Cano keeps the Yankees alone in first place
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Jul 31, 2010 
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For a while, it seemed Robinson Cano was the only Yankees hitter who could solve Matt Garza tonight, but his biggest hit came off all-star closer Rafael Soriano. Cano’s ninth-inning home run gave the Yankees a 5-4 win that kept them in the lead in the American League East. The Rays could have moved into a division tie. Mark Teixeira had tied the game with a two-run home run in the sixth, and Nick Swisher tied it again with a solo homer in the seventh.
Associated Press photo of Jeter and Teixeira
Robbie Cano, whatayano!!
Automatic Mo! The Mogician!
It’s nice to have HR hitters on the team,lol………
Really, a great win tonight esp. coming off of last night’s tough loss.
Too bad they have to rely on the struggling non Ace CC Sabathia to salvage a win against the unbeatable Rays. I can’t believe the Rays tied the Yanks for first now. Cashman needs to go get Josh Johnson and resign Matsui or he just needs to go!!!
Oh, what…
I’m not even going to venture into the game thread.
I gotta imagine things weren’t pretty circa the bottom of the 5th.
Any chance these teams don’t meet in the ALCS?
What is this thing Jeter has for touching the guys on the head? He’s got OCD where that’s concerned.
hopefully big Puma gets on the board with a hit or two tom… mmm…big Puma is a cool name.
Robertson has been fantastic……..and Boone Logan has been very good.
Mo? There are no more words in the English language to describe him – he’s ageless, yet he’s one for the ages.
Mission accomplished for this series.
Yet I’m greedy for more. I can’t help it with the big guy going tomorrow.
“hopefully big Puma gets on the board with a hit or two tom… mmm…big Puma is a cool name.”
Much better than the Fat Elvis nickname.
# Charlie July 31st, 2010 at 10:16 pm
Any chance these teams don’t meet in the ALCS?
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yeah, two teams stands in the way, Red Sox and Texas….
“Mission accomplished for this series.”
And the roadtrip.
But yeah, a step-on-their-neck win tomorrow would be fine gravy.
Good good win.
“What is this thing Jeter has for touching the guys on the head? He?s got OCD where that?s concerned.”
Mariano and Jorge have a touch of OCD too. Both go out and step on 2nd base after the last out of a win.
Stuckey,
It was pretty funny.
I’m at the game checking the thread occasionally and it’s the same crybabies declaring the game over in the 4th inning, want Arod benched, Berkman is already a bust, and Javy can’t pitch in big games.
Mensa candidates they ain’t! lol
Perhaps some of these children should have a little more confidence in the team with the best record in baseball.
They needed to win one game in this series and they did that.
They have CC going tomorrow.
Can’t ask for any better right now.
Cano is quickly becoming a top five player.
I think you mean White Sox and Texas…or maybe Twins and Texas…perhaps Detroit and Texas.. But not 3 teams from AL east.
“Cano is quickly becoming a top five player.”
Wrong tense.
i love robbie!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope Jorge wasn’t upset by not DHing tonight.
Well, I’m one of those who don’t have the highest confidence in Javy in big games……….everything else was silly.
I loved watching Garza’s reaction after he gave up the homerun to Swish. He is way way too cocky. When guys act the way that he does its’ fun watching when they get hit. Beckett is in that category also.
Cano is a hitting machine.
I wonder if Jeter would touch Beltre’s head.
Javy was very respectable. He’s become a solid 4-5
Zimmerman with a walk-off 3 run shot to center off of Lidge.
Berkman didn’t look excited when Robbie hit that HR.
Gardy was doing that double pointing thing in front of him in the dugout.
Would Jeter touch Manny Ramirez’ head?
Javy did a great job tonight keeping us in the ballgame. He bent, but did not break.
I’d bat Swish 2nd tmw.
Take some pressure off Berk.
Girardi and team looked like they were supposed to win. Last night Madden and Rays were elated to win.
I don’t like them.
javier did a solid job as well.
http://www.aolnews.com/nation/.....?icid=main|main|dl1|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fnation%2Farticle%2F3-inmates-escape-from-northwest-arizona-prison%2F19576221
Don’t go to New York. Go to Boston! GO TO BOSTON!
Cano is Don Mattingly circa 1985.
Unreal.
Wow – and I just heard on YES that if the Phils had won, they’d be within 2 1/2 of the Braves. What a devastating loss.
Javy pitched well tonight. He kept the team in the game.
The last time he pitched in Tampa in April, he got rocked.
People need to let 2004 go.
Javy has been the second best starter on the staff since Mid-May.
If they scored runs in his starts, he would have 4-5 more wins.
Zimmerman with a walk-off 3 run shot to center off of Lidge
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Oswalt is probably saying I’ve seen that before lol
Javy is pitching well and he is a back end starter what else can you expect ?
He did a good job keeping us in the game.
Did the Rays broadcast say why Pena was pulled?
One of the sources of my confidence in this team was/is the premise the Yanks had the internal makings of a decent bullpen, it was just going to be (and probably will every year given the team’s new philosophy) a while before the best 4, 5 arms behind Mo presented themselves.
When the postseason bell rings, I believe they’ll be fine with the raw material they have.
They’ve largely been pretty good for a little while now.
Berkman has played ONE game.
How ’bout they just leave him where he is through the next homestand and see how it goes.
Nobody can make an educated judgment on the guy after one game.
SJ, 2004 is way in the past for me; I don’t blame him for that and never have. In fact, I don’t have any angst whatsoever about 2004 – ok, the Sox won. Big deal – I got over that a LONG time ago.
I know Javy has been terrific since mid-May, but his stuff is just so-so. Yes, I realize that he’ll be matched against other teams #4 starter. Now that I think about it, perhaps my concern stems from the fact that AJ will be the #3 and he’s completely unreliable.
Joe from Long Island July 31st, 2010 at 10:12 pm
Oh, I definitely remember Tony Oliva. He was such a great hitter. He really was. Such a natural, beautiful swing. I hadn’t thought of him in a long time, but, yes, Robbie is similar in that regard. He was one of the first great hitters I can remember. That whole Minnesota team was a lumber company – Harmon Killebrew, Bobby Allison….
Jim Kaat broke in with them. Just a great, all-around team.
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That ’60s Twins teams could mash with any team in history. add Don Mincher, Jimmy Hall in center field, Zoilo Versalles, Bernie Allen, Oliva, Earl Battey and then Carew.
Cano makes less than third the salary Arod makes per year, and is the 11th highest paid player on the team. Gotta love the value…
Fans are going to try, though – poor Berkman. He’ll probably be booed his first game at home.
Pat,
He has been playing with a bad foot.
