I don't normally sing the praises of opposing players, especially players from rival teams. I'm sure there's something good that could be said about some of the opponents that the Yankees face in the AL East, but I don't like to think of them at all, much less anything good about them. It's an exercise that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
That said, it should be noted that Ichiro is in town. Ichiro and Jeter are, in my opinion, the best in the business right now. It's always a pleasure to watch them on the same field.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Wang's best performance
Wang's line against the Mets:
5.1 Innings Pitched
4 Hits
2 Earned Runs
3 Walks
3 Strikeouts
His best start of the year (video here). I think it's safe to say that Mr. Wang is back. Jia You.
Projections
With this win against the Mets, the Yankees are now 43-32, 11 games over .500 (and 3 behind the Red Sox). With 13 games left before the all-star break, the team needs to go 8-5 or 9-4 in those games to put themselves into optimal position for a playoff run. Should they lose more than 5 of those games, they'll be in OK but not great shape, considering the difficulty of their schedule in August and September. (I consider 95 wins a great target. Win 95 and you're virtually a shoo-in for the playoffs. Win fewer and you're in a tough race and your destiny is determined by the opposition. Winning 95 means finishing the season 28 games over .500, at 95-67. And that means reaching at least 14 games over .500 by the break. More like 15 this year because the break is scheduled after 88 games.)
At home the Yankees will play 3 with Seattle and 4 with Toronto. I expect the Yankees to win 4 of these games. Afterwards they'll play three in the Metrodome and three in Anaheim, where they have a history of struggling. Three out of six seems reasonable in that last roadtrip before the break.
That amounts to a 7-6 record between now and the break, which adds up to a 50-38 record overall. 12 games over .500 after 88 games is ok, but they'll need to play better in the second half against slightly better opposition that is more familiar with them.
The Bombers might not need 95 wins this season to make the playoffs. They may only need 92. But 95 makes the playoffs a near-certainty. The Red Sox will be there, and both Toronto and Tampa Bay seem intent on making a run at 90+ wins. It will be a tight race.
And that means it's crucial for the Yanks to do a little better than 50 wins before the break. I've been hoping for 52, and I think they'll get 50. But, as you can see from the last two weeks, I underestimated the Yankees. Let's hope they surprise me again.
Projected record for current homestand: 4-3
Target record for current homestand: 5-2
Result 0-0
Games remaining: 7
At home the Yankees will play 3 with Seattle and 4 with Toronto. I expect the Yankees to win 4 of these games. Afterwards they'll play three in the Metrodome and three in Anaheim, where they have a history of struggling. Three out of six seems reasonable in that last roadtrip before the break.
That amounts to a 7-6 record between now and the break, which adds up to a 50-38 record overall. 12 games over .500 after 88 games is ok, but they'll need to play better in the second half against slightly better opposition that is more familiar with them.
The Bombers might not need 95 wins this season to make the playoffs. They may only need 92. But 95 makes the playoffs a near-certainty. The Red Sox will be there, and both Toronto and Tampa Bay seem intent on making a run at 90+ wins. It will be a tight race.
And that means it's crucial for the Yanks to do a little better than 50 wins before the break. I've been hoping for 52, and I think they'll get 50. But, as you can see from the last two weeks, I underestimated the Yankees. Let's hope they surprise me again.
Projected record for current homestand: 4-3
Target record for current homestand: 5-2
Result 0-0
Games remaining: 7
500 and 1RBI (Yanks 4, Mets 2)
Last week it was electrifying to watch Mariano swing and smack a line drive into center field. The fans went berserk and his often-stoic teammates jumped up and down in the dugout like little-leaguers. Afterwards we watched the replays more than once, enthralled at the image of Mariano, the Yankee pitching superstar, the sandman, in such an unfamiliar role. It was almost as if we were watching ourselves just for a moment. What it would be like if one of us had the chance to grab a bat and step into the box, just once, to do the unthinkable.
Yesterday, Mariano made it twice. With the bases loaded and two outs, Mo stepped into the box. He had been brought in for the 8th inning and a 4 out save, which we were hoping would be his 500th. K-Rod stood on the mound. He'd been summoned to keep the score at 3-2 and give the Mets a chance to win in the bottom of the 9th.
But his first two pitches were outside. The third was a strike down the middle, as Mariano checked his swing ever so slightly. Now it was clear that K-Rod would put Rivera to the test. His 4th delivery was a wicked curve that caught the outside of the plate for strike two. The 5th was a blazing fastball down the middle and Mariano swung, barely getting a piece of it. But the 6th offering was high. Mariano laid off. And the seventh pitch, a monstrous cutting fastball...sailed high and tight. Jeterlike, Mo bent straight backwards at the waist, as if he were doing the limbo. Ball 4. And with the first RBI of his career, Mariano took his glorious walk to first base. 4-2 Yankees.
In the bottom of the 9th Mariano Rivera finished off the Mets to get his 500th save and secure the sweep and 5-1 Subway Series domination in 2009. But we'll always remember this as a day we saw a great Yankee player, one of the greatest ever at his role, do that which was so unfamiliar...and come through in the clutch against another great pitcher. Not because he was the most skilled or the most confident. But because Mariano gets the job done when it matters most.
That's Yankee baseball.
Yesterday, Mariano made it twice. With the bases loaded and two outs, Mo stepped into the box. He had been brought in for the 8th inning and a 4 out save, which we were hoping would be his 500th. K-Rod stood on the mound. He'd been summoned to keep the score at 3-2 and give the Mets a chance to win in the bottom of the 9th.
But his first two pitches were outside. The third was a strike down the middle, as Mariano checked his swing ever so slightly. Now it was clear that K-Rod would put Rivera to the test. His 4th delivery was a wicked curve that caught the outside of the plate for strike two. The 5th was a blazing fastball down the middle and Mariano swung, barely getting a piece of it. But the 6th offering was high. Mariano laid off. And the seventh pitch, a monstrous cutting fastball...sailed high and tight. Jeterlike, Mo bent straight backwards at the waist, as if he were doing the limbo. Ball 4. And with the first RBI of his career, Mariano took his glorious walk to first base. 4-2 Yankees.
In the bottom of the 9th Mariano Rivera finished off the Mets to get his 500th save and secure the sweep and 5-1 Subway Series domination in 2009. But we'll always remember this as a day we saw a great Yankee player, one of the greatest ever at his role, do that which was so unfamiliar...and come through in the clutch against another great pitcher. Not because he was the most skilled or the most confident. But because Mariano gets the job done when it matters most.
That's Yankee baseball.
Projection for this road trip: 4-5
Result: 6-3 (Projection exceeded by two games)
Games remaining: 0
29-1 (Yankees 5, Mets 0)
Over the last three games against the Mets, the Yankees have scored 29 runs and the Mets have scored 1.
I'll let you savor that one for a minute...
Anyway, the story was AJ Burnett, who blew the Mets away for 7 innings. It was a memorable, exceptional, riveting $16 million ass-whupping. One more against our hapless cross-town rivals and then we'll reassess the playoff situation.
Projection for this road trip: 4-5
Result: 5-3 (Projection exceeded)
Games remaining: 1
Result: 5-3 (Projection exceeded)
Games remaining: 1
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Bloodletting under a blood red sky (Yankees 9, Mets 1)
I'm not sure what's more fun to watch:
1. Blowing the Mets out with hit after hit.
or
2. Snickering as the Mets commit error after error and do themselves in.
How about both?
Some highlights:
Gardner had 5 hits, one-upping Jeter's 4 from the day before. The Captain probably feels this is an unacceptable trumping and that he must respond. Look for a 5-6 hit day for Jete in the near future.
A deep red sky hung over Citi field for much of the game, a reflection of the bloodshed below, and the wars to come over the weekend.
Projection for this road trip: 4-5
Result: 4-3
Games remaining: 2
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Another series win (Yanks 11, Braves 7)
The Yankees have taken yet another series from the Braves. No, not the World Series. Just a three game set at Delta field.
Taken is probably the wrong word. How about "forcibly secured"?
Just about every Yankee hitter smoked the Braves pitching today. Jeter went 4-5 with a walk and 4 runs scored. Damon and A-Rod, who has risen from the ashes over the last two games, both had 3 hits and 4 RBIs. Posada, batting 5th, followed them with two walks and a hit. Gardner had two hits. Ransom, batting 8th and playing 2nd base, had two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored.
You gotta love it.
Taken is probably the wrong word. How about "forcibly secured"?
Just about every Yankee hitter smoked the Braves pitching today. Jeter went 4-5 with a walk and 4 runs scored. Damon and A-Rod, who has risen from the ashes over the last two games, both had 3 hits and 4 RBIs. Posada, batting 5th, followed them with two walks and a hit. Gardner had two hits. Ransom, batting 8th and playing 2nd base, had two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored.
You gotta love it.
Projection for this road trip: 4-5
Result: 3-3
Games remaining: 3
Result: 3-3
Games remaining: 3
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Punished
And another thing:
So the Yankees had 2 on and 2 out, Teixeira up in a tie game, top of the 6th. Cox sent the pitching coach to the mound to tell the pitcher not to throw Teixeira any strikes. 5 pitches later Teixeira walked. The pitcher feigned frustration. Cox came out and signalled for the hard-throwing Bennet to pitch to A-Rod.
