Today in The Journal News
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- May
- 7
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The losing streak hit four games as the Yankees fell to the Rays.
Alex Rodriguez could be back tomorrow. This notebook also has an update on Brian Bruney.
Rays-Yanks again tonight, the final game of the homestand. It’ll be Andy Pettitte against Jeff Niemann.
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on Thursday, May 7th, 2009 at 8:00 am by Peter Abraham.
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
If a building collapses, who’s to blame?
The custodian or the architect?
Brian Cashman built this flawed eye-sore. He’s the one who should be held accountable.
Stop complaining. The full team he created is not even on the field yet.
I think its time to get Gardner back in there. Yeah Melky is getting basehits, and basehits are all well and good, but when no one can move him from first to second, what do those basehits really matter? At least with Gardner, his aggressive style will get him on second every time he gets on base. I would rather Gardner get in scoring position EVERYtime he gets on base, than Melky getting just a single every time
Isn’t it a little odd that the Yankees will be making a second trip to Baltimore before they’ve come into New York? Usually there’s a here/there/here/there balance to the schedule. Not trying to say fair, unfair or drum up any controversy. It just seems odd.
13-14 isn’t what anyone would have drawn up. But it’s still too early to throw in the towel. Key injuries haven’t helped, but they’ve been in a position to win most of the games they’ve lost. Seems to me it’s necessary to turn that into a positive, rather than a negative. Anyway, it’s far too early to throw in the towel.
Went elsewhere for the game thread last night. Frankly, it was only a little better in some ways, a little worse in others. I think the only cure for the game threads is for the Yankees to start winning on a consistent basis.
A nice win streak would be great, but I’d surely settle for taking series – a consistent 2 of 3 games. It adds up, you know?
I think it is time to take a good look at Cashman and Girardi, to see if they are the right folks to lead this team. Cash was so eagar to dump Torre, and he should pay the price.
The Tycoon Twins? I didn’t think AJ was that good last night, but to be fair, he’s not the reason they lost. Up until the 8th, the Yankees had played a miserable game and looked like zombies at the plate.
Nobody should toss in the towel, but you can’t keep burying yourself either.
They are so inconsistent with the pitching and hitting with risp, I’m not sure they could even put a nice streak together.
I am laughing out loud at the second guessing in the comments threads on here about last nights game:
“Mo should have been used for a second inning”. Really?
A 39 year old guy, coming off shoulder surgery, in rotten weather, should be used for a second inning of a TIE GAME in May? Makes perfect sense……if you know nothing about baseball.
BTW, how did it work out the last time they wanted Mo to go more than one inning?
Mariano finally had the feel of his cutter back and it was darting all over the place last night. You don’t overuse him in May in a tie game for one simple reason.
If he gets hurt, the season IS over. The season ISN’T over now, despite the proclaimations of such of the young, significantly baseball IQ challenged fans that have taken over this blog.
Ripping Phil Coke for giving up the HR.
Did any of the whiners see the pitch location? It was EXACTLY where they wanted it and EXACTLY where you pitch Carlos Pena.
He just beat them. It happens. That’s baseball.
“Fire Joe Girardi”. And that accomplishes what exactly?
Do you really think what’s going on is all Joe Girardi’s fault? I mean really, I get the fact that this place has been taken over on game nights by whiny kids, who know little or nothing about baseball.
Seriously though, think about it, they are losing because of Joe Girardi?
Bullpen usage. He doesn’t have anybody he can trust out there. Nobody. So, what’s he supposed to do? He can’t manufacture relief pitchers.
You got a beef? Take it up with Cashman for not giving him a better roster to work with once the injuries hit and for screwing up the 40 man roster, which SIGNIFICANTLY impacts this team on a nightly basis right now.
That’s not on Girardi. He can only play the hand he is dealt.
Its a premise that makes no sense.
Firing him accomplishes NOTHING. It won’t make the team hit with RISP and won’t bring back all the injured back TOMORROW healthy and ready to go.
“This team has no heart”. I always enjoy this particular comment because it makes no sense for two reasons. One, the folks that write it aren’t smart enough to know if the team doesn’t have any heart or not. Two, the team comes back almost EVERY NIGHT and gives themselves a chance to win.
That IS an example of a team having “heart”. They just haven’t been able to get over the hump yet.
You know what you do to get over the hump? Shut up and play.
That’s it. Shut up and play. If the players do that, they will dig themselves out of this mess.
Its something some of the fans ought to try as well.
They didn’t lose the game because of Coke or the lack of having Rivera work an extra inning.
Once again, they had NUMBEROUS opportunities to win and failed to hit with RISP. That’s been a problem since the last year of Joe Torre’s time in NY. Its not just a Joe Girardi problem.
It also didn’t help that they lost all the momentum after Tex’s double with the rain delay. That was a bad break.
There’s no crying in baseball. Shut up and play.
Don’t worry about the media, Red Sox, Blue Jays or empty seats. Shut up and play and look to win a game tonight.
Its all you can do.
RGR -
You really mean that you’re more comfortable with someone who gets on base less?
In order to score, there have to be baserunners. Usually the more baserunners you have, the more likely you are to score, the Yankees current woes with RISP notwithstanding.
Bringing Gardner back? Are you serious?
Melky has outplayed him in EVERY area.
You can’t steal first base. Melky plays everyday until he shows he can’t play.
Gardner is where he should be right now.
“We found another way to lose”? Ugh -
SJ44 -
I didn’t even bother to go through last night’s game thread. It couldn’t have been any different from any of the other 14 threads in Yankees losses, and in the other 10 or 12 threads, where they actually won but had the nerve to not dominate. That leaves about 2 or 3 game threads that wouldn’t be hazardous to your mental health.
I get the frustration. But’s it’s truly manic. As I said, not a whole lot different wherever you’d choose to go during the game. And the only way it changes is if the Yankees start winnning.
I thnk I’m going to give up game threads altogether. I like to multitask during a ballgame, though, so I guess I’ll go back cross-stitch or something like that. It’ll be good therapy.
from twitter
NickSwisher I thought it was a ball….
setback for bruney.not good.
we do not have a setup man.
gardner simply can’t be in the lineup now.
havn’t we learned anything from last year?
we have to have the best possible lineup on the field & right now melky’s numbers are light years better than gardners.
you do not play a player with an obp lower than 300(292)
melky is batting 328 with a 400 obp & 4 hr 10 rbi,gardner 231 with a 292 obp & 0 hr 4 rbi.melky is also a year or so younger.
arod back will help but i am worried about the pen.
bruney reported pain on wednesday wich is a setback.
what do we do if the pen does not get fixed?
move joba? trade?
When is the last time the Yanks were in 1st place, anyone?
Unofortunate news about Bruney.
Betsy -
That’s not all Tex said. In the prior post I wrote the other things he said in the post-game. He ALSO said, it’s a long season and they have time to turn it around, that they all have to do their jobs just a little better, he should have hit at least a fly ball. It wasn’t all doom and gloom, but he WAS in a bad mood – weren’t most of us???
One problem that Girardi has to get a handle on is the doom and gloom problem.
The fans angst can’t extend to the locker room. If it does, the team has real issues.
Its a tough enough game to play. You add tightness, angst and tension to it, its a real problem.
Its pretty clear these guys want to win and are frustrated with what’s going on.
Its also pretty clear these guys CARE. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be taking these losses so hard.
You know what the fans ought to do? SUPPORT them.
What’s the point of booing Mark Teixeira or chanting, “We want Torre” when Girardi comes out of the dugout?
Do you really think that helps the team? Do you really think by being all negative all the time, you are “motivating” these guys? If you do, you have no idea about what makes an athlete tick.
