The start of Game 1 is delayed due to rain (doubleheader tomorrow?), so welcome to the useless filler portion of the evening.
I touched on this last night, but I'd like to continue with the theme of the Yankees 1B/DH problem. Giambi is on the DL, and Doug Mientkiwicz is putting up numbers that can only be described as Mientkiwiczesque.
I already lambasted the Sexson proposal, but here are a few other options the Yankees could explore:
1. Fred McGriff
Sure, he hasn't played since '04, but he was a Yankees' farmhand two and a half decades ago, is achingly close to 500 HRs (shades of Sammy Sosa) and as I recall the Yankees actually signed him to a minor league contract a couple years back. I'm sure the Crime Dog would welcome a chance to make it back one more time over his current occupation - obsessively watching "Deal or No Deal" and downloading YouTube clips of horrific skateboard accidents.
2. Bernie Williams
I'm fuzzy on the details - I know Berniewhocky signed a minor league deal with the Yankees this offseason, didn't make the team, and gave the commencement address at Iona a few weeks ago. That must have been a thrill for those Iona kids - I mean, not Kelsey Grammer thrilling, but still. That said, did he actually announce his retirement? Teddy would know, but that's a mystery to me. Considering injuries and ineffectiveness, I imagine the Yankees are beginning to worry they were a little hasty in cutting him loose this winter.
3. Tino Martinez
...and playing 3rd base, Tim McCarver's man-crush, Scott Brosius. I haven't actually seen Tino on "Baseball Tonight" (not sure if he's even still there) but I've heard that he doesn't exactly make for compelling television. The Yankees' attempt to bring sexy back with Martinez and Brosius would set off a chain reaction - A-Rod would move to short and Jeter would move to second. The Yankees would then trade Robinson Cano to the Twins (in a perverse reversal of the Knoblauch trade) for Johan Santana, Joe Nathan, Joe Mauer, and Justin Morneau. Morneau would DH, and once Mauer came off the DL, Posada would be traded to the Devil Rays for Carl Crawford and Scott Kazmir. This would cause Matsui to be moved to right field, at which point Bobby Abreu would be traded to Milwaukee for the entire Brewers roster.
4. Kevin Millar
With both Millar and Johnny Damon facing down free agency in '05, Millar reportedly phoned his fellow Idiot and told them they should sign on the same team together and "turn another clubhouse upside down". This would be the equivalent of Ben Affleck calling Matt Damon up about collaborating on another project so that they could "totally rock Hollywood together". Millar loves being the center of attention (he was losing playing time to Jeff Conine in Baltimore last year) and it would add another cast member to the reality show, "Useful players on the '04 Red Sox who the Yankees felt the need to acquire", currently starring the aforementioned Mientkiwicz, Mike Myers, Mark Bellhorn, and Alan Embree.
5. Jose Canseco
Hey, the last time Yankees won the World Series, Canseco was on the roster - even though they only claimed him off waivers as a reflex, and were left holding the bag when the Devil Rays said, "Sure, take him and his contract - he's yours!" The fact that no one has even pondered bringing Canseco back to the bigs points to a lack of creativity and imagination that makes me yearn for a Veeck owning a big league team. I mean, think about it - Canseco hasn't actually been banned from baseball - what would Selig do if someone actually signed him? The implications are hysterical. Plus, he can add some depth as a knuckle-balling relief pitcher.
Boston Speculation
The game appears to have started - Mikey Lowell left 'em loaded to end the first, which does not bode well...
As the voice of the Red Sox fan here, I seem to be killing a lot of digital trees talking about the Yankees, so I would be remiss if I didn't address Boston's short-comings.
Teams can always use bullpen help, but with Kaji and Pap, the Sox are pretty strong at the end of games - and Snyder, Donelly, Lopez, and Romero certainly haven't embarassed themselves. If Tavarez's surprisingly effective start as a starter translates to the bullpen, and Mike Timlin can be modestly effective, I don't see the Sox needing to make a move. Historically, grabbing a set-up man for the stretch run (Bagwell for Anderson) has not worked out well for the Sox. Piniero is a lost cause, and Delcarmen and Hansen don't exactly resemble the cavalry right now, but I don't think that Theo needs to muck with the bullpen too much.
The issue at hand for the Red Sox is that their primary needs are locked up in big contracts. The team is set at the following positions: 1B (Youkilis), 2B (Pedroia/Cora), 3B (Lowell), LF (Man-Ram), and DH (Big Papi).
I don't know where the Sox will go for catching help with the steady decay of Jason Varitek, but it's not like there are options out there on the trade market, so I'll take a pass on that one.
SS Julio Lugo was signed to a 4-year contract this offseason, at a salary that makes him essentially untradable. Last year, when he went to the Dodgers (amidst tampering charges by the Devil Rays against the Red Sox, who were apparently gauging his long-term signability), Lugo was the best shortstop available. This year? Well, I imagine Jack Wilson will be available, but I don't see what that would accomplish. Since Hanley Ramirez went away (thankfully Lowell and Beckett have made that palatable) and Pedroia became a second baseman, the Sox don't have any prospects at short (insert Freddy Sanchez and David Eckstein joke here), so for the foreseeable future, Lugo will keep his job.
I've gone on and on about J.D. Drew in this space before (I think I'll be repeating myself in regards to both him and the next player I'm focusing on) - but the Red Sox are in the same boat with Drew as they are with Lugo. 5 years and $70 million is a big commitment, which leaves the Red Sox in a situation where they can neither trade nor bench the guy. I know there's a lot of Byzantine contract language whereby the Red Sox can void the contract if he injures his left index finger on the third day after a full moon in an away game played on turf in a month that begins with a vowel, but like Lugo, the Sox are pretty well stuck with J.D.
Which brings us, of course, to Covelli Loyce Crisp - a centerfielder desperately trying to have hit glove carry his bat, and without much success. Coco's locked up for a couple of years, anyway, and neither Torii Hunter nor Andruw Jones (a.k.a the Human K) are realistic options. Both have their issues (injury-prone, overrated) and both are free agents at the end of the year, which would make them summer rentals. There's also the fact that both Terry Ryan and John Schuerholz are more than capable of fleecing the Red Sox.
On top of that, there's Jacoby Ellsbury. Every 15 years or so, the Red Sox seem to develop a very-good-to-great center fielder - Dom Dimaggio, Tony Conigliaro/Reggie Smith, Fred Lynn, Ellis Burks - Ellsbury stands to be the latest in the line. That or the next Bob Zupcic. Either way, he currently represents the future in Center Field, so going out and picking up a contract someone else is looking to unload (again, do you think Gary Matthews, Jr. is available?), I'd rather see the Sox stick it out with Coco and let Ellsbury develop.
Last I checked it was 9-3 Yankees. Maybe a rainout wouldn't have been so bad after all...
Friday, June 1, 2007
What Can I Say??
This is it from me, I've posted a lot this week and yes, the Red Sox and Yankees meet this weekend. Having not commented on it and Doug pointing that out, I had to say something.
To me, I'm not sure what the significance of this next series will be if anything at all. As Doug mentioned, there's an over-saturation of the Rivalry in the media, the playing schedule--and what else is there to say about it that someone else hasn't said already? In my view, even if the Yankees win the series, it doesn't prove that they can come out of the crater they've already created for themselves. They can't beat the teams they need to be beating.
The best thing that could happen this weekend is that something happens that sparks the Yankees to come together as a team. And only this Rivalry could provide that sort of spark be it a fight, a comeback win, or just plain old grittiness. I think being the Yankees fan here that maybe I'm looking for a sign, some hope, and that could be the significance of the series if this spark does happen this weekend. But I had some hope when the Yankees took the last series which was squashed immediately afterward.
With the continued injury bug hitting up the Yankees, the team is shifting its lineup and player's roles again. The team can't adjust in time--once you get used to one thing the circumstances change again. Yes, excuses, excuses--this is the Yankees, there's no excuse for not winning. But nothing has gone "according to the script" this year in terms of the Yankees winning. And the more they lose, the more likely the Boss will change the entire direction of the team.
