Another week, another batch of success for the Bombers this week. Home openers were played, rings were passed out, old friends returned home, pitchers pitched well (except Vazquez), and leads were taken in the division. All of this while the Red Sox new commitment to pitching and defense worked to the tune of 4 consecutive losses. With the season fully in gear now, most sites have shifted their focus more to game-by-game coverage, but there were still some good nuggets outside of the daily grind out there.
- 6 Pound 8 Ounce Baby Joba has some lessons learned from the first 2 weeks of the season.
- Rob from Bronx Basebally Daily dishes a dose of reality about Javy Vazquez to fans. I agree with Rob's point that you can't expect Cy Young-caliber performances from Vazquez every night, but I also still say that and 0-2 record with an ERA of almost 10 and no confidence in your fastball isn't exactly quality 4th starter material either.
- Joe Pawlikowski from River Ave. Blues comments on the Yanks' hot start this season and how it compares to slow starts from the recent past. As Joe states, the hot start means little in terms of predicting long-term success over a 6-month season, but it's still something you like to see as a fan, especially given the questions that came with the off-season moves.
- Steve S. from The Yankee U discusses Brett Gardner's added value that doesn't show up in the box score. As a staunch Gardner supporter, I'm picking up what Steve is putting down here. Get Gardy more at-bats!!
- Steve at TYU also has a great personal piece on his first Yankee memory. I think for me, the first significant memory would be watching Game 6 of the 1996 World Series. I had watched the series since it started, but as nothing more than a casual fan and 11-year-old kid. By the time Game 6 came around, something inside me made me realize how important a game it was and I remember sitting down and watching that game from start to finish and feeling nervous about the outcome right until Charlie Hayes secured the catch in foul ground to clinch the win. I would have to point to that moment as the beginning of my career as a "serious" Yankee fan and it was nice to read Steve's article and think back to that night.
- With each game being analyzed inside, outside, and backwards by the major blogs in the 'sphere, it's once again worth linking to LoHud, Fack Youk, and River Ave. Blues, the best of the best when it comes to game coverage.
That's it for this week's batch. A mini-palooza I'll admit, but still a good one. Now it's back to the couch to check out the NBA Playoffs and see if I can manage to stay hooked to a full game before switching over to "American Gangster" or some FX reruns.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Stop.... CC Time!!
From gassing in the 6th to throwing complete game gems in a matter of weeks. Now that's what I'm talking about!
Granted it was only a 6-inning game, but CC was still on point last night, evidenced by his 9 Ks. He showed no ill effects of pitching in crummy conditions and with Cervelli calling a perfect game behind the plate, the Rangers never stood a chance.
The power of pants lives on!!
Granted it was only a 6-inning game, but CC was still on point last night, evidenced by his 9 Ks. He showed no ill effects of pitching in crummy conditions and with Cervelli calling a perfect game behind the plate, the Rangers never stood a chance.
The power of pants lives on!!
Friday, April 16, 2010
David Ortiz Is Not Part Of The Roc-A-Fella Family
(Photo courtesy of Anthony Causi/NY Post)
The hip-hop mogul and sports fan slapped Red Sox star David Ortiz with a $5 million-plus suit yesterday, claiming the Boston slugger apparently liked Jay-Z's 40/40 Club so much, he decided to open his own.
The Manhattan federal court filing accuses Ortiz and his sister, Albania Ortiz, of trademark infringement, unjust enrichment and "false designation of sponsorship" in connection with the "Forty Forty" nightclub they opened in the Dominican Republic last year.
The suit also charges them with "cybersquatting" for running a Spanish-language Web site at http://www.fortyforty.net/.
Court papers feature photos of Ortiz attending an All-Star Game party at the flagship 40/40 Club on West 25th Street in 2008. (courtesy of the NY Post)
For shame, Big Sloppi, for shame. It's bad enough that you're a cheater and now a crappy ballplayer, but stealing the name of Jay-Z's club to try to boost attendance at yours? That's just downright pathetic. And then when you throw in the "cybersquatting" charge, that's where I draw the line. Nobody fucks with Hova or the R.O.C., especially not on my watch.
On the one hand, I'd like to applaud you for your business savvy in recognizing that piggybacking on the name of a well-established, popular club will more than likely help bring in the clientele and cash you will need to support your fat ass after your baseball career ends, which could happen within the next 2-3 months with the way you're swinging the bat this season. But on the other hand, you are David Ortiz and you do play for the Boston Red Sox, so that trumps anything and I'm forced to tell you to S a D and bring up the fact that you're batting an embarrassing .154/.241/.269 this year with 0 home runs, 2 RBIs, and 13 Ks.
Why not try some of these names for your new club? "The .150/.240 Club;" "Big Papi's House 'O Juice;" or "2 Fucking Games." Now THAT's some catchy shit right there. People would be stretched around the block to get into those places.
A Tip Of The Cap To You, Mr. Hughes
(Photo courtesy of Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post)
"But if he is aggressive towards batters, hits his spots with all his pitches, and shows enough confidence to try to work in his new changeup, I'll be happy with 5-6 innings and 3-4 ER allowed."
That's a yes, yes, and yes. A job well done by Hughes last night in his season debut. He pounded the zone, used all his pitches, and didn't get rattled after giving up an early homer to Godzilla. The 5 walks are more than you'd like to see, and that surely contributed to his high pitch count of 108 and exit after 5 innings, but Hughes did his best Andy Pettitte impression, bearing down and making pitches to get the outs he needed when he put runners on. That tells you more about a pitcher than pitching with nobody on, and for 23-year-old Hughes to be able to get the job done in those situations in his first start after transitioning back to the rotation, that bodes well for him and the team moving forward.
Just a quick side note, can everybody stop this talk about how Scott Kazmir is a Yankee nemesis? The guy beat them a couple times back when Tampa was still the Devil Rays and ever since they became relevant and he got shipped to LA, he's done nothing but get his dick knocked around by the Bombers time and time again. 8 hits, 3 walks, 6 ER in 4 innings? Are you kidding me? Go put your bullpen jacket on and sit in the clubhouse.
P.S.- ESPN can cut the "Yankee killer" stuff with Josh Beckett too while they're at it.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
I Can Feel Phil Hughes Coming In The Air Tonight... Oh Lord!
It will be interesting to see what kind of innings/pitch limit Joe has Phil on tonight. I mean, this IS the same guy who fanned 12 in a simulated Spring Training game not too long ago, so you don't want to risk overworking him. But if he's as dominant as he was against those simulated hitters, you have to leave him out there.
In a perfect world, you'd love to see Phil go 7+ tonight and give up a run or 2. But if he is aggressive towards batters, hits his spots with all his pitches, and shows enough confidence to try to work in his new changeup, I'll be happy with 5-6 innings and 3-4 ER allowed. And in all seriousness, 90-95 pitches is plenty for tonight.
