Going to a big Derby party tomorrow. Love the Derby. Sneaky one of the best sporting events of the year if for no other reason than it kickstarts the annual buzz for a potential Triple Crown winner. Not to brag or anything, but I am the guy that brought home a cool $96 from the final weekend at Arlington last year. If you're a Derby fan too and are waiting to make your bets, here's some free advice. I absolutely love Ride on Curlin at 15-1 and love General A Rod at 15-1 slightly less. Take one of those and thank me on Sunday morning. Now onto the links!
- On Monday, Mike Axisa of RAB pinpointed slider problems as the major cause for Hiroki Kuroda's slow start.
- El duque of It Is High... mused on the importance of Teix in the middle of the lineup in reaction to his timely home run last Sunday night.
- SG of RLYW presented a pretty sweet historical stat to put Masahiro Tanaka's Major League start in perspective.
- On Wednesday, Chris Mitchell of Pinstripe Pundits explained why there should be no concern about Tanaka's high early home run rate.
- Chad Jennings of LoHud discussed Dellin Betances' hot start and got Betances' thoughts on what he's done well to get off to such a good start.
- Jason Cohen of Pinstripe Alley took a stab at predicting the SS Staten Island roster. Definitely more interesting names on the pitching staff than in the lineup.
- Daniel Burch of The Greedy Pinstripes expressed his disdain for the way Yankee fans treated Robinson Cano on his first night back to The Stadium.
- On Thursday, William Tasker of IIATMS/TYA examined the impact the cold early-season weather could be having on the Yankee bats.
- Delia Enriquez of Bronx Baseball Daily pondered the biggest questions facing the rotation after the first month of the regular season.
- On Friday, Martin Riggs of NoMaas broke down the high and low offensive producers in April and touched on what needs to happen for each in May.
This week's jam is "Colossal" by Wolfmother. About time this band put another album out, even if they really never are getting back together and even if I've yet to check it out. If they really are back together, I'd pay money to go see them.
Enjoy your weekends, everybody.
Friday, May 2, 2014
Joe Makes It To 1,000
I never would have known this if I didn't see Chad Jennings' post on it earlier this morning, but when the Yankees take the field against the Rays tonight it will mark Joe Girardi's 1,000th game as manager. Well, his 1,000th regular season game. He's got a few postseason games on his ledger as well.
The first 999 games have gone pretty well for Joe. He owns a 579-420 record and that .580 winning percentage ranks him 5th in team history among managers who managed more than 1,000 behind Huggins, Torre, Stengel, and McCarthy. Not a bad group to be lumped into at all. He's also got 4 postseason appearances, 3 division titles, 1 AL pennant, and 1 World Series ring in his 6+ seasons at the helm.
Congrats on reaching 1,000, Joe. Here's hoping the next 1,000 are just as fruitful, if not more so, than the first were. Oh, and thanks for the fun memories:
Where Has All The Offense Gone?
(I feel ya, Jacoby. I feel ya. Courtesy of the AP)
(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)
The Yankees should have been catching a big break last night. Seattle choosing to push back Wednesday's scheduled starter Roenis Elias rather than skip him meant the Yanks got to avoid getting carved up by Felix Hernandez for the 457th time. Of course, there's always that pesky theory about the Yankees never being able to hit rookie pitchers and it played out in full effect last night as Elias held the lineup to 2 runs (1 earned) through 7 innings while striking out 10. 2 runs isn't enough to get it done with the rotation in the kind of shape it's in these days and it didn't get it done last night.
Game 27 Wrap-Up: SEA 4 NYY 2
(Courtesy of the AP)
This has been a strange week. Off-day Monday, bad game Tuesday, rainout yesterday. It's been hard to get into a good writing rhythm, so I can't imagine what it's like for the guys who have to actually try to hit a baseball being thrown at them at 90+ MPH all the time. Hopefully the Yankees weren't rusty. They can't afford to be with the way they're swinging the bats and their margin for error wasn't going to be very big if Hiroki Kuroda hadn't figured out his command issues from his last start. The bats didn't wake up, Hirok didn't completely figure it out, and the series ended in disappointing fashion, a quasi-sweep at the hands of the Mariners.
Game Notes:
- The teams traded 1st inning runs on a Robinson Cano ribbie double and Jacoby Ellsbury's first Yankee home run to lead off the bottom of the 1st. They also traded rally-killing double plays in the 2nd, then Cano regained the lead with his club thanks to a Derek Jeter fielding error to start the 3rd.
