Latest news with #GerritCole
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Yankees Coach's Telling Comments on $18 Million Veteran's Future Role
Yankees Coach's Telling Comments on $18 Million Veteran's Future Role originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Marcus Stroman pitched two innings in a simulated game Saturday before the Yankees took on the Los Angeles Dodgers. He threw 33 pitches against live hitters and while manager Aaron Boone called it 'really sharp,' a potential return to the Yankees rotation is more uncertain than ever. Advertisement Pitching coach Matt Blake's comments were telling. 'We've got five starters currently, so you're starting to talk about roster decisions,' Blake told Bryan Hoch. 'You want to give yourself as much information as possible to get to that point and make sure he's ready to go. Then we'll have a better idea of where it all fits together.' Stroman, unhappy with the trade rumors that swirled around him last winter, made it clear that he refuses to fit in the bullpen. He came into this season as an extra after the Yankees could not find a trading spot for him, but became part of the starting five when injuries hit the rotation. Without Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery), Luis Gil (strained lat) and Clarke Schmidt, who was slow getting ready this spring, Stroman became a fourth starter. New York Yankees starting pitcher Marcus StromanVincent Carchietta-Imagn Images But Stroman's 2025 has been rough, with an 11.57 ERA in limited starts before he went on the injured list with knee inflammation. Advertisement The Yankees have managed, even improved, without him. Ryan Yarbrough has stepped in as the fifth starter and done an admirable job. Schmidt is back healthy and rookie Will Warren has started to establish himself. With a vesting option for 2026 in Stroman's contract, the Yankees caught a break with his extended time on the injured list. He needs 140 innings pitched this season for the $18.5 option to kick in. Without that option, Stroman could be more attractive as a veteran innings eater in a trade – if he's healthy. After speculation in a column from the New York Post's Joel Sherman earlier this month questioning Stroman's Yankees future, it seems more and more likely that he may never pitch for the Yankees again. Blake was cautious: 'We're building the pitch count up a little bit, making sure the knee is responding well.' But this slow grind and a full spring-like rebuild in the middle of the season suggest the Yankees aren't banking on a quick fix. Advertisement Related: Yankees Announce Giancarlo Stanton News Before Dodgers Series Related: Dad Says Cody Bellinger's Dodgers Title Was Great But Yankees Pinstripes Mean More This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Retaking the 5th: Dodgers, Yankees recount the inning that swung the World Series
A popular car decal around Los Angeles offers its own version of sticker shock. It still sells for a mere $7.49 on Etsy and depicts a graphic from the Fox broadcast that sets the stage: Yankees 5, Dodgers 0, fifth inning, bases loaded, two outs. That's the moment from Game 5 of last year's World Series when everything went right for the Los Angeles Dodgers. And so wretchedly, hauntingly wrong for the New York Yankees. Advertisement Freddie Freeman has seen the '5-0' stickers on cars around Southern California, and they put a smile on his face every time. 'It's just like when the Falcons lost (the) 28-3 (lead),' the Dodgers first baseman said, referring to how Atlanta squandered a late lead as the New England Patriots roared back to win Super Bowl 51. Freeman's heroics throughout the series earned him World Series MVP honors. As memorable as anything was the comeback from down 5-0. 'It seems like that number has lived on forever,' he continued. 'I don't care what lives on. We won. That's all that matters, you know?' For Aaron Judge and the Yankees, it's more of a sticking point. The Dodgers broke through against Gerrit Cole to tie the score in the fifth inning, overcame another deficit and captured the World Series trophy behind a 7-6 victory. 'A lot of things didn't go our way in that inning,' Judge said. 