On This Day 10 Years Ago

On this day 10 years ago, I was just a sophomore in high school.  And I remember very early in the morning talks starting around the hallways about plane crashes around the country.  Nobody really had the real story, and over the next couple hours I heard so many different versions of what was going on, that I started to become legitimately worried that our country was under attack.  For the rest of the day in school, we pretty much stayed glued to the TV or radio as we went from class to class and as I started to see the images of the wreckage at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, I knew that something was very wrong.

By the time I get home from school in the early afternoon, my parents were both already there, also glued to the TV.  I walked into our living room and asked them what had happened now and they told me that Mike was missing.  I laughed and told them that no he wasn't.  My brother Mike was also home from school and safely in the other room watching TV.  They told me that they weren't talking about my brother, they were talking about my uncle, who at the time wasn't my uncle yet but was my aunt's boyfriend.  I knew he was a NYC police officer, but it was that day, September 11, 2001, that I came to know that his patrol area was the World Trade Center, and that he was one of the first responders on the scene after the first plane hit the North Tower.  Hours later, after both towers had fallen, nobody had heard from him, nobody knew what had happened to him, and nobody knew where he was.

Miraculously, my uncle survived.  He was one of the lucky ones that day, and to hear him tell the stories of what had happened to him that day gave me a greater appreciation of not only how horrific things were that day at Ground Zero, but also of what it means to be a true hero and who true heroes really are.  We are raised to look up to the actors, musicians, athletes, the beautiful people.  Most of us never stop to consider the everyday heroes that are all around us: the doctors, the teachers, the soldiers, the firefighers, the police officers.  And while people like Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez and CC Sabathia may dazzle us with their performance on the baseball field, and they along with the rest of the Yankees provide all of us fans with so much joy and happiness, they are merely men playing a game for a living.  They aren't the real heroes, and they would be the first ones to tell you that, especially on a day like today when we all look back and remember the tragedy of 9/11 and all the heroes who gave their lives that day.

Every year on 9/11, my thoughts always go to my uncle and I try to think about what he had to endure that day and how he's coped with those experiences ever since.  I don't think I will ever understand the hell he went through, and so I choose not to discuss it with him.  But I think back to that day, when I came to the realization of who my uncle was and what he did and I can't help but be in awe of him.  His actions, and the actions of so many others that day, were far more heroic than anything that anybody could do on a baseball field.  I thank him and I thank every other member of the NYPD, FDNY, PAPD, and all of our soldiers fighting overseas for the sacrifices they've made and the sacrifices they continue to make.

And if you haven't done so already, take a minute to reflect today on your thoughts and feelings from 10 years ago.  And offer your thanks and your prayers to someone you know who's a hero.  Without them, we wouldn't have the freedoms that we have in this country.  And that should never be taken for granted.

Wait, That Can't Be...

... Holy balls, it is!  That's Jorge Posada behind the plate.  With his catching gear on.  Catching!  In an actual game!!!

(Courtesy of The AP)

That's when you know things aren't going well.  And 1 run scored in the last 25 innings while the team's entire staff of catchers heads to the ER is not well.

Where O Where Have The Yankees Gone?

(I know, Teix.  I can't believe how shitty you guys are playing right now either.  Courtesy of The AP)

I guess this crazy schedule is really causing problems, huh?  For the 3rd game in a row this team looked like absolute garbage.  The offense is nowhere to be found, they're making unforgivable errors, and their bullpen seems to be thin every single day (I don't understand how that can happen with 19 pitchers on the staff right now).  And last night it all combined to waste one of Bartolo Colon's best outings in a while.  He looked like the early-season version of himself with great zip and location on his fastball, but it was all for naught.

You can throw credit Jered Weaver's way, and justifiably so.  He was dynamite last night.  But the Yanks still look lifeless right now.  Somehow they need to find a way to shake out of it and start winning this weekend to take advantage of the Sawx and Rays beating up on each other.

Bare minimum, Jesus Montero needs to be in the lineup every game until they get things going again.  He's the only player with some life in his bat right now.

Boone Logan Sucks Again

("Just give me the ball and get the hell outta here.")

Just a little over a week has passed since I had my post praising Boone Logan and the job he had done recovering from his disastrous start to the season.  Since that post, here's the line Boone has put up over his last 6 appearances:

2.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Ouch.  Not good, Boone.  Not good at all.  And in the last 2 appearances he's made, Logan hasn't retired a batter.  To make matters worse, he's reverted back to not being able to get lefties out, and that's a bit of a problem when the other lefty in the bullpen is Aaron Laffey.  So I'll step up and take the blame for jinxing him and killing his success.  Sorry guys.  Hopefully this new reverse jinx will help right the ship.

Boone, you suck!  You're a disgrace!  Get your shit together and start being more of a LOOGY, less of a LNOGY.

