In-Season Mailbag No. 3
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Aug 07, 2007 
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C&C writes: I heard that there is an option to buy out of Giambi’s contract after next year. I heard it was something around 5 to 7 million. Is this true? Nothing would make me happier to have him off the books with Pavano, Moose, Pettitte, etc when probably the biggest free agent class is looming.
Answer: You heard right. The Big G will get $21 million next season. There is a $22 million team option for 2009 or a $5 million buyout. Here’s my question for you: Nothing would make you happier? Really, nothing? Dude, I can think of many things that would make me happier.
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Sean writes: Johnny Damon made the following quotes earlier this week: “As a player, you always want to know what your role is and what’s happening. If I’m still out there on the margin, especially with Jason coming back . . . Anything’s possible. I know a lot of teams are interested. With Jason coming back and a number of outfielders going down, the Yankees could probably get a better player now than what they probably got offered July 31st.” He went on to talk about being traded. With Giambi coming back it seems to me that Damon would be the most likely candidate to be left out, seeing as Melky is the far superior CF and 1B seems to be well manned by Phillips and now Betemit. Will this become a huge problem on the team if Damon’s playing time continues to get cut?
Answer: I don’t see it as a huge problem. Damon can play some left, center once in a while and split time at DH with Giambi depending on the matchups. Joe Torre’s strength as a manager is handling egos and he will find a way to make it work. Damon and Giambi are smart guys. They know the team is playing well and they can’t squawk. But if the Yankees start to lose, that’s when it becomes tricky. Look at this way, having too many good players is a good problem to have.
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Todd writes: I noticed something I found interesting: For the season, the Yanks are in the middle of the AL pack in ERA (7th). For the season, the Yanks are the 4th worst AL in giving up walks. For the season, the Yanks are dead last in the AL in stikeouts. In the last 30 days alone, they are 4th in ERA, 7th in walks, and 1st in strikeouts. I took these stats off MLB.com with some Aug 4th games still going on. With all the offense has been doing, it has overshadowed how the pitching staff seems to be tightening things up a bit.
Answer: Good research, Todd. Invariably, it comes back to pitching. Imagine where the Yankees would be if you took Krazy Kyle’s stats out of there. It boggles the mind.
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Pete writes: I didn’t know if you knew or not but whenever Mike Mussina wins his seventh game of the season (which was Sunday) he will be setting a new record. His 246th career win will give him the highest win total in major league history for a pitcher who has never won 20 games in a season. Right now he is tied with “El Presidente” Dennis Martinez who actually never won more than 16 games in a season. Just a little fact I thought you might like to know if you didn’t already.
Answer: I love my readers, more great research. Mike Mussina is someday going to be a tough decision for Hall of Fame voters. He’s such an “almost” player. Almost helped win the World Series, almost won the Cy Young, almost won 20 games, etc. I don’t think he’s a Hall of Famer. But 246 wins are a lot.
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Loren writes: With the draft deadline approaching, are you hearing anything about Andrew Brackman? Might this be a case of the league withholding an announcement for a possible above-slot contract? Also, one other guy intrigued me: Carmen Angelini. He sounds like a gem in the 10t round. Any chance the Yanks get him to sign?
Answer: Funny you should ask, Loren. Scott Boras was at the Stadium on Saturday and I spoke to himk about Brackman. He seemed confident a deal would get done. Angelini, from what I undertand, has agreed to a deal. But MLB is holding it up because it’s way over slot. They’ll give in eventually, they have no choice.
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Zac writes: How did the Red Sox get Eric Gagne for David Murphy Kason Gabbard and Engel Beltre? I know Beltre is suppose to be good but its a big risk to get a 17-year-old who hasn’t played that much. Gabbard? He is like a 5th starter. We could have traded Jeff Karstens or even Jeff Marquez. I just don’t get it.
Answer: The Yankees would have quite happily traded Karstens and Marquez for Gagne. Texas wanted either Ian Kennedy or Melky Cabrera. Beltre may only be 17 but he is a high-ceiling prospect. Texas did better for Mark Teixeira than Gagne. But then, Teixeira is a much better player.
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M. Kang writes: Peter, don’t you think the Yankees are making a mistake with Joba Chamberlain. Joe Torre is going to abuse him.