Bennet's first three pitches were blazing fastballs right down the middle, a direct challenge to A-Rod. In other words, "We know you're not hitting. We don't think you can hit a fastball down the middle from this guy. So we're willing to walk the bases loaded to get to you, and get you out."
Cox must have told Bennet to throw all fastballs to A-Rod. Good one, Bobby. No wonder we busted you up in two World Series.
A-Rod punished the 4th over-the-plate fastball into center, and the Yankees never looked back.
So the Yankees had 2 on and 2 out, Teixeira up in a tie game, top of the 6th. Cox sent the pitching coach to the mound to tell the pitcher not to throw Teixeira any strikes. 5 pitches later Teixeira walked. The pitcher feigned frustration. Cox came out and signalled for the hard-throwing Bennet to pitch to A-Rod.
Bennet's first three pitches were blazing fastballs right down the middle, a direct challenge to A-Rod. In other words, "We know you're not hitting. We don't think you can hit a fastball down the middle from this guy. So we're willing to walk the bases loaded to get to you, and get you out."
Cox must have told Bennet to throw all fastballs to A-Rod. Good one, Bobby. No wonder we busted you up in two World Series.
A-Rod punished the 4th over-the-plate fastball into center, and the Yankees never looked back.
Cervelli
That was Cervelli's first major league home run. There's something about this guy, though. It's not just youthful, rookie enthusiasm. This guy is a bad ass. He's got fire.
Girardi the all right? (Yanks 8, Braves 4)
It has been said that Alexander the Great's finest quality was his ability to inspire loyalty in his men. This ability enabled him to become one of the most successful military commanders in Western history. And it might be a stretch to compare Alexander to Mr. Girardi, but today's events showed me something.
As the crescendo rose to a deafening roar, as fans, players, and the media shouted from the rooftops at the Yankees to start hitting or else, the team responded as any multi-million dollar group would. They went down in order for the first 5 innings of the game.
Pitching well, Joba allowed a home run in the 5th that put the Braves ahead 1-0. In the top of the 6th, Gardner worked a walk. But before a pitch was thrown to Cervelli, Gardner was picked off on a bad call. Girardi dashed onto the field to protest. Nearby fans shouted angrily and gestured profanely at Girardi (Atlanta is one of the Yankee-despising capitals of the world, and with good reason). Girardi was tossed. And that's when the Yankee bats awoke, starting with Cervelli.
I wrote yesterday that the Yankees looked like they didn't care about the outcome. I still think I might have been wrong. But watching the game yesterday, one can no longer deny that the source of the Yankees' struggles was mental. Because when Girardi was tossed, the Yankee bats utterly exploded. Cervelli sent the next pitch into the seats, pumping his fist on his way around the bases. Players in the dugout came alive. Jeter lined one into left, Damon lashed a ball into center. Even A-Rod smoked an 0-2, 2 out fastball with the bases loaded in a tie game, hitting one into center field, bringing in two, and giving the Yankees the lead for good. Silenced for 5 innings, the Yankees smacked around nearly every pitcher they saw on their way to winning the game 8-4.
A game like this makes one think that the Yankees struggles were mental. The amelioration of these troubles is the responsibility of the coaching staff. Girardi needs to find a better way to motivate his players, but one thing can be said for him. For all his issues with player motivation and his judgement in allowing pitchers to stay on the mound too long, Girardi seems to have earned the loyalty of his players. And loyalty is the most important thing a manager, or a military commander like Alexander, must have from his group. When he has that, anything is possible.
By the way, it was fun to watch Mariano bat yesterday. The pitchers in the dugout were beside themselves watching Mariano sky one into center in the second at bat of his career. Good entertainment. And a good decision by Pena to allow Mariano to come in when Bruney was struggling to finish the 8th.
Projection for this road trip: 4-5
Result: 2-3
Result: 2-3
Games remaining: 4
A little soccer
First there was the miracle on ice. The 1980 Olympic upset over the state supported Soviet ice hockey team by the amateur U.S. squad was the biggest upset in the history of American international sports.
Yesterday the American soccer team came close to topping it. Here's the story:
For some reason FIFA holds a strange international competition called the "Confederations Cup" as a "tuneup" for the World Cup, which is played more than a year later. It is not currently known by this blogger how one qualifies for the "Confederations Cup". But it includes 8 teams, two groups of 4, that play each other once. Two teams from each group advance to the final round. For some reason this year the Confederations Cup was played in South Africa.
The first group was rigged to propel the South African team into the final round. S.A., New Zealand, and Iraq would presumably play for second place in the group. The predetermined winner was Spain, the #1 ranked team in the world, the reigning European champion, undefeated since 2006, riding a 15 game winning streak, which was the longest in the history of international competition, and owners of a 35 match unbeaten streak, which was tied with Brazil for the longest ever. The feeling was that South Africa would manage second place and reach the next round, thereby selling more tickets to the semifinals, in which they would be crushed by either Italy or Brazil.
Yes in the second group the U.S. found themselves pitted against both Italy and Brazil, winners of three of the last 4 World Cups. This group was rigged to prevent the U.S. from reaching the final round, as is often the case in international competitions. By all accounts the U.S. is at least a step ahead of South Africa, so they should have been in Spain's group. Egypt rounded out the fab 4.
In the first group, Spain blew everyone away. South Africa managed a win against New Zealand to reach the semis. Neither Iraq nor N.Z. were able to score a goal.
But the second group was wild. Egypt scored 3 goals against Brazil and still lost 4-3. And just like in the World Cup, in which the USA was the only team Italy played that the Italians could not defeat, the US struck first and went to halftime with a lead. But, just like in the World Cup, the U.S. mysteriously had a man sent off, were reduced to 10 men, and suffered a defeat 3-1. Little did the Italians know, they would need more help from friendly referees and would not receive it, losing a 1-0 shocker against Egypt, in what was that country's greatest soccer upset in their history. The U.S. was smoked by Brazil, Brazil beat Italy, and that set up a match between the U.S. and Egypt. The Italian champions would have to hope for a U.S. victory of only a goal. But unlike the Italians, the U.S. had no trouble carving up Egypt's defense, scoring three, securing a spot in the semis, and ousting Italy in the process.
The semis would pit the U.S. against Spain, while Brazil would be allowed to feast on South Africa. And that's when the miracle on grass happened. The U.S. rocked Spain for a goal in the first half. And as the Spanish desperately tried to tie the score, surely flopping and pleading and begging for an American red card, the U.S. struck again, devastating the opposition and sending the humbled Spaniards trudging off the grass, defeated, their streak cut short at the hands of the Americans.
Until we develop a professional soccer tradition of our own in America the European soccer establishment will never respect the American team, even if it has tremendous success. That's why it's so fun to watch us shock them year after year. The Europeans will always be shocked, because it's going to take them so long to acknowledge the truth. And the truth is that the U.S. is a soccer power.
Jeter's analysis
Derek Jeter on the Yankees' latest struggles:
"We didn’t hit, we haven’t hit, that’s why we’ve been losing. It’s nothing deeper than that.”
For my ESL students, this is an excellent example of the English verb tenses in action.
Jeter makes three statements.
1. "We didn't hit." (Past tense) Jeter is describing a definite time in the past, which is last night's game. The complete sentence might be "We didn't hit in last night's game."
2. "We haven't hit..." (Present perfect tense) Now Jeter is describing an event (in this case, the Yankees' collective failure to hit the baseball) that began in an unspecified time in the past, and that event continues into the present it is still true now. The complete idea might be "We haven't hit the ball well recently." This is different from "we didn't hit" because it is not limited to only last night. The failure to hit started before last night and it is still a problem now.
3. "That's why we've been losing." (Present perfect continuous) In this sentence the grammar functions in the same way as it does in the present perfect example (example #2). The losing began at an unspecified time in the past and continues up to now. It is still true today, because the Yankees haven't been hitting.
Great quote from Jeter. And a great example of the verb tenses in action.
"We didn’t hit, we haven’t hit, that’s why we’ve been losing. It’s nothing deeper than that.”
For my ESL students, this is an excellent example of the English verb tenses in action.
Jeter makes three statements.
1. "We didn't hit." (Past tense) Jeter is describing a definite time in the past, which is last night's game. The complete sentence might be "We didn't hit in last night's game."
2. "We haven't hit..." (Present perfect tense) Now Jeter is describing an event (in this case, the Yankees' collective failure to hit the baseball) that began in an unspecified time in the past, and that event continues into the present it is still true now. The complete idea might be "We haven't hit the ball well recently." This is different from "we didn't hit" because it is not limited to only last night. The failure to hit started before last night and it is still a problem now.
3. "That's why we've been losing." (Present perfect continuous) In this sentence the grammar functions in the same way as it does in the present perfect example (example #2). The losing began at an unspecified time in the past and continues up to now. It is still true today, because the Yankees haven't been hitting.
Great quote from Jeter. And a great example of the verb tenses in action.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Are the Yankees even good? (Braves 4, Yanks 0)
What a pathetic performance by the Yankee lineup. Swisher, Teixeira, A-Rod and Posada were all hitless. Cano and Jeter had bad at bats. It added up to another shutout. What a sorry performance. I don't care anymore if they want to trade people, because this team, as assembled right now, is going to have a very, very hard time reaching the playoffs. And even if they did reach the playoffs, it's likely this team would be destroyed. Absolutely smoked. Right now they look like they suck, and I'm getting tired of watching it.
