Thoughts following the ALCS rain out
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(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
The Yankees lived to fight another day last night, but only because Mother Nature intervened. Rain postponed Game Four until this afternoon, when the Yankees will try to extend their season with a win behind CC Sabathia. Coming back from a three games to none deficit is (very) improbable but not impossible.
1. How badly did MLB screw up the playoff schedule this year? The team with the best record in the league had to play five postseason games in five days and did not get a day off between rounds. Now they won’t be able to use their ace more than once in the ALCS. Is that the reason the Yankees are down 3-0 to the Tigers? No, of course not. They couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat right now. It’s just amazing how poorly the schedule was planned out as the new playoff system was rushed in place.
2. Let’s just say that, hypothetically, the Yankees manage to win Games Four, Five, and Six of the ALCS and force a Game Seven. Who starts that game? It won’t be CC Sabathia on two days’ rest and Phil Hughes may or may not be available given his stiff back, in which case the options would be David Phelps or non-roster guys Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia. The Yankees almost have no choice but to hope Hughes’ back starts to feel better, and frankly I hope they have to make this exact decision in a few days.
3. You know what’s crazy? There’s a chance that Alex Rodriguez has already played in his final game as a Yankee. He was not in the starting lineup last night and I assume Joe Girardi will use the same lineup today, so if the Yankees lose and he doesn’t pinch-hit, that could be it. We’ve already seen the the trade rumor seeds planted and you better believe they will continue all winter long. I don’t believe the Yankees will find a taker for A-Rod but it is possible. Wouldn’t that be something, that we may have already seen the last of him in pinstripes? I can’t think of another athlete so great yet so underappreciated, especially in New York.
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Just for S’s and G’s: Didn’t Derek Lowe pitch on 2 days rest in game 7 04? Wouldn’t Sunday be CC’s throw day? Would be be able to pitch 4-5 innings and wouldn’t that be a lot better than what Phelps could give?
I think we’d all pretty much agree that we’d like CC on 2 days rest than any of the other possible scenarios. But Cashman already came out and said that CC isnt pitching.
Yeah I saw that and don’t expect him – I was more curious as to why given that it’s his throw day, that maybe you only get a few innings etc. Obviously this is more of a “fun” debate / discussion more than anything since it’s really putting the cart miles ahead of the old horse.
CC has been on the DL twice this season, and seemed off for a while after that last DL stint. My guess is they don’t want to go crazy pushing him and risk more injury issues.
When he had the last DL stint, there were rumors that he had issues with bone chips in his elbow. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s true and he needs minor surgery after the season ends. If that’s true, some extra caution makes sense.
Throw CC for 3 or 4, Hughes (or Phelps or Nova or Freddy) for 3 or 4 and use the bullpen. There’s probably a reason why the Yankees won’t do that, but with the season on the line if it gets that far, why not?
Cashman says that now, when the Yanks are still staring up from an 0-3 hole. We’ll see what the word is if they manage to tie it up. If they do, i think anything is on the table for Game 7.
Yeah, and Mike Mussina was PROMISED he wouldn’t pitch in game 7 of 03′.
We’re not gonna need him in game 7 when Curtis Granderson hits that big grandslam.
Regarding ARod,
The Yankees will find a taker, but they will continue to be a payer as the receiving team will demand that they pay most of the salary. Also, it will continue to count against the Yanks when calculating luxury tax (which the Bombers have no problem paying).
Perhaps the Yankees take back a “bad” contract…for example not that I would want him but the Yankees take Carl Crawford from LA and pay the difference between Crawford and Arod’s salary or something similar…
When did it actually start raining in Detroit?
I checked at 10:30 ET, and the local Detroit weather said “Light Rain.” But looking at the radar map, Detroit was surrounded by very heavy rain. Don’t know if that ever blew over the ball field.
“but only because”
Makes it sound like they couldn’t have won if they had played the game. I’m sure that wasn’t your intent, Mike.
I really can’t see the Yankees moving Alex. I’m not his biggest fan (but appreciate what he’s done in his career in relation to others that played at the same time), but for so many reasons, I can’t see this happening, nor do I want to. I hate the contract, but I still feel he provides more value as a Yankee, for at least the next 2 years (not sure beyond that) than what the team would receive in return. Hope they don’t just dump him because they can.
Hughes for 3, Phelps for 2, Lowe for 4 to get the save. This is the only way game 7 can possibly go, right?
Hey, if the offense gets it in gear enough to get to a Game 7, that might be just fine!
If there is a save situation, I doubt it’s going to be Derek Lowe getting it. Hughes for 3, Phelps for 2, Robertson for 2, Soriano for 2
I said it 1/2 in jest… we’re assuming the Yankees score another run in 2012, after all.
I think at a certain point it would be counter productive to trade away Alex just for the sake of trading him. No team is going to take on all or most of his salary and paying a player $114 million to play for someone else is just beyond stupid, especially since the Yankees has the 2014 budget to consider. Add the fact they would need to find (and pay) another player to play 3B. While Alex probably tops out as a .270/330/800 20-25HR 70-85 RBI type of player, there is still value in that. He will never live up to the contract, but everyone knew that already. Not saying fans shouldn’t boo him when he (or any player) under performs but I think getting rid of him hurts more than it helps. Although, if there was no salary worries, then this is another story entirely.
Agree with the sentiment, but doubt we’ll see Alex aproach 25 HRs again. I’m wondering if even 20 is achieveable now, but certainly hope this drought is all due to his hand injury and he comes back strong next year (for the Yankees, obviously. He can fll off a cliff as far as I’m concerned if he gets traded to another team).
