Game 160: Yankees at Red Sox
-
- September
- 26
YANKEES (87-72)
Damon LF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
Nady DH
Cano 2B
Moeller C
Gardner CF
Aceves RHP
RED SOX (94-65)
Ellsbury CF
Lowrie SS
Ortiz 1B
Youkilis 3B
Bay LF
Lowell DH
Kotsay RF
Cash C
Velasquez 2B
Wakefield RHP
Alfredo Aceves (1-0, 1.38) has never faced any of the Boston hitters.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (18-2, 2.80) vs. the New York hitters.
Notes: The Yankees have won seven of eight and 10 of their last 12. … The Yankees are 7-8 against the Red Sox this season. … The Yankees have scored two or fewer runs 50 times this season and three or fewer runs 69 times. … Boston trails Tampa Bay by two games for the AL East with three to play. Tampa’s magic number is one.
FINDING HIS WAY: It’s only 10 games but Brett Gardner seems to be figuring out what kind of offensive player he can be in the big leagues. He is 11 of his last 27 with six runs scored, four extra-base hits and three stolen bases.
NEWLY CONSISTENT: Robinson Cano has hit in eight straight games at 11 of 28. He has struck out only one time in that stretch.
Back later with updates as they become available.
UPDATE, 4:16 p.m.: Just spoke to Mariano Rivera. He has been been pitching with a sore shoulder all season. There is inflammation and calcification. He has been given two options: a series of injections and rehab or surgery. He has not made a decision but seems to be leaning toward the surgery.
As to the events of last night …
Rivera told Girardi on Tuesday that his body was cranky. He told him on Wednesday before he left Toronto that his shoulder was hurt. Mariano told Girardi he wanted to break the news to the media. Mariano is the kind of guy who doesn’t want anybody speaking for him.
So Girardi invented the “it’s his standard physical” story. But Cashman went with the truth. When Girardi was confronted with the truth after the game, he stuck with his lie.
The whole thing likely could have been avoided if they all managed to get on the same page in the first place. Once the cat was out of the bag, Girardi should have copped to it. Once the general manager of the team admits the truth, it’s out there. Kudos to Girardi for doing what Mo wanted. But they needed to find a better way to do it.
Essentially, none of that much matters. What does is that Rivera believes he will be ready for spring training. Meanwhile, it’s pretty amazing that he has had the season he has had with a bum shoulder.
UPDATE, 5:53 p.m.: And the news keeps pouring in as it pours in Boston.
Joe Girardi apologized to reporters for lying to them over the course of the season and said he has to come up with a better way to give us information about injuries. He said the only way he can prove he’s serious is by his actions moving forward. So we’ll see what happens.
Meanwhile … Andy Pettitte was back in New York today for a second MRI on his left shoulder. This was a dye-contrast MRI, which I’m told is the best MRI possible in terms of revealing damage. It came back clean. That does not mean they’re bringing him back, necessarily. But it clears the path.
Meanwhile … Brian Cashman said we will know “sooner than later” whether he will return as GM of the Yankees. It won’t be this weekend but could be early next week by the sound of it. Cashman said there has not been a contract offer from the Yankees but there has been an expression of support in terms of them wanting him back.
I’ll post some quotes later once I transcribe them. I think it’s 50-50 whether Cashman returns and that may be optimistic. It could depend whether Hal Steinbrenner can control Hank Steinbrenner or to what degree Hank is involved with baseball operations.
Hank’s foolish statements and interference (like during the Santana negotiations, the Posada negotiations, etc.) are not conducive for a GM to do his job. Either Cashman decides he can deal with that or he goes elsewhere. At some point, dealing with such nonsense must be tiresome.
Know this much: Whether you like Cashman as the GM or not, if he leaves it’ll be chaos in the organization. They don’t have anybody ready to step in and many of the people in baseball operations, scouting, the minors, etc. are his people. Girardi is his manager, etc.
Think for a second how Girardi will be next season if he’s working for a GM who didn’t hire him. The first time the Yankees fall below .500 The Girardi Watch will be on.
Cashman has a plan, he’s a smart guy and the Yankees would be wise to let him do his job. Nobody gets forever, but he should get some time to get this thing fixed.
UPDATE, 6:54 p.m.: I know this will come as a shock. But the start of the game has been delayed by rain.
Oh, and Ortiz was scratched. Sean Casey now at first and batting seventh.
UPDATE, 6:59 p.m.: This just in from the Red Sox, the rain is supposed to stop. They’re hoping to start sometime around 8 p.m. I’ll keep you posted.
UPDATE, 7:17 p.m.: They took the tarp off, groomed the field and now it’s raining again and the tarp is being put back on. So much for the 8:05 start.
Meanwhile, Red Sox Nation is guzzling overpriced beer in the concourses.
UPDATE, 7:42 p.m: Matsuzaka has been scratched. If the game ever starts, David Pauley would start for Boston. Sure, the Japanese writers get to go home.
UPDATE, 7:43 p.m.: Just FYI, I’ve decided not to post Joe Girardi’s pre-game audio, which would include the apology he issued to the writers. Frankly, it’s between him and us and I’m not sure it’s something he would want out there. Even if he didn’t care, I don’t see a need to continue this story beyond where it is already.
To me, 99 percent of this is about Mo and his ability to pitch. The rest is just stuff we need to figure out.
UPDATE, 7:48 p.m.: OK, tarp coming off again. First pitch at 8:35 p.m. Or so they hope.
UPDATE, 8:41 p.m.: The game is underway. I have a few newspaper stories to finish, so the updates might be sparse for an hour. Sorry about that.
UPDATE, 8:58 p.m.: Hmm, Alfredo Aceves could be the Mexican Chase Wright if this keeps up.
UPDATE, 9:37 p.m.: It’s raining here again. The goal is probably to get five in and call it a night.
UPDATE, 10:25 p.m.: Jeter is out of game with a sore left hand. Meanwhile it’s pouring again and the game has been delayed.
UPDATE, 10:45 p.m.: Bad news for all you Cody Ransom fans out there. Because the game has not gone five innings, it would be wiped out if they don’t start again.
UPDATE, 10:52 p.m.: Cody Ransom’s bid at history will continue. The game is scheduled to start again at 11:05 p.m.
UPDATE, 11:12 p.m.: OK, the game has started again and we’re three outs away from being official. Excellent news for Brett Gardner and Cody Ransom.
Meanwhile, I am declaring myself no longer responsible for anything I may write from this point forward due to lack of sleep and Red Bull. If you’re in the Kenmore Square area and want to bring me a Red Bull, I have $25 Canadian to give you and a bunch of their coins.
