Spring Game 20: Phillies at Yankees
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Mar 16, 2009 
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YANKEES
Gardner CF
Ransom 3B
Swisher 1B
Matsui DH
Nady RF
Molina C
Berroa 2B
Linden LF
Nunez SS
Pitching today: Joba Chamberlain, Brian Bruney, Kei Igawa, Dave Robertson.
PHILLIES
Bruntlett SS
Donald 3B
Ibanez LF
Howard 1B
Werth CF
Stairs DH
Jenkins RF
Harman 2B
Paulino C
Pitching today: Kyle Kendrick, Bobby Mosebach, Scott Eyre, Ryan Madson.
Notes: The Yankees take on the defending World Series champions for the first time this spring. Though the teams are only a short distance apart, they play only four times all spring. … Chamberlain was sharper in his last outing (3 innings, 1 run) after two brutal starts. … The game will apparently be on Phillies.com.
I’ve written about the team’s improved chemistry this spring and how the new pitchers are fitting in. Joel Sherman of the Post weighs in on that topic today and offers some new insights. It’s well-worth checking out.
Back with more later.
UPDATE, 10:12 a.m.: Sorry for the lack of updates, but there was nothing to update. The Yankees gathered at 9 a.m. for some sort of motivational film. I believe it was Will Ferrell in Look Out For That Garbage Truck! The Carl Pavano Story.
The team is on the field now.
UPDATE, 11:42 p.m.: MRIs back on Cano and Marte. No structural damage. Bursitis for Cano. Inflammation for Marte.
UPDATE, 12:51 p.m.: Cano said he should be ready to play on Friday. He’ll DH or pinch hit until then. No word as of yet as to when Marte will pitch. … The Yankees added outfielder Edwar Gonzalez and infielder Luis Nunez to the roster for today’s game.
UPDATE, 1:20 p.m.: Joba walked the first man on four pitches and then struck out the next on three. Beautiful day for baseball here. 80 degrees and sunny.
In other news, the Marlins have returned Rule 5 pick Zach Kroenke to the Yankees.
UPDATE, 1:27 p.m.: Joba got Ibanez to ground to second and then struck out Howard with a 2-2 fastball on the outside corner. Howard didn’t like the call.
UPDATE, 1:36 p.m.: Gardner flew to center. Ransom (single), Swisher (single) and Matsui (walk) loaded the bases. Nady then fanned looking.
It’s up to Molina. … He grounds out.
UPDATE, 1:46 p.m.: Joba got through the second. Werth flew to right, Stairs popped to first. Jenkins then doubled, hitting a wounded duck that fell over third base and rolled into foul territory. Harman then popped to right.
I have Joba for 30 pitches, 17 strikes. I could be off by a couple. I’ve only been counting pitches on flat ground so far this spring.
UPDATE, 2:03 p.m.: Three innings in the books for Joba. 2 hits 0 runs, 1 walk, 3 Ks, 1 HBP. Still no score.
UPDATE, 2:38 p.m.: Yankees lead 2-0 as Brian Bruney ducks some trouble in the fourth inning.
Stay tuned for after the game. I have lined up the latest reader Q&A and will open the floor to question for the player involved.
UPDATE, 3:09 p.m.: Jayson Werth just hit a one-hope rocket at shortstop Eduardo Nunez that he turned into a double play from his knees. The ball nearly took his head off.
Yankees up 5-0.
UPDATE, 3:14 p.m.: Brett Gardner just made it 6-0 with an RBI triple. Melky Cabrera has been spotted storming off with his bags packed.
Gardner is now hitting 1.134 in spring training, which is mathematically impossible but he has done it anyway.
UPDATE, 3:24 p.m.: It’s now 8-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Wholesale subbing going on.
Wait, 9-0. I’ve now stopped keeping score.
I wonder y melancon was sent out before Claggett or jackson.
Pete, I’m looking forward to your article very much and I’m off to read Sherman’s piece right now. I love these types of articles and especially this year since I adore all of our new signings.
Yesterday was a good day for Jorge – I’m happy not just for the Yankees, but Jorge as well, as I can’t imagine how frustrating it was for him to sit on the sidelines, unable to help his team.
I’m crossing my fingers about Cano and Marte……
pete is the game available for free on phillies.com
Thanks for the link Pete…just added some fuel to the fire that is my excitement for this coming season!
Here’s the link to Sherman’s article:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03.....159799.htm
It’s a very good piece – I LOVE the idea that the pitchers show up to each other’s pen sessions and how they now have a fist-bump routine. Having a genuine support system is only a good thing – and these guys obviously honestly like each other.
I think Burnett’s reputation as prickly and different (well, different still probably suits him, but that’s ok) comes from his relationship with the media. It seems to me that he’s had good relationships with his teammates and still has close friends on other teams. In any case, I would love to see that fishing tournament televised – it’s bound to be better than that garbage they show on ESPN2.
Oops, I’m sorry – I completely forgot that Pete provided the link already. Sheesh – guess I’m not fully awake yet.
Let’s go Joba!
Great article by Joel.
I’m all for chemistry and guys getting along but these kinds of articles pop up every ST, whether its this or Nick Swisher bringing his style to the Yanks to liven and loosen things up (previous versions: Giambi and Damon) have long lost their effect on me.
Having said that its nice to see them supporting each other. Thats nice.
During a Yankee/Toronto game last year, the Jay pitcher (I think AJ) got taken from the game and on TV they showed the rest of the starting rotation go over and hug him.
I remember thinking how odd and yet nice that was to see.
Sounds like AJ wants to bring some of that with him to NYC.
Help!! I’m trying to do the Yahoo brackets and it’s not letting me choose teams. What am I doing wrong?
I finished “Confessions of a She-Fan.” Really good, really quick read. I told my husband he’s very lucky I’m not in Jane Heller’s league! Since the book was such an easy read, I’m not sure why it was edited down as much as it was. I suspect it was for more cross-gender appeal. Anyway, I highly recommend it to both genders. Some pretty funny stuff.
Regarding AJ, I guess it shows to go ya that you can’t believe everything you read, and you never really know people until you actually get to know them. I certainly like the idea of the starting staff being involved in ALL the games, rather than just their own and the physical presence – well, actions speak louder than words. Any one can say they have your back, but showing it is another thing altogether.
I know time and performance will tell. If the team doesn’t win, all the cameraderie in the world will mean not so much, at least not to the fans. But one would like to think that a team that has cameraderie, that is willing to SHOW they are on each other’s side, is a team that can make winning happen.
I was reading today in the Star Ledger about how Joe Girardi is attempting to avoid having his starters pitch against teams like the Red Sox, Rays, Blue Jays. It seems like the more teams that move to Arizona, the less variety in spring training and the more exposure to teams in their own division. I have two trains of thought on Girardi’s plan. One is in agreement with him that the less exposure your rivals have to your starters before the season, the better. Second, though, is that if the starters are being held back to pitch in intrasquad or B-team games, is the level of competition high enough, even with the realization that spring training is meant to, basically, fine-tune and work things out in preparation for the season?
Joba-mania today!
That Joel Sherman article was a good read. “We have Five Musketeers”
Sherman’s article is great. However, every time I visit the Post’s site, I’m reminded of why I never normally visit the Post’s site.
It has to be the singular worst designed Newspaper website on Earth. It’s almost impossible to read.
I guess Rupert Murdoch is determined that you WILL buy the newspaper, or have your eyes burned out online.
Sherman’s too good for that rag!
Lohud.com is well designed. Kudos to the developers on this site for understanding what a site visitor wants to see. It seems obvious, but so few developers get it right.
It’s nice to hear these stories about comraderie in the clubhouse, it wasn’t like this for the last several years. But it’s not just being buddy-buddy, it’s also being personally accountable to your teammates for your performance, this is a good sign.
Doreen-I think Yahoo is acting a little..Yahoo. I am trying to edit my tourney brackets-and I can’t see anything. Maybe in a bit it will be working again.
Over the last several years I’m sure there have been stories about guys getting along. I’m not dismissing it, I’m just saying I’ve heard this tune before.
Being personally accountable for your play doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand with being buddy-buddy.
Thanks, S.A.
It was frustrating. Of course, it would let me let them pick my teams!
(Which, after my dismal showing last year, might not be such a bad thing.
)
the game is on phillies.com and yankees.com
it says its a webcast exclusive gameday audio. What does that mean, isnt gameday audio always on the web? or it is free this time?
I Can’t fathom in my mind exactly why Igawa has to be used when he’s not on the 40-man roster and somebody like Kennedy could be used until the final cuts are made. Igawa is taking innings away from a pitcher that should be watched for future use.
So the Yankees are stuck with his salary. They had 4 years of the same thing with Pavano. Igawa is going to AAA anyway so what’s the holdup ?
Lara, I understand your point, but on the other hand, I DO think it’s important for these guys to be a support system for each other. At some point during the season, all of these guys will struggle and the friendships they’ve built up (this goes beyond the 5 SP) will be something of a refuge. Each of the SP can offer something different to each other. For instance, Andy (and to a lesser extent, Joba – not sure about Wang) certainly can (and has) offered his wisdom to CC and AJ about handling NY.
The one thing I would advise AJ about (as CC has never had any issues with the media or fans) is that he should always take responsibility (and he’s already made it clear that he would) for any bad performances and not get upset at the fans when/if they boo him. These are the same fans that booed Mo and Jeter a few years ago – for the most part, they aren’t booing out of a personal dislike for the player (Alex is an exception), but out of hyperactive expectations. I believe he’s picked Andy and Jeter’s brains about NY, and he’s a smart guy – I think he’ll get it down pat.
I agree Betsy, but fans have been quite harsh on Arod. He can’t hit a homerun everytime he has an at bat.
