Travis D'Arnaud makes a splash in Spring Training:
"So he struck out four times in his first seven at-bats in games, including an intrasquad game, mostly because he was chasing pitches out of the strike zone. But then d’Arnaud turned on an inside fastball in his final at-bat Monday night, rocketing a single to left with a short, quick stroke.
He followed that up on Tuesday with a single and bases-loaded sacrifice fly in two at-bats and suddenly you could see what all the fuss is about."
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
This article does not explain why.
"Now, thanks to the fractured right forearm that will send Granderson to
the sidelines for approximately 10 weeks, Gardner will be the Yankee
center fielder until early May."
Of course.
"After that, the odds are Granderson will be given his old job back by default."
Why?
"The reason is simple: The Yankees already knew Gardner could play center, having seen him handle it quite well for two seasons before Granderson joined the club in 2010.
But they really didn't know if Granderson could play left. Now, they will never find out."
LF is easier than CF.
I'd personally prefer to see Granderson in CF and Gardner in LF ... there is not much of a difference and I don't understand the insistence on moving moving Gardner to CF in the first place ... but Granderson can play LF.
"That's what these 33 preseason games have always been for, to try out things you wouldn't dare try in a real game except in the case of dire emergency."
How much you wanna bet Nunez gets some regular season playing time in LF?
Remember when Knoblauch played LF? That wasn't during the Girardi era, but Girardi has played the following list of Gold Glovers (among others) in LF in non-emergency situations: Raul Ibanez, Jayson Nix, Dewayne Wise, the aforementioned Eduardo Nunez, Randy Winn, Marcus Thames ...
He also played the statuesque Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. Not statuesque in the sense that their bodies were sculpted, but statuesque in the sense that they were unable to move.
I'm kinda sure Granderson will be better at playing LF than all of them combined.
"The plan was for Gardner and Granderson to use the next six weeks of spring training to adjust to their new roles, to re-acquaint themselves with each other's tendencies -- not having played together save for a handful of games in 2012 -- and for each to carve out his own slice of the outfield."
Remember when Tony Womack was suddenly moved to CF? That was Torre, but ... point being ... players move around and play different positions all the freakin' time.
"Why should you, as a Yankees fan, care?"
Wow! How did he know I am a Yankee fan?
I am! I am a Yankee fan!
It's like Wallace Matthews can somehow see me through some kind of Internet Magic.
"This year's Yankees were going to be less reliant on the home run, anyway, and more reliant on run prevention.
That is what the swap of Gardner and Granderson was designed to accomplish.
No matter how Girardi publicy hedged his bets, or why -- probably, he wanted to see how Granderson would be affected by the switch before rubber-stamping it for good -- clearly, he and Cashman thought Gardner in center and Granderson in left gave them a better chance of preventing runs.
And certainly, the stats people, with their UZRs, TZLs and FSRs, would agree.
But now, the Yankees probably aren't going to be able to do that."
A few things:
1) It probably won't make much of a difference who plays CF and who plays LF.
2) The defensive setup should be optimized regardless of the expected offensive output.
3) Put Granderson in Spring Training for a few rehab games if it bothers you so much.
4) Learning to play LF isn't that hard.
"There's talk of trying to bring back Alfonso Soriano. And Vernon Wells, who's had two miserable seasons with the Angels, probably could be had along with his $21 million salary for the next two seasons.
There is always every Yankees fan's pipe dream, that the Miami Marlins will see fit to part with Giancarlo Stanton, one of the most talented young hitters in the game who happens to have a bargain-basement pricetag, just to help the Yankees out.
And I fully expect to hear from some people suggesting the Yankees take a chance on Vladimir Guerrero or Gary Sheffield -- neither of whom has played in a big-league game in years. (You know who you are out there)."
Wallace Matthews is sourcing the voices in his head as "there's talk."
"The Yankees should be able to survive the first five weeks of the regular season without Curtis Granderson's bat in their lineup.
But can they survive the 20 weeks after that with his glove in center field"
Yup, they can. Because he is a good CFer. Who could also easily make the transition to LF.
Of course.
"After that, the odds are Granderson will be given his old job back by default."
Why?
"The reason is simple: The Yankees already knew Gardner could play center, having seen him handle it quite well for two seasons before Granderson joined the club in 2010.
But they really didn't know if Granderson could play left. Now, they will never find out."
LF is easier than CF.
I'd personally prefer to see Granderson in CF and Gardner in LF ... there is not much of a difference and I don't understand the insistence on moving moving Gardner to CF in the first place ... but Granderson can play LF.
"That's what these 33 preseason games have always been for, to try out things you wouldn't dare try in a real game except in the case of dire emergency."
How much you wanna bet Nunez gets some regular season playing time in LF?
Remember when Knoblauch played LF? That wasn't during the Girardi era, but Girardi has played the following list of Gold Glovers (among others) in LF in non-emergency situations: Raul Ibanez, Jayson Nix, Dewayne Wise, the aforementioned Eduardo Nunez, Randy Winn, Marcus Thames ...
