C.C or Tex? The Great Debate.

The majority of the attention this off season will swirl around C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira.

While I think it'll be the smaller, less attention grabbing moves that make or break the Yankees, I couldn't go the entire off season with out talking about these two.

By now you've all seen the stats and the arguments for each.

I'd say that generally the majority are calling for the Yankees to pony up the dough and sign C.C. for a long time.

I don't agree.

I think Tex is the way to go. I wouldn't mind the Yankees shelling out a 7 or 8 year contract for him.

The idea of the Yankees as an offensive threat is getting as old as the players themselves. I think it's fair to expect the majority of the Yankees offensive numbers to drop, and the available minor league options right now do little to cause encouragement for future offensive production coming from within, save for maybe two or three prospects.

On the other hand, the Yankees are stacked with highly regarded pitching prospects. Some are close to major league ready, others are still developing.

That, along with the availability via free agency of other half-way decent pitchers (Burnett, Lowe, Garland, Dempster, etc) makes picking C.C. over Texeria the wrong choice.

There are other things to consider, like how C.C. has logged over 500 innings on that left arm in just 2 seasons, or how badly he has preformed in the few playoff appearances he's had.

At the end of the day, I feel better about the Yankees when I picture Texeria on the roster, rather than C.C.




Then again, maybe they'll sign both. That'd be ok too.

Ok fine, I was wrong.

Already Over.

It's tough to sit here waiting for the game to start.

I think everyone knows the Rays aren't going to win. I think even the Rays know that.

It really is like watching a movie when you already know the ending.

I wish I knew how to bet online, I'd have placed a lot of money on the Sox after their come from behind win.

This probably sounds really negative, but I don't mean to be. In my mind it's just a fact already. The Rays don't have it anymore, and I wouldn't be surprised if this collapse followed them into next season.

Having to go to work here in Boston tomorrow will be no picnic.

But hey it's just a game... Right?

That's Just Super.

Does anyone really think the Sox will lose another game this postseason? I don't.



I'm just disgusted.

Go Rays.

Wow

How much are the Red Sox paying Mike Scioscia?

The End of the Angels Season.

Call me a bitter Yankee fan, most people around here do, but last nights game marked the end of the Angels.

The Angels were given a big break not having to face Beckett in game one, and they blew it.

Now they face Dice-K in game two. A lot of people seem to be pointing out Dice-K and his high walk total as the reason the Angels can beat him.

People figure the Angels will work walks and cause chaos on the base paths.

The only problem, is that this year the Angels saw very few pitchers per plate appearance. They're free swingers and that works in favor of Dice-K. I honestly don't think game 2 will be close. And does anyone think the Angels can win down 2-0 and having to go to Boston?

The Angels, once again, look like a team built for the regular season and not the playoffs.

End of the Road...

The season is over, and everyone is now looking forward to the off season. Chances are there will be a lot of changes made to the Yankees. Nothing can really get going though, until Cashman makes up his mind.

Now truly is the hardest time to be a Yankees fan here in Boston. The locals are geared up for the postseason and all I can do is sit back and shake my head.

Hey at least the Jets won.

WWCD?

What Will Cashman Do?

The Yankee brass seemed on board with the 'Brian Cashman Plan' when they held back from trading their young players for Santana. That move should have signified at least a few more years of the Cashman era as he continued to retool and rebuild the farm system.

Now though, it's really up in the air.

He was given basically full control for a few seasons, but as Hank continues to take a more active role in the organization, that full control could be slipping away.

Does Cashman want to deal with having Hank over his shoulder every day? Can he deal with Hank making comment after comment without checking in with his GM first?

It's a lot for Cashman to think about, even knowing that the Yankees will offer him loads of money.

Motivated

I haven't posted in a long time.

There's a whole bunch of excuses I could use, but the biggest is that the Yankees just didn't excite me enough to warrant writing about each game or player... I came here a few times and even wrote a few words down, but I couldn't find that spark that I needed to write about this team.

I found that spark again this weekend. My family and I visited Yankee stadium one last time this past Saturday, and we had an amazing time. I didn't really know what kind of feel the stadium would have going into this weekend. The Yankees are all but out of it, players are being booed on a regular basis, and no one knows what this team will look like next season.

But even with that, the Yankees and the fans brought an energy to that Stadium that reminded me of the feeling I get during the playoffs. The stadium has an aura and a vibe that only Yankee stadium can have.

I'm not really eloquent enough to put into words what watching last nights ceremony and game was like. I think there's a thousand writers who will put it better. I know it meant a lot to me and helped remind me why I'm a Yankees fan. The ceremony, the game and the post game all served to remind the sports watching world what type of organization the Yankees have. I know I'll never forget this weekend.

They reminded us of the history, the tradition and the class that makes the Yankees the Yankees.

So this season is about to end and the Yankees will go home. There will be an eventful off season, controversy with Hank, Hal and probably Arod. There will be arguments and debates about who the Yankees should keep, let go and sign. There will be people yelling again as the Yankees get hit with a luxury tax, and as always there will be people calling the Yankees bad for baseball.

In the end, a new season will begin, and a new stadium will provide new memories, history and legends.

It's been very easy to get down on the Yankees the last few seasons and for me, it's been easy to forget their history and tradition. It's been easy to get caught up more in all the controversies than the actual baseball. Now I feel renewed having watched this weekends events at Yankee stadium, and I'm truly thankful to be a Yankee fan.

