Melky struggling (and other stuff)
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Sep 18, 2007 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
A few stats and trends to keep track of:
Melky Cabrera is 1 for 27 in his last seven games and hasn’t had an RBI since Sept. 5.
Wilson Betemit is 5 for 33 (.152) with 11 strikeouts since Aug. 22. Doug Mientkiewicz could earn himself a lot of October playing time if he heats up over the next 12 games.
The Yankees are 12-1 in games Joba Chamberlain has pitched.
Finally, here are three charts that put what kind of season A-Rod is having in some perspective:
Most RBI for a Yankee since 1940
1. Joe DiMaggio 155 (1948)
2. Don Mattingly 145 (1985)
3. Alex Rodriguez 142 (2007)
3. Roger Maris 142 (1961)
Most runs scored for a Yankee since 1940
1. Rickey Henderson 146 (1985)
2. Tommy Henrich 138 (1948)
3. Alex Rodriguez 134 (2007)
3. Derek Jeter 134 (1999)
Most home runs for a Yankee since 1940
1. Roger Maris 61 (1961)
2. Mickey Mantle 54 (1961)
3. Alex Rodriguez 52 (2007)
3. Mickey Mantle 52 (1956)
Pete, it’s 4 in the morning, you should go to sleep.
*PANIC IN BEANTOWN*
The Sox are pulling the fire alarms and starting clay Buchholz on wednesday. The orginial starter, Dice-$120 is being pushed back to Saturday. Their secondary choice of Julian Taverez was thrown out the window after the Sawks went down n flames tonite. Buchholz has only 12 innings left in his season cap.
Tick..Tick..Tick..Tick..Tick..Tick..Tick..Tick..
I hope Doug Mientkiewicz can continue his hot hitting. I guess Melky is getting a little tired. I wonder if A-Rod can catch Maris this season. If he does, that would be a debate for the ages. Go Yankees!
The Joba-stat is pretty obvious; I mean, he was brought in to be the setup man, and he has done very well so far, so it’s unlikely they’d lose many of the games he appeared in, especially since (IIRC) he only once entered the game with the Yankees trailing.
This is like say “The Yankees are 25-0 in the games Rivera has a save in”
No offense ment, just thought I’d point this out.
I think A-Rod can get 2nd in each of those categories, and with some hot hitting, topple all three of them. Wow.
This has been a truly remarkable year for the Yankees. AROD has been great and may never have a year like this again. The kids have been great too. Hughes, Kennedy, Joba, Cano, Melky. They are all adjusting to the grind of the major leagues so well. The last three months have been great. Damon, Jeter, Abreu, and Matsui to mention a few have all risen to the occasion. I appreciate seeing this team. They could have folded like the White Sox and even Minnesota but they hung in there. This has truly been a remarkable year no matter what happens now. Appreciate what you have in New York, a franchise that knows how to win.
Actually, Maris had 141 RBI in 1961. He was given credit for an RBI he didn’t deserve, and which wasn’t an RBI. Some reference books still go with the incorrect 142. Others have updated it to the correct 141.
Rick:
nice, you get it my friend.
I hear A-Rod is planning a strategy meeting out west with Scott Boras after the season. He’s already got more money than the Boss, plus another twenty-something mil still owed from Texas. How much is enough? Why wouldn’t he be looking for something else now, like a few rings, like embracing back the city he has so desperately wanted to embrace him, like a legacy, like solidifying a spot among the Yankee immortals? When he’s standing on the stage in Cooperstown(and he will) he could do so in the company of the great Yankee ghosts, or as the lone wolf who chased the almighty dollar to the end.
“The Race Is Over” rhetoric is hopefully over for at least a day. If the Phillies can make a race of it with the mets, taking 7 in a row, the yanks can make a final run here too at the division. Baseball is a funny game. A conglomerate of improbable happenings. One more game and suddenly its only 2 in the loss. Limited time left, but certainly very very possible.
