Postgame notes: “When things are going bad…”
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes, Podcast on May 16, 2011 
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Every game is starting to feel the same for the Yankees. Fielding errors by the defense. Missed opportunities by the offense. Assorted mistakes scattered throughout. The Yankees have lost nine of their past 12, and they’ve matched their longest home losing streak since moving into the new Yankee Stadium.
“It seems like when things are going bad, they’re going bad,” Joe Girardi said. “It’s going to turn around. Every team in our division, you talk about Tampa, they went through it. The Red Sox have been through it and now we’ve been through it, and we need to turn it around.”
Hard to say what should bother the Yankees most at this point, but my guess is that the steady assortment of defensive mistakes are the most disturbing. Every team goes through hitting slumps — granted, this one is pretty extreme, but hitters know they’re going to go cold from time to time — but the defense should be fairly reliable.
Girardi said the passed ball off Russell Martin’s glove was a split that had some unusual movement — “That’s going to happen,” Girardi said — but Alex Rodriguez said his error at third base was as much mental as physical. He tried to rush the play, thinking he could get two, and let the ball go right past him.
“In hindsight, the right play was to just get the one out,” he said.
The defense has been bad, but the Yankees had just two hits tonight after Curtis Granderson’s go-ahead two-run home run in the second inning (Mark Teixeira singled and Rodriguez doubled). If the defensive mistakes are the most disturbing trend, the offensive struggles are certainly the most noticeable.
“We talk about thinking little,” Rodriguez said. “And it seems like Boston came in here and did exactly what we do to other teams. They’re keeping at-bats alive. They’re fouling off pitches. They’re battling, and then they get the big hit.”
The Yankees haven’t gotten a big hit in a long time.
Here’s Girardi.
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• Rafael Soriano said he’s going to throw a bullpen tomorrow, and if that goes well he’ll be available on Wednesday at the earliest. Girardi seemed to indicate that the Yankees might have to make a move if Soriano’s elbow doesn’t improve. “There’s decisions that we have to make,” Girardi said. “Hopefully he’s available to us soon.”
• Phil Hughes threw 45 pitches from 90 feet today, continuing a day-by-day progression of more pitches from more distance. He’ll have Monday off before resuming his program on Tuesday.
• Freddy Garcia was kicking himself for going ahead 0-2 against Kevin Youkilis in the third inning but eventually giving up the game-tying home run. “I got the guy 0-2, I should get him out,” he said.
• Garcia broke David Ortiz’s bat in the fifth inning but Ortiz still hit the go-ahead homer to right field. “This ballpark, that’s the way they play,” Garcia said. “Nothing you can do about it.”
• Jorge Posada pinch hit in the eighth inning and drew a walk. Girardi said he would have used Posada with runners on base in the seventh inning, but Nick Swisher’s strikeout took away the opportunity.
• Brett Gardner on the bad bunt: “Frustrating. That’s a big part of my game and something I need to get done every time. I can work on it all I want to in practice and do it right 100 times out of 100, but when it comes time to do it in the game, I’ve got to be better at it.”
• Gardner said he was running on first move when he was picked off in the fourth.
• Rodriguez had his double tonight, but he also struck out twice. Just a few days ago he was talking about feeling better at the plate. “I thought so,” he said. “And then I ran into Beckett and Lester and that made me feel not so good.”
• Ten of the 13 runs Garcia has allowed as a starter have come on home runs. He lost to the Red Sox for the first time since 2002 when he was pitching for Seattle. He went nine starts without a loss against Boston.
• Andruw Jones hit his first home run since his first at-bat of the season.
• Granderson has five home runs in his past nine games. He now has six home runs off left-handed pitchers, his most ever in a single season.
• In case you missed it in the game post, the Yankees announced during the game that the team will not discipline Jorge Posada for not playing on Saturday night. Posada apologized to Brian Cashman, who passed word to ownership. “They have accepted his apology,” a team official said.
• Girardi on the fan response to Posada: “Jorge is loved in our clubhouse. Jorge is loved by the fans. Jorge has meant a lot to this organization. And I’m not surprised. This has been a great player for a long time.”
Associated Press photos
Is it possible for Tex to carry a team or does everything have to be aligned properly? Like it can’t be April, May, June or October and Arod has to be hitting also. I know that he has had some good stretches but he is extremely streaky and it’s frustrating watching him do nothing for such long stretches of time.