- Kuroda's slider command was absent again, and his splitter being off made matters worse. He left a few up in the zone with 2 outs in the 4th and it led to 2 more Seattle runs.
- Seattle starter Roenis Elias really settled down nicely after the Ellsbury leadoff HR. He struck out the side after that in the 1st and struck out 8 total through 5 innings, including the side again in the 5th. Yanks couldn't do a thing with his curveball.
- Kuroda finished with 6 straight outs and 3 Ks and his night was over after 6 innings. The bullpen came on and did its job keeping the game within reach as Matt Thornton, Adam Warren, and Shawn Kelley combined for 3 shutout innings.
- The Yanks tacked another run on in the 6th thanks to a pair of 2-out singles and a Cano error, but that was all they could muster against Elias, who went 7 strong. So much for having the advantage of missing King Felix.
- They didn't fare much better against the bullpen. A 2-out Ichiro single in the 9th was all they could conjur up for a late-game rally.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
AB4AR "Best Of The Month" Awards: April 2014
Just like that, 1 month of baseball in the books. The Yankees wrapped up April with another rainout last night, and they find themselves sitting atop the AL East mountain as the only team above .500. Their 15-11 record doesn't match up to their -11 run differential, but it's too early in the season to put any real meaning in run differential. If anything, that number illustrates how inconsistent the Yankees were in the later part of the month, getting blown out by 10+ runs one day and then winning a 3-2 game the next. They still don't have their offense clicking and their rotation situation has taken a turn for the worst, so to have a 2-game division lead despite all of that is plenty fine with me. After the jump, the best of the month that was in Yankeeland.
Thursday Mid-Morning Food For Thought: Rotation Veterans Struh-guh-ling
Since last 8/17, 103 Ps have at least 60 IPs. Kuroda’s 6.07 ERA is the 3rd worst, Sabathia’s 5.16 is 7th #morethanablip? #Yankees
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) May 1, 2014
Saw this tweet from Joel Sherman and it made me do a double take. I knew he faltered down the stretch last season, but I didn't realize Hirok's ERA was that bad going back that far. If anything, I would have actually expected CC's to be the worse one and Hirok's to be in the low 5's.A few weeks ago, this wouldn't have been a huge problem for the Yankees. Everybody knew there was a chance that CC's major 2013 regression was the start of something permanent and that Hirok could finally be ticketed for some age-related regression of his own. With 3 young guys there to pick them up and a solid bullpen, the Yanks should have been able to get by without their top 2 starters pitching like top 2 starters.
Now that Nova and Pineda are out, this is quickly becoming a pretty big deal. Even though his peripherals suggest he's pitched better than his ERA, both CC and Hirok have ERAs over 5.00 in 11 combined starts. That isn't going to cut it with Nuno and Phelps taking up the back 40% of the rotation. Whatever's ailing them - command problems, bad luck, the dreaded bad inning - the Yanks need Hirok and CC to start turning things around and re-establish themselves as reliable, consistent presences in the rotation.
Luis Severino Makes FanGraphs' Prospect Watch
FanGraphs' resident prospect guru Marc Hulet does a regular "Prospect Watch" series in which he targets and scouts a few different prospects from around baseball. Yesterday's edition featured Yankee pitching prospect Luis Severino, who's been making a lot of noise on the scene thanks to his very good 2013 campaign.
Hulet's assessment of Severino was full of compliments. He called Severino a potential "scouting coup" based on his tools, and like Keith Law, Hulet was a big fan of Severino's stuff. He thinks there's room to add a few MPH to Severino's mid-90s fastball and likes the natural break of his curveball and fade of his changeup. Also like Law, Hulet acknowledged that Severino has a lot of mechanical inconsistencies that need to be ironed out, especially the arm slot and motion repeatability when he throws his offspeed pitches.
Based on these 2 scouting reports, it's clear that Severino is far from a finished product. That's true for any pitcher at age 20, so Severino has plenty of time to work on smoothing out his mechanics. That can be taught and coached too. What can't is stuff and both Law and Hulet recognize that Severino has plenty of that. It wouldn't be a stretch at all to think that Severino could be the top organizational pitching prospect by the end of this season.
P.S.- I had Severino ranked 16th on this year's AB4AR Top 30 in his first appearance. Check out the whole list here.
