Get a hit, or make one, and get the belt
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Sep 16, 2009 
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Apparently the awarding of wrestling championship belts in locker rooms is all the rage when it comes to motivation.
As you know, the Yankees award a belt to the player of the game as determined by Johnny “Vince McMahon” Damon and a small committee of judges.
Heard today that the Patriots do the same thing, awarding a belt to the defensive player who grades out the highest. I wonder if confirmed Yankees fan Tom Brady was somehow involved in that?
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Speaking of the championship belt, the Yankees are auctioning off the original belt they used this season. It was signed by the team and the money raised will go to the HOPE Week participants at Camp Sundown, a year-round camp in upstate New York for children suffering from Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP), a rare genetic disease which causes the body to be unable to repair cells damaged by UV light.
A.J. Burnett organized this effort. Here is the direct link to the auction.
The high bid so far is $2,650. If you’re one of the financial guys downtown reading this blog instead of working, I bet you can do better than that. I’ve seen the belt, it’s a pretty cool collectible.
More of a side note, did you see that Linda McMahon, Vince’s wife, wants to run for U.S. Senate out of CT?
I was just reminded on mlbtr that damaso marte signed a 3-yr 12mm deal last winter. Yay.
Is anyone else feeling a sense of panic other than me?
“Get a hit, or make one, and get the belt”
Or in Posada’s case, both?
Jay T
Why not, Jesse “The Body” Ventura was elected Governor of Minnesota right? lol
Here’s hoping the bidding gets up to the 7 figure range for the belt. I saw a piece on Camp Sundown on the local news a few weeks ago. It really touches the heart.
Here’s a link to a photo I took of the belt last week: http://twitpic.com/h4rbn. It’s pretty cool!
Is anyone else feeling a sense of panic other than me?
———————
here comes sj44 to call you an idiot in 3…2…1..
Eric, relax. The Yankees are in fine shape. Sure, they have some weaknesses like every other team, but there’s a reason they have the best record. Enjoy the moment, enjoy the playoffs.
I am feeling a sense of panic.. on this blog!
Why would the yankee players panic?
No I’m not trying to be an idiot. About a month ago, I was hoping to have this thing essentially clinched before 6 west coast games and three with the hot Red Sox. Now we have Mitre, Gaudin, and iffy Burnett, a shortened Joba, and a sore Pettitte. With Boston’s easy schedule and their hot streak, things get a bit interesting. It’s only 5 in the loss column.
why are we going to panic? is there even a reason or do you just write stuff like that because you can’t complete a thought…
“Is anyone else feeling a sense of panic other than me?”
Why?
Let me guess, you are a recent Yankee fan. As in, you’ve been following the Yankees for 13 years or less.
Come on man, this isn’t the Cubs or the Red Sox prior to 2004.
Yes Patrick. I also work for a boss who is a die hard Red Sox fan….I’ve stayed quiet but he is constantly hammering me and texting me, not so professional. I guess he does a good job at keeping me on edge.
I thought this blog post might have been about the wrestling brawl on the field last night!
Why would you feel a sense of panic? Over the last 10 games the Yankees are 7-3, the Red Sox over that same period is 7-3.
While pitching Mitre isn’t great he is just a space filler. The Yankees were hitting Halladay pretty well, had more hits than the BlowJays had. Its not like Mitre will be starting in the post season. Neither will Gaudin.
The Red Sox have no days off till the end of the season and have a 10 day road trip coming up. They are not a very good road team, as seen just recently. They had to get back to Fenway in order to have their bats come back.
The Angels lost a game toward the best record.
The Yankees aren’t the Tampa Bay Rays heading toward an 11 game meltdown.
So, why this “sense of panic”?
Isn’t it sacreligous to even mention the Patriots in connection to the yankees? That just doesn’t sound right to me.
No one’s made a bid in a week. 2,650$ seems low.
Good of you to help get the word out Pete.
great idea, way out of my price range tho
While I don’t condone fighting and do think that Posada threw a cheap shot at Carlson, I must admit that it is nice to see some more fierceness in the Yankees.
Emotions got out of hand…it has nothing to do with “letting your bat do the speaking”. it just got out of hand and that is that.
