The Sunday links
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- May
- 4
Mike Mussina grabbed some souvenirs yesterday after picking up another win. The Moose has made the adjustments needed.
Jose Tabata was suspended by Double-AA Trenton last week. This notebook also has updates on Darrell Rasner, Chien-Ming Wang Robinson Cano and a stuffed turkey.
In the Sunday Baseball Beat, the focus is on how Joe Girardi is settling in with the media. Shaky at first, it’s getting better all the time. Meanwhile the Rockies are changing on the fly, Micah Owings was worth keeping and Cliff Lee is the best No. 5 starter ever.
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Yankees go for the sweep this afternoon as Darrell Rasner makes his season debut.
This entry was posted
on Sunday, May 4th, 2008 at 8:28 am by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
I’d proclaim that it’s time to give Robbie and Jason their unconditional releases, but then they’d each spend a week of games going 5 for 5 with 2 HR.
Okay, in that case, it’s time to give them their unconditional releases.
Pete,
Really enjoyed your piece on Moose.
Is it my imagination or has he mellowed a bit this year? He seems much more approachable than he ever was before. I couldn’t bear to watch his post-game interviews in the apst because he was so unbearably condescending and testy. I like this Moose much better.
Man it just get worse for the Rocket,….
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/05/03/2008-05-03_mindy_mccreadys_mother_recalls_moment_of-2.html
“a manager or coach has to be a credible source of information”
Good points, Peter. Girardi needs to find his comfort zone regarding how much information to share when. But he cannot lie or mislead.
Imagine a reporter publishing Girardi’s story that “Phil Hughes is healthy” or “Yanks don’t know yet who will be called up” — only to be shown up by another reporter who found a more credible source than the Yankees manager?
At least if he said “no comment” the reporter would know he needs to keep digging.
DARRRRRRRRRREEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!
I miss that
” He also has worked at pitching more inside to get hitters off the plate and higher in the strike zone to change their eye level.” peter a. on mussina
it’s not rocket science. why mussina took so long to do this is a mystery, but he could be good for a while if he continues doing this.
a lot of baseball is not rocket science. how the yankees could not know hughes has eye problems is another example of how weak the conditioning program is. the whole team should be checked routinely for eye problems.
the yankees are simply not proactive. last giambi developed heel spurs over a very long period of time. they are slow to develop and slow to heal. all the players should be on a heel spur prevention program. older players like jeter,arod, abreau,etc could start to get them. it’s just a matter of preventative stretching and proper shoe support, but i doubt if the yankees do anything. they just wait until there are problems and then send the player to the best MRI machine available.
the consensus on this blog is that cashman because he correctly moved the team towards developing younger players that he can do no wrong. nothing could be further from the truth. for the resources the yankees have, they are amazingly mediocre in many areas.
the yankees seem to be very unlucky this spring, but i’ve always believed that organizations and people usually make their own luck. the yankees can still make the playoffs, but i suspect hank is going to have to step in and put cashman’s feet to the fire.
cashman was also on the hot seat last spring and in danger of being fired, and that finally got him going to make the changes he needed to make. he seems to need it each year before he kicks into gear. he shouldn’t wait too long this year because each year it’s getting harder to recover.
“The last thing the Brothers Steinbrenner need is a manager going to battle with the media every day. That doesn’t play well with the paying customers.”
So, now, if Joe G. doesn’t call the media to tell them about every detail of his day, it will begin to cost the Steinbrenner family at the gate?
Sheesh…you serious with this, Pete?
I like what you do, Pete. I respect you as a writer, and you can look up my IP and see I’m on here a lot (too much, if you ask my wife and co-workers!) I like the game wraps you write, you are a very good beat writer. I like the info and 411 you get on the players, the whole love affair with the Big Buck Hunter, the wild turkey/Farnsworth/Ensberg thing was hilarious.
But this pestering and second guessing of Joe G has to ease up a bit. It was all peaches and cream for a month in ST, and now a month into the regular season and guys like Sherman, Madden, et al are killing Girardi. Do us all a favor and don’t hop on that bandwagon.
No, I’m not writing this with my Pinstriped Pom-Poms or my Yankees Shades on, fyi. I just think its the manager’s decision if he wants to hold a *little* info back from the media. Don’t worry, I get that you have a job to do, and I respect that.
