Game 53: Yankees at Orioles
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on May 28, 2008 
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YANKEES
Damon LF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Giambi 1B
Cano 2B
Moeller C
Cabrera CF
Pettitte LHP
ORIOLES
Roberts 2B
Mora 3B
Markakis RF
Millar 1B
Huff DH
Hernandez C
Payton LF
Jones CF
Cintron SS
Guthrie RHP
Andy Pettitte (4-5, 4.27) vs. the Baltimore hitters.
Jeremy Guthrie (2-5, 3.62) vs. the New York hitters.
and just for kicks …
Jobamania vs. the Baltimore hitters
Notes: RHP Chris Britton is here. This is now the 876th time he has been called up this season. … The Yankees are 3-5 against the Orioles this season. … Jason Giambi (10 for 20, 6 runs, 4 RBI) and Godzilla (12 of 23, 11 runs, 6 RBI) are on fire. Alex Rodriguez (4 of 21, 2 RBI) not so much. … Johnny Damon has a seven-game hit streak (13 of 29, 6 RBI). … It’s been interrupted by two DL stints. But Wilson Betemit has a 6-game hit streak (8 of 26).
The Joba Plan: Joba is scheduled for 50-55 pitches. If he doesn’t get to that many in the game, he’ll finish off his work in the bullpen. He has thrown four innings in his last two outings, going 35 and then 40 pitches.
Back later with updates.
UPDATE ON IAN KENNEDY
5:58 p.m.: Some good injury news for a change for the Yankees. Kennedy does not have a strained lat muscle according to Joe Girardi. An MRI showed he has bursitis under his scapula. That can be controlled with medication and he could be throwing again in a week. He’s on the DL but he could be back after 15 days.
ANOTHER UPDATE ON IAN KENNEDY
6:16 p.m.: Joe Girardi knows baseball. Not medicine. According to Brian Cashman, Kennedy does in fact have a strained lat muscle along with bursitis under the scapula. But there still does seem to be a chance he could be back after 15 days.
By the end of the night Kennedy might need a glass eye and a hip replacement.
UPDATE, 6:39 p.m.: The Yankees have lost seven straight extra-inning road games according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Two of them this season.
Meanwhile, the Orioles are going to have the Geico Cave Man throw out the first pitch. Apparently Mrs. Butterworth and the Maytag Repairman were unavailable. Remember when teams used to have old players throw out the first pitch and it was sort of special?
This is a cool stat. Jason Giambi has 187 homers as a Yankee and 187 as an Athletic.
The Tuesday starter is TBA. Could be Pettitte, could be Joba, could be a call-up.
UPDATE, 8:03 p.m.: Jason Giambi now has 188 homers as a Yankee, one more than he had in Oakland. That’s also two balls on Eutaw Street in as many days.
UPDATE, 8:12 p.m.: A pigeon just flew into the pressbox, causing a bit of a ruckus. Kyle Farnsworth, alas, was in the bullpen. He would have known what to do. And by that I mean he would have killed it.
UPDATE, 8:38 p.m.: Pettitte has thrown 72 pitches through five innings. One more for the big lefty than three for Joba?
UPDATE, 9:02 p.m.: Here you go, Joba. Get seven outs. You have 55 pitches to spread around.
UPDATE, 9:07 p.m.: That’s 55 pitches for the game, Joba. Not this inning.
UPDATE, 9:12 p.m.: This is pretty interesting. Can Joba get through the next two innings with 42 pitches? It’s not a lock. The Yankees may need somebody to get an out of two.
UPDATE, 9:28 p.m.: This is staggering. A really good pitcher can pitch more than one inning. What a concept.
I have Chamberlain at 28 pitches. But I went to public school.
UPDATE, 9:32 p.m.: Mariano is warming up. Is that it for Joba?
UPDATE, 9:50 p.m.: The Yankees are making baseball history. Joba may be the first player ever to throw in the bullpen before and after his appearance in the game.
Given how he was going, I might have kept Chamberlain in the game. But managers are so tied to their closers these days, so you can’t blame Girardi. Ninth inning, two-run lead, use your closer. By the book.
No Melky stats? He needs to be sent down to AAA!
Today would of been the perfect day to give Jeter the golden boy the day off. They are off tomorrow so that would of been 2 days that it looks like he needs. I am surprised Girardi is playing him, or maybe he asked to play.
Should we assume Mo is unavailable? If so, it’s a good night for Joba to get his work.
Dear Yankee coaches and pitchers:
If you throw Millar off-speed pitches he whiffs every time
trust me I have lived in Boston for 6 years and watched that happen on a daily basis
CaptainsCorner,
Funny, Betemit is 1 for 1 (a homer) with a walk lifetime against Guthrie. I think you’re right!
I agree, Jeter should have a couple days off. But it would be a slap in the face after last night’s lousy play, so they won’t. Plus, I don’t have the feeling that anybody on the bench will do a better job. If Gonzales were still up, I’d wouldn’t mind watching smooth fielding at SS for a night, regardless of his bat.
my god what does Scott Patterson have to do …
Im sick of seeing Britton. He is another bumb like Hawkman and Ohlendorf. Id rather see someone with some talent and promise or just for kicks a lefty.
Britton eats innings
YES had an interesting statistic last night regarding Kennedy’s performance in the first inning. Apparently he fares much better against batters 1 through 3. Perhaps he would be a better relief pitcher? A scouting report on Kennedy: “Though his stuff isn’t great, his command makes him a deadly pitcher.” The report also said his curve and his slider are his weakest pitches. Given the amount of walks he has dished out this season, I cannot imagine we’ll see much more of IPK as a starter. That said, he seems like he could learn a lot from Mike Mussina. Hopefully the two will talk and Kennedy can re-establish his curveball.
I miss seeing the Jeter of old. This slower, shadow of his former self version is awful to watch. Last nights game was dreadful for all of that have given jeter a free pass before. Not anymore. He needs to step it up. If he’s injured, then sit down.
“Britton eats innings”
He eats a lot more than that.
Good game to keep the sound off. Kay is going to repeat that Joba is throwing 50-55 pitches about 50-55 times, and will update his pitch count every other pitch.
And Britton gets called up…and probably won’t be used yet again
(I don’t really have any expectations of him; I just find it weird that for how often he gets sent up and down, he remains relatively quite rarely used)
“Im sick of seeing Britton…Id rather see someone with some talent and promise or just for kicks a lefty.”
You never see Britton. You just always hear that he’s been either recalled/sent down. How can you be so against a guy that hasn’t even gotten a chance this year?
I agree, the Yankees probably don’t have Britton in their long term plans, but they must like something about him to continue recalling him whenever possible. Then again, he never plays once he gets up here, so that’s a head-scratcher.
Interesting factoid from the Star Ledger Blog:
“First baseman Ben Broussard, the former big-leaguer who yesterday joined Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, has a June 15 out in his contract.”
Not exactly a big window. He’s going to have to be on fire for the next 2 weeks in order to stick.
I decided before last night’s game that Hawkins should be subject to a four-run rule. That is, he can’t pitch in a game unless the Yanks are winning or losing by four or more runs. (There was no extra inning exemption, so I was quite upset to see him in the 11th inning last night, but I digress …)
For Britton, I propose a five-run rule. He’s fine in mop-up, but whenever he pitches in a close game, he does a great Hawkins impression. He blew two late games last year.
Man, Eiland sounded dead. Its got to be so frustrating to see guys you count on struggle so much.
We bend over backwards to search for answers but in reality, you can’t always find answers.
Sometimes, you just aren’t good enough no matter what you do.
Gotta keep grinding though and hope things change.
I think even Eiland is shocked at the struggles of some of these guys.
SJ44-Was Eiland on with Kay? Or with the two fools down the dial?
I’ll be back later people, Eiland couldn’t come up w/ one nice thing to say for Hawkins and Kennedy I’m sorry but Chris Britton coming up really pissed me off today, so I’m taking a long walk outside to clear my mind.
“Not exactly a big window. He’s going to have to be on fire for the next 2 weeks in order to stick.”
Doesn’t mean he will opt out though.
Only problem with that rule is, its tough to implement given the present state of the bullpen.
That means more work for Farnsworth, Ohlendorf, Ramirez and Veras. Not sure if that’s a good idea.
My rule? If you are a pitcher, pitch. I don’t care if its one inning, 5 innings, 2 pitches, 120 pitches. Go out, compete, and get the job done. No excuses.
You are not always going to have optimal situations to pitch. There have been plenty of nights when David Cone, Jimmy Key, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, etc haven’t felt right and got the job done.
I don’t care what their stats say, how they did last night, or anything else. Just go and pitch.
Often, I think pitchers think too much. Location, pitch count, pitch selection, all that stuff.
Just go out and pitch. If you do that, and you locate well, you can get the job done.
If these guys are too hung up on failing, they need to be off the team because its a game of failure. Gotta turn the page and move on.
“Eiland couldn’t come up w/ one nice thing to say for Hawkins and Kennedy”
That is disappointing…and a wee bit scary
Last night it looked like Olendorf’s sinker wasn’t sinking. He left fastballs over the plate and got crushed.
I don’t know what the deal is with Hawkins. He seems to be getting worse as the year goes on. Maybe he is tipping pitches? His stuff isn’t that bad.
Britton really couldn’t do much worse than these guys but as mentioned previously, he gets called up and then doesn’t pitch for a week. The Yanks haven’t really given him a fair chance.
so Hawkins and Ohlendorf with over 6 ERA’s with over 20 + innings stay. the reason is???
Cox has 14 innings in AA and AAA With a WHIP of .75…
That is one thing I cannot understand about the Yanks they give these guys; ensberg and hawkins and Ohlendorff so much rope it is a joke… These guys do not deserve to stay.. Duncan has hit the ball hard watch his AB’s Ensberg is a viewer of his AB’s…
Eiland whatever he said should stop whining and work with these guys. Edwar was a disaster last yr. how is he doing????
the yanks are playing with a 23 man roster…….Boston would chop these guys in a minute. Yes they do keep Timlin and should definitely cut him but he has history at least with the team, he has been a good player for them for years…
SJ, my rule was very tongue-in-cheek. Hawkins and Britton need not to be on the roster.
Hawkins was a fair, cheap flyer, but it didn’t work out. He’s awful. Britton is worse.
It’s too bad that Britton has no control over his destiny because if I were him, I’d ask to be released. It is ridiculous to keep calling up a guy you have absolutely no plan to use.
S.A.,
He was on with Kay.
Broussard was 3-3 with 2 doubles, a walk and 3 RBI last night in his first game for Scranton.
Brandon,
I thought he was more dismissive on Kennedy. I may be reading too much into it but, I get the feeling Girardi and Eiland aren’t huge Kennedy fans.
Hawkins? I don’t think they care enough about him to be dismissive! lol
Just the body language and comments I see and hear when Girardi and Eiland talk about him and watch him pitch leads me to that conclusion.
I don’t think they like nibblers and, at least this year, Ian is nibbling big time.
so they blew the hawkins signing he got 1 yr and $3.5 mill cut him..
this is not a Giambi contract…..
adios, PLEASE>>>
As far as I’m concerned, they made a mistake of bringing Kennedy up again. He had that good start but that was a freak accident. The alternative was probably Igawa, but so what, even he didn’t suck this bad by this time last year. At least IPK is on the DL, that means they won’t let Chamberlain bump the Yanks’ best starter (Rasner) out of the rotation.
Mitch,
I know. We have to have some kind of gizmo on here to denote tongue in cheek! lol
Thanks.
Maybe they will have it up on the 1050 website later so I can listen.
Laura, if you can get Britton to do that, please do! He’s so awful.
Was Eiland on a pre- or post-game show, SJ?
It really is unbelievable, and it’s got to be so frustrating for him – he’s the guy that brought the youngsters along at the minor league level and he was charged with continuing the process in the majors. No one could have imagined how everything has unfolded. Bumps and bruises a long the way? Growing pains? Yes, most of us were ready for that, expecting that. But this has been like someone came in and squashed every plan the Yankees had for this year, and as it turns out, probably next year as far as their starting pitching goes. Dark cloud overhead, like that cartoon character, what was his name? I think in L’il Abner.
I read a lot of the discussion in the prior posts. Again, I’ll say that no one — NO ONE — could have anticipated almost every single major impact player on this team either being injured or failing to produce, and all at the same time. Jeter failing to bunt last night? Not good, but most of the time he’s the guy who gets the job done. Let’s face it, last night that dark cloud was directly over Jeter’s head. ARod’s two errors – one was on Betemit, but the other? He’s been throwing bullets to 1st since he’s been back.
I think there are probably some changes that will be made, but it seems almost as if the changes will be for change’s sake. Are there any better pieces out there at this point? Unless they go back and undo some moves, i.e., trying to get Mientkiewicz and/or Phillips back. I never saw the point of letting either one go, because they were not replaced with anything much better. And they seemed to fit the team. Those moves really left me scratching my head.
I don’t like using 20/20 hindsight and it’s really not fair to say what should have/could have been done months ago. With information available at that time, moves were made to get some right-handed utility guys. None of them have really worked out. That’s a crap shoot. I mean Miguel Cairo didn’t do all that badly, you know?
So, going forward, you try and make changes and pick up pieces here and there based on the information available now. And you hope and cross your fingers that the dark cloud floats away and better times are ahead. Some of this is bad luck, some (okay, much) of it is bad play. But I still do not see this going on for the entire season. I also think its preposterous that whenever we fans compare the Yankees to other teams, we ALWAYS assume that things will get worse for the Yankees, but everyone else performs in a bubble where they will only get better and never make mistakes and have no injuries, etc., etc.
Boston has a good team, but they have also had some good luck, too. Let’s also remember that last season they had a handsome lead going into September and almost blew it. Now this is not last year, but I’m just sayin.
SJ,
Agreed. How about: -)
Ha ha.
How are people bad mouthing Britton? Is he the second coming? More than likely, no. But he hasn’t been given any sort of chance to prove he’s serviceable.
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.....pid=461904
Check out things other than his name and his weight before you bash him.
Stuart,
Cox and Melancon are still building arm strength. They are a month away from being ready.
They aren’t strong enough yet to work back to back outings, especially at the ML level.
That’s why Melancon is throwing 4 innings in a game, 3 days off, then 2 innings again. They did the same with Cox in AA. Its the basic rehab work for TJ guys.
They will be up here soon enough. Probably by July 1 at the latest. Health permitting of course.
SJ44,
You may not have seen this post in the other thread, so here it is:
—
SJ44,
Let me go through your post line by line:
“I don’t hate Giambi. I think he’s a functional DH. Not a good option at first.
