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.
May 5, 2009
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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