ByThe Rockies placed Luis Vizcaino on the DL with a strained shoulder. I’m having a hard time not saying: “Well, duh, he was a ‘trusted vet’ in Joe Torre’s bullpen last year.” But, uh, I guess I just did. · (11) ·
Giambi battling Father Time
By · CommentsVia BBTF comes a good piece from the New York Observer about Jason Giambi’s 2008 campaign. Giambi, 37, is trying to make a move few his age make with much success: He is trying to move to the field after being a full-time DH.
Giambi, according to Medgal, discovered running this off-season and with it, he hopes, a Fountain of Youth:
Since signing a seven-year, $120 million contract with the New York Yankees prior to the 2002 season, Giambi has been an increasingly irregular presence in the lineup, and seeing him in the field has been an even greater rarity. In his first two seasons with the Yankees, Giambi played in 313 of a possible 324 games, 97 percent, including 177 at first base. But in the past four seasons, Giambi played just 441 of 648 games, and just 211 of those at first base. Last year, Giambi appeared in just 18 games at first base, and often was replaced in the late innings for defense…
“I’d get hurt all the time, and I just took it as part of getting older,” Giambi said as he stood near his locker before yesterday’s game against Toronto, a bat leaning against his leg. “But when I worked toward getting back from the plantar fasciitis, I worked with a new doctor, who deals with—well—ballet dancers. And he told me that I had really high arches. I got these inserts”—he gestured toward prescription orthotics in his cleats—“and suddenly it didn’t hurt to run anymore.”
Giambi suffered knee and back pain so quickly, along with “dead legs,” when running in the past that it was never part of his offseason regimen. But this winter, he said, he ran every day. Giambi found a track near his Las Vegas home and learned how to run without pain for the first time, 60 yards at a time.
This winter was the first time in his career that Giambi went through a running program, and the Yanks are hoping that Giambi’s legs will stay fresher for it this year. While Giambi talks about regaining quickness, his apparent injury yesterday bodes ill for his legs.
Right now, the Yanks have to hope that this supposedly new and improved Jason Giambi is also willing to let himself heal. But at 37, it’s hard to roll back the baseball clock as it keeps on ticking ever forward.
Charleston’s offense > New York’s offense
By · CommentsI’d be remiss if I didn’t pass this along. Too funny.
Triple-A Scranton (7-2 win over Lehigh Valley)
Brett Gardner: 2 for 4, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI – Chad Jennings said the homer was a no-doubter
Justin Christian: 1 for 4, 2 R, 1 SB
Cody Ransom: 2 for 4, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Juan Miranda: 1 for 3, 1 BB
Alberto Gonzalez: 0 for 3, 1 BB – GIDP’ed
Eric Duncan: 0 for 3, 1 R, 1 K, 1 SB, 1 HBP
Alan Horne: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 1 Balk, 8-4 GB/FB – take out the second inning, and his line would be 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Heath Phillips: 0.2 IP, zeroes – being used strictly as a lefty specialist this year, except in the occasional emergency spot
Scott Patterson: 1 IP, zeroes, 2 K – 8 of 9 pitches were strikes … your garden variety Scott Patterson outing
Edwar: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
BySo Jason Giambi left the game today with sore left groin. So he made it through four and a half games before the injury bug bite. Not bad, Jason. Not bad. The Yanks have him listed as day-to-day even though Giambi says he feels OK. I doubt he’ll be in the lineup tomorrow. · (0) ·
ByAndy Pettitte wasn’t at his sharpest today, but a few of his hits were of the bloop variety. He’s not why the Yankees lost. They lost because the bats were 9 for 37 with one extra-base hit. They walked twice and struck out seven times. The Yanks find themselves at 2-3 because the team is hitting .228/.289/.382 with nine walks and 22 strike outs. But it’s five games at the start of the season. They’ll snap out of it, and if the bullpen and starting pitching keeps doing what its been doing, the Yankees will be a-ok. And that’s all there is to it today. · (36) ·
Game Five: The lefty returns
By · CommentsThe Yanks are mired in something of an offensive slump to start the season. As a team, the Bombers are hitting .227 with a .285 OBP and a .378 slugging percentage. For all the talk about their offensive, they’ve plated just 12 runs over the first four games.
