Perfect pitch not perfect enough
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jul 26, 2007 
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Here’s what Gil Meche told the Kansas City Star about A-Rod’s home last night:
“If I could have walked up there and placed the ball where I wanted to throw it in that situation. A cutter on a 3-2 count, I wouldn’t have thrown it any other place.
I mean it was down. It was on the corner. He just went down there and got it. He’s probably the only guy in this league who could hit a ball that hard in that location. There’s nothing else you can do but tip your cap in that situation.”
Several Yankees said the same thing, marveling at how A-Rod could hit that pitch the other way.
“I’m glad he’s on our team,” Mike Mussina said. “I wouldn’t want to face him right now.”
The 1000 career home run man…and how glorious it will be to have the HR Champion once again a Yankee !!!
Hey Peter – What’s going on with this Damon trade talk? Wouldn’t moving a slow and post roid Giambi be the better play? I can see how moving Giambi will be very difficult coming off injury, but wouldn’t the Angels take a chance on Giambi? I rather keep Damon than Giambi.
Joe I will bet you anything you want neither Giambi or Damon are traded..
Giambi to the Angels would make sense but Stoneman the Angels GM takes no risks.
the Yanks will be pretty quiet on the trade front, maybe bench and maybe pen help that is it.. No big moves…
any combination of Yankee wins or Red Sox losses greater to or equal to 69 = a division win for the Yanks!
Arod seemed to be pretty angry after his final at-bat. supposedly it had nothing to do with Jeter’s HBP but I don’t buy that…
Saucy, what are you insinuating
Better question is how does Buddy Bell leave a guy, with a history of shoulder trouble, in for a 120 pitches?
Giambi has a tougher contract to unload than Damons.
Also many teams need outfield help and you can trade
Damon to either league. Giambi is a dh,has to stay in
the a.l.
If braves want him,I say we eat 5 mil. Damon would be
a steal at 7 to 8 mil per year.
I didn’t think he hit it out. He has such a free and easy swing when he is on.
“If braves want him,I say we eat 5 mil. Damon would be
a steal at 7 to 8 mil per year.”
He’s owed 13 mill a year for 2 more years. It’ll take more than eating 5 mill.
Re: Giambi trade talk
Giambi has a full no trade and, when asked about being traded this past winter, his camp said no way. Damon has a limited no-trade and said that he’d work with the Yankees if moving him is what they want to do — at least, he said that about this coming offseason. I dunno if he’d accept a trade right now.
I don’t think Giambi to the Angels makes a lot of sense for them…Vladdy and Garret Anderson need DH time to stay healthy, and I don’t think Jason can play the field enough for it to work out over there. Besides, isn’t Kotchman doing pretty well for them? I don’t think they want someone else to try to work into the DH/1B mix.
saucy,
Kim asked him if he would be nervous about #500. He said that “That was my first time, maybe I tried a little to hard” Then he pursed those famous lips.
Nobody will want Giambi unless that team has to pay him $0. The man is breaking down on a fairly regular basis and is not in major league shape. He also has a lot of baggage.
DREW,
sorry i meant 5 mil per year.
What do the Braves have that we want, other than Salty? Damon won’t get him. Hughes would, but that’s not a trade I make. I don’t think they’d go for Damon + 10 mil over 2 years + Clippard, which is what I’d be willing to send them.
Yeah I was wondering about Meche’s pitch count as well. Before Arod hit that one out, I was thinking that Meche was probably gassed and Arod had a good shot at taking him deep. But maybe that had nothing to do with it.
mel,
Yeah, I thought it said a lot that he was so angry at himself for giving away ONE at bat late in a game that was in the bag.
Here is something we havnt thought of. What if Damon
is the one asking the Yanks to trade him being that he
still wants to be a regular center fielder and feels
he isnt getting it back? I dont think that would be far
fetched knowing Giambi is a week to 10 days away.
Maybe they just want a salary dump so they can go elsewhere
and use the money they freed up to land a Garland,Rowand,
Konerko etc.
Man-law chat:
Bob Winthrop Ma: Hello Keith. In your opinion who do you think has more quality depth regarding pitchers in the minor leagues. The red sox or the yankees? As always thank you.
Keith Law: (1:11 PM ET ) Yankees. They have more potential starters, and if we figure at least three of those four guys out on TJ come back full-strength they might have the best stable of power arms of any farm system.
Tommy John is not the end of the world for pitchers anymore…Hopefully some of the gambles will pay off. Especially Sanchez. Can’t stand the moaning about the Sheffield trade. lol.
Stuart – It will be difficult to move Giambi or Damon right now w/ their contracts. As long as Torre keeps Cabrera in the lineup everyday and rotates Damon / Giambi / Duncan (Right hand bat for the reason), the Yankees will be fine. Damon or Giambi will be dealt in the offseason.
Mariano had elbow surgery when he was in the minors. Seems to have worked out pretty well for him.
“I’m glad he’s on our team,â€? Mike Mussina said. “I wouldn’t want to face him right now.â€?”
No kidding, Moose–he’d hit that junk you throw up there a country mile….
69 is our magic number…I like it…after tonight, we push that down to 67. Go Yankees !
Where have you heard rumors about Damon? I have not seen anything in the papers on that.
Something to make you smile (or frown): Law thinks Joba ends up in the Yankee pen this season, agrees with the Earl Weaver theory of breaking in starting pitchers as relievers.
Something to make you laugh: Barry’s response to Schilling? He called Bob Costas a “little midget man”.
Early prediction….. Lee defeats Gabbard tonight as the march of the Yankees towards taking Boston down off their perch continues….
i hope arods 500th hr is an inside the park HR so no one catches the ball thus making it a waste of time to change the balls …
better yet, how about an inside the park HR and as the short stop cuts off the throw he throws it into the stands and some random dude sitting behind the 1st base dugout gets the 500th HR ball.
It’s time for us to stop looking at taking the wild card
and go get whats rightfully ours. THE DIVISION!!
S.o.S.27 ….you are right…The division champion title is ours until somebody takes it from us and after we regain the lead in the division, there will be no looking back !
“NJ.com Article, Damon trade rumor link”:http://www.nj.com/sports/ledge.....038;coll=1
Here ya go David.
Thanks.
I love reading those kinds of quotes. Incredible.
It is a real treat to see this happening in pinstripes.
