Game 149: Just Win

September 14, 2013 by Mike Axisa 195 Comments

Sorry for the tardiness. Here’s the lineup:

CF Curtis Granderson
3B Mark Reynolds
2B Robinson Cano
DH Alex Rodriguez
LF Vernon Wells
1B Lyle Overbay
SS Brendan Ryan
RF Ichiro Suzuki
C J.R. Murphy

And on the mound is left-hander CC Sabathia. First pitch is scheduled for a little after 1pm ET and can be seen in FOX. Enjoy.

Injury Update: Alfonso Soriano was a late scratch with a sprained right thumb. He hurt himself diving for a ball in Baltimore and is day-to-day.

Wheels

No Nunez, thank goodness.
- Wolfgang’s Fault
  
  Nunez should be IN the lineup, playing shortstop, & Ryan should be watching. Regardless, how do you justify putting Ryan up 7th? Sort of like GIrardi hitting Russell Martin cleanup in last year’s postseason & then the FO not making a serious effort to re-sign Martin over the winter. How do you justify playing Wells over Almonte & hitting him 5th? Mr. Wells is done, & has been for several years now. The man can no longer rotate his hips and is incapable of getting any power out of the lower half of his body. He hits, if he hits at all, w/his arms, & his #’s tell you how successful that’s been. At least playing Almonte would give the kid some experience that hopefully would pay off for him down the road. At this stage, the Bosox are toying w/the “Bombers.” Pathetic.
  - WhittakerWalt
    
    Have you watched Nunez play the field? That guy is like minus-infinty WAR just based on his “fielding” alone.
    - Wolfgang’s Fault
      
      Yeah, I get it, but if they don’t hit against the Sox, they’ve got no chance, & there are/were already too many outs in the lineup to concede at shortstop, & yeah, figures Ryan gets one of the three hits, but still . . .
      
      Going in, you knew you’d need someone who could possibly muscle up & do some offensive damage, & if it’s between Nunez & Ryan in this situation, I go w/Nunez every time, & take my chances on what happens defensively. Gotta hope they can salvage one of the three tomorrow, but clearly, this club is spent, & in need of a major rebuild come the winter.
      
      I do like Murphy & Romine coming back next spring and that’s a decent foundation to build upon. Resign Cano, rebuild the pitching staff – starters & bullpen — & build out from there. A whole lot of things need to go right for this team to become legitimately competitive again w/the Bosox. Is Hal & his front office up to the task of accomplishing that?
ropeadope

I sprained my thumb as well constantly refreshing the home page. A happy Yom Kippur to all observers. Let’s win!
Eddard

Ain’t no way ain’t no how they win this ballgame. It’s a FOX game, CC is starting, no Soriano no Gardner. After CC gives up his 6th ER you’ll see BGDP to soak up some innings. Their only chance at a W is tomorrow with Nova on the mound.
- JGYank
  
  Wait to keep the faith. But in the 6th inning you’ll change your mind again.
- Laz
  
  such an optimist.
RetroRob

Is CC continuing to lose weight as the season progresses? He seems smaller each time out.
- JGYank
  
  Seems like it.
  - RetroRob
    
    My fear is by next spring he’ll show up with Ron Guidry’s fastball. That would be fine if he had Guidry’s fastball, but his velocity seems to decrease with his weight!
    - RetroRob
      
      …my fear is he’ll show up at Ron Guidry’s “weight.”
    - JGYank
      
      Honestly I think too much is made of the weight/velocity thing. It isn’t proven he throws harder at a certain weight. As long as CC hits his spots and uses his changeup he can still be very effective.
      - RetroRob
        
        I don’t know if too much is made of it or not enough is made of it. Outside of it being mentioned here, I haven’t seen it mentioned much at all in other places. I’ve never really equated velocity and weight, but I think it’s a legit question. It’s one, though, we can’t answer.
        
        JGYank
        
        It would be interesting to see some research on it. But until then, there isn’t any proof it affects velocity. There are skinny guys that throw hard and big guys who don’t so I don’t see the correlation.
        
