Alex Rodriguez named Player of the Month
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Oct 04, 2010 
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Alex Rodriguez has been named the American League Player of the Month for September. Robinson Cano won the award back in April. David Price was the Pitcher of the Month. Here’s the A-Rod part of the announcement.
Rodriguez led the A.L. in RBI (26) and slugging percentage (.667), and tied for second with nine home runs. He ranks among the league leaders for the season in home runs (8th, 30) and RBI (2nd, 125). The 35-year-old right-handed slugger reached base safely in 18-of-22 games played last month while leading the Yankees to their 15th postseason berth in the last 16 years.
On September 17th, Alex smashed his second home run of the game, a three-run shot in the ninth inning that carried the Yankees to a 4-3 win at Baltimore. Rodriguez collected his 100th RBI of the season on September 6th in a 4-3 loss to Baltimore. He continued his historic month by blasting his 30th home run of the season on September 29th in an 8-4 loss at Toronto. It is the 13th consecutive season that the 13-time A.L. All-Star has reached the 30-home run and 100-RBI plateaus and 14th season overall, which is the most in Major League history.
The three-time A.L. M.V.P. also passed Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx for the most career 100-RBI seasons all-time. He trails only Hank Aaron (15) for the most 30-home run seasons ever. This is the 10th career monthly award for Rodriguez (previous: June 2007), which is the most of any active player. He is the second Yankees player to earn the honor this season (Robinson Cano, April), marking the first year a pair of Yankees teammates have won the award since 2007.
Congratulations to Alex!!!!!!!!!!
See, there was a bright side to September.
Nice time for Alex to be hot. Like I said I completely trust AROD and CC and that’s about it.
Congrats Alex….though I will be much happier if he wins player of the month in October.
I think if Lee signs with the Rangers then one of two things happen….1) the Yankees try very hard to pry Greinke from the Royals or attempt to trade for another big arm (not sure who else would be potentially available 2) they attempt to improve the team in other ways and rely on what pitching they have….(Crawford or trade for an elite position player).
I think we can be sure of one thing…with the Sox probably having a busy winter and with the rest of the AL East trending upward, I don’t see the Yankees resting on their laurels.
blake -
I joke, but I agree. If Lee decides to go elsewhere, the Yankees will do something else.
Don’t know about Greinke, though. I do not discount his issues. He should not be in NY.
It’s fascinating how Alex has matured in his time in pinstripes.
Doreen,
Maybe not.. I think Cliff is starting Game 2 of the ALDS this time next year as part of the best pitching trio in baseball.
If not, they will do something this winter….thats too big a fish to get away without them answering with something. Even if its addition by subtraction (AJ)….ok ok I’m done I promise.
I’m happy for Alex and happy that he is on the team I watch everyday(even though its painful sometimes) I know he gets a bad rap but I think if all his detractors saw how hard he works and helps the team, they too would come to like him. And how can you not like a guy that gets booed everywhere he goes but still performs at a high level. Good job Alex.
“I think if Lee signs with the Rangers then one of two things happen….1) the Yankees try very hard to pry Greinke from the Royals or attempt to trade for another big arm (not sure who else would be potentially available 2) they attempt to improve the team in other ways and rely on what pitching they have….(Crawford or trade for an elite position player).”
I think Lee goes to the highest bidder. If the Yankees want him they will offer the most $$$.
Greinke has had emotional issues. Don’t think he could handle NY pressure.
I like the 3 outfielders we have. Don’t want Crawford.
Pitching, pitching, pitching.
I think the teams with the top 3 pitchers are-
Giants and Phillies.
Some pretty impressive stats for Arod. Won’t be to long with every at bat someone will accuse him of just padding stats.
I’m not wild about Crawford either. He’s a really good player but I like their outfield currently as well and really don’t see the need to spend a lot of money to improve upon it unless a realistic deal for someone like Matt Kemp comes along.
It’s really a pretty simple offseason if they are able to land Cliff Lee….if not it becomes a bit more complicated because there really isn’t another impact pitcher that will be available via free agency.
I don’t want Greinke for multiple reasons; I won’t go into the obvious, but he didn’t even have a great year this year. You want to give up Phil Hughes and Montero to begin with?
Lee to the Yanks is not a done deal by any means, no matter how much he may want to be here. I do not see the Yankees giving him 6 years and I can see the Rangers doing so.
The Sox will be an exceptional team next year. They will have their main guys healthy and Beckett/Lackey will be much better, to go along with Lester and Buchholz. The Jays will be very good. The Rays – the O’s.
Forget I mentioned Greinke….That discussion has been had.
The AL East may be even better next year than it was this year. The Yanks know this and will act accordingly.
Repost:
Blake-
I believe we’ll get our Man but I’m not so sure about Andy.
Whatever transpires the Yankees will find a way to ensure that their rotation is competitive.
They know what they are up against in the AL East.
There is no time to sleep, and we have what it takes to obtain what we might need. One way or another.
The question is does lee want more years or more money? I bet he’ll take the Yankees shorter term deal for more money per than the rangers’ longer term deal for less money.
Betsy -
The Sox may have their main guys healthy but I don’t think it’s a given that Beckett and Lackey will be much better.
The Red Sox are not going to be an exceptional team next year.
Too many holes to fill in one off-season.
C, 3B, 2 OF, major pitching questions with half the rotation and the bullpen.
You don’t become “exceptional” in one off-season trying to fill all of those holes with limited guys available on the FA market.
If the Yankees want Cliff Lee, and they do, they will do what it takes to sign him.
MTU,
I’m hoping Andy returns. I think this postseason will go a long way towards determining that. If they win again then he may ride off into the sunset….if they don’t at least make the WS then I think he will be back as he won’t want to end his career after having an injury plagued second half when he knows how well he was pitching before it. JMO.
CC, Lee, Hughes, Pettite, Nova/Joba/AJ would be special.
How do you know for sure Beckett and Lackey will be much better?
Next year’s starting lineup (not that I’m wishing this time will pass quickly or anything):
Gardner LF
Swisher RF
Tex 1B
Arod 3B
Cano 2B
Posada DH/C
Montero C/DH
Jeter SS
Granderson CF
Blake-
Special, and deadly as a Cobra. We’ll see.
First, let’s win this one.
The Sox will have a very interesting offseason. How they fair next season will depend greatly on how many (and with what) holes Theo is able to fill this winter. If the Yankees sign Cliff Lee then they are better on paper no matter what Boston does.
Beckett is as big a question mark as Burnett next year.
Two of his last three years have not been good.
John Lackey? Ok, not great and there is mo guarantee he will be better next year.
Don’t overstate the Red Sox.
The Yankees issues pale in comparison to the Yankees.
The Rays lose Crawford, Soriano and Pena. Those are big losses and as good as their farm system may be, it’s not so good to be able to replace those guys, along with a 20-25% payroll cut next year.
Their window is this year. After this year, it’s reloading time for the Rays.
Congrats to Alex!
SJ……Back in June I booked my flight so I could be in NYC and go to Games 1 & 2 of the ALCS……So now I’m pushing for the Yanks to face off vs. The SF Giants……..You can bet that The Phils are glad they didn’t draw the Giants and their staff in the 1st round……Reds may push The Phils, but watch for Philly & SF in the NLCS……How’s Arizona looking to see Tony ???
The Sox have a lot of money to spend, and they’re going to have to spend because they need to keep up with the Steinbrenners. No more crying poverty.
Just 11 wins Yanks. You owe the win column because of your bad September. 11 wins!
Good job, Alex!
Teams have some fascinating decisions ahead. Bautista is arbitration eligible. Was 54 a fluke? 1 year or multi-year deal?
The fact that Gardner really was good for only half a year concerns me………..although I definitely do not want Crawford for as much $$ as he’ll command.
Congrats to Alex, who’s an unbelievably clutch player.
I think Boston re-signs Ortiz and one of Beltre/V-Mart….probably V-Mart. Probably will go after Crawford or Werth and make a big play for John Buck. If they sign Buck they can move Martinez to 1B and Youkalis back to 3rd…
I would put the over/under for Bautista homers next season at 30….and in 2012 about 23.
Blake-
The Yankees have spent a lot of time scouting Darvish.
I’m not saying I want him but the Yankees might.
There are numerous other potential pitching targets obtainable to varying degrees.
Gardner has exceeded all expectations. What do you guys want? He’s been productive for more then half a year.
Pat-
Better living thru Chemistry.
SJ, I would not give Cliff Lee 6 years – I just can’t and I don’t think the Yankees will. As it is 5 years gives me pause.
Doreen, not saying they will be Cy Young, just that I would imagine they’d be improved.
“The Yankees issues pale in comparison to the Yankees. ”
SJ44
I think you meant the Red Sox in place of the second Yankees in the quote above. Also, another reason why our issues pale in comparison is because we are not locked into the contracts that the Sox are – aside from AJ Burnett. We can just go out and get Cliff Lee.
MTU,
Maybe, I think if they are going down that road then they should have signed Chapman. There are other targets….but nobody the caliber of Lee.
Gardner’s first half along with Cano & Swisher gave the Yankees the cushion they needed for the season.
Gardner doesn’t have power, but otherwise he’s like Giambi with speed. Patient at the plate, good eye. Nice OBP.
Very successful first full year in the majors. I think his hand and wrist are messed up, too.
The Sox have gone from the little engine that could to an even bigger engine that now has to in order to compete.
Welcome to the world of Luxury tax Mr Henry.
And by the way, big payroll or not you still suck.
LOL How do I know for sure? I don’t – it’s my opinion.
Pat M,
Tony leaves for AZ tomorrow.
Had an outstanding Instructional League and he’s feeling great.
