After starting out with three wins on the road this month, the Yanks have lost five of their last seven. This afternoon, the team managed to plate just two runs off Dustin Moseley and his 7.90 ERA. They couldn’t capitalize on a few ninth-inning base runners and played terrible defense en route to a 4-2 loss.
While we could blame Bobby Abreu’s poor fielding and Xavier Nady’s bad throwing for this one, let’s look at Andy Pettitte. Following a July 26th win over Boston, Pettitte sat at 12-7 with a 3.76 ERA. Now, he’s 13-13 with a 4.52 ERA. It’s been a long downward spiral.
Over his last nine starts, Pettitte has thrown 54 innings. He’s given up 40 runs, 39 of them earned, on 74 hits on 18 walks and 44 strike outs. Pettitte is 1-6 with a 6.67 ERA and has many Yankee fans and team officials wondering if he should return next year. We know he wants to come back, but how would Pettitte fit into the Yanks’ plans? As long as the team doesn’t consider him more than a fourth or third starter at best, having a lefty in the rotation would help the team. He has to produce though, and right now, he just isn’t where he needs to be.
More optimistically, Joba Chamberlain finally made an appearance in a game today. He threw two innings and was utterly filthy. His fastball sat in the mid-90s and his breaking balls were nearly untouchable. He gave up a harmless double, struck out three Angels and zipped through two innings on just 17 pitches. While the fourth-place Yanks once again failed to show up for this game, we can breath a sign of relief as Joba looked awfully similar to the Joba we know and love.
The Yankees should make an all out effort to get CC and another starter (AJ’ Sheets…) Wang is then slotted as 3 and hopefully Joba in the 4 hole. Andy should only be asked back at a deeply reduced price (6 or 7 million tops).
I certainly don’t think Sheets is the answer. The only person in baseball that gets hurt more often is Rich Harden. AJ Burnett isn’t the answer, either – he’s going to cost a lot of money for a lot of years of Pavano-like injuries and Rasner-like production. I’d rather take my changes with Hughes, Kennedy, Aceves & Coke.
mr pettite needs to become a reliever…i think it would be an addition to his future in baseball….
hmm i was thinking this too…the only problem is that i would hate to pay over 10 million for just a reliever, however if he signs for cheap he may fit nicely in the pen
I don’t think he can help this team in the ‘pen.
Two words: Center Field.
BAM! THAT JUST HAPPENED!
who told you i love joba? Listen we were really drunk. it was just one time he said nobody would find out…. SHUT UP
It was only once and you needed the money, we all know the story…
Hey, gotta pay for college somehow.
Methinks it was the Joba impersonator. You got punked.
PED and clemens aside, he just isn’t the same pitcher. maybe he should pitch more like moyer. Oh I went there.
Moyer should open up his own baseball camp for old, over the hill pitchers. Hank can be the spokesman, and Mussina can explain how he found success again by throwing all his experience out the window and pitching like Moyer
Two words: Tom Emanski.
OOOOH, I’M HOT!!!!
Pitching dual in PNC. i love how they played New York New York after yesturday’s walkoff win.
shelly really went down hill.
I know this team is fatally flawed, but to me, the season was over when our boneheaded owner basically said we’re too injured to do anything this year and we’ll get ‘em next year. He completely gave the team a free pass to go through the motions through the rest of the year, which by all accords they have. I’m not saying they should’ve been “grittier” or “better gamers”, but even the most positive of fans (which I have been for a majority of the season) can’t deny how lifeless the team has looked for over a month. Yet another case, and to me the worst case of all, of Hankenstein failing to shut his fat yap.
Well I wouldnt go that far. But I do think that the whole season the only person who has held themselves accountable has been Brian Cashman. To me the coaching staff and the players have gotten a major free pass.
George at least twice in each of the past 3 years (2005-2007) has come out and said its up to Torre and the coaches to fix this. Even with all the injuries they had the past 3 seasons it was NEVER used as an excuse. This year after every game when the offense sucked it was Girardi praising the other pitcher and saying that happens in baseball.
