This is your team
-
- March
- 28
The 2008 New York Yankees:
Lineup
Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jason Giambi 1B
Jorge Posada C
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF
Bench
Jose Molina C
Shelley Duncan 1B-RF-LF
Morgan Ensberg 1B-3B
Wilson Betemit 1B-2B-3B-SS
Starters
RHP Chien-Ming Wang
RHP Mike Mussina
RHP Phil Hughes
RHP Ian Kennedy
Relievers
RHP Mariano Rivera
RHP Joba Chamberlain
RHP LaTroy Hawkins
RHP Kyle Farnsworth
LHP Billy Traber
RHP Ross Ohlendorf
RHP Brian Bruney
RHP Jon Albaladejo
————-
60-day disabled list
RHP Andrew Brackman
RHP Humberto Sanchez
RHP Carl Pavano
15-day disabled list
LHP Andy Pettitte
RHP Jeff Karstens
LHP Sean Henn
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on Friday, March 28th, 2008 at 11:11 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
I can’t believe that the season is finally (almost) here!!
You forgot Sean Henn is on the 15 day.
nice!
I cannot wait until Monday! Worse four months of the year are gone.
The roster is far from set. This is going to be a big year of trial and error and mixing and matching talent.
We already no that a long man will be added to the roster.
That said, it’s funny – when Girardi took over one of the most common things you heard from many reporters, bloggers and fans was that now that Girardi was then manager personnel decisions would be based on performance and competition.
Things were going to be entirely different than they were under Torre. No more Torre guys, no more veteran presence, etc.
The only reason Scott Patterson isn’t on this team is because of experience.
The only reason Brian Bruney is on this team is because of experience.
But look at what constitute’s Bruney’s experience – he has a proven track record for not being able to throw strikes.
If experience was why Patterson wasn’t selected it wouldn’t surprise me to see Bruney stay and Ohlendorf and Alabaladejo sent down when the long man comes up and Pettite comes back.
All those ideas about competition and performance and the deciding factor in the bullpen, the most uncertain area of the team for several years running, comes down to experience.
Hopefully Patterson isn’t too crushed by the news. I’m sure he realizes if he continues his dynamic work he’ll be in the bigs in no time.
Booooo, what’s Albaladejo doing there? If they don’t have a long man, Patterson should be there, give the guy a shot. He did everything right this spring. I mean, you could also make a case to not have Bruney there.
i’m hoping there is a reason other than the experience/inexperience split that separates bruney and alba from patterson that explains the latter’s exclusion from the opening day roster.
otherwise, my initial reaction of, “what?? you have to be f***ing kidding me!” is justified.
hoping there’s something i’m missing. i know bruney’s got the $$ advantage, out of options, but i don’t get the alba move, even if he is moved down when pettitte is activated on sat.
Patterson has to be devastated by the news. What more could he have done to show he deserved to be on the team? IMO, Albaladejo should not be there.
Giradi said on WFAN today that he would be batting Cano 7th he believed
one thing that makes me smile:
robinson cano is hitting 8th. you can make the case he should be 5th, or 6th, but our lineup is so deep that cano is hitting 8th. wow.
i guess the other big surprise is the absence of rasner, a long man.
i’ll be interested to hear pete’s thoughts on this.
Just noticed Carl “The Waste of Money, Not To Mention a Slot” Pavono. Why oh why?
Yeah i don’t agree with the lack of Patterson at all. What else could he have done this spring to try and make the team? He was way better than Bruney and Albaladejo. Oh well, hopefully he is just as dominant in AAA and makes his way into our pen soon. (and if and when he does, he is effective, or course.)
other than that, the roster is pretty much as i expected.
So if Pettitte is eligible to come off on Saturday the 5th, does that mean he’s starting that game? So he’s the number 5 guy? never saw that one coming. Andy Pettitte starts the year as our number 5 started lol. I’ll be at that game too, thought i was gonna see IPK.
CB: I’m guessing–and it’s just that, guessing right here–that Girardi simply wants Patterson to get some experience pitching at above a AA level before bringing him up to the majors. Lots of guys can’t handle the transition from AA to AAA. I’m in the camp that thinks he can, and I think we’ll see him soon enough.
Anyway, it’s better than Igawa.
