It's not like I need a reason to post the video for the new Deftones song on this blog. After all, it is my fucking blog. But just to keep with the Yankee theme, it is worth mentioning that Sergio Vega is wearing a Yankee hat in this video. Enjoy.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Does Somebody Else Actually Have A Shot At The 5th Spot In The Rotation?
It's still early in Spring Training, but so far the Joba-Hughes battle for the last spot in the rotation has been greatly overshadowed by the performances of Sergio Mitre and Alfredo Aceves. In their first 2 outings they have both looked impressive, and it raises the question of how serious are the Yankees about the race for the 5th rotation spot actually being an "open competition?"
Everybody from Joe Girardi to Brian Cashman has sworn up and down that this is a legit 5-man race between Joba, Phil, Mitre, Ace, and Chad Gaudin for the 5-spot in the rotation, but everybody with half a clue assumes it is going to come down to Joba and Hughes and everybody else will be herded into the bullpen or the minors. The question that needs to be asked is, if Joba and Hughes don't perform well enough to prove they should win the spot, or if Mitre or Aceves continue to pitch lights out, will the Yankees keep true to their word and give the guy who pitched the best his shot?
I personally don't see it happening. The organization has spent so much time over the last couple seasons grooming Joba and Phil to be starters that it would be seen as a waste internally if one of these guys isn't in the rotation this year. At that point you can pretty much say the Joba Rules and Joba's entire 2009 season were a waste of time, and nobody in the higher branches of the Yankee tree likes to admit they were wrong. Even if Joba or Hughes don't pitch that well for the rest of the spring, whoever does pitch better will be given the spot and it will be their spot to lose.
On the other hand, as blog after blog has pointed out, you don't need a world beater as your 5th starter, and nobody is accusing Mitre or Ace of being world beaters. If they continue to pitch well and earn the 5th spot, I would feel just as comfortable with Mitre or Ace in the 5-spot and a bullpen of Gaudin, Park, Robertson, Marte, Hughes, Joba, and Mo. It would be like a modern day version of the Cincinnati Reds' Nasty Boys 'pens of 1990 and would allow Joe the depth to cover for weak performances from the 5th starter or anybody in the rotation and keep Mo fresh for the stretch run of the playoffs. Any way you look at it, it's a win-win and something to consider.
It's still way too early to speculate, and if Hughes or Joba shows even a hint of being able to nail down the last spot, it's going to go to them no questions asked. But you have to admit that with the way things have started out with Joba and Phil not being overly sharp and Mitre and Aceves looking dynamic, this "battle" for the last rotation spot is certainly more interesting than it initially looked like it was going to be.
Everybody from Joe Girardi to Brian Cashman has sworn up and down that this is a legit 5-man race between Joba, Phil, Mitre, Ace, and Chad Gaudin for the 5-spot in the rotation, but everybody with half a clue assumes it is going to come down to Joba and Hughes and everybody else will be herded into the bullpen or the minors. The question that needs to be asked is, if Joba and Hughes don't perform well enough to prove they should win the spot, or if Mitre or Aceves continue to pitch lights out, will the Yankees keep true to their word and give the guy who pitched the best his shot?
I personally don't see it happening. The organization has spent so much time over the last couple seasons grooming Joba and Phil to be starters that it would be seen as a waste internally if one of these guys isn't in the rotation this year. At that point you can pretty much say the Joba Rules and Joba's entire 2009 season were a waste of time, and nobody in the higher branches of the Yankee tree likes to admit they were wrong. Even if Joba or Hughes don't pitch that well for the rest of the spring, whoever does pitch better will be given the spot and it will be their spot to lose.
On the other hand, as blog after blog has pointed out, you don't need a world beater as your 5th starter, and nobody is accusing Mitre or Ace of being world beaters. If they continue to pitch well and earn the 5th spot, I would feel just as comfortable with Mitre or Ace in the 5-spot and a bullpen of Gaudin, Park, Robertson, Marte, Hughes, Joba, and Mo. It would be like a modern day version of the Cincinnati Reds' Nasty Boys 'pens of 1990 and would allow Joe the depth to cover for weak performances from the 5th starter or anybody in the rotation and keep Mo fresh for the stretch run of the playoffs. Any way you look at it, it's a win-win and something to consider.
It's still way too early to speculate, and if Hughes or Joba shows even a hint of being able to nail down the last spot, it's going to go to them no questions asked. But you have to admit that with the way things have started out with Joba and Phil not being overly sharp and Mitre and Aceves looking dynamic, this "battle" for the last rotation spot is certainly more interesting than it initially looked like it was going to be.
People Let Me Tell You 'Bout My Best Friend
"The bond of winning a championship together has created a tighter bond between Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter.
They drove here together yesterday from Tampa for the Yankees' split-squad 6-0 win over the Pirates. And they left together. Before the game they played catch and long toss together, ran together in the outfield and even walked into the clubhouse together along the right-field line at 12:01 after they were done with their early work while a group of Yankees were still taking batting practice.
"They've definitely grown closer," one Yankee official told me.
They are laughing and joking together more, and during Sunday's workout in Tampa they spent a lot of time talking in short leftfield on a back field. They are enjoying being teammates." (courtesy of the NY Post)
Kernan thankfully left out the part where Jeter and A-Rod trade Lunchables lunches in the locker room after games, stay up late and watch scary movies together in a pillow fort they made together, and put Carl Pavano cards in their bike spokes to make them sound cooler when they ride around the Spring Training complex.
In all seriousness, this is good news for the Yankees and their fans. The Jeter-A-Rod rift was always news from the time A-Rod arrived in New York all the way through last year. It was a constant running subplot that everybody in the media knew about and everybody in the locker room had to be prepared to be asked about if anything regarding their relationship came up, like a lingering black rain cloud always hanging over the team and threatening to downpour on any good clubhouse vibes.
Jeter and The Horse are both professionals and their situation obviously didn't affect the way they performed on the field, but off the field one would imagine it still wasn't something they wanted to talk about. The fact that they seem to be back on good terms is good news for them and the team. It lifts that ominous cloud and allows for that little extra bit of comfort and calmness in the locker room now that everybody knows they don't have to worry about being asked "What's the deal with Jeet and A-Rod?" Jeter and A-Rod both can now focus even more on playing well and winning games and not have to listen to discussions about who is better, who is the leader, whose feelings are hurt, etc.
While it is a little hokey that something like this warrants major coverage in The Post, the fact is it's still good news for the team as they move into 2010. Having 2 of your best players and clubhouse leaders on the same page and getting along sets the tone for the relaxed, fun clubhouse vibe that was so important to last year's success and ensures that those vibes continue this season.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Goose Gossage Better Than Mo? Not So Much.
Nobody ever accuses Goose Gossage of not speaking his mind, and 99 times out of 100 I love his openness and honesty. But when it comes to calling himself the best closer of all time over Mo, I gotta call a timeout on that one. Gossage's comments to Players Press:
"I think that he is a tremendous relief pitcher. He's the best, current-day, modern reliever. When I was inducted into the Hall of Fame, I was told that I had 53 saves with seven-plus outs. I was told that Mariano had one and Trevor Hoffman had two. So I think that says it in a nutshell." (courtesy of Players Press)
Goosey, baby. I love ya but allow me to take that nutshell and crack the shit out of it. The stats, both basic and standardized just don't support your claim (all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com).
For starters, Mo has far more saves (525-310) than Gossage, he has won more World Series' (5-1) than Gossage, and has been named the league's best closer, AKA The Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award, more times (4-1) than Gossage. Goose's career ERA and WHIP, while both solid at 3.10 and 1.232, are bested by Mo's 2.25 and 1.015, which, coincidentally, are the best ERA and WHIP of the live ball era. Quite simply, when you break it down and compare the most basic measurements of individual and team success it's not even a contest. Game, Rivera.
