Today’s lineup vs. Tampa Bay
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Lineup on Apr 09, 2010 
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As I type this, the Yankees are taking early batting practice. It’s pretty standard the day after an off day.
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Johnson DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Nick Swisher RF
Marcus Thames LF
Curtis Granderson CF
RHP Javier Vazquez
A few random bullpen numbers:
8 -- The Yankees relievers have thrown eight scoreless innings the past two games, going 2-0 and allowing three hits with no walks and four strikeouts.
61 – Mariano Rivera has converted 61 of his past 65 save opportunities on the road. That’s after blowing his first two saves of 2007.
25 – Dave Robertson turns 25 today.
Congratulations to today’s winners of GTLU!
MTU(aka GBURL)
Joe from Long Island
RayVT
RL15
Dave F
steveoh
“Buck, I love watching Zumaya pitch. He’s one of those guys that makes it look almost effortless. I definitely wouldn’t have guessed 100 mph.”
So true. The difference between he and like a Kyle Farnsworth is a little movement and choosing correctly on when to drop off speed and when to just bring it.
Hopefully he has continued health. I hate when injuries derail good pitchers. I almost feel cheated.
Any way we can get Dan the troll banned before the game starts?
who is pitching for the Rays? I mean I know they are lefty looking at the lineup….
He has gotta keep the bullpen out of this game as long as he can after last night doesn’t he?
Price I believe.
David Price is pitching for TB
Granderson at the 9 spot. Can’t find a better 9 hitter in baseball surely. Let’s hope he starts hitting lefties.
Early-season lineup pattern emerging vs. ‘tough’ lefties?
YESNetwork Tino Martinez will be an analyst in our booth during our Yankees-Tampa Bay telecasts, working alongside Michael Kay and Paul O?Neill.
2 minutes ago via TweetDeck
when will cervelli make his debut? he’ll likely start 50 games this year
“when will cervelli make his debut? he’ll likely start 50 games this year”
—————–
Yanks have had some off-days early this season so no need for Cervelli.
Once the Yanks actually have to play more than 1 game in a row, Cervelli will get his chance.
when will cervelli make his debut? he’ll likely start 50 games this year
–
Saturday is likely. Day game after a night game.
Here come Brett (and pine-tar) vs. Gossage on the MLB network.
Happy birthday to D-Rob, who looks like he’s about 18.
I’m excited to see Vasquez, though this should be a tough matchup.
I love Tino, but he’s not very polished as a broadcaster.
“when will cervelli make his debut? he’ll likely start 50 games this year”
I’m rooting for 35.
I agree. The beauty of players at the top of their games can’t be surpassed. It doesn’t matter what teams they play for. Valverde has some nasty stuff too!
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Did you ever have a player from another team that you dreaded seeing come up to the plate? It hasn’t happened to me often but Jim Thome was one of them for me, for the longest while. Well interestingly enough the one I’ve dreaded for the past several years is none other than Vernon Wells. I know that’s probably surprising to some people but I think he is a player to be feared. (He also fields his position very well.)
It’s early in the season but he has been tearing the cover off the ball. Since I have him on my fantasy team, that’s a good thing. (Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to set my lineup for the week, so he’s listed as a reserve and all of those lovely points have gone by the board.
)
Thank-you Doreen!
Has R. Winn assumed the role of Josh Phelps/Angel Berroa in 2010?
LOL
“Did you ever have a player from another team that you dreaded seeing come up to the plate?”
Manny Ramirez
Chone Figgins
Youkilis is working on it
With David Price starting for the Rays at Cowbell Field, it remains to be seen if Marcus Thames can hit lefthanders as advertised.
The Rays bullpen has been stretched after the Oriole series. Jeff Neimann left after 1 1/3 innings when getting hit by a line drive off his shoulder.
“Did you ever have a player from another team that you dreaded seeing come up to the plate?”
Manny
Garrett Anderson
A younger Vladamir Guerrero
trisha
I also like finding some gems in fantasy BB or FB. I once selected two TE on the same football team. A guy named Klein was the starter and some kid was his backup named Kellen Winslow.
In baseball, I picked a friend’s son from long ago! Inge from Tigers. LOL! He turned out great too.
http://yankeesgameday.blogspot.....rayas.html
Girardi is taking the leap that Marcus Thames is to play left instead of Brett Gardner against Lefties. It’s early in the season, so let’s give the manager the chance to see what his players can really do, but it’s may prediction that the we’re going to be missing Gardner in the field and on base.
Do not remind us about the annoying cowbell noise. The home team must be aware that noise is very annoying.
I think you’ll see another patient ( Joe West unfriendly) Yankee team tonight to try and get Price’s pitch count up and get him out of there.
I never thought I’d see the day that Granderson would be batting last. I’m not getting all indignant on his behalf because he’s a big boy, but seriously?
Why not allow Granderson to fail rather than make him feel like a failure before the fact?
Do they think that he’ll hit better 9th than 7th or even 8th?
If you’re trying to get a guy to hit lefties better, encourage him a bit.
Did you ever have a player from another team that you dreaded seeing come up to the plate?
——————–
Ortiz 2004-07
JohnC,
He used my name last night in one of threads.
Since I’ll be at all 3 games of this series anybody using my name this weekend is a troll.
A heads up for those who care about such things.
“Did you ever have a player from another team that you dreaded seeing come up to the plate?”
Manny both in Cleveland and Boston.
Jim Thome in old Cleveland days.
Edgar Martinez.
The first two lefties we’ve faced are Lester and Price. I want to wait to see what Girardi does with Gardner when the Yanks face a more ordinary lefty.
I really think Gardner should get to play everyday until he proves that he can’t.
Granderson has never been a part of such a strong lineup. Until he proves he can hit lefties, he’s ninth. He has no confidence issues.
Having Granderson bat 9th is a good move.
It’s like putting another leadoff hitter in that spot and you add speed and power in front of Jeter.
?Did you ever have a player from another team that you dreaded seeing come up to the plate??
Manny Ramirez
Chone Figgins
Youkilis is working on it
************
Definitely Manny and Youk
Thames again? Why do you hate me Joe, why?
This is an even worse decision away from Fenway. At least in Boston, Thames could work with a short left field (yet he still makes a fielding mistake). Now in Tampa he will be exposed even more.
“I never thought I’d see the day that Granderson would be batting last. I’m not getting all indignant on his behalf because he’s a big boy, but seriously?”
Its more about having a second leadoff man in front of Jeter than anything else.
m, Curtis knows how he hit against lefties last year. I seriously doubt if he’s too upset batting ninth.
Some of you are not very intelligent are you? Granderson batting 9th vs a lefty proves how deep our line-up is. Just because he has hit 2 hr’s this season does not mean vs a lefty he should bat 4th.
Plus, as a #9 hitter, our line-up tonight is almost like having two lead-off hitters. That is something a manager would enjoy having on a daily basis.
Trisha,
Vernon Wells 3 or 4 years ago…not the past couple of years. If you want to go back a little further I’d say Edgar Martinez.
Currently, Nick Markakis and Ian Kinsler. Those guys always find away to drive in a run. Scared is a little strong, more like wary…
BTW, I’m pwning you this week…too bad for you that you didn’t start Wells, lol
I’m not saying he’s upset. I’m just saying give the guy a chance.
If it’s about having a second leadoff guy in front of Jeter, then do it everyday.