The AFL season starts 10/12.
My schedule got crazy for October.
If I’m getting out there, it won’t be until November now.
I will let you know how it shakes out.
Gardner had a great year, overall.
SJ, I have concerns about the lineup – and there’s not much we can do about them as the lineup is mostly set.
CR9,
Did you forget to log in to your alternate personality with all the regular baseball talk today and no Boston or umpire bashing?
If the Sox were smart they would pursue Cliff Lee. Conventional thinking is that they have enough pitching, but in reality do they? He’s a Yankee killer and likely headed to the Yankees otherwise.
It’s not reasonable to expect Alex to duplicate his amazing postseason performance of last season, so they need Teix, Cano, and Swisher to step up.
I would give Lee 6 years if thats what it took. He was a relatively late bloomer and didn’t really start logging big inning seasons until he was 25 or so. Also, while he has good stuff he doesn’t rely totally on that…he’s a real pitcher in every sense of the word and has very sound mechanics. Nothing is guaranteed but I think you can reasonably project him to be very effective until his mid to late 30′s….he would be 37 or so when the contract ended….worth the risk IMO.
I would give Lee 6 years if thats what it took. He was a relatively late bloomer and didn’t really start logging big inning seasons until he was 25 or so. Also, while he has good stuff he doesn’t rely totally on that…he’s a real pitcher in every sense of the word and has very sound mechanics. Nothing is guaranteed but I think you can reasonably project him to be very effective until his mid to late 30′s….he would be 37 or so when the contract ended….worth the risk IMO.
“If the Sox were smart they would pursue Cliff Lee.”
They will, if only to raise his price for the Yankees.
Betsy -
I’m sure the Sox hope so, but why?
Blake-
Of course. For me Lee represents an ideal target. Big game pitcher who only costs moolah ,and is left-handed. Perfect for NYS.
But. We both know Cash always has other plans just in case.
SJ,
Good luck to Tony in the AFL…thats exciting.
Blake, I can’t do it -I hope the Yankees don’t do it either.
I would not give Lee six years. He will turn 33 next season. That’s just too long given his age.
Doreen, I don’t think Lackey is this bad and he seems to have found something towards the end of the season. I do not think Beckett is near the question mark AJ is. He’s not great, but I just think he’ll be better.
CR9,
Correct. Typo on my part.
When it comes to doing a deal, you don’t let one year get in the way, if it comes to that.
The Yankees aren’t walking away from Lee over a year on his contract, if it ever came to that.
I think the Yankees truly need Lee, but not at all costs.
Whether the Yankees sign Cliff Lee or not (likely will), I still believe the Yankees could at least explore dealing Burnett to the Cubs for Carlos Zambrano. A change of scenery could do both pitchers some good. Maybe Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild can get into Burnett’s skull.
Assuming Zambrano’s anger issues have been corrected and they seem to be, the money difference is not enough to be concerned about. Both have contracts that expire after 2013. Zambrano has said he would waive his full no trade clause. Burnett has a limited no trade clause and can block 10 teams each year. Neither pitcher has a high prophile agent.
Cashman could sweeten the deal by adding Kevin Russo and Juan Miranda who appear blocked from a Yankee future.
Well, then that’s a mistake and a bad contract.
Honestly, I’m waiting for the day we don’t have to sign any big ticket FAs out of desperation and we can develop our own young pitchers……..here’s hoping at least one of Brackman, Betances and Banuelos turn out
Zambrano again? He’s a psychopath; Cashman did not clear out the bad guys from the locker just to bring in this lunatic
SJ-
Yes. Best of luck to Tony.
what can they do about Javy in playoff?
Betsy -
Well, if you’re bringing AJ into it….
As always, we’ll see, right?
Betsy-
Lee will be 32 for most of next season (turns 33 in August). That means on a 6 year deal he would be 37 for most of the 6th year of the deal. Obviously a shorter term deal would be preferable but if the 6th year kept him from re-signing with Texas….I’d do it.
6 years to Lee? Way too long. Then again, they gave Burnett 4 years too many, so I guess anything’s on the table.
Blake, if Lee wants the extra year and $$$ that bad, then I’d rather him stay in Texas. If he really wants to be in NY, he’ll take the very fair offer he’s going to get from him. I have no clue how he’ll age and I’m tired of bad contracts. The only reason I want Lee now is because I feel we really, really need him.
“what can they do about Javy in playoff?”
Only one thing: leave him off the roster
Sounds like the Yankees want Lee badly and are prepared to do what it takes to get him.
MTU, I feel very strongly about Zambrano. You just don’t get rid of your anger issues in a few months; he’d be a nightmare in NY. Albert Belle-lite.
There’s one way I would give Lee six years: If the Yankees make it clear that AJ will be off the team within a year so that there isn’t a risk that he will be blocking the Killer Bs for the next three years.
Rich, are you nuts? They will never make such a statement. They’re stuck with Burnett . . . get used to it.
Betsy-
He’s a raving lunatic. He belongs in a rubber room.
Wait. I have a better idea. Trade him to the White Sox so he can hang with that other lunatic.
What a hoot that would be.
YankFanCA
Yes, I am nuts.
But they don’t have to make it clear to me. They have to make it clear to themselves….
Buchholz won’t be as good next year.
I wouldn’t give Lee more than 4 years
Just pay him a ton for those years to get him to sign it
You never know, 4 Years might seem like a lot for someone who moves around as much as he does
Rich-
Don’t worry. If AJ doesn’t improve he won’t be a Yankee past next season.
“Buchholz won?t be as good next year.”
Based on what?? Your desire to see him regress?
“If he really wants to be in NY, he’ll take the very fair offer he’s going to get from him.”
I don’t think we can expect anybody to take less money to come to the Yankees. Why would they? If the Yankees want him bad enough they will make the highest bid and proceed to win baseball games.
“There’s one way I would give Lee six years: If the Yankees make it clear that AJ will be off the team within a year so that there isn’t a risk that he will be blocking the Killer Bs for the next three years.”
If it becomes apparent that one of those pitchers is ready and better than AJ then I really don’t think they will let his contract stand in the way….(At least I hope not)
Also, there’s NO way the Sox can afford Lee if they want to keep Ortiz, Martinez, or even take a risk on Beltre
Despite the fact that the Yankees wouldn’t want Zambrano in their clubhouse…why would the Cubs trade him for AJ Burnett?
LGY -
What makes you say that about Buccholz? He’s a good pitcher. What do you mean by “as good?” it would be tough for him to be better, but as good?
How much money can you subsidized in a contract anyway? Sure, I take Zbrano for AJ straight up and then eat 3/4 of Zbrano’s salary and trade him to the nationals for Livan Hernandez and prospects. Or , whatever!
MTU, that would funny, lol
Let’s face it, the Yankees have two quality starters locked in for next year — CC and Hughes. They need a couple more.
Blake, then I’ll let him go.
I doubt Buccholtz will be as good next year either (at least statistically). He’s a really good young pitcher but the league will make adjustments to him. Its tough to pitch to a sub 3 ERA in the AL. That said, he and Lester are very good…..the rest of their rotation is questionable (and very expensive).
Betsy,
Would you sign him for 5 years?
Also, I know the B’s are very good prospects, but I don’t see how the Yankees possibly work them into the rotation together or staggered (one in the rotation one year, the next the next year, etc…). That presumes the first one has immediate success and is solid enough that we can bring on the next B. It also presumes the rest of our rotation is dead solid.
Betsy-
A raging Bull and a Tasmanian Devil.
Poor Ozzie.
How long do you think his Hospital stay would be ?
Blake, I would – and only because I think we desperately need him.
MTU
Let’s say you’re right. By what means will he be gone? Trade, buyout, DFA?
Buchholz is excellent – what a year he’s had; I’m going to assume he’ll be the same and just hope he regresses
Boston is in a quagmire. John Henry is deathly afraid of the luxury tax. The team reduces some payroll in Lowell, Lugo, and other fringe money but they had better sign Victor Marinez and will attempt to sign Ortiz at lesser money. The contract of Youkilis and Pedroia will begin to escalate in 2011.
Papelbon will win in arbitration is spite of a less than average year. They’re not dealing from a position of strength in viable farm prospects to use as trading chips unless Gammons is to be believed.
If Toronto does the right things such as re-signing John Buck and hires an aggressive manager, they’ll be a team to be reckoned with in 2011. Their young pitching is to be taken seriously as the Yankees saw this year.
Bucholz has outperformed his peripherals. He’s good but how good remains to be seen.
Doreen,
I think Buchholz is a good pitcher, but he is not a sub 3 ERA pitcher. Aside from the league adjusting to him as blake mentioned, his peripherals this year don’t suggest he was as good as his ERA indicates.
I think Buccholz will be in the high 3′s next year with his ERA.
But Clay is a good example of a pitcher just finding it.
Rich-
I don’t exactly know the answer to that but I do know the Yankees are not going to tolerate his mediocrity, and lack of usefulness forever.
They are always hungry. The money is secondary after a while.
There is no time to keep deadwood around too long in the AL East and have the WS in mind each and every season.
Betsy,
As SJ said, I don’t see them backing off over 1 year. If they would do the deal at 5 years, then they’ll do it for 6 if that extra year is the deciding factor. They will need a strong front of the rotation to be able to afford to introduce “the killer B’s” if and when they are ready. CC, Lee, and Hughes would give them enough security to do it.
Gotta run, back later maybe.
LGY, are you referring to K/BB ratio? Keep in mind he never gives up hits………….
Question about Phil: would you guys expect his K rate to improve next year? Do you think it declined due to fatigue (going over his previous innings high)?
Blake, you’re probably right. It’s easy for me to say no 6th year now, but I will probably feel differently when midnight of FA eve strikes.
