Wrapping it up from the Bronx
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Sep 26, 2009 
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Between us, I’m a little worn out by the Joba Drama. So I’m going to skip over that. He pitched well and good for him. Now let’s see if he can do it again.
A few notes for those of you still up:
• Terry Francona said Jon Lester could actually make his next start. “He’s going to be OK,” Francona said. Several of the Yankees, including Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, said they wished Lester well.
• Hideki Okajima went back to Boston for acupuncture on a sore side. So the Yankees won’t be dealing with him this weekend.
• The Yankees have hit 127 home runs at home this season, a franchise record with five games left to play at the new Stadium. There have been 227 home runs hit at the park, 12 more than were ever hit at the old Stadium.
• The seven stolen bases were the most for the Yankees since they stole eight against Oakland on June 2, 2006 at Oakland. It’s hard to imagine the Red Sox debating even for a moment whether to keep Jason Varitek. He is hitting .208 and is 15 of 107 throwing out base stealers.
• The Yankees, now 98-56, have won their most games since finishing the 2004 season with 101 victories.
• The Yankees lost the first eight games of the season series against Boston, getting outscored by 24 runs. They have since taken seven out of eight games against the Red Sox, outscoring their rivals by 21 runs. Boston leads the season series 9-7 and the difference is three runs.
• The Yanks are 42 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2002 season, when they were 103-58.
• Finally … The Big G had a pinch-hit single that helped the Rockies beat the Cardinals 2-1 in the ninth inning. Jason is 9 for 17 with three homers and 11 RBI as a pinch hitter for the Rockies.
Back at it tomorrow. Catch you then.
Pete should thank his media pals and talk radio for the Joba Drama because they are responsible for creating it.
It’s good to be a Yankee fan
Rebecca,
it’s going to be GREAT to be a Yankee fan by the November rolls around.
Okajima = Hippie
The Red Sox dont really have a say in Varitek coming back next year since they gave him a player option! That was seriously the worst contract given up last year. Sure it was short money but its basically thrown away. You get nothing tangible from him at all. His decline was huge and fast and hes virtually worthless right now. He cant hit, he cant throw runners out and hes a poor defensive catcher on top of it. ‘He calls a good game’ only goes so far.
Mtich Williams and Harold Reynolds on MLB Network think the Xox are lying about the extent of Lester’s injury. They think it’s a bone bruise, not a thigh muscle injury and that it will hurt like hell when he tries plants his leg when he follows through on his delivery.
Good for Joba bouncing back from a bad start. Now I dont have to read people like Joel Sherman tommorow trying to compare Joba to Irabu about how they our overhyped. What does John Kruk have to say now? The yanks 4th starter just outpitched and beat Boston’s best pitcher.
LOL @ Varitek he basically got embarrased tonight. I am glad Girardi likes being very aggresive on the bases, that is something Torre really wasn’t doing in his final years as the yankee manager and it cost us.
Was just getting the bus across the park when a Yankee fan gets on in full gear. He had one of those jackets that had a patch for every world series win. Nice chat. He was in the opinion that Joba should be in the pen. I disagreed wished him well and went on my way. We’re everywhere.
Pat M. September 26th, 2009 at 12:59 am
Mr. Franco….Wolverines giving away too many points ( 21 ) as for Parcells Dolphins, they could be looking up a big hill to climb if they lose in San Diego & when the Jets win……
————
I think the Wolverines will cover tomorrow. Indiana isn’t very good. They had trouble with a Western Michigan team that is good for a Mac team but Michigan blew the game open in the first half.
They are going to be able to run all day against the Indiana defense. The interior line and linebackers are all Freshmen. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see them give up 250-300 yards on the ground.
I’m thinking along the lines of 38-13 Michigan.
As for the Dolphins, I was sick for two days watching them run all over the Colts’ defense just to give it up so quickly to Manning and Clark.
The Dolphins unintentionally did the rest of the AFC a favor by really exposing a weakness for the Colts. Teams with power running games are going to shove it down their throat all season long.
