Pirates-Yankees: The Live Blog
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- March
- 27
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It’s 73 here in Tampa and they’re in the middle of the ceremony renaming Legends Field to Steinbrenner Field.
I just got to do a fun thing. As a member of the executive board of the New York Chapter of the BBWAA, I was asked to present Shelley Duncan with the Dawson Award for the best rookie in camp. The ceremony was on the field.
He received a watch that I had to hand to him. I was a little worried that he would give me a forearm smash, but he only shook my hand and broke four bones.
“This is cool, dude,” Shelley said. “Awesome.”
Meanwhile, the Steinbrenner family is about to reveal the sign over the scoreboard that says “George M. Steinbrenner Field.”
“This is a great thing,” Steinbrenner said. “It makes me proud.”
Steinbrenner is in a golf cart circling the stadium and waving to the fans, who are giving him a standing ovation.
FIRST INNING
I was just downstairs interviewing Hank and Hal Steinbrenner. I’m going to post the audio ASAP.
Meanwhile, I get back upstairs and Igawa has already given up two runs. Go get ‘em in Scranton, K-Man. But Jeter homered and it’s 2-1.
As for the live blog, I have a ton of work to do and the game is on YES, so my updates might be sparse.
I do have this info for you: Cody Ransom, Jason Lane, Jason Brown, Greg Porter and Bernie Castro were all reassigned to the minor league camp. But most of them will go to Miami as backups.
FOURTH INNING
Igawa’s line: 3.1 5 4 4 3 2 65 pitches / 36 strikes. If they really want to honor Steinbrenner they should release Igawa.
Meanwhile it’s still 4-1. The only hit for the Yankees was Jeter’s homer. They look pretty lifeless for whatever reason. Guess they’re ready to get out of Tampa.
FIFTH INNING
Here’s Hank Steinbrenner before the game:
And here’s Hal Steinbrenner:
FIFTH INNING
Rough time for the Yankees. Jeff Karstens limped off with what appeared to be an injured right leg. Count on him going to the DL. Then Scott Patterson got drilled in the back with a line drive. But he came back out for the sixth.
The bullpen is all but set now:
Rivera
Chamberlain
Farnsworth
Hawkins
Traber
Rasner
Bruney or Ohlendorf.
My guess is Bruney, albeit on a short leash.
EIGHTH INNING
It’ll be time to head down to the clubhouse soon. It’s 4-1 Pirates and the Yankees have three hits. If the score holds, they’ll have lost three straight and four of five.
Then again, they haven’t used the entire lineup for a few days.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, March 27th, 2008 at 1:12 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
Josh Thomson
as an executive do you get a discount on beer at ball parks?
How does George look and sound?
Hey anyone with extra innings having probs with todays game…
Boxing????
Thanks
wow that might be the first time i’ve seen george in years
LOL, Posada’s such a nerd.
I just MLB extra innings and the game isn’t on, anyone having problems viewing todays game…
Thanks
Why is Posada a nerd? I’m at work can’t watch/can’t listen. HELP!
Very nice to see the Boss on the field!!
jennifer,
George didn’t say anything, but he looked like the Pope riding in the cart.
Gotta say Jessica looks pretty glamorous.
jennifer- I’m only teasing, he was just being very excited and giggly when George went by him in the golf cart.
can someone post video of The Boss?
George looks fine for his old age.
I cried through the whole thing. Who is more deserving of that honor than George Steinbrenner? Who has given more to his team and to the fans?
GOD BLESS YOU GEORGE!
The game was supposed to be on YES and I have it recording. Is it on? Some people seem to be having a problem……
I think George just fired his wife. She threw the ball like 12 inches.
Mrs. Steinbrenner! Better watch it or Hank will have you traded!
anyone has the link to the gameday?
trisha pleas stop crying! or maybe your real naqme is susyn waldman
YanksRule- It’s on YES, you’ll have it when you get home.
That was almost as bad an opening pitch as the mayor of Cincinnati last year
Oh look…base hit to start the game. Shocking.
What a pitch! Get that woman a jersey and a locker!
Hey
Someone throw me a friggin’ bone
I just MLB extra innings and the game isn’t on, anyone having problems viewing todays game…
And of course he looks old ..he is…
al, I am pretty pathetic when it comes to the water works. Sorry.
Mick, I have the game on MLB TV.
Take those stupid sunglasses off Igawa!! The catcher’s signals reflect from the shades to the hitters!!!
Say it ain’t so,
Thank you.
Mick
I dont think ST games are on extra innings. And here in NY the Yankee games might be blacked out on extra innings.
Of all the dramatic!
trisha,
What happened to the hard-nosed lawyer from yesterday?
gameday please
Hope the plane ticket to Scranton is ready
Igawa will never make it into the majors. Yankees should have traded him when they had the chance.
mel, I am a hard-nosed lawyer with a big heart.
Kind of like George Steinbrenner.
i love how everytime we cant see igawa hes magically dominant but its always the same thing when hes on tv
A distraction from the game:
Stark
89-73
2nd in AL East
Kurkjian
93-69
2nd in AL East
Olney
93-69
1st in AL East
Law
91-71
2nd in AL East
Phillips
90-72
2nd in AL East
==============================
ESPN Predictions for Boston:
Stark
96-66
1st in AL East
Kurkjian
95-67
1st in AL East
Olney
92-70
2nd in AL East
Law
96-66
1st in AL East
Phillips
92-70
1st in AL East
=========================
2 people picked Boston to have 96 wins?!?
How is it 2-0 already???
Well check it out. Remember this moment. I’m picking the Yankees to take the division.
what is the gameday link?
How in the world do they give them so many more wins than us?
Who is on their staff? Beckett? Has he ever had two good healhty seasons together? Wakefield? He is old. And aren’t the rest of them rookies like our staff?
Thanks trisha & Yankee4life!
I’m up here in Newfoundland and just ordered MLB extra innings on satellite and all the other games are on except this… they did have Boxing on from MSG then the mets from SNY…
they probably just can’t find YES
This is going to be a very unpredictable season.
Lori – would the answer to your question be: “because Igawa is on the mound?”
Trisha – I second that – let’s hope they stay consistent-
Optimism is catching
Someone apparently gave Igawa the note that he was pitching for the long-man job and he has thrown up the white flag to surrender.
Although they should have turned two.
“2 people picked Boston to have 96 wins?!?”
Don’t you understand? Every Sox player who got better last year will continue to do so, and every one that did poorly will bounce back. Also, the young players will be awesome.
For the Yanks, everyone who did well will regress to the mean, everyone who did less well than usual is done, and the young players are too inexperienced to count on.
Thanks Motown – I was looking for something a little more specific, but I guess that works.
jennifer
I totally agree. We are better then the red sox if not even with them. They have manny and big ortiz but we have alex and cano. Evens things out. We will finish first but the red sox will run us close
“And aren’t the rest of them rookies like our staff?”
But Matsuzaka and Lester’s control will magically become awesome, while Phil, Ian and Joba’s will desert them for no apparent reason.
Oh DJ, go DJ!!!!
Leave it to Jeter to help the beaver.
For those of us with NOTHING – details please details? DJ HR?
Hey Mick, if you have computer access, give me your email address and I’ll email you my screenname and password and you can watch this on MLB TV.
That goes for anyone else who wants to.
I only ordered it through March because I have YES and Extra Innings and most games are night or weekend.
“They have manny and big ortiz but we have alex and cano.”
And Giambi and Matsui and Abreu.
I’d take their LFer, their 1B and their DH. That’s it for their position players.
And Beckett, even though I hate him.
trisha.
oli_rulez@hotmail.com
Lori,
A no-doubter to left field. Dedicated to George M. Steinbrenner.
People say we may have a pitching problem but we have enough firepower to overcome it.
Thanks Trisha
It finally pop on ….I decided to get extra innings this year instead mlb.tv which I had the last two years…. only $150 a season well worth it …Arod K oh well
Later
anyone know whats up with moose and why we dont see him out there instead of beaver?
Nice! Thanks mel.
heh, he said beaver
Oliver – just sent it.
I love how everyone forgets that the Yankees were the best team in the 2nd half when they were healthy. Well they’re healthy now and they Hughes, Ian, and Joba for a full season. How does that not make them better?
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday.....;brand=mlb
LOL, beaver.
I’m kind of rooting for Igawa to do bad, no way do I want him in the roster.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday.....b_nyamlb_1
josh,
I think Igawa was taking Andy’s place in the rotation.
About the dead Sox. Besides remembering that they can only win when they feed off our injuries, remember that
1. They opened in Japan. JET LAG WARNING! JET LAG WARNING!
2. They have Josh “oh my aching back” Beckett in their rotation.
3. They DON’T have Curt “where’s the media?” Schilling in their rotation.
4. Papelsmear is an overbloated flash in the pan.
Moose is pitching tomorrow.
Trisha: info@albaniansunrise.com
Thanks for the gameday link folks!
thx
“josh,
I think Igawa was taking Andy’s place in the rotation.”
I gosh, I hope not. Last person I want in the rotation is Igawa.
Trisha jimmymac67@hotmail.com
Thanks
Man coudnt they have let a guy like Horne or Marquez start this game? Watching Igawa pitch is so boring!!
Trisha, can I “borrow” your screen name and password too?
radj_2@yahoo.com
Another hit drilled off Igawa’s pitch.
Igawa may some day be a credible major league pitcher but not with the Yankees. Igawa needs a change of scenery.
This may very well be a situation where a pitcher is trying too hard to please too many people and his ability to pitch is suffering.
“I gosh, I hope not. Last person I want in the rotation is Igawa.”
For today. He’s taking the slot for today. Moose would be going on 3 days rest today, and then taking 5 days off before his first start. If he pitches on-turn tomorrow, he’s on 4 and 4.
Welcome to NY Rasner.
I’m surprised that Ensberg, used to fielding hot-shots at 3B, didn’t get that grounder.
I think those predictions sound about right.
Its very close. Red Sox fans think Boston is a little better.
You guys being Yankee fans think New York will be a little better.
Shocker!
As a die-hard Yankee fan, my objective sense tells me the Sox are a tad better than the Yankees and will finish with a couple more wins…
Jimmy and V -
Sent.
Let me know if someone has difficulty. I have no idea how many times they let me sign on before, uh, questioning how many computers I might have!
It is a shame that Rasner. Igawa, or Karstens will make this team. They don’t deserve the shot.
