ByPlayoff math with the Yankees and Red Sox With a great Angels’ victory last night, the Yanks find themselves six games behind Boston in the AL East. The Yankees, coincidentally enough, play the Red Sox six more times this season. Hmmm… · (6) ·
BySince May 31 Abreu: .333/.412/.550 Cano: .345/.393/.570 Melky: .341/.387/.511 Matsui: .300/.365/.554 In fact, since that date, the only Yankees with an OBP below .350 are Johnny Damon (.343) and Andy Phillips (.333). The only Yankees below a .500 slugging percentage are Jeter (.452), Damon (.343), and Phillips (.396). OPS. It’s what chicks dig. · (2) ·
Joba’s on the way
By · CommentsAccording to reports out of Omaha, Nebraska (linked above) and ESPN TV, Joba Chamberlain is heading to Toronto to join the Yankees. It’s a move that we have been anticipating for a while, and a move that, if Joe Torre can handle it, should pay dividends for the Yankees nearly immediately.
Harlan Chamberlain, Joba’s dad, broke the move to the Omaha World-Herald. “To be happening this quick, it’s just a dream,” he said to reporter Mitch Sherman. “It’s a dream that was always there, but to achieve it this quick, it’s unbelievable. It’s surreal.”
In a corresponding move, according to ESPN, the Yanks will keep Jim Brower around and send Jeff Karstens, who was shaky during his first appearance back from the DL last week against Chicago, to Scranton. There is still no word on who will be dismissed when Jason Giambi is activated tomorrow, but we’ll have more on that when it happens.
The Yankees’ Front Office would like Joba Chamberlain to become the 7th or 8th inning guy for the Yanks. He’ll replace Kyle Farnsworth outright. Farnsworth will now be the mop-up man for all intents and purposes. Chamberlain will also take some pressure off of Luis Vizcaino, the current set-up man who has been great recently but has appeared in 33 of the Yanks’ last 59 games. Vizcaino, in danger of becoming this year’s Steve Karsay or Ron Villone, is rapidly approaching career highs in innings pitched and appearances.
Chamberlain, 21, is pitching his first season of professional baseball this year. He has rapidly moved up the list of Baseball America’s top prospects and is currently regarded as one of the top five best players not in the majors. In three levels of Minor Leagues, his numbers are downright nasty. He’s struck out 135 in 88.1 innings and opponents are hitting just .198 against him. Impressively, he’s walked just 27.
As a reliever over the last few days, he’s been flat-out nasty. He’s thrown 4 innings and has gotten 10 of those 12 outs through a strike out. He’s given up one hit, and that’s all.
While many people are concerned that Joe Torre will ruin Joba, I have to think that Brian Cashman won’t let that happen. While Torre seems to be a lame duck — and trading and releasing his crutches proves that — Cashman will exert influence to keep his prized possessions in a good start. There just isn’t enough of the season left for Torre to run Joba ragged.
For the team, this is huge. They’ve got a bona fide power pitcher — and not a power thrower like Bruney or Farnsworth — coming out of the pen. He can dial it up to 98 and mixes in some stellar off-speed pitches. Considering how bad the Yanks pen looked a few weeks ago, things are looking up for the Yanks.
We’ll see your Eric Gagne, Boston, and raise you a Joba Chamberlain.
Edwar is a beast
By · CommentsESPN says that Karstens will be swapped for Joba on Tuesday. We shall see.
Triple-A Scranton (6-4 win over Buffalo)
Brett Gardner: 1 for 4, 2 K
Justin Christian: 1 for 3, 1 BB — starting to really like this kid
Angel Chavez: 0 for 4, 1 K
Erubiel Durazo: 2 for 4, 1 2B, 1 HR
Eric Duncan: 1 for 3
Wil Nieves: 0 for 2
Kei Igawa: 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 8 K — 8 K? don’t care. suck suck suck
Sean Henn: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Edwar: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K — I’d rather go lefty-less than have Villone in the majors and Edwar in AAA
ByMo sticks it to the Jays announcers I was stuck watching the Blue Jays’ MLB.tv feed for reasons that aren’t important. At the start of the 9th, the boring Blue Jays announcers said that Mariano is “not quite as intimidating as he used to be.” So how does Mariano respond (to a comment he obviously didn’t hear)? Well, by throwing 11 of 16 pitches for strikes and striking out Alex Rios, Vernon Wells and Frank Thomas to nail down the save. Take that, Toronto. · (15) ·
ByTrouble, thy name is Roger Some ruminations on Roger Clemens’ season numbers, if you will.