With respect to a suspension, I don’t consider it a bad thing necessarily because it equals R-E-S-T and Posada can probably use that more than anyone else on the squad at this point.
We’re going to the playoffs either way and even if we lose home field advantage. You have to be able to win away from home if you have any hopes of winning the World Series.
I’m on board with what Pete said a few weeks back. If the Angels ended up having the best record, let em duke it out with Boston in the Division Series. I like our chances against the Tigers far more.
Panicking?
Really?
Wow. Worst case scenario is that the Yankees make the playoffs. They are up 5 in the loss colum with under 20 to play and a have a 10 game lead in the wild card. And it’s time to panic?
Does anybody agree with me that Sergio Mitre has a share to blame with last night brawl? Why you would ask? Well if he makes his pitches, Posada would not have been so pissed off the entire night lol.
Eric: These aren’t the 2007 Mets. And the magic # to clinch a playoff spot (nevermind the division) is only 6.
“With respect to a suspension, I don’t consider it a bad thing necessarily because it equals R-E-S-T and Posada can probably use that more than anyone else on the squad at this point.”
With all due respect, Posada is getting enough rest by having Molina catch a couple of games a week along with their scheduled Thursday off days for the rest of the month.
I wasn’t calling you an idiot, Eric. Far from it, it’s a legitimate concern given the state of the starting pitching.
However, the numbers are very much in the Yanks’ favor. Barring a 2007 Mets-like collapse the Yanks will win the division and have home field advantage.
There is simply not enough time left in the season for the Angels or the Sox to overtake the Yanks.
Look at it this way, it has taken a month for the Sox to gain a single game in the standings (go back to 08/15/09 – the Yanks had a 7 1/2 game lead).
My only concern is what condition will Andy be in, and which A.J. Burnett is going to show up when the ALDS rolls around?
Thankfully, the Yanks will have an incredibly deep bullpen meaning the starters just need 5 or 6 good innings.
Joe, absolutely agree with that… along with Girardi bringing in the Bugs Bunny changeup artist.
If the Yankees had CC or AJ or Joba or Pettitte starting that game it would have been more likely than not a win. And that against Halladay.
About a month ago, after the Yanks swept the Red Sox at the Stadium, and then took 2 of 3 in Boston, the lead was, what, 6 1/2 games. Now, in mid-September, with only two weeks left, the lead is….still 6 1/2 games. For all the agita, Boston has not picked up any ground. And they – Boston – has a long road trip, and they are a mediocre team on the road.
Yeah, anything can happen, but the chances are pretty good the Yanks will win the division, I think.
Hawaii standout Travis LaBoy did the same thing last year when he went from the Titans to the Cardinals. Commissioned the belt for $20,000, and he was a big “hit” in the locker room.
http://www.marinij.com/sports/ci_10363954
40 games over .500 is not the time to panic.
The belt bid is now $ 4,300.00, just goes to show the power of Pete’s blog!
Eric, check out this website: http://www.baseballprospectus......s_odds.php
The Yankees have a 97.95 % chance of winning the AL East. That number has been above 95% for a full month now. The Yanks aren’t going anywhere, there is no reason to panic.
I can only assume you are worried due to last night’s game. Did you really expect the Yankees to win when they have Mitre going against Halladay? Come on dude, just chill. Laugh in your boss’s face
Thanks Patrick….made me feel better.
Last night was a perfect Robertson night, because they didn’t have him and Aceves wasn’t available Girardi had to basically throw up a white flag because he would rather rest key players than try to come back against one of the best pitchers in the game. As I said before, it’s a great move as long as the Yankees clinch the home field, if not and the Yankees don’t make the WS, games like yesterday will be 2nd guessed. I’m not a fan of giving up any games until a division or home field spot is clinched but then again, if this team panics and goes into a tailspin because the Sox or Angels are narrowing the lead then there’s a good chance they aren’t going to do too well in the playoffs anyway. Great teams need to be able to take it to the next level at this time of year when necessary.
