Where Have You Gone, Brett Gardner?

There has been plenty of discussion around the Yankee blogosphere about the offensive struggles of Jeter, A-Rod, Granderson, and such this year, and with good reason.  None of those guys are having the type of season we're used to seeing or expected from them this year.  But one of the guys who has been struggling the worst of all lately has been Brett Gardner, and that could have something to do with the continuing lack of spark in the offense.

On June 30, Gardner was hitting a cool .321/.403/.418 for the season and just had just come off a month where he put up an insane 1.006 OPS.  Gardner was hitting the piss out of the ball, mixing in a few extra-base jobs here and there, and getting on base at a freakishly good rate because of his patience and walk totals.  In the month of July Gardner hit .221/.375/.338 and his seasonal tripleslash dropped to .296/.396/.398.  The on-base % was still there thanks to 18 walks in the month, but Gardner had stopped putting up the 2-3, 3-4, 4-4 nights at the plate that had in June and his numbers suffered a bit.  Nothing drastic, but certainly not at the All-Star level he had been performing at.

Fast forward to today.  After last night, Gardner's line in August is .077/.077/.115.  He is just 2-26 in the month and 2-30 going back to the last 2 games of July.  Most startling, though, is the big goose egg in the BB column of his stat sheet.  Gardner has not drawn a walk all month, and that combined with his cold streak swinging the bat has left him with just 1 SB for August.  Gardner's tripleslash for the season currently sits at .279/.375/.376, a far cry from where he was a little over a month ago even if it still is above league average.

Now it would have been crazy to expect Gardner to keep up his high BABIP all season long, and you could certainly expect that some bad luck has something to do with his recent slump.  But he also seems to have lost some of his trademark patience during the last few weeks.  The zero walks are one telltale sign of that, as are the 11 Ks he currently has.  Gardner hasn't struck out more than 19 times in a month all season long, but he is already almost halfway to 30 for August after just 9 games.  In July, Gardner was able to counteract his cooling bat and still be offensively viable by drawing walks and getting on base, where his speed becomes a huge asset.  In August, the numbers suggest Gardner is swinging at more pitches, taking fewer, and making out after out instead of letting his patience work for him.

Now far be it for me to suggest that Gardner's supposed approach of hacking his way out of a slump is a bad idea.  I sucked at baseball when I used to play, and that's why I quit and played lacrosse through middle school and high school.  But in my opinion, Gardner has gotten away from what made him successful in the first half of the season and the fact is he just isn't as gifted a natural hitter where he can just swing his way out of a slump.  With guys banged up and slumping, the Yankees need Gardner to be a spark plug at the bottom of the order.  If he isn't doing that with the bat, then fine, but he still needs to be focused on getting on base any way he can rather than forcing swings because that's where his biggest strength comes out.

The Yanks haven't gotten much from the bottom of the order since the trade deadline, so the more chances to get Gardner on and turn the lineup back over to Jeter, Swish, and Teix, the better.  Take a few walks, drop down a few bunts, and don't focus so much on trying to get hits to break out of this slump, Brett.  Everybody goes through slumps and Gardner is no different, he just seems to be dealing with his in the wrong way.  Get back to being patient and working counts and good things will come.

Dinked And Dunked To Death

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

It's not often that Mo gets beat, as we've all come to learn over the last 15 years.  And when he does, it's not often because teams are smacking the ball off of him.  Last night was no exception, as a couple of cheap, well-placed hits set the Rangers up with 2 on and no outs in the 10th and then Daniel Murphy put some good wood on a 3-2 fastball to end things.

Now Mo definitely wasn't on top of his game last night.  The count was 3-0 on Murphy and after battling back he threw a 3-2 pitch that got way too much of the plate.  But he wasn't at his worst either, and when you get beat with your best on the mound, that at least takes some of the sting out of the loss.  That and the fact that it's Mo and you know he won't have any lingering effects from this outing the next time he steps out there.  Dude probably won't give up a run for a month after last night.

P.S.- Could somebody have gotten a clutch hit last night?  For fuck's sake.  I know the Swish and Cervy hits were big, and A-Rod's homer was huge in the 8th, but it seemed like the Yankees were set up with runners on all night and they just couldn't get anything done.  A hit here and a hit there and this game never even makes it to the 10th.  I don't know whether to tip my cap to the Ranger bullpen or spit my gum at the Yankee hitters (cough, cough: Berkman, Gardner, Jeter).

Of course, when you're starting lineup is missing half its regular members, things like that will tend to happen.  Teix should be back today, and hopefully Cano takes enough Flintstones vitamins to get over his cold and get back in his spot in the middle of the order.

3 Things To Watch For In The Yanks-Rangers Series

1) How the Rangers handle a playoff atmosphere

Yes, the Rangers are clearly the class of the AL West this season, but that's like being the blind person with the best eyesight.  It's one thing to beat up on the Mariners and A's and Zombie Angels in half- to three quarters-full ballparks knowing you're light years ahead of them in the loss column, it's quite another to face the Yankees in a packed house in what could be a preview of the ALCS.

The Rangers roster isn't exactly chock full of guys who have been around for a long time, and certainly not full of guys who have playoff experience.  The only vets who know about what it's like to play in big high-pressure games are Vlad Guerrero, Darren Oliver, and Cliff Lee, the last legitimate Yankee killer left.  And Lee's track record only goes back to last season, so again, not a lot of pressure-situation experience here to fall back on.

The Rangers have the benefit of playing this series at home, but it's still worth asking how the Elvis Andruses, Ian Kinslers, and Nelson Cruzes of the world will hold up against the Yankee starters and how the Texas bullpen will fare facing the Yankee lineup in a close game.

2) How the Yankees handle the 2 Ranger lefties, C.J. Wilson and Cliff Lee.

The Yankees have a winning record against lefties this season, but recently they have been handcuffed in their last 2 lefty outings by Ricky Romero and Jon Lester.  And of course the previously mentioned Cliff Lee has done his fair share of kicking the Yankees in the apple bag, so will their struggling offense be able to get on track against what has been their kryptonite of late?

