Game 88: Yankees at Devil Rays
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jul 13, 2007 
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Here are the lineups:
YANKEES
Damon DH
Cabrera CF
Jeter SS
Rodriguez 3B
Posada C
Matsui LF
Phillips 1B
Thompson RF
Cairo 2B
Clemens RHP (2-3, 3.63)
DEVIL RAYS
Iwamura 3B
Crawford LF
Harris SS
Pena 1B
Young RF
Upton CF
Norton DH
Navarro C
Wilson 2B
Kazmir LHP (5-6, 4.41)
Pregame chatter: Plenty going on today. Jason Giambi met with George Mitchell, becoming the only known active player to meet with the steroids investigator. No transcript or recording was made. … Gary Sheffield made some comments to HBO about the Yankees being racist. In other news, the captain of the team is African-American. Also, Sheffield is trying to sell a book. Joe Torre said he had an opinion of the matter but wanted to keep it to himself.
As for the baseball stuff, Bobby Abreu is sitting against a tough lefty to try and keep him from screwing up his swing, which has been the case earlier this season. If you recall, they sat him against Johan Santana on July 4.
Torre said Robbie Cano is sitting because, “he has been inconsistent swinging the bat.” He is 2 of his last 14. I get a sense the Yankees are generally disappointed in his approach. This is third year in the majors and Cano has 15 walks in 354 plate appearances. At some point you need to develop some plate discipline.
UPDATE, 8:14 p.m.: Phil Hughes has punched out six of the first 11 batters he had faced for Trenton tonight. His line so far: 3 3 0 0 0 6.
UPDATE, 8:36 p.m.: That was it for Hughes, three innings. The Yankees , as expected, are playing it safe with him. He’s expected to start for Trenton again on Wednesday.
Pete, what about the old saw that young Dominican players don’t walk as much because they learn growing up that “you don’t walk off the island”? I’m sure you know that’s a real baseball expression, even if mildly offensive.
substitute “incredibly sick of” for “generally disappointed in” and you’ve got the majority of the yankee fanbase’s opinion on cano’s “approach,” if you could call it that. the word “approach” implies that he’s got an idea up there outside of “SWING!”
the kid needs to smarten up and learn some discipline or he’s going to be angel berroa v2.0
If the Yanks are racist it must well hidden what with well over half the lineup consisting of minorities (Jeter, Cano, Abreu, Matsui, Cabrera, Posada and a taiwanese pitcher as their ace.
and do you REALLY think that Cairo and Thompson are our BEST CHANCE to win the game ? That IS what we are trying to do now…win games….right ????????? And we pay Abreu all those dollars to PROTECT HIM ? from a left handed pitcher who may SCREW UP HIS SWING ? Maybe we can de-activate him for the game…what if he SEES the lefty pitch to the other Yankees ? Couldn’t that screw up his swing too ? and would you REALLY want Cairo batting instead of CANO because he is 2 for his last 14 ? I think Torre is overthinking this and I HOPE THAT I AM WRONG !!!
Guy’s it’s OKAY!!!
Magnificent Miguel Cairo is in the game. Only good things and W’s happen when he’s in the starting 9.
Cano would be a .375 hitter if he could lay of those meatballs above his head. At some point you have to take a walk.
Oh my god i’ve never seen a manager baby someone more than Torre with Abreu this season
Absurd.
Tseng — I think Shef would define the racism as directed at African-Americans. I was glad to see him go and am not a big fan of his bluster and b.s., but captains and aces of color don’t make an organization free of racism. They’re still the worker-bees (however well-compensated). The front office is probably nearly all-white and what they do there is probably a more accurate picture of whether there is racism in the organization. I have no idea and don’t accept Sheffield’s characterization without evidence, but it shouldn’t be dismissed so easily either.
anyone still wishing we had sheff on the team? great hitter. world class jerk
Benching Cano against kazmir, a tough left hander, is the right time to send him the message that he needs to learn patience. I know many have a very high opinion of Cano, and many others feel he is regressing. I personally feel he should be traded while his value is high (not sure if it is any more) for a valuable right handed hitter to balance the lineup. I would not be surprized if he is part of the package for Texiera. Texas may then trade him to some other team.
In defense of Cano, he has almost as many walks this year (15) as he had all of last year (18) in about two thirds of the amount of plate appearances.
Perhaps he’s consciously trying to walk more and it’s affecting his hitting. Just a thought.
a tough lefty? he’s a pitcher with a losing record. if abreu can’t hit lefties then get rid of him now. i’m finally fed up with torre
Somebody has to keep us up to date on Hughes game, tonite.
I’d rather see Damon sit this one out than Abreu. Otherwise, might as well give the righty bench guys some ABs, and hopefully they’ll knock Kazmir out early… Cano certainly wouldn’t help run up the pitch count.
OK…postgame yesterday, Torre and A-Rod say how SUPER IMPORTANT that Abreu is to the success of the Yankees….and Tampa Bay has the SECRET WEAPON….A LEFTY PITCHER !!!……and now TORRE yanks him from the lineup ? TOTALLY ABSURD,,,,We need to mark down ALL the games that a lefty is starting for the rest of the year and mark down the L for that day…..this is gonna be a tough comeback if that it the case…
they should dump Cano out of the plane on the way back to NY. What an icon of disappointment.
yeah i’d LOVE sheff’s 21 homers 58 RBI and .308 average. who cares what comes out of his mouth
Cano failed twice to get a runner from 3rd in with less than 2 outs last night. He’s incapable of adjusting his swing.
I don’t agree with sitting Abreu.
Dr. Acula, you can watch the Hughes games online if you like. A link to cn8 TV is posted over on River Ave. Blues.
“Oh my god i’ve never seen a manager baby someone more than Torre with Abreu this season
Absurd.”
agreed. kazmir’s good, but he’s hardly santana. if abreu’s head and mechanics are really fragile enough that he has to sit every time the yankees run up against a decent lefty, he’ll be sitting an awful lot.
