The Sunday Links
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Sep 16, 2007 
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The Yankees were crushed by the Red Sox and that probably ends their hopes of winning the division.
Roger Clemens starts for the 200th time at Fenway tonight. This notebook also has an update on Jorge Posada and other news.
The Sunday baseball notes hands out some awards.
CRUSHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
as i watched shots of cashman in the fenway stands as the yankees ran out a long line of mediocre relievers, all i could think of was the lousy team he pompously came out of spring training with-lousy first basemen, lousy back up catcher, lousy bench, lousy bullpen. lousy conditoning coach( that cost the team at least 3-5 games),and a 50 million dollar japanese pitcher who wasn’t in shape to pitch.
there was no sense of urgency to excell as the season began. the yankees literally were just going through the motions. but not to worry, there were all those young pitchers coming,cashman’s youth movement was in full gear. all would be well.
wrong. the yankees are a .568 basebal team which is by yankee standards pathetically bad at this point in the year.they are in danger of being overtaken by the tigers for the wildcard spot. this would not be a problem if cashman focused as much on winning in the spring as he did on setting up player development for future years. he didn’t kick into gear focusing on this year until his job was on the line in june.
now the team must battle right to the end to get the wild card. there will be little to no resting of players to prepare for the playoffs. cashman better be praying the yankees make the playoffs, because if they don’t there will be a lot of finger pointing and it’s going to come back to him being totally in charge. his complacency and arrogance over not improving each and every position on the roster for this year because of his focus on his pet project of developing future players has put the yankees in this position. his job is to win now and win later, not just win later.
all this said ,i hope cashman has the job next year because it’ll mean the yankees have done well in the playoffs and hopefully even won the elusive 27th world championship.
they are in the drivers seat for the wild card, but this team goes into inexplicable funks at the worst times so if anyone is relaxing now with a 2.5 game lead over the tigers, they just haven’t been watching all year.
i hate crushanator
randy l, I find your lack of faith disturbing.
Randy,
Your post comes from such a sense of Yankee entitlement that I found it hard to read. a .568 winning percentage “pathetically bad?” Half of baseball has to struggle to get to a season like that. You’re drinking too much of that Kool-Aid that tells us that, because we’re the Yankees, we must win 95 games every year. You would have jumped ship and worn a Mets cap in ’91. Guaranteed.
I’m happier than anyone that this team controls their own destiny as far as a playoff spot, at this point in the season. They had to fight and claw to get there. If we don’t make it, if Detroit passes us, and the true purpose of this season was to position Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy alongside Chein Ming-Wang as our rotation of the future, then it was the season it needed to be. Sometimes you can’t transition AND win 100 games at the same time.
Yes, the team was embarrassing to start the season, but blame some of those guys who are finally pulling their weight now as much as you want to blame Wil Nieves, Carl Pavano, Kei Igawa, and Josh Phelps.
Go Yanks. Both pitchers tonight may have little left in the tank, but at least the Rocket still has fumes to go on.
vader-
we all deal with losing a big game differently. i get ticked off. i’ve found a healthy bad attitude does wonders sometimes for getting things done. it wouldn’t hurt a few players on the yankees to get a healthy bad attitude for an extended period.
the yankees needed to validate the big win friday with a win yesterday. the fact they didn’t takes away much of friday’s high. it still helps splitting the two games for the wild card if they can win today. winning series is all they have to do. but this makes today’s game a must win game.
the red sox play on emotion. they rode beckett’s emotionalism and took it to the yankees. the way to fight that is to get po’d yourself.
clemens needs to pick his spot and do exactly what beckett did to giambi. there won’t be a fine or a suspension if he does it before a warning and if he does it in the same safe but painful area to the body.
you can’t lay down to the red sox when someone like beckett walks off the mound with a cat- ate -the- canary smile on his face after drilling someone .
letting the red sox feel good about themselves for that is what i find disturbing.
but win tonight and all’s well. it’s all about winning series the rest of the way. if the yankee win every series they play, they’ll win the whole thing. is that positive enough for you.
Sheesh, guys, we’re still up in the Wild Card, not 2.5 back.
Not quite sure what all the panic is about…
randy l, now if you just came with what you just said I wouldn’t have found it as a lack of faith. Also, I wouldn’t be suprised if the umps warn both benches to start to game given the last two series.
I prefer Rebecca and the squirrel’s optimism to randyl’s morose drivel. The team has been playing great ball since early July, and I’m sure they’ll keep it going. Yesterday was bad, but today is a new day. Go Rocket! Go Yanks!
“You would have jumped ship and worn a Mets cap in ‘91. Guaranteed.”
i didn’t jump ship in 1959, 1967,1981 or any other year after that. high standards are the yankee way. the optimism bus is great, but the high standards bus is right up there with it.
if you want to have low expectations ,that’s your business. i’m going with wanting to be the best every year.
