Today in The Journal News
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- August
- 9
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CC Sabathia pitched his best game as a Yankee and the fans let him know their appreciation as he beat the Red Sox.
Sam Borden writes that the Yankees have turned the tables on the Red Sox when it comes to pitching.
The Baseball Beat looks at how A-Rod has changed this season.
A Red Sox pitcher got tossed for throwing at A-Rod. This notebook has an update on a roster move and a tough day in left field for Kevin Youkilis.
David Ortiz dodged the issue of whether he used steroids during a press conference. Ernie Palladino has the story.
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on Sunday, August 9th, 2009 at 8:45 am by Peter Abraham.
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
Josh Thomson
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08.....183738.htm
Robbie Q/A
Nice story on A-Rod Pete
Served the Red Sox right for Youkilis to have problems in left field yesterday.
This is turning out to be a great weekend! Really fun to see the tables turning and watch the Red Sox squirm. Can’t wait for the game today….. Go Yanks!
Why does the New York media still get their facts wrong when it comes to the Theo versus CashMoney comparison? I thought I was going to read a good article by Harper today about that comparison and I still see some incorrect information being written about Cashman.
Listen guys, Cashman wasn’t in charge of drafting and developing players until the 2006 season. Since then the Yankees have made great strides in closing the gap between the Red Sox and Yankees farm system. IMO, the Yankee system is superior to the Red Sox because they have more highly rated Latin prospects than the Sox and have better pitching prospects up and down their system.
One more thing, Youkilis and Lester were drafted by the previous Red Sox regime so stop giving Theo credit for them.
“As the Red Sox transformed the Rivalry in their favor over the last five years, establishing uncharted superiority over the Yankees, GM Theo Epstein earned and received credit as the savvy architect who made all the right moves.
In some ways he flat schooled Brian Cashman on matters of drafting and developing home-grown talent, transitioning the Sox from old to young while ending the Curse of the Bambino and winning two championships.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....z0NgsHRITr
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....tml?page=0
Outside the Lines piece on Chapman right now
it looks like the rs are down & out & they might be.
no pitching after becket & lester,papelbon not as good,an older team,no great free agents in the offseson.
a trade will cost prospects weakening their farm system.
imo their only shot is to throw a hallday type pitcer in with becket & lester & prey
their hyped farm system is not as good as lot said it was,ells & pedroia are good but no power & rbi.
how Quickly things can change.
at the very minimum they need an ace pitcher & a big bat.
bay,becket,papelbon,etc will increase their payroll a lot,losing them will hurt
Why does the New York media still get their facts wrong when it comes to the Theo versus CashMoney comparison? I thought I was going to read a good article by Harper today about that comparison and I still see some incorrect information being written about Cashman.
Listen guys, Cashman wasn’t in charge of drafting and developing players until the 2006 season. Since then the Yankees have made great strides in closing the gap between the Red Sox and Yankees farm system. IMO, the Yankee system is superior to the Red Sox because they have more highly rated Latin prospects than the Sox and have better pitching prospects up and down their system.
One more thing, Youkilis and Lester were drafted by the previous Red Sox regime so stop giving Theo credit for them.
“As the Red Sox transformed the Rivalry in their favor over the last five years, establishing uncharted superiority over the Yankees, GM Theo Epstein earned and received credit as the savvy architect who made all the right moves.
In some ways he flat schooled Brian Cashman on matters of drafting and developing home-grown talent, transitioning the Sox from old to young while ending the Curse of the Bambino and winning two championships.”
SJ, Just went back and read your ESPN lettern from last night. Wow, well written! Funny how Ortiz gets glossed over and with Alex it was all ARod all the time 24/7.
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo....._theo.html
Most impressive thing of all (to me) is the Yanks managed to go 9-4 without future HOFer Bret Garner (I think that’s his name).
How a 200+ million team can “overcome” the loss of a 5th ofer with a .626 ops in July is incredible.
I hope Pete and Chad Jennings can do an in depth story on how the Yanks have survived such an incredible loss.
Great analysis on how big a loss Gardner was going to be – but then again, you guys do this for a living.
“SJ, Just went back and read your ESPN lettern from last night. Wow, well written! Funny how Ortiz gets glossed over and with Alex it was all ARod all the time 24/7.”
It just goes to show you that media bias is an important issue when it comes to fair reporting by the MSM.
We all know that Arod can be his worse enemy, but the media has been beating up this guy for years while eating up everything that came out of Ortiz’s mouth. It’s about time they do their job by looking more closely at what Ortiz said and fairly report their findings without any bias slant to them.
There is a book called The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty. How about these 4 days as The Last Weekend of Red Sox Relevance? We may look back at this weekend and identify it as a turning point, the moment at which the NYY got their swagger back. The RS look like the NYY of the last few years, old, injured, too many big money, unathletic players playing the same positions and not much depth. The NYY have a good mix of veterans and contributing youngsters. For all the heat C-Money takes he has resisted trading young guys like Phil, Joba, Melky,etc. has made wise FA acquisitions and made a few good trades to round out the roster. The team looks to be in good hands for years to come.
By the way, my main gripe is with the television and radio media moreso than the print guys. The latter has been much more open with their Ortiz criticism while the former such as ESPN, MLB Channel and alike have been giving Ortiz a pass with their giving him the “benefit of a doubt” defense.
Fearless prediction: At some point Gaudin goes into rotation, Mitre to AAA and NYY get a 2nd lefty for the pen. The team is going to need another lefty (Marte?) for stretch run and post-season.
Marte will be back this week as his 30 days are about up.
marte will be back in a week so i dont see us getting a lefty.
mitre gets 1 more start(mybe) if he stinks he is gone & gaudin is in.
i think because hughes is good against both lefties & righties & coke & marte it is enough.
Marte got put on the 60 day DL yesterday. He is done this year. something going on there we fans are not privy too.
Pete Abe — how come the managers don’t allow pitchers to complete (record) shutouts — understand complete games has gone way od dodo, but shotouts was a pitcher’s stat of some merit
also what is this P. Hughes one batter stuff — ??
Thanks
Towers went to AAA to make room for Gaudin. When Marte comes up it has to be Pena back to AAA, at least until 9/1 when I’m sure they’ll recall Pena.
Marte is not done for the year, as Pete said it was just a paper move to make place for towers. he’s already eligible to come off the 60 day DL
I sharted
just a paperwork move.
his 60 days are up or almost up.
he is not done for the year from what i understand???
Marte got put on the 60 day DL yesterday. He is done this year. something going on there we fans are not privy too.
———————–
Not accurate.
60 day DL is retroactive, and he’s already been in the DL for 60 days. He is eligible to come off any time.
It was a procedural move that had something to do with Towers.
He may or may not be back, but the 60 day DL move doesn’t prevent it either way.
this has just been a great weekend so far punctuated by the incredible pitching from both AJ and CC as well as the bullpen.
I said before the serie that the Yankees needed to win at least 3 out of 4. They’ve done that already but now that they have a chance to really put the Sox away tonight is that opportunity.
I look for Andy to pitch a vintage Pettitte game tonight. I have respect for Lester but he is beatable-his stats aren’t even close to Beckett’s and the Yankees have been really, really tough on lefthanders.
It seems to me the Sox have aged in front of us this weekend. This lineup no longer scares me like it did earlier in the year when they were hitting everything thrown to the plate. Even the 4 runs given up by Joba on Thursday were cheap-the 2 HR’s were in the first or second row and the ball was flying that night.
I’m not afraid to predict a sweep and while a loss won’t bother me a win tonight, of course, is a much better outcome. One thing we will see tonight, of course, is whether the Sox have it in them to come back after the last 3 games. If they don’t, it’s going to be a long 7 weeks for them until the end of the season.
Virginia Yankee,
Girardi used A-rod for one out effectively. Now Hughes can go as well today since the SP went 7 2/3 innings.
It didn’t make much sense to use Hughes for the 9th inning, as Robertson was available and Mo didn’t pitch yesterday.
All in all, today we have an awesome rested bullpen to back up Andy.
By the way I meant that Girardi used Hughes LOL, I dont know how i got that mixed up.
they had a few days left on te 60 day dl to use.
the 30 days were used.
they put him on te 60 day to make a roster move & buy few days.
he will be back this week
from how i understand it
Good article on A-Rod, Pete. I’ve been one of those who couldn’t stand his narcissistic antics and felt that, as great a ballplayer as he is, he would always be more of a distraction than a contributor. I’m not 100% sold on the new A-Rod, but I’m beginning to give him the benefit of the doubt.
A-Rod himself deserves some credit for the new tone, but so do his teammates. As we saw on the dynasty teams, a good group of guys and a winning attitude can go a long way toward keeping the potential problem-children out of trouble (and out of the spotlight). This is the first Yankee team that’s had that vibe in a long time.
Lester vs Yankees:
The Good:
Jeter-.350
Damon-.368
Melky-.462
Molina(!)-.455
The Bad:
Teixeira-.222
Posada-.250
The ugly:
Swisher-.182
Cano-.176
Arod-.091
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....erId=28487
how quick things can change seems to be a common thought here.
but an injury to a yankee starter and it could go the other way.
sabathia hamstring? teixeira groin pull? jeter broken hand?
things aren’t even close to being over. there is a very long way to go.
… but it is very nice saying that from the side that has the 5 and 1/2 game lead
i think the retroactive time can be used if chosen but because marte is nearing the end of the official 60 day dl stint it made sense to use the remaining few days to create a roster spot
I’m not ever one to underestimate the opponent. As quickly as things turn one way, they can sure turn the other. At least I keep that thought alive – anything and everything can and has happened in baseball.
That being said, the Red Sox are clearly in a funk right now and the Yankees have never looked better.
We were out visiting friends yesterday and so I saw very, very little of the game. Saw ARod not get hit by a pitch early in the game. Saw a great double play somewhere in the middle of the game. Saw a 2-0 score at one point. I’m really disappointed it wasn’t a YES, because I would have loved to watch the encore.
