Lineup for today’s game
-
- March
- 4
Damon LF
Jeter SS
Abreu DH
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
Posada C
Duncan RF
Cabrera CF
Castro 2B
Pitching
Hughes (2-3 innings)
Igawa (2-3 innings)
Wright
Marquez
Traber
Phillips
Notes: Mariano Rivera will throw batting practice at 10:30 a.m. in Tampa. He will get in his first game on Friday or Saturday. … Hideki Matsui (stiff neck) will skip BP again today. Joe Girardi said Matsui could get in a game early next week. Matsui said it could be a week or 10 days. Matsui said he should have time to get ready for the season. Just a hunch: He starts the season on the DL. … Robbie Cano isn’t playing today because he has an appointment with the dentist. … The Yankees are wearing two patches on their uniforms this season. One for the All-Star game, the other to mark the final season at Yankee Stadium.
I’m going to stick back here and watch Rivera throw before heading over to Dunedin. Check back later for a full report.
UPDATE, 10:05 a.m.: I just flipped through the comments. I can’t believe how many negative and generally ill-informed “fans” there are. Mike Mussina has won 250 games and pitched well last September. How he pitches on March 3 in Kissimmee is meaningless. By your logic, Johan Santana is a bum, too.
But I suspect these are the same people who “knew” the Yankees wouldn’t make the playoffs last June. How did that work out?
Dan Shaughnessy of the Globe calls it the “Fellowship of the Miserable” and he’s exactly right. The talk-radio culture and the internet has spawned this class of fan that hates everybody and everything.
I follow the traffic on my blog closely. It spikes when the Yankees lose or there is some problem with the team. Why is that? Aren’t sports supposed to be fun?
Jeff Karstens threw five pitches on a broken leg for your team last season before he had to be helped off the field. Then he went to Taiwan to throw extra innings to get ready for the season, Then he showed up in Tampa in December to start throwing.
He throws three scoreless innings and the Yankee Panic Society dismisses that to focus on the 40 pitches Mike Mussina threw. Pretty grim. Try and have some fun, it’s spring training and your team looks good.
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on Tuesday, March 4th, 2008 at 9:52 am by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
I hope Robbie’s teeth are okay?
At any rate they’re probably in a better state than mine.
should that read Igawa (aiming for 1-3 outs)?
Great the Yankees want to pitch batting practice to the Jays by putting Igawa in there….geez…
At leastl you didn’t tell us Robbie had hemroids like someone reported Kaz Matsui had yesterday.
Here is Igawa’s big shot at redemption. But hey — if Moose gets the benefit of the doubt after a rough ST outing, shouldn’t Igawa too?
Bernie Castro is quick I didn’t know that until yesterday.
P.S. to update people …Brett Farve later on today will announce his retirement
BoogieDown the answer is NO. lol! Moose has 250 wins under his belt in MLB. Igawa….well….Igawa is good at coaching first base at AAA Scranton.
Pete, i know for most its kind of out of site, out of mind with the guys who left this past offseason… and i’m sure you’re busy enough as it is with your daily reports…
but i think it’d be a cool feature to give an update from time to time on some of the young guys we’ve seen come thru the Bronx the past season or 2 and see how they are doing in their new homes…
for example, i think i read elsewhere that Matt DeSalvo looked great in his 2 innings of work for the Braves yesterday.
BoogieDown: Theoretically, yes, but Igawa doesn’t have 250 wins to his major league career and I’m assuming that will have something to do with it.
Brandon: That lovely text alert woke me up this morning…
I take it that’s Shelley playing RF? (Fun Fact - Shelley has the same first name as my mom.)
Turn two: You can’t be serious. There are 64 players in Yankees camp, I have 2-3 stories a day to write for my paper, I update the blog 10 times a day and you want me to check into Matt DeSalvo?
Why don’t I come to your house and put on a deck while I’m at it?
Pete, if you want to, but i think that seems a little too ambitious, even for you.
Igawa doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt. Mussina has 250 wins, Igawa has 2. Igawa hasn’t proven he can pitch here, Mike has more than proven it. How can you even equate the two?
Boogie Down -Nobody is expecting anything from Igawa. I think we all have him going to AAA or being traded.
I’m glad I could wake you up Rebecca
meanwhile…… this was last throw
That was meant tongue in cheek, guys. I didn’t actually mean that one good ST performance could restore faith in Igawa (whose name is Japanese for “Carl Pavano”)….
Pete, any word yet on if the yankees will be wearing patches on the hats during the season? I would guess that with 2 on their jerseys, probably not, but you never know.
Sad news about Favre. Glad that I made the trek to Lambeau before he retired.
Is Toronto broadcasting the game today? Wondering about sopcast?
Rebecca, please dont tell people about your gross teeth, its un lady like and really not cool on your part. thats a terrible image i see of you right now
boogie, I had a problem with saying that Igawa should get the benefit of doubt like Mussina did.
I keep telling people that since Igawa can’t even get college kids hitting with wooden bats out, he would be perfect as the AAA mascot or the first base coach. he can maybe be used as a language translator for future Japanese imports….oops he doesn’t even speak English.
rbizzler
http://radiotime.com/affiliate/a_37940/station/Toronto_Blue_Jays_Radio_Stations.aspx
I don’t know if they are playing it, but check out this site.
Is Kennedy and Joba going to tomorrow?
Jennifer, I was kidding. No hard feelings?
Okay I forgive you.
Wow look at the lefties throwing today..
Igawa, Wright, Phillips and Traber..
All thats missing is Henn and Pettitte..
Pete - I agree with you. I read your blog bc it gives great insight and updates and really lets us know what is happening with the team. It gets very frustrating to read through the comments during the first few days of March with everyone out on the ledge.
so to my fellow bloggers - relax and enjoy!
I agree about Matsui. I also believe he will start the year on the DL.
Too many off-season trips to the doctor re-examining “minor” knee surgery raises red flags to me.
Just a guess. I don’t think he is ready to go until May.
That gives a kid like Brett Gardner an opportunity to show what he can do. It also means the very real possibility that both Ensberg and Duncan, perhaps even Lane (if Gardner falters) makes the Opening Day Roster.
I have to admit, I’m intrigued by Ensberg. The guy absolutely crushes lefties. Against the tougher lefties in the league, having guys on Duncan and Ensberg help out a lot.
It will be interesting to see if Ensberg can regain his stroke. He turned down guaranteed roster spots elsewhere to give it a go with the Yankees. That tells me he isn’t afraid of competition. That’s a good thing.
does Cervelli remind anyone of Paul LaDuca ?