HE IS 6TH IN THE AL IN OPS (AND 7TH IN SLG). HE IS NOT A FUNCTIONAL DH, HE IS AN ELITE HITTER, AS COUNTERSENSICAL AS THAT WOULD SEEM AT THIS POINT.
Is he worth 15 million? Nope. Youkilis isn’t making 13 million and is a better all around first baseman than Giambi.
YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS – YOUKILIS IS NOT A FA ACQUSITION. GREAT FOR THE SOX THAT THEY HAVE HIM ON THE CHEAP, BUT THAT’S NOT A FAIR COMPARISON TO MAKE.
If you are asking me which guy I’d rather have on the team, its Youkilis in a landslide.
THAT’S A STRAWMAN ANSWER – EVERYONE WOULD PREFER YOUKILIS FOR WHAT HE’S MAKING, BUT THAT’S NOT AN OPTION, IS IT?
Despite the stats of the moment, game on the line, who do you want at the plate, Jason Giambi or Manny Ramirez?
I mean, come one, Giambi isn’t in Ramirez’s overall class as a hitter. Even when he was a great player.
IF YOU GO BY OPS+, GIAMBI WAS A BETTER HITTER IN HIS PRIME.
THEIR BEST 5 OPS SEASONS ARE: A) FOR GIAMBI, 198, 187, 172, 161 and 153;
B) FOR RAMIREZ 186, 184, 165, 161 AND 160.
SO GIAMBI’S 3 BEST SEASONS WERE BETTER THAN RAMIREZ’S BEST THREE. THEY’RE TIED IN THEIR 4TH SEASON, AND RAMIREZ’ 5TH BEST IS BETTER THAN GIAMBI’S.
PERHAPS YOU MEANT CLUTCHINESS – THOUGH THAT’S AN ETHEREAL QUALITY, RAMIREZ IS PROBABLY BETTER AT CLUTCH THAN GIAMBI, BUT SO ARE MANY PLAYERS.
I don’t discount the 26 million they threw away in Japan for Igawa in my analysis. A lot of money to waste on a Single A pitcher, IMO.
I AGREE WITH YOU ON THIS. THOUGH ADMITTEDLY, SOME VALUE WAS SEEN IN IGAWA, SINCE THE YANKEES WERE NOT THE SOLE BIDDER.
This off-season was one in which the free agent pool was poor. There really couldn’t put that kind of money into any players worth the money they were seeking.
EXACTLY. PART OF THE REASON IS THE ONE I EXPLAINED TO CB, BUT GENERALLY, I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE ACCEPTING THAT CORRELATION DOES NOT IMPLY CAUSATION.
Perhaps the trade market could have been more fruitful or, and this gets back to scouting, they could have done a better job with bench options.
PERHAPS. AND PERHAPS NOT.
But, when you are saddled with bad contracts, getting the raising the payroll (ie, overpaying for bench help) becomes tough.
LOOK, ON SOME LEVEL OF COURSE IT IS BETTER NOT TO HAVE BAD CONTRACTS, AND OF COURSE THOSE BAD CONTRACTS AFFECT THINGS. BUT YOU ARE PASSING A SUPPOSITION (SUCH AS THE ONE I ANSWERED ABOVE WITH “PERHAPS. AND PERHAPS NOTâ€) AND PASSING IT OFF AS A FACT.
I’m just saying, once they get out from under the contracts they have following the season, I hope they don’t go back to their failed way of doing business.â€
I ALSO HOPE THE YANKEES ARE SMARTER IN THE WAY THEY DO BUSINESS, BUT I DON’T THINK WE AGREE ON WHAT THE MISTAKES ARE.
I THINK MITCH EXPLAINED WHAT CASHMAN IS DOING VERY WELL. GOING AFTER TWO FAs (AS OPPOSED TO ONE, WHICH YOU DON’T SEEM TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH) SHOULD NOT PREVENT THE YANKEES FROM BUILDING THE FARM SYSTEM OR TRADING PROSPECTS (OTHER THAN EXCESS ASSETS, SUCH AS RH ARMS, AS MENTIONED BY CB) FOR SHORT-TERM HELP.
I’ll bet anyone here five bucks that Britton never throws a pitch before he gets sent down again.
Actually, I think Britton will be around a bit this time, because there’s no obvious choice to bring up in his stead….
Wasn’t it Eiland who said of the 3 kids, Kennedy was the most polished??? I could’ve sworn that he (or someone in the org) said that during spring training when the “Generation Trey” was in full hype.
IPK was a nibbler last Sept too yet he had success so there might still be hope for him. Hawkins, not so much. I agree with those who say that Hawkins should go. Bye-bye.
SJ44 -
I think you’re dead-on about Eiland and Girardi not liking nibblers. Throw strikes, That’s all Girardi ever says. Ian was supposed to be a strike thrower. Like I said yesterday, sometimes things happen for a reason. Kennedy will now have an “opportunity” to rework his stuff in AAA and since he’s been injured there’ll be no hurry or guilt or whatever about bringing him up again too soon. However, I do understand them bringing him up over keeping Igawa up.
I guess they’re major disappointed in Kennedy because he hasn’t really shown what he showed all of last year and there’s no real reason for it. And there really is nothing to say.
just a coincidence, or is Pettitte being matched up with Moeller a lot lately?
“Cox has 14 innings in AA and AAA With a WHIP of .75… ”
14 whole innings?
You do realize that, bad as he is, Hawkins is expendable? He’s not in the Yankees long-term plans. If he bombs, so what?
You call up Cox and ruin him, you’ve ruined a guy you’ve got cheap for years.
Let him develop and be brought up when ready. 14 innings??!
SJ: Happen to know if teams have tried to frontload their offers and that players just don’t accept them? Or is backloading contracts just something managers go with immediately?
I’m assuming that frontloading a contract would make the backend of it easier to trade or DFA if necessary. Like Giambi’s contract for example; if you flip it around, he’d be making 8 or 9 million this year. He’d be a lot more palatable… (of course, would the early years of it have been as accepted if he was pulling in ~20 mil for the first few years?
)
Doreen
Eiland was on live with Kay on ESPN about an hour ago.
I didn’t think he came across as negative as SJ did. Just sounded matter of fact to me in saying guys who were pitching in Single A last year are going to have their bumps in the majors. Said he saw things he liked but bad pitches were made. Not giving up on anyone but “it is what it is”.
Sorry to bring this up again…but saw it in the other thread and saw it didn’t get any attention…nobody would take a chance on a guy like Harden? Is the asking price really going to be so high as to deter us or is it the fact that he has an injury history that scares people so much? I think that you have to overlook the injuries if the package to bring him here isn’t astronomical. Harden to me, is one of those gems of a find possibilities if things work out right
Thanks, pat. Nice to have a more ‘even-keeled’ review of what he said.
SJ and other pitching coach’s so do not pitch Cox back to back games.. Losing games now count also.
again Hawkins, his ERA is over 6 in over 23 innings. He stinks.. Ohlendorf the same, the good news on Ohlendorf is he is young and has some upside, Hawkins is 35 a 13 yr. vet…..
If Melancon and Cox are as good as you all think, let them pitch on the big stage, so no back to back outings… All this codling of our young pitchers what the hell has it got the yanks??? Nothing.. are they more effective? are they less injury prone? the answer is NO….
Throwing out Hawkins and others is just praying they do not screw up that is not a strategy.
Actually, bringing up Chris Britton is a good idea, it looks like we need to keep doing the Scranton shuttle until we find the right combination for the second half. Now is the time to find out. Last year doesn’t seem much different. However being just two games under 500 given how poorly things have gone isn’t that bad. Yogi once said something like “nobody wins anything in May”…so let’s see some new kids here, Patterson and the others, and catch some new fire. Thank goodness for Rasner. Cano is starting to hit again, Matsui is having a much better year, Alex has hit some homers of late, Giamabi looks better, and Damon. I think we will be in the mix but it will be a late surge again. Don’t give up in May!
Judging by how many times we’ve heard it from players, the manager and GM so far, I propose they ditch this year’s slogan and replace it with:
THE NEW YORK YANKEES: IT IS WHAT IT IS
and how if Cox or Melancon struggle in the big leagues ruins them?
then they need to go down and work on things and give it another try.
Guidry when he pitched went up and down like a yo yo before he figured things out.. Mariano stunk as a starter, baseball is all about failing, trying to prevent failure is a bad strategy.. The only way you know if melancon or Cox or Edwar are the real deal is to give them the chance to fail!!!!!!!
Pat,
I’m saying Eiland was negative. He sounded frustrated and down with what’s happened.
When he says, “It is what it is”, when describing the pitching issues, its clear they have exhausted everything they have to get guys going.
Sometimes, no matter what you do, guys just don’t get it.
That’s how I would describe his tone with Kay today.
I meant to say Eiland was NOT negative.
JRVJ,
Did you just do a “Close Reading/Critical Analysis” of SJ44′s blog comments?
Man, I wish I had that kind of free time.
I’m not hopping on the anti – Ian bandwagon here because I’ve been saying since last year that I thought Kennedy was being over -rated. Especially when Cashman more or less made him untouchable in trade talks.
I witnessed 2 of his 3 wins in ’07 and came away appreciating the fact a rookie got the wins but it wasn’t like he was dominating by any means. And it’s not like he was a strike throwing machine last year either. He walked 9 batters in only 19 innings. He definitely looked more aggressive last year and I liked his strut.
The sad thing about IPK is that he seems to be a terrific young man and wants badly to be successful. I’ve got 2 terrific kids around Ian’s age so I have empathy for him. But my kids can’t pitch in the major leagues and I’m afraid Ian can’t either.
OK people..tonight starts another 5 game winning streak…god Yankees please get over the .500 mark!!!! This is embarrassing!!!!
Five games over .500 by this time next week!! anyone agree??
Stuart,
There really is no reason to bring up guys before they are ready. When Cox and Melancon are ready to handle the load, they will be in NY.
They are both coming off TJ Surgery. They won’t mess with them just to try and win games now.
They would torch this season before risking those arms.
When they get called up, as was the case with Joba, they want it to be a one way trip.
In other words, once they get here, they stay here because their upsides are higher than the Chris Britton’s of the world.
Those type of pitchers ride the Scranton Shuttle. Guys like Cox and Melancon, when ready, will have defined roles in the bullpen.
Give it another month and if they are both healthy, they will be in NY.
I’ve had some free time on my hands today….
Look, I think that SJ44 has a lot of good ideas. I don’t agree with others, though (such as his absolute Giambi/Damon bias).
A poster named Mitch did a good analysis of the 3 things that drove the Yankees down in the 00s, and to the extent we have a difference of opinion (I mean SJ44 and me), it’s on whether signing BOTH Sabathia and Teixeira would be a step back for the Yankees or not (he’s convinced that it would be. I’m not – though I can’t yet support signing BOTH Sabathia and Teixeira, since it’s unclear at this point what the Yanks biggest needs will be after this season).
“Laura, if you can get Britton to do that, please do! He’s so awful.”
Honestly, I can’t remember seeing him pitch. He comes up and then goes right back down. Does anyone know when he pitched last and what his stats were?
Guys… put me in the dump Hawkins ASAP camp. Do you realize of guys with 50+ innings he has the worst ERA in the HISTORY of Yankee Stadium. He’s been a hard throwing bum for most of his career.. a poor man’s Armando Benitez who is good in one-sided games and horrible in close ones. At least the disastrous Pavano signing made sense at the time… signing Hawkins NEVER made any sense.
Go easy on Kennedy who was rushed to NYC last year and this. He should be returned to Scranton once healthy and left there. Britton is nothing more than serviceable… but that’s an improvement over Hawkins and Farsnwurst. I think they’ve screwed up Ohlendorf bringing him in the first inning, then the fourth, then the seventh… and so on…
The bottom line is this is a poorly assembled team that
has too many LH hitters — including two of three switch hitters being poor from the right side — too many DH types who are mediocre defensively and inexplicably cannot find a LH pitcher for the bullpen… the post-season string is in serious joepardy… but the $ 85 million or so coming off the books should buy quality reinforcements… just no one over age 30 please.
I was of the opinion that Kennedy would be the biggest surprise of the three (Hughes, Joba, IPK). Well, in a way, I was right.
I just think it’s going to take more time. But, I also don’t think he was every untradeable in the right package. He would have been included in a Santana deal without question, if Minny had accepted. I would not be surprised if Kennedy gets to the major leagues in another uni. The Yankees can’t afford to be sentimentalists, and I don’t think they will be, ultimately.
Uh, Stuart, Melancon and Cox are being “coddled” not because they’re young, but because they’re coming off of major arm surgery. When you have major arm surgery that keeps you off the field for a year, there is a program for building arm strength to get back to regular pitching levels. What SJ is saying is that they’re still in the program. This is not the same as the Joba Rules from last season.
I’d rather see Britton, Patterson, or anyone else who is healthy pitch rather than having Cox and/or Melancon miss another year because they rushed back from surgery to win a few more games this year in what is clearly a transitional year.
it’s amazing how Melky started off great and he was everyone’s hero, he hits his first slump of the year and everyone wants him sent down. hey, i agree, it’d be awesome to get a guy who guarantees you 2 hits a night but i dont know anyone who hits .500 for their career. give the kid a break, i think he’s earned it.
anyway, the immediate returns on keeping Hughes and Kennedy really suck. i don’t know what the problem is but the Yanks just can’t catch a break when putting a rotation together these last 4 or 5 years. trades, big FA signings, now youth development, nothing pans out. very, very frustrating.
stuart,
I think you and V make a good point. If they bring up Cox and Melancon, aren’t they hurting their development?
These are panic moves caused by a poorly thought out plan. What was plan B if Hughes and/ or Kennedy imploded? Kei Igawa?? It’s decisions like this that make me wonder about Cashman’s decision making ability. We don’t have Cash’s background or knowledge, but can only base our judgemnet on results. Since this is a team that basically has been in decline since ’04, the results havent been good.
“Five games over .500 by this time next week!! anyone agree??”
i’d love to agree, but it’s not mathematically possible since they’re 2 games under and only have 6 games between now and this time next week….
How many would like to see Moeller start more often? He seems to give us more with the bat as of late. Molina still looks lost at the plate and is giving away outs. Not that good at throwing out runners right now as well.
Laura, last year Britton had a 1.02 WHIP and a 3.55 ERA. Good on the surface. But if you look deeper, nearly all of his games were pitched in blowouts.
Here is a link to his Gamelogs for 2007:
http://www.baseball-reference......;year=2007
Seven of his 11 appearances came in games where the final score was at least a six-run win or loss.
In the other four “close” games, the Yanks lost three of them.
The backups were Horne, Karstens, and Rasner before Igawa.
Of course, Horne and Karstens got injured, and Rasner’s up here now dazzling us.
