Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Today in the Journal News on Apr 27, 2010 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
The Yankees went to the White House yesterday, essentially capping their 2009 season with a celebration and a few laughs with the President. Before meeting the President, the Yankees toured the White House and met with wounded soldiers in Washington D.C.
You can see more pictures of the event in our online gallery.
I think after six years Javy forgot how long Yankees fans (The Greatest Fans) memories are. We remember who long relievers, and utility men are from thirty or more years ago. He thinks we would forget the bomb he gave up to Damon in game 7? For him it was just a game, and he went back home to his family, and did whatever it is that he does. For us Fans, it was watching our hated rival beat us on our own turf, eliminating an 86 year old curse of the Greatest Player of ALL TIME, sorry Willie, and having to watch that dreaded Sox team win their first world series in almost a century! But you were hurt Javy, ok, whatever, A**hole
El Duderino,
My memory is a little off right now but you seem to have a great one.
Can you refresh me on what happened in that inning that Javy gave up the GS?
Sports are serious.
You shouldn’t put yourself in the “greatest fans” lineup with that idiotic comment.
Yankee fans are no different than any other fan base. You have good fans, bad fans, and moron fans, and those in between.
These same “greatest fans” booed Alex Rodriquez for 5 years and thought it was the cool thing to do. They have booed Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter.
They are making themselves out to be idiots on the Vazquez stuff.
“Greatest fans”? Well, the “greatest fans” don’t call a player on their team an a-hole on a blog.
I can’t wait to buy this! Core 4 on the cover of SI:
http://twitpic.com/1iv72e
Apparently El Duderino remembers that inning, but fails to remember the series as a whole. Oh, and fails at life.
Serious business is serious.
I love those pictures from yesterday! They all looked so good in their suits
Blah Blah Blah, he gave up a HR to Damon 6 yrs ago after Kevin Brown couldnt get 4 outs, had already given up 3 runs, and left with the bases loaded…..but its all on vazquez cause he gave up that HR, nevermind Mo blowing 2 saves, or the team not hitting for the last 4 games…but hey, its all on Javy….
NYY626 April 27th, 2010 at 9:51 am
I can?t wait to buy this! Core 4 on the cover of SI:
http://twitpic.com/1iv72e
*********************
That is an awesome picture! That will definitely be a must buy.
NYY626 -
What a fantastic cover picture!!!!! I like that it’s a picture showing a lighter mood.
“Unfortunately the Javy situation reminds me of Wang before his last injury, wondering where the velocity and control went all of a sudden after ST, given Wang’s stellar past.”
murphydog-
wang had a serious physical problem with his hip at half strength going into spring training . only the good luck of being sent down to tampa in the early season and having arod’s hip therapist recognize the weakness gave wang a chance at having a season.
when the yankees aborted his rehab and brought him up to start for joba when he was hit by a line drive and then sent to the bullpen when joba didn’t miss his start, wang’s year was for all practical puposes over.
i don’t see vazquez’s problems looking anything like wang’s because he’s not totally messed up physically recovering from an injury. he’s a few miles per hour off on his fastball which may indicate something or it may not.
if he’s healthy, he’s just in a pitching slump no different than a hitting slump. another three or four starts should get him back to normal. if he’s still not where he should be than i’d be concerned. right now i’m just looking at it as a normal slump players go through.
there was nothing normal about wang’s problems last year. that was a baseball tragedy.
greatest fans support their players when they struggle
greatest fans don’t boo their own players
greatest fans don’t scapegoat one player for a team failure
erin,
agreed. i was just looking through the pics from yesterday, too. man, handsome in the dress street clothes.
I had no idea they were all doing the cover of SI. I wonder when the issue comes out???
I am rooting for Vaz as hard as anyone.
If he helps us win great but if he hurts us he needs to be yanked.
Just don’t know what our options are for a fourth starter.
trade/minors ???