Fans and management need to start asking themselves and each other whether the team is even good. They looked really bad today; listless, tired, in low spirits. Maybe someone needs to be traded. Because these guys are playing in a way that suggests that they don't care about the outcome. Of course that's not true. Of course the Yankees want to win and do care about the outcome. But they're not playing that way right now.
Every year the Yankees start slowly, reluctant to really push until after the all-star break. Well last year they failed to reach the playoffs. And this year they appear to be headed for the same fate. As I've said many times before, these games are just as important as the games in September. The Yankees will need to win 95 games to make the playoffs, and they are nowhere near on pace to do so. And they do not appear poised to make up the ground they are losing day after day with pathetic performances like this.
By the way, Wang looked just fine yesterday. 5 innings 3 runs 6 hits, and he could have pitched another inning or two if they hadn't needed to replace him in the lineup with a bat, since they did NOTHING offensively. Wang will return in 5 days against the Mets on "Sunday night baseball".
Edit: Looks like management has responded. Brian Cashman met with the team before the game (an 8-4 victory), ostensibly to tell them...that he'd really appreciate it if the team gave a bit more of an effort, if it didn't trouble them too much, that is.
Projection for this road trip: 4-5
Result: 1-3
Games remaining: 5
Games remaining: 5
Sunday, June 21, 2009
That wasn't fair, let's play again.
The Marlins made a bizarre lineup card miscue that might result in a replay of the last two innings of yesterday's game. None of the reports I read properly described the problem, which was quite simple.
And now for an explanation of the Marlins lineup card miscue, in case you're wondering:
The Marlins are idiots.
This explanation has been brought to you by New York Yankees baseball, in association with Mr. Ma, your blogger...
Seriously, here's the problem: The Marlins had Coghlan in left field batting first. They had Pinto on the mound in the bottom of the 7th batting 9th. In the bottom of the 7th the Marlins brought in DeAza to pinch hit for Pinto. DeAza was supposed to replace Coghlan in left field (for defense). Since DeAza was already batting ninth, the Marlins needed someone to take Coghlan's spot as the leadoff hitter, and that was supposed to be the 8th inning reliever Nunez.
What this meant was that in the top of the 8th DeAza (batting 9th in the order) was supposed to take the field in left, with Coghlan finished for the day and Nunez (batting 1st in the order) was supposed to take the mound. But Coghlan trotted out into left field to start the 8th, and DeAza sat on the bench. Nunez delivered a pitch, one in which both he and Coghlan were in the same spot in the batting order. Girardi, who had been waiting for this moment, burst out of the dugout, crying foul and shutting the game down for 5 minutes while the officials and the Marlins scrambled to figure out what went so terribly wrong. Since Coghlan stood out in left field for a pitch in which he did not belong, the league could force a replay of the last two innings.
Sounds good to me.
Edit: It appears that the protest has been denied.
And now for an explanation of the Marlins lineup card miscue, in case you're wondering:
The Marlins are idiots.
This explanation has been brought to you by New York Yankees baseball, in association with Mr. Ma, your blogger...
Seriously, here's the problem: The Marlins had Coghlan in left field batting first. They had Pinto on the mound in the bottom of the 7th batting 9th. In the bottom of the 7th the Marlins brought in DeAza to pinch hit for Pinto. DeAza was supposed to replace Coghlan in left field (for defense). Since DeAza was already batting ninth, the Marlins needed someone to take Coghlan's spot as the leadoff hitter, and that was supposed to be the 8th inning reliever Nunez.
What this meant was that in the top of the 8th DeAza (batting 9th in the order) was supposed to take the field in left, with Coghlan finished for the day and Nunez (batting 1st in the order) was supposed to take the mound. But Coghlan trotted out into left field to start the 8th, and DeAza sat on the bench. Nunez delivered a pitch, one in which both he and Coghlan were in the same spot in the batting order. Girardi, who had been waiting for this moment, burst out of the dugout, crying foul and shutting the game down for 5 minutes while the officials and the Marlins scrambled to figure out what went so terribly wrong. Since Coghlan stood out in left field for a pitch in which he did not belong, the league could force a replay of the last two innings.
Sounds good to me.
Edit: It appears that the protest has been denied.
Bullpunked
A lot of people like to say that the Yankee bullpen isn't any good.
Wrong.
IP: H: K: ERA: WHIP:
Robertson 13 7 19 2.08 1.23
Aceves 28 24 25 2.54 1.06
Bruney 10 3 14 2.61 0.48
Coke 29 19 22 3.38 1.06
Mo 27 27 33 3.25 1.08
And they fit together well. Roberston is right-handed. Coke is left-handed. Aceves is a long man. Bruney is an 8th inning machine. Rivera is the greatest closer in MLB history.
Solid.
Wrong.
IP: H: K: ERA: WHIP:
Robertson 13 7 19 2.08 1.23
Aceves 28 24 25 2.54 1.06
Bruney 10 3 14 2.61 0.48
Coke 29 19 22 3.38 1.06
Mo 27 27 33 3.25 1.08
And they fit together well. Roberston is right-handed. Coke is left-handed. Aceves is a long man. Bruney is an 8th inning machine. Rivera is the greatest closer in MLB history.
Solid.
CCless (Marlins 6, Yanks 5)
Well today CC left the game in the second inning with a "biceps injury". Aceves pitched well but the damage was done when Tomko entered the game and Robertson tried to clean up after him. The CCless Yankees should have won this game, but with the big man out and with some poor defense by Melky and Posada, the Yankees came up short. They've lost yet another series that they should have won.
But there's nothing to be done now but to forget about it and play on. The Yankees head to Atlanta to try and do something right.
But there's nothing to be done now but to forget about it and play on. The Yankees head to Atlanta to try and do something right.
Projection for this road trip: 4-5
Result: 1-2
Result: 1-2
Games remaining: 6
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Doubly Troubling (Marlins 2, Yanks 1)
It was sort of troubling to watch the top hitters on the Yankees ground into double plays late in the game after wearing down the Marlins' top starter, fist-pumper extraordinaire Josh Johnson. If he were a Yankee he'd be the most hated man in America for celebrating wildly after getting outs...with nobody on base to end an inning. But since he's a Marlin he gets a pass, I guess.
Anyway the Yankees managed to chase the excitable Johnson after 7 innings, then in the 8th got a man in scoring position with nobody out but wasted the opportunity on a double play by Jeter, a strikeout by Damon (who had booted a ball in the outfield, allowing the winning run to score), and another double play in the 9th by Cano.
Not cool. Will another team that is totally outclassed by the far-superior Yankees win another series against them?
Projection for this road trip: 4-5
Result: 1-1
Games remaining: 7
Anyway the Yankees managed to chase the excitable Johnson after 7 innings, then in the 8th got a man in scoring position with nobody out but wasted the opportunity on a double play by Jeter, a strikeout by Damon (who had booted a ball in the outfield, allowing the winning run to score), and another double play in the 9th by Cano.
Not cool. Will another team that is totally outclassed by the far-superior Yankees win another series against them?
Projection for this road trip: 4-5
Result: 1-1
Games remaining: 7
You can walk when you get here, though.
Down in the Caribbean there's a saying among major league prospects:
"You can't walk to America."
Yes, there's water between those nations and the United States. But it's a pun. They're referring to taking pitches and working walks and long counts. Apparently, the prevailing philosophy down there is to be more aggressive at the plate, accumulate high BA, RBI, and HR totals, and get noticed by clubs.
Baseball people understand the value of those traditional hitting stats, but they also care about a hitter's ability to work deep counts, foul balls off, get walks, and make the pitcher throw a lot, all of which affect the pitchers ability to stay in the game. The 1998-2001 Yankees were masters of this art.
The same cannot be said for this team. Jeter, Damon, Teixeira, Posada, Matsui, and Swisher know how to tire pitchers out. But Cano, Melky, and Arod seem to have trouble. Cano and Melky are famous for their strange high BA, low OBP stats.
As an example, Cano leads the team in batting average, at .310. But his on base percentage is .341, which reflects the fact that he has only walked 14 times this year.
Compare that to Swish. Nick Swisher is batting .243, his career average. But he gets on base 38% of the time, a reflection of his 46 walks.
To me this does not mean that Swisher is more valuable than Cano. They just do different things. If Cano could take pitches he'd be a hall of famer, in my book.
Why am I going over this? Well I noticed that Melky has walked in 4 of his last 5 games. Yesterday he walked twice. For some players that's nothing to get excited about, but for Melky it could be a sign that he is improving in this area. After all, he played almost every day between May 7th and June 1st, and didn't walk once.
We'll be keeping an eye on his progress here. And also on Arod, who desperately needed a break. He got one, and let's hope Mr. QuarterMillion-Rod enjoys his rest.
"You can't walk to America."
Yes, there's water between those nations and the United States. But it's a pun. They're referring to taking pitches and working walks and long counts. Apparently, the prevailing philosophy down there is to be more aggressive at the plate, accumulate high BA, RBI, and HR totals, and get noticed by clubs.
