Spring Training Game 25: Yankees at Braves
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Gameday Thread on Mar 30, 2010 
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YANKEES
Brett Gardner LF
Nick Swisher RF
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Curtis Granderson CF
Juan Miranda 1B
Kevin Russo SS
Brandon Laird 3B
CC Sabathia P
RHP CC Sabathia
BRAVES
Melky Cabrera RF
Martin Prado 2B
Chipper Jones 3B
Troy Glaus 1B
Yunel Escobar SS
Matt Diaz LF
Nate McLouth CF
Clint Sammons C
Kenshin Kawakami P
RHP Kenshin Kawakami
TIME/TV: 1:05 p.m./Not in New York
WEATHER: I didn’t know it was possible to be this sunny.
UMPIRES: HP Mike Reilly, 1B Jerry Layne, 2B Jeff Nelson, 3B Toby Basner
ON THE LINE: Not a lot of borderline, trying-to-win-a-spot players in this one. This game is more about CC Sabathia getting his last tune-up and seeing Pat Venditte pitch from both sides.
UPDATE, 1:17 p.m.: This batting fifth thing seems to be working out so far. Robinson Cano just doubled off the top of the wall in right-center, scoring Nick Swisher and giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
UPDATE, 1:34 p.m.: Sabathia, of course, struck out on three pitches. He basically just stood in the box, not even looking as if he were going to swing the bat. You just know that was killing him.
UPDATE, 1:40 p.m.: Robinson Cano is going to win a Gold Glove this year. That’s my prediction. He just made a great play to end the second inning, catching a shallow pop-up on the run, then turning to throw to first base to double off Matt Diaz. CC Sabathia just stood on the mound pointing to Cano after the play.
UPDATE, 2:28 p.m.: Brandon Laird has been a lot better defensively than I expected. By the way, Venditte is getting loose in the bullpen.
UPDATE, 2:32 p.m.: That’s it for Sabathia this spring. Not the best numbers, but I doubt anyone is concerned. Here’s Venditte.
you need to change that TV/Time thingy Chad.
The only thing on the line here is the Yankees getting another look at Kevin Russo at ss. It’s really a battle of him vs. Nunez vs. Corona to see who gets called up if the Yankees need a utility infielder at somepoint during the season.
Why don’t they schedule the split squads earlier in the season.
Making these kids deal with assignment more than once. Poor tings.
And how many times have we faced the Braves? And why no Sox? Do they have to separate the two?
I don’t think this game is on MASN (or any other channel)
GB
CC and AJ weren’t even referring to the postseason. They both referenced the 1st AB HR that gave everyone the comfort level that they just had to play their game and everything would be okay.
it seems like the only teams they’ve faced are the Tigers Braves and O’s.
Derek Leader – how do you forget the PHILLIES?
Pirates?
M –
I don’t know exactly why the Yankees don’t really face the Sox (or Mets for that matter) that often in Spring Training – maybe just the travel distance, but as for facing the Braves a lot – well it’s the result of so many teams moving to Arizona.
I think the only teams left in Florida are:
Houston
NYY
NYM
Boston
Bal
Atl
Was
Tor
Phi
Tampa
Detroit
and they’re all pretty well spread out
M, one thing that I think has been made clear from recent days is that they are 100% committed to Phil; they seem really happy with the progress he made with his change. I mentioned yesterday that Joe was quoted a couple of weeks ago talking about the importance of the kids trusting he and Eiland and that Phil did trust them (this was in reference to their emphasizing the importance of developing the change and even throwing it where he’s not comfortable yet). He probably seems like a relief coming on the heels of high-maintenance Joba, lol. I admit that, in recent times, it always seemed like Joba was the main priority for the Yankees; I’m glad that I was wrong. Don’t misunderstand me – Joba is certainly a priority.
m -
That was a good listen. Thanks. As for Michael Kay sounding whiny – he usually does when he’s asking questions like this.
Important to note is Cashman’s comment that they have more information than the fans on their players. Also, when talking about Joba and the 100 mph fastball, he seemed to stop himself short before he attributed that to any particular incident (ahem) and did not say the word “injury” (Michael Kay had referenced the game when Joba went down in 2008).
“Kay has it fixed in his brain that Phil is nothing special as a starter”
Maybe Kay doesn’t put Hughes in that category of talents worth waiting on?
Seriously, you’re not seeing this?
Nick
Before you say it, my response to m’s comment was nit-picky.
fil…
…i guess so
becca i completely misread that post. Whoooppps.
Ok Stuckey, fine. You win.
pat, how could I tease you after I’d already picked the same nit?
5 days until Opening Night!
can’t wait. I really hope CC has a good feel for his pitches today so he’s ready for Sunday night.
I’d love to start the season off with a series win in Boston.
just because people (IE, me) think Joba should be starting this year (he should be given every chance to start without the “Joba rules”) doesn’t mean they don’t think Hughes is going to be a special talent too.
I’m also looking forward to the Yanks facing Lackey at Fenway.
Many Boston fans and media are about the same or worse as the Yanks fans/media…
they will panic if Lackey gets shelled in his first start
Here’s hoping to a shellacking of Lackey by the Yanks offense.
Does anyone have a link to listen to the game on-line???
becca,
Did you listen to the Cashman/Kay I linked in the last thread? It’s a good listen. It won’t persuade or disuade anyone.
But it will confirm that Joba is/has been the unsolvable puzzle.
And I think for now, they’re going to put it on the side. And if there’s any inspiration they’ll pick it up again.
Cashman was big on there’s so much talent that they have to let the cream rise to the top. Jobs just can’t be handed out. Not only to do you have to earn the job. You have to earn the right to keep it.
Ledger_Yankees Gardner, from Holly Hill, SC. Not sure there’s a better sounding hometown on this 25-man roster. #nyy 36 seconds ago
1st and 3rd, one out for Cano…
Wow Heyward isn’t playing. With CC not hitting, Pat is the only reason to watch today.
I vote that there should be a Jewish Holiday every week. A bunch of my clients are off today so my phone isn’t ringing off the hook.
Too bad the game isn’t on TV. I might have been able to watch alot of it with the sound on instead of on mute.
Cano rbi double
RBI double by Cano. He missed a HR by a foot…
Becca, I was not directing my comments to you or anyone else on this board.
clutch cano?
The Braves crew showing George Steinbrenner the love.
Is the game on TV today?
MLB.TV vs. MLB for iPhone -
has anyone gotten the MLB iPhone app?
It’s $15 and I think you can watch all the games all season on your phone.
For unfortunate peeps like me who can’t get Yankee games on TV, I’m trying to find the best solution.
I usually get MLB.TV but it’s $20/month so if i I can save…
Thanks!
Cano is going to have a great year….