Any body who thinks that curent Yankee organization is racist should get his/her head checked. One can call Steinbrenner many things, but he will never tolerate racism. Look at what he did for many African Americans like Strawberry and Gooden after thier playing careers are over. As far as Steff is concerned, he is a low life and all he does is mouthing off throughout his playing career.
Thank you, Ben !!
Alan: Dial it back dude. Long season.
i don’t agree with sitting either guy.
both are about .270.
both should be hitting better.
you just don’t sit your players unless you have something better behind them.
kazmir has been under-achieving as well. i don’t get this move at all.
btw, abreu is 3 for 9 against kazmir, cano 1 for 9.
thompson is 2 for 3. cairo is 2 for 6. and i still don’t agree.
Why lose sleep over Abrue not being in the line up? He will be a good weapon on the bench and will certainly pinch hit in a good game situation and enter the game.
Having said that, I stopped figuring out Joe Torre’s moves long back and can’t wait for the end of the season to see him off gracefully.
Lightin’ up on Cano.
It sounds like the “is ARod really a yankee” stuff from last season.
If anyone has sucked at discipline, it’s Giambino with his fast food fetish (as fetishes go, it could be worst – see: Marv Albert, David Vitter).
Makes sense. Abreu is 3 for 9 against “tough lefty” Kazmir…
and Abreu is batting .483 in july so…you totally want Kevin Thompson in.
Alan,
what’s ya favorite pizza joint?
My favorite is Spumoni Garden in Bensonhurst.
look, Abreu is just starting to get his swing back, give him a few easier pitchers to keep his mechanics consistant….kazmir may have a losing record, but his curve can be absolutely nasty….lets give Abreu some chance to get into a groove before we start throwing him out there to throw is mechanics off…yes, he is a key, and when he is hitting well, the team does better, but i would happily sacrifice one game (even with so few left) if it keeps him consitant right now, rather then throw him out there and let him hit another 10 game funk….
as for cano, by now he has been around long enough to recognize the importance of patience….he doesnt take a lot of pitches, he chases out of the zone too often, but he has some merit, when he is on, he is great, the problem is, which someone pointed out earlier, he doesnt have an “approach” as much as he goes up there and just swings at pitches; and that is not going to help this team…yes there are a lot of guys on this team who make pitchers work deep into counts, but this doesnt seem to have rubbed off on cano….this year (more so then last) the pitchers seemed to have made adjustments to his swing…if he cant make adjustments to counter that, then maybe it is time to move him along…last year i would never have concieved that, but maybe, before the rest of the world realizes he cant make those adjustments (if indeed he cant), it is time to ship him for something of value in return….
You know what? Whatever.
I have to agree with your sentiments Alan…part of Abreu’s appeal as a hitter is his historic consistency facing both kinds of pitchers (l v. r)
Doreen, is it that hot and humid ??
I am with mike f. He has the talent the Yankees need. I don’t care what he talks about (or what he writes in his book).
Dr. Acula,
I have to admit that, being stuck right now in Southern California, and being FROM Chicago originally ( although I was BORN a Yankees Fan due to my Grandpa and Father both being lifetime Yankees Fans ) I like ANY New York Pizza ( authentic ) that I can get my Hands on. There is only one place near me that serves it…and of course, I am a lover of the Stuffed or Thin Chicago Pizzas ( Giordano’s on the Stuffed and again ANY Authentic Thin Crust )
I also think this is the time to sell as high as we’re ever going to be able to on Cano. It’s only downhill from here unless he undergoes an attitude adjustment. I’m glad Torre is benching him and I’m glad he’s vocalizing his frustrations with him.
All of us fans who don’t drink the Kool Aid see this is a young man with loads of talent who is wasting it and coasting knowing that his big pay day is coming. All of you talking about we have to save money on Arod so we can pay Cano in the future are insane. Would you give Cano 10 million dollars and honestly expect all star production after he got his money?
He has big league-itis as Jayson Stark once wrote about him and until he finds out that 2b at Yankee Stadium isn’t his right, but something he had to earn in the first place, the more we’re going to see of this kid flailing away at bad pitches and not doing things to help his team with at bats.
The regression is right there in front of us. We see it every night.
If he can somehow bring back Dontrelle or Texeira, send him packing and give me a solid 2b who can make all the plays and is a gamer. Cano is not a gamer. Cano is Soriano without all the power and speed which basically means he’s a spoiled talented immature kid who thinks he’s an all star no matter what he does.
At least Soriano had 5 tools. Cano has 2 maybe.
Does any one remember the name of a phillies 2nd baseman in the late eighties who had great years in his first three or four years and then suddenly regressed as he was nothing but a hacker and pitchers adjusted to him?
Hmmm, don’t know nutin’ ’bout S.C.
But if ya get up to SF try Amicis and Zachary’s they both have web pages.
It’s not like they’ve traded Cano and Abreu away here. They are still available to come in later in the game if they’re needed. Thompson and Cairo have to get some time in to be anywhere near effective as well so they’re ready when they really are needed. If the chips are down, who would any of you rather see coming off the bench in a critical situation, Thompson or Abreu ?
Talk about over analyzing. And you people can blame Torre for it when you are more gulity of it than he is ???
At least let the game take shape before you blast the guy.
For all his mouthing off, I’d still rather have Sheff than Giambi in the lineup.
thanks DOC !
Sheffield just called Joe Torre a racist and a bunch of you are ok with that becaue he can hit home runs so you wish he was still on the team. Unbelievable…..I’d honestly rather lose than have to root for a$$holes like Sheffield.
Nino’s on Henry Street is the best pizza anywhere not just Brooklyn
Joe L, well articulated regarding Cano.
I would not trade for Dontrelle though. He will be a failure in AL.
Dr. Acula -
In my life, today, yes, in a manner of speaking, it is that hot and humid. Not a good day. So, whether or not Cano and Abreu play, and whatever bull comes out of Sheff’s mouth, and whether or not A-rod makes a gazillion dollars and from whom — WHATEVER.