He also played the statuesque Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. Not statuesque in the sense that their bodies were sculpted, but statuesque in the sense that they were unable to move.
I'm kinda sure Granderson will be better at playing LF than all of them combined.
"The plan was for Gardner and Granderson to use the next six weeks of spring training to adjust to their new roles, to re-acquaint themselves with each other's tendencies -- not having played together save for a handful of games in 2012 -- and for each to carve out his own slice of the outfield."
Remember when Tony Womack was suddenly moved to CF? That was Torre, but ... point being ... players move around and play different positions all the freakin' time.
"Why should you, as a Yankees fan, care?"
Wow! How did he know I am a Yankee fan?
I am! I am a Yankee fan!
It's like Wallace Matthews can somehow see me through some kind of Internet Magic.
"This year's Yankees were going to be less reliant on the home run, anyway, and more reliant on run prevention.
That is what the swap of Gardner and Granderson was designed to accomplish.
No matter how Girardi publicy hedged his bets, or why -- probably, he wanted to see how Granderson would be affected by the switch before rubber-stamping it for good -- clearly, he and Cashman thought Gardner in center and Granderson in left gave them a better chance of preventing runs.
And certainly, the stats people, with their UZRs, TZLs and FSRs, would agree.
But now, the Yankees probably aren't going to be able to do that."
A few things:
1) It probably won't make much of a difference who plays CF and who plays LF.
2) The defensive setup should be optimized regardless of the expected offensive output.
3) Put Granderson in Spring Training for a few rehab games if it bothers you so much.
4) Learning to play LF isn't that hard.
"There's talk of trying to bring back Alfonso Soriano. And Vernon Wells, who's had two miserable seasons with the Angels, probably could be had along with his $21 million salary for the next two seasons.
There is always every Yankees fan's pipe dream, that the Miami Marlins will see fit to part with Giancarlo Stanton, one of the most talented young hitters in the game who happens to have a bargain-basement pricetag, just to help the Yankees out.
And I fully expect to hear from some people suggesting the Yankees take a chance on Vladimir Guerrero or Gary Sheffield -- neither of whom has played in a big-league game in years. (You know who you are out there)."
Wallace Matthews is sourcing the voices in his head as "there's talk."
"The Yankees should be able to survive the first five weeks of the regular season without Curtis Granderson's bat in their lineup.
But can they survive the 20 weeks after that with his glove in center field"
Yup, they can. Because he is a good CFer. Who could also easily make the transition to LF.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
David Price has to play for the Mets.
"Taking note of his beard, I told Price he’d have to shave if the Yankees traded for him.
'I wouldn’t stay there very long then,' he responded. “'wouldn’t sign a long-term deal there. Those rules, that’s old-school baseball. I was born in ’85. That’s not for me. That’s not something I want to be a part of.' "
If David Price plays for the Mets, then David Price will be teammates with David Wright.
Then, sportswriters can say ... wait for it ... the Price is Wright!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
It's so weird how great pro baseball players cost a lot of money. It is outrageous, in fact.
"The cost to re-sign Robinson Cano is going to be outrageous and the temptation at the moment, as the Alex Rodriguez contract turns more disastrous by the day, is to say the Yankees should keep the $200-plus million and let the best second baseman in baseball walk."
I have avoided such temptation. But I still think Cano should try running hard for 90 whole feet. Try it, Robinson, you might like it.
"But the truth is this franchise can’t afford to be so cavalier, not unless Hal Steinbrenner has the nerve and vision to conclude that the end of an era is at hand, and decides instead to rebuild for another long run at the top rather than pay what it takes to keep his aging ballclub in contention."
So letting Cano sign with another team is cavalier.
"Actually, that might be a tantalizing option, considering that a rather spoiled fan base doesn’t seem all that excited by this team anymore, if the empty seats for playoff games last October were any indication."
I am quite sure that Yankee management is not tantalized by the idea of an empty ballpark. The mean fans booed us, so let's spite them by putting a bad team on the field. That'll show 'em.
"But to do so the Yankees might face the prospect of being the Mets for a few years, while they reduced their payroll to re-set their luxury-tax rate and tried to develop a new Jeter-Rivera-Pettitte-Posada class of home-grown stars."
My goodness. Nobody ever gives Bernie any dap.
The Yankees are nothing like the Mets. The Yankees are making money hand over fist while the Mets are probably investing in Herbalife.
Which reminds me, the Mets just signed a 30-year-old infielder to a $140 million-or-so contract.
So that's the contract which deserves scrutiny. Because the Mets can't afford it.
"If the Yankees were to let him go, who fills that void? More specifically, who hits No. 3 in 2014?"
Cano will bat 3rd in 2014 unless he gets hurt or the Yankees are outbid.
"And then there’s the unavoidable PED factor. It’s not fair to suspect Cano just because Melky Cabrera and A-Rod are his friends and workout partners, but then again, ballclubs can’t be too careful these days, and to be safe the Yankees probably want this Biogenesis Clinic story to play out before they dig deep into their vault."
Where did that come from?
"It's not fair to suspect Cano, but you can't be too careful these days"?
