Game 79: Mets at Yankees
-
- June
- 27
YANKEES (42-36)
Cabrera CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Betemit 1B
Christian LF
Giese RHP
METS (38-39)
Reyes SS
Castillo 2B
Wright 3B
Beltran CF
Delgado DH
Nixon RF
Anderson LF
Tatis 1B
Schneider C
Pelfrey RHP
Dan Giese (1-2, 0.64) has never faced any of Mets hitters and Mike Pelfrey (4-6, 4.30) has never faced any of the Yankees.
Notes: Damon will play Game 2 in left. … Sounds like Hideki Matsui will go on the DL after Game 1 when Sidney Ponson is activated. … The Yankees dropped two games against the Mets ealier this season. They are 8-5 against the NL. … Robinson Cano is 14 of 33 in his last 10 games with eight RBI. He has gone from .217 to .241. … Derek Jeter has a 13-game hit streak (18 of 51). … Bobby Abreu is 6 of his last 13 with six RBI and two home runs.
UPDATE, 1:42 p.m.: Here we are at Yankee Stadium. Muggy day, a little overcast but hopped up on Red Bull and ready to go. Keith Hernandez is standing 10 feet from me in the press box. I know Mets fans will hate this but I relate more to him as a Seinfeld character.
LaGuardia to the Stadium in 12 minutes. I suspect that will not be the case in a few hours.
In our unending mission to eat into your work day, there will be plenty of updates. The game starts in 25 minutes or so.
UPDATE, 1:45 p.m.: Here are a few facts about the Yankees-Mets series:
- The Yankees are 35-27 against the Mets since interleague play started in 1997. However the Yankees lead the series only 20-18 since 2002. The Yanks have not won the season series since 2003 when they swept all six games.
- Derek Jeter has played in all 62 games. He has hit .386 against the Mets with a .437 OBP and 26 RBI.
UPDATE, 2:03 p.m.: The Yankees and Mets have a combined payroll of roughly $350 million. The 20 players in the lineup today include Wilson Betemit, Justin Christian, Dan Giese, Trot Nixon (hitting sixth!), Marlon Anderson and Fernando Tatis.
UPDATE, 2:08 p.m.: OK, we’re underway here in the Boogie Down. It’s 79 degrees.
UPDATE, 2:16 p.m.: It’ll be interetsing to see how often the Mets test the arm (the shoulder, really) of Jorge Posada this weekend. No team has really run a lot on him since he came off the DL. That SB by Castillo gave them a run.
UPDATE, 2:22 p.m.: Does anybody else find Melky Cabrera (.317 OBP) a curious choice to hit leadoff? I realize Damon can’t play both games on a sore foot. But Jeter? I’d even put Abreu there.
UPDATE, 2:31 p.m.: Big spot for the ‘stache.
UPDATE, 2:35 p.m.: Even when breaking a bat, the ‘stache delivers. 1-1. That’s 45 RBI for The Big G.
UPDATE, 2:50 p.m.: If Giese stops walking batters, he’ll be fine. Love the tempo he works at. I was convinced when I left the Mets beat after 2005 that Jose Reyes would be a superstar. But his approach at the plate has not been refined.
UPDATE, 3:01 p.m.: This from the AP:
A New York City park will now be known as the Phil Rizzuto Park, in honor of the Yankees shortstop who died last year. Smokey Oval Park in Richmond Hill, Queens, was official renamed after Rizzuto on Friday. Park officials say “The Scooter” grew up in nearby Glendale, Queens, and played high school baseball in Richmond Hill. He died last August at the age of 89.
UPDATE, 3:17 p.m.: Here’s what that double by Derek Jeter did (beyond get him to second base):
- It extended his hitting streak to 14 games.
- It extended his streak of reaching base safely (walk or hit) in inteerleague games to 40.
- It extended his hit streak against the Mets to 18 games.
- It was the 400th double of his career.
- It solved world hunger.
Quite a double. Imagine if he scores a run.
UPDATE, 3:02 p.m.: Our Jose Reyes Love is fading. You have to knock that ball down. It was scorched, but still.
UPDATE, 3:22 p.m.: Just a hunch but this game doesn’t end 3-2. This is based on our vast baseball knowledge.
UPDATE, 3:24 p.m. Beltran is a heck of an outfielder. Great arm, great routes to the ball. Knows his stuff. But he has always played too deep. He should have put that ball away.
UPDATE, 3:27 p.m.: That is four cheap hits for the Yankees. But they all count. Giese needs to not anybody this inning.
UPDATE, 3:44 p.m.: The Yankees got to bed at 2:30 a.m. and the Mets had the day off. But the Mets look like the tired team.
UPDATE, 3:53 p.m.: The Yankees are 4 for 14 with RISP in four innings. 14 ABs with RISP in four innings? That they’re only up 4-3 is a bad sign.
Meanwhile, Sam Borden asked me to pass along his thanks for your generosity. He also mentioned it over on the Face Off blog.
UPDATE, 3:59 p.m.: Interesting spot to put Edwar Ramirez in. The magic changeup could induce some bad swings because the Mets haven’t seen much of him. Or he could hang a pitch and it’ll be 7-4 Mets.
Dan Giese is who he is and expecting him to be more than that is silly. But you can’t walk Jose Reyes up by a run after you got him twice. Throw strikes, let him get himself out.
UPDATE, 4:05 p.m.: The fascination some people have with Ramirez has always puzzled me. His changeup is lethal but his other pitches, including his fastball, are below average. He will strike out minor-league hitters in bunches but a major-league hitter who watches enough tape can figure him out pretty quickly.
Over the long term, he’s simply not a high-leverage reliever. This season has gone just like last season, he was good and then the tapes caught up to him.
UPDATE, 4:45 p.m.: When your relievers make the Ghost Of Carlos Delgado look good, it’s time to get new relievers.
J.B. Cox, David Robertson, come on down. You’re the next contestants.
The Mets have scored 29 (and counting) runs against the Yankees in three games.
It’s not real complicated. Of the seven Mets who have walked, five have scored. Meanwhile the Yankees are 4 for 15 with RISP.
This could be a very long weekend for the pinstripes. Sidney Ponson?
UPDATE, 4:53 p.m.: Alex Rodriguez, ladies and gentleman. Where was that when they needed it in the fourth inning? We kid A-Rod because we love him so.
UPDATE, 5:29 p.m.: Carlos Delgado has nine RBI. He had 35 over the first 75 games of the season. That’s an all-time Mets record, by the way. Don’t you worry, Sidney Ponson will make it all better.
UPDATE, 5:39 p.m.: Just because the Yankees are losing doesn’t mean it’s now time to curse liberally in your comments. I just deleted 25 comments from the spam filter that contained assorted obscene words. Eleven were from the same person. Hopefully that person does not live in your neighborhood.
I know this doesn’t apply to 99 percent of you. But for the one percent it does, please think twice before posting if you’re not smart enough to write something without obscene words.