Hulet's assessment of Severino was full of compliments. He called Severino a potential "scouting coup" based on his tools, and like Keith Law, Hulet was a big fan of Severino's stuff. He thinks there's room to add a few MPH to Severino's mid-90s fastball and likes the natural break of his curveball and fade of his changeup. Also like Law, Hulet acknowledged that Severino has a lot of mechanical inconsistencies that need to be ironed out, especially the arm slot and motion repeatability when he throws his offspeed pitches.
Based on these 2 scouting reports, it's clear that Severino is far from a finished product. That's true for any pitcher at age 20, so Severino has plenty of time to work on smoothing out his mechanics. That can be taught and coached too. What can't is stuff and both Law and Hulet recognize that Severino has plenty of that. It wouldn't be a stretch at all to think that Severino could be the top organizational pitching prospect by the end of this season.
P.S.- I had Severino ranked 16th on this year's AB4AR Top 30 in his first appearance. Check out the whole list here.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tonight's Rainout Notes
By now, you're probably aware that tonight's game has been cancelled due to rain. The Yanks and Mariners still have to play tomorrow's series finale, but there will be no doubleheader to make up today's game. The Mariners have a doubleheader scheduled next week as well and didn't want to put the added strain on their starting rotation. Fair enough.
Instead, the 2 teams will play the makeup on Monday, June 2nd. Seattle's in the area and both teams have an off-day that matches up. That spares the Yankees this week. They would have had to make another move to fill a spot start had they been forced to play 2 tomorrow and they're not exactly flush with starting pitching right now. The lost off-day will result in them playing 17 straight games for a stretch, but I'll take that over Chris Leroux getting a start in a New York Yankee uniform.
As for the current rotation plans, the Yanks will use the day off today to skip over David Phelps' spot in the rotation and pitch Hiroki Kuroda on regular rest tomorrow in the series finale. This also works to the Yanks' advantage as 1 less start they have to cover while Pineda's out. I'll take it.
Instead, the 2 teams will play the makeup on Monday, June 2nd. Seattle's in the area and both teams have an off-day that matches up. That spares the Yankees this week. They would have had to make another move to fill a spot start had they been forced to play 2 tomorrow and they're not exactly flush with starting pitching right now. The lost off-day will result in them playing 17 straight games for a stretch, but I'll take that over Chris Leroux getting a start in a New York Yankee uniform.
As for the current rotation plans, the Yanks will use the day off today to skip over David Phelps' spot in the rotation and pitch Hiroki Kuroda on regular rest tomorrow in the series finale. This also works to the Yanks' advantage as 1 less start they have to cover while Pineda's out. I'll take it.
Why Is Kelly Johnson's Role Shrinking?
(Have you seen this man? Courtesy of Getty Images)
(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)
Between not finding suitable everyday options for second and third base and finding even fewer for a backup at first base, the general consensus was that Kelly Johnson was going to be an important part of the infield this year. At the end of Spring Training, he was the starter at third, the backup and perfect world best man for the job at second, and the backup for Teix at first as declared by Joe. As a guy who'd spent the better part of the last 4 seasons either at second or in left field, that was a lot to handle, and if we're being fair, I think Johnson has done a nice job handling what was asked of him in the first month of the season. He's played a pretty good third, a decent first, and he's provided the left-handed pop the Yanks were hoping for when they signed him (4 2B, 3 HR in 69 PA). So why has he seen his playing time decrease so much in the last 2 weeks?
CC And His Battles With The One Bad Inning
(Courtesy of the AP)
CC Sabathia has made 6 starts in the month of April. He's pitched 37 innings in those starts and given up 21 earned runs in those innings for a pretty bad 5.11 ERA. As a whole, CC's performance has been subpar this year, but looking start by start it's been the 1 bad inning that's really killed him.
- 4/1- 6 IP, 6 ER; 1 bad inning (btm 1st), 4 ER
- 4/6- 6 IP, 4 ER; 1 bad inning (btm 6th), 3 ER
- 4/11- 7 IP, 4 ER; 1 bad inning top 6th), 4 ER
- 4/17- 7 IP, 1 ER; no bad innings
- 4/24- 6 IP, 2 ER; 1 bad inning (btm 3rd), 2 ER
- 4/29- 5 IP, 4 ER; 1 bad inning (top 5th), 4 ER
He's had 1 bad inning in 5 of his 6 starts and he's given up 17 of his 21 ER in those 5 innings (30.60 ERA). In his other 32 IP, he's given up 4 ER (1.13 ERA). On the one hand, this split shows that Sabathia's overall performance has not been as bad as his ERA would lead you to believe. On the other, it shows how much CC is struggling to adjust to life as a finesse pitcher. His bad innings have been defined by an inability to locate pitches down in the strike zone, an inability to put hitters away with 2 strikes, and an inability to finish off innings with 2 outs. The Yankees need Carsten to be better with Nova and Pineda both on the shelf for the foreseeable future. To be better, he needs to find a way to limit damage and eliminate the 1 bad inning every time out.
