Joe's Bad Bullpen Decisions Doomed That Series

(What do you think here?  Gotta be Huffy, right?"  Courtesy of the AP)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

I've been a slow convert to the Joe Girardi management method.  At first I really didn't like how he did things, and it was only in the last 2 or 3 years that I fully got on board Team Joe when it came to evaluating how he went about his job.  If I'm being honest, and also a bit of a homer, I think the job he's done since the start of last season, with the teams he's been given and the injuries he's had to deal with, has been the best work of his career and arguably the best managing job in all of MLB.  So now that I've prefaced this post with that setting of context, let me say that I have absolutely no clue what the hell Joe was doing with his bullpen this weekend.

Alfonso Soriano Must Be Delusional

Jorge Castillo of The Star-Ledger had an interesting article earlier today about Alfonso Soriano and his struggle to adjust to life as a primarily bench/platoon player.  Within the article, Castillo gets a lot of good quotes from Soriano about the transition, how he feels about the demotion, and what he tries to do to stay ready, and for the most part it's all good stuff.  But Soriano's self-evaluation when it comes to his hitting leaves a bit to be desired:

"The most important thing is the ability with my hands is there. The most important things are health and the hands. I feel like my bat is there, too."

Al.  Buddy.  Dude.  I don't know what you think you're feeling in your hands when you're up to bat, but I'm telling you it's not ability.  You haven't drawn a walk all month.  You've been striking out in over 35% of your plate appearances since the start of May.  You've hit .212/.212/.273 this month and your season slash line would put you in the bottom 10% of hitters in MLB if you had enough PA to qualify for the batting title.  You're not showing any ability.  Your bat is not there.  I mean, it's literally there, in your ability-lacking hands, but not "there" in a sense that you're doing anything good with it.

I get that you'd like to be getting some more run, but you've got to do a little more to convince Joe that your bat is actually useful than just say it.  Trying using it to hit a ball into a gap or over an outfield wall every now and then.  That might help.  What won't help is saying that you think it's there when it's not.  That type of talk would have me walking you into the trainer's office to be concussion tested if I was the manager.

Can Everybody Please Not Freak Out About D-Rob?

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

I'd like to think that most of the people who read this site regularly would not be foolish enough to start panicking after David Robertson's blowup in the 9th inning yesterday.  But driving back from Delaware with my family, I was taken aback by the number of people who were calling into WFAN to complain about D-Rob and suggest that Dellin Betances be put into the closer role and so I feel like it's my duty to write this post and remind everybody that there's no reason to do that.

An Airing Of Grievances From A Frustrating Weekend At Miller Park

(Avoiding this dude on Saturday Friday night was literally the only good play Jeter made all weekend.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

For those who didn't know, my family came out to Milwaukee this past weekend for the Yankees-Brewers series.  They hadn't been out here in a few years and our favorite baseball team coming out to my neck of the woods was as good a reason as any to break that streak.  The girlfriend was also along for the ride, so with her meeting the fam for the first time and them meeting her for the first time, it was a pretty big social event.

More relevant to this post than that were my expectations for the series.  Despite losing the DH and coming in not playing the best baseball in May, those expectations were very high.  The Brewers were 4-6 in their last 10 games before this series and had been playing .500 baseball for the past few weeks after their white hot start.  I thought the Yankees were set up perfectly to come in off their series win in Anaheim, get another road series win, and set themselves up for an extended run of success against a relatively weak schedule over the next few weeks.  They got the W on Friday night, but for the most part these 3 games were not encouraging.  All in all, the weekend was a constant series of reminders of just how flawed a ballclub the Yankees are.

A Quick Word On This Mo/Cano Thing

Actually, it's 2 words.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON'T CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARE!!!!!!  Not at all.  Not even the slightest amount.  If you're later to the party than I am, Mo has a book coming out soon that was written by Wayne Coffee of the Daily News.  In an attempt to stir up interest in the book and snag the always-important headlines and pageviews, the DN posted a story late last night focusing on an excerpt from the book in which Mo questions former teammate Robinson Cano's desire and says he would pick Dustin Pedroia as his second baseman if he had to win one game.  The money quote:

“This guy has so much talent I don’t know where to start... There is no doubt that he is a Hall-of-Fame caliber (player). It’s just a question of whether he finds the drive you need to get there. I don’t think Robby burns to be the best... You don’t see that red-hot passion in him that you see in most elite players.”

