Another missed opportunity for Rivera and Burnett
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Aug 09, 2011 
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Two days after his fifth blown save of the season, Mariano Rivera took his second loss. Bobby Abreu’s second home run of the night was a two-run shot off the Yankees closer, giving the Angels a 6-4 win tonight at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees tried to bail out Rivera — like they’d bailed out A.J. Burnett two innings earlier — but Curtis Granderson was picked off first with the go-ahead run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth. Burnett still hasn’t won since June 29. He showed improvement until the sixth inning, when the Angels scored four runs, one of them on an Abreu homer. The Yankees were able to make up for that deficit with a three-run seventh.
Associated Press photo
The Angels obviously stole a sign somewhere and knew that he was going. How stupid can you be to run when they already checked you at 1st base 3 times and there are 2 outs?!?!? 100% of the time the closers would be playing attention to the batter at the plate but they stole a sign somewhere to know he was going.
Ghostwriter – It’s been reported you said last year that Sabathia was an average number two starter. I can’t imagine anyone saying that.
What can you do but move on?
Mo went through a spell like this last year. We’ve got Robertson and Soriano, so let’s use them for a bit and give Mo a break. I’m sure he’ll be fine.
That 8 game winning streak seems like a distant memory right now. Everything seems to be going wrong, pitching, baserunning, hitting. They let Boston get in their heads yet again.
Tex isn’t exactly blistering hot with the bat right now but to take the bat out of his hands with the game on the line is pretty bad. An ugly loss, Burnett, Mo and the final play. Damn.
Ugh. Just a bad game all the way around. Glad to get that out of the system. Maybe now they can start another winning streak. Remember, eight game win streak last week. Let’s just hope they don’t follow it with a losing streak like they did last year after a long winning streak.
These last 2 losses are difficult because it’s hard to see MO in this position. Time to break the losing streak. Yanks will go on a 10 win tear!
Tex is now 2-18. What can klong do to remove the inconsistency from this guy? Its insanely frustrating..
MO has a 3.36 ERA career against the Angels going into tonight – highest of any AL team.
His 8 blown saves vs. LAA, 2nd only to his 14 to Boston. Angels have the highest BAA against MO of any AL team.
We all talk about Boston, but the Angels have hurt him just as badly.
what about the burnett showed improvements. really. 4 RUNS IN 6 INNINGS…….
THAT IS A IMPROVEMENT.,………..
WHO GIVES A CRAP, he stinks. get rid of him…………
“Tex is now 2-18.”
He had his hot streak for a couple of weeks leading into the Boston series. Now he’ll take his obligatory 2-3 week absence and come back when the Orioles are in town and into mid-September, before tanking it the rest of the season into the playoffs.
The Yanks are really coming up short against 2 good playoff type teams the last couple of days. Good pitchers have totally shut down this overrated offense.
Someone should tell Tex it’s August, not April.
Sux absolutely has mo’s number, even in his prime.
I’m excited to hear Betsy defend AJ some more.
This team needs arod back fast. 4-5-6 r killing them
Mariano has had much worse failures than this two game blip:
1997 vs. Indians in ALDS
2001 vs DBacks in Game 7
2004 vs Sox
Oh wait, I think he recovered from those.
Not worried, even though his age makes him a bit more vulnerable. And when he knows he truly can’t get it done anymore (not yet), he’ll hang ‘em up.
Tex had the bat taken out of his hands. Not even a chance to redeem himself in that final AB.
“Trisha – I hear sirens. You can leave now.”
If you hear the sirens it’s because the people from the institution have sent the ambulance to pick you up and take you back to your proper home, you half-wit Sux loving fraud.
And I will repeat – I totally understand why the posters on this forum who garner the most respect are all the ones who consider you a total joke.
Already been said, but worth repeating …
It seems like Mo usually goes through 2 rough patches every season. Early April and mid August.
I wouldn’t write him off yet.
Yeah, they are not good enough to pass alds
the angels send down guys who do not deserve to play.
the yanks not so much. aj and jorge taking spots and non deserving………….
aj is a joke, anyone who can support that guy is either blind or stupid…….
Tex just missed bashing a few out tonight…sometimes things can be attributed to bad luck.
For those who have been around for a while, you will know that Mo always has a rough patch in August. Its like clockwork. A couple of bad games, then he breaks out of it. Not sure why, but it happens.
“aj is a joke, anyone who can support that guy is either blind or stupid……”
Or both!!
Sux absolutely has mo’s number
—————-
The more you see someone the easier it is to hit them. So that isn’t surprising. Mo’s blown games this year are against teams that face him often Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays. Last year it was Tampa. His command has been off and his ball isn’t cutting as much. He needs a couple of days off, he is probably tired.
Cano is more like playing video games these days.
Ouuch
This has been a tough little losing streak. At least we can laugh at AJ’s hair.
Double A guy making his MLB debut vs. Nova tomorrow.
