Wednesday, October 10, 2012
All praise to Girardi.
Girardi showed faith in his player up to a tipping point, but the player didn't reward the loyalty. I never thought for a second that Girardi was bending over backwards solely to massage ARod's ego. Girardi took a huge, career-altering chance by pinch-hitting for ARod and Girardi would have been vilified if Ibanez had made out.
Get a couple of hits and drive in a run or two.
"For this and many other reasons, you can expect Robinson Cano to be slotted into the No. 3 spot in Girardi’s lineup for Game 3 tonight, unless the manager contrives another list of scatty reasons why he should keep A-Rod in the three hole.
By now, you know them all by rote:
Rodriguez’s 1-for-9, five-strikeout ledger in this ALDS is merely an inscrutable run of bad luck, but he still finds ways to get on base.
Rodriguez, despite the fact he’s had one RBI and one extra-base hit in the 16 games he has played since Sept. 19, can renew his power surge at any time by channeling his inner Hulk and morphing into an irradiated mutant.
And Rodriguez, whose allegedly fragile mental state is one of those Yankee things that have been deemed Inappropriate for Public Discourse, would fall to pieces if he were dropped to sixth or seventh in the lineup.
...
Just be prepared for the possibility that moving A-Rod down in the order may lend them not a whit of offensive benefit whatsoever.
Because the alternatives to the current lineup aren’t very inspiring, either."
Maybe Girardi will surprise everyone and keep ARod batting 3rd.
Grab ARod by the scruff before the game and tell him, "Don't let me down. I'm not batting you 8th. I'm putting my reputation on the line for you. Get two hits and an RBI and everyone will shut up. Another 0-for-4 and you're dead to me."
By now, you know them all by rote:
Rodriguez’s 1-for-9, five-strikeout ledger in this ALDS is merely an inscrutable run of bad luck, but he still finds ways to get on base.
Rodriguez, despite the fact he’s had one RBI and one extra-base hit in the 16 games he has played since Sept. 19, can renew his power surge at any time by channeling his inner Hulk and morphing into an irradiated mutant.
And Rodriguez, whose allegedly fragile mental state is one of those Yankee things that have been deemed Inappropriate for Public Discourse, would fall to pieces if he were dropped to sixth or seventh in the lineup.
...
Just be prepared for the possibility that moving A-Rod down in the order may lend them not a whit of offensive benefit whatsoever.
Because the alternatives to the current lineup aren’t very inspiring, either."
Maybe Girardi will surprise everyone and keep ARod batting 3rd.
Grab ARod by the scruff before the game and tell him, "Don't let me down. I'm not batting you 8th. I'm putting my reputation on the line for you. Get two hits and an RBI and everyone will shut up. Another 0-for-4 and you're dead to me."
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
At least he is specific, Raul Ibanez it is.
This reminds me that Miguel Gonzalez tossed 7 shutout innings at Yankee Stadium on August 31.
In any case, I don't think this is a ridiculous lineup.
I think the Yankees will probably get shut down by Miguel Gonzalez again, but Raul Ibanez will be unproductive from the #5 hole instead of being unproductive from the #8 hole:
"With the Orioles starting right-hander Miguel Gonzalez in Game 3, Girardi should use an order that has the usual 1-2 table setters at the top in Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki, followed by Robinson Cano, who is long overdue for his rightful place hitting third. Teixeira has four hits and a walk in the first two games, so he bats clean up, followed by Raul Ibanez.
Ibanez has definitely had a few big hits this year.
He is a .240 hitter this year, slightly better against righties. He is a .233 career playoff hitter with 3 playoff HRs in 120 playoff at-bats. Just so everyone is aware of the deficiencies of the Best of the ARod Alternatives.
So, yeah, if you think Ibanez is more likely than ARod to launch one into the short porch, it's a sensible idea. It's also possible that Ibanez ends the game by hitting into 4-6-3 DP while ARod waits in the on-deck circle ... on a day when ARod gets three hits and a HR.
In any case, I don't think this is a ridiculous lineup.
I think the Yankees will probably get shut down by Miguel Gonzalez again, but Raul Ibanez will be unproductive from the #5 hole instead of being unproductive from the #8 hole:
"With the Orioles starting right-hander Miguel Gonzalez in Game 3, Girardi should use an order that has the usual 1-2 table setters at the top in Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki, followed by Robinson Cano, who is long overdue for his rightful place hitting third. Teixeira has four hits and a walk in the first two games, so he bats clean up, followed by Raul Ibanez.
The left-handed hitting Ibanez has been swinging a clutch bat for some time and gets sandwiched between the switch-hitting Teixeira and the right-handed hitting A-Rod. Swisher, Curtis Granderson (pretty remarkable to put a player with 43 home runs in the next to last spot in the lineup), and Russell Martin round things out."
Ibanez has definitely had a few big hits this year.
He is a .240 hitter this year, slightly better against righties. He is a .233 career playoff hitter with 3 playoff HRs in 120 playoff at-bats. Just so everyone is aware of the deficiencies of the Best of the ARod Alternatives.
So, yeah, if you think Ibanez is more likely than ARod to launch one into the short porch, it's a sensible idea. It's also possible that Ibanez ends the game by hitting into 4-6-3 DP while ARod waits in the on-deck circle ... on a day when ARod gets three hits and a HR.