Joel Sherman with a positive article on the Yanks? Thats a first! Should frame that one.
Brad:
Maybe they are trying to showcase him and hopefully draw interest from another team so they can finally trade him.
Brad:
Maybe they are trying to showcase him and hopefully draw interest from another team so they can finally trade him.
Benny, I agree – I am no fan of Yankee fans. I thought they were hypocritical to cheer Alex in 2007…….and I’m being kind here. For the most part, though, Yankee fans boo out of some weird combination of resentment (they are making $$$$$, so if they don’t do their job, I’m entitled), stupidity (hey, I’ll motivate them to do better) and general lack of knowledge. AJ (same goes for any new player, really) just needs to ignore them and realize that they will cheer for him when he does well. He can’t get away with a Jack McDowell bird-flip (not that he would ever do this) and probably not even something like his hat-tip to the Blue Jay fans. He is a very smart guy, though, and I think he’s absorbed enough insight from the vets to understand this. I can see him easily becoming a fan favorite if he performs well (that is a qualifier that goes for CC and Tex as well).
John C -
Actually, with the exception of the ARod stuff, Sherman has been very positive with regard to the Yankees. I remember way back when they first spent all the money he was defending their spending on the radio. He specifically defended the way they went after CC. (He basically said, bottom line was the Yankees were not going to be outbid, so why waste time going through the motions of continually one-upping the competition – the way they did it let CC know unequivocally what their intentions were.)
Besty, its not on the other hand. I’ve said I think its nice. Yes, there are benefits. I’m simply saying this story is basically written every year.
And as far as I’m concerned it matters and gives you a bit more (as far as results) when you have the talent to go with the camaraderie. A roster full of Kei Igawas and Brett Garners don’t get you but so far no matter how much they love each other.
I agree, people who like each other talk more and help each other out more. They sit on the bench and talk about the pitcher tipping his pitches. They give advice on running the bases. (I could also argue when you’re a professional that makes millions you should be able to put your personal garbage aside for the better of the team. In very other industry, people have the ability to put aside issues long enough to talk “business”. I expect the same from ball players.)
Heyman is reporting that LAD would pony up Blake DeWitt for Hughes. To that, I say Hell no. Now, if they want Ian Kennedy, I’d bite, but not for Hughes.
“Heyman is reporting that LAD would pony up Blake DeWitt for Hughes. To that, I say Hell no. Now, if they want Ian Kennedy, I’d bite, but not for Hughes.”
Its pretty obvious the Yankees won’t trade Hughes for DeWitt and the Dodgers won’t trade DeWitt for Kennedy.
So I’m still trying to understand your point.
Pete,
You have to check out this video from the Charlie Weis charity event. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzbMP7pLRkA
I promise you will find it entertaining as a fellow Patriots fans.
Good article by Sherman. Thanks for the link, Pete. However, the design of the Post site is horrendous. Waaaaaay harder to read that article than it should have been.
I don’t even know if trading Kennedy for DeWitt would be a great idea. Unless A-Rod suffers some sort of setback that will keep him out longer, they Yankees would be better off keeping their youngsters and letting Ransom field the hot corner.
Why in the world would we trade Hughes for a 2nd/3rd baseman who hit .260 last year?
Unless some over-priced 3B becomes available for the Yankees to grab, I think Ransom will be manageable at the hot corner.
I don’t understand the media’s fascination with Bobby Crosby. His career numbers are sub-par (.239/.306/.380) and his 2008 numbers are sickening (.237/.296/.349)
I’ll take whatever Ransom gives us for 3-5 weeks rather than waste ANY prospect (i don’t care how lowly they are) on a crappy player who doesn’t even want to play 3B.
Why…
… when it comes to pitchers AJ Burnett and CC Sabathia, neither of whom have won even their first game for the Yankees, is it a big deal to talk about “intangibles” like comraderie, leadership and support, but somehow is a joke when the word “intangibles” is linked to Jeter?
Just asking.
Anyone know who else got sent out?
According to Rotoworld.com (they did not specify a source):
Marlins returned Rule 5 pick LHP Zach Kroenke to the Yankees.
Kroenke seemingly had a good chance to crack the Opening Day bullpen in Florida, but instead rejoins the Yankees while the Marlins get $25,000 back. He’ll likely begin this season at Triple-A.
Thanks for the link to (ack) Sherman’s article.
My immediate thought was of Wang and how sad for him that he really has been alone on an [eiland] for quite a while.
I hope this pays off, and I think it will. Starters talk about not wanting to let each other down when they take the ball, but it’s cool that we’re actually seeing it in other ways.
Murphy
Intangibles need to be in addition to and not instead of tangibles for it not to be turned into a punchline.
Joba needs to take a page out of Aj’s performance on Sat. I expect joba to pitch better than he did his last start.
Maybe the ‘intangibles’ are why Kei Igawa hasn’t been sent down yet?
The article was nearly impossible to read thanks to the absurdly persistent advertising, but when JS or any writer inevitably mentions how much money someone makes, I lose interest and stop reading anyways.
There must be a required course in journalism school called “Income envy 101″.
The Phillies sent Cole Hamels back to Philadelphia for tests on his sore elbow. Maybe they’ll be looking at Igawa today as a potential replacement in case Hamels misses time!
Igawa = Hamels
I wonder how much they’ll have to smoke to believe that one?
If his elbow went south in a bad way, Hamels could probably still out pitch Igawa the week after a TJ operation.
When does mo pitch? I might goto that spring game. My fondest live yankee game memory from the old stadium was in 2007 when mo came in a game i was at.It was so amazing. I’ll never forget it..
Chemistry is a product of winning.
Is this great chemistry going to help the hitters hit Beckett or Halladay better? Or will the pitchers find it easier to get Ortiz and Youkallis out because they like eachother?
It’s nice for some Spring conversation but it doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. Ultimately, these guys individually doing well will create the good chemistry.
I don’t know who Cleveland’s AAA team is, but wouldn’t it be torturously ironic if the July 5 blog outing featured Kei Igawa pitching against Carl Pavano, as Pavano tries to rehab his way back to the majors yet again after suffering something like a pulled pinkie muscle while combing his hair?
Cano has Bursitis!!! Any thoughts..?? Any docs in the house?
no news on Cano
Have Cano pitch the 8th!
UPDATE, 10:12 a.m.: Sorry for the lack of updates, but there was nothing to update. The Yankees gathered at 9 a.m. for some sort of motivational film. I believe it was Will Ferrell in Look Out For That Garbage Truck! The Carl Pavano Story.
Ah, Carl Pavano…the gift that keeps on giving.
Pavano will most likely continue for years to come, to be the source of much mirth.
If your boss tells you to stop Pavanoing me, he/she means that you have been taking way too many sick days and that you should get your lazy keyster back to work and stop stealing the company’s money!
WFAN just said that Cano has buritis and marte has inflammation.
treatment is often enough to reduce pain and let the bursa heal. It usually includes resting the joint, applying ice, and taking pain medicine. Gentle exercises and stretching can help prevent stiffness. Your doctor may suggest physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around your joints.
If you have severe bursitis, your doctor may use a needle to remove extra fluid from the bursa. Or you might wear a pressure bandage on the area. Both treatments are sometimes used together. Your doctor may also give you a shot of medicine to reduce swelling. Some people need surgery to drain or remove the bursa.
Sometimes the fluid in the bursa can get infected. If this happens, you may need antibiotics.
pat:
“Intangibles need to be in addition to and not instead of tangibles for it not to be turned into a punchline.”
“Instead of”?
Jeter: As a Yankee: WS MVP; Lifetime .300 avg; Runner up MVP; 4 WS rings; closing in on 3000 hits.
Sabathia: Wins as a Yankee: 0
Burnett: Wins as a Yankee: 0
I’m hoping CC and AJ both beat Denny McClean’s single season, modern era victory record. But they haven’t won a thing in pinstripes and one injury is all it takes.
Jeter deserves better than “what-have-you-done-for-me-lately.”
cut and paste of course
Bursitis is inflammation but in a different area of the shoulder. Not a big deal at all.
“The Phillies sent Cole Hamels back to Philadelphia for tests on his sore elbow. Maybe they’ll be looking at Igawa today as a potential replacement in case Hamels misses time!”
ROFL, I think Philadelphia would rather bring Hamels to the mound in a sling and let him lob the ball to the plate before they touch Igawa. Amazing how we were sold a bill of goods on this joker, since he has having a decent spring maybe some team can be suckered into having him, too bad they would want the Yankees to take up most of his salary.
Carl Pavano = Bill Clinton, in terms of useful humor value outlasting his tenure. Pavano will be a joke around here for years to come.
C’mon we were all cracking Bill Clinton jokes for years after he left office. At least until we realized the humor value of the ‘next president’. Even then, we wished the new guy’s humor value was for something more superficial like Clinton’s.
Thanks..Patrick! I can relax now.
“Joba needs to take a page out of Aj’s performance on Sat. I expect joba to pitch better than he did his last start.”
Fully agree, go out there, trust your stuff to do the job and throw strikes, once you start thinking then no good comes of it. Its all about commanding the mound and by extension home plate.
Bursitis hurts when you throw, but it should eventually go away with proper attention & rest.
CC, Burnett, Wang, Joba & Pettitte. If all five of those guys get on a hot streak for a month, all at the same time, it’ll be something to watch.
I realize the chances are more likey that you only get 2 or 3 of them going on a real hot streak at the same time, but that wont be so bad either.
Every yr it’s the same story with the improved chemestry. Last yr we had Duncan, Joba, Hughes, Kennedy and a new manager and we were supposed to be a younger and looser team… it resulted in no playoffs.