I am going to try harder to post positive stuff, which I do from time to time. Maybe I need to stop personalizing outcomes that I totally have no power over.
Anyhow, in an effort to bring all things fun back into it for me (Yes, even losing) I’ve decided to bring my daughter to tomorrows game and see the game thru her eyes!
Good point, Pete. I’m really excited about the team and can’t wait to see some games! I bought tickets yesterday for the Yankees game when they come to Cleveland (where I live) in late April.
Tomorrow’s game is the first Yankees spring training on ESPN. Do you know who’s going to pitch?
Very well put, Pete.
Shelley in right field today. I think he’s played in every game so far.
You get a sense the Girardi likes what he sees and is testing Shelley to see how he responds to being used in different situations (different positions, against right handed pitching, etc.).
Its good to see. If Matsui does wind up starting the season on the DL Shelley will be able to play quite a bit right from the get go.
I don’t want to see them get off to yet another horrendous start. Digging themselves in such a hole so quickly makes the whole season difficult. With all of the competition in the AL this year they can’t afford that.
Brandon,
No, Cervelli doesn’t remind me of LoDuca at all. Jason Kendall maybe.
Jennifer, thanks for the link.
Well everyone on the starting lineup is playing today besides Cano and Matsui and if you think about it this lineup is better than most teams have all season. But with Cano it sure is better.
Funny to see all the comments on Igawa. I’m looking forward to Hughes getting 2-3 innings. Hopefully he doesn’t have a rough outing, I would hate to see the comments afterwards.
Who really cares what Igawa does at this point, we all know he will be sent down to the minors anyway.
Great points, Pete. I remember back in the mid-late 90s, it never seemed like the Yanks ever finished .500 in Spring Training, yet were always there at the end of the season. It’s crazy when people harp on a particular performance in early March, especially from proven ML vets. These guys know how to prepare for the season, and every player prepares differently. Moose has a different agenda than someone battling to make the team. He is setting himself up for the long haul, not just to break camp with the Yanks in April.
Listening to Moose’s audio, he didn’t sound the way he did last year during his horrible stretch, when you could hear it in his voice. It was his first outing and it gave him something to build on.
Regarding Karstens…I was at the game where he broke his leg. And remember who came in to relieve him and shut down Boston? Mr. Kei Igawa.
Pete, I know what you’re talking about, but that is not me. I simply do not believe in Mussina anymore. His stuff just isn’t that good anymore. I mean Tom Glavine has 300 wins, he’s not that good at all anymore, and you could easily argue that he’s better than Mussina.
Sure, Karstens threw great. I would MUCH rather see him in the rotation than Mussina.
I like Mussina as a 5th starter…just not as a 3rd starter.
BTW, she is only 2 1/2 but already has seen more HR’s by arod then I did by 10.
her favorite lines right now are “Arod homerun up high!” and “no like redsox, like Y guys (referring to the Y in NY)”
http://tinyurl.com/2kag7x
amen peter its march 4th this is why they have spring training! watch after someone has a bad outing today. it could be igawa. buyt got forbid what if the franchise doesnt keep his pitches down today for some reason? are you guys going to say he isn’t what we thought he is on march 4th?
AJ:
I was at the game were Karstens broke his leg also. I can still remember that awful sound that it made and Kei Igawa did come in and pitched very well that day. Unfortunately though, those days are few and far between. Perhaps thats the route to take with him though, don’t tell him when he’s going to pitch, just throw him out there.
AMEN! The negative folks need to chill. If this isn’t fun, then why do it? Baseball is a game, not life and death. We have a fun team to follow. Enjoy!
I don’t think we will start off this season like we have the past few seasons. I think we will start it 18-2. (just a number thrown out there)
I agree that Matsui will not head north with the team. How long ago did he have this minor surgery? Hopefully we get off to the start I predicted and it won’t matter. We have a lot of options so as long as everyone stays healthy we won’t miss him.
Good Post Pete… I too fall under that “negative umbrella” once in a while, when I should be focusing on the good of the team.
Something to think about!!
I say let people express themselves here however they want. If they want to be negative, worried and pessimistic it is all entertainment to me. I have no problem with these people, even the “trolls”. Its just funny to see people freaking out about people who are freaked out.
I think the longer Shelley, Giambi and Ensburg keep playing well, the more and more that Matsui will actually have to earn his spot..
Pete you are all over the place my friend. If Moose’s results mean nothing then so do Igawa’s and Karstens’. It goes both ways, there are people around here who are unfairly blasting Mussina for his FIRST spring start which is absurd. At the same time there are people praising Karstens saying he will be hugely valuable this season after one good outing which is equally absurd. I agree that at this point in spring none of the numbers matter, all I ask is a little consistency.
pete,
thanks so much for the truth. i’m glad there is another person out there who would rather cheer than jeer.
Pete- You might be wasting your breath(in this case words I guess) but I hope not. Maybe your giving these people to much info to handle lol. These people prob will think the Yankees are doomed if they don’t win the Grapefruit League too. It’s just too funny. I’m as excited about this team as ever. It should be a fun team to watch.
I agree with Peter…relax it’s only March. Don’t start pushing the panic button already. That’s great news about Karstens..he has shown some promise in the past. I’m just excited that the regular season is around the corner.
Passion for the team shows up in different ways. Let it happen, its all good.
PETE I UNDERSTAND YOUR THOUGHTS ON PEOPLE BASHING MOOSE…BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT MOOSE HAS PITCHED POORLY IN THE POSTSEASON EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE GAMES (2003 RELIEF APPEARANCE ) HE CANNOT BE RELIED ON IN A BIG SITUATION… HOPEFULLY HE WILL PITCH GOOD ENOUGH TO GIVE THE YOUNG ARMS TIME TO GET UP TO SPEED….
Well I take some exception to your comment Pete. Overall, yes i’m pretty optimistic but when you mentioned IGAWA, it changed my whole demeanor. This guy will make anything look dark. geez…anyway, i’m looking forward to Hughes, Marquez and Phillips today. want to see what the latter two have.
I hear ya on the negative comments Pete. Couldn’t believe the Moose hate being tossed around yesterday during & after his first spring training inning. But a lot of people were pointing that out.
As SJ suggested (not a quote) one can’t expect ace caliber from him anymore. All he needs to be is league average for enough innings over the season and be the team’s 3rd or 4th best starter. Of course league average isn’t ‘great’, but I think he has a legitimate chance at filling that role successfully.
