Yankees postgame
Posted by: Brian Heyman - Posted in Misc on Apr 06, 2011 
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Rafael Soriano had his first bad game in New York as a Yankee, leading to this 5-4 loss to the Twins in 10, and then compounded it by failing to come into the clubhouse to explain it all to the reporters waiting for him at his locker.
Accountability will be important, possibly in the eyes of his teammates as well. But throwing strikes will be more important, and the closer turned setup man had poor command, walking three, including one with the bases loaded, and giving up a single to help blow the 4-0 lead for CC Sabathia in the eighth.
The four runs allowed matched a career worst for Soriano as a reliever. The three walks matched the most he’d ever given up as a starter or reliever.
Sabathia had thrown 104 pitches in throwing his two-hit shutout through seven. Then Girardi pulled him.
“What’s the point of arguing?” Sabathia said. “He makes the decisions. That’s what I like about Joe.”
So why Soriano in a 4-0 game?
“Soriano is my eighth-inning guy,” the manager said. “By no means is a four-run game in the bag, as we just saw.”
As for the idea that closers don’t have the same intensity in nonsave situations, Girardi said of Soriano, “It’s too early to judge that. That’s something we’ll have to evaluate as we go on.”
If that’s the case, he needs to find his intensity. He won’t be closing here unless Mariano Rivera needs an occasional rest. Soriano signed a three-year, $35 million deal, not that GM Brian Cashman wanted to sign him. But Soriano has an opt-out clause after each year.
It should be pointed out that he was excellent in his first two outings, both scoreless eighths, including in Monday night’s series-opening victory.
It should also be pointed out that the Yankees stopped hitting again after the second inning, picking up two singles in the final eight innings.
In the first two innings of the first two games in the series, they have eight runs and seven hits, including four homers. After that, they have no runs and six hits.
Mark Teixeira, who belted his fourth homer in five games, a three-run shot in the first, didn’t want to make excuses. But he did mention it was hard to feel his hands and feet as the game went on, that it wasn’t good hitting weather.
The windchill was 36 late in the game. Now in the open press box at 12:40 in the morning, the windchill is 33 and you can hear the flags on top of the stadium rippling in the stiff breeze.
“It was a rough night conditions-wise,” Teixeira said. “Let’s get it out of our system and move on.”
The forecast is for a chance of showers tonight. But if the weather cooperates, it will be Freddy Garcia on the mound in his Yankees debut and ex-Yankee Carl Pavano going for Minnesota.
Very interesting how this whole Soriano not being around to answer questions after thing plays out. Here we go off and running again for another crazy baseball season.
I said this earlier this spring. As good as Soriano is, and he is very good, I’m not sure he is Yankee material. Maybe I am wrong. But pitching in New York is a lot different than pitching in Tampa and his sullen, aloof act is going to wear thin really quickly. And not talking to the media? Hardly the way to make friends and influence people.
The media is going to have a field day with this…..I remember Mussina’s early days in The Bronx when he blew off the press, but Moose had Torre to cover his back…….This is going to get blown out of proportion, just ask Alex …..
Sorry, Mr. Soriano… running from the heat you know is coming is not going to cut it. You have to be a man, and take the bad with the good.
This 8th inning guy stuff is stupid.
Why the hell is Joe acting like D-Rob can handle it?
I mean the guy did it in the postseason before.
Hell he took Joba’s job last year.
The issue is that after getting off to a hot start for the second game in a row, the Yankee offense was absent over the final seven frames. To expect to win when you score early and then just hold on is silly.
Soriano had a dreadful night after two strong previous outings. This can happen to anyone. Logan didn’t help the cause very much, either.
A waste of a great performance by CC, which is too bad. But, you can’t expect a bullpen to carry you in every game, or hope to be successful if your offense departs after the second inning.
I don’t mind the “8th inning guy” stuff. We hear all the time that relief pitchers want to know their role so they can get comfortable with their spot and have an expectation on when they may get in the game. He was signed to be the 8th inning guy. 4 run game, CC over 100 pitches in April, I’m okay with the move. He just needs to execute his pitches.
All pitchers have a bad day. Remember Mo and the Kubel HR last year? It’s gone, tomorrow is a new day, get ‘em tomorrow.
(though, he does need to face the media and take the lumps like a man!)