Agreed. I don’t see any scenario in which trading Alex during the offseason is actually beneficial to the Yankees. You’re going to have to pay the lion’s share of his salary and you’re not going to get anything really valuable in return.
It’s the old “sell low” scenario — Alex is worth very little at this moment.
1. They should be embarrassed but they won’t be. If there’s another rain delay Bud will have lost the travel day that he just had to save. Atrocious scheduling. Torre and Selig should be relieved of their duties by the owners.
2. It’ll be CC for 3 innings then Girardi will empty out the bullpen. That’s our only hope.
3. I think ARod and Swisher are done as NYY. They cost too much and they don’t do anything in the playoffs.
Ya if you ignore the fact that Arod’s postseason numbers are the same as Jeter’s if not better he hasnt done anything…
2009 doesn’t end with a flag if ARod is not on that team.
I wonder when brain maturation and long term memory development happen in EddardWorld.
Maybe he’s just a really, really mature almost-3 year old?
“3. I think ARod and Swisher are done as NYY. They cost too much and they don’t do anything in the playoffs.”
You do realize that A Rod costs the Yankees the absolute same amount (too much) whether he plays in the Bronx, Miami or El Segundo in 2013 and beyond, right? (On the VERY safe assumption that no one is saddling themselves with that shit contract….)
Does he cost the Yankees more playing for them or playing against them is the big question. And paying the ENTIRE salary for him to be a Marlin is absolutely insane.
Also, we watched the Yankees pay all but $4M of AJs contract to watch him win 17 games in Pittsburgh. Remember AJ? The last distraction/malcontent/worst player to ever wear pinstripes?
Yeah, that didn’t play out how we expected either.
Obviously not how you expected. But a lot of people here, including myself expected him to do pretty much what he did. The competition over there is night and day compared to the AL East. It’s not like he was going to do that still pitching for us.
Time to stop feeding Eddard. If we don’t respond, maybe he’ll stop posting. I held my tongue (fingers?) and didn’t respond directly to his post.
noted.
Just going back to 2007, CC has never pitched on 2 days rest, even during the stretch run in 2008 with the Brew Crew. Probably not shocking.
He’s also never been on a team that was down 0-3 and had come back and forced a Game 7, so if that did happen, it would certainly be interesting.
I’d expect him to be the first guy out of the pen to start an inning.
CC pitched twice on two days rest in last years ALDS:
http://www.baseball-reference......038;post=1
Only one appearance was more than 40 pitches, but I would be surprised if he doesn’t pitch at all in a game 7 if the Yankees make it that far.
Big “IF”!
Marchand has reported that Hughes has said he is fine. Was supposed to play catch yesterday, bullpen today.
Sad for ARod. I suspect he’s either still feeling effects of the hand injury, even if just mainly psychological. I expect next year he’ll be pretty decent again. Before the injury he was having a not-bad-at-all year actually.
The question is the booing. Many think he wants to stay here because of all that money to come. And that no intelligent trade is available, so we’re all stuck.
But I dunno. If I already had a quarter-billion in earnings I think I’d get tired of the abuse, and only stick it out if I thought I could get the all-time home run record. Itself a close-run thing at this point. I think I’d go to management and say “buy me out.”
Once everything settles down a bit I’m just not sure it makes sense to trade A-Rod. The guy is mired in a downright awful slump right now, but it’s not like he’s a horrible 3rd baseman. Even with another injury mired and disappointing year he still was 15th in WAR among 3rd baseman this year. Replacable? Yes, but it’s not like guys better than him are exactly growing on trees.
So you’re trading him, picking up a huge chunk of change, and then probably struggling to find someone actually better than him. Are you going to save a bunch of money this way? Probably not too much between all the salary you eat on A-Rod’s deal and the cost of securing a replacement. Are you greatly improving the team? Probably not. Only 9 3rd baseman were more than 1 WAR above ARod and about half of them are superstars who aren’t going to be available in the budget. So in the end we’re going through this whole big process basically just to be rid of the distraction of A-Rod. I can’t really see it being worth it.
My awesome (silly) plan. Bench him all next season. Not like bench as in doesn’t start, like bench as in he never gets in the game. Treat it like you have a 24 man roster. And on top of that tell all the other players not to talk to him. Make him use a small broom closet as his changing room. Basically psychological warfare. How many games of not playing with nobody talking to him do you think it would take for him to decide to retire? Couldn’t be that many right? I think by August he’d be out the door.
By August he’d be out the door, and the New York Yankees would have taken over as Public Villain #1. This is a truly mad, as in certifiably morally insane, proposal.
I was thinking the same thing about Pettitte. We could have seen the last of him. I’m guessing he comes back and we can get Andy/Mo/Jeter to play a full year together. I want ARod to stay. I think his true talent is about an average defensive 3B, a good baserunner and a .350 wOBA going forward. That has plenty of value. In fact I think it’d be tough to find that much value replacing him and it would cost a ton if not all to trade him. He’s always going to deal with nagging injuries but that hand injury was a fluke and he was doing fine and turning it on. Since then he’s struggled at the plate. I think his lack of confidence came secondary to his body not being able to perform. People need to forget the contract…it’s not his fault he was one of the best players of all time and Hank had some influence when he was signed….and the money is gone already. Can someone please tell me how Levine even has a job by the way? And i don’t mean with us I mean anywhere..McDonalds…the Royals…anywhere.
Everyone keeps talking about trading A-Rod this offseason. How in the world does this make sense? That would be the all-time definition of selling low. It’d be the AJ Burnett trade part two, but A-Rod is still much more productive than AJ was when he was traded. If they’re serious about trading him, they’d wait until the trade deadline next year after he shows the league he can still hit a baseball.
