AB4AR's First Fictional Yankee Mailbag

We don't get too many emails here at AB4AR, but since I know there are some of you readers out there who are just too lazy or scared to write in, I took the liberty of asking (and answering) the questions I know everyone is dying to ask me.  Let's face it, my Yankee insight and opinions know no boundaries.  It would be wrong to keep these answers to myself.  Let's get to the bag!

* What's your take on the Yankees not starting any negotiations with Mo yet?  I would argue that he's more important than Lee or Jeter, right? - Matt, The Bronx.

Good question, Matt.  I also think it's a little strange that the Yankees haven't reached out to Mo and his agent to lock him up for next year.  And your argument that Mo is more important to next season's success than Lee and Jeter is correct.  Mo is the one guy that the Yankees absolutely can't be without next year (would you feel good about D-Rob or Joba having to close?), so he should be a higher priority.  But if you think back, this is kind of how Mo's new contracts have always gone.  He's such a low-maintenance guy that it's almost a foregone conclusion that he will re-sign.  And he's still at the top of his game so there really isn't much to negotiate about.  The Yankees are going to pay him a shit ton of money and he's going to be happy with it.  My guess?  1-year deal for 2011 at $16 mil with a player option for another year.  No worries, Mo will be back.

* What kind of deal should the Yankees offer Andy to come back next year?  And what's the backup plan if he decides to retire? - Sarah, Charleston, SC.

I don't think there's a certain dollar value that is going to swing Andy one way or another.  The Yankees gave him $11.5 mil to come back in 2010 and that worked out pretty well, so I would imagine the next contract would be almost identical, maybe bump him up to an even 12.  But my take is still that Andy isn't coming back after how badly his body broke down at the end of this season.  He's going to be 39, and while it's obvious he still has the talent to get it done out there, it just doesn't seem like his body can keep up with his skills anymore.  After he sits down and talks to his family, I think he's going to hang it up.

Which brings us to the backup plan.  Assuming the Yankees get Lee, which I believe they will, that would leave them with CC, Lee, Hughes, A.J., and an open 5th spot.  I'm not in love with any of the other free agent options (Kuroda, Westbrook, etc.) and Zach Greinke has said he doesn't want to come here, so I would pencil Ivan Nova into the 5th spot and see if he improves enough in Spring Training and early in the season to lock down the job.  If not, we've established that the Yanks have a ton of pitching talent in Double- and Triple-A (Killer B's, Noesi, Warren, Phelps), so the 5-spot could be the audition role for some of those guys.  You gotta find out if these kids can get it done in the Majors at some point, right?

* Now that Jorge has been told he will be primarily DH'ing next season, how do you see the Yankee catching situation going next season?  Can The Jesus really win the job and hold it down all year? - Jake, Middlebury, CT.

I don't see any reason why he can't.  All indications are that the Yankees are going to give him the job to lose in Spring Training, and I still say there's no way he can be as bad a defensive catcher as Jorge so why not give him the job and let him learn?  For the most part the Yankees call pitches from the dugout anyway, so there's no pressure on Montero to call games, and the more experience he gets both behind the plate and at it, the better he's going to get.  Jorge's sun is setting on his career while Montero's is just starting to rise.  It's time to get the kid into the lineup and see what he can do.  My vote would be to have him catch 100-120 games next year and let Cervelli and Posada split the difference.  Then, depending on matchups and health, have either Posada or Jesus DH on the days that Cervelli catches with the other at attention to step in for Frankie as a late-game pinch hitter/replacement.

* What's Option B if the Yankees somehow lose out on Cliff Lee?  Does Cash get back on the phone with KC with an offer for Greinke that they can't refuse? - Ruben, Valencia, CA.

Since they've already got the ball rolling on the Lee situation while Andy is taking his time on his decision, the immediate Option B becomes "bring Andy back at all costs."  If they can do that, then at least you're still coming back with CC, Andy, Hughes, and A.J.  Just like the same situation if Andy doesn't come back, I would make the 5th spot in the rotation the 'Ivan Nova/whoever else from Triple-A earns a start if Nova sucks' role and go from there.

I personally don't like the idea of giving up any amount of top prospects for Greinke.  Yes, he's a stud, but unlike many of the other sites out there, I will admit that his SAD scares me to death.  I could see the kid bombing out in NY because of it.  It's easy to deal with that when you're pitching in KC where nobody gives a fuck.  Try handling your freakshow pussy disorder when you've got the NY media breathing down your neck on every inning you pitch.  Plus, with a stockpile of arms like the one they have now, I think it's in the team's best interest to try to build up the next generation of core Yankees around them.  Pitching wins championships and the Yankees have a shit ton of high-quality pitching in the Minors.  Why trade it all away before you have the chance to see what they can do for you?

Now if the Yankees don't sign Lee AND Andy decides to retire, then you've got a problem.  The Yanks would be situated with CC, Hughes, A.J., Nova, and a big old question mark.  If this scenario, unlikely as it is, plays out, that's when you'll see Cash on the phone calling up the agents for Kuroda or Westbrook or offering 2 of the 3 Killer B's, Gardner, and Austin Romine for Greinke.

* Of all the Yankees that had down years this year (Teix, A-Rod, Jeter, Jorge, A.J., Joba), which one do you think will rebound to have the best 2011? - Marcus, Manhattan.

Definitely Teix.  He has the best overall skill set, is still in his prime, and should be back to 100% healthy by the time Spring Training 2011 rolls around.  If he had any kind of consistency this year, he could have hit .280/.390/.530 with 40 HR and 125 RBIs.  I expect him to work with Kevin Long in ST on fixing his issues from last year and finding that consistency.

A-Rod will have a better year next year, but no longer the monster numbers he used to put up, Jorge will be better without getting beaten up behind the plate all the time but not what he used to be, Jeter will probably be about the same, Joba might not even be a Yankee next year, and it would be tough for A.J. to be any worse than he was in 2010.  But the smart money for a big bounce back would still be on Teix.


* You're such a smart and funny guy and your blog is the best!!  How do you manage to come up with such awesome material?  I think you are incredibly sexy and I want to have your babies. - Kristy, Pewaukee, WI.

Why thank you, Kristy.  I am quite awesome and I appreciate you taking the time to not only notice that, but to compliment me on it.  I can't really say where I get my material from.  A lot of it is just spontaneous ideas that pop into my head and then I just let it roll from there.  I would also have to give some credit to the copious amounts of alcohol I drink and the occasional paint huffing session.  I guess what I'm trying to say is that my awesomeness and the blog's awesomeness are complicated issues with more than one source, all pulled together into a tight little package by the natural levels of awesomeness within my own chiseled, hard body.  And yes, I am a sexy motherfucker.

Thanks for the fictional emails, kiddies.  Until next time...

Take A Quick Moment Today

(Only uniform besides the pinstripes that Joltin' Joe looked good in)

... And thank a veteran that you know.  Or at the very least take a moment to sit and reflect and be thankful for all they've done for you and this country.  It's because of these brave people that I even have the ability to write this blog and say whatever I want so a big thank you to everybody who has served or is serving right now to protect our freedom.  I know I'm too much of a pussy to ever be able to do it, so much respect to all those ballsy enough to put their country and its citizens before themselves.

Perfect Visual Representation Of This Blog

That's 2 playoff series worth of pre and postgame notes right there, people.  Front and back.  And the majority of the shit written was usually done either super late at night or super early in the morning at the office.