Even when this team falters a bit–like the White Sox and most recent Seattle series, it comes right back off the mat. The Anaheim series was a huge statement series and it was good to see that it carried over to this, less of a statement series, but you know they still get up for the Sox.
First win was a biggie tonight especially with CC going tomorrow. Maybe Joe can rest some regulars, particularly Jeter who looked like he may have tweaked an ankle sliding into second and then fouled a ball off his foot late. Give Ramiro a start.
Great beginning to the game; first three innings set the tone, good offense and defense (Swisher made an ugly but timely catch of the sinking Ortiz liner) but the rest of the game was the usual Yankee-Red Sox plodding affair, 22 hits, nine pitching changes, Lester’s injury was about 10 minutes, etc. Sloppy baseball in the late innings by both teams and Albaladejo continues to disappoint.
I’d be interested to know if Joe limited Aceves to one inning due to the shoulder troubles Aceves was said to be experiencing out West. That eighth inning could have been real trouble and Joe might have avoided it with another inning from Al if he was available. But all’s well that ends well, Hughes came in and slammed the door in Bay’s face. Young Phil seems to be getting a bit of a bada$$ streak to him which can only help.
Cano and Jeter were fabulous up the middle tonight and the game ending on a sweet DP turn was worth staying for…Go Yankees
I just got home from the game… couldnt be more proud of our pinstripes. Funniest part of my evening was my section in 201 chanting JUMP JUMP JUMP to a sox fan sitting in the front row taunting fans, only to watch him get removed by security for seat hopping haha
Zero-
Varitek’s option is only $3 million. That really nothing more than a typical buyout. For example, we’re paying Giambi $5 million this year, as that was his buyout clause.
I’m convinced Girardi would have bunted on Schilling.
Pat M,
Oh yeah, regarding the Jets. That’s a team who often gets off to hot starts and then fades at the end of the season.
I’m not a fan but it seems to be a long time trend with that franchise. It certainly was the case last year. Favre was horrific down the stretch.
BTW, for the first time this season, the Yankees are 42 games above .500!
Giuseppe Franco-
Farve was seriously injured down the stretch with a torn bicep in his throwing arm.
Mr. Franco……As a Jet fan since the days at Shea and Joe Willie White Shoes / Broadway Joe Namath, I know all so wel about the December fade…..I’ll play the Michigan game on your tip, as I’m looking for a game to play light….I’m on Cal-Berkley & LSU……..Oh and by the way, I used to go see the Jets whip the Patriots @ Fenway when I was a kid…..The old man was a Giant season ticket holder for years at The Stadium, but Namath turned on a new generation of NY football fans….Besides the Giants were cooked by then……I still think it’s going to be a while before we see Lester…I’m certain Boston is hoping for 1 start before they go to Anaheim…..
From Pete’s future employer-
“Red Sox staff members told Victor Martinez he will catch Daisuke Matsuzaka tomorrow, Martinez said tonight before leaving Yankee Stadium. Manager Terry Francona acknowledged the possibility before the 9-5 loss to the Yankees.
… catching Martinez is likely another signal that the Sox plan to rely almost exclusively on Martinez as their catcher in the playoffs, assuming they win the wild card. Tonight, Jason Varitek went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and a double play.”
Makes sense for Martinez to catch anyway, but that’s really the Sox’ strongest lineup with Lowell at third and Youkilis at first. Youkilis is out of position at third anyway…I wouldn’t say Martinez is that much of an upgrade at catcher, though you couldn’t have a worse game than Varitek did tonight.
Stevie September 26th, 2009 at 1:16 am
Giuseppe Franco-
Farve was seriously injured down the stretch with a torn bicep in his throwing arm.
————
I get that. But he was still terrible. If he was injured that badly, he shouldn’t have played.
The Jets as a whole still didn’t play very well despite Favre’s shortcomings.
MLB Network Quick Pitch recap of tonight’s game:
http://bit.ly/2Ll48m
“… Tonight, Jason Varitek went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and a double play.”
—————————————————————
And those were the highlights!
