Game 36: Indians at Yankees
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on May 08, 2008 
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YANKEES
Damon LF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Matsui DH
Giambi 1B
Cabrera CF
Cano 2B
Betemit 3B
Molina C
Mussina RHP
Mike Mussina vs. the Cleveland hitters.
Paul Byrd against the New York hitters.
Notes: Matsui has a 16-game hitting streak. … The Yankees were swept at home by the Tigers last week and are trying to avoid the same fate today. … Thanks to Brian Heyman for calling in the lineup.
UPDATE, 2:21 p.m.: Still no word on Kyle Farnsworth’s appeal. I realize that MLB has plenty to do, but their discipline system is very, very slow. … Meanwhile, Hideki Matsui has extended his hitting streak to 17 games and the Yankees finally scored a run (ending a skid of 17 straight scoreless innings).
The Moose is pitching well again (well, until the fifth inning). The Yankees could really use this one before going on the road for seven games.
UPDATE, 2:58 p.m.: It’s good to see the Yankees using Ross Ohlendorf in a situation where the game can be won. I think he’s better than a long reliever, which is how they’ve been using him. Once Joba becomes a starter, I think Ohlendorf is a legit candidate for the eighth inning. He throws hard, can strike guys out and gets grounders.
UPDATE, 3:17 p.m.: Hey, it’s the Wilson Betemit they traded for last season. Big HR there. This will be an interesting outing for Joba.
Just a hunch, but he’ll throw every pitch Molina calls. Girardi mentioned to us yesterday that they “had a little talk” about shaking the catcher.
UPDATE, 3:32 p.m.: Joba is fine, our long national nightmare is over. Yes, it was only two days. But it seemed long.
UPDATE, 3:42 p.m.: How come the games are always less than three hours when I don’t work? It’s not fair.
Nice job by the bullpen. Mariano gave up a hit (shocking, I know) but he finished off the Tribe.
Does Bobby Abreu wear one of those invisible collars that shocks him when he gets too close the wall? I know every outfielder isn’t Aaron Rowand, but he could make a play once in a while, no?
Now the boys are off to Detroit, the greatest place in the world for a night off.
Molina? Day game after night game? I’m surprised Moeller’s not out there.
Moose->Farnsy->Chamberlain->Mo->Ballgame?
Mussina hearts pitching to Molina.
No other explanation for it. 2nd Mussina start in a row where Molina will catch the day after a night game for him.
Ray – switch Ollie for Farnsy, I think he’s pitched two straight days (and the earth has continued to spin, fancy that!).
Jose will have tomorrow off than.
Motown,
Didn’t realize Farns pitched yesterday as well.
“Jose will have tomorrow off than.”
Yup. Is it Rasner tomorrow??? He and Moeller seemed to workout okay last Sunday.
Igawa is tomorrow.
Yankees win it 6-4 on a come back.
I think farnsy pitched in 3 straight games, looks like Girardi seems to know him a bit, he’s really great now, the main thing he cut down on his walks a lot.
I wonder what is taking so long to get word on Kyles suspension. They must really be considering lowering it or getting rid of it all together.
“Igawa is tomorrow.”
Ugh!
Igawa shouldn’t be pitching till Saturday, should be Rasner tomorrow.
“Moose->Farnsy->Chamberlain->Mo->Ballgame?” Unless you want Farnsy pitching in three straight games, which is a risk no matter how well he’s been pitching, probably not.
Hope Moose can make it four straight. I know it’s a lot to ask for, but it’d be really awesome if he could.
Igawa shouldn’t be pitching till tenth, should be Rasner tomorrow.
“Moose->Farnsy->Chamberlain->Mo->Ballgame?” Unless you want Farnsy pitching in three straight games, which is a risk no matter how well he’s been pitching, probably not.
Hope Moose can make it four straight. I know it’s a lot to ask for, but it’d be really awesome if he could.
so Phil,Alex and Georgy have left to Tampa for rehab ?
(didn’t realize there was a new post)
“Their pitching can’t get any worse now with Hughes 9 ERA and Kennedy’s 8.45 ERA not in the rotation at the moment.â€
raymagnetic-
i agree it’s not likley to get worse, but if it doesn’t get better i don’t see a big run coming in a month. mussina is a big surprise to me so far. he could get worse than he is now. wang and pettite are as advertised, but the 4th and 5th spot is up for grabs.
if cashman sticks to the plan and goes only from within i just don’t see the pitching being a strength. as a said the other day to the consternation of the blog , i think he really needed to pick up a veteran like livian hernandez for depth and innings. i still think he needs someone like that.
hernandez by the way is now 5-1 after a complete game victory last night . two rookies, slowey and perkins will be starting in the next few days. they will have a rested bullpen to bail them out if need be.
there is a symbiosis here that defies the logic that the yankees have young pitchers in their system who can do what hernandez does for the twins. it’s going to cost more now to get a veteran like hernandez. do you think the yankees could get him now without a few decent minor leaguers thrown in? i’m not sure the twins would take kennedy for him even up.
the problem the yankees are having with pitching is they are playing out a flawed plan.
they need to amend it as difficult as that it is now into the season.
Id just like to see some hitting with risp…win or lose
Francis good point, I hate it when they go down quite.
if the yankees dont start hitting soon the division may be out of reach by the end of May. I cant believe this team has been shut out as amany times as they have been….I dont think theyve been shut out more than 3 times in the past 4 year combined.
Jeez! Reports now are that it looks unlikely Arod will come off the DL when he eligible on 5/15.
If the Twins were smart they would take a bag of baseballs for Livan as his value is at its apex right now. Nowhere but down to go for him and it won’t be long now until we are laughing at the thought of trading for him.
On the other hand, for 4 million bucks, I thought the eminently hittable Kyle Lohse was worth taking a flier on.
Contradictory maybe, but Livan’s best days are way behind him.
Julio Lugo did the Yankees a favor last night.
I agree with Francis – we should be already back 6 games by now. I dont care what happened last season, it’s not happening again. WAY too much parity now in the AL.
Yanks need to win today and take 2 of 3 from Detroit, somehow.
Win today so you don’t ruin my afternoon. Thank you.
they said they are going to give him a few extra days even when he comes off it. They aren’t risking losing his bat for a long length of time.
Hey maybe we can bat Mussina against byrd He’s 1 for 3 against him with an Rbi
The bats need to wake up and stay up. By being quiet they only put more pressure on the pitching staff to be that much more perfect.
Fredo – where do you see those A-Rod reports? That’s awful news.
“I wonder what is taking so long to get word on Kyles suspension. They must really be considering lowering it or getting rid of it all together.”
I think the Yankees presented an interesting issue: Is an in-game ejection a prerequisite to a multi-game suspension?
I don’t think so, because the Commissioner’s Office can overrule or change the in-game umpire’s recommendation, and they reduce original disciplinary decisions frequently. Plus, in this case the Commissioner’s Office would not be overruling a decsion by the in-game ump becasue there was no ejection. This suspension decision was made in the first instance by the Commissioner’s Office, in the absence of a decision by the in-game ump.
Is the suspension in the “best interests of the game?” Perhaps. You shouldn’t do what Farns did. But the Commish does need to keep peace with the umpires and should not usurp the umpires’ in-game discretion, or risk diluting their in-game authority.
It may be something they want to get straight and address with the umpiring crews more explicitly.
Randy,
I still think there’s virtually no difference between what a Livan Hernanadez will give you and what they’ll be getting from Darrell Rasner as long as he’s in the rotation.
I also think the Yankees have enough in house options that there was no need to sign someone like a Livan Hernandez.
They are allowing as a team 4.37 runs per game, conversely the 5th best staff is allowing 4.31 runs per game. It really isn’t the pitching that been as poor as you think it’s been.
“Jeez! Reports now are that it looks unlikely Arod will come off the DL when he eligible on 5/15.”
Who reported that?
“Igawa is tomorrow.”
Thanks for ruining my day Jax.
joe torre’s method was generally to wait until the medical ppl cleared a guy to play and they wait one or two more days, which is what i expect joe g will do. whether he comes back on the 15th or 17th isnt as important as whether he will be good to go for the rest of the season.
Here’s the news on A-Rod from rotoworld:
“According to the New York Daily News, Alex Rodriguez (quadriceps) “now looks unlikely” to return from the disabled list when eligible next Thursday.
Rodriguez is scheduled to undergo another MRI after participating in Wednesday’s pregame workout, and his timetable for beginning a minor league rehab assignment will be determined by the results. “It’s less likely that he’d be back when he’s eligible,” manager Joe Girardi said. “There’s nothing that’s happened, but they want to make sure on the MRI that it’s healed enough for him to take the next step.”
1) Tomorrow’s the ninth, Igawa is slated for the tenth, unless something’s happened in the past twelve hours.
2) You don’t win or lose the division in the beginning of May. Yeah, we’re going to have a heck of a lot of work to do, but it’s not like we’re six out at the end of August.
2a) Thus, it is not currently the apocalypse. So please, stop acting like it.
If you want to say the Yankees are stinking worse than spoiled milk, that’s one thing. To declare the season dead if we don’t win today? That’s pushing it.
I read the meeting was for 2 hours!! 2 hours of a ball that was thrown.
Meanwhile Morgan was definately thrown and not a word was said. I wonder why Gammons wasn’t on tv crying about it.
“Fredo – where do you see those A-Rod reports? That’s awful news.”
Daily News via Rotoworld.
day game comments here? Get ready for the negative brigade to be out in force less by sj44
I didnt see anyone declare the season dead if they dont win today…all I see is people saying the yankees need to start hitting or they could be in a big hole come the end of the month.
I would imagine Moller would catch friday and saturday maybe as he was the one who has cuaght BOTH Rasner and Kei recently??
I dont think the arod thing is news they said they would give him a day once he was cleared to rejoin the team. Also he cant come off the dl until thursday anyway as according to pete last post they did NOT place him retro-active and was not placed on the DL until the 30th of April.
Also it does make sense to give him anotehr MRI just to see how it all looks before he starts with heavy workout stuff
Mike,
Excellent contribution. Your stalking of me has become quite comical.
Not accurate in what I have to say but comical.
Enjoy 5th grade recess today.
Don’t you love the irony, my people?
Michael Kay has the audacity to imply Joe Torre is guility of the “appearance of impropriety†and a “conflict of interest†because as the Dodgers manager, he called Posada and Pettitte to inquire about their health.
(The sound of it is so petty and paranoid, in fact, one suspects Randy Levine and Hank Steinbrenner prompted Kay’s pious tirade.)
Yet following Torre’s dismissal, Michael Kay, Yankees announcer and organization loyalist, used his forum at 1050 radio to justify the Yankees’ decision, to tarnish Joe Torre’s reputation, and to deflect the backlash Randy Levine and the Steinbrenners suffered for their inept handling of the Torre departure, and had the intellectual dishonesty to claim it his own entirely individual opinion.
If that’s not base hypocrisy, what is?
“Meanwhile Morgan was definately thrown and not a word was said. I wonder why Gammons wasn’t on tv crying about it.”
MLB should be consistent in their rulings on this stuff which leads to believe the suspension will be reduced.
Odd thing about this is the Red Sox never uttered a peep after it happened. It was an entirely media driven “you just don’t throw at a guy’s head” thing. As similar incidents have happened since w/o suspension, I think a reduction is likely.
“if the yankees dont start hitting soon the division may be out of reach by the end of May”
That’s right, because there are only the month of June, July, August and September left and we have only been in the playoffs for 12 years running and each year we led wire to wire.
ugh
As far as reports about Arod, aren’t all the reports premature?
Until he gets his next MRI, how does anybody know when he is going to return?
It seems to me that if the next MRI says there is sufficient enough healing for him to move forward he will.
According to the reports, that would include extended ST games in Tampa and the hope he can return by Thursday or Friday.
If the MRI shows there is yet to be enough healing to move forward with rehab, then he sits longer.
Until the MRI is done it seems everyone is just guessing as to when he will return.
Mike -
Give it up. You’re in the wrong league for bashing. Boston will love ya for it. Try them.
I forgot today was a day game.
No work is gonna get done today!
Go Yankees!
“Enjoy 5th grade recess today.”
Recess has been banned by elementary schools. Playgound teasing has been deemed detrimental to our children’s development.
KS,
Hank isn’t telling Kay what to say on the air. Hank ain’t his dad in that regard.
Kay just needed something to talk about on a slow sports day so he created a subject.