I was just browsing Yahoo! Sports and came across an AL East preview. After reading it, I can’t help but wonder if the analysts and experts of other sports are as misinformed and seemingly biased as with MLB? One of the two guys doing this preview, Dave Brown, comes off as being very partial toward the Rays. He is predicting, for the second straight year, that the Yankees won’t even make the playoffs. That in itself isn’t totally indefensible (I believe it to be wholly incorrect, but nevertheless), because you can always point to their age and injury risk; however, he states “even if the Yankees stay healthy, they still won’t have enough to surpass the Rays and Red Sawx.” More specifically, he proves his unfamiliarity with the Yankees’ roster when discussing their options should Mo get injured and Joba close, “That leaves Chan Ho Park, Damaso Marte, Sergio Mitre, Boone Logan protecting the leads.” Dave Robertson? Alfredo Aceves? No wonder he thinks BOS has the deepest pen, he doesn’t even know who is in the Yankees’ bullpen. A couple of other nuggets of wisdom: “They better hope CC Sabathia goes eight every time, and that Hughes transforms immediately. And that Vazquez — who got some deserved love for NL Cy Young last year — can replicate that effort in the American League, where he’s decidedly a lot closer to average.” Complete and utter ignorance…
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/bl.....mlb,230872
Cano is completely locked in right now. Another wonderful at bat with men on base.
Cano got ahead in the count again as he did last night and forced the pitch on Cano’s terms. That’s a large part of the battle in any at bat.
Kawakami tried to get Cano to chase and Cano didn’t. Finally Kawakami had to throw a strike. He left the ball out over the plate and just absolutely crushed the ball. He put a great swing on the ball and it looked like it was gone. He crushed it.
Nice to see Robbie hitting with RISP, even if it’s in ST. Hopefully, this builds confidence for him going into the season. If he can do the job hitting after Alex….
Carl
March 30th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Cano rbi double
**********************
All right Robbie!!!
Ledger_Yankees This place is amazing: There’s a sound effect played for every action; fly out, strikeout, foul ball, tobacco spit. Everything
That sounds more annoying than cowbells.
Melky trying to make the big guy run.
The ball Cano hit would be a HR in a real park. It hit off something over the wall and bounced back in.
Ground rule double for Melky to lead off…
Swisher lucky that was just a ground rule double. Melky could be standing on 3rd.
Melky appears to have lost some weight….
Melky has shown he can play the game.
I dont know if it’s the uniform or the beard, but Melky looks like he put on some weight!
pat
March 30th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Ledger_Yankees This place is amazing: There’s a sound effect played for every action; fly out, strikeout, foul ball, tobacco spit. Everything
That sounds more annoying than cowbells.
****************************
pat, I liked Sweeny’s response
YankeesWFAN If by “amazing” you mean “totally annoying” I agree
lol
RBI double for Chipper Jones….two hard hit balls of CC
“It’s $15 and I think you can watch all the games all season on your phone.”
You can listen to all the games all season on your phone.
They usually have 1 game a day for viewing but it is subject to blackout restrictions.
Hopefully CC will get off to a slightly better start than he did last year, lol.
RE: The Yahoo AL East Preview
If you compare the Rays Depth Chart:
http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/t.....sp?c_id=tb
They may have a slight edge in the outfield, but the Yanks are better at every infield position & yes that includes Arod over Longoria (some may call that one a push). The starting rotation edge goes to the Yankees & Yanks have a huge advantage in the bullpen. There would have to be a lot of injuries/situations for the Rays to outperform the Yanks & Sox.
This could be a long game, lol.
thanks to everyone providing updates
And yay Robbie!
I miss Melky!!!
BloggingBombers Melky told me he still talks to Cano every single day. Wasn’t surprising to see them laughing it up outside the NYY clubhouse today. 8 seconds ago
that’s so cute!
Escobar K’s to end the inning…
CC’s fastball command was off that first inning. The ball was up and he was missing spots.
“Cano got ahead in the count again as he did last night and forced the pitch on Cano’s terms. That’s a large part of the battle in any at bat.”
It’s very encouraging to see this approach paying off for him in ST. By seeing good results now, maybe it will be easier for him to exhibit the same level of patience in the regular season. Assuming he’s able to continue this approach throughout the season, just how good do you see the lineup being? Personally, I think the potential of Tex-Arod-Cano is truly special.
Boston Dave
MLB.TV vs. MLB for iPhone -
has anyone gotten the MLB iPhone app?
__________________________________________________________
I have it.. and I love it.. the video is really good (assuming the wifi signal is good!) and the stats, audio, news links etc are definitely well worth it. HOWEVER, you only get the video if you have mlb.tv already.. so you don’t save anything. It’s not an alternative, it’s an added extra to your computer mlb.tv account.
Hope that helps.
Deb
People are taking the hot Spring by the Rays too seriously.
Melky appears to have lost some weight….
I dont know if it’s the uniform or the beard, but Melky looks like he put on some weight!
–
Conflicting reports, maybe he is the same weight?
“Melky has shown he can play the game.”
I’ve seen a couple depth charts where he’s not starting for the Braves. I know he’s not going to face lefties very often, but I figured he’d get most of the AB’s in left.
“People are taking the hot Spring by the Rays too seriously.”
I think the reason that is, is that was their approach in 2008.
I do respect the Rays a lot and I have a feeling they will be very good, but I have the healthiest respect for the Yankees. I kind of think it’s dumb for prognosticators to pick against the Yankees just because they don’t want to pick the favorites, but in the end it’s hardly important.
I just want CC to emerge healthy from this game…..
GeorgeInJax,
Speaking of Longoria, did you see where DB states that the Rays have the two best players in the division? What about A-Rod, CC, and Lester…
I agree about the potential for injuries to close the gap. That’s the oddest part, that assuming perfect health he still doesn’t see the Yankees having the talent to matchup up with BOS/TAM. I guess if he keeps picking against the Yankees he’ll eventually be right, then he can have his “I told you so” moment.
So based on ST the ALCS will be Tampa Bay and Cleveland. Yeah.
WB,
I remember. 2008 was a weird year.
don’t get me wrong, Tampa Bay is a very good team, but how do the Yankees not have the talent to catch up with the Red Sox or the Rays? The Rays weren’t close to as good as the Yankees were last year and they didn’t really make any changes.
Braves saying that Matt Diaz will be one of the guys platooning in left with Melky.
“They may have a slight edge in the outfield, but the Yanks are better at every infield position & yes that includes Arod over Longoria (some may call that one a push).”
If the Rays use Sean Rodriguez at 2B and Zobrist in RF, then the Rays have a pretty significant edge in the OF.
It’s improbable that Zobrist can have another career year.
Rays did get a real closer, but have nothing to get them there.
Cano playing that gold glove defense
Nice play by Cano.
I don’t know about Melky, but CC does NOT look slimmer.
“I dont know if it’s the uniform or the beard, but Melky looks like he put on some weight!”
Nah, spring training TV adds 10 lbs.
Man, Cano looks great this spring… Sweet DP to end the inning.
“The Rays weren’t close to as good as the Yankees were last year and they didn’t really make any changes.”
Adding Soriano is a pretty big deal, especially if he stays healthy. Rays lost a lot of games in ’09 that can be attributed to deficiencies in their bullpen.
Rays rotation is…?
tk
I got the impression the guys who wrote that article are Rays fans. There was a link there to their last year’s predictions. One had the red sox winning the east, the other had the Rays winning, w/ the Yankees 3rd…so not too reliable.
