I've moved this blog to MLB's blog service . . . apparently someone over there doesn't care if he gets fired and changed MLB's blogs from pay to free.
So you can find my wonderfulness over at http://swinghard.mlblogs.com/
See you there.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Unprecedented
Unusual Circumstances.
I know I never write two posts in one day. Two posts in one week is productive, for Me. But I'm forced to undertake this unprecedented action by the latest terrible, putrid, unnecessary loss.
Ian Kennedy gave up three runs in five innings . . . 105 pitches. One horrible inning, the second. After that he settled nicely but unfortunately the pitch count was already way out of hand and it was obvious that Kennedy wasn't going deep in the ballgame.
Meanwhile, we're doing nothing against Future Hall of Famer Jeremy Sauers. I think we were something like 0-37 with RISP vs Sauers.
Hawkins stumbles through the sixth . . . the inning ending on a rocket line drive that's gloved by Gonzalez who manages to dive and double the runner off of third.
Top 6 we somehow load the bases. Cano pinch hits and is punched out on a pitch that's way low. He's followed by Posada pinch-hitting who, miraculously, hits a bases-clearing triple (aided by poor judgement by Dave Dellucci -- should've been a two-run single).
But it's a tie game all of a sudden . . . I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth. Hawkins (he hasn't pitched enough lately?) gets out of the seventh.
Meanwhile, Chris Britton has been up and down at least twice.
Farnsworth gets through the eighth, bad elbow and all.
Top 9. With one out, Damon singles, and Melky, despite being dumped on by the Fox team the whole game through, somehow singles.
First and third. Jeter up.
He hits it hard, but it hits the mound and comes up for the second baseman. Double play.
Tied at 3, bottom nine.
Fox comes back from commercial and . . . Ross Ohlendorf is pitching.
Ohlendorf? Ross "Hit Me Hard" Ohlendorf? The Ross Ohlendorf who's been pitching way too much and way too ineffectively of late?
Mercifully, it doesn't take too long. With one out . . . single, single, wild pitch, intentional walk, single. Game over.
I can only assume that MJ2 is doing with Ohlendorf what Willie Randolph is doing with Heilman -- the worse he pitches, the more work he gets.
We bring guys up to shore up the bullpen and then . . . use the same freaking guys who are allegedly are so over-taxed? Huh? MJ2 again shows a chilling similarity to MJ1 in this regard. Carry twelve pitchers and then only use eight or nine.
And, as iris pointed out . . . why on earth do you field that goofy lineup when your starer has an ERA of 9.64? The lefties he sat can all hit lefties.
But it's the offense, stupid. Even with the C team playing today, there were abundant chances. A lousy fly ball by Jeter in the top of the ninth and it's Mariano pitching bottom 9 instead of Ohlendorf and things most likely end differently. And a lot of blown chances before that . . . a couple were bad luck, most were just horrible.
I won't even begin to rag on Tim and Joe, whose anti-Yankee undertones are increasingly moving up to the surface, especially in Tim's case. I don't have the energy to dissect the telecast to the degree it warrants.
12-13. Can someone ask Hank if Girardi is in (more) trouble?
I know I never write two posts in one day. Two posts in one week is productive, for Me. But I'm forced to undertake this unprecedented action by the latest terrible, putrid, unnecessary loss.
Ian Kennedy gave up three runs in five innings . . . 105 pitches. One horrible inning, the second. After that he settled nicely but unfortunately the pitch count was already way out of hand and it was obvious that Kennedy wasn't going deep in the ballgame.
Meanwhile, we're doing nothing against Future Hall of Famer Jeremy Sauers. I think we were something like 0-37 with RISP vs Sauers.
Hawkins stumbles through the sixth . . . the inning ending on a rocket line drive that's gloved by Gonzalez who manages to dive and double the runner off of third.
Top 6 we somehow load the bases. Cano pinch hits and is punched out on a pitch that's way low. He's followed by Posada pinch-hitting who, miraculously, hits a bases-clearing triple (aided by poor judgement by Dave Dellucci -- should've been a two-run single).
But it's a tie game all of a sudden . . . I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth. Hawkins (he hasn't pitched enough lately?) gets out of the seventh.
Meanwhile, Chris Britton has been up and down at least twice.
Farnsworth gets through the eighth, bad elbow and all.
Top 9. With one out, Damon singles, and Melky, despite being dumped on by the Fox team the whole game through, somehow singles.
First and third. Jeter up.
He hits it hard, but it hits the mound and comes up for the second baseman. Double play.
Tied at 3, bottom nine.
Fox comes back from commercial and . . . Ross Ohlendorf is pitching.
Ohlendorf? Ross "Hit Me Hard" Ohlendorf? The Ross Ohlendorf who's been pitching way too much and way too ineffectively of late?
Mercifully, it doesn't take too long. With one out . . . single, single, wild pitch, intentional walk, single. Game over.
I can only assume that MJ2 is doing with Ohlendorf what Willie Randolph is doing with Heilman -- the worse he pitches, the more work he gets.
We bring guys up to shore up the bullpen and then . . . use the same freaking guys who are allegedly are so over-taxed? Huh? MJ2 again shows a chilling similarity to MJ1 in this regard. Carry twelve pitchers and then only use eight or nine.
And, as iris pointed out . . . why on earth do you field that goofy lineup when your starer has an ERA of 9.64? The lefties he sat can all hit lefties.
But it's the offense, stupid. Even with the C team playing today, there were abundant chances. A lousy fly ball by Jeter in the top of the ninth and it's Mariano pitching bottom 9 instead of Ohlendorf and things most likely end differently. And a lot of blown chances before that . . . a couple were bad luck, most were just horrible.
I won't even begin to rag on Tim and Joe, whose anti-Yankee undertones are increasingly moving up to the surface, especially in Tim's case. I don't have the energy to dissect the telecast to the degree it warrants.
12-13. Can someone ask Hank if Girardi is in (more) trouble?
Treading Water Is Tiring
One, Two, . . . Stop.
Thursday night the Yankees did something that they've done repeatedly over the past two years: Win the first two (or even three, a couple of times) games of a series and then lay an egg when they had the chance to sweep.
A lot had to go wrong for the Yankees to lose Thursday's finale in Chicago, I understand, but a lot that went wrong could've been prevented.
Joba giving up two hits in his second inning of work didn't bother Me too much --things like the are going to happen over the course of 55-65 appearances.
What bothered Me was . . . mostly, the complete brain fart by Morgan Automatic-Outberg in the fourth inning. The White Sox had gotten about four straight hits . . . there was a man on third with one out. Game now tied at 3. The ball is grounded to Ensberg, who throws home and of course, doesn't get the runner.
In the fourth inning, when the pitcher hasn't recorded an out in fifteen minutes, with the game tied, you have to realize that getting an out is the only important thing at that moment. You can't throw home unless you are 100% sure of getting the guy . . . stopping the bleeding is what matters at that point. Another run scores that inning wouldn't have scored had Ensberg recorded the out at first on that play.
A lot else went wrong. The weather, for one. Hughes had looked halfway decent through two innings before the rains came. When the game resumed, fifty minutes later, Hughes did not come back out . . . Ohlendorf did. I can't bitch too much, but fifty minutes I've always been led to believe was manageable in these things . . . it's not like it was a two-hour delay.
Ohlendorf went wrong -- can this guy ever give up a softly-hit ball? Does everything off him have to be a rocket?
Traber went wrong, facing one batter and walking him. MJ2 is apparently already completely addicted to this lefty-lefty BS. Lord help us.
We battled back (Automatic Outberg even getting a huge hit) but Joba's number was up.
It's hard to sweep series . . . at least it is for the Yankees these days.
Are We Missing Something?
When it started raining in Chicago Thursday night, iris pointed out to Me that MJ2 should've sent Andy Pettitte to Cleveland ahead of the team, since he was pitching Friday night and with rain in the forecast, the team might end up getting in very late.
Isn't MJ2 supposed to be the Man-Genius of managing? The guy who thinks of every possible angle to give his team the best chance to win?
How tough was it to know that Andy needed to head to Cleveland ahead of time? Presumably Pettitte wasn't going to make a surprise relief appearance Thursday night.
Shopping at the (Three Hundred and Ninety Thousand) Dollar Store.
Frank Thomas' unemployment didn't persist for long . . . The Big Always Hurt signed with Oakland, the scene of his impressive 2006 late run at an MVP. Barry Bonds claimed that the A's were being racist in signing Thomas over him until he realized that Thomas is in fact black also.
Thomas will be paid the minimum, pro-rated. They may have made a great deal . . . on the other hand, the cars in the junkyard are really cheap for a reason.
Well, There Goes Scranton's Shot At A Title
Pitching injuries, ineffectiveness, and overuse necessitated roster moves prior to last night's game in Cleveland.
Chad Meoller was DFA'ed. Bruney was put on the DL, and word is he might be back for September. Albaladejo and (ta da! finally!) Chris Britton were brought up.
In addition to Bruney being hurt, Farnsworth tweaked his elbow a bit . . . so he's day to day, it seems.
Needed: Some length from the starters. Badly. And some more consistent offense, so that MJ2 can manage with a little margin for error in handling starters.
He Can't Throw, But It's All Good. Honestly.
If Posada can't throw . . . and all indications are that he still can't, he needs to go on the DL. We can't have would-be base stealers simply taking every base they want on us.
As for Posada or DH or 1B: It takes time away from Matsui, Damon, Melky, or Giambi, and Posada's bat, while sometimes useful, isn't so good that you warp the whole lineup to wedge it in there.
It is not really that difficult: Catcher can't throw? Put him on the DL.
Thursday night the Yankees did something that they've done repeatedly over the past two years: Win the first two (or even three, a couple of times) games of a series and then lay an egg when they had the chance to sweep.
A lot had to go wrong for the Yankees to lose Thursday's finale in Chicago, I understand, but a lot that went wrong could've been prevented.
Joba giving up two hits in his second inning of work didn't bother Me too much --things like the are going to happen over the course of 55-65 appearances.
What bothered Me was . . . mostly, the complete brain fart by Morgan Automatic-Outberg in the fourth inning. The White Sox had gotten about four straight hits . . . there was a man on third with one out. Game now tied at 3. The ball is grounded to Ensberg, who throws home and of course, doesn't get the runner.
In the fourth inning, when the pitcher hasn't recorded an out in fifteen minutes, with the game tied, you have to realize that getting an out is the only important thing at that moment. You can't throw home unless you are 100% sure of getting the guy . . . stopping the bleeding is what matters at that point. Another run scores that inning wouldn't have scored had Ensberg recorded the out at first on that play.
A lot else went wrong. The weather, for one. Hughes had looked halfway decent through two innings before the rains came. When the game resumed, fifty minutes later, Hughes did not come back out . . . Ohlendorf did. I can't bitch too much, but fifty minutes I've always been led to believe was manageable in these things . . . it's not like it was a two-hour delay.
Ohlendorf went wrong -- can this guy ever give up a softly-hit ball? Does everything off him have to be a rocket?
Traber went wrong, facing one batter and walking him. MJ2 is apparently already completely addicted to this lefty-lefty BS. Lord help us.
We battled back (Automatic Outberg even getting a huge hit) but Joba's number was up.
It's hard to sweep series . . . at least it is for the Yankees these days.
Are We Missing Something?
When it started raining in Chicago Thursday night, iris pointed out to Me that MJ2 should've sent Andy Pettitte to Cleveland ahead of the team, since he was pitching Friday night and with rain in the forecast, the team might end up getting in very late.
Isn't MJ2 supposed to be the Man-Genius of managing? The guy who thinks of every possible angle to give his team the best chance to win?
How tough was it to know that Andy needed to head to Cleveland ahead of time? Presumably Pettitte wasn't going to make a surprise relief appearance Thursday night.
Shopping at the (Three Hundred and Ninety Thousand) Dollar Store.
