Just Filthy...

Will Ivan Nova fuck your shit up?  Why yes, yes he will.

Is he getting another start in the rotation?  Why yes, yes he is.

Is he a bad man?  Why yes, yes he definitely is.  If only Javy and A.J. could be so strong...

Night And Day

Last night was the perfect of example of what A.J. Burnett lacks and why CC Sabathia is so important to the Yankee rotation.

On Friday night, A.J. didn't have his A-game (as usual) and he just kept throwing the same shitty pitches that got hammered while he felt sorry for himself.  There was no regrouping, no fixing what wasn't working, nothing.

Last night, CC steps out on the mound without his A-game as well.  After being handed a 6-1 lead, he made some bad pitches and after 4 innings it was 6-5.  However, after his team got him 4 runs in the top of the 5th, CC came back out in the bottom of the inning, beared down, and proceeded to throw 3 innings of shutout ball, allowing just 2 baserunners and striking out 5 to preserve the lead into the 7th.  And it was a damn good thing too because the bullpen sucked last night.

If that was A.J. out there with a 5-run lead after giving up 2-run homers in back-to-back innings, God only knows what he would have done in the bottom of the 5th.  But CC recognized that his team had picked him up, he toughened up, he focused, he changed his approach, made better pitches, and made the lead stand up.  That's what a veteran pitcher does, that's what a good pitcher does, and that's what an ace does.

A.J., I hope you were taking notes.

A.J. Burnett Is Delusional

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

From George King's article in the Post today:

"I don't know what that means," Burnett said when Girardi's 'evaluation' comment was presented to him.

It means you fucking sucked last night and you sucked the start before that during a time where the rotation already has plenty of question marks and you should be counted on to provide some stability.  Not to mention the fact that you've sucked for the majority of the season without showing any ability to correct the problems you continue to have.

"I look forward to my next start. [Not making the start] would surprise me, but he makes the decisions."

Surprising.  Of course.  Because what manager wouldn't want to throw a guy out there who has pitched to a 12.19 ERA and 2.52 WHIP in his last 2 starts?  Especially when that guy is his supposed #2 pitcher, who happens to be making $16.5 million this season, and is an 11-year MLB veteran that should know how to handle himself out on the mound but always shits the bed at the first sign of trouble like a scared Little Leaguer.  You're right, A.J.  That would be surprising.

"I am not getting swings [on pitches] I was getting before.  I am getting too much of the plate."

You're not getting swings on those pitches you were before, A.J., because those pitches are miles out of the strikezone and usually heading to the backstop, as indicated by your 3 wild pitches and 3 walks in just 3.1 innings last night.  The ones you're getting too much of the plate on are the ones that are being swung at.  And they're being deposited all over the ballpark.

Consider yourself lucky that Joe left you an option to possibly make your next start.  If it was up to me, your sorry ass wouldn't even be allowed in the clubhouse.

Somebody Tell Me There's A Team Option In His Contract

A.J., I don't have words to describe how disgusting your performance was tonight.  You make me absolutely sick and I hope you fall down in the shower in your hotel room tomorrow morning and are out for the rest of the season.  If I could, I would sever every tendon, muscle, and ligament in both of your arms so that you had to have Tommy John, Timmy Jim, Tony Jack, and every other surgery known to man to keep you out of the rotation and off the mound for the remainder of your fucking contract.

I know the rest of your supporting cast behind you didn't show up tonight, and that never helps, but the team has picked you up in your shitty starts enough times and you've been in the big leagues long enough that you should have a little hair on your peaches at this point and be able to bear down and pitch well to help the rest of the club out when it's clear they don't have their A-game.  At this point, you and Javy can both go play in fucking rush hour traffic for all I care.  Fuck off and die.

P.S.- Joe, it's time to cut the shit with the cliches and press conferences about fucking Chicago and what you're doing next year and time to close the locker room doors and air these motherfuckers out.  It's been like watching "Night of The Living Dead" with all the sloppy, lackadaisical bullshit out there lately.  Step up and do your fucking job and get these motherfuckers re-focused.

Sucks For You, Bro

All the Washington Nationals fans can now put that gun in their mouths.

Thank you, innings limit.  Thank you so very much.  It's good to know that there is actual value in you.

Friday Morning Linkapalooza

Here's a quick selection for you to peruse on this Friday:

- Mike at RAB reminds us that the current issues plaguing the Yankee rotation are nothing new to the team.  I myself had never even stopped to consider the similarities between this time last year and this time this year, and when you see that the Yanks do have almost an identical record to what they had this time in 2009 with a better run differential, it does make you feel a little better.  So thanks for that, Mike.