Pete,
I thought that after Matsui’s first year the Baseball Writers decided that they weren’t going to give Rookie awards to Japanese veterans. Based on some of your comments lately it seems that this was just my imagination. So, what happened to Matsui? I remember he had a pretty impressive first year.
Anyone hear about Shelly Duncan signing the Autograph for some young Sox Fan…priceless!
http://www.bostonherald.com/ne.....038;cnum=3
FrankD,
Yeah, and where is Anegel Bora now? Out of Baseball.
randy i- What did you want them to do? Run Joba, Vizcaino and Mariano out there when they were losing? This team is solid. There is no way around it. If not for early injuries to the starting pitchers which killed the bullpen, this team would be in first by 5 games instead of down by 5 games.
We Yankee fans are a spoiled bunch!
Anyway, I see so much 1996 in this team…(even if this season is more like 1995)
I have a feeling about this team I haven’t had since 2000.
This is a team that can win it, not because they have the talent, but because they WANT it.
If I’m nervous about anything, it’s about who the Yankees will be playing in the first round–if it’s the Angels, I, like the rest of Yankeedom will probably need a cardiologist and defibrillator on hand.
But if and when we get to the World Series? I just can’t see us not winning it.
FrankD- That was only the case because Matsui plays for the Yankees. Even the media hates the Yankees.
The Highlanders’/Yankees’ historical team winning percentage (1903 through 9/15/2007) is .567. I have not been a Yankee fan for all of that period, having only gotten on board when McCovey lined out to Richardson in the last game of the 1962 World Series, and I know that thirty-five years is a small sample size, but the Yankees, including the 2007 Yankees, have brought me too much enjoyment for me to characterize the 2007 winning percentage of .568 as “by Yankee standards, pathetically bad.” I too was disappointed by their loss on 9/15/2007, but I am appreciative of the efforts of those, including fans, who are still trying to get the team into the postseason in 2007.
The scariest thing about that post was that RandyI was so impressed with the sentiments contained in it, that he posted it not once, but twice. Now that’s pompous.
“Your post comes from such a sense of Yankee entitlement that I found it hard to read.”
Amen.
I meant to say, in an earlier post, that forty-five years, not thirty-five years, is a small sample size. My bad, but I think you get the point I was trying to make with my tongue planted firmly in cheek.
go nyr-
i’d like to have a bullpen similar to the one the angels had a few years ago where if a starter failed or was strugglling like wang was yesterday that the manager could go to the pen in the 4th or 5th inning and still have a good chance of winning the game.
the fact the yankees have to save the pen for every other game illustrates the problem. and players like farnsworth get hurt like clockwork when big games come up. the yankees have rivera,chamberlain,viscaino, and maybe edwar that you can feel good about. that’s pretty thin.
torre did what he had to yesterday saving his bullets for another day. my point is that he should have more bullets in the first place. that’s cashman’s job. he did not put together a good bullpen for 2007 no matter how much his supporters want to spin it.
“I have not been a Yankee fan for all of that period, having only gotten on board when McCovey lined out to Richardson in the last game of the 1962 World Series”
too bad you missed mazerowski hitting that homer in the 7th game of the 60 series that the lead went back and forth about ten times. not accepting losing a series like that is what set up winning that 1962 series .
ask jeter what he thinks of a .568 winning percentage or not winning a world series.
To All….make fun as much as you want…nothing is over until we say it is over, Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor ? Germans ? Forget it, he’s on a roll…
…..Just because I have a never say die attitude and won’t concede the division to Boston until the race is over, means I am 8 years old….right ! And again to ALL, Trolls, Boston Fans and even the Yankee Fans that DON’T believe….I may be wrong, but although I agree NOT LIKELY….it IS possible that THESE BOSTON IDIOTS ( after losing today ) can go 6-6.( which is only slightly worse than they have been playing for a pretty significant time )..and we CAN go 11-2.( which again, is only 2 games better than the last 13 games we will have played at a 9-4 record and that 11-2 will need to come against Baltimore, Tampa and Toronto, three pretty bad teams that we do have the ablility to punish )…Figure it out….Yankees then Boston both finish 96-66 and the Yankees win the tiebreaker by virtue of winning the season series….So In summation ( that is before I head off to my paper route and 3rd Grade Sunday School….The Yankees need to treat the next 13 games after winning today, truly like they are playoff games…and with the caliber of team they are facing it is quite possible that they CAN go 11-2….Boston, on the other hand, AFTER losing 2 out of 3 to the Yankees and with the way they let Tampa push them around last series HAS the ability to finish 6-6…..NOT LIKELY….but STILL POSSIBLE….( Hold on, I think my Mommy is calling me….gotta run…see you all you functioning adults…I hope one day to reach your high and might level )
.
