Yankees Big Three

Who says the Yankee's are getting old? Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Mariano Rivera have something to say about that. Jeter is batting .411 on the season with 4 home runs and 13 RBI's. Last night in Arlington, he went 4 - 5 with an RBI. A - Rod is hitting .250 with 3 home runs and 7 RBI's. He went 1 - 2 last night along with 3 RBI last night, with a home run. Rivera came into the ninth inning and shut the door for his fourth save this season.

If you listened to the media last year, Jeter and A - Rod were terrible according to them. They began to ask questions like, "Is it time for Jeter to retire?" The answer was an easy one, absolutely not. The captain of the Yankee's still has "it". The only reason why Jeter should retire is if he is no longer able to play or if he isn't having fun playing the game any longer.

A - Rod is currently trying to chase down Bonds/Aaron for the most home runs in major league history. This year he surpassed Ken Griffey Jr. on the list. Just another accomplishment for a famous Yankee.

Rivera continues to set the record for saves in a career each time he saves another game. This may or may not be Mo's last season. He said that he is the only one that knows if this will be his last season or not. I see no reason why he should retire. He is 42 and his cutter can still reach 93 MPH at that age which is remarkable. He is still extremely effective in the ninth inning. He still has the ability to play, so it leaves the decision entirely up to him.



The Grandyman Can!

Yankee's outfielder Curtis Granderson hit three home runs in the first four innings of last night's game against the Minnesota Twins. He eventually hit two more singles in his next two at bats and went 5 - 5 on the night. Granderson used to be the center fielder of the Detroit Tigers and imagine what that line up would be if he were at the top leading off. Austin Jackson was sent there in the trade to get Granderson to the Yankee's in the first place and I know that Jackson is a very good outfielder, but Granderson is simply better. Not by a lot, but enough to make their line up even more potent.

Granderson made history last night by becoming the first person to ever hit three home runs at the new Yankee Stadium. He received a curtain call from the Yankee faithful after his third bomb of the night.



Mets Are Undefeated!

That's right, my New York Mets are undefeated four games through the season!

Fun Fact:
New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers: 7 - 1
Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies: 3 - 9

They moved the fences in at Citi Field and its their pitching that is winning them ball games. Here are the scores of their games:

vs. Atlanta: 1 - 0
vs. Atlanta: 4 - 2
vs. Atlanta: 7 - 5
vs. Washington: 4 - 3

Even in the game that was 7 - 5, Jonathon Niese took a no-hitter into the seventh inning.  Mike Pelfrey pitched decently well last night in their win over the Nationals. He was bending, but he never broke. He allowed 10 hits and walked only one batter. That turns out to be a WHIP of 1.94, which is a very high WHIP. Daniel Murphy, whose defense was being questioned, made a great diving play right behind second base to prevent the Nationals from scoring late in the game. He then came up and delivered the game winning hit, a line drive into right field. Mets fans left Citi Field chanting, "Undefeated! Undefeated!" showing that people are still excited about this team, which is what is needed after years of not being competitive.

Mets fans finally have a reason to smile.



Opening Day!

Its is finally here: Opening Day of 2012. Everyone starts out with hope and the promise of a fresh start. Fans get to see their old favorites return, young players grow and develop, the new faces in the lineup, the team chemistry. All of it comes out of this one day.

Its the one time of the year where the Pirates have the same record as the Yankees. Neither team is superior to one another on this day. Speaking of the Pirates, they start the season off by playing their in state rival, the Phillies. Jim Thome of the Phillies will be playing his first game at first base in numerous years after serving as a designated hitter in the American League.

The Mets get Johan Santana back after rehabing for a year and a half to recover from shoulder sugery. Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw are setting out to defend their Cy Young award. Prince Fielder gets to hit behind Miguel Cabrera and the two of them could be the most powerful duo in the game today.

No matter who you root for, their is nothing to dislike about the Opening Day in baseball.



More player rankings

There are 7 players, on this list of 15, that play for the Yankees, Red Sox, and Phillies. That is the reason why those three teams combined for a record of 289 - 197 in the 2011 season. The majority of the hitters on this list hit a lot of home runs.

In the list, there is a comment about Mariano Rivera and it basically says that he should not be ranked 12th and that the list must be a lifetime achievement award. Whoever said something so irrational, knows nothing about baseball. The guy has made himself a hall of fame career by using one pitch. Plus, the consistency you get from him is second to none. In my opinion, he is still the best closer in the game today.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7740099/ranking-top-500-major-league-baseball-players-2012-nos-11-25

Mariano Rivera.



Los Angeles Dodgers - No longer for sale

The number required to by the Los Angeles Dodgers was $2 billion. That is the largest amount of money spent to by a team in history. Here is a list of notable teams that have been purchased recently along with their price tag and year in which they were purchased.

Los Angeles Dodgers: $2 billion, 2012.

Chicago Cubs: $845 million, 2009.

Boston Red Sox: $700 million, 2002.

Houston Astros: $615 million, 2011.

Texas Rangers: $561 million, 2010.

Those numbers are amazing because none of the other ball clubs were even remotely close to what the Dodger's were sold for. Even the Miami Dolphins of the NFL were only sold for $1.1 billion. The Dodger's are one of the two most historic baseball teams in history. The other being the New York Yankees. The group that just purchased the Dodger's is one that has Earvin "Magic" Johnson involved. Another person that is involved is baseball executive Stan Kasten.

Magic has said in interviews that he will be heavily involved. But he is going to be involved in the recruiting of free agents. He also said that he can help sell the Dodger brand and help bring back old fans who may have abandoned ship after years of turmoil.

Here is a quote that you might want to remember: "It's time to turn the page and move toward a new chapter in the history of the Los Angeles Dodgers." - Ned Colletti.

Historic Dodger Stadium.

Derek Jeter Not in Top 100

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7734671/ranking-top-500-major-league-baseball-players-2012-nos-101-150

ESPN chose not to put Yankee short stop Derek Jeter in the top 100 players in the major leagues. He was ranked as the 115 best player today. The superstar is now 38 years old and that has to be why he is ranked that low. Jason Heyward does not deserve his ranking in my opinion. He has done nothing to deserve it and hit below .250 last season. Justin Masterson is ranked 148 and could rise into the top 100 in the next few seasons easily.

I was at a minor league game in Harrisburg one time and he was the pitcher for the opposing Portland Sea Dogs. This was when he was still in the Red Sox minor leagues before being traded to the Cleveland Indians. I was able to get close to the bull-pen while he was warming up and talk to the catcher. I remember what he said because it was so true and accurate. This is what he said to me, "This guy is the real deal. He will be in the majors in no time." Now, a few years later, he is the number one starter for the Indians and is ranked 148 in all of baseball and is still very young.

Justin Masterson as a member of the Portland Sea Dogs.