Little chance Bruney makes the postseason roster
ByIt’s no wonder the Yankees have shown so much patience with Brian Bruney. Dominant relief pitchers don’t come around that often, and in 2008 and early 2009 Bruney appeared to be just that. He pitched well both before and after a lisfranc injury last season, and opened 2009 with a bang. Two injuries later and he’s just not the same. The Yankees continue to give Bruney chances, but each one is a reminder that this is not the guy who struck out five straight Rays over two games.
Even in August, when he had a 0.87 ERA, Bruney still didn’t look reliable. He only allowed one run over 10.1 innings, but that might have been a string of reliever’s luck. He struck out only five in that span and walked seven. Opponents reached base 37.5 percent of the time. He threw 201 pitches, almost 20 per inning. With peripherals like that, it’s no wonder he’s struggled in September.
This month Bruney has appeared in nine games, the same number as August, though has pitched 4.2 fewer innings. He’s throwing fewer pitches, but not many, around 19 per inning. Opponents get on base 41.4 percent of the time. His strikeout to walks ratio sits at 4:5. The difference is that teams have gotten to him this time around, going deep twice for a .583 slugging percentage.
Over the course of 2009, Bruney has gone from lights out setup man to questionable postseason roster candidate. The Yankees will take only 10 pitchers to the ALDS, and Bruney doesn’t appear to be one of the 10 best on the roster. Can they trust him in a playoff appearance? Certainly not the way he’s pitching now. He’ll have to show considerable improvement in the season’s last 10 games, and even that might not be enough to convince the Yankees to take the chance.
Bryan Hoch examines Bruney’s woes which, the Yankees think, relate to a mechanical issue. There are plenty “I feel good” quotes in the article, but perhaps the most interesting paragraph reads
The question is if the Yankees have enough time to allow Bruney to continue ironing out what he said have been season-long mechanical problems — bad habits on the mound that have plagued him relating to his hip rotation.
That doesn’t sound like an easy problem to fix. Bruney will have a maximum five games to work it out, and even then he’ll likely only get into three or four more before the regular season ends. Some improvement would be encouraging, but would it be enough to put him on the postseason roster? Not quite, I would think. There are certainly 10 more deserving candidates, especially with David Robertson slated to return this weekend.
It’s a shame what happened to Bruney this season. It appeared he was coming into his own, and then we found out he was unavailable for the first game of the first Boston series. It’s been downhill from there. There’s a chance Bruney could recover, but he probably won’t get a real chance again until 2010.
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Gee. What a loss. I’m so disappointed I won’t get to watch Brian Bruney put two runners on base and record only two outs in a blowout in October.
He changed to #99 for you, Ben. He only wanted to please you…
He also shaved too. He is trying really hard to impress you
WHY WON’T YOU LOVE ME, BEN? I JUST WANT YOU TO LOVE ME!
I want Bruney to do well. He has good stuff. He just has no idea what to do with it, and right now, any trust Girardi places in him is misguided.
I’m just teasin’ ya, Kabak. I agree totally. I want Bruney to succeed; he has the tools; he’s just not right at the moment. I hope he works with Nardi or someone in the offseason and comes back in 2010 born again hard.
Rumor has it his agent has a meeting scheduled with Tim Tebow.
Perhaps channeling his inner Turk Wendell wasn’t the best plan
I don’t blame Girardi for giving him a long leash but sometimes you gotta call a spade a spade.
Will Bruney be a Yankee in 2010?
I think so, but I’m not sure if he makes it through 2010 or beyond in Pinstripes.
That’s the $64,000 question.
/datedreference’d
Is he blocking anyone?
You can Melancon but with Hughes back to the rotation that leaves a spot open for him (or someone else) to win in ST
I like the idea of giving him a chance to try and win a spot in ST. Maybe leaving him off the PSR will give him extra incentive to get his ass in gear and work on his mechanics. Maybe whip him into a little more shape too.
Well he did lose 20lbs this past offseason and talked about the different mindset he’s in now compared to the past.
Maybe he just needs an offseason to get his mechanics corrected, but his whole career has been hot and cold streaks, or maybe his mechanics just cant be consistant over 162 games.
When do the Yankees reach the end of the line with Bruney? They obviously can’t cut ties with him after this season, but I’d say if 2009 repeats itself in 2010, Bruney’s gonna hit that dusty trail.
This is now the third full season of inconsistency and time lost due to injury. He’s going to make over $2MM in arbitration. He’s not worth it at all, just non-tender him.
