Today in The Journal News
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- August
- 20
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The Yankees took three of four from the Yankees thanks to their bullpen. Brian Heyman has the story.
Chien-Ming Wang is looking for consistency. This notebook also has news on Joe Torre, Bobby Abreu and others.
This entry was posted
on Monday, August 20th, 2007 at 5:43 am by Peter Abraham.
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
Josh Thomson
The Tigers on Joba:
“Good Lord, he reminds me of Zumaya. He has an ‘I-don’t-care’ attitude. It’s, ‘Here’s 100, hit it if you can.’ Then there’s an 87-mph slider.â€?-Sean Casey
“He kept it down in the strike zone. I like the ball up. You’ve got to make him get it down. He’s a wrecking crew out of the bullpen ready to charge.�-Gary Sheffield
“He throws hard and he has a good breaking ball. When you throw that hard you don’t have to have a great breaking ball, but he keeps you off balance. He goes 99 mph and has a good slider anyway.�-Magglio Ordonez
“A pretty good arm. A good fastball. A good slider. And he throws strikes. What more do you need?�-Carlos Guillen
“Not only does he throw so hard, he throws a nasty breaking ball. He’s one of those special guys.�-Jim Leyland
Aren’t we lucky he’s on our side!
Joba and Ramirez have really made our bullpen stronger. With Mo and Viz that gives us 4 reliable arms while Farnsworth has pitched much better of late. Villone and Henn have also been decent. This is the first time this year I really have faith in our bullpen.
The rest of the team is much better too. Our offense is producing and the bench is much better than it was a month ago. Molina, Betemit, Giambi/Damon and Duncan vs Nieves, Cairo, Thompson, Phelps.
And then there´s the rotation. Wang, Pettitte, Clemens, Moose and Hughes vs Wang, Big Unit, Moose, Lidle and Wright a year ago.
When nobody is in a really bad slump we have no weak spots on our team. That should give us confidence to reach the playoffs and be successful.
For sure, our bench and bullpen have greatly improved the team. Credit here goes to Cashman and the total front office! Outstanding moves (and/or non-moves) did it for us!
It took some time for these Yankees to jell but it really started when Clemens joined the team as a proven rotation starter. After Molina, Duncan, and Betemit came aboard the team shifted gears. Winning breeds confidence. The bench strength needs were filled and the right bullpen moves were made. Kudos to Cashman. Torre just needs to push the right buttons.
from edwar , joba , vizcaino and mo this pen looks pretty good . in my opinion , its the infusion of youth that has motivated this pen . steve phillips seems to think its a bit of a fluke with joba but steve phillips is a real douche . i used to love to watch baseball tonight but i just cant take steve phillips ” analistic stylings ” anymore . i hate him .
oh yeah i frgot to say : taking 3 of 4 from detroit was huge . limiting sheffield’s offensive output was huge too .
What I want to ask is when exactly do you sleep, Pete?
the key for this stretch of games is to win series. three out of four from the tigers was great, but now they need to focus on 2 out of 3 from the halos, etc.
IMO, this bullpen seems to be more effective than those arms we had earlier in the season because they are pounding the K zone more consistently, and they are coming at you with different speeds and pitches; Joba’s gas/slider followed by Edwar’s changeup? come on, how are they supposed to hit that?
Don’t forget Farnsworth. He has been pretty solid the past 2 weeks. If he gets his head on right, and it looks like he has, he could be a major factor the next month and a half. He is going to have to pitch important innings. He may as well be good doing it.
“its the infusion of youth that has motivated this pen”
Not it hasn’t.
It has been the infusion of pitchers that actually attack the strike zone and throw strikes. A novel concept in todays game. Doesn’t matter if they are 21 or 45.
I was so excited to hear about Joba’s and Edwar’s dominance yesterday. But I have a question. Everyone keeps saying, and that includes team members who were interviewed, how hard it was for Detroit to deal with Edwar’s changeup after Joba’s speed. My question is how is that relevant, when neither pitcher faced the same hitter? Joba retired 3 in a row, 3 whom he’d faced in a prior game. Edwar retired the next 6 six in a row. Remarkable, to be sure, and I’m not complaining, mind you. I honestly want to know what difference it makes having two different looks if, as in this case, none of the hitters faced both pitchers.
Doreen, I was thinking the same thing, one pitcher had nothing to do with the other.
Funny how all the tinkering on the team happenned pretty slowly and then bam all the holes are filled.
This bullpen looks great right now. Farnsworth is key down the stretch, I was so pumped up by his strikeout of Sheff on Saturday. If he can be that good, we have Mo, Viz, Joba, Farnsy, and Edwar as quite the shut down bullpen.
Great time to be a Yankee fan, now if only those pesky Mariners would lose.
Get those cat naps in over the next few days, we have late nights this week with our last West Coast trip.
“What I want to ask is when exactly do you sleep, Pete?”
he of course sleeps right after he gets in at 5:43. sleeping is overrated when you have baseball games to cover and blogs to write.
The strikethrowing is absolutely spot on. The difference in the bullpen are the lack of walks and the increase in strikes and strikeouts. That reduces the heavy pitch count innings and keeps these guys fresh.
Edwar needed 22 pitches to to pitch two innings yesterday. Joba needed 19 pitches to pitch his two innings this weekend.
Proctor and Bruney would need 25 pitches to get through innings and their walks would lead to runs.
Bullpens look real good, regardless of the age of the pitchers, when they get ahead of hitters, throw a lot of strikes and don’t walk people.
I have said for two weeks now Farnsworth can play an important role in the next 6 weeks. It doesn’t matter how his (or anybody’s) season has gone to date. What they do the next 6 weeks is what matters.
If he can get on a good run, it gives the bullpen the depth and quality it needs to sustain this success.
farnsworth rules should be 2 rules:
rule number one:he only pitches 3 runs up or 3 runs down
rule number two: see rule number one
Peter –
1. I think I can speak (write?) for a lot of people when I say that you’re work adds to the enjoyment of being a baseball fan and following the Yankees. Missed your frequent posts this weekend while you where on holiday.
2. Interesting item you wrote about Wang a couple of posts back. It goes to point out that these guys are not robots, and even when they are physically OK, there can be psychological/emotional issues at play, that keep them from reaching their potential. I remember reading that Mel Stottlemyre once said that one of his biggest jobs as a pitching coach was to be a cheerleader. I’ve heard that from some ML hitting coaches, also.
