Yankee Blogosphere Linkapalooza For The Week That Was

Matt Imbrogno at TYU projects Robinson Cano's 2010 season, and while I agree with him that those numbers would certainly solidify him as one of the best 2B in the game, I'm certainly expecting more than .828, 20 HR, and 86 RBI from the guy who Joe announced will bat 5th to start the season.

The addition of Chan Ho Park to the bullpen has created a bit of a stir, and now it looks like somebody who was looking like a sure bet to start the season in the 'pen might now be on the outside looking in.  Matt Axisa of River Ave. Blues discussed why sending Phil Hughes to the minors is a bad idea.  Not to be outdone, Joe P argued the same for Alfredo Aceves.  I can't say I disagree with either of these guys; the bottom line is you want your best 12 pitchers on your 25-man roster and Hughes and Ace definitely fall into that category.

Fernando from Respect Jeter's Gangster dishes a hilarious take on A-Rod's discussion with the Feds about Tony Galea.

Rob at Bronx Baseball Daily examines a Mark Feinsand column and weighs in on Bernie Williams' HOF potential as a result of the Steroids Era.  Personally I don't think Bernie has any better or worse of a shot than he did before all these other guys were outed as cheaters.  He was never discussed as a HOFer while he was playing, and as much as I love him, his career numbers don't stand up enough to launch him over the big time juicers, even if they don't make it.

Steve S. at TYU agrees with me on Bernie.  I guess great minds really do think alike, huh?  And then he comes in HOT on Saturday morning with a well thought out and statistically-supported argument for why Aceves should be the 5th starter.  I can't argue with the logic there, I just don't see any way it happens.

Matt at Fack Youk looks at Ken Rosenthal's proposal for divisional realignment and rather than waste time and energy talking about how idiotic and useless Rosenthal is, he instead discusses better, more logical changes that should be made to create more value for teams who win the most games and eliminate the goofy situations that the Wild Card creates.

Tim Marchman at SI ranks the GMs in baseball and has Cash at 3.  I won't try to argue that pick but I will argue Theo at 2 and Andrew Friedman of Tampa Bay at 1.  Theo has done a great job managing the draft and Minors but his free agency history is spotty, and giving Friedman credit for the Rays' recent success when they've have the Number 1 or Number 2 pick in the draft since the beginning of time is just laughable.

Cuban defector, and future Yankee shortstop, Adeinis Hechavarria has been given the OK by MLB to negotiate with teams.  Yay!

And lastly, I'm just going to link the home page to LoHud because it is an absolute bevy of information on the goings on at Spring Training, including hourly updates of all the Spring Training games (a huge help when your internet filter at work blocks any live streaming media), and interesting interviews with some of the younger, lesser known guys in camp.

Joba-Phil Round 1 Review

So the great 5-Spot Race kicked off yesterday, and in keeping with the race comparison it was the equivalent to one horse stumbling out of the gate and getting shuffled to the back of the pack going into the first turn and the other completely wiping out, throwing its rider, and having to be put down after the race by on-track doctors.

First Phil Hughes.  He started the game and pitched 2 innings.  In those 2 innings he allowed only one hit and walked a batter, but that hit was a home run off the bat of the immortal Sean Rodriguez on a horribly-placed 3-2 fastball.  Hughes' fastball command was his biggest issue, mainly because it didn't exist.  In his 2 innings he threw 33 pitches, 18 of them for strikes, hardly economical and a direct result of his inability to locate his fastball, which topped out in the low 90s.  On the positive side, Hughes threw about 8 or 9 changeups, the pitch he has been working on early this spring, and threw those relatively well.  All in all, not a great outing by any means for Hughes, but considering how off his fastball command was it certainly could have been much worse.

Now on to Joba.  In a word, he was brutal yesterday.  1 1/3 innings, 3 hits allowed (all extra-base hits), 3 walks, and 5 earned runs.  He also threw 33 pitches and only 14 for strikes.  His velocity was also in the low 90s and he didn't seem to have any bite or sharpness to any of his pitches.  But Joba does get a pass from me for this bad outing because he has been sick with flu-like symptoms all week, reportedly losing 7 1/2 pounds due to his sickness, and hadn't thrown since Tuesday.  I know when I get a bad head cold I can barely move and I sit at a fucking desk all day, so I'm not going to rag on Joba for not being at his best at a job that requires much more physical strength and mental sharpness than mine does when he's spent most of the week with his head either on the couch or in the toilet.

However, this is a competition and Joba's numbers certainly don't bode well for him early.  Hughes did pitch better than Joba yesterday, which has to give him the early advantage.  I'm sure once Joba gets his body back to homeostasis and gets back to his regular work routine he will be much better his next outing.  But for the first test of the spring, yesterday has to be considered a 10-9 round for Hughes.