Did you ever have a player from another team that you dreaded seeing come up to the plate??
Manny Ramirez
Chone Figgins
Youkilis is working on it
I named my cat Figgins (yes, after that Figgins).
from ESPN:
“A female knuckleball pitcher from Japan will be playing for a minor league team in the United States.
Eri Yoshida, an 18-year-old pitcher who played pro ball in Japan last year, signed with the Chico Outlaws of the Golden Baseball League. The team said she will report to spring training next month.”
Against righties Granderson is more valuable in a spot where he can drive in runs. Against lefties its better to try and utilize his speed.
Rich in NJ April 9th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
I really think Gardner should get to play everyday until he proves that he can’t.
On the contrary, I feel he needs to prove that he can. There will be plenty of time for him to open Joe’s eyes and force himself in the lineup everyday. It should never be the other way around and frankly, it rarely is.
“I’m not saying he’s upset. I’m just saying give the guy a chance.”
IMO the choices were to sit Granderson against Price, or to play him and bat him ninth. So Joe is giving the guy a chance.
I never feared Manny. Speaking of Manny my favorite Melky moment is when he robbed Manny of that home run and the Yankees ended up winning the game. He basically reached into the stands to get that ball!!!
I did fear the milkshake version of fatso, I have to admit it. Not the way I feared Thome. The kind of fear I have for Wells is more of a respect thing I think. I just think he is a poweful player who plays the game the right way. He isn’t a showboater, he just quietly does it.
*******************
RayVT – I chose Porcello and David Price this year. I reached down into the player ratings for Price.
“Did you ever have a player from another team that you dreaded seeing come up to the plate??”
Chase Utley in the 09 WS.
I don’t think they banned him permanently, which is very disappointing. As I’ve said, Sam and Chad hesitate to ban, but people are going to avoid the game threads if they don’t do anything. I don’t know what else we can do; I know I told Chad how bad the guy is and it wasn’t just that one night. I’m sure others did, too.
I hate the idea that they are going platoon Gardner with Thames in left field.
First, let’s clear something up: the idea that Thames “crushes” left-handed pitchers is a myth. Does he hit well against left-handed pitchers? Sure, but he does not crush them. Proponents of Thames are making it out to believe that he puts up Ryan Howard type splits against lefties.
Here is the truth about Thames. In his career against LHPs, he posts a .360 wOBA (weighted on-base average). This means nothing without a comparison. So in 2009, here are the hitters that posted a .362 to .358 wOBA:
Konerko, Pedroia, McCann, Span, Figgins, Kinsler, Rolen.
Now, are these great PLAYERS? Some of them, yes. But that includes their fielding and their position. But strictly from a hitting perspective, they were merely good last year. They are not excellent. Additionally, these numbers include these players’ offensive production vs. lefty and righty pitchers, not just their better split.
Thames is an atrocious fielder and so whatever production he adds at the plate, he loses at the field. Just look at last night. In the shortest LF in baseball, he couldn’t get to a dinky pop up that any competent left fielder in the game would catch. He is a liability in the field and run prevention is as important as run production. His fielding in his career in LF makes recent Johnny Damon look very good.
Gardner, on the other hand, is a superb fielder and will be able to nip potential rallies in the bud out in left. He struggles at the plate against lefties, but as a young hitter, he needs time to improve. Plus his fielding outweighs his hitting.
I was under the impression that Thames was meant to be a pinch-hitter for late game situations when a lefty is on the mound. If Girardi wants a better bat, then use Winn in left field. He is a dead-average hitter vs. lefties and also posts very strong defensive numbers in the corner outfield positions.
Winn would have been the optimal choice to platoon, not Thames
Girardi is looking out for Gardner, sitting him against Lester and Price. You have to wait until we face a less high-octane lefty to find out what Girardi’s plans for Gardner are.
boy, Damon really blew it.
He went o-4 again, today, and is now hitting .111.
That article by Curry on the Rays was nice. The title was very misleading, though. maddon was tripping over himself to give the Yankees their due.
2 for 4, your nephew is off to a strong start, SJ.
“I don’t know what else we can do;”
You treat trolls the opposite way that you would treat syphilis, you ignore them and they go away. Conversing with or reacting to them is what they want.
“On the contrary, I feel he needs to prove that he can. There will be plenty of time for him to open Joe’s eyes and force himself in the lineup everyday. It should never be the other way around and frankly, it rarely is.”
Then why base it on a platoon when a platoon split doesn’t exist?
ML
v. L: .241 .310 .316 .626
v. R: .260 .328 .361 .689
mL
v. L: .292 .361 .406 .767
v. R: .288 .398 .373 .771
Betsy, it’s possible that they don’t know they can ban by IP and so just get rid of the player by screenname.
I would think that they’re serious about banning and so would want to do it in a way that they weren’t going to be bothered by us every single game because the same fool sneaks back on. We have a better shot when they do it by IP. Of course some losers will continue to get new IPS but eventually they would have to run out.
Blake, I never respond to that guy (or any troll), but it’s getting near impossible to ignore them. That guy never goes away. He posts every few seconds and even though I try to skip his posts, it’s not as easy as you think.
I am now watching the Rockies opener! This is so much fun. I have Troy Tulowitzki and De La Rosa on my fantasy team. De La Rosa goes today – the reason I’m watching the opener.
Bucholz > Hughes
George Brett on the Pine-Tar incident.
“Best thing that ever happened to me. Before it I was known as ‘The Hemorrhoid Guy’, now I’m ‘ The Pine-tar Guy’”
Betsy, you may not but others do. I may be wrong, he may continue to post even if everyone ignores him but my guess is that he would get bored and move on eventually.
Trish, I would think they’d be savvy enough to know how to ban people. They definitely banned him a couple of nights ago because he just disappeared. Banning for one day doesn’t do any good – he’s an outright nuisance.
“boy, Damon really blew it.
He went o-4 again, today, and is now hitting .111.”
Don’t remind me.
I’m thinking that his playing left is going to mitigate against him hitting successfully. When he was DH his numbers were better.
“I’m not saying he’s upset.”
It sounds like you’re the one who’s upset!
“I’m just saying give the guy a chance.”
Maybe putting him in the lineup at all vs a ‘tough’ lefty is how Girardi is giving him a chance. Since Girardi doesn’t want to gamble on having both Granderson and Gardner in against Price, it makes sense to go with Curtis.
“If it’s about having a second leadoff guy in front of Jeter, then do it everyday.”
Brett Gardner is that guy!
Whatcha got there Rich? I think you are missing the names that go with the stats
Now I’ve got some idiot imitating me…….well, good job, dope, like everyone wouldn’t know it’s not me.
Blake, I agree that too many people respond to him, but most don’t – I don’t think he’ll go away. What’s worse is the idea of imposters going around these threads.
I thought for sure I’d get something out of you for the comment I made Trish, did you miss it?
Betsy,
Imitation is the highest form of flattery I guess.
blake, I’m with Betsy. We shouldn’t have to stare at some first grader’s crayon drawings, all in caps. It’s not bad enough that Yankee fans are here to remind us when someone has the audacity to have a bad AB. Well I sure as heck don’t want to have a troll here laughing in all caps any time one of our guys does something less than stellar. That can make for a long season. And contrary to what you would think, someone with the mentality of a nightcrawler is his own enjoyment.
