No one needs to be reminded of how unimportant Spring Training stats are (but if you did, there's another reminder). But what about the overall format of Spring Training itself? It's structured such that players are eased into full-scale baseball activities, but how much do they really need that structure? Every player is different and needs to do different things to get themselves into full game shape. Some guys need lots of time in the cage and on the field to get right and some like Mo seem to be able to roll out of bed and be at the top of their game. There are some Yankee regulars that have missed significant amounts of time with injuries this spring, and thus find themselves well behind the typical Spring Training schedule. None are expected to miss Opening Day, but when you consider the sport being played it's worth asking how effective they can be without a full spring routine under their belt.
Baseball isn't a sport that requires tremendous amounts of continuous physical exertion, at least not compared to sports like hockey and football, but it does require an incredible amount of skill to be successful. That skill is rooted in things like mechanics, timing, balance, body control, reaction time, and hand-eye coordination, all things that aren't as simple as running or jumping and thus require more practice time and more repetition. It makes sense to me that missing significant portions of that practice time in Spring Training would have an adverse reaction on a player's preparedness for the regular season. I'm sure Dave Robertson, Derek Jeter, and Nick Swisher all had their own individual ways of working out and training this past offseason to prepare themselves for 2012, and I'm sure they all had certain plans and things they wanted to accomplish in the structure of the Spring Training schedule to continue that preparation. Falling out of that schedule, scrapping those plans, and not being able to work on the things they planned to must have a negative impact on their game, no?
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Let's Talk About Nick Swisher's Groins
It's not typically a topic of discussion I like to approach when it comes to baseball players, but Swish has now had two separate issues with his left and right groins over the past week or so and he's looking at missing another week after the tweak that caused him to leave last night's game early.
Swish was amongst the "best shape of their lives" group coming into camp, and with good reason seeing as how he's entering a contract year as a player in his 30s. The prevailing thought amongst he and the Yankee trainers is that he might have hit the weight room a little too hard and his leg muscles are tight (like a toiger). It doesn't sound like a huge deal right now, just rest and probably some more stretching, but I'm curious to see how the missed game time will affect Swish once the season starts since he didn't exactly get off to a fast start last year (.293 wOBA in April). Definitely something to keep an eye on.
P.S.- I wonder if Joanna is jealous of all the attention Swish's groins are going to receive over the next week or so.
Swish was amongst the "best shape of their lives" group coming into camp, and with good reason seeing as how he's entering a contract year as a player in his 30s. The prevailing thought amongst he and the Yankee trainers is that he might have hit the weight room a little too hard and his leg muscles are tight (like a toiger). It doesn't sound like a huge deal right now, just rest and probably some more stretching, but I'm curious to see how the missed game time will affect Swish once the season starts since he didn't exactly get off to a fast start last year (.293 wOBA in April). Definitely something to keep an eye on.
P.S.- I wonder if Joanna is jealous of all the attention Swish's groins are going to receive over the next week or so.
No Reason To Panic On Pineda (Still)
Michael Pineda made his 4th start of the spring last night, and I'm sure people are going to be up in arms about this one too. He gave up 2 hits and 2 runs in the 1st inning thanks to a HR by Andrew McCutchen and didn't seem to be able to locate very well. His fastball velocity was a little higher than it has been, sitting mostly 92-93 with a few 94s sprinkled in, but still not at the upper-90s level that will quiet the panic alarm being sounded.
What the people on the "Pineda's a bust" bandwagon will fail to acknowledge is that he made an adjustment after the first inning when Larry Rothschild told him he was opening his lead shoulder and proceeded to strike out 5 batters over his last 2 innings of work, including the side in the 2nd. He didn't go as deep into the game as Joe wanted to see, but he showed the ability to make in-game mechanical adjustments successfully, threw 72 pitches, finished strong, and said he felt good after the game. As a young pitcher still learning the finer points of his craft, how much more can you reasonably ask for?
Here's some food for thought. One year ago today, when Pineda was turning heads in Mariners' camp, he had made 4 starts in Spring Training. In those 4 starts he totaled 11 IP, 4 ER, 4 BB, and 8 K. In Yankee camp this spring Pineda has 11.1 IP and he's allowed 5 ER, 5 BB, and 12 K. He has gotten hit a little bit (12 H allowed) but remember, last year he was coming out of nowhere and nobody knew anything about him; he was a big hulking kid throwing fireballs by everybody. Now he's been around for a year, teams are more familiar with him, there's a book on him, and he's in camp focusing on learning a new pitch to make it usable and effective for the regular season. He's not out there "throwing gas;" he's pitching. He's a pitcher. And the results he's generated in his 4 outings are almost identical to what he did last year.
The moral of this story is, stop freaking out about Pineda's velocity. He's a young, unpolished pitcher getting a real deep coat of polish this spring from one of the best pitching coaches in the business. He's still a big hoss, he's still a power pitcher, and he's still damn good. It's March 21st and Pineda is throwing low-to-mid 90s with his fastball and doing just fine. There's no reason to think that when the season officially starts he won't be able to dial it up when he needs to. If it's April 21st, and he's still throwing low-90s, then come back and talk to me. Until then, just be calm, be patient, and be happy that you aren't watching He Who Shall Not Be Named throw errant curveballs to the backstop.
What the people on the "Pineda's a bust" bandwagon will fail to acknowledge is that he made an adjustment after the first inning when Larry Rothschild told him he was opening his lead shoulder and proceeded to strike out 5 batters over his last 2 innings of work, including the side in the 2nd. He didn't go as deep into the game as Joe wanted to see, but he showed the ability to make in-game mechanical adjustments successfully, threw 72 pitches, finished strong, and said he felt good after the game. As a young pitcher still learning the finer points of his craft, how much more can you reasonably ask for?
Here's some food for thought. One year ago today, when Pineda was turning heads in Mariners' camp, he had made 4 starts in Spring Training. In those 4 starts he totaled 11 IP, 4 ER, 4 BB, and 8 K. In Yankee camp this spring Pineda has 11.1 IP and he's allowed 5 ER, 5 BB, and 12 K. He has gotten hit a little bit (12 H allowed) but remember, last year he was coming out of nowhere and nobody knew anything about him; he was a big hulking kid throwing fireballs by everybody. Now he's been around for a year, teams are more familiar with him, there's a book on him, and he's in camp focusing on learning a new pitch to make it usable and effective for the regular season. He's not out there "throwing gas;" he's pitching. He's a pitcher. And the results he's generated in his 4 outings are almost identical to what he did last year.
The moral of this story is, stop freaking out about Pineda's velocity. He's a young, unpolished pitcher getting a real deep coat of polish this spring from one of the best pitching coaches in the business. He's still a big hoss, he's still a power pitcher, and he's still damn good. It's March 21st and Pineda is throwing low-to-mid 90s with his fastball and doing just fine. There's no reason to think that when the season officially starts he won't be able to dial it up when he needs to. If it's April 21st, and he's still throwing low-90s, then come back and talk to me. Until then, just be calm, be patient, and be happy that you aren't watching He Who Shall Not Be Named throw errant curveballs to the backstop.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Kim Jones' Replacement Has Been Found
As you may remember, I was a bit distraught when it was announced in January that Kim Jones would not be returning as the clubhouse reporter for the YES Network this season. Her replacement was announced to say, and dare I say I think she will be more than enough to help me get over the loss of my precious Kimmy. Say, "HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" to Meredith Marakovits.
She's worked for SNY and with the Philadelphia 76ers and Phillies, so to get to graduate from the scuzz heap that is the NL East to the big leagues in Yankeeland is obviously a huge upgrade for her. I don't know how I'm going to feel about her taking a pie after a walk-off win this year, if the Yankees are dumb enough to try to keep that tradition going, but if she can give a good interview I think she and I will get along just fine. She's a peach, Jerry. A peach.
She's worked for SNY and with the Philadelphia 76ers and Phillies, so to get to graduate from the scuzz heap that is the NL East to the big leagues in Yankeeland is obviously a huge upgrade for her. I don't know how I'm going to feel about her taking a pie after a walk-off win this year, if the Yankees are dumb enough to try to keep that tradition going, but if she can give a good interview I think she and I will get along just fine. She's a peach, Jerry. A peach.