Goose's argument is based on the logic that he pitched in more games for more innings and had more multi-inning saves, which is all true. But the game was different at the time Goose was in his prime, and teams were still learning to specialize their bullpens. The plan of most teams was to use your best reliever or relievers for as long as possible to give yourself the best chance to win, and as a fireballer with a rubber arm, Goose thrived in that environment. But the invention of sabermetrics and the growing attention to standardized stats over the last few decades since Goose's heyday now allow us to compare 2 guys from different eras and eliminate the apparent advantages that come from pitching more innings based solely on the era in which one played. When you compare some of these stats for Goose and Mo, Mo still takes the cake, ices it, and eats it right in Gossage's face.
Mo's ERA+, a much better way to show how good a pitcher is than just ERA, is 202, once again the highest of all-time. Goose's is 126. While Goose has pitched far more regular season innings than Mo (1,809.1-1,090), his overall effectiveness in those innings is not as good as Mo's. Goose's career H/9 and BB/9 are 7.4 and 3.6 respectively. By comparison, Mo's are 7.0 and 2.1 respectively. And while Goose has 1,502 career Ks to Mo's 1006, Mo has averaged 8.3 K/9 over his career as opposed to Goose's 7.5. Set, Rivera.
And when you factor in postseason success it really gets unfair. By all accounts, Mo is the greatest postseason relief pitcher of all-time and his 0.74 ERA, 0.773 WHIP, 39 saves, and 5-to-1 K to BB ratio speak to that. Granted he has spent far more time in the playoffs than Gossage, but that also means Mo had far more chances to make mistakes and hurt his career numbers in short series' and instead he has thrived time and time again in the highest of pressure situations. There's something to be said for a relief pitcher who has won a World Series MVP and ALCS MVP for his team in 2 separate postseasons and that pitcher isn't Goose Gossage, it's Mariano Rivera.
And just in case there is still a shadow of a doubt, consider longevity. Sure Gossage pitched for 22 seasons, but by his 15th year in baseball he was fast approaching the downside of his career. After his 15th season, Gossage only recorded 32 saves for the remainder of his career as his IP and K/9 went down and his WHIP and ERA went up. Mo's 15th season was last year and he recorded 44 saves, had an ERA under 2.00, a WHIP under 1.00, and recorded his highest K/9 average since 1996. Mo has showed no signs of slowing down and barring injury, he should eclipse Gossage's final 7-year save total in one season this year. Game, Set, Match, Rivera.
Everybody is entitled to their opinions but the numbers don't lie. Mariano Rivera has been more dominant, more efficient, and more consistent than Goose Gossage over a long period of time, and at an age where Gossage began to significantly decline, Mo has been able to maintain, if not improve, his high level of performance. Gossage's argument, while logical, is severely misguided as standardized statistics show that Mo's per-inning and per- 9 inning numbers are better than those of Goose, thereby negating the higher totals that Gossage accumulated as a result of pitching more innings. Rather than attempt to use that to prove his superiority over Rivera, Gossage would be wiser to show how his incredible stats could have been even better had he been used in today's system. Less wear and tear on his arm could have extended the life of Goose's prime and given him a shot at 400-450 saves, as well improved his per-inning and per-9 inning stats.
I will never try to argue that Goose wasn't a great player because he was. He was the inspiration for today's closers and still ranks as one of the 5 greatest closers of all time in my book. But he never has been and never will be better than Mariano Rivera. One inning or multiple innings, Mariano Rivera is the Bret Hart of relief pitchers/closers: the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.
"I think that he is a tremendous relief pitcher. He's the best, current-day, modern reliever. When I was inducted into the Hall of Fame, I was told that I had 53 saves with seven-plus outs. I was told that Mariano had one and Trevor Hoffman had two. So I think that says it in a nutshell." (courtesy of Players Press)
Goosey, baby. I love ya but allow me to take that nutshell and crack the shit out of it. The stats, both basic and standardized just don't support your claim (all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com).
For starters, Mo has far more saves (525-310) than Gossage, he has won more World Series' (5-1) than Gossage, and has been named the league's best closer, AKA The Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award, more times (4-1) than Gossage. Goose's career ERA and WHIP, while both solid at 3.10 and 1.232, are bested by Mo's 2.25 and 1.015, which, coincidentally, are the best ERA and WHIP of the live ball era. Quite simply, when you break it down and compare the most basic measurements of individual and team success it's not even a contest. Game, Rivera.
Goose's argument is based on the logic that he pitched in more games for more innings and had more multi-inning saves, which is all true. But the game was different at the time Goose was in his prime, and teams were still learning to specialize their bullpens. The plan of most teams was to use your best reliever or relievers for as long as possible to give yourself the best chance to win, and as a fireballer with a rubber arm, Goose thrived in that environment. But the invention of sabermetrics and the growing attention to standardized stats over the last few decades since Goose's heyday now allow us to compare 2 guys from different eras and eliminate the apparent advantages that come from pitching more innings based solely on the era in which one played. When you compare some of these stats for Goose and Mo, Mo still takes the cake, ices it, and eats it right in Gossage's face.
Mo's ERA+, a much better way to show how good a pitcher is than just ERA, is 202, once again the highest of all-time. Goose's is 126. While Goose has pitched far more regular season innings than Mo (1,809.1-1,090), his overall effectiveness in those innings is not as good as Mo's. Goose's career H/9 and BB/9 are 7.4 and 3.6 respectively. By comparison, Mo's are 7.0 and 2.1 respectively. And while Goose has 1,502 career Ks to Mo's 1006, Mo has averaged 8.3 K/9 over his career as opposed to Goose's 7.5. Set, Rivera.
And when you factor in postseason success it really gets unfair. By all accounts, Mo is the greatest postseason relief pitcher of all-time and his 0.74 ERA, 0.773 WHIP, 39 saves, and 5-to-1 K to BB ratio speak to that. Granted he has spent far more time in the playoffs than Gossage, but that also means Mo had far more chances to make mistakes and hurt his career numbers in short series' and instead he has thrived time and time again in the highest of pressure situations. There's something to be said for a relief pitcher who has won a World Series MVP and ALCS MVP for his team in 2 separate postseasons and that pitcher isn't Goose Gossage, it's Mariano Rivera.
And just in case there is still a shadow of a doubt, consider longevity. Sure Gossage pitched for 22 seasons, but by his 15th year in baseball he was fast approaching the downside of his career. After his 15th season, Gossage only recorded 32 saves for the remainder of his career as his IP and K/9 went down and his WHIP and ERA went up. Mo's 15th season was last year and he recorded 44 saves, had an ERA under 2.00, a WHIP under 1.00, and recorded his highest K/9 average since 1996. Mo has showed no signs of slowing down and barring injury, he should eclipse Gossage's final 7-year save total in one season this year. Game, Set, Match, Rivera.
Everybody is entitled to their opinions but the numbers don't lie. Mariano Rivera has been more dominant, more efficient, and more consistent than Goose Gossage over a long period of time, and at an age where Gossage began to significantly decline, Mo has been able to maintain, if not improve, his high level of performance. Gossage's argument, while logical, is severely misguided as standardized statistics show that Mo's per-inning and per- 9 inning numbers are better than those of Goose, thereby negating the higher totals that Gossage accumulated as a result of pitching more innings. Rather than attempt to use that to prove his superiority over Rivera, Gossage would be wiser to show how his incredible stats could have been even better had he been used in today's system. Less wear and tear on his arm could have extended the life of Goose's prime and given him a shot at 400-450 saves, as well improved his per-inning and per-9 inning stats.
