Wrapping it up from the Jake
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- August
- 12
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This will be quick as I have a flight to catch:
Mariano Rivera has saved 47 victories for Andy Pettitte over the years. Only Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley and Bob Welch, who teamed up for 55 wins from 1988-94, have more.
“Is there anybody you’d rather have out there?â€? Pettitte said. “You always have the faith that he will do it. You never see him panic.â€?
Huge weekend for the Yankees, who swept a first-place team and moved closer to Boston, certainly close enough to cause more panic in the Hub.
Here is Joe Torre:
and Andy Pettitte:
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on Sunday, August 12th, 2007 at 6:13 pm by Peter Abraham.
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iTunes
Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
say goodbye to pettitte and mo’s arm.
fire torre
Ok I had a good couple of hours of being a happy homer. Back to reality though in terms of the division.
Boston goes to play Tampa Bay @ Home which should really be a cake walk for them despite how bad they are playing now.
The Yankees on the other hand play Baltimore @ Home who has really owned us this season. Pitching matchups?
Bedard vs Wang
Gutrie vs Karstens
Cabrera vs Clemens
They have their best going so hopefully we can win 2 of 3 but the first 2 games will be extremely tough. Bedard is a Top 5 Pitcher in the AL and for Game 2 Karstens has struggled all season.
If you eliminate all the common home and road games, here are the 21 non-common results:
Yankees: vs. BAL 3, vs. TOR 1, vs. DET 4, vs. SEA 3, @ DET 4, @ ANA 3, @ KC 3
Red Sox: vs. TB 3, @ TB 3, vs. OAK 2, vs. MIN 4, vs. ANA 4, @ CWS 4, @ BAL 1
We’ve heard all year about the number of Devil Rays-Red Sox games remaining, and it certainly appears that Yankee fans will be rooting for TB an awful lot down the stretch. Meanwhile, the Bombers will have the ultimate chance to gain some revenge on Detroit after last year’s postseason.
Before the Cleveland series started many were predicting gloom and doom due to pitching matchup. We know what happened.
Similarly, let us be positive about Baltimore series. Even in the seond game when Karstens will pitch, I dare say that offense will take care of that game.
About Boston playing Tampa Bay, don’t discount Tampa Bay. They can put in lot of runs in a hurry and any thing can happen. How many really beleived that we will gain ground while we are playing Cleveland and Boston was playing Baltimore? Matchup on the paper do not mean a thing.
*Tick..Tick..Tick..Tick..Tick..Tick..Tick..Tick..*
not sure if anyone posted it but here is a cool feature on ian kennedy …
http://www.yesnetwork.com/medi.....?oid=36019
hat tip to RAB
Global Warming, Clemens is suspended, it will be Hughes on Wed. NOt that it makes it any more likely for us. Bottom line at this point is winning series, I know that sounds cliche. Big help would be a comeback outing for Wang to make up for last weeks meltdown, that’s what I expect actually.
GW,
You’re wrong on the pitching matchups.
Wang vs Guthrie
Karstens vs. Cabrera
Hughes vs. Bedard
Clemens won’t pitch until Sat. KJ said so today on the YES pregame.
Baltimore has to be approached with respect. They have played th Yankees well this season, so it’s not a given that our Yankees will prevail. But they are playing at HOME, and that’s a nice advantage to have. They’re also really locked in, a different team than previously faced Baltimore. Send out the positive vibes, people!
Peter Gammons just said that Ian Kennedy will come up this week.
Just read on another board that Kennedy is pitching for us Tuesday night. Anyone else hear this.
That loss had to sting for Boston. Knowing the increasingly unreliable Wakefield and Lester are up next wont help either. Time to plug Gabbard back in the rotation I think……oh. BBFan, Lester vs Kazmir is no cake walk.
Beckett has to win each time out for them or they will be sunk. But he is matched up against Lackey next week!! Can’t wait to see Vlad take him deep. With Ortiz and Manny struggling, the Angels pitching could really shut them down.
On this date in history (8/12/78) the Yankees were 8 games out of 1st place.
The Orioles series is the classic “trap series”. A bad team before 8 with the Tigers and 4 with the Angels. They have played the Yankees tough all year, are coming off winning 2 of 3 vs the Sox (whom they never beat), and Guthrie has owned the Yankees this year.