Answer: I love how some people see Torre as some evil despot ruining the arms of pitchers. He gets all the blame when a guy goes bad, but none of the credit for Rivera, Pettitte, Wang, etc. It’s equally funny how people rumininate over Torre’s use of middle relievers. These guys are largely interchangeable and expendable. The best way to use them is to ride them while they are hot, get what you can out of them and move on to the next guy. Name me all the year-in, year-out great set-up men. There aren’t many. Torre fully understands who Chamberlain is and will treat him correctly. He will be a starter next year, not Brian Bruney or Luis Vizcaino.
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Finally, we get to my favorite e-mail lately:
NM06 writes: Why are you writing about going to concerts on your blog? It’s supposed to be about the Yankees. That’s what the team is paying you to write about. You should go back to writing about baseball.
Answer: Wait a second, the team is paying me to write about them? This changes everything. I had no idea I was an employee. OK, enough with the music, I’ll do my job, NM06. I’m looking forward to my contract coming due, however. My new agent, Scott Boras, has some definite ideas.
Thanks for writing, everybody. Hopefully I’ve answered most of your e-mails.
nice blog here Pete, and I think its interesting that you write things other then baseball sometimes, so continue to do what you do best man.
I agree, I think one of the things that makes this such a great blog to read is that you don’t just throw numbers and Yankee information at us like a robot. You talk about your personal life, interests, etc, not just the Yankees. I love reading about what it is like being a beat reporter, following the Yankees around, I also love the fan question posts you’ve done with Giambi, Jeter, and Mo. It is cool to get to know these guys as more than just robots on a baseball field.
So in closing, screw that guy and keep up the great work!
Don’t you hate it when people tell you how to do your job? It’s like telling you how to raise your child. How rude!
NM06 just got OWNED by Pete. LOL!
Well, I hope that good problem (having a lot of good players) works out for the Yankees.
Hopefully, Farns can become the greatest mop-up guy ever. Oh, wait, he doesn’t throw back to back innings. Damn!
Pete, any news on who cleared waivers besides Piazza??
Guys, I know I’m a few topics late, but I’m going to post it anyway, I just woke up and saw it.
Re: The Escobar murder.
Actually, at the time of the murder, 1994, there were two prominent theories about it: One, the goal cost some drug lords/bettors a LOT of money, and they got back at him for it. Two, that it was a bar fight which didn’t even have anything to do with soccer (hey, it IS Colombia after all). So, the assertion that soccer is a violent influence on society, as made by some, seems a bit of a stretch, if you deduct that from just this incident.
Btw, Stat Of The Day has a nice tidbit on Posada:
http://www.baseball-reference......chives/160
Peter, Don’t listen to this NM06 clueless bum. You can write about anything u want.
how about Damon for Felix Pie
I don’t think the Cubs would want another outfielder.
Wow that last e-mail made me smile! since when is a team paying beat writers to open blogs and write about them??? Keep it up dear Peter Abraham we all enjoy the more you update your blog no matter what kind of an update, just look how many comments you receive on every simple update!
they need a left fielder to replace soriano and hes a better lead off hitter, soriano can come back in the middle of their order and all i want is their best prospect we can then platoon Shelly with the giambi
da Sawks and 38-Donuts lost!!
What was once a 14 1/2 game lead, has now shrunk to 6.
tick..tick..tick..tick..tick..tick..tick..tick..tick..
James–The Cubs might give us Pagan, but they won’t trade Pie. Also, they already Jacque Jones, Matt Murton, Cliff Floyd, Pagan, Pie, and Mark DeRosa.
dude, the day you stop writing about music, tv, films and pop culture is the day i stop reading the blog.
thanks for some hilarious material NM06.
I don’t believe NM06. The TEAM is paying Pete????? Does he also think the Yankee beat writers who write for other newspapers are paid by the Yankees as well?
Good job not answering the toughest question of the bunch. How about I paraphrase and clip the long non-response to turn it INTO a response:
Q: Peter, don’t you think the Yankees are making a mistake with Joba Chamberlain ? Joe Torre is going to abuse him.
A:These guys are largely interchangeable and expendable. The best way to use them is to ride them while they are hot, get what you can out of them and move on to the next guy.
