Hit it far, then you can jog
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Aug 24, 2009 
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Hideki Matsui had his knee drained on Aug. 15. He is only 6 for 23 since, but four of those hits were home runs against the Red Sox over the weekend.
Even via transator Roger Kahlon, Matsui let his sense of humor come through.
“The home runs are good,” he said. “They make it much easier on the knees.”
I don’t believe the Yankees will retain Matsui after this season given his limitations and the need moving forward to give other aging players time as the DH. But Godzilla will be missed. His 162-game average is 25 homers, 95 runs scored and 105 RBI. The man produces runs.
“They said 50/50 on whether he gets additional surgery this year.”
How can that be? Have they seen Alex run the bases or dive for balls to his left? He needs more surgery. The surgery he just had allows him to play, but not at 100%.
I liked Jeter’s post game comments regarding Matsui last night: “He’s my favorite player right now.” Kim asked if he told Matsui that. He said, “Yes.” Kim asked in English or Japanese. Jeter said “In English. He can speak English. Don’t be fooled. We don’t need Roger (Matsui’s translator) around here.”
Phil
good call on wide DiMaggio stance.. He was so skinny, amazing what those guys did then.
If I was BOS, I’d replace Big PopUp with Matsui.
I commend Alex for the job he’s doing in spite of the surgery, but he has almost no range at this point. Hopefully either surgery or more rehab in the off season will get him back to 100%.
Laura,
I would too. That would be a great move for them.
Matsui’s the consummate pro.
Man, I wish we could keep him and Johnny after this year…
Matsui does his interviews in Japanese for his people back home. If his knees weren’t so bad I would re-up Matsui to play left. But I think it’s goign to come down to Damon or Matsui. And I think Matsui will be a little easier to replace than Damon. That’s where the Posada deal hurts. Jorge is losing it behind the plate, and will have to DH more the next two years. That pushes one of those, if not both, players out.
RBIs are a team stat, meaning that you can’t drive in runs unless you come up with men on base.
Matsui is a solid hitter:
Career: .853 / OPS 124 OPS+
His knee problems prove that consecutive game streaks are stupid.
Don’t fix what is broken.
Bring back the same offense next season.
Who else is going to replace the offense of Damon and Matsui?
Posada at DH, Molina/Cervelli at C weakens our team
Damon at DH, Gardner AND Melky/Jackson in the OF weakens our team
I have already deemed that both will be Yankees.
Laura
If I was BOS, I’d replace Big PopUp with Matsui
__
No you wouldn’t because you would owe Ortiz $12.5 million next year.
Another reason I want the Yanks to win it all this year is so Matsui can get a ring. He is underappreciated by a lot of Yankees fans.
sweet lou
So you want to continue to carry three OF/DH (Damon, Matsui, Hinske)who can’t play defense, and another in Swish who isn’t great either. That is not great roster construciton.
The team that makes the most sense for Matsui is Seattle.
They are one of the few teams that a)need a bat badly and b) have a spot open for a DH.
Given the Asian population there, having two of the biggest stars in the history of Japanese baseball would also be quite the draw.
Not that he would replace MAtsui, but the Yanks could bring back Nady next year, probably cheaper too.
Matsui isn’t coming back next year.
As with Abreu last year, you appreciate the work they he has done here but, its time to move on.
You are always left with tough choices in an off-season.
However, if you are to choose between Damon and Matsui, you choose Damon everytime and use Matsui’s money to shore up other areas of the team.
Family Guy
Nady has no plate discipline and he isn’t good defensively. The Yankees want to be grinders and support their pitching with good defense. Nady doesn’t fit with that plan.
I’d imagine Boston goes after a third baseman next year and uses Lowell as their primary DH (if Ortiz isn’t there).
Re: Matsui
As Branch Rickey once said, it is better to let a player go a year too early, rather than a year too late.
I don’t see why you wouldn’t bring both Matsui and Damon back next year. If it comes to it, Godzilla might lose 75-100 at bats or so given the playing time that you might have to give George at DH, but who else really needs time there? If Alex needs time at DH with the length and size of the contract that he has, then we’re in serious trouble.
SJ, I was probably being hard on Coke,in saying he’s iffy, but I still don’t trust him completely. I’m not even referring to his few blow ups, where he’s given up several runs. I’m referring to his tendency to give up big HRs in big spots. Good point, though, about managing the pen in the playoffs. We’ll have to hope that we get length from the starters……..
LOL I know the old timers hate it, but I have no problem with players from other teams hanging out……though it does seem odd for Sox/Yanks to be doing it during the middle of a series.
If A-Rod has his surgery in the off season, is he back in time for spring training?
When looking at Matsui, we have to see what he’s done for us the past four years. He’s played about half his contract. He’s playing strong now, but it’s a contract year. He’s having his knees drained regularly. Even if we decided to try and bring him back it has to be on a one year deal, maybe with an option. I think he could get three from an offense starved team.
Famialy Guy, Nady is done, not worth bringing back except for some small deal with incentives. Matsui won’t be coming back, but Damon will, he’s having a monster season at the plate, and without Matsui, he will be able to split DH time with Posada, Arod, and spelling guys like Jeter and Tex every once in a while. This will allow you to break in AJax either in center or left (with Melky playing the other), Gardner on the bench, spelling Swisher, it should work out pretty well.
Agreed that Seattle is the best place for Matsui, though I don’t know if Ichiro’s ego would appreciate that much…
“RBIs are a team stat, meaning that you can’t drive in runs unless you come up with men on base.”
Right. But RBI also can’t be trivialized. You need men to get on base, but you still need to be able to drive them home once they’re on base. Point in case, Robinson Cano.
As much as I like Matsui you have to keep that DH slot open for aging stars like Posada, A-Rod and Jeter. You can throw Damon in there for good measure who should be DHing on the road in parks that have turf. Hopefully Matsui will go somewhere out of the division because the guy was never anything but clutch. I’d hate to have to face #55 playing for Boston next year. That would be awful.
next year will be interesting.
damon
matsui
pettitte
molina possibly gone.
melky is obviously not an everyday player,gardner either.
we might need a cf,lf,pitcher & rf is an issue so the entire of may need to be replaced.
Its money, age, health and roster flexibility issues is why you don’t bring Matsui back next year.
Teams change from year to year.
If Andy Pettitte wants to come back for example, you are going to have to pay him more than 5.5 million base (what’s he’s getting this year) because he’s earned it.
If they non-tender Wang, which I believe they will, and let Matsui and Molina go, that’s almost 20 million to work with this off-season.
Damon and Pettitte will most likely get a chunk of that money if they are to remain with the Yankees.
The rest can be used to shore up other areas of the team or to retain some of their current bench options.
SJ,
What would you do if you were the Yanks in the OF next year? Would you continue with a Damon, Mekly/Gardner, and Swisher OF, or would you be looking to make a trade to improve the talent out there?
“He needs more surgery.”
The doctors don’t seem to be in 100% agreement with your diagnosis.
Maybe rest and rehab will be enough. Utley and Lowell both had their surgery in the fall and rehabbed for 4-5 months with no stress on it. Alex had it 5 months ago and came right back and played on it.
Hopefully we won’t find out until some time in November instead of October how they are going to go forward.
Slade Heatchott just got his first professional hit in the GCL today.
His average is all the way up to .500 (1 – 2) – so I guess the draft is now an overwhelming success.
Erica,
Depends on when he has the surgery.
If the Yankees play (hopefully) deep into the post-season, he’s probably not going to have the surgery (if he needs the second surgery) until Late-November/Early December.
That means, he’s probably out until May 1. At least that’s the estimated timeline for this surgery. Its usually a 4-5 month rehab.
Sui is having a great year but with all the older guys on the team, they can’t have a full time DH in 2010.
I think Damon comes back if they give him 2 years, but that is probably 50/50.
Let’s see them win the WS and worry about next year come November…
“Who else is going to replace the offense of Damon and Matsui?”
People said the same thing about Abreu and Gimabi last year and it seems to working out okay this year.
I think Damon finds his way back to the Yanks. His comments lately make it seem he is open to reasonable negotiations.
5 iron was it an XBH or single?
SJ44-
Okay. I can live with a May 1st return. For all complaining about A-Rod that goes on, the fact is this team always looks better with him. When A-Rod is not in the line up you notice it.
The Yankees have about $166 million tied into contracts for next season. If the budget is around $200 million they should have some room to be flexible…
Matsui does his interviews in Japanese for his people back home. If his knees weren’t so bad I would re-up Matsui to play left. But I think it’s goign to come down to Damon or Matsui. And I think Matsui will be a little easier to replace than Damon. That’s where the Posada deal hurts. Jorge is losing it behind the plate, and will have to DH more the next two years. That pushes one of those, if not both, players out.
———
I thought it’s easier to replace Damon; Matsui CAN carry the team when he’s hot, while Damon can’t, though I understand that they’re two different types of players.
Boston owes Ortiz big $$, but will Ortiz be around until his contract is up? The Mariners going after Matsui makes a lot of sense for a number of reasons, but I don’t see why the Boston will shy away from getting Matsui, either.
Red Sox and Yanks dining together! Horrors!
What would Jim Rice say?
Actually, having seen the rivalry during the ’70s, it’s hard for me to imagine say, Graig Nettles and Bill Lee sharing dinner at NYY Steak…or anywhere else for that matter.
Single on ground ball to left field according to milb.com.
John Murphy has another hit today. Not bad for first couple professional games.
The draft/slot system is ridiculous. These guys should have been playing for almost two months already.
Well, hopefully the Yankees will win the world series this season and Matsui will get his ring in pinstripes.
SJ44
August 24th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
If they non-tender Wang, which I believe they will, and let Matsui and Molina go, that’s almost 20 million to work with this off-season.
Damon and Pettitte will most likely get a chunk of that money if they are to remain with the Yankees.
============================================================
I’m not sure how that works.
Are we assuming the Yankees will have the same payroll next year or less?
They are paying Damon and Pettitte already and we can assume they are not getting raises.
Seems to me the money for Wang, Sui, and Molina can be use some were else. Like another OF and Pitcher.
I see that the Yankees need another OF even if Damon comes back; Damon should be 50% DH.
If Andy leave/retires they need another pitcher; Hughes replaces Wang.
Everyone says Matsui isn’t coming back but I don’t think that’s set in stone. I think there’s a chance that he returns.
I don’t see the need for “other aging players” to DH. Who are we talking about here? Posada? He’s proven that he can still catch on a regular basis. He will need a day here and there to DH but that’s it. A-rod, if he doesn’t get surgery, will need a day here and there. Other than that I don’t see it. The Yanks have had to deal with those two guys this year, why can’t they manage it next year?
I think the Yanks could bring back both Damon and Matsui as the LF and DH respectively. Sure you lose some defense with Damon in LF but his offense more than outweighs it.
The only negative I see for bringing Matsui back is the risk factor. There is a fairly high risk that he goes down for an extended period of time with a knee injury. Depending on the dollar amount, the Yanks might take that risk.
The bottom line is, where is Matsui’s production coming from next year? You have to get someone that fills the void he leaves and I’m not sure anyone with his bat is available.
If I was BOS, I’d replace Big PopUp with Matsui.
—————-
I can see Matsui now…with the shaved head and Goatee…
Five Iron From Fenway
August 24th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Slade Heatchott just got his first professional hit in the GCL today.
His average is all the way up to .500 (1 – 2) – so I guess the draft is now an overwhelming success.
================
Mentioned this on Swisher thread:
Heathcott is playing CF in his debut.
What’s really cool – and Brandon Knicks, you will appreciate this – Sosa is playing LF and De Leon RF to bookend him.
That’s some athletic, high-end OF we have to look forward to down the road
.
A lot can happen between now and the end of the year before we can think about 2010.
I would re-sign Damon to a shorter term deal. I think that will happen.
I would still go with a Gardner/Cabrera CF setup because I don’t believe Austin Jackson is ready yet to be an everyday player at the ML level.
I would then look around for a RH OF bat to rotate in the OF with Swisher and Damon.
I’m a big believer in roster flexibility these days.
A big reason why the Yankees are where they are is they have a bench good enough to rotate guys and keep them fresh.
Its even going to be more important next year as Damon, Posada, Jeter, and Arod aren’t getting any younger.
It will suck to say goodbye, but with Posada slowing down, ARod’s hip, Damon, etc. it will be good to have more flexibility in that DH spot.
When healthy, Godzilla has produced, no doubt.
I just don’t think they’ll non-tender Wang. I know this is a cold business, but you don’t discard a guy who won you 46 in 2 1/2 seasons, and if not for bad luck, would continue to be a solid #3 on the team.
