Archive for September, 2010
Game 136: Can they make it eight?
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Another chance for Javy. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
It’s very easy to get greedy in baseball. A player gets a hit in his first at-bat? How about he makes it 2-for-2 next time up. The bullpen has thrown ten scoreless innings over the last three games? Why not make it 11. The Yankees have won seven straight games? Let’s make it eight. It’s much easier said than done, but the Yankees have a chance to win that eighth straight game this afternoon, which would be their longest winning streak since coming out of last season’s All Star break with eight straight.
Making his long-awaited return to the starting rotation (depending on who you ask) is Javy Vazquez, who allowed four hits and struck out eight in nine innings of long relief since his last start. Hopefully some rumored mechanical tweaks have helped him rediscover his stuff and a fastball that seems to have disappeared without explanation. It is a classic trap game for Javy though, because if the Yanks lose he’ll get the blame even though it’s extremely difficult to win eight in a row in this league. Dustin Moseley, who forfeited his rotation spot to Vazquez, is available out of the bullpen.
The Yankees had a seven game winning streak halted by the Blue Jays on this exact date last season, but the good news is that Roy Halladay won’t be around to one hit them this time around. Here’s the starting nine, which originally featured Nick Swisher. He was a late scratch when his sore left knee stiffened up during pre-game warm ups.
Gardner, LF
Jeter, SS
Teixeira, 1B
Cano, 2B
Thames, RF – yikes, I assume Austin Kearns hand is still bothering him from yesterday’s hit by pitch
Berkman, DH
Granderson, CF
Nunez, 3B
Cervelli, C
And on the bump, it’s Javy Vazquez.
Yet another day game, though that’s not terribly odd on a Saturday. It’s those Friday afternoon games that get you. This one is scheduled to start a little after 1pm ET and can be seen on YES. Enjoy.
Pettitte, A-Rod come through simulated game with flying colors
Posted by: | CommentsVia Marc Carig and Ben Shpigel, both Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez came through today’s simulated game very well and with no setbacks, injury or otherwise. Pettitte threw 50 pitches to Alex and Greg Golson, presumably at max effort. Joe Girardi said he was very pleased with how his two stars did today, and that decisions on the next course of action will be made tomorrow.
Tomorrow is the first day A-Rod is eligible to come off the disabled list, but Pettitte surely needs a minor league rehab start, maybe two. Those will have to come during the playoffs, since the minor league season ends on Monday. I’m sure those kids will appreciate the help.
If not the Yankees, where could Jeter end up?
Posted by: | CommentsWith Derek Jeter a free agent after the season and speculation of his demands running amok, I decided to take a look at where Jeter might fit if for some reason he ended up leaving the Yankees (but it ain’t happening). Without getting too specific into contract details, how many teams out there would pursue Jeter in the offseason?
Arizona Diamondbacks
Stephen Drew, like his brother J.D. is somewhat of an enigma, but is a solid player whom the D-Backs would only replace if he became too expensive in arbitration. No matter what, Jeter would be much more expensive, so the Diamondbacks are out.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves spend when they need to (see Derek Lowe and the offer to Burnett). After trading Yunel Escobar for Alex Gonzalez they will have a question mark at SS for next year. They very easily could pick up Gonzalez’ $2.5 million team option for next year but without a SS of the future on the horizon they could be a fit for Jeter.
Baltimore Orioles
I’ve heard for years that Peter Angelos loves to make a splash, but the water in Baltimore has been calm for years. While Jeter would certainly be a splash, the odds of him staying in the AL East to go play for the Orioles are miniscule. The Orioles might be interested but Jeter won’t be.
Boston Red Sox
People think the Sox would love to stick it to the Yankees and sign Jeter but it’s not Theo’s M.O. He would have to pay a ton of money to get Jeter, and already has a shortstop that’s having a similar season in Marco Scutaro. Scutaro is signed thru 2011 with options for 2012. By then the Sox expect international free agent signee Jose Iglesias to take over and wouldn’t seem to have a place for, or the desire to pay Jeter.