"So there’s no rush on this. But there’s also no way around it: When the time comes, they’ll have to pay Cano and simply pray he turns out to be more like Derek Jeter than A-Rod."
I have avoided such temptation. But I still think Cano should try running hard for 90 whole feet. Try it, Robinson, you might like it.
"But the truth is this franchise can’t afford to be so cavalier, not unless Hal Steinbrenner has the nerve and vision to conclude that the end of an era is at hand, and decides instead to rebuild for another long run at the top rather than pay what it takes to keep his aging ballclub in contention."
So letting Cano sign with another team is cavalier.
"Actually, that might be a tantalizing option, considering that a rather spoiled fan base doesn’t seem all that excited by this team anymore, if the empty seats for playoff games last October were any indication."
I am quite sure that Yankee management is not tantalized by the idea of an empty ballpark. The mean fans booed us, so let's spite them by putting a bad team on the field. That'll show 'em.
"But to do so the Yankees might face the prospect of being the Mets for a few years, while they reduced their payroll to re-set their luxury-tax rate and tried to develop a new Jeter-Rivera-Pettitte-Posada class of home-grown stars."
My goodness. Nobody ever gives Bernie any dap.
The Yankees are nothing like the Mets. The Yankees are making money hand over fist while the Mets are probably investing in Herbalife.
Which reminds me, the Mets just signed a 30-year-old infielder to a $140 million-or-so contract.
So that's the contract which deserves scrutiny. Because the Mets can't afford it.
"If the Yankees were to let him go, who fills that void? More specifically, who hits No. 3 in 2014?"
Cano will bat 3rd in 2014 unless he gets hurt or the Yankees are outbid.
"And then there’s the unavoidable PED factor. It’s not fair to suspect Cano just because Melky Cabrera and A-Rod are his friends and workout partners, but then again, ballclubs can’t be too careful these days, and to be safe the Yankees probably want this Biogenesis Clinic story to play out before they dig deep into their vault."
Where did that come from?
"It's not fair to suspect Cano, but you can't be too careful these days"?
"So there’s no rush on this. But there’s also no way around it: When the time comes, they’ll have to pay Cano and simply pray he turns out to be more like Derek Jeter than A-Rod."
Yahoo expert. That actually made me laugh out loud.
Regarding Yankee development of young pitching:
" 'I feel we're having a lot of success,' he said. 'We have produced pitching. Phil Hughes, a 16-to-18-game winner two of the last three years. Ivan Nova. David Robertson. Joba Chamberlain. Last year was David Phelps. This year is it Adam Warren?' "
Agreed.
"It might be. Warren made one start for the Yankees last season and returned to Triple-A with a 23.14 ERA. He is, these days, what passes for a Yankees pitching prospect."
That's why there a question mark next to his name.
"Over the last half-decade, the Yankees have developed pitching depth almost as poorly as any team in the major leagues."
Pettitte, Rivera, then a whole bunch of first-place finishes which hurt their draft position.
That's why it's nice to see the emergence of Hughes, Nova, Phelps, and Robertson.
"For this study, we tallied the pitchers who debuted between 2008 and 2012 and tied them to the team with which they arrived. Then we compiled their Wins Above Replacement, via Baseball-Reference, with that first team only. By this measure, actually, the Yankees actually are one of the better teams in baseball, with 16.4 WAR, more than three-quarters of which come from reliever David Robertson, since-jettisoned Alfredo Aceves and Nova, who will compete for the fifth-starter job with Phelps."
... one of the better teams in baseball ...
After you said almost as poorly as any team in the league.
"Still, it puts in perspective the Yankees' stated philosophy – develop pitching, especially starters – and the inability to do so that prompted them to pursue Hiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettitte for the last two seasons in free agency. The average starts from homegrown pitchers over the last five years among the 30 major league teams is 197.9. The Yankees have 82."
Right. The Yankees envy the teams that got 198 starts from a whole bunch of bad pitchers.
Also, Andy Pettitte is homegrown from a Yankee perspective.
"The draft handicapped them. The best chance at finding an impact pitcher comes at the top of the draft. Four of the top five pitchers who arrived in the last five years were top 10 picks. So landing an ace -- a pitcher who changes the climate of an organization -- from the bottom third of the first round is trying."
Exactly.
There simply aren't very many good pitchers.
"Kennedy, dealt in the Granderson trade, has 9.5 WAR for the Diamondbacks, while Coke has grown into a lockdown left-handed reliever for Detroit. Tyler Clippard, who also debuted in that '07 rookie class, was sent to Washington for Jonathan Albaladejo in one of the worst trades of Cashman's career. He has 6.5 WAR for the Nats."
Phil Coke was easily replaceable. Kennedy and Clippard probably couldn't do anything extraordinary in the AL East.
"The Yankees hit with Robertson. The rest are Whammies dancing across the screen, sticking their tongues out at Cashman and blowing raspberries.
'Even though our development gets overshadowed by the CC Sabathias and Andy Pettittes of the world, at the end of the day, I think it's something we're very good at,' Cashman said, and maybe it's true.
Just not the last five years."