NYY626 April 27th, 2010 at 9:59 am
I had no idea they were all doing the cover of SI.
********************
I didn’t either, but that picture made my morning.
this “if he hurts us” nonsense with Javi needs to stop. This guy has pitched 200 innings every year like clockwork. He will pitch 200 innings this year. He will be the best 4th starter in baseball. It will not hurt us if he loses 15 games, or only wins 10.
Wow “Some” people are total D**cks on this board. I’m calling out Javy’s BS attitude, and actually complementing Yankees fans, and they are name calling me. What losers. Go ahead call me a loser, since all of you haters like name calling anyway. Sheesh.
For all the “something will have to be done with Vazquez if his struggles continue”, if you want to banish Javier from the rotation then be ready to get excited for Sergio Mitre, Starting Pitcher Part 2.
el duerino – whatever you thought you were doing, you didn’t.
The problem is that Javy seems totally lost as to what the problem is. He says he’s healthy and it’s not mechanical. Now how the media jumped to the conclusion that he’s not competing or that he doesn’t want to be here, I have no idea. Maybe he’s fatigued and doesn’t know it; maybe he’s sick. That’s why I suggested that the Yankees give him a full physical. Of course that would entail Javy being completely honest with him.
You can not pull the guy after 4 starts; I agree that it would make things worse and then I’m not sure if he could ever recover.
I almost wish the Yankees hadn’t made the trade because I feel terrible for Javy. He’s trying, but he’s being accused in the media of NOT trying. Now Bleep Schilling is giving his input – how I hate that big mouth.
El Duderino -
I am not complimented by a statement that hints that having a long memory is synonymous with holding a grudge.
Get over 2004 already.
You’re acting like the thousands of ignorant people who seem to think that 2004 was all Javy’s fault. That’s why you get name called. Nanny nanny poo poo.
For a guy who doesn’t like “namecalling”, he sure practices it well when it comes to players he doesn’t lilke.
Don’t judge players attitudes. You don’t have the ability to do so.
If you did, you wouldn’t have posted the gibberish you posted this AM.
Wow, what a picture! LOL Look at Jeter – everyone’s laughing (even Jorge, OMG) and he’s looking off into the distance.
betsyt – how does he seem lost to the problem? they’ve stated time and time again he is pitching well, and his arm starts lagging behind the body after a few innings which flattens out the pitches. do i have to get the firehose? stop reading and taking the media bullsh*t seriously.
Ok who cares what el duderina thinks
Hughes day today! WOOOO
SJ what do you think of the Phillies signing Ryan Howard to that absurd deal? Every time I think about it I start laughing, my coworkers think I’m crazy.
Betsy -
He may have been at a loss to explain, but I feel like given a day off and the chance to go over the tapes and other things with Girardi and the coaches, he will be able to work things through. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, the post-game interview does not always get the best information from a player, since it’s in the heat of the moment, so to speak. Sometimes post-game interviews have the feel of an ambush.
I’m not worried that he sounded confused. I’m sure at that particular time, he was.
Excuse me, Javy is a great National League pitcher, I hope he can duplicate his efforts in the AL East, since based on past history he’s done such a great job pitching in the American league.
Too many fans are fixated on 2004. Big deal – ok, the Sox won a WS. The world didn’t end, we moved on. I don’t even think about it anymore and when I do, it’s not like I feel sharp stabs of pain. Deal with it – it’s just baseball. Why Javy is the poster boy for that series is beyond me. Did he pitch in games 4,5 and 6? I KNEW this would happen the moment the trade went down.
Easty there Patricia.
Gee Tom, maybe it’s the quote where Javy said it’s not mechanical? You’re right – I won’t take the PLAYERS seriously when they are quoted.
I am a Fat Walrus April 27th, 2010 at 10:08 am
You’re acting like the thousands of ignorant people who seem to think that 2004 was all Javy’s fault.
Not all but some.