I’m guessing it acted up on him.
pat July 31st, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Did the Rays broadcast say why Pena was pulled?
======
Yankee broadcast did, sore foot
Berkman will be fine.
Problem with Swish in the 2, and Berkman in the 6, is as Joe noted, it brings up 3 lefties in a row, Robby, Berkman, Granderson.
Javy is pitching well and he is a back end starter what else can you expect ?
He did a good job keeping us in the game.
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pretty much, my expectation on him is not high. he won’t even start in the playoff, well most likely he wont.
SJ
How about canning the childcare/ hall monitor act?
Who’s more of a child? A teenager expressing his frustration of his favorite team in a public forum, or the middle-aged card collector posting on blogs to keep his baseball ego in check?
Stick to being informative.
Your biggest kid on the street act was tired in 2008.
(fully expecting a weak comeback from you in the am)
SJ44
Today being the trade deadline reminded me, I traded Chase Wright and Daric Barton for a Tony Sanchez auto rookie card.
pat July 31st, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Did the Rays broadcast say why Pena was pulled
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A sore foot, pat. I think that he fouled a pitch off of his foot last night.
I’d really be disappointed if he didn’t play tomorrow afternoon (cough, cough).
Berkman must feel a bit like the odd man out right now. He’s been part of one club for so long, now joining a team already bonded together.
Fondo Motz July 31st, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Problem with Swish in the 2, and Berkman in the 6, is as Joe noted, it brings up 3 lefties in a row, Robby, Berkman, Granderson.
=====
??? Berk is a SH and Posada will be batting 7th not Grandy. Berk belongs 6 and Swish 2 IMO.
Yankee Ray. My bad on Berk.
This game very much had a playoff atmosphere like feel to it. Or at least as close as a July 31 game can have.
These are by far the two best teams in baseball and whatever team is 3rd isn’t particularly close to these two. And both the Yanks and Rays know that and played that way.
And in that atmosphere after falling behind one yankee after another stepped up huge to win this game.
I was very pleased with the game Javy threw. On the road against the Rays after the Yankees lost last night. He gave up that early run but didn’t let the game get away when it easily could have. Just a very professional start. This is exactly why they were willing to trade Arodys Vizcaino to get Javy. To give the team chances to win games like tonight. He did his job.
And how about the yankees weak link – the bull pen. Logan was once again very good. Robertson was tremendous. He overpowered the Rays. They didn’t have many good swings off him at all. And of course Mo is Mo.
What can you say about Cano. He had an all star year last year. He was an elite 2b. An enormously valuable up the middle player. But he had that issue about hitting with RISP and people derided him as “unclutch.”
This year he’s simply taken his game to that next level where he’s a flat out elite player overall. Pujols, Mauer, Hanley Ramirez, Chase Utley – put Cano in that group because he belongs there.
It’s funny to think back to when Cano first got called up and Torre said he reminded him of Carew. It’s difficult to believe that Cano is in the middle of a season better than any Carew had in his career.
On a team with Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter – Robinson Cano is clearly the best player.
I believe in MLB, the term “reliable third or 4th starter” is an oxymoron.
Their ability to be good one start and bad the next is essentially what makes them a 3rd or 4th starter.
Thanks, Ray, SJ and GB.
“??? Berk is a SH and Posada will be batting 7th not Grandy. Berk belongs 6 and Swish 2 IMO.”
Berkman’s platoon split is so disparate this season that it’s obviously influencing Girardi’s thinking, at least until Long assesses where he’s at.
Ideally, I would like Berkman to bat 6th, but it’s early in the process.
I wouldn’t hit Berk 6th behind Robbie just yet.
Hit Po 6, Berk7 or 8 if you want to break up the lefties grandy and gardy
Vazquez pitched well. His command wasn’t as good as it sometimes, is, but he battled.
What a ballgame.
Javy pitched really well. He’s giving them quality each outing now and is really showing why they traded for him.
Logan got 2 big outs in the 7th and Robertson was pretty dominant in the 8th. Really good to see.
Cano is just out of his mind. It takes an incredible amount of talent to hit the pitch he did that far and not yank it foul….he has an amazing swing and some of the best wrists in baseball. He’s the Yankees best player now and thats really saying something.
Berkman will be fine. He looked a bit out of sorts tonight but thats to be expected.
Big win….guarantees leaving TB still in 1st place and the pitching matchup strongly favors NY tomorrow.
man 2 more months of regular season baseball. So much can happen. Will Alex go on a tear and get his 35 plus homeruns? Will Cano stay this hot and possibly win the batting title? Can Phil get 8 more wins to get 20 in his first full year as a starter?
The bull pen was great tonight and they didn’t use Joba, Wood, Marte who will all be available with Robertson, Mo, Logan in playoffs along with Mosley/Mitre and Hughes.
I’m so proud of Cano; Alex gave him some great advice in ST and he took it and ran with it.
I’d back Berkman 6th if Cervelli is catching, 7th if Posada is catching.
man 2 more months of regular season baseball. So much can happen. Will Alex go on a tear and get his 35 plus homeruns? Will Cano stay this hot and possibly win the batting title? Can Phil get 8 more wins to get 20 in his first full year as a starter?
=======================
Will the Yankees win #28?
You forgot that one.
I think that CC needs to give Matt Joyce a little chin music tomorrow. He was a little bit too animated on that HR tonight.
Logan has been a really pleasant surprise in Marte’s absence; I wonder what has changed for him?
Berkman just arrived in Tampa today and apparently (I did not see this on MLB) was sort of………….lost at the Trop. It’s completely understandable that he’d have a tough game – and it’s not like Garza isn’t a good pitcher.
good night everyone
Amazing that a year and a half ago, everybody wanted Cano traded off for anything breathing.
CB, i know H.Ramirez is uber talented, I still have problem in putting him in the same breath as Puhol and Utley in term of those guy has come through time and time again in the clutch.
Carlos Gonzalez for the Rockies hit a walk off homer that also completed the cycle.
good night , Luis.
Laura – I Bleed Blue July 31st, 2010 at 10:41 pm
I think that CC needs to give Matt Joyce a little chin music tomorrow. He was a little bit too animated on that HR tonight.
====
I agree Laura but he probably sits for a RH bat, Kapler?
# Betsy July 31st, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Logan has been a really pleasant surprise in Marte’s absence; I wonder what has changed for him?
=============================
He has stepped up his game because he realizes he is playing for the best franchise in sports history.
Garza sounds like a whiny boy, he didn’t have the Yankees beat. I’m hoping the next time he meets the Yankees they beat him like a drum.
Garza: “I had these guys beat and I gave it away.”
Gimme a break, get a clue.
