Come meet A-Rod tomorrow
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jun 15, 2009 
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A few assorted items from Yankeeland:
• A-Rod himself will be in Monument Park tomorrow from 4:10-4:30 p.m. Gates open at 4 p.m., so hustle.
• Damaso Marte was seen today by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. Dr. Andrews concurred with the previous evaluations by Yankees team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad as well as Dr. David Altchek, and Marte will return to Tampa, Fla., to continue his throwing program.
Marte has what is being called shoulder inflammation. He has been out since April.
• A.J. Burnett’s suspension appeal was postponed until June 30. MLB’s discipline system runs as slowly as Hideki Matsui.
• Robinson Cano will serve as “Principal for a Day” for PS 55 in the Bronx tomorrow. Hey kids, today’s lesson is always swing at the first pitch and never let your best friend get on You Tube.
“Robinson Cano will serve as “Principal for a Day” for PS 55 in the Bronx tomorrow.”
Great, a guy with no patience being the Principal at a school. Those poor kids.
Marte kind of rhymes with Karsay.
Coincidence?
I truly hope the faculty, students and staff of PS 55 don’t mistake Cano’s laid back approach to being Principal as “lazy” and instead realize he’s just “smooth”.
Well, that’s good news about Marte…….Dr. Andrews is going to start getting upset at the Yankees for wasting his time with relatively healthy patients, lol
actually Matsui isn’t running all that slowly
“actually Matsui isn’t running all that slowly”
Is he walking quickly?
Am I the only one that saw him hustle out a DP against Tampa?
Robinson Cano will serve as “Principal for a Day” for PS 55 in the Bronx tomorrow.
“Okay kids, open the first book you see, and then, Class Dismissed!”
I’m not sure what to make of the Marte situation. As I see it, the injury is nothing more serious than shoulder tendinitis…but its not getting better. Does that mean Marte is a candidate for the 60 day disabled list? If so, we could move Austin Jackson to the 40 man roster.
Or does it mean that he will remain “day to day” on the 15 day disabled list for the remaninder of the season.
I was all in favor of putting Xavier Nady on the 60 day disabled list when he was injured in mid-April. The Yankees have kept him on the 15 day disabled list for more than 60 days now. That seems like a waste to me.
You make me laugh Pete haha
Marte sure is lucky he signed early last offseason.
Interesting by postponing the hearing until June 30th if he doesn’t get shortening of the games and the actual decision comes down that day AJ could be pitching once in 16 days as the All Star break is thrown in there. Not sure that is something you want to do with a pitcher whose numbers with extra days off isn’t that great. I would imagine that Girardi would change up the rotation with the All Star break anyway but seems like a lot of time off again if the suspension is not changed.
‘Am I the only one that saw him hustle out a DP against Tampa?”
No. I remember that. He’s running as hard as he can.
I wouldn’t necesarily call it quick but he’s getting the job done. Always a professional. I’ll miss him.
“Great, a guy with no patience being the Principal at a school. Those poor kids.”
Cano really needs to be Assistant Principal here. I don’t know what Yankees PR was thinking. Those kids will eat him alive.
Francesa accused Robbie Cano of being a stat padder today!
gayle
June 15th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Interesting by postponing the hearing until June 30th if he doesn’t get shortening of the games and the actual decision comes down that day AJ could be pitching once in 16 days as the All Star break is thrown in there. Not sure that is something you want to do with a pitcher whose numbers with extra days off isn’t that great. I would imagine that Girardi would change up the rotation with the All Star break anyway but seems like a lot of time off again if the suspension is not changed.
————————————————————
It will be like all suspensions. They’ll knock one day off of the suspension and the Yanks will adjust to keep him and the rest of the staff as close to schedule as possible.
I really hope Marte can come back healthy.
I think people are underestimating how important he can be to a struggling pen.
The Yankees are on the cusp of being a dominant team and the bullpen is holding them back from that more than anything.
Huston Street would be great but he’ll cost a fortune. Marte is a useful piece that could come back around the trade deadline and cost nothing (extra).
Makes me wonder what a principal actually does if they trust a baseball player who speaks hardly any english to be the head honcho for a day.
Here, sit at this desk and act smart.
“Marte kind of rhymes with Karsay.
Coincidence?”
That’s a good one. I was thinking Damaso/Pavano.
Karsay pitched well for us in ’02 (closing effectively when Mo went down) and then had actual, significant injuries that required real surgery, unlike Carla’s sore ass and elective TJ surgery.
Papa Smurf
June 15th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Francesa accused Robbie Cano of being a stat padder today!
————————————————————
So what? You and Francessa have much in common. Smurfette can’t stand either one of you.
unlike Carla’s sore ass and elective TJ surgery.
That just never get’s old.
CB, I’m just catching up on earlier posts now. Why is AJ the poster boy for this Jorge debate? Why does it matter what AJ did in Florida? That’s in the past…….Is he disgusting his teammates now? Is he selfish now? I don’t think it’s necessary to completely trash this guy in order to defend Posada. By the way, ask the Jays whether AJ is a jerk – you might be surprised. He’s got a lot of friends in Toronto and he was considered a good teammate. Was he a jerk when he was younger? It appears so – it appears it took him a long time to grow up. Again, how does that have any bearing on what is going on now? Also, while wasting talent is a shame, let’s be real – he’s mostly hurting himself. Is he the only player ever to not live up to their supposed ability? Why the resentment? If he ends up regretting his career years after retirement, that’s unfortunately something he will have to live with. It is not AJ’s fault that people are assuming that he can’t stand pitching to Posada…..and he’s taken responsibility for all of his poor efforts. What more do you want? Maybe AJ simply is not capable of doing more than he has – maybe it’s our fault for expecting more.
What kind of arm strength would he have this season,by the time he’s better?
” I usually don’t have an entire day on the forum. I know, thank God!”
trisha-
amen to that
(kidding)
“The Yankees are on the cusp of being a dominant team and the bullpen is holding them back from that more than anything.”
I don’t know. The pen is obviously an issue. But if the starting rotation doesn’t straighten out this team has little chance of winning the division and the playoffs will be a struggle.
The two biggest issues on the team right now are Wang and Burnett. If those two can start performing closer to expectations lots of other things take care of themselves.
That’s the key right now. They need both of them.
If Wang can stay in the rotation they would for example have the luxury of using Hughes out of the pen, for example.
Or if Andy is hurt or really declining Wang being Wang would allow them to remove Andy from the rotation/ DL him and use Hughes there.
“So what? You and Francessa have much in common. Smurfette can’t stand either one of you.”
GB excelling in unconventional warfare.
GreenBeret7
June 15th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Papa Smurf
June 15th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Francesa accused Robbie Cano of being a stat padder today!
——————————————————————————————
So what? You and Francessa have much in common. Smurfette can’t stand either one of you.
——————————————————-
LOL Francesa is the top voice in new york his opinion does matter.
Betsy, people expect more out of AJ because he was signed to be a frond-end starter for an enormous contract. The number of zeros on the paycheck don’t usually change the performance of the player, but they do affect the expectations of the fans.
AJ is only disappointing if you expected him to live up to his potential of his talent.
If you expected him to do what he has done his entire career (mediocre performances) and subtract the Yankees dominance since he no longer will be facing them, then there should be no problems.
In ST, people were talking about how he was a late bloomer and how Halladay turned him into a ‘pitcher’ and how he would be like Schilling and thrive on the big stage and live up to the talent…. and there was no basis for any of that.
Always be wary of those guys with great stuff with poor results. They’ll break your heart every time. Look at his performance, not his stuff.
“LOL Francesa is the top voice in new york his opinion does matter.”
Smurf retaliating unconventional gibberish.
retaliating WITH.
dammit…
“Francesa is the top voice in new york his opinion does matter.”
His opinion being heard and his opinion mattering are 2 different things.
His opinion matters to those who don’t know how to form opinions of their own.
As Pete said… Francessa must be doing something right since most of the posts from 1-6 PM everyday are basically reacting to his show.
“Why is AJ the poster boy for this Jorge debate? Why does it matter what AJ did in Florida? ”
I don’t think he’s the poster boy but the two issues that keep coming up with the Posada issue are how both AJ and Joba have pitched. Those are the two most frequent examples.
Joba is only in his first full year of starting so there’s no a lot of evidence to describe past performance.
AJ has a ton of evidence about past performance – past performance which has nothing to do with Posada or the yankee’s organization.
AJ’s pitching the same this year as he has in the past. Exactly the same – to the point where his post game quotes this year are just rehashes of what he’s said in the past.
And that has nothing to do with Posada.
That’s his track record.
I’m pulling for the guy 100% because if he’s not good they’re not winning the division.
But how he’s performing now has absolutely nothing to do with Posada and his past performance shows that explicitly.
C’mon, Matsui busts his butt beating out a double play ball, Yankees win game pretty much because he did, and you’re busting on him? Do you watch the same games I do?
Papa Smurf
June 15th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
GreenBeret7
June 15th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Papa Smurf
June 15th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Francesa accused Robbie Cano of being a stat padder today!
——————————————————————————————
So what? You and Francessa have much in common. Smurfette can’t stand either one of you.
———————————————————————————-
LOL Francesa is the top voice in new york his opinion does matter.
————————————————————
He only matter to the radio station bank account….for the time being. And, soap opera lovers like you.
Why are people even continuing to discuss Posada when the pitching coach himself said that the ballpark is the reason why the pitchers are afraid to throw strikes?
“Why are people even continuing to discuss Posada when the pitching coach himself said that the ballpark is the reason why the pitchers are afraid to throw strikes?”
…as he pours gasoline on the fire
“C’mon, Matsui busts his butt beating out a double play ball, Yankees win game pretty much because he did, and you’re busting on him? Do you watch the same games I do?”
No one is “busting” on Matsui. Just be aware that there can be a difference between hustling and running quickly. He’s been a true professional his entire career, and to say that he isn’t running quickly now is merely a fact.
Having said that… he knows when he needs to get down the line and leg out a DP – and that’s one of the many reasons why I respect him.
Unfortunately, Tony Pena can’t sit behind Jorge when he’s framing pitches.
And Pete was not “busting” on Matsui. He was just suggesting that AJ might be more successful in his appeal if he drains the excess fluid from him brain.
“By the way, ask the Jays whether AJ is a jerk – you might be surprised. He’s got a lot of friends in Toronto and he was considered a good teammate.”
BTW Betsy, you should take a look at this video before you decide what the Toronto take on AJ was:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....r_embedded
“AJ is only disappointing if you expected him to live up to his potential of his talent.
If you expected him to do what he has done his entire career (mediocre performances) and subtract the Yankees dominance since he no longer will be facing them, then there should be no problems.
In ST, people were talking about how he was a late bloomer and how Halladay turned him into a ‘pitcher’ and how he would be like Schilling and thrive on the big stage and live up to the talent…. and there was no basis for any of that.
Always be wary of those guys with great stuff with poor results. They’ll break your heart every time. Look at his performance, not his stuff.”