Then there's a chart showing the Yankees as the 7th-best in baseball over the last five years.
" 'I feel we're having a lot of success,' he said. 'We have produced pitching. Phil Hughes, a 16-to-18-game winner two of the last three years. Ivan Nova. David Robertson. Joba Chamberlain. Last year was David Phelps. This year is it Adam Warren?' "
Agreed.
"It might be. Warren made one start for the Yankees last season and returned to Triple-A with a 23.14 ERA. He is, these days, what passes for a Yankees pitching prospect."
That's why there a question mark next to his name.
"Over the last half-decade, the Yankees have developed pitching depth almost as poorly as any team in the major leagues."
Pettitte, Rivera, then a whole bunch of first-place finishes which hurt their draft position.
That's why it's nice to see the emergence of Hughes, Nova, Phelps, and Robertson.
"For this study, we tallied the pitchers who debuted between 2008 and 2012 and tied them to the team with which they arrived. Then we compiled their Wins Above Replacement, via Baseball-Reference, with that first team only. By this measure, actually, the Yankees actually are one of the better teams in baseball, with 16.4 WAR, more than three-quarters of which come from reliever David Robertson, since-jettisoned Alfredo Aceves and Nova, who will compete for the fifth-starter job with Phelps."
... one of the better teams in baseball ...
After you said almost as poorly as any team in the league.
"Still, it puts in perspective the Yankees' stated philosophy – develop pitching, especially starters – and the inability to do so that prompted them to pursue Hiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettitte for the last two seasons in free agency. The average starts from homegrown pitchers over the last five years among the 30 major league teams is 197.9. The Yankees have 82."
Right. The Yankees envy the teams that got 198 starts from a whole bunch of bad pitchers.
Also, Andy Pettitte is homegrown from a Yankee perspective.
"The draft handicapped them. The best chance at finding an impact pitcher comes at the top of the draft. Four of the top five pitchers who arrived in the last five years were top 10 picks. So landing an ace -- a pitcher who changes the climate of an organization -- from the bottom third of the first round is trying."
Exactly.
There simply aren't very many good pitchers.
"Kennedy, dealt in the Granderson trade, has 9.5 WAR for the Diamondbacks, while Coke has grown into a lockdown left-handed reliever for Detroit. Tyler Clippard, who also debuted in that '07 rookie class, was sent to Washington for Jonathan Albaladejo in one of the worst trades of Cashman's career. He has 6.5 WAR for the Nats."
Phil Coke was easily replaceable. Kennedy and Clippard probably couldn't do anything extraordinary in the AL East.
"The Yankees hit with Robertson. The rest are Whammies dancing across the screen, sticking their tongues out at Cashman and blowing raspberries.
'Even though our development gets overshadowed by the CC Sabathias and Andy Pettittes of the world, at the end of the day, I think it's something we're very good at,' Cashman said, and maybe it's true.
Just not the last five years."
Then there's a chart showing the Yankees as the 7th-best in baseball over the last five years.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
My only explanation is that Wallace Matthews projects his internal feelings onto the general public.
"If any major league player with a $17 million paycheck and more than 3,000 hits on his résumé could be said to have been taken for granted, Derek Jeter is that player."
Well, there is exactly one player who fits those qualifications.
So Jeter is the oldest, youngest, most overrated, most underrated, tallest, shortest, and Derek Jeterest player with a $17 million paycheck and more than 3,000 hits.
"Over the past decade or so, as the New York Yankees have stockpiled superstar after superstar, from Jason Giambi to Alex Rodriguez to Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia, it has seemed as Jeter has moved further down the list in prominence on the roster, even if he still carried the label of Captain."
Easily the most popular Yankee during this time, by a wide margin. So I guess it depends what you mean by "prominent."
But, yeah, players who sign $200 million contracts tend to get attention.
"In fact, in a lot of ways, Jeter may once again be the MIP -- Most Important Player -- on this team."
MIP! I like it. It's clever.
"This year, with the ballclub perceived by many of its own fans to be aging and in decline, with its attendance having waned steadily since opening that money pit of a new ballpark in 2009, and without a highly touted -- and high-priced -- free agent coming to town to give it a boost, it is time for the Yankees and their fans to rediscover Jeter."
Best attendance in baseball in 2012. 3.5 million. Maybe the Phillies had a few thousand more paying customers.
As for the money pit in steady decline, these are its attendance numbers:
2009: 3.7 million.
2010: 3.8 million.
2011: 3.7 million.
2012: 3.5 million.
Jeter is easily the most popular player on the team and probably the most popular player in MLB.
Did Wallace Matthew forget the hubbub about Jeter's 3,000th hit? When Jeter passed Gehrig? Did Matthews read the NYT article about people lining up in a parking lot to get Jeter's autographs? Does Matthews watch TV or listen to the radio?
How can Yankee fans "rediscover" something that is ever-present?
"Does anyone really think A-Rod will hit his first milestone, No. 660, as a Yankee, let alone No. 763?"
I think ARod will hit his 660th HR as a member of the Yankees.