Baseball people understand the value of those traditional hitting stats, but they also care about a hitter's ability to work deep counts, foul balls off, get walks, and make the pitcher throw a lot, all of which affect the pitchers ability to stay in the game. The 1998-2001 Yankees were masters of this art.
The same cannot be said for this team. Jeter, Damon, Teixeira, Posada, Matsui, and Swisher know how to tire pitchers out. But Cano, Melky, and Arod seem to have trouble. Cano and Melky are famous for their strange high BA, low OBP stats.
As an example, Cano leads the team in batting average, at .310. But his on base percentage is .341, which reflects the fact that he has only walked 14 times this year.
Compare that to Swish. Nick Swisher is batting .243, his career average. But he gets on base 38% of the time, a reflection of his 46 walks.
To me this does not mean that Swisher is more valuable than Cano. They just do different things. If Cano could take pitches he'd be a hall of famer, in my book.
Why am I going over this? Well I noticed that Melky has walked in 4 of his last 5 games. Yesterday he walked twice. For some players that's nothing to get excited about, but for Melky it could be a sign that he is improving in this area. After all, he played almost every day between May 7th and June 1st, and didn't walk once.
We'll be keeping an eye on his progress here. And also on Arod, who desperately needed a break. He got one, and let's hope Mr. QuarterMillion-Rod enjoys his rest.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Freshman beatdown (Yanks 5, Marlins 1)
Now that expectations for the Yankees have been lowered, they can go back to beating up on lesser organizations, packing opposing stadiums full of their fans, and smacking around young, inexperienced pitchers while padding their record to keep pace with Boston and stay in the playoff race.
After hearing some whining from the media about the Yankees' difficulties with unknown pitchers, the team unveiled this set of stats:
The Yankees are 11-6 this year in games started by pitchers who had never faced them. Those pitchers have accumulated a 5-6 record so far.
So when Girardi said he didn't want to talk about the Yankees difficulties with unknowns, he had two reasons. First, he just didn't want to talk. Second, the idea was nonsense.
By the way, starting now, I'll be keeping track of my projections as the first half of the season comes to a close.
Projection for this road trip: 4-5
Result: 1-0
Games remaining: 8
Ignored by Daddy
From Tyler Kepner:
"Although the Yankees watched Pedro Martinez’s workout in the Dominican Republic on Friday, they said they had no interest in signing him."
"Although the Yankees watched Pedro Martinez’s workout in the Dominican Republic on Friday, they said they had no interest in signing him."
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The next 4 critical weeks
While the Yankees keep performing this badly, Boston will continually extend their lead in the AL East. Hopefully the Yankees will take this series as a sign that they're not good enough to sit back. They have to play hard every day.
The team needs to reach 14 games over .500 at the all-star break to keep pace for a playoff spot. With 22 games left, they'll need to go 14-8.
The upcoming road trip will feature three games in Florida, three in Atlanta, and three with the Mets. Expect the Yankees to finish the trip at 4-5, at that point having to go 10-3 over the next 13 to keep pace.
Next the Yankees come home for three against Seattle and four with Toronto. They'll probably take four out of those seven games. But let's be optimistic and say they go 5-2. Now they would need to go 5-1 in the last two series to keep pace for the wild card.
Can the Yankees go to Minnesota and Anaheim and pick up 5 of 6 against those teams? Not likely. I'd take 3-3, which would put the Yankees at 12-10 between now and the break.
That's an overall record of 49-39, exactly the record I predicted a month ago (I actually predicted 49-40, but a game against Tampa Bay was postponed). Let's hope I'm wrong, because a 49-39 record would put the Yankees in poor position for a playoff run, given the difficulty of their schedule and of their division.
One more thing: If the Yankees continue to play the way they just did against Washington, all of this is moot and I'm going to stop blogging until Girardi is fired or management starts putting its collective foot down. But for now I'll be a little more patient.
The team needs to reach 14 games over .500 at the all-star break to keep pace for a playoff spot. With 22 games left, they'll need to go 14-8.
The upcoming road trip will feature three games in Florida, three in Atlanta, and three with the Mets. Expect the Yankees to finish the trip at 4-5, at that point having to go 10-3 over the next 13 to keep pace.
Next the Yankees come home for three against Seattle and four with Toronto. They'll probably take four out of those seven games. But let's be optimistic and say they go 5-2. Now they would need to go 5-1 in the last two series to keep pace for the wild card.
Can the Yankees go to Minnesota and Anaheim and pick up 5 of 6 against those teams? Not likely. I'd take 3-3, which would put the Yankees at 12-10 between now and the break.
That's an overall record of 49-39, exactly the record I predicted a month ago (I actually predicted 49-40, but a game against Tampa Bay was postponed). Let's hope I'm wrong, because a 49-39 record would put the Yankees in poor position for a playoff run, given the difficulty of their schedule and of their division.
One more thing: If the Yankees continue to play the way they just did against Washington, all of this is moot and I'm going to stop blogging until Girardi is fired or management starts putting its collective foot down. But for now I'll be a little more patient.
Revolting (Nationals 3, Yanks 0)
The Washington Nationals have won their third series of the year. They took one at home against Atlanta (31-34) in April, and another in Arizona (28-38) in May. Now they've come to the Bronx, playing against what is supposed to be one of the premier teams in baseball, come here with a 16-45 record, and beaten the Yankees (36-27) two games to one.
If this doesn't piss fans off, I don't know what will. If this doesn't get people talking about replacing the coach, I don't know what will. If this doesn't elicit a public rebuke from management, I don't know what will. If this doesn't cause at least a locker-room tirade, I don't know what will.
We can take a step back and say that Gardner, Pena, Cervelli, and Swisher were in the starting lineup, and when they start games together, usually the Yankees don't score a lot. But they still have Damon, Matsui, Tex, Arod, and Cano. That's 5 very skilled hitters. And the Yankees didn't get it done.
Didn't get it done. Come to think of it, what do the Yankees have to be proud of over the last week and a half? An ugly sweep at Fenway, an ugly win against the Mets that should have been an L and a series loss, and a revolting performance against Washington, perhaps the worst team in MLB.
If this doesn't piss fans off, I don't know what will. If this doesn't get people talking about replacing the coach, I don't know what will. If this doesn't elicit a public rebuke from management, I don't know what will. If this doesn't cause at least a locker-room tirade, I don't know what will.
We can take a step back and say that Gardner, Pena, Cervelli, and Swisher were in the starting lineup, and when they start games together, usually the Yankees don't score a lot. But they still have Damon, Matsui, Tex, Arod, and Cano. That's 5 very skilled hitters. And the Yankees didn't get it done.
Didn't get it done. Come to think of it, what do the Yankees have to be proud of over the last week and a half? An ugly sweep at Fenway, an ugly win against the Mets that should have been an L and a series loss, and a revolting performance against Washington, perhaps the worst team in MLB.
Something is amiss with this team. Let's hope someone in the organization responds to this like they should, with a public rebuke. Because the last nine games have been pathetic.
Bend over for Vanover (Nationals 3, Yanks 2)
Well we can add Larry Vanover to our list of umpires who don't belong in MLB. That list now has two names, the first being Jeff Nelson.
With a man on second and one out in the top of the 5th, and the Nationals leading 1-0, Guzman hit a sharp ground ball to A-Rod. Mr. Rod stabbed it and fired to first. Safe. Replays indicated that Guzman was clearly out. With men on first and third and 1 out, Nick Johnson then got a fly ball to elude Melky Cabrera and two runs scored. It's safe to say that Vanover's mistake changed the course of the game and put an early end to Wang's excellent start. Wang got out of the man-on-third-one-out jam with no further damage, but was not brought back for the 6th despite having thrown just 91 pitches. Had he pitched one more inning, it would have allowed him to try for a "quality start" (6 innings, 3 runs or less), but Girardi would have none of it.
Vanover's mistake cost the Yankees, and Wang, who lost 3-2. Umpires are taught to listen for the ball hitting the glove and the foot touching the bag. It's rare to see an umpire fail in this way. Close plays at first are so vital a skill that umpires train for years and years to master it. There are literally thousands of umpires working games at high levels around the country, including high school, college, and in the minor leagues. Out of that massive pool of well trained, experienced umpires there are less than 100 who are deemed skilled enough to officiate in major league baseball. Vanover's mistake shows he does not belong, and unless he apologizes, he should be demoted.
Like I said, Wang was fine. (video here) A solo shot on a 3-0 count to Adam Dunn was the only other run in what was an otherwise stellar performance and proof that Wang should remain in the rotation and be allowed to pitch deeper in the game next time. See you in 5 days, Tiger.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wang's defining start
Today Wang faces the Nationals with his job as a starter on the line.
The coaches will be looking for progress, not perfection. They'll be looking for a good start, and for Wang to perform to his potential. They're not looking for greatness or a no-hitter or even a "quality start", most often defined as 6+ innings and 3 earned runs or less allowed. They're looking for progress.
And if Wang doesn't deliver, he'll probably be moved to the bullpen. Not benched, not traded (I think). Just moved. Not the end of the world for Wang fans, but perhaps the beginning of a new era for him with the Yankees.
Posada and the Yankees (Yanks 5, Nationals 3)
There's been talk lately that Posada doesn't know which pitches should be thrown and when.