JRVJ,
I see where you’re coming from. The coolest part about the upcoming offseason is the flexibility that the Yankees will have created for themselves through the revival of their farm and the high-paid player salaries that come off the books (Mussina, Giambi primarily).
I am not sure bringing in Sabathia AND Teixeira is necessary. Have we not learned that pitching wins? Sabathia would get priority from my standpoint, but are we really in taht great of a need for Teixiera? If anything, the team needs athleticism and speed for the basepaths. Certainly there is a cheaper option for 1B than Teix.
Ah another loss for the Yanks tonight to stay in the cellar. There are what, 3 teams worse record wise than the Yanks in the AL? Nice going team. I say we all boycott the blog and Yanks game tonight in protest to how this team is playing.
I just hope Andy has a good solid outing tonight. He needs one and the team needs to know he’s coming back to where he should be.
I think a lot of the offensive problems are part in parcel with not knowing who is showing up pitching wise night to night.
This team needs some measure of positive consistency to get itself going.
The only thing that’s been consistent this season is inconsistency and that has to stop.
I’m done thinking about next season and the season after that.
With Joba in the rotation, this has the potential to be a great season where if we get to the post season we actually have a tough rotation.
With a rotation soon of Wang, Pettitte, Joba, Mussina, Rasner we should be able to contend.
I like the Broussard signing. It puts heat on Giambi and has potential to beef up the bench where Shelley and Ensberg have contributed little.
I hope there is more dice rolls like that signing on the horizon for this team. If they don’t work out, who cares. If they do, at least we’re trying.
So yesterday Joba was sitting on his hands in a critical one-run game, but today he’ll be getting extra work in the bullpen. Yup, that’s the Yankee plan for you.
Jake,
I’m not entirely convinced that Moose is out of the Yankees after this season (and in fact, he’s $5MM cheaper per season than Pettitte).
We really have to wait and see….
You folks JUST REALIZED how bad Hawkins is? It is May 28 LOL….I knew that back in March
alright I will give SJ and others Melancon and COx and a little more time… I do not totally agree with guys with real talent you only want them to go up once etc.. I think this game is so hard to figure out that no one knows where the next maddox will come from and therefore you never know.
I will try to be more optimist because they are in better shape then last yr. and have many good guys in the minors….
I just hate to see the same Kyle and Hawkins failing over and over.. Kyle will fail, he failed last night but the Yanks got bailed out…Fail with young guys I can accept that but not with the old guys…
Thanks Mitch.
Moose is on borrowed time, no way for next yr unless it is for $3 mill..
he is done, winning with guile alone…….
JVRC,
Well, unless Mussina settles for like $5 million, then why would we bring him back? He just isn’t THAT good anymore.
I really wish we could keep Pettitte around for another year or two. Then at least you know you have Wang, Pettitte, Joba (presumably). Maybe Hughes gets healthy and figures things out, maybe we bring in Sabathia.
As you said, we wait and see.
I do think that we should keep Abreu around.
Winning on guile still counts as a win (frankly, Mussina has been a pleasant surprise this season. If he keeps on doing his smoke and mirrors act, he’ll have been a positive this year, not a negative).
what now??? now i’m supposed to take book recommendations from Mike & The Maddog???
it was painful enough to hear them talk about politics and their man-love for John McCain a few weeks back…
tell ya what WFAN…please stick to sports. leave the book recommendations to NPR and The New York Times…and John Stewart.
Hideki,
That’s like saying that Pettitte didn’t pitch last night with a one run lead but is going to go tonight. The guy threw 45 pitches last time out. He needs to recover, just ilke Pettitte needed his four days rest for tonight.
If Joba is going to be a starter (which has to happen now that IPK is on the DL), how do you expect him to get there without getting on a starter’s schedule?
Signing vets with seven or more years is really a crapshoot, even more with pitchers. then factor in the disease that vets get when they sign with yankees and it gets worse. It just seems when a veteran gets here, to often it is like they in their own mind become legends. It is like they are surrounded by superstars and they no longer need to work. It is likley stats could prove that to be all in my own mind, but is just how it seems to me.
“i don’t know what the problem is but the Yanks just can’t catch a break when putting a rotation together these last 4 or 5 years. trades, big FA signings, now youth development, nothing pans out. very, very frustrating.”
It’s because the Yankees have done what a lot of people on this blog are begging for. They have shown very little patience with all of their pitching the past few years.
It’s the curse of Ted Lilly. If they never trade Ted Lilly they never trade for Kevin Brown (no Jeff Weaver) ,they probably are more patient with Contreras (who has had 2 out of three good years with Chicago and working on a fourth),probably are more patient with Javier Vasquez and they never trade for Randy Johnson etc. etc.
It sounds crazy but trading Ted Lilly really sent them to the state they’re at right now.
Seriously though right now their rotation would be,
Wang
Lilly
Contreras
Pettitte
Moose
The kids would be learning in the pen. Now is that an all-star rotation, no. But that’s 5 pitchers who would probably give you 150+ league average innings at worst and 3 of them would more than likely be giving 180-200 above average innings.
Curse of Ted Lilly I tell ya, the curse of Ted Lilly.
P.S. I’m only partly playing around.
The more i watched Kennedy. The more i saw Clippard like abilities(nibbler,if not percise,gets hammered). I was one who thought that he would do better this year than the other two. After watching more of him. I dont think he is more than a 5 pitcher. IMO we have guys with more ability in the minors. Not yet ready but on their way. I would bring back Ian. Have him pitch in the minors. Dominate and move him to the n.l. for a need.
Whoever had May 28 as the under for when Percival went down and hit the DL for Tampa, you just won a prize.
Apparently, he collapsed on the mound when his hamstring gave out after throwing a pitch.
The REAL curse of Lilly is that the Yankees, in order to save on the luxury tax, decided to get Igawa and not Lilly.
Ted Lilly back in the Bronx would have been a very good thing last year (and this year).
You can’t blame not throwing strikes on Kennedy, he threw 3 beautiful strikes, thigh high and center third of the plate. that aint nibblin. (sarcasm)
“So yesterday Joba was sitting on his hands in a critical one-run game, but today he’ll be getting extra work in the bullpen. Yup, that’s the Yankee plan for you.”
I know this is hard for you to fathom but maybe the Yankees have some sort of an idea on how to develop a starting pitcher.
Raymagnetic,
For the first time I completely 100% agree with you.
The curse of Ted Lilly bit us back when we traded him and bit us harder when Torre voiced his arrogance against the player and Cashman listened and we passed up signing him last season.
But NO ONE was 2nd guessing the Yankees for getting Weaver from Detroit at the time.
Pettitte has said that part of the reason he came back was because it was Yankee Stadium’s last year and he said that he was intrigued by the possibility of playing in the new stadium’s inaugural season. Whether he would actually want to come back and whether the Yanks would want him to come back isn’t really worth speculating about now.
Mussina? Also not really worth speculating about now, but I think/hope if there was any chance at that it would be because he was willing to take a low and/or incentive-laden contract.
I here everyone explaining to Stuart why we dont bring up Cox and Melencon. My question is if they have to throw in the minors. Than why not throw up here? Its not like they are underhanding the ball down there. 70% of both is probably better than 110% of Hawkins. Innings are innings. Again. I just want to know the difference.
I agree I would have like Lilly. Its just another reason my Cashman is a joke when it comes to filling out a roster.
S.O.S. could be because you don’t have anything to lose in the minors, where as there is actually meaning up here. just guessin, I know what your are saying.
“S.o.S.27
May 28th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I here everyone explaining to Stuart why we dont bring up Cox and Melencon. My question is if they have to throw in the minors. Than why not throw up here? Its not like they are underhanding the ball down there. 70% of both is probably better than 110% of Hawkins. Innings are innings. Again. I just want to know the difference.”
The problem is the time off between throwing days. That, and the risk of overdoing it against big league hitters.
Let the kids rehab in peace.
“It’s the curse of Ted Lilly. If they never trade Ted Lilly they never trade for Kevin Brown (no Jeff Weaver)”
Dont forget we wouldnt have had Igawa. It was either signing Lilly or Kei. WOW! A curse it is.
Let me get this straight. Cashman is a “joke” for not giving $40 million over four years to a guy with a 5.23 ERA and 1.33 WHIP (not to mention 10 HRs in 62 innings).
I guess he’d be Executive of the Year if he had signed Jason Schmidt.
Saucy!! good point! ugh..totally getting ahead of myself. so 4 games over .500 by this time next week???
The more I watch Kennedy, the more I rather not watch Kennedy. He should have been traded months ago. He might win 10 games in a 10 year career. He’s horrible, along w/Hawkins and Ohelendorfmunder.
Armchair GM’ing. Nice to know that the best GM’s in the game are really sitting at home making moves on a blog. Y’all should submit your resumes to Hank, I’m sure he’d snap you up in a heartbeat.
The difference is, its the minor leagues and major hitters will kill guys who aren’t 100% ready.
You don’t use the majors for rehab. That’s what the minors are for with players who are rehabbing and building arm strength.
At the major league level, guys are expected to perform at levels that help the team win games.
In the minors, its different.
For example, there is not a single situation in which Mark Melancon would be allowed to pitch 4 innings with the Yankees. He can do that in Trenton. As he did last night.
When Cox and Melancon get called up, its going to be for good.
It was around this time last year that internally, they began discussing putting a kid named Joba Chamberlain in the bullpen down the road.
Mind you, he was starting in A ball at this point of last season.
He didn’t get to NY until July.
He, unlike Cox and Melancon, aren’t coming off TJ Surgery.
They just need more time.
In the meantime, the guys on the roster have to get the job done.
Bad game or two? It happens. Suck it up and get better. Its all they can do right now.
That goes for Hawkins. As bad as he has been the last two nights, he’s got to be better the next time out.
That’s life in the big leagues. Got to be able to turn the page.
Raymagnetic,
“I know this is hard for you to fathom but maybe the Yankees have some sort of an idea on how to develop a starting pitcher.”
When exactly was the last time they successfully developed a starting pitcher again?
rover,
Thats the whole thing. They aint losing in the minors.
“The problem is the time off between throwing days. That, and the risk of overdoing it against big league hitters.”
That makes sense. Thanks.
Lilly for Weaver was a no brainer at the time. Weaver projected to be a top of the rotation starter. He was one of the best young pitchers in the game at the time of the trade. We all know what happened, but to say that it wasnt a move that should have been made is silly. There isnt a gm in the game that wouldnt have made that move at the time.
“When exactly was the last time they successfully developed a starting pitcher again?”
I take it you have never heard of a guy named Chien Ming Wang. Get to know him, he’s something kind of special.
“Lilly for Weaver was a no brainer at the time. Weaver projected to be a top of the rotation starter. He was one of the best young pitchers in the game at the time of the trade. We all know what happened, but to say that it wasnt a move that should have been made is silly. There isnt a gm in the game that wouldnt have made that move at the time.”
I never said that it was a move that shouldn’t have been made. I was just pointing out the succession of moves that took place when the Weaver trade didn’t work out.
It’s extremely easy for me to look back on it now and see what subsequent moves were made after the Weaver trade.
Weaver-should have been top of the rotation guy
Irabu-was supposed to throw 98 and be a k machine.
Brown-was supposed to give us stability.
Vazquez-a better pick up than Schilling and another k man.
Pavano-best free agent pitcher out there.
Contreras-best cuban pitcher out there.
Johnson-The answer.
Clemens-The savior.
Igawa-Strikeout king and a lefty.
WHY DONT WE EVER CATCH ANY BREAKS WHEN IT COMES TO PITCHING!
“I take it you have never heard of a guy named Chien Ming Wang. Get to know him, he’s something kind of special.”
So that’s 1 in the past how many years? I’d probably credit Wang’s development back to Taiwan (since he was pitching for their national team in 2002 and 2004), but I’ll give him to you anyway.
Sort of like the Yankees season so far…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-g_Y0UCxmg
“Brown-was supposed to give us stability.”
To his credit, he did stabilize the DL afer his fistfight with the clubhouse wall.
it really is crazy how nothing ever works out for the yankees when it comes to pitching.
Peter really can’t you ban Russ.. he is a weasel and a loser and a troll. I do not need to read his drivel..
how is daisuke doing loser??? going on the DL???Timlin looks good run him out there a few more outings… Giambi is thinking of paying his salary if you keep him on your team.. Hey the JD Drew contract only has 5.5 yr left. that should turn out to be a shrewd move up there with that golden glover Lugo…..
Boston pretty cocky for a bunch of overweight pasty white guys that run like cecil fielder……..
“So that’s 1 in the past how many years? I’d probably credit Wang’s development back to Taiwan (since he was pitching for their national team in 2002 and 2004), but I’ll give him to you anyway.”
Well that’s 1 more than the Red Sox at this moment. Wang wasn’t the same type of pitcher for Taiwan that he’s become for NY. Wang learned the sinker when he came to NY. And what does pitching for a national team mean anyway?
Got a break with Wang. Got a bigger break with Chamberlain. An elite arm like that in the 40′s in the draft? The envy of baseball.
Got a great break with Pettitte for over 10 years.
We tend to remember the failures more than the successes.
Teams that evaluate pitching better than the Yankees passed on Bartolo Colon. The Red Sox didn’t even think much of him. Yet, for two games at least, he’s pitched well.
Sometimes, you miss because you do a poor job of evaluation. Other times, its just bad luck.
I love people judging Britton as a scrub already, when every time he’s up here, he’s always immediately going back to the minors.
“Got a break with Wang. Got a bigger break with Chamberlain. An elite arm like that in the 40’s in the draft? The envy of baseball.”
They dont count. They were home grown. Free agents havnt been that kind to us. Thats the reason i say no to the O-LINE LEFTY free agent in 09.
Peter please ban Russ the loser…
can we ban the redsux maggots, who spout drivel and BS….
I thought kindergarten does not get out to 4 PM!!!!!Russ mommy left you alone today???
how is the Drew signing? How about Aparicio Lugo, he is some fielder???
Colon will be hurt or innefective in no time…
SOS27 -
It is too, too, true. Much hasn’t worked out for the Yankees, and many of the moves they made would have been made by other teams as well. They didn’t exactly go out on a limb by choosing any of those guys. The only one I had a major, major problem with was Johnson. The way that one turned out was totally predictable.
Actually, this is the first time the Yankees have really taken a major risk by bringing up two rookies simultaneously (pitching-wise, that is). One of them should have worked out, don’t you think??????????
I’m telling you, something is cosmically wrong with the Yankees.
At some point, either Hughes or Kennedy or maybe both, but probably just one, will fit neatly into the rotation. And though for the most part I’m in agreement with G.Love (enough looking ahead to next season, because you really can’t figure that out yet), it’s anyone’s guess if the Yankees are going to sign a pitcher outside the organization in spite of all the talent being developed in the minors.