"That deal was a slap in the face to Jeter, who was heading toward his own milestone of 3,000 hits."
ARod's contract was not a slap in the face to Jeter.
"So was the privately stated position that the Yankees would soon be Robinson Cano's team, that Eduardo Nunez was being groomed to replace Jeter as the shortstop of the future ..."
Not slaps in the face to Jeter.
"Nobody is going to buy a ticket to Yankee Stadium to see A-Rod this year, especially since he won't be in the lineup until after the All-Star break at the earliest. And as great as Mo is, no one buys a ticket to see him, either, for the simple reason that you can never be sure when he will actually get into the game."
Simply untrue. Though I agree that Jeter is the most popular player and Jeter's absence will hurt attendance, lots of people buy tickets to see ARod and Mariano.
ARod's First Game Back will be the biggest sports story of the day. The stands will be packed, even if the fans show up just to boo him.
"As long as Jeter's rehab goes as planned -- and he and manager Joe Girardi insist he is still on schedule to be ready for the April 1 season opener -- you can buy a ticket with full confidence that Derek Jeter will be in the game."
Kewl!
I'll be sure to buy a ticket with full confidence that Captain Derek Jeter will be in the game.
Well, there is exactly one player who fits those qualifications.
So Jeter is the oldest, youngest, most overrated, most underrated, tallest, shortest, and Derek Jeterest player with a $17 million paycheck and more than 3,000 hits.
"Over the past decade or so, as the New York Yankees have stockpiled superstar after superstar, from Jason Giambi to Alex Rodriguez to Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia, it has seemed as Jeter has moved further down the list in prominence on the roster, even if he still carried the label of Captain."
Easily the most popular Yankee during this time, by a wide margin. So I guess it depends what you mean by "prominent."
But, yeah, players who sign $200 million contracts tend to get attention.
"In fact, in a lot of ways, Jeter may once again be the MIP -- Most Important Player -- on this team."
MIP! I like it. It's clever.
"This year, with the ballclub perceived by many of its own fans to be aging and in decline, with its attendance having waned steadily since opening that money pit of a new ballpark in 2009, and without a highly touted -- and high-priced -- free agent coming to town to give it a boost, it is time for the Yankees and their fans to rediscover Jeter."
Best attendance in baseball in 2012. 3.5 million. Maybe the Phillies had a few thousand more paying customers.
As for the money pit in steady decline, these are its attendance numbers:
2009: 3.7 million.
2010: 3.8 million.
2011: 3.7 million.
2012: 3.5 million.
Jeter is easily the most popular player on the team and probably the most popular player in MLB.
Did Wallace Matthew forget the hubbub about Jeter's 3,000th hit? When Jeter passed Gehrig? Did Matthews read the NYT article about people lining up in a parking lot to get Jeter's autographs? Does Matthews watch TV or listen to the radio?
How can Yankee fans "rediscover" something that is ever-present?
"Does anyone really think A-Rod will hit his first milestone, No. 660, as a Yankee, let alone No. 763?"
I think ARod will hit his 660th HR as a member of the Yankees.
"That deal was a slap in the face to Jeter, who was heading toward his own milestone of 3,000 hits."
ARod's contract was not a slap in the face to Jeter.
"So was the privately stated position that the Yankees would soon be Robinson Cano's team, that Eduardo Nunez was being groomed to replace Jeter as the shortstop of the future ..."
Not slaps in the face to Jeter.
"Nobody is going to buy a ticket to Yankee Stadium to see A-Rod this year, especially since he won't be in the lineup until after the All-Star break at the earliest. And as great as Mo is, no one buys a ticket to see him, either, for the simple reason that you can never be sure when he will actually get into the game."
Simply untrue. Though I agree that Jeter is the most popular player and Jeter's absence will hurt attendance, lots of people buy tickets to see ARod and Mariano.
ARod's First Game Back will be the biggest sports story of the day. The stands will be packed, even if the fans show up just to boo him.
"As long as Jeter's rehab goes as planned -- and he and manager Joe Girardi insist he is still on schedule to be ready for the April 1 season opener -- you can buy a ticket with full confidence that Derek Jeter will be in the game."
Kewl!
I'll be sure to buy a ticket with full confidence that Captain Derek Jeter will be in the game.
This guy.
Melky will get his ring, so I don't know what he is complaining about.
His 50-game suspension, followed immediately by a $16 million contract, once again proves the rewards of using PEDs.
Will the Blue Jays ensure his supply of PEDs continues? This guy might be a 5th OFer without PEDs. He signs a $16 million which the Blue Jays know is based on PED production.
So what's the deal?
What's with the MLB testing?
Are they really even trying?
His 50-game suspension, followed immediately by a $16 million contract, once again proves the rewards of using PEDs.
Will the Blue Jays ensure his supply of PEDs continues? This guy might be a 5th OFer without PEDs. He signs a $16 million which the Blue Jays know is based on PED production.
So what's the deal?
What's with the MLB testing?
Are they really even trying?
Saturday, February 16, 2013
So everyone keeps looking at Robinson Cano when they are saying this.