Hhhhmmmm…. yeah, so maybe you could re-think that answer, no ? Has Torre’s abuse of bullpen arms become SO bad that ruining one of the top ten prospects in baseball is now viewed as inevitable ? If not, maybe you could actually consider asking Torre that HARD question:
Q:Joe, thinking back – Karsay, Sturtze, Proctor – will you do anything different to protect Chamberlain’s arm ? Burning out a generic middle relief man is one thing, but a top ten prospect is another, don’t you think ??
Nothing like a little sarcasm to wake you up in the morning. I’m curious to see how the Joba experiment will work out. After all, some bum by the name of Johan Santana first spent some time in the bullpen as a youngster before becoming a somewhat decent 4th or 5th starter…
Almost pitched a perfect game.
I think it’s pretty obvious that Pete has some very strange fellows writing him.
Pete,
I want to congratulate you on a great blog. Earlier in the year I read Mark’s from the Daily News and then one day, I found yours. Since then, the Yankees have been playing better ball. Not to mention your site is more of an official blog, posting useful information and keeping it updated on a consistent basis, one of the keys to success with blogs.
Look forward to checking out the site in this all important stretch of the season. Keep it up!
Paulie
Pete….you are a true New Yorker, complete with lotsa smart @$$ and a keen sense of “get bent, buddy”…I, for one, love it. Keep it up. Your blog is the best, friend !
Pete,
Great blog. I read your site throughout the day but aren’t you being a little tough on CC. I mean after all you claim that removing the stats on Krazy Kyle “boggles the mind”. Does it really? Is that all it takes to boggle your mind? You must have an easily boggleable mind (Hey I just invented a word!)
What this is really about is Giambi. Face it Pete there are a lot of us out here who really don’t like this guy (as a player – don’t know him as a person) He’s a cheater.
I know I know he’s not the only one, but he is a cheater.
I was looking at a list of MVPs with my son and when I came across Giambi’s name I felt bad for whoever was the real MVP that year.
He’s a cheater and right now he’s a twenty million dollar part time DH. If he hadn’t cheated we would not have given him the contract he received. Next year he will be a 21 million dollar part time DH. All CC wants is him off the books. As in gone. As in resources spent elsewhere. As in don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
And, yes I meant that literally. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out because you might wind up hurting yourself and have to spend even more time on the DL.
Is Chamberlain an interchangeable player?
Oh wait, that’s Pavano.
I will turn it around
Whats all this protecting Chamberlains arm? Is he going to pitch 3 innings every game?
Like Pete said has a workload effected Rivera?
I love the way people hang on every word as if it’s the final straw to break the camels back. Everyone already knows Joba is being groomed to be a starter for next year, not as a replacement pitcher. He’s being utilized this year out of need and also to see what the kid is made of in the real pressure of the majors. Yet, if it is not totally explained in explicit detail, they harp on every word to make themselves feels important and to try and abuse Peter, which is totally unfair. Grow up you ungrateful morons.
If you can’t read between the lines, don’t write abusive comments to someone who is providing you with a forum that is supposed to be for fun and for information. It’s about the best out there so don’t ruin it for the rest of us who think Peter does a great job with it.
LOL the last email made me laugh too. I like when you mix some non-baseball stuff in. Especially movie stuff
FYI
On 5/29/07 Yankees Were 14.5 games back
( Boston 36-15, NYY 21-29 )
Since Then, Boston has barely played over .500 ball ( 32-29 ) while the Yankees have been TEARING IT UP, winning almost 2 out of every 3 games ( 41-21, .661 ) Without any further decline by the BoSux ( big assumption as I think they will be LUCKY to with 50% of their remaining games ) and without any further improvement by the Yankees ( again, IMO, against the teams we have AND with the new arms in the Bullpen, with our offense, we CAN do better )….the Yankees Finish the Year 95-67, the BoSux 94-68. What is going to be the sweetest is when we face them and win at least 5 out of 6 to put the nail in their coffin and along the way DESTROY both their starting pitching AND their Bullpen ( especially PapelPug, when his shoulder is about to fall off and Gag Me Gagne and the meat pitches he will be serving up )
The thing that pisses me off about Giambi is when he criticized Arod last year. Granted, I think Arod”s struggles in big situations were obvious but who was Giambi to call him out. It would have been one thing if it were Posada or Jeter, but Giambi…He signed a huge contract to come over, hasn’t won a ws, hasn’t gotten any particularly clutch hits, took an entire year off to deal with his steroids debacle and has not come close to performing up to his contract. So where on earth did he get off coming out and criticizing Arod who works harder than him, contributes more than him, and doesn’t trash talk teammates in public. I will be happy to see him go, but what I would really like is if we can trade for him some prospects (or maybe a replacement for Arod if he leaves) a la Sheffield instead of buying him out, even if we have to pick up some of his contract.