Our friends are Mets fans who have pretty much given up on their team – as they say, it isn’t reallly the Mets this year, with most of their best players being out. But watching the Red Sox yesterday, our friend compared the job Theo has done with the Sox this year to the job Omar has done with the Mets. Or should I say, hasn’t done. He said the Red Sox looked old and tired, have too many first baseman, and where the heck is a shortstop??!!
I don’t quite agree that Theo has done as poor a job as Omar, but the Sox sure don’t look like the formidable opponent they were “supposed” to be. And they don’t have a shortstop.
It should be a good game tonight. Again, I hate that it’s on ESPN, but what can ya do? I really had no fear that the Yankees wouldn’t win a game or two against the Red Sox. Historically, they’ve done better against them later in the season. But I could not have foreseen back-to-back shutouts.
Cashman’s gotta be feeling good about the job AJ and CC have done this weekend, as do all Yankees fans, I’m sure. So nice to read about how each of them felt getting ovations as they left the mound.
randy l.
August 9th, 2009 at 10:01 am
how quick things can change seems to be a common thought here.
but an injury to a yankee starter and it could go the other way.
sabathia hamstring? teixeira groin pull? jeter broken hand?
things aren’t even close to being over. there is a very long way to go.
… but it is very nice saying that from the side that has the 5 and 1/2 game lead
———————————————————–
great point but it was doom & gloom for the next ten years not long ago
Pete mentioned all the relievers are warming up to Metallica now…anyone know what songs each guy throws to? Or is it an entrance thing?
randy l -
Good morning. We share the guarded optimism about this team. It’s all about staying healthy and focused right now.
Those Yankees…So hot right now
i heard francessa say it might take years for the yankees to overcome theo,francona & the rs great drafts.
Francesa is a moron.
layers upon layers of players coming according to francessa for the rs.
i almost bought it
The Sox look like the need to have the head of another great frozen in a 55 gallon drum in the Arizona desert….paging Yaz…..Yaz to the front please
I thought this was one of the more interesting quotes I’ve seen over the weekend.
Imagine Robinson Cano saying this -
From the gritty, grinding Dustin Pedroia about hitting against Burnett:
“Sometimes, you just have to tip your cap to pitching like that. Sometimes you just go up there knowing you’re going to get blown away. That’s how good Burnett was.”
You go up there knowing you are going to get blown away. That’s something.
And Pedroia is the guy so many Yankee fans look at as the “difference” between the Sox who are “grind it out winners” and the yankees who are “over paid and lazy.”
Youkilis and Pedroia are the two guys yankee fans have obsessed with as being the “clutch” heart of a champion. The difference between the Sox and the yankees. And the reason why the Sox are the contemporary version of the yankees 1990’s dynasty.
Question – how clutch have Youkilis and Pedroia been this series?
How “clutch” were they on Thursday when both could have won that game?
If Alex and Jeter had games like that they would be getting villified by yankee fans.
That quote is from Bob Klabpisch’s column today – good read.
http://www.northjersey.com/spo.....amp;page=1
Sorry meant to write how clutch were they on Friday…
“i heard francessa say it might take years for the yankees to overcome theo,francona & the rs great drafts”
yes. So many prospects, they couldn’t trade for a bat and a pitcher at the deadline, without completely gutting their system
Lot of pressure on Lester tonight.
looking ahead “IF” Mitre gives the Yankees a quality start on Monday, Should they skip Joba on Tues for Gaudin?
A few thing, why are these idiots on the radio so quick to believe Ortiz. he was sincere. Oh get your red sox loving glasses off. What a load. This is such bs the way Alex was treated and the way Ortiz is being treated. They both cheated the game. They both should be treated the same way.
Another thing. I hate listening to Met fans call up and say well if the Yankees lost this this and this they wouldn’t be where they are. Do they have memory problems. Last year the Yankees lost, Wang, Jorge, Alex, Jeter, Damon, Matsui, pavano, I am sure I am missing many others and they still managed to win 89 games. Yes none of the moron hosts on the fan say that to them.
The Yankees signing of Mark Teixeira was a “checkmate” move that really threw a wrench in the Red Sox long term plan.
Wow, now the Sox are dead and completely buried for years? Let’s not go crazy over three games. Yes, the position is much better now, but as Randy said…all it takes is one injury to a major player and they could be in trouble…especially on the pitching front.
Let’s not forget John Henry and their ownership group have more than enough money to restock. And like Theo or not, he is a smart man who has proven he can rebuild on the fly (see Garciaparra trade).
The battle may be won this time, but the war will rage on.
“Another thing. I hate listening to Met fans call up and say well if the Yankees lost this this and this they wouldn’t be where they are. Do they have memory problems. Last year the Yankees lost, Wang, Jorge, Alex, Jeter, Damon, Matsui, pavano, I am sure I am missing many others and they still managed to win 89 games. Yes none of the moron hosts on the fan say that to them”
do the same fans also mention how their team has completely collapsed down the stretch, the previous 2 years, with all these all-star players ?
vinny-b (thankful to have Girardi in charge)
August 9th, 2009 at 10:18 am
“i heard francessa say it might take years for the yankees to overcome theo,francona & the rs great drafts”
yes. So many prospects, they couldn’t trade for a bat and a pitcher at the deadline, without completely gutting their system
————————————————————
i aree.
it is pap,youk,lester,ells,pedroia that make their system productive but it might not be enough to overcome what the yankees are doing & the yankees financial muscle
I hope that the Yankees win tonight but they have already won the series and taken 3 out of 4 that I was hoping for going into the series. The Yankees are playing some great baseball right now and they are a fun team to watch.
Phil – Definitely not an OPPC member
August 9th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Wow, now the Sox are dead and completely buried for years? Let’s not go crazy over three games. Yes, the position is much better now, but as Randy said…all it takes is one injury to a major player and they could be in trouble…especially on the pitching front.
Let’s not forget John Henry and their ownership group have more than enough money to restock. And like Theo or not, he is a smart man who has proven he can rebuild on the fly (see Garciaparra trade).
The battle may be won this time, but the war will rage on.
———————————————————–
true but they need to spend a little & we dont know if they are willing to spend enough.
but one big bat & one big pitcher & they are right there
The pressure is definitely on the RS tonight. I wouldn’t count them out yet, there is still a lot of games yet to go. That being said, they are looking old and tired. It doesn’t look like the rotating around of Youk, Martinez, Tek and Lowell is working.
One good thing I will say for the FOX group yesterday, they were very complimentary to Robbie. Good to see him recognized.
The Red Sox need:
-A shortstop
-A left fielder (Bay is a FA at the end of the season and probably isn’t worth the big bucks he will want)
-A catcher (Martinez should be at 1st base)
-at least two starting pitchers
-a bench (can anyone name someone from their bench that contributes other than Mike Lowell?)
Those are some pretty big holes to fill. Their Pawtucket team doesn’t score any runs so it’s unlikely they have position players ready.
I respect the Sox (don’t hate them) but they could be heading south in the standings for awhile after this year.
I just saw the Mark Mulder is throwing bullpens again…I wonder how far off the LHP FA is? I wonder if the Yanks might take a look at him.
After this season, the Yanks need:
*SP (CC, AJ, Joba, Hughes, ?) With the potential innings issue, they might need 2 SPs.
*Back-up C
*LF
*RF (if you contend Swish should be a back-up)
*Always need bullpen arms
Everyone has holes to fill this offseason. The OF is the most intriguing as to what Cashman will do.
Wow, that is an interesting quote, CB. I have my usual routine in the morning. I come here first, then my other board, then I visit the newspaper websites….so I look forward to reading Klapisch’s article.
Sure it could all fall apart for the Yankees, but what’s the point in worrying about that now? They need to keep finding other options for their 5th starter and hope their big guy stay healthy, but every other team has to do the same thing.
I’m certainly not ready to count the Sox out – they are a resilient team. Bucholz did pitch pretty well yesterday (though I said going into the game that I thought it would be low-scoring, given how tired the players were)……though it’s still not a good thing when he has to be relied upon to give them innings and wins. The idea that the Yankees pitching performance should be diminished because the Sox are struggling offensively, though, is rubbish……
Cervelli may well be the back-up C.
YES had added a post game show tonight. Bob Lorenz announced it yesterday. It will be on immediately after the last out.
Complete the SWEEP today!! Let’s send these clowns packing out of town with an 0-4 visit!! GO YANKS!!!
Cervelli will be the backup catcher…….
Jen, it all comes down to the fact that Ortiz is liked by the media. Since they are not interested in doing their job (meaning being objective), I don’t even read anything about steriods anymore. It stinks to high heaven for Alex, but he’s done a great job of trying to put it behind him and improving his life………..the mediots can’t take that away from him. He appears to be happy…….I like that.
the rs have a lot to do going forward to fix their team.
bay,becket,pap & more are going to get big raises.
pappi,wake,dice are huge uestion marks,some older players that are reressing,no ss.
they need soon a catcher,ss,3b/1b,rf.
if their farm system fails them going forward it will be tough
Lester always dominates the Yankees – I’m not expecting any less tonight. I expect Alex to be rested and maybe Jeter – the Yankees don’t have to win the game tonight and getting rest for the tired, older players is important when they don’t have days off to play with.
One thing that I think should get a lot more play is Jeter’s play in the field. We spend too much time on the offensive alphabet soup of baseball OBP, OPS, Woba, etc. and very little on defense. Jeter had punched all the tickets, his HOF numbers were there.
The mark of greatness is the willingness to address your weaknesses. Jeter could have rested on his laurels and continued playing shoddy defense. Instead, a year ago in the offseason he worked at improving his quickness, this year he worked with Kelleher at positioning and movement. For a star of his magnitude to work at improvement earns my total respect. To my mind Jeter is now the compleat star.
The thing is, the Sox were all in for Felix Hernandez and were willing to trade some very good prospects for him. I wouldn’t be surprised if they got him………the Yankees were interested as well, but all the Yankees have to trade that Seattle would want are Montero, Hughes and Joba and they aren’t going to do that.
Francesa is a moron.
