Mr. 3000

First Yankee to achieve 3000 hits!







Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Todays 2011 lineup

Today is the first day that I can imagine the Yankee Lineup.

Curtis Granderson CF
Derek Jeter SS
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada DH
Nick Swisher RF
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF

Friday, February 4, 2011

We will miss you Andy!

Andy Pettitte was my 4th favorite Yankee of all time!

Thank you for giving us your best every night and thank you for the 19 postseason wins. That is the only number that matters, the 5 rings and the 19 victories in October.

In my eyes based on the victories and total postseason contributions you should be in the Hall of Fame. I find it funny how when “Little” Ben and Brady win football games people already put them in Canton. See Football writers, fans, players all respect and give props to the great players.

These baseball nerds these geeks who never played baseball and all they do is write about it, they decide who gets in the Hall. Sad your conscience is pure, yet your sport is not, how the Hell is Pete Rose not in the Hall? I digress…

Andy you won 5 World Series titles and will retire the All Time wins leader, and some 80 year old dude baseball writer named Peter that never played the game gets to decide your place among history.

The only thing that matters is that you retired a Yankee, will have your number retired and will have a place in a circle of players that is more exclusive than the Hall of Fame.

We will miss you Andy!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Letter to Brian Cashman

By Frank Solares

Dear Brian Cashman,

Big fan and hope you retire a Yankee as well as continue working towards lowering the payroll, all while dominating the Major leagues. One criticism (Dont have one) but, Bartolo Colon? Really?

I know that everyone would like to remember the past and live it all over again, hell I would love to be 25, and have long luscious hair, so the thought of Bartolo Colon as the fifth starter does not comfort me for the future of your Yankees.

The hope here at Yankeesvoice, is that this experiment never gets off the ground and fails.
Mr. Cashman you should continue concentrating on the youth movement, not some 37 year old who might be 42 (A man that has not seen a salad bar in years, a man that reminds me more of a left end than a pitcher).

Back on October 24th I said, make Larry Rothschild pitching coach, I blogged that on this site ( http://yankeesvoice.blogspot.com/2010/10/hot-stove-wish-list.html ) and you listen to us.

Now I beg you please continue with the youth movement, that is the most important equation of the Yankee Future.

I know that Baseball America is the standard and have great “experts” that rate every team and I might not disagree with the Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, Andrew Brackman and Hector Noesi. That said how many times have experts been able to identify talent and been at least 30% correct.

As a Yankee Fan that follows the team and has seen a minor league game or two, I have a different perspective. The Farm system is full of great pitchers.

I hate to admit this but the RedSux have the best pitching staff in AL on paper, but Baseball is not played on paper. Brian Cashman agrees with us "I would agree because they have a deeper starting rotation. I’m not saying they’re going to beat us. We’re not conceding anything. But if somebody asked me right now, they might be a finished product. We’re an unfinished product," he continues "But you don’t win championships in the winter, you win them in the summer. We’re looking forward to going head-to-head with everybody and anybody.”

It’s true but let’s give the Sox the Eye Ball test. I love Lester, he is awesome, I love Buchholz he is a stud. That said they have questions on the staff as well, where is the famous Matsuzaka gyroball (46-27 in 98 starts for 100 million dollar pitcher), Lackey is 32 and looked very old at times last yr (14-11) and Josh Beckett the most hated Red Sox pitcher since Pedro (1-2 with a 10.04 ERA vs Yankees last year).

We all know that the three Yankee starters are set in stone.

CC (Best lefty in the game!! Period! I SAID PERIOD!), AJ ( A J It’s not easy MAN, it hurts but it gets better, Trust me, you will have a monster year) and the franchise (Phil the future, the now).

If Andy does not pitch this year, IF! (ANDY GIVE US ONE MORE YEAR,, PLEASE)

Make Ivan Nova the fourth starter.

I love what I saw last year, both in the minors and majors. The kid has an it quality about him, he reminds me of a younger Felix Hernanadez, he has that kind of stuff and at 24 he is just getting started, He was 12-3 with 115 strikeouts and 2.86 ERA.

5th Starter

Sergio Mitre

• Honorable mention to Mitre not as a starter, (NO!) only as a spot starter or 6th man yes.

Kei Igawa
• Heck NO! (I like him waking guys at Scranton, he should stay in Scranton)

We need a young new arm as the 5th starter = not Colon.

On that note I will run down the bright starts at pitching for any readers that might not be aware of the pitching talent pool. Not named Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, Andrew Brackman and Hector Noesi.