- Multiple takes on the MLB revenue sharing leaks from earlier this week: Larry from IATMS' is here, Rob Neyer's is here, and Jayson Stark's is here.  There are plenty of opinions out there, and while I don't think that teams should HAVE to spend every cent they receive through the program, they should at least make an effort if they're going to bitch and moan about how much money the Yankees have.  No matter what you think, this news this week shows just how flawed the current system is.

- SJK at No Maas goes big time Debbie Downer on The Horse's and The Captain's 2010 seasons.  It hurts to look at those numbers and while I don't think either of the 2 are finished by any stretch of the imagine, the numbers don't lie.  It is officially time for us all to accept that 2 of the greatest players of their generation are starting their declines.  Hopefully they still have something left in those bats for the postseason.

- While Jeet and A-Diaz may be scuffling this year, the ageless Mo continues to churn along, and Mark Simon of ESPN NY discusses Mo's lessened workload this year and how that extra rest may translate to more postseason success.  I'll take an extra helping of that, please!

- Chad Jennings at LoHud has the details on the biggest event of the day for all Yankee fans, Andy's bullpen session.  I've got my lucky rabbit's foot in one hand and my lucky bean from the Jersey shore in the other, praying to Joe Pesci that the groin holds up.

- And if it doesn't, Steve S. at TYU thinks that signals the arrival of Hiroki Kuroda.  I can't say I would be thrilled with this move, given that the Yanks are still in first and getting decent innings from Dustin Moseley.  But if Pettitte is shelved for the year, I think I'd rather go into battle in the playoffs with Kuroda as my 4th starter over Moseley or Vazquez.

I Lied Yesterday

I told everybody to check back last night for the unveiling of the first AP Top 25 Yankee Playoff Roster Poll and then didn't post it.  Sorry, had a beer too many at trivia and the bed was calling when I got home.  But to make up for it, I did the research, counted up all the votes, and now, a day late, here is the first poll:

(Remember, the poll always works under the assumption that the playoffs start today)

Top 25
1) Mariano Rivera
2) Robinson Cano
3) CC Sabathia
4) Mark Teixeira
5) Nick Swisher
6) Phil Hughes
7) Brett Gardner
8) Derek Jeter
9) Curtis Granderson
10) Jorge Posada
11) Dave Robertson
12) Kerry Wood
13) Francisco Cervelli
14) Boone Logan
15) A.J. Burnett
16) Austin Kearns
17) Alex Rodriguez
18) Marcus Thames
19) Joba Chamberlain
20) Ramiro Pena
21) Sergio Mitre
22) Dustin Moseley (only here b/c Pettitte is hurt)
23) Eduardo Nunez (only here b/c Berkman is hurt)
24) Chad Gaudin (only here b/c Aceves is hurt)
25) Javy Vazquez (only here b/c Marte is hurt)

Also Receiving Votes:
26) Andy Pettitte (due to injury status)
27) Alfredo Aceves (due to rehab status)
28) Lance Berkman (due to injury status)
29) Damaso Marte (due to injury status)

Looking Towards The Postseason (And Postseason Roster)

I don't want to try to jinx anything here, but at this point in the season I think we can all agree that the Yankees will make the playoffs one way or another.  So now the question becomes, what is their initial postseason 25-man roster going to look like?  Taking injuries out of the equation, we can safely assume the roster will look like this:

Lineup:

1) Jeter
2) Swish
3) Teix
4) The Horse
5) Bobinson
6) Jorge
7) Berkman
8) C-Grand
9) Gardner

Rotation:

1) CC
2) A.J.
3) Andy
4) Hughes

Bench: Cervelli, Kearns, Thames, Pena

Bullpen: Mo, D-Rob, Wood, Joba, Marte, Boone Logan (the only guy who doesn't get a nickname or even his name shortened because "Boone Logan" just sounds badass), Aceves, Vazquez

Unfortunately, we don't have the luxury of taking injuries out of the equation, and if the playoffs were to start today, you wouldn't be seeing A-Rod, Berkman, Andy, Marte, or Aceves on the roster for the ALDS.  Their spots would most likely be filled up by Eduardo Nunez, Dustin Moseley, Ivan Nova, Sergio Mitre, and Chad Gaudin for 12 positional players and 13 pitchers instead of the other way around.

We more than likely won't be seeing Nunez or Gaudin on the postseason roster as A-Rod will be back, but the other 4 guys are not such sure bets to make it back.  Andy has already had setbacks to his return and is still out until at least mid-September, Berkman's injured ankle could linger and limit his ability to play, Aceves has battled his back issues all year and got rocked in his last rehab outing last night, and nobody seems to know anything about Damaso Marte's status so he might have actually died.  This combined uncertainty about guys who would be playoff roster staples combined with the continued piss-poor performance from A.J. and Javy poses some very interesting scenarios and choices for the Yankees.

