With Injuries Plaguing Yankees, Kuroda Leads on the Mound

Hiroki Kuroda’s eight-inning, two-hit performance on Friday lowered his earned run average to 1.99. (Ray Stubblebine)

The New York Yankees have been injury plagued like no other team in baseball. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira have yet to even play this season. Curtis Granderson only returned this week. That means that the Yankees were without four of their best hitters for the first quarter of the season. As far as the starting rotation is concerned, Phil Hughes, Ivan Nova and Andy Pettitte have all been or are currently on the disabled list.

The Yankees have seen a total of 13 players put on the disabled list this early in the season. Not good news for a team picked by many "experts" to finish last or second to last in the American League East. They claimed the Yankees were "too old" with "not enough depth" to make up for the injured regulars. That is interesting because if we take a look at our standings that does not seem to be the case.

The Yankees boast a 26-16 record and have gone 16-8 (.667) in their last 24 games. They currently sit in sole possession of first place in the AL East with the third best record in baseball. How have done it? Tonight's 5-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays featured the offensive prowess of Jayson Nix, David Adams and Austine Romine. They may not be Jeter, A-Rod and Teixeira, but they have been helping the Yankees win ball games all season long.

When you think of the Yankees pitching, the names CC Sabathia, Pettitte and Mariano Rivera are the first to come to mind. Sabathia has been inconsistent as has much of the rotation. Pettitte just went on the disabled list and will miss at least three starts. Mo has been Mo and actually the whole bullpen deserves a lot of credit. But we have yet to name the Yankees' MVP so far this season. That may be because he would be the last to let you know.

Hiroki Kuroda was offered more money this past offseason to pitch other places than the Bronx, but the veteran Japanese pitcher chose to don pinstripes once again because frankly he feels comfortable in them. When Kuroda came over to the Yankees from the Los Angeles Dodgers several years ago, many people thought he would struggle with the high expectations and tougher lineups in the American League. Instead, Kuroda has gotten better and better with every season with the Yankees.

At age 38, Kuroda is so far enjoying the best year of his six-year major league career. In tonight's 5-0 win over the Blue Jays, Kuroda’s eight-inning, two-hit performance lowered his earned run average to 1.99, which ranks fourth in the league. The right-hander has been the model of consistency the Yankees so desperately need. In fact, he has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his nine starts.

For a team that many thought would miss the playoffs, the Yankees seem to be in pretty good shape despite all the injuries. They will eventually get back some the regulars they have been missing and can hopefully stay healthy. There is still a lot of baseball left to be played, but the Yankees are not done with their winning ways. What seems certain is they will continue to rely on the quiet and steady Kuroda to lead the way on the mound.

Miller and Lester Were Almost a Perfect Pair

Shelby Miller gave up a leadoff hit, but then set down the next 27 Rockies hitters in order. (Dilip Vishwanat)

Tonight, St. Louis’ Shelby Miller and Boston’s Jon Lester did something no pair of pitchers have done on the same night in the history of baseball. They each threw a one-hit, no-walk, complete-game shutout. The only hit Miller allowed was a leadoff single by the Rockies’ Eric Young, Jr. Lester bid for perfection lasted until the sixth inning when the Blue Jays’ Maicer Izturis hit a double.

Let's compare the two superb performances. Miller's outing is really unique in that after giving up that leadoff single, he retired the next 27 hitters. This is really as close to a no-hitter as you possibly can be. After the leadoff single, he threw a no-hitter. That's impressive to say the least. However, that is not all that is impressive about Miller's performance. He also stuck out 13 batters and maintained his velocity of up to 93 mph throughout his 113 pitches. That is how dominant Miller was. Finally, his opponent, the Rockies, are the NL’s highest-scoring team.

Lester’s one-hitter is his first shutout since 2008. This is an encouraging sign for Red Sox fans that the lefty might be regaining that top form. On paper, Lester was not as dominant as Miller. He only five struck out five batters. Instead, Lester relied on his infield for a total of 12 ground-ball outs. Both pitchers benefitted from getting ahead in the count. In fact, both pitchers threw first-pitch strikes to 21 of the 28 batters they faced.

