Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Highbridge News: Pineda Lands Spot as Yankee Starter
Highbridge News: Pineda Lands Spot as Yankee Starter: Pineda Lands Spot as Yankee Starter By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 19- Michael Pineda has finally arrived for the New York Yank...
Pineda Lands Spot as Yankee Starter
Pineda Lands Spot as Yankee Starter
By Rich Mancuso
BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 19- Michael Pineda has finally arrived for the New York Yankees. The 25-year-old right-hander, who underwent left shoulder surgery almost two years ago, just about solidified a fifth start in the Yankees rotation after another outstanding outing on the mound Tuesday in a spring start against the Red Sox down in Tampa Florida.
From all indications the competition is over. Manager Joe Girardi has no choice but to anoint Pineda as one of the five in the Yankees pitching rotation. The questions about Pineda’s fastball remain, but his comeback looks to be complete, Pineda has been a question mark since that trade from Seattle that brought him to the Bronx for two pitchers and a catcher, Jesus Montero in the off-season of January 2012. The Yankees, at the time took a risk because it was always thought that Montero would be an eventual successor for Jorge Posada.
After the trade, Pineda developed problems with the shoulder and underwent surgery. He sat out the entire 2012 season and attempted to throw a ball last year in spring training. The Yankees, until now, appeared to be losers in the deal.
But Pineda went through extensive rehab that now has propelled him to be the projected number 5 starter for the Yankees.
“We got to figure out what’s best for our team overall,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, after Pineda struck out five, gave up no runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings. Girardi would like to see Pineda go longer in another game or two before the team breaks camp next week and heads to opening day in two weeks at Houston.
If Pineda is indeed healthy, it makes the Yankees that much better in the pitching rotation. There are expectations that a slimmer CC Sabathia will have the velocity and have a comeback season as the ace. And though these are spring games that mean nothing, the other three projected Yankees starters appear to be ready for the season.
That includes one of their prize off-season investments, Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka who had no issue throwing to Major League hitters. Pineda, from all accounts had his slider clocked at 85. The fastball may never get back to 97, but his command and consistency throwing at 92 have made an impression.
This is what the Yankees were hoping for, though it has taken some time. There were thoughts of releasing Pineda last year when two attempts at getting a start did not materialize because there were recurring issues with the shoulder.
GM Brian Cashman, and the Yankees hierarchy would not take no as an answer. The trade to get Pineda was supposed to supplement Sabathia in the rotation and they gave up Montero who was considered a top prospect. Ivan Nova was another prospect at the time, who is projected to be a number four starter in the rotation.
Girardi added, “He (Pineda) does not look like a guy who’s coming back from a serious injury.” In his rookie season of 2011 with Seattle, Pineda went 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA in 28 starts and finished fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
So, unless something goes wrong in the next 10 days, Pineda appears to be a lock for the rotation. And that only makes the Yankees more formidable on the mound and leaves Cashman with a smile.
Comment Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso www.newyorksportsexaminer.com
By Rich Mancuso
BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 19- Michael Pineda has finally arrived for the New York Yankees. The 25-year-old right-hander, who underwent left shoulder surgery almost two years ago, just about solidified a fifth start in the Yankees rotation after another outstanding outing on the mound Tuesday in a spring start against the Red Sox down in Tampa Florida.
From all indications the competition is over. Manager Joe Girardi has no choice but to anoint Pineda as one of the five in the Yankees pitching rotation. The questions about Pineda’s fastball remain, but his comeback looks to be complete, Pineda has been a question mark since that trade from Seattle that brought him to the Bronx for two pitchers and a catcher, Jesus Montero in the off-season of January 2012. The Yankees, at the time took a risk because it was always thought that Montero would be an eventual successor for Jorge Posada.
After the trade, Pineda developed problems with the shoulder and underwent surgery. He sat out the entire 2012 season and attempted to throw a ball last year in spring training. The Yankees, until now, appeared to be losers in the deal.
But Pineda went through extensive rehab that now has propelled him to be the projected number 5 starter for the Yankees.
“We got to figure out what’s best for our team overall,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, after Pineda struck out five, gave up no runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings. Girardi would like to see Pineda go longer in another game or two before the team breaks camp next week and heads to opening day in two weeks at Houston.
If Pineda is indeed healthy, it makes the Yankees that much better in the pitching rotation. There are expectations that a slimmer CC Sabathia will have the velocity and have a comeback season as the ace. And though these are spring games that mean nothing, the other three projected Yankees starters appear to be ready for the season.
That includes one of their prize off-season investments, Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka who had no issue throwing to Major League hitters. Pineda, from all accounts had his slider clocked at 85. The fastball may never get back to 97, but his command and consistency throwing at 92 have made an impression.
This is what the Yankees were hoping for, though it has taken some time. There were thoughts of releasing Pineda last year when two attempts at getting a start did not materialize because there were recurring issues with the shoulder.
GM Brian Cashman, and the Yankees hierarchy would not take no as an answer. The trade to get Pineda was supposed to supplement Sabathia in the rotation and they gave up Montero who was considered a top prospect. Ivan Nova was another prospect at the time, who is projected to be a number four starter in the rotation.
Girardi added, “He (Pineda) does not look like a guy who’s coming back from a serious injury.” In his rookie season of 2011 with Seattle, Pineda went 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA in 28 starts and finished fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
So, unless something goes wrong in the next 10 days, Pineda appears to be a lock for the rotation. And that only makes the Yankees more formidable on the mound and leaves Cashman with a smile.