That could be the other significant outcome if the Yankees lose badly. The Boss may have a soft side at times, but he's low on patience when the W's aren't appearing in the standings. And in the past few years the Boss' decisions to bring about change didn't go his way. That includes giving Cashman more decision making power, which is what the Boss would say since "rebuilding", "prospects", and "farm system" are not in his vocabulary. Those are just things that put off a championship another year.
Criticism aside it's always fun to watch the Rivalry because anything can happen, emotions are high, and the competition is great. I'm just going to be looking for that spark though so I can have some upbeat posts next week.
To me, I'm not sure what the significance of this next series will be if anything at all. As Doug mentioned, there's an over-saturation of the Rivalry in the media, the playing schedule--and what else is there to say about it that someone else hasn't said already? In my view, even if the Yankees win the series, it doesn't prove that they can come out of the crater they've already created for themselves. They can't beat the teams they need to be beating.
The best thing that could happen this weekend is that something happens that sparks the Yankees to come together as a team. And only this Rivalry could provide that sort of spark be it a fight, a comeback win, or just plain old grittiness. I think being the Yankees fan here that maybe I'm looking for a sign, some hope, and that could be the significance of the series if this spark does happen this weekend. But I had some hope when the Yankees took the last series which was squashed immediately afterward.
With the continued injury bug hitting up the Yankees, the team is shifting its lineup and player's roles again. The team can't adjust in time--once you get used to one thing the circumstances change again. Yes, excuses, excuses--this is the Yankees, there's no excuse for not winning. But nothing has gone "according to the script" this year in terms of the Yankees winning. And the more they lose, the more likely the Boss will change the entire direction of the team.
That could be the other significant outcome if the Yankees lose badly. The Boss may have a soft side at times, but he's low on patience when the W's aren't appearing in the standings. And in the past few years the Boss' decisions to bring about change didn't go his way. That includes giving Cashman more decision making power, which is what the Boss would say since "rebuilding", "prospects", and "farm system" are not in his vocabulary. Those are just things that put off a championship another year.
Criticism aside it's always fun to watch the Rivalry because anything can happen, emotions are high, and the competition is great. I'm just going to be looking for that spark though so I can have some upbeat posts next week.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Posting Triumphant
Well, since Teddy's gone for the weekend and won't post (during a Sox/Yankees series - bad form!), I will begin shaping this blog in the image of my own baseball philosophy.
Mainly, I need to pick up on things that I left unmentioned in my last post, and that Teddy's latest jogged my memory on.
'Kay, the Rocket is coming back. And pitching against the White Sox.
The way the White Sox are hitting, what's the difference between this and another AA start?
Johnny Damon needs to go on the DL - perhaps the least revelatory revelation since "Lindsey Lohan needs to go into rehab". On top of this, the Yankees are apparently considering trading him. I guess they figured since that he and Derek Jeter are the only productive hitters the Yankees have this year, and Jeter is untradable, they have to trade Johnny.
Hey, ya think Gary Matthews, Jr. is available?
Hmmmm... so the Yankees wanted to trade Giambi, and now he's hurt. So they might trade for Richie Sexson. Sexson would essentially replace Doug "I'm taking my ball and going home" Mientkiwicz.
A comparison (BA/OBP/SLG):
Richie S.: .195/.298/.390
Dougie M.: .217/.286/.375
I guess that's a slight upgrade on the OPS-sensitive statistics, but Minky is a better defensive 1B (though with Giambi hurt I guess Sexson would DH) but is Sexson's level of production really worth $15.5 Million?
I'm just sayin's all...
'K, that's all I really have to think about - more posts will come over the weekend, even if Teddy is shirking his obligations.
Mainly, I need to pick up on things that I left unmentioned in my last post, and that Teddy's latest jogged my memory on.
'Kay, the Rocket is coming back. And pitching against the White Sox.
The way the White Sox are hitting, what's the difference between this and another AA start?
Johnny Damon needs to go on the DL - perhaps the least revelatory revelation since "Lindsey Lohan needs to go into rehab". On top of this, the Yankees are apparently considering trading him. I guess they figured since that he and Derek Jeter are the only productive hitters the Yankees have this year, and Jeter is untradable, they have to trade Johnny.
Hey, ya think Gary Matthews, Jr. is available?
Hmmmm... so the Yankees wanted to trade Giambi, and now he's hurt. So they might trade for Richie Sexson. Sexson would essentially replace Doug "I'm taking my ball and going home" Mientkiwicz.
A comparison (BA/OBP/SLG):
Richie S.: .195/.298/.390
Dougie M.: .217/.286/.375
I guess that's a slight upgrade on the OPS-sensitive statistics, but Minky is a better defensive 1B (though with Giambi hurt I guess Sexson would DH) but is Sexson's level of production really worth $15.5 Million?
I'm just sayin's all...
'K, that's all I really have to think about - more posts will come over the weekend, even if Teddy is shirking his obligations.
Final Thoughts for the Week
I'm headed out for the weekend tomorrow and won't have internet access, so I thought I'd share a few final thoughts on the Yankees this week since there's a lot to talk about since last night.
- First my last word on A-Rod, and it does look like he said "mine". A lots been said about it today and I blogged on it as it happened last night. Players and analysts seem split on their reaction to it. Right now Baseball Tonight the analysts are discussing if it was unsportsmanlike and Dusty Baker, Fernando Vina, and the other guy have basically confirmed that it happens a lot and isn't unsportsmanlike. So if it's part of the game and A-Rod even says it happens to him every week it must be okay to do. My opinion on it is that someone of A-Rod's caliber doesn't need to play that way. I'll throw a prediction in here, look for A-Rod to be beaned or brushed back next time the Yankees play Toronto.
- This didn't make big news, but Phil Hughes had a set back in his rehabbing. He tweaked his ankle and is expected to miss another 4-6 weeks. Starting Monday the Yankee rotation is Clemens, Mussina, Wang, Pettitte, and a swing man. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise that'll save Hughes' arm down the stretch. Perhaps it's a chance for Kei Igawa (yeah, remember him?) to come back. Anyone know how he's doing in the minors? I do. He needs more work. But however you look at it, the Yankees rotation just can't find any consistency this year other than Pavano being out.
- The last bit of news was another injury--Jason Giambi's foot is in bad shape. Reports vary saying at least three weeks to the rest of the season. Whatever the case, torn tissue in your foot sounds pretty significant. Significant enough to get another slugger through a trade (Richie Sexson). Giambi's April was great and his May the opposite, so it's hard to say where his season was going. But the Yankees lose a guy who still has some power and is one of their top OBP guys, so this puts a dent in the offenses armor.
I'll end this post by saying the Yankees need to put another player on the DL--Johnny Damon. Maybe Damon can DH now, but his calf and legs need a rest. Being a student of economics, a situation like Damon's is about tradeoffs. If you keep him in while he's hurt, he may produce but he's more likely to worsen the injury. If you take him out, there goes your leadoff man and some productivity. But if I played a drinking game this season where I did a shot of hard alcohol for every time Damon has winced in pain because his legs aren't good, I'd of been dead before this blog was even started.
Everything I can think of right now
Well, I promised earlier this week that I'd post something tonight regarding the Sox-Yankees series, and considering the fact that Teddy out-blogged the world this week, I'm definitely due to post.
I'd hoped that I'd have nothing more than a succinct summary-in-preview of this weekend's Yankees-Red Sox series, but right now there are a lot of ins, a lot of outs, a lot of things going on in the old Duder's head.
So I'll just plunge right in.
Bush League
I'll admit to being a little disappointed that Teddy broke the latest A-Fraud bush league tactic story before I did. I only caught up with it this morning. The salient facts seem to be that Howie Clark heard "Mine!" and A-Rod claims to have yelled "Something like - 'Hah!' Whatever, I have to go see my therapist and reapply my purple lipstick."