2012 Storylines: Elder Statesmen Of The Lineup
("Hey, guy. My calf hurts." Courtesy of The AP)
When you're operating with the biggest payroll in baseball, your team should be potent offensively. The Yankees are just that and have been for some time now. They're coming off a 2011 season that saw them rank 1st in total team HR, 2nd in runs scored, 3rd in wOBA, and tied for 2nd in wRC+, and with almost the entire gang who collectively racked up those numbers back for 2012 they're looking at more of the same. In looking at the projected starting lineup, it's expected that the group of Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher, Russell Martin, and Brett Gardner will produce in a fashion similar to their 2011 output. It's not a coincidence that those gentlemen are the younger members of the lineup, still in their physical primes. The wild cards when predicting just how good the Yankee offense will be in 2012 are the older group of everyday players, specifically the infield trio of Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez. They're all coming off of interesting 2011 seasons to say the least, and so far have had mixed results in ST, making it difficult to pinpoint how effective they'll be once the regular season grind starts.
Jeter and A-Rod, at 37 and 36 respectively, are the resident "old guys" of the Yankees lineup and clearly the ones most affected by age-related decline. Jeter looked damn near dead in the water after the 2nd half of 2010 and the first half of 2011, but rebounded after his DL stint to hit .331/.384/.447 from July 4 on. I've already discussed what Jeter needs to do this season to try to keep the momentum from his 2011 2nd half going, but results have been mixed in ST as he's been hitting a lot of balls on the ground and has been out for almost a week with a calf strain. The Horse, on the other hoof, has looked fantastic this spring, both physically and from a baseball perspective. He's got 7 hits in 24 AB, 4 of them for extra bases, and hasn't reported any physical issues with the knee or hip while pushing himself hard on the field and on the basepaths. 130-140 games of a healthy A-Rod will be a huge boost to the Yankees, especially if he can produce the way we know he's capable of.
Teix isn't quite as long in the tooth as his left side counterparts, and is still technically in his prime at 32, but he's coming off a down year that's not attributable to age-related decline or injury, his third straight year of offensive decline since becoming a Yankee. With five more years left on his deal, the Yankees need him to right the ship and correct his issues from the left side of the plate. Teix reportedly worked on his left-handed hitting in the offseason, shed some weight, and has been saying and doing all the right things in camp (including not trying to bunt against the shift). He's also had mixed results at the plate, with 5 hits in 21 AB and little to no power, but he's drawn 5 walks and gone the other way a couple times. The lack of power can likely be chalked up to him making a conscious effort to focus on his approach from the left side more than driving the ball, so there's really no cause for concern yet.
They aren't infielders, but the tag team tandem of Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones are expected to carry the bulk of the load from the DH spot in the lineup this year, and at 39 and 34 respectively they aren't young and haven't exactly been filling anybody with confidence with their early spring performances. They're currently a combined 6-55 this spring with only 1 XBH and 13 K. Ibanez has been particularly ugly to watch as neither his timing nor his swing look very good and he offers very little value defensively if forced into outfield duty. Jones had offseason knee surgery and also got into better shape before camp to attempt to be a bigger contributor in 2012, but both need to produce more than they have so far once the games start to count or the Yankees may be fishing for a new DH at the trade deadline.
If none of these guys improve upon their 2011 offensive output the Yankees will still be a very good offensive team. But they can be a force with a pair of bounce-back seasons from A-Rod and Teix in the middle of the lineup, and Jeter maintaining a production level above replacement level at the top of the order would be gravy. If, however, the downward trend continues for this group, things could start to get dicey for the Yankees as they move to the latter parts of the season and further into the future. Jeter, The Horse, and Teix are all under contract for the next handful of seasons at a hefty price and will become even bigger anchors to the payroll and lineup if they don't produce, and Ibanez and Jones will have people pining for The Jesus if they continue to scuffle.
Andy Pettitte And The Balance Between Nostalgia And Necessity
(Hopefully Andy-Wan Kenobi's presence doesn't disrupt the development of the young Padawans)
Let me preface this post by saying that this is not meant to be me taking a shot at Andy Pettitte. Andy is one of my favorite Yankees of all time and I'm happy that he's coming back for another go. I was bummed when he decided to hang it up after the 2010 season, especially when it was clear that he could still get the job done. If you're a believer in the "you can never have too much pitching" theory (and you'd be an idiot not to be), you have to be a fan of this move. Any time you can bring in the all-time leader in multiple postseason statistical categories who also happens to have won five championships as a member of your team as your de facto 7th starter, that's a good move. What bothers me about the situation, though, and has from the time I first heard the breaking news on Friday afternoon to right now, are the implications that this has been in the works for a while and that Pettitte deserves to be shoehorned into the rotation at some point simply because he's Andy Pettitte.
As more of the backstory leading up to the signing has come out, it has become clear that this wasn't so much Andy suddenly getting the urge to pitch again as it was a mutual back-and-forth discussion between him and Cash about the possibility of him coming back that goes back to last December. During last Friday's press conference, Cash stated that he offered Andy a $10-12 million deal as a way to force his decision and implied that had Andy accepted the offer, the Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda moves might not have happened. At the time, the Yankee rotation was CC, Nova, a recently re-signed Freddy Garcia, Phil Hughes, and He Who Shall Not Be Named. Pettitte likely would have been an upgrade over at least one of those options, but the idea that the Yankees were willing to throw 12 mil at him when he had been retired for a year and hadn't really been working out as a pitcher rather than pursue guys like Pineda and Kuroda is a little frightening. If you would have asked me back in December whether I would rather have a 39-year-old Andy Pettitte coming off a year away from the game for $12 million or Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda for less than that, I would have chosen Option B.
Once those moves were made, this behind-the-scenes story should have died. But because Pettitte kept working out and informed Cash that he wanted to pitch when he showed up at camp a few weeks ago as a guest instructor, here we are in mid-March with Andy Pettitte back in a Yankee uniform. In the time that has passed since he and Cash talked in December, the Yankees have put together a blueprint for their 2012 rotation (whether they publicly admit it or not) that includes both Pineda and Kuroda as well as a third consecutive ST competition for the 5th spot between Hughes and Garcia. In addition to those six, the Yankees have also gotten strong spring performances from David Phelps and D.J. Mitchell, guys who are close to banging their heads against the Triple-A glass ceiling and not getting any younger. On paper, they're as deep as they've ever been in the rotation and well-stocked with young talent to cover any injury or performance-related issues. If ever there was a season where the Yankees didn't necessarily NEED a cheap veteran starter, this was it. This is where my concern comes in.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Slade Heathcott Out Until May
This might have flown under a lot of people's radars over the weekend, what with St. Patrick's Day and the Yankosphere still buzzing about the Andy Pettitte signing. I almost missed it myself until I saw the post up on RAB yesterday, but Slade Heathcott is still rehabbing from the left shoulder surgery that ended his 2011 season and isn't expected to be fully recovered and ready to play until May.
This is a big blow to Heathcott. He was having a solid season before he went down last year and was expected to be the starting center fielder for High-A Tampa, but his shoulder issues continue to hinder his development. This was the 3rd surgery on his left shoulder in the last four years, and as a prospect who is still very raw and in need of refinement of his overall game these surgeries are starting to become an issue. Even if he's physically ready to play in early May, Heathcott likely won't be fully rounded into game form until June, and there's no way to get that two months of missed plate appearances back.
I'm very high on Heathcott because of the tools he brings to the table and how hard he plays the game. Like many others, I had him in my top 10 list of Yankee prospects but this latest setback has him at serious risk of tumbling down the rankings. It's bad enough that Heathcott struggles to stay healthy and has yet to play a season where he's accumulated more than 300 PA. Now with Mason Williams and Ravel Santana on the map and breathing down his neck in Charleston, Heathcott is dangerously close to being lost in the shuffle of high-ceiling OF prospects in the Yankee system.
This is a big blow to Heathcott. He was having a solid season before he went down last year and was expected to be the starting center fielder for High-A Tampa, but his shoulder issues continue to hinder his development. This was the 3rd surgery on his left shoulder in the last four years, and as a prospect who is still very raw and in need of refinement of his overall game these surgeries are starting to become an issue. Even if he's physically ready to play in early May, Heathcott likely won't be fully rounded into game form until June, and there's no way to get that two months of missed plate appearances back.
I'm very high on Heathcott because of the tools he brings to the table and how hard he plays the game. Like many others, I had him in my top 10 list of Yankee prospects but this latest setback has him at serious risk of tumbling down the rankings. It's bad enough that Heathcott struggles to stay healthy and has yet to play a season where he's accumulated more than 300 PA. Now with Mason Williams and Ravel Santana on the map and breathing down his neck in Charleston, Heathcott is dangerously close to being lost in the shuffle of high-ceiling OF prospects in the Yankee system.