However, this is a MUCH different Yankee team. They lose today’s game in June. Now, they finish the job. Today was a great win for this team.
This is a very dangerous team. The injection of youth has really sparked them.
Also, let’s face it, a little competition for PT also doesn’t hurt. Its not a coincidence (IMO) that Damon started hitting when Duncan got called up and Giambi looks like he lost half a person (and got his bat speed back) in an attempt to justify more PT.
Its made this team better. Now, they have to keep it up.
A bounceback outing by Wang, and a pounding of Guthrie, would be a great way to start the homestand.
I doubt that the Yankees will take them lightly. They know how the o’s have played them this year.
Art Vandelay = silly man, or just plain joker..right ?
Chamberlain
August 12th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
Peter Gammons just said that Ian Kennedy will come up this week.
and WHERE did he say this ?
PETER….can you confirm ? thanks, SIRE !
I would guess Kennedy is coming up..as I said earlier he didn’t pitch in his regularly scheduled game today.
Pictures say it all…….
http://www.bostondirtdogs.com/
Wasn’t it interesting regarding Damon and Duncan? Duncan was brought up to DH in place of Damon, but Melky had to miss a game with stomach cramps, so Damon played center while Duncan dh’d. that’s the day Damon started to get it going. SJ44 — great point — it never hurts to have to work for your playing time.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t it make the most sense for Ian to pitch tommorow’s game? He was supposed to pitch today, so you don’t want to upset his routine too much. Wang could then pitch on normal rest Tuesday. I know Joe said that Wang is pitching tommorow, but I am very anxious to see how it plays out.
Isn’t the internet a wonderful thing? I missed most of the game today, just catching the scores on the radio (an accomplishment in itself, as Sterling seems to make it a point to give the score as infrequently as he can). But right now, I’m watching the scoring innings on MLB.com. What’s striking me is how the Yankees scored all but one of their runs with 2 out. That’s the kind of thing you look for. They do not give up, they just don’t. They are focused and they are taking it one game, even one hitter, at a time.
I am a big believer in pushing some guys for PT. It said a lot that they didn’t send Duncan down when Giambi was activated. That told me, they were committed to anything but the status quo.
They also rolled the dice and changed their bullpen on the fly. The easy move would have been trying to coax better outings from Proctor, Bruney and Myers. Instead, they decided to blow it up. I admire the guts it took to make that decision.
They are still a pitcher short (IMO) in the bullpen. However, if the starters go an extra inning each (which has been happening) per start, they can absorb it.
Thess next 14 games are huge. The way they are playing, if they have another big run in them (10-4 for example), when they get back home, to start the Red Sox series, they will be in good shape.
Just have to stay healthy and keep winning series.
You don’t change your major league pitching rotation for a minor league pitcher. You keep Wang on his regular turn. That’s more important.
Kennedy last pitched on Weds. Aug. 8
SJ, Wang’s regular turn is Tuesday…
I don’t know if everyone knows about this. But if you’re out. You can send google a message on your cell and get the Yankee score.
just text google
and the message is : new york yankees score
Do you think they’ll try to keep Molina for next season? Or is he too good – another team will offer him a starting position?
I’m an idiot, nevermind, when did Wang last pitch? Aug 8th right?
Well I’m a moron…I jumped the gun on Kennedy. I thought today was his day to pitch, but I guess its actually tommorow.
Why does it seem like th Yankees are playing the Orioles ALL THE TIME???????? They end the season with 3 games in Baltimore! This 3 game series with them at the Stadium is very, very key.
(I’m starting to think too much, and look too forward.)
Sorry for the confusion on my part everyone. As ….. pointed out, Kennedy last pitched on Aug 8. So his regular turn is tommorow, as is Wang’s. I officially need to get a calender.
Jennifer -
Standard text message rates apply?
Thanks for that information. I’ll try it next time we’re out. (I’m only now starting to do text messaging, so far only with my daughter, who’s going away to school. Figured it’s a necessity if I want to reach her!)
Gammons said I WOULDN’T be suprised if the Yankees brought Kennedy up.