"Kevin Youkilis may have some ground to make up with Yankee fans, but Andy Pettitte loves the new guy already. And perhaps more significantly, he thinks Youkilis will give the Yankees something they need, adding some Paul O’Neill-like intensity on a daily basis.
'I’m not the manager but I feel like we could use some of that,' Pettitte was saying at his locker Friday. 'I love it. I think it’s good to have someone a little edgy, someone on the edge out there. He’s one of those guys, when he’s on your team, you love him, and when he’s on the other team, you don’t like him very much. You need people like that, no doubt about it.'
What the Yankees really needed the last couple of post-seasons were more clutch hits, and it remains to be seen if Youkilis can help in that area. But Pettitte’s point is well-taken: recent Yankee teams have tended too look passive at times, and maybe they could use someone to agitate the enemy or even wake up teammates occasionally with a flash of temper or an extra-hard slide to break up a double play."
Robinson Cano could not be reached for comment.
'I’m not the manager but I feel like we could use some of that,' Pettitte was saying at his locker Friday. 'I love it. I think it’s good to have someone a little edgy, someone on the edge out there. He’s one of those guys, when he’s on your team, you love him, and when he’s on the other team, you don’t like him very much. You need people like that, no doubt about it.'
What the Yankees really needed the last couple of post-seasons were more clutch hits, and it remains to be seen if Youkilis can help in that area. But Pettitte’s point is well-taken: recent Yankee teams have tended too look passive at times, and maybe they could use someone to agitate the enemy or even wake up teammates occasionally with a flash of temper or an extra-hard slide to break up a double play."
Robinson Cano could not be reached for comment.
Friday, February 15, 2013
It's 2013. Just sayin', genius.
" 'When I first heard about [players being linked to the clinic],' Ortiz said. 'I started saying that us, as baseball players, we pretty much might be the dumbest athletes of all the sports because there's a history of players doing things like that and later on getting caught. We're talking about six or seven years. So how come in 2011 or 2012, there are players still being caught in the same situation?' "
There is a history of myself doing things like that and later on getting caught.
"Ortiz has a very valid point. There isn't another sport out there that faces as many questions about performing enhancing drugs as baseball and a lot of it has to do with the arrogance and ignorance of the players."
Ask David Ortiz if it was worth it. He'd be lying if he said no. I hope there are no long-term health problems, but as long as he's relatively healthy, then it was worth it.
A more interesting question is why society focuses solely on baseball players.
You won't find any Front Page outrage or Senatorial soul-searching over Hedo Turkoglu.
There is a history of myself doing things like that and later on getting caught.
"Ortiz has a very valid point. There isn't another sport out there that faces as many questions about performing enhancing drugs as baseball and a lot of it has to do with the arrogance and ignorance of the players."
Ask David Ortiz if it was worth it. He'd be lying if he said no. I hope there are no long-term health problems, but as long as he's relatively healthy, then it was worth it.
A more interesting question is why society focuses solely on baseball players.
You won't find any Front Page outrage or Senatorial soul-searching over Hedo Turkoglu.
Monday, February 11, 2013
I don't understand the fascination with young mediocre players.
"The next couple of years promise to be challenging for the Yankees. The American League East is no longer the Yanks, Red Sox and everyone else.
Baltimore served notice a year ago, winning 90-plus games and advancing to the postseason for the first time since 1997. Tampa Bay has won at least 90 games in four of the last five years, making the playoffs three times. And Toronto was the mover and shaker in baseball's offseason, becoming a popular pick to end its 19-year postseason drought."
Since 2005, the Yankees/Red Sox have topped the AL East one time. This is old news.
"All of that is happening at a time when the Yankees are in a bit of an identity crisis of their own. The club is committed to making adjustments with payroll to avoid the 50 percent luxury tax that will be assessed on payrolls in excess of $189 million in 2014."
We'll see.
"There also is a caveat for big spenders: those who remain under the luxury tax threshold will receive a rebate on money they pay into revenue sharing. Keeping their payroll in line could mean up to $50 million to the Yanks."
I don't understand what this means. There is no upper bound on the amount of money the Yankees could save if they decide not to spend it.
"They have been successful on the field, advancing to the postseason in 17 of the last 18 years, and have won five of their record 27 World Series championships."
Also, they have been successful off the field.
"That success, however, has come at a cost."
Doesn't it always?
"In addition to outspending the rest of baseball, the Yankees have had a win-today, worry-about-tomorrow-later mentality that has not put a lot of value on Draft choices and bringing along homegrown players.
The Yankees' penchant for spending on free agents has impacted the Drafts. They lost their second-round pick in 2006, their first-, second- and third-round selections in '09 and their first-round pick in 2011."
They get bad draft picks because they usually win their division. Strasburg and Harper were off the board.
"Think about it: Since December 2007, they have traded homegrown talent that included right-handed pitchers Tyler Clippard, Ian Kennedy, George Kontos, Jeff Karstens and Daniel McCutchen; left-handed relievers Phil Coke and Mike Dunn; outfielders Austin Jackson, Melky Cabrera and Jose Tabata; catcher Jesus Montero; and infielder Jimmy Paredes. They also released right-hander Mark Melancon after one year in their Minor League system.