Good night Night People…..Good Morning Morning People…..Have a go at it regarding last nights give away game,,,,,,,I honestly expected Robertson to take the hill in the8th inning….However the bottom line is, Soriano should have been up to the task…….Giraidi decides to go with him all the way to the brink of disaster which was a 3-2 fungo flair to right by Robertson and the Twins tie the game………Logan chokes on his juicy fruit and that’s a wrap……Yankees are 3 – 2 for this short season…..Lost / game opportunity # 1…..Let’s hope we keep this generosity to no more than 7 games this season
Three starters that need to get going:
Derek Jeter
3-18 .167
Curtis Granderson
3-17 .176
Brett Gardner
2-16 .125
Carl April 6th, 2011 at 2:16 am
This 8th inning guy stuff is stupid.
Why the hell is Joe acting like D-Rob can handle it?
I mean the guy did it in the postseason before.
Hell he took Joba’s job last year
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sadly (and unfairly), DRob has always been treated like a second-class citizen when compared with Joba. Remember when everyone here was wondering why he was in Girardi’s doghouse two years ago?
I love Jeter, but with his enormous ego/pride, it’s going to painful to watch him struggle if he doesn’t improve with the altered swing.
Morning anybody
I have a Boonie-Sori hangover today.
Tough game to lose and a terrible waste of a solid pitching effort by CC. The walks killed us. The bigger issue as I see it is the fact that we only seem to be able to score with the home run. The offense does not seem to be able to do much of anything else. Gardy, Jeter and Granderson are not hitting their weight. I would put Gardy in the #9 hole and put Martin in the #2 hole.I like Swish in the #6 slot.
We have to take American Idol down tonight — not sure if Freddy will fare well against this team. They are contact hitters and Freddy will pitch to contact. Hope that he is able to get them to hit weak ground balls.
good night Pat M and good morning everyone else
can’t argue w/ any of the overnight comments…a waste of a good effort by CC
Bringing in Robertson to me was the big error. Soriano is the 8th inning guy and he just didn’t have it last night, but at least he was the guy that was supposed to be in there at that point in the ballgame. There were some last night on this vector that just because the ball barely fell in for the double that made it somehow OK. Hello it was still 3 runs who cares how they got scored, they failed to mention that he fell behind 3-1 on the batter before the hit. Robertson in the game at that point no way.
i love girardi and i know in his nightmares last night he forgot more baseball than ill ever know…
but in that situation i would not have handled the pitching staff the same as him. i thought, with joba having gone 2 days in a row and not wanting to use mariano in a non save game, i would have gone with DRob in the 8th and finished with soriano. if things go according to plan, then you would have drob, joba and mo for tomorrow.
but in the end you have to remember a couple of important things. first is that soriano just didnt have it, it happens, and second, the twins are a good hitting team.
anyway, bullpen usage has been giradi’s greatest strenght since he’s been here, so i trust our manager and i trust our bullpen, they just didnt have it last night.
Good morning, morning people.
Not such good news this morning in Yankees town.
Absolutely hate to waste such a fantastic performance by CC. Too bad Soriano didn’t stick around; that ought to be fun going forward.
There are usually. Few games like this during the season so I want to keep it in perspective. Still, even a glass half full gal like myself has a tough time with this kind of loss.
Could it be Soriano had a tough time with his control due to the cold? Guess we’ll never know, since he didn’t talk.
There are usually a few games…
Good morning.
It was a tough loss, especially to loose a game by your #1 starter with your #5 going tonight.
Soriano is unavailable tonight and probably Mo too, so if the Yanks are in a save situation, not sure who would close.
Molina is catching tonight, so we’ll get to see what kind of game he calls.
hey it could be worse…we could be fans of the sox or rays!
Maybe the weather will “cooperate.”
jah-BUDDHA!
Have the sox or rays won yet?
I can’t put a lot of blame Robertson, he didn’t put the guys on base that were running with 2 outs. I think it comes down to the hitters not hitting, girardi leaving soriano out there when he clearly didn’t have it.
slightly different attitude in beantown. Pabe started his blog post today with this:
history is against us, no team that started 0-4 has ever won the WS!”
no Doreen, they are both 0-4!
PAbe is a copy cat, they said the same thing on sports center this am
Y’s Guy
That always cracks me up! It’s gonna be up to Ja-buddha
Doreen,
No. Neither team has won yet.
