Oh, and the Dodgers are going through the motions:
"The fallout prompted Colletti to call Kemp into a postgame meeting that also included Manager Joe Torre.
'I wanted to explain to him that I didn't single out Matt Kemp,' Colletti said. 'I was asked a question about it. It's not one guy's responsibility. It's a team effort. It's a team effort when it goes in the right direction. It's a team effort when it doesn't. It starts with me.'
Kemp declined to talk about the meeting, but Stewart said the reason Colletti offered for saying what he said wasn't a valid one.
...
Torre avoided taking sides.
...
Stewart was less restrained.
'A man panicking is what it sounds like to me,' he said of Colletti.
Stewart said Colletti should take more responsibility for the Dodgers' 8-13 start.
'He hired the manager,' Stewart said. 'He hired the coaching staff. The players on the team were selected by him and the coaching staff.' "
I caught Torre in a pregame interview.
Torre talked about Darryl Strawberry and Cecil Fielder. Torre said that the 1996 Yankees adapted their strategy based on the changing personnel on their team. This is an important managerial approach, Torre said.
Unclear if Torre could name five players on the 2010 Dodgers.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Second in the AL East, but first in our hearts.
Only a delusional whore like Mike Lupica would actually push the Yankees vs. Mets storyline:
"With the Yankees stuck in second, the Mets have gone from last place in the NL East to first place in the NL East as fast as Jose Reyes."
The Yankees are 13-7.
"Stuck" in second place is just 2.5 games behind the Rays ... only 2 games back on the loss side! ... with, ummm, let's see ... 142 games to play.
But maybe Lupica is upset because the Yankees are three games ahead of the Boston Big Papis.
Also, one other thing: The Yankees are the current World Series Champions.
The Mets are not the current World Series Champions.
"With the Yankees stuck in second, the Mets have gone from last place in the NL East to first place in the NL East as fast as Jose Reyes."
The Yankees are 13-7.
"Stuck" in second place is just 2.5 games behind the Rays ... only 2 games back on the loss side! ... with, ummm, let's see ... 142 games to play.
But maybe Lupica is upset because the Yankees are three games ahead of the Boston Big Papis.
Also, one other thing: The Yankees are the current World Series Champions.
The Mets are not the current World Series Champions.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Asleep at the wheel.
The players are ultimately responsible for the outcome.
But this disgraceful game-changing at-bat is Girardi's fault:
"Kendry Morales: Intentional ball, Ball, Hunter stole third, Ball, Morales homered to center, Hunter and Matsui scored."
At first, the Yankees were going to intentionally walk Morales, but then they changed their mind.
If you're going to throw an intentional ball, then you have to stick with the intentional walk. You can't just put your pitcher in a 1-0 hole.
The 3-0 pitch was grooved, despite the fact that the Yankee coaches were reminding Cervelli/Marte that Morales was going to swing.
Well, Cervelli/Marte didn't get the message.
That's Girardi's fault.
But this disgraceful game-changing at-bat is Girardi's fault:
"Kendry Morales: Intentional ball, Ball, Hunter stole third, Ball, Morales homered to center, Hunter and Matsui scored."
At first, the Yankees were going to intentionally walk Morales, but then they changed their mind.
If you're going to throw an intentional ball, then you have to stick with the intentional walk. You can't just put your pitcher in a 1-0 hole.
The 3-0 pitch was grooved, despite the fact that the Yankee coaches were reminding Cervelli/Marte that Morales was going to swing.
Well, Cervelli/Marte didn't get the message.
That's Girardi's fault.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
To the Yankee fans who want to boo Javier Vazquez ...
Check out Charlie Hustle's .140 slugging percentage.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Wouldn't be steroids, would it?
"If David Ortiz is washed up, or just as old as some people seem to think he is, then the Red Sox are going to have to give up a bunch of prospects for Adrian Gonzalez sooner rather than later.
Because the Sox don't have enough stick."
Washed up ... or old ... or lacking steroids.
By the way, Lupica, Beltre has 0 HRs. and a .333 slugging percentage, while Lester has an ERA of 8.44.
Because the Sox don't have enough stick."
Washed up ... or old ... or lacking steroids.
By the way, Lupica, Beltre has 0 HRs. and a .333 slugging percentage, while Lester has an ERA of 8.44.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Finally!
"But after becoming a World Series champion and offering little fodder for the gossip pages - he's reportedly dating Cameron Diaz after things ended with Kate Hudson - Rodriguez had the Yankee faithful wondering: What's taking so long?"
I know lots of Yankee fans and nobody was wondering.
But good to know he's reportedly dating Cameron Diaz.
"A-Rod put an end to the waiting Saturday in the Yankees' 7-3 victory over the Texas Rangers at the Stadium."
Yes, an end to the waiting. The world can resume its normal day-to-day activities.
"It came in his 42nd at-bat, ending the second-longest homerless drought of his career to begin a season, ..."
42 whole at-bats in the cold, in the rain, in April.
"... trailing only the 48 at-bat homerless streak he had at the start of the 1995 season with the Seattle Mariners."
Well, I give you credit for looking up an unimportant statistic.
"Yet for the 44,963 fans at the Stadium Saturday, A-Rod's first homer of the year seemed have the same effect as his first one last year: The focus was on the game, and the game alone, even as a graphic flashed on the big screen tracking Rodriguez's 'assault' on 600 home runs."
That's because nobody cared that he had gone 42 at-bats without hitting a HR.
I know lots of Yankee fans and nobody was wondering.
But good to know he's reportedly dating Cameron Diaz.
"A-Rod put an end to the waiting Saturday in the Yankees' 7-3 victory over the Texas Rangers at the Stadium."
Yes, an end to the waiting. The world can resume its normal day-to-day activities.
"It came in his 42nd at-bat, ending the second-longest homerless drought of his career to begin a season, ..."
42 whole at-bats in the cold, in the rain, in April.
"... trailing only the 48 at-bat homerless streak he had at the start of the 1995 season with the Seattle Mariners."
Well, I give you credit for looking up an unimportant statistic.
"Yet for the 44,963 fans at the Stadium Saturday, A-Rod's first homer of the year seemed have the same effect as his first one last year: The focus was on the game, and the game alone, even as a graphic flashed on the big screen tracking Rodriguez's 'assault' on 600 home runs."
That's because nobody cared that he had gone 42 at-bats without hitting a HR.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Let's talk about Joe Torre.
"Kay then defended Girardi, his partner on 'The Joe Girardi Show' (Only on YES), saying he was a better manager than - yeah, you guessed it - Joe Torre.
'Joe Torre never managed at all,' Kay said. 'He managed men in the clubhouse, but he did nothing with X's and O's during a game.'
Kay went on to gush about what a great strategist Girardi, who managed the Yankees to a championship (he's still three rings shy of Torre) is. This is the same Girardi who, according to the other side of Kay's mouth, made those awful, confidence-shattering lineup changes Tuesday night.
So, there's a grand contradiction here."
It's not a grand contradiction to say that a great strategist made a few specific bad decisions. A great strategist is not necessarily a perfect strategist.
It's also not a contradiction to say that Girardi is a better strategist than Torre. Everyone knows that Torre couldn't be bothered with the lineups, roster, in-game strategies, bullpen management, etc.
'Joe Torre never managed at all,' Kay said. 'He managed men in the clubhouse, but he did nothing with X's and O's during a game.'
Kay went on to gush about what a great strategist Girardi, who managed the Yankees to a championship (he's still three rings shy of Torre) is. This is the same Girardi who, according to the other side of Kay's mouth, made those awful, confidence-shattering lineup changes Tuesday night.
So, there's a grand contradiction here."
It's not a grand contradiction to say that a great strategist made a few specific bad decisions. A great strategist is not necessarily a perfect strategist.
It's also not a contradiction to say that Girardi is a better strategist than Torre. Everyone knows that Torre couldn't be bothered with the lineups, roster, in-game strategies, bullpen management, etc.
Yet another baseball writer who doesn't like baseball.
"West should be applauded for speaking up. The game is way too slow. Speed it up, please.
We live in a fast-paced society. Everything has speeded up. E-mail, instant messaging, tweeting. But baseball has lagged behind, stayed in the horse and buggy era.
You would think all those finely tuned athletes, with millions in disposable income, would prefer a faster-paced game. But beating inside the chest of these guys with their fast toys is the heart of a traditionalist."
The games take longer to play, actually, so what you are saying is ignorant.
If the players were traditional, they'd play more quickly.
Talk about creating a problem where none exists.
The Yankees and Red Sox lead the league in attendance and ratings.
Taking their cue, I'd advise the rest of the league to slow down.
We live in a fast-paced society. Everything has speeded up. E-mail, instant messaging, tweeting. But baseball has lagged behind, stayed in the horse and buggy era.
You would think all those finely tuned athletes, with millions in disposable income, would prefer a faster-paced game. But beating inside the chest of these guys with their fast toys is the heart of a traditionalist."
The games take longer to play, actually, so what you are saying is ignorant.
If the players were traditional, they'd play more quickly.
Talk about creating a problem where none exists.
The Yankees and Red Sox lead the league in attendance and ratings.
Taking their cue, I'd advise the rest of the league to slow down.
How long can the Daily News stick with Tim Smith?
Javier Vazquez has a bad start:
"You would have liked to see the 33-year-old Vazquez accomplish more in his first start."
Well, yeah.
"But you know Girardi is going to stick with him for as long as he can. How long did he stick with Chien-Ming Wang before pulling the plug last year? Wang had more of a body of work with the Yankees than Vazquez, so Girardi's Job-like patience was warranted in that case."
I think you meant to say Girardi's patience was not warranted. Since Wang's ERA was 199.00 and he was eventually cut from the team.
"How long do you stick with Vazquez? And do you start looking at Joba Chamberlain as a starter again? I know it's too early to start asking these questions, but Vazquez didn't inspire a lot of confidence Friday night."
How long will the Yankees stick with Vazquez as a starter and keep Joba in the bullpen?
The entire season, guaranteed.
Worst case scenario, let's say Vazquez gets hurt. The next starter would be Aceves, then Mitre, then a free agent, then somebody from the minors.
Joba will remain in the bullpen.
"You would have liked to see the 33-year-old Vazquez accomplish more in his first start."
Well, yeah.
"But you know Girardi is going to stick with him for as long as he can. How long did he stick with Chien-Ming Wang before pulling the plug last year? Wang had more of a body of work with the Yankees than Vazquez, so Girardi's Job-like patience was warranted in that case."
I think you meant to say Girardi's patience was not warranted. Since Wang's ERA was 199.00 and he was eventually cut from the team.
"How long do you stick with Vazquez? And do you start looking at Joba Chamberlain as a starter again? I know it's too early to start asking these questions, but Vazquez didn't inspire a lot of confidence Friday night."
How long will the Yankees stick with Vazquez as a starter and keep Joba in the bullpen?
The entire season, guaranteed.
Worst case scenario, let's say Vazquez gets hurt. The next starter would be Aceves, then Mitre, then a free agent, then somebody from the minors.
Joba will remain in the bullpen.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Chan Ho Park is vaunted by no one.
"Opening Day losses don't get more exasperating than this."
Sure they do, Mr. Imagination.
I'll bet the losing team in half the games today are more exasperated than the Yankees.
I'll bet at least one team loses when their closer blows the lead in the ninth inning. The most exasperating would be a walk-off balk. I don't think I've ever seen a walk-off balk.
Further, I'll bet the team that loses will leave two or three runners on third base with less than two outs and their manager will say they need to work on their situational hitting.
"When your ace can't hold a 5-1 lead, when your bullpen spits up a two-run lead quicker than you can say Chan Ho Park, your first thought is that 2009 suddenly seems like a long time ago."
Sabathia is the goat.
Sabathia does his job and hands it to Robertson / Marte / Joba / Rivera with a 5-run lead in the 8th.
Chan Ho Park's job is to sweep up the peanut shells in the bullpen.
"Joba Chamberlain wasn't exactly the dominant reliever of old, either, allowing a vital insurance run in the eighth on a walk and two singles."
In 2007 -- three seasons ago -- Joba came up in the middle of the season and threw 24 incredible innings. One earned run.
He tanked a bit in the 2007 playoffs, but nobody seemed to hold it against him.
In 2008, Joba pitched successfully for 100 big-league innings, but he lost his fastball when he hurt his shoulder.
Since that shoulder injury, he has been usually good but not usually great.
If you're expecting an ERA of 0.38, you will be disappointed.
If that's what you mean by the "dominant reliever of old," it will never happen again.
I'm not sure what people are expecting from a setup guy. I just hope he's a little better than Kyle Farnsworth. Tom Gordon is probably setting the bar too high.
Sure they do, Mr. Imagination.
I'll bet the losing team in half the games today are more exasperated than the Yankees.
I'll bet at least one team loses when their closer blows the lead in the ninth inning. The most exasperating would be a walk-off balk. I don't think I've ever seen a walk-off balk.
Further, I'll bet the team that loses will leave two or three runners on third base with less than two outs and their manager will say they need to work on their situational hitting.
"When your ace can't hold a 5-1 lead, when your bullpen spits up a two-run lead quicker than you can say Chan Ho Park, your first thought is that 2009 suddenly seems like a long time ago."
Sabathia is the goat.
"Chan Ho Park?
He's the guy you want in the game holding a 7-5 lead in the seventh inning? Wasn't David Robertson supposed to be the next big thing in the Yankee bullpen? He got two outs in the sixth in relief of Sabathia, albeit after giving up a single that scored the tying run, and then he was gone."
That's why Sabathia is the goat.
Sabathia does his job and hands it to Robertson / Marte / Joba / Rivera with a 5-run lead in the 8th.
Chan Ho Park's job is to sweep up the peanut shells in the bullpen.
"Joba Chamberlain wasn't exactly the dominant reliever of old, either, allowing a vital insurance run in the eighth on a walk and two singles."
In 2007 -- three seasons ago -- Joba came up in the middle of the season and threw 24 incredible innings. One earned run.
He tanked a bit in the 2007 playoffs, but nobody seemed to hold it against him.
In 2008, Joba pitched successfully for 100 big-league innings, but he lost his fastball when he hurt his shoulder.
Since that shoulder injury, he has been usually good but not usually great.
If you're expecting an ERA of 0.38, you will be disappointed.
If that's what you mean by the "dominant reliever of old," it will never happen again.
I'm not sure what people are expecting from a setup guy. I just hope he's a little better than Kyle Farnsworth. Tom Gordon is probably setting the bar too high.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Mike Lupica notices Mariano Rivera is great.
Lupica finally jumped on board about mid-season last year:
"The talk of this season will be a new contract for Jeter, who wants to play past 40 the way Alex Rodriguez does. Their hero, their role model, should be Rivera. He is the Yankee they want to be when they reach his age. There have been other Yankees, and other pitchers, who pitched at a high level at 40. Not like No. 42. Find another iconic New York athlete in any sport who has ever done it quite like this."
I think the talk of this season will mostly be baseball games the Yankees play. Jeter's inevitable contract, barring unforeseen events, will be negotiated after the season and that's the end of the discussion.
"The best of it last fall really was the way a whole new light was shined on the excellence of Rivera, the grace, the professionalism, the importance of the man, on his team, and in this time in sports, where we have been conditioned to be disappointed by the most famous names."