Just wanted to give a little visual reminder of what we're all about here at AB4AR.  No crack staff of dedicated writers and advanced sabermetricians or anything like that here.  Nope, just one dude who knows enough about what statistics really matter to be dangerou , his opinions (misguided as they may be), and his sticky notes .  I'm just a man who loves his Yankees and knows how baseball works and enjoys writing about it.

And I hope some of y'all enjoy reading it.

Meeting & Greeting Mr. Lee

Well that didn't take long.  According to multiple sources, Brian Cashman flew to Arkansas today and is probably in the middle of meeting with Lee and his family right now as we speak.  No word on whether or not he brought a few Bleacher Creatures with him to spit on and throw things at Lee's wife, but I would imagine not.

Guess re-signing Jeter and Mo weren't the biggest priorities after all, eh?

It's A Golden Infield

And the winners are...

Robbie Cano (of course), Mark Teixeira (naturally), and Derek Jeter!!

Wait, what?

Yeah, you heard right, folks.  Somehow Derek Jeter won his 5th Gold Glove award today in a year where he posted negative defensive numbers across the board.  Shit, you didn't even have to look at the numbers.  Just watch a game or 2 and it would have been painfully obvious to everybody who isn't John Sterling and Joe Morgan that The Captain was not a Gold Glove defender this season.  I'm a Yankee fan and one of the biggest homers around and even I think that Jeter winning the award is a joke.

Oh well.  We'll take it.  God bless the mainstream baseball media.

The Best Offseason News So Far

It isn't Yankee news, but it's certainly news that every baseball fan will enjoy.

"Jon Miller and Joe Morgan's 21-year run on ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball" is over.

Morgan's contract is expiring and he will not be renewed. Miller's contract is also expiring though he may remain at ESPN working the "Sunday Night Baseball" series and postseason baseball for ESPN Radio.

"Jon and Joe have contributed greatly to the success of 'Sunday Night Baseball' for the past 21 seasons," ESPN executive vice president Norby Williamson said in a statement Monday. "Over the last two decades, Joe went from Hall of Fame player to one of his sport's top analysts and Jon's Hall of Fame voice and tremendous knowledge of the game have connected with baseball fans everywhere. We owe them our deepest thanks for an outstanding body of work." (via ESPN.com)

In actuality, Miller is a rambling boozebag who flip flops between making over-exaggerated calls of insignificant plays and then downplaying big game-changing moments, and Morgan is a self-righteous asshole who has used his position on 'Sunday Night Baseball' to do nothing more than reference his own accomplishments and playing career and downplay the improvement in today's players and statistics.  Both are sadly behind in the times when it comes to baseball and should have been out a long time ago.  But nice try on the praise, ESPN.  Next time take it easy on the literary blowjobs.

P.S.- Whoever ESPN decides to replace these clowns with, Orel Hershiser better be at the top of the list.

Important Award Dates For The Yankees

It's not all Cliff Lee and Derek Jeter contract drama in the offseason, people.  There are still awards to be handed out and the Yankees figure to play a big part in almost all the major categories.  Here are the biggest chances for the Yankees to bring some hardware home to the Bronx.

* Tuesday, November 9th: AL Gold Glove Awards- Robbie Cano should be a shoo-in for his first Gold Glove after a fantastic year at 2nd, and Mark Teixeira should also be the favorite for the award at 1B.  A sleeper could be Brett Gardner in LF.  He's probably going to get beat out by Carl Crawford, but their numbers stack up very well.  At the very least he'll be in the mix. 

* Wednesday, November 10th: Silver Slugger Awards- This should be another cakewalk for Cano to collect this award, which would be his first.  There could be some consideration thrown the ways of Teix, A-Rod, and Swisher for their collective numbers, but with better, more productive options all around I would be surprised if any Yankee other than Cano walked away with some silver.

* Thursday, November 18th: AL Cy Young Award- I certainly wouldn't consider him the front runner, but CC is going to get some serious consideration for the award thanks to his 21 wins, high innings, and respectable ERA and WHIP numbers.  At worst, he finishes last out of the top 3 contenders (CC, King Felix, David Price).  At best, he takes the award thanks to a high number of voters who still focus too much on wins and ERA and not the sabermetrics. 

* Tuesday, November 23rd: AL MVP Award- Like CC, Robbie Cano won't be considered the favorite for the award, but he stands just as good a chance as Josh Hamilton or Miguel Cabrera.  Working in his favor is his all-world production from the 2B position, not one traditionally associated with gaudy offensive numbers, and his Gold-Glove caliber defense that he played all year long (Hamilton missed some time) and did for a contending team (Detroit was out of the race ages ago).  Working against him is the fact that Hamilton and Cabrera's numbers, both the regular ones and more advanced ones, ARE better than Cano's.  In the end, I say Cano gets a few more votes than expected and finishes 2nd behind Hamilton.

And The Great Cliff Lee Race Has Begun

Well that didn't take long.  The Yanks contacted Lee's agent on Sunday and are planning to send their contract offer to him some time this week.

So the obvious big question, what is this offer going to be?  It's no secret that the Yankees are head over heels in love with Lee, but would they throw him a bigger offer than what they gave CC, their big man, their ace?  CC seems like a 'team first' guy, but I wouldn't blame him if he was a little chapped at the new guy in town, friend or no friend, getting a bigger deal than him when he's 2 years older and was on the losing end of their battle in the 2009 World Series and got beat twice in the 2010 World Series.

If it were up to me, I'd offer Lee a 5-year deal at $112.5 million, slightly less than the average per-year value of CC's deal, with a player option for a 6th year.  It gives Lee the biggest deal in baseball outside of CC, keeps CC happy, and more than likely knocks whatever offers the other interested teams are going to make out of the park.  The Yankees will probably go more than that, somewhere in the 6-year, $135-140 million range to make damn sure they get Lee.  Is that the right move to make?  I don't know.  All we can do now is sit and wait.

2010 Yankee Report Cards Part IV: The Lineup

Here's what you should have had to read yesterday:

* Mark Teixeira- C: It was a whole season of alls or nothings for Teix at the plate, and even though his 33 HR and 108 RBIs make you think he was productive this year, if he had any kind of consistency he probably would have hit 20 points higher and had a chance for 40/130.  Teix made the most of his hot streak to put up some good peripherals but let's be honest, a .256/.365/.481 year is just not good enough from Teix.  He's going to win another Gold Glove at 1B, and maybe I'm being too harsh here, but his down year at the plate and no-show in the postseason again even before the injury make this an underachieving year for Teix in my book.

* Robinson Cano- A+: I'm just going to let the numbers speak for themselves.  A .319/.381/.534 tripleslash with 200 H, 103 R, 41 2B, 29 HR, 109 RBI, 334 TB, 6.1 WAR and his situational numbers are even better than that: .909 OPS with runners on, .922 with RISP, 1.635 with the bases loaded.  And after that monster regular season, Cano went on to post a .343/.361/.771 line in the playoffs with 8 R, 6 XBH, and 6 RBI.  He officially became the best 2B in baseball this year, he's going to win a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger Award, and going to finish in the top 3 of the AL MVP vote.  Kind of hard to give him anything less than an A+.

