Goodbye A-Rod,
It's been a while since I wrote an entry about the New York Yankees, but hey, when some big time players announce their up upcoming retirements, it's time to have a look. The last time I wrote anything about the Yankees was when Derek Jeter retired at the end of 2014. While 2015 had its own little pleasant surprises, the nub of the problem was that the remaining players beyond what was once the 'Core Four' were getting older, and the other players were merely role players. The Dynasty has been receding from its historic peak for years.
I'll always be an A-Rod fan. At the end of the day I always appreciated his hitting. The whole PED issue has stepped back in importance for me when I look at his career. Sure, he took PEDs and possibly hit more than his fair share. Maybe he did it his entire career? May be he did it as a teen and that's how he became the A-Rod we know in the first place? One can think of the worst of him and come up with ever more theories about the relative merits of his career. I opt to put those things to the side for the simple reason that those homers and hits are real enough.
It is wilfully putting my head in the sand, I guess, for the world of sport screams out loud against "drug cheats". The thing is, it's nothing like match-fixing. The athlete taking drugs to win, is going exactly in the direction everybody wants to them to go: to excel in performance like no other mortal human being. So, I've decided no, I'm not going to hold the steroids against the steroids era players. It's silly. MLB tacitly allowed this to happen under their watch and then belatedly hunted out players and made examples of them. It's not right, it's not a two-way street, it was a witch hunt concocted by Bud Selig so that he wouldn't have to look bad for having presided over the steroids era.
The truth is, it shouldn't be about the PEDs, the steroids, the allegations, the suspensions. It should be about the guy who was possibly the most talented player of all time. Win or lose, hit or miss, A-Rod provided a mountain load of entertainment for 23years. Twenty-three years! He was the heel, he was feared, he was outrageous, he was hilarious, he was the guy that always compared worse to Derek Jeter in the eyes of the New York Media, but had better numbers. He was all those things, rolled into one, and a once-in-a lifetime player like you will never see again. When I put it under the rationality light, I for one don't really fault the amazing trade that Brian Cashman swung to land A-Rod in 2003. The Yankees got well over a decade of something special from the guy.
We'd be chumps to pretend that didn't happen, or that it didn't mean anything. It meant the world.
Goodbye Tex
As for Mark Teixeira, he too reached the end of the road this year. The injuries caught up to him. He was making noises during Spring training that he'd like to go another 5 years after this season but obviously he said those things before the injuries got out of hand.
Out of eight seasons, Tex had 3 excellent seasons, 2 good seasons, 2 injury-curtailed seasons, and this one where he simply failed to provide any value at all for three months. All the same, it's a pretty good outcome for an 8year contract. As with A-Rod, there's no point complaining about the end being what it is. The Yankees signed him to a long contract just to land him in 2009, and they won the World Series on the back of that signing.
Tex isn't going to make the Hall of Fame, but he is in the imaginary Hall of the Very Good. The amazing thing about Teixeira for me is that I can remember the year he was drafted by the Rangers. The Cubs drafted Mark Prior, and they both made their debut in 2003. It doesn't seem all that long ago. Especially because A-Rod was already in his prime and in his last year as a Texas Ranger that year Teixeira came up into the big leagues. Arguably, the Rangers had the infield of the future in Teixeira, A-Rod, Hank Blalock, Michael Young, and Ivan Rodriguez behind the plate. It's a weird kind of twist of fate that brought half that infield to the Yankees by 2009, only 6 years later.
Amazingly, Tex's tenure at 1B for the Yankees follows in the footsteps of long tenures before him. There have only been five 1B since Mattingly won his spot as a regular in 1984. He went 12 seasons to '95; Tino Martinez went 6 seasons from '96 to '01; Jason Giambi wen from '02 to '08, and that brings us to Teixeira. For the first time since 1983, the Yankees will go into a season without knowing who will be playing 1B.
The New Kids On The On-Deck Circle
It wasn't just A-Rod and Tex announcing retirements. Brain Cashman also traded away Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, and Carlos Beltran to load up the farm system. The real story in a sense has been how decisively the Yankees have gone about re-casting their future and the talent they acquired to shape that future.
The Yankees have, for once, collected a lot of talent in their farm system. They have depth at just about every position. In fact they have the most depth at SS which is the hardest to fill. They go 6 deep at SS, starting with Gregorius at the Big League level, Tyler Wade in AA, Gleyber Torres and Jorge Mateo at High A, Hoy Jun Park and Kyle Holder in Low-A. That's a lot of depth. Even first base will have a competition next year with Greg Bird coming back from injury and Tyler Austin graduating the farm this year. They also have a packed outfield with recent additions Clint Frazier and Bill McKinney as well as Aaron Judge.
Not all of these guys will make it, but the Yankees potentially have one of the younger rosters in the AL next season. It really is a re-boot of the team, right from the ground up. I don't think I've seen anything like this in the Yankees since 1995. Chances are, the young core to emerge out of all these young players won't win a World Series until 2020, but depending on the way things break, this group might peak earlier than expected, just as the aged veterans were forced out sooner than they had hoped.
I can recall back in 2009 when the Yankees wont World Series that the window had closed on that team. The 2009 win was the last win possible with the Core Four. A quick survey of the farm system at the time revealed that the Yankees would project to being a pitching and defence sort of team by 2016-2017. Judging from the makeup of the current team, it's something that has come to fruition, if a little less effectively than hoped. Yet the new kids projecting forward seem to provide an ample horizon where the Yankees will once again be The Bronx Bombers.
That's one sure thing about Baseball - hope always does spring eternal.
A Gen-X View of the Universe.
"The Issue Isn't Pussy, It's Monkey" - from The Right Stuff
Film, Cinema, Movies, TV, Music, Rock
Showing posts with label Yankees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yankees. Show all posts
2016/08/08
2015/09/23
RIP Yogi Berra 1925 - 2015
"Baseball is 90% Mental And The Other Half Physical"
Ninety is a good life for a man who was a pro athlete in the mid 20th century. And even then I thought he would live forever. Yogi Berra is is one of those people who seemingly exist beyond the narrative of history, immortal and beloved of their reputation. So many phrases are attributed to him, so much so he once quipped "I didn't say everything I said.". More than anything else, Yogi's presence was a link to the great Yankee teams of the 50s and early 60s, a link to the Mickey Mantle era that was fading fast after the Mick's passing in 1995.
He was so much more than just a footnote or a corny quote. A 15-time All-Star and no-doubt Hall-of-Famer, he was one of the greatest catchers to have played the game; he was one of only six managers to have taken two different teams to the World Series, managing the Yankees in 1964 but also the Mets in 1973; and he was even a World War II veteran, a war hero by most accounts, serving in Normandy on D-Day.
For a kid growing up as a kid in NYC, he seemed as sage as his nickname, avuncular and charming. He also seemed like a man out of his time, especially as the late Twentieth Century unfolded - that somehow the world in his retirement had left him behind in some very basic way. Even his spat with George Steinbrenner in the mid-1980s that kept him away from the ballpark for 14years left you with the feeling that it was Yogi who somehow got lost in the changing times.
He was, in any case, a very upbeat figure who was always loyal to the Yankees to the end. Having never seen him play, it was as if he were always ancient, but this is illusory. He was only 12 or so years after his playing career when I used to see him on TV in the mid-70s. That's not that different to Joe Girardi today. He was fired by the Mets in '75, and went to the Yankees as bench coach in '76 and was part of the Bronx Zoo Yankees that won 3 AL Pennants and 2 World Series.
He will be sorely missed. Knowing he is gone is like knowing there is a dirty big void in the universe that cannot be filled.
2014/09/25
The Long Goodbye With Derek Jeter
Eventually, Comes The End
I stopped writing about the Yankees on this blog after they won the World Series in 2009. I made that conscious decision because for all the hoopla, that edition of the Yankees was at an end, and all that remained was a strong of goodbyes to players I loved dearly. I knew it was coming, it was going to happen and I simply didn't have the heart to be around writing about the unwinding.
First, it was Hideki Matsui, who closed out his Yankee career with a bang, earning a MVP in that World Series. his contract ran out at the end of 2009 and he was gone. Andy Pettitte headed for the door too, and Jorge Posada ran out of rope at home plate and finished as a DH. One too many collision at the plate put an end to a historic catching carer. Other players of that 2009 squad quietly left. Nick Swisher signed with Cleveland when his contract ended. Johnny Damon, went and played a couple more seasons elsewhere and ended up in the wilderness the same way Bernie Williams finished. Robinson Cano surprised us all by walking out on the Yankees to sign with Seattle.
And of course there's been the whole Alex Rodriguez biogenesis circus.
CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira haven't really been the same since. The only player to have improved in that squad since that time has been Brett Gardner. Andy Pettitte came back briefly, but in the end he bowed out with Mariano Rivera last year. That left Derek Jeter as the last of the 'Core Four'.
To be honest, the swashbuckling Derek Jeter we knew and loved finished at the end of 2012, dramatically fracturing his ankle in the post-season. It was as if it was as far as his body would carry him and it just broke. He's been nothing like he was before that injury. In 2013 he tried to come back and that was mostly an abortive attempt. This year he declared would be his last, and as the season winds down it is clear he really hasn't been the same player he was before the ankle injury. It's been painful watching his at bats. Pitches he would have drilled in his better days would get fouled off or turn into weak grounders. It's been so bad, it's not been worth talking about. And now it's all mercifully coming to an end.
With that comes a tidal wave of reflection.
Back in the 70's when I was a kid, I used to watch the Bronx Zoo Yankees and wonder about single digit Yankee players. You can just go through them: 3 was BabeRuth; 4 was Lou Gehrig, 5 was Joe DiMaggio; there was no 6, 7 was Mickey Mantle, 8 was Yogi Berra; and 9... 9 was my fave Yankee growing up Graig Nettles. Nettles was a good player, but he wasn't a great player like Ruth Gehrig, DiMaggio or Mantle - He was a bit better than Chase Headley is today and that's about it. Nettles was awfully funny in interviews which is why I liked him. The Captain of that incarnation of the Yankees was Thurman Munson, and the big bat belonged to Reggie Jackson. It was a great team I'll never forget, but they were only together for about 5years.
Then sometime in early 1996 I noticed the Yankees were starting this shortstop wearing '2' and my jaw dropped. It's a big call, giving a single digit in that organisation, but there he was. And the Yankees won the World Series that year for the first time in 18years. The rest is, as we say, history. Over the years he's been exactly that player the Yankees needed, nothing less, and probably even more than they hoped for. And he did it for almost four times as long as the Bronx Zoo Yankees were together.
The 20years he has been playing in the Major Leagues is in of itself a mind bogglingly long time by any measure in sport. It's a stretch of time that takes me back to other odd moments. It goes back to the year the Australian test cricket team finally defeated the Windies at their home grounds. It goes back to a time Mark Taylor was the captain of that team. It goes back to a Wimbledon where Pete Sampras defeated Boris Becker, and Stefi Graf defeated Arantxa Sanchez. It was the year of the OJ Simpson trial. Feeling old now? I certainly do. It was the year The Atlanta Braves beat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series. I remember watching Chipper Jones in his remarkable rookie year.
The barracking, cheering and rooting for the Yankees for that length of time allowed me to relive my childhood in my spare time in such a way that I forgot I was growing old - seriously old!. For 20years, I followed the games, day in day out season in, season out. I lived and died by the moments and made mental notes on how to be graceful and gracious in the way he was, in both triumph and defeat. I held on to a flame that kept burning - a flame I had almost forgotten, and left behind with a pile of old memories. Instead, he provided a whole new bunch of memories.
When I sift through all the moments and stats, I'm most affected by the 2001 post season. It came right on the heels of the 9/11 World Trade Centre event. The world was reeling. You felt for New York City. The Yankees were reaching for one more World Series win with the late '90s Dynasty squad. Along the way to the World Series, we saw the Flip which cemented his name in history like no other play. But most poignant of all was the 'Mr November' Home Run. The Yankees needed a miracle and at the stroke of midnight, the World Series crashed into November for the first time in history. yet another grim reminder of 9/11 and how it was changing the world in front of our eyes.
Moments later, Jeter launched that defiant home run which eventually sent the Series to Game 7. It was as if New York City needed something extra, a piece of something to hope on, and Jeter was there to deliver it. America needed something to save it from despair and for a moment the Yankees were everybody's team and Jeter provided that something with one stroke. The Yankees didn't win Game 7, but it was a moral victory of sorts that the Yankees went as far as they did that year. Without a doubt Jeter truly was the heart and soul of that defiant team.
Even as his career creeks to a rickety end, the memories are piled up like trophies. I am, from the bottom of my heart, grateful that he came along. Every game he played, there was every chance he would do something truly inspiring and extraordinary; and because of that all those days were filled with a happy anticipation. As those moments grew fewer in-between, I've been readying myself for this moment. No, he's not going to die or anything; yes, he too is the luckiest man on the face of this earth; but he will be gone. And so we think thoughts like when we try and compose eulogies and obituaries.
