Ivan Nova

Iván Manuel Nova Guance, born January 12, 1987 is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees. He bears the nickname Super-Nova.

Career

Nova was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Yankees in 2004. At the end of the 2008 season, Nova had not advanced beyond Class-A Advanced, where he pitched for the Tampa Yankees. In December 2008, Nova was selected by the San Diego Padres in the Rule 5 draft. However, he was returned to the Yankees after clearing outright waivers at the end of the 2009 spring training, during which he had an 8.31 ERA, allowing eight earned runs and 13 hits in 8 2⁄3 innings.

Nova advanced to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2009. Following the 2009 season, Nova was added to the 40-man roster, to ensure he was not selected in the Rule 5 draft again.

After recording a 2.43 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over his first six starts for Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Nova was promoted to the major leagues on May 10, 2010. He pitched three shutout innings in relief before he was optioned back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

On August 21, Nova was recalled to the majors, and he made his first career major league start on August 23. He impressed the Yankees in his first start, and was given his second start, replacing the struggling Javier Vázquez.

Nova was named to the Yankees' Opening Day starting rotation in 2011. On June 20th, Nova had his longest start in his career, allowing only 1 run in 8 innings against the Cincinnati Reds. It was also his best start in his young major league career giving up 0 walks and striking out 7 and allowed only 4 hits.

Scouting report

Nova throws four pitches: a 4-seam fastball (92-97 mph), a 2-seam fastball (89-92 mph), a circle-changeup (82-85 mph), and a 12-6 curveball (76-80 mph). Although he throws all of his pitches with above-average control and command, Nova's best pitch is his sinking, 2-seam fastball; he has used his "sinker" to amass a fantastic career ground-ball-percentage during his professional baseball career, and has propelled himself through the minor leagues and in to prospect status. Although his velocity and breaking-ball cause him to fall short of being considered a "top prospect" by the MLB community, Nova's impressive control and near-ideal frame give him back-end-of-the-rotation potential in the MLB.

Yanks send Nova to minors to make room for Hughes

NEW YORK -- After missing two-and-a-half months, Phil Hughes is on the verge of returning to the New York Yankees rotation -- and Ivan Nova is the odd man out.

The Yankees optioned Nova to Triple-A Scranton before Sunday afternoon's game against the New York Mets. Nova, 24, is 8-4 with a 4.12 ERA. The Yankees will keep him stretched out as a starter at Triple-A, thinking that if one of their remaining starters is hurt or ineffective, Nova will get the call.

Nova always seemed like the most likely candidate to lose his spot in the rotation. CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett are the team's top two starters, while Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia have excelled after joining the team on minor league contracts. The Yankees are hoping that Hughes can regain the form that made him an All-Star last year. He is 0-1 with a 13.94 ERA in three starts.

Hughes' first start back from the disabled list will likely be on Wednesday night in Cleveland against the Indians. Nova had been the Yankees' probable starter for that game.

On Wednesday afternoon, Hughes threw 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball during an 88-pitch rehab outing for Double-A Trenton, so he will have to wait two extra days instead of being on regular rest. The 25-year-old has been on the disabled list since April 15 with right arm inflammation.

Nova is 8-4 with a 4.12 ERA in 17 games, 16 starts. The rookie right-hander has won four straight decisions, including a 5-1 victory over the Mets on Friday night.

In other news, streaking shortstop Eduardo Nunez was held out of the lineup because of tightness in his right hamstring. Nunez, filling in for injured Derek Jeter, was 7 for 8 with a homer and three doubles in the first two games of the Subway Series at Citi Field.

Ramiro Pena was set to start at shortstop. Nunez said it was nothing serious and he was available to play. Girardi said there were no tests planned.

Jeter went 1 for 2 with a walk in his first rehab game Saturday night with Double-A Trenton and was scheduled to play there again Sunday night, weather permitting. He is expected to rejoin the Yankees on Monday in Cleveland.

Elected by fans to start at shortstop for the American League in the All-Star game July 12, the 37-year-old Jeter has been on the disabled list since June 14 with a strained right calf. He is six hits shy of 3,000.