I know it’s a Cliff Lee lovefest, but he’s had one stellar season (2008) and two good ones (2005 and this year). Yes, they need starting pitching, but I wouldn’t go more than 4 years. At some point, the Yankees have to look at these long-term deals critically.
Some Red Sox fans/blogs have speculated the Sox will actually be worse in 2011 than 2010.
Probably losing Beltre who has been incredible for them and Buchholz not being able to sustain his performance have been prime topics of worry in the Nation for 2011.
I think using his secondary pitches more will help his strikeout rates.
MTU
I think he could be in the pen. My hope would be that he would be unhappy, and then he would direct his agent to find a way to get him off the team, but it’s only hope.
As long as they have $16m a year allocated to him, I think it’s going affect their decision making.
Betsy,
Giving up hits is not entirely a skill.
Buchholz had a .263 BABip this season.
Is Beltre leaving a foregone conclusion ? If I were the Sox , I definitely let Vmart go and keep Ortiz and Beltre . They have the resources to do both ,no?
Bucholz’s BABIP was .265. I need to see more of that to believe that it’s sustainable.
MLB meets March Madness: Here’s my seeding for the Elite 8: 1-Phillies. 2-Rays. 3-Yankees. 4-Giants. 5-Twins. 6-Rangers. 7-Reds. 8-Braves.
- Jack Curry tweet.
You broke my heart Jack…you broke my heart.
Beaten by 1 minute…
Gardner had a 20 game stretch in august/sept where he hit .300 and got on base over .400, pretty good for someone who had a wrist injury half way through the season.
Rich-
How much did they waste on Igawa ?
He won’t make it in the pen IMO. His control just isn’t good enough.
After next year it’s just 2 left so they eat most of it if they have to.
The Yankees are a rich team. They aren’t going to worry about it IMO. If he messes up next year consider him gone.
It’s a stab in the dark, but I think Texas defeats TB. I just think TB will struggle mightily to score more than 3 runs per game.
Gardner’s been great this year jerkface.
People just are never contempt so they will hate on him or anyone who slumps.
“Beaten by 1 minute…”
———————————–
And 2 BABip points
Unless I have the wrong info
LGY, I take it that’s very low?
I remember when Phil was dominating that his performance was being chalked up to luck because of a low BABIP. However, I didn’t think he was lucky because it was clear that hitters were having poor at bats against him. I haven’t seen Buchholz, so I can’t say if he’s really lucky. I guess he must be, a little.
M, good point.
Bucholz’s BABIP was .265. I need to see more of that to believe that it’s sustainable.
—————————
Rich , his babip in 09 was only 289. His LD rate is the same at 17 percent while GB and FB ratio remain the same. I think ppl are too putting way too much stock in how much Buchholtz will regress next year as a pitcher.
The Yankees can’t really sign a bad contract in Lee’s case.. even if he was only productive for 4 of the 6 years, we’d eat the money and call it a success as long as we won a championship or two during his tenure.
MTU
Two points:
1) Igawa wasn’t competitive and offered no promise that his “electric” stuff would suddenly translate into wins, nor did he have AJ’s sometimes impressive resume.
2) They had another avenue for him, the mLs. They don’t have that option with AJ.
Anyway, I hope you’re right.
LGY
I was using Fangraphs, but it’s the same thing.
Shame-
The Yankees do that sort of thing all the time.
YES.com has a bunch of videos up re: their post-season preview
Betsy,
Only 8 SP in MLB had a lower number.
Rich-
Me too because I don’t believe in keeping deadwood around. It can cause a whole house to burn down if it isn’t cleared.
“Rich , his babip in 09 was only 289. His LD rate is the same at 17 percent while GB and FB ratio remain the same. I think ppl are too putting way too much stock in how much Buchholtz will regress next year as a pitcher.”
——————————–
There is a big difference between .263 and .289.
Cliff Lee is not signing with TEX. I don’t care how much money they offer him. He’s going to want to get away from that heat. The summer is nice and balmy in New York.
LGY, thanks.
Well, either way he’s going to be very good – even if he’s not as good as this year.
I really don’t care as long as our younger version does this thing
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....off.teams/
2. New York Yankees
They get the benefit of the doubt for their talent and even their tradition. But their recent performance (especially their starting pitchers’ bad performances) has been nothing short of worrisome. After ace CC Sabathia, there are mostly questions. Phil Hughes hasn’t had a good second half but a revamped changeup has helped in recent days, and Andy Pettitte, a playoff staple, has groin/back questions. They will need big performances from one or both of them considering A.J. Burnett and Javier Vazquez look all but unusable. The team’s 4.30 ERA since the break is 26th-best in baseball. As for the bullpen, Kerry Wood has helped, and Joba Chamberlain and Dave Robertson are having nice second halves, but even Mariano Rivera has been less than perfect lately. The bullpen’s 3.42 ERA is seventh-best in baseball. Their offense could carry them, in any case, especially if Alex Rodriguez can come anywhere close to repeating last year’s October performance, when he batted .365 with six home runs and 18 RBIs in 15 games. Their 855 runs is tops in the game. Mark Teixeira, who has endured thumb and toe injuries recently, is among their regulars who will go into the playoffs pretty beat up, though. Odds: 4-1
LGY – LOL. No. As I said earlier, I have no desire to argue with any of you during the rest of this month. The only thing that matters to me for the rest of this month is a 28th World Series, not my vendetta against Boston. So, the best way to avoid arguments is to act “normal.”
Chad
Great job today. You are in post-season form! Thanks.
There is a big difference between .263 and .289.
——————————–
it’s the difference of 17 hits spread out in 28 starts The only outlier in Buchholtz’s season is his hr/fb rate which is much lower at 5.6 percent than 15.7 in 09. He was also neigh untouchable in high leverage situations.
I think looking at all the data , It’s more reasonable to assume he has become a much better pitcher than simply luck.
Yankees are underdog in ALDS, according to ESPN poll results.
“it’s the difference of 17 hits spread out in 28 starts The only outlier in Buchholtz’s season is his hr/fb rate which is much lower at 5.6 percent than 15.7 in 09. He was also neigh untouchable in high leverage situations.
I think looking at all the data , It’s more reasonable to assume he has become a much better pitcher than simply luck.”
——————————
The 17 hits doesn’t take into account what then will happen after those 17 extra hits or when those 17 hits occurred.
No one said it is simply luck. There are many other factors here that have nothing to do with luck like his strikeout and walk rates for example.
He is a better pitcher IMO. A sub 3 ERA pitcher? No.
Have a good night folks.
In another day or so we’ll begin to find out what this team is really made of.
I just hope it isn’t like the Moon and made of green cheese.
He is a better pitcher IMO. A sub 3 ERA pitcher? No.
——————————————-
I happen to think he has been and in fact he is . He has pitched that well this year. Can he repeat next year ? I don’t know , but it won’t be because of his babip rate IMO.
His results as they translate to runs given up have been that good.
That is not necessrily the same as how well he has pitched.
I know it seems awfully superficial, but BABIP is for real.
Randy Johnson’s career BABIP is .302. Preventing hits on balls in play is really, really not a skill. There are a few exceptions to this rule. One of them is Mariano Rivera, whose BABIP is .273, who throws a special pitch and is arguably the greatest pitcher of all time. The only other pitcher from my own lifetime who I can think of off the top of my head as unusually good at preventing hits is Barry Zito, for reasons I’ll never understand. He has a career BABIP of .276.
Thats pretty much it for precedent from this era. Think about that. Randy Johnson is among the most dominating starting pitchers of all time, and his BABIP is above .300.
Buchholz is going to regress by at the very least by a full earned run on his ERA next year if he maintains his peripherals. I’d actually venture to say that if he pitches the way he did this year his ERA will budge right back up close to 4 or above. That being said, I think his peripherals this year seriously underscore his talent. So it could work both ways, and things could potentially even out a bit.
He has to get quite a bit better if he wants to come close to duplicating what he did this year.
Do strikeouts really matter? He’s obviously getting it done without them – probably getting lots of ground balls. That’s a good thing – certainly saves wear and tear on the arm
Mariano is not the greatest pitcher of all times. The greatest relief pitcher, yes, absolutely. Greatest pitcher? Not even close.
Espn has us as underdogs but in vegas we are still favorites
Buchholz walked the same amount of players he did last year, a high amount (3.5) and struck out the same amount, not very well (6) but managed to have his HR rate slashed 66%, while getting healthy good luck on balls in play.
Yes totally repeatable.
Mariano is not the greatest pitcher of all times. The greatest relief pitcher, yes, absolutely. Greatest pitcher? Not even close.
–
Leads every pitcher in history in ERA+
Buchholz is averaging 94 MPH with his FB this year
I want Lee badly, but signing him until he is 39? Really?
Did anyone see the rule changes for Tropicana Field for the playoffs?
Balls now hit into the top 2 catwalks will be dead balls and the pitch will not be counted at all.
Balls hit into the lower 2 catwalks will still be home runs.
Mariano pitches to 3-5 batters at a time. You can’t compare him to a pitcher who pitches to 30-45 batters a game 32 times a year.
TBS is saying it’ll be a Tampa at Philly WS. ESPN has us as underdogs. MLBNetwork is very skeptical of us. We need to strive in this underdog role.
“Yes totally repeatable.”
That was sarcastic, right?
Harold Reynolds still beating the AJ is going to start game 2 or 3 drum? Huh?
I bet anyone on here a steak dinner Buchholz doesn’t finish next year under a 3 ERA
Babip norm is to be respected . But it’s a result as oppose to cause. I do believe a pitcher has some degree of control over Babip. Buchholtz’s raising BB rate could be a direct indicator of him trying to avoid the fat part of the zone and as a result produced less contact thus lower his babip as a result.