UPDATE, 11:23 p.m.: The Phil Coke Scoreless Era has come to a sad end as he allowed a run. He went 11.2 innings before giving up a run.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox and Yankees have a combined payroll of roughly $350 million and players in the game at the moment include Cody Ransom, Wilson Betemit, Chad Moeller, Brett Gardner, Phil Coke, Gil Velazquez, Chris Carter, George Kottaras, Jon Van Every and Kevin Cash.
UPDATE, 11:57 p.m.: Bobby Abreu has 99 RBI and 99 runs scored.
Meanwhile, Robinson Cano is 2 for 4 with two doubles and four RBI. If Girardi had benched him for a day in May would the Yankees be going to the playoffs? I’m sort of serious about that.
UPDATE, 12:17 a.m.: Thats 100 RBI for Bobby Abreu. He has reached that plateau for six straight seasons, joining only A-Rod and Albert Pujols on that list.
Bobby asked for the ball for got it. He’ll get a lot of money from somebody next season.
Assorted drunks are now chanting “Let’s Go Red Sox” as they’re losing 17-5.
UPDATE, 12:49 a.m.: You’re killing me, Melky. You too, Chris Britton.
UPDATE, 12:52 a.m.: The game is over. Thanks for reading, catch you tomorrow. Or, to be accurate, later today.
This entry was posted
on Friday, September 26th, 2008 at 3:35 pm by Peter Abraham.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Share and Enjoy: 
| 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
Pete, do you ever say any of the things about Girardi to his face???
I want these games rained out. I don’t want our futility on display for all of baseball to laugh at. Let’s shut it down, head out of town and pretend that this season never happened.
Hey Peter, this is from your colleague, George King:
“According to a person with knowledge of the situation, Rivera didn’t want the news to get out. But there are no secrets in the Yankees’ universe, especially when the news involves Rivera.”
Nice job, Pete. Bash a manager for adhering to the wishes of his own player, that’s real classy.
See how you look when you have an agenda? You don’t care to find out the entire story, you just search for what fits and use that.
Don’t they say not to evaluate players in September? Glad Gardner’s doing well and I hope he performs the same or better come April, but I won’t be singing his praises just yet—I still remember Shane and Shelley
Rishi, don’t know if you saw this in the last thread, so if you didn’t,
http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com/2008/09/letter-to-hal-steinbrenner.html.
New Yankee Vacation Stadium
Thanks EDUB
Gardner also seemed to be getting hot right when he was benched in favor of Matsui, coming off the DL. With no really elite CFs available in free agency this winter, I think the Yanks should focus on improving their pitching. I think their sputtering offense is more a byproduct of the improved pitching in the division, and they will need to win games in which they score fewer than 4 runs.
Got it in the last thread, thanks, Rebecca – it’s a great letter, I hope it gets some attention.
Rishi: Thanks! Here’s hoping!
I want them to play. I want to see how the wet ball affects Dice-K’s control.
Vegas got odds on who he plunks tonight?
“I want to see how the wet ball affects Dice-K’s control.”
How can you tell?
First Cash throws Hughes under the bus (saying AAA isin’t what it used to be), now he throws his manager under the bus.
Looks like he is leaving
mel: You know Alex is going to get plunked. Just cos.
Fredo,
You win the prize!
If Joe’s overuse ruined MO, he should be fired no questions asked. The doc needs to determine what happened. If Grardi is in any way responsible, he is gone.
brandon: ha! nice find.
I’m right outside Boston, and I’ve got to say… I don’t see this ‘break’ in the weather they’re talking about…
It’s pouring and the wind is whipping right now.
“First Cash throws Hughes under the bus (saying AAA isin’t what it used to be)”
In fairness, AAA has largely been reduced to taxi squads for MLB teams. Lot of fringe MLB players, AAAA types and non-prospects.
“Rishi, don’t know if you saw this in the last thread, so if you didn’t,
http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com/2008/09/letter-to-hal-steinbrenner.html.”;
Your letter writing skills need a little polishing. You need an editor very badly. And you really shouldn’t be putting out video posts until you’re better at it.
But damn you have self promotion down to an art form.
If King’s source is correct, then that only backs up what Girardi said in the post-game. My job is to protect the players.
And Girardi would never endanger Mo. That’s ridiculous to even speculate about.
“New Yankee Vacation Stadium
Thanks EDUB”
I laughed so hard Brandon. “In case they ever need a little Yankee-time.” hahaha.
.198BAA
Damn.
A lot of the problems on offense can be solved with the same players the Yankees have now. Hopefully Cano produces more next year, Posada is healthy, Matsui is heathy, and we have CF who produces more than Melky did. A full year of Nady will be a nice addition, maybe Jeter and A-rod will have better years. These are all just optimistic hopes but they are all possible. Every season there are guys that underperform what we think and overperform. Unfortunately, this year more guys underperformed.
I think the offense will be okay next year without the addition of Tex or another big bat. Obviously I want some offensive help but I think the priority should be pitching and defense. Also I think the hitting philosophy needs to change a bit. Our hitters must be better at fundamental hitting—hitting with RISP, bunting, productive outs, etc.
The Yankee defense this year was the worst in the league, that must improve. If you go position by position there were only 2 spots with above average fielding; catcher and center field. Melky saved a lot of runs in CF and Molina was awesome at C. Cano, Rodriguez, Giambi, Damon, Abreu were all below average at their position and Jeter was league average. I can see improvements made at RF, 1B and 2B.
Cash said that in response to Hughes’ last 2 starts in the minors, which were quite stunning.
He was trying to temper expectations.
Go to the Trenton blog to see what Cash really thinks of the minor leagues.
““First Cash throws Hughes under the bus (saying AAA isin’t what it used to be)â€
In fairness, AAA has largely been reduced to taxi squads for MLB teams. Lot of fringe MLB players, AAAA types and non-prospects.”
Can they just cancel the series. Seriously it holds no meaning for either team, Boston could care less about getting the wild card instead of the division.
Jamal G.,
As Pete mockingly suggested on this site before, he just wasn’t going to let the facts get in the way.
How the heck can you say Mo was overused? He only threw 69 innings this year, his lowest total since 2002.
We live in a strange world when telling the truth is “throwing someone under the bus”.
As for September evaluations, I agree with the notion that you cannot overreact to what someone does at this time, but it doesn’t render it meaningless. Maybe the Yankees overreacted to Kennedy’s outings last year, but as Hughes showed last time out he is legit when healthy.
