Postgame notes: Bullpen providing consistency
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes, Podcast on Sep 04, 2010 
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Familiar questions resurfaced this afternoon, but the Yankees seem to have moved on to bigger and better things. The questions are the same — Will there there be even more changes to the rotation? Should there be? — but the questions seem less pressing when the team has won eight in a row.
The lineup is producing, and that’s obviously crucial, but the Yankees bullpen has been just as important, making up for many of the rotation’s inconsistencies.
“The guys are fired up,” Mariano Rivera said. “There are ready to go. It doesn’t matter the situation. They’re just happy to be there.”
Since July 27, the Yankees bullpen has a 1.57 ERA with 98 strikeouts and a .183 opponents batting average. That’s more than a month of dominance, during a span when the rotation was in flux. Rivera has been his old self, Boone Logan has been a revelation and both David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain have clearly picked up their games since shaky beginnings to the season.
But it seems little coincidence that this run of success coincides almost perfectly with Kerry Wood’s arrival. He gave the Yankees another hitless inning this afternoon and has allowed just one earned run in 16 innings since coming over from Cleveland.
“Our scouts had filled us in,” Joe Girardi said. “We had seen him a little bit this year. I was somewhat familiar. I watched tapes of him. I think until you actually see him on a daily basis you’re not going to know exactly what he has… He seems to be getting better and better for us.”
Here’s Girardi’s postgame.
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Speaking of Girardi’s postgame: He spoke quite a bit about today’s fifth-inning bullpen decision.
On his decision to turn to Dustin Moseley over Javier Vazquez with the lead on the line, when just three days ago he had decided he’d rather have Vazquez as his starter: “I was going with the fresh arm. That’s why I made the decision.”
On his decision to use Moseley instead of Boone Logan to face left-handed hitter Lyle Overbay: “Nope (never considered Logan). There’s a guy also behind Overbay that crushes left-handers.”
That guy behind Overbay was John Buck, who ultimately made the final out of the inning. Also of note about the Overbay decision: Overbay was 1-for-4 in his career against Logan, 0-for-7 against Moseley. His left-right splits are minimal this season.
• Turns out Austin Kearns is out with a thumb injury, which helps explain how Marcus Thames wound up playing the field. “(Kearns) took some extra BP and bruised it a little bit,” Girardi said. “He’s day-to-day. I asked him after yesterday, are you feeling OK. He said it’s a little sore so I decided to give him a day off. We’ll see how he is tomorrow.”
• Thames knew what to expect when he went to the plate in the seventh. “Slider,” he said. “They threw me all sliders all day. The first one (of the at-bat) I got out in front of it a little bit. I knew he was going to throw me one so I sat slider on the next pitch and didn’t miss that one.”
• Speaking of home run sliders, both Blue Jays home runs were on mistake sliders from Vazquez.
• And speaking of Thames, the Yankees should have Alex Rodriguez back tomorrow, and Lance Berkman is hitting pretty well lately, but Girardi said he’ll find ways to keep Thames and his hot bat in the lineup. “Oh, we’ll find at-bats for Marcus,” he said, and it was definitive.
• Jose Bautista took great exception and was ejected for arguing a called strike three against Joba Chamberlain in the seventh. “I thought it was a good pitch,” Chamberlain said, with a smile. “That’s what we were going for.”
• The Yankees are now 19-6 in their past 25 games against left-handed starters. They’ve won eight of their past nine against lefties.
• After his two-run double in the third inning, Robinson Cano is hitting .600 with three doubles, two home runs and 23 RBI in 15 bases-loaded at-bats.
• Francisco Cervelli is hitting .600 in his past three games. Today was the first two-double game of his career.
• Brett Gardner has walked in his past nine games in which he’s had a plate appearance. According to Elias, that’s the longest such streak by a Yankee since Jason Giambi in 2006 (also nine games). Elias also made a note that Gardner has now tied five others for the longest such streak in the majors this season.
• Since making those mechanical changes in Texas, Curtis Granderson is hitting .414 with three doubles and two home runs against lefties.
• Chamberlain got his second win of the year, and his first since May 14 in Minnesota.
Associated Press photos of Cervelli, Vazquez and Thames
.414 against lefties since Klong the genious worked with him!
so javy is mad he was pulled? Hey Javy, the rest of us are mad you get chance after change and give up lead after lead. Take your $11 Million and shove it.
Check Thames for Roids. jk, but the dudes been on a tear
Show me a pitcher who isn’t upset being taken out, and I’ll show you a non-competitor.
It’s not a big deal.
there is a difference being disappointed in your performance and being mad he was pulled.
blake
I’ve been having some pt on my shoulder and the guy doing it is a RS fan.
My first visit I had my Yankee hat on so I was concerned he’d hurt me rather than help me.
He really has been good natured about it but I try hard not to give him to hard a time.
My last visit I did ask him where the headstone was.
Another guy there asked him the difference between Fenway and Yankee Stadium in October.
They still sell hotdogs in Yankee Stadium.
He should be mad he was pulled.
It shows he cares.
