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With the New York Yankees and manager Joe Girardi having ironed out a new three-year deal, general manager Brian Cashman can focus on finding a pitching coach. After firing Dave Eiland, the Yankees priority will be to find his replacement.

It appears Cashman and Girardi will have options as they begin their search. A handful of names have been mentioned as possibilities, some with ties to Girardi and others with plenty of experience.

Three in-house options will likely be considered.

Mike Harkey could be promoted from his current role as bullpen coach. Harkey was a member of Girardi’s coaching staff in Florida in 2006 and came with him to the Yankees in 2008.  In between those jobs, Harkey was the pitching coach for the Iowa Cubs, a minor league team. The former major league pitcher filled in for former Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland this year when Eiland left the team for personal reasons.

Harkey appeared in 131 games and ended his injury riddled career with an even 36-36 record and 4.49 ERA. A former first round pick, Harkey pitched for the Chicago Cubs, the Colorado Rockies, the Oakland A’s, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Los Angeles Dodgers throughout his career.

Triple-A pitching coach Scott Aldred is another option. Aldred has been coaching in the Yankees minor league system since 2007. He was the Trenton Thunder pitching coach in 2007 and 2008 before being moved up to Triple-A in 2009. 

Find out the other candidates and continue this article at Double G Sports.

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While the favorites (Yankees, Phillies) are not participating in the 2010 MLB World Series, we do have quite a matchup to look forward to. As we sit here in the bullpen, let’s take a look at the teams and see who has the edge, if there is any.

It may not be the teams the television market and media world wanted. It’s not the flashy World Series. What it is however is two teams that play hard, with heart and want to win. This year’s Fall Classic is not about the star-studded lineups that have so much talent that they look as though they are going through the motions.

When you watch the games, starting tonight, you will see two teams playing fundamental baseball. Two teams giving it their all for the entire game.

There are plenty of great matchups and story lines to look at before tonight’s Game 1.

Following Double G Sports as we take you through a position-by-position breakdown as well as point out some interesting facts about this year’s World Series.

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Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has started making changes. The Yankees were pushed from the playoffs by the Texas Rangers last week. Many decisions will need to be made as New York tries to regroup for next season.

The first decision was made yesterday when the Yankees announced pitching coach Dave Eiland would not be returning. This move is a surprise because of the history Eiland has with the organization.

One can only speculate as to the reasoning as Cashman would not give a reason other than to say it was “private” and “personal.”

Cashman also said the decision had nothing to do with the pitching staffs performance in the ALCS. Eiland missed a month of the season due to personal issues and there has been some speculation that may be part of the reasoning.

The team will begin looking for Eiland’s replacement once the negotiations with Girardi are complete. This will be an important position on the Yankees staff. Eiland had built a relationship with young pitchers like Phil Hughes.

So, Eiland, who pitched for the Yankees and became their pitching coach in 2008, will not return. Who else will not be returning?

Find out as you continue reading this article at Double G Sports.

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The two regular season favorites for the American League MVP award have continued their battled into the ALCS. Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano and Rangers centerfielder Josh Hamilton are leading their teams as the American League championship heads to Texas for Game 6.

While their performances in the ALCS do not count toward the American League MVP award, they are both leading the charge for the ALCS MVP. All votes are already in for the regular season award that has yet to be announced.

Cano, who is becoming the leader of the Yankees lineup, batted .319 this season with career highs of 29 home runs and 109 runs batted in. Cano also had career highs in slugging percentage (.534) and on base percentage (.381).

Not only was Cano a leader with the bat, he also had a Gold Glove-quality season from his second base position. He committed only three errors in 776 total chances. His range has improved tremendously and Cano is the best in the league at turning a double play.

Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton led the league with a .359 average while belting 32 home runs and driving in 100. While he did commit four errors in 267 chances, Hamilton had nine outfield assists.

Continue to full article on Double G Sports.

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The bats finally woke up for the New York Yankees last night. CC Sabathia stepped up like any ace should, battling through six innings and giving his team the lead.

Staring elimination in the eye, the Yankees used their bats and took advantage of some sloppy play by the Texas Rangers to force a Game 6. The series now returns to Texas with the Rangers holding a three games to two lead in this best of seven series.

In order to defend last seasons world series title, the Yankees will need to win the final two games in Texas, starting Friday night. One step at a time though.

Before a big matchup between Cliff Lee and Andy Pettitte in Game 7, the Yankees will need to win Game 6 behind Phil Hughes. Hughes was roughed up in Game 2, also played in Texas.

Early in the series, the Yankees bats had been silenced by the Rangers pitchers. Robinson Cano had really been the only hot hitter.

Last night, some others woke up a bit. With a three run lead in the third inning, Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano hit back-to-back home runs to give Sabathia a 5-0 lead. Seven of the nine Yankees in the lineup had at least one hit. The team totalled nine on the night.