Hm, didn’t realize he was going to get that much in arb. Yeah, bye Brian.
I don’t understand the logic of 10 pitchers; 11 seems logical and even 12 would make a lot more sense than 10. Does that mean the bench is Gardner, Hinske, Hairston, Pena plus the 2 catchers? What role does Pena even play; none of the IFs are going to be lifted for a PH or defensive replacement and Hairston is sufficient injury insurance if Cano/Jeter/Rodriguez have to miss a game.
I’m assuming they’re going with a 3 man rotation for the first round. At that point, you’re debating between an 8th reliever and a 5th bench player. If either one of those guys being important is pretty low.
Err, botched that in the editing. Should end with:
The odds of either one of those guys being important is pretty low.
Maybe we’ll just take 24 players and then have Bruney, Melancon, and a bench player sitting outside the ballpark in case a need arises
Here’s the bench breakdown, by priority:
1.) Backup C: A must. Either Molina or Cervelli (probably Molina on experience).
2.) Lefty PH: A must. Hinske.
3.) Righty PH: A must. Hairston.
4.) LIDR OF: A must, with both Damon and Swisher capable of an error. Gardner.
5.) LIDR IF: Valuable, but not super necessary, since all four of our infielders are good defenders. Still, though, an elite UTI would be a nice security blanket. Either Hairston or Peña.
6.) Pinchrunner: Valuable, probably more valuable than the LIDR IF, given the makeup of our starting lineup. Either Gardner or Guzman, but Guzman is better.
Now, you can fill some roles with more than one guy, but the more guys you have the better, because it lets you do things like pinchrun twice in a close game, or use a pinch-hitter, pinch-runner, and then two LIDRs while still keeping players in reserve.
I’d say, if we go with 10 pitchers and a 6 man bench, it’s Molina-Hinske-Hairston-Gardner-Guzman-Peña. If it’s only the 5 man bench, lop off Peña (since Hairston can do his job and of the 6 roles, the one least likely to be needed twice is the LIDR IF.
Guzman is better.
i was with you right up to that comment.
can you show me the light here?
Better as a basestealer. Not as an all-around player, just better as a designated pinch-running basestealer.
http://riveraveblues.com/2009/.....ent-580993
In twice as many games, Guzman has about three times as many stolen bases (although he also has about three times as many times caught). Gardner’s a great basestealer, but Guzman is more prolific.
how much of that prolifery is commander’s guidance?
The Yanks need only 10 pitchers in the first round because they will have three starters and seven relievers. You don’t need more than that, and the Yanks will have a very deep bench.
I guess I’m failing to see the need for an extremely deep bench. 6 guys aren’t coming out unless injured, Posada would only come out in the 9th for a PR, Matsui maybe an inning or two earlier. The CF slot could see some real movement and I guess the Guzman logic does make sense given that burning Gardner means Melky can’t be hit for, but I still don’t understand why Pena would be included. He’d only be used in a tragedy so Gardner, Hinske, Hairston, Molina and Guzman would suffice as the bench. The extra pitcher, even if it is an 8th pen guy, would have a far better shot of contributing than a 3rd pinch runner (which is what Pena or Guzman would be).
(When Pena scores the winning run as Matsui’s PR in the 12th inning versus Detroit, I promise to say I was wrong.)
The fact that there is even “little chance” he DOES make the postseason roster is concerning…
At this point he’s not even a mop up guy as he’s almost a guarantee to give up hits, walks, runs, and whatever else he’s being paid NOT to do…
He should be packaged together with Edwar Ramirez and sold to the China in exchange for a pu pu platter for 2.
Yes. I said “the China”…so what? lol
Yeah, it probably would’ve been funnier if you didn’t call attention to it.
Don’t you hate it when you ruin an unintentionally funny event?
Just playin around Mak
Haha well it wasn’t on purpose so I figured I’d call attention to it before several posts went up with grammatical webpage hyperlinks attached…
shoulda said “TEH CHINA!!1!!1″
Protestors: Free Tibet! Free Tibet!
Peter Griffin: I’ll take it!
[He runs to a nearby phone booth]
Peter Griffin: Hello, China? I have something you may want. But it’s gonna cost ya…
That’s right. All the tea.
Yes, Family Guy reference…Awesome.
The fact that there is even “little chance” he DOES make the postseason roster is concerning…
Here we go…
Where are we going?
http://www.piedmontinterstatef....._round.gif
i was thinking mulberry bush…or it would be a .wav that plays the circus song…
Brian Bruney makes Mark Melancon look like Mariano Rivera.
