Today in The Journal News
-
- August
- 13
The Yankees got two home runs in the 12th inning to beat the Twins on the day Hank Steinbrenner talked about next season.
Phil Hughes pitched well again for Scranton This notebook also has updates on Johnny Damon and the rotation for this weekend.
Phil texted after his start “Felt good, threw the ball well.” Works for me. No word yet on where his next start will be. Could be Tuesday (if Giese goes back to the bullpen) or not until Aug. 23 in Baltimore, which is when they would next need somebody not named Pettitte, Mussina or Ponson.
Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera have another thing in common: They’re struggling this season.
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Mike Ashmore, who knows his Thunder, has a good breakdown of the Carl Pavano’s start last night over on his blog. We encourage you to check it out for more info on the American Idle.
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Yanks-Twins this afternoon at 1:10. Darrell Rasner against Kevin Slowey. Check back later for the lineups and lots of in-game blogging. The plan is take up as much of your work day as possible.
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on Wednesday, August 13th, 2008 at 3:23 am by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
Peter,
You are amazing and please get some rest!
Pete,
Didn’t Phil text the same thing last time?
The two off days may mean Phil later than sooner. But Giese deserves another start.
Don’t forget your pom-poms and megaphone tomorrow. Your team needs you!
Ouch. Reading the Times recap.
They mention Phil’s 3 hits, 2 runs (ignoring the fact that Melancon gave them up). But Pavano’s outing was less than stellar. 7 hits, 5 runs. Yikes!
Ouch Part II. Jeter went for x-rays at a local hospital. Results were negative, but Girardi’s penciling him in unless he can’t walk. LOL. (guaranteed 500 extra comments if puts in an injured Jeter).
i’ll be here bright and early (for me) tomorrow. bagel, coffee, ESPN gameday thing.
All Pavano jokes aside, he is a good pitcher.
I know the Yankees don’t like his attitude since he’s injured all the time, but mark this down in the books. In the next year and a half, Pavano will be a decent pitcher for someone.
Too bad next year’s starting pitching free agent pool is so thin. Someone will take a multi year chance on Pavano.
Hey – who is this Pavano guy?
http://thunderbaseball.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/pavano3.jpg
Jeter needs to totally rest that foot, so the lineup for this afternoon should look like:
Damon (DH)
Abreu
Nady
Arod
Giambi
Irod
Cano
Betamax (ss)
Christian (CF)
Pavano treated his teammates to an Outback Restaurant catered spread after his loss in Trenton last night. Can’t question his character after that(!).
Ha, Arod comes through HUGE and Pete leades this post off with “The Yankees get two home runs to win” as if it were anything other than Arod winning the game. Anything to downplay, minimize or degrade the best hitter in the game, I guess.
Choke-Rod sheds his new nickname for one AB in Minny last night. Let’s start counting from there, give him a fresh slate and expect good things. Oh, and by the way….somebody tell Hank and CashMoney that WE NEED PITCHERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One game at a time, but a HUGE win today in Minny would put us headed home with 3 against KC…so not out of the realm of possibility that we could be on a 5 game winning streak when we leave for our NEXT Road Trip…..KEEP THE FAITH….DAY GAME VICTORY TODAY !!!! I-Rod is going to come up huge today…..BET ON IT !...
How about giving Hughes this sunday’s vs the Royals at the stadium? Good matchup, home, day game so he doesn’t need his glasses. Girardi has already said he’s an option after this start, and his rehab went flawlessly.
reading that cano/melky article….
is it just me or does girardi come across as especially stubborn and closed minded when it comes to making changes? Wow.
Arod said some interesting, unexpected things there.
Keep up the good work Pete
Ok, this team still has a pulse. Hopefully Rasner will give the Yankees another quality start and gets supported by the offense. Maybe Arod his out of what ever funk he has been in and carry the team for a while.
Many “ifs” but its what we as Yankee fans have to work with.
“Pavano treated his teammates to an Outback Restaurant catered spread after his loss in Trenton last night. Can’t question his character after that(!).”
bout time he put that $40 million to good use.
With the off day tomorrow, I’d be surprised to see Jeter playing today.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08132008/sports/yankees/jeter__ankle_leaves_on_cart_124193.htm
“I’d be surprised to see Jeter playing today.”
its good to know the Xrays were negative, but on the other hand, i was just telling myself, we really need us some more Wilson Betemit ABs.
“How about giving Hughes this sunday’s vs the Royals at the stadium? Good matchup, home, day game so he doesn’t need his glasses. Girardi has already said he’s an option after this start, and his rehab went flawlessly.”
Moose is slated for that game, Steve. Highly doubt that Hughes gets the nod over Moose for that one. With the off day on monday though, they can play around with the rotation and get Hughes up for Rasner’s start next time around which would be against Baltimore.
“With the off day tomorrow, I’d be surprised to see Jeter playing today.”
At this point, if the regulars can play, they play. Yankees don’t have the luxury of offerng extra rest. If the Xrays were negative, then he can’t make it any worse than it is now. 42 games to go and the Yankees pretty much need 2/3 of them to have any hope.
According to the Trenton Thunder blog, Steven White has been released. Was he always a middling prospect?
“but a HUGE win today in Minny would put us headed home with 3 against KC”
Very big game today. Difference between getting within 2 of the Twins in the AILC or being 4 back.
Phil could use the one more start in AAA, but I am very encouraged by what we are hearing about him. I hope we can get some good Nardi Contreras quotes this morning….
It sounds like Phil was working on his breaking pitches, especially the changeup, which he appeared to have success with last night. I’ve read that he didn’t throw the FB all that much last night, but next out we should see him mixing up all his pitches. I’m pretty anxious to see how he does with his cutter…........
The 30 days of Rehab for Mr. Pavano are running out quickly.
““Pavano treated his teammates to an Outback Restaurant catered spread after his loss in Trenton last night. Can’t question his character after that(!).â€
What a tightwad. for what he’s been paid for doing nothing he should have Peter Luger’s jetted in.
“According to the Trenton Thunder blog, Steven White has been released. Was he always a middling prospect?”
He was a 4th round pick in ‘03. Don’t think he was ever thought of as a high end prospect. Some decent minor league numbers until this year, when he really regressed. At 27, getting demoted to AA is not the ticket.