All right everyone.
Mission 27/08 Who’s on board?
I think you guys are valuing spring training experience as if it was real in-season experience. There is bound to be a lot of back and forth between the pen in NY and SWB so any roster is bound to change tens of times (remember last year’s starting rotation debacle?) Albaladejo has pitched well in the bigs before.
I am a bit surprised that there is no long man in the roster – how long can Ohlendorf go?
While it’s not set in stone, it’s still nice to see!!!
(look @ all those 1B lol)
OMG Abaladejo hasn’t pitched that badly and has MLB experience, Patterson as good as he was in ST he needs to show he can do it in AAA and then once somebody screws up in the ML level he will be the first call up, it’s time to figure out if he can continue what he started because if he is knocked around in the ML and you send him down that might be it for him, this way you showcase a BP arm our 2 and see if Patterson can continue his rythmn.
P.S. there is a possibility that this is by design so Patterson comes up 2nd half and the league won’t be able to scout him as Joba goes into the rotation.
damnit why the hell won’t my posts come up lately? watch, this one will show up no problem, but not my posts that are actually relevant.
Brian–happens to me all the time. Change your username for a post and in should help.
anyway, i’ll try contributing something to the thread for a third time now, perhaps it will actually post.
So if Pettitte is eligible to come off the DL saturday April 5th, that means he’s starting that game, right? If so, i never thought we would start the season with Andy Pettitte as our number 5 starter… Anyway, i’m going to that game so i guess i’m seeing Andy for my first 08 Yankees game. thought i’d be seeing IPK
I wonder if Humberto Sanchez could be the longman/spot starter once he gets going ?
Honestly, it seems like the website is just trying to mess with my head, lol. it posts my little one sentence complaints about my posts not coming up, but not my relevant, paragraph long posts.
anyway, gonna try this again. i apologize for repeating myself if my posts magically appear later. but, if Andy is eligible to come off the DL saturday April 5th, that means he’s starting that game, right? if so, then how bout that…Andy Pettitte is our number 5 starter to begin the year. I’ll be at that game so looks like my first Yanks game of 08 will be Andy. thought it was gonna be IPK.
unbelievable. i give up. i’m sure this one actually showed up too.
“I mean, you could also make a case to not have Bruney there.”
One of Girardi’s dominant themes this spring – the line he repeated again and again – was that in order to make the team you had to throw strikes.
According to Girardi throwing strikes was the most important thing to him in evaluating pitcher hands down.
He repeated this line again and again.
This is what he said about the criteria he’s using to evaluate pitcher:
“Strikes is No. 1 for me. You have to be able to throw strikes. If you can’t throw strikes, it’s hard to have a lot of faith in what you’re throwing out there,”
http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080324/SPORTS/803240317/-1/
Brian Bruney has thrown 148 major league innings and over that major league experience he’s walked 6.93 hitters/9 innings. 148 innings in in no way a small sample for a relief pitcher.
Briant Bruney has thrown 272 minor league innings and over that period in the MINORS he’s walked 5 hitters/ 9 innings.
Those control numbers aren’t bad – they are mind numbingly bad. Almost unfathomably bad – he walks 7 guys every 9 innings as a relief pitcher.
Well how about we just focus on Bruney’s recent performance. Last year he walked 6.7 hitters/ 9 innings – remarkable consistency. And that was over 50 innings – not a small sample for a relief pitcher.
I’d bet bruney was one of the three worst pitchers in terms of throwing strikes for any pitcher who threw more than 45 innings this year.
And somehow 7 innings in spring training and losing 25 pounds is going to change hundreds of innings of consistently terrible performance on the paramater Girardi has said was his most important criteria?
And on top of that Farnsworth is on the team and Girardi guaranteed him a spot on the team over the winter.
Girardi is the manager and can take anyone he wants. This isn’t the final bullpen by any stretch.
But please – when you take Bruney over Patterson (a strike throwing machine) and also guarantee Farnsworth a spot on the team let’s calm down the rhetoric over throwing strikes.
Because at this point it’s really only rhetoric.