I realise today that what we hang meaning upon in our lives can be so arbitrary. There would be countless Yankee fans who will be waking up to this very thought when Jeter has put down his bat one last time. Maybe it will be waking up from a long, magical intoxicating, enchanting dream. In that, I feel a great kinship to countless people in New York City, across America and probably across the globe. He was a once-in-a-lifetime Yankee great and we've had ours, and now it's done.
I imagine I will look for him on the field when the Yankees take the field next spring, even knowing he's retired and gone. No, he won't be there. It will startle me. They'll still be the Yankees, they'll still be all that wining tradition and glorious history, but it will be the moment that will hit home that I'm just "rooting for the laundry" as Seinfeld would have it. I can't imagine how other fans will see the new guy manning shortstop. That guy, whoever he is, is not going to be as good as Jeter, for we know he can't be. And I'll know, we will never see the likes of Derek Jeter ever again in our lifetime.
I stopped writing about the Yankees on this blog after they won the World Series in 2009. I made that conscious decision because for all the hoopla, that edition of the Yankees was at an end, and all that remained was a strong of goodbyes to players I loved dearly. I knew it was coming, it was going to happen and I simply didn't have the heart to be around writing about the unwinding.
First, it was Hideki Matsui, who closed out his Yankee career with a bang, earning a MVP in that World Series. his contract ran out at the end of 2009 and he was gone. Andy Pettitte headed for the door too, and Jorge Posada ran out of rope at home plate and finished as a DH. One too many collision at the plate put an end to a historic catching carer. Other players of that 2009 squad quietly left. Nick Swisher signed with Cleveland when his contract ended. Johnny Damon, went and played a couple more seasons elsewhere and ended up in the wilderness the same way Bernie Williams finished. Robinson Cano surprised us all by walking out on the Yankees to sign with Seattle.
And of course there's been the whole Alex Rodriguez biogenesis circus.
CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira haven't really been the same since. The only player to have improved in that squad since that time has been Brett Gardner. Andy Pettitte came back briefly, but in the end he bowed out with Mariano Rivera last year. That left Derek Jeter as the last of the 'Core Four'.
To be honest, the swashbuckling Derek Jeter we knew and loved finished at the end of 2012, dramatically fracturing his ankle in the post-season. It was as if it was as far as his body would carry him and it just broke. He's been nothing like he was before that injury. In 2013 he tried to come back and that was mostly an abortive attempt. This year he declared would be his last, and as the season winds down it is clear he really hasn't been the same player he was before the ankle injury. It's been painful watching his at bats. Pitches he would have drilled in his better days would get fouled off or turn into weak grounders. It's been so bad, it's not been worth talking about. And now it's all mercifully coming to an end.
With that comes a tidal wave of reflection.
Back in the 70's when I was a kid, I used to watch the Bronx Zoo Yankees and wonder about single digit Yankee players. You can just go through them: 3 was BabeRuth; 4 was Lou Gehrig, 5 was Joe DiMaggio; there was no 6, 7 was Mickey Mantle, 8 was Yogi Berra; and 9... 9 was my fave Yankee growing up Graig Nettles. Nettles was a good player, but he wasn't a great player like Ruth Gehrig, DiMaggio or Mantle - He was a bit better than Chase Headley is today and that's about it. Nettles was awfully funny in interviews which is why I liked him. The Captain of that incarnation of the Yankees was Thurman Munson, and the big bat belonged to Reggie Jackson. It was a great team I'll never forget, but they were only together for about 5years.
Then sometime in early 1996 I noticed the Yankees were starting this shortstop wearing '2' and my jaw dropped. It's a big call, giving a single digit in that organisation, but there he was. And the Yankees won the World Series that year for the first time in 18years. The rest is, as we say, history. Over the years he's been exactly that player the Yankees needed, nothing less, and probably even more than they hoped for. And he did it for almost four times as long as the Bronx Zoo Yankees were together.
The 20years he has been playing in the Major Leagues is in of itself a mind bogglingly long time by any measure in sport. It's a stretch of time that takes me back to other odd moments. It goes back to the year the Australian test cricket team finally defeated the Windies at their home grounds. It goes back to a time Mark Taylor was the captain of that team. It goes back to a Wimbledon where Pete Sampras defeated Boris Becker, and Stefi Graf defeated Arantxa Sanchez. It was the year of the OJ Simpson trial. Feeling old now? I certainly do. It was the year The Atlanta Braves beat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series. I remember watching Chipper Jones in his remarkable rookie year.
The barracking, cheering and rooting for the Yankees for that length of time allowed me to relive my childhood in my spare time in such a way that I forgot I was growing old - seriously old!. For 20years, I followed the games, day in day out season in, season out. I lived and died by the moments and made mental notes on how to be graceful and gracious in the way he was, in both triumph and defeat. I held on to a flame that kept burning - a flame I had almost forgotten, and left behind with a pile of old memories. Instead, he provided a whole new bunch of memories.
When I sift through all the moments and stats, I'm most affected by the 2001 post season. It came right on the heels of the 9/11 World Trade Centre event. The world was reeling. You felt for New York City. The Yankees were reaching for one more World Series win with the late '90s Dynasty squad. Along the way to the World Series, we saw the Flip which cemented his name in history like no other play. But most poignant of all was the 'Mr November' Home Run. The Yankees needed a miracle and at the stroke of midnight, the World Series crashed into November for the first time in history. yet another grim reminder of 9/11 and how it was changing the world in front of our eyes.
Moments later, Jeter launched that defiant home run which eventually sent the Series to Game 7. It was as if New York City needed something extra, a piece of something to hope on, and Jeter was there to deliver it. America needed something to save it from despair and for a moment the Yankees were everybody's team and Jeter provided that something with one stroke. The Yankees didn't win Game 7, but it was a moral victory of sorts that the Yankees went as far as they did that year. Without a doubt Jeter truly was the heart and soul of that defiant team.
Even as his career creeks to a rickety end, the memories are piled up like trophies. I am, from the bottom of my heart, grateful that he came along. Every game he played, there was every chance he would do something truly inspiring and extraordinary; and because of that all those days were filled with a happy anticipation. As those moments grew fewer in-between, I've been readying myself for this moment. No, he's not going to die or anything; yes, he too is the luckiest man on the face of this earth; but he will be gone. And so we think thoughts like when we try and compose eulogies and obituaries.
I realise today that what we hang meaning upon in our lives can be so arbitrary. There would be countless Yankee fans who will be waking up to this very thought when Jeter has put down his bat one last time. Maybe it will be waking up from a long, magical intoxicating, enchanting dream. In that, I feel a great kinship to countless people in New York City, across America and probably across the globe. He was a once-in-a-lifetime Yankee great and we've had ours, and now it's done.
I imagine I will look for him on the field when the Yankees take the field next spring, even knowing he's retired and gone. No, he won't be there. It will startle me. They'll still be the Yankees, they'll still be all that wining tradition and glorious history, but it will be the moment that will hit home that I'm just "rooting for the laundry" as Seinfeld would have it. I can't imagine how other fans will see the new guy manning shortstop. That guy, whoever he is, is not going to be as good as Jeter, for we know he can't be. And I'll know, we will never see the likes of Derek Jeter ever again in our lifetime.
2010/06/15
Sport Nut Weekend
Get Some Perspective On The World Cup
The big news this morning is how dismally Australia lost to Germany in its first match in the World Cup. 4-0 sure is a whuppin', and nobody has anything nice to say about Australia's sons of the moment, the Socceroos.
Australia for all its posturing this time is mostly an older team of the same old guys from 2006. They couldn't have expected to do better than last time.
Which is a bit mean. I just want to write this post because I want us to get some perspective on what it is that the Socceroos were up against.
Firstly, without a shred of a doubt this tournament means more to Germans than any Australian. Germany is a three time winner of the World Cup and it's almost the only World Cup they contest. They don't contest the Cricket, Rugby World Cups, and they sure as hell don't send squads to the World Baseball Classic. I can't quite recall if they've ever threatened to win Olympic Gold in Ice Hockey. I don't think they even field a credible Basketball team, while Australia does. I don't even know if they have ever sent a team to the Netball World Cup. Soccer/Football is the it sport in Germany.
Australia on the other hand contest just about all of these World Comps except maybe Ice Hockey, but I'm sure there will eventually be a marsupially named squad in the future trying to get there. The point is, it's a bit rich for Australia to come at Football with the hopes of rolling with the top-5 nation of the sport. Or even Top-8. And if they don't, it's no slur on Australia's sporting prowess for not being within shouting distance of drawing with Germany. Being there, competing on the World Cup Stage is already an immense, towering accomplishment for the sport in Australia.
Some people are saying it's an embarrassing loss. I just can't go with that, even though a) I hate soccer and b) am no fan of soccer fandom, I have an appreciation of how deep the world's love for that sport is and where that depth is spread. There are nations out there that have no shot of being there, but it's still their no.1 sport. Think about that for a moment. It's like the no.5-6 sport in Australia in terms of exposure and we've got a team competing against the best of the best.
Talking about this match without that perspective is really disrespectful for an opponent that's steeped in the sport. It is inherently insane for Australia to think that it can equally be competitive at the ultimate level at Football. So much would have to change for Australia to be that good.
A World Cup Of What? - Part 1
This all got me to thinking about this notion of World Cups. Cricket's World Cup and the Baseball World Baseball Classic field 16 teams in the group stage. In either competition, the tail end of the 16 look a little ragged. It's really the top-8 in each competition that has a shot at the last 4 with few surprises. The gap between the top 8 and next 8 nations is in fact huge.
The same applies to the Rugby World Cup. Japan has been turning up to the Rugby World Cup each time but it's never gotten out of the group stage. Japan has the distinction of copping the worst hiding in Test matches, but it has also handed out the next worst hiding to minnows Taiwan. Should they be there or not? If they weren't there, would it still be a 'World Cup'? You could argue Rugby isn't too deep, but then there are such results as the horrible thrashing Australia handed out to Canada in cricket at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
In each case, there's the Top 8 and the rest.
While it is true that the World Cup of Football fields 32 teams in the group stage from 200 odd nations, it is arguable that it is only the top-8 that have a serious shot at the finals. Yes, Football is deep and wide across the planet, but at its core it's still only about 8 nations. The rest of them are like window dressing to make the word 'World' stand up. We should revel in the fact that we make such good window-dressing.
A World Cup of What? - Part 2
Here are some rhetorical questions to go with the above:
Is it any surprise that Australia has won 2 Rugby World Cups?
Is it any surprise that Australia has won 4 Cricket World Cups?
Is it any surprise that Japan is a 2-time champion at the World Baseball Classic?
Is it any surprise that Brazil has won the FIFA World Cup 5 times?
Is it any surprise that Germany hasn't won a World Cup in Cricket or Rugby, or that it hasn't even fielded a team in the WBC?
Dare we even mention the Rugby League World Cup?
Is it reasonable/rational to expect Australia to get out of the Group Stage at the FIFA World Cup?
The Wrong Code
Australia will never relinquish League and AFL and Rugby in order to concentrate on one code of football. Therefore should we even hope to win the FIFA World Cup one day? We're the equivalent of the Kenyans at the Cricket World Cup.
In other news, the Yankees are on top of the AL East having swept the Astros. I'm pleased with that.
The big news this morning is how dismally Australia lost to Germany in its first match in the World Cup. 4-0 sure is a whuppin', and nobody has anything nice to say about Australia's sons of the moment, the Socceroos.
Australia for all its posturing this time is mostly an older team of the same old guys from 2006. They couldn't have expected to do better than last time.
That delusion lasted as long as it took for decoy forward Richard Garcia to snatch a shot on the turn, only to have it blocked. The rest of the match was benign tyranny, football royalty lording it over commoners. Or, eschewing empirical metaphors, the Germans' movements were intricate, precise and oily, like a German- engineered car. Australia bumped along in a paddock basher.
The goals hurt; of course, they did. But they were only to be expected, and deceptive in their simplicity; it was the simplicity that lies on the other side of complexity. The multitude of bookings hurt, because they had implications not only on the night, but for whatever Australia can hope to salvage from this tournament now. They also implied that Australia was a team of second resort.
But the red card for the talismanic Tim Cahill hurt most, because it was the massacre of hope.
Beneath the croaking of the vuvuzelas, there was now a hush. Even the German fans appeared shocked. The sentiment trapped inside the stadium now was more like a fart. Coach Pim Verbeek did not bother with Harry Kewell, or Josh Kennedy or Marco Bresciano; it would have been a waste of their time. A crowd of more than 60,000 thinned by half. Miserably, many of the Australians were going home to tents.