Chicago Cubs
With Starlin Castro around the Cubs are definitely not a fit.
Chicago White Sox
Kenny Williams loves his veterans but the other Sox don’t make much sense either. Alexei Ramirez is young, cheap, and despite his flaws, a good player who has a 3.1 bWAR and 3.5 fWAR this season.
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have been a surprise team this year despite a horrendous year from Orlando Cabrera. He has a mutual option for next season so he may be back. If the Reds are looking to upgrade and build on this year’s success, it’s possible they would take a shot at Jeter (and I don’t mean that as “taking a shot at Jeter”).
Cleveland Indians
After a breakout 2009 Asdrubal Cabrera has struggled with injuries and the bat this year, but isn’t going anywhere, and besides, Jeter would have no interest in joining the Indians at the end of his career. He’s not at Jake Taylor status quite yet.
Colorado Rockies
Troy Tulowitzki. Next.
Detroit Tigers
Jeter grew up in Michigan and Tigers owner Mike Ilitch loves to open up the wallet, which will be even easier with Magglio Ordonez coming off the books. The Tigers have had a black hole at SS all season so would have no problems fitting Jeter right in. While Detroit is certainly not New York, the Tigers, to me, would be the biggest threat if Jeter ever is truly on the market. Things line up quite nicely for both Jeter and the Tigers.
Florida Marlins
Even if they didn’t have Hanley they would never pony up the money.
Houston Astros
Shades of Pettitte and Clemens heading off to Houston? With Tommy Manzella and his .523 OPS holding down the fort at SS, the Astros certainly have a need, but there would be no reason for Jeter to consider heading to such a poor franchise.
Kansas City Royals
Maybe if Jeter was a first baseman with pop and no on-base skills the Royals might be interested. He’s not, but even if the Royals wanted Jeter, I’m sure the interest wouldn’t be mutual. Besides Yuniesky Betancourt has a higher bWAR than Jeter this year anyway (I checked 5 times to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating).
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Artie Moreno isn’t afraid to open up the checkbook but the Angels really like Erick Aybar. He’s having a down year with the bat but is regarded as a very strong fielder (despite a slightly negative UZR this year). I could see Jeter having some interest in the Angels, but I don’t think the Angels would have interest in Jeter.
Los Angeles Dodgers
If Mr. Torre wasn’t heading out the door this one might have a stronger chance. While Jeter may respect Don Mattingly from his time in pinstripes, I think Torre would truly have been a draw to L.A. With the McCourts’ messy divorce changing the budget daily, it’s tough to say whether they would be in on Jeter if he became available. Even if the interest was mutual, the Dodgers already have Rafael Furcal locked into 2011 with and option for 2012 that vests with 600 PA’s (no sure thing for Furcal these days). While on the surface it seems like a fit, I don’t see any way it would happen.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers are set with Alcides Escobar and there’s no way Jeter would head off to Milwaukee to finish his career.
Minnesota Twins
The Twins have been on a spending spree the past few years but this wouldn’t happen. JJ Hardy is under team control through 2011, and while he’s not that good, the extra cost of Jeter would be too rich for the Twins’ blood. I also doubt Jeter would have much interest in going to Minny and playing second fiddle (in a small market no less).
New York Mets
Because it makes no sense you can’t rule out Omar Minaya (if still employed) being interested in Jeter. Jose Reyes hasn’t been great this year but has likely played well enough to have his 2011 $11 million team option picked up. It makes a lot more sense to have Reyes at 1 year/$11 million than whatever Jeter would cost. Again, the odds are slim, but the Mets just might be dumb enough to try and sign Jeter to make a splash, more than to help them on the field.
Oakland Athletics
Jeter isn’t a fit here. Cliff Pennington is cheap, not an automatic out with the bat and strong defensively. He’s been worth 2.9 bWAR and 2.7 fWAR this year for $405k. No reason to change it up here.
Philadelphia Phillies
No reason to mess with “the greatest infield of all time” in Philly. Well, of course it’s no the greatest of all time, but with Jimmy Rollins locked up for 2011 Jeter doesn’t fit.
