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November 30, 2005

Giles Stays West

Interesting that the AP headline reads "Giles rejects Yankees, will stay with Padres" - didn't Giles reject a bunch of other teams too?

Anywho, unless the Yankees want Bubba Crosby and Andy Phillips in the line-up, together, on a full-time basis, they still need to get another bat.

I wonder if the Yankees can get Jacque Jones and Eduardo Perez and just platoon them at DH? Perez had an OPS of .884 vs. LHP last year (in 158 PA) and Jones had an OPS of .814 vs. RHP last year (in 411 PA). Jones can also serve as a back-up OF and Perez can back-up at 1B. Unless the Yankees are sure that Phillips can hit LHP at the big league level - and then use him instead of Perez? (For the record, Phillips batted .150 against both LHP and RHP in 2005.)

It's just starting to seem like a "John Lowenstein & Bennie Ayala" approach may start to make more sense, if they can find it, instead of throwing money at some "star" trying to make a comeback or at some "star" wanting too many years.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:20 PM | Comments (6)

Joe Pendleton To Block, Peter

Wow. The Kyle Farnsworth signing is not even official yet and Yankees fans are getting the "Good Luck to you" messages from Cubs fans all over the internet. Know what? I don't care what they say. Here are the stats/facts of all RH RP who have appeared in 200+ games (combined) over the last three seasons.

Stats via the Sabermetric Baseball Encyclopedia.

As you can see, in terms of limiting base runners, over the last three years combined, Farnsworth is the 10th best RH pen-man in terms of effectiveness, out of all durable RH RP in the majors.

And, considering that Mo Rivera is one of the ten, Farnsworth was one of the nine best RP available to the Yankees this off-season. Taking it further, and realizing that the Yankees had zero chance of getting Joe Nathan or Brad Lidge, and factoring in that Ugueth Urbina is in jail for murder charges, Farnsworth - at the end of the day - was one of the six best RP available to the Yankees this off-season.

Will Farnsworth be like Mo? No. Will he be like Gordon? Probably not. But, this is not Felix Heredia. This is not Felix Rodriguez. This is not Steve Karsay. This is not Paul Quantrill. This is not Chris Hammond. This is not Gabe White. This is not Jay Witasick. This is not Juan Acevedo.

Level set your expectations. Farnsworth will be good. He will not be great. But, he's not going to suck either.

You cannot be in the top ten for RH RP limiting base runners (over the last 3 years) and be an arsonist at the same time. I think the Cubs fans are projecting some stuff on this kid that he does not deserve.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:04 PM | Comments (14)

Who Is Johnny Damon?

Just in case the Yankees were silly enough to make a run for Johnny Damon, I decided to look at him more closely today. Now, I know that, recently, Damon's agent (Scott Boras) produced a report that claimed Damon was in the Rickey Henderson class of players. That's so untrue that it's 100% comical. Using the Sabermetric Baseball Encyclopedia, I did find a "comp" for Damon:

Clyde Milan and Johnny Damon, through age 31, were very much the same type of player.

And, Milan, after the season where he was 31, went onto to play for just three more full years - and was basically just league average with the stick in that time.

I would not be shocked to see Damon to continue with his Milan-mirror path. Therefore, if the Yankees were to sign Johnny, and it was for more than three years, it would be a huge mistake - in my opinion.

And, anyone who gives Damon the seven-year deal that he seeks now is a flat out idiot (if you pardon the pun).

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:45 PM | Comments (4)

The New Mr. 8th Inning Arrives?

The Hartford Courant thinks so:

The Yankees focused on their bullpen Tuesday, closing in on a three-year, $17 million contract with free-agent right-hander Kyle Farnsworth.

Though Yankees sources were saying it's not a done deal, talks appeared to be in the final stages.

Two weeks ago, I said that I was OK with the Yankees getting Farnsworth - and last week I suggested that he would be a nice fit to cover Gordon's old spot.

Therefore, I'm happy with this move - if it comes true.

Now, if the Yankees get another bat, and pick up some good bench players, then I think we're starting to cook here.

Shoot, figure out a way to shore up Mussina & Pavano and it will be a full blown winter feast.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:49 PM | Comments (6)

Sandman Wars

Now that Billy Wagner is with the Mets, I wonder if he will switch his song? Is there room in this town for two Sandmen?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:33 PM | Comments (3)

See More Skinner

I see that Joel Skinner is interviewing for the Dodgers MGR post.

On July 30, 1986, the Yankees traded Bill Lindsey, Ron Hassey, and Carlos Martinez to the White Sox to get Skinner, Ron Kittle and Wayne Tolleson.

Lots of good names in that trade.

Tolleson went on to be one of the few former players that Mattingly wanted back for Don Mattingly Day at the Stadium. Lindsey was a Staten Island boy. Carlos Martinez went on to hit the ball that bounced off Jose Canseco's head for a homer. Ron Hassey is now the bench coach in Seattle - and a good one. Kittle is still trying to be a baseball funny man and finds himself in the news sometimes.

But, Skinner, man, he was a bad hitter. Probably the worst hitting Yankees catcher in the last half-century:

Stats via the Sabermetric Baseball Encyclopedia.

And, for that, he'll always have a place in Yankees history.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:36 AM | Comments (3)

Kelly Stinnett

Reportedly, the Yankees have signed Kelly Stinnett to be a back-up catcher in 2006.

Supposedly, he's hard-nosed. That's always good in a catcher. But, he's not much of a stick. His lifetime Offensive Winning Percentage is .399. But, it was .438 from 2001 to 2005 - and it's been .484 over the last two seasons. So, maybe he's getting better as he gets older?

I still have to wonder how much Randy Johnson's input went into this move. It sure smells like the Yankees went out to get Unit a personal catcher - since the two have a history from Arizona.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:18 AM | Comments (2)

November 29, 2005

Mike Myers

I keep hearing these reports about the Yankees going after Mike Myers. This is good and bad.

The good: The Yankees need a situational lefty. And, that's Myers. Check the numbers from last year.

Myers pitched in 65 games and faced 151 batters. This means he averaged like two and a third batters per appearance. This is why he only threw 37.3 IP in 65 games. And, he was murder on LH batters - see these numbers for them against him: .158 BA/.198 OBA/.211 SLG.

Yes, lefties had an OPS of .409 against him.

But, RH batters killed Myers last year (.385/.510/.641).

Yes, righties reached more than half the time against him.

And, that's the bad news - because Joe Torre has never used a situational lefty the way they should be used. Instead, Torre uses them like 1-inning or 2-inning RP. And, if he does that with Myers, and allows him to face RH batters, then he will be torched.

Giving Joe Torre a Mike Myers is like giving a man with no arms a chainsaw. It's a powerful tool to have - but the guy will never use it the way it was intended to be safely used.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:38 PM | Comments (7)

Jeter & A-Rod On The Move?

From the Daily News:

Joe Torre said in an interview with Reuters yesterday that the Bombers have considered the possibility of moving Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez to center field to fill the hole vacated by Bernie Williams.

"We've thought about it," Torre told the international wire service. "We just haven't made a commitment to that. We haven't broached it with the shortstops."

His use of the plural in that sentence is noteworthy, since A-Rod was once considered the best shortstop in the game but moved to third base to facilitate a trade from the Rangers to the Bronx, deferring to Jeter as the incumbent shortstop.

Now, it's possible that one or both could be moving again; Rodriguez could be shifted to center or, if Jeter became the center fielder, A-Rod could slide back over and take over shortstop. GM Brian Cashman didn't return a phone call late last night, but Torre pointed out that such a move wouldn't be unique.

"That's happened before, hasn't it?" Torre told Reuters. "Bobby Murcer, Mickey Mantle. Hank Aaron came up as a second baseman. Robin Yount went to center field. It certainly is a consideration."

This is interesting. There's always been suggestions in the public that Jeter should move to CF. But, I do have an issue with this suggestion - assuming that it requires A-Rod to move to short - and this is it:

This move only makes sense if two things are a lock. The first thing is that we know for a fact that Jeter can play a very good CF. And, considering that he's never done it - probably ever - how can we assume that it's a lock that he can play a good CF? Secondly, if you move A-Rod off 3B, you better have another player who can slide in there and play good "D" and help with the stick. Do the Yankees have that other player? Is there one on the market? Again, no locks there either.

Another factor in this is the assumption that most have that A-Rod is a Gold Glove SS. Well, yes, he won a Gold Glove at SS. But, how is his defense at SS, in reality? Personally, I think that A-Rod, as a SS, got some hype about his glove work - much like many accuse Jeter of receiving all these years. If I had to say "A-Rod with the glove at SS is like........" I would say "Miggy Tejada." He's an above-average SS, defensively, who can make the occasional great play - - but, he's not the best fielding SS in the league (or in the top group of great fielding shortstops).

And, is that not what Jeter been the last few years? So, where's the upgrade with A-Rod at SS?

At the least, what this news does is that it puts Jeter on the hook. And, now, if he is asked to move to CF and declines, then there's an answer as to why it never happened - because Jeter refused to move (and it's not that he was never asked).

Of course, now, that's it - Jeter still hasn't been asked. And, until that happens, this is still just a 5 on the 1 to 10 juicy news scale.

And, don't lose sight of the fact that this "news" comes on the same day that Delgado and Wagner are the news out of Mets camp. It all could just be some PR maneuvers too.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:08 AM | Comments (10)

November 28, 2005

Juan Encarnacion

From Newsday:

The Yankees need a centerfielder and have discussed internally a three-year offer worth about $30 million for Giles, who has primarily played the corner spots recently. But the person familiar with the Yankees' plans said the team recently has moved down its list of prospective centerfielders and looked at its other options more seriously.

Among the centerfielders who have been discussed, at least internally, are the Phillies' Jason Michaels, who will likely be available, and free agent Juan Encarnacion. Free agent Johnny Damon also could be an option if agent Scott Boras lowers his asking price.

Five months ago I wrote, about Encarnacion:

As a hitter, he's pretty bad. Think Tony Clark, like he was last year, and apply that. It's not Womack-bad. But, it's basically some HRs, lots of whiffs, few walks, and a low BA. Not exactly the FT answer to the Yankees CF needs.

And, I'm still sticking to it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:31 PM | Comments (17)

2006 Summer Break?

I was just looking at the 2006 schedule for the Yankees.

And, MLB is giving the Yankees the day off after the All-Star break. So, for the week of July 9th, the Yanks will be off Monday through Thursday.

That seems so odd. It will almost be like a week without baseball - in the middle of July.

The White Sox, who play the Yankees in New York after the break, have the same day off. Why not play a game then that day? Very strange.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:55 PM | Comments (1)

The Way We Were

Music has a way of bringing you back - back to the time when that particular piece was first heard by you, and who you were at that time and where you were then. It's one of the things that I enjoy the most about hearing an older song - letting your mind do the Wayback Machine thing.

Driving into work today, I heard "Pulling Mussels From A Shell" on the radio and my thoughts began to drift back to another time and place for me. It was the early fall of 1980, and I'm in Barry's Records on 23rd Street in Manhattan, buying Squeeze's Argybargy (back in the day of 33⅓ LP vinyl records!). And, I began to recall the days that followed where I played that record over and over again until I had all the lyrics of the songs therein were burned into my brain.

And, as these memories bubbled up to the of top my present consciousness, I began to think about the Yankees of 1980. They were a very good and interesting team - Rick Cerone and his "10" Jeans. Bobby Brown. Tom Underwood - who looked like he was only five feet tall on the mound. Luis Tiant. Even fun part-time contributors like Eric Soderholm, Gaylord Perry, Doug Bird and Dennis Werth.

The Yankees of 1980-81 were the team that followed the Yankees championship teams of 1977 and 1978. Much like the present Yankees team is a very good and interesting team - following the Yankees championship teams of 1996-2000. However, the Yankees teams that followed the 1980-81 teams were not so good. No one wanted to come to play in New York those days. And, for the dozen years that followed 1981, the Yankees failed to make the post-season.

Are we about to see that trend again in Yankeeland? I hope not.

The key will be the Yankees farm system. If the Yankees can produce their own needed parts, they will not have to rely on getting help elsewhere. And, I think that Brian Cashman and crew realize this now.

Hopefully, some time around my 68th birthday in 2030, when I hear Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends" on the radio or somewhere, I'll then be able to think about how Cashman and the farm plan saved the Yankees back when I was in my early 40's when I was doing a blog on the Yankees.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:40 AM | Comments (4)

November 27, 2005

Maybe Someone Missed The Sign?

From The Post Chronicle:

As if Tom Cruise needed more bad publicity. A report from the website entitled bitterwaitress.com has labeled TomKat a cheapskate. BitterWaitress.com has thousands of entries listing the identities of the generous gratuity avoiders.

The so-called 'Shitty Tipper Database' has famous names and regular citizen's side-by-side for turning cheap when the check came.

Superstar Yankees Shortstop Derek Jeter reportedly left a 3 percent tip on a $54.00 bill.

Yankees centerfielder Bernie Williams is a multiple offender - leaving between 7-8%.

Maybe Jeter was just trying to let them know that the service stunk via the $2 tip? I'm usually in the 15-20% range (even when just getting eggs at IHOP or ice cream at Friendly's) when the service is good. And, if the 20% is under $5 then I usually just leave $5. (I figure that it's worth at least five bucks to bring food and drinks to a family of four - even if it's cheap eats.) But, I have left just a $2 or $3 tip in some places when I wanted to let them know that it was not a good experience.

Tips are like respect, you have to earn it to get it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:15 PM | Comments (5)

1996 Yankees Reunion

From Newsday:

We are all getting old: Plans are in the works for a 1996 Yankees reunion autograph show in January in New Jersey.

If anyone hears anything more on this, and is willing to share, please drop me a line, to, staff at waswatching dot com. Thanks.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:21 AM | Comments (4)

Back-up MI For 2006

Right now, if A-Rod, Jeter or Cano pull a Boone and bust up their knee in an off-season pick-up game of something, Felix Escalona or Tony Womack is playing full time in the Yankees infield next year.

Am I the only one who sees this as an issue?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:23 AM | Comments (7)

November 26, 2005

Did Florida Juice Lead To Marlins 2003 Ring?