Hey Vinny, thanks for the lecture! I do appreciate when my betters tell me how I should act. I’m not sure if you read other blogs, but it is a conversation. It is not a forum for Peter to pronounce his wisdom from on high and his adoring fans to fawn over his super-smartness.
I realize Peter has to balance his access to Torre, the players and the team with the “tough questions”, but there are plenty of people that see a pattern. Be it his Damon worship or his apologizing for Torre’s well-known inability to manage the bullpen. This is not even in question.
So you feel free to bow in appreciation for Peter’s all knowing awesomeness. Meanwhile, I will appreciate it for what it is and point out when I think the hard questions are being avoided for whatever reason.
KAJ,
Sorry to bring reality into the situation, but the schedule favors Boston…
Yanks schedule
3 @ Tor
3 @ Cle
3 vs Bal
4 vs Det
3 @ LAA
4 @ Det
3 vs Bos
Boston’s schedule:
3 @ LAA
3 @ Bal
3 vs Tampa Bay
4 vs LAA (Sox absolutely own the Angels at home)
3 @ Tampa Bay
4 @ White Sox
3 vs Yankees
Not that Cash/Torre seem to care, but Edwar was stellar again last night. Saw him on the computer via minorleaguebaseball.com, as I have several times. I have never seen a change which moves as much as his. Granted, he needs to have weights in his pockets so that the wind does not blow him off the mound. But other than that, he is the real thing and would make a tremedous duo with Joba. His change + Joba’s heat = batters’ confusion/frustration.
I know Chamberlain has joined the team in Toronto, but is he available to pitch in tonight’s game?
PS – has Damon been hot for the last 2 weeks or so ? Yes. Does that make up for his abysmal performance (.660 OPS on 7/20) for the other 95 games this season that the Yankees are paying him $14 Million for ?
That is NOT one of the “hard questions”.
Joba will be pitching tonight.
Again Sherard are you paying Damons contract? So why do you care how much money he is making?
And did you ever think that Damon might have been hurt at the start of the season? But he is a gamer and comes to play everyday??
Or you still dumb founded that baseball players make millions of dollars?
“Hard questions”???
It’s baseball. What is so hard about it??? There are no hard questions. Pete answers real peoples mail. What is so hard to understand about that? Like Pete ducks hard questions??? Get off the soapbox, Sherard.
I like Pete’s mailbags. Some insight. Some comedy.
Its baseball. Not brain surgery.
I think Pete answered everything he had to from those questions.
He’s not Joe Torre here. He’s making educated guesses and giving his opinion.
Like we all are. To say he’s avoiding answers is pretty lame.
Again we have to deal with the Edwar is a savior stuff.
Can he get command of his fastball before we annoint him a God?
Kyle Farnsworth has pitched so ineffectively this season and he hurts the bullpen more than he helps it. Given this, why don’t the yankees swallow up most of his contract and trade him for some minor leaguers? This would allow more effective relievers from our minor league system to come up.
KAJ,
Sorry to bring reality into the situation, but the schedule favors Boston…
Yanks schedule
3 @ Tor
3 @ Cle
3 vs Bal
4 vs Det
3 @ LAA
4 @ Det
3 vs Bos
Boston’s schedule:
3 @ LAA
3 @ Bal
3 vs Tampa Bay
4 vs LAA (Sox absolutely own the Angels at home)
3 @ Tampa Bay
4 @ White Sox
3 vs Yankees
Even though edwar ramirez struggled a little in the big leagues, how well do you view him as an effective reliever for the yankees in the future?
Cashman will not swallow 7 mill plus for a guy who he thinks they can straighten out. So many teams need arms in the pen why give up on one who throws hard and has had success?? It doesn’t make any sense.
