WasWatching.com

« June 2006 | Main | August 2006 »

July 31, 2006

Embrayage Eau De Toilette

The AP is reporting that.......

Avon Products Inc. has signed the New York Yankees shortstop to a deal in which it will create a men's fragrance called Driven -- "reflecting the unique personality of one of the most driven men in America," according to a news release from the company.

The fragrance, the first in a line of men's grooming products bearing Jeter's name, goes on sale in November.

The report shares that "The fragrance is a blend of chilled grapefruit, clean oak moss and spice."

A mix of cold citrus fruit, unadulterated fungus and aromatic flora, huh?

Oh, Derek, you had us at "hello."

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:55 PM | Comments (3)

You Can't Tell The Players Without A...........

With all the recent Yankees trade activity, I'm guessing that the Yankees roster will shape up like this for tomorrow's game:

Pitchers (11)

Mike Mussina - Starter #1
Worm Killer Wang - Starter #2
Randy Johnson - Starter #3
Cory Lidle - Starter #4
Jaret Wright - Starter #5
Mariano Rivera - Closer
Kyle Farnsworth - Mr. 8th
Scott Proctor - Mr. 7th
Mike Myers - The LOOGY
Ron Villone - Jack of All Trades
Sidney Ponson - Break Open In Case of Fire

The Regulars (9)

Jorge Posada - Catcher
Craig Wilson - 1B
Miggy Cairo - 2B (Until Cano Returns)
Derek Jeter - SS
Alex Rodriguez - 3B
Melky Cabrera - LF
Johnny Damon - CF
Bobby Abreu - RF
Jason Giambi - DH

The Bench (5)

Nick Green - Placeholder for Robinson Cano - then this is Cairo
Andy Phillips - Back-up CM/Emergency MI/Main Clubhouse Squeeze
Bernie Williams - In Charge of Green Tea
Sal Fasano - Beta Catcher
Bubba Crosby - In Trouble When Matsui Returns

When Hideki Matsui comes off the D.L., I could see Bubba Crosby getting kicked off the team and then Melky Cabrera becomes the best 4th OF in baseball.

When Sheffield comes off the D.L., no one will have to move because it will be after September 1st. (Although it will be interesting to see who is left off the post-season roster for Sheffield. It's between Bernie, Phillips, and Wilson. Knowing Torre, it will be Wilson.)

As a side note, for a while, all the Yankees starting OFers will have first names that end with "Y." Has that ever happened before?

Back to the roster, I hope that Nick Green and Aaron Guiel get to come back when the rosters expand on September 1st.

Torre and Cashman seem to like T.J. Beam. So, I expect Ponson will be gone soon. And, of course, the Godot Twins (Dotel and Pavano) will probably be after Ponson's spot on the team as well.

It's going to an exciting last two months of the season. I'm looking to see what this team can do now. If Randy Johnson can be decent, and everyone else just plays their normal game, this team can and should win the A.L. East - and has a very good shot at the pennant.

And, I would love to see this Yankees team play the Mets in the World Series - especially after the moves the Mets made and didn't make today.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:12 PM | Comments (7)

Chacon For Wilson

From ESPN -

The Yankees traded pitcher Shawn Chacon to the Pirates for infielder Craig Wilson, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reported.

Chacon is 5-3 with a 7.00 ERA in 17 games with the Yankees.

Wilson is batting .267 with 13 homers and 41 RBI in 85 games with the Pirates.

This is what I wrote about Wilson on May 12th:

Wilson is not a star - but, he's a useful player on the whole. Actually, against LHP he bats like a star - for what it's worth.

He's currently playing on a one-year deal that pays less than $4 million - so, he's cheap. Also, he can play a little 1B if needed there too.

Wilson will be 30-years-old at the end of the year. So, it's not like he's going to be someone to build around.

Nothing about Wilson has changed since I wrote that in May.

The question is: How will Wilson be used in New York? And, who leaves the team to make room for him?

I have to think Wilson will be used as a 1B when Giambi is a DH. So, what does this mean for Andy Phillips? He cannot be sent to the minors - so, do the Yankees just let Andy go? If yes, he will be missed in the clubhouse - the other players seem to love him.

Or, does this mean that someone like Bubba Crosby or Aaron Guiel is to leave the team? One of them was probably going anyway when Abreu joins the team. Does Wilson mean that they're both gone?

At the least, in terms of talent and contract, getting Wilson for Chacon is a steal - as Chacon was not helping the Yankees now.

It will be interesting to see how Torre will use Wilson and how Cashman handles the roster.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:25 PM | Comments (13)

Roy Oswalt

Out of nowhere, at least to me, the Astros are now shopping Roy Oswalt this season.

Since 2002, Oswalt, Brandon Webb, and Carlos Zambrano have probably been the best young starting pitchers in the National League.

Oswalt is currently only 28-years-old. If I recall correctly, he cannot be a free agent until after the 2007 season.

Yes, he had some injury problems in 2001. And, he's logged a lot of innings for someone so young and slight of build. But, right now, he's "ace" material.

Is Oswalt the type of pitcher that the Yankees should go after now - even if it means trading someone like Philip Hughes?

If New York does have an interest in Oswalt, they better hurry. There's just about 70 minutes left until the trading deadline.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:51 PM | Comments (5)

Bosox Reaction To Abreu

Looks like the Yankees were the talk of the town for the the Olde Towne team.

From the Boston Globe:

``What are we doing?" asked Boston designated hitter David Ortiz.

``Abreu is a great player. He can hit, man, and people forget he's a Gold Glove outfielder. Lidle is a good pitcher. When he's on, he can be nasty, man. What did they give up?"

When told, Ortiz's face dropped. ``That's all?" he said. ``Hey, that's a good deal."

``Abreu is an impact player," said the Sox' Terry Francona, who managed Abreu in Philadelphia. ``My hope is that he stinks. My concern is that he goes over there for a couple of months and that he's the best player in baseball. Because I think he has that in him. He's a good ballplayer."

From the Daily News Tribune -

"The Yankees got a lot better today," said outfielder Gabe Kapler. "And we all recognize that. Abreu's been one of the better players over the last five years. And their pitching is better with Lidle. I don't think you'd rate one over the other, but I think they both add a nice piece to their puzzle."

....

Even without the trade, Kapler is impressed with the Yankees.

"Talent aside, which I think is evident that they always will have, they always do have . . . You can't have injuries that are devastating and perform great unless you have a lot of superior character personalities in the clubhouse," he said.

Said right fielder Trot Nixon: "Abreu's a good ballplayer and Lidle is a good pitcher, and I don't know what else to say beyond that. I'm only worried about our team. I'm not going to worry about what other teams are doing.

"But obviously it makes them a better team," Nixon added. "They were a pretty doggone good team to begin with, even when they had all those injuries. This makes them that much better. Still, I'm worried about us, not what they did."

"Abreu can hit everything," said outfielder Wily Mo Pena. "A guy like that, hitting for average and power, there aren't many of those."

Pena, a teammate with Lidle on the 2004 Cincinnati Reds, said the right-hander "has some good stuff. I faced him in spring training and got a couple of hits off him, but he's good. He's a big pickup for them."

Curt Schilling and Bobby Abreu were teammates from 1998 through 2000. What did he have to say? From All-Headline News:

Schilling went on to tell the Globe about all the distractions surrounding the Red Sox.

"Today is one of those days where [the Yankees] make a huge deal, they win a game, I pitch like crap, we lose a game, and everybody is at the extremes," Schilling said. "As players, you just can't afford to do that."

No comment, yet, as far as I can tell, from Larry Lucchino.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:13 PM | Comments (1)

Better Mind Your O's & M's

Here's the Yankees record this year, to date, by month:

April: 13-10
May: 18-10
June: 14-12
July: 16-9

Back on April 26th, I made a prediction on how the Yankees would do each month, going forward.

I had them going 18-11 in May - which was very close to their actual 18-10 record.

I had them going 19-8 in June - but, they did much worse (14-12). I never predicted that A-Rod would disappear for a month. Oooops. My bad.

I had them going 14-11 in July - and they were near that (being 2 games better at 16-9).

Back in April, I predicted that the Yankees would go 16-13 in August and then 19-10 after August. Since I was good in May and July, in terms of my prediction, I'm sticking with my prediction for August.

There's many tough teams that the Yankees need to play in August: the Blue Jays, the White Sox, the Angels, the Red Sox, and the Tigers. In total, New York will play 21 games against this group next month.

What about the other 9 games in August? It's 6 games against the O's and 3 against the Mariners.

These nine games are key for New York in August. If the Yankees take 7 of 9 against the O's and M's combined, and then play .500 ball against the "tough" teams that make out the rest of the August schedule, it will be a good month for the Yankees.

But, if the Yankees look past the O's and M's next month, they're going to be hard pressed to put some distance between them and the rest of the A.L. East in the next upcoming month of play.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:26 PM | Comments (0)

Coco Woe-Woe

Via The Feeding the Monster Blog -

This year, Crisp seems to have taken on the mantle of the miserable moper convinced everyone’s out to get him, like Edgar Renteria in ‘05 or Nomar Garciaparra in ‘04. Twice in the sixth inning last night Crisp threw wildly off target–first when he threw up the first base line after a spectacular diving catch, later when he skipped a relay throw into the infield after an Orlando Cabrera sacrifice fly–and both times he was hanging his head, Linus-style, before his throws had even been gathered up. Now that Willie Harris (who had been Crisp’s best friend in the clubhouse) is in Pawtucket, Crisp is isolated, sullen and sulking, in spite of the fact that Boston fans have more or less given the guy a free pass. Someone who came in replacing a matinee idol/cult hero and has been a bust on both offense and defense could reasonably expect a lot worse. It’s almost as if Crisp is depressed in preparation for the Boston boo birds.

Interesting, Crisp was singing a different tune back in April when he signed a $15.5 million, three-year contract extension with the Sox:

Crisp said his short time in Boston convinced him it was worth giving up his first shot at free agency.

"I was able to hang out with the guys and the front office, and see what they were like," Crisp said. "I had fun with the guys. Being with the Red Sox made it easy. You want the security and having that, and playing for the Red Sox, is great. There's no better place to be."

