Comments on: Today in The Journal News

By: Sidwell Friends

Sidwell Friends — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:08:36 +0000

Arod will have to accept that he is “tainted goods”. Pity.

By: DB

DB — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:08:34 +0000

I think folks are upset because he’s not dying it. He’s surviving it and I think that ticks people off.

You couldn’t be anymore right. This city is cut throat. Always has been.

By: Lara08

Lara08 — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:01:10 +0000

“We can all bemoan how it’s not fair. It’s a tough city just like ol Blue Eyes sung about.”

I don’t think people bemoan they just call out the hypocrisy to which the hypocrites never have a valid justification.

Its all laughable.

People can say Alex made his bed and now he has to lie in it. But the thing is, he is. I think folks are upset because he’s not dying it. He’s surviving it and I think that ticks people off.

By: Dr. Cox

Dr. Cox — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:58:21 +0000

“is it ok for clean ballplayers that were forced to compete against a juiced up Arod to boo him? If not then what is the use of booing at all? I’d say up until this year you might have a case that Arod didn’t deserve the booing but now he really can say nothing about it.”

What does this comment even mean? What are you trying to say? Are you saying that its ok for fans to boo players that have used PED’s? If so, then make a clear concise point please.

I understand why fans boo players who are accused of steroids. But A-Rod has been getting booed for years and It had and has nothing to do with steroids. So open your eyes.

Oh and A-Rod can’t really say “ANYTHING” about it. Not “NOTHING” about it. I’ll teach you some proper English, if I can’t teach you any baseball, youngin.

By: Brandon W

Brandon W — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:56:12 +0000

I find it kind of funny that everyone was saying Posada couldn’t call a game and now they’re all up in arms about Joba shaking him off. It goes to show you how peoples’ opinions of Posada change once the pitchers start pitching well.

Anyway, I’m OK with an occasional shake-off, but Joba does need to listen to Posada more often. I remember a game, I think it was against Detroit, where Joba said he and Posada were on the same page, etc. What happened to change that in Joba’s mind?

I’m also curious as to why it’s only Joba’s fastball velocity that is down. I would think if he were simply out of shape (which was my original assumption) that it would be affecting him all-around.

Either way, Joba really needs to become more consistent with his fastball (both the velocity and location). If he can establish that fastball, his slider will become much more effective. Hitters will have to commit sooner if he’s consistently throwing 96-97, which will let him generate more swing-and-misses on his breaking pitches. If he can establish location, they also won’t be able to be as patient with him to hope for walks.

It has also seemed to me that he has been using his change-up less the past few games. Maybe he hasn’t had a feel for it during his warm-ups, but I think at this point it would fool batters more than his slider, especially with the scouting reports going around.

Thoughts?

By: DB

DB — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:54:10 +0000

Andy does get a pass because of the 4 World Championships. If ARod had one under his belt no one would boo him. I don’t agree with it, but it’s just part of playing in the Bronx. We can all bemoan how it’s not fair. It’s a tough city just like ol Blue Eyes sung about.

By: murphydog

murphydog — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:51:55 +0000

Prior to the Steroids revelations, a person could defend A-Rod the player even if they couldn’t or wouldn’t make the effort to defend A-Rod the person. With the steroid revelations, however, it’s harder to totally object to the boo birds on either the personal A-Rod or professional A-Rod basis.

A-Rod is going to have to play his way out of this one and so far he’s doing a very commendable job. If he keeps his statements to a minimum, stays healthy and plays well enough, long enough, he might see a new consensus arise on the Steroids Era and be able to erase the stain. For now, he takes the heat (if some fans continue to give it), shows up and plays through it.

By: JasonR

JasonR — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:50:58 +0000

We all need to be patient with guys like Joba and Hughes. Lester is having his share of struggles in Boston, even though he seems to get a pass because he survived cancer and won the World Series. Buchholz has struggled, even the great phenom David Price is getting shelled and finding it tough to adjust to the big leagues. They’re still young, they’re still learning the game. You don’t throw them under the bus and relegate them to being a cog in the bullpen just because of a bad start.

That said, it is getting old watching Joba nibble and shake off his catchers, throw a million pitches through four and just barely get through five innings. We should be patient with him, but he should also be improving and developing consistency and he’s not doing that. I don’t know if he was hyped too much and thinks he knows everything he needs to know, but someone needs to sit down and talk to him about his problems. It seems like he’s regressing as the season wears on.

By: SJ44

SJ44 — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:49:18 +0000

Carl,

Dont you understand? Andy is a “true Yankee”.

That’s why it’s “ok” to cheer him.

By: sab

sab — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:48:37 +0000

Pete, anyone – was there ever a resolution with Cano and his child like disappearing act saturday after the game? Was he available to talk yesterday and if so did anyone ask any questions to the “smiling wonder child”?