As for others on the ledge, it’s one game and they were under .500 at the break last season. You can’t make it 162 one-game seasons. The schedule is beating them here as much as the Mets are.
Well that and you can’t expect to win many games when you run Dan Giese, Edwar Ramirez and Ross Ohlendorf out there.
UPDATE, 5:50 p.m.: Andy Phillips hitting for the Mets? This isn’t right.
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on Friday, June 27th, 2008 at 11:50 am by Peter Abraham.
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Pete…you are a MACHINE !
Let’s go Giese!
Hopefully Dan will pitch like he did last time…and he can get some run support.
edwar will prove every doubter wrong once again. Just like he proved to the Angels how wrong they were.
Lets go Christian!
given the weather scheduled for today – any chance that one of these games get rained out?
Lets go edwar
Should be fun if the Mets have Andy Phillips play first in one of these games – I always rooted for him even though he was inconsistent offensively.
Lets hope we don’t have to see bobble-head Jerry Manuel screaming at any umpires for making a good call.
Can we please STOP using Melky Cabrera as a lead-off hitter? If Damon doesn’t play, there’s no reason the Yankees can’t lead-off with Jeter. He’s not disciplined enough of a hitter and his OBP is a pathetic .317.
Rishi – or if not rained out, could be delays.
“Lets hope we don’t have to see bobble-head Jerry Manuel screaming at any umpires for making a good call.”
Why not? He won’t get the call changed, he’ll get booted from the game, and we can all have a good laugh
“Can we please STOP using Melky Cabrera as a lead-off hitter?”
AMEN! Or try leading off with Justin Christian who can RUN!
Speaking of umpires, did anyone else notice that the umpiring in the CWS semed to be better than in the ML? I thought the home plate umpires in the last 3 games were right on.
I dont quite get the lineup. Damon has had a foot problem, so why not DH him when you have the chance? Instead we are gonna throw him in left field tonight. I dont get it.
I mean – pretty much the whole weekend is supposed to be rainy and humid…I don’t think these four games are going to go off as scheduled
“Can we please STOP using Melky Cabrera as a lead-off hitter?”
You mean the guy who was on base 5 times in his 11 plate appearances as a lead-off hitter last week?
Yes, let’s replace him with a kid from the minors.
jeter
abreu
giambi
arod
posada
cano
betemit
melky
Has there ever been a lineup that people didn’t complain about?
“I dont quite get the lineup. Damon has had a foot problem, so why not DH him when you have the chance? Instead we are gonna throw him in left field tonight. I dont get it.”
Because if you DH Damon then Giambi has to play first base lol
“Has there ever been a lineup that people didn’t complain about?”
Nope.
Inoa Sweepstakes now 6 days away !
“Damon has had a foot problem, so why not DH him when you have the chance? Instead we are gonna throw him in left field tonight. I dont get it.”
Maybe they’re DHing posada in the 2nd game.
“Because if you DH Damon then Giambi has to play first base lol”
Let me rephrase that – because if you DH Damon, Giambi has to play first base in both the day and night games. Keeping Damon out and letting Giambi DH allows us to have his bat in the lineup for both games, which is a good thing.
wait, I’m an idiot. No DH tonight.
Let’s go Yanks!
“Maybe they’re DHing posada in the 2nd game.”
The second game is at Shea so there won’t be a DH.
“Keeping Damon out and letting Giambi DH allows us to have his bat in the lineup for both games, which is a good thing.”
This.
Melky batting
Batting 1st .288/.371/.399
Batting 2nd .260/.333/.353
Batting 6th .235/.304/.333
Batting 7th .252/.342/.370
Batting 8th .235/.292/.370
Batting 9th .294/.341/.404
Pete – Congrats on arriving in the Bronx. Now you just have to navigate NYC traffic to get to Flushing and then back home at the end of it all. Safe driving.
“Inoa Sweepstakes now 6 days away !”
Seen some sites conceding this kid to the A’s for their $4M to $4.5 M bonus. Seems a little premature, but the Yanks are not talked about among the top teams for his services (A’s and Reds mentioned most). Maybe Cashman goes $5M out of nowhere to get it done??? Of course, maybe heartless Theo up in Boston does the same. It’ll be interesting.
I guess the Giambi thing makes sense. I would rather get Damon’s bat in both games than Giambi’s.
“Has there ever been a lineup that people didn’t complain about?”
Surely you jest???
Would like to have seen Posada DH so he could catch tonite and would prefer to see Melky Mendoza grab some bench instead of Damon, but with Damon’s foot issue, I guess we can give Joe a pass there.
Jenny (Philly): Stephania, please talk to me about Matsui. The notes say he is being looked at this morning and may play this afternoon or may do on the DL depending on the prognosis. Have you heard what his problem is? Have you heard any news from the Yankees on his status for today? Thanks!
Stephania Bell: (11:48 AM ET ) Hi Jenny: All we know is what we heard before – that he had inflammation in his knee. The fluid was drained last week but apparently the soreness is persisting. Whenever you hvae fluid in your knee, something inside the joint is creating an irritation that causes that fluid to be produced. Matsui had an arthroscopic surgery during the offseason on his other knee – but both knees have given him trouble from time to time. I suspect this one may be up next – but they will try to get him through the year, which may require more downtime, i.e. DL, now. Unfortunately I don’t have anything beyond that now related to his status for today – he would DH at best, but I think he might sit given how much it has been bothering him.
********************************************
K.C. (New Jersey): Stephania, can we conclude that Damon’s arch is ok, prior to the rain out he had doubled and then stole third, sliding in hard.
Stephania Bell: (12:01 PM ET ) Hi KC: I think we can say OK for now. These arch problems can be nagging in how they behave, so if minor it can crop up once then disappear, or it can easily be aggravated with a misstep. I would assume minor for now, especially given his performance, but don’t be surprised if we hear about it again later.
Hey guys does anyone have a link to any information about the proposed ticket prices for next year at the new Yankee Stadium? I’m doing some research and could really use the help thanks.
“I would rather get Damon’s bat in both games than Giambi’s.”
Why? Giambi’s a more productive hitter. That just doesn’t make sense. Especially in light of the foot injury to Damon.
Green Beret 7 –
From last thread:
I hear you on the wave of negativity – I’m avoiding it at most costs!
As for the folicularly challenged, I would just like to say I challenge the notion that that phrase should be reserved for those sans hair; I believe that it is even more challenging, folicularly speaking, to have hair which not only takes over 25 minutes to dry/style, but which can be counted upon to look its worst when you need it to look its best, thus necessitating more washing and drying/styling!!!!
Enjoy the games everyone!!!
“I would rather get Damon’s bat in both games than Giambi’s.â€
You can debate that. But I’ll just say that with Matsui out and Posada playing only 1/2 games, the only legitimate HR threats are ARod and Giambi. Why would you remove 1/2 of that?
I don’t mind Girardi DHing Giambi so he can play 1B tonight. How can anyone challenge the power of the ‘stache?