Pete, you are as guilty as the rest of the media for condemning our beloved yanks to the wild card. They obviously have a tremendous amount of fight in them, and actually beat the Orioles last night, a very positive barometer of how this final stretch might play out.
BJ
Chris,
You miss the point. If you want to compare Joba to Mo on this stat, the Yankees are 52-11 in games that Rivera has pitched. (They’re just 37-22 in games Farnsworth has pitched.)
This is an article inthe Boston Globe, by Nick Cafardo, about Derek Jeter. Try and read it.
http://www.boston.com/sports/b....._produces/
i think the yankees need to create a new position, assistant gm in charge of assembling a bullpen- no other duties, just 24/7 looking for relief pitchers. all year all the time, no vacations. how do teams like texas and kansas city have better bullpens than the yankees? it’s almost like creating a bullpen is an afterthought on the yankees so a dedicated front office position just for the bullpen sounds right to me. good bullpens don’t have to cost a lot, so with some money the yankees should always have a good one. but they don’t which is baffling.
Randy l,
I woul take the Yanks top 3 in the pen(Viz, Joba, Mo) over any other 3 in baseball!
96-66
Looking good! Things got a little crazy there at the end, but still, the result was a good one!
Lets go Yankees!
Dude, Boston, you really have to learn not to panic, you’ll do yourselves in…
…Not that I mind.
LET’S GO YANKEES!
Becca-
It’s actually not as bad as it has been seasons before around here. I think having the lead all year long has spoiled them a bit. They see some cupcake teams after they finish with Toronto, like Tampa, and they don’t seem overly worried..
Which is fine. It’ll make the shock even bigger =]
Dude, a squirrel just crossed my path again…(early, too!)
We win tonight!
The bullpen has been much better the second half of the season. Its a big reason they are where they are in the standings.
There are going to be nights they are short in the ‘pen because of a series of short starter outings (which has been the case since Friday) and the Joba Rules.
In addition, Viz missed time with some injuries and Farnsworth was out for a week. Mo has also had a lot of work lately. Add it all up, and you will have nights like last night.
The Orioles have also POUNDED Yankee pitching all year. That’s why these games become shootout games.
I can’t think of a single pitcher the the staff that has shutdown the Orioles consistently this year.
Its just one of those years where they are the team that gives the Yankees the most trouble.
Tonight will be a struggle unless Moose can go 7 or they just pound the ball enough to build a big lead. No Joba, no Farnsworth, no Mo (no way should he be used tonight under any cirumstances) and probably no Viz.
Tonight may be one of those “take one for the team” nights for Moose unless they build a big early lead or he is in a good groove.
With the off day coming on Thursday, it would be nice for the offense to get hot and give Torre the option of resting some of the better bullpen arms for a few days.
SJ44 has bashed and torn apart the Yanks all year. You think they’re going to make the playoffs now, SJ44???
Whats the take on tonights game? Can moose give 7. I think he can and will SONNNN
is it me, or is Hughes 2-0 record and 2.55 ERA in sept. seems much better than some people are claiming he is doing.
Hughes struggles early, so he can’t seem to make it past the 5th inning.. That hurts the way he looks to people I think.
Ill take 5+ innings of 2 run ball any day though..
I never saw Hughes pitch in the minors so I have to take people’s word that he threw 93+. What I see now is a guy who throws 88-91. He seems to pitch well enough to be effective when he can spot his fastball and work off of his off speed stuff. Good poise for a rookie especially when viewed in the context of a pennant race. I am overall pretty impressed with him.
Yanksrule57-
Pretty much every minor league expert that ever scouted him or whatnot, had him at 93ish on their guns..
Most people thing the velocity hold back is due to his hamstring injury. The majority of people think he’ll come back next year throwing that 93+ stuff again.