Plan B For DH If Nick Johnson Gets Hurt

So with Nick Johnson getting an early start to reaching his injury quota for the year, it bears bringing up how his absence from the lineup would best be filled if it were to happen during the regular season. Granted the Yankees have plenty of bodies to fill a spot on the roster between their platoon of 4th outfielders and small army of light-hitting utility infielders in the Minors, but none of those guys can be considered ideal replacements in terms of production. If the Yankees are smart, they will consider one man and man alone as Johnson's replacement in the lineup: The Savior himself, Jesus Montero.

This is really a no-brainer as far as I see it. Montero has been deemed Major League ready as a hitter by Jorge and Girardi already, so what better way to see how true that is and get him prepared to become a full-time contributor next season than to give him as many at-bats as possible this season?

And don't even try to give me the "but he still needs more work as a catcher and he can't get that experience if he's DH'ing in the Majors...blah, blah, blah" argument. When you have a guy this highly touted in your system, you find a way to get him at-bats. The Cardinals did it with Albert Pujols, working him around the outfield and infield before finally settling him in as their first baseman, and the Marlins did something similar when they first brought Miguel Cabrera up. It would be foolish to let Montero's one weakness (which he is already working hard to improve) overshadow his greatest strength, especially in a situation where that strength can help the team.

And what's to say Montero's defense couldn't be helped just by being on the 25-man roster and being able to talk to, work with, and learn from Jorge and Cervelli? I don't think Montero would just be sitting around on his ass all day before games and on off-days. The dude can still throw his catching gear on and get some work in if he wants to; he knows that and the Yankees know that so I'm sure they would find ways to help him work on his catching during his downtime, knowing that they could be going into 2011 with him as the new Number 1 catcher.

The bottom line is the Yankees don't have anybody else who can realistically be expected to step in and attempt to replace Johnson's production as a full-time hitter. The Marcus Thames', Jamie Hoffmans, and Randy Winns of the world were not brought in to be full-time players. They are just Band-Aids for Brett Gardner if he doesn't perform up to snuff, and I'm still not sold on Juan Miranda since his Major League success has been in such a limited number of at-bats.

With Montero, the Yankees can run out a lineup 1-9 that is just as dangerous, if not potentially more dangerous, than it is with Johnson. C-Grand can move up to the 2-spot, and Montero can be put either 7th or 8th and keep the balance of righties and lefties that Joe said he wanted to have with the lineup this year. The only downside would be losing the 2-3 days of first base rest for Mark Teixeira that Joe said he wanted to give him, but he probably wouldn't need that much anyway and even if Joe stuck with that plan I think everybody can live with a couple games of Nick Swisher at first and Winn in right.

Of course, this is all hypothetical and none of it matters if Johnson stays healthy throughout the year. But if not, then replacing him is an issue the Yankees will have to address and the best way to address it, as it will mostly affect the team's offense, is with your next best offensive option. With all the hype and positive comments surrounding him, Montero should be given his shot to prove that he is that option.

Seriously, Philadelphia?

(Photo used courtesy of Deadspin)

Ahh yes. Nothing says "exacting revenge" like beating a half-squad of the team that trashed you in the World Series last year in the second Spring Training game of the season on a single by somebody who probably won't even make your 25-man Opening Day roster.

I can't say I'm surprised. I mean what else would you expect from a team that blew its best chance to really exact revenge by trading away Cliff Lee to get Roy Halladay. Just typical sour grapes when it comes to vanquished Yankee opponents; they know they aren't going to get the job done when it really counts so they have to treat every victory like a Game 7.

Clash Of The Titans

It has all come down to this. Everything over the last few months leading up to this day and now that day is upon us. Joba and Phil. On the mound. In the same game. Mano y mano. In Round 1 of what will surely be an epic battle that will rival The Thrilla in Manila for the 5th spot in the rotation.

How will it go down today? Who will pitch better? Will Joba show better command of his off-speed stuff? How much pop will he have on his fastball? Will Phil throw any of the changeups he has been working on? Has Joba recovered from the flu? Will he look slimmer without the 7 1/2 pounds he's lost? Will anybody fist pump after a strikeout? Whose sideburns will look better?

Tune in today to find out!!!

Is Nick Johnson Actually Mr. Glass?

Well everybody said Nick Johnson was a question mark because of his checkered health history.  And today Nick didn't waste any time in taking the question mark, bolding it, and increasing it to size 72 font.

"Johnson felt something in his back during batting practice. He wore his spikes on the turf in the cage - he usually wears turf shoes - and a spike got caught during one of his swings. He said it's not a big deal and he would have played if this were the regular season. (courtesy of The LoHud Yankee Blog)"

Really, dude?  Spikes in the batting cage?  What kind of amateur hour crap is that?  And not only that, how the hell does something so small and insignificant end up causing you to hurt yourself?  And don't try to tell me that this was no big deal and a precautionary thing; when you have an injury history as extensive as Nick Johnson's, every hangnail and back tweak is a big deal.