—————————————
That statement is an insult to all morons.
The biggest fear for me during the trade deadline is if the Red Sox had gotten Halladay, or Lee. That would be a 1-2-3 punch of Lee/Halladay,Beckett and Lester. Pretty insane.
But remember,the Yankees are one major injury away from having a real problem. What happens if Burnett or CC get injured? That would be very,very bad. That gives me shivers.
Looks like Red Sox out smarted themselves. Really unfair to put yok in the OF. He is a team guy and will do it. Now that Theo put Francona in this spot maybe Theo should be the one to tell the captain Variteck that he is a once a week player so Martinez can go behind homeplate and Youk can go back to 1B. In addition maybe Theo talks to Papi too and tells him he has to sit too Couldnt happen to a nicer group of guys
Can we expect any more trades from the yankees?
it wasnt long ago that the yankees were in the same position but our farm system filled a lot of the holes
in addition to signing the right free agents & debth
Theo outsmarted himself. Putting youk in LF is unfair. Since Theo put Francona in this spot maybe Theo should sit down and do his own dirty work and be the one to tell captain varitek that he is now a once a week player so Martinez can go behind home plate and youk can go back to 1B
Then he can tell Papi the same thing.
Sox are said to have put a waiver claim in on Cristian Guzman.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/.....uzman.html
The Sox are neither dead nor buried this year or for the future.
Where were the Yankees 7 weeks ago or even 2 weeks ago. Lots of season left and lots that could and will happen.
Found this interesting from Cafardo’s article in the Globe today. Have the Sox mentally checked out on the weekend already?
“Some Sox players were already eyeing the home series against Detroit, but be careful what you wish for. After that, they play in Texas in a wild-card battle. It doesn’t seem to get easier, though Bay should be closer to returning.”
A good one from Andy and being able to get to Lester early tonight may make a few more thinking about the plane ride rather than the game.
Every paper seems to have a similiar story on Alex today. Whether or not there is a new Alex, how he’s handled things since February has been nice to see. High road, low maintenance.
The Red Sox need:
-A shortstop
-A left fielder (Bay is a FA at the end of the season and probably isn’t worth the big bucks he will want)
-A catcher (Martinez should be at 1st base)
-at least two starting pitchers
-a bench (can anyone name someone from their bench that contributes other than Mike Lowell?)
Those are some pretty big holes to fill. Their Pawtucket team doesn’t score any runs so it’s unlikely they have position players ready.
I respect the Sox (don’t hate them) but they could be heading south in the standings for awhile after this year.
—————————————————–
In my humble opinion the key to the Red Sox fortunes is how they handle their pending void at catcher. VMart is an outstanding hitter and a stopgap measure for them at catcher. Varitech is just about done and their minor league catching prospects (Federowocz and Exposito) are still only at AA.
If the Red Sox wait for Mauer to become available it will take two years. If Mauer decides to stay in Minnesota then the red Sox will have waited two years in vain. If they go out and get a catcher before then they may not be able to go after Mauer if he goes free agant in two years.
“Everyone has holes to fill this offseason. The OF is the most intriguing as to what Cashman will do.”
That would be very interesting to see what he does. Does he make a run for Holliday? Would be a nice addition,but I don’t think it happens,money wise.
Going to need a SP. What about Ben Sheets? He’s a gamble,but if you have him for a full season, then it’s a great gamble. I would say sign him for 1 year 6-8m and a club-option for 2011.
Don’t forget,we have Wang probably in the second-half next year,depending on how his rehab goes.
Alex may DH tonight (maybe Hairston at 3rd), but I fully expect Jeter to play… Also, Girardi will most probably stack as many righties against Lester as he can.
Joe Torre had the luxury to rest multiple star position players at the same time against Boston…Girardi does not.
I fully expect Girardi to go for the kill tonight…as he should.
After Lowrie went down, the Sox put in a waiver claim on every breathing SS out there.
unless the red sox go outside their own apparent guidelines and spend some long term money that will have dead weight at the end of the contracts like the yankees have had to do, they will likely fall behind over the next few years.
i think they’ll bite the bullet and react this next winter with some significant free agent signings or trades that involve free agent like numbers.
the yankees in effect forced them into this by simultaneously developing controlled cost young players and spending lavishly on sabathia , burnett, and teixeira which upset the balance between the two teams.
red sox management is freaking out. theo’s mother is a friend of a friend of mine and they talked yesterday in her boston women’s clothing store and she’s freaking out. when theo’s mother is freaking out , you know it’s bad.
he does look kind of like a momma’s boy doesn’t he?
just had to throw that in there
According to this article the Yankees are close to signing 1st round pick Slade Heathcott.
http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/52800707.html
P.S. You need to scroll down to get to the blurb about Heathcott.
Don’t get cocky.
It’s easy enough to remember 2007–how the Mets were 7 up with 17 to play, and how everyone counted the Yankees out in July and they came within 1 1/2 games of the division lead before the end.
The 5.5 game lead is really, really awesome given that it was a 2.5 lead going in and had been a virtual tie during the CWS series.
But it’s a guarantee of nothing.
One bad week for the Yankees and the lead is back down to a very surmountable 2 1/2 games.
I’m not trying to be negative here, just trying to say to be careful–the Yankees have come a long ways, but there is still a long way to go yet.
“Alex may DH tonight”
Girardi said day off during Jays series. Didn’t say anything about DH tonight.
testing
Don’t get too sure of yourself.
It’s easy enough to remember 2007–how the Mets were 7 up with 17 to play, and how everyone counted the Yankees out in July and they came within 1 1/2 games of the division lead before the end.
The 5.5 game lead is really, really awesome given that it was a 2.5 lead going in and had been a virtual tie during the CWS series.
But it’s a guarantee of nothing.
One bad week for the Yankees and the lead is back down to a very surmountable 2 1/2 games.
I’m not trying to be negative here, just trying to say to be careful–the Yankees have come a long ways, but there is still a long way to go yet.
Betsy
August 9th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Lester always dominates the Yankees – I’m not expecting any less tonight. I expect Alex to be rested and maybe Jeter – the Yankees don’t have to win the game tonight and getting rest for the tired, older players is important when they don’t have days off to play with.—————————————————————————————
becket dominted us lso but we wited im out.
a sweep will be tou.
we did what we needed to do already.
a split was all that was needed to not lose ground,3 of 4 is a plus because we pick up a game.
tonight is a 2 game swing
6 games in the loss or 4
still a big game that could stagger the rs big time.
i expect lester to deal today.
if we pound him they are on the mat
Betsy
August 9th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Lester always dominates the Yankees – I’m not expecting any less tonight. I expect Alex to be rested and maybe Jeter – the Yankees don’t have to win the game tonight and getting rest for the tired, older players is important when they don’t have days off to play with.
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Dominates? Have you looked at his stats against the Yankees? They are good but far from dominating. This year 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA and was 2-0 last year. That’s a pretty small sample size to say he always dominates.
The Sox have an edge in the pitcher matchup tonight but with all the other considerations (Yankees Stadium, Yankees on a winning streak, Sox on a losing streak) this game is at worst a toss up.
keyboard is fried.
need a new one
spilled coffee all in it
Again nobody is praising Cashman for what he does best, sift through the outcasts. Mitre is one year post TJ surgery, Gaudin is all over the place, can’t handle lefties, Ortiz is a discard. The Yankees needed a #5 pitcher post Wang and Joba inning limits. Now they have three to try out. Run them through and see what shakes out. It’s easy to throw money at stars, the devil is in the details of patching leaks. This is where Cashman has shone through the years. I think Theo was reading his press clippings, forgot to buy patches, panicked and got Martinez, thus exposing the pitching, still no SS and Youk is fumbling around in the OF.
“the yankees in effect forced them into this by simultaneously developing controlled cost young players and spending lavishly on sabathia , burnett, and teixeira which upset the balance between the two teams.”
How did the Yankees do that? Running on auto-pilot?
Have a great day.
Phil
SP–convince Pettitte to come back for one more year.
Bullpen arms: that’s what SWB is for, and they’ve got lots of youth in the majors now.
RF: Swish is fine.
LF: here is where you spend your $$$. Bay? Trade some young arm for a LF? Play Melky there?
Not much that really has to be done, other than replace the production of Damon and Matsui. Get a decent LF at $12-15 million, and the payroll is still only $185 million or so.
Much fewer questions than their contenders.
I’m definitely not looking ahead – just enjoying the moment.
CB
I was watching the post game show on NESN after the Burnett game. They asked Beckett about Burnett’s performance and he said he didn’t notice because he was paying attention to his game. To bad Beckett couldn’t just tip his hat.
In regards to Pedroia and Youk, I think they are good players but without Manny and Ortiz they become less formidable.
jpb1973-
Thanks for the link. I’ve been waiting to see when the Yankees would ever start getting aggressive. An outfield of Jackson in CF and Heathcott in one of the corners is very good. On paper it looks nice,but you never know if it works out. This draft looks pretty promising for the Yankees.
Betsy, if the Saux trade for Felix they take away other pieces they need to compete. Buchholz gets swapped for him, so it doesn’t fill a hole, it just makes it a little better. A move like that comes from desperation.
CM, most teams are one major injury away from having a real problem.
I’ll go through with some players who would put their teams in real trouble if they are lost to injury…
Pujols
Verlander
Mauer
Billingsly
Beckett or Lester
Garza
Lincecum
Buehrle
See what I mean?
To dwell on it is acting like a typical Red Sox fan, where every good day has twenty dark ones coming.
Rebecca
This is not the 07 Mets. These guys have alot more heart and will to win than that Mets team had.
Heathcott, if he signs, is at least 5 years from stepping foot in Yankee stadium.
“At least Ortiz was out in the open Sunday the way A-Rod was in the spring, whether you buy his version or not. At least he wasn’t some Lawyer Familiar With the (Test) Results hiding in the shadows like a cockroach.”