I agree. Trading Rodriguez makes no sense. A buyout might make sense, but only if he were willing to leave a lot of money on the table. But why trade him to save 5-10 million per year? You can’t sign a replacement for him for that kind of money.
Although he’s not such a power threat, he does get on base. It makes some sense to bat him second in front of Cano and I’d actually do that in game 5 if we win today.
Exactly. The Yankees still wind up paying a majority of that ridiculous contract anyway and, as others have noted, who replaces him? It’s not like he was terrible before Felix hit him and he’s shown his defense is still above average.
Can’t wait til next year when the replacement 3B hits .230 with 15 homeruns and everyone is pining for A-Rod. Amazing how many people don’t really know baseball and hate this guy.
You are so right. I really don’t understand why people and especially hate on him so much. Granderson, Swisher, Cano and even Texiera before this year were horrible in the post season for us, at least Arod had 2009 where he put the Yanks on his back and took them to the WS. He gets paids alot sure, but Tex, Grandy and Swisher aren’t exactly getting paid penuts.
Arod: It is unfortunate it has come to this. Prolonged slumps happens to the best players and it seems like the Yankees find him an easy (scape goat) target for their non-scoring maladies. It is as if his replacement (chavez) is tearing up the ball. Arod’s absence hurts the team more as the pitcher looks at the line-up and licks his chops thinking it will be an easy breeze through the meat of the order. Most people years ago gave up on Jeter when he had a terrible season yet he bounced back to have one of the best in his career. Arod has still 2 years left of production better than most 3rd basemen in the league.
He will be on the Marlins next year. They need a draw and will be glad to take the Yankees money. The Yanks have enough pitching to contend and now have the opportunity to get younger. Cashman will piece it together and find a 3rd baseman. Maybe Nunez can learn the position in the pre-season. The Yankee system is strong in young outfielders and they don’t have an innings limit. Time for us fans to fall in love with a new home grown flock.
thinking about eduardo nunez at 3b makes me want to curl up into the fetal position and cry. my god. airmail
I have no idea what to make of the A-Rod stuff. On the one hand, I like A-Rod. Always have. I think he can still be a productive, above average third baseman for a couple more years, so I don’t really want him to go. Plus, I have a hard time seeing another team taking on enough money to make it worthwhile.
But then again, I sure as hell never thought a trade like the one between the Sox and Dodgers could happen either. If the Marlins (or some other crazy team) wants to take on enough money….I might just do it.
Loria’s the only owner crazy enough I can think of that’d be willing to do that. Also, what about A-Rod’s NTC? Every year we see stories about A-Rod helping the younger guys and more on him being a team player. Would he really want to give that up and go to the Marlins just because the NY media bashes him for everything he does right or wrong?
Probably not. But if Loria gets real drunk one night and agrees to take on a ton of money, the Yankees have to at least approach A-Rod about it.
The way the Marlins have been constructed over the past few years, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn if Loria was real drunk all of the time. At that point maybe he’ll throw in Stanton!
A man can dream.
No one in Miami would notice if they threw in Stanton, therefore, it will happen.
#threequarterskidding
Random fan in miami: “Did you hear we traded Giancarlo Stanton? Why did the Yankees want him instead of Mike Stanton?”
With regards to Yankee fans appreciation of ARod, I imagine it is right in line with Texas fans’ appreciation of him and Seattle fans’ appreciation of him. Maybe there is something to it when one of the greatest baseball players of all-time has been, in your view, under-appreciated by all the cities he has played for. When after three steroid-inflated monster years in Texas, and still in the prime of his career, he was traded to the Yankees with Texas agreeing to pay a large portion of his salary, maybe there is something to the fans’ appreciation. When he opts out of his contract during the World Series only to come back to the Yankees, costing them much more money (and letting Texas off the hook) only to shortly after reveal his use of PEDs, maybe there is something to it. When he has made comments about how “now” he is about the team unlike earlier in his career when he was about his numbers, maybe there is something to it. When he has made more headlines on Page Six than on the back page of the paper over his nine years, maybe there is something to it. And when he is a .247 hitter in the post-season for the Yankees (which looks more dreadful without 2009) maybe there is some justification to the fans’ level of appreciation for one of the most enigmatic and divisive sports icons to ever play in New York. To that I would like to say, thank you ARod for some truly great regular seasons and one hell of a post-season in 2009. I wish you the best in the next chapter of your career and I sincerely hope that you can find a place that appropriately appreciates your accomplishments, even though I believe everyone already does.
Signed, Jimmy in 2017
I would love to see Alex come off the bench today and hit one last clutch HR before he moves on. Of course if he could hit one more HUGE HR he may be able to get his groove back and all of these rumors would disappear.
Call me crazy but I think A-Rod has at least two more good seasons left in him. His recent lack of power is due to his hand injury and he’ll bounce back fine in 2013. If he can avoid that type of fluke injury again, he’ll be productive. Maybe not 30HR/100RBI productive but he’ll still be a force at the plate.
You just know that if the Yankees do move him he will absolutely rake for his new team next year while the Yankees are on the hook for most if not all of his salary. I mean that is the most predictable thing ever and it is going to SUCK.
No, his lack of contact has been due to the broken hand. His lack of power has been looming since the hip.
All told, if he comes back “right” next spring, he could have a dead cat bounce that lasts the better part of 2 seasons. Giambi looked this flat in 2005 (worse if you consider he was a shitty defender… At least A-Rod still plays a mean bag), came back strong in 2006 and had a relatively productive twilight in Colorado.