Stuart, who would you say should replace AJ? Hughes? Is he that much better now?
really bad loss.
two big culprits other than Mo: Russell Martin (5 LOB, a million more groundouts) and Brett Gardner.
i’ve been a huge proponent of Gardner at times but he doesn’t have the skill set to fail in the way he did tonight. twice he killed potential big rallies by swinging at ball 4. a player like him can’t make up for mistakes like that by hitting home runs in their next AB, etc- he doesn’t have the power. he’s GOT to take those pitches and take the walk. that’s how a guy like him helps the team-grinding out ABs and getting base. he really hurt their chances two times for big innings.
100% of the time the closers would be playing attention to the batter at the plate….
===========================
Not unreasonable to think the closer is paying very close attention to the tying run at first, is it?
TheStraw August 9th, 2011 at 10:55 pm
Tex just missed bashing a few out tonight…sometimes things can be attributed to bad luck.==========
Totally agree with you. However this is starting to look like a broken record…. Tex goes 6-12..then 1-14. then 8-19…then 2-17… its Unreal. I know he can be better but I hate the streakiness… He’s like the john starks of hitters..
Russ on My9 has a voice that gets so far into my nerves I want to throw the TV across the room. How can any manager be feared? He seriously stated that he most fears Terry Francona.
hughes should replace aj. yes. also please explain to me if aj is put on waivers and clears can the yanks send him down? if someone picks him up who pays the contract?????
A-Rod makes this team go.
Cano and Tex have proven they are merely very good players, but non-superstars and come up small when the heat is on them.
I would like to take a moment to remember one thing:
Please, despite all of the craziness (AJ Burnett giving up a huge double to a guy batting .180, Mariano throwing a 3-1 cutter that I could have taken out of the park and Granderson temporarily losing his mind)…
DO NOT FORGET JOE GIRARDI’S EPIC FAIL.
Seriously, he walked Maicer Izturis… he of the .713 OPS (with FIVE HOME RUNS) … intentionally. Izturis is the type of hitter that you get mad at a pitcher for walking… unintentionally. And Joe willingly walked him. As a form of strategy. To face an almost identical hitter, Peter Bourjos.
Who could have possibly been surprised that the night totally spiraled out of control from there? Not me, particularly given the fact that when Joe did the exact same thing a few months ago when Colon was on the mound against Toronto… things absolutely spiraled out of control.
For all of their shortcomings, this team still doesn’t deserve Girardi as the manager. Please, free them.
Fire this $*!$ing moron.
Obviously, a few bad pitches cost us the game tonight but I also have to say it’s about time the offense came through in the later innings. We had chances in both the 8th and 9th innings and failed to score. That’s one of the big differences between this team and the Yankees of recent years. They’re not so good when the game is on the line.
the first and 3rd play will happen once in a while. really. I cannot name 3 times seeing it happen ever…..
girardi supports his players regardless.
let’s see what he says about the hillbilly
aj has 1 bad inning who cares if he gives up 4 runs in 1 inning or 1 run in 4 innings it is the same.
mathis a 189 hitter got a double to the track of aj…………..
more post game kiss butt excuses by clueless joe
It will help the whole lineup play within themselves when Alex comes back, & adding Montero would also help keep the lineup honest.
I can’t stand when Girardi sucks his teeth after swallowing water
DO NOT FORGET JOE GIRARDI’S EPIC FAIL.
Seriously, he walked Maicer Izturis… he of the .713 OPS (with FIVE HOME RUNS) … intentionally. Izturis is the type of hitter that you get mad at a pitcher for walking… unintentionally. And Joe willingly walked him. As a form of strategy. To face an almost identical hitter, Peter Bourjos.
Who could have possibly been surprised that the night totally spiraled out of control from there? Not me, particularly given the fact that when Joe did the exact same thing a few months ago when Colon was on the mound against Toronto… things absolutely spiraled out of control.
——
True. It also happened to a relief pitcher this year, which was even dumber.
aj would coulda shoulda…. never ever comes up big.
he should wear a diaper under his uniform for when he wets the bed, a daily occurence for him.
aj never has to pay for his performance the guy plays by different rules. how can this guy stay in the rotation????
really look at his #’s
This place has become an embarrassment ……Fickle bandwagoneers…..I need to have my head examined for coming here….I’m done
Tex just missed bashing a few out tonight…sometimes things can be attributed to bad luck.
yeah like every other night he is 1-4/5
I can’t stand when Girardi manages the New York Yankees. I cannot imagine this team having a manager that I could possibly detest more than I detest him. How can anyone possibly like the guy?
As awful as this sounds, I’m not mad at Granderson for getting picked off. Tex would not have come through there. He just wouldn’t. He’s back in slump mode until we have the double digit offensive output game this week and even then he still may remain in slump mode. This is our 23 million dollar superstar 1b. You can rely on him to put up gaudy numbers and disappear in clutch/close & late situations like a ghost.
The good parts of tonight was Jeter had a huge hit to tie the game up. He’s going to RF again with some authority. His swing and offensive approach have gotten much better.
Mo coughing it up is what it is. As someone said above he routinely goes through 2 small slumps a season. One early. One about this time. He’ll be perfect once this blip is over.
Nunez’s bat speed is something I wish a lot of the hitters on this team could possess.
Bad loss, but when you walk into the game with AJ facing Haren you kind of know you’re at a disadvantage.
also, why is Girardi going out of his way to bring in Mo when it’s not even a save situation? the guy is over 40 years old- i think you should probably rest him as much as possible. especially when you have Soriano still available, who has looked MUCH better since coming back from the DL.
all around, a team loss tonight. gotta play better than that.