David Phelps


Selected out of Notre Dame by the New York Yankees in the 14th round (440th overall) of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.

Notre Dame guy not the singer.
1. His career bio Hazelwood West High School, compiling 2.96 career ERA, 14-4 record and 172 Ks in 109.2 innings.
2. At Notre Dame he went 10-5 with a 2.85 ERA, striking out 125 batters in 137 innings.
3. In the minors since 2008 he is 31-8 with a 2.36 ERA, striking out 315 batters in 380 innings.
Very impressed, a non-Yankee scout told me he has 3 out pitches.

Lance Pendleton


Selected out of Rice University by the New York Yankees in the fourth round (139th overall)

A late bloomer but a man that is coming into his own, his bio in 5 years in the minors he has a 32-22 record with 3.60 ERA, 421 strikeouts in 470 innings. But his last two years he is 24 and 13 with 263 K’s.


Adam Warren


Selected by the New York Yankees in the fourth round of the 2009, graduated from the University of North Carolina

1. North Carolina Tarheel 2006-2008 22-2 (32-4 college total) 3.22 ERA 137 strikeouts in 178 innings.
2. While in the Minors, 2 years he has a 15-9 record 2.26 ERA striking out 176 in 191 innings.
I see why the Yankees are high on him and refused to add him in a trade. (Some one told me that or I read that)

D.J. Mitchell


Selected out of Clemson University by the New York Yankees in the 10th round of the 2008 Draft

His numbers impress me the most, he has grown into a complete pitcher, while at Clemson 6-5 with a 3.47 ERA in 14 Starts.
In two minor league seasons DJ is 25-11 with 3.11 ERA, 237 Strikeouts in 290 innings.

The potential is strong at 6-2 165 pounds and still developing his stuff. Has the ability to be swing and miss guy the two games I saw him in this year, he pitched to contact and was impressed with the Pawtauket game he went after hitters.


In my opinion we did not need a 32 year old left handed pitcher that has only 3 good years, who 5 years ago was demoted to the minors and over pay for him.

The future is now!!!

Oh and that note.., I was flying to Vegas to see my parents and was sitting at the Airport waiting for my connecting flight out of Harts Field Jackson and sat next to a guy who claimed to be a Red Sox scout. I failed to mention to him that I was a Yankee fan. He told me something very interesting. The guy had a few drinks and was bragging about a Pitcher in Brazil, he told me he was going to be the next big thing and that no one knew about it. I was very sober (not by choice) and would not shut up about it, so I wonder if he was really a scout or an over zealous RedSux fan who was making stuff up. But you know if he was telling the truth, they are worried about the future and so should you.

Regards

Frank Solares

Sunday, December 5, 2010

My College Bowl Picks

By Frank Solars

This Year I was 89% on my college pick.

UTEP over BYU

Fresno State over Nothern Illinois Dec 18

Troy over Ohio Dec 18

Louisville over Southern Mississippi

Boise State over Utah

Navy over San Diego St

Hawaii over Tulsa

Toledo over Florida International

Ga Tech over Airforce

NC state over W Virginia

Missouri over Iowa

Maryland over East Carolina

Illinois over Baylor

Oklahoma St will kill Arizona

Army over SMU

Syracuse Over Kansas St at the house that Jeter Mariano Posada Andy, Arod and the Boss Built. In Pinstripe Bowl

North Carolina over Tennessee

Nebraska will kill Washington

Clemson over south florida

The Irish over Miami

UGA will kill UCF in the who cares Bowl

Florida State over south Carolina

Texas Tech over Northwestern

Florida will kill Penn State, JOE PA please retire already.

Alabama Over Michigan st it will be a great game

Miami of Ohio over Middle Tenn how the hell do they get a primertime game Jan 6 @ 8 pm.

LSU will kill Texas A&M

Kentucky over Pitt

Boston College over Nevada

Wisconsin will kill TCU in the Rose Bowl

Oklahoma will Kill Uconn in Fiesta Bowl

Arkansas will kill the Ohio State

Stanford will beat VaTech in Orange

Ducks will lose by 30 to the $cam Newton Tigers (payforplay)

Ok that was all the Bowl Games I picked.

51 million for 3000 hits

By Frank Solares

My first thought is, who cares how much money he is paid. Who cares if he will end up at short or not. WE GOT OUR CAPTAIN BACK!!!