I doubt he thought it would take on the life its taken on.
He’s not that bright.
Judging by reports that A-Rod is getting an MRI, my guess is he will be back 5/16 at 12:35pm and 42 seconds.
I agree with Ray re: the pitching.
Overall, its not been bad.
The problem is, the offense isn’t there to support good or bad pitching right now.
If this was scoring the 5.5-6 runs a game it was thought they would be scoring, we would be gushing about the pitching right now.
Unfortunately, the pitching has to be lights out because the offense hasn’t been there.
That’s why they are still in “hanging in there” mode as opposed to “making a move” mode.
Hopefully, the bats wake up a bit today and give Moose a little breathing room.
SJ:
Agree that it all hinges on the MRI, but Joe G felt compelled to tell folks that it’s now less likely he’ll be back when eligible
LOL…Russell
Didn’t Girardi himself say that he was going to give arod 1-2 more days off after he says he thinks he’s ready to go just to be sure…
On the Farnsworth thing, there were 2 very similar incidents right after they handed down the suspension where the league did nothing, I’m sure that was discussed, as well. It’s going to be hard to take them seriously if they do change the suspension, but based on subsequent actions they probably should. Interesting PR problem, I think…
Fredo,
IMO, its smart of Girardi to do that. Clearly, they messed up and allowed Arod to rush himself back into the lineup the first time around.
Unless your name is Carl Pavano, most players really want to play. Its up to the Yankees to slow guys down and not allow them to rush back.
They messed up with both Arod and Posada in that regard and are now paying the price for it.
Personally, I wouldn’t bring either guy back until they are 100%. If its later than sooner, so be it.
Frankly, the season is not going to be decided in the next 3-4 weeks, even if the Yankees lose every single game. Which is highly unlikely.
I’d rather both guys return when they are 100% than to try and play sooner because they are scuffling.
That’s how both guys re-injured themselves in the first place.
Rebecca,
Igawa is starting tomorrow and Rasner Saturday in Detroit. Girardi wanted to break up the lefties (Pettitte is starting Sunday) in the rotation. Which is why Igawa is starting Friday instead of Saturday.
mike-”day game comments here? Get ready for the negative brigade to be out in force less by sj44″
Holy crap. Just stop. I don’t know SJ44. But his posts are interesting, insightful and he tells it like it is.
You just seem to be obsessed with him for some reason.
Just try and enjoy the Yankee game.
Fredo Corleone
Yep, no one uttered a word when Morgan was thrown at, and if he didn’t drop to the ground like he did he would have gotten drilled in the head.
The Red soxs knew the score when Kyle threw at Manny, Kyle was trying to hit Manny in the same spot as Alex got hit the prior day, he wasn’t trying to hit him the back of the head like the media ran with. The soxs see know that this isn’t Joe T Yankees, they won’t sit idlely by and watch hitter after hitter getting drilled.
That suspension seemed to have done Jose Tabata a lot of good.
He is really starting to come on for Trenton. He is 1-1 with a walk and a run scored today already.
He was hitting .189 when he got suspended. He’s now up to .241. He’s starting to get going.
I will be in Trenton in few weeks after I get back from my vacation. I’m excited to see the progress of Tabata and Jackson, who is also playing pretty well in AA.
“Didn’t Girardi himself say that he was going to give arod 1-2 more days off after he says he thinks he’s ready to go just to be sure…”
yes he did. And if the Yankees don’t do that Alex will freaking hurt himself, he a little crazy when he wants to play baseball.
Here’s hoping the moose is smarter than cleveland is good.
I’d rather see Arod and Posada back when they are 100% and not sooner.
If the Yankees lost every game from now until June 1 (which isn’t going to happen), they wouldn’t be out of the race.
Both guys came back too soon the last time and it made things worse for them and the team.
I say, if its another week or 3 weeks until Arod is ready (Posada will be out longer) so be it.
Both guys need to be back when they are 100% and not sooner.
Other guys, namely Cano and Giambi, simply have to raise their games and pick up the slack in their absence.
“I still think there’s virtually no difference between what a Livan Hernanadez will give you and what they’ll be getting from Darrell Rasner as long as he’s in the rotation.”
raymagnetic-
i’m using hernandez as an example veteran pitchers who have been around who can give innings, maturity, and give the kids some help so they can develop.
cashman obviously feels the same way you do. i don’t see how rasner provides innings, and i also don’t see the 5 wins out of him. so i don’t see how they do the same thing.
we’ll have to let time answer this difference of opinion of strategies because it will. i really think any youth movement ironically needs some retread veteran pitchers to lighten the load as the rookies and young pitchers are worked into the rotation.
the yankees are 10th in the league in pitching. that stinks. i don’t see the silver lining there. offensively i do see. they will no doubt be better, but pitching is a real problem.
even really good pitchers like beckett don’t just emerge as reliable starters. it’s take about five years like with lee to settle in where you can count on them to be who they are.
Perhaps, you’re right SJ44.
Still, Levine is a former Giuliani flack. I wouldn’t put anything past him, nor Kay, for that matter.
I’ve heard from a few ex-Giuliani people that the Yankees organization asked Kay to defend them during the Torre backlash and Kay, no fan of Torre to begin with, was happy to take up the cudgel.
Neither Kay nor Levine are especially bright nor exactly models of integrity either.
A little more minor league news:
Jeff Marquez is also beginning to find his mojo.
He’s pitching this afternoon for Scranton.
Thus far: 4 innings, 0 runs, 2 hits, 2K’s. 45 pitches/35 strikes.
It would be nice if he finds that arm slot for his sinker. That’s been the issue for his slow start.
He’s a nice arm. I don’t think he is a high ceiling prospect. But, I do think (in fact I know) other teams like him a lot. It could give Cashman something to work with when the trade market opens up.
KS,
Notice I left out Levine’s name in my post.
It wasn’t by accident. lol
Who really cares what political party these people are associated with?
What does that have to do with anything at all?
Let’s keep politics out of this forum. That stuff tends to cloud people’s judgement.
anyone have info on Christian Garcia’s 4 IP tune up yesterday ?
SJ – if you dont mind me asking – what do you do for a living?
SJ, what happens to a guy like gardner? IS he a 2009 player, when they let Bobby(wall) Abreu go….
SJ has anything changed to dampen your opinion of the talent the Yanks have in the minors?
Cox and Melancon because of age and roles strike me as guys that can be on the big club this yr. is that feasable? They may have too many young bullpen arms, what do they do then?
thanks…
Everyone keeps saying the bats will wake up eventually.
Will they?
Maybe they just are what they are at this point. I think Cano eventually will return to form, but other than him who do you expect is gonna start doing better?
To me at least it’s becoming more and more evident with each game that this is simply not a very good lineup and could very well stay this way all year, even when Jorge and A-Rod get back.
Bobby (wall) Abreu?!!!! That is so funny! Wow, you are killing with that one.
/sarcasm/
Guiseppe Franco:
No one political party has cornered the market on the Randy Levines of the world. Eliot Spitzer had just as interesting a crew and he was from the completely opposite side of the aisle. So, observing that Levine worked for Giuliani just provides insight into the past ways the guy has applied himself. IMO, it’s not really a remark advocating one political party at the expense of another.
Paul Byrd… crap, we can’t beat this guy.
Can we just win one game today so that we can remain the .500 team we are…. C’mon Yankees…
Pete…is Igawa pitching tomorrow or Saturday ? Tomorrow would be Rasner on regular rest….right ?
Stuart,
I may be in the minority but, if Bobby Abreu puts up his usual numbers, I would look to re-sign him to a 2 year with an option deal.
He’s a very good player. I know he hates the walls. But, I don’t really see the value of someone going Eric Byrnes into the walls as some definitiion of hustle.
He hustles just fine. Last night for example, he legged out that infield single when a lot of guys (see Miguel Cabrera for example) wouldn’t have put it into overdrive.
He’s the perfect #3 hitter in the Yankees lineup when its healthy.
He’s also a very good influence on the younger latin players, both on the team and in the organization. He loves NY and loves playing for the Yankees. I think they can work out a deal with him, if they want him back.
Brett Gardner has grown on me as a prospect. When I first saw him, I thought, “Ok, he can run like the wind but, that’s about it”.
He’s really improved since that initial analysis. People I have talked to around the Yankees marvel at his work ethic. That’s a good sign with a young player.
I don’t think Gardner is a replacement for Abreu. I do think he could be a replacement for Damon. Either in 2009 or, after a year as the 4th OF, in 2010.
He’s a very interesting player because he is now showing he can hit with a little pop (he’s never going to be a HR hitter) and can be a decent leadoff man in a good lineup.
The Yankees really don’t have anybody like Gardner in their organization. I could see him developing a role with the club by next year in some form or fashion.
I came back from Charleston a few weeks ago. All I can say is, WOW, when it comes to that team. There are ten legitimate ML prospects on the team. Some (like Montero, Betances, McAllister and Almonte) who have significant major league futures, if they stay healthy and keep improving at their current pace.
Honestly, I love what they are doing in the farm system. There are real prospects at every level of the farm system.
Will all of them make it? Of course not. But, more than a few will and others will be used as trade bait to fortify the major league roster.
Precisely what a major market team like the Yankees need to do within their organization.
I think both Melancon and Cox could be with the Yankees for the second half of the season. A lot depends not only on their progress, but how the arms in the ‘pen are doing.
If there is a surplus, you can trade an arm or two to help your roster. Unfortunately though, it never seems to work out that way. Guys get hurt, lose effectiveness, etc.
Like the old adage goes, “You can never have enough pitching”.
If they aren’t on the team this year, barring injury, I think both are in the Yankees bullpen next year. Both guys are throwing the ball pretty well right now. They just need more innings to build up their arm strength.
“we’ll have to let time answer this difference of opinion of strategies because it will. i really think any youth movement ironically needs some retread veteran pitchers to lighten the load as the rookies and young pitchers are worked into the rotation.”
Don’t the Yankees essentially have more veteran pitchers than the Twins do? They have 3 veterans and 2 rookies in the equation. They’re not asking Hughes/Kennedy/Rasner etc to be lights out. They’re simply asking them to be slightly below average pitchers which I think they’re capable of being.
I don’t know what the ERA was for fourth and 5 pitchers last year (CB knows) but it wasn’t pretty. I have to believe Rasner and someone else will be able to be effective 4th and 5th starters so long as the offense is hitting.
“the yankees are 10th in the league in pitching. that stinks. i don’t see the silver lining there. offensively i do see. they will no doubt be better, but pitching is a real problem.”
They’re 10th in the league in earned run average, However in total runs allowed per game they’re 7th.
That’s true, murphdog. I just don’t see the relevance of politics in this forum whatsoever.
It’s inappropriate and has no place here.
Bob,
Respectfully disagree. If you think, as I do that cano will turn it around and posada will replace a .220 hitter with no power and arod will replace a .211 hitter with no power, the offense could do nothing but improve. Even with the completely useless giambi.
This team is holding together nicely considering the injuries and ineffectiveness of hughes and kennedy.
“Everyone keeps saying the bats will wake up eventually.
Will they?
Maybe they just are what they are at this point. I think Cano eventually will return to form, but other than him who do you expect is gonna start doing better?”
If Cano starts hitting and Alex comes back and is like his usual self do you not think they will be MUCH improved offensively? When Posada comes back they should be one of the top offenses again.
“They’re 10th in the league in earned run average, However in total runs allowed per game they’re 7th.”
That 10th is in large part to hughes and kennedy pitching so poorly. Moose andy and wang have been solid, if not better then my expectations. If they get anything from 4 and 5 its an improvement to the staff and pen.
Gardner looks like a great option as a fourth OF type next year depending on what the FO does in the offseason.
He has actually shown a little more pop this year in Scranton and has started to drive the ball in the gaps (he will never hit for much HR power, but the doubles are nice).
They have been working him at the corner OF spots lately, which I find curious, so we’ll see what the plan is for him.
IF cano returns to form and arod and posada returns, thats a marked improvement to 1/3 the lineup.
Bob,
I don’t agree. Let’s look at the lineup objectively:
Damon. Is he the Johnny Damon of 2004? No. Can he hit .280-.290, provide a little pop from the leadoff spot, and get on base? Yes. He’s shown he can do that.
Jeter. He’s not driving the ball yet but, I don’t think he’s not going to hit this year. When all is said and done, he will have a typical Jeter year.
