The Sunday Links
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- April
- 13
The Yankees challenged Manny Ramirez yesterday and he made them pay.
Sam Borden writes that whether you agree with the decision to pitch to Manny or not you have to respect how Joe Girardi handled the fallout.
Former Red Sox fan Phil Hughes faces Boston for the first time today. This notebook also has an update on Derek Jeter’s status.
The Sunday baseball notes focus on new Kansas City manager Trey Hillman and his connection to the Yankees.
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Tigers Woods is lurking at The Masters as the final round gets underway today. Sam Weinman has the story from Augusta as Trevor Immelman leads
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Yanks-Sox Round 3 tonight at 8 p.m. (ESPN). Check back later for the lineups and updates.
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Peter Abraham
Moose knuckle!
Love the notebook as always, A-Rod’s frosted tips are better than his bizarro’s, Carlos Beltran.
The reason the Yankees aren’t scoring runs, it comes down to:
A. No leadoff hitter, Damon is hitting what, .211 or so? You can’t score many runs when your tablesetter can’t get on base, and when he does, won’t try to steal a base. What happened with trying to bunt your way on, or is that only if you’re not an AARP member.
2. Facing tough, tough pitching. Let’s see they’ve faced Halladay, (plus #2, and #3 pitchers for Toronto), Beckett, Greinke, Bucholtz (who according to some is the next coming of Sandy Koufax), Bannister, etc. Say what you will but they have faced some strong pitching so far.
3. Injuries, ie, Jeter, Giambi, and Posada which has meant more ab’s for non-starters like Gonzalez, Molina, Ensberg and Betemit. Gonzalez and Molina have hit well but both Jeter and Posada have more power than the players replacing them.
4. Where is the stolen base? For some reason the hype was that Girardi was going to play the NL style and he has to some extent, but the running game is non existent, there were times he could have squeezed that he didn’t etc.
5. Horrible starts by the over the hill gang, ie, Posada, Damon and Giambi who are definitely on the steady decline of their careers. Cause may be the weather conditions which has been cold and colder, and may affect older players more.
6. Horrible starts by young supposedly in their prime players but very undisciplined hitters like Cano and Betemit. Betemit in my mind is on the verge of being DFA’d. He is a walking strikeout.
7. Maybe the young heralded hitting coach is not as good as we were let to believe last season. They did hit well in ST but maybe his advice is falling on deaf ears. They also had a backup hitting coach last year in Donny Baseball and he is now fighting his wife in divorce court. Is he missed more than we think? Also Torre was a great hitter and who knows maybe his hitting expertise is missed. Girardi was not a great hitter and either was his bench coach. And really none of the current coaching staff were great hitters when they played. How much does that factor in to the equation? Maybe they need another bench coach or coach that has had hitting success to bounce ideas off of. Something to think about.
This hopefully will end, and getting Jeter back will help, and the warming weather will also help, and facing more #4 and #5 pitchers will also help, but the good news is there are some sick offensive numbers being put up by Shelly and Gardner down in Scranton which may preclude them being brought up to the Bronx to help kick start this offense.
One other thing, during the radio interview with M&MD Friday with Girardi, Fatso mentioned the fact that this current Yankee team just takes awhile to get going for whatever reason. The last 2-3 seasons they take awhile to get their motor started, or get their mojo working as Muddy Waters used to say. I really think it boils down to the fact some of the key players are not in their prime anymore and that includes their leadoff hitter and that they have faced some really tough pitchers. The fact is this may only be a 800-850 run per seaon team and if so it could be a long season.
Interesting comment by writer but misses the most important reason this club cannot score against better pitching…Yanks do not have a bat handler in he lineup, and havn’t had any in years.Watch them fail to score when they have runner on 2nd, and no out, or bases loaded and fail so often.EVERY HITTER in the lineup thinks they are a Babe Ruth and want to hit a 500 foot homer. They all swing from the heels.You rarely, if ever, see someone try and hit the ball over the infield.That’s why you so rarely see a hit and run.There’s too much of a chance for the hitter to swing and miss.Llke most teams they score their runs against average or below average pitchers, but in the playoffs, seeing quality pitchers is a different ballgame….Team is unbalanced and has been for years…With a starting pitching staff that has won 2 games other than Wang, and with a mediocre defense,this exacerbates the offense situation…
Sorry I don’t “have to respect Girardi” here.
It was a stupid move, him not admitting it was a mistake was even dumber. Mike Mussina is 39, throws 85 for his fastball and is floating 68 mph ephus curve balls all night over the plate. He suddenly gives Mussina the chance to the manager for a night? The Yankees tell Torre to beat it because he’s too lax, doesn’t make management moves to win games.
Well Girardi comes and is supposed to be all about the numbers and stats. He has Baseball Prospectus on his desk. He might as well use that Baseball Prospectus for toilet paper, because ever stat would have told you to walk the Hall of Famer and face a less experienced, less skilled hitter in Youkilis.
Torre would have walked Ramirez, so would have Piniella, Gardenhire, Scioscia, Cox, Wedge and any other manager with a clue.
Despite the loss I thought the Yankees played a pretty gritty game yesterday on a day when the pitching matchup clearly favored the RS.
They battled back from 2 out no one on in the 7th to scratch out a run and force Beckett from the game. They battled back from 2 out no one on in the 8th to force Okijima from the game and make the RS go to Papelbon who will definitely not be able to pitch tonight.
As for Girardi – he’s a godsend. Torre would have used 6 or 7 pitchers yesterday.
As much as I despise losing to those Beaners AND that Moose was given the decision to pitch to Manny. ( hopefully a mistake, we all make ‘em, that Girardi will always aviod )…I am super impressed with Girardi as our manager and look forward to winning this series with a victory today. It is great to see Beckett, the nasty, foul-mouthed punk that he is, continue to struggle. They Yankees are on their way to 2 straight World Series Championships….let’s enjoy the ride, ALL.
It was a no-brainer to pass Manny and then go to Joba or anyone else with some stuff in that spot. Even if the batter was not Manny it would have been the right move.
With two out,
fast runners on second and third,
late in the game,
Moose about cooked on his third time around the lineup,
first open,
slow runner up next,
any high school coach would have walked the runner and have the SS play in short left field to cut off a grounder or bloop and to throw the short way to second or third.
With Manny up, and a chance to steal a game from Becket, it was inexcusable to seemingly push the decision on the pitcher. Pitchers always want to pitch. Why bother, then, when Girardi already had his mind made up to test Moose or to be “creative”?
But then, where was the new pitching strategy? Was it to throw a hanging curve inside like on the gopher ball? Or to throw a soft fastball waist high and mid-out?
Come on, Joe, we forgive this mistake. Just don’t do it again.
The blame for the loss yesterday rests with Alex Rodriguez, not Joe Girardi. Alex simply cannot get one for the team – ergo, another strike out. Yankees had better get used to the fact that Alex is on the team to increase his stats, not the team’s.
dougj1 … “Yanks do not have a bat handler in he lineup, and havn’t had any in years. … Like most teams they score their runs against average or below average pitchers, but in the playoffs, seeing quality pitchers is a different ballgame….Team is unbalanced and has been for years…
Precisely right. The Yanks can’t play small ball when it counts. It’s a lineup of all 3,4,5 hitters.
“Sorry I don’t “have to respect Girardi†here.”
He makes one decision in one game in April and Girardi loses your respect? The “respect” of knee jerk fans isn’t worth having.
“Precisely right. The Yanks can’t play small ball when it
counts. It’s a lineup of all 3,4,5 hitters.”
I must have been watching some other guy named Alberto Gonzalez last night or Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter the other night when they put down successive bunts to win the game.
It wasn’t a “no brainer” to put Joba in the game in the 6th inning.
I would have been as wrong a move as pitching to Manny.
You don’t put your setup guy in the 6th inning of an April game.
That is, unless you don’t want him pitching for you later in the year.
MPH has little to do with pitching. In many ways, its as useless as the internet pitching gurus giving dissertations on pitching mechanics and who will or won’t be injured from them.
For a guy “throwing 86″, he battled pitch for pitch with the best starter in the game. Unfortuately, he made the wrong pitch at the wrong time and it cost him.