You are almost certainly right in this prediction. In this current ARod business what we are observing is one of those episodes of mass hysteria that now and then sweeps over societies, like witch crazes, end-of-the-world episodes, unexpected deaths of worthless celebrities, etc.
Anna Nicole Smith takes offense to this comment.
Who she? Witch? Worthless celebrity?
Marlins Get:
A-Rod: 5 years (2013-17), $114M
Yanks Take Back:
Heath Bell: 2 years (2013-14), $18M
Mark Buehrle: 3 years (2013-15), $38M
John Buck: 1 year (2013), $6M
Difference $52M
Yanks pay $40…leaving the Marlins to pay about $15M a year for 5 years…and the Yanks $8 for 5 years.
Problem is that 2 of those players factor into the 2014/$189M plan.
just to be clear, the names being exchange are what I was seeing last night from a few places.
Not sure that would all work. I just think we’ve seen the last of A-Rod in Pinstripes, the relationship is too damaged IMO.
Start Dooley Womack. Follow with Whitey Ford. Close with Jim Bouton. Better than our current choices.
Someone from my era! But shouldn’t it be Ford, Bouton, Womack?
If you start Ford, he’ll give you a CGS.
Rest the bullpen.
Ahh, if only Allie Reynolds were still alive.
I think Joe Verbanic or Fred Talbot might work.
Sprinkle in Steve Hamilton and his folly floater somewhere
Thad Tillotson FTW!
Yes, the schedule is Fxxkxp but we all no the Yankees have underperformed the second half and the playoffs. The team on paper should have no issues in getting past the likes of Birds and Tigers. There is a gap between ability and the brain that has crepted into all but a few of the players on this roster. The all or nothing approach, the lack of situational hitting. We have lost one run games. Teams employ the shift. Teix. was up against Verlander. We are down one run and nobody was out if I remember correctly near the end of the game. The Third baseman Cabrera is playing shortstop. The OF is deep and about straight away. Teix. could have placed any kind of a dribbler toward third base, man on first. These are the playoffs. Its 50 degrees, wind blowing in. These are desperate times which mean do what you got to do to win.
I do not understand the dislike for Arod. He plays hard, one of the best players of all time. He doesn’t handle situations all that well. He’s no Jeter when mentality for the game is brought up. He needs to be stroked in different ways when things are not right for him. I don’t see how Girardi can bench him for Chavez. Arod can still turn it around. If Arod gets hot in one game he can carry a team as well as Cabrera carries the Tigers. Without Arod in the game I have no hope of winning a few games and making this series interesting. I fear Arod will not have the ability to come back from a benching. He appears to have accepted the benching. As far as trading Arod the Yankees would be foolish to not consider or offer him to a team of his choice or a large market who can afford him. I do not believe their will be any takers for him.
I just don’t comprehend the total melt down of the this team except for Jeter and Ichiro or maybe I do. They are HofF players who just do everything on a level higher than a big league ballplayer. And our other players have become comfortable putting stats up in the confines of Yankee Stadium which do not equate to other parks. No balance in the lineup is evident.
I for one don’t hate Arod. He was one of the greatest players of this generation (WAS). As of now he is just average and sometimes below average (as in this and last playoff). We once had a third baseman who was not as great but did the job when it counted (Brosius). Thus if he is traded, move Jeter to third and play Nunez at short and if he does not pan out, replace him too. I’m also not going to complain if Arod stays. However, I don’t expect more than he has given us the last three seasons.
this just in, there is a “threat of sunshine” in Detroit! play ball
Whether you agree or disagree with the current benching, I can’t imagine anyone would argue that trading Arod after this season is the wrong move. Even if they have to eat most of his deal.
He’s only going to get worse as a player. He’s insanely over paid (not his fault). And he’s a yr or two away from being a light hitting (relatively speaking) DH.
Add to that how much more flexible the roster will become with him gone (for instance, if they sign him, Cano could move to DH in a few years with Arod gone) and the media circus/distraction that hovers around him will follow hom out the door.
It would be the right move, IMO.
“Add to that how much more flexible the roster will become with him gone.”
You’re under the impression that who ever takes A-Rod will be paying any of his salary. It’s just not going to happen. The Dodgers/Red Sox “trade” (read SALARY DUMP) was such a big deal because it never happens.
I don’t know how credible this is but I was listening to ESPN Radio on the way to work today and Buster Onley quoted two execs as saying that if Alex was a free agent right now he’d get a deal of roughly 5-8 mil on a year to year basis. I think that’s a little low, so let’s bump it up to 10. That would mean the team that takes Alex would be chipping in 50 of a 114 Million over the next 5yrs, far far less if we get anything of value back in the deal.
Don’t get me wrong, if there is a team out there who is willing to eat even HALF of Alex’s salary AND give us something of value in return I would jump all over it, and I’m one of the biggest A-Rod supporters in the NYC area.
No, I mentioned that they’d have to eat most of his deal. I think, because of declining returns, that they’ll be better off even if they have to eat 90% of it.
I’d rather he not be on the team in 2 years when he’s a FT DH, as slow as Giambi and hitting 20 HRs. At that age and my assumptions on his performance level, it’ll be addition by subtraction.
I get what you’re saying, but it’s not like the money the Yankees would be paying him is all of a sudden off the budget, whether he’s here making 25Mil a year of the Yankees money, or in Miami making 20mil a year of the Yankees money, that still counts against the Yankees salary money…making it all that more difficult to get under that 189 the Yankees seem to be determined to do come hell or high water. I’d just prefer if he’s going to hit .270 w/ 25Hrs and 85-95RBI for 25mil a year, we get that production not pay him to do it with Miami AND pay somebody else to put up lesser numbers.
