Getting past the wall
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Podcast on Sep 16, 2010 
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It was Alex Rodriguez, in the minutes after Tuesday night’s win, who seemed to see this road trip for what it was.
“We’ve been in some dogfights the past four or five days and come up on the short end,” he said. “I think the long and short is, it’s hard to go 162 games and not run into a wall. We’d been able to avoid that all year until now.”
He was right. And he’s still right. There’s a reason every other team in baseball had already lost four in a row before the Yankees finally did it. That sort of losing streak isn’t abnormal. It’s certainly not abnormal when two corner outfielders are hurt, an all-star pitcher is hurt and the schedule calls for six straight road games against good teams like Texas and Tampa Bay.
There’s no way to sugar coat what’s happened to the Yankees. They’ve fallen apart in a lot of ways these past 10 games. They’re two home runs away from a 10-game losing streak that would have left even the brightest optimist seeing bits of falling sky. The Yankees have hit a wall. It happens. What matters is getting around the wall and finding something better on the other side.
“We’ve lasted a long time, to the middle of September to run into that (wall),” Rodriguez said last night. “Hopefully we get that behind us, and we know exactly what we’re capable of doing. One quality hit, one big hit, things would be different.”
Today is an off day. This weekend is a three-game series in Baltimore where Brett Gardner should be back, Andy Pettitte should be back on Sunday and Nick Swisher might be back. Then its four more big games against Tampa Bay. And then Boston.
Hitting a wall isn’t unusual. The trick is getting to the other side.
Here’s A-Rod from last night.
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On the plus side, today there is a buzz in Hollywood about Derek Jeter’s rumored nomination for an Academy Award, Best Supporting Actor. And he has also received an invitation to compete on Dancing With the Stars.
Rumor has it (in bizarro world) that Jeter will be impeached as captain and Alex will replace him.
Stump cannot start Kearns in Baltimore. SEVEN strikeouts in two games, with most in key situations is disgraceful. If Gardner and Swisher can’t play, Golson needs to get a shot.
The injuries have really told on this team in the last few games, IMO. If Gardner is able to play Friday that’s a huge boost and then (hopefully) Swish in time for the Tampa series. The bottom of the line-up has looked lost the past few games.
Less talk more action
The Yankees aren’t the NY Jets, no need to be talking about it, leave it on the field
They can claim these games were dogfights and they could have done this or that, etc.
Bottom line is they are losing far more than winning over this stretch
Only changing it on the field has any meaning, not words after the game.
Snippet from Mike Axisa RABs:
“I can’t wait for Nick Swisher and/or Brett Gardner to get healthy, because I’m not sure how much more of Austin Kearns I can take. He’s now six for his last 45 (.133) with 19 strikeouts, six of which came in the last two games.”
Actually Mike, I believe it’s been 7 strikeouts, many with runners in scoring position and less than two outs, over the last two games. Your article was spot on.
cashman has made terrible personnel moves from the day after the world series. he must accept blame if and when this team crashes and burns. I hope they don’t. I’ve spent beaucoup bucks watching them this year in the bronx. we have a right to be pissed off. How many more times will kearns strike out ? there are real problems (clutch hitting & offense) going back to the series losses vs O’s and Jays.
MacFan-
That’s the bottom line.
Nobody remembers who finishes second, or why.
“# JM September 16th, 2010 at 9:10 am
The injuries have really told on this team in the last few games, IMO. If Gardner is able to play Friday that’s a huge boost and then (hopefully) Swish in time for the Tampa series. The bottom of the line-up has looked lost the past few games.”
++++++++++++
To me of all our injuries the biggest one was to Pettitte
it made us reliant on both Burnett and Vazquez every 5th day and that is a scary recipe, because they both defecated on themselves at the same time for an extended period and the Yankees rotation became a shamble.
Earlierin the season with Andy having the best season of his career, we only needed Burnett or Vazquez at any time to turn in a decent start.