'You get over it,' Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe said, 'and you don't get over it.' The memories remain fresh, as The Athletic discovered by speaking with several current and former players and coaches from both sides. As the Yankees head to Dodger Stadium for a World Series rematch on Friday, here are their thoughts – in their own words – on a wild night at Yankee Stadium: Freeman's walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series had been the defining play of the Dodgers' 3-0 start in the series, but the Yankees' big bats, including Judge, the eventual AL MVP, had shown signs of life in a Game 4 win. That continued in the first inning of Game 5 as Judge's two-run home run got the Yankees going against Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty. More than anything, Cole looked like vintage Cole. The 2023 AL Cy Young winner did not allow a hit through four innings as New York jumped out to that 5-0 lead. Kiké Hernández led off the inning with a single off a sinker, the first sign of life from a stagnant Dodgers offense. Kiké Hernández, Dodgers second baseman: To be honest with you, it was pretty dead that game for us in the dugout, our energy. We kind of figured we weren't in a great spot at the time. Advertisement Max Muncy, Dodgers third baseman: Cole, we can just say it bluntly. He was dominant. He was Gerrit Cole. He was the guy that you pay to be that guy. He wasn't making any mistakes. … When we finally got that first hit in the fifth inning, it was kind of like, 'All right, he's not going to no-hit us tonight. That's good.' Tommy Edman, who had been acquired at the trade deadline and emerged as National League Championship Series MVP, went down 0-2 to Cole and swung at a changeup that stayed belt high and was off the plate. Edman lined a fly ball to center field, right at Judge. Tommy Edman, Dodgers shortstop: I was kind of just trying to put it in play. It wasn't a bad swing, but it was just kind of right at Judge. It was one of those where you're like, 'Oh, dang, that's an out right there.' Muncy: I remember every scouting report for every team in the postseason right now like it was yesterday. … On most of the Yankees, it was: They play deeper than anyone else in baseball. So don't give up too early on the low line drive because it might drop in. Judge, after the game: I just didn't make the play. Edman: I kind of heard the crowd start to gasp. Like, what just happened? I looked up and I saw that he had dropped it. Just kind of shocked right there. Freeman: Aaron hadn't made an error all year. Hernández was breaking toward first base but pivoted and sprinted, sliding into second base just before Judge's throw came into the infield. Hernández: I definitely didn't think I was going to be safe at second. It felt like the longest 70-foot run of my life. Will Smith grounded a 2-2 slider that Volpe tracked to his right to retrieve. As he did, Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm moved to cover third base. As Volpe went to throw to third, Hernández altered his path slightly to block the throwing lane, something the Dodgers have taught for years. You can bend your run within the rules and make the throw a little harder, just like Manny Machado did against the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLDS to spark a six-run inning. In this case, the ball trickled away from Chisholm. Dino Ebel, Dodgers third-base coach: When he veered out, I think Volpe was kind of like, 'Uh-oh.' Now he has to make a good throw. Jazz was kind of late getting to the base in front of it. It's huge. Freeman: In spring training, we have our meetings every morning with (major-league field coordinator) Bob Geren. A lot of them are fun meetings, but then there are also meetings where we go over baseball plays that we do, and how we preach and how we go about it, and how we play the game of baseball. Advertisement Muncy: We preach it all year long, and it starts with literally the day we show up in spring. Freeman: It was just like (Manny) Machado's play in the NLDS. If you can just try to create things that maybe it throws a wrinkle in there. Hernández: We probably talk about it more at first (going to second). That's kind of an unorthodox play, but for me, I've had to grind my way and earn my way. I think that's something that I pride myself on. I always say that I'm a better player than the back of my baseball card says, and that's one of the things that I bring to the table when I'm on the field. Volpe: Watching it back, you see a million things and how it was so simple. But in the moment, it's just instincts and making the play, and I didn't make the play. Freeman: (That's) when things really picked up in our dugout. We weren't excited that they missed it. It was more of, Kiké making a great play. He forced it. That's why we're here in that situation. That's why we're in the World Series, because of plays like that throughout the course of the year. With the bases now loaded and no one out, Cole started to rear back. He touched 99 mph as he blew a fastball past Gavin Lux for a strikeout. He got Shohei Ohtani to wave through another fastball, which set up a curveball for a second consecutive strikeout. Cole was one out away from getting out of the inning when Mookie Betts cued a rolling grounder toward first baseman Anthony Rizzo for the second time on the night. Rizzo looked up to flip it to Cole. Cole stood near the mound, pointing for Rizzo to take it. No one wound up covering first base. Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts: I was just running just to run, really. I thought it was just a routine out. Hernández: (I was) screaming at him to run hard because I saw that nobody was at first. Advertisement Dodgers manager Dave Roberts: I think that the emotions, the frustration, got to Gerrit. Ebel: Maybe, and nobody knows, maybe the first two errors might have rattled him. Freeman: As a first baseman that is, you charge that, it can pop and spin off your (glove), so many different things. What makes the Dodgers' fifth inning in Game 5 all the more unbelievable: the ball where no one covered first base was nearly identical to the ground ball Mookie Betts had already hit in his first at-bat of the night. That time, Anthony Rizzo took it himself. — Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) October 31, 2024 Anthony Rizzo, Yankees first baseman, after Game 5: Those balls off righties, those tappers are the hardest balls for us. Especially with what had transpired throughout the inning. I kind of was going for it, and then it kicked one way, so I had to make sure to catch it first and looked up to flip. Cole: I didn't sit there and watch it back over and over again, but I've seen the play a few times. I checked the tape right after it happened. … I (wish I) would have gotten over there better. Roberts: I think, just as important, is Mookie giving a hard 90. That was his fastest sprint speed all year, on a squibber. That shows how much he cared. Betts reached on an infield single, and the Dodgers got their first run across to ensure they didn't emerge from the inning empty-handed. It was the encapsulation of something that had popped up in the organization's scouting report leading into the series – that there were free 90 feet to be had, and the Dodgers had to be opportunistic. Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, on Apple TV's World Series documentary: We were aware of those small mistakes since the regular season. So we were told to focus on taking the extra bases. Advertisement Freeman: It's not just pinpointing the Yankees. We're all humans. We're all going to make mistakes during the course of a game. But yeah, there was the defense part of it that was: Make sure you're looking for it to take advantage of it. Hernández: They had their, you could call them flaws, I guess. But that's kind of what we preached all year long regardless of who the opponent was. Ebel: The scouts did their part by saying, 'Here, listen. Their defense right now is not playing to the best of their ability. Keep playing Dodger baseball. Put pressure. Make them make plays.' That's all that was said in those meetings. Then all of a sudden, they make three errors in a game and it cost them. Judge: You give a team like the Dodgers three extra outs, they're going to capitalize on it. Travis Chapman, Yankees infield coach: I want the ball in (Volpe's) hands. I want the ball in Judgey's hands. I want the ball in Gerrit's hands. The reality is, we didn't make that play in that moment. Just getting one run was a win for the Dodgers. So was getting Freeman up to the plate. The eventual World Series MVP slugged four home runs in the series and fended off a devastating attack from Cole to keep the inning going. First, Freeman fouled off a 98 mph sinker before taking a changeup just off the plate. When Cole tried going upstairs with a 99 mph fastball, Freeman fouled it off. Cole tried another changeup, and Freeman rolled it foul just up the first-base line. Cole's next pitch was in on Freeman's hands at 99 mph. Freeman muscled it to center field for a two-run single. Freeman: He hadn't thrown that hard all year. Hernández: Gerrit was just pumping fuel and emotion that inning. He was emptying the tank. Clarke Schmidt, Yankees starter: Very impressive with how many pitches he threw and how long and deep he went, even with that long inning, executing at an incredibly high rate. Advertisement Aaron Bates, Dodgers hitting coach: Freddie, when he's right, it doesn't surprise me. He can spoil pitches. He can spoil, spoil, spoil, and if you make a mistake, he's going to get you. Freeman: When I fouled off the changeup down and away, that's when I felt like, OK, that was the pitch that he was going to strike me out with. I was able to foul it off. Then he threw 99 on the black on the inside. You could throw me that last week, and I don't hit that. My swing wasn't in a good spot last week. But my swing was in a great spot during that, so I was able to get to the 99. Muncy: It was like, all right, when's it going to happen? Because you know Freddie was going to get the hit. It was just, when is it going to happen? That was the confidence that we had with Freddie in the batter's box. Teoscar Hernández saw the Dodgers' sixth two-strike count of the inning against Cole and appeared to get out in front of a cutter. But Hernández stayed through the pitch enough to backspin the ball over Judge's head and to the