On April 12th of this year, Red Sox G.M. Theo Epstein said:

"We think investing in Coco was a wise move."

Really?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:39 AM | Comments (9)

There's More Than One

The above chart is the up-to-date Double-A stats for two pitchers that the Yankees currently have pitching for their farm team this season in Trenton.

Granted, "Pitcher A" is a year older than "Pitcher B." (He's actually about 16 months older. But, that's still just one-year in baseball circles.)

Noneteless, the numbers for these two pitchers are very close - in terms of hits and walks allowed, strikeouts earned, and their command of the strike zone. Also, they both give you a shade under 6 IP per start.

"Pitcher B" is Philip Hughes - the best pitching prospect in the Yankees organization.

"Pitcher A" is Tyler Clippard.

The Yankees had a situation like this back when Sterling Hitchcock and Andy Pettitte were coming up through their system. Two pitchers, about a year apart in age, and they both looked like good pitching prospects. But, in fact, one of them had a better career than the other one.

It will be interesting to see how it works out for Clippard and Hughes.

Personally, I hope they both go on to star in New York for the Yankees. That would be the best case scenario.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:59 AM | Comments (11)

July 30, 2006

The Trade For Abreu & Lidle

So, in the end, the Yankees gave up C.J. Henry, Matt Smith, Jesus Sanchez and Carlos Monasterios for Abreu & Lidle.

There's nothing there, lost, that's going to make mark on the Yankees farm system. Nothing at all, on the whole.

Better yet, the Phillies paid Abreu to waive his no-trade clause. And, the Yankees didn't have to pick up Abreu's option for 2008. New York will "only" owe Abreu $4.4 million this season, $13 million next season and a $2 million buyout for 2008.

Oh my stars and garters, this is sweet.

I've already gone on record that I believe Cory Lidle can help the Yankees. Put it this way, compared to Sidney Ponson, he's gold.

And, Bobby Abreu? I have a gut feeling about him coming to the Bronx now - and I see him having a "David Justice 2000" impact on the Yankees team this season. (And, I'm not worried about the "loss of power" thing for him. Actually, I buy into the theory that N.L. teams would rather walk him than give him a pitch to drive. Thus, he could sneak up on the A.L. pitchers for a few weeks here.)

I hope the Yankees bat Abreu ahead of A-Rod and Giambi (and after Damon and Jeter). I like the idea of the line-up going left-right-left-right-left. And, then, in the bottom four of the line-up you will have Posada, Phillips/Matsui, Cano, and Melky.

Yes, Melky. What about Sheffield? He's on target, now, to be available for the last 4 weeks of the season. He's going to want to play - because he's making a case for himself to get a contract, somewhere, next year.

To be honest, I think Sheffeild should only get a chance to play if Cabrera is struggling or if Matsui cannot come back. Otherwise, he should be used in spots - and not on a regular basis. If he tears the cover off the ball in those chances, then you reconsider the line-up.

That might not be fair. And, he's not going to like it. But, who ever said life was fair and that you're always going to like it?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:59 PM | Comments (12)

July 30th vs. The Devil Rays

I missed this one today - we took the kids to go see the Staten Island Yankees play the Hudson Valley Renegades.

The starter for the S.I. Yanks, Edgar Soto, got torched today: 7 ER in 3.67 IP. The crowd was really on him. It's a shame. At this level, it's all about getting your reps in. Yes, it's nice to win. But, at the short-season A-ball level, it's about getting PAs and facing batters. The crowd wanted Soto out of the game in the first inning.

I got to see Colin Curtis play for the Yankees. Despite the fact that he's batting .342 for Staten Island, it looked like he needs work, still, against off-speed stuff.

Moving to the big team - it was nice to see Damon have a big day after he was one of the few brave enough to face the press after that mess on Saturday. Shame on the big boys who bolted out of the clubhouse as soon as they could yesterday.

You know, I hated Damon with a purple passion when he was on the Red Sox. But, boy, has he impressed me as a Yankee. Now I know why they loved him so much in Boston.

Looks like Moose had his A-game on today. After Unit's F-game yesterday, it was just what the doctor ordered.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:30 PM | Comments (5)

Stark: Abreu & Lidle For Henry & White

From Rotoworld:

ESPN's Jayson Stark believes the Yankees will acquire Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle from the Phillies for 2005 first-round pick C.J. Henry and right-hander Steven White.

I have no beef with giving up Steven White. He's already 25-years-old and has had issues throwing strikes in the minors the last two seasons. At best, he's a back-end of the rotation guy someday. At worst, he never gets out of Triple-A.

C.J. Henry? He's toolsy - but, he has some holes in his game. And, at best, he's three years away from being able to help a big league team. A lot can happen in three years.

I see this deal as White for Lidle and Henry for Abreu. That's about right. I don't think the Yankees got taken to school on this one.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:53 PM | Comments (12)

Rosenthal: Abreu to Yanks

From Fox Sports:

The Bobby Abreu trade is likely to happen Sunday, and the Phillies are expected to send the right fielder to the Yankees even though the Red Sox are still in the mix, FOXSports.com has learned.

The Yankees would get Abreu and right-hander Cory Lidle in their proposed deal, while the Red Sox are negotiating only for Abreu. However, the Sox are working on several other fronts, and their primary motivation apparently is to muddle matters for the Yankees, according to a source close to the talks.

Abreu, 32, has given assurances that he will waive his no-trade clause for the Yankees, presumably in exchange for the exercising of his $16 million option for 2008. But due to the large amount of paperwork involved, a resolution likely is necessary by Sunday to ensure that the trade is completed by Monday's 4 p.m. non-waiver deadline.

If Melky Cabrera gets the shaft in this deal, I don't like it.

But, with Matsui, Damon, and Abreu under contract for the next two years, I don't see how this is good news for Melky and his fans.

Unless, the plan is to make Abreu a DH next year and play Giambi at 1B all the time. But, I don't think Abreu will go for that - and it's questionable as to whether or not Giambi can play 1B for 150 games and survive.

The more you noodle this, it doesn't look good for Melky.

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

July 29, 2006

Bad Company

Mike Berardino talks about Philip Hughes and shares some scary stats about prior Yankees pitching prospects:

Besides Andy Pettitte, no drafted-and-developed Yankees pitcher has made more than 10 starts in a major league season since 1995.

That was the year Sterling Hitchcock and Scott Kamieniecki joined Pettitte in the same rotation for Buck Showalter. That's how long ago that was.

Of the other 10 pitchers the Yankees have taken in the first round since the June draft was instituted in 1965, only one has reached the majors with them. Bill Burbach, a high school righty from Dickeyville, Wis., was taken 19th overall in the inaugural draft and made 37 combined appearances (going 6-11) for the Yankees from 1969-71.

Among those who were either traded or sidetracked before they could reach Yankee Stadium: Dave Cheadle ('70 draft), Scott McGregor ('72), Steve Taylor ('77), Jeff Pries ('84), Rick Balabon ('85), Brien Taylor ('91), Matt Drews ('93), Eric Milton ('96) and David Walling ('99).

The Big Stein braintrust is on the hook for Steve Taylor, Jeff Pries, Rick Balabon, Brien Taylor, Matt Drews, Eric Milton, and David Walling.

That's not going to look good on a resume.

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

July 29th vs. The Devil Rays

The week before you need to go out and get a new policy for your car insurance is the worst week to go out and get five speeding tickets. And, when you need pitching and it's the weekend before the trading deadline, it's the worst time to have four of your pitchers get undressed in a game.

Brian Cashman must hate answering his phone at this moment.

You know what? It's almost August. A legit playoff contender does not go out there at this stage of the season and gets it's clock cleaned by a team as lowly as the Devil Rays are at this junction.

This is embarrassing with a capital "E."

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:54 PM | Comments (13)

Turn, Turn, Turn

NoSenseWorrying.com shares a report on the fan reaction to A-Rod last night in the Bronx:

One of the more anticipated moments of the evening was how the Stadium would react to A-Rod. Well, I'm quite impressed with my fellow fans tonight. He received a nice ovation when he was announced his first time up. And that continued through the evening. Yeah, there were a couple of smart asses who still booed. But I saw people who I know dislike the man clap and cheer him on. They know that the Yankees need him to do well. I can't say for sure what brought the change of heart on. Maybe they were sick of the media attention. Maybe it was because he ended the road trip on a good note. Maybe the fans who weren't booing finally got tired enough of the other mooks and decided to do something about it. Who knows. But, I think the shift is happening.

And, for the record, it was a sellout in the Bronx last night - the 31st one this year, if I heard it right on the YES coverage. So, perhaps it's safe to say that the booing tide is turning.

What was it that The Byrds once sang?

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time of peace, I swear it's not too late!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:39 PM | Comments (0)

Book Giveaway Contest

There's a new one at the NetShrine Discussion Forum - if anyone is interested.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:32 PM | Comments (0)

90's, We're Living In The 90's

On Monday, July 31st, the FSN network will be airing an episode of In Focus detailing the "1990's New York Yankees."

Check your local listings for air-times.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:27 PM | Comments (0)

Pennsylvania To The Rescue?

From Newsday -

Yankees officials expressed optimism that some of the deals they have discussed recently have a good chance to get done. The most likely trade partners are the Phillies and Pirates.

If it's Philadelphia, the Yankees could enhance their starting rotation with the addition of former Yankee Jon Lieber and add some pop and patience to their lineup by acquiring rightfielder Bobby Abreu.

The Phillies continue to ask for high-level prospects, but the Yankees maintain they shouldn't have to give up major prospects because they would be assuming more than $40 million in contracts for the two veterans. The Yankees also are interested in starter Cory Lidle.

If it's the Pirates with whom the Yankees do business, the salaries of outfielder Craig Wilson and reliever Roberto Hernandez are relatively modest, though it might cost the Yankees more in legitimate prospects.

Hernandez is 41-years-old and Wilson is a free agent after this season. If the Pirates want very good prospects for them, I would tell them to go fish.

