Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Today in the Journal News on Apr 23, 2010 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
Hello from Los Angeles, where the Yankees road trip continues tonight with the first of a three-game set against the Angels.
Last night the Yankees winning streak came to an end with a strange 4-2 loss in Oakland. CC Sabathia pitched a complete game, but walked six in the process. Mark Teixeira and Marcus Thames hit home runs, but the offense mustered little else. Robinson Cano made the turn on a triple play, but also committed the Yankees first error in 12 games.
And then there was the bizarre incident between Alex Rodriguez and Dallas Braden.
As always, there are plenty of Yankees pictures here in the updated gallery.
Arod is a d bag
repost from the last thread:
I know it goes without saying, but the Yankees really need Nick Johnson to get going to make this lineup work the way it should. I am pretty sure that he won’t hit .125 all year, but until he starts hitting, those walks are going to start drying up.
If they have to move him out of second, there aren’t a lot of good options. Cano seems to have taken to the 5 spot, you can’t move him. Granderson and Swisher add a fear factor to the bottom of the lineup, switching them simply switches the weak link in the order. Replacing NJ with Miranda doesn’t do it, he isn’t a 2 type hitter.
Maybe if Johnson doesn’t start hitting in the next 10 days or so, they swap him and Gardner for a bit, so Johnson can find it from have less pressure batting 9th. The question is, can Gardner continue his .400 OBP/ .300 Avg while hitting second? Probably not, but it may be the best option for the short term.
Erin-
Did you see the Office?
Erica – always OPPC – Sesame Street Mafia and GTLU supporter April 23rd, 2010 at 9:40 am
Erin-
Did you see the Office?
**********************
I did-I loved it. Jim does a really good Cookie Monster!
And I cracked up at Dwight’s “is that the program where puppets live in the barrio?”
And there was even a Count sighting!!
phil columbus-
that mantle video was really funny.
did you catch the part where whitey was sitting on mantle’s hat so he had to look for it to pinch hit?
amazing that a player like mantle didn’t wear a batting helmet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziy8T-DL7b0
Regarding the A-Rod thing – Correct me if I’m wrong here, but isn’t another (and much more well known) unwritten rule that rookies/young players don’t show up veterans?!? Maybe Braden needs to spend some more time reading the unwritten rules (pun definitely intended).
baseballfab is a moron. What else is new.
Pat M. asked me to put up a couple of links to mantle’s long shots, so here’s the relink to earlier. I’ll add the nrxt one that shows the condition of the baseball after hitting the side of the scoreboard of the ‘53 shot in Washington. It’s a fun read
http://www.themick.com/10homers.html#Home Run #1
Nick Johnson will hit, but his OBP is still .382, which is quite solid. His problem is SLG, which is .229.
“The Rays signed Ben Zobrist to a contract extension that could keep him under their control through 2015. 3 years guaranteed and options for 2014 and 15. No financials available yet.
The photo of the baseball is at the bottom of the page.
http://mickeymantle.com/insights.htm
Many of the long shots were from the early to mid ’50s when Mantle was not quite what he grew in to. he was 5?11? and 170-175 pounds. Not exactly Mark McGwire size.
Erin April 23rd, 2010 at 9:42 am
I did-I loved it. Jim does a really good Cookie Monster!
And I cracked up at Dwight?s ?is that the program where puppets live in the barrio??
And there was even a Count sighting!!
*************
Yes, this was definitely the best episode in a while. Community was hilarious too
Erica – always OPPC – Sesame Street Mafia and GTLU supporter April 23rd, 2010 at 9:48 am
Yes, this was definitely the best episode in a while. Community was hilarious too
**********************
I don’t think Community has ever not been hilarious.
I’ve been around the game my entire life and have never heard this “don’t walk over the mound thing” either…at the very most even of it is considered disrespectful by some, it isn’t widespread knowledge and Braden behaved like a knucklehead IMO…that was totally uncalled for especially for a pitcher that has accomplished as little as he has to this point in his career…hopefully the media will move on quickly from this.