Carl
March 30th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Cano playing that gold glove defense
***************************
Thanks for all the Cano updates Carl
I’m so excited that I’ll actually be home to watch Friday’s game, but knowing my luck Robbie will have the day off. lol
Erin
He looks great
Rays rotation is…?
Garza, Shields, Price, Neimann & W. Davis.
BryanHoch Some guy in front of the press box is drinking Red Stripe beer in a can. Something tells me he snuck that in. 40 seconds ago
YankeesWFAN Only good thing about Braves PA system is between innings music–Buddy Holly, Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello so far. Win, win, win. about 1 minute ago
Don’t know much about those guys except that Garza can be very tough.
Thanks, Frank.
Swish opp field homer
UPDATE, 1:40 p.m.: Robinson Cano is going to win a Gold Glove this year. That’s my prediction.
**********************
Mine too!
RE:
Frank
March 30th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
“They may have a slight edge in the outfield, but the Yanks are better at every infield position & yes that includes Arod over Longoria (some may call that one a push).”
If the Rays use Sean Rodriguez at 2B and Zobrist in RF, then the Rays have a pretty significant edge in the OF
You may be right Frank, but Granderson isn’t chopped liver either. If Swisher has a productive year & Gardner gets on base, the margin isn’t huge.
The key team comparison is who has the best overall pitching(runs allowed) & who will score the more team runs & I feel confident the Yanks outclass the Rays in both
Adding Soriano is a pretty big deal, especially if he stays healthy. Rays lost a lot of games in ‘09 that can be attributed to deficiencies in their bullpen.
___
true but they still have nothing to get them to the closer.
Boy, Swish has had a terrific swing; an opposite field HR? Now if he could just hit HRs in YS
Cano singles
Cano is going to have a huge age 27 year.
These guys better not be using up all their hits now like many of them did last year and slumped early….
Cano may contend for a batting title if he rolls into the year like this.
“Adding Soriano is a pretty big deal, especially if he stays healthy. Rays lost a lot of games in ‘09 that can be attributed to deficiencies in their bullpen.
___
true but they still have nothing to get them to the closer.”
This very much. Maddon seems more open than most other managers to the “relief ace” role as opposed to being locked into a closer, so I guess. I can never look at adding a relief pitcher as a big deal – didn’t change the Mets’ fortunes in 2009…
That’s not a home run Swisher hits last year.
He looks so much cleaner at the plate now. What a great job Kevin Long looks to have done with him.
Swisher is much more compact, has fewer moving parts, and gets his front leg down much quicker now than he did last year when his stance was much more open.
In turn Swisher’s swing – which often got very, very long – looks much shorter and more consistent. Part of why Swisher was so wildly inconsistent last year was due to his swing – it would get ridiculously long and he couldn’t make contact or square pitches up.
He’s taking pitches back up the middle and the opposite way which he wasn’t doing with his old swing where he was trying to dead pull pitch after pitch.
Nick is a strong guy and that’s a great example of how a hitter can really take advantage of strength – it’s not by trying to dead pull the ball over and over until you cork screw yourself into the ground. It’s by keeping yourself short and letting your strength help you drive the ball when you need to go the other way.
M:
It’s a good group. No true #1 type, but at the bottom of their rotation, they’ll be close to as good as anyone. They’re all young, with Shields at 28 the elder statesman, and they’ve got a kid named Hellickson who is generally considered to be among the best 3-5 pitching prospects in the AAA waiting in the wings.
As this will most likely be the last time we see Melky for a while, I think I will post the link to what could be the greatest Yankee YouTube video ever.
So, for this one time only, I present Melky Cabrera in “Porn Stars & Peanuts” or as it is known in certain circles, “Dr Strangelove – How I Learned to Stop C-List Actresses From Filming Me In My Hotel Room And Love The Peanut ”
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TmtpcgRv7k
The problem with the Rays last year is that they started the season awfully. Kazmir killed them, as did their pen, and they were 5-6 games under .500 early.
They won 2/3 in Boston to open the season, then dropped 6 series in a row I think.
It will benefit them a lot if they get out in front early. No doubt though, that team is oozing with talent and can pretty much match us across the board except in the bullpen.
“UPDATE, 1:40 p.m.: Robinson Cano is going to win a Gold Glove this year. That’s my prediction.”
Mine is top 3 in MVP.
He can hit .330 with 200 hits, very close to if not 30 hr, and hitting 5th will have 100 rbi or more.
And high level D, I don’t see it being a stretch.
CC is giving up some bloops now. Fastball command looks a lot better. Keeping everything down for the most part.
“true but they still have nothing to get them to the closer.”
Dan Wheeler is a good reliever and so is Howell, though I’m not sure he’s healthy. Sonnanstine may be in that mix this year, but probably in more a long relief role. Balfour can throw hard, but he’s somewhat hit or miss. They could use some help there, but they aren’t awful .
Jay – I also think the Rays hit a skid in like late August/early September that COMPLETELY took them out of the race. I just checked; they lost 11 in a row from Sept 3 to Sept 13. They lost five out of six to Boston (when they usually handle Boston quite well) and four in a row to NYY at that time. It really proved they just were not a playoff team, at least in 2009.
Cano always looks good in spring training though. Even in 2008, he was hitting .440 in spring training. im hopeful though that this year will be more like last year, only with a higher average with RISP.
“CC is giving up some bloops now. Fastball command looks a lot better. ”
He looked much better that inning. Throwing with a nice downwards plane again on his fastball.
CC’s so good at repeating his delivery that even when he gets a bit out of wack it’s the same thing that happens. Ball always drifts up in the zone. You can just see it when he’s right and when he’s not.
That’s why he got off to the slow start last year. Ball was up in the zone.
Let’s hope he’s able to keep things intact and keep the ball down.
Becca:
You have it right. Rays were three behind Boston in the Wild Card race after play on 8/25 last year. From that point on, they went 15-22 to finish 11 behind Boston for the WC.
Swisher has also made a couple plays in RF that I’m not sure he makes last year.
The Yankees’s #7 and 8 hitters coul both hit 30 homers. Don’t see that often.
CB March 30th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
“CC is giving up some bloops now. Fastball command looks a lot better. ”
He looked much better that inning. Throwing with a nice downwards plane again on his fastball.
CC’s so good at repeating his delivery that even when he gets a bit out of wack it’s the same thing that happens. Ball always drifts up in the zone. You can just see it when he’s right and when he’s not.
That’s why he got off to the slow start last year. Ball was up in the zone.
Let’s hope he’s able to keep things intact and keep the ball down.
I see exactly what you mean.
Blake, I doubt anyone has seen that ever…
Is that Melky sportin’ facial hair ?! Mel-ky !!!
“The Braves did not let the Yankees use a designated hitter today, which is why CC Sabathia is in the lineup.”
Yeah, take away a chance for your pitchers to get more practice against a real hitter. Stupid. I’m sure his pitcher got a lot of work throwing three balls over the plate to a stationary CC.
I kind of agree with Sherman – Why do the Yankees need to bring in someone to give them a speech about how to win and stay hungry?
This isin’t our first rodeo– teams who don’t know how to win or handle prosperity would need that pep-talk. This isin’t the NFL either.
