AGRI Biz

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi has both his critics and his advocates. If Kelly Shoppach hadn't broken up CC Sabathia's no-hitter with two outs in the eighth inning of yesterday's game between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays, Girardi would have made a managerial move that could have converted many of his supporters. He told ESPNNewYork's  Wallace Matthews, "Shoppach was [CC's] last hitter, no matter what."  That translates to, ...

  This topic has been a great debate for some time now but it has really come to the forefront this past week, after MLB umpire Joe West made comments about the Yankees and Red Sox playing extremely long games. My friend Matt from New York State of Sports has an interesting article about time of games. I won't get into the ...

  Nathan Beard has always had the dream of being a knuckleball pitcher.   As a youth growing up in Staples, MN, Beard began working on his knuckleball at a young age.   By the time he reached the high school varsity in the spring of 2004, Beard was looking for a place in the starting rotation.   But two things stood in his way of achieving his dream.   In 2004, Staples hired Pat Held, who had many ...

After allowing two runs in the first inning, A.J. Burnett (1-0) rebounded to pitch six scoreless innings as New York topped Tampa Bay, 7-3, Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field. The Yankees completed their season-opening road trip with a 4-2 record. They also improved to 11-4 in their last 15 games against Tampa Bay.After being shutout on Saturday, Tampa Bay immediately scored in the bottom of the first. Jason Bartlett led ...

  After a rough start to the spring, Rays newcomer Mike Ekstrom settled in and pitched well enough to earn the team's final bullpen spot. Manager Joe Maddon praised the control of his fastball, while a three-inning scoreless stint against Baltimore late in the spring schedule helped solidify his place on the roster. This week I caught up with Ekstrom to talk about the spring and the upcoming season. Last time ...

  Watching Orioles baseball has become a recipe for disaster for most fans of this once proud franchise.  Each and every year, fans are spoon-fed the same old weathered lines like, "They have a lineup that can compete with any team in baseball" or "they're getting younger and should be fun to watch." Well, six games into the 2010 season and this team's lineup is far from competitive and anything but fun to ...

Other than Carlos Marmol, who has yet to blow a save since he was proclaimed the closer late last season, this Cubs team offers little in the way of relief. Sure, there is Sean Marshall, but he can't pitch every day.  But the "cure" to the bullpen woes may not be solved by another Jason Frasor or Heath Bell rumor. It may be eased if the team can figure out how to score ...

The New York Yankees.  Lord of their realm, with fans who let you know it. Talking to a Yankee fan is generally an exercise in futility, since they are programmed to utter two basic phrases: Phrase one: “Twenty-seven rings, baby”, or a something along that vein. Phrase two: “(Fill in the blank) sucks”.  This is where Yankee fans, demonstrating the high levels of intelligence that they garnered at PS 151 or wherever, voice ...

One of the most hyped prospects in recent memory, Delmon Young has yet to fulfill his lofty expectations. From a bat-tossing incident which lead to a 50-game minor league suspension in 2006, to criticizing the Rays’ upper management and refusing to take coach’s instructions, Young’s character has always been in question. Twins’ manager Ron Gardenhire attributes Young quick start to the 2010 season, however, to his new-found willingness to listen. “I think he’s finally ...

Joe West is regularly one of my least favorite umpires. He’s like that teacher you had in school who is ridiculously strict about everything you do, but cannot do those same things himself. West complains about long game times, and then calls the Sox-Yankees game “pathetic and embarrassing,” going on to say that they were “a disgrace to baseball.” Laugh with me. Red Sox and Yankees are a disgrace ...