Robinson Cano batted cleanup yesterday. Although Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher were the offensive heroes in the Yankees 5-0 home opening victory, it was Cano that I was focused on. How far we have come from the winter of 2008 when many thought Cano was a lazy underachiever. Just four years later it’s conceivable that he is the future focal […]
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Robinson Cano‘s agent is now Scott Boras. Cano actually switched agents during last season from the troika of Bobby Barad, Joe Rosario and Peter Vescovo to the man often referred to as the “Avenging Agent.” I’ve spoken to over two dozen MLB officials and scouts over […]
The MLB free agency period is now upon us and much speculation has been written where the Big Three free agents of Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and Jose Reyes will be headed next. But should players who have played their entire careers with an organization be allowed to leave their respective teams this early in […]
Tony LaRussa might be the Alex Rodriguez of managers in the sense he is polarizing and everyone seems to have an opinion of him. He gets blamed for pitch counts, for bullpen specialization, and 4 hour games. He isn’t warm and fuzzy with the media; rather he is uncomfortable to watch interacting with them, as […]
Is Robinson Cano positioning himself to be the best second baseman in the history of baseball? It was a topic discussed yesterday on WFAN. He certainly is the best second baseman in the game today. Three straight years of a .300+ batting average, two straight years of 100+ RBI, and a gold glove makes that […]
We can debate the merits of Curtis Granderson or Robinson Cano when it comes to the American League MVP award, but no Yankees player will win it. Why? It has nothing to do with Jose Bautista‘s stats or the fact that three Red Sox are having MVP-caliber years. Its institutional bias against the Yankees by the baseball writers. Take this […]
Sandy Alderson has received accolades to date more for what everyone anticipates him doing versus actual accomplishments. The front office was able to find some gems this offseason that have paid off. Pedro Beato, Jason Isringhausen, Chris Capuano, and Ronny Paulino are all important contributors for less than $4 million dollars. That was the sandbox, now comes the deep end […]
Robinson Cano won the Home Run Derby last night, but should that be a surprise? Cano does a drill instituted by Yankees Hitting Coach Kevin Long called the “home run drill.” It focuses on swing consistency by having the same short, compact path throughout the swing. This allows a player to maximize his power without […]
I had the pleasure of Seattle Mariners television broadcaster Dave Sims joining me for a few minutes on Sunday’s holiday podcast. We talked about his time here in New York on WFAN, but we also discussed the state of the Mariners. When I brought up how Yankees fans would love to see Felix Hernandez in […]
Mark Newman sat down with the guys at NoMaas the other day. It’s a lengthy interview, but the one thing I took away from Newman’s comments was that it’s very unlikely that many prospects will ever play in the Bronx. I realized the Yankees have assets, not prospects, and their focus on the farm system is […]
WFAN’s Mike Francesa said earlier today he “doesn’t like what he sees at the plate or on the field with Robinson Cano.” I heard that comment from a few fans this weekend. Is this another case where a player’s “smoothness” leads people to believe he’s not 100% engaged in the game. Carlos Beltran gets accused […]
If you use WAR (wins above replacement) to determine who some of the best players in baseball are, names such as Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Joey Votto, and Ryan Zimmerman are at the top of the list at Fangraphs. When you start to add in potential, along with value on the defensive end, it might […]
The Yankees decision to buy out Robinson Cano‘s final arbitration years looks even smarter after the news that Scott Boras will represent Cano going forward. Coming off a career year, Cano has team option in 2012 and 2013 for $14 and $15 million dollars respectively. Undoubtedly, the Yankees will exercise those options if Cano puts […]
Back in the offseason of 2004-2005 the Yankees signed 35 year old Tony Womack to play second base for 2 years and $4 million dollars. The prior year was a career year for Womack as he hit .307 for St. Louis. By midseason Womack was moving all over the field to gain playing time since […]
I have to admit the kid that interfered with Nelson Cruz chasing down Robinson Cano‘s second inning homer made me laugh. Here is a picture for your viewing pleasure courtesy of Tirico Suave There is an enhanced version courtesy of MikeFrancesaNY who calls the kid “a mongo” I have to admit its guys like this […]
