June 17, 2009

Bryce Harper, Steven Strasburg, & Steroids

Yes, I'm going there.

Don't know if you have heard of Bryce Harper yet. If not, you will. He's a 16 yr old baseball player who's dropped out of high school, plans to get his GED, so that by next year he'll be eligible for the MLB draft.

They say he is hitting 500 ft HR's. One at 570 feet. He has the record for longest HR in Tropicana field at over 500 ft. Not Carlos Pena, not Fred McGriff, not Greg Vaughn, not Evan Longoria, not Jose Canseco. A 16 yr old kid has the record for the longest HR hit in Tropicana Field. Oh, and by the way...he also throws 96 miles per hour.

Let me be the first to say it. STEROIDS.

Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Juan Gonzalez, Alex Rodriguez couldn't hit balls that far...with Steroids. So how is a 16 yr old kid able to?

And while I'm at it...

Stephen Strasburg is on the the juice too. This guy who was a nobody coming out of high school and was about to get cut from his college team...but he quickly loses 30 lbs and adds 10 miles to his fastball and becomes the greatest pitching prospect, maybe ever.

And while I'm on a roll...here's more guys I believe are juiced up...

Albert Pujols
Carlos Pena
Adrian Gonzalez
Magglio Ordonez
Raul Ibanez

Wow, they're all Latin ballplayers. Coincidence? No. You can buy steroids in the Dominican Republic from the drug store like Tylenol. Same in Mexico. I'd assume it's probably easy to get the stuff in Venezuela as well.

MLB says players are subject to random testing even in the off-season. But let's face it. They aren't going to the DR or Venezuela trying to find guys in the winter. Those guys just juice all winter and attempt to cycle off before they report for spring training.

I don't really care that players are juicing. If you can get away with it, go for it. But I get sick of the media saying that this guy is clean because he's never failed a drug test when we really don't know for sure who's clean and who's not.

Because of that I'm letting my eyes make the decision for me.

If a guy turns 36 and enters the "prime" of his career...he's juicing.

If a guy comes into MLB and he's built like a middle linebacker and hits like a combination of Stan Musial & Ted Williams...he's juicing

If a guy is 16 and already hits balls farther than Mickey Mantle ever did...he's juicing.

If I'm wrong may God forgive me.

June 10, 2009

Red Sox Defeat Yankees 7-0

I tried to come up with the most non "jumping off the ledge" headline I could think of. But in reality, the Yankees, once again, were thoroughly outplayed by the Red Sox.

Baseball is a funny sport in that you can't really judge a team against another based on one game. The starting pitchers for that particular day have so much to do with the competitiveness of the game. It's not like football or basketball where you put your 11 versus their 11 or your 5 against their 5. A team like the Nationals or the Padres can whip you if they get a good outing from their starter and your team does not.

That being said, last nights match-up was a supreme mis-match. Josh Beckett was pretty much unhittable for the Sox and AJ Burnett attempted to do his best impression of Chein Ming Wang, circa April, 2009.

And that was your game.

Beckett can't pitch much better than that. You just have to tip your cap to him. And AJ knows he stunk.

The problem isn't this one loss, though. The problem is the Sox are now 6-0 against the Yankees this year. I don't really care if the Yanks go 16-2, or 8-8, or 2-16 against the Red Sox this year. If they win the division and get in the playoffs that's all that matters. Once you get in the playoffs, all bets are off. The Angels seem to dominate the Red Sox every year but can't beat the Sox to save their lives in the playoffs.

However, eventually the Yanks have to get off the canvas. For the simple reason, that I don't want to keep hearing that the Yanks can't beat the Red Sox over and over again on ESPN, on MLB Network, on the Mike Francessa show, etc, etc, etc....

But I don't have much confidence in the Yanks stopping the losing streak tonight. It's Wang vs Tim Wakefield. The Yanks can usually score a few runs off Wakefield but they may need to put up a 10 spot to have a chance in this game. I think Wang will eventually get right, but this ain't the game he does it. He doesn't pitch well at Fenway Park and the Red Sox seem to be able to lay off his sinker when it's low and out of the strike zone. They force him to bring it up and that's when the fun begins.

I hope he surprises me but I don't have much confidence in him and his 14.46 ERA.

June 9, 2009

State of the Universe

What if on April 1st I had told you that on June 9th:

The Yanks would be in 1st place. Mark Teixiera would be, argueably, the MVP of the AL. ARod would be playing everyday. Jorge Posada would be catching most of the time. Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera & Posada would all be hitting around .300. The starting staff would be just as it was slated to be in spring training and Mariano Rivera would have 14 saves.

Not sure about you, but I would have signed up for that in an instant. Now, we all know what it's taken to get to this point. It has not been all smooth sailing. But the Yanks are in good shape.

The two biggest question marks at this point for the team are Chien Ming Wang and the bullpen.

Wang pitches on tomorrow against Boston. In his first start back in the rotation, he looked real good for 2 innings. But then he got beat up after that. The sinker and velocity were there but not consistently. Maybe it's just a matter of building up stamina since he hadn't started in so long. I'm not expected him to be great tomorrow. Just serviceable would be just fine. Something like 6 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs would be a step in the right direction.

As for the bullpen, it's looking better? But one reason the bullpen has looked better in the past month is that Girardi has started to rely on the guys who are the most reliable. Sounds simple doesn't it? But I give Girardi credit. He gave Veras, Alabaladejo, Ramirez & Marte ample time to prove they could get the job done. Times up. Albaladejo & Ramirex are in Scranton, Marte's on the DL and Veras has been relegated to mop-up duty.

Brett Tomko, Alfredo Aceves, David Robertson have been getting it done. Phil Coke, although not dominating, hasn't been awful. But the wild card may be Phil Hughes. Last night there was a Phil Hughes sighting and it looked good. He was hitting 95, 96 on the gun.

Who knew he could even throw that hard??? Maybe I'm wrong but I've never known him to throw more than 94 in the big leagues. I know a reliever can let it go a little more but are you telling me that a guy like Justin Verlander who hits 99 as a starter would be hitting like 103 out of the bullpen??? Verlander to the bullpen!!!!

But I digress. Having Hughes in the bullpen could be a nice piece to the puzzle after all. That's if the Yanks choose to use him more than just once a week in that role as they currently seem to be doing. (Look, if you're not going to use him more than that, send him down to Scranton to get regular work.)

More bullpen help is on the way. Brian Bruney should be back (again) by next week to take back the 8th inning set up job, and add a little more depth.

So, things are looking good. The offense is clicking and the other starters have been reliable, so getting something positive out of Wang and the bullpen, would make the Yanks very tough to beat the rest of the season.

OH, IT'S ON!!!

Ok, Red Sox Nation. You are soooo deserving of this beatdown the Yanks are about to put on you!!!

The last time the Sawx & Yanks met the Yanks were left with their tails between their legs while screaming, "Please Daddy, don't hit me no more!"

But, things have changed since then. ARod returned from the DL, Mark Teixeira finally showed up, and the pitchers started...well, pitching. Add it all up and the Yanks come into this series in 1st place, one game up on Boston.

As well as the Yanks have played though, there is some unfinished business to take care of. See, in New York City, we believe in the art of retribution. You's don't come into our house and smack us around and get away with it, ya see? You's got something coming to ya! And you's ain't gonna like it neither!