This roster will be in flux the whole season. I predict Betemit doesn’t last the season with the Yankees, only 4-5 relievers currently on the roster will be there in September, 1 unknown SP pitcher will on the roster in September/Oct, Gardner will definitely be on the roster later in the season, either due to injury or performance, and Miranda or E. Duncan could be on the roster later in the season. Cashman will be a busy man this season.
One thing I noticed is how “shaky” the SP group looks without Pettitte’s name on the roster.
Brandon Humberto Sanchez is a terrible longman candidate so forget about that. He is coming back from TJ surgery and needs a definitive role. He’s finally being converted from starter to a reliever and will need to pitch 1-2 innings tops at a time with a close eye on him at all times. He’s always been injury prone, but could eventually become a dominant late-inning option.
Bruney has looked good of late, and I noticed that he has been working more then I’ve seen in the past on an off speed slider or change up that sinks out of the strike zone to right handed hitters. He hasn’t been throwing all gas like he was in the past. The last 7.2 innings he’s had 10 strikeouts, no walks and no runs scored, so he may turn out to be a wildcard this season if he can keep it up. Remember that they got him off waivers from the Dbacks, and he’s in the best shape of his life, imo. We’ll see, he does seem to have bouts of wildness but that could be mechanical and hopefully Eiland has been able to correct that.
“I’m guessing–and it’s just that, guessing right here–that Girardi simply wants Patterson to get some experience pitching at above a AA level before bringing him up to the majors. Lots of guys can’t handle the transition from AA to AAA.”
Rebecca, while I agree Girardi wants Patterson to get some time at AAA, you are a little off on the last thought. The major litnus test for a minor league pitcher is the jump from A ball to AA. Very rarely will a prospect dominate when jumping to AA and then fall flat going to AAA. Usually it’s just another level to prove yourself, but should not do much at all to hinder Patterson’s meteoric rise.
“I’m not a big believer that you have to have big league experience to be successful.”
- Joe Girardi 3/25
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080325&content_id=2457518&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy
One of the big criterias in picking these roster spots also is: “follow the money”. Farnsworth, big contract, Bruney, $750,000, Patterson (league minimum, no experience above AA).
CB,
Girardi getting under your skin a little? lol.
Bronx Liaison it was a suggestion since Mark Newman said
“We’re looking at him as a reliever right now, but we’ll see how it goes. He can do both, depending on what our organization needs.”
Only two more days without regular season Yankee ball left!
CB calm is on the war path
He’s saying that so that he does not paint himself into a corner, but trust me he has all but been given a key to the bullpen bench. He needs a more regimented gameplan and a limit to his innings. If he can remain healthy and show an ability to come back strong, Humberto has closer caliber stuff. However, his days as a starter are done and using him as a longman is a complete waste of his talents. You want him called into situations where you need to hold a lead with two men on and are dying for a strikeout – not someone to mop up innings in garbage time.
-Girardi getting under your skin a little? lol.-
there goes Joe’s welcome basket
cb,
Are you really that surprised and disappointed that experience factored into Girardi’s decisions? If spring numbers were all he was going to look at, Brett Gardner would have Damon’s job, Posada would be backing up Molina, and Chris Woodward would be our starting shortstop.
Bruney was a league average pitcher last year (which was better than what Ohlendorf did in Triple-A) and was Joba-like in ‘06 in the heat of a pennant race and in the playoffs. That has to count for something.
He’s also no older than any of the other candidates, probably has the best arm, and gave you 9 innings of 2 ER, 3 BB, 12 SO ball this spring. He belongs on the team.
If Patterson’s for real he’ll thrive in Scranton and he’ll get his chance soon enough, that’s for sure. He’ll also get more regular work, which won’t do him any harm.
Bronx Liaison so you telling m he’s the last guy you would use as a relief ace ? ala Goose
One absolutely key ingredient that needs to head the list of, “This is your team,” — Joe Girardi MGR
In case anyone is interested, the Wall Street Journal (Yes, The WSJ does sports, and with some insight, too) did an analysis of Joe Torre and his prospects with the LAD.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120665826242870009.html?mod=sports
According to this analysis, “[The Dodgers] shelled out $13 million over three years…and hired, by one statistical measure, the sixth-worst manager in major-league history.”
Many on the blog have argued Torre’s + and -, but this article gives one the impression that Girardi will make a BIG difference this year – for the better.
