Yankees-Reds: The Live Blog
-
- March
- 14
Sorry for the delay, but the news just broke on the suspensions. It’s overcast and 67 here at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota.
Alex Rodriguez gave the Yankees a 3-0 with a homer to center field in the top of the first after Derek Jeter singled and Hideki Matsui walked.
FIRST INNING
Phil Hughes is getting torched. Double, RBI single, RBI double. 3-2 Yankees with no outs in the bottom of the inning. A fly out and two groundouts ended the threat.
SECOND INNING
‘The very intriguing Brett Gardner walked with two outs, stole second and scored on a double by Johnny Damom. 4-2 Yankees.
Hughes allowed three hits and run in the bottom of the inning.
THIRD INNING
Jorge Posada doubled with two outs. Shelley Duncan then singled to left. But Posada jogged to third, thinking the ball would be caught. He nearly went to the dugout before he was stopped. Cincy threw to the plate and Duncan went to second. Jason Lane then singled in two runs and the Yankees lead 6-3.
Singles by Cody Ransom and Gardner made it 7-3.
Rough outing for Phil Hughes, who allowed three straight hits after getting two outs in the third and was pulled out of the game.
His line: 2.2 7 4 4 0 2. 63 pitches/41 strikes.
FIFTH INNING
Still 7-4 Yankees.
I was able to obtain some reaction from the Rays to the suspensions. They’re not pleased than Duncan received only one more game than Gomes.
“I don’t necessarily think that the actions were equitable to have a suspension be that close,” executive VP Andrew Friedman said, “but it’s also not my place to opine on that. I don’t think Jonny’s intent was to hurt Duncan, and I think that’s important in this. That’s something that if we do go to a hearing, that’s something that we’ll talk about. I definitely do not think his intent was to hurt Duncan and that should be a big part of this.”
Jonny Gomes on Duncan and Cabrera: Those guys are trying to inflict injuries, those guys are trying to inflict pain, and I don’t know how much room there is for that in this game. There’s the old ‘we hit you, you hit us’ type of deal, but it’s different with spikes high and punches being thrown.
“I think they were two totally different acts of what happened. No matter what Shelley wants to say, I think the bottom line is what he did really could have hurt Aki. Whether he was trying to lodge the ball out or not, I don’t know. But Aki does have a cut on his leg and he could have really injured Aki.”
SEVENTH INNING
It’s still 7-4 and all the regulars are out. In other news, TV trashman Jerry Springer is at the game.
This entry was posted
on Friday, March 14th, 2008 at 1:22 pm by Peter Abraham.
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A-Rod is locked in early again this year it seems
Pete - Gameday says Jeter doubled.
I think we are poised for a great start of the season.
can someone link to gameday?
MLB rules favor the aggressor. Preemptive strike:
First game against Red Sox this year, drill Fat Ortiz in the head.
And, apparently nothing has happened since Shelley grounded out, according to Gameday. I betcha that Votto punched shelley in the forearm for sliding into Iwamura a few days ago and broke his own hand.
It’s now 3-1 in the bottom of the 1st.
Okay, apparently stats aren’t cumulative in the spring. Gameday saying Alex has (1) HR. My mental calculator says (3)?
Oops make that 3 - 2. Phil is struggling I guess…
“Gameday saying Alex has (1) HR. My mental calculator says (3)?”
That’s probably just gameday being crappy
Gameday link:
http://www.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/y2007/gd.html?2008_03_14_nyamlb_cinmlb_1
but apparently it is not updating until the end of the inning. Mine is still showing end of the top of the 1st.
Earlier someone mentioned 40 man roster issues and the problems this causes the way I see it.
Henn will be released
Sanchez will go on DL
Cervelli will go on DL
Pavano will go on DL
That opens 4 spots on the 40man so I dont think there is an issue with the 40.
Phil was due for a stinker, let it be now.
thx Lori
i guess girardi can’t control hughes now either, eh?
I hate mlb.tv so much…. why are the yankees only on every third sunday in a leap year? I understand it’s spring training… but’s it’s also false fricking advertisement.
Hughes gets 3 straight outs, out of inning. Sweet!
Looks like Phil recovered nicely. Ken Griffey doubled with no outs, but only made it to third.
Go Phil!
A shaky start, but nice recovery. He’s due for a rough one though - it’s all a part of the preparation for the season, right?
good to see, well not really see but read about, Hughes buckling down and getting the outs to strand the extra runs on base.
lets hope his second inning is better than his first.
What do you guys think for Hughes this season? Over / Under 14 wins?
What do you guys think for Phil this season? O/u 14 wins?
callin 16
Oops apologies for the double post.. browser acting a bit funny.
I think that he’ll be over 14…probably 15 or 16.
kevin - i’d take the under, not because i expect him to perform poorly, but because his innings cap should prevent him from going deep into games, and perhaps not getting as many decisions as he normally would.
Kevin - I’ll take the under. The inning limitation will make it VERY difficult to win 15 games.
i say 15 sounds about right
Wins are the least important stat for a pitcher — they don’t control wins.
I say 15
I hate when Gameday only updates at the half inning. What the heck is happening??
Kevin, i think at least 15 for Franchise Phil
Pettite was robbed of about 3 or 4 wins last year because of the bullpen. That will be a factor as well.
4 - 2 Yankees. I don’t know how though.
I’m actually glad Phil got hit around a bit, today. I wanted him to have some struggles, so he could have a rebound start before the regular season starts. It’s good to get struggles out of the way during spring training.
apparently it’s 4-2 now
Gardner walked and stole second. He is really an exciting player. I’ve drunk the Koolaid.
Damon doubled in Gardner who walked. All at 2 outs
ok - got the update. With 2 out, Gardner walks, steals second and scores on Damons double.