All year people have been talking about how strong
sox pitching was.Given that we had most of our pitchers
hurt they obviously looked superior.I strongly believe that
with Hughes comming back we will have the best 1-5 pitching
staff in the biggs. With that the division will be ours
to take back barring no injuries.
sunny615,
Thanks for that link.
Damn these stupid no trade clauses…I wish they were made illegal.
I hope that the Yankees learn a lesson here. There are VERY FEW PLAYERS to whom a no-trade clause should be offered. A-Rod is one of them.
SOS27,
I would be inclined to agree, but Mussina forces skepticism on my part.
He looked good last night, sure, but before that he has looked old.
If A Rod got to face Igawa he’d be on pace for 95 homers.
They’re not trading Damon. Look at the offense when he hits and gets on base. Unstoppable.
And he’s a pretty good 4th OF who can play all 3 OF positions and he can run.
Larry,
I was one of the skeptics yesterday suggesting putting him
in the pen. But seeing his fastball back at 91 gave me hope.
Maybe its an abboration but we always have other options
when it comes to the #5 starter if he doesnt keep it up.
Again the key to Moose is his fastball hitting the 90′s.
SOS,
Totally agree. If the velocity is there, he is on.
I think that his next start against a legit team will be more indicative. Next month will be a very tell-tale month for what the Yankees will do the rest of the season. They have their work cut out for them. This is why they need to gain as much ground as possible on Boston RIGHT NOW. And they have been doing great at that so far.
Tony, I don’t think Damon gets traded either and yes, he is valuable, but if you can move him, I do it.
Tony nj,
You are assuming that Damon wants to be a 4th outfielder.
Maybe this is Randy Johnson all over again.Where he is
behind the scenes asking to either play him in cf or trade
him.
He’s a 4th OF who is going to play everyday and get 500+ at bats for a team that wins.
Why wouldn’t he want to stay? Damon hasnt struck me as someone with a huge ego. Maybe if he was in the final yr of his deal and needed the stats to get another deal. But its yr 2.
The guy has been quoted that he knows hes going to have to play 1b or LF soon.
Chris (Albany, NY): Keith: Joba Chamberlain. 10 Ks last night in his AAA debut for the Yanks. Do you think he will get promoted to the big club this year? And what do you think they should they do with him?
Keith Law: (1:30 PM ET ) I really think they’re going to put him in the pen next month. Not only will it help them in the majors without requiring that they deal anyone, but it’s becoming clear that Joba isn’t going to be challenged in the minors, so a promotion is the right thing for his development. And I say it all the time – Earl Weaver’s philosophy of breaking starting pitching prospects in as relievers was dead on.
Last year on this date, the Yankees were trailing the red sox by 1.5 games BOS (61-39) NYY (59-40). The Yankees ended up beating the Red Sox by 11 games at the end of the season. That’s a 12.5 game swing from this same point last year in the season. So logically the Yankees will beat the Red Sox by 6 games this year
Also something to look at…. The Yanks are only 1 game off their pace for the 2005 season.
Yes I know we can’t compare season to season but it looks like this team is 1000000000x better then the Red Sox right now and they will be leading the AL east before September even starts.
Giambi has 1 yr left on his contract that ain’t bad..
After this yr Damon has 2 yrs at $13 mill per… Andruw Jones and Hunter and Ichiro’s contracts are going to be much higher and longer…
Damon is 32 not 40 yrs old….
Lanny,
I love that theory and absolutely agree. There were a lot of folks on here last week saying it would be a HUGE mistake and that his head couldn’t handle it. I disagree, but who knows.
Tony, I think the only concern that Damon would have right now is that Giambi is coming back. I personally hate Giambi as I said yesterday, but he is going to get at bats and that will limit Damon’s playing time/at bats.
Can we not write off Damon just yet?
He has been really banged up but is starting to get healthy and hes starting to play like the Damon from last year.
I haven’t written off Damon, don’t me wrong.
But if teams are interested, you have to listen.
I have written off Giambi.
I got to think that Joe will find time for everyone.
Remember in March how we were all worried about at bats for Melky and now hes going to get 600.
Bernie worried about at bat so much he sulked and didn’t report. He would have gotten 500 if he showed up in any shape.
This is what having a good bench will do. Make for tough choices.
Is it a coincidence that we are 31-17 since Giambi went away?
He shouldn’t have any job assured if he comes back.
The Red Sox collapsed last year due to injuries. You can’t expect that again.
This years Red Sox have tremendous pitching, better then ours. Great Rotation and a solid back end of the bullpen. That’s something we lack and will keep them from choking away the division lead.
Our best bet is the Wild Card because I don’t see us winning the division this year, not with Boston and their pitching. Yes we have gained alot of ground in a few games but the tides will even out. We won’t stay this hot forever and the lead will fluctuate. Cleveland on the other hand will fall.
Although origianlly I didn’t think there was a chance it could happen, all the signs are now pointing to Joba moving to the pen for the stretch run. I think the Yankees will want to give him a few more starts in AAA to 1) get adjusted to the level of play, and more importantly, 2) get him some innings as a base for next season.
But after say 2 or 3 more starts I think they move him to the pen in AAA for a couple of appearances and then promote him around the last week or 10 days in August.
Tigers locking in on former closer Farnsworth?
Posted by Scott Warheit July 26, 2007 13:24PM
With the price for Eric Gagne of Texas potentially too high and a lack of other quality relievers available on the trade market, the Detroit Tigers may be looking at a familiar name to come in and help their up-and-down bullpen: Kyle Farnsworth.
July 26, New York Post: According to multiple sources, the Tigers are looking to make a deal that would bring Farnsworth back to the team he pitched 46 games for in 2005. Ideally, the Tigers would like to add Texas closer Eric Gagne but he likely will balk at a deal that sends him to a team where he can’t close.
Tigers scout Dick Egan was at last night’s Yankees’ 7-1 win over the Royals in which Farnsworth didn’t pitch in. What the Yankees would get back depends on how much money the Tigers want to pay on Farnsworth’s salary.
Farnsworth, who is making $5.25 million this year and $5.5 million next season, is 1-1 with a 4.24 ERA.
Thanks to readers Mike and Craig for e-mailing me this story.
Arod is without a doubt at present the best player in baseball. He is doing everything well. Hitting, fielding, and running the bases. This is the best he has ever played he is playing much better then his MVP yr a few yrs ago..
