This is a job for Shelley Duncan
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- April
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As interesting as it would be to see if Shelley Duncan can drive in 150 runs for Scranton, it may be time to bring the excitable boy back to New York.
The Yankees are going to face LHP Jeremy Sowers on Saturday and LHP C.C. Sabathia on Sunday. With A-Rod banged up, Morgan Ensberg may need to play some third base. Starting Duncan at first seems to make sense.
While it’s understandable the Yankees want to keep Chad Moeller around just in case Jorge Posada suffers a setback, you can only go with three catchers for so long.
Duncan in 14 games for the SWB Yanks: .288/.406/.692. He has five homers and 14 RBI.
The Yankees also may have caught a break as Cleveland has a doubleheader with Kansas City today. Those tend to wear down bullpens. Then again, the Yankees need to get six innings out of Phil Hughes tonight or they risk the same.
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on Thursday, April 24th, 2008 at 12:44 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
Josh Thomson
bring Eric Duncan while your are at it
Any word on Bruney? If they need to dl him my vote is to bring up Rasner.
So are they calling him back up?
what are the odds Washington picks Moeller back up after we release him? And we resign Nieves for SWB after they release him?
Eric Duncan is no where near ready to play.
They need to get Shelley back up and they need to get Giambi off first base.
Kill two birds with one stone.
I have a feeling Phil will step up tonight. He pitched much better in Baltimore (until the 6th) and just needs to build off that start.
It really is time to bring Shelley up again. We need some righties in our lineup
In a perfect world you would be able to send Giambi to Scranton to replace Duncan. Giambi is worthless.
Cano needs some help too, don’t know what he needs.. but sure he needs something.
I really hope for Phil’s sake he has a great outing! Kid needs a confidence boost no doubt. I will be pushing for him today.
SJ lets not go there I watched this organization bring up Andy “king of bloop” Philips so many times ! Eric plays better D than any 1B fill in right now, yes even Shelley and Eric has been showing some life in the bat atleast dangle a carrot infront of him it is his Rule 5 year.
Shelley is terrible at first, he might be even worse than Giambi there. I guess he could play DH or RF against lefties, hes actually got a pretty good arm.
We used to have an awesome righty. His name was “Gary Sheffield” I know you guys hate him, I don’t. I loved seeing him in the 3 spot. I would take Sheff as my DH over Giambi any day.
patrick you don’t know what you’re talking about
I have to say I am sick and tired of Jasons play at first. It is time for a change. He cost Mo having to pitch 1 2/3 innings last night. Traber likely would have been out of the inning. And also the other day when he threw the ball into left field. UGH!
The Yankees are notorious for not doing well against pitchers they’ve never seen and I don’t think they’ve ever faced this Gavin Floyd guy. Don’t expect too much from the offense tonight.
If the Yanks are going to be facing up to 3 lefties in one turn, they need to bring up someone who can hit them. Giambi can’t…he has yet to get a hit off of one. Duncan, batting from the right side, would stand a better chance…and feel like a lot less of a waste at the plate.
A job for Shelly??? He’s in the job he can succeed in right now. DH on a AAA team. He’s simply not a major league talent. Makes Giambi look like Mattingly at 1B and offensively his ceiling is right handed bat off the bench or maybe platoon DH.
Brandon,
Eric Duncan is NOT a good fielder at all. Calling him up would serve no purpose.
Of all the Yankees I think Cano looks the worst at the plate thus far, yes even worse than Giambi. He looks incredibly frustrated and is showing his immaturity a bit. I hope he can get it going and relax a little bit.
You should try to get a flu bug passed around the Yankees’ clubhouse. The Red Sox have had to go with a youth movement because so many guys are sick or injured right now — Ellsbury’s been playing every day, Craig Hansen pitched last night, Jed Lowrie’s been playing a lot and Justin Masterson is starting today. If you can infect the right guys, Yankees fans would get to see Brett Gardner and Duncan with the big club.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....yerId=5922
They saw him once last year.
L&O:
Floyd has been pitching quite well for the White Sox but does not have great stuff. If the Yanks display some patience at the plate, they should make out reasonably well.
Shows how much I know… what happened to Bruney?
Cano’s problem is that he doesn’t have Larry Bowa riding his ARSE anymore like he’s used to….
Bowa loved Cano, from all accounts.
New coaches, manager. Lets just give this team some time. Except Giambi… I’d rather see Shel at 1B…
Also, with Cano, maybe he’s squeezing too hard…new contract, feels he has to live up to it, maybe?
What do I know….
Even if Shelley is nothing more than a right handed bat off the bench and a platoon DH/1B, we could use him right now to limit Giambi’s ABs as much as possible.
“patrick you don’t know what you’re talking about”
Shelley hasn’t played 1B much but what little we’ve seen him, he looks extremely awkward. It seems like some people are pulling for Shelley to come back so we can improve the 1B defense which to me is absurd. Even if he’s better than Giambi, it’s not by much. I want Shelley back too but I don’t want him anywhere near first base.
Fleas
I’m not a Sheff hater but he isn’t swinging it much better than Giambi this year and he just receied a cortisone injection in his right and left shoulder.
Giambi is a worse first baseman than Duncan. Its really not even close. Even Tino Martinez agrees and he worked with both guys in the spring.
Giambi is the worst defensive first baseman in baseball. At this point, its really not debatable. Just watch him play. He hurts the team every night.
As far as Eric Duncan, he’s just not a ML player. He really isn’t. I know folks are pulling for him but he isn’t a good enough hitter to play in the majors.
He really struggles against good pitching and his defense isn’t good. It just isn’t.