What makes you think he’s going to put up those kind of numbers though? I don’t think he’s done as a hitter. But I do think his health will be a yearly problem. He hasn’t played more than 138 games in 5 years.
Nothing is absolute, but if you look at it logically, his health AND skills will continue to decline. Get rid of him now, when you can. Because in 2 years, they wont be able to.
I’m basing his numbers on what he was doing before he broke his wrist. I get being concerned about his health, but let’s not pretend that most of the time he missed this season was as a result of his hip problem, it was a freak injury that could have happened to anybody. Is his recovery taking longer because he’s older? Yeah, probably. I just think it’s foolish when the Yankees are trying to save money to pay somebody 25 million dollars period, let alone paying him to play for another team.
This was just posted. Seems relevant to our conversaiton:
Jerry Crasnick ?@jcrasnick
A-Rod had a 1.067 OPS to win MVP award in 2007. His OPS since then: .965, .933, .847, .823, .783. #yankees
I get you’re point about being foolish to pay him to play elsewhere. But is it really? If you’re paying him anyway, wouldnt you rather his .730 OPS in 2 years and .670 OPS in 4 years be elsewhere?
Like I said, if he is traded we’re paying most of his contract anyway, but if we can get a useful player in return I’d be more okay with it…but to just straight up eat the contract to get him out of town isn’t worth it to me.
I guess that’s where we disagree. You open up a roster spot and you free up the DH.
But good talk.
why not arod and 38 million to the angels for vernon wells that way the angels pay him 16 million for 5 years minus the 40 million they save on wells . yanks can hope that maybe wells revives . with wells he could replace swisher for the next 2 years at a n admitted ridiculous 20 million a year. but the yanks would not need to spend money on a right fielder and wells at one time was the best hitter in baseball according to jim kaat. the angels might do it because arod has ridiculous numbers in that ball park. the owner loved arod so much, he almost gave him the contract yankees wound up giving arod in 2008. in this trade , the yanks save money. also, why could n’t the yanks sign josh hamilton with a clause in his contract that if he goes off the wagon his contract is terminated
Wells couldnt replace you as a fan, unfortunately.
He probably could, I think.
Read this, i need your advice. The rainuot really screwed over my plans.
Yesterday morning i got a text from a really hot girl, one that i’ve been all over for a couple of years, long story short we are suposed to go on a date this friday night. I said friday ’cause in my mind there was no way the yankees were playing, and she even got tickets for some concert that day. Now i’m screwed, i think they are winning today and takin’ her to watch the game is not an option, i don’t think she knows what baseball is, plus i get really… emotional with playoff games and i don’t think she has to see me like that just yet.
So what would you do; Call her to cancel and watch the game?? or, Screw the game go out with her, hope you get some action and hope tha yankees win again so you can watch on saturday???
If she’s that hot, then ya gotta keep the date. You may never get such action again
Yeah, it has crossed my mind.
Hell, they may lose today and this is all pointless.
thanks.
Yes, gotta take the date. You may regret it if you don’t. If the Yankees play on Friday, they may win and play again on Saturday. If they lose, they’ll play again next year. easy choice, take the date!
If you have a smart phone, why not have both?! If she bought tickets to a concert you guys aren’t really going to be focused on each other during the set so you just take advantage and check your phone for scores and updates. If you have the At Bat 12 app, maybe slip an ear phone in when the lights dim and try listening to to some of the game. If you get caught and she asks what you’re doing, just explain to her that as awesome of a time you’re having you’re a gigantic Yankee fan and just wanted to check the score real quick. If she’s super cool she’ll ask the score, if she’s normal level cool she’ll shake her head and be like “boys and their sports,” and if she get’s all pouty about it, as hot as she is, is that somebody you want to date long term?
I like it, i do have at bat 12… I think she’d be normal level cool. I mean i’m not sure, met her a long time ago, but don’t really know her.
From an oldtimer, drop the electronics. Enjoy the girl, concert if she’s as hot and you’ve been all over her. Its a no brainer, the Yankees will play with or without you. Maybe they win and your date is wonderful then you won both games.
Thanks man, will be considered.
Hasn’t Good Will Hunting taught you anythin!
anything..typo…I hate dropping the g on ‘-ing’ words.
+10000000
I can’t watch youtube at work :/
Hmmm i watched that film long time ago, so i don’t remember a whole lot of it, is the one of Damon and Affleck, right??
Yes that’s the movie.
Go on the date. The Yankees will always be there
Life > Baseball.
Go on your damn date, Luisergi. This is as big a no-brainer as it gets.
This. We all live and die with the Yankees, but take the date man. I wish I had your problem right now
Yeah, i think i’ll take the date, and watch the score on my cellphone as Voldy suggested. Thank you all.
this. many of us use the sport to “escape” from our lives (work, taking a break from being a dad or husband for an hour or 2, mowing the lawn or paying bills, etc etc etc)…
That said, there are certain things that take priority: E.G. my kids have 3 soccer games this weekend, baseball is on the back burner for those 70 minutes.
A date with a REEEEEALLY special woman should definitely take priority.
i am very superstitous so if you have watched every game and they have lost, then maybe if you don’t watch they’ll win?
Did you have your lemon chicken before the game, Wade?
Yep, they may win today and tomorrow just to mess with me.
A-Rod, Chavez, Swish, Granderson and Cano will go 16 of 32 with 4 homers and 13 rbis.
trust me. the win will be even sweeter if you are watching the highlights on SportsCenter the next morning…. from her bed.