He has proven everyone wrong including myself who thought he could not handle the pressure… COngrats Arod…
He cannot do much more to carry this team. Yeah he can have a few bad bats here or there but you just know sooner then later he will turn it around. July had been a decent month but his production even this month is good…
Jeter is the hit machine and Arod is the RBI machine….
From the Tampa Dispatch:
“Ron Coomer continues to rake for the Tampa Yankees (A). The rightfielder had a stink with the Yankees in 2002, playing in 55 games, but has been out of baseball since 2003. Upon Coomer’s unofficial retirement, he focused his time on training horses in his home town of Crest Hill, Illinois. However, his passion for horses did not fill the void that baseball left.
A 9 year MLB veteran, Coomer decided to give America’s past time another try in 2006. Coomer personally called Yankees GM Brian Cashman as they had forged a bond while Coomer was a Yankee in 2002. Cashman granted Coomer a tryout and his work effort and experience secured him a roster spot on the Tampa Yankees (A).
Coomer’s 2006 minor league stats (.258, 9 HRs, 37 RBIs) were good enough get him another roster spot in 2007. This year, in 65 games, Coomer has amassed 11 Hrs and driven in 35 RBIs while batting .297.�
—> I don’t understand why this guy isn’t promoted to the big leagues?? He has plenty of major league experience and the Yanks could use a strong bat off the bench. He could spell Abreu every now and then as well as DH.
I’ve said this before, the Yankees don’t need to make trades this year to bolster their playoff run. With guys like Hughes, Chamberlain, Kennedy and Coomer in the minors, we are a few minor league promotions away from making the best trade deadline “moves�.
Larry,
I agree the August schedule is brutal.If we can weather
the storm and stay around 3 or 4 behind by the end of
August. I say we will take the division.We have one of
the easiest Sept. schedules and Boston isnt as lucky.
Hey Rocco,
We’re playing well but we’re not a 1000000x better than the Sox.
Let’s take a deep breath and just keep playing good baseball.
maybe the bar has been raised a lot recently, but is $13 mil really that much for a guy like Damon? We may have overpaid 2 years ago, but it seems like fair market value right now.
Don’t trade Damon! We don’t have a leadoff hitter. Period. Even with Damon struggling, there is no one I would rather have in the #1 spot.
With or without the 240 AVG?
The Sox offense isn’t good with Ortiz hurt and Manny not being Manny but their pitching is lights out. And their bullpen has been the best in the game.
If Alex hits 500 tonight, and hits one in the suspended game, then he will have hit his 500th homerun twice. Thats pretty funny. I wonder if any one has ever done it before
I wouldn’t worry about the hard Aug schedule.
We have to play those teams anyway and I don’t see this team shrinking away from quality competition.
Global Warming ….we are only 6 games back in the loss column with 62 games to go…Exactly what planet are you on that tells you that is not a mountain this Yankees team can climb ? All the Yankee doubters will be eating lotsa crow this year. The Red Sox are not that good and we play 162 games dude, for a reason. The season will not be “called” at game 120, 130 ,140 or even 161…..162 games, dude and the Yankees are charging while the Red Sox are just playing slightly over .500 ball. Do the math. We can have the division lead as early at 8/15/07. What will you say if that happens ? I know…The Yankees were lucky to make up all that ground…No way they can sustain this pace…Yankees still only have a realistic shot of the Wild card….bla, bla, bla ( all of this, of course is just IMO )
The Yankees always hit the Red Sox pitching around pretty good, it seems. We usually gt to Beckett for 4-5 runs, We bomb Schilling, Crush Wakefield, and also hit Dice K around pretty good. Im fairly sure we would kill the other 2 lefties they have too
Fans are fans. They give up too soon on everyone.
These are the same people who wanted A Rod traded last winter. And Cano gone in May. And Abreu gone. And Vizcaino gone.
Damon will be fine. He’s healthy and ready to go.
You see that defense in left vs TB???
Russell W,
What about putting someone that had better leadoff stats
as leadoff.JETER.2 MELKY 3 ABREU 4 AROD 5 GIAMBI 6 MATSUI
7 POSADA 8 PHILLIPS 9 CANO
THOUGHTS?
Joba,
I appreciate the feel good element of the Coomer story, but come on!
Sure, he has ML experience, but he is also slower than molasses on a winter morning and his last stint in NY wasn’te exactly awe-inspiring.
I am of the opinion that our rotation is MUCH better than Boston’s right now. If they Boston gets healthy, that might change.
“better yet, how about an inside the park HR and as the short stop cuts off the throw he throws it into the stands and some random dude sitting behind the 1st base dugout gets the 500th HR ball.”
except it wouldn’t be a HR…
the thought of his 500th being an inside-the-park HR is just hilarious. that would be awesome.
I like how the hot streak has chased away the Sox trolls.
Giambi has no place on this team unless he goes back to first base. If you dare take Melky or Damon out of the lineup I will murder you!
The Ron Coomer thing has to be a joke.
Let Giambi platoon at 1st with Phillips.
“Let Giambi platoon at 1st with Phillips.”
Exactly.
Ticke,
I never said we had no chance at the division. It’s just a prediction there kiddo, anyways I see us better off going into the playoffs as WC. The underdog, maybe less pressure, heck maybe even the chance of going in slightly under the radar.
This happened a couple weeks ago, we got hot and everybody thought we are without a doubt the best team in baseball. Reality then hit with a trip to Col and set us back. Let’s work up and catch Cleveland and the WC before we start proclaiming division titles.
Russell W,
If there was no politics involved that would be ideal.Make
Giambi a pinch hitter.I doubt that will happen with Joe
in command.
Larry,
Schilling is the only pitcher hurt. Gabbard has been pitching far better than what schilling was pitching.
I say let them get healthy, It will actually make them
worse, having to give schilling his spot back.
They keep winning and the division and WC take care of themselves.
That is why you don’t count out the Yankees.
You don’t count out a team lead by Derek Jeter.
LoHud blog favorite Josh Phelps owning the Mets today!
Giambi is still a valuable player. Look at last yrs. #’s. He had a very good yr.. If he comes back play him 4 days a week mostly at DH..
If they could trade him for pen, bench, or good position prospects I would be all for that also.
Karen,
Whats funnier than that is that the Sox trolls went away
after we broke the 10 games behind mark.