Whatever hey this season is a lost one and has been for a couple of weeks. Ill say this though, if this team is anywhere near this same spot next year, somebody better get fired!!!!
Outside the couple of weeks surrounding the all star game the team has looked flat all year… I don’t mean to defend Hank but it’s not like the Yanks are doing anything different.
The bigger thing Hank has got to watch is pronouncing the Yankee need to overhaul this team. It does nothing for our bargaining power to look desperate.
an old friend hits a HR against Trenton, Akron leads 6-4
And starring as the Christmas Tree: Chris Garcia.
the scarnton game is a preety good game if ya wanna see it
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.....&_mp=1
Melancon!!!!!!!!!!!
nasty change ups.
He was disgusting tonight. Couldn’t touch him.
Two words: Hammer Time.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWW DAYUM, SON!!!!!!
5 pitches, 5 strikes, 1 inning. Nasty.
Now I know why he always throws more than one inning.
I thought you had seen him pitch before? If not, sorry…I wish you had. When I last saw him (a few weeks ago) I couldn’t believe it. He is a strike throwing machine…with nasty stuff, as you said. I think some had him on the “to watch list”, in the spring. Good to see a guy come alive like that…next year, Yanks PB?
Please tell me someone else saw that dude in the stands in Scranton.
wow, 15 K’s in a game for the scranton pitching staff. not bad.
From PeteAbe: “The Yankees haven’t quite shut it down but they certainly aren’t a very scrappy team these days.”
I don’t know where to begin.
I mean that about the scrappy part, mind you
Easy…….The End!
so wats the score in the thunder game
6-6 last I checked.
6-6 in the 8th
is the swb still scoreless?
Yes. Bottom 11.
Now going to the 12th.
wow this scarnton game is long ive been watching since the six and it look like they been playing forever does somebody noe if the thunder game is televised
Only locally I think. Not online that I know of.
SWB has had some tremendous playoff games.
There past few games have been way more exciting than anything we’ve seen out of the big boy squad this year.
No question.
Holy crap, how awful is the Mets’ bullpen? Giving up two moonshots to Cristian Guzman should be grounds for immediate exile to AAA.
thankz mike
mike i have one question yesterday i ask u if u see the yankees would add an arm and u said a veteran can a veteran like smoltz b a possibility if hes healthy would he setup for mo
Why would you do that when you have Melancon?
Sure, but will he be healthy? Big question mark.
Maybe this sound crazy but can Melancon be a ROY canidate?
Why not?
Meh, unlikely. ROY’s are rarely pitchers, and even more rarely relief pitchers. Not enough opportunities to shine.
melacon is gonna be great but with smoltz if healthy is a very affective pitcher
so mike kan they go for a juan cruz or a brandon lyon i think hes a free agent
No on Cruz, all he does is throw hard. I bet AZ resigns Lyon, they need him more than the Yanks do.
Peter Gammons just said Dustin Pedroia has “ten ground-balls in his five years as a pro”, what the fuck does that mean?
It’s typical Gammons BS. He means he’s missed 10 GB’s defensively.
I also enjoy the story about how Pedroia’s “more XBH than K every year” has gradually gone back from his freshman year of college to high school to junior high.
Peter Gammons is senile. I think it was Adam Foster of Project Prospect who said “He’s too old for T.V.” (was referencing Gammons’ appearance in ESPN’s coverage of the MLB Draft), and damn, was he right.
Sometimes I think he’s on the sox payroll.
Did someone say Peter Gammons?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzAR2Z52rNM
There been talks that if Hughes doesn’t get to pitch, he’ll pitch the “Brickyard showdown”
Yep. With the way it’s going, he may have to start tomorrow because they’re going to need to use Igawa in relief.
. . . need to use Igawa . . .
Oh dear God in heaven. That may be the saddest thing I have ever heard.
Oh my god. Scranton grounds crew is doing the YMCA.
How many times must this god-forsaken shark be jumped?
Ah, after much debate, I think we’ve found our winner for the dumbest LoHud comment of the day:
“FrankSJU September 10th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
If the team is playing unmotivated baseball where is the fire breathing manager we were supposed to be picking up? Oh yeah he’s here, barely.