If I was a betting man, I think the Yankees-Phillies connection is more likely. Just guessing, I'm saying that it's going to be Lieber and Abreu for Marcos Vechionacci, Steven White, Jeff Marquez, and either Matt Smith or T.J Beam.

But, that's just a wild guess - based on no facts whatsoever.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:07 AM | Comments (7)

Gotham's Dynamic Duo

At this moment, both Chien-Ming Wang and Mike Mussina have winning percentages of at least .750 for the season.

When was the last time that the Yankees had two true starting pitchers go the whole season and end up with winning percentages of at least .750 for the season?

It was the magical year of 1998 when David Wells went 18-4 and El Duque Hernandez went 12-4. But, Hernandez only made 21 starts that season.

The last time that two Yankees starters went the full season and had winning percentages of at least .750 was 1963 - when Whitey Ford went 24-7 and Jim Bouton went 21-7.

If Wang and Mussina can keep up their pace, we might see something in New York that we haven't seen in 43 years.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:47 AM | Comments (0)

July 28, 2006

July 28th vs. The Devil Rays

OK, com'on, and sing along with me..........

"W" is for the way you WIN with ease.
"A" is for the bullpen ARMS you please.
"N" is NASTY, NASTY mega-ground-ball-master-sassy.
"G" is GREAT that you do, each time out, no-thin' new.

Thanks to Nat King Cole and "Worm Killer" for the inspiration.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:03 PM | Comments (2)

Pena & Posada

From Peter Abraham -

Posada is one of the main reasons the Yankees are 59-40 and leading the American League wild-card race.

"I don't know where we would be without him," Torre said. "It's like he discovered something."

More like somebody. When the Yankees hired Tony Pena as their first base coach, they also found a mentor for Posada.

Pena and Posada had only a nodding acquaintance before this season. But by the second week of spring training, they had become friends.

"He's been so positive with me," Posada said. "Tony is an old fox. He's seen everything, he knows everybody. He understands the position and he understands me. He knows how I'm feeling and what my point of view is."

Pena worked Posada hard during spring training, getting him to lose five pounds in the belief that it would improve his reflexes behind the plate. Posada had gotten heavier the year before, adding muscle during the winter to try and combat age.

"Looking back on it, I made a mistake," he said. "I'm better off when I'm a little lighter."

"I didn't know him until I got here but I look at him like he's one of my sons now," Pena said.

I guess Girardi couldn't connect with Jorge. I'm glad that Pena was able to make the connection. Posada has been huge for New York this year.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:38 PM | Comments (4)

Can't Wait Till Christmas

Now, this looks sweet!

Vintage World Series Films - New York Yankees: 17 Championship Seasons 1943-2000

It was just released 3 days ago.

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

Clueless In Saint Louie

According to Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

A miserable defensive slump and disappointing offensive production rekindled trade speculation around A-Rod. The Chicago Tribune suggested the Cubs should make a play on him as a rebuilding block.

At some point, the Yankees may realize that Rodriguez and Derek Jeter is just an unhappy marriage on the left side of the infield and in the clubhouse.

Clueless.

"Rodriguez and Derek Jeter is just an unhappy marriage on the left side of the infield and in the clubhouse"?

What the......?

Oh, it's Jeter's fault that A-Rod is having a rough go of it this season - now I get it.

And people say that bloggers just make stuff up.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:18 PM | Comments (2)

Brattain On A-Rod

John Brattain recently penned an essay entitled A Tale Of Three Cities: The Saga Of A-Rod. It's a pretty interesting read.

It's worth checking out.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:02 PM | Comments (2)

Two Ducks Just Flew Off The Pond

The Brewers are trading Carlos Lee and minor leaguer Nelson Cruz to the Rangers for Francisco Cordero, Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix.

That's two that you can take off the "rumored to the Yankees" list.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:09 PM | Comments (3)

Eric Milton

The Yankees drafted Eric Milton in the 1st Round of the 1996 amateur entry draft. He was the 20th overall section in the draft.

In 1997, his first pro-season, Milton was awesome. Splitting the season between Single-A and Double-A, Milton threw 171 innings, allowing only 137 hits and 50 walks. That works out to a WHIP of 1.09. In addition, in those 171 IP, Milton struck out 162 batters - which is a K/9IP rate of 8.53.

At the end of the 1997, Milton was just 22-years-old and as blue-chip as a blue-chip pitching prospect could be in terms of potential.

What did the Yankees do with him at that point? On February 6, 1998, they traded Milton, Brian Buchanan, Cristian Guzman, Danny Mota, and cash to the Minnesota Twins for Chuck Knoblauch.

Eight years later, at the age of 29, Eric Milton was the second worst starting pitcher in the major leagues. Further, coming into this season, in 233 career major league starts, Milton's career ERA was 4.99 (compared to a league average of 4.57).

If the Yankees do end up trading Philip Hughes this season, before Yankees fans get too upset, they should think about Eric Milton.

Where you're drafted and how you pitch in the minors does not always mean that you will be a star.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:37 AM | Comments (21)

Juan Rivera

Given the way that Juan Rivera has developed this year, is the Yankees trade of Nick Johnson, Juan Rivera, and Randy Choate for Javier Vazquez (made on December 16, 2003) now the worst deal in recent Yankees history?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:27 AM | Comments (9)

Theo? I Wanted Miss Cleo!

I saw this in an article about the Red Sox adding IP telephony to their organization:

Last season, Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein's cell phone was posted on a New York Yankees fan Web site, resulting in so many calls to his phone that Conley had to quickly get Verizon Wireless to change Epstein's number.

Awesome. I missed this story last year. Does anyone know what site posted the number?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:48 AM | Comments (1)

Jorge: 2nd Best Gunner In A.L.

From Newsday:

Thanks to a few tips from catching instructor Tony Peña, Jorge Posada has become one of the most difficult catchers in the major leagues to steal on this season.

Ramon Hernandez, Bal 39.7 (23-for-58)
Miguel Olivo, Fla 35.3 (18-for-51)
Jorge Posada, NYY 33.9 (19-for-56)
Kenji Johjima, Sea 29.8 (14-for-47)
Brian McCann, Atl 29.5 (13-for-44)

If you told me this, without showing me the stats, I would not have believed it. OK, now, seeing the numbers, I'm impressed.

Attaboy Georgie.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:34 AM | Comments (0)

Girardi Remembers

From the Palm Beach Post -

When he initially joined the Yankees in 1996, coming from Colorado to replace popular catcher Mike Stanley, fans did not even wait until he played his first game to voice their displeasure.

"I got booed the first month and a half, and I didn't even do anything,'' Girardi said. "I got booed before I got there.

"They loved Stanley, and he was a home-run hitter. I got booed at the FanFest. ... I got signs on opening day - 'Go Back to Colorado.' "

It did not let up until May 14, 1996, when Dwight Gooden took the mound with Girardi catching.

"I got booed until Gooden threw his no-hitter, and then it all started to change," Girardi said.

And, after that triple in Game 6 of the 1996 World Series, it's safe to say that Girardi will never be booed in New York again.

As bad as the fans can get on a guy in New York, all it takes is one huge play to win them over for good.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:17 AM | Comments (0)

Cash: No One Is Untouchable

From the Hartford Courant -

Labels might be imaginary, but Yankees general manager Brian Cashman removed all perceptions about his top minor league prospects.

"I don't have any `untouchables,'" Cashman said Thursday, with four days left before the deadline for non-waiver trades. "No one is untouchable."

Does this mean that even Philip Hughes, the Yankees' 20-year-old pitching prospect who has been dominating Double A, is available?

"Some guys are easier to get than others," Cashman said. "I'm more willing to talk about some guys than others. If some special circumstance came up, you might consider something like that, but no one has presented anything like that to me."

Hughes and outfielder Jose Tabata are considered the Yankees' hardest-to-get prospects, but that is as close as Cashman has come to saying he'd be willing to trade them.

Hmmmm. Is Cashman planting some seeds here?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:47 AM | Comments (5)

Yeah, But Did He Clap His Hands?

From the AP:

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is upbeat about his injury-depleted team that has taken the lead in the AL wild-card race.

“I’m very happy,” Steinbrenner said Thursday as he left the Yankees’ minor-league complex.

Keep those calzones coming Cash!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:26 AM | Comments (0)

Inquiring Minds Want To Know

This question just occurred to me this morning - Did Chuck Cunningham appear in more episodes of Happy Days than Carl Pavano has pitched games for the Yankees?

I think it's close.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:07 AM | Comments (0)

July 27, 2006

23 or 51?

Aaron Moore, over at the YES Network site, has a feature posted entitled "Bernie deserving of a Hall plaque." (By the way, why doesn't YES ask me for some content?)

I covered that topic back in May 2005, so, I won't repeat myself now.

But, the timing of this is good - because it reminded me of something that I was thinking about the other morning.

When Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, and Phil Rizzuto are no longer with us - and assuming that Derek Jeter and Mo Rivera are still playing - who will be the "greatest living ex-Yankee?"

When Rivera retires - and here I assume that he will retire before Jeter - it will be Mariano.

But, what about before-it's-Mo?

I always thought it would be Don Mattingly. But, looking at Bernie's rankings on the all-time Yankees lists, he's had a better career than Donnie Baseball.

So, who gets to be the last player announced at Old Timer's Day in 2009 - if Yogi, Whitey and Phil are gone? Is it Bernie or Donnie?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:13 PM | Comments (5)

Aaron Cook

I wonder what the Yankees would do if the Rockies offered them Aaron Cook in exchange for Philip Hughes.

Basically, Aaron Cook is Chien-Ming Wang - just a year older.

Both Cook and Wang are extreme ground-ball machines. And, since Wang is doing so well in New York, it would make sense that Cook would do just as well.

Plus, Cook is under contract through 2008 - and cheap.

Would it be worth the potential of Hughes to get a pitcher like Cook, now, who would be another Wang in the rotation this year - and for the two that follow it?

Yes, Hughes can be a potential ace - but, he's yet to pitch in Triple-A.