OK: Jeter, Ichiro, Cano, then the guys who get out every time.
Against a righty starter, I'd have no problem with Chavez/Ibanez replacing ARod/Nunez. I also have no problem, in theory, with dropping ARod in the lineup.
Having said that, please be specific when constructing the alternate lineup.
What you'll quickly discover is that the 2012 Yankees don't have too many good hitters:
"The last at-bat of the game was proof enough. Robinson Cano is by far the Yankees’ best hitter these days, and if he were hitting in the No. 3 spot, he would have come up against Jim Johnson when one swing still could have changed everything.
Instead he watched from the on-deck circle Monday night as Alex Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the game, his fifth strikeout in this series.
Enough, already. For a lot of reasons it’s time Joe Girardi makes the obvious move and puts Cano into that third spot, while moving the seemingly diminished A-Rod down in the lineup."
Showalter would have intentionally walked Cano.
"And let’s face it, Rodriguez hasn’t looked like a No. 3 hitter for quite some time, as he continues to search for his power stroke.
Yet after Monday night’s game, Joe Girardi said he had no plans to change the lineup for Wednesday’s Game 3, noting that A-Rod 'squared up two balls tonight.'
True enough, A-Rod did look a lot better than he did in Game 1, when he struck out three times. He hit line drives his first two times up, one that second baseman Robert Andino turned into a double play by making a diving grab, and another that went for a single to left.
Nevertheless, A-Rod was a .270 singles hitter down the stretch of the pennant race for the Yankees, delivering only six extra-base hits over the last month of the season.
Whether it is the result of the broken hand that put him on the disabled list for six months or simply the combination of age and multiple injuries in recent years, Rodriguez rarely hits for power.
In addition, scouts say he is more vulnerable than ever to fastballs at the belt or higher, saying pitchers attack him there when they need a big out, often getting him to swing and miss."
"Scouts," as in Every Person Who Watches the Yankees.
So he cheats against the fastball which makes him more vulnerable to breaking balls. It's pathetic. Even when he gets a hold of a fastball, it will die at the warning track.
"These days, however, you have to think it’s more about fading skills than him trying to validate his status as a Yankee."
I just think Girardi is hoping Cano gives ARod a little protection and it clicks in. I don't think it's such a crazy idea, either.
It might have finally clicked in for Teixeira, surprisingly enough (despite a few typical pop-ups).
It clicked in for Ichiro after about a month of batting ninth.
ARod's slump could turn around on a dime.
"Nobody is saying that Girardi should hit A-Rod eighth, as Joe Torre famously did in Game 4 of the 2006 ALDS against the Tigers. But Rodriguez shouldn’t be hitting third with Cano in the same lineup.
It might not have mattered in this game, but you can always wonder what Cano might have done with one more at-bat. You also can wonder if that thought kept Girardi from sleeping well afterward."
I just don't see the huge difference if Cano bats third.
Instead of having a gaping hole in the #3 spot, you now have a gaping hole in the #4 spot.
Whoever you pick, it's a player who has a low batting average, strikes out too much, and is unlikely to get a hit in the clutch.
Who on this team is noticeably better than ARod? Jeter, Ichiro, and Cano. That's it.
Teixeira may be finally coming out of it, so I guess he'd bat 4th, though the notion seemed laughable a week ago. Swisher is 1-for-33 in the postseason with RISP. Nunez earned his Yankee Pinstripes by popping up with the bases loaded. Granderson has an on-base% of .319 this season.
Russell Martin? Is Russell Martin now batting 5th? Because he never grounds into double players and never strikes out?
It's not that I'm against burying ARod in the lineup. But if you go Jeter-Ichiro-Cano, then the lineup is a black hole after Cano. Six batters who swing for the fences and usually come up empty.
The problem is not where they hit, it's how they hit.
Having said that, please be specific when constructing the alternate lineup.
What you'll quickly discover is that the 2012 Yankees don't have too many good hitters:
"The last at-bat of the game was proof enough. Robinson Cano is by far the Yankees’ best hitter these days, and if he were hitting in the No. 3 spot, he would have come up against Jim Johnson when one swing still could have changed everything.
Instead he watched from the on-deck circle Monday night as Alex Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the game, his fifth strikeout in this series.
Enough, already. For a lot of reasons it’s time Joe Girardi makes the obvious move and puts Cano into that third spot, while moving the seemingly diminished A-Rod down in the lineup."
Showalter would have intentionally walked Cano.
"And let’s face it, Rodriguez hasn’t looked like a No. 3 hitter for quite some time, as he continues to search for his power stroke.
Yet after Monday night’s game, Joe Girardi said he had no plans to change the lineup for Wednesday’s Game 3, noting that A-Rod 'squared up two balls tonight.'
True enough, A-Rod did look a lot better than he did in Game 1, when he struck out three times. He hit line drives his first two times up, one that second baseman Robert Andino turned into a double play by making a diving grab, and another that went for a single to left.
Nevertheless, A-Rod was a .270 singles hitter down the stretch of the pennant race for the Yankees, delivering only six extra-base hits over the last month of the season.
