Random thoughts on (mostly) baseball
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jun 15, 2009 
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A few random thoughts:
• The Brian Bruney/K-Rod incident is a great example of how technology has changed the media world. Here’s the timeline:
Bruney went to Trenton on Saturday and after he pitched, said something derogatory about Francisco Rodriguez.
In Trenton, reporter Mike Ashmore sent a text message to tell me what Bruney said. My colleague, Sam Borden, went to ask K-Rod about it.
Via my iPhone, I updated my blog with the news, the quote from Bruney and the quote from K-Rod. So within roughly eight minutes of Bruney saying what he said, it was on the web, complete with a response. Within literally minutes after that, it’s on the AP and — whoosh — everybody knows.
Brian Bruney could have set fire to the stadium in Trenton ten years ago and nobody would have known until the next day. The lesson? Be careful what you say, no matter where you say it.
• The Yankees sold out the Stadium on Opening Day. They haven’t sold it out since and that includes games against the Mets, Red Sox and Phillies. I’m sure they’re making more money than ever, but there is something wrong there. The economy is bad, but I can’t believe there aren’t people who wanted to attend those games.
• Meanwhile, can the Yankees please paint some of that stark white concrete in the outfield? It looks like the Attica recreation yard out there. Isn’t blue the team color?
• It’s funny how quickly the rumble broke up in left field on Sunday when CC Sabathia showed up.
• How is is possible that Alex Rodriguez has not had a day off since he returned from hip surgery? Say what you want about the guy (and I certainly do) but you can’t question his desire to play the game.
• Dr. Ronan Tynan’s version of God Bless America with the extra verse is starting to get played out. But as long as everybody understands the Yankees love the USA more than the Godless commies running the other 29 teams, that’s all that counts.
• It’s always a good day at the ballpark when Yogi Berra shows up. We’re working with his people (yes, Yogi has people) to set up a reader Q&A for the blog.
• It’s apparently a condition of humanity that everybody time you attend a sporting event and the scoreboard camera is trained on you, you must do something stupid. Remember when ballpark entertainment used to be trivia questions? Now it’s old men dancing, hot girls who may or may not pull up their shirts and suburban white kids in backward caps making gang signs. We’re advancing every day as a culture.
• Now I sound like my dad. Great.
• The MLB.com At Bat 2008 application for the iPhone is insanely great. Best money you’ll ever spend on an app.
• Third base coach Rob Thomson has a great idea. He wants somebody to make a DVD of Mark Teixeira running the bases hard on Friday night so it can be shown to Little League teams. “If that player can hustle, it means everybody can,” Thomson said. “I was watching him, he never slowed down. He busted it.”
• Bruce Springsteen played with Phish at Bonnaroo on Sunday night. Thanks to those who sent me the MP3s. If I were really stoned, I bet I would enjoy them more.
• Here’s how I know Mike Francesa beat Chris Russo. There are posts every single day on this blog about what Mike said on WFAN. He drives the conversation in New York. There is never — never — anything about what Chris said on whatever satellite radio station he is on. He could be reading the Gettysburg Address in French for all anybody knows. Bad move by the Doggie. As Brian Bruney might say, serves him right.
• Mr. and Mrs. Chien-Ming Wang of Taiwan and New Jersey should be having a baby boy in the next day or two. I asked CMW if he wanted the lad to follow in his footsteps and play baseball. “No,” he said. “Be an agent.”
That Wang is pretty funny. Hope he pitches well on Wednesday or the little guy’s daddy is going to be a reliever.
• In roughly the last 10 days, it seems like every New York baseball writer signed up for Twitter. I personally think Twitter is sort of useless for a beat writer because it’s just giving away more content for free. What is the upside for a media company? I do think it’s helpful to make a “brand name” out of an individual writer, however.
All I’m doing with it is linking to this blog. Whatever info I get will be here, always.
That said, follow these cats on Twitter:
That’s it for the blog today. Going to try and enjoy the rest of the day off. Nationals-Yankees tomorrow. Tune in then.
It might actually be to A-Rod’s benefit if he had a day off.
The team needs to take a consensus of what needs to be done around the stadium, and then make changes in the off-season. One important thing will be to get ticket prices in line. With all of the ways to spend money in the new stadium, they don’t need to rake people on the ticket prices they way that they are.
Pete, I hope you have the MLB At Bat: 2009 Application on your iPhone and not the 2008 edition. I love Bruce, but hate Phish. Shame on Bruce for being a hippie lover. And, Yes, A-Roid does deserve a day off, especially against the Nats. But, I rather see Freddy Sez play 3rd base than Angel Berroa. Girardi, spare us !!!!
“Now it’s old men dancing, hot girls who may or may not pull up their shirts and white kids in backward caps making gang signs.”
I mostly agree Pete. Although… I think the hot girls should always pull up their tops. Not pulling up their tops is not entertaining at all.
I blame Kevin Maas. Or thank him, rather…
lol @ Wang. He needs a new agent. Actually, he needs to get back on track.
From the last thread, thanks for the level-headed opinions. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but you hear things that make you think that Posada has caught I-rod-itis. Let’s hope that’s not the case.
Nice work Pete. I know it’s been said before, but possibly not enough, you do a great service to the fans.
Your blog is always interesting, always informative, and always updated.
Brilliant job.
Pete- can you start listening to Fleetwood Mac too??
You can hear Francessa lie for free. Russo costs money.
Rossi’s such a traitor =P
Doreen,
This isn’t a crazy debate, it’s a discussion about the merits of certain catchers. No one’s calling for Jorge to be pipped or anything.
Personally, this crazy talk is making me more and more curious about the relationship between pitcher and catcher. Something that can’t be combed from the stats.
And I think the postseason problems you alluded to have more to do with RISP than catching.
Wang should learn a knuckleball.
Pete,
When’s the LoHud iPhone app coming? Too painful posting and reading comments with the browser…
News flash Michael Kay would smoke K-Rod if he was Bruney.
Laura,
That was Pete’s point. He’s only available to a small fraction of the NY sports fan because most people dont pay for Sirius.
I have Sirius and very rarely do I listen to him because I was never a fan of his. I will say this though, they were much better together than they are solo.
Completely agree about the MLB I-Phone application. My wife wants to kill me I am on that app so much when we are out. Especially when we are out somewhere that gets me away from watching the Yankees! lol
I’m really rooting for Wang. Between the Yankees screwing up his rehab and his agent making a zillion mistakes (from arbitration on down), the guy deserves something good to come out of this nightmare.
Bruney-KRod? Personally, I love what Bruney said AND loved what he did yesterday. Stand there, say nothing, and make KRod look like a fool.
Brandon.
I imagine Russo stays in Scranton, with a Sept. callup, this year.
If he isn’t part of a trade, I could see him fighting for the utility infielder spot on the Yankees roster in 2010.
Sweeney had a great Twitter post yesterday-
“Best part of the weekend? Asking Yogi Berra what he thought of Friday’s gm and he says “it aint over till its over!” True story.”
“I will say this though, they were much better together than they are solo.”
Very true.
Totally keeping with the random thoughts here:
I know it’s easy to bash the A-Rod, but is it totally obvious to most people that the YES Network will play old clips, audio and video, almost every time he comes to the plate to drown out the fans remarks/chants about his admitted PED use?
I mean, I get it. Maybe they HAVE to protect him because of his contract, and protect the Yankee “brand”. But, somehow it still seems disingenuous.
I just want to get back to being proud of the pinstripes.
He could be reading the Gettysburg Address in French for all anybody knows.
==================================
LOL, can anyone even imagine Russo doing this?
mel -
I was responding to a post I read that implied that Jorge’s lack of ability is the reason the Yankees didn’t make the playoffs. I do not subscribe to that theory.
And it is becoming a crazy debate.
Some of the discussion is good. And the relationship between catchers and pitchers, as a subject for discussion, is a good one, I agree.
And I have no issue with the idea that it’s not necessarily a one-size fits all world as far as pitchers having a preference for a particular catcher.
I am getting the sense, however, that in an effort to support their own position on either side of the issue, there’s some straw-grasping going on.
i love posada, but take a look at his arms (and his offensive stats) now as compared to when he broke in.
In defense of Russo- got to cash in while you can. He can do anything he wants and gets much more $ for that without bowing at the knees of Mikey. He cashed in, made his $- and then he’ll go back to ESPN radio in 2 years and people will talk about him in NY again-
“LOL, can anyone even imagine Russo doing this?”
Not even if it was written out phonetically and in really big print.
Yeah, K-Rod looked like a clown on Saturday. Kinda wish that Bruney didn’t apologize later on.
Agreed about the iPhone MLB app. It’s a bit pricey at 10 bucks but well worth it.
Aren’t the Yankees leading the MLB in attendance? I don’t understand the complaints..
I wouldn’t follow Jayson Stark out of a fire.
“Aren’t the Yankees leading the MLB in attendance? I don’t understand the complaints..”
The TV shots of the empty seats are brutal. You expect to see that for other teams, not the New York Yankees.
Listening to Mike or Russo, alone, is insane. Mike unchecked is unbearable (not like Russo could ever really “check” Mike). And Russo…I can’t describe what he’s like all alone since I never heard his satellite show and the last time I did listen to him alone was when Mike was on vacation for the WFAN and I switched it off after 3 minutes.
“Bruney-KRod? Personally, I love what Bruney said AND loved what he did yesterday. Stand there, say nothing, and make KRod look like a fool.”
Bruney looked the fool for whining about something someone on his own team does regularly and then looked like a scared child not able to speak when K-Rod approached him.
Ack, Doreen.
I just saw Ghost’s reply before the one in this thread. Sorry. I thought you were just venting.
I think there’s enough evidence, anecdotal and otherwise, to merit some discussion.
And it really isn’t black and white. The problems, or lack there of, can’t be pinned on one player.
People say we didn’t make the playoffs because Jorge was out. We were a couple games out of making the playoffs, so I think the loss of our ace Wang and the best #5 in baseball Joba was more significant.
Someone brought up the great point that Alex was gone and Tex was lost (not to mention Wang) when Jorge was doing the bulk of the catching. And Cervelli/Cash were catching during the winning/errorless streaks. So it can’t be pinned on him, again.
