On this episode of the Yanks Go Yard Radio Show, brought to you by Knoda.com, I started off the show by recapping the New York Yankees’ (84-78) final three games of the 2014 regular season against the Boston Red Sox. New York was able to end their season strong by taking two out of three in their series. Of course, the moment that will be remembered from Fenway Park this weekend was Derek Jeter’s final at-bat of his career, a RBI-infield single in the top of the third inning during Sunday’s finale.
Other than Jeter, there were other big stories that broke this weekend, including the report on ESPN New York about Joe Girardi’s pregame speech given to the team before the Captain’s final home game last Thursday. All in all, the Yankees went 8-4 in their final 12 games of the season, but it was a little too late for a season that left a lot to be desired for most fans, especially with the moves the team made in the off-season. Now, the team gets set to begin their plans for 2015. One of those guys that will be likely back in the fold is Alex Rodriguez, who will come off the suspended list at the conclusion of the postseason.
For this episode, I spoke with one of the co-editors here at Yanks Go Yard, Jason Evans. As part of a 90-minute discussion, the two of us took a look back at 2014 and discussed some of the moves that the Yankees could make this winter to improve their chances at a 28th World Series Championship next season. Plus, we made our predictions for the two Wild Card games and who we think will be playing in this year’s Fall Classic. Here are some of the other topics that we discussed on the show:
- How big was Michael Pineda’s 10-strikeout outing on Sunday against Boston?
- Our thoughts on the Steinbrenner brothers not attending Jeter’s final home game
- Why Joe Girardi’s message didn’t occur at the right time?
- If the Yankees miss the playoffs next season, is Girardi on the hot seat?
- Surprises of the Season: Masahiro Tanaka and Dellin Betances
- Did the Yankees take the right approach with Tanaka ultimately?
- Positives on Offense in 2014: Martin Prado and Jacoby Ellsbury
- Brett Gardner’s surprising power season (17 home runs)
- Did Yankees’ fans expect too much from Brian McCann?
- Our Pitching Positives: Shane Greene, Adam Warren, and Brandon McCarthy
- Disappointments: Carlos Beltran, Mark Teixeira, Shawn Kelley, second base in general
- Our Grades For 2014: Hear why Jason and I come to the same consensus
- Alex Rodriguez For 2015: What impact can he have and should he play winter ball?
- If you could keep only one, would you keep Chase Headley or Brandon McCarthy?
- Yankees’ Closer In 2015: How far should they go to bring back David Robertson?
- New York’s chances of landing Jon Lester, Max Scherzer, or James Shields
- Who will be the next shortstop?
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A special thank you to our show sponsor, Knoda.com, for joining forces with us during the 2014 season, and for allowing us to spread the Yanks Go Yard brand over the airwaves! We hope everyone has a terrific off-season, and we look forward to continuing to bring you the latest coverage and news about the Yankees the entire winter and spring!