Yeah it is just a regular text message charge.
Wang’s regular turn is tomorrow. I don’t think there is any question the Yankees will try to re-sign Molina in the off-season. He is a FA after this year.
He’s the best backup catcher they have had since Jorge backed up Girardi.
So what’s Ian Kennedy like?
How old is Molina? I wasn’t under the impression he was terribly young, but I’ve been wrong before.
Oh yeah,
Gammons said Cleveland said Joba has the best stuff in the majors.
let’s get a look at kennedy on tuesday. you know he has to want it so bad watching his boys hughes and chamberlain in the show. he is the third part of that three-headed monster, and has done nothing to show he will do anything less than what hughes and chamberlain have done in the majors thus far. to say he has dominated high A, AA, and AAA this year would be an understatement. we know what karstens brings, let’s keep letting the boy wonders deal.
This is cute http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....amp;search
I just hope it isn’t Karstens pitching Tuesday…I was never really a fan of him given his go/ao ratio in the minors.
dr acula,
every scouting report you see has kennedy with a fastball that sits in the low 90s and a bigtime change as his out pitch. his curveball was a work in progress, but he has made a lot of progress with it this year apparently. but the big thing on him is he supposedly has absolutely pinpoint location, which is always a beautiful thing. he has been racking up major K’s in the minors this year.
haha thats good stuff Jennifer.
Think, “Young Mussina”, when describing Kennedy.
They are about the same size, they can throw any of their pitches for strikes in any count, and they both like to work both sides of the plate.
He has no single dominant pitch. Its the total package that’s impressive. He’s probably more polished as a pitcher than Joba and perhaps, even Hughes.
He’s real good. I firmly believe he will be in rotation next year.
I doubt he will pitch Tuesday though.
I love the shot of “Pedro”
If I was a Red Sox fan I’d be worried right now about being only four games up …. over SEATTLE.
After being so far back it would be sweet if we could overtake Boston and they don’t even make the wild card.
And how ironic would it be (from their point of view) should the division flip-flop down the stretch? Sox made the move for Gagne and he’s been GAG-ne. ANSKY made a move for a reserve but brought up home grown Franchise, Jabba, Bash Bro Duncan and maybe even Kennedy down the stretch, and our own Cano finally gets hot.
Jennifer–
One of my best memories ever!
There are few good ones
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....mp;search=
I like the one with the beanie babies.
Wang’s regular turn would be on tuesday, if you take into account the off day they had on thursday.
Wang is scheduled for tomorrow, better to match him up against guthrie (who beat Andy 4-2, two weeks ago) and go with the rookie on tuesday against Cabrera who is 2-4 with a 4.34 era against the yanks.
Thanks Paddy!
jen, rebecca, here’s a great photo:
http://tinyurl.com/253m33
Dr,
Obviously I was very confused regarding Wang(I have since figured things out). I have such a poor sleep schedule that I hardly ever know what day it is. The only reason I know that today is the 12th is becuase it is posted on the comments.
Thats great!!!
Two different people on this board misquoted Gammons.
As Jennifer correctly stated, Gammons said that he “wouldn’t
be surprised” if Kennedy got the call up this week.
Gammons also said that three different people told him that Joba has the best stuff in the majors.
We don’t know who those people are but he certainly didn’t say anything about Cleveland.
If we are going to pass along reporters actually say, it’s better to quote them accurately instead of turning this into Chinese telephone.
Anyways, unless Wang gets rocked tomorrow, it will be Karstens getting the start on Tuesday.
They would have to drop someone from the 40-man to accomodate Kennedy and they probably won’t mess with that unless it’s necessary and they need him.
I’d be happy to get rid of Reese to make way for Kennedy. They’ll have to do it next season anyways. Anywho, Kennedy probably won’t pitch so it doesn’t matter.
Thanks, SJ!
Viper,
You are correct. He didn’t say Kennedy was being called up this week.
To add one other thing. He didn’t have a smile on his face when talking about Joba. lol
Hah! That photo is classic!
If the Yankees win the wildcard and Boston wins the division, who do they face in the A.L.D.S?
If the Yankees win the division and Boston wins the wildcard, who do they face in the A.L.D.S?