But does the guy have to send a memo out about every injury the second its discovered? Or, as he quipped, every time he plans to use a hit-and-run?
Why not stop there? Why not turn in your LOHUD press pass, and get a NY Post one? Then you could track the players, all the sleazy hookers/groupies they sleep with, track which ones are alcoholics? Heck, grab a NY D News pass, and you could be part of the “Bring Clemens Down Movement”.
I know its New York, and most of the fans have an unquenchable thirst for information on their favorite team. I realize that. But I guess having a *little* aura of mystery around the team couldn’t hurt either, no?
Just ask Belichick and your Patriots… Never hear boo from you on that, now do we? Every since Girardi *misremembered* Phil’s status last Wednesday, all the writers have been thirsty for the blood of Girardi. And b/c I’ve been reading a lot of comments this last week, I know that posters on here have been throwing the Belichick thing in your face left and right. No response on that subject ?
Again, I’ve never been one to throw dirt in here, and I completely respect you and what you do for a living. But to insinuate that Joe G’s dealings with the media COULD affect the cash take at the gate is silly…
Please… You think Joe Fan flippin burgers at the King cares if Joe G tells you about every injury and decision he makes? I know a lot of fans do care. But again, I won’t be boycotting any games because Girardi forgot to tell the media that, say, Farnsworth has a bad case of hemaroids.
Go ahead, SJ, hop on this post like its a mechanical bull and dissect this thing until your blue in the face. IT IS 10:15 am EST, shocked your not on here yet!!!
Its all good in the hood!
Give Darrell Rasner the best chance to win today.
Put the slumping Cano on the pine and by all means the very diminished Giambi right next to Cano.
“a manager or coach has to be a credible source of information”
“Good points, Peter. Girardi needs to find his comfort zone regarding how much information to share when. But he cannot lie or mislead.”
See, Yazman nailed it in two paragraphs. I typed 600 words and still coulnd’t get out what I was feeling and thinking.
Good post Yazman, completely agree. I guess its all about finding that ‘comfort zone’ and deciding how much info to release and when.
But a manager cannot lie– that is way out of line.
A little aura of secrecy here and there, a la NE Pats, wouldn’t hurt either… IMHO
I admit to slotting Moose #5 after IPK and Phil even for this year. He’s been a great positive surprise.
Anyone hear what Michael Kay’s been saying about Moose these last three games?
Pete, I think you wrote a fair and interesting assessment on Girardi.
I’m very curious to see who’s active roster spot Rasner will take. I hope Britton and Veras don’t lose their spots, but then again I think Betemit might be coming up Tuesday to platoon with Ensburg at third and one, if not both will be back to SWB.
Ugh. Please no Betemit.
So I guess I should admit sometime that I have like this giant crush on Micah Owings…
Chad Jennings has a nice article that gives a realistic view on Darrell Rasner. A good read.
Pete no one cares if you are successful at your job, however we do care that Girardi is.
1. Pete - that was a good story about yesterday’s game. The fans know the score, but you focused on Moose and his facing the end of a long career, and I, as a fan of the game, really found that interesting. A lot more interesting than telling me something that I already knew. Keep it up.
2. I think Jose Tabata is a young man (he has a wife and child, after all) in a foreign country whose having difficulty for the first time in something he hopes will make his life for him and family. No wonder he’s showing the strain. At least he didn’t start a fight, get drunk, etc. Sounds like he was just depressed and frustrated. But he’s no where near ready for NY in 2009. Maybe 2010-11. We’ll be following his career.
3. If I had to bet, I’d bet Edwar gets the ticket to SWB. Veras pitched a 10-pitch inning yesterday, throwing strkes, something Edwar had trouble with. Walking two batters to load the bases with a 5-run lead couldn’t have made Joe or Dave Eiland very happy. Or confident in his abilities.
Go Darrell Rasner!
BB77 - “I just think its the manager’s decision if he wants to hold a *little* info back from the media. Don’t worry, I get that you have a job to do, and I respect that. But does the guy have to send a memo out about every injury the second its discovered? Or, as he quipped, every time he plans to use a hit-and-run?”