Frank Thomas' unemployment didn't persist for long . . . The Big Always Hurt signed with Oakland, the scene of his impressive 2006 late run at an MVP. Barry Bonds claimed that the A's were being racist in signing Thomas over him until he realized that Thomas is in fact black also.
Thomas will be paid the minimum, pro-rated. They may have made a great deal . . . on the other hand, the cars in the junkyard are really cheap for a reason.
Well, There Goes Scranton's Shot At A Title
Pitching injuries, ineffectiveness, and overuse necessitated roster moves prior to last night's game in Cleveland.
Chad Meoller was DFA'ed. Bruney was put on the DL, and word is he might be back for September. Albaladejo and (ta da! finally!) Chris Britton were brought up.
In addition to Bruney being hurt, Farnsworth tweaked his elbow a bit . . . so he's day to day, it seems.
Needed: Some length from the starters. Badly. And some more consistent offense, so that MJ2 can manage with a little margin for error in handling starters.
He Can't Throw, But It's All Good. Honestly.
If Posada can't throw . . . and all indications are that he still can't, he needs to go on the DL. We can't have would-be base stealers simply taking every base they want on us.
As for Posada or DH or 1B: It takes time away from Matsui, Damon, Melky, or Giambi, and Posada's bat, while sometimes useful, isn't so good that you warp the whole lineup to wedge it in there.
It is not really that difficult: Catcher can't throw? Put him on the DL.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Hank Goes Bonkers; Thomas Just Goes
That 70s Show.
It only took Hank Steinbrenner 20 games to go back 30 years and channel some vintage George, circa 1977.
Hank's tirade is about how Joba should be in the rotation and should be in the rotation now.
Obviously a 10-10 start, Hughes and Kennedy not pitching so well as of yet, and Boston shaking off the non-existent malaise from the Japan trip and winning a lot of games lately has got TCS (The Current Steinbrenner) all jacked up.
The Current Steinbrenner: "I want him as a starter and so does everyone else, including him, and that is what we are working toward and we need him there now"
Swing Hard: Everyone does, Hank? Girardi and Cashman don't, clearly. As for "now," if you make Joba a starter it doesn't happen "now," it happens a good six weeks from now after Joba's had a chance to go down to the minors and build up to pitching starter's innings.
TCS: "There is no question about it, you don't have a guy with a 100-mile-per-hour fastball and keep him as a setup guy. You just don't do that. You have to be an idiot to do that."
SH: Umm, Hank? Were you watching any baseball in 1996, when the Yankees had Mariano Rivera setting up for John Wetteland and won the World Series?
Apparently TCS just has to let off steam in public every so often. He endorsed this plan; it was TCS himself, after all, who mentioned the word "patience" in conjunction with the 2008 season.
Additionally, if you put Joba in the rotation, who exactly leaves the rotation? I don't fancy Mike Mussina as the long man out of the pen, nor do I want Ian Kennedy forced into that role.
Hughes and Kennedy will be fine. It's been four starts. Joba needs to stay in the pen. Mike Francesa put it best, a couple months ago:
"Good eighth-inning guys are like gold. . . . everyone wants one and almost no one has one."
Thomas Fails Carnegie Course, Loses Toronto Gig.
The Blue Jays released Frank "The Big (Always) Hurt" Thomas. The DH, tearing it up at a .167 clip, was unhappy to learn he was going to be relieved of his everyday DH role, thus making it unlikely that he would reach the number of plate appearances to cause his 2009 option to automatically vest. The Blue Jays decided that three weeks was too much and parted ways with Thomas.
It's all right to be a pain in the ass when you're hitting. A team will always tolerate a jerk as long as he's producing. Thomas has never been one to win friends and influence people, but he never had to, his bat doing the talking.
The knee-jerk reaction is to say that Thomas will get another shot somewhere, and he well might. But on the unemployed DH list there's also Barry Bonds and Mike Piazza. Most of the likely AL contenders look pretty well set at DH. Injuries always happen of course, but it's not automatic that Thomas plays in MLB again in 2008.
It only took Hank Steinbrenner 20 games to go back 30 years and channel some vintage George, circa 1977.
Hank's tirade is about how Joba should be in the rotation and should be in the rotation now.
Obviously a 10-10 start, Hughes and Kennedy not pitching so well as of yet, and Boston shaking off the non-existent malaise from the Japan trip and winning a lot of games lately has got TCS (The Current Steinbrenner) all jacked up.
The Current Steinbrenner: "I want him as a starter and so does everyone else, including him, and that is what we are working toward and we need him there now"
Swing Hard: Everyone does, Hank? Girardi and Cashman don't, clearly. As for "now," if you make Joba a starter it doesn't happen "now," it happens a good six weeks from now after Joba's had a chance to go down to the minors and build up to pitching starter's innings.
TCS: "There is no question about it, you don't have a guy with a 100-mile-per-hour fastball and keep him as a setup guy. You just don't do that. You have to be an idiot to do that."
SH: Umm, Hank? Were you watching any baseball in 1996, when the Yankees had Mariano Rivera setting up for John Wetteland and won the World Series?
Apparently TCS just has to let off steam in public every so often. He endorsed this plan; it was TCS himself, after all, who mentioned the word "patience" in conjunction with the 2008 season.
Additionally, if you put Joba in the rotation, who exactly leaves the rotation? I don't fancy Mike Mussina as the long man out of the pen, nor do I want Ian Kennedy forced into that role.
Hughes and Kennedy will be fine. It's been four starts. Joba needs to stay in the pen. Mike Francesa put it best, a couple months ago:
"Good eighth-inning guys are like gold. . . . everyone wants one and almost no one has one."
Thomas Fails Carnegie Course, Loses Toronto Gig.
The Blue Jays released Frank "The Big (Always) Hurt" Thomas. The DH, tearing it up at a .167 clip, was unhappy to learn he was going to be relieved of his everyday DH role, thus making it unlikely that he would reach the number of plate appearances to cause his 2009 option to automatically vest. The Blue Jays decided that three weeks was too much and parted ways with Thomas.
It's all right to be a pain in the ass when you're hitting. A team will always tolerate a jerk as long as he's producing. Thomas has never been one to win friends and influence people, but he never had to, his bat doing the talking.
The knee-jerk reaction is to say that Thomas will get another shot somewhere, and he well might. But on the unemployed DH list there's also Barry Bonds and Mike Piazza. Most of the likely AL contenders look pretty well set at DH. Injuries always happen of course, but it's not automatic that Thomas plays in MLB again in 2008.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
Now Pitching for New York, Number 22, Scott Proc-- No, sorry, wait . . .
It used to be that the worst job in baseball was being Joe Torre's favorite reliever. It appears that MJ2 has inherited the disquieting habit of having a favorite guy out there and for now it's LaTroi (Poor Bastard) Hawkins' turn in the barrel.
How else to explain MJ2's use of him last night? They sent down Albaladejo (now christened "INeedADayJob" in Lenora-World) and brought up Ramirez. For what, exactly -- to pitch in a game that's out of reach? Ramirez hadn't pitched in three days . . . obviously he was capable of giving the necessary length.
Oh well, that other reliever in Scranton with a 0.00 ERA, Chris Britton, can't get a whiff of the big club. I have to think that Ohlendorf's next bad outing earns him an "Explore Pennsylvania" gift certificate, and if Britton isn't the one promoted then there really is some organizational bias against the guy.
Is It As Complicated As Hughes Is Making It?
Watching Phil (The Answer) Hughes struggle early on and thinking that this is one of those times when a baseball cliche actually gets to the heart of the matter.
Trust your stuff.
It seems every young pitcher has to learn this lesson. But The Answer has made enough starts that he should realize that not every mistake gets hit hard, and some mistakes get hit hard right at people. This incessant, Mussina-like nibbling at corners and ending up with 70 pitches in the fourth inning won't cut it.
You can be the right-handed Al Leiter when you're 38, Phil. You're 21, with very good stuff. Pitch like it and see what happens. The Yankees are constantly getting beaten by 88 mph guys who just throw strikes. Hello?
Brother, Can You Spare A Catcher?
Is Posada or Molina coming back any time soon? Chad Moeller is already starting to get exposed and at some point even he is going to need a day off.
Any word? Encouraging long toss session by Posada? Molina seen stretching? Anything?
It used to be that the worst job in baseball was being Joe Torre's favorite reliever. It appears that MJ2 has inherited the disquieting habit of having a favorite guy out there and for now it's LaTroi (Poor Bastard) Hawkins' turn in the barrel.
How else to explain MJ2's use of him last night? They sent down Albaladejo (now christened "INeedADayJob" in Lenora-World) and brought up Ramirez. For what, exactly -- to pitch in a game that's out of reach? Ramirez hadn't pitched in three days . . . obviously he was capable of giving the necessary length.
Oh well, that other reliever in Scranton with a 0.00 ERA, Chris Britton, can't get a whiff of the big club. I have to think that Ohlendorf's next bad outing earns him an "Explore Pennsylvania" gift certificate, and if Britton isn't the one promoted then there really is some organizational bias against the guy.
Is It As Complicated As Hughes Is Making It?
Watching Phil (The Answer) Hughes struggle early on and thinking that this is one of those times when a baseball cliche actually gets to the heart of the matter.
Trust your stuff.
It seems every young pitcher has to learn this lesson. But The Answer has made enough starts that he should realize that not every mistake gets hit hard, and some mistakes get hit hard right at people. This incessant, Mussina-like nibbling at corners and ending up with 70 pitches in the fourth inning won't cut it.
You can be the right-handed Al Leiter when you're 38, Phil. You're 21, with very good stuff. Pitch like it and see what happens. The Yankees are constantly getting beaten by 88 mph guys who just throw strikes. Hello?
Brother, Can You Spare A Catcher?
Is Posada or Molina coming back any time soon? Chad Moeller is already starting to get exposed and at some point even he is going to need a day off.
Any word? Encouraging long toss session by Posada? Molina seen stretching? Anything?
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Blast From The (Recent) Past.
MJ2 Pulls One Out Of The MJ1 Playbook.
Tough loss in Boston yesterday, made tough to swallow by Girardi absolutely blowing it in a key situation (and earning the first "Clueless Joe" citation of his career from the Daily News).
With men on second and third and two outs, bottom 6, Girardi elects to pitch to Manny instead of walking him and pitching to Youklis.
I don't know if Mussina talked MJ2 into letting him pitch to Manny, or what. If he did then Girardi's a bigger idiot -- Manny had already homered off of Mussina.
And I understand that Youklis is a decent hitter with a good eye for the strike zone, but why the Babe Ruth treatment? You absolutely can't pitch to Manny there. What, he hasn't burned the Yankees enough in big spots?
But Girardi decides to be "different" and I didn't even need to watch. Double. 2-1 Yankees becomes 3-2 Boston.
Then, Brain Bruney decides that 0-2 is a good time to give Youklis something to hit and it's 4-2 and despite a seemingly dramatic confrontation between A Rod and Papelbon (sapped of any real drama by a 2 hour and 10 minute rain delay), the game was basically over at that point.
And a poor at bat by A Rod it was . . . three pitches, two of which were balls (maybe one -- with these umps you never know but the third pitch was definitely a ball) both of which he swung at.
The hitters in the ninth battled Papelbon well and that was the only positive, making Papelbon throw 20-something pitches to get the save.
Girardi on his 6th-inning brain fart:
"We wanted to give him a little wiggle room if he could get Manny to chase something," Girardi said. "If we got behind Manny, then we would walk him. But we never got to that point. That was the decision I made, and I have to live by it."
Please, that's just crap. Pitchers are not geared to unintentionally walking someone. Mussina, if he's left to pitch to a guy, is going to throw strikes. Throwing too good a strike is entirely possible. That's why the manager has to step up and make the decision, not leave the pitcher to decide and then jsutify if with a cop out of "if he'd fallen behind then we'd walk Manny." If he'd walked Manny and Youklis killed us, I wouldn't have a word to say about it.
Manny Ramirez. Kevin Youklis.
Predator. Shrek.
