Game 15: Well, that was a quick series

April 15, 2008 by Joe Pawlikowski 87 Comments

Second of two against the Rays tonight. The lineup, despite the absence of Jorge, doesn’t look too bad. Actually, put Molina in that 9 spot — or put him at 8 and Melky at 9 — and it looks pretty formidable. Not that I in any way want Jorge out of the lineup. Just saying…

Don’t let Johnny Damon‘s poor line fool you. He got off to a slow start, but he’s racked up six walks and seven hits over the past seven games. Yeah, he’ll have to do a bit more in the hits department, but at least he’s getting on base. It’s still early. I wouldn’t write off Damon so quickly.

You know what I loved about last night? That there were three shots that I could yell “gone!” right off the bat: A-Rod, Ensberg, Cano. Maybe we get a couple tonight off Edwin Jackson. He’s been top-flight in his first two starts of the seasons, as we witnessed first hand two weeks ago. But he has a history of control problems. Let’s hope those resurface tonight.

Now, onto your lineup:

1. Johnny Damon, LF
2. Derek Jeter, SS
3. Bobby Abreu, RF
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Hideki Matsui, DH
6. Jason Giambi, 1B
7. Robinson Cano, 2B
8. Melky Cabrera, CF
9. Chad Moeller, C

And on the mound, number 46, Andy Pettitte

Jake S

For the love of god, YES, get some better commercials. First we get “Jeter’s got an EDGE!” followed by Giuseppe Franco. I hate my life.
- dan
  
  Giuseppe Franco used to be a frequent commenter here on RAB.
  - http://www.samiamsports.blogspot.com Samiamsports
    
    yes…I am having some major issues
pete

is anyone else having trouble w/ mlb.tv?
gxpanos

I gotta say, I like Flaherty in the booth a lot. He’s a little humorless, but so was Kaat.

Plus, no Kay tonight.
http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.

How’s that Joe, could’ve said “GONE!” on that easy.
http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

The good Edwin Jackson that showed up this year might be for real. He’s not trying to throw the ball through a brick wall with each pitch, he’s working fast, and he’s keeping the ball down (except on that homer by Matsui). As if Tampa didn’t already have enough great young arms, now they’ve got this guy figuring it out at the big league level.
- http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.
  
  First Josh Beckett, now Edwin Jackson. Since when did these power arms want to become pitchers?
AndrewYF

Remember when Matsui was a spare part?
- http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.
  
  No. I remember some Yankees fans prematurely wishing he was one, but I don’t remember him actually being one.
- Joey
  
  ditto what Jamal said
gxpanos

that’s a great ab for robbie
http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.

Got to love that AB by Robinson Cano, it’s amazing how different he has looked since Sunday night.
http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.

Even though he just K’ed on a BS call, Melky has looked just amazing at the plate. His patience is just dumbfounding-ly better.
http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.

Andy Pettitte is a God Damn magician.
Ivan

Excuse me but what does PFX on gameday with these pitches mean?
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
  
  I have no idea, sorry. Maybe (hopefully) someone else knows.
- Joey
  
  no sure either, trying to look it up but for god sake, it isn’t even on wikipedia :-P I’ll keep looking
- dan
  
  It tracks the flight of the ball, plotting speed, vertical movement and horizontal movement along the way using two high speed digital cameras. If you don’t care that Pettitte’s fastball moves 2.14 inches in to left handers (just making the # up), then don’t worry about it and just look at the velocity. The pitch types are often wrong…. they’re still working out the kinks on that part of it.
  - dan
    
    and at the end of the game it’s organized, and looks like this…
    
    http://baseball.bornbybits.com/plots/Luke_Hochevar.html
    
    Read below to learn about it in more detail…
    
    http://mvn.com/mlb-stats/2008/01/14/a-pitchfx-primer/
- http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.
  
  “…the measurement of the greatest distance between the trajectory of the pitch at any point between the release point and the front of home plate, and the straight line path from the release point and the front of home plate.”
  
  http://griddle.baseballtoaster.com/archives/625724.html
  
  So basically it measures the break of the pitch.
- CB
  
  PFX is Pitch FX – it’s a system for gathering information about each pitch thrown during a game.
  
  The idea is to collect more data than just velocity. PFX looks to classify the type of pitch, its velocity, and most importantly – it’s location and breat.
  
  On gameday when you see “fastball,” “curve” etc that is all part of PFX. It’s still relatively new and the methodology is being ironed out but it’s much better than last year.
  
  The Hard Ball Times has used it to do really interesting analysis of how individual pitchers work.
  