Its where Yankee fans, at least the bandwagon jumping contingent, have left the yard.
Its a rough go right now. The injuries have really hurt this team, the lack of roster flexibility also hurts, and guys are pressing big time becuase they feel it.
So, instead of piling on with idiocy, why not try a new approach and support them? Who knows, it might work.
SJ is right – whatever flaws the team has, this team does have heart and it fights. Not executing is not the same as not trying…..we shouldn’t confuse the two.
This problem with RISP is going to be a season-long problem – this is what I was concerned with in ST, but it’s worse than I thought.
I agree that firing Joe won’t accomplish anything. The next manager would still have the same pen, the same hitters, the same SP……Not one aspect of the team has lived up to expectations – it’s hard to win that way. That said, I still strongly dislike Joe’s use of the pen this year.
I’m a supporter of Cashman – always have been – but what is going on with his bench? Is he this clueless? If he doesn’t do anything about it and if he assumes Jorge will be back in 3 weeks and doesn’t get a catcher, I won’t blame anyone for thinking that maybe a change is needed.
Good quote parsing on what Tex said. Just gives the idiots more reason to boo the guy.
Plus, HE’S RIGHT. They DID find another way to lose.
Let’s get on him for telling the truth. How dare he?
Doreen,
The game threads now, sadly, are for the insane.
Its a bunch of kids who are so emotional and so reactionary that, if they went back and read what they wrote after a game, win or lose, most of them would say, “What was I thinking”?
Add in the impersonators and the game threads have left the building after the first pitch is thrown.
That’s just the way it goes.
Just gotta check out RAB or another venue for game thread get togethers once 7:05 hits.
Boone makes 1st visit to park since heart surgery
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
1 hour ago
HOUSTON (AP) — Aaron Boone returned to the ballpark Wednesday for the first time since open heart surgery, still waiting to decide whether he’ll resume his playing career.
“You want to see my scar?” the Houston Astros infielder said, greeting reporters. He lifted his T-shirt to reveal a thin, bright pink line that ran from the middle of his chest up to his collarbone.
“I feel good,” said a noticeably thinner Boone, who has dropped about 15 pounds since the surgery. “I’m six weeks tomorrow and I feel a lot better than I did two weeks ago, and it’s definitely getting better all the time.”
The 36-year-old Boone had surgery March 26 to replace a bicuspid aortic valve. He was diagnosed with a congenital defect in his heart where the valve has two — not the normal three — cusps to manage blood flow.
Boone said he’s thought a lot about his future in recent weeks.
“I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, but I’m certainly not cashing it in yet,” he said. “We’ll see where I am four weeks from now, six weeks from now and go from there.”
http://www.google.com/hostedne.....AD9812B2O0
Thanks, Doreen…………
I’d be concerned about the clubhouse too, but what can you do? I understand the players just clearing out yesterday – why bother hanging around? Hopefully they’ll come in tomorrow and Swish will still be playing his music……..it’s important that the players be hopeful and confident (at least outwardly – if they can fake it hard enough, it will become reality). This is where the vets need to take charge – they’ve been around the block, they’ve seen good AND bad times. Jeter, Mo, Andy – they need to buck the team up.
SJ, I’m not trying to get on Tex – it just sounded bad to me, that one quote. On the other hand, I guess it’s better than platitudes.
Fire Girardi tomorrow and the new manager takes over a bullpen that has: Coke, Robertson, Melancon, Albie, Ramirez, Veras and Rivera.
That’s 3 rookies, 3 so so arms, and the greatest closer of all time. Tell me what changes?
Don’t tell me Mark Melancon is the greatest relief pitcher around right now. I’m as high on Melancon as anybody else.
But, you can’t erase what you saw the other night from your memory bank. He has talent and he will eventually help this team. Right now? NOT the answer in high leverage situations.
So, Mr. New Manager, what changes?
Nothing.
Baseball is a grind as much mentally as it is physically.
If this team can just tread water for the next month or so, and get back the injured healthy and ready to go, they will actually be BETTER for having survived this rough patch and TOUGHER to be able to take on the competition the rest of the season.
Its why issues like “firing Girardi” aren’t issues and managing the 40 man roster properly ARE issues.
At this point, any little thing you can do to help win a game has to be done.
If that means adding another bat to the bench, you do it.
If that means adding Tomko to see what he can do, no matter what he career stats say, you do it.
Anything you can do to try and win a game you do.
Do nothing? That’s a problem.
Hopefully, that’s not how it shakes out.
“Its a rough go right now. The injuries have really hurt this team, the lack of roster flexibility also hurts, and guys are pressing big time becuase they feel it.”
It’s still the season of No Excuses, right?
As for caring, that doesn’t impress me. They’re supposed to care. Last year’s team cared. It’s their job.
As far as last night goes, it’s kind of hard to find fault with the effort. Burnett was what Burnett is. Wasn’t a great start, but it was a pretty good one. Relief pitching was fine and, as has been pointed out, this applies to Coke who threw the pitch the Yankees wanted thrown but just got beat on it. Offense struggled, but Sonnanstine had one of those nights. He was hitting spots and keeping ‘em off balance. Teixeira had a bad AB in the 10th, but he was the reason they playing in the 10th anyway. It was a decently played game and the Yanks just got beat. It’s frustrating, but you still have to come back tomorrow.
i understand supporting a team but i don’t see how it will make them better.maybe i am missing something.
i do agree about the constant whining.it gets old.
the bottom line is on paper this team looked unbeatable.
i have a huge problem with the yankees not addressing cf & the catching position.
the reality is a 209 million dollar team should be much better than it is regardless of the reality that money can’t or doesn’t buy a championship.
at some point somnething will need to be done for the sake of something having to be done.
you can’t get rid of the players so some coaches or girardi will have to be fired if they can’t turn it around.
cashman needs to do everything in his power to fix this.
is a trade or trades needed??
catcher & bullpen help?
Betsy,
What do you want him to say? You should spend less time being concerned about quotes, what the media thinks, etc.
Most members of the media are like fans.
They WANT a good team to cover because its good for them. The farther the team goes, the more exposure they get.
If the team doesn’t do well, it doesn’t make the media happy. So, stuff will get written folks don’t like. That’s life in the big city.
There is also insane competition amongst the media in a dying profession (newspapers). When you have that, anything goes.
Its all part and parcel of playing in NY.
You know what I do? I read the people who’s work I respect and ignore those I don’t.
Doesn’t mean I always agree with the take from those I respect. But, at least I know it will be well written and agenda free.
Sometimes fans need an editing button in how they seek and absorb information in a 24 hour news cycle.
Its why, even though I have to do it sometimes for business reasons, I shun sports talk radio almost entirely. Its bad for your health as a sports fan.
The team we had on paper isn’t the team we have playing.
Its not excuses, the injuries are facts and it hurts them on a nightly basis.
You don’t think a healthy Bruney and Marte impacts the bullpen in a positive way?
No Arod and Posada in the lineup means Pena and Molina in the lineup.
You don’t think that affects how guys are pitched to in the order.
No team, not even the Yankees, can survive months with half a lineup.
Its tough sledding right now.
Last night, it seemed Molina came up in two of the biggest situations in the game. Because of the injuries and lack of another bat on the bench, he had to hit. I don’t see that as a positive for anybody.
But, that’s the hand they are dealt right now. They just find a way to get through it.
Bru,
“On paper” means nothing.
“On Paper” had Wang, Arod, Posada, Bruney, Marte and Nady on the team. If all of those guys were healthy and playing since Day One, do you really think they would be 13-14 right now?