I will never try to argue that Goose wasn't a great player because he was. He was the inspiration for today's closers and still ranks as one of the 5 greatest closers of all time in my book. But he never has been and never will be better than Mariano Rivera. One inning or multiple innings, Mariano Rivera is the Bret Hart of relief pitchers/closers: the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.
Will A-Rod Be The Next To Fall To The Galea Curse?
No, A-Rod needs to be careful for the sole reason that so far, every other athlete connected to this guy has gone down in flames. From Tiger Woods' personal downfall right in front of our eyes to Carlos Beltran's sudden knee injury/surgery before Spring Training to Jose Reyes' new thyroid condition that was discovered last week, everything this Galea character touches turns to shit.
Rodriguez got clearance from his doctor in the off-season that he would not need additional surgery and his hip was good to go, and if the stories in Page Six are true he's been getting in plenty of work both on and off the field to keep the hip strengthened, but with the latest news about Reyes' condition, The Horse might want to think twice before taking extra BP or running a few late-practice wind sprints. The last thing the Yankees or their fans need is to open the paper in a week or two and find out A-Rod has torn his quad and been diagnosed with male breast cancer, and have it traced back to his participation in Galea's alien blood cycling program.
So be careful, A-Rod. Make sure you have your batting helmet on when you're in the cage. Drink your milk, take your vitamins, stretch before everything, and don't wear your fucking spikes in the batting cage. Help break the Galea Curse and don't, for the love of God, become its latest victim.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Yankee Blogosphere Linkapalooza For The Week That Was
Matt Imbrogno at TYU projects Robinson Cano's 2010 season, and while I agree with him that those numbers would certainly solidify him as one of the best 2B in the game, I'm certainly expecting more than .828, 20 HR, and 86 RBI from the guy who Joe announced will bat 5th to start the season.
The addition of Chan Ho Park to the bullpen has created a bit of a stir, and now it looks like somebody who was looking like a sure bet to start the season in the 'pen might now be on the outside looking in. Matt Axisa of River Ave. Blues discussed why sending Phil Hughes to the minors is a bad idea. Not to be outdone, Joe P argued the same for Alfredo Aceves. I can't say I disagree with either of these guys; the bottom line is you want your best 12 pitchers on your 25-man roster and Hughes and Ace definitely fall into that category.
Fernando from Respect Jeter's Gangster dishes a hilarious take on A-Rod's discussion with the Feds about Tony Galea.
Rob at Bronx Baseball Daily examines a Mark Feinsand column and weighs in on Bernie Williams' HOF potential as a result of the Steroids Era. Personally I don't think Bernie has any better or worse of a shot than he did before all these other guys were outed as cheaters. He was never discussed as a HOFer while he was playing, and as much as I love him, his career numbers don't stand up enough to launch him over the big time juicers, even if they don't make it.
Steve S. at TYU agrees with me on Bernie. I guess great minds really do think alike, huh? And then he comes in HOT on Saturday morning with a well thought out and statistically-supported argument for why Aceves should be the 5th starter. I can't argue with the logic there, I just don't see any way it happens.
Matt at Fack Youk looks at Ken Rosenthal's proposal for divisional realignment and rather than waste time and energy talking about how idiotic and useless Rosenthal is, he instead discusses better, more logical changes that should be made to create more value for teams who win the most games and eliminate the goofy situations that the Wild Card creates.
Tim Marchman at SI ranks the GMs in baseball and has Cash at 3. I won't try to argue that pick but I will argue Theo at 2 and Andrew Friedman of Tampa Bay at 1. Theo has done a great job managing the draft and Minors but his free agency history is spotty, and giving Friedman credit for the Rays' recent success when they've have the Number 1 or Number 2 pick in the draft since the beginning of time is just laughable.
Cuban defector, and future Yankee shortstop, Adeinis Hechavarria has been given the OK by MLB to negotiate with teams. Yay!
And lastly, I'm just going to link the home page to LoHud because it is an absolute bevy of information on the goings on at Spring Training, including hourly updates of all the Spring Training games (a huge help when your internet filter at work blocks any live streaming media), and interesting interviews with some of the younger, lesser known guys in camp.
The addition of Chan Ho Park to the bullpen has created a bit of a stir, and now it looks like somebody who was looking like a sure bet to start the season in the 'pen might now be on the outside looking in. Matt Axisa of River Ave. Blues discussed why sending Phil Hughes to the minors is a bad idea. Not to be outdone, Joe P argued the same for Alfredo Aceves. I can't say I disagree with either of these guys; the bottom line is you want your best 12 pitchers on your 25-man roster and Hughes and Ace definitely fall into that category.
Fernando from Respect Jeter's Gangster dishes a hilarious take on A-Rod's discussion with the Feds about Tony Galea.
Rob at Bronx Baseball Daily examines a Mark Feinsand column and weighs in on Bernie Williams' HOF potential as a result of the Steroids Era. Personally I don't think Bernie has any better or worse of a shot than he did before all these other guys were outed as cheaters. He was never discussed as a HOFer while he was playing, and as much as I love him, his career numbers don't stand up enough to launch him over the big time juicers, even if they don't make it.
Steve S. at TYU agrees with me on Bernie. I guess great minds really do think alike, huh? And then he comes in HOT on Saturday morning with a well thought out and statistically-supported argument for why Aceves should be the 5th starter. I can't argue with the logic there, I just don't see any way it happens.
Matt at Fack Youk looks at Ken Rosenthal's proposal for divisional realignment and rather than waste time and energy talking about how idiotic and useless Rosenthal is, he instead discusses better, more logical changes that should be made to create more value for teams who win the most games and eliminate the goofy situations that the Wild Card creates.
Tim Marchman at SI ranks the GMs in baseball and has Cash at 3. I won't try to argue that pick but I will argue Theo at 2 and Andrew Friedman of Tampa Bay at 1. Theo has done a great job managing the draft and Minors but his free agency history is spotty, and giving Friedman credit for the Rays' recent success when they've have the Number 1 or Number 2 pick in the draft since the beginning of time is just laughable.
Cuban defector, and future Yankee shortstop, Adeinis Hechavarria has been given the OK by MLB to negotiate with teams. Yay!
And lastly, I'm just going to link the home page to LoHud because it is an absolute bevy of information on the goings on at Spring Training, including hourly updates of all the Spring Training games (a huge help when your internet filter at work blocks any live streaming media), and interesting interviews with some of the younger, lesser known guys in camp.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Joba-Phil Round 1 Review
First Phil Hughes. He started the game and pitched 2 innings. In those 2 innings he allowed only one hit and walked a batter, but that hit was a home run off the bat of the immortal Sean Rodriguez on a horribly-placed 3-2 fastball. Hughes' fastball command was his biggest issue, mainly because it didn't exist. In his 2 innings he threw 33 pitches, 18 of them for strikes, hardly economical and a direct result of his inability to locate his fastball, which topped out in the low 90s. On the positive side, Hughes threw about 8 or 9 changeups, the pitch he has been working on early this spring, and threw those relatively well. All in all, not a great outing by any means for Hughes, but considering how off his fastball command was it certainly could have been much worse.
Now on to Joba. In a word, he was brutal yesterday. 1 1/3 innings, 3 hits allowed (all extra-base hits), 3 walks, and 5 earned runs. He also threw 33 pitches and only 14 for strikes. His velocity was also in the low 90s and he didn't seem to have any bite or sharpness to any of his pitches. But Joba does get a pass from me for this bad outing because he has been sick with flu-like symptoms all week, reportedly losing 7 1/2 pounds due to his sickness, and hadn't thrown since Tuesday. I know when I get a bad head cold I can barely move and I sit at a fucking desk all day, so I'm not going to rag on Joba for not being at his best at a job that requires much more physical strength and mental sharpness than mine does when he's spent most of the week with his head either on the couch or in the toilet.