        Mikhel
        
        In MLB Network there were quite a few pitchers who explained why it wasn’t wise to shed too much weight. I think everyone said the same thing: CC already knew how to move his body and use his weight, nowadays his weight isn’t there and can’t “pull” the ball to where he want’s it, which affects his release point and has to work extra to pinpoint his pitches. They talked about David Wells when he dropped lots of weight and turned a shitty pitcher almost at the end of his career.
RetroRob

Nice.

Now score twenty runs.
JGYank

Almost feels like another spring training lineup. Jeter Soriano Gardner Romine all out. And why is Reynolds playing third? Arod got to dh already last night.
- Rolling Doughnut
  
  Have you seen ARod run lately? Like last night?
- RetroRob
  
  His hamstring is still not right. I think I read Tuesday is the earliest he might play third.
- JGYank
  
  Both true. I just want to see Reynolds and Nunez in the field as little as possible.
  - Laz
    
    I’d rather Reynolds in the field than injuring arod like jeter. Him and Cano are the only threats right now in the lineup.
    - JGYank
      
      Point proven. Cost us a run arguably.
      - RetroRob
        
        Sadly, true, although I would still rather have Reynolds at third than Nunez, even though that was a very Nunez play.
        
        JGYank
        
        Both suck defensively. I don’t want to run Arod into the ground but we need him out there. He already had 1 DH day. His suspension could take him out the lineup in 2014 so we need to squeeze what we can out of him now.
        
        RetroRob
        
        We need him out there if he can play out there. You’re making an assumption that he can play the field. Do you think he could have sprinted in to field that ball like Reynolds just did based on how he is running? What you seem to be saying is he had a game to “rest” his hamstring and it should be fine and out there and you don’t care if he is lost for the remainder of the season.
        
        I’m not sure I’m following your logic.
        
        JGYank
        
        Maybe he makes the play or at least he doesn’t throw it away. I understand he needs rest but we’re in a race here. Mo has been on fumes and we keep using him. Can’t rest guys everyday. The chances of Arod injuring himself again aren’t that big so we need to take a chance. We probably won’t have or want him next year anyway so we need to play him.
    - JGYank
      
      I understand that. But if we want to make the playoffs we need our best guys in the field. Arod probably gets suspended next year anyway.
- JGYank
  
  Ichiro hitting below Ryan is really telling of what Girardi thinks of Ichiro offensively.
Leg-End

Napoli gets on even when he doesn’t.
Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

Our team is kind of bad so yeah.
Rolling Doughnut

Pen of castrated bulls, shoddy D, and three automatic outs in the lineup. But it’s only 1-0. We got this.
RetroRob

What a repulsive-looking team. The Red Sox, not the Yankees. Do they all the white players have to grow an unkempt beards? Hey, loot at us, we’re bad. No, you’re rich men playing baseball. You’re assholes.
- Rolling Doughnut
  
  They also have 90 wins and a +167 run diff so they probably don’t care what you think.
  - Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)
    
    …So? I don’t think any baseball player cares what any of us think. Doesn’t mean we can’t talk about them.
    - Rolling Doughnut
      
      Obviously. It was sarcasm. Talk about them all you want. Their beards, they are assholes etc. Beats talking about Feces giving up another run I guess.
Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

I’m not watching this shit. This is going to be an utter bloodbath. We don’t have a particularly good offense today, awful pitching, and awful defense. And we’re facing a team who is good at all three.
- JGYank
  
  Sorry about calling you out last night. Was frustrated with guys throwing in the towel. Shouldn’t have directed it at you.
  - Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)
    
    Meh, you make the bed you lie in. I’m negative. I’m a big boy, I can take it.
    - JGYank
      
      Just hope we’re cool.
      
      We really got to stop throwing away the lead vs Boston since we probably won’t get it back since they ll just continue to tack on. It’s really annoying how we always fall behind them early.
      - Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)
        
        Oh no, we’re cool. Don’t worry.
        
        Yeah, this whole series was ludicrously predictable from the start, if we’re being honest.
        
