Game 46: Angels at Yankees
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- May
- 25
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See below for updates …
Here is the lineup:
YANKEES
Damon CF
Jeter SS
Matsui LF
Rodriguez 3B
Posada C
Giambi DH
Abreu RF
Cano 2B
Mientkiewicz 1B
Clippard RHP
Pregame chatter: Yanks will be facing Jered Weaver. … Waiting to hear on Clemens.
UPDATE 5:10 p.m.: Joe Torre said that Clemens threw in Houston today and that they’re waiting to speak to him before deciding when and where he pitches next. But the idea of Clemens pitching at Fenway Park June 1-3 seems unlikely.
UPDATE 6:07 p.m.: Clemens will start Monday for Scranton. No word on when he will be in the majors but June 4 in Chicago makes sense. They have Wang, Pettitte and Moose lined up for the Red Sox at Fenway. … Kei Igawa will start for Scranton on Tuesday. … Phil Hughes had his inevitable setback when he turned an ankle doing agility drills and will have an MRI. Hamstring issues always lead to problems of some sort. Torre said he didn’t think the ankle problem was serious but it will delay the process.
UPDATE 7:50 p.m.: I’m doing some work tonight and listening to the game on the radio. Is it just me or is “An A-Bomb by A-Rod” kind of offensive? The Yankees have two Japanese players in their organization and could be visiting Japan next season. Is equating atomic warfare with hitting home runs the way to go? John Sterling loves his home run calls and they can be amusing but he needs to come up with something else for Alex.
UPDATE 8:00 p.m.: I see where people are upset that I reported Hughes hurt his ankle. Sorry about that. But it seems that whenever a player tears his hamstring, there is some kind of setback when he rehabs. Jose Reyes hurt his back a few years ago when he tried to change his running style because of his hamstrings. The hamstring is such a large muscle that it effects how the athlete runs and even walks. So it’s natural that the injury lasts for a while before it heals or leads to other injuries.
When I covered the Mets, Reyes has so many hamstring issues that I reached out to the University of Connecticut team physician Dr. Jeff Anderson to learn more about it. I used to cover the Huskies and got to know Jeff pretty well. Jeff explained to me that “strains” are actually muscle tears of varying degrees and why hamstrings are so tricky to recover from.
I wish Hughes well and I wish he were pitching tomorrow because he’s fun to watch. But when an athlete grabs at his hamstring and is still limping a few days later, that’s a problem. I’m trying to give you the best information I can get. If you’re too much of a fan to handle that, sorry.
UPDATE 8:57 p.m.: So much for Matt DeSalvo. I thought he was lucky his first two starts because there were a lot of hard-hit balls. The question now is who starts on Tuesday? Clippard could come back on short rest. It may be time to option DeSalvo and bring back Sean Henn as a long man.
UPDATE 9:20 p.m.: Can’t say I blame Larry Bowa for sending Jorge Posada with Bobby Abreu on deck. You have to get a run if you can. The odds of Abreu delivering a two-out RBI were slim.
UPDATE 9:26 p.m.: I see where the Loyal Order of Joe Torre Haters are down on his hooking Tyler Clippard. Since when did Clippard earn the right to stink? He had allowed six hits – four for extra bases – in four innings and had thrown 77 pitches. Was he suddenly going to shut Anaheim down? DeSalvo was rested and has been throwing bullpens knowing he would be used in relief. It’s not Torre’s fault he was lousy.
Luis Vizcaino is injured, there is no other explanation. He pitched well in spring training and was good for the first two weeks of the season. Suddenly he can’t throw a strike. He won’t admit it for whatever reason but he has to be hurt.
UPDATE 9:58 p.m.: In spring training, people wanted Ron Villone released or executed. Now he’s back and pitching well. Veteran relievers go through dramatic ups and downs. The trick is getting enough of them together who are on an upswing.
UPDATE 10:02 p.m.: Derek Jeter just got a hit, which takes me off the hook after my story today.
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on Friday, May 25th, 2007 at 3:44 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
Yanks need to get this win tonight with Wang on the mound.
Um.. Clippard is pitching
“Wang”:http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=425426 is tomorrow and “Mussina”:http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=119608 is Sunday.
Thats right.
Wang pitches when?
Tomorrow.
Bill,
If you go to yankees.com there are pictures of the pitching matchup for the next game. Under those pix is a link “Pitching Probables”. It’s great because they give you matchups for the next five games. And they give you a drop menu if you want to look at the matchups for teams ahead of you in the standings.
go wang. beat the angels tonight.
Pete knows his stuff, but I have already heard from a couple of different places that Roger with have one more minor league start and then pitch July 4th against the White Sox. Last place I heard it was from M&MD. Maybe it was just speculation.
Um, lefty, lefty, lefty, lefty…..at the end of the lineup. Why?
Hi Pete – this Clemens watch reminds me of some of the Geraldo Rivera treasure hunts………….
Oops, that’s “Probable Pitchers”.
And if you go to it now, you’ll see that Mussina will go up against John Lackey, followed by Andy Pettitte against McGowan of Toronto. You may even wish that Pettitte followed Wang in the rotation. Then you might even shake your head at the people who say that pitching order doesn’t matter until the playoffs.
Mel – I appreciate all of your unnecessary help.
I wonder if Clemens’ timetable will depend on how Clippard does tonight?
Bill,
lol, you’re not necessarily welcome.
Tommy,
“Um, lefty, lefty, lefty, lefty…..at the end of the lineup. Why?”
Because Darren Oliver is their only left-handed reliever.
Tommy:
And Weaver is a righty.
JLB:Pete knows his stuff, but I have already heard from a couple of different places that Roger with have one more minor league start and then pitch July 4th against the White Sox. Last place I heard it was from M&MD. Maybe it was just speculation.
July 4th, against the white sox? So he gets a whole month off after his next minor league start?
lol
There is no way they start Clemens in Fenway for his first game.
Igawa only lasted 5 innings today in single A giving up 2 runs in the process
what a waste
Pete, what’s your gut feeling based on Torre’s comments. SWB on Monday 5/28, Yes or No???
Houston???
Peter, what was up with Rocket traveling from Tampa to Trenton on the “Madden Cruiser” ??
The Washington Post has breaking news, apparently Rocket’s contract has a special clause allowing him to “take” *two* parking spaces, is that true? Cuz if it is, that would be outrageous!!
Tommy,
“Um, lefty, lefty, lefty, lefty…..at the end of the lineup. Why?�
Because Darren Oliver is their only left-handed reliever.
–yea, but the yankees dont have much of a choice with this group. if abreu cant hit, he will be stuck at the bottom of the lineup, regardless of what the pitching matchup looks like (look what happened with the boston series). bottom line: without bernie and shef, this lineup is too lefty dominated.
jennings on his AAA scranton blog claims that his source just told him that clemens will be at AAA on monday…
http://emedia.thetimes-tribune.....fault.aspx
peter,
r u the NY writer source…?
Just announced Roger making one more minor league start.
Fransworthless might actually have trade value. Gonzales of the Braves is having TJ surgery a big
to all those who wanted to trade Melky and Proctor for him. and we have another option in the Phillies. 
Josh -
I would forget about Igawa for a while
The director of minor league pitching for the Yankees – Nardi Contreras – is trying to change Igawa’s mechanics
He’s 27 – so that’s a lot of muscle memory to unlearn and learn. It could take months for Igawa to feel comfortable with the new motion
I’m just guessing – the changes partly involve Igawa finishing off pitches and getting his stuff consistently DOWN.
For example, his changeup often didn’t break away from right-handed hitters. That is a by-product of not finishing off the pitch, and probably made him a lot more hittable by right-handed hitters
Pete – as always, thanks for the info
We’re gonna pay a guy 18 million dollars and are afraid to pitch him in Fenway? Not sure I agree with the tentative schedule. Wouldn’t he be more valuable in that Sunday night game than Mussina, the way Moose is “dealing” right now? Anyone agree?
that *REALLY* sucks about Hughes’ ankle!
I’m still hoping to get him back after the ASB…HOPING!
jennifer- Good Call. too manny people bit on that pittsburg bait.
Pete,
I defended you on some other forums regarding Hughes, but now with your comment about a turned ankle being caused by his hamstring injury, you really are making that more difficult. What a load of crap, it really doesn’t reflect well on you.
Mike has only thrown 29 innings this year. I believe his next start he will do much better. Before with throw him to pasture lets see how his next start goes.
Yep Dr. Acula they all saw how well he did, in the NL central no less, and wanted to trade everyone to get him. I knew it would be a bad idea. Obviously i didn’t see this coming, but i couldn’t see him being successful in the al east. espically knowing we had someone in Scott who is succesful.
I’m sure you’re happy now Pete.
Congratulations on Hughes’ ankle. Now you have something to (mistakenly) attempt to further gloat over being right about in this situation and alienate more people from this blog.
crawdaddy:
how does your comment make any sense? injuries often lead to other injuries as a person tries to compensate for the weak part of the body…
it seems quite plausible to me that the hamstring has to do with the ankle…?
Kei has followed every Clemens’ minor league start. Hopefully this means he’s making good progress.
Do you really think people are going to be alienated from a blog because Pete was right that hamstrings are tricky injuries? Like that is an earthshattering statement?
Huuz,
How do you know that’s was the case in this situation? Perhaps, he landed wrong which caused him to turn his ankle. Don’t know, but for Abraham’s to make that determination before verifying what happened, screams out to me that he’s desperately trying to defend his position about Hughes not coming back from this hamstring injury for 12 weeks.
Furthermore, Pete appears to be happy about this latest setback. Is that true, Pete?
No, they get alienated from this blog because of the attitude he took over this situation. As someone who really enjoys this blog (or used to), the blatant attempts to drive up hits with the condescending attitude he copped over this, and with A-Rod FTM, turned me majorly off. As it did a lot of Yankee fans.
And he wasn’t right. Twisting your ankle in an agility dril, has very little to do with a hamstring injury.
crawdaddy:
you’re right, i/we don’t know for sure in this situation. my point is that it is plausible.
I think people should calm down about this “pete has an agenda with phil hughes on the Yanks” thing.
I think pete is sharing his experience with us. he has tracked many players and their returns from injury and his point is that teams understate the time-line for a return (4-6 weeks, the Yanks said at first), and he also pointed out the setbacks are not uncommon.
he reminds us of that, because many people are seeing things through rose-colored glasses and don’t often have realistic expectations.
i don’t get the impression that he is happy. he’s relaying information.
what is “A-Rod FTM” ?
For that matter.
And it was never about how long Hughes was/is reported out for. It was about how Pete has practically condescendingly celebrated it because it made him right and because of how acting that way he did pissed off enough fans that it probably popped him a few more hits.
I know the score, but I, at least, thought he was better than that.
The body is a closed kinetic chain. Injuries can manifest in from variety of compensatory changes. It is not a stretch at all to think that with a hamstring injury, Phil had some change in gait, thereby predisposing an ankle to injury. To think that Pete is somehow happy or rooting for this in some way is absurd.
I am surprised PeteAbe didn’t say ankle “tear”.
No, really it’s not.
What the hell do you mean by “inevitable” setback? Stop editorializing and just give us the facts.
I don’t think Pete “roots” for injuries. I don’t think he “gloats.” I think he tried to temper the overly optimistic statements coming out of Yankee-dom.
My husband has had hamstring injuries. They take a long time to heal and even after they do, there is the worry about re-injury.
It is NOT a stretch to think that favoring one part of the body could cause injury to another part of the body. It is also not a stretch to think he turned his ankle independently and without any relationship to the hamstring injury (he may have just stepped wrong). To assign ulterior motives to someone here is just ridiculous, even though it seems to happen all the time.
I think people are reading too much into Pete’s statement. He is reporting what is going on with Phil – I don’t see any sort of smug celebration in his report.
I’d love to hear a coherent explanation of how Hughes’s hamstring injury inevtibly lead to him twisting an ankle during a drill.
FYI, on 1050, they said it isn’t expected to set him back at all.
Hey fellas, Leyritz on the Michael Kay show said he suspects Clemens will come back against Boston as they would make the better story when the book of Roger is written. Makes sense to me. Anyway big game tonight, good luck faithful fans, go Yankees!
“I think he tried to temper the overly optimistic statements coming out of Yankee-dom.”
Yeah. That explains all the “I told you so” bit after Hughes got hurt. Uh huh. Sure.
Crawdaddy, Bianca,
What’s with the anger? This isn’t the only Yankee blog on the web. If you don’t like Pete’s style, why are you here? I have absolutely no problem with Pete’s reporting. But it’s annoying to have to waste time reading othere people’s whining. Just go to another blog.
I don’t see the number of posts going down, I see them going up. He must be doing something right.
And as far as Pete trying to drive up hits… ummm… I would hope that’s what’s going on here. Do you think his newspaper would pay him to blog all day if there was nothing in it for the paper? Get real.
Beltran would have gotten that.
Jeff
May 25th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
“Inevitable� setback, huh? What mkaes you say that? I hate how a former Red Sox fan is “covering� the Yankees’ beat.
THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE? If I didn’t like what I was reading, I’d go to another website. Seriously, I don’t understand you people.
While we’re in Bashing Cashman mode, let’s take a moment to thank him for not trading for Mike Gonzalez and giving away melky, even if he’s not doing much. Gonzalez needs TJ surgery
sverlyn, no need for personal attacks, this isn’t a Red Sux blog. Just go away, you won’t be missed.
sverlyn, everyone here is delusional and denial. That’s how.
someone tell me why they didn’t walk Vlad..
Mike, it’s the top of the 1st and u have a rookie making his 2nd career start. You really want to mess with him and the strikezone with a move nobody does except Bonds in 2002 when he hit 73 hrs?
Some trolls escaped from the zoo. I’m thinking that SVERLYN, BIANCA, JERSEY, MASTER SHAKE, PAUL and CRAWDADDY are all the same person. It’s the only explanation for a rapid-fire posting of the same ignorant view. How childish.
Clippard looks like Clay Aikman.
Mike Soscia lost a lot of weight. Good for him.
Weaver throws almost exactly like nomo
Josh
May 25th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
“Igawa only lasted 5 innings today in single A giving up 2 runs in the process. what a waste”
Josh, you’re making it sound like he got shelled. It would have been nice if he pitched a perfect game, but a line of 5 4 2 2 1 4 fine, especially if they’re working on changing his mechanics.