Aaron (Toronto)
Sniff, Sniff Jorge…. I think Posada acted like a fool last night in the Blue Jays- Yankees game. With the Jays being hit 6 times in 4 games by Yankee pitchers, it’s about time they reacted. Jorge should know better as a catcher. What do you think?
Steve Phillips (1:03 PM)
I think that it’s easy for us to be critical, but when you have a pitch thrown behind you, you start to have concerns about your career. Carlson deserves some of the blame because of the pitch, and he was too close to home plate. He was looking for trouble. I agree Posada should not have thrown an elbow, but when Carlson put himself in that position, he had to know something might happen. The bigger issue is that Posada put himself and his teammates at risk for injury and suspension…exactly what the Yankees don’t need right now. Hopefully it’s a lesson learned on everybody’s part, and it won’t happen again, because it would be a shame to have their playoff success hampered by injuries stemming from a brawl.
Nice job Pete!
Was that our Jennifer on MLB XM today?
Everyone else seems to see the fact that Carlson standing next to the plate he was asking for something to happen except the man standing right next to get. JOYCE get your eyes checked!
Nope not me.
$2650 for a souvenir belt?
Golly, they just don’t make financial crises the way they used to.
Wow Steve Phillips and words like “logical” and “correct” don’t usually belong in the same sentence, but in this case…
Jennifer, check out this clip on youtube. It’s better than the shots YES had.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....r_embedded
starting at 2:40
I still dont see how you can blame Carlson more than Posada.
These late September games will have no bearing on what happens in October.
Everything changes in October because both teams have something to lose. The game is played differently than it is in these meaningless games.
One guy, a guy who hasn’t done much recently, (like AJ for example) can get hot and change the entire look of the playoffs.
A hitter can get hot and carry a team.
Conversely, the opposite can occur. Have a couple of bad days at the wrong time and you get eliminated.
Its like that for every team. Not just the Yankees.
There is no “proper” formula to finish out the schedule.
The Yankees have had ice cold teams enter the post-season and win the World Series (2000) and red hot teams (2006 and 2007) get knocked out in the first round.
These games are just games to take off the schedule. That’s why its best not to brawl and risk any injuries at this point.
Its the last thing this team needs right now.
panic?
worst case, the are the wild card, already have the best case. they are 10 up on texas right now, should they start to lose and boston keeps winning. who cares how many games we win by, or how we get there?
How long does it take for suspensions to be announced? Someone mentioned that Youkilis’ 5 games would be the precedent.
I don’t think so. Posada didn’t charge anyone, and Carlson was just as culpable.
Cash is King,
Ya, I know Posada is getting rest, but if his getting a bit more rest before the playoffs is the worst case scenario, then I see zero issue in that.
Bottom line is we’re almost definitely going to the playoffs and that is my one and only concern. Posada will be in the lineup for Game 1 wherever and against whoever.
When do you think we’ll hear if Posada has been suspended?
It seems Bob Watson tends to act pretty quickly — remember Youkilis was suspended the next day and began serving his suspension immediately (IIRC).
I don’t think its a question of blaming Carlson more than Posada.
He was though, as Phillips correctly pointed out, looking to get into it with Posada. Not exactly an intelligent thing to do.
Granted, Jorge should have walked away.
But, in the heat of battle, with the pitcher looking for it, I am not surprised he chose not to turn the other cheek.
Hopefully, its the end of it and no carryover this evening.
Somebody has now done better. The high bid is now $5,005.
The reason why Watson didnt announced yet is because a lot of players are going to be suspended.
I think we hear within a day or two, Jorge gets 4-5 games.
Hopefully, he doesn’t appeal it and just takes the suspension.
If its announced tomorrow, he can miss 4-5 of the 6 games on the west coast trip. Not exactly a bad thing since it will give that finger a chance to heal a little bit.
He probably dinged it up a bit hitting Carlson on the noggin with that hand.
SJ44,
I agree with that for sure…definitely don’t want to risk injury, especially an older fella like Posada. But the extra rest he’ll get is not the worst thing in the world and from all indications, he came out of the brawl just fine.
I also agree with your sentiments about October. If the right guy(s) get hot at the right time, you’re in good shape. Look at the Angels in 2002 and Colorado in 2007.