To be serious, losing the first 5 meetings with Boston left a bad taste in the mouth. I know we're in first place but it feels like we don't deserve to be there. It's like "winning" the heavyweight title because the champ retired. The Yanks need to go into Boston and win at least 2 of 3. A sweep would be nice, but 2 of 3 would send a nice message:

We're here, we're for real, and we ain't going a mutha f'in place, ya dig?!?!

June 4, 2009

Wang Back to Rotation is the Right Move

The Yanks announced yesterday that Chien Ming Wang would return to the rotation and Phil Hughes would be moved to the bullpen.

Now, if Hughes was being moved to the bullpen on a full time basis then I'd question the move. He's shown that he can be a very good major league starter. But this is not a permanent move. If Wang can hold his own as a starter again, then Wang will be sent back down the AAA to get innings and continue his progress.

It is the only move that makes sense. Wang is not a relief pitcher. When he's right he's proven he's one of the top 10 starting pitchers in the American League. Plus he's just what you need in the New Yankee Stadium: A pitcher who is one of the stingiest when it comes to giving up home runs and fly balls.

As for Hughes, he's pitched well at times. But a little more seasoning in the minors won't hurt. And fortunately, the Yanks have a surplus of starters at the moment. They can afford the luxury of sending Hughes down to work on his command and secondary pitches. We'll see him again before the year is out.

In fact, Hughes may just be needed for the rotation soon anyway. I'm not so sure Andy Pettitte's back is really 100% as he says. After last night's 6 walk effort, I wouldn't be surprised to see Andy going on the DL in the near future. If so, Hughes can slide into his spot in the rotation. No need for Andy to keep going out there hurt, like he did last year.

The bullpen still has weaknesses but I don't believe guys like Hughes, Joba or Wang should be responsible for fixing them. I'd much rather develop starting pitching and fill in the bullpen gaps with the Robertsons & Melancons of the world.

I believe the Yankees are thinking the same way.

June 3, 2009

Stephen Strasburg Is No Sure Thing

Stephen Strasburg is being talked about as possibly the greatest pitching prospect in history. They say he can consistently throw his fastball in the upper 90's, touching 100+ regularly. Plus, his secondary pitches are supposedly top notch.

But add me to the growing list of people that think he will be a bust. I have no scientific reason for believing this. Only that there are limitations to what the human body can do. Pitching is a violent endeavor, one that goes contrary to what an arm, shoulder & elbow was intended to do. I just feel arm problems for him are inevitable. Due in part, to the fact he will most assuredly be rushed to the majors as quick as possible.

The Washington Nationals have the first pick in the upcoming MLB draft. They are in a tough position. They should want to draft Strasburg but Scott Boras, his agent, has put out there that his client wants $50,000,000 just to sign.

The Nationals franchise is so pathetic, no one player is going to turn them around. If they sign Strasburg and he is anything less than the second coming of Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens combined, it will be a disappointment. But if they pass on him, their fan base will never forgive them if he does live up to the billing. (If the Nats actually had a fan base, that is)

Too bad MLB doesn't allow you to trade down or trade the pick like the NFL, NBA & NHL does. That way the Nats could trade the pick to a team like the Yankees or Red Sox that can afford to pay the large signing bonus but also won't be crippled if Strasburg doesn't pan out. In return the Nats could stockpile draft picks to quicken their rebuilding process.

I know it sounds like it would be a case of the rich teams getting richer...but imagine if a team like the Yankees traded their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 7th round picks to the Nationals for the right to draft Strasburg. Now, if Strasburg turns into Johan Santana it's a great trade for the Yanks. But what if he hurts his arm and turns into Ben McDonald. And Washington drafts a future All-Star and 2 serviceable major leaguers with those extra picks. Now the deal looks like a steal for the Nats. Right?

There is risk either way. But it gives teams options that they currently don't have.

Maybe it's something MLB should consider in the future.

June 2, 2009

Joba Back To Setting Up For Mo'

We'll, sort of. Joba Chamberlain pitched, what I believe, to be his best game as a starting pitching. He went 8 innings, 4 hits, 2 BB, 5 SO and one death defying leap onto the grass.

His fastball was hitting mid 90's consistently. Topping out at 98 several times. I had not seen that kind of velocity from him all year. Sometimes the YES gun is off so just to be sure I turned to ESPN (they were showing the game too) several times to compare. There was only a difference of 1 MPH between the guns. So, it's safe to say Joba was throwing some GAS!!!

On top of that his breaking stuff was working. His curve ball was nasty. And the slider was on. It's easy to see why the Yanks feel Joba should be a starter. He has 3 above average pitches. Plus, he even threw a couple change-ups. You don't put that kind of stuff in the bullpen. Period. End of Story.

The play of the game was in the 7th when the Indians had a runner on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Kelly Shoppach tried to sacrifice bunt but got under the ball and sent it down the 3rd base line. Joba was quick off the mound and dove for the ball and caught it just before it hit the grass. He then jumped up and fired a strike to 2nd to double off the runner.

It was the turning point of the game. The Yanks would score 4 in the top of the 8th to put the game away, but the night belonged to Joba.

Hopefully, he can follow up this start with another quality outing. At this point, Joba just needs to find consistency. He's already proven he can dominate on any given night.

May 30, 2009

Back On Top, Baby!!!

Although the Yanks we're actually in first place on Wednesday, they we're tied with the Red Sox. After last nights 3-1 victory over the Indians and the Sox 6-3 loss to the Blue Jays, the Yanks are alone on top.

I know it's May 30th, and the last time I checked, they don't hand out rings for being in 1st place on this date, but it still feels good. The last time the Yanks held 1st place by themselves was the final day of the 2006 season. That sounds crazy, but it's true. For over 2 years the Yanks have been primarily looking up at somebody trying to catch them.

Ahhh, yes, the month of May has been good. Lets look at some of the reasons why:

1) Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez

If the Yanks had a major league quality 3rd baseman on their roster, maybe his absence from the line-up wouldn't have been as glaring but they don't. Cody Ransom, Angel Berroa & Ramiro Pena would not start at any position for any other team in the major leagues. Not Washington, not Pittsburgh, not San Diego, nobody. Yet, a $200 Million payroll team was forced to run them out there every day. Unbelievable!

Expect the Yanks to mix in a little more position players in this years draft. Just a hunch.

ARod made a good line-up look great soon as he came back. Yankee scoring actually did not increase but with everyone else able to relax and just play their role, clutch hitting improved and walk off wins became a nightly occurrence...or so it seemed.

2) This Teixiera guy is good. Who knew?

Whether it was protection from ARod or an annual April slump coming to an end, Mark Teixiera straight mashed in May. Look at the numbers:

AVG .321 HR 12 RBI 30 SLG .726

On top of that he is flashing the leather like no Yankee first baseman has done since Donnie Baseball.

And remember, during the off season, it was a given that he was going to the Red Sox. Imagine if that had happened. Gotta give Cashman credit on that one.

3) "Our" Kids Are Alright

The Yanks would not be in 1st Place without the contributions from Melky Cabrera, Brett Gardner, Francisco Cervelli, Pena, & Phil Hughes.