B.t.w. the Devil Rays aren’t exactly starting an automatic batting practice pitcher out there: James Sheilds is 9-7 with a 4.32 ERA. Nothing special, he could be rocked if he’s not on, but that’s pretty good considering who he’s pitching for. Wakefield isn’t exactly tearing it up with a 13-10.
“A bounceback outing by Wang, and a pounding of Guthrie, would be a great way to start the homestand.”
I’m not really worried about the wangster. He is ace material and will have a strong outing. The O’s have been our nemesis this year and there is a lot of payback coming. I like how we match up against them and cant wait to see Hughes battle Bedard.
The Karstens game really isn’t scaring me as much as it might have earlier in the season. We have more options in the pen now that can come in and help out if needed.
Torre is showing more willingness to use his youth and this is perhaps the most refreshing change of all. I tip my hat to him using Mo today for the 4th out. Lord knows I have busted on this guy all season, but this was definitely the move to make. Had Rivera blown it (unlikely) it was still the right move. Live and die with your best.
Nothing makes me sicker than watching Farnsworthless destroy a hard fought victory with one pitch. Torre has abandoned that long plan of sabotage and the Yanks are better for it.
Yanks will be in the lead of this division within the next two weeks. The Sux have simply ruined what was working and haven’t fixed what was broke. Gagne was a panic move designed purely to prevent the Yanks from getting him. I’m glad they asked for Cabrera and wouldn’t budge on guys like that. Imagine having that guy here picking up where Farnsworthless left off.
“But right now, I’m watching the scoring innings on MLB.com.”
Doreen, make sure you watch the pickoff play by Petitte. Absolutely brilliant at the most opportune time. It was easily the play of the game and will go largely unnoticed. Really special to watch one of the great pickoff artists utilize his skill so deftly.
BJ
Who said that Kennedy was getting called up? As far as I could tell from reading the comments, Jennifer accurately stated that Gammons WOULDN’T be surprised if Kennedy got the callup.
dontfirecash-
that’s okay. I was confused too. cuz the papers said it was his regular day, and that karstens would take Clemens regular day on Tuesday. But a little voice in my head said, ” how can that be, he pitched the day after clemens’s gem.” I had to pull out a calendar and write the names, just to make sure.
Chamberlain August 12th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
Peter Gammons just said that Ian Kennedy will come up this week.
Thanks Viper, just wondering.
And then game 2 is Kazmir vs. Lester (I think), a pitching matchup that strongly favors Tampa as well.
if like some more cool pix, here’s a nice slide show of AROD:
http://tinyurl.com/yvwybq
_If the Yankees win the wildcard and Boston wins the division, who do they face in the A.L.D.S?_
Boston plays the division winner with the worst record.
_If the Yankees win the division and Boston wins the wildcard, who do they face in the A.L.D.S?_
Yanks play division winner with worst record.
SJ,
You ever think about doing your blog? I’d read it…
Check that….
I forgot to add that either the Yanks or BoSox have to finish with the best record in the AL for above to happen.
I didn’t misquote him. At first he said Ian Kennedy will be up this week. He then spoke again on espn BBTN but this time he said he won’t be surprised if Ian Kennedy was up.
Thanks for the suggestion, Big Johnson. Will do.
Let’s say the only free agent and veteran starters Tampa Bay could get are guys who got World Series rings cuz what guy without one would risk throwing away prime/ remaining years on pitching for a losing team?
If they signed Livan Hernandez who’s a free agent after this season (he’s making only $7M this season) and acquired John Garland from the Chi-Sox, do you think a front four of Kazmir/ Garland/ Hernandez/ Shields could get them to at least .500 respectability? If they pried away El Duque from the Mets so he could finally play on the same team as his brother Livan, they’d be interesting to say the least.
It’s not my fault that Gammons likes saying things without verifying them. I am sure one of the producers told him to change what he said about Ian Kennedy once they realized he wasn’t starting on tuesday.
I think the Yanks will take the Orioles seriously and whoop em in the Bronx.