But, I think we need to place more emphasis on defending the run because we’re undefeated when giving up 3 runs or less. And if that means Jorge catches a game less per week, then I think it’s worth it. And no one, the people here, or Jorge himself should feel offended if it benefits the club.
*defending against the run
“Bruney looked the fool for whining about something someone on his own team does regularly and then looked like a scared child not able to speak when K-Rod approached him.”
Frankie, is that you?
Yeah, attendance is down across the board except for at Cubbies games and *gulp* Sux games…considering that the Yankees would seem to be doing ok, if they didn’t just open a brand new ballpark…
As far as the Bruney thing goes, I thought he had no reason (that anyone seems to know of) for calling out K-Rod like that, especially considering the amount of crap his team mate has already caught for the fist pumps (which I personally think are very tame compared to K-rod’s antics). That said, K-Rod acting like a 4 year old made Bruney look a lot better in contrast and actually helped him prove his point.
It’s apparently a condition of humanity that everybody time you attend a sporting event and the scoreboard camera is trained on you, you must do something stupid. Remember when ballpark entertainment used to be trivia questions? Now it’s old men dancing, hot girls who may or may not pull up their shirts and white kids in backward caps making gang signs. We’re advancing every day as a culture.
YES – BUT THEY STILL LEAD THE LEAGUE IN ATTENDANCE
K-Rod is a clown he got more loud and started gesturing when the people got him between him and Bruney.
Horrible move by Sirius/XM. Unbelievably great move by the Mad Dog. He gets a fat paycheck and comes back to terrestrial radio when his contract is up or Sirius/XM goes bust. BRILLIANT move by the Mad Dog.
A couple of things to think about regarding this Posada debate…
When was the last time you heard a pitcher or anyone for that matter praise Posada;s catching ability after a game? Even during the WBC ESPN was heavily praising Cervelli for how he handled the Italian pitching staff and we all know how many times he has been complemented by CC and AJ.
I agree with Pete that framing pitches is highly overrated but calling a game IMO is highly underrated. How much easier do you think it is for CC when all he has to do is look at what Cervelli puts down and then just throw it. How mentally taxing do you think it was on Joba the other night to be constantly shaking off Posada b/c Posada had no feel for Joba or the game whatsoever. I would say that can have a HUGE effect on a pitcher because as every athlete will tell you when you are constantly overthinking things you get into trouble.
Finally, I think Posada is definitely a valuable offensive player and definitely an upgrade over most catchers in baseball, he is not crucial to this offense. He hit close to 340 a couple years ago in the heart of lineup with great offensive players in front of him and only managed to drive in 90 runs.
Also if the yankees send down David Robertson tommorow because Bruney is coming off the DL, I am calling for an investigation. How does Jose Veras or Brett Tomko survive? Robertson has been one of the better pitchers in the bullpen, he needs to be used more often.
I have been preaching H Street for sometime now & he would be a perfect 8th inning guy..
Roger Clemens routinely praised Posada about his work behind the plate. Pettitte also praises him all the time.
After Joba’s game in Cleveland, the first thing he said that “Jorgie called a great game”.
If you are paying attention, you would hear people praise his work.
Well said, Papa Smurf. Bruney was level headed through the whole thing. Luckily he didnt just pop him in the mouth. That’s all the Yanks would need is for him to be suspended for a couple of weeks. Krod did the typical look at me….I’m a tough guy now that people are in between us.
People who say that bruney looked scared have probably never been in a fight before (and there’s nothing wrong with that). Bruney looked far from scared during their “chat”.
“If you are paying attention, you would hear people praise his work.”
As the song says, “A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest”.
WANG must pitch well,or he may be on another roster.
I’m hoping for a great game,he’s due.
Mentally taxing on Joba? Are you serious?
How mentally taxing do you think it is on the catcher to have a kid continue to shake him off to pitches that he can’t throw over the plate with any consistency.
The catcher, not the pitcher, is in charge of the game.
mel -
I think the reasons the Yankees haven’t advanced in the playoffs, and why they didn’t even make the playoffs last season, are many. My guess? Last year, if Wang and Joba are there, they’re in, OR if Posada is there, they’re in; OR if Hughes and Kennedy win about 3 games apiece, they’re in; or if IRod played well, they’re in. Far too many things went wrong and when that happens, you don’t make the playoffs.
For this season, I think they will end up doing what is best. If AJ mentally needs Cervelli, so be it. But I tend to agree that he’s going to need to work something out with Jorge, because Cervelli, more than likely, is not going to be the catcher if the Yankees do get into the playoffs.
BR
June 15th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
A couple of things to think about regarding this Posada debate…
When was the last time you heard a pitcher or anyone for that matter praise Posada;s catching ability after a game? Even during the WBC ESPN was heavily praising Cervelli for how he handled the Italian pitching staff and we all know how many times he has been complemented by CC and AJ.
I agree with Pete that framing pitches is highly overrated but calling a game IMO is highly underrated. How much easier do you think it is for CC when all he has to do is look at what Cervelli puts down and then just throw it. How mentally taxing do you think it was on Joba the other night to be constantly shaking off Posada b/c Posada had no feel for Joba or the game whatsoever. I would say that can have a HUGE effect on a pitcher because as every athlete will tell you when you are constantly overthinking things you get into trouble.
Finally, I think Posada is definitely a valuable offensive player and definitely an upgrade over most catchers in baseball, he is not crucial to this offense. He hit close to 340 a couple years ago in the heart of lineup with great offensive players in front of him and only managed to drive in 90 runs.
——————————————————–
I agree, I dont care about Posada throwing arm or how he stops balls in the dirt, that stuff is overrated. But the calling the game is very important.
The starters ERA when Posada is catching is more than 2 runs higher. Posada offense doesn’t make up 2 runs every game.
one of the reason the Yankees didn’t make the playoffs is because they don’t have anyone to get the game to MO
“I have been preaching H Street for sometime now & he would be a perfect 8th inning guy..”
You know, I think the Yanks could fix it in house. In my opinion, Huston Street is overrated. But I reserve the right to be very, very wrong.
Mel.
Congrats on the Laker championship!
-dennis
mlbtraderumors.com, says the Angels are also interested in Street,their closer is on DL.
I guess I’m not quite as thrown that in the worst economy in our lifetime, there are empty seats at the new Yankee Stadium. Despite the thinking that every seat at Yankee Stadium would be otherwise sold out, with so many people out of work there are actually issues of whether to spend $14 on a bleacher seat or putting food on the table. In a City the size of NY, with two professional team baseball teams and every possible art form offered on a daily basis, people do indeed have choices. So 37,000 seats in that dump called fenway are sold out, in the city of boston, where I guess you can choose between baseball or the red light district. Big deal. And big yawn.
My opinion – looking to create a stir where none really exists.
no game tonight= boredom!!!!!
Three things I can’t stand right now:
1. Iranian Regime – Such a dumb move to be so obvious about rigging an election and I’m glad the people there are not having any of it. I was there for 79 and my thoughts and prayers and most importantly hopes are with you fighting for your freedom in Iran.
2. Phish – They suck. It’s not even a matter of opinion, it’s fact.
3. Hmm. Nah I really can’t do more after Phish. Hate jam bands.
Ohhh what a move by Pirlo on the touchline. 3-1. Put it in the books.
So, LeBron James as a reliever, locks down the 7th inning as part of the LeBron-Bruney-Mo combo, and brings a ring to New York this year; thus simultaneously satisfying his desire for a ring and the LeBron to New York rumours.
didn’t know Fuentes was on the DL
I heard Joba himself praise Posada – probably the same game SJ44 was referring to – saying how Jorgie was great and how they were on the same page all night.
It seems to me, if a pitcher has a particular good game, he will praise whoever the catcher is that night.
Most times, you don’t hear a guy trash a catcher after a bad game – I’ve never heard it. I mostly hear them blaming themselves. ‘I couldn’t get into a rhythm,” “I just didn’t have it.” Whatever.
Frankly prior to this discussion starting here on the Lohud, I didn’t pay all that much attention to that, so for all I know Jorge got lots of praise before. I’m wondering if maybe it’s the same for a lot of us here?
SJ – here’s a different take. And I know that at least DB heard it because we both quoted it. The other night when Joba was shaking off Posada and there was obviously a problem, there was a discussion in the booth about who should trump in the call, the pitcher or the catcher. Leiter said he would rather have a pitcher 100 percent committed to his pitch and wrong than 50% committed to the pitch he throws. He said nobody knows better than the pitcher how he feels about the stuff he has that day.
So much for the catcher making all the calls. And by the way, he didn’t make exception for a kid pitcher and a veteran pitcher. The discussion surrounded what was obviously happening between Joba and Posada.
I am talking about this season and with these pitchers. It really does not matter what Roger Clemens said 4 or 5 years ago. IMO Jorge seems to handling the two new big guys CC and AJ very poorly and Joba who is basically new to the rotation as well.
I do not remember Joba praising Jorge after the Cleveland game but you have to admit that seems to be a glaring exception in their relationship thus far this season. Sometimes watching the games it is actually painful to watch Joba pitch to Jorge because Joba seems so uncomfortable.
Hat-Man…..That lyric is from the great song ”The Boxer” by Paul Simon…..In closing, I wonder in the history of baseball, how many catchers have a better lifetime W/loss record than Jorge Posada ???
“one of the reason the Yankees didn’t make the playoffs is because they don’t have anyone to get the game to MO”
There were a lot of reasons. Some people have pointed out Jorge’s absence as being a reason, or Wang going down, or Cano slumping for the season, or Sidney Pontoon starting every fifth day, or IPK and Hughes going 0 for whatever, or Jeter being hurt. Plus wasn’t the bullpen fairly good last season? Looking at reliever stats, I find that the Yankees bullpen had the 7th best ERA. They were 3rd in BAA and 1st in Ks…
Doreen,
Definitely! AJ is on the same page with Jose and Frankie. Hopefully, he and Jorge can be on the same page in the postseason.
Dennis,
Thank you! Just reading about Shaq to Cleveland. The writer is questioning if that would be enough to beat a presumably healthy Celtics team. my thought? Wouldn’t the task be much tougher without Shaq?