I thought Yankees fans might be interested in an essay that I did on the team that beat them in the 2003 World Series:

Did Florida Juice Lead To Marlins 2003 Ring?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:13 PM | Comments (13)

November 25, 2005

Yanks Raise Ticket Prices, Again

From the AP:

Supporting baseball's biggest payroll will mean an increase in ticket prices for the New York Yankees, who are boosting the price of many of their best box seats over $100.

The Yankees said Friday they are raising the price of their box seats closest to the field by $5 to $20, depending on their row and location. The seats, known as field championship boxes, will sell for $110, $105, $100 and $95, up from $90 last season.

New York's best regular seats, which include waiter service, are available only as part of season ticket plans.

With many sections for next year already sold out because of season tickets, the price of the top seat available in advance for individual game sales will be $55 for lower deck reserved, an increase of $5. Those seats will sell for $57 on the days of games.

Upper deck reserved seats will remain unchanged: $17 as part of season tickets, $19 in advance of individual games and $20 on days of games. Bleacher seats will remain at $10 as part of season tickets and $12 for individual games.

I got my season tickets in 2001 - Loge Box MVP seats, right by 1B.

In 2001, they were $37 per seat. That price stayed the same in 2002. In 2003, it was raised to $40. In 2004, it was raised to $45. Last year, it became $50. And, now, it appears that it's going to be $55 per seat.

I have to confess, an increase of $18 per seat in the span of four years gets under my skin a bit. That's nearly a 50% increase.

I can only imagine what it's going to be in the "new" Stadium - do I hear $90 per seat? Mark my words - just watch.

I almost wish that the team didn't draw so well - and only averaged about 30,000 per game. Then, at least, maybe, the law of supply and demand would not allow them to keep tacking on another $5 per seat each year.

Right now, with so many people wanting to go, they can do what they want - and, it sorta locks me in too. I know if I gave up these seats that I would never see anything in such a good location again.

Maybe someday it will become so crowded there that no one will want to go? Can the law of Berra beat the law of S&D?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:49 PM | Comments (4)

But He Lost His Head In The End

From the Star-Ledger:

"There's a scene in "Braveheart" where the troops are charging and Mel Gibson is yelling, 'Hold the line! Hold back! Hold the line!'" Yankees GM Brian Cashman said yesterday. "We're just holding the line right now until the right thing happens. We're not going to do something that doesn't make sense for us."

"We don't have a lot to fix," Cashman said. "We need bullpen help. We need center field help. That's about it. We finished with 95 wins after sleepwalking the first two months of the season and having a ton of injuries. So we don't feel like we have to make a lot of big moves."

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:03 AM | Comments (1)

Brave New World?

Do you know that, if Joe Torre leads the Yankees to a first place finish in 2006 and does not win the World Series, it would be an American League record for most years in a row (6) that a team finished 1st and did not win a World Series in that run?

Right now, Torre is tied at five (2001-2005) with Mike Hargrove (who did it with the Indians (from 1995 through 1999).

You do need some World Series "bad luck" to get a string like this - see the 2001 Yankees and the 1997 Indians.

Of course, the National League record is a long way off: Bobby Cox, 10 years, with the Braves (1996-2005).

It's interesting that Cox, Hargrove and Torre are the only ones to do this for five years in a row and that it's all post-1994. Clearly, it has something to do with the leagues going to the three division format (in 1995).

Without the leagues being broken up into three groups, it's debatable if the 1997 Indians, 2001 Braves and 2005 Yankees even finish in first.

It will be interesting to see, if this does happen for New York in 2006, how it impacts Torre's legacy. Will he be remembered as the man who won 4 rings in a 5 year span or the guy who finished 1st 6 years in a row and couldn't get it done in the post-season? Or, do the two ends just offset each other and he's then just another manager with mixed (meaning so-so) results in the post-season on his resume?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:39 AM | Comments (6)

Black Friday Shopping

Red Sox pick up Guillermo Mota. Yankees pick up Chris Grossman.

It's not too hard to guess that they're not shopping at the same stores this off-season.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:53 AM | Comments (1)

November 24, 2005

Happy Tryptophan Day!

I justed wanted to take a quick moment to wish all the readers of WasWatching.com (and their loved ones) a happy, and a safe, Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:24 AM | Comments (6)

November 23, 2005

Jason Michaels Rumors

According to Newsday, the Jason Michaels idea has some possibility:

But now that the Phillies have Rowand, they could make another centerfielder, Jason Michaels, available. And the Yankees and Phillies have held discussions about Michaels.

Michaels, 29, played 105 games for the Phillies in 2005, hitting .304 with a .399 on-base percentage. He started 75 games in centerfield.

Michaels is eligible for arbitration, and the Phillies, hoping to re-sign closer Billy Wagner, probably wouldn't feel the need to hold on to a pricy player who is now a reserve (unless they trade Bobby Abreu or Pat Burrell to create a starting spot for Michaels).

Somebody call Chuck Woolery. I think we may have a love connection here.

Of course, with every potential good thing there has to be some risk. Note this story from last July:

Philadelphia outfielder Jason Michaels was arrested early Sunday after allegedly punching a uniformed police officer outside a city nightclub.

Michaels, 29, spent nine hours in custody before he was released on his own recognizance at about noon, Philadelphia police Cpl. Jim Pauley said.

"He punched a Philadelphia police officer and wrestled him to the ground, in the process ripping the police officer's shirt," Pauley said. "It took four officers to control him."

Police were dispersing a crowd in the Old City entertainment district just before 3 a.m. and everyone moved on willingly except Michaels, Pauley said.

Michaels was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, simple assault and reckless endangerment. He is due to appear in court on Thursday.

"I really would love to talk to you guys about this, but I've been advised by my attorney not to say anything," Michaels said before the Phillies played the Braves on Sunday night.

It's not as deep as the Milton Bradley rap sheet, but, you have to wonder about a guy who's stupid enough to start a fight with a cop in uniform.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:51 PM | Comments (2)

Jason Michaels

Now that Aaron Rowand has been traded to the Phillies, I have to wonder what Philadelphia will do with Jason Michaels.

Could he be the "smaller name" that Brian Cashman once hinted towards?

Michaels is a decent CF in terms of range - thereabouts. And, he's shown a knack for getting on base. Don't expect any pop though. And, he's not a kid. At the worst, he'd be a great platoon player with Bubba Crosby.

If the price is not too high, maybe the Yankees should make a run at him.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:45 PM | Comments (2)

Giambi's Fashion Faux Pas

I saw a link to the picture below on BaseballThinkFactory.org today. Reportedly, it's from a party in Vegas held 10 days ago.

Pretty stupid selection there Jason. For Christmas this year, I hope someone buys you a better shirt to wear at public parties.

If Giambi wants to continue to be so insouciance about his rep, then he deserves all the wondering that he'll see as he continues his comeback.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:11 PM | Comments (4)

Yankees Still Need One More Bat

As it stands right now, if the Yankees had a game today, based on who is on their roster, the DH in the line-up would be Andy Phillips, Tony Womack, or Kevin Thompson. Ouch.

Now, some like to say that Jason Giambi should be the Yankees DH next season. But, there's two problems with that. First, someone has to play 1B if Giambi is the DH - and, right now, that would be Phillips. So, that's no gain. Secondly, and more importantly, Giambi should not be the Yankees DH next season (or maybe ever?) because of the following statistics:

It's pretty clear, based on the above, that Giambi does not take well to being a DH.

Now, what about Gary Sheffield? Could he DH? Sure, he could - but, then you need someone to play RF. And, right now, based on the Yankees roster, that would be Tony Womack or Kevin Thompson. Again, no gain.

What about Posada? Could he DH? Yes, and the Yankees would probably like that. But, then, based on the current roster, Wil Nieves would be your starting catcher. So, does that help?

Clearly, the Yankees need to add another player to their team for 2006. It can be a catcher (which allows Posada to DH) or an OF (who would allow Sheffield to DH) or someone who could DH most of the time and maybe spell Giambi and/or Sheffield in the field on occasion.

When I think of this, I start to get those Kevin Millar nightmares again. If Millar is the target, I'd much rather see the Yankees offer Jeff Conine a one-year deal.

Of course, getting Brian Giles to play for the Yankees would solve this problem. But, there's still a question as to whether or not that can happen.

And, others may like to say this is why Bernie Williams should come back in 2006. But, I think those folks are forgetting that Bernie's best days are far behind him.

I'm not forgetting that the Yankees have some great offensive players - like A-Rod, Jeter, and Matsui (to go with Giambi and Sheffield). Also, Cano should be OK with the stick. But, that's just six positions. Posada is declining with the bat and Bubba Crosby (in CF) is not an offensive performer. So, if you go with a sub-par DH, you're probably spotting the other team 6 to 9 outs per game.

That's too much. Given the Yankees issues in the bullpen - and their questions in the rotation - New York cannot afford to play just a 6 or 7 inning game at the plate. They're going to need as many runs as possible.

This is why the Yankees still need one more bat for 2006. I hope that Cashman & Co. know this as well.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:01 AM | Comments (10)

November 22, 2005

Nomar For CF?

Tommy V. at SI suggests it:

I asked one assistant general manager at the GM meetings what sort of interest there was in Garciaparra. He replied, "I haven't heard a lot. I don't know anybody who's looking at him as an answer at shortstop. He's more of a third baseman or left fielder now.''

I would not write off the guy that quickly. I realize his body has been beaten up the past two years and that he was never Mr. Reliable at shortstop. But did you notice how Garciaparra hit when he came back from the groin injury last season? His second-half (.318/.347/.531) was nearly in lock step with his career numbers (.320/.367/.544). Garciaparra still can hit, though probably not at the MVP-caliber level he did in his glory days. He's also very athletic, in the way of Robin Yount, which is why I don't think it's crazy for the Yankees to consider him as a center fielder. George Steinbrenner always has liked Garciaparra, and don't you think he'd love to have Jeter, A-Rod and Nomar on the same team?

The last time Nomar was a healthy player was 2003. The last time that Nomar was a great hitter was 2000. Heck, the last time he was an above average batter was 2003. He's never played a big league game in the OF in his life.

This makes about as much sense as trading for Edgardo Alfonzo and converting him to CF. Pass.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:09 PM | Comments (9)

Cash: Remain Calm, All Is Well

From Buster O at ESPN the Mag:

"There is a perception that things haven't gone our way this offseason," Brian Cashman said Tuesday morning. "But everything that's happened so far is not unexpected to me."

Click here for the audio version of Cashman's quote. At least now I know how to get from Brian Cashman to Kevin Bacon in one move.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:49 PM | Comments (0)

Go West Young Manny

From the AP via FOX:

One of baseball's most fearsome offensive duos in 2005 — Red Sox's David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez — appears to be history.

According to Ortiz, "Manny is not returning to Boston."

"Manny is living through a difficult situation (in Boston) that only he and his family know and he no longer wants to play there," said Ortiz after arriving early Monday in the Dominican Republic.

Ramirez has asked for a trade in each of his five seasons with the Red Sox, but apparently this one is definite.

"I spoke with him last week before he left for Brazil and he told me that he wants to go to a team in the West," Ortiz, the Red Sox's designated hitter, said.

Ramirez has three years worth $160 million remaining on his contract and eight seasons with the Red Sox. Because of his status as a player with 10 seasons in the major leagues and five with the same team, he is allowed to approve any trade.

"I found out that that they are doing everything possible to trade him," Ortiz said.

There's some rain on the Beckett parade. Any team that throws a strike to Ortiz next year without Manny behind him should be sued in court for not trying to win. Get your walkin' shoes on Papi.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:59 PM | Comments (9)

Now We Play Doctor?

From the Daily News:

Yanks GM Brian Cashman did not return a call seeking comment, but other baseball officials said the Yanks had concerns about Beckett's health. He has been on the disabled list seven times in the last four years, most often for blister problems.

I guess the lessons on Steve Karsay, Carl Pavano, Kevin Brown, and Jaret Wright are starting to pay off, huh? I just wonder if it's the right application on Beckett.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:24 PM | Comments (7)

Losing Beckett

Two days ago, I wished that the Yankees had made a run for Josh Beckett. And, immediately after the Red Sox traded for him, I thought: "Boston has experience dealing with a stellar, but brittle, and emotional young pitcher. This, getting Beckett, might pay off for them like getting Pedro around the same age."

But, then, I decided to look deeper into the numbers, to see just what Beckett has done to date. Thanks to the Sabermetric Baseball Encyclopedia this is what I found:

So, Beckett's not Pedro at the same stage - in terms of accomplishments to date. Heck, he's not even Mark Prior. Basically, he's Jake Peavy - and, there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, I wish the Yankees could have a Jake Peavy-type talent right now. But, it's not like there's some evidence to say that Beckett can do what Pedro did for the Red Sox from 1998 through 2004.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:47 AM | Comments (0)

Meet The Bloggers

I recently threw out nine questions to several Yankees-bloggers - to see what they had to say. Four of the recipients were kind enough to get back to me: Alex Belth of Bronx Banter, Patrick O'Keefe of Yanks Blog, Brian MacMillan of Off the Facade and "YanksFan" from Yanksfan-vs-Soxfan. Here are the questions and answers. For the heck of it, I threw in my own answers - just for another point of comparison.

Why did you start doing a Yankees-related blog?

Patrick O'Keefe: I am a diehard Yankees fan. I also run and manage websites. I had talked about the Yankees a bit on my personal blog, so it all fit together.

Alex Belth: I felt compelled to start writing about the Yankees in '98-'99 simply because I didn't know what to do with myself. I had never rooted for a team that was on a run like that and I just felt I had to record some of my feelings. For someone my age (34) I was hopelessly behind the curve when it came to computers and I didn't really begin to discover the Internet until the 2002 season. When I discovered that blogs were essentially free, I thought, boom, here is a great way to practice writing regularly about something that I love.

"YanksFan": My interlocutor (SoxFan) and I had been having a perpetual debate about the Yanks and Sox (and other baseball matters) via email. When blogging software came along, we decided, in our hubris, to make that discussion public.

