Yankees ready for some football
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Aug 18, 2009 
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You play fantasy football, right? Of course you do. Everybody does.
Even the Yankees.
There has been limited interest in recent years. But commissioner Eric Hinske has rounded up a solid group this year that includes CC Sabathia, Johnny Damon and Eric Hinske. They’ve been hashing out the rules and preparing for the draft.
CC told us yesterday that he gave up his tickets to the Golden State Warriors when he signed with the Yankees. But he’s keeping his seats for the Raiders. He’ll fly in for a few games and let one of his buddies have the rest.
Here’s how scary the crowd is in Oakland: CC sits on the visitor’s side of the field.
“It’s too wild on the other side,” he said.
Oakland is one crazy place! Hate it being our home Sacramento area AL park!
I am not a football fan, but I would definitely play fantasy football with MPB Johnny Damon if he asked me
GREATEST NEWS EVER BRETT FARVE IS COMING BACK!!!
BRETT FARRRRRRRRRRRVRE LOL
WTH you talking about I didn’t call Larkin a HOF, I just said give him his dues and had he been on a better team your tooting another horn. Jerkface your SN basically saids it all.
—
What are you even arguing then? I said that Jeter is better than Barry Larkin. You said that ‘IDK if we say that had Larkin been in a championship team.’ UH , yes, we still would, because Jeter is better in every facet except not striking out.
Jeter > Larkin
That is in no way disparaging to Barry larkin, who managed to play baseball effectively until he was 40 and had a nice career. Even without Derek Jeter’s postseason success, he has had a better career than Barry Larkin.
lol @ CC.
repost for Rebecca (where are you?):
Rebecca and the rest of the Orange fans here,
You guys hear about Greg Paulus winning the QB job? I don’t know anything at all about the soph qb he beat out, but you guys are going to love Paulus. Even though he hasn’t played a single snap of football in 4 years. He was a prize recruit out of high school, but chose to go play hoops at Duke.
But he’s a winner, on and off the field. Great attitude, and he’ll do a good job of running “point” on the football field.
ESPN reporting Favre left Mississippi this morning in transit to Minnesota.
Shopping trip to the Mall of America for back to school clothes for the kids?
Brandon, will that man ever go away?
Many Cuse fans up here, but what does it say about SU football when a guy who hasn’t played in 4 years walks on and is starting QB?
Okay, now the topic is Favre? I don’t get worked up like others do, but then he hasn’t screwed my team. Well, he sorta kept us out of the playoffs last season, but you know what I mean.
Let the man play. If the Vikings want to take him in after the very public slap in the face then whatever. Why couldn’t he just say he didn’t want to do training camp? It’s so obvious. Fickle Favre is my new name for him. But out of my division, out of my league, and out of my mind.
People absolutely lose their minds @NFL games.
It’s the only place I’ve seen people swigging whiskey at 11 o’clock in the morning.
Please tell me CC isn’t a pirate dressing face painter at Raider games.
Sabathia a Raiders fan, poor guy, ha…..Farve’s act is getting old, the funny thing is when I was watching some preseason games last weekend, I joked that Farve is probably considering coming back b/c he got bored in Mississippi watching the mediocre QB play in Minnesota
Fantasy Football if fun
“Brandon, will that man ever go away?”
He’s like Jason Voorhies.
And the Raiders suck. Sorry, CC.
They’re up near the top of the worst franchises list. For one reason, and one reason only. Al Davis.
It sounds like Johnny Damon might return to the Yankees next year (albeit for a paycut). I wouldn’t mind seeing him return.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08.....ref=sports
In my opinion it would be nice if the Yankees let Matsui retire and signed Chone Figgins to play the outfield. That would give us the following lineup on most days:
1. Figgins = LF
2. Jeter = SS
3. Teixeira = 1B
4. Arod = 3B
5. Damon = DH
6. Posada = C
7. Cano = 2B
8. Swisher = RF
9. Cabrera/Gardner = CF
I think Johnny Damon has morphed from a basestealing tablesetter to a run producer in the New Yankee Stadium and would be a fine #5 hitter behing Arod.
Favre signing with Minnesota today..HAHAHAHA
Favre just needs to go away. His act is beyond annoying.
I do like football (Giants fan, and Oklahoma alum) but I don’t pay much attention to football until AFTER October. Totally locked in on baseball until after the WS. Then, in a good year, I finally look up and notice that my favorite pro and college teams are both 8-0. Sweet.
Raiders fans may be scary but coaches injurying each other takes it to a whole new level.
(Fran, I just emailed you.
)
Well today is going really well for me so far. (Erica sorry yours is lousy. I know how it is when everything seems to go wrong.) The guy in Candada paid the full freight for my DVR! God bless Candad and the person who bought my DVR.
Even better, I just got a phone call from one of my brothers and it seems that I am going to be an aunty very soon. I’m an aunt several times over, but somehow it always feels like the first time! I am so happy and excited.
GO LISA ANN!!!! (That’s my sister-in-law, ha ha.)
The best news for the ‘Cuse recently is getting Fab Melo to commit for 2010. 7’0″, 275 lbs and a naturally gifted athlete (grew up playing soccer in Brazil).
Their 2010 hoops class may be their best ever (Melo w/Dion Waiters, C.J. Fair & Baye Moussa Keita — just awesome.)
I can’t get too worked up over Paulus, unfortunately, because the rest of the team is seeing defectors left and right (and there wasn’t a deep talent base to begin with). After Greg Robinson ran the program into the ground, it may take years to thoroughly rebuild.
Repost, because I seem to be the last post in a thread far too many times!
I missed the game last night. I decided that staying awake for 3 nights of Seattle wreaked havoc so I’m foregoing the late night Oakland affairs!
That said, I knew the score was 3-0 before I fell asleep, and figured it was going to be a slow night anyway.
What I did see of the game (2 partial innings), it seemed the Yankees hit the ball hard, with no results, and AJ had one bad inning. Reading here today, I guess that certainly was the case. And AJ going 8 is a great thing.
About Tomko – I did feel he wasn’t given enough of a chance here, BUT when he was given the chance, he was inconsistent at best. Glad he’s getting a second chance to start, and most things happen for a reason. Sounds like he has a better situation in Oakland, anyway.
About Melky & Gardner. I’ve always been a Melky fan. But what I’m seeing this season pretty much confirms that he does better when he does NOT play every day. I wish it were different, but it’s not. (Even 3/4 of the time would help him.) He and Gardner are a great platoon. I think the Yankees could do worse upon entering next season than having the two of the slated in for CF.
I do have to say, that even though the Yankees are in a great position, I still hate when the lose!
“Raiders fans may be scary but coaches injurying each other takes it to a whole new level.”
*Jumps in the air w/ EXTREME happiness, clicking the sneakers and fist pumping, b/c that’s what we’re all doing*
Doreen,
Saw that and laughed because I knew you’d figure out quickly that we were already ahead of you.
Agree with everything you said after AJ for 8 was great.
That last sentence puts everything into perspective for me.
Trisha-
I am glad you got that resolved!!! That would have stunk if you got screwed like that.
I am hanging in there. This day is very stinky
Where’s the LoHud fantasy football website???
Both guys aren’t everyday players. That’s why together, they are very good.
Melky has had to play everyday since Gardner went down and its worn him out. Its not an indictment of Melky. Its just what happens when injuries take place.
Both guys have shown their weaknesses come to the forefront more often when given extended PT. Its not a Melky v. Brett deal.
The Yankees are a better team when both guys are healthy and interchangable.
Melky has had a very good year. He’s slumped in the last 2 weeks. That doesn’t diminish the year he has had to date though”
it does appear this is the case.
Austin Jackson will be the NYY CF’er before next year is over.
which CF’er will the Yankees keep? Melky or Gardner?
both have pros/cons. Gardner has the +++ speed and tools, to be the perfect 4th OF’er. While in Melky’s short career he has had big hits in the clutch.
if AJax is in CF, personally i would have to keep Gardner as the other CF. However, variables always exist
Speaking of football……….. Favre in route to Minny to sign on Tuesday
he is such a loser.
“But he’s a winner, on and off the field. Great attitude, and he’ll do a good job of running “point” on the football field.”
In what capacity is Paulus a winner? Duke had 4 of their worst years in the last 30 during his tenure there. He’s a flopper and a complainer. He never won a thing in college.
And when I say loser, I mean drama queen, not that he stinks. After all this and now he is going to sign for a year again.
Why do people enjoy fantasy football so much?