You might be wondering how rare of an occurrence is it for two pitchers to throw one-hitters on the same night. It has only happened three other times since the turn of the century.

May 25, 2001: The Cubs’ Kerry Wood and the Red Sox’ Hideo Nomo each threw a complete-game, one-hit shutout on the same night. Both pitchers struck out 14 batters. Wood walked two hitters, while Nomo did not issue any walks.

April 26, 2002: The Dodgers’ Odalis Perez and the Mets’ Shawn Estes both threw complete-game, one-hit shutouts on the same night as well. Perez did not walk any batters, while Estes allowed just one walk.

June 16, 2012: The Orioles’ Jason Hammel and the Angels' Ervin Santana each threw a complete-game, one-hit shutout on the same night. Hammel issued two walks, while Santana only walked one batter.

As you can now see, Miller and Lester share a unique bond that only a handful of major league pitchers have ever shared. There is one statistic that distinguishes them above the rest. Neither one of them walked a single batter. Miller and Lester can say that they are the only pair of pitchers to throw one-hit, no-walk, complete-game shutouts on the same night.

Blue Jays Land Cy Young Winner Dickey

The Mets have traded 2012 Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays as the centerpiece of a seven-player deal. (Jim McIsaac)

After days and days of trade rumors, the New York Mets are officially trading 2012 National League Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays. Dickey reached an agreement with his new ball club on a two-year, $25 million extension that was the final piece to the trade going through.

The Blue Jays acquired Dickey, catcher Josh Thole and minor league catcher Mike Nickeas In exchange, the Mets receive top prospects Travis d'Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard, along with veteran catcher John Buck and minor leaguer Wuilmer Becerra. The Blue Jays paid a hefty price in terms of talent, but they believe Dickey could be the one piece they need going into next season.

"Clearly, he won the Cy Young. He's pitched like one the last three years," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I think he doesn't get the credit and the respect he deserves because of his age and because of what he does throw. And I understand it's so rare. But there's so much overwhelming data and evidence to point to him continuing this success. He's gotten better every single year."

The Blue Jays won back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993, but have not gone to the playoffs since. They have tried to rebuild through their farm system and prospects, but have yet to get past the big boys atop the AL East. However, with the New York Yankees passing on top free agents as part of an austerity plan and the Boston Red Sox are reconstructing, the Blue Jays have decided to roll the dice and try and win now.

Toronto's busy offseason got kicked off last month with a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins. They acquired veteran starting pitchers Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle, All-star shortstop Jose Reyes and utility man Emilio Bonifacio. The Blue Jays were also busy in the free agent market. They signed outfielder Melky Cabrera to a two-year deal and infielder Maicer Izturis to a three-year contract.

The Blue Jays brought back John Gibbons as manager. As of right now, the 2013 rotation and lineup might look something like this.


1. R.A. Dickey
2. Brandon Morrow
3. Mark Buehrle
4. Josh Johnson
5. Ricky Romero

1. SS Jose Reyes
2. LF Melky Cabrera
3. RF Jose Bautista
4. 1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion
5. DH/1B Adam Lind
6. 3B Brett Lawrie
7. CF Colby Rasmus
8. C J.P. Arencibia
9. 2B Emilio Bonifacio/Maicer Izturis

That is a ball club that will definitely be ready to compete in a loaded AL East and for a shot at a return to the postseason. It will be interesting to see if Anthopoulos has any more moves up his sleeves before we reach Spring Training.

The Mets will not be a team competing for much of anything next season. They did trade the reigning Cy Young winner and fan favorite, but you have to consider the bottom line in terms of the future.The Mets have had four straight fourth-place finishes in the NL East, and the Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are the division favorites once again. The Mets were destined for a repeat finish in 2013 with or without Dickey.