Read full article at Double G Sports.

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Surprisingly, a lot of Yankees fans last night had hope. There seemed to be some hope that despite his struggles all season long, A.J. Burnett was going to give his team a winning effort and help his team even up the series with the Texas Rangers.

That hope seemed to be a reality, until manager Joe Girardi messed with it.

The key moment was in the top of the sixth inning. The Yankees had a 3-2 lead with two outs and a runner on second base. Instead of letting Burnett take his chances against David Murphy, Girardi had his righty intentionally walk the batter to get to Bengie Molina.

Now, sure, Murphy had hit a home run off Burnett earlier this season. So what?! Murphy is a platoon outfielder. Molina is a starting catcher that also has some pop in his bat. Molina has his share of dramatic home runs against the Yankees in his career. So, why walk Murphy with two outs? It does not make sense.

Continue full article at Double G Sports.

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The American League Championship Series moves to the Bronx tonight as the Yankees and Rangers are locked up at one game apiece. The pitching matchup of Andy Pettitte and Cliff Lee should be a great one.

However, there may be a matchup that is just as important.

Yankees starter Andy Pettitte must keep the Texas base runners from running wild. The Rangers got the Yankees in an early hole in Game 2 after stealing three bases, including a steal of home in the first inning.

The Rangers are a very aggressive team on the base paths. Manager Ron Washington has his club thinking about the extra base at all times. The Yankees could be one of the easiest teams to do that on.

Yankees catcher Jorge Posada’s defensive skills have diminished greatly the past couple years. He has had trouble throwing runners out all season, and that has carried into the playoffs. Posada is also having some trouble blocking balls in the dirt of late.

The combination of Posada’s struggles and the aggressiveness of the Texas base runners will be a challenge for Pettitte.

Continue this article at Double G Sports.

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The American League Championship Series begins tonight when the Texas Rangers host the New York Yankees. Despite looking quite different at first glance, the two ball clubs may be more similar than you think.

Does one team have the edge? Let’s take a deeper look.

The Yankees come into this series with the playoff experience and know what it takes to win. The Rangers meanwhile are a bit less experienced in this situation but are playing with a lot of heart and passion.

Rangers manager Ron Washington has gotten through to his players and the team is playing sound baseball. This is a team that is talented and hungry, a dangerous combination.

The Yankees have a mix of veterans that have been here and done that, as well as some younger players that are taking leadership roles. Joe Girardi has his team focused and healthy as they continue to defend their World Series title from 2009.

The two teams have split the season series, each winning four games. Despite both teams being loaded offensively, it’s been solid pitching that has been the determining factor.

The Yankees will start  CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, Andy Pettitte and A.J. Burnett. Texas will counter with a rotation of C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Cliff Lee and Tommy Hunter.

Continue to full article at Double G Sports.

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It’s down to two teams for the title of American League Champion. It appears it’s down to two players for the title of American League MVP. The two players will square off throughout the next week as the New York Yankees battle the Texas Rangers for the right to play in the World Series.

This series could go a long way in determining which player wins the MVP award, Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano or Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton.

Cano has been a force with the bat as well as the glove this season for the Yankees. The second baseman has developed his game so much that people are starting to talk about him as the future face of the franchise.

The 27-year-old second baseman batted .319 during the regular season, belting 29 home runs and driving in 109 runs. The home run and RBI totals were career highs for Cano.

Back in spring training, manager Joe Girardi announced that Cano would hit fifth in the star-studded Yankees lineup. While being a free swinger, many were unsure how Cano would handle the very important lineup spot behind Alex Rodriguez.

Continue this article at Double G Sports.

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Here we go again. October baseball. Yankees vs. Twins.

Is this the year Minnesota overtakes the Achilles heel that has been the New York Yankees? It seems like every time the Twins make the playoffs, the Yankees are there to put them back in their place. With a new stadium in Target Field, is this the year the Twins start a new era?

This time, the Twins will have home field advantage after winning the American League Central. The Yankees enter this years playoff as the AL Wild Card team, finishing one game behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East.

New York finished the regular season with a 95-67 record while Minnesota was 94-68. The Twins hold the American League’s best home record this season going 53-28 at Target Field.

While the Twins finished with just one less win than the Yankees, you have to consider the divisions the two teams play in. The Yankees had to play 72 games against the likes of Tampa Bay, Boston, Toronto, and Baltimore. The Twins meanwhile, were able to feast on AL Central opponents Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, and Kansas City. Minnesota was 47-25 against the Central and just 15-21 against the AL East this year.

This years Twins team, led by manager Ron Gardenhire, has some power, speed, and good pitching. They also have a fan base that gets behind the club and is a team that loves playing in their new stadium.

For a full position by position breakdown and more, visit Double G Sports.

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