Agreed. Too bad you didn't notice for the past decade-and-a-half since you were too busy worshiping Jeter, Big Papi, and Theo Epstein.
"More and more – mo and mo? – he let people get to know him, find out that he is the best quote in the room, has the sharpest take on baseball. And honest. And completely accountable. You want them all to be like him."No, not "mo and mo," since you asked. That's corny and lame.
It's embarrassing for a sportswriter with access to Mariano Rivera didn't bother asking him any questions for a decade-and-a-half.
"The talk of this season will be a new contract for Jeter, who wants to play past 40 the way Alex Rodriguez does. Their hero, their role model, should be Rivera. He is the Yankee they want to be when they reach his age. There have been other Yankees, and other pitchers, who pitched at a high level at 40. Not like No. 42. Find another iconic New York athlete in any sport who has ever done it quite like this."
I think the talk of this season will mostly be baseball games the Yankees play. Jeter's inevitable contract, barring unforeseen events, will be negotiated after the season and that's the end of the discussion.
"The best of it last fall really was the way a whole new light was shined on the excellence of Rivera, the grace, the professionalism, the importance of the man, on his team, and in this time in sports, where we have been conditioned to be disappointed by the most famous names."
Agreed. Too bad you didn't notice for the past decade-and-a-half since you were too busy worshiping Jeter, Big Papi, and Theo Epstein.
"More and more – mo and mo? – he let people get to know him, find out that he is the best quote in the room, has the sharpest take on baseball. And honest. And completely accountable. You want them all to be like him."No, not "mo and mo," since you asked. That's corny and lame.
It's embarrassing for a sportswriter with access to Mariano Rivera didn't bother asking him any questions for a decade-and-a-half.
"As he gets later into his career, the question is always the same: Is this the year when he slips? Is this when he starts to act his age, become less than he has been?
'I hear that every April,' he said. 'I'm used to it.' "
Yes, you hear that every April.
Every year, Mariano hears that his career is over. Usually from punk Mike Lupica.
Every year, I explain that Lupica is wrong.
Every year, I am right.
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Ian O'Connor decides who's good and who's bad.
ESPN's loss is the The Record's gain:
"These are the last words I will write for The Record, which makes them by far the toughest. I was a Record delivery boy in my youth in Englewood, wondering what it would be like to write for my hometown paper, but never actually thinking I’d get lucky enough to find out.
"These are the last words I will write for The Record, which makes them by far the toughest. I was a Record delivery boy in my youth in Englewood, wondering what it would be like to write for my hometown paper, but never actually thinking I’d get lucky enough to find out.
In my first column on Dec. 31, 2006, I wrote that my goal was to celebrate the good guys and chase the bad guys.' I hope I did more celebrating than chasing in the 39 months since."
Alex Rodriguez is bad, I would presume.
That's quite a mission for a sportswriter, though.
Instead of telling us who won the game and how, he basically wants to be God.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Mike Lupica knows nothing about jurisprudence or journalism.
1) You can't prove a negative.
2) When nothing happens, it isn't news.
Alex Rodriguez has been accused of nothing. Therefore, there is nothing to deny. It's a fake story.
If the moon isn't made of green cheese, then why haven't scientists denied that the moon is made of green cheese?
Why hasn't ARod talked to the feds? Maybe he doesn't want to. He has the right to remain silent. It doesn't mean he's guilty; it means he's smart.
2) When nothing happens, it isn't news.
Alex Rodriguez has been accused of nothing. Therefore, there is nothing to deny. It's a fake story.
If the moon isn't made of green cheese, then why haven't scientists denied that the moon is made of green cheese?
Why hasn't ARod talked to the feds? Maybe he doesn't want to. He has the right to remain silent. It doesn't mean he's guilty; it means he's smart.
"You are supposed to believe that Rodriguez not flying up to Buffalo this week to talk to the feds was somehow by mutual consent. Right. Here's the mutual consent, so you know: Rodriguez's lawyers talked them out of it.
Oh, sure. The lawyers didn't want their Yankee star being walked into a courthouse or wherever the meeting was going to take place like it was some kind of perp walk, for an investigation A-Rod keeps saying is about somebody else.
So the interview was pushed back. Again. The longer this plays out (it seems harder for the feds and A-Rod to sit down than it was for A-Rod to finally win himself a World Series), the more you wonder how much we might be dealing with star-struck investigators here.
Really: How come Beltran and Reyes were able to fit this in and Rodriguez hasn't? They've had the whole month of March, and now you start to think that 'Dancing With the Stars' will be over before Rodriguez's own dance with the feds might be.
If Rodriguez's story is so innocent, if he only needed Dr. Galea to give him any kind of treatment — with anti-inflammatory pills or platelets that he could have gotten from the Yankee team doctor or at any big hospital in the big bad city — how come it is taking him so long to tell it?"
You know what you should do, Lupica? Use the "Dancing With the Stars" reference again. Your pop culture references are sliding to depths on par with your journalistic skills.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
The greatest poll I've ever read.
Read the comments by the hometown analysts.
Out of 30 analyses, approximately 26 are bullish. Only Ralph Kiner really rips his team -- they're bearish on the Blue Jays and Royals, too.
Every other team is underrated.
If all these teams are going to win, somebody has to lose.
Which means the Royals will probably lose 500 games.
Out of 30 analyses, approximately 26 are bullish. Only Ralph Kiner really rips his team -- they're bearish on the Blue Jays and Royals, too.
Every other team is underrated.
If all these teams are going to win, somebody has to lose.
Which means the Royals will probably lose 500 games.
Alex Rodriguez doesn't cause headaches. Reading Ian O'Connor columns cause headaches.
"You thought it ended with the ticker tape, didn’t you? You figured Alex Rodriguez was a made man at last, a notarized Yankee, a megastar worthy of riding in Derek Jeter’s parade?"
As far as I'm concerned, he was a notarized Yankee and a megastar the day he signed with the Yankees in 2004.
"You thought A-Rod might play the rest of his career free of ominous clouds, right?"
Yes, I thought that ARod might play the rest of his career free of "ominous clouds."
Yet, it seems no man can play the rest of his free free of ominous clouds.
Clouds sure are ominous. Especially rainclouds, which portend rain.
Sigh. It's such an apt metaphor for a man who makes $27.5 million per year and just won a World Series ring. In fact, I think I might cry for Alex Rodriguez.
"And sure enough, A-Rod returned from his hip surgery, stayed clear of trouble, and expunged his record as a postseason gagger by playing a leading role in the Yankees’ first title in nine years.
Rodriguez was made whole again. Fans with a spectacular talent for confusing victory with virtue couldn’t remember if A-Rod had injected 'boli' or simply popped a few Tic Tacs."
Victory is virtue.
The rest is fodder for hack sportswriters.
"Only the summit in Buffalo never happened. Rodriguez showed up at the ballpark in Tampa and told reporters, 'Nothing was ever scheduled.'
Of course the meeting will take place, sooner rather than later, but here’s the larger point: It will never, ever be over with A-Rod."
You can keep following him around with a notepad him if you wish.
I don't know one single Yankee fan who's even paying attention.
"He can go ahead and win three more titles with the Yankees and still make you wonder if he’s worth the trouble."
I'll answer that: He's worth the trouble.
You know who's not worth the trouble Kei Igawa.
"He can still create enough distractions and choreograph enough diva dramas to make you wonder if Hank Steinbrenner would’ve been better off committing that $305 million to two generations’ worth of starting pitchers."
No, you are 100% wrong. See previous comment regarding Kei Igawa.
How many anti-ARod articles has Ian O'Hackor written in his life? How many times has he proclaimed that the Yankees can't win the World Series with ARod?
So when Ian O'Hackor is proven wrong, he just changes the criteria.
(A quick search for "Ian" on my blog revealed multiple articles where Ian O'Connor said the Yankees were better off with Cody Ransom instead of Alex Rodriguez, etc.)
Oh, and Ian O'Mathor apparently thinks $305 million will pay for forty years' worth of starting pitchers.
$305 million over two generations will get you a bullpen full of Juan Acevedos.
Hank Steinbrenner owns a calculator, can calculate the merch and attendance boost, and will conclude that ARod is underpaid.
As far as I'm concerned, he was a notarized Yankee and a megastar the day he signed with the Yankees in 2004.
"You thought A-Rod might play the rest of his career free of ominous clouds, right?"
Yes, I thought that ARod might play the rest of his career free of "ominous clouds."
Yet, it seems no man can play the rest of his free free of ominous clouds.
Clouds sure are ominous. Especially rainclouds, which portend rain.
Sigh. It's such an apt metaphor for a man who makes $27.5 million per year and just won a World Series ring. In fact, I think I might cry for Alex Rodriguez.
"And sure enough, A-Rod returned from his hip surgery, stayed clear of trouble, and expunged his record as a postseason gagger by playing a leading role in the Yankees’ first title in nine years.
Rodriguez was made whole again. Fans with a spectacular talent for confusing victory with virtue couldn’t remember if A-Rod had injected 'boli' or simply popped a few Tic Tacs."
Victory is virtue.
The rest is fodder for hack sportswriters.
"Only the summit in Buffalo never happened. Rodriguez showed up at the ballpark in Tampa and told reporters, 'Nothing was ever scheduled.'
Of course the meeting will take place, sooner rather than later, but here’s the larger point: It will never, ever be over with A-Rod."
You can keep following him around with a notepad him if you wish.
I don't know one single Yankee fan who's even paying attention.
"He can go ahead and win three more titles with the Yankees and still make you wonder if he’s worth the trouble."
I'll answer that: He's worth the trouble.
You know who's not worth the trouble Kei Igawa.
"He can still create enough distractions and choreograph enough diva dramas to make you wonder if Hank Steinbrenner would’ve been better off committing that $305 million to two generations’ worth of starting pitchers."
No, you are 100% wrong. See previous comment regarding Kei Igawa.
How many anti-ARod articles has Ian O'Hackor written in his life? How many times has he proclaimed that the Yankees can't win the World Series with ARod?
So when Ian O'Hackor is proven wrong, he just changes the criteria.
(A quick search for "Ian" on my blog revealed multiple articles where Ian O'Connor said the Yankees were better off with Cody Ransom instead of Alex Rodriguez, etc.)
Oh, and Ian O'Mathor apparently thinks $305 million will pay for forty years' worth of starting pitchers.
$305 million over two generations will get you a bullpen full of Juan Acevedos.
Hank Steinbrenner owns a calculator, can calculate the merch and attendance boost, and will conclude that ARod is underpaid.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
I don't agree ...
But, assuming Schilling was clean, he's one of the few whose criticisms carry weight.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Red Sox.
So, the headline reads, "Boston Red Sox starting rotation should give Yankees reason to worry."
Of course. Nothing profound here.
What's interesting, though, is the rest of the article, wherein Bill Madden talks about shortstops.
I'm expecting an article next Sunday entitled "The Jeter Factor" that talks about the Red Sox pitching rotation.
Of course. Nothing profound here.
What's interesting, though, is the rest of the article, wherein Bill Madden talks about shortstops.
I'm expecting an article next Sunday entitled "The Jeter Factor" that talks about the Red Sox pitching rotation.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
How do you say "bust" in Japanese?
"Igawa, 30, signed a five-year, $20 million contract with New York before the 2007 season, but the Yankees have seen little return on that investment, to say nothing of the $26 million posting fee paid to his former club, the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese Central League"
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Given.
"Garciaparra’s name didn’t come up in the Mitchell Report. He never testified before Congress. He wasn’t implicated in BALCO. Yet numerous people in baseball, from executives to reporters to other players, talk about his career as if performance-enhancing drug use was a given."
I always like the source "numerous people."
Some players evoke sympathy and some do not.
I'm guessing Ivan Rodriguez gets into the HOF on the first ballot and Alex Rodriguez does not.
I always like the source "numerous people."
Some players evoke sympathy and some do not.
I'm guessing Ivan Rodriguez gets into the HOF on the first ballot and Alex Rodriguez does not.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Is it because Mets are good and Yankees are bad?
"Why is A-Rod different from Beltran and Reyes?"
Because ARod hit more than 10 HRs last season?
Because ARod has a shiny new championship ring on his finger? A championship ring that mocks and tortures Mike Lupica on a daily basis, like a ringworm slowly eating at Lupica's soul?
"Because Rodriguez is the big New York baseball star who has priors when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs. Beltran and Reyes do not."
Oh.
Nobody else cares, Lupica, but at least this give you something to write about besides long-forgotten Johnny Damon.
Because ARod hit more than 10 HRs last season?
Because ARod has a shiny new championship ring on his finger? A championship ring that mocks and tortures Mike Lupica on a daily basis, like a ringworm slowly eating at Lupica's soul?
"Because Rodriguez is the big New York baseball star who has priors when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs. Beltran and Reyes do not."
Oh.
Nobody else cares, Lupica, but at least this give you something to write about besides long-forgotten Johnny Damon.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Proof that Jeter's the most overrated.
By the way, this article goes on for six pages.
Six pages in a March, 2010 New York Daily News article explaining who Derek Jeter is and what Derek Jeter has done.
Is there anyone in the New York Daily News readership who doesn't know all of this already?
Why can't Jeter be appreciated for his world-class, All Star, Hall of Fame abilities without continual exaggeration of these abilities?
A guy who hits 15 HRs per year ... even if that player eventually earns the title of greatest shortstop ever ... even if that player gets 4,000 hits ... that player simply can never be better than Babe Ruth.
Most popular Yankee ever? Perhaps. Different question.
Best Yankee shortstop ever? He passed Rizzuto about 10 years ago.
Best shortstop ever? It's possible, though it is really just due to a technicality, because Jeter never moved to third base or first base like other superior shortstops.
Best Yankee ever? Don't even ask the question because it's dopey.
It's not Jeter's fault. If you want to put him on the fictional Yankee Mount Rushmore, that's fine. It's just that Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, Berra, and Dimaggio all happened to play for the Yankees.
Also, the existence of Mariano Rivera begs the question if Jeter is even the best Yankee on his own team.
Six pages in a March, 2010 New York Daily News article explaining who Derek Jeter is and what Derek Jeter has done.
Is there anyone in the New York Daily News readership who doesn't know all of this already?
Why can't Jeter be appreciated for his world-class, All Star, Hall of Fame abilities without continual exaggeration of these abilities?
A guy who hits 15 HRs per year ... even if that player eventually earns the title of greatest shortstop ever ... even if that player gets 4,000 hits ... that player simply can never be better than Babe Ruth.
Most popular Yankee ever? Perhaps. Different question.
Best Yankee shortstop ever? He passed Rizzuto about 10 years ago.
Best shortstop ever? It's possible, though it is really just due to a technicality, because Jeter never moved to third base or first base like other superior shortstops.
Best Yankee ever? Don't even ask the question because it's dopey.
It's not Jeter's fault. If you want to put him on the fictional Yankee Mount Rushmore, that's fine. It's just that Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, Berra, and Dimaggio all happened to play for the Yankees.
Also, the existence of Mariano Rivera begs the question if Jeter is even the best Yankee on his own team.
Mets good, Yankees bad.
"Understand: Just because Galea likes human growth hormone doesn't mean that Reyes does.
...