A Message To Javy Vazquez
(Photo Courtesy of Anthony Causi/NY Post)
“I feel like it’s unfair because that was so long ago. Like I’ve said plenty of times, I’m trying to concentrate on this year.”
That's all well and good, Javy. But the fact of the matter, based on that statement and based on the fact that you getting booed yesterday upset you so much, is that YOU haven't forgotten about 2004 just like the fans haven't. You probably aren't concentrating enough on this year because you remember what happened the last time you pitched in pinstripes, and you're walking on pins and needles right now, trying not to make mistakes instead of dealing and putting hitters away.
If you are focusing solely on 2010, then you should realize that you're 0-2 with a 9.82 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, and a .304 BAA right now, not exactly cheer-worthy numbers. So 2004 aside, you haven't exactly given Yankee fans a lot to praise you for so far.
It's like Jeet said, "“Yankees fans come to the park looking to cheer the Yankees. They are looking for good things to happen.” Nobody came to the park with the intention of booing you yesterday, Javy. But Yankee fans have good memories and you didn't exactly come in here with a clean slate. The bottom line is you had some work to do this year to erase the memories of '04; you knew that and the fans knew that. Your performances in your first 2 outings have done nothing to erase those memories. If anything, they have served to bold the memories and then highlight them in neon yellow.
Stop tip-toe-ing around hitters out there, stop worrying about 2004 and how people are going to react to you, start pitching better, and you'll get cheered. It's that simple.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Damn! That's Purty.
(Photo used courtesy of River Ave. Blues)
But then again, I didn't win the World Series last year. And the Yankees did. And I got to reap the benefits of that by having lots of World Series Championship swag thrown at me by family for my birthday and Christmas. So I guess it balances out.
The A-Horse Cometh
It's a new year and a new baseball season. And a new baseball season means it's time for a new picture of the graceful, majestic, unworldly rare A-Horse.
Yes, the 2009 version of the A-Horse was a thing to behold, but the 2010 model is even more pristine, even more regal, and has much better balance to its powerful 4-legged swing.
We are only but a few weeks into Spring, but already the 2010 A-Horse has begun to heat up and soon we could very well see it hitting as hot as the scorching summer. With fully-healed hips and a clean conscience, this year's A-Horse is poised to re-assert itself as the premiere centaur in Major League Baseball and, dare I say it, professional sports.
So take in the A-Horse in all its mystique and glory. But be careful not to look directly at it. Those who do have been known to get taken deep to left center field for game-tying or game-winning home runs.
(Swanny Duckson does it again)
Yes, the 2009 version of the A-Horse was a thing to behold, but the 2010 model is even more pristine, even more regal, and has much better balance to its powerful 4-legged swing.
We are only but a few weeks into Spring, but already the 2010 A-Horse has begun to heat up and soon we could very well see it hitting as hot as the scorching summer. With fully-healed hips and a clean conscience, this year's A-Horse is poised to re-assert itself as the premiere centaur in Major League Baseball and, dare I say it, professional sports.
So take in the A-Horse in all its mystique and glory. But be careful not to look directly at it. Those who do have been known to get taken deep to left center field for game-tying or game-winning home runs.
Yankee Home Opener Thoughts And Afterthoughts
- The practical joke by Jeter in switching out Matsui's ring with the tin one was also a nice touch. That gave you a little glimpse into what kind of guy Matsui was in the clubhouse, away from the cameras where he was always so humble and proper.
- Great to see Gene Monahan out there, and even greater to see the applause he got from the players. Just another example of how tight-knit the Yankee family is.
- Always a flair for the dramatic with Jeter. Mashing a home run right after they showed The Boss and his wife early in the game. Everything the guy does is move-script perfect, including the swing. Look at that, just look.
It's so damn beautiful we're going to look again...
Goddamn, that is sexy.
- Good to see Nick Johnson's swing is already adjusted to the Stadium. Of course, it always helps when you take the bat off your shoulder.
- Slowly but surely, the A-Horse is rounding into form. His swing and balance at the plate has looked better with each game, and his play at third has been all-world to start the year. When Teix starts to pick it up, that 3-4-5 could be a modern day Murderer's Row.
- Speaking of Teix, has anybody seen him lately? Did he get left in Tampa after Spring Training?
- Andy Pettitte looked terrific again yesterday. I know I didn't expect him to be the Yankees' best pitcher right out of the gate, but that's exactly what he's been. He did tire in the later innings, but his stuff was crisp all day, he kept the Angels off balance, and in classic Andy Pettitte fashion he made pitches when he had to to get himself out of trouble. If the season ended today, I know who I'd cast my Cy Young vote for.
- Big hiccup for Dave Robertson yesterday. I don't know if he was just too jazzed up because of the setting, but he couldn't locate the fastball where he wanted to and was catching way too much of the plate. With the bad outings Park and Joba have already had, it shouldn't kill Robertson, but it also won't help his cause in trying to become the official setup man for Mo.
- Typical Mo. He jumps in the phone booth, jumps out, K, pop up, ball game, drive safe. Dude is inhuman.
- Just an overall great day for the Yankees, both past and present, and their fans. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go look at the AP pictures of the festivities and cry again over the fact that I wasn't there.
(Photos courtesy of EPA, the AP, Getty Images, Anthony J. Causi, Charles Wenzelberg, and other people who were lucky enugh to be there yesterday)
Monday, April 12, 2010
Beastly
Deftones - Diamond Eyes (Official)
Deftones | MySpace Music Videos
2 sick new Deftones songs. 2 sick new Deftones videos. 2 appearances of Sergio Vega wearing a Yankee hat in said sick new Deftones videos. Derek Jeter wears the number 2. Curtis Granderson has hit 2 hoe runs so far this season. Tomorrow will be Andy Pettitte's 2nd start of the 2nd season in which he is playing with a one-year contract during his 2nd stint with the Yankees. There is a "2" in "April 12th." There is also a "2" in "27 World Series championships."
Is all that a coincidence? Highly unlikely.
Chan Ho Park Had Diarrhea And He Doesn't Give A Crap If You Know (Pun Intended)
I know I'm about half a day late posting this, but after seeing the reaction from across most of the blogosphere you know damn well I couldn't stay away from this.
Now I know what most people are expecting me to say here, but I actually sympathize with poor Chan Ho. Having diarrhea fucking sucks. I can barely write a goddamn email without risking shitting myself when I've got the squirts, so I can't imagine trying to pitch in a Major League Baseball game where you're grunting and straining and giving max effort on every throw. There would have been poo juice everywhere if Park stepped on the mound that night, and that's just not something HDTV was invented for.
And more power to Park for coming out and telling it like it is. None of that "I was sick," "I didn't feel right," "I just didn't have it out there today" cliche nonsense that pitcher after pitcher spouts after not pitching or not pitching well. Dude had fucking diarrhea, now get off his back. He wasn't making any excuses, just being honest. Then you factor in flu too, a lot of cough, chest hurts, and dehydrated or something like that and it's a near miracle that Park is standing there giving that interview. I almost feel bad for kinda taking him to task last Monday; for all I know the turtle could have been poking his head when Park gave up that homer to Dustin Pedroia. And that is more than valid excuse.