I can live with CF being a hodgepodge in 2009 because starting pitching and 1B are the higher priorities and there’s reason to believe CF may be in very good hands by 2010, or perhaps even sometime in ‘09. Gardner has improved putting the bat on the ball and he should remain in the mix. Melky may end up being a part time player and late inning RF defense, who knows? It seems virtually certain that Damon and Matsui will be LF/DH… but a third guy who bats RH should be in there too…. maybe a Jason Michaels?
Go get Tex and CC and then worry about CF and the bench.
Al: Why don’t you ask Moose if they should cancel Sunday’s game…
The results are meaningless but the games mean something.
“Cash said that in response to Hughes’ last 2 starts in the minors, which were quite stunning.
He was trying to temper expectations.
Go to the Trenton blog to see what Cash really thinks of the minor leagues.”
Hes obviously trying to temper expectations and for good reason. That “Generation trey” didn’t do so well. It should have been called “Generation Joba and his 2 lesser sidekicks.”
And where were all you people saying that Mo was overused when he was used in September like he was. As far as I know I didnt see one reporter or comment here say that he had been overused.
And again we dont know if he even said anything to anyone about his shoulder bothering him until after the team was eliminated.
“Al: Why don’t you ask Moose if they should cancel Sunday’s game…
The results are meaningless but the games mean something.”
You know what Becca I stand corrected. I forgot about the Moose quest for 20. However I think Moose cares a lot less than we do about 20 wins.
Generation Trey = Generation Uno (Joba)
If the Moose doesn’t even take the field this weekend, then it’s divine intervention. He’ll be back.
patrick max
September 26th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
If Joe’s overuse ruined MO, he should be fired no questions asked. The doc needs to determine what happened. If Grardi is in any way responsible, he is gone.
Put a lid on it. If this is as some reports say and it’s bone spurs, the only one at fault is Marinao Rivera for being 37-38 years old. It’s a common ailment of people who are aging. You’ll get the same thing. The spurs are bone..or bone growths and what happens is that they irritate the nerve endings. These aren’t sharp edged knives cutting into anything.
Al, I’d like to agree with you but I’m not so sure. Many say that one 20 win season is what’s keeping Moose from the Hall of Fame.
He might not care about 20 wins, but I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t care about the hall of fame.
86w183 –
I like your take on things. What do you think about Burnett? At first I was really against the idea but now I’m hearing that he really wants to be a Yankee. And of course his stuff is filthy, if he could stay healthy he is an ace. My only problem is, can the Yankees afford CC, Tex and Burnett? I’m not too sure. If they can’t then I want CC as the first priority.
Gardner’s going to be a career .407 hitter? I’ll take that for center field, I suppose, unless we can sign some power with a better arm.
Seriously, this stuff is great to see, as we prepare for an off-season of waiting with baited-breath for the latest pronouncement from Hank. I have a hunch, as a lot of people probably do, that the li’l Steins are going to spend some money to open (roster) their billion-dollar stadium with a bang.
So we could have Mussina going for 20 and Jets/Cardinals at the same time on Sunday
Hal could respond to the letter by saying, Hey, this is an important part of our fan base, let’s set up a special price category for people who are temporarily poor but will someday be rich enough to afford the luxury boxes!!! Like B-school types at the higher end universities, that sort of thing!! Great thinking!
Or he could just say, Hey, get used to it honey, plenty of others have sat in those bleacher and tier seats—some of them for those few hideous years before the dough starts pouring in, some of them for life. Take it in. It’s life in New York.
If we sign Teixeria for 1st, then we can afford to carry Gardner’s subpar bat until Jackson is ready.
Bailing out the Yankees:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/080924&sportCat=mlb
Knowing that Mo is a team player, he probably didn’t say anything about his shoulder until after the Yankees were officially eliminated. And bone spurs would not have come from being “overused” this season. They happen over time.
“Can they just cancel the series. Seriously it holds no meaning for either team, Boston could care less about getting the wild card instead of the division.”
Al, seriously I believe that the Sux would give their eyeteeth to have HFA. And we have Moose going for his 20th. If the Rays win tonight I bet we’ll see Boston doing their best to call the games early!
Joey’s Poodle, I’m thinking it’s going to be something like:
“Dear sir/madam,
Thank you for your interest in the New York Yankees. We will give your correspondance careful consideration but due to the volume that we receive we are unable to personally reply to your letter
Sincerely
The New York Yankees corporate group”
Is Kennedy still around? Did he say he had a great year and thought he was dominant?
There’s a possibility that Seattle will be the first $100M team to lose 100 games. That’s $1M/loss. Ouch.
“Al, I’d like to agree with you but I’m not so sure. Many say that one 20 win season is what’s keeping Moose from the Hall of Fame.
He might not care about 20 wins, but I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t care about the hall of fame.”
Of of course he cares about the HOF. We all know Moose is a very intelligent guy he knows that a 20 win season changes the tenor of his career however I’m sure he’d prefer winning another game in the world series and getting a ring. After all he came to the Yankees because well they are the Yankees where championships are common and the playoffs are a given. Unfortunately for Moose this hasn’t played out for him
“If we sign Teixeria for 1st, then we can afford to carry Gardner’s subpar bat until Jackson is ready.”
we dont know gardner has a subpar bat and we dont know jackson will be good immediately
““Can they just cancel the series. Seriously it holds no meaning for either team, Boston could care less about getting the wild card instead of the division.â€
Al, seriously I believe that the Sux would give their eyeteeth to have HFA. And we have Moose going for his 20th. If the Rays win tonight I bet we’ll see Boston doing their best to call the games early!”
I suppose the Sux would prefer to play up in the lions den come ALDS time. However they would need a sweep and mini-collapse from Tampa for this to happen I just don’t see them getting worried about this when they have to worry about playing the W/Sox or Angels.
Gardner doesn’t even have to hit well… he just has to hit as good as Melky for him to b an impact player
via ed price
Mariano Rivera said he has calcifications and cartilage problems in his right shoulder. Rivera, who saw two doctors the past two days, said his choices are athroscopic surgery or occassional anti-inflammatory injections.
Rivera, 38-for-39 this year in save chances, said his shoulder has been bothering him “the whole year.”
He seems to be leaning toward surgery, since he would still be OK by spring training and “I hate needles.”
Rivers is in the first season of a three-year, $45 million extension. He said “of course” he will pitch this weekend if needed
Cancelling the series would mean a loss of revenue…the Sox would NEVER do that. Nor would MLB allow it.
Not to read too much into it but I do hope his positive response to intensive coaching means Gardner is inclined to learn and adapt, rather than stubbornly sticking to what worked in the minors no matter how poorly it works in the majors—as some have been known to do. They say ‘I’m sticking to what got me here’, and sometimes that’s good, but sometimes it means never getting better.