Hope you are enjoying your vacation
********************
Tyanks,
I agree with you. And Swisher misplayed the ball in RF. If he stays in front of it, Mauer doesn’t score and the Yanks are still up 4-3.
it is ridiculous to blame drob who came in and got a blooper when they needed one. it was sori’s walks that did it.
but logic holds little sway with many on here.
d remember i bought all his stock the day he showed up overweight and everybody wanted him traded for a bag of balls. thats the day i adopted him and gave him a new nickname!
itll catch on about the time he replaces sori as the eig and becomes the heir apparent again (around the asb)
Y’s Guy
I would not bet against Joba this season. But there are subjects and opinions that I avoid posting on here
I am in full avoidance mode
BTW how is Betsy?
The Soriano stuff is going to be a fiasco….but I think pitching wise he’s going to be fine as the weather warms up.
I will say this though….the next time Booney comes in there and walks the first guy he’s sees, that should be the last batter he sees that night. Late in games the margin for error is too thin to stick with wild short relievers…..Logan has struggled in his career because he has trouble throwing the ball over the plate …..he was better at that last year, hopefully that was the start of a trend and not just a flash.
Great thing about baseball is they play again today….have an opportunity to wipe that one away.
no hits last night from ells, crawford, gonzo, yuk and popi.
i get the feeling they’re gonna drop a 20 spot on someone soon.
Doreen
Did you get my email the other day about the keyword or did you already buy your tickets?
I went to the meet and greet and put up a post about it. I am still contemplating only going to half of my class on thursday night so I can make it to the season opener in Lakeland.
YsGuy I know you support DRob but he came in and like Soriano did not do his job. A hit is a hit, he fell behind 3-1 on the batter and the stage was set for another possible walk in the run. If he comes in and gets the out it’s 4-1 Yanks in the 9th. Plenty of balme to go around but ridiculous don’t think so.
If Soriano had thrown the ball that same say in the 9th then the result would have been the same….they didn’t hit him, he walked the world.
tyanks,
Saw your entry on the Meet and Greet. Enjoyed it. I saw Medchill and Higashioka play last season for the Staten Island Yankees.
Tyanksfan
I am on my daughter’s iPhone and haven’t gotten my emails yet. I need to find a wifi hotfoot with the iPad sometime today.
We did not buy tix. I tried to the day before we left and they said there were none available!
I am not sure what to do.
gary the count doesnt matter, he got the guy to hit a weak bloop. as a pitcher that’s a win. just like when you need a dp and the guy hits a weak seeing eye grounder. you cant pick the spot or make the fielder catch it (or in swishers case, field it correctly).
he did his job it was soriano’s walks that lost the lead.
Well Doreen I can guarantee you that there will be tickets, maybe they just don’t have online ticketing right now. Tampa gets the lowest attendance of all the yankees farm teams. There will be tickets.
Still sick and unfortunately it’s turning me into a morning person because I can’t sleep!
1. nobody wanted to go out there last night and not get the job done
2. I am not a fan of the blame game. life happens to everyone.
3. Soriano hasn’t faced the press yet and his forays before last night were excellent. Nobody can say he’s running from the press just because things went bad. However, it’s up to the Yankees to take him aside and acquaint him with his press responsibilities. If he refuses to do them, then it’s on him.
4. I am not getting Boone Logan. Does anyone believe he can pitch?
Actually Soriano has faced the media before, in one of his previous games…he doesn’t seem to be the warm and cuddly type, which doesn’t especially matter to me
Trisha
Logan can pitch when he throws strikes. That’s always been his problem and primarily why he hasn’t been all that good in his career….he was able to do that last year the more consistently and therefore had better results, hopefully that wasn’t just a one time thing.
I of course think the atletes should take responsibility and speak to the media after games like this…..but I always think its kinda funny the outrage reporters show when a player dares to not face them
Waking up and remembering how the Yanks lost the game isn’t the way to start my day. Now hearing Soriano bailed on the media. Now it’s onto Freddy Garcia against Pavano. Hopefully the offense spreads out over an entire game tonight. Poor CC though. Pitches lights out and walks do them in..
I know the media gets outraged if they don’t have an opportunity for a juicy quote but I really could care less if Soriano speaks to the media or not….all I care about is how he pitches.
PAbe is a copy cat, they said the same thing on sports center this am
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey, to be fair — Pete wrote his copy last night while he was covering the game, so if anyone was being a “copycat” it was Sports Center.