Believe me, the Yankees would LOVE to be wrong about Eric Duncan and he ends up being a good ML player. You don’t promote players who haven’t shown they can play at the next level. Shelley Duncan has shown he can and that’s why he needs to be recalled for this weekend’s series with Cleveland.
“We used to have an awesome righty. His name was “Gary Sheffield†I know you guys hate him, I don’t. I loved seeing him in the 3 spot. I would take Sheff as my DH over Giambi any day.”
Give it up Fleas. Look back but march forward, okay? Besides, Sheffield has been on and off the DL about 15 times these past two seasons. I don’t think the Yankees need another injury prone player on the team right now.
Ian:
I agree with that. Have no problem with him up once the catching situation is stabilized (which it seems to be). Just think the expectations for a sub-standard MLB player are a tad high.
The hottest hitting 1B at Scranton right now is Miranda, another lefty. What’s the deal with AG, by the way? Why leave him in NY if he’s never going to play? Nick Green can do that.
How can you say Duncan is better, how many innings has he even played at first? I’m withholding judgement about his defensive skills but the little bit I’ve seen from him is not very promising. I’m not against giving him a try but he’s not going to fulfill anyone’s desire to significantly improve first base defense.
Is Shelly Duncan better defensively at 1st base than Giambi, or is it a wash?
Nevermind, just read SJ’s post.
Nobody is looking at Shelley Duncan as a savior. However, he does bring some things to the table currently missing on the roster.
For one, he gets a guy off first base (at least against lefties) who is hitting .130 and can’t field a lick.
I watched Shelley play first this spring. Is he is a great first baseman? No. Is he better than Giambi defensively? Yes.
Its baby steps. At some point this season, Giambi will permanently be off first base. Its inevitable. For now, if they platoon the two guys (Giambi and Duncan) its a start.
Folks have short memories. Shelley Duncan was just about the best offensive player in the spring for the Yankees. Ironically, most of his spring hits came against major league pitching.
The kid can provide a spark and righty power, lacking on this team outside of Arod, against lefties.
It beats the hell out of having 3 catchers on the roster, that’s for sure.
Hey Minky got a pinch-hit 2 RBI single last night…huh…huh…well…
It’s like asking Chad Moeller to hit 5 homeruns in one game, Pete.
Dlev:
I asked the same question about AG the other day. To me, the only reason it makes sense to keep him up is if they think uitility infielder is his ceiling. He’s up in large part due to Betemit being DL’d with phantom pink eye, but I would think they’d have a number of players in their system with good gloves who are better suited to watch baseball games from a dugout. AG should be playing in AAA and developing.
spring training don’t mean sh*t.
Another thing about Giambi. I understand the value of guys who get on base a lot. But I just heard Mike Francesa say that Giambi’s three walks last night were a good sign. Maybe, but with a guy like Giambi, he has to get on with more hits than he’s getting now. He has the ability to drive the ball to move guys more than one base at a time. And if he walks, he needs five singles to move from first to home.
SJ:
Anyone who DH’s all the time in the minors is a lousy defensive player, period. He’s not adequate. He’s not below average. He’s bad. Better than Giambi?? Maybe.
Cano was the best offensive player on the Yanks this spring. Giambi wasn’t far behind. How’s it working out for those guys?
Agreed it’s better having him than three catchers, but he’s not a legit major league ballplayer. Decent bench help, but nothing more.
yo shelley is a beast!!!!!
the end.
watching the replay of Brett Gardner’s walk off HR last night he smoked it on a 3 – 2 pitch from a loogy, I’d say a 335′ shot, his power is there, the slighty open stance has benefited him this year so much. The announcer said this year he has thought about driving the ball faller and has succeeded in it.
I’d say he has more power than Pedroia and Ellsbury from the shots I’m watching.
Speaking of looking back. I wish that Cashman would have paid more money on the Johnson trade and got Owings. He would serve 2 purposes.
1.Be a starter 2.4 e.r.a.
2.Be our dh when he’s not pitching.308 b.a. They other day they brought him in to pinch hit. Struck out. But still.
If we can only have a do over.
Fredo,
I’m not saying he’s Keith Hernandez. I’m saying he’s a better option than they have right now. At least against lefties.
He doesn’t DH all the time in AAA. He has also played first. Sometimes, the parent club tells the AAA team not to play certain guys everyday in the field if they are going to be recalled soon. They don’t want them getting hurt prior to a callup.
Not sure if that’s the case with Shelley because I’m in Charleston and not Scranton today.
The guy has shown he can, at minimum, be a platoon player at the ML level. The current first baseman has shown thus far he can’t play a lick.
Like I said, Shelley isn’t a savior. But, he is an upgrade over what they have right now until they can get to the point where they can find a more secure replacement.
farther *
I would expect Moeller to be DFA’d today. Posada has caught back to back games now, and Molina is good to go as well. Moeller is good, but nothing special, so if the Yanks lose him so be it. Trade him away for a young position player or something. If the Yanks have a situation where they need another catcher later on, they can either plug in Ensberg (not my first choice) or add someone to the 40-man. It’s time for Duncan.
SOS,
Owings was never in that deal. That rumor has been debunked numerous times by a number of people.
He was never involved in the deal and no amount of money Cashman could offer was going to get the Diamondbacks to change their minds.
They had no chance to acquire Owings.
“If we can only have a do over.”
you think we didn’t ask for Owings our target was him Ohlendorf and Connor Jackson, they tried to rip us off w/ Tracy and Jackson..we settled on Ohlendorf, Gonzo & Jackson
A healthy Giambi can still be an effective DH IMO.
However his defense is a liability at first.