* Derek Jeter- C-: It was a rough year for The Captain as we all were witness to the beginning of his end as a productive full-time player.  The .240/.340/.370 line is bad enough, and the 111 runs scored are more of a testament to the guys hitting behind him than to how well Jeter hit, but perhaps worst of all were the constant images we were not used to seeing.  Jeter showing no patience at the plate, Jeter grounding everything to the left side instead of going the other way, Jeter almost never coming up in the clutch, Jeter cheating on fastballs and still swinging late on them, and Jeter looking almost statuesque on everything hit to his left or right at shortstop.  It was just not a good year for The Captain.

* Alex Rodriguez- B-: Like Jeter, A-Rod had a down year this year, but he was still able to be very productive even in a "down" year.  Despite a career-low .270/.341/.507 tripleslash, A-Rod still managed to swat 30 homers and drive in 125.  His numbers with RISP and the bases loaded were terrific and allowed him to still be a dangerous presence in the lineup despite all the injuries and age-related decline he dealt with.  His range is also limited at 3rd, but on the balls he did get to A-Rod played Gold Glove-caliber defense.  He couldn't replicate his 2009 postseason, but I still call this year a success for The Horse.

* Jorge Posada- C+: Another player of the Yankee elder statesmen not aging so gracefully, 2011 was another year of injuries, inconsistency, and rapidly-declining defense for Jorge.  At this stage in his career, he's basically just a pitch back behind the plate, and he probably couldn't throw me out trying to steal 2nd.  But he can still work counts (.357 OBP) and still has some pop (18 HR, 57 RBIS, .454 SLG), so his numbers in fewer at-bats stack up well against his competition.  At DH next year, he should be a more productive bat.  It's just a matter of Jorge swallowing his pride and accepting the role change.

* Nick Johnson- F: Just terrible.  Got on base but didn't hit or field worth a lick when he was healthy.  And didn't stay healthy for more than 5 fucking minutes.  Definitely a waste of money on the signing and definitely looking forward to not having his ass back next year.

* Brett Gardner- B: An overachieving year for Gardner (even with the weak 2nd half) that probably saved the Yankees a bunch of money on a Carl Crawford contract offer.  Gardner hit well enough and got on base thanks to great patience at the plate (.277 BA, .383 OBP) and utilized his speed to hit 7 3B, steal 47 bases, and score 97 runs from almost exclusively the 9-spot in the lineup.  Combine that with outstanding defensive numbers in the outfield (21.9 UZR, 27.9 UZR/150) and Gardner was worth 5.4 WAR in a solid first full-time year and hopefully a predictor of future success.

* Curtis Granderson- B-: Early-season struggles, injuries, and swing rebuilds aside, Curtis Granderson did manage to produce when he was healthy.  Even with the .247 BA, he still posted an OPS close to .800 (.792) thanks to improve patience and solid power numbers.  48 of C-Grand's 115 hits were XBH and he put up positive defensive UZR numbers as well.  So for as much crap as he took from the media and fans before turning his season around, Granderson still posted a 3.6 WAR and was the Yankees' 2nd best postseason hitter behind Cano.  Something tells me 2011 could be a big comeback year for C-Grand.

* Nick Swisher- A-: The continued evolution of Nick Swisher as a baseball player took a huge step this year as we were witness to a new, less patient, more compact swinging Nick Swisher that rocked balls all over the ballpark while continuning to play better than expected defense in right field.  Swish posted a career high .288 BA to go along with an .870 OPS, 29 HR, 89 RBIs, 163 H, 91 R to earn himself his first ASG berth.  And while some people couldn't, I'll let Swish's 2nd straight rough postseason go since nobody else hit in the ALCS and he was a 4.1 WAR player in the regular season.

My Bad, Y'all

I know I was supposed to put up the lineup report cards yesterday, but I was a lazy forgetful asshole.  So to make up for it, here's a picture of Minka Kelly.  Even if Jeter doesn't get the contract he wants, he's still got this to fall back on.

The lineup reports will be in this afternoon.

2010 Yankee Report Cards Part III: The Rotation

* CC Sabathia- A: I was thinking about bumping old Parachute Pants down for his miserable postseason performance, but I'll give him a pass because of the knee injury.  Who knows how long the guy was dealing with it through the 2010 season and he still managed to put up insane numbers: 237.2 IP, 21 W (I know, I know, it's a flawed stat), 3.18 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, .656 OPS against, 134 ERA+, 5.4 WAR.  So far he's been every bit the ace the Yankees signed him to be, and he did it again this year with a bum knee and a constantly unstable rest of the rotation behind.  That's OK in my book.

* A.J. Burnett- D-: The only reason this isn't an F is because of his strong start to the season (4-0 with a 1.99 ERA through his first 6 starts).  But from then on it was all bad news for A.J., whose basic stats are so ugly (5.26 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .285 BA against, .824 OPS against) that it makes going into the advanced and sabermetric categories completely unnecessary.  But he was top 10 in the AL in losses and walks, so I guess it's not all bad news, right?  A.J. Burnett has been a complete abortion in his 2 years in pinstripes and if he doesn't get his shit together next season, I would be all for outright releasing him and eating the rest of his contract or paying somebody connected to just off him.

* Andy Pettitte- A-: Only gets bumped down to the "-" because of the lost time due to injuries.  When he was on the mound, Andy Pettitte was hands down the Yankees' 2nd best pitcher this season, sometimes their ace, and the only starter in the postseason who consistently pitched well (and he pitched VERY well).  At age 38, Pettitte had one his 5 best seasons in 2010, posting a 3.28 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 130 ERA+, and 3.1 WAR, and continuing to use his Tom Glavine 2.0 repertoire to outwit opposing batters.  Unlike the rest of the Yankee pitching staff, Pettitte shined with runners on, often limiting potential big rallies or crushing them altogether by making big pitches in clutch situations.  If this was his last season, it was a damn good one.

* Phil Hughes- B: It was a tale of 2 halves for Phil Hughes this year: outstanding first half (11-2, 3.65 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, .239 BA against pre-ASG) and a bit of a rough second half (7-6, 4.90 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, .250 BA against post-ASG).  But at the end of the day his yearly totals aren't bad for a 24-year-old in his first full-time season as a starter, and the future looks bright for Phil if he can continue to evolve his approach and improve his secondary pitches.  Even with his second half struggles, Hughes finished second on the team in total Ks, finished just behind CC as the #1 starter in terms of K/9, and posted 2.7 WAR.  Rest assured that my Phil Hughes boner will be back in full effect in 2011.

*Javy Vazquez- F: Not so surprisingly, Javy's second stint in New York was just as bad, if not worse, than his first.  It's one thing to be a big blubbering pussy who melts down at the first sign of trouble when it's 2004 and you still have your stuff.  It's another thing completely when you're still a big blubbering pussy who melts down at the first sign of trouble in 2010 when you have absolutely no stuff left.  In 8 starts through June and early July, Javy was actually one of the best Yankee starters, but it was all downhill from there and his final numbers (5.32 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 1.86 K/BB, .818 OPS against) show just how putrid he was.

** 2010 Report Cards wrap up tomorrow with the lineup.  Try and guess what Jeter's will be. **

It Hath Been Spoken

via the NY Daily News:

 

"The consensus among the Yankees' high command is that Montero who turns 21 on Nov. 28 - is ready to assume the starting catcher's job, according to a source with knowledge of the team's thinking.