Props to the players that have contributed with the absence of Alex and a banged up Swisher. Andy has been missed but somehow the team has managed to glue together a few reasonable starts with much help from the long relievers and the rest of the bullpen crew.
Once everybody is back and the Captain finds his stride again, the team positions itself for the final surge.
Robby Cano clearly needs some occasional rest going forward to the postseason.
# SJ44 September 4th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
He should be mad he was pulled.
It shows he cares.
———
Are you sure about that?
Vasquez is a gutless coward. Haven’t you been been paying attention to the LoHud internet tough guys this season?
maine,
Lol…gotta give a little bit of a hard time ya know.
It has to have been a really frustrating and dispointing year for Javy. You know he wanted to come here and have a solid season after what happened in 2004 and for it to have happened the way it has…with his arm virtually betraying him has to be hard on the guy. It doesn’t bother me that he was upset…been a tough year for the guy and he wants to compete for his job…how else would you want it?
You know that you have a pitcher that’s in trouble when he keeps looking towards the dugout, almost begging to be taken out. Stay away from those types.
blake
He knows it’s all in good fun.
He isn’t to happy with the team so we discuss that and it makes the visit go faster.
I just am carefull not to irritate him when he’s working the shoulder.
SJ44
I know that the standings in the minors don’t tell the story about how good a team is so how can you determine the quality of say Trenton versus Portland.
# SJ44 September 4th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
He should be mad he was pulled.
It shows he cares.
==================
Mad he was pulled within 1 out from a possible victory is different than being pulled with a lead after 5.
Maine Yankee -
From prior thread — is Dr. Hardy still alive? Is he still married to nurse Audrey? They seemed old when I watch GH back in the 70′s. Didn’t Dr. Hardy play baseball with the LA Dodgers for a little while, too?
See the can of worms you opened???
Maine Yankee -
From prior thread — is Dr. Hardy still alive? Is he still married to nurse Audrey? They seemed old when I watch GH back in the 70′s. Didn’t Dr. Hardy play baseball with the LA Dodgers for a little while, too?
See the can of worms you opened???
Maine Yankee -
From prior thread — is Dr. Hardy still alive? Is he still married to nurse Audrey? They seemed old when I watch GH back in the 70′s. Didn’t Dr. Hardy play baseball with the LA Dodgers for a little while, too?
See the can of worms you opened???
GS said:
Are you sure about that?
Vasquez is a gutless coward. Haven’t you been been paying attention to the LoHud internet tough guys this season?”
Speaking of being sure of things, what’s up with Gameday? I check it during the games and it’s been showing Curtis Granderson getting base hits and rbi’s, and we all know Grandy can’t hit.
!!!11!!!11!!!
Whoa -
don’t know why I got a triple post. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.
The stress of pitching here plus the accumulation of innings over the years seems to have gotten to Javy.
I’m sure some NL team would like to have him next year.
Doreen
Your mother watched it too?
The reason I used his name was because GB7 mentioned him at one time.
I think they played ball together.
Maine Yankee -
Sorry to say, I myself watched it. My mom was a working mom and wasn’t one for the soaps. But GH was on right after school every day. Then Dark Shadows. Then Edge of Night. On days off from school, I started at noon with The Young and the Restless on CBS, then All My Children, One LIfe to Life, GH, and TEON, all on ABC.
I gave up soaps once I got to college.
But they were fun for a while.
Oops, I forgot Ryan’s Hope before All My Children!!!
Maine,
It really isn’t about assessing the teams in the minors.
It’s about seeing which team has the most high prospects.
In that regard, Trenton has more high end prospects on their team than Portland this season.
Doreen
You were a real addict.
They were on when I came home from school.
No time to watch them though. Had to go to the barn and get chores done so I could go play ball.
I did start watching them a bit when I was home for lunch after I was married.
I was forced to cause my wife had them on.
In spite of all those nice developments listed above,
we’re only one game ahead of the Rays in the loss column.
5-1 O’s. But I doubt that will hold up.
I am glad Gardner has gone back to kicking ass, should show a couple of his detractors that he wasnt just an early season fluke. Gardner is the real deal. He has, in what the baseball-men refer to as, SKILLS.
john Beradino died about 15 years ago. he was an old friend of my grandfather’s from the days that they played semi-pro baseball.
SJ44
So what does the below 500 for Portland tell you?
… and Carl Crawford starts the inning with a double.
jerkface
And it was fun watching those skills yesterday.
If he would drive the ball in the gap more he would have alot of triples.
Maine,
It tells me the Red Sox need more 25 year old AA players to help them win more games. lol
Their farm system has been exposed as VERY overrated this year.
GreenBeret7 September 4th, 2010 at 8:03 pm
john Beradino died about 15 years ago. he was an old friend of my grandfather’s from the days that they played semi-pro baseball
———————————————————-
Did you get to meet him?
How good a player was he?
Gardner loves to take inside, I agree that he should attack those pitches more often. There is a really fun chart which shows the difference between Francouer and Gardner. Let me rustle it up.
Javy is scheduled to start two games versus the Rays, 9/15 and 9/21.
