One Homer, Two Homers, Three Homers, Hahahahaha!

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

In case you couldn't tell, that was a Count from "Sesame Street" reference right there.  Pretty intense stuff here at AB4AR when I'm at the shore.

But in any case, did somebody say A-Rod had no more power?  That he was washed up?  That he had no chance to challenge the all-time record?  Dude looked pretty fucking solid to me last night.  KC couldn't get anything by him, and we aren't just talking meatballs down the middle here.  The pitches were lower in the zone, a location that The Horse hasn't been able to generate a lot of power from this season, and he absolutely mashed all 3 bombs he hit.

Homers can come in bunches for power hitters like him.  Something tells me he's going to start making a run at 30 for the year and keep his streak of consecutive 30-HR, 100-RBI seasons intact and continue to cement his legacy as the greatest half-human, half-horse hybrid creature athlete of all time.

All hail the A-Taur!!

A Question To Ponder Before Tonight's Game

Is Jorge Posada ever going to throw out another baserunner again?

Seriously, before the first rain delay it was like a "Kid's Run the Bases" day at the ballpark for the Royals last night.  That Blanco dude stole 2nd and 3rd consecutively without a throw EITHER TIME.

I love Jorge, I always have.  But it's time to face facts: he is fucking done as a catcher.  His body just can't hold up to the wear and tear anymore and it's starting to affect his performance behind the plate and at the plate.  He moves like someone with osteoperosis, his swing looks slow and lifeless, and he's got more bumps and bruises right now than Frankie Rodriguez's father-in-law.

If Jorge wants his career to last beyond next season he needs to swallow his pride and get familiar with two words: "Designated Hitter."  If he can't handle that, then it might be time to hang 'em up because watching him play right now is just painful.

P.S.- Let the official countdown for The Jesus begin...

We Got A Situation

Throw on your Ed Hardy t-shirts and start fist pumping, bitches, because it's Jersey Shore week here at AB4AR!!

What does that mean, you ask?  Well for starters, it doesn't mean that I'm going to have Pauly D and Ronnie doing guest posts on the Yankees bullpen or inviting Snooki and J-Woww to comment on the possible Yankees playoff roster.

No, nothing quite that bad.  My family is making our yearly trip down to Long Beach Island, New Jersey, and with the benefit of modern technology (and a buddy in the IT department at work) my computer will be coming with me for the trip along with a portable internet source.  I've got a week in the tri-state area, which means a week of access to the YES Network on a week where the Yankees play every day so being able to stay on top of the events as they happen was a must.  My dedication to providing you, dear readers, with subpar, low-brow, profanity-laced analysis of the Bombers will continue even while I'm on vacation.

The only thing that could throw a monkey wrench into this is the availability of Sprint service down at the shore.  I have faith that there will be enough, but if not, then you won't be getting anything here for a week.  I know that's going to be hard to deal with, but you'll survive.  Just say a prayer for me and my air card and if things don't work out, make some Ron Ron Juice, stay away from the grenades, and I'll catch you back here on the 23rd.

Picking Nits

Not too much to complain about after another win in a tough weather setting last night.  The offense did enough to get the job done, and CC was better than his high hit total suggests against the bloop-happy Royals.

The only problem I have with last night's game was CC even coming out for the 9th inning.  Yeah, it's nice to get a complete game and yeah, his pitch count wasn't that high, but it was about 14,000 degrees out there last night.  Why even put him in that situation to add extra stress and work on his body when you don't have to?

Joe said “We don’t want to wear this big guy down" when asked after the game why he took CC out with just one out remaining.  Well if that's the case, then tell him he's done after 8 and let him rehydrate while D-Rob finishes the thing off.  110 pitches is nothing for a horse like CC, but 110 pitches in 106 heat index weather is different than 110 pitches on a regular day.  He gave up 2 hits in the 9th, so it was clear he was tiring a bit.  Let him leave the game with just 1 run allowed, bring in D-Rob with a clean slate, and don't even give the tying run a chance to come to the plate like it did last night.

I'm sure CC was fine and wanted to go back out and finish it up, but when outfielders on both teams are getting taken out of the game left and right because of the heat, Joe should have been smart, told CC he was done, and not let the game get as close as it did.  CC didn't deserve to have 2 runs tacked onto his total last night, and if Joe goes to his 'pen to start the 9th last night instead of bringing D-Rob in with runners on, he probably doesn't.  There's bigger fish to fry here then a complete game against the Royals, Joe, and you've already got injury problems in your rotation.  Sit the big guy, let him rest and drink some more Gatorade, and think about October.

Papelbon Continues To Challenge Mo As The Greatest Closer Ever

How's that for a pitching line, eh?  Just an epic day for non-Yankee closers.

Seriously, between Frankie Rodriguez going Mike Tyson's Punch Out on senior citizens and Pahpelbawn melting down again, I feel like a kid on Christmas morning knowing I have Mariano Rivera on my side.  While these other clowns are watching their ERAs and WHIPs continue to rise as they sink back towards mediocrity, Mo just keeps chugging along towards the all-time saves record and the Hall of Fame (Tuesday aside of course).