I’m all for permanent banning of people who are here just to harass and distract.
DB, what did I miss?
Trisha, I just noticed. It’s kind of creepy that you see, hear and know all. What number am I thinking of right now?
DB April 9th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Trisha,
Vernon Wells 3 or 4 years ago…not the past couple of years. If you want to go back a little further I’d say Edgar Martinez.
Currently, Nick Markakis and Ian Kinsler. Those guys always find away to drive in a run. Scared is a little strong, more like wary…
BTW, I’m pwning you this week…too bad for you that you didn’t start Wells, lol
DB, now I saw it!
Hey I never got to set my lineup because I didn’t get home from family Easter stuff until close to 8:30. By then it was too late to set the lineup. Are you kidding me? If I had played Wells and CJ Wilson I would be beating you right now!!! I definitely would have played Wells. Unfortunately Wilson is considered relief until he has 5 (I think) starts this season so I’m kind of in limbo with him.
Testing.
“Girardi is looking out for Gardner, sitting him against Lester and Price. You have to wait until we face a less high-octane lefty to find out what Girardi’s plans for Gardner are.”
Which is likely what they did with Gardner last year as well. Which is also why the recurrent citing of Gardner’s batting average against lefty pitchers as proof of him being capable of playing everyday was probably off the mark.
I haven’t done any kind of systematic appraisal of Gardner’s usage against lefties last year but it did seem to me that if there was a tough lefty in there Gardner got shielded from that guy.
Gardner will hopefully be able to play everyday this season and will hopefully be capable of growing into that role. The prospect of Thames playing this frequently – especially with Vazquez a fly ball pitcher going – isn’t appealing.
Early season or not, this isn’t a huge vote of confidence for the organization’s perceptions of how Gardner would fair against lefty pitching.
Price was ok last year but not great. He really doesn’t have a third pitch. At this point in his career, he’s mostly fastball. His slider can still even be up and down.
Right now Price isn’t a guy who disproportionately destroys lefty hitting. Last year lefty hitters hit for less power against him but around the same batting average and OBP as righties did. Power isn’t really what your counting on from Gardner so that’s not a real issue.
We’ll see but hopefully the club doesn’t feel that Gardner is a platoon player moving forward. Though Girardi’s comments in ST were somewhat in accordance with that notion.
I don’t get how Gardner is supposed to “play himself into the every day position” when he is not playing vs. Lefties. How is he supposed to “prove himself” from the bench?
On another note, I hated seeing Juan Gonzalez come up to bat when he was great. Frank Thomas too but no one actually scared me as a batter more than Ortiz. When he was great he was impossible to get out and the bigger the spot the harder it became.
Betsy-
Your imposter is so dumb they misspelled Buchholz! LOL
If I had taken the time to read the rules, I wouldn’t have drafted so many relief pitchers since we can only play two!
you do realize you have Price going tonight right?
How awkward…. :>
If you are going to sit someone against lefties, sit Granderson. He has far worse numbers vs Left-handed pitchers than Gardner does. Thames was brought in as the 5th outfielder and occasional pinch hitter. After a bad spring he jumps up to platoon starter in LF? That makes no sense to me. He’s a really mediocre player. At least Gardner and Winn have the potential to be plus players.
Trisha, I’m all for banning them as well but if that doesn’t happen then the only other thing you can do is ignore them.
If Thames is as awful defensively as is talked about, then maybe he wasn’t the right sign. I liked the signing, but if the Yankees have to worry about him giving back runs because he’s so bad in the OF, then was this the smart move?
Vernon Wells is off to an extremely hot start. Granted it’s 3 games. But these three game are probably better than any 3 game span he had over the last 2 or 3 years.
Trisha
Porcello & Price are two good ones. D-Train sounds like he may be good again too as a waiver pickup if not too late.
Kay repeating what Leiter said, “Javy can win 23 games this year.” Gotta love Al’s and Michael’s enthusiasm but last year I don’t think there was one 20 game winner in the AL, maybe in MLB. Not likely Javy will win 23.
Patrick-
You caught up a little last night. My team had absolutely no activity yesterday. LOL
Since I’m not doing GTLU over the weekend, I did this week’s standings. You can see them by clicking on my name.
One thing I didn’t miss during the off season? The constant line-up complaints from amateurs who didn’t manage the Yankees to the World Series.
NYROC
No one won 20 games last year. A few guys won 19.
CB, last year left-handed batters had a .642 OPS vs Price. That seems tough enough to me. I suspect Girardi views Price as tough on lefties.
Erica, I can’t spell his name half the time, lol. Also, he’s pretty dumb to write that since I would never concede (yet) that Buccholz is better, lol.
“Which is likely what they did with Gardner last year as well. Which is also why the recurrent citing of Gardner’s batting average against lefty pitchers as proof of him being capable of playing everyday was probably off the mark.”
I posted his mL stats to provide the necessary context.
Oops, see? I can not spell that kid’s name for my life.
Thames is awful in the field. It was an okay signing if all you want is a guy that can come off the bench and pinch hit vs a lefty or be there for depth in case someone gets injured. It’s a bad signing if he’s going to be the part-time starter in LF, which is what he is right now. That’s all on Girardi IMO.
I can’t say Gardner will rake vs lefties because he simply hasn’t been given an opportunity yet. Like CB says, he is shielded vs them despite hitting lefties well in the minors. It makes little sense to me.
But lets assume Gardner is even worse than Granderson vs lefties (impossible, but join me in this absurd hypothetical). If that were the case, I’d still want Winn in there rather than Thames. Winn is an above average fielder and has the potential to be a good hitter. He was bad in 2009 but was pretty darn good in every other year of his career.
23 games… Wow… I’d like a solid 15 wins
I can see sitting guys against tough lefties. Even Bobby Abreu did it.
It’s just a little early to start fiddlin’.
Erica,
Indeed. And I already got some points from Valverde today. Seems like pitching is weighted way way more than hitting in this league. It’s kind of bizarre.
Yikes. Price pitched 3 games against the Yanks last year, and the overall batting average (with 73 PA) against Price was .113.
Snail, I just think Wells is due to pick up his pace again. He’s too good a player not to have it happen.
RayVT – I am going to look into D-Train. Something makes me think he hasn’t been picked up in my league. I have to look over the rules. We’re in a different league (head to head) and different website altogether. Last year we played day to day rotary through MLB. This year we’re head to head, once-a-week lineups. Last year we had a starting pitching cap. I don’t know if we have a cap this time around. Gotta read those rules!
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Wave, don’t have me waste my talent on something as easy as guessing your number! Give me something at least challenging if you’re going to test me!
23 wins? That’s ridiculous, lol
Oops. Last comment was in re: to sitting Granderson against lefties.
Having signed Thames, I guess the Yanks have to try him out. But, I’m not thrilled to see him start, for the reasons given by Thank You Michael Lewis.
At best, Thames is a decent hitter against lefties and a terrible fielder. At best Gardner is a decent hitter/baserunner against lefties and a superb fielder. I would prefer to try Gardner first, because if he can get on base at .325 against lefties, he’s likely the best option.
Betsy – Hughes rules (Pleading the Fifth) April 9th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Erica, I can?t spell his name half the time, lol. Also, he?s pretty dumb to write that since I would never concede (yet) that Buccholz is better, lol.