SJ,
Thoughts on Bryce Harper going to Juco? I don’t see what the point is. To go pro one year earlier they are willing to have him be almost two years younger next year then a year younger at each stage of minor league ball?
If the kid is that talented then the amount he signs for will be meaningless in the context of his overall career earnings.
But if you screw up his development without need then you could enhance the short term pay off probability while decreasing his changes for succeeding at the pro level (or even delaying him making it as a pro a year or two).
they will have a hard time beating that Boston team with a one run lead going into the 7th & 8th innings,with the RP they have now
And, so the Yanks haven’t sold out since opening day. So, there’s a lot of people that would like to see the game. I’m guessing that it’s more a matter of trying to pay their bills and not spending it on luxuries. I would think that more than a few people are living off of their savings right now. That means at least they aren’t acting like drunken sailors with a bankroll. It’ll run out eventually.
So Varitek’s “ability to handle the pitching staff” is something that Scott Boras invented because his bat is so bad? So there’s no such thing?
Dont hate on the Mad Dog. What it is, there is a bunch of cheap people who dont want to purchase sirius. It is amazing. A must have for any sports or music fan.
Mad Dog is killing it on sirius.
SJ,
I do not think you can compare the effect a mentally taxed pitcher compared to a catcher has on the game. Pitching is the most important in any game. As we have seen for years now, it does not matter how good an offense is if you do not have good pitching. I could really care less if Jorge is frustrated behind the plate, because if Joba or any of our pitchers are “mentally taxed” out there our chance of winning is much less.
Mad Dog is national now and can’t focus on the New York teams for 5 or 6 hours anymore. He’ll talk about the Yanks and Mets alot, probably too much for people in llinois and Oregon, but he can’t and does’t talk about the Yankees for 5 hours straight. He tries to talk about all the sports now and hit on as many teams as possible. It’s different now for him. Plus he’s the boss now, he talks about what he wants(tennis anyone?), when he wants. It’s his station now and he’s making big bucks. He goes to all the major sporting events on Sirius’ dime and they don’t tell him he can’t. He couldn’t go to NYS or Citifield though, WFAN and/or YES wouldn’t allow it.
New York may not be listening to his every word anymore, but he is better known nationally now. Also, do you notice since Mad Dog left Francessa is being more and more critical of the Yanks? He’s trying to take the place of Mad Dog in doing that. Can’t have a Yanks fan on the Mets flagship going on and on about how great the Yanks are now can you? Plus it stimulates conversation, see this blog.
I-phone app is the bomb. What is really cool is the in game audio of both teams. You can do whatever you want and use it like an i-pod while listening to the game. Absolutely fabulous. The gameday function isn’t as good as the web one though. It doesn’t let you go through the history is my only complaint. The web version has a new function that allows you to see tendencies and breaks down pitch selection.
Joba just needs to relax on the mound the guy is a going in 5 different directions at once, but talking to people that went to school with him in Neb he’s always been like that
Tricia, I doubt Al Lieter shook off any of The Yankee catchers when he came up, especially with Billy Martin in the dugout….Lieter pitched with many teams and had a long career…However I was at Game 1 of the 2000 W.S. ( great ab by Paulie ) and I don’t recall Lieter shaking off very many pitches….And with Piazza behind the plate and Valentine in the dugout dring his tenure with the Mets…By the time he pitched for the Yanks, there was little to shake off, due to his limited arsnal…..He’s right about what he says about feeling good about certain pitches. but his catcher sees that game without the rosey glasses…
For those looking for more info on The Boss sitting in with Phish, here’s the news story I wrote complete with two videos…
http://www.glidemagazine.com/h.....-festival/
As far as Twitter, I like Tyler’s usage. Quick facts that probably won’t make his story or his blog. Just extra value added for his readers.
“I’m guessing that it’s more a matter of trying to pay their bills and not spending it on luxuries.”
It’s not just the ticket prices. You can find them below face value on the secondary market easily enough. But when you roll in the food and beverage prices and the souvenir prices, it can be extremely expensive to take a family to a Yankee game even if you got the tickets for free. I think that in this economy that could have a bigger impact on the decision to go to a game than people think.
Wave, if you are still here. What you did with my post was the same thing I did with one of Stultus’s posts. Responded to one post without seeing the others. In fact yours is more egregious since you took my first post of the thread and disregarded the rest, yet responded toward the end of the afternoon, when my post was early afternoon!
I took exception to people who said nothing to bolster their position but things like “that’s stupid” “that’s nonsense” “you’re missing brain cells” “it’s silliness” “it’s a conspiracy” and the like without adding any content. I absolutely gave credit throughout the afternoon to people like CB, SJ, and Randy who at least gave objective responses to back up their positions. So for you to say that I posted that the opposition had no arguments other than “that’s nonsense” is patently false.
I don’t understand why Francessa finds it necessary to be extra critical of the Yanks. He gets a paycheck from both the WFAN and YES, doesn’t he?
D.B., any thoughts on Ludwick v. Cody Ross?
BR
June 15th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
SJ,
I do not think you can compare the effect a mentally taxed pitcher compared to a catcher has on the game. Pitching is the most important in any game. As we have seen for years now, it does not matter how good an offense is if you do not have good pitching. I could really care less if Jorge is frustrated behind the plate, because if Joba or any of our pitchers are “mentally taxed” out there our chance of winning is much less.
————————————————————
23 year old rookies have no reason to be “mentally taxed”. A pitcher’s job is to follow the instructions of of the coaching staff and the catcher. They have a plan. A pitcher’s head should be empty as to what pitch is thrown where. I realize that Chamberlain’s is a little too empty sometimes, but, who’s more qualified to decide on a pitch? Posada or Chamberlain? He hasn’t even seen most of these hitters. The only thing that Burnett needs to think about is “What position were my arm and feet in when I threw that last strike?”
“So Varitek’s “ability to handle the pitching staff” is something that Scott Boras invented because his bat is so bad? So there’s no such thing?”
Hmmm, Scott Boras invented Oliver Perez as an “elite” pitcher. I don’t consider myself one who knows the intricacies of baseball or to have some sort of super baseball acumen like others, but that was a farce from a mile away. If Boras says Varitek is that, then I’m saying it’s probably typical Boras hyperbole.
Trisha,
Pat M just wrote what I was going to write! lol Ask Al how many times, as a rookie/second year player, he shook off a catcher. Believe me, it wasn’t too many times1 lol
Honestly, its not as simple as you want to make it. Every pitcher is different. Some guys, Andy for example, don’t want to think out there. Give him the sign and he wants to execute the pitch. Clemens and Jimmy Key were the same way.
Moose? He used to over think situations, often to his detriment. Joba is the same way.
The catcher is in charge of the game. That’s the way its always been in baseball.
Even a guy like CC Sabathia, a veteran pitcher, does not want to call his own game. He leaves it to the catcher, regardless of his experience, to do that job.
Al Leiter used to LOVE to throw to Mike Piazza. Most of the Mets pitchers hated throwing to Mike. Dodger pitchers (Pat M will concur) also hated throwing to Mike because they thought he called bad games.
You know why Al loved throwing to Piazza? Because Mike let him call his own game.
When Al was with the Marlins in ’97, he didn’t want Charles Johnson calling the game because he thought he was too young.
Jim Leyland took him aside and told him, “I don’t give a @#@$ what you did elsewhere, here the catcher runs the game”. From that point forward, Al let CJ call the game. All he got out of that was a ring and a no hitter! lol
Every pitcher handles things differently. However, one thing is universal. Young guys don’t get to call their own games anywhere in baseball.
I don’t think there’s a legitimate question that the Yankees love the USA more than the Godless Commies that run every other team — wasn’t the luxury tax vote 29-1 and the dissenter was the Yanks? Says it all: 29 socialist pinkos, one greatest franchise of all time.
Pat M just quoting what Leiter said the other night (day?) on national television. He was clear on what he said (go with the pitcher’s pitch), and the discussion had to do with what was going on with Joba shaking Jorge off.
I would have to guess, as with all things, that the solution lies somewhere in the middle.
TWITTER MUST BE THE ABSOLUTE DUMBEST THING IN SOCIETY TODAY
K.Y.S.
“Following the trade of popular star Nate McLouth to the Braves, Pirates GM Neal Huntington sent a letter of explanation to fans. But according to scouts, he should really be apologizing for selecting Boston College catcher Tony Sanchez with the fourth pick overall in this week’s draft. Sanchez is a solid player and good “catch and throw guy” but most scouts agree he’s not a top five pick. Perhaps the Pirates were traumatized by their soap opera-esque signing of Pedro Alvarez last year.” – Jon Heyman, SI.com.
Pretty tough assessment for a kid who put up very nice NCAA numbers. If they got a “solid player” that becomes a MLB regular, does it matter? That would mean it was a good pick, right?
CB,
I’m also interested in SJ’s take on Bryce, particularly the contrasts with how Tony did it.
The SI article made it sound like Bryce went everywhere, to play on any team that asked him too. Obviously Bryce’s ticket is his bat, not his catching ability, but given what SJ has said about Tony avoiding traveling teams and bad coaching, I wonder what he thinks.
With the ability Bryce has (according to SI), I don’t see anything wrong with him leaving HS. He’s always played with kids older than he was, because he’s on such a different level than his peers. Getting to the draft earlier means one less year to have to avoid injury before getting paid, plus one year sooner to free agency. I don’t see the downside.
Yes, and SJ, we noticed that Burnett didn’t shake Cervelli off much at all, if he did at all. That’s because he was apparently comfortable with the pitch selection and felt what he had yesterday was playing into the pitches being called. Come on now, Jorge isn’t Christ! He might actually have days where he gets it wrong. I know it’s hard for you to imagine that.
John Heyman tweeted that AJ’s suspension hearing was post-poned till June 30th. Boy was I wrong about that one. Thought for sure Watson would have him in his office last week.
check that, it was Sweeney who did the tweet
GreenBeret,
I understand your point but in terms of Joba, he is such a confident young pitcher that I do not think he is able to go out there with an empty head and just trust Posada. While we all wish he could, if he is unable to do that do you really want Posada catching him? And with AJ, he does not seem to trust Posada ever since that grand slam by Varitek. You can not just walk up to these guys and say trust Posada and expect it to magically happen. Even CC who has looked great with all our catchers just seems more comfortable out there with Cervelli.