Even with that, its the fourth run, not the second and third, that cost the Yankees the game.
You learn from it and move on. April games only linger with fans.
If they did with players, they wouldn’t be able to get through the season.
There is still a lot more to like about this team than dislike thus far.
They just have to get the bats going. When they do, this team will win a lot of games this year.+
They played small ball to take the lead yesterday. What were you watching?
Sometimes, its best to not post until your emotions calm a bit.
Everybody wants to bury Johnny Damon in Mid-April. When he starts hitting, everyone will love him.
We ought to make a list of the guys some fans want to DFA in April and re-visit it in July.
Its like we didn’t learn our lessons last year when we wanted to get rid of the entire team in April.
I make the same mistake some of you make. I often forget just how long the baseball season is.
We have a LONG way to go. Going kneejerk off one April game makes little or no sense.
SJ44
Well said. This team is just beginning to find its’s identity. It will be fine.
Check out Madden in the Daily News today, dribbling all over himself.
“But Girardi must be called Clueless Joe Sunday after a decision that boggled minds and dissolved all the bad karma that had been enveloping the struggling Sawx and their spiritual leader, David Ortiz.”
“Thus, the scene was set for the decision that, until further notice, has earned Girardi a place of managerial infamy in Yankee-Red Sox lore right alongside Grady Little.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/04/12/2008-04-12_time_to_knock_joe_girardi_for_letting_mi.html
Oh, spare me. This April decision is like Grady Little leaving Pedro in too long in the infamous series winning, Aaron Boone HR game in the 2003 ALCS?
Everyone saying Damon isn’t hitting isn’t paying attention. Period.
First 5 games – .111
Since – .350
Total – .211
If Mussina walked Manny and Bruney gave up the hit to Youkilis, Girardi would be second guessed for bringing in Bruney.
This team had time to come back. It didn’t. :shrug: It’s an April loss. They’re 6-6 with their offense ‘off’. Just wait until they’re hitting, and winning games like the Diamondbacks are.
SJ,
All runs in that inning counted just the same. You can’t just blame the 4th.
We have small ball only because of the injuries. When the team is healthy, we just swing away. Just look at the RISP.
Damon just hasn’t found his rhythm yet, but he will find it and be the dependable leadoff hitter that he has always been. I still think that he will have a much better season this year, because unlike last year, he is in shape and he isn’t dealing with some nagging injuries. Everything will begin to click for him, wait and see.
I don’t think that Tiger will win the Masters. He has never won a major when trailing after 54 holes, and I think that streak will continue today.
I just read that Murph.
This is why we have such kneejerk fans. We have a baseball columnist, who has been in the game long enough not to go so kneejerk, pandering to those who fall on the kneejerk side of things.
Its really pathetic.
They made a decision and it turned out to be the wrong decision.
However, unless they now score baseball games differently, didn’t the Yankees lose 4-3?
Why is no mention made of the FOURTH run? You know, the run that actually cost them the game.
Sorry but, I’m not ready to torch Girardi and the team after a 4-3 April loss at Fenway.
Does anybody remember last years April series in Fenway?
Wang was torched in Game 1.
Karstens was awful, and blew out the bullpen, in Game 2.
Chase Wright gave up 4 HR’s and Proctor gave up the game winning 3 run HR to Lowell in Game 3. A 3 game sweep that was the building block for the Yankees abyss in the early part of last year.
Look at this series so far and tell me which team is in worse shape?
David Ortiz is 3-43 to start the season. Our kneejerk fans want half our lineup DFA’ed. You think Red Sox fans are calling for Ortiz’ head?
If he has an off-season, they can’t win. Period.
Papelbon has already had more multiple inning appearances than he had for most of last season.
He got up THREE times to warm up yesterday and needed 26 pitches to get the job done. Not good for a guy with shoulder issues.
Sometimes in baseball, you win the battle and lose the war.
I don’t know, maybe its just me but, I don’t have a bad feeling about this Yankee team.
I look at the Red Sox, and I see minefields. No Schilling, Ortiz is a mess, their bullpen is not nearly as imposing as last year, and their starters are going to have to eat a lot of innings this year. Hard to do with two rookies in the rotation and Wakefield, who has a bad back.
They are a very good team. They aren’t as good as last year.
Its going to be a fun race again this year.
The Yankees just have to survive their April schedule. That’s going to be the key.
How can you say that? They were playing small ball in certain situations even when Jeter was in the lineup.
Haven’t you watched the games?
They laid two bunts in a row down to a win a game against the Blue Jays during the first homestand.
They were doing it in spring training.
The injuries have nothing to do with it. Its how they play in certain situations.
They aren’t a “small ball” team. Neither are the Red Sox.
However, unlike the last 4 years, the Yankees are playing it in late game situations. Yesterday was another example.
Don’t get caught up quoting stats after 12 games.
Do you really think the Yankees are going to hit .150 w/RISP all season? If not, then why quote the stat after 12 games? It makes no sense.
“Everyone saying Damon isn’t hitting isn’t paying attention. Period.
First 5 games – .111
Since – .350
Total – .211″
Correction after his 0/3 yesterday.
First 5 games – .111
Since – .304
Total – .195
I’m not worried.
“We have small ball only because of the injuries. When the team is healthy, we just swing away. Just look at the RISP.”
1) I hate to quibble, but we had small ball in the Tampa series before Jeter was injured.
2) The again, with all the sluggers on this team, and playing in the AL East, why would there be a lot of Yankee small ball? Small Ball has its place in important games against good pitching (pennant race and playoffs), but on this team in April? Not so much.
3) There are plenty of respected statheads, folks like Billy Bean and Bill James, who take the position that small ball/sacrifice hits is/are counterproductive and thus would run people advocating more small ball out of the locker room. (Their mantra: Making outs voluntarily is to be avoided, scoring the most runs using the fewest outs is the goal. Thus, don’t sacrifice).
4) It is ionic at best (or maybe hypocritical) that so many of the people excoriating Girardi for not playing small ball are the same ones who praise his data-driven (ie, stathead) approach as a welcome, modern up-grade from Torre. You guys gotta get your theories of the game straight.
SJ,
I want to see the Yanks win as badly as you do. But to get there in a rebuilding season means having to make the small adjustments to pick up a few games here and there. Spring training is over, except for for straightening out the middle relief. At this point, I don’t want to see experiments with Moose. By September, a game in April could make the difference between being in or out.
Pitching (Cy Wang, Joba, Mariano) has been lights out for 6 great wins in close games. But we both know that won’t be enough this year.
It is ionic at best.
Um, I meant ironic. Sure miss that edit button.
murphydog,
Girardi would love to play small ball. But he has to have players who are willing. The man in the two-slot HAS to sacrifice in all close games. We can’t excuse Jeter, no matter how great he is. In a one-run game in late innings, forget the bomb, just get that one run to win.
How many stolen bases do we have this season?
“You don’t put your setup guy in the 6th inning of an April game.
That is, unless you don’t want him pitching for you later in the year.”
What’s the difference if Joba pitches 1 1/3 innings earlier than normal? Nobody is talking about putting him in and keeping him in through the 8th inning. The game was on the line right then and there in the 6th inning…that’s when you use Joba. You can worry about the 8th when it gets there, imo.
Welcome to another episode of Small Sample Theater: Moose > Santana.
“Just 62/3 innings into the ace left-hander’s home debut as a Met yesterday, the faithful booed Santana after watching him give up three no-doubt-about-it home runs in a 5-3 loss to the Brewers.”
http://www.nypost.com/seven/04132008/sports/mets/shea_it_aint_so__johan_106366.htm
Is this going to be another season where the best lefty ever still gives up the long ball?
“Girardi would love to play small ball. But he has to have players who are willing. The man in the two-slot HAS to sacrifice in all close games. We can’t excuse Jeter, no matter how great he is. In a one-run game in late innings, forget the bomb, just get that one run to win.”
1) Tampa series. Jeter bunts following Damon’s bunt. Jeter plays small ball.
2) “The man in the two-slot HAS to sacrifice in all close games.”