In 07 we got rid of the Randy, Sheffield, and Wright and brought back Andy (and Doug M. who is a great clubhouse guy) plus towards the end of the yr we incorporated young guys like Duncan, Joba, Hughes into the mix… it resulted in another 1st round exit.
In 06, we brought in Damon to help loosen up the clubhouse… another 1st round exit.
When did we ever have ‘bad’ chemistry? I know people like to attribute that to Randy, Sheffield, etc. yet our most successful seasons as of late included those guys (game 7 of the ALCS in 04, went to game 5 against LA in 05, won 97 games and the division going away in 06). We have not been that competitive since, so it had nothing to do with them.
If we win and these guys perform well… the chemistry will be great. If we lose and these guys do not live up to their contracts.. the chemistry will be bad. pretty simple
murphydog,
I’m with you. I don’t think people thought Jeter was a joke when he started all those rallies or ran down balls when he was out of position and no business doing so.
I think people are just excited about the new additions. And really, aren’t we glad that the writers are focusing on the positive with out of town, out of mind?
Jeter’s been so great, it’s pushed him to the edge of overrated.
CC also has the possibility to be overrated, or at least arrive with excessive expectations.
I hope AJ stays healthy, because I get disgusted everytime someone makes a joke or a prediction about him going on the DL. It shouldn’t be a story unless he gets hurt. Yet, even the writers have to mention that he has a history of injury. In every article they write.
They must think we’re mentally challenged or something, because they never fail to mention how much these guys make either.
from twitter:
bryanhoch: Cano out until Friday with right shoulder bursitis. Marte has inflammation of left shoulder.
4 minutes ago from txt
“with Al out of town, out of mind?”
I hope the mature & improved version of AJ is for real. The boy sure can pitch when he’s on. Hopefully doesn’t digress to just trying to overpower hitters and he he stays healthy.
Good to know that Cano’s condition isn’t serious.
But if had rested it when he first felt it, then maybe the condition would’ve been significantly better.
Of course playing for the DR was important, but it would have been just a case of bad luck if he had to sit out to take care of his body.
Cano’s injury doesn’t sound serious… what about Marte’s?
*significantly better already.
woohoooo, NOT career-ending injuries!
AJ looked great Saturday huh?
I have a sneaking suspicion that he’ll emerge as staff ace.
Jeers – I have that feeling as well. I think he’s going to be a star here if he stays healthy.
Minor injuries. Injuries that could have occurred if they stayed with the Yankees.
These are the kind of injuries that take place in ST when guys are working out the kinks.
With such a long ST this year, they can take it easy with both of them. They will be fine in a week and still have plenty of time to get ready for the season.
Bursa? That’s a kind of Russian hat, isn’t it?
“m March 16th, 2009 at 11:58 am
“with Al out of town, out of mind?” ”
ha yeah I was kind of getting used to the AROD ticker on ESPN daily, weird how he’s hiding in the mountains of colorado w/ NORAD, wonder when he’ll be back in tampa
Cal vs Maryland is a pickem…..I picked Cal….When is Rivera due to pitch in a game ???
tampayank,
I’m almost afraid to ask. But who is NORAD?
Any news on The Leprechaun?
Riveria pitches tomorrow and it will be on Yes. CC also starts. And they scary thing about Riveria is that he’ll probably come in and retire the side in order. One thing about riveria is he knows how to adjust as he gets older.
North American Aerospace Defense Command.
Deter. Detect. Defend.
NORAD=North American Aerospace Defense Command
More importantly, they track Santa.
WHO DO YOU THINK WILL BE THE STARTING CF FOR THE YEAR???
Quick question, what is the mobile url for this site? I can’t find it anywhere and I hate waiting for this whole page to load on my phone. Thanks!
What? That acronym doesn’t even fit.
I thought it was a nickname for some Russian supermodel named Nora Radmanovic.
And in other news, why would you give AIG money with no strings attached?
For some reason I have a feeling that Melky might get hot towards the end of spring training.
Anyone have a link to that great comparison between Nady, Swisher, and Ramirez ?
I remember it being quite informative and showed that Swisher is nearly as good as Ramirez, while Nady is left far behind.
Good news on Cano and Marte ! . they’ll be good to go . . Also heard Arod is doing some work in a pool .. So things are moving right along !
ALB3,
Here you go:
http://www.drivelinemechanics......n-battle-y
murphy
We are kind of making the same point. If CC and AJ can’t help the team on the mound, Heats tickets and fishing trips mean little. Results count and sitting around holding hands and singing Kumbaya is nothing more than a nice ST story if they can’t perform.
Where we seem to differ is, in my opinion, no player deserves a lifetime pass. If they did, Bernie would still be playing CF. He’s one of my favorite players but I don’t even want to see that.
Of course Melky will get hot-Anything for more controversy in Yankee-Land.
This game is on phillies.com???
I wonder if Alex would show up at the opening of the new stadium?
He’ll probably try to sneak in wearing a blond wig.
“I’m almost afraid to ask. But who is NORAD?”
aren’t they the ones who track santa claus at christmas time ?
the game is mlb.com. You have to be a subscriber.
Hamels the Phillies should watch him if I recall correctly he for sure falls in verducci over 30 land
Gonna go tomorrow night then for the 7:15 game.
So to be clear, NORAD is now being used to see if Mrs. Claus is onboard Al’s private jet AROD1?
Whew – good news on Cano and Marte.
MurphyDog, anyone that rags on Jeter for intangibles is silly. One of the only things I like about the WBC is discovering just how liked and respected he is around the game….that means a lot to me. You often get a lot of “well, if Jeter played in KC, he’d still be very good, but he wouldn’t have the rings”. That’s just a dumb argument because (a) that’s not how it played out and (b) rings or not, the guy would still have played the game the right way and he would still be enormously respected.
M, I’m with you. I am usually eternally pessimistic, but I’m just not that way with AJ. I really feel good about him, but it’s more than that. What is the point in worrying about whether he’s going to hurt himself? It just seems that it’s a waste of time. A lot of his injuries WERE flukish – he had two separate injuries in 1999 and 2000 covering first base. As he’s quoted in a very recent article in the Miami Herald, laughing, “what was I going to do, not cover first base?”. Many pitchers go on the DL during the year- if AJ pulls a hamstring or something relatively minor, you know we are going to hear about what a bad contract it was, even though this happens to every player, every year.
What sucks, by the way, is that Joe is likely going to avoid having his pitchers pitch against division rivals. CC is set to face the Jays (I think?) tomorrow I think and he may pitch in a minor league game. AJ (really sucky, because these games I believe are on YES) is set to face the Sox and Jays in his next two starts; he’ll probably suffer the same fate as CC, lol. In all seriousness, it probably is a good idea…as is having Wang pitch in a minor league game to avoid having to run the bases in his upcoming start against the Astros……
Anyone else getting the Girl from Ipanema on the mlb feed
m
You may be onto something. Maybe the red string on his wrist has nothing to do with Kabbalah and is really a shout out to Mrs. Claus.
pat,
Let’s just hope that Al turns into Al Bundy in hopes of trying to impress his latest paramour!
“I remember it being quite informative and showed that Swisher is nearly as good as Ramirez”
Don’t have the link, but remember the post. Offensively, it wasn’t close. Swisher couldn’t qualify as Manny’s batboy. However, Swisher being a better than average corner outfielder while Ramirez is a defensive buffoon closed the gap considerably.
oops. That should be doesn’t turn into Al Bundy.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday.....b_nyamlb_1
CC faces the Pirates tomorrow
“Quick question, what is the mobile url for this site? I can’t find it anywhere and I hate waiting for this whole page to load on my phone. Thanks!”
I’ve used Mippin for quite a while now. Go to http://m.mippin.com and search for lohud yankees. Only the last 10 comments of an entry are shown but if you click on ‘see original story’ -> ‘google mobile version’, you will get all comments.
Besides CF, there is another interesting race.
Who will likely make the bullpen. Most of the probable candidates have been quite impressive. After Rivera, Marte, and Bruney; guys with service time like Robertson, Albeledejo, Coke, Ramirez, Geise and Veras are the next level. Then, there are Claggert and Jackson on the fringe and the new guys, such as Tomko and Johnson. With Johnson, I can see them give him a long look now that he’s back.
The way I see it, there are 7 spots in the pen to start the season. After the obvious choices or Rivera, Marte, and Bruney, you have 4 slots to fill from the following:
Robertson 4.1 2 1 1 1 6
Albeledejo 4.2 5 1 1 1 4
Coke 8 6 2 2 1 6
Ramirez 1 1 0 0 0 1
Geise 10.1 11 7 7 2 9
Veras 5 2 1 1 3 9
Tomko 10.1 7 2 2 1 10
Johnson 1 2 0 0 0 0
My guess would be Ramirez, Veras, Coke and Tomko (over Geise). But, anyone of them can stumble opening up a slot for someone else.
It’ll be interesting to follow their progress for the next couple of weeks.
m
I stopped reading the Daily News last week. Is he dating Katie Segal now?
As if the Astros lineup AJ faced wasn’t enough of a joke… now he might face minor leaguers in his next start?
i thought the idea was to prepare him for the season, not stroke his ego LOL
I don’t think the Yanks are going to avoid using Burnett and Sabathia against division rivals.
If Girardi does that – it would be a first. Wang pitched Friday against the Red Sox.
I don’t think you have to worry about that. We’ll see both starts this week on YES.
JIM,
Agree. The pen will be Veras, Edwar, Coke and take your pick of the long man.
Chamberlain walks leadoff batter on 4 pitches
gameday is actually going pitch-by-pitch so far if you are interested
Jim,
While there are other relievers I like better, I can see them coming back with: Coke, Veras, Ramirez, and Giese.