Tight hamstring holds Nunez out of lineup

NEW YORK -- New York Yankees shortstop Eduardo Nunez told manager Joe Girardi he could play Sunday despite having a tight right hamstring. But Nunez couldn't convince Girardi to keep his hot bat in the lineup.

Nunez, who suffered the injury after hitting his second double on Saturday afternoon, missed Sunday afternoon's game against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Ramiro Pena started in his place.

Nunez said his hamstring felt tight after Saturday's game, but feels a lot better Sunday.

"I don't know why I'm not playing (Sunday)," Nunez said. "I feel good. It's not bothering me. It's nothing serious. I want to play (Sunday)."

Nunez said he'll receive treatment on the hamstring on Sunday, but no tests are scheduled at this point.

"To go back out there in wet conditions, we're gonna give him the day off," Girardi said.

Nunez had spent the majority of the season as the Yankees' super-utility player before getting an opportunity to play every day after Derek Jeter strained his right calf on June 13.

Nova, who was scheduled to start on Wednesday in Cleveland, was 8-4 with a 4.12 ERA this season. He won Friday's series opener against the Mets, giving up one run on seven hits over five innings.

Hughes will likely return to the rotation and start on Wednesday after having made three Minor League rehab starts, the most recent of which came on Tuesday at Double-A Trenton. He threw 88 pitches and struck out eight over 6 1/3 innings in that start.

The 25-year-old Hughes has not pitched for the Yankees since April 14, and he went on the disabled list April 19 with right shoulder inflammation.

Hughes went 18-8 with a 4.19 ERA last season, making the All-Star Game.

José Reyes

José Bernabé Reyes, born June 11, 1983 is a Dominican baseball player who plays shortstop for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. He led the major leagues in triples in 2005, 2006 and 2008, and led the National League in stolen bases in 2005, 2006 and 2007. He is also the Mets all-time leader in runs scored, triples, and stolen bases.

Professional career

Reyes was spotted by New York Mets scouts during a tryout camp in Santiago in the summer of 1999. After initial concerns over Reyes' slight frame, the Mets offered him a contract, which he signed on August 16, 1999. Despite traditionally sending youngsters to play in their Dominican academy, the Mets made an exception with Reyes and sent him to the Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League for the 2000 season. He finished the season with a .250 batting average through 49 games.

For the 2001 season, Reyes was assigned to the Class-A Columbia Bombers. He excelled both in the field and at the plate, hitting .307 with 42 extra-base hits and winning the Player of the Year award.

After spending some time in the big-league spring training camp, Reyes began the 2002 season with the St. Lucie Mets in the Class A-Advanced Florida State League. In the first 3 months of the season, he demonstrated that he could handle the step up, and was promoted to Double-A Binghamton. In his first game, Reyes had 5 hits and 4 RBIs, and completed the season with a .287 average, 27 steals and 26 extra-base hits through 65 games.

On December 15, 2002, the Mets traded first-choice shortstop Rey Ordóñez to Tampa Bay, apparently clearing the way for Reyes to become the everyday shortstop for the coming season. However, two weeks later the Mets signed veteran Rey Sánchez to a one-year deal, with the plan being to allow Reyes to mature in the minors while Sanchez kept the big-league spot warm for him. Reyes spent the first two months of the 2003 season at the Triple-A Norfolk Tides, where he batted .269 and stole 26 bases in just 42 games.

Injuries to Mike Piazza and Mo Vaughn had contributed to the Mets' poor performance in the National League East, and eventually convinced manager Art Howe to begin playing some of the team's younger talent. When Rey Sánchez strained his thumb on June 5, 2003, Reyes received his call-up to the majors, just a day before his 20th birthday.

2011

Controversy surrounded Reyes entering the 2011 season. At the end of the 2011 season, his contract with the Mets will expire. Reyes, a fan favorite, requests a large contract from the Mets for the 2012 season. The Mets, already several million dollars in debt, may trade Reyes.

June 3, 2011 was known as "Don't Trade Reyes" night. Several hundred fans showed up with "Don't Trade Reyes!" signs to the Mets' game against the Atlanta Braves.

On June 21, He announced that he will not have any contract negotiations during the regular season. He said he "Wants to focus on playing baseball"

On June 28, in his 1000th career game, Reyes stole his 360th base. This put him in the top 100 all-time in MLB stolen bases.

