Greetings from Minneapolis
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Apr 09, 2007 
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Here we are in Minneapolis, where it’s a crisp 37. Thankfully it’ll be 70 inside the Metrodome. After spending seven weeks in Tampa, I’m not at all prepared for 37.
I did a little math last night. Yankee starters have a 9.98 ERA. The relievers are at 1.16. Big effort by Mike Myers, who threw 62 pitches over a span of four games. For a guy who usually comes in to face one batter, that’s a lot of work.
Figured out these three weird stats as well:
* If you go back to last season, Robinson Cano has a 18-game hitting streak.
* Mariano Rivera hasn’t allowed a run since Aug. 27. That counts the final six games he pitched in the 2006 regular season, one playoff game, nine spring training games and two games in 2007. He has thrown 18 consecutive scoreless innings, allowing 12 hits with no walks (that’s right, no walks) and 20 strikeouts.
* Alex Rodriguez has three doubles already this season. To me, that’s a better sign than his four home runs. Doubles indicate that a hitter is hitting the ball on a line and to the gaps. A-Rod had only three doubles in all of April last season and hit .267 that month.
That makes me feel alot better about what is going on with this team now. Hopefully moving to a downright balmy enviroment will help them get it together. I think the true test will be when Andy and Mike pitch because they will actually be pitching on 5 days rest, as opposed to Carl who is going on 6 days. I think once they get into a routine they will do much better, hey they can only go up from here, can’t they?
I did some math myself and it appears that if A-Rod continues hitting like this, he will have 129 homeruns and 356 RBI’s by the end of the season.
I never thought I’d say, “I’m glad my team is heading to the Metrodome,” but, at least, it will be warm.
Pete, your comments on A-Rod show why you are one of the best writiers covering the team – instad of warmed over facts you give us good insights and even when they are not going well you are enjoyable to read.
if A-Rod doesn’t hit those numbers (129 dingers and 356 rbi’s) his season will be viewed as that of an underachiever
Pete – may see you tonight at the Large Inflatable Toliet. I’ll be there to watch Pavano and… gulp… Ponson down the third base line.
Pavano vs. Ponson tonight.
hmmmm… if the over/under was at 10 runs right now, would anyone take the under? Anyone? Really?
go Yanks.
great comment about A-Rod, by the way. Hopefully, when he hits a mini-dry spell this year… which every hitter does during the course of the season… fans won’t immediately retract back into jeers. That may be hoping for too much.
Good thing we’ll be missing Santana, but bad thing is that we’ll be missing Ponson
No, Ponson is pitching tonight.
Well pretty much everyone hits Ponson on this team. I just hope we don’t make him look like cy young like we sometimes have the tendency to do.
no one on the twins has really faced carl except Jeffrey Cirillo. who ever he is.!
Pete, didn’t Mo allow a walk in his last ST game?
No weather excuses tonight (unless A-Rod hits the speaker system David Ortiz-style), second time around has to be better for the rotation. Let’s go Yanks!
Here’s another thought – only Cano and Arod have hit safely in all 5 games so far.
jennifer- where are you getting the batter vs. pitcher stats. Do you know a website that has that? Pretty interesting to look at usually.
Yep, Mo had one walk in his final appearance of spring training.
With Damon’s calves cramping up on him, you have to figure Kevin Thompson will get a start on the turf during this series (playing left while Melky plays center).
Hopefully the infield can look sharp tonight and help out Pavano, which they didn’t do in his first start.
It will be very depressing if the Yankees don’t pound the stuffing out of fatso Ponson, who did nothing for the team last year.
Here’s hoping Pavano has good control tonight, gets plenty of ground balls, and goes a solid seven.
i really really hope pavano can give us innings tonite.. hopefully torre can leave him out long even if hes not at his best cuz we’re beating the crap out of fatson
I agree that A-Rod hitting doubles is a great sign. The swing is leveling out and it’s not just going to be dribblers or rainbow homeruns. Hope Giambi really is healthy again. He used to be an awesome hitter who reached the whole field – - and of course some of the outfield seats too.
Maybe we can get healthy against Ponsoon. After all the money he took from us for next to nothing, it’s refund time. Does Carl go 6 innings? Not sure, but I’m hoping.
(I think ESPN.com has tables on pitcher versus hitter).
I was not prepared for 37 degrees either! I was at Friday and Saturday’s games and left both early because my teeth were chattering so hard I could barely eat a hot dog. There wasn’t much to cheer about in those innings, and sitting still for over 2 hours in 30 degree weather sucks!
So yeah, I missed a walk off grand slam.
Love the blog!
go to espn.com mlb, than players, type in the players name, than batter vs pitcher, and you can see how each team hits against each pitcher.
the doubles are a good sign, but even more impressive is the fact that he has 4 HR’s that each went to different parts of the field.
that tells me he going with the pitch wherever it is and still hammering it.
actually we only paid sir ponson about 300,ooo prorated because he was released. (if i remember correctly)
“For the Yankees, the signing of Ponson is a low-risk move, as they will pay him a prorated portion of the Major League minimum salary. St. Louis, which signed him before the season, will be on the hook for the remainder of his $1 million salary. ”
jennifer is correct.
but yes, it was still too much.
I agree about his hitting doubles. The other thing I take as a good sign is his approach with 2 strikes on him and his willingness to take a walk rather than flailing at something out of the strike zone.
I remember reading that Kevin Long told him to focus on hitting line drives and the homeruns will take care of themselves. It was interesting to hear Ken S. say on the YES broadcast yesterday that homeruns are line drives gone wrong. Both basically saying the same thing. Let’s hope Alex keeps up this approach cause it seems to be working.
I thought I read that Damon was going to play tonight because it will be warm – that the only reason he didn’t start yesterday was because of the cold. I’d much rather have Abreu, Damon and Cabrera in the outfield (and in the line-up). than Abreu, Cabrera and Thompson.
i’d be surprised if damon doesn’t play tonight.
Damon’s playing TONIGHT, but you have to figure Torre will give him a day off the turf, since it’s so rough on your legs.
You think us Yankees fans had it bad how would you like to be a Indians fan the entire weekend series was snowed out all three days and now the next series has been moved thei next home series against the ANgels will be played in Milwaukee instead of Cleveland.
Anyone know what happened in Pittsburgh today to delay that game? There was a strange note on MLB.com scoreboard that it was “delayed:other.” Never saw that before.
Just to clarify – I think Alex was being sarcastic saying we’d miss Ponson as if to say our pitching is that terrible that we’d miss the likes of an awful pitcher like Ponson……….