You put him in the 6th inning and let him figure it out. Like Vizcaino did.
Sherard,
As one of those people who can’t see beyond their own nose, you must feel proud to constantly try to ridicule others, an effort in which you dismally fail at.
Just to enlighten you a little bit, since you are one of the what have you done for me lately generation, was it not Damon who was helped to bring this team to the playoffs last year, all the while playing with a hurt shoulder, which he hurt crashing into a wall for this team and a broken bone in his foot ? Then people, like you, have the utter gaul to say he is out of shape going into spring training when he was recuperating from those injuries.
Players are not as good as their last at bat, as some of you may think. All players, no matter who they are, go through down periods in their career. This does not make them has beens, over the hill or bad just because you think they are. There are many more players who have a good year or two only to peter out and fall to the wayside but people like you, who ride the hot hand, fail to take this into account or go hide once that happens.
You are one of the what have you done for me lately icons for sure. Get real. Try seeing long term for a change.
Also in regard to Peter, he doesn’t have to justify himself to you or me. I take his writing as I would any other writer. Some truth, some hype, some self serving. He is not infalable as many want him to be and everyone will not agree with all his viewpoints but he’s usually right in the ballpark.
Schedules’s have a way of changing. You don’t know who will get hot, what pitcher will get hot, who will get hurt, who will slump.
On paper Boston has an easy schedule. But it’s not assured that they go 20-5.
People like Sherard want to sit or trade Jeter because he is going thru a slump. You can’t win with these guys.
Pete,
I have looked around the net and this is by far the best Yankee blog around.
Kudos for bringing us your inside look at the team. There are far many more insightful and articulate posters here that make up for the few morons that just love to agitate, and see there words in print.
I hope this is something you would like to keep doing because right now you are the best at it!
I’m a sick of people who want to trade Damon and Giambi.
Don’t these rubes know that you need a bench to win especially during the dog days of August????
Aren’t two former all stars and productive players vital to that???
Or do you want Kevin Reese and Nieves here????
You love how some people see Torre as some evil despot ruining the arms of pitchers, do you? It’s equally funny how people rumininate over Torre’s use of middle relievers, is it? Lets be honest, you’ve turned your new found e-celebrityism into a blog full of arrogance. Perhaps you come from a family from pharmicists, but perhaps you should step down from your higher ground — You’ve lost several former loyal readers because of it. Not that you would care or anything. These guys are largely changeable and expendable.
“Not that Cash/Torre seem to care, but Edwar was stellar again last night.”
he’ll be here within a week. book it.
‘On paper Boston has an easy schedule. But it’s not assured that they go 20-5.’
The point is Boston doesn’t have to go 20-5 because they are the ones who are six up.
‘I’m a sick of people who want to trade Damon and Giambi.
Don’t these rubes know that you need a bench to win especially during the dog days of August????
Aren’t two former all stars and productive players vital to that???
Or do you want Kevin Reese and Nieves here????’
These same people don’t realize that since Giambi has been here he has been the second most productive hitter on the team behind ARod.
How did Schilling do last night YanksSOX????
Down to 6.
Say the Yanks go 4-2 vs the Sox during their 6 games which at this point is more than reasonable.
It’s a ballgame. Getting scared yet troll?
and the other point is that yankees don’t have to catch the sox.
just get to the dance. doesn’t matter how.
I really don’t need a Sox troll to copy and paste what I said and use it as their own thoughts.
Thank,s Yanksox for your little help.
The Sox are 15-13 in their past 28 games.
Not exactly a stellar mark.
They also haven’t dealt with any adversity this year.
If this thing gets down to 3 games, I want to hear the crowd start getting on the Lugo’s, the Crisps, the Drews
Things could get real UGLY
Giambi and Damon are two very, very good players. We need them in the playoffs for sure. It has been shown to some extent that we do not NEED them for the regular season, though they could definitely help there too. Giambi can change a game with one swing. Phillips is not that same way. Damon can, too. Melky isn’t really up to Damon’s standard yet. Just because Damon has been rusty (and picked it up significantly lately) doesn’t mean that he can’t perform NOW and LATER. BEFORE should not be thought about. It’s all about going forward.
‘How did Schilling do last night YanksSOX????’