I see them taking a flyer a la the former Cubs pitcher (whose name escapes me – must be a senior moment) circa 2003-2004.
Ichiro hates Matsui, so Matsui will never play for Seattle. And he will not go to Boston.
So his options are very limited. Is it such an end of the world for the Yankees to bring him back at 6-8 mil/year to play may be 2/3 of the games at DH? Tellem is not Boras, so I think it’s easier to bring him back than Damon.
I’m not sure I’d bring Pettitte back despite his 2nd half prowess. We need someone to anchor the rotation in the middle, be a good #3 – that is not Andy. Maybe Joba will be terrific next year, but maybe he won’t – you can’t have him as the #3, Andy as #4 and Phil as #5. I think that is a weak rotation…….
Damon has talked about wanting to DH more next year.
If that’s the case, he may get the bulk of the DH AB’s and they may be in the market for a corner OF.
They have enough prospects to find a good one if that’s the case.
Does anyone think that Damon will look at what happened to Abreu this past winter, and find a 1-year reasonable offer from the Yankees attractive enough?
And get rid of molina. He’s causing all kinds of problems with the pitchers.
Betsy,
That “weak” rotation is better than 80% of the rotations in the league.
Andy is the perfect bridge if healthy. The guy eats innings, works with young pitchers well, and understands how to pitch in NY.
There are no pitchers on the free agent market worth pursuing this off-season.
Most teams in baseball would kill for a 2010 rotation of CC, AJ, Pettitte, Joba and Phil.
That’s the best 5 man rotation in baseball.
Jeter is getting older but he’s been a very good fielder this year. Better than average which for him is really saying something.
Posada doesn’t need to DH that much, he can still catch 120+ games a year.
If A-rod gets the surgery he can still play 3B the majority of games. He’s DH’d a good bit this year but assuming the surgery fixes the problem he won’t need to as much in 2010 and beyond.
Damon I could see needing more time at DH.
If Cashman can get Matsui on a 1-2 year deal at a low enough $ amount I think he should pull the trigger. It’s risky but he is such an impact bat it’s tough to see him go.
Projected 2010 rotation=
Sabathia
Burnett
Joba
Hughes
????
I’d like to see Ian Kennedy at least COMPETE for the spot
Man, is this a sign all is well in the Yankee universe or what? Or biggest debate right now is who is our 2010 rotation and DH
Just give Matsui bionic knees. Then he can play some more left field and Damon can DH more.
We have the technology.
“Damon has talked about wanting to DH more next year.”
I didn’t hear anything about that. Do you have a link or something?
By the way, I do agree with 2 points you made. Melky and Gardner make a perfect duo at CF, I see them there next year. Jackson isn’t ready yet.
I also agree that the Yanks will probably non-tender Wang. It really makes me sad to say this but what other option do they have? They aren’t going to pay him 5-6 mil to rehab unless they are extremely confident that he will be back to 100% by mid-year.
Have the Yankees announced their pitching rotation for the next several days? I’m going to the game on Sunday, and then I’m heading down to Baltimore to see the Yanks again the next day. I would figure I’ll see Joba on Sunday and Mitre on Monday. Has anyone heard differently?
Meanwhile, this will be my first trip to Camden Yards. Any tips on what to see, do, or eat, or where to park? I tried to buy some sort of parking permit when I ordered my tickets, but they were all sold out. Is there cash parking on game days?
My heart says keep Matsui 1 more year, but my head says otherwise.
He’s 35, breaking down fast from years of physical wear & tear, and his options are severely limited. If he can’t play LF anymore he’s restricted to the AL – and while SEA makes the most sense if it’s true about Ichiro then Matsui’s options drop even further.
I can see him retiring, especially if NYY win the WS, or returning to Japan for a farewell tour
An OF of Damon, Cabrera/Gardner, Swish is pretty bad. I don’t think we can count on our two CFs to do what they did this year……..Yanks have issues in the OF, no doubt about it.
With Cervelli available, I don’t see the Yankees paying Jose Molina 2 million to back up Jorge.
I like Jose a lot and he’s been great for the team.
However, this is when you have to make the tough calls if you are a GM.
400K for Cervelli vs. 2 million for Molina. That’s an easy call if you are Cashman.
Damon wants to stay and the Yankees want him back. That means, they will come to a meeting of the minds, IMO.
Much like it was with David Cone in his final Yankee years, I think they will go year to year with Johnny and he will be on board with it.
Patrick
August 24th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
“Damon has talked about wanting to DH more next year.”
***
I read something similar to that as well. I think it was in the Post. Damon said DHing has helped his legs a lot
You can never have enough pitching. If Andy still has gas in the tank, it makes sense.
Next season Hughes will be the one with IP limitations. We’ve been incredibly blessed so far that none of the starters beyond Wang have gone on the DL (knock on wood).
Boston was 8 deep, and how did that work out? Okay, I know half of them were collecting social security, but it’s too early to turn our nose at Andy.
Betsy – that was one of your dumber comments.
That rotation will be fine.
Why are we even discussing next season….this season is still a long way from over. Why not focus more on JOBA Chamberlain.
I want to see how this time off has helped (or hurt) him. I want to see if he can show us that he can be a reliable 4th starter in the playoffs (or long reliever). Texas has a good lineup and it will be a good test tomorrow night for Joba.
I wonder if Cashman is willing to deal any of his prospects….and it seems that teams don’t like anyone other than Joba, Phil (who are no longer prospects), Montero and maybe AJax….I’m not sure who the Yankees could acquire for the OF.
SJ, that’s only if Joba performs up to his ability and Phil doesn’t have a ton of growing pains. You’d have to have a lot of faith in Andy to keep pitching like this…..I’m not sure that I do, especially as a #3. Weak is too strong, but I think that rotation has a lot of ? in it.
Bod – They are still a long, long way away, but add them to Melky, Gardner, Ajack, Almonte, Mesa, Deleon, Sosa, and Duran (in the Dominican but reports are he is the real deal), and there are a bunch of guys that might step up. They are also layered across the system with guys at least one guy worth following at pretty much every level.
Catcher is stacked in the organization.
Pitching is pretty good, although injuries have derailed that a bit.
Utility players are stacked.
Infielders – Adams, Corban Joseph, Pena, Nunez and others are also becoming a strength.
Nice balances farm system.
If we are talking about 2010…..SJ – Where is Matt Holiday going next year? Boston? Do you think they let Bay walk and sign Holliday? I do.
I would use Matsui/Damon money to go after him and if I can resign Damon for cheap 2 year deal that’s fine. If you have Holliday replacing Matsui and protecting A-rod that would be a major upgrade.
This is an interesting discussion and I’m sure the Yankees have had it internally multiple times. It’s not easy.
Matsui has plenty of life left in that bat, but there appears to be nothing left in his knees. Damon makes much more sense for a variety of reasons, but the Yanks still have to pursue the goal of getting younger, more athletic and cheaper.
I wouldn’t rule out Nady at a reasonable cost. If Nady and Austin Jackson replace Matsui and Hinske the Yanks get younger, cheaper and more athletic. When Cervelli replaces Molina those goals will also be served.
Alex can run, but he has no “fast twitch” defensively. My guess is he’ll have surgery again in early November with the hopes of being ready by mid-March. By the way ESPN had a great analysis of his HR and how much better his balance is when he gets that front foot down quickly.
That “pretty bad OF” has the best record in baseball this year.
CF play has been solid. Damon has played much better LF in the last two months. Swisher, while a thrill a minute in RF, is a HUGE upgrade over Abreu defensively.
Its not going to be an all star at every position team.
They tried that for 7 years and it didn’t work.
Its all about roster flexibility and the OF is the only place they will be flexible because their infield is locked up from a contractual standpoint.
Patrick,
Tyler Kepner, Pete and Kay (on both his radio show and some of the game broadcasts) have talked about Damon wanting to DH more and how much he likes it.
I think he’s going to be a half and half player next year. Half of the time at DH and half of the time in LF.
Patrick: I do not have the link, but there was a profile of Damon in the New York Times a few days ago, during the Oakland series (I think on the day CC pitched, the Tuesday), so if you search their sports archive you’ll find it.
As I recall, he says that DH’ing more often helps him rest his legs, which improves his offensive game. Rested legs would presumably also help him when he does play in the outfield.
I really don’t care what you think about my comments, Evan…except that I would need a calculator to go through the number of ones you’ve made. YOu also clearly have no ability to be civil..Since you’re not interested in having a discussion, I’m ending this with you right now.
Expect to see a host of AL teams interested in Matsui as DH.
“melky is obviously not an everyday player,gardner either.”
And yet they play every day for the team with the best record in baseball.
Explain that?
NO team has what some shortsighted fans consider an “every day player” 1 through 9.
EVERY team carries average players, most teams several below average players.
SJ,
Did you see my question about Hughes?
I noticed after he came back in September, he had a great start. But Toronto was fouling off ball after ball.
Yesterday, same thing. Not too many swings and misses, but the hitters weren’t able to square up and put the ball into play. Lots of fouls to the back screen.
Players seem late on their swing or something. I’m just curious if all the fouls to the back screen is a good thing or bad thing.
SJ, no doubt…..and I agree about not needing an all-star at every position. We’re talking next year, though. Do you really think Brett and Melky can give us what they gave us this year? I think it’s asking a lot of them…..
The one prospect you don’t deal in Montero. Apart from him, injuries have killed their mL depth. I would trade AJack and McAllister in the right deal for a young OFer who can SLG and play defense.
From Heyman today-
The Yankees intend to try to bring back Johnny Damon, probably for about $6-8 million a year (that’ll be the first offer, anyway), and might be willing to give him a second year. Damon’s been saying in the papers all year that he wants to be back, which is quite a departure from the usual free-agent script and could mean he’s that rare player amenable to a below-market contract. Yankees management loves Damon personally, too, and that doesn’t hurt.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....z0P7lseHLu
“You can never have enough pitching.”
m, I agree, and I’m glad you’ve come around to that point of view from your earlier “no room for Chapman, we’re stuffed with pitching” stance.
abe
August 24th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Ichiro hates Matsui, so Matsui will never play for Seattle.
*********
Is that accurate? That surprises me, but if its true, I have a solution: make a trade to bring Ichiro to New York.
pat
August 24th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
From Heyman today-
The Yankees intend to try to bring back Johnny Damon, probably for about $6-8 million a year (that’ll be the first offer, anyway), and might be willing to give him a second year. Damon’s been saying in the papers all year that he wants to be back, which is quite a departure from the usual free-agent script and could mean he’s that rare player amenable to a below-market contract. Yankees management loves Damon personally, too, and that doesn’t hurt.
************
:Erica screams loudly in celebration: Can you hear me????
Nady is probably not going to be ready until April or May of next year. That makes it dicey in terms of re-signing him.
I could see a guy like Hinske coming back because he has value to a playoff team off the bench. Plus, he saw how miserable he was when he was playing more in Pittsburgh.
I think Holliday is going to re-sign with the Cardinals and the Red Sox will re-sign Jason Bay.
The big key for the Yankees this off-season is, they have a lot of roster flexibility because of the emergence of some of their young players such as Hughes, Pena, Gardner, Robertson, Cervelli, etc.
You can plug those guys into roles on the 25 man roster and not tie up a lot of money. That’s a good thing for the Yankees because it will allow them to be aggressive with in season deals if need be.
Its taken Cashman 4 years to obtain this kind of roster flexibility. I don’t think he’s going to dry it up this off-season.
Besides loving the club, Damon probably loves that right field porch. Virtually all of his HR have come at NYS, like it was built just for him. Damon’s Deck.
People can’t time Hughes properly because his curveball is so nasty, which I think is the reason for all the foul balls against him. Hitters wait for the ball to get deeper into the strike zone so they are not way out in front of the curve and end up fouling his fastball off. That’s why his velocity does not need to be 95 to 96 as a starter to still be effective: if he is locating and his curveball is good, he can have a lineup off balance.
Also, he did still overpower Jason Bay last night with a 96 mile an hour fastball over the plate. So, Phil can still throw it by people.
Everybody will line up for the Yankees players that are let go.
Molina could end up with Bawstin,or a host of teams,Veritek is on his last leg.
The Molina brothers(Yadier,Bengie,Jose) are one catching family.
Nick,
LOL. There’s always room for a true Yankee.
“Do you really think Brett and Melky can give us what they gave us this year? I think it’s asking a lot of them…..”
Why not? Cabrera’s OPS is actually the 2nd best of his career and Garnder has no track record.