“more post game kiss butt excuses by clueless joe”
He really is much softer than I thought he’d be.
I thought he would be Billy Martin and a guy who will light a fire under the team, hold guys accountable, demand performance, etc. Instead, he is just like a less commanding version of Torre – he allows guys to run the asylum and makes excuses for them. Look at the Posada incident as an example (even though that is obviously ownership involvement as well) – the guy throws a hissy fit and ends up getting a 3 month leash and never bats 9th again. So he could bat 9th that night, but never again.
Girardi is an enigma. He arguably has done a great overall job of managing the team this year, given the rash of injuries and callups, but he still is prone to occassionally making an in game decision that seems baffling (such as the Izturis walk). Truly difficult to gauge his performance. He is the AJ Burnett of managers.
LockDown,
Do you remember when that happened? Because I’d really, really like to see the game log (so that I can at least have a laugh after this defeat).
Seriously, NO manager in the entire world would do that. I can almost guarantee you that the likelihood of a big inning went quite a bit up when he walked Izturis. It was just so bizarre… And I have no idea how people in the game thread didn’t absolutely explode when it happened.
Any day or year now Girardi will take AJ out BEFORE he implodes. Why is the manager always the last person to figure this out?? Girardi has cost them too many games over the last couple of years because he leaves that nut case out there to wet his pants and then it’s too late. You would think he learned his lesson by now.
They face a rookie tomorrow making his first start – a built in excuse for the overrated offense already.
“For those who have been around for a while, you will know that Mo always has a rough patch in August. Its like clockwork. A couple of bad games, then he breaks out of it. Not sure why, but it happens.”
cs, when you have the backbone of an amoeba, the loyalty of an alley cat, and the brain of a jelly fish it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been around.
in all fairness, Girardi has been much better this season. it’s probably his best job since he’s taken over actually. he is still prone to the bonehead moment, but c’mon, there were plenty of culprits tonight.
and this is coming from someone who used to be one of the biggest Girardi bashers out there.
the macier walk was fine. itzuris is a lefty with good numbers against the hillbilly, he had 2 hits already so they walked him.
aj the dope then walked a rookie and gave up a double to a guy hitting 185 or so.
it is all aj’s fault, not suprising since he stinks, and now is in kenny rogers, denny naegle, and ed whitson territory. pavano never pitched but aj pitches, that is the problem.
he should be booed out of town he has been given 2.5 years and done zilch and made a fortune.
i was atthe playoff game in 2009 when aj imploded in anaheim, then theyanks got back in the game , and then aj did what he always does…come up small…
Daniel in Toronto August 9th, 2011 at 11:06 pm
I don’t remember the day. But I remember the intentional walk beacuase it was ridiculous. Instead of having a pitcher walk the dude, he brings in a relief pitcher to intentionally walk the batter. He then of course loses the strike zone. I think he walks the next batter.
I vaguely recall some other Intentional walk issues. But I can’t say who or when.
He looks like Johnny Rotten
Girardi hands the ball to his star closer with a lead and in a tie game at home the last 2 nights and gets blamed.
The guy can’t win. No guarantee the game plays out the same way if Burnett was pulled earlier. Maybe Haren is pulled earlier, maybe Girardi gets cute with Logan or someone and he gets hit.
Bottom line – he handed the ball to MO to get us to the bottom of the 9th and he failed. This can all be avoided if ownership removes the hilbilly from the rotation.
TheStraw,
How can you have a manager that goes into slumps? Haha. It makes zero sense.
Take last year for example… Up until about August of last season, I thought Girardi had done a decent job in his first two and a half years with the team…
But there was a huge amount of crazy decisions in the last couple of months of last season (I obviously don’t remember them all, but I remember the blogs exploding a few times per game down the stretch because of some of his bizarre in-game managing)…
These decisions led to this classic line by Nomaas: “And towards the end of the season and in the playoffs, there were times when he went insane (Was there an over/under in Vegas on intentional walks?). Maybe it was the orthodontics or lack of sucrose, but it certainly felt like he went off his rocker this year.”
Just when you think he’s not entirely crazy, he pulls a move like tonight. It makes NO sense.
In all seriousness, I can’t stand the guy.
Not unreasonable to think the closer is paying very close attention to the tying run at first, is it?
———–
Yeah but obviously they knew something was up. How often do you see a closer step off and look 3rd to 1st 3 times in a row with 2 outs??
TheStraw,
you must not watch how most other managers manage their team. sure we are all human and make mistakes.. but Girardi has made far too many.. .but it’s his lack of leadersship and fear of confronting his super stars that is unforgivable for any manager.. Girardi is not the right manager for this team.. never was, never will be. ‘
Bluntly put, he is a very dumb manager who has no balls.
don’t think its heresay to question if rivera is starting to slip alittle he is 41 im not saying he’s done just maybe human
Daniel in Toronto August 9th, 2011 at 11:10 pm
TheStraw,
How can you have a manager that goes into slumps? Haha. It makes zero sense.