2012 Storylines: Rotation (Over)Depth
(Pretty sure this guy is going to have a spot in the rotation. Courtesy of The AP)
We're less than three weeks away from Opening Day, so rather than continue to look back at moves made or not made, look too far ahead to 2014, or spend too much time analyzing 20 plate appearances in Spring Training, it's probably best to start focusing on what the upcoming 2012 season has in store for the Bronx Bombers. Consider this the official kickoff of the 2012 AB4AR season preview series as we start broad, looking at the overall themes and storylines that will define the 2012 New York Yankees, and then narrow it down to the specific players once it becomes clear who will make up the 25-man roster. Pitching wins championships, and the Yankees find themselves with plenty of pitching right now, so after the jump I'll delve into the Yankees' suddenly overstocked rotation and how it could shake out over the course of 162 games.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
D-Rob's Road To Recovery A Smooth One
(Courtesy of The AP)
D-Rob threw his first bullpen session today after suffering the bone bruise in his foot. 25 pitches, no pain in the foot, and he's looking at roughly another week before he's back out on the mound pitching in a game. That should give the Yankees plenty of time to work him into a few games to find his command again, and barring a major setback or another injury all signs point to him being ready for Opening Day.
Good news for the Yankees, not so much for other guys who might have had a chance to make the team with an extra bullpen spot open. Although with Freddy's bruised hand there's still a small chance that guys like Phelps, Mitchell, or Betances make the team. They weren't sent down to MiL camp with the first round of cuts and have certainly earned the opportunity to show Joe and the coaching staff a little more of what they can do. But at the end of the day, the Yankees should have their setup man and arguably best relief pitcher ready and healthy for Opening Day, and that's the most important thing.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Tracing The Andy Pettitte Return Timeline
(He's BAAAaaaaack. Courtesy of The AP)
You just never know when or where Ninja Cash is going to strike. This Andy Pettitte situation didn't just start when he showed up to Spring Training a few weeks ago. Apparently talks of a comeback started all the way back in December, with the Yankees offering Andy a $10-12 million contract to return to the team before they had completed the Pineda trade and Kuroda signing. Now three months later, the Yankees have all three of them.
For a more detailed timeline of how this return came to fruition, check out the press conference recap with quotes from Cash, Andy, and Joe here.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Friday Afternoon "Holy S#@t! Andy's Back!" Linkapalooza: 3/16
*(Note- All of this was written prior to the big breaking story of the day)*
Three quick non-Yankee thoughts before we get to the links:
1) Now that the Mike D'Antoni has quit (because that's what he did) on the Knicks, can they just get rid of Carmelo too? Better yet, can Evil Stern step in and just take the team from Dolan and contract them? What a disgraceful organization.
2) Not a good time for the Rangers to be stumbling and bumbling and struggling with injuries. They've had a great year, and I think they can still go far in the playoffs this season despite being so young, but not without Ryan Callahan. He's a great player and I feel he's under-appreciated. You can really see how much he means to their success when he's not on the ice.
3) Pathetic showing by UConn last night. Talent-wise they were probably a top 5 team in the country and this is how the season turns out for them. I hate to say it, but Calhoun needs to step down. His shtick isn't working with the kids anymore, and there's never any continuity in coaching style because he's always missing games with some sort of physical ailment. Retire and start fresh with Kevin Ollie.
Now the links:
- On Monday, Brien Jackson of IIATMS pondered the merits of re-signing Curtis Granderson and how that would fit into the $189 million budget plan.
Also on Monday, Matt S. of Yankees Fans Unite continued their stellar streak of prospect interviews with this Q&A with soon-to-be Charleston SS Cito Culver. Good to know he hit the gym this offseason to prep for his first year of full-season ball.
- On Tuesday, Rob Steingall of Pinstripe Alley took a look at Baseball America's top 10 Yankee prospects from 2005-2010 to determine if the supposed "Yankee bias" applied to them. While there isn't a lot of elite Major League talent there, the Yankees have definitely churned out a lot of quality ballplayers over that period of time.
- If you're a fan of torture, or just looking to meet your weekly quota of eye rolls, Mark Feinsand of the Daily News was nice enough to put together a collection of Bobby V quotes from the first Yanks-Sawx encounter of 2012.
- On Wednesday, friend of the blog Larry Koestler did for RAB what I was too lazy to do for AB4AR and compiled all the 2012 projections to create one aggregate projection line for each member of the Yankee lineup. Lot to like there, even if only a handful of guys are projected to outperform their 2011s.
- Also on Wednesday, Larry's RAB compadre Joe Pawlikowski examined Brett Gardner's 2011 ups and downs to point out that he's not as inconsistent as people seem to think.
- Chad Jennings of LoHud had some details on Raul Ibanez's slow start, including Joe's thoughts on the matter. I'm still willing to be patient with Ibanez, but if he's going to wear C-Dick's number he needs to represent it a little better.
- Steve Goldman of Pinstriped Bible had a very well-worded reaction to the "Michael Pineda to the Minors" trollfest instigated by a certain member of the WWL.
- Gregory of Evil Empire Prospects had a piece discussing Zoilo Almonte and how he fits into the Yankees' future outfield plans. EEP is a relatively new blog so give it a shot.
- SJK of NoMaas had the latest offering from the "Stealth Bomber" series with this interview with Ben Gamel. He's a little underrated because of all the high-profile prospects on his team, but this kid is legit.
- Bryan V of The Greedy Pinstripes supported the idea of D.J. Mitchell getting a shot at the rotation next season. As somebody who's always been high on Mitchell, Bryan is speaking my language.
- It was a killer week for Mike E. at TYA. On Wednesday he took an firm stance on the "to Curtis or not to Curtis" in 2014 issue and supported the idea of letting him walk after next season.
- Then on Thursday he spat in the face of the ESPN-centric trolling of Pineda with this hilarious spoof. I'm sure you'll do a double take when you read the headline just like I did.
- Last but not least, I linked to this last night, but if you missed it, TYA's EJ Fagan and a team of writers have put together their annual Yankee magazine. This year's edition is online-only and you can find the details for it right here.
With tomorrow being St. Patty's Day, it's only appropriate to have a little Dropkick for the Friday Afternoon Jam. Typically I wouldn't put these guys on here because of their connections to Fraud Sawx Nation, but St. Patty's Day is the one day where it's acceptable, and there's an almost 100% chance that I end my night tomorrow at some bar belting this bad boy out.
Hope everybody enjoys themselves tomorrow. Get drunk, have fun, don't drive, and stay safe. If my day goes as well as I hope it does, there's almost no chance you'll hear from me until some time late Sunday afternoon. Cheers, gang!
Three quick non-Yankee thoughts before we get to the links:
1) Now that the Mike D'Antoni has quit (because that's what he did) on the Knicks, can they just get rid of Carmelo too? Better yet, can Evil Stern step in and just take the team from Dolan and contract them? What a disgraceful organization.
2) Not a good time for the Rangers to be stumbling and bumbling and struggling with injuries. They've had a great year, and I think they can still go far in the playoffs this season despite being so young, but not without Ryan Callahan. He's a great player and I feel he's under-appreciated. You can really see how much he means to their success when he's not on the ice.
3) Pathetic showing by UConn last night. Talent-wise they were probably a top 5 team in the country and this is how the season turns out for them. I hate to say it, but Calhoun needs to step down. His shtick isn't working with the kids anymore, and there's never any continuity in coaching style because he's always missing games with some sort of physical ailment. Retire and start fresh with Kevin Ollie.
Now the links:
- On Monday, Brien Jackson of IIATMS pondered the merits of re-signing Curtis Granderson and how that would fit into the $189 million budget plan.
Also on Monday, Matt S. of Yankees Fans Unite continued their stellar streak of prospect interviews with this Q&A with soon-to-be Charleston SS Cito Culver. Good to know he hit the gym this offseason to prep for his first year of full-season ball.
- On Tuesday, Rob Steingall of Pinstripe Alley took a look at Baseball America's top 10 Yankee prospects from 2005-2010 to determine if the supposed "Yankee bias" applied to them. While there isn't a lot of elite Major League talent there, the Yankees have definitely churned out a lot of quality ballplayers over that period of time.