Some people seem to get more excited about fantasy football more than real football. (not talking about you, Phranchise)
IDK, I’ll watch any football game (as long as it’s not a blowout), but I really only get worked up over a game when my team’s involved.
My husband’s been on vacation from work this week. We usually go somewhere, but it didn’t work out this time. (It was going to be Hilton Head and surrounds, with a few stops in minor league stadia – oh, well.) Anyway, we’ve been doing the “let’s get rid of all the junk in the house” vacation. So, I’ve been a lurker – occasionally reading and posting, but mostly skipping a lot here. He’s at the dentist now, so, I’m taking advantage! That’s why I had to repost!
And now, I’ll have to return to programming already in progress, i.e., the “vacation.”
Stephon Marbury is a pot smoker? I would never have guessed, he seems so normal.
Oh, Jimmy. Don’t be salty.
I must admit I do like Fantasy Football, but then I like all the fantasy sports. Not more than the games themselves, however. But with fantasy and then doing a league betting against the odds on all the games each week, I do pay attention to the most obscure games.
“Stephon Marbury is a pot smoker? I would never have guessed, he seems so normal.”
We knew he was on something after “I wanna see the spit in your mouth!”
“Oh, Jimmy. Don’t be salty.”
Carolina, ’07. Salty as we wanna be.
vinny-b, I think Melky is a more athletic version of Trot Nixon.
Jimmy,
See! I knew there was a reason. Being in the rivalry, you may know more.
But from what I hear, he’s a good kid. Don’t be a hatah!
Phranchise, I am with you. I enjoy watching the games, but Fantasy adds to paying attention to the other games to see how your players are doing.
Trisha, answered you back. Congratulations!!
Plax potentially to the Eagles this year????
I saw that someone penciled in Figgins in LF. Quick question, with all the IF in the Angels system, why isn’t Figgins an OF?
As a Bear fan, I look forward to my team crushing Farve. I can’t stand his act anymore……he’s the Red Sox of football, everyone loves him.
“It’s the only place I’ve seen people swigging whiskey at 11 o’clock in the morning.”
You’ve obviously never been to Ohio University in Athens, OH, huh?
Possibly because the Angels signed 1 million outfielders in the last 3 offseasons.
Durden (NY)
Joe Morgan, love when you do the games on ESPN. I have a question for you. Is Robinson Cano going to be one of the best 2nd basemen for years to come? His defense is slick and he makes a lot of plays that he shouldn’t. And his bat is not bad either..
Joe Morgan (11:26 AM)
I think Cano is going to be a star. It seems like he’s finally been able to focus all the time on the field. It seems like he was making mistakes before because he wasn’t focused on the field. He makes good plays in the field. And his offense is turned around. He had an off year last year, but has improved this year. I think he’ll be the best second baseman in the AL for a long time.
Jennifer (St Petersburg)
If you were the Yankees what would you do with Joba? and what do you think about “Joba rules”?
Joe Morgan (11:28 AM)
They have created a big problem for themselves because they tried to treat him differently than any pitcher who comes to the big leagues. I understood the Joba Rules in his first year, but at what point do you just become a big league pitcher and let him go. They have to decide if they want to keep him as a starter or in the bullpen and let him go. This kid glove stuff doesn’t play well with the other players, I guarantee you that. Why is he so much different than Phil Hughes or some of the others that have come through the system?
I for one, can’t stand fantasy sports. It just seems ridiculous to me.
One time, however, I had to, for “political reasons”, join a fantasy football league at work. I won a color television at the end of the season. And I had no idea what I was doing either.
Then I had to join a fantasy baseball league at work. Hated it. It took away all enjoyment of reading the box scores in the morning. I’m interested in the Yankees progress, how the starting pitching did, etc., and instead I’m reading stats about some schlub outfielder from Pittsburgh because my idiot boss has asked me three times in two hours to make a trade with him. Never again.
Erica, thanks. The nice part is that he had paid the entire thing right away. If I had taken the time to look at my paypal account I would have seen that. The poor guy probably dreads ever bidding on it because I sent him a ton of emails!!! I tried to give him different options and he had paid already.
betsy,
Bears fan? You poor thing. You’ve got bigger worries than Favre.
Good luck with Cutler. First Urlacher, now Hester. Way to be a leader in the locker room.
Betsy, I don’t think everyone loves Favre anymore. People are getting tired of his act. I am glad though that he left the Jets. As a Jets fan I look forward to the Mark Sanchez era.
Seattle signed Ackley for 9.5 million. No shortage of money for the draft this year.
Fantasy football is the one thing that can keep me excited enough to watch a Bengals Browns matchup or a Rams 49ers game. When all the games are on at the bar that is one thing as you can pick and choose. When you have regular tv and are subject to some brutal games, like some on Monday night or Sunday night, as least I will tune in to follow guys I may have especially late in the season.
Jerkface
August 18th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Possibly because the Angels signed 1 million outfielders in the last 3 offseasons.
*****
They were making their own version of “Angels in the Outfield”
Doreen, you missed exactly nothing. I meant to go to sleep early last night, but I couldn’t help following the game on the blog……nothing going on.
I disagree about Melky and Gardner – I don’t like them at all going into next year. I would MUCH rather have a good, solid CF with one of them backing that player up. I am not counting on either one of them doing what they are doing this year. Just get out of Dodge……in other words, be grateful for what we got out of them this year.
lol — that loss last night dropped the Yanks’ playoff odds by .5% (they’re all the way down to 98.135% now).
meanwhile, the Red Sox didn’t even play and they saw their odds drop 1.75% (thanks to the Rangers’ win). The Sox now have only a 40% chance of making the post-season according to Baseball Prospectus:
http://www.baseballprospectus......s_odds.php
I was skeptical of Paulus, but I take it to mean that Doug Marrone was not enamored with his other choices (Nassib and Dantley). Might as well take a shot with Paulus (as it’s one and done) and see what happens.
Marrone’s plan I’m sure is to run and dump off short passes, Paulus probably can handle that. Anything beyond a handful of wins would be pretty impressive. With Mike Williams back and the new and improved Delone Carter, perhaps the emergence of Collier the team does have a chance to be a little better than expected. Losing Derek Hines can’t help, but if you don’t want to play…
I hope that the football team will eventually catch up with Gross’ plans to sell the Orange(men) “brand.” With the #44 never to see the field again, home games scheduled for New Jersey (I mean it’s only USC and ND, why bring those to the dome?!), and a basketball team that continues to get it done, and the failing of the Big East as a football conference I hope we’re able to one day talk about SU football and have the discussion actually matter.
M, what problems do the Bears have? Cutler and Urlacher are not feuding – the mediots completely blew that out of proportion. I admit that I did not like his comment about Hester, but I’m not going to go crazy over it. I think he’s going to be fantastic for us…..
trisha – OPPC lifetime member and true believer in the Ortiz karma effect
August 18th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Erica, thanks. The nice part is that he had paid the entire thing right away. If I had taken the time to look at my paypal account I would have seen that. The poor guy probably dreads ever bidding on it because I sent him a ton of emails!!! I tried to give him different options and he had paid already.
***
It’s nice when something has a happy ending. Btw- Congrats on being an Aunt!!!!
I saw that someone penciled in Figgins in LF. Quick question, with all the IF in the Angels system, why isn’t Figgins an OF?
————————————————–
The Angels currently have too many outfielders with Abreu, Vlad Guerrero, Torii Hunter and Juan Rivera so Figgins plays 3B. This will probably be Figgins last year at 3B with the Angels. They have a power hitting 3B in AAA that will probably start there.
Angels have some interesting decisions to make in the offseason…Vlad, Abreu and Figgins are all free agents. I don’t see them resigning all of them.
yada yada yada
August 18th, 2009 at 11:37 am
lol — that loss last night dropped the Yanks’ playoff odds by .5% (they’re all the way down to 98.135% now).
meanwhile, the Red Sox didn’t even play and they saw their odds drop 1.75% (thanks to the Rangers’ win). The Sox now have only a 40% chance of making the post-season according to Baseball Prospectus:
http://www.baseballprospectus&.....s_odds.php
*****
Reading the comments on here last night you would have thought we were the team with the 7 game deficit
When I returned from living in Hawaii two years ago, a friend who had lived a good part of their life there was aghast that I had chosen to have my vehicle shipped there for pick up.
Their advice was to get to my hotel before dark and not go out if I didn’t have to and if I did; to definitely have my game face on and don’t do anything to give the appearance of being a tourist.