Stuckey,
Good point. Wonder if that’s ever happened in fact?
Alex March 30th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
I kind of agree with Sherman – Why do the Yankees need to bring in someone to give them a speech about how to win and stay hungry?
This isin’t our first rodeo– teams who don’t know how to win or handle prosperity would need that pep-talk. This isin’t the NFL either.
It’s not like it could hurt. Who cares what Sherman thinks.
2010 Robinson Cano:
.330 AVG
29 HR
111 RBI
Gold Glove
anyone feel like boston is going to smack cc around on opening night? cc doesnt get into a groove until mid may and then he is lights out, but early on, not so much.
Can CC ever get off to a good start?
The braves had a lead off double. It was interesting to watch how the inning progressed.
Yunel Escobar went to the plate with the intention of playing sound fundamental baseball and hitting the ball to the right side.
Escobar was successful at that. But the pitch he took the other way was a mistake pitch CC left up in the zone. It wasn’t a good pitch – but it was a tough pitch to take the other way. Escobar hit a week ground ball to 2b. Got the guy to third but he didn’t hit the ball well.
Diaz then gets up and is clearly trying to put the ball in play. He lunges at a first pitch slider – a pitch he never should have swung at. Then he gets tied up inside for strike two. Eventually he lunges at a pitch and hits a soft ground ball back to CC.
The Braves scored on the past ball and home run. But it was interesting to watch both guys come up after a lead off double and try to do the text book “right thing” and for it to hurt each of them in their respective at bats.
for the record, I fully don’t expect CC to pitch well at all on opening night, and I fully expect Beckett to pitch extremely well, and I fully expect everyone to PANIC!!!!!.
Some are ready to panic now.
The season is here already?? It Feels like 09 just ended !
“for the record, I fully don’t expect CC to pitch well at all on opening night, and I fully expect Beckett to pitch extremely well, and I fully expect everyone to PANIC!!!!!.”
Not unreasonable at all. Beckett usually gets off to good starts and CC has always been a slow starter.
I’m picnicking.
CC is not an Ace. AJ will have a better year than CC.
people shouldnt panic. by know we know cc and tex are slow starters and the yankees will be dominant from june – september.
Igawa was a better pitcher in Japan than Kawakami by a significant margin.
It’s remarkable to see how two guys could go in such different directions here in the States.
Kawakami isn’t great but he’s a decent middle/ back of the rotation starter.
“for the record, I fully don’t expect CC to pitch well at all on opening night, and I fully expect Beckett to pitch extremely well, and I fully expect everyone to PANIC!!!!!.”
Not unreasonable at all. Beckett usually gets off to good starts and CC has always been a slow starter.
——————-
Exactly.
Get back to me in mid-September, though, and we’ll see how everyone’s doing.
CC is not an Ace. AJ will have a better year than CC
____
idiot alert! (hoping this is sarcasm)
You are probably right Becca, but hopefully everyone takes a deep breath and remembers how the Yankees started and ended the season against the sox last year
tex’s friend March 30th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
CC is not an Ace. AJ will have a better year than CC
____
idiot alert! (hoping this is sarcasm)
Sarcasm
Great play by Cano again.
CB March 30th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Igawa was a better pitcher in Japan than Kawakami by a significant margin.
It’s remarkable to see how two guys could go in such different directions here in the States.
Kawakami isn’t great but he’s a decent middle/ back of the rotation starter.
————————-
Honestly, CB, I could see Igawa having similar success in the NL on a team like the Braves or Padres with a big park for him to pitch in…
Can’t believe Beckett is actually close to taking a 4 yr deal. He could definetely score a 5 year deal on the open market. Lackey got a 5 yr deal and Beckett is better, healthier, and younger than him.
and here I thought Beckett had an ego.
tex’s friend
People were saying that last year though
Kawakami isn’t great but he’s a decent middle/ back of the rotation starter.
–
I think that is where guys really need to scout the approach, not the results for Japanese pitchers. Kawakami’s pitches really lend themselves to be down in the zone.
I watched all of his highlights recently from last year and check out some of his 6, 7, or 8 IP performances where he K’s a bunch of guys.
“Can’t believe Beckett is actually close to taking a 4 yr deal. He could definetely score a 5 year deal on the open market. Lackey got a 5 yr deal and Beckett is better, healthier, and younger than him.
and here I thought Beckett had an ego.”
From what I’ve read he wants to stay there, which probably makes it a little eaiser to get something done. I think he fits closer to Lackey and Burnett in the pitching caste system than he does the Sabathias and Halladays. I’d guess the 4 years, which would begin with the 2011 season, would be at a slightly higher annual salary than Lackey’s. Something on the order of $17.5M – $18M.
i think panicked yankee fans should probably tune out until may. april hasnt been pretty the last few years.
Joelsherman1 Teixeira so encouraged about elbow that said if reg season, would have come in at 6am for treatment to try play today #Yankees about 1 minute ago
Holy cow!
My Yankees 2010 Media Guide just arrived!
It’s already surpassed expectations.
CC with everything belt high
cheeses, CC. They’re weak NLers.
If that is a HR, then Cano’s double shoulda been a HR
You know this game means absolutely nothing when Girardi made a point to want Venditte to pitch. The kid is very likely not a real major league prospect, but Joe wants to see this very unusual pitcher; why not?
CC looks awful.
Don’t see how he has a good outing in Boston opening night. Which kind of sucks considering Burnett is facing Lester the next night.
The bats better be ready to roll from day 1.
Switch pitcher!
“I could see Igawa having similar success in the NL on a team like the Braves or Padres with a big park for him to pitch in…”
I can’t see it. Kawakami has much better stuff. He’s a guy who does a nice job of keeping the ball down in the zone. He throws that very effective split finger pitch and a decent cutter.
He’s just a qualitatively different pitcher than Igawa who was up in the zone with everything. Kawakami generated 42% ground balls.
I can’t see Igawa coming close to that were he to go to the NL.
Get used it – CC gets better as the weather gets warmer.
Early on though, we may be in for some rough starts. The last 3 years he has been dreadful in April. Hope he can do a little better in Boston than he did in Baltimore last year.
The Ledge Jumpers are out in force.
“Don’t see how he has a good outing in Boston opening night.”
Don’t watch a lot of baseball, do ya?
Get used it – CC gets better as the weather gets warmer.
Early on though, we may be in for some rough starts. The last 3 years he has been dreadful in April. Hope he can do a little better in Boston than he did in Baltimore last year.
____
We know but it wont be any less frustrating to watch. Hopefully Sergio Mitre will be ready to come in if necessary to get an esrly long relief opp.
BloggingBombers Venditte threw 4 warmups pitches lefty, switched his glove to his other hand and threw 4 righty. The infielders are looking on in amazement. 2 minutes ago
lol
Fair enough, CB. Igawa does pitch up in the zone way more that Kawakami does.
Who thought that Okijima, a guy the Sox got for a million bucks off the scrap heap, would be one of the best setup man in baseball?
Hard to quantify Japanese pitchers.
CC’s ERA in April of 2007 (his Cy Young year) was 3.18. He was 3-0 at that point. His bad month was actually in July.