In all close games? No. Jeter is a career 300 plus hitter. You can let him swing away. See also, beloved Money Ball argument that giving up outs is not how to win games.
3) “But he has to have players who are willing.” Who is not willing? Jeter is rumored to have a green light to bunt as he sees fit. With most other players it is a play called from the dugout. Is there evidence of players ignoring Girardi when he gives the bunt sign?
Do baseball writers practice stupidity at home?
Read this:
“Thus, the scen was set for the decision that, until further notice, has earned Girardi a place in infamy in Yankees-Red SOx lore right alongside Grady Little.” –Bill Madden, April 13, 2008, NY Daily News.
How one can equate an errant that lost a team one game in April to the incompetence that cost a team their season and a pennant is utterly beyond me?
I actually wanted Bruney to pitch Manny and thought Girardi erred as well.
But likening Girardi’s gaffe to Little’s folly in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS is like equating murder to jaywalking.
“The man in the two-slot HAS to sacrifice in all close games.”
When you play for one run, you usually only get one run. We know this. Unless it’s the 8th and tied, or the bottom of the ninth and you’re behind by one, this really doesn’t make sense.
If you watched a team every day who relied on small ball, you’d be WAILING that they need power bats. It’s a grass is greener thing.
Do baseball writers practice stupidity at home?
Read this:
“Thus, the scene was set for the decision that, until further notice, has earned Girardi a place in infamy in Yankees-Red SOx lore right alongside Grady Little.” –Bill Madden, April 13, 2008, NY Daily News.
How one can equate an errant decision that lost a team one game in April to the incompetence that cost a team their season and a pennant is utterly beyond me?
I actually wanted Bruney to pitch Manny and thought Girardi erred as well.
But likening Girardi’s gaffe yesterday to Little’s folly in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS is like equating murder to jaywalking.
Regarding Girardi’s decision to go with what Moose wanted, I’m gonna quote what SJ44 said in an earlier post:
“Its not little league out there and Girardi has shown he will involve the veterans in decisions. That’s why the vets play hard for him.
Girardi also took on the heat for the decision after the game.
That’s how you manage and how you win respect from your players.”
I think that just about summarized exactly what must have gone through Girardi’s mind.
I’m no manager material (probably not even bat boy material LOL), but to me it’s obvious when he made that decision to go with Moose that he knew he was not just managing a game or an inning, but to manage the whole team. A couple runs in April in a three-game series where we already won the 1st game is not worth sending the wrong message to his veteran-heavy team who is still getting to know his managerial style. I bet by August he will make firmer in-game decisions on his own with veterans.
Also, one of the reasons I used to really enjoy listening to Girard in the booth was that he would analyze the individual player’s personality and how that was relevant to the in-game situation. So I think Moose’s personality was a big factor here. Moose is only 4 years younger than Girardi and known to be stubborn. If what happened yesterday makes Moose follow Girardi’s lead unequivocally from now on, it might have been the best 2 runs Girardi ever gave away.
So far I think Girardi’s doing a terrific job. What we’re seeing here is more monday morning quarterbacking (which is normal and for good fun) than a real reason to be concerned about our new manager.
“How one can equate an errant that lost a team one game in April to the incompetence that cost a team their season and a pennant is utterly beyond me?”
The sheer stupidity of the decisions is equal, it’s only the magnitude of the games that is different. In fact, I’d say the Girardi/Moose/Manny decision was even more clear-cut than Little/Pedro.
And if the new Clueless Joe screwup sends the team into an April slide, that could lead to losing the division again by a few games. You can NEVER afford to give away ballgames, no matter how early in the season.
“What’s the difference if Joba pitches 1 1/3 innings earlier than normal? Nobody is talking about putting him in and keeping him in through the 8th inning. The game was on the line right then and there in the 6th inning…that’s when you use Joba. You can worry about the 8th when it gets there, imo.”
If you go to Joba in the 6th, there is still a chance that you might see Manny (and Ortiz) again by the 9th when the game could be on the line again. That’s why I think the game is not really “on the line” in the 6th.
“The sheer stupidity of the decisions is equal, it’s only the magnitude of the games that is different. In fact, I’d say the Girardi/Moose/Manny decision was even more clear-cut than Little/Pedro.
And if the new Clueless Joe screwup sends the team into an April slide, that could lead to losing the division again by a few games. You can NEVER afford to give away ballgames, no matter how early in the season.”
henry: If you think “the Girardi/Moose/Manny decision was even more clear-cut than Little/Pedro,” then you are not a very good thinker. It’s one pitch in the 6th inning of a game in April and somehow it could lead to an April slide and lose the division? You need to relax.
“I’m no manager material (probably not even bat boy material LOL), but to me it’s obvious when he made that decision to go with Moose that he knew he was not just managing a game or an inning, but to manage the whole team. A couple runs in April in a three-game series where we already won the 1st game is not worth sending the wrong message to his veteran-heavy team who is still getting to know his managerial style.”
Terrific. Now Girardi is already letting the inmates run the asylum, which is exactly what Torre did in his later years. The manager is paid to make the decisions, not defer to gutless over-the-hill guys like Mussina, who never fails to blame a teammate or umpire in explaining his bad outings. Moose rarely works out of jams. Girardi should tell him what’s going to be happening, not the other way around.
I absolutely think the Manny decision was more clear-cut. Ramirez is one of the best hitters in the game today…maybe the best. He doesn’t let the situation and pressure overwhelm him and cause “choke” at-bats, like Arod does. There is no way you let that guy beat you if first base is open. Now Youk is a good hitter and may make you pay, but you have to live with that and take your chances. Add to that the fact that Manny is making a career of pounding the Yankees and he had already dominated Moose in the game, and it was truly a no-brainer of a decision.
And I strongly disagree that you EVER give away games in April. I expect the division race and wild card chase to be very close and an early season game could end up making a difference.
I was a big Girardi fan and thought he’d be a very good in-game manager. But he failed his first big test.
Henry, keep in mind, Madden wasn’t comparing the respective wisdom or improvidence of each decision.
He was comparing the effect, the consequence, or more precisely, the infamy each manager’s decision has and would engender.
While Little’s decision in the 2003 ALCS is still debated in Boston today and will be, perhaps, forever, something tells me Yankee fans won’t remember Girardi’s decision, let alone argue about it, beyond next week.
I can’t reproach a columnist for using hyperbole but Madden’s argument was logically unsound, intellectually lazy, and just plain obtuse.
For the naysayers of the board, you could pave the streets of the Bronx in 24-karat gold and somebody will complain about the glare.
The fact is, this is a better all around Yankee team than what was fielded one year ago.
The month of April is not representative of what this team is or will be about.
There’s nothing to be ashamed of in keeping pace within the division while experiencing horrific weather and a few minor injuries.
The biggest team concern of the offseason was the bullpen and after 12 games, that’s a bright note with reinforcement waiting in the wings just 2 hours away.
Good hitters will hit and for those not yet showing it, their career numbers will ultimately average out to near what they should be.
Once decent baseball weather arrives so will this team in showing their true worth.
aprilslide –
There is no april slide from the team that I’m seeing, unless you are watching another league on another planet. We kept the game really close in a Moose/Bruney/Hawkins vs. Beckett/Okajima/Papelbon matchup, and forced Francona to use Papelbon for more than one inning and render him useless for tonight’s tie-breaker game. I wouldn’t sound the alarm button just yet by any means.
aprilslide:
“Girardi is already letting the inmates run the asylum, which is exactly what Torre did in his later years.”
Penetrating insight.
It was the 6th inning, not the 7th, 8th or 9th. Real live managers discuss the options with their bench coach, which Girardi did, and then go out to check with their veteran pitcher, who had thrown a good game to that point. You don’t like the outcome, which is your privilege as a second guesser, but saying Girardi is letting the inmates run the asylum is just silly.
Outside of Mo and Joba, is the bullpen really any better?
First off, I think guys (Madden/Lupica/Rosenthol/Phillips and/or any other talking head working) don’t report the news, they try to instigate the masses into talking about the stupid dribble that comes out of their mouths and/or brains.
I don’t know if it ESPN or Ruppurt Murdock (Fox News) who is to blame for this…but it sure does work.