CC: Maybe it’s because of the terrible struggles, but it seems like he’s popping up more than usual. Don’t know if that’s a product of his uppercut swing or what the deal is, but it feels like he pops up at least once a game. That can’t all be pitching.
Tex will get scorching hot for 2 weeks in June or July and the stats geeks will swear up and down that anyone who criticizes him is an idiot because he’ll compile numbers that will look great when you average them out but never show the true story that he has a lot to do with why this team struggles early on every season.
Whether it’s the calendar, the weather, the bed in the hotel, the traffic on the Hutch, the guy has a legion of stats loving fans who make excuses for him.
I’ve seen enough to know the routine. He’ll disappear for weeks at a time, get hot, put up big numbers and just when everyone is patting themselves on the back about him he’ll go ice cold again.
We’re lucky we won a title with him in 09. He is not a franchise player even though the Yankees paid him as such.
The middle of the order is flat all at once. That’s the problem with the offense. Even Cano is off. That’s not going to last too much longer.
Tex OPS’d over 1 for 3 weeks where the Yankees went 12-7. You need more than 1 hitter to be hot.
Alex (oblique) and Cano (hand) got hurt within a week of each other (late April into early May) and either both lost their rhythm and/or are still dealing with injuries.
Yankeefem
I asked Chad to pass my email on to you.
Alex (oblique) and Cano (hand) got hurt within a week of each other (late April into early May) and either both lost their rhythm and/or are still dealing with injuries.
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Cano hasn’t seen a pitch this year he doesn’t want to hack at.
It was only a matter of time before pitcher’s started exposing that.
# tyanksfan36 May 16th, 2011 at 1:38 am
Yankeefem
I asked Chad to pass my email on to you.
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OK, I will look for it.
#
# LGY May 16th, 2011 at 1:39 am
Alex (oblique) and Cano (hand) got hurt within a week of each other (late April into early May) and either both lost their rhythm and/or are still dealing with injuries.
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Cano hasn’t seen a pitch this year he doesn’t want to hack at.
It was only a matter of time before pitcher’s started exposing that.
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You mean like pitchers have throughout his career? Oh, wait…
“You mean like pitchers have throughout his career? Oh, wait…”
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Cano has never hacked like this.
He has always been a free swinger but he has never been close to this much of a hacker.
Cano was so hot for such a long time that he was bound to cool down for a period of time. Long really has to work with him on the strike zone. Most of his at bats recently is him getting himself out by swinging at anything in sight. He can be so much better than he shows some of the time.
2nd lowest BB% of Cano’s career
Highest K% of cano’s career
Cano suffered that hand thing & then got beaned in the head. Might be affecting him.
He’s definitely trying to pull the ball more. But he did go opposite tonight. That’s a good sign.
Highest swing rate (out of zone and in zone) of his career, highest swinging strike % of career
Cano needs to get back to being locked in, but he has had to deal with some injuries.
Yankeefem
You going to any Trenton games this week or are they away? I was lucky to see Marshall on the last home game and he pitches again when they come home on Wednesday. He is starting to look good and put up the numbers that he is expected to put up.
Injuries could be contributing. Cano’s hits = 20 pull 14 center 6 opposite. He is pulling about 9% more than last season right now. However, he will be fine.
# tyanksfan36 May 16th, 2011 at 1:59 am
Yankeefem
You going to any Trenton games this week or are they away? I was lucky to see Marshall on the last home game and he pitches again when they come home on Wednesday. He is starting to look good and put up the numbers that he is expected to put up.
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They’re at Erie, but back at Trenton on the weekend; if all goes well I’ll go see Betances pitch Saturday night, and might go see Banuelos on Sunday afternoon if I don’t go to see Yankees-Mets or sleep in.
yea he’ll be back. g’night.
Right now if Cano’s bat can reach it he is swinging. After seeing how far he came last year with the strike zone and on defense it stinks to see him take 20 steps back.
Yes, Marshall’s lines have looked very good lately. I figured he just needed to get more innings to get in sync, especially considering how many pitches he throws.
Ah, Cano will adjust. I do think the hand injury set him back.