I’m not a big fan of Giese at all, but Tomko would require a roster move. If we don’t sign him, someone will pick him up.
If Edwar is still rusty/injured or if Marte’s inflammation doesn’t clear up, that could open the door for Melancon. If both pitchers can’t go, then my next 2 are Albaladejo, then Robertson.
strikes out 2nd batter on 3 pitches
I can understand maybe hiding Burnett or CC against Boston or Tampa… but not Toronto.
First off, we only play one series against Toronto from April until July (and that series is in Mid-May).
Secondly, Toronto isin’t a team we are contending with. Plus they know AJ better than anyone. I fail to see the strategy involved in doing this.
“Agree. The pen will be Veras, Edwar, Coke and take your pick of the long man.”
Joe G has pretty much said it’s these three guys if they are all healthy, citing last year’s efforts as what gives them the edge. I was hoping for Giese as the long guy but both Tomko and Iagawa have outperformed him by a pretty good margin.
pat,
lol. They actually show reruns of the show on cable. At the time, it was a favorite. Just stupidness like Family Guy.
Why would we avoid facing division rivals in the spring? We see them 18 times each a year. 3 ST innings isn’t going to make a big difference. We need practice getting their bats out.
groundout to Ibanez. Chamberlain’s control isn’t good right now.
Strikes out Howard. 19 pitches in the inning
I trust Giese more than I do Tomko.
usually takes an inning or two for Joba to gain controll ! . once he does . . its lights out
19 pitches?!!? and he gave up no hits…that is way too many pitches
“Chamberlain’s control isn’t good right now.”
How’s his velocity?
joba strikes out ryan howard
where do u get 19 pitches from?? its 13.
Johnson isn’t likely to be on the 25 man roster. His career has never shown that he’s dependable.
“joba strikes out ryan howard”
Who doesn’t?
I don’t think gameday is going pitch-by-pitch. What are the chances that Joba walked a guy on 4 pitches then struck out two on 3 strikes each?
It is updating quicker than usual though..
not sure gameday accurate, but i only counted 13 pitches
met pitcher who serve up bombs lol
well that explains why i thought it was 13 not 19, stupid gameday.
it was earlier…the four straight balls etc…then it stalled out…
7 pitches to the first two batters, 6 pitches to rach of the next two batters.
Gary Maddox just called Swisher a terrific defensive player – and he would know!
And Swisher just singled, Ransom to 3rd.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that Gameday is not dependable in the spring.
Swisher starting to heat up.
After Joba walked the first guy, the Phils weren’t swinging much. Last time out, when he didn’t walk the first guy, they were all swinging at the 2-seamer and he was a lot more efficient.
Hit-Deki walks! Loaded for the X-man.
bases loaded, one out, x-man up.
According to Gameday… when somebody walks, it is on 4 pitches. When someone strikes out, it is on 3 pitches (and all 3 pitchers are either looking or swinging, not both).
Anyone able to listen to the Gameday Audio? And if so has anyone heard any velocity readings on Joba’s FB?
X k’s.
Joba did walk the first guy on 4 pitches and K the second guy on 3 pitches. I’m listening to the game, and that’s what happened.
Molina grounds out. Ridiculous.
nady k’s
Swish hitting .167… Nady down to .192
This is a race again!
No word on speed for the pitchers, yet.
Oh, boy…I hope Posada comes back 100000% and Molina never has to swing a bat.
And apparently, anyone who puts the ball in play does it on 1 pitch.
Bases loaded, 1 out, nothing.
Maybe next time…
2nd inning, fly out to track in right. 4 pitches
What Ive learned so far? Molina is giving up switch hitting….
2nd batter, Stairs…pop up on 4 pitches.
Right Field is gonna be a sore spot for us all year.
for all the NORAD questions, they are located under a mountain in Colorado somewhere so basically nearly impossible to cut off all of our communications if an enemy attacked, and they track Santa
whoever thought of that idea is a genius, glad to see that knucklehead Cano is ok
Molina’s a righty, right?
Jenkins, soft liner on first pitch for a double
Phil–
That is Gary Matthews who is the Phillies broadcaster not Maddux right outfield,wrong position ha
And apparently, anyone who puts the ball in play does it on 1 pitch.
Bases loaded, 1 out, nothing.
Maybe next time…
_____
Ahhhh wasn’t 2008 a great year!
Molina makes Varitek look like Babe Ruth when it comes to swinging the bat, but hey at least we know he isn’t playing in games for his offence, I hope he knows how to bunt when men are on and he plays.
He should be working on that in Spring Training.
**YANKS EYEING CROSBY** :
Bobby Crosby, INF, A’s – He has been playing some third after the A’s signed Cabrera, auditioning for a job. So far, he looks very stiff at third, and according to one scout, “You can tell he’s resisting this with every bone in his body. He wants to play short, and that shows in his body language.” The **Yankees** and Cubs **have been watching**, but neither has bitten. The Cubs are giving veteran Corey Koskie, trying to make a comeback from vertigo, a chance in camp while the Yankees still insist Cody Ransom is Alex Rodriguez’s replacement until further notice.
Soft fly out on 3 pitches. 3 outs. 12 pitches in the inning
M, Molina is a right handed batter, but the anouncer claims that he is giving uo switch hitting.
great pic, pete
how can you “fan” looking??
lol, tishbi.
Thanks for that.
I should hope that he’s given up switching hitting. Or maybe he should pick it up?
yeah RF will be a problem all yr. becasue two legit major leaguers are having a bad spring training(whatever that means).
Get a friggin clue……….
2 outs….Nunez singles and steals 2nd base
Gardner strikes out looking. 3 outs.
gayle,
Thanks, Matthews would actually know, too.
gardner k rate going up
Ronnie Paulino is the catcher I’d like to have seen NYY get this past winter. Good catcher, good hitter with some power.
Stuart,
Its not because theyre having bad springs. Swisher is coming off a subpar 2 years and Nady had a rare good year (last season)in addition to thier spring struggles.
Compared to the production we became accostumed to getting from RF- Abreu & Sheff- the last 5 years, its gonna be a sore spot.
I’m a little concerned about how Gardy is reacting now that the pitchers are using more of their pitches.
Paulino strikes out on ….full count looking 6 pitches
Greenberet,
What did the Phills give up to get him?
I would like for us to get Coste from the phils to be the 3d catcher and ocassional 3d basemen
“Ronnie Paulino is the catcher I’d like to have seen NYY get this past winter. Good catcher, good hitter with some power.”
He’d have cost quite a bit I imagine. Pirates locked him up for awhile, no?
Productivity from the outfield is going to dog the Yankees this season. Too many fourth outfielders on the team. Hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think so.
Bruntlett singles. 5 pitches
My bad, GB. I was thinking of Doumit, who the PIrates locked up thru 2013.
Bruntlett caught stealing. 2 outs
Molina throws out bruntlet and the announcers are impressed
This is why the Yankees have Molina backing up Posada.
If one thing Molina has is an arm.
Donald HBP…4 pitches
Imagine if you could combine Posada’s bat with Molina’s arm.
Will Yankee Killer Ibanez make Joba pay for the HBP?
Steve, I would have loved Domit, too, except for the cost. Plays three positions well and hits for average and power.
Ibanez fly out on 3 pitches. 18 pitches total for the inning. 49 in the game.
3 good innings for Jober so far.
Good outing for Jobber… he’s getting better.
Handsome Ransom walks
If Joba can stay around the 15 pitch per inning mark, he’ll be okay. Translates to 90 over six or 105 over 7, which I think is acceptable for a power pitcher. He’s not going to give you the Maddux-like 90 pitch complete game. Just not who he is.
tishbi
March 16th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Greenberet,
What did the Phills give up to get him?
I would like for us to get Coste from the phils to be the 3d catcher and ocassional 3d basemen
————————————————————
Paulino was traded for a minor league catcher, Jason Jarramillo
Not bad for Jobber
Steve,
I doubt he can maintain a 15 per average. He never has those 5 pitch innings.
Thanks GB7
The Yankees have something special going with this pitching staff…. They are going to have a great season if the staff stays healthy.
Where does it say CC pitches tomorrow?
Ok for news from the WBC:
So Pudge signs with the Astros and Lindstrom and Ryan Braun need MRI’s
tishbi
March 16th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Thanks GB7
————————————————————
No problem. Happy to help.
good job, pudge…mission accomplished
If Joba can stay around the 15 pitch per inning mark, he’ll be okay. Translates to 90 over six or 105 over 7, which I think is acceptable for a power pitcher. He’s not going to give you the Maddux-like 90 pitch complete game. Just not who he is.
————–
All true, and he’ll get better with his efficiency as he matures.
I’m sure his new buds Sabathia and Burnett are pounding in his head that he should be trusting his stuff and challenging hitters more often.
Hopefully, Joba will listen to their advice.
He’ll get better. I don’t know of very many power pitchers who become very economical at such a young age.
Joba is like Scott Kazmir, efficiency-wise.
He’s never going to be a workhorse but he’ll give you 5-6 dominant innings most of the time.
tishbi:
After the long 1st inning, he’s at 49 thru three, so he’s at about 16 per inning for this outing. He’s going to throw a lot of pitches. Strikeout pitchers always do. But he has good control in general, and should be able to get to the point of getting 18-21 outs on 90-105 pitches.
‘Lindstrom and Ryan Braun need MRI’s’
I swear baseball players are made out of glass
Ranson steals 2nd. infield single by Nady, runs scores on throwing error
line drive single (misplay) by Molina, RBI 2-0 Yanks
He’s never going to be a workhorse but he’ll give you 5-6 dominant innings most of the time.
———-
Never is a very long time and it’s a little early to make that determination.