Reyes currently has a .363 batting average ( 1st in the NL), 123 hits ( 1st in the MLB), 3 HRs, 32 RBI , 15 triples ( 1st in the MLB), and 30 stolen bases ( 2nd in MLB).

International career

2006 World Baseball Classic

Reyes represented the Dominican Republic in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. The team finished top of their group in both the first and second rounds, but fell to Cuba in the semi-finals. Reyes' playing time was limited due to the presence of Miguel Tejada in the shortstop spot. In 6 at-bats, Reyes collected 1 hit and 1 run, as well as 2 stolen bases.

2009 World Baseball Classic

Reyes was again called up to the Dominican Republic team for the 2009 competition. He had a disappointing tournament as the Dominican Republic were eliminated after only three games, suffering two defeats against the underdog Netherlands team. Reyes finished the tournament with just 1 hit and 2 runs from 9 at-bats.

Personal life

Reyes currently lives in Manhasset, New York with his wife, Katherine. They have three daughters. Reyes was a close friend to former right-handed pitcher Jose Lima. When Lima died May 23, 2010 Reyes said, "He's the funniest guy you could ever meet, he always smiled, he was always happy. It was good to know him. It's a real tough day...I've known him a long time. People in the Dominican Republic love the guy a lot, so it's a very tough day not only for the Dominican people, but for everyone because of the guy that he was.

Media appearances

On December 7, 2007 Reyes was announced as the cover athlete for Major League Baseball 2K8 from 2K Sports, taking over from New York Yankees counterpart Derek Jeter. Reyes was also the cover athlete for the Nintendo DS spinoff, Major League Baseball 2K8 All-Stars, albeit in cartoon form.

Reyes out of lineup, Mets waiting for MRI results

NEW YORK — Jose Reyes was out of the New York Mets' lineup Sunday and the team anxiously awaited test results on his injured leg.

The star shortstop left Saturday's game against the Yankees after two innings with tightness in his left hamstring. He went for an MRI on Sunday morning before arriving at Citi Field.

With the Mets trying to avoid a Subway Series sweep, Ruben Tejada started at shortstop. Switch-hitting center fielder Angel Pagan replaced Reyes in the leadoff spot.

"Until I know he's clean, he's not playing," manager Terry Collins said.

Reyes, who has a history of leg injuries, was elected by fans to start for the National League in the All-Star game July 12. Whether he'll be healthy enough to play remains to be seen.

Losing him for an extended stretch would be a huge blow to the Mets, already missing third baseman David Wright and first baseman Ike Davis because of injuries.

"It'll be a challenge but I think we're going to be up for it," Collins said. "We've dealt with some adversity so far this season. We're resilient. We'll bounce back. And then when we find out what the situation is going to be with him today, we'll make sure that our guys are ready to play."

Collins said he would speak to his team about forging ahead without Reyes, even if it's just for a short time.

"This guy's such a big part of the puzzle that you've got to say something," the manager said.

In the meantime, Collins expects New York's veterans to step up and show leadership. And he wants his players to stay within themselves.

"You can't change what you've been doing. You cannot get out of your plan," Collins said.

Reyes changed at his locker Sunday and appeared to be walking comfortably as he strolled through the clubhouse.

A day before, he felt tightness in his hamstring while running out an infield single in the first inning. He was removed in the top of the third, replaced by Tejada at shortstop.

Leg injuries limited Reyes to 53 games in 2004 and 36 games in 2009, but he said Saturday this is the first problem he's had with his left hamstring.

New York's lessons for Maryland on gay marriage

Opponents of gay marriage say their base has been energized by New York's decision to legalize the institution.

New York will begin issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples on July 25 after four Republican senators joined all but one Democrat, Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. of the Bronx, last month in voting in favor of a gay marriage bill heavily lobbied for by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Initial reaction to Cuomo's announcement that he would back a plan to make the Empire State the sixth – and most populous – state to legalize gay marriage ranged from amusement to cautious optimism. After all, a Democrat-led Senate had fallen 8 votes shy of approving a similar measure just 19 months earlier. Now Republicans were in control, and the GOP caucus appeared united in its opposition. Moreover, lawmakers in Rhode Island and Maryland had reversed course on marriage equality after loud protests from opponents.

