Open Thread: 0, 2, 3, 12, 3, 5, 5, 5, 2, 0, 3

May 5, 2011 by Mike Axisa 131 Comments

Alex Rodriguez — How can you expect to get a hit when you're not even using a real bat? (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

You know what that is in the headline? That’s the number of runs the Yankees have scored in each of their last 11 games. That dates back to the first game of the White Sox series, and is an average of 3.64 runs per game. That’s terrible. The 2010 Mariners scored 3.17 runs per game, and they were the worst offensive team of the DH era. The Yankees are hitting .232/.322/.364 during that time, which is bad but not completely horrific. Part of the problem is that they’ve grounded into 13 double plays and stranded 70 runners on base (77.0% strand rate) during that time, ungodly rates. Bah, I don’t want to talk about it anymore. They suck right now.

So here’s your open thread for the night. MLB Network will carry a game (teams depend on where you live) and I’m sure there’s some NBA and NHL playoff action on somewhere. You all know what to do, so go nuts.

http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com bexarama

I blame SweetSpot publishing that “2011 Yankees: One of the best offenses ever?” article.
- Pat D
  
  Sounds reasonable. It’s written by an avowed Yankee hater.
  - http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com bexarama
    
    ? It was written by Schoenfield, not Neyer. The former takes cheap shots here and there but I don’t get the impression he hates the Yankees.
    - Pat D
      
      Oh, he does. He’s like Jim Caple, one of those totally anti-Yankee Seattle guys.
      - Pat D
        
        But even Caple and Neyer will praise the Yankees at times. Can’t recall Schoenfield having done that much previously.
      - JohnnyC
        
        Caple’s originally from Minnesota. Went to Seattle for professional reasons. The Yankee hatred goes back to the crib for him.
        
        Pat D
        
        Did not know that. Thanks for the information.
Rosco

When do you leave Cano in the 3 spot for good and when do you leave Posada in the club house?
- Urban
  
  So you want to put a guy with a .310 OBP in the number-three spot?
  - The Big City of Dreams
    
    Francesa: He doesn’t need to walk he’s a sluggah
  - Rdenney18
    
    Yes…the three hole is for driving in runs, not working the count.
squishy jello person

Doesn’t help that the cleanup dude is hitting .130ish since his last hr on april 23rd or that swisher’s basically disappeared.

It’s frustrating, because the pitching’s for the most part been hella better than anyone expected.
Slugger27

it seems like theyve been getting really unlucky with balls in play, and joes piece the other day seems to confirm it.

today there was an inning (6th or 7th) when they literally hit 3 straight balls on the nose and got 3 straight outs cuz they were right at people
Rookie

Since the 12 runs they scored in one of those games skews the number, perhaps a better way to express how suckorific they’ve been would be to say that they’ve scored three or fewer runs in seven of the last eleven games.

Then again, maybe it’s just you say potayto, I say potahto. You say tomayto, I say tomahto. Etc.
- http://www.twitter.com/jordansmed JGS
  
  Does anyone actually say potahto or tomahto?
  - boogie down
    
    This reminds of the scene in Arrested Development where Charlize Theron’s character, Rita Leeds (Mr. F!), is singing “Hot potahto, hot potahto… hot potahto, hot potahto” along with song by The Wiggles.
    - http://www.twitter.com/jordansmed JGS
      
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVIdy9_wqQw
      - boogie down
        
        legit question: which is the better show, Seinfeld or Arrested?
        
        If we are talking about which show had the better peak, I give the slight edge to Seinfeld. If we don’t penalize AD for its brevity, I think its show-for-show excellence is greater than Seinfeld’s, namely because Seinfeld had two lackluster years, seasons 8 & 9, at the end of its run.
        
        Gross awesomeness, though, has to be Seinfeld, simply because it probably had more episodes that were 9/10 or better than AD had total episodes (53). Though, to be honest, I can’t really think of many AD episodes that I’d rate below 9/10.
        
        http://www.twitter.com/jordansmed JGS
        
        Arrested. And it’s not particularly close, either. Seinfeld had its share of awesomeness, but there were a lot of episodes that were just really really silly.
        