Reading all that dumping on him wasn’t fun nor was it interesting. I wondered this morning why I bothered getting involved.
I can’t imagine people would consider it fun or intelligent to dump on Moose so much especially after what was only his first spring training outing.
(But I confess it can be kinda fun to dump on Igawa and Mr Unmentionable once in awhile.)
Anyone who spewed the same endless tripe about Moose being a washed up bum is officially an idiot IMO. You become right a few months from now. You may become wrong. But the point is that you have ABSOLUTELY NO WAY way of being certain an inning into his first spring training game that he can’t be at least average. For thinking you can jump to such a conclusion after one spring training inning, you will always be wrong no matter how it turns out.
Let is shake out and see. The season doesn’t even start for about a month. Let’s see you go out there and throw your best stuff your first time out after sitting on your arse the whole winter.
YAAARGH!!! End of rant.
Folks see this? Some Red Sox fans jumped a fellow Boston resident because he had a Yankees hat on.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/homepage/x1637136069
Yup, Red Sox fans sure are great..
Why doesn’t somebody televise this game? I wanna see Phil pitch.
Thanks Pete, there’s no reason for anyone to be negative in Spring Training. It’s the time of year when even the Royals and Pirates can come up with a scenario where they can win the World Series. Everyone needs to be thankful that baseball is back; worry when the Yankees start giving up runs in games that matter.
“I think the longer Shelley, Giambi and Ensburg keep playing well, the more and more that Matsui will actually have to earn his spot..”
Matsui is making what, 13Mil this year? When he comes back if he’s healthy he’s playing.
DMan: Really? You think a healthy Matsui will have to earn a spot over Duncan and Ensberg?
Great post pete! my mother is the type of yankee fan that is always very negative and i cant stand it sometimes. she does is so she doesnt jinx the team though, hopefully thats everyone elses reasons. dont get me wrong, fans have the right to complain all they want, especially when guys like igawa give up a grand slam after loading the bases, but to focus on mike mussina who is DEFINITELY on this team no matter what happens is ridiculous. put it this way, no matter what his 2 inning line on march 3rd looked like, mussina is really doing a lot to help pitchers like kennedy and hughes and is a great asset to this team.
Duncan will hit a homer. I’m hoping Gardner gets into the game as well.
I don’t really see the need for comments on the blog entries. Is there anyway you can disable the comment feature Pete? Let everyone put their personal opinion somewhere else instead of cluttering up the site.
Pete, I also understand what you’re saying but when you get a chance, please buy the Daily News and see what’s the story in the back page. The fans are not the only ones. You know the media makes its bread from bad news.
Thank you for making the comments about the negative people in the group of Yankee fans. I am so pleased that you mentioned Karstens and his play AFTER having his leg broken!!
I read you blog before I read any other news about the Yankee’s.
Thnaks Mike
Pete, I agree with your point, but I’d hardly blame negativity on the internet and talk radio. Being negative or expecting the worse is part of human nature. The reason traffic spikes around negative events is because misery loves company. That’s why newspapers employ columnists (like Dan Shaughnessy) and talk radio employs hosts who are overly critical.
I alway suspected that Santana guy was worthless!
Boy Mird - I hope you’re kidding. If you don’t want to read any comments, then you can read the blog without the comments.
Remember, in 2006’s spring training, Randy Johnson sported a 2.96 era over 24.1 innings (24 hits, 3 walks, 24 strikeouts)
“Jeff Karstens threw five pitches on a broken leg for your team last season before he had to be helped off the field.”
I never understood why this a positive thing. The Yanks were on a seven game losing streak. If they had lost that game too it would have been a nine game losing streak and two sweeps at the hands of the Red Sox within ten days.
So Karstens tries to pitch against a great Red Sox lineup with an injured leg in a must win game. Which is IMO not great at all but either arrogant or foolish.
You guys are too harsh on mussina, it’s just spring training, the main thing is that he should stay healthy and he will do just fine in the back end of the rotation.
jimmy it’s not like he knew it was broken. I think it shows guts and a desire to win that he stayed out there.
Rotten Apple:
“I like Mussina as a 5th starter…just not as a 3rd starter.”
As a manager you don’t plan those things. He may be starting the 3rd game of the year. That would probably be his turn in the rotation for a while. He fits into the rotation of pitchers in a way Girardi feels is most the effective sequence. If there are pitching matchups Girardi wants to set up during the season, he’ll make adjustments along the way.
The way Moose becomes the 3rd best pitcher is by going out and performing 3rd best on the team. He goes out and does his best. So do the other guys. If he turns out to be the 5th best guy (or maybe 4th?) then you’ll like him.
What the SANE people here are saying is that it’s likely he can fill that role. If he performs the exact same as he’s expected but 3 better pitchers get inured, he could become the 2nd or 3rd best pitcher on the team by default. I agree the team would have a problem if that’s how it turned out. But that’s not the plan.
The other guys don’t say ‘Wait, I can’t do better than Moose because he’s number 3 and I’m number 4.” They’re all supposed to do their best no matter where they are in sequence. In June Moose might evolve as the 3rd, 4th or 5th best guy and Girardi will make adjustments for certain opponents according to who’s doing well THEN. Whomever’s emerging as the best will probably be aligned to face the other team’s best pitcher.
jimmy: Being a gamer/trying your best for your team; that’s something I always respect
Unless such value is lost at the professional level
Abraham is right about too many fans being negative and hysterical. Mussina can whine at times about not getting run support or pitching out of rotation. But he has won 250 games in the AL East. You don’t do that without talent and brains and he deserves a good number of starts to see if he can continue. He also hasn’t disgraced himself or the Yankees by getting “Vitamin B-12″ shots like another right handed AL East
pitcher.
When the season starts I’ll pay attention to how players are doing. But for now I’ll ignore the nattering nabobs of negativism or the Panglossian “all is great” I heard from the Ralph Houks of the world as a young ‘un.
Pete, hasn’t the CHB made a career out of being excessively negative himself?
Right on Pete! The team looks good and we should be happy about that.
“I think the longer Shelley, Giambi and Ensburg keep playing well, the more and more that Matsui will actually have to earn his spot.”
Many yankee fans don’t really seem to have a sense of how good Matsui really is. Perhaps its because in comparison to the ARods and Jeters his production doesn’t appear to be as impressive as it really is.
Matsui has an .856 career OPS. That is one of the best rates of production for any left fielder in baseball not named Manny Ramirez or Matt Holiday.