.oh and as a funny P.S. After reading Pete’s notebook on the way the Yankees intend to set their rotation for the final games of the Season, winning the division will be even more remarkable. I totally disagree with putting Mussina back in there and would contend that a 5 man rotation that does NOT include the Moose at all, but still keeps Wang and Pettitte on regular rest would be the way I would do it….IMHO…but since I am only an 8 year old that stays up past his bedtime, who would ever take me serious ???
For whatever it’s worth I think Randy, at times, overstates his case, but I concur with his assessment of Cashman’s woeful job this off-season. Complacency and arrogance certainly marked his construction of the Yankees ’07 roster.
1) Consuming two roster spot with two incompetent first-baseman, on who couldn’t hit (Minky), and one who couldn’t field (Phelps), instead of a fifth-outfielder, whether Bernie Williams or someone else, was myopic, at best, and delinquent at worst.
2) Cashman’s stubborn refusal to renew ’51” 2006 offer– a paltry $1 million contract, with incentive, pocket change– weakened his bench but also, and more importantly, alienated Posada and Rivera. It’s one thing to refuse Posada and Rivera extensions before their contracts expire, it’s quite another to accompany it with a brush off of Bernie, another Yankee veteran. It suggested that the Yankees have no loyalty to their veterans and players responsible for their championships. A decision that will cost them this off-season, whether financially or god forbid, by losing one or more of their free-agents.
3) The inadequacy of Will Nieves as a backup was evident to even the most casual fan beginning in April. Indeed, the Yankees haven’t had an adequate backup at this position since John Flaherty and perhaps since Posada eclipsed Girardi. Why Cashman hasn’t made this priority as Posada hit his mid-30′s baffles me. Cashman has been lucky that Posada has remained so productive. It certainly shouldn’t have been something he counted on.
4) The Bullpen. It was evident to everyone last year that Kyle Farnsworth couldn’t fulfill the 8th inning role on a consistent basis. And that Scott Proctor who pitched 100 innings last year was going to have difficulty rebounding, just as Karsay, Sturtze, and Quantril had when exceeding their previous year’s innings totals by over 30%.
Trading for Vizcaino helped but few thought it sufficient. Especially when, in the off-season, Justin Speier, Eric Gagne, and Octavio Dotel were all available as free-agents. Cashman didn’t pursue Speier and didn’t offer enough money to sign Dotel or Gagne. (Dotel later said he felt he owed something to the Yankees and had they offered him the $6 million the Royals did, he would have signed with the Yankees.)
5) The Starting Rotation: relying on Carl Pavano and Kei Igawa to fill the 4th and 5th spots in your rotation? The negligence, in this regard, doesn’t require further elaboration.
Now, I hardly consider a .568 winning percentage a failure. Still had Cashman addressed the above needs in April and May, or certainly sooner than June and July, the Yankees might have won an additional 3-5 games earlier this season and clinched, at least, the wild-card spot by now, and would be contending for the division.
I applaud Cashman’s commitment to youth and what he’s done with the farm system, but he deserves considerable criticism for the 2007 major league roster’s inadequacies as well.
2) Apart from being useful to the team, Bernie
Signing Bernie to another contract out of loyalty? Sorry, but loyalty is not giving the manager a fifth outfielder who can’t steal a base, has a slowing bat, has a weak arm, and reduced range in the outfield. That would have handcuffed the major league roster and you know how Joe loves relying on veterans.
I love Bernie Williams as much as anyone, but there are other ways to show your loyalty – a spot on the coaching staff, etc.
*The Future is Bleak*
1. Beckett >> Wang
2. Buchholz > Hughes
2. Pedroia >> Cano
3. Ellsbury >> Cabrera
4. Palpelbon > Rivera
Kill Schill – you have the gift of hindsight. There were and are many scout who thought Pavano and Igawa would both be productive members of the rotation, at that time. In fact, Cashman’s error might have been in not trading Pavano right out of Spring Training when he had value.
With Trenton having won the Eastern League championship last night, I wonder whether Clippard, Wright, and Rasner will be in Boston tonight or wait to join the Yankees against Baltimore? If Rasner is activated from rehab (60 day DL), there will have to be a 40-man roster move to make room for him. Could this be good-bye for T.J. Beam?
I concede Bernie’s shortcomings. But you preferred Josh Phelps to Bernie Williams? Come on. I wasn’t suggesting Bernie play instead of Melky.
Had the Yankees had a ready, promising outfielder in their farm system– a more mature Austin Jackson or tabata, ie.– then I would agree with you. Bernie would have pre-empted a roster spot better used for someone else. But the Yankees didn’t, not this year anyway.
But certainly not for Josh Phelps (or Bronson Sardinia, for that matter) and, certainly not when Andy Phillips was already in the system. A little faith by the Yankee organization and Phillips would have obviated the need for both Phelps and Minky.