This is Pete’s lineup right? Not the official opening day lineup.
Didn’t someone say there would be a surprise hitter behind Alex and that JG was predicting a monster year for that person?
Robbie?
“Girardi getting under your skin a little? lol.”
I actually like Girardi a lot and I do think he is the right manager to lead this team forward.
12 years is a very long time for any manager/ coach to be around and it was time for a change.
That said, this entire meme that quickly developed around Girardi as this innovative, forward looking “anti-Torre” of sorts is proving to be not true.
And this spring there has been a real disconnect between what Girardi has been saying about selecting pitchers and what he’s gone on to do.
From his insistence on carrying a conventional long man, to strongly desiring a lefty specialist, to valuing experience over performance Girardi is shaping this pen, at least right now, in the most conventional fashion possible.
That very well may change. It could change the first week. But to date that’s what we’ve seen from him and its such a disconnect as to what many people assumed he would do.
Performance is never the only reason players are selected.
Girardi’s no different. And that’ fine. But lets just save the rhetoric.
I’m not sure what you’re asking Brandon, but I know that heavy, heavy fastball 92-95mph with a hammer curve [when he's right] would be a nice addition to the 7th or 8th inning, especially if we are assuming Joba is in the bullpen once Humberto is ready to make the jump to the bigs. If everything bodes well – health and performance – having a two-headed monster of Sanchez and Melancon shortening the game for MO would be pretty nasty. Then you have guys like Ohlendorf and Patterson as middle relievers when LaTroy’s fastball doesn’t sink or Farnsworth well becomes Farnsworth.
Uhm, where is Johan Santana.? You call this a rotation? A BP? Are there any lefties? Pet? Just one reason why we needed Santana so bad, that smooth left arm.
I wonder what Hank thinks right now.. I wonder what Posada thinks.
Me, well .. I don’t expect this team to contend this year with our pitching.. and that doesnt mean that I can’t wait to watch Hughes, IPK, and Joba..
Moose is done, Pet will see.. Wang? Far from the Ace anyone beginning signs lead us to believe.. We are d00med.
Hate me for saying so.. but its the truth. What a way to leave classic Yankee Stadium and enter the new.. all you overly-unrealistic-optimists keep believing…
“Are you really that surprised and disappointed that experience factored into Girardi’s decisions?”
No. Players are never picked for only performance. But again, that’s not what we’ve been hearing ever since Girardi was hired. Th
He’s picked the same kind of bull pen Torre would have. Although I think Torre had enough of Bruney and wouldn’t have picked him.
“Bruney was a league average pitcher last year…”
This is just not true. For a relief pitcher ERA and ERA+ aren’t accurate ways of assessing performance.
Relieve pitchers must come in and throw strikes. Bruney’s control last year was horrendous – not just bad – amazingly bad – he walked nearly 7 hitters/ 9 innings.
I hope Bruney and Farnsworth throw great. I hope they are entirely new pitchers.
But they weren’t picked on performance. They were selected along very conventional criteria and thinking.
That’s fine. It’s just not very new or innovative.
Maybe reposting the same rant will cause JG to hold a press conference and make a full confession that he lied, and that only a persistent blog poster made him come clean. (rolleyes)
Sure would be swell if folks could speak their mind, let it go, and stop spamming.
For Pete’s sake – why can’t “performance” be understood in the context of real-world game situations? As has been pointed out, Patterson’s mop-up roles after starters hit their spring training pitch counts doesn’t necessarily reflect the type of performance he’ll be called upon to make during the season. This isn’t simply a rotisserie exercise in comparing head-to-head stats.
fleas go to Flushing man
Brandon.. I don’t know if you’ve gotten to see Humberto before but he’s just filthy when he stays healthy..I remember the 2006 Futures Game he was BY FAR the most impressive arm that day. Look what Baseball America said about him that day – and look who he was pitching against as well:
“Humberto Sanchez was nasty. The U.S. hitters who faced him in the first inning–Stephen Drew, Howie Kendrick and Alex Gordon–all came back to the dugout asking what he was throwing, as Kendrick went down on a changeup, while Drew and Gordon struck out on curveballs.”
Kendrick and Gordon are big time hitting prospects and Drew is no slouch.
fleas,
Take what Posada says with a grain of salt.
