The end of Cole Hamels

Was Cole Hamels loss to Yanks on Wednesday his final game with the Phillies?

By Howard Goldin

Although most of the writing on the final game of the Yankees-Phillies four game series at Yankee Stadium will be devoted to the excellent pitching of Ivan Nova in his first major league start in 14 months, there should also be interest in what could have been Phillies starter, Cole Hamels, last game in a Phillies’ uniform.

Hamels, a native of San Diego, California, has been a member of the zPhiladelphia Phillies organization since being drafted in the first round of the 2002 MLB First Year Players Draft. 

The lefthander made his major league debut in May of 2006. After an outstanding rookie campaign, Hamelswith double figure victories in each of the next five seasons was an important contributor to the Phillies qualifying for post-season play in each of those years, 2007-2011. His playoff pitching in 2008 was exceptionally impressive as he was named MVP in both the National league Championship Series (NLCS) and in the World Series. His superlative work was also recognized by him being chosen for the National League all-Star team in three seasons, 2007, 2011 and 2012.

Despite his fine pitching or perhaps because of it, Hamels was considered a candidate for free agency in 2012, but elected to sign a long-term renewal with Philadelpia, six years (through 2018) with a club option for 2019. 

During the past two seasons, 2013 and 2014, Hamelshas not reached double figures in wins. That may appear to be a decline, but the full story is somewhat different. In 2013, Hamels had the seventh lowest run support average among National League starters. In 2014, the support from his teammates declined further as he was sixth lowest in the league. Also, he had his lowest season ERA of 2.46 and finished sixth in the voting for the Cy Young Award. It should also be noted that the Phillies completed both years with a record beneath .500.

The story is not very different this season for Hamels. His record is 5-6, but he still lacks offensive support. After his five innings on the mound at Yankee stadium on Wednesday, not a Phillies run has been scored in 32 of the last 33 innings he has been on the mound. 

The 31 year-old may soon have a change of scenery. His name has been prominently mentioned in trade rumors. Although not one reporter asked a question on that topic to Philadelphia manager Ryne Sandberg after Wednesday’s game, several queries were raised to Hamels. 

The veteran pitcher, now in his 10th season with Philadelphia, spoke carefully on the subject, “We all understand what’s going on. We’re trying to develop young, good Phillies ballplayers. They’ve got to make their decision. [It’s an] organization decision. You [the player] don’t really have control of anything.”

As far as he was concerned, he remarked, “I’m just trying to stay healthy, and put up good results for this team. That’s all I’, focused on.” 

While the last place team’s management may trade Hamels for young players who are prospects for the future, whichever team gains the services of the experienced lefthander will have a plus for their organization.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Marriott Opens Door in Metro Center

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Marriott Opens Door in Metro Center: Bronx Now has a First-Class Place to Stay Marriott Opens Door in Metro Center By Dan Gesslein BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 24- In a sign of t...

#Marriott Opens Door in Metro Center

Bronx Now has a First-Class Place to Stay

Marriott Opens Door in Metro Center

By Dan Gesslein

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 24- In a sign of the continued revitalization of the Bronx, community leaders hailed the opening of the borough's first upscale hotel. The ribbon cutting was also the capping of an odyssey for the Metro Center complex which went from an abandoned factory and vacant land to a thriving college campus style office complex and medical village.

The 125-room Marriott Residence Inn officially opened to great fanfare on Wednesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony with elected officials. Sure the Bronx has many motel rooms but none you would want to spend the night in. New Rochelle boasted the closest place to get a nice hotel room while visiting family rather than a hot-sheet motel. Now all that has changed with the opening of a first-class hotel.

"We’re thrilled that Marriott, one of the world’s premier hospitality companies, chose this location. Metro Center Atrium is unique in the Bronx – there’s nothing quite like it available anywhere else in the Borough. This truly is a landmark event for Metro Center Atrium, for our company, and for the Bronx," said Joseph Simone, President of Simone Development, whose company envisioned and built the Metro Center.

The Marriott is the crowning jewel in the Metro Center complex. The hotel caps off the Metro Center Atrium which is a mix of medical and office space in a suburban style campus.

Twelve years ago Old London Foods moved out of the area behind the Metro North tracks. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr said people were worried about the loss of jobs and that the land would sit unused. Now the Metro Center boasts 370,000 square feet of medical offices, an Applebee's, an LA Fitness and now a first class hotel. The complex also includes Mercy College.

"Today we have seen the realization of a magic trick," Diaz said.