        JGYank
        
        Yeah I wanted 2/3 but that looks unrealistic now. Hope we sweep Tampa and pick on the weak teams since that’s our only remaining option.
Leg-End

CC. His number 1 plan for the offseason should be to eat, preferably his contract.
- RetroRob
  
  That would put too much weight on.
Chris

good thing they gave fat boy that free out, or it would be 4-0. dumb managing
- Winter
  
  FALLACY!
Winter

3-0 is very overcomeable. CC needs to settle down. I know that hasn’t been his MO this year, but boy would now be a good time for him to start. He actually looked good those last two batters, hopefully that’s a sign of things to come.
- Rolling Doughnut
  
  If it stays 3-0. Over/unders on the Sox scoring 8 again?
https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries

So I see Sabathia wasted no time putting the Yankees in a hole again. Woo-hoo.
NYPLATOONS

That lineup has no chance today. Loss 8-1
- Winter
  
  Wanna bet? The Yankees haven’t scored only one run since August 17.
  - NYPLATOONS
    
    What do I need to bet you for so far everything I said about this team before the season started has been right. Yankees closing in on 85 wins gonna be close. 79 wins they gotta win 6 more games for 85 wins which is about half the games left. Even is it’s 86 or 87 that’s not 90+ wins which a lot of people thought they were going to win. No playoffs for the Yankees this year, Maybe next year they can finx 60 more guys for Joe to cycle in every night.
    
    BTW it’s 5-1 top of 6th =)
    
    Sure someone could close their eyes and hit one out does it matter 8-1, 8-2? They ain’t going NO PLACE BEFORE THEY EVEN STARTED 2013 =).
    
    Now you may go on your rant and say this team is fine and I dunno what I’m talking about.
    
    Want laughter? Go to the Yaesnetwork Forums I never seen more fool signed up that know jack about baseball =)
    - NYPLATOONS
      
      5-1 ;)
JGYank

Our lineup has a black hole in the bottom half so the pitching better do its job tonight. Overbay, Murphy, Ryan, Ichiro, and even Wells aren’t that good particularly Overbay against a lefty.
- nsalem
  
  What has Murphy done that would have you suggest that he won’t produce offensively?
  - JGYank
    
    It’s not that I don’t think he couldn’t produce it’s that he’s a kid just coming to the bigs and it’s unfair to expect production from a guy who was recently in Double A.
Winter

Tim McCarver can’t retire soon enough.
- Rolling Doughnut
  
  You can retire him now with the mute button.
  - Winter
    
    Then I lose focus. Which actually may be a food thing at this point.
    - Winter
      
      *good thing.
Wedge

This guy cant give up more 0-2 base hits
- Winter
  
  He’s given up 9 this year (not counting today). Batters are hitting .105 with two strikes.
Wedge

Get back on the juice vern and please take a pitch next time
Rolling Doughnut

Sit down ratboy.
https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries

I still expect Sabathia to give up a two-out hit that scores the runner at 3rd, thus nullifying the impact of that DP.
- https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries
  
  SO predictable.
  - Leg-End
    
    It really is. Urgh.
- Rolling Doughnut
  
  You nailed it. CC is shit this year. Axisa was slow to catch on but now even e agrees.
nsalem

What has Murphy done that would have you suggest that he won’t produce offensively?
- Winter
  
  Who’s saying he won’t?
  - nsalem
    
    About 10 comments backwards did not hit reply
- JGYank
  
  It’s not that I don’t think he couldn’t produce it’s that he’s a kid just coming to the bigs and it’s unfair to expect production from a guy who was recently in Double A.
Wedge

He has the most hitable slider in the world
Rolling Doughnut

CC may not be able to transition into a finesse pitcher, which is why no player—not even Robbie–should get those mega-contracts. Short term gain, long term pain–in the ass.
- nsalem
  
  How many games do you think the Yankee’s will win per year for the next three years without Cano?
  - Rolling Doughnut
    
    Did you read the part short term gain long term pain? You want him for 10 years? OK, it’s a crapshoot. Now look at ARod CC, and Tex. They are obstacles to rebuilding the team. Better question: How many games do think they will win the next tree years even wit Robbie on board?
    - JGYank
      
      Who said anything about 10 years?
Winter

I actually have confidence in this team to score another three runs. I don’t have confidence tat the pitching staff can hold the deficit.
- Rolling Doughnut
  
  Not with this lineup. We will score 3 tops. The Sox will put up at least 6.
Kosmo

now see,
C. C. Sabathia,
Well now see,
See what you have done.
Well now see.
C. C. Sabathia,
Well now see,
See what you have done.
Well you done lost your pitches,
Now the quick hook is gonna come.