======================
HAHA
The more I dislike Girardi the more I dislike the Steinbrenner kids.. they for sure are not their father.. they are MIA all season for the most part.. they have no baseball passion at all.
I said this the other night, but no one is talking about how Mo is missing his spots to EVERY SINGLE HITTER.
Remember folks its all about positive vibes and rooting for the home team in pinstripes all the time and under any circumstances no matter what happens. Reality is only alive in ‘The Twilight Zone’.
Can AJ ever just say I stink I will admit it? I am really tired of hearing his excuses one after another.
the guy is 34, and threw with convictions. good for him. $82 mill and he feels good about his performance.
the guy gave up 4 runs in 6 innings and he is happy with his performance.
that is the hillbilly, what a friggin joke. why don’t the reporters ask him does he deserve to be in the rotation…..
this guy is in denial…………the guy has not won in 6 weeks and zero wins in august for 2 years.
unjustified for complaining about him. the guy has a mid 4 era, under 500…
stuart a,
No, the Maicer Izturis walk wasn’t “fine.” You simply don’t intentionally walk guys like Maicer Izturis in the 6th inning just because there’s a base open and a “rookie” on deck.
For the record, Maicer’s numbers are considerably worse against righties than lefties. So it wasn’t like it was his strong side.
“Betsy Baseball” is defending AJ because the Yankees don’t have any better options according to her. There is a real unique point of view.
It still baffles me that AJ has not won since June 29th??? UNREAL!!!!!
You want to look like a moron in this forum? Question Mo.
He’s still throwing 92-93 w/movement. He got robbed on a strike over the plate that the ump called a ball and ended up elevating one to Abreu.
You want to think he’s done? Go right ahead. You’ll feel really stupid in about a week or two.
Guys is a long season, it was bound to happen, get it over with…….We’ll get them tomorrow.
TheStraw,
you must not watch how most other managers manage their team. sure we are all human and make mistakes.. but Girardi has made far too many.. .but it’s his lack of leadersship and fear of confronting his super stars that is unforgivable for any manager.. Girardi is not the right manager for this team.. never was, never will be. ‘
Bluntly put, he is a very dumb manager who has no balls.
_____
this is stupid because if you truly watch the games you say…you would realize how inept over half the managers in baseball are. Girardi isn’t much better or much worse.
using mo was the right decision. the only other option was soriano in the 8th and then robertson in the 9th…..
aj gets zero goodwill…..
aj is treated to nicely by the yankee fans….he has outlived his welcome………
Yeah but obviously they knew something was up. How often do you see a closer step off and look 3rd to 1st 3 times in a row with 2 outs??
===================================
Doesn’t want him in scoring position, so he’s clearly paying attention. Maybe they did sense something was up, but either way, you have to be more careful than that on the bases in that situation.
P-
I am more of the thinking with Kevin. I used to be a big Girardi basher, but think he has done his best job this year at juggling lineups, working in injured players, etc. But I agree with you that he makes terrible in game decisions from time to time that cost the team games. He also is made to look worse when his players let him down, the way AJ does when he sticks with him too long. i just don’t know what to make of him.
You want to look like a moron in this forum? Question Mo.
He’s still throwing 92-93 w/movement. He got robbed on a strike over the plate that the ump called a ball and ended up elevating one to Abreu.
You want to think he’s done? Go right ahead. You’ll feel really stupid in about a week or two.
_______
most average closers are still good pitchers that are going to get it done more often than not..and I’m saying that is now what Mo is..So of course he could rip off a few weeks of saves. not the point
It obvious that Mo isn’t what he used to be. His ball hasn’t had the cut that it used to have on an every day basis. The last couple of years he has been very hittable in tied games so today’s game didn’t surprise me at all. Before the inning started I said that I expect Mo get hit around because he usually has 2 bad innings back to back and has been awful in tied games. I hope they let Robertson close and give Mo a couple of games off.
Can’t wait for the explanation on Grandy running on that play. It couldn’t have been on his own, right? I mean, in that situation, the manager has to be the one who decides that, right?
Either way, that was a monumentally stupid play, right? No excuse, no way?
“I don’t think its heresay to question if rivera is starting to slip alittle he is 41 im not saying he’s done just maybe human”
That’s entirely different from saying something like the following: “Reality folks. No one is scared of Mo anymore.”
Seriously, you have to be the most stupid son of a b*tch walking the earth to even think up a statement like that! It defies reason to think that would come out of anybody’s mouth. But then the author of the statement typically talks out of his ass, so there you go.
I think Cashman needs to step in on this AJ situation, and on the rotation plan in general. They will be foced to address it when Alex comes back anyhow.
Glove,
You know I respect your yankee knowledge. Please tell me that last yankee pitcher that went win-less in August during there yankee tenure. In addition, why is it our 1B goes 8-20, then 1-12, then 7-18, then 1-20?
Do you think that the Yankees should acquire Maicer Izturis? He is an intensely dangerous hitter and would fit in well in the 3 hole in the lineup.
Daniel in Toronto, I don’t care for walking guys in the middle innings like that, either. This guy’s not even a power hitter. If you think your guy is going to fail in that situation, get somebody else from the bullpen to get the out.