I think that the way we need to win, is we need to steal some bases today. We need to play some small ball, and then mix in Giambi’s mustache.
i hope jc stays up for a while… I would hate to see him get sent down soon… He seems to be that burst of speed that we need… not only is he a good defensive option (despite that error the other night) he is a perfect pinch-runner… please cash and joe for the sake of winning please keep jc up
As far as Inoa I would cut him open and count the rings. He’s probably 22:) As far as Beane, he’s probably playing around to get teams to bid high so he can steal some better talent for less bank.
“I think that the way we need to win, is we need to steal some bases today.”
Yeah, that mike pelfrey, with his 4.3 ERA in the NL, looks like he’s real tough to score on.
How about they just start hitting with RISP. At all. Not homers, but getting hits with guys on 2B. That’s all they need to do.
July 2nd IFAs
“please cash and joe for the sake of winning please keep jc up”
Jaw dropping. You think Justin Christian is the key to the Yankees continuing to win? How about the middle of the order producing with runners on base? That will actually help. Not having a pinch runner.
Michel Inoa Saberscoutin scouting report
I so hope the Yankees don’t let Inoa get away over $1M (difference between the reported Yankees’ high of $3-3.5 and the reported As’ high of $4-4.5).
whozat –
hopefully last night’s 1st inning before the deluge was a sign of RISP hitting to come (not including the Giambino’s effort)
whozat-
the problem is, that we usually have problems hitting the guys that we should seem to hit… it seems every time we play a team that throws one of their “mediocre” pitchers at us, he seems to have that game that no one expects him to have… just saying… not hoping..
When the A’s bid $4.5 million for Inoa, then they should thank the Yankees and Red Sox for the money.
whozat-
when I said for the sake of winning I was thinking the close games when we end up pinch running betemit…. thats just pathetic.. I just think if a game is tied 2-2 in the 9th and Giambi gets on first, it would be nice to be able to sub him with someone who is actually a THREAT to steal bases… could be just me… but I don’t see anyone sitting on the pine during games who is an actual threat…
“the problem is, that we usually have problems hitting the guys that we should seem to hit…”
I know. My point is that Justin Christian is not going to solve that problem. If the boppers don’t get that job done, this team’s going nowhere anyhow.
“I just think if a game is tied 2-2 in the 9th and Giambi gets on first, it would be nice to be able to sub him with someone who is actually a THREAT to steal bases”
K. There really haven’t been that many games like that. And they’d not have been so close if the team was cashing in their scoring opportunities. It’s like closing a gaping wound with a bandaid. Sure, it might help a little…but it doesn’t really matter. You’re still going to bleed to death because of a larger underlying problem.
whozat,
I think alot of people won’t be happy until he have an entire outfield that runs fast but hits little.
JC is a gamer. Maybe it’s rubbing off a little. Gardner and Carson are cut from the same cloth. Gardner is the guy but I was also impressed with Carson in the games I have seen him play. JC and Carson have some trade value, much more so than Shelley.
When the A’s bid $4.5 million for Inoa, then they should thank the Yankees and Red Sox for the money.
I don’t give a damn what they have point is Cashman isn’t letting this guy go, Carlos Rios loves this guy and Yorman Rodriguez who people compare to Carlos Beltran/M-Cab in upside.
Shelley’s current trade value is…...
The Yankees have won 9 games so far this year when they have scored 4 runs or less. Last year, they won 6 all year.
The lack of a pinch runner on the bench has had zero impact in their games so far this year.
Their problem is hitting W/RISP. Only Toronto and Seattle have been worse to this point of the season and they are both last place teams.
On a team with this much talent, that’s unacceptable.
As Whozat said, if the boppers don’t hit, they aren’t going anywhere this year.
Exactly. Shelley was great last year in a stretch but he is AAAA all the way. Would be a waste if he gets another call.
saucY,
Just checked out your Jeter Jib Jab photo. Looks authentic.
I wanted to share this NOVA segment I saw the other night. There’s a Dartmouth professor who made a whole new discipline: Digital Forensics.
It was very cool and very worth the time (13 min) to watch.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0301/03.html
Basically it’s how to tell if photos have been doctored or “forged”. He’s developing stuff with Adobe, too.
If people missed it I’ll post it one last time
July 2nd International Free Agents
Saberscouting Scouting Report: Michel Inoa
Chat with Jerry Crasnick
Welcome to The Show! On Friday, ESPN.com baseball writer Jerry Crasnick will drop by to take your questions.
Jerry is the author of “License to Deal: A Season on the Run With a Maverick Baseball Agent’’ which chronicles the ins-and-outs of what happens off the field.
Send in your questions now and join Jerry in The Show on Friday at noon ET!
Crasnick Archive: Chats | Columns
Jerry Crasnick: (12:01 PM ET ) Hey folks, Big news in the sports world today—Warren Sapp is going to be appearing on “Dancing with the Stars.’’ But let’s put that aside and talk some baseball.
————————————————————————————————————————Jason, Chicago: I hear a lot of talk about Sabathia, Bedard, Hardin as trade possibilities for the Cubs. Why not Tim Hudson? He is 33, with a season and a half at $13 million a year, and Atlanta is clearly not winning anything this year. A player like Hudson might be easier to get than a late 20s No. 1 type pitcher.
Jerry Crasnick: (12:03 PM ET ) Jason, The Braves have been hanging in even though their pitching has been decimated by injuries, they can’t win on the road and they’ve been a disaster in one-run games. But their big focus now is trying to acquire a righthanded corner outfield bat before the deadline. Hudson is the bulwark of that rotation. He’s not going anywhere.
————————————————————————————————————————Mark (Corpus Christi, TX): What do you think about the Twinkies? Do you think that they can make a legitimate run against the White Sox down the stretch? Thanks!
Jerry Crasnick: (12:05 PM ET ) Mark, The Twins and Royals are a combined 24-6 in interleague play, so it’s hard to tell if they’re getting their acts together or just beating up on NL clubs. Here’s the interesting thing with Minnesota: The Twins are about to play 32 games against Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Boston, Texas, the White Sox and the Yankees. So we should know in late July if they’re for real. That said, you have to like the way the young pitchers have performed. And Francisco Liriano keeps inching closer in Triple A.
————————————————————————————————————————anthony allentown,pa: at this point it i sclear that Ned Colletti must go right? His recent acquisitions (Schmidt, Jones, Sweeney, Loaiza) have proven that he can’t even judge talent with deep pockets. The consensus seems to be to promote Logan White before he is lured elsewehre.
Jerry Crasnick: (12:07 PM ET ) Anthony, I know that some of Ned Colletti’s big contracts haven’t worked out, but with the D-backs’ feeble performance of late, the Dodgers are only 3 1/2 games out in the NL West. And Rafael Furcal is about to go on a rehab assignment here shortly. If they can win the division—even if it’s witth 86-87 victories—that should go a long way toward helping Ned keep his job, right?
