Rodriguez, Wang feeling OK
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Sep 04, 2007 
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Two medical updates:
Alex Rodriguez: Says his right ankle is “a little sore.” X-rays were negative. He says he will decide tomorrow whether he plays.
Chien-Ming Wang: His lower back got tight during the long bottom of the seventh inning. He had trouble getting loose once he started pitching, Ron Guidry noticed it and they took him out. Wang was iced after the game and said he felt fine. His next start won’t be until Tuesday anyway, so he will have a chance to throw twice in the bullpen.
Wang is 6-0, 2.51 in six career starts against Seattle.
Wang is now 17-6 with a 3.68 ERA over 173.2 innings. He is one of five pitchers in baseball with at least 16 wins and an ERA under 3.70. The others are Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Jake Peavy and C.C. Sabathia.
Wang and Beckett are each 17-6. Beckett has a 3.30 ERA, Wang 3.68. I don’t think Wang can win the Cy Young because he’s not high-profile enough. But the race isn’t over yet, either.
Saw somebody posted that a real ace is a stopper. Well, Wang is 8-2 in 11 starts after a loss this season.
First?
Hey Pete, I think you meant Seattle, not Anaheim, but regardless, it’s a fantastic thing that we have someone who can beat an AL West team consistently. I only wish the Yankees could score when it counted and not 7 runs after the fact. I get this terrible feeling we’ll need those 8 extra runs at some point in the next week.
Pete
Thanks for this important Updated.
Yankees need them both during these very competitive games.
…Umm, you mean Seattle?
Some of us would kill to have a Yankee pitcher be 6-0 against Anaheim!
Anyway, good to know that CMW and Arod aren’t too banged up. Thank God they don’t pitch in the bullpen!
Why has Wang rest for 6 days? Give that he is the best Yankee starting pitcher, why doesn’t let him rest regularly for 4 days and pitch on Sunday?
Wang’s an ace. There shouldn’t even be an argument. Every ace of every staff from Johan, to Beckett, to CC gets smacked around every once awhile…but every ace always steps up and ends losing streaks and wins big games. With Wang and Pettite, it’s really 1a and 1b, since Pettite also is killing losing streaks and rising to the occasion.
I wish we had a solid 3,4,5 but we honestly don’t and we’re gonna have to find a way to win around that.
Still, in a short series having Wang and Pettite potentially pitch 2 games each is a good thing in the post season. I just hope we hang on and get there.
We’re a very dangerous playoff team, because the Joba rules will be thrown out for them and someone from Kennedy or Hughes will be in the pen to solidify that even more. If we have a lead after 6 in the playoffs, I think it’s game over.
Just get there. Hughes needs to step up big tomorrow night. I think he’s got it in him.
OK, so what’s with the national squirrel outbreak? Seriously, there must be some scientific reason that squirrels are now running rampant throughout our nation’s ballparks!
Good news on Arod and Wang. I held my breath when I saw Arod hold his leg like that. I’m still worried maybe a sprain? He said there was alittle swelling.
Wang was great, only made really one mistake.
I wonder how many people realize that Wang’s got a shot at 20 wins this year?
If he gets it, does he get considered for Cy Young?
If he wasn’t hurt in April, he probably would have 20 wins, does that factor in at all?
Talk about having a quiet year…
Rebecca – Beckett has the Cy Young wrapped up no matter how strong Wang finishes the year. I don’t like it, but it’s the truth…
Rebecca – P.S. – How’s the blog going so far?
i’m with morerun-
why not start wang sunday?? he’s obviously on a roll, winning his last 4 starts. let him pitch on reg. rest, then start us off on the right foot in fenway.
i say this especially because he could totally kick KC’s butt whereas Toronto’s had his number recently.
a little tid-bit about Hughes on the Yankees’ site.
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com.....p;c_id=nyy
“Thursday’s starter, Phil Hughes, had “a good bullpen [session]” according to Torre and has worked on mechanical issues with Triple-A pitching coach Dave Eiland.”
I think Danny Haren has a great shot at the Cy Young, but he gets no recognition because he is on Oakland, and they are not contending this year. I mean if Arod can win the mvp on the last place Rangers why can’t Haren win the Cy Young?
His stats 14-6 2.87era 191.1ip 170 hits 61er 47 walks 161k’s
They are actually highly trained steriod sniffing squirrels employed by the federal Govt.
Chi Dave–You should go check! Put some post game notes up…
Guidry noticed it and did NOT take him out of the game. Posada did. And he should never have been in there in the 1st place. Why can’t a single beat reporter ever ask a single journalistic question. It is such a cozy environment and access is everything so nobody– Pete very much included– ever asks a real question like” Joe, what the hell were you thinking sending your best pitcher out there with a 10 run lead after sitting for 30 minutes?” Cmon Pete, do your job.
Rebecca – Sorry, I will check in on the blog soon!
Chi Dave–Nothing to be sorry about! Yanks won, didn’t they?
Rebecca – Why, yes they did! More of the same tomorrow, please!!!
Oh great, Now Hughes will be topping out at about 87 mph with Eiland tinkering with his arm slot again.
Imagine if Wang had been healthy early and just got his 19th or 20th win…
Dude! The squirrel(s) made top plays!
Yeah, how is Dave Eiland qualified to be a pitching coach? I mean, he was such a mediocre pitcher in his day! Then again, it’s usually the career minor leaguers or marginal major leaguers that make the best coaches, isn’t it?!
Chi Dave–It would make sense.
The marginal major leaguers are often the ones that have to grind it out, the ones without the talent to carry them all the way through. They have to be able to do all the little things not just to help their team win, but to have a job.