Yankees need to drop some ticket prices for next year, and get rid of the moat. Enough with the greed already.
Save Ronan Tynan and God Bless America for Opening Day, the 4th of July, and 9/11.
Although Francesa is a blowhard, to his credit you’ll never see him on Facebook, or Twitter, ( I hope ). There’s such a thing as too much technology. People should try reading a book once in awhile, especially since most newspapers have gutted their news coverage, and tv news is either harshly partisan and / or garbage.
Mad Dog’s show on XM / Sirius isn’t bad, although he and Fatso were better together.
Huston Street would be a nice pickup, but the Rockies have won 11 in a row, are in the race, so why would they want to trade their closer ?
CC would simply ruin K-Rod in so many ways.
No worries WB. Heyman is just doing Scott Boras’ dirty work because Scott didn’t sign him as a client. That’s the way it goes.
If Heyman did any homework at all, he would find that the best catcher in the country went in the Top 10 of the draft each of the last 4 years.
For just a “catch and throw” guy, he had an OPS of 1.125, threw out more baserunners than any catcher in the ACC, set a school record for runs scored in a season (for a catcher no less) was in the Top 8 in 7 offensive catagories in the conference, and was a First Team All-American.
When you look at his entire body of work, he’s a Top 10-15 pick in ANY draft year. The Pirates chose him because they knew he would sign (and he signed for slightly above slot), loved his all around skills and they don’t have any catching in the system.
That’s what you do when you don’t have depth in a need position in your farm system.
I guarantee you, if Tony signed with Scott, Heyman would trumpet him as the “steal of the draft”.
“Heyman is just doing Scott Boras’ dirty work”
That’s what Heyman does. He’s a tool. If there’s ever a leak regarding a Boras client, it’s from Boras via Heyman.
Trisha,
Do you not think a 13-0 game warrants different game calling?
There is no reason to shake anybody off when you are ahead by 13 runs in the 4th inning. Its an entirely different game.
With that kind of lead, all you do is pump the strikezone with pitches. There is no strategy involved with that kind of lead.
That’s not a legitimate comparison at all.
He also made the Deans List at BC. No small accomplishment.
-dennis
trisha-
no one has more passion for the game than you do. i have no doubt you’d be a catcher if you were a player with your tenacious personality and that’s a compliment
Heyman: Perez the best left hander in the game?
Wouldn’t have been surprised to see that article during the off-season.
Great stuff again Pete….thanks…on your day off!
The Iphone app is amazing…I was driving home yesterday listening live to the yanks – Mets game in England.
My wife is astonished that its possible
m,
Why all of the sudden do you believe that Posada has lost his ability to call games? Answer me that. Can anyone?
That’s what nobody in the Posada Truthers squad seems to be able to answer. How is that logical?
To say he can no longer call games is to say he has lost his mind. That’s really what you are saying.
When has Posada’s game calling ever been considered a liabilty, apparently, before now?
Was his game calling a problem when Wang was winning 19 games a year – twice? Answer? Doubt I’ll hear one.
Was his game calling a problem when he was the primary signal caller on two World Series teams? I’m sure that fact will be conveniently ignored.
But now, because Wang, Burnett and Chamberlain can’t consistently throw strikes, it’s Posada? Really? I mean, really?
If Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, who have combined won more than 570 games, swear by Posada, isn’t that worth something?
A.J. Burnett’s lack of control has been something that has plagued him his whole career. His one moment of glory was throwing a no-hitter when he walked 7 batters. Seven!
People bring up the ERA with a certain catcher stat – for a SMALL sample size – and completely disregard the number of other factors – ballpark, lineup, etc.
As I will continue to say, the beauty of it is there is no argument. You can’t disregard an entire 12-year career. It’s wrong.
The Yankees organization doesn’t have to do anything to quell certain fans’ misguided concerns about Posada’s game calling ability.
They could care less, and would probably laugh at this entire “debate”.
This is the only season where Posada’s CERA is significantly higher than the team ERA. Posada has only started 26 games at catcher this year. I’ll use the 1310 games he’s caught in his career to decide whether or not he is good enough to call a game instead of the 26 he’s had this year.
Clare,
I think Bryce is doing the right thing. I saw him play in a scouting showcase last year. The kid is a freak. He really is. As gifted a young hitter as I have ever seen.
His development isn’t going to be helped by playing another 2 years of HS. In fact, it could hurt his development because the coaching and competition isn’t exactly stellar in Las Vegas.
At this time next year, as long as he stays healthy, he should be playing pro ball somewhere learning his craft.
You can turn pro in Tennis at 16. Same for golf.
I think the kid has a right to turn pro and give it a shot.
The coaching will be much better at the professional level than what he will get in HS or JUCO in the next two years.
Trisha,
It was indeed your first post in the last thread that irritated me (I read from the top down, not from the bottom up). I do see now that you did admit later on that the people who disagreed with you had better arguments than “its stupid” or “that’s nonsense”.
However, the last thread was not the first time the Posada argument has been bashed about on this blog, and it was not the first time that the subject of the effect of game calling on pitchers has been discussed. And since we had had this disagreement before, I am not going to let you totally off the hook for your original post in the last thread (I know, so what?)
Be that as it may, since you now agree (and I hope in the future will continue to agree) that the anti-game-caller-impact squad has some good arguments (even though they may not persuade you), that’s enough to satisfy me.
Hey Pete,
Why does the playing of “God Bless America” bother you so much?
Does it really hurt to go alittle extra in terms of being patriotic, especially in these times?
SJ – the game didn’t start out 13-0. In fact, I found it extremely impressive that when it was at a potentially precarious position, Cervelli nicely talked AJ down from the fences. That, incidentaly, happened before the 4th inning.
It pays to have a trusting relationship with your catcher…
“There is no reason to shake anybody off when you are ahead by 13 runs in the 4th inning. Its an entirely different game.”
That’s true, I’d say anybody who’s shaking off a catcher at that point has gone mad. I was impressed with the bases-loaded situation but after that it’s hard to talk about game-calling. You and I could have called the game from there on out…
I’m happy for the win, I want to see that performance from AJ in a tight game as well.
SJ, I told you a few weeks ago that former All-Star catcher Brent Mayne ( who has a great book out on the art of catching ) told me that Tony Sanchez was going to be a first round pick ( this was before the NCAA Tourney ) ….He went on to say that the Giants Front Office ( Dick Tidrow ) thought he was the best backstop in the draft….His ride to the bigs will be all about how his stick grows at each level…Glove wise he’s alrady there….Consider the sources…..
When we were at the Mets/Marlins game at Citifield on 5/31, they also did GBA. I assume they just don’t televise it, like the Yankees do?
Clare,
Tony was a late bloomer. At 17, there was no way he was physically or emotionally ready to be a professional baseball player.
Going to college changed his life in every way. It not only made him a better player, he matured so much, he’s able to handle what’s ahead of him much better than he would have been 3-4 years ago.
Bryce seems to be a very mature kid. He’s also physically more developed than Tony was at that age.
That’s why I’m not surprised he’s trying to get his GED and get into the draft next year.
It also wouldn’t surprise me if MLB tries to fight it.
I’m sure they aren’t looking for that precedent to be set.
Its going to be an interesting year following that saga.
Wave, my post was to Pete’s lead-in.
And I am very happy to acknowledge that there are some good arguments proffered. That’s more than I will say for a lot of people so hung up on the position on the other side that they won’t admit that there are problems out there and that Jorge just may be involved on some level. Also, as I told DutchHugo, I don’t care how the problems are resolved as long as they are. Let Jorge go on ritalin if that helps.
Ronan Tynan’s voice never gets old, I don’t share the annoyance with God Bless America being played either, but the more often they can get Mr. Tynan there to show off those pipes, the better imo, he’s amazing.
Should even play his version when he can not be there live, it’s that good.
“Was his game calling a problem when Wang was winning 19 games a year – twice? Answer? Doubt I’ll hear one.
Was his game calling a problem when he was the primary signal caller on two World Series teams? I’m sure that fact will be conveniently ignored.”
I am loathe to get involved in this Posada debate, but I have to jump in here for a second just to say that the people who are mentioning what Posada did years ago can’t use that as an argument. That was in the past with different pitchers. He is not the same man he was 8 years ago. None of us are the same as we were 8 years ago. And bringing up CMW doesn’t work either since CMW essentially throws one pitch. How much calling did Posada have to do when the guy has one trick in his bag?
I’m not saying that Posada has forgotten how to call a game. I don’t even think it’s about that. I just believe that there is some truth to the theory that maybe a couple of the guys (particularly AJ) have a better *rapport* with Molina and Cervelli.
As far as AJ getting out of his jam, Beltran hit a shot – just happened to be right at Jeter. And AJ got a call on the non-hold-up swinging strike which, honestly, could easily have gone the other way and often does.
I don’t mean to denigrate the fact that he did get out of the inning. But it was a clean exit, either. And he walked two and gave up a hit to get into that mess in the first place.
“I was impressed with the bases-loaded situation ”
Bingo! That really was a thing of beauty.
** that should read WASN’T a clean exit.
Pat M,
Yes you did and that was the consensus of just about everybody in the game (including the Yankees) I talked to about him this year.
Trisha,
4-0, and AJ was falling apart. What saved him was a bad checked swing call on Cora and a line drive by Beltran that was hit right to Jeter.
That had nothing to do with gamecalling, that was luck. Good luck for the Yankees, but luck just the same.
The bottom half of the inning, they scored 9 runs and the game completely changed.
Cervelli didn’t have anything to do with AJ getting out of an inning in which he walked the ballpark with a 4 run lead.
Let’s face it – the Yanks blew their pricing policy big time. Yes, they could not have predicted the economic downturn but even beforehand it was more than a little nuts. Third tier seats in left and right field should not be $45-50, those are your bread and butter fans who all buy hot dogs and beer. Heck, I spent $35 on game day in SF and watched a Giants game from ten rows off first base. Granted, they are not as big a draw as the Yanks, but still, the differential is absurd.