Tyler Kepner ran a story on the off day detailing Posada's failings.
Tyler Kepner ran a story on the off day detailing Posada's failings.
Later another blog ran a rebuttal.
Neither article does the job.
To discover whether Posada's presence behind the plate really makes it more likely that the opposition will score more runs, analysts would have to comb his entire record, year by year. They'd have to do a careful analysis, removing all other factors, and compare him to his contemporaries in exactly the same circumstances, which would be the other catchers on every Yankee team on which Posada has played. If Posada really isn't clever enough of a game caller, the evidence will not emerge without this sort of analysis.
Otherwise, Kepner and "pinstripealley", whoever they are...you're wasting our time.
By the way, Posada called a fine game against Washington's above average offense yesterday, with CC on the mound. The Yankees staged yet another comeback win at the stadium and remain two behind Boston and 10 games over .500.
To stay on pace for the wild card, they'll need to reach 15 games over .500 by the break. With 25 games left, that amounts to a 15-10 record, and a 52-37 mark overall. After the break, the schedule will get tougher, which is why it's so important for them to play well now. It'll start tomorrow, with Mr. Wang.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Bruney the bully
The other day Brian Bruney told the media he didn't like KRod's antics on the mound, and KRod fired back through the media, then assaulted Bruney at batting practice. Bruney took the high road and apologized, making KRod look even more infantile (if that was possible).
Anyway, the Times reporters blogged on it a bit, and I weighed in.
Anyway, the Times reporters blogged on it a bit, and I weighed in.
Glorious (Yanks 15, Mets 0)
Subway Series? How about:
Subway slaughter.
Subway stomping.
Subway smackdown.
Subway skinning.
Cross town rivalry? How about:
Cross town rompery.
Cross town ripping.
Cross town rough-up.
Interleague play? How about:
Interleague flay.
A baseball game? How about:
A thumping that will live in infamy!
Subway slaughter.
Subway stomping.
Subway smackdown.
Subway skinning.
Cross town rivalry? How about:
Cross town rompery.
Cross town ripping.
Cross town rough-up.
Interleague play? How about:
Interleague flay.
A baseball game? How about:
A thumping that will live in infamy!
Yeah but we won the big one...(Mets 6, Yanks 2)
Ever since 2000, when the Yankees stuck it to the Mets in the World Series 4 games to 1, my dislike of the Mets has been tempered. They're reasonably well behaved on the field, they've got good coaches, they play well, and they conduct themselves professionally and show a passion for the game. Their fans have much to learn about baseball but that will come in time.
Anyway the Yankees lost to the Mets 6-2, setting up a dramatic finale between A.J. Burnett, who is coming off a cooler kickingly bad start at Fenway, and Santana, who started fast but has cooled off. And if you didn't know, the Yankees passed on Santana last year when he was a free agent. Over the last 5 years, nobody has numbers quite like his, as he has established himself as the premier pitcher in baseball. It should be an interesting rubber match.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Unforgettable (Yanks 9, Mets 8)
Jeter on second, Tex on first, two out, bottom of the 9th, K-Rod vs. A-Rod. Mets lead 8-7. 3-1 count.
K-Rod winds and delivers a blazing strike down the middle of the plate. A-Rod gets the bat around, arms extended...and pops it up. And not just any pop up, but sky high, several hundred feet in the air, one of those pop ups that fly so high their impressiveness can only be appreciated in person.
The pop-up towered, inching its way over towards the second baseman, Luis Castillo. Mets fans could be heard cheering, as surely this would be the final out in a wild, tense, classic baseball game between cross-town rivals, a game that featured 6 lead changes and an assortment of memorable plays and home runs from both sides. It had been a game of many heroes. And in the end, it had come down to a clash of true baseball titans, A-Rod and K-Rod.
A-Rod slammed his bat into the dirt in frustration as Mets fans roared and the baseball soared towards second base. And here's how it was experienced on TV, on the radio as a Met fan, and on the radio as a Yankee fan.
Micheal Kay: And the three one. Popped up. Castillo......... Dropped the ball!!! He dropped the ball!!! Here comes Teixeira! And the Yankees win! Oh...my...goodness! He dropped the ball!!! What an ending!!! The Yankees win 9-8 in the most improbable fashion!!!"
Met Radio Announcer: Here's the pitch and it's popped in the air behind second base!!! Castillo backing up, onto the grass, under it, DROPS THE BALL! IN TO SCORE IS JETER! Teixeira coming to the plate, HE SLIDES AHEAD OF THE THROW!!! THE YANKEES WIN!!! Luis Castillo DROPPED A POP UP off the bat of Alex Rodriguez! The Mets are walking slowly off the field and stunned. The Yankees come out of the dugout and jump on Alex Rodriguez who hit the pop-up. They get a piece of Jeter, they get a piece of Teixeira, and the Mets have lost about the toughest game imaginable!
Sterling: And the pitch is swung on and a high pop to second. Castillo on the outfield grass. Dropped the ball, he dropped the ball!!! Here comes Teixeira, he scores!!! Yankess win!!! Oh WOW!!! Luis Castillo dropped the pop up, then he threw to second and Teixeira scored without a play! The Yankess have overcome an 8-7 deficit to win it 9-8! Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theeeeeeeeeeeeeee YANKEES WIN!!!"
Edit: And now the video.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Now is the time (Red Sox 4, Yanks 3)
Now is the time to fire Girardi. Don't wait. Just close your eyes and do it. The fans are ready. The players MUST be ready. Cashman, it's time, and you know it.
Oh no
Girardi allowed CC to pitch to two too many batters. Now the Red Sox have taken the lead, and it's all Girardi's fault. This is going to go down as THE GAME Girardi lost his job.
Amazingly poor judgement here. The Yankees beat Boston in every conceivable way today, and they're still going to lose because of Girardi.
This is unbelievable. NY fans and the press are going to go berzerk. And they're all going to point to this game but the truth is that Girardi has been making subtler mistakes like this ALL SEASON LONG. It's obvious that the Yankees should be way ahead in the AL East. This is really bad. They're going to lose and fans can pin this exactly on Girardi.
And don't think this won't happen in the playoffs. Because it will. It will happen in the playoffs if Girardi is allowed to continue coaching this team.
Amazingly poor judgement here. The Yankees beat Boston in every conceivable way today, and they're still going to lose because of Girardi.
This is unbelievable. NY fans and the press are going to go berzerk. And they're all going to point to this game but the truth is that Girardi has been making subtler mistakes like this ALL SEASON LONG. It's obvious that the Yankees should be way ahead in the AL East. This is really bad. They're going to lose and fans can pin this exactly on Girardi.
And don't think this won't happen in the playoffs. Because it will. It will happen in the playoffs if Girardi is allowed to continue coaching this team.
Oh my God
Girardi just let CC pitch in a spot that no coach alive would allow. Something is seriously wrong with Girardi's judgement, and if the Yankees lose this game today it is ALL GIRARDI'S FAULT. Hopefully this will be the end of his regime. Unbelievable.
I'm almost hoping the Yankees lose today.
I'm almost hoping the Yankees lose today.
The Fall Guy (Red Sox 6, Yanks 5)
Dave Eiland is refusing to accept responsibility and should be fired immediately. "I can't stand out on the mound with him." That's his answer? He needs to be fired. Right now.
It's Eiland's responsibility to get the pitchers right, and it's clear that he can't do it. And it's not just Wang. Burnett, Wang, Chamberlain, Veras, Marte, and even Rivera are all having, by far, the worst years of their careers. We're all tired of hearing about their stuff, their injuries, their arm slots and so forth. This is a coaching problem.
It's telling that people are now wondering if "perhaps Guidry could help". That's because it's crystal clear now that Eiland's coaching is inadequate.
Each consecutive loss to the Red Sox is becoming more and more devastating. People are looking for a scapegoat and Wang is perfect. But looking at it objectively, we wouldn't be talking about this with the same urgency if Jeter and/or Arod had contributed today, and the Yankees had won. On the offensive side, the Yankees had plenty of opportunities to win, and failed to perform in the clutch.
If Wang becomes the fall guy here it would be tragic for the organization. It's painfully obvious that Wang has been mishandled. If he is let go now, he will get picked up by a smart GM, whipped into shape, and almost certainly win 10-15 games next year.
It's Eiland's responsibility to get the pitchers right, and it's clear that he can't do it. And it's not just Wang. Burnett, Wang, Chamberlain, Veras, Marte, and even Rivera are all having, by far, the worst years of their careers. We're all tired of hearing about their stuff, their injuries, their arm slots and so forth. This is a coaching problem.
It's telling that people are now wondering if "perhaps Guidry could help". That's because it's crystal clear now that Eiland's coaching is inadequate.
Each consecutive loss to the Red Sox is becoming more and more devastating. People are looking for a scapegoat and Wang is perfect. But looking at it objectively, we wouldn't be talking about this with the same urgency if Jeter and/or Arod had contributed today, and the Yankees had won. On the offensive side, the Yankees had plenty of opportunities to win, and failed to perform in the clutch.