Montero's defense has been scrutinized, but team brass believes he made enough strides this season to assume the bulk of the workload in 2011.

He will likely be given the chance to win the starting job during spring training, turning over a position that has belonged to Jorge Posada since 1998. The front office believes that Montero is already a better defensive catcher than the 39-year-old Posada...."

Hallelujah!!  Glory be to God!!  Our prayers have been answered so go tell it on the mountains, brothers and sisters.  The Chosen On shall taketh his rightful place behind the dish next year and the dawning of the New Age will begineth!  Praise Jesus!

2010 Yankee Report Cards Part II: The Bullpen

* Mariano Rivera- A: Another gem of a season from the ageless wonder: 33 saves, 1.80 ERA, 0.83 WHIP in 60 innings of regular season work, then another scoreless 6.1 innings with only 4 baserunners allowed and 3 saves in the postseason.  As usual, Rivera was the one shining constant in the always treacherous seas that are the Yankee bullpen and continues to put up numbers at age 40 that are so much better than what 99% of relievers can put up in their primes that it really isn't funny anymore.

* Dave Robertson- B-: Started off the season horribly (14.21 ERA on May 5, 7.31 ERA at the end of May), but was lights out for the remainder of the regular season, finishing up with a respectable 3.82 ERA for the season.  Some of his peripherals are still impressive (10.42K/9) but 33 walks in 61.1 innings killed him and he melted down in the ALCS.  With Kerry Wood unlikely to come back next season, D-Rob will be the early favorite as Mo's setup man but needs to show some improvement over the last 2 seasons to keep the job.

* Joba Chamberlain- C-: The long, strange journey for Joba took another turn for the worst this season.  Like D-Rob, Joba had some impressive peripherals (less than 1 hit per IP, 9.67 K/9), but showed a frustrating inability to pitch well in close games and to limit damage on days where he didn't have his best (cough, cough, Brian Bruney, cough cough!!).  By season's end he had fallen so far down Joe's depth chart that he was a postseason afterthought in the bullpen pecking order.  For a season that could have been his last in pinstripes, it was nothing to write home about for Joba.

* Boone Logan- B: After a rough patch to start the year and a demotion to Triple-A, Boone Logan came back to replace Marte as the lefty specialist out of the 'pen and didn't disappoint.  He rattled off 25 consecutive scoreless outings from July to September and finished with a respectable sub-3.00 ERA and only .85 H/IP.  He, like pretty much everybody else in the bullpen, gave up too many walks, but Logan should start next year as the #1 lefty in the 'pen and has certainly earned that right with the way he pitched for the majority of 2010.

* Sergio Mitre- C+: After making a few early-season starts, Mitre settled into his role as the main long man in the 'pen after the loss of Aceves.  His numbers look good (3.33 ERA, 1.09 WHIP), but Mitre didn't miss a lot of bats and didn't log a lot of high-pressure innings, so you can't put a whole lot of weight into what he did.  And then there's the whole business of turning into a home run derby pitcher in the postseason, so yeah.  He's basically an innings eater who did what he was supposed to do so he gets an average grade from me.

* Kerry Wood- A: Hands down the best move Cash made at the deadline, Wood was money from the time he put on the Yankee uniform.  He was effectively wild at all times, allowing more walks (18) than hits (14) in his 26 regular season innings of work, but he worked out of trouble and missed a lot of bats (10.73 K/9).  That effective wildness carried over to the postseason where Wood was the only pitcher not named Mo to completely shit the bed.  He wouldn't be a bad part to have in the 'pen in 2011, but he'll be too expensive.  For what they brought him in to do and for what they gave up to get him, though, Wood was everything you could ask for and then some.

* Chad Gaudin- C-: He's like Sergio Mitre Version 0.2.  He serves the same purpose but doesn't do the job as well.  Joe rode him in September, possibly as a postseason audition, but in the end Gaudin just wasn't good enough.  His second stint with the Yankees went much like the first and I wouldn't expect him to break camp with the team next year.

* Alfredo Aceves & Damaso Marte- I: Ace was effective in his limited work (3.00 ERA, 1.17 WHIP in 12 innings) while Marte wasn't (11 BB in 17.2 IP), but neither gets an actual grade because of the injuries that shortened their seasons.  Getting Aceves back for 2011 would be a big boost to the 'pen, but I'm not holding my breath on getting anything from Marte, who becomes the latest in the long line of bad Yankee bullpen signings.

* Chan Ho Park- F-: I hate Chan Ho Park so fucking much that I can barely even describe it.  How he lasted as long as he did in a Yankee uniform is beyond me.  5.60 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 7 HR allowed in just 35.1 innings.  "Fuck" and "you," sir.  The most productive thing he did in a Yankee uniform was get diarrhea.  Thankfully, this is the last time I will ever have to mention him on this blog.

** Check back tomorrow for the rotation report cards **

Taking Stock Of The Current Rotation Situation

Those Locked In

- CC Sabathia: Recovering from recent knee surgery to repair his meniscus tear, the big fella was seen walking without a limp at the Nets game last night.  He's scheduled to begin a 3-6 week rehab stint to get ready for Spring Training 2011.  All looks well so far after surgery but the revelation by Joe  that he had dealt with the knee injury all year in 2010 has to be a concern going forward.

- A.J. Burnett: In all likelihood he will be relegated to at least the 4th starter role next year after this season's debacle.  A change at pitching coach could bring improvement next season.  Shit, it would be hard to not improve on last year's numbers, new pitching coach aside.  He'll be in the mix next year because of his hefty contract, but his 2011 performance could determine how much longer the Yanks are willing to put up with him.

- Phil Hughes: Probably still taking some time off after his career-high workload this season.  All restrictions should come off next year as far as innings and Phil will be expected to make improvements on his weaknesses from 2010 and become the likely 3rd starter.  The changeup needs to become a part of the everyday arsenal next year.

The Internal Question Mark

- Andy Pettitte: The post-ALCS story about Andy's postseason injury woes casts a dark cloud over the possibility of his return next season.  He's surely doing the family thing right now and will probably take a few more weeks to decide what his plans are for 2011.  Given how badly he broke down at the end of this season I don't expect him to go through that again.

The Big Free Agent Prize

- Cliff Lee: sitting at home licking his wife's wounds from her Yankee Stadium treatment and getting ready to hit the open market with a big payday on the horizon.  I still don't think he will get CC money (7 years/$161 million), but he'll certainly get north of 20 mil per year, especially with the Yankees making the biggest push for him.  No way he doesn't get the best offer from the Yanks, whether he decides to take that is up to him.

The Internal Backup Plan

- Ivan Nova: The most likely candidate to take the 5th rotation spot should Andy decide not to come back a/o Lee decide to not take the money.  Nova was like a mini-Phil Hughes last year in his first Major League work experience, flashing brilliant stuff and a willingness to attack hitters, but failing to change his approach the 2nd and 3rd times through the lineup.  Even if he doesn't break camp in the rotation in 2011, he will be the first one to fill in if/when injuries strike, so he'll be expected to produce.

The External Backup Plans

- Zack Greinke: According to the latest rumors, Greinke said he wouldn't accept a trade to the Bronx, but the Royals might feel differently depending on the package the Yankees offer.  I know Greinke is a stud and entering his prime, but I would have serious reservations about giving up some top prospects and possibly Gardner for a potential headcase.  We've seen guys who didn't have SAD wilt under the NY media spotlight.