Bru:
Catching and bullpen help are probably among the toughest commodities to trade for. Everyone has bullpen issues. And good catching is such a hot commodity that teams who may have it a looking for a ton to part with it.
I wrote something last week about a baseball game, like a baseball season having many ebbs and flows. This sight is practically unreadable at times due to the emotional rantings of my fellow Yankee “fans”. You have to remember that in the game of baseball if you fail 7 out of 10 times at the plate you are considered great. You hit rough stretches, there is no reason to believe that this team is a .500 team over the long haul.
Last night, AJ was magnificent, put he pitched well enough to win. The bullpen was GREAT. Coke located that pitch exactly where he wanted it, low and away. Pena made a good swing, and that my friends is baseball. You can do everything right, and not have it go your way. This team was anemic offensively minus one inning. The umpiring was very inconsistent, costing us swisher, and a shot at the game winning run in the 9th on a bang bang but blown call on Pena.
One more thing, if anyone can open the official rule book and show me the rule that says a tie goes to the runner, ill give you everything in my savings. There is no rule that states this. You either beat the throw, or you do not.
Aj was NOT magnificent, but pitched well enough to win.
Stupid no edit button.
the injuries are killing the team.this is not girardis fault but if the players come back & we can’t turn it around he has to go.
believe it or not there are bad fits as far as managers,etc…
i do not know if this is the case with girardi but i think it should be his number one job too loosen this team up instead of them pressing in every situation.
torre did this the best.
this team needs a bat & should drop too 12 pitchers.make some moves & make them now just too stir the drink & not be so stagnant.
tomko needs too come up & maybe some other unusual choice for a pitcher.
RGR,
Please tell me you’re not really as dumb as you sound in your post. Please tell me that.
Girardi is out-managed on a consistent basis by both francona and maddon.
I love when I come to work in the morning and every other person I walk buy says “Yankee suck Russell, Yankees really suck”
How was Girardi out managed last night?
How “loose” were the Yankees in 2005 under Torre when they started out 21-29?
How “loose” were the Yankees in the final 4 years of Torre when they couldn’t get out of the first round of the playoffs, despite being favored in every series, and couldn’t hit with RISP?
When you are struggling, you play tight. That’s why baseball is such a tough sport.
You have to find a way to relax even when you are struggling at your worst. Its a difficult balance.
Girardi isn’t nearly as uptight around the players as he was last year.
He isn’t the problem. He’s just a conveinent whipping boy for the blog crowd who want changes at the drop of a hat.
“Last night, it seemed Molina came up in two of the biggest situations in the game. Because of the injuries and lack of another bat on the bench, he had to hit. I don’t see that as a positive for anybody”
That’s on Cashman to me, SJ. People have been saying for awhile now that eschewing a bat off the bench in favor of a 13th pitcher has been hurting them a little. Even as Molina succeeded in one of the 2 PA’s you speak of, it did in fact hurt them. How does it not make sense to send a pitcher back to SWB and bring up one of Linden, Rodriguez, or Duncan for specifically those situations?
“You either beat the throw, or you do not.”
Pena’s foot was on the bag before the ball was in the glove.
i was talking about a catcher in the offseason,bullpen also.
i know it is harder now to fill needs but we should of addressed the catching problem in the offseason.
even with the injuries we have the second worse era in baseball & the starting pitching is not performing the way they should be even without wang.
i know the pen is a big part of the problem.
no matter what pitcher is on the mound against us since the beginning of last year we make them look great.
there have been several occasion when we have a much better pitcher than the opposing team & we lose.
Someone Else,
I agree, I was just sick of reading a tie goes to the runner, because it in fact is not a rule.
I don’t have time to read all the gloom and doom comments –
one thing to remember:
it’s never as sunny as it seems on the sunny days (four game win steaks)
it’s never as dark as it seems on the gloomy days (four game losing streaks)
Will the Yanks turn it around? Who knows. Baseball is a funny game. I’ve seen one hitter carry a team for weeks if they get decent pitching.
Fanatic and Panic seem to be related sometimes.
Every game is a must-win for some reason. I am not sure how this mantra developed but it is quite annoying.
At some point they do have to get themselves in gear, but can we chill out and realize that baseball has only been rolling for a month?
the one thing that has become a constant is that the yankees underachieve .
it’s been years since they overachieve and they simply don’t do what they are supposed to on paper.
why is that?
Steve B,
I agree. Too many fans poo poo small moves and talk big moves.
Well, small moves can win games.
With the injury situation on this team, the lack of another bat on the bench hurts the Yankees every night.
Brett Gardner, Angel Berroa and Francisco Cervelli are the “bats” on the bench. Meanwhile, 13 pitchers are on the roster.
It makes no sense to me.
If I was covering the team, that’s the first question I have for Cashman. Why?
I’m not trying to be a jerk about it. I’d really like to know their thinking on this because it seems to me, someone who watches every inning of almost every game, that situation has hurt the Yankees numerous time in the last week-10 days.
SJ — It really is unfortunate but IMO you can see the pressure starting to get to big Teix. When he struck out looking early in the game he was PISSED. Yelling at himself and slamming his helmet, the whole panoply of angst ridden responses. I think the biggest thing for him is going to be getting Alex back. Once the biggest whipping boy in sports history comes back Tex will not only see better pitches but have less pressure because he can just “hand it off” to A-Rod.
They absolutely look like a tight team right now because 1-6 know if they don’t hit they probably won’t win. They were supposed to be a starting pitching-centric team but now we’re begging the lineup to slug us to wins and that’s just not in the cards with 2 replacement level bats and a 4th outfielder in the lineup.
Does the fact that the ‘pen is awful affect the starters-I.E. teams take as many pitches per inning as possible to drive up pitch counts? So, by the 5th inning the starters are spent.
SJ, good points. I avoided WFAN and 1050 ESPN yesterday and I felt much better- I do that when things are going bad, like last year. There really are only a few sportswriters I will read – the rest I also avoid like the plague. I guess I’m frustrated and am taking these frustrations out on Tex – I don’t mean to, but that’s how it comes out.
I skip most of the comments in the game thread, but some good posters post during that time and I read what they have to say. I’m a pessimist, but even to me some of those comments are ridiculous
Bru:
I agree with you there. Maybe I’m guilty of taking the dim view, but I saw absolutely no way that Posada was going to make it thru this season without significant DL time. Giradrdi was talking about Posada catching something on the order of 110 games in spring training. He’s a smart guy so surely he knew that meant using someone else for 50+ games. He also saw 1st hand the liability Molina can be to an offense. Guy I had in mind was Gregg Zaun. Zaun is NOT a great catcher. Probably below average defensively. He’s a decent bat though that would not leave your lineup with big black hole. He’s been struggling a little in B’more so far this year, but in the 4 previous seasons, he was a consistent .250-.260 average, .340-.350 OBP guy with in somewhat limited duty.
this team needs a little attitude and a look that says, “I want to be here and we can win this game!” It used to be teams were scared to come to Yankee Stadium and play but now it’s the Yankees who look scared to be at the plate/in the game…I think toughness and attitude are the 2 biggest things missing from the team at this point. The talent is obviously there because the stats don’t lie, but the headgames playing in NY can cause seem to be a bit much for the guys at this point. I’m not going to say Girardi should go because that’s too much of a knee-jerk reaction, but he needs to be the one driving the attitude of the team and he’s been too laid back at this point. It would be great if George was healthy enough to get to a podium and start yelling about how this is unacceptable for the Yankees and people will be held accountable, anything to light a fire would be welcome at this point.
Randy,
The team plays too tight for my tastes. Think Pre-2004 Red Sox. They almost play with the angst many fans now bring to the table.
