Archive for May, 2009
2009 Draft: Q&A with Jim Callis
Posted by: | CommentsJim Callis of Baseball America sat down to talk about the draft with Rich Lederer and Baseball Analysts. Callis probably knows more about the draft than anyone on the planet, so make sure you head on over and check it out. They cover all the usual suspects, and also touch on some players with big bonus demands that might slip down the Yanks. It’s worth the read.
With Posada activated, Cash out
Posted by: | CommentsInteresting roster move by the Yanks this afternoon: When they activated catcher Jorge Posada from the 15-day disabled list, they designated Kevin Cash for assignment. Francisco Cervelli will remain with the club as the backup catcher until Jose Molina returns from his leg injury. As Posada is both 37 and coming off of a quick recovery period for a hamstring pull, Cervelli should see his fair share of innings behind the dish.
I am intrigued by this move mostly because the Yanks didn’t have to make it right now. Since Posada was already on the 40-man roster, the Yanks didn’t have to DFA Kevin Cash. The Yanks probably like Cervelli’s defense more than Cash’s, and I would agree there. Anyway, Cash will probably just wind up back in AAA soon enough, and that’s that.
Update: For posterity’s sake, Kevin Cash was not DFA’d. He actually had an option left. The Yankees optioned him down to AAA. He will remain with the organization. Works for me.
The extraordinarily streaky Hideki Matsui
Posted by: | CommentsThis is, by all practical views, Hideki Matsui‘s last season as a New York Yankee. Much celebrated when he joined the team in 2003, Matsui became a fan favorite during his first contract, putting up good numbers all around. However, since he signed his new contract following the 2005 season he has played just one full season, missing significant time in 2006 and 2008 (wrist and then knees). The Yankees were hoping to get some solid production out of him from the DH slot during his final season. So far, it’s had its ups and downs.
Matsui started off slow, leaving everyone wondering whether he was done. He did keep walking, which mitigated the situation a bit, but his batting average stood below .200 until April 19. Matsui then surged, getting his BA to .295 by April 28 (small samples work wonders), while pulling his OBP over .400 and his SLG over .500. Of course, this was as much a product of small samples as his poor start to the season. He cooled off considerably since then, his OBP dropping from a peak of .419 to .325 the other day.
This, it seems, is what the team will get from Matsui in his final season. There will be ups, and there will be downs. If the past two games are any indication, Matsui could be righting himself again. He was 4 for 9 in those games, hitting a double and two home runs. If he can just keep this up until Nady gets back, it would be a huge plus for the team. Then, if he cools off again as he did for most of May, he won’t be doing the team as much harm because they can slot Nady into the DH spot.
What really strikes me as odd is that Matsui has hit better — considerably better — against lefties this season than righties. Against the latter he’s .257/.339/.455, while against southpaws he/s .356/.356/.564. Of course, he’s only face lefties in 45 of his 160 plate appearances. This performance does not lend itself to a DH platoon between he and Nady, who also mashes lefties. Then again, it’s probably something that will even itself out as the season progresses.
I’ve always been a Matsui fan. He’s been one of the Yankees in recent years who I’ve really wanted to see in big spots. The YES commentators always point out his demonstrated ability to get the runner home from third with less than two outs. And it always seems they get a big hit from him just when they need it. It’s sad, then, to see him in his home run trot, plodding around the bases. He’s only 35, but he looks much older than that running the bases.
We can only hope that Matsui’s knees hold up for the duration of the season. Even if his streaks persist throughout the season, the Yankees should have bench options, Nady especially, to spell him during his down times. Because when he’s good, he’s damn good. That we’ve seen in the past two games.
(And no, there’s no real point to this post. It’s just after spending all of yesterday talking about pitching in general and Joba specifically, I wanted to change the tenor. Plus, we all love Hideki, right?)
RAB Live Chat
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Teixeira not seeing more fastballs
Posted by: | CommentsThose who still suffer through ESPN’s Baseball Tonight saw a piece two nights ago on Mark Teixeira‘s amazing May. On the month, he is hitting .327/.395/.752 with 12 HR and 29 RBI, and he’s been on a tear since A-Rod has returned. During the Baseball Tonight segment on Teixeira, Rick Sutcliffe claimed that the Yanks’ first baseman had been the recipient of more fastballs since A-Rod’s return. Since pitchers wouldn’t want to pitch around Teixeira to get to A-Rod, he concluded that the fastballs must be the reason for Teixeira’s hot month. Statistician Magician, a new baseball site, went to the pitch f/x data and determined that actually Teixeira has seen fewer fastballs since A-Rod came back. So much for both that theory and ESPN’s research department.
Injury report: Posada back; Melky available
Posted by: | CommentsThe injured Yankees are on the mend, and the team could soon be back at full strength. Let’s just jump in and cover the news.