Bloomy- Maybe Giambi will get arrested before he can get back
i have no idea what or if cashman will trade for or away . i just hope he doesnt go too crazy trying deal a blockbuster trade . yankees need relief pithcing this july . andy philips is doing just fine and plenty of spare outfielders . and if theres no decent relief pitching – forget it . dont get anything .
just so it has been said : most yankees players are untradeable due to no trade clauses and/or high priced contracts . this would and include damon , giambi , arod , abreu , farnworth and possibly igawa .
Matthew- Chacon is pitching now
Don’t say Gabbard is better than Schilling.
That’s just dumb.
Cashman can’t make a blockbuster because he doesn’t need to make a blockbuster. He only needs a UTL bench player like a Wigginton and a bullpen arm.
Not something you need to trade Grade A prospects for.
We’ve all witnessed Cashman in control the past two years. He just won’t give away these pitching prospects. And thankfully so.
How did Chacon and Small do so well here????
We may look back on ’05 in a few years and still be openly shocked how they pulled off that one.
Im not saying Gabbard is better.What im saying is since
Gabbard has an under 3 e.r.a. Shilling is not that pitcher
anymore.Whatever you want to call it,those Gabbard starts
were better than most Shilling starts.
Bloomy it doesnt take a few more years to be shocked about that one just take a look at last year to see how amazing that litte run with them was.
SOS,
Ya, I am not sure Gabbard is better, but I agree in that Schilling’s return will create a log jam in their rotation.
Gabbard is smoke and mirrors.
We could only be so lucky if hes there instead of Schill.
Obviously a healthy Schilling.
Chacon won a playoff game for us too.
I was watching that Met game. Perez was lights out for 4 innings.
I would have loved to have signed Meche or Lilly after watching both last night than Kei Igawa. A real contrast with two guys who actually throw strikes.
Meche would be in the Cy Young race if he was in pinstripes.
Excerpts from Keith Law Chat:
*Chris (Albany, NY):* Keith: Joba Chamberlain. 10 Ks last night in his AAA debut for the Yanks. Do you think he will get promoted to the big club this year? And what do you think they should they do with him?
*Keith Law: (1:30 PM ET )* I really think they’re going to put him in the pen next month. Not only will it help them in the majors without requiring that they deal anyone, but it’s becoming clear that Joba isn’t going to be challenged in the minors, so a promotion is the right thing for his development. And I say it all the time – Earl Weaver’s philosophy of breaking starting pitching prospects in as relievers was dead on.
—–
*Zach (Orlando, FL):* I keep reading Kennedy’s name being mentioned in the same sentence as Chamberlain and Hughes (Cashman labeling the three as untouchable), but I don’t know much about Kennedy. What can you tell me?
*Keith Law: (1:44 PM ET )* Not in the same class, but a very good prospect. He’s a pitchability RHP, I’d say. Average stuff, very compact delivery (almost like you could put him in a phone booth and he could pitch without touching the sides), repeats it extremely well, has plus command and great feel. Now, to me, that’s a 4th starter, maybe a #3 if the command/feel are really top-notch.
—–
Humorous one:
*Bill (KC):* Hughs Joba and Damon to KC for Dotel and Sanders….you heard it here first.
*Keith Law: (2:03 PM ET )* Um, no.
—–
*Jim (LA):* Chances that ARod re-signs with the Yankees?
*Keith Law: (2:21 PM ET )* Well above 50%.
—–
Kim, NYC: 50% that ARod stays? But I guess the Matsuzaka situation was a bit surprising for Boras, as well.
Keith Law: (2:24 PM ET ) Better than 50% that he stays. If they can work out a new deal with him, it’s cheaper for them than for any other club because they can still get the subsidy from Texas.
—–
*Josh (Edison, NJ):* You said in a recent chat that you thought the Yankees needed to upgrade at second to make a run this year. Do you still think it’s time to give up on Cano?
*Keith Law: (2:12 PM ET )* He’s really changed his approach over the last 2-3 weeks. He had an at bat against Scott Downs last week that was very impressive – swung and missed badly at two sliers, so Downs threw the same pitch again, and Cano took it. Then he took another one. And at that point, Downs looked lost, because he didn’t have another weapon. Cano drew the walk and the Yanks ended up scoring in the inning. If that holds true, then the Yanks did upgrade at second, by getting Cano’s head on straight. The at bats he was taking in the first half were embarrassing.
—–
I guess we’re not the only fans who feel slighted by ESPN
*T Yuba City CA:* It seems like many of the baseball folks at ESPN are Angel Haters. What gives??
*Keith Law: (2:33 PM ET )* It’s something we did at orientation when I was first hired. We spent a whole hour on Angel-hating – the why, the how, the when, etc.
—–
*John (White Plains):* I’ve read that some scouts would take Joba long term over Hughes. Assuming both stay healthy do you agree?
*Keith Law: (2:39 PM ET )* Without any hesitation, yes.
—–
Ouch.
*Greg (Great Northwest):* Buchholz or hughes?
*Keith Law: (2:42 PM ET )* Buchholz.
—–
And that’s it.
D Bone,
I agree that Gabbard is smoke and mirrors.But they did
catch lightning in a bottle for this short period of time
with him.
If schilling cant hit 93-94 on the radar he’s in trouble.
That means he either hasnt recovered or his age has caught
up to him.
Law is in the Joba fan club. Has been for a while now.
And we got wins out of DeSalvo, Igawa, Clippard etc
It’s what good teams do. They pull together and survive.
Does Gabbard go today vs Cle?
Good news.We wont be facing Beddard this weekend.Can we
make it 11 straight?
Yes.Gabbard vs. Lee.
Why does everybody want Damon gone??? Damon does heat up 2nd half all the time. Does anybody realize when Damon gets on we tend to score alot more. I don’t think trading Damon is key here IMO. I agree Phillips and Giambi should Platoon and get rid of Dougie. I am not afraid of Boston because sooner or later most of there pitching will all suffer some type of injury, especially Beckett. There heart and soul Ortiz is hurt. One thing that I am kinda afraid of is Boston capturing Tex. I really Hope Mussina picks up his slack but I have no faith in him. I hope this game picked up his confidence. I would trade Proctor for wigginton hands down. Wigginton can be a huge pick up as a UTL. We have arms in the farm system, BRING THEM UP!
“Si.com’s trade rumors link”:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....day/1.html
• The Yankees are one of 12 teams that are on Gagne’s OK-to-trade-to list. But Texas requested stud pitching prospect Joba Chamberlain, who’s been deemed untouchable. And when the Yankees found out that Gagne only wants to go where he can close, being the big-hearted fellows they are, they stopped pursuing it. Really, they did.