Turning Teix and Jorge around is certainly to the Rangers' benefit, and guys like Berkman and C-Grand have done next to nothing against lefties this year, so there's some lineup juggling that should be done to try to get the lineup going.  Which brings us to our last point...

3) What Joe does with the lineup against the 2 lefties

I don't know about you, but I'm done watching Curtis Granderson flail around helplessly like a baby bird at the plate, especially against lefties.  At this point, he's more of an offensive liability than a defensive asset when there's a southpaw on the mound, so I would bench his ass for Austin Kearns and stick Brett Gardner in center for these 2 games.  If the Yanks have the lead late Joe can stick him in as a defensive replacement and slide Gardner over to left, but there is no reason to have Granderson hitting against lefties with what he's shown this season.

The same could be said for Berkman, despite the fact that he started swinging the bat better at the end of the Boston series.  He just doesn't have the numbers to justify being in there against Wilson and Lee, and Marcus Thames has done nothing but mash lefties all year.  Thames should get the nod here.

But then comes the issue of Cervelli already being announced as the starting catcher for both games of the series and the bigger issue of Teix being out of the lineup tonight unless his old lady can pop that kid out with the quickness.  Frankie catching almost automatically pencils Jorge into the DH spot and Teix being MIA means The BFP is probably in at first.  All this adds up to bye-bye, Marcus and means tonight's lineup will look something like this:

1) Jeter
2) Swish
3) A-Rod
4) Cano
5) Jorge
6) Berkman
7) Kearns
8) Cervelli
9) Gardner

Not exactly the A-Team out there but what can you do?  If Teix can go, you slot him in at 3 and bump everybody else down 1 to their normal spots until you cross out Berkman at 6.  Joe could take a risk and stick Thames in LF to get his bat in over Kearns', but I would hope by now he has learned the lesson of never putting Thames in the field.

I personally would like to see Jorge at first tonight if Teix can't make it and Thames at DH.  Now you've got your full compliment of righties in the lineup and Granderson and Berkman on the bench where they belong.  I'm sure that won't happen because of all the concerns about Jorge's health, but fuck that.  I would want to send a message this series that these cute little upstart Rangers haven't won shit yet and still aren't on the Yankees level.  And if that means Jorge takes a liner off his bad knee and the Yanks have to call up The Jesus after to fill in and rake, so fucking be it!

But that's just me...

** Bonus 4th Thing to Watch For: How A.J.'s back holds up tonight.  

I know I wouldn't be all that upset if he tweaked it again and had to make a DL trip.  Is that wrong to say?  Probably.  But with Ivan Nova wasting away in Triple-A, I'd rather see him come out and get shelled and chalk it up as a learning experience than watch A.J. get shelled and have to chalk it up to him being a candyass. **

Yanks-Sox Weekend Series Thoughts And Afterthoughts

(Photo of Jeter passing The Babe on Sunday courtesy of The AP)

Well the last of the booze had left my system after the weekend, and as it turns out I actually got to catch half of the series thanks to FOX not having anything Chicago or St. Louis-related to cover on Saturday to bump the Yanks and ESPN having to have Boston-New York on Sunday night baseball.  All in all, I'd say it wasn't a great weekend for the Yanks, but it certainly wasn't a terrible one either.  Let's review:

- On Friday, the offense was held in check by Clay Buchholz for the most part and Frankie Cervelli did himself a huge disservice in trying to get more playing time this year and next with the new additions by committing an inexcusable error on a dropped pop up that led to 3 unearned runs.  Javy didn't pitch great, not well enough to win against Buchholz, but he certainly didn't deserve to lose either.  Just a stagnant game and a case of nobody being able to pick anybody else up for their mistakes.

- On Saturday, CC outdueled the still-overrated John Lackey to even the series with 8 strong innings to bridge the gap to Mo.  After struggling through the first couple innings and allowing 2 runs, it was great to watch CC morph back into the dominant ace we've known him to be.  He was noticeably better in each inning after the 3rd, re-establishing his command of his stuff and keeping Boston's hitters completely off balance.  With the uncertainty surrounding the rest of the staff right now, it was a huge relief to see Carsten right the ship.

- A.J. Burnett's back spasms turned out to be the best thing that could happen to the Yanks on Sunday night as it allowed Dustin Moseley, someone the Red Sox most likely have no book on, to step in and completely dominate.  Moseley threw strike 1 to seemingly every batter he faced and mixed his fastball and off-speed stuff brilliantly to both sides of the plate to keep Boston's hitters completely off balance for 6 + innings.  Another typical Yankee beatdown of the Pitcher Formerly Known as Josh Beckett and that was that.

- Yesterday was another solid start for Phil Hughes, albeit a wasted one as the Yanks were shut down by Jon Lester.  The Yankees had their opportunities in the late innings, but could not capitalize on anything as Boston's bullpen did something right for a change and actually held a lead.  Surprising, I know, but still disappointing with a series win on the line.  All in all not a bad weekend, though, as the Yankees find themselves back atop the AL East thanks to Tampa's awful week.

Some more thoughts on the weekend:

- Great work by Boone Logan this weekend.  3 appearance totaling 2 innings of scoreless, hitless ball and a complete shutdown of Big Sloppi.  Logan has looked like a different pitcher since being called back up and should give the Yankees some lefty insurance if Marte is unable to go in the postseason.

- The box scores show a split, but this very easily could and should have been a Yankee sweep.  They put plenty of men on base and couldn't do much with that, save for a few at-bats on Saturday and Sunday.  Overall they were just 8-41 with RISP in the series, and 1-17 in the 2 losses.  Definitely a weekend of lost opportunities at the plate.

- Jorge Posada is old, I mean REALLY fucking old.  His swing looked slow and powerless in the 2 games I saw, his play behind the plate is still spotty at best, and he had yet another groundball to first that the firstbaseman dove for, fielded, recovered, and threw to first in the time it takes me to get ready for work in the morning to get Jorge by a step and a half.  I've loved Jorge for a long time, but if he keeps this up down the stretch, the Yanks might have to think seriously about calling The Jesus up next year to catch.

- The Big Fat Puma picked a good night to start hitting on Sunday night.  He plunked A-Rod in BP the day before and the boo birds were starting to come out at The Stadium before his 3-4 night.  Those back-to-back doubles down the line showed that there's still some life in Berkman's bat, even if there's next to none in his legs.