Australia thought it was better than this. Australia WAS better than this, four years ago. Hell, Australia was better than this in the 1974 World Cup when a team of amateurs played a stronger West German team than this German team, and lost by merely 3-0. It took more than 30 years to return to the World Cup as peers. This setback will have repercussions for a long time, on the field and off.
Which is a bit mean. I just want to write this post because I want us to get some perspective on what it is that the Socceroos were up against.
Firstly, without a shred of a doubt this tournament means more to Germans than any Australian. Germany is a three time winner of the World Cup and it's almost the only World Cup they contest. They don't contest the Cricket, Rugby World Cups, and they sure as hell don't send squads to the World Baseball Classic. I can't quite recall if they've ever threatened to win Olympic Gold in Ice Hockey. I don't think they even field a credible Basketball team, while Australia does. I don't even know if they have ever sent a team to the Netball World Cup. Soccer/Football is the it sport in Germany.
Australia on the other hand contest just about all of these World Comps except maybe Ice Hockey, but I'm sure there will eventually be a marsupially named squad in the future trying to get there. The point is, it's a bit rich for Australia to come at Football with the hopes of rolling with the top-5 nation of the sport. Or even Top-8. And if they don't, it's no slur on Australia's sporting prowess for not being within shouting distance of drawing with Germany. Being there, competing on the World Cup Stage is already an immense, towering accomplishment for the sport in Australia.
Some people are saying it's an embarrassing loss. I just can't go with that, even though a) I hate soccer and b) am no fan of soccer fandom, I have an appreciation of how deep the world's love for that sport is and where that depth is spread. There are nations out there that have no shot of being there, but it's still their no.1 sport. Think about that for a moment. It's like the no.5-6 sport in Australia in terms of exposure and we've got a team competing against the best of the best.
Talking about this match without that perspective is really disrespectful for an opponent that's steeped in the sport. It is inherently insane for Australia to think that it can equally be competitive at the ultimate level at Football. So much would have to change for Australia to be that good.
A World Cup Of What? - Part 1
This all got me to thinking about this notion of World Cups. Cricket's World Cup and the Baseball World Baseball Classic field 16 teams in the group stage. In either competition, the tail end of the 16 look a little ragged. It's really the top-8 in each competition that has a shot at the last 4 with few surprises. The gap between the top 8 and next 8 nations is in fact huge.
The same applies to the Rugby World Cup. Japan has been turning up to the Rugby World Cup each time but it's never gotten out of the group stage. Japan has the distinction of copping the worst hiding in Test matches, but it has also handed out the next worst hiding to minnows Taiwan. Should they be there or not? If they weren't there, would it still be a 'World Cup'? You could argue Rugby isn't too deep, but then there are such results as the horrible thrashing Australia handed out to Canada in cricket at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
In each case, there's the Top 8 and the rest.
While it is true that the World Cup of Football fields 32 teams in the group stage from 200 odd nations, it is arguable that it is only the top-8 that have a serious shot at the finals. Yes, Football is deep and wide across the planet, but at its core it's still only about 8 nations. The rest of them are like window dressing to make the word 'World' stand up. We should revel in the fact that we make such good window-dressing.
A World Cup of What? - Part 2
Here are some rhetorical questions to go with the above:
Is it any surprise that Australia has won 2 Rugby World Cups?
Is it any surprise that Australia has won 4 Cricket World Cups?
Is it any surprise that Japan is a 2-time champion at the World Baseball Classic?
Is it any surprise that Brazil has won the FIFA World Cup 5 times?
Is it any surprise that Germany hasn't won a World Cup in Cricket or Rugby, or that it hasn't even fielded a team in the WBC?
Dare we even mention the Rugby League World Cup?
Is it reasonable/rational to expect Australia to get out of the Group Stage at the FIFA World Cup?
The Wrong Code
Australia will never relinquish League and AFL and Rugby in order to concentrate on one code of football. Therefore should we even hope to win the FIFA World Cup one day? We're the equivalent of the Kenyans at the Cricket World Cup.
In other news, the Yankees are on top of the AL East having swept the Astros. I'm pleased with that.
2009/09/06
Yankees Update - 05/09/09
Rolling Right Along
The Yankees finished sweeping the White Sox, swept the Orioles and took 2 of the 4 game set with the Blue Jays this week. More importantly, the Yankees are ahead 8.5 in the AL East and have a 7.5 game edge on the Angels for the Home field advantage in the play offs. They have a 0.640 winning percentage for the season. This may in fact be the best Yankee team since 1998, because they're on pace to finish with 104 wins.
Looking back, this past August was great.It was the month where this team put its signature on the season by all but eliminating the Red Sox from the AL East contention by going 21-7 scoring 175 runs and allowing 123.
All is good.
7 Guys With 20 Homers
The Yankees tied the MLB record for having 20HR guys on a team. The previous marks were set by the '96 Orioles, '00 Blue Jays and the '05 Rangers. If Derek Jeter (17) can hit 3 more, they'll be breaking that record too. He may not, but it's something to aim for.
This might be the best lineup since 1980 according to the RLYW. Signing Tex might not have been so much a stroke of genius as a stroke of excess, but if there's anything the Steinbrenner years have taught us, nothing succeeds like excess.
Not Relinquishing Leads
The Yankees are 59-1 in games going in to the 7th with a lead according to the NYT.
The bullpen's been pretty amazing as of late. If there's one thing I like about Joe Girardi, it's the fact that he goes with the effective arm rather than choose the veteran guys like Torre did.
If I Had To Nit Pick...
... but Joba is not pitching well. Regardless of the Joba rules and all else, he's simply pitching like crap at the moment.
The Yankees finished sweeping the White Sox, swept the Orioles and took 2 of the 4 game set with the Blue Jays this week. More importantly, the Yankees are ahead 8.5 in the AL East and have a 7.5 game edge on the Angels for the Home field advantage in the play offs. They have a 0.640 winning percentage for the season. This may in fact be the best Yankee team since 1998, because they're on pace to finish with 104 wins.
Looking back, this past August was great.It was the month where this team put its signature on the season by all but eliminating the Red Sox from the AL East contention by going 21-7 scoring 175 runs and allowing 123.
All is good.
7 Guys With 20 Homers
The Yankees tied the MLB record for having 20HR guys on a team. The previous marks were set by the '96 Orioles, '00 Blue Jays and the '05 Rangers. If Derek Jeter (17) can hit 3 more, they'll be breaking that record too. He may not, but it's something to aim for.
This might be the best lineup since 1980 according to the RLYW. Signing Tex might not have been so much a stroke of genius as a stroke of excess, but if there's anything the Steinbrenner years have taught us, nothing succeeds like excess.
Not Relinquishing Leads
The Yankees are 59-1 in games going in to the 7th with a lead according to the NYT.
“It’s not often when you get to save games on the Yankees when your name’s not Mariano,” Hughes said after retiring the final four hitters Saturday to collect his third save of the season in the Yankees’ 6-4 victory over the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre.
Hughes finished a relief relay that included Dave Robertson and Brian Bruney. They did not allow a hit in three innings and preserved the victory for Andy Pettitte, who had a rare second-half sluggish start.
“The bullpen again came in the game and did their job, every single one of them” Manager Joe Girardi said. “Sometimes you need a little bit more from your bullpen and we got it today.”
The Yankees (87-49) improved to 59-1 when leading after six innings. A day after they may as well have wielded white flags in place of bats during Roy Halladay’s one-hit gem, Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano paced the offense with solo home runs.
The bullpen's been pretty amazing as of late. If there's one thing I like about Joe Girardi, it's the fact that he goes with the effective arm rather than choose the veteran guys like Torre did.
If I Had To Nit Pick...
... but Joba is not pitching well. Regardless of the Joba rules and all else, he's simply pitching like crap at the moment.
2009/08/30
Yankees Update - 30/08/09
Getting There
Since the big series in Boston where the Yankees stamped their authority on the AL East, the last fortnight has been a process of working through the numbers. Their long road trip out west finished with a 7-3 record, and while they lot the series to Texas at home 2-1, they've won 2 so far of their 3 game series with the White Sox. While the tension has somewhat gone out of the AL East race, the Yankees still have to get through September.
Even losing 2 of 3 to the Texas Rangers was interesting in that, it makes it just that harder for the Red Sox to get their Wild Card berth; an while you wouldn't exactly accuse the Yankees of tanking it, it's actually a nice result given the context of the race for the post-season. The only time losing a series this season felt okay.
New Joba Rules
Joba came out of his 8 day break and sucked. So now they have new Joba rules. It's a case where the desire to limit the innings and the need to get him to stay effective as a starter are beginning to work against each other. Clearly he needs the routine, so they're going to give him the starts, just limit the innings. Fortunately the Sergio Mitre-Chad Gaudin combo of a 5th starter has begun to work. Today's combined shut out by those guys is actually very useful. So it might be the case where Joba will pitch regularly, just not that long into the game any more. Certainly not until the post-season.
Andy Pettitte Wants To Keep Pitching
Most people were assuming he was going to retire but he's now making noises about going a bit longer. Well, with the sort of money on the table, why wouldn't you? Well, I'd be okay with that if he takes a similar incentive deal.
Derek Jeter's Magic Run
Captain Intangibles is about to reach a Yankee milestone later this season. he is likely going to pass Lou Gehrig as the career hits leader for the Yankees. I'm sort of amazed he's passed Bernie Williams let alone Babe Ruth, but there you go. Today, I consider him to be the luckiest man on the face of this earth. :)
Since the big series in Boston where the Yankees stamped their authority on the AL East, the last fortnight has been a process of working through the numbers. Their long road trip out west finished with a 7-3 record, and while they lot the series to Texas at home 2-1, they've won 2 so far of their 3 game series with the White Sox. While the tension has somewhat gone out of the AL East race, the Yankees still have to get through September.
Even losing 2 of 3 to the Texas Rangers was interesting in that, it makes it just that harder for the Red Sox to get their Wild Card berth; an while you wouldn't exactly accuse the Yankees of tanking it, it's actually a nice result given the context of the race for the post-season. The only time losing a series this season felt okay.
New Joba Rules
Joba came out of his 8 day break and sucked. So now they have new Joba rules. It's a case where the desire to limit the innings and the need to get him to stay effective as a starter are beginning to work against each other. Clearly he needs the routine, so they're going to give him the starts, just limit the innings. Fortunately the Sergio Mitre-Chad Gaudin combo of a 5th starter has begun to work. Today's combined shut out by those guys is actually very useful. So it might be the case where Joba will pitch regularly, just not that long into the game any more. Certainly not until the post-season.
Andy Pettitte Wants To Keep Pitching
Most people were assuming he was going to retire but he's now making noises about going a bit longer. Well, with the sort of money on the table, why wouldn't you? Well, I'd be okay with that if he takes a similar incentive deal.
Derek Jeter's Magic Run
Captain Intangibles is about to reach a Yankee milestone later this season. he is likely going to pass Lou Gehrig as the career hits leader for the Yankees. I'm sort of amazed he's passed Bernie Williams let alone Babe Ruth, but there you go. Today, I consider him to be the luckiest man on the face of this earth. :)
2009/08/17
Yankees Update - 16/08/09
Thank Goodness For Bad Teams
After the Sweep over Boston, the Yankees took 2 of 3 from Toronto and now 3 of 4 from Seattle. Seattle have been particularly futile with the bat and have scored the least runs in the AL, 7 runs shy of Kansas City's mark.That being said, the run differential for Seattle is a mere -57 compared to a whopping -127 for Kansas City. They are a good defensive club.
To be fair to Toronto, their run differential suggests they should be over .500, but alas they are 5 games under. While Yankees' only loss came in the game after the Boston series where they sent Sergio "Meat-Tray" Mitre to the mound to face the Blue Jays - a kind of come-down loss after an important series, Mitre managed to pitch well enough for today's 5-2 win.
That's Not To Say They're Not Playing Well
The Yankees' run differential as of today is +111, which just happens to to LA Dodgers' run differential as we speak. In the Al, Boston is in fact the closest with a +81, closely followed by LA Angels' +72 Tampa's +71. When you consider how lackluster the Yankees' April was, we're talking about a team that has carved up the competition since Mid-May.
And yes, their lead is now 7.5 games. If the Yankees simply played .500 ball the rest of the way they'll finish at 97 wins. In all honesty, you have to say the Red Sox are still pretty good, but the Yankees are just that much better.
I don't think there's been a Yankee squad this good since 2002 or 2003, and even those squads had suspect defense. This team might be better than those teams. Don't be surprised if this squad blows by 105 wins.
The Bullpen is Mightier Than Most
Peter Abraham notes that the Yankee bullpen has allowed only 1 run in 20.2 innings. 8 out of 11 outs were strikeouts on today's game.
