You know what ticks me off? The Yankees haven’t played a damn game all week. Instead, YES has been running a new series called “How is this team going to lose tonight?” It’s a story about 25 guys who get hurt, give up doubles and homers, and can’t string together a series of hits or capitalize with men on base. My favorite character is Johnny Damon, a rebel who tries his damndest to spoil the loss, but the rest of the team won’t have it. Worst of all, they’re charging the Yankees with losses for these missed games. What gives?
That’s how I’m coping with these losses: by making light of them. The only alternatives are to turn into a raving psychopath who wants everyone, including the players, fired; or just not watching. Since I can’t imagine a summer without baseball, the latter is out. Apparently I’m not wired for the former. I’d have to kick my own punk ass. So it’s lame jokes and games of MLB 09 The Show for me.
After Johnny Damon’s futile attempt to help his team win the game, a friend emailed not with “DAMON!” or anything of that nature. It was, “I look forward to seeing how they blow this game.” Last night it was with their best pitcher on the mound doing something he’d never done before: surrender back to back homers. The last time he’d surrendered two homers in the same game was July 18, 1998. That’s fitting, since last night was also the first time Andy Pettitte gave up four homers in a game. Yet a night of firsts did not result in the Yankees first win in five games. Now they’ve dropped that many in a row.
Remember a few years back, when every tabloid pronounced Mo dead in April after a few poor performances? That’s what’s keeping my head high right now. This happens to Mo at some point or another during the season. It was abbreviated to the point where we didn’t really notice it last year, but he still had a few poor games. As has happened many times in the past five years, this time it has come early. Hopefully that will be the last of it. In his last five appearances Mo has pitched 4.1 innings, allowing 9 hits, 4 homers, and 5 runs. To pile it on, according to pitch f/x his velocity is down about 2 mph this year. On the plus side, he has struck out 9 and walked none in that span, so there’s hope that he’s just about shaken off the rust.
While Andy Pettitte didn’t start things off well, and while Jose Veras got hit around a little (though I didn’t think he pitched particularly poorly), the offense continued to be a massive problem. For starters, Robinson Cano is officially in a slump. After May 1 he was hitting .378/.401/.592. Since then he’s 1 for 21 with one walk. Mark Teixeira took the ramp back onto the interstate, lowering his average to .198 with an 0 for 5 night. Nick Swisher was the only other hitless starter. His 0 for 4 night extended hi hitless streak to 13 at bats. He’s walked four times in that span.
There are a couple other minor, minor positives, but they don’t much matter right now. The Yankees need a win in the worst way. CC Sabathia started this losing streak, and he’s next up to try and end it. He won’t go it alone, though. The Yankees will bring back Alex Rodriguez, and along with him hopefully a few far more minor reinforcements. Possibly Kevin Cash for Jose Molina, but even beyond that it would be nice to see Juan Miranda get called up for David Robertson or Mark Melancon and get the start at first base against Jeremy Guthrie. Something needs to give with Teixeira, and a night off wouldn’t kill him.
It’s tough to look forward to tomorrow night’s game. The only ray of hope is that this is the on where they turn it around. But how many times can we think that before even that gets frustrating? At least with CC, you know it’s possible.
My only hope is that the story at the end of the season is that ARod’s return culminated in the Yankees playing 87-47 to an AL East domination.
One can dream.
Baltimore is bound to come back to earth one of these days, maybe tomorrow will be the day.
I can’t believe Adam Jones has gotten this good THIS FAST. Dude is on his way to challenge Grady Sizemore for the title: best all-around CF in the AL.
‘Can’t miss prospects’ are like that.
Baltimore knew what it was doing when it dealt Bedard.
There also can’t miss prospects who miss though.
A lot more miss than hit.
Ruben Rivera comes to mind……………
2 months ago i would have said ‘melky cabrera comes to mind.’
Melky Cabrera never was a can’t miss prospect, and he still may miss.
I need to find some way to watch this game tomorrow.
My wife wants to go to a 10:30 pm showing of Star Trek. Normally, I’d say I want to watch the game. Now, I’ll go if she wants to.
Never disappoint the old lady. Friday night duties. Take her out!
CAVEAT — i’m single and absolutely in no position to give any mature advice to any man, woman, or child
Nah, I wouldn’t say no if she wanted to do something.
I’m a good husband
“I’m a
goodwhipped husband”Fixed
Nah – I’m more than satisfied by my marriage, IYKWIM.