warning track, off the wall to tie the score at 5-5. Even after the Yankees retook the lead an inning later, it wouldn't last. Teoscar Hernández, on Apple's documentary: You know when you have a feeling that everything is going to go your way? We had that in that game. Chris Taylor, then-Dodgers outfielder, on Betts' 'On Base' podcast: I mean, everybody saw it, right? To me – and we're all kind of thinking it – they kind of s– down their leg. They were pressing. Will Smith, Dodgers catcher, after Game 5: We were down 5-0. So what? We know we can put pressure on them. They'll crack. We'll win it. Dodgers hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc, after Game 5: They just left the door open, and we jumped through it. Cole: A culmination of some mistakes and capitalization of those mistakes from the other team. It didn't take us out of the game, though. You make mistakes. You've got to give yourself a chance to respond to it. We responded well. We held in there. We retook the lead and we just couldn't finish it off. Advertisement Schmidt: 'What just happened?' That type of feeling. Looking around. Very quiet. Very frustrated. Everything you'd expect that it was like, it probably was like. Judge: All I really think about is, we lost. It's what it comes down to. We can break it down from Game 1 all the way through. But when it comes down to it, we didn't get the job done. The Dodgers' World Series run offered many iconic moments. Freeman's walk-off grand slam was so momentous that the MVP recalled being asked to sign a fan's calf during this past offseason – the fan said he was going to get it tattooed onto him. Just as highly regarded as the grand slam, however, is the inning. From memes to video clips, and yes, even bumper stickers. Roberts: Even my moment stealing the base (in Game 4 of the 2004 American League Championship Series for the eventual champion Boston Red Sox), I was a reserve player. I had a moment. We had a lot of great players, but people look toward moments that turned the tide. That was the moment in last year's World Series that really turned the tide in Game 5. Betts: I think it just gives fans and what not ammo to talk about something. Schmidt: It's pretty sickening. Hernández: Of course, people are going to make a big deal out of it. Funny bumper stickers and things like that going on. … When you're on the wrong end of things and that kind of thing happens, then it definitely hurts and you remember it more than when you're on the good side of things. Muncy: I get a chuckle out of (seeing the sticker), because it reminds me of us winning the World Series and to me that's the most important thing. However fans want to remember that, that's up to them. If the bumper sticker on the back of your car is the way to do it, then all the more power to you. When I see it, it just brings a smile to my face. For me, it's not about what happened on the other side. For me, it's about us finding a way to win that game. (Top photo of Mookie Betts and Gerrit Cole: Al Bello / Getty Images)
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Yankees' lost ace is quietly transforming the rotation behind the scenes
When New York Yankees' ace Gerrit Cole walked off the mound and into surgery, it felt like a dagger straight through fans' hearts. He wasn't just the ace of the staff—he was the heartbeat, the unshakable anchor in stormy waters. Losing him to Tommy John surgery wasn't just about lost innings; it was about losing leadership, dominance, and hope. Advertisement But sometimes, when a door closes on the field, another opens behind the scenes. And Cole, ever the student and scientist of pitching, wasn't about to waste a second. Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images From strikeouts to strategy: Cole's new role in pinstripes While Cole rehabs, he's not fading into the background. Instead, he's transformed into an on-call professor of pitching, quietly mentoring the next generation from the shadows. His latest student? A 25-year-old fireballer named Will Warren, a rising arm with raw stuff and a thirst for knowledge. And Cole has become a vital part of his transformation. Think of it like a master craftsman showing a young apprentice how to wield a tool—not with brute force, but precision. Learning the art, not just the mechanics Warren recently opened up to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic about his regular chats with Cole. They're not just surface-level tips. Advertisement We're talking about deep discussions on execution, pitch sequencing, and mental sharpness. One standout lesson? Even a ball off the plate can be a weapon—if it moves a hitter's eyes, changes their timing, or disrupts their plan. It's the kind of wisdom that turns throwers into pitchers. And that's exactly what Warren is becoming. Warren's evolution: From thrower to trusted arm Warren's ERA is now a solid 4.05, but