Girardi and Burnett downplay mound outburst
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Aug 20, 2011 
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Joe Girardi got angry with the media tonight when he was asked about A.J. Burnett’s angry exit from the mound.
Camera’s caught Burnett cursing after he was removed from the game, but both Burnett and Girardi said it was a reaction to Russell Martin who’d just told Burnett that ball four to Joe Mauer should have been a strike. Burnett said he was angry at the umpire, not at Girardi. Burnett went so far as to say he’d never show up Girardi because Girardi has been too supportive the past two years.
As for Girardi following Burnett into the clubhouse — also shown on television — Girardi said he was actually going into the video room to get a second look at the pitch. He and Burnett never saw one another until they came back into the dugout.
Girardi was mad at the media who, he said, were looking for excuses to depict animosity between the manager and his pitcher. Both Girardi and Burnett said no such animosity exists.
I’ll have audio later.
Chad, I don’t think any of the press believes that explanation and anyone who watched the game tonight saw something completely different.
Kudos to Ken Singleton!
Plausible deniability.
But, however the team portrays it, AJ has been bad the past two months. Not mediocre, but bad. They can’t be a pennant race and just blow off every 5th game.
I don’t know how they will go forward, but wouldn’t be surprised if AJ gets hisself moved this winter.
After seeing the replay and what they are saying that is kinda believable that AJ was talking about the pitch answering Martin…..I’ll buy that.
That doesn’t change how he pitched though………even though he did strike Mauer out. It’ll be interesting to see what they do here going forward.
I give them (and Zillo) credit – they manufactured quite the story and managed to stay somewhat on the same page too.
Too bad no one with a brain will buy it…
luis August 20th, 2011 at 10:54 pm
WCYF, You can’t blame him for lying, if he trashes his player in public, he probably loses his authority inside the club house
************
OIf course you blame him for lying. What he should have said is, “that’s between me and AJ”. Period. No story. No lie.
I don’t buy it. I don’t think he was angry at Curry at all – he was angry at AJ and just didn’t want to admit it in public. So, he pulled a Cashman……except I don’t think he was really defending AJ, unlike Cashman
The media knows that Joe was just a seething volcano tonight and was barely restrained…….
After seeing the replay and what they are saying that is kinda believable that AJ was talking about the pitch answering Martin…..I’ll buy that.
=======================
Hey Blake, got a bridge I wanna sell you.
Boy, just think, Alex’ story will be a welcome diversion for the Yanks!
blake August 20th, 2011 at 11:07 pm
After seeing the replay and what they are saying that is kinda believable that AJ was talking about the pitch answering Martin…..I’ll buy that.
—–
You did the same as me
I went back to the tape. It looked like Girardi said something to Martin & Martin said something back and then AJ turned and said the BS thing. So I it’s actually plausible.
Doesn’t change the bad game. He just needs to get it done or go to the bp.
Betsy August 20th, 2011 at 11:09 pm
The media knows that Joe was just a seething volcano tonight and was barely restrained……
======================================
They looked frightened, which was what Joe was going for.
Girardi seemed awfully enraged (Craig said it was the most angry he has ever seen him after a game) for something so minor and trivial.
Regardless of the BS tonight, AJ needs to be removed from the rotation on performance alone. They have simply run out of excuses for him. Guy has one of the 5 worst ERAs in baseball.
Doc Joe…..It’s August 20, Garcia is out right now and the club has very little options……I don’t know the numbers and if Face is around maybe he can pull them, but I think AJ has turned in good outings until his gauge hits around the 5th-6th innings…..If Giradi can control the game going batter to batter once you get into the 5th then it’s manageable, not ideal but rather than waiting like Joe has been by then the game gets away from them…….That being said, if you can get a .500 record with a era in the mid 4′s then that’s real good for what is now a 5th starter…….
Girardi did a good acting job for a guy who doesn’t like to lie.
I think it is plausible that AJ was talking about the pitch though when he said what he said instead of about coming out of the game…..I would have been pretty ticked about that call as well……I’m not taking up for AJ….I just don’t really care about any of that stuff….I care more about how he’s pitching which isn’t very good and hasn’t been for 2 years now.
luis August 20th, 2011 at 11:11 pm
Nibblick,
Yeah, we have different takes on the issue, off course the players know the truth, do you think any one of those players wants their dirty laundry cleaned in public??….For example…i never read Joe Torre’s book, why??, because i think he betrayed the unwritten rule of never talk about what happens behind closed doors….That’s my take anyway
Maybe Girardi is just frustrated because it’s increasingly harder to justify pitching AJ. He’s certainly caught in between a rock and a hard place, I will say that. We’d all be better off if AJ pitched to his potential, but he just isn’t.
When has Girardi ever gone back into the dugout during a game immediately after pulling a player?