And just because Reyes now has a problem with his thyroid gland, and is in New York City for sophisticated testing on it, does not mean those problems were caused by any kind of synthetic drug in his system.
...
'Good medicine is about eliminating possible causes,' Dr. Lewis Maharam - a doctor of sports medicine who has made sense about performance-enhancing drugs for years - said yesterday. 'It's about differentials, making a list of possibilities and then eliminating them one by one. But there is a possibility that human growth hormone could cause a spike of thyroid hormone levels.' "
Okay, I agree with you. No need to prosecute a person without due process. But the evidence grows that Jose Reyes is a cheater and this doesn't bother you at all. Because Jose Reyes is a Met.
"There was a time not so long ago when Reyes was supposed to be the shortstop from the NL East who seemed to be the best bet to be MVP. It turned out to be Jimmy Rollins instead. Rollins and the Phillies then won a World Series and Derek Jeter and the Yankees won a World Series."
It's Lupica Journalism.
Lupica says something ignorant. That ignorant statement becomes the "supposed to." Worse, Lupica roots for his pre-conceived scenario.
So it's not journalism at all. It's making predictions and keeping score. Not what happened, but what is gonna happen and what shoulda happened.
"You know what's really going to chafe the people running the New York Yankees?
If A-Rod went to see Dr. Tony Galea, blood-spinner to the stars, and told them he didn't."
Why would that chafe the people running the New York Yankees?
I just read an entire article about Jose Reyes's connection to Galea in which Reyes was completely let off the hook.
That article was written by you.
...
And just because Reyes now has a problem with his thyroid gland, and is in New York City for sophisticated testing on it, does not mean those problems were caused by any kind of synthetic drug in his system.
...
'Good medicine is about eliminating possible causes,' Dr. Lewis Maharam - a doctor of sports medicine who has made sense about performance-enhancing drugs for years - said yesterday. 'It's about differentials, making a list of possibilities and then eliminating them one by one. But there is a possibility that human growth hormone could cause a spike of thyroid hormone levels.' "
Okay, I agree with you. No need to prosecute a person without due process. But the evidence grows that Jose Reyes is a cheater and this doesn't bother you at all. Because Jose Reyes is a Met.
"There was a time not so long ago when Reyes was supposed to be the shortstop from the NL East who seemed to be the best bet to be MVP. It turned out to be Jimmy Rollins instead. Rollins and the Phillies then won a World Series and Derek Jeter and the Yankees won a World Series."
It's Lupica Journalism.
Lupica says something ignorant. That ignorant statement becomes the "supposed to." Worse, Lupica roots for his pre-conceived scenario.
So it's not journalism at all. It's making predictions and keeping score. Not what happened, but what is gonna happen and what shoulda happened.
"You know what's really going to chafe the people running the New York Yankees?
If A-Rod went to see Dr. Tony Galea, blood-spinner to the stars, and told them he didn't."
Why would that chafe the people running the New York Yankees?
I just read an entire article about Jose Reyes's connection to Galea in which Reyes was completely let off the hook.
That article was written by you.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Is Derek Jeter going somewhere?
"The Yankees need to find a way to make Derek Jeter a Yankee for Life. There's really only one way. At some point the Steinbrenner family would have to take him into the ownership group.
...
The Yankees and Jeter will come together on a new deal at some point, but Jeter needs to be a Yankee for Life and there is a way to make him one. The Yankees need to work out a deal with Jeter where they allow him to become part of Yankees ownership after his playing days are complete. Players cannot be part of ownership, so this would have to be a separate deal.
...
Where will that ownership path take him? It should take him through The Bronx. Jeter should be a Yankee for Life."
To summarize:
Jeter should be a Yankee for Life ... bunch of words ... Jeter should be a Yankee for Life.
...
The Yankees and Jeter will come together on a new deal at some point, but Jeter needs to be a Yankee for Life and there is a way to make him one. The Yankees need to work out a deal with Jeter where they allow him to become part of Yankees ownership after his playing days are complete. Players cannot be part of ownership, so this would have to be a separate deal.
...
Where will that ownership path take him? It should take him through The Bronx. Jeter should be a Yankee for Life."
To summarize:
Jeter should be a Yankee for Life ... bunch of words ... Jeter should be a Yankee for Life.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
He's guilty, alright. Guilty of being TOTALLY AWESOME!
"Over a span of 61 seconds at Alex Rodriguez’s locker, the most turbulent 61 seconds of a downright sleepy Yankee spring, the third baseman managed to declare three times that the performance-enhancing police are banging on another suspect’s door."
You timed it?
You timed it to the exact second?
Or is that a very shaky allusion to Roger Maris's HR record?
"But no, realistically, this isn’t about someone else. It’s about Alex Rodriguez. It’s about a once-in-a-generation ballplayer who cheated the game, cheated the fans and cheated himself, and who now is discovering that even a World Series ring and ticker-tape parade can’t absolve him of his not-so-venial steroid sins."
"Venial."
Ian O'Connor found thesaurus.com.
Good for him.
"Asked if he’s had any direct contact with Galea, Rodriguez said, 'I can’t get into that.'
He’ll get into it with the feds."
Boy, this is some interesting breaking news.
They're basically going to find Alex Rodriguez is guilty of everything he already admitted to.
You timed it?
You timed it to the exact second?
Or is that a very shaky allusion to Roger Maris's HR record?
"But no, realistically, this isn’t about someone else. It’s about Alex Rodriguez. It’s about a once-in-a-generation ballplayer who cheated the game, cheated the fans and cheated himself, and who now is discovering that even a World Series ring and ticker-tape parade can’t absolve him of his not-so-venial steroid sins."
"Venial."
Ian O'Connor found thesaurus.com.
Good for him.
"Asked if he’s had any direct contact with Galea, Rodriguez said, 'I can’t get into that.'
He’ll get into it with the feds."
Boy, this is some interesting breaking news.
They're basically going to find Alex Rodriguez is guilty of everything he already admitted to.
Yes, Gregg Zaun's non-existent reputation was tarnished.
"Gregg Zaun still believes the Mitchell Report was sloppy and full of holes, leading to several inaccurate conclusions, including about himself.
Yet, although his reputation was damaged, he says the game is better off with a blemished report than none at all."
In fact, baseball fans were polled about Gregg Zaun's steroid use:
1% guilty.
1% not guilty.
23% Greg Vaughn probably did take steroids.
75% Gregg who?
Monday, March 01, 2010
La Genius
"No, you won't see La Russa writing a book like this because, if you believe him, he had no clue any of this was going on.
Think about that for a minute. La Russa was the manager of the Oakland Athletics at the time when many believe the steroid era in baseball blew up in the A's locker room, with McGwire, Canseco and others believed to be using the drugs in the late 1980s and early 1990s time period, when Oakland was a dominant offensive team. And then, La Russa moves to another league, the National League, in 1996, to manage the St. Louis Cardinals, and brought a rejuvenated McGwire over with him. And then, under La Russa's watch, you have the summer of 1998, the battle between McGwire and Sammys Sosa over Roger Maris' 61 home run record -- a 37-year-old mark -- with McGwire so big he looked like he would explode if you stuck a pin in him. Over a three-year period, under La Russa's watch, McGwire hit 193 home runs, an unprecedented total.
Yet if we believe La Russa, he was ignorant of any performance-enhancing substance use in both Oakland and St. Louis. This man -- George Will's example of brilliance in the book, 'Men at Work,' a baseball manager with a law degree, the subject of the book, 'Three Nights in August,' by Buzz Bissinger, a book that, according to Publisher's Weekly, 'reveals La Russa's history and personality, conveying the manager's intensity and his compulsive need to be prepared for any situation that might arise during, "the war" of each at-bat' -- didn't know the stars of his teams were using steroids.
Of all the absurdities of the steroid era, this might be the most absurd."
Think about that for a minute. La Russa was the manager of the Oakland Athletics at the time when many believe the steroid era in baseball blew up in the A's locker room, with McGwire, Canseco and others believed to be using the drugs in the late 1980s and early 1990s time period, when Oakland was a dominant offensive team. And then, La Russa moves to another league, the National League, in 1996, to manage the St. Louis Cardinals, and brought a rejuvenated McGwire over with him. And then, under La Russa's watch, you have the summer of 1998, the battle between McGwire and Sammys Sosa over Roger Maris' 61 home run record -- a 37-year-old mark -- with McGwire so big he looked like he would explode if you stuck a pin in him. Over a three-year period, under La Russa's watch, McGwire hit 193 home runs, an unprecedented total.
Yet if we believe La Russa, he was ignorant of any performance-enhancing substance use in both Oakland and St. Louis. This man -- George Will's example of brilliance in the book, 'Men at Work,' a baseball manager with a law degree, the subject of the book, 'Three Nights in August,' by Buzz Bissinger, a book that, according to Publisher's Weekly, 'reveals La Russa's history and personality, conveying the manager's intensity and his compulsive need to be prepared for any situation that might arise during, "the war" of each at-bat' -- didn't know the stars of his teams were using steroids.
Of all the absurdities of the steroid era, this might be the most absurd."
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Was that ARod or Le Tari?
The guy with the big teeth who played Dudley's father on "Diff'rent Strokes":
"Not a hint of smugness. Not a trace of gloating. Contentment instead of conceit.
Chortle.
"This from the former teen prodigy who became a certified cheater, perhaps the most gifted player in baseball history who indisputably became the highest-paid, found serenity by giving in to the greater good.
"Not a hint of smugness. Not a trace of gloating. Contentment instead of conceit.
Was that A-Rod or the Dalai Lama?"
Tee hee.
"Was that A-Rod or Edmund Hillary?
Sir Hillary, after becoming the first man to scale Mount Everest, devoted his life to building hospitals and schools for the Sherpa people of Nepal."Chortle.
"This from the former teen prodigy who became a certified cheater, perhaps the most gifted player in baseball history who indisputably became the highest-paid, found serenity by giving in to the greater good.
Was that A-Rod or Frank William Abagnale?"
Whoa. How obscure are these references gonna get?
" 'We both talked about what an amazing feeling it was to be world champs and how badly we want to do that again,' Rodriguez said. 'It becomes an addiction. You want to just keep winning.'
Was that A-Rod or Derek Jeter?"
Waka waka.
Maybe ARod really is a lot like Derek Jeter. Still arrogant and egotistical and smug, but just good at charming the press corps.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
I dare you to not bring up the Yankees.
" 'When I got the three-year deal (before 2008), I thought I'd manage two ...' "
Guy has never seemed to enthusiastic about managing the Los Angeles Dodgers.
" 'I've never been this age before, but at some point you are going to dread going to spring training ... ' "
Anybody else says "I've never been this age before" and I'd dismiss it as an amusing wordplay.
When Joe Torre says it, I truly wonder if he understands the basics of time, place, and biology.
"Torre, wearing his 1996 Yankees World Series ring, has not reached the heights in Los Angeles that he did in New York, where he won four championships.
...
'After being in New York, I never really anticipated going anywhere else, and starting again, but it was a great decision on my part to continue doing this, because it's been a lot of fun,' Torre said."
Guy has never seemed to enthusiastic about managing the Los Angeles Dodgers.
" 'I've never been this age before, but at some point you are going to dread going to spring training ... ' "
Anybody else says "I've never been this age before" and I'd dismiss it as an amusing wordplay.
When Joe Torre says it, I truly wonder if he understands the basics of time, place, and biology.
"Torre, wearing his 1996 Yankees World Series ring, has not reached the heights in Los Angeles that he did in New York, where he won four championships.
...
'After being in New York, I never really anticipated going anywhere else, and starting again, but it was a great decision on my part to continue doing this, because it's been a lot of fun,' Torre said."
Saturday, February 13, 2010
"Brett Gardner works on tool."
Bunting. I'll believe it when I see it. I've heard it before from other speedy ballplayers.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
He moves the merch.
"It seems that the prevailing thought is that neither the Yankees nor Jeter would gain much by parting ways, so a deal is going to get done eventually. Still, as an advanced-aged player who is still highly productive, Jeter is an outlier. And that status creates the potential for negotiations to get complicated."
By now, I think it should be clear that Jeter brings in the fans and sells a zillion tee-shirts.
Last year, it became a big event just because he passed Lou Gehrig in career hits ... as a Yankee. Imagine the draw as he approaches 3,000 hits? Or as he approaches Pete Rose?
The Yankees are going to pay him a ton of money and he's worth every penny. It has little to do with his on-base percentage. Which, by the way, is purty darn good.
By now, I think it should be clear that Jeter brings in the fans and sells a zillion tee-shirts.
Last year, it became a big event just because he passed Lou Gehrig in career hits ... as a Yankee. Imagine the draw as he approaches 3,000 hits? Or as he approaches Pete Rose?
The Yankees are going to pay him a ton of money and he's worth every penny. It has little to do with his on-base percentage. Which, by the way, is purty darn good.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
I know! I know!
"There were 43 Super Bowls before the other night. Try to remember all the quarterbacks who threw a fat pitch like the one Manning threw to Porter."
Kurt Warner.
Last year.
The guy ran it back 100 yards for a touchdown on the last play of the first half.
Kurt Warner.
Last year.
The guy ran it back 100 yards for a touchdown on the last play of the first half.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Hypocrite.
Imagine if the Yankees had signed Matt Holliday. Lupica would have chastised the Yankees for trying to buy the World Series, trying to buy an All Star at every position, blah blah blah.
I find it odd that everybody is telling the WS champs how they should spend their money:
"They are a better team with him than they are without him and they don't have to lay off members of the grounds crew to get him."
I agree.
Damon should be the fifth or sixth outfielder on this team.
Swisher, Granderson, Holliday, Bay, Manny, Damon. Though Manny would probably DH.
Oh, and Halladay should be the #1 starter.
"You know how long this would take to work out? One day this week. That's if the Yankees really ever wanted him back in the first place."
The. Yankees. Did. Not. Want. Damon. Back. In. The. First. Place.
"But it is better business for the Yankees, because they really can make their team better and their fans happy (does anybody NOT want Damon back?) at the same time."
I know some people who don't want Damon back, but that's just me.
Damon is suddenly being presented as some kind of fan favorite. Kind of reminds me of last year's sudden ascendance of Mussina and Abreu.
"You know Yankee fans know the market, they know about all those Carl Crawfords out there next winter. But they are infinitely more interested in the season their team is about to play, and winning two in a row, and having their team resume its play as the baddest on the planet."
Not even close.
It's sort of like when Cashman passed on Johan Santana because he had CC Sabathia in his sights.
"They're not being asked to break the bank here. It's not like the gap between the two sides is as wide as CC Sabathia."
Ha ha.
Tiger Woods has sex with lots of women and CC Sabathia is fat.
"But are we really supposed to believe that Hal Steinbrenner found $180 million under the bed for Mark Teixeira last winter and now can't find whatever it will take to bring back a popular, winning ballplayer and stick him back in the No. 2 slot behind Jeter?"
No, sir. We are not really supposed to believe that.
You figured out all on your own that the Yankees didn't want Damon back.
Granderson will bat second and play better defense than Damon. But it's not really a baseball discussion, anyway.
Lupica seems angry about the fact that the Yankees are disingenuous. Lupica finds it necessary to call out the Yankees on their bogus PR stance.