Abreu. Having a pretty solid year so far. He will hit more once the weather heats up. That’s been his history.
Arod and Posada. Its an entirely different lineup when those guys are in it. Teams pitch the other guys in the order different, they are more effective against lefty pitching and, truth be told, they are probably the two best hitters on the team. Its tough to be without them.
Look at it another way. If they played all year, you have to think the Yankees would average 1 more run a game than they are now. If that’s the case, they would have 5 more wins this season. That’s how much they miss those guys in the lineup.
Matsui and Cabrera are having excellent seasons to date and I don’t think that will change.
Giambi. I will to admit, I think he’s done. I don’t think he will hit and I don’t think he will be an everyday player through the rest of the season. They have to play him now because of money and injuries. However, barring a complete turnaround in his game, I would be shocked if he is the first baseman on this team all season.
Cano? Certainly a mystery and you like to think he will hit. You just have to stay with him and hope he does.
If he doesn’t? They have no replacement. They will just have to make due with a hole in the lineup.
We have seen that when he gets hot, he stays hot for long periods of time. Let’s hope that happens this year.
Do I think this is a 968 run offense? No. Do I think its going to be this bad all season? No.
The lineup, when Arod and Posada come back, will score more runs. My hope is, the pitching improves enough in the back end of the rotation to support fewer runs they will get this year. I believe it will.
The bullpen is also better than last year. They will be able to mix and match their ways through games once the offense can find its legs.
Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep !
Raz has been moved back one day so Igawa could pitch on his regular day. We now have two lefty’s in the rotation…isn’t that so sweeeet! /sarcasm/. Game time. 27/08.
That makes sense…disrupt Raz’s routine so the SLUG that is coming up to show us again that he truly is a AAAA pitcher can be on his regular day. Great move there, Yankees….so put yourself in a position to lose both games…nice !
Of course Posada and A-Rod make it a better lineup.
I’m just not so sure everyone else is gonna be all that good this year. Everyone seems to expect Abreu, Jeter, and Damon to pick it up, but the fact is they are all older and at some point the decline starts. Maybe it won’t be this year, but you have to at least acknowledge that it’s a possibility, which I don’t think many people do.
Sj I do not think Abreu is a bad player and I think he also gets out of the box really well, but this team is not very likeable.. They are not a down and dirty team at all..
I just think they may need more drastic changes not less.
If they do not resign Abreu they can move melky to Rf and play Gardner in CF and then they improve there range and get younger etc….Damon has thru 2009 on his contract..
I read they moved Rasner back to split up the lefties.
Come on, Pussina. We all know it is outside the rim of extreme possibility that you can string 4 good starts together!
Last year, the bats didn’t start to hit until about the middle of June.
For the record.
Yeah and A-Rods incredible start carried them in the meantime. Don’t have that this year Rebecca.
They weren’t necessarily winning during “A-Rods incredible start”…
Are they winning now?
Plus the pitching wasnt this good last year. I read it either here or someplace else but there was a comparison between last year’s pitching woes and this year’s hitting woes. Seems like something new every year with an old team.
Let’s go Mr. Stanford! (I’m a don’t say the name of the pitcher during the game type)
Stuart,
The problem with a Damon, Cabrera and Gardner OF is they have no pop. Abreu hits doubles, can hit 15-20 HR’s, and works pitchers over quite well. He also is a 100/100 (RBI/Runs scored) guy. They don’t grow on trees anymore.
Its not a likeable team to some because they aren’t winning, the kid pitchers have struggled, and Jason Giambi is a symbol for a previously failed strategy.
Down and dirty team? I don’t disagree but, I think if they were 5 games over .500 and winning, folks wouldn’t be talking about lacking down and dirty players.
They are trending toward being younger and more athletic. Unfortunately, until more money comes off the books, and they are rid of some of the older players, they can’t just blow it up.
Especially in NY. NY doesn’t take to total rebuilding situations very well.
I think you will see a younger, more athletic team next year in several areas.
This year? Its going to be patchwork in some areas.
Pat,
Correct. They moved Rasner back to split Igawa and Pettitte from starting back to back.
“Last year, the bats didn’t start to hit until about the middle of June.
For the record.”
Not true of all them. Arod may have had the best April in the history of baseball (.355, 14 and 35) and Posada and Jeter were hitting .350 and .345 respectively thru May. It was largely the lefty bats who got off slowly last year.
I’m listening on the radio…can someone let me know when Kay makes his obligatory comparison between Byrd and Kelsey Grammar?
I’m sure somebody will let you know Stephen.
Steve Philips wants the Yankees to trade Hughes
“Plus the pitching wasnt this good last year. I read it either here or someplace else but there was a comparison between last year’s pitching woes and this year’s hitting woes. Seems like something new every year with an old team.”
The AL as a whole has better pitching and worse hitting than last year so far. League average ERA is close to half run off the previous two years and the league average OPS is down significantly. Some can attributed to the cold early on, but might be that this year may not be as offensive as recent years past.
My line for Pussina, 4 innings and 6 runs.
They will be swept. Cano just sucks, pure and simple.
67mph curve with a 16″ break on the corner for a called strike.. keep it up, moose, keep it up
Look at this Tribe lineup. Can’t say that Wedge doesn’t have a sense of humor. I thought last night’s lineup was bad.
How does Mike look. I need people here to be my eyes, since I can’t trust John s.
for a guy who talks about what a nice blog he wants this to be, sj always goes right to: you’re an idiot, or: you’re a little kid, anytime you disagree with him
I still think that what this offense really needs to do is walk more. Just hitting better isn’t going to cut it.
the Moose is on fire !
Brandon,
Did Phillips actually say or write that? That’s pretty funny.
To think that guy used to be a major league general manager.
Wow.
Get to work bats
i love gameday’s pitch-by-pitch for moose, 86mph fastball followed by a 85mph… changeup
I think what we really need to focus on is scoring more runs than the other team. If we can just do that, most of our troubles will be over, right ?
“How does Mike look. I need people here to be my eyes, since I can’t trust John s.”
If he doesn’t put up 7 innings of 3 or fewer runs up against this lineup he should be fined a month’s salary.
“Offer Jared Burton, who’s whiffing hitters in bunches, and Jeremy Affeldt for Phil Hughes. Sell Burton as Chamberlain’s eighth-inning replacement and Affeldt as the situational lefty the Yanks lack.Throw in Arroyo if they want. Make it an owners deal. Castellini and Hank will love it; GM Brian Cashman will hate it. The bottom line is that Aaron Harang, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Vólquez and Hughes would give Cincy four very different looks.”
Does he think Hank, Hal and Cashman are idiots?
I wonder what would account for the “better pitching” this year? Could the pitching be better or do people think maybe some guys who were using stuff that may or may not have been PEDs have decided to stop since the circus that was the Mitchell report and if they aren’t sure what they’re doing is legal they’re being a bit more careful?
Holy nonsense Steve Phillips
SJ he hinted on Monday Night Baseball that he had a master plan to move Joba in the rotation and help Cincy w/ the rebuilding process at the same time that Hank and Bob might want to listen to…. I find the article today very amusing
here’s his rebuilding plan for Cincy and the involvement of the Yankees.
source
Phillips could have at least had Votto going to the Yankees. Might be news to Steve P, but many GM’s like to FILL A NEED when they make a trade.
does anyone know where i can listen to the game online?
wow Betemit got real slimmer
Minor league update: David Robertson pitched his second game at AAA today.
2 scoreless innings, 0 hits, 1 BB, 1 K. 4-3 Scranton in the bottom of the 8th.
Jeff Marquez had a quality start today. 6 innings, 3 runs (1 earned), 5 hits, 0 BB, 3 K’s.
“Phillips could have at least had Votto going to the Yankees. Might be news to Steve P, but many GM’s like to FILL A NEED when they make a trade.”
Why would he want the Yankees to get anything of value for Phil Hughes?
Speaking of value trades, Ken Williams is looking like a genius with his Gavin Floyd/Brandon McCarthy trade, isn’t he?
Doesn’t Cincy have Homer Bailey, too? Why is he not providing a new “look”?
oh god…sTeVe Da KOoKY mEtS FaN, 40 % oF tHe mEtS tOp SP aRe oUt iN EL dUqUe aNd PeDrO, pLuS tHe bEsT stArTiNg CaTcHer iN tHe NL iN RaMoN CaStRo
Brandon,
How about putting Joba in the rotation another way….
Wait until late-June, early July, so you don’t bump against his innings limits. By that time, either Veras or Robertson can replace Joba in the bullpen, with either Farnsworth or Veras becoming the 8th inning guy.
Joba would be set for rotation work after the All Star Break. At the same time, so is Phil Hughes.
Voila, both guys are in their intended roles, and they don’t have to make a dumb trade. lol
I didn’t think the Yankees were in the business of rebuilding the Cincinnati Reds.
Phillips is amazing. To make a buck, he has no hesitation of showing his audience and his employers how dumb he is.
MATSUI !
The Moose actually looks like he’s having fun! Hope he can keep going!
Is there free audio somewhere on the net?
Wow Matsui is really locked in
“I wonder what would account for the “better pitching†this year? Could the pitching be better or do people think maybe some guys who were using stuff that may or may not have been PEDs have decided to stop since the circus that was the Mitchell report and if they aren’t sure what they’re doing is legal they’re being a bit more careful?”
Could be that. Also could have to lineups featuring Kevin Millar and Garrett Anderson as a cleanup hitters, David Dellucci in the 3 hole, neophytes Alex Gordon and Bill Butler frequently in key spots for the Royals. Some good young pitching too.
Too soon to tell though. Let’s see where it goes in June and July.
17 game hitting streak?
Is anyone else MLB.COM Audio not working today??????????????????????
I like good Mussina
Nice Matsui
SJ, it makes too much sense, I like Philip’s idea trade the whole farm
Wow Giambi was really thin before roids. Looked like a stick back then.
El Japones Matsui and a homer from el Giambino! Would have been bueno!
Melquiades can show some power!
I got an idea for the lead off spot, why not put Matsui, he has a high OBP % and works counts, never changes his approach because Damon is pissing me off
Crazy Steve called in WFAN again?
Bellevue really needs to take away his phone privileges..
Trade Matsui, right Pete?
lots of problems for the mets, but they just went .500 on a trip to Az and LA, which is pretty good. thier lineup looks so much better with alou back in it, reyes is coming out of his funk, delgado is coming around (thank goodness he’s out of the AL East!).
im a phils fan (in the n.l. anyway) and the mets only being 1.5 GB after all the injuries and slumps they’ve already had, is pretty impressive. i expect them to take off at this point. dont think they’ll win in the end but things are looking very much up for the metsies at this point.
so true S.A.
Name Matsui EL Capitan but in Japanese!
IS ANYBODY ABLE TO LISTEN TO THIS GAME ONLINE? MY MLB.COM IS NOT WORKING (WHICH I PAID FOR) AND I CANT FIND IT ELSEWHERE. HELP A FAN OUT!
I didn’t expect a Pitching Duel today. But so far looks that way.
Who will be bumped out of the rotation for Ian?
Joba I meant…
49 Pitches through 2 innings for both pitchers combined…At this rate the game should over in less than 1.5 Hrs.
JMO I’m hearing Bastardo or Outman are going to be 2nd half options for the Phillies if this is true the Mets are going to have big problems especially w/ Rollins returning. I still think teams have to watch out for the Braves, thier BP is quite good and getting better. Once Gonzalez returns Stockman is going to fill the 6th inning role. It’s going to be interesting in the NL this year.
skinny,
check your sound system, im getting the audio on my mlb.tv just fine
I’ll take a pitching duel as long as we win.
Meanwhile, I didn’t realize Moose and Cliff Lee ate the same thing for breakfast, but apparently, they are.
“Who will be bumped out of the rotation for Ian?”
no one yet, and we don’t even know if Ian is going to be the call up replacement, he worked himself in a dog house role, he’s going to have to compete now when Horne returns and Cutch is promoted, lets not forget Hughes.
“im a phils fan (in the n.l. anyway) and the mets only being 1.5 GB after all the injuries and slumps they’ve already had, is pretty impressive. i expect them to take off at this point. dont think they’ll win in the end but things are looking very much up for the metsies at this point.”