Okey dokey. Posada is Christ, pitchers who have a problem with him are the problem, his game calling is the best known to humankind, and when pitchers give up runs its on them – but the catcher calls the game.
Gotcha SJ.
I’m just not buying. Sign me still on the side with all the questions. I could actually pay a lot more attention if you decided to see that there is a problem out there. But you don’t. Or won’t.
Not to mention, that if you’re sitting in the third tier all the way in RF (where all the HRs go), you don’t see the rightfielder all game, practically, not what happens to any of the balls hit in the air to that area. Obstructed view.
Trish, the only thing that I found extremely impressive was the luck of getting a controversial check swing and the line out to Jeter. AJ is the one throwing the ball. Cisco putting his finger down means nothing. He did his job, he stopped the ball from going to the backstop.
Randy I ( The Original Tin Cup ) brings up a good point about Tricia…I would have to think simply by her personality traits here, that if a pitcher started to shake her off that it would be a one sided conversation……Until you earn your bones, you throw what and where the catcher calls for…..I mean as an infielder we know better than the numbnut on the hill what to throw….
lmao mike said damaso garcia
** not should be nor.
Laura,
Wang does not throw just one pitch. That’s just wrong. If he did, he wouldn’t have made it to the big leagues.
He throws a sinker, slider, chamgeup combo – when he’s right – and throws a mid-90s four seamer.
Burnett throws two pitches – curve and fastball. That’s what he’s got. When they’re on, he’s effective. But more often than not, he’s all over the place. That’s what A.J Burnett is. Always has been, and always will be.
And saying you can’t bring up what Posada did in years past is laughable. The man has built a 12-year resume and caught some of the greatest pitchers of all time.
And now, he’s lost it based on not even a half season?
One other point on the Heyman story….
What he doesn’t mention is that Pedro Alvarez, a VERY nice kid and a Boras client, reported to camp this year 35 pounds overweight.
Think about that for a minute. You have a contentious negotiation, the Pirates give you 6 million dollars, and you show up to camp that out of shape.
If I was Heyman, I’d write about that and not worry about Tony Sanchez.
Pedro is still about 15 pounds overweight in A Ball and is finally starting to play a little better.
The Pirates don’t have to apologize to anybody for selecting Tony.
Eric Karros is a good friend of mine. He brought me the following stat:
Since 1983, counting compensation choices, the Dodgers have had 31 first round picks. They took 21 pitchers.
Do you know how many of those pitchers have thrown one pitch in the majors as members of the Dodgers? FOUR. That’s it. FOUR.
That’s how much of a crapshoot the draft is for everybody.
Its also why instant analysis of ANY player in the draft is fools gold.
And by the way, let’s not forget that when Burnett had a 6-0 lead and imploded in fenway he later said he was asked to call pitches he wasn’t used to throwing.
Yes he did say that.
So I guess since the catcher is in charge of the game the catcher needs to take the heat there.
Lisa from Subway Squawkers, mel, ghost, and all the rest with questions remaining, know you are far from alone. And despite the vehemence with which the other side will tell you you are wrong, it ain’t necesarily so.
“the people who are mentioning what Posada did years ago can’t use that as an argument.”
I completely disagree. Posada has proven over his career to be a fine pitch caller. That is much more important in arguing his ability to call a game than his TWENTY SIX starts this season. I’ll go back to my original post on this topic because it clearly shows that not everyone was using the “you’re stupid” argument:
“April 30th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Posada’s Catcher ERA vs. the Team ERA from 2002 to 2007
2007: +.01
Team ERA- 4.49
Posada CERA- 4.50
2006: -.04
Team ERA- 4.41
Posada CERA- 4.37
2005: +.15
Team ERA- 4.52
Posada CERA- 4.67
2004: -.04
Team ERA- 4.69
Posada CERA- 4.65
2003: +.11
Team ERA- 4.02
Posada CERA- 4.13
2002: -.07
Team ERA- 3.87
Posada CERA- 3.80
The only years Posada’s CERA was significantly above the team ERA was in 2003 and 2005. In 2005, Randy Johnson was the Yankees best pitcher and Posada didn’t catch him. If you take out Johnson’s stats, the team ERA is 4.65 compared to Posada’s 4.67 CERA. Not significant.
In 2003, Posada’s CERA was .11 higher than the team ERA. I’m not sure why that would be. At the same time, you could look at Jason Varitek’s CERA for 2005. He’s supposed to be one of the best game callers in baseball and his CERA that year was 5.03, much higher than the team ERA of 4.74.
Jose Molina’s CERA was 13.39 in 2007 when the team’s 4.49 ERA.
Posada has a career OPS 210 points higher than Molina.
The argument for Molina starting over Posada is that Randy Johnson and Mike Mussina didn’t like pitching to him, that Posada’s game calling ability has somehow fallen off, and that Molina’s numbers over a tiny sample size has been better than Posada, who has caught Wang’s terrible games.”
lmao mike said damaso garcia
Good to hear that him and Marte both don’t need surgery.
We get it, Pete, you don’t like the new stadium. Move on.
The HP ump helped Burnett more than Cervelli did
D.B., but more importantly did you answer the question about Cody Ross? If you did I didn’t see the response.
Hey I have to be honest and say that was a critical juncture in the game and the umpire gave us some lucky breaks. But Burnett did come back and throw strikes after that and he said that Cervelli’s game calling really helped him out. Remember he fell apart up 6-0.
It shouldn’t be the cause of so much PAIN to Posada backers that Burnett works better with someone other than Posada. It’s okay. Call himn crazy if you want, call him temperamental, call him a head case. But if he feels better with Cervelli and it helps the Yankees win games, why not.
“The HP ump helped Burnett more than Cervelli did”
Don, just acknowledged the same thing about that inning.
Trisha,
You are correct, I don’t see a problem.
AJ Burnett is pitching EXACTLY as he has his entire career. He’s an erratic, up and down guy. That’s who he is.
Flashes of brillance followed by flashing of terrible pitching.
Posada didn’t catch him in FL or Toronto and he has the same inconsistent performance in those places.
Joba? He’s had his best outings in his career with Posada catching him.
Andy? Won more game with Posada than anybody in his career.
Mo? Loves throwing to Posada.
Really, I don’t buy the theory that if a Yankee pitcher throws a bad game, its the catcher, ANY catchers, fault.
randy l. or SJ44 can correct me if I’m wrong but from my understanding it isn’t all that complicated. I read Catfish Hunters book and also Roy Campanella’s. Most people have two weaknesses. The low and outside corner soft and the high and tight corner hard. You keep the ball away from obviously the heart of the plate and low and inside. The fastball is still the hardest thing to hit, but great hitters will time your movement and speed eventually. Thus, you mix in an occassional breaking pitch to keep them off balance. But still, you hit those other areas and you are going to succeed most of the time. The pitch that, I forget who, got the hit off of AJ in the fourth was down and away and he snuck it by Tex. IMO, it was a good pitch. Do you want to blame Cisco for calling it or AJ for agreeing and throwing it?
Just saw 2 things on Twitter from Yankees PR:
Arod will be greeting fans as the enter the stadium tomorrow from 4:10-4:30 (like Girardi and Cash did)
Marte no surgery needed word from Alabama he goes back to Tampa and continues rehab
Pete,
Make that 28 other clubs. The Phillies also sing god bless america in the 7th.
rconn,
No, Posada didn’t just forget how to call a game. There’ve been questions for years. I’m not denigrating Posada, but he’s played on a very good team for years and contributed greatly with his bat. So much so that the other parts of his game are largely ignored.
So this is nothing new.
I don’t care if he catches or not. Let’s just focus on run prevention. That will lead us to the holy grail.
Sorry trish, missed the cody ross question…let me back up
Storm Heyman’s inbox?? LoHuders, flood Heyman’s inbox.
“Does it really hurt to go a little extra in terms of being patriotic, especially in these times?”
I think it’s overdone. Yesterday it was fine, it was flag day, right? Why not. But that recording every game during the 7th inning? It’s not necessary. And the Yanks shouldn’t be restricting movement during the song either…
Don’t know, I’ve never liked it. Pledge of Allegiance always annoyed me too. Once a game with singing and hat-removing and hands over hearts is plenty.
“no one has more passion for the game than you do. i have no doubt you’d be a catcher if you were a player with your tenacious personality and that’s a compliment”
Randy, I would be kicking butt and taking numbers!!!
But from what you know about me, if my team was losing a lot of games and people questioned my game calling, I would feel devastated enough for the team to see if I could do anything different! Here’s hoping Jorge feels the same way.
So Trisha,
Does Burnett get to blame his catchers in all of the other places he’s flamed out?
I know you believe A.J Burnett is the greatest pitcher of all time, but this is who he is. Wild as a buck. Scouts, coaches, the media all know his reputation.
Yes, he’s got good stuff. So do a lot of pitchers. Roy Oswalt one time was asked who had the best stuff on the Astros staff. He said Tim Redding. You know, the guy who is 1/10 of the pitcher Oswalt is.
Stuff doesn’t always translate to performance.
Under your rationale, the pitcher gets off scott free for any of their performances. Beautiful.
“Give up six runs. That wasn’t me, it’s the catcher.”
Walk the bases loaded? The catcher did it. lol
SJ, and I am buying that all players show decline and that Jorge Posada is no different from any other. Is he the ONLY player in the history of the game that will not show decline in skills at his age, no matter what the skills are?
According to you, that appears to be a yes.
My take is “no”.
Roger and Andy having won 570+ games and not having problems with Posada is negated by Randy Johnson and Moose having won 570+ games and not liking Posada’s gamecalling.
I guess it’s just a chemistry thing, either you have it or you don’t, and it’s hard to force the issue especially with veteran pitchers. Andy’s generally easygoing, but he freaked out last year when Pudge Rodriguez caught him for one start and got Molina to catch the rest of his games. AJ’s pitched good games with Molina, Cash, and Cervelli, so I don’t think he’s actually all that particular.
And let me add, that it warmed my heart greatly to see Posada working hard with Tony Pena two years ago. And it was great to see the results.