Ice Cold

If you pull the lens back a little on a baseball season, then you will generally see that a teams season is made up of hot and cold streaks. There might be some .500 baseball in between, but most teams make their move by going on more hot streaks than cold.

This year the Yankees have had a couple nice hot streaks, but not nearly enough to overshadow the cold ones.

Right now the Yankees seem, once again, to be lost as a team. Pick whatever reason you want. Chemistry, their numbers with RISP, injuries, new manager... Doesn't really matter at this point.

They do have the talent to win, but not when everyone on the team looks as bad as they have the last 2 or 3 weeks.

I'll be at the game Saturday, so hopefully they haven't thrown in the towel just yet. Maybe they can get something going with a few wins of the Royals.

Although at this point would another hot streak matter? If the Yankees win 10 out of 12 games, how improved would their position in the standings really be? Hey at least they sent Melky to the minors finally.

Either way I'll keep following them, because thats whats fans do. Lets hope they give us something to root for the last month and a half or so.

Pudge by the Numbers

Here are a few interesting numbers on the newest Yankee, Ivan Rodriguez,

He's a career .283 hitter in Yankee stadium. (And a career .302 hitter in Fenway)

He doesn't walk. He only walked 9 (Nine!) times last season... He's managed 19 walks so far this season.

He has a.240 .Avg this season with RISP, and with 2 outs and RISP he's hitting .216

He's also listed as hitting .196 in "late and close" situations.

Pudge is an improvement at the plate, but he's a roleplayer now, not a superstar. He's turned it on lately, hitting .350 over his last 16 games so let's just hope that lasts another few months.

Hey, Someone Gets It.

CBS put up their weekly Power Rankings today which I can never help but look at. Writer Larry Dobrow makes a pretty good comment in the Yankees section when he says:

"The Red Sox spent the past five seasons plunking Derek Jeter with impunity, but now Joba Chamberlain's the jerkhead for going after Kevin "Looooouuuu" Youkilis? The funniest thing is Youkilis seems genuinely surprised every time it happens."

Don't get me wrong, clearly throwing at someones head is a bit different than hitting a guy in the elbow a hundred times, but the point is the same.

When Pedro was here in Boston, he was a well known head-hunter. Who doesn't remember the game where Pedro looked in at Jorge Posada in the dugout while pointing at his head.

A few people spoke up back then, but it seems like people have forgotten how many Yankees have been hit over the last few years in these heated Yankee/Sox games.

Manny the Hot Topic...

I found myself in the car for about an hour today, and since the Yankees won last night, I decided to listen to some Boston sports radio.

For almost the entire hour, there wasn't a mention of Beckett, Chamberlain, or the great game that was played... All the focus was on Manny. At first, it seemed a lot like the types of things we've been hearing year after year about Manny, but when you pay more attention you can see that this is a bigger deal.

Check out this article by Boston sports writer Dan Shaughnessy. This type of action was never even discussed in years passed and was just played out as 'Manny being Manny'.

This really is the teams fault. They've let Manny do whatever he wants since 2001, because his performance on the field was so good. All his antics were played off as cute and funny, but now things have reached a boiling point. The ownership, the team, the media and even the fans are starting to turn on Manny. It seems like they've finally had enough.


Now all eyes are waiting to see if he's in the lineup for todays game. If he pulls himself, the feeling is that the team will take some disciplinary action.

Now it's Getting Exciting...

The Yankees seem to finally be pitching and hitting well. Everyone seems to be falling into a rhythm, and the timing couldn't be better.

They have these last two games against the Twins, before heading into Boston for 3 big games.

The start of the Boston series also marks a stretch in which the Yankees play 20 straight games from July 25th until August 13th. The Yankees have to hope they can stay as consistent as they have, and hope that they have the depth to carry them through...

Yankees Start the Break Early

Today the Yankees faced a pitcher, whose team had publicly said was on a pitch count. So what do they do? They let him pitch almost the entire game while keeping his pitch count under 100.

This was another game in which the Yankees just looked bored and in a hurry to leave. I'm sure that's not the case, but most of them looked like they were thinking ahead to what they had planned for the All Star Break.

Now the Yankees find themselves with 67 remaining games. Last year they played great in the second half, and this year they have to do it again. They should be able to do it again, but who knows. Baseball is always unpredictable in the end.

Didn't See That One Coming

Sidney Ponson pitched great and kept the Yankees in the game. Eventually, their lack luster offense managed to put another run across and win a very exciting game.

Hows this for a stat...

They Yankees are 17-11 in 1 run games. That's second best in the AL only in the to Texas, who is 18-10.

Last year at this time, the Yankees were 7-14 in 1 run games. The worst in the AL at that time.

In Other News...

Suspect in Cape baseball bat attack held without bail

Man beats another with bat, believing him to be a Yankees fan.

Brett Gardner after 21 At Bats...

Brett Gardner had a dramatic 10th inning hit to win the game. You know that by now.

You also probably know that after last nights 2-5 performance, he's hitting .143 on the season.

Lets look closer at the numbers. He has 3 hits, and 2 walks. Of those 5 times that he has been on base, he has come around to score on 4 of those occasions. He is also a perfect 3 for 3 in stolen bases.

Still, he is only hitting .143 with just a .208 OBP. Yes, he has hit a few balls hard that found their way into gloves, but not enough times to think he'd be doing much better than .143.