————————————————————————————————————————Chris (Staten Island, NY): Jerry, when do the Yankees give Brett Gardner a chance in CF and move Melky to the bench? Gardner has a .862 OPS in triple A compared to Melky’s putrid .685 and he offers much more on the bases and defensively because of his speed. Honestly, I can’t possibly see Gardner giving the team any less from CF than they’ve been getting from Cabrera.
Jerry Crasnick: (12:10 PM ET ) Chris, You’re a tenacious guy with that weekly Brett Gardner question. I checked with John Manuel, my buddy at BA, and he describes Gardner as a “Juan Pierre who walks.’’ He might be a marginal upgrade over Melky. Problem is, he’s not on the Yankees’ 40-man roster. And the benefit they might derive from bringing him up probably isn’t worth having to dump someone to create a spot for him.
Oh, we’re not placing our hopes on the great Christian. We just can’t stand to see Jason clog the bases.
good lord… I was not saying that Christian is the answer to all of our problems…. I’m sorry I was misinterpreted… first off Whozat I would rather put a little band aid on a wound then nothing at all… i’m not suggesting that we need 3 OF’s who can run really fast but can’t hit what I was saying was it was nice to finally have someone with speed who can be a 4th OF and can also come off of the bench and run in tight situations. I’m sorry if I over-dramatized the point by saying for the sake of winning… I did not mean this I just enjoy knowing that an option such as Christian does in fact exist if the need arises and I hope it stays that way
mel – wasn’t me
so sorry – didn’t realize the whole thing copy/pasted…just wanted to post the Gardner question
”...describes Gardner as a “Juan Pierre who walks.†.” The most strike-outs that Juan Pierre has had in a season is 52. Gardner can’t make contact like him.
It seems now that we can avoid Ponson’s start:
Pitch Pettitte tonight. He will still be on 5 days rest. Then pitch Moose tomorrow b/c last night was like a bullpen session.
I know pitchers can’t just bump easily, but Pettitte is a gamer and should not have a problem with it.
Sam VA- unfortunately one can’t make a simple comment here without being attacked and belittled by one the so called regulars.
I think Pete is wrong about Matsui.
It makes no sense to DL him AFTER the 1st game, since you can’t retroactively DL him.
If you’re going to DL him, DL him BEFORE the 1st game, either to have Ponson around for long relief if Giese gets hit hard OR to have Karstens around for long relief if Giese gets hit hard.
(if Ponson is activated for the 1st game and doesn’t pitch in the 1st game, then nothing happens. If Ponson pitches in the 1st game, he gets sent down or DFAed so Karstens can pitch in the 2nd game. Similar rationale with Kartens).
Problem is moose threw over 45 pitches in two innings.
it took eight commments for someone to complain about Melky today. is that a record?
maybe Pete should change the “it’s A-Rod’s fault” poll option to “it’s Melky’s fault.”
How many pitches is a bullpen session usually?
“Sam VA- unfortunately one can’t make a simple comment here without being attacked and belittled by one the so called regulars.”
That is the dumbest thing ev –
oh, whoops!
“I checked with John Manuel, my buddy at BA, and he describes Gardner as a “Juan Pierre who walks.—
Every time I see Juan Pierre who walks I laugh a little inside. He is also Juan Pierre who strikes out 5 times as much.
Seems like every day when I read DotF on River Avenue Blues Gardner has 2K’s.
Lo and behold when I read it just now Gardner has 2K’s.
Even on last Sunday, I believe I predicted Mets will sweep Yanks in this series. (They almost did in the last series back in May, didn’t they?)
Mikeeff- yeah, it’s unfortunate… I am a huge fan and I was just stating my opinion apparently is was misunderstood.. I still do not see the light, however, in making sarcastic comments against a simple point of view.. I see that this is a blog and it is open to many opinions what I don’t understand is if someone does not agree with it, why can they not just question it as opposed to tearing it apart sarcastically…
“Pitch Pettitte tonight. He will still be on 5 days rest. Then pitch Moose tomorrow b/c last night was like a bullpen session. ”
then we’d need a 6th starter sometime next week
Nobody is belitting anybody.
Part of the problem here are the stalkers who stalk regulars on this blog.
It isn’t a coincidence that baseball talk dies in the game threads when the usual band of stalkers, along with their aliases, take hold.
If someone is upset their baseball comments are challenged, you are in the wrong place.
Its a free flowing dialogue and nobody is belitting Sam. We are just discussing baseball.
For the non-stalkers and non-trolls, they understand that.
I have seen Gardner a few times this year and what jumps out at me is his ability to reinvent himself. His power numbers are way up when he said he was working on it and his eye is coming.
“then we’d need a 6th starter sometime next week”
The longer Ponson can be delayed the better. Who knows if another rain out occurs.
bdog375 – good point. maybe Joba can do a rain dance Monday night…
The bullpen definitely needs some help. Everyone is crazy about when Robertson gets the call but Strickland is flying under the radar. He’s a vet and has but up solid numbers in the majors and minors on some bad clubs.
“…describes Gardner as a “Juan Pierre who walks.†.†The most strike-outs that Juan Pierre has had in a season is 52. Gardner can’t make contact like him.
Andy has some kind of weird attachment to Melky and the vast majority of people on this board don’t understand it.
Melky has had 2 years to improve his game and his production continues to sink. How much time do you give him before making a change?
Spare me the patience stuff. Melky’s had two years to improve. He hasn’t done it. It’s time to make a change.
I just don’t think replacing Melky with a weak-hitting strike out artist is the answer. Sorry.
Girardi was on with Mike on WFAN about 45 minutes ago.
Didn’t want Damon playing a doubleheader with his foot injury so he’ll play tonight in LF.
Posada will sit out tonights game with Molina catching.
Moose will be considered for Mondays start but not before then.
They plan on playing Jeter, Abreu, A-Rod, Giambi, Cabrera and Cano in both games today but will check with them between games to see if someone can’t go.
Garnder gets a shot a some point. If he’s as good as Melky and shows that he can improve, advantage Brett.
You cannot make this up.
Most of the players were a little taken aback – Alex Rodriguez was telling Derek Jeter how he got caught in an elevator with nine hissing cats, and thought they might start scratching him—but Jason Giambi absolutely loved it. Big shocker there. If the Yankees didn’t have to get out of town tonight, you get the feeling the Big G would hang out for another night and join the fun.
http://bombersbeat.mlblogs.com/
Marc (Malden, MA): If the Red Sox called Cleveland and said “Masterson/Bowden/Lowrie, pick 2” would that get it done?
Jerry Crasnick: (12:26 PM ET ) Marc, Theo Epstein has been very resistant to trading the young arms. If the Sox wouldn’t do it for Santana last winter, I find it hard to believe they’d throw Masterson and Bowden into a deal for three months worth of C.C. Sabathia. I think the Red Sox get into the mix for Sabathia, but as a fringe player and nothing more. They might just want to drive up the price for the Yankees. ——————————————-
Does that mean Crasnik thinks the Yankees will go for CC in July?