Pittsburgh Pirates
I think Jeter would rather stay in New York for the minimum than sign with the Pirates.
San Diego Padres
Jed Hoyer learned under Theo, and like Theo I don’t think he would have any interest in Jeter at the market rate. While the Padres don’t have anything set in stone at the position for 2011 it doesn’t seem to be a fit for either side. San Diego is nice, but I don’t see Jeter wanting to chase 3000+ hits in Petco.
San Francisco Giants
Juan Uribe has been ok this year in San Fran but is a free agent after the season. He’s certainly a possibility to return, but the Giants have been willing to open up the checkbook. Brian Sabean usually brings in position players when they are past their primes, so Jeter could be a fit by the Bay.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners this offseason prided themselves on defense, and while it hasn’t quite worked as hoped, I doubt they would want to sign a SS to a multi-year deal heading into his age 37 season. Considering how poor their offense has been though, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities to sacrifice some defense at SS. They do have Jack Wilson signed at $5 million for 2011, and would have to eat most of that if they wanted to move him. Adding close to $5 million to Jeter’s pricetag doesn’t seem very likely though.
St. Louis Cardinals
On the field the Cardinals could be a fit as Brendan Ryan has been awful in 2010. Opening the wallet for Jeter is a problem however. After blowing away the market overpaying for Matt Holliday and with upcoming contract negotiations for Albert Pujols, the Cardinals will be watching every penny. Throwing $10-$15 million/year at a 37 year old shortstop isn’t likely to happen. The Cardinals will likely just hope Ryan can return to his 2009 form, which produced 2.7fWAR and 3.4 bWAR.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays certainly aren’t a fit financially and despite Jason Bartlett’s fall from his great 2009 they are fine with him going forward. Bartlett could go if he becomes too expensive in arbitration, but the Rays wouldn’t replace him with someone more expensive anyway, so Jeter’s a no go here.
Texas Rangers
I’d say the Rangers are plenty happy with Elvis Andrus, so no room for Jeter.
Toronto Blue Jays
Not a fit here as the Jays will likely let Yunel Escobar hold down the fort until Cuban signee Adeiny Hechavarria is ready.
Washington Natinals Nationals
The Nationals are set at SS with young and cheap Ian Desmond who has produced 1.5 bWAR and 1.5 fWAR for $400k this year. He’s not going anywhere.
So there we have it. Of the other 29 teams in baseball I only see one team that makes a ton of sense for Jeter (the Tigers) and a few others that might be a fit (Braves, Reds, Mets, Giants, Mariners). While the last thing I want to happen is for the negotiations to get publicly contentious, I definitely think the Yankees have the upper hand when it comes to leverage. No matter what, I can see almost no scenario in which Jeter isn’t back in the pinstripes next year.
Gardner, Granderson, bullpen back Nova as Yanks win their seventh in a row
Posted by: | CommentsThe Yankees came into Friday’s game riding a six game winning streak that helped push their lead in the AL East from zero games to a game-and-a-half, but the odds of extending the streak weren’t very good with the Blue Jays coming into town. Toronto has played the Yanks hard this year (they’d won seven of the dozen meetings before this game) and were sending Brandon Morrow to the mound, who just worked the Yanks over for six innings less than two weeks ago. Thankfully, Morrow, making his final start of the season due to innings limitations, was off his game, and the boys from the Bronx were able to extend their streak to a season high tying seven games.
(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Biggest Hit: Granderson Extends The Lead
Travis Snider gave the Jays a quick one-zip lead in the first inning with a solo homer, but the Yanks battled back and plated a pair in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Not content with a one run lead, they came to the plate the next inning and immediately went to work. Austin Kearns led off with a hit by pitch (more on that later) and made it to second on an Eduardo Nunez fielder’s choice, then leadoff man du jour Brett Gardner drew his second walk in as many innings to put runners at first and second with the lone out.