Ohhhhhhh that’d be nice
From a woman’s and also an avid baseball fan’s perspective
1. You’ve been waiting 2 years for this girl and now you are going to mess up your chances because of the Yankees?
2. Go out with her as planned on Friday nite
3. DVR the game (IF there is a game) and watch it when you get back
4. If you dont have DVR, watch the highlights on MLB Network
5. If you really like her, hope you dont get any action. That would be too easy.
I really like her, but i hope i get some action, actually i think there will be action.
We’ve been close of… getting together a couple of times back in the day, but i had a girlfriend both times, and i think she was dating somebody else too, so we stoped.
I’ll go to the date and behave, i swear.
I’ll go to the date and behave, i swear.
———————-
Lol that’s what we all say.
If the Yankees trade A-Rod to Miami, it’ll be for Heath Bell and maybe Mark Buerhle. The Yankees could then promote Ronnier Mustalier to 3B (cheaply) or attempt a trade to LAA for Andrew Romine (since LAA has also Alberto Callaspo, Erick Aybar, and a good rookie SS coming up from AAA). There are options and we need to think outside the box on some of this stuff. I dont mind A-Rod…I just want to see the Yankees get younger. Hell, they could even try a trade with Houston for Matt Dominguez or Jed Lowrie (I’m sure Lowrie could play 3B if he had to).
People really need to learn that younger=/=better a lot of the time. Look at the Red Sox. They got a lot younger after their big trade w/ the Dodgers…and they were worse than the 2009 Orioles for the rest of the season.
….because “younger” beings with putting an unathletic pushing-30 Cuban defector at third base.
We’ve lost our minds on Alex Rodriguez. We’ve completely lost our fucking minds.
I love you R-Tils.
(purposely leaving out any sort of “no homo” line to stir up controversy)
I seem to have to have used a keyword which led to being stuck in moderation purgatory with my reply. The gist of it was “I don’t care what that may imply about our sexuality.”
Man, Raul Ibanez gets one pinch-hit HR and, suddenly, we might as well have Cody Eppley play 3B. Meanwhile, Curtis Granderson would have to hit Joe Girardi’s kids with a bat (he’d miss, of course) to sit more than one game.
cody ransom…remember?
Trying to forget, actually.
Why? His box jumps were EPIC.
Too bad he wasn’t Cuban, then.
“Curtis Granderson would have to hit Joe Girardi’s kids with a bat (he’d miss, of course) to sit more than one game.”
Ha… I had no idea Joe Girardi’s kids were breaking balls in the dirt.
Hug it out.
They are not getting rid of Arod, the money he is owed is too much and I seriously doubt the Yankees are going to eat the 100+ million to get a team to take him. There is also the fact that he loves NY and the Yankees and has a complete no-trade clause. By the way, Arod is still a productive third baseman both offensively and defensively and even if the Yankees were somehow able to get rid of him, that creates a big whole that is going to require a ton of resources to try and fill. It makes zero sense to waste the prospects (especially considering it would cost at least 2 of Austin, Sanchez, Williams plus another good prospect) and the money to get a replacement. The Yankees are going to have big needs to fill in the outfield, SP and backstop within the next 3 years and I would prefer they not gut the system to fill a hole that they will create should Arod be moved.
i don’t understand how people want arod to be traded. who are we gonna replace him with? arod still better then the majority 3rd baseman in the league.
The older he gets the harder it is to move him. He might have been better than most 3B this yr. But what about next yr? What about 2 yrs from now?
If they can move him while he still has a little value, I’d do it if I were them. Just so they dont have to live with the 2-4 yrs where he has almost no value.
I partially agree.
If something works out well for the the team, then do it. Something preferable to keeping him is not going to be easy to find.
The fact that he’s saddled with $114M on his contract and no one is jumping through the walls like the Kool Aid man to take him out of the Bronx means he actually has negative value right now.
Sure, it may become even more negative value before long, but zero is still zero.
That said, if someone wants to trade for him and eat that cash, then you HAVE to take advantage of that. but ot paying form him to play elsewhere… just stupid
I don’t want him traded, and i don’t think he is going anywhere.
But imagine they dump A-Rod and trade for Headley, that’d be good i think.
Depends on how much of Alex’s salary you’re paying and what you gave up for Headley.
This, however? GREAT date conversation.
HeHE i think i’ll take the date, and watch the score on my cellphone as Voldy suggested.
OH reply fail
For god’s sake, do it when you go to the restroom or something, though, if you actually want a second date.
HAHAHA sure, i’ll take that advice. Going back to the Headley trade talk; wouldn’t that be nice?? i’d take the first plane to Vegas and marry her.
Man, why don’t all (hot) chicks love baseball?? the world would be a much better place.
If only man, if only.
Saddest thing, I got friendzoned by a girl who is a Mets fan…who then invited me out to watch game 3 of the 2009 World Series at a bar, just the two of us. She is also the second hottest girl I’ve ever known. Second only to her younger sister.
Shit, friendzoned??
Feels like a kick in the crouch, doesn’t it??
She’s one of my closest friends so I got over it after a while…but yeah every so often I think, “what if…”
I think we all have one of those “what if…” girls.
Enough of them do. Just got to find one. Despite her often resembling stuart in her options, my wife does enjoy it.
I know plenty of good-looking women who like baseball. They’re also all well into their 30′s and are mostly taken.
For some reason this depressingly reminds me of How I Met Your Mother’s argument against the “there are more fish in the sea” theory. Sure there are a lot of women out there, but how many are single, straight, attracted to you, you attracted to them, live near you, are within your age range, within your intellect range, and share common interests with you…I’m going to go cry in a corner now.
We’ll be okay, Plouffy.
And willing to move to Madrid in february in my case.