Hopefully, Andy can take his spot for the 9/21 game.
=============================================
Javy, Phil and AJ in Texas could tax the bullpen.
I watched soaps when my kids were babies. I loved all the ABC ones. I was so addicted that I had to stop watching completely or my family would have had no food, dinner, etc. I still won’t turn them on. I think they are too ‘hot’ for my taste today.
# SJ44 September 4th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Maine,
It tells me the Red Sox need more 25 year old AA players to help them win more games. lol
Their farm system has been exposed as VERY overrated this year.
==========================================
and yet Keith Law can’t stop gushing about them, ranking #2 and the Yanks #25. I know front offices don’t pay attention to the media, but at the same time Keith Law used to work in a front office.
Well my prior comment is awaiting moderation let me try this one: http://baseballanalysts.com/ar.....ng_swi.php
Look at this article. The line represents the inner area where a player is 50% likely to swing. Gardner just doesn’t swing.
SAS
Almost as addictive as this blog.
GB7 -
15 years ago? Wow. See, I haven’t watched in a very long time (25+ years).
Maine Yankee-
I was very addicted to my soaps in my teen years. It was a lot of fun. But I swore once I had my kids that I would not get back into them and I did not. Instead, I watched Julia Child and other chefs on PBS (before the Food Network) and I consider myself having had somewhat of a culinary education. I was a good cook, but I learned a lot. When my kids were born, for the first 5 or so years of their lives, the tv was ALWAYS on PBS. PBS certainly filled a need for me back then.
Now, I just get annoyed because the ONLY time they air something I enjoy is during pledge week. And they lie. The tell you, “if you are enoying this program, contribute and there will be more of it,” bt the only time there’s more of it is when they want more money. And when we were watching it all the time, I did contribute a lot. But when was the last time you saw Bruce Springsteen and it WASN’T pledge week??? Or Broadway performance?
SAS -
We probably watched about the same time, then. They were fun and served a purpose at the time. The ABC lineup. You didn’t have to change the channel all afternoon. I had friends who watch NBC or CBS (Guiding Light, and As the World Turns) which I never ever saw.
I don’t miss them at all. But what’s interesting is changing the channel and coming across an actor who is still going strong! Lots of plastic surgery in that industry.
With the ALDS approaching it doesn’t look like AJ is #2 behind CC, Andy could be #2 by dropping him into Nova’s spot in the 9/20 opener vs TB.
This would preclude CC from going in this series, if he goes on the Sunday before Andy in Balt., unless they flip-flop them.
I apologize for going so off topic, but “Dr. Hardy” just brought back so many memories.
The O’s are beating the Rays 5-2 in the 4th.
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Maine Yankee,
You are right. This blog takes too much of my time, but what the heck, I even have learned things about the game I love. When I am in AZ, it was a way of keeping up with the Yankees because they never mention anything about other teams that don’t play there. I felt left out and for months just read what everyone was saying. Then one night I spoke….and now you can’t shut me up.
Mariano Rivera hasn’t been his old self. He’s actually *better* than his old self.
He’s never allowed to retire.
Doreen
If you started watching today you probably wouldn’t have missed much.
My wife watched PBS alot too.
The serials they had were good.
One of my favorites was All Creatures Great And Small.
If you know what that is you know why I liked it.
Jerkface,
Not sure if you were watching today, but they showed a graphic that Gardner was tops in the non-swing dept. Second was Bobby Abreu.
Looks like Gardner is mixing it up more, so that should keep the pitchers honest.
But he still (to my amazement), gets on via BB quite often, even down to 2 strikes. I’d like to hear what opposing pitchers say about him. He seems to be a tough out. Even for a slap hitter. haha.
“In spite of all those nice developments listed above, we’re only one game ahead of the Rays in the loss column.”
And this is just another symptom of someone who never really learned how to read the standings.
Yankees are on pace to win 102-103 games. That Tampa is on pace to win 100-101 isn’t a failure on the Yankees part, just a credit to the Rays.
Yanks can’t control what Tampa does in the OTHER 144 games they don’t play one another.
Any argument otherwise is simple due to lack of a good education.
SAS
I don’t get much Yankee news up here either unless it’s negative.
The thing about this place is you education isn’t limited to baseball.
Muppets,music, movies,soap operas etc.
How could I forget food Doreen?
Maine, never saw him play. He retired early in the ’50s because of injry. My grandfather said he was a pretty decent defensive middle infielder. Had one year with good power for a middle infielder and some good RBI years and a little speed. I met him one time but, apparently he stayed in contact with Al Rosen, Lemon and Feller who would score him Yankee tickets in Cleveland and get them to my grandfather.
jerkface
One other thing that hasn’t been talked about Gardner this year that was a big issue last year is his tracking of fly balls.
I haven’t noticed that being an issue this year.
It was mentioned last year that it can be a big adjustment from the Mil parks to the MLB ones.
Stuckey,
He’s a Red Sox troll who has been on this blog for years, under different names, posting nonsensical drivel and making idiotic, negative predictions under the guise he’s a Yankee fan.
Pete banned him a few times because he got tired of his act.