Brian MacMillan: I started a blog on LiveJournal for my friends to check out. The first week or so I wrote a bunch about baseball and the Yankees and a friend suggested I create a second blog just for that stuff because he wanted to read about my non-baseball/Yankees stuff and it was hard to wade through and find it. So I did and things took off from there.

Steve Lombardi: I do a lot of thread/topic starting over at the NetShrine (Baseball) Discussion Forum. And, I began to get some mild heat about being too Yankees-centric in my posts. So, I just decided to start a new forum for those Yankees thoughts. It's not a very sexy origination story. But, it's the truth.

What one thing surprised you the most about doing your blog?

Patrick O'Keefe: Nothing really comes to mind. I've been around a bit. Feel free to surprise me, though!

Alex Belth: Probably the amount of new friends and colleagues that I've met since I've been doing Bronx Banter. Early on, I knew that I would be able to find a comfort zone because there are so many angles to take when covering the same sport. But it's been really cool to meet so many different people--even the ones I know strictly through e-mail. Also, the fact that I've got readers in Japan and Europe really blows me away--the power of the 'Net to connect people was something I discounted for a long time.

"YanksFan": How much I've come to enjoy the repartee with some of our posters.

Steve Lombardi: For me, it was the traffic that my site started to get pretty much right out of the gate. I owe most to that to kind people mentioning it in their blogs and providing links. Alex at Bronx Banter was one of the first to do it and that really got the ball rolling. Any success that I have, traffic-wise, is in part of that inital kindness from him.

Brian MacMillan passed on the question.

When did you become a Yankees fan? What got you hooked?

Patrick O'Keefe: I was born a Yankees fan. It was natural for me to like baseball. I started playing closer attention around the beginning of the Showalter era. I've just always liked baseball and always been a Yankees fan. Always will be.

Alex Belth: I was born in '71 and only vaguely recall the '77, '78 'World Serious'. My old man was a Brooklyn Dodger-turned Met fan, but didn't care passionately enough to steer me away from the Bombers. I grew up on 103 and West End Avenue and my uncle was a big Yankee fan, so it seemed like a natural fit.

"YanksFan": From birth. My father was born in the Bronx. I came of age in the '70s, when the team was in its championship run. But, boy, were the '80s tough.

Brian MacMillan: The Yankees of the late '70s. Munson, Dent, the Goose. Flipping baseball cards and wanting to collect all the Yankees. Watching games on WPIX all the time with Scooter and Bill White.

Steve Lombardi: I became a Yankees fan a few months before my 11th birthday in 1973. No one pushed me - although my father and his father were Yankees fans. In fact, I didn't even know that my family were diehard Yankees fans until after I decided that the Yankees were my team. I guess it was just a moth to the flame type of thing. Actually, I've found many become fans of teams that are doing well at the moment they became fans. For example, a lot of 28-year-old guys now are probably Mets fans because they started following baseball in 1986. When I think of this, and how the Yankees and Mets were in 1973, I'm happy that I didn't allow that follow-the-leader thing to take root with me.

Who is your all-time favorite Yankee? Why?

Patrick O'Keefe: Don Mattingly or Derek Jeter. Don Mattingly was my first favorite player, Derek Jeter is my favorite now. I liked both of them so much, it's hard to say. I'm a huge fan of Mo, Bernie and others, as well.

Alex Belth: This is a tough one. I don't know that I've got just one. Bernie Williams and Mariano Rivera have been my favorite contemporary Yankees, and I felt attached to Mattingly and Winfield as a teenager. But I don't know if I've ever worshipped anyone more than Reggie, though if I had to model myself after anyone as a kid, my two favorites would have been Randolph and Guidry. I loved their steady demeanor's and cool professionalism.

"YanksFan": I don't have an all-time favorite. It's hard not to love Derek Jeter. I've always enjoyed watching a toughtful pitcher. Tommy John, Jimmy Key, David Cone have all been favorites at one time or another. Roy White was my first.

Brian MacMillan: I have three: Mickey Mantle, Thurman Munson, and Don Mattingly. I was not around to see Mantle play but I heard about him from my family who did and when I was younger I read a lot of books about baseball history. Munson because I went behind the plate when I first started playing baseball and liked his gritty persona. Mattingly was the man when I was in the prime of my childhood baseball years.

Steve Lombardi: I've always been drawn to the Munson-Mattingly-O'Neill types. I like guys who are leaders, work hard, play with passion, not afraid, etc. On the current team, I would have to say it's between Hideki Matsui and Mariano Rivera. I'm amazed that I don't say Jeter or A-Rod, but, maybe I'm telling myself something subconsciously in the fact that I'm not picking them.

If you could offer one piece of advice to someone wanting to do a blog, what would it be?

Patrick O'Keefe: Be responsible. People get online, put a mask on and run their mouth. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Treat people with respect, treat people's property with respect and realize that everyone - players, bloggers, everyone - is a person and is human. Treat them that way. Again, be responsible.

Alex Belth: Try and find your own voice and write often. There are so many different kinds of approaches to take that I think there really is room to do something creative. One thing that I've noticed is that blogs tend to come and go. I've become a bit jaded now and feel that no matter how much I like a new one, it has to keep it up for a good while before I can rely on it and consider it one of the elite.

"YanksFan": Choose one subject, have a point of view, and post, post, post.

Brian MacMillan: Enjoy it. Write about what you want to write about. Don't take harsh criticism to heart. Pay attention to constructive criticism. Work on your writing (mine is not that good and it dictates the structure of my blog - mostly quoting other news sources with small amounts of my own comments).

Steve Lombardi: Besides saying ditto to what everyone else said here, I would say to always remember that not everyone who you meet on the Internet (through your blog) is who/what they seem. And, that sometimes, it might be years before you know the truth. Proceed carefully with everyone that you decide to interact with because you just don't know. Of course, this is pretty much a Golden Rule for Internet usage as a whole.

In reading someone else's blog, what do you like to see? What do you hate to see?

Patrick O'Keefe: I like to see good grammar and paragraphs. I'm kind of busy, so I like to see entries that I can read and understand without having to spend 20 minutes of my time. I don't like to see personal attacks or vulgarities.

Alex Belth: Clean, succinct writing, insightful analysis, and a sense of humor. Trashing other writers, particularly beat writers or mainstream columnists, is boring to me, unless the critiques are substantive. Talking garbage about other people, especially professionals, is a real turn-off. But well articulated criticism or even parody is another story. Also, I find myself getting turned off to exceedingly long posts. That's just my taste though. Often, when something is really long, I'll print it out and read it on my subway ride home. But if it is long I feel that it has to be really good--and some writers excel at that kind of thing--otherwise it strikes me as self-indulgent. And there is nothing that irks me more than that.

"YanksFan": Posts shouldn't be novels. They should have one concrete idea or argument, and present it in a concise way. Navel-gazing and sloppy writing are definite no-nos. On baseball blogs, personal and ad hominem attacks on players are especially bothersome.

Brian MacMillan: It depends on the topic of the blog. Good writing makes it easier to read. Some blogs I enjoy because the person's personality comes out in their writing. Other blogs I rather read only about the topic and not about the author's daily life. I hate seeing opinions that are not backed up with information. I do not like to read a lot of negativity (I think there is too much of it in blogs and the media in general). I hate name calling.

Steve Lombardi: It's pretty basic needs for me: I like to be entertained and/or informed without being bored. Whichever way someone can pull that off is fine. Usually, it means don't be long-winded and try to inject some humor. One thing that I hate, in a Yankees-related blog, is blind worship. There are people out there who believe that you have to "support" everyone on the team "no matter what" because their on the team "if you want to be a true fan." I cannot do that. As a Yankees fan, if someone is tanking it, I'm not going to pretend like I still love them no matter what. Just because someone wears pinstripes it doesn't mean that they have earned my unconditional love. Also, if you're going to do a blog, do it. There's nothing worse than going to a site and seeing that it has not been updated in weeks or months.

What Yankees-related moment will you always remember?

Patrick O'Keefe: You keep asking me definitive questions, Steve and I don't like them! heh. Seriously, I'll give have to give you a few. Of the one's I have actually seen live: The Flip, Boone's home run, the Wetteland pile after we won in '96, Rivera's 3 innings in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, Jeter doubling to start the big rally in that same game 7, Jorge pumping his fist during that rally... is that enough? Sorry.

Alex Belth: Reggie Jackson hitting a home run against Ron Guidry in his first game back to the Stadium after he signed with the Angels. Then the stadium chanting "Steinbrenner Sucks" afterwards. I'll never forget how revved up I was that night watching that game.

"YanksFan": My memory isn't that great. The World Series victory celebration on 2nd Avenue and 88th Street, in front of whatever the bar was called at the time, in 1996. After beating Atlanta, the team gathered there for its private party, but word got out, and fans from the neighborhood closed down the streets. It was a purely jubilant time. I was with my future wife and best friends, lifelong Yankee fans who had spent the 80's suffering in the bleachers back when the bleachers weren't an "institution." It seemed like that victory would never come. It was great.

Brian MacMillan: There are so many. In my grandfather's den when Bucky hit the homer in '78. At my aunt's for a Fourth of July picnic when Righetti throw his no-hitter. George Brett freaking out in the pine tar game. Mattingly's 6th grand slam and his homer in his 8th consecutive game (both in 1987). George Frazier losing 3 games in the 1981 World Series. Mattingly's home run in the 1995 wild card Game 2. Jim Leyritz's home run in the 1996 World Series. Aaron Boone's homer in the 2003 ALCS.

Steve Lombardi: Overall, it comes down to dates. I will always remember the dates 8/2/79 and 10/2/78. So, I have to say it's Munson's death as an off-the-field thing and the Dent HR at Fenway for an on-the-field thing. If it's a was-there-in-person thing then it would have to be Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS - out of many great moments that I was lucky to see at the Stadium.

If the Yankees did not exist, what major league team would you root for and why?

Patrick O'Keefe: I can't answer that question. I can't see myself rooting for anyone else.

Alex Belth: This is a really hard one. Part of me likes to think I'd just be a neutral baseball, or a cherry-picker, shifting around, like a Roger Angell. I find myself doing that in basketball, even though I'm a Knicks fan, all the time. I just move around based on the personalities a team has on a given year. Even though I love baseball more than any other sport, I also love the Yankees more than any other team so it's virtually impossible for me to imagine what I'd do if they weren't around--they are so much a part of my make-up as a fan.

"YanksFan": I'd stick to the Knicks--the Mets are not possible. But I've always kind of wished the Giants had remained in the city. (I'm from Manhattan.) If they had, I would be a Giant fan, like my grandfather before me.

Brian MacMillan: Tough one. Maybe the Reds. When I was a kid, my favorite color was red and I had a Reds cap. Johnny Bench was on the Baseball Bunch and a catcher.

Steve Lombardi: Probably the Orioles. Nice ballpark. Good history. I like the bird on the hat. The owner leaves something to be desired though. Perhaps the attraction is because the Yankees started out as the Orioles? Not really sure.

In your wildest dreams, what would you like to do beyond doing your Yankees-related blog?

Patrick O'Keefe: Live a good, complete life.

Alex Belth: Making a living writing about baseball. My ultimate dream would be to be to produce a baseball highlight program/magazine show like "This Week in Baseball" but one that would borrow more from the NFL Films sensibility than anything baseball has ever turned out. Baseball coverage on TV is so incredibly disappointing, and I'd be able to use my film experience--I used to work in editing--my love of music, history, documentaries and great performers to do something that hasn't been seen before. It's a pipe dream, of course, but it's a nice fantasy to have.

"YanksFan": All I ask is a decent 3-bedroom apartment in NYC for under A-Rod money.

Brian MacMillan: Owning the Yankees (or if I had to settle, another MLB team).

Steve Lombardi: Some sort of baseball-related job where I could work from home (at least some of the time) and make enough money to maintain the lifestyle that I'm accustomed to now.

Thanks to all the guys who took the time to answer. It was fun and interesting to see where some were on the same page and where there were differences.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:14 AM | Comments (3)

November 21, 2005

DJ The D.J.

From "The Street.com" -

XM Satellite Radio signed New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter as a spokesman.

The Washington, D.C., pay radio company said Jeter would promote XM's baseball broadcasts and make regular guest appearances on XM's baseball channel. The deal also includes a partnership with the Turn 2 Foundation, the nonprofit organization founded by Jeter to promote healthy, drug-free lifestyles and academic achievement for young people.

"To help extend the lead of a winning team like XM is a terrific opportunity, especially since I am a huge XM Satellite Radio fan," Jeter said. "I am excited to share my enthusiasm for XM's unmatched Major League Baseball programming and unprecedented choice in news, talk, entertainment and, of course, commercial-free music."

I hope that Derek has seen Play Misty for Me, Talk Radio and, of course, Private Parts.

Somehow, knowing how "safe" Derek is with his public comments, I doubt that XM's verison of Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton will need to sweat this one too much.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:33 PM | Comments (4)

Ichiro!

From Dayn Perry, at Fox:

Last season, Ichiro grew uncomfortable with clubhouse insouciance in the face of losing, and rumors of a rift with manager Mike Hargrove are widespread.

Such palace intrigue is never a welcome turn of events for any team, but in this instance, it provides GM Bill Bavasi with the tidy rationale needed to do something especially bold — trading Ichiro.

Ichiro is an exceptional defender, a gifted base runner, a solid hitter and, by all accounts, a tremendous human being. However, Ichiro's lack of power — while playing a position that demands it — serves to make him overrated in most circles. Also consider that Ichiro's current contract expires after the 2007 season. At that time he'll be 34 years of age and, in all likelihood, in the midst of his decline phase.

Ichiro's also a player whose actual value exceeds his perceived value, and that's precisely the kind of player who needs to be traded. Any team with a modicum of payroll flexibility and a vacancy at any of the three outfield spots would (wisely) have interest. Without probing deeply, the Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals, Mets, Orioles, Phillies, Braves, Cubs, Dodgers and Giants all meet those criteria. To boot, the Mariners are not poised to contend over the remainder of Ichiro's current contract; so it's not as though they'd be sacrificing a playoff berth by trading him.