• The Yankees do have one idea to stop the Bronx bullpen from burning once they get back to playing competitive teams. They will try hard to unload Kyle Farnsworth, though competing execs say they’d have to pay about half his $6 million salary.
• The Yankees decided to pass on Milton Bradley when Bradley’s agent informed them that he would be very unhappy as a part-time player in his free-agent year. The last thing the Yankees wanted was an unhappy Bradley on their hands. Can’t blame ‘em.
• Word is Joe Torre helped put the kibosh on a Morgan Ensberg deal when the Yankees sought first-base help. Which tells me Torre is actually reading the box scores.
Law’s comment on Hughes vs. Buchholz are very strange. In the past I’ve actually seen him get that exact question and take Hughes.
He also said this about Buchholz:
William (Cambridge): Admit you were wrong about Bucholz
SportsNation Keith Law: (2:08 PM ET ) No, unless you can tell me where I was wrong about him.
William (Cambridge): You said he had an average fastball that was at 88-92
SportsNation Keith Law: (2:15 PM ET ) That’s right.
Jim Callis is about as big a Buchholz fan as you can get and last week in his chat he said he liked Hughes better but it was close.
Hughes has put up numbers at the age of 19-20 that are better (though not much better) than Buchholz has at 22-23.
And a 7 inning no hitter in his second major league game.
bucholtz over hughes?? really?
But it does sound like he likes Joba better than Buchholz
D Bone at July 26th, 2007 at 2:18 pm said:
Is it a coincidence that we are 31-17 since Giambi went away?
Giambi? What about the record with and without Man-Cave-Itch? I would wager that a lot of our losses out of the 17 you referenc were where the offense stalled, and thus where Giambi at DH might have helped a bit, no?
That Buchholz over Hughes question gets asked thousands of times by Red Sox fans on the off chance that once, if only once someone is going to say buchholz
I’ve never seen anyone take Buchholz, ever, in that debate prior to what law just wrote.
Hughes is so awesome, come back to us Phil!
Wow he’s higher on them than he is on Hughes, I can’t wait to see them pitch!!
That Coomer thing has to be a joke…
I checked the minor league stats and stuff… he’s not on there.
Which is unfortunate, I loved Ron Coomer haha
Bucholtz, Hughes and Joba are all nasty. You can’t go wrong with either of these SPs. I hate to rush Chamberlain but if he does get promoted, easing him into the bullpen would be alright with me as long as they restrict his innings / pitches. You move Farnsworth and you replace him w/ Joba, it’s not a big deal on the workload b/c Farnsworth is such a girly man and needs to be nurtured.
* The Yankees are one of 12 teams that are on Gagne’s OK-to-trade-to list. But Texas requested stud pitching prospect Joba Chamberlain, who’s been deemed untouchable.
HAHA I about fell off my chair reading this. Joba for Gagne who hasn’t pitched a full season in a few years. That is the joke of the century. Do they really take the Yankees for fools?
To secure a playoff spot, the Yanks have to most likely win 40 of the next 62 games. This would have them finish the season at 94 – 68. To achieve this record, they have to play around .650 baseball the rest of the way. This is no small task even with a relatively easy Sept. schedule. I’m not saying they aren’t capable, but it really puts into perspective how big a hole they dug themselves in April and May.
Obviously, this all changes if Cleveland and Seattle (which already has) fall apart.
This should be a fun, stressful and tension-filled next two months. Buckle up!!
Buchholz is really getting built up this year. We’ll see. His numbers at AA are impressive. The one consistent negative about him is supposed to be his fastball – many scouts say he doesn’t have good command of it. He does have a plus plus change and very good curve.
He’s not phil hughes. he’s just not.
If Joba is better than Hughes we are set! Is he?
Joba, purely on stuff, is lightyears ahead of Hughes. 97-100 mph fastball with movement + sick slider + average to above average change and curve.
What makes Hughes the best prospect is that he has unheard of poise, control, and command for a player his age.
From every report I’ve seen, Joba has a higher ceiling than Hughes.
from the post above: Keith Law sez:
*John (White Plains):* I’ve read that some scouts would take Joba long term over Hughes. Assuming both stay healthy do you agree?
*Keith Law: (2:39 PM ET )* Without any hesitation, yes.
The real question is – is Dellin Betances even better tha Joba?
Joba really is the classic power pitcher. He is just downright overpowering.
I think it’s easy to project how he’ll throw in the majors.
Hughes is just such a different pitcher from most. He’s got a power arm but intentionally doesn’t throw to near maximum velocity because he values command.
Not many pitchers, never mind 21 year old pitchers, have that physical ability or that sophisticated mindset.
This may be crazy, but Phil reminds me of a right handed Santana (only with a killer curve instead of the nasty change).
He’s obviously not where Santana is and has a long way to go. But when you think about Santana why is he so unbelievably good?
He’s got a very good fastball but it’s not dominant – usually 92-94. But irregardless santana strikes out a ton of hitters.
It’s Santana’s command and that change up that set him apart (along with the mental make up).
I think those are qualities Hughes may also have. We’ll see about Joba
Great. As if the rest of baseball needed yet another reason to hate the Yankees. A farm system overstocked with pitching studs.
The Joba Hughes debate is a good one. Both are without question the two top pitching prospects in the Yankees farm system. I think Hughes is a bit more polished and obviously has benefitted with two Major League Starts.
There are some scouts within the Yanks org. thatsay Joba has a higher ceiling. He has a + fastball in the mid to upper 90s, a good slider / slurve and he’s developing his changeup. Of this third pitch can be good at best, he would be devestating with the way he throws his fastball.
Peter gammons was on 1050 ESPN radio last week and stated that he had stayed in is hotel room one night to watch Joba pitch in a minor league start. His review included the words “stunning” and “major-league ready.”
Either way, it’s nice to have a debate about which Yankee minor leaguer will have a better major league career. The future holds some great promise.
“Does anybody realize when Damon gets on we tend to score alot more. ”
Well, of course. When he’s in the lineup, he’s the leadoff guy. Every team scores a lot more when their leadoff guy gets on base a lot. It’s nothing magic about Johnny.
YankeeFan4Ever
‘Damon does heat up 2nd half all the time.’