        With AD, every single word has three layers of meaning, so every time you rewatch it, you see things you didn’t see before.
        
        MannyGeee
        
        goddam I type slow! See a much wordier version of this below.
        
        MannyGeee
        
        Arrested Development, and its not particularly close.
        
        Arrested is an absolute benchmark in comedy. the timing, the ‘inside jokes’ that followed the plot, the fact that the episodes NEVER wrapped up into little packages (which only draws you in further)…..
        
        sorry, but Seinfeld always made me chuckle, but I never fell out of my chair at Kramer. there were very few episodes of Arrested that I did not laugh out loud to. I mean seriously… Bob Loblaw!!!! Mr F? ONYONG!!!!
        
        Fcking hilarious.
101010

At least the starting pitching is providing them with a chance to win games.
Monteroisdinero

Jesus.Montero.

Period.
- http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com bexarama
  
  I thought Nunez was going to save us all.
  - Teh Comp Pick
    
    He’s hitting balls harder than Mr 3000
    - mike c
      
      he’s also throwing balls harder too. in fact he should just throw it to a fan in the stands next time he fields a ground ball, at least he’d make somebody there happy
  - Greg
    
    Nunez should be sent down to get his confidence in order. He may be a good fielder but he looks frightened in the field…even his dive today was timid.
  - Monteroisdinero
    
    I thought this was a thread about offense.
    
    Oh-Nunez is an improvement there too.
    
    Over Jeter.
    
    One game does not make a season but 400 powerless ab’s is pretty compelling.
Teh Comp Pick

From Ken Williams on MLB.com Article:

“A lot of times, people don’t necessarily understand it’s not always about the talent you get back,” Williams said. “Sometimes it’s about the monetary relief you get, so that it will allow you to go out and get somebody else that is a better fit. It’s not always about the production of a player or the talent of a player.

“There are some peripheral things that also go into the equation to fit in the team environment, with the team concept to make sure you can pull together in 162 [games]. Swisher didn’t fit.”

Ya got fleeced Kenny.
- http://www.yankeeanalysts.com/ Matt Imbrogno
  
  Yeah, salary relief–like taking on Alex Rios and his whole contract.
  - Pat D
    
    And Peavy’s, considering his injury problems.
- MannyGeee
  
  yeah , because we all know what a clubhouse cancer Nick Swisher can be.
  
  unlike that role model and gritty veteran they picked up at the deadline last year. Yup, that ManRam can really bring a club togeth… oh. awwwwwwkweeerd…
Pat D

Paintball episode on Community tonight!!

“A Fistful of Paintballs.”

Next week: “For a Few Paintballs More.”
- boogie down
  
  “For a Few Paintballs More”: that was streets ahead.
  
  That ep, the GoodFellas/Chicken ep, and the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons ep are probably my favorites, though almost all of season 2 has been phenomenal.
Rookie

An observation — and maybe it’s more between my ears than on the field…

But when your team has a puff pastry hitter who’s about to turn 37 leading off, an injured player who’s about turn 36 batting fourth, and a soon-to-be 40 year old who’s never been comfortable as a DH batting sixth, what do you expect? Maybe if they were batting sixth, seventh and eight or seventh, eighth and ninth. But leadoff, fourth, and sixth? I mean really. Come on. Be serious. I don’t think there’s been a lineup in the history of the game that could have had powder puffs batting leadoff, fourth, and sixth and expected a whole lot more.

And don’t tell me that it’s just a function of the lousy batting average with runners in scoring position and the large number of double plays. If you have powder puffs batting leadoff, fourth, and sixth, they’re not usually going to be the ones in scoring position. So their results with men in scoring position are probably going to skew the batting average with RISP and the number of GIDPs all by themselves.

Here’s an idea how to solve the problem… Maybe the Yankees could propose MLB establish a senior division where each team would have to have a minimum number of starting players in the geriatric set — say age 36 or older. The only problem there is that I think the Phillies would be in that division, too, and that they’d regularly kick our asses in the postseason.