- If you're a fan of torture, or just looking to meet your weekly quota of eye rolls, Mark Feinsand of the Daily News was nice enough to put together a collection of Bobby V quotes from the first Yanks-Sawx encounter of 2012.
- On Wednesday, friend of the blog Larry Koestler did for RAB what I was too lazy to do for AB4AR and compiled all the 2012 projections to create one aggregate projection line for each member of the Yankee lineup. Lot to like there, even if only a handful of guys are projected to outperform their 2011s.
- Also on Wednesday, Larry's RAB compadre Joe Pawlikowski examined Brett Gardner's 2011 ups and downs to point out that he's not as inconsistent as people seem to think.
- Chad Jennings of LoHud had some details on Raul Ibanez's slow start, including Joe's thoughts on the matter. I'm still willing to be patient with Ibanez, but if he's going to wear C-Dick's number he needs to represent it a little better.
- Steve Goldman of Pinstriped Bible had a very well-worded reaction to the "Michael Pineda to the Minors" trollfest instigated by a certain member of the WWL.
- Gregory of Evil Empire Prospects had a piece discussing Zoilo Almonte and how he fits into the Yankees' future outfield plans. EEP is a relatively new blog so give it a shot.
- SJK of NoMaas had the latest offering from the "Stealth Bomber" series with this interview with Ben Gamel. He's a little underrated because of all the high-profile prospects on his team, but this kid is legit.
- Bryan V of The Greedy Pinstripes supported the idea of D.J. Mitchell getting a shot at the rotation next season. As somebody who's always been high on Mitchell, Bryan is speaking my language.
- It was a killer week for Mike E. at TYA. On Wednesday he took an firm stance on the "to Curtis or not to Curtis" in 2014 issue and supported the idea of letting him walk after next season.
- Then on Thursday he spat in the face of the ESPN-centric trolling of Pineda with this hilarious spoof. I'm sure you'll do a double take when you read the headline just like I did.
- Last but not least, I linked to this last night, but if you missed it, TYA's EJ Fagan and a team of writers have put together their annual Yankee magazine. This year's edition is online-only and you can find the details for it right here.
With tomorrow being St. Patty's Day, it's only appropriate to have a little Dropkick for the Friday Afternoon Jam. Typically I wouldn't put these guys on here because of their connections to Fraud Sawx Nation, but St. Patty's Day is the one day where it's acceptable, and there's an almost 100% chance that I end my night tomorrow at some bar belting this bad boy out.
Hope everybody enjoys themselves tomorrow. Get drunk, have fun, don't drive, and stay safe. If my day goes as well as I hope it does, there's almost no chance you'll hear from me until some time late Sunday afternoon. Cheers, gang!
BREAKING NEWS: Yankees Bring Back Andy Pettitte
I'm a little later than most on this because I was out at lunch when the story broke, but according to Jack Curry the Yankees have signed Andy Pettitte (yes, THAT Andy Pettitte) to a 1-year/$2.5 million MiL contract.
There are still very few details about this move, but a conference call is scheduled this afternoon to formally announce the signing and Pettitte himself will be on the call.
I really don't know what to say about this. I can't imagine why the Yankees felt they needed to bring Pettitte back, and I'm shocked that Pettitte is interested in playing again. He sounded like he was enjoying retirement when he showed up at camp a few weeks ago and spoke to reporters. But it's never a bad thing to see Andy Pettitte in a Yankee uniform, and as an added bonus I have a reason to use this Photoshop again.
** UPDATE- 1:35PM- Curry has a story on YES.com describing how some of this came up. It all goes back to Andy's visit to camp three weeks ago. **
** UPDATE- 2:09PM- According to Mark Feinsand, the deal was finalized last Saturday.
** Via Joel Sherman, a Yankee source on the Yankees' position with Pettitte- "If he wants to come back, we say yes."
There are still very few details about this move, but a conference call is scheduled this afternoon to formally announce the signing and Pettitte himself will be on the call.
I really don't know what to say about this. I can't imagine why the Yankees felt they needed to bring Pettitte back, and I'm shocked that Pettitte is interested in playing again. He sounded like he was enjoying retirement when he showed up at camp a few weeks ago and spoke to reporters. But it's never a bad thing to see Andy Pettitte in a Yankee uniform, and as an added bonus I have a reason to use this Photoshop again.
** UPDATE- 1:35PM- Curry has a story on YES.com describing how some of this came up. It all goes back to Andy's visit to camp three weeks ago. **
** UPDATE- 2:09PM- According to Mark Feinsand, the deal was finalized last Saturday.
** Via Joel Sherman, a Yankee source on the Yankees' position with Pettitte- "If he wants to come back, we say yes."
ST Thoughts & Afterthoughts: Part Deux
(Please don't worry about this guy. Courtesy of The AP)
It's been a while since I mused on the happenings in Yankee camp, and there have certainly been some major developments since then. My takes on those developments, and a few more random thoughts after the jump.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Yankees Yearly 2012
If you want to do some really good Yankee reading, check out the new "Yankees Yearly 2012" e-magazine, featuring writing from a team of top-notch group writers including my TYA colleague EJ Fagan. It's got plenty of coverage of the 2012 team plus pieces outside the realm of what you would typically find in your daily spanning of the Yankee blogosphere, including interviews with Robbie Cano and Jim Boughton and special feature profiles on Michael Pineda and Dante Bichette, Jr.
EJ has all the details on the magazine plus links to where you can buy it here at TYA. Do yourself a favor and check it out. Trust me.
EJ has all the details on the magazine plus links to where you can buy it here at TYA. Do yourself a favor and check it out. Trust me.
Give The Kid Another Coat
What I said on Tuesday:
"Keep in mind, though, that both of them [ManBan and Betances] have yet to showcase the type of command they each showed the last time out on a consistent basis in their short time at the Triple-A level...
They [ManBan and Betances] both still need polish, they both still need to develop, and the best way to accomplish those things is to spend another full season at Triple-A."
What Chad at LoHud said yesterday after ManBan took it on the chin in yesterday's game:
"If previous starts have been a reminder of what he can become, today was a reminder that he’s still very young with inconsistent command. It’s nothing that can’t be sorted out, but there’s still some development to be done."
And that's why I said what I said. Manny Banuelos is a stud prospect, no doubt about it. But he is still not a stud pitcher and still not advanced enough in his pitching skill to be a stud on a consistent basis. He still needs to develop that consistency and the best place for him to do that is in Triple-A where the pressure is off. Give him another year to polish up his game, smooth out the rough edges, and he'll be much better prepared to handle the hype and expectations next year.
In the mean time, let the guys like David Phelps (2.2 IP, 5 K on Tuesday, 0 ER allowed this spring) and D.J. Mitchell (3 scoreless IP, 0 H, 4 K yesterday) who are bumping their heads against the glass ceiling of Triple-A be the backup rotation depth. They names aren't as sexy as Banuelos, but with more experience and innings under their belts they are better prepared to step in and contribute at the Major League level this year.
"Keep in mind, though, that both of them [ManBan and Betances] have yet to showcase the type of command they each showed the last time out on a consistent basis in their short time at the Triple-A level...
They [ManBan and Betances] both still need polish, they both still need to develop, and the best way to accomplish those things is to spend another full season at Triple-A."
What Chad at LoHud said yesterday after ManBan took it on the chin in yesterday's game:
"If previous starts have been a reminder of what he can become, today was a reminder that he’s still very young with inconsistent command. It’s nothing that can’t be sorted out, but there’s still some development to be done."
And that's why I said what I said. Manny Banuelos is a stud prospect, no doubt about it. But he is still not a stud pitcher and still not advanced enough in his pitching skill to be a stud on a consistent basis. He still needs to develop that consistency and the best place for him to do that is in Triple-A where the pressure is off. Give him another year to polish up his game, smooth out the rough edges, and he'll be much better prepared to handle the hype and expectations next year.
In the mean time, let the guys like David Phelps (2.2 IP, 5 K on Tuesday, 0 ER allowed this spring) and D.J. Mitchell (3 scoreless IP, 0 H, 4 K yesterday) who are bumping their heads against the glass ceiling of Triple-A be the backup rotation depth. They names aren't as sexy as Banuelos, but with more experience and innings under their belts they are better prepared to step in and contribute at the Major League level this year.
Spring Training Stock Market: Stock Down
We covered the players off to good starts on Tuesday. Today it's the other side of the coin. Here are the guys who aren't exactly lighting the world on fire in camp over the first 2+ weeks.