With Brian Bruney coming back to form and Phil Hughes handling the 8th, and Mo being Mo, the Yankees are shortening the game to 6innings. This is without talking about David Robertson and Phil Coke who have been very serviceable this year. The current bullpen does not feature a single pitcher below replacement level. That's pretty remarkable.
I've stopped complaining some weeks ago. I'm just taking in all the glory of this team this year. My fearless prodiction is the they will be hosting the Dodgers for the World Series, facing Mr. Torre. Echoes of 1977-1978.
After the Sweep over Boston, the Yankees took 2 of 3 from Toronto and now 3 of 4 from Seattle. Seattle have been particularly futile with the bat and have scored the least runs in the AL, 7 runs shy of Kansas City's mark.That being said, the run differential for Seattle is a mere -57 compared to a whopping -127 for Kansas City. They are a good defensive club.
To be fair to Toronto, their run differential suggests they should be over .500, but alas they are 5 games under. While Yankees' only loss came in the game after the Boston series where they sent Sergio "Meat-Tray" Mitre to the mound to face the Blue Jays - a kind of come-down loss after an important series, Mitre managed to pitch well enough for today's 5-2 win.
That's Not To Say They're Not Playing Well
The Yankees' run differential as of today is +111, which just happens to to LA Dodgers' run differential as we speak. In the Al, Boston is in fact the closest with a +81, closely followed by LA Angels' +72 Tampa's +71. When you consider how lackluster the Yankees' April was, we're talking about a team that has carved up the competition since Mid-May.
And yes, their lead is now 7.5 games. If the Yankees simply played .500 ball the rest of the way they'll finish at 97 wins. In all honesty, you have to say the Red Sox are still pretty good, but the Yankees are just that much better.I don't think there's been a Yankee squad this good since 2002 or 2003, and even those squads had suspect defense. This team might be better than those teams. Don't be surprised if this squad blows by 105 wins.
The Bullpen is Mightier Than Most
Peter Abraham notes that the Yankee bullpen has allowed only 1 run in 20.2 innings. 8 out of 11 outs were strikeouts on today's game.
With Brian Bruney coming back to form and Phil Hughes handling the 8th, and Mo being Mo, the Yankees are shortening the game to 6innings. This is without talking about David Robertson and Phil Coke who have been very serviceable this year. The current bullpen does not feature a single pitcher below replacement level. That's pretty remarkable.
I've stopped complaining some weeks ago. I'm just taking in all the glory of this team this year. My fearless prodiction is the they will be hosting the Dodgers for the World Series, facing Mr. Torre. Echoes of 1977-1978.
2009/08/09
Yankees Update - 08/08/09
Putting The Foot Down
After going 9-1 on the homestand, the Yankees hit the road. They took 2 of 3 in Tampa Bay, but dropped 3 in a row against the White Sox before winning the last game in a 4-game set. Then, they won 2 in Toronto, thus going 5-4 on the road before coming back to face the Red Sox for a 4 game set.The Red Sox lost 2 of 3 in Tampa Bay coming into New York, which was very nice of them because it resulted in keeping the game difference at 2.5, just as it was when the Yankees hit the road. .
The Yankees then won 3 straight; one in a display of offense, one in a 0-0 15 inning game where A-Rod hit a walk-off in the bottom of the 15th (he's a true Yankee now LOL); and a 5-0 shutout behind CC Sabathia. Andy Pettitte faces Jon Lester tomorrow, but by wining 3 out of 4 in this series, the Yankees have taken their ply-off probability to 94.2% according to the RLYW.
That's very nice. So, the Yankees are now 5.5 games ahead of the Red Sox, with a 69.4% chance of winning the Division.That's a very big swing considering if the Red Sox swept this series, the Yankees' odds would have been whittled down to 31.4%. If the Yankees win tomorrow, they will be at 80.2% likely to win the Division. All this goes to show this series is perhaps the decider of the Division.
The Trades And Pickups
The Yankees made some very subtle moves this year. There was no big Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle trade; no David Justice kind of deal; most certainly not Roy Halladay on a silver platter. Instead they got Jerry Hairston Jr. who is a very talented utility player and they picked up Chad Gaudin off the waiver wire.
Back in the day before Robbie Cano hit the scene, the Orioles had Jerry Hairston Jr and Brian Roberts to choose as their future 2B and they chose the latter. You could see why, and it has subsequently been shown to have been the right choice.
![]()
That's not to say Hairston Jr. is too far behind Roberts in value. He plays 6 positions, with 3B being the weakest. He's a nice complement to Eric Hinske and makes the bench that much deeper - and lends the outmatched Cody Ransom to be DFA'd. Thank goodness for that.
Gaudin is a different story. Gaudin has been kicking around the MLB for 7 seasons, starting out with the Rays. In 3 out of 7 of those seasons, he's been on the unlucky side of BABIP, including this year. The curve pretty much shadows his career ERA. He was an extreme Groundballer in '07 and this year, but he's also been above average with the HR/9 stat as well.
His problem is that he walks too many guys but his K/BB ratio sits at about league average this year. He's most certainly an interesting choice coming out of the pen for a couple innings, but you wouldn't want to give him starts.
David Ortiz' Excuse
Ortiz said his vitamins were contaminated and he never knowingly took steroids.
Weak.
UPDATE (on an Update):
And a sweep of the Red Sox essentially puts the Yankees in the drver's seat for the Division. This is good. The RLYW reports that the play off odds update is now:
I think this is the best Yankee squad since 2003. While it's not a clinch, they've sewn up the division 9/10ths of the way and including the unlikely slide back to 2nd, they are going to the play-offs with a 98.5% probability at this point.
That's huge. Of all the outcomes going into this series, a massacre-sweep of this magnitude against a team that has worn the best team in baseball moniker for the first 3 months of the season, is just fantastic.
Hey, this sweep was so good my mother called me up to tell me. :)
After going 9-1 on the homestand, the Yankees hit the road. They took 2 of 3 in Tampa Bay, but dropped 3 in a row against the White Sox before winning the last game in a 4-game set. Then, they won 2 in Toronto, thus going 5-4 on the road before coming back to face the Red Sox for a 4 game set.The Red Sox lost 2 of 3 in Tampa Bay coming into New York, which was very nice of them because it resulted in keeping the game difference at 2.5, just as it was when the Yankees hit the road. .
The Yankees then won 3 straight; one in a display of offense, one in a 0-0 15 inning game where A-Rod hit a walk-off in the bottom of the 15th (he's a true Yankee now LOL); and a 5-0 shutout behind CC Sabathia. Andy Pettitte faces Jon Lester tomorrow, but by wining 3 out of 4 in this series, the Yankees have taken their ply-off probability to 94.2% according to the RLYW.
...here’s a look at how things stand. Yankees: 65-42, 58.7% Div, 29.4% WC, 88.1% PL (chances at winning division, wild card, and making playoffs respectively)
Red Sox: 62-44, 36.7% Div, 41.4% WC, 78.1% PL
So let’s run through the possible outcomes:
Red Sox sweep
Yankees: 65-46, 31.4% Div, 45.4% WC, 76.8% PL
Red Sox: 66-44, 62.1% Div, 28.0% WC, 90.0% PL
Me breaking lots of stuff.
Red Sox take three of four
Yankees: 66-45, 43.4% Div, 42.5% WC, 85.9% PL
Red Sox: 65-45, 50.2% Div, 38.1% WC, 88.4% PL
Me breaking a fair amount of stuff.
Red Sox and Yankees split four
Yankees: 67-44, 60.7% Div, 30.3% WC, 91.0% PL
Red Sox: 64-46, 33.6% Div, 48.1% WC, 81.6% PL
Me breaking a thing or two.
Yankees take three of four
Yankees: 68-43, 69.4% Div, 24.8% WC, 94.2% PL
Red Sox: 63-47, 25.5% Div, 51.4% WC, 76.9% PL
Me slightly happy.
Yankees sweep
Yankees: 69-42, 80.2% Div, 15.9% WC, 96.1% PL
Red Sox: 62-48, 15.6% Div, 53.4% WC, 69.0% PL
That's very nice. So, the Yankees are now 5.5 games ahead of the Red Sox, with a 69.4% chance of winning the Division.That's a very big swing considering if the Red Sox swept this series, the Yankees' odds would have been whittled down to 31.4%. If the Yankees win tomorrow, they will be at 80.2% likely to win the Division. All this goes to show this series is perhaps the decider of the Division.
The Trades And Pickups
The Yankees made some very subtle moves this year. There was no big Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle trade; no David Justice kind of deal; most certainly not Roy Halladay on a silver platter. Instead they got Jerry Hairston Jr. who is a very talented utility player and they picked up Chad Gaudin off the waiver wire.
Back in the day before Robbie Cano hit the scene, the Orioles had Jerry Hairston Jr and Brian Roberts to choose as their future 2B and they chose the latter. You could see why, and it has subsequently been shown to have been the right choice.
That's not to say Hairston Jr. is too far behind Roberts in value. He plays 6 positions, with 3B being the weakest. He's a nice complement to Eric Hinske and makes the bench that much deeper - and lends the outmatched Cody Ransom to be DFA'd. Thank goodness for that.
Gaudin is a different story. Gaudin has been kicking around the MLB for 7 seasons, starting out with the Rays. In 3 out of 7 of those seasons, he's been on the unlucky side of BABIP, including this year. The curve pretty much shadows his career ERA. He was an extreme Groundballer in '07 and this year, but he's also been above average with the HR/9 stat as well.
His problem is that he walks too many guys but his K/BB ratio sits at about league average this year. He's most certainly an interesting choice coming out of the pen for a couple innings, but you wouldn't want to give him starts.
David Ortiz' Excuse
Ortiz said his vitamins were contaminated and he never knowingly took steroids.
Weak.
UPDATE (on an Update):
And a sweep of the Red Sox essentially puts the Yankees in the drver's seat for the Division. This is good. The RLYW reports that the play off odds update is now:
Instant Playoff Odds Update
Yankees: 90.1% Div, 8.4% WC, 98.5% PL
Red Sox: 7.8% Div, 57.2% WC, 65.0% PL
I think this is the best Yankee squad since 2003. While it's not a clinch, they've sewn up the division 9/10ths of the way and including the unlikely slide back to 2nd, they are going to the play-offs with a 98.5% probability at this point.
That's huge. Of all the outcomes going into this series, a massacre-sweep of this magnitude against a team that has worn the best team in baseball moniker for the first 3 months of the season, is just fantastic.
Hey, this sweep was so good my mother called me up to tell me. :)
2009/07/26
Yankees Update 26/07/09
Keep Winning Baby
I always have something to say with the Yankees. The pitching this, the batting that, the bullpen this, the bench that.
Well, when they go 8-0 since the All-Star Break, and are now leading the AL East by 2.5games, you sort o have to shrug and admit it: They're playing really well. As of now, they are playing .615 ball, which equates to a 99 win pace. If they can keep that up, they'll win the division.
Interestingly enough, if the Yankees had gone 4-4 instead of 0-8 with the Red Sox, then the respective records would be 63-33 and 52-43. So it's impressive to see that even accounting for the anomalous 4 game advantage they've spotted the Red Sox, the Yankees are leading the division.
That's the good news.
The bad news is that the Yankees have played pretty crap against Division leaders. They've gone 5-15. If you subtract out the Red Sox, they're still 5-7 against teams leading their divisions. On top of which, 3 of those wins came against the Tigers recently. Which is to say, it's going to be interesting to see how the rest of the Yankees' encounters with the Rays and Red Sox will go.
Judging the rest of the schedule from the All-Star break, the Red Sox and Yankees are essentially going to play the same teams, so seeing the Red Sox stumble with a losing streak while the Yankees won 8 on the trot again helps.
The scuffling in April seems a while ago now.
A Confession
Back in April, I was in a bad mood on many a day. I blamed it on lots of things, but the dirty little secret is that I was lying. Truth is, if the Yankees lose, I tend to see the result before I even get to the door to go to work and I'm a terribly grump bastard when they lose. I'm a bad person for being that way, I know, but I've always been a more magnanimous, chilled, smugly calm entity on the days that the Yankees have won. I think it's something Karmic, and I doubt I'm going to outgrow it in my lifetime. I like being smug - let Red Sox fans gnash their enamel-depleted teeth and richly gripe and moan. The world is better that way.
It's just how I feel. A week where the Yankees don't lose is like a week in heaven.
I always have something to say with the Yankees. The pitching this, the batting that, the bullpen this, the bench that.
Well, when they go 8-0 since the All-Star Break, and are now leading the AL East by 2.5games, you sort o have to shrug and admit it: They're playing really well. As of now, they are playing .615 ball, which equates to a 99 win pace. If they can keep that up, they'll win the division.