Tampa could make this interesting… the Tigers can still mash the ball and beat up Tampa’s pitching. Verlander is going tonight too. Leyland will have them finishing strong.
This might go down to the wire.
“Cancelling the series would mean a loss of revenue…the Sox would NEVER do that. Nor would MLB allow it.”
Obviously I wasn’t calling for a formal cancellation of this series but if this game and tomorrows game have a fair cahnce of getting rained out when do they plan on getting these games in?
Did Gardner show any power at all at AAA?
per Francessa –
Cashman told Girardi to not tell the media anything until he had an opportunity to himself.
....
So then why was Cashman apologizing on behalf of Girardi to the media?
Rebecca, no power. 9 HR in 4 years of minor league ball…
Rivera, 38-for-39 this year in save chances, said his shoulder has been bothering him “the whole year.â€
...o-o Maybe Rivera needs to pitch hurt more often. I mean, you’d, uh, never know he was hurt from his stats…
Ralphie D,
Thanks. Big decision for Mo. I think he’d prefer to pitch without pain. Calcifications are bone spurs, right?
Joey’s Poodle,
Hasn’t Gardner shown that he can adapt at each level? That means taking instruction well.
There’s nothing better than working with kids who are coachable.
Rebecca Gardner was more of a line drive and gap type hitter in the minors. Older fans would think of him as a Mickey Rivers/Brett Butler type player, younger ones can look at Juan Pierre for comparisons. He’ll hit an occassional homer, but, his power will be in doubles, triples and stolen bases.
If Tampa had already clinched, then there would not be a mandate from baseball to get these games in. The Nationals-Marlins game was canceled last night after an hour.
If Tampa gets their game in tonight and wins, then they will be much more amenable to just canceling the games.
As it stand right now, They will not let us leave today before 10 and look for any window. And tomorrow, FOX complicates everything. Otherwise we could have tried to squeeze it in from 1, now we have to wait until 4 and probably wait form 4-10 to try and squeeze the game in.
This game will be like that Tigers’ game last year that started at 11:15 PM and ended at 3:30 AM.
Saucy and GB: Thanks
Sounds like Rivera’s on his way to Boston?
Mel, yeah you’re right on calcifications being bone spurs. It’s just bone growth and it irritates the nerve endings.
See the Yankees.
See the Yankees scramble to cover Girardi’s lying butt.
See the Yankees looking foolish.
You won’t see him in a game though. Not with all that’s happened in the last 2 days. Although if there’s an opportunity to save #20 for Moose, Mo might insist.
So, Girardi respects what Mo said and keeps the matter private and he’s a liar.
Cashman goes over the head of his manager and closer and he comes out looking good like all of this?
You favor Cashman because he gives the media answers, and it’s as simple as that.
You’re most welcome, Rebecca.
“Sounds like Rivera’s on his way to Boston?”
Wouldn’t it be a riot if he ended up pitching in the closer, after all the press yammering, accusation, and supposition.
If any of the athlete’s slip on a wet playing field and gets hurt, the game is no longer meaningless.
Donna,
Why did Girardi lie? You know why don’t you? You don’t care, do you?
Patrick——
I have become more and more positive about AJ in the last month or so. The guy has the stuff of an ace and did make 111 starts in the last four years which is pretty reliable.
It’s hard to know for certain but my belief is that CC ($ 22-23) Tex ($ 18-19) and AJ ($ 16) will get about $ 55-60 a year combined.
Giambi, Abreu, Pettite and Pavano cost the Yanks more than $ 60 million this season
Which group would you rather have in ‘09??
I can’t begin to imagine what Mo would be feeling if he knew that his simple wish that he got to brreak the news was the cause of all this fuss
ey eye eye
What a PR nightmare. Like Pete said the whole thing could have been avoided I THINK if someone, anyone perhaps specifically Jason Zillo was brought in and like any smart pr person would have gotten everyone on the same page so everyone’s stories were straight. I have to imagine that at least one of the guys asked or told him what was going on and what the wish of the player was vis a vis the media. If not that was the crucial mistake.
However even if they were all on the same page and said regular endof year physical would the writers still call him a liar when Mo cameout and told them it was his shoulder?? Or because Mo wsays thats what I wanted him to say would it have been ok.
not to get all political, but Nate Silver, the guy who invented PECOTA projections, has a website devoted to projecting election results. so if you’re into charts and graphs, you’ll have a blast.
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/
Adam,
Most reasonable fans without an agenda against Girardi would agree that Cashman comes out looking the worst of anybody in this whole mess.
Cashman is the one who undermined his manager. He added fuel to the fire by apologizing for his manager lying rather than dismissing it as a miscommuncation or new info. obtained like a good GM would.
Weather Man,
That’s exactly what I was saying. Just one more reason I hope Cashman doesn’t come back.
Teixeria and Burnett > CC
Especially when you consider CC doesn’t evcen want to come here and the only way he seemingly would is to give him 50% more money than the Dodgers. That isin’t somebody who we need on our team.
Atleast AJ and Tex both have made hints that they want to come here.
Saucy: I’ve seen that site. It was in New York magazine the other week I think.
gayle,
It’s not a PR nightmare. This is not on anyone’s radar. You won’t see this mess scrolling on the espn crawl.
We’ll see how many writers will print Mo’s quote and see how they spin it.
Sad, but none of the writers are going to apologize to Joe. Who knew what the deal was. They knew he was covering for Mo. Joe said it blatantly in the post, “It’s my job to protect the players”. And they were still trying to trip him up, even after they got the story from Cashman.
That’s my problem with the whole issue. They knew Joe was covering for Mo and they didn’t care. Furthermore Joe was managing a game, not checking on MRI results, talking with Mo, or getting on the same page as Cash.
wow what a D*ck Girardi is for respecting the wishes of one of the greatest players of all time.
What “hints” have any of the upcoming free agents made to indicate whether or whether or not they want to play for the Yankees?
CC would prefer to pitch on the West Coast…that’s all we know. If the Yankees offer him more money or a longer contract, guess who he’s signing with?
Teixeira has said nothing about wanting to come to the Yankees other than it being known that he grew up a Mattingly fan.
Burnett, I haven’t heard anything about.
Pete
I realize that you have a job to do, but because the organization will not KYA with injury info should mot lead you to bash Joe G. all the time. Having been a fan since the late 60’s has made me appreciate the good times. No fans or writers should have any sense of entitlement, look at the Cubs and complain the Steinbrenners haven’t put us in the position to win every year.
Jorge… you’re just making that up. CC has NEVER said he doesn’t want to come here and even postponed building a home in California until after his FA decision is made. Also this Dodgers owner has shown little interest in being a player in the FA market and his one splurge, Andruw Jones now weighs more than Prine Fielder.
