I always thought that I'd remember Josh Hancock as the guy who the Red Sox traded to the Phillies for Jeremy Giambi.
Then, it seemed that he would remembered as the good (well, acceptably mediocre) middle reliever for the Cardinals who died too young. The fact that this occurred only a few years after Daryl Kile - a generally accepted "good guy" - had passed away, this seemed too much tragedy for one team to bear.
Of course, it didn't take long for the revelations to start cropping up - that Hancock was driving over 20 mph over the speed limit, that his BAC was over twice the legal limit, that he had pot and a glass pipe in his car, that he was talking on his cell phone and not wearing his seatbelt when the accident happened.
This made the accident sound more stupid than tragic, and now his family is striking back.
Hancock's father has decided to sue the restaurant that the pitcher had visited prior to his death - blaming the proprieters for the fact that his son (who had already become intoxicated on beer from the postgame clubhouse spread earlier that day), was "never without a drink" during his time there.
Hancock died as a result of slamming into a tow truck stopped in the road - the tow truck was busy assissting the driver of a disabled vehicle. The family is also charging the driver of the disabled vehicle with negligence for allowing his car to be stopped in the road in the first place. Apparently, he stalled out when another driver cut him off.
If the Hancocks win this aspect of the lawsuit, I for one will be ecastatic - this means that any time I get stuck in traffic on the Mark Clark Expressway on my way to work and end up running late, I get to sue the driver.
There is some dispute as to how long the tow truck stayed on the road, blocking traffic - anywhere from five to fifteen minutes. The Hancock family has asked why the police weren't contacted, and why no road flares were placed to warn oncoming drivers.
Of course, this makes perfect sense - I know that if I was completely blitzed, driving well over the speed limit, and talking on a cell phone, the sight of road flares would make me stop and consider what incredibly stupid behavior I was currently engaging in.
If they're going to sue the restaurant and the other driver, why not sue the Red Sox, Phillies, and Reds organizations for trading/releasing Hancock - had they not done so, he never would have been in St. Louis in the first place.
(I'm also concerned that by posting this, I will be sued for "aggravated insensitivity" and "libelous commentary persuant to a civil action".
I feel for Hancock's family - I can't imagine what his parents are going through, and I'm sure that his father wishes his son had just been picked up on a DUI and he had the opportunity to chw him out for his idiocy. I imagine his father is angry, and just wants to be able to do something in the light of all this - and a lawsuit seems to be the only outlet.
Had the revelations regarding the circumstances around Hancock's death (the drunkeness, the drug possession) not surfaced, certainly there would have not been any legal action taken by the family.
Look, if I had died under the same circumstances as Hancock (drunk, speeding, no seatbelt), I wouldn't want my parents to sue anybody - I'd prefer that they started a website with a catchy url such as www.oursonwasadumbass.org to encourage other people to avoid making the same mistakes I have.
Right now, it seems like blaming everyone else (the restaurant, the other driver) for the accident is a poorly engineered attempt to redeem their son's good name.
Of course, there are questions the family has to answer:
Why was he drunk?
The family actually has a fairly easy answer for this. Hancock drank all the available booze in the clubhouse and on his subsequent visit to the restaurant so that there wouldn't be any alcohol left for Tony LaRussa to drink - thus avoiding an unfortunate repeat of the Manager's spring training incident.
Why was there marijuana an marijuana paraphenillia in Hancock's car?
Hancock, like Michael Irvin before him, was only taking these items to a public dumpster to throw them away for a friend, thus removing his friend's reputation to continue smoking the pot.
Why was he speeding?
Hancock was speeding so that he could dispose of the whacky tabaccy as quickly as possible so as to return to his friend's side.
Why was he talking on the phone?
Hancock was speaking with the aforementioned friend, assuring him that he would return soon.
Why wasn't Hancock wearing a seatbelt?
Hancock had removed the seatbelt from his car and used it to bind his drug-addled friend to a chair. Hancock was worried about the onset of "reefer madness" that his friend was no doubt soon to experience.
You see? Josh Hancock was an American hero who was undone by the negligence of others.