His defense has been great. When I watch him approach a fly ball or throw in, I haven't been worried.

I think he has the potential to be a good all around player for the Yankees. I don't know if he'll hit .270, but he could steal 30 bases the rest of the way. He also seems to do what a lot of the other Yankees can't right now, and that's just put the ball in play. His sacrifice fly in Saturdays game was huge, and seemed like something the Yankees haven't been able to do all season. He also tends to see a lot of pitches, which is great for the Yankees since they need a lead off man right now.

We'll see how it goes the rest of the way, but so far despite the low average Yankee fans have to be encouraged by what they've seen from Gardner.

The Start of Something?

Watching the bats come alive last night was both refreshing and encouraging. Sometimes a game like this can really get a team on a roll.

A few weeks ago, on June 12th, Matsui blasted a grandslam in a Yankee victory over the Oakland A's. This put the Yankees over the .500 mark at 34-33. This seemed to spark the team, as after that game they went 10-4 in the next 14 games.

Of course that didn't last, and the bats had seemed to go silent again during the last few days of June and the beginning of this month.

In last nights game, Giambi bashed a grand slam and had 6 RBI on the game. The rest of the Yankee offense also did their part.

The Yankees are entering a critical part of the year, so lets hope last nights offense performance carries over into the couple weeks.

He's. Getting. Worse.

Melky Cabrera:
last 28 games: .191 avg.
last 14 games: .170 avg.
last 7 games: .148 avg.

And of course like every other Yankee, his avg. with runners in scoring position is terrible, currently at .222.

I really don't like picking on Melky, especially a day after the whole team looked inept... However the majority of the team had been producing the previous 3 or 4 weeks, while Melky continues to slide closer to the Mendoza line.

Yankees should bounce back tonight.

In a Pretty Good Spot

The poor start seems to be behind the Yankees, and they now are in a fairly good spot to make a big move.

The Yankees are only 5-5 in their last 10, but over the last 3 weeks or so they have made up a good amount of ground.

They sit 5.5 out of first in the east and 5 out of the wildcard.

They also have a big month of July to look forward to. In July they play 18 games at home and only 7 on the road.

They'll host both Boston and Tampa Bay who are currently both ahead of the Yankees in the east.

They'll also host both Oakland and Minnesota, who are ahead of them in the wild card.

They are in a position to make up a lot of ground in the next 30 days or so.

The Sinking Ship That is Darrell Rasner

He helped keep the Yankees a float and pitched great when the offense was struggling, but teams have now figured him out.

It's not rare for this to happen really. Teams get video and send out advanced scouts, and they find something about a pitcher. After that it's up to the pitcher to adjust and figure out a new way to get hitters out. Rasner hasn't done that, and he's getting the tar knocked out of him.

Rasner is 1-4 in his last 5 starts, with a 7.00 ERA. In 27 innings he's given up 39 hits. Opposing teams are also hitting .313 off of him with men on base.

Rasner was spectacular for a few weeks but his time in the majors might be up. Ian Kennedy has started rehabbing and could be back in a few weeks. Jeff Karstens seemed to have a leg up on Rasner during spring training before he was hurt and just won pitcher of the week honors in AAA so he's another option.

It'll be interesting to see if he makes his next start or not.

This is the video of Pat Venditte that's floating around.

I'm sure everyone has seen it already, but it's still so incredibly entertaining.

Heres the link to it from River Ave.

Be sure to check it out.

Yankees Keep Rolling

Not much more to say right now.

The Yankees seem to be clicking on all cylinders lately.

They do face a hurdle tonight though, when they face Padre's ace Jake Peavy.

Peavy pitched for the first time since May 14th last Friday against the Dodgers and was outstanding. 6 innings, 3 hits, no runs, no walks and 4 strikeouts.

There are still some who feel the Yankees may have just been beating up on bad pitchers and bad teams the last couple weeks. How they play tonight will say a lot about the team when it has to face someone of Peavy's skill level.

Fanning the Flames

Brett Gardner was 2 for 4 with his 9th triple of the year last night. This raised his average to .297

Melky Cabrera is 1 for his last 18, dropping his average to .261, and also dropping his OBP to .312.


I'm just saying...

Yankees Drafted Ambidextrous Pitcher

The Yankees drafted a switch-pitching pitcher named Pat Venditte. Apparently they have drafted him before.

This time around he's a senior.

Check out his video, it's pretty wild.

Melky's Time Running Out?

A couple weeks ago I jumped on the wagon with those fans who were seriously questioning if Melky should stay as the Yankees starting CF.

Since then he has hit a little bit better. In his last 13 games he's hitting at .348, which has raised his average to .270 for the season. But more times than not, he looks lost at the plate.

Enter Brett Gardner. The movement in his favor was small at the beginning of the season, but has since grown with both River Ave Blues and the LoHud blog seemingly jumping on board with the idea of giving him a chance.

And why not? Even if he can't hit higher than .270, he has speed and is a smart base runner. (So, for example, you won't see him slide head first into first base) He can steal, he can cover more ground in the OF and now in AAA he's even hitting for power and getting extra bases.

So far in Scranton Brett has hit .295 with a .414 OBP (compare that to Melky's .322) . He has already stolen 25 bases, and only been caught 8 times. He has also hit 9 doubles and 7 triples on the season.

It's hard to say how long he'll be ignored. One thing working heavily against him, is that he is a left handed hitter. The Yankees are so loaded with lefties, I'm not sure they want to add another one permanently into the lineup.