Truer words were never written and I said the same things when Cash was courting this tattooed softie over the winter. $82M on spec for a guy who’s won more than 12 games once, and made 30 or more starts twice, in 10 years. But the huge money will make him grow up, that’s usually how it works.
Don’t worry, he’ll get tired of dealing with the pressure and will take a six-week sabbatical. Always does.
I actually saw Francessa make that claim on YES today (Robi being a stat-padder). That argument has as much merit as “ARod never comes through in the clutch!!1!”
It did, however, remind me of a post I made last week about Robi’s success in Yankee wins:
.363 ba / .394 obp / .644 slg / 1.037 ops
in losses:
.214 / .246 / .295 / .540
It’s a chicken or the egg argument – do the Yanks win because of Cano’s prowress, or is he a stat-padder? Fact is the guy has the ability to CRUSH major league pitching (in 36 games this year), and that’s good enough for me.
http://www.baseball-reference......;t=b#outcb
LOL @ what Mkay said about Posada
AJ will be much better when the temperatures rise. He will be hot then too. His fastball is unhittable when it has the extra movement. Wang needs to get over the hump. I am very sure he is still rusty, but I was impressed by his pitches to strikeout Youk & Bay with a 95 to 96 mph sinkers. That is unreal! With Wang straightened out or AJ the Yanks will have a much better bullpen. Veras was destroyed earlier this year in April pitching as the missing longman in 2 games within 3 days where he pitched 3 innings or more. He hasn’t been the same pitcher since. He needs to go on the DL & get his arm back. Perhaps they are babying him now in hopes that it will come back to him.
Burnett is going to win 17-20 games this season. He is going to have some games where he looks like the best pitcher in baseball and then he is going to have some games where he does not have command and struggles. If you take out the two red sox games he has pitched well.
Bottom line he is a very good number 2 starter. He does not need to pitch like an ace. Sabathia is the one being paid to be the staff’s ace. Yankees fans should be lucky to have Burnett.
“AJ will be much better when the temperatures rise. He will be hot then too. His fastball is unhittable when it has the extra movement.”
Wasn’t the case last year. Last year in the month of August AJ’s average fastball velocity was 94. And hitters were hitting .312 when he threw his fastball. .312 of a guy who was throwing comfortably up to 98 and sitting 94.
Why was that? He couldn’t throw his curve ball for a strike that month. Hitters sat on his fastball as he’s a two pitch pitcher and raked it.
The effectiveness of AJ’s fastball is contingent on his curveball. The bizarre paradox of Burnett is that he has one of the best fastball’s in the game yet essentially pitches in reverse with his curveball setting up his fastball.
Jorge Posada tends to call games in certain situations as if he was the hitter per MKay. He got that info from past and current pitchers.
I agree, CB – I’m a huge Posada defender. I think all of the pitchers, not just AJ, are 100% responsible what kind of game they throw. They get the credit for the good ones, they get the blame for the bad ones. Also, he’s been a good soldier in NY. He’s been very unselfish – he showed Phil his new curve and tried to help Joba. Ok, if people think he should quit that because he can’t harness his own ability, I guess I understand that……but the point is, he’s gone out of his way to be a good teammate. Who he was in Florida as an immature hot-head is simply meaningless. I agree that he’s just an inconsistent pitcher – so you
CAN draw a line from his Florida days, through Toronto and now NY. His issues are his own, not Jorge’s (as it is with Joba, Andy, CC, etc……). I just didn’t understand what bearing his suspension from the Marlins has on the Yankees since as a person and teammate (forget pitcher), he’s a different guy.
“I just didn’t understand what bearing his suspension from the Marlins has on the Yankees since as a person and teammate (forget pitcher), he’s a different guy.”
Fair enough. Drawing the line at his Marlin days is reasonable. It’s just a very well known chapter of his career and as such came to mind. Getting told to leave your team during a pennant runs is quite extreme. But I should have thought more the before marlins and after prior to blogging about it.
And as I said – I’m really pulling for him. I said before the season started he’d be the key to the rotation and I still feel taht way (though with Wang’s problem he’s an even larger variable).
I’ve seen that that video it before. I’m just saying he has a lot of friends on Toronto, so he couldn’t have been too bad. It doesn’t matter – the guy is here. From what I can tell, he’s a good guy – I could be dead wrong. All I hear is what a good teammate he is and how popular he is in the clubhouse……..again, I could be dead wrong. I’m not under the impression the guy is or was a saint……but I have always given new guys clean slates. I did it with Boggs and Clemens, Cone and Strawberry. I think it’s only fair….and so far, AJ has been a very good teammate.
Nick, I was one who thought AJ had turned a corner…….I appear to have been mistaken. That said, I’m not going to joing the kill AJ bandwagon. If this is who he is, so be it. I still like the guy even if I get frustrated at him. I appreciate the fact that he chose to stay in the AL East because he is comfortable facing those teams – he could have taken the easy way out and gone to the NL. Unfortunately, I think maybe this was a bad decision for him because I can see fans making life very uncomfortable for him if he doesn’t start pitching better……
BTW, just because a catcher calls a certain pitch and a certain location doesn’t mean the pitch actually thrown even resembles the pitch called. In most cases it isn’t. And guess what, if a hitter knows the pitch coming he will destroy it over 50% of the time. So it doesn’t matter if it is high & tight fastball or a low and away curve, they will destroy it. That is why it is so important to keep the hitter guessing.
I have no ilk with AJ or Joba or any other pitcher, but most lack perspective. They don’t think like a hitter. They think their stuff is unhitable because it has always been that way for them throughout their lives from Little League on up. Most pitchers don’t even hit anyway. The catcher has a feel for what the hitter is seeing and thinking. The pitcher doesn’t see the trajectory of the pitch. LOL! Most don’t see it at all as they are scrambling to make sure it doesn’t come back at them harder than they threw it. That is why the catcher calls the pitches and usually isn’t shook off. Most good hitters know a pitchers tendancies when trouble is brewing. Like AJ throws Fastballs when he is in trouble. Two speeds mind you, fast & faster. When he dials up on the fastball he loses movement and it is much more hitable. That is why the catcher is there to have discernment and keep the pitcher on plan and not on an island.
Now the CERA is like another 4 letter word, CRAP. It doesn’t have a feedback loop to check to see what pitch was called and the location called versus what was delivered. Therefore by design it is not a statistically correct model. Also, the batters, field conditions, fields, etc are not factored. So as SJ said it is ESPN speak of we have no clue what we are talking about. Ignorance is bliss.
Betsy, I’m not killing AJ or saying he’s a bust or anything. I want him to do well and I think he can.
But you wondered if we were expecting too much from him. The expectations come with the contract and with choosing the Yankees.
It would be interesting to know just how coachable the Yankees feel Chamberlain is. Not that he’s lazy, but, stubborn and had success his way, and, no, it’s not working so well. Mantle was extremely coachable….except in batting. During a mid-fifties all-star break, Ted williams took Kaline and Mantle aside and gave them his ideas on hitting and different tips. Kaline really took it to heart and Williams just looked at him like a blank wall, shrugged his shoulders and walked off. Williams loved Mantle’s talent and his guts to tape up and play on those knees. His only real response about Mantle was, he had no idea what I was talking about. Mantle would only hit how he was taught by his father. Makes you wonder just how coachable Lincecum will be when his style isn’t working so well, anymore.
CB, of course you’re pulling for AJ – I’m sorry if I implied you weren’t. Any Yankee fan worth his or her salt is pulling for everyone on this team.
I feel for Jorge, but then I guess he has no idea that we have been beating this to death for a couple of days, lol.
The problems with our SP are numerous – CC is the only one you can count on. I know Andy is the 4th starter and his numbers are ok, but he’s pitched worse than that. If he’s hurting, the Yankees need to be proactive and DL him; if they are letting Andy dictate their actions, then that’s just inane. Joba is a kid – so, he’ll be up and down. I just have no clue as to what to expect from Wang – except that it’s not good. It’s vital that he return to form because he’s very good and he eats innings……but who knows?
Nick, I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to imply that you were criticizing AJ because I didn’t think you were
So if Posada calls for a curve ball low and away, but A.J. hangs one and it gets crushed it’s Jorge’s fault?
Tom: yes.
good bob gibson interview going on now on baseball channel
As some here will recall that I was very much in favor of signing AJ Burnett this past off-season….He was a far better option in my mind than Derek Lowe….He was to be the # 3 starter with the hopes that he’d be a plus 6-7 guy ( 15-8 type record ) who would throw 200 innings….Of course he was in line to benefit from the market and with The Braves in pursuit Cashamn had to throw some additional Yankee dollars as well as an additional year….AJ strikes me as a rhythmic type pitcher…He started out well and then came the implosion in Boston….After yesterday’s outing he may very well get into a groove for a while….Wang’s issue has thrown everything into choas…I still think Wang will be fine by months end, and as for Burnett I watch for him to get on a roll and end up somewhere around 17-10 by season’s end…..
Thanks for clearing that up, Nick.
That seems to be the gist of what this silliness is all about.
Catchers all pitches. The Pitchers job is to execute what is called. 9 times out of 10 when a pitch gets hammered, it’s because the pitch wasn’t executed properly, not because the catcher called the “wrong” pitch.
all= call
ajax begins his night with an opposite-field double…his 15th of the year..batting .341
“So if Posada calls for a curve ball low and away, but A.J. hangs one and it gets crushed it’s Jorge’s fault?”
Only if AJ has been struggling locating the curve all game.
ralphieD,
is ajax going to get a september call up? or sooner?
“good bob gibson interview going on now on baseball channel”
It’s amazing the details these guys can remeber from 40 years ago. My memory of yesterday isn’t this good.
Burnett himself said he is going to get on a roll soon and isin’t going to change a thing.
“Only if AJ has been struggling locating the curve all game.”
therein lies the rub. If A.J. doesn’t have his curve working he’s a one pith pitcher-straight cheese.
If AJ is struggling with his curve and doesn’t want to throw a change-up, how is he going to do throwing the fastball every pitch?
“It’s amazing the details these guys can remeber from 40 years ago. My memory of yesterday isn’t this good.”
when you are hyperfocusing, it’s amazing what you remember.
i liked the story that gibson told about pitching to the outside of the plate to a lefthand hitting mantle in a world series game because mantle’s leg was so bad he couldn’t put weight on it to reach the outside part of the plate.
third time up mantle hit an opposite field home run to right as far as gibson said any right handed power hitter could hit the ball.
he said that’s when he realized mantle was as good as they said he was.
I’ll give Burnett a pass for the Boston game because it was cold and rainy outside… it was like 50 degrees.
Ha, Tom, you beat me to it! And you were pithier to boot.
Nick,
Such is the life of a two-pitch pitcher and one of the main reasons why he has never fulfilled his potential. The scenario you outlined has already manifested itself several times this year.
He can’t get his curve working and he throws FBs down the middle. Ortiz and Nick Green were smacking his 96 MPH fastball all over the yard.