P.S.- Cue all the Boston fans bitching and moaning and pleading for Daniel Bard to become the new closer.  Seriously, I'm begging Terry Francona to make Bard the closer.  I don't give a fuck what he did over the weekend, the Yankees fucking OWN that dude.  Maybe more than they own Papelbon.

This Guy Sucks (At Pitching And Being A Decent Human Being)

 

Derek Jeter has one of the most successful and widely recognized children's charities.  Nick Swisher honors his dead grandmother before each pitch of an at-bat.  Mark Teixeira stayed at home and missed 2 games to be with his wife and newborn son.  Francisco Rodriguez beats the shit out of his girlfriend's father in front of the entire team and some of their family members in the locker room.

Which of these things is not like the other?

I mean, I'd be upset too if I had been reduced to a marginal closer at best with a now sub-90MPH fastball and a tendency to walk everybody that steps in the batter's box.  But taking those frustrations out on an old dude?  Family no less?  Now that's just low.

Do I even need to bring up the apples-to-oranges comparison for the Yankees and Mets anymore?  Or has that just become too similar to even use as a comparison?  Shouldn't it be something more like apples-to-steaming piles of elephant shit?  Or do I just let the disgrace that is the New York Mets organization speak for itself?

A Tale Of 2 Games

It's a bit cliche to say, but last night was truly a tale of 2 games.  2 games that showed that while the Rangers are definitely for real, the Yankees are still a better team.

The first 5 innings were all about the Rangers.  Cliff Lee was dealing and making the Yankees look awful at the plate, their hitters were pounding Javy and making him pay for his lack of velocity and missed locations, they were running the bases hard, making plays in the field, and looking like an all-around better baseball team.  The Yankees looked old, stagnant, and completely outclassed.

But the last 4 innings were a different story.  Despite his early dominance, the Yankees did make Lee work for his solid outing through 6 and in the 7th he hit the wall big time.  The Yanks started taking and fouling off more pitches from Lee, making him work harder with his diminishing stuff, and finally breaking through on some misplaced pitches.  That same patience and feistiness at the plate continued as the game was passed into the hands of the Texas bullpen and the Yanks continued to chip away as Francisco and Feliz spit the bit while the Yankee 'pen went into lockdown mode.  It was vintage Yankee baseball: being patient, fighting off pitches, and getting clutch hits when they needed to, taking advantage of other teams mistakes (Granderson & Gardner moving up on the 9th-inning wild pitch), and bullpen guys stepping up to get outs in big spots to hold the opponent down.

The series and especially last night answered 2 of the 3 questions I presented earlier in the week.  As far as handling the lefties, the Yanks didn't do that too well.  They scratched some runs off of Wilson and touched up Lee after he started to tire in the 7th, but when you're tying a franchise record last night with 17 strikeouts, that's not exactly a good thing.  I'm not even going to get into the lineup management.  Between injuries, sickness, and Teix staying with his wife and kid, I think Joe did the best with what he had.  Maybe the everyday Yankee lineup fares a little better at the plate.  Maybe it doesn't.

But the most important answer was the one on how the Rangers would hold up in a high-leverage situation.  The Rangers stood tall in the face of pressure on Tuesday night and completely collapsed under it last night, proving that they are still a wildcard when it comes to handling big-time playoff situations.  The Yankees have plenty of guys that have been there before and know how to handle these situations, and that's why they won last night.  That's also why they have the upper hand on the Rangers should the two meet down the road in the playoffs, and that's why the Yankees still have to be the favorites to win it all.

The Sandman Cometh

"... it's Mo and you know he won't have any lingering effects from this outing the next time he steps out there.  Dude probably won't give up a run for a month after last night."- Me, 8/11/10

Told ya so.  So he gave up a leadoff triple to Elvis Andrus on a crummy pitch?  How's sitting down one of the best hitters of the last 10 years, the leading AL MVP candidate, and a first-ballot HOF'er who happens to be 4th in the AL in RBIs in order to preserve an improbably comeback win sound?

"Sleep with one eye oooopen.  Grippin' your pillow tiiiiiight... "

Where Have You Gone, Brett Gardner?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dinked And Dunked To Death

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

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

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

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

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

3 Things To Watch For In The Yanks-Rangers Series

1) How the Rangers handle a playoff atmosphere

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But that's just me...

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

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

Yanks-Sox Weekend Series Thoughts And Afterthoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some more thoughts on the weekend:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adios For The Weekend, Kiddies

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

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

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

Godbless, good people.  And go Yankees!

Really, Sports Illustrated?

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

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

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

Thursday Lunch Time Linkapalooza

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Awesome Video: 4th Outfielder At Yankee Stadium

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finally!

(Photo used courtesy of ESPN.com)

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

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

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

OH MY F'ING GOD!!!

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

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

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

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

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

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

Swish On E:60 Tonight

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

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



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

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

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

You suck.  You officially fucking suck.

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

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

Remember

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

Thurman Munson: 1947-1979

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

Ahh, Mets Fans. Always Good For A Laugh

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



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

Video via Deadspin

Yanks-Rays Weekend Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

Kearns & Berkman: Yay Or Nay?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Return Of D-Rob

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

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

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

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

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