What makes you think they CAN’T duplicate or even improve on it?
Andrew,
Thanks for that explanation. I know that before when Phil was sitting 93-94 you often heard the comment that the ball would get there before you know it. Like it was sneaky fast. I couldn’t believe Gameday was showing 97. I guess he’s got his legs under him, haha. His mechanics must be back, too. That’s some nasty stuff he’s showing.
I wonder if the players will vote Chapman a partial WS share. Just to make him feel welcome.
SJ – MATSUI IS COMING BACK NEXT YEAR!
Okay, I know I already said it before but now I am saying it for the record.
I truly believe he is, unless he wants out – which I don’t think he does. Maybe it will only be a one-year contract, who knows.
Anyway, I am on a roll with my guesses about things. Last night I said the reason Molina was catching was because Joe liked the tandem and you and everyone else insisted it was totally because of the schedule.
(pat myself on the head)
Now I have made some wrong guesses. One was that Tex wouldn’t be a Yankee. Another was that Moose was coming back. I never said Abreu would be back, just that it would break my heart if he wasn’t back. But I’ve also made some good guesses.
So I will stay with my Matsui guess until otherwise notified that I must give it up.
By the way, some guesses come from desire and others from some gut instinct. Obviously there can be overlap. Well my saying the Yanks would take the division from before the season even started came more from gut instinct than anything!
I think calling the Sux as a third-place team was
Sometimes I think I’m a little psychic. (no I didn’t say psycho. Let me save you the trouble.)
I could see a mix of Melky, Gardner, Swisher, Damon, Nady and Austin Jackson handling the four OF jobs and DH. Add in the four infielders, Jorge and Cervelli and either Pena or Hairston and there’s your 13 guys. Keep both utility guys and get by with 11 pitchers would be even better.
Either way you have a pretty darn good bench, nice RH/LH/SH lineup balance
The question is, who else would play CF? There’s only a handful of really good ones.
I’m with SJ, go with Cabrera/Gardner in CF for another year.
Hi Nick.
I am now the proud owner of Verizon FIOS. Well partial owner. The guy is just finishing up.
Just thought I’d say hi.
Now I have to figure out how to migrate my email and all the email addresses to Verizon.
Definitely agree about trading prospects not named Montero to find a young, athletic under 30 OF, if one is available.
They have a ton of flexibility to do some things this off-season.
M,
I don’t get too caught up on balls being fouled off in Hughes’ outings.
I can count on one hand the number of guys who have squared up on Hughes since they moved him to the bulllpen.
Even in the game he lost in Chicago, he was more unlucky than bad.
I was sitting in the scout section that night and his stuff was just NASTY. As long as his stuff is that good, he will fine.
Why are people here not expecting young players like Melky and Gardner to improve. They are better played than they were last year. They should both be better next year.
Are we not expecting Joba and Phil and Robertson and Melancon and Coke to keep improving?
Haiku – I agree that Matsui would have plenty of potential AL suitors.
The question is would he want to play in say, TAM or KC as a full time DH, or retire/go back to Japan.
I think it would have to be something appealing from a marquee standpoint to Matsui (and Japan) if NYY decided not to bring him back for another year.
Perhaps LAA or SEA, anywhere else? Not so sure.
I sure do believe a mix of gardner and melky is better then a mike cameron or anyone else you would suggest Betsy.
Garnder/Melky give us flexibility and are cheaper then other outfielders. It wouldn’t be asking to much when their both sharing play time and Gardner clearly has a future with nyy due to his speed which they happen to love.
Matsui ehh don’t see him back at all, Damon I do though.
Change is sometimes good we’ll see how the offseason plays.
SJ,
That’s what I mean, hitters fouling off his pitches means they can’t square up on it. That’s great.
Not a criticism at all, just wondering why hitters aren’t fouling down the lines so much and are taking forever to square up on it. That means they’re not seeing the ball well from.
Runs his pitch count up, but if he can keep it near the strike zone without getting hurt that’s a big plus.
“No you wouldn’t because you would owe Ortiz $12.5 million next year.”
Wow, I didn’t know that they owed Mr. Milkshake so much. Guess he’s in BOS next year.
I would love to see Matsui win a ring this year. He has been great. He is clutch. It has been 7 years. Great 7 years. Ever since his attempt to catch a ball in the left field against RS he has been hurt but he has always tried to be the best he can whether it was contract year or not. I like him a lot. Great player. True Yankee. Would love to see him back next year.
Holliday was quoted as saying when he was traded,that he wanted to test the market,after the season.
What has changed,the Cards know they have a rental?
He’s auditioning,with the Cards,for the open market.
The Cards love him,BUT he may be a mercenary. IMO
If Matsui is done in pinstripes and Damon is going to be the full time DH, we need to bring in a power hitter for LF. Matsui’s production will be hard to replace.
Stuckey, I want to see more out of Melky..and Gardner. I just don’t think we can judge them on one year….and I still question how good Gardner is. I’m just a skeptic, I guess.
If they do take a pass on Matsui, will they make a run at a Chone Figgins, perhaps?
Or maybe even “little CC” down in Tampa?
“Holliday was quoted as saying when he was traded,that he wanted to test the market,after the season.”
I want no part of this guy. He’s a NL only guy. He didn’t do squat with OAK; the minute he got back to the NL, he was raking. We need to stay away from him.
Yeah I don’t understand the expectation of regression from Joba, Hughes, Melky, Gardner, Robertson, Melancon, Coke, etc. Melky had a big regression last year but this year is more in line with his norms. And Gardner had done a nice job before his injury, so I don’t understand how he and Melky can’t do a similar job splitting the position next year.
Young players who establish themselves as successful major leaguers do not always see big performance drops. I don’t think there is any reason to go in to 2010 (a long way away, obviously) worrying about all their young guys falling apart at the same time.
And to think that having Joba and Hughes in the rotation is a terrible idea without acquiring someone better than Pettitte…who are you getting better than Pettitte? There is nobody out there that is a given to pitch as well as Andy has in New York.
“I want no part of this guy. He’s a NL only guy. He didn’t do squat with OAK; the minute he got back to the NL, he was raking. We need to stay away from him.”
A scout said his swing would be perfect for YS.
Five Iron From Fenway
August 24th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Bod – They are still a long, long way away, but add them to Melky, Gardner, Ajack, Almonte, Mesa, Deleon, Sosa, and Duran (in the Dominican but reports are he is the real deal), and there are a bunch of guys that might step up. They are also layered across the system with guys at least one guy worth following at pretty much every level.
Catcher is stacked in the organization.
Pitching is pretty good, although injuries have derailed that a bit.
Utility players are stacked.
Infielders – Adams, Corban Joseph, Pena, Nunez and others are also becoming a strength.
Nice balances farm system.
============
Five Iron,
I am very excited about all those kids, too & yes they are several years away. But that’s fine – we don’t want anyone rushed up here as Melky was.
It hurt his development as a hitter, but despite the recent swoon and bad plate habits creeping back in, I’ve seen enough confirmation that he knows how to hit from both sides of the plate. With some rest he’ll get back to good habits and results.
Haven’t seen AJax in a while – just on the computer – but looking forward to roster expansion and his addition.
Even though he’s bereft of a position, I think Miranda’s lefty bat off our bench would be fantastic. I hope we clinch early or get far enough ahead that he gets some quality time AB. He is such a legit power lefty hitter, give him any time at all with the RF porch and it will pay huge dividends. Trouble is, he’s really a DH, but I’m sure we can use him as a PH.
Disappointed that Urena can’t seem to get over the hump down in DSL, where he’s been marooned for 3 years now…not a good sign.
Do you remember Josue Calzado? That kid was supposed to have the greatest arm in ML history and power to boot, but he just tumbled and tumbled and you don’t hear about him anymore.
Corban Joseph is a guy I am very excited about, as he seems to be a born, pure hitter (like Cano and Mattingly) and is reportedly adjusting rapidly to offspeed stuff (DeLeon and Mesa are examples of guys who have not, to date).
It’s always abstract, evaluating these guys without seeing them first-hand. That’s why it’s great when they make their way to Trenton, Scranton, Staten Island, because you can see it for yourself.
Sort of flirting with going to Trenton tonight to see Z-Mac again, but I’m torn between doing that and watching Sanchez and the Jets, plus have Joba tomorrow at Stadium. Choices, choices!
Hi Trisha.
I also heard Joe Girardi’s in-game interview. Joe Morgan asked the question badly; to paraphrase, he said “it looked Burnett and Posada were having problems in yesterday’s game. Is that why Molina is catching tonight?”
Even if it were so, there is no way Girardi would answer affirmatively. But what he did say was that 1) Posada had just caught two very long games and 2) CC and Molina had worked well together the previous time CC had faced Boston.
Given that Girardi has tried to give Posada consecutive days off all season when possible, and given that CC was on the mound and has well with Molina (just as he’s worked well with Posada, and just as any pitcher could work well with Molina), I would say that both factors came into play.
And if Girardi’s interview is to be taken as proof of anything, you cannot ignore the rest factor.
Well, that’s the catch, M – I don’t think there are any good CF worth pursuing…..
I’m fine for trading prospects for a good OF, but again – we saw during the deadline that teams were not inclined to help the Yankees. Either there was a Yankee tax, or they truly didn’t like our prospects. Cash would have to give up a ton of pitching to make up for not having the position players available to trade……and I don’t think he’s going to do that, esp. since injuries have killed the young arms this year.
I’d like to keep both Hinkse and Hairston on this team if possible.
I think Holliday realizes, after his brief stay in OAK, that he may be better suited for the NL. That’s not to say he won’t test the waters, but I think he signs with STL & provides much needed protection to Pujols.
As for Bay, I think the RS have no choice but to re-sign him. What are their options?
Betsy…skeptic, would have never guessed….
…given that CC was on the mound and has WORKED well with Molina …
“A scout said his swing would be perfect for YS.”
And the guy who sells me my lottery tickets told me that I was going to win Mega last week.
Him having a swing for YS is all good for 81 games. What about the other 81?
Figgins will be looking for $ 10 Million plus. Crawford’s option will almost certainly be picked up.
The problem with bringing Hinske back is that he’s just terrible defensively. I’d rather a RH bat that can play RF. Randy Winn could be a decent fit. Marlon Byrd might be available, too. I agree with SJ that putting together a prospect package for an everyday RF would be ideal, but who might be available?
These players think of self first,and what’s best for their family.I doubt protecting Pujols is his priority,they love money!
Andrew, I never said having Phil and Joba in the rotation is a terrible idea. People are just assuming Joba is going to be great next year or even very good and I just don’t know that you can say that. I think everyone knows how I feel about Phil – the kid is going to be a stud. I just don’t think that’s happening next year, not with his innings limits and not with the ups and downs he will undoubtedly experience. In a few years, I think Joba and Phil will be fantastic.
And Trisha, I believe you did say that Abreu would be back (or more precisely, that they would offer him arbitration).
I remember this becuase a couple months ago I went back to an old game thread from last year, I was looking for something and in that thread it was a topic of discussion.
This thread reads like one from back during the off season. We don’t have time to worry about next season. There’s too much important baseball left in this season for us to worry about.
“Stuckey, I want to see more out of Melky..and Gardner. I just don’t think we can judge them on one year….and I still question how good Gardner is. I’m just a skeptic, I guess.”
But when does skepticism give way to not only believing what you are seeing, but seeing the OTHER teams the Yanks play against for what they are?
You essentially said in the space of a few minutes that the rotations they are using THIS year is “too weak” for NEXT year, and that the outfield isn’t good enough, despite having a 7 1/2 game lead over what most everyone considers one of the best team’s in baseball.
Skepticism of one thing, but aren’t we really talking pessimism and lack of judgment?
Is this season one big mirage?
Crawford is a trade candidate, even though the Rays are likely to pick up his option. Seems like both Upton and Crawford will be available in a trade if a team gives Friedman a deal he likes. Crawford’s availability is purely money-related whereas Upton’s is probably performance and attitude. That team is not going to look the same in 2010, for sure, even if they do manage to win the Wild Card this year.
Haiku, I understand it’s in STL best interests to protect Pujols, not Holliday’s.
That said, I think they shell out the $$$ to keep him. He is an NL animal, and what better place to play?
Of course, ultimately it’s about the $$$ – it always is.
Nazim
August 24th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
I would love to see Matsui win a ring this year.
====
Oh would I, too.
I think I might just actually shed a tear to see Matsui celebrating a championship with us. What a warrior he is.
I know how seriously he takes being a good teammate and a good Yankee.
A Ring for Matsui.