Interestingly enough, if the Yankees had gone 4-4 instead of 0-8 with the Red Sox, then the respective records would be 63-33 and 52-43. So it's impressive to see that even accounting for the anomalous 4 game advantage they've spotted the Red Sox, the Yankees are leading the division.
That's the good news.
The bad news is that the Yankees have played pretty crap against Division leaders. They've gone 5-15. If you subtract out the Red Sox, they're still 5-7 against teams leading their divisions. On top of which, 3 of those wins came against the Tigers recently. Which is to say, it's going to be interesting to see how the rest of the Yankees' encounters with the Rays and Red Sox will go.
Judging the rest of the schedule from the All-Star break, the Red Sox and Yankees are essentially going to play the same teams, so seeing the Red Sox stumble with a losing streak while the Yankees won 8 on the trot again helps.
The scuffling in April seems a while ago now.
A Confession
Back in April, I was in a bad mood on many a day. I blamed it on lots of things, but the dirty little secret is that I was lying. Truth is, if the Yankees lose, I tend to see the result before I even get to the door to go to work and I'm a terribly grump bastard when they lose. I'm a bad person for being that way, I know, but I've always been a more magnanimous, chilled, smugly calm entity on the days that the Yankees have won. I think it's something Karmic, and I doubt I'm going to outgrow it in my lifetime. I like being smug - let Red Sox fans gnash their enamel-depleted teeth and richly gripe and moan. The world is better that way.
It's just how I feel. A week where the Yankees don't lose is like a week in heaven.
2009/07/12
Yankees Update 11/07/09
Thank God For The Twins
The Yankees had a good week where they finished off the series with Toronto by winning the 3rd and losing the 4th, only to roll into Minnesota to play the Twins. The Yankees wen ton to sweep the Twins, and then with all but the Angels remaining before the all star break, seemed to go on a mental holiday.
The Yankees have thus gone 4-3 this week.
The Twins this season seem to have some kind of mental block about playing the Yankees, a bit like how the Yankees have a mental block about playing Boston and so, they've not won a game against the Yankees this year in 7 encounters. This 7-0 record has helped the Yankees balance out the 0-9 record they have against the Red Sox, which sort of explains how the 2 teams are at around 2 games difference in standings.
Why Can't They Beat These Guys? Part 4 - The Los Angeles Angels of Annaheim
When it gets down to it, the Angels have been the nightmare team for the Yankees this decade. They're the only team that has a winning record against the Yankees in the AL this decade. Much of that has been them exploiting the weak defenses the many Yankees squads have had this decade, with their put-the-ball-in-play style.
The Angels always seem to have just enough pitching to hold the Yankees' bats down and just enough contact hitting to outscore what their pitching gives up. What amazes me is that the Yankees don't seem to have devised any tactic or strategy against this team over the years, except add more bats in Free Agency.
What's disappointing this year is that even with improved defense and pitching, the Yankees are getting nickel-and-dimed to a tune of 10 runs by the Angels offense whils scoring 6 runs. You' think 6 runs should be good enough to win most games.
Joba Sucked This Last Month
I should know, I have him on my lone fantasy roster this year. He was doing better earlier in the season but he seems to have lost a little zip. He's striking out fewer and he's got an ERA around 4.25. In the last month his ERA has been sitting at 5.16 with 23 Ks in 29.2 innings. I don't think that's really cutting it. Together with the inured Wang and Andy Pettitte who is a ERA 4.50 sort of guy now, the Yankees need better pitching out of all their home-grown starters.
The Yankees had a good week where they finished off the series with Toronto by winning the 3rd and losing the 4th, only to roll into Minnesota to play the Twins. The Yankees wen ton to sweep the Twins, and then with all but the Angels remaining before the all star break, seemed to go on a mental holiday.
The Yankees have thus gone 4-3 this week.
The Twins this season seem to have some kind of mental block about playing the Yankees, a bit like how the Yankees have a mental block about playing Boston and so, they've not won a game against the Yankees this year in 7 encounters. This 7-0 record has helped the Yankees balance out the 0-9 record they have against the Red Sox, which sort of explains how the 2 teams are at around 2 games difference in standings.
Why Can't They Beat These Guys? Part 4 - The Los Angeles Angels of Annaheim
When it gets down to it, the Angels have been the nightmare team for the Yankees this decade. They're the only team that has a winning record against the Yankees in the AL this decade. Much of that has been them exploiting the weak defenses the many Yankees squads have had this decade, with their put-the-ball-in-play style.
The Angels always seem to have just enough pitching to hold the Yankees' bats down and just enough contact hitting to outscore what their pitching gives up. What amazes me is that the Yankees don't seem to have devised any tactic or strategy against this team over the years, except add more bats in Free Agency.
What's disappointing this year is that even with improved defense and pitching, the Yankees are getting nickel-and-dimed to a tune of 10 runs by the Angels offense whils scoring 6 runs. You' think 6 runs should be good enough to win most games.
Joba Sucked This Last Month
I should know, I have him on my lone fantasy roster this year. He was doing better earlier in the season but he seems to have lost a little zip. He's striking out fewer and he's got an ERA around 4.25. In the last month his ERA has been sitting at 5.16 with 23 Ks in 29.2 innings. I don't think that's really cutting it. Together with the inured Wang and Andy Pettitte who is a ERA 4.50 sort of guy now, the Yankees need better pitching out of all their home-grown starters.
2009/06/14
Yankees Update 15/06/09
Why Can't They Beat These Guys? Part 3
The Yankees won the series against the Rays only to be swept by the Red Sox, and then split the 2 games played with the Mets thus going 3-4 this week. It's a drag that the Yankees just can't beat the Red Sox this year. The 8-0 record this season is the worst ever. Previous worst had to go back to 1912 when the Yankees were still the Highlanders playing at the Polo grounds.
The bottom line on that 8-0 is that it's like giving the Red Sox a 4 game head start in the standings. To make up for that 4 game head start, the Yankees are probably going to have to keep on winning series against the Rays and the rest of the AL West at all costs. Either that, or sweep Boston 8-0 in the next 8 encounters. That 4-game swing could be the difference of the division this year.
Subway Series ...Again
I'm beginning to dislike these interleague games. They seem to exist just so they can get 2 of these Subway Series in each year. I'm sure it's a good box office draw, but the Yankees playing the Mets while the Blue Jays play the Marlins and the Rays play the Nats seems really daft. Besides which, the novelty has completely worn off.
I dunno. My enthusiasm overall might have waned. A week where they get swept by the Red Sox can do that to you.
The Yankees won the series against the Rays only to be swept by the Red Sox, and then split the 2 games played with the Mets thus going 3-4 this week. It's a drag that the Yankees just can't beat the Red Sox this year. The 8-0 record this season is the worst ever. Previous worst had to go back to 1912 when the Yankees were still the Highlanders playing at the Polo grounds.
The bottom line on that 8-0 is that it's like giving the Red Sox a 4 game head start in the standings. To make up for that 4 game head start, the Yankees are probably going to have to keep on winning series against the Rays and the rest of the AL West at all costs. Either that, or sweep Boston 8-0 in the next 8 encounters. That 4-game swing could be the difference of the division this year.
Subway Series ...Again
I'm beginning to dislike these interleague games. They seem to exist just so they can get 2 of these Subway Series in each year. I'm sure it's a good box office draw, but the Yankees playing the Mets while the Blue Jays play the Marlins and the Rays play the Nats seems really daft. Besides which, the novelty has completely worn off.
I dunno. My enthusiasm overall might have waned. A week where they get swept by the Red Sox can do that to you.
2009/06/07
Yankees Update 06/06/09
Still No. 1
After losing the series to the Phillies, the Yankees won 2 series against the Indians and Rangers. The Indians have been scuffling so that was not particularly surprising, and the league leading Rangers were possibly not for real. The opening game with Tampa was washed out, and they lost the first game. Over all, the Yankees went 4-4 this week. They really could do with a win against Tampa tomorrow.
In amongst all that, the Yankees went into this weekend tied with the Red Sox for the division lead. Boston might look like they're scuffling with injuries but they're still pretty competitive.
Wang Returns To Rotation
Chien-Ming Wang and Phil Hughes swapped places as Hughes went to the bullpen and Wang pitched the last game against the Rangers. He only lasted 4.2 innings, 2 of which were good and 2 of which were shaky.
The indication is that his sinker has got its sink back. He's steadily been reducing his ERA from the enormous 34.50 it blew out to, so if nothing else, he's probably pitching closer to league average. Because the front end of the rotation is stacking up to be Sabathia, Burnett, Chamberlain and Pettitte in order of effectiveness, the Hughes/Wang spot is now the fifth starter role. Wang just need to be able to go 6-7 innings with an ERA of 4.5 to be useful.
The Hitting Is Much Better
As of this writing, the Yankee team offense line is .281/.358/.483 for the season. A team hitting .841 collectively is a pretty solid. Teixeira is hitting .284, with an OPS of .993. A-Rod is only at .250, but his OPS is .916. Swisher's OPS is .906, Posada is hitting 1.030, and Jeter, Cano, Melky, Damon and Matsui are hitting over .800 in their OPS. That's a pretty solid team. Certainly, it's not surprising for Cano to be there and they're career norms for Jeter, Damon, and Matsui.
At this point, it's pretty close to the way the team was drawn up as an offense. Maybe A-Rod's average could be higher, Maybe Melky is over-achieving, Xavier Nady is not quite in the picture due to injury, but the rest of it is as projected.
The Starting Pitching is Mostly Sound
As mentioned before, the Starters have been doing much better in the last 5 weeks. Still, looking at the pitchers, it's not as impressive as what the batters are doing, apart from Sabathia and Chamberlain.
Pettitte's ERA is at 4.50 which is league average-ish. Burnett has had a couple of rough starts where his ERA has blown out to 4.69. Phil Hughes was sitting at 5.40. Wang of course has pared back his ERA down to 14.46 in his brief relief outings.
Pettitte had an ugly patch in late April through to early May where he gave up 13 runs in 17.2 innings. Since then he's given up 14 in 29.2 IP.
In the case of Burnett, he's ben steadily paring back his ERA since that game where he gave up 8 runs, but he had a couple of hiccups with games against the Blue Jays and the Phillies where he gave up 5. He's been good in the other 7 or so starts.
After losing the series to the Phillies, the Yankees won 2 series against the Indians and Rangers. The Indians have been scuffling so that was not particularly surprising, and the league leading Rangers were possibly not for real. The opening game with Tampa was washed out, and they lost the first game. Over all, the Yankees went 4-4 this week. They really could do with a win against Tampa tomorrow.
In amongst all that, the Yankees went into this weekend tied with the Red Sox for the division lead. Boston might look like they're scuffling with injuries but they're still pretty competitive.
Wang Returns To Rotation
Chien-Ming Wang and Phil Hughes swapped places as Hughes went to the bullpen and Wang pitched the last game against the Rangers. He only lasted 4.2 innings, 2 of which were good and 2 of which were shaky.
The indication is that his sinker has got its sink back. He's steadily been reducing his ERA from the enormous 34.50 it blew out to, so if nothing else, he's probably pitching closer to league average. Because the front end of the rotation is stacking up to be Sabathia, Burnett, Chamberlain and Pettitte in order of effectiveness, the Hughes/Wang spot is now the fifth starter role. Wang just need to be able to go 6-7 innings with an ERA of 4.5 to be useful.
The Hitting Is Much Better
As of this writing, the Yankee team offense line is .281/.358/.483 for the season. A team hitting .841 collectively is a pretty solid. Teixeira is hitting .284, with an OPS of .993. A-Rod is only at .250, but his OPS is .916. Swisher's OPS is .906, Posada is hitting 1.030, and Jeter, Cano, Melky, Damon and Matsui are hitting over .800 in their OPS. That's a pretty solid team. Certainly, it's not surprising for Cano to be there and they're career norms for Jeter, Damon, and Matsui.
At this point, it's pretty close to the way the team was drawn up as an offense. Maybe A-Rod's average could be higher, Maybe Melky is over-achieving, Xavier Nady is not quite in the picture due to injury, but the rest of it is as projected.
The Starting Pitching is Mostly Sound
As mentioned before, the Starters have been doing much better in the last 5 weeks. Still, looking at the pitchers, it's not as impressive as what the batters are doing, apart from Sabathia and Chamberlain.
Pettitte's ERA is at 4.50 which is league average-ish. Burnett has had a couple of rough starts where his ERA has blown out to 4.69. Phil Hughes was sitting at 5.40. Wang of course has pared back his ERA down to 14.46 in his brief relief outings.
Pettitte had an ugly patch in late April through to early May where he gave up 13 runs in 17.2 innings. Since then he's given up 14 in 29.2 IP.