3. When do you sleep?
Peter is like Shelley Duncan. He doesn’t sleep, he waits.
Now I just pray for a Vizcaino-like turnaround for Farnsworth.
Stranger things have happend in this game than a turn around by Farnsworth.
This pen would go from awful to deep and versatile in a month if he becomes what he could be.
He’s showing good signs.
Come on.
He slept on the plane.
It is a 5 hr ride.
chris,
when did Steve Philips say Joba is a fluke? Just curious..
Remember the days of watching Igawa go 3-2 on ever hitter?
And Desalvo going 4 innings?
And Bruney walking 2 after getting the first 2 out?
And Proctor not finding the plate?
And Myers not getting any lefty out?
Those were the days!
Even Phillips wouldn’t be so irresponsible to call Joba a fluke.
“from edwar , joba , vizcaino and mo this pen looks pretty good.”
I totally agreed with you. Man, I can not believe my eye when I saw Joba and Edwar throw yesterday for the first time. I have read all the great thing about them on this board without seeing them pitch myself since I was really busy recently. I was on my feet with my hand garbing my hair and my jaw dropping to the floor till the last pitch Edwar made. Thanks to Cashman, now we have a better bullpen and deeper bench. I can’t wait to see Ian join the team next year.
Yankees are rolling now! I am so glad that we as Yankees fans did not lost our faith during the bad days when they were really down earlier this season. Watching them become a better team and soon maybe the best team in the league is priceless. It is like I am winning the game with the team at the same time. It has been a special year for Yankees so far and I pray that we will have the 27 wins this year. No matter what outcome it is, I am grateful to be part of the Yankees Fans.
We are a better and a more complete team now. We have different guy contribute on different day. Andy and Clement are making moves and offering leadership. Hughes is learning to become next Ace of the team. Even with Moose and Wang struggling, we still have a chance to win because everyone on the team is fighting with them. This is a team playing with their hearts.
As for Moose and Wang, I hope they can come out of their slump soon with the help of Gator, Andy and Clement. If they can hold up together, we will have a better hand in the October.
With the luxury of our bench, I think Torre can lead the team better and make better moves from game to game. Looking at our lineup everyday on this board, you really have nothing to complain about. It is scary good.
These two weeks from today will determine if Yankees are made for Champion, in my opinion. We may make big move in the AL and even take the lead. No matter what paints out, let’s get ready to support and cheer for our Yankees every game. Let’s Go Yankees!! Let’s Go Yankees!!
The Viz is fine, he just needed a day off.
“I have said for two weeks now Farnsworth can play an important role in the next 6 weeks. It doesn’t matter how his (or anybody’s) season has gone to date. What they do the next 6 weeks is what matters.”
I believe Farnsworth isn’t nearly as important as you are making him to be. The Yanks have done well largely in spite of him since the break. A couple of good outings after years of abject failure says very little.
I’m curious how you would use him in the playoffs should he continue his very very short term success in a sea of ineptitude that is his career. Would you include him and use him in your post-season roster? This is something that is a guarantee from here on in I believe.
If his regular season failures, which span 9 years aren’t enough of a strike, lets examine his post-season performance:
In 2003 in 8 appearances, both in the NLDS and NLCS he gave up 6 earned runs 7 hits, and 3 walks. He got plenty of k’s, unfortunately they don’t let you subtract earned runs for having tons of k’s. Tell that to Iggy too btw.
In 2005 in exactly 2 outings, he gave up 3 earned runs, 2 hits, and walk. Again with a bunch of strikeouts, but similar results.
To be fair and complete, I acknowledge his overflowing success in 2006. 2 innings pitched, a hit, and a walk. Effective, but hardly dominant like what we have seen from Mariano for a decade+ or our two new young upstarts.
Is this the guy you want in a big game? In baseball, 8 years of failure, including rampant post-season failings is sadly very often predicitive of future success. So what he has done up until now does “matter.” 4 or 5 outings amidst years of misery does not magically transform him into something that can be trusted in the playoffs and beyond.
A deeper examination of his recent outings reveals that he has had one truly dominant outing, the rest he had his usual fast ’stuff’ with very little to no movement.
This guy is a headcase, incapable of surmounting the stress of the post-season. I want no part of him come October. One bad pitch by this dud can unravel every single thing we have accomplished here.
BJ
When he signed with NY, I noticed Farnsworth had erratic season stats. One year he was pretty good, the next he wasn’t. Last year was mediocre overall and obviously the first half of this year he wasn’t doing too good. Pete … is it a mater of a consistent rest pattern for a guy like this to become effective?
Proctor had a good arm but it appeared he was used so much it was no wonder he couldn’t get guys out. Just being a fan I’m only guessing based on what I see and read, but could it be the same with Farnsworth? Can his ‘rest’ (benching) actually improve his effectiveness? If so, he does have a good arm even if his stats are bad. If he could only click for a couple months now, we could sure use it down the stretch.
he never said out right that joba was a fluke he did say that joba needs to fail to see when and if he rebounds . which is fair enough , i guess . its just that steve phillips is the definition of anti-yankee .
The Boston Socks have only themselves to blame. Like in ‘06, they allowed the Yankees to hang around and get back in it. While Theo Epstein sat on his hands and got Gagne to keep him away from the Yankees (or so he thought), Brian Cashman went out and got the bench and bullpen stronger.
They just never learn in Boston.
If Joba pulls a Gagne for one game (the ‘07 version of GAGne) he’ll bounce back. No doubt. The only thing that’ll stop this kid is an injury. He’s in with the big boys now so he’s gotta realize he’ll hit a few bumps.
Steve Phillips always takes a swipe at the Yankees. I don’t know why that is, but he seems to do it consistently, even when the Yankees are winning. It’s sad really.
Hopefully, I can catch the Yankee game when I wake tomorrow. Hughes will pitch a gem.
BJ
I think Farnsworth might be more important in getting to the playoffs than playing in the playoffs. In the playoffs there are more days off. So your bullpen does not need to be as deep.
I’m guessing SJ44 was referring to the rest of the regular season when he said the “next six weeks”. I agree with him – if Farnsworth pitches well for the rest of the regular season the Yankees chances of making the playoffs go WAY up.
Also agree that even if he does well and they do make the playoffs it shouldn’t guarantee him pig innings in the playoffs. That will depend on who is healthy / pitching well / pitching poorly at the time.
“Also agree that even if he does well and they do make the playoffs it shouldn’t guarantee him pig innings in the playoffs.”