Goose,
Its a baseball blog, not a shrinks office. If these children need help, its up to their parents to get it for them and not the Yankees LoHud Baseball Blog.
Calling games “over” in the third inning, declaring players “busts” after two AB’s, and whining like crybabies over a team that is nearly 30 games over .500 and has the best record in baseball is idiotic.
Guess what? When it goes on, folks are going to get called on it.
You don’t like it? Too bad because its not going to stop.
In case you haven’t noticed, we have eliminated 90% of the nonsense on here because of being on these folks cases so much and forcing registration on them.
Now its time to eliminate the other 10%.
Javy is Javy, He’s almost a mimic of Mike Mussina – a guy with great stuff who just doesn’t have that extra gear or killer instinct when the game is on the line – very few do. I think if Girardi continues to manage him with that understanding he can be a very effective pitcher down the stretch.
“Amazing that a year and a half ago, everybody wanted Cano traded off for anything breathing.”
The fan club was a small one.
I agree Laura but he probably sits for a RH bat, Kapler?
=====================================
Pitching is the key for Tampa.
How do you carry Kapler, he is finished.
There are other weak spots in their order and next year they will lose Crawford, Soriano and Pena.
# Jerkface July 31st, 2010 at 10:40 pm
I’d back Berkman 6th if Cervelli is catching, 7th if Posada is catching.
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i think either 2nd or 6th , Berkman will be fine. He is very patient hitter, his high OBP works in the two spot. question is how much bat speed he has left, that, remain to be seen. But even on appearance, he looks like a daunting slugger . we will have to wait and see how he does.
SJ44 I think fans should be able to voice their frustration on a pickup of a tired old veteran when it results in a spunky rookie with a much more lively bat getting sent down.
“Amazing that a year and a half ago, everybody wanted Cano traded off for anything breathing.”
Everybody? No, some people. I was not one of them. I’ve been a Robbie fan since Day 1 and I’m tickled pink that he’s doing so well.
Alex Rodriguez: “The way I’m swinging the bat right now, it’s probably going to be a while. Everyone, get comfortable.”
“Amazing that a year and a half ago, everybody wanted Cano traded off for anything breathing.”
I wouldn’t trade Joba now for similar reasons.
Can we declare posters “busts” after a few posts?
Oh please Jim, Lance Berkman is a better hitter than Colin Curtis. It has nothing to do with being “spunky” or “tired”.
Curtis doesn’t have a more lively bat than Berkman.
“I agree Laura but he probably sits for a RH bat, Kapler?”
Then CC should let one slip and hit him in the dugout. LOL!
Maddon sounding like Garza. I really can’t stand him.
LOL Did Alex really say that?
Betsy,
LOL, well said!
I really hope the Yankees realize what they have in Boone Logan and do not send him down when Aceves and Marte return.
These past two games very clearly exemplify why power hitting is so important when facing plus pitching.
When guys have good to great stuff it’s hard to string anything together. Your best chance to win is to hope for a mistake/ poor pitch and not miss it.
That’s what Swish and Tex did. They got their one pitch and didn’t miss.
Cano on the other hand is absurd because he crushed a ball that was a good pitch from one of the best closers in the game and hit it out.
The only other players who have played for the yankees over the past 25 years who could have hit that kind of pitch that far are probably Alex and Mattingly. Perhaps Bernie from his strong side.
To have a player who can drive well executed pitches from an all star caliber pitcher out of the park is a blessing.
Hey GB7 or any of your South Florida guys, what can you tell us about Melky Mesa.
Yeah, he’s a little old for High A, but he just put a nice cap (3 for 4, 2B, HR, BB, SB) on a very good two months.
I know he’s very toolsy (great speed, arm, power), but is it too late for him?
Who said Curtis has a more lively bat than Berkman? Wow – one game in and it starts. I see we have a new whipping boy here.
Ooops- the Alex quote is from a Ken Davidoff Tweet. Sorry.
KenDavidoff Alex Rodriguez: “The way I’m swinging the bat right now, it’s probably going to be a while. Everyone, get comfortable.”
Why don’t you just dismiss these posters as ignorant kids who don’t know better.
Why feed them, you aren’t educating them.
I thought Garza put a good perspective on what effect adding Berkman into that lineup has on an opposing pitcher.
When Jorge catches? You got nine problems to figure out and it could get ugly quick.
“Who said Curtis has a more lively bat than Berkman? Wow – one game in and it starts. I see we have a new whipping boy here.”
I was just looking for that myself. If somebody said that, it’s beyond goofy.
People bashing Berk already? Sheesh.
I like Swish batting 6th. I think he is good protection for Robbie, plus he is going to get a ton of chances to drive in runs with Tex, A-Rod, and Cano all hitting in front of him. I don’t think the lineup really matters all that much though. 7 out of the Yankees 9 starters would probably be batting 3 or 4 for most teams! This lineup is ridiculous!
They just showed that self-deprecating Alex quote on YES. I love self-deprecation.
SJ, the problem is I’d have to call myself one, too since I’ve had a few doozies in the past……… We should have the option of DFA’ing posters or at least reassigning them to the minor league blogs (like Sox or Met blogs)
Arod’s funny.
“The way I’m swinging the bat right now it might take a while so get comfortable”
GB,
I grew up near Orlando and saw all the Senators and then Twins in spring training. The names-Oliva, Versailles, lemon, Killebrew, Mincher. I saw Carew in class A. He could hit then too.
“LOL Did Alex really say that?”
Yeah, he did and he was laughing when he said it. He’s laughing about it now, but if it goes on much longer, it will really start to weigh on him.
Rich, so do I………….but then, I have a lot to be self-deprecating about
stuckey99 July 31st, 2010 at 10:30 pm
One of the sources of my confidence in this team was/is the premise the Yanks had the internal makings of a decent bullpen, it was just going to be (and probably will every year given the team’s new philosophy) a while before the best 4, 5 arms behind Mo presented themselves.
When the postseason bell rings, I believe they’ll be fine with the raw material they have.
They’ve largely been pretty good for a little while now.
—————————————————–
Yankee bullpen has pitched better than most fans recognize; they have the 4th lowest bullpen xFIP in the league.
Pitchers don’t give up runs; teams do. Various studies indicate pitchers have no more than 12-28% control over the fate of a batted ball. Joba is a good example – 10K/9 Innings (great), 3:1 K/BB ratio (excellent), 1.4 GB/FB ratio (very good). He deserves a mid-3 ERA (xFIP = 3.36); bad luck has elevated his ERA to 5.60.
CB,
very true. Swisher’s homer was on a great adjustment. He had been called out on that high curveball earlier in the game (a pitch that looked up to me), but then later in the game he got it again and crushed it.