As it is right now, I would not even consider putting Vazquez on the roster, instead putting Sergio Mitre in the 'pen as the long man.  And I've already stated that I would rather see Phil Hughes start Game 2 of any and every series and push A.J. back to the 4th starter role if Andy is good to go.  But what if Andy can't go?  Who becomes the 4th starter?  If Ivan Nova dazzles down the stretch, does he deserve a spot?  If Nunez starts to adjust to Major League pitching in the last month and starts hitting better, does he get the utility spot over Pena?  And who is the next position player in line to fill in if another guy goes down?  These are the important possibilities the Yanks are going to have to consider as the season winds down.

** Check back tonight for my initial 2010 AP Top 25 Yankee Playoff Roster Poll. **

A Whole Little For A Whole Lot And Vice Versa

Just in case we needed a reminder, here's how bad A.J. Burnett and Javy Vazquez have been this year.  Their combined stats for the season are as follows:

18-20, 278 IP, 285 H, 113 BB, 152 ER, 213 K, 4.92 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 1.88K/BB ratio

Just putrid.  And when you factor in their combined $28 million in salary this year, the Yankees are paying them $1,555,555.556 per win this year.

For the sake of comparison, here are Dustin Moseley and Ivan Nova's combined stats:

5-2, 54 IP, 54 H, 19 BB, 25 ER, 27 K, 4.17 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 1.42 K/BB ratio

Now I know that's a very small sample size, but still.  Come the fuck on!  If you would have asked most Yankee fans if they thought A.J. Burnett and Javy Vazquez were going to put up combined numbers so bad that the Yankees would be skipping their starts and separating them in the rotation with 23-year-old Triple-A pitchers while they counted on Dustin Moseley to provide some balance and winning to the rotation, they would have emphatically said "no."

The point is, A.J. and Javy were being counted on this season to provide length and stability to a rotation that featured an older pitcher who did end up on the DL and a younger one on an innings limit and they haven't done that.  It's actually kind of sad that the Yankees have had to count on Moseley and Nova this year, but thank The Almighty Jesus Montero for Moseley and Nova being there.  Their combined contracts value is $800,000 so the Yanks are paying them chump change for their wins and innings while they give away millions to Dink and Doink for a sub-.500 record and 3- and 4-inning clunkers.

At this point, Javy has all but pitched himself off the playoff roster, and A.J. may not be far behind.  At the very least, he would be the 4th guy in my rotation behind CC, Hughes, and Andy (assuming Andy is healthy).  And if he can't get it together over the last month of the season, I wouldn't hesitate to put Moseley or Nova on the playoff roster and throw them out there for a Game 4 start if I were Joe.

For all the bang for their buck that the Yanks have gotten from CC, Teix, and Swish, they simply aren't getting anything from A.J. and Javy.

As If A 5-HR, 11-Run, Solid Dustin Moseley-Performance Beatdown Wasn't Enough To Be Happy About...

... I wake up to this little tidbit of information via LoHud about Javy being skipped over for Ivan Nova this weekend.



It's only for one start, but it's better than nothing.  At least the Yankees are making decisions that give the team the best chance to win rather than throwing more unearned loyalty to a veteran who's pitching like dogshit.  That being said, I'm sure Javy will be back in the rotation after he gets skipped on Sunday, but you never know.  If Nova goes out and pitches well again this weekend, he could make the decision very difficult.  At the very least, the Yankees will step on the field this Sunday with a chance to win, something they wouldn't have with Javy out there.

The Newest Member Of The AB4AR Photoshop Club

Introducing Nova The Terrible. 

He'll work out of bases-loaded jams with ease.  He'll throw consecutive changeups and get you to swing and miss at both of them.  He'll come up and in on you after you grandstand a home run a little too long and then talk shit to you.  And he might even kill his son by whacking him across the head with his staff.

And if you don't get that last reference, click this link here and learn something.  We're not just about goofy Photoshops and bullshit here at AB4AR.  We're also about education.

The Happiest I've Ever Been After A Loss

It's never good to lose when you're in the middle of a tight pennant race, but considering everything that went with last night's game, I'm not too upset.

For starters, there was no Jeter, no A-Rod, and no Kearns in the lineup, so the 7-8-9 hitters were Eduardo Nunez, Ramiro Pena, and Frankie Cervelli.  Not exactly Murderer's Row there.

Secondly, with a lineup like that and Brandon Morrow pitching like he was last night, the Yankees weren't going to score a lot of runs.

Thirdly, D-Rob was bound to have a hiccup sooner or later.  It was just bad luck that it happened in a low-scoring tie game.  These things happen.  No reason to start freaking out about him or the bullpen again.