One of the most feared and productive right-handed hitters in modern baseball. A career .280 hitter who gets way too much respect from pitchers.
I didn't think it took a genius manager to make the right choice on which of those two to pitch to.
Oh well.
It's still early. Isn't it?
OK, He Could Catch The Next Simulated Game That Pedro Throws!
Jorge Posada played long-toss the other day. Still no word on when he gets back behind the plate, but in the meantime he's doing a fine job cutting into the playing time of Damon and Shemp by DHing.
I'm thinking an extended minor league rehab assignment is in order.
Tough loss in Boston yesterday, made tough to swallow by Girardi absolutely blowing it in a key situation (and earning the first "Clueless Joe" citation of his career from the Daily News).
With men on second and third and two outs, bottom 6, Girardi elects to pitch to Manny instead of walking him and pitching to Youklis.
I don't know if Mussina talked MJ2 into letting him pitch to Manny, or what. If he did then Girardi's a bigger idiot -- Manny had already homered off of Mussina.
And I understand that Youklis is a decent hitter with a good eye for the strike zone, but why the Babe Ruth treatment? You absolutely can't pitch to Manny there. What, he hasn't burned the Yankees enough in big spots?
But Girardi decides to be "different" and I didn't even need to watch. Double. 2-1 Yankees becomes 3-2 Boston.
Then, Brain Bruney decides that 0-2 is a good time to give Youklis something to hit and it's 4-2 and despite a seemingly dramatic confrontation between A Rod and Papelbon (sapped of any real drama by a 2 hour and 10 minute rain delay), the game was basically over at that point.
And a poor at bat by A Rod it was . . . three pitches, two of which were balls (maybe one -- with these umps you never know but the third pitch was definitely a ball) both of which he swung at.
The hitters in the ninth battled Papelbon well and that was the only positive, making Papelbon throw 20-something pitches to get the save.
Girardi on his 6th-inning brain fart:
"We wanted to give him a little wiggle room if he could get Manny to chase something," Girardi said. "If we got behind Manny, then we would walk him. But we never got to that point. That was the decision I made, and I have to live by it."
Please, that's just crap. Pitchers are not geared to unintentionally walking someone. Mussina, if he's left to pitch to a guy, is going to throw strikes. Throwing too good a strike is entirely possible. That's why the manager has to step up and make the decision, not leave the pitcher to decide and then jsutify if with a cop out of "if he'd fallen behind then we'd walk Manny." If he'd walked Manny and Youklis killed us, I wouldn't have a word to say about it.
Manny Ramirez. Kevin Youklis.
Predator. Shrek.
One of the most feared and productive right-handed hitters in modern baseball. A career .280 hitter who gets way too much respect from pitchers.
I didn't think it took a genius manager to make the right choice on which of those two to pitch to.
Oh well.
It's still early. Isn't it?
OK, He Could Catch The Next Simulated Game That Pedro Throws!
Jorge Posada played long-toss the other day. Still no word on when he gets back behind the plate, but in the meantime he's doing a fine job cutting into the playing time of Damon and Shemp by DHing.
I'm thinking an extended minor league rehab assignment is in order.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
It Gets Late Early
Too Clever By Half
Last night Joe Girardi showed that in baseball, you can be too smart for your own good.
Last night in KC, Ian Kennedy was scheduled to start. The weather forecast called for heavy rain, and heavy rain sooner rather than later.
So, MJ Squared (that's Joe Girardi, aka Manager Joe II aka MJ2 aka MJ Squared . . . thank you, iris) decides that he won't "waste" Kennedy in a game likely to be stopped and not restarted. A side benefit of not losing Kennedy is that Kennedy could then pitch Thursday in KC and Pettitte could open in Boston on Friday.
But as with all diabolically smart plans, there was a flaw. Two, actually. No, wait . . . three.
Flaw 1: It might not ever rain hard enough for the game to be stopped.
Flaw 2: With the Yankees not scheduled to return to KC this season and the Thursday forecast ugly, the crew chief might do everything possible to get the game in.
Flaw 3: Getting nine innings out of a parade of relievers means a lot of different pitchers which means the odds of one or more pitchers having an off night are increased.
All three flaws came home to roost. Except for a little while in the second inning, the rain never got to call-the-game intensity. The ump could've stopped it then, but mindful of the logistics and the Thursday forecast, stuck it out. And Kyle Farnsworth lost Reliever Russian Roulette and gave up two runs, which, the way we're hitting . . . was two runs too many.
Then, the game now official (and officially over, pretty much) MJ Squared sticks Kennedy in there to start the sixth inning!
So let Me get this straight. We didn't want him to start, pitch three innings, then have to shut it down. So, um . . . pitching innings 6, 7, and 8 was somehow better? Kennedy, predictably, was not sharp and gave up two window-dressing runs.
And not that this matters, but, please, once, just once . . . can a manager just own up in the press conference and admit he outsmarted himself? Please? One time? I will freely admit that MJ1, Joe Torre, wouldn't have figured out the stop-Kennedy-start-Bruney strategy.
Score one for MJ1. But it's early.
Whew, It's Good To Get Molina's Bat In The Lineup!
Jorge Posada had an MRI on his shoulder yesterday. The results were negative. Negative meaning no structural damage. Not negative meaning "Posada can't throw for shit." Although right now both are equally true. Jorge is suffering from "dead arm," according to Gerardi, the first non-pitcher in the history of baseball to ever come down with that particular condition that I'm aware of. (The rumor that Bully Crystal stole three bases off Posada in an intrasquad game this spring can't be confirmed at this time.)
And here is a situation where MJ Squared is light-years ahead of MJ1. Torre would've let Posada make the play/don't play call himself until Posada's arm fell off. MJ Squared realized that base runners stealing at will was hurting the team and is playing Molina.
Which is a good thing, since Molina is pretty much our hottest hitter.
But it's early.
Twelve pitchers. Brilliant.
Again, it has to be asked. What is Hawkins doing on this team? What possessed Cashman to sign this guy? Albaladejo, who did nothing but get people out when he got the chance, gets sent down. Chris Britton apparently did the wife of someone in the front office . . . there's no other logical explanation for his continuing to languish in Scranton. But Hawkins remains.
And Farnsworth is perhaps the stupidest pitcher I've ever seen. I think it was Cone last night who said of Fonzie something along the lines of "he just has no idea how to pitch to certain guys in certain situations a lot of the time." Ya think?
Hawkins and Fonzie worry Me a lot.
But it's early.
Too Clever By Half, Part II: The Man-Genius Of Baseball.
It came out yesterday that Morgan Ensberg had an ankle injury and would be put on the DL, thus freeing up a roster spot so that Gonzalez could be called up while Jeter is sidelined.
But Ensberg didn't know about his supposed injury. Then it comes out that no, no DL for Ensberg. Shelley Duncan will be sent down to make room for Gonzalez.
iris' comment on this chain of events was that "MJ Squared is the Eric Mangini of baseball," referring to Mangini's refusal to ever give the press a real answer about any Jets' injury.
The Man-Genius of baseball.
But it's early.
Last night Joe Girardi showed that in baseball, you can be too smart for your own good.
Last night in KC, Ian Kennedy was scheduled to start. The weather forecast called for heavy rain, and heavy rain sooner rather than later.
So, MJ Squared (that's Joe Girardi, aka Manager Joe II aka MJ2 aka MJ Squared . . . thank you, iris) decides that he won't "waste" Kennedy in a game likely to be stopped and not restarted. A side benefit of not losing Kennedy is that Kennedy could then pitch Thursday in KC and Pettitte could open in Boston on Friday.
But as with all diabolically smart plans, there was a flaw. Two, actually. No, wait . . . three.
Flaw 1: It might not ever rain hard enough for the game to be stopped.
Flaw 2: With the Yankees not scheduled to return to KC this season and the Thursday forecast ugly, the crew chief might do everything possible to get the game in.
Flaw 3: Getting nine innings out of a parade of relievers means a lot of different pitchers which means the odds of one or more pitchers having an off night are increased.
All three flaws came home to roost. Except for a little while in the second inning, the rain never got to call-the-game intensity. The ump could've stopped it then, but mindful of the logistics and the Thursday forecast, stuck it out. And Kyle Farnsworth lost Reliever Russian Roulette and gave up two runs, which, the way we're hitting . . . was two runs too many.
Then, the game now official (and officially over, pretty much) MJ Squared sticks Kennedy in there to start the sixth inning!
So let Me get this straight. We didn't want him to start, pitch three innings, then have to shut it down. So, um . . . pitching innings 6, 7, and 8 was somehow better? Kennedy, predictably, was not sharp and gave up two window-dressing runs.
And not that this matters, but, please, once, just once . . . can a manager just own up in the press conference and admit he outsmarted himself? Please? One time? I will freely admit that MJ1, Joe Torre, wouldn't have figured out the stop-Kennedy-start-Bruney strategy.
Score one for MJ1. But it's early.
Whew, It's Good To Get Molina's Bat In The Lineup!
Jorge Posada had an MRI on his shoulder yesterday. The results were negative. Negative meaning no structural damage. Not negative meaning "Posada can't throw for shit." Although right now both are equally true. Jorge is suffering from "dead arm," according to Gerardi, the first non-pitcher in the history of baseball to ever come down with that particular condition that I'm aware of. (The rumor that Bully Crystal stole three bases off Posada in an intrasquad game this spring can't be confirmed at this time.)
And here is a situation where MJ Squared is light-years ahead of MJ1. Torre would've let Posada make the play/don't play call himself until Posada's arm fell off. MJ Squared realized that base runners stealing at will was hurting the team and is playing Molina.
Which is a good thing, since Molina is pretty much our hottest hitter.
But it's early.
Twelve pitchers. Brilliant.
Again, it has to be asked. What is Hawkins doing on this team? What possessed Cashman to sign this guy? Albaladejo, who did nothing but get people out when he got the chance, gets sent down. Chris Britton apparently did the wife of someone in the front office . . . there's no other logical explanation for his continuing to languish in Scranton. But Hawkins remains.
And Farnsworth is perhaps the stupidest pitcher I've ever seen. I think it was Cone last night who said of Fonzie something along the lines of "he just has no idea how to pitch to certain guys in certain situations a lot of the time." Ya think?
Hawkins and Fonzie worry Me a lot.
But it's early.
Too Clever By Half, Part II: The Man-Genius Of Baseball.
It came out yesterday that Morgan Ensberg had an ankle injury and would be put on the DL, thus freeing up a roster spot so that Gonzalez could be called up while Jeter is sidelined.
But Ensberg didn't know about his supposed injury. Then it comes out that no, no DL for Ensberg. Shelley Duncan will be sent down to make room for Gonzalez.
iris' comment on this chain of events was that "MJ Squared is the Eric Mangini of baseball," referring to Mangini's refusal to ever give the press a real answer about any Jets' injury.
The Man-Genius of baseball.
But it's early.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
The Week That Was
Formula 1: Engine Is Everything
When it works, it works. A solid start. Joba. Mariano. Seven-inning ballgame.
That first part is the tricky part. Right now the bats aren't particularly potent so overcoming a poor or even fair effort by the starter is difficult. Mussina didn't pitch horribly, but wasn't stellar by any means as a result the Yankees were never really in that game. Kennedy last night was terrible, the offense tried to make a game of it, but the firm of Farnsworth & Hawkins Ltd., General Demolitions, ensured that there would be no semblance of a comeback.
It could be a roller coaster of a year. Kennedy and Hughes (and, yes, even Joba) at times are going to have their growing pains. The offense, as we see right now, is going to have periods of more potential than production. When those two problems coincide there is going to be losing and generally bad feelings. And when those things coincide with Boston not having those problems (though at times they will), the media will make everything seem ten times worse.
So, it's going to be an exciting, but not always calm, season.
And . . .