Dr. Acula –
But if you’re talking about the weather in Trenton, I’m about 40 min northeast and it’s not that bad here. A little overcast, 78 degrees, slight breeze.
Can anyone say Cano is possibly in a sophomore slump ?
It is only his second full year. Give they guy a break.
Did anyone actually hear or read what Sheff said ?
Please post a link where he named Torre as a racist.
agree with BBfan, Dontrelle was a phenom, but again, good players (heck even average players) started making adjustments, and at this point he hasnt made those adjustments…and thats in the NL….i would hate to see what would happen in the less-forgiving AL…
A word in Cano’s defense –
He is young, he is cheap, and he was an all-star (HELLO!) last year. When the left side of the infield costs $50M, I really don’t mind if the right side is being paid a helluva lot less.
Cano has had a hard time adjusting to the fact that he is getting pitched differently this year – Shocker! Give the guy a chance to get his head straight because people I think we all respect (Torre, Mattingly, countless pundits) are gaga over his skills.
End of impassioned defense!!!!
Kevin M –
I was just talking to my husband about the fact that these ballplayers can pretty much get away with anything, say whatever they want, and no one cares, as long as they can hit. Just a fact of life.
Sheffield carries baggage no matter where he’s played. It’s Detroit’s turn next. They’re on the clock. He’ll bawlbaby because they won’t extend his contract. Waaaaa !!!
Hughes first batter faced…K
hasn’t thrown a ball this first inning…i think first 3 batters have been:
K, single up middle, K
Quick,,,send a Psychiatrist out to first base and see if Damon is OK with the emotional strain it took to face a left handed pitcher of the immense talent that Kazmir has….Is his swing OK ? Will he be able to play the rest of the year ???
what happenned to small ball ? A bunt there is MUCH better than a strikeout ! (joke)
Hughes just struck out the side in the first inning…
thanks for the update, HOBS !!!
Jeter is easily going to hit into more Double Plays this year than any year in the majors….check the stats….DANG…THAT HURTS !!!
If GDP means ground into double play, Jeter’s just grounded into his 14th of the season. Last year 13 for the entire season.
That is 14 already this year…and his top number is 19, back in 2004.
on the NOSE, Doreen !
Yeah, Alan, I had to look it up, because it just seemed to be happening an awful lot this year, not like Jeter at all.
I think they are protecting themselves with Abreu. IF they are trying to find somebody to take him off their hands, keeping him swinging better is more important.
Jeter has now more GIDP than all of last year. Reasons, anyone?
Oh, Cano sports a .222 OPS vs. Kazmir in 9 AB’s, 4 K’s. If you’re going to send him a message on plate discipline, might as well do it now.
Hobs- what an appropriate sign/omen with regards to Hughes.
Hobs, as in Roy Hobbs from “The Natural”
ps *Roger!! Roger!! Roger!!* 10 pitch 1st inning.
I don’t think they will try to move him unless the season tanks, but doesn’t Abreu (El Comeldulce) have a no-trade? or did he lose that when he came here?
Sorry for the double post on Jeter’s GIDP. I was checking Cano’s numbers, and by the time I posted, you guys had already contributed.
IBC…
As far as the Yanks front office diversity, they had an Asian woman as assistant GM and Bob Watson was the GM for awhile….amongst others.
I am not sure what the numbers are but would not think it is an issue with them more than anyone else.
As for the players being “worker bees” A-Rod or Abreu make more in season than the entire front office combined…..the worker bees are the front office not the players
BBFan being the Phillies fan on the blog the only 2nd baseman you could be referring to in the 80 that had any kind of good runs were Manny Trillo, Juan Smauel and Micky Morandini (whom is the one I think you are referring to).
Samuel was a hacker almost from the beginning!!!
Hughes, 2 2 0 0 0 6
Cashman is in the house tonight watching Hughes’ start.
Hughes’ second inning:
Leadoff 2B, K (swinging), K (looking), K (looking or swinging…not sure missed it)
2 innings…6 K’s
YIKES ! Clemens needs to stay away from these MEAT pitches…DANG !
Actually, Tony Taylor was better than Morandini. You can say that Cookie Rojas was better also.
Granny Hamner is known mostly for SS, but he did play 2b also.
Utley is the best they have ever had.
OK…let’s limit the damage, Rocket !!!
Holy Cow !!
Hughes is just *Philthy*
Kei Igawa, keep those bags packed.
OK…it is either a Meat pitch or off the plate ??? what the hale ????????
Hughes has 6 strike outs thru 2!!!
New Hampshire Top 2nd
Aaron Mathews doubles (22) on a fly ball to left fielder Colin Curtis.
Chip Cannon strikes out swinging.
Ryan Patterson strikes out swinging.
David Smith strikes out swinging.
I’ll drive Igawa to the airport. anyone want to join me?
SWEET…ROCKET MOWS DOWN the .175 hitter !….now for NUMBER NINE !!!
jennifer…I’ll pay for ALL THE GAS !!!
It’s a deal Alan!! Better yet we can use Kei’s beamer suv.
Ugh!
Manny and Ortiz seem to be waking up (up 2-0). Hopefully Ortiz’s knee will slow him down.
Gotta get into TB’s pen and run-up Kazmir’s count. Their pen is the absolute worst.
Damnit rocket not sharp either!! Come on Roger the DRAYS!!
this is NOT good…
UGHHHH, Rocket
when the DRAYS number 9 hitter TRIPLES off your starter with 2 outs and 2 on…..????…Let’s just say that we are gonna need to score some runs tonight, as it is obvious that Roger had ONE good inning in him….TRIPLE DANG IT ALL !!!
The Devil Rays are just too good when compared to the lowly Yankees.
bye-bye Clemens.
Ray Power!
No juegues con fuego!! Trenton is the midst of a 11-game winning streak
OK….Thompson, Cairo then the top of the lineup…JUST LIKE TORRE WANTED !!!….I will be ELATED to be proven wrong about doubting this lineup…..DOWN THREE…It’s time to start chipping away, team ! GO YANKEES !!!!