YES!
Laura: this often happens when 1) the Yankees are on a roll and 2) there is an off day. I doubt the players are wasting any time thinking too far in the future, but we can. And Mr. Cashman has to, that’s part of his job.
About Abreu – if you remember if that way then you are probably right. I was thinking that I just said I wanted him back. But anyway, I still want him back.
I’m willing to buy the rest factor of course but he did say that it had worked out the past several times and so he wanted to stay with it (at least for last night anyway).
No matter, it’s all good.
Bod – I think they are in the process of transitioning Calzado to pitcher. I seem to recall reading that somewhere.
Some nice players and a few of the pitchers, Warren, Cotham, Stoneburner from this year’s draft look to be good.
Following the farm by computer for the last three years it is astounding to me how many injuries occur. Especially to the pitchers. Horne, Kontos, Betances, Heredia just off the top of my head and just this year. Brackman, Sanchez, Melancon, Garcia last year (and this year again for Garcia).
BTW – forgot to mention Laird who has been very hot the last two months and Suttle (another guy lost to injury, but a premium bat if healthy again).
“People are just assuming Joba is going to be great next year or even very good and I just don’t know that you can say that. I think everyone knows how I feel about Phil – the kid is going to be a stud. I just don’t think that’s happening next year, not with his innings limits and not with the ups and downs he will undoubtedly experience.”
But the point you seem to be overlooking is between Chamberlain, Hughes, Wang, Aceves, Gaudin, Mitre, they’ve started WELL over 1/3 of the Yankees games this year, and they have a 7 1/2 game lead.
Whether Chamberlain and Hughes and Pettitte will be as good next year as the possibly can be, it’s whether in 2010 in major league baseball they’ll be GOOD ENOUGH.
Cashman has been redeemed (don’t know why he was criticized in the first place).
But he has put together the best team in baseball. I trust he’ll put forth his best efforts to improve the team and retain the level of talent that ownership and the fanbase have come to expect on a year to year basis.
Funny listening to M. Kay talking about “persnickety” Mike Mussina, sitting in his hotel room in Japan, eating peanut butter sandwiches! Mike doesn’t hide his disdain for Moose too well! Never fails to bring up that story.
No one is assuming that Joba will be great, the safe assumption would be that he improves on his 2009 performance in 2010. Betsy, you seem unwilling to even consider that Joba, Gardner, Melky, Coke etc. can improve their individual perforamnces in 2010 and are constantly defending it behind the flag of skepticism/pessimism, which is not really presenting a case for why they can’t improve. They are not all rookies who have miniscule sample sizes of performance and are still complete unknowns.
It is not out of hand to think that Chamberlain can build on his performance this year and turn it into a better season in 2010, when he will have been a starter in the majors for a full year and is not being babied as much as he was this year due to innings/arm worries.
If you’re curious, I think it was in the game thread (and/or the one following it) the night that Joba pitched his gem vs. Beckett at Fenway last season. It was during that game that news of the trade for Nady and Marte broke.
A number of interesting comments were made in that thread.
Anyway, no shame in being wrong about that or any other prediction. Mr. Cashman had a much better sense of the market than almost anyone else did.
Abreu is an incredible pickup for the Angels at $5 million or whatever he’s getting paid, but I’m happy we aren’t paying him $17 million and doing without AJ or Tex.
Man alive, what a difference in the picture. It is somer serious stuff!
Betsy,
I find it interesting that you can say Phil is going to be a stud while we don’t know what Joba is going to do. Look at their track records as starters, Joba has been leaps and bounds better than Phil.
Nah, I believe you. Being wrong is never a problem for me. I of course like it better when I’m right. And especially when I’m on a right roll!
“Another reason I want the Yanks to win it all this year is so Matsui can get a ring. He is underappreciated by a lot of Yankees fans.”
Either that or fans underappreciate “a lot of Yankee fans’” appreciation for him.
There’s no question Abreu would’ve been great for us. But the team made a deliberate effort to go younger and athletic. Abreu, bless his heart and his bat, fit neither criteria. Glad to see that he’s conquered the right field wall, though.
I do NOT like the idea of leaving the DH spot open to start a season. Very simply, that leaves the Yankees one injury away from Shelley Duncan getting 300 ABs or the Yankees being forced to trade a prospect for a big contract, over the hill veteran.
Right now, Matsui is a very good 4-5 day a week DH. That is actually harder to find than it was in the steroid era. You can still give Damon and Posada days at DH and Matsui can still give us 400+ professional ABs. If Matsui will agree to one year, I would definitely give it to him even with Damon and Posada on the roster.
“If Matsui will agree to one year…”
He’ll have to here or anywhere else I would think…
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....ml?eref=T1
Of all the possibilities, I like the ones with the Yankees the best.
Not to keen on the sideshow with Torre, though. And really, isn’t manny the last person you want to face?
San Francisco would be an easy choice. Provided of course, they (and we) make it to the postseason.
L to the 2nd~
All of my Card friends say STL IS CHEAP.They lament this every year.They were upset that the GM sold their future for Holliday. It’s a risk the GM wanted to make,they say it was to keep LaRussa,his contract ends this year.
They say the GM wanted to show him they were serious about contending.Jay Randolf(a, broadcaster)said the same thing when doing a TV game broadcast on air.
STL kisses La Russa’s butt,big time,they luv the Lush.
““If Matsui will agree to one year…”
He’ll have to here or anywhere else I would think…”
Just about anywhere in the US. You have to rememember that he can write his own checks in Japan. He is a huge revenue maker for anyone who signs him, so you never know what his actual bottom line might be.
five iron from fenway
August 24th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Bod – I think they are in the process of transitioning Calzado to pitcher. I seem to recall reading that somewhere.
Some nice players and a few of the pitchers, Warren, Cotham, Stoneburner from this year’s draft look to be good.
Following the farm by computer for the last three years it is astounding to me how many injuries occur. Especially to the pitchers. Horne, Kontos, Betances, Heredia just off the top of my head and just this year. Brackman, Sanchez, Melancon, Garcia last year (and this year again for Garcia).
BTW – forgot to mention Laird who has been very hot the last two months and Suttle (another guy lost to injury, but a premium bat if healthy again).
====
Wow, considering the advance billing Calzado’s arm has enjoyed, that makes sense! That would be awesome if he could make that transition. If you hear anything else, keep us posted, will you?
All the injuries to our young arms have been very frustrating, but that’s why we need to stockpile ‘em. Even Banuelos had a “lower body” thing. The most crushing to me – although most predictable – is Garcia.
He’s one of the guys I’ve seen live enough to know how extraordinary his talent is. People kept whining about his lack of command when he first came back, but that was a stamina thing, not a control thing. He has the most uncanny combination of speed, command, movement and variety of plus pitches in the entire organization; it’s just NOT FAIR that he can’t get or stay healthy!
Heredia’s back and pitched well for Tampa yesterday. I was hoping to see Vizcaino, but he’s got a sore back or something. Yeah – we’ve gotten hammered. Alan Horne’s father’s on NYYFan periodically, providing updates on his kid, lol.
NoMaas said Cotham is expected to pitch “in New York next week,” so I’m assuming they mean Staten Island.
I’m always so excited to hear other people’s impressions of our kids, especially if they’ve seen them for themselves, like GreenBeret7 down in Charleston.
Keep any info coming – there’s an appreciative audience!
NYYROC- Kay talking about Moose being persnickety??? Mr “no condiments” “no vegetables” himself?
five iron from fenway
August 24th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Bod – I think they are in the process of transitioning Calzado to pitcher. I seem to recall reading that somewhere.
Some nice players and a few of the pitchers, Warren, Cotham, Stoneburner from this year’s draft look to be good.
Following the farm by computer for the last three years it is astounding to me how many injuries occur. Especially to the pitchers. Horne, Kontos, Betances, Heredia just off the top of my head and just this year. Brackman, Sanchez, Melancon, Garcia last year (and this year again for Garcia).
BTW – forgot to mention Laird who has been very hot the last two months and Suttle (another guy lost to injury, but a premium bat if healthy again).
====
Wow, considering the advance billing Calzado’s arm has enjoyed, that makes sense! That would be awesome if he could make that transition. If you hear anything else, keep us posted, will you?
All the injuries to our young arms have been very frustrating, but that’s why we need to stockpile ‘em. Even Banuelos had a “lower body” thing. The most crushing to me – although most predictable – is Garcia.
He’s one of the guys I’ve seen live enough to know how extraordinary his talent is. People kept whining about his lack of command when he first came back, but that was a stamina thing, not a control thing. He has the most uncanny combination of speed, command, movement and variety of plus pitches in the entire organization; it’s just NOT FAIR that he can’t get or stay healthy!
Heredia’s back and pitched well for Tampa yesterday. I was hoping to see Vizcaino, but he’s got a sore back or something. Yeah – we’ve gotten hammered. Alan Horne’s father’s online periodically, providing updates on his kid, lol.
Cotham reportedly is expected to pitch “in New York next week,” so I’m assuming they mean Staten Island.
I’m always so excited to hear other people’s impressions of our kids, especially if they’ve seen them for themselves, like GreenBeret7 down in Charleston.
Keep any info coming – there’s an appreciative audience!
I simply can’t picture Hideki in another uniform.
This Billy Wagner stuff fascinates me.
The waiver process is supposed to be a SECRET process. That’s the rule.
Yet, this situation is not only being openly discussed within the media (not a big deal) but, with the players (see Papelbon’s comments) and teams, which is unbelievable to me.
Its yet another instance of the Red Sox flaunting the rules to do whatever they want.
They did it when they went over the alloted time to trade Manny Ramirez during the trade deadline.
They did it when they tampered with JD Drew.
Its simply amazing to me how MLB allows the Red Sox to do whatever they want when it comes to disregarding the rules.
If the Yankees flaunted the rules in this manner, all hell would break loose in the media.
I’ve always felt this way; win a championship and the players deserve a chance to come back and repeat.
If the Yankees can win it all this season I would hope we offer fair 1 year deals to Andy, Damon and Matsui and maybe throw option years on them with a generous buyout.
Nothing irks me more than creating a championship team and then seeing it disassembled by December.
I think the thing that works in the favor of chemistry is Damon and Matsui both know they have limitations. Damon knows he’s not a CF anymore and isn’t the strongest arm. Matsui knows he can’t play OF every day. Andy knows he’s not an ace.
The fact that the Yankees have successfully defined roles for these vets would be an asset for another season at the right price.
The way Matsui is hitting right now? I don’t think you can pass that up as a DH for next year in Yankee Stadium.
Yankees Dodgers would be fun, but the pressure to win would be almost unbearable.
trisha – OPPC lifetime member and true believer in Ortiz karma.
August 24th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Nah, I believe you. Being wrong is never a problem for me. I of course like it better when I’m right. And especially when I’m on a right roll!
====
Trisha,
You are fabulously full of heart and fire.
You will battle to the end, and I admire that in you.
In fact, your passion and caring reminds me of a certain Yankee I also admire…Jorge Posada
.
Like I’ve said many times, I’d go to war with you any time.
“Yankees Dodgers would be fun, but the pressure to win would be almost unbearable.”
Yeah, that would be a lot to take. Although it would be nice if we could sweep!
GLove,
I don’t think the Yankees can have another year with Matsui as a DH only option.
If he can’t play in the OF, which his knees no longer allow him to do, its awfully tough to justify a return.
Johnny Damon has been a more productive offensive player than Matsui this year and he can be a LF/DH next year.
His inability to play in the OF hamstrings a roster. It gets easier when you are winning but, its hard to envision them doing this way another year.
I’ll give the Cardinals’ this, their management takes risks. If I were a fan I’d love the way my team was going for it.
LOL The SNY crew is killing Papelbon. Keith Hernandez says he is “insecure”.
Wait till we visit the Sardine Can
August 24th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Yankees Dodgers would be fun, but the pressure to win would be almost unbearable.
—————————————————
Isn’t it time to come up with a new name?
L to the 2nd
I forgot to mention .When the Cards built their new stadium.They was suppose to be a Ball Park Village built,with retail shops,around the area.They didn’t because of a lack of funding.
Albert is the marquee player,who will require a handsome figure to keep,down the road.STL is a small market,money is limited.
That would be a brutal TV series though… the coverage would be so Torre-centric, it would be unbearable.
Haiku: that’s a problem – seems an expensive “rental”. New ballpark, fanbase, Busch – just goes to prove NYY ownership is really about the team – and fans.
Sardine: I agree, pressure would rival Yanks-Mets 2000.