It’s pitching , he has done precisely that this year, combine with his excellent arsenal he has made good pitches in crucial situations all year to earn that ERA.
He had a kind of lucky year that has only happened 23 times in the last 30 years, so basically unrepeatable.
I bet anyone on here a steak dinner Buchholz doesn’t finish next year under a 3 ERA
—————————————
I take you bet at 3.2 !
Buchholz had more line drives caught than almost any other pitcher in the league, with a line drive sOPS+ of 66.
I take you bet at 3.2 !
–
??? Thats not how betting works.
Okay, lol. I knew you had to have been sarcastic!
Jeff Wilpon looks like a Flinestones character.
I also like how he refers to his dad by his first name.
3.2 era is the over/under line : above that I will treat you steak dinner , below it you will ….
It is absurdly early to predict the Sox next year. They have a lot of holes but they have a lot of money to fill the holes with. They will be aching to get back to the post-season.
Tampa is losing talent, but they have a farm system, maybe will re-sign Soriano and should be able to fill underperforming positions (1B, DH) with better players. They will be OK.
Why is everyone talking about Lee on a 6 or 7 year deal? I must have missed something. What?
Always trust Vegas over ESPN
Always trust Vegas over ESPN
—————-
+1000
Take my action at 3 or leave it.
“Why is everyone talking about Lee on a 6 or 7 year deal? I must have missed something. What?”
They were debating what to do if Texas offers Lee a 6 year deal and how many years folks would be willing to go to secure Lee.
honestly with the way you’re supporting him, it should be set at 2.6 or something!
You know what I hate most about dealing with the Tampa media? I swore I wouldn’t read any of the haha we beat the Yankees garbage in my local paper but I found myself reading the TBT (tampa bay times, a free paper mind you) they were saying how it is just like the Rays with their meager payroll and horrendously low BA and still finish with more wins than anyone in baseball.
Now, last time I checked, the Phillies actually had more wins than anyone in baseball. The Tampa media does that kind of stuff all the time, they leave out really important information to make the team look better. When Soriano pitched an immaculate inning, they said it was the first immaculate inning since 2006 to make it seem like it hadn’t happened in so long but left out that he was the first closer, since 2006, not the last pitcher.
Ugh, I love living in florida and love it in Tampa but I hate the Rays
Speaking of Jeff Wilpon, did he fire Manuel and Minaya today?
I think I will save myself the grief of reading the various prognostications. Will wait for them to play the games.
Yes, Manuel and Minaya are bye bye!
3.2 ERA isn’t a bad bet. That would mean Buchholz lost almost a full run off his ERA from this year to next. That is a conservative projection.
Under 3? I wouldn’t make that bet.
Lee on a six year deal? Depends on your pleasure-pain discount rate.
honestly with the way you’re supporting him, it should be set at 2.6 or something!
———————————————–
meh, I like play devil’s advocate. final counter offer – 3.1 Jerk !
No, your pathetic admiration for the Red Sox has now set the line at 2.9
All those media comments by the media are just that until the games are played. No question that the Yankees could lose, but that was true last year too. I understand where the media is coming from, but it signifies nothing yet.
your pathetic admiration
——————
lol. harsh….
Thanks CR9
CR9 – are you a Jets and Giants fan?
pat,
Reynolds putting doubt in my mind re: the 3 man rotation.
Erica
http://plixi.com/p/48791957
If Jeter gets hot I think the Yanks offense is going to be great this postseason and possibly even bail out some shaky pitching peformances. Tex, Arod, and Cano all had over 100 RBIs and Jeter was cold for the last 2/3 of the season. If Jeet can hit to a .370 OBP which is more than reasonable and get on base for the big bats its over. Especially with Arod as hot as he’s been and Cano finally rested.
Eroc – Why that question now? Yes, Jets and Giants fan. No rivalry between the two, both class organ-eye-zations!
AJ isn’t pitching in the ALDS….I forbid it.
Manuel was fired and Minaya was “relieved” of his duties as GM.
The dumb Mets offered him another job in the front office but Minaya turned it down which probably saved the Mets. Better to get him out of the organization and have a new GM start out fresh without old influences. That organization is so poorly run it’s pathetic and it just gets magnified when they look to the Bronx at how the Yanks have become a machine in producing players and money making…
Minaya and Manuel are gone.
Fred and his son Jeff had a lengthy news conference. I felt bad they truly want to bring a contender to queens.
Fred rarely speaks publicly so this was a big deal.
“Do strikeouts really matter?”
Betsy, not only do they matter, they are the most important thing.
Lee is going to be an interesting case this offseason. I don’t like that he has been hurt this year. While dominant and a top 5-10 pitcher in the game, he’s no Sabathia IMO. He’s gotten hot in September again and a great postseason could make this post seem irrelevant but I don’t know if the Yanks for sure get him anymore.
I just wish Banuelos was 2 years older and ready to step in… He’d be perfect…
CR9 – Just curious. Same here actually. No rivalry with either team.
Tyler-
Inning for inning, Lee is better than CC. But it is close, and CC gives you more innings.
Vegas odds are calculated based on how many people are betting, not just chance of winning.
Wave-
I’d personally take CC. I agree it’s close and it’s probably pretty split but CC is the guy that I would go to game 7 with. He just has that habit of rising to the occasion plus he’s proven in NY. I’m not doubting at all that Lee would pitch great here but there’s something about CC that gives him a slight edge in my book. Hard to describe but both are true aces.
McNabb beating the Eagles and Vick going down with a rib injury brought me great pleasure this weekend.
Super big smiley face kind of happiness
The Rams are 2-2 and tied for 1st. that is all i can think about in football. all hail Sam Bradford!
pat October 4th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Erica
http://plixi.com/p/48791957
**********
LOVE IT!!!
I :hearts; Johnny Damon
And I forgot how to do the heart thing
For a season I’m taking CC….for one game I think its very close between CC and Lee. For a 7 game playoff series then its definitely CC because he can throw 3 games instead of 2. They would be an amazing 1-2 in the same rotation because of both guys ability to go deep into games.
& hearts ;
no spaces
Just imagine a game 7 where sabathia starts and cliffy comes out of the pen a la Johnson/curt
1 Day, 21 Hours, and 52 Minutes until Game 1 of the ALDS
wait—- that is not right…. DO OVER!
1 Day, 21 Hours, and 58 Minutes until Game 1 of the ALDS
m
Don’t let Reynolds sway you. It’s all about drama.
Vegas odds>>espn poll
&hearts
This better work!
My apologies for the countdown spazziness….
I am really tired and I still have about 15 things I have to get done tonight before I even think about sleeping
blake October 4th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
For a season I’m taking CC….for one game I think its very close between CC and Lee. For a 7 game playoff series then its definitely CC because he can throw 3 games instead of 2. They would be an amazing 1-2 in the same rotation because of both guys ability to go deep into games.
—————————
A rotation of Sabathia, Lee, and a more experienced Hughes would be deadly. I love Lee but those huge contracts in years and money still scare me for pitchers even if CC has been worth it. Just alot tied up in 1 guy and Lee has had some minor injury problems. Just scary but if they got him I wouldn’t complain at all
♥
Cashmoney October 4th, 2010 at 10:34 pm
?
***************
I feel the love!!!!!
I was just going to ask about a final countdown before you sign off. Should have known you wouldn’t neglect to do it.
Deter might be a better word, pat.
Who’s excited to watch Johnny Damon in the playoffs this year?!?!?!? Oh wait….
Tyler-
Fair enough.
But I don’t like a six year deal for Lee. 4 years is long enough.
And I don’t feel all that great about the Yanks spending around $115MM in 2014 for a 38 year old ARod, a 35 year old Lee, a 40 year old Jeter, a 34 year old Teixera and a 33 year old CC.
Who’s excited to watch Johnny Damon in the playoffs this year?!?!?!? Oh wait….
———————-
that is cruel ! lol
Tyler October 4th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
Who’s excited to watch Johnny Damon in the playoffs this year?!?!?!? Oh wait….
*************
HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Mental note: m not a fan of the word sway.
m October 4th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
I was just going to ask about a final countdown before you sign off. Should have known you wouldn’t neglect to do it.
Deter might be a better word, pat.
********************
Concidentally(?), I came back about 10 minutes after pat posted a MPB Johnny Damon picture….
Wave-
I agree, but I don’t know that you can get Lee for 4 years unless he really wants to come to the Bronx. I bet some team is going to throw out a ridiculous contract to him after they see how successful CC is for the Yanks. I’m becoming less optimistic about signing Lee. I think they get Crawford though. I know people say Boston or the Angels but I bet the Yanks like him more than they let on…
♥
??
I saw last night’s episode of East Bound & Down, and the episode was horrible! A bit funny, but so so STUPID! imo
I’m sure Damon will be rooting for his favorite ex-team. Which one was it again?
“4 years is long enough.”
Only if someone else doesn’t give him 5.
m October 4th, 2010 at 10:41 pm
I’m sure Damon will be rooting for his favorite ex-team. Which one was it again?
***************
Well…. certainly not Boston!
Well there’s always Yu Darvish.
Damon had a chance at the HOF imo but he lost it by not signing that 2 year deal… Huge, huge mistake.
Erica
An MPB picture is like a beacon in the night guiding you home.
“I?m sure Damon will be rooting for his favorite ex-team. Which one was it again?”
He’s always wanted to play for Tampa. It’s close to his home in Orlando
Sway would imply positive results. Deter would mean push me off track. And the blog will explode if Reynolds turns out right.
Anyone know when the Yankees arrive in Minny?