I mean even Robbie stole a base off him. I kept hoping to see Hideki swipe one.
Pat M. September 26th, 2009 at 1:19 am
Mr. Franco……As a Jet fan since the days at Shea and Joe Willie White Shoes / Broadway Joe Namath, I know all so wel about the December fade…..I’ll play the Michigan game on your tip, as I’m looking for a game to play light….I’m on Cal-Berkley & LSU……..Oh and by the way, I used to go see the Jets whip the Patriots @ Fenway when I was a kid…..The old man was a Giant season ticket holder for years at The Stadium, but Namath turned on a new generation of NY football fans….Besides the Giants were cooked by then……I still think it’s going to be a while before we see Lester…I’m certain Boston is hoping for 1 start before they go to Anaheim…..
—————
I hope you don’t have much money on the Michigan game based on my tip. LOL. I’m no bookie or oddsmaker.
Sounds like your football hero and my football hero were on the same stage this week on Joe Buck’s HBO show.
I don’t even care for that show but his guests this week included three of the greatest QBs of all time – Namath, John Elway, and my hero Dan Marino.
Joe Montana had a previous commitment or he would have been there as well.
That was the only segment of the show that I bothered to watch.
Martinez isn’t a very good defensive catcher either. The yanks can run wild on him too. But basically replacing Lowell with Varitek improves there offense.
LOL @ Michael Kay saying Youkillis plays a gold glove third base. But that is coming from the same person who couldn’t get Lester and Chamberlain age right.
Hideki Okajima against the Yankees this season:
6.35 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, .333 BAA
something is telling me the Yankees are a little disappointed they aren’t dealing w/ him this weekend
Things that make you go uhm.
-Varitek allowing so many stolen bases,the Captain was asleep at the wheel.
-The Molina parents will have 2 of their sons in postseason that could possibly face each other in the WS.
-Angels being shut out with Weaver on the mound.
A Sox fan commented-
“Wouldn’t a “K” be more appropriate than a “C” on Varitek’s uniform now.”
OUCH!
Mr. Franco, You made a very compelling case for Michigan and it’ll be a light play, 1 star type…..Nick in SF & I know the Pac 10 so well that we just jump right into the action…..I watch the other conferences until I get a feel for most of the teamsI watched Danny Boy at Pittsburgh and he was compared to Namath for so long for the lightening set and release & the powerful arm…..Shame Danny didn’t get to the promise land, but he had his health….I loaded up on him & the Dolphins in the Fog Super Bowl in Palo Alto…..They had their chances, but much like Namath after The Jets made their deal with the DEvil in Super III, the team was void of overall talent outside of the recievers….Loved Danny Boy, made me many dollars over the years….One of my biggest scores was the Monday night game in 1984 vs. The Bears…..Many Thousand of dollars were invested that night…..
Stevie September 26th, 2009 at 1:11 am
Zero-
Varitek’s option is only $3 million. That really nothing more than a typical buyout. For example, we’re paying Giambi $5 million this year, as that was his buyout clause.
_____________________________
Yeah, its not a major commitment but you can rest assured that Varitek will take it. I cant imagine Boston releasing their captain either. No amount of Peter Gammons spin could take care of that. So while it will only cost them $3m, it will also cost them a roster spot with alot of fans who will expect to see him play.
I cant imagine what the clubhouse boy Theo was thinking when he worked that deal out. Varitak had NOBODY interested in him. The Sox could have offered him league minimum and it would have been a better offer than anybody else made. Instead they give him $5m this year and a 2nd year option!? Thats just silly.
Varitek is such a loser!!!!
If you really want a laugh try the live blog game thread,comment section. They’re in a panic,because they see this is a different Yankees team.
http://www.nesn.com
Bronx Jeers
September 26th, 2009 at 1:30 am
“… Tonight, Jason Varitek went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and a double play.”
—————————————————————
And those were the highlights!
I mean even Robbie stole a base off him. I kept hoping to see Hideki swipe one.