What do they have to show for those trades on their current 40-man roster? Outfielders Curtis Granderson and Ichiro, left-handed reliever Boone Logan, right-handed pitcher Michael Pineda and backup catcher Chris Stewart."
They traded junk and got two good players in return ... maybe three if Pineda gets healthy.
"It is a challenge unlike any the Yankees have faced since George Steinbrenner purchased the franchise in 1973."
Tell that to Bucky Dent, the Cap'n of the Alvaro Espinoza Era.
Baltimore served notice a year ago, winning 90-plus games and advancing to the postseason for the first time since 1997. Tampa Bay has won at least 90 games in four of the last five years, making the playoffs three times. And Toronto was the mover and shaker in baseball's offseason, becoming a popular pick to end its 19-year postseason drought."
Since 2005, the Yankees/Red Sox have topped the AL East one time. This is old news.
"All of that is happening at a time when the Yankees are in a bit of an identity crisis of their own. The club is committed to making adjustments with payroll to avoid the 50 percent luxury tax that will be assessed on payrolls in excess of $189 million in 2014."
We'll see.
"There also is a caveat for big spenders: those who remain under the luxury tax threshold will receive a rebate on money they pay into revenue sharing. Keeping their payroll in line could mean up to $50 million to the Yanks."
I don't understand what this means. There is no upper bound on the amount of money the Yankees could save if they decide not to spend it.
"They have been successful on the field, advancing to the postseason in 17 of the last 18 years, and have won five of their record 27 World Series championships."
Also, they have been successful off the field.
"That success, however, has come at a cost."
Doesn't it always?
"In addition to outspending the rest of baseball, the Yankees have had a win-today, worry-about-tomorrow-later mentality that has not put a lot of value on Draft choices and bringing along homegrown players.
The Yankees' penchant for spending on free agents has impacted the Drafts. They lost their second-round pick in 2006, their first-, second- and third-round selections in '09 and their first-round pick in 2011."
They get bad draft picks because they usually win their division. Strasburg and Harper were off the board.
"Think about it: Since December 2007, they have traded homegrown talent that included right-handed pitchers Tyler Clippard, Ian Kennedy, George Kontos, Jeff Karstens and Daniel McCutchen; left-handed relievers Phil Coke and Mike Dunn; outfielders Austin Jackson, Melky Cabrera and Jose Tabata; catcher Jesus Montero; and infielder Jimmy Paredes. They also released right-hander Mark Melancon after one year in their Minor League system.
What do they have to show for those trades on their current 40-man roster? Outfielders Curtis Granderson and Ichiro, left-handed reliever Boone Logan, right-handed pitcher Michael Pineda and backup catcher Chris Stewart."
They traded junk and got two good players in return ... maybe three if Pineda gets healthy.
"It is a challenge unlike any the Yankees have faced since George Steinbrenner purchased the franchise in 1973."
Tell that to Bucky Dent, the Cap'n of the Alvaro Espinoza Era.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
I did not take PEDs, except for the PEDs I took.
"He writes of his mixed feelings about the former Mets manager Bobby Valentine, with whom he went to the World Series; his bitter war with Roger Clemens, who beaned him while he was with the Mets; the rumors that he was gay; and, most significant, the suspicions that he used performance enhancers, which he denies.
'It shouldn’t be assumed that every big hitter of the generation used steroids,' Piazza says in the book. 'I didn’t.'
...
He admits to using androstenedione as part of a supplement pack until the outcry over Mark McGwire’s use of it forced him to 'phase it out.' Baseball later banned the substance.
He also writes that he briefly experimented with amphetamines until they were banned in 2006. And he describes hearing about human growth hormone, doing some research and asking the Mets’ former trainer, Fred Hina, if teams would start distributing it, unaware that it was a banned substance. According to the book, Hina said he would look into it and a day or two later told Piazza it was not a good idea."
'It shouldn’t be assumed that every big hitter of the generation used steroids,' Piazza says in the book. 'I didn’t.'
...
He admits to using androstenedione as part of a supplement pack until the outcry over Mark McGwire’s use of it forced him to 'phase it out.' Baseball later banned the substance.
He also writes that he briefly experimented with amphetamines until they were banned in 2006. And he describes hearing about human growth hormone, doing some research and asking the Mets’ former trainer, Fred Hina, if teams would start distributing it, unaware that it was a banned substance. According to the book, Hina said he would look into it and a day or two later told Piazza it was not a good idea."
Thursday, February 07, 2013
This is the end of the innocence.
While waiting for Derek Jeter's autograph, a 27-year-old has an epiphany regarding advertising:
"Tuesday’s drama began at 8:17 a.m., when Jeter arrived in a silver Mercedes-Benz with mirrored windows that glinted like chandeliers. 'He’s not driving his Ford Focus like in the commercials,' said Vince Santillo, a 27-year-old Tampa resident who works at a gas station."