Metro North is planning to reopen the old Morris Park station which will have a stop steps from the Marriott. Thus giving hotel guests access to transportation to Penn Station in Manhattan and upstate New York.

The new hotel is already a success. Officials say that although it officially opened today, the hotel is already 80 percent occupied. Business execs and hospital visitors to the medical centers inside the complex as well as nearby Calvary, Einstein Hospital and Jacobi Medical Center are staying at the new Marriott.

“Today is a great day for the Bronx,” said New York City Council Member James Vacca. “We welcome Marriott as the borough’s first hotel with open arms and hope it is the signal of even more great things to come. Clearly Marriott has recognized that the Bronx is a destination for New Yorkers and tourists alike. We already have beautiful parks, the

best zoo in the nation, the Yankees, and a PGA tour worthy golf course recently completed in nearby Ferry Point Park.”

Father Richard Gorman, chairman of Community Board 12, said the grand opening is a culmination of the revitalization of the borough.

"The Bronx is not only coming back. The Bronx is back," he said.

#Marriott #Simone #MetroCenter #Bronxnews

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Yankees ride subway

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Yankees ride subway: New Yanks Meet Fans on Way to Work BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 24- Yankees players  Andrew Miller ,  Mason Williams  and  Bre...

Yankees ride subway

New Yanks Meet Fans on Way to Work

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 24- Yankees players Andrew Miller, Mason Williams and Brendan Ryan rode the subway from midtown Manhattan to Yankee Stadium, introducing themselves to fans and giving away Yankees caps.

#Yankees #AndrewMiller #MasonWilliams #Bronxnews

Pitching is killing #Yankees

Ain't that a Pitch

Pitching is killing #Yankees

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 23- Sunday afternoon Masahiro Tanaka allowed a career-high three home runs and tied his mark of seven runs in five innings as the New York Yankees headed to an early loss against the Detroit Tigers. Monday night, Michael Pineda, the Yankees most effective pitcher was not any better as New York lost the opening of a three-game series to the Philadelphia Phillies 11-8.

So in two games, and with supposedly the most reliable tandem on the mound, manager Joe Girardi must be wondering are these the arms that can be depended on to win a mediocre AL east division? In two straight games Yankees pitching gave up a combined 23 runs, and CC Sabathia who at times shows some signs of becoming an ace again will get the ball Tuesday night in the Bronx.

The good news, assuming Sabathia can’t get the job done, is the return of Ivan Nova Wednesday afternoon, his first start in

over a year since undergoing Tommy John Surgery. And there is always a concern about the 35-year-old Sabathia and his history of elbow and knee issues. 

But the Yankees need to get more consistent on the mound if they are serious about not missing the postseason a third straight year. The Phillies, a team last in baseball in runs scored, probably wish Pineda was on the mound every time they take the field.

Pineda had no command. The slider which helped him compile 16 strikeouts a month ago against the Orioles, and had him throw six no-hit innings against the Marlins last Wednesday night in the Bronx, was not visible. The eight runs allowed in 3.11 innings, 11-hits and a home run ball took the Yankees quickly out of another ballgame.

Now the questions are about Tanaka and Pineda. Are there concerns about a Tanaka elbow that is being overworked and headed to eventual surgery? And is Pineda once again feeling effects of a bad right shoulder that put him twice on the disabled list the past two years? 

“It’s hard to tell,” said Pitching coach Larry Rothschild regarding any impact on Pineda of a 116- pitch count performance in that game against the Orioles. 

He added, “His last time out, he was as good as he was probably at any time. I don’t know that we can have the answer to that. I don’t think it’s the case, but there’s no way to know if it is or isn’t.”

However, Girardi and Rothschild need to get some answers, and they have to come soon. There has been some discussion about Girardi going to a six-man pitching rotation and that may not work because pitchers are creatures of habit and need that consistency.

And, at the moment the most reliable and consistent starter has been Adam Warren who recorded his fifth win of the season in a Yankees 7-2 win over the Tigers Friday night. Also keep in mind that has been a surprise, because Warren was supposed to be the odd man out and designated to bullpen duty.

But there has been a change of events and the unexpected that should have the Yankees brass in some type of panic mode. Though not even a half of the season has yet to be played, there is plenty of time to get the pitching issues addressed.

Girardi is not in that panic mode, and you can’t blame him because the one question was the offense and the Yankees have had no issue hitting home runs. His team is second in baseball with the long ball as Brett Gardner and Brian McCann put the Yankees back in a game that saw the Phillies get a season high in runs and in hits.