Of course, it doesn't appear to have occurred to the Hancock family that it's a lucky thing that he was the only one who died. His behavior was unbelievably reckless, and could have cost a number of other people their lives.
This whole incident makes me remember the widow Clemente - her husband died in a plane crash involving a pilot with a revoked license, and a plane that wasn't in flying shape. There was no vengeance lawsuit there - just stoicism in the face of tragedy. If Hancock's family was in the same position, I believe they would have sued the tectonic plates under Nicaragua for shifting and causing their son to be on a relief mission in the first place.
A man is dead. By all accounts, he was a likable man and a good teammate. His death involved circumstances that cast doubt on his character - and it sounds as though there is nothing that is undeserved about this. What his family is doing now robs his life of dignity, makes his death less tragic, and saps his survivors of sympathy.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Flipping the script on Comedy Central
For the first decade or so of 3-division play, the AL Central was dubbed "comedy central".
The 5-team division swas only capable of fielding one competitive team a season (first the Indians, then the Twins) and was the last division to field a Wild Card Entry.
But with the White Sox winning it all in '05, and the Tigers reaching the Series last year, times have changed.
This season, the AL Central has 4 playoff-caliber teams - the Tigers look more polished than they did last year, the Indians are even more talented than their 27-17 record indicates, the White Sox offense is a sleeping giant, and the Twins always find a way to get it together.
Even the Royals are slouching towards a reasonable approximation of the classic Saberhagen-Brett KC teams. The restoration won't happen this year, but Drayton Moore is not going to be the next Chuck LaMar.
On the other side of the coin, we have the NL Central, which has inexplicably imploded. Yes, the Brewers are a genuinely good team this year, but what's everyone else's excuse?
Tony LaRussa finally won a ring in St. Louis (take that, Sparky Anderson!), and it seems like he did it just in time. This year's Cardinals look like just another average team with a few big names. The Cubs' offseason spending spree has thus far netted them a 20-24 record. The predictability is yawn-worthy. After a decade and a half of the killer B's (Bagwell and Biggio tearing it up during the season, lying down in the postseason), the Astros lack an identity and punch - the Rocket has been the story of the team the last few seasons. No Rocket, no story.
As for the Reds and the Pirates... well, hell, you know who they are. I keep waiting for them to get it together, but as the teams stand now (Homer Bailey and Jason Bay may have to settle for being big stars elsewhere), those teams will be dueling for basement rights in the NL Central for years to come.
This is how fast things can change in the MLB - in only a few years, the AL Central has gone from presenting a lid-on-the-trashcan team while the NL Central has at least 3 teams in the mix, to the Brewers' being the only contender in the NL while the AL has 4 teams everyone else has to take seriously.
The 5-team division swas only capable of fielding one competitive team a season (first the Indians, then the Twins) and was the last division to field a Wild Card Entry.
But with the White Sox winning it all in '05, and the Tigers reaching the Series last year, times have changed.
This season, the AL Central has 4 playoff-caliber teams - the Tigers look more polished than they did last year, the Indians are even more talented than their 27-17 record indicates, the White Sox offense is a sleeping giant, and the Twins always find a way to get it together.
Even the Royals are slouching towards a reasonable approximation of the classic Saberhagen-Brett KC teams. The restoration won't happen this year, but Drayton Moore is not going to be the next Chuck LaMar.
On the other side of the coin, we have the NL Central, which has inexplicably imploded. Yes, the Brewers are a genuinely good team this year, but what's everyone else's excuse?
Tony LaRussa finally won a ring in St. Louis (take that, Sparky Anderson!), and it seems like he did it just in time. This year's Cardinals look like just another average team with a few big names. The Cubs' offseason spending spree has thus far netted them a 20-24 record. The predictability is yawn-worthy. After a decade and a half of the killer B's (Bagwell and Biggio tearing it up during the season, lying down in the postseason), the Astros lack an identity and punch - the Rocket has been the story of the team the last few seasons. No Rocket, no story.
