Game 60: Hip, hip…
By…Jorge!
It’s the return of Jorge Posada, and for once, the Yanks have their opening day lineup on the field. Wait. What’s that? They don’t? Oh no. Now what?
Well, Jason Giambi is out for the second straight day with a foot problem. If this develops into another bout of plantar fasciitis, I’d probably write a serious post suggesting that the Yanks sign Barry Bonds. For now, we’re just holding our collective breaths.
Meanwhile, on the mound today is Chien-Ming Wang, and he really needs a good start. After starting the season with a 6-0 record, a 3.00 ERA and 32 strike outs in 45 innings, Wang had an alarming May. He went 0-2 with a 5.67 ERA and did not nail down a win in five starts for the first time in his career. In 33.1 innings, he has walked 16 while striking out just 13, and his mechanics seem a bit out of whack. Hopefully, he can start June off on the right note.
Game time is 1:05 p.m., and Mike will have draft coverage above this post as it unfolds later this afternoon.
Damon DH
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui LF
Posada C
Cano 2B
Betemit 1B
Cabrera CF
Wang P
Site Notes: Even though it’s relatively early, we’ve got a lot of content up on site so far today. Be sure to check out Mike’s early draft coverage, my thoughts on a Steve Goldman article and news concerning Brian Cashman’s future.
Giambi fouled a ball off the top of his foot on Tuesday night, so this doesn’t seem like it’s related to or would develop into plantar fasciitis.
although, they havent really realeased any info regarding his foot treatment or what it was for, so while this makes sense, its all speculation at this point.
one would hope it wouldnt turn into his recurring foot issue, but they’ve been awfully tight lipped about the whole thing so far…. unless i missed something.
Getting hit on the top of the foot shouldn’t cause a heel problem, unless he accounts for one injury by over-compesanting
my point being that we dont actually know what their treating him for, whether its his heel, arch, etc… all i read was that it was treatment for a ‘foot injury.’
Yes. I should have been more clear. I don’t mean that he’s going to get plantar fasciitis from an HBP. I should have said that I hope it’s not a lingering foot problem like his plantar fasciitis injury was.
Well i suppose, but it would seem a bit odd that he got hit on the top of the foot the same day that he had a heel injury
Didn’t Giambi also get beaned on the foot by Halladay?
Hopefully Posada helps Wang turn it back around
its amazing how just seeing his name there changes the dynamic of the lineup.
its a b.e.a.utiful thing
Nice first inning by the Magic Wang.
An Alex Rios out? What’s more likely to happen, Eric Hosmer falls to the 28th pick, Tanner Scheppers get drafted in the first three rounds or Alex Rios takes an 0-fer in today’s matinée?
Scheppers, then Hosmer, then hell freezing over, then Scott Boras deciding he’s been too hard on teams and announcing he’ll start issuing immediate refunds, then Rios.
Scheppers
Nice AB for Mr. Damon, 0-2 count and works a BB.
Yes. Damon should just focus on that hitting and STFU about Joba’s transitioning to the rotation.
Amen. In fact, I’m a little surprised nobody in the organization has pulled Damon aside to explain this concept to him.
Yogi in da house!
Great to see our #1 and #2 hitters on a little hot streak.
Nice to see no one LOB
First caller on M&MD” “Everybody who knows anything about baseball knows that it is much harder to find a closer for NY than it is to find an ace”. Oh man, what a great start!
There’s a game on, Jamal. Leave the morons alone for a few hours today!
I can’t, for some reason I find them and some of their callers excellent comedic relief.
Look at my boy Robbie Cano! Dale hombre!
pwned.
Here’s the online draft broadcast if anyone is interested:
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/playe.....b&v=2
That’ll come in handy if you’re like me and stuck trying to juggle the game and draft with a TV that doesn’t have picture in picture.
You’re not on cablevision? Their DVR boxes have PIP built-in…
Time Warner.
Guess I need to get DVR, is that a monthly fee plus cost of the DVR box?
The DVR box is the same price, but the DVR service is an extra $10 a month.