Anyone know the group therapy rates these days?
(I’m kidding btw, I guess I’m not as disappointed/pissed off as most, there will be a light at the end of the tunnel… eventually)
Crap. I haven’t been to bed earlier than 1 am all week long, and I get up at 5-6 am for work. :rofl:
That’s the thing about baseball.
You play on.
Much like the Bataan death march.
Heh, FWIW, I’m from Bataan, all the way back here in the Philippines.
Anyway, Season Restarts tommorow. (although we are 2 games below .500). CC starts, Arod is Back. Let’s go Yanks!
SOB NYPD tossed me out for absolutely nothing tonight. I think I’m done w/ the shitty new “stadium” for at least 2 months.
Absolutely nothing?
Actually yes. A friend was getting toss for pouring a beer on a Sox Fan while I was chatting with an old friend 20 ft away unaware. As she is being corralled by the NYPD i see what is going on an pick up her jacket and attempt to escort her out. Next thing I know a cop in a suit attempts to grab the miller light out of my had. I wouldn’t give it up, and was then tossed out as well. Prior to he grabbing of my brew i couldn’t have been better behaved.
This happened in the bleachers standing area during the 8th inning.
My buddy got tossed for screaming at Jason Bay and standing on top of the bleachers almost immediately, as he said other fans got thrown out also.
Very frustrating. I may watch more games at Stan’s this year than the new “stadium”.
I hate people who scream at opposing players. It’s so gutless and idiotic. And you wonder why atheletes thumb their noses at fans.
Thats a growing trend that I have been hearing about
Happened to my friend two nights ago also
Sounds like your friend was being disruptive. Who the hell wants to go to a baseball game and pay good money to sit near someone who is screaming at opposing players? And just a hunch……I bet your friend wasn’t screaming compliments to Bay regarding his hitting prowess.
Details?
yeah what happened?
He explained above
I can’t force my self to read the wrap-up. The headline did perfect justice for another loss. It never stings as much for me when Mo gives up some runs, mainly, because I know he will be there tomorrow and I can count on him. Unfortunately, right now, he’s the only one in the pen that I feel that way about. Hopefully, when Bruney returns in 2ish weeks, he will be spitting hot fiya. That will help quell my worries nearly as much as Al coming back.
Bottom Line, thank Mo we play tomorrow!
Oh man. At least this made me laugh. I feel the same way, like I can’t stop watching, and yet I have to do something to cope with the pain! Laughing to keep from crying, as they say.
great post. have to laugh out all this stuff.
really can tex get a hit with RISP, I think he has 1 yesterday and they still lost…
If Mo was done wouldn’t he be walking more guys? I think 2 MPH hurt and he is just building up arm strangth.
Maybe Melancon goes down tommorrow because Girardi has not used him in days….What is his purpose with the Yanks if they are not going to pitch him at all??
Call me delusional but I think this team can get it done I mean there pitching has been just god awful staggering bad. look atthe whips for the starters they are terrible, so many walks. teams seem to be getting there pitch counts up how can you do that on purpose???
Teixeira doesn’t seem right. I have to wonder if the wrist is still weak.
He seems to CRUSH the ball, and it goes to the warning track. Longoria flicks his wrist, hits the ball off the end of the bat, and it goes 5 rows deep.
The best and worst thing about baseball is that they play every day. Go get’em tomorrow.
CC and Arod = A start to a nice little winning streak
Yepp, nothing is worse then a loss, especially a losing streak, followed by an off day.
They can’t be this bad.
agreed , lets get em tomorrow
Like I said above, this is the cool thing about baseball.
We don’t have to wait a week for them to play again.
Arod goes deep first AB.
Then goes 2 for 57.
UGH dont even joke about that…
although, if you were, you’d say he hit a 3 run homer when down by 8 in the second, and THEN went 2 for 57…
This happens to Mo at some point or another during the season.
No it doesn’t. Not like this. Not Bay’s bomb. Not two in a row. This hasn’t happened before.
He never gets lit like this.
He’s given up 5 ER in his last 4.4 innings. He gave up 5 ER in 3.1 innings over August 12th to August 15th in 2007. He gave up 9 ER in 2.2 innings from April 15th to April 27th in 2007 as well. I can go back further but never is not the right word GrantBo.
yes, never is exactly the right word, if never:
never=i refuse to believe your facts because of my undying faith, love or hatred
Sit Tex on the first day Rodriguez gets back? No.