Sense of momentum doesn't necessarily translate into votes in Annapolis. A massive lobbying effort got a same-sex marriage bill through the state Senate this year, but the measure encountered unexpected difficulties in the House of Delegates, and the fact that lawmakers embraced the issue in a state capitol 300 miles away doesn't change that. Still, the path to success in New York does offer several lessons for Marylanders as they prepare to push for gay marriage again next year.

Gov. Martin O'Malley is getting a lot of taunting these days about how Governor Cuomo has suddenly vaulted to the top of the list of Democratic presidential contenders in 2016. Mr. Cuomo took ownership of the gay marriage bill and personally rounded up the votes to make it happen. In the wake of New York's vote, the Maryland governor sounded a little defensive about his stance on the issue, pointing out that he worked behind the scenes in the waning days of the effort to round up votes in the House of Delegates and saying he thought a more public effort "would have kicked it into the gutter of partisan division.

Biker Protesting Helmet Law Dies

Biker in upstate New York who was participating in a ride to protest helmet laws died after he crashed his motorcycle and hit his head, authorities said.

Philip A. Contos, 55, was killed on Saturday afternoon during a ride in Onondaga when his 1983 Harley skidded out of control and he flipped over the handlebars, the Post-Standard reported.

Contos was riding in a "helmet protest run" with a group organized by American Bikers Aimed Towards Education, authorities said.

On its website, the group says it promotes motorcycle safety, awareness and education and organizes motorcycle rides.

State Troopers told the Syracuse Post-Standard that Contos was driving a 1983 Harley Davidson when his bike fishtailed and he flipped over the handlebars, striking his head on the pavement. He was later pronounced dead at Upstate University Hospital. Police say that had he been wearing a helmet, Contos would probably have survived the accident.

The ride was organized in part by ABATE (American Bikers Aimed for Education), according to a local ABC affiliate reporting on the accident. A spokesperson for the group said they didn't know if Contos was a member.

Many motorcycling enthusiasts have fought against helmet laws, saying they infringe on personal rights and that studies on helmet laws impacting safety have been skewed. Michigan is currently considering a repeal of its helmet law, which has passed the senate but still needs to move through the legislature and be signed by Governor Rick Snyder.

Novak Djokovic v Rafael Nadal analysis

WIMBLEDON - Who said the rankings in tennis don’t make any sense? Tomorrow Novak Djokovic becomes No. 1 in the world for the first time. Today he won Wimbledon, also for the first time, by registering his first victory over world No. 2 Rafael Nadal at a Grand Slam. For once, it all makes perfect sense in tennis.

Two days ago, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was asked to describe Djokovic’s game in their semifinal. The Frenchman, with awe in his quiet voice, said, simply, that the Serb had been "everywhere." If anything, Djokovic was in even more places today.

This reminded me of how Rafael Nadal came along and dominated Roger Federer all of a sudden. Now Nadal is being dominated by Novak Djokovic and he has his number.

It's a changing of the guard in Grand Slam finals.

Rafa hit more unforced errors today than in any other match I have seen him in for a long time. That's because Djokovic pushed him to limits he hadn't been to before.

He certainly had a game plan to serve out wide to target Nadal's backhand. Once the rallies started he took control from the baseline. He had the upper hand the longer that rallies went on and that must have played on Nadal's mind as he wasn't happy from the baseline.

Nadal had to really concentrate on his first serve points and Novak forced him to go for broke early in rallies. It made him feel uncomfortable and that is why he hit a lot of unforced errors because that his not his style.

He thoroughly deserves this, he is number one in the world and he has had the most incredible year so far and I think it will continue.

The fact that Novak has beaten Rafa four times in big finals this year was so significant. Even though he had lost five times in Majors to Nadal, I always thought he was going to beat him at some point and today was the day.

It must be a bit worrying for Nadal. He and Federer have dominated for so long, but now Djokovic has the number one ranking and is the current holder of two Grand Slam titles. I think he is clearly the best player in the world right now.

It is Novak's athletic ability which is his most impressive asset. Nadal is so athletic and he can normally dominate guys from the baseline, but in those first two sets the long rallies were all Djokovic and that is an amazing accomplishment from him.