More On Pineda's Lat Injury
In case you missed it late last night, the diagnosis on Michael Pineda is a Grade I strain of the teres major muscle in his back. He'll be further evaluated by Dr. Ahmad today, but the early estimate from the team was an expected 3-4 weeks out and then rehab appearances after that to build his pitch count back up. Given how careful they were in managing his shoulder rehab, I anticipate the team will take the same approach here. We could be looking at 6-8 weeks when all is said and done.
As for the injury itself, it's less severe than a tear of the muscle, which is considered an uncommon injury by the American Journal of Sports Medicine. Generally, a tear of the teres major tendon takes 3 months to come back from, so a 3-4 week downtime estimate is encouraging given the potential worst case scenario. The muscle strain is limited to the back, and has no relation to Pineda's previous shoulder injury, although a strain in that area could and usually does manifest itself in upper arm pain and it would be bad for Pineda to alter his pitching mechanics to compensate for that and risk damage to the shoulder.
This injury is definitely not a good thing. Between the pine tar suspension and this, the Yankees are losing a key part of their rotation in a time where they can least afford to be without him. It's not as bad as it could have been though, and Pineda will be able to return to the mound this year.
As for the injury itself, it's less severe than a tear of the muscle, which is considered an uncommon injury by the American Journal of Sports Medicine. Generally, a tear of the teres major tendon takes 3 months to come back from, so a 3-4 week downtime estimate is encouraging given the potential worst case scenario. The muscle strain is limited to the back, and has no relation to Pineda's previous shoulder injury, although a strain in that area could and usually does manifest itself in upper arm pain and it would be bad for Pineda to alter his pitching mechanics to compensate for that and risk damage to the shoulder.
This injury is definitely not a good thing. Between the pine tar suspension and this, the Yankees are losing a key part of their rotation in a time where they can least afford to be without him. It's not as bad as it could have been though, and Pineda will be able to return to the mound this year.
Game 26 Wrap-Up: SEA 6 NYY 3
(Courtesy of the AP)
I don't know why I expected anything different, but Yankee fans decided not to head my advice and showcased their stupidity and hypocrisy for the whole baseball world to see when they booed Robinson Cano heartily last night the first time he stepped to the plate. The team not doing a video tribute is fine. These are all grown men, they don't need special little videos made for them to show how great they are. But the fans not respecting and being thankful for what Cano did in his time here is shameful and I'm a little embarrassed to be a Yankee fan this morning. If they would have waited for the game to play out, they would have had plenty more to boo for.
Game Notes:
- Mark Teixeira showed he can still turn on a 95 MPH inside fastball on Sunday night, so Chris Young's mid-80s heat should have been no problem. It wasn't, and Teix deposited one into the right field seats in the 2nd for his 3rd homer of the year and an early 1-0 Yankee lead.
- CC got off to a strong start, retiring the first 2 innings in order on a solid 4-pitch mix. His fastball velocity looked a tick higher and he was throwing strike 1.
- That early success quickly dissipated over the next 2 innings though. CC danced around 2 baserunners each in the 3rd and 4th, but he couldn't repeat the luck in the 5th. 3 straight singles loaded the bases and 2 consecutive 2-out hits resulted in 4 Seattle runs.
- The Yankee bats were mostly silent against Young after Teix's yardjob. They scored 1 run in the 3rd, stranded 2 runners in the 4th, and only managed 3 more hits after that. 2 of them were Ichiro singles.
- Dellin Betances worked out CC's mess in the 6th, but couldn't finish off the 7th and got 2 runs charged to his ledger when Preston Claiborne couldn't pick him up. A 4-run deficit might as well by 40 when your lineup isn't hitting and the token run in the 9th was nowhere near enough for a comeback.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
More Injuries: Ellsbury And Pineda (UPDATED)
Couple of disconcerting injury-related stories coming out right now. Jacoby Ellsbury has apparently been bothered by a sore left hand for the last few days and while tests on it came back negative, it's bad enough that he's not in the lineup tonight.