So I hope you´re goin´
Away now
And you won’t
Be back till spring, you
Just might find your good old fastball or it
Might not be comin’ back at all.

Well now see,
C. C.,
See now the moon
Is shining bright,
Well now see,
C. C. Sabathia,
See now the moon
Is shining bright, you
Just might find you´re fastball
And everything will be alright.
Rolling Doughnut

Is Ryan 4 for his last 8 ab?
- Winter
  
  With a home run.
Wedge

Ichiro below replacement
Alderson blackwood

Worse contract, a rod, cc, or tex?
- Rolling Doughnut
  
  OK I’ll take a shot. Uh, ARod?
- Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)
  
  A-Rod and it isn’t remotely close.
- Kosmo
  
  tough call but I´d say CC then Arod and then Tex
- JGYank
  
  Arod definitely is the worst. Then it’s Tex then CC but those two are close.
  - Kosmo
    
    If CC is really in decline mode where are you going to hide him over the next 4 years at 24 million a year . You want to watch this for 4 more years ?
    - JGYank
      
      CC has given us the most so far out of those guys during their contracts. The other two are declining but not as fast. But they also haven’t been our ace year in and out. Arod and Tex have before inconsistent. CC just lost it this year. Plus the last year on CC’s contract was an extension so that wasn’t the original contract either.
      - Rolling Doughnut
        
        But you didn’t answer the question: You want to watch this for 4 more years? Mega contracts are not good long-term investments. Now what are they going to do in the offseason? They either take a big hit for ramping up payroll which they say they won’t do or they tread water for the next four or five years.
        
        Winter
        
        The question was “worst contract.” All the years count, the good along with the bad.
        
        Rolling Doughnut
        
        So you’re ok with watching this for four more years. Gotcha.
        
        Winter
        
        That is so far from what I said it’s laughable.
        
        I’m saying “worst contract” and “worst 2013 outlook” are not synonymous.
        
        Rolling Doughnut
        
        Yes I agree but you posted this under a very different question so I (almost) missed your point.
        
        JGYank
        
        Of course not. But you have to include the start of the contract as well. CC was the ace for several years and that can’t be thrown out. And CC still can turn around and be a number 3 starter. You’re basically already thinking CC will continue to pitch like this which may not happen. Besides, Tex and Arod are still declining as well.
      - Kosmo
        
        “CC just lost it this year.“ well we shall see.
- Silvio
  
  Better Question:
  
  Which posters who are now screaming over the Tex and CC contracts screamed about them at the time the contracts were made?
  - Rolling Doughnut
    
    I did. Long term contracts are generally not great long term investments.
  - WhittakerWalt
    
    The Tex contract was considered by virtually everyone to be THE biggest and best signing of that offseason. The consensus on this one was unanimous.
    - Rolling Doughnut
      
      Like I said, I have never been a fan of long term contracts. They are a crapshoot.
      - WhittakerWalt
        
        Unfortunately that’s just how it goes with contracts. You end up paying for some decline phase. The problem with Tex is that his decline phase started 4 years earlier than we had any reason to expect.
        Ideally I’d like to see every player go year-to-year, but that’s never going to happen.
  - Kosmo
    
    I was thrilled with the Tex signing not so with the CC extension.
Rolling Doughnut

Jesus pull Feces and put in a kid. Roll up his fat contract and fuck him with it.
Rolling Doughnut

This is embarrassing. Not quite KFC and chillies embarrassing but it’s up there.
Winter