I think the yanks will stick with NJ awhile longer, its still really early and they clearly like what he potentially can bring to the 2 hole. That said, if he doesn’t start hitting then the walks will come down because pitchers will make it a priority not to walk him..one would hope at that point he would start to see good pitches and start putting good swings on them..Nick is a good hitter , I think he will come around.
Erin April 23rd, 2010 at 9:50 am
I don?t think Community has ever not been hilarious.
**************
Excellent point!
randy l. April 23rd, 2010 at 9:41 am
phil columbus-
that mantle video was really funny.
did you catch the part where whitey was sitting on mantle’s hat so he had to look for it to pinch hit?
amazing that a player like mantle didn’t wear a batting helmet.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Randy, Mantle was hit by pitches 13 times in his 18 year career. Pitchers refused to throw at him. Even a hard azs old time pitcher named Early Wynn wouldn’t throw at him. He once threatened to break a team mate pitcher’s neck for hitting Mantle with a pitch. This was a guy that one day watched a player digging a toehold at the plate and yelled into him, “Let me know when you’re through.” The guy smiled and nodded and Wynn hit him in the ribs.
“There will be repercussions if it happens again.” – Braden
Is he so naive that he thinks that there won’t be consequences as a result of his obsession?
Who would replace Nick? Winn looks like burnt toast. Thames can only hit LHP.
“If my grandmother ran across the mound, she’d hear the same thing he heard. Period. That’s the way I handle the game. That’s the way I handle myself on my work day.”
*****************
Braden sounds like a really nice guy
they screwed up nj’s swing by trying to turn him into a YS pull hitter. Just let him get back to what made him attractive to Cashman to begin with.
Did you guys see the post from late night that Texas sent Chris Davis to AAA OK City and recalled Justin Smoak?
Erin April 23rd, 2010 at 9:55 am
?If my grandmother ran across the mound, she?d hear the same thing he heard. Period. That?s the way I handle the game. That?s the way I handle myself on my work day.?
*****************
Braden sounds like a really nice guy
*************
Seriously. He shouldn’t yell at his grandma. Its disrespectful
I’m guessing that Smoak’s entry song will be “Smoke On The Water”.
Randy
It is amazing that he didn’t wear a helmet. What is even more amazing was that they weren’t even mandatory until 1971. Hockey goalies without masks is the one that just blows my mind.
I don’t think Johnson is going to lose his #2 spot anytime soon.
Girardi doesn’t mess with his vets too much, especially guys with proven track records like Teixeira last season.
Johnson is certainly no Teixeira. But he does have a track record of success. That is, when he’s actually on the field and not in the trainer’s room.
How about burying Randy Winn after he gets more than 10 at bats in more than 3 weeks.
GB7
I think they sent Davis down last year also. If I remember correctly strikeouts were a big problem. To much all or nothing.
dallas braden did sound like a fool when he was doing his interviews.
arod just sounded like arod.
braden should have just stuck with, i thought it was disrespectful and left it at that. rambling on about it and rules, and details when it was clear ravech was being sarcastic made him just look real dumb.
I have one question….
Would the media be so inclined to rip Mark Teixeira if he had done the same thing A-Rod did?
Probably not.
If they bother to watch the videos, Rodriguez went across the bottom backside of the mound where it flattens out, not across the pitching rubber as they’ve been reporting. It was a foul ball and Braden wasn’t going to be ready to pitch before Rodriguez got back to first base. Maybe he should put up detour signs “Boy At Work”.
If Teix were hitting, this Johnson thing would be moot. He gets on base almost 40 percent of the time. Thats his job to get on base, move the runners, that’s what 2 hole hitters are for. It is the people behind him that is responsible for getting him in.
“I don’t think Johnson is going to lose his #2 spot anytime soon”
You are probably right, particularly since his and Teixeira’s struggles haven’t been costing the team wins. But, if NJ stays in this funk for the next 10 days to 2 weeks, I think they will start considering some options, at least. Given his track record, if he was to continue slumping for 2 more weeks, that would be more than just a bad start. On the flip side, given his track record, I would expect him to come out of this funk pretty soon.