He’s 23 years old. Power pitchers that young are very rarely economical.
I don’t see how Anhel Berroa doesn;t make the team
The guy has raked this Spring, can play all INF postions, plays goood defense, can pinch hit, etc.
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLINAAAAAAAAA
Bruney now pitching
“‘Lindstrom and Ryan Braun need MRI’s’”
Please play Jeter in LF
Giuseppe:
Not sure Burnett is the guy to be talking to if the topic is economy of pitches.
Who replaces Lindstom and Braun?
My guess is Okijima and Carl Crawford
glad to see Joba have another solid outing. I wasn’t really worried after the rough start but it’s still better to have a good outing than a tough one in ST (limits the stupid questions).
Meanwhile, Kurkjian has an article on the 4 letter about 10 days in Arizona…he managed to pick up this joke of a comment from the American Idle….
“Carl Pavano likely will be the Indians’ third starter. He is so happy to be in Cleveland and out of New York. “For eight years, I was a good guy,” he said.”
Bruney gets the dp!
Gardner dives and misses the ball on a liner to center. Double for Stairs.
a nice article on the Boston infatuation with all things Manny
http://www.latimes.com/sports/.....ull.column
To those watching, how does Bruney look?
“My guess is Okijima and Carl Crawford ”
Think about what you just said..
Gardner boxes up his 3rd fly ball of the Spring.
Of the pitchers who threw over 200 innings last year in the AL Roy Halladay averaged the fewest number of pitches per inning in the league last year.
He threw around 14.5 pitches per inning.
AJ Burnett averaged close to the most pitches per inning for anyone who threw 200 innings – a little over 16.5.
Sabathia – a guy who walk no one – averaged 15 pitches per inning last year – and most of those innings were in the NL where he got to throw to the pitcher.
People who expect Joba to be more like Halladay or even CC than Burnett are simply unrealistic.
Successful pitchers, even pitchers who throw a lot of innings, set hitters up and work counts. Even the best ones – which is what Halladay is, do that. He’s arguably the most efficient and best pitcher in baseball.
The variation on an pitches/inning average between guys who throw a lot of pitches and those that average the fewest just isn’t that large. That difference adds up over the course of a season but there just it’s just not that easy to ask a 23 year old to average fewer than 15 pitches per inning, especially one who has one of the highest strike out rates in baseball.
It’s completely unrealistic.
Thanks for the updates Pete. Joba is rounding into shape it seems the control is typically what comes last in ST.
Bruney walks Jenkins
Bruney is struggling this Spring
Not sure Burnett is the guy to be talking to if the topic is economy of pitches.
———–
Perhaps, but Burnett did throw at least 7.0 IP a total of 16 times in 35 starts last season. Nothing wrong with that.
Sabathia knows a little about going deep into ball games.
“Successful pitchers, even pitchers who throw a lot of innings, set hitters up and work counts. Even the best ones – which is what Halladay is, do that. He’s arguably the most efficient and best pitcher in baseball.”
I agree CB. Joba needs to throw a lot of pitches to set them up for the K. If we all want a young ace who strikes out 10 batters a game then we have to put up with high PC in the 6th inning. Joba will be fine as he learns to pitch he’ll throw less pitches ala Burnett.
TJ Simers might be the single worst sportswriter around these days.
I agree Boston’s portrayal of Manny as an eternal cancer is disingenuous, if not ridiculous, but that article is just re+arded for so many reasons.
Comparing a guy’s home run totals when there is a decade age gap is pretty cutting edge stuff I must say, TJ.
Strike out. Bruney had full counts on last two batters, missing strike zone on 7 straight pitches.
Bruney needs to get his act together especially with an ailing Marte. It might be Melancon time pretty early this year I think he’ll get the call before the ASB.
gaaah, I hate it when Bruney walks people. It always makes me fear (rationally or otherwise) that the 2007 Bruney who walked EVERYONE is lurking just around the corner. I’d almost rather see him give up hits. Almost!!!
I’m worried about the 8th inning once the season starts. I’ve only actually WATCHED him pitch once this ST and it was early on and he looked filthy….but that was before hitters got their timing down and I understand he has had a little bit of trouble since then. Can anyone who’s watched him more than once and/or watching today tell me if this is a legitimate worry or just paranoia for no reason?
I think Bruney has looked fine this spring -not perfect, but who is? I’m not thrilled at Gardner messing up another fly ball……
“TJ Simers might be the single worst sportswriter around these days.”
If that is true, then Wallace Matthews of Newsday is running a close 2nd … you would have thought A-Rod spent the last 10 years insulting this guy’s mother the way he has gone after him.
Al, it’s still the middle of ST – I wouldn’t worry about Bruney. In fact, I wouldn’t worry about anyone. These guys are still in essence working off the rust of months of inactivity – we shouldn’t ask them to be pin-point perfect at this stage.
I’d expect Joba to get more economical as he gets more experience.
Right now, it’s okay because he’s still building up his IP. But if he wants to be a mainstay in the rotation, he needs to be closer to 6-7 innings rather than 4-5.
Gardner messed up a fly ball? Really?
He came from being shifted around the other way and nearly made the catch on a ball that was dying.
Unless you are at the game, judging how an outfielder handled a fly ball is pretty much impossible.
Well, in fairness, Bruney was facing three left handed power hitters with a slim 2-0 lead.
It might be Coke who assumes the 8th inning or god-forbid Veras or Edwar
The pen is not shaping up as well as we thought. I wish Melancon didn’t get bombed, then he would have gotten a longer look prehaps.
Trust me guys, no one understands or has committed himself to improving more than Brian Bruney, he knows what people out there are saying about him not being able to do the job and too many walks, etc.
He is out to prove a point and understands the Yankees expect him to step up, but moreover he himself expects that out of him listening to him speak this Spring.
Bruney knows his job.
CB: Do you know if there’s a website where I could find stats on pitches thrown per inning for all pitchers, and pitches seen per AB for all hitters? It’s really interesting stuff…after trying to guess in my head what pitcher would be the most efficient in the league by this measurement, I have to think it’s Webb. Want to see if I’m right….also curious on Mike Mussina’s numbers in this capacity and if/how they have changed throughout his career.
“If that is true, then Wallace Matthews of Newsday is running a close 2nd … you would have thought A-Rod spent the last 10 years insulting this guy’s mother the way he has gone after him.”
I agree.. Wally and TJ are bi-coastal equivalent to the 2Pac and Biggie of sportswriting idiocy.
“The pen is not shaping up as well as we thought. I wish Melancon didn’t get bombed, then he would have gotten a longer look prehaps.”
Haha what? Are you serious?
Remember that Joba had a bad spring last year also…..a lot of power pitchers do. People forget that he’s still a baby and has some growing up to do as a pitcher. I’m afraid that the expectations for this kid have been ramped up to unfair proportions. He’s human – he was human in the bug series against Cleveland (where he was not at his best, even forgetting the bugs) and he will be human again. The key for Joba, Phil or any young pitcher is to be able to work around having less than his best stuff. I think Clemens once said that he only had his great stuff a small % of the time (I forget the #) – and that’s very likely true of Halladay, Santana, etc…
TJ Simers is one of the worst writers because he’s a hater. Always has an agenda. One vendetta he’s had for years is for KB24.
Ratto, Bayliss, same thing. Can’t be a good writer if you’re not fair and objective IMO.
Bruney has been fine this Spring. Stop being so paranoid. Melancon for the 8th inning role. Yeah OK! Guy has barely pitched at AAA and some of you want him for the 8th inning role already?
“It might be Coke who assumes the 8th inning or god-forbid Veras or Edwar”
See, now this is what scares me. The prospect of Veras or especially Edwar pitching the 8th, is more scary than the prospect of Bruney having a few bad outings there. Edwar is good in certain matchups but as a regular 8th inning guy? Yikes. I’d rather have Coke there than either of them, but wouldn’t that kind of be messing with his development by basing his role more on need than what he would be the best in? That’s what the Yankees did with Ohlendorf and it didnt work out very well. Would hate to see Coke a victim of the same.
H-Town, you have awfully high standards if you are expecting perfection in ST……OR in the regular season.
Nunez singles again, Gardner walks, Ransom infield single. Bases loaded, no outs.
IMO,Bruney is not much different than Farns was. Its feast or famine with him. Not sure when and how he earned all the confidence in most of you. It wasnt long ago that he was throwing chairs and being demoted. Still hope for the best with him as i did with Farns. But im not confident in him.
As far as Melencan. Dont we get an extra year out of him if we dont bring him up till May?
Did Ohkajima get his U.S. citizenship from a scratcher game?
Bases loaded number 2… 11 out actually.
This is Bruney’s 7th appearance and it’s already Mid-March. ST has been going on for a month.
Not saying that his performance is indicative of anything, but the ‘working on rust’ excuse starts to get old around this time.
Swisher with 2 run single. Ransom scores when Swisher gets in a rundown.
Read what TJ has written about John Wooden before you judge him. Or some of his stuff on Oscar De La Hoya.
Oh, and he has personally raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Mattel Children’s Hospital in LA by working hand-in-hand with athletes and coaches in the LA area.
He’s also a columnist. He’s not supposed to be objective. He’s paid to have an opinion.
it’s spring training these guys are building arm strength and control. There’s still plenty of time to iron out kinks. BP has plenty of options if someone’s not cuttin it.
5-0 Yanks
Ok, Dave….if you say so.
Alright, Swish – maybe the new stance is kicking in.
“If we all want a young ace who strikes out 10 batters a game then we have to put up with high PC in the 6th inning.”
Tim Lincecum won the Cy Young last year as a 24 year old, threw 227 innings and averaged 16 pitches per inning. And that’s getting to face the pitcher.