He’s back now under a new name with the same tired act.
GB7
Well he made a good career for himself. He had a long run on that show.
Maine, it was years before I realized who he was. I asked my grandfather, and he said it was. He had been watching that show since he had retired.
Maine Yankee -
I did hear of All Creatures Great and Small, but never watched it myself. I pretty much got turned off of “nature shows,” back when we were kids and every Sunday night we watched Mutual Of Omaha’s Animal Kingdom. Sometimes it was good, but the problem was, um, my parents weren’t watching with us. Took me years to figure out why.
****
I never seem to be able to catch the old trolls with new names.
Motero is 1-3 and hitting .291
Laird is 1-3 with his 100th RBI
Phelps through 6 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts
I loved Animal Kingdom. It was one of the shows that lasted many years on TV.
SJ-
Just signed on, so this might have already been discussed. Is Girardi batting Gardner 1st, even against lefties, just going with the hot hand, or do you think it’ll be back to Jeter?
Greg Maddux used to tell Bobby Cox when he was through, and often had himself pulled. In 2002 when he went 16-6 with a 2.62 ERA he had no CG’s.
Doreen, did you ever make fun of Marlin Perkins?
“This is me taking picture of the crocs in the river. This is a picture of my friend and guide, Jim being eaten by the crocs.”
GB7 -
Oh, yeah!! Marlin Perkins’ Mutual of Omaha’s Animal Kingdom. The animals were great – he really was bo-ring!!!!!!
Yeah, Marlin was always in the truck or someplace safe and poor old Jim was out fighting with the animals. If I had been Jim, Marlin would be doing something besides talking.
Sadly for Ruby Tuesday the Fighting Showwalters are trying hard to play spoiler tonight…up 7-2…could be a 2.5 game lead over Tampa soon and a….I lost count lead over Boston.
This is some of my favorite Brett Gardner online lit.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs.....er-morgan/
“Brett Gardner: 2010?s Nyjer Morgan?”
“But Morgan (whom, incidentally, I also see as about 2.5-3 WAR in 2010) is still the more interesting comparison. I wouldn’t have had him as even a 2.5 WAR player before last season, and I doubt many would have. Yet he put up a 4.9 WAR once he got to show what he could do in the field. Should we expect ~5 WAR from Brett Gardner in 2010? No — that would be insane… ”
Brett Gardner is currently at 4.8 WAR and rising with 26 games left to play.
* Morgan, btw, is 0.4 in 2010. Ouch.
GB7 -
I had forgotten about that, but that’s exactly how it was.
I much preferred Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour.
I don’t mean to nitpick, but it was “Mutual of Omaha’s WILD Kingdom”.
Doreen
This will tell you about All Creatures. Not like Animal Kingdom at all.
You would need to see it to enjoy it. Very funny but very true to life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.....TV_series)
Right you are Stuckey.
I also watched Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour, the precursor to American Idol and America’s Got Talent…lol
IMO, if Gardner continues like this, he may end up staying in the leadoff spot, with Jeter sliding down to the two spot the rest of the way.
Doreen September 4th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
I apologize for going so off topic,
——————————————————-
Are we supposed to belive you?
Doreen September 4th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
GB7 -
I had forgotten about that, but that’s exactly how it was.
I much preferred Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour.
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I remember Ted Mack. The old was always drinking geritol.
“Round and round she goes and where she stops, nobody knows”. “Remember now…call Beechwood 7-6543.”
Did you know that was where Ann-Margret, Pat Boone and Irene Cara, among others started?
I don’t think that many here that are honest would say they aren’t pleasntly suprised with Gardners progress.
It just shows that maybe the Yankees know what their doing.
Jim Fowler was bait. A tranquilizer gun and a “capture stick” his only means of survival.
Animal Kingdom and The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau were the 60′s version of Animal Planet.
Where in the lineup did Brett usually bat in the minors?
I’m happy that somebody apparently has mentioned gardner’s passive approach and told him to knock it off or he was going to start wearing diapers and a dress on the field.
3-1 CWS. Lackey gave 2 up quick in the 7th. Could be the ideal day for the Yanks. TB loses, Bos gets swept.
GB7
Jim needed MTUs little sidekicks for assistance.
The San Diego Padres – the team that up until a week ago had the 3rd best record in the Major Leagues, and who STILL lead the AL West by 2 games, lost their 9th game in a row today.
Yankees haven’t lost 4 in a row since early May 2009.
Wow.
MaineYankee September 4th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
GB7
Jim needed MTUs little sidekicks for assistance.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Yeah, I can see where those attack dustmops would be a big help. The only that they would scare is Marlin.
“Could be the ideal day for the Yanks. TB loses, Bos gets swept.”
And hence CR9 remains in self-induced exile for at least another 18 hours.
Could be an ideal day for all of us.
GB7
Maybe someone called him a namby pamby and threw a box of kleenex at him.
When Gardner is getting on base like he is now he’s really a spark atop the lineup. Swisher has done a great job in the 2 hole but if Gardner can continue to produce hittinj leadoff then that always Swish to drop down where he can drive in runs and provide thump in the bottom half.