I just don’t think replacing Melky with a weak-hitting strike out artist is the answer. Sorry.
Lots of hitters strike out a lot. And most of them are more productive than Melky.
That’s such a weak argument because you ignore that Gardner’s getting on base over 40% of the time (and will steal a lot of bases) when Melky gets on base 30% of the time and doesn’t run much at all.
Strikeouts or not, Gardner would be more productive than Melky. And Melky has shown that he’s incapable of improving his game.
I just realized JC in LF today, Justin is one athletic guy hopefully he shows it off one today.
Ryan (New York): Since it looks like you just wrote an article about him, i figure i may as well ask about him. K-Rod…not the highest paid closer in baseball next year, but the highest paid SET-UP man (NYY)?
Jerry Crasnick: (12:31 PM ET ) Ryan, I’m hearing that K-Rod wants a five-year deal for something in the $13-14 million a year range. (Sounds exorbitant, I know, but he’s 26 years old, and if Nathan and Cordero could get $45-million plus, he can at least ask). There’s no way in the world the Yankees sign a guy for four or five years at that kind of money to be a setup man. —————-
I’d have to agree.
how did a thread about the subway series turn into another argument about Brett Gardner?
i think at this point, everyone knows where everyone stands on the issues of Brett Gardner and Melky, and it seems like Cashman is in no rush to get him on the 40 man and call him up, so why not just table that for later, huh?
Dan McCutchen and Alan Horne: Why are Dan Giese, Sidney Ponson, and Darrell Rasner occupying the spots that we should be holding? dont we have far more potential, whereas these guys wont even be on the team next year? what gives?
Jerry Crasnick: (12:32 PM ET ) Dan, I just checked, and you’re 1-6 with a 4.30 ERA in your last 10 minor league starts. And Alan, you’re 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA in Scranton. Plus, neither one of you guys is on the 40-man roster. So I’m not sure you’re the answer.———————-
ouch. Are we overvaluing our own prospects?
“You mean the guy who was on base 5 times in his 11 plate appearances as a lead-off hitter last week?
Yes, let’s replace him with a kid from the minors.”
I was just thinking we should replace Melky with someone who has talent in some offensive area – like Brett Gardner. Oh wait, that would make too much sense.
“Does that mean Crasnik thinks the Yankees will go for CC in July?”
my guess is no, for the same reason he had about the Saux.
SJ, thanks for the lecture- believe me, i understand perfectly well what goes on here.
“Lots of hitters strike out a lot. And most of them are more productive than Melky.
That’s such a weak argument because you ignore that Gardner’s getting on base over 40% of the time (and will steal a lot of bases) when Melky gets on base 30% of the time and doesn’t run much at all.”
Actually it’s not a weak argument. Do you actually believe Gardner is going to walk at the same rate in the majors?
Do you think he’ll strike out less or more facing better pitchers in the majors?
The ability to consistently make contact is very important for a guy who figures to be a slap hitter.
Chris (Bozeman, Mt): The Yanks obviously need a pitcher with Wong out for the year, are they going to deal for one?
Jerry Crasnick: (12:54 PM ET ) Chris, Brian Cashman has been so resistant to dealing the young arms, my sense is that the Yankees will go for a back of the rotation innings eater—a Paul Byrd type—rather than plunge into it hard for a Sabathia or a Rich Harden. That’s just my guess. ————————Mine too.
“Posada will sit out tonights game with Molina catching.”
the only thing i wonder was if Posada has to sit out at Shea bc of the DH, why not DH at the Stadium, and then catch the night game so you keep his bat in the lineup for both games?
Hypothetical (but possible) situation: After the first game, everybody loads on to the buses, but the Yankee bus breaks down and because of the traffic it takes ages for the tow truck to arrive. So, the Yankees miss the start of the game. Do they forfeit? And, does anybody know when the last forfeit in the major leagues was?
We need Brett Gardner today. He might be the only player on the roster fast enough to run from the Stadium to Shea if there’s heavy traffic.
“ouch. Are we overvaluing our own prospects?”
Answer. Yes – in some instances. McCuthchen and Horne are both 25. McCutchen has been less than impressive in AAA. Horne is always touted as having four pitches, but he walks a ton of batters. Can you imagine him facing the Red Sox? How does 8 BBs sound to ya.
I actually would take George Kontos over either one of those guys. He’s younger, has better stuff and more ability to miss bats. Hopefully, he will be up in AAA later this year.
How does one make the leap that Gardner will continue doing what he is doing in AAA at the major league level?
To compare Gardner’s and Melky’s numbers this year is a complete apples to oranges argument. One is playing in the majors and one is playing in AAA.
Do you not see the difference?
When Melky was 20, he was hitting .350 in AAA when he got called up.
He’s younger than Gardner now and he’s in the majors. How is that not “showing improvement”?
We have no idea what Gardner will or won’t be at the major league level since he’s never had a single ML AB.
Is it a stretch to say Melky wouldn’t have Gardner like numbers (minus the stolen bases) in AAA? Its two entirely different levels of competition.
Its why to say, he will show improvement isn’t logical.
We have no idea what Gardner will do at the ML level.
One thing I do know after watching Gardner and Melky a lot over the past couple of years….Gardner isn’t the defensive CF Melky is. Not even close.
He’s an interesting prospect. I don’t think its a slam dunk at all he’s better than Melky. Not now or in the future. That’s to be determined.
“the only thing i wonder was if Posada has to sit out at Shea bc of the DH, why not DH at the Stadium, and then catch the night game so you keep his bat in the lineup for both games?”
Giambi is a hotter hitter than Posada right now and facing 2 RHP from the Mets in the double header, you want the BIG lefty in there.
Oops! Let’s try again.
Sunny,
Just checked out your Jeter Jib Jab photo. Looks authentic.
I wanted to share this NOVA segment I saw the other night. There’s a Dartmouth professor who made a whole new discipline: Digital Forensics.
It was very cool and very worth the time (13 min) to watch.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0301/03.html
Basically it’s how to tell if photos have been doctored or “forgedâ€. He’s developing stuff with Adobe, too.
I know I posted this earlier, but in case you missed it –
for those of you who want to believe in the power of the stache – take a close look at these pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/sunny615/FunStuff
“I dont quite get the lineup. Damon has had a foot problem, so why not DH him when you have the chance? Instead we are gonna throw him in left field tonight. I dont get it.”
maybe you should look up Pelfrey’s numbers against lefties.
Giambi can’t play both games at 1B. Damon can’t play both games in LF.
that means Betemit HAS to play one of the 2 games.
Betemit from the right side against Pelfrey makes a lot of sense.
you know, Girardi doesn’t just pick the names out of a hat.
“Giambi is a hotter hitter than Posada right now and facing 2 RHP from the Mets in the double header, you want the BIG lefty in there.”
so the first game you DH Jorge, and Giambi plays both games at 1B.