Cano isn’t someone to worry about, he will be fine. The most important things for the team right now is to get Arod going and tell Tex it’s July and get him going. I dont expect much from Posada or Swish but they absolutely must get Tex and Arod going asap.
Yankeefem
The Tampa Yankees actually play the St. Lucie Mets this weekend which I find funny.
Yeah Marshall has done well, I think he threw around 95 pitches on Friday in 7 innings. I was surprised he made it that far, his fielders had him in trouble every inning.
If you go see Banuelos you will have to tell me how he does and Suttle, Mesa and CoJo as usual. I like Banuelos but I really like watching Betances I don’t know what it is about him. He is very intriguing.
yanksfan36 May 16th, 2011 at 2:08 am
Yankeefem
The Tampa Yankees actually play the St. Lucie Mets this weekend which I find funny.
Yeah Marshall has done well, I think he threw around 95 pitches on Friday in 7 innings. I was surprised he made it that far, his fielders had him in trouble every inning.
If you go see Banuelos you will have to tell me how he does and Suttle, Mesa and CoJo as usual. I like Banuelos but I really like watching Betances I don’t know what it is about him. He is very intriguing.
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Yes, I will update you in detail. Unfortunately, I missed Betances’ game today b/c I got home late from Stadium and also had an appt. I couldn’t break. The coverage today is really paltry too, so I have no clue how he pitched aside from the recap and line.
I love watching both, but when he is dealing, Betances is just flat out filthy with electric stuff.
Why does K. Long get a pass when the entire team for the most part is not hitting? Honest question.
I think he is very adept at complex hitting analysis and swing doctoring. I’m not so sure he is that good at communicating the psychological and motivational aspects of hitting, instilling confidence and finding ways to get individual hitters out of slumps in a timely manner.
Yankeefem
Well Manny just makes it look effortless, Betances makes the opposing hitters look ridiculous. I saw where he walked a run in but not much else.
Yankeefem
The reason for exchanging emails is so we can update eachother on certain players. I will be working full time starting Tuesday so I won’t be on here regularly, I know we are often hit and miss so that way we can be in more consistent contact. Hopefully Chad passes it on.
It was an unearned run, and he threw about 15 more pitches than last outing. So, it is good to see he is getting stretched out and will be able to go around 6 innings next outing. I’d be curious to know what his pitch count was in the 3rd when he gave up his first two walks.
Manny so far this year doesn’t have his usual effortlessness. The blister set him back. He actually was smoother in ST, but hope to see better control/command from him next outing. Both of them aren’t yet there.
# tyanksfan36 May 16th, 2011 at 2:23 am
Yankeefem
The reason for exchanging emails is so we can update eachother on certain players. I will be working full time starting Tuesday so I won’t be on here regularly, I know we are often hit and miss so that way we can be in more consistent contact. Hopefully Chad passes it on.
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Will do. Are you done with school for the summer, and what work are you doing?
Yankeefem
Well hopefully they get their groove back before they get promoted. I have been to all of Marshalls home starts and 2 close away starts. I want to get to see him before he gets promoted eventually. He has gotten better and I’m sure in time(sooner rather than later) they both will as well.
tyanksfan36 May 16th, 2011 at 2:08 am
Yankeefem
The Tampa Yankees actually play the St. Lucie Mets this weekend which I find funny.
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You mean b/c Yanks are playing the Mets? Betances faced the Mets #2 pitching prospect tonight, Jeurys Familia. Familia pitched very well according to milb article/pitching line.
Yankeefem
I have a summer class but its online and I’m just working at a preschool. August is when things get hectic with school so ill probably never be on here.
# tyanksfan36 May 16th, 2011 at 2:34 am
Yankeefem
I have a summer class but its online and I’m just working at a preschool. August is when things get hectic with school so ill probably never be on here.
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I see. Will you be able to go to your usual number of games this summer?
I am a streak poster here. Sometimes I don’t post for days on end, especially when the tenor of the place turns me off. Tonight wasn’t too bad in spite of the sweep. It is too early to be on a suicide watch.
# West Coast Yankee Fan May 16th, 2011 at 2:19 am
Why does K. Long get a pass when the entire team for the most part is not hitting? Honest question.