Whether it is the result of the broken hand that put him on the disabled list for six months or simply the combination of age and multiple injuries in recent years, Rodriguez rarely hits for power.
In addition, scouts say he is more vulnerable than ever to fastballs at the belt or higher, saying pitchers attack him there when they need a big out, often getting him to swing and miss."
"Scouts," as in Every Person Who Watches the Yankees.
So he cheats against the fastball which makes him more vulnerable to breaking balls. It's pathetic. Even when he gets a hold of a fastball, it will die at the warning track.
"These days, however, you have to think it’s more about fading skills than him trying to validate his status as a Yankee."
I just think Girardi is hoping Cano gives ARod a little protection and it clicks in. I don't think it's such a crazy idea, either.
It might have finally clicked in for Teixeira, surprisingly enough (despite a few typical pop-ups).
It clicked in for Ichiro after about a month of batting ninth.
ARod's slump could turn around on a dime.
"Nobody is saying that Girardi should hit A-Rod eighth, as Joe Torre famously did in Game 4 of the 2006 ALDS against the Tigers. But Rodriguez shouldn’t be hitting third with Cano in the same lineup.
It might not have mattered in this game, but you can always wonder what Cano might have done with one more at-bat. You also can wonder if that thought kept Girardi from sleeping well afterward."
I just don't see the huge difference if Cano bats third.
Instead of having a gaping hole in the #3 spot, you now have a gaping hole in the #4 spot.
Whoever you pick, it's a player who has a low batting average, strikes out too much, and is unlikely to get a hit in the clutch.
Who on this team is noticeably better than ARod? Jeter, Ichiro, and Cano. That's it.
Teixeira may be finally coming out of it, so I guess he'd bat 4th, though the notion seemed laughable a week ago. Swisher is 1-for-33 in the postseason with RISP. Nunez earned his Yankee Pinstripes by popping up with the bases loaded. Granderson has an on-base% of .319 this season.
Russell Martin? Is Russell Martin now batting 5th? Because he never grounds into double players and never strikes out?
It's not that I'm against burying ARod in the lineup. But if you go Jeter-Ichiro-Cano, then the lineup is a black hole after Cano. Six batters who swing for the fences and usually come up empty.
The problem is not where they hit, it's how they hit.
Monday, October 08, 2012
Yankee Postseason Roster.
A pleasant surprise that Andruw Jones is off the playoff roster:
"Lowe’s inclusion was one of many difficult decisions that the Yankees made before the series started. They chose Lowe over Cody Eppley, and also left Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia off the roster. Andruw Jones was replaced by Eduardo Nunez, and Jayson Nix made it after proving he had recovered from a strained left hip flexor."
"Lowe’s inclusion was one of many difficult decisions that the Yankees made before the series started. They chose Lowe over Cody Eppley, and also left Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia off the roster. Andruw Jones was replaced by Eduardo Nunez, and Jayson Nix made it after proving he had recovered from a strained left hip flexor."
Sunday, October 07, 2012
One thing I think we can all agree on is that Yanks/O's feels nothing like Yanks/BoSox.
Can Mike Lupica write an article about a baseball series without somehow linking the story to Theo Epstein? The world may never know:
"It is the Yankees and the Orioles now in the first round of the playoffs, and so the American League East season did not end on Wednesday night, it goes extra innings, the way it used to with the Red Sox back in 2003 and 2004, when the Yankees and Red Sox would play 19 times during the regular season and still not be done with each other, or have settled anything."
2004: Red Sox end the Curse of the Bambino by coming back from 3-0 deficit in ALCS. Red Sox win the World Series for the first time since 1918.
2003: Aaron Boone.
1999: Pedro and Zimmer. Clemens and Manny. Perhaps the most intense baseball series I have ever witnessed.
1978: Bucky Dent.
These are some of the greatest moments in one of sports' greatest rivalries.
"Maybe that’s because of the Yankees’ record in the playoffs since their collapse against the Red Sox in ’04:
2005: Lose first round.
2006: Lose first round.
2007: Lose first round.
2008: Miss playoffs.
2009: Win World Series.
2010: Lose to Rangers in ALCS.
2011: Lose first round, finally losing Game 5 at home to the Tigers."
What's your point?
This is the Orioles' record in the playoffs since they leisurely drove home from the golf course and watched on TV as the Red Sox beat the Yankees in '04:
2005: Miss playoffs.
2006: Miss playoffs.
2007: Miss playoffs.
2008: Miss playoffs.
2009: Miss playoffs.
2010: Miss playoffs.
2011: Miss playoffs.
Not sure what any of this has to do with tonight's game.
"The Yankees thought they had put the Orioles away for good Wednesday night, when they beat the Pawtucket Red Sox as the Orioles were losing to the Rays."
Really?
The Yankees thought they had beaten the Orioles all the way back to 1993, before the Wild Card existed?
I am pretty sure the Yankees figured the Orioles had roughly a 50%-50% shot in Texas.
"Only they did not put them away. In the past, the Yankees couldn’t play the wild-card winner in the first round if that winner came out of the AL East."
I don't see what is the big difference here. So the Yankees would be playing Detroit instead of Baltimore and Lupica would be waxing poetic about Verlander, Leyland, and Cabrera.