Unfortunately this years roster was constructed for him to play most of the time at first. We have 2 left fielders, one of whom either sits or DH’s. We have 3 catchers one of whom’s arm is in question but is also one of our better hitters.
Add to that the RP who can’t pitch back to back or more than 1 inning. Or the LOOGY who can’t get lefty’s out. Or the younbg starters who can’t get out of the third most nights.
In short, the roster she is a mess.
Shelley is not a savior. He’s probably not even a starter.
What he is, is a very good right handed bat vs. left handed pitching.
He had 74 at bats in the majors last year. 7 homeruns.
He’s given no reasons to -not- be the starting 1B at the current time.
even if shelley isn’t the greatest player out there, he does bring something with him to the clubhouse. I think his carefree attitude helps loosen up some of the players. sometimes the guys look like they are sitting at a funeral, not all the time, but sometimes. if nothing else, we know shelley can shake things up a little.
SJ,
The rumor that was out there is that he had an option to get him but decided on Ohlendorf. Because he would have to pay more money. I never heard them deny that.
Calling up Shelley would be fine since he’d be better, but nothing irks me more than bad defensive play at first base (I grew up with a daily dose of Don Mattingly). Is it so hard to get (and live with) a .265, 17 HR, 65 RBI guy at first base who can pick it?
Eric Duncan is not a prospect. Period. I’ve seen him enough times at Trenton and Scranton to say that. There is a reason why he was left unprotected in the Rule 5 draft last winter and no one took him.
From 2005-2007, he hit .235, .234 and .241. What’s he hitting now? .239.
SOS – As I remember, the story was that Cash did offer more money to Arizona to include Owings in that deal, but that Arizona refused. So Ohlendorf was the man to go. I could be wrong, but that’s what I remember reading, I think on this blog.
oh the rip off was Chad Tracey & Stephen Jackson….Cash and Eppler wanted Conor Jackson,Ohlendorf & Owings, the DBacks agreed to Conor and then pulled him off the table, we tried getting Gonzo and Owings and Owings was in the final deal but the DBacks pulled him out and then we were left w/ Jackson and Ohlendorf. The DBacks nearly killed the whole deal.
The Yankees did offer more money, but it was rejected. Arizona refused to part with Owings. From Jon Heyman: Micah Owings is one of many things to love about the Diamondbacks. The Yankees tried hard for Owings in Randy Johnson trade talks after the 2006 season, even offering to send Arizona a few million more if they’d include him. No go.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....mas/1.html
“oh the rip off was Chad Tracey & Stephen Jackson….Cash and Eppler wanted Conor Jackson,Ohlendorf & Owings, the DBacks agreed to Conor and then pulled him off the table, we tried getting Gonzo and Owings and Owings was in the final deal but the DBacks pulled him out and then we were left w/ Jackson and Ohlendorf. The DBacks nearly killed the whole deal.”
The problem is that Arizona had -all- of the negotiating room, and New York had none.
Joe is right. That story is from Jon Heyman: The Yankees tried hard for Owings in Randy Johnson trade talks after the 2006 season, even offering to send Arizona a few million more if they’d include him. No go.
Randy was done, I’m surprised what we got for him.
the best part of that trade was not acquiring ohlendorf or AG. And it wouldn’t have been getting Owings if we got him. It was getting rid of an overpaid, underproductive, injury prone pitcher.
*hornery*
2 left fielders (1LF ONLY,1LF/DH)
2 DH(1LF/DH,1DH/WANA BE FB)
0 first basemans
Time to trade or let someone go. It it means dfa Giambi or trade Damon(stock is at its highest with a couple good games. Or even Matsui for a first baseman. We need a more flexable team.
That grounder in the 8th that was hit off of Traber should have been snagged. Blame Jason for Rivera having to come in early. Lets just hope Girardi doesnt burn him out before the all star break.
BTW. Im all for Duncan. But he’s botched some throws to second base this spring. Love his bat. Not the slickest on the field. Prefer him in right.
i’m not saying much about the first baseman situation because i’ve gotten so used to it being a throw away position by cashman for so long.
i personally don’t think it’s that hard to find one. almost any third baseman can make the switch over there in about a week. look at how easily youkillis made the transition.
last night giradi , referring to mussina,said that good pitchers don’t forget how to pitch.
i think he’s operating under the same theory with giambi.
i think he would say good hitters don’t forget how to hit. so he’s being loyal to giambi and waiting for him to hit.
girardi has a roster problem of damon, matsui, and giambi having to squeeze into two spots. i assume that’s why he’s trying to get giambi into first base.
…or maybe he figures the sooner he plays him ,the sooner he gets hurt and that solves that.
i think it’s the previous explanation before my sarcastic one. but you would think the yankees would have at least a slick defensive replacement for giambi even if his hitting comes around and he stays at first.
as i said , first base hasn’t made sense to me for at least a few years.
Pete….what has Duncan done lately in AAA ?
whoever doesn’t have MILB subscription, get it, I watched Brett on my HD computer screen he has a legit 15 HR/20 doubles per season swing right now.
what hasn’t he done in AAA?
Last 10 Games: (Current team only)
Date OPP AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS
Apr 14 @DUR .750 4 1 3 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 0
Apr 15 @CHA .000 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
Apr 16 @CHA .000 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
Apr 17 @CHA .000 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
Apr 18 @CHA .400 5 2 2 1 0 1 3 0 1 0 0
Apr 19 ROC .000 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0
Apr 20 ROC .000 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Apr 21 ROC .000 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Apr 22 BUF .000 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0
Apr 23 BUF .500 4 1 2 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0
Totals .206 34 5 7 2 0 2 9 8 8 0 0
.