Phils haven’t exactly been the picture of health. Rollins and Victorino missed a bunch of time and Ryan Howard has apparently gone blind in at least one eye.
raymagnetic – Yes Williams looks like a genius. I believe there was an article written about this on ESPN today in relation to teams being patient with their young pitching. I am sure Philly is wishing they had a little more patience right about now. McGowen is another guy that Toronto stuck with and is reaping the benefits now. This is why I praise Cash for giving his rooks a chance to develop…I believe it will pay off.
Also I don’t think Phillips is that much of an idiot. I DO think he is trying to get ratings so throughs out make believe scenarios to get reactions from it. When you are not in the hot seat who cares what “deal” you dream. It’s all make believe from his standpoint. Althouh sometimes I do think maybe he is really a moron? So much for the “expert” analysis at ESPN.
Igawa will have 2 shots in the rotation, Friday and Wednesday. Kennedy is pitching again in Scranton on Sunday. That means, he will pitch again on Friday the 16th.
At that time, they will see who is pitching better and go from there.
If Igawa is passable in his two starts, he will stay. If he is awful, he will go. If he is in between and Kennedy struggles?
Stephen White, come on down. You are the next auditioning for the 5th starters spot.
first of all, the phillies are the most exciting team in baseball by far this year. they are like the yankees were a few years ago, where bing down by 3 or 4 runs in the 8th puts them right into thier comfort zone.
the plan the phillies seem to have adopted in that gorgeous little bandbox we’re paying for is: who needs pitching? after hammels, we got nothing but the offense is so good it doesnt matter. utley is the best 2b in baseball.
imagine the phils when howard and rollins start contributing! i think they will win the division again but without pitching it will be another short run in the playoffs.
Sometimes mlb.tv just craps out so I would suggest closing your web browser and starting again or resetting your computer. That usually helps me.
JMO as wierd as it sound the Phillies have been the most exciting team in baseball this year, that I know people think is being a homer but it’s actually true I’ve seen the comebacks JMO is speaking about. P.S Pat Burrell now the Manny Ramirez of the NL, I mean damn game on the line he’s killing teams.
i think phillips is great. i disagree with alot of what he says, but he is tremendously entertaining b/c he’s not afraid to say what he thinks. sometimes he sounds like an idiot but espn hasnt had anybody that willing to go out on a limb or that unafraid to make a fool of himself since bobby valentine left for japan. i disagree with most of what phillips says but i always look forward to him being on.
so, how many scoreless innings is that for the Yankees? They haven’t scored a run since tuesday early in the game. wow, not good!
so you saying you want Philips to be your next GM
Can anyone confirm that the sky is strange at the stadium. Suzy and JOhn were carrying on about it.
“sometimes he sounds like an idiot but espn hasnt had anybody that willing to go out on a limb or that unafraid to make a fool of himself since bobby valentine”
Same thought process that compels people to slow down to look at auto accidents.
Jenn they’re trying to say it’s going to rain but w/ Suzyn and John it’s so confusing..
im talking about the entertaiment value of phillips, not his gm abilities. all the other espn guys just pump up every player(gammons) slurping everyone as hard as they can. phillips calls ppl out and isnt afraid to say someone’s wrong (even when they’re right). ill take that over the normal, bland, slurping of every player mentioned that normally goes on.
“Giambi 1B
Cabrera CF
Cano 2B
Betemit 3B
Molina C”
Ouch, I don’t see much production out of that.
Philips is the biggest Yankee hater out there besides Gammons.
Cy Mussina!
Get to work bats
KO King! The Yankee Ace! Who would have thought! El Venado! The Moose! Que Caballo!!!
about time you gimpy lefty
It’s supposed to rain today, it’s getaway day. We should expect it by now.
“Giambi 1B
Cabrera CF
Cano 2B
Betemit 3B
Molina Câ€
Ouch, I don’t see much production out of that.”
Murderers Row compared to the Tribe’s 2-9.
How deep in the doghouse does Hafner have to be with Wedge right now?
WHAT WOULD JOHNNY DAMON DO??
He’d hit one out, thats what!
The sky is looking sunny blue with a nice 88 degrees temp and even better now with the homer from the Demon!
JD! Way to support the Moose.
Ah okay thanks Brandon, they were going on and on how it looks like you are looking through cheese cloth.
What is the entertainment value of contrived controversy? How is that entertaining?
I guess for people who just love hearing stuff it has entertainment value.
But, didn’t Baseball Tonight become as popular as it did with HR, Gammons, etc, because they talked baseball, not stupid agenda ladened garbage?
As far as the most exciting team in baseball so far this year, I’ll take the Diamondbacks. That is a real fun team to watch.
good job Damon!
jennifer,
What did they say? That the sky was falling?
i dont see gammons as a yankee hater, i just see him as a homer. he slurps all the yankees players but whenever he’s making a comparison between them, he favors the sox in every category. its not that he hates the yanks, (he spends all his on-air time stroking everyone) its just that he sees the sox almost everyday and he gets too pumped up gushing about them (and the pawsox). hes just a boston homer guy who otherwise is very connected to players and their agents.
Didn’t Kay steal the word from Sterling?
Neither one of these guys can break a pane of glass, yet they just keep mowing MLBers. I guess we should’nt worry about how fast Hughes or Kenndy’s fastball is. It’s just like real estate location, location, location
Nice Damon!
Brandon:
You seem down on Damon. Not sure I get it. .370 OBP, good K/BB ratio and near the top of the league in runs scored from the leadoff spot. Throws in a little pop and plays a better than average left field. What were you hoping for exactly???
Here comes the Giambinazo!!
did you guys hear what michael Kay said?? He called Jeter’s hit as “Jeterian” hit and later on told Flash and Cone that he invented that word…. I’ve been hearing that word from John Sterling for the last 10 years…. WOW….
about time BUM !
Giambi goes deep! 3-0!
GIAMBI!!!!!!
Giambi’s looking a little better.
Man, I really would like to see more steals/hit and runs with Damon or Jeter on 1st.
That double play from Abreu was a perfect spot for a hit and run. May have still been a double play, but man – is Jeter’s quad still not 100%?
So, does everyone get the home run sponsored by State Farm on Gameday? How cheesy!
ok moose you got your one run now hold’em. If you don’t the idiots on this board will want to DFA ya.
Shouldn’t he have bunted?
The Giambino strikes!!!!
WOW! Nice Giambi!
DAMN! Shelly Duncan just bashed Giambi into the DL so he can take over first base!!!
consistancy Fredo that’s all I want, what I see w/ Giambi and Damon they hit well 2 games and disappear for a long period of time, Damon for a leadoff hitter doesn’t get on consistantly enough and kills rallies as for Giambi you know.
ravitz: boy that (insert player name here) is really hot!
KRUK: one of the best big game guys in the league
KIRKGIAN (sp): yeah, he’s the first player since wee willie keeler to alternate between singles and groundouts to the thirdbaseman in 12alternating plate appearances.
GAMMONS: my sources tell me that he will not be willing to take a hometown discount to stay in the organization next year.
PHILLIPS: what a joke! no offense, but i could probably hit 2 of those for homers, and i coulndt hit lefties!
DFA Bobby, it could have been 5-0. Nice to see a crooked number up there.
Man, that Giambi is one damn good hitter. Does he have an option for next year?
Giambi has Paul Byrd and Mike Timlin’s numbers. He has 3 HR’s off Byrd and 2 off Timlin this year.
Its the other pitchers that give him issues.
They need a quick 1-2-3 inning, then a monsoon. I’ll gladly take a rain shortened win today.
Carlo…
Yeah, it’s definitely a Sterling word, but John refers to Derek’s swing as a “Jeterian swing.” He has used it for almost every Jeter hit in the past umpteen years.
Michael Kay is Michael Kay. [>shrug
Dan…
No. The Yankees will trade Giambi to the BoSox in August for Josh Beckett.
SJ another words he owns the slow thrower, but a McGowan, Carmona or insert hard thrower has his number.
hitting the guy = not good
Giambi has Paul Byrd and Mike Timlin’s numbers. He has 3 HR’s off Byrd and 2 off Timlin this year.
Haha I totally forgot Giambi already had 2 dingers off Byrd. With his diminished bat speed, guys like Timlin and Byrd are perfect for him to tee off on.
$20 mill for Giambi next year as a pinch hitter against Timlin and Byrd! (If they are still playing!).
“hitting the guy = not good’
Especially when you’ve just been spotted a 3 run lead.
Moose really can’t let them score more than 1 run this inning if he’s gong to give up any runs at all.
C’mon Moose you can do it!
Moose listen to your damn catcher
Careful!!! The Moose might want to tie the game in this inning to make it interesting!!!
giambi can only hit soft tossing right handed pitchers when they miss location.
Wussina
nice fence catch by aaron rowand in the phillies/giants game. gotta wonder how long he can keep being a crash test dummy before he turns into darrin erstadt.
This is when Moose can drive you nuts.
Stops pitching in because he hit a guy and now opens up a chance for the Indians.
He did this against Boston and got lit up.
He can’t back off and not use the inner half of the plate.
El Venado wants to throw the homer ball!
“This is when Moose can drive you nuts.
Stops pitching in because he hit a guy and now opens up a chance for the Indians.
He did this against Boston and got lit up.
He can’t back off and not use the inner half of the plate.”
Totally agreed – excellent popup
He tried but Garko missed!
pirtates/giants game i meant
mlb game mix channel is awesome!
gidp ball right here
V is copying what SJ writes!
Traber blew the save in Scranton
and there is Bobby and the wall on cue …
Should Bobby have had that?
abreu must’ve loved kissing the wall there!
I will be so f-ing happy when we have decent defensive players in the outfield.
Moose, this is not how you pitch after your team puts up a three spot
Thye Moose keeps trying……
“V is copying what SJ writes!”
Huh? I quoted him.
well that sucked
whats the score?
That inning is completely on Mussina. Constantly shaking off Molina, who wants him to pitch inside, to nibble away and he gets his butt handed to him.
Get him out now before he blows the lead.
Just a horrible piece of pitching by a guy who just won’t stop nibbling. Even when he succeeds a different way.
holy crap…no more freaking runs!
Bobby finally meets the wall he shys away from!
not what we wanted to happen…come on Moose.
crap, now sizemore will be up this inning.
There is she.. the great Micaela Wussina
how are you getting beat by the #8 hitter? and now there are any number of ways for that 3rd run to come in.
funny… our pitchers refuse to hold a lead like our hitter refuse to get hits with RISP.
Nice combo.
3-2 Yanks
i have no problem with abreu’s play there. some guys would have gotten it and really smacked the wall and likely miss some time or just be out of it for a few days. i admire guys like that, but i dont want abreu to try to catch that and faceplant the padding at full speed.
“That inning is completely on Mussina. Constantly shaking off Molina, who wants him to pitch inside, to nibble away and he gets his butt handed to him.
Get him out now before he blows the lead.
Just a horrible piece of pitching by a guy who just won’t stop nibbling. Even when he succeeds a different way.”
Uh, d00d? He’s pitching in, he’s pitching out, he’s pitching in.
He can’t sit inside.
One of the worst things in baseball is when your offense spots you some runs and you give them back the very next inning. Inexcusable.
This is so sad to watch. Last year, when they were doing horribly in April/May, you knew everyone was just underperforming. This season, it feels like the team is doing exactly what should be expected. They’re a .500 ballteam.
The Moose did it, he tied the game!!!
“This is so sad to watch. Last year, when they were doing horribly in April/May, you knew everyone was just underperforming. This season, it feels like the team is doing exactly what should be expected. They’re a .500 ballteam.”
WAAAAAAAH!!! WAAAAAAAAH!!! WAAAAAAAAH!
Go away.
a 9 hopper gets past Jetes at SS…oh boy
Now he is set up to go ahead and lose the game! ConO!
Keith Law ESPN
Pena (Lisbon, Portugal): As a Yankee’s fan who has lost hope in Phillip “Ace” Hughes and Ian Kennedy, should I have hope in Daniel McCutchen?
SportsNation Keith Law: (2:23 PM ET ) Bom dia. Tudo bem? Sinto muito, so se umas poucas palabras. McCutchen is at best a 5th starter in the majors, and probably is more in the Karstens/Wright mold. I’m curious to see how Rasner does next time out – the cutter is promising, as he always needed a third pitch.
Geez! Moose is sooo frustrating! The guy is such a headcase. He pitches well when someone calls him to the carpet, but give him a lead and watch him fall apart.
This type of pitching makes me angry. Moose just lost it after hitting that batter. He became a different pitcher because he let it get to him. Ugly.
c’mon Moose
not cool…get these 2 outs asap!