I’m not calling this present team anything yet, because the Yankees have such high cards to play within their system before the postseason roster is finalized, if they choose to do so.
If they’re smart enough & bold enough, they have moves at their disposal that the Red Sox, for instance, do not. So I’ll wait to worry or not worry based on what that final roster looks like that we take into the playoffs. Depending on what they do, it could dramatically go in either direction.
mo is 41 and age matters. is he done? I doubt it but when a guy messes up and is 41 it is much easier to believe the end is near.
how many times does russell martin hit the ball to the left side, mainly 3b? All the friggin time.
aj has a 4.60 era, he walks a ton of batters, throws wild pitches like crazy and cannot field. btw aj implodes at a moments notice……
how aj has any good will is head shaking….. people say 1 thing game 2 world series, the guy pitched well 1 big game ever……….
Why does anyone on here care how much money Burnett is making? You’re not signing the checks and you probably have zero stock in this team (outside of a rooting interest). Stop bringing up his salary. It doesn’t matter.
Mark Teixeira is difficult to figure out and is becoming really hard to defend. The average is frustrating, but the OPS is what really bothers me.
Last season’s OPS+ was his worst since his rookie season. This year’s is his third worst since his rookie season. I’m kind of unclear as to how a guy in his “prime” can have his 2nd and 4th worst seasons at the age of 30-31. When was his prime? Is his prime over? I don’t get it.
you have to be more careful than that on the bases in that situation
————-
Exactly. I like the fact that the Yanks are running more this year but you have to be smart about it. We have seen the Royals and Tampa run themselves out of innings because they aren’t smart and get thrown out. With 2 outs and Tex at the plate you can’t get picked off there.
Daniel, LOL at you. Have the Maple Leafs done this to you?
waka flocka,
Because you’re crazy if you think that his salary doesn’t influence the likelihood of him continuing to start over more qualified pitchers.
waka, I have never understood that either. My guess is too many fantasy baseball leagues where they give you a fake budget. They imagine it’s their money.
Good night, all.
Prufrock,
No. I’m so used to them losing that it really doesn’t impact me in the same way that the Yankees losing does. I actually have high expectations for the Yankees. The Leafs? Not so much.
Well, that is true Daniel. But the money he makes in and of itself seems to be an obsession with a certain type of fan. A very angry type of fan, I might add.
G’nite.
LOL, Daniel. Just giving you a hard time. Have a good one.
is SWB really playing a double header where the first game started at 7:00?
Yeah, I really could not possibly care less about AJ’s salary if I was sure that it didn’t impact decisions related to him starting or not. I have a hard time believing that if he was making $900,000 this year that the debate over who should be in our starting rotation would be between Nova and Hughes.
If anyone listened to Kay’s radio show today, he was right on target. Besides a whole bit about the Yankees not panicking after the Sox series and that they were pretty equal to the Sox, he spent a great deal of time criticizing AJ and arguing that if the Yankees want to win games, they can’t keep running him out there. He felt they would keep running him out as long as the playoff/WC lead was safe, but if things got tight they might not. He also felt that they will not give him a postseason start if he continues to underperform.
Beacuse of all that, I believe that even if Girardi wants to defend AJ, Cash and his guys must be taking a hard look at what to with him, especially after tonight’s failure.
is SWB really playing a double header where the first game started at 7:00?
==============================
Thought it was supposed to be 5:15, but rain may have gotten in the way.
Seriously, you have to be the most stupid son of a b*tch walking the earth to even think up a statement like that! It defies reason to think that would come out of anybody’s mouth. But then the author of the statement typically talks out of his ass, so there you go.
_________
I must be a stupid son of a b*tch because I can’t see how anyone would be scared of what Mo is now throwing up there. A cutter that sits 91 that isn’t cutting like it used to doesn’t scare anyone. I think it’s pretty stupid to suggest otherwise actually. He can obviously still be effective but you throw “scared” around like he’s unhittable.
Benny,
I have no idea of the last pitcher to go 0 for August. When I try to think of the guys who were truly bad in the starting rotation the first recent name that comes to mind is someone like Rasner or maybe Ponson. It’s rare to see a starting pitcher not be able to win with this team behind them.
I don’t know what the heck AJ is anymore, but he’s here for another 2.5 years and I don’t see the Yankees waiving him. Maybe they’ll trade him but I doubt that. I think they’re going to look at him as the 5th starter who can give them innings and a 5 ERA and just grin and bear it.
As for Tex I had a fleeting hope he’d lay into one in the 9th. I said to my wife if Tex hits one here I can’t complain about him for the rest of the season. That said, I really didn’t see him coming through. He’s a freaky player. Someone sent me a link to an article a few weeks ago on River Ave Blues that was about how small Tex comes up in the clutch situations. He’s coming up historically small for him this season. That said, you see the HR’s and you think you must be nuts to doubt the guy, but I can’t shake doubting him. I can’t really remember him doing anything late in a close game to win it.
He’s in his slump again. His avg is going back to the .240′s and another week of this and it’ll be back to comparing him to Carlos Pena again. This is the player he is here now.
It’s sad because he should be putting the team on his back. So should Cano for that matter.