Pineda said he is healthy and there are no issues. Girardi has his reasons why the right-hander, 8-4, had a bad evening on the mound.  

“It's been kind of up and down, and that's hard to figure out," Girardi said. "Sometimes they just go through stretches like that, the starters, and then they'll reel off six or seven good ones in a row. You've got to make pitches every time you go out. That's the bottom line. Tonight he just didn't.”    

Girardi added, “It starts with your starting pitching.” Indeed it does and if he and Rothschild don’t find answers for consistency that leads to more questions and a prevailing one:

How far will the Yankees get to October without good starting pitching that is needed to get there?

Comment: Ring786@aol.com  Twitter@Ring786  Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso

#Yankees #Tanaka #Pineda #Pitching #Bronxnews

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Tigers Crush Yanks

10 RBI by J.D. and Victor Martinez Crush Yankees

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 22- Turning the tables on the New York Yankees who had 18 hits and five home runs on Saturday night, the Detroit Tigers responded with 15 hits and five homers the following day to easily defeat the Yanks. Six of the Detroit hits, four of the homers and 10 of the runs batted in came off the bats of J.D. and Victor Martinez.

Victor Martinez smacked a two-run homer in the first with two out to double his season total of home runs. The 36-year-old star was activated two days earlier after spending more than one month on the disabled list with left knee inflammation.

The native of Venezuela also drove in two additional runs with a single in his second at bat. Obviously, Detroit skipper Brad Ausmus was happy to see last year’s runner-up in the American League MVP voting back in the lineup, “It was a good sight to see. He turned on three balls today.”

J.D. Martinez blasted his first homer of the contest with a man on base, two batters after Victor in the first frame. The native Floridian led off the fifth with a solo home run to drive in his third run of the game. He has reached base safely in his last 15 games. 

Victor Martinez and native Cuban Yoenis Cespedes were on base after each singled when JD belted his third homer of the contest to raise his RBI total of the day to six.

Despite Martinez never having had a multi-home run game in his previous 442 major league contests, Ausmus was not surprised by the power he exhibited, “J.D,’s got a lot of power. All three of those homers were not cheap. Outside of Miggy [Miguel Cabrera], I’ve never seen a guy with more power.’

J.D. made out in his previous two at bats against Tanaka, but believed the difference on Sunday was Tanaka “left the ball up.” He also explained, “I hit it good, but the ball carries well here.”

Martinez was asked by reporters if he was trying for a MLB tying record of four home runs in his final at bat of the contest, “I was definitely anxious. I don’t think he gave me one strike.” Martinez flied to right in that last trip to the plate.

The feat of hitting three home runs in a single game had only been one before at the current Yankee Stadium (Curtis Granderson on April 19, 2012).

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Burnt Driving

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Burnt Driving: Burnt Driving W eed Heads Busted for Smoking  While Speeding AND Carrying a Gun  NEAR A POLICE STATION   BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 22-  Th...

Burnt Driving

Burnt Driving

Weed Heads Busted for Smoking 

While Speeding AND Carrying a Gun 

NEAR A POLICE STATION

 

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 22- The old saying if they weren't stupid they wouldn't get caught seems to be lost on a group of weed heads busted near the 43rd Precinct Stationhouse.

At around 10:20 p.m. on June 20, officers from the 43rd Precinct anti crime unit were sitting in an unmarked police car a few feet from the station house on the corner of Story and Fteley Avenues. Cops noticed a car traveling at a high rate of speed on Story Avenue passing the police precinct. Then the driver scraped the bottom of the vehicle when he made a high speed turn onto Fteley without using a turn signal.

Flashing lights and sirens cops pulled over the reckless driver a short distance later, within spitting distance of the police station.

When Anti-Crime Police Officer Douglas Soriano approached the vehicle the smell of marihuana wafted from the car which contained five people. While Soriano talked to the driver, Officer Angel Vazquez,

who was standing on the passenger side of the vehicle, observed the front seat passenger fiddling with his jacket. The officer ordered the man to stop. When he continued to adjust something in his jacket the officers ordered everyone out of the vehicle.

Once outside the car Vazquez noticed a bulge in the passenger's jacket. Cops recovered a loaded 40 caliber Glock. Police arrested the man and practically walked across the street to the station house. Inside the precinct police also recovered three bags of marihuana.

Cops charged 36-year-old James Glisson with criminal possession of a weapon and unlawful possession of marihuana.

