Wrapping it up from Tampa
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- March
- 17
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A few postgame notes:
LHP Billy Traber (1.2 0 0 0 0 2) is all but on the team at this point. … RHP Brian Bruney was throwing hard but he wasn’t hitting 100 as the YES radar gun was showing. The Yankees had him at 96. … Hideki Matsui (3 for 4, 3 RBI) seems to be more his old self after the slow start. … Chris Woodward will miss a few days with a tight right hamstring.
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on Monday, March 17th, 2008 at 4:59 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
Josh Thomson
No idea if Traber is the real deal or not, but if he can neutralize that tough lefty consistently, he has a lot of value.
Going from what we have seen in ST the bullpen looks like this:
Rivera, Joba, Farnsworth, Hawkins, and Traber locked in for 5 slots leaving Olhendorf, Karstens, Bruney, Britton, Patterson, Albaldejo?, and Ramirez fighting for the last 2 slots. As of right now I would guess Patterson and Karstens will make the team. But I wouldnt be surprised to see Olhendorf ahead of Patterson. Ramirez, Bruney, and Rasner are very innconsistant. Hvanet seen enough of Britton yet.
last time I believe that stupid YES gun
Woodward will also miss the plane north…
Given the April schedule I know the Yankees will want to take a long reliever with them, but it will be pure sadness if that spot must be wasted with Karstens.
I can see the “long reliever” getting knocked out after 2 outs are recorded at this rate.
Heck, if it REALLY is necessary, I’d even take Igawa over Karstens…atleast Igawa can pitch well once every blue moon, but Karstens can never pitch well.
I personally want the last two in the bullpen to be a combination out of Ohlendorf/Patterson/Bruney.
Heck, let Ohlendorf be the “long reliever” if they really need it…he was a starter last year anyway.
Man Bruney looked like he lost some serious weight in the off-season.
Hopefully that can somewhat help his endurance.
Yankee4life! — Your assuming Joba will be in the bullpen right? Has an announcement been made? I thought it was still up in the air.
I think he should go the first half as a starter.
Pete –
Chad Jennings’ blog says Bruney is saying he still has an option. More info?
I’d say Patterson is a lock as well. Girardi has nothing but love for him and his numbers back it up.
yes. A long man is necessary, in april. 19 games, without a day off. And a rookie staff = long man.
bullpen:
Rivera
Joba
Farnsworth
Hawkins
Karstens
Traber
Patterson
it may be, very solid.
I’m guessing Patterson and Bruney. I know that leaves no long man, but it seems that Patterson can go 2 innings. Not sure if that’s enough for Girardi, though. He might insist on Karstens/Rasner just because they can go 3 or 4 or 5 innings if needed, though they’ll suck while doing so.
I wonder if any of the Red Sox twits are still around that were crowing about Colon hitting 94 on the gun. Too bad that’s really 90 mph. I was at a party on Saturday here in Plymouth where they were talking about how great the Sox pitching would be having added Colon. Good one.
Didn’t Karstens look bad in his last outing.Traber,Patterson and Jonathan Albaladejo should win the last three spots and I would like Bruney.Karstens and Rasner are way overrated and both aren’t the best relievers so far in spring training.
Don’t count out Ross Ohlendorf quite yet.
If Bruney can back up his performance today with a couple of more similar outings, he’s going to make the team.
His problem has always been consistency. If Eiland and Girardi can find a way to harness his stuff, the guy can be a factor in the bullpen.
They gave him a guaranteed deal for a reason. They don’t want to give up on him.
Its now up to him to back up today’s performance with another dominant outing the next time he works.
A few other observations from today.
I get a charge out of Ortiz giving Pettitte a stare when he got dusted. He better get used to it because he’s going to get pitched tighter from now on by Yankee pitchers.
He also better can the staredowns because, if the Yankees have Chamberlain, Bruney and Farnsworth on the staff, all three guys have no problem knocking him on his butt.
I also think Hughes has some gangsta in him. He’s another kid who isn’t going to be intimiadated by staredowns.
I think the days of unretaliated HBP’s are over.
You want to wear armour and crowd the plate like Ortiz, you are going to get pitched tight. They aren’t going to put it on a tee for him.
If Tavarez wants to make Yankee hitters target practice, as his rep has been his entire career, then Red Sox hitters are going to get nailed.
We have already seen that Girardi leaves nothing to chance. He is as subtle as a punch in the face.
Billy Traber definitely has this team made. What’s neat about his story is, if he can be a solid lefty specialist, this isn’t some 38 year old guy hanging on. He’s only 28 and can be successful in that role for a long time.
Cashman took a shot and it paid off for him. Something folks should remember when they slam the guy on personnel matters.
I don’t get excited about wins and losses in ST because they are meangingless. I do get excited when I see a team preparing itself the right way to start the season.
Conditioning has been excellent. They are demanding strike throwing from their pitchers and are having good AB’s. They are backing up their teammates.
What I like most of all is Girardi is holding Heath Phillips to the same standard as Andy Pettitte. In other words, he doesn’t expect less because a guy is not one of the core players or a career minor leaguer. That’s how you set a standard for the entire team to follow.
They are doing all the right things to get ready for this season.
Just have to stay healthy the next two weeks and not leave their games in Tampa.
This team has the chance to be much better than the so called “experts” think.
Its a nice mix of youth and experience and I really like what I see from the pitching staff.
Its gonna be fun watching this team play this year.
Here’s a NUGGET about Scott Patterson…he better make the team or someone should be fired. It isn’t like he is a trick pitch guy or a finesse righty who has no margin for error. His ball starts at 10 feet high, travels up to 94 mph and ends up 18 inches high in whichever 3 inch box he feels like throwing to on that particular pitch. Then he does the same with a curveball that is, at times, 20 mph off his fastball.
No walks, lots of K’s and very few hits. There is no trick there (ala Edwar) and no mindless, aimless heaters (um, you know who that is). I don’t get why there are ANY doubters left, he’s GOOD at any level because of his…and I’ll say it again…wait for it…wait for it…..FASTBALL COMMAND. Why are we even debating this again?
That all but ends the Chris Woodward era in Pinstripes.
If Patterson doesn’t make the team out of ST, I have a feeling we are going to see him in the Bronx at some point in the season. He’s been impressive.
You don’t win championships with your 25 man roster. You win them with your 40 man roster.
The Yankees have several very intriguing options in case guys on the parent club are injured or underperform.
First time we have been able to say that in a very long time.
Karstens, Ohlendorf, Albaldejo,
Cut Bruney – TRade Farnsworth.
Bruney will probably make the team – someone likes that guy – or he gets traded for a token A player.
KArstens – long relief
Ohlendorf – low and hard and no walks.
Albaldejo – Girardi likes the sinker – ground ball for DP’s – he makes the cut.
TRADE FARNSWORTH