It’s a shame that injuries have derailed Jorge, and age is not on his side either.
I think the pitchers and he need to meet halfway. That’s if there’s a problem. Big IF.
“I know you believe A.J Burnett is the greatest pitcher of all time, but this is who he is. Wild as a buck. Scouts, coaches, the media all know his reputation”
rconn, actually I don’t. And here’s another place you’ve got it wrong. I don’t think it’s always on the catcher. But I don’t think it’s always on the pitcher either. I think Posada has culpability at times. I don’t think he is the messiah a lot of you seem to believe.
Pete –
Not all of us who like Phish are stoners. Some of us actually listen to it without any chemical enhancements, alcohol included. Thanks for stereotyping.
And to the guy who said they suck – sorry, but that is an opinion, whether you like it or not. And that’s a fact.
Go Yankees.
“Is he the ONLY player in the history of the game that will not show decline in skills at his age, no matter what the skills are?”
That’s where I get lost. Is there such thing as a decline in game-calling skills? He might lose pop, might not throw out runners at an above-average rate, but can he lose his game-calling skills? To me that seems unlikely.
“Posada didn’t catch him in FL or Toronto and he has the same inconsistent performance in those places.”
When the yankees got serious about signing Burnett I started doing some research to get a better sense of where he was as a pitcher.
I’ve thought about this analysis from last year on quite a few times this year. The link has an interesting graph on AJ pitching for the Blue Jays against the sox last year.
Somehow he managed this without Posada’s bad influence:
“Ok, it’s a little late but here are some goodies from last A.J’s last start. First, you can see where he first pumps up his fastball to strike out Ortiz and then later throws as he’s fading but throws his second fastest pitch of the night right down the middle as is his trademark after being upset by the umpire’s non-call against Youkilis on a check swing that should have ended the inning. Youkilis (as is his trademark) hit in a run scoring single, and then Sean Casey doubled and the game was wrapped up for the Sox. Vintage Burnett!
http://bjays.wordpress.com/200.....p-with-aj/
Trisha,
Gamecalling is not a skill that declines. Physical skills decline. Gamecalling does not. It really doesn’t.
In fact, veteran catchers usually hang on in the game longer because of their knowledge of hitters in the league and how that works into their gamecalling.
You are debating a point with people who have actually played the position, coached players who have played the position, and have a lot of experience on this position in the game.
You are seeing this from a fans point of view. I respect that. However, your points just aren’t germain to what actually takes place between pitchers and catchers.
Pete – great post. I’m more of a Phis fan than the boss but I thought the collaboration was great. Both artists seemed pretty excited.
Also – regarding Mad Dog. It makes perfect sense that more people on this board talk about Francessa. His show is based and broadcast (on the radio) strictly in NYC whereas Mad Dog’s show is now a national/worldwide show and covers a much bigger range of topics and has a broader listening and calling fan base. I signed up for Sirius and prefer it to WFAN by leaps and bounds. Much longer segments, much fewer commercials and most importantly the freedom to say whatever you want (both callers and hosts).
Don’t knock it til you try it!
Quick question….How many former pitchers are managing as opposed to how many former pitchers are managing not omnly in the bigs, but all the way down to A Ball…..There is a reson for this folks….
trisha – OPPC lifetime member
June 15th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
And by the way, let’s not forget that when Burnett had a 6-0 lead and imploded in fenway he later said he was asked to call pitches he wasn’t used to throwing.
Yes he did say that.
So I guess since the catcher is in charge of the game the catcher needs to take the heat there.
Lisa from Subway Squawkers, mel, ghost, and all the rest with questions remaining, know you are far from alone. And despite the vehemence with which the other side will tell you you are wrong, it ain’t necesarily so.
————————————————————
No catcher is going to call for pitches the pitcher doesn’t throw. Quite often the only ***pitches he doesn’t throw often*** is strikes. It’s the promise of a 90 million dollar arm that lures teams to him.
SJ – no I am actually listening to what people who played the game more recently and in the majors for a long time are saying. And questioning along with them.
I respect the underlings on this forum but really trust people like Cone and Leiter. Maybe the others of you need to listen more carefully to what they’ve been saying.
Either that or I will have to believe that those here who either were catchers at some level or have nephews for catchers can’t be objective.
“And now, he’s lost it based on not even a half season?”
Go back and read the last couple of sentences in my post. I said that I didn’t think that was the issue. I think it’s rapport.
“Andy’s generally easygoing, but he freaked out last year when Pudge Rodriguez caught him for one start and got Molina to catch the rest of his games.”
Like I said, it’s rapport!!!!
Ok trish, I posted it in the wrong thread but…How about you pick up Scott Podsednick instead? He has been tearing it up on the WS. Goes like Ross or Ludwick are replacement level at best. Might as well go with the hot hand
“No catcher is going to call for pitches the pitcher doesn’t throw. Quite often the only pitches he doesn’t throw often is strikes. It’s the promise of a 90 million dollar arm that lures teams to him”
Burnett said he was asked to throw pitches he wasn’t used to throwing.
You think he’s crazy. I think there’s something to it.
goes = guys … I’m just not a typer
Trisha,
I’ve already outlined Al’s career with catchers in this thread.
Coney? Coney is as old school as they come. He HATES when Joba shakes off Posada as much as he does.
He just got done tearing up Bruney on Kay’s Show for his actions with KRod. That’s how old school he is.
I know both guys personally. Al is a guy who liked to call his own games. His best success in the majors came when he didn’t call his own games.
Coney? Always trusted his catcher.
You can have differing viewpoints. However, if you asked them who should be the starting catcher on this team, neither guy would say, “Francisco Cervelli”.
D.B. the only reason I was steering away from Posednick is that he gives me a lot of what I already have – average and runs, where I was thinking I needed more power in there. I think he may lead off where the other guys are down in the lineup.
Game calling isn’t a skill that gets worse with age. It’s not like being able to catch up to a fastball or recognize the spin on a slider. It’s more like a manager’s ability to coach a game. That’s why catchers usually make good managers.
“.Until you earn your bones, you throw what and where the catcher calls for…”
pat m-
what’s funny about this debate is if you put tricia’s brain in a catcher’s body the first pitcher that shook her off one time too many would in really big trouble.
changing subject,i want to say something that many on the blog may not understand and it’s about the time that goes into becoming a pro baseball player. sj44 has talked about his nephew going to the batting cages after landing at the airport coming home after being drafted.
this is what the players who exceed expectations do. they consistently pay the price. it doesn’t happen with a few hard workouts. it happens over years of almost every day spending hours of hard and sometimes painful work learning a craft.
the players that do this do it out of a love for the game. money alone wouldn’t motivate them to consistently go the extra difference.
if there was a stock offering for tony sanchz stock , i’d be a big buyer.
Trisha,
AJ only throw 2 pitches. Nobody was asking him to throw a knuckleball.
This is an area where you lose complete objectivity.
Do you really think it was Posada’s fault AJ melted down in Boston?
AJ was scapegoating in that post-game interview.
When a guy only throws 2 pitches, its pretty hard to sell that he was “being asked to throw pitches he doesn’t throw”.
In fact, its impossible1 lol
No catcher is going to ask a guy to throw pitches he doesn’t throw.
trisha, what Lieter was saying does apply and Joba actually said that in his post game interview. The only problem is why? It’s like in Bull Durham and randy l.’s story, what does a 23 year old kid know? He should have conviction to throw what a 15 year veteran and all-star who has caught a perfect game is calling for.
“No catcher is going to ask a guy to throw pitches he doesn’t throw.”
I remember when AJ said that and I thought that it was kinda odd. I gave it some thought and I think he probably was talking about location more than the actual pitch. Otherwise, what he said doesn’t make sense.
SJ – obviously you are going to have a contrary “explanation” for everything every player says and does unless it’s to back up that Posada is the bomb.
I’m sorry but in keeping with my very consistent position of trusting the real experts over people on the blog – and I’ve never varied from that whether those people have backed up something you have said, or someone else has said, or whether they’ve disagreed – I am staying with the guys who have played the game and are closest to it.
Tricia, The next time I see in fact I’ll call Brent Mayne who caught Cone when he came up with the Royals and ask him about Cone and who called the game…..Even with that I doubt it’ll sway you from this lost cause you’re blinded by….I wonder how many times Nolan Ryan disagreed with the many catchers that caught him over his 27 years in the bigs ??? Not many ….
The catcher runs, or should run, the defense. This includes adjusting defensive alignment and guarding against the running game, in addition to calling pitches. That is why so many managers were catchers – they have to analyze and adjust to every game situation, every at bat, every pitch. The Yanks have won a lot of games with Jorge behind the plate, and that isn’t a coincidence. Having said that, I am getting more fond of the idea of keeping Cervelli up and making him Jorge’s padewan. He just might be the long term solution behind the plate. I also suspect Jorge could have a good career as a manager after he hangs up his cleats.
“I remember when AJ said that and I thought that it was kinda odd. I gave it some thought and I think he probably was talking about location more than the actual pitch. Otherwise, what he said doesn’t make sense.”
Laura, I absolutely think he was referring to location.
gayle
June 15th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
“Marte no surgery needed word from Alabama he goes back to Tampa and continues rehab”
Now there’s some good news. Maybe Marte will have more peace of mind now and we’ll see him again in a month or so.
One last point on this subject….
Randy, Pat M and others will tell you, catchers are a unique fraternity. I love ALL catchers. That’s just me.
To that end, I think I have learned the difference between good catchers and bad catchers. Jorge Posada is neither a bad catcher nor the problem with the Yankee pitching staff this season.
Posada gets a bad rap because folks can’t understand why Yankee pitchers can’t throw strikes. Instead of blaming the pitchers, they scapegoat Posada.
Funny thing is though, AJ Burnett has ALWAYS been an up and down pitcher. In other words, he’s pitching the same way in NY as he has in his other 2 stops in the game.
How does Jorge get a bad rap for that?
As far as Joba, he shook off Molina constantly in that infamous outing against Cleveland last year when he gave up the 3 run bomb to Sizemore that cost the Yankees a game. That was Jose Molina….one of the best defensive catchers in the game.