You’re right, that was a good pitch to Cano. Nothing Soriano can do about it, there aren’t many guys in baseball that could do what Cano did to that pitch and keep it fair.
“Amazing that a year and a half ago, everybody wanted Cano traded off for anything breathing.”
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who is ‘Everybody’? I heard about Kamp for Cano LY, which Dodger wont do at the time. Cano is a vastly improved player offensively which I am glad. It doesn’t mean the naysayer did not have a point at the time about his poor RISP and various other ‘big’ game performance.
Betsy
Who doesn’t?
Pop up Ground out Strike out lol
This lineup is ridiculous!
__________
Its just frustrating at time to see them not string a few hits together.
Laura, the fact that he has a sense of humor about it is the best news. I’m not worried- he knows he’s going to hit another HR at some point. It’s definitely going to happen, so he shouldn’t press. Still, I can understand why he would……..but again, the best news is that he’s so relaxed. I’ve always liked Alex, but this version is cool.
Colin “.256 .319 .395 .714″ Curtis and his spunky bat.
People don’t have the patience at times with players like Cano. He had to get out of this world for people to finally give him respect. People don’t get he was maturing and improving his game.
Not you Rich…………..
SJ44, the point is that Curtis contributed some significant ABs to the Yankees success this year. If you were perceptive you’d understand the criticism of Berkman for what it was – frustration over sending down popular player who made his mark in some very limited opportunities – not to mention him being one of the best feel good stories in the ML this year.
Alex said: “Well, you see [the at bats]. Popup. Groundout. Strikeout. Popup. Groundout. It’s ugly.”
Betsy-
Have you purchased the Puma costume yet?
That was the most entertaining interview I’ve seen in a while.
Imagine Jeter doing that. Even the thought of something that obviously would never happen is pretty funny.
Betsy
It’s part of my charm.
Big big win for the Yankees tonight, and an awesome game to watch as a fan.
Colin Curtis will be a solid player on the Yanks but it was the right move sending him down and letting him play everyday down at SWB and keep improving. He will be back up when rosters expand. Thames is valuable because he crushes leftys and has good power off the bench. Curtis is still under team control so sending him down means nothing. He got a good taste of the majors and had some success. He will have a great shot breaking camp with them next year as a bench player/4th outfielder.
Nice win tonight. Soriano and the Rays celebrated a little too exuberantly last night IMO. payback is a …
The best way to describe Melky Mesa is that he’s very much a Curtis Granderson type of player from the right side. an outstanding center fielder.
Curtis hit everything hard. Even when he missed that bat whipped through the zone. There’s no slumping on bat speed. Fat Elvis’ bat looked pretty slow tonight. Hopefully it was just jet lag. But I’m thinking he might be used to the Chan Ho Park pitching he was used to facing in the NL.
Swish has taken Damon’s position as the go-to guy for interviews after games.
He loves to talk like Johnny.
Difference between the Alex of 2006 who would let it get to him and now is he’s got guys around him willing to pick up the slack instead of pointing fingers.
“Its just frustrating at time to see them not string a few hits together.”
But that’s what good pitching does. It makes it very hard to string hits together.
That’s why you have to wait, hope for mistakes and execute.
That’s who the Rays won yesterday. That’s how the Yanks won tonight, except for Cano’s shot which was sheer brilliance rather than taking advantage of a mistake.
Garza was great tonight. He has great stuff. But he made a couple of mistakes and the Yanks made him pay.
Garza’s game tonight was similar to what Hughes did yesterday, though Garza wasn’t quite as good as Hughes was.
SJ44
while i agree with you about some of the overreactions ppl have on this blog. Yours truly prolly has done it here and there. You seem to be consumed by the notion that we need view the game in an objective and stoic fashion. Just enjoy the game dude, if ppl want to bitch occasionally out of frustration, your constant harping on them just makes even more redundant and annoying.
Jim
You aren’t serious about keeping Curtis here over Berkman, are you?
Cashmoney July 31st, 2010 at 10:53 pm
“Amazing that a year and a half ago, everybody wanted Cano traded off for anything breathing.”
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who is ‘Everybody’? I heard about Kamp for Cano LY, which Dodger wont do at the time. Cano is a vastly improved player offensively which I am glad. It doesn’t mean the naysayer did not have a point at the time about his poor RISP and various other ‘big’ game performance.
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The Dodgers would have traded “Kamp” in a heartbeat for Cano. The problem was that they didn’t have a player named “Kamp”.
I like Curtis – I think he’s got a good shot to be the 4th OF last year and I’m sure he impressed the Yankees – but he’s not Berkman.
CB, good points about the HR. 5 o’Clock lightning, right? Plus, Yankee HR hitters are not Deer-type sluggers – they’re actually good hitters.
Robbie Cano has been my favorite player since his first year. I think most people were so hard on him because you could just see how insanely talented he is. He definitely underperformed in 2008. I think another thing people didn’t like is that he just made everything look too easy lol. You see a guy like Pedroia diving around on everything and Cano makes those plays with a flick of the wrist. When he’s not going well I think people perceive that as laziness when in truth he is one of the hardest workers on the team and one of the most talented players in the game. He’s a pleasure to watch. Always loved him and bought his 24 jersey in 2008 which I still sport. As a kid I played 2nd base and wore 24 (for Griffey) before I switched to center field in high school and legion ball.
I know the prevailing zeitgeist has Cano as the MVP but the truth is that the Yankees are in 3rd place right now without Swisher.
I heard that Wood was having trouble getting a flight from Toronto to Tampa. With Park being designated, they’re down a pitcher.
And on that note, I’m done for the night. Tomorrow, all.
BloggingBombers Kerry Wood will be in uniform for the Yankees on Sunday. He will wear No. 39.
Tyler, darn – the store went out of business today,lol. I’m very creative, however. 2 years ago I dressed up as Jaws for Halloween ( at my office) and even went so far as to create a raft with a bloody shark bite (from that scene where the brat got what he deserved, lol). So, creating a puma outfit will be easy pickings compared to that. YOU try sitting with a dorsal fin on your back – I had to sit up straight so I wouldn’t crush it!
Rich, lucky you – I went to charm school and flunked.
know the prevailing zeitgeist has Cano as the MVP but the truth is that the Yankees are in 3rd place right now without Swisher.
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maybe 2nd, not 3rd.
“Pitchers don’t give up runs; teams do. Various studies indicate pitchers have no more than 12-28% control over the fate of a batted ball. Joba is a good example – 10K/9 Innings (great), 3:1 K/BB ratio (excellent), 1.4 GB/FB ratio (very good). He deserves a mid-3 ERA (xFIP = 3.36); bad luck has elevated his ERA to 5.60.”