Andy’s injury left us with poor start after poor start, low innings pitched by starters not named CC and no one to follow Sabathia in the rotation to put us in a good position to take a series.
Burnett has been the biggest flop of all, Vazquez should have been expected, but A.J. is the main culprit of the pitching staff, with his 5.13 ERA, more Hits than IP, tons of BB’s and ER’s, terrible WHIP, decreased strikeouts, high batting average against,
You see the pattern, poor, poor, poor from Burnett.
So many issues to discuss, but I want to know what the Yankees were thinking throwing Johnson a fastball inside when he was 100% looking for a fastball and would not swing at any curves. Now look at the way TB pitched Kearns and Thames. All off speed stuff and showing the fastball as a ball. I never liked the Kearns signing and still don’t. When good he is mediocre. Play Golson and at least we get good defense.
As for the poor hitting in key spots, it is just a weird aberration, however, when Kearns is up in a big spot (and you too Curtis), you are not going to get your fastball so look for the change up!!! I was screaming at the TV to sit on the change up to kearns and instead he swings at a change ball 4 in the dirt. Not a fan of his
I’m for giving ANYONE not named Austin Kearns a shot right now.
Rich in NJ -
Pretty funny that.
I’ve been on this blog since Day One.
I can honestly say, I have not seen nor participated in a bizarre a conversation as we had in here last night.
To turn Derek Jeter’s play into a morality evaluation of Jeter, and those who liked/supported what he did, take crazy to a new level.
It was both funny and sad at the same time.
Overall though, I think the only word that can describe it is “bizarre”.
As far as the weekend, no matter who is playing or pitching, they have to find a way to start winning some games.
The LAST thing you want if you are the Yankees is CC Sabathia having to pitch on the last weekend of the season to secure a playoff.
That is the ultimate worst case scenario.
Only way to avoid that is to be able to hit the ball and score some runs…….especially on the road.
Rich in NJ September 16th, 2010 at 9:04 am
Rumor has it (in bizarro world) that Jeter will be impeached as captain and Alex will replace him.
****************
You forgot about the infamous “HA!” play. A-Rod’s reputation is super tarnished too, by those definitions
“# MTU September 16th, 2010 at 9:16 am
MacFan-
That’s the bottom line.
Nobody remembers who finishes second, or why.”
+++++++++++++++++
Exactly, so they better get their act together real soon, I’ve been hearing a lot of talking, before this Tampa series they claimed the Texas series was behind them and they knew what needed to be done in Tampa and they controlled their own destiny, etc.
They now leave their with a series loss, if they don’t win that 4 game series against Tampa at Yankee Stadium at this crucial juncture, it will speak volumes about the team.
Last nights conversation reminded me of this quote:
A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices.
– William James
Day 1 of postlapsarian Jeter.
It’s a brave new world out there; stay calm.
Can you imagine if Derek Jeter stopped and said “Nah, I don’t want to go to first. The ball didn’t hit the bat first”? LOL
“# SJ44 September 16th, 2010 at 9:18 am
I’ve been on this blog since Day One.
I can honestly say, I have not seen nor participated in a bizarre a conversation as we had in here last night.
To turn Derek Jeter’s play into a morality evaluation of Jeter, and those who liked/supported what he did, take crazy to a new level.
It was both funny and sad at the same time.
Overall though, I think the only word that can describe it is “bizarre”.
As far as the weekend, no matter who is playing or pitching, they have to find a way to start winning some games.
The LAST thing you want if you are the Yankees is CC Sabathia having to pitch on the last weekend of the season to secure a playoff.
That is the ultimate worst case scenario.
Only way to avoid that is to be able to hit the ball and score some runs…….especially on the road.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
I think people were more surprised Derek of all people did that
Has he sunk that low, that he now has to do that to reach base
It was not something you would imagine from a Derek of better season’s
As for Sabathia, that is something that I find very odd too
If the Yankees keep dropping games and series, they might find themselves in a position of needing to pitch a Sabathia/Pettitte in that final Boston series, just to secure a Wild Card spot, if they don’t pick things up real fast, like tomorrow maybe.