Jorge Posada
The Yanks’ 37-year-old catcher has been on the shelf since suffering a hamstring strain on May 4. He will be activated today from the DL. With Hideki Matsui on the brink of one of his hot streaks, Posada should find himself behind the plate tonight. Sweeney Murti reports via Twitter that tonight will be the first time since June 22, 2008 that A-Rod, Posada and Matsui will all be in the same lineup.
The Yanks will have a roster decision to make tonight, and despite Posada’s age and fairly quick 25-day recovery period, they seem intent on switching out a catcher. Francisco Cervelli will probably be optioned down for regular playing time. If the team decides to stick with three catchers, Angel Berroa will probably find himself unemployed. We’ll post word of the corresponding move when it comes down or in the game thread.
Melky Cabrera
Various sources are reporting divergent news on Melky. The Bryan Hoch article linked in the Posada section claims that Melky will be out 5-7 days, per Joe Girardi. A slightly more recent Marc Carig report says that Melky will be available off the bench this weekend. I find this odd. If Melky is available off the bench to pinch hit for, say, Brett Gardner or even Nick Swisher, is he able to man the outfield with a sore non-throwing shoulder? If not, he wouldn’t really come off the bench because the Yanks’ only other outfield option would be Hideki Matsui and his balky knees or perhaps Ramiro Pena. That has potential disaster written all over it, and I’d rather see the Yanks give Melky the proper time to heal.
Xavier Nady
According to the Associated Press, Xavier Nady is well on his way toward a mid-June Bronx return. As Joe noted last night, Nady went 2-for-5 in an Extended Spring Training game with one longball. More promising, though, is the news that he is set to begin a throwing program on Monday. If Nady can be a viable option in the outfield soon, Swisher’s playing time will diminish.
Everyone Else
Jose Molina and Damaso Marte are in Tampa working out. No word on when to expect them back…Cody Ransom hit in Extended Spring Training. He is not eligible to be activated from the 60-day DL until late June…Brian Bruney should begin a throwing program this weekend or early next week. After his aborted comeback last week, the Yankees are going to take it slow with him. I would be surprised to see him back before the All-Star Break.
Cash issues company line on Stadium dimensions
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One day before the new Yankee Stadium opened for regular season business, I issued a warning on the stadium. Using the above graphic, I looked at the walls and the lack of foul territory and proclaimed the park a hitter’s haven. Little did I realize how true my prediction would become.
In 23 games, the Yankees and their opponents have blasted 87 home runs at new Yankee Stadium. If that pace continues, the new stadium will witness 306 home runs this year. Last year, old Yankee Stadium served as witness to 160 long balls. That big of an increase doesn’t come about due to a statistical anomaly or coincidence. Something is clearly up.
Over the first few weeks of the season, seemingly everyone has come up with their own pet theory. We blamed the unangled walls for bringing in the power alleys by a few feet. The Yankees have blamed unanticipated wind patterns brought about by the continued presence of old Yankee Stadium. The problem, they say, will be solved next year when the old park is gone. Weather experts have blamed the wind flow and claim that we will see even more home runs over the summer.
Yankee officals, meanwhile, continue to deny that much is different about the new park. It’s becoming rather comical. Yesterday, Times reporter Tyler Kepner talked with Yanks GM Brian Cashman about the outfield fences and skyrocketing home run totals. Writes Kepner:
“I don’t have any answers about wind studies,” Cashman said. When I asked if he still believed the dimensions were the same as before, as some folks have disputed with visual evidence, Cashman said, “I’ve been told they’re the same. I know they’re supposed to be the same.”
Now, we’ve been pretty steadfast Brian Cashman supporters for the last few seasons. We staunchly stood by him through the controversial winter of the 2007, but this year, he hasn’t, in our view, done a stellar job with the roster construction in light of the team’s injuries. He and the Yankees also seemingly mishandled Chien-Ming Wang’s rehab.
These comments, then, seemingly continue a pattern of odd denial by the Yanks’ GM. He may have been told that the fences would be the same, but anyone who has watched Yankee baseball for more than, oh, two weeks could tell you that they’re different. We don’t yet know the cause; we don’t know the final outcome of the offense in the Bronx. We do know that pitchers are unhappy. It’s painfully clear that the new stadium is a hitter’s paradise, and if the Yanks care to even the field, they’ll address it in November. So why is Brian Cashman going out of his way to deny the obvious?
Marchand: Yanks told Wang not to exercise legs
Posted by: | CommentsOn Michael Kay’s 1050 ESPN Radio show today, Andrew Marchand reported that the Yankees specifically told Chien-Ming Wang not to work his legs as usual this offseason because of his lisfranc issue. You can listen to the clip here. Marchand said he spoke to GM Brian Cashman, who admitted that it was a mistake to tell Wang that, but also cited the team’s lack of experience with the injury. Cash also mentioned that Brian Bruney was also told not to work out his legs, so there’s a chance that may have contributed to his present elbow issues.