What strikes me now is the same thing that struck me after the Bronson Arroyo karate chop in the 2004 ALCS - the complete and utter lack of support that A-Rod received from his teammates.
The most resounding endorsment, as recounted in an AP story, was this:
"I wasn't sure that was allowed," outfielder Johnny Damon said. "If it is, maybe we'll keep on doing it."
I wonder if Johnny Damon would give the same answer about marrying a woman, having three kids with her, and then dumping her for a stripper...
This was a Bush League move - and Teddy was wandering dangerously close to Karl Rove territory trying to defend it.
A-Rod, in the same AP story:
"Honestly, I couldn't care less," he said. "They have their opinions. We're looking not to be swept."
OK, the baseball world lives under a cloud of steroid suspicion, and everyone bemoans that a jerk like Barry Bonds is going to break class act Henry Aaron's home run record.
Alex Rodriguez is the single most talented baseball player in the major leagues today. It's almost a crime against nature that he's playing third while Derek "Defensive Liability" Jeter is trotted out at shortstop every day. Ever since he signed that contract with the Rangers, A-Rod has had a target on his back.
So why doesn't he try to rise above it? Why doesn't he try to be a class act like Aaron, or his idol and close friend, Cal Ripken, Jr.? I grew up going to Orioles' games every other Sunday, and Cal Ripken pulling a move like that would have been the equivalent to a crab cake shortage in the Chesapeake State.
Maybe it isn't fair that A-Rod is held to a higher standard than other players. If a classically under-talented, over-achieving player like David Eckstein had pulled the same maneuver (actually, he's too classy - A.J. Pierzynski would be a better example), I might have smirked and privately applauded the move.
If you're the best player in a sport, you don't pull this. I don't see Tom Brady taking a snap, huddling with the other 10 players on the field, stuffing the ball up his shirt to hide it, and then sprinting for a touchdown. Of course, Brady (despite the whole children-out-of-wedlock-thing) has class.
A-Fraud is just... well, earning his nickname.
The Boss
Buster Onley, formerly of The New York Times, currently of espn.com, wrote an excellent book a few years ago - "The Last Night of the Yankees Dynasty" - which essentially chronicled the team's ascent in the late '90s with homegrown players and carefully chosen free agents to its current state of demise as a rotisserie All-Star team.
Reading this book complicated my view of George Steinbrenner - a man I will soon denegrate again in an installment of "Scenes from the Yankees' Front Office".
Steinbrenner's single-minded pursuit of total success at any cost is both true and well-documented, but there are nuances to the man.
As a boy, he went to military school. When he came into his inheritance and bought the Yankees, his father called it "the first smart thing" he had ever done.
He has feuded with players and managers alike, and has done a lot of this through the press, which does not exactly lend a sheen of class to the proceedings.
But then...
In the '98-'99 offseason, Albert Belle was a free agent - as were Bernie Williams (NYY) and Mo Vaughn (BOS).
The Boss had apparently grown disenchanted with Berniewhocky, and wanted Belle at all costs. The Duke (Red Sox GM Dan Duquette) was ready to let the Hit Dawg walk and sign Bernie.
Everything was going according to plan.
And then, as has become frustatingly typical in Free Agent dealings, Scott Boras stepped in.
In a last ditch effort to keep Bernie in the Bronx, Boras arranged a meeting with the Steinbrenner and the rest of the Yankees' brain trust.
In this meeting, Bernie explained that although the Red Sox had put more money on the table, he wanted to be a Yankee.
Tears in his eyes, the Boss reportedly responded, "Son, you always will be."
And the deal was done.
Then the Red Sox signed Jose Offerman.
...
Excuse me, I just threw up in my mouth.
That is a response to the Awfulman signing, not Steinbrenner's sentiments toward Bernie Williams. In fact, that anecdote (from the aforementioned Olney book) makes me appreciate the Boss even more.
Also, he just donated $1 million to Virginia Tech after the recent massacre.
But that isn't the moment I appreciate about the Boss the most. That moment came at the conclusion of the '04 ALCS, after the Red Sox completed their improbable comeback and were celebrating on the field at Yankee Stadium.
Apparently, his Tampa flunkies came to the Owner's box - each of them eager to be the first to express their disgust and their desire to an end to the celebration on the field.
"Leave the lights on, boys," Steinbrenner said. He wanted to give the Red Sox have their moment.
I could rehash all of the horrible things that the Boss has said and done over the years, but I thought it was worthwhile to recognize his finer points before I went back to making fun of him.
Rivalry Reduxing
I was complaining about this earlier tonight - over the past few years there has been an oversaturation in the media regarding the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, and then an oversaturation of media members devoting entire pieces to said oversaturation.
And here I thought it was a good idea to participate a blog on just that subject.
Due to unbalanced division schedules, the Yankees and Red Sox are destined to play each other 18-19 times a season, spread over 6 series, for the foreseeable future.
I understand that there are travel schedules to consider, but in a 6-month season, couldn't we just have a series a month from April to September? How is that these two teams will have already played each other 12 times before the Ides of June?
The point of my Red Sox/Yankees Bench Player Smackdown post was the fact that we're already running out of things to write here.
The middle of the season will be more fun, when we can observe these Reduxed Rivals as independent entitites on parallel tracks, but for now I will address the matter soon at hand.
The Series
This time, neither team is screwing around.
This is a Cold-War-Soviet-Era arms race. Wakefield vs. Wang, Schilling vs. Mussina, Beckett vs. Pettite. Back-to-back-to-back marquee pitching matchups.
I said a lot of the same things before the last series (in which the Sox went 1-2), but if this comes down to the bullpen, the Sox are in a lot better shape than the Skanks.
What I'll focus on here is the Right Field position for both teams.
Bobby Abreu and J.D. Drew are both underperforming at horrific levels, particularly given what they're paid. Both of them hid their low power numbers by drawing a ton of walks at the beginning of the season, but lately neither of them is doing even that.
It would be exciting to see one, the other, or both, break out this week. In fact, I think it's going to happen for at least one of them. J.D. Drew has been hitting the ball hard (even if he's hitting into outs) lately, and is still desperate to shed the "Nancy Drew" label. As for Abreu... well, he seems to care about succeeding with the Yankees' about as much as he cared about succeeding in Philly, which is to say not all that much.
Therefore, I expect Abreu to post a 5.000 OPS this weekend.
There's not much I can say that isn't repeating myself - the Red Sox have the best record in baseball, despite the fact that key players (I'm looking at you, Julio Lugo, Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew, and Coco Crisp) aren't performing up to expectations. These guys have nowhere to go but up.
The Yankees still have a juggernaut of an offense, and need to be bailed out by guys like Tyler Clippard.
I say this with great trepidation, but I'll say it...
Advantage, Red Sox.
I'd hoped that I'd have nothing more than a succinct summary-in-preview of this weekend's Yankees-Red Sox series, but right now there are a lot of ins, a lot of outs, a lot of things going on in the old Duder's head.
So I'll just plunge right in.
Bush League
I'll admit to being a little disappointed that Teddy broke the latest A-Fraud bush league tactic story before I did. I only caught up with it this morning. The salient facts seem to be that Howie Clark heard "Mine!" and A-Rod claims to have yelled "Something like - 'Hah!' Whatever, I have to go see my therapist and reapply my purple lipstick."
What strikes me now is the same thing that struck me after the Bronson Arroyo karate chop in the 2004 ALCS - the complete and utter lack of support that A-Rod received from his teammates.
The most resounding endorsment, as recounted in an AP story, was this:
"I wasn't sure that was allowed," outfielder Johnny Damon said. "If it is, maybe we'll keep on doing it."
I wonder if Johnny Damon would give the same answer about marrying a woman, having three kids with her, and then dumping her for a stripper...
This was a Bush League move - and Teddy was wandering dangerously close to Karl Rove territory trying to defend it.