There have been far worse non-strike calls against us than this one. And why the urgency? Why not wait till after the game to see the strike call? And why did AJ come out shortly after Girardi did, then promptly went back in the dugout when his runs scored and the inning was still on-going?
WCYF,
Point taken, that’s a better way to handle it
blake, aj was staring joe down from the moment he left the dugout…
Betsy, you really beleive that to be true ???? It’s the NYC media, they have sharks looking for blood and if it’s there they’ll pounce on it…….AJ might be many things, but he’s viewed as a good teammate in the clubhouse
I generally like how Joe runs the team, but it’s issues like AJ Burnett that make me wish we had a manager like Lou Pinella. We don’t need an Ozzie Guillen type, but we need someone willing to stand up to his lousy pitcher and not come out and BS everyone after the game. You aren’t protecting AJ by doing this….
AJ had 10 starts last year where he failed to go 5 innings…..tonight was only his 2nd this year so far by my count….so there is that positive
Pat M, but we now have a 6 man rotation – is he one of the 5 best pitchers on the team? Someone is going to the pen – and it’s not Nova. He may be a #5 as opposed to a #6 or #7 – well he is, actually, but on this staff he may not be a #5.
AJ had 10 starts last year where he failed to go 5 innings…..tonight was only his 2nd this year so far by my count….so there is that positive
__
His ERA is worse on Aug. 20, 2011 than it was on Aug. 20, 2010….
why would anyone believe aj burnett?
he and joe will get lambasted in the media all this week
aj will pitch his last game for the nyy this weekend
except he owns the O’s in Balt
which is where he should be pitching, close to home
Michael Kay must be blushing in embarassment.
Good answer by Girardi, might even be true, but I doubt it is the whole story.
“blake, aj was staring joe down from the moment he left the dugout…”
Well I’m sure he wasn’t thrilled about coming out of the game in the 2nd inning…..I wouldn’t expect him to be. I just think it’s reasonable that he may have said what he said to Martin instead of Girardi……..and that’s what everyone is in an uproar about.
AJ might be many things, but he’s viewed as a good teammate in the clubhouse
———-
Yeah, I’d say if he wasn’t viewed as favorably, it would be easier to store him away somewhere.
Pat M, I think AJ is a good teammate – I think he’s well-liked in the clubhouse. I’m sorry -which comment of mine are you unsure about?
Pat M,
Usually AJ worst innings are the 4th and 6th, if you are going to play him then you have to have the bullpen ready from the 4th inning on….
“His ERA is worse on Aug. 20, 2011 than it was on Aug. 20, 2010….”
yea it is…..but he’s had less of these outings like tonight than he had last year where he just gave them no chance to win the game. So while he’s been pretty terrible…..he’s been slightly less terrible than last year. Trying to be positive
I think the better question is why AJ feels he has the right to be frustrated with being taken out of the game at ANY point after the way her performed.
I love the guy largely because he’s always 100 percent accountable.
However it seems an awful lot like the consistency of his failures has started to erode at that sense of accountability and turn this into a significantly uglier situation for everyone involved.
It was easier for him to be accountable and fess up to pitching poorly when he still had a baseline of success to work with and allude to.
That baseline no longer exists.
Well I’m sure he wasn’t thrilled about coming out of the game in the 2nd inning
============================
this is not joes fault it’s aj’s, right?
That said, he shouldn’t stay in the rotation as he’s not pitching as well as the 5 other guys they have.
Betsy August 20th, 2011 at 11:16 pm
Pat M, but we now have a 6 man rotation – is he one of the 5 best pitchers on the team? Someone is going to the pen – and it’s not Nova. He may be a #5 as opposed to a #6 or #7 – well he is, actually, but on this staff he may not be a #5.
———
Spot on, the FO has to field the team that has the best chance to win…
Blake, it’s why I’ve said that he hasn’t been bad enough to be pulled from the rotation, but what complicates the situation is Hughes and that was even before his recent surge. If you send him to the pen, his development as a pitcher is completely stunted; that to me should be done only as a last resort for the team, if they honestly think he’s just not going to be in their future plans as a starter. I say that Hughes complicates things because while AJ has not had nearly a bad enough year to warrant being pulled, it’s a matter of making a choice and sometimes tough choices have to be made.
“this is not joes fault it’s aj’s, right?”
I don’t think I said that.
We’re in late August and rosters expand in like 10 days. AJ’s innings are no longer significant to us and are no longer a positive attribute.
We now need to evaluate for the postseason (and for Hughes/Nova… next year as well). AJ does not fit in that picture and presents no value to us moving forward the final 6 weeks of the year.
Betsy August 20th, 2011 at 11:21 pm
Blake, it’s why I’ve said that he hasn’t been bad enough to be pulled from the rotation,
=====================================================
“His ERA is worse on Aug. 20, 2011 than it was on Aug. 20, 2010….”