Typical “Backup QB Syndrome” going on with Miranda (and Molina)
Agreed. I’m down for Miranda pinch hitting for guys in the late innings, but Tex is still our guy. Let him play through it, he’s still walking a lot.
We still need his defense in there and you got to figure he’s going to snap out of the funk soon anyway.
Great teams overcome bad breaks, great teams overcome adversity, and in the end we proved that up to that point, we were the greatest team ever put together.
Look it up
i dont have to look it up, i remember that d-bags quote
that team ruined my life… u should be banned for even bringing it up
going on the road should help everyone relax
it’s supposed to rain in baltimore tomorrow, what are the chances we play?
hopefully none.. zip…nada
I think I know which one you’re talking about, and it was especially egregious, but, really, it happens every year, sometimes twice a year. He can be putting together a season for the ages, but eventually, he’s going to have a few bad games in a row, and everyone will completely lose their shit. You can pencil that in before a season even starts. In a way it’s almost rational, because you should expect a pitcher that old to decline, making it sensible to jump to that conclusion a little sooner than for a younger player. But Mo has never showed any signs of being a mere human being, subject to the aging process, so at this point we should give him the benefit of the doubt for a lot longer than this. If he gives up two more homers his next outing, my guess will still be that he ends the season with a nasty line.
In other news, the homer-happiness of the new stadium is officially ricockulous.
now that adam jones is turning into a great player, can espn change his profile picture?
I hope they keep that picture forever.
They should put Pacmans picture there.
Apparently, being a Yankee decision maker now means denying a problem until it can no longer be denied:
Ham:
>denying a problem
You’re making shit up. Stop it.
WTF are you talking about?
If Ham is right that Mo has been battling arm strength issues, and yet he has been used on consecutive nights, and that is combined with their decision to start Wang in three games, only to belatedly discover that he has arm strength issues along foot and hip problems, despite the fact that his velocity was down several miles an hour and he was unable to get much sink on his two seamer, then the only reasonable conclusion to any intelligent person is that they are either in denial about the consequences of arm strength on performance, or they are incompetent.
But perhaps you are neither reasonable nor intelligent.
Girardi did say Mo has been battling arm strength issues, and Mo himself said when asked what was different that in the past that the only thing that isnt the same is the speed of his pitches. Again the positive is his K/BB ratio so far this season has been phenomenal. Only thing is if his velocity isnt going to be the same he is going to have to adjust for it and be that much more precise with his location and move the pitches in/out plus up/down alot more than in the past.
So first time I ever commented on LoHud (I had to, he was ripping A-Rod… again) and I just responded to someone saying how he used to think LoHud was the best Yankees blog and is disappointed. All I said was he should check out RAB, which is really the best Yankee blog and all Pete has on them is clubhouse access (which is a big advantage, I agree). SOB deleted my comment and the guy’s comment that posted originally. Nothing offensive, no ethnic slurs (I listened to Trebek), no being a huge douche bag. And we humorously call RAB socialist.
Ham is a tireless reporter, but he can be more than a little overly sensitive at times.
I did the same thing last week. Don’t know if he deleted my post or not because I was so pissed off by his nonsense and didn’t go back to check. Indicated that I was going to just comment on RAB from now on. Lo and behold, he’s responding to comments on RAB the next day in his usual pissy manner. What’s up this guy? He seems to running a Yankee blog now like a troll would run it. His main thing seems to be piss off Yankee fans. I’m freaking angry at this nonsense. Have to deal with the Yanks losing and this a-holes snarky snide comments. F him!
Don’t know if it was your post, but in the Abraham post I presume you’re referring to, there is the following comment:
“I think it’s time to head to River Ave. Blues”
Yeah, that’s me. So I guess I wasn’t deleted? Or are you responding to Joey? Mine was basically a carbon copy of that one.
I was responding to Joey. The quote I cited was from a LoHud A-Rod post from this evening. Sorry for the confusion.
No problem. It seems that there are more than a few people who have been irritated at his site recently. Go Yankees!! Please!
Yes, I’ve noticed that growing irritation. Personally, I find it disappointing. I think his reporting is great and his analysis is hit or miss. And regardless of the reasons behind his less-than-strong analysis, I find it a bit odd that people are so bothered by it.
I mean, it’s not like anyone is required to read his work, so I’m not certain why it bothers people so much. And why those who don’t like him or his work find a need to publicly criticize him doesn’t really make sense to me either. It seems as if online anonymity inspires people to say things they might not otherwise say to someone directly. I see the anonymity as a challenge to be honest, pleasant and civil. Different stroke for different folks, I guess.