Stuckey…
Don’t jinx the Yankees please.
pat September 4th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Jim Fowler was bait. A tranquilizer gun and a “capture stick” his only means of survival.
Animal Kingdom and The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau were the 60’s version of Animal Planet
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pat, you have to believe that Jim preferred the animals over Marlin and him monotone voice. It was that voice that put the wild animals to sleep.
MaineYankee September 4th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
GB7
Maybe someone called him a namby pamby and threw a box of kleenex at him.
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Who? MTU?
SAS, I’ve been saying they’re a 100 win team and a lock for the division since mid-May.
Ain’t going to stop now..
If anyone wants to see some amazing athletes, turn on the LSU v UNC game. LSU has some serious burners.
Balt 8 TB 2 bottom 7
GreenBeret7 September 4th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
I’m happy that somebody apparently has mentioned gardner’s passive approach and told him to knock it off or he was going to start wearing diapers and a dress on the field
————————————————————————–
Gardner.
Really nice game by David Phelps against Pawtucket. 8 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 0 walks 4 strikeouts. 95 pitches, 66 strikes.
The only run that scored was on a supposedly inning ending dP that synder threw that pulled Phelps off of first.
Go Tarheels! At least the ones eligible to play….
GB-
Re: Marlon Perkins.
Never trust a man who wears a scarf tucked into his shirt.
Wow..good line for Phelps.
Still can’t get into College Football. All these huge blow-outs by ranked teams leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I mean 72-0 Oregon over New Mexico?
59-6 Florida State over Samford? (who?)
Got no use for a system where this is a regular occurrence.
Stuckey,
I picked the Yankees to win 100 games too, but I just get a tad superstitious.
Stucky- Don’t pay attention to the cupcake games. LSU and UNC are in a dogfight right now. LSU has a DB/KR named Patrick Peterson who runs a 4.2 and has been flying around.
As i say it, Peterson takes a punt to the house. The guy is absurdly fast.
Francona potentially starting Buchholz on short rest against Tampa, using Bard down 2 runs tonight…. why is he still trying to win? He should start scaling back on those guys for next year.
8-2 Balt. bottom 8, Balt up.
Gonzalez in relief strikes out the side
jnorris427 Sea Dogs win. Thunder are your EL East champs
Top 9, TB coming up, still 8-2
# mick September 4th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
8-2 Balt. bottom 8, Balt up.
Gonzalez in relief strikes out the side
—————————————
Go Buck!
I think Francona is just going to play all out through the Tampa series, just to avoid any second guessing, and then starting shutting it down when they head to the west coast right after.
I mean we WANT the Red Sox to keep playing through the Tampa series, right?
“Still can’t get into College Football. All these huge blow-outs by ranked teams leaves a bad taste in my mouth. ”
Bingo… that’s the problem with college sports, especially football. Most of the games are unwatchable if you don’t have a specific team you root for. The power-power matchups are few and far between. You’ll have the occasional must-see intra-conference games (Boise St/VA Tech, Alabama/Penn St.), but the majority of these games are blowouts featuring one elite program vs. a crap one, and are tough to watch.
Longoria flies out , 1 away
Pena does same
You mean you guys are not enjoying this riveting San Jose State/Alabama matchup, that Alabama is leading 48-3 early in the 4th qtr?
stuckey – who’s your NFL team?
Joyce HR’s
Oklahoma is in a dog right, Ole Miss lost to a D1AA team, and Kansas is losing right now. Not all blowouts
Giants.
I’m all old school NY across the board.
Hawpe HR, 8-4
Yeah, Giants here too.
Think they make the playoffs?
ahead of both of them 0-2, Uehara can’t finish the job
0-2 on upton
Can Uehara get one out before he gives up 4 more HRs?
game over 2 1/2 up
Ozzie goes to Jenks with 2 on and 2 out up 3-1 in 8th.
Yes, he can!
Honestly, I can’t say I have this team figured out yet.
Their secondary HAS to be better than last year, but their D-line has to pressure the QB.
Offense will have enough if the O-line doesn’t crumble in a heap of injuries.
I want to say 10-6 and just enough to make the playoffs, but that comes with a margin of error of +/- 2 games.
And Jenks gets out of it.
Top 9 WS up 3-1
Ozzie wants this game… uses Jenks earlier today and tonight for a 4 out save.
stuckey,
Agree– they are tough to figure out. If you look at the pure talent on both sides of the ball, it is easy to get excited and write last year off as a fluke (injuries/Sheridan, etc.) and think getting some guys healthy, adding Rolle, potentially a healthy Andrews… it should definitely be a playoff team.
But I’m in “wait an see” mode with the D… I think the O will be fine, even with the aging O-Line. With the 4 pass rushers, along with a revamped secondary, on paper, they look strong. But they have to prove it. I’m with you – 10-6, but could go 2 wins either way.
last chance for rs
Lowrie K’s 1 out
Scutar FO 2 down
gametime
White Sox win!!!
And the gritty, dangerous, Sox fall 10 backs back in the loss column.
Goodnight Sox.