Oh..yes…bring him up !!!
“the best part of that trade was not acquiring ohlendorf or AG. And it wouldn’t have been getting Owings if we got him. It was getting rid of an overpaid, underproductive, injury prone pitcher.”
Amen to that. If only we have countered with Johsnon,Pavano,Phillips and Proctor. For Owings and Connor.
If only.
Go Phil!
Bring back Shelley
“But I just heard Mike Francesa say that Giambi’s three walks last night were a good sign.”
Did Francessa really say that? Did he watch the game? two of the walks were intentional. What an idiot. Yet, another reason to not listen or watch that show.
YES NETWORK taking notice
“i think it’s the previous explanation before my sarcastic one. but you would think the yankees would have at least a slick defensive replacement for giambi even if his hitting comes around and he stays at first.”
if Girardi is going to give Giambi the chance to get going, he has to be more aggressive about replacing him in the late innings.
he did it on tuesday, not sure why he didn’t do it last night.
if they had a real 1Bman, i am not sure any of those runs score in the 8th. that was an easily fieldable ball Traber gave up.
hopefully Girardi learned a lesson last night.
Giambi was brutal last night. Moose had to catch an infield fly which the firstbaseman gets 100% of the time. G-Man will cost them a game one of these days.
Joe — Yeah, he did. And, honestly, I had forgotten that when I heard it, too. But I’ll stick with my point that Giambi’s high OBP is deceiving as long as his BA is where it’s at.
I mostly listen to M&MD to measure the temperature of the fans. BTW, Willie Randolph is getting skewered by the fans today. You’d think the Mets lost last night.
Masterson is topping at 94 mph… his first K was Gary Matthews Jr., he ’s doing good today.
“As an aside, Clippard was 0-3 with a 7.32 ERA and a .295 BAA through his first four starts this year at Triple-A Columbus.”
Man that major league stint sure messed him up. I recall him being a control with a low 90’s fastball pitcher like Kennedy. Did the jump to the majors make him a nibbler. In turn losing his control. Sound familiar? Can someone tell me the difference in the two?
2 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 2 K, PT/S 37-21
GO/AO 3:1
Hey guys I’m not sure if anybody saw this but I found an article pretty much nixing the Oswalt to the Yankees stuff. Not that great an article but it does blatantly say he wouldn’t want to come to NY.
http://blogs.chron.com/basebal.....ed_no.html
Ensberg should be the guy filling in at first base, not Duncan. Ensberg is a better fielder and a better hitter. Once A-rod is back I’d be all for giving Ensberg most of the time at first.
“Masterson is topping at 94 mph… his first K was Gary Matthews Jr., he ’s doing good today.”
His sinker has some ‘wicked’ (use your best Boston accent) movement.
Why are all these Mets fans still whining about Willie on WFAN? Sheesh
Tyler is a good guy… leave him alone.
I always imagined Eric and Shelley Duncan playing for the Yankees, imagine the taglines and merchindise that can be sold for both of these players.
Youkilis was scratched last night because of buttock stiffness –
http://www.boston.com/sports/b.....f_the_ill/
Cue Beavis
I really don’t think if Duncan over the last 10 games at AAA level, is barely cracking a .200 AVG…that he is the answer at 1st base. We don’t have the perfect player at every position, so we need to maybe just live with an Ensberg/Giambi platoon ?…just IMHO there….
TKinDC….hilarious, friend !!!!
Unfortunately, it is supposed to rain tonight in the Windy City.
“I’d say he has more power than Pedroia and Ellsbury from the shots I’m watching.”
Hope you’re right, but didn’t Ellsbury hit two 390 ft shots the other night? He’s got a .509 slugging percentage in his 200 or so AB’s in the majors and had better slugging pct than Gardner (.426 to .386) in their minor league careers.
Very little evidence to think Gardner will ever be a legit power source. There is evidence however, to believe he can be a very effective leadoff guy. Seems to have a solid command of the strike zone and great speed. Little bothered by his 50% success rate so far stealing bases in SWB, but hitsory suggests he’ll turn that around.
Duncan is an awful, awful player. He may be a good guy, but there’s a reason he’s still in the minors at age 28. He sucks.
these Angels suck
“hopefully Girardi learned a lesson last night.”
girardi is a smart guy so you would think he learns from mistakes. the move i was really baffled about was the other night when he had joba pitch the 8th with a 4-5 run lead.
“Did Francessa really say that? Did he watch the game? two of the walks were intentional. What an idiot.”
Who’s the bigger idiot? Francessa? Or the guy who decided to give Giambi an intentional pass…TWICE?
TKinDC
LOL I guess lil ol’ Youk is hanging with Pavano as of late.
Gerardi to Duncan after he gets called up: “We’ll take Giambi’s number – he won’t be needing it.”
Since when does Kennedy throw in the low 90’s? If Clippard really was a guy with control of a low 90’s fastball like you say, then he is nothing like Kennedy.
Also, I know it is impossible for Yankees fans to do the following, but for your own sake, try…
Quiet down about Phil. Don’t ignore it, but let the kid grow, let him take his lumps, let the warm weather put a few more ticks on his fastball. Constantly hearing about how terrible you are doing and how you lost your fastball from the national media isn’t good for you.
Zack Greinke had a nightmare of a season at 21, and has rebounded nicely. Most (not all) dont remember or never knew of his problems because they happened in KC.
