What exactly were the Yankees supposed to do? Run away with everything or not?
Mike Lupica on May 25: "[The Mets] are 3 1/2 games worse than the Yankees ... who buy everybody and were supposed to run away with everything ... "
Mike Lupica on June 30: "The lead for the Yankees in the loss column is now seven. This is not the way things were supposed to work out in the AL East this time ... "
----
Wait a minute. That's not even changing your mind. Because how can what was "supposed to" happen ever change? That's in the past. Right? There can only be one what was "supposed to" happen. Then it either happens, or it doesn't happen.
So, you can change your mind about what will happen in the future, but you can't change what was "supposed to" happen.
I'm sorry if I'm ranting. Lupica's brain should be put in a museum. Somehow he reconciles all this in his own mind. A true testiment to the flexibility and adaptability of the human intellect.
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Simple arithmetic. 2 > 1.
If the stats of Enrique Wilson and Miguel Cairo are added up, you get a fairly productive second baseman. 42 rbis, 8 hrs. Not too bad for a #9 hitter and a second baseman. Right?
Because this seems to be a common sentiment if you listen to the Yankees games on the radio or watch them on the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network.
Here's the problem, ignoring the fact that they play at the same time on a rare occasion:
1) 8 hrs and 42 rbis isn't really that much for a #9 hitter and a second baseman. Not on this team with all the RBI opportunities. It's not bad, but it should elicit a shrug.
2) It's a platoon. Even if it's not a straight righty-lefty platoon, Torre has the luxury of resting the slumping player and playing the hot hand.
3) It doesn't make sense to add up the stats of two players and compare them to the stats of one player because ... well ... IT'S TWO PLAYERS!! It's costing the Yankees, what? A ROSTER SPOT!! Another PLAYER!! A player who could do things for the Yankees. Like hit, run, catch, throw. Maybe even pitch.
Because this seems to be a common sentiment if you listen to the Yankees games on the radio or watch them on the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network.
Here's the problem, ignoring the fact that they play at the same time on a rare occasion:
1) 8 hrs and 42 rbis isn't really that much for a #9 hitter and a second baseman. Not on this team with all the RBI opportunities. It's not bad, but it should elicit a shrug.
2) It's a platoon. Even if it's not a straight righty-lefty platoon, Torre has the luxury of resting the slumping player and playing the hot hand.
3) It doesn't make sense to add up the stats of two players and compare them to the stats of one player because ... well ... IT'S TWO PLAYERS!! It's costing the Yankees, what? A ROSTER SPOT!! Another PLAYER!! A player who could do things for the Yankees. Like hit, run, catch, throw. Maybe even pitch.
"Cowboy downtime."
Good article. There, I said something nice about a sportswriter.
Boston should be mocked mercilessly for the hugging and Cowboy Up and shaving their heads in unison.
Despite all of this nonsense, they're still a great team. Don't write them off yet, even if Yankees take two out of three in this series.
Boston should be mocked mercilessly for the hugging and Cowboy Up and shaving their heads in unison.
Despite all of this nonsense, they're still a great team. Don't write them off yet, even if Yankees take two out of three in this series.
Reggie Jackson hit three homeruns in a World Series game. Not like today's Yankees.
"Now A-Rod is happy at last, even if he hasn't hit much lately, even if he has the 19 quietest home runs in the big leagues."
Mike Lupica isn't impressed with the man who leads the American League in homeruns. The homeruns were too quiet.
I personally thought all 19 were loud. Most loud was the bomb to centerfield off Arthur Rhodes to tie the game in the ninth inning. While that's sort of dramatic -- more dramatic than all of ARod's boring homeruns in the first inning and the third inning -- it still wasn't dramatic enough.
It's going to take a lot more to impress Mike Lupica. Mike Lupica has been around. He remembers Reggie. He remembers Tino. He remembers Brosius. Has ARod hit a game-tying homerun with two outs in the ninth inning in the World Series? Thought not.