“It’s the only explanation for a rapid-fire posting of the same ignorant view. How childish.”
Riiight. And Peters ” I told ya so ” attitude is really professional right??
Maybe the response was so fast and numerous because Peters statement was so blatantly stupid. Was he there monitoring the drills that were being done?? Is he intimately aware of teh current condition of Hughes hammy and muscular balance??
No. He’s jsut grasping at staws becuse he said Phil won’t be back till AUgust
Shame on him and shame on you for defending hio pulp fiction writing style
3 3 ball counts and no baserunners.
Weaver has thrown 9 balls and 5 strikes but the Yankees go 1-2-3. Typical crappy overrated team.
Well Pete will have the last say on that when he checks e-mails/IP addresses. Either way, all are free to talk here but a proper level of respect is job one. It’s a blog, he can write whatever he wants, don’t take it so seriously, if you disagree with him, write it here, but don’t get personal.
I forget does Damon suck or no?
Oh come the f%$# on! Move Damon to right, put Melky in center, and put Abreu….somewhere maybe the bench.
sverlyn:
Yawn.
Man all three doubles just over the head of the OF’er. All almost seemed catchable.
Why are the angels so annoying?
well this is a washout
Damon sucks Jeff. He can’t make plays in the outfield AT ALL.
Damon has definitely lost a few steps, plus he took a bad route on that one ball. Johnny’s days in CF are numbered. Maybe Suzuki or Hunter will be roaming out there next year.
Mike,
Dude, it’s 2-0 in the 2nd inning. Calm down.
Deep to Left: we’ve all seen how games just like this go and we really need wins. There is NO reason to calm down.
yeah, but this team doesn’t seem to want to come back this year
Man, a lot of folks have hair-trigger emotions tonight. The Yanks are down by 2 runs with 7 innings left. It’s POSSIBLE the Yanks could come back in this game.
Our outfield D is atrocious.
Oh no. Now we’re only done by 1 run.
Lighten up people!
An ABomb from ARod!!!
*down. Freudian slip??
Was that a golf swing?
Is Giambi growing that blond catterpillar again??
Time to get NEW Centerfielder, Damon’s can’t cover any ground in the outfield more… GoOd jOB by Cashman signing this bum…
Kind of hard to put a guy with no arm in RF. Damon is not a RF.
Those balls were ropes. Sure, Torii Hunter MAY have made those plays but, they aren’t exactly easy plays.
We already know this is not a good defensive OF. Its kind of tough to fault them for not making the tough plays. Its tough enough for them to make the routine plays.
The bigger problem is the inconsistency of the offense. Its just not a good offense. Too much feast or famine, which magnifies every defensive play because its difficult to have confidence the O can overcome it.
Hopefully, Clippard settles down and can give them a good outing the rest of the way.
No doubt, not signing Beltran the year before looks to have been the move. That and signing Vlad instead of Sheff would have made for a killer lineup/defense.
How does clippard look tonight? All I have is the radio feed and according to Waldman, the fact that Clippard is at 45 pitches means he will be done by the end of the 4th.
I love Minky’s glove but if people like Giambi and Cano plan to pick up the slack with their bats, Mientkiewicz is going to kill the offense back there.
Colorado Yank, all of Clippard’s pitches are up. Thats why there have been hard-hit balls off of him. Certainly Damon COULD have made those plays but they were hard hit balls.
For those interested in the Yankees minor league kid, Charleston (Class A) third baseman Mitch Hilligoss just got a hit to extend his hit streak to 31 games. Its the longest hit streak of any minor league hitter this year.
He is a left handed hitter, more line drive than power guy. He’s not hitting .328 for the season.
thanks big Yank…Sounds like Opie needs to mellow and throw strikes… may be a bit hyped..
Vlad + Beltran + A-Rod on this team. I weep over the missed possibility.
Though, if we had gotten Vlad AND Beltran, would we still have A-Rod?
VERY GOOD inning for Clippard right there.
SJ44: I was aware of the hit streak and he seems to have decent numbers down there. However I don’t seem to hear much these days regarding the ceilings of some of these position players. I know we have Derek Jeter but is Hilligoss supposed to be a higher end prospect or is he just here?
Clip has settled down and handled the heart of the lineup this time around. Considering it’s his first start at Yankee Stadium and 3 of those doubles were playable, I think he’s doing alright. Pitch count’s too high, though.
What’s offensive is your Red Sux agenda and your unwarranted vendetta against A-Rod.
We have a team in Charleston? That surprises me more than that we have a guy with a 31 game hit streak.
Clip’s pitch count is on the high side at 62/3IP but Weaver is 57…
Why are some people such fools over injury reports? I’ve been covering sports since I was 17, I’ve learned a thing or two about injuries and how teams mislead the media and fans about them.
Hamstring injuries very rarely heal without some kind of setback. Sorry to report that but it’s true.
As for rooting against Hughes, grow up. Why would I not want a good pitcher to pitch for a team I cover? My stories will be better read and get better play if the Yankees are successful. What do you think I would rather do in October, cover the Yankees in the playoffs or write sidebars about the Mets?
It’s one thing to be a fan. But don’t be an idiot.
SJ:
Bye bye Abreu, Hello Ichirosan. Correct about Damon. He’s not RF material with that arm and creaky legs; digging in the corner to get the ball is not the same as roaming to catch it. That’s why I like Ichiro if he’d only agree to come to this far East. He can play CF or RF. It would allow the Yankees to “save face” and leave Damon in Center and with Damon and Jetes, he would give us a killer top of the lineup.
Hunter’s not gonna start playing RF for the first time for the Yankees this late in his career so Damon can stay in CF. He’s clearly superior to Damon on defense. On the other hand, while he may be having a good year this year at the plate, don’t expect a repeat next year. Plus, at his age and in his condition, if Torii runs into one more wall, he may explode.
As far as position players are concerned, the Yankees are VERY light with legitimate prospects.
Aside from Jose Tabata and Francisco Cervelli in Tampa, they have very few high ceiling position player prospects.
Alberto Gonzalez in Scranton is, at best, a super utility guy, IMO. It would be GREAT if he evolved to that type of player because the Yankees could really use a guy like that on the roster.
Hilligoss has really come on this year and Austin Jackson, his teammate in Charleston, is also beginning to develop.
But, those guys are in low A ball right now. You have to see them in higher A ball (Tampa) or AA before you get a real read as to what types of prospects they are.
I get the feeling Torre will trust Clip more than he ever did Rasner or DeSalvo and let him pitch the game, and not to a pitch count. Maybe I spoke to soon, he just gave up a HR.
the yanks suck this year, good to see the zillion dollar bats getting shut down again by a guy who looks like a girl and has the last name weaver.
fire cashman now this team is terrible
Well, another loss.
“An A-bomb from arod.” “A bullet to right.” “That was a bomb.”
I guess you can’t say anything these days…
Oy – Clippard.
Uh, Weaver is one of the best young pitchers in baseball, not to be confused with his brother who is one of the most overpaid, lucky to have a job, crappy pitcher in baseball.
Murph,
My “dream” is that the Yankees are somehow able to find a home for Giambi in the off-season and sign Ichiro AND Hunter, which is doable if they can clear Giambi’s money off the books.
That allows Damon to be to DH, and it improves the entire team, especially defensively.
If you are going to re-build with young pitching, which the Yankees seem to want to do, it defeats the purpose if your defense, especially in the OF, is poor.
I don’t have any idea why Pete is getting $#$# over Hughes.
The kid got hurt again. Pete didn’t wish it, he is reporting it.
Sometimes, the truth hurts. The kid had a serious hamstring injury and now he turned an ankle.
Those are facts. If you can’t handle the facts, too damn bad.
Here is the one unsettling thing about Phil Hughes. Three years in the organization, and he has been hurt every year.
Bad luck or injury prone? I don’t know but, its a bit unsettling.
A LOT of pitching is being able to answer the bell. So far, in the early stages of his career, that hasn’t been the case.
I sure hope it changes because I LOVE watching the kid pitch.
To not be a little concerned about his yearly injuries though, is being naive.
If he can stop the bleeding and keep this a quality start, I still like our chances.
Peter Abraham continues to be arrogant and rude to his loyal readers I see.
I’m actually impressed with Clippard, the first two runs would have been prevented with better OF defense and he gave up a HR. Otherwise he has gotten out of every jam. He still looks better than Mussina.
I say again, if Clippard can stop the bleeding now, we can still make a game of this.
Pete, Sterling is offensive on many levels.
“Here is the one unsettling thing about Phil Hughes. Three years in the organization, and he has been hurt every year.
Bad luck or injury prone? I don’t know but, its a bit unsettling.”
———
Any arm injuries? No one worries about hamstrings with pitchers.
We aren’t turning on Clippard already are we? This is his second ML start and he isn’t exactly playing a bad team.
He is playing a team that has owned the Yankees and their veteran pitchers, let alone a 22 year old rookie.
You want to see more younger players in the lineup, you are going to have to live with the peaks and valleys as they learn their way.
Personally, I’d rather deal with the Tyler Clippard’s of the world than the Kyle Farnsworth’s, Luis Vizcaino’s and the other veteran underachievers on this team.
If you watch this kid, its clear he has talent. You just have to give him a chance and realize he isn’t going to be unstoppable right out of the gate.
Its called patience. Good organizations have it, bad one’s don’t.
hey uhuskm, I’ve never seen you on this board before. What’s your first name anyway? I’m sure you won’t say, because idiots who come here to bash Peter are scared babies who are so brave on a message board, but somehow usually quite the opposite in real life.
Hughes had shoulder problems his first two years in the organization. Now, a hamstring. Three years, three injuries.
My name is Ray. I bet you even believe me!
What an idiotic question.
How can you sit there and say that Peter’s comment above is not the least bit uncalled for?
As in Devil I suppose, clearly not in “Ray of Light”
Yes but none of Hughes’ injuries have been severe… It is a right of passage. As he gets stronger and starts working more with Roger and Andy, he will toughen up.
Clippard will be just fine. Actually tonight if anyone could get a decent hit here and there, we would be ahead. Sounds like Weaver is having trouble finding the strike zone.
And to build of of SJ44, isn’t the young guys what the Yankees need? May have to take their lumps, but it is far better than watching Uncle Junior try and throw that knuckle curve.
Because I have heard that before, that Hamstring problems sometimes lead to other problems. It makes sense to me. I hope it’s not anything serious and Pete does as well. We’ll find out soon.
Why is Cano swinging on a 2-0 pitch…thy guy cannot find the zone… Mother FFFFFF stuff like that is annoying.. This is where Joe needs to get in his face and tell him he needs to help the team better – by understanding the situation… Look at that, already a ball to Minky
And now freakin Minky does it…. @#$@#$!@#%!#$%@#$%@#$^@$%^@$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%
What is the chance that Mientky will give us some RBI right now…
Sorry Pete Abraham, I don’t share your whining about “A Bomb by A Rod” as being offensive. In Auguat 1945 my father was in San Diego, training to be part of “Operation Downfall” invasion fleet after one year of fighting the Germans in Europe. My uncle Jack had just received transfer orders to be a crewman of a B-29. Both of them always said the A Bomb saved their lives. You might not know the Japanese were the ones who started the war by bombing Pearl Harbor.
hughes had no injuries last year. he pitched great and was on a pitch count but no injuries.
Nice Man K!
YES!!!
two years ago he had a tired arm and they shut him down out of an abundance of caution. but no injury.
Yay Minky!
Weaver is at 80 pitches in the 4th. The 5th might be his last.
He is only Minky when he gets out, Man K when he comes through. In my humble opinion.
Mr. Catalyst isn’t so catalystic today.
Pete has done the unforgivable. He has said Bad Things about the Yankees.
This is obviously the cause of the recent Yankee woes. As we all know, these highly paid and experienced professionals spend every free moment reading each and every blog post by all the reporters who cover the Yankees, and any comment which is less than 100% adoring causes them tremendous mental anguish.
Peter! It is your duty and responsibility as a Yankee journalist to NEVER again use your professional experience to analyse a situation- indeed, it is incumbent upon you to only report Great and Glorious feats of our Men in Pinstripes!
From this point on, you should only heap Praise and Honor upon the Brave Yankees, as they vanguish their foes- the Imperialist Running Dogs of their opponents in the AL East.
LONG LIVE STEINBRENNER!!
LONG LIVE CASHMAN!!
LOVE LIVE THE YANKEES!!
Damon crushes one but its right at Vladdy.
DeSalvo in for Clip? How many pitches did Clip throw?
“Peter, what was up with Rocket traveling from Tampa to Trenton on the “Madden Cruiserâ€? ??” I am still trying to figure out why it was okay for that reporter to trespass by jumping on Clemen’s empty bus. I hope the players lock their car doors when that guy is around.
Hopefully, since he is so young Phil Hughes will heal quick and hopefully the Yanks will not rush him.
Wierd that DeSalvo is coming in, they need him to start on Tues the 29th. Now it would be on short rest. I guess Tyler on Tues now, DeSalvo on Wed.
Bringing in DeSalvo was an unnecessary move.
Clippard threw 76 pitches. Anyone else annoyed that Torre pulled him already? It’s not like he got shelled. The OF defense let him down, if anything.
1) Half of you guys that are ripping Pete I have never even seen on here so you aren’t that loyal of readers and most people (all but you idiots) appreciate the knowledge he provides so if you don’t like it, don’t read it. Its that simple. Also all he did is post on an injury. I don’t think he said I told you so.
2) Anyone who thinks we should get Andruw Jones this offseason should read Jayson Starks book/article on ESPN.com about the decline in his numbers. Very interesting and the Yanks better not sign another deteriating centerfielder.
Perhaps Clippard hurt himself when he fell awkwardly off the mound after a pitch in the 4th.
A walk to a .130 hitter to lead off the inning and now a wild pitch. Time to get this kid out of there before he completely falls apart. What a nightmare.
Ian Kennedy Watch tonight fellas. He is pitching in Vero Beach tonight. Its a 2-2 game after 5.
Kennedy’s line: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 BB 2R, 8 K’s.
This is exactly the type of team that will eat DeSalvo alive. A team built on cheap hits, bunts, and SB. He’ll walk a bunch of guys and those bloop singles will start scoring two runs.
Torre is a dumb ass.