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Just saying-
If you are going to go through the trouble of impostering someone to praise a player. Spell the players name right!
“We’ll see but hopefully the club doesn’t feel that Gardner is a platoon player moving forward. Though Girardi’s comments in ST were somewhat in accordance with that notion”
CB,
Would it make more sense if they were platooning to use Winn? Obviously not the power of Thames, but better all around hitter and much better LF.
Patrick April 9th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
Erica,
Indeed. And I already got some points from Valverde today. Seems like pitching is weighted way way more than hitting in this league. It?s kind of bizarre.
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I noticed that too. A good/bad start can impact you heavily.
I guess they figure since you can only really get one or two starts per pitcher that it better really count!
thats a great point. (this is blake by the way)
Valverde looked so good today. He had some nasty stuff.
“last year left-handed batters had a .642 OPS vs Price. That seems tough enough to me. I suspect Girardi views Price as tough on lefties.”
Last year right handers hit .242 against price with a .321 OBP.
Left handers hit .236 with a .315 OBP.
Lefty hitters did hit for a lower Slugging Pct. against Price – .327 vs. .417.
So almost all of the difference was in how much power left handers hit for against price. Power is not Gardner’s game.
All that said, I don’t doubt that Girardi sees Price as a “tough lefty” and is shielding Gardner from him as he seemed to do last year.
But these past two games against lefties are tangible example of selection bias is easily introduced into “split statistics” in baseball and why Gardner’s batting average against lefty pitchers to date likely does not generalize in a valid fashion.
If Girardi is “protecting” gardner against “tough lefties” it introduces bias into his split statistics.
Thames’ role was supposed to be this:
Gardner starts… but the Sox bring in Okijima in the 8th inning with 2 on and 2 outs, and we’re trailing by 2 runs and we need a guy who can put one in the seats.
He was not supposed to bought aboard to platoon with Gardner.
And what the heck is Randy Winn doing on the team anyway? Wasn’t it his job to platoon with Gardner, if there was a platoon?
It seems that Thames has taken Winn’s role, and Winn is basically a defensive player.
Now, Sabathia would like Crawford to be his Yankees teammate, too.
“I joke around with him all the time about that — all the time,” Sabathia says, laughing. “I told him I’ve got an extra room in the house, whatever he needs.”
Sabathia also is tight with Mariners lefty Cliff Lee, another potential free agent, but no way the Yankees can sign both, right?
“Who knows?” Sabathia responds. “Who ever thought me, Tex and A.J. would show up in the same year, too?”
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/s.....kee-040910
Funny: Don Lagrecca (sp?), Kay’s sidekick, said if Javy wins 20, he’ll go on air, with Leiter, and proclaim that Al is the greatest baseball mind of all time!
I’m not sure you want to listen to me though LOL! I had an auto draft Fantasy team last year & got Peds. I cut him before the season started. LOL! I actually had Zorbist from Tampa & I knew he was going to play 2B. Also, I had the 2nd waiver pick & someone else had a need at 2B and 1st waiver pick. So I ended up getting Andrew Bailey A’s rookie Closer on waivers.
“I posted his mL stats to provide the necessary context.”
If by mL you are referring to minor league stats those really aren’t adequate context either.
Left handed pitching in the minors is systematically different than left handed pitching in the majors in ways which do not apply to right handed pitcher.
If a lefty is even half way decent he’s going to tend to be in the majors. Left handed pitching in the minors is very bad.
It is extremely difficult to generalize a left handed hitters ability to hit major league left handed pitching from his performance against minor league lefties.
The data is really only helpful if that lefty batter is bad against minor league lefty pitching. Then it’s helpful, but in a negative sense.
“If Girardi is “protecting” gardner against “tough lefties” it introduces bias into his split statistics.”
Absolutely. My only point was that we’ll have to wait till the Yanks face a mediocre lefty to begin to have an idea what Joe intends for Gardner. It’s too soon for folks (not you) to get all bothered because Gardner’s not in the lineup.
Erika April 9th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
thats a great point. (this is blake by the way)
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hahaha- Thanks Blake.
Btw- I hate Erika with the K. It looks weird to me.
And those people that do it Ericka are just pretentious snobs. You get a C or a K. Not both!
Rich, I didn’t understand the stats you posted….
Do any of you lohud leaguers know whether or not our total number of starts is capped at a certain number? It was last year so you really had to watch how often you used your starters.
I am kind of surprised Girardi’s not giving Winn a start, though.
“And those people that do it Ericka are just pretentious snobs. You get a C or a K. Not both!”
lol
I assume Joe thinks the best way to judge what Thames can do is to give him multiple at bats against lefties instead of only bringing him in when a lefty comes in from the pen; I can’t say I disagree, but if he was going to go this route, then a better defender would have been the better choice. I do not look forward to Thames butchering (and apparently he’s a butcher) whatever chances come his way and making the pitchers throw more pitches.
Ray – why did you cut him? Why not trade him and get some value?
“Would it make more sense if they were platooning to use Winn? Obviously not the power of Thames, but better all around hitter and much better LF.”
My initial sense would be yes. Particularly because Vazquez over his career has been a fly ball pitcher. In addition, playing outfield in the Trop isn’t easy because of that strange ceiling they have there. Hard to pick up the ball.
So my sense is Winn would be the better fit because he’s better defensively but that’s clearly not how Girardi feels.
He won’t play the whole game so its ok. I think BG still had 2 at bats the last time Thames played.
Girardi may also want to continue playing the hotter hand. Just a thought. Or he may want Granderson to get the start so he can feel good about what he’s been doing since the press has been on him like jackyls. Girardi is not beyond doing those kinds of things for his players. He is a prince amongst princes. Or maybe it’s not of that.
Personally I don’t care who he puts in the lineup, or where, because we all know that I believe Girardi manages better than I. I’ve learned to trust him that way.
How often is Thames going to play though? We’re going to be facing a lefty pretty much every series.
We face Price tonight, I think we get Joe Saunders when the Angels come to town, we’ll probably get CJ Wilson and/or Matt Harrison when Texas comes to town. Then we go to Oakland and will face one or both of Braden/Anderson. Then when we come home for Chicago, we could get Burhlee and/or Danks.
I can’t imagine he would start all of those games. Maybe Joe only will start him against hard-throwing lefties, not guys like Burhlee or Saunders.
They just quoted Joe Di on the Rockies game!!! They used a quote that he made about playing on Opening Day. Very sweet.
“My only point was that we’ll have to wait till the Yanks face a mediocre lefty to begin to have an idea what Joe intends for Gardner. ”
I agree. We just have to wait and see. I’d guess Girardi is still just experimenting with his roster.
The one caveat on that though is the comments Joe made in spring training about using Thames (and not Winn) liberally against lefties.
The yankees are a very close to the vest organization. Girardi saying that caught my attention…
I’d say Girardi will give Thames a couple of AB’s and see if he can pop one and then get him out of there.
Thames will play himself off the roster. I fully understand the percentage idea but there’s 2-3 OF’s on the AAA roster that will hit and field better than Thames. Girardi has given him every chance to prove what he’s got.
Isn’t Winn just a switch hitting Gardner who already reached his potential and left it a few years ago?
I love Gardner, but I think Joe is just trying to put him in the best possible situation to succeed. Once he gets more confidence and experience he’ll force them to play him. let’s face it, they never really looked to replace him in the off season. They got to have some confidence in him.