PHILLLLL BABY, 3 3 0 0 0 6 0
Eh…
Hughes’ 3rd (most likely final inning)
-Hard hit liner to right that Sardinha makes a nice catch to rob a hit.
-Ground ball basehit
-Double Play
3IP 3H 0BB 6K ….I think he’s done for the night
Think the last inning was a result of getting a bit tired?
phenom 6K’s thru 2
Ray Power…now THAT is funny….only 20 games under .500…now THAT is SOME SUPER POWER !!! NOT !
Pitch count? I’m hoping he’s up for the series against the o’s!!
Yeah but that last inning wasn’t exactly clean…
The first out was tagged but got snagged by Sardinha in RF.
Wouldn’t get too worried, got the ground ball DP to end it, he sounds great on the radio
Strikeout Looking….fudge !
Gary Sheffield is telling HBO the Yankees are racist? Did he explain how he was taking PEDs without knowing he was taking them? Did he tell us how many chances Steinbrenner gave his cokehead uncle Dwight Gooden or wife-beating Darryl Strawberry?
Wow! A Devil Rays Fan – - – isn’t that cute?
Talk about a tough row to hoe.
The D’Rays better score about 8 runs b/c one their bullpen gets in the game (in about 3 innings) then they will have to reenforce the fences (or is that a glad garbage bag?)
Gary should shut his mouth. I can’t wait till he returns to Yankee Stadium. I hoep who ever is there gives him a nice standing BOOOO.
at least Cairo is making him work….
This could be a long game if we can’t run up Jazmir’s pitch count
PEDs ???
Ah, the great Miguel Cairo delivers. That’s what we need. More of those 9 pitch walks
Nice Job Cairo…One out, one on and the top of the lineup…here we go Yankees, HERE WE GO !!!! (boom, boom)
jennifer,,,what he needs is a fastball in the ear…
Alan –
Pizzas Eliciting Defeats.
(aka – performance enhancing drugs)(Bonds Brew)(Giambi Juice)
NO WAY Jeter hits into a double play now !!!(wink)
3rd inning. Hughes gave up a hit, got 2 groundouts and a flyout.
Jeter is gonna get a good pitch to hit, with A-Rod on deck….let’s hit it HARD !!!
OK….it that was only Jeter batting, I wouldn’t look like such an idiot !!!
oops, see it posted. Wish I could listen….
I think Hughes is ready
Kazmir will be at a min. of 60 pitches through 3 innings…not bad !
Nice AB Melky
Phil needs to extend his pitch count.
Jim Clark-
Let’s not lower ourselves to Shef’s level by dragging in others. Strawberry revelved in his pinstripes during Ole’ Timers Day. He deserves our love (if only for knocking out Armando Benitez in ’98).
Nice throw!! LOL
Damon makes it home!
We’re still in this thing
In other news, Jeter’s mother is white and his dad is a rich dentist from Kalamazoo. It is much easier for someone like him to pass in a racist organization like the Yankees than it would be for a poor black kid from Tampa.
Let’s get Kazmir to at least 75 pitches before the 3rd inning is over….GO YANKEES….Chasing 2 now…
Alan-
you’ve never heard of a PEDs dispenser
*Melky!! Melky!! Melky!!*
Mike NYY….you are funny…were we out of it when it was 3-0 after 2 innings ???
Hughes done, I would guess he threw around 45 to 50 pitches, haven’t gotten exact count yet.
Don’t even reply to that moron, I just emailed pete.
man….Jeter needs to help us out a little here….FUDGE !
Damn those Yankees are rascist. I can’t believe they turned down a chance to let Sheff’s uncle, that cocaine addict, redeem himself. It was sad watching him throw that no-hitter for Seattle.
Wait a minute…
BJ’s up 4-2 over RSux. Thanks Tavarez!!!!
Does anyone agree with me, that it seems like Jeter has hit a soft .330?
jennifer….LOL…a soft .330 ? what the HECK is that ??
Like he’s not in the middle of alot of rallies. Maybe i’m nuts. But someone else made the same comment to me.
A friend of mine met Junior Griffy yesterday. And he’s met various other players, I was like come on hook me up!!
Jennifer:
Which one of the 118 hits was the softest?
Seriously, with Damon in the shop half of the first half and the futility of the bottom third of the order not getting on, Jeter can’t really be held to hard to task.
He is what he is, a great contact hitter and super clutch. But he is not a masher.
Just my opinion.
Alan,
Ask the geniuses that said the same of AROD’s home runs last season.
And yes Jen, not soft, but the errors and DP’s are up early this season. But at least he is still producing.
A soft .330? Are you serious?
Mike NYY….you are funny…were we out of it when it was 3-0 after 2 innings ???
Sarcasm
I guess I`ve got a reputation here as being really negative and not really a Yankees fan. That’s really not true. I just like to mock the Yankees fans that think we have no shot at a comeback and do think we’re out of every game after going down 1-0
Jennifer –
as far as Jeter is concerned, he hasn’t been as solid as in the past, but he’s still had a lot of clutch hits this year. Just I think more situations where he hasn’t been clutch than is usual for him.
A friend of mine met Junior Griffy yesterday. And he’s met various other players, I was like come on hook me up!!
Awesome, I`d love to meet some of hese guys
80 pitches for Kazmir – - – I SMELL HELPLESS BULLPEN!!!!
Yeah they all go to his friend for free clothes and such.
Phil hit 43 pitches. They are taking it VERY slow with him. I thought they would have doubled it each time out.
Jennifer —
Tonight was set for 45 pitches or 3 innings, whichever came first. The next start is 4 innings or 60 pitches.
So it looks like he’d be more in line to pitch the first week of August.
This is just a random thought that occurred to me
Why not have Hughes be a reliver in the majors instead of having him make rehab starts in the minors. He still would slowly raise his pitch count but he would be helping the ML team
I could understand why they wouldn’t do that for the first 2 starts, but your right why not the 3rd? have him on the same schedule as Kei.