Imagine A.J. Burnett on the road our Game 1 starter, oh the humanity, I would be disgusted if that ever happens.
Tom-
Give the Devil his due.
He even manged to deprive Jeter of Sainthood.
What a world.
From some of what I’m reading, the Yankees themselves, if not their fans, are taking a calmer view of the last 10 days. A better perspective for them, I think, and showing to me at least that they are not nor do they consider themselves a defeated team. Maybe I’m naive, maybe it really means nothing in the long run, but to me mindset is huge.
And Tampa didn’t beat them into the ground. I know on paper the two teams have very opposite schedules awaiting them, with the Yankees looking like they’ve got the tougher row to hoe. But I do believe that you never know until the games are played how they’re going to turn out. To me it’s seemed that everytime the consensus on this forum is that they Yankees are going to win easily, they do not; everytime the consensus is that they’re going to get p ounded, they are not. (well, not EVERY time, but much of the time). Just goes to show – “ya can’t predict baseball, Suzyn.” “No, you can’t John.”
Macfan,
I agree about Pettite. Before he went down the starting pitching had been one of the strengths of this team. Afterwards the wheels fell off. That has had a ripple effect, leading to the bp being overused, etc. Add that to some bizarre managing moves by Joe and the Yanks’ season-long inability to hit on the road and you have a recipe for nice long slump.
I went back this morning and read some of the comments about Jeter. Truly I felt as though I had entered an alternative universe. But I have to admit some of it was hilarious. Took a bit of the sting out of another tough loss.
Agree on turning Jeters play into some twisted morality litmus test is one of the most idiotic things seen in these parts.
And of course the usual suspects are involved.
Honestly I prefer good old fashioned trolls to the conspiracy theorists and morality cops that come on here to spew their nonsense.
Derek Jeter didn’t sink to anything. The ball hit the end of the bat; he reacted to the closeness of it and the sting of the vibrating bat. The umpire interpreted that as his having been hit. That’s the long and short of it. Once the umpire made that interpretation, it was a done deal. Unless they had replay…
Maybe he wanted to get Geno and Joe out there to let them know he was fine?
Oh good, now people are going to use this as rhetoric for “jeters having a terrible season i cant believe he has sunk so low to get on base”
Can you imagine if Derek Jeter stopped and said “Nah, I don’t want to go to first. The ball didn’t hit the bat first”?
*******************************
The umpire made the wrong call and the Yankees took advantage. The Rays would have done the same thing.
I am also an avid Jets fan and so many times in football there are roughing the kicker calls because the kicker will act like he got hit and fall down.
MacFan-
“They now leave their with a series loss, if they don’t win that 4 game series against Tampa at Yankee Stadium at this crucial juncture, it will speak volumes about the team.”
Indeed it would but let’s see what happens.
In baseball, as in life, things can turn on a dime.
Will the things that didn’t kill the Yanks make them stronger ?
They have been challenged and now it’s up to them to respond.
Or maybe he just decided to have a little fun with it? Heavens knows it made me giggle a little watching the replays.
Overheard at the latest Crappy Baseball Players Anonymous meeting:
“Hello, my name is Austin Kearns, and I’m a crappy baseball player.”
“Hello, Austin.”
Sunk to a new low? Seriously?
Anybody remember the ’96 ALCS when Girardi pretended to have something in his eye? Torre and the trainer came out for 10 minutes giving him eye drops and whatnot.
The truth was, the Yankees just scored with 2 outs and Girardi needed to stall so Mo could warm up for the next inning.
Doreen,
That’s true.
However, if they get swept, or lose 2 of 3 in Baltimore, that clubhouse will get very tight.
Especially if Boston sweeps Tampa.
No matter how good you are, at some point, you have to win games.
The moral victories of the games being close doesn’t matter.