It's like being angry that Billy Mays lied to you -- the mighty putty doesn't really work.
I find it odd that everybody is telling the WS champs how they should spend their money:
"They are a better team with him than they are without him and they don't have to lay off members of the grounds crew to get him."
I agree.
Damon should be the fifth or sixth outfielder on this team.
Swisher, Granderson, Holliday, Bay, Manny, Damon. Though Manny would probably DH.
Oh, and Halladay should be the #1 starter.
"You know how long this would take to work out? One day this week. That's if the Yankees really ever wanted him back in the first place."
The. Yankees. Did. Not. Want. Damon. Back. In. The. First. Place.
"But it is better business for the Yankees, because they really can make their team better and their fans happy (does anybody NOT want Damon back?) at the same time."
I know some people who don't want Damon back, but that's just me.
Damon is suddenly being presented as some kind of fan favorite. Kind of reminds me of last year's sudden ascendance of Mussina and Abreu.
"You know Yankee fans know the market, they know about all those Carl Crawfords out there next winter. But they are infinitely more interested in the season their team is about to play, and winning two in a row, and having their team resume its play as the baddest on the planet."
Not even close.
It's sort of like when Cashman passed on Johan Santana because he had CC Sabathia in his sights.
"They're not being asked to break the bank here. It's not like the gap between the two sides is as wide as CC Sabathia."
Ha ha.
Tiger Woods has sex with lots of women and CC Sabathia is fat.
"But are we really supposed to believe that Hal Steinbrenner found $180 million under the bed for Mark Teixeira last winter and now can't find whatever it will take to bring back a popular, winning ballplayer and stick him back in the No. 2 slot behind Jeter?"
No, sir. We are not really supposed to believe that.
You figured out all on your own that the Yankees didn't want Damon back.
Granderson will bat second and play better defense than Damon. But it's not really a baseball discussion, anyway.
Lupica seems angry about the fact that the Yankees are disingenuous. Lupica finds it necessary to call out the Yankees on their bogus PR stance.
It's like being angry that Billy Mays lied to you -- the mighty putty doesn't really work.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Johnny Damon's Biggest Fan.
All I remember for four years were complaints about Damon's age, defense, fragility, and haircut.
Now, Lupica is Damon's biggest fan.
Also, Lupica evidently doesn't have the ability to look ahead to 2011 when Cashman needs to sign Jeter, Rivera, and Carl Crawford:
"The headline is that the Yankees have a budget. We are supposed to believe that this budget is the reason that goes now. Sure it is."
Nobody is supposed to believe it. It's public relations.
The headline says the Yankees are "demonizing" Damon. But the Yankees are being nice to Damon, blaming some imaginary budget constraints.
You weren't fired, you were laid off.
"Now you can take the Yankees at their word, buy this notion that they can't spend $200 million on baseball players anymore. But if you do, you sort of have to wonder if the team really is rolling in dough, the way we're constantly told."
Nobody believes money is the reason they passed on Damon.
"Really? Johnny Damon turns out to be the one guy the Yankees can't afford? It would be like finding the one bar girl Tiger Woods didn't want to take home with him."
Mike Lupica is short.
"But now Yankee fans are told their team went for Nick Johnson over Damon because Johnson is cheaper labor."
Johnson replaced Matsui. Granderson replaced Damon. The Yankees wanted better defense in the outfield without losing offense.
"The Yankees are always pretty sensitive when anybody suggests that they bought themselves their first world championship in nine years. And maybe they can win another one this season with an outfield of Granderson, Swisher, Gardner and Winn."
They pretend to be sensitive. Again, public relations.
Brian Cashman is reading this article while lighting his cigar with a $100 bill.
"For now, though, they desperately want Damon's departure to be somebody else's fault. Damon's. Boras'. Anybody but theirs."
I don't think Yankee fans really care nearly as much about Damon as Lupica seems to think.
Damon was here for four years -- I think it was four years -- played quite well most of the time. No arm, shaky in the field, getting older, 2009 offensive outburst aided a lot by Yankee Stadium's short porch.
It's not like the Mets trading Seaver or the Yankees passing on Jeter. It's more like last year when the Yankees passed on Abreu -- remember that guy?
"You know what the bottom line is on this sudden bottom line the Yankees have? If they wanted Damon to play two more years here, he'd be playing two more years here. They just don't want to say that. And for some loopy reason, they want to act as if they're the victims here."
If the Yankees wanted Jerry Hairston Jr. to play here, he'd be playing here.
What's your point?
"Except: Except none of those moves matters if Cashman didn't get to spend nearly a half-billion dollars on CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira last winter!"
Except: Except!
Now, Lupica is Damon's biggest fan.
Also, Lupica evidently doesn't have the ability to look ahead to 2011 when Cashman needs to sign Jeter, Rivera, and Carl Crawford:
"The headline is that the Yankees have a budget. We are supposed to believe that this budget is the reason that goes now. Sure it is."
Nobody is supposed to believe it. It's public relations.
The headline says the Yankees are "demonizing" Damon. But the Yankees are being nice to Damon, blaming some imaginary budget constraints.
You weren't fired, you were laid off.
"Now you can take the Yankees at their word, buy this notion that they can't spend $200 million on baseball players anymore. But if you do, you sort of have to wonder if the team really is rolling in dough, the way we're constantly told."
Nobody believes money is the reason they passed on Damon.
"Really? Johnny Damon turns out to be the one guy the Yankees can't afford? It would be like finding the one bar girl Tiger Woods didn't want to take home with him."
Mike Lupica is short.
"But now Yankee fans are told their team went for Nick Johnson over Damon because Johnson is cheaper labor."
Johnson replaced Matsui. Granderson replaced Damon. The Yankees wanted better defense in the outfield without losing offense.
"The Yankees are always pretty sensitive when anybody suggests that they bought themselves their first world championship in nine years. And maybe they can win another one this season with an outfield of Granderson, Swisher, Gardner and Winn."
They pretend to be sensitive. Again, public relations.
Brian Cashman is reading this article while lighting his cigar with a $100 bill.
"For now, though, they desperately want Damon's departure to be somebody else's fault. Damon's. Boras'. Anybody but theirs."
I don't think Yankee fans really care nearly as much about Damon as Lupica seems to think.
Damon was here for four years -- I think it was four years -- played quite well most of the time. No arm, shaky in the field, getting older, 2009 offensive outburst aided a lot by Yankee Stadium's short porch.
It's not like the Mets trading Seaver or the Yankees passing on Jeter. It's more like last year when the Yankees passed on Abreu -- remember that guy?
"You know what the bottom line is on this sudden bottom line the Yankees have? If they wanted Damon to play two more years here, he'd be playing two more years here. They just don't want to say that. And for some loopy reason, they want to act as if they're the victims here."
If the Yankees wanted Jerry Hairston Jr. to play here, he'd be playing here.
What's your point?
"Except: Except none of those moves matters if Cashman didn't get to spend nearly a half-billion dollars on CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira last winter!"
Except: Except!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Battle for New York.
"But Rex Ryan shouldn't worry about winning a fight with the Giants he can't win, that's he's never going to win. He should worry instead about beating the Patriots. And the Steelers. And the Colts."
Right.
I'll remember that the next time the Mets play the Yankees in the Ultimate Battle for the hearts and minds of grizzled New Yorkers.
Lupica should remember that the Mets shouldn't worry about winning a fight with the Yankees. They should worry about the Phillies. And the Marlins. And the Braves. And the Nationals. And the Cardinals. And the Cubs. And the Reds. And the Brewers. And the Pirates. And the Astros. And the Diamondbacks. And the Padres. And the Dodgers. And the Giants. And the Rockies.
They should worry about the National League.
Right.
I'll remember that the next time the Mets play the Yankees in the Ultimate Battle for the hearts and minds of grizzled New Yorkers.
Lupica should remember that the Mets shouldn't worry about winning a fight with the Yankees. They should worry about the Phillies. And the Marlins. And the Braves. And the Nationals. And the Cardinals. And the Cubs. And the Reds. And the Brewers. And the Pirates. And the Astros. And the Diamondbacks. And the Padres. And the Dodgers. And the Giants. And the Rockies.
They should worry about the National League.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
If you want to be immortal, it's better to not be elected to the Hall of Fame.
When is the last time Rod Carew was discussed on a sports talk show?:
"So, Mark McGwire used steroids."
You're not shocked. Nobody is shocked.
You know what would be funny, though? If you sarcastically compared McGwire to his contemporaries.
"In other breaking news, Pete Rose bet on Baseball, Gilbert Arenas is familiar with the Second Amendment, and Tiger Woods is out of the running for Husband of the Decade."
HA HA HA!
Well played, maestro.
Gilbert Arenas and Tiger Woods ... in the same sentence! It's LOL overload.
"You probably want to know if this will change McGwire’s prospects for the Hall of Fame."
Err ... I guess I probably do. It's about 500th on my current want-to-know list:
1) Is Sarah Palin serious?
2) Should the United States continually sacrifice personal liberties in the name of security?
3) With the technological decentralization of information and entertainment, why does the resultant news and entertainment paradoxically seem more monolithic than ever before?
...
499) What is that stain on my rug?
500) Will Mark McGwire's confession change his prospects for the Hall of Fame?
501) Who was the lead singer for Kajagoogoo?
"You probably want to know if, in the great American tradition, this confession will start him on the path to salvation – in this case, Cooperstown, N.Y."
Okay, you convinced me I want to know this.
"You probably want to know if I view him differently, now that he has come clean. "
Actually, yeah, I want to know if you view McGwire differently. It was the first thing I thought of. Because, when Jon Paul Moroni talks, people listen.
"Let me explain. I’m not currently a Hall voter. But if and when I join the electorate, I will apply a different standard to hitters who played during the Steroid Era. That’s the period that roughly coincides with McGwire’s playing career (1986 through 2001)."
Okie dokie.
"So, I have a simple policy: If you played during that time, you will need to have done more than hit 400, 500 or even 600 Home runs in order to get my vote. One-dimensional players need not apply. It was just too easy for very strong men to get on the juice and hit baseballs over the fence."
a) Why was the "Home" in "Home runs" suddenly capitalized?
b) 600 Home runs is a convenient allusion to Sammy Sosa, I get it. But what about 700? 1,000?
What if Troy Tulowitzki ... prior to the discovery of an effective human growth hormone test ... hits ten-thousand Home runs?
Then, would you vote Tulowitzki into the Hall of Fame? No? Even if hit ten-thousand Home runs?
Hey, if Abba can make the rock-and-roll Hall of Fame, well, then I think a player with ten-thousand Home runs can make the baseball Hall of Fame.
"So, Mark McGwire used steroids."
You're not shocked. Nobody is shocked.
You know what would be funny, though? If you sarcastically compared McGwire to his contemporaries.
"In other breaking news, Pete Rose bet on Baseball, Gilbert Arenas is familiar with the Second Amendment, and Tiger Woods is out of the running for Husband of the Decade."
HA HA HA!
Well played, maestro.
Gilbert Arenas and Tiger Woods ... in the same sentence! It's LOL overload.
"You probably want to know if this will change McGwire’s prospects for the Hall of Fame."
Err ... I guess I probably do. It's about 500th on my current want-to-know list:
1) Is Sarah Palin serious?
2) Should the United States continually sacrifice personal liberties in the name of security?
3) With the technological decentralization of information and entertainment, why does the resultant news and entertainment paradoxically seem more monolithic than ever before?
...
499) What is that stain on my rug?
500) Will Mark McGwire's confession change his prospects for the Hall of Fame?
501) Who was the lead singer for Kajagoogoo?
"You probably want to know if, in the great American tradition, this confession will start him on the path to salvation – in this case, Cooperstown, N.Y."
Okay, you convinced me I want to know this.
"You probably want to know if I view him differently, now that he has come clean. "
Actually, yeah, I want to know if you view McGwire differently. It was the first thing I thought of. Because, when Jon Paul Moroni talks, people listen.
"Let me explain. I’m not currently a Hall voter. But if and when I join the electorate, I will apply a different standard to hitters who played during the Steroid Era. That’s the period that roughly coincides with McGwire’s playing career (1986 through 2001)."
Okie dokie.
"So, I have a simple policy: If you played during that time, you will need to have done more than hit 400, 500 or even 600 Home runs in order to get my vote. One-dimensional players need not apply. It was just too easy for very strong men to get on the juice and hit baseballs over the fence."
a) Why was the "Home" in "Home runs" suddenly capitalized?
b) 600 Home runs is a convenient allusion to Sammy Sosa, I get it. But what about 700? 1,000?
What if Troy Tulowitzki ... prior to the discovery of an effective human growth hormone test ... hits ten-thousand Home runs?
Then, would you vote Tulowitzki into the Hall of Fame? No? Even if hit ten-thousand Home runs?
Hey, if Abba can make the rock-and-roll Hall of Fame, well, then I think a player with ten-thousand Home runs can make the baseball Hall of Fame.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
"Adrian Beltre might be a great signing."
Lupica hyped up Cameron when Cameron signed with the Mets. Cameron was awful then and Cameron is awful now.
Love the kind of player who has 1,798 career strikeouts to go along with his 265 career HRs. Keep swinging for the fences. It seems to be working out for you.
All of these signings of has-beens remind me of last year's John Smoltz signing. Remember how John Smoltz was going to win a bunch of playoff games for Boston?:
"The Red Sox have quietly changed a third of their starting lineup with Adrian Beltre - what might be a great signing - and Marco Scutaro and Mike Cameron, who now goes to center field."
And Tony Womack is going to be a fan favorite in New York.
And Alex Rodriguez is going to play first base.
And Wright/Reyes are better than ARod/Jeter. It's a modern-day Mays vs. Mantle debate that has swept the entire country as Wright managed to hit 12 HRs in a whole season.
And Mariano Rivera gave up that HR to Jason Bay last April (or May) and that means Mariano Rivera is finally finished.
"They are talking more and more about pitching and defense at Fenway, but guess what?
Guess what? That's what.
Love the kind of player who has 1,798 career strikeouts to go along with his 265 career HRs. Keep swinging for the fences. It seems to be working out for you.
All of these signings of has-beens remind me of last year's John Smoltz signing. Remember how John Smoltz was going to win a bunch of playoff games for Boston?:
"The Red Sox have quietly changed a third of their starting lineup with Adrian Beltre - what might be a great signing - and Marco Scutaro and Mike Cameron, who now goes to center field."
And Tony Womack is going to be a fan favorite in New York.
And Alex Rodriguez is going to play first base.
And Wright/Reyes are better than ARod/Jeter. It's a modern-day Mays vs. Mantle debate that has swept the entire country as Wright managed to hit 12 HRs in a whole season.
And Mariano Rivera gave up that HR to Jason Bay last April (or May) and that means Mariano Rivera is finally finished.
"They are talking more and more about pitching and defense at Fenway, but guess what?
David Ortiz still better hit if they're going to make a run at the Yankees this season."
Beltre and Ortiz both need steroids to perform effectively, alright?Guess what? That's what.
Friday, January 08, 2010
Andre Dawson played for a very long time and hit 49 HRs one year.