Well, that could have had a worse result, I`ll take it
when the 8 and 9 hitters for a team 20 games under .500 just after the All-Star break have your number,,,,you are officially NOT ON !!! FUDGE MONSTERS !!!
OK…so we win tonight’s game 8-6 !! Go Yankees !!!
geez we can’t do anything against kazmir!! Luckly his pitch count is approaching 100.
Hm…. tender meat… of the Rays’ bullpen
Ouch that was a shot off the mask!
Nice play by Alex. Gold Glove?
Thanks Gayle.
I was refering to Juan Samuel.
Juan started out great, made it to the all star game.
However, he was a hacker and once the pitchers made the adjustments, his performance deteriorated and he became a part-time player.
Cano reminds of Juan Samuel. If Cano does not make the adjustments soon, I am afraid, his performance also will deteriorate like Juan Samuel.
Well I’m out, headed down the shore for the weekend. Hopefully we can come back and win out the rest of the weekend.
OK….HERE is where we make our move…Kazmir has 97 pitches…so either they trot him out and we HAMMER HIM…OR…they trot out one of their BULLPEN BUMS and we hammer HIM !!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOO Yankees !!!
Don’t get me wrong, I love Melky playing center field, but batting 2nd; I just can’t wrap my head around that decision lately. Anyone agree?
OR maybe all 3 Yankees SWING AT THE FIRST DANG PITCH and the whole plan goes SOUTH…. What the HALE ?????????
A-Rod ….NICE !!!
Josh…Melky in the 2 spot, I agree is simply silly !!!
Somebody posted about the season being meaningless and I actually agree. There is no chance of the playoffs now, so why even bother to watch the games. There is no point to the season for the Yanks anymore, unfortunately.
BTW, Boston is winning.
I don’t know why people keep saying the season is over. Plenty of games to make up the 10.0 we’re currently behind. You should be embarassed as a fan as the going gets tough,you get going. Obviously not much of a fan to begin with.
I LIKE IT !!! way to go POSADA !…Now the TB MGR gets to PICK HIS POISON !!!
If Melky is not at 2nd slot, who would you play 2nd and 3rd slots in the batting order.
come on, GODZILLA !!!
108 pitches and counting….
Put Jeter back in the 2nd spot and Abreu back in the 3rd, Id rather a slumping Abreu in 3rd than a rookie in Melky.
keep fighting, Hideki !!!
Devilish handle Belial – - – go play in the brimstone! Nothing worse than a literate troll.
Come on Godzilla!!!!
Josh….the trouble with that is Bobby is very delicate and needs to be protected from any harm (wink)
Man….now THAT HURT !!!
Ha well I have faith in Bobby, if we make the playoffs, I guarantee he will be the reason.
Matusi just looks lost this year against lefties
going on 117 pitches…..
Kazmir shoiuld be out of the game for 7th inning wiht high pitch count. Time to feast on the Rays bullpen in the last three innings.
There’s a wasted opportunity right down the drain..
It could be worse, this guy could still be pitching for the METS! A young lefty ace and they get rid of him.
Was that Steve Phillips or Minaya?
Belial,
You can not even read the standings properly, how can you call others names? Certainly, I will not call you names.
Go back and check the standings, Yanks are out 9 nine games in the loss column penindg the outcome of today’s games.
It ain’t over ’till its over
they let kazmir off the hook numerous times in a variety of ways. nothing new from this team this season. at least they waited one game before reverting immediately back to mediocrity.
As much as I hate to say it….it may be time for the HOOK..
phillips is not a mlb player, time to get a real 1b
“Remember the season is 162 games and you get NOTHING for being 10 games ahead in today’s standings.”
Sure, Alan, keep telling yourself that being 10 games behind in mid July means nothing. Just like those early season games meant nothing according to fans like you and writers like Pete.
The simple fact is that all those early season losses killed this season.
OK….so we leave him in to walk another batter….Torre seems to be sleepwalking with these decisions….Did he just go out there and ask if it would be OK if he took Rocket out and Roger said NO ???
Haha, He’s batting near .300 on the season for minimum wage. Nothing wrong with that
Alan,
You are making a fool of yourself. THIS GAME IS OVER. This team doesn’t have the guts to even come back against a bad Tampa team with an awful bullpen.
Face reality, pal.
This is exactly the issue with Joe.
Too much trust in the veterans and lets the games out of hand. Roger does not have it today and should have been replaced after 5 innings.
Well being as the Rays have no lefites in the pen I see at least Abreau getting back in this game asap
Belial,,,go back to your Boston Blog and have fun in your fantasyland….FIND ONE BOSTON PLAYER that thinks the season is over…that the Yankees are DEAD and that being NINE GAMES UP in the LOSS COLUMN TODAY,,,makes it 100% that Boston wins the division……FIND ONE !!!
Just like early season losses killed the Yankees in 1978?
(gulp)
Now Joe replaces Roger with Bruney and it is not fair to the guy coming in with bases loaded and only one out.
Clemens’ pitch count is awful. As of this moment he has more balls pitched than strikes. 89 total: 44 strikes, 45 balls. He’s walked 4 batters and only struck out 2.
At this rate Phil Hughes is going to REPLACE the sputtering Rocket, not join him in the rotation.
OK…guys, pack it in….Belial says that the game is over…and he knows everything…..HEY, just so us earthlings can function on YOUR planet…what is the final score going to be ??? just curious,,,,
mikenyy: phillips has had like 10 at bats all year it is not hard to hit .300
fact is he sucks, we need a real 1b. kazmir mowed him down 3 times in a row tonight. our team is probably the best in the league on paper yet torre somehow finds a way to trot a bottom third of an order that would make national teams laugh.
phillips, cairo and thompson?? are you kidding me
At least he didn’t throw Sparky Proctor to the wolves here!
Think DP!
BBFan,…I agree, isn’t it in Bruney’s contract that he has to walk at least one batter per appearance ? (wink)
…at least he didn’t walk in a run….
