Jeter takes matters into his own hands as Yanks top Twins 1-0 in suspended game

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Given their rich history, it’s only fitting that the Yankees were part of the first rain delay and suspended game in the history of Target Field. Both A.J. Burnett and Scott Baker held the other side scoreless through five innings yesterday before Mother Nature intervened. The two teams came back this afternoon to finish this one off, and the Yanks turned to their fearless leader to carry them to victory.

Photo Credit: Andy King, AP

Jeter Puts Them On Top

With the offense largely underperforming, yesterday’s five fruitless innings against Baker was just more of the same. The Yanks had opportunities early, but didn’t capitalize yet again and were staring at a big goose egg on the scoreboard when the rain forced them to take a time out.

Derek Jeter didn’t wait very long with only four innings to play this afternoon, jumping all over Brian Duensing’s third pitch of the at-bat – a hanging changeup, which is basically a batting practice fastball – and hit it into the Twins’ bullpen beyond the left-centerfield wall. I’m not sure if Jeter could physically hit a ball any further, maybe if he had a nice gust of wind at his back, but it’s about as far as you’ll see the Cap’n hit one these days.

The result was a collective exhale, as the Yanks were finally on the board, held their first lead in what seemed like an eternity, and just had to run out the clock with the bullpen well rested. Believe it or not, it was the team’s first homer in their last seven road games, their longest stretch in 21 years.

Jeter One-Ups Himself Up By Throws Out Young

Because the homerun wasn’t enough, Jeter also contributed a key defensive play to end the 6th inning and preserve the lead. David Robertson managed to retire Joe Mauer by deflecting a line drive off his back and into Alex Rodriguez‘s glove (just like he drew it up), but he walked Justin Morneau and his league leading .497 OBP. Michael Cuddyer popped out in foul territory for the second out, though Yankee nemesis Jason Kubel roped a hanger into the rightfield corner for a double.

Photo Credit: Andy King, AP

Luckily for the Yanks, Twins’ third base coach Scott Ullger held Morneau up at third, though it wasn’t clear if he would have been able to score after Nick Swisher got the ball back to the infield quickly. Robertson did exactly what he was supposed to do with the hacktastic Delmon Young, throwing a first pitch curveball out of the zone. Young beat it into the ground, and Jeter ranged to his right to snatch the ball in the hole and get the out with his patented jump throw. With a bad throw or a faster runner, the game’s tied. Simply a huge play.

Happy Happy Happy

It was just one at-bat, but the pitch sequence to Morneau in the 8th was fantastic, ditto the execution. The first pitch curve was well off the plate for a ball, but Joba Chamberlain followed it up with a 94 mph heater on the outer half for a called strike, then another 94 mph heater down and away for a called strike, and the put away pitch was a up and in fastball at 94 that Morneau wouldn’t have been able to catch up to if you told him it was coming. Great job with the early leader for the AL MVP award.

Also, big ups to the bullpen in general. Yeah, they put some men on base, but they got the job done.

Sad Sad Sad

It’s a shame the Yanks lost out on A.J. Burnett’s strong start yesterday, he looked like he had seven or eight good innings in him. But hey, if that’s what it took to get Scott Baker out of the game, so be it. I wrote more about both the performance of both starters yesterday.

Robertson taking that liner off his back was scary, but it was good to see him able to stay in the game. The last thing the Yanks need is another injury. Not only did he complete the inning, but he stuck around the record the first two outs in the 7th as well.

Mark Teixeira still looks like the Yanks signed him out of a beer league last week. Just terrible at-bats and swings. I’m not sure why Joe Girardi was compelled to DH him this game after the off day, I would think the last thing you’d want Tex to do between at-bats is sit on the bench and think about how bad he’s been.

Mariano Rivera hasn’t looked right since his little side injury. He just isn’t hitting his spots at all, completely uncharacteristic. Hopefully he gets back on track soon.