To indulge for a moment in the hypothetical, the M's might pry Philip Hughes and Eric Duncan from the Yankees, Jon Papelbon and Dustin Pedroia from the Red Sox, Anthony Reyes and others from the Cardinals or any number of high-ceiling Dodgers talents. For a team in short-term rebuilding mode, those are some alluring names. Also, given the certain trade interest Ichiro would elicit around the league, the forces of demand might drive the price even higher.

Truly, if the Yankees were told that it would take Philip Hughes and Eric Duncan to get Ichiro, the deal would have been done already. It's going to take more than that to allow the M's ownership to deal their jewel.

But, do the Yankees have more? Consider that they were already told that they don't have what it takes to get Aaron Rowand in a trade. So, how could they come up with an offer to pry Ichiro?

Don't get me wrong. I think Perry has a point - basically, Ichiro is a .300 batter with a .350 On Base Average who would be lucky to touch a Slugging Percentage of .440. (Yes, I think his 2004 season was a fluke for him.) Still, he'd be a lot better than Bubba Crosby in the Yankees outfield next year.

I just don't see him coming to the Yankees unless he pulls a Randy Johnson thing and demands a trade - and only to New York. And, I think the chances of that happening are just as likely as Arn Tellum being invited over to Big Stein's house for a Thanksgiving calzone this Thursday.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:22 PM | Comments (3)

The Yankees 2006 Bullpen

Right now, the only thing that we know about the Yankees 2006 bullpen is that Mariano Rivera and Tanyon Sturtze will be in it. I do expect the Yankees to carry 6 pitchers in their pen to start the season next year. This means there are four spots to fill.

I'm hoping that the Yankees re-sign Aaron Small to take one of those four slots - he deserves it (based on what he did in 2005).

I also anticipate Jaret Wright getting one of the four spots (as the "last man" in the pen) - and here I assume that he is healthy, not traded, and not needed for the starting rotation. If he is not available, I suppose it would be OK to have Jorge DePaula take this role on the team - or even a prospect like Steven White. The "last man" in the pen doesn't have to be a stud - just someone who can handle a mop.

What about the other two undefined positions in the bullpen? It would be nice to have a lefty in the mix. A propect like Matt Smith or a vet like Al Leiter maybe? And, for the other spot, right now, according to who's on the roster, it will be a Scott Proctor type. Or, could it be Jose Veras?

In summary, right now, it would look like this:

Closer: Rivera
Set-up: Sturtze and Small
Bridge: Proctor or Veras
Lefty: Smith or Leiter
Long-man: Wright or DePaula or White

I could see Torre burning out Sturtze and Small in a hurry with that group.

Ideally, the Yankees can acquire another set-up type pitcher, for now call him Kyle Farnsworth, and then everyone below Mo slides down a notch, as follows:

9th Inning: Rivera
8th Inning: Farnsworth
6th and 7th Inning: Sturtze and Small
5th Inning: Wright
Lefty: Leiter/Smith

And, then, you have Proctor, Veras, DePaula, et al, pitching in Columbus, if needed, where they belong. Or, one of them replaces Wright (if needed).

So, to me, the Yankees bullpen plan should be simple:

Sign Small.
Sign Farnsworth (or someone like him).
Figure out who is your lefty.

I wonder what they're waiting for?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:52 AM | Comments (6)

A Nice Free Agent To Sign This Winter

From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

Fred Ferreira was so good at finding young ballplayers in dusty outposts, his frustrated foes pinned him with a nickname some years ago.

"Shark of the Caribbean," they called him. Friday, the shark finally stopped swimming.

According to baseball sources, the Marlins fired Ferreira, their senior vice president and director of international operations, after four seasons with the organization.

Ferreira, who counts Vladimir Guerrero and Bernie Williams among his 30-plus signings to make the majors, recently re-upped for another season. It is believed the Marlins will honor his contract.

If I were running the Yankees, this is the type of guy that I would want to have on my payroll.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:39 AM | Comments (1)

21

OK, it's been 4 years since the number has been issued to any Yankees player. What is Stein waiting for here? Or, is the standard now a 15 year waiting period (as in the case of Guidry)?

The longer you wait, the more the chance that some mega-star is acquired and requests the number. Why put yourself in that spot?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:49 AM | Comments (3)

November 20, 2005

Josh Beckett & Mike Lowell

From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

Even the Marlins' oft-proclaimed organizational philosophy of putting a premium on pitching doesn't appear impermeable to their fiscal realities.

Desperate to rid themselves of Mike Lowell and the $18 million left on his contract, the Marlins are entertaining trade scenarios in which they'd attach him to one of their two best starting pitchers. The Marlins are listening to offers for 2003 World Series MVP Josh Beckett as long as the shopper drops Lowell into the cart as well.

The Texas Rangers are among the teams with whom the Marlins have discussed such a deal, but according to a league source familiar with the talks, nothing is imminent. Other clubs open to a Lowell-Beckett package are the Red Sox and Tigers. The Angels, Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies, Pirates and Giants could enter the bidding as well.

Josh Beckett is an immature punk. And, he's not very durable - in none of his first 4 full big league seasons was he able to make 30 starts for the year. Still, for his age, he's one of the better young starting pitchers in the N.L. (over the last 3 years).

Mike Lowell is toast. For the three seasons prior to 2005, he was an All-Star type player. Last year, he was almost Rey Sanchez-like with the bat. He's not old - yet, he fell off a cliff with the stick. Why? I'm not sure - maybe because they started PED testing last year? Heck, it could be anything.

Nonetheless, if the Yankees have a shot at getting Beckett, even if it means eating Lowell, say, in exchange for Carl Pavano, an average prospect, and cash, then I think they should go for it.

You can always use Lowell as the back-up 1B and DH.

And, if it means keeping Beckett away from the Red Sox, then it's even better. At the least, if the Marlins are dangling this package, the Yankees owe it to themselves to get in on the action - and try - rather than just let the other teams chase this one down without worrying about New York.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:28 PM | Comments (14)

Forget About Brian Giles

From the S.D. Union-Tribune:

"I want to be careful here because the bottom line is Brian would like to come back to San Diego," Bick said yesterday. "He would like to continue playing there. We're willing to put as much time and effort as is required to make that happen."

It's hard to beat the bottom line.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:25 AM | Comments (7)

Cash Not Playing MB Games

From Newsday:

Cashman is said to be "dead set against" the volatile Milton Bradley. And with Cashman's newfound power holding through three weeks, Bradley appears out.

That's sweet music to my ears.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:20 AM | Comments (8)

November 19, 2005

Is It April 1st Today?

From CBS Sportsline:

Relief pitcher Jose Veras said he has signed a one-year contract with the New York Yankees.

The Dominican right-hander refused to divulge the value of the deal, but said Friday he's excited to join the bullpen with Yankees closer Mariano Rivera.

"I feel proud that the Yankees have signed me to help set the table for Mariano Rivera. That's something very important to me," Veras told the Associated Press.

Veras is expected to help fill the role played last season by Tom Gordon, who has opted for free agency.

Veras currently leads the Dominican Winter League with five saves and only two runs allowed in 12 innings as a closer for the Escogido Lions.

Veras said he will travel to Tampa Bay, Florida, on Monday to meet with Yankee executives and take a physical.

Veras was on the Texas Rangers' roster last year before being reassigned to the team's minor league camp.

Who? Jose Veras used to be known as Enger Veras until he got busted with a bogus birth certificate. He's a big one - six-five, two-thirty. Throws hard. But, if he couldn't help Texas last year, what makes anyone think that he can help the Yankees now?

This guy is going to fill the Tom Gordon role? Com'on now.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:52 PM | Comments (2)

Johnny Damon Now?

From Bob Klapisch in the Record:

While the Yankees' transition to the post-Bernie Williams era, Johnny Damon quietly has emerged as a possible choice to be their next center fielder, according to an industry source familiar with the team's plans.

Damon's candidacy was initially dismissed by the Yankees, who were convinced the free agent was committed to returning to the Red Sox.

While Boston remains Damon's first option, friends of the outfielder now say "everyone's in, including the Yankees" after the Sox passed on the opportunity to sign him to a three-year, $31 million contract last spring.

Damon now is willing to listen to the Yankees. Question is, will they nibble?

Damon's friend said on Friday, "Six months ago, there's no way Johnny would've even considered the Yankees. He's thinking about it now."

The Yankees' front office met in Tampa on Friday to revise the off-season battle plan. So far, Giles is still at the top of Cashman's list. But Damon is at least on the Yankees' minds. This could get interesting.

Boy, I hope this is just smoke to drive up the price for the Red Sox.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:25 AM | Comments (4)

2011 = 3,000 x 2?

No one has ever had 3,000 hits in a Yankees uniform. In fact, no player has ever recorded his 3,000th hit in the pinstripes.

Derek Jeter has 1,936 career hits. Alex Rodriguez has 1,901 career hits. Given their age, production rates, health record, drive, etc., both should reach their 3,000th hit some time in the year twenty-eleven.

Just imagine the hoopla if they even did it in the same game. Wow.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:31 AM | Comments (0)

November 18, 2005

Braden Looper

Call me crazy, but, I'm beginning to think that the Yankees should get Looper on the radar.

He was "off" last year - and it was probably due do an injury as he had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder the day after the season ended. But, still, even being "off" he was a league average performer.

In fact, even with that bad season last year, if you look at guys with 300+ appearances from 2001 through 2005, he's one of the 20th best RP in that group.

At the least, he should be a "Plan B" thought if the Yankees cannot get Farnsworth. It's not like he's Felix Rodriguez or Scott Proctor. I would not give him millions and millions, but, if he was having trouble finding a team, I would step up out of the crowd and give him a home for 2006.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:09 PM | Comments (9)

Pavano Wants Out

From the Star Ledger:

Right-hander Carl Pavano, who signed a four-year contract with the Yankees a year ago, has been telling friends he wants out.

A person who spoke with Pavano late in the 2005 season said Pavano was "miserable" with the Yankees and that he would like the team to try to trade him this winter. He has not yet asked the Yankees to trade him, and he might not make the request formal, but he might not have to.

A baseball official familiar with the Yankees' off-season plans said the team would listen to offers for Pavano and would consider dealing him if presented with a good enough trade offer. The official also said, however, that it was "not a front-burner issue."

Pavano recently parted ways with agent Scott Shapiro, who negotiated his $39.95 million deal with the Yankees last winter. Pavano has not yet settled on a new agent, but once he does, he plans to ask his new agent to see if he can facilitate a trade.

The Detroit Tigers, who attempted to sign Pavano last year, are a possible trading partner, since they seem to have money to spend. But the Tigers are more interested in trying to trade for Arizona right-hander (and former Yankee) Javier Vazquez if they can. Other possible landing spots for Pavano include Seattle, which also pursued him last winter, and the Florida Marlins, his former employer. The Marlins, however, are cutting payroll and would need the Yankees to pick up a huge portion of Pavano's contract if they were to acquire him.

Looks like the stories last summer were true. This explains the Washburn rumors.

Pavano's not that good anyway. By now, it's obvious - it was a dumb signing. Get rid of him - the faster the better.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:15 AM | Comments (15)

Is This Stop Really Necessary?

From the AP:

The Arizona Diamondbacks will close out their 33-game exhibition schedule in 2006 with two games against the New York Yankees in Phoenix.

The March 31st and April 1st games will be the Yankees' first in Arizona since they took two of three from the Diamondbacks on June 15th through the 17th, 2004, at Bank One Ballpark, now Chase Field.

Great, then one day off before they're in Oakland. Stupid.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:10 AM | Comments (6)

Huh?

From a Reuters article entitled "Business leaders offer golden rules of the road" -

"Surround yourself with people smarter than you," says George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees. "The Boss" is not known for letting his "smarter" hires run day-to-day baseball operations without his occasional interference. Still, he says, "I will not make an important decision without them."

I never knew there was a Bizzaro Stein.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:02 AM | Comments (0)

Jarrod Washburn

From the Record:

In conversations between agent Scott Boras and the Yankees about Bernie Williams and Johnny Damon, another Boras free agent came up in discussions: Jarrod Washburn.

While the Yankees aren't actively pursuing starting pitching, Washburn could be of interest to them - especially if they can move Jaret Wright or Carl Pavano in a trade for an outfielder.

I don't like this one. Washburn is not durable - and his numbers since 2002 have been somewhat on a downward trend. Yes, he's probably better than Pavano or Wright. But, at what cost does he come? Besides, what team is going to take Wright or Pavano at this point? Anyone with a brain is going to want to see them in the Spring first.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:53 AM | Comments (2)

Saving Ryan's Privates

Three weeks ago, I wrote:

[B.J.] Ryan is an interesting call. I just have a feeling about him not doing well in a big market like New York or in post-season pressure. It's just a hunch. I have no facts to back it up. It just seems like he's folded in some big spots before. But, maybe that's just my memory playing tricks on me?

Now, today, Newsday is reporting:

Although Ryan said toward the end of September that he was open to setting up for Rivera, it appears to have been nothing more than a negotiating tactic. He recently told a friend he does not want to deal with the "stress" of pitching for the Yankees.

His preference is to close for a team with at least a chance of competing for a world championship, according to a person familiar with his thinking, which is why he chose to visit the Blue Jays, Tigers and Mets this week and not the Yankees.

I guess I wasn't fooled by my sometimes tricky memory.

There's a punch-line in here somewhere about a guy named B.J. not having cojones - but, then again, I like to think this is a family-friendly site.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:56 AM | Comments (10)

I Thought I Smelled Smoke

From the AP:

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman flew to Florida on Thursday to discuss the team's next series of potential offseason moves with owner George Steinbrenner and other team officials.

Among the officials attending the meeting at Legends Field were general partner Steve Swindal, assistant general manager Jean Afterman, vice president Mark Newman, Gene Michael, Billy Connors, Damon Oppenheimer, Bill Emslie and scout Jim Benedict.

"My plan was to come down and brief the troops," Cashman said.

The officals were together one hour before Steinbrenner joined for almost two additional hours. Another session with Steinbrenner, Swindal, Cashman and Afterman followed.

Sing it ya'll:

Come to Stein do not tarry,
Enter in at mercy’s gate,
O delay not till the morrow,
Lest Thy coming be too late.