Raul Ibanez- Ibanez was the Yankees' lefty DH option of choice this offseason, and so far they are giving him a serious test drive to see what they can get out of him. Ibanez has been in the lineup at DH, LF, and RF, and currently leads the team with 24 plate appearances. Unfortunately, he only has 2 hits in those 24 PA (1-17 vs. RHP), with no walks and 5 strikeouts to boot (4 of them vs. RHP). He's also looked shaky in the outfield, making one error already and reminding us to not take Gardner and Swisher's defensive value in the corners for granted. As a 39-year-old player, it's reasonable to expect Ibanez to need a little more time to get into a groove, and he certainly shouldn't be written off based on 20ish PA. With how far he's fallen over the past two seasons, however, there will be some cause for concern if he doesn't start to pick it up eventually.
Eric Chavez- I was firmly against the Yankees bringing Chavez back this season after seeing how his 2011 played out. His bat has slowed down considerably, he doesn't have much power left, and as injury insurance at the hot corner, the Yankees could do better than a guy who's hurt just as much as A-Rod. The best thing Chavez had going for him coming into this season was his left-handedness, but so far that hasn't translated to much at the plate so far. He's 3-18 over his first seven games, leads all Yankee hitters with 6 K, and looks like he doesn't have much left in the tank. He's reportedly fine physically, but if Chavez can't show more than this over the remainder of ST, he shouldn't be counted on as a viable option to fill in for A-Rod on a regular basis at third if A-Rod gets hurt.
Russell Branyan- The Branyan signing looked like it could have been Cash's 2012 version of the low-risk/high-reward moves he made with Garcia and Colon last year, but Branyan's chances to make the team took a serious hit when the Yankees signed Ibanez and Chavez. With the way both of them have gotten out of the blocks, the opportunity was there for Branyan to make some noise and earn some consideration with a strong showing in camp, but he's been out with a back injury since he arrived. He's yet to even swing a bat this spring because of the injury, likely killing any hopes he had of unseating one of the other two for a bench role. It's not his fault, just some bad luck, but it's hard to get noticed when you aren't on the field.
Mike O'Conner- Mikey O was the longest of longshots coming into Spring Training, and as a lefty specialist candidate he stood a chance, albeit a slim one, to sneak onto the team with a great camp thanks to the injuries of others. After his first handful of appearances this spring, I think it's safe to say that O'Conner's slim chance of making the 25-man is already gone. He's only managed to get two of the left-handed hitters he's faced so far out, giving up 3 hits and a walk to the others, and righties have tuned him up pretty good as well. The life of a LOOGY is a dangerous line to walk and O'Conner has been on the wrong side of it so far. Also working against him are the facts that Clay Rapada is owning and the Yankees seem high on Cesar Cabral (team-high 5 appearances).
Adam Miller- If anybody was a longer shot than O'Conner to make the Yankees, it was Miller. After being a first-round draft pick in '03 and one of the more highly-touted pitching prospects in baseball in '04, injuries have ravaged Miller's career to the point that his pitching hand now resembles something similar to Chris Elliott's caretaker character from "Scary Movie 2." He's still got above-average stuff, but so far in camp it appears as though the injuries have done too much damage to Miller to even allow him to be a viable relief candidate. Small sample sizes be damned, 8 ER on 8 combined H and BB over 1.1 IP in 2 appearances without a strikeout is not a good look. It's unfortunate for Miller, who's had a tough go, but he's looking at being a part of the first round of cuts.
Other guys stumbling out of the blocks:
Robinson Cano- Just 3-18 in his first seven games with no XBH, although given his track record there's very little cause for concern.
Andruw Jones- He was looking to make a splash after having knee surgery and getting into better shape this offseason. That hasn't translated into much at the plate yet, as he's just 2-17 and also without an XBH.
Jorge Vazquez- I'm picking nits here, since he didn't stand much of a chance to make the team anyway, but the hacktastic Vazquez hasn't shown much power at the plate while going 1-15.
Raul Ibanez- Ibanez was the Yankees' lefty DH option of choice this offseason, and so far they are giving him a serious test drive to see what they can get out of him. Ibanez has been in the lineup at DH, LF, and RF, and currently leads the team with 24 plate appearances. Unfortunately, he only has 2 hits in those 24 PA (1-17 vs. RHP), with no walks and 5 strikeouts to boot (4 of them vs. RHP). He's also looked shaky in the outfield, making one error already and reminding us to not take Gardner and Swisher's defensive value in the corners for granted. As a 39-year-old player, it's reasonable to expect Ibanez to need a little more time to get into a groove, and he certainly shouldn't be written off based on 20ish PA. With how far he's fallen over the past two seasons, however, there will be some cause for concern if he doesn't start to pick it up eventually.
Eric Chavez- I was firmly against the Yankees bringing Chavez back this season after seeing how his 2011 played out. His bat has slowed down considerably, he doesn't have much power left, and as injury insurance at the hot corner, the Yankees could do better than a guy who's hurt just as much as A-Rod. The best thing Chavez had going for him coming into this season was his left-handedness, but so far that hasn't translated to much at the plate so far. He's 3-18 over his first seven games, leads all Yankee hitters with 6 K, and looks like he doesn't have much left in the tank. He's reportedly fine physically, but if Chavez can't show more than this over the remainder of ST, he shouldn't be counted on as a viable option to fill in for A-Rod on a regular basis at third if A-Rod gets hurt.
Russell Branyan- The Branyan signing looked like it could have been Cash's 2012 version of the low-risk/high-reward moves he made with Garcia and Colon last year, but Branyan's chances to make the team took a serious hit when the Yankees signed Ibanez and Chavez. With the way both of them have gotten out of the blocks, the opportunity was there for Branyan to make some noise and earn some consideration with a strong showing in camp, but he's been out with a back injury since he arrived. He's yet to even swing a bat this spring because of the injury, likely killing any hopes he had of unseating one of the other two for a bench role. It's not his fault, just some bad luck, but it's hard to get noticed when you aren't on the field.
Mike O'Conner- Mikey O was the longest of longshots coming into Spring Training, and as a lefty specialist candidate he stood a chance, albeit a slim one, to sneak onto the team with a great camp thanks to the injuries of others. After his first handful of appearances this spring, I think it's safe to say that O'Conner's slim chance of making the 25-man is already gone. He's only managed to get two of the left-handed hitters he's faced so far out, giving up 3 hits and a walk to the others, and righties have tuned him up pretty good as well. The life of a LOOGY is a dangerous line to walk and O'Conner has been on the wrong side of it so far. Also working against him are the facts that Clay Rapada is owning and the Yankees seem high on Cesar Cabral (team-high 5 appearances).
Adam Miller- If anybody was a longer shot than O'Conner to make the Yankees, it was Miller. After being a first-round draft pick in '03 and one of the more highly-touted pitching prospects in baseball in '04, injuries have ravaged Miller's career to the point that his pitching hand now resembles something similar to Chris Elliott's caretaker character from "Scary Movie 2." He's still got above-average stuff, but so far in camp it appears as though the injuries have done too much damage to Miller to even allow him to be a viable relief candidate. Small sample sizes be damned, 8 ER on 8 combined H and BB over 1.1 IP in 2 appearances without a strikeout is not a good look. It's unfortunate for Miller, who's had a tough go, but he's looking at being a part of the first round of cuts.
Other guys stumbling out of the blocks:
Robinson Cano- Just 3-18 in his first seven games with no XBH, although given his track record there's very little cause for concern.
Andruw Jones- He was looking to make a splash after having knee surgery and getting into better shape this offseason. That hasn't translated into much at the plate yet, as he's just 2-17 and also without an XBH.
Jorge Vazquez- I'm picking nits here, since he didn't stand much of a chance to make the team anyway, but the hacktastic Vazquez hasn't shown much power at the plate while going 1-15.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Mets Camp Is Going Pretty Well, Huh?
Here's the man who is paid significant amounts of money by the New York Mets to manage the professional careers of 25 other men saying... something?
“I talk about patience,” the manager said. “Right now, I’m out of it . So I’ve got to regain it. I’ve got to go back tonight and have my wife beat me up so I can find my patience again.
I had a buddy that used to have a bear — a pet bear. He used to, when he got mad, the bear would go kick him around the cage. And he finally said, ‘OK, I’m back down to earth now.’ ” (via Hardball Talk)
Just when the Mets make you think they've hit rock bottom as a professional sports organization, they plow right on through and keep sinking to new depths. I mean, what the hell is going on with this team???
