Postgame notes: “He doesn’t seem fazed by too much”
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes, Podcast on Aug 09, 2010 
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Dustin Moseley was told Saturday night to begin preparing himself to start. It wasn’t a sure thing, but he was almost certainly going to be starting in place of A.J. Burnett.
Moseley read through scouting reports Saturday night, did the same on Sunday morning and showed up at Yankee Stadium earlier than usual to watch video.
“He doesn’t seem to be fazed by too much,” Derek Jeter said. “He has the same personality every day that he comes in. He starts a game or comes out of the bullpen. Gives up the run or strikes a guy out. He’s got the same demeanor, and I think that’s why he’s been able to be successful.”
Let there be no doubt, Moseley was prepared. He retired the first seven batters he faced, including a nifty play of his own for the first out of the game. He seemed legitimately humbled by his standing ovation.
“You felt the energy as soon as you walked out there,” Moseley said. “Even in the bullpen you could feel the energy that was going throughout the crowd with everything. You definitely felt it. I tried my best to keep my composure with everything and just make my pitches.”
I’m from the rural midwest, so I know what Moseley’s talking about when he says there aren’t a lot of people back at his home in Arkansas who get to watch him on television. There’s a reason the Braves, Cubs and Cardinals are so popular in the middle of the country. They’re the only teams on TV.
“It was good knowing it was going to be on ESPN,” Moseley said. “I think my wife sent a mass text to everybody that we knew. I came back to my locker and had like 40 texts, and that’s not normal for me.”
Most of my Moseley audio is broken into different audio files, so here’s Joe Girardi’s postgame.
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• Jeter on passing Babe Ruth on the total hits list: “It means a lot to this organization. It means a lot in baseball, but especially to this organization. Any time you get a chance to pass Babe Ruth, it’s pretty special.”
• Girardi on Moseley’s play for the first out: “I’m not sure we have another pitcher that makes that play. Mo might. A.J. might. But he just kind of set the tone early.” It certainly did start a night full of some very nice plays by the Yankees, including big catches by Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner.
• Alex Rodriguez was pulled in the ninth inning. “He had some stiffness and that was to be expected,” Girardi said. “He was day-to-day. He played today. We’ll see how he is tomorrow.”
• Mariano Rivera threw one pitch to get the final out. Why bring Mo into this game at that time? “It’s a 7-2 game,” Girardi said. “You have two home run hitters coming up (after Marco Scutaro). I wanted to give him two chances to get one out before the tying run came up.”
• Lance Berkman went 3-for-4 with two RBI doubles. The crowd that booed him yesterday was finally cheering. “One of the toughest parts of coming over in the middle of the season is you really haven’t contributed anything to the fact that the team is in first place,” Berkman said. “Until you come up with some big hits and help the team win some games, you can’t really feel like you belong.”
• Berkman said the double down the third-base line is a pretty good indication of what he does when he’s hitting well. “That’s really my strength, not to come off the ball and just stay through a tough pitch,” he said. “That ball was probably off the plate a little bit, down and away, and when I hit a ball like that, that’s closer to where I want to be than a little topper or something like that.”
• Mark Teixeira is the fourth player in baseball history with 25 home runs in his first eight seasons. “I look at a guy like Alex who just hit 600,” Teixeira said. “I still have a long way to go.”
• The Yankees had eight hits through three innings, but scored just two runs. They had three hits in the fifth inning and scored five. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but that’s baseball,” Girardi said.
• Dave Robertson hasn’t allowed a run since July 2, a span of 13 outings. Boone Logan’s been nearly as impressive. He’s allowed one run since joining the team after the all-star break.
• The Yankees are the first American League team to have five players with at least 50 runs and 50 RBI (Cano, Jeter, Rodriguez, Swisher and Teixeira).
• Jeter’s next hit will tie Mel Ott for 38th all time.
Associated Press photos of Moseley, Rivera and Teixeira
I loved the bases loaded stats ESPN showed. The Yanks lead baseball in all major categories.
The #s are SEGA-like.
I use to have a Sega Dreamcast.
Dustin has been a pleasant surprise. Not so much that I didn’t think he could pitch, truth be told I couldn’t pick him out of a lineup. But, it’s been so long since we had a 6th starter that could step up like this (Hughes did a little last year, but it was still a mixed bag).
Great defense tonight. Starting with the starter.
But I’m happiest for Berkman. It’s been a heck of a ride his first week in pinstripes. He must feel great, having contributed like he did tonight.
And congratulations to Jeter. He’s so single-minded and focused on the game he’s playing in, but I hope he can sit back one day and appreciate his career.
m,
I’m sure Jeter thinks about his place in history. He just won’t say to the media he does.
That may be true. But he doesn’t let it distract him from swinging at the first pitch at all costs.
m
That drives me crazy
Sounds like this would have been a great game to have seen.
It was! My combo of ps3+ MLB TV works like a charm! You should get it Nick
Good job by Moseley and the Yankees. They really have done well against Beckett this season.
Hope the Yankees take the series today.
Mosely very impressive. And nice to see Berkman break out of it.
Good morning Fran,
Ditto on your sentiments. Mosely doesn’t seem fazed by the ‘big stage’. This is a good thing to know.