Do I smell one of those famous Thanksgiving Day Free Agent signings coming?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:46 AM | Comments (0)

Nothing Wrong With The "Dog"

I just saw - via BaseballThinkFactory.org - that David Damiani in The American Enterprise Online took what I said last month a few steps further. A clip from Damiani:

In 2005, Rodriguez had a bad playoff series. So have Reggie Jackson, Barry Bonds, and countless other all-time greats renowned for clutch performance. For that matter, so has Jeter, who makes a gratuitous cameo in all columns written about the clutch, even those in the automotive section of the paper. Jeter’s postseason averages through 2004 (.306/.380/.456) are on par with his career regular-season averages of .314/.386/.461. In 2001, the year Jeter famously threw out the world’s all-time worst baserunner (not that I am bitter) to help the Yankees win the A.L. Division Series, he hit .118 in the ALCS and .148 in the World Series. Yet to this day, Jeter is called “Mr. November” for that World Series–which the Yankees lost.

If enough people keep this up, maybe some day the mass media and then the general public will get it as well. Fingers crossed.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:36 AM | Comments (2)

November 17, 2005

Craig Monroe

From Newsday:

In their pursuit of a centerfielder, the Yankees have been all over the map, checking out high-end items such as Damon and lower-end trade possibilities like the Tigers' Craig Monroe. But Torre's call to Giles, whose strength is offense, seemingly indicates the Yankees' sincere interest in him, even with Matsui in the fold.

Craig Monroe is a somewhat decent stick - but, he's not a pure CF. I have to question is range in that spot. Plus, the guy stole a $30 belt from a department store in Florida last year. This tells me that he is completely dead from the neck up.

Pass.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:05 PM | Comments (13)

Brian Giving Us A Hint Here?

From the Herald, on the Yankees CF search:

"It doesn't have to be a big name. It could be a smaller name," Cashman said regarding his search.

Hmmmm? Joey Gathright? Nook Logan? They both should be available for something that their team needs. In fact, I would not be shocked if you told me that they would be available for a prospect. Would the Yankees trade Eric Duncan for one of them?

Gathright will be 25 next season and Logan will be 26. So, this would not be one of those cases of trading the future for a Geezer. Even if the Yankees got a blue-chip CF for 2007, either one of these guys could be an excellent role player for years to come.

And, with the life left on both A-Rod's deal and Giambi's contract, when is Duncan ever going to get a chance in New York?

Interestingly, both Gathright and Logan were born in Mississippi. (Joey in Hattiesburg and Nook - whose given name is "Exavier Prente Logan" - in Natchez.)

Last time the Yankees had a CF from Mississippi was 1963 - when another speedster Jack Reed helped out the team.

Back to Gathright and Logan, I think either one would be a decent addition to the team - and they do fit the profile of the "smaller name" that Cashman hints towards.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:27 AM | Comments (1)

November 16, 2005

Torre & Cash Continue To Talk About Bubba

From MLB.com:

The answer -- at least for now -- may even come from within the organization, as both Cashman and Joe Torre said that Bubba Crosby could be the man when Spring Training opens in three months.

"It's too early in the process to say, but it's possible," Cashman said. "I can't tell you if it's probable or not, because it's only Nov. 16. We have an in-house guy that is a fly-ball catcher at the very least. With the offensive lineup we have, we can afford that."

Crosby hit .276 with one home run and six RBIs in 98 at-bats last season, though he batted .327 in 55 at-bats during the season's final month. He also made two starts in center field during the Division Series.

"Bubba showed some signs," Torre said. "He's not a world-beater, but he made some adjustments, offensively, which made him an option in important games down the stretch and in the postseason, which never would have been an option before."

Based on who else is out there, and those who the Yankees have already said "no thanks" to (because of talent or asking price), I am beginning to think more and more that Bubba in 2006 might be a reality.

Hey, somebody has to bat 9th, right?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:32 PM | Comments (16)

Matsui Overpaid?

I've been seeing some comments over at the NetShrine Discussion Forum about the Yankees overpaying for Matsui. Is Team Stein overpaying Godzilla?

Well, according to some quick sorts on the Sabermetric Baseball Encyclopedia, using 1,500 PA as a cutoff over the period 2003-2005, we see this:

So, a case can be made that Hideki Matsui, over the last three years, has been one of the two best LH batting outfielders in the AL - if not the best overall.

In today's market, that's not worth $13 million a year?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:53 AM | Comments (5)

Bernie Mariner?

From the Snohomish County Herald:

There are some players the Mariners may pursue with hopes they can regenerate their past power. Those include Denny Hocking, a switch-hitter who hit 22 homers and drove in 68 runs with the Twins two years ago but had just 104 at-bats the past two years with the Rockies and Royals; Terrence Long, who declined a minor-league assignment after hitting six homers and 53 RBI with the Royals; and Bernie Williams, a switch-hitter who hit 11 of his 12 home runs from the left side last season with the Yankees.

To date, this is the only whisper that I can find where a team is maybe expressing an interest in Bernie Williams (outside of the Yankees) for 2006. I think Bernie and his agent should take the hint.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:47 AM | Comments (7)

November 15, 2005

Got Godzilla?

From a Yankees Press Release on Yankees.com:

11/15/2005 10:07 PM ET
Yankees, Matsui reach agreement on four-year deal

The New York Yankees announced today that they have reached an agreement with left fielder Hideki Matsui on a four-year contract extension through the 2009 season.

Rumor has it that it's $52 mill for 4 years. Seeing the way Matsui played the last three years, and knowing the market rate for stars, I would have offered $12 mill a year for four. So, I have no issue with the extra million a year. It's a fair deal.

Next up, finding Mothra to play CF.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:24 PM | Comments (5)

It's 3:15 pm EST........

..Do you know where your Hideki Matsui is?

They're cutting this one sorta close, no?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:15 PM | Comments (5)

Not Craw -- Craw!

From the Journal News:

The Yankees plan to preserve as much of the famed Stadium facade as possible for their new facility when it opens in 2009.

What can't be recycled will be replicated in the new park, team president Randy Levine said yesterday.

Both the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission and the New York State Historic Preservation Office said extensive renovations in 1974 compromised the original historic design and value of the Stadium, which was built in 1923.

When the Yankees announced their intent to construct the $800 million project last June, they said the costs of rebuilding would be cheaper than a renovation, which would have included moving the facade.

While much of the materials won't make the trip across the street, the essence of the design will be incorporated into the new park, and that's what's important to the Yankees, Levine said.

"I have always said the new stadium will more closely resemble the original stadium than what we have now," Levine said.

Now I know how Siegfried felt. It's a frieze, not a facade!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:08 PM | Comments (0)

Bob Sheppard News

From the Daily News:

Bob Sheppard will retire as public-address announcer at New York Giants football games after 50 years, staying on the same job he's done for five years longer with baseball's New York Yankees.

Sheppard said he decided to stop doing Giants games after this season partly because of the commute from his home in Baldwin, New York, to the National Football League team's stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The trip is 38 miles long and requires crossing two New York City bridges.

"This decision did not come suddenly," Sheppard said in a telephone interview. "Part of it is the long trip from Long Island to the heart of New Jersey."

Sheppard's retirement from the Giants was first reported in today's New York Times.

Sheppard declined to give his age, and Giants and Yankees officials said they don't know his birthdate. Some biographies list him at 95 years old.

95? Wow. Bless him.

If Bob thinks the traffic into Jersey 8 times a year is bad, just wait until the new traffic mess up in the Bronx starts up this year - with the usual Stadium crowd next to a major contruction site.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:56 AM | Comments (4)

Let The Whining Begin...

From the Tornoto Star:

The baseball writers made a mistake, voting Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez as the AL's most valuable player over Red Sox inspirational designated hitter David Ortiz.

The fact that four Yankees rated top-10 status should be an indicator that maybe A-Rod's onfield support group in the Bronx was somewhat deeper than Papi's at Fenway.

Excuse me, but, Ortiz has one of the best lead-off batters in the league over the past few years, Johnny Damon, hitting in front of him, and perhaps the greatest right-handed batter of this generation, Manny Ramirez, batting directly behind him. It's not like Ortiz was sandwiched between chopped liver and cream cheese this season.

From the Boston Herald:

Apparently, America is not ready to elect a designated hitter as its Most Valuable Player. We can put Geena Davis in the White House, but we can’t give the MVP to a man who routinely snatches victory from the jaws of defeat.

Alex Rodriguez won the American League MVP award yesterday, but the story here in Boston is that David Ortiz did not. Ortiz did everything a designated hitter possibly could do to win the award, but the voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America continue to treat the DH as if it were VD.

Gee, maybe there's a reason why the award is called the Most Valuable Player and not the Most Valuable Hitter?

From The USA Today:

Alex Rodriguez collects testaments to his greatness the way mere mortals collect lint. He is a money machine without compare, a pinball wizard who tilts the scoreboard, a superstar who is designed like your video-game hero of choice.

But Rodriguez is no more the MVP of the American League now, as a first-place third baseman with the Yankees, than he was as a last-place shortstop with the Rangers, who finished 25 games off the pace in 2003 — or one game for every $10 million that Tom Hicks guaranteed A-Rod, with a couple million to spare.

David Ortiz should've won the award, even if he doesn't play the field. You didn't need to weigh the numbers to know Ortiz made more dramatic contributions to the Red Sox than Rodriguez made to the Yanks. Two out of every three nights, Ortiz was sending some late-season, late-game ball to the moon. That was good enough for me.

David Ortiz did bat .346 last season in "Close & Late" Situations. But, Vlad Guerrero batted .408 in the same spots. Victor Martinez batted .372 in those situations. Therefore, using the "Close & Late" case - and playing on a contending team - then Vlad or Victor should have been the MVP - and not Ortiz.

From Jayson Stark at ESPN.com:

The MVP award wasn't about defense the year Jose Canseco won it.

The MVP award wasn't about defense the years Juan Gonzalez won it.

The MVP award wasn't about defense the years Frank Thomas won it.

But suddenly, this year, defense mattered. And Alex Rodriguez will be eternally grateful, we're sure.

A-Rod had himself another spectacular season, all right. Nobody denies that. But is there any doubt that the only reason he just won his second MVP trophy was that he's a member of the leatherworkers' union and David Ortiz isn't?

How else, after all, would we justify this choice?

I like Jayson a lot. He's a nice guy. But, I wish he had read WasWatching.com last September when I wrote:

In 1995, Edgar Martinez (the DH) of the Seattle Mariners was by far the best hitter in the league. In fact, Martinez' 1995 season was probably the best season (in terms of relative batting value) by a RH batter in the AL since 1941. And, his team won their division and made it to the ALCS.

And, who won the AL MVP in 1995? Mo Vaughn (the 1B) of the Boston Red Sox. (Edgar finished a distant 3rd in the voting.) Why? Probably because Mo was a position player who hit a lot of HRs and had many RBI for a team that won.

I could do this all day. But, instead, I'm going to throw one stat out there - and I welcome those from the "Ortiz was more clutch and therefore deserving" Camp to chew on it. From the sortable stats at ESPN.com:

David Ortiz came to the plate 92 times in 2005 in "Close & Late" Situations. His On Base Average was .447 in those spots. Therefore, in 51 of 92 "Close & Late" Situations this year, Ortiz was retired.

Alex Rodriguez came to the plate 90 times in 2005 in "Close & Late" Situations. His On Base Average was .418 in those spots. Therefore, in 52 of 90 "Close & Late" Situations this year, A-Rod was retired.

It's 51/92 versus 52/90. Where's the huge edge in being clutch for Ortiz? I don't see it - probably because it's not there.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:17 AM | Comments (3)

November 14, 2005

Juan Pierre Is Everywhere, But Here

From the Post via SI:

Reportedly, the Marlins' Juan Pierre might be dealt this winter. Apparently, it won't be to the Yankees. At last week's GM meetings, the Marlins didn't approach the Yankees about Pierre -- and the Bombers didn't inquire about him, a source said yesterday.

I can't wait to go to bed now to see how much better I'll be sleeping, knowing this.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:27 PM | Comments (1)

A-Rod's 2005 Season With The Bat

I was just playing around with the Sabermetric Baseball Encyclopedia - trying to find "like" seasons for A-Rod's offensive numbers this year. And, this is what I found:

Chipper did win the MVP in 1999. Why Frank Robinson did not win in 1962, I dunno? Probably because he won it the year before (in 1961). Some might say it was because Maury Wills (who did win it) set the SB record that year. But, Robinson didn't even finish in the top 3 of the vote in 1962 - despite the fact that he was the league's most effective batter in 1962.

I saw a comment over at another site where a Boston fan said something like "Why do they call it the 'MVP' when they don't think about 'Most Valuable' or clutch hitting? They might as well just call it the 'Silver Slugger' Award."

I think the fact that the "best" hitter does not always win - even as far back as 1962 - shows that such a comment is just sour grapes.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:44 PM | Comments (0)

And, The Winner Is......

....according the Baseball Channel on MLB.com.....the 2005 AL MVP is:

Alex Rodriguez.

And another skin is added to the "Evil Empire Lamentation Onion" for the fans of the Olde Towne Team. Careful Red Sox Nation - your eyes may get watery if you try and dice it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:02 PM | Comments (6)

November 13, 2005

Who Will Win The A.L. MVP

While I've already gone on record regarding the Ortiz/A-Rod debate, I will say now that I do not expect Alex Rodriguez to win the 2005 A.L. MVP Award.

A-Rod was the most effective batter (overall) in the league this season - sabermetrically speaking. And, Ortiz was the 2nd most effective batter during the regular season.

However, if you look at the A.L. MVP selections since 1995 you will see that only twice was someone chosen where they were the most effective batter in the league (or darn close to it): Vladimir Guerrero last year and Jason Giambi in 2000.

So, in the last decade, 80% of the time the A.L.'s most overall effective batter did not win the MVP Award. That's not good news for the A-Rod camp.

Perhaps what might sway the voters is the "DH winning the award" issue. Many of those who have this issue are the same who say that a RP should not win the Cy Young Award. And, we know how that vote went this year.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:25 PM | Comments (3)

Flipping 5's

Soon we will know who wins the 2005 AL MVP.