2009 Free Agents
First Basemen
Rich Aurilia SF
Ben Broussard TEX
Carlos Delgado * NYM
Nomar Garciaparra LAD
Jason Giambi * NYY
Wes Helms PHI
Kevin Millar BAL
Richie Sexson NYY
Mark Teixeira LAA
Frank Thomas OAK
Jim Thome CWS
Daryle Ward CHC
Second Basemen
Jamey Carroll * CLE
Ray Durham MIL
Mark Ellis OAK
Marcus Giles COL
Mark Grudzielanek KC
Orlando Hudson ARZ
Jeff Kent LAD
Felipe Lopez WAS
D’Angelo Jimenez STL
Pablo Ozuna LAD
Nick Punto MIN
Jose Valentin NYM
Jose Vidro * SEA
Shortstops
Orlando Cabrera CWS
Alex Cintron CWS
Alex Cora BOS
Craig Counsell * MIL
Adam Everett MIN
Rafael Furcal LAD
Cesar Izturis STL
Ramon Martinez LAD
Edgar Renteria * DET
Juan Uribe CWS
Third Basemen
Hank Blalock * TEX
Joe Crede CWS
Morgan Ensberg NYY
Chipper Jones * ATL
Corey Koskie MIL
Greg Norton TB
Catchers
Rod Barajas TOR
Henry Blanco * CHC
Johnny Estrada WAS
Toby Hall * CWS
Adam Melhuse TEX
Mike Redmond * MIN
Ivan Rodriguez NYY
David Ross * CIN
Javier Valentin CIN
Jason Varitek BOS
Vance Wilson DET
Gregg Zaun * TOR
Outfielders
Bobby Abreu NYY
Moises Alou NYM
Garret Anderson * LAA
Rocco Baldelli TB
Willie Bloomquist SEA
Emil Brown OAK
Pat Burrell PHI
Endy Chavez NYM
Carl Crawford * TB
Adam Dunn CIN
Jim Edmonds CHC
Cliff Floyd TB
Brian Giles * SD
Ken Griffey Jr. * CWS
Vladimir Guerrero * LAA
Raul Ibanez SEA
Jacque Jones DET
Mark Kotsay ATL
Rob Mackowiak WAS
Kevin Mench TOR
Jason Michaels * CLE
Craig Monroe MIN
Jay Payton BAL
Scott Podsednik COL
Manny Ramirez * LAD
Juan Rivera LAA
Rondell White MIN
Starting Pitchers
Kris Benson PHI
A.J. Burnett TOR (may opt out)
Paul Byrd CLE
Ryan Dempster CHC
Jon Garland LAA
Tom Glavine ATL
Mike Hampton * ATL
Rich Harden * CHC
Orlando Hernandez NYM
Jason Jennings TEX
Randy Johnson ARZ
John Lackey * LAA
Esteban Loaiza CHW
Braden Looper STL
Derek Lowe LAD
Pedro Martinez NYM
Mike Mussina NYY
Jamie Moyer PHI
Mark Mulder * STL
Carl Pavano NYY
Brad Penny * LAD
Odalis Perez WAS
Oliver Perez NYM
Andy Pettitte NYY
Mark Prior SD
Horatio Ramirez KC
C.C. Sabathia MIL
Ben Sheets MIL
John Smoltz * ATL
Julian Tavarez ATL
Steve Trachsel BAL
Brett Tomko SD
Claudio Vargas MIL
Randy Wolf HOU
Relief Pitchers
Jeremy Affeldt CIN
Tony Armas Jr. PIT
Luis Ayala WAS
Joe Beimel LAD
Joe Borowski CLE
Juan Cruz ARZ
Brendan Donnelly BOS
Scott Downs TOR
Alan Embree * OAK
Scott Eyre CHC
Kyle Farnsworth DET
Casey Fossum TB
Brian Fuentes COL
Aaron Fultz CLE
Tom Gordon * PHI
LaTroy Hawkins HOU
Mark Hendrickson LAD
Trevor Hoffman SD
Bobby Howry CHC
Jason Isringhausen STL
Steve Kline SF
Brandon Lyon ARZ
Damaso Marte * NYY
Tom Martin COL
Julio Mateo PHI
Guillermo Mota MIL
Will Ohman CHC
Hideki Okajima * BOS
Darren Oliver LAA
John Parrish SEA
Chris Reitsma SEA
Dennys Reyes MIN
Juan Rincon CLE
Francisco Rodriguez LAA
Brian Shouse MIL
Rafael Soriano ATL
Jorge Sosa NYM
Mike Stanton * CIN
Salomon Torres * MIL
Derrick Turnbow MIL
Oscar Villarreal ATL
David Weathers CIN
Dan Wheeler TB
Dave Williams NYM
Matt Wise NYM
Jay Witasick TB
Regarding that Free Agent list, one thing I’d look at is letting Marte go and making a run at Downs. Hang up could be that if the Yankees offer arbitration to Marte, he may very accept it, a fear the Pirates had when they let him go in the trade.
was that free agent list really necessary?
The reason why Yankees won was because Melky was not in the Lineup!!! Let’s keep it that way…
“Hang up could be that if the Yankees offer arbitration to Marte, he may very accept it, a fear the Pirates had when they let him go in the trade.”
Marte has a team option for next year at $6 million, i believe, so i dont think he’s arbitration eligible.
I would say 3/4 but that’s just me. I’m also hoping for a Sahx collapse with their awesome acquisition of Byrd. (not). If the Yanks can stay focused here and start competeing (for once) they have a shot. Small one, but it’s on their shoulders now and once again “every game is a playoff game” BS again.
I look at the Sahx game and I get upset. NOt because the Sahx won, but because I know that if the Yanks had played in that kind of game, I can’t say with any confidence they’d have pulled 19 runs outta their arses to win the game. Last year, definitely. This year, ... let’s just say I’d be concerned.
Also, is anyone else concerned with Mo? I know he’s doing great this year, but his tie game thing and last night are disconcerting. I’m probably over-exaggerating a non-issue, but I worry.
“he may very accept it,”
DOH! Should read “he may very WELL accpet it”
and honestly, the Yankees made that Marte/Nady trade because they knew they had both of those players under contract for 2009.
IMO, there is no chance Marte is not on this roster come next spring. despite his recent struggles, he’s still considered a top 5 lefty relief pitcher in the game.
“Marte has a team option for next year at $6 million, i believe, so i dont think he’s arbitration eligible.”
Sure he is. If the team doesn’t pick up the option, he’s a free agent. In order to get draft pick compensation, the Yankees would have to offer arbitration. If he accepts it, the Yankees are stuck with him for ‘09. This went into the Pirates thinking as the dealt him. They knew they weren’t going to pay him $6M next year, but they also feared offering him arbitration because they believed he’d accept. Rather than let him go for nothing, they got what they could from the Yankees.
I’d keep Marte. He’s going through a rough patch but, he’s a good pitcher.
There isn’t a relief in the game who doesn’t have a rough patch during the year.