After watching Park own up and tell the truth for why he was out of the lineup, I am hereby waving the 1-year waiting period needed to declare a player a "true Yankee" and officially calling Chan Ho Park a true Yankee. Somebody start forging his plaque and make a space for his number to be retired in Monument Park.
P.S.- Shame on Joba and Dave Robertson for laughing in the background. Especially Joba. He can barely get out of an inning 1-2-3 when he's not pinching his asshole closed so who is he to laugh at the fecal misfortune of a teammate?
Break Out Your Tuesday Best...
(Courtesy of the AP)
In the mean time, the Red Sox, with their new commitment to pitching and defense, are crashing into each other in the outfield, crashing into each other in foul territory, dropping pop ups, bruising ribs , and watching their spotty bullpen continue to give up leads.
Not to be outdone, the Mets have already reverted to hitting at a 3rd-grade level, they have their ace giving up grand slams to the Nationals, and their closer is more interested in starting fights with Willie Harris than getting outs. All of this after just 6 games.
You look at all that and it makes you feel a little better about the fact that Javy Vazquez getting his face smashed in on Friday night is the Yankees' biggest issue right now. And if everybody else pitches like they have been, that's barely even an issue.
Damn it feels good to be a Yankee fan!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Yankee Blogosphere Linkapalooza For The Week That Was (March 5-11)
After months of waiting, hot stoving, speculating, spring training, competing, and finalizing, we finally have baseball to talk about. It was an exciting first week of the regular season in Yankeeland and the blogosphere kept up with all of the action. Here's the rundown:
- Benjamin Kabak at River Ave. Blues talks about why this season will be the most important for Cash as GM as many of the decisions made with the lineup this year were based on moves made or not made over the last couple seasons. Cash's faith in Cano, decision to not bring back Damon and Matsui, and the handling of Phil Hughes and Joba will all play out this year and show Cash's true talent or lack thereof in being a GM.
- Moshe Mandel at The Yankee U examines Alfredo Aceves' pitch breakdown and concludes that his use of all of his pitches at any time is what makes him so successful. As somebody who can never quite recall every detail of a game after it ends, I enjoyed seeing the batter-by-batter breakdown of Ace's pitch selection and where he threw them in the zone in his outing on Tuesday. He's sort of like a bullpen version of Andy Pettitte with his approach.
- Moshe at TYU also tries to talk everybody off the ledge about Joe's management of the bullpen over the first 2 games, and provides 4 reasons why Joe is doing what he's doing. I can support points 1, 3, and 4, but I still disagree with point 2 about needing to set roles. Most of that should have already been done. But I do agree with Moshe that at the end of the year we will all look back and say Joe did a good job with the 'pen.
- Lenny Neslin at LenNY's Yankees puts up a sweet pictorial diary of his experiences at Fenway for Game 2 of the opening series on Tuesday. After I got over my jealousy over the fact that he got to go and I didn't, I had to admit it was pretty cool. Kudos to Lenny for throwing all the Yankee gear on too, especially the 2009 World Series hat.
-Benjamin Kabak makes another appearance by discussing the Joe West Incident from every conceivable angle, including West himself. After reading that, I don't really think there is anything else I could or should say. So I won't.
- Jay at Fack Youk talks about overvaluing relievers, using Mo as the prime example, and discusses the differences that individual perception versus WAR create in how relievers, even the best ones, are valued. Obviously guys like Mo are never going to be up there in WAR or VORP or stats like that, but I'm still damn glad to have him at the back end of the 'pen.
- SJK at No Maas breaks down Teix's career splits by month to show just how bad he has been in April. I still can't figure out why, I don't think anybody can. But hopefully yesterday was the start of Teix breaking that career trend.
- Good stuff from Mark Feinsand at the Daily News about CC's no-hit bid yesterday and how his pitch count would have affected Joe's decision. I said to my Dad and Uncle while I was watching that Sabathia was up to 111 pitches and probably wouldn't make it through the 9th anyway, but it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if he did get Shoppach out in the 8th. Joe said he would have taken CC out, and looking at the big picture I can't really argue with that decision.
- Apparently Lenny can argue with it though. And I see where he's coming from too. It's CC; he's your horse, your ace, and chances for a no-hitter don't come along that often. But all in all, I think Joe taking him out after the 8th would have been the right call to make, no matter how many people disagreed with it.
- Greg Fertel at Pending Pinstripes looks at Brett Gardner vs. Marcus Thames and concludes that they should NOT be platooned. And how did he come to this conclusion, you ask? Why by comparing their offensive AAAAAND defensive stats (GASP!) that show Gardner being worth 0.72 runs over Thames.
Oh, and not for nothing, but Gardner is batting .385 so far with 4 runs scored and 3 driven in while not embarrassing himself in the field like Thames has. Thank you, Greg. Thank you for putting in the time and effort to statistically support what I've been saying all along. Now if we could only get Joe to read this.
- And just to get everybody a little more psyched for the home opener on Tuesday, LoHud has everything you need to know about Opening Day at the Stadium. I'll probably be sitting at my cubical on Tuesday reading this over and over sighing to myself while the activities are taking place.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Yankee fans. Not a lot going on today outside of the Bombers in the afternoon. Maybe catch a little hockey, do some chores. Set your alarms to wake up in time for the new "Family Guy" tonight.
- Benjamin Kabak at River Ave. Blues talks about why this season will be the most important for Cash as GM as many of the decisions made with the lineup this year were based on moves made or not made over the last couple seasons. Cash's faith in Cano, decision to not bring back Damon and Matsui, and the handling of Phil Hughes and Joba will all play out this year and show Cash's true talent or lack thereof in being a GM.
- Moshe Mandel at The Yankee U examines Alfredo Aceves' pitch breakdown and concludes that his use of all of his pitches at any time is what makes him so successful. As somebody who can never quite recall every detail of a game after it ends, I enjoyed seeing the batter-by-batter breakdown of Ace's pitch selection and where he threw them in the zone in his outing on Tuesday. He's sort of like a bullpen version of Andy Pettitte with his approach.
- Moshe at TYU also tries to talk everybody off the ledge about Joe's management of the bullpen over the first 2 games, and provides 4 reasons why Joe is doing what he's doing. I can support points 1, 3, and 4, but I still disagree with point 2 about needing to set roles. Most of that should have already been done. But I do agree with Moshe that at the end of the year we will all look back and say Joe did a good job with the 'pen.
- Lenny Neslin at LenNY's Yankees puts up a sweet pictorial diary of his experiences at Fenway for Game 2 of the opening series on Tuesday. After I got over my jealousy over the fact that he got to go and I didn't, I had to admit it was pretty cool. Kudos to Lenny for throwing all the Yankee gear on too, especially the 2009 World Series hat.