———————————————–
Wait till Wakefield is pitching. Matsui might be able to steal on him. Having Matsui and Posada stealing bases would be an ultimate humiliation for the red sox.
Halladay blanked SEA 5-0 allowed only 7 hits.What the Yankees could do with him.
Pat M,
Ah, yes. I remember that only blemish against the ’85 Bears very well. I’ve lived in the Chicagoland area all my life so I’ve grown up with it.
Marino just massacred that defense all night long. It’s amazing how arguably the baddest team of all time was taken apart with such precision.
To this day, I believe that Bears/Dolphins Monday night game is still the highest rated game of all time. Well, amongst the Monday Night games, anyway.
A buddy of mine is a fireman in Indianapolis and has had Colts season tickets for the last 13 years or so.
I used to travel down to Indy once a year to watch the Dolphins/Colts because they were in the same division at that time before the switch several years back.
Saw several good games down there – including Marino’s career record breaking TD pass, Manning’s first NFL game (and was clobbered by the Fins), and Marino’s last great performance of his career (a 4th quarter comeback win in which he threw for 400 yds in 1999).
I was really pissed when the NFL moved the Colts out of the AFC East because that was a pretty good rivalry and it gave me a reason every year to drive down to Indy for a weekend and see them play.
Sigh.
Congratulations one and all. Now that we went ahead and won the first one, we might as well go for the sweep. Or at least get CC #19. Pat M, I thought of you as Arod plated run after run.
From 1954 through 2009, only 9 other players had SIMILAR solid performances like the one Alex had tonight.
Using the basic criteria (=5 PA, =3 H, =2 BB, =3 SB):
1959-08-11 Jim Gilliam
1974-07-12 Mickey Rivers
1979-06-02 Billy North
1982-06-13 Tim Raines
1982-06-27 Tim Raines
1984-05-27 Rickey Henderson
1989-06-25 Rickey Henderson
1999-07-16 Rickey Henderson
2004-04-21 Dave Roberts
2009-09-25 Alex Rodriguez
I wish I could’ve used the play index to narrow down the results to performances identical to Alex’s but I couldn’t enter any more criteria.
So I compared them manually— eyeball style.
The list whittled down to only Alex when you add the rest of the criteria: 3 AB, 3 R, 4 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HR, 0 IBB, 0 CS, 0 SH, 0 SF, 0 3B, 0 SO, 0 HBP
It’s cool to see that after all the games that have been played throughout baseball history— although, the play index only goes back as far as 1954 for these purposes— that in one night out of several in a player’s career, you can still put up a pretty unique performance— unless it comes easy to you because your name is Tim Raines and you did it twice in one month or your name is Rickey Henderson and you did it twice in one decade and then decided to do it one more time a decade later just because you felt like it.
This trivia is completely useless and quickly forgettable.
It serves no other purpose outside of satisfying my curiosity.
Just thought I’d share the results. Why not?
-XLJ
The ultimate will be stealing home,like Ellsbury did to Pettitte.
Mr. Franco, I agree with you on the old AFC East….Jets, Dolphins, Colts all were linked to old time bitter rivalries……How about the Jets Dolphins AFC Title game when Shula instructed the Orange Bowl not to tarp the field the night before the game regardless off the incoming storm…..Wet field, took out Freeman McNeil’s running game, slowed down the Sack Exchange….They also lost the following year to Oakland in the AFC Title …Jets & Don Shula and the AFC East…..
Funny when joba pitches well…the beat writers are tired of talking about it…but when he pitches like garbage the wrold stops spinning!
World*
Nick in SF……Hope your evening was a pleasant one…The LoHud reached it’s full potential tonight…No Matt and all the other distractions that pollute the site…..Great input from the masses……I’m touching the Michigan game ( 1 star action ) on Mr.Franco’s game anaylsis….Sounded compelling…..It’s going down to the wire with Alex and the 100 rbi’s……Yanks 100 wins is in the bank, the division is in the bank…..Lester was hit hard, literally…..I’ll be surprised if he makes his next turn….
