Spring Training Game Thread: Thank Mo Baseball’s Back
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Ah, the first game thread of the year. We’ve been waiting for this day ever since Jon VanEvery hit that walk-off single at Fenway Park off Jose Veras in the Yanks’ final game of 2008. Who cares if today’s game doesn’t count, it’ll be great just to see the boys in action again.
But wait, it gets better! We’ve got ourselves a primo pitching matchup this afternoon: Phil Hughes vs Rays’ phenom Wade Davis (#32 on BA’s Top 100). The last time these two met was Game Four of the International League Championship Series last season, when Hughes thoroughly outpitched Davis and clinched the league title for Triple-A Scranton. It really doesn’t get any better than this, does it?
The game is on YES, with first pitch is scheduled for 1:15. If you miss the live broadcast, don’t worry, they’re going to replay it at 7pm. Here’s the starting nine:
Damon, LF
Jeter, SS
Teixeira, 1B
A-Rod, 3B
Cano, 2B
Nady, RF
Posada, DH
Molina, C
Melky, CF
Scheduled Pitchers: Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, Brian Bruney, Damaso Marte, Jon Albaldejo, Mark Melancon
Looks like we’ll get multiple innings each out of the Phils, maybe Albie too. Anyone know anything about this Melancon kid?
Photo Credit: Steve Nesius, Reuters Pictures
So, there’s gonna be a live blog and a game thread? I guess I can kiss my afternoon productivity goodbye.
JORGE!!! JORGE!!! WOW, he killed that ball…or at the very least it very hard and out of the park.
Leggo my Eggo.
Tommy Hanson is pitching for the Braves on ESPN, if anyone cares.
I couldn’t have missed him as its the top of the first with 2 outs. I’m guessing he’s up later?
Schaefer’s starting in center as well.
The only thing I know about Melancon is that Bard is a whole lot better than him.
We better win today, the Rays are throwing a whole lotta scrubs at us and were starting most of our lineup
kidding right?
I hope this was a joke.
Thank Mo they won and we can all breathe a HUGE sigh of relief. The season would have been over with a loss today.
Just remember kids: if Hughes goes 2 innings and retires all 6 batters on 6 total pitches clocking 100mph, it doesn’t count because it’s ST against a B-squad. If, however, he gets shelled, he’s a bust and should be cut immediately.
Damn straight. All accumulated evidence of an event or a phenomenon is suspect and flawed, unless it reinforces my preconceived notions and dovetails with my irrational agenda.
The only thing that could make this better is if I was on a boat right now.
Mothafuckaaa
I got my swim trunks and my flippie-floppies
im lfippin burgers youre at kinkos straight flippin copies
I never thought I’d be on a boat.
POSEIIIIIIIIDON, LOOOOOOOOOK AT MEEEEEEEEEEEEE, WHOOOAH!!!!!
Fuck trees, I climb booeys mothafucker.
Believe me when I say I f()ck3d a mermaid.
Live Yankees baseball puts a smile on Whizzo’s face.
Whizzo would also like to see some payback for last year’s crap Ray’s spring training play.
A spike’s high slide from Shelley on Carl Crawford would work. (You figure it out)
I guess I am leading this off and I certainly hope Hughes has a good day. I have been somewhat conflicted on Hughes so maybe someone can help me why is that Hughes who hadinitial success then struggled last year is being written off so quickly. I think his career mirrors that of Homer Bailey and Clay Bucholz-all three were the top rated 2006 pitching prospects and all three have struggled somewhat. Bialey more than the other two and he of the “95-100mph fastball” I would note that Hughes is youngest of the three. Why is it we dont hear about Bailey or Bucholz being busts. I know the NY baseball writers are nore intertesd in gossip than baseball. I also have issue with people downgrading the players in the Ynakees farm system in terms of position players, is Austin Jackson already a bust is Jesus Montero already overrated. I mean how many 18-19 year olds kids hit 326-and 17 home runs when most of them are in high school? How many teams have better catching prospects Montero-Romine-Fryer? I mean I see the following lf-Montero-cf Jackson rf-swisher-Holliday(possible) 3rd base arod-ssjeter(here is where we need a younger replacement) 2b Cano 1b Teixeira and cathing Romine-Fryer-is that not a potentially solid younger team
You dont hear about Bailey and Bucholz because they don’t pitch for the Yankees. But they certainly hear the same talk in Cincy and Boston.
Look at that lineup, kind of wish I could see Swisher but who the hell could complain, baseball is back!
All right! So glad I’m taping this game – it’ll be the first time I see Melancon pitch.
UWS: You ready?
Yankee baseball this afternoon, Marty Brodeur this evening! Heh. Good thing I got as much work done yesterday as I did…
Damnit, stupid work! I’m missing Marty’s return, too. Sob.
UGH! No fair!
Agreed.
how great is it not having to worry about throws down to first now
OMG Texiera looks good in pinstripes!!!!!
*resists temptation to say that someone should tell Phil that you’re not actually supposed to hit the batters…oh. wait.*
Worst Liveblog Ever
I didn’t even get my Coke Fix on.
Cano’s back, baby!
cano just made a beauty of a play for anyone interested.
douchebag walks in front of camera
What the hell is John McCain doing in Florida?
That shoulder seems fine.
posada is back!!!!
posada hr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posada Home run!
Hip hip!
Jorge!!!!
guess the shoulder’s alright, nice to see.
is it just me or does Melky look bigger?
Not just you. He does look bigger.
Agreed.
Steroids.
(Finally. ‘Bout fuckin’ time, Melky.)
roids.
so he’s going to hit 50 hr this year !
83.
Hip Hip!