Jeff Pearlman is right:
"To be blunt, sportswriters have no business deciding which men do and do not belong in Cooperstown. It's a farce. A joke. Having spent many of my days covering baseball from press boxes across the nation, I will now proportionately break down for you what, exactly, we scribes do during a nine-inning game:
Jon Heyman is wrong:
"I don't put quite the same emphasis as some on career statistics, especially in cases where I've had the chance to follow a player's entire career as it was unfolding, as was the case with this year's entire ballot. (That happens when you get old.)
When you feel the need to spend 12,000 words explaining why you did something, it's probably because you're trying to convince yourself.
"To be blunt, sportswriters have no business deciding which men do and do not belong in Cooperstown. It's a farce. A joke. Having spent many of my days covering baseball from press boxes across the nation, I will now proportionately break down for you what, exactly, we scribes do during a nine-inning game:
20 percent: Watch baseball
20 percent: Write skeletal game stories, with blanks to be filled in later
15 percent: E-mail
15 percent: Facebook/MySpace/Twitter
10 percent: Attack press dining room ice cream dispenser
8 percent: Debate the Jerry Mumphrey-Omar Moreno deal
5 percent: Return to press dining room ice cream dispenser
3 percent: Return again to press dining room ice cream dispenser
2 percent: Complain to neighboring writer that press dining room ice cream dispenser lacks chocolate syrup
1 percent: Shoot evil looks toward the overexuberant radio dolt screaming, 'I'M FRANKIE ZACCHEO! IN THE FIFTH INNING HERE FROM PNC PARK, IT'S THE BREWERS 3, THE PIRATES NOTHING!!!!!' into a telephone
1 percent: Google 'public relations' and 'job openings'
In other words, while most baseball writers attend 100 or so games per year, they are no more qualified to determine a ballplayer's Hall worthiness than, well, you are."
Jon Heyman is wrong:
"I don't put quite the same emphasis as some on career statistics, especially in cases where I've had the chance to follow a player's entire career as it was unfolding, as was the case with this year's entire ballot. (That happens when you get old.)
I consider impact more than stats. I like dominance over durability. I prefer players who were great at some point to the ones who were merely very good for a very long time. And I do recall it's called the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Numbers."
What the heck did I just read? Impact more than stats? You mean the non-statistical impact a baseball player has?
Seriously, get over yourself.When you feel the need to spend 12,000 words explaining why you did something, it's probably because you're trying to convince yourself.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Peter Gammons is in the writer's wing of the baseball Hall of Fame.
"The perception that Bay didn't want to play for the Mets took on a life of
its own, all the more so after Peter Gammons said that Bay would rather
play in Beirut than at Citi Field. Just remember that nobody is
better-connected to the Red Sox front office than Gammons, and the Sox sure
did seem to have a lot to say, off the record, about a player with whom
they cut off negotiations."
If Peter Gammons is in the writer's wing of the baseball Hall of Fame, then Billy Jo Robidoux should be in the player's wing of the baseball Hall of Fame.
its own, all the more so after Peter Gammons said that Bay would rather
play in Beirut than at Citi Field. Just remember that nobody is
better-connected to the Red Sox front office than Gammons, and the Sox sure
did seem to have a lot to say, off the record, about a player with whom
they cut off negotiations."
If Peter Gammons is in the writer's wing of the baseball Hall of Fame, then Billy Jo Robidoux should be in the player's wing of the baseball Hall of Fame.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Tim Brown is not the only one ...
The first I've seen to address the subject indirectly for Roberto Alomar:
"I will not vote for a player I believe turned to performance-enhancing drugs, even if for a brief time."
I believe Roberto Alomar took performance-enhancing drugs.
I believe the same thing about Craig Biggio, Pedro Martinez, dozens of others whose numbers put them in the HOF.
I just think the whole argument is very odd. Clemens, Bonds, and McGwire never admitted to anything, we just believe what we see with our own eyes ... or what has been reported.
What's going to happen when the New York Times reveals Alomar's presence on a list ... after he has been inducted into the HOF?
"I will not vote for a player I believe turned to performance-enhancing drugs, even if for a brief time."
I believe Roberto Alomar took performance-enhancing drugs.
I believe the same thing about Craig Biggio, Pedro Martinez, dozens of others whose numbers put them in the HOF.
I just think the whole argument is very odd. Clemens, Bonds, and McGwire never admitted to anything, we just believe what we see with our own eyes ... or what has been reported.
What's going to happen when the New York Times reveals Alomar's presence on a list ... after he has been inducted into the HOF?
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Jason Bay is a good player.
"Here the New York Mets go again, throwing money at a big-name free agent whom they misguidedly convince themselves will solve their troubles."
???
I'm rooting against the Mets and take some delight in their misery.
But their biggest problems in 2009 were (a) the Phillies and (b) injuries.
Jason Bay doesn't solve their problems if Santana, Reyes, and Beltran are injured -- nobody said he did.
I don't think anybody expects 36/119 with the bigger home ballpark and the inferior lineup. But he's a good player and good players are a key ingredient of good baseball teams.
"All of this highlights an endemic problem with the Mets that they try to cover with their payrolls, which provided among the highest cost per win in baseball this past decade: Their player-development system is a mess, and not the kind of mess a toddler makes at dinner. It is whole-cafeteria-food-fight bad, and in that respect, the coupling of Minaya and the Mets seems perfectly matrimonious."
That's probably true. But Bay is a second-tier player who just signed for third-tier prices -- I fail to see how this signing severely strains the Mets' finances.
"Together, they have spent hundreds of millions to go backward. There was the ill-fated Pedro Martinez deal. And the on-deathbed-ill-fated contract for Oliver Perez. They blew money ($25 million on Luis Castillo). They lavished it ($37 million in a closer-loaded market for Francisco Rodriguez, with an easily attainable $17.5 million option). They spent themselves out of all the good will engendered by the tremendously club-friendly contracts for David Wright and Jose Reyes."
Pedro? Bad deal because he was too old.
Oliver Perez? Very bad deal because he's bad.
Luis Castillo, K-Rod, Wright, and Reyes are all good players.
"Wright and Reyes represent the only worthwhile thing the Mets can call their own. Since 1985, the Mets have signed and developed five players who later wore their uniforms in an All-Star game. Five. Wright, Reyes, Todd Hundley, Edgardo Alfonzo and Bobby Jones. Even Kansas City can say it has passed eight homegrown All-Stars through its system."
Which is why you sign Jason Bay rather than waiting for Lastings Millege.
"Still, it speaks to the team’s recognition that baseball trades in a new currency – youth – and that the Mets always arrive late to the party of the latest trend."
I don't really think baseball trades in a new currency called youth.
But, even if it did, Bay is relatively young and relatively cheap.
It's not like the two-year Julio Franco deal.
The Mets will be fine. They just need to swap DLs with Philly.
???
I'm rooting against the Mets and take some delight in their misery.
But their biggest problems in 2009 were (a) the Phillies and (b) injuries.
Jason Bay doesn't solve their problems if Santana, Reyes, and Beltran are injured -- nobody said he did.
I don't think anybody expects 36/119 with the bigger home ballpark and the inferior lineup. But he's a good player and good players are a key ingredient of good baseball teams.
"All of this highlights an endemic problem with the Mets that they try to cover with their payrolls, which provided among the highest cost per win in baseball this past decade: Their player-development system is a mess, and not the kind of mess a toddler makes at dinner. It is whole-cafeteria-food-fight bad, and in that respect, the coupling of Minaya and the Mets seems perfectly matrimonious."
That's probably true. But Bay is a second-tier player who just signed for third-tier prices -- I fail to see how this signing severely strains the Mets' finances.
"Together, they have spent hundreds of millions to go backward. There was the ill-fated Pedro Martinez deal. And the on-deathbed-ill-fated contract for Oliver Perez. They blew money ($25 million on Luis Castillo). They lavished it ($37 million in a closer-loaded market for Francisco Rodriguez, with an easily attainable $17.5 million option). They spent themselves out of all the good will engendered by the tremendously club-friendly contracts for David Wright and Jose Reyes."
Pedro? Bad deal because he was too old.
Oliver Perez? Very bad deal because he's bad.
Luis Castillo, K-Rod, Wright, and Reyes are all good players.
"Wright and Reyes represent the only worthwhile thing the Mets can call their own. Since 1985, the Mets have signed and developed five players who later wore their uniforms in an All-Star game. Five. Wright, Reyes, Todd Hundley, Edgardo Alfonzo and Bobby Jones. Even Kansas City can say it has passed eight homegrown All-Stars through its system."
Which is why you sign Jason Bay rather than waiting for Lastings Millege.
"Still, it speaks to the team’s recognition that baseball trades in a new currency – youth – and that the Mets always arrive late to the party of the latest trend."
I don't really think baseball trades in a new currency called youth.
But, even if it did, Bay is relatively young and relatively cheap.
It's not like the two-year Julio Franco deal.
The Mets will be fine. They just need to swap DLs with Philly.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The more Cashman denies it ...
"It appears as though the Evil Empire isn't going to add insult to injury this offseason by swooping in and taking Jason Bay, after all.
...
'It won't be a big-name situation,' he said. 'I can promise you that.' "
Well, "promise" is a strong word.
But I remember when Bubba Crosby was going to be the CFer, when Mike Lamb was going to be the third-baseman, and when Todd Williams was going to be the primary setup man.
...
'It won't be a big-name situation,' he said. 'I can promise you that.' "
Well, "promise" is a strong word.
But I remember when Bubba Crosby was going to be the CFer, when Mike Lamb was going to be the third-baseman, and when Todd Williams was going to be the primary setup man.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Archives.
Mike Lupica on January 29, 2006: "You have to say that the Red Sox don't lose much offense replacing Johnny Damon with Coco Crisp, and pick up younger legs in the process. In Boston they now think of Johnny Damon as the guy who used to play center for the Red Sox right before Cocoa [sic] Crisp."
Mike Lupica suddenly loves Johnny Damon.
I clearly remember when the Yankees signed Damon, Lupica praised the Red Sox for obtaining Coco Crisp -- "same player for 1/3rd the price," or something to that effect.
During Damon's Yankee career, Lupica endlessly ripped Damon's age and Damon's arm.
Now that Damon is leaving the Yankees, check it out:
"If the Yankees aren’t trying to drive down the price on Johnny Damon the way they did last season with Andy Pettitte — another time when they talked about a 'budget' that is about as real as the Loch Ness Monster — they are going to miss Damon next season.
They are going to miss a perfect No. 2 hitter for their team.
They are going to miss the pop in his bat.
And they are going to miss the kind of winning ballplayer that you don’t just let walk out the door.
Other than that, I guess they’ll pretty much be fine."
They will be fine, though I detect irony in your tone.
Are you unaware that the Yankees acquired Curtis Granderson? Who will bat second for the Yankees?
Granderson has more speed, more power, and a better arm. Granderson is a much better fielder. Granderson is a lot younger and a lot less expensive.
Oh, and by the way, the Yankees are the reigning Champions.
"Curtis Granderson was saying the other day that not only are he and Joe Girardi both Chicago guys, but they both like Italian food and right away I was thinking: Boy, what are the odds?"
Very good journalism.
Entering Yankees get ripped. Exiting Yankees get praised.
Zzzzzzzzz.
Lupica, you really need a new thing.
"If Jason Bay is the Mets’ left fielder next season, he makes them a better baseball team.
And they’re not offering the moon to get him.
And so I guess my question to Mets fans is:
One more thing on Tiger: If his sponsorship with Accenture was supposed to be such a big deal for it and a crushing loss for it — how come I have no idea after all these years what Accenture DOES?"
"My question to Mets fans is:"
Your question to Mets fans is: "how come I have no idea after all these years what Accenture DOES?"
Okay, okay, I'm sure that's just a misprint/editing goof. Lupica really had a question for Mets fans. I'm sure it was very enlightening, such as, "Who's going to pitch the ball for your team?"
Because Mike Lupica noticed the Mets don't have a deep starting staff.
Because Mike Lupica is New York's premier sportswriter.
See, the Yankees are going to sign Bay.
So, as long as Lupica thinks Bay is going to the Mets, Lupica will praise Bay. Lupica probably voted Bay for AL MVP last season.
But as soon as Bay signs with the Yankees, Lupica will find twenty reasons to dislike Bay.
During Damon's Yankee career, Lupica endlessly ripped Damon's age and Damon's arm.
Now that Damon is leaving the Yankees, check it out:
"If the Yankees aren’t trying to drive down the price on Johnny Damon the way they did last season with Andy Pettitte — another time when they talked about a 'budget' that is about as real as the Loch Ness Monster — they are going to miss Damon next season.
They are going to miss a perfect No. 2 hitter for their team.
They are going to miss the pop in his bat.
And they are going to miss the kind of winning ballplayer that you don’t just let walk out the door.
Other than that, I guess they’ll pretty much be fine."
They will be fine, though I detect irony in your tone.
Are you unaware that the Yankees acquired Curtis Granderson? Who will bat second for the Yankees?
Granderson has more speed, more power, and a better arm. Granderson is a much better fielder. Granderson is a lot younger and a lot less expensive.
Oh, and by the way, the Yankees are the reigning Champions.
"Curtis Granderson was saying the other day that not only are he and Joe Girardi both Chicago guys, but they both like Italian food and right away I was thinking: Boy, what are the odds?"
Very good journalism.
Entering Yankees get ripped. Exiting Yankees get praised.
Zzzzzzzzz.
Lupica, you really need a new thing.
"If Jason Bay is the Mets’ left fielder next season, he makes them a better baseball team.
And they’re not offering the moon to get him.
And so I guess my question to Mets fans is:
One more thing on Tiger: If his sponsorship with Accenture was supposed to be such a big deal for it and a crushing loss for it — how come I have no idea after all these years what Accenture DOES?"
"My question to Mets fans is:"
Your question to Mets fans is: "how come I have no idea after all these years what Accenture DOES?"
Okay, okay, I'm sure that's just a misprint/editing goof. Lupica really had a question for Mets fans. I'm sure it was very enlightening, such as, "Who's going to pitch the ball for your team?"
Because Mike Lupica noticed the Mets don't have a deep starting staff.
Because Mike Lupica is New York's premier sportswriter.
See, the Yankees are going to sign Bay.
So, as long as Lupica thinks Bay is going to the Mets, Lupica will praise Bay. Lupica probably voted Bay for AL MVP last season.
But as soon as Bay signs with the Yankees, Lupica will find twenty reasons to dislike Bay.
Friday, December 18, 2009
I'm still worried about Justin Verlander in the playoffs.
"Phil Coke, a lefty out of the bullpen, is gone in the Granderson trade, Coke being the latest young pitcher the Yankees fell out of love with at warp speed, especially after Damaso Marte remembered how to get people out in October and November."
Get people out in October?
Unlike, say, Jonathan Papelbon?
Sorry, Lupica. I know it's a painful memory for you.
Get people out in October?
Unlike, say, Jonathan Papelbon?
Sorry, Lupica. I know it's a painful memory for you.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Not everything, just baseball.
Kind of an odd criticism to direct towards the current champs:
"Has there ever been a single baseball winter out of the last 10 or so when the Yankees weren't declared the champions of everything and everybody all over again?"
I don't really know, actually. I haven't ever paid attention to the winter meetings reactions. They got Granderson for garbage, so I don't think the Yankees made out too poorly.