But he IS enjoying giving the “I’m going to jump off the ledge” Sox fans a hard time — just like he did here, as well. Just his sense of humor. To each their own. Those Sox fans are much more gloom and doom than any Yankee fans I know of. They get a little ridiculous.
Gotta love how those NO LOSE Sox keep losing!! And it’s not just their pitching. Their AMAZING lineup isn’t hitting either. So much for the “experts” and their predictions.
GO YANKEES!
Morning folks.
Plenty of blame to go around last night.
Soriano’s lack of control.
Girardi not exercising proper judgement on who to use, when, and for how long.
Swisher misplaying that ball.
Logan not being sharp.
Etc., etc.
Bottom line.
It was an ugly loss. Get it out of the way and move on down the road.
Today is a another chance at redemption in what promises to be the long grind of a baseball season.
I’m off to conquer one of the mountains of Zion today.
So I’ve got my own challenge to deal with.
Wish me luck.
You all have a nice day.
Oh, and by the way, I hope Betsy and Trisha feel better.
MTU
I am w/ you in spirit!! Have a great hike
Kate-
Observation point is just a walk in the park, so to speak.
Piece of cake, right ?
Thanks for the spirtual support.
I’ll try to take some photos.
To say “a hit is a hit” is just flat out ridiculous. D-Rob did his job. He just got unlucky with a pop-up. He got unluckier (more unlucky?) when Swisher reverted to the ding-a-ling OF of 2009 and went sprawling for a ball he had no prayer of catching which gave up another run.
Still, this is all on Girardi and his “8th inning guy” comment is a cop-out. Does he use Soriano there if it’s 6-0? 15-0? The guy threw 19 pitches the day before.Everyone who follows baseball knows Soriano is a volatile sort who hates low intensity situations. There was NO REASON to start him in the 8th. CC was just at 100 pitches and could have gone one more or Robertson should have gotten the ball.
Once it was clear to everyone on the planet not named Girardi that Soriano was not at all there mentally, Logan should have been brought in to face Mauer. That’s why he’s out there, primarily.
These things happen — but this one certainly should not have.
How classy was CC in his post-game comments? After that performance he gave, to exhibit such class and grace toward his manager and the bullpen — impressive. He’s the kind of guy that makes cheering for way too easy. Good guy. Period.
In terms of a defensive substitution late in games, is Andruw Jones an inferior OF to Swisher at this point in his career? If so, he’s fallen a long way.
86W183,
Swisher — oh, I’m afraid I have to agree with your assessment. Someone compared Swish to Aubrey Huff last night on that ding-a-ling play: OUCH.
“Absolutely hate to waste such a fantastic performance by CC.”
Speaks to how hard it is win 20 games, and how wins are nowhere near the best reflection of how a guy has pitched. Sabathia has what, 13 innings with 2 ER allowed? That’s excellent pitching w/ no wins to show for it so far.
Don’t really understand the Soriano move, but 5th game of the year is a bit early to start second guessing the manager. Once the decision is made, Soriano has to do the job and for whatever reason, he wasn’t up for it last night. Wonder if he was surprised to get the call.
Got give Duensing and the Twins pen a little credit. After Jones’ homer, 29 Yankees came to bat. None got as far as second base.
Wang-
It is classy, and smart too.
Everybody on a team should try to have other’s backs.
This time he picks up his team with his gracious comments, and another time they’ll make a play or slam a homer to cover a sub-par performance for him.
That’s the way it’s supposed to work, and it was a shame he didn’t get his win but things will even out over the course of a season.
Soriano blowing off the media is no good and it’s a bad sign – the media won’t let us forget this because now they probably have it out for him and we’ll see this by the articles they right this season.
How can I have any faith in Joe when he sees his guy is struggling and he just leaves him out there? Someone mentioned Rothshchild didn’t even go out – that’s on him as well. It’s not just about performance – if a pitcher is fatigued, they can get hurt if they are pushed. I like Joe personally, but he does a few too many things that bother me for me to love him as manager.
That’s true, too – Soriano did not do himself any favors with his teammate. You know Mo will be speaking to him – soon.
I seriously doubt Soriano’s issue was that he wasn’t closing……………
Blake — you should care about Soriano blowing off the media. It’s not about the juicy quotes; it’s about accountability. when a player isn’t accountable for his failures he forces his teammates to try and cover for him and explain his shortcomings. The key to a positive, upbeat clubhouse is knowing that everyone in there is accountable.