the numbers only tell half the story. Over his last three starts, he's surrendered just three earned runs across 18 innings. In that span, he's struck out 26 hitters and shown the kind of poise usually reserved for veterans. The secret sauce? A growing awareness of how to pitch with purpose—something Cole is drilling into him, one conversation at a time. Advertisement This isn't just about results. It's about mindset, nuance, and maturity. And Cole is right there, helping Warren turn the corner. Credit: Tom Horak-Imagn Images Cole's fingerprints are all over the Yankees' future While he can't toe the rubber this season, Cole's influence is tangible. His presence in the clubhouse and bullpen sessions is like a lifeline. Veterans still seek his input. Youngsters hang on his every word. And through it all, Cole is building something more enduring than stats: a legacy. For Warren, Cole's mentorship has been a game-changer. The Cy Young winner's knowledge is shaping the Yankees' present and future, pitch by pitch, brain to brain. Advertisement Gerrit Cole may be sidelined until the 2026 All-Star break, but his impact hasn't missed a beat. From flame-throwing apprentice to thoughtful young ace, Will Warren is living proof. Popular reading: Yankees' deadline acquisition has become an unexpected bullpen stud
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Yankees have bigger desires than World Series redemption in Dodger Stadium return
Access the Yankees beat like never before Don't miss Greg Joyce's text messages from The Bronx and beyond — he's giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Yankees. Sign Up Now LOS ANGELES — One of the television screens that hung in the home clubhouse made the Yankees' plans clear, part motivational and part informational. They had just staved off elimination in Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, and Game 5 with Gerrit Cole on the mound was less than 24 hours away. Advertisement 'Win Tomorrow, Fly Thursday,' the sign read. Except they never got on the plane.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Shaikin: 'Another log on the fire.' Yankees eager to avenge World Series meltdown against Dodgers
Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) makes an error in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the World Series against the Dodgers at Yankees Stadium on Oct. 30. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) For Dodgers fans, the must-have souvenir from last year's World Series was not a cap or T-shirt commemorating the team's championship. It was one of the stickers that popped up all over town, reproducing the Fox Sports score box that showed the New York Yankees leading, 5-0, with two out in the fifth inning. For the Yankees, it was the image that encapsulated an inning of extremely unfortunate events: Aaron Judge dropped a fly ball, Anthony Volpe committed a throwing error, Gerrit Cole did not cover first base. Advertisement The Dodgers tied the score before the Yankees could secure that third out and, a couple hours later, boisterously raised the championship trophy atop a makeshift stage in the Yankee Stadium outfield. The celebrations raged for days, including a Mookie Betts podcast on which Chris Taylor said the Yankees had "s— down their leg' and a 'Baseball Isn't Boring' podcast on which Joe Kelly said the Dodgers' scouting reports had highlighted the Yankees' deficiencies: 'They can't make a play.' Dodgers third base Kiké Hernández is safe at second base after an error by Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) (not shown) in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the World Series on Oct. 30. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) You cannot glorify bat flips, as Major League Baseball itself does these days, and you cannot encourage players to market themselves and share their personalities, as the league also does, without running the risk of what the old-fashioned among us might call poor sportsmanship. To the Yankees' credit, they get it. Advertisement 'The way I personally look at it is, when you go out and you are on the right side of the victory, you've got a leg to stand on,' Yankees closer Luke Weaver told me this week at Angel Stadium. 'When you lose, you ain't got much to say. 'They said what they said. That's what they felt. I don't take it too personally. In a perfect world, yeah, you don't want to hear that type of stuff. We know what happened. We know we had to do a better job. We just didn't quite do what we wanted to do. With that being said, it is what it is.' For the first time since the World Series, the Yankees return to Dodger Stadium this weekend. The Dodgers are sold out of suites advertised this week for as much as $15,000 per game. As of Wednesday, available tickets on the team website for Friday's series opener ranged from $103 to $567 in general, $146 to $607 with early entry included. Read more: How one 'crazy' inning ignited Dodgers' comeback in World Series clincher Advertisement The entire series will be nationally broadcast: Friday on Apple+, Saturday on Fox, Sunday on ESPN. 