In the case of Burnett, he's ben steadily paring back his ERA since that game where he gave up 8 runs, but he had a couple of hiccups with games against the Blue Jays and the Phillies where he gave up 5. He's been good in the other 7 or so starts.
2009/05/31
Yankees Update 31/05/09
Leaping To The Top
The 2 week drive that saw the Yankees go 8-2 placed them to be back in the race last weekend. This week the Yankees lost the third game to the World Champion Phillies, but won a series in Texas and the first game in Cleveland, going 3-2. It was enough to place the Yankees at the top of the AL East by half a game.
Jorge Posada has come back, and while Melky Cabrera fell and hurt his shoulder, Brett Gardner has been there to hit really well. The Yankees have finally got most of the lineup they thought they would have with the exception of Xavier Nady. That being said, the big turnaround was probably chracterised more by better pitching than hitting.
With a third of the season gone, we're starting to see what this team is capable of doing. If they ca build on the lead and go to Boston with a few games in the standings, it would be a good thing, Winning there might just determine the season.
Joba To The Pen?
For some reason, this crowd just won't shut up. It's insane, but this week saw the Bleacher Report take the line that Joba was better as the intimidator in the 8th inning. As Joe Girardi noted, the good thing about Presidential debates is that they end. This one just keeps going.
Chien-Ming Wang In The Bullpen
With Phil Hughes pitching well as a starter in the last 2 outings, Wang is still consigned to the bullpen. It really comes down to the fact that between 6 pitchers going in to 5 spots. With three taken by Sabathia Pettitte & Burnett, it's Joba, Hughes and Wang trying to fit into 2 spots.
After 2 relief outing, Wang looks like he has some of his sink back. It maybe the case that Wang pitches 'Teh Eighth' until such time that a starter is needed. I's not a bad thing having pitching depth. This year, the Yankees have not had to dig deep down to option no. 7, 8 and 9, unlike 2005-2008. Ian Kennedy and Kei Igawa are not within shouting distance of the Bronx this year, while Alfredo Aceves is yet to make a start.
I know it's early days but signing AJ Burnett in the off-season was a good deal.
Swisher's Blues
After hitting like Ruth in April, Swisher has been struggling at the plate in May. He took a HBP to the elbow in early May and has been hititng like crud since. It's reminiscent of Jeter last year when he got hit in the hand by Daniel Cabrera in May and he didn't really hit the way he can until September.
I just wonder when Swisher is going to stop hurting and turn it around.
Derek Jeter Nudges .300
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that Jeter's BABIP was way below his career norm. In the last few weeks he has seen it rise to above league average, and with it, he has rasied his Average to close to.300. It doesn't seem like Jeter is actually slowing down at all.
In the field, Jeter's defense has been average for Shortstop, with a UZR/150 of 0.7. Even at 35, reports of his demise were probably premature.The Yankees actually need to figure out a way of not letting him get so banged up.
F*ck You Pavano
Carl Pavano went 5-1 for the Indians this May. It's more wins than he ever got for the Yankees.
The 2 week drive that saw the Yankees go 8-2 placed them to be back in the race last weekend. This week the Yankees lost the third game to the World Champion Phillies, but won a series in Texas and the first game in Cleveland, going 3-2. It was enough to place the Yankees at the top of the AL East by half a game.
Jorge Posada has come back, and while Melky Cabrera fell and hurt his shoulder, Brett Gardner has been there to hit really well. The Yankees have finally got most of the lineup they thought they would have with the exception of Xavier Nady. That being said, the big turnaround was probably chracterised more by better pitching than hitting.
With a third of the season gone, we're starting to see what this team is capable of doing. If they ca build on the lead and go to Boston with a few games in the standings, it would be a good thing, Winning there might just determine the season.
Joba To The Pen?
For some reason, this crowd just won't shut up. It's insane, but this week saw the Bleacher Report take the line that Joba was better as the intimidator in the 8th inning. As Joe Girardi noted, the good thing about Presidential debates is that they end. This one just keeps going.
Chien-Ming Wang In The Bullpen
With Phil Hughes pitching well as a starter in the last 2 outings, Wang is still consigned to the bullpen. It really comes down to the fact that between 6 pitchers going in to 5 spots. With three taken by Sabathia Pettitte & Burnett, it's Joba, Hughes and Wang trying to fit into 2 spots.
After 2 relief outing, Wang looks like he has some of his sink back. It maybe the case that Wang pitches 'Teh Eighth' until such time that a starter is needed. I's not a bad thing having pitching depth. This year, the Yankees have not had to dig deep down to option no. 7, 8 and 9, unlike 2005-2008. Ian Kennedy and Kei Igawa are not within shouting distance of the Bronx this year, while Alfredo Aceves is yet to make a start.
I know it's early days but signing AJ Burnett in the off-season was a good deal.
Swisher's Blues
After hitting like Ruth in April, Swisher has been struggling at the plate in May. He took a HBP to the elbow in early May and has been hititng like crud since. It's reminiscent of Jeter last year when he got hit in the hand by Daniel Cabrera in May and he didn't really hit the way he can until September.
I just wonder when Swisher is going to stop hurting and turn it around.
Derek Jeter Nudges .300
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that Jeter's BABIP was way below his career norm. In the last few weeks he has seen it rise to above league average, and with it, he has rasied his Average to close to.300. It doesn't seem like Jeter is actually slowing down at all.
In the field, Jeter's defense has been average for Shortstop, with a UZR/150 of 0.7. Even at 35, reports of his demise were probably premature.The Yankees actually need to figure out a way of not letting him get so banged up.
F*ck You Pavano
Carl Pavano went 5-1 for the Indians this May. It's more wins than he ever got for the Yankees.
2009/05/24
Yankees Update 24/05/09
A Much Better Week
Since that horrible 1-5 week a fortnight ago, the Yankees have turned it around putting in a 9-game winning streak. In the process they have wiped off the 2 game deficit below .500 and are now 6 games above for the first time this season. The winning pct for the season is .585, which is very close to what they need to make the 95win mark, which may or may not be enough to make the post-season. Anything short of 95wins on the other hand means they will be counting on others to fail, which is not where they want to be.
The streak included the 2 wins against the Twins in the remainder of that 4 game series and a 3game sweep of the Orioles this week. So they have managed to undo the damage of that 1-5, immediately following on. The Blue Jays were swept by the Red Sox this week so they've fallen back to the pack. The Red Sox themselves have been playing at a .600 clip in the last 10 games, but the Yankees have managed to close on them as well.
Then of course they ended the streak by losing to the Phillies, but they won one today, so the week is 5-1. At 1.5 off the Division lead, the Yankees aren't looking as bad as 2 weeks ago. It's nice that the Yankees have done so well to recover from that week, but it means they have to keep it up to catch the Blue Jays and Red Sox.
Francisco Cervelli
The big revelation during this stretch has been the guy who got the call-up from AA, catcher Francisco Cervelli. Cervelli has been an integral part of the winning streak where he has hit .323/.344/.323 His catching skills have been praised soundly, but that batting average has been gravy. His OBP was sitting at .393 through to the May 19 game.
The reports on Cervelli were that his hitting was not as impressive as his catching, but he has come in from Trenton which is a pitchers' park. Of course Ramiro Pena's bat has cooled significantly. We sort of wonder what Angel Berroa is still doing on the40-man roster, given that we lost Steve Jackson to the Pirates.
The Pirates Have Kidnapped Our Pitchers
The supposedly upcoming pitching depth of recent years has somehow ended up in the Pirates. The list includes Jeff Karstens, Russ Ohlendorf, Eric Hacker and now Steve Jackson. Steve Jackson was claimed off waivers by the Pirates and the Yankees got nothing back in return. Worse still, Steve Jackson was the last player the Yankees got in the ditching of Randy Johnson - which was ditching a guy that was useless to them, however you'd still want *something* when you trade him away.
When you add in Jose Tabata, it looks like the Pirates are busily rebuilding from Yankee spare parts. Maybe they'll even trade for Eric Duncan.
Part of it is a function of having signed CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett while keeping Joba, Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes and re-signing Pettitte. There just weren't going to be spots for these guys. Still, it's weird seeing all these names over with the Pirates.
Don't Want To Jinx Them But...
The C&C hit factory, Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera are doing very well at the moment. Last year Cabrera had a great April that looked like he was turining into Bernie Williams. Then he went on to have a truly below-replacement level season. So, I'm tempering my praise but he's looking very good hitting .317/.370/.500. He's also doing this on league average BABIP so that indicates he's done it without much luck. The increase in his line-drive percentage is very encouraging.
Cano is back to his 2007 level of production. He's hitting .317/.354/.527, which is very handy to have coming out of second base. What's encouraging about Cano is that his BABIP is not out of line with his 2006 and 2007.
Since that horrible 1-5 week a fortnight ago, the Yankees have turned it around putting in a 9-game winning streak. In the process they have wiped off the 2 game deficit below .500 and are now 6 games above for the first time this season. The winning pct for the season is .585, which is very close to what they need to make the 95win mark, which may or may not be enough to make the post-season. Anything short of 95wins on the other hand means they will be counting on others to fail, which is not where they want to be.
The streak included the 2 wins against the Twins in the remainder of that 4 game series and a 3game sweep of the Orioles this week. So they have managed to undo the damage of that 1-5, immediately following on. The Blue Jays were swept by the Red Sox this week so they've fallen back to the pack. The Red Sox themselves have been playing at a .600 clip in the last 10 games, but the Yankees have managed to close on them as well.
Then of course they ended the streak by losing to the Phillies, but they won one today, so the week is 5-1. At 1.5 off the Division lead, the Yankees aren't looking as bad as 2 weeks ago. It's nice that the Yankees have done so well to recover from that week, but it means they have to keep it up to catch the Blue Jays and Red Sox.
Francisco Cervelli
The big revelation during this stretch has been the guy who got the call-up from AA, catcher Francisco Cervelli. Cervelli has been an integral part of the winning streak where he has hit .323/.344/.323 His catching skills have been praised soundly, but that batting average has been gravy. His OBP was sitting at .393 through to the May 19 game.
The reports on Cervelli were that his hitting was not as impressive as his catching, but he has come in from Trenton which is a pitchers' park. Of course Ramiro Pena's bat has cooled significantly. We sort of wonder what Angel Berroa is still doing on the40-man roster, given that we lost Steve Jackson to the Pirates.
The Pirates Have Kidnapped Our Pitchers
The supposedly upcoming pitching depth of recent years has somehow ended up in the Pirates. The list includes Jeff Karstens, Russ Ohlendorf, Eric Hacker and now Steve Jackson. Steve Jackson was claimed off waivers by the Pirates and the Yankees got nothing back in return. Worse still, Steve Jackson was the last player the Yankees got in the ditching of Randy Johnson - which was ditching a guy that was useless to them, however you'd still want *something* when you trade him away.
When you add in Jose Tabata, it looks like the Pirates are busily rebuilding from Yankee spare parts. Maybe they'll even trade for Eric Duncan.
Part of it is a function of having signed CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett while keeping Joba, Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes and re-signing Pettitte. There just weren't going to be spots for these guys. Still, it's weird seeing all these names over with the Pirates.
Don't Want To Jinx Them But...
The C&C hit factory, Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera are doing very well at the moment. Last year Cabrera had a great April that looked like he was turining into Bernie Williams. Then he went on to have a truly below-replacement level season. So, I'm tempering my praise but he's looking very good hitting .317/.370/.500. He's also doing this on league average BABIP so that indicates he's done it without much luck. The increase in his line-drive percentage is very encouraging.
Cano is back to his 2007 level of production. He's hitting .317/.354/.527, which is very handy to have coming out of second base. What's encouraging about Cano is that his BABIP is not out of line with his 2006 and 2007.
2009/05/17
Yankees Update 17/05/09
A Better Week
After going 1-5 in the previous week, the Yankees have gone 5-1 with a 4 game winning streak this week to bring them a couple of games over .500. The week started with closing out the Baltimore series with a win, then taking 2 from 3 in Toronto and winning the first 2 games of the Minnesota series at home. They need to do the same again in the coming week against Baltimore and the rest of the Minnesota series, but also the Philadelphia.
Philadelphia? Yes I guess it's that time of year when inter-league play begins.
Trading Minor League Arms
The Yankees DFA'ed Eric Hacker and ended up having to trade him to the Pirates. It's a bit of a drag because Hacker was showing signs that he could contribute to the big league down the track. The pitcher they got back in return is Romulo Sanchez.
I've been playing 'ML Front Office' on my PS3 lately and I've been 'rebuilding the Pirates'. Rebuilding the Pirates meant basically sweeping out the cupboard and keeping only the players with some ceiling. Sanchez is a guy I've kept; and if it hadn't been for the game, I would have no idea who he was.