It'll be interesting to see what happens, but right now the call for him to come to the big league is getting louder. Melky should be hearing footsteps.


Just for comparison purposes:

Jacoby Ellsbury 2007 in AAA-
87 games, .298 Avg, .360 OBP, .380 Slg, 14 doubles, 5 triples, 33 SB, 6CS


Brett Gardner 2008 in AAA-
61 games, .295 Avg, .414 OBP,448 SLG, 9 doubles, 7 triples, 25SB, 8CS

Farnsworth...

I hate to post a semi-negative post the day after an exciting win, but I feel I must keep pointing out just how bad Kyle Farnsworth has been lately.

In his last 11 games, he has thrown 11.1 innings, giving up up 17 hits and 4 home runs for a 6.35 ERA (!!!) and opponets are hitting .328 off of him.

And how is this for a stat?

Over the whole season, the first batter he faces in the beginning of an inning is hitting .423 off of him, with 4 HRs. They're slugging .923 off of him.

All stats aside, people are starting to just feel like he can't handle the roll. Just like last season, every time he takes the mound, all of Yankee universe collectively holds it's breath.

I don't know that Ohlendorf, Veras or Edwar are a better option, but I know that I have no real faith in Farnsworth at this point.

Swing and a...

Well, Giambi crushed a HR and gave the Yankees a great dramatic win.


Meanwhile, the Yankees drafted Garrit Cole...

Who was number #7 on Rivals top 100

It's pretty incredible that he fell to 28. Some scouts believe he has one of the most explosive fastballs of any pitchers in the draft.

They also drafted LHP Jeremy Bleich out of Stanford. He might not be somebody that the experts are excited about, but he sounds like a fairly solid LHP who could contribute in the majors soon.

He also patterns his game off of Andy Pettitte.

This was a good first day for the Yankees. I was wrong about Tanner Scheppers, who was taken in the second round with the 48th pick by the Pirates.

Update 7:46PM:
The Yankees have also taken Joseph Bittle in the second round and David Adams in the third.

Check out River Ave. for some great draft coverage.

My Guess on the Yankees First Pick...

This is an absolute guess. The chances he slides to the Yankees is real slim.

Tanner Scheppers

This page has some info on him. Throws a mid-level fastball, along with a plus-slider. His recent shoulder injury may let him slide down to 28.

Trying to figure out an MLB draft is really tough. Guys rise and fall all the time. Teams evaluate differently.

I think Tanner would be a steal if he slides.

I Don't Understand the Bullpen

Or to be more specific, I don't understand bullpen management.

I don't get how different managers get attached to certain pitchers.

Torre was attached to Proctor, and it seems Giradri is attached to Farnsworth.

I don't understand why he has so much faith in the guy. Over the last 6 games, he has a 5.68 ERA. Overall he has a 4.44 ERA and has given up 8 HRs in just 26.1 innings. That hardly screams '8th inning set up man'.

Meanwhile there are better pitchers, like Edwar and Chris Britton, just sitting there watching Farnsworth's pitches fly over the walls.

I don't think Giradri managed last nights game well at all. He needs to rethink his strategy, and quickly.

Who Won This Trade?

2008 Season:

Wilson Betemit:
14 Games
.237 AVG
.256 OBP
1 HR
3 Runs
3 RBI


Scott Proctor:
24 Games
24.1 IP
21 Hits
6 HR
15 ER
14 BB
26 K
5.55 ERA
1.44 WHIP

Own The Legacy

Upper Deck is running a pretty neat promotion right now.

They've inserted 6,661 different cards into assorted packs of Upper Deck cards, they're calling it the Yankee Stadium Legacy set.

One card to represent each game or event played at Yankee Stadium.

I'm told this is the largest card set ever produced.

Check out their Own The Legacy page for more information.

Is Melky's Starting Job Secure?

Everybody loves Melky.

He brings a whole bunch of energy and usually looks like he's actually having fun playing the game. He has handled the pressure of being the Yankess starting center fielder pretty well, and we all know how great his defense has been.

His hitting though, still hasn't really come around.

As of today, he's currently hitting .254 with 6 homeruns and 21 RBI. In 2007 he finished the season at .273. In 2006 he was at .280.

He's in quite a slump right now, but overall on the season he doesn't seem to be providing the team with that spark that he had been the last two years.

Meanwhile in Scranton, Lefty Brett Gardner is hot. Through 48 games he's hitting .281 with 3 homeruns and 21 RBI. He has also hit 6 triples and stolen 18 bases. He has also yet to make an error this year, and has 2 outfield assists. He's fast, he's a smart base runner and he's the kind of guy that opposing teams do not want reaching base.

He might be just the kind of player the Yankees need to get their offense going.

Right now Melky is in no danger of losing his job. However if he continues to struggle and if Gardner keeps up the pace he's at right now, it's going to be hard to ignore him.

Just something to keep an eye on.

Bullpen Moves?

With Joba moving into the rotation, the Yankees will have to shake up their bullpen a bit.

It's becoming more and more clear that Ross Ohlendorf needs to spend some time in the minors, and that something is just not right with LaTroy Hawkins.

Hawkins seems like one of those cases where because of his contract, he's given a lot of wiggle room in the majors. That's really to bad, because his 6.75 ERA is downright terrible.