Soriano is a great talent, but he has a lot to learn about being a great teammate.
Soriano threw 32 pitches; not available tonight
Colon, Robertson, Ayala, Logan, Joba, and Mariano (if necessary) could be used.
Girardi messed up, but on balance, his bullpen management track record is decent.
Thanks for the good wishes, MT! Have a wonderful walk out there today. I somehow think it is fitting that you will be going to one of the mountains of Zion today. You are right up there with the best.
I also don’t care whether or not someone faces the press. Not everyone’s built the same. The players sign a contract to play ball.
MTU, thanks for asking! I feel ok – stiff in some places, but no soreness or pain. I expect to be sore at some point – and the minute I feel pain, I’m out the door to the ER for x-rays. I’ve tried to get upset about the loss last night, but given what happened, I can’t, lol. As Blake said, the great thing about baseball is that there is a game the next day (and the bad thing – sometimes after a great game, you want some time to relish it, lol)
Trish, the players have th responsibility to face the music. If not, then they have no business facing the media when they do well. Either way, their job description includes some things they may not like, but it’s just the way it is – and they need to suck it up. Soriano blowing off the media makes him look bad.
The players don’t have to talk to the media, but the unwillingness to do so after a tough outing doesn’t reflect well on their mental toughness.
86,
Sure I would rather him have stood there and given cliche answers through a translator…..so others wouldn’t have had to, but what matters more to me is how he pitches in his next outing. Im a fan of the Yankees, not the media’s perception of the Yankees.
Trisha-
Plenty of hot tea and vitamin C for you young lady.
Betsy-
You’re most welcome. Hopefully we won’t have long to wait for our next victory dance.
A crisis is a thing to learn from. It really gets your attention, and can lead to positive change.
Definitely provides perspective.
Have a good and safe day. Hug those you Love.
MTU & 86W183
I just hope that Soriano isn’t going to become a clubhouse issue like he has in the past. I know a lot of you don’t like the columnists, but Joel Sherman has the background story. I had already heard that Soriano was a real prima donna, but supposedly Mariano had gotten onboard in order to get him signed. Actually, that was a myth sold to the public. Check out the column if you’d like to. Ignore otherwise:
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports.....7X4C9v8E6H
I know the media is making a big deal out of Soriano leaving early, but that’s not what’s bothering me. It’s the impact his behavior has on his teammates that I’m concerned about. Truthfully, I don’t think he’s Yankee material, and will be leaving as soon as he gets an offer that allows him to close again at a price he finds acceptable.
Betsy! You’ve tried to get upset about the loss? Listen to you girl!!! You don’t have to be upset about the loss. I’m not upset about most losses. I don’t feel like that makes me any less of a fan, just one who understands losses are part of the season.
For your sake I hope you are “forced” to remember what happened to you yesterday for a long time, only because you are going to find a lot more enjoyment in life and in the season that way. My mom believed that things happen for a reason. Maybe the baseball gods realize that you are an incedible fan and also realize that you didn’t have all the tools to find a way to enjoy the season the way you should! Who knows. Whatever it is, I like your philosophy. And Blake is right. Today is here already. We all need to do what the players do every day. Shake it off and start anew. It is a loooong season.
“The players don’t have to talk to the media, but the unwillingness to do so after a tough outing doesn’t reflect well on their mental toughness”
I think part of being a good teammate in a market like this is to stick around issue the mea culpas when you have a rough night. Nobody has to talk to the media, but it’s bad form to leave your teammates to answer questions about what went awry with your performance.
MTU — oh, I forgot to say “enjoy your hike!” Sounds lovely. It was a nice sunny day here in Taipei today, but the rain returns tomorrow. It’s the first time in years that I’ve longed for the warm weather to arrive. I hate the heat and humidity, but this rain and drizzle is for the birds.
Signing off. Have a good one everyone.
MTU, it is important to have perspective – I hope I’ve gained something permanent here. I’m going to wear heating pads to work and I’ll take a nice warm bath tonight – I’ll be ok. Thanks!
Why be responsible to a bunch of cackling Hyenas because that’s what many in the press are.
Soriano doesn’t owe them squat IMO.
They can be like a pack of wild dogs in search of a meal.
The only people he needs to be responsible to are his team mates.
Other than that they can piss off.
That’s my press release for the day.
MTU,
Enjoy the hike. Looking forwrd to pictures.