As for Girardi, I don’t think this will be the last decision that he will be second guessed on. It could have gone either way, and the fact that he let Moose give his input, IMO will go a long way with the Vets on the team.
Wait till Monday when fatso and mad-puppy get a chance to rip into him…I mean they talked about the Joba fist pump for three-four days.
Lastly, IMO…Gardner and Shelly are making people notice them and the Yankees will have to make some hard decisions soon.
Have a good day everyone and tonight will be a big day in Young Philip Hughes’ career.
Moose’s performance the last two games actually has heartened me. It has caused me to re-evaluate my expectations for him this year which had been meager to non-existent.
If Moose can duplicate this success, he’ll earn the status of the the 3rd starter and alleviate the pressure on Hughes and Kennedy by asking them only to outperform the competition’s 4th and 5ths. Something I’m confident both can do.
It’s when the Yankees ask Hughes to acquit the role of 3rd starter, and IPK, the 4th, that I grow uneasy about the rotation.
“And I strongly disagree that you EVER give away games in April. I expect the division race and wild card chase to be very close and an early season game could end up making a difference.”
“I was a big Girardi fan and thought he’d be a very good in-game manager. But he failed his first big test.”
henry: You’re fast becoming the new chicken little. This was a Big Test? Get real. I’d hate to live in your world where one game constitutes a losing pattern foretelling a disaster.
Kill-Schill(ing):
Agreed. So far Moose shows every sign of getting his innings eating job done with credible results.
It was big mistake not walking him…Or trusting Moose to pitch him down and give him nothing good, and to not make a mistake at some point in the at bat.
I love Girardi, do not get me wrong.
But that to me is a fundamental decision that will stay in his mind.
Ah the crystal balls are out again this morning.
Walking Manny would have been my choice but it is only a no brainer if the Yankees got Youkilis out and the Yanks got the W. Otherwise, it would have been nothing more than a moral victory that at least Manny didn’t beat them in that inning. Moral victories don’t count in the standings.
There are many big moments in a game, not just one. If you look at yesterdays game alone, there were 3 or 4 places where the outcome of the game could have changed on a dime.
tiger woods does not use a driver when he is hitting from two hundred yards out. he usually uses his 7 iron.
alex rodriguez, when he needs to make contact with the ball and get a base hit, swings with everything he has with a swing designed for maximum power .
this makes no sense. people worry about scrappy players sliding into first, but they don’t mind arod using an approach with runners in scoring positions in a close game that results in a lot of swings and misses.
with his all out swing, arod has no reason to be confident that he can even touch one pitch when facing a pitcher like papelbon.
with no confidence that he can even get the bat on the ball ,knowing that people have waited two hours to watch him in a clutch situation, the pressure snowballs and alex does even worse. lets face it, he chokes.
it’s not complicated for a hitter to increase the chances of making contact with a 95mph baseball. all the hitter needs to do is make adjustments that give up distance and increase liklihood of contact.
basically this means using techniques that shorten the swing. jeter uses an inside out swing that shortens the stroke. it’s what boggs used to do. hitters can choke up on the bat. they can open up slightly that shortens the swing. they can simply swing easier with the emphasis on contact. old time players routinely used different bats. whatever it takes to get the bat on the ball and put it in play.
a full all out swing at all times is designed for maximum stats. yeah,more total bases will result with arod’s approach, but the ball will not be put in play at will when individual games are on the line.
arods approach loses some ball games but results in maximum home runs and rbis. i can’t blame arod because he’s always been allowed by management to play this way.
fans like big numbers and stats and attendance numbers rise as fans flock to watch stars like arod, but lets not equate gaudy stats with winning baseball.
pat:
Amen.
IM SHOCKED~~ Why are there only two mentions of the name “Giambi” on this comments thread and they are both in one comment. giambi is DONE! Lets look at last year. Once Giambi got injured and the yanks finally ended up ith Andy P on first, the big rally came about and offense was popping! Then when Giambi came back for the playoffs and Torre thought he had to find a place for him, the chemistry went haywire and you know the rest.
Once Joe G figures this out and Giambi is out as a starter, well see the offense pop. Giambi is terrible for chemistry and a sure out. (not to mentioned constantly hits into double plays)
randy l:
I’ll grant you that A-Rod does have one of the longest two-strike swings. Most guys shorten up in that situation. But he hits everything pretty hard about 30% of the time and he sure had a few walk offs and crucial hits last year. And he does scare the opposing pitcher even with two strikes. Papelbon just won this one on his pitch. He’s been beating a lot of hitters when it mattered the last few years. Chalk this one up to Paps and let’s get the next one.
david p:
I guess you’ll be giving back that HR Giambi had the other night?
As SJ and Dee stated, Girardi did the right thing in letting Moose pitch.
As a new manager, Girardi has to establish his rapport with all the players and win thier trust. When he was hired, one of the concerns was how he would be accepted by the veterans (the other being how he would handle media pressure). Now with what happened yesterday, they respect and support his tough decisions moving forward, especially the prickly Mussina. It is a calcualted move on the part of Girardi. And, Girardi also handled the media very well from the fallout after the game.
What is amazing is many throwing Girardi under the bus for this single decision, whether they agree or not. So far, he has made a difference on the club and made good decisions. Almost with the same characters last year, the bullpen is doing much better.
There are few complaining about lack of stolen bases. The reason for that is bad, cold weather. Look what happened to Jeter running to first. You do not want to get your players hurt running in the cold. Once the weather warms up, you will see increase in the SBs.
“There are few complaining about lack of stolen bases. The reason for that is bad, cold weather. Look what happened to Jeter running to first. You do not want to get your players hurt running in the cold. Once the weather warms up, you will see increase in the SBs.”
Also, when you’re struggling to get guys on base, does it make sense to risk them on the base paths? Are you going to run Abreu only to see them pitch around Alex? What’s the point?
The buffoonery at ESPN continues. In an article that gives some props to Hughes, I found this clunker:
“Times have obviously changed. Boston has won two World Series in the last four years, built around home-developed and home-scouted pitching. And the Yankees are depending on their own young prospects to close the gap with the Red Sox.”
Let’s see, I guess those home-grown, home-scouted (what the heck does that mean?) destiny changing Sox pitchers would be Josh Beckett, Dice-K and Curt Schilling?
When will these ESPN clowns get a clue?
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3344114
The ESPN article was written by Peter Pascarelli, “the lead researcher for “Sunday Night Baseball.” He will preview each Sunday night game all season long. He is also co-host of the Baseball Today podcast, which runs Monday through Friday on ESPN.com.”
Wow, can’t wait for his accurate and insightful contributions.
Girardi made a mistake and hopefully he learned from. but have to move on. One thing I am already sick of tho is Giambi not laying the ball down the third base line when the shift is on. If I were Girardi I would tell him to put the ball there every time until they stop playing the shift. Very selfish in my opinion for Giambi not to do that espec yesterday when he could have moved Arod to second and had two on with no outs
Randy
You seem to be saying you don’t like the approach but it sounds like what you are unhappy with is the result.
Would a FC to shortstop or a line out to LF made you feel better?
I would like Moose to be able to throw a 100 mph fastball but that isn’t going to happen either. I hope what he can bring to the table can get the job done at the moment.
Not sure many were upset with Alex’s approach when he was hitting walk offs last year or even when he took Papelbon deep last year at Fenway. Think that might have given him at least a little confidence that he could touch one of Paps pitches?
“Also, when you’re struggling to get guys on base, does it make sense to risk them on the base paths? Are you going to run Abreu only to see them pitch around Alex? What’s the point?”
Correct.
To criticize Girardi so much on letting Moose pitch to a batter in the 12th game is so ridiculous, and I think fans and the media really need to take things into perspective.
http://aroundthemajors.blogspot.com/
If every decision a manager makes works out, his team will go 162-0! The last we know, no team won more than 116 games in the regular season.
Give a break to Girardi. On the whole, he has been doing well as the manager.
murphydog
Certain members of the media were just waiting to jump all over Joe. Quite sad really. He made the wrong decision only cause it didn’t work out, now he is like Grady Little.