Man I remember all the Yu Darvish talk like 2-3 years ago… How has he been doing since then?
Well there’s always that mysterious stranger who is be-stached in MN.
Damon was only on a 1 year deal, iirc.
My mistake, misread ya Tyler.
He’s been tearing up Japan, for what that’s worth.
Cashmoney-
That will be the day.
I love hearing Davone Bess’ name being called all night.
Darvish on peoples brains today.
CJ Nitkowski was asked for a scouting report on him today and he said he’s for real but his thin frame might not translate well to pitching every 5 days in the States over time.
I just remember how he was supposed to be the next big thing. I wonder if interest has waned in him now that Dice-K hasn’t exactly tore it up for the Sox…
I saw Yu during the WBC , I can’t say i was very Wow by it. Stuff wise and Command wise. But that’s a SSS.
m
Fly in early tomorrow in time for an afternoon workout.
WYH, I heard Erica was a big fan of Carl Pavano during his tenure here , just thought it might ease her Damon pain.
Tyler-
If Darvish decides to post, there will be massive interest in him. But he hasn’t decided yet.
I hear the Yanks have been scouting him, but IMO they want Lee a lot more.
You are a very thoughtful person, Cash…
CR9 October 4th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
My mistake, misread ya Tyler.
———————————–
Unforgivable.
Cashmoney October 4th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
WYH, I heard Erica was a big fan of Carl Pavano during his tenure here , just thought it might ease her Damon pain.
************************
Don’t spread lies that that!!!!!!!
pat,
Thanks. I figured they’d want to sleep one extra night in their own beds (assuming the don’t have bedbugs).
Should have some kind of roster news or rumors tomorrow.
Turnovers killing Miami.
If Lee won’t pitch on short rest for any other team, does that mean he won’t pitch on short rest if he were to become a Yankee in the offseason? They made everyone else do it, would he get preferential treatment?
I don’t know the &heats thing but I know <3 usually makes a heart. Or at least it looks like one.
Frankly, Japanese pitchers have left a bad taste in my mouth. I know it is unfair to say that but…………
LMAO Tyler!
Appears as if the Dolphins did not bother to show up tonight! And this ESPN broadcast is not listenable – it’s all Patriots all the time. As if there isn’t even another team involved in the game. Funny stuff, conspiracy-wise, it was clamored during the week by the media that the Fins didnt give effort last week against the Jets. Basically, the media says everything that I do, but for/against the opposite teams!
Cashmoney October 4th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
WYH, I heard Erica was a big fan of Carl Pavano during his tenure here , just thought it might ease her Damon pain.
************************
Don’t spread lies that that!!!!!!!
************************
I must admit I get guilty pleasure out of teasing you
The thing is, wherever Darvish goes, about 30 Japanese media will go too. Which translates into a lot of brand upside in Japan. Pays for a big chunk of his salary.
Meh, better money is to be spent on Lee, hopefully, max 5 years.
CR9-
You are insane. That is all.
I heard Yu Darvish was coming after the all time time Scranton wins record.
Down 20 points with 13 minutes left, and the Finny Fin Fins have run the ball 3 times. Love them conceding the game! Love it!
Maybe Scranton needs 30 Japanese media, but NYC really doesn’t. If we could get Matsui all over again, that’s something altogether different.
Cashmoney October 4th, 2010 at 10:57 pm
I must admit I get guilty pleasure out of teasing you
**************
Most do-
I have been told many, many times I am a very easy target.
(Note: I am not easy. Just an easy target)
Tyler – There was no need for that. I was just stating facts, that the media clamored that the Fins “lacked effort” last week against the Jets. Kind of funny, sounds like a conspiracy. Have a good night, Tyler.
Don’t know if this has been posted or not but is a pretty good summary:
Free Agent Stock Watch: Cliff Lee
By Mike Axisa [October 4 at 9:07pm CST]
It’s not often that a bonafide ace hits the free agent market, but when one does it often leads to a feeding frenzy of big market clubs and mystery teams. Current Rangers ace and former Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee is arguably the best pitcher in baseball, and in a few weeks he will be able to offer his services to the highest bidder on the open market for the first time in his career.
Lee’s credentials are undeniable, but teams must still weigh the good against the bad when preparing to offer anyone a contract of this magnitude. Let’s break it down…
The Good
* Lee is a proven workhorse, logging 667.1 innings over the last three seasons. He’s thrown at least 200 innings in five of the last six years and made at least 28 starts in six of the last seven years.
* If you’re a believer in WAR, Lee’s +20.8 mark since 2008 is second only to Roy Halladay’s +21.5 among all pitchers.
* He’s proven himself in the American League, so there won’t be any adjustment period as far as that is concerned.
* Lee’s command is off-the-charts, evidenced by a 0.8 BB/9 this season. He also set a new single season record with a 10.28 K/BB ratio (min. 150 innings).
* Although he mixes in a curveball, Lee is primarily a fastball-cutter-changeup pitcher without huge velocity. As Andy Pettitte and Jamie Moyer have shown, lefthanders with that arsenal can pitch forever as long as they have their health.
The Bad
* Lee is on the wrong side of 30, having turned 32 just over a month ago.
* He battled some back issues last month, and has a history of oblique trouble dating back to 2003. His arm has been relatively free of injury, however.
* As a Type-A free agent certain to be offered arbitration, any team except Texas will have to forfeit a high draft to sign him.
* The Yankees have long had interest in Lee (they almost acquired him this summer), and if they get involved in the bidding it would make life very difficult for everyone else.
The Verdict
Despite the back issues, Lee is certain to become one of the two or three highest paid pitchers in baseball in the coming months. Every team would love to be able to add him to their staff, but it’s only economically feasible for a handful. The Yankees have a leg up on everyone else not just because they can offer the most money, but also because Lee is close with CC Sabathia from their Cleveland days.
That said, the Rangers just signed a lucrative television deal that enables them to make a competitive offer, and we’d be foolish to rule out traditional big spenders like the Mets, Red Sox, Angels, and Tigers (regardless of what they’ve said). Even the Orioles and Nationals have shown a willingness to go big game hunting on the free agent market recently, so don’t be surprised if they get involved as well.
Lee might not be able to secure a seven-year, $161MM deal like Sabathia since he’s three years older than CC was when he hit the market, but $20MM annually for five years seems like nothing more than a starting point.
yeah i was at the finals of the WBC when Darvish came in. I had heard amazing things about him, but I have to say I was a bit underwhelmed. Would be cool to see him play here, however
How much interest would you have in Carl Pavano if his first go round with the Yankees never happened?
I think that is an interesting question.
I also wonder if Cash bringing back Carl would make more heads explode on here than Javy did.
” The Sox are quite arguably the third-best team in baseball, or at least they were before injuries; they played .647 ball outside the division. Neither the biblical plague of injuries nor the poor-beyond-peripherals performances of their mid- and back-end starters are particularly likely to recur, and it’s quite possible they’ll have a new closer come springtime in Bard.” — Jay Jaffe, Baseball Prospectus
Re: the discussion earlier about offseason. ALL via ESPN Ins.
The overview
It was as if the baseball gods broadsided the Red Sox clubhouse with a fly-swatter, given the disabled list carnage. Boston lost its two best position players, Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia, to season-ending injuries, and Victor Martinez went down at a time the Red Sox desperately needed him, while trying to keep pace with the Rays and Yankees. Beyond that group, Boston didn’t get the expected production out of Josh Beckett, John Lackey or Daisuke Matsuzaka, who languished in mediocrity for most of the summer — for a price of about $45 million — and closer Jonathan Papelbon posted the worst ERA of his career, losing six games and blowing seven save chances. Boston’s strength was supposed to be its pitching, and instead, the Red Sox entered the final two weeks of the season ranked 21st among 30 teams in ERA.
Clay Buchholz, though, evolved into a Cy Young caliber pitcher, teaming with Jon Lester to give Boston an excellent 1-2 righty-lefty combination at the front of its rotation. Free agent Adrian Beltre had an excellent season, and David Ortiz — who was nearly released in May — recovered so well that he’ll finish the year with his usual 30/100 type of season. Daniel Bard became one of the most dominant set-up men in the majors, and because of the injuries, the Red Sox were able to give some young players like Ryan Kalish extensive opportunities.
The Red Sox have some extraordinarily difficult choices to make in planning for 2011, and if they get them wrong, it may be a few years before they move back into the elite teams in the AL. They could re-sign some of their free agents, but they run the risk of becoming an older, expensive team if the players they keep regress. The Red Sox have to decide whether to bring back Beltre or pursue a younger player like Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth, and the Red Sox need to correctly assess the futures of Matsuzaka and Papelbon, who seem to be nearing the end of their respective tenures in Boston. And above all else, the Red Sox have to have better luck in 2011, because their margin for error in the brutal AL East doesn’t allow for that many DL losses. — Buster Olney
Baseball Prospectus’ take
What went right: The Sox did rank second in the AL in scoring. Beltre had an outstanding season at the plate (.320/.366/.555), Ortiz enjoyed a modest rebound (.265/.364/.527, 31 homers) and Youkilis ranked fourth in the league in True Average (.332) before his season ended due to a thumb injury. Lester reeled off an even better season than his stellar 2009, and Buchholz put together a full campaign that lived up to the hype he received as a prospect by ranking second in the league in ERA (2.33).
The key number: 4.99
That’s the ERA of all Red Sox starters not named ‘Lester’ or ‘Buchholz’ in the 98 starts not made by one of those two aces.