I don’t know how that’s Abreu’s fault.
Folks blame him for not hitting the wall and then when he hits the wall, folks blame him.
How about the starting pitcher giving up the inner half of the plate because he hit a guy? That’s what has caused this inning.
Casey Blake is a RF hitter. If you are going to pitch him away, you are going to get hurt.
Stayed with Mussina too long and now its tied game.
Gotta get him out of there because if he gives up another run, and weather plays a role, its over.
He fell apart facing the back end of the order of a bad hitting team because he still wants to nibble away.
He’s a very frustrating guy to watch pitch because he wants to do it his way, even when he fails.
got to love moose
What happened to having pitchers who actually strike people out?
Mussina no matter how good he’s been is still a 5 inning guy.
that was just gross…i understand that the ball is wet etc, but c’mon! and now we want this offense to put up more runs?
Wow – Phil has really fallen. Fans around the world have lost faith in him. Poor kid
V says the same thing Yankee Fan says!
Moose if he hit s a batter he falls apart.. Blake likes to extend his arms so what do you do throw the ball on the outside edge…
Classic, this is what losing teams do.. they lose games they should not…Kelly shoppach gets a big hit with RISP..
jeter has limited range and so far this yr. has zero power, he also has about 5 walks…
Fear not, the Wussina strikes again
I still have faith in Phil.
But the most important thing is that he has faith in himself.
“I don’t know how that’s Abreu’s fault.
Folks blame him for not hitting the wall and then when he hits the wall, folks blame him.
How about the starting pitcher giving up the inner half of the plate because he hit a guy? That’s what has caused this inning.
Casey Blake is a RF hitter. If you are going to pitch him away, you are going to get hurt.
Stayed with Mussina too long and now its tied game.
Gotta get him out of there because if he gives up another run, and weather plays a role, its over.
He fell apart facing the back end of the order of a bad hitting team because he still wants to nibble away.
He’s a very frustrating guy to watch pitch because he wants to do it his way, even when he fails.”
I’m going to rewind on my DVR after the inning, and count Mussina’s pitches. I’ll guarantee you he’s been pitching inside and outside pretty damn close to equally.
Moose isn’t pitching well because Hank hasn’t made any nasty comments in the media. He apparently needs to be motivated to pitch well.
“V says the same thing Yankee Fan says!”
You’re an imbecile. Go away.
V – if gameday can be trusted…he has.
Thank you Mussina for giving up the lead right after we give you 3 runs.
“What happened to having pitchers who actually strike people out?”
Lol, and he gets the K on the outside corner
Hey V, Take it easy don’t blow a fart! (Unless your gut hurts)
despite his early season success, i will take moose giving 6 innings and giving up 5 runs every time. i think you’re all expecting too much from him. 3-3 in the middle of the 5th with the moose in the bump should make yankee fans happy. im happy anytime meatball moosed doesnt show up. this is a win.
let’s see if the bottom of our line up can do what the bottom of their’s just did…
Jeez! For a seasoned vet, he sure seemed to let that HBP get to him.
V,
You can’t pitch away to Blake in that situation. Its dumb pitching. Especially for a guy who can’t turn on pitches anymore. Its why Molina wanted to go in and stay in with him in that AB.
That’s just poor pitching. He wanted to do it his way, failed miserably, and blew a 3 run lead.
Girardi can’t bring him out for the 6th now. Its tough enough for this team to score runs. If Moose wants to nibble, he is of no value to them today.
They can’t afford to take the chance of him blowing up again in the 6th.
He’s just too stubborn to change. The first sign of trouble (the HBP on an inside pitch) and he went back to the old Moose.
Can’t do that and succeed.
Get him out now and hope the bullpen can pitch 4 shutout innings.
SJ c’mon I really respect your opinon, but let it lose he was really good till now, you don’t like to loose a lead me niether, but you’d sign up any day for 5 inn 3 runs
Nice hustle Robbie! Let’s get some of those runs right back!
Finally! Vamos Roby!!
Moose screwed up that inning but Abreu basically short armed the ball what the hell is Jerry Seinfield doing at Yankees Stadium I thought he was a Mets fan …anyway after that Jetes tanks a nine hopper to his right , you gotta be kidding me, Byrd is two inning away from surviving. Cano finaaly hit a ball square …we need to make our move here.
Bobby Abreu is as soft as puppy poo.
props to the ump there, that was really close and he got about 3 feet from the play and called it right.
as you can see I’m really frustrated right now.
whatever it takes, that run needs to come in…then let the rain do it’s thing.
I think Cano starting to come out of his funk.
was that a productive out? i forgot what those looked like.
well i just watched a replay and abreu should have got that ball and even not y did he wait 5 seconds till he trew home?
With a lead at this point, should the Moose come out?
just make him a LHB for the season..he has that Pena type ceiling..forget the RH side Bet
Wow, SJ44 knows everything, or at least he thinks he does.
As usual.
Just an endless stream of negativity about Moose who has pitched his rear off the last 3 appearances.
You guys complain when he doesn’t pitch in (he hit someone)
You complain when he pitches out or nibbles (hello, 87 mph heater?)
To take him out in the 4th would have just been so idiotic from people who complain about taxing bullpens and complained all during the Torre era.
Take some happy pills people – we’re about to take the lead
Get Robbie home
…Jose. WHY did you not bunt there?
Come on, Molina.
so did jose
Yeah Johnny!
Now a DJ single up the middle to make things better!
YAY Damon!
who was dissing damon earlier? hes been smoking for a couple of weeks now, him and matsui have been keeping the team afloat the last 10 days.
I do believe I just called that.
Thank you, again, JD.
Johnny Damon is on FIRE!
JD is on fire.
Damon is the guy today! he just doubled home cano!!!!
what is the ‘bunt’ of which you speak?
As Johny goes so go the yanks
Amanda, GMTA!
YAY!!! Now we need a torrential downpour…
now we will see if moose could hold the lead!
Captain no clutch.
I’m not sure how often you guys check mlb.com (I assume frequently), but have you noticed the Damon-centric headlines with regard to the Yankees struggles? It seems that he is really taking his lead-off role seriously. I hear more of Damon’s comments about the stagnant offense than any other player, including the captain. At first I thought it was a little impertinent, since I never really thought of Damon as a leader, but now I realize I just overlooked his presence in the clubhouse. I feel like I’ve warmed up to his signing whereas a year ago I felt it was a mistake… amazing.
yankees ben! since when do the yankees go like damon???!!!
TK,
Here’s my frustration.
We watched Chamberlain shake off Molina repeatedly the other night and it cost them the game.
We just watched Moose do the same thing.
Chamberlain is a rookie and still learning. He learned a valuable lesson.
Explain to me the logic of pitching away to a .206 hitter who can’t turn on pitches anymore? It makes no sense from a pitching perspective. Blake is not going to roll over that pitch because he’s looking to shoot the ball the other way.
Especially since last night, in the same situation, he took a pitch away and did what he did this afternoon.
I’d just prefer pitchers to stop shaking off catchers and try and trust them more to guide them through trouble.
Its a poor job of pitching by a veteran pitcher.
This is a smart move by Girardi. He can’t bring Moose back out there to nibble again. If it doesn’t work, that’s baseball.
But, Moose has got to stop nibbling. He would be cruising in this game if he just trusted Molina.
TKinDC
Here here!!
ok,Ollie…do your thing!
“I think Cano starting to come out of his funk.”
4 game hit streak (4 for 14 including today). Those aren’t Rod Carew numbers, but it’s a start. Hasn’t has a 2 hit game since the 12th game of the season. Maybe today, eh?
valis –
Despite his spotty play for the Yanks at times Damon has always seemed like a standup guy to me. He and Millar ran that Boston clubhouse when they won their first.
Gardner pinch ran for Greg Porter w/ a man on 1st and 2nd he stoled 3B, forced a walk to Castro and then Justin Christian walked on 5 pitches SWB 5 – 4, Gardner scores the run. The RP was Mike MacDougal
This is the problem with moose. yes he has pitched well for him and he pitched fairly well today but he is really just a 5 inning pitcher at this point. i mean he threw only 86 pitches. with igawa and rasner in the rotation there is so much pressure on wang and andy to give us innings.
No nibblin’ by Ohlendorf.
Hey folks, I’m not able to watch the game today or even follow it here much — is Moose the winning pitcher of record right now? I pledged to buy a case of Moose bars if he gets the win today! Thanks.
SJ –
I share the frustration with the result – Joba and Moose are at opposite ends of careers through and Moose has probably seen Blake a ton.
With Moose’s stuff an inside fastball that tails in is a souvenir in about a second flat.
Moose is pitching with his brain more than his arm these days, but any minor fault in execution gets crushed.
no offense to molina, but do you really think he knows moose better than moose know’s himself? i got big problems with moose, but he is possibly the most analytical (and experienced) pitcher in baseball. yeah, Moose can drive me crazy, but if i have to choose between the pitch he thinks he should throw and the pitch molina (or posada or johnny freakin bench) wants him to throw, ill go with moose’s choice.
if there’s a problem between molina and moose, molina better figure out who the guy with two hundred and sixty something wins is.
i believe he is, Nick
small ball indeed in AAA! 3 walks and 2 stolen bases to win!
Stayed with Mussina too long and now its tied game.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that.. Moose was scoreless through four, he got in trouble in the fifth. You would expect he could get out of the fifth with minimal damage. He gave up 3 runs but it’s not the end of the world, he did a good job of getting those last two outs after the visit to the mound. Luckily JD and Robbie picked him up the next inning. I was hoping to get 6 from him but 5 innings 3 runs isn’t AWFUL (although worse than I expect from him).
Now it’s down to the bullpen to hold the lead. Our bullpen has been good lately but 4 innings from even the best pen is a lot to ask. So what do y’all think? Ohlendorf, Veras, Joba, Mo?
Evidently Girardi wasn’t happy about what he saw in the 5th from Moose.
If he was, he could have run him out there for the 6th. He was only at 85 pitches.
I think if Torre was still the manager, there is no way he takes out Moose for a rookie in the 6th inning.
I’m glad Girardi did what he did because he can’t be happy with Moose shaking off Molina and going away from his gameplan.
Girardi was a catcher himself and understands game situations. It was the right call.
Now, a few insurance runs would be nice.
It’s refreshing to find someone [Damon] willing to outwardly express himself in a clubhouse filled with all-stars. Again, I’ve underestimated his charisma and I think a lot of fans overlooked the presence Damon provides on the team. Certainly there are better fielders, but who else on the Yankees would be willing to take responsibility for lack of production? Not many names come to mind. However, Kennedy’s “I’m going to make them look stupid” remark made me love that kid about as much as I loved Paul O’Neill.
why cant joe trust moose for one more inning?!
anyways it worked out!
Nick prepare the cash, He is
Brett Gardner is a freaking pest, he had the day off and in the btm. of the 11th he made McDougal’s life a living hell.
helno
moose is a 5-6 inning guy. its not his fault, thats what he is and the yankees knew it. they cant jus demand that he go 7 because they have struggling young guys and it strains the bullpen. just be happy he got in his 5 and didnt give the game away. thats what moose is at this point, until the young arms bump him out of the rotation.
“Hey folks, I’m not able to watch the game today or even follow it here much — is Moose the winning pitcher of record right now? I pledged to buy a case of Moose bars if he gets the win today! Thanks.”
Yup, finished the 5th and they took the lead in the bottom. If the game is never tied again, Mussina wins.
And Giambi hits a fly ball to DEEP center. Warning track.
Al he was starting to loose it, with the middle of the order coming up and having so much relief pitching it was a good call, well it worked so far
Girardi gives Moose another chance for another win. It would probably mess up his psyche for a couple of starts if he loses a game – especially if the reason he loses the game is because he cannot hold a lead in two consecutive innings.
Good planning by Girardi.
Anybody who is unhappy with 5 IP, 3 ER from Mussina please raise your hands?
The guy has been MUCH better than expected this year.
Evidently Girardi wasn’t happy about what he saw in the 5th from Moose.
If he was, he could have run him out there for the 6th. He was only at 85 pitches.
I think if Torre was still the manager, there is no way he takes out Moose for a rookie in the 6th inning.
I disagree on all points. Girardi took moose out after 84 pitches in his last outing and in that game he had already thrown 6 innings only 1 run. Obviously Girardi wants to keep Mike around that 85 pitch limit when he can. This is also a must-win for Girardi and Moose had a bad fifth inning so he’s obviously plyaing it safe here.