My line of thinking is kind of screwy though, so feel free to disagree
The hardball times article about Hughes loss of velocity blames Eiland for changing Hughes delivery to more over the top and slowing him down. I am not 100% convinced but the video feed on pending pinstripes was hard to ignore. There was definate difference in arm slot and follow thru.
wang will get 5 more starts.. he definitely has a chnce at 20 and if he gets it he definitely isa candidate for the cy young..
they need to win tommorrow… seatlle has played 5 less home games then the yankis.. the yanks win tommorrow they are up 3 and are in good shape, tommorrow is a huge game with kennedy pitching thurs. we need Hghes to come up BIG..
they also need to call up 1 more catcher, to have Jorge in there at the end is idiotic, seattle has like 4 cathcers on there 40 man….
Some illustrative stats for you, Pete:
Scott Erickson, noted sinkerball ace, in his first two complete seasons in major league ball (with the Twins):
W L ERA CG SHO
20 8 3.18 5 3
13 12 3.40 5 3
Scott’s two seasons immediately following these:
W L ERA CG SHO
8 19 5.19 1 0
8 11 5.44 2 1
The point? After the two seasons at the top, I’m sure every fan and journalist following the Twins thought he was an “ace.” (Heck, his numbers were even better than CMW’s – with the exception of the wins for the second year.) Two seasons later? Hmmm…Not so much. And, again, this guy lived and died by the sinkerball, and also didn’t tend to strike out a whole lot of guys.
So, again, as much as I genuinely like Wang and want him to continue to succeed, I think all this “ace” stuff should be taken with a grain of salt. What happened to Erickson could very well happen to Wang.
Joba/Squirrel ‘08
Jackson Lee is ‘da bomb
http://tinyurl.com/2nfkc6
Dr. Acula – Where was Mrs. Pitt tonight?
Chi Dave–We better hope it doesn’t!
Anyway, from what I’ve heard, Wang’s been learning to throw other pitches, he’s got a change now…so while the sinker is by far his best pitch, it’s not his only pitch.
I think the thing I love most about him is that he’s so quiet. You never worry with him on the mound, but he’s not flashy. He goes out there and gets the job done.
What other Yankee starter would you have picked to protect the 1-0 lead through 6?
No two ways about it, da Squirrel is a hottie!!
http://tinyurl.com/2dh6tb
Rebecca – How about Andy Pettitte?
Honestly, I do love Wang. (Some deranged people on this blog seem to think I hate his guts, but that’s just not true!) Also, he has done great things thus far in his young career and I sincerely hope he continues to only get better as the years go by. I just think Yankee fans get carried away with their accolades sometimes, you know?
Besides, Wang himself has always shied away from the “ace” throne that everyone is so desperate to put on him…Which I think is a great thing! It shows he is humble and more interested in the team’s success than his own glory.
Dr. Acula – You think the Squirrel is female?
Wang has better stuff than Erickson and will add another pitch next year. The bottom line is no-one really knows what will happen. I am still glad he’s in P-stripes
“Two days before, Joba Chamberlain fired a 100-mph pitch over Kevin Youklis’ head and looked at Alex Rodriguez for approval.”
Pete, have the Yankees had any reaction to this quote from Peter Gammons?
Dave-
Angelina was chasin’ da Squirrel – homewrecker!!
http://tinyurl.com/3xpnut
“The bottom line is no-one really knows what will happen. I am still glad he’s in P-stripes”
VOIII – Yep, I agree with you 100%!
_Dr. Acula – You think the Squirrel is female?_
hard to know, but no doubt, Baby got back
Dr. A – Oh, snap, Angelina was there! I wonder how come ESPN showed Brad but not Angelina (on the game highlights)?
Chi Dave–Yeah, Pettitte’s amazing, too.
Thing is, everyone knows Pettitte’s amazing, he’s been so for eleven years.
Wang? He’s still like a secret weapon. You never hear about him (granted, you probably hear a lot more in Taiwan)…but it’s almost like you can just relax when he pitches. I mean, save for that one start in Toronnto, even the games he’s off he keeps the team in it…
Chicago Dave this is 3 yrs for Wang not 2.. He also has bettter secondary pitches then Erickson.. Wangs slider is pretty good and his change is not bad!!!!!!!!!!
Erickson also got injured….
Dr. A – OK, I know you love all women, but hopefully you don’t fancy our furry friends, too? HA!
Wang should be the 2007 Cy Young Award winner for these reasons:
1. That 8-2 record in 11 starts after a Yankee loss.
2. He missed ALL of April yet has similar numbers and the same win total as Beckett. Imagine if he was healthy all year? If he was, I firmly believe the Yanks are at least 5 games ahead of Seattle for the wildcard (Yanks are on their way in the postseason barring a collapse) and only 4 games behind Boston for the division (Yanks have a shot at the division) through tonight.
3. He probably has at least 20 wins instead of 17 if he doesn’t miss April which means he could’ve had as many as 23-25 wins this year. He could still win 20. When you win 20 games missing a month, you’re the C.Y.A. winner, period, end of story, case closed. If he wins 20 (he has 4 starts to),
he should win the C.Y.A. If he falls short with 19, it’s only cuz of his lost month.
All of the numbers say Wang should be average, yet he keeps grinding out the wins with remarkably low pitch counts. He may wind up being a Mussina-type who is dependably good year after year.
No excellent Yankee pitcher will remain under the radar. Once the Yankees’ playoff berth is assured, the NY writers will have plenty of time to extol his virtues. They probably haven’t done so too much so far because he is the least interesting story on a team full of them.
He is so diametrically opposed to Beckett – quiet, doesn’t throw especially hard, doesn’t K a lot of guys, etc. – that their competition for the Cy will make great copy.