Joba has a mid 5 ERA because he gives up rockets when he’s bad. Has nothing to do with the team. Has everything to do with Joba getting hit hard.
Swisher has been huge for this team. I loved the fact he wanted to improve.
Have people noticed that as good a hitting team as Tampa is that they haven’t strung many hits together in this series, either? These two teams are as evenly matched as any two teams in baseball. The only way that either team pulls away from the other is a catastrophic injury to a key player. The Yankees may be able to withstand an injury like that. Tampa probably can’t.
Jim-
I agree that Swisher has been a big part but the Yanks are also in 3rd if they had a different 2nd baseman than Cano. If they had any other 2nd baseman in the league in fact they would be in 3rd place. He’s so far above any 2nd baseman in the game right now it’s ridiculous. It will be interesting to see how Utley comes back from his injury because Cano right now might be even better than Utley at his best…
@GB7, Kemp, my mistake. The point still stands though.
“I know the prevailing zeitgeist has Cano as the MVP but the truth is that the Yankees are in 3rd place right now without Swisher.”
I think Cabrera is the MVP as of now, but I’m not sure how complimenting Cano should be taken as a overlooking Swish’s production.
Betsy-
Sounds pretty cool haha.
Mick, no, my point was that those who are criticizing Berkman tonight might be a little sore about having to let go of a kid they latched onto emotionally. I’ve always loved the way Berkman approached ABs in the past, and I’m hoping he can give the Yanks some Wade Boggs veteran ABs come October, I’m just hoping he hasn’t gone south as quickly as his idol Mattingly did, but his bat did look awfully slow tonight.
“ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets the Red Sox finished second in the Kerry Wood race, ditto the Rays and Lance Berkman, both of whom ended up with their biggest rival.”
The Dodgers would have traded “Kamp” in a heartbeat for Cano. The problem was that they didn’t have a player named “Kamp”.
–
No need to joke around the guys point. Kemp for Cano would have been a decent move, even if Cano improved in the same fashion. CF is becoming less of an offensive force, and there are more solid 2Bs to be had than centerfielders.
Its why Grandersons season isn’t terrible, because while he isn’t living up to his expectations, he is defending solid and is around position average with the bat.
CB July 31st, 2010 at 10:35 pm
It’s funny to think back to when Cano first got called up and Torre said he reminded him of Carew. It’s difficult to believe that Cano is in the middle of a season better than any Carew had in his career.
——————————————————————–
I love Robby; I made money last year by betting he would have a better season than the then-reigning MVY, Pedroia.
However, don’t overlook Carew’s 1977 season when he hit .388 and led the league in OPS at 1.019, 5% better than Jim Rice at #2.
Robby is currently 7th in the league in OPS.
“know the prevailing zeitgeist has Cano as the MVP but the truth is that the Yankees are in 3rd place right now without Swisher.”
Swish has had his moments but the same could be said for 5 or 6 guys. The sum of its parts is what has made the team successful.
Betsay
“Rich, lucky you – I went to charm school and flunked.”
More self-deprecation!
Just spent the last 10 minutes catching up on the Lohud conversation of the day-
Obviously tonight was a really big win.
I have also decided I kind of love Berkman. Lets see how he hits tomorrow when the jetlag wears off a little
Tyler, do you remember Kevin McReynolds? He was on the Mets in the 80′s. He had the VERY SAME problem Cano had – people got on his case because he made things look too easy. Such is the curse of supremely talented players…….The same way geniuses reduce the complex to the simple, that’s what great players do. Perhaps that’s why great players usually don’t make good coachs; it’s hard for them to explain things because things always came so easy for them.
Rich-
The Tigers are really struggling. I know he could win the Triple Crown as of now but if they miss the playoffs it will be an interesting vote. I hope Cano gets it obviously
At least you can type, B-E-T-S-Y (unlike me)
Rich, that’s part of MY charm………….
Will my Ca-Yes catch on?
Tyler
I’m with you.
In Houston, there was a Little Puma group.
I think that should be brought to Yankee Stadium
Betsy
Well played.
igotid88 July 31st, 2010 at 11:06 pm
Will my Ca-Yes catch on?
**********
My Can-do certainly didn’t
AROD’s interview was funny
Rich, my real name is a lot longer, but I can’t spell it so I use this nickname…………..(just kidding, lol)
GreenBeret7 July 31st, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Have people noticed that as good a hitting team as Tampa is that they haven’t strung many hits together in this series, either?
=======================
I think their hitting is overrated. Upton is lost, Bartlett not much better. Joyce and Jaso are newbies.
This team centers around Longoria, Pena and Crawford.
No team hits with us, the Phillies are the closest.
“ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets the Red Sox finished second in the Kerry Wood race, ditto the Rays and Lance Berkman, both of whom ended up with their biggest rival.”
_________________
This is just a stupid statement. Think about it. You either get the guy or you don’t, there is no second place.
LOL Betsay? Rich, you and only you may call me that………….
Betsy-
I’m only going to be a junior in college lol and was born in 1990 so no haha. But my dad was a huge Met fan (He’s from New York, born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens) so I’m sure I could ask him for stories. We actually won our old big screen TV on a bet on the 1986 World Series when my dad lived in Vegas. He gave me the option of being a Mets or Yanks fan and quickly steered me away from the Cardinals whom he hated from the Mets “Pond Scum” days. He lost touch with the Mets and really wasn’t too enamored with the new Mets built by Minaya so he’s turned into a big Yanks fan with me. My mom is a big Chicago White Sox fan so me, mom, dad, my bro and sis always used to go up to Chi Town for that series. My earliest baseball memories. I just loved Bernie Williams especially after playing center field in high school and in college so far.
I think Josh Hamilton is going to have a voice in the MVP race.
btw- I am going to the game Tuesday night
I think A-Rod is waiting for me to be there
Jerkface July 31st, 2010 at 11:05 pm
The Dodgers would have traded “Kamp” in a heartbeat for Cano. The problem was that they didn’t have a player named “Kamp”.
–
No need to joke around the guys point. Kemp for Cano would have been a decent move, even if Cano improved in the same fashion. CF is becoming less of an offensive force, and there are more solid 2Bs to be had than centerfielders.
Its why Grandersons season isn’t terrible, because while he isn’t living up to his expectations, he is defending solid and is around position average with the bat.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Cano has passed Kemp by. he’s got him in everything except steals and those steals aren’t helping much when he gets thrown out as much as he’s safe. Kemp’s defense has deteriorated, he strikes out a ton and he’s ballooned up nicely.