- Hiroki Kuroda: Would really only be considered if Pettitte and Lee don't end up in pinstripes, but I know I wouldn't want him.

- Jake Westbrook: See above.

The FA Injury Risks

- Erik Bedard & Chris Young:  Both officially hit the open market after not having options picked up by their teams yesterday.  The Yanks have shown interest in Bedard in the past, but after not going after similar cases in Ben Sheets and Justin Duchsherer last season I can't see either of these guys getting consideration unless absolutely everything else fell through. 

The Unthinkable

- Javy Vazquez: Don't even think about it!!

2010 Yankee Report Cards Part I: The Bench

In taking a bit of a belated look at the 2010 Yankee season, we'll start at the back end and work our way forward with the bench first.  Oh, and I'm only counting guys who had 75 or more ABs and weren't injured.  Sound good?  Good.

* Francisco Cervelli- C+: This season proved that Frankie was nothing more than a backup catcher as his offensive numbers over extended at-bats were painful to look at (.335 SLG, .694 OPS).  He does get bonus points for hitting well with RISP and the couple of very hot streaks he had at the beginning and end of the regular season, but loses some for his less than stellar defense this year and Jorge-like inability to throw out runners.

* Marcus Thames- A-: Gets bumped to the bench slot because Nick Johnson was supposed to be the everyday DH, but Thames did exactly what he was supposed to do this year: destroy left-handed pitching.  But he also held his own against the righties, actually posting a higher tripleslash (.896) than he did against lefties (.812).  He loses points for being a complete disaster in the field, but he would be welcomed back next year by me for sure.

* Ramiro Pena- C: 154 at-bats this year put the final doubts to rest about whether or not the kid can hit at the Major League level, and the fact of the matter is he can't.  A .227/.258/.247 line with only 2 XBH in those 154 at-bats is ugly any way you look at it.  He can provide a solid glove on the left side of the infield, but doesn't have any other tools that make him a more attractive option than Eduardo Nunez.

* Lance Berkman- B-: In 106 platoon at-bats at DH and 1B, Berkman showed that his power is pretty much gone (1 HR, .349 SLG) but that he can still work a count with the best of them (.358 OBP).  The injury he suffered after joining the Yankees didn't do him any favors and he actually did swing the bat batter upon returning from the DL and filled in admirably at first in Teix's absence.

* Austin Kearns- C-: He started off strong and got some big hits while filling in for Brett Gardner, but then turned into a walking strikeout in late September.  He's got all the tools to be a solid 4th outfielder and is a better stick than Randy Winn, Kevin Russo, Chad Huffman, or Colin Curtis, but doesn't have enough to overtake anybody on the Yankee roster as a starter.

* Eduardo Nunez- B+: OK, I lied about the 75 ABs thing, but Nunez is a worthy candidate for breaking that rule.  In just 50 at-bats Nunez showed some patience and some toughness at the plate (14 hits), a little pop (1 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI), and the potential to improve with more chances.  He also was a perfect 5-for-5 in steal attempts and can play a better SS than Jeter and just as good a 3rd base as A-Rod.  Supposedly he was the deal breaker in the Cliff Lee trade in July so the Yankees have plans for him.  I'd like to see him step into Pena's role in 2011 and see what he can do with a couple hundred at-bats.

For the rest of guys (Juan Miranda, Russo, Winn, Huffman, Curtis, Chad Moeller, Greg Golson), I'll give them a collective "C" grade.  Yeah, they're numbers don't look at all impressive when you put them all together, but you wouldn't expect them to in the first place when you look at that list of names.  These guys were brought in to provide depth and to help fill out a lineup card when injuries struck and they did that job admirably.

** Tomorrow we'll cover the bullpen. **

Preach, Hal. Preach!

Hal Steinbrenner on the Jeter contract talks:

"We absolutely want him back. ... But having said that, we're running a business here, so if there's a deal to be done, it's going to have to be a deal that both sides are happy with."

"You just never know with these things. Both parties need to be happy with the deal, and that may make things more complicated, I don't know."

"There's always the possibility that things could get messy."

"I know our fans are very emotional and that's what we love about them.  But I've got to do my job on behalf of the partnership and our partners and everybody else involved in the organization.  Hank and I need to keep a level head and realize that we're running a business here. We have to remain somewhat objective and we're going to do that." (used courtesy of ESPNNY.com)

Now before I get too into this, let me state that I am a huge Derek Jeter fan.  He has been my favorite Yankee of all-time and the first player I really became attached to and followed when I became old enough to appreciate baseball as a true fan.  I know I've got a post coming up some time in the next week or 2 about how hard it's been for me as a fan to watch Jeter struggle this year and accept that possibly my greatest sports hero has started his decline into athletic mediocrity.  But that being said, I fucking love everything that Hal said yesterday and I completely agree with his assessment of the situation.

Everybody has just assumed that the Yankees were going to bend over for Jeter after the season and give him an otherworldly contract that he didn't deserve because of who he is and because of what he's done and because of the whole "Yanks need Jeter/Jeter needs the Yanks" argument.  But the truth of the matter is, Derek Jeter needs the Yankees far more than they need him.  They could plug in Eduardo Nunez at short next year, put him in the 9-spot in the lineup and end up with decent offensive production from the SS position with far better defense at a much more reasonable price while also maximizing their value and production from the leadoff spot by moving Brett Gardner there.

The Yankees aren't dumb, they know this shit.  And they probably also know that this season wasn't just a blip on the radar, it really was the beginning of the end of Derek Jeter as a productive Major League Baseball player.  And not only do the Yankees know this, Jeter knows this.  He would never admit it in an interview, but he has to know he's starting to slip.  You don't ground into that many DPs in a season and swing late on that many low-90s fastballs because of bad luck.  You do it because of deteriorating skill.  And in most cases, when guys start to deteriorate, they either don't get re-signed or they start getting signed for less bucks.

So Hal, knowing what the situation is with Jeter, goes on the offensive about the contract negotiations and makes a bunch of unexpected, but perfectly honest and reasonable statements about the contract, and thereby gives the Yankees the upper hand in the negotiations.  Of course they want Jeter back, and they should have him back.  The guy is a fucking Yankee icon and for what he's done for the team over his career he does deserve to get paid far more than market value.  But Hal knows damn well Jeter isn't worth A-Rod money or Pujols money as far as a contract goes and he knows the team doesn't want to be saddled with a 4-year deal or more for a guy who flat out can't play short anymore and doesn't really have another position to play right now.  And Jeter knows this too, and knows that even if he doesn't get a 4-year, $72 million deal from the Yankees, he isn't even going to come close to that with any other team out on the open market.  Even at less than he wants, he is still going to make the most money playing for the Yankees.

This was the perfect tactical move by Hal in giving the team some leverage in this negotiation and ultimately doing what's best for the organization in the short and long run.  The team will still bring back Jeter, no doubt, but now it will probably be for less than we all originally thought.  Jeter really has no choice but to accept the player he is and accept the deal the Yankees offer him, knowing it's still going to be the best offer he gets by far.  The Yankees can shorten the years up (and maybe lessen the dollars too), still honor Jeter's reputation and standing within the organization, and not be stuck with him into his late 30s-early 40s when he's officially washed up.  And if Jeter doesn't play ball with the team, suddenly he becomes the bad guy in the media for not wanting to come back.  And we all know how that worked out with Johnny Damon.