If the Yankees can keep Kyle Farnsworth around for almost 2 1/2 for roughly the same amount of money, they can keep Marte. He will be fine.
They have spent years trying to find a lefty for the ‘pen. They have one now. You just have to ride out a bad streak.
Mo always has a rough patch at this time of year. There is nothing wrong with him other than bad location on an 0-2 pitch.
“he’s still considered a top 5 lefty relief pitcher in the game.”
Well, he’s not better than Downs and he’s not worth $6 million.
I would have preferred a link to the MLBtraderumors site that had that list instead of scrolling through a hundred pages of crap FA’s.
“Also, is anyone else concerned with Mo? I know he’s doing great this year, but his tie game thing and last night are disconcerting.”
When your closer blows his 1st save on August 12, you needn’t worry. An absolutely putrid pitch, but he bounced back to retire 5 of 6 from there to keep the game going. Velocity appeared fine after being a little off in his last appearance vs. the Halos. I think all is well w/ Mo.
One other point re: Marte and 2009. With the good chance that Veras, Robertson or Giese, Ramirez, and Melancon will also be in the 2009 bullpen, the money Marte would be getting won’t be an issue.
The rest of the guys will be at, or just above, the major league minimum. Precisely the way you build a bullpen.
You have two high end guys (Mo and Marte) salary-wise, and the rest cheap but effective labor.
Anyone have the details on the decline of Steven White? Was in injuries that lead to his demise/release?
Marte will definitely stay with the Yanks. He’ll end up getting something in the three year, $ 12 million category. Girardi should have stayed with him last night, but he needs to throw more fastballs. He falls in love with his slider and it him in trouble with that first hit. Mo’s pitch to Young was just awful under any crcumstances, but on an 0-2 pitch?
I’d pursue Downs and Sabathia… a second lefty makes a lot of sense and the guy is good. It would allow the Yanks to mix and match for the first time in years. Two lefty starters and two lefty relievers sounds good to me.
if the Yankees got Downs, its be in addition to Marte, not in place of.
Anyone watching the Olympic baseball? Down to the last strike, Brown got a hit with two RBIs and put the US back in front. 7 – 6 middle of the ninth.
“if the Yankees got Downs, its be in addition to Marte, not in place of.”
Downs is going to be a $4 million guy minimum ($2.25M now and having a superb year….and the competition will likely be fierce). Kind of doubt the Yanks will drop $10 million on bullpen lefties, but you never know.
“Anyone watching the Olympic baseball?”
just out of courtesy to those who might have been DVR’ing the game, or planned on watching it when they aired it this afternoon on tape delay, i prob would have issued a little spoiler alert before coming out with that bit of info…
Sorry mate, I didn’t realise it wasn’t televised.
“Kind of doubt the Yanks will drop $10 million on bullpen lefties, but you never know.”
thats my point. they prob wont, and because they’ve been lusting over Marte for years now, i dont see them giving up on him after finally acquiring him.
“Sorry mate, I didn’t realise it wasn’t televised.”
nah, its cool. i’m following it myself. its being streamed on the internet live, and then shown on MSNBC on tape delay this afternoon, i think.
Hughes will get 1 more minor league start, then he might start at Baltimore on Aug 23. Pavano is still building the arm strength. He probably needs at least 2 more starts in the minors. He gave up a 2 run homer in the 1st,then threw 3 scoreless innings and gave up 2 more in the 5th, probably fatigued cause he hadn’t gone that long before.
They are definately keeping Marte next year, he was a key part to that trade, even if you hasn’t performed up to task. I think he’s being a little miss used. They should have eased him in as a specialist. Too many 8th inning stopper appearanced. That role should have gone to Veras.
I personally am a little disappointed they haven’t been more aggressive with Melancon. I know he’s coming off TJ, but relief appearances in AAA offer no less stress on the arm then in MLB.
Betemit is as dumb as a bag of hammers.
I personally am a little disappointed they haven’t been more aggressive with Melancon.
He’s up around 85 innings pitched. Hasn’t exactly been kid glove treatment. Hard to argue with the way they are going at it. They are moving him thru the sysytem rapidly, but not too rapidly. I don’t see him being a big contributor this year, but next year….look out.
“All Pavano jokes aside, he is a good pitcher.”
Actually he isn’t. Over his career Pavano has only had one good season (which just so happened to be his contract year). He’s only thrown 200 innings or more twice. For his career he’s 62-64 with a 4.27 ERA, don’t forget most of his starts came in a pitchers friendly park in Florida.
Pavano isn’t very good, he’s injury prone and he’s not going to pitch for the Yankees this year (in my opinion).
I hope the Yankees keep Marte. He has had success in both leagues and his stuff is legit. 90-94 mph fastball and a tight slider from a lefty? Yes please. He’s just going through a rough patch. His option is more than he’s worth IMO but if he hits the market he’ll get a 2-4 year deal for a lot more money so I doubt the Yanks will pass on his option.
Brian Fuentes is the only good bullpen lefthander available through free agency this winter and won’t be cheap.
Marte will adjust and should be used as a situational LH next year. Melancon will be the 8th inning man.
I think the only way they pass on the option is if they have a deal in place with him to extend him 2-3 years. Kind of a “wink wink” thing.
It would surprise me if they let him go after the season, regardless of how he has pitched lately. They have spent 3 years trying to get him. A few bad outings shouldn’t change their plans.
More importantly, Nady has been just what the doctor ordered for the Yankees. An under 30 RH hitter, who seems to have the knack of delivering big hits.
It also makes it easier for them to part ways with Abreu because they have Nady to play RF.
do you really think abreu is gone after this year?
Fredo,
You are round aboutly making my point. He’s pitched a lot of inning and been great at every level. He’s handled the work load, why not let him do it where it matters.
Regardless, we agree that he’s more a guy for next year at this point.
I’m leaving home right now to tailgate for the next 3 hours, then hitting the game at noon. Best part is, it’s a customer relation event for my job. Worst part is, I work with all Twins fans.
Thanks Pete for hosting this great blog. I live in Minneapolis nowadays, but read your blog daily.
“It also makes it easier for them to part ways with Abreu because they have Nady to play RF.”
agreed. i can def see them passing on Abreu to till get picks in the first round to replace the ones they anticipate losing for Sabathia.
plus, i think there simply has to be a turnover for turnover’s sake… there seems to be a need for a culture change in that clubhouse.
“do you really think abreu is gone after this year?”
I certainly hope he’s gone after this year. He’s a butcher in the field and not much better on the bases.
“Marte will adjust and should be used as a situational LH next year. Melancon will be the 8th inning man.”
agreed.