Jeff,
May want to get some work in so he doesn’t have so many days off. I doubt he throws more than 2 but who knows. Clippard had a good start and should be proud of what he has given this team.
anyone know why Clippard is out? Joe being Joe or did something happen?
Oh never minds he hit that al important number of 75 pitches
DTL, yeah, Tyler was just finding his groove, and DeSalvo is eh, hard to defend Torre for this one.
Nick B,
I think most of the posts ripping Pete are by one person just changing their name. Just ignore the infantile troll. They just crave attention.
it is a ridiculous move. unless there is an injury involved. and given this season, who would doubt that?
dammit Torre
DTL,
There are more and more weirdos on this blog everyday. Oh well.
DeSalvo is revolting.
Torre is a goddamn idiot.
Torre really is an idiot. Way to throw the game away.
Now vizciano is warming up… talk about quitters… What the F*** Torre… I just don’t get this. Why is he cashing the game tonight… Does he think they are in first place??????
kasdjf;asdjlf a; fj;qw0eoi’rqwhio0ergvh 08′[4u]-
I think Clippard got hurt in the 4th inning. It looked like he hurt himself when he fell off the mound after a pitch.
DeSalvo is supposed to be the long man. If Clippard did get hurt, that’s who you go to.
If the kid can’t pitch, then he shouldn’t be on the roster.
Unfortunately, he can’t throw the ball over the plate.
So, what do you do? Blow out the bullpen for the weekend tonight? Or, just leave him in there, take the hit, call up Britton tomorrow to replace DeSalvo and try to win the next game?
I don’t think I would blow out my bullpen tonight to try and win this game. Its not like this enemic offense is hitting the cover off the ball.
Good move Torre.
he better be on a very, very, very, very, short leash. this truly defies all logic. can’t wait fro the “no question” explanation after the game.
what a joke this team is,
why is torre taking out clippard after 70 pitches?!?!!?
FIRE TORRE AND CASHMAN NOW THIS IS EMBARASSING
Well, if Clip isn’t hurt, Torre’s move is absolutely baffling and may cost us a game. Here we go with the 5 inning bullpen merry-go-round. We’ve seen this act before.
No DeSalvo is out. SJ, who’s the next in line to be called up, Wright, Marquez? Because I DeSalvo just sealed is fate and will not be starting in Toronto.
Poor kid, he was doomed from the beginning.
Joe will use 6 pitchers tonight.
Ummm, SJ44 you are missing the point. There was no reason to blow out the bullpen and this game was within reach. Why did Torre GIVE UP ON THE GAME?? If the bullpen is blown out now, it is Torre’s fault. Plain and simple. This is up there as one of the more questionable moves he’s made this season.
I don’t think Vizcaino has gotten 1 DP this year. He is a fly ball/HR pitcher so why are we intentionally walking for a DP? This never works.
I agree that this was not Torre’s uuhhh…best decision.
Good question Jeff. FWIW, I think Clippard got hurt. If he did, what do you want Torre to do? You put in the long guy. That’s what he is there for…..unfortunately, the kid didn’t get the job done.
I don’t think he just pulled Clippard. If he did, that would shock me because there was no reason to do it.
Anyway, my guess, Chase Wright may pitch Tuesday night in Toronto. He is more experienced, having started already started for the Yankees this year. He is on the 40 man roster and its an easy roster move to make.
They can send DeSalvo down, call up Wright and not have to do any juggling of the 40 man roster.
Ugh, Sean Henn stinks too. Don’t call him up…..
We just need to deal with the fact that we are spending 200 million dollars to re-build a team.
SJ:
I’m all for improving the OF defense, because it needs to be done to support the pitching. However, we have to watch the age factor. IMO, Hunter is an old 32 and Ichiro is a young 35.
Torii would be have to be looking for a 4 year deal at a minimum, he’s only 32. But I think he’s got high breakdown potential from all the wall-induced trauma over the years. Ichiro has not crashed too many times out there and is reputed to be in fine physical condition. But do we go for a 4 year deal meaning we’d have him until he’s 40? Assuming we don’t pick up Abreu’s option (except to trade him), we’re already committed to Damon for two more. (Is Matsui a free agent after 2008?) Wouldn’t you want to hold onto Melky as cheap insurance? And then there’s Tabata by 2009.
Bottom line, I’m reluctant to even try to get both Hunter and Ichiro due to age and contract length, and if I have to choose it’s Ichiro for me.
Wow
Vizciano has to be more agressive there…up 1-2, make an out pitch. He is nibbling on the outside half for a K. He needs to work down in the zone for the ground ball. Wasn’t that the goal when they have Hendrick an IBB? Or was Vizciano thinking…K…K. And a breaking pitch 3-2 no less. Terrible pitching.
what the heck happened?? I go to put my boys to bed and desalvo and viz put up a 3 spot???
F*** Y*** Torre. You can cashman deserve each other.
Even worse, the two Jackwads on the radio haven’t even questioned why they took Clippard out.
Torre is scared of Rush Limbaugh… F, there goes my night.
I wonder why none of the Torre’s blind supporters coming up for supporting him for his bonehead moves today.
This is the classic case of his over managing and losing the game. Wath is this fascination about removing the starting pitchers so ealy. T-Clip was not doing bad and now the game is almost out of hand given thier bullpen. Hopefully the offense will do something and saves this game. We are still in the fifth inning and our bullpen will be taxed. It is likely to affect the game tomorrow and possibly day after.
I wonder if it should be Torre or Cashman who should be fired first.
Pete – why did they take out Clippard?????
Pete, Colin Cowherd did a segment a couple of weeks ago about John Sterling’s call. Folks weren’t too animated about it, but that’s his audience. He’s been using the call since 2004.
What an excruciatingly idiotic move by Torre. After managing the worst playoff series of all time last October [A-Rod batting sixth for the first time all season in game one- Pulling Wang far too early in Game one just to invite the Angels back into the game- Giambi plays against left hander and is benched against right hander-Sheffield is benched against left hander and plays against right hander- Wright instead of Lidle in Game 4- I’m sure others I forgot] he has totally outdone himself in April and May of ’07, with atrocious bullpen management, a fundamental, and detrimental, lack of confidence in the young pitchers, and other assorted examples of mismanagement. I don’t even care if the Yankees rally tonight; this was, for me personally, the last straw. He was SALIVATING to hook Clippard in the fourth. Positively SALIVATING. Couldn’t wait to get the ball to the Z-Man I suppose. Horrendous. Ghastly. Please, fire this man. Thanks for everything Joe, but please, go, as fast as you can.
Sunny – may as well put yourself to bed too at this point. What an ugly inning.
I cannot believe Torre pulled Clippard. He was doing fine…better than Moose the other night and Torre left HIM in for 7 innings.
So much for DeSalvo in the pen. And Vizcaino stinks.
3 runs…because of a stupid move.
7th run this piece of garbage has walked in this year.
Can they please DFA this guy. Its not like they are going anywhere anyway.
Just get rid of him, call up Britton and stop putting everybody through this nonsense.
He just walked a .230 hitter, after getting ahead 1-2, who, NEVER walks.
How can you keep so much garbage on one roster? Its like half this roster can’t do anything to help this team win a game each night.
Tough to think “playoffs” with this roster. That’s why I don’t fall into the trap thinking this is anything more than a 78-82 win team, as presently constructed.
Its why I want to see more REAL prospects, like Britton, Marquez, Clippard, Hughes, etc., and less of the garbage that is littering this roster.
Its unwatchable as well as being unsuccessful.
Gotta win Saturday and Sunday now or the Red Sox series was meaningless.
Needing Mike Mussina to win a game? Not exactly where you want to be.
Torre is a menace. He needs to go.
What sort of person with any judgment or common sense takes out Clippard after 4 tonight with the score 3-2 Angels?
FIRE JOE TOREE (and i’m probly his biggest fan)
DeSalvo had NO BUISNESS pitching in a 1 run gain, when it’s been like a week since his last start. If clippard didn’t get hurt he should have kept him in. If he got hurt then bring in RON VILLONE or even Viz to START THE INNING, instead of having runners on 2nd and 3rd. Or even bring in Bruney w/ the hope that by the 8th inning they’ll be up 2+ runs.
I’m SICK OF THIS TEAM THROWING AWAY GAMES
On the plus side, thanks to Torre, the players really get along well with each other!
Option DeSalvo and bring Henn back as a long man,yes,I agree.
Anyone think the Yanks will come back?
Folks, before we crucify Torre, we need to find out if Clip really did hurt himself. If he did, there’s nothing else Torre could have done. If Clip is OK, the decision would be mind boggling. He must have tweaked an ankle or something.
it really, really hurts when we throw an IBB to load the bases and then walk in the run. given the control issues of our bullpen all year, i don’t think we should ever IBB to load the bases. i’d rather take our chances with the batter and risk giving up one run, instead of loading them up, and putting more pressure on the already nervous relief staff.
“He was SALIVATING to hook Clippard in the fourth. Positively SALIVATING.”
It sure did seem that way, didn’t it?
Then the IBB with a guy on the mound who can’t throw strikes. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…you have to be kidding me…
I hope the Yankees come back…but chances are slim based on our track record this year…and the Halos bullpen.
That last inning took the wind out of our sails…batters will be trying to get 5 runs with one swing.
Who the hell said we have lost this game?
have some faith. we were “turning it around” after the red sox series, and we have a few tough innings, down by 4 with 5 innings to go and its all over?
Come on guys.
I’ll have to admit…we have a lot of bridge jumpers in this blog. There are plenty of outs left for the Yanks to scratch a few runs back. We can all blame Torre…but without knowing the ALL of the details its merely speculation. I don’t think Guidry is just sitting in the dugout saying nothing. Right now the Angels are making plays and Weaver is making good pitches – ahead in the count, first pitch strikes.
The old guard does it again, Jeter and Jorge. Got love their spunk.
I hope they’ll come back, but I don’t expect them to. How many times have the Yankees come from behind to win games this year? It don’t think it’s very many, and I think that’s the main reason why we so often see complaints that the team looks lifeless.
If only Posada could bat in every spot in the lineup.
If Clippard is not injured, I am sorry to say that I would fire him tomorrow. I love him as a father but that move is indefensible unless there is a physical explanation. If there is, it is a continuation of this absurd string of bad luck.
More bad coaching.
Pete,
What’s your read? Do you think Clip hurt something? He must have right? It seems like the only explanation. Will we have to wait for the post-game interviews to know for sure?
why would you send posada there? my grandmother could’ve thrown him out.
Anyone watching the game via FSN West could clearly see that was a terrible call by Bowa to send Jorge. We just can’t be running ourselves out of the game….with our catcher!
Being flabbergasted by Torre’s bullpen moves isn’t the same thing as declaring the game totally lost.
And as I type that, Posada is mysteriously sent home and the throw beats him by a good second or two.
It should be 6-4.
If only Posada could run fast. He didnt this time, but if we did that in the 5th. We’ll do it in the 6th. Maybe the 7th, or the 8th.
We’ll win this game.
Not a good decision to send Posada. Most guys run faster backward than Posada does going forward. Jeez.
LARY BOWA SHOULD BE FIRED!
If Clippard is not hurt, Torre should be fired tomorrow. I love him as a father, but that move is indefensible unless there is an injury involved.
Not sure why he sent him…hard hit ball right at left fielder.
JOE SHOULD BE FIRED
Yanks may come back and win and I hope they do.
Unless T-Clip was indeed hurt (I doubt becuase announcers would have given that news by now) it still does not absolve Torre. The job of the manager is to put the team in a better position to win and Torre consistently fails to do that.
At least it was aggressive. Trying to make something happen. Bad judgement call, but at least they tried
oy, viz is going to take one for this team.
Only reason I can think of is there is a kid in left field that hasn’t been in the majors very long. Bowa wasn’t really sure what kind of arm/accuracy he has. Obviously it would have been a different story with Arod or Jeter running. I don’t agree with it, but if that’s the reason, I can understand it a little.
Murph,
Tabata isn’t going to be ready for 2009, IMO.
He has a long way to go. He is only 18 and is still filling out.
I have seen him play 4 times this year and if he is ready by 2009, it would be shocking. I think 2010, with a September 2009 callup is a more reasonable timetable.
I don’t know, you send Posada on that play? That’s a tough call. Just the way the year has gone, I guess.
Instead of folks freaking out over the Clippard move, why don’t we wait and see if the kid got hurt.
If he didn’t, then I understand the anger. If he got hurt, what can Torre do?
He left the kid in for 100 pitches against the Mets. Why would he take him out after 75 in this game?
That’s why I think he got hurt in the 4th inning when he fell awkwardly off the mound.
Another .180 hitter gets a hit off Vizcaino and he is now 2-0 to a .133 hitter, before giving up the HR to end this one. The guy is a nightmare. He can’t get anybody out and he is still on the roster. Amazing.
Please, for the love of God, let this be this piece of garbage’s last game as a Yankee.
If he can’t get guys out who can’t hit .200, why in the world is he on this roster?
way to give up a HR to a 133 hitter with 0 home runs… hmmm
There’s a college softball game on ESPN if anyone is looking for some quality pitching/managing/timely hitting. Anyone wanna jump on the Texas A&M bandwagon with me for the rest of the night?
Nice pitching Vizcaino…a 2 run HR.
Good thing we took Tyler out!
So much for the comeback…not with Vizcaino pitching.
Viz is a FU**ING WASTE!!!
Let’s say Clippard really hurt himself – why not, he could join Wang, Mussina, Pavano, Hughes, Rasner, and Karstens on the 2007 injured Yankee pitcher list. Correct me if I’m wrong, but everyone agrees that pulling a healthy Clippard would have been indefensible.
CHONE FIGGINS, QUITE POSSIBLY THE WORST-HITTING REGULAR IN BASEBALL, JUST HOMERED OFF VIZCAINO. WHY.
“If we keep breaking the chairs each time we´re thrown out, we´ll finish without any chairs to sit down…” Casey Stengel
Why is Vizcaino still in pinstripes?
Villone should be pitching right now
I don’t even know what to say about Vizcaino anymore. It’s all been said already. Dear God. How long is this going to go on??? And knowing how well Britton is pitching now makes this that much more infuriating.
And he’s still on the mound. Do we throw the game to prove that this man is utterly useless?