“ralphieD,
is ajax going to get a september call up? or sooner?”
i wish i had these answers…general concensus seems to be a sept callup…
pat
June 15th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
“good bob gibson interview going on now on baseball channel”
It’s amazing the details these guys can remeber from 40 years ago. My memory of yesterday isn’t this good.
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Gibson was a work of art. Great, great pitcher. Played basketball with the Glopbetrotters.
His fights with McCarver were legendary. McCarver came out to the mound to talk and Gibson told him to get the Hell off of his mound (Gibson was slightly more flowing with his language) and told McCarver that the only thing he knew about pitching was that he (McCarver) couldn’t hit it. His rule on hitting batters was “You hit one of mine, I’ll hit two of yours.”
“I’ll give Burnett a pass for the Boston game because it was cold and rainy outside… it was like 50 degrees.”
Yes… Beckett too was adversely affected by the weather.
And what kind of weather do you expect in late-October nights on the East Coast are?
On the East Coast? Crisp, cool, pinstriped, and midge-less.
Fascinating interview with Gibson.
Pat M.
I agree Pat, AJ will go on a roll. 17-8 sounds like him to me.
gb7-
kaline just said that during the tigers/cardinals world series when gibson struck out 17 that gibson was the best pitcher he ever faced that day.
gibson just said the glare was because he couldn’t see for crap so he was always staring really hard trying to see the signals.
oh, by the way, i didn’t see him shaking off McCarver in any of the footage .
ajax with a linedrive single to left field in his second ab…2 for 2 .344 22nd multi hit game this year…most on the team
Except for geezers like PAT M and Randy, most others don’t remember just how good of a defensive player he was and how good a hitter he was. Hitting included 2 World Series homers.
SJ44: You keep bringing up the cleveland game where Joba, as a reliever, gave up a 3 run bomb. It was not to sizemore, it was to David Delucci, which I feel makes it worse.
Can’t let that bum beat ya
McCarver defending the non slide of Brock is a joke. He slides & he scores, he obviously thought he had the throw beaten.
randy l.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
gb7-
kaline just said that during the tigers/cardinals world series when gibson struck out 17 that gibson was the best pitcher he ever faced that day.
gibson just said the glare was because he couldn’t see for crap so he was always staring really hard trying to see the signals.
oh, by the way, i didn’t see him shaking off McCarver in any of the footage .
————————————————————
If he did shake him off, McCarver couldn’t have done a thing about it. He didn’t have the guts to confront Bullet Bob.
randy l
The story about snubbing Torre after the game because he didn’t like him coming to the mound to just play “show and tell” was good too.
http://www.people.com/people/p.....98,00.html
vote for Swisher, guys you can too. Don’t worry no one will tell.
“therein lies the rub. If A.J. doesn’t have his curve working he’s a one pith pitcher-straight cheese.”
Hey, I’m just answering the original question. I can’t solve all of AJ’s problems.
jennifer, I’ve enjoyed your comments on Posadagate.
Buddy Biancalana– I ain’t no Debbie Downer!
June 15th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
McCarver defending the non slide of Brock is a joke. He slides & he scores, he obviously thought he had the throw beaten.
————————————————————
Three things about the ’68 Series that you almost never saw….Brock making a base running mistake, Flood misplaying balls in center field and Gibson losing a WS game.
GB7-
Seems like Gibson is the straight shooter of the two.
It is funny how a two pitch pitcher can’t make it. LOL! Nolan Ryan was a two pitch pitcher as well. Only he learned how to throw a fastball to a location later, but was wild to keep the hitters at bay. AJ is wild outside and low or high. Not often wild inside. 95+ mph Fear is a great second or third pitch!! LOL!
Nobody should be surprised about AJ.
# Nick in SF in Larkspur June 15th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
jennifer, I’ve enjoyed your comments on Posadagate.
*************
what comments? I haven’t been on all day so busy at work.
The story Gibson told about LaCock was great.
LaCock hit a hr in Gibson’s last start, Gibson hits him a decade later at an old timers game.
Not today, but in general over the course of the controversy.
anyone know how good ajax’s defense is?
“vote for Swisher”
Why?
bob gibson to this day has a presence about him. smart guy.
i like when kaline and willie horton say he wasn’t as good in the last game as when he struck out 17. costas asked gibson if he agreed.
a definitive no was the answer.
gibson said he was as good as ever , but that the breaks just didn’t go their way, and he added thats lolich was so good lolich would have beat him anyway. classy statement.
Those are the kind of shows that MLB Network should do more of and that Costas is perfectly suited for.
“Three things about the ‘68 Series that you almost never saw….Brock making a base running mistake, Flood misplaying balls in center field and Gibson losing a WS game.”
gb7-
if you didn’t just see that on baseball channel i’m impressed.
Huston Street named NL player of the week. Cash might want to hold off that trade for another week until his stock dips a little.
pat June 15th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
“vote for Swisher”
Why?
——————————————-
Another straight shooter. Nice.
How does Gibson lose 9 games with an ERA of 1.12?
Pete, you are the funniest man in sports……you’re just too clever for some of the dreck that posts here.
Yes , Matsui plays and runs hard all the time…..always his best. Unfortunately, he looks like he’s carrying a piano on his back at this point.
BTW, the Mets had a better chance at throwing ARod out at first then getting Teixeira at home. Check the video.
“Huston Street named NL player of the week. Cash might want to hold off that trade for another week until his stock dips a little. ”
Yeah, no kidding. The Rox winning 11 straight doesn’t help either.
Coming into this season, I’m not sure how many people would’ve predicted that CMW and Brian Bruney would be (arguably) the two biggest question marks. A “right” Wang slides all the other starters down a notch, except CC. And a healthy Bruney makes that bullpen much more functional.
June is shaping up to be a very important month for this team.
pat- sexiest Yankee bachelor, between Alex and Swisher.
“How does Gibson lose 9 games with an ERA of 1.12?”
Very carefully?
Nick in SF in Larkspur
June 15th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
If AJ is struggling with his curve and doesn’t want to throw a change-up, how is he going to do throwing the fastball every pitch?
————————————————–
Burnett isn’t the only pitcher who would struggle. If Wang sinker isn’t going he is going to struggle too. Same goes for guys like Verlander or Derek Lowe who rely heavily on a couple of pitches.
it was great fun as a kid imitating dick mcauliffe with his then unusual open stance.
“That was uncalled for…”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....r_embedded
Not quite as classic as this “uncalled for” gem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-7gpgXNWYI
If the Phillies think they’re getting past the Dodgers this year, then they have another think coming.
– nomar06mvp
Visit the message boards
Bob Gibson’s OPS (as a hitter) in 1970 was higher than Grady Sizemore’s (from this year) – and much higher than Big Papi’s.
.751 to .726
Papa Smurf:
1) AJ and that particular situation was the topic at hand.
2) Please stop using that CERA stat as you have repeatedly done.
Thanks.
wait a second – I went to P.S. 55 …. it was definitely in Staten Island when I went there …. that or my parents have a lot of explaining to do!!
This is what happens when there is no Yankees game, I get sucked into watching the Real Housewives of NJ.
Any word on the arrival of baby Wang yet? If not, I guess tomorrow it is
Hey, was this whole pitching thing just a scam so Mrs. Wang could give birth to a U.S. Citizen???
No wonder he never bothered to learn any secondary pitches.
There is probably a PS 55 in every borough.
SA I’m watching Lock Down kids behind bars. DVR’d it last night. LOL
The Velvet Underground’s box set for me.
randy l.
June 15th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
“Three things about the ‘68 Series that you almost never saw….Brock making a base running mistake, Flood misplaying balls in center field and Gibson losing a WS game.”
gb7-
if you didn’t just see that on baseball channel i’m impressed.
————————————————————
No, haven’t had a chance to watch it, but, I will catch it on a replay. Even as a Yankee fan, I enjoyed that Series, because it took me almost 40 years to see all of the games. I was in Vietnam when it was on. I had only seen WS highlites when they flew them over during Christmas of ’68.
A City on Fire: The Story of the ’68 Detroit Tigers a documentary on HBO was a great telling of that season.
These women are flipping nuts..yet..
I..can’t..turn..off..this..train..wreck
Oh Golden Girls is also on. Thank you for being a friend.
So is the great Posada debate/non-debate over with yet?
I think next we should talk about Jeter’s hair
John and Kate plus 8 starring on American Chopper makes for a show both my husband and I can agree on tonight.
The debate is not over because… The Truth is out there.
I like his hair this season, S.A. – slightly more cropped, not quite as high. Love him.
Losing 2 1-0 games and two 2-0 games. 4 of the runs unearned. He also lost a couple of 3-2 games. 13 complete game shutouts.
GB, When I see Denny Mclain from 1968 I always think of watching him serve up Mantle’s HR in Detoit…I was 17 at the time and had no clue as to what was going on while sitting behind the Yanks dugout with my Pop……What I do remember was all the gesturing and chatting that took place…That was a small place and you were real close to the infield…All I know is that The Mick went yard…It wasn’t until later the next day that stories came out that Denny grooved it for # 7…..That was the last time I Mickey Mantle play…..
bryanhoch: Girardi says it’ll be a pitcher for a pitcher on Bruney. Veras or Tomko?
Great to see Carl Pavano not doing well. His team gave him an 8-3 lead he is giving it back!!
Is Girardi doling out clues?
A pitcher… Bigger than a bread box… With a poor WHIP…has an “O” in his name…
Wow-I do agree his hair is looking much better this season.
Veras or Tomko? I think they say adios to Tomko
when was the last time Veras pitched?
Pat M.
June 15th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
GB, When I see Denny Mclain from 1968 I always think of watching him serve up Mantle’s HR in Detoit…I was 17 at the time and had no clue as to what was going on while sitting behind the Yanks dugout with my Pop……What I do remember was all the gesturing and chatting that took place…That was a small place and you were real close to the infield…All I know is that The Mick went yard…It wasn’t until later the next day that stories came out that Denny grooved it for # 7…..That was the last time I Mickey Mantle play…..
————————————————————
I read that in “Explosion”. It also said that Pepitone asked for a cookie and McLain dropped him in the dirt. Amazingly, that was in McLain’s 30th win game. He said that he wanted to see how far his idol could hit one. Freehan and the umpire also knew it was coming.
I think it was Saturday we last saw Veras
Here’s Mic talking about that home run:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdl6ABq6E3w
Anyone hear news on Chris Garcia who also saw Andrews today?
Not only is Francesa a blowhard, he can’t count, either.
How was Cano “padding his stats” by doubling off Santana with the game scoreless?
S.A. =
I sure hope it’s over, but I doubt it.
It was incredibly upsetting to me reading all the posts from this evening especially, but I no longer wish to contribute to the “debate.” In the long run, I’ve learned it’s not worth it.
So only ARod to meet and greet tomorrow? I thought they’d do tag teams.
I wonder who’s up next and when? I actually think it’s a pretty cool idea.
Matsui does bust it when necessary. I know it’s pretty much inevitable that he won’t return next season. I will miss him as a very professional member of this team. He should be the poster boy for why consecutive game streaks are counterproductive.