I think Abreu will be back on a 2 year deal, I dont think he needs to go imo, he is who he is, 20 hr 100 rbi 90-100 run score, mediocre of play, but a guy who seems well liked by his teamates
They need a CF period
White lost velocity…the Yankees gave him every chance to maintain some sort of role and he couldn’t do it. Too many talented pitchers in the organization who needed spots, and he was taking one up.
He was only hitting 84 in his last start…
“I think Abreu will be back on a 2 year deal”
He won’t be back on a 2 year deal. He’ll get 3 years minimum as this is his last shot at a payday.
“I certainly hope he’s gone after this year. He’s a butcher in the field and not much better on the bases.”
He’s battin like .290! and has driven in the most runs for us. We need to keep the guy, put nady in LF, get a free agent CF or call up Austin Jackson and then Matsui can DH or somethin.
I don’t see Abreu back next year. I thought it was 50-50 prior to the Nady deal. Now? I don’t see it.
His numbers will allow his agent to look for a JD Drew type AAV (average annual value) deal. That’s 14 million per year.
He’s not a 14 million dollar per year player at this stage of his career. Not if you watch him everyday.
He’s not bad defensively, he’s awful. He really is and it has nothing to do with his wall fear. He just gets bad jumps on balls. Particularly on the road. A lot of balls have dropped in for hits this year that should have been outs.
His offense is even down. He doesn’t get on base, or see as many pitches, as he used to. His slumps (as it is with a lot of older players) also tend to last longer than they did earlier in his career.
The team is moving in the direction to evolve around its pitching staff, instead of its offense, for the future.
To that end, you have a guy (Nady) who will make half the money Abreu will make next year, play much better defensively, and give them pretty solid offense.
Abreu is a good guy and is well respected in the clubhouse and by the Yankees. However, it becomes a matter of economics and the need to get younger in the OF. That’s why I think they will pass on him.
“He’s battin like .290! and has driven in the most runs for us. We need to keep the guy, put nady in LF, get a free agent CF or call up Austin Jackson and then Matsui can DH or somethin.”
Yeah, it’s funny, Abreu is one of the few veterans performing up to his expected level, and when I now think about his status for next year I almost want to say bring him back.
But then when you consider how much he will pull in on the open market in terms of dollars and years, and how it’s a virtual lock his offense will regress sooner rather than later, on top of his already terrible defense in right…pass on Bobby. Unless he is willing to take a 2 year deal with options for a 3rd or 4th, and why would he do that? I don’t really think loving playing for the Yankees will stop him from leaving if a team offers him 3 years guaranteed. Plus, I don’t think it would be a bad thing to remove his extremely laid-back personality from a seemingly too-laid-back clubhouse. Not to say that I value personality more than performance, but…
If anyone is interested, there is a really good post on the yankees replacement level blog (http://replacementlevel.com/) Scroll down a bit, its the one about clutchness and the 2008 Yankees.
Basically the author shows that statistically the Yankees are the unclutchest team in the AL and that A-rod is the unclutchest player on the Yankees. Very interesting IMO.
He also discusses how run scoring is down all across the league and it doesn’t seem to be a statistical anomaly. (Less juicing perhaps?)
SJ44, thanks again for your posts….
i know this is off topic, but i had to say it: i don’t miss joe torre. he makes girardi, say what you will, look like John McGraw. torre is destroying his bullpen, yet again, and yesterday he batted martin and loney 7th and 8th. 2 weeks ago they were his 3rd and 4th hitters. torre is way too inconsistent…
Andrew,
Abreu’s offense already has regressed. He’s a career .300/.405/.498 (avg/obp/slg) hitter. This year he’s at .290/.361/.466. He was also below average last season so it makes sense that he is in decline. He is also stealing less bases (and getting caught more) and he’s gotten much worse in the field.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s still a great hitter and he’ll probably be a good hitter for the next few years but his overall game is declining and will probably continue to do so.
This Kevin Slowey is a pretty good young pitcher. Seems to be a little better at home (3.70 ERA, sub 1.00 WHIP)than on the road. Yanks will have to hit him as he doesn’t walk anybody (about 1.25 BB’s per 9). Doesn’t strike many out, but also has allowed fewer hits than innings pitched. Has a bit of a longball bugaboo with 15 allowed in just under 110 IP. Seems like there’s a little Radke in this kid.
Anyone think Scott Proctor wanted to cry when he realized be would be pitching for Joe Torre again?
Any word on Chien Ming Wang? Is there any chance he pitches again this year in the majors?
“he makes girardi, say what you will, look like John McGraw”
Nobody makes Girardi look like John McGraw. Especially Girardi himself.
thanks pete!!! nothing i love more than to waste a good days work checking the updates!!!
“Any word on Chien Ming Wang? Is there any chance he pitches again this year in the majors?”
Girardi stated the other day that Wang would not be able to pitch in September. Unless there is an October, and Wang can somehow get in game shape (tough w/ minor league seasons over in early Sept), it looks like a big NO.
Patrick,
His drop in OBP is the most surprising regression, especially since he still seems to take a lot of pitches in his ABs. The long up and down stretches are definitely maddening considering there are already too many hitters in the lineup prone to that syndrome—Giambi and Cano make it 3/9 that can be either red hot or ice cold, middle ground is hard to come by with any of those 3. That said, hypothetically removing 2 out of 3 (or maybe 3 out of 3 as some have recently proposed trading Cano in the right deal) certainly seems to be the right way to go if the goal is to change the offensive makeup for 2009. The question is, though, will the offense look any better with potentially less-talented replacements?
Joel “Guitar Hero” Zumaya shut down again with arm problems.
Awesome. So even if we get to the playoffs, there isnt enough pitching to beat Anaheim.
“So even if we get to the playoffs, there isnt enough pitching to beat Anaheim.”
if we get to the playoffs, the pitching we have is going to have to get on a roll, and beat some good teams along the way.
so that would seemingly bode well for pitching currently on the roster, or on the way (Hughes), as being good enough in a playoff series.
The whole issue of “clutch” is something that intrigues me.
I know folks who are really into statistical analysis contend “clutch” isn’t something you can quantify. Its more of a random thing.
I couldn’t disagree more with that analysis.
To define clutch is simple. You know it when you see it.
If anybody has watched Nady since he has come to the Yankees, you just get the feeling the guy will deliver the big hit.
Does he do it all the time? No. However, he puts together solid AB’s in clutch situations and, more often than not (at least with the Yankees) he has delivered. He gives you the feeling that the moment isn’t too big for him.
Ironically, Arod is more “clutch” than his detractors believe. Unfortuanately for Arod, he’s judged at an entirely different level. He has to come through ALL of the time or his detractors kill him.
When he is struggling though, you get the feeling he will never produce in those situations. A totally different vibe than what Nady gives off.