Johnson is being counted on to produce this year; his high OBP makes him an ideal guy to hit in the 2-spot, even if he isn't the fleetest of foot, because it creates that many more opportunities for Teix and the A-Horse to drive in runs.  But if Johnson is going to have a year of strained backs, twisted ankles, and hurt wrists (something that was examined by Chris H at The Yankee U today), it creates a significant gap at the bottom of the Yankee lineup when C-Grand has to fill his spot in the 2-hole.  And even if Johnson toughs it out and plays through injuries like he said he would have today were it the regular season, history has shown he's not nearly as productive banged up as he is when he's healthy. 

I sincerely hope this is exactly what Johnson said it was and that he's going to be back out there soon.  But don't think I'm not going to be spending the remainder of Spring Training cringing when I scan my blogroll or check texts from my uncle in Jersey, worrying that I'm getting the latest in Nick Johnson injury news.

A Walk-Off Already? Why The F Not?

Well how do you like that? First game of Spring Training and already the magic is oozing out of the Yankees' pores.

The 3 dark horses combine for 6 innings of 1-hit, no-run ball, Brett Gardner makes a highlight-reel catch in the outfield, and just for shits and giggles the Yanks decide to add a little drama with a walk-off 3-run homer to win the game. Suffice it to say Colin Curtis was on Cloud 9 yesterday after that homer, even if he doesn't stand a chance of making the 25-man roster this season.

We'll spare the Frankie video for now, it being the first game of a long year and all. But everyone should still load up on whipped cream and start spreading the news...

Yankee Game Day: UPDATE!!!

So apparently it wasn't a video game tournament, but rather a 3-stage arcade game tourney as described by Chad at LoHud.

I'll still stick with Mo at 3:1 in skee ball because of his inhuman accuracy, Jeter at 5:1 in Pop-A-Shot because that requires both excellent hands and a good rhythm, and Jamie Hoffman at 7:1 to win the Indy racing game if for no other reason than it's probably the only time I will ever mention Jamie Hoffman on this blog.

Yankees Team Billiards & Video Game Tournament Today: Who Ya Got??

While everybody else is looking ahead to tomorrow's first Spring Training game, I'm focused on what's really important. And that, of course, is today's team billiards and video game tournament. Last year's team billiards outing was a huge hit with the players and more than likely set the tone for the loose, laid back atmosphere that the team played in last season. This year it should be even bigger and better, and with video games thrown in to boot, the competition should be fierce. Here's how I see each tournament breaking down.

Everybody knows billiards is a gentlemen's game. It's a game that requires deep concentration, thinking, and the ability to play angles and pick spots. The overly mental tone to the game favors those who have to spend the whole game thinking one step ahead, namely pitchers and catchers. It's also a game that requires focus and a cool, calm demeanor, something that veterans will most likely possess to a greater degree over the young guys.

Factoring in those aspects, I would expect guys like Mo and Andy Pettitte to be the odds-on favorites in the pool tournament. These guys carry themselves like pool sharks on the mound to begin with and have years of pressure situations to fall back on to prepare themselves for the tourney. But don't sleep on positional veterans like Jorge or Jeter. Jorge's place as on-field leader and Jeter's knack for always being a step ahead of the competition (see: The Flip) make them very dangerous. If I were a betting man, I would take Mo at 3:1 odds to win.

Now as for the video game tournament, that's a whole different story. Video games favor the young guys because they have been a bigger part of their generation. Guys like Joba and Dave Robertson and Brett Gardner have grown up with Madden and Mario Kart and are almost assuredly more up on the latest video game technology than Pettitte or A-Rod (can't picture Andy playing too much online Modern Warfare 2 at night). So as badly as they might get torched on the pool table, expect the young'ns to dominate the video game tournament.

But even that is not as simple a pick as it seems. The winner will be decided by what game is being played. Sports games like Madden or NBA Live would seem to favor the Jobas of the world: high-energy dudes who like to take risks and talk shit. I could see Joba fist pumping his way around his apartment at night after a big Madden victory. Tactical games such as Call of Duty or Halo will favor the calmer, more cerebral players like Gardner or Frankie Cervelli. My pick to win is Phil Hughes at 4:1 because of his good balance of calmness and sneaky bulldog toughness on the mound that should translate well to success at any game. But don't forget about younger players like Andrew Brackman, Mark Melancon, or Kevin Russo. With not as much money to spend as guys in the Majors, Double- and Triple-A guys have to get more than their fair share of video games in.

The picks, to review:

Billiards- Mariano Rivera at 3:1

Video Games- Phil Hughes at 4:1

Kevin Long Is God!!!

Once again Kevin Long has made the impossible possible; he has turned water into wine; he has made the blind man see.  Evidence this quote from George Kernan's article in today's NY Post.

"Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson took live batting practice off a left-hander on Field 2 yesterday and early in the second round lined a pitch up the middle. That's progress.

Granted the left-handed pitcher was Kei Igawa, but Granderson is in the process of attacking left-handers in a much different way than he has in the past."

Oh.... My.... God!  Did he say he lined a pitch UP THE MIDDLE?!?!  Off of THE Kei Igawa?!?!  Well then pigs must be flying and you can pencil Granderson in for a season hitting .750 off lefties.  Kevin Long has done it again!