To put that in perspective - Matsui has a higher career OPS than both Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Lee, guys who are considered “all stars” and are signed to enormous contracts.
Matsui is a tremendous value for this team.
On top of that he is one of the few left handed batters in the game who basically hits as well against lefties as righties (he hits for less power but its not dramatic). Having that kind of balanced lefty bat in yankee stadium is an enormous plus.
Last year Matsui had his toughest year with the team due to that knee injury. Despite that he put was able to perform up to all of his career expectations. Despite a serious knee injury his overall offense did not tail off. Yes he was streaky, but that was in all likelihood due to the knee.
This year, his production will be a plus even at the DH spot.
This off season we’ve heard many people who were all over the idea of trading him to the giants for jonathan sanchez or trading him to the padres.
He’s a terrific player, signed to a great contract. If he starts the season on the DL they will miss him.
the thing about moose is this: some people think he’s a good starter who still has something left and will contribute, and he’s just getting in his ST work. Others saw him not being able to put guys away or not being able to get out of innings and say he’s got nothing left. So the 1st group sees him as in the rotation and what happened yesterday doesnt matter. the later group sees him as finished unless he shows something better than last season, and yesterday saw just more of the same.
Its not really about what happened yesterday, its about what you thought at the end of last season. everybody knows he’s got to do better than last year to be usefull, its just that many have completly lost faith in him.
i feel like the traffic on this site spikes when the yankees lose because those effing trolls come out of their holes…
ensberg instead of matsui, what are people smoking?
btw, dan s. from boston has some nerve calling the yankees miserable. he hails from the city of “86 years! oooh the agony! not even holocaust victims can feel the depth of our misery and pain!”
I totally agree with you Pete. The negativity just sucks the fun out of it. And yes you can ignore those posts and I do most of the time. But it is wearing to even have to glance at them. It is a game after all and one of my favorites.
Just a thought about Karstens: This is the second straight spring where he’s looked pretty good, and last year he broke camp in the rotation, but unfortunately suffered that injury. Now i know a lot of people aren’t really into Karstens’ stuff, but what do you guys think of him getting the 5th spot if her performs well all month, and in the event that Joba does infact start out in the pen? I think IPK could start as the long man, i know he has the least severe innings limit out of the big 3, but even just for a month or so to keep his innings down early, while still having him face big league hitters. he’d be ready to step into the rotation in the event that karstens or even moose falters. i just don’t think he’s had enough major league starts to break camp with a rotation spot solidified. same with joba, which is why i believe Girardi will opt to start him out as the setup man. Just an idea.
i can’t decide who’s more annoying…the people claiming the sky is falling, or the people telling the first group that they have no right to feel that way and to shut up. it’s a lovely synergy of hate.
“Dan Shaughnessy of the Globe calls it the “Fellowship of the Miserable””
That’s a great phrase and gets the talk radio and blog sports culture down perfectly.
@Patrick:
That’s some kind of contradiction. If he did not think his leg was injured it’s not “guts” or “desire to win” to stay out there. It’s just his job. If he didn’t feel 100% okay it’s somewhat irresponsible IMO. Especially after he got rocked by the Red Sox a week before (with a healthy leg).
Where I come from we have a saying: “well meant” is the opposite of “well done”. If you play injured you better be great.
That said I hope Karstens stays healthy this season and gets his chance to produce.
Rotten Apple -
The way I saw it, your logic is that if four of the guys in the rotation do better than Moose then you’ll like him. But two of the guys in the rotation don’t do as well as him, even if they’re expected to, then you’ll not like … MOOSE.
Pete: THANK YOU! Not that it matters much, but I agree with you 100%.
It’s spring training. Let the players shake the rust off. Oh, and how about trying something new and SUPPORT the team and its players.
I was going to post a comment about all the nay-sayers and Yankee “fans” who seems to have not one good word to say about the Yankees, but I felt that it was a waste of time. It’s much better coming from you, but I’m sure those “fans” will just say that your wrong and that Mussina sucks and Igawa sucks and how the Yankees are going to miss the playoffs and suck this year. Jeez. First of all, it’s just a game. Second of all, if you dislike all these things about the Yankees, find another team to root for.
Pete - I’m absolutely thrilled at the depth of talent this spring.
Come on Matsui. Get healthy!
Pete, try not to be too hard on us commenters. It’s only March 4th, and who knows what the season will bring? I see a lot of talent here and I think you need to give us a chance to shake off the rust before judging how the season will go. Remember, we’ve been baseball starved for a few months and we want to see our guys out there performing like we know they can. Give us some time to calm down, find our stuff, and we’ll all have a great time together. Except for Kei Igawa. That guy’s gotta go.
Pete lays down the law.
hallaleujah.
there are some really unbearable posters on this blog (and i realize that i would be included in some people’s definition of unbearable, but i am talking about the whiners and complainers, not the generally obnoxious).
the amount of whining and complaining is just embarrassing. it’s embarrassing that Pete had to use a term coined by a BOSTON journalist to describe what a lot of Yankee fans are turning into.
some of the posts here read like a PARODY with people flipping out over intra-squad results, spring trainging results…people complaining about the Yankees giving certain players non-roster invites to ST, people complaining about the Yankees not being able to make unrealistic trades, people who think a GM’s job to make decisions with 100% accuracy all the time, people complaining about the arbitration process with absolutely no concept of how it works. etc. etc. etc.
i think a lot of it has to do with the amount of information we have now. a few years ago, if you weren’t obsessive about the team, there was no way to follow a spring training game. the people that have followed the team closely for years realize that early in spring training, veteran pitchers sometimes stink and it doesn’t really mean anything. but now, with the results of every pitch coming instanteously, some people want to complain about every single pitch and AB.
some of you guys need to take a step back and learn to look at the big picture a little better.
/steps off soapbox
jimmy - Contradiction? Not really, he didn’t know his leg was broken but he felt the pain. Players fight through pain all the time. A pitcher must have confidence in himself and believe that he is the best option to get the job done. The fact that he tried to pitch through what I’m sure was an incredibly painful injury shows he was trying to help the team at all costs. To be honest you sound like the type of guy who’s never played a sport. When you’re out there playing you aren’t thinking “uh oh my foot hurts I wonder if someone else could do a better job than me.” because if you are then you will not be successful.
And there you have it. One city (Boston) so delusional that they actually believe Julio Lugo can have a breakout year and another city (New York) that believes because of one early spring training start, Mike Mussina is doomed to have a terrible year.
A real study in objectivity.