I think AJ Burnett is going to be the primary X-factor for the Yankees, especially now that Pettitte is a bit banged up. If AJ doesn’t pitch well, we’re going to have problems in the Division Series.
Francessa is right— it only becomes a big deal if the lead gets down to 2 before we play them.
m, the brawling sets the precedent though. Posada will be viewed as the instigator just like Youkilis was, even though the exact circumstances were different, and even though Carlson was partly to blame as well. I think 5 games makes sense, and I think it is just asking a lot to expect Posada to get fewer than 5 because he didn’t charge the mound or because Carlson also played a part by throwing behind him.
I feel kind of dirty knowing that the Patriots are using the same championship belt idea. Can we get them to stop so I can enjoy it again?
A lot of players aren’t going to get suspended.
As fights go, it was pretty tame.
He reads the umpires reports, watches video, talks to the crew chief, and makes a ruling.
Since only 2 guys were kicked out, not more than 2 guys will get suspended. A few more may get fined but, its doubtful more than Posada and/or Carlson sees any suspension time.
Even when Steve Phillips sides with the Yankees, I still disagree with him. Posada acted like a child last night, it was pretty stupid in my opinion. Carlson doesn’t deserve any blame. Sabathia threw behind someone earlier in the season, did anyone criticize him for it? No, because that’s the right way to send a message. Throw behind the guy’s butt.
Honestly, Posada acted like a punk last night. Can you imagine if A-rod pulled that crap? He would be getting blasted nonstop.
Not exactly a bad thing since it will give that finger a chance to heal a little bit.
——————
I had the same exact thought. We haven’t heard about the finger lately, but that’s only because Jorge is one tough s.o.b.
Molina and Cervelli can hold down the fort in the interim, and with the lengthy bench pinch-hitting/pinch-running for either won’t be an issue.
I tend to be the positive type, but even the most negative I think can see the upside in Jorge sitting for a few days.
Carlson wasn’t even all that close. He was in the wrong spot to be sure, but he wasn’t impeding Jorge’s path. From the 1st base dugout angle, it looked like Posada whiffed. From the mound angle Posada only got the glove.
Carlson’s lucky he wasn’t in line to get the full shoulder.
Bottom line is that Jorge wouldn’t even have to veer clear of Carlson. Just keep your elbows in its normal position while running. The NBA would look at that and base its decision on whether or not it was a “natural act” in the context of the game.
But anyway, 3 games would be fair imo. Carlson should get a couple for swinging.
Carlson stepped forward when he knew Jorge was going past. Also did you catch him cursing out a fan?
“One guy, a guy who hasn’t done much recently, (like AJ for example) can get hot and change the entire look of the playoffs.”
I really hope that’s the case. A.J. is really the only guy I’m worried about right now. Pettitte will be fine, Sabathia is great and we don’t have to think about Joba until the ALCS. Burnett MUST get his stuff together and pitch well in the postseason.
Oh yeah, I’m also a bit concerned about David Robertson, any word on him lately?
Checkout http://www.coolstandings.com Yankees rule!
No fights tonight please Yankees.
“Carlson doesn’t deserve any blame.”
It’s been widely accepted that he wasn’t supposed to be standing in front of home plate as Posada was coming across to score. He wasn’t trying to back up the plate, he was just standing around looking to continue something with Jorge. That doesn’t deserve any blame, or the “punk” label to be thrown around as you’ve generously done with Posada?
SJ44,
Posada, Damon, Duncan, Ramirez are going to be suspended.Maybe Tex and Melancon too.Posada is going to be suspended more than 5 games.He started the whole fight and put his hands on the umpire. You are looking at 6 to 7 games.
Mad Prince,
Carlos Beltran probably made an extra 30 million dollars hitting all of those HR’s for Houston in the post-season in his walk year. A guy gets hot in October, everything changes.
It certainly looks to me like AJ is going to be the most important guy for the post-season hopes of the Yankees.
What seperates the Yankees from other teams is getting AJ back to when he was dominant.
Andy is not comfortable being a Top 2 guy in the rotation. You don’t also want to go lefty-lefty to start a series. Plus, he pitches much better on the road than at home.