Thank God! As Brad Pitt continues his Save the World Tour, he makes a stop in the Bronx. After helping children in Africa and financing the rebuilding communities in New Orleans, Pitt has added saving the Yankees’ season to his list of worthy causes.
Stuart – When I said “first two complete seasons” for Erickson, I meant the first two seasons where he had 30+ starts. In Erickson first major league season, he had 19 starts and went 8-4 with a 2.87 ERA (which is, again, even better than Wang did in his debut season).
That being said, I also hope (and think) that Wang has the potential to be much better than Erickson, eventually.
I’m not sure I want to hear that a guy who loves women loves squirrels in the same way…
…It’s just a little bit disturbing.
Chicago Dave,
She was either at the concession stand or in the bathroom.
to quote Rocket, “I have a big heart. I’m sensitive.”
http://tinyurl.com/2dc7zq
Dr. A: Awww!
Dr. A. – OK, I’m officially disturbed!!!
Is there any precedent of a pitcher with such low K totals (and not an under 3.00 ERA) winning the Cy Young?
One more thing: If he pitches well enough at Toronto 9/11 and at Boston 9/16 for 18 or 19 wins and 2-0 Yanks in those games, he’s the C.Y.A. cuz that’s some money pitching right there esp. if he outduels Halladay or Marcum and Beckett.
Rebecca – You’re right about “relaxing” when Wang pitches. That’s exactly how I feel, too! Isn’t that strange somehow? I didn’t figure I would ever say I was “relaxed” when a certain person starts a game for the Yanks, you know?! It’s really kind of odd…
Cy Wang
Hah, they just did one of those Actober commercials, and this time they focused on the Yankees. I had great fun watching it…
The magic number is now 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17,17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17,17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17,17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17,
It must suck to follow a second place team…
Rebecca – Where was that commercial?
Again, I say that registration can’t come soon enough!!!
There’s no question whether Joba was throwing at Youkilis or not. Of course he was! He said he was trying a new pitch but if you watch Posada put the signs down you know that was a lie. Posada put down fastball away both times. Plus, Chamberlain’s been talking to Clemens a lot lately. Of course he wants to try to impress Clemens and A-Rod.
I never thought there was any doubt. It’s impossible to throw two pitches in that same exact location by accident.
Chi Dave–On ESPN.
OK, so now the Sux fans are out in full force again. I’m out… See you all tomorrow!!!
Thank you Yankees! By winning today, you helped to lower the Red Sox magic number for a playoff berth by 2 games! Plus since the Red Sox won they lowered the magic number for the division as well! Couldn’t possibly be a more productive day!
There’s a glaring reason why we need registration. Keep the trolls out.
Pitching coaches….Leo Mazzone,,,,Dave Duncan,,,,How outstanding was their MLB career…..Get a clue….
So, looks like Hughes isn’t hurt. He’s just bad.
No bother, he’d never compare to Buchholz no matter how good he is. And by the way, Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury is twice the player Melky will ever be. If you disagree, you haven’t been watching. He more or less won us the last two games.
Steroid sniffing squirrels? No wonder they’re hanging around Yankee Stadium so much!
and yet there are still some idiots who say the jury is still out on wang…
Why do people act like Wang is a fraud or something? Pitching like an ace when he doesn’t have the right tools. Just because he’s not a strikeout machine doesn’t mean he can’t get the job done. Pitching to contact and inducing outs like he has actually saves the bullpen because more often than not, he’s a very efficient pitcher.
Boston can have Beckett, I’ll take Wang. At least he won’t break his hand throwing a hissy fit and doesn’t swear like a sailor. I’d take Santana if he were available, though.
Funny.
The trolls didn’t bother commenting once during the game.
Why? Cos they were probably too busy biting their nails over the Sox/Jays.
Jeez, if you’re that nervous when your ACE comes out…
Yea. Wang >>>>> Becket. Sorry.
I do believe that Wang has the most wins than any other pitcher in MLB during the past 2 years….
Nah, we just enjoy watching first place teams a lot more.
Besides, I thought you didn’t want me commenting here during the game. I guess I’ll have to from now on though.
Everyone else, remember to thank Rebecca for that : )
See you tomorrow!
these boston trolls are awesome. to be honest, the yanks taking the wild card proves we are a better overall team, since we don’t bother packing it in when things go wrong (oh sorry, thats just manny being manny). just remember this: this is our worst season in 10 years, and we still have a shot at the WC. boston couldn’t even make a run at that last year, especially with manny faking injuries. but of course, that was just one year in a history of mediocrity for boston
Best Team in BB….You must enjoy coming over to this site, it’s like going to a school of higher education…..
BB, where were you this time last year? I’d think you’d be a bit more humble given the horrific years that Boston is known for and still could have.
But it is kind of funny to hear you guys talk about how great Ellsbury is after just two games. We are laughing at you because you dont know how to act like a winner.
Man, 3 save appearances in a row from Papelbon. You don’t see old man Rivera doing that. He’ll slip and break a hip.
The old guy’s on the way out though and as Papelbon said he wants to be, he’s becoming the new Mariano. They’re numbers at this point in their career are incomparable.
Mo
95 – 5.51 ERA
96 – 2.09 ERA
97 – 1.88 ERA
9.08 K/9 IP
Papelbon
05 – 2.65 ERA
06 – 0.92 ERA
07 – 1.61 ERA
10.84
And Papelbon’s only getting better. He’s struck out 13.4 per 9 this year.
It’s only a matter of staying healthy. If Papelbon can post his numbers for another 6-7 years he’ll be discussed as the greatest closer of all time.
I wish I had the decency to admit that the Yankees are better than the Sox… but I don’t.
No one’s talking about how great Ellsbury is after a couple games. I’ve been talking about how great he is all season.