I assume if Karstens pitches like Igawa is, Rasner who I favor anyway, will be the long man.
4-1 Pirates as Igawa shows his true colors again.
“my objective sense tells me the Sox are a tad better than the Yankees ”
Ok. Explain your objective sense. And don’t just say “their pitching is better,” explain to me how their pitching is better.
I think, once you do, you’ll see that no, they’re in no way objectively better.
John – Uh, no, I don’t THINK anything. I know.
Yankees will be better and will take first in the division.
Trust me. I’m smart.
its going to be long day for yankees with igawa and karstens pitching
trisha – stephen.m.rhoads@gmail.com
thanks!
NYT article about the voice of Yankee Stadium the Legendary Bob Sheppard – a treasure
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03.....ref=slogin
Gotta agree about the long-man choice. I don’t really have confidence in any of them.
John,
Of course we have a rosy view of our team, but 96 wins for Boston?!?
Your objective sense is objectionally horrible! The Red Sox’s one strength over the Yankees is pitching, but that is only with Schilling healthy, Matsuzaka not a bust, and Beckett healthy.
All three of those things are out the window at the moment. Bucholz Lester vs Kennedy Hughes is a wash, and should objectively favor the yankees. Moose vs Wakefield is the ultimate wash.
Beckett Matsuzaka vs Wang Pettitte favors the Red Sox IF Matsuzaka posts a better ERA than pettitte(he won’t).
Offense and bench is New york by a mile.
Sorry Don, didn’t see yours. Just sent it.
Stephen
Just sent.
“Bucholz Lester vs Kennedy Hughes is a wash, and should objectively favor the yankees. Moose vs Wakefield is the ultimate wash.”
And that’s ignoring 12 or so starts from Joba, and that the Yankees have guys like Horne or Marquez able to step in if needed. The Sox don’t have that.
Am I the only one glad that Igawa is getting rocked today? I mean true you really hate to see anyone do poorly, but at least Girardi has gotten to see Igawa pitch a handful of times this spring, and hopefully realizes how ineffective he can be. Therefore we won’t waste a regular season start on him.
And to think the Yankees could have shipped him and his $4 million dollar salary to San Diego last year. Oh well you live and learn.
Ooo, maybe you haven’t noticed but Bucholz has pulled a David Cone since his no hitter. I wouldn’t count on him to match up with Kennedy or Hughes. No, Sox pitching will not match Yankee pitching either.
Thanks trish!
It looks like most of us here are fully expecting the Yankees to restore order in the American League East.
Hey Standing!
As an aside, if you Google “Wang” and “Yankees”, under News, you’ll get to see that more than a few writers are in my camp…
Mel – absofrickinlutely! And it’s about time!!!
yankees have pitching depth red sox dun. We still have joba to come in as a starter later on in the season and people still think tht red sox will do better?
“Ooo, maybe you haven’t noticed but Bucholz has pulled a David Cone since his no hitter.”
Hughes and Kennedy have had their trials this spring as well. I think it’d be perfectly reasonable to think Clay could match Phil’s performance this year, both in terms of innings and numbers.
The anti-Yankee bias in the media makes me smirk. How did the Virginia Tech event not get more acknowlegment?
During the Giants’ Superbowl run, noone picked them to even beat Tampa Bay.
The Yanks are a great team. In my view, better than the Sox. But what do I know?
The fact that they are not expected to win it all will only make it more enjoyable if in fact they do so.
Also John, don’t get me wrong. The Red Sox are going to be good, but the Yankees already play them tough and were beating up their starters(especially matsuzaka). I see the Sox being like the Yankees last year, 2 games behind the Yanks at the end of the year.
Oh also I want to send a big FU to Bobby Valentine in Japan. I like the guy as a manager, seems to get his teams to play well (just take the ‘00 Mets, who made the World Series with an outfield of Timo Perez, Benny Agbayani & Jay Payton) but his statements about how all Japanese players could make an MLB roster are ridiculous.
I have a ton of respect for the Japanese and their fans. They worship the game over there, and their players play the game hard and with respect. But seriously, they are a level below the MLB. Especially the pitchers. There great players can be stars here ie Ichiro, but take a guy like matsui, who was a God over there, and here he is a solid regular with holes in his game.
I just don’t think the talent level is the same, and it may have a lot to do with players here being bigger and stronger. But I think only the best of japan can make it in the Majors, while league average over there would be AAAA or AAA here.
A damned shame that the Yankees ended up with a conditioning coach last year who induced more hammies than Easter dinner! The ONLY reason the D-Sox took the division is that we had freakin injuries to deal with for the majority of the season. Hell the guy even got poor Phil Hughes!
“As an aside, if you Google “Wang†and “Yankeesâ€, under News, you’ll get to see that more than a few writers are in my camp…”
The same writers that project the Yanks to be second or third in the AL East this year?
So…when they agree with you, it’s a sign you’re right. When they don’t, it’s a sign that they’re dumb.
Got it.
Good Afternoon!
My thoughts on the rotations…
Wang vs Beckett- Advantage Sox if Beckett does not go on DL long term
Pettitte vs Dice K- even to slight edge to Yanks. I believe they will both end up with @15 wins.
Wakefield vs Mussina- even to slight edge to Sox. I know he is one trick pony but he seems to come up with an average of 14-16 wins a year. (17last year) I think Mussina will win 12-13 games
Hughes-Bucholtz- Advantage Yanks. Hughes has electric stuff and seems to be ahead of Bucholtz in maturation. This could change by July but I believe Hughes has more upside.
Kennedy-Lester- Slight advantage Yanks. Lester has better stuff with shaky command and is a lefty however Kennedy makes up for that with command. I am just not sold that “Maddux like control” will work in the AL East. I do believe to start the season that Kennedy is the better pitcher.
You guys must have puked when everyone said the Yanks needed Santana more than the Sox. I believe we both needed him equally as we both are counting on a lot of ?’s in our rotations. I am glad though that we have a chance to both see how our kids do…
Please know I read PA and this blog not to antagonize. I like to read other fans opinions. PA also works his tail off to give good information.
Take Care -dennis
“As an aside, if you Google “Wang†and “Yankeesâ€, under News, you’ll get to see that more than a few writers are in my camp…”
Don’t think I want to go down this road again, but I trust the numbers I see before Sports writers. In fact a lot of sports writers (ie Bill Madden) have publicly mocked sabermetric stats, which is a foolish thing to do.
“Let me know if someone has difficulty. I have no idea how many times they let me sign on before, uh, questioning how many computers I might have!”
You cannot have multiple people logged in to the same account. Maybe two but certainly not 10. MLB would be losing a lot of money otherwise.
thanks trisha, got it. I can see Igawa’s shades! (I thought it was proven on this blog that he pitches better without them, why is he still wearing them?)
Not this again………
NewFoundland Mick
Taiwan -Jessica
Singapore- Oliver
Who else is from “out of town”?
Any Europeans??
whozat, I’ll take a 2.00 ERA from Kennedy 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Bucholz at 9.35? Not so much.
So let me say it this way. Bucholz will not be as good as Hughes or Kennedy. I can feel it in my bones.
“thanks trisha, got it. I can see Igawa’s shades! (I thought it was proven on this blog that he pitches better without them, why is he still wearing them?)”
I don’t think Cashman has informed Igawa of the shades/no shades connundrum.
“here he is a solid regular with holes in his game.”
Holes like what? He’s never had speed. I’m pretty sure he was never renowned for his D. The parks are smaller there, so it’s no surprise he hits fewer homers here. He’s still put up an OPS over .850 every season he’s been here. He gets on base a good bit better than average, slugs better than average…
Japanese pitchers, on the other hand…yeah, they’ve been pretty consistently disappointing.
Will – so far so good.
Whozat – I addressed that PURPOSELY to Standing. I knew he could take it. I didn’t address it to you PURPOSELY. I knew you couldn’t.
Right again!
” … I was a little worried that he would give me a forearm smash, but he only shook my hand and broke four bones.”
C’mon Pete – you should know this is still spring training so he took it easy on ya. It’s not like in the regular season where he might have knocked you over just for being near home plate. On the other hand, you ARE in Tampa.
Standing – I was joshing with ya! No need to go down that road again.
Trisha you really should take all the stats from spring training and toss them out. They are meaningless since you don’t know what the pitchers game plan going into a start was. In the regular season their plan is to win, so they will use their best pitches. In the spring, they may be working on a certain pitch, and even though they get smacked around, they may leave satisfied that they got work in.
Its nice to see a guy do well, but remember these names: Jared Wright & Tony Womack
Pete ….
How many of the players do you think/know read the blog?
I know Igawa is one of our favorite whipping boys, but we may need this guy to take a spot start or so, and he might figure in as a long guy for a stretch. I’m not watching but on Gameday – seems he’s getting a lot of ground balls, which is a good signal that his pitches might be down more. For him that’s an importnt step.
That said, what I can’t see is if they are actually down, and if the ground balls are sharply hit. Right now the results look like Wang on a bad day. But for Igawa that’s progress. Comments – aside from the he’s s***s variety?
The long candidates are handing a job to one of the shorter guys, and that’s okay in the short run. Our pen depth can get us through until everyone settles in. Gives Ohlendorf, Patterson, or Ramirez another chance to break with the club, try to hold a spot and build a case to take Joba’s pen spot in June. Not a bad thing.
“whozat, I’ll take a 2.00 ERA from Kennedy 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Bucholz at 9.35? Not so much.”
But…wait, I thought numbers were for robots and that we should only form opinions based on what we see with our eyes!!
Ian gave up 4 unearned runs in one inning the other day…yes, the one error was Melky’s fault, but then he gave up a hit and a homer. He certainly could have picked up his teammate.
I say this NOT to bash Kennedy. AT ALL. I love Ian as a pitcher, and think he’ll be solid for a long time. But, to point to his spring ERA and Clay’s spring ERA and say that the latter will be worse than the former this year just doesn’t make sense…especially when what I saw with my eyes (and, incidentally, some evil stats that are more useful than ERA) show me that Clay will probably be as good and Hughes this year. Unless he responds poorly to the pressure of Boston, which is certainly a possibility.
why is betermit in the roster? his batting average is so low. is there no one who is more reliable?
Standing – I was joshing with ya! No need to go down that road again.
Oh I know, still had to defend my boy though
Im back… and Yep.
Im still stickin my chest out on this one.