Nah, he deleted mine, I guess I hit a big issue with him saying RAB was better
Heh, and he deleted my comment “Stay classy Pete, keep deleting those non offensive comments” Guess that was offensive
Please stop doing that. Just stop commenting at LoHud if you don’t like it there, but don’t take the next step and invite all the people at LoHud to come over here. That kind of defeats the purpose.
Meh, I take it back. I’m sure the three RABeteers appreciate the increased traffic. Say la vee.
Would you prefer that I stayed at LoHud?
Because I can certainly go back.
Really? You don’t smash your head against the desk reading those comments?
I just read the comments of the posters I know are’t crazy. It helps.
I didn’t mean anyone in particular. And, in my defense, there have been plenty of people bemoaning the LoHud influx lately. I’m certainly not the only one to have made a comment to that effect. I mean, there’s a reason YOU came here, right? All I meant was… If people leave LoHud because of the level of discourse over there, it’s probably best for all of us to not bring that level of discourse over here to RAB by telling inviting all those people.
I’m quite happy getting my LoHud access filtered through RAB, without the megadoses of PeteAbe’s derision toward ARod and his own readers. The blog set a negative tone that encouraged its commenters to become increasingly petty and obnoxious.
I used to try to argue against some of the insanity in the LoHud comments (the Yankees should release or trade ARod even if it costs them most of his salary, the Yankees should sign Livan Hernandez as a 6th starter, and so on – at least PeteAbe, to his credit, has never been a B-Jobber) but eventually realized it was a futile effort.
Shockingly on the 11 pm edition of Sportscenter tonight when asked if Arod coming back will lead the Yankees to the playoffs, Steve Phillips actually said Yes the Yankees will make the playoffs.
Hey, that makes me feel real optimistic now. Thanks for the brightener on this gloomy night!
Thats the kiss of death. Ugh.
That’s about as comforting as Baseball Prospectus predicting a last place finish.
i have also resorted to playing mlb 09 the show, in order to see the yankees win a freaking game.
thank god we only have to worry about guthrie tomorrow and that filthy matt palmer
I’m still not ready to panic. I mean, we are only 5.5 games back with a 134 to play. There is more than enough time.
We’re tied with the Rays right now as terrible as we’ve played and they don’t have a bat like A-Rod coming back to bolster their offense. We’ve played some terrible baseball, that’s for sure, but there is reason to hope that we’ll turn things around once guys like Tex start hitting and our pitching is better than it’s shown. We don’t have to win the division, the season is long and the WC is a good safety net because once you make the playoffs, it’s just really who gets hottest.
“We’re tied with the Rays right now as terrible as we’ve played and they don’t have a bat like A-Rod coming back to bolster their offense.”
It’s sad enough that the Yankees actually have to rely on AROD returning to pull ahead of the Rays, but thanks for bringing that to everyone’s attention.
I know you meant it tongue and cheek, but one of the things I really like about Damon is he seems to play his best when the Yankees are playing their worst…almost as if he refuses to be a part of the team’s general malaise. He is also the most accountable Yankee, bar none. After every tough loss, Damon is the most vocal, and it’s usual not a sugar coated “we’ll get ‘em tomorrow” response. Instead, he is always very candid.
Watching the post game and the dugout reactions yesterday, it seems as if most Yankees fall into two classes: indifferent or in shock. To me, that is a reflection of the manager. While Joe Girardi was quietly seething in the dugout for most of yesterday’s game, Joe Maddon, whose team had a worse record, was calmly sipping tea in his hoody. You can’t tell me that doesn’t rub off on his team.
Joe Torre loves sipping tea.
Yup it’s velocity with Rivera. That’s all. Not saying that to minimize anything, because unless he can start throwing 93-94, he’s going to be just an average relief pitcher. He’s around the plate so much that at 88-91, hitters can just sit back and look out over the plate and are able to catch up to it and jack the ball.
I think age hurts them. Jeter doesn’t look like much of a star anymore. He looks slow in the field – every grounder is a chore and his throws are weak and inconsistent. He looks like he’s chronically banged up, and he’ll never take himself out of the lineup to heal. Damon looks great, but how long until we see him come up with some injury? Matsui is held together with velcro. The young players they do have – Cano, Melky, Tex – look unsure of themselves and unless they start putting together some successful at bats in the clutch, they’re never going to be able to carry the team with big hits. The more pressure, the less confidence they seem to have and the more advantage seems to go to the pitcher. Contrast this with players on a winning team like Boston, where in pressure situations the advantage seems to swing to the hitter.