- Speaking of the BP incident, what the fuck was The Horse doing that close to the batting cage if he wasn't paying attention?  If you want to talk bullshit with guys in the dugouts or down the baselines, or find some good grass to graze on before the game, don't do it right in the infield during live batting practice.  Go in the fucking outfield or the clubhouse!  Come on, A-Rod.  This ain't no rookie shit.

- Well he ain't doing much for the ole batting average lately, but Teix is certainly making his hits count.  He had 5 hits against the Sox, 3 for home runs, and in his last 10 games has exactly 10 hits, 6 of them home runs and 1 a double for 13 RBIs.  Hey, I'm not going to complain about him still hitting below .260 when he's 1st in the AL in runs, 3rd in homers, 4th in RBIs, and 3rd in walks.

- Saturday was a perfect demonstration of how CC has evolved as a pitcher.  His stuff was sharp, but not dominating, and he simply pitched to contact, getting the Red Sox hitters to swing at what he wanted them to swing at, and trusted his defense behind him.  A fantastic performance and the best recipe to get the Yanks a win that Joe obviously wanted.

- You can't help but be impressed by Dustin Moseley.  The guy doesn't look like much, doesn't have anything special to his delivery, and doesn't throw anything in particular that makes you do a double take.  But the dude throws strikes, isn't afraid to come inside, and seems to have a good feel for the game.  After Sunday, I think we can all breathe a little easier knowing Moseley is around if someone else in the rotation gets hurt.

- Because of how well Moseley handled himself on Sunday, it made it all the more strange to me when Joe took him out in the 7th inning.  His pitch count was low (87), he was showing no signs of fatigue, he was facing a righty in Mike Lowell (and an older than shit one at that), and had a double play set up with a runner on first.  As well as he had pitched to that point, Moseley deserved a chance to finish out the inning, especially with a 6-run lead and especially if Joe's next choice was Joba.  As expected, Joba was a disaster and couldn't get Moseley off the hook and Boone had to come save the day.

- Then, to top that off, Joe yanks D-Rob in the 9th after a walk to bring in Mo even though there were 2 outs and the Yanks were up 5.  Mo never should have been up in that situation in the first place.  Stop overmanaging, Joe!!  Let your pitchers pitch!

- Is it just me or have the Yankees been extremely unlucky with infield singles against them?  It happened twice in the just discussed 7th inning on Sunday, and it seems like they have at least 1 or 2 against them every game.  Are teams actually trying to put the ball in these soft spots of the infield or is it really just a case of shit luck?  In either case, it sucks for the pitchers when they make a good pitch, get a shit swing for shit contact, and the dude still ends up on first.

- I for one was fully expecting the Yanks to light up Daniel Bard when he was brought in yesterday in the 7th with the bases loaded.  And the at-bats by Jeter and Swish were absolutely pathetic.  I know Bard's got good stuff, but come the fuck on!!  Add in C-Grand's hack job against Lester before that and that was just a disgraceful series of events for the Yankee hitters.  Bases loaded, nobody out, and they can't even get the ball in play to get the runners moving?  Pitiful.  That was the ballgame right there.

- It's stories like this one about the Rays putting Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis on the DL with shoulder injuries that really make me appreciate how the Yankees have handled Phil Hughes.  Sure, they fucked up Joba, but he sucks anyway.  Hughes was always the crown jewel of their pitching prospects and they've treated him carefully as such.  If he continues to pitch well this year without any problems, it should be all systems go next year and each year after.  And I'd rather have that to look forward to than MRIs and Tommy John surgery like Niemann and Davis have.

Adios For The Weekend, Kiddies

Yes, it's a big weekend with Yanks-Sox for 4 games on tap and yes, I should be covering the shit out of it.  But some of my boys from the East Coast are coming out to Wisco and it's my duty as their friend and gracious host to get them completely shitfaced drunk and fill them with as much artery-clogging deep fried goodness as I can before escorting them out to the local watering holes to drunkenly hit on the finest female forms that the Greater Milwaukee area has to offer.

That being the situation, there will not be any new material on the site for this weekend.  At least not any new material worth the time spent writing it.  No, anything you see on here over the next 4 days will the drunken incoherent ramblings of a man either incredibly elated or incredibly pissed off at what he saw flash by on the ESPN scroll.

So if you're looking for a Yanks-Sox fix, I would advise you to look elsewhere this weekend and we'll be back next Tuesday to catch up and review what will hopefully be a glorious weekend for the Yankees that ends with them back atop the division where they rightfully belong.

Godbless, good people.  And go Yankees!

Really, Sports Illustrated?

So this was the picture blasted all over the front page of SI.com this afternoon as the visual background for a "pro vs. con"-style debate on legalizing PEDs in sports:

Really, SI?  You're going to make A-Rod the new face of the PED controversy just because he just hit his 600th home run yesterday?  What about Bonds and McGwire?  What about David Ortiz, who is having a strangely solid season this year after being outed as a cheater and almost being shitty enough to get benched last season while A-Rod's power numbers are down dramatically across the board?  What about Lance Armstrong, who has accusers coming out of the woodwork now in regards to his doping allegations?

I would expect this kind of cheap, blatant anti-Yankee rhetoric from ESPN because that's just what they do, but not from SI.  Just a sad, pathetic, lazy display by the folks there.  Leave A-Rod alone, people.

Thursday Lunch Time Linkapalooza

A short work week is almost over for me.  For the rest of you suckers, here's some stuff to help fill your break time and beyond:

- Via twitpic, here's the ball that A-Rod hit for 600 yesterday.  Something tells me he used his centaurian powers to hit it to deep center knowing it was his best chance to get the ball back without having to sign tons of shit and take some schmuck out to eat with him and Cameron.

- Ian O'Conner at ESPN NY acts as the turd in the punch bowl on A-Rod's home run with his 'wah-wah, why did he have to take steroids?  Now the number is meaningless' column.  I knew this would happen, I predicted this would happen, and that's why I don't care about 600.  But if you do, then read this and nod your head like a drone.