Good night all.. this is a friggin joke…. Offically, this season is over and that is it…
Now a walk…Vizcaino can’t even get an out. Walk…double.
Holy cow. You really couldn’t do any worse!
I wonder if Torre has meetings with Cashman were he tells him, get rid of this guy, get rid of that guy…you gotta think Joe has just had it with a guy like Vizcaino.
The season is not over. Vizcaino’s career on the Yankees might be.
“Offically, this season is over”
really?
At this point, I leave Vizcaino in the game and hope like hell his arm falls off.
The LAST thing I want to do is blow out the bullpen for the rest of the weekend.
This game is over. Screw it. Just leave him out there and have the real pitchers ready to go tomorrow.
Having to use the entire bullpen to finish this game would be dumb.
Who knows, if he gives up 30, maybe that will be enough for them to FINALLY DFA him.
I also don’t understand why the Yankees don’t just cut bait on guys like Vizcaino.
How is everyone enjoying Angels batting practice? I hear the next real game is tomorrow.
Pete please ask Joe why he pulled Tyler, and kept marching in the garbage from the pen. I hope I wake up tomorrow and read that Visciano is gone. He has been horrible for us. I can’t believe Az got away with giving us such garbage.
Viz remaining in pinstripes makes me suspect of some love affair in the clubhouse…
Jeremy… the season is done… we are going to lose 2 out 3 three against the angels and be 13.5 out by the end of next week.
Now, are we bridge-jumpers or just realistic?
I agree SJ44. Leave him. Let’s see how many runs he will give up in one inning. Is there a mercy rule in MLB like in Little League?
The silver lining of this game for me: I’m going to the game tomorrow and I won’t have to watch Vizcaino.
This game is ridiculous. Larry Bowa sending the catcher? Torre lifting the starter and putting in Viz as an option for long relief? They were not winning this game anyway, but managing decisions killed this game.
If Clippard is hurt, I mean, it would suck, but at least you could defend the move. I could care less about two wasted minutes spent typing a rant, but if he’s healthy, wow, that might be the worst managing I’ve ever seen. Peace folks, I’m going out drinking, and after this game… why not?
The season is absolutley not over. You cant let one night’s frustration damper you’re outlook for another 4 months of play. Sometimes I do the same thing. That being said, this is the most bi-polar Yankee team I have seen in years. One minute they look on top of the world, the next, well you get the point…. Coming off the a big series win, they continue to show no swagger.
It’s an embarrassing time to be a Yankee fan. However, I still love’em.
Anybody have any news on Clippard, I havent heard anything yet.
BTW, Choney is the biggest loser on earth, anyone remember his 3 errors while playing 3rd against the Sawx in the ‘04 ALDS that cost the Angels the game. That d**che bag always plays well against us and lays down and dies against Boston.
You know what’s a nice thought? Instead of having Vizcaino and Ohlendorf, we could have had Micah Owings (he of the complete game gem last night). But we don’t need any help at the back end of our rotation so that’s ok – I’ll stick with what we’ve got.
Oh man what is up with Johnny tonight? He should have had that!!
Sixth inning. Fourth pitcher alreday. Game out of hand.
Best guys from their bullpen will be well rested for tomorrow.
If T-Clip was hurt, givne the score was 3-2 at that time, it would have made sense to bring Villone.
I am not giving up on the season, but for those who state this game is not over yet, oh well,… you are right the game is over after 9 innings, excep that Yanks lose the game.
Ok, let’s switch from bad managing and pitching to bad announcing. Kay just said that Villone shows how quickly an effective reliever moves up the ranks for the Yankees.
This is the same Villone who Torre practically forgot about in the first half of 2006, no matter how well he pitched.
Also, despite being unhittable, it’s debatable whether Bruney has made it up to the top of the pen’s ranks.
desalvo and vizcaino gone tomorrow replaced by britton and edwar ramirez. and i repeat: id clippard was not injured, i would fire torre tomorrow, as much as it pains me to say that.
Damon is atrocious. What is happening to this team? It’s disintegrating. Looks like we can’t even execute a pitch-out correctly.
Folks. I’m out. We can still take 2 of 3. Tomorrow is another day.
Could we really have gotten Mitch Owings? I don’t know that we ever had a chance.
“I see where the Loyal Order of Joe Torre Haters are down on his hooking Tyler Clippard. Since when did Clippard earn the right to stink? He had allowed six hits – four for extra bases – in four innings and had thrown 77 pitches. Was he suddenly going to shut Anaheim down?”
Peter, were you watching the game? The score was 3-2. Why the hell would Torre not at least start Clippard in the 5th and see what happened?
By your logic, Scioscia should have pulled Weaver too. What’s the big difference between 2 runs in 4 innings and 3?
Peter,
Re: your 9:26pm update, I only have this to say – you are an idiot.
Love,
Kevin
The way Damon just played/dropped that ball, it looks like he has only one working arm. No offense to the guy, but he’s not a fully functioning player.
JESUS, JOHNNY…
Great managerial job by Torre tonight: take Clippard out after 4 IP with the Yanks down only 3-2 and bring in a kid to make his first relief appearance in M.L.B., the two-start wonder Matt DeSalvo who should be demoted to AAA Scranton immediately. DeSalvo wasn’t even as good as people made him out to be in his second start vs. Seattle cuz he left the game leaving runners on 2B and 3B. This loss tonight is all on Torre and the wretched Vizcaino who should be either traded or released after tonight, enough is enough, call up Chris Britton. What did the Yanks trade Jaret Wright for, so Britton who already proved he’s an M.L.B. pitcher last year with Baltimore can hurl meaningless innings for AAA Scranton? I can’t even really kill DeSalvo cuz he should’ve never been in this game.
A Boston win over bad Texas tonight renders the Yanks taking 2 out of 3 against Boston earlier this week meaningless like the loss to Boston this past Tuesday rendered the win over the Mets last Sunday meaningless. It’s also 3-4 ball in the last 7 games thus garbage…like Torre as an in-game decisionmaker and his enabler Guidry who I’d fire, too. The Yanks better not get swept by the Angels cuz a sweep of Toronto if that could even happen would mean nothing (6-6 before Fenway 6/1-3). It is entirely possible the Angels could sweep cuz they’re the Angels and have Escobar then ace Lackey on the mound the next two days.
B.t.w. who’s bright idea was it to sign Clemens and have him start games where his third spring training-for-him start would be 5/28 and his first start with the Yanks 6/4, a week later? If he’s ready after 5/28 but won’t pitch in Boston and really shouldn’t cuz the Yanks have three solid pitchers for that series, why make him sit around for a few extra days? Clemens should’ve made his starts on 5/20, 25 & 30 that way he’d have pitched on just an extra day of rest for 6/4.
Who starts on 5/29? Another rookie callup? Or is Cashman gonna get off his bony ass and trade Farnsworth for Jon Lieber now that Brett Myers is down with injury again?
Make a trade for SOMEONE who’s actually pitched an M.L.B. game. That’s it, SIDNEY PONSON FOR 5/29 ONLY. See what he does. I’ll take even 5 IP 4 runs cuz maybe this pathetic on-and-off Yankee offense can light up the Toronto starter. I know Halladay is out with his annual injury yet again. If Ponson is good, give him another start in Chicago. I know he sucks, but he can’t suck any worse than another rookie callup. I can’t even say a rookie sucks when he’s just not ready yet. Get a real M.L.B. starter please. Now the Yanks have another nobody starting 5/29 and a kid making his third M.L.B. start (Clippard) 5/29 vs. Toronto.
“The silver lining of this game for me: I’m going to the game tomorrow and I won’t have to watch Vizcaino.”
so you think
Tuesday’s starter becomes an issue right now. Chase Wright pitched tonight for Scranton and went 6 innings. He won’t be available.
We don’t know Clippard’s health situation and I doubt they would bring him back on short rest.
The nightmare continues. Johnny Damon’s worst night in CF as a Yankee. He looks like an older version of Bernie Williams.
Well, so much for “momentum” from the Red Sox series.
Face it folks, this is just a very, very, very bad baseball team. Its why it can’t even play .500 baseball and its why they are embarrassed by good team on an almost nightly basis.
Just as well. There is enough garbage on the this roster. Maybe nights like this will finally purge this roster of the garbage and they start giving younger players a chance.
This is the year to do it. Its not like this is a playoff team. Do it this year and give yourself a chance to see who can help you in the future and who can’t.
To waste a Chris Britton (2 more shutout innings tonight in Scranton, 0.82 ERA) in AAA makes no sense when you have guys like Matt DeSalvo and Luis Vizcaino on the major league roster.
the dbacks would not give up owings, even if we paid more of johnson’s salary.
Apparently, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Clippard. Abe is assuming there is something because he can’t bear to criticize Clueless Joe.
They couldn’t have gotten Micah Owings. Arizona wasn’t trading him. So, let’s stop that nonsense right now.
He was untouchable, regardless of the rantings of folks on this blog.
I heard the Arizona GM on a talk show in Phoenix this spring and he said Owings was an untouchable.
I always read that the D-Backs refused to trade Micah Owings.
The real shame here (assuming Clippard is not seriously hurt) is that DeSalvo couldn’t deliver. DeSalvo could have filled a serious deficiency on this team as the long man, and he failed spectacularly in his first test. Even if he had pitched badly, but serviceably, we would not have to empty the pen tonight.
Joe Torre must have incriminating photos of Peter Abraham. That’s the only explaination for defending Clueless Joe today. Clippard was at 70 PITCHES. 70! Clippard let up 3R but you can credit 2R to horrible outfield defense by Matsui and Damon.
“DeSalvo was rested and has been throwing bullpens knowing he would be used in relief. It’s not Torre’s fault he was lousy.”
Maybe Joe Torre should know that a rookie right hander in DeSalvo is not used to coming out of the bullpen, and would have other guys ready as soon as he walks Figgins, throws a wild pitch to allow Figgins to get to 2nd, and then walks Cabrera with a 1 run deficit. Maybe.
what is the crowd chanting?
Wow I know Johnny has no arm, but tonight is just insane. Shallow fly ball to center and he can’t even make it to home with out bouncing it.
Pete,
Regardless of the reasons…Vizcaino should NOT be in the Yankee bullpen. If he is hurt — even if he won’t admit it — put him on the DL. Figure it out in Tampa. If he is not –he just stinks. Results don’t lie.
Oh right. And the bullpen has earned the right to stink?? Give it up. The bullpen sucks and Clippard wasn’t getting shelled.
BLAME TORRE!
“what is the crowd chanting?”
Bernie Williams
why did rhegetti pull clippard? 4 strong innings and they think it’s time?????
The crowd was chanting “Bernie Williams”
Is Guidry available tonight?
I am a Torre defender…. but not tonight. Clippard was atleast holding them.
Dave Righetti is my cousin. He is not, however, the Yankees’ pitchign coach.
*pitching
clippard showed he belongs – Torre / Rhegetti deserves the loss tonight
Seriously Peter, Clippard was getting better, he deserved to go one more inning at least. And this falls int he category of first guessing, not second. He wasn’t hit that hard, a better OF defense and they would only have gotten one run.
As for rotation, I think it’s DeSalvo on Tuesday, he definitely didn’t wear out his arm tonight, unless he punched a wall in the locker room.
Damon looks awful, if only Giambi could play a little first, Damon could DH. Hard to argue with SJ’s plan to get rid of Giambi at all costs this offseason to make Damon the most every day DH. This has to be one of the most disapointing games of the season so far.
Kevin Long? Is that you? Way to make a stud out of Minky!
Pete, with all due respect, that is a really dumb “defense” of Joe. The kid, in his first start at The Stadium, had kept his team in the game. Not great, but in the game. Torre yanks him, guaranteeing that he will burn the pen for the rest of the series, and putting in pitchers who had proven they are awful. I love Torre (as I have said twice), but this move is unbelievably stupid and indefensible. If you think otherwise, I seriously question your competence.
If Viz is hurt, I’d DFA him. No way should a player who is expected to make as many appearances as Viz not admit an injury. His pitching has really hurt this team, and I’d never trust him again, no matter his prior record.
If he’s hurt, DFA. If not, he should be in the minors working this out since we cannot afford to have him on the roster.
I’d Replace Viz with Britton and Myers with Henn. They can’t be any worse.
“I see where the Loyal Order of Joe Torre Haters are down on his hooking Tyler Clippard. Since when did Clippard earn the right to stink? He had allowed six hits – four for extra bases – in four innings and had thrown 77 pitches. Was he suddenly going to shut Anaheim down? DeSalvo was rested and has been throwing bullpens knowing he would be used in relief. It’s not Torre’s fault he was lousy.”
Peter,
I see many posters here criticing you for what you write, I personally refrained from doing it. After seeing what you wrote above, you probalby deserve that criticism. When people question genuinely the bonehead moves of Torre, you call them Torre haters. Do you really believe in the nonsense you wrote above? Or you wrote it to invoke some heated discussion. I am willing to give you the benefit of doubt.
C’mon Pete… are you friggin kidding me. that is like saying it was ok for Tony to kill Chris cuz he was already choking on his blood… Your comments were too the extreme…Torre had no business taking clippard out.. He has f’d this team up badly.
do you think Clippard will get sent back to Scranton
I don’t want to hit the panic button but Johnny’s arm is getting worse and worse, pretty soon he’d have to throw to the cut off man at second. LOL
Like Jeff said Jason not being able to play first really puts this team in a bind. If Jason could play than we could have Johnny dhing and our very good outfielder in Melky playing the field. but Jason plays one game and he is hurt.
Tyler Clippard started tonight’s game. Tyler Clippard. Not Whitey Ford or Sandy Koufax. This is a kid who shouldn’t be anywhere near Yankee Stadium unless he bought a ticket to get in. He’s just not ready to pitch here consistently and expecting otherwise is so unfair as to be cruel. Let me be perfectly clear: he’s not a bum or a loser or anything like that for trying – but he’s going to pitch like this unless and until he matures. (Unless he is injured and that is a different story). That maturation is supposed to take place in the minors where people paying top dollar don’t have to see this. But there’s not many other choices.
Now, if Ty’s coming apart, it’s not like he has the experience or pitches to justify letting him grind it and hang in there. Joe has to go get him. There’s pressure to win every game. The unfortunate fact is that Joe’s bullpen alternatives include the incompetent/secretly injured Vizcaino and the not-ready-for-prime-time Matt DeSalvo. But that’s not exactly Joe’s fault.