As for the Reds and the Pirates... well, hell, you know who they are. I keep waiting for them to get it together, but as the teams stand now (Homer Bailey and Jason Bay may have to settle for being big stars elsewhere), those teams will be dueling for basement rights in the NL Central for years to come.
This is how fast things can change in the MLB - in only a few years, the AL Central has gone from presenting a lid-on-the-trashcan team while the NL Central has at least 3 teams in the mix, to the Brewers' being the only contender in the NL while the AL has 4 teams everyone else has to take seriously.
Pavano Remembered
First of all, what's up with the bull horns, the gavel, and the flags on the desk? Was this signed in W.'s office at Camp David?
Anyway, I remember seeing Carl Pavano come into a game to pitch mop-up relief for the Marlins in 2002.
This was shortly after Omar Minaya executed his "So if I destroy the Expos I get to be GM of the Mets, right?" plan - which basically involved trading the entire Major League Roster for a month worth of Cliff Floyd, and then spinning him to Boston for a couple of crappy Korean minor league pitchers, as well as trading the entire farm system for a half season of Bartolo Colon and then spinning him for only one player who was even remotely useful.
And you can make your own Rocky Biddle joke.
There was some concern that Minaya had made a beneficial trade for the Expos when he got Nick Johnson, which led him to being summoned to Bud Selig's office for this exchange:
BUD: Omar, I'm a little concerned that this Johnson guy might make the Expos, you know, competitive.
OMAR: I thought you'd bring that up, Bud. In fact, I brought him with me today. Nick, stand up in meet the Commissioner.
JOHNSON: Aaaah! My back!
OMAR: Jeez, Nick - sit down, sit down!
JOHNSON: Aaaah! My knee!
BUD: Here, young man, have a glass of water.
JOHNSON: Thanks. Aaaah! My shoulder!
BUD: On second thought, Omar, I don't see a problem here.
JOHNSON: The oxygen in the air! It burns! It burns!
For years Pavano, along with Tony Armas, Jr., the other player involved in the Pedro trade, (fun fact: Mike Stanley for Tony Armas, Jr. in '97 was the last Red Sox-Yankees trade to date), was one of those ultimate Fantasy baseball teases. While trolling the waiver wire, you'd see that the guy had won his last few starts and had a decent ERA. Once on your team, he would almost instantly become ineffective and then hurt.
I was wary of this in 2004, when I added Pavano, but he actually got the job done that year.
In fact, 3 years ago at this time, I was telling my father that Pavano would be the pitcher to go after in the offseason. Thankfully, the Yankees got there first.
While I reaped the benefits of Pavano's 18-8 record, I did have my reservations. Namely, there was the fact that Pavano struck out only 139 batters in 222 1/3 innings of work, for a 5.6 K/9IP ratio.
Factor in that Pavano was playing in the NL, where he faced what were essentially 7-man lineups (why pitch to the 8-hole hitter in a tight situation with the pitcher on deck) and that he pitched his home games in Pro Player Stadium - where the field is so vast they move on to the next hitter on routine fly balls before the ball is caught in the interest of saving time.
Pavano in the AL East was always a recipe for catastrophe - but what happened is far from expected.
Yes, he logged a lot of innings, but after the layover he had prior to this year, could anyone have predicted the immediate need for Tommy John surgery? Couldn't this have been figured out in '01-'03, based on the evidence Teddy cited?
Also, can anyone predict an injury caused by crashing a car into a dumpster (or was it a dump truck), then a lame coverup attempt before coming clean.
And most of all, how did this guy ever score Alyssa Milano?
Of course, the Yankees being the Yankees - and I'm talking about their payroll here - there's no reason to boo-hoo them. I was proven wrong by Gil Meche in KC, but given the money that they put into him, and the budget they work with, a Pavonoesque career would be truly crippling.
The Yankees' are like a Manhattan socialite - and this was just a mildly expensive, but ultimately forgettable mistake.
Anyway, I remember seeing Carl Pavano come into a game to pitch mop-up relief for the Marlins in 2002.
