Throggs Neck News: She’s Getting Ready to Sing for Yanks

Throggs Neck News: She’s Getting Ready to Sing for Yanks: She’s Getting Ready to Sing for Yanks Tanaka on DL, CC Out Spells Trouble for Playoff Hopes Masahiro Tanaka to be on Disabled L...

She’s Getting Ready to Sing for Yanks

She’s Getting Ready to Sing for Yanks

Tanaka on DL, CC Out Spells Trouble for Playoff Hopes

Masahiro Tanaka to be on Disabled List for a Minimum of Six Weeks

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 11- Less than a week before the All-Star Game was to be played, the Yankees received their worst news of the 2014 season. It was announced that Yankee ace Masahiro Tanaka would be out of action for at least six weeks with a partial tear in his ulner collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow.

The first indication occurred last Tuesday when the rookie complained of soreness after being removed from his start after 6.2 innings. He was then placed on the 15 day DL. 

The problem was diagnosed after Tanaka underwent an MRI and flew to Seattle to confer with the Yankees physician, Dr. Christopher Ahmed, and other doctors. It was determined that the tear was small and Tanaka would undergo a six-week period of rehabilitation. He is to have a platelet-rich plasma injection next week. No surgery was proposed. 

If the rehab is not successful, he will likely have to have Tommy John surgery, which will put him out of action until the 2016 season.

The loss was huge as Tanaka joined three of the starters of the season beginning, C.C. Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda, on the disabled list. Only Hiroki Kuroda, 39, currently remains in the starting rotation. 

The importance of the loss of the rookie from Japan can easily be determined by his place in the individual pitching rankings in the American League this season. He ranks first in wins (12), and complete games (3), second in ERA (2.27) and fewest walks per 9 innings (1.3), fifth in winning percentage (.800) and innings pitched (122.2) and sixth in strikeouts (130) and opponents’ batting average against (.224). 

The amazing newcomer to MLB was a favorite to win the as the American League Rookie-of-the-Year Award and the Cy Young Award. He was also a rare rookie pitcher being seriously considered to be the American League starting pitcher in the All-Star Game. 

The two men, Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman, who have the prime responsibility for the success of the Yankees this year commented upon the loss of Tanaka. Yankee skipper Girardi tried, as always, to be optimistic, “We’ll keep our fingers crossed. It is what it is. It’ll be at least six weeks. I’m optimistic we’ll have him back.” When asked about how the rotation will now be devised, he responded, “We’ll figure it out.”

General Manager Brian Cashman spoke of his efforts to obtain a starting pitcher through a trade, “We’ve been aggressive because now we’ve got four starters that we were planning to use out. We are in a division fight, and we want to stay in the fight.”

Throggs Neck News: Serial Groper Strikes Throughout #Bronx

Throggs Neck News: Serial Groper Strikes Throughout #Bronx: Serial Groper Strikes Throughout #Bronx Groper Wanted in Nine Attacks Since February By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, J...

Serial Groper Strikes Throughout #Bronx

Serial Groper Strikes Throughout #Bronx

Groper Wanted in Nine Attacks Since February

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 9- Police are hunting a serial grouper wanted in nine recent attacks on girls, teens and young women in the Wakefield, Edenwald, Williamsbridge and Eastchester neighborhoods.

On June 24, the NYPD released a flyer with a police composite sketch of the individual wanted for nine separate incidents of forcible touching of females between the ages of 12 and 21.

The first incident was reported on February 13, at 7:50 a.m., when a 14-year-old female was attacked on her way to the subway along Eastchester Road.

On Saturday, February 15 a second attack was reported by another 14-year-old girl who was violated by the creep as she walked passed the intersection of Burke Avenue and Eastchester Road at 9:30 a.m.

The pervert waited more then a month when he struck again. This time he inappropriately touched a 13 year-old as she walked along Magenta Street at 7:30 a.m. on March 28.

A fourth incident was reported on April 28, when he grabbed a 13 year-old from behind as she walked near Baychester Avenue at 8 a.m.

Again waiting more than a month, he struck again on May 29, when the suspect jogged up to an 18-year-old victim and forcibly touched her in the area of Burke Avenue.

The suspect struck again the following day when he approached and attacked a 12 year-old victim in the area of East 233 Street.

On June 9, a 16 year-old reported she was attacked a 6:55 a.m., along Boston Road.

In his last two attacks, reported on June 11, at 8:15 a.m. a 21-year-old woman reported a forcible touching attack as she walked along Fish Avenue. Fifteen minutes later a 12 year-old reported a similar incident as she walked along Schieffelin Avenue.

Although traumatized, none of the victims were physically injured.