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....z0NhIKlhP5
How can such a little guy like Loopyca be full of so much horsecrap. When it comes to Clemens, Mikey gets all his inside info from a lawyer, his self-described pal Emery. Emery, you may recall, is zealously championing the rights of the famous alleged date rapist and admitted drug supplier, Brian McNamee, rather than undertaking an objective search for the truth. Lawyers call that an ethical duty to a client. Everybody else says that is having an axe to grind. But that passes Mikey’s test for “source; non shadow-dwelling cockroach lawyer.”
There are plenty of villains in the PED story. But the leaker is pretty far down the list of morally culpable. The leaker didn’t make the players take PEDs, didn’t cause Lupica to look the other way for years… Mikey, you mean you didn’t know something was wrong all those years as the Brian Roberts’ of the world were slugging like Babe Ruth?
And yet I wonder… if this source had broken the A-Rod and Ortiz stories directly to Mikey, would he or she still be a shadow-dwelling cockroach? Would Mikey have refused the exclusive story? C’mon…
The only cockroach I see here is Mikey.
Hey, the Yankees have proven they can beat any pitcher on any given day…..I’m just assuming they are not going all out tonight and that some key guys will be rested. I am not ready to assume that Andy is going to pitch lights out and that has nothing to do with being negative, so let’s not go there.
Next year? I love Andy, but I don’t want him back. The Yankees need a solid, reliable #3 starter because Joba will still have his growing pains and Phil will be on severe innings restriction (even if he’s not, he’s lost a year of development as a starter this year and I expect he’ll be very up and down…..next year only as I expect Phil to be a stud soon enough).
No thanks on more big contracts like BAy or Holliday – they’re not worth it and we’ve got enough of those.
Abdababdaserser
sure lots of teams are one injury away from trouble, but those teams don’t have a mandate to make the playoffs every year and win a world series at least every four years.
having a good back up to the good back up for the key injured star player is why it takes 200 million to guarantee a playoff spot almost every year.
Maine, Beckett and Burnett are good friends…….it certainly wasn’t personal with him.
I wonder if the Yankees would make a trade for an outfielder? Don’t know who,but there should be options.
Red Sox just put a claim on Nationals’ Cristian Guzman.
Great pickup if they get him.
Feels great to be a die-hard Yankee fan who was born in Brooklyn!
randy
I’m starting to see the RS revert back to the pre 04 whiners. Starting to see more written about how much money the Yankees spent this year.
When the RS were winning they stoped saying that because they were doing the same.
MaineYankee: Oh, I agree. I’m just saying that nothing is certain and not to count chickens yadda yadda.
About Lester:
This week the Yankees have beat Buerhle, Halladay and Beckett. So why should we think they can’t be Lester?
Sure, tonight’s match up favors Boston on paper–for them, this is game they absolutely have to have tonight. There is an enormous difference between getting swept and getting to go home on a high note.
But that’s it. The game favors the Red Sox. It’s not an automatic guarantee that the Red Sox win tonight.
If the Yankees win, I guarantee some of us will start letting it get to our heads and make plans for October.
If the Yankees lose, well, they still took three of four and gained two net games on the Sox.
If, at worst, in a string in which you played the Rays, White Sox, (Jays), and Red Sox, and you come out 8-5 at worse?
You know you’ve got something.
Randy, my point is that EVERY team is an injury away from trouble. That is all.
The Yankees spend a lot to help cover for an injury to a key player… don’t forget they are without Wang this year, so they have one big injury to contend with.
It just seems silly to me to worry about what if when things are going so well. Why not enjoy it while it lasts? That is my main point.
It depends how Pettitte is down the stretch and possibly the playoffs. If hes strong, I want him back. For cheap.
Betsy
August 9th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Maine, Beckett and Burnett are good friends…….it certainly wasn’t personal with him.
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They asked him twice and he wouldn’t give him credit. I would think if they were friends he would have given him some credit.
the yankees would be wise to sign a veteran pitcher or 2.
we dont want joba,hughes & a minor leguer in the rotation.
this year we only had joba & relied on 4 veterns witch turned our season around.
we need at least 1 good pitcher
the of is no big problem with melky,gardner,swisher,ajax.
yes it would be nice to get younger,better defensively & add power.maybe a solid lf.
The top two picks have been ready to sign for quite some time but Baby Doc Selig won’t approve “above slot” deals until the last day. It’s a ridiculous power play and now that more and more teams are being hurt by it I look for there to be some action to end the manipulation.
The Yankees certainly appear to be in much better shape for 2010 than Boston. It’s reasonable to think they can replace Damon, Matsui and Nady with Austin Jackson and one quality acquisition, preferably a RF. Pettite’s status will determine if they need one starter or two, but Hughes should be added to the rotation especially if Bruney, Melancon et al finish strongly.
”
RF: Swish is fine.
LF: here is where you spend your $$$. Bay? Trade some young arm for a LF? Play Melky there?”
The noodle armed tumbler is good in RF? Oy.
It’s going to be hard to replace Damon and Matsui offensively. Matsui has really shone at the plate against top flite pitching.
there are times when you keep your prospects & times where you trade them.
the rs needed to trade for a ss & pitcher & failed
at least a pitcher
“To dwell on it is acting like a typical Red Sox fan, where every good day has twenty dark ones coming.”
You can’t ignore that fact that anything can happen. The Yankees are in a pennant race.
Maine, I have no idea what Beckett is like personally. Maybe he’s just the type of guy who won’t tip his cap. In any case, it’s well reported that they are very good friends…….and they speak during the season.
According to Mike Francesa, that noted expert on the Red Sox farm system, Hunter Jones can get called up and he will be the next, great pitcher to emerge from their “vaunted” farm system.
Here’s my only beef with all of this BS about the Red Sox…..
Their farm system is the most overrated farm system in baseball. Every person in the media, from Jim Callis to Peter Gammons and those in between, have fed up the BS for years about this “vaunted” farm system.
Yet, there are some of us who know as much, or more about prospects and minor league baseball than these “gurus” and have been saying for years their farm system is not what its cracked up to be.
Don’t believe me? Where is a SS, OF or any other position player for that matter in their system?
There is no Ramiro Pena, Francisco Cervelli, Austin Jackson, Jesus Montero or Austin Romine in their system.
Lars Anderson? He may be a good propsect. However, they have Kevin Youkilis and Victor Martinez in front of him at first base right now. Chances he is ever going to be as good as either guy? About 10%.
I know their system. Tazawa and Michael Bowden are nothing special. They really aren’t.
This is what happens when media people let their personal likes and dislikes get in the way of reporting.
If the Red Sox farm system was as good as advertised, they would have had the parts to trade for Halladay and not needed to get Victor Martinez. Who BTW, really doesn’t fit what they need.
Brian Cashman gets no credit from these “gurus” for anything. However, if you really examine the Yankees farm system, and compare it to their needs with their big club, the Yankees future looks pretty damn good.
“It just seems silly to me to worry about what if when things are going so well.”
it’s my nature to scan the horizon for trouble .
i’ve also learned from playing sports when i was younger and from having my own business since my early twenties that the good times more often will get you in trouble than the tough times. when things are rolling, you can think you are smarter than you are and you can also forget what you did to get to where you are.
the yankees are in good times right now. i agree it’s a time to enjoy, but its also a time to stick to the basics and keep doing what it took to get here.
With the seasons Damon and Matsui have had offensively those will be difficult situations to handle properly. I’ve said many times I think Damon comes back for less money, DHing more and playing LF less. Matsui does not come back and may end up as the DH in Seattle.
They should also extend Jeter at least one year to avoid a season of the Captain as a lame duck and make certain he gets his 3,000th hit in pinstripes.
“You can’t ignore that fact that anything can happen. The Yankees are in a pennant race.”
You can’t dwell on the sky is falling either. All the players I mentioned above are in a pennant race as well. Think their fans are wringing their hands over worries that they will go down?
Anything can happen, but I just can’t see going around worrying about the sky falling when its sunny outside. Why worry about something that hasn’t happened when you can enjoy what IS happening? Seems a better way to live, no?
CC, AJ, Joba, Hughes, Wang. Then there is Gaudin, Mitre Kennedy, McAllister. Pitching is not a weakness compared to the OF. The mark of a good GM is planning ahead and improving your team, instead of standing pat. Boston was guilty of that and recycled, how did they make out?
The Yankees need a RF, someone like Rios. Hey, an OF that can actually run and throw. That word that nobody talks about, Defense.
A lot of Yankee fans on other boards are really down on Austin Jackson and wonder just how good he’s going to be. I don’t follow the minors really, so I don’t know his stats, but apparently his hot start is long in the past and he’s struggled for a long time. He’s not hitting many HRs and yet still K’s a lot………… AJax sounds like a wonderful kid and talented, but it doesn’t sound like he’s close to being ready next year (maybe 2011)……
randy
One reason the RS and Yankees are going in different directions right now is because Cash has had better options to draw from than Theo.
According to Mike Francesa, that noted expert on the Red Sox farm system, Hunter Jones can get called up and he will be the next, great pitcher to emerge from their “vaunted” farm system.
Here’s my only beef with all of this BS about the Red Sox…..
Their farm system is the most overrated farm system in baseball. Every person in the media, from Jim Callis to Peter Gammons and those in between, have fed up the BS for years about this “vaunted” farm system.
Yet, there are some of us who know as much, or more about prospects and minor league baseball than these “gurus” and have been saying for years their farm system is not what its cracked up to be.
——————————————————-
Ah, you’re right!!! Its a good thing that all of the major league organizations have scouts that continually watch these prospects and can give better assessments to their GM’s than the media can.
I saw McAllister pitch last night for Trenton. He’s not really ready for the majors. Wasn’t bad, but didn’t really inspire me, either.
Q & A with Robbie:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08.....183738.htm
Of all the “vaunted” Red Sox propsects, one guy is the real deal…..Daniel Bard.
That kid is a stud. A Joba, Hughes type of stud.
They would KILL to have the position players the Yankees have in the system right now.
I don’t understand why anyone would want Bay over Damon.
I hope Damon comes back, even if it’s for two years. He can slowly transition to DH and bench.
Just keeping Erica happy for 2 years makes it worth it.