What the heck. Just my thoughts…
- Teh Comp Pick
  
  You want to bat A-Rod 7th?
- http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com bexarama
  
  A-Rod’s April 2011: .290/.407/.609
  
  Powder puff.
  - http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com bexarama
    
    Also, last time we met the Phillies in the postseason, it turned out pretty okay. We were old then, too.
    - http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com bexarama
      
      And with the pitching, the Phillies would pretty much routinely kick everyone’s ass.
      
      Why am I talking to myself? IDK.
      - MannyGeee
        
        LOL you just had a whole thing with yourself there.
        
        /crazychicksarehotttt!!!!!
    - Urban
      
      The Yankees always have “older teams.” Generally good teams are a little older, not too young, but not too old. The Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies are older teams. They’re also good teams.
      
      I’d be quite happy to add an older pitcher, like, oh, say Andy Pettitte. The Yankees might get a little older with Andy, but they would also have an opportunity to be a little better.
      - http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com bexarama
        
        I’m not disagreeing with any of this. I think just about everyone would rather have Andy in Nova or Garcia’s spot.
        
        Urban
        
        Yeah, I’m missing Pettitte more now than before when he announced his “retirement.” Yes, I’m using quotes in the belief that it’s not really an official retirement, even though it probably is. : -)
        
        I’d like to see him glaring over his glove again. Even when he was off, he would battle through and give us a good chance to win.
        
        Go to Texas and convince him.
  - Rookie
    
    bexarama, by giving ARod’s numbers for ALL of April, you lumped together his performance both before and after he had to leave the game with his apparent oblique injury on or about April 16th — as reported by Mike Axisa here on RAB:
    http://riveraveblues.com/2011/04/a-rod-lifted-for-unknown-reason-46395/
    
    And his stats before and after that injury are like night and day.
    
    Here are the splits:
    
    Before the injury, ARod’s monster stats by any measure:
    OBP: .511
    SLG: .865
    OPS: 1.376
    
    ARod’s respectable cumulative 2011 year to date stats through May 5th inclusive:
    OBP: .371
    SLG: .523
    OPS: .894
    
    My rough calculation of his munchkin stats from April 16th through May 5th based on his at bats before and after that date:
    OBP: .269
    SLG: .275
    OPS: 544
    
    Those are probably worse than Jeter’s stats during that period and are very likely the results of an ARod who’s playing injured and not doing himself or the team any good.
    
    Before the injury, his bat speed was amazing to watch. Afterwards, he was swinging like Jeter and getting Jeterian results.
    
    I’m not a doctor. But I don’t think muscle injuries require rest for them to heal.
    
    bexarama, if you think my stats are wrong, please do your own calculations and let me know what you come up with.
    
    If you think my conclusions are wrong, please tell me why. I think the numbers speak for themselves. Actually, I think they positively SCREAM for themselves.
    
    Let ARod heal please before he injures himself further.
    - http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com bexarama
      
      Is your thing using names to sound extremely condescending?
      
      Also, sure, now it seems likely he was hurt. The solution to that is putting him on the DL, not batting him seventh while he heals or whatever. Your argument was that these are useless creampuff or whatever phrasing you were using hitters. That works for Derek, but not for A-Rod.
  - Rookie
    
    bexarama, obviously, I meant that I DO think muscle injuries require rest to heal.
- Greg
  
  Even with the recent hitting woes they lead the league in runs per game….yeah drastically switching up the order makes tons of sense.
  - forensic
    
    Time to recalculate that average.
- TheMick
  
  I think you just like saying “powder puff”.
Alfredo

how can you include A-rod in that conversation. A-rod is a way better player then posada and jeter right now and has alway been. Remember this is a guy that hits 30 home runs and drives in 100 every year and puts up a good average, AROD IS TOATLY OUT OF THEIR LEAGUE.
- Rookie
  
  ARod is an absolute beast — WHEN HE’S HEALTHY. At the beginning of this year, he was healthier than he’d been in years and had bat speed and results that were breathtaking. But from the date that he hurt his oblique and was expected to magically heal while playing, he’s been a powder puff, too.
- Rookie
  
  Of course, in the year that a player turns 37, it shouldn’t be surprising that he’s injured.
  