"Once, in October of 1996, the Yankees really began their run as Torre's Yankees by beating the Orioles in the American League championship series. Now the Orioles are back, because a team that was 41 games under .500 when Showalter took over in 2010 has come all the way back."
"All the way back" is winning one playoff game. That's cool. I understand that this stuff is graded on a curve. I also understand that the Orioles players are probably excited to play in the playoffs, while the Yankee players will be yawning through the first round.
Funny you bring up 1996, though.
I was thinking the 2012 Yankees are the worst Yankee team to make the playoffs since 1996.
The good news is that the Yankees won the World Series in 1996 ... so who knows what will happen in 2012?
"It starts by trying to win three of five against the Yankees. Such a great fight in the AL East this season, such a great September. Like a stirring 12-round fight. No decision yet. Yankees and Orioles fight on. Start of the 13th round at Camden Yards tonight."
Thanks for the boxing metaphor. The 2012 ALDS between the Yankees and the Orioles is nothing like boxing and it's nothing like Yankees-Sox. You're 0-for-2 in your metaphors.
This preview of the 2012 ALDS taught me that Mike Lupica is rooting for the Orioles. Lupica thinks the Yankees will lose. Lupica always thinks the Yankees will lose.
The difference is, this is a year where most Yankee fans probably agree.
Most Yankee fans would cut off one of their fingers for a Mark Teixeira sac fly.
"It is the Yankees and the Orioles now in the first round of the playoffs, and so the American League East season did not end on Wednesday night, it goes extra innings, the way it used to with the Red Sox back in 2003 and 2004, when the Yankees and Red Sox would play 19 times during the regular season and still not be done with each other, or have settled anything."
2004: Red Sox end the Curse of the Bambino by coming back from 3-0 deficit in ALCS. Red Sox win the World Series for the first time since 1918.
2003: Aaron Boone.
1999: Pedro and Zimmer. Clemens and Manny. Perhaps the most intense baseball series I have ever witnessed.
1978: Bucky Dent.
These are some of the greatest moments in one of sports' greatest rivalries.
"Maybe that’s because of the Yankees’ record in the playoffs since their collapse against the Red Sox in ’04:
2005: Lose first round.
2006: Lose first round.
2007: Lose first round.
2008: Miss playoffs.
2009: Win World Series.
2010: Lose to Rangers in ALCS.
2011: Lose first round, finally losing Game 5 at home to the Tigers."
What's your point?
This is the Orioles' record in the playoffs since they leisurely drove home from the golf course and watched on TV as the Red Sox beat the Yankees in '04:
2005: Miss playoffs.
2006: Miss playoffs.
2007: Miss playoffs.
2008: Miss playoffs.
2009: Miss playoffs.
2010: Miss playoffs.
2011: Miss playoffs.
Not sure what any of this has to do with tonight's game.
"The Yankees thought they had put the Orioles away for good Wednesday night, when they beat the Pawtucket Red Sox as the Orioles were losing to the Rays."
Really?
The Yankees thought they had beaten the Orioles all the way back to 1993, before the Wild Card existed?
I am pretty sure the Yankees figured the Orioles had roughly a 50%-50% shot in Texas.
"Only they did not put them away. In the past, the Yankees couldn’t play the wild-card winner in the first round if that winner came out of the AL East."
I don't see what is the big difference here. So the Yankees would be playing Detroit instead of Baltimore and Lupica would be waxing poetic about Verlander, Leyland, and Cabrera.
"Once, in October of 1996, the Yankees really began their run as Torre's Yankees by beating the Orioles in the American League championship series. Now the Orioles are back, because a team that was 41 games under .500 when Showalter took over in 2010 has come all the way back."
"All the way back" is winning one playoff game. That's cool. I understand that this stuff is graded on a curve. I also understand that the Orioles players are probably excited to play in the playoffs, while the Yankee players will be yawning through the first round.
Funny you bring up 1996, though.
I was thinking the 2012 Yankees are the worst Yankee team to make the playoffs since 1996.
The good news is that the Yankees won the World Series in 1996 ... so who knows what will happen in 2012?
"It starts by trying to win three of five against the Yankees. Such a great fight in the AL East this season, such a great September. Like a stirring 12-round fight. No decision yet. Yankees and Orioles fight on. Start of the 13th round at Camden Yards tonight."
Thanks for the boxing metaphor. The 2012 ALDS between the Yankees and the Orioles is nothing like boxing and it's nothing like Yankees-Sox. You're 0-for-2 in your metaphors.
This preview of the 2012 ALDS taught me that Mike Lupica is rooting for the Orioles. Lupica thinks the Yankees will lose. Lupica always thinks the Yankees will lose.
The difference is, this is a year where most Yankee fans probably agree.
Most Yankee fans would cut off one of their fingers for a Mark Teixeira sac fly.
Saturday, October 06, 2012
Introducing Robinson Cano.
Robinson Cano is 29 years old and has been in the big leagues for 8 years.
He almost won rookie of the year, he almost won MVP a couple of years ago, he had another great year (only hampered by the fact that he was garbage with RISP).
Bill Madden notices that he's the Yankees' best hitter:
"His middle-of-the-order cohorts, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira, may be earning considerably more than Cano, but that is for past performance."