The other players in the major leagues with 19 homeruns? Like Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez? They hit loud homeruns. Out of Jim Thome's 25 homeruns, 24 of them are game-winning grand slams, and the other one was off of Ralph Branca to win the pennant.
Is that loud enough for you, Mister ARod Moneybags? Why don't you hit some loud homeruns?
Mike Lupica isn't impressed with the man who leads the American League in homeruns. The homeruns were too quiet.
I personally thought all 19 were loud. Most loud was the bomb to centerfield off Arthur Rhodes to tie the game in the ninth inning. While that's sort of dramatic -- more dramatic than all of ARod's boring homeruns in the first inning and the third inning -- it still wasn't dramatic enough.
It's going to take a lot more to impress Mike Lupica. Mike Lupica has been around. He remembers Reggie. He remembers Tino. He remembers Brosius. Has ARod hit a game-tying homerun with two outs in the ninth inning in the World Series? Thought not.
The other players in the major leagues with 19 homeruns? Like Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez? They hit loud homeruns. Out of Jim Thome's 25 homeruns, 24 of them are game-winning grand slams, and the other one was off of Ralph Branca to win the pennant.
Is that loud enough for you, Mister ARod Moneybags? Why don't you hit some loud homeruns?
Thursday, June 24, 2004
The resistible force meets the moveable object.
Highlight of last night's Yankee game was Rafael Palmeiro trying to get to third base on a single in the first inning with two outs.
Bernie Williams threw him out.
When they wanted a slow motion replay, they just played it at regular speed.
Bernie Williams threw him out.
When they wanted a slow motion replay, they just played it at regular speed.
Fun with Joe Torre quotes, Part I.
New York starter Jon Lieber (5-5) gave up a season-high seven runs, five earned, in 3 2-3 innings. He allowed 11 hits in his shortest outing of the year.
...
``A loss like this is easier to deal with because you can't find one particular thing to blame it on,'' Torre said.
...
``A loss like this is easier to deal with because you can't find one particular thing to blame it on,'' Torre said.
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Back off, Phil Mushnick!
Charlie Steiner fights back. Weakly ...
"From the beginning of spring training until the end of the postseason, between pregame shows, the game broadcasts and the postgame shows, John Sterling and I are on the air between 800 and 900 hours a season. We are on the air without the benefit of a backspace on our keyboard, without a delete button, without a script, without anything but our eyes, brains and mouths. We don't have the luxury of crafting award-winning words that some of those fine critics of our work have. Anyone can sit and listen and find something, anything, to second-guess or to complain about over the course of a broadcast or a season.
So do we notice? Yes. Are they occasionally insightful? Yes. Have they become increasingly personal? Yes. Why? You'll have to ask them."
Why is he asking himself so many rhetorical questions? Just to answer those questions himself? I don't know. Does he sound a wee bit defensive? Yes. Does Charlie Steiner really have eyes, brain, and a mouth, as he claims? Two out of three ain't bad.
"From the beginning of spring training until the end of the postseason, between pregame shows, the game broadcasts and the postgame shows, John Sterling and I are on the air between 800 and 900 hours a season. We are on the air without the benefit of a backspace on our keyboard, without a delete button, without a script, without anything but our eyes, brains and mouths. We don't have the luxury of crafting award-winning words that some of those fine critics of our work have. Anyone can sit and listen and find something, anything, to second-guess or to complain about over the course of a broadcast or a season.
So do we notice? Yes. Are they occasionally insightful? Yes. Have they become increasingly personal? Yes. Why? You'll have to ask them."
Why is he asking himself so many rhetorical questions? Just to answer those questions himself? I don't know. Does he sound a wee bit defensive? Yes. Does Charlie Steiner really have eyes, brain, and a mouth, as he claims? Two out of three ain't bad.
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Worship Griffey.