I think he is very adept at complex hitting analysis and swing doctoring. I’m not so sure he is that good at communicating the psychological and motivational aspects of hitting, instilling confidence and finding ways to get individual hitters out of slumps in a timely manner.
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KLong’s job is to make mechanical adjustments. That is his way of “instilling confidence.” The players have to execute in game situations. However, some players may not heed KLong’s advice or implement KLong’s adjustments. Teix is a good example of a player who when he gets out of whack, he pretty much has to solve his own problems b/c he relies on unorthodox mechanics. KLong can only do so much. For instance, if Swish swings for the seats in every AB in spite of advice otherwise, how is that KLong’s fault?
“K.Long’s job is to make mechanical adjustments.”
Thanks for the response. I guess I’m not at all sure that is the entire extent of his job, there is more to hitting than that. But in any event, how else does one measure effectiveness but by evaluating results, and, the ability to fix things that are broken?
We also don’t know if players are not heeding Long’s advice – or if the advice just isn’t sound.
I guess I just can’t see how an extended team-wide hitting slump (for the most part) warrants a pass for the hitting coach. There has to be some responsibility there – he seems to get plaudits when someone is hitting well.
Cano’s hand bothering him wouldn’t make him swing at a bunch of pitches he shouldn’t. That’s not a hand problem, it’s a brain problem.
West Coast Yankee Fan says:
May 16, 2011 at 2:58 am
We also don’t know if players are not heeding Long’s advice
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We also don’t know that Kevin Long is getting a pass.
If you measure everything by the media and tweets, nothing is being said about what Long is doing to help snap the team out of its funk.
Maybe he IS being held accountable – by the team. Maybe he IS doing every he can to help. We don’t know.
YOU don’t know that he’s getting a pass. Not everyone measures everything by what they read in the Internet.
This team sucks right now. All over the place.
From top to bottom. Offense and defense. This team is a disgrace. With all this talent, this is UNACCEPTABLE. Let’s see if they have any balls and if they show up in Tampa.
Sterling sounded the note of the fretting fan when he said the Yanks “never” seem to get a double in the gap with a couple of runners on. So what are the numbers.
The 2009 Yanks led the league in homers and were 3rd in doubles.
The 2011 Yanks lead the league in homers but are tied for last in doubles (with the O’s). Not just last in the league, last in the majors, behind all the NL teams.
The 2009 Yanks finished with 325 doubles; the last place 2009 NL team in the category, the Padres, had 236.
The 2011 Yanks, with 53 doubles, are on pace to finish this year with fewer doubles (226) than those Pads, just about 100 fewer than the Yanks of 2009.
The 2011 Royals (who have played one more game) currently lead the AL with 88 doubles, 35 more than the Yanks. Rays are near the top with 79.
Lets forget about Ground out to Short Jeter and Nomar GarciPosada for a second
What happended to rest of this team . . . Damn . .Arod and Tex can’t even touch the ball. Cano is lost . . and ….Swisher is a freakin disgrace.
Its amazing how this team goes into collective slumps !
Fatally flawed and old. Fourth, maybe. Second bad play this week for A-Rod. He head bounces again, just like a bobble doll. When a team doesn’t hit, pitch, run, field, or think, you get rid of the management. And, I don’t support Posada. I love my guys, but the w/l’s mean more to me than the monuments.
What is flawed is to compare statistics between the Yankees in ’09 vs ’11, which is 162 games to 38.
The ’09 Yankees were 15-17 at one point. The team that beat them for their 17th loss, the Jays, were 23-12. Both W-L records at the time, as well as Yankee BAs were a far cry from where everything finished.
And many of the “comments” at the time were the same as they are now.
Now, I don’t know if this team will have the same result as the ’09 team. But I DO know this: many of you who have already pronounced them old/flawed/finished/etc etc, will be the first ones to jump back on the bandwagon when they go on their next winning streak.
You can equate ragging and dumping on them with being a passionate fan all you want. Saying it doesn’t make it so. In my book, you’re not. Ingested is more like it, for the comments I read here about Posada, Derek, Tex, ARod, etc.
Commenting on something like Cano’s lack of patience at the plate recently is one thing. But for those of you who are giving up in May … why don’t you go root for the Mets’ quest for .500? You bring nothing to the table here, that much is certain.
Ingested???
S/b Ingrates …
iPhone auto-correct … it can be annoying.