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Good post guy. Do we know Cashman is/was shopping for a ‘3rd string’ catcher or ‘backup’ SP? What happens to negoiations if it’s announced that ‘Posada may be out for 2 weeks of more’ or that ‘Hughes may have a serious injury’?
Furthermore, I can’t believe it is Joe. G’s responsibiity / authority to make (premature) statements on a players health. This would seem to be a FO decision. To me, Joe G. should answer: “I’m note sure, let’s wait until the FO makes an announcement”.
And it’s interesting that NO MATTER WHAT happens to a player, we always know in a few days. Either Posada/ARod are in the lineup every day or they on on the bench or they are put on the DL. That simple. Phil’s on the DL, right? Did we HAVE TO KNOW 24 hours sooner then the announcement was made? There are NEVER any secrets. It ALWAYS comes out within a few days.
WHY IN THE WORLD DOES THE PRESS THINK THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW EVERY DETAIL, EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY when it might effect the strategy of the ballclub? I mean if it looks like Posada has a bad injury, can Cashman at least get a few drinks before the hounds from the press have at him?
And Pete’s line that he’s ‘doing it for us… the fans’ is such a crock! This is his job. Reporters get brownie points for beaking news. If a reporter got FIRED the first time they printed incorrect info, would they be in such a rush?
Would ‘the fans need to know’ have any relevence at all?
But WRONG news is better then no news because it SELLS.. creates HITS… gets attention.
Funny how we usually have no idea about what happens in the political world, where decisions effect literally miilions, or tens of millions of people. But the all-important world of Baseball? GOTTA KNOW NOW! Girardi has probably faced more ‘heat’ from the press in the last week then George W. has faced in 8 years!
If I were Cashman I would announce that statements on the health status of ALL players, MLB and MiLB, is the domain of the Yankee organization/FO, and Girardi is NOT allowed to comment on it (least he make a mistake and mislead the poor reporters and fans). This would take all the heat off Joe G., reduce the number of dumb questions from the press, and make this a non-issue.
We will know when the Yankees feel it’s best FOR THE TEAM to let us know. I’m OK with that.
If i’m not mistaken, i think one of the issues Cashman had with Torre was his relaying too much info to the media. These managers address the media minutes after the game and i’m sure if an issue (i.e. injury, or poor performance) would need to be discussed with the GM, but i don’t believe he has had that chance to discuss it with Cashman before he has to address the media. You hear Girardi say things like “we’ll have discussions” or “we talk about that internally” or something to that effect. Cashman seems to have that cell phone attached to his ear, so i am sure he is always looking at ways to improve this team, but if Girardi is being vague with an answer, maybe it’s because Cashman is getting the information on a situation, albeit injury, trade or whatever and Girardi hasn’t been told yet and is asked by the media if something is happening with player X and provides a contradicting answer. Then it makes it look like Giradri isn’t forthcoming and the media hounds him. Give the guy a break and let him settle in.
pig will fly, with golden wings, before the narcissistic media ever would consider the possibility that IT is off to a shaky start w/Girardi.
the Art Howe comparison in Pete’s article is ludicrous in that if you look at the 2003 Mets, they were next-to-last in the NL in runs scored, and 11th in ERA. Glavine had an awful year, their ace was Steve Trachsel. not a single player had 20 HRs, Ty Wigginton led the team with runs and RBIs with 73 and 71, respectively.
that’s why Howe was bad, not because “Once the public perceives that the manager is in over his head, the players pick up on it.” Teams with poor players have crappy morale, and often the players scapegoat the manager. I didn’t follow the mets, but if the press coverage focussed on Howe, instead of on the crappy players…well, that would say more about the press than about Howe. Howe may have been a poor manager too, but Casey Stengel would have done poorly with that group too!
Enjoyed your piece on the Moose. The report of his collecting all those baseballs for his family and friends was quite poignant.
“Joe Girardi should lighten up a little bit, Peter Abraham writes.”
Per Buster Olney, this a.m.
I have to agree with Bo. I like you Pete but I don’t care if you’re successful on your job. There are a lot of Yankee beat writers. There is one Yankee manager and I want him to succeed and if he needs to be secretive for success, then so be it. I have to support Girardi. We know enough and if they thought Hughes was healthy it might have been that Phil was trying to battle whatever aches or pains he felt and wasn’t being honest.
The fans need to support Girardi more, press less.