I go on record as saying the Yankees did the right thing in keeping all the kids and not making the Santana deal. I, for one, am all right with missing the playoffs this year if that has to happen. Yankees management shouldn't be OK with it, of course, but not to the extent of making some stupid panic trade(s) in July. You can remind Me, in August when we're ten games out that I said this. Sometimes the right thing is to miss the playoffs one year, and in parts of the Yankee organization they understand that it's not going to affect selling out the Stadium this year or selling out the new Stadium next year.
Steve, Are You Sure About This?
"The greatest offense in the history of baseball." --Steve Phillips, on the 2008 Tigers.
Wait! I meant, "unless they have to face Gil Meche or Zach Greinke!"
Thank you for that clarification, Steve.
When it works, it works. A solid start. Joba. Mariano. Seven-inning ballgame.
That first part is the tricky part. Right now the bats aren't particularly potent so overcoming a poor or even fair effort by the starter is difficult. Mussina didn't pitch horribly, but wasn't stellar by any means as a result the Yankees were never really in that game. Kennedy last night was terrible, the offense tried to make a game of it, but the firm of Farnsworth & Hawkins Ltd., General Demolitions, ensured that there would be no semblance of a comeback.
It could be a roller coaster of a year. Kennedy and Hughes (and, yes, even Joba) at times are going to have their growing pains. The offense, as we see right now, is going to have periods of more potential than production. When those two problems coincide there is going to be losing and generally bad feelings. And when those things coincide with Boston not having those problems (though at times they will), the media will make everything seem ten times worse.
So, it's going to be an exciting, but not always calm, season.
And . . .
I go on record as saying the Yankees did the right thing in keeping all the kids and not making the Santana deal. I, for one, am all right with missing the playoffs this year if that has to happen. Yankees management shouldn't be OK with it, of course, but not to the extent of making some stupid panic trade(s) in July. You can remind Me, in August when we're ten games out that I said this. Sometimes the right thing is to miss the playoffs one year, and in parts of the Yankee organization they understand that it's not going to affect selling out the Stadium this year or selling out the new Stadium next year.
Steve, Are You Sure About This?
"The greatest offense in the history of baseball." --Steve Phillips, on the 2008 Tigers.
Wait! I meant, "unless they have to face Gil Meche or Zach Greinke!"
Thank you for that clarification, Steve.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Finally
The Crystal Ball
Finally, it's time. The silliness in Japan has been concluded. The off-site exhibition games are done. MLB Extra Innings has been ordered. Tonight, the Washington Nationals unveil their new ballpark vs. the Braves. Real baseball tonight. I am so happy I can almost forget that I'll have to listen to Bozo (Joe Morgan) and Balloon-Head (John Miller) for three hours.
And it's time for confident, well-reasoned, fearless predictions. Set them out there like stately Titanics and hope they dodge all those icebergs. Hope and gullibility spring eternal at this time of year. Here we go:
AL East: The idiots on ESPN are gushing over how much better Toronto and Tampa are going to be this season . . . ummmm, no. It's Boston and New York. It's close, but I'll give Boston (the New Evil Empire) the division. Can Baltimore win 65 games this year? Congress wants to investigate something, they should look into Peter Angelos' destruction of a once-great franchise.
AL Central: There's reasons to devalue the chances of every team in this division. I honestly think everyone but KC has a shot here. An awful lot went right for Cleveland last year. Detroit should score a ton of runs, but you never know for sure. Plus their bullpen is putrid/hurt and they have questions in the rotation. The White Sox can't hit as poorly as last year (probably). The Twins are going to be OK without Santana. Cleveland I guess wins it.
AL West: The Mariners are the off-season darlings, having added Bedard. Well, not so fast. Can anyone really know what Felix Hernandez will do this year? Will they really have a better offense? The Angels looked odds-on before the Escobar and Lackey injuries. Texas and Oakland look to be pretty horrible. Angels win.
AL Wild Card: Your New York Yankees. I actually kind of like the team going in. My gut feeling is that the two kids will pitch well enough, the bullpen might actually be a plus for the first time in years, and the offense should be fine, provided Jumpin' Jacks Girardi doesn't go nuts with the bunting and "small ball" (ewwwwwwwww). Assuming Wang has a more or less typical year, a lot is riding on the health/effectiveness of Mussina and Pettitte. I think it will work out OK.
NL East: Mets potentially have an offense composed of three extremely good players and a bunch of nothing around them, particularly if Delgado isn't effective and Alou is hurt (gasp! what? he's hurt already?) Everyone seems to be assuming that Pedro is going to just slide right back into dominant form after basically not pitching for two years. Ummm, yeah. Mike Pelfry or 71-year-old El Duque in the rotation. 'Nuff said. Two bad teams in the division, but two good ones too. Atlanta, Philly, and the Mets fighting it out. Braves.
NL Central: I must love baseball if I'm even covering this division. Cubs in a more or less putrid field. Brewers will challenge them, some.
NL West: They say four teams have a shot here. That's another way of saying no one team is that good. Arizona is the chalk pick. I have a feeling they won't win it. Colorado won't -- last year was not a year, but a great streak at the right time. Joe "The Fire Eater" Torre doesn't help LA quite enough. San Diego wins.
NL Wild Card: Phillies.
ALCS: Yankees over Boston.
NLCS: Braves over Cubs.
World Series: Yankees over Braves. Same as it ever was.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Thankfully.
Play Ball!!!!!!!
Finally, it's time. The silliness in Japan has been concluded. The off-site exhibition games are done. MLB Extra Innings has been ordered. Tonight, the Washington Nationals unveil their new ballpark vs. the Braves. Real baseball tonight. I am so happy I can almost forget that I'll have to listen to Bozo (Joe Morgan) and Balloon-Head (John Miller) for three hours.
And it's time for confident, well-reasoned, fearless predictions. Set them out there like stately Titanics and hope they dodge all those icebergs. Hope and gullibility spring eternal at this time of year. Here we go:
AL East: The idiots on ESPN are gushing over how much better Toronto and Tampa are going to be this season . . . ummmm, no. It's Boston and New York. It's close, but I'll give Boston (the New Evil Empire) the division. Can Baltimore win 65 games this year? Congress wants to investigate something, they should look into Peter Angelos' destruction of a once-great franchise.
AL Central: There's reasons to devalue the chances of every team in this division. I honestly think everyone but KC has a shot here. An awful lot went right for Cleveland last year. Detroit should score a ton of runs, but you never know for sure. Plus their bullpen is putrid/hurt and they have questions in the rotation. The White Sox can't hit as poorly as last year (probably). The Twins are going to be OK without Santana. Cleveland I guess wins it.
AL West: The Mariners are the off-season darlings, having added Bedard. Well, not so fast. Can anyone really know what Felix Hernandez will do this year? Will they really have a better offense? The Angels looked odds-on before the Escobar and Lackey injuries. Texas and Oakland look to be pretty horrible. Angels win.
AL Wild Card: Your New York Yankees. I actually kind of like the team going in. My gut feeling is that the two kids will pitch well enough, the bullpen might actually be a plus for the first time in years, and the offense should be fine, provided Jumpin' Jacks Girardi doesn't go nuts with the bunting and "small ball" (ewwwwwwwww). Assuming Wang has a more or less typical year, a lot is riding on the health/effectiveness of Mussina and Pettitte. I think it will work out OK.
NL East: Mets potentially have an offense composed of three extremely good players and a bunch of nothing around them, particularly if Delgado isn't effective and Alou is hurt (gasp! what? he's hurt already?) Everyone seems to be assuming that Pedro is going to just slide right back into dominant form after basically not pitching for two years. Ummm, yeah. Mike Pelfry or 71-year-old El Duque in the rotation. 'Nuff said. Two bad teams in the division, but two good ones too. Atlanta, Philly, and the Mets fighting it out. Braves.
NL Central: I must love baseball if I'm even covering this division. Cubs in a more or less putrid field. Brewers will challenge them, some.
NL West: They say four teams have a shot here. That's another way of saying no one team is that good. Arizona is the chalk pick. I have a feeling they won't win it. Colorado won't -- last year was not a year, but a great streak at the right time. Joe "The Fire Eater" Torre doesn't help LA quite enough. San Diego wins.
NL Wild Card: Phillies.
ALCS: Yankees over Boston.
NLCS: Braves over Cubs.
World Series: Yankees over Braves. Same as it ever was.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Thankfully.
Play Ball!!!!!!!
Saturday, March 08, 2008
iris Is Wise; Pitching . . . Bench . . .
No Writer's Strike Here!
I was away from the PC . . . when I came back, iris had left Me the following instant messages:
--Not sure if you saw this, but
--Jose Vizcaino has a bad elbow, is getting an MRI on it
--The image on the MRI is going to show Joe Torre waving for the bullpen
I love that girl . . .
And another from the iris file . . .
We were watching a game last Sunday and Jason Lane was playing. "Who's this guy?" iris said. I didn't know -- teams always have 157 guys at spring training. I looked him up and saw that Jason Lane is not a high average hitter. OK, must have some power. Hmmm . . . nope. All righty then, he's got speed! Checking . . . checking . . . nope, no speed. As I'm checking all this, Lane makes a throw in from the outfield to home plate. Not in time. Hm, so let's get this straight:
--No average
--No power
--No speed
--No arm
Wow! The very rare zero-tool player!
Problem is, Lane is going nuts during this game. In the space of half an hour or so he hits a home run and a triple.
At that moment iris nails it.
"i know who he is . . . he's this year's Josh Phelps!"
And it dawns on Me.
Yep. Josh Phelps . . . the guy who comes to spring training, hits the tar out of the ball, and makes the team over better players who unfortunately didn't have as good a spring. Of course once the season starts he totally sucks, thus messing up the bench for half a season.
Thankfully Lane has cooled off some. Morgan Ensberg, however, might still turn out to be this year's Josh Phelps.
Speaking of the Bench . . .
According to John Sterling on the Yankees' radiocast today, the Yankees for some ridiculous reason are going to carry twelve pitchers. To Me that shows a total lack of trust in the bullpen, but OK, they don't have too many off-days in April, so twelve pitchers it is.
That leaves 13 position players. So let's see . . .
Damon Melky Abreu across the outfield. Matsui DH. Giambi, Cano Jeter, A-Rod, Posada, Molina. That's ten.
Benemit. Duncan. And . . . ?
According to Suzyn Waldman, the decision on that 13th guy depends on how well Benemit can play shortstop. If Benemit can play SS acceptably, then most likely lucky #13 will be an outfielder (Jason "Zero Tool" Lane, anyone?). If not, then that thirteenth position player will have to be someone who can handle SS. (Alberto Gonzalez?)
To me that doesn't make so much sense, since we already have two guys, Matsui and Duncan, who can play the outfield. I think the 25th guy should be a speed/bunter/pinch-runner type who can fill in at SS if need be. I don't fancy the pinch-running stylings of Duncan, Benemit, or Gonzalez.
I can't stop thinking about it. Twelve Pitchers?
Sorry, but I need to work out this twelve pitchers thing. Do we even have twelve pitchers we really want to keep around?
Pettite, Mussina, Wang, Hughes, Kennedy.
Mariano, Joba, Farnsworth, Hawkins. There's nine.
Karstens is the long man? Ten.
So, pick any two:
Bruney, Britton, Ramirez, Henn, Ohlendorf, Veras, Albaladejo, Igawa, Chase Wright (note that if you don't pick Wright or Igawa or Henn there's no lefty in the pen, if that matters to you)
From that list I like Britton and Ohlendorf. Now that Torre is gone perhaps Britton will get a semblance of a legit shot at showing what he can do. To carry eleven pitchers, I pick between Britton and Ohlendorf, based on the spring.
The real issue is the existence of Farnsworth and Hawkins on this roster. Without these two dead weights, you could have Britton and Ohlendorf and a lefty and you have eleven pitchers instead of a bloated twelve.
Center Field Update.
Melky was 1-2 today, raising his average this spring to .417. The combined average of all the other center fielders is about .062. End of update.
I was away from the PC . . . when I came back, iris had left Me the following instant messages:
--Not sure if you saw this, but
--Jose Vizcaino has a bad elbow, is getting an MRI on it
--The image on the MRI is going to show Joe Torre waving for the bullpen
I love that girl . . .