Masterson : 3 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K, PT/S 52-32
GO/AO 4:3
“the move i was really baffled about was the other night when he had joba pitch the 8th with a 4-5 run lead.”
agreed, i would have taken him out.
but that was a move that many, many managers would make.
why? it’s a classic CYA move.
if he pulls Joba after the 7th, then Farnsworth has the 8th inning he had in the 9th, giving up the HR and several baserunners, the second guessing starts.
i want Girardi to be smarter than that, but at the same time, he’s going be under heavy criticism this year, so i can see him managing a little conservatively.
“Zack Greinke had a nightmare of a season at 21, and has rebounded nicely. Most (not all) dont remember or never knew of his problems because they happened in KC.”
and still I wanted that kid, I forgot what we were said to offer
“Since when does Kennedy throw in the low 90’s? ”
He does throw in the low 90’s, he sits at like 89-90 but can jack it up to 91-92 when he needs a little more. Clippard also throws in the low 90s but his control wasn’t as good as Kennedy. Obviously we haven’t seen that control this season but it will come. Clippard and Kennedy actually were projected with similar ceilings when they were in the minors. A lot of Yankee fans hyped Clippard and claimed he could be a #2 starter but more rational folks had him pegged as a #4 or 5 which is about what we expect from Kennedy. I think both guys have a decent chance of matching that ceiling.
How about a defensive first baseman for the late innings and some guys in the pen who can pitch with a 4 run lead…trade Wilson Betemit when he gets healthy to the Pirates for the lefty reliever Marte and Mintkewicz(if they do it, I heard they wanted Betemit to play 3rd)…too much dead weight on this team keeping it down…please do not keep both Farnsworth and Hawkins…they are 2 late inning relievers who are unreliable…with Hawkins we now have 2 Farnsworths and no long man like Rasner….nice Cashman…..and please cut Giambi…..last year of the contract…get rid of him now…the team was better last year when he got hurt…..
Kennedy was at 91-92 with pretty much every fastball last week against the O’s.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday.....b_balmlb_1
I’d go with Ensberg at 1B. I like his approach and he is a solid if unspectacular fielder. Shelly, imo, will be quickly exposed after a very short time on the ML level.
Masterson
4 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 2 K, PT/S 67-40, GO/AO 7:3
he’s making the Angels look silly, it like they are trying to hit a HR in every AB
Marte would take more than Betemit. That guy has been on the market for 2 years now and a deal has never been worked out.
I still don’t think that Duncan is the ideal first baseman but he would certainly be an improvement over Giambi. Giambi’s defense is really hurting the team. Last year at least Mintkiewicz would come in to replace Giambi late.
Looking forward to seeing Hughes tonight. His problem has been command of his pitches. Hopefully he will be able to do that and throw strikes early in the count.
what is it w/ this crap w/ Mintkewicz…he sucked batting, almost an automatic out !
this season —> .219/.342/.281
last 10 games .143 AVG
why do you want this back !
I wonder if Posada not catching has anything to do with the Hughes and Kennedy’s struggles…If Phil is better tonight, it might have some relevance.
i’m trying to get a feel for what hughes is trying to do when he pitches. he’s got the great movement on a decent fastball, and he’s got the good curve. it seems like he needs more at the mlb level unless i’m missing something which i could be because i never saw him when he was dominating in the minors.
he could get by with two pitches if he commanded the strike zone really well. maybe that answers my question about him. maybe he just hasn’t had his command on a consistent basis yet.
Is there an inordinant number of ground-rule doubles at the sardine can?
Joe
Are your serious? Wow he is even dumber than I thought.
Molina and Moehler have combined for .339/.393/.553. I say we bring up Chris Stewart and see what we get from four catchers. LOL!!
Look at the lineup for Boston today. The mean age must be like 25. They may be young, but they’re getting it done. Sigh.
these Angels really suck
“Little bothered by his 50% success rate so far stealing bases in SWB”
Brett Gardner was hobbled by an ankle injury for most of the season so far. His SB rates will definitely climb back up.
As for Eric Duncan……jury’s out. He does a lot of good things but a lot more bad things, both at the plate and in the field. But I will say this much: he’s trimmed down a lot (225 to 195), he’s playing 1B much better than he used to (our de facto best fielding 1B in the system), and his back problems (the result of the weight the Yankees told him to gain) haven’t flared up in a while.
Now that he’s going back to the style of hitting that got him drafted (as opposed to the Yankees’ obsession with turning him into a power hitter), it’ll be interesting to see what he does now. Hard to believe that he’s the youngest player in Scranton right now, and that’s including Jeff Marquez and Brett Gardner.
TKinDC
April 24th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Youkilis was scratched last night because of buttock stiffness –
Is anyone elses mind going where it shouldn’t?
Brandon,
Nice reverse psychology there.
jennifer,
His butt can’t be any uglier than his head.
now I have to hear Peter Gammons later tonight coining Masterson as the next great SP.
“last 10 games .143 AVG
why do you want this back !”
Because he can catch a ball and throw to 2B. Giambi is batting just as bad, but can’t do either.
finally Napoli got a HR
“it seems like he needs more at the mlb level unless i’m missing something which i could be because i never saw him when he was dominating in the minors.”
go back and watch the “no-hitter” game last year against Texas. specifically the K of Teixiera in the 1st inning.
3 straight change-ups. strike 1, 2, 3.
now, why is he not throwing his change this year?
i don’t know. maybe he has no feel for it yet? but it’s an above average pitch.
he needs his change and another tick on his fastball. i am confident the velocity will come. the change up? not sure what’s going on with that.
“Because he can catch a ball and throw to 2B. Giambi is batting just as bad, but can’t do either.”
and when he hits into DPs we’ll be hearing more whining and b…..ing like last yr.