Back in the early 1990's, the O's had a pitcher in their farm system named Jimmy Haynes. He did great at A-ball, Double-A, and Triple-A. Haynes was picked to be the "next Mike Mussina" by many - he was "can't miss."

Guess what? He missed. He missed really bad.

You never know with pitchers - until they prove that they can pitch at the big league level. Plus, there's the stress factor in New York for Hughes.

Aaron Cook, like "Worm Killer" Wang, has proven that he can pitch in the majors.

Of course, there's the question of "Why would the Rockies do this?" And, that's a fair question - maybe they wouldn't?

Still, it's an interesting question to me, still - if the Yankees could get a young, cheap, proven starting pitcher today, for a deal including Hughes, what would they do?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:19 PM | Comments (22)

Cory Lidle

From Ken Rosenthal -

The three AL East contenders — the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays — all sent scouts to watch right-hander Jon Lieber, who pitched Wednesday night, and right-hander Cory Lidle, who pitches Thursday. The Cardinals and Reds were among the other clubs represented.

I've already gone on record about Lieber.

So, I thought I would share some thoughts on Lidle.

When the A's had him, from 2001 to 2002, he was a good pitcher. He then went to the Blue Jays in 2003 and the Reds in 2004 - and stunk in both spots.

When he joined the Phillies, he became an average pitcher - not good but not bad. He'll get you about 6 IP each time out.

With the Yankees offense, if they picked him up now, Lidle could win 7 games over the next two months.

Basically, he won't kill you - but, he's not going to go 10-2 in New York over the remainder of the season.

For the right price, I would take him. But, I would rather have Lieber.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:52 PM | Comments (11)

Do I Hear Twenty-Three?

Remember when I was excited about 21,314 two weeks ago?

Check this out:

Date - Total Hits to WasWatching.com

July 21 - 22970
July 22 - 16398
July 23 - 15912
July 24 - 21852
July 25 - 22490
July 26 - 22153

Looks like 22,000 is now the going rate.

As always, thanks to all for making this happen - and for your interest in WasWatching.com.

Update, 7/28/06: This just in - yesterday, there were 24,303 hits to WasWatching.com. Do I hear 25?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:31 PM | Comments (1)

1,000 Words

The Yankees should make T-Shirts for the team with this picture on it. On the back of the shirt, it can read "Getting The Job Done Beats Style Points."

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:26 PM | Comments (9)

The "Clutch" Yankees So Far This Season

Via Dan Smith's blog Clutchiness:

I can't pretend to tell you, in detail, how the stats work. But, I can tell you that these rankings do fall into the order that I would put together, this season, based on what my eyes and heart tell me.

It's very interesting to me when objectivity and subjectivity meet together in a harmonious fashion.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:12 AM | Comments (12)

Yankees WPA Rundown

There's a new Yankees-related blog that you'll want to check out. It's:

Yankees WPA Rundown

Stop by and tell them that WasWatching.com sent you.

(Hat tip to Dave Studeman.)

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:03 AM | Comments (2)

Don't Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out Fester

Kelly Stinnett's last words, via Newsday:

Stinnett received the bad news in a call to his hotel room from Torre at midnight Tuesday night, and said yesterday from his Arizona home he was "surprised."

"You're in a role where you can't really help yourself playing once a week," Stinnett said. "...It's probably just a shakeup where they're picking on the little guy."

Stinnett, 36, batted .228 (18-for-79) with a homers and nine RBIs. Fasano, 34, hit .243 (34-for-140) with four homer and 10 RBIs for the Phillies.

Fasano made an impression on the Yankees during 2004 spring training and that season at Triple-A Columbus.

Stinnett hopes another team wants him, and he has no plans of seeing Columbus. "I'll spend the summer with my kids before I consider that," he said.

I guess that Stinnett missed the memo that said 36-year-old back-up catchers with a career .395 OWP should be seen and not heard.

In any event, Torre called him with this news? Doesn't something like this warrant some face-to-face time? I'm surprised to hear that this is how Torre, the great communicator, handled this situation.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:48 AM | Comments (2)

Jeff Kennard

Yes, he's 25-years-old. Yes, this is now the 4th year in a row where he's spent time in Double-A.

But, and this is just a guy feeling, I think he could be a Scot Shields-type late bloomer. His sinker has been great for him this year.

I hope the Yankees don't give him away to pick up some dud before the trading deadline this season.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:02 AM | Comments (4)

Ouch, Another Yankee Record Soon To Fall

Here are the up-to-date career HBP leaders for the Yankees:

Rank- Player - HBP Total

1 Frankie Crosetti 114
2 Derek Jeter 110
3 Kid Elberfeld 81
4 Jason Giambi 74
5 Bert Daniels 70
6 Chuck Knoblauch 61
7 Don Baylor 60
8 Jorge Posada 52

Jeter just needs 5 more this season to become the all-time HBP king for the Yankees. There's no question that he's going to make it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:43 AM | Comments (2)

Peter Abraham On Joe Torre

Peter Abraham has a guest column today at Baseball Analysts.

It's called Tales of Torre Tales. It's worth checking out.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:31 AM | Comments (3)

July 26, 2006

July 26th @ The Rangers

Personally, I had a very tiring day at work today. And, it caught up with me tonight - as I fell asleep in front of the T.V. around 10 pm ET.

When I woke up, it was right around 11 pm ET - and, the first sight I had upon opening my eyes was seeing Shawn Chacon on the mound for the Yankees, in the 8th inning, with the bases loaded and no outs, with the score 7-6 in favor of the Rangers.

I felt like the guy from The Godfather who woke up to find the horse's head in his bed.

And, then Chacon struck out DeRosa. That was good, but, I was still thinking "This is going to be bad." However, Chacon then got the "Look what I found!" DP-liner to end the frame. All of a sudden, I started to chuckle to myself and I thought "You never really know in this game, do you?"

When Jeter singled in the 9th and then Giambi homered to give the Yankees the lead, I was more stunned than anything else. I was still groggy and fuzzy from the unexpected nap. Was I dreaming? Did I really see Chacon work out of bases juiced with no outs and then see this huge homer?

I looked around the room to see if Pam Anderson was near with a serving tray full of chocolate chip cookies or if Ed McMahon was walking towards me with an over-sized check from the Publishers Clearing House. Since I didn't see either one of them, I knew that I could believe what I just saw.

Not too shabby.

But, when I saw the game recap, and how Texas took the lead in the 8th, I realized that Torre got lucky in this game. Bringing in Beam with a two-run lead is stupid. Asking Proctor to pitch for the 8th time in 12 days is criminal. Unless I missed something today, Farnsworth was well rested today and there's an off-day following this game. He should be in this game in the 8th inning.

If Farnsworth is hurt, and I missed the report, then I'm sorry to bring up this point. But, if Farnsworth was available, and Torre doesn't use him tonight, then he has no business making pitching moves.

Then again, if Chacon came into the game, maybe Farnsworth was not available for this game?

The whole thing is strange. Well, at least the Yankees won and now control the wildcard - - until Torre does something stupid to let it go.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:44 PM | Comments (8)

Wilson Betemit

From the Post today:

The Post has learned the Yankees and Braves have held discussions about the Yankees acquiring switch-hitting infielder Wilson Betemit and may be willing to give up reliever Scott Proctor.

The Yankees view Betemit as the ultimate utility man who can play second base in Robinson Cano's absence. Cano, who has missed a month due to a hamstring problem, is at least two weeks away and could be out longer.

Getting Betemit would allow the Yankees to entertain trade offers for Cano during the offseason, when they will be in the market for pitching.

First off, I'm always leery of Dominican middle infielders with "Wilson" in their name. That didn't work out too well, the last time, in New York.

Moving past that, Wilson Betemit is not a poor hitter - but, he's not a great one either. He's average.

You could do a lot worse for a back-up infielder on your roster.

Would I want him to play 2B and then trade Cano? I would only do that if Cano brings you a young Grade-A starting pitcher. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense to move Cano for Betemit.

Would I give up Proctor for Betemit? No.

I don't feel that comfortable turning "ProcFarnMo" ™ into "BeamFarnMo" (or something like that.)

Now, even if you told me that Octavio Godot was ready - and that he could pitch lights-out for the next three months - I would still not move Proctor to pick up a spare middle infielder.

Matt Smith? T.J. Beam? Sure - in a minute. But, not Proctor. Not now.

The Yankees need major-league-proven good arms at this moment - they don't need to be trading them away.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:49 PM | Comments (16)

How Alex Can Get Some Love

Bruce Jenkins has an interesting article in the San Fran Gate comparing Manny Ramirez to Alex Rodriguez. (Hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org.)

Some of the points made by Jenkins are:

No matter how strong the denials from players or general manager Brian Cashman, the Yankees are a painfully uptight team right now, strictly because of A-Rod's insecurity.

A-Rod isn't a bad guy, a malingerer or a clubhouse cancer; he's just a worrier. He desperately wants everyone to like him -- and they don't. Not in New York. They know he's a little bit soft, a tad of a pretty boy, and they know that unlike Jeter, he consistently has failed in crunch-time postseason moments since he joined the Yankees. Generally, great performances silence the boo-birds in the hotbeds of East Coast fanaticism, but a significant portion of Yankees fandom seems unwilling to cut A-Rod any slack for the rest of time.

The timing of this feature made me laugh - because, just this morning, I was also thinking of Manny and A-Rod - and where they are the same and not.

Alex Rodriguez plays the game the way that a model citizen should play the game. He runs hard. He doesn't show anyone up. He is serious on the field.

Manny Ramirez is a hot dog on the field. He doesn't always hustle. And, he has asked to be traded from his team on many occasions.

Then, why does A-Rod get killed in New York and Manny gets the "Manny being Manny" love-pass in Boston? Has Ramirez ever been booed in Boston the way that Rodriguez has in New York?

No. OK, why?

Is it the money? It should not be - see the following:

In 2004, Manny ($22,500,000) was the highest paid player in the game - A-Rod was # 2 (at $22,000,000).

In 2005, Manny was the 2nd highest paid player in the game - with A-Rod being the highest. There was just $4 million between them.

And, this season, Manny makes just $3.4 million less than A-Rod.