The future though has become much brighter for a team in desperate need of something positive. General manager Sandy Alderson looked for a package of prospects, like he did with Carlos Beltran two trading deadlines ago. The cornerstone of that trade, right-hander Zack Wheeler, has developed into the club's top prospect. The Mets now add highly acclaimed catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud as well as Class A right-hander Noah Syndergaard to the mix from the Dickey trade.

D'Arnaud is a catcher who is able to hit well and has a lot of skills behind the plate. He is viewed as a difference maker who will play in the big leagues for more than a decade. Syndergaard was regarded as the Blue Jays' best pitching prospect by many scouts. He is a hard-throwing 20-year old who is capable of developing into a front of the rotation starter.

The Mets are starting to piece together a solid young nucleus for a few years down the road. They may not be contenders this season or the next, but they are rebuilding in the right direction. If you are a Mets fan, just hope for the best and check your minor league box scores to see how your future stars are doing as they grow and develop.

12 Best Athletes to Ever Wear No. 12

Quarterback Terry Bradshaw was a four-time Super Bowl champion wearing No. 12 for the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Fox Sports)

In honor of the date being 12/12/12, I thought it would be fitting to give tribute to the 12 best athletes to ever wear No. 12.

12. Bob Griese: Griese was a two-time All-American quarterback and kicker at Purdue. He was the No. 1 pick in the 1967 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. Griese is famous for quarterbacking the Dolphins to their perfect 1972 season. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

11. Jarome Inginla: Iginla has spent the entirety of his 15-year career as a member of the Calgary Flames. Despite never bringing home the Stanley Cup, he has made himself a local legend. Inginla has scored 516 goals in his career, including 81 game-winning goals. He will be a lock for the Hall of Fame when ever he does decide to retire.

10. Dickie Moore: Moore was among the NHL's best shooters and puckhandlers of his time. As a member of the Montreal Canadiens, he led the NHL in goals and assists once time each. Moore played an important role on six championship teams, including five consecutive Stanley Cups from 1956-60. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974.

9. Yvan Cournoyer: Cournoyer donned No. 12 for the Canadiens throughout his 17-year career after getting it from Moore. He finished his career with 428 goals and 435 assists. Cournoyer won the Stanley Cups 10 times, which is the second most in NHL history. He was a Hall of Fame inductee in 1982.

8. Thierry Henry: Henry is one of the best footballers of this generation. He was a member of the French national team that won the World Cup in 1998. Henry became an international star in the English Premier League as a top striker for Arsenal. During his career with The Gunners, he earned nearly every award the sport has to offer.

7. John Stockton: At point guard, Stockton led the Utah Jazz to 19 consecutive playoff appearances, but was never able to bring a NBA championship home. He led the league in assists for nine consecutive seasons. Stockton finished with a NBA record 15,806 assists, which is 3,800 more than the next closest player.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

6. Jim Kelly: Kelly is the only player in Buffalo Bills history to have his number retired. This honor is likely the result of leading the Bills to four consecutive losses in the Super Bowl. During his 11-year career, Kelly made 160 starts and threw 237 career touchdown passes. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

5. Roger Staubach: As a quarterback for Navy, Staubach won the Heisman Trophy in 1963. He then served his tour of duty in Vietnam. Staubach returned home to lead the Dallas Cowboys to their first two Super Bowl championships. He became a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

4. Joe Namath: Namath is more of a legend because of his swagger, rather than his actual statistics. He guaranteed a win in Super Bowl III and delivered on his promise.  When Namath wasn't acting in movies and television commercials, he threw for 27,663 passing yards in his football career. Just like Staubach, he was a part of the 1985 class for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

3. Tom Brady: Brady was a sixth-round draft pick by the New England Patriots in 2000. He took over the starting job after Drew Bledsoe was injured in Week 2 of the 2001 season and led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title. Brady has thrown for 43,812 yards (nearly 25 miles) and 329 touchdowns. He is a two-time MVP and has won three Super Bowls.