Good throw might have had him.
WhittakerWalt

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
Polo

I suppose it’s us who should call the Sox Daddy now. Ugh.
JGYank

CC has just not pitched well. He has walked guys, given up hits on 0-2, given up hard hit balls. Our pitching needed to step up today and hasn’t so far. Someone needs to soak up these innings.
Kosmo

Whew Sabathia. El Stinko.
Freddy’s Dead

It’s gotta be common knowledge in the league now that Cano usually gives you strike one.
Chris

when is this dude getting the Phil Hughes treatment? imagining wells, ichiro, cc, and Jeter on this team next year. Gross. Soriano could easily be thrown in there too, over a full season.
- Winter
  
  By Phil Hughes treatment, do you mean he gets run out there every five days long after he showed he wasn’t an effective starter?
  - Chris
    
    he’s already gotten that treatment, now it’s time for second part where you get your ass sent to the bullpen
- Rolling Doughnut
  
  Yep, and because they’re saddled with those megacontracts, there’s not a whole lot they can do. Which means they are a .500 club for the next few years.
  - Chris
    
    I’m fine with .400 if I don’t have to watch the players I mentioned…and quite a few more
    - Winter
      
      So you’d rather watch new bad players?
      - Rolling Doughnut
        
        New young, promising players, even if they are not great right away. That is unlikely though since Cash et al have been content to throw the bucks around foolishly and neglect the farm.
      - Chris
        
        why do we have to play bad players? That doesn’t seem fair to the Yankees
    - Rolling Doughnut
      
      This. Tear it down and rebuild it. The true fans will wait. And keep watching.
      - Winter
        
        Yeah, they’ll wait, but they’ll also go through hell. Ask any Orioles, Royals or Pirates fan.
        
        Mikhel
        
        We’ve already been there for the longest time in this franchise (in the 1980s), what the FO and the manager is doing is what it was done back then: recurring to the same bad player who can’t do their work but are playing because “nobody else is available”.
      - Pat D
        
        Well, you know, we’d all love to see the plan.
        
        Rolling Doughnut
        
        Well, since they can’t get out of those bad contracts, for starters don’t offer Cano one. And yes I know I know he’s Robbie and yes he’s a (borderline) superstar. Still. No megadeal.
        
        Back at you: what would your plan be? Get Vernon Wells, Travis Hafner type guys for the next four or so years?
        
        Pat D
        
        Cano is a superstar. If they don’t keep him, they’ll be excessively worse off for quite some time. I hope they can get him to take 6/$150, but I’m re-signing him.
        
        I don’t have a plan. I’ve never said that I have one. There’s not a lot they can do until some of these deals run out if they’re hellbent on sticking to the $189M plan.
        
        Every team has to be constructed with some combination of players from the farm system and veterans. They have to somehow maximize what they get from the veterans. Unfortunately, that’s not something that can be guaranteed. Just like you can’t guarantee what you get out of guys from the farm system.
        
        It’s too bad that Wells and Hafner both stopped hitting after April. But what if they’d kept going? Luck? Yea, probably. But look what Boston has gotten out of chumps like Victorino, Carp and Nava this year.
        
        RetroRob
        
        Beyond the Yankees and what they’ll do this offseason, it will be interesting to see what Boston will do.
        
        Rolling Doughnut
        
        Nava is 30 years old off the AAA farm and has had between 117 and 195 wrc+ with at least 130 PA per. Victorino had 94 wrc+ last year and in 2011 he had 132 wrc+. spo it’s no surprise he’s at 117 this year. Agree with you about Carp His numbers are sick for ow shitty he really is.
        
        RetroRob
        
        I thought the Red Sox had a good chance to be much better than their press clippings to start the year. I didn’t expect them to be this good, though.
        
        Rolling Doughnut
        
        I agree. They are like tose mid 2000 Yankee teams. I still say they crash and burn once they face good pitching. Even though they beat up on Scherzer, in a tree out of five against good pitching they’re done. If we had had even fair to middling starts last week at YS we would have taken at least 3 of 4.
      - Silvio
        
        If they rely on the patience and presence of these “true” fans, buying tickets, watching the YES ads, etc., it’s gonna be a lonnnnng wait.
        