Doreen, good point. Whatever it is, I agree with Pat – I’m rooting for him more because the media has been vicious.
Excuse me, Javy is a great National League pitcher, I hope he can duplicate his efforts in the AL East, since based on past history he’s done such a great job pitching in the American league.
————————————————————-
He was an All Star in the AL East in 2004 before he got hurt…
Nobody want’s too banish jv from the rotation unless he continues too get lit up.
When JV is on you wan’t him in the rotation.
Right now he is far from being on.
Jv is a concern right now & will continue too be until he starts pitching better.
It is just very puzzling that a pitcher with his stuff can struggle like this.
You would have too think he will get better.
betsy – you take everything seriously, it doesn’t matter who says it. when the pitching coach says its mechanical, i believe him. when a player says it is or isn’t mechanical/mental, i look for what the coaches say to back him up. it’s very easy to have misconceptions about what you are actually doing on the mound. you can’t see it very well from the first person perspective… that’s why we have coaches.
I hope Javy knows that he has so many supporters here. Maybe go out and cheer him on! The guy needs all the help he can get right now.
and BTW, booing any of the core 4, is sacriledge IMO.
Not all but some.
———————–
If by ‘some’ you mean it was the entire teams fault, then yes, you would be correct. Then it was also Jeter’s, Mo’s, A Rod, K Browns, etc etc etc ‘s fault. No need to single out someone when it was a team’s failure.
Betsy -
Me too!
***
I could almost understand the fixation with 2004 if the Yankees had NEVER BEFORE won a World Series or defeated the Red Sox in the post season. To continually bemoan that lost series, as disheartening as it was at the time, is just silly and petty and the sign of a very spoiled fan base.
Anybody know if the ceremony at the White House yesterday is available for viewing some place???
and BTW, booing any of the core 4, is sacriledge IMO.
—————————–
I think at one point or another all 4 have been booed. Wrongfully, mind you. But, shamefully, it has happened.
He was an All Star in the AL East in 2004 before he got hurt…
Look at his record, 143-142, the guy’s a lifetime .500 pitcher. And the only ASG he appeared in was…2004.
The Yanks need to play a game so some of the people who comment here can move on past Javy.
I agree with SJ44. You let Vazquez keep pitching for at least 3 more starts and then make some adjustments based on how he is doing.
On another note, how about Eiland getting the job done on mechanics? It seems it is the pitchers fault or arm strength or something when things are wrong, but when they are right it is because Eiland helped the guy?
Patrick,
A contract I don’t understand.
Why not keep Cliff Lee this year and wait a year to extend Howard? Seems to me, that would have made the Phillies a better team.
On the face of it, seems like a very bad contract to me.
josh beckett’s era is double his lifetime average and he’s the red sox #1.
vazquez is the yankee #4.
it’s way too early to do anything but watch with him.
talking about his character or 2004 is way premature.
if he’s still got a 9 era in another 4 starts then the yankees will have a problem.
even then, they’ll probably be in first place or a few games off of it , so even then it’s not going to be a major crisis because the team is so good this year.
The Ynkee fans should not boo ANy yankee unless he doesn’t hustle or he has publicly said something offending to the Yankee fans or organization PERIOD! If you want the guy to do better, why would you boo?
I could have been off base with using profanity comments, and I didn’t mean to offend anyone. But defending Javy is a slippery slope.
Hey dude learn how to spell before you spam us with your nonsense
Booing ANY Yankee is moronic unless you’re under 15 yrs old.
There’s no excuse for an adult to boo any Yankee on the field. Unfortunately, paying to see the game makes some people feel like they have the right to act like fools.
” But defending Javy is a slippery slope.”
no one’s defending him as much as saying it’s early.
SJ44,
Exactly, I totally agree. When they first traded Lee they claimed it was for budgetary reasons. Then they go and and extend Howard to this ridiculous contract. Now the Phillies are saying they traded Lee to replenish the farm system. Well, unfortunately for them they got a few mediocre prospects back, so they failed there.