Of course. You'll be saying the same thing about Cano in 10 years.
"And though Curtis Granderson may have outhomered Cano, 43-33 and driven in 12 more runs (106-94), in terms of fear value, much of that is negated by the outfielder’s ungodly 195 strikeouts."
Yeah.
Jeter and Cano are the only players on the whole team who batted over .300.
Everyone else is all-or-nothing. It's like watching Dave Kingman in an over-50 softball league.
"There is no hotter hitter going into the postseason than Cano, who finished the season with nine straight multi-hit games — longest by a Yankee since Bernie Williams had 10 straight in 2002."
I give you credit for that research. It's a good trivia question.
" 'I’m not taking anything away from their other guys, Teixeira, Rodriguez, Granderson, (Nick) Swisher, who can all hurt you, but if you can contain Cano, your chances of beating the Yankees are immeasurably better,' the same scout said. 'During that slump of his in August, they were a very beatable team, especially with their starting pitching being so uneven.' "
Please don't hesitate to take something away from Teixeira, Rodriguez, Granderson, and Swisher.
The Yankees are a very beatable team, there is simply no denying this. The downside of an "all or nothing" approach is the "nothing."
" ... the window of opportunity is rapidly closing for this Yankee team. Indeed, Cano is the lone homegrown All-Star caliber position player to come out of the Yankee player development department since Jeter in 1996, and while there are some promising outfielders in A-ball, Tyler Austin, Mason Williams and Dante Bichette Jr., they remain years away, and until further notice subject to the popular saying around baseball about Yankee prospects: The closer they get to the big leagues, the less they like them."
Okay, okay, okay. I am crying "uncle."
Cano, Gardner, Hughes, Nova, Pineda, Robertson, Nunez, Granderson ... Teixeira isn't old ...
The "window of opportunity" usually stays open for the Yankees. That's what the big payroll is for.
As for the future, the only future is Sunday night in Baltimore. Win that game before you worry about the future prospects of Dante Bichette Jr.
He almost won rookie of the year, he almost won MVP a couple of years ago, he had another great year (only hampered by the fact that he was garbage with RISP).
Bill Madden notices that he's the Yankees' best hitter:
"His middle-of-the-order cohorts, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira, may be earning considerably more than Cano, but that is for past performance."
Of course. You'll be saying the same thing about Cano in 10 years.
"And though Curtis Granderson may have outhomered Cano, 43-33 and driven in 12 more runs (106-94), in terms of fear value, much of that is negated by the outfielder’s ungodly 195 strikeouts."
Yeah.
Jeter and Cano are the only players on the whole team who batted over .300.
Everyone else is all-or-nothing. It's like watching Dave Kingman in an over-50 softball league.
"There is no hotter hitter going into the postseason than Cano, who finished the season with nine straight multi-hit games — longest by a Yankee since Bernie Williams had 10 straight in 2002."
I give you credit for that research. It's a good trivia question.
" 'I’m not taking anything away from their other guys, Teixeira, Rodriguez, Granderson, (Nick) Swisher, who can all hurt you, but if you can contain Cano, your chances of beating the Yankees are immeasurably better,' the same scout said. 'During that slump of his in August, they were a very beatable team, especially with their starting pitching being so uneven.' "
Please don't hesitate to take something away from Teixeira, Rodriguez, Granderson, and Swisher.
The Yankees are a very beatable team, there is simply no denying this. The downside of an "all or nothing" approach is the "nothing."
" ... the window of opportunity is rapidly closing for this Yankee team. Indeed, Cano is the lone homegrown All-Star caliber position player to come out of the Yankee player development department since Jeter in 1996, and while there are some promising outfielders in A-ball, Tyler Austin, Mason Williams and Dante Bichette Jr., they remain years away, and until further notice subject to the popular saying around baseball about Yankee prospects: The closer they get to the big leagues, the less they like them."
Okay, okay, okay. I am crying "uncle."
Cano, Gardner, Hughes, Nova, Pineda, Robertson, Nunez, Granderson ... Teixeira isn't old ...
The "window of opportunity" usually stays open for the Yankees. That's what the big payroll is for.
As for the future, the only future is Sunday night in Baltimore. Win that game before you worry about the future prospects of Dante Bichette Jr.
Friday, October 05, 2012
Yeah, what's with the infantalizing nicknames?
Since he won the division, Girardi deserves a lot of credit.
I'm happy a sportswriter finally noticed the weird nicknames:
"He’s not your lovable Uncle Joe. Joe Girardi will never be Joe Torre, no matter how many silly, infantilizing nicknames he employs for his players."
I'm happy a sportswriter finally noticed the weird nicknames:
"He’s not your lovable Uncle Joe. Joe Girardi will never be Joe Torre, no matter how many silly, infantilizing nicknames he employs for his players."
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Other than connecting with his swing, Teixeira had a good day hitting the ball.
Mark Teixeira is a professional baseball player who actually said the following:
“The frustrating thing is, I don’t think I swung at a ball all night,” Teixeira said. “I was just so off. I was early or I was way late on everything, and that’s the frustrating part. I was seeing it okay, it just wasn’t connecting with my swing.”