He's becoming the Kyle Farnsworth of last year. Each time he enters a game, Yankee fans cringe.

Batters are hitting .308 off him with runners in scoring position, and .317 overall with men on.

I think you'll see Chris Britton replace Ohlendorf soon. Who could replace Hawkins?

I think J.B Cox and Mark Melancon should keep pitching in the minors for a bit. They can be great, but lets give them time.

One name to look at is Dan Giese. He's a 31 year old journeyman starter who was having great success up until his last outing. He could take Hawkins spot on the roster and fill in as the long reliever for awhile. So basically you have Britton take over Hawkins roll, and Giese take over the roll Ohlendorf has been pitching.

This would only be temporary, until Cox, Melancon or even Jeff Karstens are ready.

But again, I doubt they move Hawkins. His contract will keep him afloat in the majors for awhile.

Turning Point.

Yesterday could end up being a day that Yankee fans point to later in the season as the day things turned around.

Up until yesterday, the Yankees seemed almost bored to be playing. Yesterdays win was a good one. The whole team looked alive, and I hope they hold onto that feeling.

It was also announced, that Joba Chamberlain is beginning his switch to the starting rotation. He threw 35 pitches last night, which is more than he has thrown all year.

There's no word on how long it'll take to get him there, but this is an exciting change.

Don't count the Yankees out yet. They are still capable of stringing some wins together and getting back into race.

Have We Hit the Low Point?

Eventually, the Yankees will hit the lowest point, and bounce back. They just can't play this bad all season long.

Last nights game was very ugly. In my opinion, the ugliest of the season so far. The Yankees looked lost, frustrated and weak.

Have the Yankees finally hit bottom?

Can they really fall any further?

They are 3-7 in their last 10, and have lost 4 in a row.

In their last 5 games, the Yankees are hitting .206. That's the worst in all of MLB for this last week.

Through 5 games they are also sporting a 5.81 ERA, the third worst mark in MLB.

This has to be rock bottom. Eventually, the trend needs to change. There's really nowhere to go but up.

Headphones.

Headphones: Invented to be used to drown out Red Sox fans at work and in everyday life. Especially on days like this when the Red Sox stock seems to keep rising just as fast as the Yankees falls.

Andy?

I love Andy Pettitte. His demeanor, his glare under the bill of his cap, and of course his many great games in a Yankee uniform.

But somethings not right with him currently. Andy's last 3 starts have been terrible:

16.1 IP, 20 hits, 12 ER, 3 HRs, for a 6.61 ERA.

And, all season long, he's been getting pummeled in pressure situations. This year, with men on base, opponents are hitting .371 against Andy, including hitting .293 with runners in scoring position.

Andy is also getting beat up as the game goes on. In a hitters first at bat against Andy, they're hitting .242. But the second time around batters are hitting .311, and after that they're hitting .328...

Is he not adjusting? Is he getting fatigued? I'm not sure, but the Yankees need more from him if they're going to survive.

Coming Around?

I remember last year, I tracked Abreu's numbers through the first couple months. He was hitting third in the order, but he just looked lost. It was clear that the Yankees needed him to figure it out in order to succeed.

This year, it's Cano and Giambi that the Yankees need to start hitting. Lately, they've been showing signs of life.

Cano in the last 6 games is hitting .364 and sporting a .391 OBP and an impressive .727 SLG. Yankee fans have to hope this keeps up. If Cano starts turning it on, things will improve quickly for the Yankees.
Also, a sort of pointless stat, but Cano is hitting .538 in the 5th inning of games. In 13 ABs during the 5th inning, he has 7 hits.

Giambi has also looked better. In his last 5 games, he's hitting .333 with a .421 OBP and a whooping .933 SLG.

They're both small sample sizes, but the results are the same. If these guys keep it going, the rest of the league will have to watch out. The Yankees will start putting up some powerful offensive numbers.

What to do...

Well the great debate this morning is what is to be done with 21 year old Phil Hughes.

Hughes has been flat out terrible so far in 6 starts, as we all know. Everyone knows the kid has talent and can compete at this level, but it's not clicking yet. So whats wrong?

Well first, hes not consistent at all. He can't throw a few good pitches in a row. Hitters are being more patient and know if they wait a pitch or two, he'll make a mistake.

He also is getting rattled very quickly. You can see it on his face. He gets flustered and can't calm himself down enough to focus on the next hitter.

In my opinion this is pretty understandable. In his minor league career, Hughes was a beast. He dominated and hardly ever ran into trouble or tough situations. Hughes never got knocked around. He has never experienced this kind of adversity.

So what do the Yankees do? They can either leave him in the rotation and hope that a 21 year old kid can develop the mental focus a pitcher needs to succeed, or they can send him down to work the kinks out and bring up someone like Darrell Rasner.

Rasner is pitching like a man possessed in AAA. He's currently 4-0 with a 0.87era.

That might be best for the team, but what does it mean for Hughes? Does he develop any further in AAA? Can you teach a kid to deal with pressure situations in the minors?

It's a tough call, and I'm glad I'm not Yankee management today.

Hanging in There...

At 14-13, the Yankees don't look that impressive. However considering what they've been through so far this season, and the trouble the offense has been having, 14 wins is a pretty solid achievement.

Moose looked pretty good tonight, earning his 253rd career win. I wish he could have gone more than 5 innings, but the bullpen did a great job of shutting the door. Even Krazy Kyle looked good.