Varitek is such a joke. He says the Yankees and Blue Jays are *”renowned for sign stealing”.*
And LOL Melvin Mora is great. This is what he said when he heard Varitek accused the Orioles of sign stealing too:
*”I know the pressure’s coming [to the Red Sox], and the Yankees are right there. Every pitch counts. But we’re going to keep playing hard. I don’t care what they say,” Mora said.*
I agree with SJ, The pen is shy one arm….Damn shame Farnsworth coudn’t get it together for the stretch run….So much talent, so little heart…Speaking of HEART….Rivera sucked it up in the 9th, and did a HOF performance…..Simply the best…..As for Ian Kennedy, much rather see him Tuesday than a lost self confidence Karstens….But he has been through the trenches last season at this time, so maybe he’ll bounce back…..He’s had two shottened Spring Trainings this season….Kennedy is a more complete pitcher than both Phil & Joba…Always pitches ahead in the count and knows how to put people away…..Then again this is a pennant race, tough time to get your feet wet….A year ago he was just getting ready to sign,so maybe a couple of pen assignments maybe better…..Then again in August 1964, the Yanks brought up a kid by the name of Mel Stotlemeyer who carried the club down the stretch and pitched in 3 games in the World Series vs. St. Louis….Molina has a lot of game left, Anahiem is moaning over the trade now that Napoli is hurt…..He always had a way of getting a key hit, as most Yankee fans remember, he always killed us……Wild card is a done deal, the Division is is now the quest……
LCâ„¢-
what varitek really meant to say was, “Gagne is such an idiot. He’s tipping his pitches, and you can’t fault Baltimore turning him into a BillyGoat.”
Good Lord, talk about confusing. Kennedy was supposed to pitch today. Scranton played a doubleheader on the 8th vs Pawtucket, so Kennedy’s turn in the rotation was actually today. He obviously didn’t pitch; I don’t know whether it was because the Yanks want him to pitch on regular rest tommorow for Scranton, or because they are saving him to pitch against Baltimore on Tuesday. I knew I wasn’t crazy(well at least not too crazy)…
I won’t consider the Wild Card a done deal quite yet–if the season ended today, Seattle would get in, just because they’re percentage points ahead–we’re one game back in the lost column.
I’m keeping my eyes set on the division, but I won’t consider anything a done deal until it actually is.
…Don’t know why that was struck out, sorry. Really need an edit button for this thing…
I wouldn’t be surprised if Lester pitched well against that impatient lineup. Not to burst anybodies bubble, but I could see Shields doing well too.
Rebecca, Seattle will not be a factor by Labor Day…..Watch for the Wild Card as usual will be an Eastern Division Club…..I still say Boston….Detriot & Cleveland are coming to bang on each other…..
BTw what’s Seattle’s schedule like? any games against Detroit, Cleveland, Boston, LA?
Everyone thinks Seattle is going to go away. I hope they do, but they haven’t, yet, so until they do I’m not going to ignore them.
Again, I won’t consider anything done until it’s done.
Apparently Kennedy is coming up because Shelley Duncan told Torre that Kennedy is coming up. Joe just nodded.
More risotto please.
(and yes, I’m going to keep harping on that damn risotto)
Gagme 5 appearances, 4 IP, 7 ER on 10H, ERA 15.75…..HUGE DEADLINE DEAL…..for the YANKEES ! LOL ! So Sweet !
The Mariners have by far the most difficult schedule remaining……7 games with Anahiem, 5 Cleveland, 3 Yanks, 3 Detroit, 6 Twins ( who I still think will be making some noise )……Seattle is a non factor….No way can their marignal rotation keep them in ……
rebecca: It took me a little while to figure out, but when you type — around words, it strikes them out. It’s a little annoying, but not much you can do about it! People still read what you write, I think, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it!
Andrea–Thanks!
Pat: Wow, that is a tough schedule, and logic would say that Seattle would fade…
but, of course, this is baseball. Stranger things have happened.
ESPN.COM has Karstens ( man of OVER 10.00 ERA ) scheduled to start on Tuesday ( although they have been wrong a lot ! ) PLEASE let Kennedy be the pitcher….Karstens and Igawa are about the same when it comes to being completely pitiful on the mound…ech !
Here’s an idea.
Maybe we send Igawa down to the minors and repackage him as an Outfielder. He’ll be the second coming of Matsui. It’ll be great.