This is an oldie, but goodie:
mel
February 17th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Rocco,
Posada’s a funny cat. If you want a colorful Yankee quote, he’s the guy to see. He said we need an ace, but now he says that Wang’s the ace. “Wang is a No. 1 anywhere,†Jorge Posada said. “I have no doubt about that.†(Feinsand of Daily News)
I thought I read yesterday that Posada said that Joba should be a starter. Must’ve had tired eyes, because now he’s saying that he’s definitely a reliever. Read the last line. Classic Posada. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/02/17/2008-02-17_if_yanks_ask_jorge_posada_will_say_joba_.html
It’ll be interesting to see who Jorge thinks has the best “stuff†at the end of the season. He said Hughes after his first ST. Then he got to catch Joba in the bigs. Then you have the prospects. And Krazy Kyle.
Bronx Liaison I have the video tape of those outs
CB,
I think they’re giving Bruney rope to see what he does with it. They need to find out now rather than in the middle of the season if he can hack it.
$750,000…
just another fleas post….yawn yawn…..
and that’s been my point why limit him even coming off TJS he will have a good innings cap limit. He pitched …wait a minute your right I just checked his IP it would be crazy to put him in that role after TJS. My mistake BL
I would be really happy this season if the Yankees played with *synergy* even if they don’t make it to October, but even that might be a lot to ask *shrugs.
Brandon: Yep, Santana on the Mets, I will be watching..
Also, Sheff, M. Cabrera, D-train, Maggs.. I will be watching Tiger games this year too..
Expect me to be negative this year as always… but we can all agree on one thing if nothing else..
ITS BASEBALL SEASON PEOPLE!!!!!
Buddy Biancalana:
Go get a bottle and quit your crying .. *yawn yawn*
fleas,
read the season preview of the yankees that the hardball times did and you’ll see getting Santana may have been only marginally helpful if they had to give up hughes and melky.
It’s a really excellent analysis.
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/five-questions-new-york-yankees3/
Sweet. I remember seeing him a few times and thinking, this guy’s gonna be big and then remembering they still had Verlander, Bonderman, Miller, etc.
fleas-
You are the Debbie Downer here, not me.
I hope Patterson keeps his head up high. Get the job done in Scranton, and he will be up here in no time. It will only be a matter of time before an injury or ineffectiveness from bruney Ohlendorf or Albadejo. Stay postive Scott. Better days are coming.
Surprised to see Albaladejo, but I assume he goes down when Petitte’s ready. Great to see Ohlendorf make the team. Otherwise, no surprises if you’ve been following the team all spring.
so Fleas, do you ever have anything positive to say? care to take up another hobby, since rooting for this team obviously isn’t something you’re interested in?
Makes me see to see Pavano on the 40-man. It gets rehashed every single day, but seriously, what a waste…
Er…I meant “sick.”
no prob brandon..
I’ve been pumped about his potential since they got him for Sheffield, but I think he’d be best served as a power reliever. I wasn’t disagreeing he has the tools to be a very good starter, I just don’t think his arm is made for it.
And because the Yankees farm is absolutely stacked with starting pitching it’s not a liability to convert him to a late inning stud
CB:
Hughes didn’t have to go, and all the players that people thought were in the deal is pure speculation..
Trust me whe I tell you the Twins were ready to negotiate before taking the Mets crap.. but Cashman was not hearing anything period. In fact, from my “anonymous source” The Twins told Cash that they have dropped their demands, but before they even told him what players they would take, Cash already said “We’re going to pass regardless” and never heard them out.
The bug Yankee VIPS did fall short in their negotiations even when they had the twins by the balls…
but don’t take my word for it, believe what you need to justify NOT getting an Ace lefty who can go 200+ innings..
fleas,
it’s been reported widely that the twins insisted on hughes or if not wanted Wang AND Kennedy.
Cashman has said this publicly. If you think they’re all lying so be it.
Your also selling the pitching staff short. It’s much better and deeper than last year.
they announced it on Mike and the Maddog
the first deal was Hughes and Kennedy, the 2nd attempt was Kennedy and Cano, the third was Hughes and Cano they even had the nuts to ask for Kennedy,Melky and Wang .. what the hell are you talking about fleas ?