It’s not my money, it’s not my team, and my baseball IQ is the lowest in the world. That said I would have given Jeter a blank check and would have told him to pick a phone number and make him a minority owner, with only one condition, that his baseball career end in 3 years and then he move into the front office.

He is arguably the face of the Yankees, his legacy might not reach the Berra, Mantle, Ruth, or Dimaggio section of Monument Park but his is an Icon and the face of the organization.

Derek is my second favorite Yankee of all time and despite what you might read in the papers, he is a big reason why I and others go to Yankee Stadium and why we pay all that money to watch him play. I was in a road game with my child in Atlanta and half the Park was filled with Yankee fans and about half of them wore his famous number 2 Jersey.

True Yankee fans don’t care how much money Jete got as long as he hits 3000 in a Yankee uniform. The only Yankee in the History of the sport to accomplish that, the all time hit leader in his position.

Taking a lighter side of his 3 year 51 million dollar contract, we focused on what the Yankees got for that money.

At 51 million the Yankees purchased the rights to have him finish his career as a Yankee, as well as insure that he hit 3000 in pinstripes. 74 hits away from that great accomplishment, for every hit he gets until 3000 the Yankees will pay $689,189.

Compared to The American I-dl got 30 million for 9 victories for a total of $3,333,333 for each victory. Or if you want to take it one step further AJ has been paid
33,000,000 for only 1 win in postseason. I can fill 10 pages with examples at the end of the day No one else is Derek.

Regardless of the amount paid to Jeter just remember that he ranks 36 Career all time with 2926 hits, no one has ever accused him of Roids (specially how he has declined) he is not in the news for doing something stupid and he is The face of the Franchise.

I am glad our Captain will be a Yankee for at least 3 more years, so that I can watch him retire with 3301 hits.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Hot Stove wish list

By Frank Solares

We are all fans, we are all experts, we are all general managers, we are all hard on our favorite teams, but we are not Brian Cashman and we do not make the decisions.

That said I will take a look at the Yankees off season of change and redemption and attempt to help Cash on how to spend his cash


First Base Tex needs a backup that can play around 25 games at first, hit off the bench and DH. Lance Berkman is the Perfect match. Keep him and show Nick Johnson the door not the Bench.

Second Base Canoo is young enough to play 162, but that said we need to keep Ramiro Pena can sub at 2nd, 3rd and short.

Shortstop Sign the Face of the Yankees Sign the greatest winner since Joe D, sign the icon sign the Captain and sign the first Yankee in history to hit 3k as a Yankee. Yes he had a bad year but his D was great enough. To warrant keeping him at SS at least two more years, if you wish move him after wards. Pena is the backup..

Third Base The Hall of Famer will finally have an off-season that does not require surgery or drama (we hope). Pena is the backup..

Catcher I love Jorge Posada he is in my top 5, but we need a new face and a fresh young legs and bat. Jesus Montero should be our opening day catcher next season. Posada can be the teams DH and Pettitte personal Catcher, give Cervelli one more year as the back up.

Outfielders Granderson in Center, Swisher in Right and in left sign Jayson Werth. Stay away from Carl Crawford and make Brett Gardner one of the Key Bench Players.

Starting Pitchers Trade AJ, they will need to eat most of the contract.

CC Sabathia
Cliff Lee Sign him to a long term deal
Brandon Webb Sign him
Andy Pettitte
Phil Hughes

Relief Pitchers

Mariano Rivera
Sign Rafael Soriano groom him to become your next closer/
Kerry Wood
David Robertson
Boone Logan
Joba Chamberlain

Them mix in the rest of the invited players to camp and the 2011 team will win with pitching.

Make Larry Rothschild pitching coach.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

AJ Pitches for his Yankee Career

By Frank Solares


AJ Burnett is 1-1 with a 5.27 ERA career in his postseason. Now he will make the biggest start of his career, a start that might determined if he will remain a Yankee. With Lee on the free agency market at the end of the year and with Nolan Ryan saying “Ask the Yankees how much they will pay him”, they might not have room for him in the roster next year. He can be traded to at least 5 teams in the National League, as long as the Yankees are willing pick up the rest of the contract and or eat 90 percent of the 3 years left on it.

That will allow them to Go hard after Lee and have CC, Lee, Pettite, Hughes and Nova. The pitching staff will be an upgrade from this year and might even be as good as any pitching staff in Baseball.

No pressure AJ, but tonight might be your last start as a Yankee so make it a good one or you will become a distant memory and just another name Yankees pitching history that never made it.