Tyler, it was – but my favorite costume was when I dressed up as Paralegal Smurf. I loved that one…………My most memorable was when I dressed as Theodore Roosevelt and everyone thought I was Charlie Chaplin. Actually, I dressed as Giambi one year……..and not because he was my fave player; I just couldn’t find another player’s jersey in my size.
Erica in NY July 31st, 2010 at 11:06 pm
In Houston, there was a Little Puma group.
I think that should be brought to Yankee Stadium
————————————
Erica I’ve already been on it. Betsy has been assigned head position of the club.
tampayank July 31st, 2010 at 11:07 pm
AROD’s interview was funny
——————-
not too long ago that interview would’ve been picked apart.
GB-
But Rihanna would be at YS if they traded Cano for Kemp. Enough about baseball haha.
Erica
No way. Not after you said you’d charge him $100,000 if he wanted the ball back.
Tyler-
I haven’t made any committments but I am thinking of having a pretend fling with Lance Berkman
# Erica in NY July 31st, 2010 at 11:10 pm
btw- I am going to the game Tuesday night
I think A-Rod is waiting for me to be there
================
i’m going Wednesday. Hopefully Hughes is still scheduled for then. And Alex will hit my way.
pat July 31st, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Erica
No way. Not after you said you’d charge him $100,000 if he wanted the ball back.
***************
LOL… He can afford it! I don’t like that attitude. The price just went up to $150K
Tyler, oops……….yep, it would be kind of hard for you to remember him. The Mets and Cards had a great rivalry in those days……..Well, your dad is a smart guy for steering you away from the Mets and your mom is smart not to be a Cubs fan!
Anyone see out old buddy Melky Cabrera’s throw from centerfield this afternoon.
Let’s just say he turned a double into a inside-the-park HR, with a throw.
BloggingBombers Berkman: “It was definitely a playoff-type atmosphere. … Pretty dang close. Coming from where I?ve been, it was very intense.”
BloggingBombers Berkman: “They were in first place before I got here and they can win the division without me. I?m going to do whatever I can to help.”
The She-Pumas,lol. Erica may dress up as well…..
Erica, the real thing is much better……..
Betsy July 31st, 2010 at 11:15 pm
The She-Pumas,lol. Erica may dress up as well…..
**********
What is the outfit?
Its funny. For months we’ve been hearing about how the Yankees bullpen is the biggest achilles heel on this team, how it needed to be upgraded, how roles needed to be adjusted, etc.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that by the time September rolls around, the bullpen will be seen as a big time strength, an asset and not a deterrent in the hunt for 28.
Robertson is throwing the ball phenominally and really looks to have 100 percent confidence in attacking the strike zone. Logan is emerging into a force against lefthanders who has the oomph to get right handers out. Mo is going to be Mo.
The wild cards, of course, are Joba and Wood. My gut is that Joba sees how far his role could potentially diminish and start throwing the ball with some authority, eventually regaining that role. Now I need to see at least 8-10 innings of consistency before I get too excited, because he’s fooled all of us before. But his last two outings certainly have been sharp.
And Wood? THe stuff is still as good as it was when he was an elite reliever a couple of years back. All it might take is a few adjustments and some confidence for him to get on a roll and be a force.
Can you imagine a playoff bullpen of good Joba and Wood coupled with Logan, Robertson, one of the five starters, and Rivera? Could be deadly in any scenario.
“# pat July 31st, 2010 at 11:15 pm
BloggingBombers Berkman: “It was definitely a playoff-type atmosphere. … Pretty dang close. Coming from where I?ve been, it was very intense.”
BloggingBombers Berkman: “They were in first place before I got here and they can win the division without me. I?m going to do whatever I can to help.”
”
It was loud in there, sound has nowhere to go in that dome
Tyler July 31st, 2010 at 11:12 pm
GB-
But Rihanna would be at YS if they traded Cano for Kemp. Enough about baseball haha.
———————————————————————————————————————-
she doesn’t do a thing for me. I’d much rather see Cano make beautiful music with his bat and glove.
Aww, I love Sir Lancelot………
He’s been playing in a dead atmosphere for years – and now to go to this? It’s like going from the black & white of Kansas to the color of Oz.
Erica in NY July 31st, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Betsy July 31st, 2010 at 11:15 pm
The She-Pumas,lol. Erica may dress up as well…..
**********
What is the outfit?
———————————————————————————————————————-
The ladies finally have their own “cougar”.
Expectations are everything. Every year Cano is expected to hit .330. That happens when you hit .342 in your sophmore year. Anything less than an MVP-type year is an underachievement for Cano at this point, he’s doing what’s expected. Swish on the other hand is overachieving – and other than Gardner no one else on the Yankees can lay that claim. Jeter, Teix, Arod, Posada, Granderson, AJ, Joba are all having subpar years when last year all were carrying their weight (sub out Melky for Grandy). As a result the final stretch might not be a cake-walk like last year.
“What is the outfit?”
Can we have a blog vote?
Betsy-
He didn’t really steer me away from the Mets lol. Actually the first thing he ever got me was a Mets hat. I pretty much chose the Yanks on my own and then he slowly converted from a Mets fan to kind of be on my side lol. My grandpa knew all the old-school White Sox players personally. He owned this pharmacy in downtown Chicago they all used to go to. He was really good friends with Luis (sp?) Aparacio and all of them. He went on the fantasty cruises and fantasy camps with them and was really involved. He absolutly hated the Cubs. In fact, my mom lived in Chicago for like the first 25 years of her life and didn’t even go to Wrigley Field till she was in college because my grandpa wouldn’t let her. Die hard Sox fans. They probably are my 2nd favorite team except I really didn’t get a very good impression of their fans who were pretty rude when we would always go and I’m not an Ozzie Guillen or Kenny Williams or Hawk Harrelson fan at all lol.
Just dress up like a big cat, Erica…….
Cano has passed Kemp by. he’s got him in everything except steals and those steals aren’t helping much when he gets thrown out as much as he’s safe. Kemp’s defense has deteriorated, he strikes out a ton and he’s ballooned up nicely.
======================================
agree,
however, if we rewind the clock to a year and half ago, Yankees would be the one who would have been to incline to trade Cano for Kemp as oppose the other way around. Which leads to point that at the time, The Naysayers had a legitimate gripe about Cano’s inability to hit in RISP and his occasionally lackadaisical defensive efforts.
GreenBeret7 July 31st, 2010 at 10:42 pm
Amazing that a year and a half ago, everybody wanted Cano traded off for anything breathing
——————————————————————
Hopefully those same fans will learn some patience from the Cano example and think twice before calling for the Yankees to trade Joba…especially when he’s pitched so much better than most fans seem to appreciate.