“He won’t play the whole game so its ok. I think BG still had 2 at bats the last time Thames played.”
This is a very good point as well and I’d guess Girardi has thought this through.
The yankees game plan tonight is going to be the same as what they used against Jon Lester but only more so.
Price has had trouble with his command and control. They are going to try to wear him down quickly and then get into that very soft tampa bull pen as early as possible.
“boy, Damon really blew it. He went o-4 again, today, and is now hitting .111.”
And Nick Johnson is batting .000. What’s your point?
“If you are going to sit someone against lefties, sit Granderson.”
But Granderson is the one they want/need to improve vs lefties.
I forgot how bad Winn was against lefties last year. The Yanks may not see him as playing much against lefties.
Good article on Cano getting pushed by AROD during Spring Training:
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/s.....-potential
“Price has had trouble with his command and control. They are going to try to wear him down quickly and then get into that very soft tampa bull pen as early as possible.”
I don’t think the Yankees will get the Joe West stamp of approval for their approach tonight either
The quicker they can get price out of there, there quicker they can feast on bullpen mediocrity.
Trisha,
Don’t believe there is a cap on pitcher starts.
Yank1 April 9th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Now, Sabathia would like Crawford to be his Yankees teammate, too.
Sabathia also is tight with Mariners lefty Cliff Lee, another potential free agent, but no way the Yankees can sign both, right?
*************************
AJ is friends with Lee too, isn’t he?
Here are the lefty starters in the AL. I might have missed one or two:
Joe Saunders
Scott Kazmir
Brian Matusz
Jon Lester
John Danks
David Huff
Dontrelle Willis
Brett Anderson
Dalles Braden
Gio Gonzalez
Ryan Rowland-Smith
Cliff Lee
Erik Bedard
David Price
C.J. Wilson
Rickey Romero
Brian Tallet
This is how I would break them into “tough” lefty vs. “Not-tough” lefty categories:
Tough:
Dontrelle Willis
Scott Kazmir
Jon Lester
Brett Anderson
Erik Bedard
David Price
C.J. Wilson
Rickey Romero
Cliff Lee
Mark Buehrle
John Danks
Not tough:
Joe Saunders
Brian Tallet
Dalles Braden
Gio Gonzalez
Ryan Rowland-Smith
David Huff
Brian Matusz
Mark Buehrle
# TMZ April 9th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
“boy, Damon really blew it. He went o-4 again, today, and is now hitting .111.”
And Nick Johnson is batting .000. What’s your point?
Johnson is cheaper duh
“So my sense is Winn would be the better fit because he’s better defensively but that’s clearly not how Girardi feels.”
That makes the Winn signing even more questionable. This seems like the ideal game to use him. Thames could then be used in the event of a tough L RP later in game as pinch hitter.
Not sure what Winn’s role is?
Should we now be worrying about umps giving the Yankees the worst of it because of Mo’s comments? Blake, is that what you are insinuating?
I don’t want Lee. AJ was friends with Doc, but he obviously didn’t convince Doc to wait until FA and sign with the Yankees.
# Yank1 April 9th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Now, Sabathia would like Crawford to be his Yankees teammate, too.
“I joke around with him all the time about that — all the time,” Sabathia says, laughing. “I told him I’ve got an extra room in the house, whatever he needs.”
Sabathia also is tight with Mariners lefty Cliff Lee, another potential free agent, but no way the Yankees can sign both, right?
“Who knows?” Sabathia responds. “Who ever thought me, Tex and A.J. would show up in the same year, too?”
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/s…..kee-040910
——————————–
Love the CC!
“I forgot how bad Winn was against lefties last year. The Yanks may not see him as playing much against lefties.”
But if that’s the case they should have never signed him at all.
Either you believe that Randy Winn’s 2009 was something of an anomaly or you don’t sign him.
For his career Winn hasn’t demonstrated much difference in how he does vs left and right handed pitching: .759 OPS vs LH and .764 OPS vs. RH.
If you’re not comfortable thinking Winn just had an off season last year and will be better, it’s tough to feel comfortable handing him a roster spot.
Click Submit too early.
Point I’m tryin to make here is that when you look at the list of lefties in the AL, most of them are as tough as David Price. If he’s the standard bar you’re going to use to judge whether Gardner should start or not, he’s not going to start against lefties very often.
The Yankees liked Winn and I think they believed last year was an anomaly, so there must be some reason he’s not playing…unless Joe just likes the way Thames was swinging the bat better at the end of ST.
“Johnson is cheaper duh”
I’m sure that will be a comfort to NYY when he makes his first of many stops on the DL.
Winn’s role really is questionable.
Perhaps they signed him in the event Gardner couldn’t hack it and they needed a full-time player. But if Gardner hits decently and they use Thames vs. tough lefties, then where does that leave Winn?
RayVT, I had Drew Bailey last year also. He was great!
Here’s how I see it – where’s the glory in having All Stars at every position?
Now how many people do you think would draft Jorge De La Rosa if they could get CC, or Greinke, or Lincecum, or one of those heavy-hitter pitchers? But I remembered from picking him up last season – he is FEROCIOUS with Ks!
Also, I’m really starting to appreciate the strategy involved. I admit I had help from the Answer Guys from MLB last season because it was my first try at fantasy and I had no clue what I was doing. The team I drafted was pretty dreadful. But then I looked around at the players who were good at stealing, the players who were power hitters (Cust, Kubel), the relief pitchers who had the most Ks, and I started to fill in where I had deficiences. I think I was somewhere near the top in players hitting for average but I was really weak in players hitting for power. And so I learned. At one point I had almost exclusively Minnesota Twins on my team! (The other thing is that I am probably in the Elias Record Book for having made the most moves in fantasy baseball in the course of one season! But I think I ended up in 4th or 5th after having spent most of my time in last!)
GGBG,
I disagree with a lot of your “tough/not tough” determinations. The only REAL tough lefties I see are Lester and Lee.
“If you’re not comfortable thinking Winn just had an off season last year and will be better, it’s tough to feel comfortable handing him a roster spot.”
Speaking just for me, I’m not comfortable and I wish the Yanks had spent the money elsewhere. But the Yanks gave him a roster spot, and aren’t playing him. I wonder if Cashman and Girardi view it differently.
DB
The Yankees hit with a .113 average (in 73 plate appearances) versus David Price last year.
Patrick
Lester and Lee are just good pitchers. They’re tough against everyone.
# TMZ April 9th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
“Johnson is cheaper duh”
I’m sure that will be a comfort to NYY when he makes his first of many stops on the DL.
It won’t be that hard to find a DH.
It’s only one game…..
Eri Yoshida would definitely get it.
Patrick
An addendum:
Lester last year vs righties:
.237 BAA
Lester last year vs lefties:
.257 BAA
Lefties also hit .241 against Lee last year so it’s not like he murders them
“Lester and Lee are just good pitchers. They?re tough against everyone.”
No kidding, what’s your point?
A lot of the guys you list as tough lefties aren’t so tough.
Johnson may be hitless but his OBP is 200 points higher than Damons at the moment.
That has to count for something in this super fun argument that will never die.
