Open Thread: Ace
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Ewww. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
If you’re reading this site, then there’s little doubt you’re aware of the job Al Aceves did for the Yankees in 2009. He gave the team whatever they needed each time he was called upon, and was probably their most important reliever behind Mariano Rivera. Today’s a bit of an anniversary for Ace, who signed his first professional contract and joined the Blue Jays’ organization ten years ago today. He was 19 at the time. After a year in their system, the Jays sold his rights to the Yucatan Leones of the Mexican League, where he played for the next six seasons before hooking on with the Yanks. As I wrote on Friday, there hasn’t been any update to Aceves’ status this winter since he broke his collarbone in December, but he’ll find a job soon enough. He’s too good not to.
Anyways, here is your open thread for the night. The Rangers, Knicks, and Nets are all playing, so there’s plenty to keep you occupied. Talk about whatever, enjoy.
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The Tyler Austin Watch
he needs 2 return 2 the yanks
Would love to see Aceves make it back to the Yankees. He was a real shot in the arm for that ’09 team. At various points, Girardi used him as a starter, as the first guy out of the pen, as a middle-reliever, as a match-up guy, and as an 8th inning guy. Versatility personified. Oh yeah, he also happend to be pretty effective too.
People, you can’t forget that he spent all of last year out with back injuries. There are decent odds that he’s never effective again. It’s possible he never stays healthy enough to round back into major-league form :-/
Although you’re right, I’d rather take a chance on Aceves. He still has the potential to be a solid bullpen guy and this team looks better with him than without him.
Rather than what? And is there any reason to think the Yanks wouldn’t be happy to give him a minor league deal?
I expect the Yankees (or possibly another team if the Yankees won’t bite) to sign Aceves to a minor league deal. And I’d even rather have him in the rotation than Mitre (If Aceves was healthy of course.)
Whozat, you’re right. Yet there’s no reason not to want to see him in Yankee camp fighting for a spot on the roster.
I love Ace. I hope he recovers and returns to the Yankees in ’09 fashion. Did I mention that I want to bear his children?
Wil Nieves is jealous.
I don’t think its too much of a stretch to be Wil Nieves’ #1 fan without him being your favorite player.
+1
BA prospect books getting shipped today = me happy
Yes. I’m pumped too. We get 31 prospects this year!
A lot of prospect stuff this week. MLB network top prospect is tomorrow night and Klaw has his top 100 coming out Thurs.
Aceves, to me, is the Peyton to Mitre’s Eli.
Would love to see Aceves back with the Bombers.
Alfredo Aceves, what good times we had with your 1.01 WHIP in ’09 and all. Not to mention your first name is an awesome albeit unhealthy sauce.
So I find it highly amusing that in today’s post about Mitre, Armando Galarraga was by far the worst of the listed stat lines and yet because of one nearly perfect game the fact that he was DFA’d and picked up by the D’backs is big shocking news.
One game and this guy will be forever regarded as a great pitcher by people that don’t know any better. I have to laugh imagining the narratives that you would hear if the Yankees had picked him up. Then again, the media would have instantly and miraculously realized he isn’t very good.
What if teh Theo picked him up !!11!
Speaking of D-Backs, I love that they said Owings will pitch AND play 1st base
What is this? High School baseball?
I think the 3.73 ERA / 1.192 WHIP / 121 ERA+ / 4th place ROY season 2 years ago has more to do with people’s perception of him than the near perfect game. The perfect game thing just kept him in people’s minds as he declined.
One game and this guy will be forever regarded as a great pitcher by people that don’t know any better.
Sounds eerily similar to Don Larsen – mediocre pitcher who threw the only perfect game in World Series history.
Don Larsen was a MUCH better pitcher than Galarraga.Booze and the allure of the social scene in NY derailed his career,He had an outstanding fastball and,when he was on top of his game,was pretty good.
How do people see this whole Carmelo Anthony thing playing out? How do people rank ‘Melo in the NBA star’osphere and is it a good move for the Knicks basketball wise (given whatever assumptions you deem necessary)?
he wants to play for the knicks… the nuggets front office is a joke, it seems like they saw the lebron debacle and freaked out. so now he’s saying NY or bust, good for him
Advanced stats say his production if just above average. I call BS on that but take my opinion FWIW.
I definitely think the Knicks should try getting him.
Besides, if the Ace doesn’t come back, who is going to lead the team in a rousing game of video motorcycling?
Maybe the yanks could sign Ace Ventura? Could use another ace in the rotation!
We had decent luck with our last Ventura.
That’s a conspiracy!
aceves had a great season, but I never really was that impressed by his pitching… he did get the job done though and was great. I don’t really see him coming back, his injury sounds like it was fairly severe. if the yankees wouldn’t give chien ming wang a deal I doubt they are going to go for aceves
If you weren’t all that impressed by Ace, you probably like throwers more than you do pitchers.
Thems fightin’ words!
http://reid.mlblogs.com/scoreb.....ght_ap.jpg
“WHO YOU CALLIN A THROWER?!?”