In the past 5 years Damon has had a better second half of the season…once
2002
When the other players see Damon on base they poop their pants and desperately try to drive him in to get him off the damn field.
At the moment, there is only one major difference between Damon and Melky. Damon is a steal threat. Melky, not so much. But Melky is a better OF and at the moment is a better hitter. I honestly don’t know what they’re going to do when Giambi comes back. I think it’ll really hurt the team if Melky sits. They’ve played with pretty good intensity when he became a regular.
Sunny615,
With Betances its still too early to tell what he is, particularly with the season he’s had in Staten Island.
Even before the injury, his velocity was in the low 90′s – like 90-92. That’s down from last year. What makes that even stranger is that he’s supposedly gained 20-25 lbs of muschle (which he most definitely needed).
At first I was thinking the organization was trying to slow him down to improve his command (kind of like they did with Hughes). But his command this year has been much worse than it was last year in the GCL.
that’s not good.
Pete – love the blog. Just discovered it recently.
I hate playing the second guessing game (especially when Torre’s move turned out well for the yanks) but how do you explain Torre bunting with Andy Phillips instead of replacing him with Cairo to bunt in the seventh inning of what was a 1 run game at the time. Any casual fan would know Phillips isn’t the type to be counted on for a solid bunt (and it showed), where Cairo certainly is. Sure, phillips is a better hitter than Cairo, but fielding wise they Cairo is at least an equal AND at that point in the game, how many more at bats is Phillips going to have…plus removing Phillips’ bat is not like taking A-rod, Jeter, Matsui out. The game could have played out a lot differently had the catcher not slipped on Philips poor bunt.
This is a moot point now but I was SCREAMING at my television when I watching it live.
The only concern I have with Joba is his chubbiness.
The Giambi question is not going to be a problem. Torre and Cash don’t make the same mistakes twice, they will not force Jason back into the lineup. They will work him in occasionally. I noticed that both Cash and Torre disputed Giambi’s opinion that he could be back next week. I get the feeling they would be happy if he isn’t ready until Sept 1st when rosters expand.
Joba has a higher ceiling than Hughes but he also has more downside. He is at greater risk to injury, so of course when the question is, “Assuming they both stay healthy…” the answer is Joba. Without that qualifier, it’s Hughes, for sure. Keith Law is also a noted Hughes detractor and a pompous idiot. Just like Steve Phillips, if he had been good at his job he wouldn’t be chatting on ESPN.com.
And anyone who thinks Giambi should sit the bench if he is healthy and ready to go when he returns knows nothing about baseball, end of story.
Also, trading Farnsworth to the Tigers would be a double whammy. Not only would it be addition by subtraction, but we’d get to hit against him as well. That would be great.
I know we are all Yankee fans and we love our prospects but an objective observer would not take Bucholz over Hughes.
Andy laid down a great bunt the game before. and it worked out so don’t get all upset.
The days of Schilling at 93-94 on the gun are over. The Dunkin’ Donuts poster boy has put his retirement on a fast track through poor conditioning and sitting in front of his blogsite. His shoulder problems are the result of overcompensating his pitching mechanics. So long, Motormouth. Keep slobbering down those donuts !
Bob from NJ -
The only thing is — you’d hate for Farnsworth to get it together for the Tigers, and then have to face them (hopefully) in the playoffs and have his 100 mph fastball finally get some movement.
dontfirecash:
I agree 100% with your observation. Hughes is younger and will be an effective part of a major league rotation sooner.
Damon,
2006 vs 2007 – not that off in his key stats:
2006 over 149 games 67 BB 25 SB 10 CS .359 OBP
2007 over 90 games 50 BB 18 SB 2 CS .346 OBP
Last 6 games he is 10-26 with 5 doubles and 8 RBI and playing good defense
He is coming around
Seriously, with Damon sorting his troubles out and Giambi coming back along with Hughes and maybe even Joba, it will be like the Yanks made a blockbuster trade and added a ton of talent only we will have given nothing up. My concerns are still finding another consistent guy in the bullpen and what does adding Giambi back do to the offense? Melky excels when he knows he is playing everyday. Off the bench he stinks. Adding Sheffield late last year and sitting Melky screwed up the team in the playoffs. They went back to a 3 run HR team instead of a make things happen team and good pitching shut them down. I fear a repeat of this in the brutal August stretch against the contenders.
dontfirecach,
I completely agree. There is just absolutely no way you can make that call. And I do think Buchholz (unfortunately) is going to be very good.
What Phil Hughes did in the minor leagues at the ages of 18-20 was amazing.
I love Joba. He’s absolutely fantastic.
That said, with Hughes being injured this year I think it’s been easy to forget just how good he is. We haven’t had that wow factor following each of his starts.
It’s hard to “project” what hughes is going to be because he’s a different kind of pitcher. He doesn’t fit a mold.
It’s a great debate with him and Joba. Fortunately, we don’t have to pick between one or another. They’re both wearing pinstripes.
Mark,
This is the reason why it is a good thing for us that schill
will be joining his club soon.He is no longer as effective
as he once was and will cost his team more games than not.
Question 1: Are Schilling and Moose both declining at the same rate?
Question 2: If so, Which pitcher has a better chance of reinventiing himself in the wake of lost velocity? Thus enabling himself to pitch 2-3 more years.
Don’t be too premature in writing off Schilling.
It’s hard to know how much of his poor performance this year was the tendinitis in his shoulder vs. his atrocious conditioning vs. natural decline vs. time spent blogging.
He is supposedly hitting 93-94 again in his rehab starts.
If true, then he will be a problem.
How would you rank Joba & Hughes in a few years as compared to Wang? I’d be surprised if Wang was still the ace, but do you really think he’d fall to #3?
Time is running out but at some point you would think that Mussina and Giambi would want something to show for their careers other than having made a ton of money. Like a ring, for example.
Giambi is slow, from a purely offensive standpoint I would rather see Damon in there every day.
CB:
For Schilling, “tendinitis in his shoulder vs. his atrocious conditioning vs. natural decline vs. time spent blogging” + 41 yrs.old in November is not a good equation.
I’m hesitent to buy into his rehab velocity. I need to see that type of consistent velocity every 5th day when he gets back into the Sox rotation.