And the thing about the Howard deal is, he doesn’t play good defense, he can’t hit lefties and he’s older than people think. He broke into the majors at a really old age because he was blocked by Thome for a long time. Just a bad deal all around. Can you imagine if they made the right move and kept Lee for 2010? Might as well fit them for rings now..
so, should i start Gardner vs Millwood today… or Justin Upton vs Ubaldo Jimenez…
SJ44
Didn’t the Phillies use some of the prospects from the Lee trade to get Halliday?
The Yanks need to play a game so some of the people who comment here can move on past Javy.
—
Yeah seriously…
I always hate going into the offday with a loss, all the trolls come out and make this blog unbearable.
rodg12 April 27th, 2010 at 10:18 am
Anybody know if the ceremony at the White House yesterday is available for viewing some place???
———————————————————————————————————————
Go too rab.
They have the full video.
patrick – IMO, the phillies would have been better off with the 2 sandwich picks from losing Lee next year than with the 3 prospects they got from seattle for him. add in an above market value contract for a large, can’t hit lefties, can’t DH, signed through his age 36 season 1B and I don’t see anything about what they did to like… other than the money it will cost boston.
Vazquez isn’t getting pulled from the rotation unless he gets hurt.
He can continue to pitch like garbage but as long as the team is winning he won’t be replaced. Let him get his 5 IP per start, 3-4 earned runs, and go from there. How would those results be different than Joba or Mitre last year?
What you’ll see if things keep going down the path they are on is that Vazquez will be totally irrelevant by the All Star Break. He’ll still be thrown out there every 5 days to eat (some) innings and they’ll hope and pray the team scores a lot of runs on those days.
But what matters most is he won’t be anywhere near the mound when the games count in October. He is the 5th starter making $12 million a year. Whether they say it or not, that’s what he is.
And next year, he’ll be changing teams for the 8th time. And he’ll be remembered as another guy who couldn’t cut it here, couldn’t take the heat. Let him go toil in KC or if the AL still intimidates him that much he can find a spot in the Padres or Nationals rotation where he’ll fit right in and probably pitch to an under 4 ERA in low leverage, low stress, meaningless games.
so I guess the Phillies can’t complain about the Yankees payroll anymore!
I don’t understand booing your own players. What possible good can come from that?
Didn’t the Phillies use some of the prospects from the Lee trade to get Halliday?
—
Nope.
randy
I saw that you and nick were a good tag team last night.
I posted this yesterday but I’m going to repeat myself because people seem to be stuck on Javy’s off start this year. Javy’s main problem this year has been that his average fastball velocity is in the range of 88-89 MPH, down from his typical fastball average velocity which is in the range of 91-92 MPH.
Replacement Level Yankee Weblog has reviewed Pitch FX data for every start by Javy Vazquez since April 7, 2007:
http://www.rlyw.net/index.php/.....er_vazquez
If you check it out, you will see that there have been occasional periods when Javy’s average FB velocity dipped below 90 MPH, but it has always recovered back to the 91-92 MPH range. There’s no reason to think it won’t this time as well.
The Yanks are 12-6 for crying out loud. If Javy was going to have problems, this was a good time for them. Relax and give him some time.
maineyankee – no, it was 2 different sets of prospects involved.
Tom B,
Good point. I’d definitely take the picks over what they got. Also, it’s not like Ryan Howard’s value is going to go up in a year or 2. They could have easily waited and signed him then for probably less money. Heck, they could have signed him now for less money if Ruben Amaro had a clue
The Howard Extension is a head scrather to me. Not only the amount and years but their apparent sense of urgency to get a deal done now. Seems to me that they bid against themselves at a time when nobody else was even bidding. No other team would have offered anywhere near that number IMO…now if this is the Phillies just taking care of one of their own then what can we say…the Yankees overpay their own guys all the time to keep them but they have the resources to do it…do the Phillies have those same revenue streams? I don’t know….