If Hughes can figure out how to pitch in the first inning, he’ll be that much better and be able to go that much longer…
The Historic Collapse of the 2007 Red Sox, under unrelenting pressure of the soon to be 2007 World Series Champion New York Yankees, started on May 29th, 2007. Boston held a 14.5 game lead and the talk of the town was the postseason rotation. After losing the division crown on the LAST DAY OF THE SEASON ( ooh that’s GOTTA hurt ), their hearts effectively ripped out, they were swept in the first round of the playoffs. The Idiot Nation’s days were forever numbered.
i hate kyle farnsworth .
“SJ44 has bashed and torn apart the Yanks all year. You think they’re going to make the playoffs now, SJ44???”
this is not entirely accurate.
he was very down on the team in April and May, but i wouldn’t say he’s been bashing them for the past few months.
“he was very down on the team in April and May, but i wouldn’t say he’s been bashing them for the past few months.”
Convenient that he comes around when they have the best record in the majors since June. Shows a lot of heart and class.
Nothing worse than a fan who jumps off and on the bus.
What bullpen has 3 better relievers than Mo, Viz and Joba?
Shockingly, SJ44 was down on the team when the team sucked. Why was this a problem? He didn’t jump ship.
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com.....8;c_id=nyy
Here’s a peek into Phil’s mind.
Hughes isn’t the pitcher he was for obvious reasons. So it’s only fair to reserve judgement until later.
Bad things: Overthinking. Too many walks. The Yankee Jeremy Bonderman (high 1st inning ERA). Gets ahead and loses the batter to a hit or walk (overthinking)
Good things: Giving up less homeruns. Ability to bear down and settle in.
Things to remember: He’s 21. He was injured. He missed a good chunk of the season. He was pushed into major league duty too early. He’s learning how to pitch in the majors on the fly. Very few batters in the minors made it past 2nd. He was the top pitching prospect for a reason.
Lots of potential, but the safer bet in the (hopefully) postseason would be Kennedy right now. He’s healthy and effective. Hopefully they can all keep it up because one of those two will be in long relief and the other may be pressed into service if one of the elders can’t go.
There were many, many, MANY people here “bashing” the Yankees in April and May. In my opinion, SJ44 never technically bashed the Yankees – he was a hardliner in his criticism, no doubt, but more analytical than emotional, if you will. In addition, he has not “jumped on and off the bus.” I seem to recall at least as many positive posts from SJ44, not to mention the season-long updates on the minor league prospects, a few of which are on the major league team right now being productive.
Let’s hope Moose has another good one tonight.
Mel — great points about Phil Hughes. I thought it was very interesting that he was getting a lot of on-the-job training during last night’s game between innings. Very impressive that he can absorb that kind of thing during the game.
Ed-FL – nice story on Jeter. Thanks.
Francis NY,
convinient you come around when the team has the best record since june. sj was down on the team early in the season. he didn’t abandon them. the team has changed a lot since them. most of the moves he said needed to happen happened. why is a surprise that he would now be more up on the team? he’s not always positive, but who cares? at least he adds something constructive to the blog. if you want to bash other baseball fans, maybe you picked the wrong team. you’d fit right in with the rsnation.
any news on how roger clemens felt after sunday’s game? any new issues?
This season has been a roller coaster ride. I dont think we can blame anybody for becoming slightly nauseous at one point or another.
DMan,
You’re right. We’re just one big (slightly disfunctional) family. Of course we’re going to bicker once in a while.
Prediction….the Yankees will win their remaining 5 games against Baltimore to finish with the same 10-8 season series advantage that they now hold over Boston….IMO
Who is pitching tomorrow ? Mussina (gulp) or IPK ???
SJ44 siad:
I can’t think of a single pitcher the the staff that has shutdown the Orioles consistently this year.
Andy Pettitte:
2 Starts:
DATE OPP W L ERA SV IP H ER BB SO
JUN 26 @BAL 0 0 3.24 0 7.0 8 2 5 2
JUL 27 @BAL 0 1 4.11 0 7.0 8 3 3 5
Uncle: Moose tomorrow, Pettitte Wednesday.
Nothing wrong with Roger. He has wherewithal, something he didn’t learn in Boston.