Two somewhat lucky HR’s away from having a 10 game losing streak in the middle of a pennant race, regardless of who is hurt, is completely unacceptable for this franchise.
They better figure it out fast because they can’t afford another bad week.
Actually….. The ball DID hit Jeter
(It just hit the bat first).
I have no doubt somewhere in that chain of events something did hurt him
If Boston sweeps Toronto.
Sorry for the typo.
Doreen September 16th, 2010 at 9:32 am
Or maybe he just decided to have a little fun with it? Heavens knows it made me giggle a little watching the replays.
___________________________________________________________________
Doreen, dont you know that baseball is a serious business? Its not a game that we watch for entertainment purposes…oh wait.
I just don’t see the big deal about Jeter acting as if he got hit. Players do it all the time, sometimes they get the call, sometimes not.
How many times have we seen an outfielder catch a ball on a hop and then lift their glove as if it never hit the ground? And have it being called an out.
This is part of baseball. The job Jeter and every other batter out there, has is to get on base. He saw the opportunity and took it.
Had he not gotten the call it would have been a foul ball. Throwing to 1st didn’t matter, it was foul. So it would have been at least another pitch that had to be made.
This is why many of the players don’t want to have replay. Yes, there is all the garbage about getting the call right. That only gets trotted out when the call goes against them. The catchers “cheat” all the time with “framing a pitch” for a called strike on a ball. I never hear anyone faulting them for that.
When was the last time, or for that matter, the first time you ever saw a position player tell the umpire that a runner beat them to the bag, even when its obvious that they did, and got called out? When have you ever seen a player trap a ball and not try to sell it as a catch?
These are all part of the game, part of their tools, that they use. The managers sometimes use going out and getting tossed from a game to fire up their team. Girardi has done it. It sometimes leads to an umpire being a little more lenient in calls. Is that any less “cheating”?
Players get hosed on bad calls all the time. To get one back is no big deal.
I also think the talk that Jeter “showed up the umpire” because he said it hit the bat is BS. Jeter knows that play will be shown over an over, and its clear it hit the bat. He sold it because he could. Just like a catcher sells a ball as a strike, or a batter who “check swings” too far and sells it by call for the umpire themselves.
Umpires get calls wrong all the time. Yet, Jeter gets blasted for getting a call to go for him? Like Jeter never had calls made against him that were wrong and lead to an out.
SJ-
The basic Rx is as simple as it ever was.
Just keep finding a way to win series.
They are nearly 100% now.
They will be in their own House.
No excuses. No double-talk.
Play like the Champs and you’ll likely wind up as the Champs.
If you don’t you turn into an also ran.
And someone who nobody remembers.
Chad, thanks for posting that picture, you just reminded me that I’m seeing the Wall, 30 year anniversary tour with Roger Waters and now, out of no where David Gilmore decided to join, 2 weeks from Sunday, I’m more excited for this than the MLB playoffs!!!
SJ44 -
Oh, absolutely. Gotta win. There’s only so far you can go with, “at least they don’t feel defeated.” If they keep losing, they’re gonna feel defeated.
Whether the manager does or not, the players have to look only as far as the game they are playing. “Play today, win today.” The rest takes care of itself.
I just think it helps that they don’t see themselves as defeated yet. Makes it easier to go into a game with the attitude that they CAN “play today, win today, dassit.”
NYY626 -
I forgot!
The Rays are a very good team. However, I still believe they are inferior to the Yankees, IF the Yankees play to their full capabilities. Obviously they have not been doing that, hence the losing streak. Doesn’t matter that the games were all close. In some ways that makes it even more difficult to swallow. You have to be able to win close games in the playoffs, to hit situationally, to pitch well in pressure-filled situations.
I believe the team will rise to the occasion and show their grit over the next week. But they have to show it on the field.
As for Jeter, he was just trying to get an Edge.
That was a beautiful acting job by Jeter. I support it. Like he said, he’s been hit before and not gotten the call. He’s been called out on strikes that aren’t strikes. The game is subjective and you take what you can get.