Marchand also said he spoke Alan Nero, Wang’s agent, who said his client is upset about being told not to work his legs, as well as having to work out of the bullpen. He’ll go along with it for the time being because he’s a team player. Cashman’s response: “His contract says baseball player, not starting pitcher.” That’s an OH SNAP! moment if there ever was one.
Is this another example of the Yanks treating Wang unfairly? The other day, PeteAbe chronicled how the Yanks have always seemed to keep Wang at arm’s length, but I’m not sure I agree with that. For starters, I don’t see how going to arbitration over $600,000 suggests anything about anything; the salary the Yanks offered was well in line with similar pitchers with similar service time, and the Yanks aren’t going to pay the extra money to a player under team control just because the team can afford too. Obviously, the arbitrator agreed with the team on that one.
Did the Yanks screw up by activating Wang too early? Yeah, they did, but what’s done is done, and now both the team and Wang have to work to correct things. As we discussed yesterday, having too many good pitchers is a great problem to have, and at some point Wang will get his shot back at the rotation. But right now, it’s far to early to say Wang’s ready to resume his regular starting duties.
(h/t The Artist for the Marchand link)
Montero goes deep twice in Tampa win
Posted by: | CommentsTwo years ago today on DotF, Roger Clemens struck out six in six shutout innings for Triple-A Scranton.
Mike Ashmore’s Ask The Thunder feature is back, so make sure you take the opportunity to ask your favorite Double-A Trenton player why he’s so awesome.
Triple-A Scranton (5-4 loss to Syracuse)
Reegie Corona, Austin Jackson & Juan Miranda: all 1 for 5 – Ajax drove in a run & K’ed … Miranda doubled, drove in a run & K’ed twice
Todd Linden & Shelley Duncan: both 2 for 4 – Linden doubled, was hit by a pitch, scored a run & K’ed … Shelley drew a walk & K’ed
John Rodriguez: 1 for 3, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K – threw a runner out at third from LF
Chris Stewart & Eric Duncan: both 2 for 5 – Stewart scored a run & K’ed … E-Dunc doubled, drove a run in & scored another
Doug Bernier: 0 for 2, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
Casey Fossum: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 6-3 GB./FB – 42 of 69 pitches were strikes (60.9%) … first time he’s allowed more than two runs in a start for SWB
Edwar Ramirez: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 3-0 GB/FB – 15 of 25 pitches were strikes (60%)
Jon Albaladejo: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 4-1 GB/FB – 17 of 28 pitches were strikes (60.7%)
Open Thread: Talk about the game
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s inevitable that on off-days we tend to shift the conversation to roster issues and other non-game ideas. Without a game to think about that night, we can take the time to stand back and reflect on how the team is doing, what’s going wrong, and what they can do to right it. Thankfully most thing are going well for the Yankees now. Yet the Joba debate rages on, and it was in full-force today. However, let’s get back to the game for a minute, even though there is none tonight.
Earlier this week Dave Pinto made some suggestions for FOX to improve their baseball coverage. Apparently ratings are down and FOX is looking for ways to change that. Pinto’s solution is an obvious one: talk about the game. We like to hear commentators talk about the player at bat, the pitcher who’s dealing, the current situation. Those are what make baseball interesting. That’s what will get viewers — or at least will turn off fewer of them. Who needs to hear endless prattling about PEDs yet again?
The big game of the week is not a soap box on which to pontificate about the state of the game, or the latest scandal, or anything else. That remains the province of studio shows, newspaper columns, and today, the internet. Talk about the game. Don’t spend an inning talking about steroids, with the pitches incidental to the discussion. Don’t interview a guest while a rally is underway. Leave that to Baseball Tonight and Ken Rosenthal’s columns. I don’t want to hear from the managers, I don’t want a special guest in the booth, I want the game covered. I want to know the pitch, the count, the result of the play.
I couldn’t possibly agree more with Pinto. Yet I realize that not everyone is going to feel the same way. Maybe some people do get their rocks off hearing about the latest scandal. Maybe some people would rather hear Buck and McCarver excoriate Alex Rodriguez for his moral shortcomings.
We’ll use this topic to kick off the open thread for the evening. Of course, it will move to other topics, and I have this feelings that Joba’s role will be one of them. Just call it a hunch. As always, any and all are welcome as you’re willing to speak civilly. So have at it.
Notes: From PeteAbe: Melky will travel with the team to Cleveland but will in all likelihood not play. Posada will be activated tomorrow for sure. No word on who will be removed from the roster, though it’s certainly going to be among Cash, Cervelli, and Berroa. Nady went 2 for 5 with a homer in extended spring training.
Just 21 days 'til pitchers and catchers report.