Rebecca, remember that he hadn’t pitched in a month…probably very rusty.
Robbie sounds like such a good kid…….
Tarheelyank August 9th, 2009 at 11:39 am
I don’t understand why anyone would want Bay over Damon.
I hope Damon comes back, even if it’s for two years. He can slowly transition to DH and bench.
Just keeping Erica happy for 2 years makes it worth it.
I agree with that. I want Damon back. His stroke is perfect for Yankee Stadium.
SJ, but the Yankees have one stud position prospect in Montero and one prospect who people are up and down on in AJax…….. Whatever other position prospects they have are so far down in the minors that they aren’t on anyones radar. We have no idea how they will develop or if they will turn out to be major leaguers.
Just checked out EPSN’s Sports Reporters show to see how they dealt with the Ortiz story. As my sister would say, they took a big lie-down (her word for a nap) on this one. A young reporter named Israel Gutierrez said he wanted to believe Ortiz and gave him a pass. Mitch Albom: who’s on PEDs issue is yesterday’s news, the public has steroid fatigue, can we all just move on. It was left to Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe to point out Ortiz’s long delay in responding as suspicious. So after a press conference that raised more questions than it answered, the consensus was essentially nothing to see here, folks, just keep stepping. A few minutes more of chat and that was that.
SJ44: Your letter to EPSN was awesome. Their minimalist coverage of the Ortiz story is pretty shameful, and the pattern of RS bias in their coverage that you reference is unbecoming a news organization. Is it that hard just to put down the pom-poms and deal with the issues in a non-partisan way? Really? You’d hope they had more professional pride than that, but apparently not so much. Thanks for speaking truth to a pretty powerful player in the media landscape.
I love Damon, but no thanks – I want someone who can actually catch the ball in LF. We can’t give him the DH position when we need to use that for Alex, Jorge, etc…..
Betsy,
I wouldn’t worry too much on Jackson. He seems to be getting a lot of downplay by the media and yet he doesn’t get down.
The power will come along. It’s not his real focus right now.
The player that really reminds me of Jackson is Adam Jones. Jones was able to strengthen his swing a little bit that allows him to see the ball better when it comes towards the plate. Maybe a adjustment by Kevin Long could help.
Decent article on Alex….
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08.....amp;page=1
The only thing is that Sherman gives Jeter a sort of slap by implying that Jeter has not embraced or welcomed Alex (the part where he writes that Jeter’s influence and ability to control the clubhouse has dimmed). Naturally the media continues to assume that Jeter dislikes Alex…….or, maybe they know that’s not the case, but they want to get fans titillated by the idea that there is a Jeter/Alex division in the clubhouse.
Every team is one bad injury away from Armeggedon.
Mark Shapiro is one of the smartest GM’s in baseball.
All of the media experts who said Theo was “brilliant” for not including Buchholz in the Martinez deal failed to realize one thing……Shapiro didn’t want Buchholz. He didn’t think he was any good.
He wanted Masterson and Hagadone and he got what he wanted.
When BOTH sides get what they want, that’s how trades get done.
As far as Rios is concerned, its not about a players ability alone that determines whether or not you get him.
The contract also plays a big role. That’s what too many fans fail grasp.
The Yankees don’t want to take on 60 million more in money for a guy that is not producing that much better than Nick Swisher. Ability-wise, he is better. PRODUCTION-WISE, he’s not 60 million better than Swisher. That’s an indictment to just how far Rios has fallen since he signed that deal.
Money ALWAYS plays a role in these deals.
Rebecca,
Zach McAllister is a kid who needs another 1-2 years in the majors before we know if he is a contributor.
If he was a Red Sox farmhand, we would be already told he’s HOF bound. lol
He’s got talent but, as you correctly state, its too early to tell when or if he will be a contributor for the Yankees down the line.
“Why worry about something that hasn’t happened when you can enjoy what IS happening? Seems a better way to live, no?”
I’m being realistic. And no the sky is not falling for me. I don’t know why it would be when the Yankees are in first place…
CM, from what I’ve read, I think AJax will be a good player – he doesn’t have to be a star, I’ll take a good, solid player any day of the weak. He’s also raw, apparently, because he played basketball up until a few years ago. I’m rooting for him because he sounds like really wonderful teammate – his teammates just love him.
SJ44
August 9th, 2009 at 11:29 am
According to Mike Francesa, that noted expert on the Red Sox farm system, Hunter Jones can get called up and he will be the next, great pitcher to emerge from their “vaunted” farm system.
Here’s my only beef with all of this BS about the Red Sox…..
Their farm system is the most overrated farm system in baseball. Every person in the media, from Jim Callis to Peter Gammons and those in between, have fed up the BS for years about this “vaunted” farm system.
Yet, there are some of us who know as much, or more about prospects and minor league baseball than these “gurus” and have been saying for years their farm system is not what its cracked up to be.
Don’t believe me? Where is a SS, OF or any other position player for that matter in their system?
There is no Ramiro Pena, Francisco Cervelli, Austin Jackson, Jesus Montero or Austin Romine in their system.
Lars Anderson? He may be a good propsect. However, they have Kevin Youkilis and Victor Martinez in front of him at first base right now. Chances he is ever going to be as good as either guy? About 10%.
I know their system. Tazawa and Michael Bowden are nothing special. They really aren’t.
This is what happens when media people let their personal likes and dislikes get in the way of reporting.
If the Red Sox farm system was as good as advertised, they would have had the parts to trade for Halladay and not needed to get Victor Martinez. Who BTW, really doesn’t fit what they need.
Brian Cashman gets no credit from these “gurus” for anything. However, if you really examine the Yankees farm system, and compare it to their needs with their big club, the Yankees future looks pretty damn good.
———————————————————–
bingo
their are also a lot more prospects than you mentioned that might help going forward not to mention melky,gardner,robertson,coke,melancon,joba,hughes
How old is McAllister? SJ, did you mean 1-2 years in the minors? Hmm, I thought he was further along than that……..What other pitchers do we have in the minors who might be able to contribute in the next year or so?
Not that I was holding out much hope for him as he’s not a youngster, but it’s too bad that Jorge Vasquez got hurt. Was it a wrist injury? Hopefully that won’t set him back for next year as I know many fans were thinking he could contribute, even as a pinch hitter.
Pete: Great piece on A-Rod. Looks like he is really becoming a teammate, rather than an individual that happens to play for the Yankees.
yea I think we should sign Damon to a 1 and 1 deal. Then sign Crawford the following offseason. Why trade 2 top prospects when money can buy in 1 year later.
Betsy,
No team in baseball has the depth at catcher the Yankees currently possess.
Cervelli, Montero and Romine are the envy of everybody in the game. If the Red Sox had that kind of catching depth in their organization, they would have been able to make the Halladay deal.
Ramiro Pena could start at SS for the Red Sox right now.
If Eduardo Nunez in AA was a Red Sox prospect, Peter Gammons would already be calling him an All Star.
I don’t know what kind of players Brett Gardner and Austin Jackson will end up being. I do know they are better than Josh Reddick. A kid Jim Callis said “looks great” and, “could be the starting LF for the Red Sox in 2010″.
If Josh Reddick is the starting LF for the Red Sox in 2010, they are a third place team. He’s not any good.
I think the bobbing Swisher at the plate is a comedy act. What happened to the quiet lower half? He looks like he has to go real bad. This is a second generation baseball player, it’s embarassing. Bases loaded, he’s working a walk. To quote the ones that can’t be mentioned “Cowboy up. It’s pablum, homogenized, it’s oatmeal. It’s showering with your socks on. Bleh.
I think the point is that when Alex joined the Yankees EVERYONE in the clubhouse had been with Derek Jeter longer than Alex and they were probably hesitant to embrace him without getting the lead from Jeter. the Captain, at the time was still irritated about the Esquire Magazine article and was not warm and fuzzy with Alex.
Now after five seasons, most of the guys on the team have been teammates with Alex as much as Derek and therefore are freer with their relationships.
I don’t think there’s anything sinister going on there real or implied.
Posada isn’t going to DH. He won’t have that. A-Rod with 7 years on his contract isn’t moving from 3rd base next year. Damon on a 1 year deal, as a DH, would be great.
Reddick might not be any good, but dude is pretty fast o-o.
Betsy,
I read a Q&A with Jackson and he seemed to be a pretty driven person. I don’t think he’ll be an impact player,but he’s said to be a very athletic player. Best athlete in the whole farm system.
thoughts.
shaugnessy nd bob ryan are boston guys but pretty fair and they in essence mocked bostonians beleiving poopie…
chrisitian guzman may become a sux player, he is owed $8 mill next year and has a OBP of 333.. He hits 310 or so but a terrible OBP but he would be a upgrade offensively.
What happens when you are reeling you make moves that may help incrementally in the short term but have a negative long term affect….Boston is reeling.
NESN had 2 future games on yesterday and the yankee sowx game a few days before, the sawx loaded minor league myth is laughable.. Fatcessa has never even seen any of these guys play nor has he spoken to scouts, most people have no clue about minor league talent…to bad the yanks did not trade 3 guys for fatcessa’s love interest mcclouth since melky and gardner could not be league avg or better, after all who needs prospects… the nady trade has truned out bad because of injuries and marte issues but I still thought it was a good gamble.. Ohlendorf who is not great would be a vg 5th starter and Tabata is now in AAA, time will tell.
BTW the yanks system is the best it has been in many many years…………
It’s not about developing stars; it’s about developing players who can help your club at the major leauge level. Guys like Melky, Brett, Joba, Hughes, Ace, Coke, Pena, Cervelli, Robertson, Cano are all former farm hands who have helped the Yankees win games this year.
Sure, Joba, Hughes and Cano are corner-stones but where would the Yankees be this season with out Ace, Pena, Coke, Cerevlli, Melky and Gardner…
Betsy,
McAllister is 21 years old. If he spent 2 more years honing his skills in the minors, its not a problem.
“I love Damon, but no thanks – I want someone who can actually catch the ball in LF.”