Secondly there is NO WAY Torre would stay with Moose there. He was notorious for taking guys out early, especially Mussina.
Its easy to see why he can’t trust Moose for one inning. They have no margin for his nibbling.
When you watch the guy go back to bad habits to flush a 3 run lead down the drain, it doesn’t inspire confidence.
Its going to be tough to pitch 4 shutout innings out of the ‘pen but, that’s what happens when your starter doesn’t inspire confidence.
Its also going to be interesting to see Joba in the 8th if its still a one run lead. Time to get back on the horse again and it would be nice if he can shut them down and get the ball to Mariano for the 9th. Would be a good comeback after a rough outing.
“Fear not, the Wussina strikes again”
Okay, we get it. You don’t like Mussina, but is this really necessary?
You think Moose is bad? Okay, but just remember the Yankees would be something like 14-22 without him this year.
I just read an ESPN article and can’t believe how much of a moron Steve Phillips is. How did this guy ever get a GM job? I think Carrot Top would be a better GM. Check out these trades he proposes to restore the Reds.
Adam Dunn to:
1)Giants for Matt Cain
2)Toronto for Adam Lind AND McGowan or Marcum
3)Cleveland for Cliff Lee AND Franklin Gutierrez or Sowers AND Laffey
Jared Burton and Jeremy Affeldt for Phil Hughes.
The guys in the Baseball Tonight studio should constantly mock him.
yep y. ben we really need to win this one ! REALLY!!!
c’mon Ross. Be good here
If Joba comes into this game, I will be interested to see how many times he shakes off Molina.
Ohlendorf needs to hang on here because the Yankees won’t score any more runs.
Watching Betemit and Ensberg at third as such a pain. These guys show no range at all.
I’m never happy with a 5 inning start from any starter. That’s setting the bar way too low.
If you have a 3 run lead in the 5th and your starter only gives you 5 innings, and leaves when its tied, that’s not a good outing, IMO.
It is what it is at this point, and you hope they can hang on.
A 5 inning, 3 run effort is not a good start for a starting pitcher.
Its going to be tough to pitch 4 shutout innings out of the ‘pen but, that’s what happens when your starter doesn’t inspire confidence.
if the yankees need 4 shutout innings, then the loss would be on the offense. get off moose, he did fine its up to the BP and the hittters now. if they cant put up 2 more runs they cant blame Moose or the bp.
this is a win going away. yanks 8-5
Ohlendorf has such good movement on his pitches, it’s beautiful.
Thanks folks, I think Moose’s start qualifies for a small order at minimum, but we need the win too!
Ross Ohlendorf is a good pitcher.
SJ you have to relax, you are way too down on Moose. It looked like he was cruising through a third straight good start and he had one bad inning. Chill.
Solid work by Ohlendorf. When not overused, he is a real weapon.
His stuff is nasty. Especially when you have to take hacks on that power sinker that bears in on righties.
When was the last time the Yankees had a guy come in to the game in the 6th inning with a 1-run lead and hold the lead for 2 innings. It’s nice. Now, Joba gets to face Sizemore leading off an inning again.
great job by Ross!!!
Ohlendorf is looking pretty good, think Joba will come out?
You know when it works it sounds easy, good job Olie, now comes Joba vs Sizemore
way to get out of that without even letting the runner advance!
Patrick,
Not way too down on him. I don’t want to see him falling back on the habits that made him a punching bag in the league.
He did that inning and cost him and the team.
This team is desperate for wins now. They don’t have the margin for error which allow for those type of mental mistakes.
Whether they come from a rookie or a veteran. Fortunately, Girardi got him out of there and they got 2 scoreless innings out of Ollie.
Now, it sets up as a repeat of the other night. Joba in the 8th with Sizemore leading off the inning . Hopefully, with a better result.
The bast thing you gotta like from Ross he goes right after the hitters, he has good stuff
I DEMAND INSURANCE RUNS!!!!
(pretty please?)
Mussina is what he is. He really has to nibble because if he doesn’t he gets creamed. In the end he’s a 5-6 inning guy who will give you a 4.50 or so ERA. With the exception of an out of the ordinary April and May in 2006, that’s what he’s been. No excuse for not getting thru six against the Tribe lineup today though.
good not to see ollie as a long man
oh is he back???? i think he may be back!!
Slump = over.
Holy Robbie Cano!
did he just throw that to Cano ? did Cano hit that sqaure again
Has Cano got his groove back?
Cano DONT YOU KNOW!!!!!!
CANO!!!
Cano I hope this is it
Has Robbie woken up?
That would be HUGE.
(I believe I requested some insurance runs)
“Now, it sets up as a repeat of the other night. Joba in the 8th with Sizemore leading off the inning”
Juat what the doctor ordered. Be nice for Joba to have a shot a avenging the worst effort of his MLB career. Don’t really think his confidence is shaken, but beating the guys that just beat you is a shot in the arm to anyone’s confidence.
square *
Wowza. 3 HR by the lefties. Good stuff. Nice day for Robbie. 2 extra base hits.
Way to go Robbie!
TKinDC, can you demand my boss give me a raise?
Huge insurance homer by Robbie!!!! Hopefully Joba can avenge his demons from two nights ago with a lights out 8th!
Why was Byrd out there in the 7th? Love that Cano is starting to warm up.
“I just read an ESPN article and can’t believe how much of a moron Steve Phillips is. How did this guy ever get a GM job? I think Carrot Top would be a better GM. Check out these trades he proposes to restore the Reds.
Adam Dunn to:
1)Giants for Matt Cain
2)Toronto for Adam Lind AND McGowan or Marcum
3)Cleveland for Cliff Lee AND Franklin Gutierrez or Sowers AND Laffey
Jared Burton and Jeremy Affeldt for Phil Hughes.
The guys in the Baseball Tonight studio should constantly mock him.”
Wow, he really is a moron.
This is what you call ‘fantasy’ baseball.
Don’t know if he’s back yet, but at least he chased the Byrd away. (stupid joke of the day)
if u look at moose’s starts this season, comparing today to his others, he’s had 2 better (sea, cle, tampa) , 2 worse (both v boston) and 1 about the same (tor). so despite the spin, this is just about an average outing for moose and thats all the yanks can ask of him. the bullpen problems and the young starters have no bearing, this is all that moose is and when we find another guy who can go 7 and give up 4 instead of 5/4, moose will be out of the rotation.
A hot Robbie Cano can keep the offense afloat until Arod and Posada get back.
When he’s hot, nobody can get him out. Hopefully, this is the start of a hot streak.
jackson, the AG, ohlendorf, and maybe 1 more person for the big unit, how was that trade????????
sorry about the miscount
BETEMIT TO DEAD CENTER!!!
BET ! …keep him to the LH side
WILSON BETAMIT!!!
BACK TO BACK AND A BELLY TO BELLY!
How many hot dogs do you think this Kobayashi can eat?
over/under on 35… i take the over
Lefties just MASHING today. Big Homer by Betemit.
TK YOU GOT YOUR INSURANCE!!
Cano first two hit game in AWHILE
If Cano starts hitting that would go a LONG way to helping this offense.
SJ, I know how you feel about Moose but at the beginning of the year I would have signed up for 25 starts of 5 innings 3 runs from Moose. Now that he has improved I am not satisfied with that but I can stomach it.
I think he could have pitched the sixth but Girardi needs this win so he went to the bullpen. Moose had one bad inning and he regrouped to get through the last two outs. In the past when he blows up he’s done but he showed me a little toughness this time out. Obviously next time out we will all be hoping and expecting him to be better.
Kudos to Cano, Damon and Ohlendorf for bailing Moose out and putting him in line for the win.
nice job by Betemit.
Who was it who thought Eric Wedge was a manager genious yesterday I forget?
Anyway, the manager genious (Wedge) has seen Byrd give up two HR’s already in the game to left handed batters.
Cano, a lefty has already doubled off of Byrd and yet manager genious leaves Byrd out there in the seventh to face him again?
Life is good – now release the best arms in the bully
I think now is the time to make Betemit commit to one side, it’s clear he is a good LH swinger, keep him there dammit !
Please nail Dellucci
Y’s Guy – i completely agree on your comment on Moose. I recognize that is all he is now. and im mostly fine with it. my issue is when some people try to make it seem like moose is some great pitcher. he is a #4 starter and that is it.
Ray,
I think they only have Perez as a lefty in the ‘pen. He has thrown the last two days and threw 37 pitches last night.
If I’m Wedge, I’m thinking big picture. They can’t go to him again and they have already won the series.
Best to save Perez for the next series and hope Byrd or somebody else gets you through the inning.
Sneakily Moose is on pace to throw 160IP’s with an ERA in the mid 4′s.
If I told you at the beginning of the year that Moose would pitch 160IP’s with a mid 4 ERA who here wouldn’t have taken that?
and the offense was mocked earlier. shame on us.
give joba cabfare home, i want that boys innings saved today.
SJ44,
I see your point re: Wedge.
Oh no, Joba’s shaking off his catcher! OMG!
Totally agree with you ray. I think he is just benefiting from having a cy young candidate, really good c and cf. Plus this is the same guy who left borowski to close last year and this year if not for the injury.
Let’s go Joba!
How determined do you think Joba is right now? I bet he’s going all out to sit these guys down after blowing it two nights ago.
Did Flaherty just say Joba has the right to call his own pitches? and now coney agreeing to a point?
I agree with Pete. I love to watch Ross pitch, and he is much better than an innings-eater, long reliever.
I am glad to see the homeruns today. Especially from Giambi, Cano and Betemit. Now we just need to score runs the old fashioned way.. hit after hit after hit.
I’m not watching on TV, is Joba shaking MOlina off a lot like the other night?
Should Joba have been called in this inning despite the 3 run lead.
This is why you would have liked at least 6 from Moose today. Ollie could have pitched the 7th and 8th. Oh well, it is what it is.
No need to nail Delucci…c’mon Joba show him what time it is.
Joba’s still shaking Molina off…nore sure if it is more or less than before.
You guys not able to see the game, you have to listen to this convo by Cone/Flaherty tonight (top of the 8th) about Joba shaking off Molina.
Basically, Flaherty said that while Joba’s young, he’s proven himself. He has to believe in the pitch he’s throwing.
Cone kind of agreed, but made an astute point that Joba hasn’t learned how to situational pitch yet – you don’t need a K on Sizemore there (the other night), etc.
Joba ought to buzz Dellucci a little bit here.
Joba rules!!!!
i would have hawkins in there right now. id like to save joba’s innings and i think they need to develop hawkins to take the 7th inning when joba goes back in the rotation. but damn, that cornhusker is chucking today!
YES! I love Joba.
nice little fist pump there…well done…inning over
TAKE THAT FATCESSA !!!
** FIST PUMP **
No sliders today?////
Alright the Joba fist pump is back. Take that Francesa.
oh one and a good one
You absolutely use Joba in this game with a 3-run lead. Get him right back on the saddle. Great to see him K Delucci to end the inning. That’s our boy!
“I’m not watching on TV, is Joba shaking MOlina off a lot like the other night?”
Yep, ust as much as before.
AWESOME K of Delucci (AFTER SHAKING OFF MOLINA!).
I loved his third pitch of the at bat. 2nd pitch was on the corner fastball (low outside), called a ball. 3rd pitch was exactly the same pitch (maybe more of the plate).
Slider inside, K swinging.
Joba just smoked him.
we got the fist pump from Joba!!!
well joba is excited.
Wow look at that pitch sequence by Joba. He threw 11 straight fastballs then one slider to finish Delluci.
i saw joba shake him off a few times there
Yeah Joba!!
Fast ball – slider. Delucci is not that complicated to deal with…
Perfect!…Strike out the guy that burned you the other day…
Joba rules!!!!
Apparently Pete’s hunch was wrong. Joba shook Molina off 10 times that innning.
yeah Joba!
From our blogfather:
“Girardi mentioned to us yesterday that they “had a little talk†about shaking the catcher.”
Apparently, they will have another opportunity to have the same discussion. BUT it is all good when we win.
Normally, I don’t think you need Joba here – but it DID allow him to bounce back after a horrible appearance the other night, and get the same three guys out (easily, mind you – that was pwnage).