What went wrong: Injuries is the easy answer, but honestly, the rotation behind Lester and Buchholz was not great. Lackey (4.47 ERA, .474 SNWP) has pitched as though the minor arm woes he experienced during his final two years in Anaheim have taken their toll; his strikeout rate (6.3 per nine) is the lowest since his 2002 rookie season. Beckett (5.77, .401) and Matsuzaka (4.72, .476) both missed time due to injuries, combining for just 44 starts. Ageless knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (5.56, .390) was of absolutely no help as a rotation patch. Furthermore, Papelbon (2.1 WXRL, 4.33 Fair Run Average) put up by far his worst season as the Sox closer.
Rumor Central: 2011 options
‘Werth’ the price: The Red Sox will miss the playoffs for just the second time in eight seasons, but that might be due more to playing in the ultra-competitive AL East than the constant stream of injuries. GM Theo Epstein will be busy, even though the team may have maxed out at a payroll of $170 million. The lineup will undoubtedly be different with Martinez, Beltre and Ortiz hitting free agency. The belief is that the Red Sox will bring back Ortiz, either by picking up his option or working out a multiyear deal at a reduced rate. As Buster notes above, word is the Sox are already looking at both Werth and Crawford as free-agent catches. Werth seems to fit the Epstein mode perfectly since he takes a lot of pitches and is superb defensively. With the Yankees not expected to be in on Werth, the Red Sox could land him with a reasonable offer. If that is the case, Mike Cameron can become an expensive fourth outfielder.
Closing the deal: Epstein insists that Papelbon is staying put, even if the Red Sox have a viable alternative (Bard) waiting in the wings. Keeping Papelbon around for his final arbitration-eligible season gives them more options. Bard has had just one full season in the major leagues and would benefit from another year of seasoning as a set-up reliever. An intriguing question for the Red Sox will be the role of 22-year-old left-hander Felix Doubront, who was drafted and developed as a starting pitcher but worked as a reliever this summer for Boston. The bullpen ERA ranks a distant 12th in the AL, so Epstein will look for more veteran help. A solid free agent would be Jon Rauch, who filled in as the closer in Minnesota before the arrival of Matt Capps and is willing to accept a set-up role. — Doug Mittler, ESPN Insider
Well in something that basically sums up this season, nobody ended up winning the season prediction! Nobody guessed low enough.
http://members.cox.net/lsdorgan/2010%20SEASON.pdf
I am in the process of putting the charts together. LGY, how about you keep the freeform predictions (the ones where posters guess everything straight to the world series) and I’ll keep the series by series chart?
At this point nobody has given me any guesses for the series chart. I’ll post what it will look like though! In fact I guess I’ll make my predictions and then post. Seeing I’m going to send the prize to the winner, I intend to go based on what I want to see happen. After all, I won’t be sending myself anything!
I have told posters that if they want to have series predictions, they need to put my name in the post. I will stay with that. If nobody wants to make any guesses, I automatically win.
trisha,
is it just the Yanks or all series?
Trisha,
What are we guessing? Just the results of the series?
NoMass picked Brett Gardner as the Yankees MVP in 2010:
http://nomaas.org/2010/09/the-.....le-yankee/
Congrats Brett.
Just wait…2011 will be even better for him.
Wave, I hope you’re kidding about strikeouts being the most important thing
Tricia, I don’t think anyone imagined them going 10-17 after Labor Day…..
SAS, it seems that some posters guess everything at once without knowing whether the teams they are guessing about will even be in the world series. That’s certainly one way to do it, and that’s the one that LGY can take over.
The charts I keep are the ones that go series by series and where posters guess based on the teams actually in it. I will post the chart as soon as I fill in my own pics, so you can see what it looks like. Posters can predict for all of the division series if they want to. There are some who only predict for the Yankees, which is their right. However you have a better chance of winning if you try to predict for all of the teams.
Here is the point spread I use.
Division Series – 2 points for guessing the correct team, 3 additional points for guessing the correct game spread.
ALCS – 5 points for guessing the correct team, 3 additional points for guessing the correct game spread
World Series – 10 points for guessing the Yankees (I mean the correct team) 5 additional points for guessing the correct game spread
Since blake posted Mike Axisa’s article in full (instead of just giving a summary) and posted it without so much as a link (poor form, blake) here is the link:
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/.....f-lee.html
“Tricia, I don’t think anyone imagined them going 10-17 after Labor Day…..”
Yipes…
LGY, Cash was thinking about bringing Pavano back, but he decided against it in part because of player and fan reaction. I think that was wise – it wouldn’t have worked for Carl. Fans would be on his case constantly and it would be a bit awkward (to say the least) in the clubhouse.
There’s a downside to signing Lee for sure and I think this is in part why Cash wants to develop young pitching. I hope that if we sign him that Lee is the last big FA pitcher we sign out of desperation. That was a good summary, but I have a feeling the Yankees are going to pull a CC. Maybe it won’t blow everyone out of the water (like Texas), but it will make a statement to Lee.
Poor form? Why not just post the RAB link instead of the secondary link to MLB trade rumors? Ironic.
If Pavano came back and has the year he just had, the fans would fall in love with him. Well as much as you can love an arrogant guy.
mmm, there is another ‘cashmoney’ @ nomass.org. I have a hard time to equate Brett as a 20 million dollar player with his skill set .
Darvish is overhyped and not worth the posting fee. I hope the Yankees stay away.
SAS, this is the prediction chart for the Divison Series. I take predictions up to an hour before the first game of the particular series, and then no more after that.
When the division series are over, I will make the CLS chart and do it the same way – predictions taken up to an hour before the particular CLS begins. World Series same thing.
These charts go series by series, unlike the freeform chart where people guess to the end before one game is played.
http://members.cox.net/lsdorga.....SERIES.pdf
Trisha or LGY,
I’ll play the ‘village idiot’. What do you mean by the spread? You can see what a gambler I am. My game is bridge, and I do that for points, not money.
I don’t ever want to see Pavano in pinstripes again – I would absolutely not fall in love with him or even fall in like with him.
What about head over heels for him?
Trisha,
Got it. Thanks
In the NL I don’t know who is playing who and who has home field advantage other than the Phillies.
The only way I’d be head over heels for Carl is if I tripped first……….I’m being somewhat facetious, but I can’t forget his lying about the car accident. The other stuff? I don’t know – all I know is that his teammates clearly didn’t think he was putting out. He’s a very good pitcher though, so Cash was right about him.
SAS, actually I probably should have called it a point system. I’m not much of a gambler either.
I never play for money. But I decided that I would throw in a monetary prize. Last year the prize was taffy!
I picked the teams I wanted to win as opposed to the ones I think would win. That’s why I said that since I was ineligible to win the prize since I’m the one offering it, I don’t really care about winning. So I just put down the ones I wanted to win! (though I do think the Yanks will take their series.)
Yummy
Wow, I just read that 47.4% of the balls in play against Phil this year were FB…………He really needs to cut that percentage down or he’ll always be victimized by the gopher ball.
I am going with favorites, at least in the first round.
I think there is a good chance the Reds will upset the Phils in 4 games.
Darn, the Reds are playing the Phillies. I need an upset special on that one.
It sounds more and more from what I’m reading that Andy is going in game 2 (and 5) and Phil in game 3. That just makes sense to me. No matter how good Phil has been, he’s not yet the security blanket that Andy is in terms of pitching big games. That’s basically what Curry said a scout said (on YES postseason preview). I think the Yankees are certainly counting on doing no worse than splitting…………I’m really fine as well. I know about Phil’s splits, but I think you have to look beyond the #s. He’s been better at home recently and you just can’t keep hiding him there. This is the right move.
Feel kind of bad for Ken Macha.
Cashmoney,
That is my heart’s desire…other than the Yankees.
“mmm, there is another ‘cashmoney’ @ nomass.org. I have a hard time to equate Brett as a 20 million dollar player with his skill set ”
With the old board, didn’t the software change it to Ca$hmoney?
You know with all the talk about Minnesota’s lefty hitting lineup, what about Delmon Young and Danny Valencia from the right side?
Delmon Young – .298 – 21 Home Runs – 112 RBI’s – .312 against left-handers
Danny Valencia – .311 – 7 Home Runs – 40 RBI’s in only 85 games.
.374 BA – .441 OBP against left-handers.
The guy with the .720 AAA OPS is certainly a threat in the playoffs. Not!
Yeah Rich , I think it’s Cashmoney as how I spell it here.
SAS, I just Cincy really has a chance beating the Phils. They have couple explosive bats in Bruce and Votto. Consider they both play in a bandbox , I think it will be somewhat of an offensive slug fest. But then, you never know , right?
stalker betsy chick is now clueless betsy chick. you’re a gopher ball
Right. I would rather go with my heart than my head in certain circumstances. In a 5 game series anything can happen. I want, I don’t know if I will get a Yankees vs. Reds WS.
I’m sick of hearing about H2O – I’d love to see the Reds knock off Philly
Yankees vs. Reds WS
———————–
I am on the wagon for that match up SAS. Post season is a different beast , Just go with your heart ! it’s funner than way.
Cashmoney,
Agree 100 percent.
Jerkface
October 5th, 2010 at 12:03 am
The guy with the .720 AAA OPS is certainly a threat in the playoffs. Not!
*************************
Really? Who cares what he did in AAA. He is in the show now and his stats with Minnesota speak for themselves:
.311 – 7 Home Runs – 40 RBI’s in only 85 games and a .374 BA – .441 OBP against lefty’s.
i really need someones help on answering something for me. All i keep hearing is how awful of a rotation the yankees have and how many questions we have about it and CC is the only good pitcher and so on. But, im a little bit confused.
The rays game 2 starter had 15 losses this season with a era in the 5′s… don’t we have someone like that on our team?
Matt garza was 15-10 with a era of 3.91…. which is nowhere near dominant.