They are hot as hell over there so that wouldn’t be a problem, but also they don’t know what a baseball bat is, so we can scratch the common interest thing, and live with it.
never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever take a woman with you to Madrid.
you cant swing a dead cat in Madrid without hitting a total 10.
I did love the women in Barcelona. Haven’t hit Madrid yet. Barcelona may be my favorite city on this earth, though.
lol’d at the stuar reference by the way.
Tilapia, please take the next 12 hours and coach this boy before his date. hes never gonna get a second one if he buries his nose in his iPhone all night…
(this is spoken from experience, as I did this SAME EXACT THING on Saturday night with my wife…. she was less than pleased)
HAHA I apreciate it, but i’m good enough at dating, i’ve had my fair share. But believe me when i say that 70% of my dates happen between November and March.
Mine’s never pleased. Somehow, she hates it even more when I’m responding to texts from other women. Why is that?
Of course, she then grabs hers and starts answering student questions, so touche.
Yes, no IPhone on the date. You’re going to check it once and then not be able to stop. Either they play again the next day or you’re off the hook until Spring Training.
Also, iron your shirt.
Late to the party, but this convo is pretty great. I can relate too, I’ve avoided dates to watch playoff games in the past. Probably not the best idea, since I’m still single. Your situation’s different though since she alrady bought concert tix. You’ve gotta go. Can’t see how you can make it through without peeking at the iPhone though. Just have to let her know what’s up.. maybe even make a joke about it. Good luck man.
Jim Bowden wins the biggest knee jerk reaction award. He was on ESPN radio and siad Cashman should eat Arod’s entire contract and give him to Miami or Colorado for nothing. Then he shold sign Michael Bourn, Josh Hamilton, Zach Greinke and Kyle Lohse and trade Granderson to Washington for Rendon. How was this guy ever a GM?
Jesus…he sounds like a 12 year old who just paused MLB the Show w/ force trade and ignore budget on to either call in a radio show or post on this website.
I had no idea Jim Bowden posted on RAB… great times
….WAT?
and that’s why he’s no longer a GM.
for fuck sake trading arod is stupid. you don’t pay someone to go play somewhere else and then have to pay a replacement when you’re under a budget crisis and the guy is still a top 15-20 3b. for god sakes. jesus. everyone needs to fucking relax. go do something outside, in the real world, that matters and stop freaking out.
I think the Framework of an A-Rod for Heath Bell is very feasible. A-Rod actually is still a pretty good player and would be a nice fit in Miami at either 3rd or First. The Yankees throw in a few tens of millions, and boom, no more A-Rod. Yankees go out and sign Kevin Youklis to a fair contract and its on to 2013.
Bell, Youkilis, and Slit Wrists: The 2013 New York Yankees
This is the post were I realized that everybody has lost their minds about Alex Rodriguez.
Heh. I am not completely opposed to trading A-Rod, but as I mentioned somewhere far above, Loria would have to be black out drunk and agree to take on almost all of the salary.
I still maintain that no one down there would notice if he gave us Stanton in return.
LoMo or NO GO!
See what I did there?
I understand trading him…but replacing him with Kevin Youkilis? My god the idea of it makes me want to vomit up the coffee I had for breakfast.
Oh fuck that part of it. I would try to swing a trade for Headley or something in that situation. Hells no on Pukilis.
Um I’m just going by the Rumor of A-Rod for Heath Bell and expressing that I think the trade is feasable if the Yankees kick in lots of money. I’m not endorsing it, I actually like A-Rod and think Girardi has handled this situation horribly. Anyway, not sure why that comment makes me sound crazy.
I think we’re all probably confusing “feasible” with an endorsement.
Ah, that could be. I meant “feasable” in the traditional sense. New York has a bad contract in ARod they want to unload, Miami has a bad contract in Heath Bell they want to unload. A-Rod is from Miami and they need corner infielders. The Yankees have enough money to absorb some dead bullpen weight (See Feliciano, Pedro). Anyway, will be an intresting off season.
I honestly think watching Heath Bell blowing it in the 8th would be worse on my mental health than watching a classic Alex strikeout.
That rumor was from april.
I find it a little ironic that in 2009 the Yankees rolled with their depthless rotation and because of all the off days could just use their big guys. Then the league, in reaction to that, adjusted postseason scheduling to make it impossible. Now the Yankees have the best and deepest rotation they’ve had in a long time, but because of the moronic scheduling they’re getting screwed.
I guess the plan worked but for a completely different reason than initially planned.
First the Yankees must win today with CC. Then a 50% chance of rain in Detroit tomorrow. Bring it on!
oh this would be epic. on top of all the epic shit that would need to happen, but still
Enough with the $189 million already. Do you really think that number is going to keep the Yankees from making a move they think is going to drastically improve the team next year or for the considerable future?
The brass will talk about it now, but when the rubber meets the road we’ll see what happens. I think they might be able to find enough revenue somewhere to somehow survive paying the luxury tax…
Unless that something is a no brainer like Verlander (under contract…just using him as an example) I think they definitely stick to the payroll. Hal has made it clear he wants to reach that number badly.
I should have been more clear in stating that they won’t just add a ton of payroll for any old player(s), but if a big deal can be pieced together, I think the 189 goes out the window.
As far as Hal’s constant expressed desire to reach the number:
“Everybody lies.”
-House, M.D.
Weather is clearing in Detroit; stadium area just had a large shower roll through, but rain is stopping…
As least in the water sense.
The rain of stupidity vis a vis Alex is just beginning to fall.
Jim Caple now says A-Rod should play, lol. I agree.
Put him in Girardi – he’s the better DEFENSIVE option than Chavez. Anything at the plate is gravy at this point.