Kaj: Probable pitcher pages are probably going to say Karstens, even if the head honchos know they’re going to call up Kennedy because they’re not ready to let the public know yet. And Karstens is not as bad as Igawa. I think Karstens is an average pitcher. His two pre-DL start was against the Red Sox and he wasn’t quite as bad as Igawa in his many starts then. Karstens is average. He made the Red Sox look like the Red Sox. Igawa is bad. He made the Devil Rays look like the Red Sox.
Matty: Maybe all Igawa needs is some saffron rissotto.
Hahah!
ERA in Karstens case is pretty useless given the small sample size. I am more worried about the fact that he is a flyball pitcher and will be pitching in Camden Yards which is a bandbox.
No he won’t. Yankees are home for Baltimore this set.
nm, he will be pitching in the bronx..duh.
Any more news on a possible trade to SD for him?
I left out a line, sorry. I meant to ask if there was any update on the possible trade of Igawa to San Diego
dont, (can I call you that?)
I still worry about Karstens. His proclivity to give up the long ball is disturbing to say the least.
I think they got til Tuesday to work out a trade for Igawa. I haven’t heard anything, but I haven’t been the best source of news so far today either.
mel,
Agreed. Lets hope IPK is pitching.
i wouldn’t be shocked if wang had a little trouble again. not as bad as last time, but he’s been falling behind and leaving pitches up for over a month now, but getting by on that killer sinker. depending up on how off he is, baltimore may or may not knock him around a bit. either way, he hasn’t been lights out for a while now.
karstens isn’t good. he’s a spot starter and that’s probably how you should expect him to pitch. the kid has average stuff that he hasn’t been locating well. that’s not a recipe for success.
however, for all my negativity, this is from an email i sent a friend earlier:
clearly, i was wrong about the yankees. they dug themselves out of the whole they’d made earlier in the season and now they’re leading the wildcard and trailing the red sox by 4 games (remember when the deficit was 14.5?). they’re in it. now it’s a matter of whether they’re good enough to win it.
no matter how their season finishes, i’m going to have a LOT more fun watching cabrera, cano, duncan, hughes and chamberlain chase a playoff berth than i did watching johnson, sheffield, etc.
IPK? Heck I’ll take CPK over Karstens. lol. Even if he bombs, though, it won’t derail the team. We can’t win all the games anyway. Take 2 out of every 3 to get to 95? A big challenge, but definitely doable. D-rays & O’s are definitely traps, though. I’m still pinching myself to see if the Yankees are really 4 back of the Sox.
“no matter how their season finishes, i’m going to have a LOT more fun watching cabrera, cano, duncan, hughes and chamberlain chase a playoff berth than i did watching johnson, sheffield, etc.”
AMEN
how can it be that chamberlin is so good when he started pitching last year usally these good pitchers were already throwing by the 10 years
Boston globe’s nick cafardo has an article on Joba Chamberlain.Boston is wprried.
http://www.boston.com/sports/b.....kees_tank/
wprried = worried
Ed FL,
You had it right, you just spelled it wrong: We-Pee-Red.
mel
that’s good. lol
Thanks here’s another one:
Curt Schilling is running for president of We-Pee-Red-Sox-Nation.
mel
Was Lucchino, the one who said the evil empire thing, and that He felt like princess Leah? He might run as vice president with Schilling.
“Schilling and Leah for President and Vice (President)”
Haha
The guys on Sportscenter more or less said it:
Of all the guys on the Yankees, after the all star break, A-Rod has the lowest batting average.
When A-rod has the lowest batting average, I think that means something’s going right…
Andrea, its crazy..check out the numbers for the last 30 days
W Betemit .714 1.167 .667
R Cano .492 .752 .431
J Posada .505 .693 .387
M Cabrera .388 .586 .360
H Matsui .383 .672 .345
B Abreu .392 .565 .333
J Giambi .333 .833 .333
D Jeter .388 .427 .325
S Duncan .385 .743 .314
J Molina .286 .400 .300
J Damon .395 .404 .293
A Phillips .315 .359 .282
A Rodriguez .398 .545 .253
Rebecca, sorry. I am very confused today.