Who knows how he’ll start off this year…
“I can’t see Igawa coming close to that were he to go to the NL.”
I’d guess most NL GM’s think the same. They could probably have Igawa for a pittance, and nobody has bitten.
“You know this game means absolutely nothing when Girardi made a point to want Venditte to pitch. The kid is very likely not a real major league prospect, but Joe wants to see this very unusual pitcher; why not?”
Not so. I read an interview in which Mark Newman said the Yanks liked Venditte and would advance him quickly if the kid shows he can pitch.
“We know but it wont be any less frustrating to watch. Hopefully Sergio Mitre will be ready to come in if necessary to get an esrly long relief opp.”
lol
CC is a slow starter. At this point in his career I don’t think that’s going to change. The Yankees (and their fans) just have to roll with the punches for the first 7 – 10 starts.
CC’s front side was opening up too soon today, especially on his fast ball. His left shoulder was dragging behind and he wasn’t getting on top of the ball.
When he does that his pitches move up in the zone. He just can’t stay on top of the ball consistently to keep it down in the zone.
Kawakami has a tighter curve than Igawa too, and his strategy doesn’t consist of “throw everything high in the zone”.
Igawa really got a lot of benefit in NPB from the more concentrated power distribution in hitters and the bigger strike zone. Also as a lefty that threw 92-94 against a lot of guys that are taught to bat lefty growing up.
Not so. I read an interview in which Mark Newman said the Yanks liked Venditte and would advance him quickly if the kid shows he can pitch.
–
His path to the majors is blocked by a ton of guys who throw 92+
Like Colter Bean, he is going to have to shut down AAA for a couple of seasons before he would get a call up
Tex on with MKay
hahahaha… took a shot at the Rays for how they handled him last year and not letting him break the record.
“we have the world championship ring now, so if they want to take pride in that small victory (not allowing him to break pena’s HR record), then let them.
The Switch Pitcher is in ! What a weapon ! I want him to screw with the opposition players’ minds on every pitch. Throw Right handed, then left handed, mix in a knuckle ball pitch why doesn’t he? !
The ATL feed just gave our run to ATL
Jerkface, I’m just telling you what Newman said. Venditte’s major league calling card is not a 92 MPH fastball.
Don’t tell Pat M, but Granderson just scored from first on a double
dan 771
March 30th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Tex on with MKay
hahahaha… took a shot at the Rays for how they handled him last year and not letting him break the record.
“we have the world championship ring now, so if they want to take pride in that small victory (not allowing him to break pena’s HR record), then let them.
**********************
LOL I love Tex
“CC is a slow starter. At this point in his career I don’t think that’s going to change. The Yankees (and their fans) just have to roll with the punches for the first 7 – 10 starts.”
Sabathia’s ERA was 3.90 after 7 starts in 2009 and 3.42 after 10 (his low water mark until Sept 19th).
Could our standards be a tad high perhaps?
CB, Sabathia was too quick to the plate today, resulting in what you just clearly described……He just needs more reps on the hill, sometimes it takes longer for guys to get their timing down….
Don’t tell Pat M, but Granderson just scored from first on a double
___
oh no. get the man the 2 spot pronto!!!
lol
“Hard to quantify Japanese pitchers.”
I agree with the general point your making on guys like Okajima. Just one thing – Japanese pitchers are really easy to quantify in many ways.
They have plenty of statistics to pour through.
The difficult part with them is that it’s extraordinarily difficult to generalize what those quantified levels of performance mean.
It’s the generalization of production that is extremely difficult because of the differences in the way the game is played there.
As Jerkface said before – you really have to scout those guys qualitatively and do so in a careful fashion because the results really don’t provide a lot of certainty.
Another great example of this might be Yu Darvish. I’ve only seen a little bit of him but I would stay away from him. I’ve been very underwhelmed by him.
This past winter it was frequently written that Darvish was a better risk than Chapman in terms of pitchers outside the U.S. I didn’t see that at all.
did the yankees take swish out? or is he tweeting from the dugout?
I think Cano is going to have a fantastic year, but I would be cautious if people are making these predictions about him based on ST. If my memory serves me correctly he always looks amazing in spring .
In 2008 his ST OPS was: 1.117
2009: 1.060
This year he is actually down to .915
In the eloquent words of Latroy Hawkins: Spring Training don’t mean shi*t.
Watching this game on MLB.tv, the only available feed is the Braves’ telecast. When Venditte came in during the bottom of the 5th, their announcers actually said “We’d love to tell you more about him, but we have no idea who he is. Literally, he’s not in the media guide.”
I am so excited for him to switch arms in the 6th.
tex’s friend
March 30th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
did the yankees take swish out? or is he tweeting from the dugout?
********************
Somehow, I can’t imagine him tweeting on the field. But this is Swish we’re talking about, so you never know.
I’m going to have a lot of Home Opener Ceremonial First Pitch factoids to share in coming days.
Stay tuned.
“we have the world championship ring now, so if they want to take pride in that small victory (not allowing him to break pena’s HR record), then let them.”
I may not like the Sox and some of their players but I do respect the organization. I can’t say that about the Rays.
“Sabathia was too quick to the plate today,”
Pat M.,
He was. He looked out of sync like his front side/ leg was moving faster than his back side/ push off leg.
As you said – he just needs more work. He looked terrific two games ago. Had a bad outing last time and wasn’t sharp today.
Hopefully it just snaps in place and he gets his mechanics and timing locked in.
Righty to lefty lol
I am not basing my huge expectations of Cano on Spring Training.
I am basing it on:
- He hit .320 with 25 HR and 85 RBI last year
- He is now 27 and basically in his prime
- He was unusually terrible with RISP last year that even if he is average this year, his stats will JUMP
- He is now hitting 5th all season with ARod hitting in front of him and Posada and Granderson behind him
- Who knows? Maybe without Melky, Cano won’t be distracted, and maybe he’ll be even more focused…
Venditte just switched arms. Man that his strange. He throws the ball completely differently from the left side.
The Braves announcers didn’t notice that he’d switched arms.
“He looked out of sync like his front side/ leg was moving faster than his back side/ push off leg.”
Clearly Brian Cashman is to blame.
Yes. And in 2008 he had a horrible year. So, by that logic, we can say that the worse his ST numbers are, the better year he is going to have.
The power of positive thinking for the win.
Wave, I hope he does well – and that’s good to hear from Newman. Not everyone has to be a star after all – it’s ok to be a servicable player.
Mechanics can be fixed; as long as CC is healthy, no problem. Even I’m not worried, lol; why would I be? His history says he’s a pretty darn good pitcher.
1st batter: Right-handed, single up the center
2nd batter: Left-handed, grubber to pitcher, moved over the runner
3rd batter: Right-handed..
Braves announcers STILL haven’t noticed.
Clearly it’s mechanical; last time out, CC got clocked by minor leaguers.
How clueless are these Braves TV announcers. They haven’t even figured out that Venditte is switchpitching. No mention whatsoever.
stuckey [knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door]
March 30th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
“CC is a slow starter. At this point in his career I don’t think that’s going to change. The Yankees (and their fans) just have to roll with the punches for the first 7 – 10 starts.”