And another from the iris file . . .
We were watching a game last Sunday and Jason Lane was playing. "Who's this guy?" iris said. I didn't know -- teams always have 157 guys at spring training. I looked him up and saw that Jason Lane is not a high average hitter. OK, must have some power. Hmmm . . . nope. All righty then, he's got speed! Checking . . . checking . . . nope, no speed. As I'm checking all this, Lane makes a throw in from the outfield to home plate. Not in time. Hm, so let's get this straight:
--No average
--No power
--No speed
--No arm
Wow! The very rare zero-tool player!
Problem is, Lane is going nuts during this game. In the space of half an hour or so he hits a home run and a triple.
At that moment iris nails it.
"i know who he is . . . he's this year's Josh Phelps!"
And it dawns on Me.
Yep. Josh Phelps . . . the guy who comes to spring training, hits the tar out of the ball, and makes the team over better players who unfortunately didn't have as good a spring. Of course once the season starts he totally sucks, thus messing up the bench for half a season.
Thankfully Lane has cooled off some. Morgan Ensberg, however, might still turn out to be this year's Josh Phelps.
Speaking of the Bench . . .
According to John Sterling on the Yankees' radiocast today, the Yankees for some ridiculous reason are going to carry twelve pitchers. To Me that shows a total lack of trust in the bullpen, but OK, they don't have too many off-days in April, so twelve pitchers it is.
That leaves 13 position players. So let's see . . .
Damon Melky Abreu across the outfield. Matsui DH. Giambi, Cano Jeter, A-Rod, Posada, Molina. That's ten.
Benemit. Duncan. And . . . ?
According to Suzyn Waldman, the decision on that 13th guy depends on how well Benemit can play shortstop. If Benemit can play SS acceptably, then most likely lucky #13 will be an outfielder (Jason "Zero Tool" Lane, anyone?). If not, then that thirteenth position player will have to be someone who can handle SS. (Alberto Gonzalez?)
To me that doesn't make so much sense, since we already have two guys, Matsui and Duncan, who can play the outfield. I think the 25th guy should be a speed/bunter/pinch-runner type who can fill in at SS if need be. I don't fancy the pinch-running stylings of Duncan, Benemit, or Gonzalez.
I can't stop thinking about it. Twelve Pitchers?
Sorry, but I need to work out this twelve pitchers thing. Do we even have twelve pitchers we really want to keep around?
Pettite, Mussina, Wang, Hughes, Kennedy.
Mariano, Joba, Farnsworth, Hawkins. There's nine.
Karstens is the long man? Ten.
So, pick any two:
Bruney, Britton, Ramirez, Henn, Ohlendorf, Veras, Albaladejo, Igawa, Chase Wright (note that if you don't pick Wright or Igawa or Henn there's no lefty in the pen, if that matters to you)
From that list I like Britton and Ohlendorf. Now that Torre is gone perhaps Britton will get a semblance of a legit shot at showing what he can do. To carry eleven pitchers, I pick between Britton and Ohlendorf, based on the spring.
The real issue is the existence of Farnsworth and Hawkins on this roster. Without these two dead weights, you could have Britton and Ohlendorf and a lefty and you have eleven pitchers instead of a bloated twelve.
Center Field Update.
Melky was 1-2 today, raising his average this spring to .417. The combined average of all the other center fielders is about .062. End of update.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Hatin' on the Melkster . . . A Sad Sad Tale
He's Young, And He Can Play! Quick! Trade Him!
Weird noises emanating from Girardi and Cashman about Melky Cabrera. Cashman talking up Austin Jackson, Jose Tabata, Brett Gardner, and I think the beer vendor as center field prospects. Girardi, making the assertion that "the best thing for young players is competition" in response to a question about Melky being the center fielder. (Manager Joe's statement is correct -- about 50% of the time.) Girardi also suggested (and he was sober, as far as anyone knows) that Damon could play center and Matsui could play left.
I don't get the organizational obsession with making Melky prove and re-prove himself.
--In 2006, Melky was a huge reason that the season didn't go down in flames after the Sheffield and Matsui injuries.
--Last year, he singlehandedly fixed the outfield issues, allowing Damon to move to left, where he looked a lot better than he was looking in center, and allowing Matsui (whose defense seems to have deserted him all at once) take over as DH.
--Melky was basically winning Game 2 of the ALDS all by himself until The Attack of the Flies.
--Melky brings an energy that this team badly needs. Torre's inability to see that and thus not play Melky in the 2006 ALDS should have been the final straw and gotten Torre fired after that season.
--Is there some law against the Yankees having a few young players worth rooting for?
--Or some law against having great arms in the outfield?
Hopefully Cashman and Gerardi's comments were just a ham-handed attempt to fire Melky up and not reflective of an organizational desire to get rid of him. But the ferocity with which the Yankees have tried to trade Melky for just about anyone, from basically the moment he showed he could play, tells Me otherwise.
Can't wait to see which 37 year old .500 starter we trade Melky for in July. Enjoy Kansas City or Milwaukee or San Diego or wherever the hell you end up, Melky.
Weird noises emanating from Girardi and Cashman about Melky Cabrera. Cashman talking up Austin Jackson, Jose Tabata, Brett Gardner, and I think the beer vendor as center field prospects. Girardi, making the assertion that "the best thing for young players is competition" in response to a question about Melky being the center fielder. (Manager Joe's statement is correct -- about 50% of the time.) Girardi also suggested (and he was sober, as far as anyone knows) that Damon could play center and Matsui could play left.
I don't get the organizational obsession with making Melky prove and re-prove himself.
--In 2006, Melky was a huge reason that the season didn't go down in flames after the Sheffield and Matsui injuries.
--Last year, he singlehandedly fixed the outfield issues, allowing Damon to move to left, where he looked a lot better than he was looking in center, and allowing Matsui (whose defense seems to have deserted him all at once) take over as DH.
--Melky was basically winning Game 2 of the ALDS all by himself until The Attack of the Flies.
--Melky brings an energy that this team badly needs. Torre's inability to see that and thus not play Melky in the 2006 ALDS should have been the final straw and gotten Torre fired after that season.
--Is there some law against the Yankees having a few young players worth rooting for?
--Or some law against having great arms in the outfield?
Hopefully Cashman and Gerardi's comments were just a ham-handed attempt to fire Melky up and not reflective of an organizational desire to get rid of him. But the ferocity with which the Yankees have tried to trade Melky for just about anyone, from basically the moment he showed he could play, tells Me otherwise.
Can't wait to see which 37 year old .500 starter we trade Melky for in July. Enjoy Kansas City or Milwaukee or San Diego or wherever the hell you end up, Melky.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Season Three Looms: Third Time's The Charm?
2008 will be the third season for this blog, and this time, I really (really) want to make it through the entire season. 2006, I stopped posting in May; 2007, I made it until August.
So the trend at least is promising.
We ARE Having An Actual Baseball Season, Yes?
I pose that question because it seems that all the "experts" are pretty much crowning the Red Sox as repeat champions. (Except for one baseball analyst on ESPN who predicted an Indians-Cubs World Series -- I am praying whatever he is on is legal so that I can try some.)
The "logic" of the Boston Repeat Prognosticators is basically "they're bringing everyone back." Gosh, that's brilliant analysis -- no wonder these guys make the big bucks.
Here is the official list of Boston Questions for 2008.
1. Starting pitching. It's not a given that Beckett will have another career year. Beckett is 77-52 for his career, 25 games over .500. 13 of those 25 came last year when he was 20-7. A repeat performance is by no means certain.
Everyone seems to be convinced that Dice-K will have a better year in 2008. For all the hoopla, Matsuzaka was 15-12, 4,40, on the World Champions last year. He might improve significantly this year, but while he's more familiar with the League, the League is also more familiar with him.
Clay Buckholz had better be the real deal. With Schilling most likely not a factor this season, and Wakefield being what he is, a .500 innings-eater, the Red Sox need Buckholz and Lester to be very good. They might be. But only in the fevered dreams of ESPN Sox-whores is it a given.
Theo didn't take a flyer on Bartolo Calzone (thanks, bostondirtdogs.com) as a humanitarian gesture.
2. Manny will be Manny but will he be good? Was last year just a blip, or the beginning of Manny Ramirez starting to run down? He may bounce back strongly this year, or he may be slowing down, and who knows -- perhaps even the seemingly unflappable Manny might press a bit, knowing the $20 million option is dangling out there?
3. Pedroia and Youklis. They must continue where they left off. If they don't, a sound strategy will be to simply let Ortiz and Manny hit as many solo HRs as they like. At some point AL pitchers are going to realize that Youkliis is a .280 hitter, meaning he makes an out 72% of the time he puts the ball in play, and will stop pitching to him like he's Babe Ruth on HGH.
4. Ellsbury is going to live up to the hype? He very well might . . . his first 116 at-bats were great (sans power, but he did hit .353) . . . but he's not going to be a .353 career hitter.
5. Did Papelbon's shoulder miraculously revert to a state of perfection and no one is saying? The whole motivation behind the now apparently shelved idea of making Papelbon a starter was to (supposedly) put less stress on his shoulder. Did that suddenly stop being a concern? Just wondering, especially because . . .
6. Okajima faltered badly down the stretch last year, clearly overused. He may respond to that better this year, or like many middle relievers, he may follow a good year with a crummy one.
That's the Boston Questions for 2008, going in. I don't intend to imply that the Yankees don't have a bunch of questoins, too . . . certainly they do, and Boston should be the favorite to win the division again, but it is worth remembering that a baseball season rarely goes as predicted.
Stuff I Hear Every Off-Season That Never Ends Up Being True
"Toronto is a lot better this year"
"Tampa is going to surprise some people"
"The Mets finally matter again"
"The Brewers are ready to break out"
"The Indians are taking the next step"
"The Cubs finally have all the pieces in place"
Uh huh.
So the trend at least is promising.
We ARE Having An Actual Baseball Season, Yes?
I pose that question because it seems that all the "experts" are pretty much crowning the Red Sox as repeat champions. (Except for one baseball analyst on ESPN who predicted an Indians-Cubs World Series -- I am praying whatever he is on is legal so that I can try some.)
The "logic" of the Boston Repeat Prognosticators is basically "they're bringing everyone back." Gosh, that's brilliant analysis -- no wonder these guys make the big bucks.
Here is the official list of Boston Questions for 2008.
1. Starting pitching. It's not a given that Beckett will have another career year. Beckett is 77-52 for his career, 25 games over .500. 13 of those 25 came last year when he was 20-7. A repeat performance is by no means certain.
Everyone seems to be convinced that Dice-K will have a better year in 2008. For all the hoopla, Matsuzaka was 15-12, 4,40, on the World Champions last year. He might improve significantly this year, but while he's more familiar with the League, the League is also more familiar with him.
Clay Buckholz had better be the real deal. With Schilling most likely not a factor this season, and Wakefield being what he is, a .500 innings-eater, the Red Sox need Buckholz and Lester to be very good. They might be. But only in the fevered dreams of ESPN Sox-whores is it a given.
Theo didn't take a flyer on Bartolo Calzone (thanks, bostondirtdogs.com) as a humanitarian gesture.
2. Manny will be Manny but will he be good? Was last year just a blip, or the beginning of Manny Ramirez starting to run down? He may bounce back strongly this year, or he may be slowing down, and who knows -- perhaps even the seemingly unflappable Manny might press a bit, knowing the $20 million option is dangling out there?
3. Pedroia and Youklis. They must continue where they left off. If they don't, a sound strategy will be to simply let Ortiz and Manny hit as many solo HRs as they like. At some point AL pitchers are going to realize that Youkliis is a .280 hitter, meaning he makes an out 72% of the time he puts the ball in play, and will stop pitching to him like he's Babe Ruth on HGH.
4. Ellsbury is going to live up to the hype? He very well might . . . his first 116 at-bats were great (sans power, but he did hit .353) . . . but he's not going to be a .353 career hitter.