Meanwhile here’s hoping to the Yankees bouncing back. It can certainly be done, we just need everyone healthy.
Also Phil’s outing was pretty encouraging. He largely out pitched Shields, the Rays just didn’t miss their chances against him. The Yankees missed their chances against Shields.
“The LAST thing you want if you are the Yankees is CC Sabathia having to pitch on the last weekend of the season to secure a playoff.”
————————————–
This something they absolutely have to avoid. The most important factor for the Yankees in the playoffs this year is CC Sabathia and being able to line him up so he can pitch as often as possible, some of which will come on 3 days rest.
It would greatly benefit them to get on a nice little streak here so they can give CC a breather as well.
That’s the way I feel about it MTU.
No more excuses. No more whining about injuries. No more headscratching decisions on the bench.
Start winning games……period.
ahhh JM that Jeter comment was perfect
people let’s be a little positive. A sweep in Baltimore will help us all forget about this series… Believe me I’m just as sick with Kearns and Curtis but what are you gonna do? It’s over so let’s move on.
SJ-
I’m with you.
Nike method- “Just do it”. Dig down deep. Find a way.
Otherwise the sacrifices of a 162 game season, and the memory of the departed just gets flushed down the toilet, and becomes part of the river of broken dreams.
I hope the Yankees don’t let that happen. I have to believe they wont.
Yankees 21 – Tampa 2
That would be a great score except for the fact thats how many runners the Yanks stranded last night. Between Kearns (6) & Curtis (4) they stranded about half of those.
Twice in the first 4 innings they did not get a runner in from 3rd base with less than 2 outs, AND the infield playing back.
This type of poor situational hitting goes on night after night. How about starting to manage the situations in the game & stop waiting on the 3 run home run.
2 of 3. I like to be reasonable. Never predict sweeps.
All alone, or in twos
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall
Some hand in hand
Some gathering together in bands
The bleeding hearts and the artists
Make their stand
And when they’ve given you their all
Some stagger and fall after all it’s not easy
banging your heart against some mad bugger’s
Wall
(midnight showings of The Wall helped shape my youth)
I see much humor in what Jeter did.
I see even more humor in people making excuses for him doing it.
If you sync up the the 5 yankee games the wizard of oz, your mind will be blown away…
“I see even more humor in people making excuses for him doing it.”
And the humor in those trying to make him into some kind of cheat.
if it were anyone but Jeter, would there be this much fuss…well anyone but Jeter or Arod!!
Kate-
Like most humans Jeter failed the Sainthood test.
Now he has to live with just being a great ballplayer.
I pity him.
What about Mauer tipping pitches? It was clear that he was doing that when he was on base, and all the talking heads were saying it was part of the game.
This is no different.
Youkilis is far worse about that type of play than Jeter’s last night. There have been numerous times when Youkilis went into his leg cut off routine when the ball never touched him and he got on base.
Where is the righteous indignation from the media and fans about those times?
Its absurd.
There are times when they are hit and don’t get the call. Is that any different?
Such absurdity to think that just because it was Jeter who sold a call to an umpire it was wrong.
Baltimore will not be a day at the beach. Need to win 2 of 3 the rest of the way. In the Rays series of 4 games, no worse than a split.
Can’t hit a wall now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
ha ha its kinda funny, my sister the sox fan sometimes asks me WWJD (what would Jeter do) regarding various situations in jest…now we know…I am sure I will hear about it!
MTU,
I think it may be time for you to dust off the alchemy kit and whip up a magic elixir for these guys.
Dr. Evil (Showalter, who I find very creepy) did something to them in that last series and I fear he’s been hard at work concocting another potion to finish the job.
They’re in desperate need of an antidote.
“And the humor in those trying to make him into some kind of cheat.”
A mix of humor and absurdity.
These guys are baseball players not demigods. When you make them into demigods, they are set up to disappoint.