========================================
G-C, I’ve always thought of AJ as accountable………….He really takes his bad performances to heart, I think. Paul O’Neill was great, but he was a very tempermental player and threw worse tantrums on a daily basis than AJ has. He’s acting more like he did in Florida now…..sort of reverting to the old days
Betsy,
Hughes going to the bullpen has to be off the table now….there is no way they are taking him out of the rotation. AJ isn’t one of their 5 best pitchers right now…..so if they are going on merit then he’s the one that should go to the bullpen. He’s been a little better than last year I believe…..but that’s really not saying much and he’s not been as good as the other 5 starters they currently have.
# blake August 20th, 2011 at 11:21 pm
“this is not joes fault it’s aj’s, right?”
I don’t think I said that.
============================
No, I said that.
You said this:
Well I’m sure he wasn’t thrilled about coming out of the game in the 2nd inning
Well guys, there is something going on because even MLB channel just broadcasted the interview to Girardi and AJ, and believe me Girardi was pissed
I’ve always thought of AJ as accountable………….He really takes his bad performances to heart
===========================
Wrong. He’s in denial, a pampered spoiled child who cannot correct mistakes and doesnt even know what his faults are.
Luis, and up until recently, I was fine with AJ in the rotation as long as Phil was not sent to the pen (better AAA)…………but AJ has just been kind of going along in some kind of holding pattern of mediocrity while Phil has been getting better.
We now need to evaluate for the postseason (and for Hughes/Nova… next year as well). AJ does not fit in that picture and presents no value to us moving forward the final 6 weeks of the year.
————-
Yeah, but you’re not the Steinbrenners paying him $33 million for the next two years. The contract doesn’t just disappear. If you give up on him for the rest of this season, what will be your ROI the next two years?
Remember when AJ used to talk about how he matured after watching Halladay and is no longer the emotional guy who used to ‘lose it’ on the mound and has now learned how to control his emotions and channel it towards pitching like Halladay did?
That sure didn’t last long.
mick,
what’s your point….I AM sure he wasn’t thrilled about coming out of the game….that doesn’t mean he didn’t deserve to.
Paul O’Neill was great, but he was a very tempermental player and threw worse tantrums on a daily basis than AJ has
=======================
Please don’t mention Oneill and aj in the same sentence.
Oneill bled ballplayer. He hurt when he did bad.
This guy is the furthest thing from that.
Blake, yep that’s how I feel………if Nova is in the rotation on merit, and he is and should be, then that’s how it has to be with AJ and Phil.
Hughes going to the bullpen has to be off the table now
———–
It made zero sense from the get go anyways.
I just saw the interview with Girardi and he just seems very tired of answering the same questions to me…..seemed frustrated with the whole situation.
With a 93mph and no command, there is a slim chance that he will turned in a performance like in game 2 of the world series. So what are they hoping for?
Mick, I know very well how great O’Neill was…….but he was a bad actor when he didn’t do well. I think it bothers AJ that he doesn’t do well – he’s not a bad buy. We all know, though, that he’s immature and highly emotional – and he’s incapable of improving himself at this point.
“while AJ has not had nearly a bad enough year to warrant being pulled”
He has one of the 3 worst ERAs in the AL among qualifiers. His ERA was better LAST year at this time than it is presently.
How much worse does he have to be? I understand that most of his bad starts have come recently, but they all count.
“It made zero sense from the get go anyways.”
it did but we didn’t know if Phil was going to get it back this year or not….obviously if he had continued to pitch like he did earlier in the year when he wasn’t healthy or whatever then that wasn’t going to work……..but pretty much as soon as he showed that he was getting his stuff back there shouldn’t have been a question about his staying in the rotation.
point being aj should have been madder at himself than he appeared to be at joe
that whole pitch thing is a lie so i wont even address it
instead of staring joe down he should have been staring the ump down if it were true
which we all know it wasn’t including you
Betsy,
I know, we even have a discussion about it (lol), i thought that Hughes having the upside should be given the chance to perform….This are all very fluent situations, things could change in the future as well, the good thing is having the versatility to adapt
AJ has only recorded 7 quality starts this year.
Has a lot of less than 6 innings, but 3 runs or less, and his fair share of 6+ innings with 4 runs
“that whole pitch thing is a lie so i wont even address it”
how do you know?
Sometimes you make an investment and it doesn’t turn out and Hal, smart as he is, knows that. It should only be about winning and who can best contribute to that. If AJ can, that’s fine. If he can’t, then his salary shouldn’t have anything to do with that. They aren’t going to get some great ROI with AJ, so they have to try and take lemons and make lemonade………..
Comparing AJ Burnett to Paul O’neill? Really?