V- Exactly everyone forgets that Mike wasn’t the one who gave up the lead, that was Bruney.
i like girardi, but come on, that was ridiculous. to me, this one has no shades of gray, but can be reduced to this: with tying and go-ahead runners in scoring position, is Manny ramirez more likely to knock them in, or Youkilis?
and then, for supplemental stats, Mussina handles Youkilis well:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/bvsp?playerId=2557&teamId=2
For all of you who were concerned about the hex of the Red Sox jersey in the new stadium, fear not. According to today’s NY Post the workers jackhammered for 5 hours yesterday and found the shirt. They are having an extraction ceremony today.
My favoarite line was Hank’s reaction:
“I hope his coworkers kick the s- – - out of him,” said George’s boy, who now runs the team with his brother Hal.
Kill-Schill(ing)
Did you read the comments on that article? Wow is all I can say. There are a ton of fools out there! Only a few people picked up on the fool that Madden is.
Fran I just heard that on the radio! Also heard he was involved with the Gambino crime family.
moose made a bad pitch at the wrong time. walking manny would not insure a win. the first run was as important as any. Girardi sent a message, “you don’t scare us”. you win that battle somewhere around two thirds of the time. tonight he got the third. moose did his job overall, it could be argued the rest of the team failed in theirs. the message i take out of the whole thing, is girardi will let them do their job, has faith that they will two thirds of the time give or take. i believe thats a message, high paid vets appreciate and will respond too. at least i hope they do.
Really Jennifer – I didn’t see that part in the article.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/04132008/news/regionalnews/hammering_the_hex_106315.htm?page=2
What the heck does this mean?
But Castignoli scoffed at the top Yankee honcho’s ready dismissal.
“So, then, why is he making such a big stink about it?” asked the would-be hexer. “If it’s no big deal, why not let it lay? Apparently, it’s bothering him.
“Tell Hank he can come meet me if he wants to try – and tell him to bring [catcher Jorge] Posada, because he’s the one Yankee I can’t stand.”
Fran
As it turns out, Castignoli, 46, has been in trouble before. The hulking mason once pleaded guilty to involvement in a $40 million illegal gambling operation with ties to the Gambino crime family.
He was busted in February 2002 during a roundup of mob-connected gambling dens, according to the Brooklyn DA’s Office.
That sounds like a threat to me.
Does anyone else notice that the Attorney General gets to balls up the middle that Jeter can no longer get to?
How long until after Jeter returns, when balls hit up the middle seem to find their way into CF, does he start to get ripped by the talking heads?
Does anyone have a link where I can see Joba announcing the Yankees’ lineup yesterday? We got in late and missed the beginning. I heard he did a good job! Thanks!
Organized crime involved in construction in the 5 boroughs in NYC? UNHEARD of.
Want to get his scumbag Gino Castignoli really good? OK, let’s call the Bronx DA’s Office. How many days did this wiseguy get paid for at the Stadium and how many days did he actually show up? In fact, subpoena all of Turner’s New Stadium daily attendance records and payrolls and let’s match ‘em up. Then, from Gino’s union, let’s get the records from all the other jobs this hump was supposedly at and get payroll data from them. Hard to be two places at once but I’d like to see if Mr. Castignoli claims he was. If he got paid for a few days he wasn’t actually in a particular place, or paid by two jobs for days he was supposedly in two places at once, that could be a larceny collar. Let’s start matching up the paper.
Joe would have pulled Wang the other night…sometimes you win, sometimes you lose (sometimes it rains).
Jennifer- Thanks for posting. Wow a Sox fan that actually dislikes Posada more that Derek or Alex!
He is just some punk that needs to grow-up and boy…some people take this rivalry a little too seriously?
jennifer-Phil Hughes saved!! Mussina is NOT DONE! anti-anti
Lame defence of Mussina.
He should have been pulled before pitching to manny. He should not even be in the rotation. His contract is an obscenity.
Effective temperature hoovering around 32 degree in chicago.
go tigers!
go white sox!
Given Mr. Castignoli’s team affinities, it’s time for t-shirts showing Tony Soprano in a Red Sox uniform: “Bada bing, bada bang, bada Bo Sox!”
Dee, Pat and SJ have the correct perspective on yesterday’s game…
Look at it in context from Boston’s perspective:
1. They are finally at home, ‘rested’ with their arch rivals getting into town late for a Friday night game with CMW pitching – a starter that has had problems in Fenway – and he nearly pitches a perfect game against the Sox
2. They have their ‘ace’ going up against Mussina – a pitcher who virtually imploded last year and had trouble getting past the 4th inning and who is considered a #5 at best – and he matches Beckett inning for inning up to the sixth
3. Ortiz, the heart of my offense, does NOT get well against Mussina, a pitcher he has dominated
4. I win the game by 1 run only because the Yankee’s hitting with RISP is atrocious (A condition I know will change), because a certain guy named Giambi still can’t figure out how to hit to the opposite field, and because the ‘rain’ gods intervened just in time to prevent A-Rod from coming to bat against my closer who wasn’t properly warmed up.
5. I needed a sweep in these early games last season against the Yanks to be able to hold them out of 1st last year. I’m already behind that curve.
Get a grip folks. Girardi needs Mussina to ‘eat’ a lot of innings this year if the overall pitching strategy is to succeed. As was noted earlier, he has to give Mike the benefit of the doubt now so that Mussina will follow his guidance later.
I said this on another blog already, but the knocks on Girardi for the decision yesterday just aren’t right. He went with what sounded, to me, like sound logic on his pitcher’s part. Moose wound up getting taken deep by Manny instead. It happens. You get beat by one of the best hitters the game’s ever seen sometimes.
I’d rather lose this way than to some punk scrub pitcher in Tampa any day.
New day. New game. Go Yanks.
back bench, every single city the Yankees have gone to they’ve arrived at 4-5 am. It is no different after tonights game. Expect they might be arriving at their hotel when I am getting up going to work. I don’t care who you are or how much money you make that can’t be easy.
Back Bench
Very good points.
Paying Mussina 11 million is very bad. If his contract had expired last year, I will bet they would not have re-signed him. MLB is competitive and you have to be the best to win. Clogging up your team with “past their prime players” is not a winning strategy, even for the Yankees.
Huge screw up by us. We should have picked up Manny off waivers 3-4 years ago! The guy has killed us over and over again! And Bawstin would be hurting (big time) without him. They would have 2 less rings too! And we would have the primo slugger in the game!
“MLB is competitive and you have to be the best to win. ”
So…they should pay him not to play, and then put…who in the rotation? Pay 48 mil for four years of carlos silva?
You miss the point,
the roster is loaded with old overpaid players.
Giambi 23mm, Mussina 11mm, etc.These guys can not perform at their peak and are paid better than better players on other teams.
say what you will about girardi’s decision to pitch to Manny, but i have to think this is a part of the bigger picture. IMO Girardi is trying to show his players he trusts them and will use them in big spots in big games. Just look how he has used the bullpen already this year, in a one run game he didn’t go running to Joba. He’s building confidence in his players and I have to think the players will respond to this and it will help us in the long run.
GOOD NEWS, I guess.
The Red Sox T-Shirt was unearthed from the stadium….they dug and found the shirt and disposed of it.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3344825
rover What you said is extremely rational and intelligent. But with certain kinds of Yankee fans that is the equivalent of speaking to them in Latin and hoping they understand the message. In other words, it just ain’t gonna work.
You will always have an element of any fan base who piss and moan about everything and can’t see past their noses when it comes to the most important thing, and that is the big picture.
So they will just continue to knee jerk and flip out while the rest of us will really enjoy what is promising to be a great baseball season with what appears to be a very creative, energetic, and intelligent manager at the helm.
Really who would you rather be? Those of us who don’t fall apart on a pitch-by-pitch, AB-by-AB, and managerial decision-by-managerial decision basis, or those who live to criticize everything that doesn’t go their way in every game?
Me too.
Anyone know who the one ‘home grown’ player on the Red Sox 2004 World Series title team was, one that made a major contribution?
I’ll give you a hint… he’s not there anymore.
Trot Nixon.