Melky's been excellent, showing consistency & discipline at the plate that was lacking last year. Gardner lost the starting job in CF, but he's been a spark plug off the bench. Cervelli couldn't hit in AA, but he's surprised everyone with his bat plus his leadership and energy behind the plate. Pena seems to have locked down the utility infielder job for the season. And Phil Hughes has shown flashes of why he was once the crown jewel of the Yankee farm system. He's making it very hard for Chien Ming Wang to get his spot in the rotation back.

4) Aces High

With one more start to go, CC Sabathia is 3-1 with a 2.33 ERA for the month of May. He's gone deep into games and only given up 1 HR in 5 starts (3 of those starts being in homer friendly Yankee Stadium).

In his last 4 starts the bullpen has worked a total of 4 innings. That's how you rest a bullpen. And a rested bullpen is an effective bullpen as this month has shown.

Hopefully, the Yanks can keep it going as we enter the summer.

May 28, 2009

Joba Belongs In The Rotation

Entering this year, his 3rd in the majors, Joba Chamberlain, age 23, had thrown 124 innings.

Entering Roy Holladay's 3rd year in the majors, he had thrown 163 innings. In that 3rd year, he proceded to go 4-7 with a...wait for it...10.64 ERA. He was 23. Two years after that he went 19-7. The next year he won the Cy Young.

Patience, people. Patience.

May 15, 2009

I Like Francisco Cervelli

When Posada went down and then Jose Molina followed him to the DL, I said "Uh-Oh". We have no more catchers!!! The Yanks called up a kid from AA that wasn't even hitting .200.

But Francisco Cervelli has impressed me. It's not just that he's shown himself to be more than an automatic out. He seems to call a very good game and throws above average. CC has had his best 2 starts of the year with him behind the plate.

What's more striking to me though is he has a take charge attitude. He seems to be a real leader behind the plate like you need from your catcher. Watching him the last week, it's hard for me to believe this guy just came up from the minors. He plays like a 10 year veteran.

Once Posada and Molina come back from injuries, Cervelli will most surely be headed back to the minors, but it's good to know we have a guy like him if we need him again. And going forward, it looks like we already have our back-up catcher for 2010.

Yankees finish road trip 4-2

CC pitched 8 strong innings yesterday and Matsui hit a game winning HR in the 7th allowing the Yanks to take the rubber game from Toronto last night.

CC wasn't as dominating as he was in his last start but he was more than good enough.

A start like yesterday is what makes a pitcher an Ace. It's not the occasional game where a pitcher has everything working and he cruises to victory. It's when a guy is fighting and battling all night to keep it close; bending but not breaking until his offense can muster just enough support to get the "W".

Plus, he basically was his own set-up man. Coming out to pitch the 8th after he was given the lead. How did he do? How about 3 up - 3 down. No need to mess around with the bullpen when you can be the bridge to Mo, yourself.

May 8, 2009

Nothing Surprises Me Anymore

So, now we can add Manny Ramirez to the list of juicers in baseball. I don't want to hear that maybe he had a legitimate reason for using a female fertility drug. The only reason a healthy athlete would use such a drug is to cycle off the steroids they were taking.

What's more, the HCG he took did not even show up in testing. What triggered suspicion was that Manny's test showed a unnatural level of testosterone. This prompted MLB to investigate further and they found Manny had prescriptions for HCG. So, Manny came very close to not getting caught. What this tells me is the sport is not really getting cleaner...the players are just getting smarter.

The days of just shooting up in the training room are gone. But players are still juicing. They're just doing it in secret.

I heard announcers saying that with ARod and Manny getting caught it will show young kids that using PED's just isn't worth it because of how it damages their legacies and Hall of Fame chances.

Really?

Manny just signed a contract worth $50 Million after making around $150 Million from Boston and even more from Cleveland. Sounds worth it to me. And I'm sorry, but Manny doesn't strike me as someone who cares about his legacy.

ARod will have earned over half a billion dollars by the end of his career. I think he'll get over possibly not making the Hall of Fame.

If I'm a kid with dreams of being a professional baseball player, why wouldn't I juice? If you're a 17 or 18 year old kid today, you were born in the early 90's. By the time you started watching baseball it was the mid to late 90's. The best players in the sport included guys like:

Ken Griffey, Jr
Mark McGwire
Barry Bonds
Sammy Sosa
Rafael Palmeiro
Roger Clemens

Pedro Martinez
Alex Rodriguez
Manny Ramirez
Jason Giambi
Gary Sheffield
Frank Thomas
Derek Jeter
Mike Piazza
Greg Maddux
Juan Gonzalez
Ivan Rodriguez

Randy Johnson
etc...

More than half of the guys I just named have been at the very least, suspected of using PED's.

So, if I'm a kid, I don't look at PED's as cheating but rather, the preferred path to the big leagues. If grown men can't leave the stuff alone, how do we expect our kids to? Just because we tell them not to and make commercials with the air seeping out of basketballs and limbs falling off statues?

Meanwhile, guys are making small fortunes by juicing up. Maybe when ARod or Bonds are 60 they'll regret not being able to get in the Hall of Fame but that's more of a media creation. Most guys who do get to the Hall of Fame say they never thought about achieving such an honor while they were playing. They're not concerned with their legacy or public perception or even media acceptance. An above average baseball player knows he has only 15-20 years to earn as much income as he can. It's about the money and the juicers are cleaning up.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Major League Baseball.

May 6, 2009

The Good, The Bad & The Fist Pump

I loved seeing Joba Chamberlain pitch with confidence last night. He was out there fist pumping and yelling like the Joba we used to see setting up for Mo. I've always said that Joba needs to be more demonstrative on the mound. He's taken criticism for it, but if that's you and it gets you pumped...then Joba, you do you. The opposition may not like it, but if you win, they'll fucking have to respect it.

All that being said, Joba needs to find a way to start the game with the same intensity, command & velocity he's been able to eventually show the past two starts. The way he pitched from the 2nd inning on last night was one of the most dominant performances I've seen from a starting pitcher in a long time. Of the 14 outs he recorded after the 1st inning, 12 were by strike out. He was hitting 96 with the fastball and both his slider & change-up were unhittable. He was hitting the corners with everything. And he was working fast. You could tell that he knew he had all his pitches working, and he just couldn't wait to throw the next one.

However, he looked terrible in the 1st inning giving up 5 hits including a HR, while striking out no one.

Sometimes, I get the feeling that Joba is trying to pace himself to be able to pitch longer into the game. But I'd rather Joba go out there and dominate for 5 innings then pitch 7 innings with mediocre stuff. And in reality, if he is trying to hold back, he won't last 7 innings most nights anyway because he'll get hit hard early or his pitch count will still be too high from nibbling, trying to make the perfect pitch.

Hopefully, last night Joba learned the lesson that he's good, but he's not that good that he can get major league hitters out without bringing his best stuff, from pitch #1 to pitch #101.

But that's the point. Joba is still learning lessons every time out. He's basically learning how to be a major league starting pitcher in front of our eyes. He spent a total of 1 year in the minor leagues. In his entire professional career he's pitched a total of...get this...241 innings. He's started a total of 32 games, major leagues & minor leagues combined. So far, in his major league career, Joba is 7-4 with a 2.47 ERA with 181 SO's in 153 innings.

Hopefully, those numbers are just a preview of a long & successful career.

In Defense of ARod???

Well, not quite. But this article by Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports does question the motives and credibility of Selena Roberts.