If AJ can somehow find it, this becomes a very dangerous team in October.
You would have 3 top end guys to throw in the ALDS, with Joba, Ace, Hughes, Robertson, Mo, etc in the bullpen.
That’s lethal for a 5 game series.
In a 7 game series, if AJ gets hot, you have Joba in the rotation and they are just as dangerous.
If AJ is struggling though, the landscape changes. You burn out Ace picking up his innings, will have to lean more on Joba (with unknown results) and it creates a scramble to cover innings you would rather not have to do in the post-season.
Christina25,
They don’t the 5 games and then tack on for every infraction. Lord, these players (including Youkilis) would be out for weeks.
And only the guys that throw haymakers are going to even be considered for suspension.
A lot of the players were trying to pull players out of the pile. They were trying to de-escalate the situation. Can’t speak for Duncan and Ramirez, though. Flat Stanley and Duncanstein can be a tag team in wrestling though.
Andrew,
I don’t care where Carlson was standing. Posada was 100% at fault last night.
Interesting, A Red Sox fan believes a third of the Yankees will be suspended. Ok, whatever you say.
Patrick,
AJ is my one, big worry in the post-season. I really believe he is the difference between this team dominating in October or struggling.
If he’s on, nobody is beating them in a series. If he’s off, its a mad scramble.
He’s too talented to be this bad, this long.
Hopefully, he turns it up a notch in the post-season.
John McDonald punch Girardi in the face last night.
Funny how that escaped suspension talk from our resident Red Sox fan.
There aren’t going to be mass suspensions from this. Jorge will get popped, as he should, and life will go on.
So I’m browsing http://www.neson.com
The article on the fight
At the bottom of the article,in the notes section,it quotes Giardi saying,”Joba will be a full-fledge starter by the end of the season.
The comment section isn’t for the faint of heart,however they need to learn how to spell. i.e. Yankees are “SOAR” losers.
You don’t care where Carlson was standing, did you care when he threw the ball behind Posada? Or are you just unwilling to accept the fact that there were two people involved in escalating the situation, in favor of just calling Posada a punk and wagging your finger. Not arguing that Posada wasn’t in the wrong but it’s a two way street.
SJ44,
Well spoken for sure. You hit the nail on the head.
AJ is crucial.
I would like to have a bit more faith in Joba if he starts in October, but I worry that what he is going through now (innings limits) will affect his endurance in the playoffs.
I have faith that the offense will do their part, but I will never rely on any offense to carry a team through the playoffs, especially when you face the kind of pitching that teams like Detroit, Anaheim, and Boston have.
Furthermore, CC’s effectiveness is crucial as well. If you have him lining up against a guy like Verlander or Lackey in the first round, he has got to bring his best stuff.
SJ44/Patrick,
I’m hoping AJ brings the same stuff he brought against Beckett in that Boston Series in which we brought the beatdown sweep.
He CAN rise to the challenge and I really think he will. He’s a veteran now and has some of the best stuff in baseball.
Obligatory AJ Question: should Posada or Molina catch him? I say Jorge.
“I still dont see how you can blame Carlson more than Posada.”
christina-
carlson had already thrown at posada. being in the place he was which was the wrong place for backing up the play shows he was trying to get near posada.
what if when carlson who positioned himself out of position on purpose to get close to posada , decided to throw a punch as posada went by?
what if posada ended up with a broken jaw or some other injury ? he comes around third and finds a pitcher who just threw at him in his path line. he has about two tenths of a second to make a decision because carlson has positioned himself there.
and then posada bumps his glove. big whoppee.
i’ll be very surprised if carlson doesn’t get as much time as jorge.
the video is not going to help carlson.
You had put in that bit about the patriots huh? I was just starting to get over that game monday, coming to read about the ballteam that doesn’t disappoint me endlessly, only to have salt rubbed in my wounds.
Not as bad as the one that the bills blew a 9 point lead with 50 seconds left against the cowboys. The yankees got elimated by cleveland that night, and after that ended I turned the radio dial just in time for the last two minutes. Worst night of sports fandom ever.