Everyone else of importance to that team, was brought in via trade or free agency:
Jesus Damon – Free Agent
Bill Mueller – trade
Mark Bellhorn – trade
Man-Ram – free agent
Ortiz – picked off scrap heap
‘I hate you’ Schilling – trade
Keith Foulke – free agent
Jason Varitek – trade
Derek Lowe – trade
El Pedro Martinez – trade (for Pavano and Armas Jr, I might add!)
So Trot was the only one that was ‘home grown’. Possibly Gabe Kapler, but I could be mistaken.
So tell that to the idiots at Ellsbury-Schilling-Papelbon Network, or Fox (or I guess F/X, now that they carry baseball when the almighty NASCAR is on TV).
For every Sox fan that complains about the NYY ‘buying’ championships…. pleeeeeeeeease. 1996-2000 had a CORE of home grown guys, Pettitte, Rivera, Jeter, Bern Baby Bern. With a few key moves, they were champs.
The Sox bought 04, and used the Yankees blueprint (from 1996-2000) to win in 07…
In my humble opinion….
Bill Madden gets himself on the idiot list. That should help impress his boss Lupica who made sure to bring up a dead subject, Pettitte and HGH for no reason at all. As for not walking Manny, Girardi made a mistake, lesson learned. He willnot make that mistake again.
I feel better about our chances after yesterday than before. Mussina looks like he will be servicable, Ortiz looks cooked and the Boston bullpen before the closer looks very mediocre.
Now we just need to hammer Dice K tonight so that that feel good story will be over. Conversely it would be great if Hughes introduced himself to the Red Sox batters today, by pitching outstanding.
rj pinstripes – I think the first thing you have to remember is that when Manny was on waivers the Yankees were not in the market for an outfielder. You were not going to sit Gary Sheffield or Hideki Matsui on the bench to put Manny in the field everyday. You were not going to pick Manny up to sit him on the bench.
On top of it, while Manny being Manny plays in beantown I do not think it would play in NY. And I am being entirely sincere when I say that I believe that Manny is entirely guileless and truly has no clue. I don’t think that urinating behind a scoreboard, standing at home plate watching to see if a ball is going to go out and then starting to run to first when you see it doesn’t, deciding not to show up at All Star Games “just because”, and styling at the plate when you hit a homer despite knowing that it doesn’t play well would work with the Yankees. I truly believe that the energy it would take attempting to transmit these things to Manny in a way that they would sink in would probably take too great a toll on both the Yankee organization AND
OOPS. End of that post:
I truly believe that the energy it would take attempting to transmit these things to Manny in a way that they would sink in would probably take too great a toll on both the Yankee organization AND Manny – and that is if it would even be possible to get him to understand those things.
I think Manny is where he needs to be. We do have enough offense to generate a lot of runs. Manny would never have been the answer.
Yankees will DICE UP that Japanese Schmank tonight and will have every reason to feel good about taking 2 out of 3…TONIGHT is the start of that 7 game winning streak…TONIGHT …..and now I will go back to playing that broken record of mine…over, and over, and over, and over….
“Ben
April 13th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
GOOD NEWS, I guess.
The Red Sox T-Shirt was unearthed from the stadium….they dug and found the shirt and disposed of it.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3344825”
Ben–
I couldn’t agree more.
Now, how do we put a jinx on or curse Fenway ?
Ideas????
Question to the Moose haters. IF someone told you Mike would go 5 2.3 innings giving up 4 runs you’d take it in a heart beat! Don’t lie!!
“How one can equate an errant that lost a team one game in April to the incompetence that cost a team their season and a pennant is utterly beyond me?”
Honestly, I don’t know why ANYONE thinks leaving Pedro in was a bad decision. You have the BEST pitcher in all of baseball on the mound and he tells you he can get the next hitter out. You leave him in.
I leave Pedro in the game. Who else could they rely on?
BUT – I think you are all overreacting so far. When in the last 5 years have the Yankees gotten off to a great start in April? The Yankees always start mediocre and crawl into the the lead mid-season, then run with it in August.
Damon needs to start getting on base to start games. He needs to reach in his first at-bat so that the pitcher doesn’t feel comfortable. We need to stop grounding into double plays. We ALWAYS hit into double plays when we get momentum and hand it right back to the opposing team. If Damon can’t get on base, then Melky or Gonzo should be leading off.
Look at Giambi’s stats. He may be hitting .080, but he’s getting on base 27% of the time. If he comes even close to his career averages for walks/OBP, he will be getting on base more often than most other Yankee players. While I prefer Duncan in the lineup for his energy and the pop in his bat, Giambi will be extending innings and extending pitch counts. If he would just drive the ball the other way, he’d be hitting nearer to .280 than .250.
I agree with a previous poster that said we need our players to be content to just single – not hit it out of the park. Stringing hits together is something we haven’t done yet this season, but have done in the past. Let’s wait and see.
“It is great to see Beckett, the nasty, foul-mouthed punk that he is, continue to struggle.”
Struggle? It’s his second game back off the DL. He shouldn’t have allowed a hit through 5. Got into the seventh before tiring, and won the game.
Get back on your meds vito.
“Everybody wants to bury Johnny Damon in Mid-April. When he starts hitting, everyone will love him.”
You mean ‘if’. He’s been on a steady decline for 3 years now. Perhaps you’ve had your head in a hole.
“berniepaul&tino
April 13th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
say what you will about girardi’s decision to pitch to Manny, but i have to think this is a part of the bigger picture. IMO Girardi is trying to show his players he trusts them and will use them in big spots in big games.”
I agree. It was a gutsy call by Girardi to let Moose choose which guy to pitch to. There are people who think he did this blindly, calling it stupid. Girardi isn’t stupid by any definition and he knew the potential outcomes. If Moose makes his pitches and gets out of it, the decision is hailed. It didn’t and he acknowledged it patiently and calmly. No defensiveness, bluster, arrogance etc.
Girardi has shown a willingness to think out of the box, a quality that disappeared with this team’s managing when Zim left. Sometimes, thinking like that involves a calculated decision. Does he make the same decision in September with the decision on the line? Probably not, but he’s got this experience in the back of his mind to inform that decision. I appreciate the guts to make that decision and I’ll bet Moose and the rest of the team did too.
bronxbomber
You don’t need to put a curse on fenway. It has been shown that all the Yankees need to do to beat beantown is to stay healthy. Injuries and not a better team elsewhere is what caused the Yankees to not excel on the very sparse occasions where they have beat us to the prize.
The Red Sox didn’t even make the playoffs in 2006.
ESPN acts like there is this huge gap between the Yankees and Red Sox. There isn’t. The two teams are virtually even.
The Yankees have won the last 4 series with the Sox, dating back to last year.
Despite the Yankees being putrid for the first half of the season, they only finished 2 games out of first place. Not a large enough difference to proclaim the Yankees are “copying” the Red Sox blueprints.
Especially since, the Yankee blueprint began in earnest in May of 2005. When Cashman was given full control of the on field program.
The Yankees best hitter isn’t 3-43 to start the season. Their #2 starter isn’t out for the season. Those are real issues for the Sox. Yet, nary a word from ESPN.
Its why ESPN becomes unwatchable or readable during these series.
Tonight will be a 3+ hour Red Sox infomerical and nothing more.
Its only April and the same BS is starting again.
Jennifer…I really doubt that anyone here hates Moose…He’s given great service over the years to the club ( minus GAME 1 2001 WS )…..What he pulled off yesterday at Fenway was a magic show……So far he’s been better than my expectations and I do hope he can keep it up till Memorial Day or so….If he does, the Yanks will be in rather good shape as it affords them time with Joba and his eventual replacement ( still unknown )down in AAA….Come July 4th or so, Chamberlain will be slotted in the rotation by then….And Moose will be somewhere in the bullpen mix…
SJ that is why the game will be muted and I will have the radio on. Even though Sterling is no better. He waxes poetic about the soxs, and if the Yankees do something wrong it is doom and gloom.
pat M oh yeah there are people on here who HATE Mussina. They don’t give him any credit. They always point to lack of 20 wins, well how many pitchers do that in this era? They say he is washed up, they forget his 2006 season.