A-Rod, in the same AP story:
"Honestly, I couldn't care less," he said. "They have their opinions. We're looking not to be swept."
OK, the baseball world lives under a cloud of steroid suspicion, and everyone bemoans that a jerk like Barry Bonds is going to break class act Henry Aaron's home run record.
Alex Rodriguez is the single most talented baseball player in the major leagues today. It's almost a crime against nature that he's playing third while Derek "Defensive Liability" Jeter is trotted out at shortstop every day. Ever since he signed that contract with the Rangers, A-Rod has had a target on his back.
So why doesn't he try to rise above it? Why doesn't he try to be a class act like Aaron, or his idol and close friend, Cal Ripken, Jr.? I grew up going to Orioles' games every other Sunday, and Cal Ripken pulling a move like that would have been the equivalent to a crab cake shortage in the Chesapeake State.
Maybe it isn't fair that A-Rod is held to a higher standard than other players. If a classically under-talented, over-achieving player like David Eckstein had pulled the same maneuver (actually, he's too classy - A.J. Pierzynski would be a better example), I might have smirked and privately applauded the move.
If you're the best player in a sport, you don't pull this. I don't see Tom Brady taking a snap, huddling with the other 10 players on the field, stuffing the ball up his shirt to hide it, and then sprinting for a touchdown. Of course, Brady (despite the whole children-out-of-wedlock-thing) has class.
A-Fraud is just... well, earning his nickname.
The Boss
Buster Onley, formerly of The New York Times, currently of espn.com, wrote an excellent book a few years ago - "The Last Night of the Yankees Dynasty" - which essentially chronicled the team's ascent in the late '90s with homegrown players and carefully chosen free agents to its current state of demise as a rotisserie All-Star team.
Reading this book complicated my view of George Steinbrenner - a man I will soon denegrate again in an installment of "Scenes from the Yankees' Front Office".
Steinbrenner's single-minded pursuit of total success at any cost is both true and well-documented, but there are nuances to the man.
As a boy, he went to military school. When he came into his inheritance and bought the Yankees, his father called it "the first smart thing" he had ever done.
He has feuded with players and managers alike, and has done a lot of this through the press, which does not exactly lend a sheen of class to the proceedings.
But then...
In the '98-'99 offseason, Albert Belle was a free agent - as were Bernie Williams (NYY) and Mo Vaughn (BOS).
The Boss had apparently grown disenchanted with Berniewhocky, and wanted Belle at all costs. The Duke (Red Sox GM Dan Duquette) was ready to let the Hit Dawg walk and sign Bernie.
Everything was going according to plan.
And then, as has become frustatingly typical in Free Agent dealings, Scott Boras stepped in.
In a last ditch effort to keep Bernie in the Bronx, Boras arranged a meeting with the Steinbrenner and the rest of the Yankees' brain trust.
In this meeting, Bernie explained that although the Red Sox had put more money on the table, he wanted to be a Yankee.
Tears in his eyes, the Boss reportedly responded, "Son, you always will be."
And the deal was done.
Then the Red Sox signed Jose Offerman.
...
Excuse me, I just threw up in my mouth.
That is a response to the Awfulman signing, not Steinbrenner's sentiments toward Bernie Williams. In fact, that anecdote (from the aforementioned Olney book) makes me appreciate the Boss even more.
Also, he just donated $1 million to Virginia Tech after the recent massacre.
But that isn't the moment I appreciate about the Boss the most. That moment came at the conclusion of the '04 ALCS, after the Red Sox completed their improbable comeback and were celebrating on the field at Yankee Stadium.
Apparently, his Tampa flunkies came to the Owner's box - each of them eager to be the first to express their disgust and their desire to an end to the celebration on the field.
"Leave the lights on, boys," Steinbrenner said. He wanted to give the Red Sox have their moment.
I could rehash all of the horrible things that the Boss has said and done over the years, but I thought it was worthwhile to recognize his finer points before I went back to making fun of him.
Rivalry Reduxing
I was complaining about this earlier tonight - over the past few years there has been an oversaturation in the media regarding the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, and then an oversaturation of media members devoting entire pieces to said oversaturation.
And here I thought it was a good idea to participate a blog on just that subject.
Due to unbalanced division schedules, the Yankees and Red Sox are destined to play each other 18-19 times a season, spread over 6 series, for the foreseeable future.
I understand that there are travel schedules to consider, but in a 6-month season, couldn't we just have a series a month from April to September? How is that these two teams will have already played each other 12 times before the Ides of June?
The point of my Red Sox/Yankees Bench Player Smackdown post was the fact that we're already running out of things to write here.
The middle of the season will be more fun, when we can observe these Reduxed Rivals as independent entitites on parallel tracks, but for now I will address the matter soon at hand.
The Series
This time, neither team is screwing around.
This is a Cold-War-Soviet-Era arms race. Wakefield vs. Wang, Schilling vs. Mussina, Beckett vs. Pettite. Back-to-back-to-back marquee pitching matchups.
I said a lot of the same things before the last series (in which the Sox went 1-2), but if this comes down to the bullpen, the Sox are in a lot better shape than the Skanks.
What I'll focus on here is the Right Field position for both teams.
Bobby Abreu and J.D. Drew are both underperforming at horrific levels, particularly given what they're paid. Both of them hid their low power numbers by drawing a ton of walks at the beginning of the season, but lately neither of them is doing even that.
It would be exciting to see one, the other, or both, break out this week. In fact, I think it's going to happen for at least one of them. J.D. Drew has been hitting the ball hard (even if he's hitting into outs) lately, and is still desperate to shed the "Nancy Drew" label. As for Abreu... well, he seems to care about succeeding with the Yankees' about as much as he cared about succeeding in Philly, which is to say not all that much.
Therefore, I expect Abreu to post a 5.000 OPS this weekend.
There's not much I can say that isn't repeating myself - the Red Sox have the best record in baseball, despite the fact that key players (I'm looking at you, Julio Lugo, Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew, and Coco Crisp) aren't performing up to expectations. These guys have nowhere to go but up.
The Yankees still have a juggernaut of an offense, and need to be bailed out by guys like Tyler Clippard.
I say this with great trepidation, but I'll say it...
Advantage, Red Sox.
If You're Reading this Read the Previous Post First
Okay well ESPN showed THE replay. A-Rod did not yell, "I got it", but rather looks like he just yelled, "Ahhh" or "HAAA" really quickly as he went by Toronto third baseman. It's kinda stupid that he would resort to doing that, but I have to argue that Clark, the guy attempting to make the catch, should have caught it still. It was a routine pop up. So you're telling me fans, who do the same thing from the stands, would distract Clark as well?
Either way, it distracted Clark and lead to two more runs and a Yankee win. Maybe A-Rod would have been great on the soccer field.
Either way, it distracted Clark and lead to two more runs and a Yankee win. Maybe A-Rod would have been great on the soccer field.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
This Sure Isn't Football
Catching the last bit of the Yankees game, Jorge Posada popped the ball up to third base with two outs in the top of ninth. As A-Rod ran by Howie Clark the third baseman, Clark at the last moment got his way out of the play and the ball dropped in for a single. Watching the reply it seemed as though Clark thought John MacDonald called off Clark for the catch and in fact, MacDonald almost went after A-Rod claiming A-Rod yelled, "I got it" as he ran by Clark.
But this isn't about whether A-Rod did something cheap because I really don't know. Why don't I know? Because the YES Network airing the game on MLB TV did something clever. They only showed two angles of the play from far away, so you couldn't even see A-Rod jawing as he went by if that even happened. But one of the angles they showed from the third base side was played with the recorded sound of the play. And of course you couldn't hear anything because it sounded like the mic was all the way back in the third base stands where the camera was. I kept waiting for the camera that would have followed A-Rod close up, but there was no such camera shot shown.