I’m not sure if this is the case now, but during the Cold War we would always have long-range bombers armed with nuclear weapons in the air.
I think that should be the plan with Chris Britton. Have him in a plane doing a slow holding pattern over wherever the Yanks are playing, ready to parachute in if needed but otherwise not close to the team.
I have been to Fenway Russ what a dump… I asked the clowns on the tour about there somewhat checkered record with african americans his answer was a little weak to put it mildly.
the sux need to win about 15 straight championships and then they will be in the yanks neighborhood.
I got an idea want to hang out with about 35,000 overweight, pale, white guys who talk funny, go to a redsux game…
“To his credit, he did stabilize the DL afer his fistfight with the clubhouse wall.”
He wouldnt happen to have fallen flat on his back after that wall kicked his rear did he?
S.O.S.,
I think it comes down to patience. If we had stuck with Vazquez and Contreras we would still have 2 very decent veteran starters.
Kenny Williams makes us look silly having 2/5 of his rotation be guys who were ran out of NY. Like Chicago is an easier town to play in?
Back then, we had to win a world series every year or else. Those were the conditions the team played under and those were why starting pitchers who were young enough to build around were jettisoned for bigger names.
However, now I feel we’re being asked to show patience for rookies which I think there is a big difference between rookies and Contreras and Vazquez and where they were at that point in their career.
Showing patience in rookies is all warm and fuzzy, but they don’t have the track record of success some of the veteran guys have had.
With rookies, I feel you have to catch lightning in a bottle to get them to work out. More of them don’t make it in the majors than do.
I think the Vazquez/Contreras decisions is where we actually started to go off the rails and make panic moves.
I think it would be a lot nicer having the both of them here than in Chicago.
It’s not that they are both #1′s, but they are good starting pitchers who log innings.
I think back, like a lot of fans, to what would have happened had we signed Vlad (who was my favorite player in baseball back then).
Lot of Monday Morning QB’ing going on here, but clearly there is a pattern of decisions that haven’t worked.
The scary thing is you don’t know what to learn from them. If you take away that you can’t go after sexy names anymore, I think it’s also short sighted.
I just think a lot of it comes down to luck.
I think one of the biggest things this team needs to do in the future is identify which guys in the league are gamers who have a passion to be a winner besides being rich.
There’s something about the teams that win in the post season that you see in their eyes.
I say it looks like they are ready to run through a wall to not let the other team beat you.
In recent years, the Yankees have not had that look consistently. They seem to have so much respect for their competition, I think the edge has been dulled.
As much as he has not performed, guys with attitudes like Shelley help teams win in the clutch.
I’d like to see more of that kind of attitude brought in here to break up the mix of the cool confident, we’ll get them next time, players.
Id rather see someone with some talent and promise or just for kicks a lefty.
We’d have to have someone with talent and promise before seeing them.
Stuart,
Was russ the one who sleeps with a helmet on? I was crapping my pants yesterday,laughing so hard.
SOS,
Mike Mussina? When all is said and done, a free agent signing that worked out well.
They got Shaun Chacon and Aaron Small to save 2005.
Jimmy Key and David Cone? Excellent FA signing and trade.
I don’t think you can have hard and fast rules when it comes to player acquisition.
Every situation is different and you deal with them as they come up. Ideally, in an intelligent fashion.
Clearly, they are looking to develop their own pitchers.
While that’s the right way to go, they have a gap that needs to be filled next year.
Namely, because of the injuries and ineffectiveness of Hughes and Kennedy, and the possible retirements of Pettitte and Mussina, they need 2 guys who can eat innings next season.
Meaning, their plan has to be tweaked a bit. To what level, is to be determined.
However, there is no question they will need at least one, possibly two veteran starters in the off-season.
LMAO at Nick in SF’s comments about Chris Britton holding at his failsafe point.
I’m sick of this Spring Training nonsense with Joba. During the regular season, I’d like to pull for Andy to go seven; Ramirez/Farnsworth pitches the 8th, and Mariano closes.
Yeah, I know that desperate times call for desperate measures — we want Chamberlain to be ready without hurting him — but this has to stop soon.
Of course, if Andy gets knocked out in the 3rd, none of this matters. But I want to hope not.
Or is there a secret plan to make Chamberlain be for Girardi what Joe Page was for Stengel?
We hear the same stuff (They are built to win the World Series) every year from some folks.
Folks have short memories re: Contreras and Vasquez.
Both were run out of town by fans AND the media.
All we heard was how bad Contereas was, how he would never win, couldn’t pitch in NY, etc.
Same thing with Vasquez. Especially after Game 7 in 2004.
Had to have Randy Johnson. HE was the answer. He was a fire breather, etc.
Contereas and Vasquez were definitely run out of town and impatience from fans, the media and ownership drove that train.
The same thing is happening with Kennedy and Hughes right now by some folks in the media and fan base. Definitely by the Bill Madden’s and Mike Franscesa’s of the world, and definitely by some members of the fan base.
The difference is, ownership and the front office aren’t taking the bait. They will be more patient because they don’t want the same result as they had with Contereras and Vasquez.
Maybe those kids won’t make it. Maybe they will.
Bottom line is, we don’t know the answer for sure right now.
Just like, as in hindsight, we didn’t know with Vasquez and Contreras.
When watching Yankees batting practice today on YES, Chris Britton will be easily seen shagging flyballs in the outfield.
He’s the guy wearing a parachute.
He uses a very light carry on bag and has packing down to a science.
GLOVE,
In regards to Contreras and Vazquez. You are forgetting one factor. The New York pressure factor. I am not convinced that they would have pitched the same way with us as they did with Chicago. They looked like deer in head lights playing for us. As for most of the list i mentioned. Including mullett himself. I do agree that we need people who will run through a wall for us. Like Rowand did for his sox. I just hope we can get a mixture of O’NEIL attitudes with Jeter ones in the coming future. Too many Jeters(laid back).
I agree with G Love – the departures of Vazquez and Contreras was a big turning point. We may have never even sniffed Pavano or Igawa if those two had been kept around.
This whole thing with Kennedy is a shame. Will the real Ian Kennedy please stand up? Was it the dominant guy that pitched late last year when he was called up or the guy that just couldn’t seem to get it going this year? His last couple of starts had been pretty promising – quick innings in the first 3 or so, but then he’d have a 3 or 4 run inning to get him rattled. And that seemed to be a big problem for him so far this year, IMO – he gets shaken up too easily and just falls apart. That’s why I thought the pep talk from ARod that got him focusing in his last start was great.
I’ve actually wondered over the last few days – is it possible that Phil and Ian were both pitching hurt long before they said something? With all the pressure on them to step in this year,I can’t help but think they could possibly keep some aches and pains a secret so that they wouldn’t feel like they let the organization and fans down.
SJ,
I agree that Mussina has been good for us. But like some of us argued yesterday. Was he 20 mil+ good? I think that Ace like money. He was more of a 2. His last 4 years. If i can recall. He had 3 over 4.4 e.r.a. I see what your saying. But thats why i dont think a pitcher should get more than 5 years. The last couple you will most likely be getting an average pitcher for top dollars.
I remember people wanted contreras out immediately and the smae with vazquez..
this is how it works people bith on either side of the issue.. they say get rid of some0ne and when they do if they succeeed elsewhere they say why did we get rid of them..
it is if fans say why did the yanks get rid of Kenny Rogers!!!He stunk with the Yanks, plan and simple….
I agree with you SJ. I’m tired of hearing Kay diss Hughes. And claiming he doesn’t see a “star” when looking at Hughes, simply because he doesn’t throw 99 like Joba. It just seems like Kay is hung up on velocity readings. His personal dislike of Hughes and Kennedy because they don’t throw hard enough for him is becoming irritating.
SJ, do you think the managerial change could have affected Kennedy at all? Girardi’s been really hard on him from what I’ve been able to tell, whereas Torre was always more laid back, or at least seemed so. I’m not saying that’s the reason he’s struggled this year, because he still has Eiland. Just wondering if maybe there is a comfort facor (or lack thereof) with Girardi.
Good injury news. Even if Kennedy goes back to Scranton, he’ll at least be able to get innings in.
One thing I forgot to mention. If the commissioner’s office had any proper plan for disciplinary hearings latrot hawlins would not have even been available to pitch the past 2 days. How is it that this has not been dealt with for this long. Total joke
Hindsight is always 20/20. Who knows what the future will bring…
Anyways..
Let’s just hope we can crank out some wins somehow. Pretty, Ugly, Stressful…however the game is. Just try and win the darn things.
Let’s go Yankees!
I have to admit. I was happy when both Contreras and Vazquez got traded. We got one of the best lefties of all time. With a good prior year and i forgot his name from the sox, who won 20 just a year or two prior. Again, i think the pressure wearing pinstripes has an effect on players.
Good to hear the injury to Kennedy is minor. Be patient everybody, we’re rebuilding and we need to develop our own pitching.
2010 rotation.
Wang
Joba
Brackman
Hughes
Horne
Who’s with me!! All home grown.
Josh,
No. I think what happened with Kennedy is, he got off to a slow start and began to press. He felt the pressure of holding up his end in the rotation and got out of his game.
Like hitters, pitchers can slump. With rookie pitchers, it happens quite a bit.
Add to it the excessive glare of NY, and the whole thing unraveled for him.
He is a better pitcher than he has shown. The radar gun is not the only way to evaluate a pitcher. Those who believe it is simply don’t know pitching.
Its more about location, changing speeds, and having solid margins between your fastball and your off speed pitches.
If you do that, you are successful.
I really believe he needs more time in the minors. I know I’m in the minority on that but, its what I believe based on what I have seen from him so far this year.
He needs to have games in which he can work his way out of jams, use his off speed stuff more, etc.
More than anything, he needs to learn how to minimize damage in bad innings. That’s his biggest problem, IMO.
Can’t do that in NY right now. The Yankees are in last place and they need wins. They don’t have time to have him work on his game at the major league level.
Hopefully, he will go down to Scranton when he gets off the DL, take his turn every 5 days, and work on his game.
If he does, he can get himself right.
If Doc Holliday can go down to A ball, after he was an established pitcher, to reconnect his game, Ian Kennedy, in his second full year as a pro, can certainly spend the rest of the year in Scranton.
I love how people use the “Rebuilding” word.I forgot that $200 million teams can be rebuild.You can’t have three prospects be in the rotation.That was the reason for SAntana to give these pitchers time to develope and win.
Kennedy,Hughes and Joba all are not gonna be in the rotation next year.None are again are gonna give you 160 innings.
And by next year we are gonna have 1 to 2 free agent starters.No way around it.
Tonight’s pitching strategy vs. Kevin Millar and Aubrey Huff, same as last night. Pitch to their strengths and try to fool them into thinking otherwise.
I don’t there will ever be an all home grown rotation. There will be 1 FA pitcher in there.
2009
Wang
Sabathia
Chamberlain
Hughes
Solution to Millar. Treat him like Bonds. 4 fingers and take your base Kevin. Hes killing us!
Oh, please Kennedy. Hurry back. Losing just isn’t the same without you.
I was happy when we got RJ for Vazquez. We had lusted after the unit for so long it almost didn’t matter who we gave up for him.
Vazquez also struggled in AZ and still hasn’t pitched with the effectiveness he showed in MTL back in the day.
Contreras for Loiza was a dumb move and I hated it at the time. Contreras had wicked stuff and I wanted to hang on to him or at least deal him for something better than free rental pitcher who was clearly a shell of himself at the time.
And I want to say one thing on the record. I’m not saying Hughes and IPK are done.
They are far from it.
But I do think that they were mistakenly annointed not only by the media, but largely by this fanbase putting tons of pressure of them.
I would have rather Cashman sign some vets for the rotation and let these two earn their way up from Scranton.
It seems to me, young players coming up from consistently mowing down the AAA competition seem to stick better. They still have their ups and downs, but they are not as dramatic and the ups and downs we’ve seen from IPK and Hughes this year.
Edwar flamed out and cried at his locker last year, but one of the better things Torre did was reinforce to him that it wasn’t the end of the world.
Edwar went out during the off season, talked to some vet pitchers and worked his butt off.
He wasn’t on the opening day roster being counted on as a top reliever. He has earned his way back.
That’s all I want out of Hughes and Kennedy in the future. I don’t want to see Cashman pencil them in anywhere on the major league club until they earn their way back.
That’s how it should be unless there is a freak injury and they are pressed into emergency service.
If Hughes and Kennedy go 6-0 each in 6 starts at Scranton and give quality innings and go after hitters, then they should get the callup if needed.
But Hughes especially needs a full season of health at some level soon.
I read Pete’s little joke about Ian’s eye and hip and after giving it some thought I would like to be the first to demand that Ian receive a glass eye and hip transplant. I am not sure what is wrong with him but maybe that will fix it!
“SJ, do you think the managerial change could have affected Kennedy at all? Girardi’s been really hard on him from what I’ve been able to tell, whereas Torre was always more laid back, or at least seemed so. Just wondering if maybe there is a comfort facor (or lack thereof) with Girardi.”
You’re not the only one wondering about this. The team is the same personnel wise, but something’s definitely changed with them. The Yanks aren’t in a comfort zone. Even when they struggled last year, they did things right (score runs, steal bases, etc) but this year its like they’ve lost it. Quite honestly, when I see Girardi standing in the dugout with his hands folded and a stern look on his face, I wonder how it can make anyone feel confident.
SOS27…
Uh, Clemens was a signing that worked out nicely. He won a Cy Young in pinstripes.
They should do something to keep him on the DL or Scranton until the September call ups!!!
we need a win
guthrie is decent, but our hitting will continue tonight
I love to watch the Yanks….Pete’s humor cracks me up….and there are a lot of folks here who can expound intelligently that provides a lot of insight..great blog, guys. Go Yanks!
Oh, since we talked about contracts earlier, particularly about Sabathia and Tex, what kind of deals would you offer to one of the two, or both simultaneously (if you’re in the camp for signing both), given what you know currently? Too early for serious ideas, but something to burn time with before the game starts
Haven’t thought about Tex yet, but for Sabathia I was thinking something along the lines of a 5 year/95 mil with a 17 mil team option for a sixth year, or a 6 year/102 mil with a 15 mil team option for a seventh year. The year/dollar ratio I was thinking of going with would be closer to Oswalt/Big Z than Santana money.
Er, closer to Big Z money than Santana money; forgot that Oswalt is actually closer to 14 mil a year, sorry.
that’s a lot of $ for cc, but we might have to anyway — considering hughes & kennedy might not get their pitch count up this year. the least amount of years the better. cc’s innings pitched were really high last year though… would be interesting to see if he loses something in september.
there should be a lot of people after tex also, so he will be just as expensive. personally, i think we need cc more than we need tex. any above-average 1b will do with our lineup.
go yanks!