“How he pitches on March 3 in Kissimmee is meaningless. By your logic, Johan Santana is a bum, too.”
If Johan was a stone’s throw from 40 and had shown serious signs of being in dramatic decline the season before…
Stop acting like this spring training exists in a vacuum of time and space and we have nothing else to base our assessments on.
Pete -
Malcontents sell papers & advertising - and they help your blog by pumping up the hits and postings - so be careful what you wish for. That said, it’s funny how many ranting, angry, miserable, “the world is a terrible place and my life is awful” souls out there. Being snarky is one thing but what you point out is flat out ridiculous. I guess some people think the way to be heard is to make an idiot out of yourself.
It’s spring - and this time of year even the Cubs have hope. How about a rally of support for Giambi & Damon’s off season focus on improving, the “Latin Beach Club’s” group training sessions, and all the rest of the current & future Yankee’s hard work to make our team great!!
funny observation: I live just outside Philly and i’m always all Yankee’d out. In the past no one said much about it because most of the sad Phillies fans figured i had the right idea because the Phillies are a perennial disappointment. This year, however, since the Phils made the playoffs last year, they are all talk. It’s hilarious. Phillies fans have been giving me so much crap the last few days. They are all writing the Yankees off already and saying the Red Sox have the east locked and the WC will go to whoever doesn’t win the central (which people have been saying for years, yet it’s still almost always out of the east). I just love how they make the playoffs one year largely due to the mets blowing it, not so much their own success, and the trash talk begins. When they give me all that garbage about the Red Sox having the east locked i just remind them that the Mets were a lot better than them last year until the end, and this year they have Johan Santana. it gets them all riled up.
I love Philadelphia fans, they’re so funny.
That’s ridiculous coming from Shaughnessy since his own schtick is being mouthpiece for the miserable Boston sportsfan. In fact, misery/incessant whining is the entire culture of Boston sports (until recent years) and the reason the national press gives them so much attention.
Will,
I agree… traffic spikes during bad stretches because people are looking for answers and explanations to calm themselves. (and some complaining, all the while)
To me it’s almost comical, some of these “poster’s” remind me of Randy Quaid in the movie Major League II.. “mild thing, you make my butt sting”
Calm down and let Dave Eiland and Girardi work with these guys, last time I checked they were more qualified to make a valued decision…
About Karstens: There’s a term I use for describing throwing five pitches on a broken leg, but given that obscenities are not allowed, I’ll have to go and call it bad-animal-related-to-a-mule.
Arrogant? Perhaps, but do you really want a pitcher on the mound that has no confidence in his stuff?
Relax and enjoy the spring for what it is.
” all the nay-sayers and Yankee “fans” who seems to have not one good word to say about the Yankees”
i dont see this at all. except for people who don’t think moose still has it in him to start. in fact many who have criticized moose have said that they think there are better options in the organization. is there some blog rule against thinking a pitcher might be done? is it impossible that a 39 y/o pitcher with declining #’s could be done? say anything negative about anybody and all of a sudden you’re a naysayer or a red sox fan.
give’em the devil pete. sometimes people don’t make sense.
Igawa = Huckabee
Pete, you should ask some of the Yankees who they’re voting for.
People keep saying he was in serious decline last year but fail to take into account that he was hurt all year!!
He had a bad hamstring, which lead to a bad hip, back pain. He also hurt his foot. That all leads to a drop in velocity. But that doesn’t fit in with the sky is falling bit. Come back to me in April if he is getting smacked around.
Ranting Guy -
My point is that I like Mussina as our last option, meaning he won’t start in the playoffs. He should not have started even last season. The loyalty showed to him was classic Torre, and I’ll just be crushed if I see it again from Joe G. They took Moose out for one game and put in IPK, and the kid was fantastic, yet for some reason they babied him and didn’t even think of trying him in the playoffs. We were so close that could have made the difference.
Like somebody else said, it’s not the spring training that bothers me. It’s the pitching the last 2 years. The 88 mph fastball. I mean some people are claiming that the negative on IPK is he throws 90-94. Moose throws 88, 90 tops! Why not sign a Freddy Garcia adn see where he’s at? I’ve got to think there’s at least a chance he could be better than Moose.
Brian…here is a clue they are voting for whoever is going to keep their taxes down….
Pete,
How can you say Mussina pitched well in September? I understand his ERA hovered around 3.5, but we all know that that can be a misleading statistic, especially in the short run. 28 innings, 33 hits, with a BAA of .300 for the Moose in September. I’m not arguing that he sucks because he’s pitching poorly in the spring, I’m arguing that he is finished as a quality MLB pitcher. Is he worth 12 million? I hope that is a joke. Will he be in the rotation in July? Unlikely.
That is one of the most fascinatingly hilarious comparisons I’ve ever heard.
I have yet to hear one of Igawa’s sermons..
“is there some blog rule against thinking a pitcher might be done?”
Yes, if it’s without a sound argument to back it up
I don’t recall seeing anyone calling for Moose being washed up respond to the injuries he had last year.
“He did horrible last year!”
“Dude, he had injuries and was never able to get his legs underneath him”
“…HE’S WASHED UP, I TELL YA! WASHED UP! BLAH BLAH BLAH”
“…screw it, I’m not wasting my breath on you anymore”
Amen Pete!!! Enough with the belly-aching. I love the bit about Karstens. I was at that game last year when he broke his leg and you HEARD it breaking. I was impressed that he even had the courage to continue. I am a Karstens supporter! What really surprised me about that game was how Igawa came in and dominated the game after that. It was his shining moment in pinstripes; there probably won’t be another…
SO excited for the season to start!
Pete,
Good job on checking these Debbie Downers. Seriously, before you pointed it out I was psyched on Karstens performance. In fact all of our young guns have been getting it done. However, it is a bit unfair to be annoyed by these fans. They pay for the tickets, they buy their own jerseys, and they support thier team at their local bar/blog. So they have every right to piss and moan. Its their job. And given Moose’s recent struggles extending from last season, to see him get whacked yesterday def. sets off the “Oh here we go again” alarms. And if you can check us we can check you. NEVER EVER EVER EVER COMPARE JOHAN THE GREAT TO MOOSE THE EHH. Looking foward to you blogging this afternoon.
Amen, Pete.
I know it’s the media’s job to report on the local sports team, but Pete’s rant should also be aimed at those very outlets. Is it really necessary to have Mussina gracing the back of the Daily News with “Danger Moose” as the headline?!??! I mean c’mon it’s March 4th!!!!!!!!!!