Viz has to be confronted: either fess up and get medical attention or admit you don’t belong here.
No doubt Clippard should have stayed in. Viz should NEVER come into a game, EVER.
DeSalvo screwed up, too. That’s not Joe’s fault, it’s Desalvo’s, but Joe should have let Clippard stay in longer so that pen would be well rested.
Once Desalvo was done, though, Villone should have come in.
Oh well, though. The game is not “lost” as everyone seems to tout. The game is not over yet, nor is the season. Have some hope.
“Since when did Clippard earn the right to stink?”
Pete, I am NOT a Torre hater by any means. But going to the bullpen after 4 innings after a rookie gives up 3 runs? Are you seriously going to tell us that you would have given Clippard the hook right then if YOU were the manager?
I couldn’t disagree with you more over this one. How else can you see what the rookie has without letting him pitch? With the track record of our bullpen this year, you have to figure that going to the pen for 5 innings will more than likely result in disaster.
Barring injury, I find this move indefensable.
Just to clarify mine and many of the posters here, we are not Joe Torre haters, he is the best option to manage this team, however he messed up good tonight, short of Clippard being injured this is clearly in his lap. Ugly, ugly game.
not a Torre hater but give the guy a chance-Clippard proved something Sunday night and didn’t get a chance to tonight…down 3-2…enter DiSalvo….down 6-2…exit DiSalvo
Maybe instead of trading Fransworthless, we should trade Vizciano. Do you think anyone would bitw and trade for him? Maybe trade him back to the nl. I can’t stand seeing him out there. Joe keeps thinking, if he keeps putting him in he’ll get better. Well he hasn’t. Even when he’s gotten outs, it has still resulted in runs.
And look Joe, maybe instead of gasoline, you should have brought in Ron.
Can someone tell me why Britton is not here and Vizciano on the DL or in Scranton?
Damon shouldnt be on this team anyways, Beltran should be in CF.
Yanks messed up huge passing on Carlos and bringing yet another red sox reject onto the team
The Titanic Yankee ship goes yet deeper into the water tonight!
I have picked up smoking again because of this season…
Pete, your defense of every move Torre makes threatens to drive me from this blog!
Why is it relevant that Clippard had let up 6 hits in 4 innings when those 6 hits had only led to 3 runs? Pettitte let up more hits than innings in his last start – did he pitch poorly too?
Why is it significant that Clippard had thrown 77 pitches?
Why was it clearly the right move to put in DeSalvo in the 5th inning of a 1-run game, when DeSalvo was making his debut as a reliever and is known for his control problems?
I know you think that a lot of criticism of Torre is hyperbole, and much of the time I agree with you, but here it definitely arguable that taking out Clippard and putting in DeSalvo was a bad move. Your out-of-hand rejection of that view as mindless Torre bashing is unfair.
And that is a real cheap shot, Pete. I was in the first row of the Loge for game 6 of the 1996 WS and am a season ticket holder living in the h*llhole of Boston. I absolutely love Torre. Through Weaver (the other one) in the Marlin series, to not starting the finicky Mussina in game 4 of the ALCS in 2004, to many other boneheaded moves. But this one? It was absolutely absurd on so many levels. You owe an apology to your bloggers. If your article tomorrow does not include some suggestion of the questionable nature of this move, I will assume your Massachusetts roots are showing. Ditto the Hughes comment.
Damon is truly horrible tonight. All of his worst attributes are on full display tonight and I can’t believe we signed him to such a big deal. Giambi and Abreu too are just so bad these days. Abraham will never tell the truth about Damon and Torre since he is a troll.
I see where the Loyal Order of Joe Torre Haters are down on his hooking Tyler Clippard. Since when did Clippard earn the right to stink? He had allowed six hits – four for extra bases – in four innings and had thrown 77 pitches.
It’s more that the burned out bullpen earned the right not to have their arms fall off every night. Sorry Pete, but there was no reason to pull Clippard. Give the kid a chance to suck up a couple of more innings. If he gets into trouble you can always bring in the New Run Fairy Vizcaino. The bullpen is overworked for precisely this reason: Torre only trusts veterans, and youngsters never get a chance to earn a spot in the Hallowed Circle of Trust.
It’s not “Torre Hating.” I’m sure he’s a very nice guy and a good manager in the clubhouse. He just is clueless when it comes to managing a pitching staff.
Peter,
Speak up. There is nothing wrong in admitting that you were wrong in your last update. Today, Torre just stunk and you should be able to see the reality.
Bringing Matt DeSalvo, a pitcher with questionable control, into a one run game, for his first ever relief appearance, against a pretty solid team, because Clippard hasn’t “earnedâ€? the right to stink, just doesn’t make sense. A question: how can Clippard “earnâ€? anything if he gets hooked at the first sign of trouble? How badly was he hurt by fly balls which would have been caught by a healthy Damon?
Hey Pete, it’s not personal… I just vehemently disagree with the move, and it’s becoming a trend with Torre. That doesn’t make me some kind of anti-Joe zealot. ‘Bout time to give up on this game, though I’d like to catch another A-Rod AB.
I don’t think Vizcaino is hurt. He just can’t pitch. If he was hurt, then why is he keeping quiet about it?
It would explain how bad he has become and if an injury is the cause, I would think that would be comforting to him instead of being healthy and this bad.
Pete, I just think the guy has “Whitson Disease”. That’s an illness which manifests itself as being completely unable to pitch for the Yankees.
Its named after former Yankee pitcher Ed Whitson, who was an all star in San Diego, then completely lost the ability to pitch in NY.
The only good pitch he threw was the right hand that connect to then-manager Billy Martin’s face when the two duked it out in the locker room after one of Whitson’s really bad appearances.
Best thing they can do for Vizcaino is DFA him.
The moves tomorrow are simple. DeSalvo to Scranton, replaced by Henn. DFA Vizcaino and replace him with Britton, tee it up and hope for better results tomorrow.
Now, onto the IMPORTANT news. Hughes is going for an MRI on that ankle. That’s NOT good news.
I sure hope he is ok. If he out for the season, that would be as bad a news as any loss can ever be.
No pitcher can stay healthy on this team. Amazing.
DeSalvo’s erratic delivery will always cause problems.
I couldn’t disagree more with Pete. Take the number off the jersey and tell me if you pull a starter who has given up 3 runs in 4 innings, is only down by 1, and has thrown 76 pitches. That kind of short hook is just bad on so many levels:
1. It does nothing to help the starter his next time out and it is a long season
2. It does nothing to help the bullpen and it is a long season
3. It requires that arguably your worst relievers pitch better than they have been and/or a pitcher who has never thrown in relief come into a 1 run game after after more than a week off
At worst, Clippard has to start the 5th inning.
What makes it worse is that once you commit to the bullpen, you have to commit to the bullpen shutting down the opposition. If you are going to bring them in to start the 5th to start the inning, then you can’t leave DeSalvo in once he walks the first 2 guys. This might sound counterintuitive given my logic above, but it really isn’t. Starters got a long hook, relievers a short one. Joe has it backwards.
atleast Jeter’s streak is still alive…
moral victory, anyone??
Hi All,
It is very clear to me that this team’s ability to get to the post season is seriously in doubt. But years like this can be productive and meaningful.
I thus have a bit of an existential question for everyone: in your opinion, what does this season mean for the Yankees? Is it a rebuilding year? A building block towards something larger (another string of world championships)? Or is it a step backward, possibly the beginning of a longer slide?
For me, I have watched with great interest as the rookies have come up to pitch and overall, I like what I see. I consider it a harbinger of good things.
Anyway, I look forward to discussing.
It is a crime to have Britton in AAA and for Peter to somehow think that Torre should be defended! Somehow DeSalvo has miraculously earned the right to stink. Amazing.
I recall some posters saying that Vizcaino would never be a success in NY based on his performance for Milwaukee. Looks like they were right on the money.
And, btw, Politically Correct Pete is being ridiculous with regards to the “an A-Bomb from ARod” is offensive comment. He can’t actually believe that. Just like he can’t believe that Torre is doing a good job.
Bizarre, I’ve caught myself almost hoping that Clippard is injured, so as to give Torre an excuse.
And if Clippard’s healthy, pulling him, as others have noted, exposes another dark side of Torre’s managing style: his distrust of young pitchers. We saw it before in Rasner starts – Rasner goes five innings, throws 80 pitches, gives up several hits, but keeps the score close, and is yanked despite the pen’s volatility.
Al,
relax. Peter was obviously being sarcastic.
I still beleive we will make it to the playoffs as a wild card if Torre stops his bonehead moves with pitching.
Last few years it was the wildcard teams that had the best success in playoffs.
As Shakespear wrote, may be “Sweet are the uses of adversity” and we win it all…..
I’m glad Cashman is on the hot seat. Getting Vizcaino might be one of the worst moves of the off-season. And basically trading Sheff for Abreu has been a disaster, as well.
Cashman must go. And Torre should follow. This looks to be a long slide ahead.
Hey Peter Abraham you namecalling moron:
Most people don’t “hate” Torre. By your logic you love him right? What is he your father’s uncle’s cousin or something? It’s so obvious you can’t rip Torre cuz then your pipeline to Cashman giving you vague, bland quotes and decisions about what rookie to callup (instead of telling you he’s working the phones for a veteran retread who has actually pitched in a M.L.B. game before) is gone. So admit that’s why you’re an unabashed Torre (( kisser. Nevermind 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000. The last one was 7 years ago, it could be 8 after this year. Casey Stengel got fired. Billy Martin got fired after the 1977 Yanks won their first World Series since 1962. ‘Nuff said.
Back to talking about the GAME and Torre’s wretched in-game management and not red herrings like “Torre-haters”, you’re not getting away with that tonight. Tonight is a perfect example of how Torre alone could drive the 2007 Yanks postseason hopes into the ground before the Yanks even hit Fenway and no, the Yanks are not sweeping that series 6/1-3, so please stop that nonsense. Clippard should have not been taken out of the game after 4 IP and the Yanks being down only 3-2. Are you some kind of psychic who could fortell Clippard getting pounded by the Murderer’s Row of Figgins who’s batting what .150?, Cabrera who’s a decent hitter but won’t take you out of the yard, and Vlad the only dangerous hitter. If Clippard GASP! is left in there and gets the first two guys out, not exactly brain surgery, the WORST Vlad could do with no one on base is smack a solo shot, only 4-2. Clippard could GASP! be left in to try to get out Matthews for 5 IP and 4 ER. Not great, but it’d have been only 4-3. I think that’s a much greater possibility than Matt DeSalvo throwing 2-3 scoreless innings after him.
Instead of getting personal with people who are disgusted with Torre’s in-game management with your every x minutes blog entries, try watching the game (( hole. Clippard was not that bad. He allowed 4 doubles in the first 2 IP but allowed only 2 runs and a strong argument could be made that had Melky Cabrera been in CF tonight, he catches that first double the old done as a CF Damon allowed cuz he’s lost a step or two. Matsui should’ve had that double over his head too, he’s a DH masquerading as a bad LF. This means Giambi has to go to the Angels if they want him and he probably agrees to go so as not to anger the Yankees management.
You people need to get it through your heads that just b/c someone is on the Yankees doesn’t mean every other team in the league wants our players. Can we please stop talking about trading worthless relievers and bloaded contract players with no-trade clauses. You would have to give them away and pay their contracts? Why would anyone in there right mind do that? I am sick of reading, TRADE FARNS, TRADE VIZ, TRADE DAMON, KILL TORRE.
THIS TEAM IS WHAT IT IS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR UNLESS WE GIVE UP SOME KIDS. AS FAR AS WE WILL BE OUT AT THE DEADLINE THERE IS NO POINT TO SACRIFICE THE FUTURE FOR A GUY IN THE FINAL YEAR OF A DEAL.
Pete,
Excellent point on Sterling’s signature, “An A-Bomb from A-rod”, how about Another Blast from A-Rod or A-Rod Rockets Another, A-Rod Gets Another One, or suggestions from others… But the A-Bomb has to go ASAP.
Pete,
A few points:
1. You can’t compare Villone’s issues with Vizcaino’s. Villone pitched GREAT for 4 months last year until Torre blew him out. Vizcaino pitched well for two weeks this year. That’s it. He just gave up a HR to a guy hitting .130 with no power. His ERA is now over 13 over his last 18 appearances. He is the worst relief pitcher in MLB, from a results standpoint. I don’t care how much of a “veteran” he is, he needs to go. The guy can’t pitch and they have somebody in AAA (Britton) who is better.
Sometimes, you just have to cut bait. They are at that point with Vizcaino. If he wants to spend 2 months in Scranton, as Villone did, to “find it”, fine. If not, he needs to be DFA’ed tonight.
2. If Clippard is NOT hurt (haven’t heard one way or the other), the problem with the move is the inconsistency of it. He left the kid in there for 100 pitches against the Mets. Why not have him start the 5th with only 77 pitches in the can? Its not like Matt DeSalvo is Ramiro Mendoza. When we last saw DeSalvo, he couldn’t throw the ball over the plate in Chicago. Why would tonight be expected to yield better results?
Honestly, you can’t think DeSalvo was a better option than Clippard, if Tyler wasn’t hurt, do you?
If there is no injury involved, its a bad in game move. I have already railed about Torre’s consistently poor in game moves so, I am not going to bore everybody again with that rant.
Just to say, if Clippard wasn’t hurt, taking him out was a monumentally dumb move. Especially since, his other options (DeSalvo and Vizcaino) aren’t exactly enthralling.
Anyway, my biggest concern right now is for Hughes’ MRI. I could care less what an underachieving, under .500 team does at this point.
Hughes’ condition is MUCH more important than Joe Torre or any of these guys stinking up the joint 5 out of every 7 games in New York.
I can’t believe someone brought up Ed “One Win” Whitson.
In regards to the “harbinger of good things,” I’m not as optimistic. I do like what I’m seeing out of some of the rookies, but I think the Yankees will have to hit harder times than this before any kind of rebirth is seen.
You telling me there isn’t even a RELIEVER who could make the start 5/29?
al, that was the legendary rainbowtrout. I never thought his arguments about Vizcaino in Milwaukee made sense. First, Vizcaino hasn’t pitched for the Brewers since 2004. Second, his ERAs since 2004 were 3.75, 3.73 (for the White Sox), 3.58. He had respectable IPs in all those years and is only 32 this year. He looked like a safe bet and I remember most commenters on this site being excited about him.