I’m a DC guy, and the Baltimore gun has always been rumored to be high. Also, since the word is it is usually high, and IPK does NOT throw in the low 90’s, the fact that he was around 90 or 92 solidifies it for me. I saw in the world series on Fox back in the day where Rob Nen was hitting 104! Kevin Brown hit 101 and Al Leiter touched the mid 90’s…but it still doesn’t mean it was right.
Kennedy touching 90 or 91 a couple times per year while throwing mostly 86 or 87 doesnt mean you can say he throws in the low 90’s. If that is the case, I consistently a) take hot chicks home from the bar instead of b) take big fat ones home…since I have done a) exactly once and have done b) well…more than once.
now I have to hear Peter Gammons later tonight coining Masterson as the next great SP.
…
or, you could just watch it and come to your own conclusion, thus not watching Peter at all. The kid does look awesome though. His sinker is very, very good.
Anyone notice that Gameday has some new features/changes?
I see at least 3. The highlight video tab, stikes/balls/outs at the top now, and the current pitcher’s stats are under the lineup of the team who’s batting.
“and when he hits into DPs we’ll be hearing more whining and b…..ing like last yr.”
And that will differ from Giambi hitting into DPs with the shift on in what way?
The Masterson Pimp Slappin’ Angels Watch
5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HR PT/S 80-48, GO/AO 9:3
not a fan of the new gameday. too many scrolling windows within scrolling windows. i liked it better when you opened it, it would be a fixed sized window and i didn’t have to scroll around looking for things.
i don’t think i’ll ever use the video clip feature.
“And that will differ from Giambi hitting into DPs with the shift on in what way?”
what ?
I bet Boston replaces Lester with this kid. Also, he seems abnormally tall.
saucY,
I agree about the scrolling, although it seems a little better than the beginning of the season.
They need to put the scores on the side, and push everything up.
“Anyone notice that Gameday has some new features/changes?”
also, i noticed that when you hover over names of players on the little field diagram, the baserunners show stolen base stats, fielders show fielder stats, pitching stats, and batting…. didn’t think that was on the old one. but i still want the old one back.
Brandon,
What’s the difference between Minky hitting into a DP and Giambi doing it? Actually, Giambi doing it is worse because with the shift on, he has other options that could lead to hits (i.e. going opposite field) yet he refuses to do that. At least with Minky, we could say that at least he’s a good fielder. Can’t say that with the Big G.
Paulie he’s 6′6
Calm down! I know Masterson looks good, good for him but the Angels have never seen him before. There’s no scouting report on him.
Let him get around the league first before we start singing his praises.
Take a look at the following two pitchers lines last night:
IP H R ER BB SO
7.0 7 2 2 1 4 —- Pitcher 1
7.0 4 2 2 1 3 —- Pitcher 2
Which performance is better? Which performance would you rather have?
I’m picking pitcher 2.
Pitcher 1 is Johan Santana pitching against the overly talented, unbeatable, dangerous Washington Nationals last night
Pitcher 2 is Mike Mussina, the aging, talentless bum, pitching against one of the best offenses so far this season.
I am glad, personally, that Mike Mussina has shut up his critics. The guy can be successful in the Major Leagues and has thrown acceptable games in all but one start so far this season.
3 innings is not a good start, but every pitcher has those starts. Mike has gone 5.2 or more in all other starts. He hasn’t allowed 4 or more ER, save the 3 inning appearance.
The guy just goes out there and throws a quality game night after night. Look at last years stats. Almost all quality starts. Some bad, but the number of good severely overwhelms the number of bad.
“I’m a DC guy, and the Baltimore gun has always been rumored to be high.”
right, except the posted link was from Gameday.
Thanks, Brandon.
Not that that makes him a giant, but for some reason, he looks taller than that. He looks like a giant ten year old. ha.
I’ll never forget Peter Gammons saying that Cano had no business playing in the futures game about 4 years ago.
saucY,
The old one had stats when you hover, just not as detailed.
Why not go with Posada at 1B against the lefties and either Molina or Moeller behind the plate? Jorge’ is no Mattingly around first, but much better than the slow, scatter armed, no-range Giambi at First! He’s also a better defensive option than Shelley.
The first cut should be Betemit, unless they can trade him.
Law and Order, were you listening last season, do you how many posters hated that guy’s bat ? he played good but was an automatic double play, pop ot, oh and the frequent strikeout looking
we called him from the human out to Eye Chart, slapstick swinger, the frozen bat…you name it
Can we get Larry Bowa to give Cano a call? We need someone to help break him out of this slump.
out*
Paulie,
Standing in front of Pedroia will do that to you.
Ian,
Did he use those exact words?
“Law and Order, were you listening last season, do you how many posters hated that guy’s bat ? he played good but was an automatic double play, pop ot, oh and the frequent strikeout looking
we called him from the human out to Eye Chart, slapstick swinger, the frozen bat…you name it”
I’ll concede that he can’t hit, but he can play the field and right now we’re not getting that from Giambi. Brandon, who do you think we should play at 1B?
Where is this Minky that everyone’s pining for?
Are the Angels a free-swinging team?
The Masterson WHO’S YOUR DADDY Angels Watch
6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HR PT/S 95-58, GO/AO 11:3
Side note: Frank Thomas will return to Oakland. Look for him to kill the Jays when Oakland plays them.
“he needs his change and another tick on his fastball. i am confident the velocity will come. the change up? not sure what’s going on with that.’
well, that explains why it seemed like he must have another pitch because he does. a good change seems like it would be the perfect compliment to the fastball and curve. i don’t get not using it either. maybe the cold weather, but you wouldn’t think that would make a difference.
i have no doubt he’s going to be good. i just want the bottom three of the rotation to pick it up so the yankees don’t have to play catch up with the red sox all summer. mussina did his thing last night. now we’ll see if hughes can likewise make some adjustments and come closer to that game last spring against texas.