I did walk over a few blocks to Oakland’s Chinatown for dinner and it was dark on the way back. I passed a police station and I thought it was odd that there weren’t any of them outside the building; you know taking a smoke break or something. But, there weren’t any police to be seen.
I picked up the pace to my hotel figuring if they were afraid to hang outside their own building, I had best get back to my room. lol
You’ve obviously never been to Ohio University in Athens, OH, huh?
————————–
I haven’t yet, but it sounds like my kind of place (I’m German-Irish, seemingly born to drink).
That’s lived a good part of their life in Oakland. Sorry, need an edit button.
i need help with a fantasy football team name. any ideas?
betsy,
That was a good coverup, but enough insiders corroborated the story that there had to be something.
Good luck to you and your team. These past few seasons I’ve pulled for Da Bears in the division, but Cutler’s not an easy player to deal with. There won’t be any lack of drama, that’s for sure.
Erica-
Sorry to hear about your impostor.
Count me in on the registration requirement for this blog; it would surely eliminate a lot of jerks.
I read mostly to see what the regulars on this blog are saying and I post very infrequently.
Well for some NFL news…kinda surprising, kinda.NOT
Brett Favre has just signed a deal with the Vikings for 10-12 Million $$
“People absolutely lose their minds @NFL games.
It’s the only place I’ve seen people swigging whiskey at 11 o’clock in the morning.”
Oh the joys of tailgating…BTW, for us college football fans the whiskey (bourbon down here) flows at 7:30-8 am for those 12 pm games. Goes great with a nice breakfast casserole!
My son spent a short break last fall at his friend’s house in Oakland.
Of course, I had all kinds of images running through my head. But he said they were in the nice area (not sure where), and that he didn’t get to the, um, colorful part of Oakland.
Ugh, Scott Boras apparently just told Jon Heyman (who is on WFAN with Adam the Bull) that Tex offered deals to the Angels and Sox to play for them. I assume that means that the only reason he turned down the Sox was because Lucchino messed things up.
Gees, this day can’t get any worse.
They were making their own version of “Angels in the Outfield”
).
____________________________________________________________
This was one of my fav movies as a kid!( along with The Sandlot, Rookie of the Year, and Little Giants. I really wasn’t as tomboy-ish as I sound
M, eh – I don’t believe half the things the media says. They kept trying to say how Jeter and Alex hated each other (this was for the past couple of years) when I don’t think that’s the case at all. I think they are definitely friendly – and it doesn’t mean that they have to be best buds. The media just wants to spin things to make the best story possible.
Are you a Broncos fan? From what I hear, I love Cutler’s confidence…….the Bears haven’t had a real QB a loooooooong time
Betsy, the bottom line is Tex is a Yankee and that’s all that matters.
Betsy-
Never say that!!!! It can ALWAYS get worse
betsy,
No, I’m a Patriots fan. But, I cheered for the Broncos when they had Jason Elam playing for them.
You’re right about the QB situation. I guess that puts your excitement about Cutler into perspective.
Betsy,
Scott Boras lied through his teeth that entire interview.
lol @ Heyman. I guess Boras approved that little nugget for release. But what purpose does it serve?
If the story is true, then why didn’t the Angels sign Teixeira? It seemed that Moreno really, really wanted to sign Tex. And he’s proven to be an excellent investment so far.
And the Boston thing? Not surprised, I mean he was set to sign with them.
Cashmoney is the man. I really appreciate what he does. He’s got deep pockets, but it goes beyond that.
JoWhite,
Have you seen the pics of Delone? Good lord he looks like he has spent all his time off in the weightroom. I say Cuse goes 6-5.
“I disagree about Melky and Gardner – I don’t like them at all going into next year. I would MUCH rather have a good, solid CF with one of them backing that player up. I am not counting on either one of them doing what they are doing this year. Just get out of Dodge……in other words, be grateful for what we got out of them this year”
betsy:
the first part of my post was what SJ44 typed.
with Austin Jackson on the post-July roster, i don’t see Melky AND Gardner on the team. One will have to be traded.
Scott Boras absolutely fascinates me as a human being. I wonder how absolutely cold blooded he really is. I also wonder if anything in this world matters to him as much as money. Additionally, I wonder if he would be willing to share any of it with me
Ugh, Scott Boras apparently just told Jon Heyman (who is on WFAN with Adam the Bull) that Tex offered deals to the Angels and Sox to play for them. I assume that means that the only reason he turned down the Sox was because Lucchino messed things up.
–
The yankees were not even in the negotiations. Don’t know why this is upsetting to you. The yankees had just signed CC and AJ, they were out of any ‘Tex sweepstakes’. This is just Boras kicking the Sox while they are down, thats it.
“The Phranchise August 18th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Fantasy football is the one thing that can keep me excited enough to watch a Bengals Browns matchup or a Rams 49ers game. When all the games are on at the bar that is one thing as you can pick and choose. When you have regular tv and are subject to some brutal games, like some on Monday night or Sunday night, as least I will tune in to follow guys I may have especially late in the season.”
yeah it makes keeping track of all the games Sunday and Monday a lot of fun, also love following the guys in the NFL that I loved in college….much easier to keep track of scoring compared w/ fantasy baseball b/c of the scoring and it only being 2 days a week
“No, I’m a Patriots fan. But, I cheered for the Broncos when they had Jason Elam playing for them”
M:
Yankees, Lakers, and Patriots. Ok
ever been taken for a front-runner ?
To me it seems pointless to spend time hating on Boras as a Yankees fan. The Yankees and Cashman in particular have not really ever been burned by dealing with Boras, quite the opposite as it seems that the two parties have a pretty amicable relationship. Yankees have signed a good number of Boras clients, and I think both sides see it as a necessity to have good relations–Boras represents a ton of clients, usually very talented ones at that, and the Yankees are always looking to sign talented people.
i need help with a fantasy football team name. any ideas?
………………………….
The LoHud Bloggers
bleepity, who is your fav team?
never mind, read that wrong
Scott Boras might upset many people, but at the end of the day lets face it, That’s his job.
Get more money for his clients and get more money for himself. Sounds selfish and greedy but that’s why players hire him.
(Erica he does have emotions, they have interview where you see him crying.)
^.^
betsy I thought the Tex boston deal stuff was already pretty clear before today…similar to the AROD deal where the Yankees sweeped in at the last minute, I think it makes the signing that much better
hey kelvin says
August 18th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Scott Boras might upset many people, but at the end of the day lets face it, That’s his job.
Get more money for his clients and get more money for himself. Sounds selfish and greedy but that’s why players hire him.
(Erica he does have emotions, they have interview where you see him crying.)
*****
The man amazes me. I am almost jealous of him could I could never be that cutthroat. My clients would hire me to get them the best deals and I would try to convince them that they should go where makes them happy instead of money.
No one can deny he is good at his job!
Scott Boras’ job is to get the most money for his clients.
It’s not to make fans or teams happy. It’s also not to “improve the game”.
He HATES Larry Lucchino and that was a shot aimed at his bow and nothing more.
Fran, I suppose, but if Tex actually offered deals to the Angels AND especially the Sox……..that’s hard to stomach. I guess I’ll have the next 8 years to deal with it, though.
Erica, you’re right…..,lol. That’s my motto, lol.
M, whatever the issues Cutler had in Denver, I don’t pay attention to them. When someone joins my team (Cutler, Clemens, Coney, Strawberry, Boggs), I give them a 100% clean slate and I root for them right from the beginning. I like to give everyone a chance….I used to root for the Broncos when I was a kid because I liked the horse on the side of their helmet,lol.
Jerkface, I guess it doesn’t bother me with the Angels, but the fact that he offered a discount to the Sox…that rankles me, I can’t help it. Good point about the Yanks not being involved yet (though Cash had asked Boras to get back to them before anything was done, I believe).
I’m not sure how Boras saying that Tex offered a discount to the Sox is supposed to be a shot at Lucchino. To me, that tells me that Tex really wanted to be a Red Sox. I know he ended up signing here, but ugh….
bleepity, who is your fav team?
………………………..
The Springfield Isotopes
Boras and Cashman work well together because they both understand that it’s business.
No petty feuds and whining about being duped.
If you have a plan and have boundaries, you can’t be taken.
Why does it matter? He’s a Yankee, will be for the next 8 years, is having a great season, and loves playing in NY.
That’s all that matters.
“Boras and Cashman work well together because they both understand that it’s business.
No petty feuds and whining about being duped.
If you have a plan and have boundaries, you can’t be taken.”
There you go…..