Tom in N.J
June 15th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
The Velvet Underground’s box set for me.
==============
Saw Lou solo a few times, Nico once, and Cale a couple times. Never saw them as a band.
If Girardi says it will be a pitcher for a pitcher, I am going to prepare myself to get peeved when Robertson gets sent down to AAA for no reason. Because we know the organization is in love with Veras, an I think Girardi has a crush on Tomko because he can pitch 3 innings. I am going to barf. How does adding Bruney but subtracting Robertson instead of one of Veras or Berroa or Tomko make them a better team?
This Year
June 15th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Anyone hear news on Chris Garcia who also saw Andrews today?
==========
I’ve been rooting around trying to find something on this myself.
You’ve got to be concerned that he had “elbow pain.”
Perhaps the blogger could ask Cashman the question? This might be the greatest homegrown pitching prospect to never play for the Yankees.
Cleveland pitching trying to lose the game for Pavano
Adam the Bull was an idiot tonight, dissing AL for only being able to give 20 mins. to the fans at monument park, umm..dumbass they have pregame work out routines and BP ofcourse he’s not going to be out there for 1 hr. or 2..
How about sergio mitre, isn’t he on the 40 man roster?
Andrew
June 15th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
If Girardi says it will be a pitcher for a pitcher, I am going to prepare myself to get peeved when Robertson gets sent down to AAA for no reason. Because we know the organization is in love with Veras, an I think Girardi has a crush on Tomko because he can pitch 3 innings. I am going to barf. How does adding Bruney but subtracting Robertson instead of one of Veras or Berroa or Tomko make them a better team?
————————————————————
Instead of getting your panties in a wad and making accusitory remarks with no clue, you can always wait another 15-18 hours and find out. Think of it as your early Christmas present.
bodhisattva, that kid pissed me off for the last time. Every yr. he can’t stay healthy, he just can’t, frustrating b/c his arm alone would have solved so much for this organization, but alas this continues.
Andrew
June 15th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
If Girardi says it will be a pitcher for a pitcher, I am going to prepare myself to get peeved when Robertson gets sent down to AAA for no reason. Because we know the organization is in love with Veras, an I think Girardi has a crush on Tomko because he can pitch 3 innings. I am going to barf. How does adding Bruney but subtracting Robertson instead of one of Veras or Berroa or Tomko make them a better team?
——————————————————-
Yeah Girardi is scared to use Veras he only goes to him if its a blowout or nobody else in the bullpen is available. If they send Robertson they are crazy he is been one of there better relievers. He has 18 strike outs in 12 innings pitched
Mo, Bruney, Hughes, Coke, Robertson, Aceves and Tomko is a good bullpen.
“How about sergio mitre, isn’t he on the 40 man roster?”
But are the ‘roids out of his system??
http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/
“Coke has been pitching well, Aceves has done an outstanding job, Robertson’s been nothing short of fantastic, and Hughes has made a nice adjustment to the bullpen for a period of time,” General Manager Brian Cashman said today. “We’ve had to move some pieces around to shore it up, and we’ll continue to do so.”
i want mark derosa! lol
“i want mark derosa! lol”
for what ?
I sure hope it’s over, but I doubt it.
===================
I feel ya Doreen, btw-great pics!
DeRosa doesn’t even fit on this team, who’s he part timing for, you have a talented kid in Ramiro Pena that can use that bench time better and is working real nice last time I checked.
for our team. duh.
he doesnt really fit i guess with nady coming back soon but hes a hell of a lot better than berrora.
and i was just being a spoiled yankee fan, wanting everything. sorry it comes out sometimes lol.
Derosa’s a better right fielder than NYY has, they can unload Berroa.
Oh ok. For future note, me being the ass of a fan that hates on the spoiled fans, Ramiro Pena >>> DeRosa
Has the Great Posada Debate officially progressed into Posadagate?
“Derosa’s a better right fielder than NYY has, they can unload Berroa.”
Well that’s the only way I’d take him. Puts Swisher/Damon into the DH/PH role that I wouldn’t oppose b/c watching them throw is a joke.
Brandon,
oh come on, you know you have some spoiled yankee fan in you. we all do whether we like it or not lol and i LOVE el nino i just dont understand why we have berrora on our bench? it’s retarded and hes just taking up space on the roster
Austin jackson finishes the night with a 3-4, a double and no strikeouts. Scranton wins 1-0.
If it rains tomorrow, I’m blaming Posada
AJax in Sept. will be a wonderful 4th OF showing 2nd OF potential.
Will we have a ticker tape parade down River if Veras is finally released?
“it’s retarded and hes just taking up space on the roster”
why is he even on the team to begin with? I guess Cashman signed Ensberg one season early.
“Will we have a ticker tape parade down River if Veras is finally released?”
Auh Viz has the same disease as Jose. Walk the first batter.
http://www.weather.com/weather.....begDay=167
Don’t see rain listed for tomorrow.
I’ve been on the DeRosa bandwagon for awhile now, but IF Nady can come back and play the field without injury, then there’s little use for DeRosa.
However, if the asking price were right (especially given the economy), I’d love to see Cashman get him.
Angel (F) – ‘Cos you know I was OPP(C), hell from the very start
June 15th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Has the Great Posada Debate officially progressed into Posadagate?
————————————————————
Nah. They’re just all on a medical emergency break. They’re being treated for excessive foaming at the mouth and blisters on their finger tips. I think there’s a couple of them in for surgery to remove the keyboard from their fingers.
S.A.–The sun will come out tomorrow; I’m down with the OPPC
June 15th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
If it rains tomorrow, I’m blaming Posada
————————————————————
Bless your heart. It’ll give Rodriguez, Girardi and Burnett a day off.
My co-worker and I were messing around with a Met fan in my office. We were dancing around like we were trying to catch a pop up.
cruel I know. 
Anyone watching Artie Lange on Joe Buck Live?
Yikes!
I just think we should target a young athletic OF w/ an ok bat, there really is no need to go DeRosa.
Jorge walk off!!! lol
jennifer
June 15th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
My co-worker and I were messing around with a Met fan in my office. We were dancing around like we were trying to catch a pop up. cruel I know.
————————————————————
You used to pull the wings off of butterflies, didn’t you? That and you’d tape worms to the sidewalk to watch the birds get hernias, too.
GreenBeret7 June 15th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
S.A.—The sun will come out tomorrow; I’m down with the OPPC
June 15th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
If it rains tomorrow, I’m blaming Posada
——————————————————————————————
Bless your heart. It’ll give Rodriguez, Girardi and Burnett a day off.
====================
Nah, I’m sure someone will find something else and blame it on them. Never a day off for them.
Jennifer-That’s evil! But I like it. hahaha
Bill Freehan was one of the great all-time defensive catchers, and he could hit and with power.
Sean
That had to be one of the worse shows I have ever seen. Artie Lang unreal but Joe Buck was horrific.
HBO loses points for giving Joe Buck a show.
The Joe Buck Train Wreck
Just came onboard, but I see you were talking about how did Bob Gibson lose 8 games in 1968 with a 1.12 ERA?
Here’s a link to that season:
http://www.baseball-reference......;year=1968
Bob Gibson lost 5 of those games to Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins, Gaylord Perry [twice] , Don Drysdale, and Don Sutton
I met Bob Gibson when he was a pitching coach for the Braves and still a physical specimen in his 40′s, as a patient. Knowing exactly who he was I went up to him and said ” You look familiar-Weren’t you the pitcher in all those great duels with Sandy Koufax?” His response was, “Yes, and I lost most of them!” My response-”No I don’t think so.” Very nice guy.
Enjoyed the interview on TV today.
GB7 – Got home late, and plenty to do around the house.
Bill Freehan was an AllStar catcher of that era. Though I was a Yankee fan, he and Al Kaline were two of my baseball heroes.
That 1968 WS was great. Detroit coming back from a 3-1 deficit against Gibson, Brock and the Cards. I remember Freehan finally throwing out Brock, the throw from Willie Horton to get – was it Brock, again? – coming in standing up at the plate; Curt Flood midjudging the line drive off Northrop; and Bob Gibson and Mickey Lolich pitching brilliantly.
Great WS. Why is it that we remember so much baseball history from our childhood; but not nearly so much schoolwork?
Have a good night, GB.
Jennifer-
Thats actually pretty awesome. The crybabies in my office couldn’t handle that. Accountants are giant wusses
“My co-worker and I were messing around with a Met fan in my office. We were dancing around like we were trying to catch a pop up. cruel I know.”
A caller called in to the MLB XM Radio this afternoon asking how the Mets would treat Castillo after he dropped the popup? The answer was they would console him and tell him to forget it.
What BS!!! F-Rod was probably ready to pop him one, costing him his first blown save plus his mound celebration!!
WELL if I was a student I WOULD GET SENT TO THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE on purpose!
so the Indians are giving the game away…at least Pavano can’t get the W
GB, Freehan was a monster behind the plate….As much as we rip Tim McCarver and rightfully so, he was a real good catcher…..He caught one of the greatest righthanders ( Gibson ) and then has the fortune to catch one of the greatest Lefthanders ( Carlton )…..Steve Carlton, to this day I just don’t know how any righthand hitter could hit him…..I saw three pitchers and left with that impression some 37 years later…..The donutman was a different story, I owned his arse 1 for 1 in a spring B game….
PAT M
Steve Carlton had the best season on memory for a last place team- Phillies, who finished at 59-97 in 1972. His record was 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA and 30 complete games!!
Yankee Trader-
That season Gibson threw 19 consecutive CG’s including an 11 inn & 12 inn CG in that streak.
Deborah- you are going to be an aunt?? Are you related to Mrs. Chien Ming Wang?????
Speaking of pitching duels, how many of you remember this classic?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07.....nohit.html
Man what’s up with the non-stop Burnett bashing lately? Seems like every other post I read is about how bad A.J. Burnett is. And this is after he pitches 7 IP 0 R 8 K’s and gets a win. Jeez I wonder what you all say when he loses?
Please no Wang/baby jokes; it’s his first child.
Yankee Trader: did you ever see the original Pelham 123? I saw your post yesterday about the new one.
Guys off thread,Pavanno against the brewers now,he was gassed after 5 innings,and replaced.Indians are losing now 14-12.Brewers so far have scored 6 so far ,in top of the 8th.
He’s looking at a no decision.
Yankee Trader-
“That season Gibson threw 19 consecutive CG’s including an 11 inn & 12 inn CG in that streak.”
He had 3.03 runs per game support. If that team averaged one more run a game he probably would have lost only 2-3 games that year.
Apparently the way the Indians are combating the seagulls is to set off fireworks every half inning.
Did I completely miss this here?
Nike to release a shoe for Wang. It’s pretty cool, but you’ve got to really love baseball, I mean literally…
http://sneakernews.com/2009/06.....ming-wang/
“Deborah- you are going to be an aunt?? Are you related to Mrs. Chien Ming Wang?????”