"Tuesday’s drama began at 8:17 a.m., when Jeter arrived in a silver Mercedes-Benz with mirrored windows that glinted like chandeliers. 'He’s not driving his Ford Focus like in the commercials,' said Vince Santillo, a 27-year-old Tampa resident who works at a gas station."
The process could conceivably take months or years.
Francisco Cervelli had two plate appearances last year. Does he have to testify to a grand jury? Or is our moral outrage reserved for players who are good?:
"The Yankees’ thin catching corps was left more vulnerable when it was revealed Tuesday that Francisco Cervelli, one of the two leading candidates to be the team’s starting catcher, had visited a Miami clinic under investigation for dispensing performance-enhancing drugs.
Cervelli said on his Twitter account that he took no banned substances and was only seeking 'legal ways' to heal a foot injury he sustained in March 2011."
I don't think this is going to affect the Yankees at all.
Even an inconceivable worst-case scenario -- Cervelli banned from baseball forever -- even that wouldn't affect the Yankees much.
"The Yankees’ thin catching corps was left more vulnerable when it was revealed Tuesday that Francisco Cervelli, one of the two leading candidates to be the team’s starting catcher, had visited a Miami clinic under investigation for dispensing performance-enhancing drugs.
Cervelli said on his Twitter account that he took no banned substances and was only seeking 'legal ways' to heal a foot injury he sustained in March 2011."
I don't think this is going to affect the Yankees at all.
Even an inconceivable worst-case scenario -- Cervelli banned from baseball forever -- even that wouldn't affect the Yankees much.
We should totally get everybody to testify in front of a grand jury, under oath.
Anybody know where I can find one of those grand juries?:
"There is only one way for Major League Baseball and for the rest of us to get the answers we need on Bosch the 'biochemist' and Braun and A-Rod and all the other misunderstood ballplayers who have made the PED version of the Dean’s List, known as Bosch’s List: Get everybody in front of a grand jury and make them tell their stories under oath, not to their PR men.
Make them all explain why they were associating with a PED pusher like Anthony Bosch in the first place."
Let's see ...
The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution protect U.S. citizens ... yes, even major league baseball players.
Major League Baseball does not have subpoena power, as Lupica recently reminded us, and Major League Baseball can't create grand juries out of thin air.
So what the heck is he talking about?
Is it a pretend MLB grand jury with Mike Lupica presiding in a white wig and a black robe?
"There is only one way for Major League Baseball and for the rest of us to get the answers we need on Bosch the 'biochemist' and Braun and A-Rod and all the other misunderstood ballplayers who have made the PED version of the Dean’s List, known as Bosch’s List: Get everybody in front of a grand jury and make them tell their stories under oath, not to their PR men.
Make them all explain why they were associating with a PED pusher like Anthony Bosch in the first place."
Let's see ...
The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution protect U.S. citizens ... yes, even major league baseball players.
Major League Baseball does not have subpoena power, as Lupica recently reminded us, and Major League Baseball can't create grand juries out of thin air.
So what the heck is he talking about?
Is it a pretend MLB grand jury with Mike Lupica presiding in a white wig and a black robe?
Saturday, February 02, 2013
I also think ARod fails the smell test.
Having said that, sometimes when too many details are provided, it's quite suspicious. It almost sounds like Bosch is making up stories to impress his friends.
Also, why didn't MLB tests catch this?
Also, why was ARod being injected with anything?
In any case, I'm not sure what Johnette Howard is upset about:
"Rodriguez's handling of this latest fiasco feels a lot like the first time he was accused of PED use in 2009, when he adopted a strategy of denial until it was impossible not to. If he has any hope of salvaging his career, it might be time to finally try a novel strategy, at least for him: How about shutting up already?
...
But all of those hopes are pipe dreams if Rodriguez becomes the first baseball PED user to deny, confess, make another denial and confess a relapse.
Rodriguez has the right to shout he's innocent until proven guilty.
And he may yet get every penny of salary he's owed.
But he wouldn't be the first jock to pass countless drug screenings and still flunk the smell test.
His credibility is bankrupt until proven otherwise."
Other than some boilerplate denials from a spokesperson, I'm not aware of any statements from ARod. He hasn't said a word, yet she's imploring him to shut up.
Also, why didn't MLB tests catch this?
Also, why was ARod being injected with anything?
In any case, I'm not sure what Johnette Howard is upset about:
"Rodriguez's handling of this latest fiasco feels a lot like the first time he was accused of PED use in 2009, when he adopted a strategy of denial until it was impossible not to. If he has any hope of salvaging his career, it might be time to finally try a novel strategy, at least for him: How about shutting up already?
...
But all of those hopes are pipe dreams if Rodriguez becomes the first baseball PED user to deny, confess, make another denial and confess a relapse.
Rodriguez has the right to shout he's innocent until proven guilty.
And he may yet get every penny of salary he's owed.
But he wouldn't be the first jock to pass countless drug screenings and still flunk the smell test.
His credibility is bankrupt until proven otherwise."
Other than some boilerplate denials from a spokesperson, I'm not aware of any statements from ARod. He hasn't said a word, yet she's imploring him to shut up.
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