Really, the Phillies would be the biggest challenge, moreso than the Cards or Dodgers, because they hit like an AL team, and their pitching (esp w/Lee) is much improved.
Of course, there’s Lidge…LOL
A-Rod and Damon facing Joe Torres Dodgers? Sign me up.
“Matsui knows he can’t play OF every day.”
Every day? How about ANY day. He’s not going to play a single inning on the field this year, is he?
Before the season started, I predicted that he would get a few starts in LF and Damon in CF, perhaps once in a while when Wang was starting.
I was wrong.
As for Abreu, m, you are correct about younger and more athletic, but you forgot cheaper. As I said, Abreu on the 2009 Yankees would have meant either no AJ or no Tex.
Younger/more athletic/cheaper has implications for a certain backup catcher too, no?
About Burnett and Posada:
http://riveraveblues.com/
Everybody should read this.
Wait,
Gotta change your handle. “Thanks for the Hospitality”
On second thought,the Dodgers might be okay. It’ll be interesting to see how close SF and the Rockies can get. That’ll mean Dodgers will have to play hard through the end of the season.
If we could chase their starters, then we could see just how tired those bullpen arms really are.
His inability to play in the OF hamstrings a roster. It gets easier when you are winning but, its hard to envision them doing this way another year.
====
I think that’s the sober view.
Right now, though, I prefer the drunkenness of winning.
And if I think about Matsui earlier this season, trying to limp his way to first base, I get a lump in my throat.
Thinking about putting him out to pasture is too unpleasant, at this time, to even consider.
That day is coming…:( ….only not today, or even tomorrow.
“Isn’t it time to come up with a new name?”
That made me laugh. Yes, it is. Therefore I am:
Wait till the ALDS
Nick,
Unfortunately, yes.
There are no “bad” matchups with the Phillies, Dodgers, or Cardinals. It’s not like there is a team like the Brewers or Rockies in there that will turn off the rest of America.
Phillies would be power vs. power. Hamels/Lee vs. CC/AJ. Just so much firepower.
Dodgers would be all about Torre vs. Girardi, Manny back in NY, NY vs. LA, 2 historic rivals.
Cardinals vs. Yanks with Pujols/Halladay, La Russa, historic franchise, 2 best baseball cities in America
From a TV/buzz standpoint, there is a lot to like there.
How about “Wait till we visit the Sardine can in October”?
Amazing.
I love stopping by the blog the day after taking a huge series from the Sox in Fenway and reading this garbage. Everyone should be relishing in the fact that the division is basically wrapped up. Instead I read the usual crap.
The rotation next year “can’t be trusted”. We need “a real #3 starter”. Melky/Gardner “Haven’t done enough. I need to see it for more than one year”.
The fantasy world that some of you live in boggles my mind. A 2010 rotation of CC, AJ, Joba, Pettitte and Hughes has the potential to be the best in the league. Oh my, Hughes will have an innings limit. Gosh, that really held Joba back from pitching well this year didn’t it?
And Melky and Gardner, well they simply need to be replaced. You can’t have your CF batting .270 and playing great defense. That’s simply unacceptable! I’m not comfortable with that.
Freaking clueless. And you know who I’m talking about without naming names. The same garbage from the same people.
Also, IMO there is NO chance Matsui comes back. Zero. Same with Nady. Those guys are gone.
Those who want to give Damon a 2 year deal for 25 million must think its 2004 or something. He’ll get one year at 7-8 million and maybe a 2nd year or option for that year.
Enjoy the moment. This team is great. Not good, great.
I wouldn’t be surprised to hear the same nonsense the day after the Yankees win the World Series. Some people just can’t be happy with what they’ve got. There’s always something to complain about. In a way, I pity those people. Their personal lives must be consumed with misery if this is how they respond to their baseball team.
SJ,
Don’t forget the Red Sox and Tazawa…
I would love for Joe Torre to blow that cushy lead they had built up.
What, no Creed concert tonight?
Kev,
No! How about “See ya next year!”?
I guess I should know this, but when is Pujols’ contract up – and big payday coming? Who is his agent?
Can’t wait to see those numbers start floating around…how does STL NOT give him whatever he wants?
miggs,
Fortunately, it’s just one person making those silly comments.
Rest of the blog seems to have perspective.
We’re talking about the 2010 rotation in August of 09 with the division wrapped up?
did someone say ‘roster flexibility’ ???
cuz i like the idea of singing Chone Figgins. Yes i know his legs are part of his game. He also looks the type who ages well (think Otis Nixon, Lofton, Rickey Henderson)
and if the Angels remain a top team next year, it takes a bullet from their arsenal.
I do like Crawfor better, but we’re not getting Crawford. In particular, after Tampa got ****** by trading Edwin Jackson
Thanks for that RAB link. That thread on Posada/AJ didn’t say much. Nobody wants to address the past 3 games they hooked up. But I’ll play along.
The thread after it is much more intriguing, and one that betsy might want to check out. It reminded me of something we discussed here a while back. Wang won’t be ready until mid-season, if that. So Pettitte is more of a necessity than a luxury.
I love the people who are saying that the 2010 rotation sucks or that we need to get 2 new outfielders next year…. yet they offer no suggestions of their own .
I said this yesterday, but we might be discounting the possibility that Matsui will himself want to ride off into the sunset if our season ends with a parade down the Canyon of Heroes.
I don’t see many scenarios in which he comes back that don’t involve the number 28.
By way of our pals at “It is High…”, here is ‘Sweet Caroline’ at Fenway, obnoxious Yankee fan style:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....r_embedded
But Joba hasn’t pitched particularly great this year, miggs.
Granted, he’s young and he hasn’t been that bad. But it’s a fallacy to say he’s pitched well, isn’t it?
No, I’m not giving up on him. Far from it. It’s just that you seem to be implying that he’s been great all year, and that really isn’t true.
And nobody said, (or at least I’m not saying) that Melky and Gardner need to be replaced, but what’s wrong with saying that we need to see it for more than one year to be comfortable?
The reason we’re discussing this is BECAUSE we’re so good. There’s nothing else to talk about. The mark of a GREAT team.
L2to the 2nd~ I was in STL,DURING THE all star game,the stadium is ok ,and the ball park village area is barren.3 yrs after the fact they still need funding.
Steinbrenner did it the right way,for sure!
Miggs,
Tell us how you REALLY feel lmao. I agree with you though, it’s amazing how negative some people can be.
Laura,
“I want no part of this guy. He’s a NL only guy. He didn’t do squat with OAK; the minute he got back to the NL, he was raking. We need to stay away from him.”
Out of curiousity, did you even look at what kind of numbers Holliday put up in Oakland this year? I doubt it because you say the same thing about him every time his name is mentioned. Mind you I don’t want him but to say he didn’t do squat in Oakland isn’t true at all.
nady is a type B free agent most likely…..i dont see why they wouldnt off her arbitration…he accepts you have a good player like we planned on having this year but we lost him…he declines and you get a sandwich pick…everybody loves sandwiches!
Hearing the SNY guys talk about Papelbon makes me believe even more any Wagner deal to BOS is dead
http://espn.go.com/mlb/features/cyyoung
CC!
That’s a great post.
Without getting too psycho-analytical, I’d say people who show no faith in others – in this case, players who have “proven” their worth at a reasonable sample size – are just faithless beings.
They have no faith in themselves, so why wouldn’t that lack of faith be extended to the team they root for, and everything else?
Don’t expect sober analysis from people who can’t divorce their own emotional issues with evaluating a baseball team.
Life is good for the Yankee fan.
And you are correct; this team is not good, it’s great.
It has some flaws, but the OPS and pitching overwhelm those flaws.
Xfactor your right, we literally have best rotation in baseball.
You have to figure the youngsters will get better with experience.
Cc, AJ, Joba, Pettite, Hughes with backups of Ian kennedy and other hurlers.
That’s literally best rotation in baseball I understand joba and hughes will have growing pains but that’s part of their development.
Haiku, I actually made it to the old Busch during a business trip in the early ’90s – typical “cookie cutter”, but for some reason I remember the hot dogs being better than most ballparks. Go figure.
FINALLY getting to NYS for first time this Thursday with my oldest son – want to make sure we leave enough time to see everything…
I said this yesterday, but we might be discounting the possibility that Matsui will himself want to ride off into the sunset if our season ends with a parade down the Canyon of Heroes.
============
I could see that happening, same with Pettitte.
On his best day Joba pitches like a #1. On his worst day he’d be a kickass #5.
Joba’s not going to regress past the #5 slot.
Too much worrying there.
Get the expectations out of your minds, and you’ll be quite pleased with what Joba gives you. People want him to be an ace, so they expect him to pitch like one. Like RIGHT NOW.
Joba can only be as good as he wants, but I’m sure that he’ll be good enough for the Yankees rotation.
John in Ohio:
haha. I don’t know if Ichiro is a good fit on the Yankees, though. His production is amazing, but if Jeter and Ichiro hit at the top, the first inning could be sometimes over in 3 pitches. Damon and Jeter complement each other well.
Ichiro was a 4th round draft pick in Japan, while 1/3 of the teams in Japan entered into the lottery to draft Matsui in the first round. Ichiro is one year older than Matsui, but when they met for the first time in a high school game, Matsui didn’t bow to Ichiro. Ichiro is still bitter about these. In the first WBC, Ichiro took an obvious shot at Matsui in the media for not playing.
SJ44:
I agree about Red Sox getting away with a lot. Kevin Millar and Tazawa are two more examples.
I think the Giants have the best rotation in baseball, but your point is taken. Our rotation is great.
Are they serously predicting CCto win the Cy Young? Great as that would be, I’d be shocked.
As great as this team has been this year, to think the ’98 team was 92-32 over the same 124 game period is just–ridiculous
“Out of curiousity, did you even look at what kind of numbers Holliday put up in Oakland this year? I doubt it because you say the same thing about him every time his name is mentioned. Mind you I don’t want him but to say he didn’t do squat in Oakland isn’t true at all.”
Compared to his COL numbers, his OAK stats weren’t anything to write home about IMO.
Well, the 98′ team was the one of the best teams in the history of baseball.
“Enjoy the moment. This team is great. Not good, great.”
I do, I do, I do, I do, and I do!
Check this out. I even enjoy every moment when they might not be quite as great (you know, someone has the audacity to have an off night or a few of them.)
I enjoy the blessing of being fortunate enough to be a fan of the Yankees, period.
this whole Wagner thing is pretty great…I’m continuously amazed at how Papelbum continues to make himself look more and more like a jerk…Ha!
“That thread on Posada/AJ didn’t say much. Nobody wants to address the past 3 games they hooked up.”
Have you addressed AJ’s entire career before arriving in the Bronx?
I think the RAB post on this fauxtroversy said a lot. It’s just not all that different from what a number of people here have also said.
S – M I agree completely.
If NYY win the WS, I can see both Matsui & Pettitte retiring.
Bod – you would be my first chosen field general, hands down. HANDS DOWN!
L to the 2nd
This site list terms of all mlb contracts. http:/www.mlbcontracts.blogspot.com scroll to Cardinals
Papelbon is a mini Hank Steinebenner.
If BOS loses Wagner they have no one to blame but themselves & the big mouths / leakers in the front office.
Wait till the ALDS
Yep. It’s supposed to be really accurate. Still early though.
L to the 2nd
August 24th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Hearing the SNY guys talk about Papelbon makes me believe even more any Wagner deal to BOS is dead
***
I read something in a newspaper over the weekend that the relationship between Boston and Papelbon has really deteriorated. He wants to be a starter. I don’t remember where this article was (could have been the Post), but they said Papelbon was almost certain to walk when his contract is up
What about Zack Greinke? His numbers are way better than CC’s.
“But Joba hasn’t pitched particularly great this year, miggs.
Granted, he’s young and he hasn’t been that bad. But it’s a fallacy to say he’s pitched well, isn’t it?”
Did I say he has pitched great?
The issue is that in his first full year as a starter he has an ERA below 4 and has had no injury problems. He’s only going to get better.
What is your definition of great? How much more were you expecting from your 5th starter?
You people just need to get a grip on reality. Every starter isn’t going to have Tim Lincecum’s ERA. Every batter isn’t going to hit .300. Look at the history of World Champions, these things simply aren’t necessary.
Frankly, with this offense the current pitching staff is more than adequate. You’re always going to have question marks. Nothing is 100% certain, name one team that doesn’t have question marks. Actually, name ONE team that has less issues than the Yanks.
You can’t because there isn’t one.