'I understand that it's going to get a lot of eyeballs,' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. 'I think that's great for our sport.' Said Weaver: 'It'll be a big series because, one, they're a great team, and we feel like we're a great team. It's hard to say it's not a rematch. 'To be honest, there's probably some deeper pride that wants to go in there and play good ball and play clean ball, and make sure that we take the series and do our job.' ESPN played up the 'rematch' angle during last Sunday's Dodgers broadcast. However, of the 10 players that started that fateful Game 5 of the World Series for the Yankees, only three are active on the Yankees' roster: Judge, Volpe and catcher Austin Wells. Advertisement Gone in free agency: outfielders Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo and infielders Anthony Rizzo and Gleyber Torres. On the injured list: Cole, infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton. New to New York: former Dodger Cody Bellinger, former Dodger-killer Paul Goldschmidt and L.A.'s own Max Fried, who is Friday's scheduled starting pitcher. Dodgers celebrate with pitcher Walker Buehler (21), back left, after defeating the Yankees during Game 5 of the World Series, clinching the championship at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 30. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) In spring training, Judge said there was a simple solution to whatever verbal shots the Dodgers took in the wake of the World Series: 'Play better.' At the time, Boone said he hoped the Yankees would 'handle things with a little more class' if they won the World Series this year. He also noted the Dodgers' stars did not say anything to diminish the Yankees. Advertisement 'Some guys are more inclined to spout off and be a little more colorful than others, and that's their right. They won,' he said then. 'And again, hopefully we're in that position and do things a little better." Have the Yankees used that fifth inning for motivation or just flushed it? 'I've used the phrase 'another log on the fire,'' Boone said this week. 'We've had some really tough ends to the season, and probably in some way, shape or form serve as some motivation. 'But I'd like to think that, had we won the World Series last year, we'd be hell bent on getting back again. You put this uniform on, and this hat, and what it represents, and our goal is to get back and do that again.' Advertisement Read more: Shaikin: Apple's documentary on Dodgers provides 'all-access' look at World Series run The Detroit Tigers, not the Yankees, have the best record in the American League. The Philadelphia Phillies, not the Dodgers, have the best record in the National League. Yet the projections at Baseball Prospectus and Fangraphs say the most likely World Series matchup is a Dodgers-Yankees rematch. That would be great for L.A. and New York, and for Fox, but that also would make a lockout after the 2026 season even more likely than it already is. You can hear the owners now: If the price of admission to the World Series again is a team in one of the two largest markets in baseball, how can a team in any other market hope to compete? And, if the Dodgers spend $1 billion on free agents, win, spend another half-billion on free agents, and return to the World Series, are the Dodgers ruining baseball? Advertisement 'It's difficult for most of us owners to be able to do the kinds of things that they're doing,' an owner said last January. Read more: 'You want your chance to win one.' New Dodgers feel World Series hunger during celebrations Oh, wait: That was Hal Steinbrenner, owner of the Yankees, the one team that CNBC estimated generated more revenue than the Dodgers last year. This, we hope, is Steinbrenner being a team player. One high-ranking sports industry executive told me he never has seen baseball owners so united on pursuing major changes to the sport's economic structure, salary cap or otherwise. Either the large-market owners and small-market owners truly are on the same page, or at least they need the players' union to believe they are. Advertisement It is difficult to imagine Steinbrenner willfully offering to surrender some of the Yankees' competitive advantage so the Pittsburgh Pirates can squander a few more bucks. What Steinbrenner said is reasonable at a time cable television revenue has dried up for many teams, even as the Dodgers and Yankees continue to cash in, but the 'us' makes the comment look silly. If a couple players on the Dodgers can make a silly comment, so can the owner of the Yankees. Bring on the World Series rematch. Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