I can’t imagine how annoyed I’d be if I had an Abreu jersey. Those poor bastards.
Naw, he’s going to be awesome and eclipse Abreu’s brief greatness.
Melky’s gonna hit .314/.410/.466 for the rest of his career and become the fourth face on the Yankee Centerfielders Mount Rushmore.
The Yankee Clipper. The Mick. Bern Baby Bern (a/k/a the most “feared” hitter of the 1990s). And the MelkMan. United in greatness.
Starting the Bernie for the HOF movement by throwing “feared” out there. I like it.
Howard Stern is “The King of all Media”.
You know, I was thinking about this “Bernie was the most feared” initiative. I think we should go with “most graceful” or something like that. Thoughts? I just think the “most feared” thing is easy to dismiss as a swipe at Rice-support. Bernie’s not menacing enough for that tag.
Fearded = HOF Votes
Graceful = Invitation to Dancing with the Stars
Perhaps “one of the greatest World Series hitters of all time” would help win Bernie some undeserved votes too.
That’s why I like the “feared”.
Best case scenario, it works and Bernie gets in. But, even if it doesn’t work, it exposes how idiotic the Rice campaign was. It’s a no-lose situation.
Melky seeing four pitches in his Plate Appearance is a good sign, I’d say.
They have been talking about how the winds are really blowing in today, so even off a non-roster guy, that is nice to see
What’s the possibility of actually having a game chatroom during the regular season. Something along the lines of what the YesNetwork sound-off page runs.
Anyone just see that Francesa commercial? He freaking stole Armando Montelongo’s theme song.
Bruney is so skinny. Is he on the Edwar diet?
please not another seaspn of watching kids eat icecream
Wow, Jonathan All-Day-jo lost a lot of weight.
My fault, that’s Brian Bruney, Michael Kay’s an idiot.
It appears that Melky’s new found bulk is directly transferred from Bruney
I cannot believe how Bruney looks! He can actually be called “thin” now.
he must have done sdiorets
icwudt
Cano swinging the first pitch zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I thought the same about Robinson “never saw a 1st pitch I did not like” Cano.
Jorge Posada is back, yo.
Woooo Jorge, save some for the season there.
UPDATE, 2:24 p.m.: Brian Bruney just cruised through the fifth inning, hitting 95 on the gun. He’s got big-time upside in that 8th inning role.
ridiculous upside peteabe, ridiculous
Japanese commercials ftl
So, Jorge seems to be okay
IS Ajax gunna get in today?
Melancon yes, I know all.
Melancon, Mark
DOB – 3/28/1985
Height 6ft 2inches
RHRP for NYY
Favorite color – turquoise
Favorite film – Driving Miss Daisy
Hobbies – Fishing, stamp collecting, impersonating Andy Phillips
I believe his favorite film is actually “Dirt Pipe Milkshakes.”
Shaving Ryan’s Privates?
“The Firm”.
Epic Fail. Why would you even thing about going for two.
Oooh, J.B. Cox.
Holy shit, it’s JB Cox.
Just when you thought it was safe, AL East… we’ve got you right where we want you.
Bah, what a shit rally. Two grounders off the gloves of the middle infielders.
Reminds me of that homo-thuggish (second?) inning that the Red Sox had against Andy Pettitte in N.Y.
Mark Melancon is warming up.
Looked like Albaladejo. I could be wrong though.
It was Melancon, I saw a #7 on the jersey and Melancon’s jersey # is 78.
Cox getting a smacked around a bit, some of those fouls were hard too. I wonder how he’ll do this year
Is Andrew Brackman going to get in a Grapefruit League game this year?
Slam Duncan!
Man, that swing is long as hell, but when he gets into one, it’s a goner
Damn that was crushed by Shelley
I knew he was gonna hit that one out. That guy who he was facing is a bum you can tell. I knew it. I said Shelly is gonna smash one off of this f…
For someone who can actually watch the game: How has Melky looked?
Like Melky. I think you know what that means.
Has he gotten any better at any of the things Cash & Co. wanted him to work on when he got demoted last season? I seem to remember him playing(hitting) pretty well in winter wall but I know that doesnt mean a whole lot. I’m all for him giving way to BrettyG for superior D and baserunning but I’m just wondering if Melk still has any shot at the job.
Woo hoo, Mark Melancon.
Enjoying the game while outlining chapters for my law course. Good times..
Sit down, bitch.
Keep looking, it might hit itself.
Jaso just got Muntz’d.
Melancon ftw.
Two ground-outs and a strikeout for “The Heir”.
I prefer the “Second coming of God”
Ow, I feel ligaments tearing in my elbow just watching Thayer.
Robbed Gardner of a HR. Inside the park.
Should I make a bid for Mike Pelfrey at $2? I am running into the $1 territory very soon.
Who else is around for that range?
Game over.
I’m kinda curious who Boston is gonna make a run at mid season when they realize their club isnt that wicked nasty sick. Obviously it will have to be a white dude. Lance Berkman would be scary the Stro’s could use the bailout money.
ietc
John Kruk has said some wonderful things in the last five minutes. He thinks that the Rangers will get good pitching from Millwod and Padilla because they are in contract years and that Brian McCann playing for team USA and not learning Derek Lowe’s sinker will “cost them a game or two” because of wild pitches.
Hall of Fame worthy.
Urge to kill… rising…
no beer no tv make homer something something
go crazy?
don’t mind if i DO!
Are we going to see Montero any time or did they ship him off to minor league camp?
He doubled yesterday.
What’s with all the talk of hughes hitting 95 in winter league? can we all just accept that this kid is nothing more than a #3 pitcher at best, and needs to work on his curve and change in the minors this year….and will only throw 92mph most games