Everybody Who Wishes Ian Kennedy Was Still In The Yankee Rotation Raise Their Hand

(The kid looked good in the pinstripes.)

Yeah, me too.  I mean, damn!  I knew he was having a great year, but leading the NL in wins with 19?  I don't care what anybody wants to say about that stat being meaningless, that's still impressive when you consider some of the other dominant pitchers out there in that league.

And he hasn't backed his way into it by any means.  Dude has straight up become a good pitcher and his numbers across the board speak to that.  202 IP and counting in 30 starts, 2 fewer than he made last year when he threw 194 innings, a 2.90 ERA (down from 3.80 last year), a 3.37 FIP (down from 4.33 last year), and a 3.51 xFIP (down from 4.10 last year).  Kennedy has improved his stuff and his command considerably, evidenced by a K/9 of 7.93 (up slightly from 2010), and a 2.27 BB/9 (almost a full walk less than 2010).

It's impossible to say how Kennedy's progression since being traded to Arizon would have played out if he stayed a Yankee.  I'm sure the numbers above wouldn't be quite as good as they are pitching in the NL West if Ian had to face the Sawx and Rays and Jays all season, and he's still not much of a groundball pitcher (39.1%), which could be an issue in Yankee Stadium.  But there's no denying that Kennedy has become the type of pitcher the Yankees envisioned when they called him up, and having a guy like that would certainly be a huge benefit to a rotation mired in inconsistency, questions, and a constantly-changing idea of who the real #2 starter is.

I'm not trying to say that I wish the Yankees wouldn't have made that trade.  Curtis Granderson is an MVP candidate and I'm not missing Phil Coke or Austin Jackson at all.  But when you look at what's become of Joba, and you look at Phil Hughes' struggles this year, you have to think back and wonder what could have been with Kennedy if the Yankees would have shown a little more faith and patience in the kid.  It's a shame they didn't, but I'm glad to see somebody from the "Big 3" have some success.

A Little Bit Of Nitpicking

I hate to be "that guy," but I've really got a problem with the way things were handled the past 2 games.  I get that the Yankees were and still are in a shitty position schedule-wise for the rest of the season.  I get that Buck Showalter is a dickbag and yesterday's game probably shouldn't have been played yesterday.  And I totally get that the Yankees are sitting pretty for a playoff spot right now and are thinking big picture as this last month of the regular season progresses.  But I DON'T think that those factors add up to it being OK to not play to win, and I feel like that's the message that Joe sent with the way he managed both Wednesday's game and yesterday's game.

And that's not to say that the players don't share some of the blame for the 2 losses.  They flat out didn't play well, in the field or at the plate.  Against a team like the Orioles the Yankees should do more than score 8 runs in 2 games, and the Yankees should especially do more than put up 0 runs against a bullpen the likes of that of the Orioles.  But when your manager enters a lineup card on Wednesday that has basically the entire starting lineup on the bench on a day where your team's worst pitcher is on the mound, that sets the tone for that game maybe not being that important.  And the players, being human beings, can pick up on that and play as if the game isn't that important.  And when you get into extra innings the next game, and your manager decides to stick with Scott Proctor for a 2nd inning of work after he had a less than smooth 1st inning of work, and sticks with him during that 2nd inning even when he's clearly worn out and giving the game away, well that just sends an even bigger message that that game isn't that important.

Again, I get that yesterday's game was a crappy situation for the Yankees because it was supposed to be a West Coast travel day.  But that still doesn't excuse playing like you've got one foot on the plane, and it doesn't excuse managing like you've got one foot on the plane.  Sitting pretty or not, the Yankees aren't officially in the playoffs yet, and the AL East isn't locked up.  The only thing that makes those 2 things happen is winning ballgames, and the Orioles are a team that should be very easy for the Yankees to beat to cut that magic number down when they want to.  And with the decisions that were made over the last 2 days, I don't think they wanted to.

Everyone needs rest, and everyone needs to be healthy, but the bottom line is winning.  Winning is the most important thing, and since I don't feel that Joe managed to win yesterday or Wednesday's game, I certainly hope the calls he made help the team be ready to come out and play winning ball in Anaheim.

AB4AR "Another Day Game" Linkapalooza

I can't explain why I haven't done a linkapalooza in a long time.  And there's really no excuse for it.  There are worlds of better writers and better blogs out there than this one covering the Yankees and I simply haven't been living up to my responsibilities to give them their props and spread their gospel.  That's unacceptable and so it will stop today.  If you're like me, and you're stuck in a cube without access to today's game, devote some time to reading this stuff.  I haven't done this in a while, so in my best A.J. Burnett fashion, I guess I'll post these links the best that I can.

- Hippeaux of IIATMS created a bit of stir around the Yankosphere earlier this week with this piece about WAR being the new RBI.  The Hipster argues that WAR is just as dependent on context as RBI, which you can choose to believe or not believe on your own, but it's a very interesting and thought-provoking post.  High recommendation.