However, this is a competition and Joba's numbers certainly don't bode well for him early. Hughes did pitch better than Joba yesterday, which has to give him the early advantage. I'm sure once Joba gets his body back to homeostasis and gets back to his regular work routine he will be much better his next outing. But for the first test of the spring, yesterday has to be considered a 10-9 round for Hughes.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Plan B For DH If Nick Johnson Gets Hurt
So with Nick Johnson getting an early start to reaching his injury quota for the year, it bears bringing up how his absence from the lineup would best be filled if it were to happen during the regular season. Granted the Yankees have plenty of bodies to fill a spot on the roster between their platoon of 4th outfielders and small army of light-hitting utility infielders in the Minors, but none of those guys can be considered ideal replacements in terms of production. If the Yankees are smart, they will consider one man and man alone as Johnson's replacement in the lineup: The Savior himself, Jesus Montero.
This is really a no-brainer as far as I see it. Montero has been deemed Major League ready as a hitter by Jorge and Girardi already, so what better way to see how true that is and get him prepared to become a full-time contributor next season than to give him as many at-bats as possible this season?
And don't even try to give me the "but he still needs more work as a catcher and he can't get that experience if he's DH'ing in the Majors...blah, blah, blah" argument. When you have a guy this highly touted in your system, you find a way to get him at-bats. The Cardinals did it with Albert Pujols, working him around the outfield and infield before finally settling him in as their first baseman, and the Marlins did something similar when they first brought Miguel Cabrera up. It would be foolish to let Montero's one weakness (which he is already working hard to improve) overshadow his greatest strength, especially in a situation where that strength can help the team.
And what's to say Montero's defense couldn't be helped just by being on the 25-man roster and being able to talk to, work with, and learn from Jorge and Cervelli? I don't think Montero would just be sitting around on his ass all day before games and on off-days. The dude can still throw his catching gear on and get some work in if he wants to; he knows that and the Yankees know that so I'm sure they would find ways to help him work on his catching during his downtime, knowing that they could be going into 2011 with him as the new Number 1 catcher.
The bottom line is the Yankees don't have anybody else who can realistically be expected to step in and attempt to replace Johnson's production as a full-time hitter. The Marcus Thames', Jamie Hoffmans, and Randy Winns of the world were not brought in to be full-time players. They are just Band-Aids for Brett Gardner if he doesn't perform up to snuff, and I'm still not sold on Juan Miranda since his Major League success has been in such a limited number of at-bats.
With Montero, the Yankees can run out a lineup 1-9 that is just as dangerous, if not potentially more dangerous, than it is with Johnson. C-Grand can move up to the 2-spot, and Montero can be put either 7th or 8th and keep the balance of righties and lefties that Joe said he wanted to have with the lineup this year. The only downside would be losing the 2-3 days of first base rest for Mark Teixeira that Joe said he wanted to give him, but he probably wouldn't need that much anyway and even if Joe stuck with that plan I think everybody can live with a couple games of Nick Swisher at first and Winn in right.
Of course, this is all hypothetical and none of it matters if Johnson stays healthy throughout the year. But if not, then replacing him is an issue the Yankees will have to address and the best way to address it, as it will mostly affect the team's offense, is with your next best offensive option. With all the hype and positive comments surrounding him, Montero should be given his shot to prove that he is that option.
This is really a no-brainer as far as I see it. Montero has been deemed Major League ready as a hitter by Jorge and Girardi already, so what better way to see how true that is and get him prepared to become a full-time contributor next season than to give him as many at-bats as possible this season?
And don't even try to give me the "but he still needs more work as a catcher and he can't get that experience if he's DH'ing in the Majors...blah, blah, blah" argument. When you have a guy this highly touted in your system, you find a way to get him at-bats. The Cardinals did it with Albert Pujols, working him around the outfield and infield before finally settling him in as their first baseman, and the Marlins did something similar when they first brought Miguel Cabrera up. It would be foolish to let Montero's one weakness (which he is already working hard to improve) overshadow his greatest strength, especially in a situation where that strength can help the team.
And what's to say Montero's defense couldn't be helped just by being on the 25-man roster and being able to talk to, work with, and learn from Jorge and Cervelli? I don't think Montero would just be sitting around on his ass all day before games and on off-days. The dude can still throw his catching gear on and get some work in if he wants to; he knows that and the Yankees know that so I'm sure they would find ways to help him work on his catching during his downtime, knowing that they could be going into 2011 with him as the new Number 1 catcher.
The bottom line is the Yankees don't have anybody else who can realistically be expected to step in and attempt to replace Johnson's production as a full-time hitter. The Marcus Thames', Jamie Hoffmans, and Randy Winns of the world were not brought in to be full-time players. They are just Band-Aids for Brett Gardner if he doesn't perform up to snuff, and I'm still not sold on Juan Miranda since his Major League success has been in such a limited number of at-bats.
With Montero, the Yankees can run out a lineup 1-9 that is just as dangerous, if not potentially more dangerous, than it is with Johnson. C-Grand can move up to the 2-spot, and Montero can be put either 7th or 8th and keep the balance of righties and lefties that Joe said he wanted to have with the lineup this year. The only downside would be losing the 2-3 days of first base rest for Mark Teixeira that Joe said he wanted to give him, but he probably wouldn't need that much anyway and even if Joe stuck with that plan I think everybody can live with a couple games of Nick Swisher at first and Winn in right.
Of course, this is all hypothetical and none of it matters if Johnson stays healthy throughout the year. But if not, then replacing him is an issue the Yankees will have to address and the best way to address it, as it will mostly affect the team's offense, is with your next best offensive option. With all the hype and positive comments surrounding him, Montero should be given his shot to prove that he is that option.
Seriously, Philadelphia?
(Photo used courtesy of Deadspin)
Ahh yes. Nothing says "exacting revenge" like beating a half-squad of the team that trashed you in the World Series last year in the second Spring Training game of the season on a single by somebody who probably won't even make your 25-man Opening Day roster.
I can't say I'm surprised. I mean what else would you expect from a team that blew its best chance to really exact revenge by trading away Cliff Lee to get Roy Halladay. Just typical sour grapes when it comes to vanquished Yankee opponents; they know they aren't going to get the job done when it really counts so they have to treat every victory like a Game 7.
Clash Of The Titans
How will it go down today? Who will pitch better? Will Joba show better command of his off-speed stuff? How much pop will he have on his fastball? Will Phil throw any of the changeups he has been working on? Has Joba recovered from the flu? Will he look slimmer without the 7 1/2 pounds he's lost? Will anybody fist pump after a strikeout? Whose sideburns will look better?
Tune in today to find out!!!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Is Nick Johnson Actually Mr. Glass?
"Johnson felt something in his back during batting practice. He wore his spikes on the turf in the cage - he usually wears turf shoes - and a spike got caught during one of his swings. He said it's not a big deal and he would have played if this were the regular season. (courtesy of The LoHud Yankee Blog)"
Really, dude? Spikes in the batting cage? What kind of amateur hour crap is that? And not only that, how the hell does something so small and insignificant end up causing you to hurt yourself? And don't try to tell me that this was no big deal and a precautionary thing; when you have an injury history as extensive as Nick Johnson's, every hangnail and back tweak is a big deal.