NYYROC August 24th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Funny listening to M. Kay talking about “persnickety” Mike Mussina, sitting in his hotel room in Japan, eating peanut butter sandwiches! Mike doesn’t hide his disdain for Moose too well! Never fails to bring up that story.
********
and that coming from a man that doesn’t use ketchup on his french fries.
ALDS, absolutely.
Just some perspective – this team, if playing the ’98 team, would be 14 GB in the division at this point.
’98 makes me shake my head & smile every time I think about it.
Yeah the espn cy young prediction shocked me.
Although it would be awesome if he did.
Nick,
No, I do acknowledge it though. Everyone’s kind of glossed over the communication mixups of the 2 prior outings. To his credit, though, Feinsand did bring it up in the booth after he failed to do so on his blog.
But I don’t want to open up the can of worms, so moving on.
SJ
In regards to your comments about how Boston gets away with flagrantly flaunting the rules, I keep telling you guys, it is Boston world and we are all just living in it. Bud Selig handpicked Henry to own the Red Sox knowing he would give them a better shot to beat the Yanks and he has been helping them out ever since.
In fact, I dont know if anyone remembers this but back in ’03, when we traded Brandon Claussen and cash to the Reds for Aaron Boone and Gabe White, Selig forced us to break up the 1 deal into 2 separate deal because more than 1 million dollars cash was being sent by the Yanks to Reds which supposedly broke the rules. However, when the Red Sox included 2 million dollars in their 2003 deal to get Sauerbeck and Suppan, it was later stated by Selig that he “just missed that one” and the deal was allowed to go through uncompromised.
Why should the Red Sox forfeit the team option they have on Wagner?
Part of the reason they want him in the first place is for Papelbon insurance and to give them more options this winter.
A fallacy to say Joba has pitched well?
Pitching ‘well’ is subjective, but Joba was supposed to be our #5 pitcher this season, his first complete as a starter.
He has pitched very well in that context, and on some nights very, very well in any context.
KWAN August 24th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Papelbon is a mini Hank Steinebenner.
=============
Papelbon is a mini Curt Schilling…
Matsui told Japanese reporters over and over again that he wanted to remain in the US & play for an MLB team after this season. He never said anything about retiring, not even a hint.
Erica, I heard that also.
There are also “issues” with Papelbon’s shoulder – either real or contrived – that have been out there for a while.
They’ll keep a close eye on Bard – if they think he’s close to succeeding in that role Papelbon will be shown the door
The problem with some Yankee fans is lack of perspective and last year just fueled their insecurities, despite the fact they won 2 more games than they did in 2000 when they won the series and only missed the post-season because of what’s turning out to be a fluke-ish year by the Rays.
Look at the teams that have made it to the playoffs in the wild card era. Being good EVERY year is HARD… Teams that have won the series have failed to make the post-season the NEXT year.
The point is, we’re so accustomed to the Yankees being THIS good we don’t realize HOW much higher their talent level is compared to other teams, warts and all.
Now as history is proving, the play-offs are something of a crapshoot, but winning 87+ games EVERY year is INCREDIBLE.
The Yankees have more than enough talent now, coming up and available to them to continue to likely be better than the 4th best team in the AL for some time to come.
Wagner’s yuck. How much is that option for? I can’t see teams lining up for him this winter.
miggs-You’re right. That’s the point. We’re nitpicking on small flaws because there’s nothing else to talk about. The mark of a great team.
Anyway, you didn’t say Joba was great butyou mentioned he was pitching “well”. Yes he was the fifth starter but I always thought he was only the fifth starter so that he’d be given the least innings. Andy ws really the fifth starter. So I thought Joba’d be a little better than this.
But anyway.
They better not non-tender Wang. After all they put him through, the least they could do is bring him back.
Wang has been nothing but a good soldier and classy to the Yankees. Let’s hope the Yankees treat him with the same respect.
Even if Wang is beyond repair, they should atleast make an attempt to revive their 19 game winner ace. Would they rather give that money to the Sergio Mitre’s and Russ Ortiz’ of the world?
m, I am happy to acknowledge communication mixups, but the biggest mixup was inside of AJ’s skull. He was apparently very confused about the effectiveness of certain pitches.
The Boston hitters had no such confusion.
Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. But this fauxtroversy is more hot air.
It’s not a fallacy to say Joba has pitched well. It is a fallacy to expect him to overnight turn into a #1 overpowering consistently dominant starter which I think a lot of the fans that saw him pitching in 2007 and part of 2008 thought he was going to immediately be. But, the fact is he will gradually work his way up into that status, and his performance this year even in his worst games has not done anything to make the Yankees have to panic about him and what they can expect in 2010.
If anything they should hammer home to him that 2009 wasn’t good enough and they expect much more out of him and hopefully that drives him to ramp it up a notch this offseason. That said, to say he has no pitched well is inaccurate. It’s that he has not pitched well consistently. Pretty much every game he has started the Yankees have had a chance to win.
That’s as much a testament to the team as it is to Joba, but it is still a testament to Joba no matter how you slice it.
“But Joba hasn’t pitched particularly great this year, miggs.
Granted, he’s young and he hasn’t been that bad. But it’s a fallacy to say he’s pitched well, isn’t it?”
He has a sub 4.00 ERA pitching in the AL East and the second best ERA in the rotation. I would say it’s a fallacy to suggest that Joba hasn’t pitched well.
Buster Olney said, Papelbon’s has the least important opinion in the Red Sox organization.
So much for the guy who is going to pave the way for future closers having any clout.
Huh, interesting; according to that page’s glossary, ESPN’s Cy Young Predictor uses a formula made based on past results…and it doesn’t include ERA. CC’s 15 wins really helps him for that formula.
m,
$8.5 million with a $1.5 million buyout (or something to that effect).
Wagner wants the option to go where he wants in the off-season instead of setting up for either Bard or Papelbon in Boston next year.
He’s a veteran player who negotiated that option in his deal for that reason.
He’s not waiving it.
So, either the Red Sox agree on his terms or he finishes up in NY and is a FA in the off-season.
Nick-Well, that depends.
Joba certainly hasn’t pitched badly. Not at all. But I think “okay” is more apt than “well”.
I always thought of Andy as the number five starter. I figured that the only reason that Joba was in the fifth slot was because he had this innings limit, otherwise Andy would be there.
And as a number four he’s been all right. But I did expect him to be a little better at least.
But hey. It’s a small gripeto be sure. But, as I pointed out before, something to talk about, right?
Disagree? You can’t, because if you respond you ARE talking about it!
Yanks had no problem giving $28 million to the mercenary Clemens in the middle of the season.
They can spare a couple million bucks to bring back Chien-Ming Wang.
“Compared to his COL numbers, his OAK stats weren’t anything to write home about IMO.”
Well yeah they aren’t anything to write home about but he still played well this year and he was only there a few months.
He had a horrible April and was good May and was having an outstanding July before he was traded.
It seems like people think I expected Joba to be some immediate Ace. Not at all. But I expected him to do better than this. And his ERA is affected positively by all the unearned runs he allowed, the most on the team. And even w/o the unearned runs, his ERA isn’t great.
I think Joba will be an Ace. I said that originally. But he has been a little worse than I expected.
Its practically a forgone conclusion they will non-tender Wang.
They aren’t going to pay him 5 million dollars (which is what he would be earning) to miss half, or all of next season rehabbing.
They may look to bring him back at a smaller number after they non-tender him.
However, I think he moves onto another team after he is non-tendered.
Wagner in the game now for the Mets.
7*7,
Thanks.
Then Billy Wagner is a fool. He should shut his trap, and accept a trade to a contender.
He really thinks he can get a better AAV than that? As he tweeted himself, he’s a 38 yr. old reliever coming off TJ surgery.
But I love that this is all playing out in the media. Delicious!
Billy said he would remove his no trade clause to go the Red Sox. Didn’t he?
George Steinbrenner gave Roger Clemens that money. Not Hal Steinbrenner.
Its an apples and oranges argument. The two situations have nothing in common.
Wang may not be able to pitch until next July.
To that end, its highly unlikely they are going to pay him 5 million dollars to rehab for half a season.
What? I can’t disagree with something silly because if I respond I’m talking about it?
What?
You said it was a fallacy that Joba has pitched well. “Fallacy” is a word in the dictionary that has a meaning.
I think you’re flat out wrong.
Beyond that, we can agree to disagree.
LOL fans really reach, don’t they? Some guy called in to Michael Kay and said that Jorge doesn’t like the pie routine (not true, by the way), so that accounts for the miscommunications between Jorge and AJ.
Taiwan,
The question is, does Wang want to come back? The Yanks botched his rehab and haven’t exactly treated him great. They showed no interest in giving him a long term deal and that arbitration thing was pretty messy. Though his agent had a lot to do with those things, I wonder if Wang looks at it that way.
It would probably be best for both parties to part ways. Wang can start fresh somewhere.
Wonder what will happen if AJ tries to pie Posada again! LOL!
Wait,
Yes, IF they meet his conditions (not picking up the option or offering him arbitration).
Needless to say I’m sure the reaction tomorrow night if Joba doesn’t pitch a spotless game will be completely rational, calm and level-headed. /sarcasm
It has nothing to do with going to a contender. It has to do with what he wants to do in the off-season.
If he wants to be a free agent in the off-season, he not going to waive his no trade clause unless he has an agreement the team that takes him won’t pick up his option.
That’s the business of baseball. It doesn’t make Billy Wagner a bad guy. It makes him a guy looking to protect his future and use his options wisely.
Nick-I made a joke, and apparently a bad one. I meant that you can’t disagree and say it’s nothing to talk about it because if you respond, you’re talking about it.
I guess my dreams of being a comedian are crushed
Coach, LOL, I know you must be reading someone else’s posts, not mine.
I SAID that next year, we don’t know what Joba is going to do……and I also said that I expect Phil to be up and down next year. I would like you to find any post where I said Joba will be mediocre next year and Phil great. You can’t find it because I never said it.
and that coming from a man that doesn’t use ketchup on his french fries.
=================
Let’s not start that again. Ketchup is nasty.
Go Taiwan,
I hope they do too, but I’m worried it’s not gonna happen. Wang was one of my favorite.
If he ends up somewhere else, I hope he makes the Yanks regret their decision.
Wait, the Sox aren’t get along with one of their stars? I find that impossible to believe. And now someone has told Buster that Papelbon has the least important opinion on the organization? Who would say such a thing?
Wagner is 15 saves away from 400 and is close to passing Franco for most saves all time by a lefty. He has said he has no intention of being a non-closer after this year.
The problem is that the talk about of Boston is that the Sox are unsure about Papelbon and see Wagner as “insurance” of sorts, if he breaks down this year or they want to trade him this winter and make Wagner/Bard the closer.
“ESPN’s Cy Young Predictor uses a formula made based on past results…and it doesn’t include ERA. CC’s 15 wins really helps him for that formula.”
It includes ERA in a roundabout way, innings pitched and earned runs are both included in the formula, and CC leads the league in innings pitched. I think Beckett can almost certainly kiss the Cy goodbye after the past week’s havoc on his ERA, unless he goes on a megascoreless streak.
I think Wang is a goner.
Look, you have to examine the reality here.
This is his last arbitration year. He’s a FA after 2010.
Past performance is great and all, but this team I think has learned their lesson about paying players for their past accomplishments.
Wang just had major shoulder surgery and his timeframe for returning is still uncertain, although the likelihood of him contributing much next year is slim. He made over 5 million this year.
Are they going to pay him close to the same amount just so he can rehab on the slim chance he makes a contribution to the 2010 team?
The issue here is the Yankees long term plan. There were whispers before Wang even got hurt this year that he wouldn’t be signed when he hit free agency. Now its almost certain he won’t be.
So why bother paying him for 2010 when he may not even make it back and if he does who knows if he’ll be any good? He certainly wasn’t good this year.
I think they take that 5 million and reinvest it in the team. Maybe get another corner OF some of you are clamoring for. Or use it to shore up the pen since Hughes will be in the rotation. I’m not sure.
But I’m fairly certain they can find a better way to spend it than rolling the dice on another year of Chin Ming Wang. As cold as that sounds, its the truth.
Trish,
Sign me up!
Andrew,
Agree absolutely.
The problem, I believe, is that when Joba dominates, rather than view those performances of the kind of upside we can look forward to throughout his career, they demand that become the standard RIGHT NOW.
Anything that falls short sends them into a panic that what they saw was flukey or that he “can’t sustain it!”
He’s 23, and finding his way. Yet he’s being punished BECAUSE his is such a talented arm.
And when was the last time Yankee fans were asked to witness a home-grown arm’s in-season development? Like…never? The fans have about as much experience with the young-starter-in-the-making as Joba does.