  Check out other great players in the year they turn 36 other than Barry Bonds and some players in the steroid era and tell me if you think I’m wrong.
Rookie

But Jeter’s a winner. So it ‘s not just what he delivers on the field, but the amazing leadership and intangibles that he brings to the team that have enabled the Yankees to be the amazing winners that they are. Without his leadership, they’d have been far less successful.

Jeter named Yankee captain on June 3, 2003.

In the seven years BEFORE he’s named captain, the Yankees win FOUIR World Series Titles.

In the eight years AFTER he’s named captain, the Yankees win ONE World Series Title — and only make it to the World Series in one other year, in 2003, the year he was named captain.

Oops. Never mind…
- mike c
  
  fans like you make me sick
  - Rookie
    
    Why is that, Mike?
    - Alfredo
      
      because you talk shit about your own team which shows u can’t possibly be a true fan.
      - Rookie
        
        So if I disapprove of a player being a hypocrite, claiming to be a team player while he’s being all about himself, refusing to put personal rivalries aside for the best of the team, being part of a clicque with his coach in the process, I can’t be a true fan.
        
        If I’m like many of the knowledgeable fans on RAB and other forums who believe that Levine and/or the Steinbrenners , by overruling Cashman and wildly overpaying ARod and Jeter and signing them them for too many years that they hurt my team’s ability to win, I’m not a fan.
        
        I think your definition of fan and mine are very different.
        
        And if people who respectfully disagree with you make you sick, I would encourage you to do something about that before it hurts your health. (although I will admit to getting frustrated sometimes, too, when people don’t see something that I think I see. But they don’t make me sick.)
        
        I hope we can disagree without being disagreeable. Isn’t that what forums like this are all about?
        
        Xstar7
        
        Bingo, Rookie. Bingo.
        
        Alfredo
        
        i doudt you can put a finger on me so ill take you on on that. and yes u make me sick because jeter never has been about himself he made good friends with Arod he played through injuries and did not go to another team to help us. they should have given him more because when you think of the yankees from 2000 until the present you think derek jeter. and this will all come back to bite you on your fat ass.
        
        Mojo
        
        I’m with Rookie on this one. He’s the best kind of fan – Rational & Level-Headed. Bravisimo.
        
        mike c
        
        yeah making up gossip stories about jeter is the epitome of rational and level-headed dialogue
        
        Mojo
        
        Listen, you can think what you want. I grew up with Jeter, Bernie, O’Neill, Posada, Tino and the gang. They were my boyhood idols. Jeter, unfortunately, is losing my respect, or perhaps it’s Girardi’s utter inability to grow a sack. If here were such an extraordinary captain, or player for that matter, than I think that he’d see it wise to sacrifice his ego and macho bravado and slot himself out of the lead-off spot. You know… for the sake of the TEAM. Right now, I don’t give a fuck about past accomplishments because frankly, call me selfish, I want to win NOW. The chemistry’s off and guess what? I think I’ll be placing a large portion of this here target on Jeter’s tight, tawny bum. I will say this, though, about Derek Jeter… His girlfriend possesses an otherwordly sense of beauty. The things that I would do…
        
        mike c
        
        I just like to call it ‘jeter derangement syndrome’
        
        mike c
        
        oh I forgot
        /JDS
        
        Rev. Maximus
        
        ….you are a Rookie if you believe what you read in the papers.
        
        i think what Alfredo probably meant (but could have said nicer) about being a true fan, is someone who gives a player, whose earned it, the benefit of the doubt.
    - mike c
      
      the yankees have won 5 world series titles in the last 15 years and had chances to win 2 more… any team would kill for that kind of success, being a yankee fan means you’re a fan of the best team in all of sports history. it doesn’t mean you’re entitled to win every year, and it doesn’t mean that just because they have won so many championships that any of them are less special. just take a look across town or in boston and ask them how easy winning is… we all know jeter’s not playing well right now, how you choose to deal with that is your own business, but talking about those great years like they were nothing is just disrespectful of the greatness and history of the team… no matter what your opinion of the guy happens to be at the moment, there’s no reason to look back and shit on what this team has accomplished
- http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com bexarama
  
  Or it could’ve been, like, the pitching.
  - http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com bexarama
    
    Or maybe it was A-Rod!
    - http://www.twitter.com/jordansmed JGS
      
      Gotta be. He is, after all, a powder puff.
    - http://twitter.com/unfixed unfixed
      
      Blame.
      