In 11 games with the Red Sox he’s hitting .452/.514/.774 with 2 HR and 3 SB (0 CS). In the minors this year he hit .323/.387/.424 with 41 SB (7 CS). He’s a .300 hitter who rarely strikes out and gets on base. Plus he’s the fastest player I’ve ever seen in a Red Sox uniform. He might be the fastest in the league. Not to mention, he’s at least as good a defensive CF as Coco Crisp.
He lead his league in SB and he could possibly lead the majors one day. If you don’t think think he’s a great talent, you wouldn’t know talent if it poked your eye out (no that’s not an Encarnacion joke).
Harsha, Manny played hurt for weeks before sitting out. You’re an idiot if you think he’s packing it in. Even Yankee David Justice says that Manny plays hurt.
Stop hating. I know he’s good.
Since we’re talking about things completely unforseeable in the future (like papelbon being the greatest closer HA) therefore making the point completely irrelevant, just remember this, Bosox trolls:
26 world championships. keeping trying guys, it’ll only take you a century to catch up
SHHH HARSHA! boston trolls conveniently don’t care about the past!
Sometimes I wish I was a Mets fan…
BB, i think you may be right…if he could do it with one pitch
dude, manny doesnt even like playing for your team. why else is his name in trade rumors EVERY offseason. what makes you think he didnt pack it in?
You want to talk about the past? What was the greatest playoff comeback of all time?
Who cares about the past? I don’t come in here going “2004! 2004!”. Yankees fans dwell on the past because it’s the only positive they’ve got. I’m not that desperate, I have a first place team to watch every day. You guys don’t even have the best team in your city that you have to watch.
oh and david justice might be the dumbest man on earth, if you’ve ever heard him speak
yeh i hear manny is uncomfortable living there. i dont blame him for from what i hear boston is racist.
I’m not that desperate
Dude, you are a red sox fan on a yankees blog at 2am EST. what the hell are you talking about? you may not be desperate, but your sort of pathetic.
well it seems we got mark mcgwire posting here as best team in bb now.
“I wouldn’t want to play for a team that couldn’t even win the Wild Card either.”
you pack of dogs ended third last season…
As Bob Dylan said…..A hard Rain’s goin fall…..Remember that come the first round of the Playoffs as the Beantown 8 ( minus Manny ) gets bounced out of the postseason……
I wouldn’t want to play for a team that couldn’t even win the Wild Card either.
Some athletes have this thing called Pride, or devotion to their team. Someone you love to hate is full of that stuff, and does it much better than any of your BoSox can. His name? Derek Jeter. Why does someone with all these characteristics you tout manny for (first ballot hof, world series MVP) get so much hate in RSN? At least jeters got pride in his team
The Red Sox held a tryout at Fenway Park for Jackie Robinson in April 1945. But with only management in the stands, someone yelled “Get those niggers off the field,” according to a reporter who was there that day. Two years later, Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first black player of the 20th century to play in the major leagues.
if papelbon can post numbers like that for another ten years i’ll think he’s just as great as you do. just like i was happy for buchholz because how could you not be glad for a kid doing something like that. but i also think both those guys would agree that you’re a doofus.
wang is a no nonsense guy. he doesn’t need no cy young. he just needs us and the entire nation of taiwan to have his back.
i happen to think sabathia, who pitches more innings with better numbers than anybody in the league deserves it. 35 more innings than beckett, less walks with even more strikeouts, three CGs and a shutout, hasn’t missed a start. he went 9 innings without giving up a run to cincinnati and got a no decision, and also lost 1-0 to boston in one start. he also stepped up against Santana three times this year and basically stripped him of his Cy young singlehandedly. He was also on MTV cribs, AND batted .667 on the year! he’s also festively plump.
Putz also deserves a nod. and when i say putz i don’t mean some weirdo who comes to a blog just to spread ill will and irritation. i mean the jack bauer look-a-like.
“mumbling alcoholic he is right now in his white tux and a cowboy hat.”
you don’t respect sh*t. since 04 every goddamn red sox fan has turned into you, you guys used to be humble (it was the only saving grace you pack of losers ever had).
How about good luck with Big Fati. At this rate, both his knees won’t be able to hold him down and his shoulder will come off by October. Then again, can you be surprised? Just look at him. Big Chunky man. How does anyone call that an athlete?
Nice win for the Yankees. It’s good to know that A-Rod and Clemens are OK.
Best team in bb…You’ve perfected the art of delusional manipulation of the truth….You do have a set of gonads to even rap your BS here….I do hope come Octobers failure that you stay in touch….Your humor will be missed as the Yanks progress deep in the October post season glare, and the chowdaheads ask, whut hoppen, what went wrong …..
dude your comment made no sense in context…
but anyway, hey, congrats on the division. remember who was the best team in baseball last season? yanks and mets tied for the best record. How far did that get them. When you guys win the division its “WE BEAT THE YANKEES.” When the yanks win the division its “oh hey, another division title to add to the list” You guys have a lot more to gain from winning the division, since, well, it just doesnt happen that often
oh and another thing. if the Bosox gave a **** about their fans, they wouldnt make their POS stadium the most expensive one in america, and then provide those d-bag fans with absolutely no room. I cant believe you fools pay top dollar for cramped seating
BB – when do Yankees fans HATE Arod? Sorry, wrong again.
Another Boston fan with the loser mentality. You all are notorious for it because you are so used to coming in second (or worse) so when you beat Toronto in September, its cause for a celebration. Where were you when we swept you last week?