I just noticed the game tonight is at 10pm again. ARGH!!!!!
Doreen-
What time is GTLU?
It will be interesting to watch and see if and when somebody else does it just to annoy Braden. It’s going to happen.
Nick Johnson is going to come out of his slump sooner or later. Until he does I think Joe should sit him against lefties and let Jorge DH, with Cervelli catching. I’m sure Cervelli isn’t going to continue to hit as he has, but ride him while he is hot and see what he can do.
The Yankees haven’t messed with his swing.
Nick continues to take the two seamer inside for called strike threes. If he was a “pull hitter”, he would be swinging at that pitch.
He has to make an adjustment and be more aggressive. If not, he will play but, just won’t hit second.
That decision though is probably a month-6 weeks away, if it ever happens.
“It will be interesting to watch and see if and when somebody else does it just to annoy Braden.”
More likely to have happened 20 years ago. Would need to be a real old school thinking player because things are way too Kumbaya now.
GF, no I don’t think it would be any deal if it was Tex; the media would probably take Tex’s side, actually. Malusis was an a s s last night, but apparently the guys on MLB ripped Braden, so good for them.
Teams may be fearing the Yankees again and that’s why they are opening their yappers, with Alex wearing the big target. I really don’t think Alex cares about what the media is or is not saying, so for him it’s undoubtedly over.
I despise unauthorized biographies. Bill Madden? I hate his News stuff and I have no inclination to read any book he writes. Unauthorized just means it’s going to be a trash piece – I will not read any of those books.
NJ should stay in the #2 spot for as long as possible; we are only talking about 2 weeks. If this slump happened mid-season, it wouldn’t be any sort of deal at all.
As high an average as austin Jackson has (.308), if he doesn’t cut those strikeouts back, he’ll be back in AAA. 24 strikeouts in 65 at bats. That’s a 240 strikeout season. He’s not going to keep that average with those numbers. He’s a singles/doubles hitter. He’s an outstanding center fielder and he’ll steal a lot of bases, but, that’s insane. Would love to have him playing next to Granderson, once he’s got those numbers cut by a third. Even that would be too many.
E and E Community was awesome. You’ve seen Goodfellas ?
Office too
30 rock is killer
Uncle Ellsworth April 23rd, 2010 at 10:18 am
E and E Community was awesome. You?ve seen Goodfellas ?
Office too
30 rock is killer
************************
I love Goodfellas-I loved Community’s take on it!
I agree, both 30 Rocks were awesome.
Erin April 23rd, 2010 at 10:20 am
Uncle Ellsworth April 23rd, 2010 at 10:18 am
E and E Community was awesome. You?ve seen Goodfellas ?
Office too
30 rock is killer
************************
I love Goodfellas-I loved Community?s take on it!
I agree, both 30 Rocks were awesome.
************
Goodfellas is a classic!! I especially loved the touch when they played the end of Layla during the part where Abed taught the group a lesson. LOL
Erica -
GTLU is from 4 to 7.
30 Rock was great-
But Julianne Moore’s Boston accent drives me insane
this Braden issue reminds me of some wise advice I was given while I was a teen wolf back in the 80s
Always get at least 12 hours of sleep,
never date a girl who has a tattoo of a dagger anywhere on her body
never play cards with someone who share his/her forst name with a city.
sage words
thanks coach
Doreen – GTLU Standings & Rules April 23rd, 2010 at 10:22 am
Erica -
GTLU is from 4 to 7.
************
Thank you. I was worried it might interfere with my commute home, but starting at 4 is perfect.
I have to think really hard today and get inside Joe Girardi’s head
Braden probably has a lot of “unwritten” rules, like “Psycho” in the movie Stripes:
Psycho: The name’s Francis Soyer, but everybody calls me Psycho. Any of you guys call me Francis, and I’ll kill you.
Leon: Ooooooh.