Standing in front of Pedroia will do that to you..
When I look at the numbers, I wish some of our pitchers were standing in front of Pedroia. He’s been hot for a freaking year now.
Before anyone freaks out, I love Cano. Just wish that he was hitting like Pedroia.
“I bet Boston replaces Lester with this kid.”
Why? Because he pitched one good game. Gimme a break.
Are the Angels a free-swinging team?
Yes. Though, not many of them strike out, and they score a ton of runs. They’re tough when they’re on base…have you not been watching the past five years? ha.
No, Ray.
He’s better, that’s why.
Mel-
He said something along those lines. I forget what year. I think our two prospects in the game were Cano and Navarro. It was a comment on the general poor shape of our farm system at the time.
Thank God we don’t play LAA until July. By then, we should have our act together. The Angels always give us a hard time.
He throws harder, has more control, and keeps balls on the ground. As opposed to a kid who can’t throw strikes, go five innings, and doesn’t keep the ball on the ground. Lester will be involved in whatever Coco deal they make. Count on it.
“Before anyone freaks out, I love Cano. Just wish that he was hitting like Pedroia.”
Do you mean at this very moment you wish that?
Cano > Pedroia.
Ian,
Thanks. I just found it hard to believe that as much as he slobbers all over his team that he would “insult” a young player like that.
That being said, take a look at who Boston is fielding today. You can’t say that they don’t have good, young position players.
Ian, for all purposes needed here, without seeing Cano in the mL, you would have to assume that he was not good. His numbers were nothing special there. He didn’t really blossom until he was actually in NY, then he regressed, then blossomed again, then regresssed again, blossomed, and now he’s back to regression mode. ha.
Mussina didn’t shut up any critics last night. He pitched a good game. That’s it. One good game.
Let’s see if he can build on it because that’s going to be the key to him having success this season. I hope he can because the team needs him to.
Comparing stats from Moose and Santana from last night is a little foolish isn’t it?
Put it another way. Your life is on the line and one pitcher has to pitch to save it, Mussina or Santana. Who ‘ya got?
Before everybody puts Justin Masterson in the Hall of Fame let’s remember the Angels have never seen him and have no real scouting report on him. He’s a nice prospect and he is throwing the ball well in his first ML game. Why not just leave it at that instead of getting carried away with hyperbole?
As far as the Shelley Duncan/Minky debate, its really simple. The Yankees need role players. They have enough all stars and fading all stars to last a lifetime. They need a couple of players who can do the little things to help them win.
Little things add up to big things when you want to win games. Like, hitting LH pitching or actually making the plays around first base. Or, having a clean 7th or 8th inning so you don’t have to waste Chamberlain and Rivera in games.
Its little things and for people who live by stats alone it doesn’t add it up. But, it does add up to winning games over the course of the season.
Let’s remember, this is a team that has won World Series with the likes of Chad Curtis, David Weathers, Shane Spencer, Luis Sojo, Jose Vizcaino and Graham Lloyd making key contributions to the titles.
Its not about having all stars at every position. Its about having a functional team. A few more role players in place of the fading vets won’t hurt this team one bit.
“He throws harder, has more control, and keeps balls on the ground.”
He has pitched in exactly 1 major league game, are you kidding me? In this game he has a 1:1 walk to strikeout ratio and suddenly he’s better and has more control than Lester after one start?
So I guess Moeller is better than Jorge right now also? Be for real.
Yeah. I like him. I mean, if here weren’t in Boston, and so many of us didn’t have this weird love affair with what Cano “could” be, we’d all want him. Of course, I’m happy with Cano, I just think Pedroia is a better hitter. Cano is definitely better in the field though. I worry about Cano in a big spot. I don’t know that Red Sox fans carry that same concern since this time last year. Just look at what he’s done so far. It’s silly.
that’s all for Masterson today
final line
Justin “I PUT MY FOOT IN YOUR A.. Angels !” Masterson
6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HR PT/S 95-58, GO/AO 11:3
Ray are you angry at something? All I said what that he looks better than Lester. Is Lester your brother or something? Give yourself the break. How many games do I need to wait to say he looks talented? Ten? Hundred? Let me know, ok. Thanks.
I’ve got a fever.. And the only cure is a good start by Phil Hughes.
“He didn’t really blossom until he was actually in NY, then he regressed, then blossomed again, then regresssed again, blossomed, and now he’s back to regression mode. ha.”
What are you talking about? Do you not count a baseball season as being six months? Is every month a different baseball season in your eyes?
It’s premature to compare Lester to Masterson, but who ever said that Lester’s not impressive now is right. Kid has very little control this season.
Let’s see if the leadoff walk scores. Too bad Timmy pitched last night. Sigh.
C’mon Scoscia, play small ball. Double steal!
“I am glad, personally, that Mike Mussina has shut up his critics. The guy can be successful in the Major Leagues and has thrown acceptable games in all but one start so far this season.”
He hasn’t shut up his critics. He’s 2 for 5 on quality starts so far this year (and let us not forget mediocrity passes as a quailty start). He was 15 for 32 in quality starts last year. Last night was the exception for Mussina, not the rule.
“Ian, for all purposes needed here, without seeing Cano in the mL, you would have to assume that he was not good. His numbers were nothing special there.”
Very true. Same can be said for Hanley Ramirez. International and Eastern Leagues are very pitcher friendly leagues.
“Comparing stats from Moose and Santana from last night is a little foolish isn’t it?”