- Joe Paw at RAB examines Phil Hughes' recent resurgence over his last 2 starts and points to his improvement with his fastball as the major cause for Hughes' improved outings.  The big question is still whether or not Hughes can keep this up as he approaches his innings limit.  Fatigue is a bitch.

- Kevin at ...Baby Joba moves on to wondering why Chad Gaudin is still on the roster while J-Alba continues to waste away at Triple-A.  Now that Chan Ho is gone, Gaudin is the last of the bullpen dead weight.  I'm fully on board with Kevin here; it's time for Gaudin to just gau (see what I did there?)

- Josh W. at Pending Pinstripes takes a look at some of Brett Gardner's seasonal batting breakdowns to determine if pitchers are changing their approach against him.  The numbers certainly suggest they are, and I would have to say that's a smart move given what Gardner has done this year.  Fear Brett Gardner, FEAR HIM!!!

- It's not like we need any reminders of how great Mariano is, but just in case you wanted one, SJK at NoMass compiled some insane numbers showing just how great Mo has been this year and over the last 3 years.  I just hope I'm still alive at 38, 39, or 40, let alone being as good at something as Mo is.  Way to set the bar high for the rest of us, Mo.

- Joel Sherman at the Post has a column today about how A-Rod still has time to alter his image in the eyes of the public as he continues forward in his career with his new approach to the game.  Awwww, sounds like The Horse finally won Joel over.

- It has nothing to do with the Yankees, or even baseball for that matter, but Patrick Hruby at ESPN has a huge story on the the history of the Madden video games.  It's scary to think about how big that franchise has become and even scarier is the fact that I have always completely sucked at Madden.  This is still a great read though, so check it out.

Awesome Video: 4th Outfielder At Yankee Stadium

This has already been on Barstool NY, but it's funny as shit so I'm writing about it anyway.

This just goes to show the difference between Yankee fans and other fans.  Mets fans just sit on their ass and whine and boo as their team lays stinkbomb after stinkbomb on the field and then line up to call into WFAN the next day.  Red Sox fans sit and message each other back and forth on the Blackberries and barely even watch the game, then stand up to sing "Sweet Caroline" and call it a day.  But Yankee fans not only show up and pay attention to what's going on, some of them actually GET INVOLVED IN THE GAME.

I mean look at this guy!  He's got that whole bleacher section covered.  No way anything is sneaking through the gaps on his watch.  He doesn't even acknowledge autograph seekers as they come up to him.  No sir, he's 100% focused on the task at hand, and that's the sign of a championship-caliber team.  Sure, you can make the argument that any ball that reaches him is already a home run and so it doesn't really matter what he does, but that's not the point here.  The point is, this guy is dedicated to the max and you would never see anything like this at another ballpark. Shit, most other ballparks can't even get enough people in the bleachers themselves let alone guys who think they're part of the game.

P.S.- Wish I had a 12-pack of whatever that dude was drinking or an eighth of whatever he was smoking because I refuse to believe that he's that legit crazy enough to show up at a game and do this.

P.P.S.- How about a little stability on the camera holding there, Michael J. Fox.  I felt like I was watching that video from the bow of a passing ship in rough waters.

P.P.P.S- The balls on the guy in the Santana jersey at the 1:20 mark.  Go home, you fucking clown.

Finally!

(Photo used courtesy of ESPN.com)

Well it's official.  The Horse is now a member of the 600 Home Run Club and surprisingly enough, ESPN chose not to be openly or subtly derogatory in their coverage on the website.  Congrats, Alex.

Now that that's taken care of, can we get back to winning some ballgames?

**UPDATE- 4:59PM: Here's the link to the video of #600 for anybody who was unlucky enough to not be able to see it today (like me).  There was no doubt about that one.  A vintage Horse homer indeed. **

OH MY F'ING GOD!!!

THE YANKEES AREN'T IN FIRST PLACE ANYMORE!!! 

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Now I haven't been a fan of how the Yanks have played lately; it's been pretty brutal.  But I'm not about to go jump off a cliff here.  Yes, they've lost 3 in a row and yes, they're only 5-5 over their last 10 games and lucky to be at that mark while the Rays have been on fire.  It's called a slump and every team has them.  The starting pitching has been atrocious lately and the offense has been wildly inconsistent.  It's not like this is how the team is going to play for the rest of the season, so if anybody is thinking about hitting the panic button, just chill out.

At this point it's obvious that the 600th home run is in A-Rod's head.  His swing is completely out of whack, his balance is off, and he's swinging at everything.  But he's going to hit it eventually and when he does, he'll settle back in.  CC's mechanics are a bit off, but unlike A.J., he has some mental toughness and testicular fortitude and will figure out how to fix the problems.

The biggest thing you can take out of the last couple weeks is that Andy Pettitte is undoubtedly the Yankee MVP this season.  The rotation isn't the same without him and the "stopper" presence he brings when they come across a shitty start by A.J.  He also provides more rest for the bullpen with the length he's given the Yankees this year, something that's been lacking with Mitre and Moseley getting his starts.  So with all due respect to Robinson Cano, the MVP of the team is Pettite hands down.

Oh, and even without him, they're still 8-7 since he went on the DL.  So let ESPN get excited about the Rays overtaking the Yanks for first place again, because I'm sure as shit not.

Swish On E:60 Tonight

As shocking as it seems, ESPN is actually going to include some Yankee-related material in its programming that isn't a smear campaign or a series of subtle jabs at the Evil Empire.

Yep, that's right.  Tonight on E:60 there will be a segment about Nick Swisher and the energy and looseness he has brought to the traditionally business-like Yankee clubhouse.  If you think this isn't going to be one of the best and most entertaining E:60 segments ever, then you are out of your mind.  I mean, look at this guy:



And he's got 4 home runs and 6 RBIs in his last 4 games.  So there's that too.

Oh A.J., A.J., A.J....

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

You suck.  You officially fucking suck.

Seriously, get fucked and then go step in front of one of those double decker tour buses in the city.  Because that's the only way you're going to be able to consistently help this team.

