It's at least a modest surprise, as Grisham is coming off a breakout year at the plate which saw him club a career-high 34 home runs. He slashed .235/.348/.464, thanks in no small part to a career-best 14.1% walk rate and a 23.6% strikeout rate that stood as the second-lowest in his career. Between that production, the fact that Grisham only just turned 29 earlier this month,
Dan Fiorito, the club's minor league outfield/infield coordinator, will be promoted to the big league staff. It was reported last month that the Yankees would be moving on from a few coaches, including first base and infield coach Travis Chapman. Per Joyce, Fiorito has been hired to replace Chapman at first and is expected to take over the infield coaching duties as well.
The days of George Steinbrenner seem like a distant memory in the Bronx. The New York Yankees last won the World Series in 2009, while he still stood at the helm. But most, if not, all Yankee fans still openly echo his philosophy, believing there is no such thing as a good season; you either win or you lose. If you did not win, then you lost. And if you lost, how can it be a good season?
We start with the wild-card round, where the Cincinnati Reds became the first team eliminated from postseason contention -- on the very first day of October, no less -- with a two-game series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The next day, the Cleveland Guardians lost their series to the Detroit Tigers, the San Diego Padres fell to the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox were knocked out by the New York Yankees in a trio of Game 3s.
Reminders of the New York Yankees' rich history can be spotted at every turn in and around Yankee Stadium. Babe Ruth banners hang outside the venue. Hallways are loaded with framed pictures of pinstriped legends. When Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider entered the stadium's news conference room Monday on the eve of Game 3, he walked past several 10-foot magazine posters featuring all-time Yankee greats.