And lastly, Ivan Nova was very impressive last night.  After loading the bases to start the game, he worked out of that first-inning jam without allowing a run, and then worked 5.1 innings of 2-run ball against a very dangerous lineup.  He made one bad mistake to Jose Bautista, something that plenty of other pitchers have done this year, and he paid for it.  But his stuff looked good, his composure was there, and if it weren't for Joe inexplicably removing him after only 73 pitches his line could have ended up looking even better.

Even more important than that, though, was the up-and-in job on Bautista in his next at-bat after the home run.  I fucking loved that.  Bautista got a little animated with his bat flip, Nova didn't appreciate it, and he let Bautista know about it.  And the pitch really wasn't all that close to Bautista; it brought back memories of the Clemens-Manny high and tight pitch from the playoffs years back.  Bautista overreacted just like Manny did and Nova didn't back down.  Throwing the pitch in the first place and then standing up to the guy are ballsy moves for a young pitcher making his first career start and I absolutely loved it.  That move alone should guarantee Nova a spot in the rotation for the rest of the year and in 2011.  Kid is a fucking gamer, no doubt about it.

So yeah, the Yanks lost, but I feel good about things moving forward.  The lineup should look better tonight, the bullpen is still pitching well.  It's all good.

** Update- 11:54AM: Fifthly, the umps were fucking awful last night.  Not much you can do when you aren't getting calls.** 

What To Expect From Ivan Nova Tonight

While it isn't taking Javy's spot in the rotation 2 weeks ago like it should have been, Ivan Nova will make his Yankee debut tonight against Toronto.

Nova has been the best and most consistent pitcher on the SWB roster in Triple-A this year.  In 23 starts, he is 12-3 with a 2.86 ERA, 1.26WHIP, and 115 Ks to 48 BB for a respectable 2.40 K/BB ratio.  Perhaps the best thing about Nova is that he provides length out there on the mound.  In his last 10 starts, he has not gone fewer than 6 innings and in 7 of those 10 he went at least 6.2.  For the season he has pitched 145 innings in his 23 appearances, which comes out to just below 6.1 innings per start, so you know there aren't many (if any) 3- or 4-inning Javy or A.J. bombjob outings in there.

Nova works with 3 pitches: fastball, changeup, curve.  He works primarily with the fastball, usually between 92-94MPH, and is good at keeping it down in the zone.  The changeup is his secondary pitch and the curve is above average, but inconsistent.  When Nova has one or both working and can work both sides of the strike zone with his heater, he is tough to handle.

With all that in mind, and knowing that the Yanks are facing a slugging team tonight, what can/should we expect from Nova?  In a perfect world I would say I'd like to see his line look something like this:

6-7 IP, 4-5 H, 1-2 BB, 2-3 ER, 5-6 K

But in reality, I think I would be happy with this:

5-6 IP, 6-8 H, 2-3 BB, 3-4 ER, 3-4 K

Anything in between those 2 would be more than acceptable, especially given the power the Jays have in their lineup.  If Nova can keep the ball down tonight as he usually tries to do, I think he will do fine.  If he gets the ball up, he'll be in trouble.  There's a lot of opportunity for Nova tonight, both in establishing a role for the remainder of this season and maybe, just maybe garnering consideration for the postseason roster, and in starting to establish himself as a contender for a rotation spot for 2011.  It should be interesting to watch tonight and I am bummed out that I have to miss it being back out here, YES-less, in Wisconsin.

For a much better-written profile on Nova, check out RAB's Prospect Profile from last December.

Back To The Grind

Mondays suck.  Everybody knows this.  And first days back to work after a week of vacation suck too.  So today is a doubly sucktastic day for me.

In case your day is sucking as bad as mine right now, here's some stuff to cheer you up:

- The video of Robbie's grand slam yesterday.

- And a picture of Jorge's superhot cougar wife, Laura.

There.  Don't you feel better?

Robbie & CC: Partners In Awesomeness

2-5 with a grand slam and 6 RBIs for Robbie from the cleanup spot and 6 rain-shortened, 8-K shutout innings from Carsten for his AL-leading 17th win today.

I'd say the MVP and Cy Young races just heated up again.  Josh Hamilton, Miguel Cabrera, David Price, and Cliff Lee better not get too comfortable.  Bobinson and Parachute Pants are coming for ya.

The Horse Gets 15 Days Out To Pasture

Obviously, the biggest news to come out of Joe's postgame presser today was the announcement that A-Rod will be put on the 15-day DL after his latest setback in his return from his strained calf.  Now he can't trick the training staff into thinking he's fully recovered and will have plenty of time to rest all his calves and hooves and get his coat brushed and tail braided.