Getting rid of a couple of old guys this offseason was good. Next year, they need to dump more aged stars and start rebuilding. You have to be willing to cut even good players who are aging, because if you don’t, you never give a chance to younger players and you never find out who might be a star. Goes for pitchers and position players.
What kills the Yankees is the effort to win a championship every single season. They have to learn to have a slightly longer term outlook and tolerate a few years of mediocre play in order to develop young talent. Why they don’t do it now is beyond me. Given last season’s results, and what looks like this season’s likely poor finish, I say if we’re going to finish second or third and miss the playoffs, why not finish 4th or 5th and accomplish something with rebuilding.
You guys will flame me for inconsistencies and illogic in my post, I’m sure, but all I can say is that if the Yankees had started really rebuilding in 2001, instead of pursuing every free agent stopgap available, we might have the next solid dynasty now, instead of the old, beat up, loser team we seem to have.
Mo is definitely having velocity issues. He just came off shoulder surgery so I think we need to give him some time to get stronger.
Jeter hasn’t digressed much from last year and he might actually be improving his numbers. Your comments about Melky and Cano are way off base. Melky and Cano are doing fine with the exception of Cano’s recent slump.
Tex is wack! You are probably right about him. I think maybe his wrist is bothering him and I don’t think it will immediately get better just because Arod will be back in the lineup.
So if Mo doesnt get his arm strength back….what do we do? Here at RAB it has become taboo to mention it but, if….IF mo isnt Mo anymore do we ask Joba to fill in? We have no one else that could possibly do it. Bruney and Marte seem to fragile, Melancon as we have seen isnt ready, if Veras was his 2008 version…so do we go to Joba? We tell him we need him to step up and help out, we tell him that we are going to shut Mo down and hope for next season and make a run at JJ Putz in the off season so its only a temp thing.
You close by committee. You ask the hot hand to do it. There is nothing in baseball that says you need to specifically take one guy and anoint him the closer. Joba is much more important in the starter’s role, so you don’t foresake a few months worth of occassional outings in order to fill a mystical, mostly meaningless role.
Hot hand? In this bullpen???
Wow, so Mo has been filling a mystical meaningless role all these years? I agree that the “closer” has become the most overly used/overpaid buzz word in the pen. I think that there are very few ligit “closers” guys who come in the 9th and the team breathes a collective sigh of relief “ok, we got this game”.
I think having that guy…an actual closer, a pitcher who dominates the 9th amps up the whole team is important. Joba can be that guy, closer by committee…with what we have in this pen to work with i dont think will work.
Joba can be that guy, but he can also be the dominating starter the Yankees have been seeking since Brien Taylor. A Jake Peavy/Josh Beckett starter is more valuable to a team than a closer. That’s not to say a lights out closer isn’t valuable. It’s to say, as we’ve seen over the course of this season, is that you absolutely need top flight starters. If Joba can be that, that’s what he should be, and the Yankees should exercise patience so he can achieve that.
“Joba can be that guy, but he can also be the dominating starter the Yankees have been seeking since Brien Taylor.”
This statement is just so funny in so many ways. For one thing, it seems to indicate that Brien Taylor was a dominant starter for the Yankees.
I bet that with the way this team is hitting, any RAB contributer could pitch against this shitty lineup and exit with a line of: 6IP 7H 2R 2ER 2BB 4K (W) the lone blemish being a Johnny Damon homer. Tex, Swisher, Cano a combined 0-14….so I am going to go out on a limb and say tonights game Tex,Arod,Swisher,Cano a combined 1-17 0RBIs; the lone hit being Tex powerful dribbler up the middle. I sure am glad we got him….he is awesome. What should have happend….
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Abreu RF
Arod 3B
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher 1B
Matsui DH
Melky CF
Bench: Molina,Alex Cora,Tony Clark,Brett Gardener
Rotation: CC,Wang,AJ,Andy,Joba
Bullpen: Tomko,Coke,Albie,Edwar,Bruney,Marte,Mo
Tex is in Boston hitting .198…
sorry get rid of Albie for Juan Cruz
Wow…um, where to start? Tomko? Seriously? This guy is 36, pitching in AAA out of nowhere. Tony Clark can only play one position. Alex Cora is a career 68 OPS+ hitter in the AL. Bobby Abreu is afraid of walls.