Having said that, I do think that some of us relish witnessing the struggles and the high points. I’ve said on here – sort of thrashing my way through the thickets of those who urgently wanted to dispatch Joba in a deal for Halladay – I don’t just want to win, I want to win with OUR high-end guys, like Joba and Hughes.
That’s what’s so much the more rewarding about this particular season – our young guys are impacting our season, too.
SJ,
Realistically, what can he get? 2-3 years? $10m per? I don’t think so. Especially fresh off surgery.
I think Hughes will have a breakout season as a starter next year. He’s finally been healthy long enough to get his armstrength back and by next year he will have mastered the split-change.
So what could Boston get for Papelbon anyway? He only has 2 yrs left on his contract after this year, is due to make a good chunk of change in arbitration. Are they trying to “sell high” on him? What do they expect in return?
A joke needs a premise to make sense, let alone be funny.
Stuckey, I admit weak was a wrong word, but I simply don’t see that rotation as being particularly strong. I don’t think Andy is capable of being a #3 at this point in his career and Joba and Phil will have their ups and downs. If people are going to assume Joba and Phil will be very good next year, then that’s different…….but for me, I see no reason to assume that based on what we’ve seen this year. It’s very possible that Joba starts turning the corner next year on his way to acehood, but I want to see that. Of course I think Phil will be a stud, but I don’t see it next year. He’s got innings limitations and a mediocre change that he needs to work on. He’ll be a fine # 5…..
Who put a hex on the Mets? Now Francor (sp) is hurt. He has a torn ligament in his thumb. Someone get a witch doctor to Shea.
I’m apparently going to have to withdraw my application from Last Comic Standing.
Stuckey, good points about them being “good enough” in 2010, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. I simply don’t see a rotation that has ? as being the best in baseball…
Theo cannot be happy about the fact that all these negotiations are going public and hurting their bargaining power (with Tex, Guzman, now Wagner). The parties involved are not happy about it either.
Theo is going to have to plug those holes this winter. Not sure what he can do about Lucchino though.
Betsy your posts make me want to throw up in my mouth.
I can’t put it any other way.
You’re awful.
Andrew, I never, ever said Joba can’t improve. I expect him to, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be a good #3. I think Melky and Gardner are very limited – that’s how I feel. I don’t see that much improvement in them, so we will just have to disagree. Coke will probably be ok and Robertson, too……though I still wonder about him.
Find a better 2010 rotation in the AL than CC-AJ-Andy-Joba-Hughes.
You could find comparable ones. Find one that is better.
miggs – sadly i agree lol
What rotation doesn’t have question marks?
Your nonsense is just so stale. Its a tired act.
Read the thread, I’m not the only one saying it.
SJ, agree that $5m is a lot to rehab Wang, but this is a guy who was clearly in the club’s plans as either a #2 or #3 starter this year, and of course it turned into the only real negative (other than Nady) injury-wise this year.
Under the adage that “you can’t have enough pitching”, “stuff happens”, and we’ve thrown money away on much lesser prospects (see Igawa, Kei; Pavano, Carl; Wright, Jaret) do you bring back Wang for less – say $2.5 to $3m, and believe he’ll take it?
I just think pitching is still too valuable a commodity – and Wang being a proven commodity – to toss aside that easily.
When you factor in the farm system & the tremendous amount of injuries to pitching prospects I still think Wang deserves a shot.
“Andrew, I never, ever said Joba can’t improve. I expect him to, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be a good #3. I think Melky and Gardner are very limited – that’s how I feel. I don’t see that much improvement in them, so we will just have to disagree. Coke will probably be ok and Robertson, too……though I still wonder about him.”
This post just about sums it up folks. If I was an attorney, this is where I’d say “I rest my case”.
Betsy – Again, if you think the team is in such trouble next year, what are your solutions? Which stud CFs are available? What #3 starter is there via trade? We couldn’t find anyone at the deadline who could even be a #5, let alone #3. That won’t change this winter. Want to give Lackey $100 million?
If the Yankees non-tender Wang, he’ll become like the urban legend crocodile.
Isin’t that the same poster who said they couldn’t get excited about the win yesterday because of AJ’s performance the day before and the implications of that?
Pretty sad…
Its not the money m. If it was the money, he would hope his options gets picked up.
He wants to close and he wants to close for a team close to home.
A lot of people think he wants to close for the Orioles next year. Young team on the rise, its close to his Virginia home and 50-60 more saves in the next two years, gets him closer to 500 and perhaps HOF consideration down the road.
Billy Wagner doesn’t want to be a setup guy for anybody in the last couple of years in his career.
That’s why he doesn’t want that option picked up.
He knows the Mets won’t pick it up. Absent a guarantee from the Red Sox they won’t pick it up, he won’t waive his no trade for the waiver transaction.
Port Arthur, give me a break…..nice of you to tag team with Miggs, who can’t seem to ignore my posts. You obviously can not engage in civilized conversation, which says something about you. So, I really don’t give a fig what you say. If you want to look at everything through rose colored glasses go right ahead….then just look down through your nose at anyone who feels differently.
LOL we were killing AJ over the last couple of days for being an unreliable pitcher. So no we have CC, an unreliable AJ, a kid in Joba who will win 20 games next year and Phil who will have zero growing pains.
miggs bingo me too!
M, I’m tired of the whole AJ/Posada thing – it’s getting me down. I usually check River Ave Blues every day, but I’m not overly interested in reading about how AJ threw his catcher under the bus, how Jorge is a terrible catcher, etc….
SJ,
Thanks, I finally got that. Didn’t realize he was chasing history and had that much left in the tank. Wagner in the AL East? Feast!
The Sox want Wagner and his 8 million option as insurance for Paps ?
That does not sound very Sox-like.
I have to believe that if Theo didn’t want every single fricking deal the Sox work on to go public, they wouldn’t. It seems important to them that they let the fan base know they’re working hard at every minute, and should they fall short it will always be because of the other party behaving irrationally.
I guess have 8 guys in the lineup with 20 or more HRs isin’t enough. We need 9.
Hear that Cashman, we need all-stars at every position. Go out and find a CF (even if there isin’t one available).
And Andy is so bad… he is only pitching to a 2.00 ERA after the ASB and was our #5 starter coming in the year. And Joba is pitching to a 3.85 ERA as a rookie starter in the AL East, that’s so common. And there will be so many better #5 starters next year than Hughes, who had a 3.50 ERA as a starter this year without his Baltimore start. Oh wait….
Somebody mentioned earlier that Carl Crawford may be on the market after the season. If they can’t extend him by the winter meetings, it’s possible, but, I’d bet on them trying to move Upton, instead.
First of all, his up and down seasons is killing his trade value and his value to whatever team he plays for. The other thing is the attitude/motivational issues. He has a world of talent, but, trading for him is a risky venture. If Tampa’s going to ask for a lot, not sure that he’s worth that risk. On the other hand, if they try to trade short, you know for a fact that there are issues.
My approach to next year is to sit back relax and wait to see what Cash makes for moves.
And when he does I’ll say, WOW I never saw that coming. What a good deal.
miggs 3:47 post GREAT!
Gee, Bodh…..I didn’t realize you were a psychiatrist. I don’t need your psychobabble….It’s a shame you can’t engage in conversation without resorting to insults. I’m guessing this blog doesn’t really like people who don’t toe the majority line?
betsy-You do realze that RAB is saying the exact opposite of what you think they’re saying, right? They’re DEFENDING Jorge and basically saying that it’s not a big deal.
Next year our rotation will be a very good to great CC, a decent number two in A.J., a hopefully at least a little improved Joba and a hopefully solid number five in Hughes.
boo i hate days off booooooo
Betsy the fact remains that I don’t see anyone coming in to the Yankees that makes sense either economically or in cost of talent in a trade that would be an improvement over any of the 3 guys you consider question marks in the projected rotation for next year.
I just think it is a fundamental mistake to have no faith whatsoever in young players being able to improve. It it because the Yankees have simply not had that many young players recently, that you feel so pessimistic? Because it just makes no sense to me.
Other teams would kill to have the plethora of young talent that is already performing at the major league level that the Yankees have. And that is not even considering that other guys (Melancon, maybe even much-loathed Ian Kennedy, Montero, Jackson) might emerge in 2010 and become key contributors. So, basically, I think you are just way too pessimistic about the future and I want to think that it’s just a new concept so you haven’t warmed to the possibility of trusting young players, but you better get used to it sooner or later.
I just want to win. If we do that, I don’t really care who contributes.
Theo is the one who leaks the “almost” deals to Heyman.
They had this “tremendous” package on the table for Halladay and were “this close” to getting King Felix etc. Those are purposeful leaks. The other leaks probably are too but they clearly are hurting the Sox much more than helping.
did we like it when Hank was negotiating publicly about Santana? The Twins didn’t like it, us fans didn’t like it, Cashman was probably cringing. It’s just poor business standards. The Sox have done it in 3 of their last 4 negotiations (Teixeria, Guzman, Wagner).
What did the Yankees pay a few years ago to rehab Dotel and then he went and signed elsewhere? Isn’t CMW a better gamble than Dotel was?
I just accept betsy as a “glass half empty” kind of gal
I don’t see the RS throwing another $2.5m+ for one month of Wagner, after throwing so much $$$ away on “low risk, high reward” prospects this year.
I just think it was to block NYY from using him as a rental and extra help for Coke/Marte.
Agree with SJ that Wagner wants to close. Why wouldn’t he? That’s all he has done – WS ring be damned.
I thought I heard rumblings about being closer to home as well – but I thought Wagner himself mentioned the Nationals (!?!).
Maybe he was kidding, otherwise he’d have a struggle just to get to 400 saves…
You can never have enough pitching.
However, paying someone 5 million dollars, who may not pitch for a good chunk of 2010, is not helping that dilemma.
Its much easier for the Yankees to non-tender him and either sign him to a smaller deal while he rehabs, or use that money to get a guy who can pitch for them from Day One.
This is when the business side of the game intercedes from the fan side of the game.
As a team, you have to make some tough calls on players. In Wang’s case, given his injury and what it will cost them if they didn’t non-tender him, I think its a given he gets non-tendered.
Matsui is one of my favorite Yankees. I also like Wang, and hope he recovers 110%, but I don’t think either one will be back next year. Here’s why.
Right now, the Yanks have a little over $166 million committed to ten players next season (ARod, Jeter, Tex, Cano, Jorge, Swisher, CC, AJ, Mo and Marte). Here’s the link if you want to check it out for yourself:
http://spreadsheets.google.com.....ZJ1RnkNnUw
Assume they re-sign Damon (both sides seem to want to do this, let’s say 2 years/$10MM per year); Cabrera ($2MM including an arbitration increase); Pettite (Pettite seems interested, let’s say a $7MM base with incentives taking him up to $10MM), for a total of $22 million.
Then, I guess they’ll keep Joba, Hughes, Aceves, Robertson, Coke, Gardner, Pena and Cervelli for around the major league minimums, for a total of about $4.5MM.
That’s around $192.5 million for 21 guys.
The guys on the current roster I haven’t included so far are Matsui, Hinske, Hairston, Midre, Gaudin and Molina. Molina will probably be replaced by Cervelli, Gaudin will go somewhere else, and Pena probably takes up one of Hinske or Hairston’s slots. Assume the last pitcher gets paid the minimum, that leaves Matsui and Hinske/Hairston to be replaced by two guys making a total of $7 million or less
(assuming the Yanks don’t want to go over their 2009 budget, which I don’t know about of course but seems a safe guess right now based on the Doc stories).
Hairston is making $2M this year, Hinske $1.5M. I think they like a guy like Hairston because of the flexibility it gives them and the chance to rest Damon and ARod. That’s how much guys like that cost, so I’m guessing the utility slot will get around $2MM.
That leaves $5MM or less for the DH/OF slot. At that price, I see Matsui going elsewhere or even going back to Japan for a farewell tour year there.
I think they’ll look to trade for a young OF type to replace Matsui.
And it doesn’t leave any room to sign Wang. I think he’ll end up elsewhere, and I hope he succeeds wherever he goes.
GB7,
Would stay away from Upton, but CC is a young, good all-around player.
I don’t think they could give CC what he could get out on the market. Unless CC really likes Tampa. I think they pick up the option and trade him outside the division. He’d bring in a decent haul even for a 1 year rental. Winter 2011 will be very interesting should CC hit the market.
He’s the only potential FA OF I have my eye on right now.