I agree Damon is not GG caliber, but he’s not as bad as everybody say’s he is either. He actually seems to be throwing better (I know that sounds funny) then I have seen from him. Has anybody else noticed that, or am I hallucinating?
I know He is having a rough time right now. Especially tracking balls. I think that will pass. It reminds me of how a lot of people said Jeter was done at SS. It’s Premature.
The one guy the Yankees need to put their dollars toward in the off-season is Chapman.
Just as they killed the Red Sox, and set them back, when they got Tex, they can do the same by signing Chapman.
Well, that little turd is at it again.
Leave it to Mets loving Mike Lupica to try to tear down the Yankees this weekend.
He rips the Yankees for the way they did the Muhammad Ali thing. And he criticizes Girardi for moves made Thursday night. How about mentioning the fact that the pitching staff has thrown 24 consecutive shut out innings?
However I didn’t see anything in his article about the Mets.
Nice job Mike. Way to be unbiased. You little turd.
Damon for 1 more year is a realistic option.. TBD….
melky, gardner, swisher, and maybe AJX is not enough to count on…Holliday is a option(I hate late 20’s guys, who are slow, and unathletic) and therefore his value is hitting only..
Bay is 30 and is s;ight;y more athletic then Holliday so I have similar concerns.
WHy the sux did not get Doc Halladay is puzzling to me, that was the move.. If they had him even with there issues they have 3 monster stud starters……………………
Martinez was a good pickup but they needed to make 2 moves..King Felix was never ever going to happen, theo got taken…bad job boy genius…..
SJ, lol – I forgot about the catchers……I love that they’ve stockpiled some good prospects. I would say that the Yankees could get some decent players for one of them, except that teams really don’t seem to want to deal with the Yankees (when you insist on Joba, Hughes or Montero for so/so guys, then you know that there can be no deal).
Everyone’s super high on Montero, but Romine is the guy that interests me. I know GB thinks that he could handle the switch to the OF if need be…….That might be a good idea if the team thinks Montero can honestly stay at catcher.
I admit that I wasn’t counting Pena and Cervelli as prospects. I love what we’ve seen from both of them. I’ve no idea if Frankie is a starter down the line, but at worst he’s a heck of a backup catcher. When, as a very young kid, you have all the veteran pitchers raving about you, that’s saying something. Pena looks like he’s 12 years old, but he’s definitely in the Randy Velarde mold….though who knows how he tops off as as a hitter. I’m sure they will be on the team next year.
I admit, Gardner has shocked me this year…….at worst, he’s a 4th OF. I’m looking forward to his return this year because he does add a special dimension to the team.
I’ve got to do some research on Nunez…..now I’m getting excited,lol.
Just compare the criticism of Phil Hughes by Law, etc……..during his struggles with that of Bucholz and you know that there is some kind of bias. When Phil struggled, it was like headline news that he was a bust. Bucholz? He’s just a youngster going through growing pains, lol
Gammons should get a new profession, cartoon comic book reporting because that is the only job he would excel at.
SJ, thanks. I didn’t realize Zach was so young. That’s fine with me – I thought Phil was rushed at 21 and I don’t want that happening with anyone else.
Earlier this year, when the Yanks were playing awfully, so many commenters on this blog were yelling and screaming about Cashman and how it was all his fault. Interestingly enough, now that the Yanks have the best record in baseball and are blowing away the Red Sox, nobody is saying that this all to Chashman’s credit.
And that’s a shame. This is very much his doing. That the Yanks are where they are without their projected #2 starter is incredible.
Besides the obvious – landing CC, AJ and Tex, Cashman did lots of things right. He showed patience with young talent that disappointed and people began to question – Hughes, Joba, Melky. The incentive-based Pettite contract was a tremendous move and has paid huge dividends for the Yankees. And he landed Swisher for nothing. Hinske and Hairston were not major moves, but they’ve strengthened the bench and are playing a big role. Let’s not forget Damon. Many people thought he was given too many years, but he’s been a critically important member of the team this year. Nobody can deny that.
In short, anyone who blamed Cashman for the early season disaster has got to thank him for the midseason surge.
cashman will never take on the rios contract.
not worth the money.
we can get a lf or rf or get a cf & move melky to a corner & be fine
sj, the yanks have a lot of depth that can contribute to the parent league. Is that why you believe other teams were asking a lot from the yankees during the trading deadline?
Bard is good but to compare him to Hughes/Joba is not right. Bard is a reliever. A stud reliever, yes, but just a reliever. Joba and Hughes are stud starting pitchers.
Who cares what Pukica says? I haven’t read him in years……
We’ll see if Hal allows for Chapman in his budget, though Mark Newman made it pretty clear the Yankees are interested in him…
buckholtz is 25 this week, the clock is ticking.
i am not saying he will not be a good pitcher but a #1 I do not see it. Hughes just turned 23. Buckholtz is 2 years oler then Philthy and look at his frame compared to Hughes….. Joba is a year younger then Laptop man…..
to not trade halladay for laptop man, or liff lee, they are deluding themselves with there own scouting reports…
you think the yanks are bereft of position talent in the minors besides catchers then what are the sox?????there big prospect is in short season…the guy is 2 or 3 years away….the sox have way less catching options then the yanks…
SJ, I just went back in the posts to find your letter. Well said. It is amazing how differently Alex has been treated by the media. Kim Jones even said on the pregame show yesterday that Ortiz was able to cash in on his relationship with the writers/reporters accounting for his treatment by the press.
This is most likely apropos of nothing, but BP’s ‘postseason odds’ currently has the Yanees at about 95% chance of making the playoffs. Interestingly, the Ray’s have a better shot (50%) than the Red Sox do (40%).
http://www.baseballprospectus......s_odds.php
Carl
August 9th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Posada isn’t going to DH. He won’t have that. A-Rod with 7 years on his contract isn’t moving from 3rd base next year. Damon on a 1 year deal, as a DH, would be great.
————————————————————
posada can still catch.if he couldnt he would be the dh
posada does not run the team.
if he was terrible as a catcher girrardi would dh him
Patrick,
I don’t distinguish between starters and relievers when it comes to pitching prospects. Give me stud arms and I’ll figure out what to do with them. Bard is a stud arm.
Alfred
August 9th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
sj, the yanks have a lot of depth that can contribute to the parent league. Is that why you believe other teams were asking a lot from the yankees during the trading deadline?
————————————————————
great question
Actually I don’t think Rios’ contract is all that bad. He averages just under $ 12 Million a year for the next five years and he turns 29 in February.
He’s an underachiever who might become a star in NY with the chance to play on a winner. He would be a huge upgrade defensively in RF and adds speed as evidenced by 19 SB this year. For their careers Rios (.786 OPS) and Swisher (.813) are comparable offensive players. Defensively its not even close. To get him for less $$$ than Matsui or Damon are making this year doesn’t hurt the payroll that much.
If there’s a better RF out there for less money I’m all ears.
If you replace Matsui and Hinske with Rios and Austin Jackson you are younger, faster and cheaper. then you keep Damon for less $$$ and let him and Swisher handle LF/DH for the most part. I can’t see a 2010 OF of AJax, Swisher, Melky and Gardner… not nearly enough power there.
SJ, did you ever get a reply from ESPN?
Thanks.
I think teams were asking a lot of the Yankees at the trade deadline because they saw a lot of interesting prospects in the organization and were hoping Cash was desperate enough to pull the trigger on a deal that would surrender a few of them.
When you are a small market GM, that’s what you do with big market teams.
Patrick, you are of course right about starters and relievers.
You have to distinguish between prospects who are relievers and those who are starters.
Starters are more valuable than relievers. And prospects in the minors who are relievers already have a limited upside. Propsects who are starters in the minors still have the chance to be major league starters. All the difference in the world. And one reason the Yanks couldn’t get Washburn.
No reply from ESPN yet.
“Brian Cashman outwits Theo Epstein as Yankees turn tide on Red Sox in rivalry”
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo....._theo.html
bard is very good.
did he ever start.
he will be bostons closer
man if we ever had him over mm or mm turns into him we are in great shape
bru
Where did I go off saying he was a terrible catcher? Where did I say Posada ran the team? All I said was that he won’t DH because someone said he will. It ain’t happening.
stuart-
matt holliday is much more athletic than jason bay. holliday also isn’t “slow”, he’s just not a fast runner. He’s got good base-running skills and is a better contact hitter than bay, too.
Sewage, Cashman will not be judged until the playoffs. The players he acquired are merely playing up to the potential from when they were signed, to be a true Yankee one must perform when it counts – in the playoffs. The bar is high for Cashman, he has to go deep into the ALCS or WS to prove he’s made the right moves in the off season. He literally has to divine how clutch a player is going to be when he signs him and that’s why it’s so important for front line teams to sign not only talent but those with a history of clutch performances on the biggest stage. CC, AJ, Swisher and Tex still have a lot to prove in my book because none of them have any track record of post season heroics.
Who wants Jorge to DH? Despite all these catching prospects, the Yanks have no one close to replacing him at catcher.
SJ44
My take on Bard is the RS are grooming him to replace Paps. I think when Paps is up for the big contract he will be somewhere else. Either by trade or FA.
Looking at how the RS have operated since last season it seems as if they are a team trying to be carefull about spending rather than going for the WS.
However, you differentiate between closers and setup guys.
Closers type prospects, which Bard is, have great value.
The Red Sox probably won’t sign Papelbon to a long term deal if they believe Bard can close.
If that happens, they have a guy they control financially for a while and a high grade arm.
In today’s baseball, unless you are dealing with #1 starters (few and far between) closers and #2-#3 pitching prospects have similar value.
You don’t judge a GM’s work over a small sample size of the playoffs. That’s what talk radio hosts do.
You judge a GM’s work in terms of whether or not he puts your team in position to win each year, how he handles a budget, and how he develops his farm system.
A two week hot streak in the post-season is not the tipping point as to whether or not a GM does a good job.
Every team in baseball has hot streaks and cold streaks. You just hope your team is hot at the right time of year.