That said, I agree, signing Tex and AJ would do more good than just signing CC.
86w183
Group 1 is the easy answer but that salary doesn’t include a rightfielder so the money is going to be more unless you are putting a player making league minimum in right.
Dice-K will get his 19th win of the season against us in dominant fashion
7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 10 K
Aceves – 4.1 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Adam—- You need to pay closer attention. There have been several posts about AJ’s interest in the Yankees and he gave a pretty good hint with his lavish praise of the organization, the players and the new Stadium the last time he was in NYC.
Tex talked on a national radio show about how he’s an “East Coast Guy” and that he and his wife “Don’t know anyone out here”. I’d say that’s an encouraging sign.
“Dice-K will get his 19th win of the season against us in dominant fashion
7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 10 K
Aceves – 4.1 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K”
Can I borrow that Crystal ball sometime? I got some horse races I’d like to get an edge on.
If Nady is in RF there’s no impact except a bat on the bench in the Jason Michaels type category… not a lot of cash there.
Looking out my office window right, there is no way this game is being played. I can’t even see downtown Boston it’s so gross out.
The only clues I’ve heard from any free agent, is that they want to move closer to their best friend Benjamin.
Ortiz is playing 1B? Have the Yankees been re-assigned to the National League because they missed the playoffs?
Imagine a manager HONORING the wishes of his hall of fame pitcher..
shocking and the media getting on him and questioning his temerity is just standard for the the back benchers who have no accountability..
Yeah this is another Girardi invention, he is such a bad guy, imagine keeping his word to his marquis player on and off the field.
NAH king Torre never mislead the press, ask Tito how Beckett is doing? They said he was great weeks ago when he had tingling in his hand for weeks….
The unfairness of the media towards Girardi is evident for anyone who has eyese….
You don’t know CC doesn’t want to come here. I don’t remember reading any quotes by him that said he doesn’t like NYC.
I’m still not convinced the Yankees will sign CC, Tex AND Burnett. Thats a huge chunk of change. I think the yankees will make an effort to reduce the payroll. About 80 million is coming off the books. We’ll see what happens, it’d be awesome to get all 3 of those guys.
pat, the right fielder is Nady.
You think if Burnett wants to be in NY that bad he’ll work real hard to stay healthy when he’s here?
See the Yankees.
See the Yankees scramble to cover Girardi’s lying butt.
See the Yankees looking foolish.
Ridiculous. Mo wanted to tell the media when he was ready,so Girardi covered. Cashman apparently didnt. Get off Girardi’s tail. BTW, he has managed the pitching staff better than Torre ever did.
Mel hate to tell you it is a PR nightmare. Just because it isnt on ESPN doesnt make it a nightmare. It has been talked about in every daily newspaper, every Yankee blog and sports talk radio. If anyone who watched the postgame on YES last night saw the postgame and those are millions a somewhat simple little thing blew up big time.
Now people are questioning the honesty of the manager, questioning the agenda of the media, questioning the agenda of the GM. That is a PR nightmare.
Like Pete said it could have been avoided very easily if they brought the PR person in and had a plan before everyone went to the media. Obviously either that didnt happen or the memo didnt get to some people.
Nice lineup. Go for the jugular. Jeter HR over the monster off Schilling. What? Schilling’s not even on the roster? Never mind.
“So Girardi invented the “it’s his standard physical†story. But Cashman went with the truth. When Girardi was confronted with the truth after the game, he stuck with his lie.”
Why would you assume that Girardi already knew what Cashman said. You can certainly say that they have to coordinate better, but acting like you know every thing that happened, well that is ridiculous.
“Tex talked on a national radio show about how he’s an “East Coast Guy†and that he and his wife “Don’t know anyone out hereâ€. I’d say that’s an encouraging sign.”
Well Tex is from Baltimore. However I doubt he would want to go play for an Orioles team that is not making the post-season for the foreseeable future. His favorite player growing up was Don Mattingly and perhaps that along with a new stadium opening up will attract Tex. I like Tex a lot but I hate that the Yankees have to deal with that snake Boras.
This whole thing got blown out of proportions because of Pete and the beat writers. Instead of waiting to hear what Mo had to say (since it was clear Girardi was acting on Mo’s wishes), they needed a story and created one. If the Yankees had been on their way to the playoffs, we wouldn’t have had this mess because there would have been something real to cover. But since Jeter and company are on their way to Florida and other parts unknown (leaving the beat writers with no story), one last controversy had to be created. Good job, guys. Hope you’re happy!
It’s time to turn the page and start looking to next season. Enough with the nonsense.
Man tough group today…Wonder if everybody’s been hanging out with Randy I on The Cape….Heavy edge to the populace today…...
Pete,
Thanks for filling in the blanks on this story, such as they are.
It is absolutely amazing that Mariano had the season he had!
It’s interesting if he did say he’d be available to pitch this weekend. Perhaps we are overreacting a bit, and should take a page from Mo’s book.
I come here for Yankees news, not slop slung by mud-slinging reporters.
The act is getting tired, Pete. I don’t see the issue – not enough to take up the space of a half dozen blog entries. The story should be Mo’s shoulder, period, not how it was reported. Girardi did his best to protect Mo before they knew any DETAILS.
“If Nady is in RF there’s no impact except a bat on the bench in the Jason Michaels type category… not a lot of cash there.”
My point was 3 salaries vs. 4 salaries for the same position is an unfair comparison. If Andy comes back and takes Ponson’s place in the rotation, that would be an extra 7 or 8 million added. The Yanks may shave a little payroll but they aren’t going to cut it drastically unless the big money free agents don’t want to come to NY and they have to go with tier 2 salary free agents.
“You think if Burnett wants to be in NY that bad he’ll work real hard to stay healthy when he’s here?”
I dunno I think AJ is a good fit in the rotation. Filthy stuff, great velocity and hes a gamer who can go deep in a game. The problem is keeping him on the field, hes certainly no Pavano the guy actually has a desire to go to the park and blow away hitters.
gayle,
I’ll take your word for it. But from the outside looking in, it’s not even a story. From the outside the writers look bad. Even after seeing two doctors, Mo says he’s available to pitch. Doesn’t mean he will, but I do recall Girardi saying that Mo would be in Boston.
*outside the greater New York area.
Rivera’s pitches come from Source.
Maybe Joe should have said Mo will speak to you tomorrow.
But if he did that it would have caused a firestorm.
He told the media what his player requested he do. Maybe the issue should be lame duck Brian, for throwing his manager under the bus.