OK..only chasing 4 now…and 3 innings to do it….( oh, I forgot the game is over….WHAT was I thinking ??? )
8-6 Yankees…..8-6 Yankees….( say it with me )
At least Bruney did not walk one, whihc is surprising.
The run scored is on Joe for the non-move. He should have replaced Roger earlier.
More on the Sheffield thing:
“I know when I was there the couple of blacks that were there, every one of them had an issue with the organization. They had an issue with Joe Torre. They weren’t treated like everybody else. I got called out in a couple of meeting that I thought were unfair.
Derek Jeter is black and white..You just aint all the way black.
On steriods he says he never took them as that is something you shoot in your butt
Thus the words of gary Sheffield it is FAR WORSE . I dont care how well he is doing any feeling or good feeling I had about his Yankee tenure is now gone.
Let’s see.
9 Outs + Devil Rays Pen= We got a good chance to score some runs here.
hey! jay witasik — didn’t he used to be a yankee?
BBFan….you are 100% right !
BB-
JMO
I think you’ve got to hold players accountable for what they do. Roger is a big boy and deserves every opportunity to pitch out of jams like he has been since before most of the D’Rays were born.
Joe didn’t walk the lead off man or Upton.
Yes, Witasik was a Yankee. They got him from Padres when he had an ERA of 1.0ish. Then he got bombed in the AL.
In other news, Toronto just took the lead over the Sox
Alan:
I understand you love the Yankees and, believe me, I’m glad you want to comment as often as you do.
But can I ask a favor? Posting “Yeah!” when they get a hit or other emotional comments is really not advancing the cause here. I’m not saying don’t comment. Just try and make it points about the game and not reacting to every out or hit. People are watching the game, people know what happened.
The all caps stuff and bunches of exclamation points is not what we’re all about.
Thanks
Thank God we have Gary Sheffield to sort out who is what race and how each member of the organization should be treated.
What would we do w/o his thoughtful commentary? (Remember his tender comments about Latino players a week or two ago?)
Barack Obama should just withdraw from the primaries and let Sheff take over.
I was wondering where belial went — must’ve gotten nervous about how the Red Sux game was going…
Boston down 6-5…
TKinDC,
In general, I agree with you that players should be accountable. But, in the case of pitching, it is the manager who has to make the decisions at the right time. It was clear from the beginning that Roger did not have it today. You do not let him load the bases. It is bad managing and it is the upteenth time we have seen this from Joe.
Let’s go Robbie
Since Abreu got a hit, does that mean the Yankees will now come back and win the game?? Isn’t that what the stats showed?
BBFan -
The results is clearly in your favor. Fair Enough. Some people (probably not you) seem to hold managers accountable when the players are what the game is all about.
I’m also in the tank for Joe Torre and not particularly objective!!!! We will miss him when he is gone and the Bronx Zoo is revisited.
TKinDC,
I agree with you. My comment was about the sixth inning only.
There were times it would not have mattered what Joe did as the players stunk.
Thanks Melky, a strikeout, just what we needed!
The Yanks got a lefty specialist who can’t get the lefthanded hitter out.
At least Crawford didn’t hit another grand slam off Myers
How many believe that Myers will not be on the team after july 31st, either via a trade or DFA?
This is an example where it is on the player (Myers) who stinks, not on Joe.
I’m with you BB – - – If we can con someone into believing that they can fix him then let them have the guy.
His contract is pretty hefty though.
If we are going to lose the game can’t we at least see Edwar. The guy is just rotting in the bullpen now.
Myers contract is for $1.25 Mil this year.
So, if they release him after July 31st, Yanks have to eat about 415K, which is not that big an amount for Yankess.
Cool – - I thought it was much worse than that. If the Yanks (sigh) become sellers or even if they put together a package for a trade MM could be a good chip.
This game is brutal. At least Toronto is being helpful!
8-6 Yankees!
WE may still see Edwar in this game, depending on the game situation. Four runs are not insurmountable against Rays bullpen, though it will be challenging.
point taken, Peter….I will comply !
I have to ask Pete why is it we struggle away from home against mediocre teams. Yet when we play against .500* teams we play a lot better.
Maybe I should rephrase and say our “pitching” is better I dunno.
JORGE!!!!!!
Nice Posada!
Woops! Just read Pete’s comments. Good point. DUH to me.
turns out the all-star break doesn’t cure stuff like an on-again-off-again offense, an inconsistent starting rotation, or a bullpen that can’t throw strikes.
It sucks the way that the D’Rays get up for these games more than any others. Apparently last night was there 4th biggest gate @ 21K
21K tickets sold = 4th biggest? Pathetic. I wonder if they get contracted.
I am going to keep typing this post because we keep on hitting dingers while I type!!!
man, after seeing 2 bombs like that, myers and proctor really tick me off.
Seriously, why is myers on this team?
Another night with homers back to back. Sweet!
Guys, the game not over yet. Do not get depressed.
Even if they lose, it is not the end of the season.
Please DFA Myers and bring up Chris “GREAT” Britton. Having no lefty specialist is better than having one who can’t lefties out…
Scott Proctor’s the worst … he really is. How many of us thought he would walk in a run with the bases loaded? Not a fan … not a fan at all.
Sterling kills me. Can we start a collection to get him Lasik???
Most of his schtik is fun but his homerun calls for long fly balls and long fly ball calls for homeruns are going to drive me to drink.
The numbers aren’t necessarily bearing this out, but I actually like Melky batting 2nd, although for one reason and one reason only. If he bunts with Damon on base with no outs to advance him, it is not as disturbing as when Jeter does it. When Jeter’s up, you always want him to swing away, Melky, who cares?
So perfect scenario, Damon gets on, Melky bunts him to 2nd, and they have to pitch to Jeter 3rd or face A Rod. It works.
Anyway, this would be a bad one to lose, we need to win 3 out 4 this weekend, so losing here makes the next two must wins.
Does anyone else find it laughable that many people thought Dioner Navarro was gonna be our next catcher?
I thought they had Al Reyes as a closer, he was having a decent year? He hurt or?