That may be true, but the problem is that Torre will use his recent small sample size of success as the pretext to using him in high pressure late inning situations. Torre trusts veterans implicitly in these situations, especially ones who throw 98mph.
As strange as this may sound, Farnsworth can destroy everything we have achieved with one pitch. After seeing Torre do exactly what I have described for 7 years in the playoffs, I have reason to be concerned. I could easily chronicle what I am afraid of but perhaps the most notorious offense was the weaver move.
Make no mistake, if Farnsworth is tolerable from here on in, he WILL pitch in the post-season, and with Joba’s strict pitching algorithm, and other pitchers ‘unavailable’ because they pitched extensively already in several close post-season games, you just might see a Farnsworth in the bottom of the ninth with the game on the line. The mere act of typing this possibility is making me nauseous
BJ
It would be good if the Yankees equipment manager could take away those football numbers that Phil (65) and Joba (62) are wearing.
Available are 19,27,30,38,39,41 and 43. Phil says he likes a number with 5 in it so assign him 59.
Stay away from giving him 45 until the complete stench of Pavano has gone away.
To All,
This is a general question with a problem I am having and I hope some Yankee faithful can help me out. I am about to leave for college down at Villanova University which is outside Philly, and I refuse to get DirecTV and have to settle for Comcast. Does anyone know the most cost efficient way I can see every Yankees game with Comcast?
Is it to just go with Extra Innings? I don’t think Comcast offers the YES network and even if it did would it be blacked out since i am not in the NYC Metro Area?
I hope some displaced Yankee fans can help me out. Thanks.
As a Villanova alum (I got my LL.M. there), all the best luck, Jaime.
(IMO, I would go for extra innings if I were you, if only because that way you can get day games on the computer while you’re at class and such).
Mark: Joba wants a number that adds up to eight, so he’s pretty much out of luck for a low number…
Jamie, I had the same problems getting the Yanks telecasts. Your only option is Extra Innings…whether you do it with Comcast or DirecTV. Here’s why I chose DirecTV: you get the YES network and can watch the pre and post game shows. Cable doesn’t carry YES.
Outside of TV, you can get MLB.TV, but I wasn’t impressed when I tried it.
So the BoSox, got Gagne and the pundits said it was all over, but little did they know that Gagne would become GAGGY in the clutch.
Yanks should put Giambi in the lineup tonight.
Jeter can`t wait to get back in the lineup, he doesn`t want to become another Wally Pipp.
Rebecca -
Joba can ask Jose Molina to work a deal for 26 and Jose can take 27. Seems simple enough to do.
Giambi will put one out tonight..I know it sounds crazy, but these Yankees are one super team and I see them making a huge run right now. 80-55 by the end of the month may sound outrageous to most, but if the starters fall in line and do their job, like the bullpen AND the men with the bats have, nobody is gonna want to face us, either NOW or in the Playoffs….GO YANKEES…WE LOVE YOU !
If Farnsworth pitches well down the stretch and if the Yankees make the playoffs, I would include him on my post-season roster.
Its all in the type of role you create for Farnsworth on this team. Right now, he is in the perfect role for him and the team.
He isn’t the main setup guy out of the bullpen and you can spot him accordingly.
When the guy is right, he has dominating stuff. You just can’t overexpose him. In the present setup of the Yankees bullpen, they can do that as long as the starters cooperate and give them 6-7 innings per start.
Farnsworth wouldn’t have a key role out of the bullpen in the post-season. However, with days off and more guys in front of him in the pecking order, you can put him into spots that can actually help the team.
In fact, the best case scenario for the Yankees is for him to pitch great the rest of the way and through the playoffs. If he does, it will make it much easier for the Yankees to deal him in the off-season. Perhaps, for more in return than they could have gotten at the trade deadline.
Power pitching out of the bullpen wins in the post-season. he’s a power pitcher. If he pitches well the rest of the way, IMO, its impossible to keep him off the post-season roster.
No matter which way you slice it, they need another arm to produce out of the ‘pen. You can’t just decide, after 10+ combined innings, that Joba and Edwar will be lights out the rest of the way. Also, with the Joba Rules in effect, he can’t work as much as normal relief pitchers.
You can’t compare his past playoff (or regular season, for that matter) stats because he’s in a different role now. He’s not the closer or main setup guy. Not having that responsiblity seems to have made him a better pitcher.
If that’s true, he can help this team the rest of the way.
Mark: wouldn’t bother me one bit–my favorite player on the Devils wears 26, so Joba would be in excellent company =D
Bob Michaels
August 20th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Jeter can`t wait to get back in the lineup, he doesn`t want to become another Wally Pipp.
Ok, I’ll bite…who was Wally Pipp and why does Jeter NOT want to be like him ???
Guys, Peter sleeps, that is 5:43 eastern time. Im assuming he got to California and made this entry shortly after landing at 2:43 and then went to sleep. Im sure Pete gets sleep when he needs it
here we go again:
Vinny (New York): With a gun to your head, still Seatle over the Yanks for the Wild Card? Yankees are looking pretty impressive, just taking care of most people’s “best team in baseball.”
Steve Phillips: (12:09 PM ET ) The Yanks looked good beating an undermanned Tigers team, I agree with you. But I think the Mariners will hold on and win the Wild Card. Their starting pitching is just good enough and their bullpen in unreal. They have one of the best defenses in babseball, and they are starting to produce on offense. I think it is too little too late for the Yankees to make the playoffs.
Alan Thicke: Google Wally Pip and read about it. You’ll love the story.
Wally Pipp played first base and sat out a game , and was replaced by Lou Gehrig, the rest is history
Jamie,
You wont get YES network or any yankees games unless you live in NJ. I live 7 miles from NJ border and I dont get any yankee games at all.. Direct tv is an option but if you dont want it, extra innings is the only other option on TV.. If you want to watch it on the net which I do, u can subscribe with mlb.tv (or) watch it for free using sopcast at the mercy of fellow yankee fans who are broadcasting it on sopcast.. I also watch it on UUsee a korean based web-player where i got to watch most of the yankees games from espn taiwan..
Blackaccord: DirecTV does give you the YES network outside of NJ.
I’m tempted to ask Buster Olney something. If I do, what should I ask?
blackaccord: I get the YES network in Syracuse.
At this point, we all get Phillips “act” when it comes to commenting on the Yankees. He just needs to be a little more creative with it
How can anyone with any functioning braincells, let alone a former ML GM, say its, “too little, too late” for ANY team a half game out of a playoff spot (let alone carrying the best record in baseball the last 2 1/2 months) with 40 games remaining in the season?