I'm a bit suspicious of this and waiting to see if anything more is shown on Baseball Tonight or ESPN, but the damn NBA is on right now (I'm not a NBA basketball fan FYI). If A-Rod did yell, "I got it" as he ran by and there was a camera shot showing that, I wouldn't be shocked if it's YES policy not to show something like that, especially now. First off it's A-Rod and we all remember the whole knock the ball out of Arroyo's glove in '04. So another cheap play = more A-Fraud comments. Also the Yankees were actually winning at the time, so it would have been considered a cheap win.
But like I said, I don't know if A-Rod yelled anything at all.
If anyone heard it, it would have been Clark or Larry Bowa or the third base umpire. Neither Clark nor the third base umpire got into it with A-Rod. Even so, I don't think it's a rule--there was no contact and I would think a player could yell anything at anytime on the field unless they have turrets or something.
Anyways, I've heard some broadcasters complain about missed calls and there's a small group in favor of instant replay like in football. I don't think that's a great idea for the game, can you imagine a manager throwing a flag out in the middle of a baseball game. How could Lou Pinella be Lou Pinella throwing a tantrum in the middle of the field? It just wouldn't be baseball anymore.
And on another note, the level of cheating and tom foolery on the ball field (steriods aside) isn't the way it used to be back in the day. It's much worse in other sports. Here's my list of sports
where I ranked by the level of cheapness and tom foolery from highest to lowest.
1. Soccer: I watched some World Cup games and some of those guys are big babies and do anything for a foul.
2. NBA: Another game where people fake fouls. But they need more acting lessons to be par with soccer players.
3. Hockey: It happens every once in a while and power plays are key, that's why it's done. Still not right though.
4. Football: Although there's instant replay, some players try to fake being interfered with or anything to get a flag thrown.
5. Baseball: You don't see it much, but when you do it's big news (ie: Kenny Rogers "smudge", Sammy Sosa corked bat, Bobby Valentine's dugout disguise).
I don't have a conclusion other than YES failed to inform me. A game like football, tends to show all the angles. If anyone has the video tape this play tonight I'd like to see/hear it.
But this isn't about whether A-Rod did something cheap because I really don't know. Why don't I know? Because the YES Network airing the game on MLB TV did something clever. They only showed two angles of the play from far away, so you couldn't even see A-Rod jawing as he went by if that even happened. But one of the angles they showed from the third base side was played with the recorded sound of the play. And of course you couldn't hear anything because it sounded like the mic was all the way back in the third base stands where the camera was. I kept waiting for the camera that would have followed A-Rod close up, but there was no such camera shot shown.
I'm a bit suspicious of this and waiting to see if anything more is shown on Baseball Tonight or ESPN, but the damn NBA is on right now (I'm not a NBA basketball fan FYI). If A-Rod did yell, "I got it" as he ran by and there was a camera shot showing that, I wouldn't be shocked if it's YES policy not to show something like that, especially now. First off it's A-Rod and we all remember the whole knock the ball out of Arroyo's glove in '04. So another cheap play = more A-Fraud comments. Also the Yankees were actually winning at the time, so it would have been considered a cheap win.
But like I said, I don't know if A-Rod yelled anything at all.
If anyone heard it, it would have been Clark or Larry Bowa or the third base umpire. Neither Clark nor the third base umpire got into it with A-Rod. Even so, I don't think it's a rule--there was no contact and I would think a player could yell anything at anytime on the field unless they have turrets or something.
Anyways, I've heard some broadcasters complain about missed calls and there's a small group in favor of instant replay like in football. I don't think that's a great idea for the game, can you imagine a manager throwing a flag out in the middle of a baseball game. How could Lou Pinella be Lou Pinella throwing a tantrum in the middle of the field? It just wouldn't be baseball anymore.
And on another note, the level of cheating and tom foolery on the ball field (steriods aside) isn't the way it used to be back in the day. It's much worse in other sports. Here's my list of sports
where I ranked by the level of cheapness and tom foolery from highest to lowest.
1. Soccer: I watched some World Cup games and some of those guys are big babies and do anything for a foul.
2. NBA: Another game where people fake fouls. But they need more acting lessons to be par with soccer players.
3. Hockey: It happens every once in a while and power plays are key, that's why it's done. Still not right though.
4. Football: Although there's instant replay, some players try to fake being interfered with or anything to get a flag thrown.
5. Baseball: You don't see it much, but when you do it's big news (ie: Kenny Rogers "smudge", Sammy Sosa corked bat, Bobby Valentine's dugout disguise).
I don't have a conclusion other than YES failed to inform me. A game like football, tends to show all the angles. If anyone has the video tape this play tonight I'd like to see/hear it.
Hey Readers--Go ahead and comment away!
I sent an email to some folks that would be interested in reading this blog and one of them got back to me and said they couldn't comment because they didn't use gmail or whatever Google online product. Yes, Google manages blogspot. So I looked into it.
Since we have no idea if anyone's reading this blog and that people may want to comment, I have changed this setting.
Anyone can comment now and please do because I'm tired of just responding to Doug's blogs! I'm joking, but it'd be interesting to see what our readers think of what we write.
So please go on and let out whatever you've been wanting to vent about in baseball.
Since we have no idea if anyone's reading this blog and that people may want to comment, I have changed this setting.
Anyone can comment now and please do because I'm tired of just responding to Doug's blogs! I'm joking, but it'd be interesting to see what our readers think of what we write.
So please go on and let out whatever you've been wanting to vent about in baseball.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
A Night in with MLB TV and My Thoughts
One of the best investments I've made the last couple of years regarding technology has been MLB's MLB TV. If you've never heard of it and you like watching a lot of baseball, travel on the road like myself, and your significant other can't stand baseball (also true for me)--it's worth it. You can watch any out-of-market baseball game on your computer live or watch any archieved game as long as you have a high-speed internet connection. The main reasons why I have purchased it the last two years are: 1) Not being able to watch the Yankees whenever I wanted unless they were on ESPN or Fox (which means having to hear Tim MacCarver or Joe Morgan or Rick Sutcliffe all of whom I detest) or having to just read the box scores everyday and 2) I could buy the MLB season subscription for my TV, but that means I would hog the TV almost everyday while my girlfriend day-by-day considers buying a sledgehammer. So it's a happy medium, I can get baseball other than on ESPN and Fox and my girlfriend can stand me a bit more. Okay, so I've pushed the product here a bit, but it is great (especially when you're bored at work, co-workers reading this please ignore that comment).
Usually on a night like tonight when I'm actually in for once, I'll catch the Yankee game and then basically game surf to see how my fantasy baseball players are doing, catch a team I don't normally watch, but generally to catch some baseball. Sometimes I catch some crazy stuff as I'm flipping through. For example tonight:
- I flipped on the Mets vs. Giants game in the 12th inning when it was tied 3-3. With one out and a man on third, a Giant grounds to first where Delgado fields, tags first, spins and throws to Lo Duca at home where Omar Vizquel gets in just ahead of the tag to put the Giants up 4-3. It wasn't the best decision on Delgado's part, he could have held the runner at third and gotten the second out at first, but instead he elected for the double play to get out of the inning. Then the Mets came up against Armando Benitez, the Mets old closer, who the crowd seemed to get at tonight. He gave up a leadoff walk to Reyes on a full count. It amazes me how quickly Reyes has developed plate discipline the last two seasons (thanks to Rickey Henderson). Anyway, this is where Benitez lost it because he got distracted and balked Reyes to second. Chavez then layed down a perfect bunt to advance Reyes to third only to be followed by another Benitez balk. Reyes scores tying the game. But it didn't end there. Delgado was up, who'd made that bad decision the half inning before and Benitez throws one in his sweet spot and Delgado rips it deep into right field to win the game. I have never seen two balks in an inning by a veteran closer who then gave up the long ball because he couldn't compose himself.