NO, LOL
For the record-
Jane Heller calls Jorge Posada a Hall of Fame Catcher. That’s good enough for me
That was the Spring that he embarassed me, Spring 1972, Clearwater Florida….I will never ever forget that ab….The spring of the strike…..That’s the only reason clubs brought so many guys into camp…..
Yankee Trader: “did you ever see the original Pelham 123? I saw your post yesterday about the new one.”
Yes but years ago. Had Walter Mattheau, Martin Balsam and Robert Shaw.
The new one has a good cast, but like the original, a little far fetched.
Can Phil go 3 or 4 innings tomorrow?
Carl Pavano now won’t get the win, his team is on the losing side of the game.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
Only I won’t back away from my comment.
Betsy CC pitching, we won’t need Phil.
Good for you Jennifer. LOL.
Out of boredness (I need my Yankees), I took one of those, “Are you a B*tch” quizzes on Facebook. I scored a 93%. Oops. LOL
Thanks. I saw the original many years ago, then again more recently. A good depiction of a New York long gone. Decent book, too, but not outstanding. I was wondering how they compared.
Wow, not the best night for the Indians bullpen. Oh darn.
Erica – newly OPPC June 15th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Good for you Jennifer. LOL.
Out of boredness (I need my Yankees), I took one of those, “Are you a B*tch” quizzes on Facebook. I scored a 93%. Oops. LOL
*************
You have to wonder who puts those quizzes together. i know I am not a maven of the English language. But in some of the quizzes they really butcher it. They also never heard of spell check.
Anyone know what event Swisher was at tonight? I know there were a few things going on.
Joe’s dinner, than an Autism now dinner.
Jennifer-
No, definitely not. I actually have a gut feeling those quizzes are written by 5th graders in computer class. I am a little ashamed I took the quiz, but I was curious about my score. I think when I said I enjoy laughing at people it may have sealed my fate
Nick IN SF
This is a good link that has all kinds of data on movies including goofs, trivia, quotes:
http://www.imdb.com/
Marte fills the position of overpaid free agent on the disabled list. We have one every season. It’s been a tradition since 2003.
Thanks, Yankee Trader. I am familiar with the imdb. Here is another good link that compiles reviews of new movies (and other stuff):
http://www.metacritic.com/
Erica- You are probably right. Or if I was righting the quiz it would be rite.
Taking of Pelham 123 was on last night here in So Cal……Very NY, with many NY actors before they became famous….
“Out of boredness (I need my Yankees), I took one of those, “Are you a B*tch” quizzes on Facebook. I scored a 93%. Oops. LOL”
Erica- Was that when you were sick last week?
What does newly OPPC stand for? Guessing here!
Newly Out-patient Psychiatric Clinic.
Sorry, couldn’t help myself caught the bug from GB7 who seems to be offline now!!
Thanks Nick-Just added to my favorites!
Jorge Posada, C, Yankees: Age 37. I’m a little skeptical that Posada will make it through the season without another DL stint, and he’s a well-below-average defensive catcher and game caller at this point, but he can still hit. He’s drilled four homers in 11 games since coming back from injury May 29 and seems sufficiently recovered from the shoulder problems that saw his OPS drop nearly 200 points last season. He’s still available in nearly 5 percent of ESPN.com leagues, and that shouldn’t be so.
http://sports.espn.go.com/fant.....wski090612
I will be available for the interventions that will be needed.
Oops, Jen – for some reason I thought Wang was going tomorrow. Nevermind – Phil will be good to go by then.
Haha Yankee Trader.
I would like to say I took the quiz when I was sick, but no. I took it 20 minutes ago when I was quite healthy. LOL.
OPPC stands for Optimistic Psomething Posters Club. When I was home sick and started posting here, the club founders said I could join. Fortunately, b*tches are allowed as long as they post optimistically
As soon as he left the game (Pavano) things went south,I’m loving it.
He personally gave up 6 earned runs.Trevor Hoffman
is the closer. Indians dead last in AL central.
INDIANS LOST 14-12 WHOO HOO!!!
I have nothing against Trever Hoffman. My least favorite closer of all time is actually Troy Percival. We have history.
Following behind him is-
Papelbum and his Zoolanderish “Blue Steel” stare
K-Rod – because I support Brian Bruney even if he should keep his mouth shut, I have his back
Erica-
Thank you for clearing that up, and I’m glad you’re better and out of quarantine!
Goodnight all. Feel the Yankees have a winning streak coming this week and next.
You are welcome Yankee Trader. I am going to head to bed as well. Good night everyone!
Let’s squash some Nats tomorrow! (Who thinks they are firing their manager before they even face the Yankees???)
Anytime Pavano pitches A want them to lose,because they
*think they like him* . Just wait!!1
I’m always wary of playing these terrible teams
You know they will be fired up to play the Yankees at the new stadium and they are probably firing their manager as well.
We face 3 pitchers we haven’t seen before, 2 rookies. We have Wang going in one of those days. Joba in another.
They still have some dangerous hitters with Zimmerman, Dunn, NJ etc.
This series may not be a cakewalk.
Barry Zito = hot mess
Broadcaster and former Mets and Yankees pitcher Al Leiter believes Chien-Ming Wang will return to his 19-win form only when he finds a supplementary pitch to his sinker and accepts that he’s lost himself.
“It’s a good thing to admit ‘I’ve lost my head.’ That’s OK; that’s the start of rebounding,” said Leiter, a guest at a fundraiser for Yankees manager Joe Girardi’s Alzheimer’s foundation last night in Manhattan. “You can’t walk around feeling like you’re a tough guy when you’re not, and right now, the numbers don’t reflect him being a superior guy.”
Coming back from a foot injury that ended his 2008 season prematurely, Wang (0-4) has yet to pitch five innings in any of his five starts this season. His ERA ballooned to 14.34 after his start against the Red Sox last week, in which he allowed four runs in 22/3 innings.
Wang’s next scheduled start, at home Wednesday against the Nationals, could be his last. Girardi said there’s “no exact science” for determining whether Wang remains in the rotation, but that he’s “got to produce.”
Leiter stressed that although he does not see Wang daily, as pitching coach Dave Eiland does, Wang must develop backup plans when his sinker isn’t working.
“You have to have a plan B, even a C. I can tell you in my career, I pitched plenty of games where I had plan C working, maybe even D,” Leiter said. “He’s got to be able to throw his slider or some other second pitch for called strikes in fastball counts, behind in the count, in hitter’s counts.”
http://www.newsday.com/sports/.....?track=rss
Jorge Posada, C, Yankees: Age 37. I’m a little skeptical that Posada will make it through the season without another DL stint, and he’s a well-below-average defensive catcher and game caller at this point, but he can still hit. He’s drilled four homers in 11 games since coming back from injury May 29 and seems sufficiently recovered from the shoulder problems that saw his OPS drop nearly 200 points last season. He’s still available in nearly 5 percent of ESPN.com leagues, and that shouldn’t be so.
http://sports.espn.go.com/fant.....wski090612
I will be available for the interventions that will be needed.
Yeah, this series makes me nervous too. The Nats team is just so bad. They cannot these rookies starters shut down the offense
“It’s a good thing to admit ‘I’ve lost my head.’ That’s OK; that’s the start of rebounding,” said Leiter, a guest at a fundraiser for Yankees manager Joe Girardi’s Alzheimer’s foundation last night in Manhattan. “You can’t walk around feeling like you’re a tough guy when you’re not, and right now, the numbers don’t reflect him being a superior guy.”
Always appropriate to say, “I’ve lost my head” at an Alzheimer’s fundraiser.
One really doesn’t expect to see ridiculous positions in the comment sections on blogs echoed in the paper of record.
Oh well.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06.....ref=sports
They weren’t. It appears that the valid positions were though.
There was a time when Rafael Perez was a serviceable reliever for Eric Wedge and the Indians.
It looks like that time has come and gone. At least, Prince Fielder’s bat thinks so.
It sure is true what the experts say about most set-up men and middle relievers not having a long shelf life.
““You have to have a plan B, even a C. I can tell you in my career, I pitched plenty of games where I had plan C working, maybe even D,” Leiter said. “He’s got to be able to throw his slider or some other second pitch for called strikes in fastball counts, behind in the count, in hitter’s counts.””
The point is it is what 4 – 6 yrs. into his career and he still has yet to add pitches to his rep. Leiter hit it on the nail, signs aren’t good and I’ll go as far as saying he will be dealt in the future, Wang is going to get traded, I’ve been saying that for some time already.
“There was a time when Rafael Perez was a serviceable reliever for Eric Wedge and the Indians. ”
There was a time he was a shut down SU man. I’m guessing he’s one of the many pitchers in this game that are off the juice.
I don’t want a “young athletic OF”
I want a superstar, a power bat in the middle of the lineup who can hit 30 HRs and drive in 100 with a high OBP.
Matt Holliday would be perfect
“I want a superstar, a power bat in the middle of the lineup who can hit 30 HRs and drive in 100 with a high OBP.”
Oh brother here we go again, a bad fielder, declining hitter, adds no versatility, it’s always these type of batters that damage the team’s versatility in scoring runs, you can’t hit and run w/ him, bunt over a guy, sacrifice a guy, the lineup continues to be force fed HR or nothing.
That last game vs Boston showed pretty much what these guys provide. The only runs vs Penny who was Beckett like was on a hit n run w/ Cisco. You keep putting the 30/100 RBI guy and you can forget about scoring runs any other way, it’s going to be HR or nothing for this group.
Brandon- I am not one for the Yankees always getting the biggest and the best, but I am a huge fan of Holliday and would love to see him here.
How is he a bad fielder and a declining hitter?
Are you basing this on actually watching the guy play? Or just poor assumptions? As for his offense, look at his numbers. The guy has switched leagues and is learning new pitchers. And to top it off hes hitting on the crappy team of Oakland at a park that has been designed for pitchers.
If you dont want the guy thats one thing, but dont discredit the talent that he has. He isnt a Jason Giambi and hes a hell of a lot better than Damon and Matsui. You call that versitility and range? Please
That’s a big HELL NO for Matt Holliday.
He’s a horrible defender, it’s like watching old Manny w/o the big bat. Matt Holliday is not the same hitter he was in Colorado, he’s trending downwards, people on other forums are comparing him to David Wright which in no way is true, DW’s bat is so much better than his in the worst pitcher’s park in the whole league.
Christina, I agree. I’d love to see Matt Holliday here next season. I think he is or his dad is a huge yankees fan. I remember reading that or hearing that somewhere. The bottom line is that he is a solid hitter and he would fit in as the number 5 hitter on this team perfectly. Taking pressure off Robbie Cano…A future OF of Holliday Austin Jackson/Melkman and Swisher with Gardner also mixed in there is solid
Yanks need more right handed hitters. also this lineup is beastly:
Jeter ss
Swisher rf
Tex 1b
Arod 3b
Holliday lf
Posada dh
Cano 2b
Melky cf
Cervelli
I like swish in the 2 spot because of his OBP
I wouldn’t mind acquiring Adam Dunn for the right price
WASH is going nowhere, we could probably gt him cheap
Brandon, the Yanks don’t need Matt Holliday to be what he was in Colorado. They just need him to be a solid hitter. He got off to a horrid start this year but has 8 homers and 37 RBI and who knows maybe they can get a cheaper deal with his known struggles away from coors
question for everyone…Is Austin Jackson projected to be a leadoff hitter?