Johnson is being counted on to produce this year; his high OBP makes him an ideal guy to hit in the 2-spot, even if he isn't the fleetest of foot, because it creates that many more opportunities for Teix and the A-Horse to drive in runs. But if Johnson is going to have a year of strained backs, twisted ankles, and hurt wrists (something that was examined by Chris H at The Yankee U today), it creates a significant gap at the bottom of the Yankee lineup when C-Grand has to fill his spot in the 2-hole. And even if Johnson toughs it out and plays through injuries like he said he would have today were it the regular season, history has shown he's not nearly as productive banged up as he is when he's healthy.
I sincerely hope this is exactly what Johnson said it was and that he's going to be back out there soon. But don't think I'm not going to be spending the remainder of Spring Training cringing when I scan my blogroll or check texts from my uncle in Jersey, worrying that I'm getting the latest in Nick Johnson injury news.
A Walk-Off Already? Why The F Not?
Well how do you like that? First game of Spring Training and already the magic is oozing out of the Yankees' pores.
The 3 dark horses combine for 6 innings of 1-hit, no-run ball, Brett Gardner makes a highlight-reel catch in the outfield, and just for shits and giggles the Yanks decide to add a little drama with a walk-off 3-run homer to win the game. Suffice it to say Colin Curtis was on Cloud 9 yesterday after that homer, even if he doesn't stand a chance of making the 25-man roster this season.
We'll spare the Frankie video for now, it being the first game of a long year and all. But everyone should still load up on whipped cream and start spreading the news...
The 3 dark horses combine for 6 innings of 1-hit, no-run ball, Brett Gardner makes a highlight-reel catch in the outfield, and just for shits and giggles the Yanks decide to add a little drama with a walk-off 3-run homer to win the game. Suffice it to say Colin Curtis was on Cloud 9 yesterday after that homer, even if he doesn't stand a chance of making the 25-man roster this season.
We'll spare the Frankie video for now, it being the first game of a long year and all. But everyone should still load up on whipped cream and start spreading the news...
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Yankee Game Day: UPDATE!!!
So apparently it wasn't a video game tournament, but rather a 3-stage arcade game tourney as described by Chad at LoHud.
I'll still stick with Mo at 3:1 in skee ball because of his inhuman accuracy, Jeter at 5:1 in Pop-A-Shot because that requires both excellent hands and a good rhythm, and Jamie Hoffman at 7:1 to win the Indy racing game if for no other reason than it's probably the only time I will ever mention Jamie Hoffman on this blog.
I'll still stick with Mo at 3:1 in skee ball because of his inhuman accuracy, Jeter at 5:1 in Pop-A-Shot because that requires both excellent hands and a good rhythm, and Jamie Hoffman at 7:1 to win the Indy racing game if for no other reason than it's probably the only time I will ever mention Jamie Hoffman on this blog.
Yankees Team Billiards & Video Game Tournament Today: Who Ya Got??
While everybody else is looking ahead to tomorrow's first Spring Training game, I'm focused on what's really important. And that, of course, is today's team billiards and video game tournament. Last year's team billiards outing was a huge hit with the players and more than likely set the tone for the loose, laid back atmosphere that the team played in last season. This year it should be even bigger and better, and with video games thrown in to boot, the competition should be fierce. Here's how I see each tournament breaking down.
Everybody knows billiards is a gentlemen's game. It's a game that requires deep concentration, thinking, and the ability to play angles and pick spots. The overly mental tone to the game favors those who have to spend the whole game thinking one step ahead, namely pitchers and catchers. It's also a game that requires focus and a cool, calm demeanor, something that veterans will most likely possess to a greater degree over the young guys.
Factoring in those aspects, I would expect guys like Mo and Andy Pettitte to be the odds-on favorites in the pool tournament. These guys carry themselves like pool sharks on the mound to begin with and have years of pressure situations to fall back on to prepare themselves for the tourney. But don't sleep on positional veterans like Jorge or Jeter. Jorge's place as on-field leader and Jeter's knack for always being a step ahead of the competition (see: The Flip) make them very dangerous. If I were a betting man, I would take Mo at 3:1 odds to win.
Now as for the video game tournament, that's a whole different story. Video games favor the young guys because they have been a bigger part of their generation. Guys like Joba and Dave Robertson and Brett Gardner have grown up with Madden and Mario Kart and are almost assuredly more up on the latest video game technology than Pettitte or A-Rod (can't picture Andy playing too much online Modern Warfare 2 at night). So as badly as they might get torched on the pool table, expect the young'ns to dominate the video game tournament.
But even that is not as simple a pick as it seems. The winner will be decided by what game is being played. Sports games like Madden or NBA Live would seem to favor the Jobas of the world: high-energy dudes who like to take risks and talk shit. I could see Joba fist pumping his way around his apartment at night after a big Madden victory. Tactical games such as Call of Duty or Halo will favor the calmer, more cerebral players like Gardner or Frankie Cervelli. My pick to win is Phil Hughes at 4:1 because of his good balance of calmness and sneaky bulldog toughness on the mound that should translate well to success at any game. But don't forget about younger players like Andrew Brackman, Mark Melancon, or Kevin Russo. With not as much money to spend as guys in the Majors, Double- and Triple-A guys have to get more than their fair share of video games in.
The picks, to review:
Billiards- Mariano Rivera at 3:1
Video Games- Phil Hughes at 4:1
Factoring in those aspects, I would expect guys like Mo and Andy Pettitte to be the odds-on favorites in the pool tournament. These guys carry themselves like pool sharks on the mound to begin with and have years of pressure situations to fall back on to prepare themselves for the tourney. But don't sleep on positional veterans like Jorge or Jeter. Jorge's place as on-field leader and Jeter's knack for always being a step ahead of the competition (see: The Flip) make them very dangerous. If I were a betting man, I would take Mo at 3:1 odds to win.
But even that is not as simple a pick as it seems. The winner will be decided by what game is being played. Sports games like Madden or NBA Live would seem to favor the Jobas of the world: high-energy dudes who like to take risks and talk shit. I could see Joba fist pumping his way around his apartment at night after a big Madden victory. Tactical games such as Call of Duty or Halo will favor the calmer, more cerebral players like Gardner or Frankie Cervelli. My pick to win is Phil Hughes at 4:1 because of his good balance of calmness and sneaky bulldog toughness on the mound that should translate well to success at any game. But don't forget about younger players like Andrew Brackman, Mark Melancon, or Kevin Russo. With not as much money to spend as guys in the Majors, Double- and Triple-A guys have to get more than their fair share of video games in.
The picks, to review:
Billiards- Mariano Rivera at 3:1
Video Games- Phil Hughes at 4:1
Monday, March 1, 2010
Kevin Long Is God!!!
Once again Kevin Long has made the impossible possible; he has turned water into wine; he has made the blind man see. Evidence this quote from George Kernan's article in today's NY Post.
"Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson took live batting practice off a left-hander on Field 2 yesterday and early in the second round lined a pitch up the middle. That's progress.
Granted the left-handed pitcher was Kei Igawa, but Granderson is in the process of attacking left-handers in a much different way than he has in the past."
Oh.... My.... God! Did he say he lined a pitch UP THE MIDDLE?!?! Off of THE Kei Igawa?!?! Well then pigs must be flying and you can pencil Granderson in for a season hitting .750 off lefties. Kevin Long has done it again!
To quote Lee Corso: "Not so fast my friend!" And to quote Winston Wolf from "Pulp Fiction": "Let's not start sucking each other's dicks just yet." It was one hit off of one batting practice pitch against a pitcher who is so bad that anything not hit into the gap or over the fence off him is considered a failure by most players' standards. Christ, even I could hit a ball up the middle off Kei Igawa and even I would consider that a disappointment.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to read about how Granderson is changing his approach and what the differences are in his stance that Long has noticed and is working with him to correct. But until I see him consistenty using that approach in a game situation, I'm going to hold off on calling whatever C-Grand does in practice "progress" or "improvement."