The bigger and potentially worse news is in regards to Michael Pineda. He reportedly shut himself down after just 1 inning of his simulated start today after feeling tightness in his right lat. He's going for an MRI and according to Joe, his next scheduled start on May 5th is in jeopardy.
More on these stories as it comes out...
** UPDATE 3:55 PM- Joe told reporters that David Phelps would stay in the rotation if Pineda is unable to make his start on Monday. Not a good omen for what could come back on this MRI. **
** UPDATE 10:22 PM- Via Erik Boland, Pineda has been diagnosed with a Grade I strain of his teres major muscle. The team is saying he'll be shut down for 10 days, will be out for 3-4 weeks, and will undergo further evaluation by the team doctor. This doesn't sound good at all. **
The bigger and potentially worse news is in regards to Michael Pineda. He reportedly shut himself down after just 1 inning of his simulated start today after feeling tightness in his right lat. He's going for an MRI and according to Joe, his next scheduled start on May 5th is in jeopardy.
More on these stories as it comes out...
** UPDATE 3:55 PM- Joe told reporters that David Phelps would stay in the rotation if Pineda is unable to make his start on Monday. Not a good omen for what could come back on this MRI. **
** UPDATE 10:22 PM- Via Erik Boland, Pineda has been diagnosed with a Grade I strain of his teres major muscle. The team is saying he'll be shut down for 10 days, will be out for 3-4 weeks, and will undergo further evaluation by the team doctor. This doesn't sound good at all. **
Welcoming Back Robbie Cano
(Dude is rocking some sweet facial hair. Courtesy of Getty Images)
Does it feel like Robinson Cano has been gone for a really long time to anybody else? In reality, he's been a non-Yankee for less than a month of his career, but it feels like he's been away forever to me. He'll make his first trip back to The Stadium tonight when the Mariners come to town for a 3-game series, his first appearance back in front of the Yankee faithful since choosing Seattle and their 3 more years of guaranteed money over the Yankees and their 7-year offer. Most of the beat guys are trying to stir the pot by writing and tweeting about how the fans should react during Cano's first plate appearance tonight, but to me it's a non-issue. There's really only one acceptable option for how to treat Cano tonight.
Prospect Stock Watch: April 2014
(Courtesy of Mark LoMoglio/MiLB.com)
(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)
It's been a tough start to the year for the farm system. With a handful of top prospects missing the start of the season as they recovered from offseason health problems (Slade Heathcott, Greg Bird, Ty Hensley), the Yankees have watched more injuries strike down a significant portion of other recognizable names. From Nik Turley and Jose Ramirez in Spring Training, to Tyler Austin last week, to the announcement of Jose Campos' season-ending TJS over the weekend, there's seemingly been a top guy going on the DL every few days. That's created opportunities for other players to step up, but so far nobody has created a bigger name for himself than he already had. With April 2 days away from ending and the sample sizes growing to an almost meaningful size, here are the guys who've helped and hurt their prospect stock the most in the first month.
Ryan Starts Rehab Assignment
Out since mid-March with a pinched nerve in his upper back, Brendan Ryan took a big step towards his return from the DL this past Sunday when he began his MiL rehab assignment with the High-A Tampa Yankees. Ryan has started at shortstop in each of the last 2 games for Tampa, going 3-8 with 1 BB and 2 RBI. I haven't read any specifics on how many innings he played in the 2 games, but I have to think it would have been reported if it was less than 9.
Ryan missed most of Spring Training, so his rehab assignment will not be as brief as Teix's or D-Rob's were. Joe said he wanted to get Ryan a full compliment of ST plate appearances before calling him up, so 40-50 should do the trick. That would put Ryan on track for another 8-10 rehab games and a return to the Major League roster in about 2 weeks. The Yankees are playing without a true backup shortstop for Derek Jeter right now and they've already had to sit him for a few games to rest a tight quad. Ryan was always meant to be the man for that job, and the sooner he can get back to do it the better.
Ryan missed most of Spring Training, so his rehab assignment will not be as brief as Teix's or D-Rob's were. Joe said he wanted to get Ryan a full compliment of ST plate appearances before calling him up, so 40-50 should do the trick. That would put Ryan on track for another 8-10 rehab games and a return to the Major League roster in about 2 weeks. The Yankees are playing without a true backup shortstop for Derek Jeter right now and they've already had to sit him for a few games to rest a tight quad. Ryan was always meant to be the man for that job, and the sooner he can get back to do it the better.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Off-Day Comes At The Right Time Again
The early April schedule wasn't especially kind to the Yankees from a scheduling standpoint, but since that first 13-game stretch they've actually had one of the more favorable deals in MLB with scheduled off-days on each of the last 3 Mondays. The timing of those off-days has been a huge benefit in each of the last 2 weeks, as they gave the Yanks an extra day to deal with the losses of Francisco Cervelli and Ivan Nova and extra time off for some older players who needed it to rest some sprains and strains. They have a few more bumps and bruises after this weekend series and once again the off-day comes up at the absolute perfect time.