Everybody Relax

I know losing just one game to the Red Sox hurts like hell. And losing 5 straight to start the season against the hated rivals feels like something akin to what the Bush Administration would insist is definitely not torture, because as we all know..."The U.S. does not torture!!" But...despite how it may feel, it's not the end of the world.

If the Yanks had instead won the 5 games what would it mean? Well, besides 5 games in the standings that won't have to be made up. But if the shoes were reversed would it mean the Red Sox were certainly not in "our league" and there was no chance they would be a threat the rest of the year. Of course not.

These teams play each other roughly 19 times a year. At one point in the 2007 season, the Yanks won 5 straight and 8 of 9 against the Red Sox. It didn't seem to bother the Sox too much, though, since they went on to win the World Series.

I'll admit the Yanks need to play better but trying to rate the overall superiority of the teams based on 5 games is extremely short-sighted. Especially since the Yanks either had the lead or had the tying or winning run at the plate late in each of the 5 games.

Please, Daddy! Don't Hurt Me No More!!!

Time to rant....

The Red Sox own the Yanks this year. And they don't just beat us either. They like to torture us. They stick the knife in and then they pull it out just enough, til we think we're actually going to live, then they plunge it back into us and twist it until we finally give up and die.

One of the reasons for the Red Sox dominance over the Yanks this year is it seems the Red Sox are able to get whatever they need off this bullpen. We have no one that can shut them down and that even includes the Great Mariano. Damaso Marte going on the DL actually helps, but we still have no one that can be relied on to get big outs when needed (besides the Great Mariano...but then, only against teams other than Boston). Veras, Ramirez, Alby (Not So Sure), Coke, Marte, Melancon, Robertson, etc...all have yet to prove they are worthy of Girardi's trust. Brian Bruney can't come back soon enough.

And could someone tell the Yankee pitchers that the guy batting behind David Ortiz is no longer Manny Ramirez. They seem to be intent on making Jason Bay the next great Yankee killer. It's Jason Friggin Bay!!! Can we get this guy out. Damn!!!

Mark Teixiera. Can you at least get your batting average higher than your weight? With a line-up with Jose Melina & Pena in it...there is no way you should have the lowest batting average on May 5. Stop taking belt high fastballs down the middle and swinging at curveballs in the dirt. I do appreciate the walks you get, but since no one on the Yanks seems to be able to get a hit with RISP, we need RBI's, not just more baserunners.

Now we play Tampa Bay. This is an interested series. Both teams have sputtered out the gate but have each shown flashes of brilliance at times. The Yanks have their big three going...AJ & Pettitte vs Tampa Bay, and then CC on Friday against the O's. (For some reason the Yanks have another series in Baltimore but the O's have yet to come to NY. Weird.) It would be nice to get 3 quality starts from this group in a row. The bullpen will continue to be overworked when Hughes & Joba pitch so it's imperative that the veteran guys start going deep into games. Wang devastated the bullpen, with his 3 train wrecks last month. It's time to start righting the ship.

There is talk that we will see the season debut of Alex Rodriguez by this weekend. He will be a welcome sight. Just dropping him in the middle of the line-up will be soooo good. We really don't have a true clean-up hitter with Arod out. Posada, Swisher & Matsui have done their best in that role. But they are 5, 6 or 7 hitters, not true clean up guys.

And just getting guys like Pena, Berroa and Ransom out of the everyday line-up is a big plus. We pretty much could have batted the pitcher in their places the last month with minimal, if any, drop off. Actually,we probably would have been better off on the days that CC pitched, because he just might be a better hitter than all those guys. We still have to deal with Molina now that Posada is hurt, but 1 automatic out is enough.

Don't get me wrong...I appreciate the contributions Ransom, Berroa & Pena have made to the team. But at this point, they're just not everyday players.

May 5, 2009

2008 All Over Again

Jorge Posada was injured. Chien Ming Wang was on the disabled list. And we couldn't get enough big hits with men on base. Those were the 3 main reasons the Yanks missed the playoffs last year. So we go get Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Mark Teixiera. But the more things change, the more things stay the same.

Jorge Posada has a hamstring injury. That's the type of injury that can linger, especially since Jorge spends half the game in a crouch. Wang is...Well, I don't know what's wrong with Wang. The Yanks say it's a hip issue or a foot issue. Who knows? I really don't think the Yanks know. They just know he can't get anyone out.

Maybe getting ARod back will help the offense. What am I saying? Of course getting ARod back will help the offense. But will this team ever hit in the clutch??? The Yanks could very easily be 3-1 against Boston this year if they just hit .250 with RISP in those games. Instead they are 0-4 against them with another game tonight.

It will be Joba against Josh Beckett. Joba is coming off his best start of the year. Hopefully he can build of it and continue his maturation to a quality starter. Josh Beckett was unhittable in his first start of the season, but since then he's been getting beat up pretty good. So, we don't know what to expect tonight. It could be a pitcher's duel or it could be one of those 16-11 affairs like we had in Boston. I'm hoping for the former.

April 28, 2009

The Phil Phranchise Era - Part III

CC Sabathia pitched his first complete game for the Yanks last night but it wasn't enough. Justin Verlander was just plain nasty and the Yanks couldn't touch him. Two runs in the ninth against the Tigers closer wasn't enough as the Yanks lost 4-2.

The Yanks have now lost 4 straight and are back under .500. But I liked what I saw from CC last night. He didn't walk anyone and struck out 7, while going the distance. He was pitching okay thru 3 but wasn't really dominant. Then it seemed to click for him in the bottom of the 4th when he struck out Ordonez, Cabrera & Guillen - the heart of the Tigers' order. That was a glimpse of the CC we paid 160 Million for. He got into trouble in the 6th but even then he really didn't pitch that bad. The pitch Ordonez homered on was outside but Ordonez is so strong...he was able to muscle it just over the wall in right. Actually, it hit the top of the wall but it counts either way. If we can get this kind of performance from CC every time out, he will definitely earn his money.

The other positive was that Robinson Cano had 2 more hits and and hit the ball hard 1 other time. On this date last year he was hitting .153/.217/.214 with 1 HR and 5 RBI. This year he is at .380/.419/.633 with 5 HR & 15 RBI. He is the Yankees MVP for the month of April. Hope he continues to hit well all year.

Tonight, Phil Hughes will start for the Yankees. The plan was to leave Phil in AAA for most of the year to build up his innings and polish his stuff. But, due to the injury (read: ineptitude) of Chien Ming Wang, Phil has been summoned to take his spot in the rotation. Phil has pitched well in AAA so far this year. He has been working on a cutter & a change since we last saw him in the big leagues. Hopefully, he will pitch well and stay up here with the big club. But if Wang can get his confidence & effectiveness back, the Yanks will probably send Hughes back down for more seasoning in the minors.

It will, however, be interesting if Hughes dazzles. Let's say he has 3 starts with numbers like this: 18 innings, 14 hits, 6 ER, 6 BB, 16 SO. What do you do? Wang has to go back in the rotation. He can't be sent to the minors and he serves no purpose out of the bullpen. And what if Joba falters in his next 2 or 3 starts? The "Joba to the bullpen" people are already growing restless. They will outright riot if Joba struggles, Hughes pitches well and the bullpen continues to under perform.