Has there ever been a single baseball winter out of the past 10 or so when Mike Lupica didn't root for the Red Sox?
"Has there ever been a single baseball winter out of the last 10 or so when the Yankees weren't declared the champions of everything and everybody all over again?"
I don't really know, actually. I haven't ever paid attention to the winter meetings reactions. They got Granderson for garbage, so I don't think the Yankees made out too poorly.
Has there ever been a single baseball winter out of the past 10 or so when Mike Lupica didn't root for the Red Sox?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Yankees acquire outfielder described as "hard-nosed."
We're looking at you, Melky.
Melky, you seemed a little too happy to miss the last few games of the World Series with a hamstring injury.
Who knew one could injure their hamstring while jogging half-speed to first base?
Melky, you seemed a little too happy to miss the last few games of the World Series with a hamstring injury.
Who knew one could injure their hamstring while jogging half-speed to first base?
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
2009 NL MVP.
| Them | Us | ||
| Albert Pujols | 448 | Albert Pujols | 60 |
| Hanley Ramirez | 233 | Prince Fielder | 24 |
| Ryan Howard | 217 | Ryan Howard | 21 |
| Prince Fielder | 203 | Hanley Ramirez | 16 |
| Troy Tulowitzki | 113 | Jose Reyes | 4 |
| Pablo Sandoval | 89 | David Wright | 4 |
| Chase Utley | 84 | Manny Ramirez | 3 |
| Derrek Lee | 66 | Troy Tulowitzki | 2 |
| Matt Kemp | 49 | Tony Bernazard | 1 |
| Ryan Braun | 43 | Bobby Abreu | 1 |
| Adrian Gonzalez | 30 | Ryan Braun | 1 |
| Todd Helton | 28 | Daniel Murphy | 1 |
| Chris Carpenter | 25 | ||
| Adam Wainwright | 16 | ||
| Matt Holliday | 15 | ||
| Jayson Werth | 10 | ||
| Shane Victorino | 8 | ||
| Tim Lincecum | 8 | ||
| Yunel Escobar | 6 | ||
| Mark Reynolds | 6 | ||
| Joey Votto | 4 | ||
| Yadier Molina | 3 | ||
| Miguel Tejada | 3 | ||
| Huston Street | 2 | ||
| Juston Upton | 2 | ||
| Ryan Zimmerman | 2 | ||
| Jeremy Affeldt | 1 | ||
| Chris Coghlan | 1 | ||
| Brad Hawpe | 1 |
Monday, November 23, 2009
2009 AL MVP.
| Them | Us | ||
| Joe Mauer | 387 | Joe Mauer | 55 |
| Mark Teixeira | 225 | Mark Teixeira | 30 |
| Derek Jeter | 193 | Derek Jeter | 23 |
| Miguel Cabrera | 171 | Miguel Cabrera | 11 |
| Kendry Morales | 170 | Alex Rodriguez | 8 |
| Kevin Youkilis | 150 | Kendry Morales | 7 |
| Jason Bay | 78 | Justin Morneau | 3 |
| Ben Zobrist | 34 | Jorge Posada | 3 |
| Ichiro Suzuki | 33 | Vladimir Guerrero | 2 |
| Alex Rodriguez | 31 | Bobby Abreu | 1 |
| Chone Figgins | 31 | Jason Bay | 1 |
| Aaron Hill | 23 | Trevor Hoffman | 1 |
| Bobby Abreu | 23 | Adam Lind | 1 |
| Mariano Rivera | 17 | Manny Ramirez | 1 |
| Adam Lind | 14 | Ichiro Suzuki | 1 |
| Michael Young | 13 | Kevin Youkilis | 1 |
| Zack Greinke | 12 | ||
| Robinson Cano | 12 | ||
| Evan Longoria | 9 | ||
| Justin Verlander | 7 | ||
| CC Sabathia | 4 | ||
| Michael Cuddyer | 4 | ||
| Victor Martinez | 4 | ||
| Jason Kubel | 3 | ||
| Placido Polanco | 2 | ||
| Felix Hernandez | 1 | ||
| Ian Kinsler | 1 |
Thursday, November 19, 2009
2009 NL Cy Young.
| Them | Us | ||
| Tim Lincecum | 100 | Tim Lincecum | 38 |
| Chris Carpenter | 94 | Adam Wainwright | 38 |
| Adam Wainwright | 90 | Chris Carpenter | 31 |
| Javier Vazquez | 3 | J.J Putz | 4 |
| Dan Haren | 1 | Cliff Lee | 3 |
| David Wright | 3 | ||
| Dwight Gooden | 3 | ||
| Josh Johnson | 2 | ||
| Jose Reyes | 2 | ||
| Heath Bell | 1 | ||
| Jorge De La Rosa | 1 | ||
| Trevor Hoffman | 1 | ||
| Brad Lidge | 1 | ||
| Daniel Murphy | 1 | ||
| Nolan Ryan | 1 | ||
| Johan Santana | 1 | ||
| Javier Vazquez | 1 | ||
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
2009 AL Cy Young.
| Them | Us | ||
| Zack Greinke | 134 | Zack Greinke | 50 |
| Felix Hernandez | 80 | CC Sabathia | 31 |
| Justin Verlander | 14 | Felix Hernandez | 25 |
| CC Sabathia | 13 | Roy Halladay | 12 |
| Roy Halladay | 11 | Justin Verlander | 7 |
| Jonathan Lester | 5 | ||
| Carl Pavano | 4 | ||
| Mariano Rivera | 4 | ||
| A.J. Burnett | 3 | ||
| Pedro Martinez | 3 | ||
| Roger Clemens | 2 | ||
| John Smoltz | 1 | ||
| Suzyn Waldman | 1 | ||
Thursday, November 12, 2009
You know nothing.
"Somebody's relaxing him, that's all I can say," Torre replied with a smirk, "because he certainly looked like he enjoyed himself this year."
Maybe it's because his manager isn't a blameshifting scumbag who batted him eighth.
Maybe it's because his manager isn't a blameshifting scumbag who batted him eighth.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
I like the way the game six HR landed right above the Japanese advertisement.
"But if the object is to win every year, and the object IS to win every year, and the question is money, both Damon and Matsui give them their best chance to repeat."
I think Matsui's definitely gone because he can't field and he can't run.
Damon, maybe a one-year contract.
But why would Damon -n- Matsui give the Yankees their best chance to repeat?
I'd say the additions of Albert Pujols and Roy Halladay give the Yankees their best chance to repeat.
I think Matsui's definitely gone because he can't field and he can't run.
Damon, maybe a one-year contract.
But why would Damon -n- Matsui give the Yankees their best chance to repeat?
I'd say the additions of Albert Pujols and Roy Halladay give the Yankees their best chance to repeat.
Friday, November 06, 2009
Rich Gedman on acid.
Give this man a Pulitzer:
"The catcher, Jorge Posada, sometimes ran the bases as if he were Rich Gedman on acid…"
"The catcher, Jorge Posada, sometimes ran the bases as if he were Rich Gedman on acid…"
Fact check.
"Rodriguez, who entered the postseason with a .136 batting average, was hugely responsible for terminating the Yankees' nine-year World Series drought."
Not sure what .136 batting average this is referring to.
Maybe his last 40-or-so playoff at-bats?
In any case, ARod's postseason numbers basically mirror his HOF regular season numbers.
A lot of people should be eating crow, but probably aren't.
Not sure what .136 batting average this is referring to.
Maybe his last 40-or-so playoff at-bats?
In any case, ARod's postseason numbers basically mirror his HOF regular season numbers.
A lot of people should be eating crow, but probably aren't.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Angels in 2010.
Very easy formula to success, as demonstrated by the Phillies and the Yankees.
Just get rid of Bob Abreu.
Titles avoid that guy like he avoids the right-field wall.
Just get rid of Bob Abreu.
Titles avoid that guy like he avoids the right-field wall.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Game Six.
This is why Girardi is a genius.
Not only is Everybody's Favorite Pitcher, Chad Gaudin, available out of the bullpen on lots of rest, but even Burnett is available out of the bullpen due to his low workload the other night.
Mission 27 in full effect.
Not only is Everybody's Favorite Pitcher, Chad Gaudin, available out of the bullpen on lots of rest, but even Burnett is available out of the bullpen due to his low workload the other night.
Mission 27 in full effect.
Still implying Girardi's job security is up for debate.
One win away from a title.
Because it's Girardi's fault that he went with A.J. Burnett instead of Chad "Cy Young Jr." Gaudin.
"Because if the Yankees blow this Series, if the Phillies come all the way back, then Yankee fans are going to wonder how the Yankees could spend $206 million on baseball players and not have enough left under the bed to buy a reliable fourth starter."
Chien-Ming Wang's injury was unexpected. He was their reliable fourth starter. Next question.
Upon closer inspection, the Yankees don't have three reliable starters, unless you consider A.J. Burnett reliable.
That's not Girardi's fault, that's Cashman's fault.
Not too hard to figure out how this could happen. Good pitchers are difficult to find. That's why mediocre pitchers, such as A.J. Burnett, can command such high salaries.
In any case, if the Yankees blow games six and seven, it's not Girardi's fault. Other than Girardi's pathetic decision to start Molina, his personnel decisions have been correct. If Burnett and Pettitte can't do their job, it's their fault, not Girardi's fault.
It's really tired and ignorant at this point.
Girardi will be fired if:
Yeah, right.
Maybe Mattingly would have done better.
Because it's Girardi's fault that he went with A.J. Burnett instead of Chad "Cy Young Jr." Gaudin.
"Because if the Yankees blow this Series, if the Phillies come all the way back, then Yankee fans are going to wonder how the Yankees could spend $206 million on baseball players and not have enough left under the bed to buy a reliable fourth starter."
Chien-Ming Wang's injury was unexpected. He was their reliable fourth starter. Next question.
Upon closer inspection, the Yankees don't have three reliable starters, unless you consider A.J. Burnett reliable.
That's not Girardi's fault, that's Cashman's fault.
Not too hard to figure out how this could happen. Good pitchers are difficult to find. That's why mediocre pitchers, such as A.J. Burnett, can command such high salaries.
In any case, if the Yankees blow games six and seven, it's not Girardi's fault. Other than Girardi's pathetic decision to start Molina, his personnel decisions have been correct. If Burnett and Pettitte can't do their job, it's their fault, not Girardi's fault.
It's really tired and ignorant at this point.
Girardi will be fired if:
- Yankees miss the playoffs.
- Yankees blow the AL East.
- Yankees lose to the Twins.
- Yankees lose to the Angels.
- Yankees lose to the Phillies.
Yeah, right.
Maybe Mattingly would have done better.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Whatever you do, panic.
"Title hopes not so bright for Yanks after Game 5"
Yankees are one win away from a title. They're not 30 games out of first place at the All Star Break.
"So the Yankees picked up, packed up and slogged up the Jersey Turnpike, wondering what happened to the Animal House party they were supposed to throw after Game 5 of the World Series."
The Yankees were supposed to win. The Yankees are supposed to win every game.
"It was going to be mother of all blowouts, the one that would've ended a nine-year championship drought. All the Yankees needed to do was cash in on the leftover momentum for Game 4, the one Johnny Damon literally stole from the Phillies, and that 120-mile bus ride to the Bronx would've been the stuff of a reality show."
I don't know a single person who thought the Yankees would beat Cliff Lee in game five. Which is why game four was so important.
"In any other circumstance the Yankees would be the strong favorites to close out the Phillies. In most respects they still are."
Good.
The Yankees are strong favorites to win the World Series.
Phew.
Because I was reading a column by this guy named Bob Klapisch who said their title hopes were dim.
Yankees are one win away from a title. They're not 30 games out of first place at the All Star Break.
"So the Yankees picked up, packed up and slogged up the Jersey Turnpike, wondering what happened to the Animal House party they were supposed to throw after Game 5 of the World Series."
The Yankees were supposed to win. The Yankees are supposed to win every game.
"It was going to be mother of all blowouts, the one that would've ended a nine-year championship drought. All the Yankees needed to do was cash in on the leftover momentum for Game 4, the one Johnny Damon literally stole from the Phillies, and that 120-mile bus ride to the Bronx would've been the stuff of a reality show."
I don't know a single person who thought the Yankees would beat Cliff Lee in game five. Which is why game four was so important.
"In any other circumstance the Yankees would be the strong favorites to close out the Phillies. In most respects they still are."
Good.
The Yankees are strong favorites to win the World Series.
Phew.
Because I was reading a column by this guy named Bob Klapisch who said their title hopes were dim.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Even the writers step up their game in October.
"Here is the best possible game plan for the Yankees as they go into Philadelphia for Game 3 of what is some World Series already: Mo' offense, less Mo Rivera."
I totally get it, partner.
"Mo" (short for "Mariano") sounds like "More."
Well played, maestro.
"Really, the best way for them to get ahead of the Phillies in the Series is to score so many runs Saturday that Rivera can take the night off."
Score a lot of runs?
Lupica, you are a traitor to New York.
If you publish this "score a lot of runs" theory-- henceforth, known as the Lupica Doctrine -- in a public forum, the Phillies might read about it. Charlie Manuel is probably devising a diabolical counter-stratagem.
I totally get it, partner.
"Mo" (short for "Mariano") sounds like "More."
Well played, maestro.
"Really, the best way for them to get ahead of the Phillies in the Series is to score so many runs Saturday that Rivera can take the night off."
Score a lot of runs?
Lupica, you are a traitor to New York.
If you publish this "score a lot of runs" theory-- henceforth, known as the Lupica Doctrine -- in a public forum, the Phillies might read about it. Charlie Manuel is probably devising a diabolical counter-stratagem.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Relevant data.
Where were you the last time Jerry Hairston Jr. had a hit off Pedro Martinez?
The Yankees should probably get Aaron Boone to play third base since they're getting nostalgic.
The Yankees should probably get Aaron Boone to play third base since they're getting nostalgic.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
I might have to start rooting for the Nationals.
The NY Yankees' "mess" is as follows:
Go back to the day when ARod got hip surgery and tell me you wouldn't take this kind of "mess."
- Despite a 13-15 start, the Yankees won 103 regular season games.
- After losing their first eight games vs. the Red Sox, the Yankees won nine of their next ten games vs. the Red Sox.
- The Yankees easily won the AL East.
- The Yankees won more regular season games than any team in baseball.
- The Yankees swept the ALDS.
- The Yankees have a 3-2 lead in the ALCS.
- The final two ALCS games are at Yankee Stadium where the Yankees have, like, 18 walkoff wins and where they have won, like, 35 of their last 43.
- Out of the 30 teams in MLB, one has advanced further than the Yankees.
- The Yankees are one win away from the World Series.
Go back to the day when ARod got hip surgery and tell me you wouldn't take this kind of "mess."
Win Game Six .... Or Else Win Game Seven.
"Without a Game 6 win, New York Yankees risk it all against Los Angeles Angels."
Yes.
Also, without a Game 6 win, the Los Angeles Angels risk it all against New York Yankees.
I did the math and it all checked out.
"You're the Yankees and you shouldn't even be playing Game 6, you should have put the Angels away after six runs in the top of the seventh Thursday night. Only you couldn't. The Angels were too tough and proud to let you do it."
Again, I'm not really sure what everybody expected the Angels to do.