One guy was a great player for the Yankees, a true professional who helped them win 4 championships in 5 years. The other is AJ Burnett.
Betsy August 20th, 2011 at 11:29 pm
Mick, I know very well how great O’Neill was…….but he was a bad actor when he didn’t do well.
================================
Betsy, I didn’t look at O’Neill as acting, he was real.
AJ is phony.
He has problems which he won’t work on.
Everyone knows what they are why can’t he be fixed?
Just answer that.
After today’s happenings, Cashman will come to his senses and recognize he has to support and empower his manager. Poor Joe, he is taking hits for defending the indefensible AJ.
I think something drastic will be done in the next couple of days. It is too risly to wait and see what AJ will do against Orioles. What if he has a good game and then stink up the joint in the following starts. I think Cash will talk to AJ’s agent and inform him that they defended AJ as long as they could and now he will be sent to BP after Balitmore start. That way it will sink in to AJ that he is bound to BP and there won’t be much drama after the Baltimore game next week.
# blake August 20th, 2011 at 11:32 pm
“that whole pitch thing is a lie so i wont even address it”
how do you know?
====================
That’s what I believe and most others do , hey if it walks like a duck and quacks like one aint it a duck?
Yanks27, IMO you don’t pull someone from the rotation unless they are really bad and unless there is someone who is worthier of that spot. Before Phil’s surge, he’d not been particularly great……..but now he’s making a lot of progress and AJ is still just AJ. There’s no doubt now who has to come out of the rotation……….
“Everyone knows what they are why can’t he be fixed?”
because repeating a pitching motion is a talent….just like throwing 95 MPH is and he just doesn’t have the ability to do it….he never has. The other problem is father time related as his velocity is down…..he’s 34 years old…..he’s not going to turn into Greg Maddax and so he pretty much is what he is.
Bottom line? AJ’s not giving this team a chance to win.
He’s turned into the Yankee version of Oliver Perez.
Anyone trust him in a big spot? It’s like the end of a marriage…sad, but you have to make the call.
Jack Curry is outstanding. Does YES think we should keep watching “The Manager’s Report” if only softball questions are allowed? C’mon Girardi…you’re better than that.
Mick, he was real – that was no act, I agree. I don’t think AJ is acting either – I don’t think he’s a phony. He’s just an emotional, mediocre pitcher…………those 2 qualities really don’t jib.
blake August 20th, 2011 at 11:31 pm
“It made zero sense from the get go anyways.”
it did but we didn’t know if Phil was going to get it back this year or not….obviously if he had continued to pitch like he did earlier in the year when he wasn’t healthy or whatever then that wasn’t going to work……..but pretty much as soon as he showed that he was getting his stuff back there shouldn’t have been a question about his staying in the rotation.
———-
Yeah, I mean it doesn’t make much sense to argue about it at this point, since Hughes has shown improvements. I’m not sure if rehabbing in the pen would have helped him at all, despite that being the common train of thought.
In either case, glad to see him back on it. I think we’ll really reap the rewards next year.
Jibe…………
“That’s what I believe and most others do , hey if it walks like a duck and quacks like one aint it a duck?”
that’s fine….I honestly don’t know the answer but I really don’t care that much. That doesn’t matter…..what matters is how he’s performing and what they do going forward with the rotation
I wonder if the Yanks will sniff at CM Wang for 2012. Are the bridges burnt and not repairable. This is a business and not to be taken personal….
What a total crock of crap Joe is trying to foist on us. To blame the media for his inability to manage his players is laughable.
Well guys, very good posts all around, but i have to go, take care and enjoy the rest of the evening,
Good night everyone
When does Freddy Garcia return to the rotation guys ???/
Jack Curry is outstanding. Does YES think we should keep watching “The Manager’s Report” if only softball questions are allowed? C’mon Girardi…you’re better than that.
==========================================
Would Joe have erupted at Kim Jones like he did with Currry?
Was Curry prepped beforehand?
To blame the media for his inability to manage his players is laughable.
———
Oh, I must have missed the part where he said that.
When does Freddy Garcia return to the rotation guys ???/
====================
Saturday with AJ in Balt.
I think AJ cares a lot. But is unable to control that. If you have a bad outing, you need to let it go and move on. I think he gets so frustrated about it that he carries some of it with him. The fact that he always says he’s trying to be positive & confident & move on, tells you right there that he can’t let it go. Mo is a master of that. He could blow a save and come back tomorrow like it never happened.
So maybe they should have a bunch of water coolers lined up & AJ could do a Brian Wilson on them. Even when he’s pitching well he could bash them between innings.
His fb may not be what it was but he still has the stuff to win games. He had like 10Ks a couple of weeks back, so he can K people but he had his sinker going in that game. He usually goes 5-6 before giving up runs. Maybe that’s the time to bash the coolers. I say try that in Baltimore and see how it goes!