NOW so far this spring…
Igawa with shades, 7.0IP 12H 10ER 6Ks 6BB 1HBP
Igawa without shades 9.0IP 7H 0ER 12K 4BB…
COME ON already… before I sounded silly but this is just too much now.
Ensberg=Phelps, ok almost
“and that’s ignoring 12 or so starts from Joba, and the Yankees have guys like Horne or Marquez able to step in if needed. The Sox don’t have that.”
Shhh your not suppose to say that. Remember the Sox have a better farm then the Yankees.
Anyone have ESPN insider? I’d like to read Buster Olney’s article: http://insider.espn.go.com/esp.....ney_buster
He says the Yankees offense will drive them
“Whozat – I addressed that PURPOSELY to Standing. I knew he could take it. I didn’t address it to you PURPOSELY. I knew you couldn’t.”
That he could take…what? You showing off your hypocrisy?
When writers agree with you, it means you’re right. When they disagree, they’re wrong. When stats support your pre-conceived notions, you use them. When they don’t, you claim they’re for “robots” and that those of us who bother to understand them are not brilliant free-thinkers like you.
Seriously, how often does a closing argument of “Nuh uh!!!!” work for you in a court room?
I suppose I could see Iggy-san coming in to eat some innings a few times when the team’s 3 or 4 innings into the wrong end of a laugher.
I would prefer to see him prove that he’s improved his mechanics & control CONSITENTLY in Scranton before taking a risk on him in the big leagues.
You never know … he may get his shot at the ‘pen for a few weeks (or even a spot start) in the dog days of summer or after the division race is just about decided in September.
ok final line..
Igawa with shades, 7.1IP 13H 10ER 6Ks 7BB 1HBP
Igawa without shades 9.0IP 7H 0ER 12K 4BB…
even in the time I typed he got worse.
this has to stop.
karstens in. will he do better then igawa? i hope so
Standing – I know what you’re saying. I also have a sense that Bucholz has a case of the Cone yips. I’ll see if I’m right.
I believe Kennedy and Hughes will both be better pitchers.
Time will tell.
“his batting average is so low. is there no one who is more reliable?”
Because batting average says very, very little about a player’s offensive contribution to a team.
whozat – IT WAS A JOKE CHILD! OKAY???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Jimmy 27
I am online here in Albania! (believe it or not, bandwidth is not up to the mark and I sort of have the mlb.com telecast on.)
Well, “very, very little” is hyperbole.
But on-base percentage and slugging percentage are much more useful.
ok. nice throw to first base by posada
nyISLAND -
I would like nothing more than to see Igawa get straightened out. I still can see him pitching that game to the Red Sox. I still remember his reputation as a major K pitcher in Japan.
He has the goods.
Where are the sports psychologists when you need them?
Whozat – didn’t you see My Cousin Vinny? Worked there.
Are you guys blind ?
If the yankees infielders are playing standard today, the score should be 1-0 or 1-1.
I understand about pitching for Igawa is not great today.
However, it is better pitching than Karstens or Rasner.
no psychologists needed trish…
just take the damn shades off
Trisha
my email address is: yopyop13@yahoo.com
Whozat –
lets not start into this again. Trisha has her opinions, she holds them close, and that’s that. You’re not going to change her mind. She sounds like a successful women confident in her ability to evaluate what she sees. Maybe too so, but so what? I’m sure she’s open to the discussion, but no need to get worked up.
Stats are very useful in establishing a range of possibilities, but they’re also history. And spring stats, particularly for pitchers that aren’t fighting for a job, can be misleading. But the future is unknowable. Let’s all enjoy the ride!
Ok, I just started posting, and I already have someone using my adopted name?
“Trisha, can I “borrow†your screen name and password too?
radj_2@yahoo.com”
That’s not me.
“I still can see him pitching that game to the Red Sox. I still remember his reputation as a major K pitcher in Japan.
He has the goods.”
And Wang is inconsistent? So I’m beginning to realize that you actually hate Wang. That has to be it.
al – sent.
nyfan – thanks.
“whozat – IT WAS A JOKE CHILD!”
Ah, I see. Now that several board members refuted every single point you tried to make about Wang and his “inconsistent” pitching, you were joking. I get it.
Anyhow, does anyone have an informed opinions that are worth discussing? I would like to use actual data in our conversations, though, if that’s ok. I know Trisha thinks that makes me a robot — or perhaps a child? Not sure what that’s about — but it’s really how I prefer to do things.
Derek,
If I were you I would personally write a letter to Cashman with Igawa’s stats sans eyewear. Last year a couple of Seattle bloggers really helped out King Felix maybe you could do the same with Igawa.
Ray – I’ll say this calmly and after this I will just start telling you guys to kiss my ass.
Wang pitched for a long time, and he was successful without inconsistency for a long time. That’s the crap I’m talking about.
Igawa is new and wildly inconsistent.
I hope they both get their issues straightened out.
I hope you get yours straightened out too.
I don’t owe you answers by the way.
I’m crazy about Wang. I think he is a great guy and a wonderful Yankee.
I’m still trying to figure out why he can’t be more consistent.
I can’t talk another moment of Igawa or another Pirates spring training game.
“I’m sure she’s open to the discussion, but no need to get worked up.”
Were you in here yesterday? She showed no interest in listening to anyone else’s opinions, and mocked people who provided statistical support for their differing point of view.
I’m not a huge fan of people who don’t listen and then argue by insult.
Trisha,
Igawa is VERY consistent. He’s consistently bad.
whozat – this IS my last comment directed to you because you have real problems with reading comprehension and I don’t have the time nor energy to deal with your hystrionics.
See if you can connect the dots. Things go very fast here.
1. I wrote the post to Standing as a joke. He and I hung around long after you took off yesterday and made our peace.
2. I told Standing that I was joshing with him when he responded that he didn’t want to go down that road.
3. THAT was the joke. Okay child? I don’t make any statements without being able to back them up. That’s my gig in life. I don’t talk out of my butt. You may not agree with the backup I give, but it’s there and it’s well thought out.
4. I didn’t have a hissy fit because any of you are Wang fans or feel he is consistent. See if you can pull yourself together and realize that people won’t always agree with your opinion and that it’s actually okay for that to happen.
Hey Trisha, I have it but its not working for me. Its telling me I need to upgrade to premium. Can you send me yours
jserrano07@gmail.com
“Wang pitched for a long time, and he was successful without inconsistency for a long time.”
“I’m crazy about Wang. I think he is a great guy and a wonderful Yankee.
I’m still trying to figure out why he can’t be more consistent.”
Wait…is he consistent or inconsistent? You’re being inconsistent.
You don’t owe us answers, it’s true. However, when you show up here and instead of engaging us in civil, rational discussion, you start mocking us when we don’t agree with you…it’s not like you’re being a contributing member of the community.
Ray – but you’ve seen Igawa throw filthy stuff. That’s the hell of it. Someone else pointed out earlier than Igawa’s major problem is in his head. I believe that. I just wish there were a way to get it straightened out is all.
Thanks trisha ! (this is for the public record)
“They look pretty lifeless for whatever reason. Guess they’re ready to get out of Tampa.”
Maybe they’re ready to get to Matsui’s bachelor party/wedding reception?
What a catch by Shelley! He looks like a wide receiver!
I didn’t mock anyone. I disagree with your positions and don’t believe that stats tell the whole story.
I also stated on various occasions that it is difficult to have solid intellectual and well-thought-out discussions when you are working, posting, and trying to pay attention to a game. So it’s sound bytes. Them’s the breaks.
Wait, Karstens is in now?
Im thinking about moving to Japan and playing ball. Id probably be a superstar over there….and Id get to bang lots of girls with hello kitty apparel
Durham – sent!
Timeout, guys!
Everyone needs to chill out and stop ruining the good vibe here.
Congratultions to Contestant #3.
Karstens out with a groin injury.
Karstens injured. Or something.
karstens is out now groin injury
Karstens hurts, Igawa terrible. Come on down Darrell Rasner!
Karstens hurt. Rasner wins by default?
whozat: It’s not worth the blood pressure for us computer scientists/logical thinkers to deal with lawyer types (except for murphydog, he’s a good one)
mel – yeah, Karstens came in last inning.
Mel,
Actually, karstens is out now — he just injured his groin.
Oh man….
“I didn’t mock anyone. I disagree with your positions and don’t believe that stats tell the whole story.”
You called us robots.
You said that we were incapable of being “free-thinkers”.
You can try and split hairs all you want, but you started condescending, and then you started name-calling. You also refused to listen to anything that anyone said that disagreed with your preconceived notions. In what world is any of that useful contribution to a discussion? Or even civil?
Whozat -
I also understand your point of view. I was here yesterday, commented a couple of times on your behalf early on in the discussion.
You’re a data guy – you like your arguments backed by numerics. Nothing wrong with that, I happen to largely agree. Trish is an advocate – she argues her side with what works for her. It’s what she does, just like data is what you do (programming, no?). So you’ll differ. But if you keepon , the knot on your forehead from banging the wall is going to hurt. Agree to disagree, and don’t hijack the whole string.
I’m still waiting to hear from someone watching whether Igawa was keeping his pitches down (good despite results), or was he just getting hammered? Just looking at the “data”, he was awful. But if he was keeping the pitches down, that’s progress despite the results – “Impression”. Room for both. Not saying he should be on the team, but that would represent important progress for him.
That, and ditch the shades!
Patterson is coming in.
thats something I have never seen/heardbefore
“I have to go there is an injury”
Girardi being interviewed live on YES just as Karstens got hurt
Trisha,
Just curious where do you happen to be sitting on opening day? I ask because I’ll probably get annoyed if some fan behind is yelling at Wang if he starts shaky, but if I know its you I’ll let it go, lol
keith,
See? Just like the Dating Game. Only, we know what the bachelors look like. But we secretly want to pick Patterson or Ohlendorf.
Gilbert Gottfried is out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel bad for him, but at the same time, this is good news for the yankees.
You see how these things work themselves out. You can never have enough pitchers.
I’d go to war with the Rays or Jays starting rotation before the ultra chancy Boston group. Question abound.
Doreen – Thanks. I was wondering if it was a Gameday thing or if they really changed pitchers mid-batter.
Did you guys just see Jeter jokingly shove A-Rod? I think their love affair is back on. I don’t care what anybody says – I think A-Rod plays better if he’s on good terms with Jeets.