So, why is it that the yanks starting staff sucks and we don’t hear anything negative about the rays?
Please help me out guys.
I go back a long way with the Reds. I saw Ted Klususki (sp. all wrong) play in person.
Tabbert,
Ignore the media!!!
Really? Who cares what he did in AAA. He is in the show now and his stats with Minnesota speak for themselves:
.311 – 7 Home Runs – 40 RBI’s in only 85 games and a .374 BA – .441 OBP against lefty’s.
—
Plenty of players go on tears then do nothing. Melky’s finest year was his first full one. I’m not about to worry about Danny Valencia.
No one thinks the Yankees’ rotation sucks. They don’t know if Pettitte is fully healthy, and one of their key starters from last year’s playoffs, AJ, is a basket case.
The Yankees have set the bar very high with their success, so it’s not unreasonable for the MSM to be skeptical.
In reality, Hughes is the fulcrum on which the success of the rotation will turn.
What AL team has the clear cut better roation though? The rays have question marks, as do the rangers after cliff lee and the twins don’t have a dominant staff. So, i really don’t know why people are only focusing on our pitching problems.
The world has no answer for Danny Valencia?
SAS ,1b slugger for the reds in the 50s ,no? That name also reminds of the the movie ‘Rain Man’.
Tabbert, you’re right……..For some reason only the Yankees have questions.
The grave is practically being dug for Andy and Phil is being made out to be a complete nothing.
Danny Valencia by month:
June: .304 AVG .686 OPS
July: .453 AVG 1.131 OPS
August: .276 AVG .716 OPS
September: .274 AVG .757 OPS
Danny Valencia last 28 days
.229/.270/.434
Rich, I do think it’s fair to have questions about Andy – and, I guess, that’s why the rotation is coming under fire (that and Phil and his 4.90 ERA in the 2nd half). However, it’s as if the possibility doesn’t exist that Andy and/or Phil pitch well. I don’t think Phil is a given, but I think it’s unfair for people to just say he’s been mediocre in the 2nd half without giving him credit for coming up huge against the Rays and Sox. I do think it’s interesting that almost every Yankee fan on the boards feels Phil will do well and they trust him. That speaks volumes, more so whan what the pundits who don’t watch the Yankees all the time think.
Cashmoney,
Huge guy with muscles like you didn’t see back then, but I believe, and I may be mistaken that he was an outfielder. I seem to picture him in left. Now I was just a kid. I also went to the All Star game in Cincy in the late 80′s, early 90′s. Their last new stadium. They have had 3 in my lifetime.
Nomar just picked the Twins in 5 but he was grinning so much you know he doesn’t even believe it, so that’s really a pick for us.
Woo hoo!
Tabbert, because the Yankees are the WS champs and they will always be held to a higher standard – fair or not. Also, Andy is expected to pitch 2 times in the ALDS and because he’s an unknown, it’s a big deal
Not everyone is ignoring the problems of other teams:
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/s.....own-100410
It may or may not console the Yankees to know the Rays (4.41) and Twins (4.49) ended the season with similar problems. Instead, Joe Girardi would like to know for sure Pettitte is 100 percent healthy, has full command of all his pitches and can be counted on for a quality start under pressure.
Betsy
There are no givens, even CC. I think it’s more likely than not that CC, Pettitte, and Hughes will pitch well, but I’m not completely objective.
“What AL team has the clear cut better roation though?”
I think the Yankees have the 2nd best rotation of any playoff team, but I don’t think you should be surprised that the defending world champions, who have a $200m payroll, are going to be the target. I embrace that.
It’s one more reason why it’s good for baseball when the Yankees are good.
Betsy, i understand that but then again isn’t everything a unknown? roy hallady could give up 8 runs in game 1. we can base our predictions off this season, or career numbers in the playoffs. So, by that token roy hallady could be a big unknown come playoff time sense he has never pitched in them before. I guess, what im getting at is that anyone can nit pick anything and make is seem to be a much bigger deal then it really is. Fact is, the yanks have a very solid 1-3 roation. I just hate the fact that everything is nit picked to the end on our team but everyone refused to see things both ways. I guess it is a bias against the yanks though.
rich- i agree with you. I’m going to embrace all of the negativity and be one happy man when all the dust clears. I am very confident in our starting pitching, our bullpen, our closer and i am very confident in the A TEAM ( our amazing lineup) haha
Nomar may be under the impression that a big smile will draw people’s eyes away from his nose.
Rich, of course not – they still have to play the games. I think if the Yankees lose, it will be more because of their offense, but that’s why the games are played. I’m really not reading any predictions for the series because they’re all going to say the same things and frankly – what’s the point? I’ve glanced at scouting reports – and again, they all say the same things, lol. None of this will matter once the first pitch is thrown on Wed. night.
Betsy
What concerns me most are:
1) Breaks. Luck can play a big role in a short series, especially a 5 game series.
2) The bridge to Mariano.
3) Girardi’s overmanaging.
SAS, I will be rooting for the reds along side of you
Here is to torpedoing the Phils !
I’m pretty geeked. It’s wall-to-wall baseball from 11:30 am Wednesday until the last out of the Yankees game.
i think the phillies are getting way to much hype for their starting rotation. Hallady is great, oswalt has been lights out but he is not this dominant shut down pitcher that can just shut down any rotation and cole hamels is really not all that great of a pitcher. Go REDS
I still see red when I think of Halladay in a Phillies uni. He’s the one pitcher I really wanted.
Rich, I think the ALDS needs to be 7 games; for a 162 game season to come down to a mini-series is ridiculous
I trust Wood and sort of Robertson, who’s been iffy. Joba? Nope – he shouldn’t be part of the bridge anyway.
Joe’s overmanaging? Agree 100%
m,
Halliday certainly would have looked good in a Yankees’ uniform. The Reds are going to get him…I hope.
i really wanted Curt Schilling from AZ, but then , the then ownership hated us and traded Schilling away for little to Boston. I have similar feeling about how Haren’s trade went down.
I’m going with the Giants and the Reds in the NL.
I agree with Rich and m and the rest: if we lost, Girardi will likely be the top culprit.
Oswalt is the weaker Roy. I do root against the Phillies, though. It’s a matter of principle.
Cashmoney,
They, the D-backs have a new GM who is Yankee-friendly.
“So, why is it that the yanks starting staff sucks and we don’t hear anything negative about the rays?”
_______________________________________________
Welcome to the world of ESPN.
I don’t see how anyone, given the choice, wouldn’t take the Pettitte/Hughes combination over Shields/Garza. And Price and Sabathia, on any given day, are equals.
Sure, Wade Davis and Hellickson and better than Burnett and Vazquez at this point. But that really doesn’t matter a lick at this point.
I had a feeling the other day that Berkman would have to face Oswalt in a big spot in a game.
I immediately thought that means the Yankees made it to the WS and didn’t focus on whether Berkman got the hit or not.
Speaking of nit-picking, none of the analysts seem to have noticed Longoria hasn’t had an AB in a game in almost 2 weeks.
Yup, another equitable trading partner. I do think there is pervasive feeling of envy and hate for the Yankee’s financial mights and success around the league’s front offices, meh, quite logical to understand I suppose. It’s kind of frustrating to see team has a separate asking price for the Yankees when it comes to trade.
Rich,
Can’t tell you I’m concerned about the “bridge” at all.
I’m as comfortable as I’ve been with it since the days of Stanton, Nelson, and Mendoza. Its tough to pitch better than Wood has since he got here. Give me D-Rob in a tight spot any day of the week- I really think the guy has supreme toughness and has proven capable of getting big outs in almost impossible spots.
And Joba? Given the choice between him and D-Rob in the middle of an inning with runners on base, I probably go with Robertson. But I’d seriously, seriously have to consider starting any fresh important inning with Joba over any of the other parts of the “bridge.” If that’s the eighth, so be it.
Wood and particularly Robertson are far from stingy with the base on balls with the bases empty. Leadoff walks in the eighth inning of a one run game in the playoffs = not good.
If I was Girardi, I’d seriously consider using Joba in the eighth in tough spots as long as the matchups present themselves the right way. The other thing I would take advantage of is his ability to pitch multiple innings, something he showed as a reliever in the past and a role he was grossly underused in this year. There is no reason that he averaged less than 1 IP per appearance was a pretty huge waste of his talents, particularly in the last 2 months of the season when he threw the ball extremely well.
If Girardi overmanages and gets stuck using guys like Joba and Robertson for just 1 out in the middle innings, there’s a very good likelihood that we’re going to lose at least one or two games in extra innings with Mitre or Gaudin on the mound. And that should NOT happen.
G-C, because Andy is an unknown and if you read the blogs or the analyses, you know that people are looking at Phil’s 2nd half numbers, his innings limit and potential fatigue and his home/road splits. Pundits will attract more attention by killing the Yankees than killing the Rays.
It is kind of fun to see teams that don’t pay the big bucks make it big. I assume the Reds are one of those teams.
However, all the years of being a Yankees fan have been more fun.
—————————————————————————————
Good night all.
“It’s kind of frustrating to see team has a separate asking price for the Yankees when it comes to trade.”
Whether or not other GMs realize it, that posture (which I believe exists) justifies and perpetuates the Yankees’ overspending. So it’s actually a counterproductive behavior.
Night!
G-C
I had complete faith in Joba in the pen in 2007, the midges notwithstanding.
I’m not arguing that the bridge can’t be good. My point is that it isn’t as good as the rotation, the offense, or the closer, in part because it’s overly reliant on the The Binder as interpreted by the manager.
As a result, I think it’s the weak link.