To quote Lee Corso: "Not so fast my friend!"  And to quote Winston Wolf from "Pulp Fiction": "Let's not start sucking each other's dicks just yet."  It was one hit off of one batting practice pitch against a pitcher who is so bad that anything not hit into the gap or over the fence off him is considered a failure by most players' standards.  Christ, even I could hit a ball up the middle off Kei Igawa and even I would consider that a disappointment.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to read about how Granderson is changing his approach and what the differences are in his stance that Long has noticed and is working with him to correct.  But until I see him consistenty using that approach in a game situation, I'm going to hold off on calling whatever C-Grand does in practice "progress" or "improvement."

Sure players across the Yankee roster have praised Long for the time and effort he puts in and for the keen eye he possesses in helping fix flaws in a player's stance, swing, etc.  But when it comes to the biggest question mark at the plate heading into the season, let's calm down and see how C-Grand takes Long's teachings and executes them when it matters before we start declaring his lefty ails cured and praising Long as the hitting coach equivalent to Dr. House.

Joe Sets Rotation (For Spring Training)

Here's Joe's breakdown of the rotation through the first 11 ST games, courtesy of Mark Feinsand of the Daily News:

March 3 vs. Pirates: Gaudin/Mitre/Aceves

March 4 at Phillies: Sabathia

March 5 vs. Rays: Hughes/Chamberlain

March 6 vs. Blue Jays: Burnett

March 7 at Twins: Mitre/Gaudin (Pettitte will throw simulated game in Tampa)

March 8 vs. Phillies (split-squad): Vazquez

March 8 at Pirates (split-squad): Aceves

March 9 vs. Pirates: Sabathia

March 10 at Tigers: Chamberlain/Hughes

March 11 vs. Braves: Burnett

March 12 at Nationals: Pettitte

March 13 vs. Orioles (split-squad): Vazquez

March 13 at Tigers (split-squad): TBA

3 points:
 
1) It makes sense that Joe would put Joba and Hughes together for their outings, but I don't see how pitching them in the same game will help determine who wins the 5th spot in the rotation.  In each of their games, the lineup one guy faces will probably not look like the one the other guy will face, so there's really no accurate way to gauge who pitched better against completely different competition.  But the same thing would apply if you split their starts up so maybe this is the best way to judge the competition.
 
2) Joe isn't taking anything for granted with Joba and Hughes, evidenced by his focus on the under-the-radar Chad Gaudin vs. Sergio Mitre battle for the 6th (7th?) spot in the rotation.  These 2 are paired up twice as well and Gaudin's performance could be the difference between getting a spot as the long man in the 'pen or being released to help cover Chan Ho Park's expenses.
 
3) An already smart plan to keep Andy's workload low looks even smarter when his only "real" competition will be against the Nationals.  I bet Pettitte will have a harder time in the simulated game on March 7 than he will pitching against the Nats on the 12th.

Leaders Of Fraud Sox Nation Already Feeding Coal Into The Excuse Engine

John Henry on Wednesday:

"I don't think we can comment on what their ceiling may or may not be," Henry said. "We just have to do what we've done since we arrived here and that is try and build revenues, maximize revenues and try as best we can to compete with them financially. But we'll never be able to do that."

"People tend to clump us together, but there's a wide gulf financially between the two teams, and that's going to continue." (courtesy of SI.com)

Theo yesterday morning:

"I think that he (Ellsbury) is an above-average center fielder now, who is going to be a great center fielder. I know there is a certain number we don’t use that is accessible to people online that had him as one of the worst defensive center fielders in baseball last year. I don’t think it’s worth anything. I don’t think that number is legitimate. We do our own stuff and it showed that he is above average." (used courtesy of The Yankee U)

I would laugh harder at this stuff if it wasn't obvious that these two are serious with this shit.

Henry has been playing the "little engine that could" card with his team since the day he became owner, and yeah the Yankees do still have a higher payroll this season, but when your team is coming in hot at $170 million for 2010, that can hardly be considered a "wide gulf," especially when that gulf has shrunk considerably from 2009 to 2010 (over $80 million differential last year, just over $40 mil this year).

And as for the Boy Blunder, I can't blame him for trying to protect his precious Jacoby, who is finally being recognized and called out for his below-average defensive and leadoff hitter skills by the mainstream sports media. Ellsbury was one of Theo's first blue-chippers to be rolled out of the farm system, but facts are facts and the numbers don't lie. Theo can polish the turd that is Ellsbury's defensive numbers as much as he likes, but it's still going to be a turd and it's still going to stink.

I guess we all should have expected this kind of spin doctoring by Theo. Remember, this is the same guy who essentially said that RBIs don't matter in an interview last year in an attempt to justify J.D. Drew's horrible performance. But hey, just like bitching about the Yankee payroll, that's just part of the Fraud Sock Way. Instead of owning up to their mistakes and admitting that they made some bad decisions, they will fight to the end to support their own misguided opinions, even in the face of overwhelming evidence supporting the contrary.