AJ wishes he had Phil Hughes’ problem.
In 5 of 7 starts since coming off the DL Hughes has gone at least 6 innings and given up 2 runs or less.
“When does Freddy Garcia return to the rotation guys ???/”
I’d say as soon as his 15 days are up and he’s eligible…..but who knows.
Luis, I remember that conversation, lol, but I also said at the time that the Yankees were in win now mode and were not going for upside (if the upside we were talking about in particular was not going to be seen this year). Phil has now pitched very well with the guillotine hanging over his neck – that’s impressive – plus he’s mixing his pitches and Joe is clearly happy about that. AJ has just been AJ…… So, if we’re going with who’s pitching better right now, the choice is easy.
BobKlap
Girardi can’t bring himself to stand up to Burnett. Much easier to lash out at @JackCurryYES
Ray, seriously, get your head out of your behind. If you want to pick a fight, too bad – I’m not taking the bait. I was not comparing them as players, just in terms of temperment, but the fact that I have to explain that to you is beyond pathetic.
Mick, he was real – that was no act, I agree. I don’t think AJ is acting either – I don’t think he’s a phony. He’s just an emotional, mediocre pitcher…………those 2 qualities really don’t jib.
===============
Betsy, don’t you think AJ was lying tonight?
About everything, you name it.
If so, he is a phony and so is Joe for that matter.
This wasn’t the only way to handle the situation.
They are playing the fans for fools.
still in 1st place…as the Royals beat on Boston. Very difficult to sweep a 4 gamer on the road and the Yanks still have a shot at 3 of 4 tomorrow. Hopefully Nova will bounce back tomorrow and throw a nice game. Gnight all.
Oh geez Klapisch – give me a break. I guess I won’t be reading the Bergen Record on-line tomorrow, not that I do anyway. I can see where this is heading – the media is going to blame Joe for attacking poor Jack Curry instead of realizing that he just didn’t want to kill AJ in public.
The next “tough question” (or relevant one for that matter) Kim Jones asks will be her first.
Betsy,
Very good post tonight, props
I think he gets so frustrated about it that he carries some of it with him.
———–
There are some athletes that can use that frustration as motivation, and feed off of that energy. Sadly, AJ is definitely not that type of athlete. I’m not sure if he can mentally handle the sport.
John Smoltz was hooked up with a sports psychologist early in his Braves career when he had trouble with command. I just watched a repeat of the 2nd inning, and unfortunately I don’t think there’s anymore the Yankees can do to make him a servicable starter in their rotation.
The best thing for AJ, and for the Yankees would be to find him another team, probably in the NL. I think that chance is pretty much nil until the offseason.
“I want to Thank the Good Lord for Making me a Yankee” sign in the locker room is not one that Burnett taps on his way to the dugout!!
What it all boils down to is we overpaid for this guy who is a career .500 pitcher at best. Look at his stats. Yes he won one big game for us in the 2009 playoffs but that is it. He had a career year in 2008 and the only good thing to come out of it is he has hardly been injured (which he was known for) since he has been here. What a disgrace of a contract.
5 years/$82.5M (2009-13)
signed by NY Yankees as a free agent 12/12/08
09-13:$16.5M annually
limited no-trade clause (Burnett may block deals to 10 clubs each year)
blake August 20th, 2011 at 11:36 pm
“Everyone knows what they are why can’t he be fixed?”
because repeating a pitching motion is a talent…
==================================
Blake
Is that all there is to pitching?
He should have been sent down like Halladay and taught how to pitch, not just throw.
You make it sound like its only about repeating a motion, theres a lot more to it.
Luis, thanks!
Both the Times and the Daily News have artcles about today’s game. Those writers don’t seem to buy the explanations offered by Joe reported in this post.
Look at his stats. Yes he won one big game for us in the 2009 playoffs but that is it.
———
Well, if you want to be an optimist, that’s all a guy needs to do. Who cares about the rest of the season? I sure don’t care about the rest of 2009, despite it being a fun ride. Had we not won, it would have just been another year in the drought.
2010, his performance against the Rangers was admirable, but not enough.
At this point, I would be surprised if he pitches in the post season. We just have too much depth to justify pitching the guy.
Curry was Girardi’s one ally too considering he works for the Yankees. I bet he is going to get a couple of calls from Levine/Trost. He must be more respectful to the YES reporters considering they WORK for the team.
People talk about how AJ can’t control his emotions, neither can Girardi. The fact that he was so angry makes his story even less believeable. I’m sure he was steamed so much that AJ told Marin that a pitch was BS. Give me a break…
Sadly, AJ is definitely not that type of athlete. I’m not sure if he can mentally handle the sport.
===============================
yathink?