  For a good explanation of the current Pitch FX system see a recent article from Baseball Prospectus on the issue:
  http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7346
Joey

God Jeter looks so weird without “2” on his back…
Yankee1010

Maybe it’s just negative things standing out when it happens to the team you root for, but I think that the Yanks give up many more 0-2 hits than other teams. I don’t think Pettitte is a serial offender; Gomes’ hit just reminded me of the phenomenon.
gxpanos

mike defelice is so good he’s a SANDWICH
Chip

Just singling Pettite to death
http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.

It must be really embarrassing for the Rays’ executives sitting in those Tampa luxury boxes and hearing “Let’s Go Yankees!”.
- Joey
  
  thats what they get for putting their team in Yankee ST territory!
Joey

Nice A-Rod, good AB
http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.

In these 6 Rays games, have we seen ONE ball get past Carlos Pena?
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
  
  He’s some piece of work, isn’t he?
- Mike R.
  
  That Carlos Peña is a piece of work. Solid D at first with great power. Imagine what the Yankees would do with a player like Peña in the system…wait…we what…
  - http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
    
    He’s not just solid on D, he’s outstanding, Gold Glove caliber. I’m sure the Rangers, A’s, Tigers and Red Sox wish they had players like him in their system too.
http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.

Funny thing about that Giambi groundball: If there’s no wild pitch, Giambi’s ball is an RBI double down the line. Instead, it’s a sharp groundout.
- Mike R.
  
  Giambi has run into a boatload of bad luck to start the year. I think he is going to break through this slump soon, and have a big second half.
http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

BJ’s gotta work on his throwing a bit, he still throws from a lower arm slot like an infielder. His throws have some run to ’em.
- http://deleted Randy
  
  bj’s arm angle is fine. sometimes outfielders throw from a lower slot because the arm action is quicker than if they went over the top. i had to make that switch in college and it made my throws much better. he prolly just had a funny grip. he gets a lot of assists for a cf.
http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

Hopefully the bats are waking up for good. I forgot what timely hits looked like.
http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.

Dan McCutchen is getting set to enter his seventh inning of work tonight for AA Trenton, I know he’s 25 but kind off odd isn’t it Mike?

*God Damn Pena.
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
  
  Eh, not really. It’s starting to warm up, and they guys are stretched out pretty good, so you’ll see more and more outings like this in the coming weeks.
  - http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.
    
    But can we expect the high-end, low-level guys are still going to be on those five innings cap. For example Dellin Bentances and Jairo Heredia?
    - http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
      
      No no no, not the lower level guys. Guys like McCutchen, White, Marquez, Horne, guys that aren’t on as much of a development plan will be allowed to go deeper into the game. Usually Double-A is when they start turning a guy loose, although Eric Hacker has throw 7 IP in each of his last 2 outs for Tampa.
http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.

Damn, Andy Pettitte looks like he’s ready to break somebody’s neck.
http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

I hope this game ends soon. I could really use some quality PS3 time.
- http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.
  
  LoL, I actually messed around and did a fantasy draft, here’s my lineup for the “Yankees”:
  
  1. Hanley Ramirez (3B) – #1 Pick, duh.
  2. Robinson Cano (2B)
  3. BJ Upton (RF)
  4. Carlos Beltran (CF)
  5. Brian McCann (C)
  6. Andre Ethier (LF)
  7. Mark Reynolds (DH)
  8. Billy Butler (1B)
  9. Howie Kendrick (SS)
  
  I actually have Billy Butler and Howie Kendrick hitting 8th and 9th, I love it.
  
  I also have Dan Haren and Francisco Liriano as my 1-2 punch in the rotation.
  - RollignWave
    
    picking Cano early season always seems to be a mistake ;) trading for him somewhere round late May always do the trick…
- Manimal
  
  Whats your PSN name?
  - http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
    
    PSN = RABmike, but I’m almost never online, only when I’m really really bored.
    
    I’m working on a Rays’ franchise now, I’m up to yesterday’s real life game in the schedule. I’m 7-6 (I think, I might be 6-6 or 6-7, somewhere in that neighborhood), but three of those were barely squeaked out walk-offs. I have to trade Kazmir, he makes $12M per for a team with a $50M budget and literally zero money in the bank.
    - http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.
      
      I tried taking your advice and starting with a lesser team so I picked the Giants for obvious reasons that include Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and a couple of quality vets that I can deal away for young players. The thing is they have a $100 M budget so it completely ruins it.
      
      I might go with the Marlins, they have a damn good young team in the game with all of the young pitchers that are on the DL in real life. I wanted to do the Angels but they’re too good.
      
      LoL, I still play my real Yankees franchise though.
http://deleted Randy

i understand its a line drive but its hit right up the middle. why is chad moeller freezing? if bobby hits into a double play and they don’t score a run i’ll be a little upset.
http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.