The Yankees don't have that problem. They sign somebody and that guy sucks (see: Carl Pavano) they don't make excuses; they ride it out and let the guy go or attempt to trade him for somebody better. They look at stats supporting a claim (see: Jeter's weak defense) they tell that guy to get better. No whining to the media, no excuses, no claims of special top-secret internal stats that claim otherwise, just get better.

The Yankees are committed to success and winning; the Red Sox are committed to hoping for success, wanting to win, and coming up with reasons for why they weren't successful or didn't win in the event that happens.
 
P.S.- I wonder if that "We don't care about RBIs" mentality was the basis for the Red Sox off-season acquisitions of Beltre, Scutaro, and Mike Cameron.

Cash Shits On Damon's World

Cash on Monday:

"When we signed him (for four years, $52 million), he was playing center field, a premium position, and the market was high. Now he's a left fielder, he's 36, in a collapsed market. Why would he not expect to take a pay cut?" (courtesy of the Daily News)

POW!!!!  Major cock punch to both Damon and Scott Boras.  Cash certainly handled his business professionally throughout the Damon off-season drama, but now that he's officially gone the gloves have apparently come off and Cash is playing for keeps.  I like it.

Hey Johnny,

Joel Sherman A Little Late To The Party

Now I'm a Joel Sherman guy. I read his stuff on a daily basis and usually agree with the messages in his columns, but today's column on Jeter Vs. Tiger was just plain sad. With pitchers and catchers well into their spring work and live batting practice taking place today, there wasn't anything better to write about than the long outdated "Tiger is a douche; Jeter is the man" comparison?

Newsflash, Joel. AB4AR was all over this shit back in December while Tiger was still picking his teeth off the sidewalk and putting bags of frozen peas on his battered face to cover up the bruising . Don't tell me what I already know; give me some insight and logic; be a fucking journalist. Leave the Tiger Vs. Jeter analysis for pee-on bloggers like me to handle.  Because quite frankly, I handled it a hell of a lot better than you did.
 
P.S.- The Tiger Slow Jam Remix is still hilarious.

Jeter OK With Having To Wait To Negotiate New Deal (SHOCKER!!!)

So everybody is jumping on Jeter's press conference from yesterday and talking about what he said, but here are the only quotes that matter:

Jeter: “I’ve said from Day One, this is the only organization I’ve ever wanted to play for, and that’s still true today."

Jeter: "I was a Yankees fan growing up. This is where I want to be. I’ve never envisioned myself playing anywhere else..."

Jeter: “It’s unfair to talk about myself when we are trying to win."

Cash: “He is priceless for the fans, we know that."

It's real simple, folks. Jeter isn't going anywhere. All the quotes above get back to what I said a few weeks ago. Both sides recognize how important they are to each other and both know how they will be viewed by the fans and media if a deal doesn't get done.

ESPN can try to create all the controversy they want by having George Smith report on Jeter's statements and talk about the "silence" coming from the Yankees, but this is nothing new. The Yankees have had the "no negotiating extensions before a contract expires" policy since 1998. That's not going to change for even Jeter; he knows it, Cash knows it, everybody else should know it and shut up about it. At the end of the day Jeet is going to get his money, but he's going to get it at the end of the year when his contract is up per Yankee SOP. Being the ultimate team player and consummate professional that he is, Jeter is perfectly fine with that situation and so everybody else should be fine with it too.

Yankee Hero Aaron Boone Retires, Joins ESPN

How do ya like them apples, ESPN?!?

Aaron Bleepin' Boone goes straight from the dugout to the broadcast studio in a move that could finally help temper the overabundance of Red Sox dick munching and Yankee hating/ignoring at The Worldwide Leader. Or at least maybe help to even the scales out a little bit in the Yankees favor. How the ESPN execs allowed this guy to get hired knowing what their policy is on pro-Yankee talk is a baffling decision, and no doubt heads are rolling in Bristol right now, but we Yankee fans certainly appreciate and applaud this affirmative action hire by ESPN.

Boone has already firmly entrenched himself in all-time Yankee lore for The Home Run and his off-season injury that started the chain of events ultimately ending with the A-Horse donning the pinstripes. But it's good to see that even in retirement Boone is looking to continue to build his Yankee legend by entering the lion's den that is the BBTN set and mixing it up with unapologetic Red Sox homers like Tim Kurkjian and John Kruk. With Steve Phillips out, Buster Olney still firmly in the mix, and now Booney on board, the pro-Yankee contingent at ESPN is growing stronger by the day.

And even if Boone is terrible as an analyst, the fact that his presence on the set will force ESPN to mention and show clips of The Home Run way more than they would ever want to when discussing any Yankees-Red Sox series is more than enough to make him worthwhile.

So congrats, Aaron. Go out there and make us Yankee fans proud. Fight the good fight! And don't take shit from anybody, especially not Kurkjian.