It's not about the money. There's almost no difference in what these two are being paid.

It's about the hitting.

In 2004, Manny's RC/G was 8.59 - compared to 7.02 for A-Rod.
In 2005, Manny's RC/G was 8.01 - compared to 10.22 for A-Rod.
This season, Manny's RC/G, to date, is over 9 - whereas A-Rod's RC/G number is around 6.5.

When I see all this, I think the answer is clear. If Alex Rodriguez would create runs this season, on a per game basis, at the rate near where he was from 1998 through 2005, he would be not be booed in New York.

For the record, A-Rod's 1998-2005 RC/G rate was 8.57. And, that's in the Manny range of the last three years.

Basically, if you hit like Manny, no one cares about anything else, and your fans will love you. It's always been that way in baseball.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:06 PM | Comments (10)

Sal Fasano

From the Post:

Looking to upgrade their backup catching situation the Yankees acquired Sal Fasano from the Phillies last night for an undisclosed minor leaguer, The Post has learned.

Fasano had been designated for assignment by the Phillies last weekend and immediately caught the Yankees' attention because he was with them in spring training in 2004 and spent the season with Columbus (Triple-A).

Fasano, 34, is expected to replace Kelly Stinnett.

Fasano plays with some emotion. But, offensively, to be candid, the difference between Kelly Stinnett and Sal Fasano is the same difference between the Oscar-worthiness of Howard The Duck and Can't Stop The Music.

Maybe Cash just likes guys who look like Rocky Balboa?

I think I'm going to like watching Fasano play. But, I'm not sure how this is an upgrade.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:21 AM | Comments (13)

July 25th @ The Rangers

The Yankees scored 7 runs on 4 hits in this game.

Did the Yankees win this one, or, did Texas hand it to them?

There's something about Aaron Guiel that makes me think of someone else. It's his body-type, swing, etc. It's still not coming to me. I want to say Don Mattingly - because he's a smallish LH-batter, and he's wearing # 46 (which was young Donnie's first number). But, the swing, while at times looks Mattingly-ish, also reminds me of Ken Phelps and/or Dan Pasqua. In any event, Guiel has some skills. He's not a bad part to have on your team. This was a good pick-up by the Yankees.

I spent most of the night clicking back and forth between this game and "Work Out" (on Bravo). And, I have to confess, I was more interested in Work Out.

Why?

I'm not sure. Maybe it was the lack of hits by the Yankees? Maybe it was just the pace of the game in general? Or, maybe it's because I'm on sorta-Yankees-overload? Or, maybe it's because this Yankees team, at this stage of the season, is not very interesting to watch?

Or, it's some combination of these reasons.

Right now, I'm not too concerned about it - I'd rather worry more about who Aaron Guiel reminds me of when he's hitting. It's a more pleasant problem to tackle.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:59 AM | Comments (9)

July 25, 2006

He's Not The Players' Star Chioce

I missed this from Tracy Ringolsby's Weekly Baseball Notes three weeks ago:

Look no further than Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez to understand that there are petty jealousies in the clubhouse that also taint the votes.

The fans voted Rodriguez, who was the AL Most Valuable Player last season, to the AL starting lineup. He's not having a banner season, but his numbers are still solid.

The argument - and a strong one - can be made for Joe Crede of the White Sox to have been given that honor.

But even the players themselves didn't vote for Crede.

In fact, in the players' voting, it became apparent the booing from the Yankee Stadium fans isn't the strongest anti-Rodriguez sentiment in the game.

Neither Rodriguez nor Crede finished in the top two spots among the players, an indication the guys in uniform have their own bone to pick with Rodriguez, the game's highest-paid player who is often criticized for being too polished and calculating.

Troy Glaus of the Blue Jays and Eric Chavez of the Athletics were 1-2 in the voting of their peers.

Check the stats.

Rodriguez is third among AL third basemen with a .292 average, second with 19 home runs and tops with 65 RBI and in the trendy OPS at .921.

Crede leads third basemen in average at .300, is tied for second with 57 RBI, is fourth with 16 home runs and ranks second with an OPS of .865.

Glaus, meanwhile, leads AL third basemen with 22 home runs, but he is tied for second in RBI with Crede, ranks 13th with a .241 batting average and is third with an OPS of .857. Chavez is 12th with a .246 average, sixth with 46 RBI, fifth with 14 home runs and fifth with an OPS of .809.

They picked Troy Glaus? That's strange.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:41 PM | Comments (1)

Nothing Up My Sleeve...Presto!

Alex Rodriguez' agent Scott Boras has recently said:

"Cheering and booing is part of being a good New York Yankee fan."

That's interesting. But, perhaps more interesting is something that I just realized......

Alex's baby daughter is named "Natasha."

And, his agent's name is "Boras."

Two of the most important people in A-Rod's life are "Boras and Natasha."

Now I know why "Moose" Mussina said what he did about A-Rod. He was just sticking up for him and Rocky.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:56 PM | Comments (4)

The Life Of Brian

Darien Magazine has a feature on Brian Cashman this month. Some highlights:

“My winter is harder than my summer,” Brian notes. “It’s all a lot of work, but the winter is that much more, going head-to-head on free agency, arbitration and trades.”

Cashman grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, the son of Nancy and John. His dad raised standard-bred horses for harness racing, and Brian and his four siblings were kept busy performing odd jobs.

“My father broke every child labor law,” Brian says with a shake of his head. Cleaning stables, he says, “gave me a work ethic and made me realize how tough it was to get by.” It also gave him a profound distaste for horses. He preferred basketball and baseball. His favorite baseball team was the Los Angeles Dodgers. Brian rejoiced when they beat the Yankees in the 1981 World Series.

“At that time I was one of the all-time Yankee haters,” Cashman admits.

Being GM would bring him much glory and stress, not to mention long work hours driven by his own fear of failure as much as by Steinbrenner’s fabled wrath. “Right now, while I’m talking to you, one of my competitors could be on the verge of completing something that will make the difference,” Cashman says.

“There are people who take some shots I don’t like, but then I go to the archives and find the same people have written some very positive things too,” he says. “I’m not saying I’m perfect at this, but I’ve gotten better.”

Late one evening in February 2004, Mary woke up to the sound of Brian talking excitedly on the cell phone in their bedroom. He was finalizing a deal that would bring Texas Rangers shortstop Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees. Now in his third season as the team’s third baseman, having changed positions at Cashman’s request to accommodate shortstop Derek Jeter, Rodriguez was 2005 American League Most Valuable Player and is considered one of the two or three best players in the game today.

“Alex was huge,” Cashman says.

“I remember telling George Steinbrenner, ‘Boss, this is a can’t-miss move.’”

Cash keeps an "archive" on what people say about him? There goes my chance of ever working for the Yankees. Bummer.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:27 PM | Comments (9)

Cashman On The Mets

From ESPN.com -

"The Mets -- and for that matter, the Phillies -- are part of the craziness of baseball in the Northeast," Cashman says. "But the Yankees and Red Sox, ESPN has totally surrounded our organizations. Put it this way: If you check the number of back pages [in the tabloids] between the Yankees and Mets in the last five years, you'd be shocked how far ahead we are.

"I don't say that as disrespect to the Mets; they're a great organization with great people and great ownership, but the focus on us is extreme. ... It's taken 100 years to build this situation. Same goes for Boston."

I have news for Cashman. He was 19-years-old and living in Lexington, Kentucky, when the Mets won in 1986.

I was in New York for 1976, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

When the Mets win, New York City is a Mets town. It's insane.

It's probably because the Yankees always win and the Mets hardly win.

But, I will tell you now - if the Mets make it to the World Series and win, the Yankees will become old news in a minute.

You can count on that.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:19 PM | Comments (13)

A-Good A-gust For A-Rod?

Thanks to Jeff Angus for bringing this data to my attention. Below are Alex Rodriguez' stats, as a Yankee, to date, on a month-by-month basis:

In all three seasons, May has been a huge month for A-Rod with the bat. And, in all three seasons, A-Rod has been a .280 hitter with power in July.

Prior to this season, A-Rod has done well in August as a Yankee. Let's hope that pattern continues this season.

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

July 24, 2006

The Melk Man Delivers

On June 20th, Joe Torre sat Melky Cabrera down for a game.

From that time, coming into tonight, Cabrera has hit .311 (in 106 AB) with an OBA of .354 and a SLG of .453.

Tonight, Melky went 3 for 4 - just needing a homer to hit for the cycle.

Torre made a comment about Cabrera in the YES post-game tonight that went along the lines of 'He likes to be the one that you're counting on.'

Back on June 6th, I wrote:

You know, superstars post the sexy numbers - but, play-makers win games. Melky Cabrera is a play-maker. I'm so glad that he's on this team. So many play-makers from the recent ring-run are gone. And, it's good to see more come along.

I still stand by that statement.

In the YES coverage tonight, Ken Singleton said that the Yankees have the longest current streak of having a player start in an All-Star game: 2000 through 2006.

Think about that: 2000 through 2006. This is when the Yankees added Mussina, Giambi, Matsui, Sheffield, Johnson, A-Rod, etc. It's also the time where the Yankees have lost in the post-season every year (with the exception of 2000).

If the Yankees win another ring soon, it will be because of players like Melky Cabrera - just like it was because of players like Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, etc., during 1996 through 2000.

The "Team of All-Stars" didn't work in New York during the days of Winfield-Baylor-Smalley-Griffey-Kemp-Mumphrey and it's not working, with respect to rings, today either.

Scott Brosius might have had an OPS in the .700's, but, he was a winner in New York when it counted the most.

I'm looking forward to the day when the Yankees get back to having a "team" - where the Melky Cabreras on the team out-number the guys who have it in their contract that they get a hotel suite on road.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:24 PM | Comments (7)

July 24th @ The Rangers

On Saturday, I wrote:

"Worm Killer" Wang was not at his all-time best today - but, he was plenty good enough (with 15 grounders in 6 IP) to keep the Yankees in this game - until "ProcFarnMo" ™ slammed the door on the last three innings.