#NYPD #Glock #Marihuana #Bronxnews 

 

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Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Father's Day Drive By Shooting By Dan Gesslein...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Father's Day Drive By Shooting  By Dan Gesslein...: Father's Day Drive By Shooting   By Dan Gesslein BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 22-  Throggs Neck residents had their ...

Father's Day Drive By Shooting 

By Dan Gesslein

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 22- 

Throggs Neck residents had their Father's Day peace and quiet shattered by gunfire.

Reports are sketchy but what we do know is that cops released s photo of the SUV they believed was involved in the shooting.

At around 9:20 a.m., shots rang out on Dewey Avenue. A 27-year-old told cops that he was sitting in front of 2829 Dewey Avenue when he heard gunshots. The man started to run when he noticed he was shot. The victim was taken to Jacobi Medical Center.

Police released a still from a home owner's video camera. In the photo a red SUV is seen leaving the scene.

Anyone with information is urged to call CRIMESTOPPERS at (800) 577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime

Stoppers Website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM. All calls are confidential.

#NYPD #FathersDay #DrivebyShooting #ThroggsNeck #Bronxnews

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Bronx News (Bxnews.net): A-Rod Joins the 3000 Hit Club

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): A-Rod Joins the 3000 Hit Club: A-Rod Joins the 3000 Hit Club Tries to Channel Jeter's Humbleness By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK...

A-Rod Joins the 3000 Hit Club

A-Rod Joins the 3000 Hit Club

Tries to Channel Jeter's Humbleness

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 20- With two out and no men on base in the first inning on Friday, June 19, Alex Rodriguez  homered on a 95 mph fastball from Justin Verlander of the Tigers to join the MLB 3,000 hit club. He wasted no time as it was the first pitch he saw. Rodriguez is the 29th MLB player to become a member of this exclusive fraternity.

Rodriguez is the first to reach 3,000 hits since Derek Jeter on July 9, 2011. He will only be the second player, along with Jeter, to reach that milestone while a member of the Yankees. He is also only the third of the 29 to homer for his 3,000th. He follows Jeter and Wade Boggs.

It appeared destined that Yankee fans in the Bronx would have the opportunity to witness the special event in person as Rodriguez began the current homestand with 2,995 hits and eight games scheduled at Yankee Stadium. He hit safely twice on Wednesday, twice on Thursday and was obviously, prepared for Friday.

He commented after the game, “It’s a magical number, 3,000. I’m glad to be in the club. [I’m] very emotional, overwhelmed. I’m so happy to do it here in front of the fans. I was especially happy my two daughters were here.”

When asked what would be most remembered by him about this day, he replied, “After the last out, Miguel Cabrera came over and gave me a hug. That’s what I’ll take away from this day 20 years from now."

As the days pass, Rodriguez moves higher and higher in the ranks of career offensive statistics. He is the second player in MLB history to drive in more than 2,000 runs. Rodriguez’s RBI total (2,004) is only below the 2,297 of Hank Aaron.

The 39 year-old ranks fourth in career home runs with 667. He is currently only behind Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762). He is sixth in extra base hits with 1,228. He ranks eighth in runs scored with 1,957

When asked which of these accomplishments meant the most to him, he answered, “RBI and runs because that’s how you win games. The most important thing is to win the game.

Rodriguez’s impressive career statistics are not only a measure of his lengthy 20+ year MLB career, but of a collection of outstanding individual seasons. The infielder compiled 13 consecutive years of blasting 30 or more home runs and driving in at least 100 runs (1998-2010). He also scored more than 100 runs in 13 straight years (1996-2008).

Those achievements were rewarded with many honors. A-Rod was selected to the American League All-Star team 14 times. He was a 10 time Silver Slugger winner and twice won a Gold Glove for fielding prowess at shortstop. Rodriguez was also the A.L. MVP in 2003, 2005 and 2007.

The career numbers should be put into perspective by the large amount of games A-Rod missed during the past few years. He was suspended by MLB for all 162 games in 2014. In addition, he missed 221 games during the previous three seasons (2011-2013) due to injuries.

A question must also be raised regarding the affect upon Rodriguez’s stats by the use of PEDs. The answer to that cannot be scientifically be determined. He implied his thoughts now are not on the Hall of fame or the past as he is preparing “to finish my career so I can be proud and do it the right way.”

#ARod #3000 hits #Yankees #Bronxnews

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Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Quest for 3000

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Quest for 3000: Quest for 3000 A-Rod milestone awaits another night By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 19- Like ...