The statement makes no sense. If the Yankees (or any team) was 4 games out of a playoff spot, with 6 remaining, then I could understand the “too little, too late” comment.
To say it now, given where the Yankees are in the standings, is just stupidity.
I get the fact ESPN wants him to say stupid stuff so folks (like us) react to it. But, for the guy to do it, thereyb makking himself look like a buffoon, rather than an “analyst” is pathetic.
At this point in his career, he couldn’t get a job folding towels with a ML team.
He better stay away from the secretaries and e-mail and hope he can ride this job out for all its worth. It will be the last job he ever has in sports.
sorry folks.. i meant by Cable outside of NJ (in the philly area)… You do get yes network in most places in NY and CT through cable but not here in the philly suburbs because of the phillies broadcasting area..
Bruney has been solid at SWB. Time to get him back up and sent out Henn.
agree with u sj44 on steve.. I guess he gets paid a 1000$ more every time he says ‘yankees wont make the playoffs’..
Disagree with that. Bruney might be getting better, but Henn’s been pretty good. Anyway, they can bring up Bruney in September with the expanded roster.
Bruney doesnt throw strikes. If he threw strikes he would be dominant.
“No matter which way you slice it, they need another arm to produce out of the ‘pen. You can’t just decide, after 10+ combined innings, that Joba and Edwar will be lights out the rest of the way.”
I agree they need another arm, and I am certainly not ready to coronate either of these two upstarts as the definitive answer. I haven’t seen nearly enough.
I also agree that Farnsworth will be on the post season roster.
Where we disagree is his potential. I think you can certainly use previous post-season performance into play when evaluating what he is capable or incapable of regardless of the role.
Power from the pen works in the post-season only if their is more than just mustard on the ball. Watch Farnsworth pitch closely next time. In 4/5 of his past outings there was zero movement, and he even got into trouble a bit. You need more than just mere velocity to succeed against the best teams in baseball. Farnsworth is ill-equipped to handle that load in my opinion, and a set up for disaster. I believe he will generally be used the way you describe.
The problem is there may be a compelling need in a critical situation that he is called upon to solve. He has failed miserably in that role whether closing or in middle relief. 5 games now does little to prove otherwise. In one moment, he will be allowed to determine whether we win or lose in the playoffs.
Another interesting question to debate is who will be our starting rotation in the post-season should we be fortunate enough to make it there. I’m not sure what the answer will or should be. I think Pettite, Wang, Clemens have the upperhand at this point, but I don’t see any definitive locks. Mussina or Hughes could see time in the pen I suppose, but I think that job is still up for grabs depending on success and circumstance here on in. Either way the pen will be getting one of our starters in the 7 game series.
BJ
Bruney’s line at Scranton thus far: 4 games, 6 innings, 4 ER allowed, 2 walks. 6.00 ERA. Not exactly, “solid”. In fact, its pretty bad.
No reason to send Henn down. He has pitched well since he has been back and they need another lefty in the bullpen.
There is no room for Bruney on this team now, as long as folks stay healthy in the bullpen.
He isn’t an upgrade over Henn at this time.
Big Johnson
To quote Bill Clinton ‘Ah feel yaw pain’ on Torre’s level of trust with veterans and ‘the leadeship & experience’ they bring. (I feel a rant coming on ….) How often did he used to go to the well with Al Leiter or Mr Unit long after it was obvious they were no longer the solid pitchers they used to be?
So, I have little doubt Hughes will not be in the 4-man playoff rotation (yes they WILL make it) even if he goes 5-1 / 2.50 for the rest of the season and Moose & Clemens both go 2-4 / 4.50.
No doubt veteran leadership and experience are valuable and Joe Torre has been a very successful manager for a long time. But if a guy is at that point in his career where he has a quality outing less than half the time, all that experience means precisely squat when he doesn’t actually perform.
Fortunately Clemens may have something left in the tank for October, because he learned how to shorten his season by starting it in May.
I hope Moose (although I’ve always liked him) is the odd man out of the rotation in October. Of course this is assuming Hughes does well for the rest of the season and earns the spot.
If so, maybe Joe will see it as bolstering the bullpen with Moose’s leadership, experience, and take advantage of his ability (experience) to use a variety of pitches to an advantage in certain situations. He lacks the 92mph fastball at this point in his career. But with at least 5 other pitches in his arsenal, maybe for a few weeks in October that could be less of a factor coming out of the bullpen for an inning or two at a time.
I live in california and i ordered the YES network and i got it but guess what, they black out all the games so basically if u want to watch the pre game shows go for it. i think u have to leave in the tri-state area for the YES to work otherwise i would go with MLB.TV its a baseball fans dream cause u get to watch pitchers pitch u wouldnt normally
If you want to watch all of the games out of market, the only way to do it on TV is to order the Extra Innings package. If you are out of market, the YES network will show everything but the games without the Extra Innings package.
Here’s the problem with Torre’s “veterans only” decree some keep laying on him. Its gone out the window for most of the second half of this season.
He has benched Johnny Damon. He has benched Bobby Abreu. He has moved Farnsworth away from a key role in the bullpen. He told Giambi he couldn’t guarantee PT for him. He has stayed with Cabrera in CF. He has not only played Shelley Duncan, he used him to PH for Damon in the 6th inning of a game earlier in the season.
He seems to have no problem using Joba in a big situation. Even seems to have confidence in Edwar, a complete 180 from earlier in the year.
He not only has Hughes in the rotation, he isn’t working around him. He could have passed him over to start the Cleveland series, but he didn’t.
He doesn’t raise a squawk when the Yankees traded or DFA’ed some of his favorite veteran players.
As far as what the playoff rotation would be, how ’bout we get into the playoffs first?
You can’t say Torre is favoring veterans over young guys the last 2+ months. All of his actions suggest the opposite.
As for Bruney, I saw his SWB line yesterday and he gave up 2 runs on a homerun in 2 innings yesterday, but he didn’t walk anyone. I think that’s a mission accomplished. Seriously, that’s a plus. If he can keep his walks down, I think things will fall into place for him.
Mission accomplished?
Like G.W. Bush’s Mission Accomplished in Iraq???
If they could ever get Farnsworth pitching like we all know he can, he could be a key part to our pen. He just gives us another option. Anyone that throws that hard, with his slider can be almost unhittable, regardless of movement or no movement. It is all location, not movement.