Curtis Granderson, coming off yesterday’s two homer game, stepped in with a chance to keep the line moving and get the Yanks headed in the right direction. Morrow started him off with a pair of fastballs that went for a ball and a foul tip, but his third offering was a curveball that tumbled into the zone rather than dove out of it, and the Yankee centerfielder pulled it down the first base line and into right field. Kearns scored easily, but Gardner gets major kudos for hustling and scoring from first on a ball that didn’t even go into the corner. Jose Bautista fielded it on a ricochet off the sidewall about halfway between the infield and warning track. Gardy just straight up outran the play, giving the Yanks a much more comfortable 4-1 lead.
Brett had a little uniform malfunction today. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Honorable Mention: Tex Does It Again
An inning before Granderson blew things open, the molten hot Mark Teixeira got the Yanks right back in the game with a run scoring double that knotted things up at one. It looked gone off the bat, but the wind was pretty vicious during the game because of Hurricane Earl, blowing numerous balls back towards the infield. Pop-ups were an adventure all afternoon, infield or out. Tex came into the game 9-for-13 (.692) with two doubles, two homers, two walks and one strikeout on the hometand, so he picked up right where he left off. This guy man … he’s just a baseball playing robot.
Biggest Out: Robertson Escapes The Jam
Joe Girardi’s bullpen has come together quite nicely over the last two months or so, and the addition of Kerry Wood at the trade deadline only made things better. David Robertson assumed the eighth inning role from Joba Chamberlain for a few weeks, but on Friday he entered the game with a man on first and one out in the sixth inning.
Robertson dropped a pair of curveballs on John McDonald, who hit a routine grounder to short that should have been an inning ending 6-4-3 double play, but Robbie Cano threw a palmball on the relay to first and pulled Tex off the ball. D-Rob did his job, got the double play grounder, but sometimes the unexpected happens in baseball. He followed up the non-GIDP ball with a six pitch walk to his former teammate Jose Molina, a move that put the tying run on base and the go-ahead run at the plate.
Thankfully, Robertson was able to right himself and managed to strike out Mike McCoy by getting him to swing through a pair of 91 mph fastballs on the outer corner for strikes two and three. McCoy, a 29-year-old journeyman with a .094 ISO in the minors, wasn’t likely to give Toronto the lead with one swing of the bat, but if he had reached base the Yanks were suddenly looking at a bases loaded situation for Snider, would had already gone deep earlier. It was by far the biggest out of the game, increasing New York’s chances of winning by close to nine percent.
Leftovers
(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Ivan Nova had to battle in this one, it certainly didn’t come as easy as it appeared to in his previous two starts. It seemed like he was unable to throw either his curve or changeup for strikes consistently, which is probably why he struck out zero batters in his four-and-two-thirds innings of work. He did get nine outs on the ground compared to just four in the air, but Girardi yanked him with the tying run on base with two outs after just 76 pitches, and Nova was visibly disappointed. Maybe not at Joe for taking him out so early, but at himself for failing to go any deeper in the game. The Jays really worked him hard, so I wasn’t upset with the early hook. Team wins are far more important than individual wins at this point.
(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
The bullpen, as usual, was fantastic. Boone Logan came in and cleaned up Nova’s mess. He gave way to Robertson who did his thing. Wood retired all five men he faced in the seventh and eighth, then Mariano Rivera capped it off with a hilariously easy ninth inning. Seriously, a bunt groundout back to Mo, a weak grounder to Tex, and a foul pop to Ramiro Pena at third on six total pitches. Piece of cake.
Speaking of Ramiro, he picked up another two hits today and is now eight for his last 18 (.444). Eduardo Nunez also went 2-for-4 from the nine-hole.
Not to be outdone by the guys at the bottom of the order, Gardner and Granderson combined to go 3-for-6 with two doubles (both Granderson’s), one triple (Gardner’s), four walks (two each), and four runs scored (three by Gardy). Big time production from the top two hitters today, can’t say enough about the job they did.
Jorge Posada doubled and Lance Berkman hit the ball right on the screws four times and came away with a pair of hits. Berkman’s really been tattooing the ball since coming off the disabled list, albeit in a small sample. Pretty much the only player you can’t praise today is Robbie Cano, who struck out once in five at-bats, taking some awful looking swings along the way.