- Watching the Yankees game--I'll leave my frustrations out of here--Aaron Hill finds a weakness in Pettitte's delivery. Hill was on third and their was a runner at first base. Anyone who knows Pettitte's delivery knows when he's in the stretch, he still uses a high leg lift, which often fools runners at first. Pettitte is one of the best pitchers who can pick off a runner at first the last 10 years because of this. But what was interesting was that Hill, who has decent speed, saw Pettitte paying too much attention to the runner at first base. And just as I did many times in Colt League, he took off for home. It took Posada's yelling at Pettitte and for Pettitte himself a good couple of seconds before he made a throw. Hill was about two-thirds of the way home before Pettitte was ready to throw home and easily scored. This was the turning point in the game.
- Right now I just switched to the Rangers at Oakland where not much has happened yet, but I'm hoping something will.
Some evenings can be interesting like this while others there are little things that go on. I end up appreciating more and more about the game as I watch more and more baseball. My girlfriend will never understand but Doug and whatever loyal readers we may have right now will.
I had some thoughts on early Cy Young contenders this year. There is a good group of pitchers this year in both leagues and obviously it will come down to the stats of overall record, wins and ERA that decide who wins it.
In the AL I'd rank the top five pitchers as such: 1. Beckett, BOS; 2. John Lackey, LAA; 3. Johan Santana, MIN; 4. C.C. Sabathia, CLE and 5. Dan Haren, OAK
Beckett just came back tonight and won, he's now 8-0. Lackey also has 8 wins, Santana is always going to contend for the Cy, Sabathia keeps improving every year, and Haren currently has a 1.70 ERA leading the AL. Lackey has always been considered a contender but never won more than 15 games in a season, but given the way the Angels are playing he could do that this year. I think the Cy is between Lackey and Santana. Why do I discount Beckett--well I wouldn't be suprised if his blister injury flared up again and he had to go on the DL.
In the NL my top five pitchers are: 1. Jake Peavy, SD; 2. Brad Penny, LAD; 3. John Smoltz, ATL; 4. John Maine, NYM and 5. Time Hudson, ATL
I'm suprised I'd pick Maine and Hudson as well. Despite Hudson's last two starts, he's come back to what he knows, he needed to so that his time in Atlanta was worth it to the Braves and to Hudson himself the last two years. As for Maine, he's an underrated pitcher in my view. Last year he did well filling in and starting and this year he seems to be improving upon whatever his repetoire is. As for Penny, he was about where he is now this time a year ago only to have his shoulder wear down in the second half. Smoltz looks good, but I saw he has another hand injury and possible shoulder injury now, but when healthy the guy can still start or close a game.
But the most impressive pitcher this year has been Peavy. The ERA's under 2.00 and he's striking out 10.4/9 IP. Like Lackey in the AL, Peavy has been said to be a futher Cy Young contender and I believe this is his year to do that.
Battle of the Benches
Just having read Doug's post on battle of the benches between the Red Sox and Yankees I thought I'd weigh in (pun intended, very badly I might add) on the Yankee bench.
Melky Cabrera: No one on the Red Sox has got Melky. 'Nuff said.
Josh Phelps: A fighter finding his way back into the ring. He took his pops at Andy Phillips, but that's amateur stuff. He needs a good ass kicking to step up his game again. Either that or he'll tag in his platoon partner Doug Mientkiewicz.
Wil Nieves: Much like his lack of hitting, he probably doesn't know how to throw a punch, but is very good at catching things like balls and fists.
Miguel Cairo: Cat and mouse style, but it doesn't get him anywhere really.
This exercise has me thinking though--I would like to see the Yankees get into a fight with another team. If only for one thing, Kyle Farnsworth--who has a history of tackling and body slamming players during brawls--that might make his contract worth the while to me.
Melky Cabrera: No one on the Red Sox has got Melky. 'Nuff said.
Josh Phelps: A fighter finding his way back into the ring. He took his pops at Andy Phillips, but that's amateur stuff. He needs a good ass kicking to step up his game again. Either that or he'll tag in his platoon partner Doug Mientkiewicz.
Wil Nieves: Much like his lack of hitting, he probably doesn't know how to throw a punch, but is very good at catching things like balls and fists.
Miguel Cairo: Cat and mouse style, but it doesn't get him anywhere really.
This exercise has me thinking though--I would like to see the Yankees get into a fight with another team. If only for one thing, Kyle Farnsworth--who has a history of tackling and body slamming players during brawls--that might make his contract worth the while to me.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Hindsight and Foresight: Yankee Review May 21st to June 3rd
I'm not avoiding the blog or anything--even with the Yanks now dropping four in a row--when you're away for the week the gf doesn't want you writing about baseball the whole time if ya know what I'm sayin'. I've got a few posts planned for the week, but onto what seemed to be a week of hope that suddenly went ugly for the Yankees.
Before I review this past week, the Yankees season is turning into something I not only feared, but thought would happen one day. Last year, I predicted (wrongly), that the Yankees would not make the playoffs. I seem to be a year off with that prediction. Though the Yankees concentrate on winning the AL East every year by competing with the Red Sox, there are many good teams in the AL (most notably the AL Central as Doug posted about the other day) that are going to give the Yankees a run for their money. The only advice I can give the Yankees today is to play better, with more intensity and work together as a team--none of these factors seem to be working right now.
Onto the reviews!!
Hindsight: May 21st to May 28th
After losing the first Subway Series, the Yankees came off a win going into the next Rivalry series Monday night. Facing Wakefield, who came into the game with a 2.14 ERA, the Yankees offense took advantage of a bad outting clubbing 9 hits off the knuckleballer and walking 5 times. Wang looked sharp for the second game in a row, striking out 5 (way above his career average) and throwing 115 pitches in 6 1/3 IP. It was the only way the Yankees could start of the series. In game two, Taverez pitched well again against the Yanks. Despite his fill in role and Doug's pessimism, which is understandable, Taverez is now 2-0 against the Yankees. But they made up for the poor offensive showing by getting to Schilling and taking the series 2-1. They headed back home winning their first series since the beginning of May to face the Angels. The Angels seem to be the new AL West rival of the Yankees since 2002. It used to be the Mariners in my view going back to the 1995 to 2001 period. But since 2002 the Yankees have gone 22-26 including two first round playoff losses in 2002 and 2006. To sum up the series, it went south quickly. In game one, the pitching couldn't hold down Vladi and the rest of the Angels offense. Once again, Luis Vizcaino was obliterated in an IP. His ERAs over 7.00 now and I thought Farnsworth was aweful. After the first game the Yankee's offense just didn't show up after Escobar and Lackey pitched great games (though watching the 9th inning on Sunday's game where F-Rod was wild was exciting even down to Jeter's 10 or so pitch at bat).
Weekly Stats (which you can safely say are always from ESPN and Baseball Prospectus)
W-L: 2-4
RS/RA: 27/29
Offensive Numbers (BA/OBP/SLG): .265/.359/.415
Pitching Line (ERA/Whip/K per 9/BAA/SLG): 4.33/1.43/5.83/.280/.449
Who's Hot: Andy Pettitte who pitched well again against the Red Sox, in his last five starts he's pitched 34 1/3 IP giving up 9ERs. Unfortunately the Yankees offense doesn't help him much.
Who's Not: Luis Vizcaino. How aweful is he? In 10 of his 24 appearances he's given up at least a run. And in 6 of those 10 appearances he's given up two or more runs. I have a feeling he may be hurt or need some rehab work.
My Yankee of the Week: Robinson Cano. He's been struggling this year, but is showing signs of coming out of it this past week going .391/.417/.652 with 5 RBIs.
Foresight: May 29th to June 3rd
Last week I spoke of distractions. Another one was added this week. At some point, Steinbrenner was going to have to speak about the team, point the blame on someone, and refresh our memories that this is all about winning it all. I didn't think the Boss said anything out of the ordinary, we know his expectations are high and he'll take drastic measures if he has to. I was a bit suprised that the blame was put on Cashman though who in my view played it smart this offseason and started thinking about the long-term and not the next season. The only thing I could see happening during the season is that Cashman loses decision making power and out the door goes Phil Hughes and other minor leaguers for someone past their prime.