WPA Graph & Box Score

MLB.com has the traditional box score, FanGraphs the more advanced stuff. Well, they will once their scoreboard figures out how to handle suspended games.

Up Next

The quickest of turnarounds, as these two teams will play again at 7:05pm ET. It’s a battle of lefties, Andy Pettitte vs. Francisco Liriano.

Game 45: Finish what they started

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"I miss the dome." (Photo Credit: Andy King, AP)

It’s not quite a doubleheader, more like a one-and-a-half header. Before playing tonight’s regularly scheduled game, the Yanks and Twins will play the final four innings of last night’s game, which had to be suspended because it was raining like a mofo. When we left off, the game was still scoreless and the Yankees were set to come to bat in the top of the inning, and both A.J. Burnett and Scott Baker had been cruising for the last few innings. It was an old fashioned pitcher’s duel, but now it’s a mad dash to scratch a run or two across and hold on for dear life.

Here’s the lineup, if you need a reminder…

Jeter, SS
Gardner, CF
Teixeira, DH
A-Rod, 3B
Cano, 2B
Swisher, RF
Miranda, 1B
Cervelli, C
Russo, LF

David Robertson will get the ball in the 6th inning, which kinda surprised me because three of the first four hitters are lefthanded. I figured Joe Girardi wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to use Boone Logan. Girardi also said that none of the relievers will be used in both games.

The game is scheduled to resume at 5:05pm ET, and depending on who you ask, it’ll be broadcast on either My9 or YES. Enjoy the rest of the game.

Numbers show a decline on Jeter’s range to his left

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Photo credit: Kathy Willens/AP

It’s unsurprising for anyone who has watched most of the season to date, but it appears that Derek Jeter has taken a step backwards defensively. Last year he made marked improvements, and the numbers confirmed what our eyes saw. This year we’ve seen him miss a number of plays, particularly those to his right. While the readily available defensive numbers don’t break down his defense that far, ESPN’s Mark Simon tracked down the specific left-right splits for Jeter.

In the winter of 2007-2008, Brian Cashman had a conversation with Jeter in which Cashman raised the issue of Jeter’s diminished defensive range. Jeter had not heard this from coaches or teammates, but made a commitment to improve. He started doing workouts that helped balance the typical workload of a baseball player. Because there are so many repetitive one-way movements — running the bases and swinging the bat — a player can become unbalanced. Jeter’s workouts strove to help him work both sides of his body.

It seemed to work. Not only did Jeter look better in the field starting in 2008, but the numbers reflected it. On Baseball Info Solutions’ +/- scale, Jeter rated just -1 to his left in 2008, and improved to +2 in 2009. This seemed to hamper his range to his right, usually his strong point, but even then he adjusted. After rating -18 in 2008, Jeter climbed to -3 in 2009. After another off-season of balanced workouts, we might have seen Jeter improve further, or at least negate the effects of age.

Instead we’ve seen him decline on balls to his left, on which he currently rates a -7. Again, this is no surprise to the faithful followers. Jeter has missed a number of balls, and has come close to missing a few more. I particularly remember a play in Detroit where it appeared he would smoothly scoop a grounder up the middle, but he hesitated at the last moment and had to make a spinning throw. On the good side, Jeter has been excellent on balls to his right, rating a +7.

At this point in his career, we can’t expect Jeter to become a top defensive shortstop. The balls up the middle are frustrating to watch, but it is reassuring to know that he’s at least making some plays that other shortstops have not. Still, it’s certainly going to affect his contract negotiations after this season. How much will Derek Jeter the shortstop cost compared to Derek Jeter the guy who will have to move off the position in a couple of years?

2010 Draft: Rumored Targets

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Now that we’re less than two weeks away from the draft (the Yanks will be represented by Roy White and Gene Michael), we’ve started to see some scattered reports about players the Yankees are scouting heavily. This far into the game, that indicates strong interest on the team’s part. Sometimes these reports are just a small comment at the bottom of a notebook or a stray tweet somewhere, but the info’s out there, and I try to get as much of it up here as possible.