Not to mention, the Coors Field argument goes out the window now that we play in Coors East.
HR or nothing, that’s what that lineup presents.
No versatility whatsoever, an ageing Jetes & Cano, Melky probably the only XBH threats the rest HR possible double here and there or walks or nothing. Posters have to start thinking the future of this OF defensively and the way this offense can score w/o the HR. Otherwise teams like Boston/Tampa or whichever new kid on the block are going to keep on getting better.
Brandon
He’s a horrible defender, it’s like watching old Manny w/o the big bat. Matt Holliday is not the same hitter he was in Colorado, he’s trending downwards, people on other forums are comparing him to David Wright which in no way is true, DW’s bat is so much better than his in the worst pitcher’s park in the whole league.
—————————————————–
You cant compare a corner outfielder to a third basemen. That’s like comparing Damon to A-Rod.
Exactly Eric. Matt Holliday would be extremely successful here. It is like playing at home, except its probably better!
Eric June 16th, 2009 at 12:29 am
Not to mention, the Coors Field argument goes out the window now that we play in Coors East.
———-
But that’s going to change, so you’re argument is irrelevant.
The Yanks don’t want to play in a bandbox and they will certainly make some adjustments during the offseason.
They just can’t do anything about it now because it’s against MLB rules.
John again there is no versatility there, how many # 4 hitters are we going to continue to pile onto this roster, when does defense and offensive versatility get addressed. This is not a video game and this formula has not been a success. It’s sad how Teix and AL aren’t enough for this offense, no lets add more #4 hitters, and I can’t believe I read someone wanted to add Adam Dunn here, what another DH ?
Brandon is right.
Holliday is not the kind of player the Yanks need to target. They need to get younger, faster, and more versatile.
The Yanks aren’t going to sign another enormous contract for what he did in a weaker league and in a Little League Stadium.
Didn’t Sir Lonn Trost say that the ballpark isnt changing?
As for Austin Jackson, from the games I was at in Syracuse, he was hitting in the 2 spot. I think his versatility has changed over the years and they have shifted their opinion of him being a leadoff hitter. He does have the speed though for it, so I am not really sure what the Yankees see him as.
I like playing in a bandbox, I hope they don’t change it.
Trost said they are not changing the stadium
“You cant compare a corner outfielder to a third basemen. That’s like comparing Damon to A-Rod.”
They were talking about bat production. I still can’t believe this is being demanded, yeh lets add another OF who can’t really field as a strength for this team and eventually is another overpaid DH.
So where are we getting these young, athletic outfielders from?
And please.. realistic suggestions. Not trading 15 ERA Wang for Carlos Gonzalez or Kennedy for Jay Bruce.
I’d rather see the Yanks either sign a stopgap for LF next season or resign Damon for one more season and then sign Carl Crawford after the 2010 season.
Then you’ll have Crawford and Austin Jackson patrolling LF and CF everyday.
That’s how you make this team better – not signing an aging and declining Matt Holliday.
the yanks prbly will not just give ajax a spot next year.. the only guys under contract for next year in the outfield are swisher melky and gardner…at best, 2 of those players will start next year, 1 free agent will prbly have to be signed whether it be damon on a 1+1 or somebody else or a possible trade
Giuseppe Franco, if there is a god I hope he ends up in Atlanta.. just not here. I’m tired of these type of players before you know it rallies are going to become a rare sight for this team, #4 hitters don’t get it started, they either finish it or get on base. There has been little to no versatility on this team for yrs. OF offense IS HORRID ! HORRIFIC ! when is that going to get addressed ? when ?
Umm, Brandon, Holliday is an excellent fielder.
Nick June 16th, 2009 at 12:37 am
Trost said they are not changing the stadium
——————
Trost also said a few months ago that “our prices are our prices” until the fans went nutty and the Yanks dropped the prices of those really expensive tickets.
*OF defense IS HORRID ! HORRIFIC !*
Carl Crawford is ONE year younger than Matt Holliday. So if Holliday is aging and declining, than Crawford is right behind him.
GF, you seriously want to see Damon patrolling LF for the entire 2010 season? Thats more insane than me wanting Matt Holliday. Damon is terrible and has a worse arm. He may be a short term solution that would require a 1 year commitment, but thats still 1 more year he is out there playing. Plus, how do you know Damon is looking for only a single year contract? I am sure he is going to look for more than that.
“Umm, Brandon, Holliday is an excellent fielder.”
No he’s not what games are you watching ? he gets bad jumps and is saved by the range of Ryan Sweeney who’s not a CF but is playing that now b/c Rajai Davis isn’t out there. Matt Holliday is not an excellent fielder at all.
“Carl Crawford is ONE year younger than Matt Holliday. So if Holliday is aging and declining, than Crawford is right behind him. ”
If Carl Crawford were a FA I’d take him over Holliday b/c he does so much things better. The best is his range and athleticism in the OF.
the yanks arn’t bringing in a 4 hitter to be their 6 or 7 hitter, they are bringing him in to bat 5th.
So you want an athletic LF who is a great fielder. Who doesn’t? Name one that is available that you want? There arn’t any
you want your 345 hitters to be home run hitters.
crawford has a team option, which will be picked up
There are going to be some changes to the Stadium after the season is over.
There has been a ton of bad publicity and the team has invited experts to study the ballpark and determine why so many balls are flying out of that place.
Does anyone think the organization would go through this trouble if they had no intention of making changes if necessary?
Yankees dont need to sign any outfielder. Move Brett Gardner to left field he will probably be a 300 hitter by next year and he will steal 50 bases. Austin Jackson will be in center. Put Melky in right field if Melky can hit 15-20 homers a year. Then make Swisher your everyday DH.
His UZR is consistently among the best in baseball. Most defensive metrics have him among the best at his position, so excuse me if I trust that over you watching some games.
You have that already w/ Georgy ! your 3 ,4 and 5 are set. IDK why you want to 345 all the way up to the #9 hitter, it makes no sense and kills rallies b/c other than a HR they are limited to how they get on base.
John June 16th, 2009 at 12:47 am
crawford has a team option, which will be picked up
———
Yes, for 2010.
I said they could sign him after the 2010 season and either sign Damon for one more season or find another stopgap.
“His UZR is consistently among the best in baseball. Most defensive metrics have him among the best at his position, so excuse me if I trust that over you watching some games.”
This is like that Nate McLouth arguement.
Papa Smurf
Yankees dont need to sign any outfielder. Move Brett Gardner to left field he will probably be a 300 hitter by next year and he will steal 50 bases. Austin Jackson will be in center. Put Melky in right field if Melky can hit 15-20 homers a year. Then make Swisher your everyday DH.
———————————————–
That makes for an entirely weak and inexperienced outfield. Are you being serious?
Brandon ! “B/c the Yankees don’t believe in young and athletic in the OF” June 16th, 2009 at 12:46 am
“Carl Crawford is ONE year younger than Matt Holliday. So if Holliday is aging and declining, than Crawford is right behind him. ”
If Carl Crawford were a FA I’d take him over Holliday b/c he does so much things better. The best is his range and athleticism in the OF.
————-
Crawford is FAR FAR more versatile and does a lot of things than helps the Rays win games that Holliday cannot do.
Crawford probably has more range than any LF in baseball.
It’s not like young 5-tool outfielders grow on trees
Who are we giving up and who are we getting?
“This is like that Nate McLouth arguement.”
I wasn’t here for that. Did you ignore objective data for subjective “facts” then too?
Crawford is obviously an amazing player, but hes not available until 2011. And who knows if he wants to even come here. A lot of teams are going to want him. So you pass on Holliday for a guy that may or may not sign with the team? And you put another 1-2 year commitment on the noodle arm of Johnny Damon? You guys will be complaining about that for 162 games. But then again, all people do is complain.
“Yankees dont need to sign any outfielder. Move Brett Gardner to left field he will probably be a 300 hitter by next year and he will steal 50 bases. Austin Jackson will be in center. Put Melky in right field if Melky can hit 15-20 homers a year. Then make Swisher your everyday DH”
nothing could make me happier than to see that come to fruition but that might take an act of god
oh cool so jorge is our 5 hitter. perfect, because he has shown that he can stay healthy.
Cano, Melky, Cervelli were by 789…how are any of those guys cleanup hitters? I will truly be amused to see your answer
Go out and acquire a young RF and move Swisher to the bench
And do we really want Damon’s defense in left again next year?
We also have no arms in the OF the day that Melky isin’t playing.
knowing this management they’ll be retards and sign Holliday b/c “we need an OF power source & AL/Teix can’t do it by thierselves”
3-6 should be power bats and that is what I am proposing
Tex
Arod
Holliday
Posada
the other guys are jeter, swisher, cano, melky, cervelli
how are any of those guys cleanup hitters? Swisher maybe
Brandon… if we miss the playoffs or don’t hit in the playoffs again, I can almost guarantee they will do that.
You seriously want the 2010 team to have an outfield that consists of Brett Gardner, Austin Jackson, and Melky Cabrera? I wish there was that much talent for that to work, because I am all for little guys coming up and contributing. But I can never see that happening and I cant see Melky or Brett producing the power like a corner outfielder should.
“oh cool so jorge is our 5 hitter. perfect, because he has shown that he can stay healthy. ”
We’re talking about the DH spot right, meanwhile funny so now when it involves getting a FA Georgy can’t stay healthy, yet when we’re talking about him splitting time w/ Cisco to stay healthy Georgy is Mr. Iron Man.
ok so what is your OF production if they don’t bring anyone in
Gardner, Melky, Swisher
That literally might be the least productive OF in all of baseball…oh but don’t worry they can chase down balls
I doubt the team has the guts and I doubt Posada wants to be the everyday DH.
He is a catcher until he says differently.
An outfield of Melky, A-Jax, and Gardner would likely be the weakest hitting in baseball. Also, A-Jax is the worst defender of the three, and would be in left. Finally, why people want Swish on the bench when he leads the team in OBP (he makes less outs than anyone on the team!!) is beyond me.
As long as the three outfielders combined have five tools, we’ll be ok.
Gardner is excelling in his role… a 4th OF off the bench. Play him everyday again, and he gets exposed.
“the other guys are jeter, swisher, cano, melky, cervelli
how are any of those guys cleanup hitters? Swisher maybe”
Cano is power bat you know ? and young.
3456 is set alread
Teix
Al
Robi
Georgy
What was the logic of broadcasting Sportscenter “Live from LA”?
And they market it as if it is some big event and different from normal Sportscenters.
“Gardner is excelling in his role… a 4th OF off the bench. Play him everyday again, and he gets exposed.”
Agreed.
dude stop trying to playing mr “oh I love defense and I will try to be mr. original”
LF is a power hitters position.