You can make a strong argument that this pen is better than the Red Sox pen and it is the best pen in the Major Leagues.
Mo, Viz, Joba, Edwar is a nasty 4 guys out of the pen. And if Farnsworth is what he was the other day, that is 5 nasty arms out of the pen. You could make games 5 inning games. Starter for 5, Viz for the 6th, Joba for the 7th and 8th and Mo for the 9th.
I know it isnt a given that Joba can continue to pitch like this but it is not unlikely
SJ44 – Yes I’ve definitely noticed the change in approach to veterans vs youth the past couple months. If there wasn’t such a change, ANSKY might still be a .500 team at this stage, and half of us would still be calling for Torre’s & Cashman’s heads instead of looking forward to October. There has to be a balance, which is part of what made 1996-2000 so successful.
All I really meant was that although it hasn’t been so in the past few years, it would be great to see the current trend continue into October. And maybe I’m being skeptical on this part, but on some level I’m not quiiiite convinced it will when it comes to the playoff rotation.
I give Torre credit for adapting to the team’s new makeup, but with the caveat that the team and its players tied his hands in several areas. Would Joba and Edwar get the same opportunities if Proctor and Myers were still in the pen? Would Torre always play Betemit over Cairo? Would any manager stick with Damon in CF over Melky, try to work around Hughes with no quality substitute available, or keep using Farnsworth in big spots when the entire stadium boos him each time?
I give more credit to Cashman for Torre-proofing the team with all the recent personnel moves. This way, Torre gets to exercise his strengths (juggling egos, keeping underperforming veterans content despite their decreased PT) and we don’t have to worry as much about his weaknesses.
Right, it’s a tentative mission accomplished just for the sake of saying it with no real meaning.
Seeing that Joba is dominating hitters in the bigs.Why arent we talking about Kennedy being a starter next year. He has similar numbers if not better than Joba had in AAA.
I would try to find a taker for Moose and get Ian to take his spot.
Also I am very impressed with Ramirez. He reminds me of k-rod when it comes to the emotions he shows out there. I think with him Whelan,Cox and Sanchez our bullpen looks bright for the future.
Do we get draft picks for Meyers and Cairo or any players in return?
It is both movement and location…one is just as important as the other.
The only similarity between K-Rod and Edwar are thier glasses. Edwar does not show nearly as much emotion as K-Rod. K-Rod is way over the top and out of line.
The guy has allowed 8 baserunners, 4 have scored, along with one inherited runner since he was sent to Scranton.
I don’t see how that’s progress. He’s not pitched well in AAA and, at least right now, there isn’t one guy in the bullpen who should be sent out for him to return.
They gave him numerous opportunities to get the job done and he couldn’t do it. The best thing for him will be to stay in AAA until 9/1, and pitch a helluva lot better than he has pitched. He has to pick it up in Scranton or he will risk not being recalled when rosters expand.
Moose is not going anywhere…he has the right to reject any trade and is an extremely picky, ornery person. It took a lot of wooing to get him to the Bronx and to get him comfortable. I don’t think he’ll want to move this late in his career…especially since he still doesn’t have the one thing he covets: a World Series ring.
Phil- If you hit spots with a 98 mph fastball, it doesnt matter if it moves. Movement is important when you center pitches, as is keeps the ball in the park. But if you drill the inside corner throwing 98 or the outside corner at the knees, no one is going to be able to do much with those pitches regardless of movement
Go NYR: As a longtime baseball coach, I can tell you that a flat pitch with no movement can always be hit.
Best way to watch ESPN at ANY TIME…MUTE it and have any music playing instead…
Movement causes changes in the trajectory and plane of the ball. It changes the batter’s vision and calculations and causes the ball not to be hit on the sweet spot of the bat. As I said before, it is both movment and location that allows a pitcher to be successful.
What about Britton – he should get a shot in September, right?
Jeremy the team’s somewhat new makeup is partly due to the injuries at the start of the year. This definitely tied Torres hands more than anything else. He had to use a few AAA pitchers (promising ones but still AAA) in the rotation. Even some of them got hurt. He had no choice but to overuse the pen. Hughes and Chamberlain got called up earlier than planned because of this. Menkeiw …. however the hell its spelled … got hurt and Phelps’ defense never improved so there was no glove (or bat) at 1B. That Abreu slumped & Damon remained gimpy gave Melky his opportunity to shine, but there were some AAA guys filling in in the field for a while too. Its been a rough road this year and its not all Torres fault.
Lots of people (including me) have been critical of Torre’s past bullpen management, but we/you can no longer put that on him. Once Cashman took away his toys, Torre adapted.
Same for rotating the now-viable bench players.
So Torre deserves some credit. He’s doing a very good job of keeping players rested and egos in check.
As for Bruney, he’s a star graduate of the Bullhead (formerly, Beckett) school of pitching: when in doubt, throw harder. He does, and his location suffers. Smart teams picked up on that and started wallking more and swinging less.
On Farnsworth, he’s a part of the regular season and playoff team unless he “Gag-nees”; and if he can give the team 8 or 10 solid outings, that will help out tremendously, and also make him way more tradeable in the off season.
Thanks everyone for your expertise on this situation! I think I am just going to buy a s-video cable and connect it from my computer to my tv so i can watch mlb.tv on my tv. Does anyone else do that?
* Steve Phillips: (12:09 PM ET ) The Yanks looked good beating an undermanned Tigers team, I agree with you. But I think the Mariners will hold on and win the Wild Card. Their starting pitching is just good enough and their bullpen in unreal. They have one of the best defenses in babseball, and they are starting to produce on offense. I think it is too little too late for the Yankees to make the playoffs.
I’ve never read something so stupid!
It’s so funny how our difficult stretch keeps getting pushed back. First it was when we played against the Indians and we man handled them. Than the reply was they were struggling (so it didn’t count). Than it got pushed back to when we faced the Tigers, and we beat them 3 out 4 and it became they were undermaned! Really who were they missing? One player? Give me a break. Now our difficult stretch starts today. Unreal. I wish these “experts” would make up their minds.
And now the ever so brilliant Steve (i got fired) Phillips says it is too little too late to make the playoffs!! *WHAT!!* we are 1/2 game out of the wild card with 3 left to play against Seattle, and Seattle still has 2 games to make up. And we have 6 games left against the soxs, 4 games out! ANd we are done!! Never mind the other 40 games we have left to play!