Last night, in a tie game, Ben Zobrist of the Rays goes toward the RF stands to try and catch a foul ball.
The ball was well out of play but, Zobrist did a fake “dive” into the stands, a la Jeter, and was laughing and joking with the fans in that area.
A tie game, their team is 12-16, and that kid is loose as can be.
THAT’S how you play the game folks.
If Johnny Damon or Nick Swisher did that last night, he would get RIPPED by the Mike Francesa’s and the blogs for “not caring”.
THAT’S the difference between playing the game loose and playing tight.
As long as this team continues to play tight, regardless of when the injured return, they will underachieve.
Somehow, FUN has to extend to the Yankees as much as it extends to other teams.
If these guys have FUN, good play will follow.
i would like for once too see a yankee pitcher pitch a gem.only once & outside of hughes we have not seen it.
arod will make the lineup better & maybe tex will relax & see better pitches but the pitching needs too come around or we are in trouble.
drop the extra pitcher & bring up a bat & do something with the pen.anything.
SJ,
You make very strong points…but this team is a very flawed team as constructed and I don’t know if that can be changed.
No one could have expected Nady, Bruney and Marte to be on the DL…they had to worry about Jorge and his shoulder, which has been fine but with him on the DL with the hammy hurts…they had to figure Jorge wasn’t going to be 100% so they should have had a contingency plan and I don’t know if they did.
The one thing that I notice is that there are a lot of pitchers on the 40 man that Cash seems to be protecting because he believes in them and does not want to lose them to waivers…but is that a way to run team…especially one that has a weak bench and is short on hitters?
Anthony Claggett
Wilkin De La Rosa
Michael Dunn
Christian Garcia
Eric Hacker
Steven Jackson
Ian Kennedy
These guys are on the 40 man and none of them, IMO can help the parent club and if they can get them here, because it sounds like the guys they are trotting out of the bullpen are starting to make the team uneasy and it is very hard to win games if they team behind you is not confident.
I think over the years I have not posted things that would be considered to be a negative nellie, but I can see that this team has some very serious flaws and it just might be coming from the GM’s office…and I will say it the maybe the manager’s office…I know he has not a lot to work with, but something tells me, call it a gut feeling, I just don’t know if he is cut out for that chair.
It has always been said, that you don’t want to be the guy who replaces a legend (i.e. follow Wooden, Dean Smith, dare is say it…Torre), well maybe this just the case a guy who by all accounts is a well prepared, smart, enthusiastic, good guy…just one that had to follow a legend and no matter who it was going to have a rough go of it…especially one with a flawed team.
I just look at SWB and wonder what it would hurt to give one of those guys a shot. Our bench is TERRIBLE. One of Rodriguez, Linden, Miranda, or Shelley all deserve a shot. Linden is very versatile and can play anywhere in the OF.
SJ44, You’re 8:23 post is spot on.
The only thing I can add is, the team just has to play better as a whole. At this point we’ve seen the Yankees lose in every way imaginable (well, almost). Every player on the team simply has to play better.
I’d love to point at one area and say “this has to be better and the Yankees will win” but the fact is, EVERYONE has to be better. Girardi and Cashman are included in that statement.
It is incredibly frustrating that year after year the Yankees have a slow start. I thought that would end when we were 3 games over .500 but of course I am wrong once again.
BTW, I agree with AJ, that once this team finds a little attitude and confidence and gets rolling they will be a very dangerous team. I’m just hoping that roll starts soon and not after the all-star break or something. I know it’s a lot to expect A-Rod to come back and be the savior since he’ll most likely need some time to get back into the swing of things, but maybe he will help light the spark that gets the team going…a no-hitter from CC would do the trick as well…
I’m not feeling any panic yet, but boy it would be nice to win a game and go on a little winning streak. Maybe starting today?
I’m not gonna get on Coke for the game yesterday. They had opportunities to get some runs on the board and they didn’t. It is so frustrating watching them sometimes when there are risp. Makes you wanna scream.
Hopefully they get out of their funk soon.
P.S.-I so miss seeing the sun, it’s not even funny. Another gray and gloomy day here
SJ44 -
They have to not worry about what the “masses” say about them having fun, even in losses. Robbie Cano is a good example of that. He and Melky got lambasted for having the nerve to enjoy the game even though the team was losing/lost. I absolutely agree with you, but it ain’t easy to accomplish here – they MUST put on blinders and earplugs!
Last night, Damon hit a double and was almost thrown out on an stupendous throw by the rightfielder. Damon looked at the guy with a smile as if the say, “what are trying to do, make me look bad?” I thought it was great. Damon’s a loose guy.
Why is it that it’s easier to give in to the “gloom” than to look at the sunny side of the street? And anyone who is able to do that, able to put a positive spin, is ridiculed or people say they don’t take their jobs seriously enough.
Playing baseball is not like any other job. One shouldn’t judge it the same way we would regular day jobs.
Vader,
The 40 man roster is a HUGE issue and its gone unreported, which is a shame.
It impacts the team on a nightly basis.
When folks say, “You can’t anticipate injuries”, that’s when I disagree.
You could anticipate the catching situation in the off-season quite easily and KNOW you needed a veteran guy on the 40 man. Posada, Molina and Cervelli aren’t enough.
You have to look at the OF situation and say, “I need a veteran bat on the 40 man just in case stuff happens”.
That’s what good organizations do.
Its unbelievably unfair to saddle Girardi with these limitations and he has to be the public face of the franchise taking one for the team. Which is what he is doing when questioned about some of these moves.
I think Brian needs to take some of the heat off Girardi by going public in the next day or so. Talk about these issues and give reasons why before they fester.
I like Cashman and I think he has done a lot of good things with this organization. However, the 40 man roster issue is on the GM and the baseball ops folks and not on the manager.
It hurts the manager every night and that’s not right, IMO.
Betsy
If RISP is going to be a season long problem this team will not win.
You should expect when Alex, Posada, Nady come back RISP should improve greatly.
Right now with RISP they stink.
If Torre was the mgr. of this team he would be fired.
S.A., what is this “sun” you speak about?
“I know it’s a lot to expect A-Rod to come back and be the savior since he’ll most likely need some time to get back into the swing of things”
Agreed. I’d get him right in so he’s seeing actual major league pitching. What he’s been facing in FLA is light years from that and he’ll probably struggle initially. Sooner he’s in there facing them, the sooner he gets his sea legs and starts to rock ‘n roll.
i guess at this point things are reduced to seeing what happens when arod comes back.
last night was a baseball game against a good team. they lost by a run. the bullpen did a good job.
that it was at the end of a four game losing streak is what makes it stand out as something worse.
from a fan perspective, the only obvious thing can think of at this point is let’s see what adding arod to the mix does for the team.
how does that change the lineup. teixeira will now have arod hitting behind him. pitchers will be looking at arod and teixeira back to back. they should be as good as manny and ortiz at their best.
this is what the plan was . maybe this will be something that the team can rally around. arod and teixera back to back should be a force. if they are not, it’s time for us to take up a new hobby because they are signed until about 2020.
at this point , the yankees need a change.
the biggest change coming is arod starting at third base and hitting clean up behind teixeira.
maybe that will be a tipping point that makes a lot of seeming unrelated things better. let’s hope so because this yankee team needs a positive jolt of something.