I wonder if the folks at NESN and ESPN still believe that the Sox will make the playoffs?? LMAO
Pete Abe is ripping sox fans for singing “sweet caroline” and doing the wave as the sox season slipped away… gotta love it!
Guess they should have been singing SWEEP Caroline!
RS fans are idiots too…
Red Sox were 5 games back of us this time a week ago
They are 2-5 in their last 7
Yankees are 7-0
Maybe the Saux fans are singing Weep Caroline.
If only we can get Wally Matthews to cover Boston with Pete.
I guess was wrong to pick the R*d S*x to win 117 games this season.
What a shame.
I jinxed them.
(You’re welcome.)
lol. That’s a good one, Ruby. What a shame.
Just getting home. I know this was a bunch of threads ago but…..
Rzepczynski really would never get played in Scrabble. You would need a Z and a blank. Plus, you can only put down 7 letters on one turn. Even if the word “ski” is already ont he board, you would still need to put down 8 letters or have a lot of luck.
Can’t dismiss the Red Sox. Remember that’s the big theme of the season.
Sure the Sox have a 2% or so chance of making playoffs. But you can’t dismiss them.
Red Sox are making my job hard.
3 magic numbers in about 6 hours.
Let’s slap forearms and avenge Cervelli’s broken wrist together with the latest magic number photo.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.fan.....-400sm.jpg
# CB September 4th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
Can’t dismiss the Red Sox. Remember that’s the big theme of the season.
Sure the Sox have a 2% or so chance of making playoffs. But you can’t dismiss them.
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The media loves their Dirtdogs.
It’s not even the media, maybe outside of Mitch Williams. Nice prediction there, Mitch.
There were more Yankee fans giving the Red Sox credit than their own fans.
They knew this was a lost season a long time ago. It was several Yankee fans on this board who chose to fear them for whatever the reason.
can you imagine Yankee stadium sing some sappy, saccharin, non-baseball related song like “sweet caroline” – Ha!
Erica,
I knew you’d have to respond to that!!
MLB channel isn’t so bad (notwithstanding Sean Casey, Kevin Millar, Williams, Smoltz), but ESPN and ESPN.com function as the propaganda arm of the Red Sox.
Totally off topic – I went white water rafting last week when I was on vacation in Colorado. Our guide looked SO much like Kevin Millar, it was weird. Have to say though, if you are ever going to go rafting on the Arkansas River in Canon City, Co. ask for Kiel. He was great!
rb from LI September 4th, 2010 at 11:20 pm
Erica,
I knew you’d have to respond to that!!
*******
Hahaha.. better late than never
Oh well, nice try Heels.
As for all the I knew the “Sox were dead talk”.
I can only speak for myself, it was never about fear.
It was all about a 3 team race as opposed to a 2 team race. Last week I wanted the Rays to beat the Sox to make it a 2 team race.
Ask yourself this, does Jeter get a day off yesterday if the Sox are 3 or 4 games back. Does Swisher get the extra days he needed. I don’t think so. Having the Sox mathematically out of it (never mind what we think), gives Joe a lot of leeway when it comes to setting up his staff and giving out much needed rest.
I would say for me it was the opposite of fear, I do not fear the Rays. Which is why I wanted them to squash the Sox and any hope they had.
What made the sox could come back predictions so off base was the fact they’re missing pedroia and youkilis for the season. Even with those guys it’d be tough. But dustin and youk are the soul of that team. Without them, they were cooked all along.
Tar, I enjoy seeing the Sox lose. I haven’t been worried about them for awhile, but I will keep an eye on them. They are not mathematically out and we still have games left with them. That being said I am confident they are not making the postseason.
rb from LI
No, they are done. They needed to sweep the Rays. When they won that first game of the Rays series they still had life. Not anymore.
Once again it is not about being worried. If they still had a chance (they don’t) Joe would be forced to go pedal to the metal. Now he has a lot more flexibility.
Erica in NY September 4th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
Just getting home.
—————————————
Erica
What are you doing just getting home at this time of night!! We’ve been up all………… Never mind, I just got in to.
Again, it was never about the Red Sox “coming back” or not, or the likelihood of that happening without Pedroia or Youkilis.
It was about TWO teams, and the likelihood of the one NOT the Red Sox falling off enough to let the Six make up enough ground not matter how well they played.
The division’s first place team has played at a remarkably steady 100+ win pace this entire year. Once the Red Sox’s body of work made it apparent they would not reach those levels aside from an extraordinary late season run, the “fear” wasn’t about the Red Sox at all, but the Yankees all of a sudden doing something they haven’t done in nearly two full seasons, which is play sub .500 ball for a significant stretch of the season.
I’ll say it again, the “games back” column of the standings is deceiving. It makes things appear closer than they are. This has been over, barring an extraordinary simultaneous reversal of fortunes of two teams, for some time.
I get that – even Sox fans know it. Doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy every loss they suffer until the end of the season.
52-3!
Also, the Padres may not win again.
Giants take lead in 9th inning with Uribe 2-run blast off Broxton.