Psycho: You just made the list, buddy. And I don’t like nobody touching my stuff. So just keep your meat-hooks off. If I catch any of you guys in my stuff, I’ll kill you. Also, I don’t like nobody touching me. Now, any of you homos touch me, and I’ll kill you.
Sergeant Hulka: Lighten up, Francis.
I was actually pretty relieved when I heard Braden interviewed on Sportcenter last night. He came off as a total flake and made Bill Lee sound like PhD. Center of the Universe – geez.
Erica – always OPPC – Sesame Street Mafia and GTLU supporter April 23rd, 2010 at 10:23 am
30 Rock was great-
But Julianne Moore?s Boston accent drives me insane
********************
Oh, I know! That accent is awful. I’m really hoping Jack picks Avery so we don’t have to listen to it anymore. LOL
Uncle Ellsworth April 23rd, 2010 at 10:23 am
this Braden issue reminds me of some wise advice I was given while I was a teen wolf back in the 80s
Always get at least 12 hours of sleep,
never date a girl who has a tattoo of a dagger anywhere on her body
never play cards with someone who share his/her forst name with a city.
sage words
thanks coach
***********************
fwiw methinks Moores accent is bad on purpose –
Name of edisode was Jeter v Lee Marvin – classic
both favorites
and Proof read!
murphydog April 23rd, 2010 at 10:24 am
Braden probably has a lot of ?unwritten? rules, like ?Psycho? in the movie Stripes:
Psycho: The name?s Francis Soyer, but everybody calls me Psycho. Any of you guys call me Francis, and I?ll kill you.
**********************
Love it.
Uncle Ellsworth April 23rd, 2010 at 10:26 am
fwiw methinks Moores accent is bad on purpose ?
Name of edisode was Jeter v Lee Marvin ? classic
both favorites
************************
That’s the only time I’ve ever disagreed with Liz Lemon. She said Lee Marvin. It’s Jeter every time!!!
Uncle Ellsworth April 23rd, 2010 at 10:26 am
fwiw methinks Moores accent is bad on purpose ?
Name of edisode was Jeter v Lee Marvin ? classic
************
I was slightly disappointed that Derek Jeter didn’t pop up in the episode
Erin April 23rd, 2010 at 10:28 am
That?s the only time I?ve ever disagreed with Liz Lemon. She said Lee Marvin. It?s Jeter every time!!!
***************
I think that was part of the joke. She also said Lee Marvin was better looking.
How funny was it when she finally spoke to the guy at singles dodgeball and blurted out all of her wants. And then he didn’t speak englist and thought it was an AA meeting
Mr Jeter has work to do.
I wonder if Its always sunny will do a World Series episode they did last year.
This is the show that had as aplot line the gang pulling a Tanya Harding on Tom BradThey seem to understand philly
I think Tampa Bay Devil Rays might have jumped the gun on giving a 29 year old Zobrist a 5 year deal after one season that he pretty much doubled the numbers that he had in his career in the same amount of at bats. I doubt that he’s taking anything because nobody in the majors is that stupid anymore, but, both he and Bartlett are doing soming to double their run production and power.
It’s not just the numbers, but, the distances to the opposite field. My suspicion is a loaded bat. something’s not quite right. This year will tell and neither are showing the same sort of number tendencies, yet. No explaination for the increased steals other than maybe running more than ever before.
Lee Marvin was great.
Back me up GB
new thread
Erica – always OPPC – Sesame Street Mafia and GTLU supporter April 23rd, 2010 at 10:30 am
Erin April 23rd, 2010 at 10:28 am
That?s the only time I?ve ever disagreed with Liz Lemon. She said Lee Marvin. It?s Jeter every time!!!
***************
I think that was part of the joke. She also said Lee Marvin was better looking.
*************************
Erica, I know I was kidding. But still, the very idea!
Her speech at the end was hilarious.
Excited to be heading to the game tonight in Anaheim (not Los Angeles, as MLB makes reporters say) for the first time since Game 4 of the ALCS. Go Yanks.