SOS27…
Uh, Clemens was a signing that worked out nicely. He won a Cy Young in pinstripes.”
I was talking about the “goodness gracious” stint of 25 mill.
Why can’t Joba ever give 160 innings?
No on C.C. He will be 400 pounds in his 4th year.
Solution.
Sign Sheets. Trade for Harden. One spends first half of the year on the d.l. The other the second half. Problem solved. Next.
Ughhhhh another night of MASN cluelessness and announcers pulling *fact* out of their butts about the Yankees.
Double ack.
“Kenny Williams makes us look silly having 2/5 of his rotation be guys who were ran out of NY. Like Chicago is an easier town to play in?”
I live in Chicago and it is much easier to play here than in NYC, especially for the WS. They are second class citizens here even though they have won a WS much more recently than the Cubs. Even when they are playing well, they don’t sell out. People just don’t go to see them. The Cubs have a packed house even when they stink. One of the reasons Contreras and Vasquez did okay in Chicago is because there is no pressure on the WS to win. It’s even easier for them now because the Cubs are playing well and the WS are being ignored. Easy to play when the pressure level is close to zero.
“Oh, please Kennedy. Hurry back. Losing just isn’t the same without you.”
As usual, jumping in at the end but will peruse the previous posts as the evening goes on.
I always get to read the last several or so, though, and I absolutely love this one! Don’t know if there has been Ian conversation but he can’t disappear long enough for my money. I don’t mind him coming back as a major league pitcher – but really, not until he truly is one.
Someone had asked whether I had a preference for Joba in the pen or the rotation, and I said that it really did not matter to me but that if I were making the decisions I would probably have kept him in the pen this season since I am someone who believes that your relief pitching in the late innings is critical to your success. That said, I am fine wherever the Yankees decide to put him. However, I think we are seeing my theory in action here. So it means that everyone will have to be patient until the dust settles. There hopefully will come a day when our starters and offense are so on the same positive page that our relievers will be able to afford a few runs now and again without it meaning the game. But we might go through some tough times getting there.
GO YANKEES!!!
GO MARINERS!!!
GO PISTONS!!!
Yankees will lose this game but at least we get to see Joba pitch.
Hope Joba can brighten an imminent miserable night.
that was some good patience shown by our captain. one pitch ground out
So..some people sure don’t like Kennedy. Alrighty then..
That was a quick top of the first inning. Let’s go Andy.
Speaking of MASN, who was the overexcitable dude that was calling the game with Jim Palmer? He either needs to start taking some ritalin or the MASN sound engineers need to discover what audio compression is. I swear, I had the volume on mlb.tv set very comfortably, but that guy was SO loud when he got amped up. If he’s a former player, I didn’t recognize him.
Well this is not a good start from Andy
so now the 4th inning is the first?
Economical Andy is getting the trouble out of the way early.
I might need lotsa alcohol tonight
I hate it when Giambi has to throw.
My my my.. what has become of Andy Pettitte. He is basically a #3 definitely a #4 starter. Not the start this team needed for tonight but expected.
Giambi executing that throw is like a puppy sitting on command — it’s not that hard but you still want to reward it.
Strikes would be fun
At least Andy was able to get a ground ball from Markakis. One more and it’s curtains for this inning with the slow-footed Millar at the plate.
should have thrown to second. would have nailed the fellow greek.
That caught the outside corner of the plate. That was a strike. Andy was out of the inning.
Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but Gammons today on the Michael Kay show said he is now on board with making Joba a starter, saying he changed his mind. Smart people know that changing your mind is a sign of intelligence, I applaud Mr. Gammons coming to the right side of the argument.
Nice play Yankees.
I think that umpire needs lasik surgery.
The Orioles pitcher, whatever his name is, is pitching a NO HITTER.
Andy is the ultimate veteran team player. First of all, he knows that Joba needs to get in 50+ pitches, so Andy wants to get his own pitch count high without giving up any runs. Second, he knows that the Oriole hitters will be frustrated after having 2 on none out and ending the inning with nothing. That takes a lot out of a team, particularly a mid-Atlants team like the Orioles. Don’t doubt Andy — he knows what he’s doing.
ok – can he settle down, please?
That was some kooky hop @ SS.
Nick in SF -
Always good to have a plan.
Nice to see Andy get out of that without any runners crossing the plate. How many pitches did he throw though? Maybe he’s just on board with this official idea of getting Joba his pitches in tonight, huh?
LOL Nick.
Alright. Get to work bats
Some good injury news for a change for the Yankees.
Yes, good news for the yankees. A pitcher with a 7 plus ERA could be on the mound sooner than later. Other teams are trembling.
Jeter is suffering from Bernie Williams syndrome. A shadow of his former self. Mussina is the most overrated pitcher in baseball. Melky will be okay, and Matsui is a warrior. But really, does this look like a playoff team? They’re old and uninspired.
Stars of last night’s game: two former Sox, Damon and Millar. An idiot reunion.
nice Hideki
The pitcher for the Orioles, whatever his name is, is NO LONGER pitching a no hitter…
If Matsui gets any hotter, he’s going to need another day off!
I hope Giambi is wearing his magic thong
Ohmigawd!! Giambi!
Love the ‘stache!
and I guess he was. 1-0 Yanks
WOW – excellent!!@ Way to get some runs up there
amazing how they had 3 guys between 2nd and 1st fielding and Stache still got his grounder through…talk about the ball having eyes
pepper
who is the other greek besides Markakis?
LOL Nick. You’re killing me.
So it took him a few weeks, but Giambi apparently has realized that this is his contract year.
Anyone watching on ESPN Gamecast?
I don’t know if anyone has commented on it before, but I can’t believe ESPN is using that picture of Adam Jones – he looks like he is half asleep.
Oh well, GO YANKEES!
oh well, this is looking like another come-back-win night for the Orioles.
good boy Melky
Now is the time for all good captains to come to their aid of their teams – and plate that run from third!
Now I’ll tell you that you can push me over with a feather on that stat that Singleton just mentioned and I owe the Yanks a huge apology!
The Yanks lead the majors in plating a run from third with less than two out.
Guess it’s not as easy as I thought…
There’s nothing wrong with Jeter that a day off and a trip to Minnesota can’t cure. Hopefully.
Embarrassing.
Another lead off double stranded. Unbelievable.
Jeter just seems so off.
Maybe leadoff doubles and the Yankees just don’t mix. When was the last time they plated one?
Not used to seeing Jeter swing at so many pitches out of the zone.
Being a celebrity at an Orioles game. So easy even a caveman can do it.
Way to go, Andy…
And now they’re losing. When did Melvin Mora start hitting home runs all of a sudden?
Andy….
Doreen, not even just a lead off single – a lead off double. And not able to plate it. Our Yanks are sure streaky this season.
lol, Doreen. They did it in the last inning.
this is really unnerving.
Jeter seems off in every possible way. Really makes you wonder exactly what is wrong.
One bad pitch. Andy is ok.
mel -
Wait, oh, Hideki’s was a double, right! Duh. So feebleminded these days. Short attention span and all. OOPS.
Come watch the Amazing Andy make a lead disappear before your very eyes.
the long ball is such a vice for Pettite. he wouldn’t have as bad an outing if he could avoid those…
I do not want to hear Pettitte talk anymore about how the Yaaks don’t hit. Or they need to score more runs. The Yanks pay him much more then they shoud and he has been an absolute disaster this year. Just plain old batting practice.
I am glad the $28m man is such an easy out. Can anyone take more then 1 pitch??!!
people are going to need to actually take a pitch or two before getting out
Jeter’s wrist has to still be bothering him.
That and the brain farts(like the many he had yesterday) is not something one likes to see.
Maybe the day off tomorrow will be good for the captain.
Not necessarily a bad pitch by Andy; down in the zone and Mora hit it. Most of the time that’s at best a hard groundball into or through the infield.
If Mora wants to keep trying to golfball swing, I think Pettite will obligingly get him to ground out or K 9 out of 10 times.
just saw the replay on the homerun ball. mora made a good swing on a pitch that seemed to be in a pretty good location….balls are flying at camden
I love it whenever kennedy or pettite gives up a HR its always “not a bad pitch” but with anyone else they suck…
giambi is locked man….
heheh
heheh 
heheh 
ARod has been awfully jumpy lately. He could definitely see a few more pitches in his at-bats.
Go Go Giambi!
I wonder if Baltimore will take note and sign Giambi next year after we get Teixeira.
another one on the streets
Believe in the stache
Now aren’t you happy, those who wanted to dump Jason Giambi, that it didn’t happen.
Sure you are even if you won’t admit it!
3 of the last 4 balls out there – THE GIAMBINOOOO
shapeshifter
Did you actually see the pitch?
i admit I wanted to dump giambi. i was wrong
i did… mora golfed it out; low in the zone…
Did I ever mention how much I hate Baltimore and the O’s?
That’s just not fair for Cano.
If anyone has the energy (I don’t) email Pete and ask him to off the fool with the screenname “Tampa Bay Rays” Pete said that he is more than happy to ban trolls who come here just to be stupid. That child definitely is one.
Why can’t our outfielders make plays like that…
That Melky sure can catch!
That was not the grace that bernie used to bring…. but he caught it so good enough for me
Shapeshifter:
No more druggie comments please. Thanks.
thank god for melky
I told you that the Melk makes them look easy. So Payton will get a web gem for his and Melky won’t for that one. Payton’s was impressive certainly, but so are so many of Da Melk’s.
Dare I say that Giambi is dialed in ???
Pete-
sorry, my apologies.
Melky heard what I said.
the thing that gets me – is that if this team were more flexible/adaptable, we’d well be in or near first. We keep losing games we should be winning…
Doreen – and he has a cannon for an arm. And cute dimples.
The Melkman giveth and the Melkman taketh away.
OK seriously – the Porn Stache – It’s workin’ for Giambi. He can NOT shave that off this season! I thought I saw Damon with a stache yesterday too – maybe they are all gonna grow it. Damon did hit rather well yesterday. Coincidence?? I think not!
And Kudos to Melk-man for that awesome catch – that could have been really ugly!
an all melky inning… works for me.
Back to work bats
well this inning we start with one out
Time to bring Joba in for next inning.
Eutaw, make it two!
Melky’s dimples ARE a bit appealing.
/end girly appreciative moment
It’s Melky day. Can we get him home?
Melky’s having a great night. Looks like the night off did him well
Melky is a little cutie.
Sunny – we’re in last place because of the games lost in the first few innings (the ones pitched by IPK and Hughes), not the ones we “should” have won.
FWIW, I too have a strained lat with bursitis under the scapula. Working out in the gym, I pulled it doing pull-ups. It’s been over a month and it’s still hampering me. However, I’m nearly 50 so I may not be a good example.
I am fairly athletic. I intend to hike a couple hundred miles in the Sierra Nevada come August, regardless of the muscle pull. It may be my last trip as I’m scheduled to move east come December.
Redemption time for the Captain.
Jeter has to come through here
Wow – the Melkman is working an evening delivery shift tonight. Nice to see his bat coming around a little bit.
Well, Jeter has another chance…
I had no idea Roy White played in that many games as a Yankee, wow.
one of these days kyle farnsworth is gonna figure out how to use a computer
Okay, that works!
Can Captain Intangibles figure out a way to get the leadr run in from third with ine out?
“an all melky inning… works for me.”
Me too!
Jay,
And then we’re all in big trouble!!!!
I’ll take it
Much better, Jeets!
Wish we got more from that. Oh well
Pete A. is a funny b*astard!
However Pete – LAY OFF KYLE!!!!
Hmmm. It appears that the asterisk was superfluous!
I just wanted everyone to know how enjoyable it is for a Yankee fan such as myself…located in FLA and unable to get Yes…to be able to read game detail from (fairly) knowledgeable fans through this blog.
Thanks.
“UPDATE, 8:12 p.m.: A pigeon just flew into the pressbox, causing a bit of a ruckus. Kyle Farnsworth, alas, was in the bullpen. He would have known what to do. And by that I mean he would have killed it.”
lol.
Krazy Kyle probably would have!
if i may fast forward to the future 4 months 4 days from now…where the triple crown winner of the A.L. is announced
Jason Giambi take a bow
http://farm2.static.flickr.com.....04f7a1.jpg
wow… centerstage is really getting desperate. tony danza? wtf?
Ryan – there were a couple of games early on, when we were suffering from all those injuries, that had we had some roster flexibility, were winnable games. IMO at least.
Haha.. Pete. I am assuming you mean a real pigeon and not a clay one?
I bet Kyle could deal with both.
nice Pettitte
good thing that Guthrie is already at 77 piches. Hoepfully they can work some counts and get him out of there!
how huge was that pickoff?
I was wondering the same thing, shapeshifter.. what on earth could Tony Danza have to say that would be interesting nowadays?
c’mon andy. Get out of this
god do I hate millar… he personoified the sox IMO
hard to get to sympathetic for Millar
I’m watching this game on the CBSsporstline GameTracker and all of these high “balls” are looking like strikes…is the ump squeezing the strike zone on Pettitte?
Maybe he can tell us if Mona’s curtains match the drapes?
was there an injury delay ???
yay pettite – !! good job!
Just got in. I was listening to the game on the radio with John and Suzyn – what a treat!
Glad that the Yanks are winning. Hope they hold on to this lead.
nice job, Andy !
Sweet…
whew! Andy in line for the win.
Whew!
:O
Ack, thanks for that visual.
good job to get out of that
Well, part of an escape artist’s talent is to hold his fans in a state of suspense.
Andy can thrill you and kill you sometimes…
whaddya think?
does snaggle tooth come in to pitch the 6th or 7th?
At what point will some bloggers be issuing an apology or an “I guess I was wrong” with regard to Giambi?
Also, get your Yankee All star votes in!
http://www.mlb.com
time to pile on
At what point will some bloggers be issuing an apology or an “I guess I was wrong” with regard to Giambi?
Also, get your Yankee All star votes in!
mlb dot com
swing at that arod!! man – that pitch had homer all over it.
Whoever was asking about the O’s announcers its Gary Thorne and Jim Palmer.
who would you rather have in their prime: gerald “ice” williams or mel hall?
does anyone know if the YES network is available on cable outside of NY and NJ…say in Tennessee?
and why the heck did you swing at that??!? sheesh… get some glasses arod…!!
I’m soory if I offend anyone but I bought the radio season package and CANNOT listen to the Yankees games due to Suzyn’s voice…anyone else?