Bobby Abreu – career 119 OPS+ in the AL
Mark Teixeira – career 131 OPS+ in the AL
Tomko long man had a really good spring training and has been good a AAA, name one person in our bullpen that is a better option right now? I didnt think so…
Clark and Cora, again bench players…better than Berroa, or Pena. Cora can play all of the infield positions and Clark is a great hitter off the bench which we lack big time.
Abreu is afraid of walls….so what, having this improved defense is REALLY helping us out right now. Tex, something tells me that Tex made a big mistake thinking he could hack it in NYC. Abreu has proven over 3 years that he can produce, and hitting in our new park I bet his HR#s increase. Every ball that Tex hits seems to be a warning track flyout, or a dribbler to the pitcher.
The problem with Tomko is that he’s a career 92 ERA+ pitcher (only 80 ERA+ in the AL) with iffy control and lots of HR Allowed in some non-hitters parks throughout his career. He peaked as a 24-year old rookie in ’97 – he’s never gotten better. If they wanted a long man at the start of the year it would have been Aceves, not a 36-year old journeyman who is in the minor leagues because he’s proven he can’t be a successful major league pitcher.
And “big bat” Tony Clark has a 71 OPS+ right now…Xavier Nady would be a much better solution once he gets healthy. And Pena is doing fine for someone who isn’t supposed to be a starter.
Ok you have the stats on your side thats great, I say have Tomko as the long man simply because we would only see him when the starter is shitting the bed. I think we should keep Aceves pitching as a starter a AAA incease someone goes down. Tomko pitches to bad contact and would keep up in games if the starter puts up a lemon.
Clark with the D-Back is known to be a clutch hitter off the bench, he was pretty good of the bench for the yankees before too. He is a experienced switch hitter with power from both sides of the plate. I like Nady too but our bench (and team as a whole) is lacking in clutch hitting. Cora again is a guy who can come off the bench in a big situation and produce, Pena is an automatic out.
Cora in Late & Close is exactly league average, no better no worse. Clark in the same situations is slightly better at 105 OPS+, which is about the same as Nady (103). These are all things that are constantly in flux and can change year-to-year. Just like a bullpen.
Cora again is a guy who can come off the bench in a big situation and produce, Pena is an automatic out.
Alex Cora 246/314/348
Ramiro Pena 279/340/302
There’s a site called baseball reference. You really should familiarize yourself with it.
Or, you can continue to talk out your ass. Your call.
You stat guy are so funny, whats that Pena stats over 20 gms? Well according to your stats Tex should be killing the ball right now…and Pavano, Kevin Brown, and Randy Johnson were all great ideas. I am offering an opinion that i am not saying is right, you puke up some stats and that means you are? dream on.
So you don’t believe in citing things that actually happened? Ramiro Pena has reached base on 34% of his plate appearances. That is far from an automatic out. But you dismiss that as “stat guy” talk. Which seems more ludicrous?
I am offering an opinion that i am not saying is right
You are entitled to your opinion, but the statistics show that your opinion is wrong.
Granted, Pena’s statistics are a very small sample size, but that is all we have to go on.
However, Cora’s statistics are complied over a 12 year career. So when you say Cora again is a guy who can come off the bench in a big situation and produce, that facts show that you are wrong.
But hey, keep on believing it if you want to.
Again I dont think that i am wrong, its pretty obvious that stats dont tell the whole story, right now Alex Cora is batting .290…and is a good defender. So guess what i am not wrong, and you need to look beyond the stats…
But you just cited a stat. And then said that Cora is a good defender, which Pena is as well.
You’re right. Alex Cora is batting .290 this season…IN FEWER PLATE APPEARANCES THAN PENA, whose stats you just derided because of the small sample size.
Alex Cora has a 12 year ML career in which he complied an OPS+ of 75.
I’m not arguing that he isn’t a servicable bench player. I’m arguing that we have (so far) a better bench player (who happens to be starting because of an injury).
“The problem with Tomko is that he’s a career 92 ERA+ pitcher (only 80 ERA+ in the AL) with iffy control and lots of HR Allowed in some non-hitters parks throughout his career. He peaked as a 24-year old rookie in ‘97 – he’s never gotten better. If they wanted a long man at the start of the year it would have been Aceves, not a 36-year old journeyman who is in the minor leagues because he’s proven he can’t be a successful major league pitcher.”