On a side note, Ramiro Pena played an excellent 3rd base last night. That was to be expected since he is known for having a great glove. But he also chipped in with 2 hits. That's all I need to see. He should be the every day 3rd baseman until ARod comes back. And even then, he should stay as the utility infielder. I look forward to Angel Berroa's release once ARod returns.

April 27, 2009

BEATDOWN IN BEANTOWN

The Yankees were spanked up real good in Boston over the weekend. They got swept by a hot Red Sox team that has now won 10 in a row after starting the season 2-6. The Sox beat the Yanks in just about every possible way.

On Friday the Sox got to Mariano Rivera in the ninth to tie the game and then won it later on a home run from Youk off Damaso "Farnsworth" Marte.

On Saturday, AJ "Jekyll & Hyde" Burnett gave up a 6 run lead. And even though the Yanks battled back several times to regain the lead, the bullpen just would not allow the Yanks to win this game.

I mean, seriously, when the Yanks took an 11-10 lead in the 8th inning with Damaso Marte warming up in the bullpen for the Yanks, I wrote a comment in Peter Abraham's LoHud blog that the Yanks would need to put up at least 6 in the inning to avoid the bullpen giving it back. What happened? Yanks lose by 5. That's how much confidence I have when Marte takes the mound.

Marte didn't give up all the runs but he is like the character Eddie Mush from the movie "A Bronx Tale". Mush was the type of guy who, "if he didn't have bad luck, he wouldn't have no luck at all." In one scene in the movie all the mobsters are at the race track betting on a particular horse. When they see that Mush has bet on the same horse they all tear up their tickets because they know, even though their horse was currently in the lead, they can't win if Mush bet on him too. That's how I feel about Marte. Even if he pitches well (which happens just about as often as Rush Limbaugh compliments Obama), just the fact that he participated in the game, the Yanks are cursed to lose.

On Sunday, the Yanks got their first well pitched game of the series by Andy Pettitte but poor defense, lack of timely hitting, a Big Papi sighting, and a friggin' straight steal of home did them in.

To add injury to insult, the Yanks put Chien Ming Wang, Cody Ransom & Brian Bruney on the disabled list. Now Wang & Ransom going on the DL is actually a blessing in disguise, considering the way they've played. But Bruney was one of the few bright spots in the bullpen. And he was THE ONLY reliable link to Mariano. So that hurts.

The Yanks should have won 2 of 3 but instead will leave Boston with their tails between their legs. Despite all that the Yanks have been thru, they currently sit at .500. But it seems that the Yanks should be something like 6-12 right now due to all the blowouts and heartbreaking losses they've endured.

Hopefully, the starting pitching can get on track, which will by itself help to improve a worn-out bullpen. CC goes today. It might be a good time for him to start pitching like a 160 million dollar pitcher. And Phil Hughes will start on Tuesday against Detroit, replacing Wang in the rotation. If he can just go 5 innings and give up 5 runs or less it will be a HUGE improvement over what Wang was giving us.

Plus, I predict ARod will be back by the end of next week. I hope, I hope, I hope.

Fare thee well Boston,...until we meet again!

April 17, 2009

New Stadiums Come With A Trade-Off

I read an article today by Tom Verducci about how the New Yankee Stadium may not equal the previous one in terms of fan noise. This of course, he suggests, figures to take away a certain advantage that the Yankees had. His is not the only take I've heard on this issue in the last several weeks. The same things have been written about the Met's Citifield.

But is it really an issue?

I was living in Baltimore when Oriole Park at Camden Yards was built. Memorial Stadium was a dump. And Camden Yards is a jewel of a ballpark. But it may surprise some to know the same things were said of it back then, that are being said about the Yanks' & Mets' new digs today.

"Too many corporate guys with suits."

"The new ballpark has priced out the real fans."

"The noise level can't compare to Memorial Stadium"

Maybe these issues were a surprise to the Orioles' organization at the time but do you think they have, for one second, regretted building Camden Yards? Of course not.

Now, do you think the Yankees were unaware that moving the fans back from the field in a bowl shape instead of straight up would reduce the noise level?

Do you think they might have considered that pricing some seats as high as $2500 would alienate a portion of their fan base?

Would it have occured to the Yankee brass that the type of fans who can pay top price for a seat in the new stadium aren't the kind of people who are going to get drunk on beer and heckle opposing players all game?

Perhaps they balanced those negatives with how much extra money they'd make with luxury boxes and corporate sponsorship.

That's why teams build new ballbarks. It increases revenue streams. In theory, by doing so you are able to use that extra income to put a better team on the field.

The Yankees have not won 26 championships in baseball because they've acheived some sort of advantage over other teams due to loud, intimidating fans. They've done it by putting a winning team on the field more often than not. If they continue to do that, I think they'll be alright...even in the New Yankee Stadium.

Bullpen Spoils New Yankee Stadium Debut

Damaso Marte & Jose Veras blew another one for us.

Veras, I have accepted is streaky. He'll be lights out for weeks but then he'll have periods of poor control that lead to him getting rocked. I'll live with him, but you have to monitor him closely when he's in one of his unreliable periods.

Marte, on the other hand has been consistenly bad for the Yanks since they got him. Girardi & Cashman want to believe otherwise, due to his body of work in Pittsburgh. But this is New York. I don't care what you did other places. You have to get it done here. Last year he was used as a lefty specialist. He failed. He was used as a set up guy. He failed. He's been used as a mop up guy. He failed.

At this point Marte should be used as a lefty specialist only, pitching to 1 hitter at a time. If he can handle that for the next couple months, then, maybe his role can be expanded. God, I hate the fact the Yanks gave him a 3 year contract!!!

The Cody Ransom Experiment should be shut down, NOW. It's obvious his bat is non-existent but if we can't even get steady defense from him, he ain't worth a Zimbabwe Dollar. He was probably looking at this chance as his last shot at the major leagues since he's 33. When he started off poorly, he obviously started pressing and things just snowballed. Time to move on and get a major league quality body at 3B until ARod returns.

CC Sabathia didn't look too good yesterday. Too many pitches led to him leaving after 5 and turning the game over to a shaky bullpen. But at least he was able to battle in this one and keep us in the game unlike his first start in Baltimore. Maybe he was too jacked up yesterday due to it being the first game in the new stadium and pitching against his former team. Hopefully, he'll bounce back in his next start.

David Robertson pitched two scoreless innings to finish the game. Robertson was called up due to the Nady injury and had been lights out at Scranton. The Yanks should not hesitate to swap out guys in the bullpen. We have too much depth in the minors to continuously send guys out there who aren't doing the job. Marte & Veras, this means you.

Cano continued his hot bat yesterday with 3 more hits plus a walk. Keep it up, Robbie.

April 16, 2009

Why the Increase in Blacks in MLB?

ESPN reported yesterday that the percentage of black ballplayers in MLB increased to 10.2% in 2008. The percentage had not been that high since 1995.

Hmmmm. I wonder why. Here's my take:

The mid 90's saw the beginning of The Steroid Era in baseball. Fred McGriff led the NL in HR's in 1992 with 35. By 1998 that would have been good for 10th in the NL...35 HR's behind the leader, Mark McGwire. I could go on and on but everyone knows the guys were juicing and HR's became more prevalent in the game.

Steroids made big, strong guys who could hit the ball a country mile the ideal ballplayer. The glorified 5 tool player - hit, hit for power, run, throw, field - was not necessary anymore. All you needed was the 2 tool player - hit & hit for power.