“whozat: It’s not worth the blood pressure for us computer scientists/logical thinkers to deal with lawyer types (except for murphydog, he’s a good one)”
It’s funny…it doesn’t raise my blood pressure
I’m Italian; getting up in arms is fun and cathartic for me.
And I have several friends that are lawyers, and even Sox fans. And our baseball discussions are WAY more rational and interesting that it’s been talking with Trisha.
nyyfan – you are brilliant. Great analysis!
Whozat you’re a programmer? I’d like to learn API, any good books for a beginner?
Mel, I am obviously the new kid on the block here and am happy to extract myself at any time in order to keep peace on the block.
I’m serious. I am really a live and let live kind of person but don’t ever back down when people try to tell me how to think – or cannot deal with someone who doesn’t parrot their idea of life. I’ve always been an out-of-the-box thinker and that doesn’t always set well with people who have a more confined way of thinking. The hell of it is that it always bothers them more than it bothers me. I don’t care if there are people who believe Wang is great or greatly consistent. BFD. I don’t.
Again, say the word and I will be out of here. Now, THAT’S a team player!
Scott Patterson’s time to shine. He gets outs whichever way possible. The prototypical “take one for the team”.
Blargh – Hey, what did I ever do? No need to generalize!
OK freaky, I was just going to say something about Patterson’s funky wild delivery and he catches a liner in the back.
Nice job by Alex to finish the play.
save the drama for yo mama
Lori: Sorry, forgot about you
using both WAGS theorem, and relying heavily on over fifty years of experience utilizing said theorem, it is absolutely a possibility the yanks win 101 besting the sux who finish a dismal season with 89 wins.
Laura–agreed. Did you hear Alex’s “honeymoon” comments about their relationship?
for the record, igawa’s problem is not so much mental as it is mechanical and quality. it’s not as if he has a 96 MPH heater, or as if he’s ever pitched consistently in MLB. the fact that his success has not translated here doesn’t mean that he needs to see a sports psychologist, it means that he needs to learn that a fat fastball waist high is going to get hit out of the park. fast.
Standing – our tickets are being sent through the mail. I’ll let you know where the seats are before Opening Day.
I have never booed a player. I would never get down on a Yankee player. I reserve the right to have discussion ad infinitum about any damned topic I choose, including things I observe about Yankee players. However, once the game starts and they are down on the field, I’ll defend them to the death.
By the way, Wang has been terribly inconsistent. You’ll just have to read about it…
trisha,
I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend. I often try to break up cyber-tussles. But it’s usually testosterone fueled and it almost always starts when someone calls someone a name.
Don’t leave, though. Our mission of females taking over the blog is almost complete.
“You’re a data guy – you like your arguments backed by numerics. Nothing wrong with that, I happen to largely agree. Trish is an advocate – she argues her side with what works for her. It’s what she does, just like data is what you do (programming, no?). So you’ll differ. But if you keepon , the knot on your forehead from banging the wall is going to hurt. Agree to disagree, and don’t hijack the whole string.
I’m still waiting to hear from someone watching whether Igawa was keeping his pitches down (good despite results), or was he just getting hammered? Just looking at the “dataâ€, he was awful. But if he was keeping the pitches down, that’s progress despite the results – “Impressionâ€. Room for both. Not saying he should be on the team, but that would represent important progress for him. ”
Thing is, it’s not like looking at stats EXCLUDES watching someone and seeing how he’s performing. That’s a false dichotomy.
I watched the first two innings today, and I saw Igawa — once again — have trouble commanding his pitches in the zone and get hammered on elevated pitches. That’s data, just like balls, strikes, hits, runs, etc.
And, if you look at Wang’s outing yesterday, we could see that — despite the numbers at the end — he got hurt in one inning during which he gave up a plethora of grounders (two of which should have been DPs). According to that data, I’m not super concerned. Also, given that the people watching most closely (Girardi, Eiland) felt good about it, I feel good about it. It’ll be interesting to see him come inside more. I think that’ll help open up the outside of the plate and get more righties to roll-over on outside pitches and hit easy grounders to Jeter. I think he’s got good enough command (based on the fact that his career walk rates are very good) to do that effectively.
Gorzelanny seems to be breezing through our lineup. Not sure how this will fare over the course of a season, but as of right now it doesn’t seem that adding some righty hitters (Duncan, Ensberg) has done much for the offense today. Then again, it’s early in the game too…
I guess the day Igawa “wowed” the Sox was an aberration and he really doesn’t know how to pitch.
Not.
I didn’t see the play.
Did Patterson get hurt?
He has been very impressive.
“Whozat you’re a programmer? I’d like to learn API, any good books for a beginner?”
I’m a computer scientist. It’s different
To me, API means Application-Program Interface. A generic term
What do you mean by API?
I’ll admit it, I have booed yankee players. It’s usually in the heat of the moment and its more my frustration of the team losing then anything personally about that particular player. FOr the record though I want to state I have never booed Arod. He has disappointed me at times but I feel he’s more than made up for it as well.
This may sound like BS to some, but when I boo its more at the situation then the player. I have to express my anger somehow, and I’ve been told not to swear in the stadium
So instead of sitting quietly I let out a boo.
I will boo a player who I think isn’t trying or is dogging it. I did boo last year when Colter Bean came in and threw 20 straight balls. In hindsight I feel bad for the kid, but it was just so frustrating as a fan to watch, booing was my way to voice my displeasure.
Patterson took a line drive off the back. He is quite simply a strike-throwing machine. He’s got a middling fastball but good control, and a rather good curveball which is a strikeout pitch. He tops it all off with a deceptive, funky delivery. That can be a bad thing, but if he can make it work for him, which he has, it can be a huge plus.
I think he can be a sort of right-handed Okajima. Girardi has to be in LOVE with him.
Kelli -
The Rays are the flavor of the month as the little team breaking through. But their rotation has more than it’s share of questions. Kazmir’s on the DL for a spell (good for us we’ve got ‘em early), Shields looks good, Garza is as proven / unproven as Hughes, Sonnanstine could go either way, and Jackson and Hammel are nothing to bank on. Good kids coming but still a year off – Price is hurting a bit too.
I feel bad for the Pirates – I have a warm spot for them as underdogs. They’re kind of the Little Engine That Can’t. Some decent young pitchers, good but not great players. That they can’t get over the hump in the NL Central is sad, but if they have one of those seasons where everybody spikes together, they could be surprising for a bit. Bullpen despite a couple of good ones (Capps, Marte, Grabow) is a problem, and not enough power. But I pull for them, a bit out of pity.
“not”??
yes, that was an aberration, when compared to the overwhelming majority of his other MLB starts. i’m at a loss to ascertain why someone would have a problem figuring that out.
Want to beat the yankees? Just throw a soft tossing lefty at them.
I don’t see how they can keep Patterson off this team. Man, he’s done nothing but impress.
jason,
He’s still in. Throwing strike after strike after strike. Spun Bautista around.
The fact that Patterson isn’t in the bullpen reeks of money issues and really sucks for the Yankees. This is a stupid move.
has to be ohlendorf or patterson. forget bruney.
Traber, Patterson, Bruney
Mel, you didn’t offend, honest. I am totally aware that I could piss off the Pope.
But I am someone who is NOT going to back down because I know my position has merit, and it actually amuses me to see men spin out of control when they can’t get a woman to come around to their way of thinking.
I did NOT call names, and I did NOT take off on people who disagreed with my position. I just defended my postion more vehemently. It’s a lawyer thing I guess.
Anyway, I don’t want to spoil what has probably been a really good thing for all of you. My personality is not going to change, nor would I ever want it to, so if there are delicate men here, it could turn into a potential brouhaha. I don’t want that to happen either.
But I do want to thank the guys who have come to my defense, if only because I feel that there are people here who either understand my perspective (nothing says you have to agree) or are able to think in such a way that you are not threatened by people who may not think the same. Or something.
The Yankees have to find a place for Patterson. He throws strikes. Stretch him out and he can be the long man.
I really think Patterson has a great chance to make the team. He’s done absolutely everything right. It would also send a nice message to the rest of the players in the league, if you come in and perform, you’ve got a great shot at making the team. Patterson is one of the most deserving candidates to be on the opening day major league roster this year.
Rasner if he makes the team good story. It always amazes me when someone is released, put on waivers, not claimed, comes back and actually makes the team. He took a risk signing a minor league deal with the Yanks and it just might pay off.
he throws strikes and that’s what we love about Patterson but question is can he do it at the ML level
Andrew,
I was thinking the same thing. He has the same over the top motion as Hideki Freaky-jima. Oka doesn’t even look at the plate on his follow through.
Patterson, Ohlendorf, Traber.
Good thing about Gorzelony throwing now at least we now have some sort of book on him and the players would have seen him before we face them in Pittsburgh when it counts.
Every year there’s at least one surprise out of spring training. This year’s nomination goes to Scott Patterson. Who woulda figured ???
Pete – Why not Patterson? Seems to have had a MUCH better spring than Bruney.
whozat, I have to ask (even if displaying my ignorance) – what’s the difference between a computer scientist and a programmer?
Boston Dave, Thanks, and :blush:
“yes, that was an aberration, when compared to the overwhelming majority of his other MLB starts. i’m at a loss to ascertain why someone would have a problem figuring that out.”
Well let me help you out then. It’s good to try to expand your mind to figure things out for yourself but I’m happy to assist. Use your eyes. The guy has filthy stuff. When he has it working he gets Ks. Guys can’t hit him. So he actually does know how to pitch.
So I agree with the poster who said it’s more mental than mechnical. If that’s okay with you of course.
not to fan the flames, but anyone who thinks that lawyers don’t eat, drink and breathe logic has no idea what they’re talking about. it’s what we stake our profession on.
also, anyone who thinks that stats are the be-all and end-all of a player’s value to an organization, also has no idea what they’re talking about. they’re a good way to objectively measure on-field performance, sure; but people who’ve played sports understand that stats are just a window onto a particular athelte’s entire contribution.
not that kei igawa’s exactly the second coming – far from it. i just wish that people that rely on stats could also tolerate the people that look at stats, but also choose to make more subjective observations about the team and its players. this is baseball, not source code.
Does anyone know if Patterson has ever walked anyone this spring? The dude’s freakin awesome.