So, the Yankees sit at 14-13 and are just 1 game behind the first place Rays(!!), Orioles(!!?), and Red Sox.

The pitching of late has been fairly solid, but the bats have yet to come around. Even during last nights 4 run rally in the 6th, the Yankees managed to only get one ball out of the infield. The lineup hasn't truly gotten going just yet.

Solid Outing for Moose

This was an important start for Moose... There were very few people still on his side, and even those people had been quietly backing away from defending him and his pitching ability.

Moose though, answered the call and pitched great.

The biggest difference in this outing was the amount of pitches he threw inside to the Chicago hitters. It's something he's been hesitant to do his entire career, but it worked out tonight. He even broke a few bats.

A pitcher that has been doing this for a few seasons now is Greg Maddux. His fastball is comparable with Moose at this point in their careers, but Maddux has been able to find more success late in his career because he's been pitching inside...

Let's hope Moose sticks to this plan and continues to pitch inside. It'll keep guys guessing and stop hitters from just waiting for that 86 MPH fastball on the outside...

Tonight, all eyes are on the winless Hughes... People are being more patient with him because of his age, but eventually he needs to put together a quality start. Lets hope that's tonight.

Stop Pitching to Manny...

Seriously.

I'm not a baseball expert, and I don't know all the statistics so maybe there is something I'm missing...

But why in the world do the Yankees, and Mike Mussina specifically, continue to pitch to Manny? Can someone explain to me what I'm missing?

Also, I'm ok with pushing hitters back and sending a message, but not with a 97MPH fastball aimed at the head...

If it slipped, then fine.. But I'm not so sure.

Yankees Bash Their Way to a Win

Well.. That wasn't pretty from a pitching standpoint, but the Yankees won..

The starting pitching was terrible for both sides, but the Yankees bullpen looked better than the Red Sox.

Ross Ohlendorf got knocked around a bit, but overall he looked pretty good. He was throwing hard and his slider was really moving. Bruney was topping out at 97 MPH, and the ball was moving. Thats tough to hit.

I was also happy to see Billy Traber get Ortiz out with one pitch.. He should expect to be facing Ortiz quite regularaly this season.

The Yankees are now tied for first, which is exciting to say, considering where they were last year in April.

Game two tonight.. Moose needs to show up big and the Yankees need to try and get to Beckett early.

A Test for the Yankees..

With the offense struggling and the starting pitching being fairly suspect, the last thing the Yankees need is more bad news..

But right now this is a Yankee team that seems to have a lot working against.

First, they are in the middle of a brutal schedule, which has them traveling all over the country, without a day off in between. They are professional athletes, but traveling so much can take a lot out of anybody.

Second, the injury bug has come into the Yankee club house and begun tossing around a plethora of annoying little injuries. Jeter is scheduled to start tonight, but is he 100%? Posada's shoulder still hurts and Molina has gone down with a hamstring injury. Who knows how long he'll be out. And recently the Yankees announced that Wilson Betemit will have to hit the DL with a bad case of Pink Eye. That explains a lot...

A-Rod and his wive are due to have a child any day now, which would cause the Yankees to lose his bat for at least a few games. Thats the last thing this struggling offense needs. But, somethings are more important.




Finally, Joba's dad isn't doing well, or so it sounds. Everyone remembers Harlen Chamberlain watching his son pitch for the first time in a Yankees uniform. He was so proud of his son, that was easy to see. From listening to Joba talk about his family and his upbringing, it's clear that his father means a great deal to him. I know we're all certainly hoping and praying he pulls through this.

It's easy to forget sometimes that Joba is just a 22 year old kid.

Jeter's Injury Opens the Door...

A good game last night by the Yankees was marred only by Jeter leaving the game in the early innings. Moose and the pen combined for a 3 hit, 1 run effort, which is just stellar.

We'll hear more about just how serious the injury is, but the feeling seems to be that Jeter could miss up to a week, although they do want to keep him off the DL.

So, of course everyone wants to know who plays shortstop?

Jeff Passan has an article here, where he suggests that we might see A-Rod take over at short.

Really what other choice do the Yankee have?

If Jeter doesn't hit the DL, then they can't really call someone up to play short. So Girardi would have to pick from whats on the bench, or use A-Rod.

Betemit is technically their utility infielder, but hes a big guy who doesn't have the greatest range. He is much better suited at first or third base. Ensburg could maybe do it, since hes a bit more agile and has played third his whole career so he would be use to throwing across the field. Of course he has played a grand total of 2 innings at shortstop and hasn't really been knocking the cover off the ball. That leaves Shelley and Molina... Right, moving on...

I think A-rod would make the most sense, but I think at least for a few games, we'll see Betemit field the position. Girardi won't make to drastic of a change if Jeter is only going to miss a couple games.

Not as Bad as it Seemed...

But still not all that good either...

A.J. Burnett dominated the Yankee hitters last night, pitching like the #2 starter he is and Moose pitched more like a 5th starter, which is really what he should be on this team. He's not going to give them the amount of innings a team needs out of a #3 starter.

I believe the hitting will come around shortly. It always seems that early in the season, the pitchers have a great advantage over the hitters. Moose was an exception to this rule last night, because it's hard for a batter to not hit a 84 MPH fastball.

I expect Moose to get better once he settles into the regular season routine, but I still don't see him giving this team more than #4 starter numbers.

