Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Has anybody seen the bridge?

The problem with the Yankee bullpen is not the Yankee bullpen:

"Heading into a three-game series with Cleveland tonight at the Stadium, Yankees starters have averaged fewer than 5 2/3 innings over the past 25 games. They've lasted more than six innings just seven times and have managed just nine quality starts of six innings pitched or more with three or fewer earned runs.

The bullpen, meanwhile, has pitched 86 innings, more than 3 1/3 per game."

In 1996, Mariano Rivera pitched 107 innings and was "the bridge" to John Wetteland.

Not surprisingly, Joe Torre found something that he liked. He liked it so much that Paul Quantrill and Mike Stanton are 1-2 in Yankee single-season appearances.

Don't get me wrong: Of course a great bullpen is an asset that helps a team win. But the starting staff is way more important.

The problem is not Kyle Farnsworth. The problem is Randy Johnson, Jaret Wright, and Shawn Chacon.

Hand a four-run lead over to Farnsworth & Myers in the 8th inning and they'll get just as many "holds" as Nelson & Stanton.

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