I don’t hate Boras – he’s very good at what he does, except for his ill-advised Alex opt-out. I’m sure he’s not a cold-blooded snake in “real life”….people that say that are going too far because they don’t know him. I don’t know him either, obviously, but I assume he’s human, lol.
“Why does it matter? He’s a Yankee, will be for the next 8 years, is having a great season, and loves playing in NY.
That’s all that matters.”
SJ44,
Exactly!
It does matter for me, I admit it. It won’t prevent me from rooting for the guy as a Yankee – he just won’t be a personal favorite of mine.
vinny-b,
All the time. And guess what? I’m not the only one on this site, that likes some combination of those teams.
But I’ll go through it again, because I really, really care what you think about me.
I live in a place that has no pro teams. So I have the luxury of picking and choosing.
Lakers-they’re Hawaii’s team. They hold training camp here bi-annually.
Yankees-always appreciated them from afar, greatest franchise in sports. But I really started following them after they got Hideki Matsui. And that 2004 thing just killed me. And now, I’m fully vested!
Patriots-okay, this one is the most shallow one. Tom Brady & those championships were irresistable. They haven’t always been, but by the time I started following football, they were the model organization.
Caution, I also follow Duke basketball (inherited from father) and USC football (Hawaii’s other football team). And I’ll cheer for ManU because Rebecca told me to do so!
But, I also like underdogs, too. And anyone American vs. the world.
Tex really wanted to win and have a good contract, All discounts aside Yanks didn’t do business through the media with Texeira and that worked better in the end.
8 years, enjoy the guy. He’s awesome.
Betsy,
You take this stuff way too seriously.
Nobody put a gun to Mark Teixeira’s head to sign with the Yankees.
Scott NEVER opens his mouth publicly without a plan.
He wants Red Sox bloggers/fans to say the following today:
“We could have had Tex at a discount and Lucchino STILL SCREWED IT UP”!!
That was the entire point of the interview today.
Also, 172 million ain’t a “bargain” by anybody’s standards.
Don’t sweat the small stuff Betsy. It will make the baseball season more enjoyable for you.
“It does matter for me, I admit it. It won’t prevent me from rooting for the guy as a Yankee – he just won’t be a personal favorite of mine.”
Because he handled his business like he’s supposed to?
Tex is a Yankee now and will be for the next few years and that’s all that matters. Happy face
Brett Favre can’t stay retired
That Tex is a true professional, though. Think about it. Every step of the way, he’s played as well he possibly could.
He may have had interest in other teams, but it’s quite obvious that he loves being a Yankee.
He’s seem to have made the transition quite seamlessly.
And this is the part I like, when he signed, he said he still has room for improvement. Like he hadn’t even reached his potential. Looks like he’s starting to realize some of that potential now.
“But I’ll go through it again, because I really, really care what you think about me”
M:
lol. Thank you for taking the time to post. feel you
Chuck (Los Angeles)
Better overall player: Cap’n Jetes or Barry Larkin?
Rob Neyer (12:29 PM)
I think Larkin might have been slightly more talented, but Jeter’s obviously been significantly more durable. How you balance those things, I don’t know exactly.
“That was the entire point of the interview today.”
Also- Scott strikes me as someone who thinks down the road.
Good time to send the message to Theo, Henry, Warner, et al that Lucchino’s presence in any negotiations involving Bay or any other Boras client could be a negative.
I know SJ’s told us the inside scoop on the Lucchino/Henry thing.
But has the media ever attributed the Tex signing to anything other than money?
vinny-b,
All the time. And guess what? I’m not the only one on this site, that likes some combination of those teams.
But I’ll go through it again, because I really, really care what you think about me.
I live in a place that has no pro teams. So I have the luxury of picking and choosing.
Lakers-they’re Hawaii’s team. They hold training camp here bi-annually.
Yankees-always appreciated them from afar, greatest franchise in sports. But I really started following them after they got Hideki Matsui. And that 2004 thing just killed me. And now, I’m fully vested!
Patriots-okay, this one is the most shallow one. Tom Brady & those championships were irresistable. They haven’t always been, but by the time I started following football, they were the model organization.
Caution, I also follow Duke basketball (inherited from father) and USC football (Hawaii’s other football team). And I’ll cheer for ManU because Rebecca told me to do so!
But, I also like underdogs, too. And anyone American vs. the world.
__________________________________________________________
M, I got nothing against ya. In fact I love some of the points you have brought up on tis blog:
But the Yankees, Patriots, Lakers, Duke (BBall) USC (football) and Man U????
Wowzas. Are the Penguins and…(umm who was the most recent MLS champ) in there too?
haha.
Hey Pete, what is the buy in for the league? $5K for each team?
so my cousin has two facebook status updates up – he met Jeter, Posada and 2 others last night and is having breakfast next to Mo right now – that is just not fair…
Pat,
Exactly. Scott never talks publicly without a plan.
They are also locking horns on Dice-K and his issues with the team. Its like a soap opera with each side taking shots at the other.
Today, Scott had the microphone so, he wanted to get off another bomb directed toward the Red Sox.
In the off-season, when he is shopping Matt Holliday, he wants Lucchino clear of any meetings so he can extract as much money as he can from the Sox.
Once he gets that, he shops the offer everywhere else.
That’s how he works! lol
I don’t like Boars, but I do like how he continues to screw the Sox. Tex, Damon and then getting them to sign VTek back, Drew. He obviously really gets under Henry’s skin.
Rishi August 18th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
so my cousin has two facebook status updates up – he met Jeter, Posada and 2 others last night and is having breakfast next to Mo right now – that is just not fair…
==================
I’m jealous of your cousin! No fair!
Just because we share all our good news with family, I thought I would tell you that my newest nephew was born this morning at 11:30. His name is David and I understand he is a very pretty little boy.
Unfortunately he will be raised a Red Sox fan (I can’t bring myself to say the other when it comes to the baby) but I will love him just the same.
Thank you in advance for any congratulations. Please let that count as individual thank yous. I’m on cloud nine and probably will miss more posts than I usually do so I wouldn’t want to leave anyone out!
Aunty Trisha
Trisha,
Disown him until he comes around. Trust me, it works!
Dr. Cox,
Hahas. Wouldn’t a front runner abandon their team for the latest and greatest? I picked teams and stayed loyal to them. The Lakers struggled (for a relatively short time), but at no time did I even think of becoming a Spurs fan.
I grew up watching the Houston Oilers very up close. But then they became the Tennesse Titans, they’re not the Houston Oilers anymore. So I got to pick a new team.
And I’m just a casual observer of those Duke, USC, and ManU. Like go Blue Devils, Trojans, and ManU’s or whatever they’re called.
And I don’t follow hockey or soccer. But if I did, I’d cheer for whatever team has Brian Ching on it (last I saw was Houston).
So, maybe I am a front-runner. But I still think I’m a loyal fan of the 3 major league teams. And I won’t stop being a fan of those teams, when and if they start to struggle.
“He’s seem to have made the transition quite seamlessly.”
It scares me when I agree with some of what Joel Sherman says in an article so his piece this Sunday scared me alot.
The “seamless transition” Tex and others made this year was as much about the rest of the team as it was about them.
Worth a read if you haven’t.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08.....184824.htm
I know the players are busy, but you would think there would be decent interest in a fantasy football league…after all, just because you’re an athlete, doesn’t mean you aren’t a fan.
All the same, I like hearing about the players doing these sort of things, it gives you a good idea of the clubhouse environment.
It doesn’t shock me that Eric is the commish though…could have imagined Swisher doing it though.
Congrats Trisha
trisha:
congrats on the brand new nephew
Same old whiners with the usual hand-wringing posts.
Tex offered a deal to the Sox? Gosh! Didn’t we all know this months ago?
Seriously, some people just look for things to complain about. Its an old, tired act.
I love Raider games. Depressing but fun. Where else can you go and see fans of the same team fight each other every game?
I love the comments by Pete. “Yaankees should be ashamed of themselves.” referring to being shut out by Brett Tomko.
Yes, all teams with the best offense in the league, with the best record in baseball, in first by 7 games, should be totally ashamed. I’m ashamed to watch this horrible league leading offense get shut out for the THIRD time this season.
Congrats to you trisha.
pat,
Thanks for that. I guess the media was just waiting for the Yankees to become winners again.
Having watched Tex up close for just a few months, you appreciate the little things. The big hits he gets don’t hurt either. haha.
“Trisha,
Disown him until he comes around. Trust me, it works!”
That is priceless – and may be necessary.
I know I said I wasn’t going to say it again, but thank you all so much for sharing in my happiness. How can I not be grateful for that.