The good news in this situation is that the Yanks are 11-0 this season without The Horse in the lineup, and Eduardo Nunez will now get a legit shot to show what he can do and not just be a mid-summer cup of coffee type of call up.  Between he and Ramiro Pena, the Yanks should be able to piece it together at the hot corner for the next couple of weeks while A-Rod gets back to 100% in time for the stretch run.

The other good news is that the free roster spot means Ivan Nova finally gets the call up he's deserved for weeks.  It's not the ideal situation, since A-Rod is on the DL instead of Javy Vazquez, but Nova will get his shot on Monday, and if he impresses he could take over Vazquez's spot in the rotation.

Normally it's a catastrophe when your RBI leader goes down, but in this case I'm not that worried.  This works out for A-Rod because it forces him to get completely healthy and not rush back into the lineup before he's ready, and it gives the Yankees a chance to stabilize their rotation for this year and audition for a spot in the rotation in 2011.  Is this the best calf strain in the history of baseball?  It just damn well might be.

It's Deja Vu All Over Again

Nice job out there today, Javy.  Way to battle and make pitches when you had to.  And way to give the team some length and confidence moving forward with Andy's recent setback.

Boo.

BOOOO.

BOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

FUCKING BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Javy has gone fewer innings in each of his last 5 starts now.  Put him on the fucking DL and call up Ivan Nova.  If you can't even count on a guy to get you more than 3 or 4 innings then he shouldn't be in the rotation.  And if there really is nothing wrong with Javy to justify him going on the DL, then send Paulie Walnuts and Christopher over to his place and fucking kneecap him because this is just downright painful to watch.

Hmmm, What's The Word I'm Looking For To Describe A.J.'s Start Tonight?

(Photo of the worst pitcher on the Yankees courtesy of The AP)

Oh yeah, that's right.  Boo.  Booooooo.

Booooooooooooo!!!!!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And if you're keeping score at home, here's the updated list of pitchers the Yankees can't hit:

1) Rookies making their first career MLB start.
2) Young pitchers they've never faced.
3) 2003-version Josh Beckett.
4) Felix Hernandez.

Felix Hernandez Again?

What would you set the over/under at for Yankee hits off King Felix tonight?  3?  4?  Seeing as how he completely dominated the lineup last time and the lineup for the Yankees tonight will probably be not as potent as last time with The Horse and Berkman on the bench, I'd say 4 would be kind.

That being said, I'm rolling with the punches and taking the over on my self-made line.  Call me crazy, but I see some hits and some walks and even a couple runs in the cards for the Bombers tonight.  This is probably why I don't gamble...

A Little Love For Phil Hughes

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

Phil Hughes started the season hotter than any other pitcher in the game and continued that good pitching through May.  However, he struggled through June and July and since then people seem to have just passed him over as a young guy with an innings limit who still has a lot to learn.  Under the radar of all this "Phil Hughes still has a lot to work on" talk is the fact that Hughes has been very good in his last 5 starts dating back to his 3-2 loss to Tampa on July 30.  Hughes continued his recent solid streak yesterday, going 6 innings of 4-hit, 2-run, 0-walk, 6-K ball to pick up his 15th win of the season.

Given that 40% of the Yankee rotation has been an all-or-nothing crapshoot this year thanks to the A.J.-Javy combo, and the guy who had arguably been their best pitcher all season could be out until the end of September, I think there needs to be a little more appreciation given to Hughes for the job he has done this year.  Let's not forget that Hughes wasn't expected to do much more this season than provide innings as a 5th starter and gain experience to eventually replace either Vazquez a/o Pettitte in the rotation in 2011.  Instead, Hughes has been one of the 10-15 best pitchers in the AL and probably the 2nd best pitcher in the Yankee rotation given his overall consistency and health.  Here's proof:

- Hughes is 15-5 in his 23 starts this year, the Yankees have won 17 of his 23 starts overall.  On top of that, Hughes has lost 3-2 to Tampa, 2-1 to Boston, and got a no decision in a game against Baltimore in April when he allowed only 1 run over 5.2 innings.  If the Yanks pick up a handful of runs in those outings, Hughes is sitting 18-3 right now with the Yanks going 20-3 over all his starts.

- Hughes has given the Yankees max value for the money they are paying him this year.  13 quality starts out of 23 and 15 wins for a 2010 salary of $447,000, which comes out to $29,800 per win, certainly a better ratio than what the Steinbrenners are paying A.J. and Javy per win and certainly better than what the Red Sox are paying Josh Beckett and John Lackey for their performances this year.

- Hughes' WHIP of 1.21 is 18th in the AL and lower than the WHIPs of other pitchers like Justin Verlander, Francisco Liriano, Ricky Romero, AL Cy Young favorite David Price, and teammate CC Sabathia.