From ESPN: ” Josh Beckett now has a 6.23 ERA in 21 career starts vs the Yankees. That is the 2nd-highest ERA vs the Yankees by any pitcher that has made at least 20 starts vs the Yankees since 1954 (105 pitchers “….and this is WITH the way he dominated them when pitching for the Marlins. Long story short, as a BoSux player, Beckett CHOKES when he plays the Yankees !
I’m surprised so little has been said/written about Alex and his 300th stolen base. He joins Mays and Bonds as the only three guys in the 600 HR / 300 SB club.
Even with all those years left on his contract I don’t see him getting to 400.
People here love to bash Cashman for some of his off-season moves that haven’t panned out, me included. But it’s time for some mega-props for the seemingly meaningless acquisition of Dustin Mosely. The guy has done a helluva job. Boone Logan too.
Tyler, from the previous thread, sorry, I disagree. I still think last year’s team was better – quite a bit better. Most of the lineup is not having a good year this year and we really have not clicked on all cylinders – except for the first couple of weeks of the season. I have not missed Damon and Matsui all season – but I still think last year’s team was better.
Jeter SS
Swisher RF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Berkman DH
Kearns LF
Cervelli C
Gardner LF
This is the lineup I would use for today’s game. Since Cervelli’s gonna be behind the plate, I’d prefer Berkman in the lineup instead of Thames. Get Thames in their at DH versus lefties when Jorgie’s behind the plate. Thames/Kearns/Cervelli/Gardner just seems like too weak of a lineup to go with. Besides, we have 4 lefties in a row to face (starting today), so Thames will get plenty of looks.
*Gardner CF
Spoiled hypocrite fans, cheering Berkman………..
Betsy —
You are neither spoiled nor a hypocrite when you cheer good performances and boo poor ones. That’s what fans do. I don’t think much booing is personal; it’s targeted at the performance and much as the performer if not more.
86, I disagree……..
“In case it wasn’t already apparent that the Mariners were having a dreadful 2010 season, consider this recent development: Smoak, the No. 1 prospect acquired for Cliff Lee, was sent to the minors after hitting just .159 in 16 games with the Mariners.”
From SI.com. Think the M’s wish they went with the Yankees’ Montero deal?
This team has played better than last year’s team did.
And the primary reason for it is because of their starting pitching. The lineup hasn’t been as consistent but they’ve allowed far fewer runs and the defense is better as well, specifically in the outfield.
Swisher has really improved in RF. Granderson may be struggling at the plate but plays a very good CF. Gardner plays an excellent LF – and CF when Granderson is out.
It seems like the Yankees are in Beckett’s head….Maybe like Pedro “Who’s Your Daddy?” Martinez? Granted, he is just coming back from the DL, but they have had great success against him for a long time.
So in your world fans never criticize or boo their team or players? Tell Mr. Rogers I said hello
# 86w183 August 9th, 2010 at 8:41 am
So in your world fans never criticize or boo their team or players? Tell Mr. Rogers I said hello
———-
The booing is stupid. Any grown man who boos a player is moron – plain and simple.
Criticism is perfectly legit. Booing is not, unless you’re 12 yr old.
I think because last year’s team won the championship, many fans forget their ups and downs.
They didn’t hit at all for most of May and June. Cashman had to go to Atlanta to ream them out before they began to play better.
Didn’t really click on all cylinders until August.
Even then, the big concern was starting pitching because Joba was on innings limits and not throwing well, and the #5 starter was Chad Gaudin.
As GF said, the starting pitching is much better this year. Its why the run differential is over 40 runs better than a year ago at this time.
The defense is also much better.
Doesn’t mean they will win the WS again. The post-season is always a crapshoot no matter how good you are.
However, at least at his time, this is a more balanced team than last year, with one exception.
The bench and that may be changing with the addition of Kearns and Berkman.
86w183
In my neighborhood it’s okay to criticize plays not players and to boo lack of effort but not lack of results.
Sincerely
Mr. Rogers.
I think there is a big difference in booing the opposition and booing your own players.
The former is fair game, the latter not.
Honestly, when Pedro threw down Zim, was that not worth a boo?
86w183 August 9th, 2010 at 8:41 am
Tell Mr. Rogers I said hello
**************************
It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood….
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
That’s just ridiculous. Professional athletes can not be booed?
Sports succeeds in large part because of the passion fans have for their teams. With passion comes reaction and voicing ones frustration is the right of every fan.
I agree that booing college and high school athletes is out of line, but giving an under performing millionaire an earful is perfectly acceptable.
Where is Lupica’s article this morning about another Highly paid Yankees pitcher winning a game for them ?
Bob August 9th, 2010 at 8:52 am
Where is Lupica?s article this morning about another Highly paid Yankees pitcher winning a game for them ?
———————————————————
Or he could spin it that with that big a payroll why do they need to rely on a pitcher like Mosely.
86w183,
You don’t believe it’s just slightly immature for a grown man to boo a ballplayer?
If not, we couldn’t disagree more.
Sure, people have the right to boo anyone they want. And I have the right to call them morons for behaving like children.
New Post: Who did you have lunch with yesterday?
Immature, yes. Moronic absolutely not
This started with Betsy calling all fans who booed and cheered Berkman’s varying results spoiled hypocrites.
It is not hypocritical to cheer good performances and boo poor ones.
I’m not going to call a working guy who saves up to buy two $ 125 tickets to a Yankee game a moron because some millionaire gives up six runs in the first inning and he boos them.