Consider yourselves hearted.
Devils, Giants, Yankees, are all my favorites.
How ’bout them Giants, the Panthers totally did that on [purpose to avoid overtime but hey, I’ll take it! It was still kind of fun.
If Tex signing with NY had anything at all to do with Scot Boras not liking Larry Luccini, we should be fans of Scott Boras.
Not that any of us WILL suddenly become fans of Boras. But at least we should take a moment to appreciate the thought.
OK … there’s my moment. That’s enough for me. That makes up for A-Rod’s opt-out after the ’07 season. Although the timing of that sure did PO a lot of Sox fans too.
As for A-Rod’s new contract? We’ll see how soon his hip recovers and how well he plays post-surgery & post-steroids.
I don’t care if Tex said that the only reason he came here was on pain of death by Hank Steinbrenner and that he’d much prefer Boston, he’s here now and doing fantastic.
Yankees
Giants
Rangers
Knicks
Remember all those little things that used to happen?
-Like Gomez clipping Tex on the first base line
-Runners bowling our catchers over
-Runners trying to kill Jeter & Cano
-Pitchers brushing back the batters
-Hitters mocking our pitchers
Funny, how you don’t see that kind of stuff anymore…
Trisha, Congratulations again.
If I followed basketball I’d support the Nets, but I don’t follow basketball.
I will watch LeBron James play however, who I am an unabashed fan of, lack of good sportsmanship nowithstanding.
baseball – Yankees, Royals
pro football – Jets
college football – Rutgers, and The Big 10 (minus michigan)
basketball – Suns, Pacers
I wonder who will draft Brett Favre.
One thing you can say about Favre, like him or hate him: He makes things exciting.
My “B” team is the Pittsburgh Pirates. Why? I’ve always liked Honus Wagner.
Baseball- Yankees
Basketball-Cavaliers(Can’t wait to see Shaq & LeBron together)
Football- Big Blue aka Giants
My “B” team is the San Francisco Giants. That should knock me out of the front-runner category.
I thought Danny Ware had a pretty good game yesterday for Big Blue. Bradshaw looked good too, they should’ve used him way more than Ward last year. He’s BETTER than Ward.
Bret Tompko needs to be re-signed!!!!!!
m-San Francisco isn’t bad at all this year! And Tim Linececum is the most exciting pitcher in baseball to watch.
Wait,
The last few years were brutal! And I’m not a Lincecum fan. I liked Seabiscuit the book, not so much the pitcher.
Not to mention Kung Fu Panda is easily the best nickname in baseball.
Trisha
Always have lollipops and use the phrase “mommy and daddy are so mean” anytime they disagree with him and by the time David is 5 he’ll think you are the smartest person in the world and you can’t possibly be wrong about the Yankees.
Congratulations!
Linececum and Cain are both awesome.
Anybody who strikes out that many guys and has an ERA that low is really good.
m, I’ll give you the last few years. They were pretty bad.
The Cardinals and RS now use the term referring to their respective fan bases.
~For the record the Raider Nation,was and always will be the original.You have grandmothers with tatto’s in the seats,that will go toe to to with you,no fear.
CC’s is correct sit on the visitor’s side.I’ve NEVER SEEN ANYTHING like them.
“The Cardinals and RS now use the term referring to their respective fan bases”
i hope you mean the Arizona Cardinals
??
Lincecum is going for another Cy-Young award
AL though it is still harder to depict the Cy-Young:
Greinke
Verlander
Roy Halladay
Beckett
All these guy’s making a case for a Cy-Young.
Here’s a question for everybody: If the Yanks do end up avoiding a total collapse and make the playoffs, how much would tickets cost for the cheapest seats in the Park?
I’m asking here to see if anybody’s gone before, see if there’s precedent, although I know it’s a new Stadium now.
Incredibly my cousin got tickets to game 5 of the 2000WS. How he managed to do that amazes me to this day.
Outside of the Yankees, the Hokies are the only other team that mean anything to me. As far as NFL is concerned I typically just root for my fantasy team and any former Hokie to play well (as long as they represent the school well, which has eliminated Vick, D. Hall, and Jimmy Williams). I will also root against any Boston team in any sport whether I really care or not. This comes from having a friend who loves Boston anything and loves to rub it in everyone’s face when his teams win, which has been far too much recently…
“How does Jeter compare” to other ML shortstops in history:
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/swe.....pare-.html
Beckett is having a great year, but he won’t win.
My money is on Greinke, Verlander number two pick.
Halladay is having a great year, but since the injury he hasn’t been as totally dominant as before it.
Wow. I must be very late to the party. Was everyone getting all excited about UZR because of what Neyer wrote in his MVP article this weekend?
I get the mock indignation of the article, but this part really gets to me:
“Frankly, I’m worried that the baseball writers are already conspiring to rob Joe Mauer — for the third time — of an award that should rightly be his.”
And how the heck do you compare UZR of a catcher [Mauer (1)] vs. a [1B Tex (8)] on the same list?
So is this some breaking news that Lucchino was the reason Teix didn’t sign with Boston? We knew this months ago.
Anyone disagree though with Lincecum?
I think he is a dead-lock for Cy-Young, unless they decide to give it to Dan Haren. I think Lincecum will get it though due to his ERA+Strikeouts.
I am not a fan of UZR. Personally, I think it measures outfielders more accurately than infielders.
Anything that rates both Tex and and Cano as sub average is not correct.
Mauer deserves MVP, and frankly Tex doesn’t even deserve runner up. Here’s why: http://pinstripedbible.mlblogs.com/
This is the best article I’ve seen on the subject so far.
Whether he deserves it or not though, I hope Tex wins MVP anyway.
oh m –
you need to head over to Twitter and check out comments/articles posted by Rob Neyer, Tyler Kepner and the NYY beat writers as a whole — it went on for at least four days and even got a smidge heated
Just checked,Beckett is going for the sux today,it’s a good chance they win.Hope CC gets a win.
Just heard a radio host calling the RS “FUBAR,” had to look up in Wikipedia.org, to find out what it means…..I see why they didn’t translate on air.
mauer’s team is 6 games under .500… that would be a joke
it would be like a-rod getting the MVP when he was with texas….
does Mauer deserve the award? yes
does Texeria getting the award, make up for Morneau getting the award (instead of Jeter) 3yrs ago? maybe
hey kelvin says-What about Cain?
It should be Haren. For the first half, the dude was an absolute moonster, he just dominated the league and deserved to start the ASG. He’s hit a bit of a rough patch which in a way makes him even more impresive because his numbers are STILL awesome.
Yankees, Giants, Nets
What a bizarre Giants game last night…
Mauer getting MVP would not be a joke. I disagree. It’s about value to the team. How many wins would Minnesota have were Mauer not there? Would they even be in contention in the overall bad AL Central? I doubt it. I consider contention 6 games.
Rangers are done in the playoff race, apparently they acquired Pudge Rodriguez. As we know from 2008, that spells the end of their playoff chances.
Yesterday’s Giants game was fun. You just know the Panthers did that on purpose, or at least sort of halfway on purpose.
SJ, I just like players to want to be Yankees…I don’t begrudge players the right to make as much $$$$ as they can, but over the years, it’s seemed as if players only came to NY because of the $$$. I’m not necessarily talking about this year – it’s been a pattern for a long time. I hope you’re right about Boras making that point deliberately….
Same old passive -aggressive clown who is too afraid to direct a post to me directly. It’s not like it’s not a waste anyway – unlike that person, I know how to ignore posts. Unlike that person, I don’t have a mean streak a mile long.
Ah, I never really cared about the reason players came here. Are they here? Good. Are they playing well? Great. That’s all that’s ever really mattered to me.
Wouldn’t dare say what fubar means out loud,but it is a very colorful description of the Sux as a team’ by far!!
Beckett deserves the Cy at this point…..and I think he’ll get it.
Lincecum stats:
WHIP 1.02
K’s 205
ERA 2.19
Haren stats:
WHIP 0.89
K’s 161
ERA 2.50
Lincecum has a slight advantage over Haren, Not insanely, but Lincecum has been more stable over the course of the season so far.
Rangers got Pudge?
If he’s as good as he’s supposed to be and not the totally awful automatic out he was with the Yankees, that’s a good move.
Anyone see Rob Neyer’s blog post about Jeter?
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/swe.....ort=oldest
Basically makes a case for Jeter to end up as the 2nd best hitting short stop behind only Honus Wagner. Using OPS+ to compare
Cain is an awesome pitcher as well, but he will be top 3 to 5 guy In the voting ballot.