My Not-so-Bold Prediction for 2008: Patterson is this year’s Joba.
dont forget your hat olendorf
Lori,
You’ll notice that I said Bruney, too. That’s not a personal choice, that’s a $$ choice. They’ll give some rope and see what he does with it. He’s been given plenty of chances and we’ll see if Girardi’s tough love approach will work. Just like with kids you got to give perameters to work with.
Patterson’s been very impressive though.
whozat – i’m starting to get why you’ve been so frustrated this afternoon. it’s like talking to a wall.
trisha – i certainly understand that you think he has filthy stuff. he has a pretty good changeup. his fastball is…not so filthy. but that’s ok, its like e. ramirez. but you can’t say that because he has filthy stuff that his red sox performance wasn’t an aberration. it fits, exactly, the definition of aberration. he was by and large awful last season. he had a few, as in a handful, of OK outings, and he pitched well against boston.
so. a bunch of bad outings and one great outing. the great outing is an aberration.
you’re def. entitled to think he has great stuff, high ceiling, good potential. i wish he could locate his fastball better. but the sheer fact that he has a quality changeup doesn’t mean that his boston performance was not an aberration when compared to the body of his MLB 2007 work.
and lay of the snark already. jeez.
Jane – if Patterson succeeds, I would say he’d be this year’s Okajima – a guy who had no expectations and not great stuff and then vastly exceeded them.
If there’s a way to have a good bullpen quagmire, this is the way to go. Multiple ammunition chomping at the bit at AAA. What’s not to like compared to recent years ?
rb15
Hallelujah and Amen!
Thank you for that post. You said it much better than I couldhave.
I didn’t get to scroll through the comments. But which lef to Jeff break last year. Did he injure the same leg?
Don- are you an ex-pat or a native Albaian?
Elisabeth – Yeah, I did. And I predict that because of this new honeymoon, A-Rod will either match or better last season’s numbers.
Believe it or not, I actually read where someone said that Boston Red Sox chief idiot Manny Ramirez will win the MVP. I couldn’t disagree more. That award is A-Rod’s to win. Manny is a bum who doesn’t hustle and who grandstands after homers. Just for once, I’d like for someone (preferably a Yankees pitcher) to throw at that loser. Not at his block head, mind you – but a nice hard one in the back works for me.
Uh, Jane, are you out of your mind? Joba’s an ELITE ELITE once-a-decade arm. Scott Patterson is a journey man reliever they found in the independent leagues. He might be effective, but he’s nothing like Joba.
Patterson didn’t walk a batter and only allowed one hit over 7+ innings with 6 SO
mel – Yeah, I saw that in your list. I guess I leave my business sense at the door in looking at these things. I get so frustrated with the business side of baseball – I’d rather it be a complete and total meritocracy and we can actually just take the players who deserve it most.
“Jane – if Patterson succeeds, I would say he’d be this year’s Okajima – a guy who had no expectations and not great stuff and then vastly exceeded them.”
funny I could have sworn I said this a long time ago
“Want to beat the yankees? Just throw a soft tossing lefty at them.”
Or toss in a pitcher who the yankees have never seen before. David Pauley and Scott Baker say hi.
It seems like if Patterson was ever actually in the competition, he should have it. He’s done everything he possibly can to earn a spot on the team…if he doesn’t get it then he was never in the race, plain and simple. Which may be the case if they want him to have more minor league time, but it seems odd that he’d still be here if he wasn’t going to have a shot at making the team no matter what.
“I’m a computer scientist. It’s different
To me, API means Application-Program Interface. A generic term
What do you mean by API?”
I think what I’m more interested in is programming in general. Which would allow me to use something like Ebay API interface. Of course I know very little of what I’m talking about.
jennifer,
He pointed at his groin.
Laura,
Crasnick’s picking the new kid on the block: Miggy Cabrera
frits I think you’re on to something. I don’t ever look at the bottom line but rather look at all of the working parts of an entire body of work. It’s like putting a puzzle together. When a piece isn’t fitting I always want to know why. So yes, I am talking about innings of work. And I always end up asking myself why something can’t be corrected. If someone shows flashes of brilliance, I believe that there has to be a way to harness that brilliance. I never take no for an answer and if there isn’t an answer to a problem, my belief is that it is out there and just hasn’t yet been figured out. I always believe that you go back to the drawing board time and time and time again until you get it figured out.
Now maybe you can understand the thought processes that go into my trying to figure out why Wang has up and down games rather than more of a smooth pattern and why Igawa isn’t able to come across in a more consistent way. It’s because I have seen that they can do it that’s maddening.
Someone’s WL record doesn’t mean a darn if they’ve done it on the backs on the offense.
Gonzo sells it
I love Molina!
Trisha,
I feel exactly the same way you do about Wang.
Do not let the bullies who tell you you’re clueless and stupid in here for having an opinion spur you into feeling anything. They think they know everything. It’s better not to question them since their myopic view of things cannot be argued with.
I know that I’ve watched a lot of games when he pitches and I feel the exact same way.
He’s not a stopper or an Ace in my book at all.
He’s a good pitcher, but I’d rather he slot into the #2-3 role on this team than #1.
After watching him collapse in the playoffs after a September not to remember, I also wondered if the guy was injured and hiding it.
I love the Yankees, but I don’t believe in Wang like many others in here do.
At this point in time, if you had the gun to my head and it’s a one game playoff, I want Pettite on the mound. No doubt about it.
Wang admittedly is still trying to learn other pitches. I don’t know how anyone in here can think he’s the ace when he’s still figuring out his craft. He’s not a finished product and it shows when his one pitch isn’t cutting the mustard on certain days which seem to be the days he faces a high powered offense or a pressure situation.
Good play by Molina!
The yanks got good breaks on both pick off plays today.
Whozat –
thanks for the Igawa input. Oh well, guess he’s still got work to do.
Funny, I typed “computer science”, then replaced it with “programmer”. And I do understand you watch as well as data mine, and that observation is a source of deeper data.
But beyond that, it becomes things like “why is Igawa struggling to get his pitches down?” or ” why is an obviously talanted player like Betemit struggling to make consistent contact?”. Those questions are trickier, go moment to moment performance issues harder to measure, but perhaps more evident to observation, and not just on the field of play. Are they sticking to old patterns rather than adjusting, or do they just s***? Is tension / lack of confidence holding them back. Sure J-Train has an opinion on this, with perhaps a flippant and funny answer. Athletic performance is so much an in the moment thing, and statistics are tendency measures, not single event measures. I know you know this, of course. It’s wht onservation can be either useful or off the mark.
“Or toss in a pitcher who the yankees have never seen before.”
How maddening is that! I think Yanks corner the market on that one.
Just listened to the Hank and Hal interviews. Haven’t really heard Hal talk much (maybe never) but it struck me that he has the exact same voice cadence as his Dad. Quick statement followed by a quick pause.
THanks Mel.
keith – I was using the “this year’s Joba” as the shutdown bridge to Mariano. It wasn’t meant to compare their stuff. No one else can be Joba, we all know that.
I just hope what we are seeing in spring training is real. I’m trying to temper my expectations but his minor league numbers are pretty remarkable, albeit they’re mostly from AA.
Here’s a funny stat, Scott Paterson is not only pitching a shut-out this spring, he’s 2 outs away from a no-hitter including today. How this can be ignored is absolutely beyond me!!! STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID!
“Crasnick’s picking the new kid on the block: Miggy Cabrera”
Nah, my money is on Alex – just on pure talent alone.
Brandon, Trisha, mel – Details?
Clare: In the CS world, programmer == code monkey
Lori this inning or the last ?
It was just great to see George again. God bless him and his family. You’re the best George!
Elizabeth-
What ”honeymoon” comment?
G. Love
I can’t thank you enough for that post. I agree with every bit of it, including wanting Pettitte for the big game.
My frustration is that others cannot see exactly what you just pointed out!
I think you articulated it much better than I have been able to.
Thanks.
Brandon – I have no idea which inning, actually. You posted “Gonzo sells it” and Trisha posted “I love Molina” in back to back comments – same inning?
Lori -
Top of the 8th, still 4-1 Pirates.
94 MPH on the black works for me
Amendment
Scott Patterson: 7.2IP 1H 0BB 7K = damn good! PUT HOM ON THE FRIGGIN’ ROSTER!
Lori, how lucky are we to have Molina as back up for Jorge!
I really think we are going to have a great season. Can’t wait!
I Make The Champagne–Alex gave an interview with M&MD saying that his and Derek’s relationship was an “A..A+” and that they were “in [their] honeymoon period again…reminds me a little bit of when we were kids.” Then he gave the same comments on “Pride, Power, Pinstripes” to Michael Kay
ohhh snap throw to second from Molina and Gonzo w/ an athletic stretch sold the phantom tag.
Does anyone think the Pope will get boo’d if he can’t throw strikes?
that had to be the nastiest change up I’ve seen from Bruney
Lori,
Molina bobbled a pitch, actually dropped it picked it up and through it 2nd base to get the runner. The runner was going to go to third when Molina dropped the pitch but changed his mind. He should’ve gone.
How surprising, one attorney agrees with what another attorney says and how she anaylzes problems or whatever. Give me a break.
And G.Love, we weren’t arguing if Wang was an ace or not an ace. Nobody claimed he was an ace, but he has been our best and most consistent starting pitcher the last two season. If that’s as a #2 or #3, so be it. Trish claimed he was inconsistent. We argued he was consistent. We also claimed that by her definition of a consistent pitcher that there are very few, if any, consistent pitchers. All pitchers are up and down over 30 starts a season, you just hope there aren’t too many downs.
Trisha-
what kind of law do you practice?
uh, that would be “threw”. lol.
G. Love, “high powered offense or a pressure situation” – absolutely! Remember how long it took him to learn how to keep it together with men on base? He would be sailing along and as soon as someone got on base, even if it was by way of someone else’s error, he would start to go downhill fast! I only hope that someone is able to take him under his wing and have the ability to get him on a steady course. He definitely has the stuff to be an ace. But he doesn’t have the David Wells/Roger Clemens mentality that allows him to have the mental toughness to go along with it. He needs to develop a mix of things that work for him.
ohhh boy
Baseball America’s Ben Badler has the latest on 16 year-old Dominican shortstop Edward Salcedo. He says MLB is currently investigating Salcedo’s birthdate (not an uncommon practice). Scott Boras and Co. represent the kid, but they’re not talking. There were rumors he’d signed with the Tribe, but the Indians said two weeks ago that it wasn’t true. Badler adds that Salcedo rejected a $2.5MM offer from the Giants and the D’Backs may be interested.
it was only a matter of time
In regards to Wang and Igawa I believe you see what you want to see. However our eyes lie to us all the time. It is why eyewitness testimony is often times not reliable.