Betsy, the RAB post basically says that the AJ/Burnett ‘controversy’ is much ado about nothing, or, in the author’s words, “the early favorite for Stupid Internet Story of the Week.”
I think you would enjoy it.
Wow Betsy, you seem to have a problem with a lot of people today….
When you say things like ‘the 2010 rotation is weak’, do you expect to get positive commentary?
Can we get through the season, let alone August of 2009, before addressing the roster of April 2010?
LOL like I care….I would say something else, but you’re not worth wasting my time.
M. Kay said Bernie has the #1 jazz single in country according to Billboard. Don said if he weren’t Bernie Willimas he’d sell 3!!
Erick, you’ll forgive me if I don’t like being insulted. I would love to partake in conversation, but hey – it looks like no one wants to do that. I don’t cotton to being insulted and psychoanalyzed.
misspell: s/b Williams
GB7, honestly if Upton were available, I’d rather stick with Melky/Gardner until (and if) Jackson is ready.
Regarding “little CC”, that’s another story…but the price no doubt will be high.
Vincent,
LOL. It’s an off day. Talking about the 2010 rotation is supposed to be a fun exercise. Although, it is tempered by Wang’s absence.
“However, I think he moves onto another team after he is non-tendered.”
… and then wang will be free to win another 75- 100 games for someone else.
he needs to move on.
it’s clear the yankees don’t know what to do with him or how to coach him.
it’s best for both sides to turn the page.
Wagner has made over $80 million dollars in his career.
The $8.5 million he’ll get next year guaranteed is not as big a deal as getting 15 more saves to join elite company. From his standpoint, it is a no brainer. And with injuries in this game and him being 38, who knows how much longer he will have?
I don’t blame him one bit for wanting that option dropped.
Nick in SF in Larkspur
August 24th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
I said this yesterday, but we might be discounting the possibility that Matsui will himself want to ride off into the sunset if our season ends with a parade down the Canyon of Heroes.
Matsui has never experienced the parade has he?
He might flip out. All that confetti.
He’ll be continuously checking his shirt pocket for his paper wife.
Wait, I’m just not interested in reading about how AJ threw his catcher under the bus…I don’t believe it and reading another article about that is just going to aggravate me. It’s over for me – I hope they can work their issues out.
I see “Cash for Clunkers” is still operating.
The Colorado Rockies have signed former AL MVP Jason Giambi to a minor league contract.
Its just almost pointless to try and reason with her.
Hey Betsy, since Pettitte clearly can’t be our #3 starter in 2010 like you claim, why don’t you go ahead and name some other team’s #3 starters (if you’re even capable of doing that).
Then tell me how many of them are better than Pettitte.
Then go do the same exercise with Joba and Hughes for the 4th and 5th starters.
If nothing else, that should keep you busy for a few hours and distracted from infesting the blog with your nonsense.
Betsy
M, I’m tired of the whole AJ/Posada thing…. River Ave Blues every day…. how AJ threw his catcher under the bus, how Jorge is a terrible catcher, etc….
________________
You are one of my fav reads on this blog but where did you find that reading RSB today. I just got done reading it and the guy says that Jorge basically has to “lead” and AJ has to “execute.” Plain & simple.
No bus treading there!
” I don’t cotton to being insulted and psychoanalyzed.”
why do you feel that way?
just kidding.
Andrew, I am very optimistic re: Phil and Joba. What makes you think I am not? I think they are both going to be aces….that’s pretty positive.
“Stuckey, good points about them being “good enough” in 2010, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. I simply don’t see a rotation that has ? as being the best in baseball…”
And this is exactly where you lack perspective.
First of all, the don’t have to have the “best rotation in baseball”. That should be self-evident considering they don’ have the best rotation in baseball right now but have the best record in baseball.
Secondly as to your Pettitte isn’t a 3rd starter non-sense.
Pettitte is more than a 3rd starter. He just doesn’t qualify to your misconception of what a 3rd starter should be.
He’s roughly 36th among starters in the majors with 10 wins and he’s roughly 565th in ERA, pitching in the AL East.
Those numbers go 16 and 25 if you just count the AL.
And he hasn’t missed a start. He’s 18th in the AL in IP.
Considering there are 30 teams in the league, that’s actually gets him into the conversation for being at least an AVERAGE #2 starter.
This is just pure math.
Where do you get this idea that teams are rocking 3rd starters with sub 4 eras and in the Top 10 in wins?
Pettitte IS a QUALITY 3rd starter, if what the average MLB 3rd starter acutally produces counts for anything.
besty-But it says nothing about how A.J. threw his catcher under the bus. Quite the contrary.
Betsy, in the time you’ve taken to say that you don’t want to read that RAB post, you could have read it and known what’s actually in it. It’s good, you’ll like it.
http://riveraveblues.com/2009/.....ift-16267/
But I do think that CC has slowly and steadily pitched his way into Cy Young consideration.
Imagine Wang was Wang this season. Where would they be?
m
August 24th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
GB7,
Would stay away from Upton, but CC is a young, good all-around player.
I don’t think they could give CC what he could get out on the market. Unless CC really likes Tampa. I think they pick up the option and trade him outside the division. He’d bring in a decent haul even for a 1 year rental. Winter 2011 will be very interesting should CC hit the market.
He’s the only potential FA OF I have my eye on right now.
————————————————————
I can’t for the life of me figure out why Tampa would trade an exceptional player like Crawford (the best the franchise has ever had). If they can pay 10 mil a year for somebody like Pena, they have the money for Crawford, who never appears to cause problems. They really need to straighten Upton out or unload him. I assume that he’s out of options, because a minor league wakeup call might help.
Betsy I enjoy reading your comments daily as well others on the blog , don’t feel like your being attacked purposefully. It happens you put yourself out there talking about how weak the 2010 rotation would be or how how basically gardner and melky aren’t good enough and we need a better cf.
Once again I don’t have anything against I really enjoy reading your comments but people are bound to disagree with you because those comments are quite negative.
Anyways let’s go Yankees 2009! We can go all the way.
Wait… she didn’t even read the article. She just likes commenting on it.
Like a few days ago she didn’t see the Yankee game Burnett started yet was critiquing it like she had watched every pitch.
Frank, I didn’t read it…..I normally do check out RAB when I get home, but I’m really tired of the whole thing. Maybe I will read it later, maybe I won’t. I’m just upset at what I’ve read in the papers and I don’t want to get aggravated any further.
L to the 2nd, I think I’m being realistic, not pessimistic. I’m not thinking negative for the next 10 years, lol…..I really don’t get why some people have it in for those who are “glass half empty” type of people, but again….in my view, I’m being realistic. What can I say? I love engaging in debate with people, but I won’t do it with people who are insulting me. Fortunately, that is only a few folks
Randy is like a shark when blood hits the water. The blood being any time someone brings up Chien-Ming Wang. How many times will he repeat the same old rap about the Yankees and Wang? I don’t know, how many times will a shark bite you? It is a mystery.
Kelvin, I have no problem with people disagreeing with me. I have a problem with people being insulting towards me. There are a few, only a few, that can’t seem to handle my posts. That’s their problem. Everyone else, I appreciate their perspective – I really do.
Betsy we know you are positive/optimistic about Phil, it’s mostly the rest of the guys that I would argue that you are not too optimistic about, Chamberlain included. You are harping on the fact that the rotation won’t be that good next year and are attributing it to basically not believing that Joba and Hughes will progress enough in 2010 and Pettitte is not that good anymore to warrant being in the rotation.
The problem is, 100% of the rest of the league would go to war with those 3 guys and think they had a chance to have a great pitching staff. And, it is a fact that it is not really an easy proposition to upgrade any of the rotation slots. If Cashman finds a way to do it that makes sense, it would be great, but there aren’t a ton of awe-inspiring options.
Phillies won, Cliff Lee is insane.
you gotta have faith (aceves, you da man!) August 24th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
boo i hate days off booooooo
=================
best post of the day.
Betsy:
How about I change it from “glass half empty” to “Honorary Overprotective Worrying Aunt of the LoHud blog”?
Did that help?
“I think Melky and Gardner are very limited – that’s how I feel. I don’t see that much improvement in them, so we will just have to disagree.”
It’s not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing. It’s a matter of agreeing whether the are or are not the starting CF combo for the team with the best record in baseball.
In the empirical world, that’s called PROOF.
Betsy
Stay with your convictions – you are a great read and you give an interesting perspective regardless of half whatever.
Feisty is good. Opinions are welcomed.
Betsy
You and I have had dicussions about things so I think you know where I come from.
Glass half empty -
Glass half full +
Just try some balance at times.
A baseball forum is theoretically a place where discussion about baseball takes place.
When blanket statements are made, without any statistical or credible narrative support for those statements, a poster should reasonably expect some in the community to question those statements.
That’s how any forum I have ever been on works – and this one, by far, is the most tolerant of posters who make statements – sometimes arrogant ones – with no backup.
Not to be unkind, but ZERO ATTEMPT to support hunches, feelings or opinions on other sites would result in that poster being LAUGHED OFF that site, never to be heard from again. That’s not an exaggeration.
Serious baseball fans expect you to come to a baseball forum with your A Game, ready to discuss and be challenged, and to BACK UP what you say, or to at least make an attempt.
Without getting personal, I think that’s where some of the exasperation comes in, here.
Some of the posts are just off the top of people’s heads, and no attempt is even made to advance the point of view with objective facts.
Bristling when an unsupported opinion is challenged seems to me the height of arrogance and disregards the purpose of such a forum in the first place.
Wow, I just learned that Gehrig stole home fifteen times.
Man, Cliff Lee – Philly’s answer to 2008 CC – another game with 0 ER
And look here, Brad Lidge’s ERA just dropped under 7…
Now add Francoeur to the injury list. I actually feel sorry for my Met friends this year. Must be a first for me.
I’ll just say I have no issues with betsy and never have.
I’m out. See ya.
” How many times will he repeat the same old rap about the Yankees and Wang? I don’t know, how many times will a shark bite you? It is a mystery.”
patrick-
i think you forgot the “c” in “rap”.
i’m very happy with the team and the way the season is going , but it was a shame to burn wang the way they did. i see it as sheer negligence on the yankees part.
“I think I’m being realistic, not pessimistic. I’m not thinking negative for the next 10 years, lol…..I really don’t get why some people have it in for those who are “glass half empty” type of people, but again….in my view, I’m being realistic.”
I don’t have it in for the glass half empty types. I have an issue with the can’t even see the glass types.
The Yankees are a VERY GOOD team, and what you’re essentially arguing is you don’t think this group of players can be good enough again.
That the starting rotation and the outfield won’t be good enough, even though NO ONE can argue that they aren’t good enough right now.
If there were some fantasy league and we were talking about a disperate group of players, okay, but they’re doing RIGHT NOW what you’re saying you don’t think they can do?
Your logic completely escapes me.
I have a question about the Wang situation:
If the Yankees non-tender him then he becomes a free agaent and can sign anywhere else…but do the Yankees receive compensation (draft picks) from the team that signs him?
Wait till the ALDS
August 24th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Wow, I just learned that Gehrig stole home fifteen times.
————————————————————
Ruth stole home about 10 times, but, if you look at their numbers, neither one should have been stealing bases. Ruth was 123-117 and Gehrig was 102-101. They cost their teams as many or more runs than they created. 50% success rate is only good for batting, not running.
Cliff Lee was good not great in the AL East this year but it seems to me that he has done MUCH better in the NL.
And considering that the Mets are no more than a AAAA team now…. it’s like he’s getting a great chance to pad his stats.
the july 16th Onion has a story titled, “Grandmother Classifies 79% of Everything A Shame”. Pretty funny. I tend to be very optimistic, but a few years ago, when the Yanks were murdering Texas every year in the first round, I was always “glass half empty ” to my buddy’s perpetual “Glass overflowing”. He was right! We moidered em!
“Godzilla in USA” on Sanspo Sports Paper (Japanese) on 8/24:
“The moment Matsui walked into the shower room after the game, Swisher and others welcomed heartily, saying “Matsu, two, Matsu, two, Matsu, two…”
“What was going on in there?” a Japanese reporter asked. Matsui said, “…we were comparing, you know……”
“And I lost,” Matsui said.”
I look forward to reading “Godzilla in USA” on Sanspo everyday. It’s funny.
Look. I’m not giving up on Matsui for next year. Not only is he a fan favorite but he draws alot of Japanese fans to New York with loads of money on Yankee stuff. I know I live here and see the Matsui tours in action. But think about it. With the bases juiced and needing at least one run, who would you like the most, especially lefty on lefty. And of course in the crunch against Boston.