Hey Mel
Thanks for the link. That’s cool stuff. I know some of it from being a designer and some of it from watching too many CSI shows.
But this link was way cool.
Whozat- How is Giambi a more productive hitter than Damon? Damon is a better player than Giambi, its not close. First off, he is the leadoff hitter and makes the offense go. He is an important part of the lineup and when he hits, the Yankees win. Not to mention he can steal bases and do a lot of things Giambi cant. All you have to do is look at the numbers
Who has more runs scored?
Who has more steals?
Who has more doubles? Triples?
To say Giambi is a more productive player offensively just based on his home runs is a ridiculous, uninformed statement. All you have to do is look at Damon’s stats and the numbers Damon has when the Yankees win.
I take put Damon in the leadoff spot over Giambi in the 5-6 spot every day of the week.
One thing I see Cashman possibly doing with all of these prospects: hold onto ALL of them, and hope out of all of these pitching prospects, 5+ pan out over time. Say, in 2010, you’ve got a rotation of Joba, Hughes, Wang, Horne, Kennedy, with Betances, Brackman, etc. all knocking on the door, and you have the guys that everyone wants. Instead of OMG the Yankees need CC Sabathia OMG OMG OMG how much?, you could have OMG the Dodgers need a solid arm OMG OMG OMG how much?
If the Yankees call up Gardner, I hope that he’s successful. I just don’t think that he is going to be that productive of a player. I’m sorry that opinion isn’t the same as most, but it is what it is.
How do you say we are overrating our own prospects and then want George Kontos called up?
He’s 3-7 in AA and hasn’t pitched well in almost a month.
Horne missed over a month with an injury. Throw out his stats for this season to date. He’s still working his way back.
McCutchen? He has been up and down in AAA. That’s how it goes with prospects. Not all of them have a smooth road to the majors in under 2 years like Joba.
Its not a question of overvaluating or overrating prospects. Its realizing not every prospect moves up the ladder at the same pace as some of the faster rising guys in the organization.
That’s where patience in player development comes in.
MikeEff,
If this place is so bad, why visit? How about contributing something to the blog other than complaining about some of the posters in here?
If you don’t like the content, then contribute something, other than whining, to change it.
Seems simple enough to me.
(Note, I am not implying all of the prospects will pan out, but it’d be so cool if they did).
“so the first game you DH Jorge, and Giambi plays both games at 1B.”
do you really think this is a good idea? having Giambi play a DH in the field?
Mike addressing the “fight” on fan
“Whozat- How is Giambi a more productive hitter than Damon? Damon is a better player than Giambi, its not close. First off, he is the leadoff hitter and makes the offense go. He is an important part of the lineup and when he hits, the Yankees win. Not to mention he can steal bases and do a lot of things Giambi cant. All you have to do is look at the numbers”
One acronym: “OPS”.
Giambi makes fewer outs than Damon does (OBP). When Giambi gets a hit, it, on average, achieves more total bases (SLG).
Giambi is a more productive hitter, on average, than Damon (OPS). This is a predictive stat, unlike runs, or doubles, or triples.
Apparently the are fine on the air and not fine off the air…they have not spoken this week.
I am for holding to the prospects but there comes a time when another team may value one of so-called prospect. We are getting very close to having a logjam in the system. The Angels liked Kennard and we got Molina. Kennard is not exactly lighting up the PCL with Salt Lake.
“I just don’t think replacing Melky with a weak-hitting strike out artist is the answer. Sorry.”
Weak-hitting? And Melky doesn’t fit that bill?
Gardner has 11 doubles and 10 triples. He has a .417 OBP compared to Melky’s paltry .317 OBP. Yes, I realize that Gardner is in a lower level of competition, but this nonsensical love affair with Melky Cabrera has to stop. He’s not GOOD! He’s not going to be the second coming of Bernie Williams. He hasn’t shown an iota of growth offensively. And keeping him in the lineup because he’s young and “has a great arm” is just silly.
Melky can’t hit for power, for average, doesn’t get on base a lot, has little to no speed.
Gardner, at every level he has played, has shown the ability to get on base and steal a ton bases – besides being a plus defender in CF. Wouldn’t you want someone at that position who has displayed positive oat least some offensive qualities as opposed to a player who has displayed none?
“do you really think this is a good idea? having Giambi play a DH in the field?”
huh? you play Giambi at 1B both games, and Jorge DHs the first game, and catches the second game.
it at least keeps Jorge’s bat in the lineup both games.
i dont see anything wrong with that… unless they are afraid Giambi cant play a full DH in the field due to health reasons.
IS mad dog there?
How the hell does this relationship work on WFAN ?
Mike there one day Chris not, Chris there Mike not ? It sounds like the media has it 100 % right either Mike or Chris is quitting.
V- If you want to use OPS as the ultimate in determining a players value to the team, have a good time. There is more to it that OPS. Watch the games and you would know that wehn Damon goes, the Yankees offense goes.
Just a question: how do you resolve the 40-man roster issue if you want to bring up Gardner?
I think they are gonna be done
So far on that sign off it sounds like Mike is at his cross road w/ WFAN and it soon will be over.
“Not all of them have a smooth road to the majors in under 2 years like Joba.”
Amen – I think Joba has spoiled all the people who thought that supporting the “grow our own talent” meant the next wave of pitching would come up like a rocket just like Joba did.
Mad Dog is not on the air with Mike today.
but from what i remember in summer’s past… these guys do this for the summer to maximize each of their vacation time… i always remember them doing a lot of shows in the summer by themselves with the other guy out.
maybe i’m wrong though.
sorry to go off topic but I just cauget the last minute of Mike francesa. What was he talking about? are they ending the show?
Crasnick mentioned that one problem with Gardner was that he’s not on the 40-man roster. Was Christian on it, or did they make a move?
Whoa, whats going on with Mike and the Mad Dog? I just tuned into YES and only caught a snippet
SJ,
Let’s cut the BS with the age difference between Melky and Gardner.
Melky got the opportunity to play in the majors because of injuries to Sheffield and Matsui in 2006. That’s an undeniable fact.
Melky was signed by the Yanks when he was 17 yrs old and spent 3-1/2 seasons in the minors before he got his chance.
Gardner was drafted in 2005 and spent less than a year in the minors when Melky benefited from the injuries to the aforementioned Sheff and Matsui.
Unfortunately for Gardner, he has been stuck in the minors for the last year because of the logjam at the major league level.
If you are going to compare ages, you should be honest about why there is a difference in age.
And Melky is out there every day because of his defense. His offensive production is secondary in the eyes of Girardi and Cashman.
In fact, Cashman himself has said that Gardner would have already been promoted to the big club had he been a right-handed hitter.
So it appears that Gardner hasn’t had the same opportunities to make a difference than Melky has clearly benefited from.
Also, Gardner is just two weeks older than Jacoby Ellsbury so the age argument is disingenuous at best.