Now what my eyes tell me about Igawa is that he is a horrible pitcher. Not only do my eyes tell me this but the numbers also prove it to me. He pitched well in one game against the Red Sox but is he really as good as he pitched in that game?
To put it in perspective I’ll look at another sport, basketball. Now we all know that Shaquille O’neal is a horrible free throw shooter. However in some games Shaq will make 9 of 10 free throws. Do those games which are cleary outliers make Shaquille a good free throw shooter? The stats say Shaquille is a 52% shooter from the free throw line which is historically bad. I don’t care if he shoots 100% from the line one day. I know based on a large enough sample that Shaq is a bad free throw shooter.
Wang has had games where he looks terrible as all pitchers do. He doesn’t look like anyone’s ace in those games. However when you look at Wang’s numbers on a whole you see that on a whole Wang has been one of the better pitchers in the AL the past two years. Therefore in the game when he pitched poorly that game has to be the outlier if his larger sample of games prove that Wang is a very good pitcher.
Countdown, employment law at an educational institution. Mainly issues of discrimination.
Hey Jimmy 27
Not sure what u mean by your earlier post
Not this again………
NewFoundland Mick
Taiwan -Jessica
Singapore- Oliver
Who else is from “out of town�
Any Europeans??
that is sad swinging Bet
why are you jumping out your shoes and not waiting back
Ray – Wang also has amongst the highest run support. Mussina amongst the lowest. Wang has a great W record; Mussina not as much. Think those things could be related?
I guarantee you that Mussina gave up much fewer runs in his first years with the Yanks than Wang did in his first years.
Wang has the better win record.
Pays not to be blinded to stats in such a way that you allow them to represent something static when the whole thing is fluid and based on so many other variables!
I know what I see too.
The degree of difficulty seeing Betemit with a bat in his hands is similar to a lottery wish.
Compare Sabathia’s career stats vs. Wang. Yes, Wang gets run support, but he still has a good record and their ERAs are similar. I’m not saying Wang’s an ace, but he’s a value to the Yankees and a good value at that.
He’s had nail issues. He was very close to Gator. He’s learning new pitches. These are not excuses, but they are factors.
If Wang gives us 19-5, I don’t mind if he’s inconsistent. What I would like him to do, though, is his sink his sinker.
Mel,
Um…um…I’m waiting for a note of appreciation to the C’s for handily dealing with one of the Laker’s foes last night! Just giving you a little bit of light hearted grief. LOL
Sarcastically speaking……or rather typing, lets trade Wang!
Mick “not this again…” refers to the ongoing CMW debate:
which has been going on since yesterday – fun to read
The next was just a question about where commenters live.
Trying to find the furthest or most interesting place.
Trying to break monotony
Always wanted to get up your way NF, NS, PEI. Are you en ex pat or a Canadian?
Does anyone know if Jeff Karstens was injured today?
Who’s #82?
Mel – I don’t disgree with you at all. Actually my feeling is that Wang COULD be an ace to the team and that’s what we need him to be. That’s my frustration in watching someone with so much talent not getting his sinker to sink (my euphemistic way of saying not pitching effectively on a game-to-game basis!)
ray,
All I can say is thank god, cuz we laid an egg last night.
Drive, Karstens was injured today.
Laura
As much as I don’t like his approach to the game (how’s that for a diplomatic way to put it?) I fully expect Manny Ramirez to have a big year. Numbers like .320+, 40+, 130+ … he’s capable of it if he focuses. Everyone should expect him to hit well because, if for no other reason, it’s his option/contract year and he wants to get a new contract and/or an extension.
For now he says he wants to finish his career in Boston … we’ll see about whether he or the team agrees as the season goes on.
Am I a fan of his? Nope. But he is a very capable hitter. MVP? I don’t think so, because he’s such a loon on defense and other players could do better than he can. But he will put up the offensive numbers along with a some offensive post-HR antics.
Josh Sh** SCMHIDT I can’t spell it
Trisha,
Sorry, we’re kind of senstitive here. We try to ignore the warts of the true Yankees. lol.
trisha,
do you know how bad? I wonder if it’s something that they can attribute his poor ST to.
Trisha,
I can tell it’s kind of fruitless having this debate with you. Do you not think that his low ERA also has something to do with his win total?
Wow
I feel really bad for Karstens. If anyone else spent more time on the DL since last year or so than American Idle, it’s Karstens. Such a hard-working guy too.
“I guarantee you that Mussina gave up much fewer runs in his first years with the Yanks than Wang did in his first years.”
Mussina gave up 80 earned runs in 228.7 innings (for a 3.15 ERA) in 2001, 97 earned runs in 215.7 innings (for a 4.05 ERA) in 2002, and 81 earned runs in 214.7 innings (for a 3.4 ERA). Collectively for those 3 years, that’d be 258 earned runs in 659 innings, or an ERA of 3.52.
Wang gave up 52 earned runs in 116.3 innings (for a 4.02 ERA) in 2005, 88 earned runs in 218 innings (for a 3.63 ERA) in 2006, and 82 earned runs in 199.3 innings (for a 3.70 ERA) in 2007. Collectively for those 3 years, that’d be 222 earned runs in 533.7 innings, or an ERA of 3.74.
Your statement as it is worded would be false. Mussina gave up more earned runs in his first 3 years as a Yankee than Wang Chieng-Ming has in his first 3 years.
If you had worded such that Mussina gave up runs at a lower rate (with respect to innings pitched) than Wang Chieng-Ming has in first few years as a Yankee, then stats would’ve verified that statement.
Drive I’m not sure. Singleton said it looked like a groin injury. See that’s another thing that is so much a part of baseball. Players who are injured don’t seem to want to admit it. So it is possible that Karstens has been hurt and not said anything! Mussina used to do that, so did Johnson. (I am so happy he’s not with the team anymore.) He would go out there and get shelled and we’d learn two days later he played with a bad back!
Uh, Mussina was very good for the majority of his contract. No one is debating that.
Wang might get a good amount of run support but he also had an ERA of 3.7. ERA is a pretty bad stat but in this instance it can be used to show that his record is not solely a result of the offense he plays with.
I think you’re an idiot either way and I am sorry for wasting my time on this.
Who the heck is Joshua Schmidt? Has he appeared in any other games this spring? Obviously hasn’t been in the mix of potential big leaguers.
Tabata has alot of work to do, and I mean alot
Blargh thanks. And yes that’s what I meant.
Ray, I guess I don’t consider his ERA to be as low as you do! And we have now come 360. He was better in the beginning and more consistent. After his injury he never seemed to be the same pitcher.
Nick Green homer.
“I think you’re an idiot either way and I am sorry for wasting my time on this.”
Keith, certainly your right to think that way. I’m afraid I don’t know you well enough to make any kind of statements about you.
Lori,
HR by Nicky. But I would’ve given it up just to see Morgan take it back into the yard. I thought he was running from the cops or something, he scaled high up the fence.
3.7 is a good ERA?
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! We definitely don’t have the same standards for effectiveness.
hey mick,
can you guess where I am from?
Ranting Guy
I think Manny will have a particularly strong year this year for the exact same reasons you just listed in your post. As a Sox fan I certainly appreciate his ability to hit, but I absolutely abhor his grand standing after he hits a home run. I don’t have a problem with a guy admiring some ball he just hit out of the park, but Manny is increasingly standing there gawking at balls that are just doubles….if he is not thrown out at second because he gazed at his double thinking it might be a home run.
I think Arod will be a much stronger candidate for MVP this year, but I also think that Beckett is the pitcher I want for a crucial game. He has been a beast in the playoffs in the last few years and has outperformed Wang, Sabathia, and others.
Thanks trisha. I held hope that Karstens could bounce back from last year’s injury. I think he showed potential in his brief ‘06 stint. It’s hard to say if he would have been as bad in regular season as he has been this Spring. He had a fabulous run with Team USA last fall and was their best pitcher. We could have used an effective Karstens in our pen.
Beckett, you mean Marlins’ Beckett with blister problems, because those have obviously magically disappeared since comin to the sox.
I have no problems with Wang being on the team. I just have a problem with the outrage Yankees fans get from other Yankee fans who dare to criticize the guy.
After spitting the bit like he did against Cleveland in the playoffs, we should be looking for answers other than, “it just wasn’t his day, but look at those regular season stats!”.
I think the guy doesn’t have the bulldog in him. I think he gets shook up. Sometimes he looks ice cold on the mound and sometimes he looks like a kid who just dropped his ice cream cone.
Maybe it doesn’t translate visually to fans like myself and Trisha, but I think we’re both reacting to the same lack of something in the guy.
It doesn’t mean he’s a bum. It’s just that we want to believe in him at the end of the day.
That’s all we want out of any of these guys. I have had trouble believing in Wang and the jury is still out as far as I’m concerned.
Yo Jimmy
I’m Newfoundlander…First… we join canada in 1949 and they have taken advantage of us ever since. lots of people up this way would to be a nation once again.
I live in St. John’s Nfld…The oldest city in North America
People first arrived in St. John’s 1492…
Slow Game
Felipe – South America in the house.
Anyone from Antarctica?
Josh Sh** SCMHIDT Who is this guy. Not even on any rosters.
Wang still had an era+ of 121. That takes into account the park and normalizes such that 100 is considered average.
Looking at AL starters who managed to pitch at least 150 innings, Wang came in 15th in terms of era+. If the rate at which Wang gives up runs isn’t considered to be good by you, then you can’t possibly be happy with 80% of the starters in the AL (rough estimate of 5 starters per team and 15 teams in the AL).
Yeah Ray, I hear ya on all counts. Francona should bench Manny without question each time he admires one, whether it’s a ground rule double or an upper deck shot.
Beckett can be tough when it counts. Interesting to see how his body holds up.
Pettitte is getting older but he can still come up clutch when he needs to, too.
LOL PACMAN JONES ABOUT TO “MAKE IT RAIN” IN DALLAS
Trisha-
Your comparative point re Wang and Mussina is technically correct, but I’m not sure it’s completely fair to compare a pitcher in his first major league seasons to a near HOF pitcher at the height of his game.