You guys read about this garbage:
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8031258/Losing-their-shirt:-Workers-foil-bid-to-curse-new-stadium
He is washed up…The hope is he can survive until late May, before he makes his May / June annual trip to the DL, and or his fastball velocity drops to the low eighties which isn’t even BP speed…..I do respect all of his accomplishment, and he was a real good Yankee FA….
Red Sox jersey removed from new Yankee Stadium, will go to charity
http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/10777437
.
Dude needs to be fired, sued, tarred AND feathered. Typical BoSux fan garbage, must have been a Troll on this board !
The NY Post is doing it’s best to get idiot Sux fans to bury items wherever they can in the new stadium. What should happen is that the guy should either A) be fined or B) the whole story should be ignored. Of course the NY Post won’t let B happen, so it must be A.
Any serious predictions on Hughes line for tonight?
umm just want to say I watched Gardner’s HR on MILBTV then I decided I wanted to watch each of Brett’s game ABs.I tell you guys CB, whozat or SJ , he not only is driving the ball into gaps but he’s driving them far w/ authority we’re talking line drives 330 feet vicinity, the HR he hit was about over 400 feet, the RF wall in SWB is 377 feet remember Yankee stadium RCF – RF is about 380 to 314 he can absolutely drive one there. I hope after his first 100 ABs he gets considered because I like what I saw. He looks ML ready.
be it that it’s only 1/4 of the goal, but after 25 ABs
vs LHP .500/.538/1.000, vs RHP .308/.286/.615
he still needs to get the OBP% up vs RHP, but slugging .615 vs RHP and batting .308. I’d say it’s not a far thought if he continues that by July he finds himself in Yankees Stadium.
What do you think ?
Matt…go back to Boston and your fellow maroons, okay ? Look at your poster boy for redneck stupidity’s ERA….I don’t care about his DL…so far, this year, he stinks and he was GIVEN the win by Girardi making the mistake of letting Moose pitch to another of your many showboat jerk players….Manny of the famous NYY saying….Manny being Moron…. Try laying off the Beer so early in the day and get ready for your team to see how great ( HA! ) of an investment Dice-BB is when he faced the Yankees… Enjoy the spanking your team is going to get tonight, dude !
“Kneejerk fans”?
Please. You’re whining about small ball, when it had nothing to do with hitting. They had the lead due to small ball.
Unfortunately the Yankees hired a stat king for a manager, who doesn’t use stats in his decisions. Thats why the game was lost.
Brandon,
He’s not ready yet. Let’s see him after 200-250 AAA AB’s.
He’s close but, not quite ready.
If he continues to play at the level he is playing now, he is on the roster by late July.
Best thing for him right now is more AAA AB’s.
Hughes tonight? Hard to say. First game ever against the Sox at Fenway. Tough assignment.
Hopefully, its a quality start. He’s got to pound the fastball in and not give in if he’s down in counts.
Would be nice if he has a fair ball/strike ump tonight. That will help because he got hosed by Mark Wegner in his last start in KC.
I’m so happy they found the shirt!
To clear up the tee-shirt matter, a Brooklyn construction worker ratted out Gino Castignoli when he found a receipt that fell out of the culprit’s pocket. The name Ortiz was on the back of the shirt. Castignoli has been looking over his shoulder ever since.
http://www.vintagecotton.com/shirt/boston_red_sux/male
Hughes: 7 6 1 1 2 5 and the win.
The other issue with Gardner coming up…whose spot does he take? Unless someone goes on the DL, does he take Duncan’s spot (if he even has one anymore)?
I know he’s not ready SJ, but I’m just saying he’s driving the ball w/ authority after 25 ABs, my guess is his first test is 100 ABs and then the 50 ABs after would hint the FO if he is legit and that decision will be made sometime late July or early August.
Brandon –
What SJ44 said. Don’t get over-excited by small sample sizes.
If he’s rocking .300/.400/.450 with a bunch of steals in late June, then that’s interesting.
Hopefully Ortiz’s slump doesn’t come undone now that his jersey’s back from 2 feet of cement. Insert Twilight Zone music here.
A note on the Daily News: Unless it’s Feinsand, don’t even read it. The Daily News has the ability to insult your intelligence on a regular basis.
For christ’s sake Peter post something today already. This is the only thing i have to look forward to.
Feinsand is the best NY Daily News reporter hands down!
whozat I get it. And I agree w/ SJ & you on that but he is definitely driving the ball. I hope he continues this into June.
Gardner has two things going for him. One, the Yankees don’t have anybody like him on the roster or in the system. That uniqueness has real value.
Two, both Girardi and Cashman like him a lot.
At this point, its about repetition and putting numbers on the board.
If he does that, he is going to help the team at some point this season.
SJ .400/.407/.800, if he continues that hmmmm… not even that Colby person in Pawtuckett did that
About curses and taking the time to found a stupid t-shirt buried under the new Stadium!
Now you know why I flip out every time Michael Kay says the words “no hitter” or “perfect game” with such arrogance and bravado EVERY SINGLE TIME a Yankee pitcher has a perfect game going in the early innings, and why I then wish I could track him down like a detective with police dogs tracking down a fugitive – and pummel the crap out of him -since each and every time he does it, the pitcher give up a hit as soon as the words leave his overblown mouth.
Sometimes ya gotta just respect the traditions and superstitions, hey?
Brandon,
Here are my thoughts on Brett Gardner’s terrific start at AAA over the first few games of the season.
Currently, Justin Synder is leading the South Atlantic league with a 1.200 OPS and is amongst the leaders in slugging percentage at nearly .700.
Do you think Synder is going to have a hit for more power than Jesus Montero will this season? Because right now, even with as good as Montero has been, there is no comparison between Synder and Montero.
Now the idea of 5′9 170 lb Justin Synder hitting for a higher slugging percentage than 6′4 240 lb, 80 power, uber prospect Jesus Montero doesn’t seem real probably but that’s what’s happened so far this season.
Will it last – of course not. But that’s why you can’t make any solid judgments based on a handful of games.
I bring up Synder because his numbers at this point in the season look almost identical to Gardners.
Gardner’s great start is very nice to see. After how bad he was in AAA last year this is exactly what we need to see from him. His OBP is over .400 (forget his .800 slug %- not going to last).
But we need to see it from him over time. As SJ said, he needs at least 200 at bats or so.
If his OBP is .380 – .400 at that point in time I think he should get a shot.
But that’s what it’s going to take for any of us to draw a definitive conclusion about Gardner being ready.
I agree CB.
Hughes: 3 10 7 7 4 2 and the lost.
I also think that Johnny Damon is going to have to prove that he is still a productive player and they can’t give him a full season to do that.
Not after how mediocre he was last year.
The thing that really concerns me about Damon is how he is describing his problems at the plate.
I have no doubt that Cano is going to hit.
But one of the things Damon has said is that he’s been surprised to find how much trouble he’s been having getting his hands through the zone.
If this is true, it is trouble. If that holds up then it suggests that Damon is losing bat speed.
That can happen when a player gets older. But if it does happen then that player will no longer be the same. Losing bat speed – even a little – is the beginning of the end.
I’m not saying that this is going to last with Damon. But it is concerning.
Damon needs to prove he can still ignite the offense. If not then his spot in left field should be put back into competition for time and at bats.
That could be more matsui in left. It could mean more time for shelley. It could also be an opening for Gardner.
Melky has been terrific this year. I’ve been very impressed with how good his at bats have been – from both sides of the plate.
Again, it’s early but I do think Melky continues to improve.
It’s left field that is the place of uncertainty in the outfield, IMO.
wow…Tigers DFA Yorman Bazardo the hard throwing righty, he’s 23 wonder what happened here
1-0 White Sox, from Lambeau field.
Hopefully we get a good outing from Hughes today!
Hughes+Joba+Mo+awake bats=Win?
I concur with CB that Damon’s bat speed is a concern. He’s swinging through many pitches and as been doing it from the beginning of spring training and up to now. He waves at pitches and doesn’t drive the ball to gaps.
With his salary, Cashman and Girardi will no doubt watch what he does for the next several weeks while keeping an eye on what Brett Gardner does as well.
If Gardner forces the issue, Damon could find himself riding the pine as a pinch runner.