Even though a Sunday night game means Joe Morgan, (NOOOO!) this is a good time for a night game. I can concentrate only on football until tonight!
No, I never said I preferred Phelps to Bernie. Calm down. I would have rather had a true fifth outfielder in that spot. I never liked taking up that many rosters spots with 1B or pseudo-1B: Giambi, Phelps, Minky.
Arguing Bernie should have been on the roster is what I disagree with.
As for Nieves…I have no idea what Cashman / Torre were thinking. As I recall, he wasn’t a great hitter in the minors and, according to minor scouting reports, only an adequate catcher.
It has always puzzled me as to the annual backup catcher derby is a mess. I can only assume that Cashman and company are working hard to develop an option to replace Posada down the line.
…as to why the annual…
” Buchholz > Hughes”
only if you’re talking about stealing laptops.
Where do you get that stuff you smoking????
Listen, I’ll give you Beckett being a better strike out pitcher than Wang but look at his career start and I’ll take Wang’s. Game six in the World Series means $hit, just look at his stats last year.
2) What because he through a no-no against a team that looks to have packed it in, he has only pitched in what, three or four games? Maybe you forgot that Hughes was pitching a no-no in his second start against a much better line up in Texas. And Hughes may be still dealing with the after effect of the hamstring and ankle injuries.
3) Pedroia with pop gun bat, I wouldn’t be surprised if little Dustin wasn’t heard of in two years.
4) I’ll give you that Ellsbury is the better runner, but he can’t throw with Cabrera.
5) Lets just say that when Papelbon throws over 78 postseason innings to the tune of less than a 1.00 ERA, as well as dominating the AL with one pitch for over 10 years we can talk.
How many postseasons has Papelbon pitched in? Oh, I forgot the Sawx finished in third last year, his first year as a closer.
If you’re going to come here with that better or worse crap, bring some facts to back up your statements.
Vader, agreed with all the above .PLUS, Chamberlain has no counterpart in the bosox syste. What about Ian Kennedy? But for Melky misplaing a fly into a double the other night, Ian would have had a no-no going in the 8th. The you have all the other pitching prospects, from Betances to Brackman to Sanchez to Ohlendorf to McCutchen to Robertson, etc. Not to mention Clippard, Rasner, Wright and others. Then on the positional front you have Tabata and Jackson not too far away and Montero, Cervelli, Miranda, etc. Oh, I forgot Kevin Whelan and Clagget. It just goes on and on. So I agree Cash did some dumb things in the off-season, but the overall direction is terrific. And if you think Epstein is a genius, just consider that he let go Ramirez, Renteria, Sanchez and Cabrera and now has Lugo. How about Nancy Drew? Or signing Crisp to an extension when there was no reaso to (not in walk year and had not been tested yet by playing in boston)? I’ll take Cash.
” I’ll take Cash”
jorge,mariano, and alex are going to be saying the same thing. cashman needs to sign all three.
putting off until later to avoid overpaying for “aging” players ironically has come back to bite cashman.
if he signs all three , no problem though. it’s just money and it isn’t ours.
randy 1, don’t mind the kids – they will be back to school tomorrow and paying with their x-boxs or whatever.
for those who have watched and supported the yankees since before you were born, randy is (1) recalling the expectations that drove classic teams and (2) pointing out that however much we all like cashman’s resolve to build the system — also, by the way, a classic yankee resolve — he did a terrible job with stocking the bench and that contributed to the early season meltdowns that are costing them the division.
Speaking of cash, I hate paying for playoff tickets in advance. I feel like I am jinxing them, to say nothing of how much cash you have to part with (buying every possible playoff ticket).
The argument, Phil, about whether or not Bernie merited a roster spot cannot be evaluated or decided in the abstract. It only can be measured against the player whose space he would have occupied and to whom the GM otherwise would have allocated it. The question to ask is which of the two has more to contribute: Phelps or Bernie.
If Bernie Williams was less than the Bernie Williams of 2000, he was hardly Julio Franco either. Look at his stats in 2006. (Which is the reason multiple teams offered him guaranteed contracts.) Bernie certainly had more to contribute than Josh Phelps, especially when Miguel Cairo could have spelled Minky at 1B against left-handed pitchers.
Indeed, if you didn’t think, in particular, the Yankees could have used Bernie’s right-handed production early this season, when the team started something like 3-15 against left-handed pitchers, well then, I’m not going to argue with you.
Incidentally, my reservations about Cashman’s 2007 decisions hardly constitute hindsight. I expressed all them on this site in March and April.
As for your assumption that ” Cashman and company are working hard to develop an option to replace Posada down the line.” Well, I wouldn’t bet the house on it.
They relinquished their anointed successor already in the Big Unit trade. His name is Dionner Navarro.
Let’s hope they can retain both Posada and Molina this off-season and the latter will agree to the backup role. Without both, the 2008 will confront the same problem or worse.