Didn’t fleas say the Yanks had no shot at making the playoffs last May? (he wasn’t alone)
Still- way too early to make any of the comments he made in the above post. Pettitte is pitching in the first turn through the rotation. The yanks have a lefty.
Honestly- would the Yanks be better with Santana and without Hughes, Melky, Horne and Marquez or IPK, Melky & Wang (these were the final deals)? Maybe for a 7 game series in 2008- but you have to get there first. I know the Yanks will be better for not making that trade in 2009, 2010, 2011, etc.
fleas,
I didn’t realize that your source had the goods. In that case put me on your “Fire Cashman” bandwagon.
mel-
Kobe going for 70 tonight?
How long before Miguel Cairo and Andy Phillips are backup first basemen?
CB, I normally agree with your posts 100%, but tonight, we’re not on the same page at all.
Joe is managing the Yankees for the first time. That means that Bruney has never walked the ballpark for him, has never blown a game for him, has never basically imploded for him. Far from being conventional, I think Joe sort of turned things upside down. Bruney had a good spring for him – he threw hard and he threw strikes. That’s what Joe was looking for. Bruney came into camp in great shape, with a new attitude, and he pitched well. Girardi, instead of holding his past against him, is giving him a fresh start based on results this spring. I have no doubt that if Bruney doesn’t get the job done, he will find someone else who will.
As for Farnsworth, the man is on the team and he has to be used. We may not have faith in him, but I have faith in Joe. If Joe thinks that he can find the key to Kyle, with Eiland’s help, then I’m willing to give it a shot. If he fails, again – then he will sink lower on the bullpen pecking order.
Also, very few people (and I check out quite a few Yankee boards) thought that Ohlendorf was going to make it. I suspect they are all very pleasantly surprised tonight. Russ could have probably used some seasoning at AAA, but on the other hand, he’s got explosive talent. I’ll take my chances with Russ in Eiland’s hands.
One more thing – the Yankees will need a long man and I have no problem with Joe in saying that they will take one. April is brutal for the Yankees and, conventional or not, a long man is the right way to go.
Don’t be offended, please, by my post; I really enjoy reading your posts – you’re very knowledgable and I always look forward to seeing what you have to say.
Buddy,
We might need it. Fish playing with a torn tendon in his foot. Odom playing with the flu. Mbenga fouled out in the 3rd. Oh yeah, still no Gasolina or Bynumite.
that’s what I hate about Kobe how the hell I understand this guy can score 50 60 when he wants , he’s playing vs Memphis and the Grizzles are winning on top of that the 2nd best scorer on the Lakers has 9 pts, Kobe still w/ no assist in this game
lol @ Gasolina & Bynumite.
We’ve all heard that the Twins called at the last minute and asked for Kennedy and Wang. But we’ve never heard what, if anything, Cash counter-offered.
If he put something superior to the Met deal (Ex. – Kennedy, Melky, Jackson and Marquez) on the the table and was rebuffed, fair enough. But if he simply said no to Kennedy/Wang and hung up the phone, which quite frankly is the way I read it, then he f’ed up in a big way.
And if we’re 10 games behind Boston at the All Star break with Hughes on the DL and Kennedy pitching .500 ball, while Johan’s 10-2 and the Metamucils are running away with the NL East, he should pay for it with his job.
http://www.nba.com/games/20080328/MEMLAL/gameinfo.html?nav=scoreboardhome
34 shots by Kobe the 2nd closest has 9 on his team, I like Kobe I respect him but man come on.
Brandon,
Look at the shooting percentage of the other guys. Fish playing with torn tendon. Lamar playing with the flu. No Gasol. No Bynum. Luke sucks. Sasha’s shot is not dropping. Today is Mihm’s first game in 24 games. He’s on his own.
randyhater there were four deals announced
Hughes and Kennedy
Kennedy and Cano
Kennedy,Melky and Wang
Hughes and Cano
—————-
the Yankees made the right choice
mel 34 shots !
I mean this is what people mean when they talk LeBron for MVP there is no way your going to tell me his cast is worse than LeBron’s or even CP3’s.
Betsy,
I appreciate your message and your points are all well taken.
Looking back at this thread I see how I went on way too long about this topic.