You know that NYC laughs at Boston – everything about you guys is second best. See you in Oct.
anyone read that article about buccholz stealing laptops while he was in college. hey, if it keeps up he’ll have the record for most no hitters in the State penitentiary league
Red Sox fans are just lousy, arrogant, and downright cruel as they come. There are little Massachusetts kids who wear obscene and inappropriate words or pictures and that is a known fact.
why should yankee fans be humble if we crushed you repeatedly over and over and over the last 100 years.
oh, its more historic than the house that ruth built, my fault The greateest player, on the most successful team in history, in the stadium thats seen the most world championships.
they probably only made it a national landmark so they could get federal funding to help its upkeep. ever though about that, or was your head so far up the *** of the person sitting in front of you at fenway
Red Sox fans are just lousy, arrogant, and downright nasty as they come. There are little Massachusetts kids who wear obscene and inappropriate words or pictures and that is a known fact. Who other than Red Sox fans would condone such kind of crap.
i’ve been to boston, its a great city.
but seriously, you have the “evil empire” of the football world – the pats. they, like the yanks, are oozing with pro-bowlers or previous pro-bowlers. why do you still love them?
now the sox are upping payroll, just to keep up with the yanks who have CUT salary since last year.
we keep bringing up the payroll thing beausae you guys are acting exactly how the yanks did 2001-2005
A Hard Rain’s Goin Fall……
Boston….Scranton only with clams……
Because they were on the losing end of the largest playoff collapse in the history of baseball. No other team will ever collapse that badly again in the history of the sport.
SWEET. now lets talk about the largest regular season collapses. my fave is when the yanks came back from 14 back in 1978. Stop bringing up the past – you dont want to go there. we have a lot more of it
In 2005 the Red Sox began offering “Official Citizenship” in Red Sox Nation. For a fee of $9.95(USD), fans received a membership card with the words “Official Red Sox Nation Citizen,” and access to additional Red Sox merchandise offers and newsletters. Critics have charged it as a shameless commercial ploy.
Harsha, I’m trying to avoid the past. It’s Yankees fans who keep bringing it up because they don’t want to talk about this year. I wouldn’t either, I’d be a little embarrassed as well.
is that how you guys are gonna make up the money you lose by keeping that green bathtub? the citizenship fee?
whats embarrassing about this season? tell me?
Buchholz, Steinbrenner had to be pardoned for illegally funding political candidates. Who cares?
That has absolutely nothing to do with baseball. If fans are obsessed enough with the team to want to buy a membership then that’s their business. Besides, the Yankees have the SAME EXACT thing in Yankee Universe. Think next time before you open your mouth please.
What else you got that doesn’t have to do with baseball?
actually, im incredibly proud of my team this year. We went from last place in our division to leading the wild card. They’ve shown a lot of heart and character.
i’ll talk about this year. the yankees are going to be getting the same ticket punched to the playoffs as boston is. nothing embarassing about that. what the two teams do from there is up to them.
Boston is a sewer. Calling NY racist is just laughable since NYC is the more ethnically diverse and tolerant than Boston. I’ve never heard a Yankee fan in the 30 years I’ve been going to games yell a racial obscenity at a player on the field. Ever.
In 2007 in Boston, there are still fans yelling racist remarks at players. It’s a badge of honor in Boston to be a racist white new englander who lives and dies with the sawx. It’s a stereotype that has unbelievably been perpetuated through more enlightened times. When I go to Yankee games it’s like going to the UN these days.
For Boston trolls to come here to try to stoke fires is just laughable. You know in your heart that if you see us or Anaeheim for that matter in the playoffs, your gritty gutty Boston boys will fail like pansies. We slapped your best 3 pitchers around and swept. We’ve beaten your unbeatable closer. We’ve figured out Okajima and we’ve also gotten tired of watching our guys get plunked. Now your loudmouth crybabies have to stand in the box not knowing if the pitch is gonna go over the plate or behind their ear.
Winning the division is a nice accomplishment. You should be proud. You’ll have that and the kid who stole all the laptop’s no hitter to be cherishing as the post season advances and you’re at home cryin’ in your chowder and Manny is making appearances at car shows instead of playing in the playoffs.
Buchholz
You’re in second place, behind a team with 2/3 your payroll.
You’re not even the best team in your city.
Your ace of the future has been horrendous.
You payed over $14 million for Roger Clemens and he’s been a bust who may miss the rest of the season.
Carl Pavano, Mike Mussina, Carl Farnsworth, Kei Igawa
I could go all night…
Saw Dylan perform that song at the Concert for Bangladesh ( 1971 ) Please don’t tell me what the song means…..It’s an expressive terminalist metaphor…..Relax, take it context….Your defensive posture speaks volumns…..
does anyone want to discuss baseball with some rationality and give the posturing and gloating a break? that goes for everybody. this is lame.
the red sox are the best team in baseball. you cannot deny this, because it is a fact. i’m a yankee fan and the fact that we have one of the best records in baseball makes me feel ecstatic considering where we were a few months ago. we’ll see what happens in the next month and the playoffs. it should be awesome, because a lot of teams are in contention. i think that’s pretty cool.
also, unless red sox nation membership proceeds, the most ridiculous thing in the history of sports, go to cancer research, then it is actually totally different from yankee universe, because that does. the “universe” refers to yankee support for this cause, not a type of fanship like red sox nation.
G. Love, you’ve obviously never been outside Manhattan if you think NYC is tolerant of diversity. Ever been in the Bronx, not at a game?
If you wanna talk baseball, feel free to at any point. Must not have anything on the Sox if all you can do is call Boston racist.
I have an early tee time tomorrow, goodnight from L.A.
what is so embarrassing about this season? how we swept you with your hotshot pitchers? or was it the leading offense in the majors? or was it that we have future hall of famers? or that we have young talent (like em or not, laptop thieves or not)? or that we are in the hunt for the playoffs? which is it?
JD Drew. Julio Lugo. Matt Clement. Coco Crisp. Eric Gagne. The ever revolving SS position. Trading away Bard and Meredith for Mirabelli. Destroying Craig Hansen.