O nevermind thank you John Flaherty
How do they lose to a AAA team? Its brutal.
How was that a strike?
I would take a bag of balls in exchange for the current version of Johnny Damon.
I agree. Johnny Damon is heartless.
I think Johnny needs to get his Jesus look back. Come on George let him have a beard and some hair.
The Yankees shoud buy out Johnny Damon and go after Torii Hunter. Then after A-Rod walks out on us, find a good third basemen that doesnt have any baggage and is a non-factor when it comes to controversy.
the devil rays had lost 14 of 15 coming in to today’s game. that’s staggering.
let’s all talk some more about how the yankees easy 2nd half schedule is going to vault them into playoff contention, please. they just lost a battle of the bullpens with the tampa bay devil rays.
No kasey, Joe Torre just got out managed. Its not rocket science. Clemens was done. He had nothing today. Joe needed to take Clemens out after the fifth inning, regardless of pitch count. You need to start our relievers out with their own clean inning. Proctor and Myers are NOT guys to put in with men on
Peter,
*sarcasm alert* Is there a reason that you felt you had to “call me out” in front of everybody ? Why could you not simply send me an email and “take me in your office” and tell me “like a MAN” ??? Is it because you are a racist and you don’t like people who are 1/4 Danish, 1/4 Polish, 1/4 Syrian and 1/4 “Mutt”….Do your prefer OTHER races to mine ? I think I will go root for another team, so that I can be rid of your racist attitude !!!
Alan “Sheff” Muttly
Shelley Duncan rakes in AAA as we trot out Cairo, Nieves, and Thompson off the bench week after week. Will someone explain this to me?
haha, Alan not bad my friend, made me feel just a little bit better
I will not have to light myself on fire now
“Proctor and Myers are NOT guys to put in with men on”
He didn’t put Myers or Proctor in the game.
Please, people would be complaining if Torre took Clemens out after 5 with 65 Pitches LOL. It’s a second guess.
what is cashman waiting for to break up this collection of canines
Shelly Duncan is a DH. Where exactly are you going to stick him? He’s about as bad with the glove as Phelps was.
Helluva night for Trenton as well. Up 5-0 going into the 9th and they lose 6-5 in the tenth.
I agree with GO NYR, some silly moves and non-moves by Torre ( but WE should come to expect this ) We still showed heart comin back and still can keep this TRAIN ON A ROLL by stringing together another winning streak starting tomorrow. Plus Boston is gonna lose, so again our glass is half full !
alan… so what if the sox lose the yanks didnt gain ground the sox could lose all the rest of the games and if the yanks do to it wouldnt matter. jesus im sick of everybody looking at the red sox… guys seriously are you a yanks fan or an anti sox fan. just because the sox lost too doesnt mean its good. and lay off torre. you think you can do better? if you can then i can safely say you are mentally d-d-deficient
Ben,,,I thought by definition, if you are a Yankees Fan you are an BoSox hater. And I definitely think that it is good when the BoSox lose on days that we lose…because…and stay with if you can, ben…that means we do not lose ground. Ya see, because losing ground bad….maintaining ground, not good, not bad…..gaining ground good. Am I using too many big words for ya, Ben ?
It was nice to see jorge hit a homer because maybe its just me or his average has dropped 30-40 points? And with men on he hasnt been doing well. there werent men on then but still. That homer brought it to a three run lead? And matsui too. not doing well but there he was. It was off fossum and thats not saying much but it has to do well for his confidence
Where do you people come from? Losing isnt good if its to the drays. LOSING ISNT GOOD BECAUSE ITS LOSING. maybe because you ARE a loser then its okay with you but it isnt with me. losing isnt good because that loss IS losing ground no matter how the sox do if it comes down to the wild card then the sox dont matter. im sorry if thats too complex for you remedial-one-syllable using-uneducated bosox hater? oh yea next time i stop by the station fill it up with regular?
oh ya and one more thing you cant just live for the post season. theres a reason the season is many games (i know alan cant count past 15) so its nice to have them win regardless of where they are in the standings. theres something wrong with our culture its just over half way and people are giving up. guys if you watch half a season then give up what does that say about you? in more than one way. one because if they dug themselves into it in half a season they can dig out. and two because this game is supposed to be enjoyable. take a page out of emerson’s book and live in the now. (alan, emerson was an author that lived many moons ago)
Yanks need to go 21 -6 to get back in it …this CAN be done! The Red Sox will be hard to catch, but they are not to be confused with the ’98 Yanks. This Boston team can be had by any team in the league.
Very disappointing to hear Sheffield’s comments. The guy has a chip on his shoulder and sure knows how to wear out a welcome. Speaking of welcomes, I’ll be there August 18 when the Tigers come to town. Here’s hoping 55,000 other folks join me in giving Mr Sheffield the welcome he deserves.
Ben, I never said losing was good. The “now” is that, even though we lost, we did NOT lose ground to the team that I believe we still have a chance of catching. Try not being such a negative, jerky person for a couple of minutes. You may find that the people around you will appreciate it. If you think that thinking positive and looking at things as “glass half full” makes me stupid and only qualified to pump gas…Then call me ELMER and get me a job at the Shell Station.
drive makes good points and yea on the 18th please as loud as you can. as a favor.. and believe me i know how to return a favor (godfather music)
im not being negative i saw what you were saying as negative… but touche on the elmer… touche
if you read what i wrote then youd see im saying we have a chance.
I just got some not-so-great news from a buddy who interns at a sports agency. Take it for what you wish, but I hope it is wrong. REALLY hoping this is just an unsubstantiated bit of conjecture.
Basically, the word is that the Yankees leaked the team’s “desire” to negotiate an extension with A-Rod. As was discussed earlier today, this may have been in order to pre-empt negative public opinion if Alex walks. The front office saves face. But according to my former classmate (we graduated U of C in 2004), the story developing from chatter in the industry was to determine whether or not A-Rod will be shopped in a blockbuster deadline deal. He brought up some good points. At this time, nobody in the Yankees heirarchy from ownership to the manager and coaches believes the team is capable of a playoff berth. They apparently reached a consensus a week prior to the AS break that the program will be to sell this year.