This was shortly after Omar Minaya executed his "So if I destroy the Expos I get to be GM of the Mets, right?" plan - which basically involved trading the entire Major League Roster for a month worth of Cliff Floyd, and then spinning him to Boston for a couple of crappy Korean minor league pitchers, as well as trading the entire farm system for a half season of Bartolo Colon and then spinning him for only one player who was even remotely useful.
And you can make your own Rocky Biddle joke.
There was some concern that Minaya had made a beneficial trade for the Expos when he got Nick Johnson, which led him to being summoned to Bud Selig's office for this exchange:
BUD: Omar, I'm a little concerned that this Johnson guy might make the Expos, you know, competitive.
OMAR: I thought you'd bring that up, Bud. In fact, I brought him with me today. Nick, stand up in meet the Commissioner.
JOHNSON: Aaaah! My back!
OMAR: Jeez, Nick - sit down, sit down!
JOHNSON: Aaaah! My knee!
BUD: Here, young man, have a glass of water.
JOHNSON: Thanks. Aaaah! My shoulder!
BUD: On second thought, Omar, I don't see a problem here.
JOHNSON: The oxygen in the air! It burns! It burns!
For years Pavano, along with Tony Armas, Jr., the other player involved in the Pedro trade, (fun fact: Mike Stanley for Tony Armas, Jr. in '97 was the last Red Sox-Yankees trade to date), was one of those ultimate Fantasy baseball teases. While trolling the waiver wire, you'd see that the guy had won his last few starts and had a decent ERA. Once on your team, he would almost instantly become ineffective and then hurt.
I was wary of this in 2004, when I added Pavano, but he actually got the job done that year.
In fact, 3 years ago at this time, I was telling my father that Pavano would be the pitcher to go after in the offseason. Thankfully, the Yankees got there first.
While I reaped the benefits of Pavano's 18-8 record, I did have my reservations. Namely, there was the fact that Pavano struck out only 139 batters in 222 1/3 innings of work, for a 5.6 K/9IP ratio.
Factor in that Pavano was playing in the NL, where he faced what were essentially 7-man lineups (why pitch to the 8-hole hitter in a tight situation with the pitcher on deck) and that he pitched his home games in Pro Player Stadium - where the field is so vast they move on to the next hitter on routine fly balls before the ball is caught in the interest of saving time.
Pavano in the AL East was always a recipe for catastrophe - but what happened is far from expected.
Yes, he logged a lot of innings, but after the layover he had prior to this year, could anyone have predicted the immediate need for Tommy John surgery? Couldn't this have been figured out in '01-'03, based on the evidence Teddy cited?
Also, can anyone predict an injury caused by crashing a car into a dumpster (or was it a dump truck), then a lame coverup attempt before coming clean.
And most of all, how did this guy ever score Alyssa Milano?
Of course, the Yankees being the Yankees - and I'm talking about their payroll here - there's no reason to boo-hoo them. I was proven wrong by Gil Meche in KC, but given the money that they put into him, and the budget they work with, a Pavonoesque career would be truly crippling.
The Yankees' are like a Manhattan socialite - and this was just a mildly expensive, but ultimately forgettable mistake.
He's in, He's out, He's Over
This was the scene back on December 22, 2004. Carl Pavano, a Yankee for the next four years at a price of $40 million. And here we are today, Pavano's career with the Yankees is over after getting the green light to get Tommy John surgery.
There are many ways to define a bad free-agent signing. Some players are signed and completely underperform thereafter. Some players are signed past their prime and paid for their past performance. Some are signed on a fluke season. The list can go on and on...
For the Yankees this was a signing where they believed Pavano's now likely fluke season in 2004 in which he won 18 games was a strong indicator that he'd pitch well in the AL East. More than a bad free-agent signing, this seems to be one of bad luck at first glance--or maybe not, read on.
I couldn't remember why the Yankees signed Pavano when I thought back to that offseason. What other free agents did they pass up, what was the pitching situation, and how was this a logical signing?
Then of course I remember this was right after the greatest comeback in baseball history when the Red Sox made everyone believe there was no curse and won it all.
