March 28, 2024

WATCH VIDEO: What's The 411Sports Team Talk About Derek Jeter Day

Michael Jordan, Dave Winfield, Mariano Rivera, and others were on hand at Yankee Stadium to celebrate Derek Jeter's career as a New York Yankee.

The celebration was Derek Jeter Day on the road to Derek Jeter's retirement.

"Can't Stop, Won't Stop," seems enough of an appropriate title for this post due to the constant action the New York Mets are displaying, led by GM Sandy Alderson. The phrase "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" is more than a phrase used for motivation, it is also a novel, the title of an album by a group called The Maine and has served as the title for two songs from recording artists Usher and the Young Gunz. Now let's dive into what's significant and what is current at the moment. The Mets have agreed to a 2-year $20-million contract with free agent starting pitcher Bartolo Colon.

Toyota promotes the moving forward campaign and that's exactly what the Mets are executing. Met fans may miss Matt Harvey on the field in 2014; it is a tough steak to chew and digest. However, the signing of Colon has the potential to aid and provide the gravy we will need to digest that loss. Here's why: Colon, 40 years old (40 is the new 20 by the way, get over it) is coming off a year where he finished sixth in the AL CY Young voting. He also manufactured an All-Star appearance, an 18-6 record and a 2.65 ERA. Sounds good enough to me.

Colon was tested for PED's, suffering a suspension on August 22, 2012 for 50 games by the MLB police, who in the last decade has prioritized disinfecting MLB. Colon's resurgence with the New York Yankees, as Mr. Clean has only added to his stint with the Oakland Athletics, re-establishing his pitching prowess and his future with the Mets. This move further displays Alderson's understanding of the fan base and its desire to win now. He's fully taking on the challenge to resurrect the Mets franchise back to shades of 2006. Hopefully the addition of Colon relieves the Mets of finding a starter to replace Harvey while also fusing him with what's left of the starting rotation of Zack Wheeler, Dillon Gee and Jonathan Niese. The 5th spot in the rotation will now feature a competition between the likes of Jenrry Mejia, Carlos Torres and possibly farm-hand Rafael Montero. Colon's presence alone will have a positive impact on the next generation of arms that the Mets have at its disposal in a nurturing effect, with his pitching style in pounding the strike zone, which can influence many. Like Harvey's ascent to the majors, Colon's presence will provide enough time to thoroughly promote top pitching prospect Noah Syndergarrd to the big stage, a process which appeals to Alderson, as he very much dislikes rushing young talent.

All in all, the Mets are not done and they should not be satisfied with this recent player confirmation. The shortstop position must be addressed due to SS Ruben Tejada's inability to advance the ball past the infield. For positive momentum, as well as, finding a suitor to unload either 1B Ike Davis or Lucas Duda, preferably Davis, who has already uninspired and frustrated the fan base due to his struggles so early into his career. With OF's Chris Young, Curtis Granderson and now Colon in the mix, it sparks excitement to see who else we will welcome to the city that never sleeps. At this time, I guess the Mets are wide awake.

The pain of what used to be has not left us. By us I mean New York natives. By pain I mean what could've been of the 2006 assembled New York Mets. I loved that team. As someone who bleeds orange and blue, you are aware of the success of the neighboring baseball club in the New York Yankees who reside only a borough away. We share the state with their fan-base, we can't escape their cockiness, confidence or spoiled golden spoon of a fan mentality. We are fully aware of the 27 world championships and 40 American League Pennants. We have been educated about their dominance and rich history, literally and literally.

That's why 2006 was supposed to be our year as Mets fans to reclaim the city and the hearts of all New Yorkers, because when the Yankees win, its expected and envisioned but when the Mets win, the entire state rises. That's what the Mets were capable of. That offseason featured a class of players who help the Mets ascend to the top of the National League East and eventually, one win away from a trip to the World Series. That class includes, Xavier Nady, Carlos Delgado, Paul Lo Duca, Billy Wagner, Julio Franco, and Kris Benson.