Sure players across the Yankee roster have praised Long for the time and effort he puts in and for the keen eye he possesses in helping fix flaws in a player's stance, swing, etc. But when it comes to the biggest question mark at the plate heading into the season, let's calm down and see how C-Grand takes Long's teachings and executes them when it matters before we start declaring his lefty ails cured and praising Long as the hitting coach equivalent to Dr. House.
"Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson took live batting practice off a left-hander on Field 2 yesterday and early in the second round lined a pitch up the middle. That's progress.
Granted the left-handed pitcher was Kei Igawa, but Granderson is in the process of attacking left-handers in a much different way than he has in the past."
Oh.... My.... God! Did he say he lined a pitch UP THE MIDDLE?!?! Off of THE Kei Igawa?!?! Well then pigs must be flying and you can pencil Granderson in for a season hitting .750 off lefties. Kevin Long has done it again!
To quote Lee Corso: "Not so fast my friend!" And to quote Winston Wolf from "Pulp Fiction": "Let's not start sucking each other's dicks just yet." It was one hit off of one batting practice pitch against a pitcher who is so bad that anything not hit into the gap or over the fence off him is considered a failure by most players' standards. Christ, even I could hit a ball up the middle off Kei Igawa and even I would consider that a disappointment.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to read about how Granderson is changing his approach and what the differences are in his stance that Long has noticed and is working with him to correct. But until I see him consistenty using that approach in a game situation, I'm going to hold off on calling whatever C-Grand does in practice "progress" or "improvement."
Sure players across the Yankee roster have praised Long for the time and effort he puts in and for the keen eye he possesses in helping fix flaws in a player's stance, swing, etc. But when it comes to the biggest question mark at the plate heading into the season, let's calm down and see how C-Grand takes Long's teachings and executes them when it matters before we start declaring his lefty ails cured and praising Long as the hitting coach equivalent to Dr. House.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Joe Sets Rotation (For Spring Training)
Here's Joe's breakdown of the rotation through the first 11 ST games, courtesy of Mark Feinsand of the Daily News:
March 3 vs. Pirates: Gaudin/Mitre/Aceves
March 4 at Phillies: Sabathia
March 5 vs. Rays: Hughes/Chamberlain
March 6 vs. Blue Jays: Burnett
March 7 at Twins: Mitre/Gaudin (Pettitte will throw simulated game in Tampa)
March 8 vs. Phillies (split-squad): Vazquez
March 8 at Pirates (split-squad): Aceves
March 9 vs. Pirates: Sabathia
March 10 at Tigers: Chamberlain/Hughes
March 11 vs. Braves: Burnett
March 12 at Nationals: Pettitte
March 13 vs. Orioles (split-squad): Vazquez
March 13 at Tigers (split-squad): TBA
3 points:
1) It makes sense that Joe would put Joba and Hughes together for their outings, but I don't see how pitching them in the same game will help determine who wins the 5th spot in the rotation. In each of their games, the lineup one guy faces will probably not look like the one the other guy will face, so there's really no accurate way to gauge who pitched better against completely different competition. But the same thing would apply if you split their starts up so maybe this is the best way to judge the competition.
2) Joe isn't taking anything for granted with Joba and Hughes, evidenced by his focus on the under-the-radar Chad Gaudin vs. Sergio Mitre battle for the 6th (7th?) spot in the rotation. These 2 are paired up twice as well and Gaudin's performance could be the difference between getting a spot as the long man in the 'pen or being released to help cover Chan Ho Park's expenses.
3) An already smart plan to keep Andy's workload low looks even smarter when his only "real" competition will be against the Nationals. I bet Pettitte will have a harder time in the simulated game on March 7 than he will pitching against the Nats on the 12th.
March 3 vs. Pirates: Gaudin/Mitre/Aceves
March 4 at Phillies: Sabathia
March 5 vs. Rays: Hughes/Chamberlain
March 6 vs. Blue Jays: Burnett
March 7 at Twins: Mitre/Gaudin (Pettitte will throw simulated game in Tampa)
March 8 vs. Phillies (split-squad): Vazquez
March 8 at Pirates (split-squad): Aceves
March 9 vs. Pirates: Sabathia
March 10 at Tigers: Chamberlain/Hughes
March 11 vs. Braves: Burnett
March 12 at Nationals: Pettitte
March 13 vs. Orioles (split-squad): Vazquez
March 13 at Tigers (split-squad): TBA
3 points:
1) It makes sense that Joe would put Joba and Hughes together for their outings, but I don't see how pitching them in the same game will help determine who wins the 5th spot in the rotation. In each of their games, the lineup one guy faces will probably not look like the one the other guy will face, so there's really no accurate way to gauge who pitched better against completely different competition. But the same thing would apply if you split their starts up so maybe this is the best way to judge the competition.
2) Joe isn't taking anything for granted with Joba and Hughes, evidenced by his focus on the under-the-radar Chad Gaudin vs. Sergio Mitre battle for the 6th (7th?) spot in the rotation. These 2 are paired up twice as well and Gaudin's performance could be the difference between getting a spot as the long man in the 'pen or being released to help cover Chan Ho Park's expenses.
3) An already smart plan to keep Andy's workload low looks even smarter when his only "real" competition will be against the Nationals. I bet Pettitte will have a harder time in the simulated game on March 7 than he will pitching against the Nats on the 12th.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Leaders Of Fraud Sox Nation Already Feeding Coal Into The Excuse Engine
John Henry on Wednesday:
"I don't think we can comment on what their ceiling may or may not be," Henry said. "We just have to do what we've done since we arrived here and that is try and build revenues, maximize revenues and try as best we can to compete with them financially. But we'll never be able to do that."
"People tend to clump us together, but there's a wide gulf financially between the two teams, and that's going to continue." (courtesy of SI.com)
Theo yesterday morning:
"I think that he (Ellsbury) is an above-average center fielder now, who is going to be a great center fielder. I know there is a certain number we don’t use that is accessible to people online that had him as one of the worst defensive center fielders in baseball last year. I don’t think it’s worth anything. I don’t think that number is legitimate. We do our own stuff and it showed that he is above average." (used courtesy of The Yankee U)
I would laugh harder at this stuff if it wasn't obvious that these two are serious with this shit.
Henry has been playing the "little engine that could" card with his team since the day he became owner, and yeah the Yankees do still have a higher payroll this season, but when your team is coming in hot at $170 million for 2010, that can hardly be considered a "wide gulf," especially when that gulf has shrunk considerably from 2009 to 2010 (over $80 million differential last year, just over $40 mil this year).
And as for the Boy Blunder, I can't blame him for trying to protect his precious Jacoby, who is finally being recognized and called out for his below-average defensive and leadoff hitter skills by the mainstream sports media. Ellsbury was one of Theo's first blue-chippers to be rolled out of the farm system, but facts are facts and the numbers don't lie. Theo can polish the turd that is Ellsbury's defensive numbers as much as he likes, but it's still going to be a turd and it's still going to stink.
I guess we all should have expected this kind of spin doctoring by Theo. Remember, this is the same guy who essentially said that RBIs don't matter in an interview last year in an attempt to justify J.D. Drew's horrible performance. But hey, just like bitching about the Yankee payroll, that's just part of the Fraud Sock Way. Instead of owning up to their mistakes and admitting that they made some bad decisions, they will fight to the end to support their own misguided opinions, even in the face of overwhelming evidence supporting the contrary.