Phil- I respect your opinion but Farnsworth doesnt need the ball to move 2 inches. He just needs to hit locations. There is no single factor more impotant than location. If you hit targets, painting the corners, movement on your pitches is just a bonus. When you throw 98 and have a slider like his, all you need to do is hit your spots and you will be dominant
I am looking forward to Carl Pavano Day at Yankee Stadium. He deserves to be recognized for his great contribution to the 2005-7 teams.
If just throwing 98 and hitting your spots was enough, Farnsworth would have been dominant the last five years. He hasn’t been because he lacks both command and movement.
jennifer: I think most of us agree Phillips is a moron, and that’s being nice about it!
Totally with you on that difficult stretch thing–I thought it started with Cleveland? A 20 game stretch… we won three from cleveland…which, with Baltimore and Detroit puts our record at 7-3 so far! That’s not a bad start by any stretch of the imagination!
If we do something like go 1-3 v Angels, 3-1 v Tigers and 2-1 v Red Sox, we end having played the stretch at 13-8. If we take two out of three from the Angels, which isn’t easy but is doable, we finish at 14-7. That would put us at 84-61, with most of September left to play. It is not a stretch to say the Yankees could win the 95 games everyone says they need to win to take the division.
Pretty cool, huh?
Sadly, Steve Phillips and Joe Morgan are part of the reason ESPN is no longer a viable baseball information or analysis source.
“If just throwing 98 and hitting your spots was enough, Farnsworth would have been dominant the last five years. He hasn’t been because he lacks both command and movement”
You just said that he lacks command but he would have been dominant for the last 5 years if hitting spots was enough. That makes no sense at all. If he lacks command, he hasnt been hitting spots for the last 5 years. We are talking about a guy who has 302 career walks. How could he have been dominant if never hit locations??
No, no, no…stop taking bits of what I typed and using it. Check out each post: BOTH command (location) and movement are important to his success. It makes perfect sense because it is true. Both movment and location. Both. Reread the posts.
Jennifer, Rebecca —
Wait, you don’t mean the Steve Philips who was fired when his Muts were in last place despite the second highest payroll in the majors?
The same one who had to take a very long leave of absence while defending a lawsuit unrelated to baseball activities?
THAT Steve Philips is a moron?
(And given the above why was Harold Reynolds fired?)
Interesting stuff by Ken Rosenthal.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7137338
Man, I probably shouldn’t have stopped taking math junior year…
Right, if we go 1-2 against the Angels, 3-1 against Detroit and 2-1 against Boston, we finish the 20 game stretch at 13-7. If we take two out of three from the Angels and repeat the rest, it’d be 14-6.
We’d then have a record of 84-60
either way, it’s still pretty sweet. I know it’s a lot to expect the Yanks to take 3 out of 4 from the Tigers at Detroit and 2 of the 3 from Boston, but we have the team to do it.
“I hope Moose (although I’ve always liked him) is the odd man out of the rotation in October.”
I think its gonna be Hughes or Moose out of the pen and can accept either option. Moose has been a lot better for us this year than most realize or are willing to admit.
“As far as what the playoff rotation would be, how ‘bout we get into the playoffs first?”
We are getting there my friend, and likely as division winners. I’m hoping my positivity will rub off on you at some point. Now that we got that out of the way, what are your thoughts?
“You can’t say Torre is favoring veterans over young guys the last 2+ months. All of his actions suggest the opposite.”
He has used the younger guys more extensively mostly out of necessity. His ‘toys’ as you have proposed have been taken away and must therefore use these two young guns more often.
He was also given what might likely turn into the best arm in all of baseball in Joba. Using a chamberlain under those circumstances is hardly a gesture towards youth, but rather, towards overbearing and unrivaled dominance in every sense of the word. No manager since the beginning of time would disregard that in favor of a guy like Farnsworth.
The jury is still out on Edwar who only recently got called up. Villone, Vizcaino are still an integral part of our pen as perhaps they should be.
Torre was put in a situation where he has very little choice. I give Cashman the credit for this more than anything. He saw a disturbing problem in the first half and corrected it brilliantly amid a sea of disgruntled employees.
BJ
Phil- What you are saying makes no sense. You just said that if hitting spots was enough, he would have been dominant. But he never had the command, so how can you draw that conclusion?
Interesting by Rosenthal…but I don’t think Matsui has the arm to play right field.
It will be interesting to see if we play the Angels better now that we might have some info on how they scout us.
“It will be interesting to see if we play the Angels better now that we might have some info on how they scout us.”
I’m not sure what you mean by this, jennifer. Please explain?
The Yankees are all set to surprise everyone by either sweeping the Angels or taking 2 out of 3….IMO, this team can sweep them out and in the process, further the notion that Steve Phillips is Martian for Yankee Hater…
No movement on a 99mph fastball doesn’t matter when a guy’s pitching to the likes of most of us. If I was lucky I’d bat .200 against an average high school pitcher who threw only semi-fastball that reach the low 80’s with no movement. But even if you throw 99, movement matters a lot when pitching to a major league lineup. Especially a good one.
Movement, deception, location and change in speed are crucial in keeping major league hitters from beating the pus out of the ball. I was at the game when A-Rod hit #500 and I noticed the scoreboard radar gun readings on Hughes showed he was spreading his pitches out between 68-94 mph. That’s a 26mph difference to keep hitters from getting comfortable. Although Hughes doesn’t throw 98, he has lots of movement and control with all his pitches including the fastball. Combine that with his range of speeds and he’s going to be awesome if he doesn’t get hurt.
Now if you added 5mph to his fastball (99) but he threw it as straight as an arrow, he wouldn’t have as promising a future. With all his other pitches in the mix he’d still be good, although not AS good. But if you told him to use only fast, straight pitches he’d be screwed. This would allow ML hitters to catch up to the fastball and better anticipate its location. If not in the first at-bat or two, they’d catch up to it sooner rather than later. Unlike us, they do this for a living.
Now I’ll be the first to admit there’s no way in hell I could get even a single foul tip off a guy like Farnsworth even if he threw me a hundred fastballs. Most of us would be pathetic against pitches coming in that fast, straight as an arrow or not … but we’re not pro ballplayers.
This is exactly what I typed: “If just throwing 98 and hitting your spots was enough, Farnsworth would have been dominant the last five years.”