*****************
Betsy,
Glad you’re feeling ok today
And in fairness to Soriano we do not know what he said to his teammates, if anything. Or whether his teammates understand that his personality is what it is and make allowances for that because he is a great pitcher.
Trish, lol, I didn’t really try, but whenever I thought about what an annoying loss it was – I didn’t get into my sulk mode, lol. I’d like to be able to enjoy sports and get upset like a fan does without going over the top – I take it so seriously. I’ve never liked that about myself – but it’s not something I can easily fix.
MTU-great post @ 8:01-I completely agree
Betsy-how are you feeling today?
Hi Fran – thanks! I suspect I’ll be achy at some point, but if that’s all that’s “wrong”, I’ll continue to thank my lucky stars.
Yankeeclipper April 6th, 2011 at 6:35 am
We have to take American Idol down tonight —
—————–
Idle.
Erin, just a little stiff, but so far, so good.. Thanks for asking! Today I’m going to rent a car and hopefull get good news about my car (mechanic does not think it’s going to be totalled…….but I want to speak to him myself).
Fran/Wang-
Thank your for the well wishes. Appreciate it.
glad to hear you are feeling ok today Betsy, and hope you feel better Trish
Want to refocus your attention after last night ?
Just imagine if you were a Boston or Rays fan.
Now those aren’t just an ugly game but an ugly series of games.
Piss poor starts. At least were not them.
edit: we’re. sorry.
Like you all, I saw this happening with Soriano walking the first couple of guys, and I was like “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” like you are in slo-mo when something is falling and you can’t catch it. You just knew the game was slip sliding away.
That said, I didn’t really have a problem with Joe leaving him in at the time, because its only the fifth game of the season and you have to give a guy a chance to work through it. Joe’s not going to get all caught up in one game when he’s thinking about the whole season. 9 times out of 10, Soriano gives up no runs coming in in the 8th with a 4 run lead. More often than not, he gets out of the jam even with the bases loaded only giving up a run or two. If he had done any of that, we’d all be saying, “well, Soriano struggled but he’ll bounce back and be like he usually is.” The loss sucked and I get bummed out too, but they’ll bounce back.
Good point someone made about the Kubel grand slam last year. The sky was falling then just like the sky is falling every time Mo blows a save (those two or three times per year).
A good outing from Garcia tonight will go a long way toward lifting the spirits of these blog commenters.
MTU – we said the same thing! I always get so jazzed when my thoughts parallel yours!
About the press? Let them eat flippin’ cake. They have enough material that they are willing to make up or exaggerate so what’s the difference. I agree that Soriano should face the music if he’s there in good times, but my understanding is that he is press shy. And since his season last year could probably fall under the category of spectacular, I’m sure that he isn’t dodging just during bad times. Anyway, what did the press need from him? Are you upset that you walked so many men? Why do you think it happened? Do you feel you had control tonight? Could it be because it was so cold outside (subtext – but since you’ve pitched in nothing but cold since you’ve been here, that would be an excuse and I will be sure to mention that in my column if you should answer yes.)
For a guy who has problems with the language anyway, let him escape the media as much as he wants. Do players have a beat on other players? If so then I betcha they knew coming in that Soriano doesn’t like dealing with the press. And if he has the kind of personality that it is worse for him to go through something like that, what’s more important to fans? That he deals the way he needs to in order to go out and pitch the next time out, or that he is accountable to the press? I agree that he needs to be accountable to his teammates. If he does that in the clubhouse, he’s done his job.
Tough Loss.. Hopefully we learn from it and move on !
Lets get a win tonight !
Co-worker just told me unironically that this was ‘the worst loss of the season!”
Tom in N.J. April 6th, 2011 at 8:47 am
Co-worker just told me unironically that this was ?the worst loss of the season!?
***********************
Well you know, if the Yankees lose on April 5th, their season is doomed!!!
Trisha-
Same wave length here. Players need to be accountable to each other not to the press.
Nobody should be forced to undress in front of a camera to satisfy some carniverous urge from the press or a fans bloodlust.
(there are some exceptions to the above rule.
)
Fans admire the forthrightness but in some ways it can become very
masochistic and sad to watch IMO.
No one even knows why Soriano didn’t want to face the media so they just do what Humans sometimes do and fill in the blanks with
negatives.
If someone gives Soriano a black eye during the season then I’ll be worried. Not before.
“The sky was falling then just like the sky is falling every time Mo blows a save (those two or three times per year).”