“Rangers got Pudge?
If he’s as good as he’s supposed to be and not the totally awful automatic out he was with the Yankees, that’s a good move”
regardless of stats (didn’t check them) he looked like sh*t to me, in the WBC
betsy, he does NOT deserve the Cy at all!
Josh Beckett: ERA 3.10/WHIP 1.108/K thru 9 8.3
Zack Greinke: ERA 2.33 (wow)/WHIP 1.142/k thru 9 9.4
Greinke every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Rishi,
Thanks for that. Just browsed a bit. If Neyer’s not elibible to vote on these things, then I’d say he’s a little jealous. If he is, then I can’t see why he’d write such a thing.
See here’s the thing, Neyer keeps talking about this WAR stat and games won. It’s a team sport, and these players don’t singlehandedly win games. So, it’s a nifty little stat, but I wouldn’t use it as a large part of my argument.
I don’t care what Mauer’s numbers are, I’m a homer and I say Tex is the MVP. If the Twins were a contender, I’d be forced to change my mind. But they’re not, so I won’t. I place value on winning. Too bad for Mauer his team stinks, and that he plays in a small market. If you watch the Yankees everyday, and I’m assuming Kepner does, then you can see why Tex deserves MVP consideration. And it goes back to the crux of yesterday’s argument. You can’t measure everything a player does with stats alone.
how great would it be if Favre gets absolutely smashed around in one of the 2 games with Green Bay and his career is ended Joe Theisman style?
all his achievements will be secondary to the story of how his career ended.
There’s several pitchers in front of Beckett for Cy-Young because at the moment Beckett doesn’t lead in any category besides the Win Column.
Specifically, Greinke, Halladay, Verlander and Hernandez.
Rishi
Is Nirav the name of your cousin who saw Jeter last night?
Wow, just looked up Fubar on wikipedia.org,WOW!
vinny-b: So did Jeter.
Pudge is batting 280, OPS’ing 662, 8 HR. Not an automatic out at all. Still fairly productive.
Grrrrr, no more teasing of m for the curious mix of teams she has selected to root for! Enough!
(but you forgot the Jamaican National Domino Team)
The Raiders have been painfully bad for years but it’s a win for non-Raider fans who get to watch better games when the Raiders are blacked out.
Of course the Raiders were brutally robbed of a trip to the Super Bowl one snowy night in Foxboro.
I heard Jesse James use that term on the Apprentice. Is it really bad?
…But Tex isn’t even the runner up. From Goldman:
If Teixeira is to be ranked as the most valuable player in the league, he should also be the most valuable first baseman, but this is not obviously the case. Consider the top men at the position:
PA AVG OBP SLG OPS+ HR RBI R
Miguel Cabrera 484 .330 .397 .550 144 24 69 70
Kevin Youkilis 422 .311 .424 .564 149 20 66 70
Justin Morneau 514 .299 .387 .558 152 28 94 79
Mark Teixeira 523 .285 .382 .557 143 30 86 71
Kendry Morales 443 .304 .352 .574 135 25 62 76
Average 1B
.270 .352 .485
I’ve included RBIs and runs scored becomes some people like that sort of thing, though for the most part they indicate team offensive context more than they do individual performance. Grouped here, Teixeira’s season doesn’t stand out. He’s leading these first basemen in one category — home runs — and home runs by themselves don’t mean anything, or else Dave Kingman would have won a fistful of major awards. It’s overall production that counts, and Teixeira, while very good, can’t claim to be out-hitting any of them by a significant amount. The offensive case is also weakened by park factors. Not all of these cats are benefitting from their home parks the way Teixeira is from his. On the road he’s been very ordinary for a first baseman, batting only .262/.368/.480. Most of his damage has been done in Friendly Neighborhood Yankee Stadium II.
Four of the five are also on likely postseason teams, so you can kick the “played on a contender” platform out of the Teixeira plank. That leaves his strong defense to make the difference, and maybe that would be enough, if only first basemen were eligible for the award. There are, however, players at other positions having bigger years. The line starts with Twins catcher Joe Mauer, who is leading the league in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage at .377/.444/.626. By the standards of his position, his season has been historic. No catcher in the last 50 years has been as productive on a per-game basis. Only Mike Piazza’s 1997 comes close. Things could change — Mauer’s batting average could nose dive — but we’re dealing with present-day information.
Returning to the context of position, there is a Yankee having a bigger year by the standards of his position than Teixeira is by the standards of first base, and that’s Derek Jeter, presently batting .323/.390/.467. The average AL shortstop is batting .271/.325/.392. Before you say, “Ah-ha! Then Jeter is the MVP! Finally!” you have to cope with Jason Bartlett of the Rays, having a season that’s completely out of character but productive nonetheless at .342/.395/.538.
You could make the case that Jeter is the MVP if the Rays don’t make the playoffs. Tex, you really can’t.
“Trisha OPPC
August 18th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Bret Tompko needs to be re-signed!!!!!!”
See, only an idiot takes the time to shanghai someone else’s screenname, because only an idiot would want to risk getting banned just to post about something that obviously has distressed them.
Bye idiot!
Wait,
That’s an interesting article. I’m so glad I’m a fan, and not a voter.
As a fan, I can go with the best player on the best team method that seems to work in basketball and football.
Keeping fighting the good fight, though.
Betsy,
If all things were equal, CC would be pitching on the West Coast. The Yankees were not his first choice.
In the end, he signed with the Yankees.
Mark Teixeira wanted to be a Yankee more than CC did. It was just that the Yankees prioritized (correctly, IMO) starting pitching over a first baseman during free agency.
In the end, it worked out well for everybody except opponents of the Yankees. That’s all that matters.
Remember, first and foremost, this is a business and the players have a right to seek all offers and choose the best one that fits their needs regardless of location.
You can’t begrudge them that right because, when they can’t play anymore, teams have no problems discarding them.
This is what I think in this specific order.
Top 4 Cy-Young Candidates for each league
AL NL
____________ ____________
1. Greinke 1. Lincecum
2. Verlander 2. Haren
3. Hallday 3. Carpenter
4. Beckett 4. Cain
FUBAR
_ Up Beyond All Repair
I really hope Scott Boras writes a tell-all book someday.
I’m sure he has some great stories. He can describe how he used GM’s and how he worked the system to get his clients the best deal. He can tell us how miserable Lucchino is and who the best GMs to work with were.
Love him or hate him… he has done well for his clients and has revolutionized his profession.
Jeet should win MVP before Tex. At his position his only competition is Bartlett, who is a player on a team that might (I think will, but far to early to say for certain) miss the playoffs.
Jeter for MVP!
If the methodology leads to the conclusion that you can’t even make a case for Tex to be MVP, the methodology is flawed. He might not win in the end and he might not even deserve to but he would be in the top 2 or 3 in the voting if the season ended today. Thankfully, it doesn’t.
hey kelvin says-I would put it in this order:
1. Greinke 1. Lincecum
2. Halladay 2. Haren
3. Beckett 3. Carpenter
4. Verlander 4. Cain
Nick, I’m not saying he’s not in the conversatiom; he is, and will get some well deserved votes. I said he’s not the runner up.
Jetercould very well, and deservedly, win MVP. Mauer has the best numbers but is on a losing team. Bartlett has the best numbers as a SS but his team may very well miss the playoffs.
Start the campaign!
Pat you got it!
This is ridicuclous now. YESnetwork has a poll on who’s the best candidate for MVP, and Jeter isn’t even on it.
So we agree on NL, Pretty sweet.
Here’s the poll: http://web.yesnetwork.com/index.jsp
God I need a new Job.
Kill me.
You know there is a record of your comments, right?
“You could make the case that Jeter is the MVP… Tex, you really can’t.”
My CY Young winners
1. Sabathia (best pitcher on the best team)
2. Greinke
4. Beckett
5. Verlander
6. Cain
7. Lincecum
8. AJ Burnett
9. Felix Hernandez
10. Chris Carpetner
11. Chad Billingsly
Bartlet isnt even the MVP on his own team. Zobrist is.
Can’t make the case for Tex as MVP? LOL Come on, that’s ridiculous.
He’s either going to finish first or second in the MVP Voting if the Yankees continue on the path they are on for the next 6 weeks.
Yeah I need a job as well, I got my security license and still haven’t been hired by anyone.
What good is my associates degree in Criminal Justice :/
I wonder to myself, Is it even worth it to finish my Bachelors. I only got 3 semesters/1 year left for Bachelors.