      Javy.
- Esteban
  
  You’re blaming the Yankees not winning a WS from 2003-2009 on Jeter being the captain? I don’t think he’s playing well and his contract was too much and too long, but that’s now. I think it has zero to do with who the captain was or wasn’t.
- JohnnyC
  
  Yeah, Jeter’s ERA+ those years was horrendous. They should’ve never let him stay in the rotation during the post-season.
Alfredo

i would not worry this offense will heat up sooner rather than later and when they do get hot watch out. hopefully it happens in Texas. i hate Texas so much more than i ever did, anyone agree?
Alfredo

i agree fans like that make me sick. and how can you possibly state that Jeter was not a good captain. HE IS A GREAT CAPTAIN!!!!!!!!!!
- JobaWockeeZ
  
  Maybe he could ask to be slotted in the 9 hole to prove that.
  - Rookie
    
    Bingo, JobaWockeeZ. Bingo.
    - mike c
      
      chest bump brah… dude you totally should be captain of the jeter bashing clique
      - JobaWockeeZ
        
        Jeter being the worst hitter of the team really should be batting 9th past accomplishments be damned.
        
        mike c
        
        OMG jeter’s not batting 9th, now we’re not going to win the world series!
        in all seriousness, if jeter doesn’t pick it up, they will drop him in the lineup some time around the ASG, right around #3000. I know you’d rather embarrass jeter, but the team’s not going to do that now. he’s earned a few more plate appearances before he’ll be moved down. being a lifetime .314 hitter gets you that kind of clout, no matter what your expert opinion happens to be at the moment
        
        It’sATarp
        
        Not if you’re obviously been declining for over 700+ AB’s. That’s no longer a slump or a small sample size that’s legitimate decline. Jeter should be moved down, Jeter should have kept his retooled swing …but none has happened because he’s Derek Jeter
  - Mojo
    
    Agreed.
  - Mojo
    
    Haha, I hate to compare Jeter to Varitek, but . . . maybe the pinstriped captain could afford to take a few lessons from that grimy, despicable turd-gobbler over there at Fenway.
A-Rod’s Wingman

Ugh. Maybe this team was closer to the team we all thought they were before season than the team we thought they were last week. Hughes probably won’t pitch the rest of the season, and who knows what his future holds. It’s looking like you can stick a fork in Jeter right about now, the rotation has three very volatile pitchers that can blow up at any time…C-Money needs to make a move. I didn’t vote in the fan confidence poll, but right now I’m about a five.
- Xstar7
  
  Cashman needs to go get a quality starter and Joe G. Needs to shake up the Yankees lineup.
- http://twitter.com/unfixed unfixed
  
  VOTE OR DIE
- It’sATarp
  
  The pitching as been Fine outside of Nova and hughes. Garcia ,Colon, CC and AJ all are rocking FIP’s below 4. That’s way better than we expected and even if we look at their xFIP they are pretty well off. The rotation is fine as it is, unless we are seeking to replace Nova. It’s the offense that’s of now with Jeter and Posada declining and Swish and Arod in slumps
  - A-Rod’s Wingman
    
    CC’s fine…Garcia and Colon are kind of ticking time bombs, maybe they make it the whole season maybe they don’t. AJ has consistency issues, control issues (historically), and terribleness issues (as recently as last year). They’re fine now, but I’m unsure it will last.
Zack

Sorry,we aren’t going to make it all the way this year. We’ve shown in virtually all of our games that if we can’t hit home runs, we can’t score.
rudy

#overreacting
JobaWockeeZ

ERIC HOSMER IS UP!!!!!!

My offense shall not suck anymore!
Alfredo

I HOPE THE YANKEES SWEEP THE TEXAS RANGERS. I HATE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NC Saint

“Bah, I don’t want to talk about it anymore. They suck right now.”