Burnett punked out and walked Aybar. Almost hit Aybar with a 3-2 pitch. It was a disgraceful, gutless, choke move by an overrated, knucklehead pitcher who led the league in walks.
I'm not really sure what Aybar was supposed to do with that 3-2 pitch. Ground into a double play because he is weak and meek and wanted to lose the ALCS rather than win the ALCS?
"With next season creeping into Angel Stadium, the Angels got up. The Yankees better put them back down tonight, at the new Yankee Stadium, where they haven't lost a game in this postseason and better not lose one now."
OF COURSE the Yankees want to win game six.
But they have Sabathia at home in game seven.
"If they don't, if they give the Angels another game and another chance and more hope than they have now ... "
So what you're saying, in essence, is that winning is better than losing.
It sounds crazy at first, but I'll have to give it more thought and get back to you.
"But who says Jered Weaver can't give Mike Scioscia seven or eight innings like he gave Scioscia an eighth inning Thursday night? Who says Weaver can't pitch the game of his life? Or John Lackey can't come back with a vengeance if Game 6 is rained out tonight?"
Who says Swisher can't hit three homeruns tonight? Who says Sabathia can't throw a no-hitter on Sunday?
"The Yankees could have won Game 3 and gone on to sweep. Could have closed out the Angels Thursday night. But if A-Rod doesn't hit that home run off Fuentes to tie it in the 11th inning of Game 2, guess what? It is the Yankees who are playing for their season tonight."
Okay, now you're just being a senseless prick.
"If ARod doesn't hit that homerun."
Well, gee. If I had wheels, I'd be a wagon.
The Yankees are 6-2 in the playoffs and both of the losses are one-run losses.
If Vlad didn't hit that homerun; if Swisher had dunked in a single; if Cano had more range to his left or Jeter had more range to his right.
Then, the Yankees are 5-0 vs. the Angels in a best-of-seven series, which is pretty good.
Jeez, I just hope the Yankees score about 22 runs tonight and Girardi spits on a Torre's effigy during the postgame celebration.
I've never seen a fan base so angry about being one win from the Championship series.
Where are the preseason favorites, the New York Mets? They added K-Rod and J. J. Putz.
Yes.
Also, without a Game 6 win, the Los Angeles Angels risk it all against New York Yankees.
I did the math and it all checked out.
"You're the Yankees and you shouldn't even be playing Game 6, you should have put the Angels away after six runs in the top of the seventh Thursday night. Only you couldn't. The Angels were too tough and proud to let you do it."
Again, I'm not really sure what everybody expected the Angels to do.
Burnett punked out and walked Aybar. Almost hit Aybar with a 3-2 pitch. It was a disgraceful, gutless, choke move by an overrated, knucklehead pitcher who led the league in walks.
I'm not really sure what Aybar was supposed to do with that 3-2 pitch. Ground into a double play because he is weak and meek and wanted to lose the ALCS rather than win the ALCS?
"With next season creeping into Angel Stadium, the Angels got up. The Yankees better put them back down tonight, at the new Yankee Stadium, where they haven't lost a game in this postseason and better not lose one now."
OF COURSE the Yankees want to win game six.
But they have Sabathia at home in game seven.
"If they don't, if they give the Angels another game and another chance and more hope than they have now ... "
So what you're saying, in essence, is that winning is better than losing.
It sounds crazy at first, but I'll have to give it more thought and get back to you.
"But who says Jered Weaver can't give Mike Scioscia seven or eight innings like he gave Scioscia an eighth inning Thursday night? Who says Weaver can't pitch the game of his life? Or John Lackey can't come back with a vengeance if Game 6 is rained out tonight?"
Who says Swisher can't hit three homeruns tonight? Who says Sabathia can't throw a no-hitter on Sunday?
"The Yankees could have won Game 3 and gone on to sweep. Could have closed out the Angels Thursday night. But if A-Rod doesn't hit that home run off Fuentes to tie it in the 11th inning of Game 2, guess what? It is the Yankees who are playing for their season tonight."
Okay, now you're just being a senseless prick.
"If ARod doesn't hit that homerun."
Well, gee. If I had wheels, I'd be a wagon.
The Yankees are 6-2 in the playoffs and both of the losses are one-run losses.
If Vlad didn't hit that homerun; if Swisher had dunked in a single; if Cano had more range to his left or Jeter had more range to his right.
Then, the Yankees are 5-0 vs. the Angels in a best-of-seven series, which is pretty good.
Jeez, I just hope the Yankees score about 22 runs tonight and Girardi spits on a Torre's effigy during the postgame celebration.
I've never seen a fan base so angry about being one win from the Championship series.
Where are the preseason favorites, the New York Mets? They added K-Rod and J. J. Putz.
Speaking of consequences for bad decisions ... was your boss ever reprimanded for hiring a pathetic hack?
"But let's get this out of the way now, so it's not a reactionary thing if the Yankees lose their sixth and seventh consecutive games with the American League pennant within their grasp: So this is not to say that the Yankees will lose this ALCS, but if they do, Joe Girardi should be fired."
Just because the event has not yet taken place ... just because the event may not ever take place ... your proposed reaction to this event is still reactionary.
But Girardi obviously won't be fired, and you're really stupid to suggest that he should be
Also, out of curiosity, who is going to manage the Yankees in 2010 if Girardi is fired? Dallas Green?
Just because the event has not yet taken place ... just because the event may not ever take place ... your proposed reaction to this event is still reactionary.
But Girardi obviously won't be fired, and you're really stupid to suggest that he should be
Also, out of curiosity, who is going to manage the Yankees in 2010 if Girardi is fired? Dallas Green?
Friday, October 23, 2009
It's all Nick Swisher's fault.
"Curled up on couches, the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies must have broken into Cheshire cat grins. These New York Yankees are powerful, but not so perfect after all. These Los Angeles Angels are plucky, but they’ll undo themselves as often as not."
You're wrong.
The Yankees are perfect. Their #8 hitter, Nick Swisher, is the first batter since Ted Williams to bat .400 over the course of an entire season.
"The only thing more promising to the Phillies than watching Angels closer Brian Fuentes try to retire Yankees batter Nick Swisher with the bases loaded and two out in the ninth was watching Swisher try to square up one of Fuentes’ eminently hittable offerings."
Jeez. Batters make outs all the time.
Were the Phillies watching the Yankees put up a six-spot in the 7th inning?
"It was like capping a spectacular meal with stale cake and lukewarm coffee."
I agree. Swisher should have hit a homerun.
"The 7-6 victory Thursday night that kept the Angels alive in the American League Championship Series and forced a Game 6 on Saturday in New York was rife with heroics. It just didn’t end with any."
Unless you're the Angels pitcher.
"Fuentes entered in the ninth and recorded two quick outs, bringing up Alex Rodriguez. Manager Mike Scioscia has zero confidence in Fuentes’ ability to retire the Yankees slugger since their 11th-inning matchup in Game 2 resulted in a home run, so A-Rod was walked intentionally. But rather than attack the left-handed Hideki Matsui, Fuentes picked around the strike zone, walking him. Then he hit Robinson Cano, loading the bases."
Thanks for the recap, Mr. Sports Writer!
"Two teams with questions will go at it at least once more in the ALCS. The team that had all the answers in the NLCS will relax and enjoy watching. Especially if weaknesses continue to be revealed the way they were by Fuentes and Swisher."
Both the AL teams are really good. Not "perfect," but really good.
The teams combined for 13 runs. During the process, 51 players made out, which is typical of major-league baseball games. I don't really know why Swisher's particular would have much of an effect on the outcome of the World Series. Cliff Lee might give up four HRs in the first inning of game one.
You're wrong.
The Yankees are perfect. Their #8 hitter, Nick Swisher, is the first batter since Ted Williams to bat .400 over the course of an entire season.
"The only thing more promising to the Phillies than watching Angels closer Brian Fuentes try to retire Yankees batter Nick Swisher with the bases loaded and two out in the ninth was watching Swisher try to square up one of Fuentes’ eminently hittable offerings."
Jeez. Batters make outs all the time.
Were the Phillies watching the Yankees put up a six-spot in the 7th inning?
"It was like capping a spectacular meal with stale cake and lukewarm coffee."
I agree. Swisher should have hit a homerun.
"The 7-6 victory Thursday night that kept the Angels alive in the American League Championship Series and forced a Game 6 on Saturday in New York was rife with heroics. It just didn’t end with any."
Unless you're the Angels pitcher.
"Fuentes entered in the ninth and recorded two quick outs, bringing up Alex Rodriguez. Manager Mike Scioscia has zero confidence in Fuentes’ ability to retire the Yankees slugger since their 11th-inning matchup in Game 2 resulted in a home run, so A-Rod was walked intentionally. But rather than attack the left-handed Hideki Matsui, Fuentes picked around the strike zone, walking him. Then he hit Robinson Cano, loading the bases."
Thanks for the recap, Mr. Sports Writer!
"Two teams with questions will go at it at least once more in the ALCS. The team that had all the answers in the NLCS will relax and enjoy watching. Especially if weaknesses continue to be revealed the way they were by Fuentes and Swisher."
Both the AL teams are really good. Not "perfect," but really good.
The teams combined for 13 runs. During the process, 51 players made out, which is typical of major-league baseball games. I don't really know why Swisher's particular would have much of an effect on the outcome of the World Series. Cliff Lee might give up four HRs in the first inning of game one.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
For cryin' out loud.
The Yankees have lost one whole playoff game and have two home games remaining in the ALCS. The Yankee starters for those games are Pettitte and Sabathia, not Shawn Chacon and Kevin Brown.
We get it: It's the playoffs. Every game is either pivotal or must-win.
But this particular game is a must-win for the Angels.
It's not a must-win for the Yankees.
We get it: It's the playoffs. Every game is either pivotal or must-win.
But this particular game is a must-win for the Angels.
It's not a must-win for the Yankees.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Joke Torre.
Just caught a Joe Torre press conference.
Talked about a Springsteen concert and the 1998 Yankees.
Let's go Philly.
Talked about a Springsteen concert and the 1998 Yankees.
Let's go Philly.
You are right, a lot of other people are wrong.
"I'd like to think the above paragraphs will help to put an end to the myth that October is somehow different. Sabathia and Rodriguez had assembled recent track records in postseason play that served to define them as failures in the eyes of many who want to believe that success on a baseball diamond is a moral issue. You cannot evaluate baseball players on a handful of starts or plate appearances, and that remains true no matter the date. Given time, all players perform at their established levels, and that's what we're seeing now from Sabathia and Rodriguez. Would that this lesson took hold, but even I'm not that naïve."
When people say ARod has 5 HRs in his last 7 postseason games, I'd like to remind them that he hit a HR in his final 2007 postseason game.
So it's really 6 HRs in his last 8 postseason games.
Prorate that for a full season, son.
When people say ARod has 5 HRs in his last 7 postseason games, I'd like to remind them that he hit a HR in his final 2007 postseason game.
So it's really 6 HRs in his last 8 postseason games.
Prorate that for a full season, son.
2-for-18.
So, he's a $20 million player choker, right?
Right?
Anybody?
Nobody cares about the $20 million first baseman hitting .111?
Interesting.
So everybody is suddenly aware of the pitfalls of analyzing small sample sizes. Unless we're talking about ARod. Who has to hit a homerun every game.
Right?
Anybody?
Nobody cares about the $20 million first baseman hitting .111?
Interesting.
So everybody is suddenly aware of the pitfalls of analyzing small sample sizes. Unless we're talking about ARod. Who has to hit a homerun every game.
Today's lesson.
Playoff baseball is the same as regular season baseball.
If your team hits homeruns, then hit homeruns in the playoffs.
Don't waste roster spots on pinch runners.
If your team hits homeruns, then hit homeruns in the playoffs.
Don't waste roster spots on pinch runners.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Jeff Passan says Torre is overrated.
"One look at Alex Rodriguez this postseason, just killing everything he sees, and it’s evident: Something is different. Left unsaid is the reason he dare not mention, because A-Rod has finally learned that sometimes the truth is best read between the lines.
"It also reinforces the double standard that exists for Torre as he skates to his ninth straight season without a championship after winning four in five years with the Yankees."
"Torre starred in a commercial before he managed a game in Los Angeles. He wrote a tell-all book about his decade with the Yankees after spending a year with the Dodgers. Torre is about Torre."
Yep.
"The pregame scouting report, Mr. Torre? Bigelow Tea moved 650,000 units and your cut is $24,000."
Joe Torre is gone from New York, and the Yankees are better for it."
I actually agree with that conclusion.
First of all, the bullpen management that Girardi is currently being criticized for ... I mean, c'mon, get serious. Torre would have thrown Pettitte for 7 2/3 innings, invoking the 1996 World Series, and then Torre would have brought in Bruney for the rest of the game.
Or, more likely, the Yankees wouldn't have a bullpen. They'd all have been Scott Proctored during the regular season.
Also, while the player is ultimately responsible for their on-field performance, Torre was a prick. Torre only cared about the Four Ring Club and everybody else was treated like a dog.
"It also reinforces the double standard that exists for Torre as he skates to his ninth straight season without a championship after winning four in five years with the Yankees."
That's why it's offensive to listen to Torre continually bring up the past successes. He even did it after the Yankees lost to Detroit in the playoffs.
"Torre starred in a commercial before he managed a game in Los Angeles. He wrote a tell-all book about his decade with the Yankees after spending a year with the Dodgers. Torre is about Torre."
Yep.
"The pregame scouting report, Mr. Torre? Bigelow Tea moved 650,000 units and your cut is $24,000."
" 'Ain’t nothing Mr. Torre can do,' Dodgers second baseman Orlando Hudson said. 'His playing days are over with. All he can do is put the lineup out there and tell us to go about it.
'What can he do? Come over here, bend us all over and spank us?' "
No, he wouldn't bend you over and spank you. He'd ask you to sit on his lap while he tells stories about Warren Spahn.
Perhaps there's nothing Torre can do.
Perhaps managers receive too much credit and too much blame.
If so, Torre may need to refund his $4 million.
Out of curiosity, how many runs were the Yankees going to score in the 12th inning?
And who was going to close the game? Robertson? Aceves? You're 100% sure that strategy would have worked?
At least change the tone of the discussion. The Yankees might have won if Robertson had stayed in the game. There's really no reason to think they would have won.
Maybe Pettitte was supposed to throw 10 innings and 180 pitches, and then Rivera could have pitched the last 2 innings. After the Yankees scored 4 or 5 runs in the 12th.
I also wonder what Lupica would be saying if Robertson had given up a HR to Kendrick.
"Joe! Why didn't you use Aceves?"
At least change the tone of the discussion. The Yankees might have won if Robertson had stayed in the game. There's really no reason to think they would have won.
Maybe Pettitte was supposed to throw 10 innings and 180 pitches, and then Rivera could have pitched the last 2 innings. After the Yankees scored 4 or 5 runs in the 12th.
I also wonder what Lupica would be saying if Robertson had given up a HR to Kendrick.
"Joe! Why didn't you use Aceves?"
The bullpen should never give up a run.
The Yankee bullpen allowed two runs over four innings and it's described as a "collapse." I'd say the Yankee offense "collapsed" over the final six innings.