-Benjamin Kabak makes another appearance by discussing the Joe West Incident from every conceivable angle, including West himself. After reading that, I don't really think there is anything else I could or should say. So I won't.
- Jay at Fack Youk talks about overvaluing relievers, using Mo as the prime example, and discusses the differences that individual perception versus WAR create in how relievers, even the best ones, are valued. Obviously guys like Mo are never going to be up there in WAR or VORP or stats like that, but I'm still damn glad to have him at the back end of the 'pen.
- SJK at No Maas breaks down Teix's career splits by month to show just how bad he has been in April. I still can't figure out why, I don't think anybody can. But hopefully yesterday was the start of Teix breaking that career trend.
- Good stuff from Mark Feinsand at the Daily News about CC's no-hit bid yesterday and how his pitch count would have affected Joe's decision. I said to my Dad and Uncle while I was watching that Sabathia was up to 111 pitches and probably wouldn't make it through the 9th anyway, but it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if he did get Shoppach out in the 8th. Joe said he would have taken CC out, and looking at the big picture I can't really argue with that decision.
- Apparently Lenny can argue with it though. And I see where he's coming from too. It's CC; he's your horse, your ace, and chances for a no-hitter don't come along that often. But all in all, I think Joe taking him out after the 8th would have been the right call to make, no matter how many people disagreed with it.
- Greg Fertel at Pending Pinstripes looks at Brett Gardner vs. Marcus Thames and concludes that they should NOT be platooned. And how did he come to this conclusion, you ask? Why by comparing their offensive AAAAAND defensive stats (GASP!) that show Gardner being worth 0.72 runs over Thames.
Oh, and not for nothing, but Gardner is batting .385 so far with 4 runs scored and 3 driven in while not embarrassing himself in the field like Thames has. Thank you, Greg. Thank you for putting in the time and effort to statistically support what I've been saying all along. Now if we could only get Joe to read this.
- And just to get everybody a little more psyched for the home opener on Tuesday, LoHud has everything you need to know about Opening Day at the Stadium. I'll probably be sitting at my cubical on Tuesday reading this over and over sighing to myself while the activities are taking place.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Yankee fans. Not a lot going on today outside of the Bombers in the afternoon. Maybe catch a little hockey, do some chores. Set your alarms to wake up in time for the new "Family Guy" tonight.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
That's More Like It
And whataya know?! Mark Teixeira is 3-4 today with a ribbie and 2 runs scored. Either Joe is starting to develop psychic abilities or he paid off Wade Davis to serve a few over the plate today. Either way, Teix looked real good at the plate today and that's what's most important.
Still 8-0 in the top of the 9th, but the ending is just a formality now. The important thing is the Cy Young-caliber ace of the staff and MVP-caliber first baseman played more like the Cy Young- and MVP-caliber players they are.
Has Anybody Seen Mark Teixeira?
Well it's another year and another terrible April so far for Teix. In 4 games he is 0-16 with 2 RBIs coming on walks and a .158 OPS that is made up completely of the "O"-part.
The good news is that the issue doesn't seem to be Teix not seeing the ball or being fooled at the plate. In his 16 at-bats he has struck out only twice, so he's seeing the ball and making contact. The problem has been that it's been weaker than weak contact.
I think the issue might be Teix's approach, which is something I commented on after the opening series against Boston. Teix seems to be pressing a bit, swinging early in the count and either getting himself behind and forcing himself to have to swing to protect, or just swinging at less than desirable pitches that he can't do much with. He did it with the bases loaded against Boston late in the game on Wednesday, hacking on the first pitch, something you hardly ever see him do in a situation like that, and in his 4 at-bats last night Teix only saw 11 pitches, less than 3 per at-bat.
Being impatient at the plate is more than likely making Teix's swing mechanics a bit rushed and his balance is probably a bit off on his swing mechanics. He appears to be reaching for the ball, lunging at it, and thereby sapping himself of his power generated through his hip rotation through the zone. Unfortunately I don't have DVR on my TV or the other technology to bring up screen shots showing this, but that's what the other blogs are for. These are just my thoughts on what Teix's problems are based on what I've seen so far watching him and what I've read in the box scores of the games.
Joe said after last night's loss that he's "got a feeling it's going to happen tomorrow" in refernce to Teix breaking out of his early season 0-for and I certainly hope he's right. We saw Nick Johnson get off the schnide last night, so Teix is the only one of the regulars without a hit. We know he isn't going to be this bad all season, and we know his numbers at the end of the year are going to be around the MVP-level they were in 2009. We just want him to get over this mini-slump ASAP and not drag it out over the entire month like last season.
The good news is that the issue doesn't seem to be Teix not seeing the ball or being fooled at the plate. In his 16 at-bats he has struck out only twice, so he's seeing the ball and making contact. The problem has been that it's been weaker than weak contact.
I think the issue might be Teix's approach, which is something I commented on after the opening series against Boston. Teix seems to be pressing a bit, swinging early in the count and either getting himself behind and forcing himself to have to swing to protect, or just swinging at less than desirable pitches that he can't do much with. He did it with the bases loaded against Boston late in the game on Wednesday, hacking on the first pitch, something you hardly ever see him do in a situation like that, and in his 4 at-bats last night Teix only saw 11 pitches, less than 3 per at-bat.
Being impatient at the plate is more than likely making Teix's swing mechanics a bit rushed and his balance is probably a bit off on his swing mechanics. He appears to be reaching for the ball, lunging at it, and thereby sapping himself of his power generated through his hip rotation through the zone. Unfortunately I don't have DVR on my TV or the other technology to bring up screen shots showing this, but that's what the other blogs are for. These are just my thoughts on what Teix's problems are based on what I've seen so far watching him and what I've read in the box scores of the games.
Joe said after last night's loss that he's "got a feeling it's going to happen tomorrow" in refernce to Teix breaking out of his early season 0-for and I certainly hope he's right. We saw Nick Johnson get off the schnide last night, so Teix is the only one of the regulars without a hit. We know he isn't going to be this bad all season, and we know his numbers at the end of the year are going to be around the MVP-level they were in 2009. We just want him to get over this mini-slump ASAP and not drag it out over the entire month like last season.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Mariano Even Shutting Down Joe West
Mariano sees your "disgraceful" and "embarrassing," Joe West. And he raises you "swinging at balls" and "respect and love." From today's Post:
"It's incredible. If he has places to go, let him do something else. What does he want us to do, swing at balls?"
"He has a job to do. He should do his job," Rivera said. "We don't want to play four-hour games, but that's what it takes. We respect and love the fans and do what we have to do, and that's play our game."
POW!! Take that, West! You and your 3 chins. Do you have any places to go right now? Anything else to do? If so, you should go do them because The Sandman just shit all over your world. From his lips to God's ears, baby. I love it! It's only April 9 and Mo is throwing gas on the mound and in the papers.
Hey Joe,
"It's incredible. If he has places to go, let him do something else. What does he want us to do, swing at balls?"