What has happened to this blog? It has turned into one writer with an agenda.
Nobody wants to deal with Boras, but he’s hard to avoid. I think a real key is getting the player as involved in the process as possible. If it’s a pure, hard core squeeze out every dollar deal then I wouldn’t want any part of it. I think this year’s big three FA (assuming AJ opts out) are all going to be very involved in choosing their future home and won’t just take the best offer regardless.
Teixeria listed Anahiem, NY, and Seattle as his favorite road cities after he was traded to the Angels. He talked about how much he loves NY (when the Braves came to Shea earlier in the year) and his sister and her husband live in NJ and work in the city so he visits this area a lot.
The Yankees players have done everything possible to make their wishes for Burnett known. Bruney even mentioned him by name this morning. Waldman said that AJ has all but come out and said he wants to come here. Back when we signed Pavano, there was speculation Burnett asked to be traded to the Yankees to play with him and that annoyed Jack McKeon. Burnett said he wants to play East and be close to his Maryland home. Back when he struck out 13 against us a few weeks ago, there were 2-3 articles which talked about a ‘buzz’ in the clubhouse that AJ badly wanted to play here. He always has had praise for us as well when he beat us.
AJ and Tex have made their wishes known via the media.
this mess is 100% cashman’s fault
he is the one who threw girardi under the bus
Well, I guess the good news is that they want to be here.
Wow, Girardi with the A-lineup out there.
Pat—- it’s not an unfair comparison because the Yanks are adding Matsui to a lineup he was virtually invisible in PLUS an entire season of Xavier Nady. Therefore they will be adding fewer players than get rid of.
Right now they have Abreu, Matsui, Damon and Nady for three jobs (LF, RF, DH). I don’t viewe Damon as a CF possibility except on occasion next season. therefore Abreu does not have to be replaced on the roster.
Pete,
Funny. After Cash let the cat out of the bag, Joe G. should’ve fessed up?
“Haha, guys. I was just kidding. What was that question again?”
“What has happened to this blog? It has turned into one writer with an agenda.”
Pete has an agenda, but it’s probably not the one you think it is. I think that Pete has an issue with Girardi and his supposed lack of truthfulness and can’t go a day without telling us about it, but that’s not his agenda. The guy wants hits on his blog. What better way to accomplish that than by continually posting about something he knows Yankee fans get all up in arms about? It’s the same reason he does those little digs at A-Rod; because he knows that people like me (huge A-Rod defender here) are going to complain about it.
Pete’s posts serve a purpose. It’s our decision if we are going to go along with it or not. I enjoy talking to other Yankee fans so I’ll still come here, but I agree with most that the anti-Girardi posts are starting to grate on my nerves.
Gardner is hitting .289 in September (16 games) with a .325 OBP and a .421 slugging. He has only struck out 9 times in 38 ABs. 3 doubles, 1 triple too.
He has really mashed the ball lately. I think getting a lot of playing time really helped him, he was a notorious slow starter but now he is on fire.
I guess Pete is also calling a Mo a liar. After all he pitched the entire season with a sore shoulder and didn’t tell Joe.
So, as of 4:16 PM, Girardi was still a liar for abiding by the wishes of and promise he made to Rivera. Just because Cashman shot his mouth off and went against Rivera’s wishes, still can’t see Girardi as being a liar. I’m sure that Rivera isn’t the first player to ask Girardi to cover for an injury. That’s one of the many ways the manager earns the players respect. He keeps it to himself. I’m also sure that Pettitte, Posada, Jeter and a couple of other players knew about it. should they be roasted for not spilling their guts to the media?
I don’t think anyone can argue that Tex won’t be an impact player.
He’s worth pursuing at least. If we don’t get him, it’ll just cost that much more for the other team.
Melky/Gardner will be fine in CF, and Jackson will be ready not later than ‘10, we are in a good position here. Girardi does not want Damon and his cranky attitude around the young guys, he’ll be gone this offseason. As for our 1B, Matsui said he’d be willing to play, and Nady can play as well.
I’d go out and sign Casey Blake. A solid RH contact bat who is an exceptional defender, and can play 1B, 3B, LF, RF. This would vastly improve our team defense and flexibility, not to mention chemistry.
Position Outlook
C-Posada, Molina, Cervelli
1B-Blake, Matsui, Nady, Miranda
2B-Cano, Betemit, Corona, Pena
SS-Jeter, Betemit, Pena, Corona
3B-ROD, Betemit
LF- Matsui, Blake, Melky, Gardner
CF-Gardner, Melky, Jackson, Christian
RF-Nady, Blake, Melky, Christian
DH-Matsui, Posada
One thing Girardi said was how half he time his cell phone didn’t work in that stadium. Pete himself has said how ironic it was that the stadium named for a communications giant has spotty service at best. Why couldn’t the benefit of the doubt be given that Girardi and Cashman simply missed connections? Not everything is a conspiracy.
And I agree with whoever said there’ll be no apologies to Joe for the way he was hounded last night.
I liked the way Gardner hit Halladay last night.
Mo didn’t tell Joe he had a sore shoulder cause he knew he wouldn’t pitch him. Mo sucked it up and pitched with it anyway.
To me Joe showed something to his players, he was sitting there taking loads of slings and arrows when after he started to get hit, he could have simply said. My player asked that I not say anything, but since my general manager went against Mo’s request, than yes Mo returned to NY for an Mri on his shoulder.
Girardi should win something or at least do something good or important before thinking who he is. He gets a pass for his attitude, lying, poor job performance once he does something, or produces
If I’m a player in that clubhouse who watched the hounding Joe took to protect MO, I have even more respect for him.
But we have a bunch of vets who march to their own drum and go their own ways, they are not really a team anyway, so I doubt they take much interest in the ‘team unity’ concept. But on any other real team, what Girardi did resonated in the clubhouse.
jennifer,
But it shouldn’t have gotten to that point. They knew he was protecting Mo and they wouldn’t back off. They already had the story from Cashman. Kim started off the session with “Brian Cashman’s already…” and after hearing Joe’s denials two times, they should’ve accepted it.
But they were trying to trip up Joe G. or embarrass him.
If Cashman kept his mouth shut and didn’t try to undermine his manager, this wouldn’t be a story.
This is 100% Cashman’s fault. Amazing how Girardi protects his player and still get hounded while Cashman throws his hand-picked manager under the bus and gets a pass.
The blame game doesn’t work any better on this blog than it does in Washington.
Now, it doesn’t matter after Peter attacked Girardi over and over again.
86
All I’m saying is to leave money out of it because until the 2009 roster is nailed down, you won’t know how or if they are going to save money.
Girardi iz penus.