I think we’ve all seen enough of the season to know this is what AJ is and this is what Tex is. Tex will look like Pujols for a small stretch, pad his stats and then go into a black hole for several weeks. Expecting him to carry this offense is silly. He can’t or rather he won’t. It’s not that he doesn’t try. I’m sure he’s trying hard. It’s just there’s something in his approach that is so wrong for the role he is meant to play here.
He is consistent. He’s consistent in that he follows a small hot streak with an longer cold streak. You can set your watch to it by now.
I think that Girardi is defending AJ as a smokescreen for an impending trade that he is pushing hard:
AJ for Maicer “The Sultan of Swat” Izturis.
There is no way that AJ will finish his contract in the rotation. It really just depends on when the Yanks realize that enough is enough and it’s time to give someone else a chance that is better than him. If he wasn’t making so much money he would already be in the bullpen by now. It was a stupid contract and he stinks but the Yanks are obviously trying to get something out of him. If Girardi actually pulled him at the right times in the games he wouldn’t hurt them so much.
Mell,
ah….that must have been it
A-Rod should do this week of rehab in NY. He can get in Cano’s ear and maybe seeing help coming soon would help Tex too.
No doubt about it – this game sucked. But as crappy as AJ’s 6th was and Mo’s 9th… again, the offense puts up crap again. I really hope Arod makes this engine go because a helluva lot of folks here seem to think he will. That’s a lot for one guy.
there is absolutely no rationale for pitching aj…
if the yanks had no other options that is another story. they are not pitching matt desalvo or chase wright instead of aj. it is hughes or nova or warren etc….
aj needs to be waived…. send a damn message. imagine 2 more years of his act. and it is an act…………
Montero would have disposed Walden’s 99 MPH fastball in monument cave
You’re right Daniel. AJ would be out of the rotation if he made less money. This isn’t a big issue as people are making it out to be. The Yankees are going to find a way to keep Nova, Hughes, Garcia, and Colon pitching. Burnett isn’t going to start in the playoffs if Hughes pitches better.
cano had a cano game. 1 meaningless hit. did not run out the ground ball to second hard.
swung at some junk like usual.
that is cano… he is not great…..he is a good player who with a better cranium could be great. but at 28 in his sixth season time is running out on him being great……
On a depressing night, it’s nice to see our old friend CM Wang throw a one hitter (6 IP) against the Cubs. Getting that ERA down nicely…
i doubt the yanks will wiave aj but I know 1 thing there is no chance aj pitches in the playoffs unless he has a total reversal of fortune immediately….
pitching aj in the playoffs is suicide….
chien ming wang was a very good pitcher before his unfortunate injury..
stuart who the f.uck do you want to play 2B for the Yankees then? complaining about Burnett is one thing, complaining about Robinson Cano is another. shut up.
BryanHoch Fire away, tweeps. Once again, A.J. Burnett seemed mostly fine with his performance tonight. “I wouldn’t change a lot that I did,” he said.
Jesus Montero would have caught Walden’s 99 mph fastball with his mouth, blew really hard, and sent it into the Mohegan Sun Sports Bar… Once there, it would’ve struck a man who was choking in the midsection, forcing them to spit up what had been lodged in their throat. He would have won the game, and saved a life.
I love Jesus Montero.
stuart a,
You need to see a psychiatrist if you’re complaining about Cano after this abortion of a performance. On a team filled with concerns, “The Man Who Will Win a Batting Title Someday” is certainly not a concern.
I only saw the 9th inning so you can blame Mo’s meltdown and the failed 9th inning comeback on me.
That said, really boneheaded play by Granderson. If a singles hitter like Jeter, Gardner, or Martin is at the plate you maybe take that risk. With Tex at the plate who simply just doesn’t hit many singles just dumb, dumb baseball.
In terms of looking at the box score and seeing that AJ gave up a 2 run double to Jeff friggin Mathis, I can’t help but laugh. That is pretty embarrassing.
LGY,
Please take a look at the entire sixth inning’s box score and focus on Maicer Izturis’ at bat.
i am just saying can who is a good player is not great. the guy has 72 rbi’s hitting 4th or 5th for the yanks. he should perform better considering yankee fans think he is a perenial all star with MVP talent.
that is my only point. most fans with there eyes can see if Cano had some plate discipline he could be a phenomenal player. he is not…
Tex better make some adjustments to his swing or his contract is going to be brutal. He isn’t getting paid $23m to hit .240 and do nothing for weeks at a time. It’s amazing how inconsistent he has been and how many balls he pops up because they are up in the zone and he tries to get under them and can’t. Granderson looks like the superstar with Arod gone and not Tex or Cano.
stuart a,
I hate to say it, but RBIs are a really stupid way of measuring the quality of a player. Trust me on this one.
It’s a riot how some still continue to say that AJ helped the NYY to a championship with his one good performance in the 2009 post season and are still giving him a pass here in 2011. A sub .500 pitcher with no consistency Unreal.
As far as I’m concerned, Mo gets a lifetime free pass. On my list of the greatest Yankees of all time, he is behind the Babe and slightly ahead of DiMaggio, Mantle, Gehrig and Jeter. When his cutter is cutting, it is still unhittable. It just that his cut and location has gone from 100% accuracy and effectiveness to 98%, and batters are now so familar with what he does that they can hit the few rare mistakes.