So why would they invite him to camp, genius? And who gives a rat’s ass about what he’s done in the past, when he’s currently posting nasty numbers??????
So your solution is, “don’t even bother giving him a chance. The pen is too damn good to waste their time seeing if what he’s done in the spring and the minors can carry over!” Good plan.
let’s pray for rain…. can’t lose if you can’t play
Can’t win either. I’d rather play today and try to get the losing streak out of our minds than have to wait a day and taste the bitter losses for another day.
If you haven’t noticed the pastw eek, we’ve had rain every single night.
Pray for sun.
That’s actually pretty funny, Bo.
(golf clap)
if we have sun tonight instead of rain, we have bigger problems than the first player/coach in umpteen years…
Concerning Cano, hasn’t he changed his stance back to his old one from last year? Since then, he has been horrible.
He’s had the same stance all this year.
Love these guys, for soooo long. Maybe if Damon requests a trade to a contender they wake up?
That would be hilarous!!
He would be a real difference maker if he went to the White Sox, that team out be a monster with him leading off.
nice job with the johnny damon comments, watching the game i kept thinking they’d be losing 6-0 each night as opposed to 6-3 sleepwalks … say it aint so … there has to be a turn around coming
Honestly, we would get a kings ransom for him right now. We could wait on Nady, and deal him to the White Sox for some bullpen help Thorton or Dotel and prospects.
Why bullpen help? If you want to tank the season by trading away one of the few consistant offensive pieces, then why go after volatile trading pieces like a bullpen? Do you have any idea how backwards that idea is?
Oh my god, its a conversation that is totally never going to happen. Christ. Would it or would it not address a serious need? THANK YOU! We are set at every other position especially if we get Nady back, Damon is a FA after this year, we are a team that is currently in the tank and the Bullpen is without a doubt the screaming need. We would not need Damon hitting if the bullpen wasnt a complete disaster. Your one of those people whos option is always the right one…..
And Nady’s a free agent, too. What’s your point? Bullpen is a need, but why go and get someone who could be like Marte last year and come in and struggle? Why not either bring Damon back next year or let him go and get the picks?
The yanks are running away with the race for the top pick in the 2010 draft
Stausburg please, please wait until 2010…
I hope you’re trying to be sarcastic. I really do.
Ok first off Fuck you, second yes it was a joke…though it is really rare for a potential prospect to not sign with a team and hold our for a better option…..that was also sarcasm….IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME (Crow, Schepper, Garrit Cole….on and on and on)
Was that first line really necessary? We’re trying to clean things up here. Please help out.
Oops, sorry Joe for repeating the F word.
It’s not the language, it’s the hostility to other commenters.
…He wasn’t talking to you. And don’t tell me to fuck off either.
Time for Mo to add a change-up?
Joe, a solution for your Yankees pain?
I had a sinlar one w/ the Phillies years ago. I married a cute girl with a cannon arm and now I watch our son play baseball.
Of course that takes a few years……
Mo’s used a change in spring training but seems to leave it in Tampa every year. Maybe it is time to stop just fooling with it an add it to the full-season repetoire (sp?).
My 10 year old has great baseball skills. Can do everything well, but hit for power. He’s only about 60lbs. He just lacks desire and confidence. He gets down on himself too easy and gives up. It’s not easy raising baseball players.
can he catch?
I had my kid give up catching because he is a lefty.
However if Dave’s kid can catch my kid has been doing well “closing” – last game he came onti the bottom of the last inning tied and got K, K BB, BB, K
Someone call Cashamn….
Just say we have a catcher and lefty reliever , no steriod use history….
Dave M
it is tough raising baseball players or for that matter kids in general.
I pointed out Tex’s comments after he flew out to shallow right w/ a runner on 3rd the other night.
He knows he failed but he knows what he has to do and there is tomorrow and the next 100+ games.
I used a cleaned up version of Ted Williams game prep for my son (At least the version Bouton gives in “Ball Four”)
Williams would hit off the machine in the empty stadium and yell out how he was the best hitter in the world and no one couldget him out.
I love Ripken’s books and videos for kids.