I don’t think Phil’s innings limit will effect how deep he’s allowed to go into games. Figure that Hughes has a 165IP limit. If he averages 7 innings per start that’ll be about 23 starts for him. I think the only way he’ll be taken out of games early will be if the game is a blowout. In close games I think he’ll be allowed to pitch his 7 innings per start.
Hi everyone. I feel bad for the Melk. I absolutely love the kid. Okay, carry on!
Mike R.,
Brett Gardner walked, stole second and scored on a Damon double.
Brett Gardner two out single. Gardner steals 2nd and Damon brings him home with a double
Gardner walked, with damon batting..stole second…Damon doubles, Gardner scored…I gotta say I really am intrigued by what Gardner brings to the table
“What do you guys think for Phil this season? O/u 14 wins?”
Its difficult to set those kinds of expectations for Hughes, particularly because we don’t know his innings cap and how that innings cap will go if they make the playoffs.
If we assume that he can only throw around 175 innings total for the year then they may only allocate 150 innings for the regular season and say 25 or so for the post season (this assumes that they stick to the cap and it looks reasonable that they will make the playoffs).
150 innings in the regular season could only be 20 games.
Tough to expect more than 14 wins when you’re only starting 20 games.
Thanks Christopher. Sorry for the repeat of your comment. I posted it before I read yours.
P.S. DiceK starts off nicely - giving up a run in the first inning. Between Beckett’s back spasms and Look At Me Schilling on the DL, I’m betting their toast. Oh yeah, add the trip to Japan. SWEET!
Oops. “they’re” toast.
And I guess Pete thinks he’s intriguing as well! great minds think alike?
Trisha - I thought you were willing to wager the Red Sox breakfast, but I understand now.
Phil will probably win 5 to 6 games this year. Pitch count of 100-110 in only 4 to 5 innings will not get it done.
I was going to say Trisha - betting their toast on what?
btw - still 4-2 at the end of the 2nd.
And finally, yes, it was ARod’s 3rd HR (per Yahoo sports)
I want Gardner to play CF for the 3 games Melky’s suspended. I’d like to see what he can do when it counts.
Ben - I think 15 games is way too optimistic, but 5 or 6 games seems very low. I am predicting around 10 wins.
“Phil will probably win 5 to 6 games this year. Pitch count of 100-110 in only 4 to 5 innings will not get it done.”
Mmm…trollicious.
Ooops - misread Yahoo’s box score. End of the top of the 2nd. Guess they’re still playing. Guess that’s what happens when you can only “watch” on the computer.
“Phil will probably win 5 to 6 games this year. Pitch count of 100-110 in only 4 to 5 innings will not get it done.”
They’re talking about Phil Hughes, not Jon Lester.
Phil Hughes already won 5 games last year, and he was injured. [img-GIANT ROLLEYES BARFING OUT EVEN MORE ROLLEYES]
CB,
IIRC, last year Torre said that they don’t factor in projected postseason innings. That’s why Kennedy was good to go even though he was on the bubble. Except that he strained his back.
4 - 3 in the bottom of the 2nd. Phil gave up three hits so far.
Its 4-3 bottom of the 2nd
4-3 in the bottom of the 2nd. Anyone know how?
There will come a point this year when Gardner challenges Melky for the starting job. A lot of knowledgeable baseball people who have watched Gardner over the last 9-12 months would probably tell you the Yankees are better off with him in CF every day then they are with Melky. Even if both were to hit .270, Gardner catches everything and steals a ton of bases. However, Gardner has worked a lot over the last 12 months at swinging with his lower body and driving the ball, as opposed to just slapping it and relying on his speed to get on base. The breakthrough came last year during the Arizona Fall League, and it is continuing into Spring Training this year. I’d like to see Gardner named as the starting CF coming out of camp this year, but at the very least I think he should be the 4th outfielder who can come in and play LF and CF for Damon and Melky during late inning situations. But even if he starts the season at Scranton, you can bet it won’t be long before he plays his way onto the Major League team.
“I am predicting around 10 wins.”
I figure more like 12 or 13. 20-22 starts, 13 wins seems pretty reasonable. This kid is a legit good pitcher. Sure, he’ll have some clunkers. Everyone does. But, if he goes 6-7 strong in all his good starts, with Joba in the pen in the first half, and some other promising arms out there as well, I feel pretty good about his chances to win a lot of his starts.
He’s given up 6 hits
CB,
And how’s Phil going to win the Cy Young on 20 starts?
All I know is three hits. We have to wait for the end of the inning for details.
i’m assuming each minor league field has a different game day operator.
and the one for the reds is horrible.
“IIRC, last year Torre said that they don’t factor in projected postseason innings.”
Torre knows very, very little about the modern methods of handling young pitchers.
“but at the very least I think he should be the 4th outfielder who can come in and play LF and CF for Damon and Melky during late inning situations. But even if he starts the season at Scranton, you can bet it won’t be long before he plays his way onto the Major League team.”
Gardner would not see much time if he were on the bench. AAA is the best place for him to show that he’s ready to come up to the show, if he is. If he’s got an OBP around .390 in Scranton and stealing lots of bases, and there’s a promising deal out there for Melky…well, maybe that’s a move you make!
How about over/under on Phil Hughes having an ERA of 3.65?
There is no chance in hell Phil will average 7 IP per start this season. If he did, he’d probably be in contention for a Cy Young award. I don’t think Johan Santana averageed 7 IP per start.
If he averaged 6 IP per start I’d be thrilled….that would put him in Wang and Pettitte territory.
Looks like 3 straight hits with one out. Then got the last two.
14 pitches 14 strikes but 6 hits in two innings. How’s that possible?
Here is an interesting question to ponder - Matsuzaka is not having his best outing today either. I know Daisuke, barring injury will pitch more innings than Hughes, but who will have the better season? At this point Daisuke is the Sox #2.