K. Millar is 0 for 3 against the Yankees? Even from across the world, I can sense something is amiss.
May be he’ll hit the game winner against Joba.
bite your tongue ER
sweet. i can watch kyle farnsworth hand with the coast guard. he is the last person i want to throw me a life preserver if I am ever drowning, cuz we all know he would miss
Who thinks A-rod will meet any of his HR contract incentives?
too bad that grounder didn’t have a bad bounce and pop millar in the nose.
MrMulligan-
Waldman is the worst announcer in the history of broadcast radio. i have no idea what yankee fans did to deserve her.
The pornstache cracks me up, but also makes me feel like I need a shower. But if he keeps hitting like he is – it needs to stay.
MrMulligan-Not really that much of a fan of Suzyn..or Sterling.
shapeshifter
really??
**sigh**
Yankeenate, you can watch most of the games if you have DirecTV and subscribe to the MLB package. You can also watch online if you subscribe on mlb.com. Otherwise, I don’t think so.
Than you wasted your money.
So I guess this will be it for Andy and then Joba time.
phil-
what are you referring to?
Angel-
giambi seems like the kind of guy who needs a shower. right after he showers
I think its a channel on DirecTV and you can get it outside of the Yankee market. But I also think so much is blacked out for out of market viewers that its not worth it. Unless that has changed.
I saw YES on DirecTV or Dish in MN last year. I have cable, and its not available on cable.
shapeshifter – AGREED
Listening to John and Waldman is ALMOST as bad as listening to the White Sox broadcast – at least Sterling makes me laugh with the ridiculous things that come out of his mouth when someone hits a homerun/makes a play.
SS:
Thanks for reaffirming my opinion…I know she’s been with the Yankees for a few years…this is the first year I didn’t purchase MLB Extra Innings.
Thought maybe it was just being in FLA for 15+ years and not being used to the accent…like nails on a chalkboard.
True, shapeshifter. Its all that gel in his hair and his sweaty tendencies, I think.
i loathe the mets more than anyone, but I would trade ian kennedy for gary cohen just so he could do the yanks games. they don know how lucky they are
shapeshifter
life preservers, drowning, the coast guard
zzzzzzzzzz……
c’mon!!! you’ve done better, you can do it
Andy doing a nice job tonight.
Angel-
Cant you just see Giambi hitting the locker room after a home game in august and just deciding to ditch the shower all together?
Let me clarify: you can subscribe to a regional sports network package on DirecTV and watch YES, MSG, etc., but they’re blacked out when the professional teams play. To watch (most of) the Yankee games on YES/My9, you have to pay for the MLB Extra Innings package, which is what I do. So I can watch the games, but not the Tony Danza interviews.
lol i dont think Andy is planning to let Joba throw 55 pitches tonight.
Pettitte @ 88…time for Joba?
I get the Yankee games through my cable company. All of the major cable companies in the Boston area offer “MLB Extra Innings”.
I get pretty much every game except for Saturday games.
Call your cable company and ask if that have it.
This is why Joba needs to START the game, pitch his however many pitches, then bring in someone behind him – Originally I was saying throw him on Kennedy’s day for however many innings, then bring IPK in to get it to the pen.. now there’s 3 innings left, Andy is pitching great, and there’s an off-day tomorrow
Way to go Andy. He had some “raising my blood pressure” moments in this game. But good job by him.
I hope we can get another run or two now. Some cushion for Joba would be nice
do you want me to record the tony danza interview for you?
calm night here on the blog. Any minor league reports.
phil- i thought my mona reference was fairly amusing
Cano needs to break out…he has been going deeper in counts…damn.
What is Tony Danza doing now anyway?
I understand there is a trick with DirecTV. If you use a DirecTV cable card from someone who is in NY, you would get local NY programming, including YES. My cousin is doing it currently. Anyone else doing that?
shapeshifter
thats what I mean, Mona was the bomb diggity!
I would hope he didn’t forego a shower.. Ack.
Is Joba warming? Are they going to send him in for the bottom of the 7th?
Jeff-
thats actually illegal. i work for echo-star and we try to persecute people like your cousin every year. whats his name?
That aquarium is very nice. The paddleboats are fun too. Great place.
Angel, that was me asking about Jim Palmer’s broadcast partner. I looked Thorne up on the MASN website – thanks for answering though. All I can say is the guy actually makes Michael Kay tolerable. Maybe.
did anyone hear Kay mention earlier that Melky tied a major league record earlier, what did he do??
I was paying the pizza delivery guy and missed it.
Yeah, they black out Yankeeography’s and programs like that, don’t they Nick?
I know you’re secretly crushed to be missing the Danza interview.
phil-
kay says that every time a player records all 3 outs in an inning
Melky is making him work
i really like melky’s at-bats.
he always works the count despite who the pitcher is.
he’s slowly coming back from a 0-2 count and it is now 2-2. and this is the 7th pitch from the oriole pitcher.
Joba Time
pete,
you’re really on your game tonight.
funny stuff about kennedy and that pigeon.
Well,
Andy’s back out with the short leash; first man to get on brings in Joba.
Here’s hoping he can make it through, but if he can’t, he’s got some good back-up.
Oh wait…not yet time?
shapeshifter, well technically he’s not stealing cable, he pays his bills, the other guy pays his bill, they just switched cards for one of their TV’s. Not sure if that is against the cable agreement, but they are each paying the amount they should so I doubt there is a law on the books making it illegal. In fact if DirecTV was smart, they would offer out of market cards for anyone who wants it.
shapeshifter-
Richard Bruce “Dick” Cheney
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington DC 20500
Giambi is fooling nobody with his porn stache.
It’s aimed directly and for the express purpose of luring Suzyn Waldman into his nest.
It’s the old spider & fly trick.
jeff-
advertisers buy advertising on for certain local markets, e.g., a manhattan bmw dealer wants his ad to appear in the tri-state area, not milwaukee. the cable company is selling him a local spot and not a national one. he is actually committing fraud.
you see Andy,
what’s up with that
that’s just being greedy…
You can only win, have a
seat ice the old bones down and read a few passages from deuteronomy or something bra.
Ah…
So Joe was waiting for Roberts to finish batting against Pettite to bring in Mora against a righty.
Now it’s Joba Time.
Oh yeah, Let’s go Pistons!
Good evening all!
So, are we going to win this one or what?
Let’s Go Yanks!!!!
Jeff NJ (and I hope you don’t consider that to be name-calling again), I don’t use a card, but I pay a couple extra bucks a month and I get local ABC and FOX from NY and LA, so I can watch NY Giants games out here and see ABC shows 3 hours early.
To elaborate a little more on this topic. I originally subscribed to satellite television because my cable company (Cox Cable) did not have either MSG (then the Yankee network) or the YES network as part of its offerings, but DirectTv does. But you have to subscribe to the sports pack to get it. ($10 extra per month). Then I purchased MLB Extra Innings for the times that I would be blacked out of the YES broadcast, so I could get the game with the other team feed. At one point in time, we could get all of the Yankeeographies, but MLB put their foot down on that because there is “MLB content” and it belongs to them! So out of market people got blacked out of that too.
The reason I stayed with the YES network and sportspack is because I am addicted to the pre and postgame and especially the postgame. Want to really get to know the players and have as good a pulse on the team as you can – watch the pre and postgames. There really is a wealth of information there.
Now a very quirky (but wonderful) thing happened this season. I end up getting the YES feed every single game, except, I believe, for one series with Tampa. So even if I tune in to channel 622 during a game and get the “blacked out” signal, when I go to the MLB Extra Inning stations, I always end up getting the YES feed or the MY9 feed when the game is on MY9!
Pretty cool.
I would have just saved Joba for Friday. Since Mussina is pitching.
Pettitte deserves a “round of applause” from the faithful…
Now Joba can pitch the 8th and 9th. This actually works out well.
who was mariano showing the picture book to??
was melvin mora on the mets once?
Did Gary Thorne just say Joba has never started a game in the minor leagues or the majors?
ump is squeezing Joba so far.
You wanna tell me how the 1st 2 pitches of that AB were called balls ? what a load of cr@p !
Gary Thorne is an idiot
The ump is just trying to help Joba reach his pitch limit.
mariano was showing the book to ohlendorf i believe… also if u noticed it looked like edwar was eating a lollipop… he better not let joe find out
This ump is pissing me off
Respect Jim Palmer but Gary Thorne has made him a dull nit-whit with his comments.
Melvin Mora was on the Mets.
Let me clarify one thing I said about getting Yankee feeds. The one time I NEVER get the Yankee feed is when the Yankees play the Sux.
Then I am relegated to NESN since I am fortunate enough to be in the Sux market…
WHERE THE HELL WAS THAT PITCH ???…..this is insane !
i gotta befriend a lip reader, because I am so interested in what the hell the runners on first talk to the first baseman about.
come on Joba!
melvin mora was on the mets once i was thinking that last night…
anyone know who he was traded for? im not sure but was it the mike bordick trade?
broussard is playing RF tonight. so if lane replaces ensberg, does broussard replace duncan?
Edwar is lucky the lollipop doesn’t eat him.
This Joba experiment while they are trying to win games is a joke…If he is going to be a starter then send him down to the minors and bring him back when he can throw 100 pitches. But bringing him into a 3-2 game and expecting him to be perfect is a joke.
is this flippin’ ump EVER going to call a strike on a Joba pitch ? DANG !
I wish Joba would throw his changeup a bit more.
Yes, it was the Bordick trade.
How u like dem apples Millar?
huh ?
see?
see?
that’s what you get!
I guess that fastball does the trick.
NASTY!!!!
he needs to throw the change up the next inning otherwise this makes no sense
Someone needs to take Edwar to an all-you-can-eat buffet
as henry rowengartner would say he just brought the big fat stinking cheese.
and THERE is your answer. … Joba can either strike them out swinging or throw the ball right down the middle to be smoked, as his K zone is like a 4 inch by 4 inch square !
CaptainsCorner- Who would you rather have pitching here now? Pettitte was nearing the end. Even the non-optimal bullpen version of Joba (use-wise) right now is more valueable than other relievers. Gotta keep Joba here and get value when he pitches during the transition. JMO.
Last night people were bellyaching that Joba was unavailable in a close game because he was going to pitch tonight. So here he is tonight in a close game. Yay, happy happy joy joy, isn’t that was we wanted? Joba’s innings leveraged in important situations?
edwar is really thin im guessing he has a thyroid condition
“This Joba experiment while they are trying to win games is a joke…”
Good point…this whole Joba plan is ill-conceived in my opinion…
Ugh.. kiss cam.
Cheese factor.
uh, Joba is still relieving. The Yankees will win today and they won last time he pitched. Next week he’ll start. I wanted to strangle M&tMD today, they are so wrong re Joba.
Although one thing they said was interesting, instead of trading for a starter, they may want to trade for a closer from a team that falls out, ala Gagne last year.
I personally think the kids can and will get it done though. I still think the bullpen not counting Hawkins is a strength of the team.
“Someone needs to take Edwar to an all-you-can-eat buffet”
Because they won’t be full after just eating Edwar?
I hope Joba doesn’t get like Hughes where he refuses to throw the change up.
CC – you’re such a ray of sunshine.
Petitte got it done but looked real shaky real shaky
“Someone needs to take Edwar to an all-you-can-eat buffetâ€
“Because they won’t be full after just eating Edwar?”
Hahahaha
Kevin Whelan must be warming up
1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K’s
GO/AO 0-0 (so far that might means his nasty fastball is coming back)
No because in a 3-2 game he can’t work on his extra pitches which is what he needs to do. Pitching in this game he is not working on his changeup and curveball because he needs to be careful. He is not going to be able to throw 100 pitches with just using 2 pitches. So these outings aren’t helping him at all. They are not treating him properly.
C’mon Yankees, how about a nice cushion for a change.
Ewar is probably laughing at all of us since he can go to an all-you-can-eat buffet and top it off with an Awful Awful at Newport Creamery – and go home without having gained an ounce.
Hell, I’d sign up for that!
I don’t love the way the Yankees handled Joba. I would have gone in reverse. Started him at the begining of the season a la last year, but stretch him out a bit longer and move him back to the pen when he neared his innings cap. He’d have been a great bullpen addition late in the season. Yes, he couldn’t start post-season games but that would be just a one year setback.
Anyone ever notice that after Joba pitches the Yankees usually add some runs? Joba is intimidating when he comes in from the pen, can’t argue with that, but he needs to start.
Oh and if he can transition mid season without going down to AAA, it would be outstanding, and yes it would be exactly the right thing to do in this situation. I applaud Cashman for thinking outside the box.
Trish,
I live in red sux nation and I don’t mind watching NESN. I really think Remy and Don aren’t that bad at all. They give credit to all the players, even the Yanks when they come to town. It hasn’t been that way till maybe last year when I hated watching them. Granted, I have to watch in a bar or room full of sux fans but it can be fun. At least they’re a lot better than most of these other stations I watch on MLB innings package. Like tonight,,MASN. This guy sucks!
Get Johnny home. Somehow
The Red Sox guys are definitely better than the MASN guys. In fact, they’re better than a lot of other home announcers.
Let’s go A-Rod, he is giving you strikes.!!!… This is what having Godzilla HOT behind you is like…TAKE ADVANTAGE !
That’s why he was better off getting stretched out in the minors because it would allow him to throw his change and curve without worrying about making a mistake in a close game.
But I would still like to see the change more.
It’s hard not to laugh when Remy says Pedroyer and Posader.
that is just sad ! ALmost all of those pitches NEED to be hit by the MVP and ,,,,,
**sigh**
derek looks just so deflated, exasperated and frustrated. is it me or am I projecting?
Marc and Angel -
absolutely and unequivocally correct about that. In fact I think Remy is one of the best. Orsillo drives me crazy with his screaming loud voice and his winning run of the world series calls every time someone gets a hit. He just annoys me.
That said, as a Yankee fan, there are no games that I would rather have the YES feed than the Sux games! Kind of insulting to have to watch the Yanks through the calls of the Sux announcers!
Atleast teams know that Arod is such an easy out with a runner on 3rd. With 1st and 2nd base open any good or even decent player would of been walked there…Vlad, Manny, Ortiz, Cabrera, Ordonez they wouldn’t even have to think twice about it. But Arod is an easy out in those situations. Pathetic…
Like when MK says “yuge” and POE-sada
Where’s Joba’s control?
“That’s why he was better off getting stretched out in the minors because it would allow him to throw his change and curve without worrying about making a mistake in a close game.
But I would still like to see the change more.”
Jax I was thinking the same thing, I’m willing to bet he’s going down to AAA in these coming weeks, it makes no sense for him to be stretched out using two pitches, the curveball and change up has not been used in his stretch out period, they need to bite one for the team and send him to AAA to get stretched out. I mean seriously what is he learning throwing 2 pitches.