"He has a job to do. He should do his job," Rivera said. "We don't want to play four-hour games, but that's what it takes. We respect and love the fans and do what we have to do, and that's play our game."
POW!! Take that, West! You and your 3 chins. Do you have any places to go right now? Anything else to do? If so, you should go do them because The Sandman just shit all over your world. From his lips to God's ears, baby. I love it! It's only April 9 and Mo is throwing gas on the mound and in the papers.
Hey Joe,
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Joe West Is A Whiny Old Bastard
Umpire Joe West blasted the Yankees and Red Sox just before Wednesday's game, accusing the two clubs of being "pathetic and embarrassing" in dragging the pace of games and refusing to work with umpires.
"They're the two clubs that don't try to pick up the pace," said West, chief of the umpiring crew that worked the three-game series in Boston. He was the home plate umpire Sunday. "They're two of the best teams in baseball. Why are they playing the slowest?"
"It's pathetic and embarrassing. They take too long to play."
"This is embarrassing, a disgrace to baseball." (courtesy of the Bergen Record)
Jeez! Who pissed in Joe West's coffee? So Yankee-Red Sox games take a long time; BFD. Tell me something I don't know. And then shut the fuck up, put your mask back on, and get behind the plate and call a decent game. And you might want to refrain from referring to the 2 most popular franchises in Major League Baseball as "disgraces" while you're at it.
Newsflash, Joe. There isn't a big public outcry from the fans to get Yankee-Red Sox games done in under 2:30. Everybody acknowledges that they take a long time, but it ain't like people have stopped showing up at Yankee Stadium and Fenway and it ain't like ESPN and FOX have stopped falling all over each other to get as many of these matchups on TV as possible.
And that's because they ARE 2 of the best, if not the best, teams in baseball and their games are almost always exciting. People WANT to watch the Yankees and Red Sox play. It's a guaranteed sell-out and must see TV whether it's in April, June, or October. It's the premiere rivalry in baseball and all of American sports and each team wants to win every time out. That’s why the games take so long. Because each team is constantly trying to make decisions and plays that will help them win the game. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I don't think 2 teams doing everything they can do to win a game is pathetic or embarrassing. It's what professional sports are all about. When people stop watching Yanks-Sox and you and your umpires finally call a perfect game, then come back and talk to me about the time being embarrassing or disgraceful.
No one comes to the park to see you, Joe. And nobody cares that you think the games are taking too long. Just shut up, do your job, and go make another crappy country album. And next time you're behind the plate at a Yanks-Sox game, try not to squeeze the strike zone on CC. Fucking game wouldn't take 3 1/2 hours if you'd give the guy the outside corner once in a while.
"They're the two clubs that don't try to pick up the pace," said West, chief of the umpiring crew that worked the three-game series in Boston. He was the home plate umpire Sunday. "They're two of the best teams in baseball. Why are they playing the slowest?"
"It's pathetic and embarrassing. They take too long to play."
"This is embarrassing, a disgrace to baseball." (courtesy of the Bergen Record)
Jeez! Who pissed in Joe West's coffee? So Yankee-Red Sox games take a long time; BFD. Tell me something I don't know. And then shut the fuck up, put your mask back on, and get behind the plate and call a decent game. And you might want to refrain from referring to the 2 most popular franchises in Major League Baseball as "disgraces" while you're at it.
Newsflash, Joe. There isn't a big public outcry from the fans to get Yankee-Red Sox games done in under 2:30. Everybody acknowledges that they take a long time, but it ain't like people have stopped showing up at Yankee Stadium and Fenway and it ain't like ESPN and FOX have stopped falling all over each other to get as many of these matchups on TV as possible.
And that's because they ARE 2 of the best, if not the best, teams in baseball and their games are almost always exciting. People WANT to watch the Yankees and Red Sox play. It's a guaranteed sell-out and must see TV whether it's in April, June, or October. It's the premiere rivalry in baseball and all of American sports and each team wants to win every time out. That’s why the games take so long. Because each team is constantly trying to make decisions and plays that will help them win the game. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I don't think 2 teams doing everything they can do to win a game is pathetic or embarrassing. It's what professional sports are all about. When people stop watching Yanks-Sox and you and your umpires finally call a perfect game, then come back and talk to me about the time being embarrassing or disgraceful.
No one comes to the park to see you, Joe. And nobody cares that you think the games are taking too long. Just shut up, do your job, and go make another crappy country album. And next time you're behind the plate at a Yanks-Sox game, try not to squeeze the strike zone on CC. Fucking game wouldn't take 3 1/2 hours if you'd give the guy the outside corner once in a while.
Mountains Or Mole Hills? Yanks-Sox Game 3 & Opening Series Thoughts & Afterthoughts
(courtesy AP)
- I thought it in my head as soon as it happened and I'll say it now: Pettitte hitting Youkilis in the head last night was AWESOME! I don't care if he meant to do it or not, it was sweet. And anybody that didn't see Jeter getting plunked coming or thought it wasn't intentional is an idiot. I had the game on ESPN2 and was forced to listen to Rick Sutcliffe and Nomar go on and on about how it wasn't intentional and there shouldn't have been any warnings. I guess they failed to notice Victor Martinez say something to Pettitte and Pettitte turn around to respond after he walked off the mound in the 5th. Martinez was letting him know that one of the Yanks was going to get it in the following inning, and when Jeter is one of the 3 guys scheduled to bat, it's almost a guarantee that he's getting hit, especially against the Red Sox.
It's part of baseball and everything was clearly even and over after Jeet got hit, but don’t try to say it wasn't intentional.
- It was also just another day at the office for Mo last night. 3 up, 3 down; exit light, enter night, start spreading the news. For a team that supposedly had Mo figured out a few years ago, the Red Sox certainly haven't done much against him lately.
- After last night, you could start thinking about saying the opposite about Jonathan Papelbon. The guy has owned the Yankees historically, but completely fell apart in the 10th last night, giving up the homer to C-Grand and then walking 2 batters to force Francona to lift him from the game. When you're getting pulled for Scott Atchison, you know you had a bad night.
(Guess you're shipping up to the clubhouse now, asshole.- courtesy AP)
And as a side note, if we're going to talk about Joba's diminished fastball, it's only fair to discuss Papelbon's. I remember him consistently living in the 95-96 MPH range with the occasional touch to 97. Last night he was 93-94. Will anybody in the mainstream media (cough, cough, ESPN) mention that about him? Of course not, he wears a Boston uniform. But it's worth mentioning.
- As for Granderson, I could give a shit about how well or how poorly he hits lefties if he keeps coming up with big hits like that and plays solid centerfield.
- "The Grandy-man can?" That's the best you've got for a Granderson home run call, Sterling? Really? Not your best work.
- I think Joe must have been scouring the blogs and listening to some WFAN before the game last night about how he handled the first 2 games as he decided to switch from overmanaging the bullpen to undermanaging. I liked the decision to go back to Park and I liked the decision to let him throw 2 innings in a tie game, but 3 innings?? Park was clearly out of gas in the 9th and the 3 outs he did get were some of the loudest, scariest, most ass-clenching outs I've ever seen. And there wasn't even anybody up in the bullpen!! Make up your mind, Joe.