- Brett Gardner was held out of last night's game after getting hit by a pitch on the foot on Saturday. He could have been used in a pinch last night, but this extra day off should have him ready for tomorrow.
- Ditto Yangervis Solarte, who Joe scratched with a sore shoulder before last night's game. It doesn't sound too serious and right now Solarte is expected to be ready to go tomorrow as well.
- He isn't hurt, but Derek Jeter went without a day off all weekend despite a Friday night/Saturday afternoon schedule in the first 2 games. He had the quad issue a few weeks back that the day off on the 14th really helped. A day off his feet today should do his body good.
- Also not injured, but D-Rob has pitched in 3 of the last 4 days and threw 24+ pitches on Saturday and Sunday. If the Yanks were playing tonight, he probably wouldn't be available.
New York's next scheduled off-day is Thursday, May 8th, when they'll travel from LA to Milwaukee. The day off today should be enough to prepare them for the next 9-game stretch.
- Brett Gardner was held out of last night's game after getting hit by a pitch on the foot on Saturday. He could have been used in a pinch last night, but this extra day off should have him ready for tomorrow.
- Ditto Yangervis Solarte, who Joe scratched with a sore shoulder before last night's game. It doesn't sound too serious and right now Solarte is expected to be ready to go tomorrow as well.
- He isn't hurt, but Derek Jeter went without a day off all weekend despite a Friday night/Saturday afternoon schedule in the first 2 games. He had the quad issue a few weeks back that the day off on the 14th really helped. A day off his feet today should do his body good.
- Also not injured, but D-Rob has pitched in 3 of the last 4 days and threw 24+ pitches on Saturday and Sunday. If the Yanks were playing tonight, he probably wouldn't be available.
New York's next scheduled off-day is Thursday, May 8th, when they'll travel from LA to Milwaukee. The day off today should be enough to prepare them for the next 9-game stretch.
Mixed Results From Teix In His First Week Back
(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)
The defining image of last night's game was not Masahiro Tanaka walking off the mound after 1 of his 11 strikeouts. As well as he battled to keep his team in the game against Garrett Richards, the most memorable moment last night was Mark Teixeira turning on a 94 MPH Richards fastball that was belt high and on the inner half of the plate, hitting it high and deep into right field, and pausing for a second to watch it land in the second deck. I'm talking that "no doubt about it" split second of pimpage that Teix does when he really knows he got one. I'm talking about this:
The defining image of last night's game was not Masahiro Tanaka walking off the mound after 1 of his 11 strikeouts. As well as he battled to keep his team in the game against Garrett Richards, the most memorable moment last night was Mark Teixeira turning on a 94 MPH Richards fastball that was belt high and on the inner half of the plate, hitting it high and deep into right field, and pausing for a second to watch it land in the second deck. I'm talking that "no doubt about it" split second of pimpage that Teix does when he really knows he got one. I'm talking about this:
(Courtesy of ESPN/MLB.com)
Carlos Beltran, Professional Hitter
When you've been around for as long as Carlos Beltran has (15 full seasons plus partials in 1998 and this season), you're going to learn a lot about what it takes to be a successful hitter. With a .365 career wOBA and values of .355, .359, and .362 in the last 3 seasons as he's moved into his late 30s, it's fair to say Beltran has picked up his fair share of important lessons and personal tips. He spoke to David Laurila of FanGraphs for a post that went up on Friday about some of those tips and his general hitting strategy. It was a very interesting look inside the mind of one of the best all-around hitters of the last 20 years.
For me, the highlight of the post was Beltran talking about knowing the feeling in his legs from pitch to pitch and knowing if he has them under him for his swing based on whether or not he feels like the wind is blowing him off-balance. That's some next-level veteran stuff right there. I also liked Beltran's self-described approach of always going up there looking for the 1 pitch he wants and being willing to wait for it. The guy has seen everything at this point in his career and he knows the value of going up to the plate with a plan and sticking with that plan. Based on his early .538 SLG and team-leading 5 homers, I'd say that plan is working out well. The average and OBP will come up in time. When it does, Beltran could really put up some big numbers hitting in YS3.