Yeah, the 1st base platoon starting the season was a bad job. But the “meltdown” was because our starting pitchers kept going down like a bowling pins. Even the replacements went down with broken bones, hammys, etc. Plus the injuries went away in early June we started to win (except the late June mini-swoon). So while the 1st base thing was not good, it had nothing to do with the horrible first 2 months. On a totally unrelated point, the Giants (football) look like they are going to have a looooooonnnnnngggg year.
Dionnor Navarro, will be marginal at best, and still wouldn’t playing for the Yankees. Also, he was used to get Randy, so he did what he was good for…trade bait.
Vader
September 16th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Where do you get that stuff you smoking????
Listen, I’ll give you Beckett being a better strike out pitcher than Wang but look at his career start and I’ll take Wang’s. Game six in the World Series means $hit, just look at his stats last year.
2) What because he through a no-no against a team that looks to have packed it in, he has only pitched in what, three or four games? Maybe you forgot that Hughes was pitching a no-no in his second start against a much better line up in Texas. And Hughes may be still dealing with the after effect of the hamstring and ankle injuries.
3) Pedroia with pop gun bat, I wouldn’t be surprised if little Dustin wasn’t heard of in two years.
4) I’ll give you that Ellsbury is the better runner, but he can’t throw with Cabrera.
5) Lets just say that when Papelbon throws over 78 postseason innings to the tune of less than a 1.00 ERA, as well as dominating the AL with one pitch for over 10 years we can talk.
How many postseasons has Papelbon pitched in? Oh, I forgot the Sawx finished in third last year, his first year as a closer.
If you’re going to come here with that better or worse crap, bring some facts to back up your statements.
What a huge maroon you are.
Navarro is hitting below the Mendoza line for Tampa the last time I looked. Cervelli had a very solid season at Tampa (Yankee high A team) and will be in Trenton next year. The real potential star is 17 year-old Jesus Montero who was outstanding for the Gulf Coast Yankees and was considered the top international signing last year. But Posada must come back for 2-3 years.
Great start for Baker. Already 1-0 Tigers
Thank you, is that all you have?
Tigers have suddenly caught fire. We are 6-2 on this road trip and have still lost 2 games in the loss column.
PJ Plittere (pardon the spelling) might get a look as a back up C if Molina doesn’t return next year.
light’n up
we’ve got the best record since the break or put it another way, we’re playing the best baseball in the league, and at the right time.
what short memories.
Boston flopped around all week. 36 hours ago, their All-Star-closer pulled a Gagne. So just cuz their best pitcher put together a good game, with home field advantage at his back, doesn’t change squat.
Pump up the volume – that giant sucking sound you’re hearing, is boston’s pennant hopes goin down the drain.
p.s. The Wild Card has won the series 3 out of the last 5 years.
Well looks like we won’t be getting any help from the Twins. They are losing 4-0 already.
Roger better take care of business tonight.
hey. what ever happened to “clemens will pound for that to happen.
bad luck the elbow flared up, but clemens will go after it tonight. i just hope his body holds up.
i still can’t figure out how shilling is getting hitters out with his 86-88 mph fastball. maybe he was effective against the yankees laast time because they still consider him a power pitcher( at least i read that somewhere this morning that torre said that). shilling’s fastball is so slow now most of the hitters could sit on breaking balls and splitters and still catch up to the fastball.
let me try that again:
hey. what ever happened to “clemens will pound hs fist”?
this would be the perfect time for that for that to happen.
bad luck the elbow flared up, but clemens will go after it tonight. i just hope his body holds up.
i still can’t figure out how shilling is getting hitters out with his 86-88 mph fastball. maybe he was effective against the yankees laast time because they still consider him a power pitcher( at least i read that somewhere this morning that torre said that). shilling’s fastball is so slow now most of the hitters could sit on breaking balls and splitters and still catch up to the fastball.
THIS JUST IN ….
In an apparent effort to offset the cost of spying fines, New England Patriots sideline video scouts were caught by NFL investigators selling a videotape of Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis in the shower together. It can probably be said for certain that the footage was not taken after in the Red Sox locker room a typical game. because investigators are currently trying to determine which Las Vegas casino’s bridal suite they were in.
Randy 1
Schilling is a LOT like Mussina now; they’re both doing it with mirrors.
A few differences : (1)Schilling’s fastball still has some hop to it – not totally straight; (2) Schilling is still throwing strikes – he’s working on the edges of the zone, not nibbling (The Yankees should swing early in the count tonite – they’ll get a good pitch); (3) Schilling has used a lot more curveballs – not a “plus” pitch, but it gives him a third shell to hide the pea under; (4) Schilling is still comfortable on the big stage, even with diminished stuff.
All that being said, I expect this to be a high-scoring game. Neither starter tonite has enough to get by ….
…. but who would have figured on Supppan and Weaver in the WS last year; so, who knows?