(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Austin Kearns took that pitch off his hand early on and appeared to favor it the rest of the way. I saw him shaking it several times later in the game, especially after making contact with a pitch. Hopefully he’s just a little banged up and won’t miss any time.
Ready for some creepiness? This seven game winning streak started on August 28th with a game against the White Sox. Last year on August 28th, the Yanks beat those same White Sox to start a seven game winning streak that ended on September 4th. Their opponent for that loss? The Blue Jays, of course. Kinda creepy, no? Hopefully they don’t repeat history tomorrow.
The Rays topped the Orioles, so the division lead remains at a game-and-a-half. The Red Sox were rained out, so the Yanks picked up a half-game on the Wild Card lead and now have an eight-and-a-half game cushion. Their magic numbers to clinch a playoff spot and the division are 20 and 27, respectively.
WPA Graph & Box Score
MLB.com has the box score and video highlights, FanGraphs all the other cool stuff.
Up Next
The Yanks will play the third of five straight afternoon games on Saturday, giving the ball to Javy Vazquez for his first start in two weeks. He’ll be opposed by Marc Rzepczynski, who the Yanks knocked around just ten days ago.
Huge nights for Montero, Black, and Trenton’s offense
Posted by: | CommentsJesus Montero comes in as the sixth hottest prospect in the minors in this week’s Prospect Hot Sheet. D.J. Mitchell got some love In The Team Photo. Make sure you read Montero’s blurb, great little paragraph in there about player development and stuff. Also make sure you check out Rebecca’s photos from last night’s Double-A Trenton game. She’s got some great video of Manny Banuelos.
This is the last weekend of the minor league season, in case you forgot. Everyone plays their final game on Monday except for High-A Tampa and Short Season Staten Island, who wrap up on Sunday. Triple-A Scranton and Double-A Trenton have already clinched playoff spots, and Tampa should do the same this weekend barring a Metsian collapse. Everyone else is done.
Triple-A Scranton (10-4 win over Pawtucket)
Reid Gorecki, RF: 2 for 4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 3B – six of his last ten hits have gone for extra bases (four doubles, two triples)
Eric Bruntlett, SS: 1 for 5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 E (throwing)
Jesus Montero, C: 3 for 5, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI – he also hit a ball to the warning track … the homer was an absolute bomb … he’s the ninth player in team history, and the first catcher, to have a 20 homer season … go look at his season stat line in The Montero Watch in the sidebar, this guy was flirting with a .600 OPS in May, he’s been ridiculous over the last three months
Juan Miranda, 1B: 3 for 5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI – had homered in each of the last two games, but he only managed a double this time around
Jorge Vazquez, DH: 2 for 5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 K
Colin Curtis, CF: 2 for 3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB - threw a runner out at second … Montero gets all the attention, but Lil’ CC is 12 for his last 32 (.375) with four doubles and two homers
Chad Huffman, LF: 1 for 4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Brandon Laird, 3B: 1 for 4, 1 2B
Robby Hammock, 2B: 0 for 4, 1 K
D.J. Mitchell: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 WP, 1 Balk, 3-4 GB/FB – 59 of 92 pitches were strikes (64.1%) … he’s allowed 43 more baserunners than last season in just 10.1 more IP
Zack Segovia: 2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 0-2 GB/FB – 22 of 32 pitches were strikes (68.8%)
Royce Ring: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1-1 GB/FB – a dozen of his 18 pitches were strikes
Amaury Sanit: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 2-1 GB/FB – eight of ten pitches were strikes
Open Thread: Se7en
Posted by: | CommentsBrett had a little uniform malfunction today. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Seven, seven wins in a row. Ah ah ah. [/The Count]
The Yankees took care of business and knocked the magic number for a playoff spot down to 20 by clubbing Brandon Morrow this afternoon, but the Red Sox game was already postponed due to Hurricane Earl, so it won’t go any lower tonight. The magic number for the division title is 27, and could be 26 if the Orioles take care of business against the Rays this evening. Let’s not get greedy though, the Yanks control their own destiny and that’s all we could ask for.