I don’t question that Schilling has had a better career (border line HOF?) But, I tend to think that Moose has a better chance of reinventing himself. First, he’s a few years younger. Second, he has a better repertoire of pitches. Third, his velocity was never higher than 90-92, so a decline to 87-89 is not as significant as Schill falling from 92-95 to sub 90 (especially when Schill doesn’t throw as many different pitches).
“The only thing is—you’d hate for Farnsworth to get it together for the Tigers, and then have to face them (hopefully) in the playoffs and have his 100 mph fastball finally get some movement.”
no, we wouldn’t. then we’d have to read all of the same people who wanted him to be traded come on here and demand cashman be fired for trading such a clutch performer.
Woah –
If that is true, then you prefer the excitement of seeing bases stolen to the actual generation of runs. Jason Giambi ALWAYS gets on base more than 40% of the time. More runners on base == more chances to score. And it’s not like he’ll be clogging up the bases with guys like Posada and Matsui behind him, so he won’t be gumming up the running game. Also, Jason will drive in more runners than Damon will. He’s certainly a net plus at DH. Hopefully, he can play 1B a lot, which would allow Matsui and Damon to platoon at DH and LF. That’s the best thing for us. Phillips loses ABs, but that’s not a big loss.
hmmm:
Did you just put Farnsworth and “clutch performer” in the same comment?
Detroit lost again today. At the 100 game mark, do you know that the Yankees are only 6 games back in the loss column to the spot that would not only give them the Division, but best record in the American League AND best record in baseball. What a nice ____ sandwich for all the Yankee Haters to chew on when we attain that position after being supposedly “completely dead” earlier in the season. The Marathon continues and the Yankees are looking equipped for the long haul. The “rabbits” out there are starting to fade…..These next 2 months are going to be so sweet to watch !
Here’s a question for my fellow minor league fans. Taking away Joba, Kennedy and Horne(who will be in Scranton soon enough) who do you think is the best remaining starting pitching prospect?
I am tempted to say Betances, but his elbow is quite worrisome. Same with Brackman(who also has yet to sign). That leaves us with the following contenders: McCallister, Marquez, Clippard, Heredia, Kontos. For my money I am going with Zach McCallister. Dude has the stuff and makeup to advance quickly. He could be our next ground ball/strikeout monster a la Doc Halladay.
dontfirecash:
what about Ross Ohlendorf?
You could throw Ohlendorf up there, but he defineatley has been a dissapointment this season so far. That said he was injured and he has been known to hit 98 on the gun with his nasty sinker. He seems destined for the ‘pen. I forgot to mention the starter who had TJ as well, Garcia and Sanchez. If they are healthy and prove that they can pitch like they used too, they would probably be the top 2.
The best case scenario: (1) stay healthy & focused. (2) Keep a pace of gaining (at least) one game each week. (3) Win every series possible. (4) Play to win. Don’t play not to lose. (5) Good judgement by Torre especially with bullpen usage. (6) Necessary help provided by Cashman, whenever and wherever possible.
in terms of best pitching prospect after those guys…how ’bout igawa?
“Did you just put Farnsworth and “clutch performerâ€? in the same comment?”
yeah, my computer spit it back out until i went back in and told it it was sarcasm.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
There are 2 solid pitchers you are forgetting, Karstens and Rasner. Both could be good set up or long relievers. I bet both would be much more effective than Farnsworth
Disclaimer, the following post is dripping with enthusiasm. If you prefer negativity, skip me.
As a pathologic fan, and I’m sure there many others of you on this forum, isn’t life so much nicer when the yanks are going strong?
Has anyone else noticed the importance of last night’s game? We are now in complete control of our destiny. Granted a sweep of the sux isn’t a forgone conclusion, but we have won both of our last two series with a much weaker team, and we still do have this complete control.
The hitting has been lights out, we may have found that critical 8th inning guy, the moose has shown he still has quite a bit of game left regularly hitting 90 on his fast ball last night, we have the number one pitching addition headed our way, and we have been the number one team since the break. We also have a legitimate home run hitter on our bench, and hopefully getting some more playing time.
The fielding, small ball, and base running has impressed me the most, something that is not readily obvious to the casual fan. This aspect of the game pleases me more than anything else mentioned. Further, the offense isn’t allowing the managing to affect the games as heavily. When you are scoring dozens of runs, there isn’t much that cant ruin this.
Our biggest problem moving forward will be what to do with a guy like Giambi. Not a bad problem if you ask me.
We have played 750 with decent but not great pitching, something that I believe will improve immeasurably in the imminent future.
We are going to the playoffs this year folks, playing 600 ball should do it at this point, and our squad has never looked better. After suffering through that mockery of a first half, it is certainly nice to be in this position. BTW, I maintain my prediction from when we were 14 out, the yanks are taking this division.
BJ
Amen, BJ, Amen !
BJ -
At this precise moment in time – all is right with the Yankee World.
Big Johnson,
“…we have the number one pitching addition headed our way”
Also, I truly believe the Yankees will bring up Chamberlain at some point, which could be a huge boost as well. I don’t know if the Yankees will win the division or even make the playoffs, but we definitely have every reason to be excited.
dontfirecash,
Despite his uneven season and his recent elbow strain its still Betances. His upside is so high that the set backs he’s had can’t diminish him too much.
Going into the season I think everyone was a bit spoiled by Betances’ success last year at the GCL. His numbers were so tremendous and his command really came a long way.
However, I think if you went back to when he was drafted it wouldn’t have surprised anyone if it would take Betances 4-5 years to figure things out.
I don’t think you can change that time frame of expectation, nor downgrade his prospect status significantly unless he has a major injury or falls apart in some other way.
Betances is going to have a lot of ups and downs. His elbow strain this year was supposedly caused by his inability to repeat his motion. At 6ft 9 it was clear that repeating his motion would be a major issue and that he’s lose it at times. If his injury is worse than what it appears to be that would be a different story. But assuming its a mild strain I don’t think he’s that diminished. He’s otherwise the same guy who tore through the GCL last year.
Now, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if McCallister moves much faster through the system given his polish. I still think we need to see what McCallister does next year in A ball(hopefully Tampa) before we know what to make of his overall potential. Has his combination of polish/talent surpassed betances high ceiling talent/ lack of refinement? I think A ball will give a better sense of that.
Same thing with Heredia. We have to wait on him. It’s promising however. He’s been great but next year he could be where betances is now.
Im going to get greedy here.DIVISION AND THE BEST RECORD
IN BASEBALL.When Hughes comes joins the team,we will have
the best pitching and hitting in all of baseball.Which
is how I came to this conclusion.