Gardner is an interesting player. He’s not yet ready for 600 ML AB’s.
But, he definitely can be a fill in guy and I suspect we will see him in the Bronx at some point during the year.
Just another guy with upside in the organization, giving the Yankees more options. Gotta like it.
Not Phil’s best day so far but, that’s what you want in March. Everyday is not going to be a dominant day. He’s working through the jams and that’s good to see.
MLB is faster than Pete today.
whozat,
You know I thought about that, too, but I’m assuming that the Big 3 came with an instruction manual with very specific instructions from the FO. haha.
“I’d like to see Gardner named as the starting CF coming out of camp this year, but at the very least I think he should be the 4th outfielder who can come in and play LF and CF for Damon and Melky during late inning situations.”
So you would rather see someone who has half a season of AAA on his resume than the incumbent 23 year old CF with 2 years of MLB experience on his resume named the starting CF?
hate to say it but I bet Dice K breaks out this year
whozat, isn’t it reasonable though to say the Yankees schedule Hughes’ inning limits without even considering the postseason? Even if they do make the playoffs it could end like it has the last 3 seasons in a first round loss which would only be an extra 5-7 innings. I’m sure the Yankees have a range that they want Hughes to end the season at innings-wise and as long as he is in that range they will be happy.
I’m going to say over 3.65 ERA, but under 4.00. 14 wins with a 3.65 ERA in his first full season is a very tall order.
well at least phil hasn’t walked anyone…
jason,
I got no answer to this question the other day, “Who’s better? Lester or Matsuzaka?” They’re similar in that when they’re on they’re on, but when they’re not it’s not too pretty.
I think it’s Lester. Who would get the call opening day? Wakefield?
Scott no chance on Dice K what pitcher are you watching
It’s 6-3
breaks out in what a cold sweat
Dice K = a # 4 or 5 starter
6-3 Yanks, Shelly is still riping the ball
haha, classic Jorge.
Its hard for me to see Dice-K breaking out.
He is what he is at this point in his career. He has logged a lot of innings on that arm for such a young guy.
He stuff is good, not great, and not nearly as it was hyped.
Frankly, I think he will give them roughly the same numbers he gave them last year. I don’t think he is going to dominate anybody and, at some point, all those innings he has logged is going to catch up with him.
If you look at the timeline for Japanese pitchers, they peak early and fade fast. Its going to be interesting to see if Dice-K can break that mold.
I am not sure that Dice-K is going to be much better than last year. Historic tendencies show that pitchers that come over from Japan usually have a slight decline their second year in the league. Everyone mentions Dice-K adapting to the U.S., but nobody talks about MLB batters adapting to Dice_K. Basbeall is a game of adjustments. Once you’ve seen one Gyroball you’ve seen them all.
Mike R - I gotta agree with you… I’m going to go with 15 on the dot. I do like the Joba card in the pen early on.. that should help lock down those 4-3 leads going into the 8th.
Brandon,
Granted I am taking alot from what scouts said about him when aquired. I feel his comfort level will get to where it should be this year and he will not fall into the fastball trap he did last year as often. Either way, watching thats guys wind-up numbs the brain, throw the damn ball!
What Shelley Duncan is doing to ball is reprehensible! It is borderline criminal!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s 7-3
Pete,
How much do you think the odds of Brett Gardner making the team have increased with the suspension of one starting outfielder, Cabrera and, presumably, the emergency outfielder, Duncan, even if only for three games to start the year? Is it within the rules to leave Kennedy in Scranton for three days (assuming Joba starts the year in the bullpen), and call him up for Gardner after the suspensions end or is there a start of the year time requirement at a given level. Also how do you think it effects the offs of Morgan Ensberg making the team? It seems that the opening day lineup will see Damon in CF, Matsui in LF and Giambi at DH with Betemit or Ensberg (or even Woodward) playing first.
I assume the 40 man roster issues for Gardner will be worked out with the (presumable) DFA of Henn and the 60 day DL stints for Sanchez, Brackman and The Crutch.
My prediction for the bench has been Molina, Duncan, Ensberg, Betemit.
Might we now see Molina, Duncan, Ensberg, Betemit, Gardner to start the season?
7-3 Yanks. Still top of the 3rd.
I know it’s only Spring Training, but Jorge Posada might be the WORST baserunner in MLB.
His lack of speed has nothing to do with it. He makes these kids of mistakes on the basepaths all the time.
6-3 Yanks I am assuming.
Mel, I live in Boston and get to see up close Lester and Matsuzaka. It is pretty interesting, Lester is prone to bouts of wildness and rarely goes deep into games. Matsuzaka very frequently will have one really bad inning - loss of control and giving up some hits.
The “experts” seem to keep putting Boston at #1, but I do not think this is such a lock. After Beckett the rotation has lots of questions. Ellsbury is not exactly lighting it up this spring. Can Pedroia follow-up last year? Will Drew, or Lugo recover?
details Lori what Shelley did to the ball and what made it 7 - 3
Am I the only one who thinks Jacoby Ellsbury is just another Ricky Ledee?
Predictions:
Hughes: 11-6, 4.10 ERA
Dice-K: 14-11, 4.45 ERA
jason - another question would be, can Lowell continue his production from last year? Sox definitely have some big questions, as do the Yankees.
SJ,
Don’t be silly.
Of course Dice K is going to break the mold. He’s a Red Sock!
They know more about pitching and players futures than any team in the league. They’re always one step ahead of the rest of us mere mortals.
Mark it down, John “The Baptist” Farrell will turn Colon into a 200 inning Cy Young award winner and Colon will be reported by Gammons to consistently be hitting 98 on the gun proving yet again that the rest of the league sits in fear as Theo consults his crystal ball.