Joba gives up one run and his outing is described as "disastrous." I'd say Mark Teixeira's offense has been a lot more "disastrous."
When teams lose close games, the manager is often blamed, and the blame is almost always assigned to the last bullpen move. Because the bullpen should have an ERA of 0.00 and your team should always win:
"There are things a manager can do and things he can't do. A manager can't really win any games for his team. But he damned well better not lose any."
Or what?
A 45-year-old with a porn star mustache will write a nasty article in the newspaper?
"Monday, Joe Girardi lost one for the Yankees, 5-4, in 11 innings to the Los Angeles Angels, who now have a reason to believe they can come back and win this thing."
Blame for yesterday's loss, in order:
1) Swisher.
2) Pettitte.
3) Aceves.
4) Joba.
5) Melky.
6) Teixeira.
7) Cashman.
8) Girardi.
"Because despite having swept the first two games in the series and having a golden opportunity to go up 3-0 Monday and put a stranglehold on the Angels and the series, Girardi is the one who managed scared Monday, who managed, in fact, as if it was his team that absolutely could not afford to lose."
Yes, the Yankees had a golden opportunity to take a 3-0 lead, that is definitely true. Swisher really needs to hit a sac fly. The sac fly that will put his team in the World Series.
Or I've got an even better idea, which may sound completely crazy. Ready, everybody? How about a postseason RBI by Robinson Cano?
Girardi's team underperformed and some of his managerial moves backfired. But he wasn't scared.
"If the Yankees lose Tuesday, a definite possibility with Sabathia going on three days' rest and Chad Gaudin the only fresh arm in the bullpen, then we are back to even in this series but with all the momentum flowing back to the Angels."
Hey, Mr. Stupid, all the bullpen arms are fresh. Yesterday, they pitched ten pitches or less.
Oh, and if the Yankees win Tuesday ... a definite possibility with CC Sabathia vs. Scott Kazmir ... a definite possibility with Jeter, Damon, Teixeira, Matsui, Posada, and ARod ... then Girardi is one win from the World Series.
" .... to pulling Johnny Damon for Jerry Hairston Jr. on defense in the 10th, which resulted in a triple-whammy - the loss of the DH, the loss of Damon, who had homered earlier, and the need to pinch hit for Mariano Rivera in the 11th when Mo was still fresh enough to have pitched the 11th."
Mo was still fresh enough to have pitched the 11th?
If that's true, then Mo should be fresh enough to pitch tomorrow.
Which is impossible, since Gaudin is the only fresh bullpen arm.
"Winning the game was the job of the players. Girardi's job was simply not to lose it for them. Monday, he did."
I like how everybody is suddenly a big David Robertson fan. As if removing David Robertson from a tie playoff game is akin to benching Scottie Pippen.
If anything, Girardi's trigger finger was too slow: He removed Pettitte two batters too late and he removed Hughes one batter too late.
The biggest Yankee mistake was Pettitte's 2-2 pitch to Guerrero. This mistake occurred in the sixth inning and maybe that's why everybody has forgotten about it.
On the other side, Scioscia used six pitchers, including one starting pitcher out of the bullpen, and he had another starting pitcher warming up in the bullpen. I suppose Scioscia was managing scared.
My biggest gripe with Girardi's in-game moves is the Gardner pinch-running decision, which may have cost the Yankees the game. No need to get caught stealing. No need to take Matsui out of the game. Sit back and wait for a HR.
I don't know why the playoffs start and teams forget who they are. I don't know why everybody in baseball suddenly over-emphasizes small ball.
Other than that, the biggest mistakes were made before the game even started ... before the series even started.
Three catchers and two pinch runners? The Yankees might have won yesterday if Eric Hinske or Shelley Duncan were on the roster. Maybe Albaladejo or Bruney could have helped out more than Freddy Guzman.
Joba gives up one run and his outing is described as "disastrous." I'd say Mark Teixeira's offense has been a lot more "disastrous."
When teams lose close games, the manager is often blamed, and the blame is almost always assigned to the last bullpen move. Because the bullpen should have an ERA of 0.00 and your team should always win:
"There are things a manager can do and things he can't do. A manager can't really win any games for his team. But he damned well better not lose any."
Or what?
A 45-year-old with a porn star mustache will write a nasty article in the newspaper?
"Monday, Joe Girardi lost one for the Yankees, 5-4, in 11 innings to the Los Angeles Angels, who now have a reason to believe they can come back and win this thing."
Blame for yesterday's loss, in order:
1) Swisher.
2) Pettitte.
3) Aceves.
4) Joba.
5) Melky.
6) Teixeira.
7) Cashman.
8) Girardi.
"Because despite having swept the first two games in the series and having a golden opportunity to go up 3-0 Monday and put a stranglehold on the Angels and the series, Girardi is the one who managed scared Monday, who managed, in fact, as if it was his team that absolutely could not afford to lose."
Yes, the Yankees had a golden opportunity to take a 3-0 lead, that is definitely true. Swisher really needs to hit a sac fly. The sac fly that will put his team in the World Series.
Or I've got an even better idea, which may sound completely crazy. Ready, everybody? How about a postseason RBI by Robinson Cano?
Girardi's team underperformed and some of his managerial moves backfired. But he wasn't scared.
"If the Yankees lose Tuesday, a definite possibility with Sabathia going on three days' rest and Chad Gaudin the only fresh arm in the bullpen, then we are back to even in this series but with all the momentum flowing back to the Angels."
Hey, Mr. Stupid, all the bullpen arms are fresh. Yesterday, they pitched ten pitches or less.
Oh, and if the Yankees win Tuesday ... a definite possibility with CC Sabathia vs. Scott Kazmir ... a definite possibility with Jeter, Damon, Teixeira, Matsui, Posada, and ARod ... then Girardi is one win from the World Series.
" .... to pulling Johnny Damon for Jerry Hairston Jr. on defense in the 10th, which resulted in a triple-whammy - the loss of the DH, the loss of Damon, who had homered earlier, and the need to pinch hit for Mariano Rivera in the 11th when Mo was still fresh enough to have pitched the 11th."
Mo was still fresh enough to have pitched the 11th?
If that's true, then Mo should be fresh enough to pitch tomorrow.
Which is impossible, since Gaudin is the only fresh bullpen arm.
"Winning the game was the job of the players. Girardi's job was simply not to lose it for them. Monday, he did."
I like how everybody is suddenly a big David Robertson fan. As if removing David Robertson from a tie playoff game is akin to benching Scottie Pippen.
If anything, Girardi's trigger finger was too slow: He removed Pettitte two batters too late and he removed Hughes one batter too late.
The biggest Yankee mistake was Pettitte's 2-2 pitch to Guerrero. This mistake occurred in the sixth inning and maybe that's why everybody has forgotten about it.
On the other side, Scioscia used six pitchers, including one starting pitcher out of the bullpen, and he had another starting pitcher warming up in the bullpen. I suppose Scioscia was managing scared.
My biggest gripe with Girardi's in-game moves is the Gardner pinch-running decision, which may have cost the Yankees the game. No need to get caught stealing. No need to take Matsui out of the game. Sit back and wait for a HR.
I don't know why the playoffs start and teams forget who they are. I don't know why everybody in baseball suddenly over-emphasizes small ball.
Other than that, the biggest mistakes were made before the game even started ... before the series even started.
Three catchers and two pinch runners? The Yankees might have won yesterday if Eric Hinske or Shelley Duncan were on the roster. Maybe Albaladejo or Bruney could have helped out more than Freddy Guzman.
Monday, October 19, 2009
You're bringing up the 1996 World Series?
"Earlier in the afternoon, Torre had declared Game 3 a key to the series.
I mean, how much are the Dodgers paying you to manage their team?
Can't you at least learn the names of the players on your team?
Is this the 2009 NLCS or the Joe Torre Nostalgia Tour?
'It's a momentum changer,' Torre said. 'In the past, I've had (Mike) Mussina pitch in Oakland because he can pitch well there, and we were fortunate to win that game. And David Cone in the '96 World Series, I picked him for Game 3 because he was the only one that had pitched in Atlanta.' "
During the telecast, the broadcasters said that Torre also compared two of the current Dodger players to Bernie Williams and Paul O'Neill. Torre also compared Cliff Lee to Warren Spahn.I mean, how much are the Dodgers paying you to manage their team?
Can't you at least learn the names of the players on your team?
Is this the 2009 NLCS or the Joe Torre Nostalgia Tour?
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Let's see ... Rush Limbauh, Isiah Thomas, Pedro Martinez ...
... maybe I'll write something about Alex Rodriguez if I have to:
"Alex Rodriguez keeps saying that when you think hip surgery, you think Bo Jackson, but I'm thinking there have been one or two improvements for fixing hips since Bo went down.
Sounds good, though."
Yeah, ARod is a dick.
Oh, and another thing, ARod may very well be invoking Bo Jackson. I don't know if he keeps saying it, but it's the first I've heard of it.
In fact, I don't think ARod is doing much whining or must chest-thumping.
Just a lot of hitting.
"Alex Rodriguez keeps saying that when you think hip surgery, you think Bo Jackson, but I'm thinking there have been one or two improvements for fixing hips since Bo went down.
Sounds good, though."
Yeah, ARod is a dick.
Oh, and another thing, ARod may very well be invoking Bo Jackson. I don't know if he keeps saying it, but it's the first I've heard of it.
In fact, I don't think ARod is doing much whining or must chest-thumping.
Just a lot of hitting.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
I predict bad grammar.
"The Yankees can't afford to give free bases to the Angels, and they're my pick tonight."
Betcha don't know which team is Jesse Spector's pick to win game two of the ALCS.
It's called a "dangling participle" and, really, Jesse Spector should be fired on the spot.
Betcha don't know which team is Jesse Spector's pick to win game two of the ALCS.
It's called a "dangling participle" and, really, Jesse Spector should be fired on the spot.
Save the drama for your mama.
The Yankees had a three-run lead in the ninth inning and Mariano Rivera came in to close the game.
Mariano, of course, has a career postseason ERA of 0.74.
Mariano walked the first batter (squeezed by the home plate ump, if you ask me) and then got three easy outs.
After Vlad k'd, Juan Rivera was the batter with the dangerous Kendry Morales on deck.
As a Yankee fan viewing the action, I felt quite comfortable.
Naturally, anything can happen, but there's really nothing more a team can ask for than to have a three-run lead in the ninth inning with Mariano on the mound. Other than a four-run lead with Mariano on the mound. Or a five-run lead with Mariano on the mound. Or a ten-run lead with Mariano on the mound.
Anyway, Joe Buck pointed out that Kendry Morales had 34 HRs this year and, you know, the Angels weren't out of it.
I'm not sure if Buck is creating drama, which is part of his job, or just wishfully rooting against the Yankees, which often seems like it's part of his job.
But, just to counteract the danger of Morales's 34 HRs in 2009, I'd like to present a few Mariano Rivera stats:
1) 22 HRs allowed lifetime vs. lefties in 2,106 at-bats.
2) 2 postseason HRs allowed.
3) 0 postseason HRs allowed vs. lefties.
Good luck, Kendry. You'll need it.
Mariano, of course, has a career postseason ERA of 0.74.
Mariano walked the first batter (squeezed by the home plate ump, if you ask me) and then got three easy outs.
After Vlad k'd, Juan Rivera was the batter with the dangerous Kendry Morales on deck.
As a Yankee fan viewing the action, I felt quite comfortable.
Naturally, anything can happen, but there's really nothing more a team can ask for than to have a three-run lead in the ninth inning with Mariano on the mound. Other than a four-run lead with Mariano on the mound. Or a five-run lead with Mariano on the mound. Or a ten-run lead with Mariano on the mound.
Anyway, Joe Buck pointed out that Kendry Morales had 34 HRs this year and, you know, the Angels weren't out of it.
I'm not sure if Buck is creating drama, which is part of his job, or just wishfully rooting against the Yankees, which often seems like it's part of his job.
But, just to counteract the danger of Morales's 34 HRs in 2009, I'd like to present a few Mariano Rivera stats:
1) 22 HRs allowed lifetime vs. lefties in 2,106 at-bats.
2) 2 postseason HRs allowed.
3) 0 postseason HRs allowed vs. lefties.
Good luck, Kendry. You'll need it.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Third in the league in steals, first in the league in caught stealing.
The team that hits the most HRs will win the ALCS.
So what you're saying is that the best way to get Alex Rodriguez out is to make good pitches ...
... it sounds crazy, but let me think about it:
"In their scouting report for that first-round playoff series, according to a person with knowledge of it at the time, the Angels told their pitchers that it was crucial to pound A-Rod inside with fastballs, the goal being to make him so inside-conscious that it affects his approach."
In other words, if Rodriguez was worried enough about being pitched hard inside, then he might not react as well to fastballs and breaking stuff on the outer half of the plate, where he is most dangerous." I think that goes for ARod and every other player who every played baseball.
It's called "pitching."
"As a scout from a different AL team said yesterday: 'The book on (A-Rod) hasn't changed over the years. You need to come inside hard, above the hands. That's where his hole (in his swing) is. If you get his attention in there, then you have a better chance of getting him to chase breaking stuff away.' "
Just don't miss, or ARod might hit it very far.
Good work, by the way, John Harper.
Very timely analysis of Alex Rodriguez's swing, and very revealing.
Breaking news: The book on Mariano Rivera is that he throws a cut fastball. So, look out for the cut fastball.
"In their scouting report for that first-round playoff series, according to a person with knowledge of it at the time, the Angels told their pitchers that it was crucial to pound A-Rod inside with fastballs, the goal being to make him so inside-conscious that it affects his approach."
In other words, if Rodriguez was worried enough about being pitched hard inside, then he might not react as well to fastballs and breaking stuff on the outer half of the plate, where he is most dangerous." I think that goes for ARod and every other player who every played baseball.
It's called "pitching."
"As a scout from a different AL team said yesterday: 'The book on (A-Rod) hasn't changed over the years. You need to come inside hard, above the hands. That's where his hole (in his swing) is. If you get his attention in there, then you have a better chance of getting him to chase breaking stuff away.' "
Just don't miss, or ARod might hit it very far.
Good work, by the way, John Harper.
Very timely analysis of Alex Rodriguez's swing, and very revealing.
Breaking news: The book on Mariano Rivera is that he throws a cut fastball. So, look out for the cut fastball.
Bill Plaschke questions Joe Torre's baseball managerial decisions.
So why did you leave Kershaw in to pitch to Howard?:
"You know, to me he's a starting pitcher in Game 1, so I felt that's what I wanted to do."
Nice.
I'm not even saying it was a bad managerial move. I'm just saying it's completely pointless to ask Joe Torre to explain his managerial decisions. He has no idea what you're talking about.
When Plaschke first asked Torre why he left Kershaw in the game, Torre responded, "Who?"
"You know, to me he's a starting pitcher in Game 1, so I felt that's what I wanted to do."
Nice.
I'm not even saying it was a bad managerial move. I'm just saying it's completely pointless to ask Joe Torre to explain his managerial decisions. He has no idea what you're talking about.
When Plaschke first asked Torre why he left Kershaw in the game, Torre responded, "Who?"
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Vladimir Guerrero finally gets a big postseason hit.
Which must mean one thing: Kate Hudson is a slut.
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