To say he doesn’t scare or intimidate anyone anymore is a simply idiotic statement.
the macier walk was not the kiss of death. the walk to bourjous and 2 out double to the 9th hitter and the wild pitch all aj’s fault was the issue….
mathis cannot hit… he makes cervelli look like a good hitter, do i need to say anything else.
Only hope for the Yankees winning the division at this point is if the SI cover jinx will work on Pedroia and the Red Sox.
AJ with a game ERA of 6.00 against a very weak hitting Angels team. I dunno who is the # 2 for the Yankees but it aint Burnett. He is #5 or # 6 (Hughes or AJ for that last spot)
Not a good time for Rivera to lose it in back to back games. He has been superman at home with a 0.37 ERA until tonight (3.79 on the road). Have to wonder if he is healthy. If not, you have Robertson and Soriano. Soriano looked great against the Red Sox.
Bobby Abreu hitting 2 of his 6 HR tonight makes me wonder about the advance scouting and approach to some of the oppositions hitting. Maybe it is just a fluke, but seriously, 2 HR by Abreu?.
daniel so instead of rbi’s for cano should i look at obp? what should I look at?
LGY,
Please take a look at the entire sixth inning’s box score and focus on Maicer Izturis’ at bat.
———————-
Wait, what. The box score can’t be right.
They intentionally walked Maicer Izturis???
LGY,
The box score doesn’t lie. It wasn’t one of those get to 3-0 and then intentionally walk him kind of walks either. It was a straight up intentional walk.
Nothing you can do about past 2 games, move on…It happens!
Mo is still human after all…
Good to know CMW did well tonight. If he continues to pitch well for the rest of the season, maybe it’s worth a shot to bring him back for 2012.
stuart a,
OPS+, I guess, if I were to randomly pick one statistic. He’s basically tied for his second best OPS+ of his career, behind only last season. So it isn’t as if he’s playing below the level that he’s played at throughout his career.
Daniel,
What exactly was the rationale behind that at the time?
Maybe I’m missing something because I didn’t see the game.
LGY,
Girardi? I don’t know. There wasn’t one. There was a runner on 2nd with two outs, and they just decided to walk him.. I mean, I don’t understand it either. There was no double play to set up or anything. I really don’t know.
LGY,
Izturis was 2-2 against AJ so Girardi “didn’t like the matchup. Of course AJ then walked Bourouis to fill the bases, then threw a hanging curveball to .180 hitting Mathis. Then to put the cherry on top threw a wild pitch so the 4th run scored. You know the usual start from AJ.
trisha – true pinstriped blue August 9th, 2011 at 11:17 pm
That’s entirely different from saying something like the following: “Reality folks. No one is scared of Mo anymore.”Seriously, you have to be the most stupid son of a b*tch walking the earth to even think up a statement like that! It defies reason to think that would come out of anybody’s mouth. But then the author of the statement typically talks out of his ass, so there you go.
*************
I will wear your disdain like a badge of honor since you are without a doubt the least knowledgeable fan I have ever seen. You know nothing about the game, you are just a lonely, bitter, angry failure who gets off typing glittering and mindless generalities. You are the equivalent of an empty suit – who can only cheer lead in the most mindless and gratuitous way imaginable. What an embarrassment you are.
And it’s true. Mo is still the greatest relief pitcher ever, but no team goes up to bat feeling like the game is over with him on the mound anymore. One can see that.
Hopefully this is just a hiccup. It most likely is – but at 41 one never knows when his pinpoint command will fail him. It happens to everyone.
Girardi is dumb but AJ just really just sucks.
Jeff Mathis. I can’t get over that.
Mathis pretty much crushed it, too. That was the best part. It was also on an 0-1 pitch after he made him look ridiculous on the first one. Silly me, I was thinking, “LOL. JEFF MATHIS. Slow roller to short and this inning is over.”
Wrong.
It is so obvious that Joe has to get AJ out of the game whenever there is the slightest bit of trouble. And I would say the sacs juiced in the same inning where AJ just gave up the lead would qualify as trouble.
However, man oh man, he has to be able to get Mathis out. Batting .180. Just terrible.
I remember in the ’09 playoffs Mathis hit like .600 against the Yanks and they couldn’t get him out. Every at bat he hit a double. Sunday it was garbage Scutaro beating them and tonight .180 hitting Mathis. Also Abreu hitting 2 homeruns and he has 4 all year.
His OPS is .485. Holy hell. I actually didn’t know that was possible.
And oh, my God. His OPS+ is 38. That is absolutely incredible.
Oh, wow, more awesome Jeff Mathis-related stuff…
This is what the Baseball Reference sponsor thing says on his page:
“Scioscia says Mathis is one of the Angels’ most valuable players. With Ervin Santana struggling, guess who catches him? Mathis. The Yankees didn’t win their first WS in the 90′s until Joe Girardi joined the team. Mathis is that kind of catcher.”
ONE OF THEIR MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS? He might be the worst hitter in recent major league history.
LOL
http://yhoo.it/mWkiSW
That pretty much says it all.
I thought AJs hair cut may help keep his mechanics be under control because his hair won’t be flapping in the air forcing him off balance during his delivery. Obviously, I know nothing.