Their owners are incompetent boobs at best, possible dirty criminals at worst, who are being sued for half a gajillion dollars; their best player is out with an oblique injury and looking at a lot of missed games; their only good lefty relief pitcher is out for six weeks after meniscus surgery; their payroll is dropping only slightly slower than the number of fans they're losing; half of their roster is injured and the other half just completely sucks; and now their manager is so pissed off by the injured half that he's practically speaking in tongues.
But at least Johan's back, right?
P.S.- So glad I'm a Yankee fan
“I talk about patience,” the manager said. “Right now, I’m out of it . So I’ve got to regain it. I’ve got to go back tonight and have my wife beat me up so I can find my patience again.
I had a buddy that used to have a bear — a pet bear. He used to, when he got mad, the bear would go kick him around the cage. And he finally said, ‘OK, I’m back down to earth now.’ ” (via Hardball Talk)
Just when the Mets make you think they've hit rock bottom as a professional sports organization, they plow right on through and keep sinking to new depths. I mean, what the hell is going on with this team???
Their owners are incompetent boobs at best, possible dirty criminals at worst, who are being sued for half a gajillion dollars; their best player is out with an oblique injury and looking at a lot of missed games; their only good lefty relief pitcher is out for six weeks after meniscus surgery; their payroll is dropping only slightly slower than the number of fans they're losing; half of their roster is injured and the other half just completely sucks; and now their manager is so pissed off by the injured half that he's practically speaking in tongues.
But at least Johan's back, right?
P.S.- So glad I'm a Yankee fan
Big Injury News Of The Day- Garcia, Swisher
If you haven't been following the updates on the AB4AR Facebook Page (hint, hint, "Like" it), here's what you missed today.
- Freddy Garcia left his start against Toronto after taking a comebacker off his pitching hand. He immediately walked off the mound and into the clubhouse with the Yankee training staff trailing him, which is never a good sign, and was taken for precautionary x-rays. The x-rays turned out to be negative, which is a good sign, but with the reported amount of swelling in the hand it's almost certain that Freddy will miss at least one start.
- The other injury casualty in the game today was Swish, who left the game early with tightness in his left groin. There weren't any tests done and no more are scheduled, so it doesn't appear to be too big a deal. Swish wasn't scheduled to make the trip for tomorrow's game anyway, so a day of rest might be enough to take care of this.
- Not at all bad news, though. D-Rob spent 30 minutes on a treadmill today and didn't report any pain in his bruised foot. He could be able to throw a bullpen session some time this weekend.
(Props to Chad at LoHud for his coverage of the injuries)
- Freddy Garcia left his start against Toronto after taking a comebacker off his pitching hand. He immediately walked off the mound and into the clubhouse with the Yankee training staff trailing him, which is never a good sign, and was taken for precautionary x-rays. The x-rays turned out to be negative, which is a good sign, but with the reported amount of swelling in the hand it's almost certain that Freddy will miss at least one start.
- The other injury casualty in the game today was Swish, who left the game early with tightness in his left groin. There weren't any tests done and no more are scheduled, so it doesn't appear to be too big a deal. Swish wasn't scheduled to make the trip for tomorrow's game anyway, so a day of rest might be enough to take care of this.
- Not at all bad news, though. D-Rob spent 30 minutes on a treadmill today and didn't report any pain in his bruised foot. He could be able to throw a bullpen session some time this weekend.
(Props to Chad at LoHud for his coverage of the injuries)
As The Rotation Progresses
I'm a little short on topics this morning, so let's just have some fun with small sample sizes. Ivan Nova's start last night was by far his best of the early spring and signified the start of the 3rd time through the rotation this spring for the six guys "competing" for a spot. The first time through, including Hughes' "relief" start behind CC, the combined pitching line looked like this:
11.1 IP, 16 H, 8 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
Not too shabby for the first outings of the spring. Most everybody was focusing on a particular pitch or two and pitch counts were pretty low. Here's the line the second time through:
17.1 IP, 16 H, 6 ER, 9 BB, 8 K
Not exactly what I expected to see, although the overall numbers are a bit better; same number of hits and fewer earned runs allowed in more IP, with all 6 of the runs and 10 of the hits coming from Nova's and Pineda's second outings. What's stands out to me is the walk totals. For as much as the general theme was guys not having great command the first time through and having improved command the second time, not a single batter was walked in anybody's first outing and every single pitcher walked at least one batter the second time through. I also would have expected to see a few more strikeouts the second time through, but it's still early.
If Nova's 4 shutout, walkless innings last night are any indication, this third time through could be even better. Stay tuned.
11.1 IP, 16 H, 8 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
Not too shabby for the first outings of the spring. Most everybody was focusing on a particular pitch or two and pitch counts were pretty low. Here's the line the second time through:
17.1 IP, 16 H, 6 ER, 9 BB, 8 K
Not exactly what I expected to see, although the overall numbers are a bit better; same number of hits and fewer earned runs allowed in more IP, with all 6 of the runs and 10 of the hits coming from Nova's and Pineda's second outings. What's stands out to me is the walk totals. For as much as the general theme was guys not having great command the first time through and having improved command the second time, not a single batter was walked in anybody's first outing and every single pitcher walked at least one batter the second time through. I also would have expected to see a few more strikeouts the second time through, but it's still early.
If Nova's 4 shutout, walkless innings last night are any indication, this third time through could be even better. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
It's Spring Training For John Sterling Too
I know this is a day or so old and it was already on Barstool NY, but friend of the blog, and close personal friend Greg Corbell, posted it on my Facebook wall this morning and I can't stop watching it. Actually it's that I can't stop watching it, it's that I HAVE TO keep watching/listening to it to even try to understand what was going on, both on the field and in John Sterling's head. Here's a little proof that broadcasters need a little spring practice before they're in full-on game shape too.
Jesus, Mary, and pinch hitting Joseph, John! What the fuck are you talking about??? The ball was lined into the left center field gap and off the wall for what sounds like a 2-run double, then apparently reversed course, somehow managed to untouch the ground that it had already struck, and then hung in mid-air for a short period of time before being caught with a sliding catch by what had to be the slowest-moving outfielder of all time? Did I get that right? That's almost crazier than the "Magic Bullet" theory!
Fucking A, man! Just follow the ball!! And if you can't see the ball, follow the defenders. Where they're going and what they're doing is going to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on. YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 23 GODDAMN YEARS!!! IT'S NOT THAT HARD!!!!!!!
P.S.- Anybody out there who wasn't excited that John and Suzyn are back this season damn well better be after watching this. It's the highest of high comedy, people. Absolute shittastic baseball announcing and commentary, but the pinnacle of high comedy.
P.P.S.- I guarantee there weren't even any runners on base when Jeter hit the ball.
P.P.P.S.- I wouldn't be shocked if it wasn't even Jeter batting.
P.P.P.P.S.- I wouldn't be shocked if it wasn't even a right-handed batter batting.
P.P.P.P.P.S.- Boomer's facial expression at the 41-second mark is gold.
Jesus, Mary, and pinch hitting Joseph, John! What the fuck are you talking about??? The ball was lined into the left center field gap and off the wall for what sounds like a 2-run double, then apparently reversed course, somehow managed to untouch the ground that it had already struck, and then hung in mid-air for a short period of time before being caught with a sliding catch by what had to be the slowest-moving outfielder of all time? Did I get that right? That's almost crazier than the "Magic Bullet" theory!
Fucking A, man! Just follow the ball!! And if you can't see the ball, follow the defenders. Where they're going and what they're doing is going to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on. YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 23 GODDAMN YEARS!!! IT'S NOT THAT HARD!!!!!!!
P.S.- Anybody out there who wasn't excited that John and Suzyn are back this season damn well better be after watching this. It's the highest of high comedy, people. Absolute shittastic baseball announcing and commentary, but the pinnacle of high comedy.
P.P.S.- I guarantee there weren't even any runners on base when Jeter hit the ball.
P.P.P.S.- I wouldn't be shocked if it wasn't even Jeter batting.
P.P.P.P.S.- I wouldn't be shocked if it wasn't even a right-handed batter batting.
P.P.P.P.P.S.- Boomer's facial expression at the 41-second mark is gold.