It was a bad hire from the beginning. With 1 year under his belt and he couldnt handle that sizzling South Florida media pressure. He either extremely over manages or under manages. He has never met middle ground. Keeping him on board is pointless. I know— rash decision, the old Yankees, blah blah blah. The best thing that could happen to this franchise is for Hank and Hal to admit a mistake and dump him.”
He’s probably in the A-Rod and Cano bashing club too.
Every time I venture into the LoHud comments section, I die a little inside. A more remarkable accumulation of idiocy might be tough to find.
Abe:
UPDATE, 4:40 p.m.: Here’s an easy prediction for you: A-Rod will lead the AL in homers. Carlos Quentin has 36 and is out for the season. Miguel Cabrera and Alex have 33 and Jermaine Dye 32. Alex has 16 pressure-free games left, 10 at home. He’ll crush the ball. Bet he hits 37 or 38.
wow Pete, so what you are saying is that after A-Rod hit 33 HRs in his first 125 games (1 HR every 3.8 games) you are saying A-Rod, without the pressure, will hit 4 or 5 more in 16 games??
wow, that is some in depth analysis.
with the pressure off, A-Rod will hit HRs at exactly the same pace he has all season.
thanks Pete!
i have to go a scranton game one day i cant wait for the new stadium to open
nice bunt by jchrist.
Don’t ya love hearing the loud clapping in the background.
Minorleague baseball at it’s finest.
Wow, how did the Boston Red Sox of 2008 and 2007 ever lose a game? Listening to this ESPN broadcast you would think they are the only team withbaseball players, and everyone else were fielding a bunch of crack-headed pimps.
watching a baseball game on ESPN with the Sox playing has become more of a dick swallowing/balls washing of the team. Especially when they play the yanks.
And Rick Sutcliffe is the guy in the booth with the bar of soap, towel, and drool cup.
SWB wins 1-0. What a game.
akron’s walking away with this one, 10-6
yes scranton wins
THE YANKEES WIN THE PENNANT! THE YANKEES WIN THE PENN – Wait. It’s only the second game? Dammit.
Bern Baby Bern!
Bernie!!
Yanks win!!!!
wow scranton game more exiting the yankee game
OMG, the Scranton Yanksees are really the best!!!
Well, I finally saw Melancon, I will sleep a happy man.
In an honest match up, who would win a best of 5 series, the NY yankees or scranton Yankees. I’d say NYY in 5.
NYY would win, but Scranton might have better pitching.
No. Hughes and Kennedy are busts, remember?
Something about seeing Jacoby Ellsbury with a .324-OBP makes rich with glee. Best young CF in the game by 2009 for the dramatic loss.
Nice job, Ellsbury, just keep on failing.
Jacoby Ellsbury.
http://failblog.files.wordpres.....#038;h=588
I knew that was coming.
Anticipating failure is just that much more funnier.
Seriously, that was one of the best fail pics.
Man Ellsbury is overrated. Even his D isn’t that hot. To think that people like Callis took Ellsbury over A-Jax.
Jim Callis hates the Yankees. It’s a fact. And I’m O.K. with it. When Pedroia’s playing utility infielder on a NL team in a few years, he’ll conveniently forget his “expert” analysis.
Okay, let’s not go overboard. We all detest David Faustino, and with good reason, but he’s not THAT bad…
What the hell happened with Trenton?
Kevin Whelan happened.
Apparently, Jesus, isn’t he up for a 40 man this year. Sorry Kevin, no King Cobra for you
Comeback time.
Too little, too late.
No Sutcliffe, the sox bullpen sucks.
Oh wow, so the Red Sox ownership are for the people, according to ESPN, because they put their revenue back into the team. The Yankees do it, their a villainous group of child-laboring assholes.
OMG. Stop it, fucking stop it.
“How many owners, would fly their draft pick on their private jet to sign him because he wanted to win”.
Why don’t you kiss the owner Gammons.
The funny thing is, I heard they weren’t even that far apart (think it was less than $1M). So they can waste all that time on a private jet but can’t spend the extra cash to ink a talent like Alex Meyer. I just love how Gammons conveniently forgot to mention that the Red Sox didn’t even sign Meyer.