If Wang becomes the fall guy here it would be tragic for the organization. It's painfully obvious that Wang has been mishandled. If he is let go now, he will get picked up by a smart GM, whipped into shape, and almost certainly win 10-15 games next year.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Dust collector
Guess that A-Rod book didn't catch on as expected. It would have helped if something in the book had been true. Instead, a discredited memoir by James Frey (whoever that is) is outselling it.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Forgettable (Red Sox 7, Yanks 0)
Did anyone see Big Papi, his team already with a 6-0 lead, spaz out after his sorry pop fly in the 4th inning? That's Jeter above wondering, "What's wrong with this slob?"
By the way I just owned the life of this loser who keeps spouting (as a friend of mine once said) "bovine bombast" on the NY Times blog. Check it out here.
The Sandman Reigneth (Yanks 5, Rays 3)
For the 3rd straight day, Mariano Rivera came on in the 9th.
On the first day, the Rays pounded him for 4 runs. Fans worried that Rivera was slipping. Any time a division rival tags Mariano and steals a win, Yankee fans have a right to be worried.
On the second day, Mariano returned. It was stressful to watch. Mariano retired the first two, which included a swinging strikeout. Having issued an intentional walk to Longoria in the first game, Mariano pitched to him with 2 outs in the top of the 9th. The result: a lame grounder to Cano to finish off the Rays and set up the series finale to determine the winner.
On the third day, the series finale, Mariano came to the mound again to secure the series win and reclaim his rightful title as "The Rays' Daddy". Mo made short work of Kapler and Joyce, who was asked to pinch hit. Then BJ Upton, the young star center fielder who helped lead Tampa Bay to the division title and a birth in the big show last year, came to the plate. And Mariano Rivera, unleashing a blazing, rising fastball down the middle, blew Upton away for the final out, clinching the series, sending the Rays below .500 again, and moving the Yankees into first place, where they belong. (You can see Mariano's final pitch in the video recap here.)
On the second day, Mariano returned. It was stressful to watch. Mariano retired the first two, which included a swinging strikeout. Having issued an intentional walk to Longoria in the first game, Mariano pitched to him with 2 outs in the top of the 9th. The result: a lame grounder to Cano to finish off the Rays and set up the series finale to determine the winner.
On the third day, the series finale, Mariano came to the mound again to secure the series win and reclaim his rightful title as "The Rays' Daddy". Mo made short work of Kapler and Joyce, who was asked to pinch hit. Then BJ Upton, the young star center fielder who helped lead Tampa Bay to the division title and a birth in the big show last year, came to the plate. And Mariano Rivera, unleashing a blazing, rising fastball down the middle, blew Upton away for the final out, clinching the series, sending the Rays below .500 again, and moving the Yankees into first place, where they belong. (You can see Mariano's final pitch in the video recap here.)
That was not the "Mariano of old." That was the Mariano of Now.
"Which team is better?"
The question of "which team is better" is hard to answer right now. The Yanks and Sox aren't fully formed for the pennant race. But we can project, as Las Vegas already has. And Las Vegas thinks the Yankees are a little bit better. Here's why I agree:
Lineup verdict: You can make the argument that Boston's lineup is slightly better. You can also make the argument that the Yankee lineup is more accomplished. And sometimes more accomplished players have an edge over a hot bat or a player who is only very good while playing at home.
Starters verdict: The Yankees have better starters. They have put up better numbers this year even while pitching in what is supposed to be a more hitter-friendly park. And they have pitched better in their careers.
Bullpen verdict: The Sox bullpen is better right now. The Yankees are still working out issues here and we have yet to see this bullpen settle into a consistent, reliable go-to group. Potential for vast improvement still exists, as Bruney will be back eventually, and at least one of the Hughes/Wang/Joba trio will be in the bullpen late in the season. But we can safely say that the Sox bullpen is as good as it is going to get unless they pick someone up, something the Yankees could do also.
Overall: Of course it's too early to say which team is better. The Yankees haven't beat the red sox yet, so it sounds foolish to say the Yankees are better. But the players who contributed most to the Sox victories have since cooled off considerably, and the Yankees look like a different team now.
"Different" might not be the right word. Actually, I think the right word is "better". Just ask the bookies.
Lineup verdict: You can make the argument that Boston's lineup is slightly better. You can also make the argument that the Yankee lineup is more accomplished. And sometimes more accomplished players have an edge over a hot bat or a player who is only very good while playing at home.
Starters verdict: The Yankees have better starters. They have put up better numbers this year even while pitching in what is supposed to be a more hitter-friendly park. And they have pitched better in their careers.
Bullpen verdict: The Sox bullpen is better right now. The Yankees are still working out issues here and we have yet to see this bullpen settle into a consistent, reliable go-to group. Potential for vast improvement still exists, as Bruney will be back eventually, and at least one of the Hughes/Wang/Joba trio will be in the bullpen late in the season. But we can safely say that the Sox bullpen is as good as it is going to get unless they pick someone up, something the Yankees could do also.
Overall: Of course it's too early to say which team is better. The Yankees haven't beat the red sox yet, so it sounds foolish to say the Yankees are better. But the players who contributed most to the Sox victories have since cooled off considerably, and the Yankees look like a different team now.
"Different" might not be the right word. Actually, I think the right word is "better". Just ask the bookies.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
The Sandman Dominateth (Yanks 4, Rays 3)
So much for that nonsense about Mariano slipping, or whatever. People have been saying Mariano is "slipping" for at least 5 years now. And he keeps putting up first ballot hall-of-fame numbers.
With a surprise 4-3 lead, most notably because Robinson Cano was able to take 4 pitches in a single at-bat with the bases loaded, Mariano took the mound against the Rays, who the day before had smacked him around for 4 runs and, according to The Doltish (oops, "Daily", that is) News, had "taken too many comfortable swings" against him.
Well, Mariano just did what he does. He started by inducing a weak ground ball to Tex for the first out. Then he whiffed the next batter and stared him down as he drudged back to the dugout.
Now yesterday, Mariano had mentioned to the media that, rather than intentionally walking Evan Longoria, one of the premier hitters in MLB right now, Mo would have liked to have pitched to him. He got his chance with two outs, as Longoria came on to pinch hit.
It was not pretty. Longoria looked baffled, owned by Mariano. Eventually he grounded a sorry little dribbler to Cano, who casually flipped to first, retiring Longoria and making the Rays look exceptionally uncomfortable as they packed their bags and fled to the tunnel. Like I said yesterday, Mariano is just fine, thanks. And he's a hall-of-famer so show some respect.
The Sandman stumbleth (Rays 9, Yanks 7)
With the game tied at 5, Mariano took the mound to preserve the lead so that Jeter, Damon, and Tex could win it in the bottom of the 9th.
Mariano did not preserve the lead. On the contrary. He got hammered (and that did not involve tequila...I'm talking about getting hammered by the Rays).
So let's talk about Mariano. We're deep enough into the season now to be able to determine whether he is slipping.
Let's start with yesterday's performance. Zobrist, Dillon, Upton, and Crawford all had hits against him. With runner-advancing outs, an intentional walk, and an error by A-Rod, the Rays had put 4 on the board before the inning was over. Mariano did not look good, especially in his walk to the dugout before he could get the third out.
After 23 innings pitched, Mariano's ERA, WHIP, and Opponents' BBA are all career highs. He's having the worst year of his career (so far) since he became a closer.
What does this mean? Well, it means...he's having the worst year of his career as a closer.
The good news is, the Yankees still have around 100 games left to play. Mariano still has around 50 innings to pitch. And I don't know about you, but I'm not worried. He has looked dominant at times this year at 39, and he was plenty dominant last year.
And, after all, he is still Mariano.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Nomination for Photo of the Year
Swisher celebrating just after his slide into home that scored the tying run from first on a three-run double by Teixeira.
Melk. He does the Yankees good. (Yanks 8, Rangers 6)
From Tyler Kepner:"Cabrera hiked his average to .429 (14 for 29) in close-and-late situations, defined as the seventh inning or later with the team at bat tied or ahead by a run, or with the winning run on base, at bat or on deck."
Great stat there. I don't know where to find that stat, but I'll tell you one thing: There are two Yankees now that I feel the most comfortable with at the plate in a really big spot. Derek Jeter and Melky Cabrera. Matsui and Posada are good too, and Teixeira also seems reliable. But Jeter and Melky seem to focus and raise their game with the stakes.
Today Melky did what he does best: Get a big hit in a late at-bat during a close game. His two-run shot, batting right-handed, over the left field wall gave the Yankees the win, in an amazing game that featured the return of Wang, a three run game-tying double by Teixeira, some clutchness from A-Rod, Jeter on the bench, and a great performance from the bullpen. There's a lot to say, but this might be the most meaningful:
With the win, the Yankees remain in first place, tied with the Red Sox. They have ripped the first place Rangers 4 games to 2 so far. Now they continue in what could be their most difficult stretch of the season, with 4 games against the hot-hitting AL champion Rays, 3 in Fenway against the Sox who are playing well again, and 3 more against the NY Mets.
Play ball.
Eiland's Wang analysis
Pitching coach Dave Eiland on Wang's performance:
“The first 50 pitches, the arm strength was really there — the late sink was there, that hard sink from 92 to 93. After about 50 pitches, the velocity went down a little bit, and instead of having sink, he had a little bit of tail to it, and it didn’t have that downward action. It was on the same plane as they’re swinging the bat.