Totally agree, Pete. That’s exactly what I was telling my son yesterday. I can’t understand how some “fans” focus on Mussina’s performance, and they don’t say a single word about what Karstens is showing.
Another perspective on how exceptional this spring training is the yankees -
The year before last Phil Hughes was Baseball America’s top pitching prospect in all of baseball.
This year Joba was Baseball America’s top pitching prospect in all of baseball.
In Baseball America’s entire history the yankees have only had one pitching prospect rated as the top arm - that was Brien Taylor nearly 15 years ago (and then he got in a bar fight and ended his career)!
On top of that, no team has ever had two different pitchers ranked as Baseball America’s top pitching prospect in consecutive years. What the yankees did in developing Phil and Joba back to back has never been done. Even Wood an Prior were spaced out over a couple of years.
Think about that - the yankee’s have gone from having to sign Pavano and Wright to Hughes and Chamberlain over the shot span of 3 years.
That is remarkable. This is going to be one of the more enjoyable spring trainings and seasons the team has had in a long, long time.
“Why not sign a Freddy Garcia adn see where he’s at? I’ve got to think there’s at least a chance he could be better than Moose.”
You do know that Garcia is out until July?
god this sport is the greatest thing in the world.
will not take time, to check the negative comments.
to tell the truth, what pete said today, was on target.
be thankful, for what you have. The team, does look very good. Thank you, Brian Cashman. And Joe Girardi.
Pete, I don’t tell you how to write your columns, so don’t tell me how to be a fan.
Here here Pete…let’s keep baseball fun, focus on the positive.
BoogieDown
March 4th, 2008 at 11:26 am
That’s ridiculous coming from Shaughnessy since his own schtick is being mouthpiece for the miserable Boston sportsfan. In fact, misery/incessant whining is the entire culture of Boston sports (until recent years) and the reason the national press gives them so much attention.
************************************************************
Yeah, that’s the same Shaughnessy that said the Sox would run away with the rest of the season in June of 2005. We all know how that ended. Shaughnessy singlehandedly drew the wrath of fans for such a foot-in-mouth statement that exists to this very day.
so i guess karstens is the anti pavano?
“The loyalty showed to him was classic Torre, and I’ll just be crushed if I see it again from Joe G. They took Moose out for one game and put in IPK, and the kid was fantastic, yet for some reason they babied him and didn’t even think of trying him in the playoffs. We were so close that could have made the difference.”
This is just completely off base. The yankees used mussina last year for as long as they did because they were desperate for pitching and had already gone through an array of DeSalvo, Clippard’s and Wrights.
They took Mussina out of the rotation just about as soon as they could - they did it when they really had to make a move when he collapsed in August AND more importantly they did it when Kennedy was ready.
Kennedy only made 6 starts in AAA before they brought him up. He’s not a power pitcher like Joba where you can just project that he’ll be able to succeed at the major league level and basically skip him through AAA.
Then the notion that Kennedy was “babied” is just nonsense. He reached his innings limit for the season and he strained a muscle in his back. That was the bottom line. They weren’t going to risk an injury to him.
The sox did the same with Buchholz - they pulled him from the rotation after the no hitter and didn’t put him on the playoff roster. And the sox needed buchholz in the rotation in the playoffs more than the yankees needed Kennedy. Mussina wasn’t even in the playoff rotation.
Pete,
You could not be more correct in your comments! What fans have turned into over the past 15 years or so is absolutely appalling. Its a sport! Its supposed to be fun. These guys are human beings. Moose might be done, I don’t know that yet. But the way people delight in that is nauseating to me. Its really pathetic. Great job bringing that to light Pete!
“i dont see this at all. except for people who don’t think moose still has it in him to start. in fact many who have criticized moose have said that they think there are better options in the organization. ”
say bye, Pete’s comment is a CUMULATIVE thing. he isn’t talking strictly about Moose. it was simply the straw that broke the camel’s back.
there is a very distinct subset of posters here that do nothing but bitch and moan. they NEVER post anything else.
those are the people he is talking about.
there IS a legitimate debate to be had about Mussina, but that is not what a lot of posters are attempting to have.
Applications are always accepted by Rebecca in joining the United Yankee Optimism Society. Realistic posting is the only requirement at no fee. Nay-sayers are discouraged.
this from Mr. ‘dont panic its only ST’ during the 3rd inning of last year’s season opener:
SJ44
April 2nd, 2007 at 2:40 pm
That’s now 3 errors in 5 innings and counting for this team. If they can’t catch or throw the ball, it doesn’t matter who is pitching or how many runs they score, its a non-championship team.
btw. he was right!
April 2 is kinda after spring training
Adam,
Its Pete’s blog. You don’t like what he writes, don’t post in it.
He can write whatever he wants. Its the privilage of ownership.
Especially, when what he wrote was 100% spot on.
Its Spring Training folks. Its not Game 7 of the WS. Its never going to be, no matter how much some of you want to make these games out to be more important than they are.
Its a time for players to get in shape for the season. Every player has different ways of doing it and different responsibilities to the team. In other words, no two players get ready for the season the same way.
For a guy like Karstans, who is trying to secure a roster spot, he needs to start off quickly and build from there.
For a guy like Mussina, who is coming off an injury filled season and has a roster spot secured, its taking it easy and building up to the start of the season with every spring outing.
Frankly, I could care less if people think Mussina is done or not. As someone (I apologize that I don’t remember who) said yesterday, if he is done, a March 3 start won’t tell us that. It would just mean someone guessed right.
Let it play out and enjoy what’s happening with the Yankees. They are looking very good.
“If Johan was a stone’s throw from 40 and had shown serious signs of being in dramatic decline the season before…”
Well this is the fact that Johan lost some velocity and wouldn’t throw his slider in the second half of last year. But let’s not get into that. Let’s bash Mussina for his first ST start. ST is serious business.
“Stop acting like this spring training exists in a vacuum of time and space and we have nothing else to base our assessments on.”
No, Pete just wants you to get lives and stop being so miserable. Basing your assessments on early ST is laughable. Pete is just calling out some Yankee “fans” like yourself out for being losers who don’t enjoy baseball anymore. That’s what The Panic Society is. I wish Pete could ban you guys, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. Even the Debbie Downers who obsess over ST.
“btw. he was right!”
No he wasn’t. The yankees made the playoff last year and lost in a very difficult series to the Indians.
It’s amazing that someone could take what are obviously overly negative comments from opening day and derive the entirely wrong conclusions from them.