“Can you imagine if they made the right move and kept Lee for 2010? Might as well fit them for rings now..”
Yeah because Lee has really vaulted the Mariners to the top of the standings.
This argument might have some validity after Lee actually pitches in a major league game in 2010.
Same troll; different name
If you want to see something to panic about go to a RS blog. Lots to panic about there.
Good write up on Boone Logan and a slight mechanical change that Eiland made:
http://riveraveblues.com/2010/...../#comments
Wave,
Yeah I fully expect his velo to come back. But even if it stays in the high 80′s, he can get by if he improves his control. I think most of his problems are rooted in poor fastball control. So far this year he’s left it up A LOT.
His velo will come back soon and his fastball control will improve. I am not worried about him at all.
People are panicking (maybe) because the Rays are now ahead of them and they don’t think the Yankees are going to shake them this year. They have a very good rotation and without Javy doing well, our rotation isn’t great. Of course it’s very early, but that’s just their mindset (I think). Maybe they’re right, lol. JP Ricciardi thinks the Rays are going to runaway with the division, lol.
phils traded lee because they needed to replenish the farm system.
bad idea i agree as lee would have made that team unstoppable. they need another big pitcher if they are going to win the WS this year becaue Hamels has not returned to form.
That’s a great picture of the “Core Four”. I guess that’s official now, and they must not mind it. Looks like they’re playing some strange game of Pinstripes Twister.
Thanks, too, for that article on Phil Hughes. The no-no promise to his dad was nice.
Phil said last week, that he’s pitching better because he’s a lot more confident. Hope he continues to be in a good place.
miggs,
Come on, we both know Lee is a stud.
Patrick, I wonder if Javy’s control problems are related to his drop in velocity. It could be that the same mechanical issues are responsible for both, or that he is overcompensating for the dip in velocity and as a result his control suffers.
I’ll leave that analysis to guys who know more than I do about pitching mechanics. But I do think he will come back soon.
“Let him get his 5 IP per start, 3-4 earned runs, and go from there. How would those results be different than Joba or Mitre last year?”
The difference would be that those guys didn’t even consistently produce those kinds of starts in their time as starters. And considering Vazquez’s career averages prove otherwise that he would “just” give them 5 innings every time out, I think it is an extremely premature assumption to say that’s all he’ll be good for throughout the season.
“But what matters most is he won’t be anywhere near the mound when the games count in October. He is the 5th starter making $12 million a year. Whether they say it or not, that’s what he is.”
Even in best-case scenario he would be the 4th starter making at most 2 starts in the playoffs should the team be fortunate enough to get deep into them and be playing 7-game series. That was always the plan from the moment he was traded here, he wasn’t supplanting Pettitte as their 3rd go-to guy. I don’t know how this is some groundbreaking, outrageous reality that you’ve now discovered. His role in the postseason, if the team even makes it, would be very limited.
M, you’re welcome!
It seems to me Phil was all about projection back then; he had great control and a good FB, but he didn’t have a great change or even the curve. I guess the Yankees figured he was the kind of kid that could pick things up quickly.
Baltimore is Phil’s personal house of horrors; hopefully he won’t be thinking of his last two starts there.
Wave,
Yeah that’s possible. Maybe he realizes his velocity is low so he’s trying to overthrow it. I know whenever I pitched that if I tried to throw harder it was more of a struggle to keep the ball down. It’s real easy to put max effort into a fastball and have it sail up in the zone. On the other hand it’s really difficult to throw your hardest fastball and have it come in at the knees.
CC, thanks! Boone Logan looks like he could be a nice pickup; hmm, so Dave Eiland didn’t ruin him? What a notion.
Where is Jany’s velocity? Is ti normal for ST + 4 starts to still have issues?