16 pitches per inning x 9 = 144. Which means on average Lincecum would never likely come close to throwing a complete game.
Actually forget the Cy Young and the 227 innings thrown – he threw 16 pitches per inning. He’s inefficient and useless and will never learn anything else as a pitcher and will never be a workhorse.
I like what I’ve been seeing from Ransom the guy is a ballplayer and he is making the most of his month at the hot corner.
Betsy: You do make a good point about power pitchers often having poor springs. Bruney is a ‘bring the heat’ guy too so now I feel a little better about any struggles he has had. I guess I’m just more paranoid when I see control probs from him than I have been with other similar pitchers, because the days where he used to walk everyone are still fresh in my mind. Plus, none of our possible setup men have ever really held down such a job before. But having young arms like Bruney or Veras as uncertain candidates is still worlds better than the days when we used to sign washed up FA relievers to multiyear deals. Especially when I pause a second to remember that Joba could have been a Phillie, but is instead a Yankee precisely because we let them sign one of those washed up FA’s away from us!
Bullpen’s fluctuate so much from year to year… nobody should have any expectations– good or bad, about the bullpen. You would think watching baseball year to year would teach people this lesson.
Guys like Bruney, Veras, Edwar, Coke, Robertson etc. are a dime a dozen. They can do good or poorly. They’re going to be inconsistent like most hard throwing middle relievers with mediocre control are.
Igawa pitching. Leadoff single to center
I heart Swish. Cant wait for him to post on his Twitter about this hit, haha.
“Do you know if there’s a website where I could find stats on pitches thrown per inning for all pitchers, and pitches seen per AB for all hitters?”
I don’t know of a place where they have it listed as a calculated metric. I just read that and then looked on fangraphs and divided pitches thrown by innings.
If you wanted to see it listed out in order for the whole league it’s not hard to do – if you really wanted to you can download the raw data from Fangraphs and run a very simple division in excel and a table sort and that would do it.
Pudge signs with the Astros? Do his career numbers still count, or is that pending approval by Roy Oswalt?
Uh, Pete, I never ripped Simers as a person, I only commented on how terrible I believe his writing is. What does his honorable charity work have to do with that, except prove there’s not much defense to be offered regarding how well/poorly he does his job?
Read FJM’s takedown of TJ’s column proclaiming Ned Colletti the best GM in baseball. If that doesn’t convince you of how horrible he is as a writer I don’t know what will.
http://www.firejoemorgan.com/2.....stmas.html
Regardless of how well Ransom’s hitting (.400), his base running and defense has been more impressive. 3 steals in 3 attempts so far.
CB – Thanks, I don’t mind doing a little math (or having Excel do it, even better), I’ll check that out on Fangraphs.
It’s not like Bruney has a track record anyway (well he does, most of it is bad with no control).
Take a wait and see approach with him. All he has to his credit is a few good innings early on and a few good innings late last year. How that qualifies as a ‘proven setup man’ is beyond me.
The bullpen still has plenty of questions. Good bullpens do not have a history of repeating their success from one year to the next anyway— so using last year as an example of future performance isn’t accurate.
Igawa gets through the inning well after leadoff single. two popups and a ground ball out.
The Riddler,
Pete was responding to me.
I didn’t know much about the “good” side of Simers.
But I do know that he is a nitpicking naysayer when it comes to my basketball team. I also know he tries to be a shock jock by being a nitpicking, naysaying hater on the radio, too.
So, it’s good that he writes about John Wooden, about whom no one could write anything bad. But I’ve seen enough to think he’s a hater. He makes Pete and Al’s relationship on the blog look like a bromance.
Matt M.
March 16th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
It’s not like Bruney has a track record anyway (well he does, most of it is bad with no control).
Take a wait and see approach with him. All he has to his credit is a few good innings early on and a few good innings late last year. How that qualifies as a ‘proven setup man’ is beyond me.
The bullpen still has plenty of questions. Good bullpens do not have a history of repeating their success from one year to the next anyway—- so using last year as an example of future performance isn’t accurate.
————————————————————
whatever you say. He’s still got an ERA under 3 as a Yankee. He gets a little wild at times, but, limits the damage.
The Yanks will obviously miss the 8-10 HR’s A-Rod typically posts in April but I’m sure in the field and on the basepaths nothing will be lost with Cody.
Is this (the start of) year 3 of Igawa already?
My, how time does fly.
Perhaps a good spring will make his stock go up a bit and he can be moved.
m: who is this Al person to whom you keep referring? I didn’t think Pete and Al from BK were at odds.
Pete,
Is that a live Q&A session?
“Pudge signs with the Astros? Do his career numbers still count, or is that pending approval by Roy Oswalt?”
Yeah, I wonder if good ‘ol Roy felt “cheated out of the game” when Clemens and Pettitte were leading him to a World Series? I wonder how he feels when Tejada gets a few RBI’s on the days he’s on the hill?
Nick in SF: I’ve conferred with Pettitte and Tejada, and they’ve both assured me that Pudge’s numbers will in fact still count. It’s only the formerly PED ridden members of the OPPOSING team whose numbers don’t count….cause, ya know, they might have gotten the hit that prevented Oswalt from hitting a bonus somewhere along the line or something. heh.
(I’ve been having a ball with those Oswalt steroid jokes during the WBC, every time someone gets a hit off him it’s, ‘well crap, there goes Oswalt’s bonus, darn roiders’ but this adds a whole new dimension to it. Good times!)
Berroa doubles and gets stranded.
Berroa doubles and gets stranded.
“Perhaps a good spring will make his stock go up a bit and he can be moved.”
Doreen,
Here you have the 8th inning answer under your nose and you want to trade him.
O.k. I have to admit, im hoping for the same result.
i’m not understanding the worry over Bruney or the thought that he’s “feast or famine” like Farnsworth. 1st off, Farnsworth was all famine, all the time (and my nemisis) while he was with the Yanks. Meanwhile, Bruney was the man before he got hurt last season. Maybe I’m missing something, but I’m not worried about Bruney at all as long as he has a healthy ST.
Nick,
Ever since I heard Jeter refer to A-rod as “Al” and coincidentally Girardi’s using it openly as well, I’ve decided to adopt the name in place since I hate the original nickname.
Keep up, Nick. Never mind taking shots at me about my allegiences.
BBB,
If you want to look at any data – all you need is the Lahman Database. It’s the one most analysts use I believe.
It has all of the raw data available dating back to 1871. I think it’s stored as Microsoft Access which can be exported to excel without much problem.
If you don’t have MS Access you can just use the open source version from OpenOffice.org. It works fine for most things.
http://www.baseball1.com/
Did anyone else get an email over the weekend to call the Yankee Box office in the next 24 hours because new season ticket plans have became available? My sister had the weekend package last year and like everyone else was offered the wednesday package. She was pissed and rejected their office. This weekend they sent her an email, she called up, and in a matter of minutes she had the weekend package again. I hope some of the long time weekend ticket holders also got this option.
Peter, Has Igawa made a strong enough impression to at least be part of the long man discussion along with Tomko, Giese and Aceves?
Oswalt and Moyer are hypocrites. Each to attack A-Rod, while ignoring the members of your own team who got you to the world series. why dont they just keep their mouths shut and play.
After all, I’m an American stuck on an island without any professional teams.
IF he keeps up what he’s been doing this spring, do you think we’ll see him on the opening day roster? We’re paying him an awful lot of money to play in Wilkes-Barre.
this inning will be a real test for Igawa. Facing Howard, Werth and Stairs.
Leadoff walk to Howard by Igawa.
You can find P/IP (pitches per inning pitched) totals on ESPN:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....dDate=null
wouldlove to see the smash that Nunez turns into a double play.
Bruney has a “track record, most of it bad”.
Do any of you who write such ignorance actually think before you post?
He was unhittable for most of last year. He’s throwing free and easy this spring.
In fact, he’s throwing the ball better now than he has ever as a Yankee.
Really, some of you need a hobby. It certainly isn’t understanding baseball.
Between Bruney’s “problems” and Joba’s “ineffectiveness” I just wonder how some of you are going to hold up over a season.
You are getting worked up and posting nonsense about players on March 16.
It would be one thing if you brought up decent talking points. Instead, its just emotional fan babble.
The Yankee bullpen has “question marks”. Really?
Coke, Bruney, Marte, Rivera, Veras, Ramirez, a long man, with Robertson, Albie and Melancon on deck in Scranton.
Most teams in the game would KILL for such depth and quality with such a “problematic” bullpen.
Stop being such nervous nellies and enjoy the team for a change. This pitching staff, from top to bottom, is better than its been in years.
Igawa closes the inning with a soft fly to center by Stairs.
Could it be I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy about Kei, neh, couldn’t be.
“You can find P/IP (pitches per inning pitched) totals on ESPN:”
Giuseppe,
Thanks. I always forget about the ESPN stats page as I don’t like the interface that much. But it does have stats that other sites don’t. Same thing for SI and Fox. There’s metrics scattered across all of them.
Nunez with his third hit today…infield type
m: well, if Jeter and Girardi have both come out of the closet and used it openly, then I guess it’s ok.
As for your twisted array of adopted allegiances, I did notice dennis the usually-well-mannered Red Sox fan take a shot. Shame on him. That was simply uncalled for!
As if there’s anything untoward about someone adopting the New York Yankees, the New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Detroit Red Wings, the Duke Blue Devils, Manchester United, Brazil futbol, and the Jamaican National Domino team. The nerve!
Gardner with an RBI triple, Nunez scores
“After all, I’m an American stuck on an island without any professional teams.”
You are talking about Manhattan right? I know. I feel the same way about Dolan’s Duo of Dread.
Leone must be ok. He pinch hits for Ransom. ground out.