Fine for his first start back from the DL
‘It’s a ballgame. Getting scared yet troll?’
No
This is one of the best blogs in sports and the only one I know of that combines inside access with interesting perspectives and a sense of humor. That said, the one thing that bothers me about this blog is its constant positivity about all things Torre.
Some of the smartest commenters on this blog (SJ44 is an obvious example) regularly make convincing arguments that Torre lowers our chances to win by playing favorites, irrationally mistrusting young players, and burning his pen. Just a quick look around other Yankee blogs (Bronx Banter, RLYW) shows that many thinking Yankee fans feel the same way.
I already enjoy this blog a lot, but I would enjoy it more if Pete didn’t use the “I love it when …” line every time someone criticizes Torre’s management decisions. There is a good reason for most of these criticisms.
As for Joba, it’s unlikely that Torre will overuse him. More likely is that Torre will not use him, just as he did not use Ramirez, and bury him after he has his inevitable bad outing.
I think the Sox Trolls are getting a little worried.
How’s Beckett’s blisters???
They know that they’ll be lucky to get 2 games out of the 6 remaining.
Plus, they are due for a losing streak.
‘I really don’t need a Sox troll to copy and paste what I said and use it as their own thoughts.
Thank,s Yanksox for your little help.’
I’m sorry I am trying to put substance, stats, and actually facts behind your very unconvincing post.
The Redsox may be only playing 500 ball or so over the last month, but they are a solid, well-balanced team that is starting to re-awaken. They are in the midst of a challenging road trip and faring pretty well.
Although the ‘hated’ sox have not had the injuries other teams have had such as the Yankees,Cards, Blue Jays etc…they have had some adversity; example losing their #1 pitcher for 2 months and having Ortiz hampered most of the year.
The Yankees need to win and win some more, then look up mid-September and see where they are. If they play .650+ baseball over the next 1.5 months it won’t matter what any other teams do; the Yankees will be shoring up their rotation for October.
‘and the other point is that yankees don’t have to catch the sox.
just get to the dance. doesn’t matter how.’
Agreed and it seems that the WC is pretty much theres to lose now, especially with the fact that Det and Cle will beat up on each other a few more times before the seasons end, but my post was in discussion with the AL East division winner.
How is you copying and pasting my thoughts and posts bringing anything of substance to you, YanksSox?
Forgive me if I don’t see your point. I have an IQ over 60.
Just stop copying and pasting my views and using them as your own. Easy enough.
Joba isn’t fungible middle reliever, though, and shouldn’t be ridden like he was one, and that’s what everyone is worried about as far as Torre is concerned.
The criticism of Torre and the bullpen is overblown.
Maybe if the starters gave him 7 every night he wouldn’t have to use 4 pitchers a night.
And isn’t it a relievers job to pitch daily?
Don’t blame Torre for average pitchers going down like Quantrill and Karsay. Quantrill lead the league in appearances the 2 yrs before he was here. So I don’t think its Joes fault he tired.
As for Damon, I know he’s a cool guy and all, but it doesn’t make sense to keep starting him after Giambi returns. He’s been an on-base machine, but his power is completely gone and he’s not stealing. (.258/.379/.350(!), 6 SB, 2 CS since July 1.) His high OBP makes it not completely insane that he’s still leading off, but this is not a bat you want for LF or DH.
Damon’s lack of power is nothing new this season, as he has a .355 SLG for the year. That’s lower than Mientkiewizc’s SLG for the season (.379).
Making Giambi the full-time DH over Damon should be a no-brainer. Unless he’s cooked, Giambi should give us about the same OBP and a whole lot more power.
I’ve seen criticism of Giambi being a station-to-station baserunner, but Damon would probably have a lot more trouble getting beyond first base.
Damon should only be used to give Matsui, Melky, or Giambi an occasional day off. Otherwise he should sit.
Any idea on who is going to be taken off the 40 man roster to get Joba on?
If you’re going to bash Torre for overusing crappy relievers than you have to credit him for Mo, Stanton, Nelson, Mendoza, Llyod, Wetteland, Gordon, and all the rest.
Little tip Jeremy. They signed Damon to bat leadoff and get on base. Not hit 30 homers.
He seems to be doing that, right?