These 3 losses since Saturday have been some of the most difficult to follow. The Times called Sunday’s loss “crushing.”
I do feel unhappy when they lose but I realize that these guys are trying their best. It sounds like youth sports talk but I think it’s the same for grown adults playing sports as a profession. That’s all you can ask for in sports competition.
There is plenty of blame to go around in tonight’s loss. I’m sure Mo felt disappointed in himself for giving up the 2 out hr in the 9th. AJ is pitching as expected as maybe a demotion or change is best. Granderson, Girardi, et al have also been named. Every loss has somebody to blame.
They did try: The offense came through in the 7th. They brought the tying and winning runs to the plate in the 9th.
Maybe this is what the team is: a team that can win about 60% of the time and struggles as a team in situations with good pitching. I believe many others have the same observation.
I don’t post often but I do read this site nearly every day. I like the commentary and it is well run but I feel many succumb to the same emotion and negativity upon each loss that I do feel.
Maybe it’s time that I don’t let my mood be affected by games that are out of my control and may only be positive 3 times out of 5 during the course of the season.
There- I said it. I hope I feel better!
The best part of baseball is that there’s usually a new game the next day!
Let’s Go Yankees!
jacksquat,
That picture has absolutely got to be photoshopped. No way would anyone willingly have such a bafoon looking hairstyle. But of course, this is AJ, so who know what goes on in his unstable head.
BryanHoch – Burnett staying in rotation, says he “wouldn’t change a lot.”
Some good news on an old friend:
CHICAGO — After two shaky starts, Chien-Ming Wang showed on Tuesday night that he still has life in his right arm as the Nationals beat the Cubs, 3-1, at Wrigley Field.
How good was Wang on this day? He looked like the pitcher who won a combined 38 games for the Yankees in 2006 and ’07. In fact, he had a no-hitter after five innings, broken up in the sixth, when pinch-hitter Tony Campana led off the inning with an infield single. However, Wang was able to retire the next three hitters, Starlin Castro, Darwin Barney and Blake DeWitt.
After throwing 81 pitches, Wang was done for the night. He relied heavily on his sinker, and it paid off as he threw 11 ground-ball outs. He struck out one batter and walked two. It was Wang’s first victory since June 28, 2009, against the Mets.
BryanHoch – Burnett staying in rotation, says he “wouldn’t change a lot.”
—
He needs to change that haircut. He looks like Carrot Top crossed with a Chia Pet. The Yankees should have a clippers intervention in the clubhouse.
I have to agree with WCYC: unfortunately, you can get to Mo these days. I don’t see this changing a whole lot. Yes, he had “episodes” like this in years past, but we’re not talking about the same Mo. He’s 41. We’ve got to acknowledge that fact and quit bringing out our rose-colored glasses when watching him.
I am very happy for Wang. It’s a shame he is no longer a Yankee.
Good guys are always easy to cheer for — and that’s Wang. Of course, the Yankees game got pre-empted this morning in Taiwan by those amazing Nats, but it was nice to see him do well.
I tend to NOT tune in to watch AJ games. It’s just too frustrating. Tired of hoping things will change…
That blond — well, really it’s YELLOW — hair has to go. He looks like a complete doofus.
Girardi needs to stop walking guys intentionally. It rarely works out for him. Of course, he’s a very slow learner, thus his nickname, The Donkey. He stubbornly persists in repeating bad moves.
Wang looked pretty good today for sure after a couple of rough starts. Good to see him getting all those GB. I think a 1Bman like Tex probably gets that GB that went for a hit. His slider needs some work but that probably does not come until he regains some arm strength post surgery.
Wang is exactly the kind of guy the Yankees need, someone who induces a lot of GB and keeps the ball in the park. Masterson is another sinkerballer and he has done pretty well against the Red Sox the past couple of years. AJ for Wang and the Yankees eating 80% of AJ’s salary should get it done.
At this point, pft2, I say ANYBODY for AJ….JK, I think.
Very happy for Wang’s win tonight. That’s some good news out there.
It does remind me of the type of quality pitching Wang had that made you feel comfortable before a start. AJ’s track record makes me nervous before every start.
I like pft2′s idea. I wonder if Cashman is thinking about bringing Wang back in exchange for AJ and some economics?
Wang IS Taiwan August 10th, 2011 at 12:32 am
I have to agree with WCYC: unfortunately, you can get to Mo these days. I don’t see this changing a whole lot. Yes, he had “episodes” like this in years past, but we’re not talking about the same Mo. He’s 41. We’ve got to acknowledge that fact and quit bringing out our rose-colored glasses when watching him.
=================
So, because Mo is 41, we have to assume that any hiccups in his performance are age-related? That’s the only rational conclusion? Anybody who thinks otherwise is wearing ros-colored glasses. I’m sorry, but I just don’t see it that way. There is no meaningful difference in any of his statistics this year compared with his career averages or with previous years’ performance. This isn’t even his worst year–depending on how you look at it, 1997, 1998, or 2003 were worse years for him statistically than 2011. Yes, Mo is getting older. However, it isn’t at all clear that Mo is anywhere near done. Let’s not prematurely start writing his obituary.