- After giving up 11 walks in his first 3 starts, Hughes has allowed just 27 walks over his last 20 starts, comprising 122.2 innings and coming out to just 1.98 BB/9.  Combine that total with his 116 strikeouts and his K/BB ratio for the season is 3.05/1, better than that of guys like Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Trevor Cahill, and Matt Garza.

- According to Baseball-Reference.com, Hughes has a positive WAR of 1.9, a positive WPA of 1.8, and has OPS against and BABIP numbers below league average (.694 to .749 league average for OPS, .283 to .300 for BABIP).

Let's not forget that this is coming from a guy who is still one of the youngest players in the AL at 24 and came into Spring Training in an open competition to become the 5th starter.  After winning the competition, I would bet the Yankees would have been ecstatic to get league average production from Hughes.  Instead he has stepped up in the face of the Yankees' rotation problems, his innings limit, his own injury history, and his lack of experience as a full-time Major League-level starter to basically be the Yankees' #3 and now #2 starter.

So let's all take a minute to stop worrying about Hughes' inning limit and how it could affect the team down the stretch, stop worrying about his high home run total allowed this year, stop worrying about what he still has to work on to improve his approach the 2nd and 3rd time through a lineup, and just tip our caps to Phil and appreciate what he has done for this team this year.

Good job, Phil.  Damn good job.  I don't know where we'd be without you this season.

A Little Bit Of Everything

You want back-to-back home runs?  You got it.  You want hit batters?  You got it.  You want retaliatory hit batters?  You got it.  You want questionable starting pitching?  You got it.  You want lockdown bullpen work?  You got it.  You want timely hitting from the whole lineup?  You got it.  You want another nice play by C-Grand in center field you got it.

Last night was like a Ponderosa buffet for a Yankee fan.  It wasn't all good and it wasn't all enjoyable, but there was certainly something for everybody.  Dustin Moseley was blah again after getting off to a decent start, but since he wasn't terrible it's likely he'll stay in the rotation as Andy continues to experience issues with his groin.  Between Andy's balky groin, Javy's dead arm, and Phil's innings limitation (sitting at 134.3 out of 175 before today's start), there might have to be some creativity down the stretch to get the most out of the rotation.

Another question to ponder before this afternoon's finale: what nickname should we give to the righty trio of D-Rob, Wood, and Joba?  Those 3 have been devestating since Wood's arrival and Robertson's swap with Joba for the 8th-inning role.  So what do we call these guys?  Or do we even call them anything yet?  These are the things you should be thinking about, people.

CC The Stopper

It's good to know you've got Carsten Charles on your side when your offense is sputtering and your rotation is crumbling.  CC did what the Yanks brought him here to do again last night and that's now 16 wins on the season as he continues to march towards 20.  He got a ton of Ks and a ton of swings and misses last night, something he hadn't been doing lately, and that's always good news.  In the battle of the aces last night, he was the only one out there.

By the way, does anybody know if Justin Verlander has found the strike zone yet?

RAB's Updated Top 30 Yankee Prospects And 5 Interesting Questions To Ask About Them

(Photo of Cito Culver used courtesy of RAB)

Everybody who reads this site (assuming there is anybody that actually reads it in the first place) knows I'm a sucker for prospects and Minor League evaluations.  I love looking at stats and updates on all the players and planning out in my head how they can all help contribute to the future success of the Yanks.  Now that the rookie draft pick signing period has ended, Mike A. at RAB has updated his Top 30 Yankee Prospects List and it proved to be the perfect reading material to kill time and come up with ideas while I recover from my insane sunburn here at the beach house instead of having my brain melted by the endless drivel on ESPN and ESPN 2.

The quick highlights of the list, in case you don't have time to read it:

- The Yankee catching prospects, The Jesus, Austin Romine, J.R. Murphy, and Gary Sanchez, are all either currently raking or have been raking at some point this season.  With each guy spread across every level of the Minors, there is no shortage of potential replacements for Jorge.

- The Yankee pitching prospect pool has filled up this year thanks to continued improvement by guys like Nova and Hector Noesi, excellent performances in the early stages of pro ball by guys like Manny Banuelos, Graham Stoneburner, and Jose Ramirez, and big-time bouncenbacks from injury by Andrew Brackman and Dellin Betances.

- Postionally, the Yankees are a little light, especially in the outfield, where only Slade Heathcott has done anything noteworthy to date.  There are some solid infield prospects like David Adams and Brandon Laird, but with the current situation in the Yankee infield, these guys aren't going to putting on the pinstripes anytime soon.

So after I got done drooling over everybody in the article like a lush couger mom at her son's college grad party, I got to thinking about what this rebirth of the Yankee farm system means for the future and how the Yankees plan to maximize this talent.  Here are 5 questions that I asked:

1) How will the Yankees use this growing stable of pitching talent to help the team?