I cannot describe how much I wish someone on Boston had started shit with Farnsworth on the mound during his Yankee days.
This is like the people this offseason who weren’t impressed by Cliff Lee because his stuff isn’t good enough.
Ace in 2009 was a straight up beast. He was probably a little lucky, but anytime a pitcher can give a 4.31 K/BB ratio, he’s likely to have success. Give me a guy like Aceves over a guy like Farnsworth all day.
Definitely. Farnsworth is nuts, did you read the article in ESPN magazine? He’d be good insurance in the bullpen if a fight broke out but he might end up hitting one of his own players.
no doubt he had a great season, the injury thing is a pretty big deal though. we’ll see what happens, hopefully he will be luckier than CMW. but yeah, he’s way better than farnsworth
Clavicle injuries can sound bad, but they heal fairly quickly when treated with plates and screws like he had done in December. These breaks are a very common injury for pro bike riders, and they are allowed back on the bike as soon as they can deal with the pain. This can be as soon as soon as a few weeks after injury (those guys are crazy). Assuming no complications, he’ll be back in 3-4 months- March. The biggest hurdle to overcome in rehab is the stiffness of the immobilized shoulder. Luckily for him, this was his left (non throwing) clavicle, so I’m pretty sure we’ll see him sooner rather than later.
Does anyone else think Jay Cutler is taking way more heat than he deserves?
Absolutely.
Not only that, but he doesn’t deserve any heat (other than for his play). I can’t stand the guy, but he’s taking a bunch of undeserved shit.
Yup, I’m totally with you. I was really rooting against him, because I simply don’t like him, but why would you even want Cutler out there when he could barely walk? On top of that, Hanie looked better than Cutler did all game. People should be mad at Cutler for trying to play as much as he did with Hanie ready to go on the bench.
He got destroyed behind that line all year, imagine if he had no mobility.
I also like that Maurkic Pouncey left the game with a high ankle sprain and neither Ross Tucker or Mark Schlereth tweeted about how o-lineman only leave the field in a body bag.
yeeeppp
And roethlesberger isn’t taking enough
Roethlisberger is likely a scumbag. That being said, I don’t know why Mark Sanchez gets a free pass for a similar situation in his past.
Because either it’s right or wrong there are people hated more on that team. Ryan and Cromarte come to mind.
Sanchez had a sexual assault problem? Good to know.
Sanchez was never charged for sexual assault, just arrested, and he denies it and says it was the worst day of his life. He just doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to do that, he’s done a lot of charity work in my area.
Roethlisberger on the other hand has faced rape allegations twice, and although he was never formally charged the NFL thought there was enough evidence to suspend him.
Basically, Big Ben dealt with it as an NFL player and was accused twice, Sanchez dealt with it when he was 19.
Roethlisberger also denied it and I’m sure it was the worst day of his life. He has also done a lot of charity work, it doesn’t speak to his guilt or innocence. The NFL thought there was enough evidence to suspend him because Roger Goodell is judge, jury and executioner. He also didn’t suspend him for sexual assault, he was essentially suspended for bringing bad light to the NFL. I don’t know if either of them are guilty, but I’m not ready to convict one and let the other off the hook.
Oh I agree with you, innocent until proven guilty. The NFL’s suspension really made him look guilty though. To me, its suspicious that it happened twice, but I’m not going to call him a rapist.
As for Sanchez, I’m completely biased because he does a lot of work in my town and the surrounding area, even though I’m a Giants fan.
So it’s worse for an NFL player to rape someone than a 19 year old college player? Got it.
And, wouldn’t the NFL star be a bigger target for false allegations* than a 2nd string freshman QB?
*In no way am I claiming the allegations to be false. Just that an NFL star in general, would be more vulnerable to false allegations.
You’re putting words in my mouth. I said that it looks worse for Big Ben because he dealt with it while he was an NFL player twice and got suspended for it publicly. Sanchez dealt with it while he was in College and although he was suspended from that team, he returned as soon as the charges were dropped. I don’t know if anything happened, but it certainly looks worse for Roethlisberger.
He just doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to do that, he’s done a lot of charity work in my area.
Seriously?
It was a bit more than charity work. He befriended a kid with cancer and visited him very often. The kid was a huge Mark Sanchez fan and the first time he met him, Sanchez came when he was sleeping and he waited for him to wakeup with a signed football. It was a nice story but the kid passed away on a sunday a few weeks ago right before a game. Sanchez couldn’t come to the funeral but he paid for it all. Now he’s running some sort of charity around here. So yea, I don’t think Sanchez is a scumbag because of sexual assault allegations while he was in college. Seriously.
That’s a nice story. But I still don’t like Mark Sanchez simply because he plays for the Jets.
Yes I heard the story before – but his allegations were 4 years ago, so there’s kind of a gap in the events.
Check out this Fox sports article on the Cutler situation
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/s.....vid-012411
Some people just can’t be reasoned with
My bad for bringing up Fox sports
I fucking hate Jay Cutler. That being said all of this shit against him is ridiculous.