A Red Sox won it in 1975 - Fred Lynn.
A Yankee won it in 1985 - Don Mattingly.
A Red Sox won it in 1995 - Mo Vaughn.

I hope the voters knew this year (2005) is the Yankees turn again.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:59 PM | Comments (5)

Kyle Farnsworth

From the Daily News:

The Yankees view Farnsworth, who is often clocked at 100 mph on the radar gun, as a potential setup man for closer Mariano Rivera.

Barry Meister, Farnsworth's agent, said both New York teams had contacted him and Farnsworth would be interested in pitching for either. Farnsworth, 29, was 1-1 with a 2.19ERA in 72 games for the Tigers and Braves. He had 16 saves.

"Having gotten a taste of the playoffs and winning, he's looking at all sorts of options, but the hope is he gets to pitch for a World Series winner," Meister said. "He would be a terrific complement to Mariano Rivera and serve the role Mariano did when John Wetteland was the closer and he'd also fit for the Mets because he can close."

Three out of the last five years, Farnsworth has been impressive. And, in one of those other two years, he was at least average. Also, I believe that he had an injury in the one bad year (2002).

He could be a good addition to the Yankees pen. The one downside is that I've heard he is a "serious party animal." But, I doubt that he's any worse than Jason Giambi or David Wells was (while a Yankee).

A two-year offer with a player option (based on performance) for a third year would be an OK thing to do here, in my opinion.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:42 AM | Comments (2)

What About Me?

From the Daily News:

Some intriguing drizzle falling from the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network.

Well-planted pinstripers say if YES execs decline to pick up their option on reporter Kimberly Jones' contract there is a very Yankeecentric replacement, Christa Robinson, waiting in the wings.

You may have already followed Robinson's exploits on YES' "Ultimate Road Trip" reality series. Before becoming a member of the "URT" cast, Robinson, 24, worked at YES.

Robinson grew up in Seattle. At the age of 9, according to her bio, she visited New York and knew right then the city, and the Yankees, were in her future.

Considering the way things have worked out so far for Robinson, she might want to consider playing the lottery on a regular basis.

I guess if they would be willing to give it to someone who looked like me, they'd just give it to Bald Vinny instead.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:32 AM | Comments (2)

November 12, 2005

Brian Giles For CF

From the Daily News:

But before he left, Cashman made contact again with the agent for another outfielder, Brian Giles, who could be developing into a candidate to take over for Bernie Williams in center field.

Cashman and Joe Bick, Giles' agent, spoke for at least the third time and Bick said the two "moved things ahead, talked about some comparable players, things of that nature."

Bick would not be more specific, but he reiterated that Giles would like to play in New York, though Giles has a reputation as a West Coast kind of guy.

Giles can help the Yankees - but not as a full-time CF. After watching Bernie Williams out there for the last few seasons, and seeing catchable balls fall for hits and not seeing any hits turned into outs, I'm shocked that the Yankees would consider putting another non-centerfielder in the 8-slot for 2006.

But, maybe what the Yankees are thinking here is that they use Giles to play some CF in 2006 - maybe no more than 50 games, and the rest of the time he plays RF (with Sheffield being the DH). And, Bubba Crosby gets over 100+ games in CF as a starter (with Giles in RF and Sheffield as DH).

When Giles starts in CF, Bubba can be used for late inning defense (where Giles then shifts to RF and Sheffield comes out of the game).

You do this for a year and then try and get a sexier CF in 2007 (Vernon Wells?) in the Free Agent market. Or, maybe you keep Bubba out there in CF in 2007 (assuming he doesn't flop in 2006) and then hope that Brett Gardner is ready for the big leagues by late 2007 or early 2008.

The problem with all this is the notion that the Yankees want to play Posada at 1B/DH next year. If Posada is playing 1B, then Giambi has to DH, and then there's no room for Sheffield to be a DH. If Posada is playing 1B, and Giambi is the DH, and you have Giles, then you have to play Giles in CF.

Either that or you catch Posada in 2006 and just resign yourself to the fact that he's going to get $12 million in 2007.

To some that may seem like a lot. But, if you consider what Kevin Brown and Bernie Williams were paid last year, it's not like the Yankees have never done this before. Plus, everyone always bashes the Yankees for having the resources to eat big contracts. So, if you're going to take flack for it, then you might as well do it.

Then again, maybe Giles goes elsewhere or the Yankees do sign him and are stupid enough to give him 140 starts in CF? Both of those cases are still very possible.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:18 AM | Comments (1)

Coach Tino?

From The Post:

When Brian Cashman spoke with Tino Martinez on Tuesday, the issue of him becoming a coach came up briefly.

The Yankees declined the $3 million contract on Martinez, who filed for free agency and wants to mull his playing future.

"There's nothing concrete," Cashman said. "He's a guy that's one of those rare [ones] that come along, like Paul O'Neill and Jimmy Key and Joe Girardi, amongst others.

"They're rare breeds. If you can try to keep them involved, it's always a good thing because of the abilities they possess to lead and know the game."

That idea rings a bell. But, there's no room on the staff now. Maybe they stick him in the YES Booth, or make him an assistant G.M. or something, just to keep him in the fold.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:23 AM | Comments (0)

November 11, 2005

50 First Dates Curse

In the movie 50 First Dates, Adam Sandler's character Henry makes a video for Drew Barrymore' character Lucy - to remind her of the events that have occurred since her memory-loss causing accident.

One of the things in the video reads "Red Sox win the World Series!" followed by "...Just Kidding" and then a clip of the Aaron Boone HR from Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. It was a mega here's-salt-in-your-wound-Red-Sox-fan moment.

50 First Dates was released on February 13, 2004 - 120 days after the Boone HR.

February 13, 2004 was a Friday the 13th.

Boone gets hurt and that opens the door for Alex Rodriguez to join the Yankees - after he was supposed to play for the Red Sox. For New York, A-Rod wears 13.

Think of all the post-season misfortune that the Yankees have had in the post-season since the Boone HR: the 2003 World Series, the 2004 ALCS, the 2005 ALDS.

Boone did not have a good World Series in 2003. A-Rod did not have a good 2004 ALCS or 2005 ALDS. There's some sort of weird karma connection here.

Adam Sandler, if you're listening, dude, you have to do something to make this right.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:18 PM | Comments (0)

Pavano & Mussina Keys For 2006

I was just looking at the last 11 teams to win World Series rings.

Some of those teams had great hitting - like the 1998 & 1999 Yankees, 2002 Angels and the 2004 Red Sox. But, some of the teams had terrible hitting - like the 1995 Braves and the 2005 White Sox. The rest of the teams were just about league average in hitting - like the 1996 & 2000 Yankees, 1997 & 2003 Marlins and the 2001 Diamondbacks.

But, on the flip side, all the champs had above average to great pitching - sans the 2003 Marlins. And, in defense of that Marlins squad, their second half pitching that season (and in the playoffs) was extremely hot. Other than the 2003 Marlins, no World Series Champion (as a team) had fewer than 40 Runs Saved Above Average (RSAA) during their regular season. And, 8 of the 11 were at 54+ RSAA in their ring season.

Clearly, when it comes to the ring, pitching is the thing.

And, when I start to think about the Yankees rotation next year, I have to wonder if they have enough pitching to win it all.

Randy Johnson should be fine. He's going to make 30+ starts and win between 16 and 18 games. And, I believe that, if he stays healthy, Chien-Ming Wang will be a 15-game winner in 2006.

It's Mussina, Pavano, and Chacón who concern me.

Mike Mussina has missed some starts the last couple of seasons. And, in both of the last 2 seasons, Mussina (overall) has performed as a league-average pitcher. The last time that he won 14+ games in a season was 2003. He will be 37-years-old in 2006. To expect anything out of him next season beyond what we've seen the last two years would be a mistake. The odds are that Mussina is probably only good for 12-13 wins next year.

Carl Pavano. Where do I start? Pavano's been in the big leagues for 8 seasons now. In only 2 of those 8 seasons has he ever won more than 8 games. In fact, in 5 of those 8 seasons Pavano has won less than 7 games for the year. Facing facts, at best, anyone should expect no more than 10 wins from Pavano in 2006 - and that's being kind.

Shawn Chacón is an interesting situation. I do not think that he'll match his 2005 Yankees season ERA of 2.85 in 2006. But, based on what he showed in New York, I think he can be a 15-game winner in 2006. But, it's not something that I would bet more than $10 on - because we just don't know how he will do next year. He's not a lock - therefore there has to be some concern here.

This all said, it would be wishful thinking to expect more than 70 wins from the Yankees starters in 2006. Where are the other 25-30 wins (probably needed to win) coming from? The bullpen? Do we even know who is in the bullpen yet for 2006?

Maybe Pavano and Mussina can have big years in 2006? If they can win 30 games between the two of them then that would mean 77 wins from the starters (thereabouts) then you only need about 18-20 wins from elsewhere. That's doable.

I just wish there were more facts to support the notion that Mussina and Pavano can be counted to be key contributors next year.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:52 PM | Comments (7)

Aaron Rowand

From the Daily News:

The New York Yankees recently approached White Sox general manager Kenny Williams about trying to work out a trade for centerfielder Aaron Rowand, according to sources, but were told by Williams there was no match between the teams.

Rowand is a natural center fielder and impressed the Yankees - and most other teams - with his strong reads and gliding strides into the gaps. The White Sox have a budding prospect in 23-year-old Brian Anderson and are strongly thinking about giving him a chance in the majors this year, giving them some room to move on the trade market. Unfortunately for the Yankees, they are looking for a bat to replace departed DH Carl Everett, and the Yanks' biggest surplus is in starting pitching.

Rowand is a true-blue Gold Glove caliber CF. But, with the bat, he's just about league average - sans 2004 where he spiked some that year.

I have to wonder if the White Sox would have a different stance on this if they lose Konerko? Would an offer of Sheffield for Rowand, one-up, then interest them?

Here I assume that the Yankees could then sign someone like Brian Giles to replace Sheffield in RF. And, of course, they would have to get Sheffield on board with this - remember how he reacted to the rumors about him being traded to the Mets?

At least Cashman is asking around and not just assuming that certain players cannot be obtained.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:44 AM | Comments (4)

November 10, 2005

Is Matsui Really Free?

From USA Today:

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and assistant GM Jean Afterman went to dinner with Arn Tellem to open talks. Matsui agreed in December 2002 to a $21 million, three-year contract, and that deal contains a provision requiring that New York either re-sign him by Nov. 15 or put him on waivers for his unconditional release.

If the Yankees released Matsui, they couldn't re-sign him until May 15 under baseball's rules.

If you had a chance to grab Matsui on waivers and then let him go to arbitration to decide a one year deal, wouldn't you do it? Why do Matsui and his agent assume that he'll be a Free Agent with no problem? Don't you think that the Red Sox or Angels would grab him in a minute? Or, the Mets?

Am I missing something here?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:04 PM | Comments (12)

Potential Future Dr. K's?

MiLB.com posted a nice feature this past Monday on some of the Yankees current prospects. Here's two names that are probably new to many Yankees fans:

Jeff Karstens, RHP

He was a 19th-round pick in 2003, showing some flashes of promise in 2004. Those flashes appeared with more regularity this season as he led the organization with 12 victories. He also had a respectable 4.15 ERA in the Eastern League. Karstens had a solid strikeout-to-walk ratio (147-42), as well. He'll likely start next season in Columbus but, as was the case this year with Aaron Small and Wang, his address could depend on the condition of the parent club's rotation next June. If he continues to make the kind of progress he did this season, Karstens will be one of the first in line to get the call next season.

Zach Kroenke, LHP

After a wild ride with the University of Nebraska in the College World Series, Kroenke joined the Baby Bombers and went 1-1 with a pair of saves and a 2.54 ERA. While he helped Staten Island reach the postseason, he was shut down, as well, because of an injury to his glove hand.

Karstens & Kroenke. Sounds like an upscale joint of some kind. It's not Duke & Duke - but, it will do.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:35 PM | Comments (0)

Fighting New Yankee Stadium

Curbed.com has an interesting entry today on some folks in the Bronx protesting the new Stadium.

It's amazing that no actual work has started yet on the construction of the new place.

When you factor in the issue of working outdoors during the winters in NYC, do they really expect that they can get all that work done in less than 39 months? And, this is assuming that they start in the next month or so.

Why do I have the feeling that fans going to the park for Opening Day 2009 are going to see a lot of "Wet Paint" signs?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:27 AM | Comments (0)

Rafael Furcal = Dave Collins

I've seen the FOX reports on the internet that contain this news:

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman asked one of Furcal's representatives if Furcal would be willing to play center. Furcal, 28, likely will rule nothing out at this early stage of free agency — he routinely shags fly balls with Braves teammate Andruw Jones and jokes about replacing him in center. He not only is athletic enough to play the position, but also could bat leadoff for the Yankees, forming a dynamic 1-2 combination with Derek Jeter.

This makes me reflect back to the last time that the Yankees chased after a 28-year-old speedster and asked him to switch positions to join the team: Dave Collins in 1982.

Actually, the two measure up nicely together - Furcal with 189 career SB and 15 RCAA in 3,649 PA and Collins (through 1981) with (then) 209 SB and 17 RCAA in 2,796 PA.

I'd much rather see the Yankees get a proven CF and let Furcal go play SS with the Mets or Cubs or something. If you're going to have a bat like Furcal's in CF, he better be a Gold Glover in CF. And, it's doubtful that Furcal would be that - now or ever.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:46 AM | Comments (4)

November 09, 2005

Manny Ramirez

In an interesting MSNBC article where the Red Sox Larry Lucchino talks about wanting Theo Epstein to come back to the team, the Sox Prez also admits that Manny Ramirez wants out of Boston:

Before going to California, Lucchino told The New York Times that Manny Ramirez wants the team to explore trade possibilities.

“He has made it clear that he would like us to consider a trade,” Lucchino was quoted as saying in Wednesday’s editions of the paper.

“He has asked us before, and it’s only reasonable that we explore possibilities, particularly at this time of year when all types of trades are considered and kicked around,” Lucchino told the paper. “So it seems respectful of him, and it seems our job is to consider these kinds of possibilities.”

It makes me wonder - should the Yankees try and get Manny through a back door - say, like in a three way deal where some team trades for Ramirez and then they trade him to New York?