In the past, it was a solid bet that none of these guys would end up ever seeing the Yankee 25-man roster, but with the Yanks' commitment to rebuilding their farm system over the last 5 years and their propensity this year and last for adding undervalued guys for lower or no prospects at the trade deadline, the chances are much brighter.  I'm sure one or two will get moved in a trade, but since Cash has shown he's willing to hold onto his high-ceiling prospects (Hughes, Joba, Cano, Jesus), it's a good bet that we'll be seeing almost all of these guys on the mound for the Yankees in one way or another.

2) How many out of that stable will actually end up wearing the pinstripes?

Again, it's impossible to know for sure, but I would say Ivan Nova is a sure bet since they've already used him this year.  Brackman and Betances have to be considered locks since big guys with stuff like theirs' don't come along often and they project as higher-end of the rotation pitchers.  I would say Noesi, Stoneburner, and Banuelos also have a good shot because of their young age and upside, and then its guys like Ramirez, David Phelps, Adam Warren, and Brett Marshall who are more likely to become trade pieces.

3) How do the Yankees use all the catching prospects to help the team?

At this point, it's looking more and more likely that The Jesus will be on the 25-man next season.  That move should start the rotation that pushes Romine up to Triple-A, Murphy up to Double-A, and Sanchez up to some level of A-ball next year.  The problem is there are only so many catchers you can have and these guys aren't going to stay in the Minors forever, so if Montero turns out to be able to catch full-time in the Majors I would bet 2 out of the other 3 get traded for starting pitching or bullpen help during future trade deadlines.

4) Is there any potential for a few infield guys to replace Jeter a/o A-Rod?

Not likely, given the money those 2 make and their standing with the team, but I think there is potential for an Adams or a Laird to become a Luis Sojo/Mariano Duncan-type utility bench guy since both of their bats are far superior to Ramiro Pena's.  And with Jeter covering less and less ground, there is room for opportunity.  Who knows?  Maybe Adams shows enough at Triple-A for the Yankees to give him a shot at 2nd?  Robbie Cano has showed great range at 2nd this year, could he transition to SS?...

5) What impact will the draft class of 2010 have?

The 2010 draft was a high-risk, hopefully high-reward draft for the Yanks.  Cito Culver ditched on his commitment to Maryland almost immediately and is already making a good showing in rookie ball.  Rob Segedin has a big bat, and Mason Williams has all the tools to become a great player.  Most of these guys were projects, though, so it's going to be at least a few years before anything can definitively be said about them.  But the "high potential" tags that many of them have give the Yankees more flexibility when it comes to keeping and developing or using as trade bait, which is exactly what the Yankees like to have.

2-Game Slump Thoughts And Afterthoughts

- Well it's official now.  If you want a guaranteed way to beat the Yankees just throw a pitcher out there that they've never faced before.  You would have thought Brian Bullington and Max Scherzer were neck and neck for the Cy Young Award the way they dominated the Bombers over the last 2 days.

- The sad thing is that the Yanks get shut down by marginal or mediocre young pitchers like this all the time.  The even sadder thing is that the "never faced before" excuse seems to fly for them and the YES announcers.  I don't give a fuck if they've faced a guy a million times or none.  It's not that hard to have people in your organization study film of their OTHER starts, take notes on their tendencies, and build a profile for the team to work off of when they come up against a new opponent. 

Guys like Bullington, with his winless career and "major bust" status shouldn't need to have been seen before for the Yankees to beat him into the ground.  But if that's what these guys need to succeed, then somebody in the scouting department needs to get on checking the schedule and preparing for pitchers the Yankees don't have a history against.

- Where has all the clutch hitting gone?  I commented a week ago on how the Yankees hitting with RISP could have cost them 2 games against Boston, and that inability to get the big hit has continued to plague them.  Everyone in the Detroit bullpen gave them chances last night, putting runners on like it was going out of style, and the Yanks could do nothing with the opportunities gift wrapped and handed to them.

- Frankie Cervelli, the darling of April and May, isn't making a good case for himself to get any kind of major playing time next year with The Jesus on the horizon.  He has completely stopped hitting, including with RISP, which was his calling card earlier in the year, and his defense has been incredibly lackluster over the last couple weeks.  The 'loaf after a bad throw and then make a shitty throw to 2nd' combo on Sunday almost brought my lunch back up when I watched it.