Peter, maybe now you will listen to me and stop saying we are in the playoffs already when clearly it isn’t over yet. Please, stop assuming we will be in like you did in all of your articles and posts last week.
Picture Perfect
http://tinyurl.com/2z96xr
Thanks, Twinkies. I bet Santana has not given up 4 runs in the 1st ever in his career– except yesterday.
Is this the Tigers’ 8th in a row?
In all seriousness he has done it a few times this year.
Oh and in case anyone didn’t realize that twins are being no hit. They’ve left ONE runner on base!
Great Job. Talk about laying down.
The Tigers last 9 games of the season are going to be against MIN, KC, and CHW. All 3 teams have already packed it in totally.
Mark it down: The Tigers will make the postseason this year — either they will overtake the Yanks for the wild card or they will overtake CLE for the AL Central.
Oh and they also had two errors, not sure if it lead to any runs.
I wouldn’t say KC has layed down. The white soxs and Twins yes. But KC has played teams tough.
Bottom line we need to take care of business.
since shilling gets so few swings and misses, i’d rather the yankees make him a throw a strike first before swinging . the worst thing that can happen with shilling is letting him get single digit pitch count innings. and occasional first pitch swing to keep him guessing is good to mix it up, but shilling is isn’t in the best of shape. you have to make him throw a lot of pitches.
and when he throws that 86mph heater up and in to stand up a player which he will, the yankee need to turn a shoulder and take one for the team. the yankees also need this game to keep the red sox having to continue playing regulars. the last thing a yankee fan wants is for the red sox to clinch early and rest players.
The Yankees just have to keep on winning, which admittedly will be no small feat. If they make it to October, then all pedigrees, records and bets are off. Stay tuned . . .
KC is 1-9 in their last 10 games.
Perhaps they will hold on to their 1 run lead against CLE today, but I’m not holding my breath.
If CLE craps the bed against DET this week, it will be time to seriously root for CLE losses. The Indians remaining sched is appreciably more difficult than the Tigers, and I think it’s possible for the Yanks to finish with a better record than Cleveland.
This has been a CRAZY season. I would not be the least bit surprised to see a final standing that looks something like this:
AL Central:
Detroit 93-69
Cleveland 92-70
AL East:
New York 93-69
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6285883/
Darrin I guess I take it back than. Last time I saw they were actually playing.
Well we have to root for the Indians for the next series.
We know your not the real doctor. You’re not fooling anyone.
Well, if this doesn’t work, then i’m really screwed
…Go figure.
G’day all!
What. The. Hell?
Jennifer, I agree.
An Indians sweep over the Tigers will be “as sweet as candy,” and will ease a lot of minds around here.
Unfortunately, the Tigers have Verlander and the Gambler pitching in Cleveland.
What’s going on here? Why can I get through as ‘testing’ but not myself?
Holy Cow, the Royals held off Cleveland.
Don’t let anyone fool you: Cleveland loss = good thing.
I am having tons of trouble posting here today.
Help!
(okay, this is Rebecca. I can apparently get through the filter as someone other that Rebecca, which is really annoying. I like my name!)
Damn I’m getting crushed in fantasy football. The team I am against has Carson Palmer. He got 40 points!!
Damn thats you Rebecca? Email Pete and let him know your having trouble.
Jennifer: I am doing horrible today! New Orleans lost to TAMPA BAY!
Wow. Totally not my day.
Except that YES just replayed game seven of the 2003 ALCS. That was cool.
Eh, Pete’s got enough to worry about, if I can get through by changing my name, no biggie. =D
twins with a little rally in the 7th. now 4-2 tigers.
Yeah I had the Saints D. They got me ZERO POINTS!!
Randy lets hope its not too little too late.
Rally would’ve been even better Randy if the Twins didn’t have a runner thrown out at home.
I’m losing 65-44, and thats with Chad Johnson getting 29 points!! Thankfully I still have my qb going.
Still a lot of time left.
Have some faith guys.
Hope, after all, IS baseball.
Pete I know you have a lot of man love for Damon but if Drew is the least valuable player what does that make Damon ?
Damon
$13,000,000 salary
.349 OBP
.386 Slugging
*Throws like a girl* (and lost his center field job to the immortal Melky Cabrera.
Drew
$14,000,000 salary
.370 OBP
.398 Slugging
Plays excellent defense
Man love aside, Pete. Damon is not aging well. The numbers are there for you to look at.
Yea, no love for Minnesota right now…
6-2 Detroit
Item: The New York football teams stink.
Bases juiced.
Now 6-3 Minnesota, Zumaya just walked in a run. Fingers crossed…
wow – bases loaded Minn. gets a walk, score now 6-3 Detroit.
darn, should’ve crossed our toes too!
Of course they let him off the hook.