Sabathia’s ERA was 3.90 after 7 starts in 2009 and 3.42 after 10 (his low water mark until Sept 19th).
Could our standards be a tad high perhaps?
————–
His era after his 6th start was 4.85 and 3 of his 1st 6 starts were ugly. I guess I should have said we should roll with the punches for his 1st 6 to 10 starts.
Jeez, my point was that Yankees fans need to be patient when he more than likely gets hit hard in the beginning of the year.
Hey all.
SJ you definitely had it right about Ace’s balky back. I should listen to you more often.
Mel, Pat, Doreen, Upstate, Erica, Erin, and Becca – I wish I could be more like all of you. You have the greatest patience in the world with people spinning out of control. My achilles heel (okay one of them
) is my lack of tolerance for kneee jerking and bridge jumping. 99.9% of the time I’m proven right by refusing to prematurely panic. Yet I think it also makes me pretty atypical in terms of sportsfans. It is my perception at least that my way – just enjoying it all, never worrying, accepting losses without breaking a sweat, totally appreciating the team no matter what happens, counseling patience, supporting players whether they are having good or bad days – is really not the norm with fans. And I can understand it not being the norm. Fans by nature (so it seems to me) are impatient, want their team to win all the time, are vastly disappointed when they don’t, get down when the team loses, get frustrated when players aren’t excelling, etc. So I end up feeling like a fish out of water.
I’m not sure where this is all leading because as Doreen says, this place is addictive. And except for the vast exception, I really enjoy the posters (except for when they are knee jerking and overworrying; then it has the tendency to drive me crazy). I thought today that I had probably gotten to the point where my coming here was senseless. While I think I have some good insights and actually come up with some pretty good theories, I don’t think my absence would have greatly impact anyone’s well being. In fact it might serve to do the opposite. And I would think at least a few posters would actually rejoice.
However, I wonder if I would adjust well to not having a home during the season. As a somewhat displaced Yankee fan, this place has been my haven. And I have really developed some very nice cyberfriendships and think of many of you as family.
I guess the best I can say for now is that I apologize for my lack of patience. I know me well enough to know that that isn’t going to disappear. And when I get strident about the knee jerking, it never means that I don’t appreciate/like the knee jerkers as people. I don’t have much difficulty separating “forum reactions” from the people who are doing the reacting. I’m operating on little sleep because I ended up doing something I promised myself I wouldn’t do anymore – getting drawn into a pointless and endless conversation with a poster who was adept at twisting words and baiting and switching. That won’t happen again.
Ciao now.
Sabathia’s slow starts are actually only a very recent phenomena. Up until 2008 he was typically great in April. Usually below a 3 ERA.
But, in 2008 his April ERA was 7.76 and last year it was 4.73.
Can he switch sides between pitches or batters? Is there a rule that he has to decide to pitch from 1 side?
Finally mentioned it after several switches
Pat was a little wild. That is probably expected though, facing major league hitters.
“Can he switch sides between pitches or batters?”
Don’t think he’s allowed to switch during an at bat. He can switch from batter to batter though.
I think the ruling is he can only switch between batters. And HE gets to decide which side the batter is on in the event he faces a switch hitter. They had to make a rule just for him.
One switch per batter allowed after first pitch. That rule was to stop the fun of him pitching to a switchhitter where the dance would never end
I’ve been saying for some time now that the RedSux are the team that misses out on the playoffs.
I think the AL ends up like this;
AL East- Yanks
AL Central- Chicago
AL West- Texas
AL Wild Card- Rays
Thoughts?
They don’t notice much in Atlanta. They’re still waiting for Sklylab to fall.
Venditte can only switch between batters not inside of an at bat.
And Venditte needs to declare which arm he will pitch with prior to the batter deciding which side he wants to hit from.
So Venditte’s switch pitching will be negated by a switch hitter.
Not sure what would happen with a pinch hitter but I’d assume that once Venditte declares his arm if there’s a pinch hitter he would not be able to switch.
I have to admit, I’ve believed all of the talk about CC being a slow starter during his career. I’ve even heard CC say it, so I didnt have reason to doubt it. But after looking at his career on a yr to yr basis, he really isnt that bad.
Jerry
IIRC, once he decides, he has to stick to the same side for a given batter. I believe the situation came up when he faced a switch hitter and they kept switching sides.
“So Venditte’s switch pitching will be negated by a switch hitter.”
That’s per the new rule enacted after Venditte’s first year in which a Staten Island game practically came to a halt while Venditte and the switch hitter he was facing kept changing sides!
“When Venditte came in during the bottom of the 5th, their announcers actually said “We’d love to tell you more about him, but we have no idea who he is. Literally, he’s not in the media guide.”
But he’s on page 433 of the Yankees’ media guide!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9.....477183468/
LOL I read somewhere where the Braves announces said the Yankees have to be really worried about CC. Right………
“That’s per the new rule enacted after Venditte’s first year in which a Staten Island game practically came to a halt while Venditte and the switch hitter he was facing kept changing sides!”
That video is hilarious.
Venditte’s stuff didn’t look real good today.
“So Venditte’s switch pitching will be negated by a switch hitter.”
To a degree, he still gets to “choose” which side to pitch from, so with good scouting he’ll know which is the batter’s weaker side, or can choose situationally (runner on 2nd, no out, he can throw lefthanded)
The Pat Venditte Rule:
The Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation (PBUC) released its official rules for dealing with ambidextrous pitchers. These guidelines were reached after PBUC staff consulted with a variety of sources, including the Major League Baseball Rules Committee.
It reads:
-The pitcher must visually indicate to the umpire, batter and runner(s) which way he will begin pitching to the batter. Engaging the rubber with the glove on a particular hand is considered a definitive commitment to which arm he will throw with. The batter will then choose which side of the plate he will bat from.
-The pitcher must throw one pitch to the batter before any “switch” by either player is allowed.
-After one pitch is thrown, the pitcher and batter may each change positions one time per at-bat. For example, if the pitcher changes from right-handed to left-handed and the batter then changes batter’s boxes, each player must remain that way for the duration of that at-bat (unless the offensive team substitutes a pinch hitter, and then each player may again “switch” one time).
-Any switch (by either the pitcher or the batter) must be clearly indicated to the umpire. There will be no warm-up pitches during the change of arms.
-If an injury occurs the pitcher may change arms but not use that arm again during the remainder of the game.
Source: wikipedia.
Venditte was cool to watch. I saw him Saturday at the Yankee complex pitching in AAA. He pitches sidearm lefty and over the top righty. Much faster righty. It looked like he was lucky to hit 85 lefty. The wierd thing is he pitched four batters lefty and then three batters righty. Didnt matter if it was a righty or lefty. Mabye he was working on things. He got hit pretty hard throwing lefty to righty batters. All the coaches and players were talking about him and watching. It was like the whole complex stopped what they were doing to watch.
atta boy Po
“Venditte’s stuff didn’t look real good today.”
Apparently, he doesn’t have real good stuff.
Venditte will be really lucky to make it to the majors. He can barely hit 90 righty with a decent curve. He actually gets guys out lefty because he throws sweeping junk side arm, but he likely won’t fly in the majors.