- In response to that post, William at The Captain's Blog put together this post arguing that WAR is not the new RBI while still admitting that there are flaws in the WAR stat.  William also delves into the major flaws with the UZR stat.  Another must-read for any stat freak out there.

- Joe Paw of RAB broke down the Cy Young race between CC and Justin Verlander on Tuesday.  You'd be a fool to think that Verlander isn't the favorite, but like Joe says at the end, a monster September for CC could help him steal it.

- Dan Hanzus of River & Sunset had a post yesterday on Jeter's resurgent year this year and how the way he carries himself during it is reminiscent of Donnie Baseball's final Yankee years.

- Friend of the blog Larry Koestler from the TYA crew put together an all-encompassing analysis of Phil Hughes' 2-strike problems and comes to the conclusion that we'll likely see Phil back in the 'pen come this postseason because of his underwhelming secondary stuff and inability to finish hitters off with it.  The post made me sad, but it was right on the money.

- Ian Casselberry of Big League Stew adds a few more tidbits to A.J.'s historic wild pitch night last night.

/facepalm

- Joel Sherman of The Post had a good article today about Dave Robertson's importance this year and beyond.

- Continuing that trend, John Harper of the Daily News called D-Rob even more important than Mo when it comes to the Yankees' postseason success.  I have to say, it's a valid point.  Who knows how many 4-or-more-out saves Mo has left in him.  D-Rob locking down the 8th inning will go a long way towards keeping Mo fresh for the entirety of the postseason run.

There you go.  Enjoy.  Game's on right now, so it's time to bring up the online gamecast and watch it like an idiot as if it were an actual game.

Don't Lose That Confidence!

It's bad enough that Joe overmanaged a bit today and rested too many guys and it probably cost the team the game.  Seriously, you rest half of the regulars today and half of the regulars tomorrow and those 2 teams can still beat the Orioles.  You rest everybody and you roll out a JV lineup that kicked the ball all over the field and didn't do the damage offensively that they should have done against Britton and a garbage bullpen, and you end up just losing in extra innings.  But to make things even worse, this is the shit I have to read from A.J. Burnett after the game.

“I guess I kept them in as best I could.”

You guess you kept them in as best you could?  Are you fucking kidding me, bro?!?!  That might honestly be the weakest quote I've ever heard a professional athlete say in the history of organized sports.

First off, there's no guessing when it comes to a pitching performance.  You either pitched well or you didn't.  And your line today, A.J.- 6+ IP, 7 H, 4 BB, 4ER, 7 K, 3 WP- that's an example of not pitching well.  Secondly, you're not out there to keep the team in the game.  You're out there to fucking pitch well!  And lastly, this isn't the fucking Little League World Series.  Nobody is going to commend you for trying your hardest and doing the best you could.  And even if they were going to commend you, they certainly wouldn't do it if the best you could was 11 baserunners and 4 runs allowed in 6+ innings.  That's not the best you could.  The best you could would be 7 or 8 innings of shutout ball, because that's what you SHOULD be doing against the Baltimore Orioles lineup.

I read a comment like that, and I'm just at a loss for how the Yankees can even allow this guy to throw another inning for them this year.  Or next year.  Just let him go in the offseason and eat the contract.  He's a lame, weak, sadsack, hopeless mess and that quote not only proves it, but also proves that he doesn't even care.  Not even any serious discussion about what was happening on the mound, how he felt, what happened on the home run pitch.  Just "I guess" and "best I could."  What a fucking joke.

But hey, at least A.J.'s outing was a historic one today.  23 wild pitches ties the all-time Yankee record for most in a season.

Greatest Lineup In Yankee History?

Not quite.  Close, but not quite.

1) Nunez- SS
2) Martin- C
3) Swisher- RF
4) Rodriguez- 3B
5) Jones- LF
6) Montero- DH
7) Laird- 1B
8) Golson- CF
9) Pena- 2B

It's an understandable move by Joe considering how late/early last night/this morning's game ended, but also a bit surprising that he would sit this many guys while the team is in a close race for the division title.  I personally don't see why guys like C-Grand and Brett Gardner couldn't play today while Jeter, Cano, and Teix rest and then swap for tomorrow's game to keep the lineup more balanced, especially with The Human Meltdown on the mound, but whatever.  Not my call.  At least Joe was smart enough to put Jesus in the lineup to hopefully bless A.J. and his mechanics again.

(Lineup courtesy of LoHud)

A Little West Coast Finishing Time On The East Coast

Heh, wha-?  Who?  Did I miss anything?  Did the game start yet?  Is it still going?

I can't imagine how much that must have sucked for the players last night to have to wait around until 11:08PM to start that game.  And I can't imagine how it must have sucked for the fans who weathered the storm (literally) to stay and watch the game.  But I guess all's well that ends well, and the Yankees got a 5-3 win behind 6 pretty good innings from Phil Hughes and back-to-back homers in the 7th from the new Bash Brothers, Frankie Cervelli and Brett Gardner.