Also, he was already warmed up, and the nice thing with the way they’ve used Joba – if he warms up, they use him.
if the yanks win they will be 9 – 9 on the road and at home..
raymagnetic mooses prodcution has been good, better then I expected but our point is once he hit the batter you know he was limiting coming back inside.
if moose pitches like this all yr. I will be ecstatic…
lol, I think Pete might have imagined the “little talk” in his head. Either that or Joba is in a heap of trouble.
Joba (and probably the entire Yankee fanbase) needed that inning. Very nice Joba. Wish I were watching so I could see the fist pump! Glad it’s back.
hr is an unbelievable talent i can not wait to see him in the rotation
Great to hear the fist pump is back. All that crap talk about it before was ludicrous. Joba pitches off emotion in the bullpen. Absolutely no harm in showing some after a huge strikeout. And what, the other team doesn’t like it? Screw them if they do! If they don’t like it, get a hit then. Are they going to try harder because of it? Please. It was and is an absolutely preposterous point made by Fatcessa.
“Interesting outing for Joba” Give me a break Ham, and you wonder why guys like Allard and Eric Young call you a hack.
“From our blogfather:
“Girardi mentioned to us yesterday that they “had a little talk†about shaking the catcher.â€
Apparently, they will have another opportunity to have the same discussion. BUT it is all good when we win.”
Honestly, if management (Front Office, not Girardi), doesn’t like it (young pitchers shaking off catchers), there’s an organizational problem. The Yankees’ young pitchers appear comfortable shaking off the catcher to throw the pitch they want to throw.
If the catcher -absolutely- disagrees, he should either visit the mound, or keep calling the same pitch. The pitcher does not throw a pitch until he and the catcher are on the same page as to what pitch to throw.
V,
I think Coney’s point is the correct point. It is about situational pitching. I don’t agree at all with Flash that Joba has earned the right to call his own game. He’s good. He’s not that good yet.
Notice, in this outing, Joba threw all fastballs and only one slider. The last pitch to Dellucci.
As good as Joba is, he can’t shake him off as much as he did the other night.
Today, he shook him off twice. To throw fastballs. It wouldn’t shock me if he wasn’t shaking off Molina as much as trying to throw off the hitters re: his shakeoffs.
That’s different to shaking him off to throw the slider. Which, is the book on Joba around the league.
They did an excellent job of making adjustments and I’m glad Joba released the emotion he did.
If, for not other reason, it ticks off Francesa to no end! lol
Oh goodness here comes the fist pump debate.
joba should just do what comes naturally. intimidation is part of a good reliever’s game and he’s not faking it. if he’s good, he’ll get away with it, if he cant keep it up, he’ll stop just like the D-Train.
Guys, I’m surprised that no one has figured out that Joba shaking off Molina is just a ploy to fool the hitters. I don’t think he’s really shaking him off that many times. It’s just an act.
it seems to me that the two main storylines of the season based on the yes netwrok crew are:
Joba fistpumps
O’Neill Hawkins 21 controversy
“V,
I think Coney’s point is the correct point. It is about situational pitching. I don’t agree at all with Flash that Joba has earned the right to call his own game. He’s good. He’s not that good yet.
Notice, in this outing, Joba threw all fastballs and only one slider. The last pitch to Dellucci.
As good as Joba is, he can’t shake him off as much as he did the other night.
Today, he shook him off twice. To throw fastballs. It wouldn’t shock me if he wasn’t shaking off Molina as much as trying to throw off the hitters re: his shakeoffs.
That’s different to shaking him off to throw the slider. Which, is the book on Joba around the league.
They did an excellent job of making adjustments and I’m glad Joba released the emotion he did.
If, for not other reason, it ticks off Francesa to no end! lol”
I can agree with you on the shaking off (actually, I’ve noticed the shakeoffs lead to curveballs more than sliders, but point still taken).
Maybe that is what the ‘talk’ was. ‘Shake off’ the catcher MORE OFTEN even if you’re on the same page, just to break that book.
I still do think he’s good enough to throw the pitch he wants to when he needs to. He’s not going to learn otherwise.
The amount of time people have spent talking about Joba’s emotion and everything else is so pointless.
The fist pumps are not a big deal. I don’t care if K-Rod, Zambrano, or Papelbon does it against the Yanks.
Why people like M & MD get so bent out of shape about such trivial matters is beyond me.
Laura – excellent point about the subterfuge shake off! I like that idea.
my experience in buisness has taught me that when 2 people are in disagreement, you have 2 problems but when 4 or more (pitchers?) are in disagreement with one person (the catcher?), then you only have one problem. get with the program jose.
SJ44,
That’s an interesting point you raise…the possibility of the shakeoff as a decoy…
I’ve been listening on the radio… can someone tell me if Joba shook off Molina at all??
V,
I think we saw a little something different re: the shakeoffs.
They shook off to fastballs. Joba always shakes off to sliders. As I said the other night, that’s a pattern any competent advance scout picks up.
I don’t have any doubt Girardi talked to him about it and it wouldn’t surprise to learn after the game the shakeoffs were dekes to throw off the hitters.
11 fastballs and 1 slider tells me the catcher was in charge of that inning. That’s what Molina wanted the other night from him.
Its a game of adjustments and Joba is a very nice job making the adjustment.
I’m glad Girardi put him out there again, facing the same hitters, regardless of the game situation. That’s how you forget a bad outing.
That’s a solid piece of managing by Girardi.
He’s been on his A game today. Pulled Moose at the right time, used Ollie for 2 and got Joba back out there.
Now, 3 outs from Mo and they can go to Detroit off a win.
THAT WAS A LUCKY CATCH
and well what do you know a fan calls in to whine about Joba’s fist, I’d like to punch one of them.
some stupid caller is crying “Joba pumped his fist Fatcessa did you see it”
On the ESPN baseball podcast today, the guys were talking about how some in BOS feel that Papelsmear is starting to get a bit full of himself. After he blew last night’s game, he threw a tantrum for the ages. Some feel that he is being to believe his own press or everything Peter Gammons says about him. Jerk.
This is the first time Joba has done the fist pump in weeks. It’s not a big deal.
Remember CC Sabathia yelling/screaming when he pitched against the Yankees in Cleveland? No one complained about that. I guess it’s different if you’re a Yankee.
nice to see mo in a game finally
lol they’re crying about the fistpump on M&MD. I agree though, cant yell and scream coming off the mound, the guy flat beat you up last time out, little pump is one thing but that warcry is showing the guy up.
Joba setup Delucci through the whole inning. Choosing not to throw sliders when the book on him was exactly that. After 11 fastballs, Delucci had no shot at the slider he struck out on.
Joba adjusted to the league’s adjustments on him. That is a very big deal.
As for the fist pump, it looked and felt cathartic not contrived today.
That’s an interesting point you raise…the possibility of the shakeoff as a decoy
Coney said that on the air last night.
And I don’t dream of questioning Molina’s game calling, He’s super
Jax the difference is C.C. got a big strikeout in a 1-0 game… Joba is pitching in a 3 run game where Eric Wedge is trying to get out of town with two games in the bag. It wasn’t a big spot for Joba.
when paul oneil smashes a water cooler, he’s passionate.
when jon pappelbon does it, hes full of himself.
if he was a yankee, you’d be praising his emotion, just like joba.
is today the time for rivera to give up a hit
They’re making too big a deal about the fist pump…
It’s a show of emotion…It doesn’t seem like he’s directing it at the hitter. It’s pretty obvious he’s not trying to show up anyone by doing it…
If he pointed at the hitter or something and then did the fist pump I could see the argument, otherwise there is no argument, in my opinion…
I hate watching Abreu go back…. he has to be the worst outfielder in baseball on balls hit over his head
tim mc carver was pointing out when the catcher was telling the pitcher to shake him off in a game i saw the other day. thats baseball 101. if girardi has to intervene to straighten out the signs and shakeoffs, hes either turning a little too buck showalter for me, or molina just doesnt get it.
who’s this Fransisco guy, he hits alot of Yankee pitchers I mean even in AAA
abreu at the wall is a hilarious sight
Mariano not happy w/ Bobby and the wall
you know Mariano is hating that right there. Bobby and that wall are having no luck…
rob it was a huge deal for joba. not only was it his first in season failure and return but it was pitching against the same guy who gave him that failure.
“They shook off to fastballs. Joba always shakes off to sliders. As I said the other night, that’s a pattern any competent advance scout picks up.”
really good point. whenever joba shook off a pitch , you pretty much knew a breaking ball was coming.
I don’t care if it was 3 or a 1 run game. If Joba was in Sabathia’s place that day and he was yelling/screaming pumping his fist off the mound like Sabathia did people would still complain regardless of the score.
Abreu really is not an excellent defensive player. Anything close to or hitting the wall is a disaster.
I know why Francessa wants Joba to be more like Mo. He wants Joba to open a restaurant in New Rochelle too. It’s another place to eat, and he might possibly get free food there if Dumb and Dumber do a live remote.
Hi Amanda,
I looked away…what happened with Abreu?
We needed that.
Man, Mariano is amazing.
Mo! Mo! Mo! Mo!
Mo was like F… you and your wall Bobby, I’ll do it myself.
This just crossed the AP wire:
“Senator Hillary Clinton today criticized Barrack Obama, her opponent for the Democratic presidential nomination, for what she termed his “weak opposition” to Joba’s fist pump. Senator Obama responded that his record has always been clear on fist pumping and Senator Clinton’s criticism is unwarranted. Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, said that both Democratic candidates were weak on opposing fist pumping and called their recent statements an “election year conversion”.
This could get ugly.
Now bring me my Moose bars!
Papelsmear, while probably being the closest thing to “awesome”, will not be dominant for 10+ years like Mariano.
I will not be surpised at all if he flames out after 5 years.
Those ESPN close ups of his face are very intimidating though.
I think he should be a candidate for “Dancing with the Stars” too. I also dont like him because he thinks the Dropkick Murphy’s are heavy metal.
Let’s think of a scenario:
Bobby Abreu crashes into a wall to make a catch. Upon impact of the wall Abreu breaks a bone. Breaking a bone causes Abreu to miss 6 weeks, but hey he makes the catch. Is that a scenario that would make Yankee fans happy?
I for one wouldn’t be happy about it.
hi Dynasty,
oh he ran into the wall, 2nd time for the day. but they won anyways!! Good job Yanks
Mo is perfect(meaning=not giving up runs) Nice W for moose and the yanks Good to see giambi and cano do some damage! BACK TO 500 GUYS!!!
wow, is abreu afraid of the wall or what?
“Hi Amanda,
I looked away…what happened with Abreu?”
It was a hard hit ball off the wall, but he was VERY slow getting to the wall, and the VERY slow getting back to the ball after it bounced.
I love his offense, but damn, LF and RF are defensive liabilities.
The problem with Abreu is he never puts himself in the position to make a good play… Melky always makes good plays, we see flashes of brilliance from Damon, but never Abreu, and I think that’s why Rivera had that reaction. Once in a while you need to see an outfielder take a hit away or make a nice play and Abreu rarely does so while Melky and Damon do a lot.
Right back to 500
Good afternoon,
just want to say two things.
1.Will we get all the sox trolls complaining of Jobas screaming and pump after delucies k.
2.Sory in advance.I have to say this. So iv heard that Hillary is a Yankee fan/cubs. If your reading this DROP OUT already.
Whew at least not another sweep. Good game, now back to work
Great win….all around….Looking good for our 5/15 goal. BoSux ready to lose one tonight as well. All is well in YankeeLand !
the sj44 negative brigade got the day off
Terrible outing for Rivera. Can’t believe he gave up a hit.
BY the way it was a fast game! less then 3 hours! its odd because moose always has long games!
Damon is not a liability in LF. Matsui is, but Damon is above average.
Maybe it isn’t that Abreu is afraid of the wall. Maybe it is that he doesn’t want to miss the ball and have it roll into right field for a triple.
great win!
ive been saying for a while now that this roster is a bad mix. they should lose these extra hitters (betamit, ensberg) and get some versitile good defense guys. (gardner and gonzalez) this gives them defensive options when they’re ahead so we dont always have to have abreu or damon or giambi on the field when joba and mo are in. they also need someone who can pinch run for molina or posada or giambi in a late inning tie situation. ppl have been saying they shouldnt have a roster spot for doug m. b/c its not an important defensive position, but it becomes one late in games when your righties are pitching to lefty pinch hitters and you’re trying to guard the lines. we have enough bats, we need a couple of gloves and some speed.
Thanks V,
I wonder going forward if they’ll try to work on those “wall problems” with Abreu…
Did he suffer an injury in the past crashing into a wall? Anyone know?