Also desirable during the Steroid Era was the ability to draw a lot of walks (Moneyball) because that meant more men on base when somebody came along and hit that homer. Didn't matter that you couldn't run because you'd be trotting, not running, around the bases anyway. In the Steroid Era run, throw, field just weren't important anymore. (Notice how Barry Bonds was comfortable bulking up to the point that he could barely run or play the outfield. He knew his speed and fielding ability just wasn't in high demand anymore.)

All fine and good, you may say, but what does this have to do with a decrease in the percentage of black ballplayers during the Steroid Era? Stay with me now...

It's an established fact that some of the better athletes in the USA are black. But with the speed game all but gone in baseball and teams not valuing fielding that much, there wasn't as much value in youngsters who were athletically talented but in terms of baseball skills...raw. (Austin Jackson, top Yankee prospect, is an example of this type of player. He's always been a very good athlete but just starting to become a very good baseball player. )

Most blacks grow up playing multiple sports. They are less likely to have developed a "trained eye" for the strike zone in high school. (Foreign-born Hispanic ballplayers are known for being free swingers, too, but are enormously cheaper to sign than Americans and thus, more desirable.) Scouts were mainly looking for guys with high OBP who could bulk up and be HR hitters. The black kids were pulled to other sports who appreciated their all around athletic abilities, i.e. football & basketball.

Now with drug testing in MLB, teams have for the last couple years started to again try to build around speed & fielding ability to make up for the decrease in power. Guys like BJ Upton, Curtis Granderson & Cameron Maybin are in. Guys like Jason Giambi, Pat Burrell & Adam Dunn are out. Don't get me wrong. There is a place in baseball for all types of players. That's what makes the game so great. But now you just want one Pat Burrell type in your line-up, not 5.

Not sure if the percentage of African Americans in MLB will continue to rise, but I hope it does. It's good for the game.

MLB Network Good, Not Great

I have to admit the new MLB Network is my favorite channel. I love baseball so a channel devoted to it is heaven. I actually watch it more than ESPN now, which I never thought could happen.

I love watching the old baseball games from the 60's, 70's & 80's (The Golden Age) and seeing Ken Burns "Baseball" series on Sunday nights is a nice touch (Although it coincides with ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball...Thank goodness for DVR). The live look-in's each night during the week are good too, as well as the extensive coverage of the World Baseball Classic.

There is one problem with MLB though. The guys in the studio just aren't that good. I know they're mostly former players but, to be honest, most of them suck as analysts. Too many of them are from the John Kruk School of Analysis: "Say something funny and nobody will notice that you don't know what the hell you're talking about."

With John Kruk, of ESPN, his shenanigans are acceptable because he's surrounded by Peter Gammons, Buster Olney, Jayson Stark and Tim Kurkjian. So, if Kruk says something outrageous, those guys are there to counter-balance it with actual research & reporting.

But then, maybe MLB is trying to emulate Fox Sports as opposed to ESPN. "The Best Damn Sports Show Period" on Fox is as much about gossip, music, Hollywood, and pop culture as it is about sports. I never watch it for that reason. But I'm sure it has it's share of viewers. The only problem is baseball in this country is not as popular with the mainstream as football and basketball is. The kind of people who will watch the MLB Network are people like me...baseball fanatics. We're sports nerds who spend our time writing blogs and looking up stats all day. We don't want comedy relief, we want facts, or at least, well thought out opinions.

For example, yesterday, the question was asked in the MLB studio why Jeter was back to hitting lead-off after hitting second the last couple games. Mitch Williams says it's because Jeter is a better 2 hole hitter. But then, a graphic is shown that says Jeter, in his career hits .315 leading off and .316 batting second. Instead of Williams just shutting up, he then says it's because Girardi is still testing things out and doesn't know what he wants to do yet. The actual reason was that Johnny Damon, the #2 hitter, had not played the last two days because of the flu. No one in the studio mentioned this. They, instead chose to agree with Mitch Williams. If any of them had picked up a NY paper or read a blog they would have known the real reason.

Back in the spring, Harold Reynolds who used to fit in nicely at ESPN, said that the Yankees bullpen last year was a weakness. This, of course, was untrue. The Yanks bullpen last year was one of the few strengths of the team, even after Joba left to go to the rotation. What made it worse, the network chose to run this statement in their promos as a sign of the type of in depth commentary you could expect from their studio analysts.

Harold Reynolds, Barry Larkin, Mitch Williams, Joe McGraine, Sean Casey...they all pretty much try to outdo each other in hyperbole, comedy & bullshit. The only guys who give it to you straight, with facts to back up what they're saying are John Hart (maybe because he's a former front office guy), Al Leiter, & Billy Ripken.

All this being said, I love having a full time Baseball network. And it's hard to expect them to be as good as ESPN right off the bat. But hopefully they'll understand it's the purists that keep the game alive and it's mostly us who are watching and judging.

Stars From the Tampa Series:

AJ Burnett:
Took a no-hitter into the seventh. Up until the 7th inning didn't even have a hard hit ball against him. Many people doubted the Yanks signing this guy. But now it looks like he's the steal of the off-season. He's pitching like an Ace.

Nick Swisher:
Even if if he didn't hit .360 with 2 HR, a 2B, 4 rs, and 2 rbi, he would have made this list for being the only Yankee relief pitcher on Monday to not give up a run.

Derek Jeter:
After getting only 1 hit in the KC series and going hitless in the first game in Tampa, The Capt. broke out in a big way going 5 for 9 with a HR, a 2B and 4 rbi in games 2 & 3. His single in the 8th inning yesterday brought home the winning run. Reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Brian Bruney:
Faced 5 batters. Struck them all out. Threw 18 pitches, 16 for strikes. I think we've found the bridge to Mo.

Honorable Mention:
Andy Pettitte, Robinson Cano, Brett Gardner.

Yanks Take 2 Out of 3 from Tampa Bay

It didn't look too promising for the Yanks after losing game 1 of the Tampa Bay series 15-5. But the Yanks showed why they figure to be an improved team this year. They got excellent starting pitching in games 2 & 3. Add to that shut down relief work and timely hitting, and you've got a recipe for success.

The negatives you take from the series are the continued struggles of Chien Ming Wang and what looks to be a season ending injury to Xavier Nady. Wang pitched batting practice yesterday and it was noted that he was keeping the sinker down. However, I won't feel comfortable until I see him do it in a real game. Keeping the sinker down in spring training, or bullpen sessions or batting practice just doesn't mean much to me.

As for Nady, I feel bad for the guy but with the way Swisher has been playing, it seemed that Nady was in danger of losing his starting job anyway. For now it weakens our bench and versatility but the Yanks will call someone up to fill his spot. Maybe Juan Miranda (He's hitting .375 with 3 HR and 12 RBI in just 7 games at Scranton) . The Yanks have already said, though, they have no intention of bringing Austin Jackson up, whose been playing great in AAA. They want him to play everyday and not just be a 4th or 5th outfielder with the big club. I think by the All-Star break Jackson could be the starting center fielder for us.

Season Opener today at the New Yankee Stadium. CC Sabathia vs. Cliff Lee. Should be a good one.

April 14, 2009

What's Wrong With Wang?