CB -
Agree with you on ESPN’s stats interface. It’s one of the, if not the, worst around. Quite difficult to deal with. Which is a shame since they have some valuable metrics that aren’t found everywhere.
Hmmm, how many more weeks until games count?
“It would be one thing if you brought up decent talking points. Instead, its just emotional fan babble.”
I think we should start up contract extension talks with Igawa.
I realize I may be in the minority here, but I feel for Kei Igawa.
It just hasn’t worked out for the guy, or the Yankees. Yeah, he’s gotten his money, but at a cost of personal humiliation to him. I remember, when he first got to the the US, Pete reported that he took out a bunch of the writers to dinner. That seemed like a nice gesture. And from what I’ve read, he’s a decent enough guy who’s trying. But outside of the game when he stepped in for an injured Jeff Karstens (remember, when Jeff got his leg broken on a line drive from Lugo, I think), and stopped the Red Sox cold, Igawa has been downright bad.
When I was down in Tampa last week, I saw Igawa running on the practice field, all by himself – he looked so lonely, just going through his drills by himself. In a foreign country, it must be very depressing.
It looks like it’s never going to work out for him/us here, here’s hoping he has a good enough ST to convince some other team – NL West? – to trade for him, for his sake and ours.
Pete, how fast does Nunez look to you? The Phillies announcers are raving.
The q&a isn’t live is it?
Nick,
Dennis gets a pass because he probably hasn’t read why I like my teams.
I know you’re being a funny guy, but I don’t like any hockey team and cheered for Manchester United in the premier championship only because of their Yankee affiliation. As for futbol in general, I only follow Team USA and whatever team Brian Ching is on. Dominoes? That’s way to complicated for me.
Swisher with a RBI single. 3 hiys, 3 RBI today. OK…I’ll say it….Swisher is the leading bid for right field…TODAY.
Discuss.
Cano batting for Matsui and singles.
One good year (30 innings) hardly qualifies as “proven”.
I wouldn’t mind seeing the Yanks trade Igawa for a utility type player. After all barring a miracle he has no role with the Yankees.
He has looked good this spring. I still shudder at the guy in games for the Yankees from his two seasons.
Phil
March 16th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Pete, how fast does Nunez look to you? The Phillies announcers are raving.
————————————————————
Very good speed, great glove. Bat…who knows. He’s the infield version of Edwar Ramirez. tall and almost anorexic
Giuseppe Franco.
Thanks for the link. I would have bet that DiceK would have been in the Top 40.
-dennis
good to see Cano back at it
Do the Yanks get a pick for the Pudge signing
Joe,
I also feel for Igawa. I try to support all the Yankees, but I especially feel for Igawa because we share a common heritage. He’s bounced back from a rough start with the Yankees and I hope there’s a happy ending to the story.
S.O.S.
I don’t think the Yankees have him in any of their game plans. So, it’s doesn’t make sense to speculate in that direction.
I have no animosity toward Igawa, nor towards the Yankees for making the “Great Igawa Mistake.” It happens. Seems to me the best outcome for all concerned is for Igawa to become successful, or at least semi-successful, in the national league, with the Yankees getting some viable prospects in return.
Nady with an RBI single. He’s now the leading candidate for right field.
Discuss.
“I realize I may be in the minority here, but I feel for Kei Igawa.”
I wish you could pitch for him too!
Cash with a pop fly RBI ground rule double
Is it opening day yet?
Just kidding – but — as the Philly announcers just said — it is all fun for the Yankees right now. For the fans too!
I don’t think SJ44 has ever says a bad word about the Yankees.
CB’s analysis is much more informative (and objective).
Yanks second shift now playing. Duncan with an RBI single.
Mel.
I was only kidding about ExxonMobil!! I had a lapse in good judgement.
Nick SF: Thanks for calling me out on that one. I needed a slap down. After all I am the hockey puck on this site.
Can not wait until Thursday!
-dennis
Swisher and Nady both with their best days of the Spring, in the same game
Nice to see their competitive juices flowing
Was Pudge Type A or Type B?
Casey -
They did not offer him arbitration, so no.
No pick for Pudge signing with the Astros, as if you remember, Cashman did not offer Pudge arbitration (thankfully).
Yankee St 8 -
Then you haven’t been reading here long enough. SJ44 has definitely had some pointed criticism of the Yankees along the way.
The bats are alive!
LOL. Didn’t Swish start the day at a buck something? His day of awesomeness has pushed him up to .222
This is looking like Hacker against Team USA lol
Bruney’s 30 innings does not make him “proven”? If that’s the case, how does Joba’s 30 innings in 2007 make him any more “proven” for the ‘pen?
Bruney is 50 pounds lighter than he was 2 years ago and is throwing the ball very well. He will be more than adequate in the Yankee bullpen this year.
In fact, the depth allows Girardi to be able to match up more, rather than just assigning guys certain roles. That’s how you develop an effective bullpen.
so what’s the score/situation now? Gameday is stuck at Cash’s ab…
“I don’t think SJ44 has ever says a bad word about the Yankees.”
Huh? I don’t think you have been reading this blog for that long. if I had a dollar for every person who cried that SJ44 had too much negative analysis on the Yankees, I could buy us all a round.
Swisher’s BA was as low as .091 yesterday
Pinch hitter for Nunez, Pena singles to center
Jackson now pinch hitting for Gardner. grounds out. 11-0 NYY
GB7
I saw a lot of Nunez when he was a teenager with SI and I’ve been waiting for his bat to come back around ever since. He’s one of the stalled prospects, and I’m hoping they all bust out.
This disaster inning for phillies finally is over. Do we have mercy rule in spring training?
Thanks, GB…
Jessica – the Philly announcers were just looking for that same rule.
11-0 – top of the 7th. Whole new team out there for the Yankees now.
Igawa now starting his third inning
dennis,
No worries. I’ve been called worse than a bandwagon fan.
I’ve explained many times here that the Lakers are my hometown’s team because they hold their training camps here every other year. My Houston Oilers are no longer in existence, so I chose the team with the hottest QB. And I’ve got roots in NC and my parents are big Duke fans. As for the Yankees? No explanation necessary.
I’m a Chevron kind of gal, but the one that really gets me going is “DuPont”. Passed by their chemical plants on my way to Galveston many a time as a kid.
First batter singles past Leone at third. sounds more like a possible misplay
Actually, I have had plenty of pointed criticism of the Yankees. I just don’t think March games belong in the discussion because they are meaningless.
Whining, which a great number of folks do in the game threads, is not “objective analysis”. Its whining. There is a difference.
Mel.
Thanks for the explanation. Hope your day is going well..
-dennis
Also, Guisseppe, thanks a lot for the ESPN link. Moose was a little higher on last season’s list (more pitches per inning) than I expected. I wonder if that avg. was ratcheted up because he was doing certain (negative) things in April that he stopped doing the rest of the year, i.e. throwing too many fastballs that just got fouled off until the hitter got one in a favorable location. Moose’s pitching was always fascinating to me. The geek in me kinda wishes someone would do a 400 pg report of sabermetric analysis about it.
Anyway, just as I suspected Brandon Webb is very efficient, not the best in the NL like I thought, but 4th or 5th best is good enough.
The starting pitchers are starting, relievers are relieving, hitters are hitting, the fielders are fielding, runners are running, catchers are catching, coaches are coaching, and fans are complaining. Yep…the season is almost here and I’m in clover.
m: ha, I was just joking about Manchester United. Really? See, all good humor has an element of truth, even if it’s unintentional.
We’re just busting your chops for choosing the array of evil teams. There’s nothing wrong with it.
Igawa gives up a single and strikes out three in the inning.
The Phillies radio dudes are a joke. Mocking Igawa while he struck out the side…
“My Houston Oilers are no longer in existence, so I chose the team with the hottest QB”
always nice to have another Giants fan in the house!
Igawa has been lights out this Spring. If onyl he was on thr 40 man…
“Igawa is taking innings away from a pitcher that should be watched for future use…. So the Yankees are stuck with his salary. They had 4 years of the same thing with Pavano. Igawa is going to AAA anyway so what’s the holdup ?”
Igawa is on a role right now (8IP, 0R, 4H, 2BB, 6K). Though it is unlikely that the Yanks would want to clear a roster spot for him (or for Tomko, for that matter, especially since they will already need to clear a spot for a backup infielder), they would love to showcase him as trade bait.
SJ:
Keep the posts coming.
I saw that BC was rained out yesterday in Atlanta against GT. It has to be so hard for those kids to fill in with games in the Northeast this time of year. The weather is spotty at best and it must be frustrating after spending about two weeks playng in FL.
-dennis
I think we’re finally gonna be able to get something useful for Igawa.
Make that 9IP, 0R, 5H, 2BB, 6K.
Bruney is probably never going to be a guy with pinpoint control, so we probably should just accept that. Instead, we should give him major kudos for what he did last year. Instead of playing it safe and having the surgery, he busted his behind to make it back so he could help his team (even knowing there was a good chance he was not going to make it back).
Igawa, cash and a prospect for Blake DeWitt?
Mel, it isn’t just Dupont in that area. From Baton Rouge to Orange City to Beaumont to Houston, it’s on petrolium plant or refinery after another. It’s what built that entire area Any area that hires millions of people in one industry gets hammered. Go to Georgia or the Northwest and they complain about loggers and paper mills.
I want to have hope for Igawa and honestly feel bad for him but most of his success this Spring was made against the B or C Spring-training lineups. Which is in line with his success at Scranton last year.
@BBB:
I tend to think Joe Torre has had enough of Igawa.
The Dodgers rather seem to pursue Pedro.
PJ Pilittere, catcher is pinch hitting for Cano. I’d really like to see him he this year and get at least one shot. As I type that, he strikes out.