Would Moose have won more with more run support – sure. But Wang’s performance was not nearly so offense dependant – he won a number of games where it was a rout – he stifled the hitters, the offense crushed theirs. So the gross stat skews the meaning.
I’m of the opinion (derived both from data and observation), that Wang is likely the most consistent of Yanks starters at present. I also think in a “big game” I’d tend to rely on Pettitte first – I believe in the calming effect experience can bring.
Sure it pays not to be blinded by stats – but it also pays not to be blind to them. I’m not saying you are – you quoted one in your argument above. Stats tend to aggregate data and baseball is also a game of moments. But consistency isn’t predominantly a concept of the moment, so stats – with a view of the individual details that contribute to them – do have a place in this specific discussion. To paraphrase Bill Clinton, “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘consIStency’ is.”
Mick,
I had no idea Nfld was not part of Canada back then. Were all the maritimes that way?
Blargh read G. Love’s last post. It says it all.
With today’s 6-5 win over Cleveland, the Rays have cemented the Grapefruit League championship.
At a ceremony at St. Petersburg City Hall, the trophy will hoisted with a mammoth parade to follow on a date to be announced.
I have to start out by saying that I rarely post here but I read the blog daily along with a lot of your comments. And I have to admit some of these threads are getting painful to read.
Instead of some intelligent constructive chatter about the spring training game or the Yankees in general, this thread has disintegrated into a bunch of nonsense that turned out to be a huge waste of time reading. I had to scroll through hundreds of comments just to find the ONE or TWO that actually touched on the topic I was looking for more info on…. Karstens’ injury. Now I know threads get off topic. I don’t expect every post to be about the Yankees.
Trisha, we get it. You’re new and you like to post. You obviously have a ton of free time on your hands. Fantastic. But you basically singlehandedly ruined this thread by your absurdly high number of posts, a lot of which said basically the same thing. You think Wang is inconsistent. That’s great. Tell us once, not 15 times. As far as your spat with Whozat, come on. Totally uncalled for. Whozat has been posting here for a long time and his opinions are well thought out and his points are all valid. Same with SJ44, Brandon, and lots of other people that have been posting here for a long time.
This site is the best Yankee blog because of Pete’s awesome coverage of the team and because of the great conversations and debates by its loyal readers. Let’s keep it that way.
I live for the day when Manny gets thrown out at first after admiring a one-hopper to the left fielder. Even funnier if the left fielder who guns him down is Johnny (The Howitzer) Damon.
Nyfan, I really wasn’t meaning to compare them as much as I was trying to show that run support could make or break a pitcher’s WL record. Mussina was the pitcher who came to mind because I still remember all the freakin 2-1 games the poor sucker lost! Wang has been able to give up 5 runs, 7 runs, 6 runs, and sometimes still pull the game out. Moose would give up 1 or 2 and lose! It was just an example of how one shouldn’t take the WL record, even though Wang’s has been amongst the highest in the majors, and allow that to be the lynchpin of what someone is made of. Oftentimes quite the contrary.
I think the best I will continue to say is read G. Love’s posts. G. Love says is so much better than I, but it is absolutely what I am thinking and what I mean. As far as this fan is concerned the jury is definitely still out on Wang.
Its a Global game man…My Dad used to tell me stories about listening to games in 40’s and 50’s on the radio…. I’ve been a fan since 1976 the first year we got cable and the yankees played the first night we had cable…. Mickey Rivers hit one out… Plus Dad had a Yankees hat he got in NY in the late 50’s…I at 5, couldn’t believe they were all wearing his hat…then i was informed he was wearing their hat..
Last year one part of my Honeymoon was to see a couple games
at the stadium …then we went to Napa for ten days…
Blah Blah blah
well, Trish Mussina’s career ERA is exactly 3.7… isn’t that bad I guess
Ah, right, the best way to derail any argument, “I BELIEVE IN A MAGICAL SOMETHING THAT I CAN’T EVEN TELL YOU WHAT IT IS”
“Francona should bench Manny without question each time he admires one, whether it’s a ground rule double or an upper deck shot.”
Benching him is not the answer. Fining him for posing at the plate on a ball that hits the wall is much more effective but it will never happen.
We don’t belong to the Maritimes…We are an island the most eastern part of North America. We are considered part of the Atlantic Provinces…The maritimes are NS, PEI, NB…. the Atlantic one NS, PEI, NB plus Nfld. The other provinces are close enough to the mainland to be consider Maritime.. we are not.
Mick,
Great story. 1976 is when I became a fan too.
Mick the Quick – what a character.
How cold is up there?
How’s the fishing?
Hey Miggs, I’m out of here. I was looking for one person to tell me that I have ruined their day and you were the one to do it. I have not been posting here a long time and do not intend to displace the enjoyment of those of you who have.
I’ll end by saying that I don’t care whether you think that whozat’s points are valid. They very well may be. However that hardly invalidates mine. Whozat’s spinning out of control however was hardly called for. But I well know how it goes with cliques and people who have hung out for a while. I am odd person out.
A lot of free time on my hands? Let’s just say I multitask with the best of them. One of my many talents.
To those of you who treated me with kindness despite disagreeing with my viewpoints. Thank you, you are gentlepeople of the highest order. Enjoy the season. I know we’ll end up on top.
GO YANKEES! And adios.
Oh Yeah
The maritimes were original provinces of Canada..I think
It should be Patterson not Bruney, but I can see Patterson getting screwed.
Hope Shelley doesn’t fall victim to the James P. Dawson curse…seems like when I was a kid, whoever got that award never had any kind of a career.
Patterson AND Ohlendorf should both make the team (with Ohlie able to serve as a long-man too). they’ve done nothing but throw strikes and get outs, more than can be said for Bruney and Rasner/Igawa.
Actually, no, make that the 2nd best way to derail any argument.
The best way remains ye olde strawman.
Cold today but sunny
Caught a fish once..its quite boring…for me
I prefer to just eat the stuff.
mick, so you fish for atlantic salmon?
“Wang has been able to give up 5 runs, 7 runs, 6 runs, and sometimes still pull the game out.”
Trisha,
I wasn’t going to make anymore comments, but you really do not know what you are talking about. In Wang’s 19 wins he has an ERA of 2.19 and opponents have an OPS of .604. When he wins he really shuts down opponents.
In Wang’s 7 losses his ERA was 7.23 and opponents had an OPS of .867
Could it be that like all pitchers when Wang pitches well he wins and when he pitches poorly he loses?
Trish:
Wang won exactly one game where he gave up more than 4 ER, it was a start vs the Orioles where he went 6.1 and gave up 6 runs. He also lost a start where he gave up less than 3 runs(1 ER)
So theres that.
I do get uncomfortable with the bullying that sometimes goes on here.Stats don’t tell everything about a players performance or value to a team. When the Rob Neyers of the world talk of on base percentage being the rule of thumb I say that I’ve never seen a walk beat a 3 run homer yet.
CMW is not an “ace” in the classic sense of an ace being a power pitcher. He makes for a very good, and sorry trisha, very steady #2. There comes a time,especially in the playoffs, where a pitcher really needs a strikeout. CMW doesnt have the stuff to do that consistently but the Josh Becketts and Johan Santanas of the world do possess that ability.
CMW has consistently pitched to an ERA well below the American League average. Last season was the closest, his ERA was 4.02 and the leagues was 4.23. ‘07 was his worst year and I think the playoffs left a very bad taste in people’s mouths. Oddly enough, he struck out 102 batters last year and you wonder if the effective ground ball pitcher began to overthrow in an effort to wrack up more strikeouts.
In 2006, Wang never won a start in which he gave up more than 4 runs. He also lost a start in which he gave up 2.
” Last season was the closest, his ERA was 4.02 and the leagues was 4.23.”
No it wasn’t. Last year his ERA was 3.73. His rookie year his ERA was 4.02.
Is anyone watching ‘baseball tonight’…they’re giving a segment on Joba.
George Bush Sr. is friends with a fellow who lives here..Old man bush comes up here all the time for fishing.
Thanks Elizabeth
Is anyone watching ‘baseball tonight’…they’re giving a segment on Joba.
I hav’nt fish for salmon but my bro in law does when ever he gets a chance …I gonna have fresh salmon, scallops and shrimp tomorrow night for din din with friends
It should be Patterson not Bruney, but I can see Patterson getting screwed—-Like Britton
Jim DC –
How much do you fine Manny, a guy who makes about $125,000 per game, if you hope he’ll listen?
Fine him $5K or even $10K each time? If he does it 7 or 8 times that’s a few innings’ pay.
How many times do you think he’ll do it if everyone on the planet sees him sent to the showers each time he does it?
Alternatively, how many times will he do it if he starts to discover he’s taking the next pitch he sees in the rib cage?
Bob Gibson’s way of dealing with that might have been the most effective. If someone hit one out off Gibson he might expect to feel one if even he could finds a way to apologize to Gibson before his next at-bat. Hit one out off Gibson and admire it? That would have been a death wish.
I keep coming in here, saying the same thing.
Over and over.
Updates are regular, and accurate.
Igawa with shades, 7.1IP 13H 10ER 6Ks 7BB 1HBP
Igawa without shades 9.0IP 7H 0ER 12K 4BB…
Listen.
Someone.
Just Listen.
People don’t get it. Tim Kurkjian saying Joba should be in the pen all year. Then move him to the rotation next year. He’s going to regress doing it that way.
You guys rail against stats and put the word data in quotation marks like is some evil, imaginary thing. Drive 4-5 says “on base percentage being the rule of thumb I say that I’ve never seen a walk beat a 3 run homer yet” but how do you think those two other batters got on base? You aren’t going to get many 3 run HRs with low OBP. All playoff teams have high OPBs. The more people on base, the more runs they score. It’s not difficult.
Tricia, you can’t say that stats don’t tell the whole story and then back up your argument with stats. And please, never again mention that it drives men crazy when they can’t get a woman to agree with them. That’s the most ignorant thing I’ve read in this entire post. You think they are arguing because you are female? They are arguing because you make some vague statement (pitchers being consistent) and then get upset when people try to disagree.
raymagnetic,
thanks for the correction. Not only was his ERA 3.74 in ‘07 , but the league ERA was 4.47.
Mick from pictures on the net looks beautiful.
Do tourists say it reminds them of Ireland?
It’s isn’t necessary to have an “ace” in the postseason, but it is necessary to have depth.