And then I remembered some of the pitchers the Yankees had back then which included: Javier Vazquez, Kevin Brown, Estaban Loaiza, Jose Contreras (who was traded for Loiza), Jon Lieber, and El Duque. All of these guys with the exception of Kevin Brown were either traded (Vazquez) or signed to a different team. So going into 2005 the Yankees had a rotation of Brown, Mussina and then three open slots.
There were other starting pitchers out on the market that year, most notably: Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe, Kevin Millwood, Odalis Perez, and Kris Benson--all of whom at the time could be considered a #1, 2, or 3 starter. I remember Pedro meeting with the Boss, but still came to New York with the Mets--other than that I don't think the Yankees pursued anybody else as intensely as Pavano (and Jaret Wright. On a side note as Doug would point out, Pavano was the "player to be named later" when the Red Sox got Pedro back in 1997. Just a tidbit there.). Pavano was coming off of a solid 18-8/3.00 ERA/220+ IP season, was 29 years of age, and a Cy Young candidate going into September 2004. He also probably impressed the Yankees back in the 2003 World Series going 8 innings strong and giving up one run in Game 4 of that series. But even before his '03-'04 seasons, Pavano was always a pitching prospect. So given the Yankees need for a decent starter and the way the market shook out Pavano was signed.
I've dug a little deeper into Pavano's past though, and if I did a "Hindsight and Foresight" on Pavano back in 2004, I may have uttered the words Tommy John Surgery.
Before 2003, Pavano had not pitched a full season in the majors. After his 1997 trade to the Expos, he began having tendinitus in his--you guessed it, his pitching elbow. That was in 1999. Going back to my Baseball Prospectus readings here's what was said about Pavano's health in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003*:
2000: "... persistent elbow problem put Pavano on the shelf. The Expos have been very careful, getting second and third opinions to make sure that the elbow only requires rest and not surgery."
2001: "Expect to find Pavano’s picture under the definition of "tendinitis." He’s had it in both his shoulder and elbow, and it has kept him from a full season in each of the last three years."
2002: "Pavano’s medical history reads like a script from ER minus the incestuous frolicking by an ethnically diverse cast. Although he managed eight late-season starts, he hasn’t thrown without a burning sensation in his elbow in at least five years."
2003: "Pavano looks very pitcher-ish on the mound, but he’s been beaten like the Washington Generals since his pitching elbow was surgically reattached in 2000."
* By the way, as an aside, if anyone can find a website that keeps track of player's injuries through their careers, please send it to us (rivalryredux@gmail.com). It's ridiculous that I couldn't find a site that shares this. And thanks a bunch if you find it! *
"They finally did it. They killed my fucking car."
Here's the other type of bad free-agent signing: ignoring the injury track record. I believe now that's what this has turned into. Pavano's elbow held up 534 and then some innings since 2003 and that's what finally killed his elbow.
Not only can Pavano be looked at a bad free-agent signing now, but he has been at the root of the Yankees starting pitching woes since 2005. If anyone thinks this year is bad, in 2005 the Yankees brought in Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon, two guys who fortunately did well, but made everyone nervous at first. Last year it was Small and Chacon again as well as guys like Scott Erickson, and Sidney Ponson. It has made the rotation unstable and uncertain.
But now we can say with absolute certainty that Pavano's days are over.
History Repeats Itself--sorta
Before I conclude here though, what's happened with Pavano made me think back to when the last time the Yankees ended up with a starting pitcher they were hoping could complete the rotation who then faded away due to injuries. I remember this guy well because I saw him pitch a 2-hit shutout in 1990 after they traded away Dave Winfield for him. This pitcher was Mike Witt.
Witt's career looks a little different than Pavano's because he got injured after some successful seasons with the Angels. However, after the Yankees signed him to a nice contract after 1990 (which I couldn't find the length of and other information, but he made totals of $2.4 million in '91, $2.9 million in '92, and $2.1 million in 1993) after which he pitched 11 more games for the Yankees and ended his career in 1993.
Pavano's signing will go down as one of the worst for the Yankees, that's for sure. I think if anything, the one good thing that's come out of this is that the Yankees know Pavano will never pitch for them again, and we can move on from the drama he created the last three seasons.
Ugh
So...