The Yankees don't have that problem. They sign somebody and that guy sucks (see: Carl Pavano) they don't make excuses; they ride it out and let the guy go or attempt to trade him for somebody better. They look at stats supporting a claim (see: Jeter's weak defense) they tell that guy to get better. No whining to the media, no excuses, no claims of special top-secret internal stats that claim otherwise, just get better.
The Yankees are committed to success and winning; the Red Sox are committed to hoping for success, wanting to win, and coming up with reasons for why they weren't successful or didn't win in the event that happens.
P.S.- I wonder if that "We don't care about RBIs" mentality was the basis for the Red Sox off-season acquisitions of Beltre, Scutaro, and Mike Cameron.
"I don't think we can comment on what their ceiling may or may not be," Henry said. "We just have to do what we've done since we arrived here and that is try and build revenues, maximize revenues and try as best we can to compete with them financially. But we'll never be able to do that."
"People tend to clump us together, but there's a wide gulf financially between the two teams, and that's going to continue." (courtesy of SI.com)
Theo yesterday morning:
"I think that he (Ellsbury) is an above-average center fielder now, who is going to be a great center fielder. I know there is a certain number we don’t use that is accessible to people online that had him as one of the worst defensive center fielders in baseball last year. I don’t think it’s worth anything. I don’t think that number is legitimate. We do our own stuff and it showed that he is above average." (used courtesy of The Yankee U)
I would laugh harder at this stuff if it wasn't obvious that these two are serious with this shit.
Henry has been playing the "little engine that could" card with his team since the day he became owner, and yeah the Yankees do still have a higher payroll this season, but when your team is coming in hot at $170 million for 2010, that can hardly be considered a "wide gulf," especially when that gulf has shrunk considerably from 2009 to 2010 (over $80 million differential last year, just over $40 mil this year).
And as for the Boy Blunder, I can't blame him for trying to protect his precious Jacoby, who is finally being recognized and called out for his below-average defensive and leadoff hitter skills by the mainstream sports media. Ellsbury was one of Theo's first blue-chippers to be rolled out of the farm system, but facts are facts and the numbers don't lie. Theo can polish the turd that is Ellsbury's defensive numbers as much as he likes, but it's still going to be a turd and it's still going to stink.
I guess we all should have expected this kind of spin doctoring by Theo. Remember, this is the same guy who essentially said that RBIs don't matter in an interview last year in an attempt to justify J.D. Drew's horrible performance. But hey, just like bitching about the Yankee payroll, that's just part of the Fraud Sock Way. Instead of owning up to their mistakes and admitting that they made some bad decisions, they will fight to the end to support their own misguided opinions, even in the face of overwhelming evidence supporting the contrary.
The Yankees don't have that problem. They sign somebody and that guy sucks (see: Carl Pavano) they don't make excuses; they ride it out and let the guy go or attempt to trade him for somebody better. They look at stats supporting a claim (see: Jeter's weak defense) they tell that guy to get better. No whining to the media, no excuses, no claims of special top-secret internal stats that claim otherwise, just get better.
The Yankees are committed to success and winning; the Red Sox are committed to hoping for success, wanting to win, and coming up with reasons for why they weren't successful or didn't win in the event that happens.
P.S.- I wonder if that "We don't care about RBIs" mentality was the basis for the Red Sox off-season acquisitions of Beltre, Scutaro, and Mike Cameron.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Cash Shits On Damon's World
Cash on Monday:
"When we signed him (for four years, $52 million), he was playing center field, a premium position, and the market was high. Now he's a left fielder, he's 36, in a collapsed market. Why would he not expect to take a pay cut?" (courtesy of the Daily News)
POW!!!! Major cock punch to both Damon and Scott Boras. Cash certainly handled his business professionally throughout the Damon off-season drama, but now that he's officially gone the gloves have apparently come off and Cash is playing for keeps. I like it.
Hey Johnny,
"When we signed him (for four years, $52 million), he was playing center field, a premium position, and the market was high. Now he's a left fielder, he's 36, in a collapsed market. Why would he not expect to take a pay cut?" (courtesy of the Daily News)
POW!!!! Major cock punch to both Damon and Scott Boras. Cash certainly handled his business professionally throughout the Damon off-season drama, but now that he's officially gone the gloves have apparently come off and Cash is playing for keeps. I like it.
Hey Johnny,
Joel Sherman A Little Late To The Party
Now I'm a Joel Sherman guy. I read his stuff on a daily basis and usually agree with the messages in his columns, but today's column on Jeter Vs. Tiger was just plain sad. With pitchers and catchers well into their spring work and live batting practice taking place today, there wasn't anything better to write about than the long outdated "Tiger is a douche; Jeter is the man" comparison?
Newsflash, Joel. AB4AR was all over this shit back in December while Tiger was still picking his teeth off the sidewalk and putting bags of frozen peas on his battered face to cover up the bruising . Don't tell me what I already know; give me some insight and logic; be a fucking journalist. Leave the Tiger Vs. Jeter analysis for pee-on bloggers like me to handle. Because quite frankly, I handled it a hell of a lot better than you did.
P.S.- The Tiger Slow Jam Remix is still hilarious.
Newsflash, Joel. AB4AR was all over this shit back in December while Tiger was still picking his teeth off the sidewalk and putting bags of frozen peas on his battered face to cover up the bruising . Don't tell me what I already know; give me some insight and logic; be a fucking journalist. Leave the Tiger Vs. Jeter analysis for pee-on bloggers like me to handle. Because quite frankly, I handled it a hell of a lot better than you did.
P.S.- The Tiger Slow Jam Remix is still hilarious.
Jeter OK With Having To Wait To Negotiate New Deal (SHOCKER!!!)
So everybody is jumping on Jeter's press conference from yesterday and talking about what he said, but here are the only quotes that matter:
Jeter: “I’ve said from Day One, this is the only organization I’ve ever wanted to play for, and that’s still true today."
Jeter: "I was a Yankees fan growing up. This is where I want to be. I’ve never envisioned myself playing anywhere else..."
Jeter: “It’s unfair to talk about myself when we are trying to win."
Cash: “He is priceless for the fans, we know that."
It's real simple, folks. Jeter isn't going anywhere. All the quotes above get back to what I said a few weeks ago. Both sides recognize how important they are to each other and both know how they will be viewed by the fans and media if a deal doesn't get done.
ESPN can try to create all the controversy they want by having George Smith report on Jeter's statements and talk about the "silence" coming from the Yankees, but this is nothing new. The Yankees have had the "no negotiating extensions before a contract expires" policy since 1998. That's not going to change for even Jeter; he knows it, Cash knows it, everybody else should know it and shut up about it. At the end of the day Jeet is going to get his money, but he's going to get it at the end of the year when his contract is up per Yankee SOP. Being the ultimate team player and consummate professional that he is, Jeter is perfectly fine with that situation and so everybody else should be fine with it too.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Yankee Hero Aaron Boone Retires, Joins ESPN
How do ya like them apples, ESPN?!?
Aaron Bleepin' Boone goes straight from the dugout to the broadcast studio in a move that could finally help temper the overabundance of Red Sox dick munching and Yankee hating/ignoring at The Worldwide Leader. Or at least maybe help to even the scales out a little bit in the Yankees favor. How the ESPN execs allowed this guy to get hired knowing what their policy is on pro-Yankee talk is a baffling decision, and no doubt heads are rolling in Bristol right now, but we Yankee fans certainly appreciate and applaud this affirmative action hire by ESPN.
Boone has already firmly entrenched himself in all-time Yankee lore for The Home Run and his off-season injury that started the chain of events ultimately ending with the A-Horse donning the pinstripes. But it's good to see that even in retirement Boone is looking to continue to build his Yankee legend by entering the lion's den that is the BBTN set and mixing it up with unapologetic Red Sox homers like Tim Kurkjian and John Kruk. With Steve Phillips out, Buster Olney still firmly in the mix, and now Booney on board, the pro-Yankee contingent at ESPN is growing stronger by the day.