There isn't much time to rest, as today's game is scheduled for a 1:05PM start, so expect that game to be a little sloppy too.

P.S.- Magic number is down to 12...

Does Jesus' Arrival Spell The End Of Jorge Posada?

(Jorge might have to get used to this seat.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

Before Jesus Montero made his debut last week, the DH spot in the Yankee lineup was a bit of a revolving door.  With Andruw Jones swinging the bat incredibly well lately as the designated designated hitter against lefties, and Eric Chavez and Jorge Posada not so much against righties, Joe was left to play the matchup game or just ride the hot hand when it came down to Chavez and Posada.

With the arrival of Jesus, though, and the way he's handled himself at the plate so far (not even including yesterday's power breakout), that revolving door appears to be on its way to closing pretty soon.  Montero has looked confident and composed at the plate, definitely not overmatched, and has already shown the ability to hit to all fields and the opposite-field power that had helped draw him such high praise as a top prospect.  After being inexplicably held out of Friday night's game when both The Horse and Teix were given the night off, Joe has penciled Montero's name into the DH spot each of the last 3 games (against RH and LH starters), and Jesus has rewarded him with increasingly positive performances each time out.

Since Jesus' arrival, Jorge has had exactly 1 at-bat, a pinch hit attempt on Saturday.  He had already become a bit of an afterthought as a DH option thanks to his horrific R/L splits, and this introduction of another potentially potent bat will lessen Jorge's already declining opportunities to prove he can still be a valuable part of this team.  With roster space at a premium again come playoff time, teams want to make sure they are getting the maximum value out of each of the 25 spots.  Andruw Jones and Eric Chavez, even with at-bats being taken away by Jesus, still have value as a 4th OF and a backup for the corner infield spots should one be needed, and they will be included on the postseason roster because of this.  But Jorge is basically only a bat at this point, and a limited one at that.  If Jesus continues to show he can carry the load, his bat becomes more valuable to have coming off the bench in the playoffs than Jorge's.

The Yankees have not completely cast Jorge aside, at least not yet.  He is in tonight's lineup, DHing and batting 8th, most likely as an opportunity to show he still has something to offer as a left-handed hitter.  I know if I were filling out the lineup card, there's no way I sit Jesus after the show he put on yesterday.  But Joe, being the loyal type, is going to do everything in his power to give Jorge chances here and there down the stretch.  But if Jorge doesn't produce, and Jesus keeps firing Heavenly lasers into the bleachers, Jorge could spend the entirety of the postseason strictly as a spectator.  Not a very pretty image for one of the great Yankees of this recent generation, but an increasingly likely one.

The 6-Man Rotation Roulette Continues

The big story this past weekend, before Jesus went H.A.M. yesterday afternoon, was supposed to be the announcement of who would be taking the 5th spot in the rotation for the remainder of the season.  Joe teased it in his pregame presser on Sunday, and we all thought we were finally going to get to see this issue get resolved, with Phil likely getting the spot and A.J. being rightfully relegated to bullpen mop-up duty.

But a funny thing happened during Joe's postgame press conference.  Instead of sitting in front of everybody and saying that, despite his recent solid outing against Fraud Sawx Nation on Thursday night, A.J.'s recent body of work was not enough to keep in the rotation, or saying that Phil was looking better, but this recent setback of bad outings has the team concerned about his ability to give them consistent innings, Joe decided to say nothing.  Instead, he reverted back to classic 2nd-grade tactics and gave us all the "PSYCHE!" response when asked what his decision was.

“We’re going to go another time through.  I’m allowed to change my mind; that’s why I don’t make instant decisions… We want to see it again. We liked what we saw from our guys.” (via LoHud)

At this point, and after Joe's explanation, I think it's safe to say that we're going to see the 6-man rotation for the rest of this season.  For some reason, whether it's Joe or Cash or ownership or input from the staff or a combination of any of those people, the Yankees refuse to look objectively at the big picture when it comes to their staff and make a decision.  After telling us that this past week would be the final audition and a decision would be made, that plan was scrapped and now everybody gets another turn through, another audition, that will chew up another week and presumably show or not show enough for the team to make a call.

The decision would have been easy if A.J. would have gone out and bombed against Bahhston on Thursday night, and I'm sure that's what everybody was expecting.  But with as much lead as he's already been given on his leash, the fact that he turned in a decent performance when he needed it the most, and the fact that Joe changed his mind in the 11th hour on Sunday, I think that points to the decision makers previously listed secretly wanting A.J. to be the 5th man and that group giving him every opportunity to be that guy.  A.J.'s good start combined with Phil's 2nd bad start in a row gave them just enough to be able to justify keeping A.J. around for another turn and they took it.