Michigan giving 20.5 as I look right now… a little too much for my liking. I haven’t deeply studied the board yet, I was disposed this evening, but I think I like Miami and Houston, perhaps Purdue… the Huskies getting 8 on the Farm… Iowa getting 9.5 at Penn State… Oregon State -3 hosting Arizona… and…. more than I thought… the California Golden Bears. I haven’t really looked at the totals, I’m hoping dennis will have a few winners to share tomorrow. I’ve already signed up for a Yankees-Arsenal FC parlay.
If you guys are regarding history with the Jet’s December collapses, than you can’t neglect that the last time the Jets had a Ryan for a coach and a baller for a QB they won it all.
Uh, that was 40 years ago. Lots more competition these days.
Give it a couple of months before you start purchasing your Super Bowl tickets.
Nick in SF, Are those the games you’re going to pick from ,or are you playing all of them in different degrees ??? I’m on The Cal-Berkley Bears & LSU…Light touch on Michigan ( he did lay out some good info up above )….I’ll sleep on the Huskies……I’ll look over the games you referenced tomorrow AM…..Yamks slight dog at home was too attractive not to kiss…..
I am probably going to play all of those to some degree, a few of them maybe just in small teasers. I will probably drop one or two off the list tomorrow… Purdue for example, I have no serious confidence in, I just like picking against Notre Dame.
I just laid a small Boston College/Cal parlay in honor of our Redsock pal dennis. I am also off to a good start to the weekend with Missouri over Nevada tonight (I’m ignoring the bad start Ole Miss and the under gave me last night).
Mr. Franco, spoken like a true Dolphin fan…..How’s Chad the Lad doing these days ???? They could be 3 down by Sunday night, and they’re not going to leap frog the teams in front of them…..Patriots are worth a serious look Sunday laying just 4 @ home…..
Hot damn it has been fun to watch the Yanks this year.
Feinsand is running with the theory that since Burnett is pitching the last game of the season which is next Sunday, he won’t start a playoff game until the third game while Pettitte pitches the second game.
However, if you look at the two playoff scenarios the Yankees will choose from, Burnett can pitch the last game of the season and still start the second game of the playoffs since the second playoff game is being played on Friday and Burnett will have four full days off plus he won’t pitch more than 4 innings in that last game which is nothing more than a tuneup for the playoffs.
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo....._spot.html
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps.jsp?y=09
In today’s Daily News, Feinsand is running with the theory that since Burnett is pitching the last game of the season which is next Sunday, he won’t start a playoff game until the third game while Pettitte pitches the second game.
However, if you look at the two playoff scenarios the Yankees will choose from, Burnett can pitch the last game of the season and still start the second game of the playoffs since the second playoff game is being played on Friday and Burnett will have four full days off plus he won’t pitch more than 4 innings in that last game which is nothing more than a tuneup for the playoffs.
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....index.html
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps.jsp?y=09
In today’s Daily News, Feinsand is running with the theory that since Burnett is pitching the last game of the season which is next Sunday, he won’t start a playoff game until the third game while Pettitte pitches the second game.
However, if you look at the two playoff scenarios the Yankees will choose from, Burnett can pitch the last game of the season and still start the second game of the playoffs since the second playoff game is being played on Friday and Burnett will have four full days off plus he won’t pitch more than 4 innings in that last game which is nothing more than a tuneup for the playoffs.
By the way, I think Feinsand was a better writer when he wrote for the mlb.com. Since he’s been with the Daily News, I think he’s taken a step back as a baseball writer. IMO, Tyler Kepner is a much better baseball writer with usually more facts to back up his opinions.
Yanks have to go to AJ Burnett….Besides he;ll go 7 and save the arms behind the right field wall…..Love 98 cheese
Hughes has over 100 ip so far right? And he’ll probably get somewhere between 5 to 15ip in the next month. Of course they’ll have to get far into the playoffs. So if he gets those innings. Then next year I don’t think they’ll be as strict with his innings as Joba. I mean there’ll be a limit. But I think it’ll be longer than Joba’s was.
crawdaddy September 26th, 2009 at 5:07 am
In today’s Daily News, Feinsand is running with the theory that since Burnett is pitching the last game of the season which is next Sunday, he won’t start a playoff game until the third game while Pettitte pitches the second game.