Kenny Singleton’s gotta stop saying “that might have been a ball” when he’s talking about pitches in the dirt. Yes, Kenny, pitches in the dirt are generally called balls.
http://www.ilikemygirls.com Seven Costanza

nice at bat…
http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

You know A-Rod, bases loaded strikeouts are not a stat category in my fantasy league.
- kris
  
  He managed to make Howell look like Joba.
Royhan85

He(A-Rod) couldn’t always get a BIG hit…
- http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.
  
  You know the sad part is that some Yankees fans still talk shit about that.
- kris
  
  The guy makes more than an entire (albeit sad) Marlins team. I shouldn’t have to come up with excuses for him.
CB

Is Girardi seriously bringing in Farnsworth to pitch the 8th?

Is he intentionally trying to sabotage the idea of taking joba out of the pen?
- http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.
  
  I was hoping he would opt for Rock ‘N Rohlendof but for some reason I have never given up on Kyle Fransworth, so let’s see what he can do.
http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.

Wow Cano, that is a fucking gem.
- Ivan
  
  The guy is a stud.
Joey

huh, farnsworthless had a good inning… we should trade him now while he has “value” ;-)
http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.

There ya go Farnsy! Damn, if he can get it together…
- Yankee1010
  
  That’s an oft-repeated line about Farnsworthless – “if he can get it together.” I would love to see it, but it just isn’t going to happen.
Royhan85

Nice job, Kyle.
Joey

now does Mo come in for the 9th again after 4 outs yesterday and boston tomorrow night or does Girardi give Albaldejo (or whatever) to try. He wouldn’t dare leave farnsworthless in, would he?
- Guiseppe Franco
  
  Gotta go to Mo.
  
  Bank on it.
  - dan
    
    There you are…. I mentioned that Guiseppe used to comment here somewhere near the top of the thread.
Ivan

I pretty encourage that the yankees are winning games with their pitching early in the season.
dan

lively game thread tonight…. I guess the red sox series is over?
dan

Oh and I got to hear the final 3 innings of the Trenton game (thanks Jamal)…. I was completely unaware of the pronunciation of Tabata’s name, unless the broadcasters say it incorrectly. They were saying something like “Tah-b-duh”… I had always thought it was “Tuh-bah-tuh” if that makes any sense to anyone.
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
  
  It is Tuh-bah-tuh, the broadcasters are saying it wrong. I’ve heard him pronounce it that way out of his own mouth, so I’m fairly certain it’s correct.
  - dan
    
    good enough for me
gxpanos

my goodness…there’s very little i wouldnt do to ensure our somehow getting big tex.
- Yankee1010
  
  At the very least, you’re impressed by Giambi’s commitment to futility, right? At some point, they give up on him, right? I don’t think they’ll DFA him because they wouldn’t want him to get picked up by another team and catch fire, but they can at least ensure that he gets some more splinters. Oh, that 20+ million is going to look great coming off the payroll.
  - gxpanos
    
    it’s just unconscionable how many times he rolls out to first and second.
Bonos

They stranded 8 men on base in the last 3 innings. Now Joe G has to burn Mo. Four out of the nine regulars are batting under the Mendoza Line. Excuse Me a minute. – Arrrrrgh. Thank you. It’s bloody pathetic.
Joey

If Matsui was in LF he would have never got that
Joey

Game. Set. Match.

See you all tomorrow
GoYankees

A wonderful couple of days of R&R in sunny Florida. Now back to work. Go Yankees!
http://deleted Randy

fucking varitek just hit a homer. i don’t like him.
- Joey
  
  guess what? I don’t either. My most hated sox list:
  1. schilling
  2. varitek
  3. papelbon (or maybe ortiz/beckett)
  
  it’s hard to hate manny when he’s just so out there, in his own word. that would be like hating a retarded baby
  - http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
    
    Heh. I agree, Manny’s such a flake that you can’t help but like him.
    - Joey
      
      it’s funny, the biggest Yankee killer (if there is such a thing) and we can’t help but like (or be ambivalent) about him
AndrewYF

Cleveland continues to lie down for the Red Sox. Another team on the brink of mediocrity in the hilariously overhyped AL Central.
http://www.myspace.com/j_panama Jamal G.

You see, it’s not a painstakingly obvious decision to pitch to Manny. Runners on 2nd & 3rd with 1 out. Ortiz pops out, Manny is issued IBB, and Youk singles home a run while Pedroia is gunned down at HP.

Again, I didn’t agree with the decision but I did see the logic in not wanting to face such a patient hitter in Youkilis with the bases loaded. It definitely was not a horrific managerial decision, or a “dumb” move.
- Batty
  
  If Manny didn’t take Moose long earlier in the game I’d agree with you. But just that fact usually messes with the pitcher’s head.
  
  The opposite is true too – everyone knows Mo is awesome. I think just that fact makes him more effective (I’m not saying he wouldn’t be as great but it would still mess with a lot of batter’s heads).