Looks like Twins decided not to help the Yanks. Mauer stikes out 6-3 Tigers after 8.
4 walks = a run for the twinkies. good relievers are worth their weight in gold in a playoff push.
Well, still an inning left…
drew has 5 yrs left on his contract and Damon has 2 yrs..
Drew stinks, I will take Damon over him anyday especially in a big game…
Quit worrying about the Tigers. We are only losing two more games the rest of the year, so they are already eliminated.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn.....type=story
would be interesting to see what happens now.
Jen: Man, how I’d love to see a game forfeit…
6-4 Detroit, no one out in the ninth…
Are you watching the JEt game? Interesting that when Miller limped off the field to go to the locker room there were two troopers near him. i guess it can get pretty nasty whent he players walk to the locker room.
6-4 1 out runner on first! Krubel batting.
Down to last out.
Thanks for NOTHING TWINS>
I have it on in the background…
I need to stay negative. 2 on 2 out. BUMS!!
So I think I really hate the Twins right now. Oh well.
LET’S GO YANKEES!
THanks for nothing you BUMS!! we have to win tonight.
Well, at least the Tigers have the Indians this week. Go Tribe?
Go TRIBE!
That’s what happens when u stay negative.
I other news both Cleveland and ANGELS LOST. Both r still tied for 2nd best record behind Boston.
In other news, New York doesn’t seem to understand the concept of ‘winning a football game’.
Then again, neither does New Orleans…
Then, after that, they have the Royals in KC, Twins in Detroit(the same Twins they just swept in Minnesota…where’s Billy Heywood when you need him?), and finish with the Chicago Guaranteed Wins in Chicago. We definitely need to build some ground this week. I don’t feel overly comfortable playing the Devil Rays and Orioles.
and in other news The Phillies once again sweep the Mets whoo hoo
The Phillies really have the Mets’ number this year. Given all the injuries they’ve had, the Phillies have been really impressive to remain in contention.
You know, I think some of you need to take a looksee here:
http://puristbleedspinstripes......imism.html
Don’t give up hope guys, just because Detroit has the ‘easy’ schedule doesn’t mean that they’ll beat the Yankees…
i have morneau, mauer and cuddyer on my fantasy
i pretty much hate the twins for so many reason right now
I wonder if recent developments in the F1 racing world will influence the NFL to go as far as (or further than) a game forfiet.
Over there, the team leading the F1 world championship (McLaren) was caught after the wife of one of its R&D engineers went to a local copy center in England to run a copy of the confidential 780-page Ferrari F1 technical manual. When someone at the copy shop called the Ferrari headquarters and said something, of course they raised hell. Apparently the McLaren engineer somehow got it from a ‘friend’ who’s an engineer at Ferrari. Both engineers were suspended or fired by their teams of course. So last week McLaren was disqualified from this year’s championship, and next year’s championship, and face fines/loss of winnings equal to about $100 million. Their cars will also be scrutinized after every race in search of anything that’s Ferrari’s intellectual property.
With a recent precedent of that magnitude in a major sport, would the NFL go so far as to forfiet more than one Pats game if they don’t comply with turning over more evidence? Fines & penalties significantly more than 5 (or 6) figures a draft pick? I seriously doubt they’d go anywhere near as far as the F1 penalties, but let’s see what happens …
Yeah, I have Morneau too. He’s annoying because he’s very hit-or-miss, but when he does hit, it tends to be huge, so you can’t really afford to take a chance on sitting him. I was eliminated last week anyway though, so I just have a consolation game. I pretty much sealed my fate at the beginning of the season by drafting Barry Zito(I kept him all year and he finished strong) and Dontrelle Willis. Next year, I suppose.
Hey, apologies if I’m doubling, but I thought you’d all like to know:
A squirrel just crossed my path…I’m sitting at my desk, and outside the window there are cable wires, and a squirrel just walked across the cable…
The Yankees will win tonight.
_I other news both Cleveland and ANGELS LOST. Both r still tied for 2nd best record behind Boston._
if the Indians and Halos tie, Cleveland lands the 2nd Playoff seed, under the tiebreakers!
This would be a great time for the Rocket to pull a rabbit out of the hat and fight off injury to pitch well, because my day’s already been bad enough. I’m only 4-4 in the early NFL games.
_if the Indians and Halos tie, Cleveland lands the 2nd Playoff seed, under the tiebreakers! _
Indians and Halos are tied for season series as well. Did I miss something there other than the coin toss.
Joba 2007 = Fernando 1980
http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/8wZ4
Carmine:
It’s unfortunate that the major players for the Twins have forgotten how to hit and the best Pitcher in baseball has forgotten how to throw the ball.
I drafted Andruw Jones this season. It’s a miracle I’m in 2nd in my league right now.
I can’t tell you how hysterically funny it is how obsessed people are with Cleveland getting the #2 seed.