I saw him down in the zone, I saw more life to his sink, I saw a better slider — he was very good at times; he was the Chien-Ming Wang of old. The consistency wasn’t quite there yet, but we feel with repetition and building his pitch count back up, that’s going to take care of itself.”
“The first 50 pitches, the arm strength was really there — the late sink was there, that hard sink from 92 to 93. After about 50 pitches, the velocity went down a little bit, and instead of having sink, he had a little bit of tail to it, and it didn’t have that downward action. It was on the same plane as they’re swinging the bat.
I saw him down in the zone, I saw more life to his sink, I saw a better slider — he was very good at times; he was the Chien-Ming Wang of old. The consistency wasn’t quite there yet, but we feel with repetition and building his pitch count back up, that’s going to take care of itself.”
Thursday, June 4, 2009
"We play today, we win today", 2009 version
"In this ballpark, we play nine innings.”
-Mariano Rivera 2009
-Mariano Rivera 2009
Live updates on The Return of the Wang
Top 1: Wang expands the strike zone to get Kinsler looking on a 3-2 pitch. Good control there.
Gets Young to fly out weakly to center. Then strikes out Blalock! 1-2-3 go the Rangers. 13 pitches.
Bottom 1: Bizarre scene. Silly errors on both sides, with a dropped pop and a baserunning error. Damon's leadoff jack grabs the 1-0 lead.
T2: One pitch, one groundball out. Vintage Wang there. Sinker is working. A little wild to Murphy, falls behind 2-0. He's taking his time. Skips another one in front of the plate, 3-0. This is tenuous. Throws a strike then gets a weak ground ball, fields it himself and gets the out!
Byrd up, swinging strikeout!!!! 6 up 6 down for Wang! Tiger Wang!
B2: Yankees go quietly.
T3: Wang gets ahead of Davis. Two weak swings and foul balls. Wang has good control of the hitters and the situation. Davis looks clueless against him. Oh and he manages to rope a line drive ground-rule double down the line on the third 0-2 pitch. Bad luck there. Teagarden bunts Davis over to third, 1 out and Andrus up. First pitch, weak ground ball to Arod, who checks the runner and throws to first, 2 out!!! Almost out of the jam now. Here's Kinsler taking the first pitch for a ball. Wang delivers low, falling behind 2-0 to Kinsler. This is the second time through the order for Texas, so they should be making adjustments. Nice pitch, Kinsler fouls it away. Wang is rubbing the ball, looking focused, expressionless. Ball 3, 3-1. Wang moves like Mariano, no wasted movement. Great sinker, Kinsler fouls it off, full count. Cervelli comes out to talk, it's a short conversation and he trots back. Wild pitch! Bounced in front of the plate (third time today) the run scores, Cervelli dashes to the backstop but too late. 1-1 game now. I wonder if Cervelli bothered Wang by coming to talk to him before that pitch. Now a weak ground ball and A-Rod botches it! He throws to second but can't get Kinsler, he had an easy play at first! Oh no...1st and 2nd 2 outs, Blalock up. Wang needs a big out here. 1-1 count. Looking distracted now, bounces one to Cervelli. Now a weak single over A-Rod's head, Kinsler scores from 2nd, 2-1 game. This is getting scary now. Wang needs a big out right now. Here's Cruz. He's making them protect the plate. Wang has good stuff today, no question, but he seems to lose control of it from time to time, bouncing balls to the plate. Another good sinker, 1-2 count. The clapping starts, the crowd is hoping for the strikeout. STRIKE THREE! Got him looking. Well they gave up the lead but it didn't have to be that way. 2 hits, a walk, a run on a wild pitch and a poor play in the field by Arod makes it 2-1. 45 pitches now.
B3: Damon almost homers again, but this time its caught with a leaping grab at the wall in right, next to the scoreboard. Yanks down 1-2-3 again.
T4: Texas has seen Wang once through the lineup, and the second time they were able to lay off some of the low balls and find better pitches to hit. I'd also recommend that Cervelli not speak to Wang again, I think it annoys him.
(NY Smokers quitline quiz: Who has managed both teams? Showalter and...Torre?)
Single to left, then another double to left on what looked like a foul ball. Wang is struggling now, pitching poorly. And another double scores 2 runs, Texas leads 4-1. 55 pitches. Swinging strikeout, 1 out man on 2nd. Sometimes it seems that when something goes wrong Wang loses his concentration a little. Aceves is warming in the pen, they might see something wrong with his mechanics. Now a lazy ground ball to Cano, 2 gone. Runner on third, 1 pitch, another grounder to Cano retires the Rangers. But Wang gave up 3 consecutive hits to start the inning, the last two for extra bases.
The second time through the lineup, the Rangers seem to be swinging very early in the count, anticipating strikes. So they make Wang look really good by falling behind or grounding out. And sometimes they make him look really bad, by getting good wood on the ball and hitting line drives for hits. Wang seemed to calm down and pitch well after the third hit. Hopefully they'll leave him in the game to see how he responds. After all, he has only thrown 59 pitches. 6 hits 4 runs 1 walk 5 strikeouts after 4 innings.
B4: Tex doubles but Arod makes himself useless again, grounding out to short. Cano does the same, and after a walk to Matsui, Melky grounds out to the pitcher.
T5: Wang is back out there. Young is up. He falls behind, but gets a strike. Now behind 3-1 and pitches aren't looking good. Grounded to A-Rod, 1 out! Great sinker there, his pitches are so deceptive. First pitch to Blalock and another ground ball to A-Rod! 2 gone. Cruz now, 1-1 count. And Cruz hits a long home run, no doubt about that one. 5-1 Texas now in the 5th, and Girardi comes out to tell Mr. Wang that his day is over.
Well...that wasn't so great. 4.2 innings pitched, 7 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts, 70 pitches. It was not a total disaster like last time, though. The Yankees probably assume that Wang will get better from here. There's no doubt he'll have at least a few more starts to get back into the swing of things and get his control back, which seemed to be a little bit lacking today. He did get 5 strikeouts and plenty of ground balls, and he had Texas swinging at pitches out of the strike zone early in the count, a great sign. Honestly, there's no reason to think that Wang isn't back in form. Texas is a very good hitting team, and they're going to get their runs against a lot of pitchers.
All in all, it was not the start we wanted from Wang. But he did not pitch badly. I think he'll be out there again in 5 days, against the Red Sox in Fenway park on Tuesday night. And even if he gets hit in that game, he'll be back again, probably for the last game against the Mets.
That's all for the Wang report. Kind of disappointing, but not a disaster.
(The quiz answer was Showalter and Martin, which was my shot-in-the-dark guess after Torre. Whatever!)
Edit: And now here's the video.
Gets Young to fly out weakly to center. Then strikes out Blalock! 1-2-3 go the Rangers. 13 pitches.
Bottom 1: Bizarre scene. Silly errors on both sides, with a dropped pop and a baserunning error. Damon's leadoff jack grabs the 1-0 lead.
T2: One pitch, one groundball out. Vintage Wang there. Sinker is working. A little wild to Murphy, falls behind 2-0. He's taking his time. Skips another one in front of the plate, 3-0. This is tenuous. Throws a strike then gets a weak ground ball, fields it himself and gets the out!
Byrd up, swinging strikeout!!!! 6 up 6 down for Wang! Tiger Wang!
B2: Yankees go quietly.
T3: Wang gets ahead of Davis. Two weak swings and foul balls. Wang has good control of the hitters and the situation. Davis looks clueless against him. Oh and he manages to rope a line drive ground-rule double down the line on the third 0-2 pitch. Bad luck there. Teagarden bunts Davis over to third, 1 out and Andrus up. First pitch, weak ground ball to Arod, who checks the runner and throws to first, 2 out!!! Almost out of the jam now. Here's Kinsler taking the first pitch for a ball. Wang delivers low, falling behind 2-0 to Kinsler. This is the second time through the order for Texas, so they should be making adjustments. Nice pitch, Kinsler fouls it away. Wang is rubbing the ball, looking focused, expressionless. Ball 3, 3-1. Wang moves like Mariano, no wasted movement. Great sinker, Kinsler fouls it off, full count. Cervelli comes out to talk, it's a short conversation and he trots back. Wild pitch! Bounced in front of the plate (third time today) the run scores, Cervelli dashes to the backstop but too late. 1-1 game now. I wonder if Cervelli bothered Wang by coming to talk to him before that pitch. Now a weak ground ball and A-Rod botches it! He throws to second but can't get Kinsler, he had an easy play at first! Oh no...1st and 2nd 2 outs, Blalock up. Wang needs a big out here. 1-1 count. Looking distracted now, bounces one to Cervelli. Now a weak single over A-Rod's head, Kinsler scores from 2nd, 2-1 game. This is getting scary now. Wang needs a big out right now. Here's Cruz. He's making them protect the plate. Wang has good stuff today, no question, but he seems to lose control of it from time to time, bouncing balls to the plate. Another good sinker, 1-2 count. The clapping starts, the crowd is hoping for the strikeout. STRIKE THREE! Got him looking. Well they gave up the lead but it didn't have to be that way. 2 hits, a walk, a run on a wild pitch and a poor play in the field by Arod makes it 2-1. 45 pitches now.