C’mon, really? They’re 5-6 for those games, and as you pointed out, the GIDPs and RISP-situations — two completely fluky factors over that kind of stretch — are going against them. They’re playing a bit badly, and getting extremely unlucky, and still winning almost half their games. Take a deep breath. This too shall pass.
- JobaWockeeZ
  
  What’s the problem? The offense hasn’t been hitting. Call it bad luck or whatever they still didn’t hit. I mean come on are we really going to get all over that comment because it isn’t said in a positive light?
  
  It’ll pass but it doesn’t mean that they’ve been playing any good.
- http://twitter.com/unfixed unfixed
  
  Nothing you have written invalidates the statement, “they suck right now”.
Greg

This comment is laughable.
Will F.

Please call up Montero! Stick him at DH or even right for godsakes. He’s wasting away in Scranton. We need a young dynamic bat not named Cano.
Greg

Finally a realist….sigh
Urban

Ramiro Pena pulled from tonight’s game after the second inning. He’s obviously on the way back up. Our offense is saved!

I think they should make two moves here, although one will require them to open up a spot on the 40-man roster. Bring up Pena and send down Nunez. Pena can be the all-purpose back-up infielder. Bring up Vazquez to replace Chavez as a bat off the bench.
- Pat D
  
  They could move Hughes to the 60 Day DL for now, I suppose.
  - Urban
    
    That’s true. They already said Hughes will be out 6-8 weeks, and since he’s already been DL’d for a bit, they could probably put him on the 60-day DL.
boogie down

From Melissa Segura (via MLBTR):

@MelissaSeguraSI
“Spoke several int’l scouts say this year’s July 2 class of Dominican amateur free-agents is best they’ve seen yrs, especially outfielders.”

So, we should be able to make up for drafting 51st, right?? I’m excited.
- Urban
  
  The Yankees have focused on international talent over the years, brining in the likes of Montero, Sanchez, Benteces, etc. since we target prospects and not have to worry about a draft order. My concern (purely as a Yankee fan) is the they will implement some type of worldwide draft with the upcoming CBA after 2011 season.
  
  Beyond my Yankee interests, and International draft and hard-slotting will hurt MLB, but that’s a story for another day.
  - Urban
    
    Sorry, didn’t mean to include Betances as an international draftee, which he’s not! He’s local.
    - MannyGeee
      
      you meant Wang, Cano, & Melky right?
      - Urban
        
        I actually meant one of the other Killer B’s — Banuelos — but there are many names to pick!
Pat D

Frustrating thing about today’s game was that Burnett pitched pretty well. Obviously he hurt his own cause with the throwing error, but, jeez, Nunez…

I’m frankly not too surprised they didn’t hit that well the last few games. I saw something earlier in the week with their numbers at Comerica and they were ugly. I’m curious to see if they’ll have this issue when going to other pitcher’s parks this year like Oakland and Seattle.
- Urban
  
  Although I want the win, I’ve been pleased with AJ. I don’t freak out when he takes the mound, and if he keeps that up, he’ll help us a lot over the course of the season. Baseball is a long season, which is why I found a lot of the cliff-jumping quotes from those above pretty funny.
Monteroisdinero

Pena batted 9th this year at Scranton. Nunez batted 2nd and 3rd last year. His bat pales in comparison to Nunez. One bad game in the field and everyone ready to bale on Nunez.

Nunez>>>>>>Pena

Wouldn’t mind JoVa. It’s inevitable imho because I think Chavy is done for the season.
- Urban
  
  Five errors in 34 innings is not one bad game. The back-up needs to field and not cost games with the glove. I’m not writing him off forever. I’m just figuring he might need some regular playing time down in AAA to work on his throwing. When he’s all “well,” bring him back.
- Epy0n
  
  As disgusted as I was about the series in general plus Nunez’s awful defense today in the end when the frustration settles have some optimism. I am sure they are working hard with Nunez and trying to get him to be the most effective SS he can be. Patience phans..patience.
  
