Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 1/17/15

ESPN New York | Wallace Matthews: Because both Jeff Pentland and Alan Cockrell have similar philosophies on hitting, Brian Cashman thought it only logical to go with two hitting coaches. To boot, an insider said that Pentland's communication skills are so top-notch that, for example, Barry Bonds would only listen to him.

New York Post | Dan Martin: Jeff Pentland, the new Yankees' hitting coach, raved about the athleticism and potential of Didi Gregorius. Even though he is young and requires a bit more patience, Pentland believes he has enough upside to settle into a very competent hitter.

NBC Sports | Craig Calcaterra: Trying to read into vague comments from the Yankees' front office and ownership is much like covering the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Because the team has no intentions on making public its plans regarding Max Scherzer, reporters are forced to interpret "It's not over till it's over" as a meaningful statement of intent.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: One of Jeff Pentland's plans for the offense is to make adjustments for shifts. If the players are open-minded and willing to make adjustments, he believes that he can coax the team, especially pull-hitters like Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann, into hitting more balls up-the-middle and to the opposite field.

NorthJersey.com | Pete Caldera: As someone who has a great respect for his career, Jeff Pentland has stated that he is enthusiastic about getting the chance to work with Alex Rodriguez.