        Chris
        
        I’m sure this is all true, but this is the horrible horrible aspect of rooting for the Yankees if you’re a real baseball fan…and not a dick Yankees fan that has no idea what’s going on in the season. The people running this team do stupid things to please the fans who don’t actually know or care. They have cheated regression for so many years without rebuilding, but at some point you pay the piper. Then it’s going to be a nightmare if they cater to those fairweather fans
        
        Rolling Doughnut
        
        Well said.
        
        Pat D
        
        You miss the point. Diehard fans aren’t going anywhere no matter what. You have to make sure the casual fans keep showing up, buying merchandise, etc., to keep making money.
        
        Chris
        
        how am I missing the point? I just said the same thing you did. I said they are catering to the casual fan to the detriment of the team. at least comprehend what I’m saying
        
        Bill Shakespeare
        
        Your writing might be a contributing factor to his comprehension part.
        
        Chris
        
        well I’m typing on a phone, but I have hard time believing a literate person wouldn’t understand what I’m saying. that’s the last reply I would have expected. maybe you’re just fucking dumb.
        
        Pat D
        
        I said they have to keep the fair weather fans to make sure they continue to be profitable.
        
        Maybe I over implied what you said, but to me you said, “Fuck the casual fans, they don’t matter.”
        
        Chris
        
        fairweather fans like winning. I’m not convinced they’ll keep that up either way. so my point is to do what is best in the long term to win. I’m not convinced the management feels like this band aid and long term contract approach is ever going to backfire.
        
        Mikhel
        
        In the long run they don’t matter if they want to rebuild.
        
        Pat D
        
        OK, now I understand you.
      - Kenny
        
        You enjoyed that wait? back in 1965-75? learning humility?
    - Pat D
      
      You could always, ya know, go root for another team.
    - WhittakerWalt
      
      You say that now, but let’s see how much you’d like a run like the Pirates just had. 15 losing seasons in a row doesn’t sound so goddamn noble once you have to sit through all those horrible games.
      - Rolling Doughnut
        
        I sat through the early 70’s and yeah it was painful. But if they are not going to spend like before and they can’t dump salary then what’s the alternative? Four years of Travis Hafners? I’d rather see some young guys in there than watch that.
        
        WhittakerWalt
        
        I defy you to find anyone who’s suggesting 4 more years of Travis Hafner.
        
        Rolling Doughnut
        
        But they will keep getting him like it or not if the FO doesn’t cange the strategy. That is my point,
      - Chris
        
        this doesn’t make any sense. the Yankees will never be the pirates or any other low payroll team..and they will certainly not be complete shit for 15 years like them. I just don’t see how that’s possible nowadays given their economic situation.
        
        I don’t want to lose. but I would rather just for a few years to sustain winning. doesn’t always happen, but the process needs to be good at least
        
        Page
        
        Their economic situation is changing. There’s a lot of Steinbrenners to support, and even if they told Hal to spend like the Old Man, the MLB situation has changed from the one he took advantage of.
        
        Chris
        
        all true, but it still doesn’t equal 15 years of losing as the expectation if you rebuild. everyone says that about the Steinbrenner sons, but the Yankees spend more every year. the payroll facts are right there
  - Pat D
    
    Do you have tonight’s Powerball numbers, too?
Chris

a scoreless inning! wtf happened
Kosmo

Sabathia is in cruise control now .
- WhittakerWalt
  
  Just in the nick of time.
Kenny

Sad to see Sabathia reduced to being schooled by Lester in big game pitching. Course, it may not be such a big game for the Sox.
WhittakerWalt

Phew, Jobber’s in.
Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

Some rare optimism from me: I actually think we have a legitimate chance to sweep TB. I’m more worried about Cleveland, to be honest.
- Freddy’s Dead
  
  I agree. Frankly, I’m not even sure why I still want this team to reach the post, other than that I loathe October baseball without the Yankees. This team has no chance to go deep. The pitching is bizarrely weak. I have a hard time even grasping how or why it could be this weak. It’s exactly like rooting for Woody Allen in a cage match with Hulk Hogan when they play a power hitting team.
- Rolling Doughnut
  