Nick-Sorry then, what I meant to say is that while you could make a case for Tex as MVP, Jeter deserves it more than Tex, along with not one but several others.
There is a case to be made, but a highly flawed one.
I did not realize I had written that and apologize.
Apparently there are too many random statistics and too many comparable players on teams not as good as the Yankees that disqualify Teixeira from MVP consideration?
In the end what does it matter why a player comes to the Yankees. Heck, Bernie was willing to sign with the Sox if the Yankees did not meet his price…
Greinke will probably end up deserving the CY but he isn’t going to win, mainly because the Royals are awful and sports writers love to base this on “wins”. There are so many candidates in the AL this year, I could see it going to Beckett, Halladay, Verlander, Jackson, Hernandez, maybe even Sabathia if he goes on a great run for the rest of the season.
I think Lincecum will run away with the NL CY award.
I agree, that Jeter has been one of the MVPs of the season. His steady bat, and improved defense (thanks to Teixeira) have been there all season long.
I don’t know what Bartlett has to do with anything, you’ll not see him get top 5 votes except from the Florida writers.
But you’ll see very few people voting for Jeter over Tex. Jeter’s had 2 years he was robbed. In a year with a field that includes Tex, Mauer, Morneau, and even Abreu Jeter doesn’t have a chance.
Big names, big bats, and other things go into how these guys vote. They vote how they vote, and justify it afterwards.
SJ, did you read the article for pinstripedbible though?
Tex doesn’t even deserve runner up. Miguel Cabrera, Joe Mauer, Jason Bartlett and Derek Jeter all have better numbers than him, and right now at least two are on playoff teams.
There is a case to be made, but it’s a flawed one.
I forgive you. This time.
Just give the MVP to the player with the highest WAR at the end of the seaon. Take the human element away and let a spreadsheet pick the MVP.
If you adjust for position, Jeter has been more valuable than Tex this year… sort of. The problem is, this statement is partially based on UZR which kind of hates Tex.
Honestly Mauer should win the MVP running away. He has been the best player in the AL hands down.
Lincecum will be the fourth pitcher to win back to back Cy-Youngs in the NL if he does so. I believe he will win as well.
As for AL It’s difficult, but Cy-Young Award will possibly be handed to Greinke, Verlander , Halladay or Beckett. Don’t think anyone else has a chance even with a strong run.
Andrew-No.
Let’s look at Miguel Cabrera:
PA AVG OBP SLG OPS+ HR RBI R
Miguel Cabrera 484 .330 .397 .550 144 24 69 70
Now Tex: Mark Teixeira 523 .285 .382 .557 143 30 86 71
Cabrera is a first baseman on a first place, playoff team and his nubers are better than Texeira’s.
I WANT Tex to win, even if he doesn’t really deserve it, but he doesn’t really deserve it.
Tom,
Not sure if you are being sarcastic or not but I’m not a huge fan of WAR.
Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t WAR based partially on UZR? If that’s the case then catchers have a disadvantage.
Its Steve Goldman’s opinion. Its not gospel. Its one person’s opinion.
I watch every game and Tex has been one of the 3 best players in the AL this year. He’s a huge reason why the Yankees are the best team in baseball.
Everybody can play with stats to form an opinion.
Bottom line, if the Yankees finish with the best regular season record in the AL (the MVP voters have to have their ballots in by the end of the regular season), Tex is going to finish in the Top 2 or 3.
He will because deserves it. Stat parsing be damned.
there should be absolutely no stock put into the “UZR” stat. It’s a freaking joke. Tex is the best defensive first baseman in the league and UZR inexplicably has his defense as below average and COSTING THE YANKEES RUNS. For people to even create and put out a stat that is that far off and actually stand by it, is disgusting. Tex has plus range, an extremely accurate arm, 1 error all season. Below average defense? Just ridiculous. No one should pay attention to defensive stats, at all. They’re not reliable at all and it’s not surprising.
You know you are making an argument for Miguel Cabrera with offensive stat lines yet ignoring the fact that he is a DH masquerading as a first baseman, right? As an all-around player Teixeira is more valuable this year than Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera as a hitter is more dangerous and can post better numbers but if I had an MVP vote, no way would Miguel Cabrera be higher on my ballot than Teixeira, regardless of my bias.
I was being sarcastic, Patrick.
Um, SJ, no it’s not.
He’s comparing statistics. You didn’t read the article apparently, so you don’t even know the opinion.
He’s not playing with stats he’s reproducing them, accurately too. This is the best article I’ve seen so far.
You are just looking at raw offensive numbers and nothing else.
Do you take in his defensive play? Do you factor in that he’s playing in a tougher division and tougher market?
Its more than just looking up stats and deciding who should win.
Mark Teixeira has been a better all around player than Miguel Cabrera this year. In fact, its not really a contest when you factor in what Tex brings to the table defensively.
Its between Tex and Mauer for the award as we sit here today. Everybody else is fighting for the Bronze Medal at the present time.
“Returning to the context of position, there is a Yankee having a bigger year by the standards of his position than Teixeira is by the standards of first base, and that’s Derek Jeter, presently batting .323/.390/.467. The average AL shortstop is batting .271/.325/.392. Before you say, “Ah-ha! Then Jeter is the MVP! Finally!” you have to cope with Jason Bartlett of the Rays, having a season that’s completely out of character but productive nonetheless at .342/.395/.538.”
If you want to take out Cabrera because of defense, then there’s still Bartlett and Jeter. Bartlett is on a probable non-playoff team. That leaves Jeter as more deserving than Tex.
and LOL at Miguel Cabrera being the MVP… that’s funny… I don’t care what anyone says, the guy has zero chance of winning… 24 HRs and 70 RBIs???? lol… Tex bests those, and his glove has not only improved our 1B defense but our ENTIRE INFIELD, at least three fold over last year… our errors in the infield are down tremendously… sorry people Miguel Cabrera, no chance of MVP, none, zero, zip
and just wow at even mentioning Jason Bartlett, just wow
Like 24 HR’s is low? 70 RBI’s is low? Not to mention RBI’s are an odd stat affected as much by the team around you as you.
Cabrera doesn’t have a chance, you’re right, but he deserves a chance.
I read the story Wait. You think its gospel. I don’t.
I also think the majority of people who watch Tex everyday will not say Miguel Cabrera deserves the MVP Award over Tex.
Joe Mauer is the best player in the AL.
However, if his team finishes in third and under .500, and the Yankees finish with the best record in the AL, regardless of what Steve Goldman thinks, Tex is either going to win the award or finish second.
You know why? Because the voters put a lot of stock into playing on winning teams, being a winning player, and having a big role on a team winning who didn’t even make the playoffs last year.
That trumps stat parsing because voters are human beings and not computers.
I just have a problem voting a player on a losing team as the most VALUABLE in the league. Sure, the CY Young award can go to A Zach Greinke of a Roy Halladay because they are the best pitchers. I wouldn’t vote for either of them as the most ‘valuable’ player though…
JH, do you know Bartlett’s numbers?
Look them up.
He’s on a non playoff team though. Which is why I’d consider Jeter before Bartlett.
People Praise different aspects of the game, Texeira will get more recognition then Jeter in the ballot because of it.
Mauer & Texeira are top two, Jeter can be in the top 5 ballot though.
I’m being completely fair as well
“You know there is a record of your comments, right?”
nick in sf-
but you and i know for all practical purposes it’s very hard to look up what someone said a few months ago and really hard a year back.
it’s there , but good luck finding it.
i think a way to look up a history of what someone said would be an awesome addition to the blog.
Since when did I think it’s gospel? I think he’s not making up the stats. Goldman isn’t making an arguement based on intangibles or the always intersting “where would we be without player X?”, but reproducing the stats and then saying, accurately, that Tex is not in the top 2, even if you factor in defense and the playoff team theory, is true.
That’s hardly even up for debate. He wrote the stats down and said “Take a look”. And if you do, Cabrera has better numbers.
Worse defense? All right then. Jeter, compared to other AL shortstops, has more value than Tex.
Tex is not the MVP.
Brett who?
You are cutting the argument two ways to distort the facts and hammer home your “anyone but Teixeira for MVP” stance.
First Teixeira didn’t deserve it because Miguel Cabrera, purely from a statistical standpoint, is almost his equal and is also on a team that would be in the playoffs right now. So, that is a purely offense statistics argument.
However, now you are willing to discount Cabrera when his defense and overall value is brought up, but your response is to champion Jeter, who from a pure offensive statistics standpoint is not outperforming Teixeira. So what’s the argument going to be? Offensive performance? Offensive performance + positional scarcity?