Clemens is getting paid approximately $1 million per start, and recently he’s failed to deliver. Alarmingly, his hits allowed are up and his strike out numbers are well below his career low. If the other options that we’ve seen – Kei Igawa, Tyler Clippard, Chase Wright – weren’t so dreadful, we’d be a whole lot more concerned about Clemens’ longevity and pitching than we are right now. · (6) ·Starts IP IP/Start H ERA K/9 IP K/BB 1-6 38.6 6.4 33 3.49 6.5 3.11 7-11 26.3 5.2 35 5.13 4.8 1.75
Brower, not Joba, gets the call in Myers’s wake
By · CommentsRemember back earlier in the season when we absolutely needed a starter? The Yanks, citing the ease of the move due to his being on the 40-man roster, called up Chase Wright. They were chastised, and rightfully so. You don’t make a move like that just because a dude is on the 40-man. Hell, he was only there to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft, which he easily would have been.
There were three names floating around to get the callup for Myers: Edwar, Joba, and Jim Brower. Of them, only Edwar is on the 40-man. In this case, it would seem acceptable to call up Edwar. It’s the easier move, and he’s been stellar all year — except when he’s been on two-weeks’ rest.
However, Brian Cashman decided to clear another 40-man roster spot for Jim Brower. The casualty is yet unknown, but this is a rather suspect move, especially at this time. The Yanks just DFA’d Colter Bean to make room for Hughes. Now they have to DFA someone else to make room for Brower. Plus, once they deem Joba ready, they’ll have to axe someone else for him — though that could be Brower if he doesn’t work out.
We are completely advocates of making the right move, regardless of roster implications. However, it just seems strange that Brower got the call in this situation when he is the hardest one to accommodate.
If this is a “we’ll try Brower, and if he doesn’t work out, we’ll DFA him and go with Joba” kinda move, then it’s okay — I guess. There doesn’t seem to be any reason not to use Joba right now, though.
Update: I’m an idiot. Myers’s 40-man spot goes to Brower. Still, another spot would have to be cleared for Joba.
A weekend’s worth of Down on the Farm
By · CommentsLooks like we missed some valuable time in the minors. Ben and I were both away this weekend, hence the lack of activity. But we’re back now, and with three full Down on the Farms. Here ya go, folks.
Sunday
Triple-A Scranton (2-1 win over Buffalo)
Brett Gardner: 0 for 4, 2 K — eh, give him a day to get back in the swing
Justin Christian: 1 for 4
Giambi: 0 for 3, 1 BB, 1 K
Angel Chavez: 0 for 3, 1 BB, 1 K
Eric Duncan: 2 for 3, 1 2B
KT: 1 for 4, 1 K
Alberto: 0 for 4
Durazo: 1 for 1 — pinch hit in the 9th and drove in the go-ahead run
Mighty Matt: 6 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K — too bad he’ll never don pinstripes again
Ross Ohlendorf: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K — Joba, Britton, Edwar, Ohlendorf…why are Villone and Farnsworth in our bullpen again?
Jose Veras: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K — still not impressive
BySo Joba finally allowed a baserunner Joba pitched in relief again yesterday. This time, the Yanks had him go two innings. He allowed one meager single. And that runner was erased when he was caught stealing. So in three relief appearances, Chamberlain has thrown 4 innings. He’s allowed one hit and has recorded strike outs for 10 of the 12 outs. He’ll be in the Bronx as soon as the Yanks can clear up a roster spot. I hope Kyle Farnsworth has enjoyed his tenure in New York City because it should be ending soon. · (0) ·
ByYanks waive good bye to Myers Courtesy of Peter Abraham comes the fantastic news that Mike Myers has been designated for assignment. Myers had one role on the Yanks, and he just wasn’t doing it well. After today’s debacle, lefties are hitting .312 (24 for 77) against Myers, and with Ron Villone actually pitching serviceably for the Yanks, Myers was expendable. While the corresponding move may be to activate Jason Giambi tomorrow, I would expect that Joba Chamberlain may find himself in the Yankee pen sooner rather than later. Update: Newday reports that Jim Brower will join the Yankees to replace Myers. Brower, 34, is a reliever with experience in parts of 8 Major League seasons. At AAA, he’s thrown 43.2 innings, nailing 40 Ks and pitching to an ERA of 1.65. With this move, there’s no way Miguel Cairo is still on the team after Giambi is activated. Update by Joe: Ah, but the Post reports that Joba will be activated this afternoon to take Myers’s spot. We’ll clear this one up once it’s made official. · (9) ·