- Park looked like a completely different guy on the mound last night than the one we saw on Sunday. His fastball was back up in the 92-94 MPH range and his off-speed stuff had its bite and location back. That's what I was talking about on Monday about going out and getting the job done in a clutch spot; that's what the Yankees brought him in to do, that's what they should expect him to do, and last night that's what he did. Maybe all that diarrhea and coughing over the last 2 days helped.
- Mark Teixeira is nothing if not consistent. He's been a slow starter his entire career, was downright awful in April last season, and has coming out of the gates flailing again this year. You can talk all you want about the "productive out" he got last night in driving in the Yankees' 3rd run, but me, I thought it was crap. Bases loaded with your 3-hitter at the plate, you don't want productive outs. You want a 2-run single; you want a bases-clearing double; if you're greedy you want a grand slam. You want that hitter to effectively end the game with one swing. After all, that's why you put him in a run-producing spot in the lineup. And you certainly don't want or expect him to be swinging at the first pitch and rolling it over. Show some goddamn patience, Teix!
Yes he brought in an insurance run, but the fact that it was only one run left the door a tiny crack open for the Sox in the bottom of the 10th. Teix isn't seeing the ball well at all early on, evidenced by his letting good pitches go by and too often swinging at junk early in the count. He's also pulling off the ball. Dude needs to get in the cage today and get his shit figured out between his hands and his hips, because right now they are not on the same page.
- There's also something funny about Jeter's swing right now, like he's a little bit in front of the ball. In the 3 games he was grounding an awful lot of balls to shortstop and not going the other way to right, which is his calling card. His balance might be a tick off at the plate right now too, but given his track record of consistency, it's not something that should be a huge concern.
- Good stat from George King in today's Post: "Last night's victory was the Yankees' 17th straight regular-season win when the score was tied at the end of seven innings. That is the longest win streak in the modern era in games that were tied at the end of the seventh inning, passing the record set by the 1906 Giants."
Clutch, anybody?
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Hey Jon, Tell Me How C-Grand's Ass Tastes!
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Looks like all that working out while watching the replay of your Game 3 meltdown against the Angels didn't do shit, huh? Unless you count mastering the ability to repeat that meltdown over and over again.
Even in just the 3rd game of the year, there is something so gratifying about watching Papelbon have to give up the ball and walk off the field with his head down. If I had a magic lamp with a genie inside, my first wish would be to have the ability to conjure up that image of a beaten and defeated Papelbon whenever I wanted.
** Check back for series recap and early snap judgments tomorrow morning. **
Looks like all that working out while watching the replay of your Game 3 meltdown against the Angels didn't do shit, huh? Unless you count mastering the ability to repeat that meltdown over and over again.
Even in just the 3rd game of the year, there is something so gratifying about watching Papelbon have to give up the ball and walk off the field with his head down. If I had a magic lamp with a genie inside, my first wish would be to have the ability to conjure up that image of a beaten and defeated Papelbon whenever I wanted.
** Check back for series recap and early snap judgments tomorrow morning. **
David Ortiz Isn't Worried About A Slump
"You guys wait till [expletive] happens, then you can talk [expletive]. Two [expletive] games, and already you [expletives] are going crazy."
"What's up with that, man? [Expletive]. [Expletive] 160 games left. That's a [expletive]. One of you [expletives] got to go ahead and hit for me." (courtesy of ESPN.com)
There you have it. Just vintage Big Sloppi right there. The same cheerful, carefree attitude that endeared him to Red Sox fans and baseball fans nationwide back when he first joined the team in 2003 and put up gargantuan, steroid-inflated statistics to lead to the Sox to 2 fraudulent World Series titles.
Good to see he hasn't lost that childish love for the game and isn't feeling any pressure to rebound from last season's diminished numbers that almost assuredly signaled he was finally off of performance-enhancing drugs and was now exposed as an older, slower player whose natural hitting skills were never that great to begin with.
I mean, if Ortiz was upset about his slow start he probably would have lashed out at those reporters in a profanity-laced tirade full of F-bombs, Mother F-bombs, S-words, and who knows what else? But no, that's not the David Ortiz Way. He's just going to stay positive, stay focused, and go about his business with a smile on his face the same way he's done for the last 7 years. And at the end of the season, when he's hitting .215 with 18-22 HRs, 70 RBIs, and a category-D OPS, all those reporters are going to feel pretty stupid for ever questioning Big Sloppi this early in the season.
That's One...
Well it wasn't pretty last night, but a win's a win. Some thoughts:
- Even after just 2 games, Robinson Cano looks better at the plate than he ever has to start a season. He has perfect balance to his swing and is seeing the ball well, both good signs that point to him having a productive year from the 5-spot since it usually takes a month or two for him to hit this well.
- Not a bad start for A.J. He was in and out of trouble all night, but also didn't get any help from his defense with 3 errors. In the 4th and 5th innings especially he showed the ability to bear down and make pitches, something that is always difficult to predict with him. 94 pitches in 5 innings isn't exactly economical, but it was still a better start than CC had on Sunday. And he and Jorge got along; all together now; "Awwwwwwwwwwwww!"
- I complain about Marcus Thames being inserted into the lineup for Gardner in just the second game and he gets a walk and a strikeout, ho-hum. When you're right, you're right.
- Very solid 2 innings from Ace. Those innings were big considering Chan Ho Park was out with a severe case of "Joe probably didn't want to use him in a high-pressure situation again after he shit the bed on Sunday night" AKA "the flu" and it was good to see Ace work multiple innings and throw a decent number of pitches to test his back.
- Joba?! There you are!! Hadn't seen you in a while, buddy. How ya been? You gonna stick around for a while?
- I've said it before and I'll say it again, nobody in the Boston bullpen scares me. If you can get their starters out early, you can do damage against anybody in that 'pen
- Even after just 2 games, Robinson Cano looks better at the plate than he ever has to start a season. He has perfect balance to his swing and is seeing the ball well, both good signs that point to him having a productive year from the 5-spot since it usually takes a month or two for him to hit this well.
- Not a bad start for A.J. He was in and out of trouble all night, but also didn't get any help from his defense with 3 errors. In the 4th and 5th innings especially he showed the ability to bear down and make pitches, something that is always difficult to predict with him. 94 pitches in 5 innings isn't exactly economical, but it was still a better start than CC had on Sunday. And he and Jorge got along; all together now; "Awwwwwwwwwwwww!"
- I complain about Marcus Thames being inserted into the lineup for Gardner in just the second game and he gets a walk and a strikeout, ho-hum. When you're right, you're right.
- Very solid 2 innings from Ace. Those innings were big considering Chan Ho Park was out with a severe case of "Joe probably didn't want to use him in a high-pressure situation again after he shit the bed on Sunday night" AKA "the flu" and it was good to see Ace work multiple innings and throw a decent number of pitches to test his back.