Denver Jim,
I was quoting you, thats why I copied and pasted what you said. There were quotes around what you said. That IQ must be sitting right around 65.
Moneyball people make me laugh.
So Giambi has a higher OBP than Damon. Why not bat him leadoff???
Stats are useful but not the be all and end all.
Don’t quote me and make it like it is your quote. That’s all. Obviously, that is way too much for someone with your lack of insight to comprehend. I’ve seen your in depth insights here. No wonder you have to copy and paste others thoughts.
Denver Jim,
Don’t feed the Sox trolls. They won’t shut up.
YanksSox can’t even answer simple questions. They’re getting nervous in Troll land, folks.
Bill and Stingray,
The way the Indians and Tigers have been playing, the Yankees have the easier schedule.
‘Don’t quote me and make it like it is your quote. That’s all. Obviously, that is way too much for someone with your lack of insight to comprehend. I’ve seen your in depth insights here. No wonder you have to copy and paste others thoughts.’
I didn’t I quoted you, and responded, like I am doing now.
‘YanksSox can’t even answer simple questions. They’re getting nervous in Troll land, folks.’
What questions.
YanksSox is a toolbox.
All he does he repost what others write.
Have your own opinions, chief.
Lanny, Giambi’s slugging would be a waste in the leadoff spot. Plus, he’ll provide protection for A-Rod. (well, this is actually a moot point at the moment: Matsui has been red-hot.)(Regarding Hideki: I still get a huge smile on my face when I think about the story regarding his vast porn collection; I just never saw that in him)
“And isn’t it a relievers job to pitch daily? ”
no, it isn’t.
You know what is funny ? People who said there was NO chance the Yankees could make a run for the division because of games they lost early in the season, that now point to the fact that their barely over .500 team is now WAKING up ( yup that loss to the Angels last night was REAL impressive ) and because they have a supposedly easier schedule coming up, they will easily be able to maintain a division lead that has been hammered down from 14.5 games to only 6. Here’s a prediction…by the end of the month, the Yankees, IMO, will be in first place….then, the BoSux fans will have yet another reason why they will “come back” and win the division. After we hand them their @$$ in head to head play, they will definitely have another argument about how we will fold at the end of the year…and when it is all said and done and the Yankees win the division and they don’t even make the playoffs, it will be because, once again, we are the Evil Empire and we spend money like idiots and that is the only way our team ever does good. Nothing to do with talent, or a team coming together at the right time and putting together big wins during the “clutch” stretch run to finish a season.. It’s all because we are Evil and they just have this uncanny ability to find ways to lose 99% of the time….Poor, Poor Boston…they will have to live with the shame of blowing a 14.5 game lead for the entire offseason and will be watching the playoffs from their sofas while drowning their sorrows and crying in their beers….poor, poor Boston… LOL !!!
and honestly, i don’t see how there is a single yankee fan left who can’t see that torre is a poor bullpen manager.
all you had to do was watch the last 6 games.
Vizcaino pitches in a 7-1 game on Wednesday. now he can’t be used in an 11-9 game on Thursday. Farnsworth pitches and gives up 2 runs.
On Friday, Vizcaino pitches in a 6-1 game and then in a 16-7 game on saturday. so Torre has to use Mo for 5 outs on Sunday b/c he had to go to Myers instead of Viz.
yesterday he needs Vizcaino to throw 35 pitches b/c Mo was used for 5 outs on Sunday.
now Vizcaino is not available today (or shouldn’t be) and Mo will be going 3 days in a row if needed.
in other words, in the last week, Vizcaino was used with a 6 run lead, a 5 run lead, and a 9 run lead, but was NOT used with a 3 run lead and a 2 run lead. then yesterday, Mo could not go more than 3 outs b/c he was needed on Sunday.
seriously, can’t people see how stupid this is?
Firstly, I was referring to a post season trade for Giambi, I don’t think it’s realistic he gets traded now. But I don’t think Giambi really contributes that much to our bench, he will become the third dh type we have on the bench, along with betemit who is a solid hitter. A little diversity is important too, don’t you think?