And, tonight, I can now write:

Randy Johnson was not at his all-time best today - but, he was plenty good enough (with 7 whiffs in 6 IP) to keep the Yankees in this game - until "ProcFarnMo" ™ slammed the door on the last three innings.

By the way, tonight and this past Saturday were the only two wins for the Yankees in their last six games.

I believe we have found the formula for a victory in 2006: A solid six from the starter and then go to "ProcFarnMo" ™ to close.

But, perhaps the biggest news today is the injury to Damon before the game and the injury to Jeter during the game. Without these two players, the Yankees are done. Cross your fingers for the both of them, if you're a Yankees fan.

Lastly - maybe I'm imagining this - or perhaps I'm just noticing it - but, has Jorge Posada switched to a new style of catching mask? Looking at him tonight, it appeared like he was wearing something that looked like Hannibal Lecter Meets Spiderman. In the past, I recall him wearing a mask that had two big handles on the side - something like what a Ferengi would wear during a masochistic escapade. Anyone else see this tonight?

Update, 7-25-06: Thanks to Jen for setting the record straight. Below, on the left, is Posada's mask this past Thursday. And, on the right was one that he wore on Saturday. Looks like it's just a matter of two different colored masks.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:40 PM | Comments (11)

I Guess They Usually Keep Them

This afternoon, I was trying to think of the greatest "superstar" player who was traded away from the Yankees while he was still in his prime. To the best of my research/knowledge, it has to be Rickey Henderson.

For those who don't know, on June 21, 1989, the Yankees traded Henderson to the Oakland Athletics for Greg Cadaret, Eric Plunk, and Luis Polonia.

Number two on this list would probably be Bobby Bonds.

On December 11, 1975, the Yankees traded Bonds to the California Angels for Mickey Rivers and Ed Figueroa.

In terms of impact on the team, the Bonds deal was great and the Henderson deal was not a winner.

These are the only two times that the Yankees ever traded away (what was then) a current offensive superstar.

Before looking, I would have thought that it happened more often.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:16 PM | Comments (11)

T.J. Beam-a-rang

From Scout.com -

Former Ole Miss pitcher T.J. Beam got the call back up to the New York Yankees Sunday night. He will be in Arlington, Texas, for tonight's Rangers-Yankees game.

Without knowing for sure, I think this is the end of Kris Wilson's New York Yankees career.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:08 PM | Comments (4)

Sori Returns?

From Jon Heyman:

Soriano is considered strictly a 10-week rental by all but one of the teams currently bidding on him. As one AL exec put it, "We all know where he's going to wind up eventually,'' meaning the Yankees.

Executives say Bowden requested the Yankees' only two bona fide blue-chippers along with "two more prospects."

Likewise, the Yankees are telling folks that Hughes and Tabata aren't going anywhere. Their strategy for now, like everyone else's, is to wait Bowden out and hope the price drops before the July 31 deadline.

Ten days ago, thereabouts, I offered my opinion on Alfonso Soriano.

Nothing has changed since then - so, obviously, I find this report to be upsetting.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:49 PM | Comments (10)

A-Rod Stats: They're Magically Delicious!

I was just looking at Alex Rodriguez' Yankees career, to date, via some of the advanced metrics that they track over at TheHardballTimes.com:

These numbers are very interesting to me.

First, A-Rod, this year, is doing what he's always done in terms of looking at pitches in the box (P/PA). And, his BA/RISP is the same this year as the year he won the MVP (2005). Also, Alex is hitting line-drives (LD%) this year at the same pace as last year. (Actually, it's a tick better this year.)

But, the results are not there this season for Alex - like in his Yankees MVP-season. A-Rod's Gross Production Average (GPA) and RC/G numbers this year are more like 2004 than 2005. Why?

If you look at Alex's Batting Average on Balls in Play (BA/BIP) this year, you will see that it's just like 2004 - and not like 2005. Also, Rodriguez' Home Runs as a percent of outfield flyballs (HR/F) this season is the same as 2004 - and not like 2005.

Basically, this season, the hits are not falling in for A-Rod and the flies are not going over the fence - like they did in 2005.

So, is Alex just unlucky this year?

Well, if you consider that the 2004 numbers here are in line with the 2006 numbers, it means one of two things (I suppose):

Either A-Rod was unlucky in 2004 and 2006 (to date). Or, he was lucky (relatively speaking) in 2005.

I don't know which is the answer. I will try and get another opinion (or two) on the interpretation of this data, from parties more versed in this type of analysis, to see if there's an answer here. Stay tuned.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:34 AM | Comments (8)

Andy Phillips Watch

From The Hartford Courant -

The Yankees' commitment to playing Andy Phillips is getting a big test. Phillips did not start Sunday, appearing at the end of the Yankees' 13-5 loss. He made the last out, extending his hitless streak to 15 at-bats.

"He's just antsy right now," manager Joe Torre said. "He doesn't have any patience at all at the plate." Phillips, 29, who had several strong seasons in Triple A, has had trouble getting to play regularly. But the Yankees' lineup was so shy of punch, especially from the right side with Gary Sheffield out, that Phillips became the everyday first baseman and Jason Giambi the DH.

"It takes so much for us to score runs that we have to put a premium on defense," Torre said. Phillips has committed only four errors.

Phillips, hitting .240 with seven homers and 23 RBI, had only 26 at-bats in April and 36 in May, but has played nearly every day since May 30, when Sheffield returned to the disabled list. Phillips hit .333 in June, but is only 11-for-73 (.151) in July. With two walks and 12 strikeouts, his on-base percentage for the month is .173.

Back on December 06, 2005, I wrote:

Another problem that I have here is the assumption where many believe that Andy Phillips can hit. But, can he? Well, the experts at Baseball Info Solutions think that he can - they project him to bat .269 with a slugging percentage of .517. But, that's based on what he's done in Triple-A, at Columbus, over the last two seasons. And, I'm not buying the house based on what someone did in AAA at ages 27 and 28.

Fernando Seguignol, Orestes Destrade and Steve Balboni come to mind in terms of Triple-A sluggers who had their weaknesses exposed at the big league level. And, I believe that Phillips' 13 whiffs in 40 ABs last year tell us that he has some holes in his swing.

This is no knock on the Phillips story. He's a great kid. I have no problem with him being a defensive caddy at 1B in 2006. But, if you're going to rely on him for 500 (or so) PA next season - you cannot do that without assuming great risk.

I like Andy Phillips. And, the Yankees players like him as well. The other day, I heard Mo Rivera cite him for the energy that he, and Melky Cabrera, bring to the clubhouse via their youth.

But, that risk that I wrote about 8 months ago did turn out to be a reality.

Giambi needs to play 1B now on a full-time basis and the Yankees need to find another answer for the DH slot. This is the best move for the team at this junction.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:30 AM | Comments (11)

July 23, 2006

Route 66

There are 66 regular season games left in 2006 for the Yankees.

New York is currently on pace to win 94 games this season. Presently, the Yankees are in 2nd place in the A.L. East - 2.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox. Further, in the A.L. Wildcard Standings, the Yankees are also in second - 2.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox.

It all sounds good, doesn't it? But, there are problems.

The Yankees 4th starter in their rotation now is a 5-inning pitcher at best. Additionally, New York's 5th starter in their rotation is, well, who? Right now, it's Sidney Ponson - and that speaks for itself.

Additionally, with the exception of one month this year, the Yankees have performed like a .500 ballclub. Note their month-by-month records this year:

April: 13-10
May: 18-10
June: 14-12
July*: 11-8

(* July is to date)

So, what happened in May? First, Alex Rodriguez had an OPS of 1.031 for the Yankees in May. From an offensive standpoint, he carried the team on his back. Secondly, Jaret Wright - one of the weak links in the Yankees starting rotation - pitched lights-out in May (making 5 starts and fashioning an ERA of 3.25 that month).

And, this will be the key to the Yankees success over their final 66 games this year. They're going to need someone in their line-up to hit the snot out of the ball - like A-Rod did in May - and be a major force who can win games almost single-handed. And, the Yankees are going to need one more starter (outside of Johnson, Mussina and Wang) to make Quality Starts on a consistent basis over the next dozen rotations of the Yankees starting pitching staff.

Who are the candidates to get this job done?

On the hitting side, there's not many choices. It's either Giambi or A-Rod.

Damon and Jeter are the table-setters. Neither are true power-hitters. It's going to hard for either of them to be a one-man wrecking crew over the next 60-something games. Everyone else on the team - Posada, Cano, etc. - are batters who help (and not the type who can carry a team).

The Yankees are paying Jason Giambi $18 million this season. And, they're paying Alex Rodriguez $20 million (to go along with the $6 million that he's getting from Texas).

Combined, these two players earn close to one-fifth of the Yankees payroll. They need to start hitting like All-Stars on a consistent basis.

And, yes, I know that Derek Jeter makes $19 million this year. But, when your SS hits .342 with an OPS of .885, it's hard to get on his case about his production and salary.

On the pitching side, there's even less choices. Either Jaret Wright pulls some more rabbits out of his hat - or Brian Cashman has to trade for a starting pitcher to help his team. The Yankees have tried all the immediate internal answers to help their starting rotation and none of them have worked. It's time to get someone from the outside.

If Brian Cashman cannot obtain a decent starting pitcher for the Yankees over the next week, then he will have no one else to blame (but himself) when the Yankees win 90 games this season and miss the post-season.

Just getting Rodriguez or Giambi to go on fire will not be enough for the Yankees if they don't get a pitcher to do for them what Wright did during May - meaning give a decent start on a consistent basis.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:53 PM | Comments (15)

Have Your Ad Seen By Yankees Fans!

Yankees fans are everywhere. And, they read WasWatching.com everyday. Your ad on WasWatching.com will been seen across the Tri-State Area, the U.S. and around the world.

WasWatching.com launched in April 2005. Since then, it has grown to the point where the site receives over 15,000 hits per day. And, the growth trend is continuing upward.

Entries to WasWatching.com are often referenced at, and linked by, many of the major baseball websites on the 'net today - meaning an even bigger audience for your ads.