Johnny Damon On Fire
Walk-year candidate for a special season Johnny Damon has been on fire. He's leading the Yankees in AVG, Homers, Runs and RBIs thus far. I doubt they'd bring him back, but you never know. It's hard to say just who is going to be out there as a LF candidate this off-season. The smart money is on Matt Holliday, but he's been pretty crap to date with a 250/.316/.403 line.
While just under a quarter of a season doesn't really mean much, I'd want to see more than a .719 OPS playing in the AL West from Holliday before I feel like he's a great investment for multiple years.
Somebody Else's Problem Now
I can't help but notice that Randy Johnson is having some diffculty getting to his 300wins. Once upon a time he looked like he wasn't that far away from it, pitching in Pinstripes, but we know how that went. It's sort of funny to see him trying for San Francisco where they continue to invest in old hands.
As of this writing, Johnson is still on 298 and lost to the Mets. Just for the record, his ERA right now is 6.86. That sure sounds familiar.
After going 1-5 in the previous week, the Yankees have gone 5-1 with a 4 game winning streak this week to bring them a couple of games over .500. The week started with closing out the Baltimore series with a win, then taking 2 from 3 in Toronto and winning the first 2 games of the Minnesota series at home. They need to do the same again in the coming week against Baltimore and the rest of the Minnesota series, but also the Philadelphia.
Philadelphia? Yes I guess it's that time of year when inter-league play begins.
Trading Minor League Arms
The Yankees DFA'ed Eric Hacker and ended up having to trade him to the Pirates. It's a bit of a drag because Hacker was showing signs that he could contribute to the big league down the track. The pitcher they got back in return is Romulo Sanchez.
I've been playing 'ML Front Office' on my PS3 lately and I've been 'rebuilding the Pirates'. Rebuilding the Pirates meant basically sweeping out the cupboard and keeping only the players with some ceiling. Sanchez is a guy I've kept; and if it hadn't been for the game, I would have no idea who he was.
Johnny Damon On Fire
Walk-year candidate for a special season Johnny Damon has been on fire. He's leading the Yankees in AVG, Homers, Runs and RBIs thus far. I doubt they'd bring him back, but you never know. It's hard to say just who is going to be out there as a LF candidate this off-season. The smart money is on Matt Holliday, but he's been pretty crap to date with a 250/.316/.403 line.
While just under a quarter of a season doesn't really mean much, I'd want to see more than a .719 OPS playing in the AL West from Holliday before I feel like he's a great investment for multiple years.
Somebody Else's Problem Now
I can't help but notice that Randy Johnson is having some diffculty getting to his 300wins. Once upon a time he looked like he wasn't that far away from it, pitching in Pinstripes, but we know how that went. It's sort of funny to see him trying for San Francisco where they continue to invest in old hands.
As of this writing, Johnson is still on 298 and lost to the Mets. Just for the record, his ERA right now is 6.86. That sure sounds familiar.
2009/05/10
Yankees Update 09/05/09
Well That Sucked
5 straight losses. 2 to the Bosox, 3 to the Rays. Phil Hughes lost. Joba lost. AJ Burnett lost. Andy lost. It was a really forgettable week. Joba struck out 12 in 5.1 innings, but that was about the highlight of the string of losses. They then won one behind CC but are in the process of losing today as I write.
Today's probable loss will put them at 14-16, 2 games below .500. What's becoming evident about this team as with the team last year is that they just don't like they're capable of going on a hot streak where they win 6 or 7 in a row, and do it a couple times before July which is what they need to get back above .500 and stay there. In a nutshell, they need 2 weeks of all-wins to make up for a week of all-losses and get back on a 95-win pace, which is what they'll need just to sniff the post-season.
Guess Who's Back?
In amongst all the losses, You-know-who came back and sent the first pitch over the wall. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Alex Rodriguez! As he was meant to be. He said he didn't take steroids as a teen. Beyond which he said he wasn't going to address Selena Roberts' book. At this point in time, it's probably a good call. The return of A-Rod's bat is probably the best news this week.
Injury Plagues More
Both Jorge Posada and Jose Molina have ended up on the DL. So, just as the Yankees make up the fall from A-Rod to a coterie of Ransom, Berroa and Pena, they get to los it in the drop from Posada-Molina to Cash-Cervelli. If the former was a 7 win drop, this is still like a 5 win drop. It sucks, believe you me.
Nady, Wang and Bruney are still out. It's like a MASH unit again with Posada and Molina out.
Meanwhile Ian Kennedy at AAA got diagnosed with an aneurism in the arm and went under the knife. It's notable on this list because the pitching has been atrocious and anything that depletes the depth is bad. It means that if Wang is out and Phil Hughes keeps stringing bad starts, they might have to look past Kennedy to look at Kei Igawa. Most fans don't want another Igawa start in pinstripes ever again.
Phil Franchise
Not only did Phil Hughes lose against the Sawx, he took a shellacking today. I don't know about you, but it seems the guy dominates AAA only to get hit hard at the major level. He does throw in a couple of good starts, so clearly he can pitch at the major level. Maybe he's tipping his pitches? Maybe he's being tentative? Maybe the jump from AAA to AL East is much bigger than we think? Whatever the case I hope he puts it together by the next start, if not now.
Derek Jeter And His declining BABIP
Derek Jeter is hitting .260 or so with a .770 OPS. His BABIP is sitting at .290 as of this writing. That's about 80 points short of his career level, but when you go look at the fangraphs of BABIP over the years, you see a steady decline in the last 4 seasons. It's either the case that the short stop position is catching up to his legs, or that there's something different in his swing - he's hit 4 HRs to date with an ISO of .150 which is uncharacteristic at this point.
Or it could just bee that he's been a little unlucky again and this will all correct itself as the season progresses. I don't know, but I just thought I'd mention it here.
5 straight losses. 2 to the Bosox, 3 to the Rays. Phil Hughes lost. Joba lost. AJ Burnett lost. Andy lost. It was a really forgettable week. Joba struck out 12 in 5.1 innings, but that was about the highlight of the string of losses. They then won one behind CC but are in the process of losing today as I write.
Today's probable loss will put them at 14-16, 2 games below .500. What's becoming evident about this team as with the team last year is that they just don't like they're capable of going on a hot streak where they win 6 or 7 in a row, and do it a couple times before July which is what they need to get back above .500 and stay there. In a nutshell, they need 2 weeks of all-wins to make up for a week of all-losses and get back on a 95-win pace, which is what they'll need just to sniff the post-season.
Guess Who's Back?
In amongst all the losses, You-know-who came back and sent the first pitch over the wall. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Alex Rodriguez! As he was meant to be. He said he didn't take steroids as a teen. Beyond which he said he wasn't going to address Selena Roberts' book. At this point in time, it's probably a good call. The return of A-Rod's bat is probably the best news this week.
Injury Plagues More
Both Jorge Posada and Jose Molina have ended up on the DL. So, just as the Yankees make up the fall from A-Rod to a coterie of Ransom, Berroa and Pena, they get to los it in the drop from Posada-Molina to Cash-Cervelli. If the former was a 7 win drop, this is still like a 5 win drop. It sucks, believe you me.
Nady, Wang and Bruney are still out. It's like a MASH unit again with Posada and Molina out.
Meanwhile Ian Kennedy at AAA got diagnosed with an aneurism in the arm and went under the knife. It's notable on this list because the pitching has been atrocious and anything that depletes the depth is bad. It means that if Wang is out and Phil Hughes keeps stringing bad starts, they might have to look past Kennedy to look at Kei Igawa. Most fans don't want another Igawa start in pinstripes ever again.
Phil Franchise
Not only did Phil Hughes lose against the Sawx, he took a shellacking today. I don't know about you, but it seems the guy dominates AAA only to get hit hard at the major level. He does throw in a couple of good starts, so clearly he can pitch at the major level. Maybe he's tipping his pitches? Maybe he's being tentative? Maybe the jump from AAA to AL East is much bigger than we think? Whatever the case I hope he puts it together by the next start, if not now.
Derek Jeter And His declining BABIP
Derek Jeter is hitting .260 or so with a .770 OPS. His BABIP is sitting at .290 as of this writing. That's about 80 points short of his career level, but when you go look at the fangraphs of BABIP over the years, you see a steady decline in the last 4 seasons. It's either the case that the short stop position is catching up to his legs, or that there's something different in his swing - he's hit 4 HRs to date with an ISO of .150 which is uncharacteristic at this point.
Or it could just bee that he's been a little unlucky again and this will all correct itself as the season progresses. I don't know, but I just thought I'd mention it here.
2009/05/03
Yankees Update 02/05/09
Doing It Tough But Phil Was Huge
The Yankees ended up being swept in Boston at the start of the week. Considering they had the Sox on the ropes in 2 of the games, it was hard to take those losses and to get swept.
They then rolled into Detroit where CC Sabathia pitched 8 innings and still lost 4-2. Then, something good started to show. Phil Hughes pitched 6 strong innings for a win, followed by Job Chamberlain who also pitched into the 6th and got his first win. The Yankees then returned home to face the Angels and won 2 interesting, edgy games with walk off hits by Melky Cabrera and Jorge Posada. That left the Yankees 2 games behind division leaders Toronto, unti of course they lost today's game 8-4.
The Bullpen Is Flammable
The 2 games coughed up in Boston were in no small part due to the bullpen. In fact, the leads coughed up in the Angels game also were due to some bad outings from the pen.The ERA of these guys are looking really ugly as we speak:
So right now, 3 of the 7 guys in the pen are good, the rest are dreck. Things can't keep going this way, what with Joba pitching to about 5.2 innings and Phil Hughes filling in for Chine-Ming Wang. Surely there will be some changes shortly.
Ramiro Pena
The guys that the Yankees get to fill infor their injured superstars can be surprising. Erick Almonte in his stint filling in for Derek Jeter back in 2003 did all right. Cody Ransom filling in for A-Rod was less impressive, and then got injured. Right now, the man filling in at 3B for A-Rod and Ransom is Ramiro Pena who has hit 8-for 17 in the last 5 games. His line now sits at .333/.393/.367. Anybody can hit anything in 5 games, but it's nice to get that out of your second string utility player.
Tex, It's May Now
So you can commence hitting.
A .189 Ave is pretty yuck, but he's walked 5 times in the last week. As a result his OBP is sitting at .358. He's still helping when he's not hitting, but in an injured-Jason-Giambi kind of way. That being said, actually hitting some would be nicer.
A-Rod Miasma
There have been more leaks from Selena Roberts' upcoming book about A-Rod, imaginatively titled 'A-Rod'.
The new assertions are that he took steroids since high school and that he tipped pitches to opposing players back in Texas - Doug Mientkiewicz who played with him in High School said it was unlikely, because he was with him 20hours a day and didn't see it. Other allegations include how A-Rod is totally obsessed with Derek Jeter and how he was playing up with strippers and hookers while his wife Cynthia was pregnant.
Even if you think 90% of these allegations are wrong in some way, it leaves the picture of a guy who isn't exactly the kind of guy you'd want to have as role model for your children. All the same, you probably shouldn't have superstar athletes as role models for your children - parents should be the role models for their own kids.
The Yankees ended up being swept in Boston at the start of the week. Considering they had the Sox on the ropes in 2 of the games, it was hard to take those losses and to get swept.
They then rolled into Detroit where CC Sabathia pitched 8 innings and still lost 4-2. Then, something good started to show. Phil Hughes pitched 6 strong innings for a win, followed by Job Chamberlain who also pitched into the 6th and got his first win. The Yankees then returned home to face the Angels and won 2 interesting, edgy games with walk off hits by Melky Cabrera and Jorge Posada. That left the Yankees 2 games behind division leaders Toronto, unti of course they lost today's game 8-4.
The Bullpen Is Flammable
The 2 games coughed up in Boston were in no small part due to the bullpen. In fact, the leads coughed up in the Angels game also were due to some bad outings from the pen.The ERA of these guys are looking really ugly as we speak:
- Edwar Ramirez 5.40
- Jose Veras 7.94
- Damaso Marte 15.19
- Jonathan Albaladejo 7.50
- Mark Melancon 2.70
- Phil Coke 3.72
- Mariano Rivera 2.79
So right now, 3 of the 7 guys in the pen are good, the rest are dreck. Things can't keep going this way, what with Joba pitching to about 5.2 innings and Phil Hughes filling in for Chine-Ming Wang. Surely there will be some changes shortly.
Ramiro Pena
The guys that the Yankees get to fill infor their injured superstars can be surprising. Erick Almonte in his stint filling in for Derek Jeter back in 2003 did all right. Cody Ransom filling in for A-Rod was less impressive, and then got injured. Right now, the man filling in at 3B for A-Rod and Ransom is Ramiro Pena who has hit 8-for 17 in the last 5 games. His line now sits at .333/.393/.367. Anybody can hit anything in 5 games, but it's nice to get that out of your second string utility player.