I know there are going to be roster decisions to make when Andy comes back in a few weeks, but I, for one, would keep Dustin Moseley around.  With the complete wildcard that A.J. has become, there is no way to count on him for anything.  If he's going to keep this shit up, I would dump his ass on the DL with a phantom injury down the stretch and go to battle with CC, Andy, Javy, Hughes, and Moseley.

Remember

"Our captain and leader has not left us, today, tomorrow, this year, next ... Our endeavors will reflect our love and admiration for him."

Thurman Munson: 1947-1979

With all due respect to Derek Jeter, Munson was the greatest and most beloved Yankee captain of all time.  He is still greatly missed today.  One of the handful of Yankees that I'm truly upset that I never got to see play or come out on Old Timer's Day.

Ahh, Mets Fans. Always Good For A Laugh

It's a slow day in the Yankee blogosphere as everybody is catching up on the weekend series and the Yanks' deadline deals, which I, being the master of awesomeness that I am, was already light years ahead of.  So that being the situation, why not take a moment to make fun of the Mets and their sadsack fanbase again?  OK, here we go:



Surprisingly enough, that actually WASN'T Mike Pelfrey making his way to the bullpen to warm up or Jerry Manuel going out to the mound for a pitching change.  But it might as well have been with the way the Mets have played lately, so it acts as the perfect visual metaphor for their suckiness.  Go ahead, watch it again.  You know you want to.

Video via Deadspin

Yanks-Rays Weekend Recap

The Yanks lost 2 of 3 to the Rays this weekend, and barely won the one game they did manage to take to keep the division lead.  It was definitely not pretty.  Both on and off the field there was plenty to talk about this weekend.  Here are the major talking points:

- Surprisingly enough, it was the bullpen that was the lone strong point for the Yankees over the weekend.  Joba was excellent in 2 innings of work on Friday, D-Rob continued to dominate and Boone Logan was more than efficient in his work on Saturday, Mo was Mo (that's really the only thing I can ever say about him), and Kerry Wood looked pretty good in his debut today.  The starting pitching was meh, and the offense was pathetic.  Were it not for the bullpen, there's a good chance the Yanks lose all 3 games and lost them by more than they did.

- Outside of Crawford, Upton, and Pena, there isn't much in the Tampa lineup that makes you take a second look, but these guys can hit.  They all work the pitch count, they all fight off pitches, and they can all make you pay for mistakes.  Matt Joyce did it to Hughes on Friday night and Javy Saturday, and the whole lineup seemed to have CC's number today, taking the shit that he threw for walks and pounding the mistakes he did make in the zone.  Not a lot of guys filling up the stat sheet, but not an easy out in the bunch.

- Outside of Swish and Cano, there wasn't much coming from the Yankee lineup at all.  Jeter still hasn't caught fire like we're all waiting for him to do, Teix was slowed down this series, as was C-Grand, and The Horse is really starting to feel the pressure of not hitting his 600th dinger yet.  Nowhere was that more apparent than Saturday, when he got a few pitches to drive and couldn't do anything with them.  Add his strikeout looking as a pinch hitter today and it's clear that he's pressing at the plate:  too much swinging for the fences and too much looking for just the right pitch.

- And shame on Joe for pinch hitting A-Rod in that situation in the first place today.  If you say you're giving the guy a day off then give him the fucking day off.  It's obvious he's pressing way too hard right now at the plate, so why put him up there in a situation where it's obvious you want him swinging for the fences.  The smart move would have been to keep him on the bench all game, let him get his head clear for a day, and get after it tomorrow.  Now after that K today, I'd be shocked if A-Rod got on base tomorrow let alone hit a home run.

- Jorge Posada is officially old as fuck.  He was a part of 2 plays on Friday night that, if any other guy was running, could have been infield singles.  Instead Carlos Pena had enough time to make recoveries, dust off his uniform, read a few chapters of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo," check his email on his iPhone, and throw to first to get Jorge by multiple steps each time.  I commented on the logjam that Berkman's presence could cause at DH and after this weekend it's clear that DH is where Jorge's future is and should be, not behind the plate.

- Speaking of Fat Elvis, not exactly a dynamite debut this weekend.  1-8 with a potential rally-killing GIDP in the 8th and a couple of missed plays in the field today that Teix probably makes.  I still say he will be a good addition to the lineup when all is said and done, but he certainly didn't do himself any favors in the "keeping the NY media off your back" department.

- At last some good news via LoHud.  Andy threw off a half mound today without any pain and could miss only 2 more starts.  Dustin Moseley filled in admirably in his last outing, but with CC's recent struggles with command, Phil Hughes' innings limit, and A.J. being A.J., getting Andy back to full strength and back in the rotation as soon as possible is great news.

- And some even better news via RAB.  Chan Home Run Park was DFA'd to make room for Kerry Wood.  Yankee fans everywhere had this to say:



So at least there's some good news to come out of this weekend.

Kearns & Berkman: Yay Or Nay?

So the Yankees made a couple of unexpected moves yesterday while they were busy wasting a good outing by Phil Hughes.  By the end of the day today, they should officially have OF Austin Kearns and DH/1B Lance Berkman in the fold.

Neither of these guys solve the bullpen problem, but both will add some much needed depth to the bench, something that was the other major priority at the deadline.  And all indications are the Yankees were able to make both deals without giving up any significant pieces.

First let's take a look at Kearns.  Once a former highly-touted prospect with Cincinnatti, Kearns has settled into a 3rd or 4th outfielder role for the majority of his career.  The right-handed batter is currently hitting .272/.354/.419  with 8 homers and 42 RBIs and will slide right into the 4th outfielder spot for the Yankees, an area that has been a revolving door for most of the season.  His presence will allow the Yankees the option of sliding Brett Gardner to center and sitting Curtis Granderson against lefties, despite Granderson's recent hot hitting.  While he's certainly not expected to produce in the middle of the order like he was in Cleveland, Kearns does provide an upgrade over the Colin Curtises and Kevin Russos of the world with his Major League experience, and as long as the "player to be named later" that the Yankees had to give up to get him isn't Austin Romine, Slade Heathcott, or Dellin Betances, this is definitely a good deal for the Yanks.

