That’s a wrap from Tropicana Field
-
- April
- 15
Andy Pettitte allowed seven hits and two walks in the first three innings and it never felt like the game was getting away from him, did it? Had Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy done that, they would have been on the bench.
It’s the difference experience makes. “Andy’s done that a lot in his career,” Joe Girardi said. “He finds a way.”
Playing the Rays helps. Pettitte is 14-2 against them, 8-1 at Tropicana Field. The Kings of March are now 6-8.
Here’s Pettitte talking about his outing:
Meanwhile the Yankees still can’t put together two games in a row offensively. They left 10 men on base tonight, five in scoring position. They were 0 for 3 with the bases loaded and are an atrocious 2 for 15 on the season.
Jason Giambi is 3 for 32 with four RBI and is .094/.312/.286 through 12 games. They need the International League monster that is Shelley Duncan back in the majors, if only to have an option.
The Braves would be wise to sign Mark Teixeira before the season ends, otherwise the Yankees will be piling up bags of money on his front lawn come November.
That’s about it from the Trop. Another early morning flight tomorrow (the third in five days) and two days at home before heading off to Baltimore.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, April 15th, 2008 at 11:40 pm by Peter Abraham.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
| 
iTunes
Peter Abraham
Shelley does need to be in the majors.
We want Shelley.
Teixeira isnt much better.
.196 with 6RBI
lets save the stats for a few months before deciding to banish giambi or spend more than $100M on someone else.
Either way Tex gives us a reliable gloves and batting from both sides of the plate.
I want Shelley too. Giambi, please get a pink eye, k thanks.
I don’t think the Yankees want to leave the comfy environs of the Trop.
I don’t believe the team can win with Damon as its leadoff hitter. He doesn’t draw walks and he’s a poor situational hitter. “Flamin’,†as I like to call him, has had a Yanks career which mirrors that of Chuck Knoblauch’s, a player who, like Damon, had his best years before he arrived in NY. Knoblauch, however, was able to help lead the team to titles in 1988-2000 because of his ability to put the ball in play and get on base. While Damon has enjoyed just one year in which he has drawn at least 70 walks, Knoblauch had five. Knoblauch’s OBP of .393 in ‘99 will never be matched by Damon, who dropped from a .285 to .270 batting average in his second year with NY. His bad speed has dropped precipitously and he seems to be caught in a nasty spiral of unbelief in terms of his declining skills. The issue is who else do you use? Barring a trade, I think the best lineup would be start with Jeter, Cabrera, Abreu, Rodriquez… Melky has shown he can lift the ball at times — as evidenced by his clutch sac fly in the win over Boston — plus he can and will bunt. I’d bat Damon ninth. That way, whatever you get from him is a bonus and if he gets on, it offers a speedy baserunner for the top of the order.
Right, Boras is going to let Teixeira sign an extension with Atlanta mid season.
That’ll happen soon…
OhioRick-
Doesn’t draw walks? How ’bout Damon has 8 walks in his last 7 games. Damon is still the best option the Yankees have for a leadoff hitter. He’s a professional hitter. Perhaps you’d like to dump Cano, who’s off to a slow start. He’s certainly not the Johnny Damon of 5 years ago, but he’s still a valuable asset to the team.
shelley > giambi
Stolen bases:
Damon 3
Melky 1
Rest 0
Caught Stealing:
Abreu 3
Jeter 1
Damon 0
No-one else has attempted. Just as well?
After watching Andy beat himself up verbally after the first 3 innings tonight (as he walked off the mound), its good to hear him in good spirits at the end of the interview.
W = Win, that’s all I’ll take from last night. When it is all said and done….LOTSA Ws and it will matter little what we had to get them when the last one comes right before they hand us the World Series Championship Trophy
Boston Dave, I’ll throw all the stats away right now and say that in 2009, IF we have the choice,,,Mark is a way better answer than Jason. ( though I , personally, really like Giambi ) IMHO
Teixeira is going to look very handsome in pinstripes next year. You here how good he is from ESPN talking heads and fantasy draft rankings, but you don’t really appreciate how good he is unless you watch him. A lot like a NY shortstop. Teixeira won 2 games in Atlanta’s first ten with his glove alone. His glove makes every other infielder better. A lot like Manny, a slow starter whose numbers are always there. Unlike Manny, he is a first-rate character guy.
Sign him. Defense, switch-hitting, power, average, character, Juan Miranda is your other option, and a lot of money coming off the books.
The Braves would be wise to sign Mark Teixeira before the season ends, otherwise the Yankees will be piling up bags of money on his front lawn come November.
And why would Tex have anything against that and sign with the Braves?
They found ways to win both games anyway. Leaving guys on is frustrating, of course, but at least they’re getting on. Those hits will come. I’m not worried. Very good offensive teams are always going to leave a lot of guys on base.
it’s an ominous sign when Giambi is playing at the end of a game, with a lead, and after his last at bat
Hold on a second before you crown Duncan as the solution…based on his results given very limited playing time, Ensberg deserves more at-bats.
I’d be very surprised if the Yankees were to go after Texeira aggressively in the off season. They have too many aging stars that they will eventually need to transition to DH/1B to commit long term to an expensive new 1B player. Also the amount of money Tex will command would be better invested in a frontline starter.