“whozat, isn’t it reasonable though to say the Yankees schedule Hughes’ inning limits without even considering the postseason? Even if they do make the playoffs it could end like it has the last 3 seasons in a first round loss which would only be an extra 5-7 innings. I’m sure the Yankees have a range that they want Hughes to end the season at innings-wise and as long as he is in that range they will be happy.”
But what if they don’t get knocked out early? If there’s no postseason, you can send him to winter ball to get more innings. If you exhaust his “limit” in the regular season, then pitching him in the post-season risks injuring him. I’m sure that they’ll target it so that, if they get through the world series, he’s a little over the high end of the desired innings range.
Brandon - I have no idea how it got to 7-3. Just got the score off the MLB boxscore. But from the just-updated Gameday looks like Gardner singled in Lane.
Lane has hit well
Brandon:
Posada - Double
Duncan - Single
Lane - 2RBI Single
Ransom - Single
Gardner - RBI Single
Gardner steals 2nd and Damon grounds out to end it.
Ellsbury will probably be pretty good. He is scouted as being Brett Garnder + a bit in several categories. He is not the all star, rookie of the year, savior that Bostonians are making him out to be based on a month of sample.
Mike,
LOL. “Once you’ve seen one gyroball you’ve seen them all.” That’s the oneliner of the spring. Ohh. Good stuff.
Jason,
Yes, things look bad for the Sox rotation, but they always manage to win. (Well, except 2006 when they ironically traded away Arroyo. Loved that move.) Is there any sense of panic from the fans or the team?
Gardner is certainly playing himself into a position to be talked about. Another single, RBI and SB this inning. Two SB, a walk, a hit, and an RBI.
That followed making a nice throw to nail a guy at the plate yesterday.
He’s a guy that needs to play everyday to keep improving. Having on the Yankee bench is a waste. Having him fill in, perhaps to start the season, is not a bad idea.
Either way, Girardi likes him, which is important, and he is playing very, very well.
thanks Lori
thanks Mike R.
It wasn’t too long ago Gardner and Ellsbury were being compared to each other.
We’ve got our own little Pedroia. Cody Ransom’s kind of growing on me. He’s Pedroia without the chip on the shoulder.
Gardner is making an impression. Hopefully he can keep doing it and make solid progress in AAA this year. If he tears it up in AAA and Melky struggles, then he could get a call up earlier than expected.
Thanks to everyone for providing updates.
I’m glad you enjoyed that Mel. It’s nice to be appreciated.
ellsbury looks like lou diamond phillips
“It wasn’t too long ago Gardner and Ellsbury were being compared to each other.”
Only by Yankee fans. If you look at them, Ellsbury has ALWAYS shown more slugging ability and the ability to hit for better average.
SJ - What do you think about giving him a week with the big league club to start the season as a fill in for the suspended players?
“We’ve got our own little Pedroia. Cody Ransom’s kind of growing on me. He’s Pedroia without the chip on the shoulder.”
Except Ransom is 32.
Mike R,
Can you please change your handle to Mike R-Once you’ve seen one gyroball, you’ve seen ‘em all?
Wow, Gardner. I wish this game were on TV. Gardner has become like Alex for me, in that I really look forward to even seeing the at-bats on Gameday. Girardi has got to love him.
I don’t think there is a sense of panic yet. After all, Beckett while missing the trip to Japan is not really hurt that bad. Ortiz is feeling better after getting his knee cleaned up and Manny is in a pseduo contract year (the Sox hold options on the contract).
There are certainly questions, and the point was made about Lowell, I would throw in Okajima repeating (who was by far the key for the bullpen going from Papelbon and everyone else to great).
I just get the sense that the sox are in vogue because they won last year, and the way they won both times - coming back from deficits and then a long win streak. However, the trip to Japan, injuries to Schilling and to a lesser extent Beckett will hurt them early.
Their formula has been start strong, while the Yankees are stinking up the spring, swoon in the summer and then hold on. This year may be shaping up as a strong start for the Yanks, who if they can get an early and nice lead in the division can be front-runners
I don’t think there is a sense of panic yet. After all, Beckett while missing the trip to Japan is not really hurt that bad. Ortiz is feeling better after getting his knee cleaned up and Manny is in a pseduo contract year (the Sox hold options on the contract).
There are certainly questions, and the point was made about Lowell, I would throw in Okajima repeating (who was by far the key for the bullpen going from Papelbon and everyone else to great).
I just get the sense that the sox are in vogue because they won last year, and the way they won both times - coming back from deficits and then a long win streak. However, the trip to Japan, injuries to Schilling and to a lesser extent Beckett will hurt them early.
Their formula has been start strong, while the Yankees are stinking up the spring, swoon in the summer and then hold on. This year may be shaping up as a strong start for the Yanks, who if they can get an early and nice lead in the division can be front-runners
Just for you.
these innings are taking way too long - especially when we don’t have the play by play to know what the heck is happening.
I saw a gyroball once. It was an amazing experience for me.
Ellsbury is Gardner, but with 8-10 HR power, where Gardner has shown really none since his stint in Staten Island, i believe.
but for me, the yankees have power in the lineup already. what Gardner would need to do on this team is get on base and cause havoc on the basepaths, and play solid defense in CF. if he can get on base at a .360 clip at the bottom of the order, he could steal 30-40 bases easy, and help set the lineup back up for Damon and Jeter at the top.
i like the way he’s come to camp and kept playing like we’re still in the Arizona Fall League.
whozat, just picking my jaw off the ground. You’re kidding me. I guess he has a baby face.
I don’t like these long half-innings by Phil. Usually not good news. 3 extra base hits today.
I think with Cabrera out a few games, we should give Gardner a shot.
7-4 bottom of the 3rd. Don’t ask me how.
I don’t think Bean town has reason to panic yet. If June comes along, Dice-K and Buchholz are struggling, Schilling is out and Beckett still has a sore back then it is Panic time
“Gardner is certainly playing himself into a position to be talked about. Another single, RBI and SB this inning. Two SB, a walk, a hit, and an RBI.