I would also strongly question that Giambi has been the second most productive player on our team since he has been here. I think Jeter, Matsui, and even Sheffield, though I don’t like him, have been more productive. Furthermore while Giambi has been above-average behind the plate when he plays, and he has been on the dl a lot, he is a huge liability in the field and is a one-dimensional player. I think players like Melky, Jeter, Posada, Matsui, and, right now, Andy Phillips, who are “productive” in places other than the batters box too contribute more to winning.
If you are actually trying to say that Giambi has earned his contract and had the right to criticize Arod’s performance last year…I am at a loss of words
I am as critical as anybody about Joe’s use of the bullpen.
Its about balance. IMO, its not out of bounds to question some of the bullpen decisions this year.
Sure, there are some guys, career bullpen/journeyman types, who are fungible. Every team has them.
That said, you have to manage the arms better than he has at times this year. Using Vizcaino in the 8th inning the other day, with a NINE run lead, is just horrible bullpen management. I don’t even know how that’s in dispute.
Using Proctor THREE times in games with leads of 6 or more runs in the 7th inning, while a kid like Ramirez is drydocked for two weeks, is just not effective management of the bullpen.
I don’t think, I KNOW he won’t abuse Chamberlain. That’s not the point.
The point is, they have played their butts off to get back in this race. From this point forward, he has to do a better job of managing the arms he has out there.
Vizcaino is just about at his career high in innings pitched. Its not enough to say (like he has) they are “watching him”. You have to do SHOW that you are.
For example, regardless of the situation, Vizcaino CAN’T pitch tonight. If he uses him tonight, he’s abusing him.
Vizcaino has become a very important part of this team. If I was Joe, I’d probably do the same (ride him too much) because its tough to have confidence in guys who can’t throw the ball over the plate. That issue is being resolved with the remaking of the bullpen. So, there is no need to overuse Vizcaino the rest of the way.
From this point forward, its a fresh slate. Do a better job of managing the arms out there, and things will work out just fine.
Its his blind spot as a manager. Always has been, even when he was in Atlanta and St. Louis. These next 50 games, they have to protect him from himself and make sure the ‘pen is managed better the rest of the way.
Blutarsky, we also got Damon to play CF, give us above-average offense, and be a speed threat. He’s not doing any of those things. We’re not paying him $13 million a year to be a DH who can’t get an extra-base hit.
I’m glad he’s getting on base, that’s very important. But if he’s going to play DH or LF, he has to hit like one or there’s no reason not to use Giambi and Matsui at those positions.
PBL, if you’re looking at raw offensive numbers, like OPS, then Giambi has been the best hitter on the team in 2002, 2003, and 2006, and was #2 behind ARod in 2005. He was awful in 2004 as we all know.
Since he’s a DH, being #1 or #2 in OPS for his team is really all you can ask for. What more can a DH do but get on base and hit for power?
He is definitely overpriced and useless in the field. That’s beyond question. But, if he’s healthy (and that’s a big if), he is a huge help as a DH. Again, that’s all we can hope for now.
Jeremy, I would pretty much agree with that analysis, looking at the ops stats now (i think you have to also consider what a guy like jeter gets done on the basepaths). I do still think we could spare one of our dh types right now, so I’m not sure how much value he is adding given his capabilities. The original point I was trying to make is that Giambi was out of line in criticizing Arod last year for not being a championship type player when Giambi has 0 championships and has done less to merit his salary and contribute to the team than Arod. I thought for him to criticize Arod, as if he were a model addition, was pretty hypocritical and unnecessary given Arod’s struggles last year and Giambi’s history with the team, especially 04.
The key is to have a 6 man bullpen where everyone can be trusted. If someone can’t go in the 8th, another guy can easily step up and do it. If Mo can’t pitch someone can finish the job.
Right now and this season this team hasn’t had that. They’ve had no versatility.
They’ve walked way too many guys.
SJ44,
As usual great analysis re Joe’s use of the bullpen. But what makes you think that 1. He will not abuse Chamberlain. 2. He will suddenly become an effective bullpen manager.
The man is in his 60′s. It is highly unlikely for him to change his M.O. at this stage of life.
I think that since Zimmer left he doesn’t have anyone on the bench to say no to him. I think it shows mostly in his use of the bullpen. BTW I live part time in the Tampa area, and if y’all don’t know it Zimm is a demi-god down there. They even had a Zimmer bobblehead night there recently.