The best hope is that Damon snaps out of his funk.
He wasn’t kidding!
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080413&content_id=2523286&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
Konerko slams Rogers to put the White Sox up 5-0 against Tigers, bottom of 3rd
So, prospects of Tigers becoming 2-10 by tonight?
I can’t believe that the story was true. What a you know what. Now Ortiz will break out of his slump. Great.
would anyone be against taking Yorman Bazardo from the Tigers for Farnsworth ?
Still baffled about Vazquez’s second half meltdown with the Yankees in ’04 and his subsequent struggles for a couple years after. Disappointing, though he seems to be putting it back together. Good for him.
I hope the Yankees do sue that construction worker.
Alan
Giambi 23 mil
Pavano 10 mil
Damon 13 mil
Mussina 11 mil
Total 57 mil
medium/poor/no players .
“I can’t believe that the story was true. What a you know what. Now Ortiz will break out of his slump. Great.”
I think that there is something physically wrong with Ortiz (bad knees?) that is responsible for his hitting woes. I doubt finding the shirt is going to cure what ails him.
“I hope the Yankees do sue that construction worker.”
sorry not gonna happen. He has been beaten to a pulp by yankee fans. currently on life support, not likely to survive the night.
Yeah this Jersey dig up was a bad idea… The guy BURIED Ortiz!!! Right when team officials saw it was an Ortiz jersey they should have ordered it to be re-sealed. I mean come on, the guys in the worst slump of his career. If this jersey under the stadium cursed anyone, it was Ortiz.
Laura,
But Ortiz does look like his feet are buried in concrete, huh?
David he buried the jersey prior to this year
“But Ortiz does look like his feet are buried in concrete, huh?”
He looks like he can barely move.
“medium”
Do you know what league average pitching costs these days?
Moose at 11 mil is really not a bad contract.
Jason doesn’t look bad at the plate, he just looks like he’s in a slump and making some bad decisions on what to swing at. His batting average will return to about .250, and with the walks he takes, he’ll be up around a .400 OBP, and he’ll hit 30 homers…if he stays healthy.
That said, Matsui needs to be in the 5 hole until Jason figures it out.
Mark Melancon today: Two scoreless innings to get the win today for Tampa. Stuck out 1 and didn’t allow a baserunner.
Tampa won 1-0. JB Cox did not pitch today.
A word on Justin Snyder as I see CB has brought up his name.
When we talk about guys who could be utility players, keep an eye on Snyder.
He can play third, short, second and all of the OF positions. He also can flat out hit and has above average speed.
He’s a kid that, IMO, may very well be in the mix in a couple of years for a roster spot.
He’s a Chone Figgins-type of player. Not as much speed but, the same type of versatility and more pop with the bat.
Joe Crede just hit the second GS of the game for the White Sox (Konerko had the other) to make it 11-0 White Sox in the 5th inning.
The Tigers are officially a mess. One can argue that have one viable pitcher (Verlander) on the roster right now.
the Tigers are F………..D
Look there’s not anything wrong with Fat Crappy that either a little hit of Dominican HGH or perhaps some Dominican anabolic steroids won’t help.
yeah karma is a witch, re: detroit. I of course am hoping that the drought brought on by Clemens and Giambi has been well satisfied over the last 7 years…
SJ Melancon didn’t strikeout anyone but he had a 1:5 GO to FO ratio I hope he starts flipping those numbers, but he improved today.
I’m in love with the Tigers.
They should have left it buried!!
We don’t play the kittens for two plus weeks, lets hope they don’t remember how to be tigers by than.
Anyone going to Baltimore next weekend? I have tix to Saturday and Sundays games
cannot wait!! I hope the weather is nice.
Trisha
You forgot to mention Sheffield
What’s up with those beards on the White Sox players? Really disgusting looking. Their fans should boycott the team until they’ve cleaned themselves up.
Why am I still on this team. I can’t believe it.
Wilson Betemit
On it? You will be re-signed for 4 years at 15mm per.
Amazingly, the Tigers haven’t scored a single run–not ONE!–in any of the games Kenny Rogers has started this season.
Its good to be a switch-hitter on the yankees bench. thanks Cashman
If Detroit were playing in a soft, weak division it could be said that climbing out of their hole presents no problem but with an obviously battered pitching staff, they cannot afford any more losing streaks even as early as this season is. Other teams in the AL Central will not just go away.
“Look there’s not anything wrong with Fat Crappy that either a little hit of Dominican HGH or perhaps some Dominican anabolic steroids won’t help.”
Can you explain this. I don’t get it.
Cashman is sold on me. I have it made in the shade.
So the prediction was that the Tigers would give up 1,000 runs this season?
ha-ha he might be sued!! Won’t be so funny now!!
http://www.yesnetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080413&content_id=1440960&oid=36019&vkey=4
NEW YORK — So much for the curse. The New York Yankees have ended a construction worker’s attempt to jinx their new stadium with a buried Boston Red Sox jersey.
Team officials watched Sunday as construction workers removed the jersey, with slugger David Ortiz’s name on it, from 2 feet of concrete in a service corridor of the stadium that’s under construction.
The team says a construction worker — who is a Red Sox fan — recently buried the jersey there while on the job. Two other supervisors found the tattered shirt Saturday. The Yankees plan to donate the jersey to charity, and may pursue a lawsuit against the construction worker.
What is with all of the Betemit bashing that has gone on this year on this board? He’s only gotten 13 ABs so far. He hasn’t had a chance to prove himself nor has he had a chance to torpedo himself. 13 ABs is an awfully small sample. Granted he has struck out in 7 of them…but still. I would expect he get a start or two when A-Rod takes a few days off to tend to his wife.
nick. Yes I think that was it.
Is anyone else having trouble with comments being posted.
IIRC, Betemit was beloved after the trade last year. People here wanted to annoint him a saint and retire number 14 in Monument Park for him.
I predict won’t go past the second inning tonight.
edit…anoint…
i meant hughes………
A notable career moment for young Master Hughes this evening…..He rises to the occasion, and all the idiot talking heads in Bristol will sing a sightly different tune by 10:00…..Is it Miller & Morgan time tonight ?????
–I predict [Hughes] won’t go past the second inning tonight.
–I agree. The soft-tossing phony would be lucky to get out of the first with less than 35 pitches.
Wow the same idiot talking to himself.
How do you like this quote from Johan.
“If they boo, that’s fine. That’s the history they have from not being so good, I guess.â€
Whoa! total diss!
I’m not sure that is a diss on the Mets…they have been known for being the loveable losers from back when they started. Not so much in recent years…but that was the initial team personna.
mets waging a come back
-not picking on wilson I just was not sold on him. he is on the team that i root for so I hope he does hit.
-why exactly are the tigers so bad is it because there are too many stars and not enough role players?
jennifer-Phil Hughes saved!! Mussina is NOT DONE! anti-anti
Maybe the Mets will trade Johan straight up for Mussina?
now that was a fist pump
Go Mota !
The scummy hidden redsocks shirt has been found!
http://johnsterling.blogspot.com/2008/04/curses-foiled-again.html
Tigers coming back! Watch out!
Guess not. But another solid, solid pitching performance by their star Rapada.
what? 3 hours and 15 minutes until game time and no lineup yet? Pete is slacking.
The Yankees hit Daisy fairly well last year..and he tends to lack control early, so for the love of god they just need to be patient early and they can hit him hard. obviously that’s what we always say about every pitcher they face, but patience is especially key with matsuzaka.
Yep, a big start for Hughes tonight. Watched the young pitcher from the Reds last week (Cueto), and he looked really good. Threw in the mid 90’s (no exaggerating) and didn’t seem to get rattled like Hughes does. Should be very interesting…
right when i said that pete posted the lineup…
I don’t see what the controversy is. Mussina was nipping at the strike zone all day and it was quite obvious that he would do the same whilst pitching to Youklis. Might as well take your chances pitching to Manny. Especially after the K to Ortiz.
Murphydog,
id gladly give up that HR for a .300 AVG spread throughout the season- maybe would have helped win 1 or 2 more games
Ahh… the growing pain, when will it subside..