  I have a feeling we are going to go in firing on all cylinders against Texas this weekend. They have been getting beat up quite a bit since the last time we played them so I hope we can do the same.
- It’sATarp
  
  Nunez’s shitty defense has killed all his offense value…he is in negative WAR. I rather have a a decent defender with an avg bat than an above avg bat and incredibly shitty defense
Wandering Bear

Still in 1st place. Other teams are struggling. The 162 game season is filled with peaks and troughs. Am I the only rational one here?
- Kit
  
  No. There are a lot of rational people here. It’s just that when the irrational ones are out in full force, they tend to go away.
  - http://www.twitter.com/jordansmed JGS
    
    This
    - Freddy Garcia’s 86 mph Heat
      
      This again
- Urban
  
  There’s a few here, but nothing like a few losses to bring out the panic in some fans. The season is filled with winning streaks, losing streaks, mixed in with some mediocre play. Even with a three-game losing streak, we’re still in first, we’re still on pace for about 95 wins, and the issue everyone was worried about — pitching — has been holding strong. Yet people will panic. It’s almost like they’ve never watched baseball. Of course, I’m sure I’ve done the same at times too!
  - Wandering Bear
    
    Exactly. In our WS win just two seasons ago we didn’t start out this well. We were around .500 for the first 35-40 games before we took off. And we went through 3 game losing streaks during that season. Offense comes and goes, they had some good swings today. Like you said, the pitching is what needs to be constant and it has been. I think we’re in good shape. 130 games is a lot to go.
    - Epy0n
      
      Well said I remember panicking a little bit because we could not beat the Red Sox at all but look how that worked out. Lets be patient people no reason to freak out yet.
      
      LETS GO YANKEES!!
- http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com bexarama
  
  The negativity over a bad stretch has been, uh let’s say irritating, but no, you’re not.
- MannyGeee
  
  FCK UR RATIONALITY!!!!!!11!1!!1 I WANT JoVA, MONTERO anD LAIRD UP NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  OK, got that outta the way…
It’sATarp

Anyone notice Betance’s 11:2 K:BB ratio? straight up ballin’
Urban

Regarding Nunez, as I was driving earlier, I heard Sweeny Murti recount a conversation with A-Rod about Nunez’s throwing issues. A-Rod told Nunez he needs to play in slightly. Because he has a strong arm, he plays a little deeper, but that also means that by the time the ball gets to him, a lot of MLB hitters are well down the line, causing Nunez to rush his throws. If nothing else, it was an interesting observation by A-Rod (obviously he knows something about playing SS and having a strong arm) and may indicate that Nunez’s throwing issues can be fixed with perhaps a simple adjustment.

Of course, I’d rather he go down to AAA for some time to work on this, but if they can fix it on the MLB level, on fine with that too. If not for the bad throws, he does offer things that Pena can’t.
- Monteroisdinero
  
  I remember when ARod was having throwing problems a few years back. Bowa would hit 100’s of balls to him to get over his throwing hangup. It worked.
MannyGeee

bright side???

you KNOW this offense will pick up at some point and put up some 10 run games…

counterpoint? by that time, this rotation will be gassed and giving up 6ER starts…

yah, I love this game
Epy0n

Personally I am pumped for YANKEES baseball all weekend long. Boston got smacked today finally the Angels stopped giving them freebies the past two nights GEEZ.

THAT BEING SAID(DOM DOM DDOMMMMMM)after this messy series we are due to heat up and get everything in order.

LFG
Still #1 in the AL-East
Tom Zig

How long does it take to recover from a broken toe?
- Urban
  
  Depends. If it was just his small toe, he could play right now. If it’s a weight-bearing bone supporting the entire foot (even if it’s near the small toe), then it’s a bigger issue.
  - MannyGeee
    
    early reports had it as the 5th toe.
    - Urban
      
      If it’s the actual part people think of as the toe, then he’d be okay. Yet looking at how he limped off the field, it looks to be worse. The 5th metatarsal extends up into the foot, so if it’s the actual weight-bearing portion, he could be out for a few months. He’ll need a cast, boot, recovery time, etc. Hopefully it’s not a serious fracture.
Dalelama

Unfortunately this particular Yankee team as currently constructed is too old and is in the midst of breaking down. We need to sneak into the wild card and pray to catch fire in the Playoffs.
- Pat D
  
  Can I buy your crystal ball?