I think Girardi is going to do an excellent job this year and I think the team is going to have a very good season.
Brandon,
Again, that’s what the Twins asked for. What was Cashman’s last and best offer just before our crosstown rivals got the best pitcher in baseball for a bag of rocks?
Nah, CB, you’re posts aren’t overly long- I enjoy your posts immensely. They are always thought-provoking and well-considered. I didn’t mean to make it sound like you were being negative, but I’m afraid I did. Conventional isn’t a bad word, but I re-read my post and I made it sound like it is.
Fact is, I’m sunny about the Yankees because I feel like they are headed on the right path and even if there are a few bumps on the road, well – that’s to be expected. I’m really, truly excited about this team.
To Trisha: did you used to post in the old NY Times forum? I remember you………!
Randyhater, I don’t believe the Yankees made a counteroffer and I say good for them. They’d had enough with the Twins yanking them around. They demanded Hughes, the Yanks were stupid enough to agree…….and Bill Smith was too greedy for his own good. We all know the dirty details, so I won’t expound on them here, but in the end, the Yankees got tired and angry with the Twins for their increasingly ridiculous demands and just pulled the plug completely. I’m very happy they did so – and Smith got exactly what he deserved: a lousy package for a great pitcher.
I think it was Wang, Melky and Kennedy randyhater. And I still say they made the right choice not to trade for Johan
Your move, Ensberg…what’s the number going to be?
Pete…PETE! Call the exterminator! Please! Your blog is infested with fleas again! And fleas who would rather have a 23 yr old, with a .755 OPS in the MINORS, over a 21 yr old who had a .751 OPS in his first year in MLB, who has much more power and one of the best arms in MLB.
“From his insistence on carrying a conventional long man, to strongly desiring a lefty specialist, to valuing experience over performance Girardi is shaping this pen, at least right now, in the most conventional fashion possible.”
The ‘conventional fashion’ is not, by definition, the wrong choice in every situation. We have 2 pitchers on IP limits and a Moose who will rarely go past 6 IPs. We know our BP will see a lot of action this year. Is having a guy who can eat innings in the BP that horrible an idea?
And Bruney in all of 25 years old, and does have some MLB experience, and some MLB success. He problems have not been mechanical as much as mental. Patterson hasn’t seen AAA yet. Is this REALLY just a case of ‘experience over youth?
So Traber is our Lefty Specialist. As the Yankees obviously want Patterson to get some seasoning, who should have made the BP instead?
But the main thing is that obsessing over our ’starting’ BP is silly. We know this team is in transition, and that applies mostly to our pitching. By Sept., there may be 4 different guys in the BP. My guess is almost everyone qualified will get a chance to show their stuff, in MLB situations. ST is NOT really a good enough indicator of what guys have, but Girardi had to pick 25. Our pitching is not written in stone… rather, it’s written in Jello.
Admittence to this Blog should include a script for Quaaludes. Some of you folks make Brittany Spears look rational.
Relax! The season hasn’t even started yet.
“I think it was Wang, Melky and Kennedy. And I still say they made the right choice not to trade for Johan”
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I believe this WAS the ‘last’ request, but it included a 4th player from MiLB… possibly Marquez.
Same team that didn’t get it done last 2 years. No improvement !!!!!
Put Pavano on the 60 year DL.
Who will be the emergency 3rd strong catcher? Duncan?
joe b
March 29th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Same team that didn’t get it done last 2 years. No improvement !!!!!
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Thanks so much Joe for your words of strong encouragement.
Can it be assumed that the Orioles will now forget about being bottom feeders ???
Why is Cano batting 8th? He can hit .300 on a regular basis and has fairly good power. 5th would actually make a lot of sense. Then you could have Matsui 6th, Posada 7th, and Giambi 8th.
If Bruney doesn’t make the team, he is a FA.
It’s possible they will hope he gets off to a decent start and then trade him. Then call up one of the other guys.
“34 shots by Kobe”
- Who does he think he is, Jim Leyritz?
optimism rules….Do you want me to get excited about this team ? They haven’t got it done since the steroid era. Pick your poison
i can feel it in the air, this is the year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Couldn’t agree more with the those who would prefer to see Patterson in the bullpen over A_____, whatever his last name is. I didn’t think it was even close.