5. Did Papelbon's shoulder miraculously revert to a state of perfection and no one is saying? The whole motivation behind the now apparently shelved idea of making Papelbon a starter was to (supposedly) put less stress on his shoulder. Did that suddenly stop being a concern? Just wondering, especially because . . .
6. Okajima faltered badly down the stretch last year, clearly overused. He may respond to that better this year, or like many middle relievers, he may follow a good year with a crummy one.
That's the Boston Questions for 2008, going in. I don't intend to imply that the Yankees don't have a bunch of questoins, too . . . certainly they do, and Boston should be the favorite to win the division again, but it is worth remembering that a baseball season rarely goes as predicted.
Stuff I Hear Every Off-Season That Never Ends Up Being True
"Toronto is a lot better this year"
"Tampa is going to surprise some people"
"The Mets finally matter again"
"The Brewers are ready to break out"
"The Indians are taking the next step"
"The Cubs finally have all the pieces in place"
Uh huh.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Experience Is Sometimes Just Bad Habits
OMG! Season Over! Impossible 20-Game Stretch Looming!!
Driving home today I heard a little of the Michael Kay show on ESPN radio. For those who may not know, Kay is a YES Network broadcaster in addition to hosting the ESPN Radio show.
In the snippet I heard tonight Kay was walking about the allegedly "tough stretch" the Yankees faced over their next 20 games. 17 of these 20 are against teams that are right now in playoff position, this will be a real test to see if the Yankees' run of late is for real blah blah blah.
Kay is not alone in buying into this nonsense I've heard other sports radio and TV hosts spouting similar stuff. Some I foolishly thought would have known better.
The simple truth is this: It doesn't matter who you play nearly as much as when you play them.
Has everyone forgotten that just a short time ago the Yankees were riding high, and were looking at nine games against three indifferent teams -- San Francisco, Colorado, and Baltimore. The result was 2-7. 2-7!!!!
So please. I don't want to hear about Cleveland, Detroit, and Boston coming up. None of those three are playing very well lately. Detroit in particular is playing hideous baseball. Eight games against them is a bad thing? Huh?
Cleveland isn't much better -- they've picked up some ground because they haven't played as badly as Detroit has of late.
Boston and the Yankees is almost always a 50-50 thing. They should flip a coin on opening Day to decide who wins 10 and who wins 9 and save us all a lot of needless hype every season.
Of the 20-game stretch coming up, the two toughest matchups for us are Baltimore and Anaheim. For whatever reason the Yankees have difficulty with Anaheim and Baltimore is playing everyone tough (although they are laying down nicely for Seattle this week).
So enough about how difficult the next 20 games are. It's as I said last week. Tonight's game is the toughest. Until tomorrow. Unfortunately that takes about 5 seconds to say, and then you're left with hours of sports talk radio show to fill.
Kay was speculating, as I was getting out of the car, what Yankee fans should expect from these next 20 games. He said that 14-6 would be a "giddy" expectation.
Rubbish. 14-6 over the next 20 is no more "giddy" than predicting 2-7 against SF, Colorado, and Baltimore would have been "irrationally negative." 19-1 would be giddy. 18-2 would be giddy. 14-6 is simply what the Yankees need to keep doing to stay on the 95 win track and not have to worry about the other clowns.
And it's very possible. The main obstacle to 14-6 (or better) is four games in Anaheim.
Driving home today I heard a little of the Michael Kay show on ESPN radio. For those who may not know, Kay is a YES Network broadcaster in addition to hosting the ESPN Radio show.
In the snippet I heard tonight Kay was walking about the allegedly "tough stretch" the Yankees faced over their next 20 games. 17 of these 20 are against teams that are right now in playoff position, this will be a real test to see if the Yankees' run of late is for real blah blah blah.
Kay is not alone in buying into this nonsense I've heard other sports radio and TV hosts spouting similar stuff. Some I foolishly thought would have known better.
The simple truth is this: It doesn't matter who you play nearly as much as when you play them.
Has everyone forgotten that just a short time ago the Yankees were riding high, and were looking at nine games against three indifferent teams -- San Francisco, Colorado, and Baltimore. The result was 2-7. 2-7!!!!
So please. I don't want to hear about Cleveland, Detroit, and Boston coming up. None of those three are playing very well lately. Detroit in particular is playing hideous baseball. Eight games against them is a bad thing? Huh?
Cleveland isn't much better -- they've picked up some ground because they haven't played as badly as Detroit has of late.
Boston and the Yankees is almost always a 50-50 thing. They should flip a coin on opening Day to decide who wins 10 and who wins 9 and save us all a lot of needless hype every season.
Of the 20-game stretch coming up, the two toughest matchups for us are Baltimore and Anaheim. For whatever reason the Yankees have difficulty with Anaheim and Baltimore is playing everyone tough (although they are laying down nicely for Seattle this week).
So enough about how difficult the next 20 games are. It's as I said last week. Tonight's game is the toughest. Until tomorrow. Unfortunately that takes about 5 seconds to say, and then you're left with hours of sports talk radio show to fill.
Kay was speculating, as I was getting out of the car, what Yankee fans should expect from these next 20 games. He said that 14-6 would be a "giddy" expectation.
Rubbish. 14-6 over the next 20 is no more "giddy" than predicting 2-7 against SF, Colorado, and Baltimore would have been "irrationally negative." 19-1 would be giddy. 18-2 would be giddy. 14-6 is simply what the Yankees need to keep doing to stay on the 95 win track and not have to worry about the other clowns.
And it's very possible. The main obstacle to 14-6 (or better) is four games in Anaheim.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Lipstick On A Pig: The 2007 Yankees
Free Runs Cost.
The Yankees' recent string of scoring a lot of runs masks the essential flaws of this team, flaws that were prominently on display Thursday and Friday nights.
Each night, the Yankees failed to get two 'free runs," that is, a man on second with no outs or a man on third with one or no outs. Runs that you can get without getting any more hits.
Thursday it doesn't look important because the final score was 7-0. But that was a 4-0 game most of the way, and 4-2, which it should have been, is much different psychologically than 4-0.
Last night of course the two free runs not gotten were the difference in the game.
Note that this has nothing to do with the team's 1-18 with RISP or whatever it is the past two nights. These were four runs we missed out simply by not making the right kind of outs.
This team has been horrible at this all year. The recent run-scoring outbursts against Tampa and KC (coincidence? unlikely) masked how poorly this team does with situational hitting, how ridiculously streaky they are, and how vulnerable the bullpen is.
Jeter, Cano, and Posada all had horrendous at bats in big spots last night (Jeter more than one).
Please Make That Deal -- We'll Throw In Airfare.
Rumor has it that the Tigers are interested in re-acquiring Kyle Farnsworth. Brian, make this deal NOW before Detroit comes to their senses. The arm isn't enough, as impressive as it can be. Farnsworth's fastball is straight, making it hittable at any speed, and he simply doesn't have the feel for pitching effectively in the late innings. He's a crummy teammate and a meltdown waiting to happen.
Hillenbrand Signs With San Diego -- Whew!
Shea Hillenbrand signed a minor league deal with San Diego, thankfully making it impossible for the Yankees to acquire him. As I've written before, offense at first base is not this team's problem -- Andy Phillips is more than good enough for the rest of this season. He plays a great first base and gets some big hits.
I Don't Make Idle Threats, But . . .
Rumor has it that Jason Giambi is close to returning to the lineup. If Giambi's return costs Melky an every day spot, I will have to seriously consider investing in a Mets' jersey. For whatever reason Torre doesn't like Melky too much -- I guess being a huge part of saving last year's season wasn't enough for Joe -- and it won't surprise Me at all if Giambi DHs, and Johnny Damon and his .240 average go back into the outfield until Damon literally drops, since he won't ever go on the DL and heaven forbid Torre ever overrules one of his veterans.
By then it won't matter anyway. We'll be well and truly out of it. Hmmm . . . Wright or Beltran, for the jersey, do you think?
I Think My Clicker Is Broken!
Did Mariano throw 72 pitches in the ninth inning of the suspended game last night or did it just seem that way? Amazing how Torre knew he wouldn't need Mariano in the regular game. The man's a genius, I tell you!
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Two Out Of Three, The Hard Way (Of Course)
Caution: Keep Hands And Feet Inside Car While Ride Is In Motion.
After Thursday's shocking loss, I honestly was caught by surprise by the lackluster effort Friday night. This team keeps sucking me in like this -- making me think they've turned some corner, then wrenching me back to reality with a game like Friday night's.
It is going to be a roller coaster ride with this bunch of Yankees this year, and where it ends up is anyone's guess.
But there was one wonderful moment Friday night, and one subtle blown opportunity by Torre to take even more of the sting out.
Late in Friday's lopsided loss, Shelley Duncan got his first major league hit, and as is customary, they take the ball out of play to save for the kid. Always a nice moment, and I felt good for Duncan after striking out in his first two at bats and looking pretty bad and overwhelmed in the process.
The next batter up, Damon, gets a hit to break an 0-for-20-something skid, and, with brilliant comedic sense, calls for the ball!!!!!
I was laughing my head off . . . Damon's move was perfect.
Now, because Torre had earlier put the DH into play a position, our pitcher had to bat, and Ron Villone's spot was up next.
This is where Torre missed his chance: Let Villone bat. We weren't scoring 10 runs to come back and tie the game -- carry the laughs from Damon's calling for the ball forward. Give the guys on the bench something to laugh about, watching Villone trying to make contact against major league pitching.
Am I Psychic, Or What?
During the first game yesterday, with the Yankees down 2-0 and looking pretty blah, A-Rod walked. I told iris, "that was the turning point. Not just of this game but of the whole season."
The next pitch Matsui jerks into the stands to tie the game. Since I said that to iris we've scored 24 runs.
I scare myself sometimes.
Breaking News.
Yanks acquire Molina from Angels for minor-league pitcher. Not earth-shaking but for someone who's going to play once a week it's fine, and Molina is a significant upgrade from Will Nieves.
Breaking News, Part 2.
Will Nieves traded for two fungo bats. The fungo bats are reportedly extremely upset.
Monday, July 16, 2007
A Nightmare On 161st Street, Part 17: The F-Word Cometh
I Have Seen This Movie Before And It's Just As Scary Every Time.
The script is horrifyingly familiar, made no less upsetting by virtue of repetition.
We lead late. Have to get the eighth inning to give the game to Mariano. In comes Farnsworth.
And then there's a baserunner. Or two. Or a home run. Or some walks. Or all of the above.
Unlike the horror movie series, though, the bad guy isn't wearing a goalie mask, as if he's proud of his grisly crimes.
But, as often happens in the horror genre, the monster has a master, the mad scientist pushing the buttons and throwing the switches, giving life to the beast.
How many times do we have to see this particular (bad) movie?
I don't care how much money Farnsworth is making -- he's pitched his way to the bottom of the heap. That Torre keeps running him out there in big spots is inexplicable and bizarre.
If the archives are still out there, you'll know I'm not second -guessing. When the Yankees were thinking of signing Farnsworth, I wrote on the Yankees message boards that we needed to stay away from this goon at all costs. He had had one good season (one good half-season, really) and that we shouldn't be fooled by that.
He is Armando Benitez with a better workout regimen. All arm and no brains. All stuff and no heart.
Supposedly Cashman is looking to trade Farnsworth. Do it -- amazingly enough there are some teams out there desperate/stupid enough to actually trade us something for him. In the meantime, Torre needs to not pitch him unless we are ahead or behind 7 or more runs. Right now I want to see Proctor or Bruney or anyone else (except Meyers) in the eighth inning.
But this is what Torre does. You'll note that it took no time at all for Ron Villone to earn his way back into important spots. He's a Joe guy and a Joe guy gets 1,293 chances to fail. Meanwhile Chris Britton, who apparently insulted Torre's family or something, rots in Scranton. And don't tell me that Sean Henn can't do a better job than Mike Meyers.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Call 1-800-NO-F-CLUE
Say Whatever You Like -- The Radio's On But No One's Really Listening.
