Looking Towards The Postseason (And Postseason Roster)

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

Lineup:

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

Rotation:

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

Bench: Cervelli, Kearns, Thames, Pena

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

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

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

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

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

A Whole Little For A Whole Lot And Vice Versa

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

The Newest Member Of The AB4AR Photoshop Club

Introducing Nova The Terrible. 

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

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

The Happiest I've Ever Been After A Loss

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What To Expect From Ivan Nova Tonight

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back To The Grind

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

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

- The video of Robbie's grand slam yesterday.

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

There.  Don't you feel better?

Robbie & CC: Partners In Awesomeness

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

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

The Horse Gets 15 Days Out To Pasture

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

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

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

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

It's Deja Vu All Over Again

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

Boo.

BOOOO.

BOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

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

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

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

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

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

Booooooooooooo!!!!!

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

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

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

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

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

Felix Hernandez Again?

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

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

A Little Love For Phil Hughes

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Little Bit Of Everything

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

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

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

CC The Stopper

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

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

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

(Photo of Cito Culver used courtesy of RAB)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2-Game Slump Thoughts And Afterthoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You Gotta Be Kidding Me

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

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

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

One Homer, Two Homers, Three Homers, Hahahahaha!

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

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

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

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

All hail the A-Taur!!

A Question To Ponder Before Tonight's Game

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

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

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

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

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

We Got A Situation

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

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

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

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

Picking Nits

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

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

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

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

Papelbon Continues To Challenge Mo As The Greatest Closer Ever

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

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

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

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

 

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

Which of these things is not like the other?

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

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

A Tale Of 2 Games

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

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

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

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

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