Mr. Franco has the right idea…..Keep Damon for a year maybe 2 if necessary. and sign the youthful Carl Crawford….My only reservations with Carl is the years of playing on the rug in Tampa….He’s the answer, not Bay , not Holliday…..Crawford, Jackson. Melky ( if he’s not moved )…Hell Jeter could be in the equation for an outfield spot by then….
Forget Holliday
Go out and get Jason Bay, the league leader in RBIs. He has proven he can handle the pressure of the NY/BOS rivalry and excels in clutch spots. Hit in the playoffs last year, made them forget about Manny.
It would be like acquiring a younger, better version of Damon. A clutch bat who knows the rivalry and can add some grit to the team.
so Brandon Mr. Brian Cashman who is your OF next season? I’m really curious
My OF next year is
Damon-Melky-Swisher
With A-Jax taking over mid-season.
You dont need a ton of power from the outfield. When Teixeira will hit 35-45 hr, Swisher will hit 25-35, A-Rod-40-50 hr, Posada will hit 20-25 home runs and Cano will hit around 20-25 homeruns. The team needs speed in the outfield.
“dude stop trying to playing mr “oh I love defense and I will try to be mr. original”
LF is a power hitters position”
This is basically the Mike Francesa philosophy meanwhile when a ball goes into the gap and he can’t get to it you’ll understand. Yes power hitters for every position, b/c apparently no team has won w/ defense in the OF >>> power hitting OF, all you know is an XBH threat in the OF it doesn’t need to be 30HR/100 RBI
oh boy.
Damon is getting to the point where he is just a DH. If the yanks want to sign him as a DH thats fine. But Posada is also getting to the point where he is going to be just a DH
You guys do realize Johnny Damon is going to be 36 years old right?
And to think, Matt Holliday is a aging and has no ability to play left field…
“so Brandon Mr. Brian Cashman who is your OF next season? I’m really curious”
Who the hell knows.
My ideal OF would have been
Carl Crawford in LF, Jackson in CF and in RF prbly Melky, IDK it’s too early to tell.
Brandon, so they should get Holliday, who is good defensively, right?
Melky can be one of those gamers at the bottom of the lineup.
The guy with a good arm, some speed, some XBH ability etc.
“Damon is getting to the point where he is just a DH. If the yanks want to sign him as a DH thats fine. But Posada is also getting to the point where he is going to be just a DH”
2/3 of this lineup will become DHs if the management isn’t careful.
If we re-sign Damon, it should be as the DH. Or split DH with Posada
He cannot play the field, either can Swisher
again I will propose the question, who is YOUR OF
So how did Joe Buck get his own TV show?
Brandon, so you hve no use for Swisher either, huh? Don’t like guys who lead teams with all this star power in OBP? Who is third at his position in all of baseball in OPS? Who is a middle of the pack defensive player according to most metrics?
Why would you sign Johnny Damon as a DH??????????
and I still don’t understand your argument because Matt Holliday is a good LF with a plus arm. Not every team can have a carl Crawford in LF
If you bring up Jackson at all before mid-2010… he will make Adam Dunn look like a contact hitter.
christina, I don’t want damon back after this season for the record
John,
As usual, people want to acquire some young stud OF prospects but have no idea who or what to give up.
Because small market teams are dying to give away cornerstone players for some A-ball guys or B level prospects.
I am with you John about Holliday.
I still dont understand how Damon is a DH. DOnt be fooled by this season he is having. He is still 36 years old and he certainly doesnt possess the power that a DH should have.
“What was the logic of broadcasting Sportscenter “Live from LA”?”
Maybe to get people on the west coast to watch Sportscenter for the -third- second time in one night….
John like I said it’s too freaking early to make that decision, we’re not even in July. You don’t even know what player an organization wants to cut ties with. Like I said I’d prefer not to submit to the classic OMG MATT HOLLIDAY WILL MAKE THIS LINEUP SO GREAT #27 HERE WE COME ! philosophy
“If you bring up Jackson at all before mid-2010… he will make Adam Dunn look like a contact hitter.”
oh man i hope the yanks front office knows this…you better get on the horn and tell them asap!
When we were talking about acquiring Matt Kemp this winter, who was the name being talked about? Cano.
Cano, Hughes, Jackson, Montero…. these are the guys who other teams want.
Nobody is giving us any ML ready 5-tool prospect for some raw A-ball pitchers like Betances or Brackman
I’m just saying for the future Damon will probably be a DH within a couple years. His OF play is actually bad and his arm is horrible. I just don’t want the yanks to sign anymore older players because they need to reserve the DH spot for Jorge
If Austin Jackson will not be ready next year. Then you have an outfield of Gardner, Melky and Swisher. And you sign Damon to a 1 year deal and make him your DH, if Posada is still catching. Gardner in two years will probably devolop into the team’s leadoff hitter. If Melky can hit 15 homers and hit around 270 that is enough offense. Swisher will have a high OBP and hit around 30 homers.
Nobody is making that dramatic assumption, Brandon. For someone who isnt about jumping the gun, werent you the one who was already prepping for Carl Crawford?
Jorge can’t be the regular DH, he disrupts the dugout too much.
Don’t forget that this is an older team.
They will have at least three players in the starting lineup who will be age 35 and up in 2010 (A-Rod 34, Jeter 35, and Posada 39).
It is necessary to counter the age issue with a lot of youth, speed, versatility, and everywhere else.
They cannot afford to add another DH to this team when they’ve got so many older players already.
I’d wish he’d be available but players like him would get traded out of the division or get an extension before they allow FA.
Bringing Damon back with the intention to be the DH is such a flawed plan.
We finally got out from Giambi’s contract last year and Abreu. This year we’re out from Matsui’s and potentially Damon’s.
Have to stop the cycle somewhere. Can’t keep giving aging, 1 dimensional offensive players big money.
Guiseppe, I believe Holliday will be 29 or 30, last time I checked that’s not young.
I think you need to see how Damon finishes his year. If he finishes strong and you dont like anyone on the FA market, a two year deal would not be a bad idea. Anything more, let him go.
Holliday turned 29 in Jan. Crawford is 28. Not that much of an age difference.
“You don’t even know what player an organization wants to cut ties with. Like I said I’d prefer not to submit to the classic OMG MATT HOLLIDAY WILL MAKE THIS LINEUP SO GREAT #27 HERE WE COME ! philosophy”
Oh man I’m so excited because there are so many organizations ready to unload a great fielding young athletic left fielder. Can’t wait for them to do that!
All I’m saying is Holliday is a solid player. We are not talking about Adam Dunn here in LF. The guy can play the OF, he has a good arm and he can be a solid hitter. Holliday is not a superstar playing that you make him out to be, he is just a solid player who is still in his 20′s
Posada is a selfish player with a huge ego. I doubt he would agree to be the DH next year. He got mad at Girardi for taking him out for Molina in the 9th for defensive purposes. Signing Damon to be the DH to a 1 year deal is a good idea. Damon is still a great clutch hitter.
Why are we talking about Crawford, who won’t be a free agent until the 2010 off-season?
So much can happen from now until then. Rays might decide to trade him somewhere this winter and another team may lock him up. He may sign a team-friendly deal with the Rays. He may show signs of decline next year playing on the turf all these years.
It is fruitless to plan around a player who is not even eligible for free agency for 2 years.
Amen to Devin.
Swisher leads the AL in walks and is a great clubhouse guy
He is going to be in our outfield for years to come
# Christina – Picture of YES Network studio June 16th, 2009 at 1:25 am
Holliday turned 29 in Jan. Crawford is 28. Not that much of an age difference.
—————-
Yeah, but there’s a big speed and defense difference.
Crawford is a better player because of his versatility and more valuable.
“Posada is a selfish player with a huge ego. I doubt he would agree to be the DH next year. He got mad at Girardi for taking him out for Molina in the 9th for defensive purposes.”
Which is why people should stop trying to make him the everyday DH. He should be, but we all know it won’t happen unless he says so. And he has too much pride to say OK to that.
Keep in mind where Crawford has been playing for the past 7 years.
Devin June 16th, 2009 at 1:26 am
Why are we talking about Crawford, who won’t be a free agent until the 2010 off-season?
So much can happen from now until then. Rays might decide to trade him somewhere this winter and another team may lock him up. He may sign a team-friendly deal with the Rays. He may show signs of decline next year playing on the turf all these years.
It is fruitless to plan around a player who is not even eligible for free agency for 2 years.
——————
Maybe you should read the dialog the last hour or so.
It started when people were advocating for Matt Holliday this offseason and both Brandon and I think that’s a terrible idea.
So the Holliday advocates asked us what a better plan would be for this team down the road and I suggested Crawford after he becomes a FA and find a stopgap in the meantime.
So there you go. It’s simply nonsensical baseball banter on an off day since there was no game for people to complain about.
Christina – Picture of YES Network studio June 16th, 2009 at 1:30 am
Keep in mind where Crawford has been playing for the past 7 years.
————–
And keep in mind where Holliday put up his big numbers and how he’s faring in the AL right now in a terrible division.
His contract says ‘baseball player’ not disruptive selfish everyday catcher who can’t frame pitches.
“Keep in mind where Crawford has been playing for the past 7 years.”
And covers more ground running backwards than Holliday. It doesn’t matter Crawford is never going to land in NY unless it’s the Mets.
Play Gardner everyday
He will provide speed, defense, clutch hits, OBP, infield singles etc.
He will do the little things to win ballgames and can be like Scott Brosius
Fair is fair GF. Go ahead and sign Damon. But if you think hes signing a 1 year deal, your sadly mistaken. Take the man with a noodle arm for 2-3 more years.
I hope the Jays sign Matt Holliday then. It will give them an outfield that is deep, if Rios and Wells can ever reach their potential.
just from reading some things online, Holliday ranked number 1 in range among qualifiers in the NL in 2007
was in the discussion for the NL gold glove in left field
John, hes an old man who cant hit and cant field. Cant win with these posters. Its all good though, Damon is the solution.
“was in the discussion for the NL gold glove in left field”
Bobby Abreu once won a GG, MClouth did or almost did too.
Brandon, are you the one who wants Gardner in LF?
Wow, actually the more I look at Holliday’s defensive stats, the more I like the guy. This guy is an elite OF’er
Brandon, I think you actually need to look at this guys stats and see him play rather than just going by what people say
His range was first in the NL, but I guess you don’t want him. fair enough
Yeah, but the defensive stats support Holliday’s candidacy. Keep ignoring it. You also have failed to explain why you want the guy leading the team in OBP out.
Christina – Picture of YES Network studio June 16th, 2009 at 1:35 am
Fair is fair GF. Go ahead and sign Damon. But if you think hes signing a 1 year deal, your sadly mistaken. Take the man with a noodle arm for 2-3 more years.
I hope the Jays sign Matt Holliday then. It will give them an outfield that is deep, if Rios and Wells can ever reach their potential.
———————
I’m not sold on signing Damon but it wouldn’t be the worst idea either.
And if you recall this past offseason, aging outfielders weren’t exactly in high demand and were forced to settle for huge paycuts and one year deals.