So it’s a bit of a mystery why he’s so bad now. I wonder if his brutal April workload had something to do with it, but that was only one month.
al,
He gave up those players b/c no one on the team wanted them and it was either trade them for 50 cents on the dollar or sit them on the bench. If we went into the postseason with RJ it would be another series lost in the ALDS. Where would Sheff play, he was the only player with a NTC and Abreu looked like the answer last year. You can’t blame someone b/c they aren’t a fortune teller. You’re telling me you would have rather had Abreu than Sheff before this season started. No way pal.
Jeremy: Let me get this straight, you think Tyler Clippard has earned the same kind of faith as Andy Pettitte? Is that what you’re saying?
As for the people demanding I ask Joe about it, I’m not working tonight. I’m sorry, but Clippard wasn’t sharp at all and they were down 3-2. I’m sure Torre was trying to keep it close and DeSalvo screwed it up.
Meanwhile, can you pleaee try and most without using curses? Or abbreviated curses or implied curses? This blog is part of my newspaper and there are standards. Beyond that, there are kids and just generally decent people on this board.
New York baseball fans are supposed be sophisticated. Give it a shot.
I hope you mean a reliever from another team who gets the start if a starter can’t be acquired?
Any new arm on this team not from the minors is fine by me as long as the Yanks don’t give up too much.
Just so we can all get on the same page. we are 100% certain Clippard has no injury? Here’s what I don’t get – leave a pitcher in too long (e.g. Mussina’s last start) and it’s all about we should have put someone else in. Take someone out early (for reasons yet to be determined), the pitcher can’t find the strike zone and gets ripped, and Torre is at fault. I take more issue with the DeSalvo not throwing strikes and walking the lead off guy. If you as a fan honestly think that Torre would put someone on the bump that he felt would get lit up, you are in the wrong place, rooting for the wrong team.
Three big second-guesses here IMHO:
The Tampa Posse sold us and looks like Cash down the river on (at least) these 3 situations:
1. How could they possibly pass up Vlady Guerraro for Gary Sheffield
2. Letting Andy Pettitte leave for Houston
3. Not signing Carlos Betran
Tamps (and not Cashman) screwed up “Big Time” on these (and I’m sure there are others) moves! And here we are tonight getting whacked by LA again!
You don’t pull a starting pitcher after 4 IP and 3 ER unless he is injured. This is yet another bonehead move by Joe Torre. I used to defend him. Not anymore. He needs to go.
when is clemons back?
Wow people on here are getting quite vicious. You don’t agree with someone that is fine, but wow the name calling is out of control.
if the Yanks fall completely out of playoff contention within the next month (which is very possible), is there any reason to keep Torre on?
CANO!!!!
Peter
Practice what you preach. You’re calling readers of your blog “Torre haters”. Not a curse but you’re writing is akin to a yankees official website messageboard poster thus unprofessional for a beat writer for the Yanks. Because we disagree with Torre’s bad bullpen move, we “hate” him. Grow up. You only egg on people to rip into you with stronger language.
No one’s saying Clippard should earn the trust Pettitte has acquired. We’re saying (those of us who think he should’ve returned for the fifth inning) the Yanks were still in the game 3-2 through 4 innings, and Clippard’s slate was clean for the fifth. He did get Vlad out in Vlad’s second at-bat,
try watching the game huh?
Clippard pitching a scoreless 5th or giving up a run for
only 4-2 Angels through 5 innings
vs.
DeSalvo in his first M.L.B. relief appearance giving the Yanks 2-3 scoreless innings.
I’ll take Clippard in the fifth thanks.
I mean the guy above is right you must love Torre since you want to call everyone who doesn’t share your infatuation with him “Torre haters”. I guess it’s black and white for you. Whatever. Keep looking like a fool on your off night.
Pete, thanks for your response. My point was saying that Clippard deserved to be pulled because he had allowed 6 hits in 4 innings doesn’t tell the whole story, because a starter can pitch well enough to win even if he scatters a lot of hits. Case in point, Pettitte’s last start, in which he allowed 9 hits in 7 innings. That was just an example, not an attempt to equate Clippard with Pettitte.
Clippard was keeping the Yankees in the game, which is the most one can hope for from a AAA emergency starter against a good team, and had not thrown a lot of pitches. The alternatives to him, as early as the 5th inning, were poor. That is why I think it’s fair to say Torre made a bad move by pulling Clippard.
Nothing wrong with “A-bomb from A-rod”. Come on, lighten up. First, Imus. Then Opie and Anthony. Now you are going to go after good ole John Sterling?
What will offend the politically correct police next?
“The Melk Man Delivers” may offend those that are allergic to dairy products.
“Positively Damonic” may offend devil worshippers.
“A thriller by Godzilla” may offend Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.
“Georgie juiced one”. Now THAT IS offensive. ‘
See, if today is a rare situation that Torre did something like this, the reaction would not have been this strong.
The fact that there is a consistent pattern it is difficult to give the benefit of doubt to Joe.
pete,
you need to strap on a pair and criticize torre (and any other yankees, for that matter) when they deserve it. your homer-ism is rising to michael kay-esque levels and it’s repulsive.
torre apologists need to understand where torre critics (such as myself) are coming from. i’m not saying that torre is costing this team games, and i realize that torre’s been dealt a bad hand at times throughout the season (see bullpen, injuries, slumping sluggers, etc.). but the point is, torre has made some terrible, indefensible, moronic moves. this much cannot be denied. and when things are going bad for a team, you can’t afford these little (or big, depending on how you look at it) mistakes. eventually, they will cost you. whether or not it ever matters this season for the yankes…we’ll see.
Well, maybe Boston will lose, and we will have dodged a bullet. (Glass half full)
Now that the Yanks scored six runs, Joe’s bullpen follies are even more magnified.
Way to go Robby!
In other news, this game is exciting again.
Why is Proctor in there?
Time for the daily Proctor appearance.
Darn it, I’m going to see Farnsworth tomorrow.
Who is left for tomorrow in the bullpen?
Rivera, Bruney, Kyle, ???????
omg, the game is out of reach and torre wants to burn out proctor. use the whole freaking pen now in a game you can’t win.
Vizacaino’s has been horrendous.. I hope yankees should release him
I didn’t realize they pinch hit for Damon. He must be hurt again.
Looks like Melky to CF now.
If Vizcaino isn’t sent to the minors or released, then there simply is no accountability in the organization anymore. you cannot pitch worse than he has.
They never should have let Andy leave before but Hughes was selected I believe the pick they got from Houston but maybe they would have won in 04 with Andy here. However, Vlad and Belran were the people to have picked up and they should have gone after Damon to play RF in 2002 – resigned Tino with Nick Johnson then learning the ropes. The thing now is to do things right and treat this year as a retooling one. By 09 there will be no Giambi or Moose on the team and who knows what FAs will be out there by then. There is a good young pitcher core and by 09,10 Tabat will be there.
Mr. Abraham, with all due respect, I submit that you are incorrect in your analysis of Joe Torre’s decision making.
While Tyler Clippard wasn’t “lights out” tonight, he did display some tenacity in working out of jams. He had given up “only” 3 runs in 4 innings and had thrown only 77 pitches (if you take a look at his minor league record, you will recognize that he is a workhorse and pitches deep into games).
Let’s not forget that one (perhaps two) of those extra-base hits should have been caught (and probably would have been had we an adequate center fielder).
In addition, Matt DeSalvo has a propensity to walk a lot of batters and that wasn’t the right situation to turn to him in. A better manager would have recognized that.
One can rest on one’s laurels for only so long. The criticism of Joe Torre tonight is warranted.
Pete, please stop with those game threads. You are a very good reporter, but you suck at baseball analysis. You really suck
It is getting worse and worse.
Someone forecast five pitchers would be used today.
Already six used! Hopefully that is it.
Everyone keeps railing on Pete, but has anyone actually taken the time out to ask him what his favorite team is. We know he’s a big fan of the game…
So Pete, in an effort to retain your unbiased reporting, I’ll ask it like this…
What was your favorite team growing up?
if you’ve been paying for MLB extra innings in installments, can you cancel your subscription and not have to pay the rest? it’s getting to the point where it’s not worth the money to watch a team that plays with as little effort as the yanks do.
when Damon isn’t hustling anymore, then the team is dead and they know it.
is that Torre’s decision or Rhegetti’s???
Can someone please explain to me why Proctor is pitching in a 10-6 blowout game? Does Clueless think Felix Heredia is the Angels closer?
Way too much venom on this board tonight. The comments section is unreadable, and certainly doesn’t encourage people to post well meaning, on-topic comments.
Please be civil.
Love it Pete.. 2 posts ago.. u said Vizcaino was coming back.. now u say he is injured… MAN and u call us fickle..
by the way.. has there been any single decision or move of Torre that u have ever questioned?? Taking Clippard for DeSalvo after 77 pitches was pretty dumb i wud say.. what was the score when he took him out?
U can like torre.. u can be a supporter of Torre.. but u are not being true when u question the logical concerns and qualms of the fans with torre..
i understand u are not a fan of the Yanks.. i understand ur likeness for Torre can be more to do with him being a good interview.. but us fans need wins baby..
if anything Big Stein.. with his statement has shown he has no clue with whats wrong with the Yanks.. U say Torre is safe and Cash is not?? great!! brilliant..
Why not SAVE proctor for Saturday? He and Bruney have been the only effective pitchers out of the pen this year! Put Kyle “I can’t get an out” Farnsworth in there.
Torre managed like a psychic on an off-day tonight: he thought Clippard would get creamed when fact was he could’ve brought Clippard out for the fifth to try to get out that absolute terror in the leadoff slot Chone Figgins who was coming into the game batting less than his weight, and he’s a little guy to begin with. How ’bout have Clippard face Figgins and if he gets Figgins out, let him face Cabrera. If he doesn’t get Figgins out, give him one more batter/ chance for an out. If Figgins hits a solo shot, o.k. take him out then fair enough.
DeSalvo has a better chance of throwing a scoreless 5th or 2-3 scoreless innings in his first M.L. relief appearance than Clippard, a guy with a 3.60 ERA (4 ER in 10 IP) in his last two starts? YUH RIGHT. PUH-LEEZE.
Pete, I think the real problem here is that quick hooks represent a fundamental shift in managing philosophy for Torre. Go pick up some old Bill James Handbooks if you’ve got them on the shelf. He was consistently at the bottom of the league in quick hooks. He is now at the top. I simply do not buy that having more young pitchers is an excuse for this. The manager has to manage with what he has. if he has young pitchers whom he constantly keeps on such a short rope that they can never gut one out, that’s bad for them and it’s bad for the bullpen. The Torre trust concept is one that he has taken way too far in the past couple of years. It has everyone on eggshells.
“Can someone please explain to me why Proctor is pitching in a 10-6 blowout game?”
Who cares? Clueless Joe runs a smooth clubhouse, which is all that matters according to Politically Correct Pete.
Folks, Peter is just having a bad day. I suggest stop railing against him.
No one can deny we have very good blog here. Peter does a very good job of providing very timely information for all of us to read and enjoy.
El Capitan:
I am the least politically correct person you would meet. But I had a chance to go to Walter Reed Hospital a few years ago and it shook me of the notion of comparing sports to war.
Sports ain’t war. Not even close. Athletes aren’t courageous. Close games aren’t wars. Managers aren’t like generals.
And home runs are not like atomic bombs. I would guess that of the all the Japanese players and journalists around baseball now, some may know people who were killed at Hiroshima or Nagasaki. Do they really need to hear Sterling yell “an A-Bomb for A-Rod!”
Really?
Would yelling “he blew that up like the World Trade Center” be OK?
Jeter has been desputing that outside pitch all week.
I don’t see anything wrong with the A-Bomb, political correctness is just exagerated sometimes. You can barely say anything these days, and I am not talking offensive things, I agree with not saying offensive things, but you have to draw a line.
A-Bomb is not ment to be offensive to anyone, it is not being said in a bad manner.
As far as the relieving, I am 50-50 had he kept Clippard in it was a good move, removing him was also a good move.
About Vizcaino, I don’t know. I actually hope he isn’t hurt, because if he is, he is the biggest assman for not telling the team and with-holding it. Jeopardizing the team and the season.
I agree with everyone that says give Britton a shot. Send Viz to AAA cause no one is going to want to trade him or Kyle as far as I see.
Well, its time for the nightly, “Good news, bad news” for the Yankees.
The good news:
It looks like Cano is FINALLY snapping out of it. Is making solid contact to all fields again.
Ron Villone. Another solid outing which, begs the question, “What took so long to bring him back”?
Posada continues to play great.
Proctor. Solid again, using less pitches to get through innings. He really needs to be the “8th inning guy”.
On the minor league front: Mitch Hilligoss (Charleston) extends his hitting streak to 31 games, the highest in minor league baseball this year.
Ian Kennedy (Tampa) 5 innings, 2 runs, 8K’s. A no decision but his ERA is now 1.36 this season, leading the Florida State League.
The bad news:
Torre, if Clippard is not hurt. You can’t make that move if Clippard is not hurt. Period. Cost them another game with that move.
DeSalvo and Vizcaino. Please, if God still loves the Yankees, make sure its the last game in pinstripes for both of them. Enough is enough.
Johmmy Damon. Worst game as a Yankee tonight. Looked like Bernie Williams in the Mets series in 2005 in CF and it looks like he got hurt again.
Jason Giambi. He’s now 3-43 and is hitting .155 in his last 28 games. At some point, he has to sit. He is a shell of his former self and with all the other stuff swirling around him, he is a detriment to this team. Put Melky in CF and Damon as the DH and keep Giambi on the bench for awhile. If he can’t hit, he’s worthless to this team.
Hopefully, Wang can pitch a shutout. May be the only way they can beat this team.
They have to win tomorrow because you know Mussina will come up lame. So, win tomorrow and at least get one in this series.
I always just thought he put the A infront of the bomb because of the A in A-rod??
Let us hope this sad loss ends on a high note with an A-Rod HR.
Peter will never answer that question. He’ll never own up to being a Red Sox idiot.
Gameday must be wrong, it’s showing that Jeter and Matsui were both called out on strikes.