Girardi isn’t allowed to be angry? The media is not going to allow Joe to be angry when they probably gave Lou and Billy passes for their tantrums?
Girardi has to do a better job at pulling AJ before the wheels completely come off. It seems like most of the time he is good for 4 innings and then he starts losing it in the 5th-7th innings. When it’s obvious that he’s lost it Girardi always tries to get him through 3-4 more batters and it never works. If he did a better job managing him and knowing he isn’t tough enough to get out of big spots AJ wouldn’t seem so bad. Girardi is really poor in that department and always leaves the starters in too long.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Curry knew Joe’s tirade was coming.
He had to ask the question.
Funny, if Kim asked it, Joe would never had gotten so mad.
The media should blast Girardi for attacking Jack Curry. He is the cream of the crop when it comes to respected reporters and Girardi was way out of line. It’s the media’s job to ask the tough questions. Girardi lied. The truth is what we all saw, and everyone knows what that is. So did Jack Curry and so did Ken Singleton.
lol SJ is killing Girardi on Twitter for the way he attacked Curry
That is going to be the headline from this game – how unprofessional Burnett acted during the game and how Joe did afterwards.
Girardi is really lucky he won a ring and has as much talent here as he does. Personality-wise, he is an awful fit for NY.
Mark Feinsand wrote this article before the game was over for the NY Daily news:
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....o_min.html
of course the media isn’t going to believe Joe – there’s no doubt no matter what he said that he’s pissed off at AJ
Girardi isn’t allowed to be angry?
======================
Sure he is. But he was angry for the wrong reasons.
Everybody saw what happened.
Imagine Billy pulling Reggie out of the Boston game and denying it later.
SJ is on twitter?
“Funny, if Kim asked it, Joe would never had gotten so mad.”
I was just thinking that. Let’s be real, the outrage would have been much worse as well.
Zillo had time to help fabricate that story about the “BS pitch”, but couldn’t tell the manager to put his pokerface on?
RadioKev
“Well, if you want to be an optimist, that’s all a guy needs to do. Who cares about the rest of the season? I sure don’t care about the rest of 2009, despite it being a fun ride. Had we not won, it would have just been another year in the drought.”
I agree with the sentiment. But here is where the dilemna kinda falls. You have a guy who no matter the season, has the ability to win that game in the post when it counts. This is why he’s been getting his chances.
“2010, his performance against the Rangers was admirable, but not enough.”
An intentional walk and 1 batter too many, when we all knew he was done. Could have gotten a win & maybe turned things around.
“At this point, I would be surprised if he pitches in the post season. We just have too much depth to justify pitching the guy.”
Agreed. Though he could work well out of the pen if needed & I think we’ll need all the pitching we can get against boston. Nothing I’ve seen so far tell me that any of our pitchers could go 7 innings and give up 3 or less runs in that span. I think it will be a collective effort.
Let AJ go to the pen, get a wake up call & get his secondary pitches going w/confidence. Would love to see him pitch a few batters a game backward.
Well then the media is annoyed that Girardi didn’t tell the truth? I don’t know why – this is all about Joe not throwing his player to the wolves……..something I agree with. What’s the point in doing that if he makes his point to AJ known in private? The media just wants a big story – so they don’t care what the right thing is; they only care that Joe give them enough meant to chew on.
Captain Clutch August 20th, 2011 at 11:52 pm
Girardi has to do a better job at pulling AJ before the wheels completely come off. It seems like most of the time he is good for 4 innings and then he starts losing it in the 5th-7th innings. When it’s obvious that he’s lost it Girardi always tries to get him through 3-4 more batters and it never works. If he did a better job managing him and knowing he isn’t tough enough to get out of big spots AJ wouldn’t seem so bad. Girardi is really poor in that department and always leaves the starters in too long.
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I don’t really think leaving him in too long is the issue. I think starting him is the issue. You can start a guy and only let him go 4 innings. You can’t start a guy and pull him at the first sign of trouble every time. How else would they ever improve? Even the best pitchers get in trouble.
No manager in baseball regularly let’s their starter go 4 innings and pulls them after 5 immediately. It’s just bad strategy.
You can start a guy and only let him go 4 innings.
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Typo: You can’t start a guy and only let him go 4 innings.
It’s late anyways, good night!
It’s plain to see what happened and everyone in New York knows it:
1. Burnett stunk.
2. Burnett was angry at Girardi for taking him out and said “That’s ****** bulls**it” to Joe.
3. Burnett went into the clubhouse.
4. Girardi went after him and said get back to the bench while your runners are on base.
5. Girardi lied about what happened after the game.
6. Burnett lied about what happened after the game.
There is no question that Girardi will apologize to Curry tomorrow.
Yankees will make sure that no rift forms between their reporters and the Yankees players/coaches. A lot of the Yankees $$$ comes from YES. Things are intertwined heavily now.