Even if the Yankees could pull this off - should they? Is Manny's offense worth putting up with all the hot dogging and recalcitrance? After all, Ramirez' Batting Average and OPS have gone down for four years in a row now. Who is to say that he's not just a Dick Allen type who is just about ready to go away?

Well, first of all, part of the reason why Manny's numbers have been going down is because his 2002 season was so off the charts. There's really no where to go but down from there. And, he's still one of the most dangerous hitters in the game.

Secondly, despite the image of being a guy looking not to play, Manny has only missed 28 games over the last three seasons.

But, when you look at what's going on now with Terrell Owens in the NFL, and the effort that's required to deal with that, and then you think about all the "Manny being Manny" stunts that Ramirez has pulled in the past, this just seems like something that the Yankees should not chase down. It's not as if the Yankees are in dire need of hitting. Maybe if that were the case, I would feel different about this case.

And, of course, there's the matter of the amount of money left on Manny's contract.

The Yankees should let Manny go to the Mets - and maybe even help that move, if it's possible - and then just be glad that he's out of the American League (and leave it at that).

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:31 PM | Comments (6)

Heyman On Milton Bradley

In Newsday today:

Saying Milton Bradley has issues is like saying George Steinbrenner has turtlenecks.

It's important to touch on a few now before this gets out of hand, before the Yankees acquire Bradley to patrol the ground made hallowed by Bernie Williams and before him, Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Earle Combs.

Among other very bad deeds, Bradley sped away from a speeding ticket, was jailed for yelling at a police officer, was questioned about three domestic disputes at his house last summer (his new bride had a bloody lip one time), was suspended for throwing a bottle at the feet of fans, called a reporter an "Uncle Tom," engaged in a feud with teammate Jeff Kent (that one may be defensible) and spit gum at an umpire. And he's only 27, which only means plenty of time for many more blowups and meltdowns.

Three more words of advice: Please, not here.

Well said Jon. Well said indeed.

Plus, and I've noted this before in other posts/comments, there's no evidence in hand now that Bradley will be an effective big league batter in his career. He has just as much of a chance as being a .260 hitter as he does a .310 hitter at this point. You don't take baggage on a risk - you only accept that stuff when the guy is a star. Right now, Bradley is as much of a star as Gene Larkin was for the Twins in 1991. And, we know how the rest of Larkin's career played out.

Stats via the Sabermetric Baseball Encyclopedia:

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:33 AM | Comments (6)

November 08, 2005

Bye Tino, Hello Phillips?

From Newsday:

"At this stage, I'm trying to reduce payroll," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said at the GM meetings in Indian Wells, Calif. "We have a young player who's knocking on the door, Andy Phillips, who's a right-handed bat and provides flexibility to Joe Torre. We're gravitating toward that concept. We're not locked into it, but that's the current direction."

Is it just me, or, does it seem like the Yankees only have something like 11 players on their roster at this moment?

OK, I know it's closer to 18-something. And, once Matsui is nailed down it gets better. Still, it's a good thing they don't have a game to play tomorrow - or next week. There's a lot of spots on this roster that need to be figured out.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:32 PM | Comments (11)

SI: Posada On The Block

So, the rumors last month were true. From SI:

The New York Yankees are actively gauging trade interest in catcher Jorge Posada, according to baseball executives at the general managers meetings here. And if the Yankees can't move Posada, they have considered acquiring a catcher and giving Posada the bulk of his starts at first base, with Jason Giambi becoming the regular designated hitter.

Mostly, though, it seems to be about Posada's contract. For one, he's one of the few Yankees without no-trade protection. More significantly, Posada is scheduled to earn $8 million next season, and if he catches 63 games in 2006 his $12 million option for '07 becomes guaranteed. (The option vests with 330 games caught from 2004-06. Posada caught 267 games over the past two seasons.) Not even the Yankees, with all their resources, are thrilled about paying $12 million for a catcher who turns 36 that year.

Reading that second snip tells me that Jorge will be playing 1B/DH in New York next year.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:40 PM | Comments (6)

Mo 2nd in AL Cy Young Vote

MLB's worst kept secret is now fact - Bartolo Colon is the 2005 AL CYA winner.

Mariano Rivera finished 2nd in the voting.

I have no issue with Mo being #2 - assuming that #1 was deserving. But, since it's well documented all over the Internet the past few days that Colon was not the best SP in the AL this year, I have to wonder "If you're not going to give it to the best SP, then why not give it to the best RP?"

Sure, some might say that RP should not win the Cy Young (or MVP). But, then, why is it OK for a RP to win the Rookie of the Year, as Street did this year in the AL?

In any event, it's interesting/sad that 6 voters did not even include Rivera on their ballot. I am curious as to where they're based - in terms of the teams that they cover.

In the end, this may be a bummer to Mo and his fans, but, truth be told, Rivera has everything that anyone could ever want from the game - a strong legacy in a great town and an eventual Cooperstown plaque. Plus, he's got rings. But, most of all, he has the respect of his teammates - from the Clay Bellinger levels to the Derek Jeter levels. Ask anyone who has played on the Yankees from 1995 through 2005 about Mo - and what they say beats a Cy Young Award any day.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:45 PM | Comments (6)

Greatest RHP In Yankees History

I was just running some sorts on the Sabermetric Baseball Encyclopedia and I came up with the following:

The first list is Yankees RHP career Runs Saved Above Average (RSAA) Leaders through 2005. The second list is most seasons by a Yankees RHP with a RSAA total of 20 or more.

If Mo can just keep doing what he's been doing the last three years - for another two years - then he should (around this time in 2007) be declared the "Greatest RHP in Yankees History." Maybe Big Stein can even get him a plaque or something when it happens?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:01 PM | Comments (10)

Pavano For Jeremy Reed?

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

Pavano did not pitch after July 1 due to shoulder tendinitis, but could intrigue the Mariners if he returns healthy. The Yankees are seeking a young, sure-handed center fielder and may have interest in Jeremy Reed or Adam Jones. Neither is projected as an offensive star, but New York has a greater interest in improving its defense. Reed was a Gold Glove candidate in his first full season; Jones has converted from shortstop and is probably three seasons away from the majors.

The Yankees have long been fond of Seattle starters Gil Meche and Joel Pineiro. Still, even that might not be enough to solidify speculation into a deal. "It makes sense," one Yankees official said of the scenario, "but I don't see it happening."

I would do Pavano for Reed, one-up, right now. That's probably why it won't happen.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:07 AM | Comments (6)

November 07, 2005

Opening Week 2006

The Yankees open the 2006 season with three games in Oakland followed by three games in Los Angeles/Anaheim.

Then they come home to the Stadium for three with the Royals (according to most reports) - and then go back on the road again to the domes in Minnesota and Toronto.

First of all, the Yankees have to play something like 11 of their first 14 games on the road. What's up with that? That needed good start in 2006 may be tough.

But, if you have to do it, at least it's warm weather sites and domes.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:43 PM | Comments (4)

Num3ers Duo: Mo To Win AL Cy Young

Via Baseball Think Factory, I saw a LiveScience article where Mathematicians Predict Cy Young Winners. From the feature:

The model shows that there is no standout starter in the American League this year. Bartolo Colon, the top starter according to their model, has a total score of less than 6, a far cry from many AL Cy Young award winners in years past, such as Barry Zito (6.75, 2002) and Pedro Martinez (7.54, 1999).

"Our model quantifies the fact that there is no AL pitcher who will knock the voters' socks off," says Abrahamson. Therefore, Sparks says the two are "very confident" that the AL Cy Young Award will go to Mariano Rivera, a relief pitcher who had a particularly outstanding year. A Cy Young for Rivera, they say, would also serve as a kind of "lifetime achievement award" as Rivera, who has never earned the award, is likely toward the end of a very distinctive career.

Just thinking about this, a case could be made that Rivera has been the best and most consistent pitcher in the AL from the period 1996 through 2005 - if you consider all pitchers who pitched every year in the AL during that time. (Pedro was in the NL during 1996, 1997 and 2005. And Clemens pitched in the NL the last two years - and also had off years in 1999 and 2002.)

If some writers/voters have picked up on this, there just might be a "lifetime achievement" factor in their voting - even though it's not supposed to work that way.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:16 PM | Comments (1)

Pavano - Back Then

From the The Miami Herald Knight:

Spring training isn't the time when most players begin talking about next season's free agent market. But then A.J. Burnett isn't like most players.

So it wasn't exactly a shock to find the Marlins pitcher standing in the middle of the cramped clubhouse at Fort Lauderdale Stadium last March musing not about September and the pennant race or October and the World Series, but talking instead about former teammate Carl Pavano's new contract with the New York Yankees and what it might mean for him come November.

"He wants me to be a Yankee," Burnett said then. "He said everybody has got a Bentley or Ferrari."

Maybe Carl Pavano can play the Parking Attendant in the remake of Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Then again, wasn't last season the story of Carl Pavano's Season Off?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:33 PM | Comments (0)

Cano 2nd in AL ROY Vote

From mlb.com:

Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano finished second in the voting, earning 57 points with four first-place votes and 10 second-place votes.

Quick, name the last three Yankees to be named Rookie of the Year. No peeking!

Not that easy after Derek Jeter, huh?

Jeter in 1996. Dave Righetti in 1981. Thurman Munson in 1970.

OK, maybe Munson was easy. Who was the one before him?

Stan Bahnsen in 1968.

Back to Cano, in a way, it's probably a good thing that he did not win. No jinx and it might keep him a little more grounded.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:14 PM | Comments (0)

In Theo "We" Trust?

From mlb.com:

According to the Boston Herald, former GM Theo Epstein "is believed to be mulling a scenario that would result in him hooking on with another team in an advisory role for a year before returning to a full-time position after next season. However, several sources throughout Major League Baseball indicated yesterday [Thursday] that he could be offered a position above GM in another organization. The sources say Epstein could land the position of president for one of the ownership groups seeking to purchase the Washington Nationals, or with the Los Angeles Dodgers or even the Texas Rangers."

....Theo Epstein "is believed to be mulling a scenario that would result in him hooking on with another team in an advisory role for a year....

What a kick in Larry Lucchino's pants it would be if "another team" ended up being the Yankees. If true, this hire would almost make up for the 2004 ALCS. Well, sorta-almost.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:13 PM | Comments (2)

Lyle Overbay

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Melvin's top off-season priority is building more depth in his bullpen, and he wouldn't mind adding a starting pitcher and some veteran help on the bench. He already has had inquiries about the availability of Overbay and expects to get more this week.

Feeling no pressure to move Overbay and commit to rookie first baseman Prince Fielder in 2006, Melvin has a standard reply to all who ask about the situation.

"I said, `I'll gauge your interest in terms of the proposal you make,' " said Melvin. "They have to come to me."

In other words, if Melvin gets a deal he can't refuse, he'll make it. Otherwise, Overbay stays.

Overbay is a decent stick - and, while he's not Mientkiewicz-like with the glove, he's still better at the bag with the leather than Giambi. Plus, he's just 29-years-old.

This is an option that Cashman should look at this off-season (while remembering that the Red Sox will be looking at it as well).

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:32 PM | Comments (0)

Kevin Millar

Why do I have this sick feeling today that the Yankees are going to sign Kevin Millar to be Giambi's back-up in 2006?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:51 AM | Comments (5)

November 06, 2005

Brian Giles

From the Daily News:

Hideki Matsui remains the Yankees' outfield priority, but GM Brian Cashman also has started looking into other outfield possibilities and recently called the representative for Brian Giles to express interest in the free agent.

"I've had a conversation with Brian (Cashman)," said Joe Bick, Giles' agent. "He said they are assessing what they are going to do and, obviously, Brian is an attractive guy to them and they are interested in talking about him. We have nothing specifically set up, but I'm sure we'll have another conversation."

Cashman refused to divulge specifics about the talk, but noted, "We're going to touch base with everyone who could help us." Teams can't talk money with anyone but their own free agents until after Friday, but can tell players they are interested.

"We need a center fielder and we'd like to sign Hideki to be on the corner," Cashman added. "We'll know by Nov.15 if that'll happen or not. It's possible we could be looking for a center fielder and a corner outfielder, but I hope not."

Giles is still an effective batter - even at his age. Over the last 3 seasons, he's probably in the top 5 in terms of NL OFers with the bat.

Personally, I expected his power numbers - in terms of Isloated Power and Secondary Average - to go down this year (based on a highly subjective suspicion that he may have been using PEDs in the past). But, he remained somewhat consistent in 2005.

Sheffield was the same age when he came to the Yankees.

Maybe he can be brought on board and be a swing-man with Matsui and Sheffield? He can DH (with Giambi at 1B) and then play LF or RF and allow Matsui or Sheffield to DH that day. The only issue here would be when Giambi has to DH.

In any event, Cashman's doing the right thing - Giles is worth noodling over.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:53 AM | Comments (5)

Day 200

Yesterday, November 5th, was the 200th day that WasWatching.com has been around.

During this time, the site has received 490,037 hits - for an average of 2,450 per day. Even more exciting, from September 1st through November 5th the average is 3,493 hits per day.

Thanks to everyone for this incredible interest and support!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:50 AM | Comments (0)

November 05, 2005

The Bill James Handbook 2006

Two years ago, I had the privilege of reviewing The Bill James Handbook 2004 for NetShrine.com. Now, I have the pleasure of reviewing The Bill James Handbook 2006 for WasWatching.com. (And, my thanks to the folks at Acta Publications for making this possible.)

The handbook is full of league, team, manager and player stats. But, it also has fun sections on Team Efficiency Summaries, Park Indices, Leader Boards, Win Shares Data and Player Projections for 2006, careers, and injuries.

Quickly thumbing through The Bill James Handbook 2006 this evening, I saw the following 2005 facts that would interest Yankees fans:

* The Yankees' 49 wins after the All-Star break were the most for any team in baseball.

* Jorge Posada's Batting Average, Runs Scored, Walks, RBI, HR, On Base Average, and Slugging Percentage have each gone down now for three years in a row.

* Derek Jeter led the AL in pitches seen (2,883) and was second only to Bobby Abreu in the majors.