Mike says that the siutation will resolve itself over the summer: either they “break up” or work together for the next 20 years, but he doesn’t know what the answer is right now. Also won’t ever talk about his contract status.
“I just don’t think replacing Melky with a weak-hitting strike out artist is the answer. Sorry.â€
Well you just described Melky perfectly, so why not try Gardner?
Brandon- Mike and the Mad Dog are ALWAYS on vacation in the summer. As long as I have listened to them, they are ery rarely together after mid-June. I think your reading into it too much.
“Whoa, whats going on with Mike and the Mad Dog? I just tuned into YES and only caught a snippet”
Same here…
The show is donzo… see yaa,.. i say russo stays and the tanks takes the job he always wanted in mnf
He’s at his crossroad JJ, supposively they had an arguement they haven’t spoken the last few weeks and it looks like Mike is signing off soon.
I’m glad we see the potential for Brett Gardner to blossom and improve at the major league level. He has such a career ahead of him, being that he’s 21 years old.
oh, wait….
i’ll stop fanning the flames for now.
““I just don’t think replacing Melky with a weak-hitting strike out artist is the answer. Sorry.â€
Well you just described Melky perfectly, so why not try Gardner?
”
Aint that the truth.
Melky is beyond overrated. His only tool is his arm and that has been a NON FACTOR this year.
Gardner is clearly the superior batter. More doubles power and infinitely better patience at the blate.
ongoing saga this week re: Neil Best’s article on Monday and there are issued with M and MD…they have had like 6 major fights over the last 19 years of workign together and this was a biggie…
sounds like a good soap opera…
“How the hell does this relationship work on WFAN ?
Mike there one day Chris not, Chris there Mike not ? It sounds like the media has it 100 % right either Mike or Chris is quitting.”
They both have a lot of vacation time – but the station tries to work it so that one of them is there every week so ratings don’t crater.
That part about Francessa not negotiating his contract on in the air? He just negotiated his contract on the air.
Sopranos-esque dead air before Eddie… nice touch
“MikeEff,
If this place is so bad, why visit? How about contributing something to the blog other than complaining about some of the posters in here?”
who said it was bad, old man?
i have been reading this blog every day for the information pete provides since 2006. i even read the comments from time to time as an entertainment. i occasionally make a comment or reply to someone who might have a question. it is certainly true that i don’t spend every waking moment of my life here like some, but i am not going to be told what to do my a pompous know it all like yourself SJ.
Adios Mike and the Mad Dog
““Whoa, whats going on with Mike and the Mad Dog? I just tuned into YES and only caught a snippetâ€
Same here…”
He was a lot less optimistic than Chris was about the show’s future.
“unless they are afraid Giambi cant play a full DH in the field due to health reasons.”
yes. this was exactly what i meant.
If they break up Like em or hate em it will be a loss as no one else is as good at them at this format.
Mike and Mike is also good, but not as good as these guys.
if they are smart they wold work it out.
Would’ve been nice to see the Mets play Andy Phillips over Tatis at 1st today, with Delgado being the DH.
Melky haters:
Look at Melky’s numbers vs. Bernie Williams numbers at the same age. They are just about the same.
Melky
http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/cabreme01.shtml
Bernie
http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/willibe02.shtml
Here is the Neil Best story from the 21st on Mike & the Mad Dog possibly splitting up:
http://www.newsday.com/sports/ny-spmike0622,0,842426.story
Way to jump to conclusions people. Mike and Chris never work the summer together until Giant training camp in August.
Part of the reason for split vacations is ratings but it also has to do with YES. Only Mike and CHris are under contract with YES so if someone fills in for both of them on WFAN it’s no problem but the YES broadcast can only air if one of them is there.
SJ44,
I’m going to dispute your notion about Kontos not picthing well in over a month. Please check out his game log. He has allowed only more than 2 ER twice in that span, I believe.
Like many pitchers, Kontos’ won-loss record could be attribued to Trenton’s inability to score runs. Kontos does have a 3.27 ERA, not at all shabby.
“Would’ve been nice to see the Mets play Andy Phillips over Tatis at 1st today, with Delgado being the DH.”
that would have been nice for the Yankees.
Um, Pat, they have both pretty much said it this week…
http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/WireStory?id=5248427&page=1
“Borris said Bonds even would play for free — offering to donate whatever salary he receives to purchase tickets for children.”
Awwwww. He’s so huggable. We have to do it now, right?
“I’m glad we see the potential for Brett Gardner to blossom and improve at the major league level. He has such a career ahead of him, being that he’s 21 years old.”
Ooohh, Great point! Yeah, at 24 years old, a player should be ready to hang em’ up.
Geez.
Looks like I’m going to see the Staten Island Yankees this weekend up at Hudson Valley. Hope Venditte is going to pitch (from either side)!
Actually, it would have been nice because the fans would’ve given a big cheer for Andy. He’s too nice for baseball. He’d make a great youth minister, though.
Look at Melky’s numbers vs. Bernie Williams numbers at the same age. They are just about the same.
Here we go with the Bernie vs. Melky comparisons. I’m going to have to punch Max Kellerman in the face for starting this absurd argument.
I always chuckle at the Bernie vs. Melky comparisons because it is such a short-sighted argument.
First off, Melky will never have the ceiling that Bernie Williams had. Not even close.
Secondly, a young Bernie Williams wasn’t surrounded by the thunder that Melky has clearly benefitted from. Melky has undoubtedly been the weakest hitter in the lineup over the last couple of years and sees more good pitches than anyone else.
Melky’s support staff in 07/08: Damon, Jeter, Abreu, A-Rod, Matsui, Giambi, Cano, and Posada
Bernie’s support staff in 92/93: Dion James, Boggs, Mattingly, Paul O’Neill, Danny Tartabull, Mike Stanley, Spike Owen, and Pat Kelly.
Do these lineups remotely compare at all? No way.
Gotta wonder how dramatically their production would have changed had they switched eras and a young Bernie Williams played on this team with Melky played on the early 90s teams.
This is why the comparison doesn’t hold any water. It’s an insult to Bernie Williams to make such an argument.
Manual said he is going to try to get Andy into one of these games b/c he thinks that players play really well when up against their former team.
Jerry sucks, why doesn’t he play Andy at first today? It would have been nice to see the receiption Andy would have gotten.
LOL. Barry playing for free would be magnanimous, but the union put up a big fuss.
comparing Melky’s stats with Bernie’s is so disengenuous… Melky isnt half the player Bernie was.
no, seriously, he’s literally half the man Bernie is physically.
and Melky will never be the offensive player Bernie was. Bernie was a special CF, and we should be thankful he played in NY as long as he did.
yeh i caught part of mike’s speech about how the how the show may or may NOT survive. Anyone else have any info on this?? He said something about fighting with chris or wfan – and it hasn’t been resolved off the air-
Anyone know what this is about?
keith hernandez?
i HATE keith hernandez!
i loooooathe him.
he spit on me!