Guys please tell me…. why do I have to root for this guy (A-ROD)…. he can’t hit in clutch even if its slow pitch softball…. INCOMPETENT….
Is Rivera available today? They said on the pregame that he wasn’t but Kay is saying they don’t know..?
2 curveballs out of 23 pitches
3 curveballs
Brandon,
I think initially they may have considered sending Joba down and giving him 2 starts at Scranton to really push it. With the injury to Kemmedy, I don’t see that happening. I think Joba will start soon, most likely next week, with a limited pitch count of about 70.
Kay is now imagining his neck throbbing. yeeesh
put yer pants back on dude
I really believe that Joba should be a starter but it is nice to have him pitch the 8th inning. There is so much less stress watching the game with him in there.
28 pitches I think I’ve seen 3 curveballs
curveball
fastball
fastball
fastball
fastball
Damn…on CBSSportsline it sure as h*ll looks like th Ump has been squeezing the Yanks all night…KKK
Joba avgs 28 pitches per inning, just great
ok we need to score at least 2 runs here so that Joe isn’t tempted to go to Mo. I say that even though I have Mo on my fantasy team. I want Joba to get his pitches in so that he can start next week.
Almost time for some Russ’ tidbits
So do you bring in your $15 million closer or your $390K future starter to pitch the ninth inning of a one run game?
In games I manage nobody but Mo pitches in a save situation…
Mo warming
People A Rod can’t handle pressure. Period. That is why the guy has never and will never win a championship. He is a prima donna.
Trisha, your outlook on the Yankees is absolutely amazing, your quite intelligent
Give Mo the day off (plus the off-day tomorrow) and let Joba throw the 9th…. nice show matsui!!
I am sure Angel is getting real excited about a possible win tonight…stay tuned
I would send him out there for the ninth. 29 pitches I know he can throw on the side but that’s not the same as throwing in an actual game.
OK Joba settled down – good inning Joba! Nice K’s!
Gosh I hope he will be this effective as a starter. I beleive in him.
Oh and nice double by Godzilla. I like it.
“UPDATE, 9:28 p.m.: This is staggering. A really good pitcher can pitch more than one inning. What a concept.
I have Chamberlain at 27 pitches. But I went to public school.”
Pete,
I went to Catholic School, and I have him at 28.
Dang, Matsui. Stop showing off.
People, stop worrying about Joba’s pitch count per inning. Even if he throws a few too many pitches per inning when he enters the rotation, you’re not going to take that? People, this guy is replacing Ian Kenney, Phil Hughes, and IGAWA. If Joba gives you 5 solid innings, that’s better than you’ve gotten from the 5th slot all year. If Joba can give 5 solid every time out and learn to limit his pitches for the playoffs, you don’t feel good about this guy going up against Josh Beckett because he might throw too many pitches?
Fran said:
“I really believe that Joba should be a starter but it is nice to have him pitch the 8th inning. There is so much less stress watching the game with him in there.”
Less stress indeed! That’s the definition of relief…
Compare our bullpen tonight with our bullpen the previous two nights and then tell me the late innings don’t matter…
Sure, anyone can pitch them…
Trisha-
But Mo pitched two innings yesterday and is pushing 40. Given everything going on with this team, and the limited use Girardi has of Joba, it makes sense to let Joba finish it out and rest Rivera and not push him after he was extended last night.
If Rivera hadn’t pitched two innings yesterday, I’d agree with you 100%.
Mo pitched two innings last night, if they score even one I start the ninth with Joba. A one run lead then fine use Mo, expect second guessing if they lose. By the way, tonight only fuels the fire for those who want to keep Joba in the pen unfortunately.
I don’t recall Arod having any trouble in the “clutch” last season. Get over it. He will be fine.
that’s my boy HIDEKI….. A-RD watch and learn how MEN play baseball…
So will the Yanks how do not know how to situational hit be able to get Matsui in?! Cano pretend like you actually care about getting a hit or moving the runner over here.
Little handlebar mustache was no match for pornstachio.
Dynasty, please cite some post by anyone serious in which they said that late innings don’t matter. Otherwise, that’s just a straw man argument.
i love jay bruce.
Cano needs to show up…been a damn dismal year for the youngster.
BUNT CANO
Joba Chamberlain so far 1.1 IP
20 Fastballs
5 Sliders
3 Curveballs
Watching Joba, I don’t understand how people just want him to be the 8th inning guy. I think he can do so much more for this team as a starting pitcher. I really do think he will be great.
Does Cano even try up there? He is impossible to watch sometimes..
walking Moeller to pitch to Melky? they must be managed by russ m.
Cano is the most impatient hitter EVER
Yankeejosh, let me say I was coming as much from, if not more from, the perspective that to have anyone else close out the game in a save situation is tantamount to dissing Mo. That’s his role exclusively.
Do I think Joba could handle it? Absolutely.
Walk Moeller? Are they serious? Did someone have the scouting report upside down and in another language?
Here comes the GIDP
Joba will still be our 8th inning guy, just going to throw the first 7 to get there.
I hope they can get something here
Joba, last three innings pitched, 70 pitches, what, is he Igawa?
they walked Moeller because he is not A-ROD… it’s not a sin to laugh guys….
I am getting goose bumped
Dynasty:
Steve Goldman (yesnetwork.com) had it dead on. Look at what the pitchers that should be used in pressure situations are doing (ramirez, farnsworthmorethanheusedtobe, mo, chamberlain) versus mop ups (ohlendorf, hawkins) it’s a different story recently. Just so happened that Girardi had no one else in the bullpen last night. Credit him for using Mo in a tie game on the road. Offense just couldn’t get a run across.
I am feeling good about having joba transitioning to starter. I don’t like the way it is being done – but this kid HAS to be a starter. He is too good not to be.
I wonder if Joba will start the 9th and then Mo can finish it. Only because Mo threw a lot of pitches last night. But then again tomorrow is an off day.
Melky please dont hack away here at 3-1!!!
Malky is going deep now, i can feel it—it’s the extra bat wiggle i’m picking up on.
Chad Moeller? intentional walk? Really? Alrighty
Yep, another moron swings at 3-1 pitch.
extra runs here would be great to end this series on
WOW, Gee, Rah
Trisha’s lover, I have to say that I chuckle every time I see your screenname. I don’t quite know what to say beyond that!
About your post – I’m not quite sure whether you are goofing on me or being sincere. If it was sincere, thanks! If you are goofing, I will say that you are very creative anyway.
Gee
when melky hangs on like this… he is hitting something hard… double or HR here….. any bets???
“Yep, another moron swings at 3-1 pitch.”
it was a strike down the middle, just like the last 5 pitches, right now Melky has him timed perfectly.
Running, stumbling, Yankees
Nick in SF:
On Thursday, May 22nd, Peter Abraham said:
“The sidebar to this is that people are vastly overrating the importance of the eighth inning. A decent bullpen with versatile pieces can handle the eighth inning.”
Is that serious enought for you?
or not….
that was horrible swing
a K LOL, nice AB Melky, sit down
Trisha,
But there have been games where we’ve used other closers. Joba got a save last year. Farnsworth saved a few games the year before when Rivera wasn’t available. Mo is our closer, but it doesn’t make any sense to use him tonight imo. It’s not a diss. It’s about protecting a commodity from over-use. We need Mo healthy for the entire year, not just tonight.
Why is Melky a switch hitter? Good job swinging at ball 4, 3 times..This lineup looks like a AAA team sometimes.
melky swung at ball 4 and K’s
oh man, they are bringing in Mo – Hmmmm. Not sure I agree with that. Yes, we need to lock this win down… BUT I think Joba is more than capable of handing it – geez. I would really like to see Joba end this off –
Hmpppphhhhhhh…..
where was that pitch?!
No only did Melky K, but he also helped Walker stretch out. Ouch!
another long at bat by Melky, but we really needed some extra runs!! Can’t not get any with bases loaded
Bases loaded, no runs, expect anything different from these pima donna’s?
WTF happened there
haha. nice play russ!
Yeeessssss!!!!!
Who is their hitting coach?
Johhny Damon. Thank you
OMG OMG What a moronic play for the O’s –
What a lucky break for the Yanks! We kept it alive!
Hahaha.
JD!
Go Johnny Go
Great hustle!!
Good job by Damon running that ball out….See that is what you get when a veteran runs hard on a play. Cano should watch that.
I think I’m going to call every idiot russ from now on, it just fits so well.
Did the Rays win today?
WTG Damon – the more runs the better…
Trisha, I am being sincere!
I truly do enjoy reading your posts, they are truly lovely
thank you johnny damon…
and here comes Captain Kirk to take out the O’s pitcher
Pete Abe, deliver us from this evil.
Like the run we just got Russ m? Yup!
Jeff, don’t get all excited, Yanks are still in last place
So what did we just learn….
Pornstache good for Giambi
Redneck stache for Walker bad….
Dude yankees gotta get Jay Bruce.
Dude looks like a shark and can hit!!!
I love Bruce goo Reds not i hate them.
Trade anyone but joba or a rod.
Shoot trade Jeter he washed up now.
Anyone wanting a good laugh go to Yahoo Sports and look at the pictures on both Jamie Walker and Adam Jones profiles.
Wow, whoopie……4-2 now. Man, book the WS tickets, I am going
can we get 1 more run? Just to be safe
And by the way.
Im a yankees fan not a troll.
Go jay bruce!!
Guys, don’t get down on russ m. To be honest, if I was watching a Red Sox game tonight and they trotted out a stud pitcher who was about to enter the rotation and he was throwing 98mph and showing a little preview of what’s to come, I’d be pretty damn depressed as a Yankee fan. So you have to understand how this might be a difficult time for a Red Sox fan.
So just remember, when other teams starters go down they don’t all have a 98mph throwing projected ace to plug in to the 5th slot in their rotation.
no better way to get out of a slump that hitting his 2nd career grandslam
I’ve called that way too often this year
yes. please go
right there. He hustles, gets the run in and is hitting almost 290. Damon is not the problem here. Hes pulling ihs weight
something is wrong with jeter…. has to be!
There’s an outbreak on ‘staches. Ladies, do we like them or hate them on ballplayers?
I vote hate.
Winning 1 out of every three games, that is good for this team.
The end of the Joba debate is very easy. Arguably the Greatest Relief Pitcher of All Time was a starter that couldn’t hack it because he only had 2 plus pitches. Arguably the best set up guy in the game since last September has 3 maybe 4 plus pitches. I’m sure you can come by someone at the majors or in the minor with 1-2 plus pitches for the 8th inning.
Kay messed that throw away up as it looks like Joba to start the 9th.
Well thank you Jeter now no Joba in the ninth.
oh God, I love him to death, but Jeter is killing me!!
>But there have been games where we’ve used other closers. Joba got a save last year. Farnsworth saved a few games the year before when Rivera wasn’t available.
It’s different when he’s not available.
If Mo’s pitch count is such that it’s ridiculous, I use someone else.
But I go to Mo out of respect. Unless he tells me otherwise.
Again, I totally believe Joba can get the job done. But the job belongs to Mo.
Jeter’s at bats just keep getting worse…worse then Cano’s..Never takes a pitch
Oh Derek
Jeter, your Captain. Picked off 2nd, runner on 2nd, 0 outs, can’t get him to 3rd and K’s. Over rated defensively. Did the Captain take a pitch or was he doing his Cano impression?
Is there any reason Jeter swings at the first pitch – a ball – in that situation? Something is -seriously- wrong with him.
Is there any reason Jeter swings at the first pitch – a ball – in that situation? Something is -seriously- wrong with him.
Same crap, different blog.. ugh.
They didn’t send Joba out for another inning?
I would go to Ohlendorf or Farnsy
Mel,
I am growing fond of the stache on the players. Hey- Donnie pullled it off in the 80′s – Why not?!
We contacted Damian Miller?
My fault. He was just headed to the bullpen
Trisha’s Lover, then I sincerely thank you. That is very sweet of you to say.
How many pitches did Joba throw? I thought they were going to have him throw 50 pitches tonight?
Um, I kinda wish Joba was pitching the 9th.
V….Yanks have no patience at the plate. They aren’t Boston these days
wow Jetes truely is struggling
and this is what I don’t get w/ Joba, I’m serious they might as well send him down to AAA to get his pitches in, this right here 1.1 IP in week 2, he is atleast suppose to be around 3 IP or 3.2 IP by now. I don’t see this continuing my bet is he is going to AAA to get a stretched out start.
i don’t agree with Mo coming in here at all. if the plan is to prepare Joba for the rotation, you have to leave him in there. i don’t care what the score is. throwing in the bullpen isn’t going to be the same.
can’t have it both ways all the time….
“There’s an outbreak on ’staches. Ladies, do we like them or hate them on ballplayers?”
Hate
sfill – key words: “in the 80′s”
When did Giambi start growing the porn-stache? Around time of A-Rod’s return?
I hate them, Mel – BUT if Giambi keeps hitting like he does – I can live with the pornstache.
Jamie Walker is the only loser in their bullpen, which btw is probably the best in the history of the Majors.
Anytime Trisha, anytime.
I was hoping they’d bring in LaTroy Hawkins to lock this game down.
Joba threw his avg 28 pitchers per 1 inning tonight
agreed. give Mo the night off. he threw 2 last night and Joba needed the pitches anyway. makes little sense.
Call me crazy, but he pitched 2 last nght. I would have left Joba in, but I think we’re safe either way
Hate. Ditto.
Joba was at 28 pitches
Hopefully the Yankees won’t need the tack-on run, but those are always a blessing to get in the 9th inning.
And the profile picture for Chad Bradford is pretty scary. He looks like he is posing for a WANTED poster.
Let me get this straight:
We used Mo for two innings last night, we want to stretch out Joba for the rotation, so what do we do?
We bring Mo in and have Joba pitch the rest in the bullpen…..BRILLIANT
I think Joe wants to pad Mo’s stats
I don;t like this move. After that 8th inning, I would have preferred to see Joba go batter by batter.
I simply don’t get this move. Joba needs more pitches and Rivera threw 2 innings last night. Why wouldn’t you send Joba out there and if he gets in any trouble have Rivera come in? That way you have a backup, in this case there’s no backup, if Rivera has nothing in the tank they lose.
why’d they take out joba? if you are going to stretch him out at the big league level, at least stick to plan.
well I’d say it’s a bit of a gamble to start Joba next week, but I think it’s worth it. He may have some growing pains, but he’s a big boy, he’ll handle it.
Ball 1, Ball 2…..tick…tick
So this is Joba’s downfall…he uses too many pitches.
Trisha,
Rivera is going to say he can pitch everyday. This is what a manager gets paid to do, namely what’s best for the team. I have no doubt Rivera can and will get the job done. But this is all about stat padding. Leaving Joba in is what’s best for the team, and it’s a very bad move by Girardi, even though I expect it to work.