In every other sport -- every other human endeavor -- it is implicitly understood and accepted that progress has been made in the past 50 years. Except in baseball, where the crotchety Guardians of the Game seem to think that the last truly great player pre-dated color film.
If you can't appreciate the greatness of Junior, you should not identify yourself as a baseball fan. I don't think any of his contemporaries in center field have half that many homeruns.
Actually ... on second thought ... two-fitty is more than half of 499!
If you can't appreciate the greatness of Junior, you should not identify yourself as a baseball fan. I don't think any of his contemporaries in center field have half that many homeruns.
Actually ... on second thought ... two-fitty is more than half of 499!
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Friday.
In the top of the 3rd inning, Joe Torre will walk out to the mound to take Weaver out of the game.
Just out of habit.
Just out of habit.
Sunday, June 13, 2004
Hate to say I told ya so.
Did Mike Lupica jump all over Kevin Brown's minor injury? I don't believe it. I could have never have predicted such a response from Lupica and the Daily News.
"How can anybody be surprised that Kevin Brown, at the age of 39, would get hurt after the way he kept going down for the Dodgers the past few season? [sic]"
I doubt if anybody is surprised, but it doesn't seem to be a major injury. If he only misses two or three starts, it's not a big deal at all. Yankees are always overly cautious, and they're behaving the same way with Mussina.
"Once again, people apparently thought that putting on pinstripes is the baseball version of going to Lourdes."
Let me guess, "they" said he wasn't going to get hurt? Kevin Brown and Brian Cashman publicly predicted he wasn't going to get hurt (while Cashman is trying to load up the back of the rotation with El Duque and Osborne and Sturtze)? Or maybe it was Sal from Throgs Neck calling the FAN. Those are the "people."
Does Lupica know that Pettitte is on the DL for the second time this season and Wells just got off the DL (after leaving the World Series game last season with an injury)? I'm sure Lupica knows this. He just ignores any pro-Yankee, pro-George, pro-Cashman news because he'd rather push his tired "George of the Bungle" angle. Which is really his only angle.
"Brown (who was handed the Cy Young Award after winning three games against the Devil Rays in April) is old and Mike Mussina is getting up there ... "
Hyperbole. Let's just hope it's hyperbole instead of lying or stupidity or ignorance.
"You know the deal:
One-hundred-and-ninety-four million bucks just doesn't buy you what it used to in baseball."
The Yankee payroll is not $194 million and Lupica knows this. It's more than hyperbole, it's more than literary license. It's flat-out lying. I don't know why Lupica always feels the need to exaggerate the Yankee payroll, he can make his argument effectively with the facts. Lying (exaggerating? hyperbole?) just seems to be part of Lupica's nature.
"How can anybody be surprised that Kevin Brown, at the age of 39, would get hurt after the way he kept going down for the Dodgers the past few season? [sic]"
I doubt if anybody is surprised, but it doesn't seem to be a major injury. If he only misses two or three starts, it's not a big deal at all. Yankees are always overly cautious, and they're behaving the same way with Mussina.
"Once again, people apparently thought that putting on pinstripes is the baseball version of going to Lourdes."
Let me guess, "they" said he wasn't going to get hurt? Kevin Brown and Brian Cashman publicly predicted he wasn't going to get hurt (while Cashman is trying to load up the back of the rotation with El Duque and Osborne and Sturtze)? Or maybe it was Sal from Throgs Neck calling the FAN. Those are the "people."
Does Lupica know that Pettitte is on the DL for the second time this season and Wells just got off the DL (after leaving the World Series game last season with an injury)? I'm sure Lupica knows this. He just ignores any pro-Yankee, pro-George, pro-Cashman news because he'd rather push his tired "George of the Bungle" angle. Which is really his only angle.
"Brown (who was handed the Cy Young Award after winning three games against the Devil Rays in April) is old and Mike Mussina is getting up there ... "
Hyperbole. Let's just hope it's hyperbole instead of lying or stupidity or ignorance.