Dr. Johnny & Mr. Damon

Johnny Damon in the summer of '09:

“I don’t know where else I would want to go to. Obviously, that’s not the right thing to say when you’re about ready to approach free agency, but I’m very happy with playing in New York, and my family’s happy I play for New York. There’s no bigger place to go. If you play well here, you’re going to get paid. New York has the resources. But we also have the chance to win every year. I don’t want to attempt to go make more money elsewhere, for more years, with a chance to be out of the race by the first of June." (courtesy of the NY Times)

Johnny Damon yesterday at his introductory press conference in Detroit:

“This is where we wanted to be. It is where my family wanted to be. Contrary to what has been reported, I wanted a place where I could win right away. I have always been truthful and Detroit was always my first choice, and my wife and I are going to love it there.”
“This isn’t the same market we lived in years ago. I told Scott that Detroit was No. 1.”
“I feel like I belong here. It took a little while, but I probably felt like I was a Tiger a month and a half ago. I really feel good about this.” (courtesy of MLB.com)

Well there you have it, folks. As if there was any doubt left that Johnny Damon was the prototypical Scott Boras client, those 2 polar opposite quotes do everything to wipe away that doubt.

Damon can say whatever he wants to say, and of course you would expect him to say something similar to what he said yesterday because nobody is going to go to their first press conference with their new team and say they hate it here and this city is a piece of shit. But the fact of the matter is Johnny Damon is a two-faced slimeball whose sole motivation throughout his entire career has been to go wherever he and Scotty B believe the most money is. He followed the same path that A-Rod did when Boras led him down the shitty contract negotiation trail in 2007, the only difference being A-Rod was smart enough to realize that that plan wasn't going to work out and Damon was dumb enough to follow Boras, and his horrible plan, right into Motown.

It shocks and impresses me that Damon can talk so well out of both sides of his mouth, given his past stuttering and stammering problems, so I do have to hand that to him. But if he thinks he's fooling anybody with the jet spray of bullshit that he spewed yesterday, he's dead wrong. Christ, I bet he couldn't even convince himself that he believed what he was saying.

Damon's words yesterday were those of a broken, beaten man who realized far too late the mistake he had made and is now starting to realize how he will pay for it this year. Like I and everybody else have been saying all along: if Damon truly wanted to be a Yankee today, he would be. Now he's stuck in Detroit playing on a team that very may well be out of the playoff race in June or July and the Yankees are just as strong in the outfield without him and gearing up for a run at defending their title.

Good luck this year, John. Hope the $8 million was worth it.

And if you want to get an even bigger laugh out of Damon's nonsense, The Yankee U has a great collection of Damon quotes tracing his two-sided comments all the way back to 2005.

Jon Heyman: Red Sox Hype Machine

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Yankees Add Chan Ho Park To The Mix

The big Yankee news of the day is the all-but-done signing of Chan Ho Park to a one-year, $1.2 million deal with an extra 300k for incentives. This move by Cash, in addition to creating a logjam in what was already going to be a crowded bullpen competition, puts the Yankees over their self-imposed payroll budget for 2010. While I can't say I approve of the Yanks brass reneging on their commitment to a hardline on the budget this soon in the season, I can say with confidence that if you're going to go back on your word and break the bank for more pitching, what better guy to do it for than Chan Ho Park.

I mean, just look at those numbers from last year: 4.43 ERA, 1.40 WHIP in 83.1 innings pitched, less than a strikeout per inning. If those numbers don't scream "WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS GUY ON OUR TEAM!!!!", then I don't know what does. Not to mention the guys' past track record of success with all his former teams and the heaps of awards and accolades he has accumulated in his decorated career. At this point, the Bombers can pretty much call the Joba-Hughes battle off, because with Chan Ho Motherfucking Park about to join the team, the 5th spot in the rotation AND the setup role out of the bullpen is locked down like Fort Knox.

In all seriousness, I don't think this is a bad move by the Yankees; Park's numbers were much better out of the bullpen with the Phillies last year: 2.52 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 52 K's in 50.0 IP, .231 BA against, and a bunch of other meaningful stats that other blogs can come up with faster than I can. And his stuff was also much better: consistently throwing 95-96 with the fastball, better command and movement on his off-speed stuff. In following with Cash's theory of "you can never have enough" relievers, this looks like a good move.

But there are also some points to consider that make this a potentially bad, and even unnecessary move by the Yanks. For starters, Park has no track record of success to speak of up until last year, when his transition to the 'pen only took place as a result of him being incredibly awful as a starter. His short sample size of success did come in a weaker league playing primarily in an offensively-challenged division (not too much to be scared about in the 2009 Braves, Mets, and Nationals rosters), which raises the concern that the Yankees fell in love with him because of his sterling 3.1 innings of shutout ball he pitched against them in the World Series (a path they have been down before with little success). How well Park would be able to re-create that success in the AL East is a big question mark. Also, Park's arrival means that somebody currently on the roster has to be the odd man out.