- Joba?! There you are!! Hadn't seen you in a while, buddy. How ya been? You gonna stick around for a while?
- I've said it before and I'll say it again, nobody in the Boston bullpen scares me. If you can get their starters out early, you can do damage against anybody in that 'pen
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Is This Really Tonight's Lineup??
Per ESPN NY's Yankees blog, there is tonight's lineup. Usual suspects 1-6, but then we get to the bottom third.
7) Nick Swisher- RF
8) Marcus Thames- LF
9) Curtis Granderson- CF
Is Joe fucking serious? Second game of the year and we're already playing these lefty pitcher matchup games with C-Grand and Gardner? Can't we at least let these guys get a few at-bats against lefties before everyone decides they can't hit them. Or even ONE at-bat?!
And not for nothing, but it's not like Marcus Thames was crushing the ball this spring, off of lefties or righties. You could at least bat Granderson ahead of Thames since he's supposedly your everyday centerfielder and an All Star-caliber player. If I'm Gardner and Granderson, I'm ripshit mad right now.
Someone needs to wake Joe up and tell him it ain't Spring Training anymore. Put your best 9 out there and play to win. Stop fucking around and giving everybody more practices innings/at-bats to "prove themselves."
7) Nick Swisher- RF
8) Marcus Thames- LF
9) Curtis Granderson- CF
Is Joe fucking serious? Second game of the year and we're already playing these lefty pitcher matchup games with C-Grand and Gardner? Can't we at least let these guys get a few at-bats against lefties before everyone decides they can't hit them. Or even ONE at-bat?!
And not for nothing, but it's not like Marcus Thames was crushing the ball this spring, off of lefties or righties. You could at least bat Granderson ahead of Thames since he's supposedly your everyday centerfielder and an All Star-caliber player. If I'm Gardner and Granderson, I'm ripshit mad right now.
Someone needs to wake Joe up and tell him it ain't Spring Training anymore. Put your best 9 out there and play to win. Stop fucking around and giving everybody more practices innings/at-bats to "prove themselves."
A.J. Burnett (And His Alter Ego) Back On The Mound Tonight
More importantly, which pitcher will we see tonight? Dr. A.J., the one who calmly attacks the zone and works both sides of the plate with his fastball to set up the killer curve for his out pitch? Or Mr. Burnett, the cranky, whiny little bitch who can't throw strikes and spends the whole game muttering to himself in between four-pitch walks and first-pitch doubles off the wall?
One start never defines a season, but in A.J.'s case and with his past record of inconsistency, it's more important for him to have a good outing today and get off on the right foot in 2010 rather than fire up the question mill from the press just three days into the season. I'd say that's even more important than the Yanks actually winning the game.
- Speaking of pitchers, the Red Sox must have thought more of Josh Beckett's Opening Night performance that the rest of us did, as they decided to sign him to a 4-year, $68 million extension yesterday.
I don't know about you, but I think that's a bit of a steep price to pay for a guy with a 9.64 ERA and a 2.36 WHIP right now. Then again, if you subscribe to the Joe Morgan theory of pitching, Beckett's bad start on Sunday night won't count towards his final numbers and those numbers will be better than whatever they actually show at the end of the season.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Those Are All Professionals In The Bullpen, Right?
River Ave. Blues is one of the places I go most often for my Yankee insight, but today's post by Mike Axisa about Chan Ho Park's performance last night and what it implied about the state of the bullpen was more than a little disconcerting. Below are some of the highlights and my comments.
Last night’s game represented Phase I of a bullpen experiment. With 2009’s primary setup man moving into the rotation, Joe Girardi will have to go through the sometimes painful motions of figuring out who belongs where in the bullpen pecking order again this year.
Ummm, isn’t that was Spring Training was for? I know it's mainly to get these guys stretched out and give them time to find their stuff again, but shouldn't you also be working on getting them into situations where you might want to use them in the regular season to see how they react and how they perform? The regular season, when record does matter, isn't the time for experimentation.
Much like 2009, David Robertson was brought into a sticky situation – a strikeout situation – in the 6th inning, but Girardi opted to deploy Chan Ho Park in the 7th inning even though Robertson had thrown just six pitches....
Because why bother continuing to use a pitcher who had just worked out of trouble with minimal effort, and who has a track record from last season of coming through in pressure situations when you've got other untested options in the bullpen?
What I really want to touch on is why Park was brought into the game in that spot anyway.
Touch away, Mike. I'm still trying to figure that one out. Maybe you can help.
Robertson had thrown just those six pitches, and had plenty more in the tank if Girardi wanted to give him at least start the 7th.
Don't remind me.
Instead, the manager needed to begin the process of figuring out who are going to be the team’s late inning, hold a small lead in a big game relievers.
No, no, no, no, a thousand times NO!! The manager should have taken care of that already in Spring Training. Once it's the regular season it’s about wins and losses. If people still need to be test driven in the regular season to see if they've got the stones to pitch when it matters, then they shouldn't be on the 25-man roster. When the games matter, and even though it's just one game, last night still mattered, you play to win the game. Tell 'em, Herm.
See? Even Herm says it. Thank you, Herm.
It’s not always going to (be) pretty, and there will be plenty of times when such an audition costs the team a game, which is exactly what happened last night.
Plenty of times? Plenty??? There damn well better not be plenty. Pretty much every reputable Yankee blog, including RAB, and some of the disreputable ones, like this one, predicted the Yankee bullpen to be a strength for the team this year. So why are we now being told that there are going to be "plenty" of times where these guys fuck up and it's OK because the bullpen rotation has to get figured out?
But as we’ve seen in the past two years, we’re looking at short-terms losses for long-term gains.....
Actually, what we've seen the last 2 years is that certain guys couldn't get the job done, they cost the team many potential wins, and they got their sorry asses shipped outta town for guys that could. We shouldn’t have to be dealing with that nonsense this season. We should be skipping the short-term losses and heading right to long-term gains because on paper we have a group of talented, composed, veteran relievers who have gotten the job done before. And instead of screwing around and getting everybody playing time like this is the Little League World Series, we (Joe) should be sticking with guys who are playing well and work towards holding leads and winning games.
Easing Park into it by starting him out in lower leveraged innings may sound like a good idea, but that just prolongs the process. He’s 36-years-old, not some rookie that has to learn the ropes. He should know the routine and know what’s expected of him. There’s no sense in dragging this out, run Park out there in this big spots in April and let’s see what he’s got.
That logic is precisely why Park should have never been brought into the game last night. He isn't some greenhorn kid out of Triple-A that needs to be tested. He's a veteran who should know how to pitch and how to pitch in pressure situations. He doesn't need to be eased into this situations just like nobody in the Yankee bullpen should need to be eased into situations.