Chien Ming Wang was totally useless last night. I understand he couldn't get the ball down and his mechanics were off...Again!!! But, Dude, you have to give me more than 1 inning. You have to find a way to battle thru and get some outs.

One of his problems is he seems to throw every pitch the same speed. His sinker, 4 seam fastball & slider all come in between 87-93 miles per hour. So, if he doesn't have his control the hitters can just sit on something up and crush it. It would really help him if he had a slow curveball or change up to keep hitters off balance a little. But the guy has had two 19 win seasons and was 8-2 last year before injury. So, it's easy to criticize him now. Fact is, he's proven he can win, and win big, with the stuff he's got. Maybe he's injured or just doesn't feel confident yet, throwing off the foot he broke last year.

Not much positivity from last nights game. Wang gave up 8 runs, the bullpen 7. The highlight was when everyone's new favorite Yankee, Nick Swisher, pitched a scoreless 8th, even picking up a strikeout. It was definitely a night when a long reliever would have come in real handy. If Wang gets another start, and I expect him to unless he's injured, no doubt Brett Tomko or Alfredo Asceves will be in the bullpen just in case.

I don't think it's time to consider bringing up Phil Hughes. I'd really like him to stay in AAA and perfect some of his secondary pitches before coming to the big club. The next time he comes to the Majors I want him to stay for good.

AJ Burnett goes tonight. Hopefully our starters can get back on a roll and give the bullpen a much needed rest.

April 13, 2009

Three Things the Weekend Showed Us

1) CC is a horse.
I was reminded on Saturday why I have always liked CC Sabathia. From his early days in Cleveland, before he had become a consistent winner, I marvelled at this guy. He's 6'7", big, strong & left-handed. He throws hard, mid 90's+ with great control. And he wants the ball. He's the type of guy that when a scouts are talking about him they would say, "Great Make-up". When you combine "Great Stuff" with "Great Make-up" you get "Ace". It's the reason a guy like Eric Bedard isn't an "Ace". He has great stuff but he doesn't have that certain something that makes a Josh Beckett or a Johan Santana an "Ace". CC has that. I'm glad he's finally a Yankee.

2) Joba looks fine
Six innings, 1 ER, 5 SO's. Good day for Joba. Too bad he couldn't get the win, but if he keeps pitching like this, the wins will come.

3) There is a reason Cody Ransom was 33 and in the minor leagues
I had thought Cody could be a good stop gap until ARod returned. But an .050 batting average with 7 K's thru 6 games is just not getting it done. Besides that he's looked very shaky on defense. I never thought I'd long for the days of Wilson Betemit but I do.

I was going to say something about the bullpen blowing yesterday's game but I won't. The bullpen had been lights out in the previous 4 games so they were due for a little blip. Hopefully, that's all it was, a blip, and not a trend of things to come.

I'm praying Tex' wrist is just sore with no lingering damage. We sure need his bat right now.

...And was I the only one who turned off the Master's once Tiger & Phil finished their rounds?

April 11, 2009

Andy is Dandy

There's a old saying that states, "You're only as strong as your weakest link." When you think about a starting rotation in baseball, this adage is definitely true. It's great to have an ace or a dominant 1,2,3 but if you have a bum pitching in that 4th or 5th spot, you're going to feel the pain. That's why signing Andy Pettitte was so important this off season.

I know Andy struggled down the stretch in 2008, but before his shoulder started barking he was having a very solid season. On July 22, Andy won to improve his record to 12-7 with an ERA of 3.76. If he had just been around .500 pitcher the rest of the way he would have won 16+ games. Instead, he struggled to just a 2-7 record the rest of the way.

Now, of course, there are reasons that 37 year old pitchers break down during the year. Andy has averaged 215 innings a year over his 14 year career, so, there is always the chance that he'll break down again this year, but if he can stay healthy I see no reason he can't give you numbers close to what he put up in the first half of the year. And even if he can't, just being able to eat up another 200 innings out of that 4th slot in the rotation is worth a lot.

Look at Boston. Even though Tim Wakefield is far from a dominant starter, being able to send him out there every 5th day when you know he usually is able to give you 6+ innings his huge. It saves your bullpen. And I'd love to see what the ERA is for the games started immediately after he pitches, since that knuckle ball is bound to screw up opposing hitter's swings. But the point is he is a reliable option on the back of the Sox' rotation.

In the off season, the Yanks spent a king's ransom on improving the rotation with CC & AJ. Chien Ming Wang returned after an injury hampered '08. But the best pitching performance thus far came from a guy who spent most of the off season looking for a job. Andy was sharp and efficient enabling him to go 7 innings and rest a weary bullpen.

We shouldn't need Pettitte to give us that every time he takes the mound. CC should eventually gain command of his fastball, Wang should find his sinker release point, AJ has the potential to dominate every time out, and Joba is on the cusp of being very, very good. But until all that happens it sure is nice to have good ole Andy taking the ball every 5th day.

April 10, 2009

Now That's What I'm Talkin' Bout...

Victory at last!!!

It's always good to get that first win. And the offense exploded as I expected it to. The final score was 11-2 if you missed it. AJ Burnett got the win. Texiera hit his first homer as a Yankee, as did Nick Swisher. And Robinson Cano continued his hot hitting going 3 for 4 with a homer...and even more important...another walk.

AJ looked dominant at times. But he struggled at times too. The homeplate umpire was squeezing him with the strike zone...but the signature moment of the game was in the 3rd inning. The O's had taken the lead at 1-0 and had the bases loaded with 2 outs and the dangerous Aubrey Huff at the plate. The count went full and then AJ snapped off a curveball that was so nasty, so filthy, it made a $10-blowjob-crackhead-whore seem squeaky clean by comparison. Next inning, Tex & Swish homered and the route was on!

What may be overlooked, though, was the work of the bullpen. After a shaky start to the season on Monday, the bullpen has been lights friggin' out! Here's what they've done in the last two games:

IP 8 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 3 SO 8

Yes, that's correct: Eight hitless innings. I really like our bullpen but many of the "experts" have doubted if it can match up with Boston or even the Rays. Time will tell, but I think we'll be just fine, thank you.

On to K.C. now. You can't sleep on this Royals team this year. They've got some talent and they could be a surprise team in the A.L. Central. However, I can't understand why they would pick up Kyle Farnsworth. In case you missed it, he gave up a 3 run homer in the 8th inning of the Royals first game to lose the game for Gil Meche, who had pitched a gem. I'm so glad the Yanks got rid of that guy.

April 9, 2009

Master's Prediction...

Tiger

i'm in......

left a few comments.....nice blog dude......well written too
mvp13klb

Orioles' fans suck


The attendance for yesterday's game at Camden Yards was 22,856. That is pathetic.
This is for the 2nd game of the year against the Yankees. When I lived in Baltimore, the Yankees always brought a crowd of at least 40,000, usually over 50,000, anytime of the year.
That franchise has sank soooo low. It's a shame. Who would have thought Tampa Bay would have passed them by.
Where have you gone John-ny Lo-wen-stein? A nation turns it's lonely eyes to you.

Wang Can't Make It Right

I've always liked Chien-Ming Wang. Probably because he's given the Yanks more than expected. When he came up in 2005 no one knew who he was. I mean, how many Major League ballplayers come from Taiwan?