CB, I think you can expect to Marcus Thames in the lineup every time there’s a lefty on the mound, at least until it’s shown that Marcus cannot hold his own worth……He’ll be yanked in the 7th-8th innings for defense…….Randy Winn is the interesting wild card in all of this….I thought that he’d be the eventual left fielder with Thames being a part time DH, PH and get the occasional start in left……
Did I just see a Japanese female knuckleballer (now signed to a US Professional baseball team) reference?
“Johnson may be hitless but his OBP is 200 points higher than Damons at the moment. ”
Johnson getting on base via the walk does nothing for us if no one drives him in. Texiera and Rodriquez need to get it going.
Great take on the West situation:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/articl.....8;c_id=mlb
Pat M, the problem is if Thames D is as bad as people say, why play him at all? He could cost valuable runs and valuable pitches in our pitcher’s arms.
Tough lefty = guys who can strike you out like Cliff Lee, Price, Lester, etc.
Not tough lefty = Burhlee, Joe Saunders, Washburn, etc. who pitch to contact
“That has to count for something in this super fun argument that will never die.”
Lots of things that should count are never counted in the many arguments here that never die.
It’s what gives them eternal life.
That reference was made only for the Damon vs Johnson argument that seems to still be ongoing. It’s taken on a life of it’s own and sucked me in.
Pat M -
I’m wondering under what scenario Winn gets to start and show what he can do.
Patrick
The point is, if Jon Lester and David Price are going to be the standard bearer of “tough lefty” – when they are only marginally better against lefties than they are against righties – its essentially a full out platoon situation because you’re not going to find less difficult lefties to deal with.
Phil April 9th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
I cut him to get the #1 waiver wire. Bailey.
GGBG,
If you want to make an effective argument listing all the lefties that are hard on lefthanded hitters, go look up the splits of every pitcher you listed. I would do that but I don’t care enough to waste so much time. I’m simply saying that not every lefty you list as “tough” is correct.
Pat M.,
The situation you’ve described is very possible.
I am surprised to see Thames playing more than Winn but it is early.
The Trop is only 315 to LF though 370 to Left Center. Not easy to pick the ball up there however.
Thames is carrying a glove made of concrete these days. That ball he couldn’t get to in a very short LF in fenway wasn’t pretty.
Doreen, Randy’s playing time will be dictated on how long Breet Gardner take hold him off
Marcus Thames is like re-visiting Rondell White
Ledger_Yankees Andy Pettitte said he’s fine a few days after his awkward collision with Jacoby Ellsbury. #nyy
Ian
I don’t think it’s just strikeouts, even though they may play a part. A tough lefty – in this discussion – has to be a guy who shuts down left handed batters. I’d draw that line around a .210-.220 BAA.
Fran, thank you for that information. I had a little problem with the computer and so couldn’t get back here for a bit.
Jorge DLR has 7 Ks in 4 innings. He is really helping me to make up some ground here!
trisha – OPPC member who sees, hears, and knows all. 28 is on its way!!!!! April 9th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
Yeah that was smart! I haven’t signed on to play this year yet although I still might.
Funny thing is I have played in the office over the years (different jobs.) and out of 11 times playing for money I have won 9 times & finished last twice. LOL!
In Baseball it is a matter of having time. There are kids that live & breathe the stuff. I just breathe it!
I played in two leagues last year of Yahoo winners leagues & finished 6th & 1st. I had a better team for the one that finished 6th but injuries killed me.
Letter to Joe Girardi,
Joe,
You’ve done a great job on some things, but your left field decisions confuse me.
Gardner is our left-fielder… Thames is a weak fill-in at best- at bat and in the field.
Give Gardy a chance to play.
Sincerely,
Sports Geek
Patrick
I’m not inclined to look up every stat either and my list is totally arbitrary. If you disagree, more power to ya. That’s not the point I’m trying to make though.
Pat M -
Brett has surprised me in the games he’s played so far. I think he’s got a fairly long leash.
That’s good news about Andy; I didn’t see the play, but he apparently took one heck of a knock. I’m glad he’s not feeling any soreness…
I agree about having the time. The thing that was attractive about this year’s was that Fran got us into a head-to-head league where we only have to set the lineups once a week! The other way was murder. My eyes were crossed with trying to find who was available, what the word was on the player, etc. etc. etc.
“Randy’s playing time will be dictated on how long Breet Gardner take hold him off”
Yep, I’d imagine that was why Winn was signed— as an everyday player incase Gardner couldn’t perform.
Of course, they are putting Gardner in positions to succeed by starting Thames against tough lefties so far, so I guess Gardner has to tank against righties for them to put Winn in the lineup.
trisha
When I play fantasy baseball I find myself learning more about rookies, injuries & closers. LOL!
Leaving work soon!
I think I am actually going to get to see the Yankee game tonight. YAY!
“Texiera and Rodriquez need to get it going.”
Ya think?
You can’t stop brilliance like this, you can only hope to contain it…
I also think people are over-reacting a bit to Thames. Against LHP, he is not a bad hitter.
I think CB is right about Giardi protecting Brett and having him play in situations that he can excel and prosper….That being said, I just can’t see him being the club’s everyday leftfielder……I don’t see him as an everyday ballplayer, his skill set is not on that level
# stuckey April 9th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
“Texiera and Rodriquez need to get it going.”
Ya think?
You can’t stop brilliance like this, you can only hope to contain it…
lol
trisha
I worked in FL (45 miles North of Tampa) last year and travelled home 1 week a month so I had more time since I was there alone. I could follow things more. Now being home I have a lot less free time.
Have fun Erica!
GGBG,
Your initial point was that there are a lot of “tough” lefties in the AL. I disagree with that statement. I think that was fairly clear.
Judge Smails April 9th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Did I just see a Japanese female knuckleballer (now signed to a US Professional baseball team) reference?
———————————————————————————————————————-
She’d be in an independent league. The same team that had signed Canseco and Henderson.
I believe Winn was an opportunistic pick-up. Cashman was worried about his outfield depth at the time. It is quite possible Winn ends up with no big role on the team, it looks as if Thames and Gardner would have to fail first for Winn to be given a large role, and then Winn would have to show 2009 was a fluke. That’s a lot of cards against him.
Wouldn’t there be a danger of sexual harassment for her? Does she get her own shower?
stuckey April 9th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
“Texiera and Rodriquez need to get it going.”
Ya think?
You can’t stop brilliance like this, you can only hope to contain it…
________________________________________________________________
What a know it all. Gauranteed you have no woman. With that condescending its a pretty much a give that you are a basement loner.
Anybody that has decided that Mark Buehlie isn’t a tough left handed pitcher to face needs to find another sport to follow. Matusz may not have much time in, yet, but he doesn’t look like he’s going to be a very comfortable at bat, either. Willis hasn’t exactly been tough on anybody for 3 years.
By “Professional Baseball” I did not mean a major league team.
Maybe the Ducks will get her somewhere down the line. Become part of the great history of John Rocker and Carl Everett.
RayVT, I gotcha. Setting the lineup once a week is doable for me. Having to play with it daily, with all of the things that had to be taken into consideration, was really a bear, especially if you wanted to give it your best shot.
**************
Everyone, I know this isn’t a popular thing to say here but why not trust that Girardi knows what he’s doing and there is a method to his madness? There always is, and he manages to get all of his players playing time. We’ve played all of three games. Can you let it breathe and show a little trust in the managing ability of a guy who was an engineering major at Northwestern and knows how to synthesize complex issues and put a plan in place? Please?