The yankees had a remarkable season last year. They overcame an enormous deficit when everyone in baseball had written them off an made a great run to the playoffs. Were it not for those stupid gnats who knows…
And the 2007 team did something perhaps even more difficult - the team competed at a very high level and rebuilt at the same time.
A few years from now we are going to look at the 2007 team as the transition point between the older yankees and the way the team was run after the 2001 world series and the new generation of players developed internally.
blargh, you;ve got a point, dont panic in ST, wat till 1/2 way through the Season opener, the panic!
April 2 is after ST and it was an example of what Girardi is trying to change this year. That is, having a team ready to play at the start of the season.
When last I checked, March 3 is not the start of the season.
Now, if you want to go back in time and check my ST posts of last year, for a more accurate reading of what you are trying to accomplish, feel free.
But, in case you don’t realize it, there is a big difference between being ready to start the season on a good run and the first outing in a ST start.
did i read something wrong or did he say they were a non-championship team? did they win a championship last year and i missed it?
This whole Mussina thing..
I’m going to go with the words from his own mouth..
“If I start putting more pressure on results now, it’s not going to happen the way it should happen,” Mussina said. “If I’m out there in my first real spring training game worrying too much about not being on target, it’s going to be counterproductive.
—A couple starts down the road, I’ll be worried about it—.””
So he has a plan, and I’m sure he knows what hes doing. So let’s just wait and see how he looks “a couple starts down the road”.
CB,
I wouldn’t say last year was a “remarkable” season. They weren’t ready to play from the start of the season, had a ton of injuries (some caused by lack of conditioning) and really played awful baseball the first two months of the season.
They did right the ship, got great contributions from new faces, and made the playoffs.
Yes, the midges were a killer.
But, a better start, and they would have ended up playing a beat up Angels team (as the division champions) in the ALDS instead of the Indians.
It was a good season. Not remarkable.
I would like to see both Peter and commenters talk about the team, not other commenters.
My feeling on comments is if there’s a comment you like or that intrigues you, respond. If there’s a comment that you disagree with, but isn’t trollish, then respond. But if a comment is foolish, stupid, or from a troll, don’t waste your time and ours by responding, just ignore it and move on.
Besides, this is going to be the best year this decade. There will be plenty of stuff on the field to talk about.
SJ44,
I meant remarkable in the sense of how the season evolved over time.
You’re absolutely right - they were playing very bad baseball at the beginning of the season. Between the injuries to the staff, guys out of shape, the lefties not hitting, boston’s hot start…
So I did think the way the team turned things around was striking. The injuries to the staff became almost comical. Most people in baseball had written them off as far as the playoffs.
Then on top of that they did start the rebuilding process with the young arms playing important roles, especially down the stretch.
It was the arc of their season that to me was noteworthy. Dissapointing in the end because they didn’t win - but remarkable in the sense of its ups and downs.
I wrote this above - they need to get off to a better start this season. It’s imperative that they don’t dig themselves behind bost right out of the gate. Far too much talent in the AL to count on making that kind of comeback again.
Is this game on Sopcast today?
CB,
I saw your point and understand it better now.
I’m just hoping we don’t have a Marty Miller sighting the last week of spring training.
If that happens, they better lock up the pitchers! We can’t afford any pitching injuries.
**see your point**.
We really need that edit button this year.
SJ44,
Agreed again. The team was a bad team to start the season last year. No doubt about it. They were playing awful baseball and if it wasn’t for that historic start by ARod they would have been dead and buried.
But its such a long season and that’s what I was referring to. People are ready to jump out the window with mussina’s bad opening ST performance.
So it was to me it was a remarkable season but in no way a great one (if that distinction makes sense).
Marty Miller - hard to believe what a disaster that was. On top of that Cash gave him that ridiculous title - I don’t even remember what it was.
Compared to where they were this time last year - Phelps, nieves, proctor, pavano, igawa, the arod opt out nonsense, there’s no comparison. They’re in a much better place to start the season.
Like you I’m very pleased with how this spring training is shaping up. Just the number of good arms they have in camp is terrific as is the way players are in shape and how the transition to Girardi has been relatively seamless.
I think they’ll play much better baseball to start the season. They’ll be much more ready and equiped to do so.
I agree sports should be for fun. i agree with you totally on Moose too, Peter.
Hey Pete,
What did you think of Rhoden’s piece in the NY Times yesterday calling out the owners for their responsibility with PEDs?
About time, heh.
Anybody comparing Kennedy to Buccholz forgets to mention the immense depth of the Red Sox pitching staff.
Yes, Kennedy has only 6 AAA starts. But he was MLB ready, obviously. Just look at his results. He probably has the best chance of being a consistent starter on this team this year and will be able to throw the most innings. The only reason we went through DeSalvo/Clippard/etc. is because Cashman would not bring him up, and I can’t blame him for that.
As far as his back, Kennedy said himself that by the playoffs he was completely fine but they had to interest in activating him. That judgment is on Cashman and obviously he’s not going to be judged on it.
Personally, I had seen Kennedy throw with incredible poise and confidence and I had no confidence whatosever in Mike Mussina. If Kennedy was healthy, they should have put him out there.
Hey I agree with what Peter is saying about Moose, but please don’t ever mention Dan Shaughnessy again. That guy is a no-talent clown.
Pete, the “fellowship of the miserable” comment actually can be traced back to an infamous press conference held by Rick Pitino, during his dark days as Celtics coach, as he broke down the mindset of the typical Boston fans. That said, Dan Shaughnessy is as good as it gets.
Your web site traffic probably spikes during tough times in Yankeeland for the same reason that ratings soar for CNN during a national crisis or CNBC during a stock market dive.
totally agree w./Pete’s perspective on Mussina.
Shaughnessy - well, that’s ironic. i read him for fun when the Red Sox are going bad, he’s usually good for some prime negativity.