Tex, It's May Now
So you can commence hitting.
A .189 Ave is pretty yuck, but he's walked 5 times in the last week. As a result his OBP is sitting at .358. He's still helping when he's not hitting, but in an injured-Jason-Giambi kind of way. That being said, actually hitting some would be nicer.
A-Rod Miasma
There have been more leaks from Selena Roberts' upcoming book about A-Rod, imaginatively titled 'A-Rod'.
The new assertions are that he took steroids since high school and that he tipped pitches to opposing players back in Texas - Doug Mientkiewicz who played with him in High School said it was unlikely, because he was with him 20hours a day and didn't see it. Other allegations include how A-Rod is totally obsessed with Derek Jeter and how he was playing up with strippers and hookers while his wife Cynthia was pregnant.
Even if you think 90% of these allegations are wrong in some way, it leaves the picture of a guy who isn't exactly the kind of guy you'd want to have as role model for your children. All the same, you probably shouldn't have superstar athletes as role models for your children - parents should be the role models for their own kids.
2009/04/23
CJ Henry Sighting
A Bust Is A Bust
The last we heard of CJ Henry was when he went and played basketball with his brother Xavier. Now he is at the centre of some problem in the NCAA because of the tuition fees that came about because of his signing that original contract with the Yankees.
Goodness that signing in 2005 was terrible, even if it netted Bobby Abreu at the trade deadline in 2006. I know it's beating a dead horse, but in retrospect CJ Henry was an awful, awful, awful choice.
The last we heard of CJ Henry was when he went and played basketball with his brother Xavier. Now he is at the centre of some problem in the NCAA because of the tuition fees that came about because of his signing that original contract with the Yankees.
The Yankees, you see, signed C.J. out of high school in 2005 (after he had committed to play basketball for Kansas). Three years later C.J. gave up his baseball dream to play at Memphis. At the time it was reported that C.J.'s contract with the Yankees stipulated that the team would pay for his college education should he ever want to return to school. So, when C.J. did just that in 2008, the Yankees footed the bill and C.J. joined the Tigers basketball team as a walk-on. (Because of his deal with the Yanks, C.J. wasn't eligible for a scholarship.) Due to that deal, Henry won't require a scholarship next year should he stay at Memphis or transfer to Kansas or Kentucky, a nice bonus for Bill Self or Calipari, who won't have to free up scholarship room for both Henry brothers. Got all that?
Goodness that signing in 2005 was terrible, even if it netted Bobby Abreu at the trade deadline in 2006. I know it's beating a dead horse, but in retrospect CJ Henry was an awful, awful, awful choice.
2009/04/19
Yankees Update 19/04/09
Up And Down Week
This week saw the Yankees squeeze by the Royals in the third game of that series, win 2 of 3 from the Rays and then return to NY to open the new stadium. The troubling thing about the Rays an Indians series has been how the Yankees have lost the opening games of the respective series in blow outs.
The Yankees dropped their first game against the Rays in a horrific pitching meltdown by Wang, then won two pitching duels behind AJ Burnett (who took a no-hitter into the seventh) and Andy Pettitte.
With the Indians, CC Sabathia pitched a forgettable game against his old team for a loss, while Joba pitched an ugly 4.2 innings which eventually led to a Yankee win. Today. Wang has expolded on the mound again. Keeping in mind that teams tend to up their intensity with the Yankees, a pitcher in April can be vulnerable to a lineup trying to drive up the pitch count.
On the other hand, Wang has been pitching like a fireman trying to hose down the Towering Inferno with gasoline. His sinker has had no sink this season so far. This week saw two games where he pitched 1 inning of double digit ERA. Whatever it is that he's doing wrong, he needs to fix it now.
After all that rigamorole, the Yankees still sit at .500.
Who Is That Masked Man?
Nick Swisher has been hitting like Ruth. Well, better than Ruth actually, with a .406/.486/1.000. line, he also managed to pitch a scoreless inning in his lone relief appearance in a blowout. If nothing else, picking up of Nick Swisher for Wilson Betemit has been paying immediate dividends to a club that is actually struggling with injuries.
Robinson Cano has also been hitting like his old self. Well, better than his old self in small sample-size heaven with his .421/.488/.632 line making him a very valuable bat in an otherwise flagging lineup.
Those Injuries
Xavier Nady who won the RF job from Swisher has a tear in his elbow tendon and may be looking at season ending surgery. The poor man is in his contract walk year. It's very unfortunate for him, because the Yankees will have to move on from him and once they do, it's unlikely they'll bring him back after a second Tommy John surgery.
Hideki Matsui is also having trouble with his reconstructed knees. I might have mentiond this before but the years of playing on artificial turf at the Tokyo Dome and going for the consecutive games record may have taken their toll. Maybe it was symbolic that he got past Shigeo Nagashima's Japanese homerun record with his lone homer in his first game.
On top of this, Mark Teixeira has been struggling with a sore wrist, for which he received a cortisone shot. There's apparently no structural damage. Then there is Johnny Damon who has the flu, and then of course A-Rod who is rehabbing his hip. This means the Yankees have been fielding lineups with Cody Ransom, Ramiro Pena and Melky Cabrera. Brett Gardner hasn't exactly been helping just yet.
It's Early Days Yet - Part 1
It really is still too early, which brings about some small sample-size quirks. Derek Jeter is the best fielding shortstop though April 17. In the 10 game stretch, his zone rating is .920, and he's fielding at a 30runs saved per 162 clip. That's 3.4 wins with the glove! It won't last.
It's Early Days Yet - Part 2
A quick look at Scranton Wilkes-Barre had me smiling. Anthony Jackson is killing the ball with a 1.123 OPS. So is Juan Miranda with a q.092 OPS.Miranda of course got called up to replace the injured bats. A-Jax is going to be kept at AAA to get those at-bats, but it may turn out that he'll be up at the big league level a lot sooner.
It's Early Days Yet - Part 3
Hiding a bit further down the list is good frien Eric Duncan with a solid .895 OPS. For the first time in a long while, Duncan has gotten off to a good start.
I know, I know, every year I hope for Duncan to do well. He is the Yankees' 2003 top pick after all. But when you consider that 2004's top pick is also at AAA SWB (Phil Hughes); and 2005's top pick got trade away for Abreu, boomeranged back as a waver pick up and left for basket ball; and 2006's top pick is also at AAA SWB (Ian Kennedy), maybe he's doing just fine. Duncan is still 24 going on 25. This is the year that will tell, so it's good to see him doing well. If I have my maths right, he's a Minor League Free Agent at the end of this year.
If the bats continue to get injured and falter at the big league club whileDuncan keeps hitting well at SWB, he too may make the big club yet this year.
This week saw the Yankees squeeze by the Royals in the third game of that series, win 2 of 3 from the Rays and then return to NY to open the new stadium. The troubling thing about the Rays an Indians series has been how the Yankees have lost the opening games of the respective series in blow outs.
The Yankees dropped their first game against the Rays in a horrific pitching meltdown by Wang, then won two pitching duels behind AJ Burnett (who took a no-hitter into the seventh) and Andy Pettitte.
With the Indians, CC Sabathia pitched a forgettable game against his old team for a loss, while Joba pitched an ugly 4.2 innings which eventually led to a Yankee win. Today. Wang has expolded on the mound again. Keeping in mind that teams tend to up their intensity with the Yankees, a pitcher in April can be vulnerable to a lineup trying to drive up the pitch count.
On the other hand, Wang has been pitching like a fireman trying to hose down the Towering Inferno with gasoline. His sinker has had no sink this season so far. This week saw two games where he pitched 1 inning of double digit ERA. Whatever it is that he's doing wrong, he needs to fix it now.
After all that rigamorole, the Yankees still sit at .500.
Who Is That Masked Man?
Nick Swisher has been hitting like Ruth. Well, better than Ruth actually, with a .406/.486/1.000. line, he also managed to pitch a scoreless inning in his lone relief appearance in a blowout. If nothing else, picking up of Nick Swisher for Wilson Betemit has been paying immediate dividends to a club that is actually struggling with injuries.
Robinson Cano has also been hitting like his old self. Well, better than his old self in small sample-size heaven with his .421/.488/.632 line making him a very valuable bat in an otherwise flagging lineup.
Those Injuries
Xavier Nady who won the RF job from Swisher has a tear in his elbow tendon and may be looking at season ending surgery. The poor man is in his contract walk year. It's very unfortunate for him, because the Yankees will have to move on from him and once they do, it's unlikely they'll bring him back after a second Tommy John surgery.
Hideki Matsui is also having trouble with his reconstructed knees. I might have mentiond this before but the years of playing on artificial turf at the Tokyo Dome and going for the consecutive games record may have taken their toll. Maybe it was symbolic that he got past Shigeo Nagashima's Japanese homerun record with his lone homer in his first game.
On top of this, Mark Teixeira has been struggling with a sore wrist, for which he received a cortisone shot. There's apparently no structural damage. Then there is Johnny Damon who has the flu, and then of course A-Rod who is rehabbing his hip. This means the Yankees have been fielding lineups with Cody Ransom, Ramiro Pena and Melky Cabrera. Brett Gardner hasn't exactly been helping just yet.
It's Early Days Yet - Part 1
It really is still too early, which brings about some small sample-size quirks. Derek Jeter is the best fielding shortstop though April 17. In the 10 game stretch, his zone rating is .920, and he's fielding at a 30runs saved per 162 clip. That's 3.4 wins with the glove! It won't last.
It's Early Days Yet - Part 2
A quick look at Scranton Wilkes-Barre had me smiling. Anthony Jackson is killing the ball with a 1.123 OPS. So is Juan Miranda with a q.092 OPS.Miranda of course got called up to replace the injured bats. A-Jax is going to be kept at AAA to get those at-bats, but it may turn out that he'll be up at the big league level a lot sooner.
It's Early Days Yet - Part 3
Hiding a bit further down the list is good frien Eric Duncan with a solid .895 OPS. For the first time in a long while, Duncan has gotten off to a good start.
I know, I know, every year I hope for Duncan to do well. He is the Yankees' 2003 top pick after all. But when you consider that 2004's top pick is also at AAA SWB (Phil Hughes); and 2005's top pick got trade away for Abreu, boomeranged back as a waver pick up and left for basket ball; and 2006's top pick is also at AAA SWB (Ian Kennedy), maybe he's doing just fine. Duncan is still 24 going on 25. This is the year that will tell, so it's good to see him doing well. If I have my maths right, he's a Minor League Free Agent at the end of this year.
If the bats continue to get injured and falter at the big league club whileDuncan keeps hitting well at SWB, he too may make the big club yet this year.
2009/04/13
Meanwhile In Baseball Land
Yankees Update 12/04/09 - Bad Start?
The MLB season opened and the Yankees immediately leapt off to a 0-2 start. Yep, 2 straight losses behind CC Sabathia and Chien-Ming Wang sort of put them in the media spotlight where "the 400gazillion dollar Yankees have sputtered to a 0-2 start..." Like, they were going to finish 0-162. Then they won the next three games, so as we speak, they're sitting at a .600, 96win pace. The joys of small sample sizes are wonderful, the first week of a season being particularly skewed, whereby Nick Swisher has socked a .538/625/1.385, 2.010 OPS, thus making Brain Cashman's acquisition a genius move. Umm, eat that A-Rod! :)
Swisher was always on the rebound after a disastrous season in Chicago, but it's been amazing to see him hit so much, so well. Just who did the Yankees trade away for him again? :)
During this same time, Posada has looked good with bat and glove; Tex hit his first Yankee homer; Sabathia lost one badly and won one in grand style; AJ Burnett and Pettitte both put in very solid starts, and well, the Kansas City Royals looked ordinary. It's Joba going for the sweep tomorrow.
The MLB season opened and the Yankees immediately leapt off to a 0-2 start. Yep, 2 straight losses behind CC Sabathia and Chien-Ming Wang sort of put them in the media spotlight where "the 400gazillion dollar Yankees have sputtered to a 0-2 start..." Like, they were going to finish 0-162. Then they won the next three games, so as we speak, they're sitting at a .600, 96win pace. The joys of small sample sizes are wonderful, the first week of a season being particularly skewed, whereby Nick Swisher has socked a .538/625/1.385, 2.010 OPS, thus making Brain Cashman's acquisition a genius move. Umm, eat that A-Rod! :)
Swisher was always on the rebound after a disastrous season in Chicago, but it's been amazing to see him hit so much, so well. Just who did the Yankees trade away for him again? :)
During this same time, Posada has looked good with bat and glove; Tex hit his first Yankee homer; Sabathia lost one badly and won one in grand style; AJ Burnett and Pettitte both put in very solid starts, and well, the Kansas City Royals looked ordinary. It's Joba going for the sweep tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)