This week the Yankees are on the road up in Toronto and back at Fenway. The Yankees need momentum. It seemed they had that it winning the Boston series last week, but there's just no positive consistency from one series to the next. We're heading into June now with a month and a half before half the season is over and two months until the trading deadline. I'm not sure a trade will be in the works--some have said Richie Sexson, but it's more of pitching that the Yankees need. Bad health along with inexperienced starters, and inconsistent starting/relief has done the Yankees in for the most part. But overall it seems to go--when the offense is good, the pitching is terrible and when the pitching is great, the offense doesn't show up. And then you do the hokey pokey and have a 21-27 record.
It's still a long season though and anything can happen. I remember the A's teams a few years ago who were mediocre in the first half and always turned it on in the second half (remember that season when they won 20 in a row?) to make the playoffs. Anything is possible, but as I said earlier in this post--this could be the year the Yankees don't make the playoffs.
Before I review this past week, the Yankees season is turning into something I not only feared, but thought would happen one day. Last year, I predicted (wrongly), that the Yankees would not make the playoffs. I seem to be a year off with that prediction. Though the Yankees concentrate on winning the AL East every year by competing with the Red Sox, there are many good teams in the AL (most notably the AL Central as Doug posted about the other day) that are going to give the Yankees a run for their money. The only advice I can give the Yankees today is to play better, with more intensity and work together as a team--none of these factors seem to be working right now.
Onto the reviews!!
Hindsight: May 21st to May 28th
After losing the first Subway Series, the Yankees came off a win going into the next Rivalry series Monday night. Facing Wakefield, who came into the game with a 2.14 ERA, the Yankees offense took advantage of a bad outting clubbing 9 hits off the knuckleballer and walking 5 times. Wang looked sharp for the second game in a row, striking out 5 (way above his career average) and throwing 115 pitches in 6 1/3 IP. It was the only way the Yankees could start of the series. In game two, Taverez pitched well again against the Yanks. Despite his fill in role and Doug's pessimism, which is understandable, Taverez is now 2-0 against the Yankees. But they made up for the poor offensive showing by getting to Schilling and taking the series 2-1. They headed back home winning their first series since the beginning of May to face the Angels. The Angels seem to be the new AL West rival of the Yankees since 2002. It used to be the Mariners in my view going back to the 1995 to 2001 period. But since 2002 the Yankees have gone 22-26 including two first round playoff losses in 2002 and 2006. To sum up the series, it went south quickly. In game one, the pitching couldn't hold down Vladi and the rest of the Angels offense. Once again, Luis Vizcaino was obliterated in an IP. His ERAs over 7.00 now and I thought Farnsworth was aweful. After the first game the Yankee's offense just didn't show up after Escobar and Lackey pitched great games (though watching the 9th inning on Sunday's game where F-Rod was wild was exciting even down to Jeter's 10 or so pitch at bat).
Weekly Stats (which you can safely say are always from ESPN and Baseball Prospectus)
W-L: 2-4
RS/RA: 27/29
Offensive Numbers (BA/OBP/SLG): .265/.359/.415
Pitching Line (ERA/Whip/K per 9/BAA/SLG): 4.33/1.43/5.83/.280/.449
Who's Hot: Andy Pettitte who pitched well again against the Red Sox, in his last five starts he's pitched 34 1/3 IP giving up 9ERs. Unfortunately the Yankees offense doesn't help him much.
Who's Not: Luis Vizcaino. How aweful is he? In 10 of his 24 appearances he's given up at least a run. And in 6 of those 10 appearances he's given up two or more runs. I have a feeling he may be hurt or need some rehab work.
My Yankee of the Week: Robinson Cano. He's been struggling this year, but is showing signs of coming out of it this past week going .391/.417/.652 with 5 RBIs.
Foresight: May 29th to June 3rd
Last week I spoke of distractions. Another one was added this week. At some point, Steinbrenner was going to have to speak about the team, point the blame on someone, and refresh our memories that this is all about winning it all. I didn't think the Boss said anything out of the ordinary, we know his expectations are high and he'll take drastic measures if he has to. I was a bit suprised that the blame was put on Cashman though who in my view played it smart this offseason and started thinking about the long-term and not the next season. The only thing I could see happening during the season is that Cashman loses decision making power and out the door goes Phil Hughes and other minor leaguers for someone past their prime.
This week the Yankees are on the road up in Toronto and back at Fenway. The Yankees need momentum. It seemed they had that it winning the Boston series last week, but there's just no positive consistency from one series to the next. We're heading into June now with a month and a half before half the season is over and two months until the trading deadline. I'm not sure a trade will be in the works--some have said Richie Sexson, but it's more of pitching that the Yankees need. Bad health along with inexperienced starters, and inconsistent starting/relief has done the Yankees in for the most part. But overall it seems to go--when the offense is good, the pitching is terrible and when the pitching is great, the offense doesn't show up. And then you do the hokey pokey and have a 21-27 record.
It's still a long season though and anything can happen. I remember the A's teams a few years ago who were mediocre in the first half and always turned it on in the second half (remember that season when they won 20 in a row?) to make the playoffs. Anything is possible, but as I said earlier in this post--this could be the year the Yankees don't make the playoffs.
Three steps ahead...
Well, I am appaently ahead of Teddy in coming out with a look forward/look back for this week. Maybe a Yankee fan feels like a Holiday weekend is an excuse to shirk his pseudo-journalistic duties, whereas I, with the feverish devotion of a fan who once thought that Wayne Gomes would solve the Red Sox bullpens woes, muster up the initiative to go to work.
In terms of a look back, there isn't much I can say that I haven't already said during the week while following the Red Sox-Yankees series. The Yankees won 2 out of 3 games, but the Red Sox are still sitting at 34-15 to the Yankees' 21-27.
The Rangers' series was also a pleasant surprise - I had pessimistically predicted a Rangers sweep, and while the Red Sox arms weren't quite up to it (Matsuzaka blowing chunks in the dugout, Wake's knuckler not knuckling, Tavarez settling down to earth), the offense picked them up when they needed it.
Of course, this isn't terribly difficult in A) the Ballpark at Arlington or B) against the Rangers' pitching staff, but it was encouraging to see.
As I type this out, the Sox have begun play against the team with the 2nd-best record in the American League - the Cleveland Indians.
I imagine that Christopher Trotman Nixon received a warm welcome home from the Fenway faithful, and with a righty on the mound tonight (Schilling), Nixon is in the game. The thumbnail photo of him on Yahoo! Sports is a bit disconcerting, as you can see long hair peeking out from underneath his ballcap (no word on if this is the only one he'll wear this season) after years of seeing him rocking the clean-shaven Charley Xavier look.
The score is currently 2-0 in favor of Boston, but I won't count my poultry products while they're still in embryonic form.
It looks like Beckett will be back tomorrow - I'm cautiously optomistic about his finger problems, and I don't think that the Sox would rush him back if he wasn't ready yet. He's pitching against Jeremy Sowers, who just turned 24, and owns a 1-4 record with 16 BBs and 13 Ks and a 6.29 ERA over 48 and 2/3 innings in 9 starts. Before holding the Royals to 1 run over 7 innings in his last appearance, he was 0-4 with a 7.13 ERA.
I certainly don't want to dismiss the guy (because I am congenitally superstitious), but this matchup does look favorable in favor of the Sox.
The last game of the series features Dice-K against Paul Byrd. I still can't say that I've figured Dice-K out. Is a superhuman ace (i.e. the Japanese Pedro)? Certainly not this year, maybe not ever, but he's certainly proven himself reliable, occasionally unittable, and not a guy who will lose the game all by himself.
Paul Byrd, with his 5-1 record, seems to have struck the sort of Faustian bargain that allowed another Paul (Paul Abbott) to inexplicably go 17-4 for the 2001 Mariners.