Joe cant play this game much longer.
It goes against his grain.
I believe he’s an honest man who cares a lot and AJ isn’t.
He’s tired of covering up and defending him.
Saturday in Baltimore, be there or be square, the saga continues.
4. Girardi went after him and said get back to the bench while your runners are on base.
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which was a mistake by girardi.
should have said till the innings over.
It’s not that Joe was angry, it was his tone towards a fellow Yankees employee.
He can’t be snapping at the team’s reporters like that. YES goes out of their way to throw softball questions to Joe and the players and tries its best to avoid controversy. Thus, Joe has no reason to act that way. It was not some reporter with an agenda, it was a reporter who works for the team who is probably being fed questions.
I didn’t see any of the game after the 2nd inning. When AJ came back to the dugout after Girardi obviously went in to talk to him, did any of you notice if any teammates came up to AJ to “console” him, or did Rothschild or Girardi have any more conversation with him?
The media just wants a big story – so they don’t care what the right thing is; they only care that Joe give them enough meant to chew on.
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Agreed. But the fans have to be appeased. They pay the salaries for the players and the reporters.
Insulting, to say the least, but whatever is best for the team.
It’s not that Joe was angry, it was his tone towards a fellow Yankees employee.
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Joe’s a bad actor, a nice guy but a bad actor.
Radio…..Everyone here can see when things go south for AJ and it goes fast…….My point was try to nurse him thru 5 and then basically go batter to batter with him….Very high maintenance indeed, but at this point there’s very little in the form of options right now….. A month ago he was a better pitcher than his numbers….Not a good situation but the Brothers Steinbrenner are not going to want to this guy until all options have been exhausted……At least until Garcia returns healthy…..Good thing Hughes and Nova are adding stability and the bullpen is lights out
If Burnett gets another start, then the Yankees aren’t serious about winning the East.
That would show they think they have the WC wrapped up and Burnett starting doesn’t matter.
I can’t wait to hear the reaction this guy gets back in the Stadium.
Kevin Brown, Ed Whitson, and Carl Pavano, I think you’ve got company in the clubhouse for most hated Yankee.
This was real easy to handle, without lying, without losing his temper at Curry.
Jack Curry: Joe, what happened between you and AJ?
Joe Girardi: That is between AJ and I. Thanks.
Yank1, he’s only human – IMO, it’s not a big deal. Joe is a good guy – he probably feels bad that he took his anger with AJ out on Jack and will apologize. The media as I said before is only out for a story so they are pissed off that Joe didn’t kill AJ in public. Curry is a different story, but he’s a smart man – he knows that Joe doesn’t trash his players in the media.
If Burnett gets another start, then the Yankees aren’t serious about winning the East.
That would show they think they have the WC wrapped up and Burnett starting doesn’t matter.
I can’t wait to hear the reaction this guy gets back in the Stadium.
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This is his last stand.
If he cant beat Balt in Balt, who he owns, than he won’t be pitching at the Stadium anymore.
Curry knew it was coming Betsy, he had to.
yeah, losing your temper is not ideal, but people do it all the time; I don’t think it’s some earth shattering event that means Joe is a bad guy. If the media paints him as such, then that’s their problem. I suspect Joe was incredibly angry at AJ and he just took it out on the first media guy to ask him a question. It happens – and other managers have done far worse.
He didn’t say another word, like on cue, after Joe’s tirade.
It was a setup, as the apology will be.
It’s all PR.
This is Broadway.
Mick yes because he knew Joe wasn’t going to feed AJ to the wolves. Jack is a big boy – he can handle this stuff. He knows Joe is a good guy and that Joe’s anger at him was not personal in the slightest – it’s just indicative of a guy who has had it up to here with AJ. I don’t think Cashman’s comments last week helped the situation any either.
MG August 20th, 2011 at 11:04 pm
Chad, I don’t think any of the press believes that explanation and anyone who watched the game tonight saw something completely different.
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When 3 people (Girardi, Burnett and Martin) are asked the same question in different parts of the clubhouse and they all have the same answer, that leads one to believe that is exactly what was said. As far as Curry goes, he;s a good reporter, but when you’re given an answer and you keep trying to make a bigger story, I’d have said in little plainer as far as what the reporters could do.
mick – Absolutely. Joe never reveals that type of stuff and always skirts around controversy. Why stop now?
But Joe could have handled it better… if for no other reason, than to make it appear that everything was calm and under control. Now people don’t buy his reasoning because he was so angry and defensive that it was obvious he was covering something up. If AJ indeed tell Martin that the pitch to Mauer was BS or if Joe indeed only went inside the dugout to look at the pitch… well, why the anger?
Joe Girardi lying means he’s a bad guy. You do not lie to the media, you handle it like I said. “Whatever happened or was said is between Aj and I. Thank you”.