I REALLY wish MLBtv had the postgames.
back to 10.5 out. Boston already pounding Texas.
This season is like a broken record.
Always nice to see that our 2-3-4 hitters go down in order in the bottom of the 9th. It’s not often that you see Jeter getting called out on strikes in clutch situations, it’s happened twice now in 3 games.
Red Sox winning 4-0 so, its 10 1/2 now. The AL East race is over.
Another 3-5 days of this type of crappy baseball and they Wild Card will be out of play too since they aren’t making up double digit deficits in both the division and WC.
At least not with the current construction of this team.
Just as well. Will speed up the rebuilding process faster so its just one bad year. Its beat living under the illusion this team is better than its shown this season.
This team is what it is. Old, unathletic, and too inconsistent to be a playoff contender.
Like an M.L.B. player can have a horrific night (0 for 5, 4 strikeouts, 2 errors in the field, 7 men left on base),
an M.L.B. manager can have a horrific night, too (Torre taking out Clippard an inning too early in favor of a kid making his first M.L. relief appearance with the game only 3-2 Angels through 4 innings).
The sooner Peter Abraham admits this fact instead of coming off like Mr. I’m Always Right, Never Wrong, the sooner rational discussions can be had about games.
Try admitting you’re wrong some night by decade’s end o.k
Pete?
“back to 10.5 out. Boston already pounding Texas.
This season is like a broken record.”
Epstein cleaned Cashman’s clock this off-season. There is no way Cash should keep his job.
Tomorrow being a day game after a night game, Torre will use Neives for Posada. Given yesterday was rest day, will Joe deviate from this pattern?
Clueless Joe puts the Yanks in a ditch again. No way you can pull Clippard. Not pitching great but at least you knew what you had. At least he was throwing strikes. To replace him in a close game with the worst guy in the pen, a fringe major leaguer at best is just stupid. Desalvo should be pitching in blowouts. To replace Disalvo with the second worst guy in the pen just compounds things. The entire pen was rested. The sad part of the whole ordeal is because of their ineffectiveness Torre ended up using just about the entire pen anyway (after the game was out of reach). George please do something and save the season. (Or at least give us a shot.)
A few OBVIOUS observations:
First, pulling Clippard was a mistake, and it seems everyone but Peter thought so.
Second, Vizcaino consistently stinks, badly. When is this experiment over? Britton should be given a chance. He might perform better, and certainly can’t be worse.
Same goes for Farnsworth. Trade him to Philly ASAP! Consistently bad performances for two months straight warrant a change.
Third, our entire starting outfield is showing their age. Both Damon and Matsui should have made plays that lead to two of those three doubles, and Damon’s girly arm cost a run. If there is any truth to the Angels wanting Giambi, that should be pursued feverously. Then Damon and Matsui can platoon at DH and Melky can play the outfield everyday. If we eat a significant portion of Giambi’s contract, maybe the Angels will trade us a few young arms we can flip to Texas for Texiera.
Lastly, I would drop him in a heartbeat for Texiera, but Minky is growing on me. He sorta reminds me of Brosius. Great defense, contact hitter, and plays hard. If we’ve learned anything the last few years, it’s that 9 clean up hitters in the line up doesn’t equate to consistent offense.
y
“Tomorrow being a day game after a night game, Torre will use Neives for Posada.”
If Clueless Joe does that, then he belongs in the same mental institution as AJ Soprano.
Here’s the irony that kills me.
The organization makes a big deal about Clemens tutoring the young pitchers in the minors. He emphasizes to them that big league respect is earned if they can grind through games when their best stuff isn’t there.
Tonight, Damon’s declining defense forces Clippard to work even harder. Granted, Clippard didn’t have a curve today and his location was off. But he didn’t walk hitters and was grinding through the game, keeping his team in the game. But he isn’t allowed to go through the process that Clemens has been currently preaching.
Peter,
So, then I assume we can no longer say:
“He GUNNED down the runner in the 3rd base line.”
“The shortstop RIFLED the ball to first base”
“The Yankees bullpen BLEW UP tonight.”
“Roger -THE ROCKET- Clemmons”
“The quarterback threw a BOMB”
A-bomb from A-Rod is an alliteration. You, as a writer, must know about alliteration: Sally Sells Seashells by the Seashore or Poor Pitching Produces Powerful Pops. For example, if Alex’s name was Bob instead of Alex…he would not be called A-Rod…Sterling might be saying “There goes a Bomb from Bob!”
“Then Damon and Matsui can platoon at DH and Melky can play the outfield everyday.”
But Melky can’t hit. My God, this is such a horrible baseball team when you really look at it.
This is disheartening.
When a rookie is pitching Clueless panics and takes the pitcher out before they even get into trouble and for no reason. He took him out for what reason to bring in hall of famer Desalvo?? Who is garbage..Why not just leave in Clippard until someone gets on base. Clippard wasnt that bad if it wasnt for 99 year old Damon in CF not catching 2 balls and costing them 2 runs. BUT when a veteran pitcher is pitching and has nothing and it is a totally different story. He just leaves them out to dry. Mussina against Boston had nothing from the first batter, but he got them to the 7th inning and instead of bringing in Bruney when the 1st person got on he leaves him out there and lets him give up 2 runs and let the game get away from them.
I dont care how Clueless handles the players off the field because he has absolutely no idea how a pitching staff or bullpen works. Wait until Proctors arm falls off then they will really be in trouble.
Pete,
Are you kidding with the A-Bomb stuff? We’re supposed to be embarassed or ashamed that we dropped bombs on Japan to stop a war they started so that (conservatively) tens of thousands of American serviceman could be spared their lives? Or so that one of the most abusive and tyrannical empires in the history of the world could be deposed? And you’re comparing that to what those animals did on September 11th? Take your head out of your ass.
Well I didn’t waste my time watching this one, but I hear we are on our way to getting swept! 1 loss down and 9 to go. I have to make this short, the Red Sox just started their game and are already up 4-0 in just the second inning which means we’ll be 10 1/2 out tomorrow. Oh well better luck next year!
catch ya all later after tomorrow’s loss, coupled with another Sox win and 11 1/2 out!
WOW GOOD GOLLY! Minor league Yankees who may not ever make the 2009 or later Yankees are having great games against other minor-leaguers tonight! WHOOPEE! The future is so bright!
Try focusing on the big club, NEW YORK YANKEES, not celebrating what these minor-leaguers are supposed to do if they want to make it to the bigs, toolbag. They’ll tell you that i.e. they have to perform even better than well to make it to the bigs. If I was a minor-leaguer, I wouldn’t even look at my stats until I finally made it with an M.L.B. team and even then, who cares? Phil Hughes once said in an article somewhere that he doesn’t look at his stats, there you go.
It’s a sad day when after a Yankee loss, Yankee fans have to reel off minor-league stats. Sheesh like cold quiche.
Sterling’s call is offensive. No way around it.
Torre pulled Clippard because:
1. He wanted to win the game
2. He didn’t want to repeat the mistake he did with Chase Wright which was to scar him for life.
3. He thought it the bullpen could do a better job.
4. The ouija board said to.
5. The tarot cards said to. The Grim Reaper card made him panic.
6. The tea leaves said to.
The only one I really fault him for is #3. It may’ve been the right thing to do, but the execution was bad. I’d like to see Villone come in to stop the bleeding, to at least give your guys a chance to come back. Just like the Mets game. Torre went to Meyers, but who did most of the work? Villone. Villone should be the first one in because he’s solid.
Pete,
If you are really offended by the A-bomb from A-Rod call…
I certainly hope that you would NEVER, EVER say that
you “nuke” something in the microwave.
e.g. “Take that frozen Been & Beef Burrito and nuke it the microwave for 3 minutes”
Then, why don’t you have your mommy make you some warm milk and you can cry yourself to sleep tonight.
Its called, trying to inject some humor into the situation.
Have mommy tuck you in now and call it a night.
Don’t worry, it will get better. Nighty, nighty loser.
an Atomic Bomb is a generic thing, more have been used in tests than on people. Its not like he said “a fat boy from a-rod”
Well, now it is clear T-Clip was not hurt.
So, who still wants to defend Torre.
Just liberate him from this misery.
Torre said that Damon wont play tomorrow because of his 100 year old calves. It was obvious that something was wrong with him today then he shouldnt of played instead of looking like a fool out there and dropping 3 balls. Trying to be a hero and playing hurt doesnt help anyone. Put him on the DL already, Otherwise let him play 1st base. He went from 32 to 42 in 1 year.
The 2008 Yankees may be the worst team in the league next year.
I fully expect rodriguez, abreu, rivera, clemens, pettitte, torre and possibly giambi and damon to be off the team by then.
Not only that BB, but Damon is hurt again. Time to DL him, put Melky in CF, and hope for the best.
Bad night all around.
Torre said in the post game Damon had cramps and would not play tomorrow. He said he took Clippard out because he had bad location, was throwing the ball all over the place, was having to work too hard. Time will tell but Damon looks sad in the outfield.
then why did he leave Moose in the other night for 7?
What a pity.
During the off season, Cashman came to the rescue of Joe and saved his job.
Now the bonehead moves of Joe would probably cost Cashman’s job.
Where is the justice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
It is obvious but Yanks really need good pitching performances from Wang and Mussina in this series. Mussina better solve himself quickly. Boston is playing Texas and they are an absolutely dreadful team. So they will probably sweep that series.
Not signing Beltran a couple of years ago was a colossal blunder on par with Coca Cola changing its formula.
lol, so Clippard was “all over the place” (bear in mind he had 0 walks) and Joe’s solution was to bring DeSalvo and Vizcaino into the game? He’s officially lost his mind.
Triple, double, homer off of Daisuke in Texas. 4-3 now.
whats with damon constantly getting these cramps in his calves? does this guy not workout at all in the offseason?
Please, no more Beltran talk. He is on the Mets and is not the solution to our problems.
Torre is not getting fired, and Beltran is not coming to the Bronx. Those two horses are dead, so please stop beating them.
Pete, I enjoy your blog. I’ve been reading it since the winter, but this is the first time I’ve decided to post.
I think highly of Joe Torre. Based on his track record with the Yankees, it’s clear that he can manage a championship team given the right personnel. Whether he has the right personnel on this team is questionnable. I still think it’s early enough that they could come back and make a run of it. I’m not counting on it, but it wouldn’t be the first time a team overcame a crummy first quarter of the season and ended up in the playoffs (including several playoff teams last year). It also wouldn’t be the first time a veteran team got off to a slow start and made it to the postseason (think 1964 Yankees, 1978 Yankees).
However, I think Torre pulled Clippard way too early tonight. He wasn’t having a great night, but he wasn’t awful either. He had kept the team in the game on a night when he didn’t have great control (according to Torre), and was only down 3-2 after 4 innings. Frankly, with a little luck, one or two of the balls hit to the outfield could have been caught and he would actually have left with a lead or been pitching in a tie game. He could still have ended up with a quality start.
Obviously, Clippard or any rookie hasn’t earned the trust that Pettitte or Mussina has, but that’s not really the point. The bullpen has had a lot of work this season, and they seem to have the most trouble when they’re called upon to pitch most of the game (for example, the game in which Rasner was hurt in the first inning). There was no real reason to rush to pull him tonight knowing that he would have to rely on a number of bullpen pitchers who are either untested (DeSalvo) or performing poorly (Vizcaino). He would have been better off leaving him in and seeing how he did in the fifth inning. They may need to find out quickly what they have with Clippard, because I don’t see any better options out there on this team to be the fifth pitcher. If they are going to build a younger pitching staff and are going to rely on youngsters like Clippard, then they are going to have to actually try to really rely on them, rather than pull them at the first sign of trouble. They are also going to need to be very careful with this bullpen, because it’s pretty clear that you can no longer count on Mussina to pitch deep into games, and it’s unrealistic to expect that Clemens will either.
This was too quick of a hook job tonight.
Damon has had “cramps” in his calves all season. Has anyone ever heard of cramps like that before? I have heard of football players getting cramps, but they ususally just get intervenious fluids and they are back in the next series. Aren’t cramps just from being dehydrated? What can’t Johnny just drink more water? Maybe the cramps are from standing 30 minutes in one spot each inning while the yankeen pitching tries to retire the side?
FS654, great post. I agree wholeheartedly. Clippard should have been left in a little bit longer. I think he would have given the offense an opportunity to catch up.
joe torre is a moron and should be fired.
simple as that
how can he pull t clip for that career minor leaguer desalvo?
The abomb comments are offensive and Pete is right.
That people here cant see that well, I wish all of you to have a more open mind.
Also, this team stinks. We are clearly cursed, our arrogance, and attitude of entitlement has come back to bite us big time in the ass.
Pete, your blog is superb, ignore the wails and cries of the babies here.
I can’t believe all the people beating up Pete so much. If you don’t like the blog, leave.
I know plenty of Japanese people and they don’t find any mention of the word “a-bomb” offensive.
It is pointless to bash Torre right now (and I am a big basher). Steinbrenner said Torre is safe. Cashman is “on the hook”. The entire organization is clueless, not only Joe. Who is running the ship? It looks like no one is. Cashman says they need to cut payroll so he spends $46 million on Igawa. A new trainer is hired and a third of the team is injured with pulled muscles. Swindal is busted for DWI and gets the boot. Torre burns out the bullpen in two weeks of regular season play. One screw up after the next. The team is being mismanaged, top to bottom.
Peter at this point your reflexive defense of Torre’s imbecilic decision to remove Clippard sounds more like the baiting your own readers than a truly held belief.
Unless he’s hurt or out of gas you simply have to let your starter get you another inning or two (even at the expense of another run or two) in that situation. Torre managed tonight like he thought he could win a 4-3 game when he should have been shooting for 7-6 or 8-7. He simply doesn’t understand his own team and the kind of games that they win.
Also this notion that the franchise will fall apart if Joe isn’t there to hand Derek Jeter his bat is the worst kind of Olney and Gammons-inspired hogwash.
The pitching change at the top of the fifth surprised and disappointed Clippard (1-1), who was trailing by 3-2 after throwing 76 pitches. Torre said Clippard was struggling with his pitch location.
“I never really had a terrible inning,� said Clippard, who defeated the Mets last Sunday in his major league debut. “I never got in a bad rut. I was very, very surprised. You’re a starter and your team is in the game. Yeah, I want the ball.�
I guess something analagous to the “A Bomb” call might be: “Kamikaze Matsui slams it into the upper deck!”