Hehe, it’s okay. I’m used to everyone calling me Rachel… =X
Those numbers are crazy!
Of course, the guys on same said show just said that the Yankees and Mets won’t make the playoffs, to which I just sniggered.
They obviously don’t know much =D
As a team for the last 30 days the Yanks are hitting .330, slugging .556, and have on OBP of .398. That is absolutely mind-boggling.
Ed,
Luccino. What a joke. Analysts, writers, Red Sox fans, everyone is on to them. They’ve called the team out for calling themselves paupers to the Yankees’ prince. Everything Red Sox has me seeing red. Even Mitchell pisses me off, even though I feel a little less hate after hearing about his cancer.
I don’t know what it is, Boston is a quaint little town and the Patriots are my favorite NFL team, but those Red Sox fans make me a hater which I’m generally not. I hear they are off the chart obnoxious. Even stars like Mark & Donnie Wahlberg (if you want to call them that) publicly hate on the Yankees. We call that “no mo’ class”, which seems to describe most of the Red Sox Nation.
Andy Phillips defense is still good, but his bat has gone south.Play the Big Guy and then put Andy in for defense.
Bob,
Who’s the big guy? Giambi or Duncan?
I assume its the Giambino. Put me down as being in favor for some big guy at first as well. But part of me says that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The big guy is anjury risk over there. I’m torn. The possibility of his bat in the everyday lineup, along with Johnny Damon at DH is pretty tempting.
mel
boston is called Beantown. There has to be a reason. Red Sox Fans are full of it.Always blaming other people for their failures.
What did Tony Soprano call Boston,,,,Scranton with clams…..
dontfirecash,
You’re right about not fixing it, but maybe Andy’s been playing too much or has been leveling off. As for injury risk did you see any photos of Giambi lately? Check out
his picture in this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08.....f=baseball
He’s lost at least 50% of his gut! (I want some of whatever he’s on, lol) And he went from 1st to 3rd on a single!
Mel,
I gotta say the Giambino is looking pretty svelte.
Mark Wahlberg is a Red Sux fan? Damn! I really liked his movies,,,
My favorite Marky Mark movie… ‘Fear’ with Reese Witherspoon and Alyssa Milano.
Rick
Yankee fans are the most knowledgeable in baseball. I agree with Bob … Giambi has to start at first. Phillips is a good stop-gap player, but he’s certainly overexposed at this point. Let Phillips come in late defensively — play him the last three innings if you have to butlet Giambi bat the first six. I wholeheartedly agree with the response yesterday that Phillips’ defense is not good enough to overshadow his bat (note the double-clutch today). I guarantee his average will slip into the .270s if he’s kept in the lineup. Torre unnerves me sometimes with his blind loyalty to guys like this. Also, the team is better with Melky batting ninth. He seems to be more relaxed in that spot and he sets the table well for the top of the order. (Flamin’) Damon — he of the lazy, drop the bat head swing — has been horrible, but I think he’s the best guy for the leadoff role. I do agree, however, the Giambi must be removed late in the game. (Remember how badly the Angels ate him up on bunts two postseasons ago?).
I like batting Cabrera ninth because it’s a bit like having two lead-off hitters…
Rebecca,
Good point. Melky ninth gives the team four straight guys who can steal a base — five if you count A-Rod.
Why’s everyone counting out Karstens on Tuesday? He did a very good job last season and in spring training. I understand he hasn’t been great in relief this year (I’ve been watching), but maybe he’s just suited to starting and not relieving. I expect 5.2 innings and 3 runs out of Karstens. Considering Chamberlain probably won’t pitch tommorow (Wang will go deep) We’ll get 2 innings from Chambleralin, 1 from the Viz and maybe one from Mo.
Basic Point? Karstens as a starter won’t be near as much a mis-match as a lot of people think.
Remember, Karstens is on slate for Tuesday’s game. Also [NLT Tuesday] the Padres either complete the deal for Iggy or do not. Here’s the rub: if Igawa does indeed go to San Diego, that frees up a spot on the 40-man roster, and Kennedy becomes a possibility for the start on Tuesday.
Of course, the club is not going to freely discuss this because the secret negotiations between NYY and SD are just that, secret. So, stay tuned….