Now for Berkman.  Once one of the most feared switch hitters in the game, Berkman, now 34, has regressed greatly as a hitter, as indicated by his .245/.372/.436 tripleslash this season, well below his career averages of .296/.410/.549.  But there is still some power left in his bat and Berkman can still get on base with the best of them, and he should fill the gap left by Nick Johnson as the full-time Yankee DH.  His .874 OPS and 12 HRs and 45 RBIs as a left-handed hitter should translate well to hitting at Yankee Stadium and he also provides the Yankees with another viable option as a first baseman should Teix need a day off.

The Yankees had to give up Mark Melancon and someone named Jimmy Paredes to get Berkman.  Melancon has seemingly been on the verge of breaking through as a major contributor in the Yankee 'pen for years now, but took a step back in Triple-A this season.  With a bunch of younger arms in the system that could project as solid relief pitchers down the road, Melancon did become a bit expendable, especially in this case where the Yankees were filling a need to build bench depth.

Berkman's presence may cause a bit of a logjam at DH, especially with Jorge Posada's ever-changing health, and it will be interesting to see how Joe manages that rotation to keep Jorge and his other older players healthy without sacrificing putting his best lineup on the field.  But that's a problem I would much rather deal with than the problem of having Frankie Cervelli and Ramiro Pena get regular at-bats at the bottom of the lineup.  My guess is Juan Miranda and Colin Curtis will get the boot back to Triple-A, which I can live with.

So far, so good for the Yanks at the deadline.  I give both of these trades 2 thumbs up and if they can make a move to add another bullpen arm, it could turn out to be another successful deadline season for the Bombers.

The Return Of D-Rob

Well it took long enough, but David Robertson certainly appears to have righted the ship after an awful start to the season and has solidified himself as the leading candidate to take over the 8th-inning role now that Joe has relieved Joba of those duties.  Since his blowup against Toronto early this month, Robertson has been lights out in his last 9 outings.  Observe:

9.1 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 0 R, 13 K, 12.54 K/9, 2.89 BB/9, .857 WHIP

And if you're like me and still appreciate the simpler, outdated stats, Robertson has lowered his ERA from 6.15 to 4.54 over that stretch.  The most important stat out of the line above would have to be the 2.89 BB/9.  Robertson's strikeout numbers have been on par with his career numbers this year, but it's been the home runs and walks that have really hurt him.  To have a lower BB/9 number than we're used to seeing from him suggests that he has finally rediscovered the command on his devastating fastball/curveball combo, and that has allowed him to attack hitters and get ahead in the count to set up the hook as his K pitch like last year.  His confidence seems to grow each time out, which is a good thing heading towards the homestretch of the regular season in a bullpen that has been shaky at best all year.

So now the question becomes, with Robertson firing on all cylinders, J-Alba and Mitre providing a change of pace in the bullpen rotation, Mo being Mo, and Ace possibly coming back before the end of the year, what do the Yankees do at the trading deadline regarding the bullpen?  Do they tell Toronto to get fucked with their 'Jesus Montero for Scott Downs' proposal?  Do they say the same thing to KC about Joakim Soria?

The Adam Dunn talks have stalled and there are no decent starters left out on the market, so the bench and bullpen still look like the areas most likely to see a change.  But one thing's for sure; the re-emergence of Robertson as a viable bullpen option certainly lessens the urgency with which the Yanks should be looking to fill the other holes out there.

Do You Really Care If A-Rod Hits His 600th Home Run?

Because I really don't.  And I'm not just saying that because SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight have jumped all over how long it's taken him to do it and how he now has the most at-bats between 599 and 600 in history.  I'm saying it because in the grand scheme of things it really doesn't matter how many he hits.  Especially not if he keeps producing like he has been and the Yankees keep winning.

Let's face it, because of his steroids admission last year, whatever records A-Rod ends up attaining are always going to be tied to his juicing.  Nobody talks about what McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds did years back anymore as if they were any kind of serious accomplishments and now A-Rod will be placed in that same category when he retires and his stats reach their final tally.  Add to that the fact that the media is still overly anti-A-Rod and you can pretty much take it to the bank that nobody outside of Yankee Stadium will pay tribute to his accomplishments and final stats, so there is little meaning or significance to be had.  Is that his fault for taking the steroids and cheating?  Of course it is.  Nobody can deny that.  But even if he had never been outed or had never even juiced in the first place, there are plenty of other arguments that people would have made had A-Rod ended up breaking the all-time home run record that would have rendered it meaningless, so when you really think about it, does it even matter how many he hits?

What really matters is winning, something that A-Rod finally figured out a year or two ago and something that he is much more focused on now than he was earlier in his career when he was putting up bigger home run numbers and jabbing needles in his ass.  And winning happens to be what the Yankees are doing right now, and they're doing it better than anybody in baseball.  They are, without a doubt, the favorite to win the World Series and go back-to-back for the first time since 2000.

And not only that, A-Rod is one of the key cogs in that winning right now.  He isn't hitting home runs, but he's still producing and driving in runs at a healthy rate.  After last night, dude now has 85 ribbies on the season, which puts him 2nd behind Miguel Cabrera not only in the AL, but in all of Major League Baseball.  He has 12 in his last 10 games, 31 in the month of July, and barring serious injury he's a sure bet to drive in at least 100 and maybe closer to 120-130.  Maybe I'm a little crazy here in my assumption, but that seems like a pretty goddamn good number to me.

Yes, he's older.  Yes, he might still be a little banged up.  And yes, he's obviously not the dominant power hitter he used to be, as his .275 BA and .834 OPS (over 100 points below his career OPS) shows.  But Alex Rodriguez is still one of the most dangerous and best hitters in the game today and he's been making the hits he has gotten count all season long.  His .275/.346/.488 season tripleslash rises to .292/.365/.530 with runners on base, and rises even more to .301/.370/.549 with RISP.  And if you really want to be impressed, in 16 bases-loaded at-bats this year, A-Rod is hitting at a .500/.500/1.125 clip with 3 HRs and 29 RBIs.