Here’s a little more information on a few players the Yanks have been linked to recently, plus two more that I included because they have a very real chance of dropping into the Yanks’ lap.

Tyrell Jenkins, RHP, Henderson HS (Texas) (video)

Photo Credit: Hughes Ellis, Henderson Daily News

The Yankees have been in on Jenkins for quite some time according to Keith Law, and he certainly fits the Damon Oppenheimer mold as a supreme athlete with tremendous upside. With a live arm and a fluid delivery, he pumps fastballs in the 91-93 mph range and has touched 95. There’s lots of room to fill out in his 6-foot-4, 180 lb. frame, so he should add velocity. Jenkins has also flashed the ability to spin two kinds of breaking balls as well as maintain arm speed on his changeup, but he’s inexperienced on the mound and it’s all a work in progress.

A four sport star at Henderson (baseball, football, basketball, track), Jenkins is also Baylor’s top quarterback recruit in addition to being a legitimate first round talent. That commitment is going to land him an above-slot bonus, though he’s considered signable. Jenkins is both a very raw and very risky player, but the upside is considerable. There’s no such thing a a high ceiling, high probability player at the back of the first round, those guys go in the top five. He’d be a fantastic selection at #32 overall; the Yankees don’t have anyone like him in the system at all.

Photo Credit: University of Michigan

Ryan LaMarre, CF, Michigan (video)

Another superathlete with tools to spare, the Yanks have shown some interest in LaMarre in recent weeks according to KLaw, however it’s possible that they’re looking at him for their second round pick. The 6-foot-2, 205 pounder has top of the line speed and is a legit long-term asset in centerfield with very good defense, and he’s shown enough bat speed to project decent pop down the road. LaMarre has displayed a patient approach in the past, but it’s completely deteriorated this season – just three walks in 134 PA.

For a college player, LaMarre has some questions to answer with the bat, particularly his poor track record with wood. He also hasn’t faced the best competition playing in the Big Ten, so he’s a risky player. To his credit, LaMarre has  outstanding work ethic and plays with an all-out style, so effort won’t be an issue. There’s just too many question marks to draft him in the first round, in my completely amateur opinion.

Zach Lee, RHP, McKinney HS (Texas) (video)

Photo Credit: USA Youth National Team

There haven’t been any reports of the Yankees scouting and/or having interest in Lee, but he’s considering one of the draft class’ toughest signs. It’s only a matter of time before the two parties find themselves connected at some point, regardless of the team’s actual level of interest. Lee is an elite quarterback prospect with NFL potential that’s committed to a major program in LSU, so someone’s going to have to back up the Brinks’ truck to sign him.

On the mound, the 6-foot-4, 195 pounder sits in the low-90’s right now, but certainly has room to add more. His power slider is a true out pitch, and his changeup is good for a high schooler, but still below average overall. As you can imagine, Lee is an elite athlete, and it allows him to repeat a simple delivery. His stuff plays up because he has great pitching acumen and polish, very rare for a teenager who splits his time between two sports.

Rumors swirl about a bonus demand in excess of $3M, but those are unconfirmed. In terms of talent, Lee would be a great selection at #32, but it’s entirely possible that he falls all the way into the double digit rounds. Whoever drafts him will have to have done their homework on what it’s going to take to sign him. The Yanks can ill afford another Gerrit Cole incident.

Photo Credit: Nati Harnik, AP

Anthony Ranaudo, RHP, LSU (video)

The Yanks have been on Ranaudo for much of the spring according to Frankie Piliere, and it only makes sense since he’s a top talent likely to fall. The 6-foot-7, 230 lb. righthander started the year as the number two talent behind Bryce Harper, but a sore elbow cost him a month of the season and he simply hasn’t been the same since. It’s the second elbow problem of his collegiate career, so there’s a bit of a history here.