A WFAN caller today actually took the time to call, sit on hold for 20 minutes, and talk to a screener, just to complain to the host about Melky Cabrera. This caller, presumably sober at such a tender hour of the day, said that Melky's lack of power made him "not the long-term answer" in the outfield for the Yankees.
Now, the host could have done the responsible thing and set the caller straight on Melky, and maybe tossed in the 800 number for AA, just in case.
Instead, the host, Evan Roberts, says, "I think you're right and I"m sure the Yankees aren't thinking of Melky as the answer. Melky's a lot like Endy Chavez -- good in small doses but when he plays every day he gets exposed."
That exchange is wrong on so many levels.
1. If the caller thinks that Melky not hitting home runs is the cause of the Yankees' problems, then I take it back, he wasn't sober after all.
2. Evan Roberts has to concede to the facts and the facts are that last year, when Melky played every day, far from "being exposed," he performed admirably in a difficult situation and was a big part of the reason we won 97 games last year. Torre not using the lineup that won those 97 games in the playoffs is one of his biggest blunders ever. [On a side note, I wonder how Torre feels now about kowtowing to Sheffield last year in the playoffs after Sheffield basically just called him a racist bastard.]
And for Evan, and everyone else who might wonder, here's Melky's numbers from last year:
130 games
Hit .280
50 RBI
75 runs
12/17 in steals
7 HRs
Perfectly respectable for a rookie, in fact better than respectable. And what doesn't show there is the infusion of youth and energy and speed that Melky provides, which was instrumental in last year's run.
After a slow start this year (when he wasn't playing every day, early on), Melky's got his numbers back in range of last year's.
And perhaps the most important thing -- he isn't even 23 yet. Who says this is as good as Melky gets? I see him filling out as he gets older, developing significant power, and possibly moving to a corner outfield spot.
3. Melky is by far our best defensive outfielder, not only because of his arm but because of his ability to get to balls that Matsui can't reach or that Abreu can't be bothered with because Abreu's brooding over being 1 for his last 48 or whatever it was there for a while. Already this season there have been several games we'd likely have lost had Damon been playing center.
But talk radio hosts basically say whatever they feel like, the facts and common sense be damned.
Silly me . . . I thought the idea was for the host to be smarter than the callers.
A WFAN caller today actually took the time to call, sit on hold for 20 minutes, and talk to a screener, just to complain to the host about Melky Cabrera. This caller, presumably sober at such a tender hour of the day, said that Melky's lack of power made him "not the long-term answer" in the outfield for the Yankees.
Now, the host could have done the responsible thing and set the caller straight on Melky, and maybe tossed in the 800 number for AA, just in case.
Instead, the host, Evan Roberts, says, "I think you're right and I"m sure the Yankees aren't thinking of Melky as the answer. Melky's a lot like Endy Chavez -- good in small doses but when he plays every day he gets exposed."
That exchange is wrong on so many levels.
1. If the caller thinks that Melky not hitting home runs is the cause of the Yankees' problems, then I take it back, he wasn't sober after all.
2. Evan Roberts has to concede to the facts and the facts are that last year, when Melky played every day, far from "being exposed," he performed admirably in a difficult situation and was a big part of the reason we won 97 games last year. Torre not using the lineup that won those 97 games in the playoffs is one of his biggest blunders ever. [On a side note, I wonder how Torre feels now about kowtowing to Sheffield last year in the playoffs after Sheffield basically just called him a racist bastard.]
And for Evan, and everyone else who might wonder, here's Melky's numbers from last year:
130 games
Hit .280
50 RBI
75 runs
12/17 in steals
7 HRs
Perfectly respectable for a rookie, in fact better than respectable. And what doesn't show there is the infusion of youth and energy and speed that Melky provides, which was instrumental in last year's run.
After a slow start this year (when he wasn't playing every day, early on), Melky's got his numbers back in range of last year's.
And perhaps the most important thing -- he isn't even 23 yet. Who says this is as good as Melky gets? I see him filling out as he gets older, developing significant power, and possibly moving to a corner outfield spot.
3. Melky is by far our best defensive outfielder, not only because of his arm but because of his ability to get to balls that Matsui can't reach or that Abreu can't be bothered with because Abreu's brooding over being 1 for his last 48 or whatever it was there for a while. Already this season there have been several games we'd likely have lost had Damon been playing center.
But talk radio hosts basically say whatever they feel like, the facts and common sense be damned.
Silly me . . . I thought the idea was for the host to be smarter than the callers.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
ESPN's M&M Boys Strike Out. Looking. Twice.
Mike and Mike Math Moment.
Mike and Mike this morning were talking about about the Yankees' situation this morning, and Mike Golic repeated the oft-cited, but wrong, assessment that teams in the Yankees' situation have "too many teams to climb over."
That matters in September. It doesn't matter with almost 70+ games left.
If 95 games will get the Yankees to the postseason, then they have to get to that number. It doesn't matter what other teams do, IF 95 is the number. Now to do that, as of three games go the Yankees needed to play .688 ball the rest of the way. A tall order, perhaps unlikely, but how many teams there are to climb over is no issue at this point.
Then they started talking about how the Yankees' first 28 games starting today are all vs. teams with under-500 records. What follows is a good illustration of why sports talk show hosts should avoid anything remotely mathematical.
Greenberg : The Yankees' next 28 games are against teams under .500. What do they have to go over this stretch . . . 24-4?"
Golic : Well even that that won't matter if Boston goes 17-7.
Greenberg : Oh well, if Boston goes 17-7 the Yankees are dead.
Um, guys? 17-7 is 24, first of all. Golic by his own admission has the brain power of a bag of slab bacon, but Greenberg went to Northwestern, which I'd always been led to believe was a good school. Secondly if the Yankees were to go 24-4 over these next 28 games, in all likelihood they will be atop the wild card standings or very close to it.
They don't need to go 24-4 over the next 28. If they win 70% of those games, that's 20-8, rounded up. Which won't be easy, but they are playing some less than stellar teams and any second half run has to start immediately.
Mike and Mike Money Moment.
Intertwined with that Yankees' conversation above was the Mikes talking about the "news item" that the Yankees "are willing to negotiate now" with A-Rod about a new contract. To me this is no news -- policies to the contrary, I believe the Yankees have been willing to talk to Boras about a new deal since last season ended. Perhaps now they have leaked Buster Olney's big scoop to make it publicly known that they are going to aggressively pursue an extension with A-Rod.
The Mikes went on to say, correctly, I think, that it will take something like $30 million per, for a fair number of years, to sign A Rod. Then Greenberg veers off the road, saying that it won't work, that A-Rod is definitely opting out and testing the market.
Err . . . Mike? What market, exactly? Given that we are talking about something like . . . $225 million over 7 years, let's say . . . how many teams actually could seriously be in the market for A Rod? I can think of four, perhaps five at the outside. San Francisco (rumored to want A Rod badly) is not an option, unless they are willing to 1) commit 35% of their total payroll to one player, or 2) dramatically increase their payroll. The Yankees, The Mets, The Angels, The Red Sox, The Cubs. Boras knows pretty much exactly what each of those teams can/will offer.
The other point, and this blind spot is not limited to Mike and Mike, but it's the most important thing in this situation: A Rod wants to stay with the Yankees! I know, gosh, how horrible to be the star of the most recognized team in sports, in one of the greatest cities in the world. And A-Rod is cognizant of his place in the history of the game . . . and he knows that, rightly or wrongly, accomplishments with the Yankees just plain mean more. A Rod's going into Cooperstown wearing a Mariners' hat? A Texas Rangers hat? I think not.
All off-season all the so-called "experts" had A Rod traded this off-season. That didn't happen, and all those experts now have him opting out. Greenberg said "I think A Rod really wants to go to Anaheim or the Cubs." This is based apparently on Greenberg's close friendship with and deep personal knowledge of A-Rod.
Not to mention that the Yankees have one advantage that other potential bidders for A-Rod don't have. And that is $81 million. $81 million that the Texas Rangers still have to pay A-Rod if he doesn't opt out of his current contract. The Yankees will extend A-Rod as opposed to ripping up the last three years of the current deal. In exchange for that I'm sure the team will go a little more money, or an extra year. As in all long-term deals with a guy in his mid-30s (A-Rod will be 35, I think, when the current deal is up), you know and have to accept that you're going to overpay in the end year(s). But that overpayment when A Rod is 42 is offset by the fact that Texas is paying a big chunk of A-Rod's salary during these hugely productive years.
I think the odds are very good that A-Rod remains a Yankee for the rest of his career.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
2-1 in 13, 12-0. Go Figure
I Watched Fox Baseball For Four Hours And All I Got Was This Crummy "L."
Catchers often end up managers. Catchers have to think a lot during the course of a game. Because of that catchers can make good managers, and good analysts, too.
The issue is when the former catcher/analyst says everything that he thinks. This is Joe Gerardi's problem. After a couple of innings he becomes unlistenable because he has only two modes: Joycean stream of consciousness or catatonic silence. At one point yesterday, the catcher came out to talk to the pitcher and Gerardi was stone silent for about 30 seconds. I think Steve Albert deliberately didn't prod Gerardi with a "what is he saying to him in a situation like this?" line because Albert needed a break from listening to Gerardi as well.
As for the game. When you lose 2-1 in 13 innings there's always going to be regrets, at bats/situations both before and during the extra innings, that sealed the team's fate.
Two stand out for me. Bottom 7 . . . Posada leads off with a double. This is a free run -- we can score without getting any more hits. (I haven't looked up the numbers but my observations suggest that the 2007 Yankees are doing a terrible job of collecting free runs.) And we don't get this one either. Strikeout strikeout pickoff.
PICKOFF?!!?!!!???!!?!!!??
Off second? Where exactly was Crazy Legs Posada going? For all this talents and wonderful contributions over the years, Posada has always been a terrible baserunner. Not just slow, but with horrendous instincts/judgment as well.
There went that chance.
The one that really sticks with Me is in the bottom of the 13th, with us down a run. First and third, one out. Melky up.
Gerardi immediately talked about how the safety squeeze would work well here. Melky can handle the bat, Cairo's fast enough to score on a safety squeeze, and if they pitch out there's no risk since it's a safety squeeze.
I have to agree. Melky had struck out four times already. And striking out isn't even the worst that could happen -- he could hit into a game-ending double play, and then Jeter, leading the world in hitting with 2 outs and RISP wouldn't get up to bat.
To my way of thinking you do it on the first pitch.
They didn't. Not on the first pitch, or ever. Melky strikes out for the fifth time, Jeter hits a harmless grounder. Ballgame.
Now, since I'm the reasonable sort, I tried to think of reasons Joe didn't do it. I come with two possibilities, both of which seem pretty weak.
1. Joe, having already used everyone in the pen he felt good about using, decided to play for the win.
My problem with that argument is that you have to tie it or nothing else matters. There's no way of knowing -- if you hold your nose and put in . . . Villone, let's say, maybe he pitches three good innings. Plus, Anaheim had already used both of their good relievers. Scioscia's options were to use K-Rod for a third inning or roll the dice. In either case getting the game to the 14th (and esepcially beyond, if it comes to that) puts big pressure on Anaheim as well.
2. Joe felt that the Angels were looking for the squeeze, thus decreasing the play's chance of success.
Granted, K-Rod did pantomime a lot before throwing the first pitch to Melky, obviously attempting to get someone to give away the play. So it was on their minds. It would be hard for it not to be.
But, as Gerardi pointed out, all the ingredients were there for the safety squeeze: A fast enough guy on third and a good bunter at the plate. The night before, the suicide squeeze was used because Posada is very slow and if he doesn't leave the base until the ball's bunted it would have to be close to a perfect bunt. In this situation, with Cairo running all Melky has to do is get the bunt up the first base line a little and Cairo scores standing up.