So fuck his 600th home run and fuck his home run totals.  I'll take all the RBI singles and bases-clearing doubles I can get as long as he keeps doing what he's doing in big situations as the cleanup hitter, continues to play a fantastic third base, and the Yankees keep winning.  And if he comes up big in the postseason again this year like he did in 2009, then I don't care if he ever hits another home run again and you shouldn't either.  Let Tim Kurkjian and Jayson Stark rattle off all the inane stats related to A-Rod's 600th home run that their little hearts desire.  I'll just sit back and watch him drive in runs as he and Yanks steam towards another title.

Well There's The New 5th Starter

Welcome to the rotation, Dustin.  Good to have you aboard.

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

Between Moseley's performance last night and Mitre looking 10 times better coming out of the 'pen for 2 innings on Wednesday night, the Yanks might have just filled 2 holes before the trade deadline without giving up or bringing in anybody.  Yeah, I know it was just the Indians, but still.

A.J. Being A.J. (Whatever That Means)

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

2 straight scoreless outings for A.J. Burnett?  Is that even possible?  Somebody check the calendar, did it secretly become 2012 while I was asleep last night and we're now only seconds away from the end of the world?  That's the only explanation I can come up with.

Well that and the fact that A.J. has remembered how to throw his curveball for a strike.  That always helps.  And he also said "It’s the most I’ve felt like A.J. in a long, long time" after the game last night, so the case of mistaken identity he had been suffering from must have had something to do with his struggles.

Question, who the fuck did he feel like prior to these last couple starts when he was getting shellacked?  Kenny Rogers?  Kei Igawa?  Joba?  These are the follow-up questions that the beat writers need to be asking.  I'm talking to you, Chad Jennings!!

Tonight's A New Night

I'm just going to pretend that last night's game never happened.  It's all about tonight's game and focusing on winning this one.

And Cleveland has a pitcher who has actually pitched in the Majors on the mound tonight in Fausto Carmona, so the Yankees at least have a snowball's chance.

Yes sir, things are looking up!

It's All Pitching All The Time

At least that's what all the news is today in Yankeeland.  In case you've missed any of it, here's the latest rundown:

- Javy Vazquez had another solid outing last night and got just enough run support to get the win he deserved.  A little more run support here and there and the dude could have 12-13 wins right now.  Scary when you consider just how terrible he was in April.

- Joba has officially lost the 8th-inning setup role as Joe chose to let him sit on his ass in the 'pen last night when the 8th inning rolled around.

- That being said, Joe hasn't exactly committed to an official replacement.  D-Rob and Boone Logan combined to form the bridge to Mo last night and it sounds like Joe is going to play the matchup game until either somebody steps up or Joba regains his form in some lower-leverage innings.

- Apparently the Yankees "dangled" The Jesus for Joakim Soria.  I don't know if that means they offered up Montero as trade bait or if he flashed his dick at the entire Kansas City organization, but either way I don't like the sound of it.  Why are they so eager to give up their best hitting prospect in ages for 2-3-month rentals?

- Joe has announced that Dustin Moseley will start in Sergio Mitre's spot on Thursday.  I would have given Mitre another shot but you can't argue with the logic here.  Moseley's 4.2 scoreless innings certainly looked a lot better than Mitre's 4.1 of 7-run ball and actually gave the Yanks a chance to come back and win on Saturday.

- For some reason the Yanks are still showing interest in Ted Lilly as a possible band-aid to the Andy Pettitte situation.  Not exactly a vote of confidence for Moseley, but with Haren gone and Oswalt not looking likely, I guess they have to keep their options open.

- The Yanks and Sawx are in major competition for the services of Toronto lefty Scott Downs.  He's the best reliever available on the trade market ( lefties are just 10-54 against him this year) and with Marte on the DL he would be the ideal replacement as lefty specialist over Boone Logan.

- Ace is back with the team, throwing a bullpen session yesterday and getting some flat ground work in.  He said he thinks he is going to pitch again this year, which would be phenomenal news, but the Yanks have to be careful with his rehab since he re-injured the back earlier this year trying to come back.

- And last but not least, my boy Lenny has figured out what to do with Joba.  Major kudos to him for figuring out what we all couldn't.  Who knows?  Maybe Joe was already thinking that way too and that explains Joba not pitching last night.

Nice Catch, Douche

(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

Were people really that riled up over the weekend about the Yankees trading for Dan Haren?  Dan Fucking Haren?  The guy is having the worst year of his career, has a spotty history against the AL East, and, as last night showed, clearly can't field his position to save his life.  And the Yankees were considering trading Joba, Ivan Nova, Z-Mac, AND Dellin Betances for this dude??  Give me a fucking break.

I know Mitre sucked over the weekend, but there's no reason to jump off a bridge and panic about the rotation.  The Yankees didn't need Dan Haren, and they don't need Roy Oswalt.  They can patch it together for a few weeks and hold the lead until Andy comes back.  At least he knows how to field a comebacker, it's just the throwing to first that gives him problems.

Get up, you candyass, and stop crying.  You got hit in the arm.  Pussy.

As The Joba Turns

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

A lot of disconcerting info on Joba in Joel Sherman's 3UP post today: 

"The only pitcher who appeared in 40 games this year and has a worse ERA than Joba Chamberlain’s 5.95 is Fernando Nieve, who was recently released by the Mets with his 6.00 ERA. No one who has appeared in 40 games has a worse WHIP than Joba’s 1.61."

I almost threw up my breakfast when I read those numbers and I slept in too late to even eat breakfast this morning.  Joel continues:

"In other words with 60 percent of the season gone now, Chamberlain has arguably been the worst regularly used reliever in the majors. He certainly is in the conversation. Which is ridiculous considering his stuff, which might not be what it was in his electric 2007 debut, but is still certainly better than his performance."

It appears that Joe Girardi is on the brink of removing Joba from the eighth inning and going with David Robertson, instead. But here is something else to keep in mind: Is it possible that the Yanks would send Chamberlain to the minors as a way to a) work through some of the issues with his inconsistency and b) to shake up a guy who just might need to have his world jolted. Chamberlain has always struck me as the kind of player who gets way too comfortable in the majors. Maybe he needs to be reminded that he needs to consistency earn his way up here and that nothing is a given."

And now, once again, it's time for the yearly "what to do with Joba?" discussion that everybody loves so much.  The grumbles about his performance have turned to dull roars over the last month and there are suggestions aplenty.  Unfortunately most of those suggestions are wrong.  Here are the CORRECT answers to the 3 most asked questions surrounding Joba.