These off-season acquisitions were additions to a team that already featured a young and talented core of Jose Reyes and David Wright, the best left-side of the infield in the majors at that time. An All-Star center-fielder in Carlos Beltran was already in place. The Mets had an ace in Pedro Martinez, a Hall-Of-Famer in Tom Glavine and other complimentary starting pitchers in Steve Trachsel, John Maine, Orlando Hernandez and Oliver Perez. This team finished their regular season with a 97-65 record, winning the NL Eastern Division. It was safe to say that current GM at that time in Omar Minaya was definitely earning his salary. For the season and memories he provided due to his responsibilities as a GM for the New York Mets, he should have a statue.
In that post-season, the Mets easily eliminated the Los Angeles Dodgers, sweeping the series, three games to none. In the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Mets fell one game shy of a World Series berth by one pitch that froze Beltran at the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. The Mets haven't recovered since then. It's been six years since the Mets have qualified for the post-season and like the team, the fans have suffered enough.

It's 2014, and this offseason for the Mets, sings a different tune from those of recent years. Here's why: Current GM Sandy Alderson was brought in to be the successor of Minaya, following the 2010 MLB season. Since his entry into the New York Mets front office, Alderson has revamped and vastly improved the Mets farm system, acquiring Zack Wheeler from the San Francisco Giants for Beltran and cash, Noah Syndergaard & Travis D'Arnaud from the Toronto Blue Jays for R.A. Dickey, Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas. As far as drafting, Alderson has selected Matt Harvey in his initial first draft of 2010 and in years 2011, 12 and 13 has drafted Brandon Nimmo, Michael Fulmer, Gavin Cecchini, Kevin Plawecki and Dominic Smith, respectively. Acquiring these top prospects through deals and the drafts has been acknowledged by ESPN analyst and Prospect Expert, Keith Law who rates the Mets farm system 6th overall in the MLB. That's high praise. That means Alderson has been doing something right. It means Alderson's prospects aren't just showing up to play, they're making their presence felt in the Mets organization knocking on the doors of the big leagues to join the show.

That impact is Harvey taking the baseball world by storm in the 2013 MLB season displaying his dominance as the Mets ace, going 12-10, striking out 261 batters, all while posting a 2.39 era, which earned him his first All-Star selection. Its Wheeler, who was ranked 6th overall in MLB.com's top 100 prospects list and 4th in the Right-hander Pitchers list, being brought up to the major leagues during the 2013 MLB season exhibiting a pitching repertoire along with the results of a 7-5 record and 3.42 ERA, striking out 84 in a short stint, which has solidified his spot in the starting rotation for immediate future. It's Syndergaard, who was selected to represent the Mets in the 2013 All-Stars Futures Game at Citi Field, possessing a 95 mph four seam fastball, and 80 mph curveball also throwing a two seam fastball and a circle change-up. Its D'arnaud who in 2013 was ranked 6th in MLB's Top 100 prospects list only to have his ranking slip to 23 due to injury, take the helm as the Mets catcher now due to his bat, defensive capabilities and game-managing potential.

The Mets have prospects who are ready to contribute now to conclude the Mets dry spell in postseason play along with a 2013-14 offseason class in which the Mets made headlines for the first time in a long time. Former All-Star, Chris Young was signed to a one-year $7.25 million dollar contract on November 22, 2013 to help shore up the Mets outfield. On December 6, 2013, Curtis Granderson was lured away from the Yankees and the OF market agreeing to a four-year $60 million dollar contract signed December 6, 2013 with the Mets to bring power to a Mets lineup that has lacked that aspect of their offense. With Harvey expected to miss the duration of the 2014 MLB regular season, Bartolo Colon, fresh off an 18-6 season for the Oakland Athletics, posting a 2.65 ERA, has signed on to join the Mets cause as insurance in the starting rotation, confirmed December 11, 2013. With All-Star third basemen David Wright already in the fold along with solid rotation starters Jon Niese and Dillon Gee, starters who have yet to reach their full potential, the culmination of prospects, starters, and all-stars suggest the Mets should contend for a playoff spot this upcoming season. Nothing is easy when it comes to the Mets, which is exactly why making the playoffs isn't a sure definite.

Questions that have yet to be answered throughout this spring still linger. Who will command first base? Alderson has offered Ike Davis and his services to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles, all teams who have pressing first basemen needs due to his struggles at the plate while Lucas Duda faces a similar predicament despite both having moments this spring as they make their cases to man the right-side of the infield. Who will solidify themselves as the everyday shortstop? I have absolutely no faith in Ruben Tejada who posted .202 Avg through 57 games last season, which is why Wilmer Flores has been given ample time to prove himself defensively between 2nd and 3rd base as his bat is too pure to keep him from the lineup. Can the Mets hit enough to support their solid pitching staff? It's no secret that the Mets rotation will continue to improve but wins aren't being registered by pitchers due to the poor offensive production. Maybe the additions of Young and Granderson can alleviate the pressure on the pitching staff to toss zeroes every outing.