Boras’ reaction is what they expected, but on a practical level in both the front office and in the arena of public opinion, it’s also what they needed. Bottom line, A-Rod will be moved this July. Your guess is as good as anyone else’s at this point as the Yanks’ scouts are heavy into researching the farm teams of contenders in both the AL and NL.
Of course, if A-Rod agreed to open up talks to extend the Yanks would have apparently been all ears since it would have been a win-win situation for them. Even if A-Rod’s salary climbed upwards of 30 mil per year, Texas would have been on the hook for 30 of that.
My friend laughed when I mentioned the no-trade clause and said it’s a non-issue. He said that any player given the opportunity to not only move to a contending team but also leave a personally contentious situation with the media, clubhouse, etc. is likely to agree and waive the clause.
Like I said, I hope it’s wrong. Please don’t kill me for a “my friend’s uncle who knows Cashman’s mechanic” report, it’s the truth. He’s a close friend from my undergrad years and he’s just telling me what they’re hearing over in his offices and apparently in alot of sports agencies as the deadline push nears.
wait who are you and what is that. it sounds like a bunch of women sitting around knitting
My apologies, I should add the obvious to what I wrote before, which is that under this scenario, the Yankees get something in return for Alex as opposed to him opting out and them getting nothing. I know it’s implied, but just in case.
ben…we agree…we have a chance ! let’s start winning tomorrow, so we can celebrate OUR wins that combined with WHOEVER is in front of us losing, puts us that much closer to the Post Season…where anything can happen, and usually does. Good Night, ALL !
Harlan Aget…sorry bud but I don’t believe your friend/sources whatever you want to call him. But just to play along with your little scenario answer these questions for me.
1) If A-rod is not interested in negotiating with the Yanks mid-season what makes you think they would be interested in negotiating with another team for 72 hours at that? Which leads me to my second questions what teams are giving up anything of substance for a guy who is likely to opt out at the end of the year?
Sorry but unless A-rod agrees to waive his NTC and negotiate an extensions withing 72 hours I don’t see this happening.
alan please dont take a trip to negative town i feed off positivity!!
Hello-
Listen, I don’t want to believe him. I don’t believe it until I see it get done. And it’s not MY scenario, he called me and what I wrote basically outlined what he told me.
Concerning the 72 hour window, I brought this up as well, but he told me this would not take place. True, Alex and Boras would not agree to the 72-hour window. But he did mention that if someone like Alex is on the market, and you are a team on the cusp or are already there in your division and are looking for something extra to guarantee you potentially getting over in the WS, you make the deal regardless. To a lesser extent, I think of Cone in ’95(where have you gone Marty Janzen?) and Beltran in 2004. Guys do get traded mid-season without the window for an extension being an option.
It makes sense what you say, but I can see the other side as well. Alex Rodriguez for August, September and October could clinch it for a team.
How ’bout Sheffield’s comment that Jeter is only half back so he gets treated differently???
You hate to waste your time even commenting on this racist piece of dogs^1t but Gary Sheffield needs to be called out for what he is…. a backstabbing classless lowlife who hides behind his wife’s Christianity and thinks it somehow reflects on him.
I would like Gary Sheffield to comment on his contributions to the ’04 ALCS collapse, especially after he opened his big mouth and talked trash about the Red Sox.
You can see why he can’t relate to Joe Torre. One repects the game and the other is a lout.
So basically A-rod would be a 3 month rental to a team which would cost them a prospect or two and most likely have to compete with other teams when he opts out. Yeah well I won’t believe ’til I see it but should it happen though I”ll remember your posts. But do you really think that teams believe A-rod will be that player to get them over the top. I mean seriously it seems that perception wise at least A-rod has been touted as this player who can get teams over the top and his track record especially after coming to NY has disproved this notion. Not saying this is A-rod’s fault because he is not responsible for who the GM surrounds him with but just that this “final piece of the puzzle” card has been pulled a lot with no results to show.
I don’t believe Harlen’s post about A Rod is accurate because it doesn’t take into consideration that A Rod does not want to simply look like a mercenary at this point in his career. He knows he’ll be well paid if he stays in New York and he’s a lot less marketable for national endorsments if he leaves. Also,people underestimate A Rod’s apreciation for the history of the game and I believe he’d like to attach himself to the most storied franchise in basball.
hello, I agree completely and the one thing that sticks out for me is his most recent track record in a high-pressure playoff game.
No need to dig up this post if it comes to pass. Don’t want to be held accountable, just needed to vent. I am in Vermont right now and as you can imagine I’ve gotten little sympathy for the Yanks’ current struggles. Man, they can be mean up here.
Drive 4-5, I hope you’re right. Please understand, it’s not my theory, just relating what I have heard from a close friend who is entering the sports representation business.
regards,
Harlan
I will step NOT into negative town. Go Yankees…TODAY and FOREVER….over and out…
Harlan, imo it’s not even a question of whether can he do it in the playoffs as he did it in the early part of the ’04 playoffs and had good career numbers in Seattle…the question is if you are the Dodgers or the Angels is the addition of A-rod to your ball club going to put you over the top…my answer as it stands now is no but that’s just my opinion, LOL.
If Boras and ARod remain true to form, the trading deadline will go down to the 11th hour, and pass without either of them saying yea or nay about waiving the NTC…then they’ll say in early August that they never heard back from the Yankees on the terms they demanded…
…Which, if you follow their technique, would have been the ones in the newspapers these last few days; seemingly hints, but that’s how Boras does business, first in the media…
No, as long as ARod’s putting up the numbers in this push year, he’ll stand firm and play out the season the way he did in Seattle. He didn’t beg out last year when things really were getting pretty bad, so he certainly won’t this year.
I believe his next stop on the way to Homer Immortality is with a NL team. That way he won’t have to listen to the boos in Seattle, Texas, Boston, OR New York — except during interleague play.