Comment Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso www.newyorksportsexaminer.com
Friday, March 14, 2014
Highbridge News: Nobody Told Us About Outbreak
Highbridge News: Nobody Told Us About Outbreak: Nobody Told Us About Outbreak Residents Fuming Over Silence on Disease By Michael Horowitz BRONX NEW YORK, MARCH 14- Co-op Ci...
Nobody Told Us About Outbreak
Nobody Told Us About Outbreak
Residents Fuming Over Silence on Disease
By Michael Horowitz
BRONX NEW YORK, MARCH 14- Co-op City shareholders, speaking out during interviews expressed concerns that they had just found out about two confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ Disease in their building, one from last summer and one from 13 months earlier than that.
Among the Building 27 shareholders who were interviewed, only Teresa Acevedo said that she was not concerned about reports of cases of Legionnaires’ Disease in her building.
Expressing the dominant point of view among those questioned Ariel Jimenez, walking out of his building with his 5-year-old son, Elian, said, “This is really spooky. I’m concerned for the little ones who don’t have fully developed immune systems to fight disease, and, of course, I’m concerned for everyone else in the building. We should have been told about this in December, when management and the city’s Health Department first found out about it.”
Jimenez added, “Like many people in our building, we have had problems with mold in our apartment. Under the circumstances, it should have been even more important for the shareholders in our building to know what was happening in terms of the cases of Legionnaires’ Disease.”
Expressing an even more vocal view, Ethel Minkin stressed, “This whole thing about Legionnaires’ Disease in our building is a shock to me. Riverbay should be sued for this. Co-op City is a nice place, but there are too many secrets. The shareholders have a right to know what’s going on.”
Rena Mena, a former paramedic, added, “We have a whole lot of environmental problems in our apartments. I have toxic black mold in my apartment, which Maintenance workers keep fixing because it keeps coming back. I suffer from asthma, so I’m especially concerned, like Legionnaires’ Disease, that could make it more difficult for me to breathe.”
A shareholder, who wished to remain unidentified, stressed, “We just got through settling an environmental lawsuit in North Carolina, and now, we have to deal with this. I have a 1-year-old daughter, and I’m extremely concerned about our health.”
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Highbridge News: Fordham’s Cinderella Story?
Highbridge News: Fordham’s Cinderella Story?: Fordham’s Cinderella Story? Rams Win First Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Game Since 2007 By Howard Goldin BRONX NEWS, ...
Fordham’s Cinderella Story?
Fordham’s Cinderella Story?
Rams Win First Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Game Since 2007
By Howard Goldin
BRONX NEWS, MARCH 13- As this year’s Atlantic-10 Conference Tournament included all teams in the conference, the last place Fordham Rams were given an opportunity to participate. The Rams last took part in the tourney in 2008. Their most recent tournament victory was a 63-61 win over the Richmond Spiders in 2007. Thus, Fordham’s (10-20) defeat of the George Mason Patriots (11-20) on Wednesday night at Barclays Center was a source of pride and satisfaction to the team and staff, Fordham students, alumni and its fans.
A free throw by 6-8 junior Erik Copes of George Mason began the scoring. A jump shot by Brooklyn native Bryan Smith of the Rams gave Fordham its first advantage at 18:58. Fordham kept that lead throughout the game. An 18-9 scoring run by the Rams capped by a jumper by freshman Jon Severe at 11:32 raised the Fordham lead to double figures for the first time in the contest. Four times later in the first half the Rams reached their highest advantage of the contest, 11 points. The Rams led, 33-26, at the half.
Early in the second half, six unanswered points by Fordham allowed the Rams to again achieve an 11 point lead, 29-28, at 17:16. A 15-5 run by the Patriots mid-way through the second half cut the deficit to a single point , 48-47 with 9:02 remaining in the game.
In the final minute of the game, nine players had opportunities from the free throw line. Five fouls were committed by George Mason with the hope of catching up to Fordham in the last 60 seconds. Four Patriots were also sent to the charity stripe by Fordham fouls even though the Rams were leading.
Fordham coach Tom Pecora commented on his strategy, “I’m a convert [to fouling to prevent a basket from being scored]. You got to foul. They’re so good in shooting.”
Free throws were a factor in Fordham’s 70-67 victory. In the first half, Fordham missed its only free throw attempt. In the second half, the Rams netted 21 of 31 from the charity stripe. In contrast, the Patriots only had 17 free throw attempts and sunk 11 of the shots, a 10 point disadvantage in a game they lost by three. Of the calls, Pecora said he advised his team, “Do everything hard. You can get the respect of the officials.”
Fordham controlled the boards, 50-42, thanks to the rebounding of Ryan Canty, who pulled down 19 boards. Pecora opined, “It was a career night for Ryan Canty. He’s a great rebounder. Senior Branden Frazier surmised, “He [Canty] enjoys rebounding and the team feeds off that.”
For Brooklyn natives Frazier and Smith of Fordham the trip home was very meaningful. Frazier remarked, “I grew up down the block. Being in Brooklyn helped us a lot.” Smith was especially pleased to see family and friends in the arena, “A lot of people who couldn’t come to Fordham to see me came here today.”
Of the two, Pecora said, “It took guts for them to come to Fordham. They were highly recruited.”
Fordham advances to play the 5th seed, the Dayton flyers, on Thursday afternoon.
Tags: Fordham, Rams, Atlantic-10 Conference Tournament
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Highbridge News: Bronx Ready for March Madness
Highbridge News: Bronx Ready for March Madness: Bronx Ready for March Madness Manhattan, Fordham, Advance to NCAA Tourney By Howard Goldin BRONX NEWS, MARCH 12- Representati...
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