Cashman’s one good quality was dealing with the players and management and even that he screwed up.
Time for him to go, Showalter step in the ring.
Rumor also has it that Burnett’s wife loves Toronto, and negotiations are now ongoing for an extension to Burnett.
3 years at 16M/per with a 4th year based on innings pitched?
With the economy, it will be interesting to see if any effect on monies and FA signings. With credit tight the Yankees might have to let go all the concession stand workers, which means you’ll buy the $10 hot dog and have to cook it yourself!!
Cashman throwing Girardi under the bus on his way out the door?
YT,
Burnett’s going to leave Toronto. The fans gave him a fond farewell.
Unfortunately, the fans also saluted Pavano!
Rebecca,
I don’t think most of the people bashing Gardner have see his recent at bats.
He is looking more and more like a real hitter to me and I can tell from his approach that he has the kind of attitude this team needs more of.
I’m not saying we guarantee him CF, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see him out there next year.
Brandon-
LMAO on your 3:42 link about the Yankees new vacation stadium.
didn’t expect to ever say this on a NYY board:
who is everyone pulling for, in the AL and NL playoffs ?
Is Wakefield or Dice K starting tonight? Pete has Wakefield listed in the line-up area with Cash catching but he gives the match ups with Dice K. Anyone know which it is?
Mel-
What do you think Burnett’s contract will be? Look up his situational stats on cbssportline.com and tell me if you feel he’s a good signing.
Well Pete, you successfully made a fool out of yourself.
G. Love: I’ve been impressed with his play recently, too. I’m a little concerned that he doesn’t seem to have a lot of power, but I understand that you don’t necessarily eed to have power to be an effective hitter, especially if you have speed like Gardner does.
You get three hits off Halladay like Gardner did, you’re going to get major points in my book.
Mel and others how would the writers know that he was covering up for Mo. They are not mind readers and based on past issues when it comes to injuries at this point they cannot assume anything in that regard is correct.
People make decisions and reads based on past interactions with people. The writers past interactions when it comes to Girardi and injuries has not been stellar. Why do you think they tracked down Cashman in the first place?
That is why I said that the mistake in this whole thing was not getting Zillo involved from the start and getting everyone on the same page which clearly they were not.
Last word on this issue for me time for me to root for my Phillies and put some voodoo on the Mets.
Braintrust,
No question—- Cashman’s actions this entire ear indicae he has one foot out the door. Throwing his manager under the bus just affirmed that.
“who is everyone pulling for, in the AL and NL playoffs ?”
I was pulling for the Yankees, but that didn’t turn out too well.
My prediction is LAA vs PHI in the World Series.
I hope that the Cubs lose first round!
vinny: Twins and Cubs.
According to the news, the Mets are on for tonight.
Why isn’t the Hobbitt in tonight’s lineup? Did David Ortiz accidentally step on him?
Some people don’t realize that you can win games without having all-stars at every position. Pitching, Speed, Defense will prevail more times than not (don’t believe me look at the Rays, I rest my case.)
Sean L,
I would love to see that team in ‘09, but Cashman will probably go out and spend millions on the next “savior” Teixeria. Sabathia should be the only big fish we go after.
A rotation of
1. Sabathia
2. Wang
3. Pettitte
4. Joba
5. Hughes
would give us a chance to win day in and day out.
2009 lineup
Damon LF
Jeter SS
Matsui DH
ARod 3B
Posada C
Cano 2B
Nady RF
Casey Blake 1B
Gardner CF
Tex is a great player…but is he a premier player? Or is he more complementary like Abreu? There are a number of scouts who think he is more Abreu than dominate, team leader.
Pete:
Remember Melky was also looking good as a defensive center fielder who can hit pretty decent last year.All gardner got is some speed.He hasn’t hit.Yankee fans need to relax when a prospect plays a few games.
Thats why we lost this year by overrhyping these players thinking we can risk the season by having them as starteers.
vinny-b
I’m rooting for the Tampa Bay Rays to beat the Cubs in the WS in seven games. Both teams make a pile of money.
A-Rod in the offseason says he wants to waive his no trade to go to the Cubs because he thinks he can be a difference maker and the pressure of NY is getting to him. Cubs sold to Mark Cuban and they contact the Yankees offering Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano for A-Rod and Johnny Damon, to help make the contracts even out.
Rooting for:
Twins over Rays in 5
Angels over Red Sox in 4
——————————————-
Cubs over Dodgers in 4
Phillies over Milwaukee in 4
I think my NL matchups are correct…Cubs cannot play WC Milwaukee, so defaults to Phils playing Milwaukee?
gayle,
the point is: none of it mattered anyway. 90% of NYY fans, would’ve been satisfied waiting until the season was officially over, to find out the injury details.
bottom line is, Rivera still has to have surgery. Pete’s “efforts” changed nothing. Except for maybe p*ssing off people. General manager, manager, and fans alike.
“Damon LF
Jeter SS
Matsui DH
ARod 3B
Posada C
Cano 2B
Nady RF
Casey Blake 1B
Gardner CF”
Not bad, but you’ve got Matsui too high and you are missing Abreu. I want him re-signed.
Not sure Pettitte and his elbow would be better than Mussina next year. Much rather have a healthy Moose than an injured or worn down Andy. No way they should have both in the rotation…that would be a repeat of this year. With a healthy Wang and Joba plus one of either Moose or Pettitte…you still need two starters. Figure the Moose / Pettitte slot to be at number 4. You can use a kid at number 5 (Coke, Aceves, Hughes?). For the top three, you can slot in Wang…but Joba will be on an innings limit. The need for a top flight starter is most glaring.
I will be rooting for the demise of the Dodgers, Mets, Angels, Cubs, and Red Sox.
I guess I’m with the Rays and Phils.
I will root for the Angels over the Sox
Will root for the Mets over the Dodgers
Will root for the Cubs over the Dodgers
Wil root for the Dodgers over the Red Sox
Will root for Angels over the Dodgers
Will root for Cubs over the Red Sox
Will root for the Angels over the Mets
Will root for the Mets over the Red Sox
vinny—my picks: the Angels and the Phils (though I’d rather see Lou and Soriano’s Cubs)
Mel, you asked in an earlier subject about whether or not Jesus Montero had or will outgrow the catcher’s position, and I posted what I saw of him and Romine when they played in Charleston this season. If you want it reposted, I’ll put it here.
If Girardi doesnt think he needs to answer questions from the media, or if Joe thinks its a waste of time, or if Joe doesnt want to answer the questions truthfully why doesnt he just not answer them or say no comment?
I find it hard to believe so many people are defending and backing Girardi. He has no track record, did a poor job this year. Its not like he is some great baseball mind that was a winner someplace else.