Peter Gammons is talking about Alex Meyer, he didn’t sign, fuck you Gammons, fuck you.
David Ortiz just sac bunted.
WTF??? On purpose?!
No, he was actually reaching for his back pocket for the emergency syringe of horse testosterone he keeps handy to give himself a refresher boost mid-game, and he accidentally turned the bat into a square position where the pitch hit it by mistake.
Total coincidence.
Peter Gammons?
Peter Gammons!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzAR2Z52rNM
They gonna suck off the play by Ortiz now.
When David Ortiz bunts, pitchers everywhere give thanks to every God known to man. However, idiots will call that a baseball play.
But when A-Rod does it, it’s an awful play and showing why he’s not a winner.
Jamal, David Ortiz, just like Alex Cora and Justin Masterson, wins games (TM) (R).
Holy fuck. Trenton’s coming back.
What are you talking about the games over?
MILB had tha game over at 6-10
So close, yet so far….
What a useful bunt that proved to be, fucking idiots.
I have never wanted JP Howell to succeed more than I do right now.
JP Hizzle in the house. Bringin’ some of that Longhorn filth.
Jason Bay: Not Xavier Nady
Jason Bay.
http://failblog.files.wordpres.....t_fail.jpg
Heh, I see that one every time I Google “Epic Fail”.
Howell has some nasty offspeed pitches.
Ah, failure is bliss.
woom, woom, woom Cora.
I wanna hear more Peter Gammons just to hear more ridiculous shit he’s gonna say.
I have no problem with the rosters expanding in September. If a pennant race is decided by the 32nd guy on the team, then the team that lost doesn’t deserve to win.
Seriously. Is it baseball’s fault that the Mets’ utter lack of a bullpen forces them to use seven relievers in a game against the 2008 Washington Nationals?
Come on Dioner.
Rays have been taking pointers from NYY on hitting w/RISP, it seems.
Mike, is Seneca Wallace going to be changed to a QB-WR in time for the Week 2 games?
I dunno. Does Yahoo do that automatically, or do I have to do it?
If Yahoo does it, he probably has to play a game at that position first.
Eh, fuck it. I dropped a secondary DEF to get him, not like it’s going to affect me that I got him a week early.
I need to find a new QB. Something tells me Chad Pennington won’t cut it while VY deals with his issues.
Mike Timlin: FAIL!!!!1!11!1!1!1!!!11111!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11!11
Mike Timlin.
http://failblog.files.wordpres.....rapist.jpg
I actually remember that one. True classic.
That one is hilarious. Serioulsy, imagine that really happen.
Way to go C-Pena.
Timlin is really our favorite, isn’t he?
Timlin baseball
I’m sure Percival will make it interesting.
See?
Man have we been spoiled.
Fiddlesticks!
I don’t get it there are only a few people left in the stands, where are the Fenway Faithful? They never give up hope! They are fans of Americas team!
Wow Percival kinda sucks. Hard to believe.
Nothing to worry Hammel.
The Rays of old?
Nope. The Sox of old.
Hah. Jason Bay swings at more sliders off the plate than Afonso Soriano.
Well, congrats to them~
I love Pettitte but we need to be more business like and stop giving these guys hefty long term contract because of what they’ve done in the past. Pettitte isn’t the same…he used to be mediocre in the 1st half and dominant in the 2nd…now he’s flip flopping…and soon will be just plain old mediocre…
I say we go for CC Sabathia…and then sign Derek Lowe. Rotation of Sabathia, Wang, Joba, Lowe, and then Hughes or Mussina?
We need a CF too…Damon in left, Nady in right maybe? If Abreu leaves….who in CF?? Melky needs to never see the Majors again.
“stop giving these guys hefty long term contract because of what they’ve done in the past.”
and then, less than 50 FUCKING WORDS LATER…
“I say we go for CC Sabathia…and then sign Derek Lowe…”
Where’s the Dread Pirate Roberts to tell this guy he’s got a dizzying intellect when you need him?