2. Roberto Alomar: Regarded by many as the greatest second baseman of all time, Alomar was a 12-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove winner, and led the Toronto Blue Jays to back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993.  Alomar wore No. 12 for each of the eight teams he played for during his career. His 2,724 career hits and 1,1,34 RBIs led to his Hall of Fame induction in 2011.

1. Terry Bradshaw: Bradshaw didn't put up huge statistical numbers, but he knew how to lead his football team to victories. He finished his career with a 107-51 record and four Super Bowl rings. Bradshaw was named MVP of the NFL in 1978 and was also the Super Bowl MVP twice. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

Honorable Mention: Michael Jordan
Jordan made the No. 23 famous, but was forced to wear No. 12 for one game in 1990. On Valentine’s Day in Orlando, he had his jersey stolen from the locker room prior to the game. Jordan scored 49 points in 47 minutes, but the Bulls lost in overtime 135-129.

"That has never happened to me before,'' Jordan told the Orlando Sentinel at the time. ''It's pretty irritating because you're accustomed to certain things and you don't like to have things misplaced.''

Jordan may have been frustrated, but my guess is that the fans in Orlando were more than happy. They got to witness history in the making, Jordan have another outstanding game and their team pull off a surprising victory.

Rangers & Rays Offenses Explode in Wins

Rangers outfieler Nelson Cruz had 8 RBIs, including a grand slam. (David Klutho)

With the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays facing off this weekend, everyone expected a lot of power and runs to be scored, but I doubt anyone expected to see this. Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow lasted only 2/3 of an inning and gave up 6 runs. Josh Hamilton and Yorvit Torrealba both hit solo home runs the next two innings. The Rangers added three runs in the 6th, and Nelson Cruz capped things off with a grand slam in the 7th. The Rangers hammered out 18 hits and 14 runs. Cruz matched a career-high with 8 RBIs. The Blue Jays simply could not recover, ultimately losing the game 14-3.

After Franklin Morales threw behind Luke Scott, the benches cleared. (Charles Krupa)

The Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox really don't like each other. John Lester was on the mound for the Red Sox, but didn't have his A game. The Rays took Lester deep three times. Matt Joyce stuck the big blow with a grand slam in the 3rd. Elliot Johnson and Carlos Pena hit back-to-back bombs in the 4th. With the Rays leading 7-4 in the 6th, Rays reliever Burke Badenhop hit Dustin Pedroia with a pitch. Fast forward to the top of the 9th, same score. Red Sox reliever Franklin Morales threw behind Luke Scott. Scott had some words for Morales, and the benches cleared. No punches were thrown, but lots of words were. Fernando Rodney closed out the win for the Rays in the ninth.

Two very exciting starts to a pair of great weekend series. The Rangers showed again why they have one of the most feared lineups in baseball. I expect the Blue Jays to play better, but Arlington is a tough place to win for anyone. The Rays and the Red Sox were already fired up for this series, but will be even more so now. Things could get interesting with David Price and Josh Beckett on the mound tomorrow. The Rays showed they have just as much hitting to keep up with the Red Sox in any game. We will just have to watch and see how these two series unfold the rest of the weekend.

Lawrie's Suspension Justified, But What About the Umpire?

Photo Credit: Brad White/Getty Images

Unless you play fantasy baseball, you probably were unaware of who Brett Lawrie was until he lost his cool Tuesday night. In case you live in a cave or woke up in a roadside ditch, let me briefly recap what happened. Tuesday night's game was in the bottom of the ninth. The Toronto Blue Jays were up to bat trailing the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3. Lawrie was batting, and he took a 3-1 pitch that was outside. He began walking to first base, until home plate umpire Bill Miller gave a delayed strike call. A not too pleased Lawrie returned to the batter's box. The full-count pitch was taken by Lawrie because it appeared to be high. Miller called it strike three. An infuriated Lawrie lost his cool and slammed his helmet into the ground near Miller's feet. It bounced up and hit Miller in the leg. Lawrie was immediately ejected from the game. Today, Major League Baseball suspended Lawrie four games and fined him an undisclosed amount. Lawrie did appeal, but nothing is expected to change.