The sky never falls, it’s just baseball.
Some losses seem to be avoidable, like last night’s. When Mo pitches you take your lumps more easily because, well, he’s Mo.
During the game thread last night I commented on how it would be interesting to see how Soriano reacted to the media after that performance.
His personality doesn’t seem all that well cut out for NY.
Not a good sign that he didn’t even show up to answer questions.
That’s just wishful thinking on his part if he thinks that will work in NY.
He took a bad situation and only made it much worse.
Now the media is going to turn this into a process story and will double down on getting him to talk after the next time he fails.
The majority of the press are not virgins. I’m sure they knew Soriano’s reputation. He didn’t kiss up to the press in Tampa and he hasn’t done it in NY. I’m sure if his teammates or management feel it’s necessary to his health they will advise him on it. Otherwise disappointed fans and the media will just have to suck it up.
He’s not the first NY player to refuse to respond to the press, and it seems to me that other players had successful careers despite that. One would be Mike Mussina.
I’m not worried for or about Soriano.
If Soriano does his job, nobody second-guesses Girardi’s move. It’s game 5 of 162.
Do I think D-Rob could have used the work, absolutely. That doesn’t make going to Soriano in the 8th a bad move.
Hindsight is 20-20, but if he pitched a scoreless 8th, we’d be talking about our awesome bullpen.
My issues with last night is after the game.
NY is a different animal than most other cities. Soriano may not owe the media anything, but when you leave w/o talking to reporters, it’s equally as disrespectful to your team.
I bet other guys got questions about Soriano they shouldn’t have to answer. That’s not right. Part of your job, especially playing in NY, is being accountable bc, one way or another, reporters are going to ask questions.
And if Soriano isn’t there to answer them, the media will move to someone that is there.
On another note: I know it’s early and concern for Gardy & Grandy may be a bit premature, but man, Jeter hasnt looked good AT ALL. Even baseball experts said his spring wasn’t very inspiring.
Good morning, all. You hate wasting good starting pitching, but, it happens. That, as they say, is baseball. A few thoughts before I get going –
1. Robertson did his job. It was what we used to call in the schoolyard a “dying quail”. MTU may pick another critter, but you get the idea.
2. Soriano didn’t do his. As we all saw, Joe was spot on that a 4-0 lead in the 8th, esp. in the AL, is no sure thing. The Twins clearly didn’t think the game was over. We can debate the wisdom of bringing in Soriano vs. Robertson to start the 8th, but whomever pitches has to do his job. Soriano didn’t, plain and simple.
3. There’s a lot more to the timing of Joe taking Soriano out than just winning one game in early April. Yeah, it was clear Sori wasn’t sharp from the outset. However, Joe isn’t dumb and blind (despite what the morons think).
If we say that being a manager involves more than just tactical moves, that you have to manage the personalities and egos of the players, then I think that’s exactly what Joe was doing. He was trying to manage Rafael Soriano, and not just for this game, but to establish something for the rest of the year. The guy is a veteran, with a pretty impressive resume. Besides the obvious hope that he could pitch out of it, the man is a competitor and has an ego, as we all do. Joe was trying to build a bond of trust, which is necessary for a long season. Pat M and Randy could probably speak to this a lot better than I.’
4. It’s one game. There’s another one tonight. The season has 157 games to go.
Off to work. Later.
I do agree though….this isn’t Tampa and neither is Boston for that matter (as Crawford will soon find out if he doesn’t start hitting).
Oh, and it’s a learning experience for Sori as well. He likely was embarrassed mightily last night, and didn’t know how to cope. How Joe and the rest of the team counsels him will go a long way to October success.
Have a good day all. I know I will, despite a touch of bronchitis.
Onward and upward!
One thing that always strikes me is the divergence of opinions here. Should Joe have brought Sori in at all. If so should he have left him in. Should Robertson come in at the beginning of an inning? Should Rob have gotten the nod? Should Soriano face the press?
The fact that there is little unanimity tells me that it is safe for me to leave it all behind and enjoy the day. Nobody corners the market on the correct answer. An amalgamation of opinions. Not a bad thing. The only universal I see in baseball is what the players do on a daily basis after a loss. Shake it off and move on.
Good advice? I’d say yes.
And I know there are those (SJ being the most vocal) who claim ST stats are meaningless, which, I agree with for the most part.
But when you’re 37 and trying out a new swing, I think it’s important to get into some sort of rhythm.