I could go all night too.
Paddy R, the Red Sox give vast sums of their proceeds to medical research so yes, that money does in fact go to that. Selling Red Sox Nation membership is no different than selling Yankees jerseys. It’s a product. And it’s laughable that you’re complaining about marketing considering the Yankees are the most marketed team in the country.
Stop whining. You Yankees fans are acting like a bunch of babies. It’s like you’re scared to actually talk about baseball.
that same team, with 2/3 the payroll couldnt make the playoffs last year. just remember that you guys haven’t had any major injuries this year, except for maybe schilling. we’ve had wang, hughes, and giambi miss large amounts of time.
wang (our ACE of the PRESENT AND FUTURE) has as many wins as beckett, minus a month of playing time.
phil hughes looked GREAT before he missed half the season. is it not out of hte realm of possiblity that hes still recovering?
G. Love, every team makes mistakes. Some teams make more than others. Like enough to not win their division with 33% more resources.
Why are Boston fans so obsessed with the Yankees?
Your ace of the future has been horrendous.
He has not been horrendous.
Why are Yankees fans so obsessed with the Sox?
we’re not the ones posting on a red sox blog
Harsha, please don’t try to argue payroll, you’re a Yankees fan. I’m embarrassed for you when you do that.
I’m glad you’re actually talking some baseball again though. I’m not saying Wang isn’t an ace. His ratio stats don’t compare to Beckett’s though (Beckett missed time as well). There’s quite a gap in ERA between the two and Beckett pitches in one of the most extreme hitter’s parks in the league. Yankee Stadium on the other hand is statistically a pitcher’s park. Accoring to the Bill James handbook, it’s 15% harder to score a run at YS than it is at Fenway Park. I think Beckett’s clearly been the better pitcher this year.
Hughes also had a very small sample size before he got hurt. He never pitched in college and he was rushed to the majors so I think he still has some work to do. Although the Yankees will never do it, he should start next year in Triple-A. I think he’s still 1-2 years from showing his potential (assuming he does some day become a top of the rotation starter). Who knows though, maybe he could start to figure things out in the second half next year.
To expect him to be an ace from the beginning next year I think is quite a bit to ask of him. Not even the greatest aces in the majors today were able to be an ace at that age with that amount of experience.
we would like to talk about baseball. we were talking about baseball. everyone has left because of this bs, and because you can’t find it in you to just be a gracious fan/human being.
you have a great f*cking team, we have a great f*cking team, shouldn’t that make you feel warm and fuzzy enough to get through the day without picking cyber-fights? if you aren’t a teenager you should really be ashamed of yourself.
this is a completely ridiculous conversation, but i feel the need to reply. nobody said the red sox didn’t give money to a good cause. i just said they dont give all the money from red sox nation cards, the stupidest thing in the history of professional sports, to good causes. all of yankee universe proceeds do. they are two totally different things. thats a fact. nobody is talking about marketing.
also, you’re team spends no money. you’re poor. you didn’t give out $200 million dollars this off-season. all really relevant stuff you’re talking about.
same thing talking about yankee bad signigns, because the red sox haven’t made any. jd drew and julio lugo are awesome at baseball. so was matt clement and edgar renteria.
let’s talk about this season. you’re excited about winning your first division in 37 years? great. you’re allowed to be. you have the better regular season team.
the yankees are getting the same ticket, for the same value, with the same invitation to october. we’ll see what happens when it matters. i hope the yankees get the red sox too. because it has been a cake walk against them head to head this year.
this year more runs have been scored in yankee stadium than anywhere else in baseball.
eelz, that’s not at all talking baseball. If you’d like to however, feel free to join the discussion…
So I guess the injuries we had earlier in the season and the fact that we had to start AA rookies doesnn’t count, yet the injuries the Red Sox suffered last season WHEN THEY COLLECTIVELY QUIT IN AUGUST AND MISSED THE PLAYOFFS counted since every Boston fan leaned on that excuse like a crutch.
You got lucky this year that we had trouble fielding a healthy rotation for the first 2 months. Enjoy it, because you know that if we got any kind of starting pitching the first 2 months in the season, you’d be in 2nd place scratching for the wild card.
At least the Yankees didn’t give up in August and are stil in the playoff hunt. The Sox quit last season after they got swept 5 games in their own hallowed ball yard by some team….
after tongihts win, theres only about a .5 differential between the two ERAs of wang and beckett, so that point is moot.
second of all, its ok if hughes isnt an ace. we have joba, who you guys are already scared of
eelz, that’s because the team that plays in Yankee Stadium has the best offense in baseball. That has nothing to do with the park itself. It is a pitcher’s park. That’s a fact.
“Selling Red Sox Nation membership is no different than selling Yankees jerseys.”
thats retarded. the membership serves no function, with a jersey at least, i can wear it. this is just the red sox trying to find another way to get money from u people. its embarrassing.
what do you think schilling’s gonna do next year?
so its a pitchers park today. but doesn’t RSN go nuts when the yanks take advantage of the short porch in right? weren’t you guys calling that jonny damon hr a fly ball in other parks? make up your mind
also does hazel mae have a sister?
yeah Jocob pillsbury hit 2 Hr’s at AAA and now he will be a home run hitter.. this is why we need registration. so I do not need to see this pollution from the boston drunks and inbreds…
I am typing this on a computer I got cheap on Ebay from some guy in texass named Clay.. He could barely speak english but the price was right on those laptops…
Do you think he is related to that moron on the sux?????
Maybe he will marry his cousin like many sux fans!!!!!!
Harsha, a .5 difference in ERA is quite significant. Its more than the difference between the lowest ERA in the league and the 9th lowest. Such a difference is not at all mute.