The four-game suspension is a must by MLB. Anytime a player makes contact with an umpire in any way, it must merit a suspension. The length seems appropriate in my opinion. Lawrie apologized after the game and told reporters the helmet took an "unlucky bounce." I believe him when he said he had no intent of injuring Miller. He is only 22 years old and simply reacted immaturely. He has all the talent to be one of the future stars of baseball. I put an emphasis on future. At this point in his career, Lawrie must do a lot of maturing before he can reach that level. Discipline is imperative to success as an athlete both on and off the field. That is something that the youngster must learn. MLB does not want to be represented in this way. It will do all it can to teach Brett Lawrie this lesson the first time.

Now here's the part you may not have considered. There are two guilty parties here. Lawrie is the obvious one, and he has been granted his suspension. The other one is Bill Miller, the home plate umpire, who blew the two calls that caused the whole incident. The 3-1 call was clearly outside, but it is close enough where I will give Miller a break. However, the 3-2 pitch was an egregious blown call that should not be tolerated. There is no possible way that any umpire under unbiased circumstances could call that pitch a ball. Miller was clearly unhappy that Lawrie started walking toward first base following the 3-1 pitch. He decided right there and then that any ball near the plate would be a called third strike. Miller made the ridiculous strike three call and invoked the reaction from Lawrie.

I can hear the objections now. Miller is teaching the young kid a lesson. Miller's human, he simply missed the call. Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels purposely hit young phenom Bryce Harper with a pitch. MLB suspended him five games. Therefore, you can't allow umpires to "teach" players lessons, without suspending them as well. I know Miller is human, but so is Lawrie. Lawrie made a mistake and got the suspension he deserved. Miller makes an egregious error, but warrants no suspension. How can this be? Bill Miller allowed his judgment as an umpire to be impaired when making that strike three call. For that, he must be suspended in my opinion. His inability to control his feelings is what led to the entire incident. Bill Miller owes baseball an apology and deserves a suspension. That would be justice served completely.

Blue Jays Outlast Indians in Opener

It was Opening Day for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Cleveland Indians and neither one wanted to lose. The Indians started the scoring in the 2nd inning when they scored four runs, three of which came in on a home run blast by Jack Hannahan. On the mound, Indians starting pitcher Justin Masterson dominated the Blue Jay hitters. He went 8 innings giving up only 2 hits while striking out 10. The Indians elected to bring in their closer Chris Perez in the 9th. Perez couldn't find his stuff as he struggled with his control, and eventually, blew the save. That meant that this game was headed for extras.

Both teams battled back and forth, but no runs could seemingly be scored. In the top of the 16th, Blue Jays relief pitcher Jairo Asencio walked Brett Lawrie. Omar Vizquel managed to reach on a fielder's choice, putting two men on for the Blue Jays. Next up to bat was their young catcher J.P. Arencibia. He came to the plate having gone 0 for 6 with three strikeouts. During his at bat, Arencibia thought he saw the bunt sign from third-base coach Brian Butterfield. His attempt went foul for strike two. This meant Arencibia knew he had to swing at the next pitch. He connected on it in a big way, turning it into a three-run homerun to left. The bomb proved to be the difference as Sergio Santos came in and sealed the victory for the Blue Jays.

Two previous season openers had gone 15 innings, but once this one reached the 16th, it became the longest Opening Day game in MLB history. The game lasted 5 hours and 14 minutes. This game had it all. Moments of greatness, moments of disaster, a bench-clearing, and an unlikely hero. Arencibia, despite struggling before hitting the game-winning home run, seems to like openers. He hit two home runs in his first game in the majors in 2010. He connected for two more last year on Opening Day. Then, he hit the game-winner this year. The teams used a combined 14 pitchers. The stats just go on and on, but the bottomline this was an opener for the ages. A game that will be remember for a very long time.