But Torre, who squeezed the night before in the midst of a big inning . . . in the THIRD inning, when the beer vendor could have thrown on a Yankee uniform and gotten a hit, doesn't squeeze in the 13th inning needing one run to keep the game going, at home.
I'm so mystified I can almost believe that Melky missed the sign, except that there was no conference with the third base coach after the first pitch, as there surely would have been had a sign been missed.
The Bronx Bombers Reappear, Much To The Chagrin Of An New Old-Timer.
Saturday's tough loss had no carryover as the Yankees took Santana deep, repeatedly, en route to a 12-0 win to close out the first half.
It was encouraging to see no hangover from yesterday, and to see someone other than A Rod hitting it out (although A Rod snuck one over the left field wall, too, for a nice round 30 home runs at the break).
But iris mentioned to me that "Roger must be really pissed."
I laughed. Hm. 14 runs the day before he pitches. 4 quick runs the day after he pitches. The day he pitched we looked like the 2005/2006 Houston Astros.
I assured iris that Roger was not mad at all. That he was all about the team. Etc.
Then it was 7-0. "You know Roger is livid now." Noooooooooo, silly. Roger's all about the team, I assured her. He just ran into some good pitching by Lackey yesterday.
Then it was 10-0. They showed a shot of Andy Pettitte in the dugout. No Roger sitting next to him. What the . . . ? At first I thought maybe they let all the starters except Wang leave the team early for the All-Star break, but in that case Pettitte wouldn't have been on the bench.
I had to stop reassuring iris at that point.
Catchers often end up managers. Catchers have to think a lot during the course of a game. Because of that catchers can make good managers, and good analysts, too.
The issue is when the former catcher/analyst says everything that he thinks. This is Joe Gerardi's problem. After a couple of innings he becomes unlistenable because he has only two modes: Joycean stream of consciousness or catatonic silence. At one point yesterday, the catcher came out to talk to the pitcher and Gerardi was stone silent for about 30 seconds. I think Steve Albert deliberately didn't prod Gerardi with a "what is he saying to him in a situation like this?" line because Albert needed a break from listening to Gerardi as well.
As for the game. When you lose 2-1 in 13 innings there's always going to be regrets, at bats/situations both before and during the extra innings, that sealed the team's fate.
Two stand out for me. Bottom 7 . . . Posada leads off with a double. This is a free run -- we can score without getting any more hits. (I haven't looked up the numbers but my observations suggest that the 2007 Yankees are doing a terrible job of collecting free runs.) And we don't get this one either. Strikeout strikeout pickoff.
PICKOFF?!!?!!!???!!?!!!??
Off second? Where exactly was Crazy Legs Posada going? For all this talents and wonderful contributions over the years, Posada has always been a terrible baserunner. Not just slow, but with horrendous instincts/judgment as well.
There went that chance.
The one that really sticks with Me is in the bottom of the 13th, with us down a run. First and third, one out. Melky up.
Gerardi immediately talked about how the safety squeeze would work well here. Melky can handle the bat, Cairo's fast enough to score on a safety squeeze, and if they pitch out there's no risk since it's a safety squeeze.
I have to agree. Melky had struck out four times already. And striking out isn't even the worst that could happen -- he could hit into a game-ending double play, and then Jeter, leading the world in hitting with 2 outs and RISP wouldn't get up to bat.
To my way of thinking you do it on the first pitch.
They didn't. Not on the first pitch, or ever. Melky strikes out for the fifth time, Jeter hits a harmless grounder. Ballgame.
Now, since I'm the reasonable sort, I tried to think of reasons Joe didn't do it. I come with two possibilities, both of which seem pretty weak.
1. Joe, having already used everyone in the pen he felt good about using, decided to play for the win.
My problem with that argument is that you have to tie it or nothing else matters. There's no way of knowing -- if you hold your nose and put in . . . Villone, let's say, maybe he pitches three good innings. Plus, Anaheim had already used both of their good relievers. Scioscia's options were to use K-Rod for a third inning or roll the dice. In either case getting the game to the 14th (and esepcially beyond, if it comes to that) puts big pressure on Anaheim as well.
2. Joe felt that the Angels were looking for the squeeze, thus decreasing the play's chance of success.
Granted, K-Rod did pantomime a lot before throwing the first pitch to Melky, obviously attempting to get someone to give away the play. So it was on their minds. It would be hard for it not to be.
But, as Gerardi pointed out, all the ingredients were there for the safety squeeze: A fast enough guy on third and a good bunter at the plate. The night before, the suicide squeeze was used because Posada is very slow and if he doesn't leave the base until the ball's bunted it would have to be close to a perfect bunt. In this situation, with Cairo running all Melky has to do is get the bunt up the first base line a little and Cairo scores standing up.
But Torre, who squeezed the night before in the midst of a big inning . . . in the THIRD inning, when the beer vendor could have thrown on a Yankee uniform and gotten a hit, doesn't squeeze in the 13th inning needing one run to keep the game going, at home.
I'm so mystified I can almost believe that Melky missed the sign, except that there was no conference with the third base coach after the first pitch, as there surely would have been had a sign been missed.
The Bronx Bombers Reappear, Much To The Chagrin Of An New Old-Timer.
Saturday's tough loss had no carryover as the Yankees took Santana deep, repeatedly, en route to a 12-0 win to close out the first half.
It was encouraging to see no hangover from yesterday, and to see someone other than A Rod hitting it out (although A Rod snuck one over the left field wall, too, for a nice round 30 home runs at the break).
But iris mentioned to me that "Roger must be really pissed."
I laughed. Hm. 14 runs the day before he pitches. 4 quick runs the day after he pitches. The day he pitched we looked like the 2005/2006 Houston Astros.
I assured iris that Roger was not mad at all. That he was all about the team. Etc.
Then it was 7-0. "You know Roger is livid now." Noooooooooo, silly. Roger's all about the team, I assured her. He just ran into some good pitching by Lackey yesterday.
Then it was 10-0. They showed a shot of Andy Pettitte in the dugout. No Roger sitting next to him. What the . . . ? At first I thought maybe they let all the starters except Wang leave the team early for the All-Star break, but in that case Pettitte wouldn't have been on the bench.
I had to stop reassuring iris at that point.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
A Tough Game To Watch, Made Tougher
Shut Up.
Michael Kay is perhaps the more infuriating announcer in professional sports. I realize there is a lot of competition, but for Me Kay's aggressive stupidity, his refusal to let go of a "point," no matter how many different ways it is shown to be wrong and/or irrelevant, and his inability to stop doing radio even though he's been on TV for five years now, give him the crown.
Last night Kay was in rare form, even for him.
Pettitte couldn't hold a big lead and was taken out without being able to get the win. Now, in a situation like this . . . the scoring rules are clear. Edwar Ramirez came in, and by the time he left the Yankees had been tied, and then gone ahead again. Ramirez was thus in line to get the win if the score held.
Now there is one exception. If, in the opinion of the official scorer, the reliever who would technically be in line for the win was "brief and ineffective," the scorer can award the win to another pitcher.
It's very rare that that happens. And while there is no strict definition of "brief and ineffective," it's generally assumed that's it really brief and really ineffective, like . . . 1/3 of an inning and four runs allowed. Ramirez wasn't great last night but was nowhere near brief and ineffective -- 1-1/3 innings, one run allowed. Yet Kay several times said that Ramirez was in line for the win but that it would be up to the official scorer. Does he really not know, after all these years, that there was basically zero chance of Ramirez not getting the win?
Infuriating. Aggressively stupid.
Shut Up Shuttin' Up.
But Kay was in rare form already last night. When Ramirez came into the game, he talked about Ramirez' changeup, calling it a "Bugs Bunny changeup."
The reference comes from a Bugs Bunny cartoon in which Bugs is pitching and throws his special pitch, a very slow pitch at which the hitter swings three times and strikes himself out. It's a classic, but if you're going to talk about in on a baseball telecast, you have to have all the facts, namely, what the pitch was actually called.
Say it with me, Michael: The Paralyzin' Palooka Pitch.
Maybe it's sad that I know that, I don't know. But Kay has to know it if he's going to talk about it on TV. Calling it the "Bugs Bunny Changeup" is lame, and sad. And of course in typical Kay fashion, he mentions it over and over. Then to complete the self-humiliation he explains the reference! "For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, there was a Bugs Bunny cartoon . . . "
Stop, Michael, please. Just . . . stop.
And A Special "Shut Up" To The Rules and The Scoring Rules.
Two little odd things from last night. One from the game, one from the box score.
Cano apparently missed third base en route to scoring on Cairo's gapper and was called out when Anaheim appealed. The appeal play last worked in 1967, I think. It's time to take it out of the rules. If the guy left too early, or missed the base, have some guts and make it the umpire's job to call it. A system whereby the other team's mistake/cheating gets penalized only if you notice it, is ridiculous. What are umpires for?
The second thing is that in looking at the box score I see that Edwar Ramzirez, in addition to getting the win last night, gets tagged with a Blown Save.
In the sixth inning?
Not that it matters except I suppose in arbitration hearings, but there should be no blown saves given out prior to the eighth inning. Too much can still happen.
Michael Kay is perhaps the more infuriating announcer in professional sports. I realize there is a lot of competition, but for Me Kay's aggressive stupidity, his refusal to let go of a "point," no matter how many different ways it is shown to be wrong and/or irrelevant, and his inability to stop doing radio even though he's been on TV for five years now, give him the crown.
Last night Kay was in rare form, even for him.
Pettitte couldn't hold a big lead and was taken out without being able to get the win. Now, in a situation like this . . . the scoring rules are clear. Edwar Ramirez came in, and by the time he left the Yankees had been tied, and then gone ahead again. Ramirez was thus in line to get the win if the score held.
Now there is one exception. If, in the opinion of the official scorer, the reliever who would technically be in line for the win was "brief and ineffective," the scorer can award the win to another pitcher.
It's very rare that that happens. And while there is no strict definition of "brief and ineffective," it's generally assumed that's it really brief and really ineffective, like . . . 1/3 of an inning and four runs allowed. Ramirez wasn't great last night but was nowhere near brief and ineffective -- 1-1/3 innings, one run allowed. Yet Kay several times said that Ramirez was in line for the win but that it would be up to the official scorer. Does he really not know, after all these years, that there was basically zero chance of Ramirez not getting the win?
Infuriating. Aggressively stupid.
Shut Up Shuttin' Up.
But Kay was in rare form already last night. When Ramirez came into the game, he talked about Ramirez' changeup, calling it a "Bugs Bunny changeup."
The reference comes from a Bugs Bunny cartoon in which Bugs is pitching and throws his special pitch, a very slow pitch at which the hitter swings three times and strikes himself out. It's a classic, but if you're going to talk about in on a baseball telecast, you have to have all the facts, namely, what the pitch was actually called.
Say it with me, Michael: The Paralyzin' Palooka Pitch.
Maybe it's sad that I know that, I don't know. But Kay has to know it if he's going to talk about it on TV. Calling it the "Bugs Bunny Changeup" is lame, and sad. And of course in typical Kay fashion, he mentions it over and over. Then to complete the self-humiliation he explains the reference! "For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, there was a Bugs Bunny cartoon . . . "
Stop, Michael, please. Just . . . stop.
And A Special "Shut Up" To The Rules and The Scoring Rules.
Two little odd things from last night. One from the game, one from the box score.
Cano apparently missed third base en route to scoring on Cairo's gapper and was called out when Anaheim appealed. The appeal play last worked in 1967, I think. It's time to take it out of the rules. If the guy left too early, or missed the base, have some guts and make it the umpire's job to call it. A system whereby the other team's mistake/cheating gets penalized only if you notice it, is ridiculous. What are umpires for?
The second thing is that in looking at the box score I see that Edwar Ramzirez, in addition to getting the win last night, gets tagged with a Blown Save.
In the sixth inning?
Not that it matters except I suppose in arbitration hearings, but there should be no blown saves given out prior to the eighth inning. Too much can still happen.
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