  Yep. Cleveland has the cherry schedule. In any case, even if we sneak into the playoffs and win the elimination game, the Sox are just going to stomp the shit out of us again, unless a miracle occurs with the pitching. It’s time to ask what they are going to do moving forward.
  - Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)
    
    Playoffs are a whole different ball game. Players get hot, players collapse…if we make it in at least we have a shot.
    - Rolling Doughnut
      
      Players do get hot. But if you think Kuroda and CC are going to get hot when the former is already gassed and the latter is transitioning from great to average–shitty, you’re way too optimistic. The there’s the pen, even DRob and Mo are not exactly lights out anymore. In a three out of five series we’re toast.
    - Freddy’s Dead
      
      That’s technically true, but if our pitching can’t dig down and find some quality right now, which it obviously can’t, it’s hard to believe they suddenly will in October, but, like I said, I’m still hoping against hope. If anybody doubts it, am a diehard Yankee fan. No chance of that changing.
    - Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)
      
      The 2000 Yankees were arguably worse than this bunch. They were disgustingly bad in September. Like, 18-1 losses bad.
      
      I mean, sure, better teams tend to win. I don’t “expect” anything to happen, all I know is they have NO shot if they don’t make it in.
      - Freddy’s Dead
        
        Man, I hear you, but it’s the pitching that saps my hope. Still, I can’t argue with you because you are right. I’m really just talking about how I feel, which is not too hopeful. But fucking go Yankees anyway, because I got no alternative. There’s no other baseball team I even particularly like.
Kosmo

the proverbial walk to start an inning. Geez where have I seen that before ?
- WhittakerWalt
  
  Two in a row!
Kosmo

a bit of good luck. Joba escapes !
Page

What’s Joba do now when he comes to the park? Does Rothschild try to teach him things? Or is Joba now in internal exile?
- Kosmo
  
  I think Joba checked out mid-season. He´ll sign a team friendly contract elsewhere and morph back into a SP.
- RetroRob
  
  In a couple weeks, external exile.
WhittakerWalt

I can’t believe we came out and handed them a Rocking-Chair Game. Shameful.
Widget

Have the lost every fox game they’ve played this season? Sucks how much the assholes in the Fox booth hate the Yankees.
- WhittakerWalt
  
  I don’t think McCarver hates the Yankees.
  - Mikhel
    
    McCarver was fired by the Yanks in the mid 90s. Joe Buck seems to do it just to catter to the rest of the fans who dislike the Yanks… HEY my brother in law is one of those, whenever I am watching the game and he comes to visit, he starts rooting for the other team even if he doesn’t know the names of their players… oh yeah, his team are the Astros.
- Rolling Doughnut
  
  A lot of people hate the Yankees for their former well unorthodox methods of acquiring players–before clubs like the BloSox started doing the same thing. So fuck ’em. And for God’s sake Joe have one of our guys plonk that asshole Big Sloppy. At least ARod works hard, wile fat fuck Ortiz only juices.
  - Mikhel
    
    If you count the big acquisitions of the Yanks since this run started in 1993 you’ll see the Yanks are not the ones who have acquired the most BIG players in exchange for almost nothing.
- Chris
  
  it feels like the Yankees lose almost every Fox game the last few years. I’m sure it’s not true. But other than the miracle comeback in Boston last year, I can’t remember then beating Boston in a Fox game recently. I tell my gambling friends to bet big against the Yanks on Fox Saturday games.
- RetroRob
  
  I suspect that there have been a high percentage of Yankee/Red Sox games on FOX, and the Yankees just haven’t done well against them the last few years. Annoyingly, even when the Yankees were clearly better the two prior seasons, the Red Sox still were giving them issues.
Widget

I cant wait for Lester to return to crap next year. Everyone kisses his ass yet he stares down everyone he complains everytime he doesn’t get his way. He’s another piece of garbage like Beckett was.
- Mikhel
  
  Remember when Joba used to yell after a big strikeout, papelbum did the same and MLB asked Joba to tone it down? The Yanks even asked Joba to avoid yelling… meanwhile Papelbum still does it.
Winter

“Dellin Betances, still considered a top prospect.”