Solve the velocity problem, then you might solve Javy.
m – some pitchers don’t regain their velocity until the middle of June so… yeah… it’s normal.
Javy is dragging his shoulder and not staying on top of his pitches consistently.
It leads to him pushing the ball and being up in the zone, flattening the ball out, and decreasing its velocity. The fact that his delivery isn’t consistent right now is affecting his command and primarily his fastball and change up. The curve and slider are better but he’s trying to pitch off of them instead of using them as complimentary pitches.
He’s shown glimpses of his usual arm slot and delivery but he hadn’t been able to repeat it…hopefully its just due to a mechanical funk and not shoulder pain.
I can’t help but think karma came into play in a very cruel way for Alex Rodriguez during the WH meeting with President Obama.
Once upon a time, Alex slighted Derek Jeter and called himself a better “leader” than the Captain. Alex has always envied Derek Jeter.
Boras and Arod wanted the new stadium to be forever remembered as the “House that Arod Built”. Arod was supposed to achieve Babe Ruth status and break the all time HR record as a clean player unlike Bonds.
Boras and Arod raped the Yankees for that 300 million dollar abomination of a contract by exploiting that now empty pursuit.
The fact is Alex Rodriguez cheated.
If you want real glory, you can’t cheat.
You can’t lie.
If you want to be remembered as a leader, you have to set a good example.
Alex bashed a true leader, cheated, lied and extorted money from the Yankees.
The new stadium is the “House that Jeter Built”.
Arod was probably secretly wishing for some pardon from the President in the form of acknowledgment for his postseason performance, a performance that Jeter has repeated 10 times in the past as the leader of the NYY and face of the franchise.
Karmic justice that Arod, an unabashed Republican like Curt Schilling, someone who cried about discrimination against him based on the fact that he’s “biracial”, is there standing right next to Derek Jeter, a biracial athlete. Then the biracial President, the most powerful man in the world, also a Democrat, points towards Derek and gives him the spotlight as a true Yankee.
Arod’s destiny seems like it was never meant to be.
Signed,
The Master
Tom B,
Thanks. And were you the one who linked me the article about mental/mechanical? I haven’t gone back to read it yet, but if it was you, thanks.
I think the “mechanics” explanation by blake is the best one. Kind of like Joba?
TL;DR
Oh lord, more A-rod bashing? I thought that’d end after last year. What a joke some of you “fans” are.
m,
What’s up with your Lakers?
My Sox win 13-12 last night over Toronto. Sure is nice to see the strategy of improving defense and preventing runs for the opposing team is paying big dividends!!
m – the article wasn’t me, i think trisha posted that yesterday? i forget.
come on guys, i’m looking for totally biased and invalid opinions here… should I start Gardner today against Millwood? Justin Upton is 1/12 against Ubaldo and I don’t want to waste the day…
blake April 27th, 2010 at 10:47 am
Thanks Blake! I noticed his arm angle after someone on here talked about it a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, when you are in the midst of a mechanical flaw it takes time to overcome it & make the correct motion automatic. There are basically 3 things that cause it. First, an injury. Second, extended time off like an off-season. Third, out of shape. Joba kind of fell into that third mold when his legs were not in shape to sustain his pitching motion consistenntly.
I believe Javy is rusty, or in other words the second type above. He needs time.
ray,
What’s up with your Sox?
As for the Lakers, I don’t know. I think they’ll prevail. But judging by the disparity of FTA in general, and Kobe specifically (0 attempts in GM 3), I’ll say that the league did not appreciate Phil’s methods.
New Post: Schilling says Vazquez won’t thrive in AL
Ray,
I’m hoping he’s just rusty as well and not hiding shoulder fatigue or soreness. In my experience when your shoulder hurts you drop your arm angle to alleviate the pressure….let’s hope that’s not why he’s doing it.
ray (sox fan) April 27th, 2010 at 10:53 am
If it weren’t for the great defense Toronto would have scored 20 runs.