"You know the deal:
One-hundred-and-ninety-four million bucks just doesn't buy you what it used to in baseball."
The Yankee payroll is not $194 million and Lupica knows this. It's more than hyperbole, it's more than literary license. It's flat-out lying. I don't know why Lupica always feels the need to exaggerate the Yankee payroll, he can make his argument effectively with the facts. Lying (exaggerating? hyperbole?) just seems to be part of Lupica's nature.
Friday, June 11, 2004
Yankees vs. ex-Yankees in interleague play.
Ex-Yankees who are on the Mets: Leiter, Stanton, Weathers, Zeile, Garcia, Spencer, Williams.
That would be Gerald Williams.
Because you were so wondering what happened to Gerald Williams.
That would be Gerald Williams.
Because you were so wondering what happened to Gerald Williams.
Contreras an enigma wrapped in a riddle wrapped in a mystery.
When he pitches well, he supposedly has "great stuff." When he pitches poorly, it's because he's scared. So what to make of an average outing (7 IP, 4 runs, 5 hits, 2 walks)?
Joel Sherman is not impressed.
There seems to be an implicit consensus that it's the pressure of NYC which is his biggest problem. For no reason whatsoever, Vic Ziegel thinks three good innings against the Rockies changes everything.
Like everybody else, Torre and Flaherty are obsessed with his mental state of mind and confidence on the mound. Flaherty calls him a "work in progress" and Torre is pleased that he "didn't fall apart."
Contreras is out of shape, he can't hold runners on, he walks too many and gives up too many homeruns, he can't pitch out of the stretch, he obviously ignores scouting reports, and he's probably closer to 42 years old than 32 years old.
His "stuff" is vastly overrated. An occasional 95 mph fastball is not great "stuff." All these homeruns he is giving up? Players like Choo Freeman are not turning around 96 mph cheese. Besides, control and consistency count, too. It's control and consistency that separates Roger Clemens from Lance McCullers.
This is the Majors. It's not AAA and it's not Cuba. Nobody is swinging at that wack-ass splitter that bounces in front of the plate.
Jose Contreras is actually not that complicated or mysterious. He's just not very good.
Joel Sherman is not impressed.
There seems to be an implicit consensus that it's the pressure of NYC which is his biggest problem. For no reason whatsoever, Vic Ziegel thinks three good innings against the Rockies changes everything.
Like everybody else, Torre and Flaherty are obsessed with his mental state of mind and confidence on the mound. Flaherty calls him a "work in progress" and Torre is pleased that he "didn't fall apart."
Contreras is out of shape, he can't hold runners on, he walks too many and gives up too many homeruns, he can't pitch out of the stretch, he obviously ignores scouting reports, and he's probably closer to 42 years old than 32 years old.
His "stuff" is vastly overrated. An occasional 95 mph fastball is not great "stuff." All these homeruns he is giving up? Players like Choo Freeman are not turning around 96 mph cheese. Besides, control and consistency count, too. It's control and consistency that separates Roger Clemens from Lance McCullers.
This is the Majors. It's not AAA and it's not Cuba. Nobody is swinging at that wack-ass splitter that bounces in front of the plate.
Jose Contreras is actually not that complicated or mysterious. He's just not very good.
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Andy Pettitte hurt. Kevin Brown 7-1.
If the situation were reversed, the NY tabloids would have a field day of "I told ya so." Maybe a "George of the Bungle" cartoon.
Mike Lupica and Roger Clemens went out of their way to publicly mock the Yankees for questioning the health of Pettitte's elbow. Of course it's too early to evaluate the long-term value of Pettitte or the short-term value of Brown. Not too early to evaluate the integrity of Mike Lupica.
Mike Lupica and Roger Clemens went out of their way to publicly mock the Yankees for questioning the health of Pettitte's elbow. Of course it's too early to evaluate the long-term value of Pettitte or the short-term value of Brown. Not too early to evaluate the integrity of Mike Lupica.