The bullpen positions that are set as of today are Mo, either Joba or Hughes, Marte, Robertson, and Aceves, with the last 2 spots likely coming from the group of Gaudin/Logan/Mitre/Melancon/Albaladejo. With the deal he signed it seems highly unlikely that Park is going to play in Scranton, so you pencil him into the 6th spot in the 'pen and now the fight between those other 5 is down to one. The early leaders would have to be Gaudin, Logan, and Melancon, but with his high salary and management's desire to stay at or under their budget, Gaudin seems the most likely to not only lose his spot in the 'pen, but to be packing his bags and cleaning out his locker to make room for Park.

Personally, I think Gaudin has more value than Park as he has shown the ability to be effective in both a reliever and starting role, something that will be important this year if the Yankees have to get creative at the back end of their rotation either due to Hughes' innings limitations, Joba's ineffectiveness, or (knock on wood) due to injuries. I also would have liked to see Melancon get another shot this year since the team has spent the better part of the last 3 years grooming him to be an impact reliever. Give him a chance to correct the control issues he had in his cup of coffee last season and he could become a lights-out, high-strikeout, late-inning stopper similar to 2007 Joba or 2009 Dave Robertson.

The feeling across the Yankee blogosphere is that this is a low-risk, high-reward move by the Yankees and helps bolster their bullpen depth for the upcoming season. At the end of the day, you can't argue with the logic of adding a proven bullpen commodity to the mix and on paper, that's what the Yankees have done. While I agree with that assessment, I hope it doesn't come at the expense of moving Gaudin and his $2.95 million salary because that could severely hurt the Yankees' starting pitching depth if issues in the rotation arise.

The Best Way To Kill 20 Minutes At Work On Monday

River Ave. Blues posted their yearly "30 Best Prospects" post on Friday, and as I sat there reading it, I not only started getting way too excited about 2012, 2013, and 2014, but also thinking about where I should take author Mike Axisa out for dinner to thank him for putting together such a great piece.  It made my afternoon at work on Friday a lot more enjoyable, and if I weren't stuck at a lacrosse coaching clinic all day and sleeping with a 24-hour flu bug all night yesterday, I would have posted this a lot earlier.

So when you have some spare time, do yourself a favor and read through this post, and get excited about the next few years to come.


P.S.- Johnny Damon has apparently agreed to a deal with the Tigers.  Enjoy the octopus, and the losing, Johnny.  Maybe Cash will buy you a ticket to The Stadium so you can still experience the playoffs this year.

2010 Storylines That Aren't Being Given Enough Attention

Now that Spring Training has started, we all get to enjoy even more daily coverage of the early 2010 storylines that have been beaten to death: Joba-Hughes Rotation/Bullpen Battle; Is Brett Gardner an everyday outfielder? Who plays center field? 2-spot in the lineup- C-Grand or Nick Johnson?, etc. While those are all valid points to consider and will all have considerable influence over how the season plays out, there is more to this season than just those issues. Here are some other storylines for 2010 that aren't being discussed right now, but should be.

1) How well will Andy Pettitte's body hold up in 2010 after the workload put on it in 2009?

Pettitte will be 37 when this season starts, and 38 by the time the playoffs roll around. He was much better in '09 than his $5.5 million salary indicated the Yankees thought he would be, but that performance did come at the expense of lots of innings, a long series of short rest in the playoffs, and the other various bumps, bruises, sprains, strains, and pains that come with being a late-30s pro athlete.  After that large a workload, how will he respond this year?

Since he's no longer on the HGH workout plan (as far as we know), Pettitte has to be looked at as a potentially bigger injury risk this year, and with it being all but decided that whoever doesn't win the Joba-Hughes 5th-Spot Showdown will be Mo's setup man, the rotation could face some troubling times if the injury bug bites Andy hard.

When he's healthy, he's arguably the best 3rd/4th starter in baseball. But if he ends up not being healthy and goes down for the count, what is the plan?  A back end of the rotation featuring Joba/Hughes and Gaudin/Mitre/Aceves/Someone from the minors won't strike fear into the hearts of the Sawx, Rays, Angels, or Mariners.
2) How will A.J. Burnett fare without Jose Molina catching him?

Despite what everybody in the organization said last year, it was clear that there was a disconnect between A.J. and Jorge and that A.J. was more comfortable pitching to Molina. With Pudgy not on the bench anymore, how will A.J. cope? Is he going to be able to suck it up and work with Jorge? Will he continue to not mesh with the unquestioned Yankee clubhouse leader and force Joe to make Cervelli his personal catcher? Will he be able to tie his own shoes and go potty by himself like a big boy? Can he drink his Gatorade in the dugout without a sippy cup? It shouldn't take too long for this question to be answered.

3) What kind of rest schedule, if any, will Joe have for A-Rod?

The Horse got a clean bill of health from team doctors and the surgeon who performed his hip surgery last year, so all systems should be go. But with a player who is that important to the lineup and the team, will Joe want to take a cautious approach early on and see how the hip holds up before officially declaring A-Rod 100%? And even if he does, will A-Rod have more scheduled off-days or DH days this year to make sure the hip stays kosher all year long? How many at-bats (and hits, RBIs, and potentially wins) is Joe willing to sacrifice by giving them to Ramiro Pena in the interest of keeping the A-Horse in tip-top shape?