So bravo, Hal.  Bravo indeed.  Now just don't be an idiot and hand the guy a 4-year deal with a player option for a 5th after all this tough talk.

P.S.- My deal I would offer to Jeter?  2 years/ $30 mil, club option for 2013.  Fair?  You decide.

Oh My Goodness Gracious!! Kevin Long Is BACK!!!

OK, so it's not that dramatic that it needs an over-the-top Waldman-esque intro, but the Yankees bringing back The Mad Batting Scientist, Kevin Long, to his own 3-year deal that mirrors that of Joe Girardi is, while not being overly surprising, a brilliant move by the Yankees.  There might not be a guy more liked or respected in the Yankee clubhouse than Long, and his list of success stories with the Yankee hitters is quite a long one.  You look up and down the lineup and it's almost impossible to find somebody that hasn't seeked out Long's Jedi-like hitting guidance over the last 3 years.

- He's tweaked and re-tweaked and re-tweaked his re-tweaks to A-Rod countless times in the last 3 years, and A-Rod often takes it upon himself to spend extra time in the catch and watching video with Long whenever his swing is off.

- He helped Teix break out of his early-season slump by opening up his stance to give him more balance and get his hips through the zone quicker and got Teix back on the 30-HR, 100-RBI path in no time.

- He spent 2009 helping Robbie Cano refine his stance to provide better balance through the zone and talk out the extra pre-pitch movement that was slowing him down and then focused on the mental approach side of Robbie's at-bats prior to this season to turn him into one of the most deadly 'middle-of-the-lineup' hitters in the game in 2010.

- He used the same approach with Nick Swisher to help "quiet" his swing in the 2009 offseason, both pre-pitch and during his actual swing to turn Swish from a .230-.240 hitter to someone who hit a career-high .288 this year while maintaining the level of power he achieved by working with Long last season, focusing on subtracting the excess motion from his pre-pitch stance, and using his legs and hips more in conjunction with his arms through the swing.

- And in perhaps his finest hours, at the request of Curtis Granderson, Long completely broke down and built his swing back up piece by piece over 2 days in August, opening up the stance, getting Granderson to keep his hands back a bit, maintain contact on the bat with both hands through the swing, and also doing the same "quieting" of his pre-pitch stance that he did with Cano and Swish.  C-Grand responded by hitting .278./.369/.622 in September and carried that hot steak into the postseason where he hit .357.514/.607 in the Yankees' 10 playoff games with 4 XBH, 6 RBIs, and 8 BB to only 5 K.

In addition to these bigger cases, Long sat down with Derek Jeter in September and got him back on the right track, has spent lots of time working to develop Brett Gardner into an everyday player capable of hitting enough to make his blinding speed a weapon, and even worked with Lance Berkman upon his arrival.  If anybody other than Robbie Cano deserves credit as Yankee MVP for 2010, it's Long.  He gets along well with everybody, pays attention to each and every hitter's individual needs, and has produced such good results that players are going to WANT to come to him for help when they're struggling.

By all indications, the rest of the Yankee coaching staff (Thompson, Kelleher, Tony Pena) will be back in their roles next season with Mike Harkey potentially taking over as pitching coach.  While all those moves (minus Harkey) will be good for the team in 2011, none of them, not even the return of Joe Girardi will mean as much to the players and the Yankees' success next season as the return of Kevin Long will.

Starting Off A New Month The Right Way

... With the new Deftones video for "You've Seen The Butcher."  No Yankee hat for Sergio in this one, but whatever.  I'd rather watch this video than watch the Rangers, the team that was supposedly SOOOOOOOO much better than the Yankees, continue to get their heads kicked in in the World Series, and I'd rather talk about this video than discuss the ridiculous amount of money Jeter is going to get in a few weeks to continue to decline as a hitter and be a guaranteed hit through the hole as a shortstop for the next couple years.

(Yes, I am still bitter about the ALCS loss and yes, I am still upset about it to the point that it's affecting my ability to write.  Deal with it.)

On Dave Eiland's Departure

Even though it's old news at this point, I still feel compelled to write a bit more about the firing, letting go, not re-signing, whatever you want to call it, of Dave Eiland.

I was a supporter of the move to make Eiland the pitching coach in 2008 with the signing of then new manager Joe Girardi.  Eiland's claim to fame was his reportedly remarkable work and rapport with the Yankees' Big 3 pitching prospect trio of Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy.  He had worked with them on their way up through the farm system and with the Yankees' plan being to make them the cornerstone of their rotation moving forward, it made sense to have the guy who had the most experience with them working as the pitching coach.

Fast forward to 2.5 years later and Kennedy is no longer with the organization after flaming out horribly in his first 2 stints with the Yanks and becoming part of the 3-team trade that brought Curtis Granderson to the Bronx.  Joba Chamberlain, who I will admit was completely fucked up by the team's horrific plan to manage his workload, has never come close to replicating the electric stuff he showed in 2007 nor has he ever shown the ability to handle the mental aspect of being an effective Major League pitcher as a starter or reliever.  And Phil Hughes, after some injury setbacks, finally broke into the rotation this year and after a fantastic start, came back to Earth as the season wore on and teams began to pick up on his patterns.

As excited as I was about Eiland's hiring, I quickly tired of him through 2008 and 2009, as it seemed like he was always 2 batters too late in coming out to talk to pitchers who were struggling in outings and when he did come out he never seemed to say anything productive to them to make them change their approach or 2 batters too early to come out and talk to a pitcher who wasn't even in any real trouble.  And after watching Joba continue to struggle this year, A.J. continue to be an inconsistent mess for the 2nd year in a row, and Javy never be able to find a way to work effectively with rapidly declining stuff (something Mike Mussina learned how to do in his final season in pinstripes), it was clear that Eiland had peaked and his time had come.

His pedigree with young pitchers got him the job, but it was clear that Eiland is not and never was the right man to get them over the hump and help bring them to that next level.  Pitching in Triple-A versus pitching in the Majors is like night and day, and coaching is the same way.  Eiland just didn't have the capacity and experience as a coach to translate the success his pitchers had at the lower levels to the Majors.  Add to that his inability to work with veterans on the staff to overcome their issues and the fact that there is another bump crop of arms ready to possibly contribute in the next 2 years (Nova, Banuelos, Brackman, Betances, Phelps, Stoneburner, Warren, etc.) and it all added up to a pretty easy decision to me.

I believe Cash when he said Eiland's midseason personal absence didn't contribute to his being let go, and it shouldn't have.  But when you look at his body of work as the pitching coach and consider the future, it's clear the Yankees need someone who can be more hands on and more helpful to both the younger arms on the team and the veterans.  A.J. Burnett is a big cloud hanging over this rotation over the next 3 years with all the money he's making and Eiland had his time to crack the code that makes A.J. tick and couldn't do it.  He had his time to turn Joba into something other than a hard throwing headcase who loses his composure at the first sign of trouble and he couldn't do it.  He had his time to work with Phil Hughes to develop an effective 3rd pitch to make him a potential top flight starter and he couldn't do it.  And the Yankees need somebody who can.