The bats, of course, will wake up, and today’s game may be just what the doctor ordered. Facing the Yankees today will be the righthander Edwin Jackson. For years, Jackson has been hyped as the Next Big Thing. He started out with the Dodgers and made his Major League debut a few months later. But control — and Big League succes — have so far eluded Jackson. Over five seasons and 272.2 innings, he has an ERA of 5.64 and a WHIP of 1.71.
The Yanks haven’t shown their trademark patience at the plate yet. They’ve drawn just eight walks as a team. With Jackson on the mound, the Yanks’ bats may get the reprieve they so need after facing Toronto’s own big three starting pitchers and a surprisingly effective Andy Sonnanstine last night.
On the hill for the Yanks will be Andy Pettitte, making his 2008 season debut. No, my April Fools joke did not come true. He isn’t missing time due to his back right now, and he won’t be replaced by Kei Igawa. Against Tampa last year, Pettitte was 0-2 in four starts with a 5.32 ERA. Hopefully, he’ll find success this season. In all likelihood, Jonathan Albaladejo will be sent back to AAA to make room for Pettitte, and I am not a fan of that move.
The lineups:
Yankees
Damon CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi DH
Cano 2B
Posada C
Matsui LF
Duncan 1B
Pettitte LHP
Rays
Iwamura 2B
Crawford LF
Pena 1B
Upton CF
Gomes RF
Aybar 3B
Bartlett SS
Riggans C
Johnson DH
Jackson RHP
ByThe guys over at Saber Scouting made a trip to Triple-A Scranton’s season opener to take a look at the Kei-man, and figured out what’s wrong with him: A whole lot. It makes sense that it’s not just one big problem with Igawa, it’s a bunch of smaller problems building on each other. Surprisingly, they say there’s a lot to like about Igawa, and that whoever scouted and recommended him wasn’t completely wrong. Check it out.
PS: If you watch the video, make sure you turn the volume down. You’ll thank me. · (8) ·
Punchless
By · CommentsForget about IPK being all over the place, this lineup isn’t exactly striking fear into the heart of the opposition. They were 1 for 25 with a walk outside of the 4-run third inning. Not gonna get it done like that guys.
Triple-A Scranton (2-1 win over Lehigh Valley)
Brett Gardner: 1 for 3, 1 K
Alberto Gonzalez: 0 for 2, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 E (throwing)
Greg Porter & Juan Miranda: both 1 for 3 – Miranda drove a run in
Jason Lane: 1 for 3, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 BB – walk was intentional
Cody Ransom: 2 for 2, 1 2B, 1 BB
Eric Duncan & Chad Moeller: both 0 for 3, 1 K – E-Dunc GIDP’ed
Steven “don’t call me” White: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 9-5 GB/FB – rock solid
Chris Britton: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 3-0 GB/FB
Jose Veras: 1 IP, zeroes
Game Four: Another rookie takes the hill
By · CommentsIt was a beautiful thing last night, seeing Phil go six strong with Joba picking up the (meaningless) W. Tonight we see the final member of the Big Three taking the hill, IPK. He’ll be opposed by Andy Sonnastine, whom none of the Yankees have had more than 7 at bats against.
Rob Thompson will manage the team tonight, as Girardi is suffering from a upper respiratory infection.
Melky’s suspension has been reduced two two games. He’ll sit out today and tomorrow. I’d feel far more comfortable if we had a groundballer like Wang out on the hill during those contests. An outfield of Matsui-Damon-Abreu is probably bottom 5 in the AL defensively. Duncan’s hearing is up Monday, according to PeteAbe.
I had posted PeteAbe’s lineup earlier, but Mark Feinsand reports that Posada has been moved to DH. I would assume then that Betemit sits and Molina slides into the nine spot. So this is the assumed lineup:
1. Damon, CF
2. Jeter, SS
3. Abreu, RF
4. Rodriguez, 3B
5. Giambi, 1B
6. Cano, 2B
7. Posada, DH
8. Matsui, LF
9. Molina, C
And on the mound, number thirty-one, Ian Kennedy