On ManBan And Betances' Recent Outings
Unless you've been incredibly busy over the past four days, or just don't spend all your free time following Yankee blogs like some of us do, you're probably well aware that Manny Banuelos came out last Friday and put on a masterful performance in his two innings of work, flashing both the stuff and command that has made him a top flight prospect. You're probably also well aware that Dellin Betances followed that up last night with a similar performance, showing much improved command than he did in his last appearance. There's been some buzz generated by both of these outings, and although the Yankosphere hasn't blown its top suggesting that these guys should be in on the rotation competition, I feel like it wants to. Beneath the surface, people have to be itching to rev up the hype machine on these two based off their recent outings. If you're one of these people, please take this bit of advice.
Just stop it. There's no reason to get carried away with PHS (Prospect Hugging Syndrome) after a couple of good performances from Banuelos and Betances. Were they both on top of their games? Yes. Was it the best either of them has looked this spring? Yes. Better than they looked for the majority of 2011? Yes. But it was still just one outing apiece, short outings at that, and those outings should not change the course that the Yankees have these two on.
Banuelos and Betances both stand to factor big time into the Yankees' future plans, possibly starting as early as this fall and almost certainly by this time next year. Keep in mind, though, that both of them are coming off down years after 2010 and have yet to showcase the type of command they each showed the last time out on a consistent basis in their short time at the Triple-A level . They also are yet to fully stretch out their innings totals in the Minors, with ManBan throwing 129.1 total innings last season and Betances 129.0. They both still need polish, they both still need to develop, and the best way to accomplish those things is to spend another full season at Triple-A.
The Yankees made upgrading the rotation a priority this offseason and they did just that by bringing in Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda. They know what they have in ManBan and Betances and they know that it's in their best interest and the team's best interest to not rush them to the show before they're ready if they don't have to. The presence of Pineda and Kuroda and the added depth that Hughes, Garcia, Warren, and Phelps provide gives the Yankees the luxury to let Banuelos and Betances spend another season developing in Triple-A, and that's exactly what they should do no matter how well either pitches in Spring Training.
Just stop it. There's no reason to get carried away with PHS (Prospect Hugging Syndrome) after a couple of good performances from Banuelos and Betances. Were they both on top of their games? Yes. Was it the best either of them has looked this spring? Yes. Better than they looked for the majority of 2011? Yes. But it was still just one outing apiece, short outings at that, and those outings should not change the course that the Yankees have these two on.
Banuelos and Betances both stand to factor big time into the Yankees' future plans, possibly starting as early as this fall and almost certainly by this time next year. Keep in mind, though, that both of them are coming off down years after 2010 and have yet to showcase the type of command they each showed the last time out on a consistent basis in their short time at the Triple-A level . They also are yet to fully stretch out their innings totals in the Minors, with ManBan throwing 129.1 total innings last season and Betances 129.0. They both still need polish, they both still need to develop, and the best way to accomplish those things is to spend another full season at Triple-A.
The Yankees made upgrading the rotation a priority this offseason and they did just that by bringing in Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda. They know what they have in ManBan and Betances and they know that it's in their best interest and the team's best interest to not rush them to the show before they're ready if they don't have to. The presence of Pineda and Kuroda and the added depth that Hughes, Garcia, Warren, and Phelps provide gives the Yankees the luxury to let Banuelos and Betances spend another season developing in Triple-A, and that's exactly what they should do no matter how well either pitches in Spring Training.
Spring Training Stock Market: Stock Up
We're over two weeks into Spring Training now, and over a week into the game schedule. Pitchers still aren't stretched out long enough to throw a full outing, and position players are still only playing half a game at most, but there's been just enough baseball activity to start noticing some trends in players' performance. While the majority of the media focus so far has been on the trends of the rotation candidates, and with good reason since that part of the team still has the most unanswered questions right now, there have been other players putting up headline-worthy performances. Of course this comes with the obligatory small sample size warning, but quite frankly, I'm bored to tears reading and hearing about the $189 million budget and I want to talk about some damn baseball. Even in small sample sizes, the following guys are looking good early on this spring.
Alex Rodriguez- Another year, another offseason training program for The Horse prior to 2012 camp, this time incorporating some plasma treatment therapy, and early returns are positive. A-Rod is 5-13 so far, with 4 XBH, 4 RBI, 2 BB, and a very impressive opposite-field home run off of Roy Halladay in his first real at-bat of the spring. He's also feeling really good physically, as evidenced by him hustling around the bases on one of his doubles and reportedly getting in some extra fielding work after at least one of his games. It's still very early, and we won't know how well he'll hold up until the regular season grind kicks in, but seeing A-Rod go this hard and test himself in Spring Training, and come out of it with no issues, is an encouraging sign.
Curtis Granderson- C-Grand might not be off to the fastest start at the plate this spring, with 4 hits in his first 16 at-bats after last night's game. But of those 4 hits, 3 of them have been for extra bases, including a home run off of a lefty pitcher. From a power standpoint, Curtis is picking up right where he left off in 2011 and he's doing it while reportedly still not being totally happy with where his swing is, which shows just how comfortable and in tune Curtis has gotten with his rebuilt swing mechanics. It could be bad news for the rest of the AL when he finally does get his swing where he wants it to be, and could stem some of the regression talk surrounding Granderson this spring.
Clay Rapada- His career numbers didn't scream "legit bullpen option" coming into camp, especially with proven guys like Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima also on the invite list, but with Okajima failing his Yankee physical and Delcarmen out with a lat strain, Rapada has made the most of his opportunity to impress the coaches. He's the current strikeout leader amongst all pitchers in camp with 6 (4 vs. lefties), and he has only allowed 2 total baserunners (1 H, 1 BB) in his 3.1 IP over 3 appearances, looking equally solid against lefties and righties. A second LOOGY probably isn't a high priority for the Yankees when filling out their bullpen, but Rapada's performance so far has been just as good, if not better, than every other candidate fighting for that last spot.
Zoilo Almonte- He put himself on a lot of people's radars with his .298/.373/.522 performance at High-A Tampa last season, and Zoilo has kept the momentum going this spring and made the Yankees look very smart for adding him to the 40-man. He's 4-9 with 3 RBI in games against Major League teams, 6-11 with 7 RBI if you count his big day against South Florida in the ST opener. He's impressed Joe at the plate, in the field, and running the bases, and has done a lot to strengthen his position as the best internal candidate to replace one of the current outfielders should the Yankees choose not to bring them back.
Brett Marshall- Marshall had no chance of making the team coming into camp, but he's likely opened some eyes with what he's done so far this spring, and possibly got himself on the fast track for a promotion if he continues to pitch like this in Double-A. Marshall has thrown 3.2 innings in his 2 appearances, and has yet to allow a hit in either of them (he also threw a 1-2-3 inning against USF). He has walked 3 batters, but has also struck out 4 and flashed the type of high-ceiling stuff that's been his prospect calling card all along. Yes, his outings haven't been against full Major League or even Triple-A-level competition, but Marshall has still handled himself better on the hill than many of the other young pitchers the Yankees have in camp.
Other guys having good starts to their spring:
Manny Banuelos- 0 R allowed in 4 IP over 2 appearances. Dazzled everybody with his fastball and curveball command in his most recent outing last Friday, striking out 3 in the process.
Boone Logan- Practically matching Rapada K-for-K so far. 0 R and 0 BB through his first 3 appearances with 5 K are all encouraging signs after an inconsistent 2011.
Justin Maxwell- 4-13 with 2 2B, 3 R scored, 2 BB, and 1 SB so far. He's also flashing the speed and athleticism in the field that inspired the Yankees to trade for him in the first place.
Alex Rodriguez- Another year, another offseason training program for The Horse prior to 2012 camp, this time incorporating some plasma treatment therapy, and early returns are positive. A-Rod is 5-13 so far, with 4 XBH, 4 RBI, 2 BB, and a very impressive opposite-field home run off of Roy Halladay in his first real at-bat of the spring. He's also feeling really good physically, as evidenced by him hustling around the bases on one of his doubles and reportedly getting in some extra fielding work after at least one of his games. It's still very early, and we won't know how well he'll hold up until the regular season grind kicks in, but seeing A-Rod go this hard and test himself in Spring Training, and come out of it with no issues, is an encouraging sign.
Curtis Granderson- C-Grand might not be off to the fastest start at the plate this spring, with 4 hits in his first 16 at-bats after last night's game. But of those 4 hits, 3 of them have been for extra bases, including a home run off of a lefty pitcher. From a power standpoint, Curtis is picking up right where he left off in 2011 and he's doing it while reportedly still not being totally happy with where his swing is, which shows just how comfortable and in tune Curtis has gotten with his rebuilt swing mechanics. It could be bad news for the rest of the AL when he finally does get his swing where he wants it to be, and could stem some of the regression talk surrounding Granderson this spring.