Schill did not thrill and Pettite pitched like that Rocket's pet tonight.
The Sox looked punchless (despite the game-by-game success they have, I still haven't seen an offense I can get excited about) and the Yankees offense... well, it rumbled on the same way it's been rumbling all season.
Schill seems to be putting more effort into his blog than into his effort to get one more big payday next season. He's become the '04 Pedro on this club - the once-proud ace who can get it done, but no longer the stopper of the rotation.
While Andy Pettite is not Lefty Gomez, Whitey Ford, or even Ron Guidry, he's had a nice little season for himself this season. Based on how he pitched in the NL the last few seasons, he'll have a 5.00 ERA in the second have (adjusted from a 4+ ERA in the NL), but this being the Yankees, the rules of baseball gravity don't apply.
I'm still worried about the Rangers being a trap series, and while the Red Sox still have the best record in baseball... the words "Here come the Yankees" will always have currency with me.
Past Memorial Day weekend, be ready for some $#!^
Schill did not thrill and Pettite pitched like that Rocket's pet tonight.
The Sox looked punchless (despite the game-by-game success they have, I still haven't seen an offense I can get excited about) and the Yankees offense... well, it rumbled on the same way it's been rumbling all season.
Schill seems to be putting more effort into his blog than into his effort to get one more big payday next season. He's become the '04 Pedro on this club - the once-proud ace who can get it done, but no longer the stopper of the rotation.
While Andy Pettite is not Lefty Gomez, Whitey Ford, or even Ron Guidry, he's had a nice little season for himself this season. Based on how he pitched in the NL the last few seasons, he'll have a 5.00 ERA in the second have (adjusted from a 4+ ERA in the NL), but this being the Yankees, the rules of baseball gravity don't apply.
I'm still worried about the Rangers being a trap series, and while the Red Sox still have the best record in baseball... the words "Here come the Yankees" will always have currency with me.
Past Memorial Day weekend, be ready for some $#!^
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Splitsville
So far the series is split - In Game 1, Wakefield came down to earth and Chien-Ming got his Wang back. In Game 2, Julian Tavarez inexplicably outduelled Mike Mussina.
What with the LOBs the Yankees piled up, it seems like Tavarez was just as adept at working his way out of jams as he was working his way into them. Tavarez has always pitched to contact, and his 4 BB/2 K line (making it 19 BB/23 K on the season) isn't exactly a great indicator of things to come. Of course, if I was a Yankees' fan, I'd be worried about Mike Mussina in the starting rotation. Matt Clement worried.
Tomorrow night will bring us the rubber game and the ensuing bragging rights to what mlb.com billed as Yankees-Red Sox III, as though it was a Hagler-Hearns fight.
Neither Schilling nor Pettite are shutdown aces - though only one of them ever was. Pettite has been the superior pitcher this season, but I expect their to be a lot of squirming in and out of jams on both sides. So I guess Tavarez was good preparation.
I imagine that the starters will leave withe game tied at something like 4-4, and from there it will be up to the respective bullpens. Even though Okajima's scoreless streak ended at 20 and 2/3 innings, and Papelbon walked two along with his two punchouts, I still have to give the Red Sox the advantage there. Of course, UMass alum Ron Villone pitched a scoreless inning for the Yankees, so I guess there's hope for the Bronx Bombers.
That said, it's the Red Sox-Yankees, so nothing can be taken for granted.
One thing that was striking to me about tonight's game was Abreu and Giambi batting 6th and 7th - which wasn't the usual case of the Yankees' lineup being so stacked that great hitters are dropped down in the lineup, but that Abreu and Giambi are underperforming so spectacularly.
(As a result of me just writing the above, Abreu and Giambi will now finish 1-2 in all 3 Triple Crown categories)
The hot rumor today is that the Yankees' disenchantment with Giambi might lead to him being traded to the Angels. Given Giambi's notorious image as a party boy, this is something like deciding that Hitler might do a little less damage in Hell.