And since they took it, and since the team continues to play well, and since they have regained the division lead and hacked a bunch of games off the magic number in the past 5 days, the Yankees (and Joe) can get away with these indecisive shadow games.  There's no pressure on them to cut down to 5 men because of their current standing, and they've shown themselves now to be unwilling to demote A.J. based on merit, so why bother creating another story if they don't have to?  They can just keep managing the 6-man story as they have been the last couple weeks.  And it allows them to give an extra day's rest to Bartolo and CC, whether those guys want or need it or not, and to focus on planning out the postseason rotation.

I'll come out and say that I still think it's a stupid idea, but after the events that unfolded over the weekend this is how I see the Yankees playing it for the rest of the year.  There's been enough inconsistency from their rotation each time through that they can easily say they haven't seen enough to make a decision, and with them still sitting pretty in the playoff picture, there's no reason, from their perspective, to boot somebody.  Phil can come out tonight and throw a gem and A.J. can completely bomb and that still won't change anything.  Joe will still get up in front of the mic and say that they "like what they've seen" from each guy and "we don't want to rush a decision" until time runs out on the regular season and they don't have to make that decision anymore.

The Almighty Hath Striked

Lord knows there are plenty of serious conversation topics that could be had about the rotation after this past weekend.  But that same Lord has bestowed a glorious gift upon us this week.  And today that gift, the Almighty Savior, Jesus Montero, shone the light into the hearts and eyes of all us mere mortal Yankee fans with his majestic home runs.  He shone the light, and the light was good.  And that is why we will leave the serious rotation discussions for another day.  Because The Jesus hath made it good.

(Photo courtesy of The AP.  I can't believe they were actually able to make him out through the lens with all that radiant holy light coming off of him.)

Back On Top

Oh hello there, first place!  Good to see you again.  How ya been?

After a tough first inning in which he allowed 2 runs, Ivan Nova stepped up and got it together, allowing just 3 total baserunners (2 on an intentional walk and an error by Derek Jeter) over the next 6 inning of shutout ball to continue his ways.  Sprinkle in a rare Brett Gardner home run, a Robbie Cano single that put him on the doorstep of another 100-RBI season, some shutdown bullpen work by Sour Puss and Mo in D-Rob's absence, and the Rangers shitcanning the Red Sox, and you've got yourself a good night.

The magic number is down to 17 and the Yanks get right back at trying to shave it down some more this afternoon with the $900,000 Man on the hill.  Unfortunately I will not be around to watch or comment today, as I'll be enjoying the Pearl Jam 20 Year Anniversary Concert in East Troy.  So while I'm drinking my face off and rocking out to Queens of The Stone Age, I hope y'all will be doing the same to the Bombers this afternoon and some college football tonight.  Enjoy, and I'll catch you some time on Sunday when I stumble back into sobriety.

Taking A First Stab At The Postseason Roster

Now that's it finally September, I feel like I can start to talk about the playoffs without risking being a jinx to the Yankees' chances.  After last night's win, their magic number to clinch a berth is at a measly 19, and barring a collapse of the magnitude usually reserved for the other NY team, we can safely assume that the Yankees are going to be playing October baseball for the 3rd year in a row.  With that in mind, it's time to start trying to figure out what the Yankee postseason 25-man roster will look like, and as is tradition here at AB4AR, that will be done in an AP Top 25 Poll format where I rank the 25 guys who will make the eventual roster from 1-25, with the higher ranking players being the most likely to make the roster and the lower ranking ones being less likely.  And just like the AP Poll, spots are always subject to change pending on-field results. 

Top 25 as of 9/2/11-

1) CC Sabathia
2) Mariano Rivera
3) Curtis Granderson
4) Robinson Cano
5) Dave Robertson
6) Nick Swisher
7) Derek Jeter
8) Mark Teixeira
9) Russell Martin
10) Brett Gardner
11) Rafael Soriano
12) Boone Logan
13) Alex Rodriguez
14) Eric Chavez
15) Freddy Garcia
16) Bartolo Colon
17) Ivan Nova
18) Andruw Jones
19) Cory Wade
20) Francisco Cervelli
21) Hector Noesi
22) Eduardo Nunez
23) Phil Hughes
24) Jorge Posada
25) Chris Dickerson

Also Receiving Votes-

26) Luis Ayala- If a bullpen guy gets hurt.  But he's trending downward lately.
27) A.J. Burnett- Only if a starter gets hurt.  Hasn't come close to earning a spot.
28) Jesus Montero- Depending on how he hits and how Jorge doesn't in September.

Off To Never-Never Land

(Screen cap courtesy of MLB.com video)

Yeah.  It was a strike, bro.  Mo did you fucking dirty.

MVP candidate indeed.

Jesus Already Paying Divine Dividends

The box score will show 0-4 with a HBP and a run scored, but Jesus Montero did more than that in his Yankee debut yesterday.  Shit, he did more than I think any of us imagined he could do in a first game.  He helped heal A.J. Burnett.