In case everybody's forgotten, except for Mitre all of these guys pitched in the playoffs last year!!! They all pitched in the World Series!!! And some of them pitched WELL!!!! Joe shouldn't have to "run anybody out there" from this group. He should be sticking with who's pitching well until that guy gets into trouble or faces an unfavorable matchup that dictates a change.
Is there a chance he’s the next LaTroy Hawkins? Sure, but right now we have no idea. He didn’t get off to a good start last night, but one outing and 22 pitches isn’t enough of anything to base a decision on. He’ll get another chance to prove himself, probably this series, and that’s just the next step in determining his value to the 2010 New York Yankees.
Fair enough, but that shouldn't be the point when it comes to a guy like Park and Joe should know that. We, and he, should know what to expect from Park and what to expect from all the guys in the bullpen. Sure Park sucked the big one last night, but that's not the point either. The point is that this discussion about guys figuring out their roles is not a discussion we should be having.
The time for open tryouts has come and gone with the passing of March; now it's the time to focus on winning games and last night Joe did not make managerial decisions that helped his team win the game when it came to his pitching staff. Whether he did it on purpose to test Park or not is irrelevant. The important thing is that Joe could have, and probably should have, stuck with a pitcher who had only thrown 6 pitches and who has shown multiple times that he's got the stuff to get out of trouble and hold leads and he didn't.
Now I know there's a ton more baseball to be played and I have all the confidence in the world that the bullpen will be fine, but we can't all sit here and play off bad managerial decisions and then justify them with this kind of weak, babying logic when it comes to Chan Ho Park or any of the guys in the bullpen. We aren't dealing with Jeremy Bleich and Humberto Sanchez out there. The bullpen sucked last night, plain and simple, and it was the one decision made by Joe that triggered the start of all that suckiness. Call it what it was and hand out criticism appropriately.
Last night’s game represented Phase I of a bullpen experiment. With 2009’s primary setup man moving into the rotation, Joe Girardi will have to go through the sometimes painful motions of figuring out who belongs where in the bullpen pecking order again this year.
Ummm, isn’t that was Spring Training was for? I know it's mainly to get these guys stretched out and give them time to find their stuff again, but shouldn't you also be working on getting them into situations where you might want to use them in the regular season to see how they react and how they perform? The regular season, when record does matter, isn't the time for experimentation.
Much like 2009, David Robertson was brought into a sticky situation – a strikeout situation – in the 6th inning, but Girardi opted to deploy Chan Ho Park in the 7th inning even though Robertson had thrown just six pitches....
Because why bother continuing to use a pitcher who had just worked out of trouble with minimal effort, and who has a track record from last season of coming through in pressure situations when you've got other untested options in the bullpen?
What I really want to touch on is why Park was brought into the game in that spot anyway.
Touch away, Mike. I'm still trying to figure that one out. Maybe you can help.
Robertson had thrown just those six pitches, and had plenty more in the tank if Girardi wanted to give him at least start the 7th.
Don't remind me.
Instead, the manager needed to begin the process of figuring out who are going to be the team’s late inning, hold a small lead in a big game relievers.
No, no, no, no, a thousand times NO!! The manager should have taken care of that already in Spring Training. Once it's the regular season it’s about wins and losses. If people still need to be test driven in the regular season to see if they've got the stones to pitch when it matters, then they shouldn't be on the 25-man roster. When the games matter, and even though it's just one game, last night still mattered, you play to win the game. Tell 'em, Herm.
See? Even Herm says it. Thank you, Herm.
It’s not always going to (be) pretty, and there will be plenty of times when such an audition costs the team a game, which is exactly what happened last night.
Plenty of times? Plenty??? There damn well better not be plenty. Pretty much every reputable Yankee blog, including RAB, and some of the disreputable ones, like this one, predicted the Yankee bullpen to be a strength for the team this year. So why are we now being told that there are going to be "plenty" of times where these guys fuck up and it's OK because the bullpen rotation has to get figured out?
But as we’ve seen in the past two years, we’re looking at short-terms losses for long-term gains.....
Actually, what we've seen the last 2 years is that certain guys couldn't get the job done, they cost the team many potential wins, and they got their sorry asses shipped outta town for guys that could. We shouldn’t have to be dealing with that nonsense this season. We should be skipping the short-term losses and heading right to long-term gains because on paper we have a group of talented, composed, veteran relievers who have gotten the job done before. And instead of screwing around and getting everybody playing time like this is the Little League World Series, we (Joe) should be sticking with guys who are playing well and work towards holding leads and winning games.
Easing Park into it by starting him out in lower leveraged innings may sound like a good idea, but that just prolongs the process. He’s 36-years-old, not some rookie that has to learn the ropes. He should know the routine and know what’s expected of him. There’s no sense in dragging this out, run Park out there in this big spots in April and let’s see what he’s got.
That logic is precisely why Park should have never been brought into the game last night. He isn't some greenhorn kid out of Triple-A that needs to be tested. He's a veteran who should know how to pitch and how to pitch in pressure situations. He doesn't need to be eased into this situations just like nobody in the Yankee bullpen should need to be eased into situations.
In case everybody's forgotten, except for Mitre all of these guys pitched in the playoffs last year!!! They all pitched in the World Series!!! And some of them pitched WELL!!!! Joe shouldn't have to "run anybody out there" from this group. He should be sticking with who's pitching well until that guy gets into trouble or faces an unfavorable matchup that dictates a change.
Is there a chance he’s the next LaTroy Hawkins? Sure, but right now we have no idea. He didn’t get off to a good start last night, but one outing and 22 pitches isn’t enough of anything to base a decision on. He’ll get another chance to prove himself, probably this series, and that’s just the next step in determining his value to the 2010 New York Yankees.
Fair enough, but that shouldn't be the point when it comes to a guy like Park and Joe should know that. We, and he, should know what to expect from Park and what to expect from all the guys in the bullpen. Sure Park sucked the big one last night, but that's not the point either. The point is that this discussion about guys figuring out their roles is not a discussion we should be having.
The time for open tryouts has come and gone with the passing of March; now it's the time to focus on winning games and last night Joe did not make managerial decisions that helped his team win the game when it came to his pitching staff. Whether he did it on purpose to test Park or not is irrelevant. The important thing is that Joe could have, and probably should have, stuck with a pitcher who had only thrown 6 pitches and who has shown multiple times that he's got the stuff to get out of trouble and hold leads and he didn't.
Now I know there's a ton more baseball to be played and I have all the confidence in the world that the bullpen will be fine, but we can't all sit here and play off bad managerial decisions and then justify them with this kind of weak, babying logic when it comes to Chan Ho Park or any of the guys in the bullpen. We aren't dealing with Jeremy Bleich and Humberto Sanchez out there. The bullpen sucked last night, plain and simple, and it was the one decision made by Joe that triggered the start of all that suckiness. Call it what it was and hand out criticism appropriately.
GAH!!!
(Photo courtesy of the NY Daily news)
Damnit, Jorge! Catch the f'ing ball! Only one thing can sum up this play from last night.
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