Joba shakes off EVERYBODY. That’s part of his problem. Yet, its Posada’s fault he couldn’t find the plate the other night, despite the fact the best games he has ever pitched as a Yankee came with Jorge catching?
Posada isn’t a problem with this team. He is a percieved problem by some fans who either don’t understand the relationship between pitchers and catchers and those who mindlessly quote a useless stat, one that no team in baseball uses, such as catchers ERA.
Actually it was Posada fault for Brunett 6 run meltdown. Burnett said in the postgame that he throw a changeup to Varitek which he hit for a grand slam. Burnett said he should of shook off the pitch.
People need to stop making excuses for Posada. His era with the starters are 2 runs higher than other catchers. Stop ignoring the facts.
“Tricia, The next time I see in fact I’ll call Brent Mayne who caught Cone when he came up with the Royals and ask him about Cone and who called the game…..Even with that I doubt it’ll sway you from this lost cause you’re blinded by….I wonder how many times Nolan Ryan disagreed with the many catchers that caught him over his 27 years in the bigs ??? Not many ….”
Pat M, I know that you like to have the last word and that if someone isn’t agreeing with your take you get testy but please at least TRY to be fair. Maybe Cone was comfortable with the way Mayne called his games and Mayne was calling for pitches Cone felt good about.
“lost cause I am blinded by”
Only in your mind. The fact that so many people are questioning it makes it hardly a lot cause but rather one that deserves attention. Because you won’t move from your position doesn’t make you right. It might make you stubborn or unwilling to listen.
“The other night when Joba was shaking off Posada and there was obviously a problem, there was a discussion in the booth about who should trump in the call, the pitcher or the catcher. Leiter said he would rather have a pitcher 100 percent committed to his pitch and wrong than 50% committed to the pitch he throws. He said nobody knows better than the pitcher how he feels about the stuff he has that day.
So much for the catcher making all the calls. And by the way, he didn’t make exception for a kid pitcher and a veteran pitcher. The discussion surrounded what was obviously happening between Joba and Posada.”
This is an example of misusing a quote to further a poor argument.
Yes, I think most of us would rather a pitcher throw a particular pitch with 100% commitment than a pitch with 50% commitment.
This does not mean that Joba should be shaking off Posada as many times as he did or that Posada has a problem calling a game.
It means that Joba needs to learn to throw the pitches that Posada calls for with 100% commitment.
It would be very rare for a pitcher to agree with a catcher’s pitch selection every single time. Even pitchers that prefer the catcher to call the entire game shake off pitches sometimes. So they agree on the next pitch selected, or the one after that.
If Joba can’t completely commit himself to the pitch that Posada or Molina or Cervelli or Tony Pena call for him, that it going to be a problem for Joba and for the Yankees.
I have more confidence that Joba will eventually be able to work with every Yankee catcher than I do with the notion that Joba’s failure to execute pitches was the fault of Jorge Posada.
SJ – he’s perceived to be a problem by more than the fans. I know then it’s the fault of whatever player perceives him to be the problem.
Talk about being blinded by a lost cause!
Stop quoting catchers ERA. Its a stat nobody uses. Those aren’t “facts”. Its nonsense.
There isn’t a single team in MLB that uses catchers ERA to evaluate their catchers. Not one.
So, of you are going to quote “facts” find some.
Catchers ERA is not a fact.
Varitek didn’t hit a changeup for the grand slam. He hit a fastball.
If you are going to provide “facts” at least get the “facts” correct.
Trisha,
Seriously, tell me who the people are who believe Posada is the problem with the pitching staff.
I am quite sure that, at some level, catcher game calling skill is important.
The thing is, you need to have that skill to catch in the major leagues at all. So sure, when Leiter or Cone say a catcher “frames” the pitch well, I’m sure he does. But the important question is, once you are skilled enough a catcher to catch in the major leagues, does having more of that skill result in better pitching performance?
The pitcher and catcher relationship has been examined minutely. Baseball Prospectus looked at every pitcher-catcher matchup over a period of 17 years, on a plate appearance by plate appearance basis. Keith Wollner looked at all 3,163 cases in the history of baseball where a pitcher worked with 2 different catchers for at least 100 PA’s on the same team in the same season. That is a ton of data.
These studies cannot find any objective evidence that catching skill impacts pitcher performance. Or rather, no evidence that once you are skilled enough to catch in the majors, any more of the skill noticeably affects pitching performance.
That goes for framing pitches, for CERA, for pitcher-catcher rapport, for pitch-calling, what have you. There is no evidence that at the major league level they meaningfully explain pitching results.
When people like Cone and Leiter compliment a catcher’s skills, it’s not a lie. A major league catcher is an extraordinarily skilled individual. But don’t over-interpret what they mean. They don’t mean those skills make the pitcher better than the other catcher sitting on the bench, because they don’t.
If you listen to Flaherty and Cone or Flaherty and Leiter, the agree often on pitch selection, but, never agree on when the proper time to remove a pitcher. There’s often a dispute on whether or not it was a good pitch that that just went over the fence. Not always, but, often the pitcher says it was a good pitch and Flaherty will point out where the catcher is setting up and where the pitch was located when hit.
Pitchers aren’t for the most part, all that honest about the results. Manager goes to the mound and asks the guy how he feels. I feel fine…I gan get this guy out. He asks the catcher and the manager will know that the catcher will say fine, but looks like he’s saying the guy is gassed. No catcher will bury the pitcher…he’ll let the manager do his job and bury him.
It’s not an attempt to deceive. It’s a pitcher that hopes he can do it.
Thats right trish forgot about those categories for you. How about Chris Young then? He’s got some power and speed and hits 6th. He’s bound to heat up soon. Had a homer recently.
“I’m sorry but in keeping with my very consistent position of trusting *the real experts* over people on the blog…”
You mean the manager who keeps writing him in the lineup card as the catcher and the general manager who signed him to an extension?
Or the commentators who praise the defensive skills and energy of the youthful backup but never suggest that the Yankees are worse off because Posada continues to be the starter?
They don’t mean those skills make the CATCHER better than the other catcher sitting on the bench, because they don’t.
Sorry for the confusing typo.
SJ,
Thanks for your take on Bryce.
Did you see the new interview with Slade Heathcott on the blog which must not be named? He certainly sounds like he’s got it together. But I was wondering yesterday while reading your posts on the stuff you were doing for Tony to help him get started in the pros whether Slade has someone to do those things for him. I know he has the same agent as Burnett, do you know him?
Papa smurf, unless Burnett throws his changeup 96 mph, it was a fastball.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday.....de=gameday
Check for yourself.
I can’t believe all these arguments over who is the better catcher! I wonder what teams would trade for Molina now? (None) How about Cervelli? (Any? Maybe!) How many would trade for Posada? (Lots!)
Posada is a Switch Hitting Catcher who is above average defensively. We all thought Pudge was great until he got here last year and we realized he was a “Me First” kind of non-team player. He called for fastballs so he could throw more runers out. Posada is a “Team First” player. He lays it out there all the time. Cervelli is at most a serviceable backup of 1 or 2 games a week. If he were to play more than that he probably would be hitting around .200. Teams would play him shallow and beat him up in offspeed pitches.
The last time I remember so many folks on here screaming about Posada hurting the team, he got hurt & the Yanks went into a tailspin. Enjoy Posada while we still have him. Soon we may be saying wow if we only had a catcher who could hit his weight the Yanks would be so much better. Posada is a future HOF catcher, and the pitchers who are struggling are most likely not in that category except their own egos.
In the movie Bull Durham, the Catcher told the opposing hitters which pitch was coming because the rookie pitcher kept shaking him off. When the Catcher went out to talk to the pitcher he told him what he was doing and that he shook him off again he would do the same thing. There is a reason that Pitchers look to catchers to call games or should I say Managers look to catchers. Posada does his homework and then some. Torre liked to have one starter caught by a backup catcher because Posada needed a day off and it is far easier for a backup catcher to learn 1 starter than 2 or 3 or all 5+. It is a fundamental thing. Moose didn’t diss Posada, he wanted his own personal catcher and it made more sense for him to be the guy (always analytical) to instruct his game plan to Molina.
Now this framing pitches to trick an ump doesn’t play well in the Umpiring arena. In fact it will end up hurting the pitcher more in the long run because Umps don’t like being fooled and retaliate to make sure it doesn’t happen. Posada has soft hands and a great deal of baseball knowledge. The Yanks depend on it.
D.B.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Papa smurf, unless Burnett throws his changeup 96 mph, it was a fastball.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday.....de=gameday
Check for yourself.
———————————————————-
Thats what he said to Kim Jones on the postgame
D.B., the beauty of any argument and debate is that both sides can keep going like every-ready bunnies, hoping to wear down the other side. And when those who are worn down finally decide they don’t have the head to keep going, the other bunnies are around to claim victory and high five with each other that their arguments take the day. And when people are no longer around to argue the other side, the “victors” will then have a field day about how awesome their arguments were and how weak the other side was, etc. etc. etc. And having been around for debate on this forum before, especially debate in which I had no horse but did read both sides (Joba to the pen for example), I know how it works.
So my leaving is because there is frankly nothing new I think either side will have to offer. I would say that neither side has changed opinions, and that’s fine too. There are still many people with questions about Posada (I don’t think that’s an exaggeration) and since I consider some of them certainly well-thought-out and respected posters (feel free to eliminate me entirely there
) I feel that I leave in good company at least.
No more to say on the subject other than, as is the case with the Joba debate – and no matter what side you’re on -one side screaming that it’s side is the only correct side is as ludicrous as saying that no matter how many people disagree, there is only one take that makes sense.
I’m always willing to say that I can see valid points on both sides of this issue – and I sincerely do – but at this point I am still on the side of the questioners.
Good luck to those who have the energy to keep this going tonight, no matter what side you’re on. Maybe both sides need replacements! I usually don’t have an entire day on the forum. I know, thank God!
Great post, RayVT.
You fought hard, Trisha. There’s no shame in that. Would it be safe to say that this is your Alamo? You went up against the best.
Kudos
“I didn’t throw anything where I wanted to today, I was all over the place. When I did get ahead, I didn’t execute the curveball to get people out. I threw balls over the middle and they hit them the way they’re supposed to.”