That followed making a nice throw to nail a guy at the plate yesterday.
He’s a guy that needs to play everyday to keep improving. Having on the Yankee bench is a waste. Having him fill in, perhaps to start the season, is not a bad idea.
Either way, Girardi likes him, which is important, and he is playing very, very well”
100%. And i hope he keep, it up.
Agreed, Jason.
3 more hits in the bottom of the 3rd
Phil’s out Albaladejo is in.
Men on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs.
is hughes still pitching?
thanks Mike R -of gyroball fame !
Hops it was just a bad day and nothing else. Hate not being able to see the game.
Albalafatso takes the mound.
With two out, double, single, double. Albadejo in to replace Hughes.
Tough outing for Phil today. Looks like his day is done after 2.2.
Mike Eff - Phil is out. He pitched 2.2 innings 9 H 4 ER 2 K.
Well clearly Hughes doesn’t have his stuff today.
Alba hits Hairston with a pitch (uh oh . . . ) and then strikes out Patterson to end the inning, leaving the bases loaded.
5 doubles, 4 singles. Most of those doubles went to Gardner.
Albaladejo hits Hairston with a pitch loading the bases and K’s Corey Patterson swinging to end the inning. 7-4 Yankees.
Looks like Alba… just got out of the inning with a K.
This break in the action is brought to you by Kit kat. Give me a break. Break me off piece of that Kit Kat bar.
I understand that it’s not time to panic, doesn’t mean they won’t. From what I understand, Red Sox Nation is a skittish bunch. Of course, now that they’ve won a couple they might be a little more relaxed.
Thanks Mike - I was just thinking that one of the only benefits of “watching” the game this way was no commercials. And now we have those too . . .
Dice K say’s, “Nothing makes my ball gyro like a Kit Kat”
anyone think they are having Phil work on a certain pitch that would explain today’s results ?
anyone think they are having Phil work on a certain pitch that would explain today’s results ?
“but for me, the yankees have power in the lineup already. what Gardner would need to do on this team is get on base and cause havoc on the basepaths, and play solid defense in CF. if he can get on base at a .360 clip at the bottom of the order, he could steal 30-40 bases easy, and help set the lineup back up for Damon and Jeter at the top.”
Yeah, but I’d like to see him driving the ball into the gaps. He definitely doesn’t need to provide homers, but I’d like to see more doubles out of him, especially with his speed. He DEFINITELY shouldn’t be lofting the ball, but spraying liners around would be great:-)
Scott - LOL
I have not gotten a chance to see gardner yet, is he reyes fast?
Phil coughing up a couple in the first is nothing to panic about.
You have to expect him to give up 2 or 3 runs in each 6-7 inning appearance this year, and sometimes more / sometimes less. If he does that for 2/3 of a normal full-time regular player’s number of starts (33-34?) he’ll win about 12 games. How many starts will he actually get, more or less? Not sure.
Last year some guys were writing him off as over-hyped or not being ready for the bigs the 2nd half when he’d allow a few base runners and give up a couple runs in an inning. I thought those evaluations were too harsh and premature. In his near no-hitter he proved he was ready for the majors. His stuff was unbelievable that day but you can’t expect that from anyone every inning of every game. In the 2nd half he just wasn’t ready enough coming off the injury.
“Most of those doubles went to Gardner.”
I wonder if that’s because Phil wasn’t getting the ball inside to righties, or if Gardner takes bad routes to balls in LF or both.
may be a lame question, but has anyone played MLB The Bigs (either version) and seen what they depicted as Dice-K’s gyroball? it was released before he made his debut, and i swear that is the most unhittable thing you’ve ever seen in your life.
i guess i’d like to know how that’s working out for dice k now… ha!
Mel,
It is still the spring and Red Sox Nation is still Patriots Nation trying to figure out if it was Matt Walsh (and his video camera) ont he grassy knoll.
Oh yead, the Celtics are pretty good this year as well.
When the games count is when they will start to panic.
Gardner has made me wonder. Does anyone know who the last Yankee to steal 50+ bases was?
Sometimes, you don’t pitch well. It happens to everybody.
I think some fans are going to need a little patience with the younger guys.
Not every game is going to be lights out for them. They are still very, very young to be pitching at the big league level.
Patience is something that Yankee fans are going to need to exercise this year. Moreso than in the recent past.
When you have as many young arms playing prominent roles as they do, expect some ups and downs.
whozat I agree on the Gardner point, what do you think happened to Hughes today
A)case of dead arm ?
B)working on one pitch
C)just due for a bad outing
Brandon; i’d like to hope that was the case, but this late into ST, i kinda doubt it.
lets all look on the brightside-he didn’t issue a single walk
he might have been working on something, but it seems that he was just throwing too many fat strikes today given all the hits. Not a big deal, its better than him walking people left and right.
Whozat, RE: Hughes Innings limit…
You make a good point, I didn’t even think of winter league in case Phil (or Joba or Ian for that matter) need more innings.
also brandon, it sounds like there may have been at least one fly ball to left that perhaps gardner could have gotten to.
Mike R. Soriano stoled 41
i was wrong on the 50 base thing, i was thinking louis polonia….
Brandon, I beleive Hughes was working on his batting practice pitch. A lot of the veteran players were complaining that he never gives them anything they can hit during batting practice. Girardi and Eiland sat him down and told him he needed to work on it. I’d say that by the looks of things he’s succeeded.
We’re not starting to panic yet. If DiceK and Lester get hammered in their first regular season starts, then everything changes. Panic is our middle name.
Most of the posters on this thread have valid critiques about DiceK. His stuff is good, not great. And his command totally deserts him at times. One technical point - he had an excellent changeup in Japan (I saw it during the WBC), then lost confidence in it with the Sox. Farrell has made it a point of emphasis this Spring. Who knows?