I imagine the negotiations between New York and Anaheim are going something like this:
CASHMAN: OK, we'll give you Giambi in exchange for Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar, Brandon Wood, Ervin Santana, K-Rod, Vlad Guerrero, and the right of Prima Nocte with the female cast members of "Laguna Beach". And you guys pick up the tab for everyone's salary.
ARTE MORENO: Where do I sign! Where do I sign!
I'm still cautiously optomistic that the Sox will end the month of May strong, but I'm worried that the other shoe will drop in the form of a two-month, win-one/lose-one stretch while the Yankees steadily gain ground.
What with the LOBs the Yankees piled up, it seems like Tavarez was just as adept at working his way out of jams as he was working his way into them. Tavarez has always pitched to contact, and his 4 BB/2 K line (making it 19 BB/23 K on the season) isn't exactly a great indicator of things to come. Of course, if I was a Yankees' fan, I'd be worried about Mike Mussina in the starting rotation. Matt Clement worried.
Tomorrow night will bring us the rubber game and the ensuing bragging rights to what mlb.com billed as Yankees-Red Sox III, as though it was a Hagler-Hearns fight.
Neither Schilling nor Pettite are shutdown aces - though only one of them ever was. Pettite has been the superior pitcher this season, but I expect their to be a lot of squirming in and out of jams on both sides. So I guess Tavarez was good preparation.
I imagine that the starters will leave withe game tied at something like 4-4, and from there it will be up to the respective bullpens. Even though Okajima's scoreless streak ended at 20 and 2/3 innings, and Papelbon walked two along with his two punchouts, I still have to give the Red Sox the advantage there. Of course, UMass alum Ron Villone pitched a scoreless inning for the Yankees, so I guess there's hope for the Bronx Bombers.
That said, it's the Red Sox-Yankees, so nothing can be taken for granted.
One thing that was striking to me about tonight's game was Abreu and Giambi batting 6th and 7th - which wasn't the usual case of the Yankees' lineup being so stacked that great hitters are dropped down in the lineup, but that Abreu and Giambi are underperforming so spectacularly.
(As a result of me just writing the above, Abreu and Giambi will now finish 1-2 in all 3 Triple Crown categories)
The hot rumor today is that the Yankees' disenchantment with Giambi might lead to him being traded to the Angels. Given Giambi's notorious image as a party boy, this is something like deciding that Hitler might do a little less damage in Hell.
I imagine the negotiations between New York and Anaheim are going something like this:
CASHMAN: OK, we'll give you Giambi in exchange for Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar, Brandon Wood, Ervin Santana, K-Rod, Vlad Guerrero, and the right of Prima Nocte with the female cast members of "Laguna Beach". And you guys pick up the tab for everyone's salary.
ARTE MORENO: Where do I sign! Where do I sign!
I'm still cautiously optomistic that the Sox will end the month of May strong, but I'm worried that the other shoe will drop in the form of a two-month, win-one/lose-one stretch while the Yankees steadily gain ground.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Hindsight and Foresight: Yankee Review May 13th - May 27th
I'm going with what I promised even if I'm dead tired from 7 hours of travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma today for work. After watching what was a very disappointing season of 24 (which they subsequently said Season/Day 7 would "promise to be the best season of 24 yet") I switched on the Yankees/Red Sox game and watched the Yankees take the first game 6-2 which lifted my spirits some. I also haven't read Doug's posts here so we'll keep the Hindsight and Foresight fresh and raw, the way I like my sushi.
Hindsight May 13th to May 20th:
This was my first week not watching any Yankees games on my MLB TV subscription (I'll explain why), but what I saw in the box scores was ugly. To put it mildly, the Yankees played poorly. Losing both series this week to the White Sox and then to the Mets, the Yankees fell further behind the Red Sox in the AL East. There was even this nice little three game losing streak in the middle of the week before the Yankees pulled off a win Sunday, side-stepping a Mets sweep in the first 2007 Subway Series. Wang has come around, as I was hoping, winning a 8-1 over the White Sox before handing it over to Farnsworth and Mo who somehow held down any sort of rally. Then after the Chicago Series, Jason Giambi gave that interview to USA Today which pretty much took the fun out of the series. A-Rod continued to make April look like the fluke month of his season and was in a 2 for 25 slump at one point I read.