Yes, because Santana pitched against the Nationals. And the Nationals suck.
“Yeah. I like him. I mean, if here weren’t in Boston, and so many of us didn’t have this weird love affair with what Cano “could†be, we’d all want him. Of course, I’m happy with Cano, I just think Pedroia is a better hitter.”
You think he’s a better hitter but the full season numbers Cano has put up proves he’s a better hitter than Pedroia.
Delcarmen gives up a run 3 – 2, here comes Okijima to save the day vs Figgins
“Ray are you angry at something? All I said what that he looks better than Lester. Is Lester your brother or something? Give yourself the break. How many games do I need to wait to say he looks talented? Ten? Hundred? Let me know, ok. Thanks.”
No, I’m not angry at all actually. I’m quite content with my life if you really want to know.
I also have no relation to Lester and I’m not a Red Sox fan at all. But to say a pitcher is better than another pitcher after 1 major league start is just silly.
Of course Moose didn’t redeem himself. BUT, it was a great boost the confidence of the club and, more importantly, to Moose.
Shampoo, rinse, repeat.
Bases loaded again, still no outs. Even a sacrifice or ground out ties the game. Can they do it?
“I also have no relation to Lester and I’m not a Red Sox fan at all. But to say a pitcher is better than another pitcher after 1 major league start is just silly.”
he is he throws strikes and gets more ground outs
and we have a ball game
now 5 – 3 Angels
my dog is a better defensive 1b than jg
The way I see it – Moose has to be our #3 right now even though he has 4 or 5 level stuff. The way Hughes and IPK have started out this isn’t even in question.
By mid-season I would hope that Phil is slinging it well enough to be our #3.
If EVERYTHING goes to plan maybe Joba is our #3 in October.
But right now a credible performance by Moose is very reassuring. I heard somewhere that he didn’t pitch over 100 pitches at all last year and he did last night. Maybe he’ll be better this year than last.
*fingers crossed*
5 – 3, 3 consecutive singles w/ the basesloaded, and now they are chosing to BB Vlad to put the basesloaded w/ no outs and pitch to G.A.
Halos OPS this inning is about 402 million.
If Trisha were here you could all learn something!
Speaking of second basemans. Can Chase Utley end up being one of the best second basemans ever to play that position? Offensively. The guy could have won the mvp last year if he didnt go down and in the end of the season. He’s a beast.
according mlbtraderumors.com:
Big Hurt to the A’s (yawn)
Oswalt staying put unless it is to Cards, Braves, or Red Sox (hiss)
“Yeah. I like him. I mean, if here weren’t in Boston, and so many of us didn’t have this weird love affair with what Cano “could†be, we’d all want him. Of course, I’m happy with Cano, I just think Pedroia is a better hitter. Cano is definitely better in the field though. I worry about Cano in a big spot. I don’t know that Red Sox fans carry that same concern since this time last year. Just look at what he’s done so far. It’s silly.”
Chris Russo is that you?
Anderson struck out.
Anyone see the A’s new ballpark? Looks like Camden Yards and a little bit of Wrigley put together.
Que porqueria ese Hunter.
It took 8 batters to get the first out. Hunter K’ed for the 2nd.
basura
Yeah!
Sign that kid!!!
Put him on first!!!
Dang. 2 run deficit is nothing for the Sox. Hopefully the Angels can hold on.
Damnit Krotchman
Brandon- what are you guys watching?
The crazy saga of the David Ortiz jersey has a happy ending!
Probably some of you know that it was placed on auction at E-bay to benefit the Jimmy Fund that sponsors the care and research for kids with cancer.
Someone actually bid over $175,000 for it. It goes to a good cause.
The Yankee organization was very generous and showed a lot of class in giving the jersey to the Jimmy Fund. I also know that George Steinbrenner has been very supportive of the Jimmy Fund. What was a crazy series of events ended in what I think was a good way.
now all that is left is to kick da s— out of the man that put it there
Okajima had to throw 30 pitches there. Who throws the 8th for the Sox? Timlin? Papelbon for 2?
ray,
Thanks for the update. At least something good came out of it.
Cano is better than Pedroia.
I took the Batting AVG he had for the first two months of the season for the past 3 years and included his stats so far this year:
05- (started season in May) May+June AVG = .284
06- April+May AVG = .293
07- April+May AVG = .264
08- April so far. AVG = .165
AVG at seasons End:
05- .297
06- .342
07- .306
08- to be determined..
So..he never starts off hot.
Kevin
whozat,
Timlin pitched last night as they didn’t need a closer. I was hoping for him today, but what happened was a pleasant surprise. Javy’s usually dependable and Delcarmen runs hot & cold.
“Okajima had to throw 30 pitches there. Who throws the 8th for the Sox? Timlin? Papelbon for 2?”
Beckett
Hey Mel,
Peter just did a posting about it. I’m still rooting for a Laker/Celtics finals.
“Timlin pitched last night as they didn’t need a closer. I was hoping for him today,”
He can go back-to-back games, no? Unless he threw 40 pitches or something. Maybe Okajima has another inning in him? It’s not like he throws hard…
Wow. manny being manny is the man.
but Youkilis is not
bean ball Aardsma is pitching the 8th
“bean ball Aardsma is pitching the 8th”
Well, it’s the bottom of the Angels’ order, and they like to swing the bats, so he’ll probably be OK. Patient hitters give him a problem, but they’ll put the ball in play right off the bat (I AM _SO_ CLEVER AND FUNNY!!!!!) and likely make outs.
Duncan? Wait a minute, what happened to “giving Giambi a chance” that you posted after last nights game?