Eventually they’ll probably just try and make him a permanent righty
champ 809
my guess
AL east- Yankees
AL central- Tigers
AL west- Mariners
AL wild card- Rays
Nick
Why do any of us even need a media guide, we can just ask you
Trisha
I appreciate your boundless optimism
LOL I read somewhere where the Braves announces said the Yankees have to be really worried about CC. Right………
___
clearly some teams announcers never do any research before they announce.
the braves should be worried that they gave up a guy with 220 innings and an era under 3.
Proctor’s command is very poor today but he’s throwing hard.
Proctor just tried to bust Posada inside with a fastball and he put the pitch more or less where he wanted it.
And Posada just turned on the ball and hit a rocket.
It is absolutely amazing how much bat speed Posada still has at the age of 38 and as a catcher.
A power pitcher throws a fastball in at a spot he wants and Posada still has the bat speed to get around on the pitch and to drill it over the wall.
Every year you wait for Posada’s bat to start slowing down because you know eventually it will have to happen.
And he’s shown no signs of that what so ever.
He’s looked phenomenal this spring.
Atl braves network plays some depressing commercials
To a degree, he still gets to “choose” which side to pitch from, so with good scouting he’ll know which is the batter’s weaker side, or can choose situationally (runner on 2nd, no out, he can throw lefthanded)
_________________
thanks, great point there too . Hope the kid makes it in the organization.
“tk March 30th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
GeorgeInJax,
Speaking of Longoria, did you see where DB states that the Rays have the two best players in the division? What about A-Rod, CC, and Lester…
I agree about the potential for injuries to close the gap. That’s the oddest part, that assuming perfect health he still doesn’t see the Yankees having the talent to matchup up with BOS/TAM. I guess if he keeps picking against the Yankees he’ll eventually be right, then he can have his “I told you so” moment.”
I would take Longoria over AROD, I think he is/will be that good. As it is currently, Longoria is better defensively than AROD and could be a push offensively w/ the slight nod going to AROD, I’ve seen a lot of Rays games along w/ Yanks games the last few years and I just think he is one of those players. Soriano is a big pick up for the Rays as it will slide JP Howell into a set up role where he has been more effective in the past. But Howell is hurt and may not be back for them till a few weeks into the season. I’m not completely sold on Zobrist matching his career year last season.
I do think the Yankees win the AL EAST still but there are injury/age issues w/ Nick Johnson, a year older Jeter, Mo, Posada etc….the biggest key is age finally catching up w/ some big contributors of this team…you never want it to happen but the question is always when?
Can switch batter to batter. Can’t do it pitch to pitch.
They actually had to add it to the rulebook because no rule on this existed until last year.
And here are the details of the switch pitcher/switch-hitter incident that made the rule. Also from wikipedia:
On June 19, 2008, in his first minor league appearance with the Staten Island Yankees against their crosstown rivals the Brooklyn Cyclones (the respective Yankees and Mets affiliates are the only two minor league teams in New York City), Venditte pitched a scoreless ninth inning for a Yankees win.
The appearance is notable because there was an unusual incident before Venditte faced the last Cyclone batter; the batter, Ralph Henriquez, is a switch-hitter, and upon choosing to bat left- or right-handed (with Venditte subsequently choosing to pitch with the same hand), Henriquez would then go to the other side of the plate (and adjust his shin guard—which is worn on the front leg when a batter takes his stance) to regain the advantage. After this had happened several times the teams appealed to the umpiring crew, which ruled that the batter must first select from which side of the plate he intended to hit, and that the pitcher would then be allowed to declare with which arm he would pitch. Venditte subsequently struck out a very frustrated Henriquez (who slammed his bat against the dirt in anger) to end the game.[10]
Venditte completed the season with 23 saves in 30 appearances with a 0.83 ERA. His performance earned him a spot on the New York-Penn League All-Star team and the Minor League Baseball Yearly Award for Best Short-Season Reliever.
cb,
just imagine the number posada would have put up if he was a 1b or 3b.
he’d be an ‘elite’ hitter
I actually have a pretty funny story about Scott Proctor, ambidextrous pitching and my drunk uncle bu I’ll save it for another time.
Tough crowd in here today.
upstate kate, I will do my darndest to be the Lohud Yankee Blog Commenters Ambassador to the New York Yankees’ 2010 Media Guide and put aside all feelings of ill will due to suspicion that they screwed me on the shipping (I ordered my media guide BEFORE they cut Chad Gaudin, when the budget was tighter).
I wish everyone had a copy of their own.
About halfway through is Newman’s take on Venditte:
http://www.minorleagueball.com.....#storyjump
In this interview Mark Newman says Venditte has an average fastball and a good curve with good command from the right side, says his stuff from the left side is “angles and command”, whatever that means, but I would guess his lefty stuff would have to be effective for Venditte to go far.
“angles and command”
–
Pretty sure that means he is 100% deception from the left side, being a side armer topping out at 85.
I am really pulling for him.
“but I would guess his lefty stuff would have to be effective for Venditte to go far.”
Venditte’s fastball from the left side is in the low 80′s. He’s smoke and mirrors from the left side.
Nick in SF
March 30th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
I wish everyone had a copy of their own.
*********************
Mine should be arriving any day now.
Ledger_Yankees CC said he was confused by Venditte… Didn’t know he was a switch pitcher. BTW, score tied at 6-6. #nyy about 1 minute ago
Nardi raves about him.
For a core player, Jorge gets a lot of grief. People focus on what he’s not great at and not what he’s really good at. It may have to do with his personality (he’s fiery to say the least), but he’s a good guy and a terrific player. We’ve been amazingly lucky to have this guy at catcher for over a decade now.
“Venditte’s fastball from the left side is in the low 80’s. He’s smoke and mirrors from the left side.”
Mike Myers……’cept slower?
Maybe if we got rid of Eiland Venditte could find his 95 mph heat from the left side again…
““but I would guess his lefty stuff would have to be effective for Venditte to go far.”
Venditte’s fastball from the left side is in the low 80’s. He’s smoke and mirrors from the left side.”
Yeah, ambiguous comment on my part. I meant that Venditte’s future advancement could depend on how effective he can be from the left side.
LOL CC
“Ledger_Yankees CC said he was confused by Venditte… Didn’t know he was a switch pitcher. BTW, score tied at 6-6. #nyy about 1 minute ago”
Yeah? This makes the Braves TV clowns look a little better.
Is there anyone else on here that wishes the Yanks would wear their Navy Blue uniforms on the road during the regular season from time to time?
Maybe on Sundays or something like that as a change of pace.
I think they look sharp.
Nardi raved about Brian Bruney last year but only in the 2009 media guide.
Bruney Marketing 101.
Anybody know if Venditte is going to Tampa or Trenton this year?
A lot of fans are put off my Jorge b/c they are too scared to shake his hand when they meet him.
Venditte majored in marketing at Creighton University.
Clever self-promoter????
