December 19, 2014

Wasn’t Martin Prado supposed to be the Yankees’ second baseman now that Chase Headley is back? Wasn’t David Phelps supposed to be either a back-end starter or the long man out of the bullpen? They were both pretty good, so I’m still scratching my head over the trade today that sent them to the Marlins for a bunch of guys I’ve never heard of. Not that my knowledge of the Marlins or any National League team is anything to brag about, but why? Was Nathan Eovaldi really worth shipping out Prado and Phelps? He’s young and durable but his numbers aren’t great and I’d rather have Scherzer in the rotation (duh).

As for the other two we got, fine. Whatever. I hope Cashman knows what he’s doing. Domingo German sounds like a very interesting prospect, but I wouldn’t mind winning a few games in the near term, as in 2015.