*Completely* worth it, even if you have to not feed your pets because of it.
Yeah dude, DVR is life changing. No joke.
Picture-in-picture TV should be a standard in the near future.
Hit, Hit, Jorge!
Hip hip, base hit!
Wow, how nuts is the crowd going?
Pretty nuts. They were louder when they announced his name coming to the plate.
Alright Mike, just want to wish you goodluck and Godspeed with the next few hours
Have to go to class now and I will be keeping track, but I actually have to pay attention today, supposively hardest chapter we’re going over…
Much appreciated.
I would go for the bunt here with Wilson Betemit, however I don’t know if he can actually bunt.
A 10-pitch at bat for Robbie?!? My jaw just hit the floor. Way to go!
Should have had Betemit bunt
I would have done it but you have to consider whether the player can actually bunt so you just don’t waste two strikes in his AB.
Harold Reynolds in the (draft) house.
So is Donnie Baseball…Don Zimmer that is.
LoL, yet another Molina is in the house. A woman named Carmen with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Zim in the house too.
What is the fascination amongst baseball fans and some players in wearing raggedy, dirty, old baseball hats?
Eric Hosmer to the Royals at #3 seems to be the popular pick today, a good omen considering Rick Porcello was supposed to go the Royals last year?
“Prostate cancer will be eliminated as a cause of death in nthe next 40 years.” That’s fucking great.
Hopefully they figure it out before I need to go for a check in 13 years.
Nice play there by Jetes and A-Rod. I like that.
Walks are the killer for Wang.
I have to ask, is there any other game in Yankee history that you can remember that brought about so many chilling moments as Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS? I mean damn, I still say that is the best game I have ever seen, followed closely by this year’s Super Bowl.
Every game after game 2 of the ‘96 Series.
2004: John Flaherty GW hit against Red Sox in 5-4 13inn. win
I’m hoping they cure baldness before it becomes a problem for me. An exam I can deal with.
That was like playing with fire considering how Rios hits the Yankees.
Damon on again. NICE
…Those fucking cowbells.
Come on Godzilla…
Over/Under of 7.5 on the amount of times Peter Gammons mentions the 2005 draft and the Boston Red Sox in the same breath?
I say over at 126.
Do you really hate Peter Gammons that much? I don’t understand, he’s one of the most respected/knowledgable reporters/writers in the game. Is it just bc he’s from Boston? Even so, he’s picked the Yankees to win a helluva lot over the last decade, I never thought of him to be that biased for Beantown.
Gammons is the best baseball guy out there. he says Sox and ‘05 draft because it was downright nasty. Hes right to give it props. Just like he will next yr with the Yanks ‘06 draft.
They had five of the first 47 pitches after winning the World Series. That’s a joke. If they had had a bad draft that year, then they should have overhauled the entire Front Office. A monkey would be able to give them credit for it.
A lot of teams don’t hit on one guy in the first round. They hit on 4 of their picks. Give a lil credit to that team. They also made the right choices in passing on their own free agents to get those picks
When you got a shot to knock out a pitcher like McGowan, you have to do it.
I have to agree with Leiter right here. That 3-2 pitch from Wang was right at the belt and over the plate. That has to be called a strike.
Yeah…Has the zone been bad today? Some of the stuff on gameday has looked really close. I mean, Wang’s clearly getting pitches up — again — but still…
I screen-grabbed the walk to Rolen on Gameday. Pitch 9 was called a ball. That’s a joke.
that homer was effing fat!
Well, at least we all have our night free now.
LOL, Bud Selig sounds drunk when he is saying the selections.
no talent scrappy just gut a hit
Yeah, ok. I’m officially sick of Melky. Two hands, kid.