Its much more random than folks will ever admit.
Carl
August 9th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
bru
Where did I go off saying he was a terrible catcher? Where did I say Posada ran the team? All I said was that he won’t DH because someone said he will. It ain’t happening.
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all i said was that if he was terrible defensively & girrardi wanted him to dh he would be a dh.
you said he wont have that
i dont see him regressing enough to worry but.
I expect Jorge to catch about 120 games this year and next and maybe 108 (2/3 of the time) in 2011.
Cervelli will take Molina’s job making the Yankees younger, more athletic and cheaper at that spot in 2010.
Can’t see the Yankees spending a fortune on an OF like Bay or Holliday who are not quality defensive RF possibilities. Rios would cost less than either guy and offers more speed and much better defense.
Rios is also younger than both Holliday and Bay.
Happy Birthday to “The Major” – former Yankee skip, Ralph Houk turns 90 today.
If Damon wants to come back, for less than he is earning now, I can see the Yankees signing him to a one year deal.
I have a feeling he will get a 2 year offer from somebody and then it becomes Johnny’s decision as to what he wants to do.
He really wants to come back so, its going to be interesting to see what happens.
I think the Cardinals will sign Matt Holliday.
Jason Bay isn’t worth tying up long term.
If I was making the decision, my “big” off-season acquisition would be Chapman. You get him, and you have a myriad of options (regarding trades involving some of the prospects) to fill out any holes on the team.
For all the credit that Theo has gotten for being the arcitect of the WS teams the base was in place when he took over.
The real story of how good a GM is going foward.
Yah, but I think we all agree 100% that currently the sox bullpen is far, far superior to Yanks’
I’m just disappointed Cashman didn’t get Doc. With the rotation shaping up just fine, Doc could have been the perfect set up man, as a former starter he could pitch 7th and 8th innings and with fewer innings to pitch, he could add a tick or two to his fastball and be even more dominant.
Oh man, with Doc and Hughes as bridges to Mo, our bullpen would be sooooo awesome…
Next up, my special recipe for spaghetti with peanut butter, garlic and onions
carl
i did not say you said posada was terrible or he runs the team but you did say he wont have that.
i think his play determines what happens not posada.
he does have clout but if he was not getting the job done or was injured he would dh.
it wont happen because he has 2 yrs left but i can see him catching a lot less in his last year or two
but to insinuate he wont dh because he will refuse is wrong
SJ44 -
Who is this “Chapman” of whom you speak?
I’d say the two off season needs are one corner OF and one back of the rotation starter.
THey could do worse then bringing Damon back. They could do worse then bringing Andy back.
Some way they need to replace Damon, Matsui, and two starting pitchers. Some of that can come from w/in. Some from trades.
Should be another interesting off season. Looks like it may be a more interesting post season.
To completely change the subject…. luck is smiling on the Yankees lately.
They’re going to miss Halladay at the Stadium this week and then somehow (if Seattle doesn’t change their rotation) miss Felix Hernandez during a 4 GAME series IN Seattle.
Now THAT’s good fortune.
M. Burns, we do? “Far, far superior” is a rather bold statement.
Last I checked, the Yankees bullpen outlasted the Red Sox pen on Friday night.
The Sox bullpen has been looking mediocre as of late. While the Yanks have had their share of bullpen troubles, I really like how Hughes, Coke, and Robertson have been pitching.
On paper, the Sox bullpen may look far superior to the Yankees, but it’s really a lot closer than it seems.
Doreen,
Go to espn.com baseball front page. Cuban defect LH starter.
is chapman that good?
age??
I stand corrected if Matt Holliday is more athletic then I perceive..
The yanks need to add some offense for next year because Matsui will be missed he is a pro hitter and Cano cannot hit 5th yet…..Damon again for1 yr may make sense….
If Ajax is a legit player that will help alot…..Cervelli should be the backup catcher….Pitching should be good for next year unless they have a ton if injuries…Kennedy and others can be the reserve starter for a staff or the 5th starter with ; aj, cc, joba, phil, and ??????……
Wang will not be resigned unless it is a very low contract since he will probably not even pitch next year at all……
Yanks offseason will probably be Aroldis Chapman agreed, and If Damon takes a pay cut they bring him back as well.
If Pettite comes back it will also be on an incentive based deal again.
I can’t really see much spending at all, I would let payroll go down a bit. We have several Prospects Rising, and good cost controlled talent.
SJ – what do you see the Yankees doing with Wang? Will he ever wear pinstripes again?
My god, Gammons is defending Ortiz on BBTN. “Ortiz providing form of mediation”.
This is absolutely unreal!
Bru he is apparently 21-22 yrs old.
He is lefthanded SP and throws 101 MPH Fastball.
He was alright in the World Baseball Classic and defected shortly after.
Chapman is 21 and is the best amateur pitcher in the world.
LH, fastball between 96-102, nasty slider and breaking ball.
The kind of kid a team with money like the Yankees throws stupid money to in order to get him because he will be an impact player within 2 years in the majors IMO.
By 2011, if the Yankees rotation is CC, AJ, Joba, Hughes and Chapman, RDM could set up for Rivera and they will win 100 games.
Chapman is definately that good. He’s 21 and if he were a college player, he’d be Strasburg. Throws 100 mph. Needs some work on off speed stuff.
No doubt, the real deal.
Chapman comes down to money, as well.
It’s astounding to me that people who think Rios’ contract (5yrs, $ 59.7 M) is completely unacceptable seem to be perfectly okay with handing something close to that amount of money to some unproven Cuban flamethrower.
Then again I would have lost in the “posting fee” competition for Daisuke Mastsuzaka and Kei Igawa too.
There’s one test Ortiz is certain to pass: the washed-up test. He’s toast.
Who cares if he juiced six years ago? What’s relevant is he’s a black hole in that lineup filled with dead-weight bats.
Gammons can put that in his pipe and smoke it.
BBTN is profiling Chapman in next segment, for those interested.
the rs have bard
after that no big deal
we need to keep the focus on pitching.
get 2 starters for 2010
bullpens change uickly
ESPN is about to do a piece on Chapman on BBTN.
Tune in.
Phil,
I think they are going to non-tender him. At that point, they could either sign him to a new, smaller deal or another team can sign him, rehab him and see what they have next July.
JMO, and I haven’t talked to anybody about it but, I will be surprised if he throws another pitch for the Yankees.
I’ve already seen the piece featuring Chapman on ESPN this morning. He states quote and unquote “He’s more hungry and motivated” to get better since he gave birth to a child that is in cuba. I just found that line to be interesting.
Thanks, SJ.
Lets see what Gammons has to say about Chapman. If he praises him, that means the Sox are hot and heavy for him. If he down plays him, it means they are not interested.
86,
Two different players. Rios’ deal takes him into his 30’s and he isn’t the same player he was a couple of years ago.
The Yankees may have a Rios-type player of their own in Austin Jackson and he’s 21 and under financial control for the next 3-4 years.
Chapman is a 21 year old LH pitcher and that’s a rare commodity in the game.
You can always find OF’s. You don’t stumble across too many LH pitchers with his game.
Thanks, everyone for the info on Chapman. I just read the article. I had totally forgotten about him.
It’s a bidding process, correct? Like the Dice-K thing? So it’s not a sure thing that the Yankees get to negotiate with him unless they submit the high bid? Or is that just for Japanese players?
Aroldis Chapman
http://www.federalbaseball.com.....-strasburg
Buster Olney in a clip
Good morning everyone.
SJ,
I agree with everyone, your letter was great. Would you allow us to use it for a letter campaign? I think we should all copy & paste it in an e-mail to the Ombudsman at espn.com.
They can ignore 1 letter, but can they ignore the same letter that’s been sent by dozens of people?
Doreen,
No posting system for Cuban players. Its all out open warfare. Complete free agent without losing the draft picks.
His agent is based in White Plains and is new to the business.
It will be interesting to see if Chapman sticks with him once the whole process gets underway.
Just an all out bidding war Doreen, he will be an international free agent.
SJ44,
Gotta go with Wave Your Hat on this one. No matter how good Bard is, he wouldn’t be effective as a starter and starting prospects are a lot more valuable than reliever prospects.
Also,
“In today’s baseball, unless you are dealing with #1 starters (few and far between) closers and #2-#3 pitching prospects have similar value.”
is untrue.
M,
No need. I talked to Don Ohlmeyer yesterday about that another some other business issues.
FWIW, he has a similar take that ESPN tends to go “overboard” with too much Yankee-Red Sox coverage, much to the chagrin of the rest of the country.
About the specific issue? I think we agree more than disagree but, we all aren’t on the same page on it, that’s for sure.
I haven’t heard anyone mention Swisher’s contract. Correct if I’m wrong but I thought it was 9 mil next year and 12 the year after. Now a 21 mil outlay for two years of Swisher is not good baseball management. Comedy relief is not that important to me, I want drama. I realize the Yankees can’t go after Rios at this time. Too many team hazards but an OF of Rios Jackson, Melky, Gardner compares favorably with an OF like Tampa. Rios is having a down year but he is a top quality defensive OF and had trended upward for years before this one.
Patrick,
You really believe a closer is less valuable than a #3 or #4 starter? You would be in the minority in MLB with that POV.
A closer is a valuable commodity in the game. Especially a good one.
Bard is a stud. If he was on the Yankees, Phil Hughes is in the rotation and they have Mariano’s replacement all wrapped up in one. That’s value.
SJ —
I know they are different. I just can’t see giving more than $ 50 Million to a guy who wasn’t dominant in the WBC. I’d love to see him in the Yankees organization, but no way I would shell out that money, none.
Rios is a guy who I think might really take off in a competitive situation where he has a chance to win. If he does, the contract is very favorable. I would certainly quiz AJ Burnett and Hinske about him before going forward.
I was not under the impression that Austin Jackson had the arm or power potential of Alex Rios. He has just 13 HR in 916 AB the last two seasons. I know power often comes later — Bernie Williams is a great example.
If not Rios, who do you see as a viable option to upgrade RF in 2010?