Edwar Gonzales pinch hitting for Nady. Good hitter with power and speed, plays 1st and corner outfield. Strike out.
DuPont, psshhhh!
Go Union Carbide! Selena Roberts got the Bhopal story all wrong.
dennis,
Everyday’s a good day, unless the Lakers lose.
Nick,
Yeah, Rebecca got me cheering for ManU. And let it be known that I have great taste. Even in friends!
GB7,
LOL. Dennis accused me of being an ExxonMobile fan. So my rebuttal was “DuPont”. Fond memories, so DuPont is good. Then that stupid DuPont heir went crazy…
Jonathan Albaladejo now pitching. strikes out first batter
The thing about Boston’s pen is their impeccable command
Okijima – 23 walks in 62 innings
Delcarmen – 28 in 74.1 innings
Ramirez – 31 walks in 71 innings
Saito – 16 walks in 47 innings
Masterson – 12 walks in 34 innings (as a reliever)
etc.
m
March 16th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
dennis,
Everyday’s a good day, unless the Lakers lose.
Nick,
Yeah, Rebecca got me cheering for ManU. And let it be known that I have great taste. Even in friends!
GB7,
LOL. Dennis accused me of being an ExxonMobile fan. So my rebuttal was “DuPont”. Fond memories, so DuPont is good. Then that stupid DuPont heir went crazy…
————————————————————
He called you an ExxonMobil fan? Why, that dirty beast. He should get Shelled.
Albaladejo strikes out two in the inning. The lone ground out was to 2nd baseman Leo Nunez as a hard bouncer snared bare handed.
Maybe Igawa is the mop up guy this year??? I think he has definitely out pitched, and maybe Tomko?
I asked her if she was a fan of XOM as she by coincidence roots for all the model franchises.
Tomorrow is going to be a blast. Good Luck finding marital bliss on the parade route…
-dennis
Leo Nunez ***was described*** as a hard bouncer snared bare handed
I like Kevin Cash… I think he can be our catcher of the future next yr
Thanks Rodg12 and Andrew…
Kind of makes it worse for I-Rod… I was under the assumption that was why no one would sign him but I guess unlike AROD and Pettite, guys like him, Gagne and Nomar can’t perform without the juice.
dennis-costanza(sox fan)
March 16th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
I asked her if she was a fan of XOM as she by coincidence roots for all the model franchises.
Tomorrow is going to be a blast. Good Luck finding marital bliss on the parade route…
-dennis
————————————————————
Thanks, Dennis. I’m hoping to be “married” for a day or two.
I know Igawa has had a good ST but I’d still take that Ryu LHP from Korea’s last night WBC game.
“I like Kevin Cash… I think he can be our catcher of the future next yr”
LOL HAHAHAHAS. you funny.
Jimmy1138: Ah, you’re right, I don’t know why I didn’t think of the Joe Torre aspect. But hopefully the Yanks could make a deal of that kind of structure (Igawa & cash & a marginal prospect, give or take a little bit depending on what player we get in return) with some team. Maybe a Melvin Mora type guy although not specifically him since the O’s are pains to deal with. I know every publication says the Yankees won’t trade for an IF, but I’m not buying that!
Madsen pitching to Jackson should be no contest, but Jackson smokes one back through the pitcher for an RBI single (infield). 12-0 Yanks. 19 hits today
correction…20 hits
“I like Kevin Cash… I think he can be our catcher of the future next yr”
oh goodness, i sure hope not.
GB7: Even though I always spell his name wrong, I absolutely love PJ Pilittere. It’s a shame the Yankees don’t really seem to take him seriously as even a marginal replacement level prospect, nor does any minor league scouting reports I’ve ever seen. I’m sure he wouldnt do much hitting in MLB, but if ‘handling a pitching staff well’ is enough to garner Jason Varitek Type A FA status even when he’s a billion years all, you’d think it would also been enough to at least give PJ a look before Wil Nieves or Kyle Anson….guess not…he’ll always be one of my favorite players in Thunder history regardless!
David Robertson is pitching to John Mayberry, Jr,. If he hits for power like his old man, Philly has something.
GB, thanks for the play by play.
Anyone who reads anything into Igawa having a good Spring needs his/her head checked. He also had one good performance against Boston two years ago. He’s as clueless as he looks.
Scorpio @ 3:47, you make a good point about who Igawa has pitched against this ST, but for that matter, Tomko has been pitching the same part of the game as Igawa. I don’t think the NYY will give Igawa the long reliever role, simply because they’ve been burned by him in the past. They probably hope they can trade him now. The one ST game I saw Igawa he did appear to do things differently however, ie. kept the ball down, his CB broke sharper and he worked more quickly.
BBB
March 16th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
GB7: Even though I always spell his name wrong, I absolutely love PJ Pilittere. It’s a shame the Yankees don’t really seem to take him seriously as even a marginal replacement level prospect, nor does any minor league scouting reports I’ve ever seen. I’m sure he wouldnt do much hitting in MLB, but if ‘handling a pitching staff well’ is enough to garner Jason Varitek Type A FA status even when he’s a billion years all, you’d think it would also been enough to at least give PJ a look before Wil Nieves or Kyle Anson….guess not…he’ll always be one of my favorite players in Thunder history regardless!
————————————————————
Pilittere is a fair hitter, but a very good defensive catcher. He’s now 27 years old. Even if he leaves the Yanks, he’s the perfect type to become a coach somewhere. Smart young guy.
Ed – 2009 season can’t start soon enough
March 16th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
GB, thanks for the play by play.
————————————————————
My pleasure, Ed. Happy to help for those that can’t listen or get the gameday updates.
Robertson gets the first two out easily, but, walks the third batter.
ZMAN777
he also had a good year last year at AAA and is building some trade value.
GB, you think Robertson’s chances are upping or slimming down his chances of breaking camp with the team?
Where was Joba’s velocity today? Was he in the mid-90′s consistently? Other?
Thanks sorry if already answered
Robertson ends the game with a strikeout. The Yanks win, 12-0, with 20 hits, no errors. Pitchers allow 6 hits, 4 walks, 1 hit batsman, 10 strikeouts. Yanks with 5 straight wins. 9-8 and one tie.
george-costanza (wrong studio)
How did I end up here? I think I’m in the wrong studio. Maybe Mr. Steinbrenner can point me in the right direction?
-george
Me like the no errors part!
Ed – 2009 season can’t start soon enough
March 16th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
GB, you think Robertson’s chances are upping or slimming down his chances of breaking camp with the team?
Yeah, ed. I think he’ll make it. Right now, the numbers game would get him, but, as soon as he cleans up his control a bit, he’ll be in NYY for a long time. I’m guessing over the next year, Veras, Ramirez, Geise will be traded off and the younger kids brought in to replace them.
Swisher has his best game and he’s playing first base today.
Maybe we should dump this Teixeira guy and go with Swish at first and leave Nady alone in right.
NYY has an embarrassment of riches in young starters and relief pitchers. Not all will be great, but, most could help other teams. They’re young and cheap. NYY won’t move them all, but, those pushing minor leage free agency and older journeyman types like Geise, Tomko, and even Johnson would help a few clubs, could get moved in the right deals for young position players.
Kei Igawa this spring – 9 innings, 5 hits, 9 strikeouts, 0 earned runs
“Maybe we should dump this Teixeira guy and go with Swish at first and leave Nady alone in right.”
Except for the fact that Tex is 10 times the player Swisher is. Swish is a good player Tex is very good.
From Jayson Stark:
STRIKE ONE — THUMBS UP DEPT.: First, some players who have looked better than you might think:
Brett Gardner, Yankees (.393, 6 SB): Gardner is involved in a center-field competition with Melky Cabrera. But even though Cabrera is hitting .375, it’s Gardner’s stock that continues to rise: “If he just does the things he’s done down here, he’ll help that team,” said one AL scout. “They should just put him out there, let him run and inject some speed in that lineup.”
Jason Donald, Phillies (.350, 9 runs scored): With Jimmy Rollins off on WBC duty and both Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz recovering from surgery, Donald has gotten 40 at-bats already at second, third and short. And he’s done nothing to dissuade the Phillies from thinking he might be ready to help them right now. “He really grows on you,” said an NL scout. “I don’t think I’ve seen him strike out yet. He reads pitches well. He squares up the ball consistently. I like him a lot. He’s got some baseball player in him.”
Phil Coke, Yankees (1-0, 2.25 ERA, 8 IP, 1 BB, 6 K’s): Coke was the guy who almost got dealt to the Pirates in the Xavier Nady/Damaso Marte trade in July 2008. But he’s starting to emerge as a guy who could win a bullpen job right now. “I love that kid,” said an AL scout. “He can help them. He shows no fear.”
Go Gardner! He’s now my new second-favorite player (Tex is my first, Jeet was my old secons but he’s off playing for Team USA, so now it’s Gardner).
I’m still a Melancon fan, despite his bad outing (I like Coke too, though). I think he may be called up as early as mid-April.
Ramirez, 31 BB in 71 innings and Delcarmen, 28 walks in 74 innings do not represent “impeccable” command. In fact, those are high numbers for relief pitchers.
Even Okajima’s 23 walks in 62 innings, mostly in lefty specialist situations, fall short of “impeccable”.
You also neglect to mention that Okajima allowed more inherited runners to score than any relief pitcher in the AL last year. A small “fact” you conveinently left out of his resume.
Try again with less hyperbole because the facts don’t back up your hype.
10 times the player at only 3 times the salary?
Advantage: Tex!
Guys, I think Michael W. was joking. Don’t eat him alive.
I was joking. I wasn’t advocating getting rid of our $180MM investment and weakening our bench. Sheesh.