Pregame notes: Stars in the bullpen
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes on Sep 14, 2010 
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Every day, the Yankees make a card that lists the weekly workload of each reliever in the bullpen. The card tells Joe Girardi everything, including whether a pitcher was “hot” in the bullpen. Depending on that workload, some pitchers are given a red star.
“Lately I’ve had a lot of red stars on my card,” Girardi said.
As you might imagine, after last night’s game, the bullpen — who’s available, who’s not, and how the Yankees decide — was a lengthy topic during Girardi’s pregame session this afternoon at The Trop.
Dave Robertson was not available last night because he’d thrown three out of four days, including 36 pitches on Saturday, which was nearly a season-high. Girardi likes to give his relievers two days off after they’ve gone three out of four.
Joba Chamberlain was also considered a three-out-of-four guy. He had only pitched Wednesday and Friday, but Saturday night he got “hot” in the bullpen. That meant he was loosened up enough to enter the game, and the Yankees count that when they count a player’s workload. Girardi had been specifically asked about Chamberlain’s availability on Saturday night, and Girardi said he didn’t pitch enough in the pen to be unavailable. Girardi said it was only later that he learned Chamberlain was completely ready to go, and that’s why he was out of the mix last night.
“You don’t want to give them two days off, and you want to be able to use them in the game last night,” Girardi said. “But I’ve said that a guy’s health in his career and the future of this organization is more important than one game. I’m not going to jeopardize that. People might disagree. These guys have worked really hard to get into this situation, and I don’t want to be the one to hurt them. Sometimes players don’t know how to say no.”
• Girardi said every reliever except Chad Gaudin should be available tonight.
• There is some hope that Brett Gardner could be back in the lineup tomorrow. He said his wrist feels considerably better today that yesterday, and Girardi told him not to swing because he wasn’t going to let him hit in the game anyway. “We’ll shoot for tomorrow,” Girardi said. “I wouldn’t give you odds, but he did say he felt better today. I told him not to take any swings today, because I don’t think it makes sense to try to swing today if we’re trying to rest it.”
• Nick Swisher probably won’t play until Baltimore. “I wouldn’t think we’ll have him tomorrow, and then we’ll just continue to evaluate,” Girardi said.
• As long as Andy Pettitte comes through tonight’s rehab start without a setback, he should be ready to return to the big league rotation. “I would imagine,” Girardi said. “As long as he feels good and says he’s ready to go. I think it’s going to be hard to find places for him to pitch after today.”
• To have a chance to win this series, the Yankees need to win tonight behind rookie starter Ivan Nova. “This is no doubt his biggest test,” Girardi said. “It seems that every test he’s had so far, he’s done pretty well.”
Associated Press photos of the bullpen — Robertson and Chamberlain at the top — and Gardner
It will be nice to have Andy back
tonight’s line-up,
Jeter
Grandy
Tex
Arod
Cano
Berk DH
Kearns LF
Colin curtis RF
Cervelli
Go Yankees.
I just need two things to get this bullpen “righted”
A whole bunch of red stars and access to that card.
Ledger_Yankees Girardi essentially believes this: healthy/effective bullpen > home field advantage. Interesting to think about. Thoughts?
***
LOL OK Joe…………..so punt these games because the pen is the be all and end all. What good is the pen anyway if the starters stink?
Chad,
Thanks for the information. There were a lot of unhappy people last night, but you knew there was a rhyme, even if there was no reason.
Extra inning, blown leads, and the rain delay made for a rough weekend for the bullpen usage-wise.
The fans don’t like it, but I’m sure the pitchers appreciate the TLC approach.
And, what was that? Girardi cares about Joba’s future? Huh!
The “Joba pitched 3 of 4″ excuse doesn’t work. Thursday was an off day, so presumably Joba did not “get hot”. That means he was active in 2 of the last 4 days. Looking at games is silly. Had the Yankees played on Thursday and Joba never warmed, it would be considered 2 of 4, but because they had the off day, he considers it 3 of 4? Really? No one questioned him on that?
The “Joba pitched 3 of 4? excuse doesn’t work
————
Perhaps Joe’s way of saying he preferred Mitre’s sinker ball to Joba’s gopherball?
Hi guys –
Looking at this lineup – it’s much better than most, if not all, in MLB. They definitely have a lineup that can win. They guys have the ability, they just have to do it.
And Nova has the ability to win. If nothing else, he’s shown he’s got the guts to pitch in clutch situations. He doesn’t back down, bless him.