“i don’t agree with Mo coming in here at all. if the plan is to prepare Joba for the rotation, you have to leave him in there”
Would’ve been different is we wouldve won last night. We still need the save, still need to win this game.
does anyone else find it ridiculous that Joba is pitching full speed in the bullpen and mariano is pitching not 24 hours after throwing two innings?
Ball 3…tick
umm where was that pitch???
Nick in SF and Boston Dave…thanks for the info and i’ll check on those things
2 more outs Mo
sit down Russ, k for Mariano!
sfill,
Sorry, I think you’re outnumbered here.
I agree though. Giambi could grow a Fu Manchu down to knees and I wouldn’t care as long as he keeps going yard.
Cmon Hank make a trade for Jay Bruce.
I love hank!!!
Yes about that time, Blargh – and it also coincided with Melky’s high socks look.
I agree DFox. I would only have summoned Mo, if Joba allowed the tying run to come to the plate. Joba has to throw the innings anyway. Why not let him throw them in a game and save Rivera the extra inning of work after throwing yesteray.
two more russ’s and this game is over.
Mo’s blowing this game. You can feel it coming.
kkkkkk
” Is there any reason Jeter swings at the first pitch – a ball – in that situation? Something is -seriously- wrong with him. ”
.
I used to totally agree with you, until I found out that Jeter specifically hits almost at a career .400 clip when he swings at the first pitch.
.
I do agree that it is frustrating when he makes an out like that, though…
.
Yes Andrew
Yankeenate, no problem. I guess the real asnwer is, check with your cable company, but then look into DirecTV.
Farnsworth is terrible
DFA DFA.
Bring down the wrath Hank
Yankeejosh I hear what you’re saying, sincerely. But this is about respect for the greatest closer in the game who obviously felt he could come out and pitch. It’s his role exlusively. It’s what he is paid to do. It is his and his alone.
And if we were to lose this game behind Mo, I would still say it was the right move.
I have far too much respect for him to even consider not handing him the ball in this situation.
And we have an off day tomorrow.
Jeff, last place man, last place, you happy person?
hahahaha! Imagine if he did grow a fu manchu. THAT would be quite the look, all he’d need is a permanent disco ball over his head.
A Rod pulled a russ there! That’s ok, Mo will get the last two russ’s.
So now $28m can’t hit or field. What a disgrace…
A-ROD defenders please stand up!!!!
I vote hate in the mustache poll.
There is our A Rod…pressure….tick…tick…tick
well I guess they’re thinking w/ an off day tomorrow Mo can handle this inning w/ a limit of 15-20 pitches. The Joba process is another story, they need to figure out a start for him. Right now it seems he will get Kennedy’s start in Minnesota.
Horrible error Alex , I mean com’on have some pride here.
“If I see you tank one more grounder Dorn, i’ll rip your f*kin head off, and shove it down your throat”
oh Arod,
he wants to make it interesting
Jeff can deal w/last place, from NJ where the Nets play…….
“Given how he was going, I might have kept Chamberlain in the game. But managers are so tied to their closers these days, so you can’t blame Girardi. Ninth inning, two-run lead, use your closer. By the book.”
Pete, I disagree. You can blame Girardi, especially after said closer pitched two innings yesterday, something he rarely does anymore.
I’m not a fan of Mike and the Mad Dog, but a caller, I think made one great point today. With Joba out of the pen, Mo is going to shoulder more of the load. He might have more 1+ inning saves now. It only makes sense to rest Rivera when you had the chance. He’d have had two days off for Friday, and Joba could have been extended. Truly, a baffling decision.
1 more MO
Ball 3….
Oh yeah!
Error for Arod. Ok, I think Jeter and Arod made a pact with the devil to not do well this season. C’mon guys – please don’t do this for too much longer. We need both of you!
Jeter and Alex have had a horrible series and I mean HORRIBLE series in Baltimore.
The truth is I hope this game is over in 2 minutes because thats when mommy comes in and checks to see if i’m sleeping.
Now they agreed to this plan of stretching him out in the majors and you take out after 29 pitches? I don’t care what they say throwing in the pen is not the same as game action. This should have been done in the minors where wins and loses don’t matter.
EAT IT AGAIN RUSS!
Nicely pitched game by Andy, Joba and Mo after last night’s disaster. The Yanks will take a winning streak into Minnesota on Friday. I’m sure this will make the off day much more pleasant.
Nice game Yankees! Nice game Mo! Nice game Joba! Nice game Andy!
Nice game Yankee fans!!!
GO PISTONS!!!
GO MARINERS!!!
Yankees win!
nice game guys…. a win is a win….
Curious, for those who know the minors. If the Yankees do not have ML ready talent to bring up now, what happens next year when all the contracts come due and those with 1 year left are a year older, slower, and more defensively inept?
There are not that many FA’s to make a full team.
Nice to see the Yankees win 1. Hopefully they can turn this around and start taking 2 of 3 from other teams.
OK let me clarify- I don’t love the stache…
But if it keeps Giambi hitting – well I say KEEPER.
I think jeter should start growing a stache too. Bet he will hit.
Now go Mariners! Go Icharu!
Angel,
Fat, bald on top, Fu Manchu, disco clothes with a chest full of hair. Ewww.
Yay! A win.
I’m glad Andy went deep into the game. Good job by Girardi.
I can overlook Alex and Jeter’s 0-fers if we win.
A-Rod still wins the DöuchÑbăg Award of the night — and of the series.
Well hecks bells, the Yanks won a game WOW. Good job Yanks!! Still in last, but you have made Jeff happy in NJ. Time to lose 3 out of 4 against the Twinkies. I am sure the one win will make Jeff happy. Have a good night all, back tomorrow with some Russ’ tidbits!!!!
“EAT IT AGAIN RUSS!”
com’on man he’s a kid
Hate the mustache in general, but as long as Giambi keeps hitting, let it grow!!
I think our 8th inning dilemma will definitely be solved in another 5 or 6 years when the Greatest Reliever in the History of the Game is 45 years old and moved to set-up man…Mo is AMAZING!!!!
what does DFA stand for?
Jason keep the pornstache if it makes you Giambi from Oakland I’m for it.
Now that’s more like it, and we may not all agree with Girardi’s decision to use Mo again, but he gets another save, the Yankees get a victory, and at the end of the day, that’s what all of us want. I’m satisfied.
Designated For Assignment
Go marlins!
woo. Yanks win.
Jeff, go have some warm milk and cookies, those Yankees won. WOW. Still in last place. For $209 million, you could buy a lot of cookies. Man, wait till the Yanks play LA, Toronto, Boston, Tampa, KC OUCH!!! Hey, this is the easiest part of their schedule.
For now I have to go help my mommy shave her stache
mel
I hate the stache but agree he can keep it as long as he’s hitting. He told Kim Jones in the pre-game that Jeter told him it might be time to grow it again. Hmm, maybe Jeter could use a stache?
It’s one error, it’s not going to change the scope of the game. If you want to nitpick, nitpick Jeter getting picked off yesterday, a game they lost by one run.
russ m, don’t you realize that Pete Abraham will toss you if you keep up the nuttiness here?
Why the long statement by Pete about rules of the blog and then a moron like Russ, a Red Sox troll, is still allowed here.
I don’t mind the occasional troll, but when you lack any wit like Russ, what’s the point? Go back down to the Cask and Flagon and have a few more hundred beers.
Pitcher to Joba to Mo.see how easy that was.If Joba is not Verlander good then keep him in the pen.
I rather have Joba pitch 3 days in a row two innings a piece then 6 innings every 5 days.But lets see how good Joba is as a starter because if Fransworth or Ohlendorf was in that game it would have been 9-4 Orioles.
But hey anybody can pitch the 8th or 9th.
Jeff, e-mail me when Kennedy, Hughes, or Igawa win two in a row in their career. LOL. Or if Hawkins finishes the season under a 6 ERA LOL Have a good night Jeff, my friend!!!
Russ is a stud…I agree with him, but I still like the Yankees
Pete is a big boy. If you can’t handle facts about the Yankees, that is too bad. They are in last place. It is what it is. Not a good team. Have a good night!!!
um, who’s Russ?
Does he have a ‘stache?
rconn 23, Pete has said that if you report a troll and give him examples of its worthless posts, he’ll toss the person. But someone has to report it to Pete.
tonyb – wherever you are – this one’s for you:
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of Mariano Rivera.
“Pete is a big boy. If you can’t handle facts about the Yankees, that is too bad. They are in last place. It is what it is. Not a good team. Have a good night!!!”
goodnight kid stay out of trouble
wow my first imposter. I guess I finally made something of myself, Russ’s mom will be proud.
Heckling from Sox fans like Russ is music to my ears. If they weren’t worried about the Yanks, they wouldn’t be here heckling.
I don’t think russ is old enough to grow a stache
I think part of the reason you pitch Mo in the ninth is it would be highly disrespectful to do otherwise. Our alltime greatest closer’s opportunity for another save should have outweighed to a rookie’s development. In that respect the manager is not going by the book. Good choice by Giradi.
Dont talk about my mom she has a severe problem where hair grows thick above her lip, looks a bit like Giambi, only weighs a bit more.
Go sox, good night!
MoBoy, what country are you from?
Chase Utley is just amazing, right now it doesn’t matter what park he’s playing in.
27,
So you’re saying that good of one player outweighs the good of the team? I just can’t agree with that. Rivera has never shown a huge ego, he’d have understood if he was passed over for one game.
This Russ guy is pretty entertaining, I kinda like him. Good win for the Yanks tonight with a big series coming over the weekend. Can anyone tell me about this Glenn Perkins? Looks like he has solid numbers.
I don’t think it was to protect Mo’s ego, I think Girardi thought that Mo gave them the best chance to win the game.
Hey it’s Pete!
Pete – You’re on the post game!
Some serious facetime for Pete on the postgame show. Wow, congrats Pete!
oh yeh I got to give credit to Cano on executing that rundown, those things can’t be taken for granted.
Pete – getting the seat right next to Joe. I think Pete can fill in for Kim Jones when she goes on vacation.
Pete very chatty in the post-game tonite
the Mets are showing some character vs FLorida tonight. Wanna here a shocking stat the Brewer shutdown the Braves 1 – 0.
and then Sanchez gave up a frozen rope HR to a LHB Amenzaega
YankeeJosh,
No I am not saying one player outweighs the good of the team. I was mostly reponding to Pete’s comment that Manager’s are so tied to their closers and this move was By The Book.
I was bringing up a point about showing respect to a veteran player of which their are more than one on the team.
This veteran player happens to not have a huge ego, but he will be a First Ballot HOF. Mo means more to the team than a manager’s closer.
It would be bad Karma for the entire team (maybe even the Planet)if you give away what Mo has worked for in the last 12 years. Joe G probably asked Mo if he wanted to pitch the ninth out of respect.
Pettitte vs Joba umm Andy.. Chamberlain can fight
Is that Dove deoderant in Joba’s locker?
“Chamberlain can fight”
But Andy is a crafty lefty.
Ugh. The Pistons. Just Ugh
com’on damn Mets win one for Willie
“But Andy is a crafty lefty.”
Joba knows wrestling holds
Marlins bullpen trying to save Willie’s job?
gotta love the Marlin’s sportsmanship here
Easley won’t fight for Willie.
Willie ! Willie ! Willie !
is there something really wrong with DJ?
can anyone save Willie’s job?
Tatis w/ the GW 2B …Tatis fights for Willie
Good for Willie, now he can put another $20 on his EZ-Pass.
hopefully Torre will be generous and will end up using Scott Proctor the next series
Yeah Mo!
From Ed Price Star Ledger Blog
“The struggling Yankees bullpen met as a group before batting practice, apparently at the behest of closer Mariano Rivera.
Manager Joe Girardi, who lent his office at Camden Yards to the pitchers, deferred comment to Rivera.
“He’s always a great leader,” Girardi said.
Asked about the session, which lasted at least 25 minutes, Rivera at first played coy. Then he acknowledged the meeting, saying only, “That’s our thing.”
Fernando Tatis is still in baseball?
Mariano for the first time cuts the BS and grabs the BP guys as a whole to step up, interesting to see how they respond the next few series.
I hope Mo won’t get hurt. The season would be officially over if he were to.
Good job outta Mo
Next to go on the DL: my crystal ball says Jeter and Giambi and Pettitte.
Regular trolling is one thing, but trying to jinx Mo is a hanging offense.
ER,
Can you please clear up the speculation that you might be an abused Yanks fan or an abused sux fan. We really want to know, because you sir are definately emotionally abused.
I blame Girardi just as I would have blamed Torre.
/fair and balanced
Trisha,
Just checked in and read through the comments. Thanks for the poem!
General comments on the game:
I think the most interesting part of the game tonight is the fact that Joba was able to make a significant difference in a critical situation while staying within the bounds of his development process.
Joba is such a high profile player that all eyes in baseball will be keen to the result of this process. If this turns out successfully(and I think it will), I wonder if this is going to change how other teams develop pitchers.
I really don’t have much of a problem using Mo tonight. If Girardi loses this game with Mo in the pen, he gets crucified, especially with the day off tomorrow. The sanctity of conventional wisdom worked against us there.
come on Pistons!
I also like that Mo went out and pitched a dominant inning after throwing 2 last night. He calls a meeting, gives a lecture and then goes out on the mound in sub-optimal conditions (having thrown 2 last night) and dominates.
That’s how you do it and thats how you send a message.
Zambrano-130 pitches tonight? whoa
Rip strained something in his elbow, Stuckey or Billups has to step up now.
ughhh booooo Celtics!!
Oh well, you guys could always cheer for the Knicks!
w/ the MLB draft coming next week another reason for Mets fans to hate Steve Philips he was an infielder drafted by the Mets in 1981 — ahead of Roger Clemens. Clemens goes for his 300th victory today, and Phillips well you know
Hard for me to get too excited about the MLB draft. Guys we don’t see for a min of 3 yrs. I hope they got the right guys running things and it looks like we do now.
Yardley, Damon Oppenheimer has turned around the club from bottom up since Cashman replaced Lin Garrett for him as the new Yankees Scouting Director.
Final in Seattle. Mariners 1-0. Putz walks 2, but gets the save.
“Meanwhile, the Orioles are going to have the Geico Cave Man throw out the first pitch. Apparently Mrs. Butterworth and the Maytag Repairman were unavailable. Remember when teams used to have old players throw out the first pitch and it was sort of special?”
i’ve been saying this since last season, but I would love to see Guiseppe Franco throw out a first pitch at yankee stadium. The crowd would go nuts when he was announced.
At the very least, he has to pull that lever at least once.