I wish Dave Eiland all the best and I hope whatever personal issues he had during the season have been resolved.  I thank him for the work he did with Joba and Hughes in the Minors, laying the groundwork for the effective pitchers they have been, are, and can be.  But I am also glad to see him go and I don't feel bad for saying that.

A Little Welcome Back Catch Up

Well kids, my break is over.  I've been far too productive at all the other things in my life sick with a wicked chest cold and drinking more beer than I probably should have over the last 5 days so I figured it was time to dust off the old keyboard and get back into the swing of things in Yankeeland.  Here's my quick takes on the biggest Yankee newsbits to come to light since the ALCS ended with promise of more in-depth discussion to follow.

* Eiland Not Brought Back For 2011

Can't say I'm surprised or disappointed by this move.  Eiland had pretty much hit his ceiling of effectiveness in 2010 with Joba' continued struggles, A.J.'s continued sucktitude, Phil's inability to adapt to the league's changing approach against him as the season wore on, and the constant ups and downs of the bullpens.  His little one-month PTO session in the middle of the season probably didn't help his cause either.  I haven't the first guess about with whom the Yankees will replace Eiland, but if it's Mike Harkey I might kill myself.

* Andy In Rough Shape In The Playoffs

Again, can't say I'm surprised by this.  He didn't get a lot of work after coming back from the groin injury, never got fully stretched out before the postseason started, he's 38 years old, and he's not on HGH anymore.  Pettitte's health was always a question mark all year, so why would you expect it to be any different after a 162-game grind?  I will say that this information coming to light after the fact makes Joe's choice of ALCS rotation make a little more sense as he wanted to give Pettitte more rest, and it makes Pettitte's performance in both his postseason starts that much more impressive.  I mean, you do realize that he was 3 pitches away from throwing 14 shutout innings in the playoffs at age 38, right?  God and damn!

* CC Has Knee Surgery

I would say it sheds some light on why he pitched so poorly in the postseason, but then I look up and re-read the story about Pettitte having a shitty back and shitty hamstrings and still dealing and I can't really chalk CC's ineffectiveness up to just health.  This will obviously bring up all the questions about CC's workload and big fat ass again, and justifiably so.  I think this story will linger around all throughout next season as the Yanks have to figure out how to keep the big guy in one piece for the next 5 years and keep him as the ace that he is and is supposed to be.

* Joe Gets A New Deal

Did he revert back to being a tightwad nervous wreck this season?  Yes.  Does he horribly mismanage his starting rotation and bullpen all the time because of his obsession with his matchup binder?  Yes.  Does he make you as a Yankee fan feel confident at all times?  Absolutely not.  But who else is out there who could do better?  I don't want Torre back here, LaRussa isn't going anywhere, Sweet Lou has retired, and what the fuck has Bobby Valentine ever done to make people love him so much?  Each player on the team says Girardi is the best manager they've ever played for and that's good enough for me.  At least for now.

* The World Series

Hey, Cliff Lee, thanks for saving your stinker of a game for the World Series.  Seriously, bro, where the fuck were all those hanging curves for balls and cutters over the heart of the plate against the Yankees?  That kinda shit ain't gonna get you the CC or Johan money you're looking for this offseason, dude.  And tell your old lady to pipe down about how badly she was treated by the Yankee fans.  She's the wife of an opposing team's best player in Yankee Stadium, what the fuck did she expect to happen?

Oh, and I couldn't care less about who wins this amateur hour World Series.  A bunch of happy-go-lucky ginger ale sprayers with their cokehead manager against a rag-tag mishmash of other teams' spare parts off the scrap heap that happened to all start hitting a little bit at the same time.  Whoopty-fuckin'-doo!

ALCS Game 6 Thoughts And Afterthoughts

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

- What was up with TBS recapping Colby Lewis' history through the Majors and Japan like it was supposed to be a list of accomplishments.  All that proves is that Colby Lewis has sucked for the majority of his career.  I mean, if you get signed and then released by the Kansas City Royals within a month, you aren't exactly Greg Maddux.

- Lotta bad signs for Phil Hughes in what was a high-stress 1st inning.  He threw a lot of pitches, struggled to put guys away, couldn't get the fastball down in the zone, and couldn't get the curveball down in the zone.  Not a recipe for success right there.

- Lewis was solid but nothing special through 3 innings, much like he was in Game 2, and yet the Yankee offense couldn't do anything with the hittable pitches he was giving them.  And was it me, or was Brett Gardner 0-2 in every at-bat he had this series?

- The Hughes wild pitch on an intentional walk to Josh Hamilton in the 3rd pretty much told the story of his night.  He couldn't throw the ball where he wanted to when it WASN'T supposed to be in the strike zone.

- It also wasn't helping that he seemed to be attacking every hitter away, righties and lefties.  Whether that was the intended gameplan or just an audible made by Eiland and Jorge when they realized Hughes didn't have his best stuff, going away, away, away against good hitters is not a good plan.  You have to at least try to come inside and get them moving.

- The only 2 good at-bats through 4 innings for the Yankees were Curtis Granderson's walks.  He did an excellent job taking pitches up and away and fighting off the fastballs inside that Lewis was throwing him.  But again, when the best thing your offense has done is draw 2 walks, that's pretty fucking sad.

- That ball definitely hit Swish in the 5th inning on the fake wild pitch that scored A-Rod.  How anybody could miss that is beyond me.  This game needs instant replay now.

- Walking Josh Hamilton to pitch to Vlad worked in the 3rd inning, but not in the 5th.  Hughes threw a terrible hanging curve up and over the plate and Vlad destroyed it.  I know he didn't do much in the series, but Vlad DID drive in 115 runs this year.  Walking an excellent hitter to pitch to another excellent hitter multiple times just wasn't a sound strategy by Joe, especially when his pitcher wasn't locating.

- After Hughes was removed, D-Rob was called on to stop the bleeding and he was just awful, giving up the HR to Cruz that was pretty much the nail in the coffin.  Why CC was not brought into the game is beyond me.  All we read about yesterday was how CC was available for an inning, maybe 2, and how he thought he could throw 40-50 pitches if needed.  And with the lead lost and the game slipping away against a dominant Colby Lewis, Joe goes to his 4th best pitcher he had out there.  If he didn't want to go lefty-righty with CC facing Cruz, fine, but there was no reason for D-Rob to be in that game in that situation.  With the season on the line, the first 3 pitchers out of the 'pen last night had to be CC, Wood, and Mo in some order.

- Terrible job by the ballgirl on the first baseline last night.  Never got in front of the ball, never attacked it, just sat back and let the thing roll past her every time.  If I would have had a field-level seat down that line last night I would have been screaming "Come on, Dorn!!  None of this 'Ole' bullshit!" at her all night.  And that's because I am a terrible person.

- Jeter with 2 first-pitch swinging groundouts in his first 3 at-bats.  Why?  Why, why, WHY????  It's like he's trying to give the Yankees a reason to sign him for fewer years and less money in the offseason.

- Was Ms. Texas serious with that "God Bless America" performance last night?  She was hideous, she couldn't sing, and she was wearing the fucking crown and sash.  That's a bad job in a big spot by her last night, Mikey.  Just a terrible job.

- You're down 5 runs in the 7th inning, so naturally you want to intentionally walk more baserunners on to load the bases and potentially make the deficit even greater, right?  Seriously, what the fuck was Joe doing with the bullpen this series???  He made a great call in taking the fucking chalupa kid out at the first sign of trouble for Mo and then with all his real pitchers he's leaving starters out too long, intentionally walking everyone under the sun, and playing binder matchups with his team's shittier pitchers against the other team's better hitters.