Joba’s an interesting guy. If you’re talking about Joba in the rotation, that’s quite different than Joba in the bullpen. He’s not at all proven at the major league level as a starter (a criticism of Papelbon going into this season). It doesn’t matter as much in the bullpen but Joba isn’t very pitch efficient. He’s a strike out pitcher and he hasn’t learned yet to pitch to contact.
At this point in is development Joba’s a 5 inning starter. He has a lot of work to do before I’m scared of him as a starter. Also, I’d wait until he runs into some trouble before you think he’s a sure thing.
What’s embarrassing is why a HOF writer feels the need to stump for votes in a blog. He implies that Joba Chamberlain was headhunting for Alex Rodriguez. This is just a sample of the kind of unbiased, unsubstantiated, unproven writing that Gammons will offer as President of the Red Sox Nation.
harsha you are taking everything way too personally.
Stuart, I doubt you actually want to talk baseball, but young players generally don’t develop power until later in their career. Ellsbury’s power numbers are much better than the ones Sizemore put up at the same age/level.
Besides, o one was saying Ellsbury’s going to be a power hitter in the first place. He’s a leadoff hitter.
its not taking it personally- its just that half the things they say are contradicted 2 weeks later
where is Gagne? Is he hurt, he has not pitched I think in a while and papelbum went 3 straight days for the 1st time this season.. that is a smart move so you hurt your stud closer…
Newsflash, Boston is making the playoffs Francona maybe you want to save papelbums arm, just a thought!!!!!!!!!!
Get a life, Joba was throwing at Youk’s head. He claimed he was trying out a new pitch but Posada was calling for a fastball both times. Why would Joba lie?
He’s been talking to Clemens a lot lately, so it’s not surprising he got the idea to throw at someone. He’s a young player looking to gain the respect of his team.
Well, I tried not to laugh at that headline…
Harsha, just because YS has a short right porch doesn’t mean it’s not a pitcher’s park. Almost all AL parks have a short fence on one side of the outfield. Yankee Stadium is a pitcher’s park. That’s a fact, look it up.
who cares of joba was throwing at youk? the sox have been throwing at a-rod and jeter all season. i’m glad whoever it was (hopefully it was rocket, arod, joba AND torre) chose youk – busting up some of his teeth might make him less ugly
best tam in BB go to sleep moron.. yeah ellsbury is better then melky, sure.. After all ellsbury has 20 B’s in the majors and since he is a sux he is better. Melky has almost a 1000 AB’s and he is about the same age and has proven himself for basically 2 yrs..
Man sux morons jump on that bandwagon real fast…I think it is the craig hansen bandwagon…How is that top closer you stole from the Yanks doing?????
David Pauley had 1 good game last yr. against the yanks also, so what.. pro’s do it day in and day out for a long long time, young man.. aren’t you up past your bedtime….
someone answer
why does stephen king go to red sox games?
It’s not Joba’s fault that Yuk’s head is larger than a weather balloon. I think that Joba was just distracted because he never saw a major leaguer trying to take a dump in the batter’s box.
O.K. that was uncalled for. But I’m not a hall-of-fame writer with a blog that people have to pay to read. So it’s not o.k. for a beat writer to make a joke about a kid found guilty of stealing computers, but it is o.k. for a senior baseball editor to basically label a young kid from the Yankees a headhunter?
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor
unless im completely retarded that says yankee stadium is a hitters park. the 7th best for hitters, at that
Hey Sox Troll
Odds are that the Sox won’t make it past the first round this year. Umm, what’s their record since the All Star break? Their post All Star break record against teams likely to make the playoffs? Their ERA against those teams?
Papelbon??? What’s his post-season record? Post-season ERA? Oh yeah..he’s never closed a post season game! Gosh, I forgot!
Compare him to Rivera is 15 years when he has over 50 post-season appearences??? Wait a minute…that assumes the Red Sox get 50 postseason games in the next 15 years, doesn’t it? When they have had about 15-20..in the last 35 years..correct? And assume his shoulder holds up for more than 1-2 years at this rate–big assumption.
Gagne was a great pick-up, by the way.
Bucholtz, with a AAA ERA of near 4 and a losing record, must, just must, be the real deal. He pitched a no hitter in his second ML game, for Pete’s sake–he must be great. Guess what, a few other rookie pitchers did that too..can you name them??? You know, neither can I–for a reason.
Looks like the Japanese guys are starting to get a lot stronger as the season ends…I guess when they pitch a month beyond what they have their entire career, their physiology must be different–NOT.
Enjoy the next 2-3 weeks, bro, because that may be all the enjoyment you’re going to get out of baseball for quite a while.
that comment about joba/youk was directed to yankee fans on this blog, who i thought might get a laugh. not you
Another night of invading Red Sox fans. First they gloat about their team, then argue, then want to talk baseball. LOL!! I guess nothing has changed.
Awesomeness.
Alex can’t be out of the game.
stephen king is from maine and a lifelong sux fan….
winning the division guarantees playoff success sux fans just ask the yanks the last few yrs…….
why do we need to go thru this back and forth constantly..i have a solution let’s wait tp the season is over and see what happens!!!!
ouch, what’d i do? (i do wear pink, i guess)
Oh, Lord. Sweeped?
The best team in baseball. Now, is the same team that we swept in a 3 game series just a week or so ago? When they had their top 3 pitchers going, no less?
Huh.
The day I write 20+ posts a night (every night) on a Red Sox forum is the same day I realize I have absolutely no life. Jeez man, get a freaking hobby.
People seriously think that Wang should even be mentioned in the Cy Young voting? He’s not even close to the top starters in the AL this year.
I wonder if that is someones pet squirrel. They usually don’t get that close to people.