GB-
Actually I was just joking. I don’t think Rihanna is very attractive at all either. Cano has been my favorite player since his rookie year. I almost bought his #22 jersey in ’06 with one of my paychecks from Subway but held off until ’08 when I got his #24 as that’s my favorite number. The guys swing is unreal. He is a pure linedriver hitter but it’s amazing the power he can also get from that approach. He’s a gap to gap power hitter which has to be pretty rare. I can’t go back very far into history as I haven’t seen alot of the greats play but his swing is as pretty as I’ve seen in my time watching baseball. Kemp is a talented guy but has nothing near the work ethic and the ability of Cano. All of that and he is a 2nd baseman who plays gold glove D. Unbelievable.
I still wouldn’t have traded Cano for Kemp in 2008. It was an off year that was all but 2 MLB 2nd basemen would have killed for.
Berkman offers options
Big Puma
http://www.frankbeecostume.com/puma.html
Wow, that’s cool Tyler………..
My dad is a puzzle. The man grew up in Brooklyn as a Giants fan (at age 8, he ran onto the field and stole the cap off of Ernie Lombardo’s head – he was painfully slow, apparently, even for a catcher; dad got in trouble for that, lol) and presumably hated the Dodgers. Now he’s 70 something and doesn’t understand why I hate the Mets with a passion (instead of just ignoring them). How he could grow up in that environment and not understand…….well, I guess he’s probably got a bit more balance in his life than I do and realizes it’s just a sport. Still…….it’s fun to hate other teams, lol
Jim July 31st, 2010 at 11:19 pm
Expectations are everything. Every year Cano is expected to hit .330. That happens when you hit .342 in your sophmore year. Anything less than an MVP-type year is an underachievement for Cano at this point, he’s doing what’s expected. Swish on the other hand is overachieving – and other than Gardner no one else on the Yankees can lay that claim. Jeter, Teix, Arod, Posada, Granderson, AJ, Joba are all having subpar years when last year all were carrying their weight (sub out Melky for Grandy). As a result the final stretch might not be a cake-walk like last year.
—————————-
I love Cano but I don’t think anybody expected him to hit .330 this year. The potential and talent was there but nobody expected this type of season. They might expect it from now on though that’s for sure.
or Fat Elvis
http://www.frankbeecostume.com/elprwig.html
Pat, that’s pretty funny………maybe I’ll just go to a game in Puma sneakers. Is his nickname also “Fat Elvis”? I keep seeing that……….weird.
LOL Pat………
Betsy-
Ya i hear you. I usually don’t get too upset of yanks losses. i mean i consider myself to big a pretty big fan but maybe because i have so much schoolwork and my own games to worry about i just don’t let it consume me lol. im grateful im a yanks fan though. my grandpa never actually got to see the sox win it all. he passed away before they won it in ’05. went 70 + years without winning a chamiponship. The Yanks have already won it 5 in my lifetime though I don’t really remember 1996 that well.
“However, don’t overlook Carew’s 1977 season when he hit .388 and led the league in OPS at 1.019, 5% better than Jim Rice at #2.”
Highlander59-
You know – when I think of Carew and 1977 of course what comes to mind is his run at hitting .400 and his crazy OBP.
I’ve looked at his baseball reference page dozens of times but I don’t think I ever actually realized how high his slugging percentage was that year.
Very impressive for him to have a .570 slugging % while only hitting 14 home runs. Surprised to see that. Very tough to do. 16 triples. That’s insane.
Thanks for the correction and pointing that out. A 1.000 OPS season in 1977 is more impressive than it is in 2010 and that will show up in their respective OPS +.
So I’ll amend what I said – still hard to believe Cano having a season almost as good as Carew at his best!
Betsy July 31st, 2010 at 11:20 pm
Just dress up like a big cat, Erica…….
*********
Yeah… I am not seeing myself ina full blown cat costume. And certainly not Fat Elvis. LOL
Can I just wear cat ears??? LOL
Scratch that. all but 3 2nd basemen.
Jeter
Berkman
Tex
Arod
Cano
Swish
Grandy
Posada
Gardner
that is an intimidating lineup.
GreenBeret7 July 31st, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Scratch that. all but 3 2nd basemen.
————————–
Utley, Pedroia, Kinsler?
carew was the best that i ever saw at stealing home on straight steals. 17 in his career and 7 in one year.
Hard to believe but Gehrig stole home 10 times in his career and Ruth 9 times.
Kinsler’s power has toatally disappeared.
The ladies are dressing up like cats?
Meow!
Tyler, I’m sorry that your grandpa didn’t get to see the Sox 2005 championship………
1996 was cool because I remember thinking before then that I would never see the Yankees win a WS in my lifetime……..I was at a friend’s house when they won; I said a quick goodbye and beat a hasty retreat to my house so I could celebrate.
Because it’s you, Erica…………I’ll give you permission.
Betsy July 31st, 2010 at 11:35 pm
Because it’s you, Erica…………I’ll give you permission.
********
Thanks Betsy!
Tyler
Sorry to hear about your grandpa
The only thing I remember about 1996 is a Derek Jeter Mastercard commercial where he is on a date with some girl and saying the price of everything through the night and then the last thing was watching highlights of the 96 Series: Priceless
CR-
Thanks. It’s been like 14 years now so I only wish that I knew him better and that he could attend some of my college games. Great sports man and great man.
Broxton blew the game for the Dodgers tonight. He gave up a 2 run homer to Burrell. He really hasn’t been the same ever since Torre abused him against the Yanks. He has given up 11 runs in his last 10 innings pitched. Torre is a moron, he wanted to beat the Yanks so bad that he did something that hurt him after the series.
I hope not trading Jesus Montero works out like not trading Cano did.
Alright I’m out to bar crawl in downtown St. Louis. See everybody tom. to go up 3 games!
Erica,
I saw that you are going to the game Tuesday night. I said earlier this week that ARod would wait to get back to NY to hit 600 so Tuesday might be the night.
I went to the steakhouse tonight where Paulie Castellano got whacked.
I am putting out a hit on the Rays tomorrow and I can’t think of a better guy to turn to than CC to get the job done
raymagnetic July 31st, 2010 at 11:02 pm
“Pitchers don’t give up runs; teams do. Various studies indicate pitchers have no more than 12-28% control over the fate of a batted ball. Joba is a good example – 10K/9 Innings (great), 3:1 K/BB ratio (excellent), 1.4 GB/FB ratio (very good). He deserves a mid-3 ERA (xFIP = 3.36); bad luck has elevated his ERA to 5.60.”
Joba has a mid 5 ERA because he gives up rockets when he’s bad. Has nothing to do with the team. Has everything to do with Joba getting hit hard.
——————————————————————-
Joba’s BAbip is .372 in spite of a league average 20% LD rate.