Obviously something like this is going to be big news in the NY sports media shark tank and predictably, everybody is running with their EXTRA HOT TAKE on the "issue" today to boost their own pageviews.  It's the stupidest thing ever and a complete waste of time.

On Pineda, Pine Tar, And General Human Stupidity

(Courtesy of the AP)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

Nobody likes a cheater.  We're all raised to follow the rules and play fair.  But in the sports world, especially the baseball world, the blurring of the line of right and wrong is an unspoken understanding between all players and coaches and there are plenty of familiar phrases that speak to that mindset.  "If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying".  "It ain't cheating if you don't get caught".  And so on.

Michael Pineda was trying last night.  He was very obviously struggling with his grip and command of the baseball in the bottom of the 1st inning due to the colder temperatures and wind blowing through Fenway Park.  The guys on the ESPN broadcast pointed it out no more than 10-12 pitches into the inning.  He labored through it, went to the dugout, and came back out for the 2nd with a little substance aid to help solve his grip problem.  His method of using this substance was so blatant and flagrant that it forced John Farrell to point it out to home plate umpire Gerry Davis, who very easily identified the pine tar smudge on Pineda's neck and ejected him from the game.  Pineda was already toeing the line of baseball rules again by going to the pine tar.  He got caught doing it and so he was cheating.

Michael Pineda Is The Least Slick Dude In The History Of Baseball

(Courtesy of MLB.com)

I mean come on, dude.  You know we live in a world of HD television cameras, right?  Did you think you weren't going to be checked?  Did you think slapping it on the side of your neck was going to make it less noticeable than it would be on your hand?  Please don't tell me you're stupid enough to think that nobody would notice because you're darker skinned.

I almost don't want to know what Pineda's explanation for this is because there simply can't be one that's not completely and utterly idiotic.  He might as well have jogged back out on the mound in the 2nd with pine tar under his eyes like eye black and under his chin like a fake goatee.  Just next level mental midgetry right there.  Dude deserved to get ejected and he deserves all 10 games of the suspension he's probably going to get.

P.S.- When Gerry West touched his neck and said "that's pine tar", my mind flashed back to that episode of "The Fresh Prince" where Will pretends to be Ashley's father and the teacher calls him out for having a fake mustache.  I would have given Pineda a small sliver of props if he would have hit Davis with the "No it's not!" response and just stood there.

Infield Woes On Full Display Yesterday

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

Question.  What do you get when you combine a 40-year-old shortstop with already severely limited range coming back from a series of various leg injuries, a 36-year-old second baseman who's played in only 29.6% of all regular season games since 2010, a 26-year-old MiL lifer playing third base, and a backup catcher playing first base for the first time since high school?  Why it's yesterday's starting infield, course!

Whether you watched it live or read about it later, you probably already know that yesterday afternoon's game was a disaster.  Ivan Nova and his poor command are mostly to blame for that, but the infield deserves its fair share too.  The argument could be easily made that nobody on that infield deserved to be a Major League starter as his position and yet there the 4 of them were.  On this day, this was the best a team with a near $204 million Opening Day payroll could muster.

On CC's Weight

(Courtesy of Deadspin)

Last week this picture of CC Sabathia at a Knicks game made its way around the interwebs and naturally people started talking about it.  Sabathia's weight has been an increasingly popular topic of conversation over the last few years, as he's made more of an effort before seasons to drop a few pounds and then usually ended up putting them back on by the end of the year.  This offseason Sabathia made a concerted effort to not only lose weight but tighten up the rest of his body, and this picture provided some insight as to how much those efforts worked, as did his ST weigh-in result of 275 pounds over the weekend.

The major loss in poundage and somewhat gaunt appearance in that picture have caused a bit of a stir in the NY sports world and parts of the Yankosphere.  The feeling has apparently shifted from "good for CC for trying to lose some weight" to "jeez, look at how much weight he's lost!  That can't be good" and for the life of me I can't figure out why.  Yes, that picture does make CC look like a combination of Forrest Whitaker and E.T. when he get sick and pale and Elliot finds him lying by the river, but it's just 1 picture.  The shots of him in camp show that he's still a big dude, and even if he wasn't that's no reason to speak or think negatively about his attempts to get into better shape.