Ah, FOX. How you amuse me.
Widget

Texas is trying to choke out their wildcard spot as well. Shame the Yankees are struggling because the wildcard is right there. IF they manage to take 2 of 3 from they will have a slim shot, but they really need to sweep Houston and SF.
RetroRob

Well that game was…not enjoyable.
http://www.penuel-law.com/ Cuso

Under 200 comments for a game thread – tells you all you need to know.
- RetroRob
  
  Yup. A lot of fans are not inspired by this specific team and probably don’t believe they are going to win. There’s been a very negative tone all season long. I think some of the regular contributors here have stopped posting because the threads are also very negative. Even when the Yankees they threads are negative.
  - RetroRob
    
    Even when the Yankees “win” the threads are negative
    - Rolling Doughnut
      
      High expectations. If we win 85-88 games, that would hit the reasonable pre-season expectation. I think we actually did better than I thought we would, considering all the injuries and the CC AWOL shocker. Imagine if e had won 4 more games –not unreasonable to expect from him–and if Mo had blown 2 or three fewer saves. Wow.
      - Mikhel
        
        To be fair, there must be at least 5 games in the past month that the Yanks should have win: taking 3 out of 4 from Boston in the last series was feasible, sweeping the O’s was feasible in Yankee Stadium… yesterday’s game was ‘winnable’. And I am not even counting being swept by the Mets in 4 games, and the ChiSox in 3 games.
        
        Being reasonable, I think winning half of those 10 games was feasible. Now, the Yanks long run of 13 straight seasons of 90 wins is on the verge of ending, they need to win 11 of the last 13, tomorrow they’ll lose their chance to win the division (ludicrous to think they had a chance).
    - Mikhel
      
      That sentiment permeated from 2011 to 2012, it accumulated and again it permeated to 2013. 2014 will be even worst if the NYY don’t patch their holes in an efficient and sustainable way.
      - Rolling Doughnut
        
        And there are a lot of holes. 3B, SS, C, even 1B because Tex has been in a slow decline for several years. Ichiro and Wells are crap. Then there is the pitching. ARGHHH…Basically, the team needs a rebuild top to bottom.
- Mikhel
  
  To be fair: I am in my patio building a pizza oven, if i weren’t doing that we might as well be past 200 :p
  
  PS
  I don’t know what the fuck am I doing HAHAHAHAHA
  - RetroRob
    
    Yes, but the pizza will taste great when…if?…it’s done!
    - Mikhel
      
      IF its done hahaha
- http://www.penuel-law.com/ Cuso
  
  I’d be shocked if you could fine a game thread with less than 200 comments in which the Yanks actually won. Shocked.
  
  I wont be the one doing that research, though. :p
  
  Meme: no winning game threads with <200 comments.
  
  That doesn't mean that ALL losses have less than 200. It just means that NO wins have <200.
WhittakerWalt

The Yankees with CC Sabathia have been essentially non-competitive all year. What an embarrassment.
Joe

The fairweather fans are very dumb fans. It’s sad, but true really when you think about it. I can’t wait until all the older players from the 90s retire on this team. Hank and Cash will have no idea what the hell hit them as far as bringing in revenue when guys like A Rod, Jeter, Mariano, and Soriano all retire. Every team has their so called next generation “face” in their lineup that blossoms or appears to be blossoming in front of everyone’s eyes. For the Giants it was Posey, for the Cardinals it was Craig and Friese when they won it 2 years ago, for the Red Sox now it appears it could be Middlebrooks. For the Yanks there isn’t one.

The thing that always gets me is how gms are perfectly ok with waiting for a player’s decline before they consider getting rid of him. Jorge Posada is a perfect example of that. Instead of the Yanks trying to get rid of Posada after he visibly declined from 2009 season to the 2010 season, they thought they should let the contract run out so they could see him stink in the last year of his career. I can’t speak for any other Yankee fan, but I