For me, the highlight of the post was Beltran talking about knowing the feeling in his legs from pitch to pitch and knowing if he has them under him for his swing based on whether or not he feels like the wind is blowing him off-balance. That's some next-level veteran stuff right there. I also liked Beltran's self-described approach of always going up there looking for the 1 pitch he wants and being willing to wait for it. The guy has seen everything at this point in his career and he knows the value of going up to the plate with a plan and sticking with that plan. Based on his early .538 SLG and team-leading 5 homers, I'd say that plan is working out well. The average and OBP will come up in time. When it does, Beltran could really put up some big numbers hitting in YS3.
Game 25 Wrap-Up: NYY 3 LAA 2
(Courtesy of the AP)
You've read this intro from me enough already. Masahiro Tanaka's pitching, it's a big game, it's a test for him, blah, blah blah. I just wanted to see him come out and own again like he has in every start he's made. And for the first time this season, I had the chance to sit and actually watch him pitch.
Game Notes:
- He had to battle early. His command on the corners wasn't there, especially with his fastball, he walked 3 in the first 3 innings, and he hung a few sliders. He also struck out 5 and kept the Angels off the scoreboard.
- Garrett Richards burned through the Yankee lineup with his array of fastballs the first time through the order, with only a Kelly Johnson single through the shift against him. He was definitely the better of the 2 pitchers early.
- Richards started to lose his fastball command a bit in the bottom of the 5th and the Yankees used that to scratch a run of their own across on a walk, a Brian Roberts double down the left field line, and an Ichiro RBI groundout.
- The Angels scratched a run across on a fielder's choice after loading the bases in the 4th, but Tanaka held it at that and then worked a quick 5th. He looked like he was settling in. Then he left a fastball up to David Freese to start the 6th and the Angels went back out front 2-1.
- Mark Teixeira was one of the few hitters who looked good against Richards, and he never looked better than when he demolished a hanger for a solo HR to tie the game back up at 2 in the 7th. Very encouraging sign.
- Tanaka gave way to Adam Warren in the 7th and Warren got 5 big outs to set himself up as the winner to be when a pair of walks, a passed ball, and a wild pitch allowed Ellsbury to come around and score the go-ahead run.
- For the 4th time in 4 tries, D-Rob was cash money in the 9th. The Yanks came back to steal the series after losing by 12 on Friday night.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Kids Contributing When They Get Their Chances
John Ryan Murphy: 2-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI yesterday. .308/.308/.538 (.369 wOBA) in 13 PA this season.
Dellin Betances: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K yesterday. 0.77 ERA/1.63 FIP, 19 K in 11.2 IP this season.
How long have we been hearing that the Yankees need to "give the kids a shot"? It's an annual cry from the fanbase. Well, they're giving kids shots this year and those kids are coming up big. J.R. Murphy has looked good behind and at the plate in his limited PA since coming up to replace Cervelli, and Betances has been electric in his middle relief work, showing what many believed he was always capable of doing if he harnessed his command. Add in the positive contributions of 20-somethings like Tanaka, Pineda, Adam Warren, and Yangervis Solarte, and it's been a deep and balanced contribution from the younger Yankee contingent.
Dellin Betances: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K yesterday. 0.77 ERA/1.63 FIP, 19 K in 11.2 IP this season.
How long have we been hearing that the Yankees need to "give the kids a shot"? It's an annual cry from the fanbase. Well, they're giving kids shots this year and those kids are coming up big. J.R. Murphy has looked good behind and at the plate in his limited PA since coming up to replace Cervelli, and Betances has been electric in his middle relief work, showing what many believed he was always capable of doing if he harnessed his command. Add in the positive contributions of 20-somethings like Tanaka, Pineda, Adam Warren, and Yangervis Solarte, and it's been a deep and balanced contribution from the younger Yankee contingent.
Game 24 Wrap-Up: NYY 4 LAA 3
(Courtesy of the AP)
Friday night was not what anybody had in mind for a series-opening game against a West Coast opponent. The Angels came into town and slapped the Yankees around their own ballpark for all 9 innings, and once again the bullpen was left in need of fresh arms. They got another one for this afternoon's game in the form of Chris Leroux and they were hoping they wouldn't have to go there too early or very often with Vidal Nuno back on the mound.