Overall though, I don’t think you need statistical analysis to see just how bad a clutch hitting team the Yankees have been this year.
The amount of first pitch outs, the ridiculous number of DP’s they hit into, and the poor situational hitting (which were all on display last night) has hurt this team as much as the injuries have this year.
Its really mindboggling to watch some of the AB’s every night in clutch situations. Its as if some of these guys have never played the game before. Their approaches are that poor.
I contend that hitting w/RISP is a mindset and that mindset starts early in a season.
If you get off to a good start doing it (like the Rays and Twins did this year), it becomes contagious to an entire team. Guys just begin to believe it will happen for them all the time. We saw that with the Yankees last year in April and that mindset did carry over for most of the season. Its why they had so many come from behind wins.
Moving runners over, sacrificing your AB for the good of the team, cutting down your swing with two strikes, that’s how you become a good clutch hitting team.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, doing those things are foreign concepts to most of the guys in the lineup this year. That’s why they are such a poor clutch hitting team.
Its also why they need some serious turnover in the lineup next year if they want to improve in this area. Too many all or nothing hitters in the lineup and that doesn’t bode well in the post-PED era.
The game is going back to basics. If you are an all or nothing offensive team now, you have a dead offense.
I think the Yankees now recoginize that and that’s why I believe the roster turnover in the off-season will be deeper than most think it will be.
Yeah its tough, I totally see what people are saying here about Abreu….Its just you have holes you need to fill on this team, is he really a hole? I guess it runs 70-30 here that he is
Is Nady a 140-150 Game a year guy? Lets hope he is
Personally I would have liked to see them cut bait on Matsui this year, didint do it, now it will be really hard to do it
Tex
Cano
Jeter
Arod
Damon
CF
Nady
Matsui DH
Posada C
Sabathia
Wang
Chamberlin
Pettite
Hughes
Molina
Melky
Betemit replacement guy
Shelly Dunc kind of guy
Rivera
Veras
Marte
Edwar
Melancon
2 wild card spots for new guys
Your 2009 Yankees?
I could live with it,,,,,
Wih Abreu I have noticed this year and it might have been for a long time but really just noticed this year that a lot of balls drop in front of him. I think that due to his fear of walls he plays depper than he should thus makes it harder to get to the balls in front of him. He used to be able to make up for it wih his speed and at least when I used to watch him in Philly there were many times he would make that catch but not this year
“Seems like there’s a little Radke in this kid.”
Slowey gets that comparison a lot now. He could easily put up a game like Perkins on Monday, but the Yankees have hit him hard in the 2 earlier times they’ve faced him this year which gives me a little hope for this afternoon. Unlike Perkins who was pitching a good game against them in the Bronx a while back (Mussina beat him with 8 shutout innings, Perkins’ D let him down by forgetting how many outs there were) and dominated them on Monday. Also, not really relevant but to try and grasp at some straws with that Radke comparison…Radke was 4-11 for his career against the Yankees (facing much better teams, of course, but still).
i think Marte needs to get through an inning or two unscathed before we anoint him set up man extraordinaire. 6 mil is a lot to drop any non closer. I know they’ve courting him for years but has he lived up to expectations so far? Hardly. The futures wide open for him but if the season ended tomorrow, it would have to be a big no to that option. If they keep him at all it has to be a new contract. 6 mil sounds better for 2 years.
“Radke was 4-11 for his career against the Yankees (facing much better teams, of course, but still).”
I do recall Radke struggling mightily against the Yankees. So far, Slowey has shared that characteristic as well.
i’m not a fan of relievers. i think i’ve made that point a few times on here. i’m actually not that surprised to see Marte struggle, as I always expect the worst out of that shiny, new reliever you just acquired at the deadline.
i also think that relievers can be so Jeckyll-and-Hyde that, at this point, you ride it out until he shows the good side again. you don’t give him up. he’s shown what he’s capable of a thousand times over.
i’m fighting a cold and am NyQuil-ed out, therefore have no idea if that just made any sense.
nice win, btw. it must be the middle of August if Mo’s starting to slow down. hey Mo, it’s really May….
Andrew,
I agree with all of your points, especially about Abreu’s OBP. I wouldn’t trade Cano, to me he’s as untouchable as anyone in the organization. Unless the Dodgers want to trade Kemp and Kershaw for him I’m not biting.
I think the offense will be better next year just due to sheer luck. The yankees have been awful with RISP this season and I think that will improve next year. Hitting with RISP changes from year to year but it usually averages out to a player’s career numbers.
Like you say, its hard to replace Abreu and Giambi, both guys are a big part of the offense this season. Nady isn’t a better hitter than Abreu unless he continues to hit like he has this season and Abreu continues his decline.
Giambi’s overall numbers are among the best in the majors for 1B but his numbers with RISP leave a lot to be desired. Unless Teixeira replaces him the Yanks will be losing production from 1B.
“6 mil is a lot to drop any non closer. I know they’ve courting him for years but has he lived up to expectations so far? Hardly.”
thats all well and good, but money for the yankees, especially with so much salary coming off the books this next season, means nothing.
Cashman would rather pay a high salary on a guy like Marte for one year than be locked in for more money over the long(er) term.
and i think in general, thats what their strategy will be… higher AAV for shorter-term contracts rather than less AAV over more years.
how about dunn.40 homers and 380-400 obp.he is young.oh yeh he hits 230.
Losing Bobby Abreu would be horrible for the team. Nady is a talented player but he is having the season of his career and cannot replace Abreu’s many skills. I keephearing about his horrible defense, which is a somewhat subjective assumption. C’mon he won the Golden Glove 3 years ago (guess he forgot how to field since than.) He also has 9 assists, 3 double plays and only 1 error for the season and I really don’t remember those Yankees games we lost because of Abreu’s poor defense.
Regarding his offense his OBP and OPS is down slightly this season (and is quite respectable at .826 OPS & .361 OBP)but look at all his other offensive stats.
He is 7th in the AL in RBI’s, 14th for total hits, tied for 11th for doubles, 16th for runs, 16th for total bases, tied for 18th for xbh’s, tied for 20th in walks and he leads the Yankees in most of those categories (or is right behind Arod).
In the 24 games since the All-Star break he has batted .344 with a .406 OBP, scored 23 runs, knocked in 18 rbi’s, gotten 13 xbh’s (5 hrs and 8 doubles) and walked 10 times.
Not bad for an old man, huh? Always strong in the second half of the season, he is trying to get the Yankees into the playoffs
Look there are a lot of things wrong with the Yankees right now but Bobby Abreu is not one of them. Maybe they will not resign him next year, if that is the case the Yankees will be worse off for the loss and some other team will be more than happy to snatch him up and he can produce for their team.
