Summer Baseball Tour 2011 - Yankee Stadium

LOS ANGELES ANGELS AT NEW YORK YANKEES

AUGUST 10th, 2011

YANKEES 9 - ANGELS 3

The New York Yankees play under the brightest lights with the highest expectations in the biggest city in the United States. Every season the expectation isn’t to merely contend for a playoff berth – but to win the World Series. From the first day of spring training the mindset within the organization is that the Yankees will be the last team standing in October. The franchise and their fans have reason to think that way – their 27 World Series titles are by far the most in Major League history. How do the Yankees consistently uphold these overreaching expectations? By outspending the competition. The Yankees extravagant payroll is often a point of heated discussion between baseball fans about the justice of the current payroll system. For example, the Yankees starting infield of Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez have a larger combined salary number than the total payroll of 12 Major League teams. However, the fact is that the Yankees are well in their right to spend as much as they would like and still be in compliance with the current MLB team payroll legislature. 

RF Nick Swisher, 1B Mark Teixeira, CF Curtis Granderson, and LF Brett Gardner

As usual, the Yankees are in contention to achieve their lofty goal of October success.The lineup is explosive, the bullpen, led by Mariano Rivera, is deep and experienced, and CC Sabathia is an elite ace at the top of the rotation. Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira are tied for second in the AL in home runs with 35, Robinson Cano leads the team with a .303 average, Brett Gardner has contributed a team high 36 steals and we have yet to mention Derek Jeter, Nick Swisher, and Alex Rodriguez.

The Angels are pushing the Rangers for American League West title, thanks in large part to their superb starting rotation, led by Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana. Weaver leads the AL in ERA (2.10) and is third in WHIP (0.97), Haren has a sub 3 ERA (2.98) and is ranked in the top five for  WHIP (0.98, 4th) and wins (13, 4th) while Santana's 3.17 ERA and 1.17 WHIP are excellent for a third starter. Offensively the Angels have struggled. The Halos rank 9th in the AL in total bases, 10th in home runs, and 11th in runs scored and OPS.

Yankees SP Ivan Nova

The pitching matchup on Wednesday night was Garret Richards (Major League Debut) versus Ivan Nova (10-4, 3.81). Richards couldn’t pick a tougher lineup to be making his Major League debut against or a more intimidating venue. Coming into the 2011 season, Richards was ranked as the seventh best prospect in the Angels system by Baseball America. Nova has pitched well for the Yankees this season and his strong performances should cement his spot in the postseason rotation.

View of Yankee Stadium from left field

Yankee Stadium, 2009

Yankee Stadium is located in New York within the borough of the Bronx. The new Yankee Stadium has the unenviable and seemingly impossible task of replacing the historic “House That Ruth Built”. The recognizable white frieze outlines the stadium roof of the upper deck. The concourses are large and resemble all the other modern ballparks. The Yankees made an serious effort to modernize the stadium, installing a top notch video board above the club in centerfield. Monument Park, a great homage to past Yankee greats, was relocated from the old stadium to below the club in centerfield in the new stadium. Having never visited the old Yankee Stadium, I can't make any direct comparisons between the two stadiums, but I can assume that the old stadium was very akin to Fenway and Wrigley, blessed with a strong personality and a great history while the new stadium provides a more comfortable setting to watch a ball game.

Location of Seat

View from Section 414 at Yankee Stadium

Section 414 - Row 1 - Seat 14

These seats were in the first row of the upper deck. Even though we were far away from the action, the view of the field is good and keeping your head in the game is easy. I prefer seats down the first base side or behind the plate. The Yankees used glass as their protective barriers, making it easier to see the field.

Wednesday, August 10th 2011

 Starting lineups for Angels and Yankees

LINEUPS

LOS ANGELES

SS Erick Aybar - Andrew Romine

2B Howie Kendrick

DH Bobby Abreu

RF Torii Hunter - Russell Branyan

1B Mark Trumbo

LF Vernon Wells

3B Alberto Callaspo
CF Peter Bourjos

C Jeff Mathis
PH Maicer Izturis

Pitchers
SP Garrett Richards
RP Joel Pineiro

As the late Bob Sheppard would say in his recognizable voice for years at Yankee Stadium "Now batting, the shortstop, #2 Derek Jeter, #2"

NEW YORK

LF Brett Gardner

SS Derek Jeter

CF Curtis Granderson

1B Mark Teixeira

2B Robinson Cano

RF Nick Swisher

DH Eric Chavez

C Russell Martin

3B Eduardo Nunez

Pitchers
SP Ivan Nova
RP Rafael Soriano
RP Luis Ayala

Granderson leads offensive charge for Yankees against rookie pitcher.

Before having recorded his first major league out, Angels starting pitcher Garrett Richards watched Curtis Granderson round the bases following a 3 run shot in the bottom of the first.

The Yankees had a 5-0 lead before a surprise Peter Bourjos solo home run in the top of the fifth put Los Angeles on the board.

Granderson struck again in the bottom of the fifth, this time a solo effort that padded the Yankees lead to 6-1.

Richards went 5 innings, giving up 6 earned runs on six hits and two walks in his Major League debut.

Ivan Nova pitched very well through six innings, giving up 3 earned on 5 hits.

2011 Home Run Derby champion Robinson Cano went deep off of Joel Pineiro in the 7th that made the game 9-3, that score would be the final.

Next stop on the Summer Baseball Tour 2011: Citizens Bank Park for Washington Nationals versus Philadelphia Phillies.