The problem is that when his mechanics are off, he is terribly hittable. As was the case yesterday. Several times a year there will be games where he can't get the sinker down. And when he can't get the sinker down he doesn't have much else that he can get hitters out with.

Personally, I feel he lacks a killer instinct. When he gets two strikes on a hitter he has no desire to sit them down. There is really no reason for him to have such a low strike out rate. He throws in the mid 90's. Sometimes you just have to put a high hard one in there and challenge a mutha fucka. Kevin Brown had a great, hard sinker too, and he was able to get his share of K's.

Well, hopefully AJ Burnett brings his "A" game tonight. Although, after seeing CC & Wang the last couple days, I'd settle for AJ's "B" game or even his "C" game.

We CAN NOT GET SWEPT BY THE ORIOLES. Anyone but them.

We're making Nick Markakis look like George Brett. Fuck that.

April 8, 2009

Worst Guarantee Ever

I don't watch Women's College Basketball. But after Connecticut spanked Oklahoma last night to win the National Championship I had to comment on it for this reason:

A player on the Oklahoma Sooners, Courtney Paris, had made a prediction that Oklahoma would win or she would repay her entire scholarship. You can read the details here.

They gave her an opportunity before the game was played to take back her promise but she chose to stick by it. I guess that's admirable in a sense. But she was playing a Husky team that hadn't lost a game all year. Now, she owes about $64,000.

The article above goes on to state that if Paris should get drafted into the WNBA, the rookie salary is under $45,000. So, she will basically have to turn over her whole check. Hopefully, the University of Oklahoma will refuse to accept her money and get her off the hook. But, she should have never put herself in such a predicament.

Making bold predictions before title games has become common in sports but I've never known someone to put their money where there mouth is. And I doubt I'll see anyone do it again anytime soon.

Sox Can Only Go Down Hill...

The Red Sox defeated the Rays yesterday 5-3 in their home opener and they looked pretty good doing it, too.

Beckett pitched 7 innings giving up 2 hits, 1 run, and 10 SO's. It was the total antithesis of Sabathia's start on Monday. Beckett was dominant. Whatever was wrong with him last year seems to be fixed.

Dustin Pedroia (Why doesn't he just officially change his name to Dusty? Has there ever been a more perfect person to be named Dusty?) homered in the 1st inning picking up right where he left off from last year where he was the AL MVP. Even Jason Varitek's old ass homered. And Jonathan Papelbon finished it off for his 1st of many saves.

What can you say? The Red Sox couldn't have scripted a better opening day. Except for the little blip from their bullpen, they dominated the Rays in every way.

I know it's only 1 game but I have to admit...Damn!! Beckett looked good!!

April 7, 2009

2009 Pre-Season Predictions

Maybe I should rethink some of these...


AL East
New York
Boston
Tampa Bay
Toronto
Baltimore

AL Central
Cleveland
Minnesota
Detroit
Kansas City
Chicago White Sox

AL West
Oakland
LA Angels
Seattle
Texas

Divisional Round
New York Yankees over Oakland
Cleveland over Boston

AL Pennant
New York Yankees over Cleveland

AL MVP: Grady Sizemore
AL Cy Young: CC Sabathia
AL Rookie of the Year: Matt Wieters, Baltimore

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NL East
NY Mets
Atlanta
Philadelphia
Florida
Washington

NL Central
Chicago Cubs
St. Louis
Cincinnati
Milwaukee
Pittsburgh
Houston

NL West
Arizona
LA Dodgers
San Francisco
Colorado
San Diego

Divisional Round
NY Mets over St Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs over Arizona

NL Pennant
Chicago Cubs over NY Mets

NL MVP: Manny Ramirez
NL Cy Young: Brandon Webb, Arizona
NL Rookie of the Year: Colby Rasmus, St. Louis

World Series
NY Yankees over Chicago Cubs

I waited all winter for this???

Greetings all ye Yankee fans!

First off, I decided against posting during the off-season. I get so into the Yanks that I really need to take a break during the winter to re-group and live this thing that sometimes closely resembles a life.

But Opening Day has passed and I am a little disheartened.

CC looked awful. He says he couldn't command his fastball but that's like Chris Paul saying "I couldn't command my dribble." It's the most basic requirement of a pitcher, the fastball, and if a pitcher can't "command" it, he is in a word...worthless.

In any case, I'll give him a pass. But he better find that "command" real soon. And by real soon, I mean by his next start because his 3rd start figures to be Opening Day at Yankee Stadium and he really doesn't want to get booed off the mound in his first outing in his home park.

Mark Texeira went 0-4 with a walk and failed in a chance to tie things up late in the ballgame. He was booed lustfully by the Baltimorons as was to be expected. And when you accept the big bucks to play in NY you should know that boos come with the territory. He seems to be a thick skinned kind of guy. We shall see.

Now for the bullpen (or lack there-of). Brian Bruney continued to pitch poorly picking up where he left off in the Spring. His spot as the 8th inning set-up guy is in serious question at this point. Damaso Marte has a long way to go to justify the 3 year deal the Yanks gave him. Phil Coke pitched well but seemed to tire in the 8th. Maybe having a true long man wouldn't have been such a bad idea. The Yanks chose not to bring one.

The positives were HR's from Posada & Matsui. Multiple hit games from Jeter & Damon. Cano had 2 walks, which used to take him 2 weeks to amass. And Brett Garnder, The Feisty One, threw out a guy at home.

Can't dwell on this one too much. It's just 1 down and 161 to go...

January 28, 2009

Torre's book

The last couple of days all the talk has been about the upcoming book co-written by Joe Torre & Tom Verducci entitled "The Yankee Years". The excerpts coming out have shown that Torre had issues with Cashman and Arod.

I'm not going to get into what was specifically said in the book. You've probably already heard it. And normally I've always made it a habit not to criticize Joe Torre. He was the man who managed my team to 4 World Series Titles. So, I let him off when he failed to get another title for 7 years.

Keep in mind that in 6 of 7 those years Brian Cashman provided him with a team that was able to finish in 1st Place in one of the toughest divisions in baseball (The Yanks got the wild card in the other year). Why weren't you able to win a World Series in any of those years? You want to say Cashman is to blame because you weren't given the type of players that you could win with. What??? That's Bulls**t.

Of the 4 years you managed Arod he won the MVP twice and had a very good year the other two. But he was a fraud???

I believe Hank Steinbrenner was correct when he stated that Joe Torre is fortunate that his dad gave him the chance to manage the Yankees. I remember when Torre was hired and the general consensus was, "Joe Torre??? Why him? He's a loser." But 4 championships later, Torre is considered a great manager.

But do great managers go the playoffs 7 straight years without winning 1 World Series in that time? Maybe they do when they can put the blame on someone else.

I'm baaack!!

Sorry for the abrubt suspension of posts to the blog. I guess the depressing end to the Yanks 2008 season got to me.

But I'm back and more importantly the Evil Empire is back. And this year we are taking no prisoners.

CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Texeira bring a talent upgrade. And Andy Pettitte being re-signed gives us rotation depth, not to mention big game experience.

Center-field is a question mark. Jorge & Mo are coming back from shoulder surgery so we'll have to see if they can bounce back to the dominant players they were.

But, all in all, you have to like the moves that were made by the Yanks this off-season.

Add in the anticipation of opening the NEW YANKEE STADIUM and the excitement for the season to start is growing each day.

Let the games begin!!!!