At his best, Ranaudo offers a 92-93 mph fastball with a very good changeup-curveball combo and very good command. Since the injury he’s sat around 90 and his offspeed pitches have flattened out as he seemingly lost his delivery. Perhaps he’s just scared of turning it loose following the injury. There’s not enough time for him to rebuild his stock, and when you factor in that he’s a Scott Boras client, well you have a recipe for falling. Even before the injury, Ranaudo’s ultimate ceiling wasn’t a frontline starter, but a high probability rock solid workhorse because of his lack of a true out pitch. At least Andrew Brackman had shown ace stuff prior to being drafted. There’s better ways to use a first round pick, but once you get past that, he’s makes a bit more sense.

Asher Wojciechowski, RHP, The Citadel (video)

Photo Credit: Southern Conference

The Yankees are sending the head honchos to scout the 6-foot-4, 230 lb. Wojciechowski at the Southern Conference Tournament today, so their interest is sincere. His fastball is electric at 93-94 mph, topping out at 96 consistently. His slurvy breaking ball is hard on righties, but he still needs to further develop his changeup to battle lefties. Wojciechowski’s build screams workhorse, and at worst his fastball will allow him to fall back on being a power late-game reliever.

College righthanders who won’t command huge over-slot bonuses come off the board early, so if Wojciechowski falls to the Yanks at #32 overall, it would be a pretty considerable coup. Just for comparison’s sake, Chad Jenkins is a very similar prospect (a little less fastball), and he went 20th overall to the Blue Jays last year. He’d really have to lay an egg in his next two starts to get to the Yanks.

In case you’re wondering, The Citadel has no post-graduation military obligation, so Wojciechowski is in the clear there.

Yankees bring back Chad Gaudin

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Via Mark Feinsand, the Yankees have signed Chad Gaudin for bullpen depth, and he’s expected to be added to roster in time for tonight’s game. The Yanks released him at the end of Spring Training in favor of Sergio Mitre, a move that was greatly ridiculed around these parts. They only had to pay Gaudin $737,000 of termination pay (rather than his full $2.95M salary), and now they only have to pay him the pro-rated minimum from here on out since Oakland is on the hook for his 2010 contract after designating him for assignment. Gaudin posted an 8.83 ERA (but a 3.92 xFIP) in 17.1 IP for the A’s.

Feinsand mentions that Gaudin is being brought back to serve as the long man, so it’s possible that Mitre will be moved into a more leverage relief role, which Joe advocated yesterday. Both a 40-man and 25-man roster move are needed to accommodate his return. Bye bye Boone Logan?

Burnett adjusts with the curveball

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Photo credit: Andy King/AP

In his rain-shortened start last night, A.J. Burnett threw 75 pitches. He ran into trouble a couple of times, thanks to three hits and two walks, but each time was able to work out of it without incurring any damage. The only thing that came close was Justin Morneau’s warning track shot, which I thought was long gone when it leapt off the bat. At the end of five the game remained scoreless.

Burnett’s night came to a premature end after those five innings, thanks to the first rain delay, and first game suspension, the Twins have endured at their new stadium. The book is all but closed on him, with only the possibility of a win still looming. Given his limited exposure in the game — he probably could have pitched into the seventh once again — it’s tough not to like what we saw from Burnett. He had troubles at times, but where last year he would have let the game get way from him, this time he kept things under control.

One thing that leaps out last night is that he threw his curveball 23 times out of 75 pitches. Burnett has cut back on the curve this year, throwing it just 23.5 percent of the time. It doesn’t appear that his decreased curve usage has been an anomaly in a short sample. Even he has admitted several times this season that he’s just not feeling the curveball. His increased use of a two-seam fastball has led to higher groundball rates, a positive, but as David Golebiewski of FanGraphs notes, it has been a detriment to his strikeout rate.