“If anybody has watched Nady since he has come to the Yankees, you just get the feeling the guy will deliver the big hit.”
You get the feeling because he has. If he came over and started slow, the first impression would be he’s not clutch. Perception is not always reality and reputation is hard to live down.
If given enough chances to succeed and fail, most people will do plenty of both.
kemp AND kershaw? good lord.
considering kemps ceiling may be higher than cano, and considering the fact that kemp would fill a huge need for us (ahem, CF), i would pull the trigger on a kemp for cano deal yesterday.
Its all about acquiring players who are not in the decline phase of their careers.
That’s the challenge going forward. You start signing 32 and over free agents, whether they are position players or pitchers, you are getting guys on the downside of their careers.
In the greenies era, you could get a 31-32 year old FA and get 5-6 good years out of him. Now? Two years, at best.
Its why its vital the Yankees pass on Abreu and Giambi. At this stage of their respective careers, they are on the slide.
Its just not the kind of guys you buy now. You have to go younger and more athletic. What you lose in some areas, you make up for in others.
If they were to ever trade Cano, it would be for a Matt Kemp type of player. Not an over 32 year old player.
If they rebuild the team around a pitching staff that features Wang, Joba, CC, Moose, etc, with a solid bullpen, it makes it much easier to have a more efficient, rather than big name driven, offense.
More balance is the point I’m trying to make. Guys who handle the bat better, run more, can do the little things, etc.
They will have guys like Damon, Arod, Jeter, star type players. They need a few more indians and a lot less chiefs in that lineup if they are going to be a better offensive team next year.
They can’t just depend on “better luck” to be a better offense next year. If they do, they won’t be happy with the results.
gayle,
I’m really on the fence about Abreu.
He’ll be expensive and his defense will not improve. But take him off of the Yankees and they will suffer. He’s our leading everything. Especially hitting with RISP and being clutch (there’s that word again).
About Abreu? I think that if they could, the Yankees would find a place for both Nady and Abreu. They’ve already given Damon CF back. So you have Nady, Abreu, Damon, and Matsui in the OF. That’s pretty old, but there aren’t any holes on offense there.
A lot will depend on if they pursue and get Teixeira. He could be #5 and Nady could slot into the #3 or vice versa.
Hank’s right, other teams have had injuries but not like the Yankees. We know that Joba’s our new ace, but I think that the team is somewhat discombobulated without its Reluctant Ace, Chien Ming Wang. They enjoyed playing behind CMW and knew what they were getting every 5 days. Lots of changes ahead. With any luck Wang will be our #3 in April.
“Overall though, I don’t think you need statistical analysis to see just how bad a clutch hitting team the Yankees have been this year.”
Haha yeah, thats basically the ending sentence of the blog post I linked.
I disagree with you though a little about “clutch”. For most players, numbers with RISP or other clutch situations are very near overall career numbers. Obviously not all players fall in that category so perhaps “clutch” does exist.
However, look at A-rod. Last season he came through VERY OFTEN in clutch situations. This season he has been terrible in clutch situations. Maybe his mindset is worse this year than last year like you suggest, maybe its just bad luck this year.
Speaking of Dunn, the word is that Micah Owings is the centerpiece of that deal if he clears waivers. He was the man early in the season, but has tarnished a bit. Maybe he could convert to an outfielder.
“They will have guys like Damon, Arod, Jeter, star type players. They need a few more indians and a lot less chiefs in that lineup if they are going to be a better offensive team next year.”
Exactly, which is why, at the end of every season lately, we’re going home at the expense of teams where you sit there going “who’s that guy?! who’s that guy?!”
“Speaking of Dunn, the word is that Micah Owings is the centerpiece of that deal if he clears waivers. He was the man early in the season, but has tarnished a bit. Maybe he could convert to an outfielder.”
for Adam Dunn? wow….that’s….ridiculous. good luck to you, D-Backs.
A-Rod has an A-Rod year and then a very good (by average standards) year. Watch out next year, because he will be trying to make up for possibly losing his streak of 35/100/100
There has been alot of complaints here about umpiring this year.
Just heard on ESPN that due to umpires illness and injury, there are 15 minor league umpires who have been working in the majors this year.
Wonder if that has impacted the overall competence of umpiring this year?
“kemp AND kershaw? good lord.
considering kemps ceiling may be higher than cano, and considering the fact that kemp would fill a huge need for us (ahem, CF), i would pull the trigger on a kemp for cano deal yesterday.”
Kemp for Cano? Its up for debate on who has the higher ceiling. I would argue that Cano is the better player right now and will be in the future.
“I would argue that Cano is the better player right now and will be in the future.”
and most would argue that Kemp has a higher ceiling, and more useful tools as a prospect, and that he’s having a better season this year to boot.
If he came over and started slow, the first impression would be he’s not clutch. ———————————————————-
When Nady did first come over, I believe he was 0-8 or 1-14 or something…? But he relaxed and started to hit again… so yes there was a perception that he was not clutch in the beginning.
When Giambi is bought out, and Teixiera signs a 7-year contract with another team (hopefully), who is coming in to play 1B? A lot of people have mentioned a Juan Miranda platoon and the potential of Posada playing there until he’s healthy enough to go back behind the plate. But I don’t think that they’ll go into the season with only those options.
That said, there is virtually no 1B talent of any real worth on the free agent market (besides Tex). I don’t think Kevin Millar as the right-handed half of a Juan Miranda platoon is worth the bother, plus we have Edwar’s feelings to consider. Getting involved with someone like Adam Dunn would be a nightmare, considering that according to Bronson Arroyo he’s looking for what, over $100 million?
I think trading for a young, cost-controlled first baseman should be a big offseason priority, besides CC Sabathia. Matt Kemp is the flavor du jour, but the team does have a lot of (not as good as Kemp, grant you) outfield options.
They need someone to play first. Who would that mystery first baseman be? Not sure, but hopefully there is someone appealing out there that will become available during the winter.
“They can’t just depend on “better luck†to be a better offense next year. If they do, they won’t be happy with the results.”
They can’t depend on it but the odds are they will be a better team just due to better luck. Injuries, hitting with RISP, even just hitting in general all have elements of luck. Unfortunately the Yankees have had bad luck in all 3 areas.
I’m sure there will be changes but not as many as you think.
Want a definition of clutch? Paul O’Neill
Micah Ownings had fallen off the map this year. He hit better than he has pitched (not a good sign when you are a pitcher) and the D’backs recently sent him to AAA.
Patrick,
The one caveat to any “clutch” analysis when it comes to players in NY and Boston (IMO) is the environment in which they play.