Just ask Bobby Abreu. Griffey was another. There were a lot of them.
So if Damon wants to come back and the Yanks want him back – he’ll likely have to settle for a one year deal or he may not get any offers.
Teams aren’t lining up to sign aging outfielders to multi-year deals anymore. Those days are probably gone.
Christina,
Damon for 1 year is different than Holliday for 7
Ultimately it is about flexibility. In 6 years… we’ll have a 35 yr old Teixeria, 36 yr old Holliday, 40 yr old A-Rod, 35 yr old Sabathia, etc. taking up almost 80% of our payroll for declining performances.
Range factors and zone ratings in 2007:
ZR: .882 (1st of 11 qualifiers in NL in left field, 2nd of 17 in MLB)
RF: 1.97 (5th in NL, 9th in MLB)
also
http://www.insidethebook.com/e....._2007_uzr/
If the job is to improve defense, how does Damon help that?
We may have the worst defensive OF in baseball.
Valid point, Elk. Can’t disagree with you there. Its the same situation though if you sign a guy like Crawford though in 2011.
“Brandon, are you the one who wants Gardner in LF?”
Never said that.
Neither Damon nor Holliday/Bay are the answers
How about Cashman go out and try and be creative and acquire a young OF?
Not every answer lies in free agency.
I’m going to sleep and dreaming of Matt Holliday as our LF
Elk, the thing is, unless you build through the draft (easier said than done), you are always going to have that problem. Players only become free agents typically between 28-30, and the best want long term deals. The best you can do is single out the very best and those you think may hold up through a long term deal.
LOL according to that Soriano was the best defensive LF in the NL
John June 16th, 2009 at 1:46 am
I’m going to sleep and dreaming of Matt Holliday as our LF
——————
You can dream, but I’d bet your 2009 salary that it’s not going to happen.
I don’t see Cashman taking that plunge.
We have to reserve a spot in our OF for Sledge Heathcliff
John,
Sweet dreams. I’m going to go to sleep in a minute as well and dream about Gardner-Melky-Jackson patrolling the OF for the next 10 years
Soriano was a BAD second baseman but actually is not a bad outfielder at all. name another NL LF in 2007 that was better
wait…they already generated it, and they came up with soriano. dude there is no way to fight the numbers
“We have to reserve a spot in our OF for Sledge Heathcliff”
Who ?
“Soriano was a BAD second baseman but actually is not a bad outfielder at all. name another NL LF in 2007 that was better”
There is not one Cub fan that agrees w/ that.
Mark, that’s a nightmare. They would not hit a lick.
Brandon,
The guy we drafted
I’m befuddled that I still see posts for a hypothetical OF configuration with Gardner starting in it. Or worse, Gardner AND Melky.
It’s not like cashman won’t sign Holliday because our payroll is going to be higher if he does
they are dropping 33 million in salary with the expiring contracts of Matsui, Damon and X
John,
If we don’t hit in the playoffs again this year, I wouldn’t be shocked. This organization has shown they will hand out foolish contracts – a la AJ Burnett.
Cashman is a snake… everyone thinks they know him and what he is thinking, then he comes out of nowhere with a surprise.
“Brandon,
The guy we drafted”
Ohhhhh…Heathcott you stick him in the minors and forget about him until 3 yrs. if he pans out whoever is in his potential spot the Yankees should deal for other young pieces ala what Billy Beane does.
66- I dont understand it either.
dude there are defensive stats for a reason. the numbers don’t like…so lets get back to what you said earlier
“He’s a horrible defender, it’s like watching old Manny w/o the big bat.”
still stand by this?
To all that want Damon back may I reccomend Fangraphs. He is very bad in the OF this year. Damon without his legs is suspect. To the lonely soul who wanted Dunn; the paper power, the walking pylon and the OBP darling, he is valued at 3 mil vs Gardner at 5.4 mil. Bay – bad wheels, a liability outside of Boston. Brandon et al the voices in the wilderness, Bravo. Who beat Santana – answer, the bottom of the order. Because they weren’t swinging from the heels. Why does every junkballer own the Yankees? Same answer. Both Boston and Tampa are going athletic OFs, the Yankees have to do the same.
Yeah, lets plan on the picks. Cause we all know where Eric Duncan got us.
“still stand by this?”
For the love of god yes. And seeing Soriano as leading OF defensively further illustrates how bad some of those metrics are.
Francessa has been preaching for the last couple of years how we need more role players like Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lowell, etc.
Who do you want then Brandon?
Boston has a terrific CF in Ells
Bay and Drew are not exactly burners in the OF..yet boston seems to be pretty darn good right Brandon.
You can’t tell me that Matt Holliday is a much worse than Bay and Drew. You need to get to balls in the gap, that is what a center fielder is for
Francesa is an idiot. We should all know this by now.
well literally everything points to you being wrong about Holliday’s defense.
I have read scouting reports, looked at numbers, and read some fan reaction online yet you still want me to trust you, a yankee fan on a blog who claims the guys fielding is like Manny.
OK!
Jays would be pretty sick with Holliday-Wells-Rios in the OF.
Austin Jackson is hitting .412 with RISP and .396 with runners on base in AAA.
Holliday is a beast. Big, strong, built like an Ox. Power to all fields. Good defender. Hits for average. Walks. Had great postseason numbers during that Rockies run and made that amazing slide to home plate where his face was bloody so he is a gamer on top of being a good player.
If he’d come here for 5/$100 or 6/$120, I’d do it. He’d be a perfect fit.
“Who do you want then Brandon?”
Don’t know yet, the market isn’t exactly wide right now, doesn’t mean you submit to a big money FA looking for a longterm contract.
Mark
June 16th, 2009 at 2:01 am
Francessa has been preaching for the last couple of years how we need more role players like Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lowell, etc.
———————————————————
Mike Francesa is a legend but with all do respect he is wrong. Francesa says he wants more role players but he doesnt mean it. When A-Rod opted out he said the yanks could go back to the Scott Brosius type and the first third basemen he starts talking about trading for is miguel cabrera.
Brett Gardner = Jacoby Ellsbury
R+, exactly what I thought.
“Holliday is a beast. Big, strong, built like an Ox. Power to all fields. Good defender. Hits for average. Walks. Had great postseason numbers during that Rockies run and made that amazing slide to home plate where his face was bloody so he is a gamer on top of being a good player.”
Scott Boras, is that you? Welcome to the blog!
“well literally everything points to you being wrong about Holliday’s defense.
I have read scouting reports, looked at numbers, and read some fan reaction online yet you still want me to trust you, a yankee fan on a blog who claims the guys fielding is like Manny.
OK!”
John you can have your own damn opinion and use the numbers too, a longterm w/ an option like Matt Holliday doesn’t guarantee anything, he is not that good an OF, no I DO NOT WANT HIM.
End of story.
Tower, I agree but I don’t think he will get that much money
He is a great player and a Yankee fan. Not sure why Brandon is hating on this guy. Of course everyone wants an OF of Carl Crawford, BJ Upton, and Ichiro…but there just are not enough players like that. Matt Holliday is a good OF, he is NOT Nick Swisher. Oh and by the way he can swing the bat
Why wouldn’t you want him
Brandon what are you smoking and where can I get it
Swisher with his great OPS and horrid defense, (a right fielder with a rainbow arm) is valued at 6 mil by Fangraphs, the stats Bible.
“He is a great player and a Yankee fan. Not sure why Brandon is hating on this guy. Of course everyone wants an OF of Carl Crawford, BJ Upton, and Ichiro…but there just are not enough players like that. Matt Holliday is a good OF, he is NOT Nick Swisher. Oh and by the way he can swing the bat”
Not sure why we need him, the offense has enough, I’m more interested w/ tightening up the defense and no Matt Holliday is not my choice.
By the way, on Slade Heathcott the Yankees # 1 draft pick.
From Nyyfans
To correct my comment in bold above, I checked that Hamilton comp; it was provided by the Director of Major League Scouting – Frank Marcos, who went on to say that very few guys have Heathcott’s tools.
For those who aren’t very familiar with what his skill set entails, he has plus-plus speed (the only Yankee who is that fast is Brett Gardner and he shows solid instincts as a baserunner); he has a plus-plus arm (clocked at 94 MPH fro the outfield with accuracy); he shows scouts the ability to hit for average and power and the Yankee scouts project him to be at least plus in both categories when he makes the majors.
In addition scouts like his fielding ability in the outfield where he shows above average instincts in tracking fly balls, that along with his tremendous speed give him a chance to be a plus centerfielder, or possibly a plus-plus rightfielder (remember that arm strength plays well in right). Like Marcos said, very few baseball players are such a complete package.
I want to compare him to Hamilton but I just won’t until he shows it in the minors. I see more Blalock or Damon except w/ a gun for an arm and more athletic. Zachary has a chance to be really special but I just wouldn’t think about him until 2 or 3 yrs. down the road.
His arm has been clocked 98 mph from the OF. His exact words.
“I’ve been clocked at 97-98 mph from the outfield, so having a strong arm helps, too. My glove is probably the best thing I have defensively, and I take a lot of pride in it.”
“Cashman is a snake…everyone thinks they know him and what he is thinking, then he comes out of nowhere with a surprise.”
I thought I’d been insulted but…maybe I was actually complimented?
Speaking of young outfielders, Heathcott is going to be at the Stadium tonight to meet the players and take some BP.
So the recruiting effort to get him signed will be in full swing when he gets to step out on that field with the big boys and check out the new home.
John,
You said:
“I’m just saying for the future Damon will probably be a DH within a couple years. His OF play is actually bad and his arm is horrible. I just don’t want the yanks to sign anymore older players because they need to reserve the DH spot for Jorge”
No, John. Because of his past glories and his World Series rings, Jorge will be able to catch the vast majority of Yankee games indefinitely. After all, if he can do it at age 37 and not be a liability (however much statistics and Yankee pitchers may suggest otherwise) why can’t he catch at age 38 — or 39 or 40 or even 50. After all, he’ll still have his World Series rings. And you can’t PROVE that he’s a liability behind the plate at ANY age. I’ve even read on this forum that catchers don’t even INFLUENCE pitchers’ ERA. Just ask Baseball Prospectus…
Correction:
I should have said, “however much statistics and Yankee pitchers BELIEVE otherwise”, not “may suggest otherwise”.
although he won’t be able to play or catch at age 50, to limit him to DH next year is ridiculous.. he should catch 4-5 days a week. DH Miranda or Vazquez next year.
re: Damon, offer him Arbitration for a change, if he accepts. you got a Fast DH/Fresh LF on occasion. If he declines, you get picks. From Left to DH: Swisher/Jackson/J-Rod DH:Damon/Vladimir
Actually, “MAY believe otherwise” would be best. I don’t profess to know what they’re thinking any more than anyone else — however much I might suspect I do.
“It is fruitless to plan around a player who is not even eligible for free agency for 2 years.”
Unless said player is Lebron James….
“God Bless America” is played out period. How about the more inspiring, patriotic and far more beautiful “America The Beautiful?” Ray Charles’s version especially.