The Mike Francessas of the world love when the Yankees are bad, because he thinks people are going to listen to him go on tirades about fist pumps, or laughing, or smiling, or not caring, thats how he gets ratings, I have stopped listening.
does anybody think by them playing tight might cause some of these injuries???
i didn’t trust posada to stay healthy & thought the yankees should have addressed the catching position in the offseason,cf,bullpen also.
this is why we have molina,cervelli,melky,gardner,berroa.
it seems like they wen’t three quarters of the way through a great plan & just stopped & rolled the dice.
you simply can’t ignore the weak cf,catching & bullpen positions while spending 209 million on payroll & playing in ny with a new stadium.
you wait for the prospects to pan out before you rely on them.
the yankees did a nice job signing tex,cc,burnett but needed to go further.maybe a few trades to get a catcher,cf & some bullpen help.
I was a big fan of Dunn but his last two outings for Trenton have been terrible and he’s taking a 40-man spot. He’s proven he’s is a long ways away from helping the pen. Who knows if Garcia will ever be healthy? Way to may unproven commodities on the 40-man.
I think another fieldtrip to the poolhall would do this team tons of good.
I agree that Gardner should get a start. Need something to spark us. He can get on base, via walk, bunt, infield hit, and becomes a walking double. Give Swisher a night off, not Melky. Swish has done nothing lately. Try to manufacture runs somehow. Couldn’t beleive Tex didn’t crush that 2-0 fastball he knew was coming and was right in his wheelhouse. He got too anxious there. Thats what happens though when you’re not going well.
“If Johnny Damon or Nick Swisher did that last night, he would get RIPPED by the Mike Francesa’s and the blogs for “not caring”.”
Don’t get me going on the talk radio world we live in…
I wonder if Francesa even believes half the things he says, or does he just do it because he knows “Fanatic and Panic seem to be related sometimes” and he needs the ratings to get paid.
I mean he goes on about the Sox being the the better organization, which by all accounts they sure look like it, but he never mentions 2005 and 2006 when the Yankees were still going for it and the Sox were rebuilding..thats two years of growing pains that the Yankees are going through now…however I just don’t see the position players in the Yankees org.
It’s a long season and by no means over, but next week against the Blue Jays will tell a lot.
S.A. –
We actually had some sun and blue sky for about 10 minutes this morning.
Now, it’s back to gray and damp and chilly out there. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow. Don’t care if there’s no sun, but I hope the rains holds off until at least late afternoon. We have to move my daughter out of her dorm and last year we did it in the rain. Not fun. Not fun at all.
The Yankees have to be sick and tired of playing in the rain, too. I really don’t envy ballplayers sometimes. And I’m surprised more of them aren’t sick – or maybe they are all the time and we just never know it.
By the end of the weekend I think the Yanks will be at least even with the Red Sox in the loss column. Go Yanks! I would like to see Girardi put Damon back at leadoff and Jeter batting second again.
Hey Randy, I read this and I thought of you. I will now seek psychiatric help.
http://www.baseball-intellect......mechanics/
Doreen,
I don’t see it as a coincidence that the three best hitters on the team with RISP are Jeter, Swisher and Damon. That’s because they are three loosest guys on the team.
Tex is Tino. He really is in every way. As he gets he feet wet here, he will eventually become a leader because he plays the game the right way.
That said, like Tino, he is very intense and, also like Tino, is off to a slow start as a Yankee.
Most bandwagon Yankee fans don’t realize that Tino Martinez got KILLED by fans when he got here.
His FIRST DAY as a Yankee in the regular season, fans chanted, “Donnie Baseball” when he went to first base.
In the end, he won them over by playing the game the right way and his talent took over.
The same thing will happen to Tex. Unfortunately, not fast enough for the idiots in the fan base who are now ripping the guy everyday.
You hit on it though. You can’t concede to negativity if you are a player. You just can’t.
You have to grind through the tough time. If you do, you come out of it better.
Tom in N.J. May 7th, 2009 at 9:33 am
S.A., what is this “sun” you speak about?
=============================
lol
http://www.audiophilia.com/wp/.....40jpg.jpeg
I miss you sun!
Doreen May 7th, 2009 at 9:39 am
S.A.—
We actually had some sun and blue sky for about 10 minutes this morning.
Now, it’s back to gray and damp and chilly out there. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow. Don’t care if there’s no sun, but I hope the rains holds off until at least late afternoon. We have to move my daughter out of her dorm and last year we did it in the rain. Not fun. Not fun at all.
===========================
GAH! The sun makes an appearance and I miss it! Yeah this rain needs to stop, soon. Hopefully it’s not raining when you are helping moving out your daughter.
The “best closer of all time” is at least open to debate.
Mariano Rivera’s best two seasons:
1999, 4-3, 45 saves, 1.83 ERA, 18 walks, 52 K’s, 2 HR allowed in 69 innings
2004, 4-2, 53 saves, 1.94 ERA, 20 walks, 66 K’s, 3 HR allowed in 78.2 innings
Dennis Eckersley’s best two season:
1990, 4-2, 48 saves, 0.61 ERA, 4 (four!) walks, 73 K’s, 2 HR allowed in 73.1 innings.
1992, 7-1, 51 saves, 1.91 ERA 11 walks, 93 K’s, 5 HR allowed in 80 innings, won Cy Young and MVP.
Sure, Mariano’s done it for longer, but Eck didn’t begin saving games until he was past thirty.
I expect howls of protest, but in his prime Eckersley was the Sandy Koufax of closers, the best the game has ever seen.
Gardner is a spark because he gets on base? Are you serious?
When does he get on base?
Please, Melky Cabrera has been one of the best players on the team in the last two weeks.
He’s going to be benched now for “Sparkplug Brett Gardner”? He, of the under .300 OBP.
Gardner is now closer to being in the Scranton lineup than he is the Yankees.
The LAST thing this lineup needs is ANOTHER automatic out in it.
“A tie game, their team is 12-16, and that kid is loose as can be.”
SJ – I believe the Rays were winning at that point.
I know the Yankees need A-rod back and he will help, but for some reason I have a weird feeling that he is being set up to be the savior and the way this team is constructed he can’t save it all by himself…which the 24 hour news cycle media we live in will hit him every chance they get.
“Most bandwagon Yankee fans don’t realize that Tino Martinez got KILLED by fans when he got here.”
During the rain delay the other day they had Tino’s Yankeeography on YES and they talked about this.
I admit, watching Tex has been painful this first month+. I never booed him but I wanted to. The problem for me is looking at called third strikes or taking meatballs right down the middle. I know it’s his approach but when he is slumping it is very frustrating to watch.
That said, Teix has looked better at the plate the last few days. The fans have treated him unfairly but I’m hoping that is starting to change. His double last night was huge, but again he failed to get Damon in with <2 outs.
I’m sure Teix will be a very good player but he hasn’t lived up to his billing yet.
“Bruney admitted yesterday that he had a problem with his elbow for most of spring training and pitched through it without informing the team. He also resisted going on the disabled list when he was diagnosed on April 25.”
———————————————-
Do these guys think this is a God damned joke! Marte, Bruney, Alex….AND we have Damon basically in the same situation.
How do you withold information regarding your health, as a baseball player. Especially a pitcher with elbow issues.
Are these guys idiots! There needs to be some type of clause in these guys contracts forcing them to, at the least, disclose information regarding their health and ability to play.
“Hey Randy, I read this and I thought of you. I will now seek psychiatric help.”
tom in nj-
see if you can get a two for one deal.
i could use some help for depression myself
The GGBG at-bat every time:
Fastball right down the middle taken for a strike
Curveball a little off the middle for a swinging strike
Fastball anywhere near the plate – out.
Try adding Mariano’s post-season numbers and longevity in a position in which the best closers don’t come close to having long term success, then get back to me.
Mariano is the best of all-time and its not even close.
The game is more than just reading a stat sheet.
