ByOver the weekend, Tyler Kepner surveyed the scene for the Yankees. The team, he writes, has a lot of issues to address and a lot of questions to answer. While Kepner seems to think Cashman isn’t coming back, other sources claim he is. We’ll know soon as the Yanks start to pick up the pieces from a disappointing 2008 campaign.
Meanwhile, as we await news on Cashman, notice Kepner’s take on CC Sabathia. The Yankees seem rather pessimistic that they can convince Sabathia to come east and pitch in the AL. Plan A is looking rather unlikely right now. Money, though, can change everything. · (57) ·
Bleich wild in Hawaii debut
By · CommentsI’m going to hold another live chat sometime this week, probably mid-day Monday or Tuesday. I’ll post a reminder with a definite time once I get it figured out. Here’s the two previous chats if you want to see what’s up.
HWB Waikiki (7-2 loss to Honolulu)
Austin Romine: 0 for 4, 1 K – started behind the plate & batted 7th … he reached base on a fielding error by the shortstop … threw two would-be base stealers out, but one got in safe
Jeremy Bleich: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 3-2 GB/FB – picked a runner off first … 23 of 51 pitches were strikes (45.1%) … yeah, so he was having trouble throwing strikes … must be the time difference or something
The Arizona Fall League starts on October 7th.
Game 162: It feels like Spring Training
By · CommentsSo here we are folks, the last time we’ll get to see our beloved Bombers play until Spring Training starts in March. We’ll be around all winter of course, but baseball blogging just doesn’t have to same feel to it during the offseason. I’d much rather sit and bitch about pitching changes than trying to guess the next big signing, but eh, what can you do now.
Enjoy the last game.
1. Gardner, CF
2. Cano, 2B
3. Giambi, DH
4. Nady, LF
5. Pudge, C
6. Betemit, 3B
7. Ransom, SS
8. Melky, RF
9. Miranda, 1B
And on the mound in what I hope is that last time I ever see him in a Yankee uniform, Sidney Ponson.
Notes: If you didn’t listen to Moose’s postgame press conference, it certainly sounded like he was ready to hang’em up. What a career, we’re all lucky to have witnessed it.
Moooooooooose!
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What a way for Moose to end his season. Congrats on that 20th victory.
ByWe’re talking Mets’ collapse and Moose’s quest for win #20. Keep it goin’ here. · (302) ·
Game 161: Moose for 20
By · CommentsIt’s raining in Boston again, but the weather should let up in time to allow the Yanks and Red Sox to play a meaningless double header. In Game 1, Mike Mussina is going for his 20th win of the year. He faces Daisuke Matsuzaka.
After today, the only baseball left is post-season play. It’s hard to believe the season is almost over. Didn’t Spring Training just end?
Gardner CF
Damon LF
Abreu RF
A.Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
Nady DH
Cano 2B
Ransom SS
Molina C
Mussina P
Assessing Joe Girardi
By · CommentsEd Price, Yankee beat writer for the troubled Star Ledger, has been one of the more reliable reporters this year. He’s consistently offered up what I feel are fair assessments of the team through thick and thin. If The Star-Ledger goes under, as has been rumored around the New York media circuit recently, I hope Price lands himself a good gig with another paper.
Today, Price tackles a topic bound to come up over the off-season: Joe Girarid’s effectiveness in his first season as Yankee manager. The piece is both a fair and blunt assessment of Girardi’s shortcomings this season. Compiling some info from anonymous clubhouse sources, Price writes:
Girardi’s shortcomings this season have been a lack of communication with players and some of his coaches, an inability, at times, to create a productive atmosphere, a lack of a deft touch with the media (no small issue in New York) and an occasional disregard for players’ egos…
The media skills of Girardi — who has worked as a television analyst — became a topic again last week when Girardi, at Mariano Rivera‘s request, tried to hide Rivera’s shoulder issue. In the aftermath, Girardi wound up apologizing for his handling of injury news over the course of the season.
The same tension that often comes across in Girardi’s interview sessions also affects the players. He has been described as “tight” from about an hour before the game through its duration, and players feed off that.
So as the team dug itself a deficit in the standings, the players found it hard to relax.
Price also notes that Girardi relied too heavily on Bobby Meachem and Mike Harkey, coaches of his from the Marlins, and did not do a great job with talent evaluation, including decisions regarding Morgan Ensberg and the center field role.
In the end, we’ll all have a lot to say about Joe Girardi this year. He has his flaws; he has his strengths. The real test will, of course, come next year when we find out if Joe learned anything from his first year in New York.
At long last, Andrew Brackman
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HWB Waikiki (Honolulu leads 8-0 in the 3rd)
Andrew Brackman: 2.1 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 3-1 GB/FB – the reliever allowed a pair of inherited runners to score
Eh, so it wasn’t as great as we all hoped, but who gives a crap. It’s his first ever start in an affiliated game and it’s winter ball. He’s there for one reason – to do some learnin’. As I said last winter, it’s probably going to take this kid years before he figures out some comfortable, consistent mechanics.
Unfortunately Gameday didn’t have pitch type or velocity, but you could see he was missing high (as you’d expect a 6’10″ pitcher to do) and putting too many balls in the dirt (seven total, most likely with the spike curve). Catcher Buster Posey was charged with two passed balls, likely on curves. All-in-all, of the 45 strikes he threw (71 pitches total), 10 were called strikes and 35 were swinging. That’s a function of both his electric stuff and the A-ball level competition.
Supposedly you’ll be able to listen and/or watch HWB games here this winter (h/t Eric), but the video feed was off-air all night, and radio broadcast was Hawaii-San Jose St. Hopefully that starts working properly in the near future.
No other Yankees’ farmhands were in the starting lineup. I’ll update this post with the final score and any additional stats tonight if I’m still awake, otherwise it’ll wait until tomorrow.
The Arizona Fall League season starts on October 7th.
Update (1:00pm): Honolulu won 8-4, no other Yanks’ prospects got into the game.
Rookie Hazing Photos
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This year’s theme: The Village People. The cast: Brett Gardner as the construction worker, Juan Miranda as the cop, Al Aceves as the indian, Frankie Cervelli as the biker, Humberto Sanchez as the sailor, and David Robertson as the cowboy. Phil Coke was spared because there weren’t enough costumes to go around.
Given the way they played all year, it’s no surprise the team vets mailed this one in too. Yawn.