“The frustrating thing is, I don’t think I swung at a ball all night,” Teixeira said. “I was just so off. I was early or I was way late on everything, and that’s the frustrating part. I was seeing it okay, it just wasn’t connecting with my swing.”
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Congratulations to Shawn Hill for his first MLB win in two years.
Girardi sets a lax tone by starting Nunez, Jones, and Stewart:
"With those rallies short-circuiting, first-inning sacrifice flies from Robinson Cano and Granderson were all the Yankees managed. Toronto's bullpen combined for six scoreless innings, with Shawn Hill contributing three for the win, and New York's third-inning opportunity stood out as its most glaring miss.
In that frame, the Yankees loaded the bases against Romero with no outs, but Granderson popped out, Andruw Jones struck out and Eduardo Nunez lined out hard to second base.
Struggles with runners in scoring position have been a nagging, season-long theme for the Yankees, but they would agree to a man that this latest flare-up came at a most inopportune time.
'We couldn't make it happen,' Swisher said. 'That's no reason to get down on ourselves. We've got to keep pushing and come back here with a fire, and hopefully pull off that win tomorrow.' "
Awesome!
The Yankees can totally do it!
Get psyched for the World Series!
"With those rallies short-circuiting, first-inning sacrifice flies from Robinson Cano and Granderson were all the Yankees managed. Toronto's bullpen combined for six scoreless innings, with Shawn Hill contributing three for the win, and New York's third-inning opportunity stood out as its most glaring miss.
In that frame, the Yankees loaded the bases against Romero with no outs, but Granderson popped out, Andruw Jones struck out and Eduardo Nunez lined out hard to second base.
Struggles with runners in scoring position have been a nagging, season-long theme for the Yankees, but they would agree to a man that this latest flare-up came at a most inopportune time.
'We couldn't make it happen,' Swisher said. 'That's no reason to get down on ourselves. We've got to keep pushing and come back here with a fire, and hopefully pull off that win tomorrow.' "
Awesome!
The Yankees can totally do it!
Get psyched for the World Series!
Good night to the Andruw Jones era.
MOTO Joel Sherman calls the Yankee loss "unacceptable":
"Romero loaded the bases again in the third. The Yankees get a big hit here, and the Blue Jays probably roll over and play dead.
'We didn’t do a good job with runners in scoring position,' Andy Pettitte said. 'We didn’t add on.'
Curtis Granderson popped out. Romero hurt his knee pitching to Andruw Jones, stayed in and struck Jones out on the next pitch. Jones came to the plate twice with the bases loaded. Twice struck out. Why is Andruw Jones — he of the woeful second half — still playing?"
Andruw Jones's first strikeout was not with the bases loaded, it was with runners on first and second.
In 105 at-bats in the second half of the season, Andruw Jones is batting .143 with 3 homeruns.
I am flabbergasted that Girardi puts him out there in a game like this. I guess Girardi is hoping Jones gets hot and earns a spot on the playoff roster. Which assumes the Yankees make the playoffs. With four games left and a four-game lead on Tampa, am I the only person who thinks Tampa has the Yankees right where they want 'em?
"Romero loaded the bases again in the third. The Yankees get a big hit here, and the Blue Jays probably roll over and play dead.
'We didn’t do a good job with runners in scoring position,' Andy Pettitte said. 'We didn’t add on.'
Curtis Granderson popped out. Romero hurt his knee pitching to Andruw Jones, stayed in and struck Jones out on the next pitch. Jones came to the plate twice with the bases loaded. Twice struck out. Why is Andruw Jones — he of the woeful second half — still playing?"
Andruw Jones's first strikeout was not with the bases loaded, it was with runners on first and second.
In 105 at-bats in the second half of the season, Andruw Jones is batting .143 with 3 homeruns.
I am flabbergasted that Girardi puts him out there in a game like this. I guess Girardi is hoping Jones gets hot and earns a spot on the playoff roster. Which assumes the Yankees make the playoffs. With four games left and a four-game lead on Tampa, am I the only person who thinks Tampa has the Yankees right where they want 'em?
Friday, September 28, 2012
So much for that theory.
The idea was that a pennant race would force the Yankees to rise up and play high-quality baseball rather than sleepwalking into the playoffs.
Well, with seven games to go, they sleepwalked:
"Can anybody here play this game?
On a night when so much was on the table for the Yankees, they delivered a miserable performance against a putrid team that started a good pitcher.
Ivan Nova didn’t pitch well. Robinson Cano dropped a relay throw and made a baserunning mistake. Right fielder Ichiro Suzuki botched a ball on the warning track. And the hitters wilted in front of Brandon Morrow."
Well, with seven games to go, they sleepwalked:
"Can anybody here play this game?
On a night when so much was on the table for the Yankees, they delivered a miserable performance against a putrid team that started a good pitcher.
Ivan Nova didn’t pitch well. Robinson Cano dropped a relay throw and made a baserunning mistake. Right fielder Ichiro Suzuki botched a ball on the warning track. And the hitters wilted in front of Brandon Morrow."
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Felz Stat of the Day
For his career, ARod has 2,027 strikeouts. A lot, but a fair tradeoff for 647 homers and not a bad ratio when compared to 1,210 walks.
This season, ARod has 111 strikeouts, but with only 18 homers and 44 walks.