Sure, the media will report on the mechanical changes that A.J. showed in his delivery last night, specifically his hand placement out of the windup and in the stretch.  But after 2+ years of subpar performance and all-world pitching coach Larry Rothschild not being able to make a dent in improving A.J., you're not going to convince me that last night was finally the start of all the side work paying off.  Last night was fucking divine intervention, plain and simple.  The Jesus has arrived, his power and glory shone down upon the unwashed Yankee masses, and A.J. Burnett, sad, pathetic Yankee sinner, was the first to feel the power of The Jesus.

So if he can make that kind of major contribution without even getting a hit, just imagine what he can do for the rest of this month.  Here's hoping A.J. puts a little extra in the collection plate this Sunday.

The Day Hath Finally Arrived!!!

Generations from now, people will look back upon this day, September 1, 2011, and remember it as the day that changed the course of history.  The day in which Heaven and Earth were united.  The day when sports, baseball, America, and the universe as a whole was never the same again.

That's right, mere mortals.  The day has finally arrived when The Jesus was called up to the show to begin what will undoubtedly be the greatest career in the history of professional baseball.

P.S.- There is absolutely no reason why Montero shouldn't be in the lineup tonight.  Rubber game of a Fraud Sawx series, A.J. on the mound, there's really nothing to lose by not having him in there and nothing to gain from leaving him on the bench.

** UPDATE- 3:11PM- The lineup has been announced and Jesus is in it, DHing and batting 7th. **

The Frustrating Phil Hughes

It's been a long season for Phil Hughes.  From the early bombings to the long DL stint for his dead arm to the return to the recent uneven pitching performances.  Last night was particularly rough, at least from my perspective, because Hughes had a grand opportunity in front of him and failed to cash in on it.  Because of that, we will now probably have to endure at least another week of rotation melodrama, and it all could have been avoided if not for a few bad pitches last night, something that is becoming all too common for Phil.

Stuff and command are the 2 main ingredients for becoming a successful starting pitcher.  You can get by with just one or the other, but the best guys in the business have both.  For Phil, the stuff was missing early in the season, and now since his return it's been the command that's been the main issue.  Last night, Phil had pretty good stuff.  His fastball sat mid-90s for almost the whole night, touching 94 and 95 MPH with regularity early on, and he threw some decent curveballs.  But his command was never really right all night, and that resulted in Phil's usual problem of not being able to put guys away when he needed to.  He located a fastball poorly to Jed Lowrie in the 3rd and gave up a big hit.  He got away with a poorly-located changeup to Ortiz in the 5th then followed it up with a poorly-located fastball that Ortiz put in the stands.  And after getting ahead of Josh Reddick 0-2 in the 6th, Hughes lost his aggressiveness and command and ended up walking him before the fateful Varitek hit.

I credited Phil early in the season for owning up to how poorly he was pitching and not making excuses and saying he needed to be better.  After last night's start, he was saying the same things, but it's starting to get a little old.  There are only so many times you can acknowledge that you HAVE to pitch well, HAVE to help the team, HAVE to get that guy out, HAVE to hold the lead in that inning and then go out and not do those things before the talk starts to ring hollow.  I get that Phil is aware of what he needs to do and should do, but frankly I'm past the point with Phil where that's enough to make me happy, and everybody should be too.  He needs to go out there and do it.  Throw strikes, be aggressive and stay aggressive, locate your pitches, use the changeup and the cutter consistently.  He has all the tools to go out and succeed, he just isn't putting them all to good use.

There were some positives to take from Phil's start last night, but the positives get lessened a bit because of the negative aspects of Phil's performance, and those negative aspects become more glaring because they're the same negative aspects we always see from Phil.  At the end of the day, I would still rather see Phil on the mound as a member of the starting rotation than A.J.  But it would be nice if that would happen because Phil went out and earned the spot, showed that he was the right man for the job and could be counted on the produce when given the ball, and not just because he was less bad than A.J. 

"The Day After Cervelli" Yanks-Sawx Live Blog

(No, Joe isn't doing the Carlton Dance there.  And no, the ump doesn't look amused.)

There is all kinds of sizzle to tonight's Game 2 of the latest 3-round Yanks-Sawx regular season brawl, about as much as you can have for a regular season game in a sport that plays 162 regular season games.  There's the potential fallout from last night's beanball wars, potential gas to add to that fire in the form of noted Yankee HBP specialist and all-around dickhead Josh Beckett being the starter for the Fraud Sawx, Phil Hughes countering Beckett for the Yanks and needing to balance handling retaliation if Beckett decides to get silly and rebounding from his horrendous last start to keep himself in rotation contention, and last night's fire starter Frankie Cervelli catching and batting 9th for the Yankees again because of Russell Martin's bumps and bruises.  And to top it all of, the division lead is on the line again.