SJ44 -
I agree about Tex/Tino comparison. It’s uncanny. And it will turn around. People really need to understand how phenomenal it is that the guy is not taking his batting woes onto the field, and is helping the team defensively. I know there are people who do appreciate it. More people need to, IMO.
I WANT GIRARDI FIRED. He just sucks as a manager!!
“I WANT GIRARDI FIRED. He just sucks as a manager!!”
—————————————–
Please provide evidence to this statement. How exactly does he “suck”?
That works both ways, doesn’t it Joey?
Folks KILLED Carl Pavano here for “not trying to play through things”.
Now, we are going to kill Bruney for TRYING to play through things? Can’t have it both ways.
Players feel the heat about contributing to the team when needed. That’s why Damon is playing through significant pain right now.
Can’t kill Bruney for that AND kill Pavano for not trying to play through injuries.
You have to pick one side or the other.
I would dare say that if Brian Bruney said, “My elbow hurts and it only hurts when I throw a ball”, shut himself down, and was seen laughing in the dugout on a camera, he would be getting KILLED by fans and talk show hosts.
I don’t blame the guy at all for trying to play through it. Not smart but, that’s the mentality of an athlete.
Now you see why its so tough for teams to get players to admit anything is hurting them.
aardvark – Eckersley lived in the 3.5 ERA range. Mo lives in the 1.8 ERA range. I don’t see any comparison.
Everyone’s entitled to their good few years. Mo does it every year.
SJ:
If you read my post I said ‘Swisher’ should get a night off, not Melky. Read before you make a fool of yourself, which you seem to do very often. Gardner pinch hit the other night against Papelbon and what did he do? Got on base right? Last night, he executed a sac bunt to move the winning run into scoring position. In that big come from behind win on Friday, Gardner had a big hit to keep that rally going in the 8th inning. Can’t hurt to give him a start.
Gardner is not the type of hitter that can take pitches. He works himself into a hole and can’t get himslef out. He’s played himslef out of the lineup. Now it’s time for him in SWB to get himself straight.
SWB has veteran outfielders that can give us a good bat on the bench. Look at the lift that Van Emery has given the Sux. If he was at SWB, he would never have been promoted.
The team simply does not play hard for him. They are not motivated by him. He is more like a friend and teamate. Maybe he should strap on his gear and catch since they need a catcher
At least Joe Girardi watches the games.
I think all this team is missing is some ARod. Pitching has been horrendous I know but ARod is going to give this team the spark it needs.
Until ARod comes back and Damon, Molina, and Matsui go on the DL
“The team simply does not play hard for him. They are not motivated by him. He is more like a friend and teamate. Maybe he should strap on his gear and catch since they need a catcher”
I actually was thinking about that yesterday
Ron,
Care to drop some exapmles of his sucking.
Don’t know if anyone saw this:
The Yankees re-signed right-handed pitcher Humberto Sanchez to a minor league deal, according to this press release on the site for the Scranton Times-Tribune. He was released by the Yankees on April 25th to make room for Mark Melancon. Sanchez, 25, was assigned to AA Trenton and placed on their disabled list.
Please, please, please people.
Mariano is not just the best closer, he is the best relief pitcher of all time, and its not close. When he chooses to hang them up the void will not be able to be filled. He is as close to an automatic lock into the Hall of Fame as their is.
What the Yankees need right now is a Paul O’Neil type, but a bad version. Someone to go out, fail, and get really freaking mad that he is failing.
“The game is more than just reading a stat sheet.”
Even if you read just a stat sheet Mo is THE BEST of all time, without question.
CB has made some great posts in the past about Mariano’s excellence, maybe he can come in here and repeat some of his posts. Basically Mariano isn’t just the best closer of all time, he is one of the best PITCHERS of all time. What Rivera has done is unprecedented and will probably never be repeated.
No John, its you that’s making a fool of himself.
You want to take out a guy with a nearly .400 OBP for a guy with a nearly .300 OBP because he is a “spark”?
Nick Swisher has played well all year. He’s one of few power threats in the lineup right now.
You want to replace him in the lineup with a guy who can’t hit and can’t hit for power.
If you are looking for a “fool” in this thread, try looking in the mirror.
SJ-
Point taken. My only minimal arguement is, if Bruney withheld a buttox issue, i wouldn’t be as upset, but I see your point.
Coach,
I just think he is too young and too much like a buddy to these guys.
As for in game managing, over the year plus he has been here he has brought the infield in at the wrong times, left a pitcher in too long, pinch hit at the wrong time, etc…
The team doesn’t play hard for him?
Care to give examples?
They didn’t play hard this week? They constantly came from behind and gave themselves chances to win.
THAT’S playing hard for a manager.
Don’t confuse effort with results.
There is no problem with the effort from this team. The results are the issue right now.
“I agree that Gardner should get a start. Need something to spark us. He can get on base, via walk, bunt, infield hit, and becomes a walking double. Give Swisher a night off, not Melky. Swish has done nothing lately”
Gardner isn’t an MLB quality bat. Making outs does not = spark.
Agree on Swisher though. Since his first week when he started 7 for 13 with 2 homers and 9 rbi, he’s pretty much been a lesser version of Jason Giambi. Since April 12, he hit .233 with 5 homers and 10 RBI. OBP over that period is still a very good .378. Sometimes wonder if he is agressive enough up there. Like Giambi, no plate appearance by Swisher is complete until he looks at strike one down the middle. Almost like he goes up looking to walk.
Billy:
Who do you suggest? John Rodriguez? Todd Linden? Those guys are what they are. Triple A hitters. Bring them up here and they will do nothing. Despite what you think, Gardner does work the count and puts the bat on the ball. While I agree he is not an everyday player, he is effective coming off the bench and in spot starts.
hmmm
June 30th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
“if it’s not cashman’s fault, it’s someone’s fault because the team is underperforming. so if it’s not him then who?”
how about asking this question: are they ACTUALLY underperforming?
Cashman constructed a 95 win team. that’s his job.
but those 95 wins are based on X # of AB’s from A-Rod and Posada.
A-Rod has been worth about 8 Wins over a replacement player during his career. Posada has been worth about 7 wins over a replacement player during his career.
take those guys away, and your 95 win team becomes an 80 win team.
the Yankees performed as an 88 win team for the first half of the season.
they lost Posada for 1/4 of the season and A-Rod for 1/8 of the season.
So, they lost about 1 win from 3B (1/8 of 8 wins) and 2 wins from the catcher position (1/4 of 7 wins).
Due to injuries, they lost about 3 wins, moving a team that should have been expected to win 47.5 games in the first half of the season to a team that won 44 games in the first half of the season.
ALL teams have injuries. that is true.
but the Yankees happened to have injuries to the 2 players they could ABSOLUTELY not replace.
considering the injuries, the team is about exactly where we would expect.
i know everyone has to always have someone to blame, but sometimes there is no one to blame besides bad luck.
————————————————–
deja vu all over again. but seriously, how do the yankees get out of this reoccurring broken pattern ?
should a team not have players that are to big to fail?
in other words , if a team is a balanced team with no superstars then when a player is injured it’s not as big a part to replace. is the make up of the yankees with some very big stars that eat up a majority of the team salary a bad strategy because if injuries happen to the superstar the team is screwed.
for instance, if the yankees hadn’t signed arod and posada, they could have taken 20 million to get a catcher and third baseman and still have had 20 million left to get a bullpen.
i’m just wondering how much the bad luck is just the result of putting so much money in so few players. maybe a balance is a better approach.
Provide specific examples of these, and then provide specific examples of other AWESOME managers not doing the same. i seem to remember the beloved Joe Torre bringing the entire infield in a double play situation in a certain World Series game 7, how did that work out.