“Maybe if we got rid of Eiland Venditte could find his 95 mph heat from the left side again…”
Have a trick pitch school – Knucklers, submariners (hell, submarine knuckleballers). I’d even try underhanded…
“Is there anyone else on here that wishes the Yanks would wear their Navy Blue uniforms on the road during the regular season from time to time?”
Nah! Stick with tradition. Why be the Red Sox?
“Is there anyone else on here that wishes the Yanks would wear their Navy Blue uniforms on the road during the regular season from time to time?”
Blasphemy!
LGY, maybe they’re put off because you call him “my Jorge”…
Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
Frank
March 30th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
“Is there anyone else on here that wishes the Yanks would wear their Navy Blue uniforms on the road during the regular season from time to time?”
Nah! Stick with tradition. Why be the Red Sox?
——-
ZZZZZZZZZZ Boring. The tradition to me is the pinstripes. The gray unis are boring and a little spice wouldn’t hurt IMO. Many of the other team have gone this route and look good. From a marketing perspective I would think they would sell many of them.
stuckey,
lol. typo!
Outfield sounds like a law firm “Kruml, Krum and Winfree”
People already buy navy blue Yankee shirts. But I think most people love the pinstripes. I don’t think the Yankees are having any issues with selling merchandise or finding new merchandise to sell.
I like the fact that they are one of the few, in not the only, team(s) left that don’t have a different uniform for every day of the week and 2 on Sundays!
I do agree that sometimes the road grays are boring, but they’re supposed to be – they’re the road team.
“But, in 2008 his April ERA was 7.76 and last year it was 4.73.”
LGY,
I had forgotten just how rough CC was in April 2008, his early struggles last year really pale in comparison. The first four starts in ’08 are what really got him, CC allowed 27ER in 18IP. That’s an ERA of 13.50. Opponents OPS’d 1.170 against him during that stretch.
Just as amazing is what he did after those four starts: 235IP, 191H, 49ER, 45BB, 237SO, 1.88 ERA, .222/.264/.306/.570 against. It’s just unbelievable that someone that great can look so helpless, really says a lot about the game of baseball.
Zach Segovia is facing Omar Infante in the 8th inning of a tie game and gives up two hits to “blow” the tie.
You watch games like this every spring and it’s really hard to believe how some people can actually pay attention or even worry about team records/ standings in spring training.
Trisha
Spinning out of control is my natural environs and I’m not a big pharmaceuticals fan so patience or insanity are my only 2 options.
I’m much more panicky when everything is calm and going well.
I have to say; when Pete ran this site we would have updates very frequently with in depth analysis of each game to the end. I would guess the fans on this blog really wanted updates on how Venditte pitched. All spring its been like this. Oh well. A little disappointing
“ZZZZZZZZZZ Boring. The tradition to me is the pinstripes.”
Actually, the road gray uniform is older than the current home uniform.
This is from 1919. The road uni is pretty much the same but notice the home uni. No interlocking N & Y.
Sorry, I just love the gray.
http://exhibits.baseballhallof.....ntryid=306
He blew the tie? I’m putting this kid I’m my list of players NOT to root for in the future. Great – now the Yankees might lose if they don’t make an inspired comeback.
Scouting Notes: Heathcott Leads Yankees’ Promising Hitting Prospects
http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b3rkr
This is from the same non-Yankee scout that raved about Garcia last week.
You can get updates from Pete on the Boston Globe’s website. They’ll be updates about the Sox, but they’ll be updates nonetheless. Do you see anyone else complaining? No – that should tell you something.
Ken_Rosenthal #Tigers paying $9.6M of remaining $10M on Robertson’s deal. In other words, #Marlins get him for minimum. #MLB.
38 minutes ago
I have to say; when Pete ran this site we would have updates very frequently with in depth analysis of each game to the end. I would guess the fans on this blog really wanted updates on how Venditte pitched. All spring its been like this. Oh well. A little disappointing
–
Someone forgot all the times we didn’t get updates because of deadlines or a hotdog vendor wandering too close to the pressbox.
Country Club, thanks! I’m really excited about Heathcott, but I guess I should tamper that excitement as he’s a long way away from the majors…….
Jim – 100%
I’ve been refreshing for a Venditte update for an hour… I miss Pete.
That’s good for you Jim. You are disappointing.
Then go to one of the other 60 Yankee blogs out there and quit whining on this one. It’s not going to get either of you anywhere.
UPDATE, 3:48 p.m.: We have an Angel Berroa sighting! Today is the 50th anniversary of his first every spring training game. Because ya know, he is old.
There is an update for ya.
UPDATE, 3:49 p.m.: Forgot to mention, but Angel took over at 3rd for Alex. Everyone on the field just looks so much more comfortable now that Alex is on the bench. Berroa just brings that warm friendly Grandpa feeling on to the field that makes everyone smile (get it? I think he is old) The team is so much better without Alex, because ya know he sucks and I hate him.
Anyone have a link to the box scores? Can’t seem to find it on yankees.com at the moment.
Yes, I was just kiddin, lol
No problem, Betsy. With Slade and Abe Almonte, the Yanks have two young & promising CFers.
I also cant take most of the comments on this site any more. It’s like a grammar school conversation. I will head over to River Ave. Thanks for the help La la la.
Ledger_Yankees Venditte fact: Remembers watching SportsCenter highlight of Greg Harris switch-pitching back in the day. #nyy about 1 minute ago
Game’s over 6-9
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/boxsco.....refresh=30
I also thought his report on Brackman was encouraging. It’s good to hear his mechanics are cleaner and that his control looks good. I’m not worried about his velocity because he was throwing mid 90′s at the end of last yr with the same mechanics.
Derek
you can get the box score from mlb.com, you can set it to automatically refresh as frequently as you want
you would think by now I would learn not to be drinking anything when I read Jerkface’s comments, but no, he got me again!
That’s what I’m here for. I’m sorry my sentence just ended in a preposition. Hopefully over at River Ave they will have proper sentence structure above my elementary level. If there is anything else I can help you with, just keep wishing for Pete and I will be around to assist you.
Don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya!
ahh of course. Should’ve gone right to the source. Thank you.
LGY -
Were those actual updates from last season?
Country Club, the only thing to do is to develop a corner OF or two and a couple of INF – we’re really shaky there. Of course, our INF is not going anywhere soon, but still – it would be nice to have a few other kids in the pipeline. My first reaction to Brackman was about his velocity, but then I thought that it was way more imporant that he have good control and clean mechanics.
For anyone: What is the difference between command and control? I still get confused ….thanks!
Doreen,
No, I made them up.
LGY -
‘Cause – you know – they were pretty realistic. Proving that all updates are not created equal.
Doreen,
I will take their realistic nature as a compliment
Chad has mentioned this repeatedly, but during spring training games he is mostly working the clubhouse for updates. He sees very little of the games.
If you are looking for play by play spring training action, you are probably better off going to Florida
New Post: Venditte steals the show
FYI Reggie was at the game today. He was kind enough to sign my son’s baseball. Robbie Cano was signing too.
MLB.tv for your iPhone is totally worth it. Also check out PlayOn app which lets you stream mlb.tv to your actual tv set so your not stuck watching all the games on your laptop.
Check it out
http://www.playon.tv/lp/mlbcontest