Ahhh…..yes, Red Sux fans. Powered by insecurity. Generations of disappointment is the fuel that lights their fire.
“Those that forget history are doomed to repeat it”.
Jeffifer -
The squirrel is enamored with the aura of the big beautiful ballpark in the Bronx. Some say he actually lives in Manhattan but takes the #4 train when the Yankees are in town. He possesses a lifetime Metro Card.
Sorry …..Jennifer
“Ellsbury’s power numbers are much better than the ones Sizemore put up at the same age/level.”
That’s not true. Ellsbury hit a bunch of doubles in 73 AB at Double A this year, which is why his SLG was so high. He’s not a power hitter and never will be. He’s no better than Melky Cabrera and will be a fringy starting OF in the same way. All the Red Sox fans that have convinced themselves that he’s far superior to Coco Crisp are just delusional.
Adam: How would you rank the CYA contenders as of now. I see Wang as being in second place as of today.
As for Wang v. Beckett, and not this this point really matters for purposes of the CYA, but imagine if Wang’s infield defense included Lowell and Lugo on the left side rather than ARod and Jeter. I suspect if Wang and Beckett had to swap defenses, Wang would have the lower ERA.
“Wang Feeling Ok” is maybe the funniest headline I’ve ever read.
A-Rod, please repeat after me: I will stop sliding head-first. I will stop sliding head-first. I will stop sliding head-first!!!!!
“Adam: How would you rank the CYA contenders as of now. I see Wang as being in second place as of today.”
This isn’t how I think the voting will go, but how it should go. The voters will once again put too much importance on unimportant stats that pitchers really don’t control much like W-L record.
1. Santana
2. Sabathia
3. Bedard
4. Haren
5. Beckett
6. Escobar
Wang isn’t close to these guys’ level.
“I don’t think Wang can win the Cy Young because he’s not high-profile enough.”
He pitches for the Yankees and was the Cy Young runner-up last season. I think his profile is not his problem.
Wang’s won 17 games.
If he played in April, he’d probably have 20 by now, and have a chance at 23 or 24.
You don’t win that many games and NOT finish top five in Cy Young voting…
At least, you shouldn’t…
We have to be grateful Arod is ok,without him the yankees will go on vacation at the end of the month.I agree with Jeremy about Wang.
As for the present…lets hope P.Hughes proves he belongs.
“You don’t win that many games and NOT finish top five in Cy Young voting…
At least, you shouldn’t…”
Wins and losses shouldn’t be used in Cy Young voting. It’s not 1983 anymore, I figured the average baseball fan understands that W-L is a team statistic and isn’t a good indication of a pitcher’s performance.
I don’t think the average fan completely dismisses the validity of W-L as a measure of a pitcher’s performance. Nor should they, really. Certainly a pitcher has SOME control over his win-loss record.
Also, ERA is to some extent a function of team defense, ballpark factors, and luck, in addition to pitching skill. SO it’s not perfect, either.
You still don’t seem to be addressing the issue at hand, which is Wang’s prospects for winning the CYA this year. Unless you think the voters are suddenly going to change stripes and start ignoring W-L records, then isn’t Wang pretty much a lock for finishing in the top 5?
There’s no need to overlook wins and losses when looking at Cy Young candidates. ERA, strikeouts, and so many other things are in the equation as well, but as Herman Edwards once told me, “You play to WIN the game!” So wins definitely mean something and shouldn’t be viewed as overrated.
Adam, take a look at the power numbers of other leadoff hitters at this point in their careers and how they compare to Ellsbury.
Sizemore – .411 in 1998 AB (age 18-22)
Reyes – .423 in 2303 AB (age 17-21
Furcal – .387 in 993 AB (age 20-23)
Rollins – .385 in 2242 AB (age 17-21)
Soriano – .430 in 1311 AB (age 20-24)
Ellsbury – .425 in 1017 AB (age 19-23)
Young players typically don’t develop power at this age with so little time in the minors. I’m not saying Ellsbury will ever become a power hitter (neither is Coco), but just because he’s not one yet in no way means he won’t become one. He is better than Coco. He’s a .300 hitter who gets on base and can steal a lot more bases.
Adam, take a look at the power numbers of other leadoff hitters at this point in their careers and how they compare to Ellsbury.
Sizemore – .411 in 1998 AB (age 18-22)
Reyes – .423 in 2303 AB (age 17-21
Furcal – .387 in 993 AB (age 20-23)
Rollins – .385 in 2242 AB (age 17-21)
Soriano – .430 in 1311 AB (age 20-24)
Ellsbury – .425 in 1017 AB (age 19-23)
Young players typically don’t develop power at this age with so little time in the minors. I’m not saying Ellsbury will ever become a power hitter (neither is Coco), but just because he’s not one yet in no way means he won’t become one. He is better than Coco. He’s a .300 hitter who gets on base and can steal a lot more bases.
Both Beckett and Wang have gotten great offensive support this year and both missed time. Those are no excuses, just look at the pure numbers. Beckett clearly has the advantage.
“You still don’t seem to be addressing the issue at hand, which is Wang’s prospects for winning the CYA this year.”
The list I posted before is how I think the voting should go, not how I think it WILL go.
Obviously, the voters are going to look at misleading stats like W-L and ERA, much like they’ll look at BA and RBIs for the MVP. Therefore, I expect Wang to do very well in the voting, but he shouldn’t.
In fact, the argument that each pitcher has missed time is completely mute. They’ve both made the same exactly number of starts. Over their starts 26 starts the only thing distinguishing the two in terms of innings per start, is a single more inning by Beckett. That’s remarkable how similar those numbers are.
Putnam Sox Fan
September 5th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
“In fact, the argument that each pitcher has missed time is completely mute.”
Is it mute or is it moot?