That’s a pretty impressive talent to have. It isn’t everyday that you come across someone who can make a big pale white dude look like an old skinny spanish dude.
There is hope for him yet
Spanish!!???
Oh my Mo.
Kei Igawa: Oriental.
“Little chance Bruney makes the postseason roster”
Huh, fancy that. Well, I hope this “Little chance Bruney” guy pitches better than Brian Bruney, now that he’s made the postseason roster.
“Little chance Bruney” sounds like a name for George Steinbrenner’s next thoroughbred race horse.
“Pie-O-My”
Little chance Bruney is second cousins with this guy
http://cdn.videogum.com/img/th.....gelman.jpg
Michael Kay?
well played sir
Dustin Pedroia?
Bruney should be shipped onto a plane to siberia
So he can train like Rocky in Rocky IV?
Sounds good to me, Bruney will come back throwing 103
Meh, he still won’t have any control! lol
No, but he should be flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong.
Hey, got Bruney on the phone right now…wants to know if any of you have that match book with the truck driving school phone number?
Unrelated, but this is the roster for today
How the heck is Alex not playing as he owns the angels?
*per YES NETWORK
Derek Jeter SS
Jerry Hairston 3B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Hideki Matsui DH
Shelley Duncan RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera LF
Brett Gardner CF
Jose Molina C
Pitching: A.J. Burnett (11-9, 4.22)
more confusingly is why Shelley Duncan is batting 5th and not 8th
We’re getting in a fight today. It’s gonna be AWESOME.
Shelley Duncan is going to pwn the Los Angeles, California Angels of Anaheim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiEcLuCQ2KY (safe)
Actually, no, not safe. Profanity. DO NOT CLICK
+1.
Why Not Robbie or Melk?
Another thing, why does it seem like my boy Melk never gets a day off. He’s been playing arguably the most demanding position all year and gets less rest than any regular. His legs have got be be tired at this point in the year.
And Hairston in the 2 hole?
/Checks career #’s vs. Kazmir..
Arod- 3/24 6bb 7k .125/.300/.125
Hairston- 1/2 0k 0bb .500/.500/.500
Eh, Arod sucks vs Kaz and must really need a day off. Otherwise it’s very puzzling.
Come on, man. Guidelines.
What did I just say about ethnic slurs?
He goes to to Texas A&M.
Wow. Nice to see this. To me, it seems certain posters are allowed to make off topic posts all the time.
Probably so that he can get his day off and it’s not against the Red Sox?
What’s happening tomorrow?
RAB RADIO SHOW
/false rumor
nothing…………
That.
Also, it’s a day-game-after-night-game.
We’re 96-56, our divisional lead is now 6.0, we only have 10 games left to play, we just clinched a playoff spot, our magic number is down to 6, and it’s the last game of a West Coast road trip with a dark day on the calendar tomorrow.
This game had “put a stamp on it and mail this shit in” written on it a month ago. You shouldn’t be asking “Why aren’t ARod, Swisher, and Posada playing?”, you should be asking “Why are Jeter, Cano, Melky, and Hazmat playing?”
I’m surprised the lineup isn’t:
Ramiro Peña SS
Jerry Hairston 2B
Juan Miranda 1B
Shelley Duncan RF
Eric Hinske 3B
Freddie Guzman LF
Brett Gardner CF
Jose Molina C
Francisco Cervelli DH
In other news…
Bill R just sent me a picture of “his boy” signing him an autograph in front of the Yankees dugout. He’s been to every game this series…bastard.
Whoops. “his boy”
Where’s the picture? Come on, linkage, man!
It’s on my phone…both Edwar Ramirez AND Ramiro Pena signing autographs for him lol. I don’t know how to get them on here though.
I’m not quite happy here. Even after I pointed out the off-topic nature of this, people still continued on it. Thanks guys, for respecting our guidelines.
My bad.
Shoulda deleted it. We started doing improv standup.
Not only is it unrelated (and hence against the guidelines), but it is the line-up for today, not the roster.
If you are going to intentionally disregard the commenting guidelines, at least get your terminology right.
No, that’s the roster. We DFA’d the other 30 guys on our 40-man. AJ is pitching all the rest of the year, ironman style.
If you are going to intentionally disregard the commenting guidelines, at least get your terminology right.
Actually, if there ever is a time to get things wrong it would probably be when it’s irrelevant…nobody wants to get relevant on-topic things wrong…lol