Good luck
It is amazing when people consider themselves Yankee fans because they do not criticize a bad product. I love being called a douche when I make a pretty good point that Mo is not the best when it is a tie or a losing situation, which is fact, Also fact is that Veras had settled down and should have pitched the 9th. Also fact is Texieria needs to sit as does Swisher and neither can because we carry 8 relief pitchers.. All you so called fans love to make excuses well the Red Sox have injuries and so does Toronto and what do you know they win ….it comes down to management…ours sucks Both Cashman and Girardi
I bet the same people who criticised me about why Mo is out in a tie wanted to trade Cano and Melky for more has beens. Get a clue and a grip, it’s baseball not the middle east peace talks. The fun of baseball is second guessing, except if you are a supposed Yankee fan. Do any of you idiots actually remember the early 70′s and what a bad team looks like? Or How Pinella got fired after winning 90 and then 89 games? Or Martin getting fired the year after winning the first World Series in 15 years?
This is a poorly managed team with to many old players and too many relievers. They are going nowhere fast unless things change, which they won’t as we will see the linup will be the same as it was yesterday and the coaching staff will not change.
Again, why the idiot comment? You made your point. Why the need to insult everyone? We’re trying to clean this place up. Please make your point and let that be that.
tampayankee you are 100% dead right with those comments.
I’m not sure we can blame management for everything, but certainly the Yankees are too old. One of the things the Red Sox have done better than the Yankiees has been in their use of contracts in recent years. They seem, on average, to be able to field the team with fewer long term contracts than tye Yankees. This allows them to remain nimble, and cut players loose when they have a concern, and also to make room for a new player when an unexpected surprise comes along.
Trading prospects for proven players is a forumula for success, but it’s a dicey way to operate. To get the stars, you have to pay top dollar, and often the players command top dollar because their best years have already occurred…the Yankees buy at the top of the market. And you almost always are getting them at a time in their career when the injuries start occuring with more frequency. It’s a set up for disappointment. While I think you have to sign star players when they are available (Sabathia and Tex, both relatively young, were good decisions, I think), I think you have to be very careful having too many players with contracts of more than 2 years. The Yankees have been logjammed for the last 5 years, and it’s really hurting them now.
Basically, the Yankees try to do the impossible. They want _dynasties_, multi-year championship teams, but accomplishing that requires a continuous stream of very high quality, young durable players. Getting those young guys requires patience at the Major League level; you have to try, and you can’t give in and sign every Bobby Abreu or Johnny Damon that comes along…
[...] Confidence Poll « Pitching staff won’t let Johnny Damon spoil perfectly good loss May [...]
Whoa…let’s all take nice, deep breath. In the words of Crach Davis, baseball is supposed to fun. Fun, godd—it!
I think it’s tough, as a Yankee fan, to not have your nerves frayed this week. Fortunately, A-Rod’s coming back, and he, as always, will get going now that the going’s gotten tough.
Or….not
Why in the world would you want to send down Robertson or Melancon?? They are this pen’s best hope!! Particularly when you have a guy like Veras who just plain sucks? And Mirahnda is way overrated anyway. The idea that you start him over Tex is the epitome of overreaction. The guy is a 26 year old who can’t hit lefties, and has the TENTH best batting average, EIGHTH best OBP, SEVENTH best OPS, and FIFTH best SLG on his TEAM in AAA! I understand that he’s the only one on the 40 man, and that they need pop off the bench, but I’d rather DFA Veras and call up someone else than send down the best hope of the bullpen. Sorry, but I just don’t get it…
I’d send one of them down because Girardi isn’t used them frequently enough. He’s obviously going to Edwar and Albaladejo first, so you send down the guy who’s not getting work.
And no, giving Tex a day off is not an overreaction. It’s one game. I’m not saying bench Teixeira. Just give him the night off.
Well, I guess my point is Girardi should be using those two instead of Edwar and Albie. In fact, though I know they won’t do it, if I didn’t want to DFA Veras, I’d send down Albie instead, much lower upside and even with Robertson and Melancon’s struggles adjusting, has a higher ERA.
But you are probably right, a night off wouldn’t be the worst thing for Tex.
I’d send down Edwar. Let him work every other day in the minors, redevelop the feel for his change, get regular work so he can better spot his fastball.
Either way, they need to do soemthing to shake this team to life. It’s so painful to watch and just know that a disaster is approaching. I’m tired of thinking to myself, “Typical.” every time the opposition scores the first runs of the game in the early innings, night after night.
The pitching is awful and the hitting with RISP is agonizing. I am looking forward to the return of Bitch Tits tonight.
[...] Pitching staff won’t let Johnny Damon spoil perfectly good loss [...]