No offensive production, and errors now. What a starting CF
…yeah that happens all the time with melky…he drops wayyyy to many fly balls…23 years old…league average hitter…good defender…excellent arm…what i want to know is why wang can’t throw strikes anymore/why he always seems to fall apart after some questionable play
League average hitter? He’s a centerfielder…you don’t use average hitters there, and his defense is not as great as everyone cracks it up to be
once again how the fuck is that an earned run??????????????? even if you can’t assume the double play, you certainly can’t say that that was wang’s fault
that’s twice today that the jays have been rewarded for doing the wrong thing (rolen’s walK)
wow…inning-ending double play turns into 5 run inning
You can’t blame the umps strike zone for a pitcher getting shelled.
Everytime they need Wang to come thru he doesn’t.
I don’t know what this is in reply to. Can you please use the reply function? It’s there for a reason.
Anyway, no one’s blaming the ump’s strike zone. It’s a baseball-wide problem; the strike zones are just ridiculously small.
Just talking in general. Didn’t think I had to be specific.
Oh no. That’s fine. I thought you were referring to my post to the strike zone. I’m agreeing in general with Leiter. The zone overall is too small.
Time for Gardner.
And why would Girardi use Ohlendorf in the fifth? His bullpen management is troubling.
Look at that! Aggressive baserunning. I like that.
Again, Wilson Betemit is not a good bat to have off the bench? Fucking idiot that Mike Francesa.
I actually think he can be a pretty good starter somewhere. He has good raw tools but has always sat stale on the bench. I mean, he even hit that HR righty.
He makes contact twice a week and strikes out every other time. Plus he doesn’t have a positiion. I guess he works off the bench but didn’t they get him to play the infield?
wow what a huge reach.
wrong thread..my bad
Hawkins reminds me of Mota for the Mets last year. He gets you 1 inning you should be grateful and then go to someone else.
I don’t understand why they like Veras so much. Wow, he throws 95. So did Rick Ankiel (I think)…
Maybe Veras can play CF and rake like Ankiel next year. I don’t think Melky is long for pinstripes after this season. With Gardner and Jackson nipping at his heels.
What about that didn’t you like?
wow he made me eat crow. but he’s been either pretty good or pretty bad. I just don’t think there’s anything particularly good or special.
you really aren’t supposed to have several dominant set-up men guys. you just want guys who can get outs. obviously it isn’t ideal, but you need about 6 good starters and a good closer before you can blame anything on bad setup men
then again, you do want everybody in your bullpen to be able to throw strikes day in and day out, which is not the case with guys like veras and ramirez
Maybe that is the Veras that everyone raved about. There is a very real opportunity right now for someone to make a name for himself and become a big time pitcher if they can get outs for this team. Maybe its Veras. Maybe Ollie. Hopefully someone already on the roster
Anyway, Rick Ankiel was a fantastic pitcher until he got his head all messed up. To be compared to Ankiel isn’t an insult.
What I really meant was Ankiel post-dominance. Maybe he wasn’t the best comp. The point is there are plenty of guys at AA who can throw 95 and not have much to show for it.
Ankiel was a tremendous pitcher. I wish we had one lefty in the system with half as much ability
The way this team was put together is just frustrating to me. No lefty in the pen and no long man. And they make Ohlendorf the de facto long man when he should be groomed for the 7th inning.
Did anyone else see that dumbass that had the “I love you Michael Kay” sign?
My God Veres in an asshole.
I mean, he might be an asshole but I don’t think we can tell from his pitching
Asshole, whole ass… Semantics… THROW STRIKES!!!!!!!!!!
This comment will ensure he walkes the bases loaded but gets out of the inning without a run scored.
if he gets out of this he would be so lucky…
Keeeerist. That will give you an ulcer. No blood no foul.
Dammit! I really liked Dykstra’s bat. But that was a freggin overdraft!!
wow wrong thread again. sorry everyone
HOLY SHIT WHAT A DAY!!!!! FIRST COLE, THEN GIAMBI!!!!!!!!!!!
What a finish. I thought Farnsworth had sealed it.
Jamal has been saying it all year. Giambi isn’t done.
On an 0-2 count for pete’s sake.
Great win. Now let’s get this team rolling shall we.
Anyone watching the YES video? (you can catch the homerun on mlb.com highlights)… Holy crap, Joba is slapping Giambi’s ass really violently…