I just don’t get why a professional like Abreu would start having those kinds of problems…
Bobby’s buddy
“Terrible outing for Rivera. Can’t believe he gave up a hit.”
Maybe we can DFA him and cut our losses?
S.O.S. 27
It honestly doesn’t bother me in the least if Joba shows some excitement after a good outing for him. I think Red Sox fans react to it only if Yankee fans whine and cry about Papelbon doing the same thing.
“the sj44 negative brigade got the day off”
no sj was working it hard through the 5th and 6th innings.
How can anybody think Abreu would have caught that ball.
Like Ray said, what’s the sense of him crashing into the wall on a ball he couldn’t catch, get hurt, and miss time.
No question, he has wall-itis.
That said, on the scale of his strengths and weaknesses as a player, I’ll take wall-itis, when it comes to the positives he brings to the team.
Good to see you back Mike. 5th grade recess go ok today.
Was it dodgeball or hide and seek?
Either way, good to see back to your stalking ways.
the sj44 negative brigade will be out in force the next 2 games with Rasner and iggy pitching
OH GOD IGAWA PITCHES TOMORROW
Can A. Gonzalez play anything but short? If he can play 3rd, why the hell isn’t he in there? gives us some speed, which God knows, we need.
I’m sure the sj44 negative brigade will pick something out from today to complain about. I’m excited to hear what it is
mike a little tip for you.
You need to change it up a bit.
Every good stalker has to be able to have more material.
If you aren’t yet able to do it, have mommy help you.
It will keep her from bothering me everyday.
I understand if you are scared of the wall.But don’t hesitate then let the ball bounce away from you.
Just stay away and catch the rebound.Abreau looks like he wants to make a catch then at the last moment he stops and pretends to touch the wall and he lets the ball bounce too far from him.
Brandon,
I’m glad you could savor the victory for all of 3 minutes before bringing that little issue to our attention.
Were you dropped as a baby?
Amanda,
Since you saw both Abreu plays…in your opinion which was worse?
Nice to win again. I’m tired of these win 3, lose 3 patterns.
I hope that Detroit can steal one for us today and then go back to stinking up the joint again.
That Papelbon tantrum was pretty funny. You might as well get your money’s worth.
I wonder if Coleman’s or Igloo endorse Beckett and Papelbon. Their stuff gets a lot of face time when they blow a game.
Sj44 I see u dont dispute the fact that u head the sj44 negative brigade. If pointing out the fact that ur the king of negativity here makes me a stalker than so be it
Pete, I have a question. You said Detroit is the greatest place for a night off, and John Flaherty made the same comment during the game, not sure if it is sarcasm, just wondering what’s up with MoTown, having never been there. I would think Anaheim or something along those lines would be the best place for an off day.
Neil,
It was a joke. Its a pretty dead town. They have Greektown, which is downtown, and there is a casino there but, that’s about it.
Most of the good restaurants are in suburbs. Comerica Park is downtown.
Of all the places you can have a day off in the game, Detroit isn’t high on the list.
mike why waste time with fools like sj44? We all dont listen to there pessimistic rants. Tune em out and enjoy the wins
ray,
Im glad to hear this from red sox fan. I for one was and will always be against the Krod tactics on the mound. I do believe its showing the other player up. I know. I know. Just shut him up by getting a hit. I think its o.k. if its done occasionally(i.e. RIVALS,PLAYOFFS,WINNING RUN ON). But to do it on a regular bases isnt right IMO. To me its like Manny posing after a homerun. I was fine with Joba doing it today because i knew that it meant alot to him to get Delucci back. But like iv stated before. I hope its few and far between.
TKinDC I see you don’t like negativity so I guess you don’t know about Pavano returning in August
mel,
I missed the tantrum…can you or anyone on the board tell me what happened?
there goes sj44 bashing Detroit and Michigan. What’s next? Babies and ice cream?
SJ44,
Can you describe the old habits that you saw Moose fall back into in the 5th inning that led to the runs?
Thanks.
B-
You’re killing me. Why don’t you bring back Kevin Brown while you are at it!
“Does Bobby Abreu wear one of those invisible collars that shocks him when he gets too close the wall?”
NOW… THAT’s FUNNY. Great line!
i kind of have a good feeling about igawa tomorrow. ive watched ALOT of the tigers this year and thier offense looks alot worse than the yank’s right now. magglio is hitting but miguel cabrera isnt, sheff is ice cold. i could see the tigers wailing at igawa and if he can avoid the home run (in one of the best pitcher’s parks in mlb) he might turn in a nice performance. if the offense can put up runs, i see igawa getting the W tomorrow.
SJ44, most of us are with ya, friend….don’t let the bastages get you down !
mel,
Gotta give it to your Lakers. They look like they are running on all cylinders. Kobe looks unstoppable and Fisher IMO is your mvp. As an old batman show would probably say KO-PAU!! 6-0
What do you think. Will the Spurs rebound? I think they always struggle against a quick point guard. Hope they figure it out.
S.O.S 27
I actually agree with you especially in regard to Manny admiring his homeruns. It irks me to no end when he does that because (1) I think it shows up the opposing pitcher, and (2) Manny has stood there like a dope sometimes admiring his hit when it actually was not a home run.
I am not fond of some of Papelbon’s antics, but as long as he is effective I try not to get too excited about it.
SJ,
Thanks for clearing that up, lol. With Flaherty making the same comment during the game I wasn’t sure if he was joking or not because no one laughed. Just thought maybe Detroit had something going on I was unaware of.
TK the rumors are Jaret Wright’s imminent return
Back of a bit fellas.I have to back up sj on this one. In past years i dont think you could have counted out the Yankees till the last out. Like a couple years ago when the scored 5 runs agains k.c. with 2 outs in the ninth to win.
As far as this team is concerned. Have we even cameback to win any game that we were behind in the 7th? I cant recall not even one. Im sure that will change when we get our full team back again. But as for now. We have lost a bit of our late inning heroics MOJO.
“i kind of have a good feeling about igawa tomorrow…”
Who on this board ever thought that we’d be looking to Igawa for help in the starting rotation?
Will Pavano be next?
Can we talk about the fact that Rivera has an unheard of 0.00 ERA – early days but CY YOUNG!
Abreu’s inability to play the wall is really starting to get exposed of late. You can live with it, but why not make an adjustment? Since he’s so conscious of it but has a great arm in a short RF, why not at least line up for the carom off the wall to try to hold it to a single or even nail him going for a double? Not saying it would’ve happened that way, but it sounds better than just banging into the wall and getting disoriented, struggling to even find the ball as it trickles away.
Anyway, great bounce back by Joba today. Definitely a needed win, and hopefully the start of a long winning streak.
BTW
David Robertson
2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
PT/S 26-15 GO/AO 2-2
Mike Francesca FACTS:
There is no ‘ctrl’ button on Mike Francesca’s computer. Mike Francesca is always in control.
Mike Francesca can kill two stones with one bird.There is no such thing as global warming.
Mike Francesca was cold, so he turned the sun up.
Mike Francesca can strangle a cordless phone.
Mike Francesca is the reason why Waldo is hidding.
When Mike Francesca crosses the street, the cars have to look both ways.
Mike Francesca ordered a Big Mac at Burger King, and got one.
Mike Francesca always has sex on the first date. Always.
God said “Let there be lightâ€, Mike Francesca said “Say pleaseâ€.
Mike Francesca once played Russian roulette with a fully loaded gun and won.
Mike Francesca lost his virginity before his dad did.
When Mike Francesca strikes out to end a game, ARE YOU KIDDING? RYAN CHURCH STRIKE OUT?
dont take my comment to mean that i ‘believe’ in igawa, i dont. but i think this is a good start for him and he could be somewhat helpful as an emergency reliever until kennedy, hughes, karstens and horne are back on their games.
I’ll comment on Mo, Blake. He looks great. The command is as good as ever. The amazing thing is the velocity is still good. IMO it proves that if you can locate, you can pitch.
I’d love for him to keep below a 2 era, because he would have to be considered for a cy young.
JMO,
I was just talking in general…the idea that we even have to consider getting a start from Igawa is surprising…it says a lot about the condition of our starting pitching…
Regardless, you never know…he might pitch well…
GO YANKS!
Solution to Abreu’s wall problems as someone last week suggested.
When we get a real first baseman. Tape giambi to the right field wall for some padding.
Ray,
Manny cracks me up when he thinks its gone and he ends up at first rather than getting a double or possibly a triple. O.k. a double. That would piss me off as a fan.
If i can remember correctly. Sorriano did that a couple times and got reemed for it.
Gotta hand it to him though. One of the best hitters iv ever seen. Makes it look easy. Would hate to bat behind him and watch him standing on first. Rather than scoring position. I guess you cant have it all.
Manny being Manny
1.going in the left field wall for a pee break.
2.cutting off the Damon through for no reason.(laughing while i wrote that)
3.Staring at looong singles.
4.Pointing with both hands to the dugout after a big hit.
?
dynasty,
just saw what you wrote, but I think the first time abreu didn’t catch the ball and slammed into the wall was worse than the time in the 9th.
even if he doesn’t have the best catching ability with balls over his head, he has an incredible throwing range so he can usually bounce back.
I am very, very interested to see how Igawa is going to do tomorrow, I am trying to keep a positive outlook on it.
Sorry meant the Damon throw.
Amanda,
Yes, we must be positive…who knows, maybe this time around Igawa will be what he was supposed to be when they signed him…
GO YANKS!
I hope Igawa forgot to bring his cool shades with him.
“You said Detroit is the greatest place for a night off, and John Flaherty made the same comment during the game, not sure if it is sarcasm, just wondering what’s up with MoTown, having never been there.”
That HAS to be sarcasm.
I’d rather be in friggin’ Basra than Detroit.
Chicago is hands down the best city for a night off. Boston would be ok if you could find a restaurant or bar open past 10pm.
Best towns for a day off:
Chicago
Toronto
Tampa
Boston (I must unfortunately admit)
Anaheim
A good win really shuts up the Quitters who drown out the optimists here.
Chris and Fatcessea harping on the fist pump…
Michael Kay has the audacity to imply Joe Torre is guility of the “appearance of impropriety†and a “conflict of interest†because as the Dodgers manager, he called Posada and Pettitte to inquire about their health.
—————-
Well I wonder what Kay would say at the fact that Girardi admitted that him and Torre have been chatting frequently. And its interesting that Girardi’s performance during the post-game press conferences (particularly after losses) has improved drastically since the 2 managers have been communicating.
As usual, another blowhard reporter distorts the facts.
I haven’t read the game posts. I half-watched and half-listened to the game today since I had lots of “stuff” to get done today. But what a nice win for the team. Very happy about Robbie Cano’s day. I think it was a nice break for Damon’s and Giambi’s HRs to find their ways out of the park – simply because it’s nice to get a break now and again. Moose did a great job through 4, and I thought he was going to escape the 5th giving up only 1, but at least he maintained the tie and a GREAT pick-up in the very next inning.
I had a feeling Betemit would do something today. Insurance runs are always good. And what can you say about Joba?? And Ollie??? And Mo???? The pen’s been really, really good this season.
On to Detroit. Pete said it above, and the guys said it on the broadcast, that Detroit is a great town to be in. What, besides baseball, is there to do in Detroit???? (I passed up including Detroit on a long road trip this summer, because aside from a game I couldn’t find anything family-oriented to do.
Fatso & Fruitloops as expected just absolutely have to trash Joba’s fist pump.
Maybe they’d rather see Joba do in a couple of Gatorade jugs. to emulate Papsmear.
Ahh, just scrolled back and noticed SJ’s post on Detroit. Whew – I didn’t miss anything in my research.
Yanks don’t get there often but San Francisco is a great town for a day off.
Nobody ever mentioned Seattle but that’s a city that has it all over Bahhhstin.
point taken on Seattle (and San Fran) for that matter over Boston.
I cant stand how everything in Boston shuts down early. Its just not a “city” to me and lacks diversity that many other cities can provide.
I’m soon moving out of Detroit, but I live there now…there are 3 casinos and many, many strip clubs in Detroit. I think where they stay, there’s a movie theater and a mall. I usually hear stories about how the players hang out at a bar in Dearborn and play pool (and hit on women), but I’ve never been able to catch them myself. So I guess it depends on what you want to do.
Hey! Fantastic concept, but might this truly work?