East Coast Baseball, particularly in NY and Boston, is an entirely different animal.
Unfortunately for both the Yankees and Red Sox, there is no way to know for sure if the guys you get are cut out for it.
On the surface, one would have thought Paul O’Neill wouldn’t fit in NY. Small town guy, hates the media, quick tempered, could be a real baby at times.
He ended up flourishing in NY.
Scott Brosius, small town guy from Oregon, flourished in NY.
Arod, born in NY, lives in Miami, around big cities his entire life. It took him 4 years to get comfortable in NY.
OTOH, Randy Johnson was supposed to be the “missing link”. Fire breathing guy who would have “no problems” adjusting to NY.
From the first day he showed up, it was a disaster and he ended up melting down in NY on numerous occasions.
I remember talking to somebody pretty high up on the Yankees food chain at ST in Johnson’s first year with the Yankees. I expressed to him how excited I was that he was in NY and how I thought he was the missing piece on the pitching staff.
He looked at me and said, “I think we made a big mistake. I don’t think he can handle NY”.
I thought he was nuts. Sure enough, he was right.
You just never know which guys can handle it and which guys can’t. Its just another thing that makes it difficult in bringing players in from outside the organization.
Its another reason why Cashman is so intent on building from within.
lets take a look at some of their relevant info. and see how they match up.
Kemp – 23 yrs old
Cano – 25 yrs old
Their 08 stats:
Kemp – .302/.354/.473 – 13 HRs, 61 RBIs, 28 SB, 8 CS
Cano – .264/.303/.395 – 10 HRs, 54 RBIs, 1 SB, 4 CS
I know Cano is having a down year, but Kemp is really, really special.
Cano is having a down year and a very unlucky year. (BABIP) Its unfair to compare them this year. Kemp strikes out a lot but he does have very good power and speed (better than Cano in both areas). Cano plays defense at a more premium position. Both can hit for a high average.
I’m not sure, its a close call. Kemp has a higher ceiling but he has a ways to go to reach it. If Cano can replicate his 2006, 2007 seasons it will be hard to say Kemp is better unless he reaches his ceiling.
I think Nady started out 1 for 11 before hitting .400 at some point.
Right now he’s @ .344 with the Yankees. 21 for 61 with 11 XBH. Hitting a HR at a rate of about every 10 official AB.
We need to start following the Red Sox formulae. Contact hitters. High OBP guys.
Owings would never clear waivers. He is a PTBNL and thus will go to the Reds after this season so that he avoids the waiver wire.
Well, it’s not unfair to compare them this year simply because Cano is having a bad year. Good luck or bad luck, if the trends continue for the rest of the year Kemp will have had a notably better year than Cano.
It is a close call, I agree with you on that. I just like the speed/power combo, and I see the need in CF for us (not 100% sold on ajax), so I think if I was the GM I would go for it. Plus Kemp is 2 years younger.
But you never know. Who would have thought Cano would have the year he had this year? I remember the predictions of 25 HRs…Sigh.
“Owings would never clear waivers. He is a PTBNL and thus will go to the Reds after this season so that he avoids the waiver wire.”
yeah, i think word is that he was claimed by one of 4 lousy teams, so they’ll have to wait until after the season to finish the trade.
Kemp won’t stick at CF IMO. Thats why I say Cano plays at a more premium defensive position.
frits –
In order for there to be a meaningful comparison – you not only need to look at a larger sample for Cano – you also have to look at their offensive numbers relative to the other players out of the positions of CF and 2B.
It is like (to use an extreme example) using 40 times to compare a left tackle and a wide receiver. A highly productive 2b is more valuable than a similarly productive OF.
Just my 2 cents.
SJ44,
Looking at last night’s SWB box score, Phil Coke’s name stood out again in another inning of scoreless, hitless relief.
I know that Mark Melancon has post-surgery and IP issues. Could Phil Coke be a candidate to see daylight in the Bronx this season?
Hey all. I’m home from work feeling pretty lousy (coming down with a heck of a cold). I don’t blame the Yankees for anything as you know, but I will blame them for this – kind of. With the kind of losses they had been “incurring”, I found that I wasn’t sleeping very well! I think I got so run down that voila! I caught a cold!
Anyway, I rarely get an entire blog’s worth of discussion since I usually come in on the later side and so don’t get to read all of the posts. So if this is hashed and rehashed I apologize. About Hank and about Hank’s comments. I like the guy and I think he is a straight shooter. I like his message also. I was always a big fan of George Steinbrenner and even his eruptions because he was an owner that gave the fans every bit of his money – and heart – to field a winning team. His sons are following suit.
A lot of people kneejerk (especially fans from other teams) when you mention the word “injury” and they throw out the word “excuse”, when you are trying to use the word “reason”.
Nobody is asking anyone to feel sorry for the Yankees. This isn’t about feeling. This is about getting it. It is hard to sustain a ton of injuries to key players and look like titans. I remain impressed with what the Yankees have been able to accomplish in the face of all of that. As SJ44 has pointed out (I think it was you SJ), imagine what the record would be at this point if the Yankees had won even half of Ian and Phil’s starts. (Just using that as an example of the season gone wrong, not necessarily the injury factor.
Someone pointed out last night that we are way down in runs from last year. Well when I went out to grab dinner I had Waldman and Sterling on and Sterling just happened to mention that Matsui alone last year was responsible for 100 runs. Posada had 91. So we are really hurt without their bats.
We all know that there have been quite a few games that were heartbreakers, some unexpected heartbreakers (Mo’s tie score games), and games when runners on 3rd ended up staying on 3rd. So we know we have had a lot of underperformance. But when you look at it all in context of trying to work around the injuries, I guess we haven’t done so badly.
My final thought is that Hank’s comments are right on the money, and good for him. And you know, I don’t seem to think that this is the kind of team that will breathe a sigh of relief and say “phew we’re off the hook.” You might see just the opposite. But whatever we see, I have no difficulty with Hank acknowledging reality. As I would always try to explain to fans who would go ballistic when I would mention Yankee injuries in years’ past, it’s not an excuse folks, it’s a reason, it’s reality. At least see it for what it is. And the more you have of it, well the tougher it becomes to win Olympic gold. Not impossible mind you, just harder.
Peter, maybe I’m mistaking, but about not needing anyone but Mussina, Pettitte, or Ponson till the 23rd after today, don’t we need one on the 19th? Those can start the KC Series in full. Then we have a day off. Need the fourth starter to open in Toronto, then those 3 again. Weed a guy on the 19th.
SJ
I read an article that A-Rod was working out with a trainer hitting sugar packets with a broom stick. I thought it was a joke but it didn’t seem to be a satire type of publication that printed it.