I don’t think the shit is overwhelming, but no, I also don’t think it is deserved. He has had the insults of outsiders rebuffed by Bears leaders. My own analysis; while I don’t think it’s warranted, this is what happens when you create enemies above a replacement player(CERP), ask A-Rod. If I’m a fan of his I reserve the right to defend him, but from where I stand I say “You made your bed now sleep in it”. Bottom line, Dude has CERP’ed.
His teammates are not going to call him out. Any respectable teammate is going to defend him no matter what.
Ask Ryan Leaf about that.
He probably doesn’t deserve this much criticism (likely stemming from the fact he is so disliked), but he definitely deserves to take a lot of heat.
If you can’t gut it out in a Championship game with an injury as minor as a sprained MCL you deserved to be called out.
So lets assume his knee was so bad he couldn’t plant his leg to throw. Why would you want him playing on your team in a championship game if he can’t even throw the ball?
He’s a tool, no.
There was an ESPN poll that asked which QB was the least likable: Cutler, Vick, or Rothelsberger*. Cutler won. That kind of said it all.
I mean, I don’t like the guy at all, both because he seems like a jackass and because I’m a Packers fan, but he plays with diabetes and he gets sacked a billion times a year. His injury apparently wasn’t too minor. He’s tough.
* I am sure I spelled that wrong.
REALLY? People like Michael Vick and Ben Rothlissburger better than Jay Cutler? I must be missing something. I don’t know much about Cutler but from the look of that poll he must be a real dick. He still doesn’t deserve all the shit he’s getting though. If he had stayed in the game he would have just hurt the team and his replacement almost won the game so Bears fans shouldn’t be complaining.
oh and also Cutler got compared to Bartman by the Chicago media, in Chicago saying someone is like Bartman is like only slightly better than calling them a Nazi
Apparently Aceves wears the #91 in honor of Dennis Rodman. Who would have thought?
That is bizarre.
I remember seeing that on one of those YES shows like Kids on Deck. He said he watched Rodman growing up and liked how he would win and have fun.
By having fun does he mean Rodman getting ejected from games and marrying himself like he claimed he did in his autobiography?
Just Kidding, I like the Chicago Bulls as much as the next guy.
Yankees should take a gamble on Justin Duchscherer. If he’s healthy, and he’s only recovering from hip surgery at this point, he passes the better than Mitre test.
Agree 100%… I get the feeling he doesn’t want in the fold, but I hope he is.
He hasn’t signed with any team. I think it’s simply a gap in what he wants and what teams (including the Yankees) are offering. I mean, when was his last truly healthy, full season? 2005? 2006? I’d be happy to see him in camp. Just not sure how much we could count on, especially as a starting candidate.
They’ve expressed interest, we heard that a while ago. It’s possible the medicals don’t check out, or it might be that yeah…he just wants to play somewhere less pressurized.
So my less intelligent friends are all like “THE YANKS SHOULD SIGN PUJOLS WHEN HE’S AN FA.” And I just can’t come up with enough to say that will shut them up. I’ve even had a friend suggest moving A-Rod to RF (the cannon arm), so that Tex can shift to 3rd, and Pujols play first.
Will this madness only get worse if the Cards don’t sign Pujols to an extension?
I love the concept of the MLB Network, but it is beyond painful that I have to listen to Mitch Williams and Kevin Millar talk as if they have knowledge we should respect. They don’t.
Aceves has all the makings of a major league starter. 4 pitch pitcher, able to hit spots, and a pretty good temperament(see his versatility in 09). The injuries in ’10 were a major setback in his career. This guy should have been the #5 starter for the second half of 2009, and really outpitched Hughes and everyone else in spring training last year. One or two bad starts at the end were what made the difference between he and Hughes ending up in the rotation. To consider guys like Sergio Mitre and Ivan Nova and NOT consider a guy that was a legitimate force in 2009 and came very close to being a starter in 2010 is downright stupid. But then again, nothing surprises me with the Yanks this year. Sign him to a low guarantee, incentive laden contract or a minor league deal if he’ll agree to it and lets see what he can do.
I read Steven Goldman’s chat over at BP, and he said it, and I’ve seen it been said all over the place. The meme right now about the Yankees is that they distrust their young pitchers and will never let them get a chance.
Now, this is somewhat valid given the Chamberlain fiasco (although honestly, it’s a completely isolated case), but exactly which pitchers are they supposed to ‘trust’? They’re already all but handing their 24-year old Nova a starting gig. Phil Hughes is all of 25 in June and he’s the projected number 2 starter. Are they supposed to call up Andrew Brackman, who has pitched all of 14 games above single-A? Or David Phelps, who doesn’t project any better than Mitre? Or how about Dellin Betances or Manny Banuelos, who combined have less experience above single-A than Brackman? Wasn’t it the most recent meme that the Yankees ruined Hughes and Chamberlain by rushing them to the majors in an act of desperation? And now that they want to protect their young, undeveloped, high-ceilinged arms by leaving them in the minors, that’s a sign that they distrust their young pitchers and will never let them get a chance?
I can’t stand the MSM. I really cannot.