Well, Betsy, the Cliff Lee article was posted at MLB Rumors, not RAB, that’s why. On “teh internets” it’s good form to post a snippet with a link so the site that generated the article gets traffic and so that you’re not violating copyright laws. Would you want your work cut and pasted from it’s original blog without so much as a link?
“I’m not arguing that the bridge can’t be good. My point is that it isn’t as good as the rotation, the offense, or the closer, in part because it’s overly reliant on the The Binder as interpreted by the manager. ”
__________________________________________________
I agree completely if you look at it that way.
Very good point. Girardi has the potential to mismanage that group pretty badly.
So it’s actually a counterproductive behavior.
———————-
when you do things out of spite , it hardly does coincide with logic.
m, The Word Champions Los Angles Lakers lost tonight to the Timber wolves in London…..Kobe played 6 minutes, and his surgical repaired knee ( July ) is aching…….
Pat M,
Bad news. Hoping it’ll get well by the time the season opens up.
See you tomorrow.
Erica,
I’ll check in about noon your time. Will look for the countdown.
Good morning.
Off early this morning to take someone to NY Presbyterian for an MRI.
Think they’ll tell me if any Yankees have been in lately that we haven’t heard about?
pat
You’re probably off by now, but -
You can always ask.
Last night Harold Reynolds picked AJ Burnett as his “key player” for the Yankees/Twins series…that will probably be difficult considering hes hopefully not going to play….maybe he will be the official sign stealer and win a game in that way…..Has Harold watched the Yankees at all since May?
Pat, whatever the reason you’re getting an MRI…good luck and hope it goes well.
blake -
Depends on how you define “key player.” It’s key to the Yankees that AJ not be a player.
I thought it was interesting that the Rays are going w/ not so big game James as their #2 starter, altho he does pitch better at home. Perhaps they are trying to avoid him being in a crucial game. Price vs Lee should be a good match up.
Doreen,
Maybe that’s what he meant….but o doubt it
. Wonder if they will announce the rotation and roster today.
blake -
I sure hope so. Can’t continue the discussions another day with hypotheticals!!!
Which teams have the first games?
Texas/TB have a 1:30 game on Wed, Red teams X2 play at 5 on Wed and then our game at 8:30. Braves/SF first game is on Thurs
Blake, Harold has a “gut” feeling the Yankees are going to go with AJ in game 2. He’s nuts………..
I think we’re all going to hear today that Andy is going in game 2. Watch the blogs and boards light up as they rip into the Yankees for pitching Phil at home. It’s still the move I would make, but then I’m not scared of Phil pitching at home as long as he makes good pitches.
what would it say to the rest of the team if AJ was trusted w/ game 2? He has done nothing to show he deserves that spot. He shouldn’t even get a start the 1st round.
I wish Kearns wasn’t going to be on the roster. I was looking at his numbers against some of the pitchers he would face (starters) and his numbers are not anything special. I’m still trying to understand why Cashman got him.
If I had to choose I would have Phil pitch game 2, but I will be happy to see Andy there as well. I am not worried about Phil pitching at YS.
Thanks upstate kate.
So no games today, then.
And Braves/SF have an extra day of rest.
If they needed CC on short rest to pitch a game 4, and then they go on to win, would he be on regular rest to start the 2nd round?
(I know people have posted that info here before, but I wasn’t paying attention to it so far away from the actual games)
Take this with a huge grain of salt because it is King and the Post:
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports.....hNSw2MxDWL
With the Yankees opting to use a three-man rotation against the Twins in the AL Division Series, CC Sabathia’s broad shoulders and valuable left arm are about to get leaned on.
Because of A.J. Burnett’s miserable season, the Yankees will use Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes in the best-of-five series that opens tomorrow night against the AL Central champion Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis.
Doreen, I think so – and that’s good. I know others would, but I would not pitch CC on short rest throughout the playoffs.
Steve Phillips apparently thinks we’ll win based on a 1 man rotation:
http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/1.....breakdown/
CC Sabathia (21-7, 3.17 ERA) is still the workhorse that the Yankees thought they got when they signed him. He is their stopper. He logs innings and finds ways to win games.
Andy Pettitte (11-3, 3.28 ERA) had a great first half to his season but then missed two months due to a hamstring injury. He is not back to his old self yet, so he is a big question mark for the Yankees. It is hard to imagine that he could go much beyond six innings in any game. A complication for Pettitte could be the Twins’ propensity to play smallball. Fielding his position is not something that comes easily now with his leg and back problems.
Phil Hughes (18-8, 4.19 ERA) threw 86 innings in the majors last year and jumped to 176 1/3 IP in 2010. That is a big increase and Hughes showed signs of fatigue late in the season. His post All-Star break ERA is 4.90. His walks and home runs have increased and his strikeouts have decreased. Expect him to be on a short leash in playoff games.
That innings increase is incredibly huge; Phil could struggle next year.
SAS -
Theodore Bernard Kluszewski (Big Klu) 1B
I should be asleep, but I am not…good morning.
AJ is lucky that he is on the roster at all. As disappointing as AJ has been, you never know if he will be brilliant for a game, a couple of innings, etc. He has the potential so it is hard to eliminate him altogether.
—————————————————————————–
Betsy,
I agree that CC should not pitch on 3 days rest more than the one time in ALDS. A CC who is not at his peak is not as good as if they wait the extra day. It is a 7 game series.
Wow.
Just read that Cervelli started more games at catcher than Posada did this season. Cervelli started 80 games as Catcher, Posada 78.
Wow.
I am not worried about Phil. He was wonderful in that all important game against the sox, and also the relief inning against the sox.
Girardi is holding a presser today. Reports say Burnett will not be used in the ALDS. (sigh of relief)
I don’t know if Hughes will be better next season (W-L) than this year, but, I do believe he will be a better pitcher.
This year was a learning experience that should carry over, and if he continues to work on his change-up, he’ll be a good #3 or #4 SP.
poor Cervelli…have to wonder if doing all the catching for AJ and Javy just wore him out!
Betsy -
I’d try to keep CC on short rest to the absolute minimum, if possible. It’s nice to know he can do it if necessary, but sure would like not to have to do it. I’d rather Pettitte and Hughes be pitching well. I’d rather the offense be clicking. Hey, I’d rather a lot of things…
as long as we are going down that road…I would rather the Yankees sweep, and then everyone can rest up for round 2
Doreen October 5th, 2010 at 8:47 am
Wow.
Just read that Cervelli started more games at catcher than Posada did this season. Cervelli started 80 games as Catcher, Posada 78.
Wow.
……………………………………………………..
It appears that Posada won’t catch more than 50 games in 2011. Montero and Cervelli would catch the rest. DH duties split between Posada and Montero if the season were to start today.
I think we’re all going to hear today that Andy is going in game 2
**********************************
IMO Andy has to go in Game 2 so he can come back in Game 5. I like Hughes, but I would rather have Andy and his playoff experience starting 2 games.
SAS -
Did you see my post in answer to you ? last night about KLU?
upstate kate -
Catching AJ definitely had to take it’s toll. And I’m really leaning toward that match-up being not for AJ’s benefit, but for Jorge’s.
Yes, I saw the Cervelli report last night. I thought it said that he as in 93 games. I could be mistaken. In fact, he started and played more games than Posada, between the personal pitcher bit and resting Posadal plus day games after night games, he really did his bit.
I am one who is not sure Montero will be ready by spring and I am thinking they may need another catcher who is more reliable than Cervelli both in the field and at bat. He would be a ‘rent a player’.
Big Al,
No…do you happen to know what time????
SAS -
Repost:
Theodore Bernard Kluszewski (Big Klu) 1B
108 stitches -
I never would have agreed to that before seeing the numbers before my eyes. But I definitely think we’re going to see a changing of the guard next season and not by chance, by design. This season was more by chance, I think.
Good morning all. I spent a lot of time last night reading a lot of baseball analysis covering the ALDS. Most, if not all of the analysis I read has been predicting the Twins to win. Has anyone seen an article from a non-Yankees source saying otherwise?
Big Al,
Thank you so much. I really thought he played the outfield. My memory is not to keen. Nice to see he name spell properly.
SAS -
Yes, he was in 93 games, but he started 80 at catcher.
Posada was in 120 games, but he started 78 at catcher.
I think Posada’s role next season should be working with Montero, getting him better prepared to become the starting C.
ConcernedCitizen -
I’m avoiding analysis of the ALDS. It’s not good for me.
From MLB FanHouse -
Prediction
The Twins are a very good team, and one that has surpassed everybody’s expectations but their own. It is entirely possible that they could finally shake the monkey off their back that is the Yankees, and win this series. I just don’t see it happening. While guys like Brian Duensing, Carl Pavano and Francisco Liriano have had strong seasons for Minnesota, I don’t think they can hold up against the Yankees lineup. The one thing the Twins lack is a true ace like Sabathia, and until they get one — or two — of them, I just don’t see them having what it takes to knock off New York. YANKEES IN FOUR
Hopefully Posada will be amenable to being teacher first then catcher. When we carry 3 pitchers, it severely limits bench options. On the positive side, Posada can and should DH.
ConcernedCitizen -
You can’t put much stock in predictions, whether they favor your team or don’t.
Example: All the pundents picked the bears over the Giants Sunday night, and the Giants cleaned their clock, and totally embarrassed the Bears on national TV.
@BIG AL – I totally agree. I just enjoy reading how different baseball thinkers think (about the post season), and I was kind of surprised hardly anyone sees the Yankees rising above the Twins. Regardless, thanks for the clip from FanHouse.
SAS -
Remember, it was Girardi as the starting C that helped bring Posada along to take over as Joe was nearing the end of his starting career. I think Jorge will do the same, he is a team player, and will do what’s best for the team.
Later folks – Have a great day.