He has thrown 98 and had good location, and has failed. He has thrown 98 and had bad location, and has failed. Here’s why: because he lacks movement. My high school team can hit 98 pitchers with no movement…because it is just about timing. It takes movement to take them from hitting the ball squarely or to make them miss. For the last time, it takes both command and movement to be a dominant pitcher.
Look at Chamberlain. Solid movement and location. Rivera. When does Rivera fail? When his cutter doesn’t cut and when he misses his spots.
This has been demonstrated time and time again at all levels of baseball.
Ranting Guy- Movement is important when you miss your spots. If you miss your spots, movement can keep the ball in the park. But if you hit your spots throwing 98 it is going to be hard to hit for anybody.
Moose against AL Teams .500 or above this year: 2-7, 45 IP, 55 hits, 28 runs allowed, .315 BA against. Not impressive. In fact, one could argue its Igawa-like.
At this point of his career, he is what he is. I don’t expect much from him so, I don’t really give his starts much thought.
My thoughts about their playoffs chances? Just have to keep winning series.
If there is one thing we have seen this baseball season its that, when you are ready to crown teams (the Red Sox in April/May, the Tigers as late as a month ago, the Indians, etc), they begin to regress.
The Red Sox are 38-35 in their last 73 games. That’s almost a half a season of playing a little over .500 ball. They are going to have to play better than that if they expect to win the division.
Because of their poor start, the Yankees can’t afford anymore regression to their season.
This is one tough road trip. A 4-3 trip would be great. 3-4? Aceeptable. Any worse? Unacceptable.
The great thing about baseball is, unlike college football is there are no polls. Nobody votes the playoff participants into the post-season. You have to play your way in.
I don’t care if its the division or the WC. Just get in. That’s all that matters.
Once again … If not in the first at-bat or two, pro hitters would catch up to 99 sooner rather than later. Unlike us, they do this for a living.
ZUMAYA last rehad was against the Gulf Coast Yankees and he got rapped around.
great updates today peter!
Phil- Are you serious? I really cant believe how foolish you sound. Your high school hittes couldnt touch Kyle Farnsworth.
Farnsworth had great location against the heart of the Tiger Lineup, Sheffield and Ordonez and had a 1-2-3 inning. K-ing, Magglio and Gary. It is all about location.
and w/o some movement, eventually hitting even your spots wouldn’t matter. That would just mean you won’t walk as many guys.
Since the era of the complete game is apparently over, will the next change bring in the Two Pitcher Closer?
I’m not saying the league would hit .300 against well-located but straight 99mph pitches, but it wouldn’t be as lights out as you’d expect it to be.
Ranting Guy- You are a fool if you dont think Farnsworth would be dominant if he hit his spots. A FOOL
Go NYR: you should check to whom you are speaking before you type such insults.
I have a kid on scholarship to Florida International and a kid on scholarship to St. Peter’s. Both, in the state finals, hit long doubles off of a kid who threw upper 90s. I have a kid who bats ninth and hit .225 for the year, but was 2 for 4 against the kid who threw in the 90s. I have countless more examples because that opposing starter HAD NO MOVEMENT on his heat.
You are an ignorant a$$&%&e who insults with no regard for fact. Get a clue and learn about something before you spout off.
Go NYR – Thats not what I’m saying … I’m emphasising to those who think so that w/o more than just velocity he WOULDN’T be dominant if he could hit his spots.
ACCESSING YANKEES GAMES!
I live in PA and rarely get to see the yanks on tv. I have found that by purchasing mlb tv I get to see most of them. Then one of my buddies told me about this P2P TV viewing software called Sopcast…(just google it)…down load this FREE program and you can pick up every single yankees game, just search through the feeds! I have only missed a handful of games this year due to these programs!!!
YanksFan PA: How is the quality of the feed through Sopcast? I’ve heard good things about it from some.
Ah .. I misread .. .I didn’t see that you wrote ‘DONT think’. My mistake.
Actually YOUR mistake. A 99mph guy w/o movement could be dominant for a few games or season or more (w/good location) but they’d still figure him out. I couldn’t, you couldn’t, but pro hitters could.
Sure, with a little movement he could be dominant if he hit his spots, climbed the ladder or whatever.
Phil- I really dont care what your high school kids do against amateur pitchers. I really dont. You are a moron if you think they could be successful off of a major league hitter. That my friend is ignorance. I dont care who you are and what school you are a coach for. That has nothing to do with Kyle Farnsworth. You think your so important because you coach a high school team. I guarantee the pitch your “scholarship hitters” hit was right smack down the middle or else he could not have done anythin with it.
if farnsworth had command and could hit his spots at 98 he’d of course be a dominating pitcher. he doesn’t have command so why even debate it? i personally would waste no time on him. he is what he is. he’s a head case. he should be used when they are way ahead or way behind.
NYR: You are clueless about pitching…and, I would surmise, communication and life.
Location is by far more important than movement. If you locate your pitches, you will be effect regardless of velocity and or movement
The quality varies….good enough to watch though and on some very good.I usually hook up a projector to my laptop and watch it BIG SCREEN!
Pete – What would pro players say about repetitive laser-straight 99mph pitches if the guy hit his spots? What I’ve seen & heard is that unless you throw something else or have some movement, they’ll eventually get hit.
Phil- Why does it seem like your the only that thinks Farnsworth would not be dominant if he could hit location? Hmmmm….. Interesting, maybe your the ignorant moron
NYR – I’m not saying location isn’t important too. It is. You’re saying movement isn’t important but it is.
Ranitng guy- With that slider, a pitcher throwing that hard with solid location could dominate for a good amount of time
NYR: You’re is you are. Your is possessive. You’re as clueless about grammar as your post is about pitching.
No, Im saying movement is not as important as location.
Phil- Wow, you are so cool, you should jump off your roof
If Farnsworth had location in addition to his stuff he’d be what he was last yr.
Very good.
Phil:
If you’re going to be a jerk, we’d rather not hear from you. No one needs an english lesson from you.
Who’s being the jerk? I was being insulted, so I chose to mock the person rather than flame back.
Monument- Phil was wrong so he had to come back with a grammar lesson
“You are an ignorant a$$&%&e who insults with no regard for fact. Get a clue and learn about something before you spout off.”
Yup, your not a liar
i have a feeling phil will pitch well today.
in his hometown, with friends and family in the crowd, and already adjusted to the time difference, because he flew back here earlier than the rest of the team.
“Moose against AL Teams .500 or above this year: 2-7, 45 IP, 55 hits, 28 runs allowed, .315 BA against. Not impressive. In fact, one could argue its Igawa-like.”