It’s great to have a dominant #1 starter, but providing depth in the rotation is more important because I’ve said many, many times on this very blog that “aces†are often overrated – especially in the postseason. The number of quality starts combined with the number of innings pitched is the key to a dynamic rotation.
Here’s why “aces†are often overrated. First off, these are the guys who always have the most pressure on them come playoff time and several have been clobbered in October in recent years (Peavy, Sabathia, Carmona, etc., etc). Pitchers with big-time #1 starter credentials lose in the postseason every year. That’s just a fact that can’t be disputed.
The reason for that is because they are always matched up against the other team’s “ace†and there is often very little room for error. For example, a guy like Beckett or Santana is extremely tough to beat when they are on their game and it wouldn’t matter if Whitey Ford dove into a fountain of youth and was pitching for the Yankees. Whitey could pitch and outstanding game and still lose 2-1. As great as Ford was in his prime, he wouldn’t be able to win every postseason start when he’s always matched up against the top pitchers in the game.
This is why depth and the quality of arms following the #1 starter should be the focus. Sure, it’s great to have a pitching edge in Game 1, but I’d rather have the pitching edge in Games 2, 3, and 4 due to the Yanks’ depth being far superior than their opponent. This unmatched rotation depth (and Mo to close it down) is the primary reason the Yankee Dynasty of the late 90s became a reality.
Derek – We got it. We just aren’t the ones making the decision.
One quick thing regarding Mussina’s starts…. according to his stats from last year, there was not ONE TIME he lost 2-1, and only one time that the final score was decided by a single run and Moose gave up less than 4 runs himself.
Trisha – I’m not asking you to leave the blog. Who am I to say who can and cannot post here? You didn’t ruin my day…. let’s leave the drama where it belongs, on a soap opera blog.
I was merely pointing out what makes this blog great. I also wanted to make it clear that I’ve never seen a thread dominated by one person like you have this one. And its not like you’re offering up new info with each post, its basically the same nonsense. And you’re WAY off base in your Mussine/Wang comparison. If you’re going to post at a record-breaking pace, at least post some valid points backed up at least somewhat by some sort of stat or fact. You made a blind statement about how many games Mussina has lost 2-1, which when I read I thought was quite comical. Then I actually took the time to look up the stats before I posted a comment on it. You say you’re very good at multi-tasking, but you obviously don’t to any research before you post something. Maybe less posts, more knowledge.
“Baseball Fan March 27th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
It should be Patterson not Bruney, but I can see Patterson getting screwed—-Like Britton”
I thought that about Britton too until he got called up last year. Dude’s got no fastball.
thanks for sharing my view, miggs!
Hey Pete
Could you please forward Igawa’s stats with & without shades to Dave Eiland so our friend Derek can sleep at night? The poor guy’s probably hooked up to a Starbucks’ IV by now.
Derek I wouldn’t be too surprised if there was some connection there
Just checked back in. I posted a rotation comparison (Yanks-Sox) and thought there would be some feedback but I guess the “Red Sox fan” kept people from commenting or my post was way off base. I gave an objective honest comparison the way I see it.
Miggs- Great posts. Thank you.
Have a great night. -dennis
EricVA,
Bottom of the 9th…2 outs… Yanks down by a run…. does Joe Girardi look down the bench to see who can tie the game with 1 swing of the bat or does he look down the bench to see who will give him a walk?
You’re right..it IS simple.
“Sorry, we’re kind of senstitive here. We try to ignore the warts of the true Yankees. lol.”
Wow, lots of posts while I was in that meeting.
Mel, it’s not that I’m ignoring the warts of “true Yankees”. It’s that literally NOTHING bears out Trisha’s point of view — except two bad games last post-season. Games in which a “true Ace” also pitched poorly. Is CC not mentally tough? Not a bulldog? Or, did he maybe just pitch some bad games?
Anyway, I’m not really interested in talking about Trisha anymore. If you agree with her, fine. But…I figure we’ll all have a more interesting time here if we’re ready to discuss our reasons for holding the opinions that we do. And maybe even actually LISTEN to other people’s arguments.
“I thought that about Britton too until he got called up last year. Dude’s got no fastball.”
Neither does Patterson. Neither does Trevor Hoffman, to use an extreme example.
He still got a lot of outs in the AL East back in 2006 with the O’s. He still got lots of outs in the minors last year, with great strikeout and walk numbers. Maybe he’s lazy or has a bad attitude or SOMETHING, but if they’re willing to give Edwar, with his 88-90 FB, a shot…I really don’t understand why Britton doesn’t get that same shot.
Dennis
“Just checked back in. I posted a rotation comparison (Yanks-Sox) and thought there would be some feedback but I guess the “Red Sox fan†kept people from commenting or my post was way off base. I gave an objective honest comparison the way I see it.”
I think we (most) all agree with you. It was an objective assessment.
“EricVA,
Bottom of the 9th…2 outs… Yanks down by a run…. does Joe Girardi look down the bench to see who can tie the game with 1 swing of the bat or does he look down the bench to see who will give him a walk?
You’re right..it IS simple.”
You ignored what EricVA said…how did those two guys get on base in the first place? When you go into the 9th inning and need three runs, do you want .250/.360 hitters coming to the plate, or .290/.330 hitters coming to the plate?
And no one thinks OBP is the be-all and end-all. OPS is a lot closer, though still not perfect, and that includes the ability to slug a ball out of the park.
Yeah they do say it looks like the emerald isle…it should
virtually half the population is of Irish decent…. we came over in 1789 after the urising of “The Rising Of the Moon”
It was leave of else
Drive 4-5 : He is probably looking for the person who won’t make an out. Regardless of how that is. Power is great, but a team with a 1.000 OBP beats a team with a 1.000 SLG every time.
A balance between the two is always preferred but as OBP creeps up past .400 it becomes so much more valuable. Imagine if Brett Gardner had this line as our leadoff hitter:
.300/.500/.300. He either walks or singles.
Would you rather have that guy or Alphonso Soriano:
.300/.330/.470 at leadoff?
One more point that will not be read because there are new posts up but how often do you hear:
“He is trying to swing for the fences, trying to do too much, and he pops it up for an easy out.”
I’d rather have my players with DISCIPLINE trying to get on base any way possible, vs “Durr swing hard!!”
“You say you’re very good at multi-tasking, but you obviously don’t to any research before you post something. Maybe less posts, more knowledge.”
Well this is the best one of all! You can’t even get it straight when you have all the time in the world to practice reading comprehension and you suppose to criticize someone who posts on a fast-paced blog and suggest they should do their research? I am going to guess that you too are someone who is tethered to stats and don’t have the ability to think creatively. By the way, your editing skills leave much to be desired.
How comical that you are so haughty as to make yourself look ridiculous by quoting stats for a year nobody even mentioned and then chastising someone for your mistake! You’re a riot!
And thanks for reminding me that you don’t have any say in whether I stay or leave. You are so right. And that’s why I’m back, schoolgirl. And here’s one for you. I will post what I want, when I want, and post as much as I want and as often as I want. And if you don’t like it, scroll on by. Or don’t. I could care less. It makes all the sense in the world to me that you would take up for someone like “Whozat.”
But here’s a clue for you Multiple Miggs. If you are desirous of seeing fewer of my posts, get your freakout friends and tell them not to bother getting their panties in a bunch and attempting to challenge everything that I say, especially doing it with posts that are fraught with tears, hystrionics, grammar-school group high-fives, and threats of suicide (that would be your good friend who makes good points and has been here a long time, er, WHOZAT.) Because if you think I am going to sit quietly while small-minded, myopic, crybabies are going to have hissy fits and take shots at me, well, you have to think at least twice.
And by the way, what’s with this “we”? “We get it.” “Do US a favor?” You ARE really full of yourself! TOOOO FUNNY!!!
For the others of you who post here, i.e., those of you who actually matter to me, I think you have seen that it was only in the last two days that the game blogs got weighted down in this Wang stuff. Any other time I have posted here it has been nothing more than comment on the game being played.
Thank you.
Schoolgirl? Are you kidding me?
I could spend all day pointing out the holes in your arguement but I actually have other things to do besides post on this blog all day. But I obviously hit a nerve, for that I apologize.
A couple things to be clear on, however. I don’t know Whozat, never met him, never spoke with him. I have no “friends” on the blog. I rarely post. But when someone like you comes along and ruins a GREAT thing for so many people, I feel a response is necessary. You’re right, there may be a typo or 2 in my posts, but I don’t have time to spell-check each post like you do. I love your high and mighty attitude too. Who do you think you are? You think because you’re a lawyer you’re better than anyone else on this blog? Give me a break. I have a finance degree from Georgetown, so don’t question my intelligence. Just stop making stupid, innaccurate comments. You’re killing the blog. Killing it.
….one more thing.
When I say “we” and “us” I AM speaking for others on this blog. A lot of people feel the same way I do, just read the comments. I don’t see anyone coming on to defend you OR to bash me. That should tell you something.
Ohlendorf has this team made. Count on it. It would be a huge mistake to not take him.
57.
That’s the number of comments Trisha has made on this ONE thread.
Does anyone else find that obscene?
Business must be really slow for you (since you’re a lawyer and made it a point to make that clear) to make so many comments.
Great job by Igawa. Brian Cashman sure can pick them, can’t he?
“I don’t see anyone coming on to defend you OR to bash me.”
You ARE worthless little girl. A degree in finance? No wonder your thinking is so stultified.
To see the people who defended me you’d have to be able to read. I am amazed that you continue to make yourself look like an idiot with the statements you make! Wait. I’m not.
miggs
March 27th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
“57.
That’s the number of comments Trisha has made on this ONE thread.
Does anyone else find that obscene?”
WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
What a wuss.
Business must be really slow for you (since you’re a lawyer and made it a point to make that clear) to make so many comments.
What kind of loser would actually take the time to count someone’s posts? Can’t stand up for yourself little girl? Have to try to drum up business by asking others to chime in?
What a queen.
And queen, as long as you’re going to count people’s posts, try counting the next highest and tell us who it is. Then subtract any of my posts that talk about my sharing my MLB account or verifying to the people with whom I shared it that I had either received their emails or sent out the account.
You’re nothing more than a trifling control freak.
And now you’ve gotten to be a nuisance and a bore so I’m done looking down into your playpen.
Pete:
Things have gotten a little out of hand around here today with the personal attacks. If you take the time to skim through, you’ll see what I mean. They’re coming from a single source and are totally uncalled-for.