Yeah, I'd putting money down on the benches emptying again tonight if I were you.  And for the first time since Opening Day, I'll be here to live blog the shit out of the evening's events.  Aaaaand since it isn't a day game and I don't have anywhere to be or anything to do after, I have the added bonus of being able to invite my good friend Mr. 12-Pack of Beer to the party.  That means you, dear readers, get the added bonus of increased profanity, tasteless jokes, and additional potshots at ESPN sprinkled in with my usual game analysis as the game goes on and the beer count dwindles.  This night has good times written all over it.

Here's the lineup for the Yankees tonight, via LoHud.  The Horse will join Martin on the bench again tonight because of his thumb injury.  It's almost getting to the point where the thumb issue is becoming post-worthy.

1) Brett Gardner- LF
2) Derek Jeter- SS
3) Curtis Granderson- CF
4) Mark Teixeira- 1B
5) Robinson Cano- 2B
6) Nick Swisher- RF
7) Eric Chavez- DH
8) Eduardo Nunez- 3B
9) Francisco Cervelli- C

I'm not posting the Fraud Sawx lineup because they're a bunch of assholes and I hate them.  Check back some time before 7 PM EST/6 PM Central when we kick this baby off.

Boone Logan Is Good Again

I don't how it happened or when, but I checked Boone Logan's line this morning and was a bit shocked.  I know he's been better over the last couple months, but I honestly had no idea he's been THAT good.  Logan stumbled through the first couple months of the season, that's no secret.  At the end of May he had an ERA and a FIP in the 4s, and his R/L splits were very disconcerting.  At his best, Logan is a shutdown type of LOOGY but his performance through the season's first 2 months, through a combination of misuse by Joe and ineffective pitching by Boone, did not translate into that role.  Logan wasn't getting lefties out, and with Damaso Marte and Pedro Feliciano shelved for the season, the Yankees started a mad scramble to find another lefty bullpen arm.

Over the last 3 months, however, Logan has been a much different pitcher.  After his talk with The Horse about having a plan on the mound, Logan's approach and results have been more in line with what we saw from him in the 2nd half of 2010 and what we were hoping to see in 2011.  Since May 28, Logan has thrown 21 innings and allowed just 4 ER on 22 combined H and BB while striking out 30.  His K/9 numbers have skyrocketed from the low 5s in May to 12.79 in June, 13.00 in July, and 14.21 in August, totaling out to a 10.13 K/9 for the season (2nd best amongst Yankee relievers behind D-Rob).  His walks are also down significantly, all adding up to a season line that is now even better than what he produced in 2010.

- 2010: 40.0 IP, 2.93 ERA, 3.73 FIP, 8.55 K/9, 4.50 BB/9, 12.2 SwStr%
- 2011: 34.2 IP, 2.60 ERA, 3.01 FIP, 10.13 K/9, 2.86 BB/9, 12.8 SwStr%

More importantly, his numbers against lefties have evened out and are back in line with what fans, his teammates, and his coaches expect to see.  in 21.1 total innings vs. lefties this year, Logan has 28 Ks, and a tripleslash of 2.53/3.34/2.90.  Last night was a bit of a freak reverse platoon split for Logan as he gave up a hit to the lone lefty he faced and then struck out 2 righties to end the 7th inning, but that has been the exception rather than the rule this summer.

His home/road splits are still a bit of a concern, but there's no doubt that Boone Logan has rebounded from his poor start to turn his season into a fantastic one.  His stuff is on point, he's being aggressive with hitters, and living up to his role as the lone lefty specialist in the bullpen.  If he can keep this trend up for the rest of the season, he will ease concerns about carrying another lefty on the postseason roster and make the already dangerous Yankee bullpen even deeper.

** REMINDER- Live blog coming tonight at 7PM Eastern, 6 Central. **

John Lackey Is A Big Ol' Bag O' Douche

 

(I'd say this is courtesy of NESN.com, but it's more of a tragedy that they subject people to looking at this guy.)

Look at this clown.  Nice backwards Nike hat, dick.  You look like a drunk BC fan on the set of College Gameday, assuming ESPN would ever be dumb enough to send Corso and Herbie to that horseshit school.  And cool magnetic balance wristband thing.  That's obviously helped your game this season (5.94 ERA, 4.78 FIP, 1.55 WHIP, < 6IP/start avg., 1.0 WAR in 136+ IP).  Makes A.J. Burnett look league average by comparison.

Not to mention he looks and sounds like Baby Huey with a touch of Bell's palsy.  Just a complete mess of humanity all around.

P.S.- The pitch that he put in between Cervelli's numbers in the 7th last night was the best command he showed all night.  Sad.

A Win You Have To Love

I'm not even going to bother talking about how many hits CC gave up or how many baserunners the Sawx had last night or any of that.  The important thing is that the Yankees won the game.  And there were so many other good things that happened last night to love if you're a Yankee fan.