Ad rates for WasWatching.com are as follows:

1 week ($20)
2 weeks ($30)
1 month ($40)
3 months ($90)

Look for the "Blogads" box on the right, and click on "Advertise here" to get started.

For more information or assistance, please drop us a line at staff@waswatching.com.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:40 PM | Comments (0)

July 23rd @ The Blue Jays

I missed this game today. We took the kids to go see the N.J. Jackals play. It's not the greatest level of play, nor the most fun minor league park. But, the building where I work sits right behind CF - and, for $9 you can get a seat four rows behind the dugout as a walk-up. If you like watching live baseball, up close, and cheap - then the Jackals are your ticket.

So, now I'm three-for-three in terms of going to a minor league game this season and having the Yankees lose bad while I'm having fun at another park.

Looks like that object in the rear-view is getting closer still, huh?

You know, coming into this series, I mentioned that Damon, Melky, Jeter and A-Rod were the Yankees hot hitters in the month of July. And, I said that it would be helpful for them to keep it up in Toronto. So, how did they do? See below:

Damon: 5 for 16 (.313)
Jeter: 6 for 14 (.429)
Melky: 6 for 14 (.429)
A-Rod: 2 for 16 (.125)

Joe batting Alex Rodriguez in the clean-up spot during this entire big series did not help the team. Then again, I said a month ago that A-Rod, in New York, has never been at his best when batting fourth in the line-up.

It's just another piece in the Alex Rodriguez puzzle.

Lastly, Ponson's AL ERA this season is now 10.00. Think any G.M.'s of teams other than the Yankees will be quoting that number to Brian Cashman in phone calls this week?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:20 PM | Comments (4)

The Succession That Never Happened

From Sam Borden in the News:

Little more than a year ago, Giambi was the black sheep of the organization, struggling at the plate so badly that the Yanks discussed sending him to the minors and even contemplated buying out his contract.

Sitting at his locker here late Friday afternoon, Giambi looked over at Rodriguez with some sympathy. "You have to develop a little bit of armor in (New York)," he said. "It's a little toughness you need here that you don't need other places. He needs to get that. I think he will. He just needs to know that you're never going to please everybody. You're just not. So you can't worry about it and let it stress you too much because that's when things get worse."

The question, of course, is was it ever this bad for Giambi?

Giambi just shrugs. "I took my hits at home, too," he says. "It wasn't easy. I can promise you that. But you have to work through it. "

For a split second there, it sounded like Giambi is hinting that A-Rod lacks the "toughness" that you need to play in New York. I'm still on the fence with that issue.

After all, Alex Rodriguez played in New York last season and had the best year, offensively, that he's ever had in his career - and one of the ten best seasons by a right-handed batter in the A.L. since 1973.

Then again, some might say that it's easy to handle New York when everything is going right - and, it's how you handle it when things are going poorly that is the test of your "toughness."

In any event, from December 2004 through May 2005, it's pretty safe to say that Giambi took a beating by many in the media and by the majority of the fans. Did he have it as bad as A-Rod now? It's probably close. After all, at it's worst, just about everyone wanted Giambi released or sent to the minors - and, no one is saying that about Rodriguez now.

All this makes me think about those who like to say that Giambi was the whipping boy in New York until Alex Rodriguez came to town. That's not really true.

From 2002 through 2003, the fans and media were not on Giambi in full force. And, the real spotlight on Jason did not start until after the 2004 season. In fact, in the late summer of 2004, Giambi had the sympathy of many when it was found out that he had a tumor.

Alex Rodriguez took some heat during the 2004 season in New York. But, it was nothing like Giambi experienced, at the worst, and it was nothing like A-Rod has seen this season.

Therefore, during the 2004 season, neither Giambi or Rodriguez were locked in the stocks down in the town square. And, A-Rod was a king in New York during 2005. Further, last season, Giambi regained the love of New York during the summer.

Where was the passing of the "Bad Boy" torch from Giambi to A-Rod? Yes, they both had their moments where life was not pleasant in Yankeeland. But, it was not the case that many like to state where Giambi was getting killed in New York until A-Rod came along and then he became the Blame King in the Bronx.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:21 AM | Comments (2)

July 22, 2006

July 22nd @ The Blue Jays

"Worm Killer" Wang was not at his all-time best today - but, he was plenty good enough (with 15 grounders in 6 IP) to keep the Yankees in this game - until "ProcFarnMo" ™ slammed the door on the last three innings.

It sure looks like the All-Star break was a good thing for Everyday Scottie Proctor, huh?

Just two days ago, I wrote about "Mmmmmmmm, Mmmmmmmm,"'s increasing K-rate (since he joined New York). And, what does he do today? He goes down on strikes four times - the first time he's done this in a game since June 22, 1995. For those scoring at home, that's a span of 4,048 days. (Really, I counted.)

Right now, Alex Rodriguez is playing so tight, that, if you stuck a Tyrannosaurus up his fanny, you would get gasoline.

And, at the current rate, that fuel would be worth about $1,400. (Really, I counted.)

In any event, this was a pretty big win for the Yankees - with them mounting a losing streak and with Boston losing today. The balk play that Jeter and Damon caused in the 6th just may have been the key to this one.

If you're taping the game tomorrow, set your VCRs and DVDRs for at least 5 hours. This is just a hunch, but, I think it's going to be a long one - given the pitchers starting on both sides and the hitting of these two teams.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:14 PM | Comments (6)

Future Yankeenomics

Ken Belson has an excellent feature on the Yankees and their new Stadium in the Times today. Some highlights:

Bankers, analysts and others familiar with the team’s finances say the franchise is now worth about $1 billion, nearly 70 percent more than the next most valuable team, the Red Sox, and nearly three times more than the average major league team is worth.

Making the most of a winning tradition and their home in the nation’s biggest city and media market, the Yankees generate nearly $300 million in annual revenue, according to an individual with knowledge of the team’s finances. He requested anonymity because of his continuing professional relationship with the team.

Yes, the Yankees earn the most money, but analysts say they also spend the most, giving the team razor-thin profit margins.

The Yankees’ haul is produced by its share of the No. 1-ranked regional sports network, YES, as well as the more than four million fans who flock to the Bronx in a season and pay top dollar for tickets, parking and food at the 83-year-old shrine known as the House That Ruth Built. The Yankees also get some of the highest licensing and advertising fees in Major League Baseball.

TO keep up with the escalating prices that it pays its players — a surge that Mr. Steinbrenner himself set in motion — the Yankees need still more revenue.

Meanwhile, the Yankees are trying to cut their payroll by using younger and cheaper players when possible and staking their financial future on a new megastadium.

Set for a 2009 debut, the stadium, including building costs and debt payments, will carry a $1 billion price tag. To pay for it, the Yankees will need to generate an additional $50 million to $60 million a year in revenue, according to analysts. Mr. Levine declined to discuss how much money the team expects to earn in its new digs, though he ruled out selling the naming rights to the stadium.

The challenges of financing the new stadium can be softened in some ways. The Yankees will be able to deduct some of the costs of building and operating the stadium from their contributions to other teams under the league’s revenue-sharing agreement.

The Yankees need the subsidies, tax breaks and new revenue not only to pay for the stadium, but also the team’s hefty payroll. Without that padding, the Yankees might find it harder to assemble a winning team. And without a winning team, it will be harder to raise tickets prices, broadcast rights and other fees.

I think it's going to be very interesting to see the Yankees payroll in 2008 versus what it's going to be in 2009.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:28 PM | Comments (3)

It's Still Not Wright

From Mark Feinsand at Yankees.com:

Compare these two stat lines:
Player A: .316 average, 21 home runs, 79 RBIs, 63 runs, .388 on-base percentage
Player B: .284 average, 21 home runs, 71 RBIs, 67 runs, .386 on-base percentage

The first? National League MVP candidate David Wright. The second? Rodriguez.

So although their stats are virtually identical, Wright (who has 11 errors vs. Rodriguez's 18) is having what is considered a terrific season because the Mets have a double-digit lead in the NL East -- and he makes less than a half-million dollars.

And let's not forget -- Rodriguez has put up these numbers in a "down year" where nothing has gone right for him.

I really wish people would stop making this comparison. As I pointed out there three days ago, A-Rod, offensively, this season is not even near Wright.

These two players play in different leagues. They play in different home ballparks. You have to adjust for that - as I did three days ago when I presented the boiled down stats.

Why not compare A-Rod's season to Lee Seung-yeop's season playing in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants? Oh, because it's different leagues, etc., right? Comparing Rodriguez to Wright, just using the raw numbers, is the same mistake.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:52 AM | Comments (7)

July 21, 2006

July 21st @ The Blue Jays

Tonight, it might be fashionable to look at the Reed Johnson grounder in the 1st that A-Rod boxed into a double - or the A-Rod missed pop-up on Vernon Wells in the 4th, which was then followed up by another throwing error by A-Rod (allowing Wells to reach in the inning).

But, the heart of the loss tonight centers on the Yankees bats doing nothing, on the whole, against A.J. Burnett- sans Rodriguez' 2,000th career hit (which was also his 450th career HR).

Even the poor pitching of Jaret Wright is meaningless, to some extent, today, because the meat of the Yankees order went 2 for 12 this evening (and the bottom of the Bombers order went 1 for 10).

OK, so, the Yankees have now faced the Blue Jays best two starters (in terms of stuff) and have lost two games - allowing Toronto to get back into the race in the A.L. East.

The games on Saturday and Sunday will be the test now for New York. The starters that Toronto will run out there are not over-powering. It's time for the Yankees bats to wake up and savage this series.

Back to A-Rod's yips in the field, I do not believe that this situation has reached the Steve Sax/Chuck Knoblauch level - yet. But, it is concerning.

Looking at The Fielding Bible tonight, I've noticed something.

According to the stats in the book, A-Rod was the best fielding 3B in the AL during 2004 - with Eric Chavez close behind him. But, in 2005, Alex Rodriguez, overall for the season, was just about league average at 3B, defensively - with about a half-dozen guys in the AL doing a better job than him (at 3B).