======================================================
GI Joe will not go against the book which says never pitch leftys in back to back games.
Also, Andy’s ERA is a full run higher at home, and AJ’s ERA is a full run higher on the run. It would be bad sabermetrics to pitch andy at home then AJ on the road.
Crawdaddy is spot on. Feinsand was once an excellent baseball writer. His game wraps on MLB.com gave a clearer picture of a game just played than anybody’s, so in those days when I had to miss a game I would always go to his wrap to find out what really went on rather than what ‘hook’ the beat writers had put on the story. But he took a nosedive almost as soon as he got to the Daily News. At the time I attributed it to the difference in readership between the two venues — writing down to the tabloid readership. A pity, because coming down in class may have been easy, but climbing back up could be a lot harder.
Kepner is excellent and fortunately doesn’t have to ‘write down’ to the Times readership, but it seems to me that he’s not covering as many games as he used to. I’m wondering if it’s about time for him to do as his predecessor Buster Olney did and get out of beat writing into something less travel-oriented and more family friendly (TyKep has four young kids). Unfortunately those moves don’t always work out either as far as the quality of the reporting goes. Olney was an outstanding beat writer when he covered the Yankees for the Times, but as soon as he went to ESPN he started descending to their level.
Olney’s Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty is a tremendous piece of sports writing. It is factual, fair and revealing. IMO, his work for ESPN cannot be judged properly unless you have Insider. Even then you have to remember that Olney’s not a beat writer anymore.
Kep’s one of the best. Not everybody has the same agreement with their employer. Maybe TyKep negotiated a little more home time. Good for him. Ditto Feinsand, who also does the WCBS 880 5th inning visit from time to time in addition to his blog and beat pieces. Feinsand’s still very sharp and focused IMO.
Face it, we’re all a little spoiled because Pete Abe is the hardest working man in show business.
Bryan Hoch is a good writer for MLB.
Actually my opinions of sportswriters were never defined by Pete, whose work I got to know well after the others we are discussing, and which is completely unfamiliar to me as far as beat writing goes, since I only ever go to LoHud for this blog.
I like Feinsand’s reporting…
One thing I’m surprised didn’t make it into the post game wraps is Francona emptying his bench in the 8th inning while down only 4 runs. I guess that tells you he knows they weren’t coming back against the Yankees back end of the bullpen.
Girardi’s use of the running game, as I mentioned last night during the game, was as much a signal to the rest of the league as an in game strategy. This is a different Yankees team than in the past 5 years, they can manufacture runs as well as bash them. World championship #27 is on the horizon, I don’t see much in the way of it.
Now that Aroldis Chapman is a feee agent I’d like to see the Yankees come to terms with him today, bring him in for a physical and then let Jon Miller and Joe Morgan intereview him for 3 innings on the ESPN Sunday night game…just like they interviewed Luis Tiant for 3 innings.
Hey Pete Abe,
After the Yankees win today, whose number you gonna use in the magic number picture? Bill or Bobby?
Twins are only 2 games out….
Joey’s Poodle -
With a wife and 4 kids, I’m sure Kepner appreciates time away on the road, simply to get away from it. Plus, I’m sure baseball writers are no different than baseball players, and like to carouse.
read from nesn.com
Boston’s starting staff was shaping up to be the best of any playoff team. Now it’s looking as unpredictable as a weather report thanks to one untimely, misplaced hit. Cabrera might as well have just taken a crow bar to Lester’s knee. At least the lefty would have seen it coming and might have been able to get out of the way.
If Lester doesn’t return to form, the Melk Man will be cursed and maligned from every corner of Red Sox Nation. He can look forward to a lifetime of being treated with the same respect as Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone and every other Yankees villain who ever stomped out a Red Sox dream like he was extinguishing a cigarette.
there are more than 5 games left 2 more with boston, 3 with kc and 3 with tb