Can the Mets stay healthy? One of the reasons why the Mets have failed to qualify for postseason play is due to the fact that they cannot stay on the field. If the Mets can answer half of all of these questions, the Mets will rock Citi Field like Shea Stadium did in 06. I'm praying on it, and I believe. I believe in the Mets. When they win, life is just better. Maybe in the not too distant future, we can experience another 06 in this new decade.

October 30, 2013 is long gone and will never be revisited in reality. It can be revisited as far as MLB History is concerned through all media outlets. That was the day the Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 2, to capture their eight world-series title in franchise history. If you're a Red Sox fan, you enjoyed it, you celebrated it and you relished it. Your team just won the World Series and that feat is something you probably savored, especially at the expense of the New York Yankees.

The Red Sox and the Yankees produce the greatest rivalry in sports all-together, and with the Red Sox winning the most recent championship, it's only fitting that the Yankees re-modified and improved their roster to make a championship run of their own. I mean it's what the Yankees do. They are no stranger to winning titles, they own 27 of them, the most in MLB history.

Due to the Yankees rich history, their fan-base is nothing short of spoiled and this year will be even worse regarding the off-season the Yankees have been able to organize and subject their fans to for 2014. Brian McCann signed a five-year $85 million-dollar contract on November 23, 2013 to sport the pinstripes for the foreseeable future. A future Hall-Of-Famer and now the age-less wonder in Carlos Beltran brings his excellence to the Bronx agreeing to a three-year $45 million-dollar contract on December 6, 2013. Jacoby Ellsbury elected to switch his red sox for navy blue ones, leaving the red sox for the Bronx bombers, collecting $153 million dollars over the course of seven years, confirmed December 3, 2013. Utility man Kelly Johnson brings his bat and many gloves to the Bronx for one year worth $3 million, also signed in December 2013. Brian Roberts's heads brings his wisdom to the infield for one year and $2 million dollars and Japanese import Masahiro Tanaka joins the association for seven years at $155 million dollars.
That's an expensive off-season class, warranted at the expense of losing Robinson Cano to the Seattle Mariners, who signed on to be a sailor for $240 million dollars. It's difficult to lose a player with the magnitude of a Cano but in doing so, the Yankees were able to spend the money they would've spent on Cano in other necessary and dire places. I think it worked out for the best and the Yankees will be able to add those pieces along with the personnel already in place.

Like that free-agent class, other headlines the Yankees have occupied regard the fact that this will be "The Captain", Derek Jeter's final season manning shortstop for the Yankees. The 13-time All-Star and 5-time world champion announced on February 12, 2014, that the upcoming 2014 season would be his last. Jeter will be the last of the prolific "Core Four", which features Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte, all of whom are held responsible for the Yankees dynasty beginning in the late 90's to the 2000s. These four all made their major league debuts in the year of 1995. Pettitte retired twice in years 2011 and 2013, while Posada retired in 2012 and Rivera in 2013. 14' will be for Jeter. At his advanced age of 39, questions regarding Jeter will surface all pertaining to production. Can he still man the shortstop position? Can he still bat effectively and not be a 0 in the lineup? If Jeter can bat above a .250 average hit 15 homeruns and drive home 70 RBI's, the Yankees will appreciate his efforts as this year will be a celebration of his career, as backups in Brendan Ryan and Eduardo Nunez will serve as insurance.

Other than Jeter, Ellsbury, Beltran, Teixeira, McCann, Alfonso Soriano, Brett Gardner, Johnson and Roberts will join him in the opening day lineup. Teixeira's last two seasons have been sabotaged by a number of injuries which include wrist inflammation, calf strain and a strained wrist tendon. Those injuries have limited Teixeira's time on the field, participating in only 15 games in 2013 and 123 in 2012. As much as the Yankees would greatly welcome the Teixeira who hit 39 homeruns, drove in 122 RBI's all while batting .292 with 707 plate appearances in his first initial season with the Yankees in 2009, Teixeira's 2011 production of 156 games, with 684 plate appearances batting .248, launching 39 homeruns and 111, RBI's would be sufficient enough to solidify his spot within the lineup, if he stays healthy.

