Home Runs Aplenty For The Yankees

Sometimes work really gets in the way of blogging. I was preparing a post today about how the Yankees had really gotten power production from a lot of sources this season, and then, before I could finish it, I saw Peter Abraham had posted the same thing. So a few more points:

The Yankees now have 7 players with 15 or more home runs. According to Baseball Reference's Play Index, only three times in Yankee history have they had 8 players with 15+ home runs (1998, 2000, and 2004). Melky Cabrera has 11 homers and Derek Jeter has 13. So it's conceivable that they could have 9 players with 15+ home runs. Only two teams in baseball history have had 9 (the 2005 Cleveland Indians and the 2005 Texas Rangers).

Their 175 home runs lead the American League. Part of that has to do with their home park. They've hit 107 of those home runs at home (61%) and their opponents have similar splits, hitting 78 out of their 135 home runs against the Yankees in the Bronx (58%).

Beyond the Boxscore looks at Derek Jeter's home runs and thinks that his are enhanced by the new park, but despite that, he's probably not going to come close to his career high for home runs (24). Mark Teixeira is on pace for 42 but he hit 43 with Texas. Hideki Matsui is on pace for 25 but he hit 31 in 2004. And Nick Swisher and Alex Rodriguez will come well short. But Robinson Cano (on pace for 26) and Johnny Damon (on pace for 32) will set career highs. And Melky Cabrera has already reached his career high.

Other Yankees news:

-Gene Wojciechowski writes for ESPN that Derek Jeter would be his last straw for steroids use. I would have to agree. I've said that the only two names that would shock me and make me rethink my rooting would be Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey Jr. Mariano Rivera would upset me greatly, but the fact he's still doing what he's doing at this age is going to bring doubt into people's mind. I think Mo's totally clean and I would be really upset if anything came out about him, but it would not be the same shock of Derek Jeter.

-Speaking of Jeter, he didn't look so good after being hit yesterday, as shown by WCBS

-Rick Reilly had a great piece for ESPN about one part of the Yankees HOPE Week, one of the best things the Yankees have done for fans since I've started following baseball

-The Purist Bleeds Pinstripes says the bleeding Pinstripes is good for the economy

-River Ave Blues says that the bullpen and bench has always been in flux

-Big League Screw says that Kate Hudson is the ultimate slumpbuster and MSNBC says that Kate Hudson wants to have some little A-Rods

-NESN writes about how the Yankees control their own destiny the rest of the season