They aren’t getting Rios. The White Sox put a claim in on him and if the Jays pull him back, they certainly aren’t dealing him to the Yankees in the off-season unless you want to lose some of the better rated prospects in the system.
If the Blue Jays wanted B List prospects from the Yankees or Red Sox for Rios, or Halladay for that matter, they would have traded both guys at the deadline.
I’m enjoying this season so much, I don’t want to think about the future too much.
But, looking at the winter. If Andy finishes up the season strong, I’d definitely offer him a 1 yr. deal. As Boston has learned (twice) in recent years, you can never have too much pitching.
I’d bring back Jose! Jose! for 1 year.
I don’t want to think about the outfield right now. It’s too convoluted. I know we can’t survive with a Swisher/GGBG/Cabrera OF. Well, we could, but should upgrade. Pass on Holliday, Bay. Rios would’ve been good (who put in the claim?). Otherwise, stopgap in hopes that Crawford opts for free agency in a year. Then I would go with a rotating OF of Swisher/Cabrera/Gardner/Jackson?/utility player.
We’ll also need a set-up guy cus Yuuse goes back to Hughes.
SJ44,
You are changing your argument to make it fit better. You said a closer is of equal value to a #2 or #3 starter. I disagree and the vast majority of baseball would disagree. Average together the combined contracts of every closer in baseball and then average together the combined contracts of every #2 pitcher in baseball. I’m positive the #2 would be higher.
There is no way you can convince me a set-up man or closer is more important than a starting pitcher (unless we are talking about back of the rotation SP). Because it’s simply not true.
I get that you love Bard, yeah he’s great. He’s nowhere near as valuable as a starting pitcher.
86,
Then you won’t get him if you aren’t willing to come up to that level of money. Whoever signs him will pay at least 50 million to do so.
A one week tournament, in which he was not allowed to pitch competitively for months because of a failed defection attempt in Cuba, is not the way to judge his talents.
DeCaster had a great WBC and he’s in AAA. The WBC isn’t the only way to judge these guys.
Jackson has a very good arm and he will probably be a 15-20 HR guy in the majors as he fills out.
You wait and see what comes up in the off-season. Its way too early to look at who might or might not be available in the winter.
Thanks for the info regarding the scenario for acquiring Chapman’s services.
any1 see arodlis chapman he seems like a nice kid.. he’s built like TO
Patrick-
SJ said a #2 or #3 pitching prospect, not 2 or 3 starter.
it was on OTL espn today
SJ,
Thanks, anyway.
What’s the debate about starter vs. reliever? They’re both valuable.
But think about it, why do people always say stuff like, “We just need an innings eater” or “someone to keep us in the game”? Starters are allowed to have bad starts or off days. Relievers aren’t. You need relievers who can be consistent. Right now we have 2 relievers who are consistently great, Rivera & Hughes.
You can’t say one is greater than the other, and with the exception of Hughes and Joba you plug pitchers into either role for your argument. Rivera, Bard, and Papelbon can’t start and CC, AJ, & Beckett won’t close.
Hughes & Joba have thrilled us in both roles. But I think we’d like to see them start so that we can see more of what we saw from AJ & CC this weekend. Now that’s dominance.
If we can drop as much money as we did on Igawa, I see no reason why we can’t get Chapman.
“SJ said a #2 or #3 pitching prospect, not 2 or 3 starter.”
I’m fairly certain he is talking about a pitching prospect that will become a #2 or #3 starter.
Patrick,
You also don’t combine the salaries of #2 or #3 starters and compare it to closers because its effected by free agent deals.
Make a list of #2 and #3 starters in the game and compare them to the elite closers, which Bard projects to, in baseball.
In many instances, the elite closers are more productive than those starters.
For every Jon Lester and AJ Burnett, excellent #2 starters, you have guys on other teams who don’t compare to Mo, Papelbon, etc.
That’s all I’m saying.
If Daniel Bard becomes an elite closer, he’s an elite pitcher and that puts him in a catagory above many of the starting pitchers in the game.
Swisher gets $ 6.75 M next year and $ 9 M in 2011. The Yanks hold an option for 2012 at $ 10.25 with a $ 1 M buyout.
So he’s guaranteed $ 16.75 million over the next two seasons OR $ 26 million over three season.
The Yanks could really get the payroll under $ 200 M by letting Damon, Matsui and Nady go. That’s $ 32.5 M for those three right there. Austin Jackson takes one job and perhaps Damon comes back for $ 7.5 or so, leaving almost $ 25 million of flexibility. But does that leave the Yanks with enough offense for 2010?
I just don’t see a FA out there who is worth big money… unless of course the Rays don’t pick up the option on Crawford which is highly unlikely.
*you can’t plug pitchers into either role
Patrick and SJ-
The thing is, unless you are talking about Mo quality closers, your standard variety major league closer just isn’t as valuable as a good starter. Neither on a season basis, because of the innings each will pitch, nor on a career basis, because starters tend to have longer effective careers than relievers, even relievers who have attained “closer” status.
Sure, a good closer can be more valuable than a lousy #4 or #5 rotation pitcher, but that isn’t the issue.
A prospect who is projected to make a major league rotation is a lot rarer than one who is projected to be a good reliever. Most mlb clubs have plenty of the latter. Of those, some, not many, will be “closers”, but which will be which is extremely hard to predict, usually, and often just a matter of opportunity or luck.
Take a look at all the top rated minor league pitching prospects. The vast majority of them are starters.
we shud just re sign damon fo 1 year and den next year get a younger damon is carl carwford
The Chapman segment is on the baseball page at espn.com:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/
That’s what I am talking about. Prospects that project to #2 or #3 starters and whether they are move valuable than prospects that project to being elite closers.
Those are rare birds in today’s game. Rarer than finding good #2 or #3 starters because of innings limits, injuries, etc.
A guy like Papelbon or Mo for example, can help their teams win titles earlier in their careers than a lot of these so called elite starting pitching prospects.
In the end, its about having a guy impact your team in a winning way. That’s why guys like Bard, and even Hughes for that matter (with the work he is doing out of the pen this year) is huge for a team.
SJ44,
Yeah it’s effected by free agent deals but that effects both sides equally. For every Burnett you have a K-rod.
A #2 or #3 starting pitcher is not equal to a closer. It’s not even close.
The White Sox claimed Rios? I’m a little surprised. If that’s so, my guess is the Jays let the White Sox keep Rios. If they do, that would tell you something.
Funny but on that ESPN piece on Chapman they were saying how he hasn’t had a lot of success in the Cuban league and justified it by saying that it’s a very good league.
Granted the guy’s young and raw but we got a pretty good league over here as well.
Almost everybody who has any real pitching value in the minors start out as starters. Not of them end up as starters.
Even in 1996, Mariano for example kept talking about “preferring to start”, even though he was lights out as a setup guy to Wetteland.
To me, its about acquiring as many elite arms as possible and seeing where they best fit.
I don’t discount Bard because he’s one of the rare guys who started and ended his journey to the majors out of the bullpen. He’s an elite arm.
You never have enough of them as a team.
Agree with Wave Your hat again
Where can I read this letter that SJ44 wrote? Is it posted in a previous thread?
Laura, the letter is in yesterday’s game thread, Part I.
“Betsy August 9th, 2009 at 11:46 am
Decent article on Alex….
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08…..amp;page=1
The only thing is that Sherman gives Jeter a sort of slap by implying that Jeter has not embraced or welcomed Alex (the part where he writes that Jeter’s influence and ability to control the clubhouse has dimmed). Naturally the media continues to assume that Jeter dislikes Alex…….or, maybe they know that’s not the case, but they want to get fans titillated by the idea that there is a Jeter/Alex division in the clubhouse.”
I’ll admit I’ve thought about that…considering AROD has had some big/clutch moments for the team this season and seems to really be embraced by his teammates
I see both sides of the argument. Pitchers like Burnett, Wang, James Sheilds, ect., are more valuable than the Joakim Sorias and Krods of the world. However, prospect wise, who has more value-a prospect like Zach McAllister-some one who projects to be a 2-3 in the rotation, or a Bard?
bard can’t pitch in big shots.. dats his weakness …….. he had a bolk remba he gets nerouvs but i heard he can’t pitch in big spots
bard sussope to be a starter and he failed at dat and den dey turned him into a reliever
“The only thing is that Sherman gives Jeter a sort of slap by implying that Jeter has not embraced or welcomed Alex (the part where he writes that Jeter’s influence and ability to control the clubhouse has dimmed).”
The media likes to spread this lie. If you watch the games, you see Alex and Derek talking plenty. I think that Derek is the happiest he’s been with Alex in years.
Hey all.
Congrats.
All I can say is that I am lucky to have a great wife and a Golden Retriever as therapists…
The only other consolation is knowing that regulars here who are baseball fans as well as Yankee fans are feeling good today.
Happy Sunday.
-dennis
bard sussope to be a starter and he failed at dat and den dey turned him into a reliever
================
dude…three words…”hooked on phonics”.
Laura – yeah, because Derek doesn’t have to answer questions about the latest Alex news. For the first time in a long time, Alex is letting his play speak for him, and keeping out of the gossip pages. Who knows, maybe Kate Hudson is good for him. Saw a photo of her with her mom, Goldie Hawn, at the game yesterday. And you know what they say when a guy gets to meet the mom….
“And you know what they say when a guy gets to meet the mom….”
I hope to God that he’s not thinking about marrying Kate Hudson. Her track record is worse than his. She is not someone who stays with one man for long. Alex should just enjoy this fling and not jump into any long term commitments.
Laura – I’m laughing. I have no idea about who or what Kate Hudson has gotten it on with. Nor do I care (lol). Just keep Alex happy and playing well.
Looks like Kate had the whole family there yesterday. By the way, Kurt Russell was one helluva baseball player himself before hurting his shoulder while playing in AA ball for the Angels. He then had to turn back to acting for a living.
http://www.daylife.com/photo/0cBq9rj7tUfWp
Big “Popper” is not guilty! And I was a Jet pilot at age 4 !!!