With the wild card lead steadily being stripped down by the Tigers, who can even bother wasting a moment’s energy with being concerned about who the Yankees will play?
Question: when Detroit passes Cleveland in the last week of the season, are you still going to be rooting for Cleveland to win?
Whew well, I was at an event yesterday in Boston. And the band that was playing would give score updates every few minutes. Whew was it tough to be there…
Anyway, it was just one game. They’ll get it back tonight!
Randy I’s original post is spot on. I’ll take it to “bottom line” level:
If the Yanks are eliminated from making the postseason this year, Brian Cashman and Joe Torre should be fired the moment that happens. Not only that, both should be warned they will be fired so it’s no suprise, that way both have time albeit a day or two to decide if they want to resign to save face and step down honorably/ gracefully instead. The best/ smart thing for both to save face is to co-resign. Torre’s monies due as some kind of “consultant” after this season would basically be his severance pay (and nice severance pay at that at I believe age 65 including his baseball pension and Social Security) while Cashman would most definitely make more than what he’s being paid by the Yanks for next year and have his pick among my guess at least 10 M.L.B. teams.
I’d be shocked if he wasn’t given 5 years and top dollar.
Here are Cashman’s 2006-07 blunders:
-Signing Igawa/ paying $46M total to sign him.
-Giving Mussina a two-year extension.
-Giving Matsui a four-year extension.
-Signing Damon to a four-year contract.
-Not getting rid of Pavano in the offseason when St.Louis and Colorado showed interest.
-Paying $9M to Wright, R.J., and Javier Vasquez this year.
-Not signing Okajima for the peanuts he signed for with Boston.
-Getting nothing for Sheffield save a human hippo with a history of injuries who won’t crack the rotation next year
(Humbertopotamus Sanchez).
-Getting nothing for Wright unless you call Britton something which I don’t.
-Getting really nothing for R.J. cuz Vizcaino is a free agent after this year. You really think he’s re-signing to become second banana to Mo when he could close for any number of teams? I believe he has a World Series ring with the 2003 Florida Marlins, so he could go wherever he wants.
I could see the Mets going after him hard since he’s already in N.Y. and he might like the idea of pitching vs. the easier N.L. lineups.
-Never giving Carlos Pena a chance. Imagine if Pena posted even just 20 HR and 80 RBI and not the 38 and 106 I last saw he has for T.B.
-Not acquiring Scott Linebrink from San Diego this year.
-Not putting aside personal problems with David Wells and signing him for peanuts. Wells is 3-0 for L.A., better than Mussina, and better than Clemens at this point. Wells would be my Game 3 starter right now after Wang and Pettitte (or Game 4 starter after Hughes if Hughes keeps doing as well as he has been doing lately).
-Going into 2007 with the wretched Mientkiewicz and throwaway Phelps as the 1B.
-Putting together the worst bench in many years.
-Getting one good reliever to go with Mo in Vizcaino (I don’t count Joba who had to be converted into one and should be watching Yankee games on t.v.)
-Trading a 70+ games a year Proctor for Betemit who isn’t as good a defender as Alberto Gonzalez and doesn’t look like much better than Cairo even though he’s supposed to be.
-Signing Andrew Brackman only for him to have Tommy John surgery, not a kid who could play LF or RF for the rookie minimum in 2008 and peanuts 2009-2011.
His biggest blunder is telling A-Rod the Yanks will not re-sign him if he opts out. Yeah, and who’s at 3B next year? Jeter? If so who’s at SS, Omar Vizquel? The only free agent SS worth a sh it. If not Jeter who, Mike Lowell? What if A-Rod signs with Boston or either L.A. team, you think Lowell isn’t asking for the moon? He’d have all the leverage over the Yanks. The guy has two World Series rings (1998 Yanks & 2003 Marlins) thus he could sign wherever he’s wanted and comfortable for whatever he wants. What if you can’t get Lowell? Mike Lamb, Russell Branyan, or Abraham Nunez. Are you serious? Don’t even give me Betemit. Who’s posting up the minimum 35 HR and 110 RBI needed to replace A-Rod?
Offer A-Rod a 3-year, $129M, $43M/yr. extension so he makes $210M and averages $35M/yr. for 2008-2014.
The Pettitte re-signing, Clemens signing, Duncan and Chamberlain call ups, and Molina trade were all no-brainers.
The Betemit trade was a no-brainer in that they needed someone better than Cairo in case Cano, Jeter, or A-Rod fell to injury, but trading Proctor was ridiculous cuz Proctor is better than anyone the Yanks have in the pen after Mo, Viz, and Joba. Again, I don’t even count Joba cuz his year should be over now. Bruney has been on and off. Ramirez is ehhhh. Britton, Henn, and Villone are garbage. Myers was garbage. Veras hasn’t pitched enough. Farnsworth has been overall garbage, his recent performance isn’t fooling me.