Warning track power and the pitchers are no longer scared to pitch to him.
This season, ARod has 111 strikeouts, but with only 18 homers and 44 walks.
Warning track power and the pitchers are no longer scared to pitch to him.
I think Hughes is a five-inning pitcher.
It's tough to analyze "killer instinct," but this team really doesn't seem to have it. Despite their excellent play in the past two weeks which has enabled them to maintain their AL East lead.
The Orioles had already lost.
The Yankees were beating a team that is a million games under .500.
The Yankees had a 2-run lead in the 7th inning.
John Harper blames Logan, and Logan deserves most of the blame. Losing pitcher Hughes also deserves a lot of the blame:
"In a month full of close games, the bullpen has been more crucial than ever for the Yankees, and for the most part, Joe Girardi has been typically aggressive in getting the best out of it. But Tuesday night he was too quick with the trigger and it cost him.
You can argue that bringing in Boone Logan to face Denard Span with the bases loaded in the seventh inning was the book move — lefty vs. lefty and all that.
However, Phil Hughes was pitching a gem, and bases loaded or not, 'he still had good stuff,' catcher Russell Martin said afterward, when Girardi gave him the hook."
I was thinking Hughes should have never started the 7th in the first place. Predictably, the bases were loaded before I could say "Chien Ming Wang."
"At the time he was leading 3-1, his pitch count was at 99 and he’d just struck out Pedro Florimon for the second out of the inning. No wonder he was doing his best, after the 5-4 loss to the Twins, not to let his anger spill out publicly.
Besides the fact that Hughes deserved the chance to pitch to Span, the bigger issue is the workload on the bullpen. At some point there’s a price to pay for pushing relievers to the limit, and this may have been a case in point."
Congratulations on striking out ... ummm, who? ... Pedro Florimon?
Hughes has allowed more HRs than just about anybody in the American League. Denard Span isn't Lou Gehrig, but he isn't Pedro Florimon. I absolutely don't trust Hughes on his 100th pitch with the bases loaded and the game on the line.
Logan blew it bigtime. Maybe it's due to overuse, but Logan was only asked to get one batter out.
Get one batter out and guess what happens? Girardi is a genius and the Yankees have a 2 1/2 game lead.
The Orioles had already lost.
The Yankees were beating a team that is a million games under .500.
The Yankees had a 2-run lead in the 7th inning.
John Harper blames Logan, and Logan deserves most of the blame. Losing pitcher Hughes also deserves a lot of the blame:
"In a month full of close games, the bullpen has been more crucial than ever for the Yankees, and for the most part, Joe Girardi has been typically aggressive in getting the best out of it. But Tuesday night he was too quick with the trigger and it cost him.
You can argue that bringing in Boone Logan to face Denard Span with the bases loaded in the seventh inning was the book move — lefty vs. lefty and all that.
However, Phil Hughes was pitching a gem, and bases loaded or not, 'he still had good stuff,' catcher Russell Martin said afterward, when Girardi gave him the hook."
I was thinking Hughes should have never started the 7th in the first place. Predictably, the bases were loaded before I could say "Chien Ming Wang."
"At the time he was leading 3-1, his pitch count was at 99 and he’d just struck out Pedro Florimon for the second out of the inning. No wonder he was doing his best, after the 5-4 loss to the Twins, not to let his anger spill out publicly.
Besides the fact that Hughes deserved the chance to pitch to Span, the bigger issue is the workload on the bullpen. At some point there’s a price to pay for pushing relievers to the limit, and this may have been a case in point."
Congratulations on striking out ... ummm, who? ... Pedro Florimon?
Hughes has allowed more HRs than just about anybody in the American League. Denard Span isn't Lou Gehrig, but he isn't Pedro Florimon. I absolutely don't trust Hughes on his 100th pitch with the bases loaded and the game on the line.
Logan blew it bigtime. Maybe it's due to overuse, but Logan was only asked to get one batter out.
Get one batter out and guess what happens? Girardi is a genius and the Yankees have a 2 1/2 game lead.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
You got your hustle in my clutch hitting.
You got your clutch hitting in my hustle.
What a second ... it's delicious!
Hustle and clutch hitting: Two great tastes that taste great together:
"If those writing and/or posting to my e-mail and Twitter accounts are an accurate barometer – and from the insane nature of many of them, please, please let that not be true – then the leading reason why the Yankees have not run away with the AL East is because Robinson Cano will not run quickly to first base."
It definitely doesn't help a baseball team win baseball games.
"If only Cano were like, say, I don’t know, Paul O’Neill because, wait, come to think of it Paul O’Neill tended to trot to first when he hit a routine grounder or pop. But he showed his emotions outwardly, punched a water cooler, slammed a bat and so he was The Warrior."
Yes, Paul O'Neill tended to trot to first base when he hit a grounder.
I remember a World Series game where he petulantly walked back to the dugout after popping up a sac bunt attempt. The pitcher let the ball drop and turned it into a double play.
Why are we talking about Paul O'Neill?
If only Cano were like, say, I don't know, Derek Jeter. Play the game in a fundamentally sound manner and hustle. Cano would be an MVP candidate and the Yankees would have a few more wins this season.