Hitters AB R H BI BB K LO AVG
J. Lugo SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .226
D. Pedroia 2B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .318
D. Ortiz DH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .320
M. Ramirez LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .298
K. Youkilis 1B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .312
M. Lowell 3B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .304
J. Varitek C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .265
C. Crisp CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .281
W. Pena RF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .197
S.o.S.27….I am WITH YA…and looking at the Boston Lineup above, our pitchers will power through this lineup, while our patient and powerful hitters expose every flaw of the Red Sox rotation…..This World Championship is going to be one of the sweetest, if not for the mere fact that it will embarass the Red Sox and further infuriate the Yankee Bashers of the world. I’ll go one step further. Igawa will pitch well tonight as he, oh so temporarily, holds on to the 5th slot in the rotation….
CB,
I agree with your take on Betances. We can’t discount his prospect status because of his rather rough year so far in SI. He has unlimited potential. The inability to repeat his delivery is something all tall pitchers struggle with. I guess we need only look at how long it took RJ and Chris Young to develop into the great pitchers they were or are now. I thought I remember reading in the offseason that repeating his delivery was the main thing Betances focused in on the offseason. It just goes to show how difficult it must be for him to do so.
We spent 54 MILLION for DAMON for 4 years??
And we fleeced the SUX?
Think we are the suckas here
I like the energy KAJ.I really do feel sorry for Boston
fans.Before you say anything,here me out.They have been
first loser for 12 years now.Now comes 07 and the hype
on them is high again. They sweep us the first series
and there April champs as usual. But things change and
with our injuries we beat them the last 2 series.Boston
still comming back with look at the standings.
Today we are now 6.5 back and all there thinking is
here we go again,another callapse.
At one time we were written off as dead. Now they know they
realise they were just keeping it warm for us like before.
A loser is always a loser and winners always find a
way to finish on top.
Please, everyone, keep perspective. I’m optimistic, too – - who wouldn’t be? But there’s still 2 months plus left to the season and anything can still happen. Until the Yankees are in first place, it’s still catch-up baseball.
(I just get very nervous when everyone gets so darn sure. A littled tempered optimism is best.)
AB R H RBI BB K LOB Season Avg
M. Cabrera cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .279
D. Jeter ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .337
B. Abreu rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .274
A. Rodriguez 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .311
H. Matsui lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .290
A. Phillips 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .302
R. Cano 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .299
S. Duncan dh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .294
J. Molina c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .224
Even with Duncan an Molina at the bottom of the lineup, I smell a 10 PLUS hit barrage tonight….Go Yankees ! The Sweep is within our reach !
Yo, pay no attention to dat man behind the curtain in Boston.
Yo, to quote my boy, “the road to 95 begins and ends in Toronto and Baltimore.”
Check out his new post: http://theyankeesrepublic.blogspot.com/
All’s I can say is this dude owes me big time for the publicity. I think I’m the only one who reads him.
Doreen, IMO this is all Positive Projection and speaking good things to come true that we all have deserved faith that they will. This train is movin’ fast…time to jump on board and enjoy the ride the whole time !!!
Responding to Joba the Hut at 3:18:
I think the Yankees could catch the Sox. The Yankees have been playing at a .640 clip since June 1; the Sox are at .531 in the same time frame.
Assuming both teams maintain those winning pcts., the Yanks finish at 94-68, one game ahead of the Sox.
It’s been great to see how the Yanks have picked it up in the last two months. For the first time this year, I’ve got a good feeling about this season, as well as the future for the Bombers. I still think the more likely playoff scenario is the Wild Card spot, though, based on the huge hole they dug themselves in April and May. Not to rain on y’alls parade here…
Yo, Pete, where the lineups at? With the white women, no doubt. LOL.
Ron …see my post above !
TONIGHT’S LINEUP !!!
M. Cabrera cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .279
D. Jeter ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .337
B. Abreu rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .274
A. Rodriguez 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .311
H. Matsui lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .290
A. Phillips 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .302
R. Cano 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .299
S. Duncan dh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .294
J. Molina c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .224
Doreen,
Don’t worry I saw the future. One has to overcome adversity
to succeed. Boston will fall just as fast as they did last
year.
correction,,,,Red Sox are *already* falling fast….adjust you glasses…. LOL !!!
Sign me up KAJ.Im jumping on the CHAMPIONSHIP WAGON.
Lotsa Seats !
Anyone else think that Damon should be playing?Being that
he has been hott for the last week.Maybe try Duncan at
first to keep Damon playing.
Ron, thanks for the link on that “yankeesrepublic” site. I don’t know if I agree with him but he makes a good point.
Over one-third of the Yanks’ remaining schedule is against Toronto and Baltimore. And neither are as bad as their schedule suggests. Actually I’m more worried now than I was before.
Still, I finally found someone who despises Schilling as much as I do for both his mouth and his politics.
-Kill The Schill
S.o.S, You have a point, but with the way his legs have been acting up this year, we need to give him plenty of rest. At the same time, it’s been a couple games since Shelley got in there and we need to keep giving him ABs to make sure he stays hot.
Doreen,
With roughly 90 years of history, I can certainly understand both the enthusiasm, which I obviously share, and the expectation that the sux will fall flat on their heads yet again. (something that gives me arguably more pleasure than seeing the yanks win. I know I have an illness, enjoying the suffering of both the sux and their fans. I still have the infamous game from 10/16/03 saved permanently on my Tivo, which qualifies me as the most pathologic fan I know. I have yet to meet someone else who still has this game on his/her Tivo.
Btw, although I haven’t done an actuarial analysis yet, the division is the much more likely scenario, even though we are closer to the wild card. We only compete with the sux in the division, more teams in the wild card mix.
BJ
As for Duncan playing first, he’s supposed to be Josh Phelps-type bad at it. We’ve been through that once, I’d rather avoid doing it again.
With Igawa pitching,we need all the offense we can get.
DUNCAN AT FIRST
DAMON AT DH (his legs should be fine being he hasnt hardly
played the field for 2 months).
Then again,half our lineup is still better than most.
GO YANKEES!
Yeah but then you’re leaving out Philips, who as Pete points out is 10 for his las 29 with a six game hitting streak.
Just call me “Nervous Nelly” — but I’m cautiously on board.
Doreen, you are Nervous Nelly. ( just following instructions…LOL )