What Jeter did was gamesmanship not cheating and that’s been part of the game forever. If Youkilis or Longoria did the same thing, it would still be gamesmanship, not cheating.
Not sure some people would see that though.
Kate-
It’s nice to have hero’s. It’s good for Humanity. We all love the Romanticism of it. And it sometimes hurts when we are let down.
But when most people are put up on a pedestal they have nowhere to go but down.
It’s in the nature of all humans to be flawed and to fail sometimes.
Expecting perfection from human beings is doomed from the start.
It’s not in their nature.
Stumbling is a part of life. Even for great baseball players.
And that’s why forgiveness and redemption are so important.
And that’s the end of my sermon.
My apologies if I offended anyone.
YES September 16th, 2010 at 9:50 am
Yankees 21 – Tampa 2
That would be a great score except for the fact thats how many runners the Yanks stranded last night. Between Kearns (6) & Curtis (4) they stranded about half of those.
Twice in the first 4 innings they did not get a runner in from 3rd base with less than 2 outs, AND the infield playing back.
This type of poor situational hitting goes on night after night. How about starting to manage the situations in the game & stop waiting on the 3 run home run.
*****************************************************
Spot on! All this crap about how Hughes did not pitch well is wrong. Phil gave up 2 HR’s, Yes, but he gave his team a chance to win. When a Yankees pitcher goes 6.2 innings, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits, that’s a winable game.
The problem has been, and continues to be the lack of hitting with RISP.
I don’t believe Austin Kearns belongs on this team. He appears not only lost at the plate, but, in the field as well. His body language seems to say I don’t want to be here.
Let’s hope we get back some healthy, productive OF soon. The less we see of Kearns, the better this team as a whole will be.
Personally, I think when Showalter came into town last time, there was too much “welcome back old friend, good luck” going on. And I’m only half kidding on that.
Jeers-
The lab has produced mixed results so far this year.
But I will try.
I need to find a good book on VooDoo.
It seems obvious from the conservative approach the Yanks ae taking with injuies that the post-season is the most iportant thing to te Yanks.
given that, there is no way CC won’t start game 1. The chance of that not hppening is way too remote to even bein to worry about.
# upstate kate September 16th, 2010 at 10:02 am
if it were anyone but Jeter, would there be this much fuss…well anyone but Jeter or Arod!!
————-
Yes. AJ Pierzynski
Father Mike – Well said!
The Yankees owe Baltimore a beat down for starting this mess…I think it starts tomorrow with AJ determined to prove he belongs in the playoff rotation. Win 2 of 3 this weekend and get the outfield healthy and ready to see the Rays next week at the stadium…despite all the recent struggles the Yankees still find themselves in a position to take hold of the division…they just have to do it. They played better in Tampa than they had since the Toronto series…hopefully they are about to come out of it…..
“Baltimore will not be a day at the beach.”
O’s have won their last 4 series (which include the Rays and Yankees) and 5 of their last 6. Where they once appeared a lock to lose 100+, it is now all but certain that they won’t (5-11 gets ‘em 63 wins). Yankees will have to show up, but they can and should win this series.
Al-
If you’ll excuse me I need to leave the sanctity of the pulpit for a few minutes so I can walk the mops. it’s about priorities.
And besides they really, really need to piss.
Back in a while.
What Jeter did was gamesmanship not cheating and that’s been part of the game forever. If Youkilis or Longoria did the same thing, it would still be gamesmanship, not cheating.
Not sure some people would see that though.
——
True but it can be argued, whether one agrees or not, that Jeter falls more on the Youkilis/Longoria side of your example than say Pierzynksi who was heavily criticized.
Yes, Jeter has taken some criticism but its honestly its mild and more humorous compared to the criticism the “jerks” of the league would get for the same thing. Sometimes, things should be based on the act and not whose committing them. So the people who have no problem with Jeter’s act (and I don’t) shouldn’t take issue with the less liked players (ie Pierzynksi) doing it.
