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.
April 16, 2009
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.
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.
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?
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.
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:
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.
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
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