The problem with Soriano ducking out last night is it leaves loose ends.
Face the music and everyone moves on instead it becomes part of his “permanent record” to be rehashed anytime anything goes wrong.
“I don’t think he’s Yankee material, and will be leaving as soon as he gets an offer that allows him to close again at a price he finds acceptable.”
Boras might want to leave last night off his higlight reel.
Re: not talking to the press. If nothing else, it’s just going to be worse for Soriano if he ducks the press. Kind of like how Randy Johnson started off on a bad foot with the NY media and never got comfortable after that. That should be the message to Soriano from his teammates.
The majority of the press has a bias toward looking for a story whether or not there is one. Soriano’s failure to talk to the press is a storyline that will be zealously monitored by the press and exploited whenever possible.
As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Pat – you were posting that while I was writing mine. Same wavelength.
I think it is understandable that Soriano left right after the game (my first instinct probably would have been to get the hell out of there too). That being said though, it was a mistake-the press is going to be all over him now.
Joey A. I actually think the perfect surrogate for the pitcher is the catcher. The manager and pitching coach aren’t bad either. Russell Martin answered all the questions about the pitching. I saw him on the postgame show. Whatever the press needed for answers they got. Tough if they didn’t get to see Soriano himself bow and scrape.
I agree with MTU. It seems to be a bloodlust as opposed to a genuine need for answers. Fans and the press love to see a player squirm or act penitent – as if they have purposely done something wrong. It actually makes me sick to my stomach.
If you genuinely want answers you’ll get them. If there’s a problem you’ll hear it from the manager or pitching coach. Other than that, move on.
OTOH when players, especially pitchers, do talk to the press, their words are overanalyzed to death. Recall IPK’s comments and Joba’s too, when they had bad games and didn’t appear to be contrite enough.
“Nobody should be forced to undress in front of a camera to satisfy some carniverous urge from the press or a fans bloodlust.”
Maybe not in the ideal world, but in the unideal world of professional sports, it goes a long way toward making it the cash cow that it currently is.
New Post: Sabathia’s good work wasted
“Russell Martin answered all the questions about the pitching”
So did everybody who pitched…..’cept Soriano.
What loose ends? That he had a bad outing? BFD. He is hardly the first person who has left the clubhouse without talking to the press and he won’t be the last.
Something makes me think that Soriano doesn’t give a rat’s behind what the press thinks of him. And since there’s a language barrier they can try to hound him as much as they want. He can simply shrug it off. And if his dodging the press makes it impossible for him to play in NY, oh well. He’ll find a home somewhere else.
And then everyone can high five and compliment the press for a job well done, because a top-notch pitcher is no longer here because he refused the face the press. That’ll get the job done for you all the time.
Definitely need some fresh air.
Later.
The big question is whether Sori can go two days in a row. I read that it was a problem last year at TB. Reminds me of KrazyKyle is this is the case.
I believe Soriano’s mindset would have been better by pitching the 9th inning to show he’s still got a closer’s mentality. Mariano wasn’t expected to be used last night. A mix & match of Robertson and Logan could have worked better.
Girardi found out that Luis Ayala can be an option for the time he’ll be on the roster.
upstate kate April 6th, 2011 at 9:08 am
OTOH when players, especially pitchers, do talk to the press, their words are overanalyzed to death. Recall IPK’s comments and Joba’s too, when they had bad games and didn’t appear to be contrite enough.
//
Ha ha, agree whole heartedly. But he who hangs on sound bites is doomed to snap judgments. I barely pay attention to the interviews myself. I have the TV on, but canned quotes never did anything for me.
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IMO this loss is on Girardi. They didn’t have Robertson up warming in the 7th for nothing, then Joe over thinks the situation and goes with Soriano, then leaves him in too long. I can recall at least 6 games last year where Girardi was chiefly responsible for the loss, this one just came way too early this year. Then in post game tries to spin the 8th inning guy concept. Everyone makes mistakes Joe, but men admit their’s and move on.
Swisher misplayed the ball in RF, that cost the ballgame along with our genius mgr.
You guys are STILL talking about last night?!?!?!
Let it go already! Yanks have the Twins’ number. It’s about &$#%ing time the Twins pull one out! Big deal!
If it’s motivation that’s needed, try calling it a Sori-Save (aka Hold). Could add marketing to it, etc…will electrify the crowd the same way Joba used to!