- Javy Vazquez needs to be put on the DL, period.  Guy has no velocity and no movement, which is a bad combination for a starting pitcher in the Majors.  Clearly there is something more going on than just him not having his command, and the Yanks can't afford to send him out for just 4 or 5 shit innings and tax the bullpen every 5th day when they're in the middle of a playoff race.  I know it's probably not what they want to do, but Vazquez needs 15 days to rest and get his shit together and Ivan Nova deserves a chance to show what he can do at the Major League level.  Who knows?  Maybe other teams facing Nova will suffer the same fate the Yankee hitters do against every young pitcher in baseball.

- How ironic is it that the rest of the Yankees completely disappear when the bullpen gets it all together and starts to become the asset it was expected to be at the beginning of the year?  I'd say at least a solid 6.5-7 out of 10 on the irony scale.

- Now if you want to jump up to the 8-9 range on the irony scale, let's talk about Curtis Granderson and his newfound swing waking up and starting to produce at the same time the rest of the lineup turned into a bunch of first- or second-pitch swinging hackers.

- And while we're on Granderson's swing, how awesome is Kevin Long?  Guys have problems and he fixes them pronto.  Teix can't do anything at the plate and he opens his stance up.  He takes the movement out of Swish's stance and swing and suddenly Swish is hitting .300.  He does the same with C-Grand and now Grandy can actually get hits again!  He's less hitting coach and more mystical wizard as far as I'm concerned. 

- I don't want to sound like too much of a Debbie Downer (even though I already do), and I definitely don't want to look past the great year he has had, but what's up with Robbie Cano?  His tripleslash has been slowly going down over the last couple weeks and he's not scoring any runs nor driving any in.  At this rate the dude is going to end up "just" hitting .300 on the year with less than 100 RBIs, which didn't look like it was even possible a few months ago.

- I don't want to hear about how he's gotten a bunch of hits over the last week or anything like that.  Derek Jeter needs to swallow his fucking pride and have a little session with Kevin Long, because I'm sick and tired of watching him ground everything to the left side of the infield, especially with runners on base.  His first GIDP last night was bad enough with 2 on, but to ground out to short to end the game last night when Jose Valverde was doing everything he possibly could to help the Yankees win short of ripping off his Tigers jersey to show a Yankee one underneath, was just disgraceful.  Jeter's continued weak pulls to the left, his lower than low OBP, and his nonexistent range in the field right now aren't exactly giving him a lot of ammo for his offseason contract negotiations.

- Speaking of limited range, I know Jeter and A-Rod don't have a lot of errors this season, which may make some people think they are in line for Gold Gloves.  But the plain fact of the matter is they just don't get to any balls hit to the left side.  Any ball hit with a little speed into the hole between them is surely getting through, and that's a bad thing.

- Great play by Gardner trying to take out Carlos Guillen in the 9th to break up the double play.  You don't see a lot of guys slide that late and hard and sacrifice their bodies anymore.  He's also looking better and more patient at the plate again, so that's a good sign.  If he can keep the hitting up it might be time for Joe to consider juggling to lineup to move Gardner to the leadoff spot.

- I know what I said after his 3 homers on Saturday, but with this latest tweaky little injury, I'm starting to have my doubts about whether or not A-Rod will reach 763.  The dude just plain can't stay healthy anymore.  He's always pulling this and straining that.  I know it's tough for centaurs to stretch that many legs, but would it kill him to get out and do a few more calisthenics?

- I don't know what the deal is with this team right now, but it looks to me like they need a little kick in the ass.  And by kick in the ass I mean Joe getting off his own ass, getting that "blah" look off his face in the dugout, and managing the fucking team.

The Yanks have been on top of the division for months now and it looks like they've gotten a little complacent and a little too comfortable.  During a time when the Rays were stumbling and bumbling and the Red Sox were down on the mat, the Yanks should have stepped on their throats and closed out the division.  Instead, they've been playing lazy, sloppy, uninspired baseball and now they find themselves tied for the lead with Tampa again as Boston is starting to get off the deck.

Maybe they need this little jolt of competition to get themselves re-focused, but it would have been nice to see them keep their collective feet on the gas and make a statement that they are the team to beat.  If they can't self motivate each other in the clubhouse then the job falls on Joe.  He's already said they need to hit and play better to the media during his press conferences, now it's time for him to air his team out and make sure they get the message.

Injuries or no injuries, struggles or no struggles, this team is still the best team in baseball.  Now it's time for them to start playing like it again.

You Gotta Be Kidding Me

Brian Bullington?  Brian Fucking Bullington??  That's who's absolutely shitting on the Yankee lineup right now???  Am I even awake right now?

The guy has never, NEVER won a game at the Major League level.  He's one of the biggest busts in MLB history and he's completely dominating a lineup chock full of guaranteed future and potential HOFers.

It's shit like this that has the Yanks only 2 games up in the division right now instead of 6 or 7.  Time to wake up and start playing again, boys...