- AJ Burnett.
Sound familiar? Maybe after the first boston game? After the second boston game he lost? How about after the terrible game he threw in Toronto (with kevin cash catching)? The awful game he threw against the phillies (with cash catching)?
No that quote was from AJ last year after he got rocked by Baltimore because he couldn’t locate his curve ball and a terrible O’s team sat on his fastball and smacked it around.
That was also the game when AJ got booed by the Jays crowd as he walked off the field without getting through the 5th and sarcastically mocked the crowd by tipping his cap.
What did the manager have to say about that:
“Basically, to sum it up, he didn’t really have it,” Gibbons said of his starter. “There were times he was dominating, then he lost it. He made too many mistakes today is basically what it came down to.”
That sounds almost verbatim as to what Girardi has said after many of AJ’s games this year as well.
At times he was dominating but made too many mistakes.
What we’ve seen this year is absolutely nothing new.
http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseba....._bluejays/
So if I was going to hoping for Trisha to answer the question as to Joe Girardi keeps putting Posada into the lineup as the catcher, that wouldn’t be a good idea?
SJ,
I think it’s a valid point that over Posada’s career, his catcher’s ERA is almost exactly the same as the team ERA on a year by year basis. That shows that his game calling ability doesn’t negatively affect a pitcher’s performance.
I would agree that a catcher’s ERA over 26 games, especially when he caught Wang’s terrible starts, is completely insignificant.
RayVT,,,,You’re 2 for 2 today….Tricia in closing if anything was accomplished during these 2 days , maybe just maybe you’ll look at the next few games with a different perspective…..Trust your eyes, and not Lisa from where ever Lisa is from……You’re the only one left fighting this, and I admire your stance, but do look at what has been mentioned on the other side of this issue……
God Bless America is getting played out, period, and yes I do love America. There are some things we only do on special occasions, and that’s what keeps them special. Being marched through our patriotic paces every godforsaken day on the home calendar inspires eye-rolling and boredom, not patriotism. The problem is that now the Yankees can’t discontinue it without looking like they’re dissing the country. Sigh.
I love the Cervelli story, too, but everything about his numbers point to a big drop in his offense. He has no power at all and his OBP is all of 12 points higher than his BA. He’s gonna need to be a phenomenal defensive player to carry his bat over a full season once Molina gets dumped and Jorge is phased out.
This post deserves enshrinement in the Peter Abraham Hall of Fame.
1. I’ve seen 4 Yankee games sober and 3 Phish shows sober this year. Trust me, the Phish shows were more fun.
2. Posada is a liability behind the plate in many ways. Cervelli and Molina are better for the pitchers, that’s the bottom line. Have you ever seen Jorge run the bases? Guy must be a space cadet.
Pete: Your comedic skills have been dead-on lately, thanks for the laughs. As always, great coverage over the past week.
Line of the day: “Meanwhile, a dog named A-Rod bit his owner and ran away.”
only in america do american’s call a song about their country “played out”…
every other country has their citizens singing their anthems proudly…even canada…they all sing “o canada” before every game.
they take pride in their country…and so do the yankees.
What is it with you people and God Bless America? It’s disgusting how many people can’t stand a song that celebrates the country. Maybe you should get your head out of your ass and go take a look at the hole in lower Manhattan. Or take a look at what’s happening in Iran, before you make fun of taking two lousy minutes out of your life to thank God you’re an American and thank the people who risk their lives so you can post your idiotic thoughts on a blog.
Phish is the greatest band in America and I’ve never been stoned watching or listening. Its funny, people just say “they suck” without ever grabbing a CD and listening twice to a few songs. They must really suck, why else would THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of people show up. sheesh…
“Not all of us who like Phish are stoners. Some of us actually listen to it without any chemical enhancements, alcohol included. Thanks for stereotyping.
And to the guy who said they suck – sorry, but that is an opinion, whether you like it or not. And that’s a fact.”
Truth’d
Careful with those God Bless America comments, Pete. You may find yourself escorted out of the press box by Yankee security and into the George Steinbrenner Waterboarding Room for Re-education. Once there your eye lids will be taped open as Dr. Tynan is played over and over on the speakers while you are forced to watch footage of the eagle Challenger, film of stealth bomber fly overs interspersed with reminders that George was born on July 4th. You obviously don’t love freedom enough so your movements, actions and thoughts will have to be restrained and reorganized until you love freedom. You Commie.
Any Bruce fan who thought he had to be “stoned” to listen to Bruce have a guitar duel with the pre-eminent guitarist alive today should go back to their Lady Ga Ga MP3s. If you can’t appreciate that, you simply don’t like music.
“Any Bruce fan who thought he had to be “stoned” to listen to Bruce have a guitar duel with the pre-eminent guitarist alive today should go back to their Lady Ga Ga MP3s. If you can’t appreciate that, you simply don’t like music.”
Wow, well said kingshaffy
Wow, Pete, pretty stereotypical about Phish and their fans.
That’s like me saying, maybe if I was white trash from Jersey, drinking Natty Light I would appreciate Bruce more.
Again, sigh. Guys, it really is possible to love this country with all your heart and seethe every time you think of “the hole in lower Manhattan” and still think God Bless America is not that good a song and it’s getting old. No other team does this. Does that mean they’re not patriotic enough for you?
Of all the trappings of Yankee Stadium at which to take aim, the one that seems to bother you the most is their habit of playing an additional song in honor of the USA. They do it expressly to honor the Armed Forces in time of war (yes, America is actually at war – people bleed and sometimes die ostensibly on your behalf on a daily basis). You may not like the song, you may prefer other patriotic songs or none at all, but is two minutes of your life really that taxing? Stick to ticket prices, to the Hard Rock Cafe, or anything else gaudy and out of place and abandon your ridiculous crusade against God Bless America.
I agree the God Bless America thing is not that important, but I think you’ve missed part of my point. I DO love this country and our armed forces, and I think patriotic displays are in order, espcially during wartime. But I think the daily performance of God Bless America has become a tiresome go-through-the-motions ritual. It would be more likely to inspire true patriotism if it were reserved for patriotic holidays, or perhaps just performed once a week. As I said in my original post, some things should be kept special or they become rote. Again, I am not for less patriotism – I’m for more TRUE patriotism.
Your valuation of what constitutes “true patriotism” is purely subjective (as is mine). And BTW the “you” in my post was the author, I wasn’t specifically responding to what you said. One is not less patriotic because he hangs a flag every day of the year than if he does so only on a handful of special occasions. In the case of the Yankees, they have a long tradition of being friendly to military personnel, going so far as to hand out free (not discount, free) tickets to members of the armed forces in the old Stadium (not sure about the new). They began with God Bless America and apparently they feel comfortable enough with the tradition that they don’t want to call an end to it, especially when they go so far as to honor the Armed Forces at war; to stop doing so with the war(s) still ongoing would send a message of its own. I understand your point, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with things as they presently stand.
re Mike and the Mad Dog – you’ve got to say it like Russo would: “That’s a Terrrrible Move by the Dog. Oh God, I can’t believe it.!!!!!
Pete, I don’t know if you get to read every comment that appears on your blog. Congrats to you if you do!!
… hoping you have time to read this one.
1. About Twitter- I understand your comments about the system. My suggestion is just use it as teaser and marketing to lead people to your blog- “Teixeira scores from first on dropped popup to second baseman. Details at yankees.lhblogs.com .”
2. Re Teixeira scoring from first– He has received some kudos for that, but that was totally “the play of the game!” and he deserves more kudos for it.. doncha think so? Also, I’m a bit of a Geek, and am curious to analyze Tex’s progress around the bases VS where the ball was at each moment. I watched the replay on MLB.com a few times, and see that he was way past half-way between 2nd & 3rd when the ball was actually dropped, but how far exactly (Tex is out of the picture by then)? And where was he when the ball was thrown to the SS, and where was he when the SS caught the ball.. etc etc. What you realize is that he was not only “running out the play”, but he was running hard. I also want to know at what point he knew the ball had been dropped, or was he just “heads down, full speed” all the way? Did he get any signal from Rob Thomson? Oh- and I agree with Thomson’s idea of creating a DVD of the entire play- show all the angles, plus some of my geeky analysis.
Maybe you could help with this?? Thanks.
It’s worse than you think, Pete. You’re sounding like Phil Mushnick
SJ44, et al –
I guess it is a matter of opinion which was Joba’s best game. To me his best game was beating Beckett in Boston 1-0 last year. Molina caught that game. Joba prefers pitching to Molina. Yes, he did compliment Jorge for that one game, but I feel any enthusiastic, young pitcher would compliment the bat boy just because the game was won.
In the last game Joba pitched he said he didn’t get into his rhythm and he thought too much. Of course, he couldn’t get into rhythm – Posada was jittery and rush rush. Cervelli is cool and confident. Molina exhudes confidence when Joba is pitching. Most baseball people acknowledge that Joba is special and has a great future ahead of him. If he becomes either 1 or 2 in the rotation – he deserves the catcher he wants. Joba and Posada have history and both have egos and are hard-headed DESPITE the ages.
Yes, Posada is a decorated catcher and has 12 + years behind him. That is just it, it is history. Almost always that is an argument used – it is the past.
I may not be a baseball expert but I recognize sports egos. Jorge was on the DL last year and part of this year. When he came back here was Cervilli handling the pitchers very well. Excellent, even. Now you old catchers on this post, tell me truthfully what you would do if you were in Posada’s position. What exactly would you do. Establish yourself as the #1 team catcher. Did I call it??
But times change, dudes. It is almost like snooze, you lose. Jorge still has good skills at 37 but not as before. You say that a catcher never loses his pitch calling skills. How about if that tool was not his special skill?
How do you evaluate that skill. If most don’t believe in ERA or CERA as credible measurements then what do you suggest.
I guess you could go by just plain win or loss then. Nothing fancy just W or L. The team won more games while he was on DL and have lost more since his return. Is that coincedence, scheduling, rain, whatever.
There are two sides to every story and that is true with this one. Hopefully this will be resolved immediately for the best of the Yankee team because it is a very talented team.