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.

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!!

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...

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!!!!