- I love the fact that everybody seemed to be a little extra hyped for last night's game.  With the small margin they have trailing the division lead and the wide margin they have leading the Wild Card, these games really don't mean that much in the grand scheme of things.  But there was a sense that the Yankees WANTED to win last night's game.

- I love that Joe was out of the dugout to argue the C-Grand HBP in the 1st inning last night.  And I love that he was still pissed about it during the postgame interview.  You don't usually see managers get that agitated that early in the game.

 (Girardi AAANGRY!!!  Courtesy of The AP)

- I love that CC was smart enough, and a good enough teammate, to use the umpire's bad call on C-Grand to his advantage and take his pound of flesh from Ellsbury in the bottom of the 1st.  Because it was ruled a strike there was no HBP and no warning, but CC knew Curtis got hit just like Curtis did and he made damn sure revenge was exacted.

- Speaking of the big fella, I love the fact that CC had to work hard to get his win last night.  You can talk about the 10 hits and say he got lucky, but the dude made pitches when he had to.  In 6 innings he struck out 10 and had 20 swinging strikes.  He varied his approach against righties and lefties and kept the Bahhston hitters off balance in pressure situations.  Dude brought it.

- I love that CC owned Adrian Gonzalez's world last night, getting him to strike out 3 times in 4 hitless at-bats against him.

- I love that Francisco Cervelli crushed a home run off of Lackey.  I love that he clapped in Saltalamacchia's face when he touched home plate.  I love that he was pissed when he got hit the next time up.  And I love that he didn't just lay down and take it.  He talked shit to Lackey and basically told Saltalamacchia to get fucked when he tried to intervene.  I'm on record as not being a Cervelli fan, but last night he won a few points from me.

(Cervelli's probably calling him a bitch for leaving his mask on.  Courtesy of The AP)

- I love that soft-spoken Larry Rothschild got tossed after the benches emptied in the 7th.  And I love his response when asked if he said some inappropriate words to the ump- "More than one."

- I love that Boone Logan is back to being the guy he was in the 2nd half of 2010.  Back-to-back Ks with the bases loaded in the 7th.  We wouldn't have gotten that from him a few months ago (more on Logan later today).

- I love that Mo decided to throw a little sweet chin music Saltalamacchia's way in the 9th.  Don't fuck with the G.O.A.T.

Most importantly, I love that the events that took place last night add a little extra sizzle to tonight's game.  With Beckett on the mound, you can put it in the books that a Yankee is going to get plunked early, and we'll see if Phil mans up and protects his boys.  It should be an interesting game tonight, and the potential drama could make my live blog that much better. 

Let's Talk Roster Expansions

Specifically who will and won't be called up when rosters expand in a couple of days.  There are plenty of potential candidates, some deserving and some not, and some wildcards who the Yankees could choose to bring up if they were so inclined.  For the sake of time and space, I'll break this down as simply as possible.

4 Who Will Get The Call

- Jesus Montero- Pretty much a no-brainer.  The dude has been crushing the ball lately, raising his season line up to .290/.350/.471 with 38 XBH.  He probably should have been called up at least a month ago, and there's really nothing left for him to learn at Triple-A, so a September call up and cameo appearance as a C/DH should be a good starting point to determine how he fits into the 2012 plans.

- Chris Dickerson- He's been useful in his limited time on the Yankee roster already thanks to his speed and athleticism.  At the very least, he gives the Yankees a competent defensive option/late-game replacement to use down the stretch to rest their everyday OFers if Joe decides he wants to do that.

- Hector Noesi- Has more than proven his worth as a Major League-caliber pitcher this year out of the bullpen, even if he probably should have been sent down to stretch back out and work as a starter.  But the contributions he's already made as a long reliever make him a viable candidate for the postseason roster, so it only makes sense that he would be brought back to continue to audition for that role.

- Greg Golson- See above explanation for Dickerson.  Golson filled that role admirably in 2010 and would give Joe even more bench depth to play with in situations where he can get his everyday guys a little extra rest. 

4 Who Should Get The Call

The Garbage Man Does It Again

I guess the cut on the finger is completely healed because Freddy was out there spinning his magical junk again and navigating his way through the Oriole lineup with the same mind-bending wizardry he displayed in his first 2 starts against Baltimore this season.  If you're keeping score at home, that's now 3 total runs allowed against Baltimore in 18 innings of work for The Garbage Man this year.  Too bad they aren't going to be around for the playoffs.

You could almost make the argument now that Freddy has been the Yankees second best pitcher this season.  He's been consistent, effective, and a great value.  With the contract they signed him to, the Yankees are paying Garcia $136,363.64 per win this year, with more games still to go.  By comparison, A.J. Burnett is "earning" $1,833,333.33 per win this year.

And kudos to Joe for being smart and not pushing Freddy.  6 innings and 88 pitches is more than enough for a first game back.

That's a +1 for Freddy in the rotation race.  Ball's in Phil's court now.