Phil Hughes takes the mound tonight, and I think all of Yankee universe is excited about that. Hopefully its warmer at the stadium for tonight's game. Everybody looked freezing last night.

Beautiful Start

What a great game.

It was so refreshing to watch Yankees baseball again, and I don't think we could have asked for a better game.

What stood out to me the most, was the energy and the vibe that the team projected tonight. From the first pitch to the last, the Yankees seemed alive and focused. I know I for one jumped out of my seat a few times. Specifically after Melky's catches and after Joba's final K of the 8th.

God I love baseball.

Ready To Begin

Well it's opening day, and in a few short hours, Chien-Ming Wang will take the mound and the season will begin for the Yankees.

What can we expect from the Yankees, and what kind of season is in store for us?

Well, if you've been reading around, you'll see that the majority of the paid sports writers and broadcasters out there are picking at least 2 American League teams that are better than the Yankees. Namely, the Tigers and the Red Sox.. Some also have the Angels, Indians and Mariners as stronger teams this year, but injures and a poor spring for all three teams has some of them second guessing. Still, it's clear that the American League is a beast this year, with some very improved teams.

Whats interesting is a lot of the columnists out there point to an unproven starting rotation as the Yankees main weakness.. But if you look at the Sox, they are in the same basic position with John Lester and Clay Buchholz. The Tigers will mash, but can their starting pitching keep up? And what about their bullpen which was hit hard with injures during the off season..

So it's hard to say. I'm clearly bias, no matter how hard I try not to be. There are a few people out there picking the Yankees to finish third in the division. I don't see that happening. The East will be a brutal division, as both the Blue Jays and the Rays are improved, but The Yankees and Sox are still the most complete teams there.

Overall I think a solid lineup, a good bench, a re-tooled bullpen, and a balanced rotation of veterans and youngsters is going to keep the Yankees in the hunt all season long. They will have their ups and Downs just like any team, but the Yankees are built to win, and I think they have a good shot to.

Traber on the 40 Man Roster

Pete Abe is reporting that Traber was added to the 40 man roster. I'm excited about that, I've been rooting for him since they signed him.

Wow

So I go on vacation for a few days and all hell breaks lost in Yankee land.

Fights, injures and the signing of Billy Crystal. Wow, things were calm when I left!

About Shelley, I don't know what to think. It sure does look like he did it on purpose, but I do like how the Yankees are showing early that they'll defend their players this year.

I also wanted to mention that I hate Jim Rome.

He torched Shelley and the Yankees today, and even stated that his teammates don't have his back.

Really Jim? How about explaining these quotes then:

Brian Cashman: “I’ll take 25 Shelley Duncans. How about that?”

Derek Jeter: “If I were Shelley I wouldn’t change the way I play the game. There’s no reason to change the way he plays the game.”

Report: Bobby Murcer's Biopsy Negative

A report from NJ.com and from Michael Kay from the YES network states that Bobby Murcer's cancer biopsy came back negative.

I know we're all glad to hear that.

Why It's Fun to Be a Yankees Fan in Boston

I joke a lot about how it can be tough to be a Yankees fan in these parts, but these types of stories are getting more and more frequent, and frankly it's pathetic.

I'm as passionate about baseball as anybody, but at the end of the day, it's a game.

"Then the mob of Red Sox fans allegely threw the victim to the ground and repeatedly kicked him."

What's really sad about the whole thing isn't the story itself, which can probably be explained away by to much alcohal. What's sad, is that there will be Red Sox fans who are happy about this. People who think this kind of stuff shows some sort of Red Sox pride. People who think that their fans are better because they start fights over baseball. You stay classy Red Sox fans.

More Billy Traber Talk

The good folks over at River Ave. Blues added a nice little Organizational Depth Chart with some educated guesses as to who is ahead of who.

Of course what caught my eye, was who they think has the inside track for the LHRP position.

The more I follow this guy the more I find myself rooting for him. Right now I have no faith in Sean Henn or Igawa so if Girardi does take a LHRP, I hope it's Traber.

Billy Traber Throws Well

Traber faced three lefties today, and looked good getting all three out.

He pitched in the intra-squad game, and got knocked around a bit, but that was against right handed hitters.

Although Girardi has said he won't necessarily take a lefty when they go north, you have to think him and the Yankees are hoping somebody steps up..

Igawa will be given every chance to earn the job, mostly because the organization is still embarrassed about the contract.

But Traber could steal that job away if keeps getting the opportunity to pitch against left handed hitters. I know I'd much rather see him rather than Igawa or Henn at this point.

ESPN's comments on Hank

Here's a link to an ESPN article and video clip of some ESPN folks talking about Hank's statement..

If you can't pick out the Red Sox bias in the article and in the video, then chances are you're a Red Sox fan yourself.

I especially like how Steve Phillips completely side steps the last question when he's asked if he's a Red Sox fan.

I like Hank

Saw this over at River Ave. Blues and I had to copy it here because it made my night.

“Red Sox Nation?” What a bunch of [expletive] that is,” he [Hank Steinbrenner] said in an interview with The New York Times’ Play magazine. “That was a creation of the Red Sox and ESPN, which is filled with Red Sox fans.

“Go anywhere in America and you won’t see Red Sox hats and jackets, you’ll see Yankee hats and jackets. This is a Yankee country. We’re going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order.”

This man is passionate about this team.