I’ve been a long time reader of Pete’s blog but this is my first post. I’ve been a Yankee fan for a very long time and a big time Mussina advocate as well. I also work in a business where everything is short-term and focused on “what have you done for me lately.” I cannot agree more with Pete on how many fans out there are putting way to much stock in a ST outing and so myopicly focusing on 2007 w/Moose. Lest we forget, Moose has been a gem for the Yankees. If you look back to the last several Free Agent pitching signings across MLB, nearly all have been a bust (e.g. Carl Pavano). The main exception–Moose’s deal with the Yankees. Moose has had the same stuff for the last couple of years. This incredible focus on 2007 completely ignores this. It’s not like he suddenly lost 5mph off his fast ball overnight. He’s had the same fastball for some time now and been a solid contributor for the Yanks. If memory serves me right, Moose was battling Wang as the ace of the staff in 2006 until he got injured late in the season (with the same lack of “stuff” everybody seems to rant about). With Moose’s injury early in 2007, he never fully healed and that led to mechanical breakdowns with his delivery. It also caused additional nicks and creaks to pop up due to Moose trying to compensate for the hamstring(he is 39, after all). Assuming he’s now fully healed and gets his work in this spring, he should be a solid contributor to the staff. Whether this labels him 3rd, 4th, or 5th starter is entirely irrelevant. The fact remains he still knows how to pitch and has done so at or near HOF standards for some time. Lets just focus on the positives and get back to reality.
Sam has already corrected the source of the Fellowship of the Miserable comment. I don’t know if Shaughnessey claims that as actually being his idea, but it wouldn’t surprise me in the least. He’s a merciless hack.
Pete,
Do me favor and while you’re working on that Matty DeSalvo piece, get me some updates on Claudell Washington, Butch Wynegar and Scott Kamieniecki?
Thanks.
G. Love
ok listen,
for a big league to have so many errors in short time, that’s unacceptable
but for a pitcher trying to tune his game in the spring, giving a couple runs up is fine. If you saw the game, you would have seen that mussina had location and his curveball is on. both are very encouraging, though it’s a concern that he is having problem finishing hitters off, it shouldn’t be at this stage of the game.
Karstens looked great too, hope he and marquez get a chance this year
Pete — Psychology dictates fans with zealous interest in a team are going to struggle when the team loses. Some of us just go melancholy. Others of us get mad and yell. Sadly, the nouveau way is to develop an aggressive superiority complex over the team/players. It IS a byproduct of the neverwrong, hindsight-specialist experts known as radio “analysts.”
For the record, I get down when the Yanks lose. Most of us around here do. But I’m eternally optimistic about the Yanks. It’s easy to do these days. The minors are loaded. Guys are performing well in ST. We have a $200 million payroll. I’d rather be in this position than, say, a Twins fan or any other team for that matter.
Regarding Mike Mussina.
You say he pitched well in september last year? look at who he pitched against. Mike Mussina has been stealing money from the yankees for a long time. He has been paid A TON of money since 2001, and has only come up in big games a handful of times. The jeter Flip game. Relief in game 7 vs. boston in 2003. I can’t really think of any other times he has pitched well. He has a horrible attitude, and wouldn’t protect his teamates.
Mike is SHOT. He is DUNZO. if he pitches .500 this season i will be impressed. I would be impressed barring staff injuries if he pitches into July.
18-1*
I think everyone just needs to shut up.
why are you people arguing about this?
It’s March. if the negative nay-sayers want to complain, let them complain.
Why does it matter?
get a life, people. some of you are the most ignorant stubborn posters I have ever “seen” in a Comments section.
“The jeter Flip game. Relief in game 7 vs. boston in 2003. I can’t really think of any other times he has pitched well. ”
well, i guess that means there weren’t any other times.
because it would be impossible to look something like that up too.
Postseason with the Yankees: 85.1 IP, 3.69 ERA
2001 ALDS - 7 IP 0 ER
2001 ALCS - 6 IP 2 ER
2001 WS - 8 IP 2 ER
2003 ALDS - 7 IP 3 ER
2003 ALCS - 6.2 IP 3 ER
2003 ALCS - 3 IP, 0 ER
2003 WS - 7 IP 1 ER
2004 ALDS - 7 IP 2 ER
2004 ALCS - 6.2 IP 4 ER (perfect game through 6)
2004 ALCS - 6 IP 2ER
2005 ALDS - 5.2 IP, 0 ER
2007 ALDS - 4.2 IP, 2 ER (in relief)
looks pretty good to me.
your post is dumb.
I hope Mussina is paying you big bucks for all the positive spin you’re giving him Pete, because you are sounding like a complete homer sticking up for a guy who couldn’t get out of the 1st inning of games last year.
“Mike Mussina has won 250 games and pitched well last September”
What about April to August? How’d he do in those games?
“Pete, because you are sounding like a complete homer sticking up for a guy who couldn’t get out of the 1st inning of games last year.”
that never happened once, but whatever.
Never happened? Take a look at the first 5 or so entries. They are all pro Mussina, saying that everyone is overreacting to his bad Spring outing.
His Spring has nothing to do with my feelings for him. I saw him get torched by Anaheim and Detroit last season in the first inning. Then listened to him in the post games where he had no clue what to say. Thats the sign of someone who has completely lost it. A person who doesn’t even know what to say about one bad outing after another. The guy throws 80mph fastballs. Yet everyone expects this guy to pitch every 5 days and be a #3 starter? If Jose Contrearas was deemed to be too unstable at 8M, that extra 3M that Mussina makes him too expensive to bench?
you said Moose “couldn’t get out of the 1st inning of games last year”.
that never happened.
that’s what i meant.
When you’re giving up 3-4 runs in the first inning, and 7 runs over 1 2/3 innings you’re basically losing the game in the first inning. You aren’t a quality starter and have no business pitching as the 3rd starter for the New York Yankees.
Off subject:
How come Buchholtz and Lester are not considered unknown commodities while all you hear is that Phil Ian and Joba are untested!??
Our Starters are just as good as Boston
Beckett/Wang -Beckett is a better but only posted 1 more win than Wang
Pettite/Dice-K -stats very similar
Mussina/Wakefield - both old you really think Wake is gonna win 17 games again?
Hughes/Bucholz - Hughes is a better prospect despite B’s no-hitter last year
Kennedy/Lester - I’ll take Kennedy
Schilling will not pitch, Tavares, Colon - gimme a break
Joba will start a bunch of games, and we have about 5 really promising guys ready to take up some slack
Horne, Karstens, Rasner, Igawa, Sanchez
Re Mussina:
Mussina, an 18-year veteran, requested that Hughes’ locker be moved into the near left corner of the clubhouse next to his own and Kennedy’s. There Hughes and Kennedy can soak in the lessons on pitching in particular and baseball in general that Mussina has taken to doling out. To make his young Paduan learners feel more at home, Mussina decorated the spare, gray cinderblock wall with a picture of a window looking out on a beach, and added curtains, a wall clock and a calendar. “We’re going to have a sign that says Mussina, Hughes and Kennedy, Attorneys at Law,” says Moose.