Tom,
Okay good
SJ44,
Tex has been nowhere near as valuable as Mauer.
If you look at the big sluggers in the AL there are several 1B that are near the top in all the offensive categories. Teixeira, Morneau, Youkilis and Cabrera. They have all been GREAT at the plate. Youkilis’ numbers look a bit better but that’s mainly due to playing half his games in Fenway.
Considering how close all 4 of those guys are with the bat you have to look defense. We both know that Tex is a wizard with the glove but the stats don’t really show that so we can’t really trust stats with the rest of the guys either. Youk is also a great defender. Morneau is okay, Cabrera is bad.
So looking at it like this I’d say Mauer is easily the best candidate for MVP, Youkilis and Teixeira are about tied for #2 and several other players would vie for 3rd.
ummm…new post
Andrew-Jeter is more valuable than Tex because Jeterif we lost Jeter our team would be in worse place than if we lost Tex. Which is the defintion of most valuable player.
Just take out the word Jeterif. Typo.
Yes, randy, but it’s not that hard when it was something they said 5 comments ago.
Another potential benefit to registration on this blog would be the ability to see past comments.
Saying that Jeter is a better candidate for MVP is based solely on UZR and positional adjustment. In reality, Tex is a much better defender and this year he’s been a much better hitter. However, because UZR doesn’t do Tex any justice and because Jeter plays SS, Derek is considered more valuable.
I see why you guys are making the argument, I simply think it is very flawed.
The fact of the matter is, Joe Mauer is by far the best player in the AL this year. This argument about Tex means absolutely nothing.
You are doing it again. You have no idea how to read stats.
You don’t put up numbers side by side to make comparisons because the comparisons aren’t equal.
Tex plays in a tougher division and a tougher market.
Miguel Cabrera doesn’t face the Red Sox and Rays pitching staffs 36 times a year. He also doesn’t have to face Roy Halladay 4-5 times a year.
Conversely, Tex doesn’t face the Royals and Twins pitching staffs 36 times a year.
Side by side stat comparisons without context are meaningless.
As of today, whether Steve Goldman or you want to believe it or not, Mauer and Tex are 1-2 in the MVP Voting to the people who matter…..the voters.
How it plays out is anybody’s guess.
To downgrade Tex’s candidacy based on incorrectly evaluating offensive stats is comical.
That’s what a couple of voters did who intentionally downgraded Jeter a couple of years ago, cheating him out of an MVP Award.
In an attempt to look smart, they looked dumb.
Same thing here to those who want to try and sell guys like Bartlett and Cabrera over Tex as an MVP Candidate.
How on Earth do you quantify that about losing Jeter vs. losing Teixeira? How can you say that the team would be better off without Teixeira in the lineup as long as Jeter was still around, but not vice versa? What, because it’s easier to replace a first baseman? How did the Yankees’ first base situation look before Teixeira from an all-around standpoint, remind me? Yes losing Jeter would be catastrophic, losing both guys would be catastrophic. But that is not the reason why Jeter should get an edge in MVP consideration. You can go the “anyone but Teixeira” route all you want, but his name is going to be 1st or 2nd in MVP voting come the fall, barring a big performance slowdown.
It’s not based solely on UZR.
Forget UZR. It’s obvious w/o UZR how much Jeter’s defense has improved. Take that into account with Jeter’s greta numbers and the feact he’s a SS, as well tas the idea that at least offensively Cabrera is better than Tex, not to mention that Bartlett is on a probable non-playoff team, and Jeter is a better MVP candidate than Tex.
Congrats, Trisha, on being an Aunty again. Enjoy!
If Teixeira is not in the conversation for MVP voting, it’s the wrong conversation.
Unless a player has stats that are so far and away better than any other player’s and everyone else is mediocre by comparison, the MVP should go to a player on a team in contention, ideally on a team that goes to the playoffs.
However, what often happens with the Yankees is that there are so many gifted players who contribute to a winning season, they end up cancelling each other out.
He plays in a tougher division and tougher market…that sounds kind of fishy to me. Better numbers are better numbers in NY or Alaska.
Patrick,
I agree that Mauer is the best player in the AL. I also think that if his team finishes in third place, he MVP candidacy is going to take a hit.
Tex’s value to the Yankees this year has been immense.
Offensively and defensively, he’s a big reason they now have the best record in baseball. The winning part of it does factor in, IMO.
That’s why he passes all of the candidates except for Mauer.
Its going to be a 2 horse race unless one of them stumble or someone else has a huge September.
“Jeterif we lost Jeter our team would be in worse place than if we lost Tex. Which is the defintion of most valuable player.”
I’d like to see everyone stay healthy but what do you base a Jeter loss hurting the team more than Tex?
By your definition, Alex is the MVP. They were in a much worse place without him.
You say that because yes, SS’s are harder to replace than first basemen.
Consider for a moment: Tex down. Swisher takes his place. Melky, Hirston, Damon in the OF, Gardner replacing Hairston when he’s healthy.
Jeter down. Pena takes his place. And Pena is kjust not a good offensive player. He’s a far worse offensive player than Swisher. He’s also worse than Hairston or Gardner. SS’s are far harder to replace than first basemen.
I don’t get why people think I’m having an “anybody but Tex” campaign. I love Tex. He’s fast become one of my favorite players. But when you objectively look at the MVP race, Tex shouldn’t win.
You really think playing in NY is like playing in any other market?
If you do, then there is no reason to continue this conversation because you have no idea what you are talking about.
I’ve never heard of a guy falling apart like Chuck Knoblauch, Eric Soderholm, Ed Whitson, and even Randy Johnson to a degree, playing in Minnesota or Detroit.
NY is an entirely different animal (as is Boston) when it comes to playing in a baseball. A completely different stratosphere when it comes to playing in smaller markets.
Alex is not the MVP because I don’t think the was the only reason we went on this terriffic run. Granted, Alex was a mega improvement on Ransom and Pena, but correlationdoes not equal causation While Alex helped he was far from the sole reason we did well. He wan’t even really the main reason, unless the pitchers were inspired by his presence.
No, I don’t think playing in NY is like playing in another market.
But I’m willing to bet that Mauer woulddo fine in NY. Or Cabrera, for that matter.
Chuck Knoblauch had several good years in NY.
Reggie Jackson played in NY, hated it (or at least it semed like he did) an put up great numbers.
Scott Brosius had his BEST years in NY. Does that mean NY is much easier for guys like Brosius to play in? Not to mention, the New Stadium isn’t exactly hurting Tex’s numbers. If he played in Detroit he wouldn’t have had that short RF porch to shoot for.
SJ44,
You can argue all you want about Tex playing in a harder market, etc than Cabrera but the fact remains – they are about equal at the plate this year. You don’t even need to go down that road. Tex’s defense pushes him above Cabrera pretty significantly.
You are probably right that the MVP race will come down to Mauer and Tex which I think is wrong. I hate the fact that sportswriters put so much stock into what team a player plays for when deciding the MVP. It really shouldn’t matter at all. Mauer has been far more valuable than Tex this year, he should win the MVP.
Wait,
Read what I said please. I didn’t say “solely on UZR” I said the argument for Jeter is based on UZR and position adjustment.
If UZR was accurate Tex would be far above Jeter in terms of defense. Sure, shortstop defense is more important than 1B defense. The fact remains, Tex is a much better defender.
As in, some players can’t handle it at all, which makes NY different, but most really good players can.
Patrick, I read what you said. Tex is a much better defender. But SS is a harder and more valuable position than first, and Jeet is outperforming other SS’s not named Bartlett, who if you want to go down that route is on a non playoff team.
I agree with you on Mauer though.
Wait,
Yes I know SS is a harder position. I acknowledged that several times. You haven’t really said anything beyond that. Are you guesstimating how much more valuable an SS is? That’s what it sounds like.
I think we’ve exhausted this argument. In my opinion Tex is a better defender and this year has been MUCH better at the plate. Jeter playing at SS helps his cause but not enough.
!
This is great news. It is little things like this that show how much the Yankee clubhouse has changed in the past couple of years. The players are having fun, and going out there to play baseball. Sure Joe Torre ran a strict no nonsense clubhouse, and that worked for the players he had. His biggest problem was being unable to adapt to the newer players that Cashman signed, who were not as businesslike as the old team. Giradi has done a great job allowing every player to be themselves and I think for the first time in a long time we actually have great team chemistry.
OMG!! Players are real people just like us?