Of course Brian ‘Firestarter’ Wilson could blow the save for the Gigantes.
All ‘elite’ closers are not created equal.
We are blessed.
As the Gigantes win and close to 2 games back from the sinking Padres.
btw – and then I’ll wish everyone a good night.
Since May 12th, 2009, the Yankees are 23.5 games better than the Red Sox.
Yet, somehow, people believe these teams function on comparable levels.
And since 1918…
i’ll be going to today’s game
Nick in SF September 5th, 2010 at 1:09 am
And since 1918…
———————
27-2 (world series)
Since 1918
Yankees – 9,660 – 7,344 (.568)
Sox – 8,806 – 8,218 (.517)
We are playing 874 games better than the Sox during that time span.
“In spite of all those nice developments listed above,
we’re only one game ahead of the Rays in the loss column.
5-1 O’s. But I doubt that will hold up”
Ruby Tuesday you are the biggest trolling fraud. Your Sux were out of the contest about 6 months ago. That was pretty obvious to me. I told you that for the short period of time where they were winning games they were playing WAY over their heads. I told ou they couldn’t withstand having their top three hitters out of the game. I told you their rotation basically sucked.
So now take your phony baloney California self and go and park your phony butt on SOSH, where I’m sure there are still some nutcakes believing your boys will overtake the Rays or the Yanks.
Your phony baloney brought bad karma to your boys. Keep up the good work. Hang out here and be a pretender and they’ll never sniff a postseason again.
Hey, good idea. Stick around.
Jeremy Guthrie, take a bow!!!
Finally he’s winning the games he’s so capable of winning. Buck Showalter, take a bow!!!
Broxton hasn’t been the same since Torre had him throw 50 pitches against us.
Tricia……You’re up prett late , isn’t it past your bedtime ???? Yanks up by 3 by Labor Day ????
Torre ruins yet another reliever.
Pat M, I was out until a short while ago. But even when I’m home I am a definite night owl. I usually have television going until 2 or 3.
Tricia, get some rest, tomorrow is a day game ……
Pat M – I haven’t been watching the games with great regularity. It’s been a very long season and although I have thoroughly enjoyed the Yankee season, since I called their postseason before the season evan began, I am more than ready for it to begin. When you spend an entire season not ever worried about your team’s chances (and knowing the Sux aren’t going to have a prayer) the season starts to get long and a bit boring to tell you the truth. The excitment and exhiliration just isn’t there on a constant basis. Enjoyment, sure; exhiliration, not really. And listenining to posters either whine or worry frankly is pretty appalling to me, especially at this late date.
I have to believe that any Yankee fan who never had a moment of doubt about the team, not once ever, is probably finding this a long season and is more than ready for the postseason.
You state your position well and have all season…..Very admirable….Time for me to call it a night, and I’m 3 hours behind you Tricia…..
Good morning all.
I fell asleep at 10-ish and then woke up and made myself go to bed at 10:30. Just couldn’t keep my eye open any longer.
So, GB7 – I knew about Pat Boone, but not Anne Margret (who we watched in BBB last week – she’s one of a kind) or Irene Cara. I do remember all the Geritol ads – whatever happened to Geritol??
When I went to sleep the Rays were up and the Sox were down; glad to see it stayed that way overnight. Finally all these wins getting them some distance. We’re going up to White Plains early today, so we will probably miss today’s game or most of it anyway. We’re driving up early to try out a church for/with my daughter. Maybe we’ll walk around some – supposed to be a nice day.
I think today’s starting pitcher is due for good game. It sure would be nice to sweep the Jays, who’ve given the Yankees so much agita all season long. While I’m happy that Baltimore has “found themselves” a little under Showalter, I wouldn’t mind them having a little set-back after they finish off the Rays.
Gotta love these last few games, no?
Erica – was looking for your scrabble answer and chuckled a little when I saw it this morning.
Have a great day everyone.
Go Yankees!
**I mean, when I went to sleep, the O’s were up and the Sox were down. Sheesh. Coffee didn’t kick in yet, I guess.
Doreen, you are up early. I am, too, I guess.
We saw a really good movie last night, and I would recommend it to you. The American, with George Clooney. A good, adult kind of suspenseful drama. It had me thinking back to a cinema course I took in college, and how a good director cam create suspense with camera angles, carry a story line with little dialogue.
It’s going to be fun to read the sports section today, and to look at the standings.
Doreen September 5th, 2010 at 6:29 am
Good morning all.
I fell asleep at 10-ish and then woke up and made myself go to bed at 10:30. Just couldn’t keep my eye open any longer.
So, GB7 – I knew about Pat Boone, but not Anne Margret (who we watched in BBB last week – she’s one of a kind) or Irene Cara. I do remember all the Geritol ads – whatever happened to Geritol??
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Randy drank all of the world’s supply of Geritol
Joe from Long Island -
You had me at “George Clooney.”
It’s funny because yesterday I was thinking that the move seems to have a plot that’s been done before. I guess sometimes you can still improve on old ideas.