Do you really think hits are entirely the responsibility of only one out of 9 guys on the field? Do you dismiss the data showing that over time all pitchers – journeyman thru HOF – will have a .290 – .310 BAbip and deviations from this narrow range are almost entirely luck-related?
Bad luck runs happen; a pitcher can give up a higher percentage of hits in the short run than he “deserves”.
The AFC has lost 14 consecutive Superbowl coin tosses. Is the AFC doing a bad job calling the coin toss?
Data says Joba gives up line drives no more frequently than Andy Pettitte or Phil Hughes; his GB/FB ratio is better than either.
We all know that baseball is a “game of inches” but we somehow ignore the implications of this knowledge telling ourselves that the breaks even out in the long run. The long run for a pitcher turns out to be 400 innings or more.
Joba cannot control the groudball that is just out of reach of a fielder, the balls that falls a few inches fair rather than foul, or the bloop that falls into “no man’s land”. When these things happen at a higher than expected rate, and when followed by a line drive that scores runs, we attribute all of the negative impact to the line drive and tend to “over-remember” the line drive.
Jobs’a data suggests this is happening to him.
A pitchers job is to prevent the batter from making contact; Joba’s K/9 shows he does that very well. If a pitcher can’t avoid contact, his next goal is too keep the batter from making solid contact; Joba’s line drive rate shows he is average at this. If he has to allow contact, the pitchers next job is to keep the ball on the ground; Joba’s GB/FB rate shows that he is very good at this. The worst thing a pitcher can do is allow baserunners without giving his team a chance to make a play; Joba’s excellent k/BB rate shows he does a good job in this area.
There is nothing else a pitcher can control. Actually, he may have some control on his HR rate although even that is mostly a function of a pitcher’s FB rate. Whatever the case, Joba has a low HR rate.
Luck is huge in baseball and leads fans to both overestimate and underestimate talent when we confuse the results of luck (good or bad) with performance. This is amplified for pitchers when we attribute team outcomes to pitcher performance.
Twitterversy! Bob Klapisch tweeted this erroneously
@BobKlap: Lol. I don’t know how Levine gets any work done, all he does is leak info to reporters all day.
then deleted it. Cash knows who the mole is!!
Tweetroversy! Bob Klapisch accidentally tweeted this then deleted it.
BobKlap: Lol. I don’t know how Levine gets any work done, all he does is leak info to reporters all day.
I went to the steakhouse tonight where Paulie Castellano got whacked.
—————————————————————————————-
Best surf n turf I’ve ever had. Couldn’t even finish the lobster. That’s never happened before.
SAS July 31st, 2010 at 11:52 pm
Erica,
I saw that you are going to the game Tuesday night. I said earlier this week that ARod would wait to get back to NY to hit 600 so Tuesday might be the night.
************
I hope so. That would be cool!
Highlander, outstanding post. Very insightful.
Would love to see you post here a bit more frequently.
Jerkface August 1st, 2010 at 12:03 am
Tweetroversy! Bob Klapisch accidentally tweeted this then deleted it.
BobKlap: Lol. I don’t know how Levine gets any work done, all he does is leak info to reporters all day.
************
Conspiracy alert:
Maybe Levine is Lost!
Good night Yankee people!
Great win tonight. What can you say about Cano, other than MVP.
Javy did a nice job tonight, and with a little luck it would have been 2 in a row.
CC has to keep the line moving so we can leave tomorrow as we came in, 2 in front.
This is the time in a season Yankees teams start to separate themselves from the rest of the division.
Good night you’al
BIG AL,
No matter what happens tomorrow, they will not leave Tampa up 2 games.
Like ESPN LA “accidentally” posting/deleting that story on LeBron’s Vegas party. Lot of that going around.
Bronx,
lol. The portions were quite large. Cool place. Very oldschool.
CB – Very classy response. I mean that sincerely.
I also remembered Carew’s run at .400 and your earlier comment inspired me to look up his numbers for that season. I was as surprised as you to see the high slugging percentage.
Do you remember that Carew stole home 17 times in his career, including 7 times in 1969? Wow.
“I went to the steakhouse tonight where Paulie Castellano got whacked.”
Sparks?
G-C August 1st, 2010 at 12:06 am
Highlander, outstanding post. Very insightful.
Would love to see you post here a bit more frequently.
———————————-
Thanks. I’ve posted sporadically on the “Dem Yanks” thread on SawxHeads as well as a few of the sabermetric boards. I’ve lurked a bit here over the years but never really looked into the game threads.
This board seems relatively courteous and not overly populated by chicken little fans. I’ll probably spend a bit more time here.
Highlander59
Nice post. The only question I would have is why 400 innings. I usually think of things evening out over the course of a season.
“”
We all know that baseball is a “game of inches” but we somehow ignore the implications of this knowledge telling ourselves that the breaks even out in the long run. The long run for a pitcher turns out to be 400 innings or more.
I’m not buying that Joba’s problems have mostly been about luck.
As SG at RLYW has pointed out, the ability to keep BABIP low is a skill, and right now, Joba doesn’t seem to have it.
“I’m not buying that Joba’s problems have mostly been about luck.”
Highlander posted a very good argument.
What are you buying? BABIP is a skill that Joba lacks? I have to admit that is a new one for me. I have heard Head case, out of shape, Stubborn, party animal, bad mom, bad Joba, bad slider, etc. but lacking in BABIP skills is a new one.
For a completely unscientific/sabrematic argument, I think to some degree Chamberlain hit rock bottom.
I’m not expecting perfection, but I am expecting a upturn to a serviceable reliever.
Read SG’s commentary here:
http://www.rlyw.net/index.php/....._joba_sits
As for head case, I always thought it was bs.
Thanks for the link.
I will admit I had to read the post three times. I am not going to say it’s all greek, but a decent portion is. I think he’s trying to say Joba has sucked this year, and it’s his own fault.
But then he writes this.
“We do have the whole small sample size thing here. It’s possible that Joba’s having his version of Robinson Cano’s 2008, a year we’ll look back on in twenty years and laugh about. But I don’t think that’s what’s happening here.”
So what is the reason for Robinson’s Cano 2008 year? Is he talking about bad luck, but doesn’t thinnk that’s what is happening here? Not very convincing.
I still like Highlanders post better. But like I said thanks for the link.
With regard to Cano, I think SG is just overdrawing the point by citing an extreme example of an outlier season.
As for the larger point, there has been some discussion lately that has tried to argue that Joba has largely been the victim of bad luck.
I think SG tried to drill down a little bit to show that as bad as Joba has been, with a pretty good defensive team behind him, it doesn’t add up that luck is the most causative factor in his performance.
That’s fine.
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