Too young and buddy, buddy with the players? lol
Last year, it was, “He’s too distant with the players:.
This isn’t football. You don’t crack a whip and beat these guys into submission to play everyday.
Its 162 games in 180 days. No Marine lasts in this business.
He’s not buddy buddy with the players. Hell, have the guys on the roster weren’t even going to be here until the injuries hit. How can he be “buddy buddy” with them?
Folks don’t be ignorant, Cashman does his job. His job is to put the best possible team on the field, and he did what he could.
Players aren’t playing at their potential, and games should be managed better. Furthermore, I’m not saying Fire Girardi, but things do need to change, we need more aggressiveness on this team.
Gardner doesn’t work counts. He makes outs.
Are you now going to tell me he works counts better than Nick Swisher? Who, BTW, sees more pitches than ANY hitter in the AL so far this year.
Gardner is no “spark”. He is a kid who won the CF job, couldn’t hold onto it because he couldn’t get on base, and is now a reserve player.
You don’t take out Swisher to put in Gardner unless Swisher is hurt.
If you do that, you have 3 automatic outs in the lineup, all with no power: Gardner, Pena and Molina.
You think they have trouble scoring runs now? Try that lineup for a day or two.
It’s pointless to assign blame right now. The whole team, the coaches and the GM have to be better. You can’t point at one guy and say “he’s been perfect”. Everyone needs to step up.
It’s not like the team has lost because of a bad bullpen every night or because a lack of runs every night. The Yanks have found different ways to lose. The entire team just has to play better baseball.
I love Gardener, I really do, but Melky is simply outperforming him right now. Check who is leading the team in hitting. Putting him in for Swisher makes 3 cents on a dollar. Swisher is one of the 3 power bats in the line up right now, sees tons of pitches, and has a much, much higher OBP than Gardy.
Sorry but GGBG has not proven to be any more than a AAA hitter. If he can’t get on base, he’s got no place on this roster. He’s struggling and you think giving him a spot start will help.
Granted he got a hit off Pap but even a blind squirrel finds an acorn.
As for SWB, ever heard of catching lighting in a bottle? I’m not saying guys from SWB would be world beaters, but we are not in a position to not explore that option. Look at our bench.
W L PCT
LA Dodgers 21 8 .724
… so it wasn’t torre and it isn’t girardi ?
…so what is the problem?
hmmmm…
Comparing the Dodgers and the Yankees records is the DUMBEST things I have ever seen.
SJ
Some great comments. I totally agree that the 25 man roster and the 40 man roster need to be questioned. I can’t believe the 25 man roster at all from the start of the season until now. It is totally flawed. 13 pitchers. Up until recently no long man. No Pinch Hitters. Should have used the so called depth of like pitchers in AAA to adjust the lineup for 11 pitchers (w/ a long man) and carry 3 C and a PH.) More flexibility is needed.
I can understand the 40 man roster better than the 25, because the Yankees are trying to protect some very good pitchers. But maybe they should trade one or two for a really good bat/position player. I also don’t believe Cash has the final say and we all know what a committee of anything does.
One last thing. I personally believe Joe G is part of the problem and not the solution. He Manages uptight. He isn’t a calming or mentoring type coach. He appears highly threatened. I just believe he is in over his head and a change is on the horizon very soon if things continue this way. I use the term “Control Freak” & Joe G interchangeably. It doesn’t play well when the ego of the Manager exceeds the ego of the players by far. Davey johnson may very well be here by July. Cash Money will not ride a dead horse till the end of the year. Maybe Joe G can make a concessions and allow candy back in the locker room.
Little things make a big difference. Joe G doesn’t do the little things. IMO, he doesn’t do the big things either. LOL!
Go Yanks!
heres a few positives to take from this season vs. last season:
1)last year the yankees would’ve lost this game 3 – 0 – so far this year they HAVE shown signs of battling back and not just quitting
2)as bad as the rotation has looked (and performed) would you take your chances for the next 135 games with CC, AJ and Joba or Rasner, Ponson and Pavano?
3) (for those of you who are getting ready to slit your wrists on may 7th) – the yankees are STILL ahead of tampa in the 3 team race of the AL east with the top 2 going to the playoffs(toronto will settle in its predetermined 4th place finish once they start playing the AL East – same goes for you torre loving dodger fans who have played the crappy NL west and the astros and nationals so far this year)
things they need to do ASAP:
1)learn to bunt with runners on 2nd and 3rd (or just 3rd) and less than 2 outs – you NEED to get that run home and so far NO ONE has tried bunting – look at the successful teams the last 4 or 5 years (angels, twins, rays to name a few) and see if they bunt that run in…
2) THROW STRIKES…
Eckersley’s career ERA is higher because he was a starter for the first half of his career.
If you look at a 7-8 year period with the A’s, Eckersley was every bit as good, and in my opinion, better, than Rivera. He did it in the postseason, too (MVP of 1988 ALCS).
Plus he had panache — the long hair and the “here, hit this” mentality. He combined the effectiveness of Rivera with the flamboyance of Hrabosky. Did I spell that right?
What exactly has Swisher done lately? NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can’t hurt to sit him one night and put Gardner in CF and Melky in right. All I’m saying.
What exactly has Swisher done lately? NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can’t hurt to sit him one night and put Gardner in CF and Melky in right. All I’m saying.
Question for SJ:
What’s your take on Gardner? Is he simply over-matched at this level or has he been doing something differently from Spring Training until now?
“Comparing the Dodgers and the Yankees records is the DUMBEST things I have ever seen.”
billy-
and why is that?
… and please use words with only a few syllables so i can understand.
1. Tom in N.J. May 7th, 2009 at 9:33 am
S.A., what is this “sun” you speak about?
What has Gardner done? LESS!!!!!!
He’s no answer!
Do you have any understanding of a baseball lineup?
Do you really believe Pena, Gardner and Molina, is the bottom of the order you want to see?
There is NO POWER in that lineup and teams will just pitch around guys to get to the bottom of the order.
Stop looking at 10 AB sample sizes to make a foolish argument.
You don’t take the guy that LEADS THE TEAM IN OBP and replace him with a guy who is almost at the bottom of the list on the team in OBP for a “spark”.
If you want a AAA lineup, go follow the Scranton Yankees.
Gardner was feasting in Spring Training because he was getting a steady diet of hittable fastballs. He seems overmatched by big-league pitchers that can do more than just throw a fastball. Big league breaking stuff has caused him to either A) strike out or B) hit the ball in the air or avoid getting on base in some other form, rendering him virtually useless. Plus, his vaunted “eye” in the minors doesn’t translate to the majors because nobody is giving in to him when he has no power and hasn’t shown the ability to hit a pitcher’s pitch at the highest level.
I still like him on the bench, but the problem is I hate him as the only back-up outfielder right now because he can’t pitch hit, has no power and can’t get on base when the team needs a baserunner. This is what is making me pine for John Rodriguez or Todd Linden or anybody who has some hitting ability. Still, though, I think they should be replacing one of Edwar, Veras or Albaladejo on the roster and not The Gritty, Gutty One.
Joey,
A 4th OF, no more, with a limited ceiling.
He can’t hit major league pitching on an everyday basis.
He also can’t get on base.
He’s not as good defensively as advertised.
Personally, when Nady gets back, I’d send him down, call up a guy like John Rodriquez, and keep him on the bench.
A professional, major league off the bench kind of hitter.
The Yankees lack that right now.
Speed is nice. Getting on base and being a functional major league player is nicer.
Unfortunately, Brett isn’t that kind of guy.
He works hard, is a good kid but, is overmatched at this level. At least right now.