The Yanks signed Ellsbury because he is capable of 32 homeruns, a .321 batting average, driving in 105 runs, while appearing in +150 games, a stat line that presents his 2011 season, which is what they should expect, especially at a cost of $153 million over the course of 7 years. Beltran has yet to display signs of rust, now at 36 as he achieved his 8th All-Star award last season. McCann is in his prime and can further enhance his legacy in pinstripes as long as he continues to slug homeruns, hitting 20 homeruns or more in seven of his nine year career thus far. Gardner, Suzuki and Soriano all make up significant chunks of the outfield as Roberts, Johnson and Ryan will all take turns defending the infield.

On paper, the hitters the Yankees contain suggest a trip to the postseason with a chance to earn a World Series berth, but no team can obtain those opportunities without pitching. The 5-man starting rotation the Yankees will exhibit this season features: CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Masahiro Tanaka, Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda. CC is now Slim-Slim and much believe the loss in mass will result in less velocity. All in all, Sabathia's days of winning 19 games are over, and with the decrease in velocity, CC will have to become a different pitcher, pitching smarter, using location and the variety of pitches he has at his disposal to hopefully avoid the 4.78 ERA, he produced last season being the highest earned run total of his career.

Kuroda has been Mister Reliable for the Yankees, pitching over 200 innings in his last three seasons, two of which have been with the Yankees. Continue that. We will all observe when Tanaka takes the mound every 5th day, and even though his 99 wins opposed to 35 losses with an average ERA of 2.30 was not attained in the MLB but the Japanese League, for what he's being paid and a quotable which Tanaka expresses, "I don't speak English, so I'll just have to win the trust and confidence of the fans with my performance on the field," it compels me to believe that he wants to excel.

I think he will. Nova and Pineda have what it takes to anchor the back end of the rotation, and I think they will. The questions and skepticism should be targeted at the Yankees bullpen. How will that group hold up? Can they survive with the absence of Mariano Rivera forever and ever? Can David Robertson be the successor of Rivera? I believe in Robertson but setup man in Dellin Betances struggles with control posting a 10.80 ERA and Mid-reliever Matt Thornton is on the decline at 37 years old among others. There is no sure win now with a modified bullpen without the consistent dominance of Rivera, but other arms will have to suffice. I think the Yankees are capable of 90 wins despite having a lineup which features no one player under the age of 30. The Yankees need youth, but this is not a rebuilding year. You know the Yankees. They insert talent as much as they output and this year is no different. The offseason damage for the Yankees translates to $503 million dollars. For a team in the media market of the world with a precedent pre-established on nothing short of excellence, mediocre won't do. More like brilliance.

 

Robinson Cano, former New York Yankees and now second baseman for the Seattle Mariners, still has what it takes to be an All Star.

He was voted to his fifth Major League Baseball All Star Game.

The Seattle Mariners are also poised to make a playoff appearance this season, in part because of Cano's tremendous contributions.

As a Yankees fan, you can't talk about Robinson Cano without talking about his contract negotiations with the New York Yankees.

Many New York Yankees fans wish the Yankees and Cano could have had a meeting of the minds that would have allowed Cano to stay a member of the Yankees.

Greg Alcala says that Cano's desire for a 10-year contract was borne out of him wanting to retire with the Yankees.

However, Greg wishes that Cano and the Yankees could have agreed on five years and then renegotiated for the next five years.

If you are a New York Yankees fan, how do feel about Robinson Cano being with the Seattle Mariners?

Do you think it is a possibility for Cano to come back and retire from the New York Yankees?

VIDEO: Join the Conversation About Robinson Cano!

Can Masahiro Tanaka Win 20 Games?

In this segment, What's The 411Sports hosts and reporters assess Masahiro Tanaka's abilities.

They tackle the question, can New York Yankees ace pitcher, Masahiro Tanaka, win 20 games. Without blinking an eye, reporter Gregory Alcala answered the question with a resounding "NO".

What's Wrong with Japanese Pitchers?

To everyone's astonishment, Greg Alcala goes on to say that he doesn't like Japanese pitchers and gives his reasons based on statistics.

Do you agree with Greg?

Do you think there is still time for Tanaka to win 20 games?

Check out the video to listen in on the conversation about Tanaka here.

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