Of course, Abbott benefitted from a potent offense, as his numbers 118 Ks, 87 BBs, 4.25 ERA, certainly prove that he wasn't doing it all himself. Byrd's ERA (3.81) and total strikeouts (30) are respectable enough. His most impressive stat is 3 - which is the number of walks he is issued this year. Given how patient the Sox are, it will be interesting to see how that number changes or does not for Byrd.
After the Red Sox finish the series with the Indians....
OK, this is ridiculous. I started that sentence not knowing the answer and went to look it up making a little internal joke to myself to the effect of "they play the Yankees again!"
Well, guess what, cats and kittens - after a day off on Thursday, the Red Sox and the Yankees play three more in the Bronx.
OK, I know that the point of this blog is the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, but come on - how many of these series' previews can we write in such a short period of time?
If the Sox rotation is allowed to run it's usual course, that would put Wake on the hill Friday, Tavarez Saturday, and Schilling Sunday. Because of the off-day and the fact that it's the Yankees, I imagine they'll skip Tavarez, and we'll see Wake-Schill-Beckett. They might also use the off-day to go down to Arizona, see how the whole "cloning Ted Williams" thing is working out, and possibly have the clone ready on the bench as a pinch-hitter by Friday night.
There's also the possibility that Clemens will be ready by this weekend, but I don't really want to get into those matchups now - I'll try and take a more subjective look at the series on Thursday night.
In the meantime, I'll focus on something else in lieu of a regular game-by-game matchup.
Who would win in a fight - the Red Sox bench of the Yankees' bench?
I thought the Yankees' would have the automatic advantage in numbers here, but since both teams are carrying 12 pitchers, they both have 4-man benches.
In the Red corner: Doug Mirabelli, Eric Hinske, Alex Cora, Wily Mo Pena
In the Pin-striped corner: Wil Nieves, Josh Phelps, Miguel Cairo, Melky Cabrera.
Because Teddy knows the Yankees' bench better than I do (really, other than the fact that Miguel Cario sounds like a Peter Lorre villian in an old Warners' noir, I don't have much to say about them), I'll leave it up to him to offer the counterpoint. I will simply make the guys for the Boston guys.
Doug Mirabelli: Would elude the blows of his opponents well, due to his knuckleball-honed reflexes, but his counterpunches would only be average.
Eric Hinske: Adept at several fighting styles, but only average at each. The occasional Rockyesque fighting performance will be undermined by all the times that he ends up on the canvas.
Alex Cora: Like Hinske, adept at many fighting styles, but well above-average. He would be underestimated in a fight, and then overwhelm opponents with a combination of finess and raw power.
Wily Mo Pena: Like Brad Pitt in "Snatch", a one-punch knockout guy. The damage he inflicts in one punch makes up for all the times that he fails to land a punch at all.
There, that was thereapuetic - I'll leave it to Teddy to rebut.
In terms of a look back, there isn't much I can say that I haven't already said during the week while following the Red Sox-Yankees series. The Yankees won 2 out of 3 games, but the Red Sox are still sitting at 34-15 to the Yankees' 21-27.
The Rangers' series was also a pleasant surprise - I had pessimistically predicted a Rangers sweep, and while the Red Sox arms weren't quite up to it (Matsuzaka blowing chunks in the dugout, Wake's knuckler not knuckling, Tavarez settling down to earth), the offense picked them up when they needed it.
Of course, this isn't terribly difficult in A) the Ballpark at Arlington or B) against the Rangers' pitching staff, but it was encouraging to see.
As I type this out, the Sox have begun play against the team with the 2nd-best record in the American League - the Cleveland Indians.
I imagine that Christopher Trotman Nixon received a warm welcome home from the Fenway faithful, and with a righty on the mound tonight (Schilling), Nixon is in the game. The thumbnail photo of him on Yahoo! Sports is a bit disconcerting, as you can see long hair peeking out from underneath his ballcap (no word on if this is the only one he'll wear this season) after years of seeing him rocking the clean-shaven Charley Xavier look.
The score is currently 2-0 in favor of Boston, but I won't count my poultry products while they're still in embryonic form.
It looks like Beckett will be back tomorrow - I'm cautiously optomistic about his finger problems, and I don't think that the Sox would rush him back if he wasn't ready yet. He's pitching against Jeremy Sowers, who just turned 24, and owns a 1-4 record with 16 BBs and 13 Ks and a 6.29 ERA over 48 and 2/3 innings in 9 starts. Before holding the Royals to 1 run over 7 innings in his last appearance, he was 0-4 with a 7.13 ERA.
I certainly don't want to dismiss the guy (because I am congenitally superstitious), but this matchup does look favorable in favor of the Sox.
The last game of the series features Dice-K against Paul Byrd. I still can't say that I've figured Dice-K out. Is a superhuman ace (i.e. the Japanese Pedro)? Certainly not this year, maybe not ever, but he's certainly proven himself reliable, occasionally unittable, and not a guy who will lose the game all by himself.
Paul Byrd, with his 5-1 record, seems to have struck the sort of Faustian bargain that allowed another Paul (Paul Abbott) to inexplicably go 17-4 for the 2001 Mariners.
Of course, Abbott benefitted from a potent offense, as his numbers 118 Ks, 87 BBs, 4.25 ERA, certainly prove that he wasn't doing it all himself. Byrd's ERA (3.81) and total strikeouts (30) are respectable enough. His most impressive stat is 3 - which is the number of walks he is issued this year. Given how patient the Sox are, it will be interesting to see how that number changes or does not for Byrd.
After the Red Sox finish the series with the Indians....
OK, this is ridiculous. I started that sentence not knowing the answer and went to look it up making a little internal joke to myself to the effect of "they play the Yankees again!"
Well, guess what, cats and kittens - after a day off on Thursday, the Red Sox and the Yankees play three more in the Bronx.
OK, I know that the point of this blog is the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, but come on - how many of these series' previews can we write in such a short period of time?
If the Sox rotation is allowed to run it's usual course, that would put Wake on the hill Friday, Tavarez Saturday, and Schilling Sunday. Because of the off-day and the fact that it's the Yankees, I imagine they'll skip Tavarez, and we'll see Wake-Schill-Beckett. They might also use the off-day to go down to Arizona, see how the whole "cloning Ted Williams" thing is working out, and possibly have the clone ready on the bench as a pinch-hitter by Friday night.
There's also the possibility that Clemens will be ready by this weekend, but I don't really want to get into those matchups now - I'll try and take a more subjective look at the series on Thursday night.
In the meantime, I'll focus on something else in lieu of a regular game-by-game matchup.
Who would win in a fight - the Red Sox bench of the Yankees' bench?
I thought the Yankees' would have the automatic advantage in numbers here, but since both teams are carrying 12 pitchers, they both have 4-man benches.
In the Red corner: Doug Mirabelli, Eric Hinske, Alex Cora, Wily Mo Pena
In the Pin-striped corner: Wil Nieves, Josh Phelps, Miguel Cairo, Melky Cabrera.
Because Teddy knows the Yankees' bench better than I do (really, other than the fact that Miguel Cario sounds like a Peter Lorre villian in an old Warners' noir, I don't have much to say about them), I'll leave it up to him to offer the counterpoint. I will simply make the guys for the Boston guys.
Doug Mirabelli: Would elude the blows of his opponents well, due to his knuckleball-honed reflexes, but his counterpunches would only be average.
Eric Hinske: Adept at several fighting styles, but only average at each. The occasional Rockyesque fighting performance will be undermined by all the times that he ends up on the canvas.
Alex Cora: Like Hinske, adept at many fighting styles, but well above-average. He would be underestimated in a fight, and then overwhelm opponents with a combination of finess and raw power.
Wily Mo Pena: Like Brad Pitt in "Snatch", a one-punch knockout guy. The damage he inflicts in one punch makes up for all the times that he fails to land a punch at all.
There, that was thereapuetic - I'll leave it to Teddy to rebut.
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