1) Should the Yankees trade Joba?

Fuck and no.  Trade him for what?  Cliff Lee?  Already gone.  Dan Haren?  Already gone.  Roy Oswalt?  Almost definitely not interested in being traded to the Yankees so no.  And is it really worth using Joba in a package to bring in Adam Dunn to be the full-time DH?  As I discussed last Friday, the Yankee offense is waking up and they're doing it without the benefit of a "big name" DH.  They're still winning games with a struggling pitching staff right now so why waste Joba and other prospects to add a piece they don't need?

The only way trading Joba makes sense is if the Yankees bring back an improved bullpen option in the deal, such as Joakim Soria.  But the word on the street is Kansas City's asking price was pretty high for Soria, so  the Yankees would be faced with swapping one 8th-inning option for another while having to throw in additional prospects.  That just doesn't make any sense right now given that the Yankees are winning and given the fact that even with Soria in place of Joba, the bullpen would still be riddled with holes.

With what is out on the trade market right now and what the Yankees true needs are, there is no way to trade Joba and get back equal value without giving up more in the process.  Let's not forget that he's still just 24 years old.  Just because he's pitching like Kyle Farnsworth right now doesn't mean he actually is a washed up bag of shit like Farnsworth.

2) Should Joba be sent to the Minors to work things out?

Once again the answer is "No."  Yes, he's just 24, and yes he seems to have all kinds of problems with repeating his delivery, being aggressive, and maintaining a calm, confident demeanor on the mound.  But the time for Joba to be in the Minors has come and gone.  He's a Major Leaguer now and has been for 2 full seasons.  He needs to work out his issues against MAJOR LEAGUE competition because those are the guys that matter if he gets them out or not.

Sure, Joba can get sent down, work on his mechanics, and blow away a bunch of Triple-A hitters for a few weeks.  And I'm sure that will make him feel just dandy about himself.  But then when he comes back to the show, how do you guarantee he can replicate that success and maintain that newfound confidence the first time Vlad Guerrero gets ahold of one in the 8th and parks it off the facade in left field?

The only way for Joba to truly fix his issues is to do it against Major League hitters in Major League games and hold leads for Mo.  That's what he is in the bullpen to do, and if he isn't getting it done, then no amount of time spent beating up on Triple-A players is going to fix that.  I don't give a fuck if he strikes out every batter he faces in the Minors if he's just going to come back up to the Yankees and fall back into his old habits of not following through in his delivery and walking everybody and their mother to load the bases.

If he needs to fix mechanical problems, then get in the fucking 'pen with Eiland and work on them.  If he needs a kick in the ass because he's a lazy slob, then Joe should pull him into his office and chew him out or some of the veterans should get on him about his work ethic.  The time for coddling Joba is over.  The Yankees have fucked him up with the way they've handled him over the last couple seasons and now they need to un-fuck him at the Major League level.  Which brings me to my last point...

3) Should Joba lose his 8th-inning setup role?

Absolutely 100% "Yes" on this one.  We've seen it happen to pretty much every other reliever in the 'pen this year so why should Joba be excluded?  D-Rob was garbage early in the season and you saw him disappear from his 7th-inning role to pitching lower-leverage innings in the 6th and sometimes 5th.  Chan Ho Park went from key 7th-inning, sometimes 8th-inning guy to blowout mop-up duty now.

The sad truth is that Joba is pitching like shit right now and doesn't deserve the role he has.  When he's on the mound right now he doesn't hold the lead and doesn't give his team the best chance to win, and that's what being the setup man is all about.  He's giving up too many walks, too many hits (even if some are lucky), and doesn't provide that warm, fuzzy feeling that he used to coming in ahead of Mo.

Dave Robertson has been pitching much better of late and deserves a shot at being the new setup guy.  Joba and he should switch roles and Robertson should get a crack at being the bridge to Mo.  This move would actually help the Yankees on a multitude of levels.  It would reward Robertson for the good job he's done lately and possibly provide him with more confidence, it would give the team the best chance of holding close leads and winning close games, and it would allow Joba to work on fixing his shit in lower-leverage situations without going to the Minors to do it.

Being demoted in the first place would serve as the ass kicking that many people seem to think Joba needs to get motivated again, so there's one plus.  And even if it isn't in a 1-run, 8th-inning spot, being able to come in and shut down Major League hitters is far more valuable than doing it against Minor League guys.  If Joba can get his mechanics figured out, get back to locating his pitches better, and build a little more confidence as a 6th or 7th-inning guy at the Major League level, that's a much better result for the Yankees than waiting for him to get done in Triple-A and then hope he can replicate that success when he comes back.

So there you go, kids.  All your questions answered quickly and painlessly.  It's sad and pathetic that we still have to have these conversations about Joba after all this time, especially the ones related to motivation.  If you can't get motivated to perform as a professional athlete, then you have something wrong with you, in my opinion.  The Yankees can't fix what they've already done to screw up Joba, but the time for handling him with kid gloves has come and gone.  He needs to be removed from his setup role and kicked down the totem pole a bit, and forced to fix his issues in the Majors.  If he does, great, it gives the Yankees more bullpen depth moving forward.  If he doesn't, oh well, he will either get no meaningful innings in the postseason or lose his innings altogether to other guys who are pitching better and deserve them.

Still No 600

Well maybe I got a little ahead of myself on Friday when I all but guaranteed The Horse would crank number 600 this past weekend.  And obviously he didn't, but there's still reason to celebrate.

 (Photo courtesy of The AP)

All those lucky fans who were at the stadium yesterday got to see A-Rod rack up his 152nd career HBP in the bottom of the 8th.  It's not quite as awesome as joining the 600-HR Club, but there's still something to be said for a centaur that has been able to take that many shots over his career and keep on trucking.

So congrats, A-Rod.  You continue to break down barriers for professional athlete centaurs everywhere.

P.S.- Anybody who is concerned about A-Rod going into a homer drought because of the "pressure" on him to hit 600 can cram it right now.  Dude smashed the ball all weekend.  It's only a matter of time.