MTU September 16th, 2010 at 10:19 am
Kate-
It’s nice to have hero’s. It’s good for Humanity. We all love the Romanticism of it. And it sometimes hurts when we are let down.
But when most people are put up on a pedestal they have nowhere to go but down.
——————————————————————
MTU, sure glad I’m in the gutter. That way I can only go up.
I like the way you are thinking Blake…and I agree w/ a previous comment you made. The Texas series bothered me more than the Rays series.
the Os are due for a fall, they have been playing way over their heads lately
Watch out for the snakes, Mops are too small to kill those creepy crawlers.
Am I the only one getting worried about the Sox??? I mean someone has to lose when we play the Rays again next week.
Good morning, all –
Hit a wall, to say the least. But, the one thing is, for all the aqita, they still have control of their destiny. As others have said, just win. It’s the time of the season, everybody has injuries, everyone’s tired. This is clutch time. It’s what separates the men from the boys. They are more than capable, just got to do it. Really nothing else to say.
On another note, if SJ is saying that for all his experience that last night was the most bizarre, that’s saying something. There really are some bizarre people (I assume) who comment here.
Yes, you are the only one worried about the Sox.
sign me up for not worried about the sox
I’m not panicked about the team because a few extra hits with runners in scoring position and the team is 5-5 or even better in this past 10 game streak. I’m slightly depressed about the results, but I’m hopeful for the future of the team. I think they will still end up winning the division with the best record in baseball.
Maybe the Yankees are calmer than fans about their slump because its a reflection of their arrogance and/or complacency. They seem to believe that everything will work out in the end because they are the Yankees.
And while Swisher and Gardner being out has hurt, its pathetic that a team with Arod, Jeter, Teixeira, Posada and Granderson needs those two in the line-up to be competitive. That’s five guys making $95M between them – more than most teams’ entire payroll! What are they getting paid for?
Who is scheduled to pitch Saturday…have they announced that yet? It would be Mosely’s turn but Sabathia’s Normal day….I was thinking they would throw CC on Saturday then have Pettite Sunday and Hughes falling in on Monday to start the series with the Rays…that also would align CC to throw the final game of the Rays series…
It looks like the Yankees will be on the road in the playoffs.
Austin Kearns in in a slump that should have him on the bench for a few games.
He’s not the only guy with bat ABs though. The Captain was swinging at balls up in his eyes last night.
AJ on the mound tomorrow? That’s not good…uggggg
Swisher should be back soon. Pettitte will be back soon. Gardner will be back soon.
How much of a difference is the lineup with Kearns out and Gardner or Swisher in his place?
The losses they have recently had are tough to take, mainly because too many were games that they could have, and probably should have won.
I will take it a different way. Its rare to see so many games fall flat like that in a short span of time. I just don’t see it continuing that way.
The Rays have been streaky as well as the Yankees have. Why couldn’t the Rays have one of their down spots now, especially after the big series with the Yankees, and having some let down effect?
Had the Yankees been blown away in all these games it would be a different matter. Too many of them were close, and quite winnable.
clownthrowindown September 16th, 2010 at 10:41 am
Maybe the Yankees are calmer than fans about their slump because its a reflection of their arrogance and/or complacency. They seem to believe that everything will work out in the end because they are the Yankees.
****************************************************
Your name says it all – You truly are just a clown!
Let’s hope the East Division is won by the Yankees when they visit Toronto on Sept. 27-29.
The Rays play the Angels, Seattle, Baltimore, and K.C. and they can all play spoiler.
Blake
CC is scheduled to start on Sat. I heard somewhere (xm maybe?) that it should line up for a rematch between CC and Price
With AJ, CC, and Andy going against the O’s, the 2009 team would sweep. The 2010 team should do the same, but 2 of 3 is a must!
I’d set the rotation for the next two series as (AJ, CC, Pettite), (Hughes, Nova, AJ, CC).
That keeps your main guys on schedule and gives Nova 2 extra days….