Anyway, here’s tonight’s open thread. The Mets have already played, but depending on where you live, either the Reds-Cardinals or Braves-Marlins will be on the MLB Network. I’m not sure, but chances are there’s some college football on somewhere as well. It’s Friday though, I recommend going out and doing something you won’t remember in the morning. Talk about whatever, just be cool.
Tickets available for tomorrow’s game
Posted by: | CommentsA reader has two tickets available for tomorrow’s game against the Blue Jays. They’re located in Section 233B, Row 16, Seats 9-10, which is the second deck in the leftfield corner under the Audi Club. Face value is $50 per ticket ($100 for the pair), but the seller is willing to take the best offer.
It’s a day game (1:05pm ET start) that features Javy Vazquez and Marc Rzepczynski. Email me if interested and I’ll put you in contact with the seller.
Yanks winning the Jay-Z/Eminem ticket prices battle
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When the Yankees hit the road next week, Yankee Stadium won’t remain empty. Instead, on Monday, September 13 and Tuesday, September 14, Jay-Z and Eminem will bring their concert to the stadium. Hip hop fans are eagerly anticipating these shows, and many Yankee fans will get to see Jay-Z perform “Empire State of Mind” in the Bronx again. Who doesn’t love the de facto 2009 playoffs anthem?
So far, the reviews out of Detroit have been strong. B.o.B. is opening up for the co-headliners, and last night, Dr. Dre, Drake, 50 Cent, and Young Jeezy made guest appearances. Of course, RAB Tickets and TiqIQ have some seats for those still looking to grab a spot at the show.
As the graph above shows, the ticket prices in New York, a city not facing a foreclosure crisis and economic death, are far outpacing those in Detroit, and the secondary market is insane right now as well. For the Sept. 13 show, tickets in the 400 section behind home plate are averaging $267 while tickets in the 300s sections for the Sept. 14 show are going for an average of $245. Tuesday, it seems, is the best bet.
Meanwhile, baseball remains on everyone’s minds this weekend, and the Blue Jays, while a popular draw, aren’t burning down the house. Tickets for this series are going for below the season average of $95, but the Saturday and Sunday games, when sunny weather and cooler temperatures sweep through the area in the wake of Hurricane Earl, aren’t exactly cheap. As always, RAB Tickets has all the best seats for this weekend’s games.
Tickets available for Monday’s game
Posted by: | CommentsA reader is trying to unload a pair of tickets for Monday’s game against the Orioles. They’re bleacher seats, in row nine of Section 238. That’s one section over from the restaurant and directly behind the visitor’s bullpen. Face value is $12, so it’s $24 for the pair. Remember, it’s a day game with a 1:05pm ET start. A.J. Burnett will square off against Jake Arrieta.
If you’re interested, email me and I’ll put you in touch with the seller.
Update: These tickets have been claimed.
Game 135: Stay hot
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The Yankees kicked off their longest homestand of the season in style, pummeling the A’s in all four games the two teams played. Things get a little tougher today, when the Blue Jays come to town for the first of six times the two clubs will meet this month. Jose Bautista will surely try to hit his homers, but the Yanks can’t let him or his theatrics bother them, they simply need to win. They’ve won six straight and don’t have time to waste on a fourth place team.
Brandon Morrow will be making his final start of the season for the Jays today; they’re shutting him down to control his innings. We still have nightmares about how he’s dominated the Yanks this season, but it’s worth noting that he’s got a rather massive home/road split. He’s pitched in the Bronx twice already this season, giving up five runs in six innings and then again in five-and-a-third innings. Fingers are crossed.
Here’s the lineup, with the Cap’n getting a regular day off…
Gardner, LF
Granderson, CF
Teixeira, 1B
Cano, 2B
Posada, C
Berkman, DH
Kearns, RF
Pena, 3B
Nunez, SS
And on the bump, it’s the rookie Ivan Nova.
It’s a bit overcast in the Tri-State Area and there’s a chance of rain during the game, but as far as we know they plan on starting this one on time.
Just 21 days 'til pitchers and catchers report.