Wow, Brett Gardner has such hype with Yankees fans. We should trade him for some pitching
laGuardia to the stadium in 12 minutes did that red bull give you wings?
Keith Hernandez? Pete, go over there and punch him for the women. He’s a sexist pig and needs to go back to wherever washed up old, druggin’ ball players go. (ideas, Francis?)
TKinDC
You just made a grave mistake comparing Melky Cabrera to the Almighty Bernie Williams
SJ44,
I agree it’s pointless to compare Melky’s numbers in the show to Gardner’s numbers. On the same token, Melky only played 31 games in AAA in ‘06 when he was hitting .350. He was definitely hot but we all know how streaky he is. Right place, right time for his callup.
Said what Rishi? That they were letting an off air fight show up on air? That they have had periods of time in the past that they have fought off air but kept doing the show? That off air disputes alone would not break up the show?
Why not let it play out rather than writing the script yourself. Less fun but more accurate.
LET’S GO YANKS!
Confuscious and Mel-
Barry might not be huggable, but there’s no good reason Not to do it, especially if Matsui is going to be on the shelf for any length of time.
It’s not like we really minded Giambi and Shef and untold others’ steroid use. If Bonds really will play for next to nothing, then there’s nothing to lose.
I think the Yanks should sign Bonds.
Saying “Melky will never be the player Bernie was” is very likely true. However, it would be nice to see an argument other than just saying it is evident.
Melky had some very good numbers at a very young age. Statistically, players who performed as well as Melky did at 21 and 22 have a higher likelihood of a high ceiling than players who did not or were still in the minors at that age.
It’s too soon to give up on Melky, even if it turns out he’s no Bernie.
Unless, of course, we could get a really useful player for Melky. In which case, Gardner could probably fill in for Melky well enough (take that, SJ!).
I wonder if Cleveland would give up CC for a package of players with Brett “Apple Pie” Gardner as the centerpiece?
“Keith Hernandez? Pete, go over there and punch him for the women. He’s a sexist pig and needs to go back to wherever washed up old, druggin’ ball players go.”
but he calls a great game with Ron Darling in that booth.
WYH:
Melky was a pleasent surprise in 2006, though his numbers amounted to a slightly below average offenisve player (OPS+ in the mid 90’s). Problem his he’s gone downhill since. Lack of improvement (in fact, regression) is not a strong indication of a player who will hit his ceiling….and Melky’s wasn’t very high anyway.
jscape,
I’m not opposed to it in theory, and New York is actually the one place he could hide.
But the reality is that with Franco out of the game Bonds would be the oldest guy in baseball. And I don’t know if the Yankees want to deal with the stink. With Giambi, Shef, and Clemens they could say they didn’t “know” about the use. But with Bonds you’d be accepting what is widely assumed to be true.
I dunno, ride the ‘stache ‘til it crashes.
Almost the ASB and it’s tough looking at the standings. The 2008 Yankees do not compare to the Yankees of 10 years ago. But you reap what you sow and the mismanagement of the payroll, draft and farm has been dragging this team down for at least the last 6 years. Older team = slower start and bad rotation = inconsistent streaks. Now they are also having trouble hitting. (Could it be fatigue and the amphetamine ban?)
The fan impulse is for Cash to “do something,” but there’s really little short term to do. Making a change for the sake of change does not necessarily improve the team. There’s a magical fan belief that kids in the minors or a key mid season deal will somehow ignite the big club and let them pull away from the rest of the pack. It’s a romantic notion, but because so much has changed in the Bronx and around MLB since 1998, a notion is all it is. When I am lucid I have to admit that there are no players ready to make an impact this year being held back at SWB or elsewhere by a stupid Cashman or Hank or Hal. So I’m going to go ahead and cancel the “Bring up Brett Gardner” Dance-a-thon.
As for key deadline trades, haven’t seen one since Abreu and the expert professional opinion seems to be that CC is not coming to the Yankees mid year.
The thing for Cashman “to do” is continue the younger, cheaper, more athletic drive. If Cashman is correct in calculating that the Sox are three years ahead of the Yankees in their retooling plan, then it’s safe to expect the Yankees to start looking a little different – next year. This year it seems that they are muddling through with what they’ve got unless some GM gets careless and lets Cash pick his pocket.
1998 is such a long time ago.
Ron “I sound like a” Darling? yuck.
I wonder if Cleveland would give up CC for a package of players with Brett “Apple Pie†Gardner as the centerpiece?
Dude, don’t be such a whiny baby.
The argument here is that Gardner would be a more productive player than Melky. Nobody is saying the guy is going to be an All-Star.
Why is that so hard for you and Melky supporters to swallow?
Melky’s had his chance for two years. Gardner has not.
Give Gardner an opportunity, and if he fails, then everyone will shut up about it.
I don’t see how trying to upgrade this team internally is such a bad thing.
“Ron “I sound like a†Darling? yuck.”
i wish the yankees booth was half as entertaining and informative as the booth at SNY.
anyone watching on direct tv – can you get the game on my9?? I can only find it on the Mets station
“Barry might not be huggable, but there’s no good reason Not to do it, especially if Matsui is going to be on the shelf for any length of time.”
Put yourself in Girardi’s shoes. If you could sit him down in a small room, just you and him, totally off the record, nothing he says leaves the room … you think he’d say that he’d like Bonds on the team?
This is a guy who plays down injuries that everyone on the planet knows about. You think he wants that media cancer in his clubhouse?
For you strawberries-and-cream fans who have DirecTv, I just discovered that it has 5 different Wimbledon matches on plus a “Wimbledon Mix” channel showing all 5 at once.
Of course none of them can compare with the pomp and pageantry of Melky patrolling center field, so I’m going with the Yankee game.
Fredo-
Yeah I agree Melky’s been headed south. I’m still not ready to dismiss that 2006 season, though. There are times when it looks like he may turn it around, but he hasn’t yet.
“You think he wants that media cancer in his clubhouse?”
absolutely, because he knows that having Bonds on this team will help win games, which is what Girardi’s here to do.
MY9 horrible audio
Let’s go Giese
JoeT, as far as I can tell, DTV is only giving us the Mets broadcast.
Brandon – are you on direct tv?? what channel is it showing the MY9 broadcast?
Ch.9
“absolutely, because he knows that having Bonds on this team will help win games, which is what Girardi’s here to do.”
He’s also here to shield his team from the media. If Bonds were on the team, he’d be a nonstop story that everyone in the clubhouse would grow ill with in a hurry. Especially considering the way he treats them.
eh i was hoping – it’s not channel 9 in Florida – I was hoping you were watching through the baseball package
“If Bonds were on the team, he’d be a nonstop story that everyone in the clubhouse would grow ill with in a hurry. Especially considering the way he treats them.”
but would they win games? yes.
Now this ump is pinching Giese.
Thanks JoeT I flipped to the Mets broadcast just now, MY9 had horrible audio