Joe Girardi: That is between AJ and I. Thanks.
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How many times has he used that?
It was time for a change.
This was drastic and more drama was needed.
Curry didn’t try to make the story bigger. The story was already big. Everyone saw what Burnett said to Girardi. Everyone saw Burnett leave the bench and go in the clubhouse. Everyone saw Girardi go after him. Please.
Jack Curry: Joe, what happened between you and AJ?
Joe Girardi: That is between AJ and I. Thanks.
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If only it were that easy. That would have probably made things worse. The reporters will never let him get away with a non-answer. They will ask him repeatedly in 10 different ways and he would eventually get tired of it and snap.
My point was try to nurse him thru 5 and then basically go batter to batter with him….Very high maintenance indeed, but at this point there’s very little in the form of options right now….. A month ago he was a better pitcher. Good thing Hughes and Nova are adding stability and the bullpen is lights out
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PatM-
I’m not sure a wet nurse could have gotten him thru 5 innings, let alone 2 innings tonight.
Ayala didn’t help AJ’s skyrocketing ERA either.
I’m hoping Nova shows his “super” stuff tomorrow and doesn’t have a Royals revisit.
Wonder who gets sent down tomorrow for A-Rod? It would be a shame but it’s probably Noesi who has options.
If you want to take it out on someone like Kim Jones I understand it. He was probably offended as we all were by “pork chop on a stick.” But Jack Curry?
What a Crock. “You don’t lie to the media.” It’s alright for the media to lie when they feel the need, though, right? Screw ‘em. If they don’t get the story they want, they’ll make the story or try to be the story.
Bottom line: They didn’t have enough time to rehearse the scenario and to get a high profile Director like Scorsese or Oliver Stone to get it down pat.
Better luck next time but they should have been prepared for this, it was just a matter of time.
I don’t really think leaving him in too long is the issue. I think starting him is the issue.
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No one wants to see him starting games for the Yanks. But Cashman is in a tough spot with him. They know he stinks but since he is signed for another 2 years they feel like they have to continue to send him out there. If that’s the case and he stays in he rotation for the rest of the year then Girardi has to do a better job managing when the wheels come off. In a perfect world he would be out of the rotation when Garcia comes back.
Eroc. All you have to do is say is that it’s private and that’s it. The Yankees did it with Eiland’s leave of absence. The Yankees did it with Burnett’s black eye.
They will ask him repeatedly in 10 different ways and he would eventually get tired of it and snap.
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Correct. This was a preemptive snap.
GreenBeret7 August 21st, 2011 at 12:13 am
What a Crock. “You don’t lie to the media.” It’s alright for the media to lie when they feel the need, though, right? Screw ‘em. If they don’t get the story they want, they’ll make the story or try to be the story.
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Yeah right. Jack Curry would make the story up. I suppose the media made it up too when Burnett said what he did on the mound right? Idiot.
Why do people keep saying that Girardi is such a good guy? Where’s the evidence? He boldly lies to the media and berated a reporter for asking a question. That makes a good guy? Not in my book.
If you want to take it out on someone like Kim Jones I understand it.
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Does NOW still exist?
So, now West Coast Drama Queen adds lip reading to his other talents.
Screw ‘em. If they don’t get the story they want, they’ll make the story or try to be the story.
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Brother, you are sooooo right on that one.
Especially New York sportswriters.
Besides, did anyone actually hear what was said between them? … No? … Well then, let’s let the manager be the manager. Too many people on this site think they’re the Great Kreskyn.
What if Joe believed AJ when he went into the locker room and AJ told him the Mauer bit?
Eliand’s leave of absence was a personal/family issue. The baseball writers obviously had no ground to ask repetitive questions about it.
This is something that happened during a game. Girardi better have answers for it.
What if the moon is really made of green cheese?
The fact that AJ felt he was pulled too early was obvious in his post game interview. He said he gave up two in the first and when he was pulled he had given up two runs to that point. The implication was obvious and it also seems obvious that his BS remark was directed at Girardi.
I think I saw Burnett when he left the mound say/sing “Why’s Everybody Always Pickin’ on Me”- The Coasters, right?
Good night all!
Klapisch compared Girardi to Jeff Torberg…………
I always had doubts that either Hughes or Nova were going to the pen. Why would they do such a stupid thing? Who thinks either Colon or Garcia are going to be part of the Yankees next year. Why would they occupy a spot in the rotation and keep Hughes or Nova from developing? If either Hughes or Nova were crapping the bed then it would make sense but Nova has been good and Hughes has been good since coming off the DL. Betsy seems to think that Hughes was the only guy destined for the pen. Simply irrational.
GB, my point was how do we know Joe is a liar? Ya know, the statement that is going to be said again and again.