They can beat on Garza. They’ve done it before.
The losing can stop tonight. They just have to get it done.
To borrow from the late Tug McGraw, you gotta believe. If you don’t, then why bother to follow the team?
Does Mama Joe have a column on there for diaper changes too? Geez…win some games – enough with the coddling. Girardi is pathetic.
Read what Maddon said going into the series about going all out to win. Read what Gardenhire said today going into the Chicago series (with a healthy lead). He said ” we feel like we need to win every game in September.”
These guys are primed and have their teams fired up. Girardi on the other hand just mumbles drivel about availabilities and bland comments about performance. Horrible leader.
Its showtime Joe and you are in over your head and may not have the firepower this year to save yourself.
Will,
Joba was told before the game yesterday that he was getting the night off. It was pre-determined.
The info Chad is giving us is news, but last night Girardi did reveal that Joba’s IP were getting up there.
They had a plan and chose not to deviate from it.
I’m not as convinced that Nova is a stud as most, but he has pitched well.
They can still get HFA if they decide to start hitting on the road. That lineups we put out the last 2 nights were still better than Tampa’s.
Tank,
I brought that up last night, but I was told that putting mitre in on 8 days rest was asking for trouble.
Not much left to be said. Let’s hope for good pitching , timely hitting and A WIN !
Go Yanks !
Hi Betsy – Hope you’re well.
One comment before I start making myself dinner – think back to 2003.
The Marlins were the wild card team, no home field advantage for them. Yanks had home field in the Series, too. So, who won? The team with the better pitching, that’s who. Say what you want about Beckett and Co., but they delivered the pitching, and I can remember my insides spinning over the Yanks’ inability to come up with clutch pitching in that series.
m,
I am not questioning chad, or suggesting Joba really was available. Just that the excuse given by Girardi was wrong. He did not pitch 3 of 4 days because Thursday’s off day counts.
“You don’t want to give them two days off, and you want to be able to use them in the game last night,” Girardi said. “But I’ve said that a guy’s health in his career and the future of this organization is more important than one game. I’m not going to jeopardize that. People might disagree. These guys have worked really hard to get into this situation, and I don’t want to be the one to hurt them. Sometimes players don’t know how to say no.”
Nice sentiment about not wanting to take a chance on ruining a pitchers career. I guess that doesn’t apply to position players???
The guy’s a walking contradiciton.
If you are a Yankee fan, you can only hope that Cashman is taking notes and decides to move in another direction in the off season; managerially speaking.
Instead of getting upset that Girardi is treating these games like spring training games we have to face the facts now. They aren’t playing to win the division and actions speak louder than words. Girardi completely gave up after the 8th inning in yesterday’s game and we should expect to see more of that in the remaining games.
Enjoy the game folks.
Let’s hope the Yankees get their Mojo working again tonite.
“Read what Maddon said going into the series about going all out to win. Read what Gardenhire said today going into the Chicago series (with a healthy lead). He said ” we feel like we need to win every game in September.” ”
Maddon’s team is in much better shape than ours at the moment, pitching and health-wise. Despite all that, the lineup we put out on the field (even when resting a couple of guys) is better than Tampa’s. Girardi didn’t ask them to go 11 innings without scoring.
Gardenhire’s team is in a pennant race with the White Sox. They are 5 back and they have to win their series or the White Sox could cut it to 2-4 games with the Twins. If they win this series vs. Chi, they are pretty much done.
Concern over players’ futures
Applies to: Arod, Posada, relievers not named Rivera.
Does not apply to: Cano, Swisher, Gardner, Jeter (?), Rivera
Well, okay. I see that none of the new revelations did anything to change your opinions. Hopefully, we’ll win today so you won’t feel so angry.
The Yanks need to win at least one of the final two in TB. Someone needs to staunch the bleeding. Girardi has been dreadful in managing the pen and in situational spots. This team is also going to start to press (heck, they already have).
Right now, watching them is akin to slowing down at the scene of an accident. You know it’s going to be ugly, but you can’t pull your eyes away.
Red Lobster,
If Maddon or Gardenhire were managing the Yankees, they might still have to do the juggling and all, but they would still talk the talk and have the team fired up. Have the Yankees looked fired up to you? No matter how experienced or old players are, they still look for strong leadership. Girardi is a stat geek not a leader who is going motivate guys to go to the wall for him.
Red Lobster-
Too many here compare apples and oranges a lot.