Re: Ellsbury …. you’ve all missed one basic point. This guy has breathtaking speed …. he was a football player in HS, and I’ve heard about some 40 times that would open eyes at the NFL combine. He is at least as fast as Reyes, and bats from the left side. He has good patience, puts the bat on the ball, has gap power. Takes some bad routes defensively, but can outrun almost everything. Average arm. AND, I might add, he’s played very well under post-season pressure. Wasn’t “grinding the bat,” as some people do.
I really believe that Gardner could steal 75 bases if given a full season and the chance to run. I don’t remember having a threat like that on the team since I’ve been watching.
BTW the Yanks are still leading by three runs. This lineup will win some games that the starters don’t have their best stuff. That’s what 200 million buys you.
More than 3 hits per inning. Could’ve been way worse. His pitch count must’ve been up there and he just ran out of gas after getting 2 quick outs.
Polonia stole 50+ twice, but not for us. He was playing for the Angels on both occasions.
you can talk patience all you want but if the yankees fail to make it the playoffs cashman is GONE!
Brian - I agree. This is why Garnder is so intriguing and why so many want to find a way for him to get some playing time. Ellsbury has not hit well this spring. He is roughly Coco’s equal defensively, is a terror on the bases, and can have a positive effect. I am certainly not saying he is a bust, but he is not Willie Mays Hayes yet.
Ok. That was quick. Looks like Alba Dabba put up a doughnut. Top of the 5th.
Brandon, everyone has bad outings sometimes. I don’t think we need to search for explanations when one happens. It’s just part of baseball.
It’s true, a lot of guys go through a dead-arm phase in ST, so it could be that. Or, he may just have not had it. Hopefully, actually, it’s the latter and he can sit down and figure out what he can do next time he doesn’t have it and wiggle out of jams a little better. That’s part of pitching in the bigs…maybe Moose (and/or Cone!) could talk with him about making adjustments when some of your pitches fail you.
I stole 96 bases
in 11 years
I just called Phil on his cell phone. He told me that he had to work on pitching with runners on base. He hadn’t had a chance to do that tis spring and wanted to see where he was. He threw a couple of meatballs up there and once he had a couple of people on he started pitching.
“I really believe that Gardner could steal 75 bases if given a full season and the chance to run.”
I don’t really care about totals. I only want him stealing if he can keep his rates above 75%. I’d rather have 30-10 than 40-20, or 75-35.
ricky henderson was on the yanks, mike eff.
I’m kidding of course. I don’t want people calling me out over this.
mike r…,my bad mike eff.
Gardner’s spring is nice to see. He brings in extra dimension to the organization with his speed and he’s improving.
That said I think it’s important to remember that Gardner struggled a great deal last year in triple A, where he basically spent half the year.
Over 181 at bats he had a .674 OPS in Scranton last year with a .343 OBP and a .331 Slugging percentage.
I don’t think statistics are the be all and end all of everything but those numbers are eye openingly bad. To put them in perspective, Juan Pierre, one of the worst regulars in the game, had a higher OPS and OBP last year in the majors than Gardner had in the minors.
He got off to a very hot start in AA last year after missing the first part of the season with an injury. But then started to cool off.
He was promoted to AAA and did not fair well at all against better pitching.
A .343 OBP for a player whose game is all speed is terrible.
I know he tore up the Arizona fall league but you have to take that with a grain of salt - many of the pitchers who go there have already thrown a full season and are gassed. Sam Fuld hit .402 in the Arizona fall league to put things in perspective.
Gardner’s performance in AAA is particularly telling for a few reasons. Gardner is not a kid - he’s 24 now and will turn 25 in august.
Melky is a full year younger than Gardner. People for some reason often think Gardner’s on the rise with his game but Melky is a complete product. In fact the evidence suggests the opposite.
Gardner also played 3 years of college ball.
So he was a relatively mature player for AA. At his age we can expect some marginal improvement but he’s not suddenly going to morph into some other player, particularly because his hitting tools are very, very limited.
He’s not the kind of guy you can project off a few months at AA or the Arizone league. He needs to go to AAA and prove himself as an everyday player - in particular prove that he can get on base enough to support his lack of power.
no prob j train…
raymagnetic,
yes, i believe gardner is a better player than melky and ready to go. his good play dates to the second half of last year, the Arizona Fall League, and he’s obviously tearing it up right now in Spring Training. I think the kind of player he is, and the kind of player he can become, is preferable (by quite a bit) to the kind of player the Melky is and can become. Gardner can spray some line drives, hit some doubles, get on base, stay out of double plays, steal 60+ bases assuming a reasonable OBP, and catch everything in the gaps. he is the kind of player the yankees haven’t had since - yes, i’m going to say it - Ricky Henderson. just wait… whether its this spring, this summer or some time next year, Gardner is going to be a force in the major leagues and I just hope the Yankees are smart enough to recognize this.
Whozat - I agree with you 100%. I was pretty much taking percentage for granted because Gardner has a career 80% success rate.
Ok.. one more O/U. ARod… 2008. O/U 40 HR’s
Maybe Phil pressed a bit trying to show he really is better than Homer Bailey
MY SEASON TICKETS JUST ARRIVED
In to pitch…Edwar Ramirez…Ramirez
You’ve heard it here first folks, Brett Gardner is the next Rickey Henderson (according to our knowledgable friend Christopher).
“this summer or some time next year, Gardner is going to be a force in the major leagues”
Read CB’s post, and then read it again.
The odds of him being a “force” are pretty small. Speed, while exciting, is overrated. Ignoring his poor second half in AAA in favor of his AFL and Spring numbers is foolhardy. He needs to show that he can get on base against mature pitchers, not promising pitchers who are often very raw (the kind of guys you see in the AFL and late in spring games). Pitchers that know he’s not a great hitter and has no power are going to challenge him so it’s going to be tougher for him to get on via the walk in AAA and the majors.