- Jeter's flailing, half-swing strikeout was the perfect capper to his awful season.  The Yankees really need to be serious in their negotiations with him in the offseason and at least make him realize that he sucks now instead of bending over and giving him a 4-year, $15-20 million a year deal.

- Mo in the 8th?  Really, Joe?  Why bother at this point?  That's just insulting to Mo that you wait until the game is all but over to finally use him.

- Call me insensitive if you want, but I don't give a fuck about Ron Washington's house in New Orleans and how much time he spent rebuilding it.  If the guy was smart, he wouldn't live there in the first place.

- The A-Rod strikeout looking to end the game was perfectly fitting for how this series played out.  The Yankees were just completely overmatched in every aspect of the game and basically went down without a fight.

- I'm not even going to get into the details of each pitcher's outing.  Hughes sucked and couldn't put the ball anywhere that he wanted to and Colby Lewis had great command of all his pitches.  He was on top of his game and the Yankees made him look even better by doing nothing with the mistakes he did make up in the zone.

- When you really look back on the series, Game 5 was the aberration and the rest of the series was the truth of the matter.  The Rangers outhit, outpitched, outran, outhustled, and outmanaged the Yankees for the overwhelming majority of the series.  They were the better team and they deserved to win.

Play of The Game: Cruz's 2-run HR in the 5th

Nail in the coffin.  You could almost see the Yankees give up as that ball landed in the stands.

Player of The Game: Colby Lewis

8 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 1 ER, 6 K.  Dude pitched the game of his life in the biggest game of his life.  If that doesn't get you some kudos, I don't know what will.

- Well that's it for this season.  Now we can all start to plan for 2011 and start guessing what the Yankees will do in the offseason to improve the team.  First, though, I am going to take a much-needed break for a few days and get back to the rest of my life.  I'll be back when I'm back.

No Title Needed

That just plain sucked.  Like watching Games 2, 3, and 4 all over again.

I'll be back to recap this abortion of a game and a series tomorrow.  For now I'm going to go puke and then go to bed.  Seems like the only logical things to do after that "lay down and die" performance tonight.

ALCS Game 6 Preview: Under Pressure

Pitching Matchup: Hughes (1-1) vs. Lewis (1-0)

Starting Lineups:

NY (How they should do it): Jeter- SS, C-Grand- CF, Cano- 2B, A-Rod- 3B, Swish- RF, Berkman- 1B, Posada- C, Thames- DH, Gardner- LF

TX: Andrus- SS, Young- 3B, Hamilton- CF, Vlad- DH, Cruz- RF, Kinsler- 2B, Murphy- LF, Molina- C, Moreland- 1B

3 Things To Watch For:

1) Which Pitcher Adjusts

In Game 2, the 2 starting pitchers were like night and day in the way their games panned out.  Phil Hughes had great stuff but questionable command, which he lost early in the 3rd inning after not being able to get strikes on the corners with his fastball.  Colby Lewis' stuff wasn't that great, as evidenced by the Yanks making a lot of solid contact on him in the early innings, but his command was solid.  He developed a better feel for his off-speed stuff through the 3rd and 6th innings and threw a lot of strikes, keeping the Yankee hitters at bay as he worked aggressively with a lead.  But the Yankee hitters have seen him now, so he won't be able to come with the same approach as he did in Game 2.  And Hughes needs to have better command of his fastball tonight and needs to mix up his pitches as the Rangers were sitting on the fastball and cutter by the time the 3rd inning came around last time.  Whichever guy can make the necessary adjustments should finish with a better stat line and give his team a better chance to win.

2) Who Steps Up to Help Cano & Curtis

The Yankee offense had been pretty much nothing but the "Robbie Cano, Don'tcha Know Show" through 4 games with a few guest appearances by Curtis Granderson.  That changed in Game 5 as everybody reached base except Brett Gardner, 6 different guys got hits, 6 different guys scored runs, 5 different guys drove in runs, and the Yanks drew a series-high 6 walks.  And in the middle of it all, Cano cranked another home run and C-Grand went 3-4 with a 2B, HR, and 2 RBIs.  All of these guys saw Lewis in Game 2 except Thames, and they put plenty of good swings on him, so who's going to keep the offensive streak going?  An answer that includes multiple names would be the best thing to help get a win.

3) Joe's Bullpen Matchups or Lack Thereof

After getting burned in Games 2, 3, and 4 by trusting his binder and watching Boone Logan, D-Rob, Mitre, and Joba take turns throwing BP to the Ranger lineup, Joe finally decided to not fuck around in Game 5 and went right to his bread and butter after CC got through 6 innings.  And Kerry Wood and Mo responded with 3 shutout innings.  With a day of rest between then and tonight, you have to think both of them will be available for 2 innings each if needed, and Joe also has CC on deck to throw an inning or 2 as well.  I expect he will be the first out of the 'pen if Hughes falls apart early or runs into trouble in the 5th or 6th inning.  After that I expect Joe to ride Wood and Mo again if the Yanks are ahead and we probably won't see any of the other guys unless the game goes to extra innings.  No sense in matching up and playing the numbers tonight if you're Joe; you're still facing elimination and if you're going to go down, it might as well be with your best on the mound.

Player to Watch: Phil Hughes

Phil is going to be on a short leash tonight with the series and season on the line and all hands on deck in the 'pen.  He was rattled by a lack of outside corner strike calls in Game 2 and that seemed to cause him to fall more in love with his fastball.  Back on regular rest, Phil should be better tonight than he was earlier, but pay attention to his command and the strike zone he gets early.  If he's falling behind to a lot of hitters and going back to the fastball, he'll get into trouble.  And if he gets into trouble, it won't be a long night for him.  Tonight it's important that he mix in some curveballs and changeups early to keep Texas honest, even if they aren't strikes.  The more they have to think about in the batters box, the less likely they are to hone in on the fastball.


We said the series came down to 3 1-game series for the Yanks after they fell behind and they had to take it one game at a time.  They did that the other night and forced the series back to Texas.  Yes, the Rangers have Cliff Lee ready for Game 7, but Cliff Lee or not, anything can happen in a Game 7, and they certainly don't want the "choke" talks to start up if they lose tonight.  You have to say the pressure is now back on the inexperienced shoulders of the Rangers tonight as they head out with their 3rd-best pitcher on the mound.  We'll see if they can handle that pressure.

I Know This Isn't The Time For This, But...

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

... Doesn't Phil Hughes look like clean-shaven Mac from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" in this picture?

Doesn't he?  I can't be the only person who thinks this.

Thank You, Gentlemen

Thank you for giving me at least one more game to watch this season.

Thank you, CC, for battling without your A-game and making pitches when you had to to keep the lead where it was.

Thank you, Robbie and Curtis, for continuing to carry the offense as you have all postseason.

Thank you, Jorge, for distracting Francoeur, C.J. Wilson, and Michael Young with your pathetically slow running to the point that they couldn't make simple throws and catches to get you out.

No thoughts or afterthoughts today since I only got to watch the game from the bottom of the 8th on.  Gives me a day to treat my impending carpal tunnel and prep for tomorrow night, though, so I'm OK with it.