Jeter Says He's Been Working Out For 2 Months, Confirms What I Most Feared About Last Offseason & Already Knew About His Medical Skills

 

(Courtesy of the AP)

Saw the highlights of Derek Jeter's MLB Network interview over on LoHud this morning and his comments on his offseason workout status stood out the most to me, for obvious reasons:

“I feel good. It’s been a good offseason. Last year at this point, literally I’d just come out of the boot. I’ve been working hard since the beginning of November. … I don’t know if I learned anything (from last season), I just had more time. It’s my fault. Look, I rushed to get back. I wanted to be back. I set the goal for Opening Day. I don’t know how real that goal was, but set it, and it’s my fault. I really didn’t have enough time, or I didn’t take enough time. I wasn’t careful like I should have been.”

Couple of things here, one good and the other not so good.

A-Rod Suspension Thoughts & Afterthoughts

(Courtesy of Angel Franco/The NY Times)

At long last, the arbitrator decision in the Alex Rodriguez Biogenesis suspension case was handed down this past weekend.  As many expected, the decision was not in Alex's favor.  As I expertly predicted (for once), the decision ended up being 162 games instead of MLB's original 211.  The immediate reaction from writers, bloggers, and fans alike was plentiful and spread across a wide range of feelings, and that tidal wave of activity only increased in size after last night's "60 Minutes" piece on the topic aired.  I tried to keep my thoughts on the decision to a minimum while the finer details and reactions from all parties involved came out, and I think I've had enough time to read everything, mull the whole situation over in my head, and comment intelligently on the matter.  My take on everything after the jump.

Report: Rakuten Won't Post Tanaka

(Maybe next year, guy.  Courtesy of the AP/Kyodo News)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

It seemed like things were starting to move in a positive direction on the Masahiro Tanaka front.  The new posting system between MLB and NPB was agreed upon and officially announced, and earlier this week Tanaka told his team that he wanted to pitch in MLB in 2014.  Despite their waffling on the decision to post him and their clear desire not to, it was reasonable to expect that the Rakuten Golden Eagles would eventually give in and honor Tanaka's wishes, not wanting to set a bad precedent for future players who would want to make the jump to the top level of competition.

Shut Up, Randy

Levine said he called Angels president John Carpino and MLB, apologizing for the Trout comment. "My understanding is the matter is over."
— Mark Feinsand (@FeinsandNYDN) December 13, 2013

The comment in question, in case you missed it, came earlier today when Levine was asked about the Cano contract and Robbie's comments about no respect:

“If Mike Trout was here, I would recommend a 10-year contract. But for people over 30, I don’t think it makes sense.”

Sounds harmless, but it was enough to get Levine a call from MLB to investigate whether or not the comment constituted tampering.  Such a Levine thing to do/say.  Seriously, what is this guy's deal?  He's like Donny from "The Big Lebowski".  Completely out of his element, no frame of reference on anything, yet constantly opening his yap to say stuff that nobody wanted or needed him to say.  How this man is employed in an incredibly high-ranking position anywhere, let alone for the most prestigious franchise in professional sports history is beyond me.

I've said this before and I'm going to keep saying it until it starts happening.  Shut up, Randy.  Shut the fuck up.

A Quick Word On The Latest NPB Posting Developments

(Or gets struck back against ... )

I don't want to make a huge deal out of this, because the Yankees are still winning the offseason right now by a wide margin and still have to be considered a favorite to sign Masahiro Tanaka whenever he's posted.  But the new changes being made to the NPB posting system are possibly the most blatant anti-Yankee screwjob I've ever seen in my time as an educated baseball fan and as a diehard Yankee fan I simply can't let it go by without saying something.

If D-Rob Isn't Capable Of Handling The Closer Role Now, When Will He Be?

(I mean, come on.  He didn't get the AB4AR "Fireman" Photoshop treatment for nothing)

The most surprising thing to come out of Cash's session with the media yesterday was his statement on David Robertson's status as the heir apparent to Mo for next year's closer role.  Cash reiterated that the Yankees haven't decided to officially name D-Rob the closer yet, which is fair considering it's still early in the offseason and the Yanks are in the market for relief help, but he raised my eyebrows with this line about D-Rob's ability to handle the job:

“I’m not sure if Robertson is capable yet. He’s never done that before."