If you were the victim or were related to a victim of a Kamikaze attack in WWII, you might find that offensive. But I think you have to give Japanese people a little credit; they can handle hearing the word A Bomb.
There’s nothing wrong with Sterling’s call, IMO. Sterling is a moron, but I can’t find this offensive.
“I guess something analagous to the “A Bombâ€? call might be: “Kamikaze Matsui slams it into the upper deck!â€?”
Are you serious? Are you seriously comparing ‘An A-Bomb for A-Rod’ to that? Seriously?
No, just no. “A-Bomb for Arod”:Japanese People :: “Posada guns down the runner with a strong throw” : Virginia Tech students
“A-Bomb for Arod” : Japanese People :: “Posada guns down the runner with a strong throwâ€? : Virginia Tech students
Both are harmless phrases that are far too broad to offend the peoples listed. There is no DIRECT CORRELATION to any of the atom bombs actually dropped on Japan.
Now if A-Rod hit a HR off Matsuzaka and Sterling described it as “Hiroshima-esque” then yea I guess you’d have a point.
this team is garbage!
Just thought I’d add this for all you racist morons: Saying “An A-bomb from A-Rod” when there are Japanese people in attendance, and Japanese players on the squad, feels for those people like how you’d feel if you went to Japan to a game and they said “Another plane flying into a building for [insert player here]!” and Derek Jeter was playing that day. Man, you’d feel anger like you never felt, I bet.
Mr. RotoRooter,
Your argument is beyond absurd.
Frankly, I’m really tired of all the political correctness gone wild because you will always find someone who takes offense by the most meaningless and innocent comments if you search long enough.
John Sterling may be lame at times, but there is nothing wrong with his A-Rod homerun calls.
There must be no problems in the world if this is the kind of things we are talking about and find offensive.
Go easy on Pete for the A-Bomb comment. It was probably the shock of having to listen to John Sterling announce a game.
This is great stuff.
The only problem I have with Sterling’s calls are that they are automatic and boring.
The other night, when Matsui hit his HR, it was out of there quickly, on a rope, and it cleared the fence, BUT it was not as Sterling ALWAYS describes balls to the outfield — “it is HIGH, it is FAR, it is GONE.” It was far, it was gone, but it was not high. That’s what I mean by an “automatic” call. Also, I can’t tell you how many times my husband comes in from work after hearing a call by Sterling on the radio asking “so, how close WAS that ball to going out,” when it was caught in front of the warning track. His calls are at times misleading if you’re only listening.
At what point do the Yankees take some aggressive action with their players? Damon has to be put on the DL. He has not been right since day one, and unless he gets a real rest, he is not going to get any better. Perhaps he’s had these cramps all throughout his career, but he is getting older, and you just don’t heal as easily the older you get. When he played through injuries last season, he was not a liability to the Yankees. This year, unfortunately, there are days when he is absolutely a liability, like last night. Clippard served up the pitches, but a good centerfielder (or at least a healthy one) can minimize the damage.
I don’t fault Bowa for sending Posada. You had to, because of how Abreu’s been (not) swinging the bat, and because you want to be aggressive, in spite of the fact the Angels have outfielders who can throw pretty well, and Posada, while not the fleetest of foot, does hustle.
I personally wish Clippard had been given one more inning. However, if DeSalvo and Vizcaino had been able to do their jobs, that would be a non-issue. Unfortunately you kind of expect the “rookies” to be a little inconsistent. But, Vizcaino’s act is getting really tiresome. Whoever they can put in there instead would have to be better, I’d think, although this seems to be the year where there are no Aaron Smalls and Shawn Chacons.
There are 2 games left in this series, and based on the ERA’s of the Angels’ pitchers, it looks to be an uphill climb. But the Yankees are not predictable this year except to say that they’ve been inconsistent, so who the heck knows how this is going to play out.
Luis Vizcaino must be hurt,this guy brings his Gas Can in with him from da bullpen!!
I have always rooted for Ron Villone,because he is from NJ.I am glad that he stayed with the Yankees and work things out in Scranton.Kinda reminds me of what Buddy Groom did a few years ago.
Yes why was Scott Proctor pitching in a 10-6 Game???
Farnsworth to the Phillies?….The car is running and the air is on…Put his bags in the open trunk!!!Jon Lieber and Chris Coste come on up!!
“John Sterling may be lame at times”
Viper, my grandpa is lame. I’m offended.
Robert Hunter:
“It cost a lot to win, even more to lose”
From the song “Deal”
Performed by Jerry Garcia as well as Grateful Dead
Quote from Buster “The Rabbit” Olney
“Red Sox, who had a two-year head start on the Yankees in their own rebuilding job, may turn out to be the greatest beneficiaries”. Does anyone know what Buster trying to say here? The Redsox have a better farm system and brighter future than Yankees? Craig Hansen, Manny Delcarmen? The only bright future on The Redsox that they have a stud pitcher in their farm system and his name Clay Bucholtz… Signing Matsuzaka , JD Drew and Julio Lugo in the offseason and trading for Beckett will be will have great benefits .The fact is that Boston Redsox spends money this offseason. Cashman’s main objective is to reduce payroll in the offseason and signing mediocre pitchers like Igawa.
I think Cashman should be let go and awful job building this team. Signing Pavano, Igawa, and trading for Vizcaino.. Vizcaino is the next Felix Heredia. Ross Ohlendorf is on the DL and Steven Jackson had 5+ era in Scranton.. I would rather have Micah Owings .
“I may be going to hell in a bucket babe, but at least I’m enjoying the ride.”
Don’t be so smug Mr. Fenway. Enjoy your team’s success instead of obssessing about the Yankees. A correction is coming.
Vizcaino = Felix Heridia lost brother.
Cashman would have rather had Micah Owings too. Along those lines, I’m sure he would have liked to have any number of D-Back prospects/players. That doesn’t mean that they were on the table.
Outfield Defense.They run on Yankees outfield arms and be aggressive all the time..
Running game and aggressive style by Angels give Yankees trouble..
Yankees pitchers doesn’t know how to stop Chone Figgins and get him out.
Joe Torre’s is former Angels announcer. I think maybe He has soft spot for the Angels.. I think that’s why Angels had winning record against Angels.
I mean Yankees not Angels.. My bad.. Angels had winning record Yankees since Joe take over in 1996.
Johnny Damon is next Roger Cedeno.. I remembered when Steve Phillips sign Cedeno to ludicrous amount of money to the Mets.. History repeats itself when Cashman sign Damon’s who basically breaking down as centerfielder..
If it weren’t for Peter Abrahams posts, I would never come to this blog as the replies seem to be generated by half wits without a clue. I have seriously never seen a group that is as cluesless about baseball as 98% of you here.
Fire Torre. Fire Cashman. Fire Guidry, even.
Cause they are the ones out there playing the game.
Torre calls in who he can and knows he has two more games against the Angels, so he won’t exactly want to stress the bullpen for game one, especially with better pitchers coming up in game 2 and 3.
Mussina had ONE BAD OUTING, yet fire Mussina.
Minky is a defensive superhero, yet DFA Minky.
Clemens is too old, yet had the best ERA in all of baseball less than a year ago.
You are seriously idiots. If I were Pete I would shut down the replies as it is embarassing for us Yankees fans with a clue.
A-Bomb is offensive, especially when you still have a sizeable portion of Japan still in a unliveable state and health effects still being seen from our stupidity in dropping Abombs on Japan. Having Japanese players on the team should be considered. Like Pete said, how about Sterling change it to something like – That hit the stands like it was Flight 11. Arrogance isn’t a nice quality to have.
You are all really dumb.
dorren-
i agree with damon being beat up and on sending posada. an off line throw and he scores. worth the risk.
baseball is like rock,scissors, paper. the angels kill the yankees, the red sox kill the angels, the yankees at least hold theor own against the red sox.
the angels are a scissors to the yankees paper. they have more aggressiveness than the yankees. the yankees win on being good. the angels win on high level of scrappiness in addition to being good. they don’t beat the red sox because the red sox are even more combative and scrappy(varitek,youkillis,lugo,beckett,papelbon,etc).
most of the yankees are too professional to try too hard or to sweat when under pressure or show emotion.
the yankees need an igniter or several igniters to match up with the angels. it’s not going to come from the coaching staff because it’s not in joe at this point in his career.
for all the red sox sabermetric bent, they often get emotional guys like lugo and youkillis and beckett. their front office people are cerebral ,but they hire scrappiness.
the yankees need to bring in some healthy bad attitudes to match up to the angels and to raise their intensity level in general. clemens will help ,but they need more. a player like pierzynski would be perfect. other teams hate him and his team hates him less. perfect. quantrill when he was good took no crap from anyone. that’s what the yankees need to add. if they don’t they may run out of time before they inevitably get good which they will as the summer goes on.
the wild card is slipping away too. it’s up to seven-ish now.detroit and cleveland are both really good teams. like yogi says, it’s getting late early . they are so far down every loss hurts.almost everyday feels like must win.
th yankees need to play like their hair is in fire. anything less isn’t going to cut it.
“doreen” i mean. when i get mad i can’t spell .
” Vizcaino = Felix Heridia lost brother.”
i knew he reminded me of someone.
Yankee fans deserve to see more of Tyler Clippard and much less of Luis Vizcaino. Some of the blame heaped on Torre for removing Clippard should be shared with Guidry who either agreed with Torre or didn’t speak up and say let him pitch one more inning. Let’s not give a free pass to the pitching coach for last night’s disaster.
Randy 1 –
I like the rock, scissors, paper analysis.
I think a big problem right now is that there really isn’t too much Cashman is going to be able to do. If he DFA’s Vizcaino, I guess they pull up from within and that’s probably fine. But anything else, even sending Farnsworth to the Phillies, what’s he going to get? At this point, I’d say go for a couple of minor league position players with a lot of potential, because that’s what they don’t have a lot of. You don’t want to spend all off-season acquiring young arms only to give them away in a fire sale during the season because you’re in panic mode.
As bleak as things seem, you can’t allow panic to take control. Cashman seems like a stable force and though he has made mistakes, I do like his overall abilities here. I like that he plays close to his vest, too. One thing I think people have to realize here is that NOT EVERY PLAYER WANTS TO COME TO NEW YORK, and not every player that the Yankees want is made available. Not only that, there is NO TEAM that wants to help the Yankees, unless, of course, they get helped MORE. It may be that Cashman’s hands are tied for now, which stinks, because that means the pressure is really on the current personnel to turn things around.
Maybe Yankees needs to be a scrappy team like Angels and Redsox inorder to beat Angels in their own game.
Wow, did you actually just defend Joe’s move last night to take out Clippard after 4? You’d have to be mentally retarded to think that DeSalvo in the 5th gives the team a better chance to prevent runs than Clippard. A guy with a 4/10 K/BB this year that has never come out of the pen…
When did Clippard earn the right to stink? Sweet cracker sandwich, Pete! You couldn’t be more wrong if you tried.
Joe took out a starter. After 4.0 IP. With a 3-2 score. And in his place, he inserted… *drumroll*… a WORSE pitcher! Wow! Way to manage to win!
That’s it. That’s all the facts you need to know in order to call this a completely and utterly brainless move on the part of Joe Torre. In a winnable game, he took a healthy pitcher off the mound and replaced him with a much, much worse option: a career minor leaguer with inferior K rates, inferior BB rates.
Are you defending Torre reflexively? Is this because you don’t like people doing the criticism, or the tone they use? Calling his detractors “The Loyal Order” is cute: think of a denigrating name rather than address whether the complaint is valid.
Torre screwed the pooch. And it wasn’t even a semi-excusable “everyone does it,” “managing by The Book” sort of screw-up, like refusing to use your relief ace/closer in a tie game at home.
It’s indefensible.
And the dumb continues.
I understand that this is the internet and there are a lot of bitter shut-ins who enjoy insulting people anonymously. I was just trying to start a reasonable discussion about Sterling’s call. I’m not politically correct at all, but I personally don’t believe that war metaphors belong in sports.
And I don’t mean “rifle a throw” or stuff like that. Be an adult. I mean saying “A-Bomb” That means atomic bomb and the only two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. If the Yankees play the Red Sox, there could be four Japanese players in the dugouts and 200 Japanese journalists and several thousand Japanese fans.
I’m not offended personally. But can’t Sterling show some respect for Hideki Matsui and come up with something else? If an announcer in Japan said “He Pearl Harbored him on that stolen base” I suspect many of you would be furious.
I challenge you to talk to somebody who has been over in Iraq and ask them if they equate sports with war and get back to me. I have and they don’t.
214,000 people died when atomic bombs fell on Japan and it was the absolute right thing to do, it saved probably a million lives, both U.S. and Japanese.
What in the hell does that have to do with somebody hitting a home run 60 years later?
“And the dumb continues.”
Yeah, you’re adding so much to the discussion marius. You sound 12.
Gargoyle writes:
“Don’t be so smug Mr. Fenway. Enjoy your team’s success instead of obssessing about the Yankees. A correction is coming.”
Smug… like the “1918″ chants, 26 rings and all that?
I think what my posting said was: “it takes a lot to win, even more to lose”
Isn’t this a true statement? Aren’t teams who spend less money proving this (cards, marlins, sox (04), marlins, white sox, angels (02)) vs. those who do spend money (yankees 1970 – present, sox of late, mets, etc?
This is a really good blog, compared to the others (Phil Allard and company) – the basic fan has spoken here.
The season turns around on any given Thursday – Sunday weekend at anytime – we all know this.
Injuries and bad choices happen. This is your year for both, last year we had the injuries and no one to replace.
The Damon and Pedro decisions are looking good right now – in May.
Enjoy the good playing of the best sport.
“I think what my posting said was: “it takes a lot to win, even more to loseâ€?
Isn’t this a true statement? Aren’t teams who spend less money proving this (cards, marlins, sox (04), marlins, white sox, angels (02)) vs. those who do spend money (yankees 1970 – present, sox of late, mets, etc?”
these teams can win once spending less money. they can’t even make the playoffs three years in a row. to make the plaoffs every year, salaries get racheted up. in this market, i’m guessing it would take any team 250 million to run off ten years in a row of making the playoffs. i don’t care how good the minor league system develops young players. they peak for a couple of years and then they get expensive too.