What power has Swisher shown lately? What? Either he walks or strikes out. For the thousandth time: Now read slowly and see if you can follow ok? PUT GARDNER IN… are you with me so far? Ok, I’ll continue. FOR A GAME (Still with me? Good.) AND GIVE SWISHER A NIGHT OFFF TO SEE IF HE CAN GENERATE A SPARK.. Again, I’m talking tonight’s game. We need a win, and Swish has not contributed anything lately, striking out most of the time.
SJ should manage this team…he clearly has all the answers.
IMO, Gardner has a place in the MLB on a championship team as a pinch runner/sac bunt/5th outfielder type…I just don’t know if this is that type of team for him and if it is, it needs to be reconstructed real soon to lose some of the pitchers, 13 is too many…especially when a few of them are not pitching that well.
Thanks SJ
What is the current status of X-Man anyway? I’ve heard he’ll be out the season, 2 months, and a month because of a experimental procedure….
Anybody have the definitive answer on the team’s approach to Nady?
Randy look at the roster of the Dodgers first of all. Kuo, Kuroda, Schmidt, Dougie M, and Vargas all absolutely huge losses. lol. I’m not sure how Torre can even manage with those guys on the shelf. Now look at what Girardi has been dealt.
Then compare the teams in the NL West and AL East. Comparing the Yankees and Dodgers records is like comparing apples and orannges. It’s failed logic.
If Gardner continues to struggle they can’t wait for Nady to be activated. That’s dead weight.
X-Man could be back in June or July I believe, depending on how he responds to his platelet-enriched plasma injections in his elbow. He would only be able to DH at first but then he was saying that he wants to work his way back into playing the field, if health permits. They decided that it was only a partial ulnar collateral ligament (Tommy John ligament) tear and didn’t require surgery and he could try this new-fangled approach that worked for people like Takashi Saito and Hines Ward (of NFL fame), to name a few. So, he hopefully would be healthy enough to rejoin the team maybe around the same time they get Posada back?
the problem is evident in Teixiera’s comment from last night, “We found another way to lose.” I know he had some other positive things to say along with that, but that comment says to me that they are thinking about and trying not to lose as opposed to trying to win…and there IS a difference. All the fuss about the 40 man, cashman/girardi need to go, etc are all worthless if the team plays with a “don’t lose” mindset.
Jonh C.-
For God’s sake, give it up.
You make no sense! Gardner hasn’t displayed any ability to get on base and, despite Swisher not destroying the ball lately, he still works counts and takes his walks.
Taking out Swish and putting in Gardner basically gives their starting pitcher another 10-15 pitches to work with for other players.
What is one night in the lineup going to “spark” Gardner to do?
All it does is handicap the lineup and limit our ability to win, for one night.
Not exactly what a team on a four game lsing streak needs.
The platelet therapy is going to become a lot more prevalent in the game. I read that it has been used to treat detoriating hammies. Not sure if any teams would consider that approach for hamstring tears at this point. Very painful needle injections.
Joey A
You’re right. I give up. No sense arguing with those who think they know everything. Keep Swisher in and lets just continue our dull play.
WOW! Pure panic in the streets. Am I on the RSox board? Things have a way of evening out. But stupidity and stubborness are much harder to correct or change. The Yankees have the potential to be dominant. Injuries are a big factor every season. Going into a season where Posada was coming off a major injury, one would think that possibly a 3rd catcher would come in handy to allow more rest and a PH to be used in Molina or someone else played.
In April when most SP’s have not paced themselves for long starts, with a SP who has an innings limit, and an SP coming off a major foot injury one would think that a long man would be necessary. 13 pitchers was crazy. 11 pitchers with one being an innings eater would have been more in line with what was needed.
I personally wanted to see Eric Duncan brought up and given a chance at 3B/PH instead of Berroa or Pena. He is young and potential has been synonymous with his name. Perhaps a break like getting a chance in NY would be all he needs. He can also play OF and has some power which is at least a threat.
Sometimes the ball just bounces wrong. Like several ground rule doubles that cost the Yankees runs. A great play here or there or missed calls. It happens. I believe a Manager is almost always overrated. LOL! I believe they are real handicaps when they believe they are the reason a team wins. That is the category I find Joe G. So he slams his door again and sulks alone in his office is so un-Yankees!! The Yankees expect to win. There should be no panic from the Manager or the sky is falling type attitude. It is especially hard on a youngster. They are uncertain about their status from the get go.
So while I am frustrated by the position the Yankees find themselves right now, I am not worried. When I post things it is my opinion of what is wrong, not a fact. Cash did a great job IMO getting a roster together at Day 1. Now everyone wants a star prospect for a part-time player. I really wanted ManRam, but it wasn’t to be. LOL!
SJ44
I have not been on this blog for long, but since you are so very, very knowledgeable about baseball, what was your opinion about getting J. Santana? If you were the Yanks GM what would you have done? Also, would you have signed Carlos Beltran?
Did Gardener give them a spark last night when Swisher got tossed?
Yes, John, let’s put Brett Gardner, and his .164 BA over the last 15 games he has played, into the lineup for a “spark”.
Just what this team needs. Another automatic out in the lineup to give them a “spark”.
I would not have traded for Santana and I would have signed Beltran over Randy Johnson and given Javy Vasquez another shot in NY.
Coach:
He did what he was asked to do, which was lay down a sca bunt to get the potential winning run into scoring positon. That was the only chance he got, and he did his job.
“I personally wanted to see Eric Duncan brought up and given a chance at 3B/PH instead of Berroa or Pena. He is young and potential has been synonymous with his name. Perhaps a break like getting a chance in NY would be all he needs. He can also play OF and has some power which is at least a threat.”
I also wanted to see Eric get a shot. He would be easy to pull for but when you wanted to him to get a shot, he was hitting great. The problem with him is that he goes into terrible slumps and can never get straight. He’s in a 4-for-32 slump now. Let’s see how he responds.
Yeah, and he bunted to the wrong side of the infield. That bunt is supposed to go down the first base and not third base line.
You don’t replace the guy who has been the best all around hitter on the team so far this year for Brett Gardner if Swisher isn’t hurt.
Laying down a sac bunt, to the wrong base no less, is no reason to make a lineup change.
Fair is fair John,
I just don’t see the point of adding another week bat to a lineup that is so depleted right now.
“He did what he was asked to do, which was lay down a sca bunt to get the potential winning run into scoring positon. That was the only chance he got, and he did his job.”
He did but it was a terrible bunt and they guy at second would have been out if he threw there. Any little leaguer knows that when the third baseman is charging you don’t bunt it to him. Shows his fundmamentals as far as bunting are not there yet.
Eckersley himself refers to Rivera as the “Greatest Ever”
“He did but it was a terrible bunt and they guy at second would have been out if he threw there. Any little leaguer knows that when the third baseman is charging you don’t bunt it to him. Shows his fundmamentals as far as bunting are not there yet.”
How many guys on this team even know how to bunt? Bottom line, he got the job done and even if they got the guy at 2nd, odds are Gardner would have stolen 2nd to get the winning run into scoring position anyway.
I believe the Yankees will be competitive this year. Will that be good enough to make the playoffs? Maybe.
The good news is that I haven’t seen any team yet that is clearly head and shoulders above any other team.
The bad news is that there are a lot of teams that can field a competitive team on any given night.
The real problem in my opinion is that this team will have lots of holes to fill in the next 1-3 years because of declining skills and age.
They have no sure fire can’t miss prospects in the minors and their track record with signing fill in players is demonstrably weak.
They need to win this year or they need to find a new GM that can bring a fresh perspective to building a roster.
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