And even if Boone is terrible as an analyst, the fact that his presence on the set will force ESPN to mention and show clips of The Home Run way more than they would ever want to when discussing any Yankees-Red Sox series is more than enough to make him worthwhile.
So congrats, Aaron. Go out there and make us Yankee fans proud. Fight the good fight! And don't take shit from anybody, especially not Kurkjian.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Dr. Johnny & Mr. Damon
Johnny Damon in the summer of '09:
“I don’t know where else I would want to go to. Obviously, that’s not the right thing to say when you’re about ready to approach free agency, but I’m very happy with playing in New York, and my family’s happy I play for New York. There’s no bigger place to go. If you play well here, you’re going to get paid. New York has the resources. But we also have the chance to win every year. I don’t want to attempt to go make more money elsewhere, for more years, with a chance to be out of the race by the first of June." (courtesy of the NY Times)
Johnny Damon yesterday at his introductory press conference in Detroit:
“This is where we wanted to be. It is where my family wanted to be. Contrary to what has been reported, I wanted a place where I could win right away. I have always been truthful and Detroit was always my first choice, and my wife and I are going to love it there.”
“This isn’t the same market we lived in years ago. I told Scott that Detroit was No. 1.”
“I feel like I belong here. It took a little while, but I probably felt like I was a Tiger a month and a half ago. I really feel good about this.” (courtesy of MLB.com)
Well there you have it, folks. As if there was any doubt left that Johnny Damon was the prototypical Scott Boras client, those 2 polar opposite quotes do everything to wipe away that doubt.
Damon can say whatever he wants to say, and of course you would expect him to say something similar to what he said yesterday because nobody is going to go to their first press conference with their new team and say they hate it here and this city is a piece of shit. But the fact of the matter is Johnny Damon is a two-faced slimeball whose sole motivation throughout his entire career has been to go wherever he and Scotty B believe the most money is. He followed the same path that A-Rod did when Boras led him down the shitty contract negotiation trail in 2007, the only difference being A-Rod was smart enough to realize that that plan wasn't going to work out and Damon was dumb enough to follow Boras, and his horrible plan, right into Motown.
It shocks and impresses me that Damon can talk so well out of both sides of his mouth, given his past stuttering and stammering problems, so I do have to hand that to him. But if he thinks he's fooling anybody with the jet spray of bullshit that he spewed yesterday, he's dead wrong. Christ, I bet he couldn't even convince himself that he believed what he was saying.
Damon's words yesterday were those of a broken, beaten man who realized far too late the mistake he had made and is now starting to realize how he will pay for it this year. Like I and everybody else have been saying all along: if Damon truly wanted to be a Yankee today, he would be. Now he's stuck in Detroit playing on a team that very may well be out of the playoff race in June or July and the Yankees are just as strong in the outfield without him and gearing up for a run at defending their title.
Good luck this year, John. Hope the $8 million was worth it.
And if you want to get an even bigger laugh out of Damon's nonsense, The Yankee U has a great collection of Damon quotes tracing his two-sided comments all the way back to 2005.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Yankees Add Chan Ho Park To The Mix
I mean, just look at those numbers from last year: 4.43 ERA, 1.40 WHIP in 83.1 innings pitched, less than a strikeout per inning. If those numbers don't scream "WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS GUY ON OUR TEAM!!!!", then I don't know what does. Not to mention the guys' past track record of success with all his former teams and the heaps of awards and accolades he has accumulated in his decorated career. At this point, the Bombers can pretty much call the Joba-Hughes battle off, because with Chan Ho Motherfucking Park about to join the team, the 5th spot in the rotation AND the setup role out of the bullpen is locked down like Fort Knox.
In all seriousness, I don't think this is a bad move by the Yankees; Park's numbers were much better out of the bullpen with the Phillies last year: 2.52 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 52 K's in 50.0 IP, .231 BA against, and a bunch of other meaningful stats that other blogs can come up with faster than I can. And his stuff was also much better: consistently throwing 95-96 with the fastball, better command and movement on his off-speed stuff. In following with Cash's theory of "you can never have enough" relievers, this looks like a good move.
But there are also some points to consider that make this a potentially bad, and even unnecessary move by the Yanks. For starters, Park has no track record of success to speak of up until last year, when his transition to the 'pen only took place as a result of him being incredibly awful as a starter. His short sample size of success did come in a weaker league playing primarily in an offensively-challenged division (not too much to be scared about in the 2009 Braves, Mets, and Nationals rosters), which raises the concern that the Yankees fell in love with him because of his sterling 3.1 innings of shutout ball he pitched against them in the World Series (a path they have been down before with little success). How well Park would be able to re-create that success in the AL East is a big question mark. Also, Park's arrival means that somebody currently on the roster has to be the odd man out.
The bullpen positions that are set as of today are Mo, either Joba or Hughes, Marte, Robertson, and Aceves, with the last 2 spots likely coming from the group of Gaudin/Logan/Mitre/Melancon/Albaladejo. With the deal he signed it seems highly unlikely that Park is going to play in Scranton, so you pencil him into the 6th spot in the 'pen and now the fight between those other 5 is down to one. The early leaders would have to be Gaudin, Logan, and Melancon, but with his high salary and management's desire to stay at or under their budget, Gaudin seems the most likely to not only lose his spot in the 'pen, but to be packing his bags and cleaning out his locker to make room for Park.
Personally, I think Gaudin has more value than Park as he has shown the ability to be effective in both a reliever and starting role, something that will be important this year if the Yankees have to get creative at the back end of their rotation either due to Hughes' innings limitations, Joba's ineffectiveness, or (knock on wood) due to injuries. I also would have liked to see Melancon get another shot this year since the team has spent the better part of the last 3 years grooming him to be an impact reliever. Give him a chance to correct the control issues he had in his cup of coffee last season and he could become a lights-out, high-strikeout, late-inning stopper similar to 2007 Joba or 2009 Dave Robertson.
The feeling across the Yankee blogosphere is that this is a low-risk, high-reward move by the Yankees and helps bolster their bullpen depth for the upcoming season. At the end of the day, you can't argue with the logic of adding a proven bullpen commodity to the mix and on paper, that's what the Yankees have done. While I agree with that assessment, I hope it doesn't come at the expense of moving Gaudin and his $2.95 million salary because that could severely hurt the Yankees' starting pitching depth if issues in the rotation arise.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The Best Way To Kill 20 Minutes At Work On Monday
River Ave. Blues posted their yearly "30 Best Prospects" post on Friday, and as I sat there reading it, I not only started getting way too excited about 2012, 2013, and 2014, but also thinking about where I should take author Mike Axisa out for dinner to thank him for putting together such a great piece. It made my afternoon at work on Friday a lot more enjoyable, and if I weren't stuck at a lacrosse coaching clinic all day and sleeping with a 24-hour flu bug all night yesterday, I would have posted this a lot earlier.
So when you have some spare time, do yourself a favor and read through this post, and get excited about the next few years to come.
P.S.- Johnny Damon has apparently agreed to a deal with the Tigers. Enjoy the octopus, and the losing, Johnny. Maybe Cash will buy you a ticket to The Stadium so you can still experience the playoffs this year.
So when you have some spare time, do yourself a favor and read through this post, and get excited about the next few years to come.
P.S.- Johnny Damon has apparently agreed to a deal with the Tigers. Enjoy the octopus, and the losing, Johnny. Maybe Cash will buy you a ticket to The Stadium so you can still experience the playoffs this year.
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