Why don’t they just DL the guy?
Apparently Soriano won’t be pitching in the Tampa series.
Rich, I don’t agree with you at all about Cash being a puppet GM, which is basically what you said, especially since there is no proof that it was anyone other than Cashman that went after Lee.
# NW Yankees Fan May 16th, 2011 at 12:32 am
Against All Odds May 16th, 2011 at 12:20 am
Kimbrel is scary.
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I know and he is just a baby. It looks like he doesn’t even shave yet.
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yea what is he 20 or 21
Even when this team was winning they were scoring early and then making the lead stand up with their pitching. This was the case last night minus the pitching and defense to make five runs enough for a win.
Other Yankee teams were the exact opposite. They would wear out the opposing starter with long at bats and get to the opponents bull pen where they would just feast.
What happened here?
yea what is he 20 or 21
=================
Kimbrel turns 23 in a couple of weeks.
He and Venters may be the best 8th/9th inning combo going right now.
Other Yankee teams were the exact opposite. They would wear out the opposing starter with long at bats and get to the opponents bull pen where they would just feast.
What happened here?
==============================
Truth is usually somewhere in the middle. The Yankees are nowhere near as bad as they’ve been the past couple weeks but also not as good as the 108 win pace they started the year off with.
Still think this team wins at least 95 games
So, that homestand sucked.
# Mell May 16th, 2011 at 8:34 am
yea what is he 20 or 21
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Kimbrel turns 23 in a couple of weeks.
He and Venters may be the best 8th/9th inning combo going right now.
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Young and dominant that’s a beautiful thing
“Rich, I don’t agree with you at all about Cash being a puppet GM, which is basically what you said, especially since there is no proof that it was anyone other than Cashman that went after Lee.”
No, I said that the owners/GM have the final say and usurp his power whenever they feel like it, and they do.
Proof? Four years ago Cash said the Yankees would no longer have to sign or trade for veteran starters because they would developing their own.
Since then he signed or traded for how many veterans starters?
Was he full of bull or did someone take his ability to see that plan through out of his hands?
Still think this team wins at least 95 games
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Not so sure about THIS team winning 95, but also not at all sure THIS team is what we’ll see the 2nd half of the season.
Rich,
The change is not many pitchers developed sufficiently to make a rotation. Kennedy, Hughes and no one else yet. Good plan, hard to execute.
The Titanic (the current Yankees team) is now in free fall and sinking fast, all of the lifeboats have been filled and sent off, leaving those left behind clinging to anything that they can find to hold onto including old Yankeeographies and Yankees Classics of a Yankees teams of yesteryear when this team had a pulse. It’s going to get much uglier before it get’s any better, people falling into the freezing waters and dying of hypothermia, the Posada incident was just the beginning of the elderly not strong enough to hang on. What’s needed are younger men that can somehow hang on without falling into the cold waters, ie, a Jesus Montero for example, but the ship’s captain and first mate are said to be stubborn SOB’s and seem satisfied to watch their passengers die one by one. The ship is now on it’s downward spiral and and now headed to Tampa this ship may start sinking even faster. It makes for good TV viewing though, because as a people we Americans love a good disaster movie. Who will get saved and who will die a chilly death? There’s no denying though that this ship is going down and fast!
# austinmac May 16th, 2011 at 8:52 am
Rich,
The change is not many pitchers developed sufficiently to make a rotation. Kennedy, Hughes and no one else yet. Good plan, hard to execute.
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Joba was suppose to be one too but we all know what happened. Hopefully the B’s can buck the trend
New Post: The long-term question of long-term contracts
Mell,
That’s part of my reasoning…..
austinmac
Plans like that take time. Cash knew it when he said it.
Similarly, he could be starting Noesi instead of Garcia now. Not that he should, but he could if the plan was real. That he isn’t, speaks volumes.
Heavy long term contracts are adding to the problems of this team. Right now they are not playing well and that will change but realistically this could be a 3rd place team the way it is constructed. As much as I disliked the statements by Cliff Lee, as to why he did not sign with the Yanks, his assessment may be correct. Part of the blame has to be placed on the organization, sticking with something that is not working, for whatever reason, is not going to resolve problems. Can’t replace everyone but team needs a wakeup call and sooner than later.