I would give him another year but this guy is not Red Schoedinst (sorry for the spelling)
“A-Rod in the offseason says he wants to waive his no trade to go to the Cubs because he thinks he can be a difference maker and the pressure of NY is getting to him. ”
Huh? You really see A-Rod making such a statement? I want some of whatever it is that you are smokin’.
“Cubs sold to Mark Cuban and they contact the Yankees offering Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano for A-Rod and Johnny Damon, to help make the contracts even out”.
These contracts aren’t even close. People who keep fantasizing about A-Rod leaving are going to be disappointed for years to come.
Anyone give any thought to John Garland for next year?
29 years old, think he’s a FA? Eats innings…
Just got around to reading your update. You look pathetic, Pete. Go give Girardi an apology…but since you weren’t man enough to call him a liar to his face, you certainly don’t have the backbone to apologize to him for standing up for his player.
That’s what leaders do…protect their people.
Sad, Pete…sad.
(Rationalize your writing and behavior all you want. You look petty and small.)
Jonathan’s right- Tampa Bay won with solid starting pitching, not one .300 hitter and players who stepped up with a different player coming thru each night, especially with Longoria and crawford out.
I really think we should attempt to sign two quality FA starters, which would allow us to trade some of our minor league pitching for young athletic position players.
Winter ball will be fun
Romine
Jackson
Brackman
Hughes
Bleich
Sanchez
Romine has the makings of a star, I’m keeping an eye on him.
yankee trader: I would sign up for that. Trade included.
If we want to see these young guys get better they have to play. Bottom line, their not gonna get any better sitting on the bench. After 7 years of delaying the inevitable youth movement, going out and signing more FAs is not gonna help the problem. We are an OLD team, time to start playing the young guys. Girardi realizes this, just hope Cashman doesn’t make anymore dumb moves.
“Heavy edge to the populace today……”
maybe it was that little financial crisis that is said to be the worst since the depression. at least for the adults on the blog.
actually pat m, i bought a bunch of apple stock today when it plummeted in price. call me crazy, but i like to zig when other people zag.
It’s been a decade of new teams and old friends returning to the World Series.
With that in mind I would lean towards a Rays vs Cubs matchup.
It fits the pattern.
If your plans are to have both Hughes and Chamberlain in the same rotation, you’re going to be a starting pitcher short. They are still going to be about 60+ innings short each, and the bullpen can’t pick that up.
“I find it hard to believe so many people are defending and backing Girardi.”
I’m not defending or backing his performance as manager this year; just his position in this current controversy. His player asked him to keep something a secret. He did so despite being harassed by the media, who are desperate for a story now that the Yankees are in the toilet. Girardi did the right thing; he stood by Mo and honored his wishes.
My playoff predictions:
Angels over Red Sox
Rays over Twins
Rays over Angels
—-
Brewers over Phillies
Cubs over Dodgers
Cubs over Brewers
—-
Cubs over Rays
Cone’s Labrum: If the Yankees needed a three or four starter I’d certainly go after Garland, but they need a one or two type.
Randy: Good for you, macs rule!
The Florida Marlins officially knocked the Mets out last season. They are here with a chance to do it again. I do hope that history repeats itself!
TB over MIN in 6 games
BOS over LA in 7 games
TB over BOS in 7 games
PHI over LAD in 6 games
CHC over NYM in 6 games
PHI over CHC in 7 games
PHI over TB in 5 games
Laura-
Not smoking anything! Drinking! TGIF!! No, really, if A-Rod doesn’t come thru in the clutch again next year, he might just wish he was out of NY. No matter if he breaks the homerun record, he’ll never be considered a “true” Yankee- like Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Mantle, Berra.
Arod wants to go to Chicago? Thats great! except they do not have anything to give us back that would be equal return.
They certainly won`t trade Lee, and there isnt anyone on that team that could help us thats tradeable
I’m not defending Girardi. I just would like a little more professionalism from the “media” that covers this team. This is ridiculous petty high school stuff. You’re supposed to hide your bias a little bit better than this.
Garland is a socal guy, even more so than Sabathia. His price is more reasonable too, its very likely he signs with a california team.
Jon Garland eats innings to the tune of a 5.00 ERA….no thanks.
“Jonathan’s right- Tampa Bay won with solid starting pitching, not one .300 hitter and players who stepped up with a different player coming thru each night, especially with Longoria and crawford out.
I really think we should attempt to sign two quality FA starters, which would allow us to trade some of our minor league pitching for young athletic position players.”
Some of these fans might be too young to remember how we won our championships in the 90’s. We had our star players sure, but the role players were so critical in that dynasty. Fundamentals and team chemistry will prevail over an All-Star lineup every time ( too many examples, see Yankee playoffs ‘02-’07).
“Not smoking anything! Drinking! TGIF!! No, really, if A-Rod doesn’t come thru in the clutch again next year, he might just wish he was out of NY. No matter if he breaks the homerun record, he’ll never be considered a “true†Yankee- like Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Mantle, Berra.”
I can understand A-Rod wanting to leave (the fans treat him like dirt!), but I just don’t see him admitting to the world that he couldn’t handle NYC (which I don’t believe, by the way). I don’t think his ego lets him do that.
In ‘96? Jeter was not a star, Pettitte was not a star, Mo was not a star, nor Posada or Girardi. Tino was a semi-star, as was O’Neill. Cone and Key were. Wettland was. Boggs was in a state of decline. I’d say Bernie was a star at that point.
A friend once brought up a point that Alex is immensley talented, but he doesn’t know how to handle the fame that accompanies it.
Jon Garland eats innings to the tune of a 5.00 ERA….no thanks.
he will have to battle Posada for #20. last offseason, Garland paid Juan Rivera for that number.
“A friend once brought up a point that Alex is immensley talented, but he doesn’t know how to handle the fame that accompanies it.”
That sounds about right. If he hadn’t messed up his relationship with Jeter, Derek could have helped him in that regard.
My postseason picks? Anyone and everyone but the Sux.
A-Rod to the Cubs for Edmonds, Ted Lilly, and Neal Cotts
one and done for the red sox. pass the energy.
I’ve read on this blog that we should have signed Carlos Beltran in January of 2005, who Boras said would be willing to play for the Yankees for 19M less than the 119M he signed with the Mets.
What FA’s did we sign that year- wasn’t it Damon and Farnsworth, plus an extension to Matsui, that kept us from having interest in Beltran??
I don’t think we need to trade A-Rod, I think we need to get him to change his uni number.
Unless you can find a #13 playing for a team that won the World Series, then I’ll shut up.