Monday, June 07, 2004
Don't call it a comeback
I've been here for years rockin my peers puttin suckas in fear.
I halfway agree with Joel Sherman, which is half more than I usually do.
He's correct when he suggests that the much-celebrated Yankee "comebacks" are not a big deal. They're usually down by one or two runs in the third inning. He's incorrect when he suggests that it's some big problem with the Yankee starters.
What exactly is a comeback? Every time a team falls behind by a single run at any point in the game? Not impressive.
A true comeback is any time you don't expect your team to win and they do. Need it formalized? I'll formalize it.
Any time a team is (a) down more than one run per remaining inning or (b) down by more than five runs at any time in the game or (c) facing the closer.
Game five of the ALCS last year? That was a comeback. They were painting the World Series logo on the field at Fenway.
Down 2-0 to the Devil Rays in the first inning with Doug Waechter on the mound? Eh. Not so much.
I halfway agree with Joel Sherman, which is half more than I usually do.
He's correct when he suggests that the much-celebrated Yankee "comebacks" are not a big deal. They're usually down by one or two runs in the third inning. He's incorrect when he suggests that it's some big problem with the Yankee starters.
What exactly is a comeback? Every time a team falls behind by a single run at any point in the game? Not impressive.
A true comeback is any time you don't expect your team to win and they do. Need it formalized? I'll formalize it.
Any time a team is (a) down more than one run per remaining inning or (b) down by more than five runs at any time in the game or (c) facing the closer.
Game five of the ALCS last year? That was a comeback. They were painting the World Series logo on the field at Fenway.
Down 2-0 to the Devil Rays in the first inning with Doug Waechter on the mound? Eh. Not so much.
Saturday, June 05, 2004
Blogging a blog
Another Yankees blog? I don't believe it. I thought it was my idea.
Mark Strawn seems convinced that Jason Giambi is not a gamer. He is wrong. Giambi did not ask out of game five of the World Series. He was benched by Torre in favor of Nick Johnson. Soriano was benched the same game in favor of Enrique WIlson. Neither were benched for injury, both were benched because they were not hitting.
Strawn might have heard the idea from Mike Lupica and Lupica is wrong about a lot of things. Giambi has never asked out of a game in his life, he has played with injuries since he has been with the Yankees, and he just went on the DL for the first time ever. In game five of the World Series, he came off he bench and hit a ninth-inning homer. Had Paul O'Neill done the same thing, I'm sure he'd be a ... what's the word I'm looking for? ... oh, I know! ... a "Warrior."
Torre does this kind of thing all the time. Just last month, Torre said he was benching Bernie not solely because he was hitting .175 and deserved to be benched, but because he wanted to rest Bernie's back, rest Bernie's knee, rest Bernie's appendix. Bernie was ticked off and made damn sure he played the next day. Torre just needlessly made his player look like a wimp. (I know, I know, Bernie makes himself look like a wimp every time he's in CF and he pulls up on a fly ball that is approaching the outfield wall.)
Maybe Torre is trying to protect the player, maybe he doesn't want to hurt his player's confidence, maybe he's trying to protect himself from questions about the real reasons for benching his star players. Torre doesn't need to apologize for benching star players who are playing like stiffs. It's better than indirectly impugning their character and heart.
Mark Strawn seems convinced that Jason Giambi is not a gamer. He is wrong. Giambi did not ask out of game five of the World Series. He was benched by Torre in favor of Nick Johnson. Soriano was benched the same game in favor of Enrique WIlson. Neither were benched for injury, both were benched because they were not hitting.
Strawn might have heard the idea from Mike Lupica and Lupica is wrong about a lot of things. Giambi has never asked out of a game in his life, he has played with injuries since he has been with the Yankees, and he just went on the DL for the first time ever. In game five of the World Series, he came off he bench and hit a ninth-inning homer. Had Paul O'Neill done the same thing, I'm sure he'd be a ... what's the word I'm looking for? ... oh, I know! ... a "Warrior."