"So if Cano just learned to fire a batting helmet into the ground, would all be forgiven? Or is there something deeper at work here?"
No, I don't think anyone is asking Cano to act outwardly angry. I think the fans are asking Cano to hustle on the basepaths and in the field.
"Before we get too sociological, let’s focus on why the Yankees are not comfortably ahead of the Orioles. There are many reasons, of course. However, it you want to home in on Cano, the problem is not hustle, it is big-moment muscle."
Right ... No doubt.
By asking Cano to hustle, is anyone suggesting otherwise?
"Ten games. Fifty at-bats. Sure it would be more aesthetically pleasing to see Cano bust it to first base. But the Yankees need him to drive in runs way more than they need him to run fast."
I have an idea: Both!
What a second ... it's delicious!
Hustle and clutch hitting: Two great tastes that taste great together:
"If those writing and/or posting to my e-mail and Twitter accounts are an accurate barometer – and from the insane nature of many of them, please, please let that not be true – then the leading reason why the Yankees have not run away with the AL East is because Robinson Cano will not run quickly to first base."
It definitely doesn't help a baseball team win baseball games.
"If only Cano were like, say, I don’t know, Paul O’Neill because, wait, come to think of it Paul O’Neill tended to trot to first when he hit a routine grounder or pop. But he showed his emotions outwardly, punched a water cooler, slammed a bat and so he was The Warrior."
Yes, Paul O'Neill tended to trot to first base when he hit a grounder.
I remember a World Series game where he petulantly walked back to the dugout after popping up a sac bunt attempt. The pitcher let the ball drop and turned it into a double play.
Why are we talking about Paul O'Neill?
If only Cano were like, say, I don't know, Derek Jeter. Play the game in a fundamentally sound manner and hustle. Cano would be an MVP candidate and the Yankees would have a few more wins this season.
"So if Cano just learned to fire a batting helmet into the ground, would all be forgiven? Or is there something deeper at work here?"
No, I don't think anyone is asking Cano to act outwardly angry. I think the fans are asking Cano to hustle on the basepaths and in the field.
"Before we get too sociological, let’s focus on why the Yankees are not comfortably ahead of the Orioles. There are many reasons, of course. However, it you want to home in on Cano, the problem is not hustle, it is big-moment muscle."
Right ... No doubt.
By asking Cano to hustle, is anyone suggesting otherwise?
"Ten games. Fifty at-bats. Sure it would be more aesthetically pleasing to see Cano bust it to first base. But the Yankees need him to drive in runs way more than they need him to run fast."
I have an idea: Both!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
I find it amusing when Mike Lupica writes funny things.
This is from July 1st, but I still think it's funny to read an article praising Valentine and Collins:
"Collins: The baseball lifer making it work at Citi Field, not believing all the coverage in the offseason about how his team wasn’t even supposed to play the season. He continues to believe and make the team believe, the Mets team that is 43-36 and still right there in the National League East.
Who knows where the Mets are in two months? But that is the beauty of it all, in a season that has been a gift to their fans, isn’t it? We can’t wait to find out."
In the wake of today's 16-1 loss, I challenge anyone to claim the Mets didn't quit.
"Collins: The baseball lifer making it work at Citi Field, not believing all the coverage in the offseason about how his team wasn’t even supposed to play the season. He continues to believe and make the team believe, the Mets team that is 43-36 and still right there in the National League East.
Who knows where the Mets are in two months? But that is the beauty of it all, in a season that has been a gift to their fans, isn’t it? We can’t wait to find out."
In the wake of today's 16-1 loss, I challenge anyone to claim the Mets didn't quit.
Mets playing important games in September.
Ninth-inning HR keeps Phillies' playoff hopes alive as the Mets lose their 8th straight home game and fall to 1-10 in their last 11.
I will now make predictions about the Mets:
I will now make predictions about the Mets:
- Terry Collins will keep his job.
- David Wright will sign with another team.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Sta-Puf Marshmallow Man will remain on DL longer than expected.
"Mark Teixeira is unlikely to be back in the 10-14 day timeframe provided by the Yankees last Monday.
GM Brian Cashman conceded on Tuesday that Teixeira is not 'close' to returning after he irritated his calf strain on Sept. 8 trying to stay out of a double play that controversially ended a loss in Baltimore. Cashman is hoping to have him back for the Sept. 27-30 series in Toronto. It’s the Yankees’ second to last series of the season with a matchup against the Red Sox scheduled to finish off the year."
GM Brian Cashman conceded on Tuesday that Teixeira is not 'close' to returning after he irritated his calf strain on Sept. 8 trying to stay out of a double play that controversially ended a loss in Baltimore. Cashman is hoping to have him back for the Sept. 27-30 series in Toronto. It’s the Yankees’ second to last series of the season with a matchup against the Red Sox scheduled to finish off the year."
If two runners are on base with two outs, I honestly trust Steve Pearce to get a hit as much as I trust Mark Teixeira.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Alex Rodriguez is playing well.
Since returning from the DL, ARod has played in 12 games.
AB: 47
H: 14
BA: .298
2B: 2
HR: 3
Runs: 11
RBIs: 9
AB: 47
H: 14
BA: .298
2B: 2
HR: 3
Runs: 11
RBIs: 9
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