I KNOW he’s on top of things. If you can’t figure out what he’s doing, don’t worry about it. It will become apparent to you at some point.
JMO
Ledger_Yankees Girardi: Not going to tell hitters to change approach, despite latest pace of game debate. Also doesn’t take West’s comments personally #nyy
What a know it all. Gauranteed you have no woman. With that condescending its a pretty much a give that you are a basement loner.
——————————–
I’m in a basement right now. YOUR BASEMENT.
Lefties hit .298 .346 .493 .839 off Buehrle last season. .293 in 2008, .314 in 2007. What makes him so tough, GB7?
Ledger_Yankees Posada will get a day off sometime this weekend. #nyy
“I believe Winn was an opportunistic pick-up.”
Good thought. Though if it wasn’t Winn it sounds like it would have been Reed Johnson. I do think they were going to get another outfielder.
I guess that’s part of the question – who was the more opportunistic pick up and who was the guy picked up more for “need” (though those distinctions are somewhat arbitrary).
Park was a similar pick up. It’s partly why it was surprising to see so much anger directed at him after game one or the indifference when he was picked up.
At times the idea of relievers being “fungible” gets taken a bit too far. Park is better and less expensive than Gaudin.
And he’s a lot better than a guy like Scott Atchinson.
Buehrle is a tough pitcher who happens to throw left handed but he’s not particularly tough on lefties.
We are just discussing lefty pitchers that own lefty hitters.
“Wouldn?t there be a danger of sexual harassment for her? Does she get her own shower?”
Only if someone sexually harassed her.
I would think that they would set up a separate locker room space for her and work out the shower arrangements. The good thing is that as a pitcher she would only be pitching every 5 days so she wouldn’t have to shower after every game the way position players do.
I still don’t know if I believe the experiment is going to work out. Time will tell.
BAA vs. lefties last year –
Joe Saunders – .257 BAA
Scott Kazmir – .198 BAA
Brian Matusz – .200 BAA (SSS)
Jon Lester – .257 BAA
John Danks – .244 BAA
David Huff – .317 BAA
Dontrelle Willis – N/A
Brett Anderson – .313 BAA
Dalles Braden – .203 BAA
Gio Gonzalez – .340 BAA
Ryan Rowland-Smith – .195 BAA
Cliff Lee – .241 BAA
Erik Bedard – .214 BAA
David Price – .236 BAA
C.J. Wilson – .206 BAA (as reliever)
Rickey Romero – .297 BAA
Brian Tallet – .290 BAA
Mark Burhlee – .298 BAA
I don’t think Buehrle is tough at all. He gives up a lot of hits, high BA against both sides. He doesn’t walk anyone, but he also doesn’t strike anyone out. His biggest asset is working quickly, which helps his defense stay on their toes.
Erin, good – but I don’t think the Yankees would have done that anyway.
Maybe Winn isn’t playing (it’s just 1 game) because Girardi wants to give Brett time to see what he can do and he knows that once Winn goes in there, then he could be in there for good. I mean, if Winn played tonight and had a good game, wouldn’t you have to play him the next game? I don’t think Joe wants to go there…………yet.
I guess that means Frankie is ok. I’d prefer to see him catch CC; IMO, Jorge and AJ should work together as much as possible.
Only if someone sexually harassed her.
I would think that they would set up a separate locker room space for her and work out the shower arrangements. The good thing is that as a pitcher she would only be pitching every 5 days so she wouldn’t have to shower after every game the way position players do.
–
You’re putting an athletic, and seemingly nicely endowed, japanese teenager in a lockerroom full of baseball players (who are some of the horn doggiest sports stars). I wouldn’t say if someone harassed her, but when.
It might be an uncomfortable situation regardless, Damon and the Giles brothers are famous for walking around the clubhouse naked, for example.
“I still don’t know if I believe the experiment is going to work out. Time will tell.”
The experiment will be will anyone show up to the Chico’s games to see her. That’s all the team is doing this for.
I don’t think anyone has designs on her moving up the professional ladder.
trisha – OPPC member who sees, hears, and knows all. 28 is on its way!!!!! April 9th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Girardi does know what he is doing. Every team is trying to line up lefthanders to face the Yankees. If Thames turns out to be a stick he can offset that mindset quickly. If not then Plan B goes into play.
NJ has been getting good looks (walks) & hard hit balls but they are all outs. He is going to do well still. Miranda/Vasquez are possible option as a DH if NJ fails.
Winn is a solid 4th OF. He gives the Yanks options being a switch hitter.
Either you believe that Randy Winn’s 2009 was something of an anomaly or you don’t sign him.
______________________
I think you are overlooking another option. They signed Winn at the end of the off season. There were no good players left and the Yanks ran out of money. Even if normally no team would have signed him without believing he just had an off season, you need to consider the circumstances surrounding the team’s decision. Given the way Thames is starting over Winn against left handed pitching, it makes perfect sense to conclude that the Yankees were not entirely convinced Winn would bounce back.
I’ve said it before. the Yankees need to know what they are going to get out of Thames sooner rather than later. He’s auditioning for his role/job for the next 2 months.
Especially, with the waiver claim of Huffman the other day who is RH and can fill his role.
I want to see as much of Gardner as possible early on too, but Brett’s role on the team is pretty much cemented. They’re not going to dump him because at worst he’s a 5th OF/pinch runner if he can’t hit and get on base.
At worst, Thames has no role on this team. He’s here to hit lefty pitchers and hit them hard. If he can’t do that, he’ll be gone. The Yankees need to know about him filling his role more than Gardner at this point because Gardner can fill other roles on this team.
NJ, Brett Gardner, and Nick Swisher lead the team in LD% so far. Jeter is worrisome, 91% GB rate and no fly balls. He has been topping everything.
Nothing is worrisome after 3 games.
Mike Gonzalez blows his 2nd game of the season (and this the 4th game of the season). Toronto ties it at 6, top 9th.
Jerkface,
Come on dude Mark Buehrle is a good pitcher. He doesn’t have overwhelming stuff but he’s “tough” to score on.
On that note I’m leaving work and going to a bar, later
Betsy – Hughes rules (pleading the Fifth) April 9th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
I guess that means Frankie is ok. I’d prefer to see him catch CC;
**********************
Betsy, I’m thinking that’s what will happen. CC loves working with Cervelli anyway.
Jerkface, wow – I hope you’re kidding about Jeter.
I think Joe Girardi has made many smart decisions during his tenure, and his handling of the bullpen is fantastic… but this is something I just can’t wrap my head around. Thames is a terrible fielder, Vasquez is a flyball pitcher, and the Rays are strong offensively.
If anything, play Winn. Thames is supposedto be a lefty pinch hitter. He makes Johnny Damon look very good in the field
No rain. beautiful.
If Thames doesn’t hit lefties, my guess is BG gets the job full time. JMO, but I doubt Winn is an option unless there’s an injury.
If Thames and Gardner strike out vs lefties, the Yanks will eventually be forced to go outside the organization, IMO. I can’t see Huffman, Golson or any of the other guys in AAA filling that role.
Dumb move
Vazquez is a fly out pitcher and Thames couldn’t even handle the non-entity that is LF in Fenway, now he is going to play in the field again?
Thames is dreadful in the OF. Vazquez better not allow any ball to hit to that part of the park.