Weekly Stats (which you can safely say are always from ESPN and Baseball Prospectus)
W-L: 2-4
RS/RA: 23/25
Offensive Numbers (BA/OBP/SLG): .274/.342/.517
Pitching Line (ERA/Whip/K per 9/BAA/SLG): 3.96/1.30/5.4/.255/.440
Who's Hot: Hip-Hip Jorge! Posada going .476 3 HR 4 RBI who going into tonight had a 15-game hitting streak
Who's Not: Jason Giambi who has one hit since May 6th, but whose comments about taking steriods have caused a MLB investigation and refueled the Yankees pursuit of getting out of their contract with them.
My Yankee of the Week: I'm going with Jorge Posada who is quietly putting together an amazing season as a catcher. Jorge has always been a great catcher in an age when Piazza, I-Rod, and Joe Mauer, just to name a few, have taken the spotlight.
Foresight May 21st to May 27th:
My concern this week (and for subsequent weeks), is not only the Red Sox series, but the number of distractions facing the Yankees right now. Let me put a nice little list together for you: Giambi made comments on steriods and the Yanks want out of this contract again, Joe Torre is still on the hot seat despite what Steinbrenner may have said, Farnsworth made his comments about the Clemens treatment, and yes, the Yanks start the week off playing the Red Sox who they are 11 games behind (the most games behind ever under Joe Torre). Now it's easy for players to say or think they can just play through the distractions and win, but that's gotta be hard when you have the NY sports media with its harshness and critical eye. Not only that but 67% of ESPN viewer believe the Yankees are not going to make the playoffs. The whole world's against us!
Hindsight May 13th to May 20th:
This was my first week not watching any Yankees games on my MLB TV subscription (I'll explain why), but what I saw in the box scores was ugly. To put it mildly, the Yankees played poorly. Losing both series this week to the White Sox and then to the Mets, the Yankees fell further behind the Red Sox in the AL East. There was even this nice little three game losing streak in the middle of the week before the Yankees pulled off a win Sunday, side-stepping a Mets sweep in the first 2007 Subway Series. Wang has come around, as I was hoping, winning a 8-1 over the White Sox before handing it over to Farnsworth and Mo who somehow held down any sort of rally. Then after the Chicago Series, Jason Giambi gave that interview to USA Today which pretty much took the fun out of the series. A-Rod continued to make April look like the fluke month of his season and was in a 2 for 25 slump at one point I read.
Weekly Stats (which you can safely say are always from ESPN and Baseball Prospectus)
W-L: 2-4
RS/RA: 23/25
Offensive Numbers (BA/OBP/SLG): .274/.342/.517
Pitching Line (ERA/Whip/K per 9/BAA/SLG): 3.96/1.30/5.4/.255/.440
Who's Hot: Hip-Hip Jorge! Posada going .476 3 HR 4 RBI who going into tonight had a 15-game hitting streak
Who's Not: Jason Giambi who has one hit since May 6th, but whose comments about taking steriods have caused a MLB investigation and refueled the Yankees pursuit of getting out of their contract with them.
My Yankee of the Week: I'm going with Jorge Posada who is quietly putting together an amazing season as a catcher. Jorge has always been a great catcher in an age when Piazza, I-Rod, and Joe Mauer, just to name a few, have taken the spotlight.
Foresight May 21st to May 27th:
My concern this week (and for subsequent weeks), is not only the Red Sox series, but the number of distractions facing the Yankees right now. Let me put a nice little list together for you: Giambi made comments on steriods and the Yanks want out of this contract again, Joe Torre is still on the hot seat despite what Steinbrenner may have said, Farnsworth made his comments about the Clemens treatment, and yes, the Yanks start the week off playing the Red Sox who they are 11 games behind (the most games behind ever under Joe Torre). Now it's easy for players to say or think they can just play through the distractions and win, but that's gotta be hard when you have the NY sports media with its harshness and critical eye. Not only that but 67% of ESPN viewer believe the Yankees are not going to make the playoffs. The whole world's against us!
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