Clay Rapada- His career numbers didn't scream "legit bullpen option" coming into camp, especially with proven guys like Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima also on the invite list, but with Okajima failing his Yankee physical and Delcarmen out with a lat strain, Rapada has made the most of his opportunity to impress the coaches. He's the current strikeout leader amongst all pitchers in camp with 6 (4 vs. lefties), and he has only allowed 2 total baserunners (1 H, 1 BB) in his 3.1 IP over 3 appearances, looking equally solid against lefties and righties. A second LOOGY probably isn't a high priority for the Yankees when filling out their bullpen, but Rapada's performance so far has been just as good, if not better, than every other candidate fighting for that last spot.
Zoilo Almonte- He put himself on a lot of people's radars with his .298/.373/.522 performance at High-A Tampa last season, and Zoilo has kept the momentum going this spring and made the Yankees look very smart for adding him to the 40-man. He's 4-9 with 3 RBI in games against Major League teams, 6-11 with 7 RBI if you count his big day against South Florida in the ST opener. He's impressed Joe at the plate, in the field, and running the bases, and has done a lot to strengthen his position as the best internal candidate to replace one of the current outfielders should the Yankees choose not to bring them back.
Brett Marshall- Marshall had no chance of making the team coming into camp, but he's likely opened some eyes with what he's done so far this spring, and possibly got himself on the fast track for a promotion if he continues to pitch like this in Double-A. Marshall has thrown 3.2 innings in his 2 appearances, and has yet to allow a hit in either of them (he also threw a 1-2-3 inning against USF). He has walked 3 batters, but has also struck out 4 and flashed the type of high-ceiling stuff that's been his prospect calling card all along. Yes, his outings haven't been against full Major League or even Triple-A-level competition, but Marshall has still handled himself better on the hill than many of the other young pitchers the Yankees have in camp.
Other guys having good starts to their spring:
Manny Banuelos- 0 R allowed in 4 IP over 2 appearances. Dazzled everybody with his fastball and curveball command in his most recent outing last Friday, striking out 3 in the process.
Boone Logan- Practically matching Rapada K-for-K so far. 0 R and 0 BB through his first 3 appearances with 5 K are all encouraging signs after an inconsistent 2011.
Justin Maxwell- 4-13 with 2 2B, 3 R scored, 2 BB, and 1 SB so far. He's also flashing the speed and athleticism in the field that inspired the Yankees to trade for him in the first place.
Monday, March 12, 2012
What's Crazier? Goldstein's Organizational Ranking or Hulet Leaving Gary Sanchez Off His Top 100?
Maybe this is just the homer in me talking, but I'm a little confused by the prospect news today. First, Kevin Goldstein releases his organizational prospect rankings and places the Yankees 15th, saying:
"There is plenty to dream about in terms of young talent, but other than Banuelos and Betances, the upper levels are bereft of quick help."
First off, I think that statement, while being very accurate on the assessment of the lower levels, criminally undervalues the Yankees' Triple-A pitching depth. They may not all have future-ace ceilings like ManBan, but every one of the group from him, Betances, Warren, Phelps, and Mitchell could be starting in other teams' rotations this year and there aren't many organizations who can say that about their entire Triple-A staff. And while they aren't going to gather any All-Star Game votes, guys like Laird, Pena, Maxwell, and Romine are more than capable of filling in as bench players and could also have jobs on other teams were it not for the Yankees' desire to go heavy on veterans this year. Same situation with Whelan, Pope, and Kontos in the bullpen. So I would have to respectfully disagree with Mr. Goldstein's statement that there isn't any "help" in the upper levels of the Yankees' system.
As for Marc Hulet, he released his Top 100 Prospects list today over at Fangraphs, and the only thing I can think that makes any sense is that he just forgot to include Gary Sanchez somewhere in the top 75. Because if he honestly believes that Sanchez is not one of the top 100 prospects in all of baseball, then the only reaction I can have is...
I mean, really? Really, dude? Really? Gary Sanchez is only 19 years old, and he turned 19 so recently that he's closer to being 18 than he is to being 20. He just came off a season where he put up a .364 wOBA while being the 2nd-youngest player in his entire Low-A league. He's got power (.229 ISO) and plate discipline (10.5% BB rate) well beyond his years, and he profiles as an elite-level power hitter from the catcher position. Sure, he's got his issues defensively, but what pro catcher his age doesn't? When you're looking at the type of production this kid is capable of from a premium position and remember that he's still only 19, there's no way you can reasonably leave him off of any top 100 prospects list.
(gif via)
"There is plenty to dream about in terms of young talent, but other than Banuelos and Betances, the upper levels are bereft of quick help."
First off, I think that statement, while being very accurate on the assessment of the lower levels, criminally undervalues the Yankees' Triple-A pitching depth. They may not all have future-ace ceilings like ManBan, but every one of the group from him, Betances, Warren, Phelps, and Mitchell could be starting in other teams' rotations this year and there aren't many organizations who can say that about their entire Triple-A staff. And while they aren't going to gather any All-Star Game votes, guys like Laird, Pena, Maxwell, and Romine are more than capable of filling in as bench players and could also have jobs on other teams were it not for the Yankees' desire to go heavy on veterans this year. Same situation with Whelan, Pope, and Kontos in the bullpen. So I would have to respectfully disagree with Mr. Goldstein's statement that there isn't any "help" in the upper levels of the Yankees' system.
As for Marc Hulet, he released his Top 100 Prospects list today over at Fangraphs, and the only thing I can think that makes any sense is that he just forgot to include Gary Sanchez somewhere in the top 75. Because if he honestly believes that Sanchez is not one of the top 100 prospects in all of baseball, then the only reaction I can have is...
I mean, really? Really, dude? Really? Gary Sanchez is only 19 years old, and he turned 19 so recently that he's closer to being 18 than he is to being 20. He just came off a season where he put up a .364 wOBA while being the 2nd-youngest player in his entire Low-A league. He's got power (.229 ISO) and plate discipline (10.5% BB rate) well beyond his years, and he profiles as an elite-level power hitter from the catcher position. Sure, he's got his issues defensively, but what pro catcher his age doesn't? When you're looking at the type of production this kid is capable of from a premium position and remember that he's still only 19, there's no way you can reasonably leave him off of any top 100 prospects list.
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The Official 2012 AB4AR NCAA Tournament Bracket
If you've been an AB4AR reader from the beginning, you know it's been years since I've included non-Yankee sports posts on the site. But the one exception to that rule is and always will be the NCAA tournament bracket. My bracket last year was an abomination, so I'm looking to bounce back. If you haven't had a chance to fill your bracket out yet and are looking for some direction on what to do (or what not to do if you're basing your picks off of mine), check after the jump for the official 2012 AB4AR bracket.
D-Rob Takes The Morning Train
He was off crutches yesterday, his walking boot is scheduled to come off today, and things are looking good for Dave Robertson in terms of being able to fully recover from the bone bruise to his foot and get back into action quickly. That being said, it would be probably be wise for the Yankees to take it easy on that foot and not have Robertson be on his feet all the time, unnecessarily walking and running around on it and risking a setback. It's his plant/push foot so it's important that it be 100% before he gets back out on the mound, and since D-Rob has already shown to not be a master of walking down/kicking boxes down the stairs, better to proceed with caution. And how to do that, you ask? Simple. Stair rails.
Install a few of these babies around the Tampa complex and completely eliminate stairs from the equation. This lessens the wear and tear on that bruised foot, takes away any chance of a repeat of Robertson's previous stair gaffe, and should help get him back to 100% and on the mound quicker. While we're at it, the Yankees should probably designate a few of the younger, bigger guys in camp responsible for carrying Robertson to and from all team activities over the next week. And a private handicapped bathroom probably wouldn't hurt either.
Install a few of these babies around the Tampa complex and completely eliminate stairs from the equation. This lessens the wear and tear on that bruised foot, takes away any chance of a repeat of Robertson's previous stair gaffe, and should help get him back to 100% and on the mound quicker. While we're at it, the Yankees should probably designate a few of the younger, bigger guys in camp responsible for carrying Robertson to and from all team activities over the next week. And a private handicapped bathroom probably wouldn't hurt either.
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