I couldn’t wait for the morning paper to look at the standings! It’s funny, but ever since I started watching baseball, the standings and leader lists in the Sunday paper are something I really look forward to looking at, sometimes studying as if I could will them to be one thing or another. It’s like they make a good week better, and give you hope when a week hasn’t gone so well (for the baseball team, that is).
GB7 -
There ya go!
Joe,who is this director and where is he from…?haha
Ann-Margrock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
GB7 -
Ann-Margrock – gotta love the Flintstones!
Doreen, Joe,
Go morning and Happy Sunday to you both. Yanks up 2.5 and going for the sweep with phil on the hill.
I like it!
Happy Sunday to you as well GB7
Morning everyone.
Thanks, Blake. Happy Yankee Day to you.
Doreen September 5th, 2010 at 8:15 am
GB7 -
Ann-Margrock – gotta love the Flintstones!
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Loved that show, too. They had some great themes. ann-Margret, Elizabeth Mongomery, The New York Yankees with Riger and Mickey.
The best was when Randy and his family was on…The Gruesomes.
Riger – not riger mortis
Roger Maris
GB-
“Randy drank all of the world’s supply of Geritol”
Lucky it wasn’t Ex-Lax.
Sorry Phil. Gonna miss your 17th win today.
But I’m so confident in you that I’m going to be out there preparing your tribute.
As always, you do your part and I’ll do mine.
MTU,
Got a feeling Phil is gonna finish off the sweep today and make some more work for you today
Blake-
Let’s hope so. I’m prepared.
Geez, what a crew is up early rhis morning!
Joe- I saw The American yesterday also, and even though it got good reviews, I found it slow with little dialogue, until the last 20 minutes. I’ll have to go see Machete for some action. lol.
Anybody seen Inception…I heard it was good?
I got dragged to watch The Switch last weekend…so its my turn next movie.
Inception is a terrific movie, IMO, but it’s 2 hours, 45 minutes long, and it requires a lot of concentration to know exactly what’s going on. At least it did for absent minded me. I went online after seeing it and read the plot line to make sure I understood some of the scenes.
Blake-
I haven’t seen it but people on here have said it was good but a bit hard to follow.
blake:
“Anybody seen Inception…I heard it was good?”
You heard right. It’s very good.
Only have two complaints: Sometimes DeCaprio’s head just seems too big for his body, makes him look too young for leading man roles in grown up movies. I know that’s really unfair, he can’t do anything about the size of his head. Loved him in The Departed, though, no problem with his skull in that one
Ellen Page is another one of those slightly uncomfortable fits as leading lady. Again, unfair, but her size always makes me think she’s in Junior High School. And she gives off a very strong Janeane Garofolo, “I’ve taken tranquilizers,” thing.
On the other hand, Tommy from Third Rock, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, was excellent – surprisingly so.
Murph-
Did you see “Shutter Island” ?
What did you think of him in that ?
I also really liked “The Departed”.
murphydog-
Have to agree with you-Ellen Page was not right for the role of the architect.
thanks guys, I’m gonna have to go and see it then. His movies are generally pretty good (except for “The Beach” if anyone has seen that)….really liked Shutter Island.
I liked Sutter Island and his role. Reminded me of the movie “The Sixth Sense”
I liked Shutter Island significantly more than Inception. However Leo plays the same character in both. Very odd role selection.
Cecil has a 3.67 ERA in five starts this month, coming away with three wins in those outings. He has bounced back after a rough June and has only allowed more than three earned runs once since then.
Yankees have their work cut out for them. Wonder if Gardner leads off again against the lefty. Hoping A-Rod comes back and goes on a tear.
Good morning all,,
I thought everyone went to bed early. Not so I see, and some of you were up before the crack of dawn…me too sort of.
It is another beautiful day here for a Yankee sweep. I hear the bats are ready to go for our hitters to make this a fine day for all.
a good morning in Yankee land
the boys in pinstripes have taken 2 w/ their back of the rotation pitchers, the Rays lost one and the sox lost 2, for those still concerned about them
SAS
I don’t think the crack of dawn is this late.
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THIS TEAM ONLY HAS ONE LEFTY IN THE PEN? NO QUESTION A LEFTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN FOR AT LEAST ONE BATTER IN THE 5TH INNING WHEN JAVY WAS TAKEN OUT. WE DON’T NEED SO MANY RIGHTIES IN THE PEN! IF MARTE CAN’T COME BACK THIS MUST BE ADDRESSED
Maine,
If I don’t take another one of my naps, the crack of dawn is fine. I just go to bed too late, and then I wonder why I fall asleep during the day…lol
When the Yanks put Marte on the 60 day DL was that because he won’t be back or because they will activate him Sept 17th or so? I haven’t heard anything, but in the postseason you need a guy to face “overbay” in a situation just like yesterday
Guru man
it is too early in the morning to be yelling
Kate,
It is always too early to yell on the blog. Don’t you think?
When we sweep the 10 games I predicted and push this win streak to 12 games, I demand an atta boy !
I liked Shutter Island, although not at first. I liked it more as I realized where the odd, off-center feel of the first half of the movie came from. The ending was crushing, even though you see it coming. Must have been tough to film.