Police describe the suspect as 20 year-old black male, 5 foot 10, thin build and was last seen wearing a black hooded jacket, blue jeans and black sneakers. Investigators say the suspect also has a scar under his right eye.

The attacks have prompted a local citizens group called the New York Hero Imitative to patrol the effected neighborhoods in searching for the suspect and passing out flyers to residents.

One group member, "Spectre" said the group was encouraged by the community's reaction to their presence and added, "We're going to re-visit a few areas where we had some promising leads on this case."

One source at the local community board stated that the local community was informed of the attacks in mid-May. One police official questioned could not explain the delay in alerting the public to the pattern-crime.

The source says detectives and police are in the process of going back to all nine locations and are searching for surveillance video of the suspect.

Meanwhile, 50 additional cops start hitting the street's today (July 7) at the 47th Precinct. The manpower will attempt to combat the recent uptick in violent crime in the area.

Anyone with any information on the suspect is urged to call CRIMESTOPPERS at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls remain confidential.

Throggs Neck News: #Toys R Us

Throggs Neck News: #Toys R Us: ID Thieves Rip Off Toy Store By Dan Gesslein BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 7- Cops are asking for the public’s help in trying to track down a...

#Toys R Us

ID Thieves Rip Off Toy Store

By Dan Gesslein

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 7- Cops are asking for the public’s help in trying to track down a couple who made off with a dirt bike from a local Toys R Us.

At around 1:30 p.m. on June 21, cops say the couple used a stolen credit card to purchase a MX500 Dirt Rocket bike from Toys R Us in the Bruckner Mall. The item is priced at $449.99 according to the company’s website. 

The store’s surveillance cameras captured the couple wheeling the item out the front door of the toy store.

The suspect is described as a black male, medium build, with facial hair. He was last seen wearing sunglasses and a white t-shirt. His accomplice is described as a black woman with long hair, medium build. She was last seen wearing sunglasses, a multicolored shirt and pants, a black jacket, black sandals, and carrying a brown purse. 

Anyone with information is urged to call CRIMESTOPPERS at (800) 577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

All calls are strictly confidential.

Season Slipping Away for #Yankees?

Season Slipping Away for #Yankees?

Yanks Drop Fifth Straight

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 3- Unless the fortunes of the New York Yankees improve rapidly, the team’s brass will be under increasing pressure to make serious roster changes through the trade route prior to July 31.

The 6-3 loss to the Rays in Thursday’s matinee, the final game of the most recent homestand, was the team’s season-high fifth straight. The last such debacle occurred in June of 2013. It was also the fifth consecutive home defeat of the Yankees, a Bronx losing streak that last took place in May 2011. The 2014 record of the Yanks dropped to 41-42, their first time below .500 since April 11, when their record was 5-6.

The Rays came back from single run deficits three times to knot the score before scoring two in the top of the fifth to assume their first lead of the contest, which they maintained.

The winning blow, a two-run homer, was delivered by Sean Rodriguez in his first game at short since July 11, 2013. The awesome blast went more than 440 feet, Rays manager Joe Maddon commented, “How about Sean’s homer? That could have been out of the old stadium.” 

Rodriguez explained the home run was not his goal, “I was just trying to hit it hard. I just wanted to find a way to contribute to help us win.”

Although Rodriguez is only batting .215, 15 of his 26 hits have been for extra bases, a percentage second in the majors. He remarked with a degree of surprise, “It [power hitting] has become a bigger part of my game than people thought despite my record in the minors

Pitching was again part of the Tampa victory. Rookie Jake Odorizzi, the Tampa starter went 5.2 innings, yielding three runs, eight hits and one walk. Two of the hits were solo home runs, Brett Gardner in the first and Brian McCann in the third.

The winning pitcher fanned only four Yankees, but said, “I have the ability to throw strikes.” This was no understatement as Odorizzi’s mark for strikeouts per nine innings (10.56) is currently the fourth highest in major league history for a rookie pitcher.

The Tampa bullpen kept the Yankees scoreless with only two hits in 3.1 innings. After the game ther Tampa skipper stated, “They [relievers] all looked really good. [They’re] getting their confidence.”

The Rays, at the half-way point of the 2014 season, are moving in the opposite direction of the Yankees. Their win was a season-high fifth straight. The surging Rays have now won seven of their last eight games.

Manager Maddon explained, “We’re getting a different bus driver on a daily basis, that’s what we’re built for.” To continue winning in the future, he said, “We’ve been waiting for things to happen. We have to make things happen.”

The winning pitcher explained their recent success thusly, “Our pitching, our hitting, and our defense are all coming together at the same time.”