How can you not be somwhat worried about the Sox?? We’re playing TB next week which means one of the team have to lose those games and then also we’re playign the Sox six more times this year. What makes you think we can beat any team right about now other say the Royals??/ Heck not even the Royals..
Mgumpher
totally agree, all those games were close
I am confident w/ Andy/Swish/GGBG coming back, a new winning streak will begin
Later folks.
One more win, Patrick!
I had a few extra minutes to look at the blog this morning and now I remember why I’ve been avoiding it. Panicked comments from idiot fans that don’t understand baseball and this,
Nick in SF September 16th, 2010 at 10:58 am
One more win, Patrick!
Damn you Nick, damn you!!!!
When AROD was asked what he thought of Jeter’s acting all he could say was…….”hah”
2 home runs away from a 10 game losing streak.
they are also a 220 BA with RISP from winning about 7 of 10.
newsflash… there losses in the most part were winnable games.. they are not exactly getting crushed…with kearns and girardi doing there best to loss the games what do you expect………
JCPD-
Then you are indeed fortunate because when you have to spit up to hit the sidewalk there’s no place to go but up.
It’s the people on top who have to worry.
“I’m not panicked about the team because a few extra hits with runners in scoring position and the team is 5-5 or even better in this past 10 game streak”
Not panciking here either. However, these are the types of games that will likely occur in the playoffs. The kind championship teams win. It’s slightly disconcerting to see them go 1-5 against their likely playoff competition in games that were all won or lost in the late innings. Where we have become so used to the Yankees winning such game in key spots, it was their opposition who got the “few extra hits with runners in scoring position”.
Patrick, it’s possible the Gigantes could go winless for the rest of the season and you could still take the prize.
(Let me know if you want a side wager on that)
When your team loses down the road just remember the classy acting job your short stop pulled. His dirty play almost cost the Rays that game. Yankees are going down in flames.
“2 home runs away from a 10 game losing streak.”
Tampa was 2 home runs from being swept by the Yankees too. It works both ways.
(Let me know if you want a side wager on that)
–
For once I’ll pass
Bill D,
I’m sad about the results of the games but I really am not worried. All games were close, and all were away from Yankee stadium. I think these two series have proven that the Yankees are going to have a tough road, but that they have a legitimate chance to get to the world series.
This is a preview of the playoffs but in the playoffs the Yanks will have Gardner, Swisher and Pettitte. They will play games at home. They will have their rotation set up. Yes we lost 5 of 6 to likely playoff opponents. But I’m still very hopeful.
Big Al,
Then explain all the comments like “its a long season”, “gotta tip your cap” (which you notice Capt Groundout stopped saying once he started hitting like Luis Sojo).
Explain all the resting.
Explain Girardi’s testing pitchers’ fortitude at the expense of games.
Jeter batting lead off? Tex batting third when he sucked and Cano was the best player in the league?
They aren’t the things you do when you are looking to win games. Its things you do if you have a crappy team (which they don’t) or have supreme confidence that no matter what you do, it will all work out right.
No way you can compare this team’s competitiveness with TB who finds a way to win despite a weak line-up or their grit with Boston’s who have the 4th best record in the league despite all their injuries (and please don’t compare Gardner and swisher missing a week to losing Youkilis and Pedroia for months)…or any of it with last year’s Yankees.
Patrick:
I remain hopeful as well. Cetainly health and home games, where the Yankees are scoring 1.2 more runs per game than they are on the road, will help.
Suddenly HFA is a three team race as the Twins have quietly inched to within a half game of the Yankees and are even in the AILC.
You just gotta love loser BoSux fans that come over to a Yankees blog and post their stupidity…..Enjoy missing the playoffs and watching your Patriots implode too, you dolt !
new thread
It’s getting difficult to keep track of who is and who isn’t panicked.
I propose we go to a username/current level of panic or emotional state – salutation format.
——————————————
Bronx Jeers/not worried but not amused either