Is this a little known but widely accepted training method or something unique to A-Rod?
Just read some interesting tidbits about defense.
http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/dialed_in/discussion/al_defensive_stats_through_august_7/
“Richie Sexson (-9) has been just awful. He’s just not fielding at all, and was bad in Seattle and has been worse for the Yankees. You might as well just leave Giambi out there. ”
“Bobby Abreu (-20) was a good fielder not that long ago. Old age is hell. He’s also seeing more chances than average, so that isn’t helping at all. Abreu’s defense is the worst in the AL. That’s not going to get the Yankees to the post-season. ”
“These are two-thirds of a season, so they are still a little small on the sample size, and some are really low. Try not to focus on players with few innings or chances. Now, Abreu’s stinkitude is real, so don’t discount that either. ”
TKinDC – I understand that a Chase Utley is worth more than a Wily Taveras. I get that. I’m not going to list all the stats for every CFer, but I don’t think its unfair to suggest that Kemp and Cano are reasonably equivalent in value, and it may be the case that if Kemp continues his stratospheric rise and Cano continues to slump (in 09), that Kemp would be a more valuable piece over the next 5-10 years.
Post of the day is the dude who came up with
“Stinkatude”
That hitting drill is widely used….
trisha,
If Hank wanted to send a “Hey it’s okay. We’ve had a lot of injuries” message to the team he wouldn’t have said it through the proper channels.
Some reporter in Tampa asked a question and he gave a speech. I’d like him to talk less because that’s what owners should do. Most of the Yankee fans like it, but the rest of the sports world look at him like he’s a Jerry Jones or a Mark Cuban, i.e. “clown”.
I also don’t think the guys only try to win when Hank speaks. They may not produce the results that we want, but they’re trying. But you know that better than anyone here, right?
Steve, Tuesdaay is the 19th, which Pete mentioned as first possibility:
“Could be Tuesday (if Giese goes back to the bullpen)”
I think Rasner needs to go back in the pen, I like the idea of Giese as a starter, since the league hasn’t really seen him yet. Then Joba can take over, so long as the team is still in contention…Hughes needs to start Tuesday for the big club. If he doesn’t do well, Rasner is there to come in relief.
I know that Mark Melancon has post-surgery and IP issues. Could Phil Coke be a candidate to see daylight in the Bronx this season?
They’d have to be pretty gutsy to do that so no. And last night I know some people say wow Melancon gave it up…last night was phase 2 of Melancon to the Bronx, it was his first inning being brought to relief a game w/ RISP in AAA, what’s more important is that he was briught mid inning when Hughes left 2 on. He didn’t get the results he wanted but a few more innings like that and I don’t see anyone blocking his path.
oops. he would have sent it through the proper channels.
And, trisha, get well soon. Kind of coincidental that you’re home sick when the Yankees have a day game. Hmmm…
“If you are an all or nothing offensive team now, you have a dead offense.”
Ever since Yanks moved away from the “get them on, get them over and get them in” offense – the clutch hitting declined.
Thanks Pat M
I went to the game in Pawtucket last night. Was I wrong thinking Melancon hits 95mph? I don’t think I saw him go over 92.
Hughes was 93-94 all game long. His first 4 pitches were:
93
71
83
94
As far as I could tell from where I was sitting (up the left field line a bit, but the seats only go out about half way between first and the foul pole), his curve was nasty last night and the change in speeds was just silly.
Not to make excuses for Melancon, but I read earlier that the two hits were Mariana style (not including last night) bloops just over infielder’s heads and the passed ball may have been the result of not being on the same page with the catcher.
At any rate, it concerns me a bit to push this guy so hard after surgery. I know he is further along because he had the surgery earlier then the other TJ four, but wait until Sept. when rosters expand. If we have closed the gap maybe you roll the dice, if not let him prepare for next year.
Same with Joba – if by Sept the Yankees are close to a berth and he his fully healed bring him back. If the gap is still quite wide, then let him get prepared for next year.
Same with Hughes – buy some time. I really would like to continue to see him work on his additional pitches. I don’t know if he will be able to do that in the big leagues. Like Kennedy he can absolutely dominate the minor leagues, but he can still refine his game there.
Ah, my bad. See, I knew it was my mistake! The great Abe cannot be wrong!
I read an article that A-Rod was working out with a trainer hitting sugar packets with a broom stick. I thought it was a joke but it didn’t seem to be a satire type of publication that printed it.
LOL that is too Dominican.
I don’t want Abreu unless he’s going to play 1B. An outfield of Nady, Damon and Abreu would not take many hits away. Dunn could also be a replacement for Giambi. His BA could improve and K could go down in a strong lineup. Just don’t know where you can put him.. again 1B maybe?
Moving Matsui for a young position played would appear to be in the Yanks’ best interests, especially if they sign Tex or retain Abreu. Would Matsui, Cano and Kennedy for Kemp and Kershaw work?
As for $$$ for the bullpen. The Yanks spent $ 9 Mill on Farnsworth and Hawkins so paying the same $$ to Marte and Downs would seem like a great deal!
There’s no doubts that Nady would be an upgrade almost all across the board at RF and he should be the starting RF.
But what about brining in Abreu as a DH ? he could no longer ruin us defensivley and if i recall earlier this year as a DH he tore it up. Have Matsui Play LF, and if Posada cant play C anymore have him play 1st. Damon can platoon either 1st or LF.
Its gonna be hard when Posada & Matsui come back, i kinda how Molina is mamagning our pitching staff.
Matsui is our best clutch hitter, while Damon leads the AL in batting average. it’s gonna be fun to see how Damon, Posada & Matsui all split time.
Mel – he he he. I SWEAR that I didn’t stay home purposely because there’s a day game on. Heck that’s what MLB.TV is for!
But of course it doesn’t hurt to be able to be home and watch a day game.
Mel, how is the economy out there? RI had the dubious distinction of being the first state in the US to officially be in a recession. As a consequence of that, a very busy office in the summer months, (and add that to being the financial victim of “one of those kinds of builders”), I find that vacation for me means taking a day out of work as opposed to flying off to exotic locales – or even not-so-exotic locales! So I probably would have turned this into a vacation day to watch the Yanks anyway! But their on-going dubious play really caused it to be a sick day!
Peter – I can’t believe you censored me – I thought you had a sense of humour and understood fair play. I’ll just be quiet and sit on hands and look forward to how you can berate a manager every 5 seconds and that is ok.
REgardless if this is your blog, if you’re gonna sling it -you should be able to take it.
If this doesn’t get Cano benched, it should get Girardi fired. End of story.
I don’t know if I I understand it!