Look at Albaladejo stepping back into the good graces. Solid outing for him. He faced some legitimate hitters too.
Kevin CT - easily over 40 HR
Kevin - I’m going to say over strictly on instinct.
over 40 hr’s for arod in 2008, i think.
Kevin,
What about this one? Wang o/u 19 wins.
(What if it’s right on the money, does that count as over?)
Andrea - I am currently in the market for a best friend. I think you qualify for said position. Lets talk.
I say A-Rod is over 40 HR’s this year.
Oh yeah, definitely over for A-rod. He’s already got 3.
“I was pretty much taking percentage for granted because Gardner has a career 80% success rate.”
Hm. Nice.
This is a big year for him. He can show that he’s got a shot at being an MLB regular, or he can show that he’s not much more than a 4th/5th OFer. I’d LOVE him to show the former, but I kind of expect the latter.
Mel - 19 on the nose is a push. Everyone loses. I’m going to say Over. I think this is finally the year of 20 wins for Wanger.
A-Rod definitely over 40 home runs…
He’s already got 3 in ST. duh.
Gardner is not a better player than Melky. In fact, its not really that close.
He isn’t a better OF, doesn’t have as good an arm, and isn’t as good a hitter.
He’s a nice prospect. Let’s not overvalue him because of his speed.
Melky is having a very good camp. He’s hitting the ball better from the right side this early in the season than ever before in his career.
He is showing gap power from the left side.
Read CB’s post. Its dead on. While Melky hovered between .275-.300 for most of last season in the majors, Gardner struggled a great deal in AAA.
He has one thing over Melky and that’s his wheels. Unfortunately, there is more to baseball than speed.
Solid outing for Alba, except of course for the HBP thing.
And I’ll take over on ARod and go for the over on Wang - got to have faith
watsup w/ the NYPOST and this Kristen chick even though that’s not her name I mean talk about overrated I’ve seen better bodies than hers, I mean she’s alright but she’s a prostitute com’on
Z100 now playing her music and penthouse taking offers ….
Mel - I’m going under. 18!!!
Mike R: they’re technically part my brother’s. I thought I would be gone this summer, so he took over paying for part, but they ARE still in my name. They’re just in the bleachers, cause I’m poor, but I still get excited every year
We really need to morph the two because sometimes it’s painful to watch Melky run. I know he’s a decent baserunner, but he looks like he’s in slow motion.
off topic…has anyone ever heard this line before, or did my friend really make it up?
Last night I was out with a friend (who is completely shot)and we were talking to two girls and they mentioned that they were hungry. My friend says to them that he was supposed to have a party at his apt, which is right around the block from the bar we were at, that night, but plans changed and now he has a 6 foot hero back at his place and invited them back to eat some of it. Well, we go back to his apt and we go in to the living room and he brings out a bottle of wine and pours 4 glasses. One of the girls says, “so wheres the 6 foot hero?” Then my friend turns around and says “I am the 6 foot hero”. I litterally spit the wine out of my mouth. The whole time I knew he was lying to get them back to his place, but I had no idea where he was going with it. Ive never heard that before, have any of you? It was classic.
And Mel, I meant regular season.. hah
A-Rod will hit over 60 homeruns!
Andrea, which season ticket package did you get? I’m thinking of doing it some year, when money is in abundance.
Will Ramirez ever make the adjustment to the big leagues?
And will Client 9’s favorite girl get a nose job with her first big payout?
Andrea - I can understand. I would be ecstatic if I could get season tickets for the Yanks. I went to my first game last year in the upper deck and it was incredible.
How sad is it that Ramirez can have amazing outings and I still don’t have confidence in his ability to do it on a consistent basis. I feel like a bad fan, but that’s how I feel.
Edwar Ramirez with a 1-2-3 inning. That inning was brought to you by Jenny Craig. Jenny Craig makes looking like Edwar as easy as 1-2-3.
CB, I don’t know enought about Gardner, but I agree with you about Melky. People seem to underestimate his upside.
Melky’s skill and power compare favorably to many All Stars at similar age/experience milestones, and his energy is a plus.
“Melky is having a very good camp. He’s hitting the ball better from the right side this early in the season than ever before in his career.”
Yah, he’s got a .391 AVG with four walks and three doubles. And he’s been starting games, facing better pitchers and such.
Gardner’s having a good spring too, no doubt, but I can’t say that a guy who’s a year older and struggled in AAA is better than the guy who’s put up better numbers as a starter in the majors for two years.
If Cabrera struggles then we will see Gardner during the season. But I think the one thing that hurts him is that he is lefty otherwise he might even make the team out of spring training. Also it doesn’t matter that Gardner doesn’t have any power either does Melky. The good thing is Girardi definitely likes him because he is playing almost everyday.
I have absolutely no confidence in Ramirez. I expect him to walk the bases loaded and give up a grand slam every appearance.
“Pitchers that know he’s not a great hitter and has no power are going to challenge him so it’s going to be tougher for him to get on via the walk in AAA and the majors.”
This is exactly the problem Gardner is going to face in the majors and its a big one.
Every pitcher is going to try to knock the bat out of his hand.
If a hitter in all likelihood can’t hit the ball for more than a single, major league hitters aren’t going to given him any walks at all. They are not going to try to be too fine. They’ll just keep throwing strikes and make Gardner prove he can hit to get on.
That’s what happened to him in AAA. His OBP plummeted there.
As a 21 year old in AAA Melky put up a .996 OPS. As a 24 year old Gardner put up a .674 OPS in AAA.
Did Ramirez just strike out two in one inning? Is anyone more a mystery than this guy? Last year it seemed like he’d either strike out the side or give up 4 consecutive extra base hits. Its like he summons his major league talent once every 4 innings.