A-Rod is probably a bit better, but Chavez isn’t bad defensively.
Well if A-rod is playing, let him play. It is beyond weird he’s sitting at this critical situation, unless there’s way more to this story than I know. What could it be? Did he secretly break Jeter’s ankle in the dugout? Did he make a grab for Girardi’s balls in the shower? Did he supply young, impressionable Ivan Nova with sex video tapes of Cameron Diaz? Is there such a thing as video tape anymore? Tell me!
Weird. The site has oddly become far less bridge-jumpy now. I guess that’s what happens when you’re playing with house money.
“The site has oddly become far less bridge-jumpy now”
please see the 185 comments above where A-Rod being traded (with the YUankees paying the entire tab) and then signing Youk/moving Cano there/moving Jeter there/resurrecting Scott Brosius/Reinvigorating the non rumor of Chase Headley…. then come back to me with non bridge jumpy.
kthx
I said bridge-jumpy. Not crazy.
So when we trade A-Rod, finding someone to take his entire salary, then get Headley from SD for a bag of balls, who’s the next guy we pick on, assuming we let Swisher go?
The modern age of main stream
entertainmentsports coverage is really, really, really awful.Granderson is the easy choice, assuming his option is picked up. Makes me almost wish the Yankees bring Andruw back, to take the heat off a bit.
Assuming they don’t pick Granderson’s option up…I’d say it’s Tex. Hughes, Nova, and Cano have the saving grace of being “home grown” therefore off limits for the media to rag on, plus 2 of them aren’t star quality. Tex on the other hand, signed as a free agent, historically doesn’t hit well in the playoffs, and has become ever thing that Average Yankee Fan Asshat hates about the Yankees…a dead pull home run hitter.
I think Granderson is media-savvy enough and enough of a good guy to keep people off his back. I think I’d probably agree with RIAKATMRAKATY(TM) below. Tex may be biting this bullet.
And by below, I meant above.
Whoa. That acronym reminds me why I still roll with “Plouffy”.
That acronym probably took longer to type than the rest of the post. I love it.
It did. First I ignored the AKA’s, but decided to include them.
You’re all wrong. Here’s who the fall guy will be:
April: FA over 35 the Yanks bring in in the Ibanez mold who we are CONVINCED is FINISHED
May: Mark Teixeira
June: MiLB FA over 35 who is BLOCKING the YOUNG GUYS and is PROOF we have no AAA DEPTH
July: Mark Teixeira
August: Trade deadline pickup whose first half numbers indicate that he is DONE DONE DONE
September: Mark Teixeira and/or Curtis Granderson
October: Mark Teixeira AND Curtis Granderson
Throughout: Joe Girardi’s binder which may, or may not, be full of women.
The sad thing is, I think Joe has actually done a great job. He’s been “hitting the right buttons”, so to speak. Hughes goes down with an injury, and the bullpen steps in and essentially shuts down Detroit-great bullpen management by Joe. A-Rod is pinch hit for and Ibanez puts on a show for the ages-great (and ballsy) move by Joe. Nunez is started when Jeet goes down at SS despite heavy criticism, makes no errors and via HR scores the only run of the previous game-great move by Joe.
Girardi has done everything he possibly can. He’s done a great job managing in the playoffs, but when the team is just NOT hitting there’s only so much you can do.
I don’t even WANT to trade A-Rod. Give him an offseason to let that wrist heal and I bet you he’s a top ten to top five 3rd baseman in the league. I’d also rather keep Swish if at all possible, but then I’m a huge Swish fan so there’s some bias there.
I don’t believe that the vast majority of players are “clutch” or are “chokers.” I assume in 99% of cases, the more at bats someone has with men on base, the more likely their stats in those situations will equal their stats in all other situations. That’s the rule. That being said, for every rule, there is an outlier. After watching ARod day in an day out for 8 years, it is clear that he repeatedly chokes in big spots and he lights up the stat sheet in low pressure situations.
While I generally agree with Mike in most things involving the Yankees, I cannot disagree any more strongly when he says ARod is under appreciated. The only way you can say he’s under appreciated is if you bury your head in stats. On paper, the guy is a monster. But in person, even if when he was still a juicing beast, he was coming up short in big situations.
Yes 2009 is the exception. But one hot streak does not eliminate years of choking.
I just listened to yesterday’s “Michael Kay Show, where he rants about Rodriguez. Kay needs to be sedated. He’s a good example of the media gone out of control–or playing at being out of control–in order to agitate their listeners/viewers/readers. There is something seriously wrong with these people.
What did he say?
ARod’s finished in NY, can’t possibly start today, probably not again, something about how he’s always seeking “approval” because (sic) his father left the family (or something to that effect); and decision to bench him was taken in “panic.”
His voice was one notch below a shout–which on radio makes one sound like a raving, foam-flecked demagogue.
I thought the bit about his father was a classic example of mass media psycho-babble, utterly unforgivable.
That’s just brutal. The father thing shouldn’t be brought into this. No one has any idea how and if that effects him or not. No reason to guess or speculate.
Kay’s radio persona is sometimes fun, but it’s clear sometimes he’s just saying dumb shit in order to be provocative.
I just like it when he pisses on LaGreca. I hope Don gets paid well to be everyone’s fall guy all day long.
A-Rod cannot hit RHP right now!! If you want to blame the hand, fine. I get that. It doesn’t change the fact that he can’t actually hit righties.
Chavez has been bad too, yes. But he has a better chance to hit a righty. Continuing to sit A-Rod is the correct play.
How about the Yankees score 10 runs today, 11 tomorrow, 12 on Saturday, and then 26 on Sunday? Then we don’t need to worry about pitching.