Yankees Have Options for the Pen

If there is such a thing as having to many options when it comes to the bullpen, then it's safe to say the Yankees currently have that problem.. The bullpen is such a vital part of a team. The Yankees will probably have some tough choices to make once Spring Training ends.

By all accounts, the bullpen has 3 spots that are up for the taking. Girardi has said he won't necessarily put a left handed specialist in the pen, unless someone really stands out to him.

Today, the Yankees play an intrasquad game. There are 13 pitchers due to pitch today, and 12 of them are fighting for those 3 bullpen spots.

But that's only part of the list of players fighting for a spot. There is also Chase Wright, Kei Igawa, Brian Bruney, Chris Britton, Jose Veras and Jeffrey Marquez (Though he is real a long-shot).
All of them are sure to get work in the next few days as the Yankees try and make a choice on who to take with them when they had north to New York.

If I had to guess, I'd say the Yankees would first look to take one long-relief man. That would have to be either Rasner, Igawa or Karstens.. I'll just guess it's Karstens because he has the experience and pitched pretty well over the winter for Team USA

I also think the Yankees will give Edwar Ramirez a shot early on in the season. He has a bit of MLB experience and offers a change of pace from all the hard stuff the rest of the bullpen throws. He got knocked around pretty hard in the majors, but its hard to ignore his numbers in the minor leagues

I also think that Giradri will decide to take at least one left hander. Again, I think Igawa has a chance at this spot. The Yankees will give him every chance to succeed. I think the wild card here will be Billy Traber. He has had a spotty career, but has always handled left handed hitters fairly well. That said, there has been word that Sean Henn has been pitching well in the early going, so it wouldn't surprise me if he made the team too. He's also out of options, so he could be gone if they don't add him to the MLB roster.

Who do you think should fill in the last 3 bullpen spots?

A Sign of Spring

This is a fantastic day..

Pitchers and catchers checked in yesterday, but today marks the first full day of practice and drills..

This has to be one of my favorite parts of the season. Every team comes in with a clean slate.

In the next few days we'll be hearing interviews and reports from all the camps, we'll get a look at the new comers on the team. We'll get to see what a Joe Giradri led Yankee team looks like. Things will slowly start to take shape, we'll get a feel for what the lineup will look like, as well as the rotation and bullpen.

This is a team that is a lot different from the last few years. It is filled with youth, but still has the solid veteran presence that we're use to.. Slowly this Yankee team will develop an identity of it's own that it will carry through this season.. And that all starts today.

Heres a link to NewsDay who have some pictures from yesterday.

Someone to Keep an Eye on This Spring..

In the middle of January the Yankees signed a 27 year old pitcher named Billy Traber, and invited him to Spring Training..

Traber was a first round pick back in 2000, but never lived up to his hype.. Hes been floating around different minor league systems ever since.

So why should we keep an eye on him? Because he is a lefty.

If Giradri goes the route of 'matchups' then the Yankees have Traber, Sean Henn, Kei Igawa, and Chase Wright competing for the 'lefty-specialist' spot on the roster..

Here's what left-handed batters hit off of these four pitchers last season:

Traber: .176 Avg
Chase Wright: .250 Avg
Sean Henn: .288 Avg
Kei Igawa: .320 Avg (wow)

Numbers do mean little when it comes down to it, and these are limited samples... But right now, of those pitchers it's Traber that has had the best success, in general, against lefties.

They'll give Igawa a big chance, because of the money they have wrapped up in him.. But keep your eye on Billy Traber

Quite a Slow Month..

I really enjoy writing this blog, but you wouldn't know that by looking at the recent history.

As exciting as some of the off season trades and news is, it's not exciting enough in my mind to write about.. I love following the trades and free agent signings as much as the next blogger, but I can't seem to find enough interesting things about the deals to warrant a post.. And I basically refuse on principle to write about the Mitchell report or any of the Congressional hearings..

The biggest piece of news to come out of this month, in my opinion happened just yesterday with the Santana trade.

Most experts and writers out there seem to feel that the Twins got the short end of the stick with this deal.. However according to Baseball America and Mvn.com, the Twins received the Met's #2,3,4 and 7th ranked prospects..

That's really not a terrible deal, but the consensus seems to be that none of the prospects taken are major league ready. Which is a lot different from the packages the Yankees and Red Sox were offering earlier this winter. In each of those packages, the Twins would have received at least 2 major league ready players.

I do think the Twins and their ownership over played their hand. We're in a era right now where teams, even the big market ones, are protecting their best prospects more and more. The Twins sat back and hoped that the Yankees or Red Sox would throw an over-the-top offer at them, but that didn't happen. They were left with a decent deal from the Mets, but it's probably not as good as the ones they could have had if they had pulled the trigger when the Yankees and Red Sox came calling.

It's a lovely 43 degrees outside today, which is considerably warmer then it has been.. As the weather goes up, so will the amount I'm posting on this blog. Stay tuned!

Clemens on 60 Minutes

I don't know about the rest of the blogging community and what they'll say about the interview, but frankly I found it pretty uninformative..

I don't think hes going to change many minds with that interview, but I don't think he has much choice but to keep telling people that the report is a lie.

Public opinion is still stacked against him pretty heavily.

Personally, I really wish there was more of note going on in Yankee land. I haven't updated in awhile, because frankly I find this steroid/HGH thing very boring.

I get that it's important and I understand that it's a big story, but I do feel like theres only so much that can be written and said about a topic before it just gets dull.