Game Notes:
- Nuno put himself in an early 1-0 hole when he gave up a solo homer to Mike Trout in the top of the 1st. He wasn't the first to suffer that fate and he certainly won't be the last.
- LA starter Hector Santiago wasn't on top of his game early and the Yanks capitalized on that in the bottom of the 2nd. A hit batsman, single, and walk loaded the bases with 1 out, a balk got them on the board, and a big 2-out, 2-run single by John Ryan Murphy gave them the 3-1 lead.
- A combination of bad defense (Brian Roberts throwing error on a possible double play turn) and bad pitching by Nuno (put the first 2 runners on, double on a hanging slider) led to 2 runs for the Angels in the 4th. After giving up hits to Albert Pujols in each of his first 2 PA, Joe elected not to let Nuno face him again in the 5th and the game went to the bullpen.
- Murphy's first career MLB home run gave the Yanks the lead back in the 5th, but they failed to put another run across after 2 more hits. They wouldn't need one thanks to the work of their bullpen. It got a little hairy, but Betances, Kelley, Thornton, and D-Rob did the job.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Minor League Injury Update
(Later, guy. See you in 2016. Maybe. Courtesy of the AP)
I don't know what it is about the Yankee farm system that has it so susceptible to injuries, but the body count is already starting to rise this season. A handful of big names have hit the DL this week and more than a handful of smaller ones are dealing with smaller physical issues of their own. After the jump, a quick recap of all the new injuries in case you missed any of the news.
Another Day Of Firsts For Nuno Today
Vidal Nuno will make his second start in place of the injured Ivan Nova this afternoon against the Angels. It will be his second start at Yankee Stadium in his short Major League career and his first afternoon start. It will also be the first time he's faced the Angels and their big hitters like Albert Pujols and Mike Trout, a frightening thought for a young pitcher, but keep this in mind. On the other side of the matchup, it's the first time for them and the rest of the LA lineup against Nuno.
The Angels no doubt have their scouting reports and video on Nuno to prepare themselves for today's game, but Nuno may have a slight advantage in this first time matchup. As a pitcher who throws a lot of different pitches and a lot of offspeed stuff, he gives opposing hitters plenty to think about up there. They don't know his tendencies and they don't know what the ball looks like coming out of his hand. He played that to his advantage very well last Sunday when he tossed 5 shutout innings against the Rays. If he's commanding his stuff, maybe he can do it again.
Expect a healthy helping of sliders, 4-seamers, curveballs, and sinkers today, and maybe a changeup or 2 for good measure. Don't expect to see high velocity, but hopefully the mixing of pitches and lack of familiarity will help Nuno help his team even up this series.
The Angels no doubt have their scouting reports and video on Nuno to prepare themselves for today's game, but Nuno may have a slight advantage in this first time matchup. As a pitcher who throws a lot of different pitches and a lot of offspeed stuff, he gives opposing hitters plenty to think about up there. They don't know his tendencies and they don't know what the ball looks like coming out of his hand. He played that to his advantage very well last Sunday when he tossed 5 shutout innings against the Rays. If he's commanding his stuff, maybe he can do it again.
Expect a healthy helping of sliders, 4-seamers, curveballs, and sinkers today, and maybe a changeup or 2 for good measure. Don't expect to see high velocity, but hopefully the mixing of pitches and lack of familiarity will help Nuno help his team even up this series.
Game 23 Wrap-Up: LAA 13 NYY 1
This one wasn't pretty. Getting destroyed by a dozen at home is not the way to open a weekend series.
Game Notes:
- Hirok was horrendous last night. Couldn't locate anything and the Angels tuned him up for 8 runs on 10 hits in 4.2 IP.
- No offense to help him against C.J. Wilson. Brett Garder was the only player with multiple hits, Carlos Beltran had the only XBH, and the only run scored on a sac fly in the 6th.
- Bruce Billings took one for the team with 4 innings of long relief. He gave up 4 more runs.
- Yanks need a better showing this afternoon when Vidal Nuno and Hector Santiago get the start.
Game Notes:
- Hirok was horrendous last night. Couldn't locate anything and the Angels tuned him up for 8 runs on 10 hits in 4.2 IP.
- No offense to help him against C.J. Wilson. Brett Garder was the only player with multiple hits, Carlos Beltran had the only XBH, and the only run scored on a sac fly in the 6th.
- Bruce Billings took one for the team with 4 innings of long relief. He gave up 4 more runs.
- Yanks need a better showing this afternoon when Vidal Nuno and Hector Santiago get the start.
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