It was clear in the first inning last night that Burnett did not have a good feel for his curve. He missed badly with it a couple of times, and didn’t hit the strike zone with the five he threw in the first. He went back to it a few times later, only to find similar results. The nasty curve on which Burnett has made his reputation would not help him very much. Yet, as I mentioned above, he didn’t abandon it completely. Instead it appeared he took a bit off it, using it more as an off-speed pitch than a breaking pitch. It worked fairly well, generating three swinging strikeouts and another called one.

If Burnett can continue to adjust in-game when his best curveball isn’t working, he might be able to avoid the meltdowns with which we became familiar last year. It’s pretty clear that he’s not comfortable throwing his changeup — he did only once last night, and that was on the ball I thought Morneau had hit into the St. Croix river. If he can keep batters off-balance with that pitch and induce grounders with his two-seamer (eight of the 12 balls in play were on the ground), he can be and effective pitcher even when he’s not feeling his best. He demonstrated that last night, and he has put the Yankees in an excellent position to pick up a win.

The problems with a popularity contest that counts

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Every year since I started blogging about baseball in 2004, I’ve taken up the topic of the stupidity of the All Star Game. I have no problem with the game itself, and when I had the opportunity to attend the 15-inning affair at Yankee Stadium in 2008, I had a blast. But no matter how thrilling that Mid-Summer Classic was, I can’t get past the fact that the All Star Game counts for something.

To recap, the problem arose in 2002 when the AL and NL both ran out of pitchers after 11 innings with the score still tied at 7. Because there are no ties in baseball, Bud Selig came off looking the fool when he announced that the game would end without a victor. Heaven forbid a glorified exhibition game end with no winner. To combat this problem, Selig announced that the All Star Game, of all things, would determine home-field advantage in the World Series. A pre-season coin toss would be just as arbitrary.

With the decision to make the All Star game count quickly becoming an engrained part of this July affair, MLB hasn’t addressed the problems with the way the teams are selected. The fans — those who drive ratings and the game’s success — still choose who gets to start, but they aren’t very good at it. Instead of picking the best players at each position, the fans just vote for the most popular, and the leagues aren’t represented, at least at first, by the real All Stars.

This year’s voting is no exception and, in fact, serves to highlight the problem. Let’s take first base in the AL. When MLB unveiled the early voting results, the lead vote-getter at first base was Mark Teixeira. I don’t know many Yankee fans who think number 25 is off to an All Star start. On the season, Teixeira is hitting .209/.327/.378 with 7 home runs, 30 RBIs and 37 strike outs. At this pace, he’ll strike out a career-high 133 times. The AL WAR leaderboard shows seven first basemen better than Teixeira, and Justin Morneau, the AL’s top first baseman, has received nearly 140,000 fewer votes than Teixeira.

At short stop, the same absurdity repeats itself. Derek Jeter — .276/.320/.396 with declining defensive numbers — leads the entire American League in votes. The WAR leader at short in the junior circuit is Elvis Andrus, and he has received 400,000 fewer votes than DJ.

Around the horn, the voting makes more or less sense. Robinson Cano should be leading at second base, and few will question Joe Mauer or Evan Longoria as All Stars at their respective positions. Of the Ichiro-Nelson Cruz-Carl Crawford outfield trio, only Crawford truly deserves to be there, but Cruz and Ichiro ain’t chopped liver.

On a personal level, I’d love to see Jeter and Teixeira start the All Star Game (and I’d love it even more as a Yankee fan if they could put up numbers to deserve it). But as a supporter of a team that has a legitimate shot at playing in the World Series and one who understands the benefits of home field advantage, I’d rather see the best players at their positions earn that Mid-Summer Classic starting berth.

The All Star Game should count or it should be a popularity contest. As long as it remains parts of both, the voting system will be as flawed as Bud Selig’s misguided concept. This time, it counts, and yet, it shouldn’t.