Torre does this kind of thing all the time. Just last month, Torre said he was benching Bernie not solely because he was hitting .175 and deserved to be benched, but because he wanted to rest Bernie's back, rest Bernie's knee, rest Bernie's appendix. Bernie was ticked off and made damn sure he played the next day. Torre just needlessly made his player look like a wimp. (I know, I know, Bernie makes himself look like a wimp every time he's in CF and he pulls up on a fly ball that is approaching the outfield wall.)
Maybe Torre is trying to protect the player, maybe he doesn't want to hurt his player's confidence, maybe he's trying to protect himself from questions about the real reasons for benching his star players. Torre doesn't need to apologize for benching star players who are playing like stiffs. It's better than indirectly impugning their character and heart.
Thursday, June 03, 2004
Jose Contreras has feelings, too
Filip Bondy thinks the Yankee fans are mean and the Yankee players are "robotic." This will undoubtedly be a common criticism as the team wins 100+ games without enough off-field or on-field drama.
"A Yankee postseason is automatic. Despite the 8-11 start, this season is now looking like another robotic excursion.
Except for Contreras, who dares to be human. The fans booed him last night. It didn't help Contreras, but nothing really has."
That's what the Yankees need. More humanistic dramas to remind us of our own humanity and fragility. Baseball is there to help us resolve our collective existential crises.
Tell you what. I'll take a robot if the Yankees can program it to throw strikes. I think Bondy would prefer a big oak tree on the mound so Julia Butterfly can climb it and remind us of the interconnectedness of all humanity.
"A Yankee postseason is automatic. Despite the 8-11 start, this season is now looking like another robotic excursion.
Except for Contreras, who dares to be human. The fans booed him last night. It didn't help Contreras, but nothing really has."
That's what the Yankees need. More humanistic dramas to remind us of our own humanity and fragility. Baseball is there to help us resolve our collective existential crises.
Tell you what. I'll take a robot if the Yankees can program it to throw strikes. I think Bondy would prefer a big oak tree on the mound so Julia Butterfly can climb it and remind us of the interconnectedness of all humanity.
Michael Kay. The Larry King of Sports Journalism.
If you were lucky enough to have a weekly talk show on the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network, would you ask Alex Rodriguez who his favorite actress was? Michael Kay would.
Kay doesn't think Nomar should be first in all star voting:
"It's a disgrace and it's results like this that make a mockery of the game and the voting should be taken out of the hands of the fans. Remember, this is not just an exhibition anymore because it decides home field for the World Series and possibly electing a guy who would have not played for the first two and a half months is laughable and sad at the same time."
Precisely because the game counts, Nomar should make the all star game. I'm a Yankee fan who is going to vote for Nomar ... well, I probably won't vote at all because voting is stupid ... but I'm hoping a healthy Nomar can possibly help the AL team win the all star game and thereby possibly help the Yankees get home-field advantage for the World Series. Tejada's making the team, anyway. Who's a more deserving all star: The proven superstar or a half-year wonder like Chris Woodward? I want the AL to win. I want Nomar in the game.
Kay doesn't think Nomar should be first in all star voting:
"It's a disgrace and it's results like this that make a mockery of the game and the voting should be taken out of the hands of the fans. Remember, this is not just an exhibition anymore because it decides home field for the World Series and possibly electing a guy who would have not played for the first two and a half months is laughable and sad at the same time."
Precisely because the game counts, Nomar should make the all star game. I'm a Yankee fan who is going to vote for Nomar ... well, I probably won't vote at all because voting is stupid ... but I'm hoping a healthy Nomar can possibly help the AL team win the all star game and thereby possibly help the Yankees get home-field advantage for the World Series. Tejada's making the team, anyway. Who's a more deserving all star: The proven superstar or a half-year wonder like Chris Woodward? I want the AL to win. I want Nomar in the game.
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