* On the bases, Jason Giambi went from 1st to 3rd in 47% of his chances (14-30) whereas Tony Womack did it 33% of the time (5-15).

* The Yankees had 111 SB Attempts last year - the lowest number ever by a Torre Yankees team.

* Tom Gordon led all AL non-closers in Blown Saves (with seven).

* The Yankees led the AL in pitch outs with 50 - for a point of comparison, the Red Sox had 11 and the White Sox had 15.

* Only Tampa Bay (0.53) and Baltimore (0.48) had higher Unearned Run Averages than the Yankees in the AL (0.43).

* The two highest home batting averages in the AL belonged to Derek Jeter (.354) and Alex Rodriguez (.351).

* According to Baseball Info Solutions Injury Projections for 2006, the pitcher in all of baseball with the 4th highest % chance of any injury is Carl Pavano (33.3%) and he's directly followed by Jaret Wright (at 32.4%).

* Alex Rodriguez, assuming he stays healthy, projects out to 816 career homeruns.

* The top two slots in the AL for most pitches thrown in a game belong to Carl Pavano (133 on 5/17) and Mike Mussina (131 on 5/7).

I also saw some Red Sox related items that would interest some Yankees fans:

* Pedro Martinez threw 217 IP in both 2004 and 2005. He hit 16 batters in 2004 but only 4 in 2005.

* Boston hit more HR on the road in 2005 (107) than they did at Fenway (92).

* David Wells' average fastball last season was thrown at 87.6 MPH.

It's facts like these that make The Bill James Handbook 2006 so much fun. (And, there's a ton more great things in the book. I found these in minutes.)

I highly recommend The Bill James Handbook 2006 - not just for Yankees fans, but for any baseball fan. If you like stats, this book covers all the bases (regardless of your favorite team or teams).

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:14 PM | Comments (0)

Who Is Robinson Cano?

Lately, I find myself wondering "Who will Robinson Cano be like when his playing career is said and done?" I'm more than sure that he's never going to be a Joe Morgan or Lou Whitaker type. But, will Cano be like a Delino DeShields or Jorge Orta in the end? Or, will it be someone else, say, like an Adam Kennedy?

I thought the best thing to do here, for a clue, was to look what we know - meaning Cano's lone big league season (2005) played when he was 22. And, take those relative batting results and see what others did the same as Cano when they were that age. To that end, I used my handy-dandy Sabermetric Baseball Encyclopedia and started running some sorts. These are three that struck my eye:

There are many names on these lists - including some Hall of Famers. But, to me, the names that resonate the most with what we've seen so far from Cano are: Benito Santiago, Claudell Washington, and Garry Templeton.

In the end, I can see Robinson Cano being this type of batter - the one who the Sabermetric crowd hates; but, the kind who will make 3 or 4 All-Star teams in reality because of the position that he plays and some of the numbers that he puts up in the stat categories which have been on bubblegum cards for the last 100 years.

So, the next question for many is probably "Should the Yankees keep Cano or trade him now while his value is very high?"

Personally, I would "Roberto Kelly" him. Let him stay here for a year or two. You know that he can handle New York and the post-season spotlight. (That's good.) Maybe he starts to do more things at the plate - and then you keep him. But, if he stays the way he is - productive to some on the surface but also not giving signals underneath of potential improvement - then you trade him, say, around 2007 or 2008 (and hopefully get a Paul O'Neill type in return).

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:31 AM | Comments (1)

November 04, 2005

A Personal Note

The rest of today at WasWatching.com is dedicated to the memory of one of the greatest friends that anyone could ever wish to have in their life.

This afternoon, just a few months shy of his 12th birthday, my beloved pet Otis will be put to rest. Back in late July we discovered that he had a tumor in his brain stem and the diagnosis then was that he had one month left to live. Despite that call, like the true champion that he's always been (in every way), he graced us with an additional 2 months (beyond what was expected) of his love and affection.

No one has watched more Yankees games on TV with me over the last 11 seasons. He was there for many exciting, happy, crazy and sad times. And, he was always the perfect game companion.

Thanks for everything buddy. Every moment spent with you has been an honor. You will always be remembered.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:15 PM | Comments (16)

Bubba Or Bluffing?

From the Star Ledger:

The Yankees may not pursue a center fielder this winter and instead give Bubba Crosby a chance to play the position in 2006.

According to a person present at this week's organizational meetings, some at the sessions were in favor of trying Crosby rather than overpaying for a center fielder.

Bernie Williams is a free agent, and if he returns, it will be in a reserve role.

In 173 lifetime big league PA, Bubba's walked 6 times. That's like 17 walks if he were to play a full season. If, and it's a big if, Bubba can hit between .275 and .300, then the lack of walks will not be an issue (see: Mickey Rivers, 1976-78).

I still think this is a bluff to drive down the price on the trade market for a CF.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:31 AM | Comments (7)

November 03, 2005

Nick Johnson

Will Nick Johnson become the George McQuinn of his time?

I guess we'll know in about 10 years. I still think he has a better chance to be the next Hal Morris.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:37 PM | Comments (4)

Not Wasting Time

In the history of the Yankees, only four times has a batter hit 30+ homeruns in a season while having less than 550 Plate Appearances in that year. The list:

Babe Ruth 1922
Joe DiMaggio 1939
Mickey Mantle 1962
Jason Giambi 2005

This past season, Giambi became the first Yankees player to pull this trick in the last 43 years. Not a bad little trivia question.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:11 PM | Comments (0)

Staff To Be Completed

From Newsday:

The Yankees also will hire Ron Guidry as pitching coach, Tony Peña as first-base coach and Joe Kerrigan as bullpen coach, and it all could be announced today.

Having Gator in charge of all pitchers and Kerrigan in the pen is like having a million dollars in your ING Direct Orange Savings Account and five million dollars in your Commerce Bank no interest checking account.

It's not that either investment is a bad thing - in fact, it's nice to have. But, it's not the best way to allocate your resources across your open options.

I have a feeling about this decision. I think that Torre believes that Guidry has Mattingly-like status with the fans and media. And, as such, he would not be attacked by certain parts of the front office. Therefore, picking Guidry as the pitching coach takes away one task that Torre doesn't want to do - meaning having to defend his pitching coach all the time. (Kerrigan, being a Cashman guy, might be more open game in terms of having to take shots.)

Maybe this was part of the placement process?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:46 AM | Comments (1)

November 02, 2005

The Return Of Lee Maz

From the AP:

Former Baltimore manager Lee Mazzilli rejoined the New York Yankees on Wednesday as Joe Torre's bench coach.

Mazzilli was the Yankees' first base and outfield coach from 2000-03, then became manager of the Orioles until he was fired Aug. 4. Mazzilli replaces Joe Girardi, who was hired to manage the Florida Marlins.

Former San Diego and Philadelphia manager Larry Bowa was hired Tuesday as New York's third-base coach, and former Kansas City manager Tony Pena might become first-base coach.

"Each and every one of us has gone through everything that you can kind of experience already," Mazzilli said. "You're somewhat prepared for any actions that arise."

So, Mazzilli will become the fourth bench coach in a four year span for Torre. Zimmer in 2003. Randolph in 2004. Girardi in 2005 and Lee next year.

This past summer, I suggested the thought of the Zimmer Factor (meaning that since he left the Yankees have not reached the World Series).

I hope Maz can break this bad string that's formed since Zim left.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:32 PM | Comments (2)

Matt Lawton Busted For Steroids

The Mystery 'Roider has been uncovered. From Newsday:

Matt Lawton has tested positive for steroids, Newsday has confirmed. Major League Baseball is expected to make an announcement later today.

The positive test for Lawton, who was traded to the Yankees on Aug. 28, was first reported by Deadspin.com.

Lawton filed for free agency earlier this week. In 21 games with the Yankees, Lawton struggled, going only 6-for-48 (.125).

After he did not make the postseason roster, he asked to leave the team and head home instead of sticking around in the event he was needed as an injury replacement.

Lawton faces a 10-day suspension at the start of next season, or once he joins a major-league team if it is after the season opener.

Earlier this week, when the "rumor" was leaked, Will Carroll, in other sources, was quoted as saying "Yes" when asked "Is this a name we're actually going to care about?"

We care about Matt Lawton?

I'd be more upset if a Yankees Bat Boy tested positive. Lawton? Who cares? He's a ship in the night. Lawton could have turned out to be [fill in the blank] and no one would care about it.

Yawn.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:09 PM | Comments (9)

Matsui's Collection

From, yes, of course, the Boston Globe:

Time Magazine's Asian edition recently did a cover story on Asian Heroes, one of whom is Yankee outfielder Hideki Matsui. And let's just say Matsui really apparently enjoys his Cinemax After Dark among American innovations.

"Indeed, his only eccentricity, if it can be called that, is his extensive private library of adult videos. His refreshing ability to laugh self-deprecatingly about his porno collection, reporters say, is one reason why fans and even nonfans have taken to him so much. Says former reporter Isao Hirooka: 'Hideki just wants to be like ordinary people.'"

Even odder is that in the very next paragraph, Matsui is described as having, "meaty, calloused hands."

I had heard about this collection back in April 2003 (when he signed with New York). So, it's nothing shocking to me.

And, if you've ever seen some of the stuff on Japanese TV, well, let's just say they're a little more open on some things over there.

Too bad we don't have an stories on what's in Manny's closet.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:54 PM | Comments (2)

Gary Matthews Jr.

I know Matthews was on the Yankees radar in July (when they were looking at CF possibilities). And, in August I suggested a possible trade for him.

I think when he was waived by the Orioles in May 2003 it served as a wake-up call for him. Either that, or, the hitting coach with the Padres (who claimed him) did something with him. Over the last 3 seasons, he's been an average offensive performer - not great, but someone who can carry his own weight.

He has above average speed and is an above average defensive centerfielder in terms of range - and, his arm is acceptable. I've heard that his "hands" do not match up with his other defensive strengths - but, they're not consistent Clank! monsters either.

If Laynce Nix does comes back for Texas in 2006, he can play CF for them.

I not sure if getting Matthews is something that the Yankees are considering now, or if it's possible. But, if they do trade for him, I think I would be happy with him playing CF in the Bronx next year and batting 9th for the team.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:32 PM | Comments (0)

Shigetoshi Hasegawa

From the AP:

The Seattle Mariners declined their options Tuesday on reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa and shortstop Pokey Reese.

Hasegawa pitched in 46 games last season, going 1-3 with a 4.19 ERA. The Mariners turned down a $3.1 million option to bring him back for a fourth season with the team. Instead, the right-hander receives a $325,000 buyout.

He's no spring chicken. But, Hasegawa has been a decent RP every year in the major leagues here - with the exception of 2004. And, in his defense, the M's as a whole were terrible that season.

If he's willing to take a one-year deal to play in New York, say, for two million or so, I wouldn't mind taking a flier on the guy.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:52 AM | Comments (3)

Fold 'em Alex

From the AP:

Alex Rodriguez was cautioned by the New York Yankees that playing poker in illegal clubs could be dangerous and harmful to his image, according to a newspaper report.

Early last month, the Daily News reported the star slugger had attended games at an underground club with professional card player Phil Hellmuth.

Scott Boras, the third baseman’s agent, denied that the Yankees had warned his client.

Two words A-Rod: Pete Rose.

This could be the tip of a legacy ruining iceberg for Rodriguez. He should find another outlet for this itch of his - and fast.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:45 AM | Comments (1)

November 01, 2005

Jeter's Gold Glove Selection

It was announced today that Derek Jeter has won the A.L. Gold Glove Award (for fielding excellence) at SS for the second straight year.

For those not aware, coaches and managers in the league vote on who should win this award. And, these men are the ones who selected Jeter this and last season.

And, within minutes of the announcement today on Jeter, across the Internet, many are claiming that he should not have won the award and lamenting over who should have won it. The numbers are being crunched and thrown around like mashed potatoes at a high school cafeteria food fight.

In defense of Jeter, I'm not going to look at numbers. Instead, I'm going to look at words.

To me, "excellence" means having the quality of being able to evoke a strong response of superiority.

I have yet to see a definition of the word "excellence" where it stipulates that it must be the highest in a measure of things or in the top X% of group, etc. To borrow from Potter Stewart, you do not need a slide rule to facilitate the capacity for fully understanding "excellence" - you know it when you see it.

Therefore, if the coaches and managers in the A.L. look at Derek Jeter and in their knowledge, gained by comprehending, he's the guy who evokes a strong response of superiority at SS in terms of fielding, then Jeter deserves the award.

I know that those who oppose Jeter will say to this "But, Jeter's fielding ability is just something that they've created in their mind. There's nothing to support it."

To that, I would counter with something that Ralph Waldo Emerson once said:

"The mind does not create what it perceives, any more than the eye creates the rose."

And, I would add a quote from William Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost:

"Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye, not uttered by base sale of chapmen's tongues."

Sorry Jeter-bashers. The Gold Glove is a judgment call. Take a page from the official baseball rules and realize that you cannot protest a judgment call. Correction, you can protest it until you're blue in the face - but, it's not going to change anything.

Just as all the griping in the world is not going to take away the Gold Glove from Jeter.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:09 PM | Comments (3)

Eric Duncan

Through yesterday, in 19 games with the Grand Canyon Rafters in the AFL, Eric Duncan has 17 XBH, 39 RP, and an OPS of 1.224.

October baseball agrees with the kid.

Does this mean that Duncan is a lock to be a star? No, it does not. He's still a prospect. And, every prospect is suspect until he does it at the big league level.

But, this performance does improve his status in terms of being a chip to trade. Therefore, I could see Eric being part of a package this winter that brings New York a CF.

Time will tell.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:18 PM | Comments (4)

Melido Perez 1992

I wonder how many Yankees fans realize that Melido Perez' 1992 performance for the Yankees was probably one of the twenty best single season pitching performances (in terms of effectiveness) by a Yankees right-handed starter. And, if the Yankees had any hitting that season, he could have been a 20-game winner and a legitimate Cy Young Award contender?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:25 PM | Comments (6)

Sweet Fancy Moses

The Yankees actually get two very decent draft picks if someome signs Matt Lawton.

That's gold, Jerry! Gold!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:22 PM | Comments (10)