B3: Damon almost homers again, but this time its caught with a leaping grab at the wall in right, next to the scoreboard. Yanks down 1-2-3 again.
T4: Texas has seen Wang once through the lineup, and the second time they were able to lay off some of the low balls and find better pitches to hit. I'd also recommend that Cervelli not speak to Wang again, I think it annoys him.
(NY Smokers quitline quiz: Who has managed both teams? Showalter and...Torre?)
Single to left, then another double to left on what looked like a foul ball. Wang is struggling now, pitching poorly. And another double scores 2 runs, Texas leads 4-1. 55 pitches. Swinging strikeout, 1 out man on 2nd. Sometimes it seems that when something goes wrong Wang loses his concentration a little. Aceves is warming in the pen, they might see something wrong with his mechanics. Now a lazy ground ball to Cano, 2 gone. Runner on third, 1 pitch, another grounder to Cano retires the Rangers. But Wang gave up 3 consecutive hits to start the inning, the last two for extra bases.
The second time through the lineup, the Rangers seem to be swinging very early in the count, anticipating strikes. So they make Wang look really good by falling behind or grounding out. And sometimes they make him look really bad, by getting good wood on the ball and hitting line drives for hits. Wang seemed to calm down and pitch well after the third hit. Hopefully they'll leave him in the game to see how he responds. After all, he has only thrown 59 pitches. 6 hits 4 runs 1 walk 5 strikeouts after 4 innings.
B4: Tex doubles but Arod makes himself useless again, grounding out to short. Cano does the same, and after a walk to Matsui, Melky grounds out to the pitcher.
T5: Wang is back out there. Young is up. He falls behind, but gets a strike. Now behind 3-1 and pitches aren't looking good. Grounded to A-Rod, 1 out! Great sinker there, his pitches are so deceptive. First pitch to Blalock and another ground ball to A-Rod! 2 gone. Cruz now, 1-1 count. And Cruz hits a long home run, no doubt about that one. 5-1 Texas now in the 5th, and Girardi comes out to tell Mr. Wang that his day is over.
Well...that wasn't so great. 4.2 innings pitched, 7 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts, 70 pitches. It was not a total disaster like last time, though. The Yankees probably assume that Wang will get better from here. There's no doubt he'll have at least a few more starts to get back into the swing of things and get his control back, which seemed to be a little bit lacking today. He did get 5 strikeouts and plenty of ground balls, and he had Texas swinging at pitches out of the strike zone early in the count, a great sign. Honestly, there's no reason to think that Wang isn't back in form. Texas is a very good hitting team, and they're going to get their runs against a lot of pitchers.
All in all, it was not the start we wanted from Wang. But he did not pitch badly. I think he'll be out there again in 5 days, against the Red Sox in Fenway park on Tuesday night. And even if he gets hit in that game, he'll be back again, probably for the last game against the Mets.
That's all for the Wang report. Kind of disappointing, but not a disaster.
(The quiz answer was Showalter and Martin, which was my shot-in-the-dark guess after Torre. Whatever!)
Edit: And now here's the video.
A-Dud (Rangers 4, Yanks 2)
This is the A-Rod we remember from last year.
Bases loaded, 1 out, tight game, Arod up. Double play.
Man on third, 1 out, Yankees behind, Arod up. Strikeout.
Come to think of it, yesterday, if Teixeira doesn't make that hard slide to break up the double play ball hit by A-Rod, maybe the Yankees lose that game. They went on to score 5 runs with two outs, but all of it was made possible by Tex.
This isn't to say that A-Rod's protection isn't helping the team. It is. But he has a disturbing habit, one that is becoming predictable, of performing POORLY in the clutch. Not average. Not ok. POORLY. That needs to stop.
Edit: Today A-Rod drove in Tex to put the Yankees in front 6-5 in the 5th. More of that, Mr. Rod!
Bases loaded, 1 out, tight game, Arod up. Double play.
Man on third, 1 out, Yankees behind, Arod up. Strikeout.
Come to think of it, yesterday, if Teixeira doesn't make that hard slide to break up the double play ball hit by A-Rod, maybe the Yankees lose that game. They went on to score 5 runs with two outs, but all of it was made possible by Tex.
This isn't to say that A-Rod's protection isn't helping the team. It is. But he has a disturbing habit, one that is becoming predictable, of performing POORLY in the clutch. Not average. Not ok. POORLY. That needs to stop.
Edit: Today A-Rod drove in Tex to put the Yankees in front 6-5 in the 5th. More of that, Mr. Rod!
Tex Revisited
At the end of April I admonished fellow Yankee fans who were buying tickets at exorbitant prices to sit in Yankee stadium and boo Mark Teixeira for his slow start. I said that we should reserve judgement until at least the end of May. The requirements: a .250 average or higher, and some good performances in clutch spots.
Well, Tex is hitting .279. His OPS is .982, good for 9th in the American League. He is tied for 4th in MLB with 16 home runs.
Well, Tex is hitting .279. His OPS is .982, good for 9th in the American League. He is tied for 4th in MLB with 16 home runs.
His tremendously skilled glove at first was one of the most important reasons why the Yankees broke the record for consecutive games played without an error.
And as for the clutch performances, you can find them here, here, here, here, and a bunch of other places.
Apologies for booing Tex can be mailed to the following address (a handwritten note would convey more sincerity):
Mark Teixeira
New York Yankees
Yankee Stadium
1 East 161st Street
Bronx, NY 10451
USA
The Return
"It’s time to find a time to slot him in."
Timing is everything.
(A google search through the vast sea of data across the world wide web for "It's time to find a time" will get you...3 results)
Last week after losing to Cleveland, I made the case (an easy one, I thought) for replacing Hughes with Wang in the rotation.
It was a long post, but here's the key exerpt:
"Hughes was inept. Lets compare his performance to Chien Ming Wang's. Wang, btw, is what we call a REAL STARTING PITCHER.
Hughes pitched 5 innings and gave up 4 runs. He averaged 19 pitches per inning for a total of 95.
Wang pitched 3 innings and gave up 0 runs. He averaged 13 pitches per inning for a total of 42.
Today Wang was better. In fact, Wang has ALWAYS BEEN better than Phil Hughes. And for fans (and coaches) with short memories, I'll remind you: Wang has been a great pitcher for the Yankees for 4 years."
By the way, if you're wondering where that picture came from, here's the page. It's from Wang's mastery of the Red Sox at Fenway in April of last year, a prelude to the effective and efficient first half he had before the fall. The question now is: Is he really back? We'll find out.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Ahem!
Matsui at the plate, two on, 2 out, Yanks up 6-3 and still steaming from the Teixeira beanings...
John Sterling with the call:
"Lefty to lefty, the 0-1, swung on and HIT IN THE AIR TO DEEP RIGHT CENTER...it is HIGH, it is FAR, IT IS...GONE!!! Oh, Hideki Matsui! He hits a three-run blast to deep right center!... it's an A-Bomb...................................................................it would have been if Alex had hit it, instead, the Sayonarra Kid hit it, a Thrilla by Godzilla in the right centerfield seats, and the Yankees have opened it up, they have a 9-3 lead!"
Street Baseball (Yanks 12, Rangers 3)
When someone throws a baseball at you, it's a good idea to get out of the way.
When someone throws a baseball at you again, it's still a pretty good idea to get out of the way. But then you have to respond.
Teixeira was beaned not once, but twice last night, each time in a situation in which he might have been intentionally walked. The first time was suspicious already. Boos were heard and Yankee players looked on from the dugout suspiciously.
The second time, it was intentional. Tex took one for the team, turned, and shouted something like, "This is f**king bulls**t! Get the f**king ball over the plate!"
The umpire and the Rangers' catcher escorted Tex toward first base as Girardi came out to pat him on the back and frown at the opposition.
Then with the bases loaded, Arod grounded to second. Teixeira, running full speed at the shortstop whose job it was to turn the double play, slid several steps away from the bag, cleats up, so that the shortstop had to leap and throw. He could not. The ball skipped lamely and A-Rod beat out the throw.
That opened the flood-gates (video here). First it was Cano with the RBI single, then Posada with another, and then Matsui with a towering blast, followed a few innings later by perhaps the longest home run to right field we've seen this year, off the bat of Posada, who was making up for committing the first Yankee error in 18 games.
So when a man hits you twice with a baseball, now you know what to do, especially when you're being separated from your attacker. Just go kick one of his friends. (Here's the Teixeira interview after the game, in which he called out the pitcher, his former teammate.)
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Perfect perfection?
Girardi on the Yankees' bid tomorrow to break the major league record for most consecutive games without an error:
"I think it's a lot of preparation and being prepared"
Indeed.
I'm wondering now: This is actually a stat that one can compare with our Japanese counterparts. Maybe soon we'll find out what the consecutive errorless games record is in Japan.
Oh, and guess which team holds the record that the Yankees have just tied? That's right, the 2006 Red Sox, the same team that got massacred a few weeks later (pictured above).
"I think it's a lot of preparation and being prepared"
Indeed.
I'm wondering now: This is actually a stat that one can compare with our Japanese counterparts. Maybe soon we'll find out what the consecutive errorless games record is in Japan.
Oh, and guess which team holds the record that the Yankees have just tied? That's right, the 2006 Red Sox, the same team that got massacred a few weeks later (pictured above).
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