I am not going to belabor this point as I have stated ad nauseum my thoughts. Well actually I am going to belabor it so move on if your not interested.
You can obviously make any pitcher look bad with stats. Reducing his season to the extremely few games against 500 teams is a bit shallow in my opinion. He cant help the fact that he faced mostly garbage teams this year. Further, your sample size is too small to draw conclusions about his performance against these so called “better teams”. You need to look more comprehensively at Moose’s starts to appreciate why he is our most consistent pitcher, and why your categorization of him is nothing more than a bum rap.
The bottom line on the Moose is that he has given up more than 3 runs this season exactly 6 times. The other 15 starts he has given up 3 or less. He gives a solid chance to win the vast majority of the time he starts.
Guess how many times Pettitte has given up more than 3 runs. You are correct if you guessed the exact same number = 6. This includes back to back 7 and 8 run outings in July.
How about our Ace? Wang has given up more than 3 runs 8 times, including his most recent meltdown in Toronto!! This includes poor outings against ‘good’ teams like boston, but it also includes poor teams like Tampa and KC, a far more sinister finding.
What about our multibillion dollar savior Clemens. He hasn’t pitched enough to compare fairly. But he has given up over 3 runs 4 times, which actually compares less favorably than what the Moose has done over many more games.
How about all of those spot starters like Iggy, Clippard and Karstens. I don’t think I need to make the board suffer with a recollection of their stats.
One could reasonably and easily argue that Moose has been our most consistent starter this year, giving us the best chance to win statistically on any given day. I would have no problem using him in this role in the playoffs, as he gives us every bit as much a chance to win as anyone else who has started this year, if not more so.
The point of this diatribe isn’t to point out how poor our staff is. It isn’t. It is very good, but doesn’t possess that one dominant arm that is an almost automatic win every time. We are better served the way it is however, because up and down the starters all give you a great chance to win. There is no dead arm in any of our 5 starters, at least not anymore. Statistically you will win more games with 5 very good pitchers than one dominant guy and 4 substandard chumps. Moose is an integral part of this rotation whether you like it or not.
BJ
…can’t we all just get along ???
I didn’t lie. You are an ignorant _______ who insults with no regard for fact.
Agreed Don Vito. I am bored with the ignorant troll and his ignorance as to the basics of successful pitching.
Go NYR & Phil
You’re both jerks.
Now go have a hug.
Moose is not their most consistent pitcher. Not even close.
Pettitte had had to pitch in much tougher situations than Moose has this year. So has Wang. Moose has had plenty of soft landing games this year. Pettitte, much fewer, especially earlier in the year when the staff was in shambles. Wang has been solid up until the last month.
Moose doesn’t eat innings like Pettitte or Wang. How can he be more consistent than either guy if he isn’t an innings eater?
You look at his numbers, in almost half his starts and they aren’t good. You have to look at his numbers against good teams because for the next two (perhaps 3) starts, that’s who he is facing and he simply has not pitched well against better quality teams.
A guy with his numbers against .500 or above teams is not a small sample size. Its relative to the way he has pitched this year and he has not been good. There is no way to spin his numbers against better teams as anything other than awful.
Let’s see what he does tomorrow night. Its another test against a good team for him. Hopefully, he gets the job done.
“Hopefully, he gets the job done.”
I think we can both agree on this.:)
BJ
“You are an ignorant a$$&%&e who insults with no regard for fact. Get a clue and learn about something before you spout off.”
in go nyr’s defense, for what it’s worth, i caught jack armstrong during the pre season for two months before he started the national league all star game in the early 90’s.
jack was in the high 90’s and was straight as an arrow. he did have good control and he had a good slider.
if a pitcher can command a high 90’s straight fastball and hit the corners, go up and in with precision, and have a good breaking ball, he’s going to get mlb hitters out. this is however not a description of farnsworth.
it’s probably not a description of the high school pitchers who could hit 90 mph either . if that’s all they could do, yeah a good high school hitter could hit them. it takes another good pitch and knowing how to pitch to create some diversion from the straight fastball.
so i’m in agreement with go nyr that a well placed straight fastball from a pitcher who has another good off speed pitch or breaking ball can get mlb hitters out.
and phil, while i disagree with you on this one issue, you’re obviously doing a good job with your team. keep up the good work.
LETS HUG IT OUT!
Phil, you’re a bore.
Btw, tonight is another excellent opportunity for us to gain a game on the beanyboys. Kazmir has been one of the better arms this year. Tampa can certainly hit. Now if their defense will hold it to 5 errors or less, than they might have a chance.
If Hughes can continue improving and pitch well, we could realistically be looking at a 3 game deficit tomorrow morning.
BJ
Moose consistent???
He was solid before last fridays game but he is what he is.
A #5 starter who will give you 6 innings.
Hopefully at 3 runs.
Anyone will take that from a 5 starter.
I mean we have Jose on our team. He sat in on the meetings prior to our series. He knows what they tried to do against us.
Don’t assume because Kazmir is throwing well that the Sox will lose.
They are the Devil Rays.
The Devil Rays are the Devil Rays. Kazmie could pitch an 8 inning gem only to have their horrible bullpen blow it.
I noticed something weird when going through Mussina’s stats. Check out his batters’ OPS against him, by catcher:
Nieves (266 PA): .691
Molina (30 PA): .704
Posada (211 PA): .942
Is this bad luck when Posada catches, or something else?
Jeremy,
I noticed the same exact thing. I think some here would argue that the catcher can make a huge difference and I am not about to argue that as there is some truth to that argument.
It is difficult to point objectively at any one factor to support this compellingly however. You would have to go back and carefully examine what pitches are thrown in key situations, and who is making that decision. I generally trust my own eyes and others I know watch the game as carefully as I do. I believe posters like SJ44 fall into this category.
BJ
Steve Phillips pronounced Joba’s name as “JOBER” when he spoke of the need for “JOBER” to FAIL & how he bounces back from it before you can tell how good he really is.
Know this, Steve Phillips, all of us can plainly see how you “bounced” back after you got FIRED as the Mets GM.
While Yankees GM Brian Cashman is rapidly ramping up a new engine for the next Yankee Dynasty, you’re busy fantasizing on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight.
if the majors expand to 200 teams and they start drafting elementary school hitters, then phil’s comments have some relevance. until then, phil (and steve phillips) need to zip it.
Awesome “Ghostbusters” reference in the poll, Pete!