4) Will 2010 finally be the year Robinson Cano puts it all together? Or is he what he's going to be?

Since he first broke in with the team, we have heard Cano be talked about as a player who can dominate the 2nd base position for years to come, win multiple batting titles, multiple Gold Gloves, and so on and so forth.

The reality of the situation in 2010 is that Robinson Cano is still a talented player who has not fully matured into the player he has the potential to be. He is still too impatient at the plate at times, has a growing reputation as a terrible clutch hitter that is another year or 2 away from rivaling the bad rep A-Rod had, and still makes too many mental/effort-related mistakes at 2nd and plays with such an air of nonchalance about him that it makes you wonder just exactly how much he really gives a fuck out there.

The Yankees held Cano out of multiple big potential trades over the years because of the high hopes they had for him. With Matsui and Damon gone and Jorge expected to start a much steeper decline in production this year, the burden falls on Cano to step up this year. He's got a chance to be penciled in as the 5-hitter behind Teix; how will he respond? Will he take a more serious, focused approach to the game, understand his new role, and become the kind of player the Yankees can count on for the next 5-6 years? Or will he continue to be the loping, sometimes lazy guy who makes 5-8 too many errors in the field and drives in 20-30 too few runs at the plate?

(Bonus Question: If he continues to play the way he has, how does he fit into the Yankees future plans? Do they keep him and keep waiting or trade him before his value starts to deteriorate?)

David Wright Is A Silly, Silly Man

I want some of what David Wright is smoking:

"We're expecting to go out there and win the National League East and go deep in the playoffs and win the World Series," Wright said, a day before Mets pitchers and catchers were required to report to spring training. "That is the expectation I've gotten from the guys who are here early, and I [expect] this team is to get back to where we are winning the National League East." (courtesy of the NY Post)



BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Seriously, dude? Win the National League East? Win the World Series? I almost feel bad laughing because Wright almost seems like he's serious about this. Somebody needs to check him out and make sure he isn't still suffering from post-concussion syndrome.

Not somebody on the Mets training staff though. They might end up accidentally killing him.

The Best of Pitchers and Catchers Reporting Day Photos

Joba and CC loosen up while discussing the finer points of the Ponderosa vs. Golden Corral buffets and what the best method is for keeping the brims of their hats looking like they just bought them from Lids.

C-Grand works on his home run admiration stance in preparation for the beating he's going to put on the short porch in right field at the Stadium.

The patented "Jeter Jump Throw" already looks to be in mid-season form.

Joe carrying his, and possibly this other dude's, own coffee into Steinbrenner Field.  What other manager puts himself down to this "common" level?  Talk about setting the example of what it means to be a team player.

A.J. practices how he's going to fuck with his hat and stall for time during the outings that he can't do anything but throw the ball either down the middle or straight to the backstop (sorry, I had to make that joke).

It Has Begun...

Ahh yes, the gloriousness that is pitchers and catchers reporting. The sun is shining a little brighter; the birds are singing a little sweeter; the air feels a little cleaner; and we all feel just a little bit happier about our lives.

Ahh yes, it is a great day indeed. I've been doing the same dance as this guy since I woke up this morning. Only I'm doing it without any pants on.

Chien-Ming Wang Moving To Greener Pastures (Sort Of)

So it looks like somebody wanted the Yankees' broken Wang after all.

"Wang's deal is worth $2 million and includes the chance to earn $3 million in performance bonuses, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press." (courtesy of ESPN.com)

Unfortunately for old CMW, that somebody was the Washington Nationals, the black hole of Major League Baseball, where former great players, former good players, has beens, never weres, and never will bes all go to die.  That being what it is, this is still a win-win for everybody involved.

Even though he won't be ready to contribue until at least the midway point of the season, Wang on the DL is still probably a better starter than whoever else Washington can throw out there at the back end of their rotation.  And if Wang does somehow recover his velocity and sinking action on his sinker, this deal looks like a steal for the Nationals as they try to take a step towards reaching the level of mediocrity.

As far as the Wanger is concerned, after the public tarring and feathering he took at the hands of the NY media and fans for his playoff failures and absolute meltdown into a pitcher of historically significant ineffectiveness last year, it will be good to get a fresh start and even better to get that fresh start in a place that has no pressure, no expectations, and probably not even any real fans.  And when he does finally return from his rehab, he won't ever have to worry about exorcising his postseason demons in Washington because the Nationals are so pathetic that they'll be out of the playoff race by mid May.

At worst Wang becomes another shitty starter on a staff of shitty starters, but still making good money.  At best, he returns to the form he showed in the 2007-2008 regular season, which could lead to even better numbers than he put up in the Bronx as he will now be pitching in an offensively-diluted league.

So goodbye, Chien-Ming.  It was fun while it lasted and it was a shame that it had to end so sadly, but the Yankee Championship Express started running again last year and between your injuries and tendency to choke in big moments, there just wasn't any room left for you on the train.