J-Train - That’s new to me. If I weren’t married and a little bit taller I might try it.
Kevin,
Sorry. The duh was for me. It looked like I thought that ST homeruns count, when even I know that. That’s why I corrected myself. duh.
“Melky’s skill and power compare favorably to many All Stars at similar age/experience milestones, and his energy is a plus.”
True, though his swing is very different than a lot of those guys.
Still, there is certainly upside there, if he gets some patience back at the plate this season.
Huh? Now Gameday has “undefined” Yankee pitching to Cody Ransom. What the heck? Is it like in town rec games where you don’t have enough players so the other team lets you borrow some?
AAndrea have not gotten mine yet but maybe since they are partial it comes later they usually send an email when they go out. I heard they were doing some special tickets this year does the facing of the ticket look different than normal
Mike R: there isn’t a bad seat in Yankee Stadium. My uncle has corporate box seats right behind home plate (well, not the SUPER fancy seats, but field right behind the section that’s roped off), and I had just as much fun sitting there as elsewhere. Ok, maybe there was a little more fun cause it was free, and he also gets free parking
I’d say over on Wang. He won 19 last year with missing the first 2-3 weeks of the season.
How can the Devil Rays say that Gomes was not trying to hurt Duncan? What was he trying to do? Dance with him?
SJ44 = voice of reason
Hughes over 14 (15)
Arod +40
Wang +19
Melky +15 HR +290 AVG
You guys #2 has a big year coming up
2500 hits
200 HR
1000 RBI These milestones are all well in his sights this year.
bat 300+
Score 100+ runs
200 + hits
year in and year out
I’ll take “over” on ARod and 40 HRs!
I doubt I’ll be in the minority here. He’s been over 40 in 8 of the last 10 years (3 of them over 50). His two “unders” were 4 and 5 HRs shy respectively.
Nettles vs. Lee,
Knowing Gomes, the answer is yes.
Man, the Rays are a bunch of crybabies. They whined to the Commissioners Office after the Johnson hit on Cervelli. It was an attempt to look for protection against retaliation.
Then, they whined about Melky throwing a punch. A punch he denies throwing. We have yet to see any video evidence of this punch.
Now, they are whining about the length of suspensions.
Does Johnny Gomes think its ok to run at somebody from behind. The act that started the brawl, BTW.
I wonder. What happens tomorrow if they hit Duncan?
Is that ok or will they keep whining about retribution.
This is what happens when you hire a geek to run your baseball operations. He has no idea how the game is played.
They wanted to play blood and guts baseball in March. You can’t be whining if your second baseman is bleeding a little bit. Goes with the territory.
The Yankees have a guy out 3 months. I’d say, that’s a little more serious.
These guys just need to shut up and play baseball.
Never has a crappy team whined so much about so little.
Just give them their ST Championship Rings and be done with this nonsense.
You know after reading the quotes from the Rays organization I am now getting sick and tired of the Rays/Yankees stuff. Please the Rays should just shut up and after Duncan and Cash and Girardi have their say they should shut up as well. Just play baseball.
gayle: I got an email yesterday saying they went out, and I got them today. If you go here: http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ticketing/sth_tracking.jsp it should say when you should expect your tickets according to your plan. I’m thinking those ones that are shipped later don’t include opening day.
The tickets look AWESOME. There’s a picture of the 1923-2008 patch,and a picture of the stadium, and each ticket says THE FINAL SEASON. The ticket for the last game is glorious, and they include an extra voided set of tickets, I guess so you can have it as a keepsake.
How about this one, everyone? Cano o/u 25 hr’s.
Nettles,
It’s as close as Gomes is going to get to “Dancing with the Stars”.
Edwar with another big K.
two big K’s
4 K’s in 1.2 innings. OMG. Phillips in.
Ramirez still at it. Strikes out one more.
Edwar has a better fastball than people give him credit for. If he could trust it more he would be an excellent middle reliever.
Two more now.
“Melky is having a very good camp. He’s hitting the ball better from the right side this early in the season than ever before in his career.”
SJ has it right here with melky. Perhaps the biggest issue with his game, especially last year, is that he was just not good from the right side of the plate.
He only hit .250 against lefties and only had a .641 OPS. Much worse than he was against righties (.278/ .732 OPS).
If he can hit better against lefties this year he’ll be a much more productive offensive player.
Andrea - I got my Holiday Ticket Pack 2 weeks ago. The tickets are gorgeous…
Can the Devil Rays just shut up. They are more annoying than gnats. And Gomes WASN’T trying to inflict harm on Shelley? Yeah, right…
Edwar has to be the most frustrating MRP I’ve ever seen and that counts w/ Wetteland
So what exactly WAS Gomes trying to do when he tackled/hit/shoved/etc Duncan? Does he not understand that people can get hurt when you blindside them like that? Ridiculous. I hope they finish with the worst record in baseball - ever.
Patterson’s day game pic looks like Wayne Brady. Random thought of the day.
How can they play blood and guts baseball when they are crying all the time?
Andrea thanks for that mine dont go out until the 20th.Cant wait I got my Holiday pack ones a while ago (got the one with Opening Day whoo hoo)
Kevin CT: I’ve never gotten a holiday ticket pack. What do those look like? I wonder if they look the same as regular season tickets…
Lori see you don’t see it like we do Gomes was trying to tackle for the love of the game
I just read that delusional quote Pete posted above from Gomes. He somehow thinks that tackling Duncan from behind is not trying to hurt him? He’s differentiating himself from Shelley and Melky now. What is that guy smoking?
I know it was legal in the context of baseball, but I think the player who looked like he was putting the most hurt on was that damn 24 year old who slid into Cervelli.
I hate Gomes now.
“I think they were two totally different acts of what happened. No matter what S