Come on dude Mark Buehrle is a good pitcher. He doesn’t have overwhelming stuff but he’s “tough” to score on.
–
He is tough to score on, but not particularly hard to get a hit off of. And its no coincidence the yankees have doubled his regular season ERA. As a pitcher who doesn’t strike anyone out and gives up a lot of hits, a team like the yankees can tear that guy up.
Betsy: I’m not joking, look it up on fangraphs. Jeter has looked bad at the plate, but he didn’t look bad in spring. He has grounded everything to short so far, and hopefully he gets out of this little slump he is in.
I don’t consider guys like NJ and Tex or A-rod to be in slumps because they have put charges into some balls. Jeter has not.
rkface April 9th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Lefties hit .298 .346 .493 .839 off Buehrle last season. .293 in 2008, .314 in 2007. What makes him so tough, GB7?
———————————————————————————————————————-
The same thing that makes Pettitte a tough pitcher….he knows how to win in a hitter’s park and he’s not always been with the best of teams. to me, that’s a tough pitcher.
If this trend continues, Austin Jackson is going to break Joe Dimaggio’s hitting streak.
Z-Mac and Brackman are starting tonight for Scranton/Tampa.
The Tampa game will be closely watched for sure.
Jerkface, it’s 3 games, so I don’t understand how that can be worrisome, unless you think Jeter’s going to have a bad year. He did not have a great ST, by the way.
btw, I missed the game. Did Brandon Morrow hit at least 102 mph?
mike g was lucky he didn’t blow last night as well
trisha – OPPC member who sees, hears, and knows all. 28 is on its way!!!!! April 9th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
?Wouldn?t there be a danger of sexual harassment for her? Does she get her own shower??
I worked in a Nuclear Plant in the late 70′s in the Bible Belt area and women were working in the Reactor Building. There were no showers or bathrooms for women at the plant I worked because it was thought that women would never work in a radioactive environment.
When someone got contaminated working during outages and it happens a lot the people would lose their clothes that were contaminated. I spent a month there and lost mine every day. All of them. When you lost them you had to walk to the showers. There was a woman in front of me leaving most days and she lost most or all of hers too. Several days I was showering and she was in the open shower next to me. That was difficult but common. She was gorgeous! LOL! So you know …. This would never happen today!
The best way to think of the first 3 games of the season is exactly how you’d think of a 3 game series in June.
Individual performances mean nothing.
10 reasons to hate the Yankees
http://blogs.tampabay.com/twoc.....Two+Cents+|+tampabay.com%29
The Yankees usually double about 80% of the pitchers ERAs
Jerkface I would think the organization would have a long sit down with the players before she shows up. If they are given religion on the ramifications of anyone sexually harassing her, I would bet that they would choose their baseball careers over a quick grab.
If there is any kind of harassment I could see it being more in terms of hostile attitude. I can’t say for sure but I wouldn’t think that a lockerroom full of men would all lovingly welcome a female into their midst. It is going to call for a lot of adjustments and they may feel resentful that they have to make them. Why should they be the only one forced to take a female (I am saying that could be the mindset.)
GB and I had this conversation a while ago, when we read that she was being signed in the Japanese leagues. I said at that time that though I am a card carrying feminist there are certain “gender equality” things that are counterintuitive to me, few that though they be. This is one of them.
“The Yankees usually double about 80% of the pitchers ERAs”
ERA-YANKS
Yikes, is that a sabremetric?
The best way to think of the first 3 games of the season is exactly how you’d think of a 3 game series in June.
Individual performances mean nothing.
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Except for the case when the subject of discussion is Austin Jackson — MVP, RoY, Silver Slugger, Hall of Famer.
Worrying about Derek Jeter hitting is about the same as worrying about a fine Swiss watch keeping good time.
And even if he were to have a “bad” year that means around .300 with plenty of hits and loads of heads up play.
He’s been steadier than the Rock of Gibraltar.
Jerkface, it’s 3 games, so I don’t understand how that can be worrisome, unless you think Jeter’s going to have a bad year. He did not have a great ST, by the way.
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Let me change the phrase, I am not worrying about Jeter, but in the 3 games Jeter hasn’t driven the ball like we expect. He has not inside out’d the ball like he is known to do. He has grounded everything to short.
It doesn’t look good. Its like David Ortiz. David Ortiz looks ‘cooked’, because he is getting beat and looks a lot like first half 2009. Jeter is looking like Jeter 2008, where his LD rate was at its lowest and his GB% was the second highest of his career. Alot of topped balls.
I won’t be ‘worried’ about Jeter until May if he is still struggling. You never give up on Hall of Fame players like Jeter, but he doesn’t look good thats for sure.
FYI, the AP article already covered the sexual harrassment grounds.
She will get special locker room accomodations and her own motel room on road trips.
8) test
“Except for the case when the subject of discussion is Austin Jackson — MVP, RoY, Silver Slugger, Hall of Famer.”
The guy could be hitting .211 in a week. It’s one of life’s great mysteries how fans fall for this EVERY year.
That said, i don’t wish Jackson any struggles. I’m not going to feel better about the trade if he fails. I hope he does well, just not against the Yankees.
“It doesn’t look good. Its like David Ortiz. David Ortiz looks ‘cooked’, because he is getting beat and looks a lot like first half 2009. ”
No it doesn’t. It doesn’t look like that at all. Ortiz has whiffed on close to 40% of all his swings.
Ortiz has no bat speed. That’s not how Jeter looks. Nor does he look like he did in 2008 where his season really fell apart after getting hit in the hand.
Jeter looked very good throughout spring training. His bat speed looked fine. And that’s what you worry about as a player ages.
Ray, I was waiting for one of those endings like “And today she’s my wife.”
Add to the scenario that the Japanese culture is very different from ours, you have even more potential for “misunderstandings.”
CB, I disagree. I think he looks a lot like he did in 2008 in the early goings. He didn’t hit for any power in spring. I won’t ever count Jeter out (such as when he slumped for like 3 months then came back to put up a respectable season ), but I don’t think he looks great. He does not look like Ortiz, I was just using a similiar scenario.
Its only been 3 games, really we shouldn’t be so down on Ortiz.
Heyward’s having a rough day against Sanchez. 0-3 with 3 strikeouts…all swinging.
“FYI, the AP article already covered the sexual harrassment grounds.
She will get special locker room accomodations and her own motel room on road trips.”
And there you have it.
My error. The last Heyward strikeout was against the right hander, Medders.
Having a lead off type guy hitting ninth is only valuable if he consistently makes contact putting the ball in play or some other means of getting on base. Against lefties CG is still an unaswered question. However I’m certainly rooting for the guy. You got to hit against lefties to learn to hit lefties. The speed and power out of #9 could if it works certainly be cataclysmic for the rest of the league.
I’m pretty sure that the young lady will have somebody traveling with her, chaperon, interpreter. They aren’t going to just stick her on a bus with 30 guys.
trisha – OPPC member who sees, hears, and knows all. 28 is on its way!!!!! April 9th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Ray, I was waiting for one of those endings like ?And today she?s my wife.?
Add to the scenario that the Japanese culture is very different from ours, you have even more potential for ?misunderstandings.?
LOL! She was older than me and there was a steady line of guys wanting her. She was sweet, but we were only friends for 30 days! LOL!