If by "done that before" Cash means "never had a full-time closing gig" before then I fully agree.  D-Rob has never been an official closer tasked with regularly pitching the 9th inning and saving wins and that's because he's had Mariano Rivera pitching in front of him every year of his career.  The preceding statement about Robertson's capability leads me to believe Cash didn't mean that, however, and that questioning of D-Rob's capability of being a regular closer raises some questions as to just how the Yankees are making that determination.

Not The Way Andy Should Have Gone Out

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

I got nothing this morning, gang.  I'm still bummed about the way yesterday's game went down.  I know I shouldn't be.  If anything, I should have expected the Yankees to lose in the fashion they did because it's what they've done all year long.  Sure, there have been a few flashes of offensive competency here and there, but overall this has been a painfully bad offensive team incapable of doing anything - get a hit, put the ball in play, make contact - when they really needed to and they saved the worst for last yesterday.  The fairytale ending was laid out for them from about the 5th inning on and they gagged on their chance to write it time and time again.

Done

(Courtesy of the AP)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

Monday night was supposed to be the night that turned the 2013 Yankee season around.  At least that was the narrative we were expected to believe after Dan Barbarisi posted his story on Monday night's postgame closed-door meeting.  There were words like "fun," "energy," and "intensity," and the obligatory "our postseason starts now" message was thrown out there.  The team didn't want to fall into a pattern of accepting the losing culture that has defined them since about mid-May.  They had to come together, they had to stay positive, and they had to start turning things around towards a playoff push Tuesday night.

The reality is that this team was dead where it stood and has been for some time.  The fact that a team meeting was called to rally the troops and get some positive vibes going served only to confirm that previous sentence.  I can't remember who said it, but I remember hearing a player once sum up team meetings like this perfectly: "Winners win.  Losers meet."  When it's reached the point where everybody in the clubhouse is unspokenly aware that they've become losers and a meeting has to be called to address it, it's already too late.  Hell, an unnamed player in Barbarisi's story practically admitted that when he spoke to him.

A New Roster Move Low Has Been Reached

That's how I feel right now.  Like Lloyd Christmas in "Dumb And Dumber."  When Zoilo Almonte hurts his ankle and hits the DL and his replacement is Melky Mesa and his 36.7% K rate in Triple-A fresh off the Triple-A DL, and Alberto Gonzalez is being DFA'd to clear a spot for the return of Thomas Neal to do the righty DH duties, that's when I've had enough with this dump.  Non-stop injuries and non-stop terrible injury replacements.  It's reaching comically-bad levels of low now.  Just as uninspiring as uninspiring gets.

Joe's Old Mother Hubbard and he's just got nothing in the cupboard.  It wouldn't shock me if A-Rod's entire body just separated from itself in his final rehab AB tonight and one of Jeter's legs fell off.  At least it's not all bad news.  Still got that Overbay-Wells-Hafner trio locking down the 4-6 spots in the order...

P.S.- Yep, absolutely mixed in a slight "Major League 2" reference just lines after the "D&D" one.  And I did it with a hangover, a possible seasonal allergy attack, and a charred hand.  No DL trips for this guy though.  Rub a little dirt on it and get back out there.

Defending Robbie Cano

(Courtesy of Corey Sipkin/NY Daily News)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

Pretend it's the start of the 2013-2014 offseason.  The top free agent available is a lefty hitter in his prime who hits for both plus average and plus power and owns a .307/.351/.503 batting line in 9 career seasons.  He plays an up-the-middle defensive position that the Yankees would desperately need to fill and plays it at a plus level.  He's almost universally regarded as the best player at his position, one of the top 10 players in all of baseball, and has been a perennial All Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, and MVP candidate for the last 5 seasons.  Oh, and he also fired his agent earlier in the season, the one known for squeezing every last drop he can out of the free agent market, to replace him with a rapper whose ties to New York couldn't be tighter if he was a sidewalk in Times Square.

I'm Done With This Steroid Stuff

So ESPN created another big wave in the still ongoing steroid saga yesterday with OTL's report that Major League Baseball is going to seek suspensions for Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez, and up to 20 other players linked to the Biogenesis clinic.  It's already being treated as proof of guilt by many and is understandably getting a large amount of coverage this morning from all sorts of sports, baseball, and Yankee media outlets.  Well count this guy out of that mess.  Because I'm fucking done with steroids.