Perhaps 2006 is just the continuation of the decline in Alex's ability to play 3B? Personally, I would have guessed, at the start of this season, that A-Rod had, at least, another 4 seasons after this one before he would have to be moved off 3B. But, sometimes things happen quicker than you expect.

I'm not saying this decline, and need for a move, is a "sure-thing." But, it's something to keep on the radar this season - rather than ignore it completely - until A-Rod starts to show that he can be a good fielding 3B again.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:36 PM | Comments (9)

It's A Long Way From Long Branch To Aruba

The other night, watching Sidney Ponson pitch for the first time in the pinstripes, his number caught my eye. And, I wondered, who was the last Yankees pitcher to wear #24?

I guessed "Mike Torrez in 1977." But, after checking with "Now Batting, Number... The Mystique, Superstition, and Lore of Baseball's Uniform Numbers," I found that there was someone after Torrez and before Ponson:

John "The Count" Montefusco wore #24 for the Yankees from 1983 through 1984. (He switched to # 26 for 1985 and 1986.)

There's an Applebee's in Tinton Falls (NJ) that has pictures of Montefusco up on the wall - showing him back when he was playing at Brookdale Community College.

There's probably a few eating joints out there with Ponson's picture on the wall too.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:57 PM | Comments (3)

What's That Noise?

As much as I don't want to think about "Mmmmmmmm, Mmmmmmmm," today, it's the elephant game. You know, "Don't think about elephants for the next 30 seconds!"

When that order comes out, you cannot help but to think about elephants.

Within the last few hours, the "Conservation of Energy" physics principle keeps popping into my head as I consider the present situation with "Mmmmmmmm, Mmmmmmmm," - you know it:

"Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can change its form."

I think we're about to see a shift in form with respect to the public reaction towards "Mmmmmmmm, Mmmmmmmm."

The critiques of "Mmmmmmmm, Mmmmmmmm," is about to zenith. And, when it does, there's no where for it to go but down - because energy cannot be destroyed.

And, I think what's going to happen with "Mmmmmmmm, Mmmmmmmm," is that the "beating" (for lack of a better word) that he's had to take now will result in a responsive swell of sympathy for what he had to endure (during this time).

Think of Bill Buckner. He went from good-guy to villain to poor-victim status in the eyes of many Red Sox fans. It's something like that. And, sure, some still want blood for Billy - but, it's nothing like it was when he first became the bad guy.

Dwight Gooden sort of falls into this pattern as well. He was a legend, then a bum, and later a sympathetic figure.

Of course, in the cases of Buckner and Gooden, we're talking about shifts that happened over the course of years.

Will it take that long for "Mmmmmmmm, Mmmmmmmm"? Boy, I hope not.

And, I don't think it's going to take years for "Mmmmmmmm, Mmmmmmmm."

If you clear your mind, and just listen, you'll begin to hear the shift - as it's starting now. At least, that's what I hear.

Then again, maybe I just need a Q-Tip or something?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:00 PM | Comments (1)

Sox Fan: Gimmie My Baby Bibs Back

From KFMB in San Diego, California -

A Red Sox fan angry that Johnny Damon defected to the New York Yankees has fought off an attempt by his high-powered agent to stop her from selling baby bibs with a very grown-up insult.

Tucked among the "I Love My Mommy" bibs and "Pregnant Princess" maternity clothes, Ann Sylvia also offers bibs and onesies adorned with the ballpark epithet "Damon Sucks." Last month, eBay pulled the listings after the Scott Boras Corp. complained that they violated Damon's right of publicity, a legal claim that allows celebrities to control the products they endorse.

"I'm just a stay-at-home mom. I just want to raise my children, sell my stuff," said Sylvia, who works part-time at The Standard-Times of New Bedford, which first reported on her struggle. "It's all a little nerve-racking, a little scary."

If so, she didn't show it in her negotiations with Boras' staff. During an hourlong phone call, she pointed out to attorney Ryan Lubner that there are other baseball players named "Damon"; how did he know, after all, that she wasn't the world's biggest critic of Tampa Bay's Damon Hollins?

"Then I knew I had him," she gloated. "So I said, 'Let's make a compromise.'"

Lubner agreed to lift his objection _ and clear her eBay record _ if Sylvia agreed not to use "Johnny," "Boston," "Red Sox," "New York," or "Yankees" in the listing.

Now Sylvia's bibs are back on eBay.

So, does this mean it's OK for me to start selling stool sample receptacles that have "Schilling Speaks" printed on them?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:17 PM | Comments (2)

Jason Armstrong

I was just looking at the stats for Jason Giambi, this season, by month:

Giambi was off the charts in April. During May, Jason didn't hit - but, he still got his walks. In June, it was homer-or-bust for Giambi - and nothing else at all. This month, to date, Jason has been MIA with the stick.

Besides the 4-month decline in OBA, each and every month, what I find interesting is the power trend here.

Power in April. None in May. Power in June. None in July.

It's almost as if Jason Giambi is on some sort of power cycle here.......hmmmmmm........naaaaaah, just a co-winky-dink, right?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:15 PM | Comments (6)

I Heart A-Rod

In so many of the reader comments made at WasWatching.com, over the last two months or so, my "fandom" of A-Rod has been questioned. Therefore, to clear the record, I thought that I would do a special entry (that I can point to in the future) to address this question.

First of all, last season, I had the following things to say about Alex Rodriguez:

+ Why A-Rod's 2005 season was so special in Yankeeland
+ Two major reasons why A-Rod should be the AL MVP over Ortiz
+ Why those whining about A-Rod winning the AL MVP should shut up

If I didn't like Alex Rodriguez, would I have said any of those things?

Actually, my A-Rod "fandom" goes back to 1994. I drafted Rodriguez that year in the fantasy baseball league that I used to run. And, because it was a "keeper" league, I had him from 1994 through 2000 (when the league ended). Since Alex did so well for me in the league, naturally, I was a huge fan.

In fact, in 1997, I went out and bought an A-Rod autographed baseball - because I was such a fan of his game.

Three years later, I bought a 16x20 picture of A-Rod for my office at home. And, later that year, I also added an autographed bat to my A-Rod collection.

Now, let's keep in mind that I'm a diehard Yankees fan and the walls of my office are covered, for the most part, with Yankees stuff. Yet, still, for the last six years, if you come into my office, this is what you will see:

There's A-Rod, albeit as a Mariner, right up there on the wall with Bucky, Thurm, Reggie and Boone. (And, if the picture would have continued to the right, you would have seen Bernie and Torre too.)

But, in reality, again, this is not a six-year thing for me. Again, I've been an A-Rod fan going back to 1994 (as a start) and 1996 (in terms of being full-blown).

And, when the Yankees traded for Alex Rodriguez on February 15, 2004, I was thrilled. It was perfect - one of my favorite players coming to my favorite team. It was a total dream come true.

Therefore, personally, I want this dream to continue - as long as it's a happy dream and not a nightmare.

But, above all, as someone who is writing about the Yankees, I need to be objective when I talk about the team's play - and player performance in particular. It's just too bad that candid commentary then leads to my fandom being questioned.

If 15 months of me doing this blog has told anyone anything, it should be that I've never been one to wear Yankees Blinders.

I suppose that I should just ignore anyone who wants to label me an "A-Rod Hater" because of something that I've written about Alex Rodriguez. As, in my own heart and mind, I know the truth. Still, again, just as an attempt to clear the air on this question, I thought I would try and set the record straight today.

I "Heart" A-Rod.

OK?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:24 AM | Comments (14)

July 20, 2006

July 20th @ The Blue Jays

There's an episode of "All in the Family" where the character of Edith Bunker dents a car with a can of "cling peaches (in heavy syrup)."

At one point in the story, the character of Archie Bunker orders Edith to not say the words "cling peaches" again. So, later in the episode, when Edith has to again describe how she dented the car with the can, instead of saying "cling peaches," she refers to the can as "Mmmmmmmm, Mmmmmmmm - in heavy syrup!"

Based on the harsh feedback that I have received lately from many readers of WasWatching.com, any time that I mention the recent play Alex Rodriguez, over the last 6 or 7 weeks, I'm at the point now where I feel as if I've been ordered, albeit more implied than clearly expressed, to never say the words "Alex Rodriguez" here again.

Therefore, herein, I'm pulling an Edith - just to be safe.

Kim Jones, in the YES post-game tonight, was asking everyone about the error that "Mmmmmmmm, Mmmmmmmm," made in the bottom of the 6th tonight (and the impact that it had on the game) - including Torre, Mike Mussina, and "Mmmmmmmm, Mmmmmmmm," himself.

Torre and "Mmmmmmmm, Mmmmmmmm," had the responses to Jones' questioning that you would expect. But, Mike Mussina, when reflecting on the play of "Mmmmmmmm, Mmmmmmmm," had the following to say:

"We need him back the way he's supposed to be."

I think that comment speaks for itself - in volumes.

It's sad that, in a game like tonight, coming off a bad loss in New York where a win today on the road against a tough pitcher would have been a lift (and needed as Boston has won four-in-a-row), the main talking point is "Mmmmmmmm, Mmmmmmmm," again - when it should be anything ranging from the fine outing by Mussina to the funny shot YES had of Ron "Gator" Guidry drinking a cup of "Gator"-Ade in the Yankees dugout.

Sure, some may want to talk about Mariano Rivera. But, when you listen to the Yankees players in the post-game, they say that Wells just hit a good pitch. Tip your hat, and stuff like that. And, some might want to talk about Giambi and Phillips having somewhat rough nights at the plate today. And, maybe we should talk about that. But, after that comment by Mussina, well, expect another day where the focus is on "Mmmmmmmm, Mmmmmmmm," - whether it's fair or not, or, if you like it or not.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:21 PM | Comments (17)

Octavio Godot

From Yankees.com:

Just when it looked like Octavio Dotel was ready to return from the disabled list and give the Yankees' bullpen a boost, the right-hander suffered another setback on Thursday afternoon, clouding his timetable.

Dotel pitched a scoreless inning for Class A Staten Island, allowing two hits while striking out one against Williamsport. But after the outing, Dotel told special pitching instructor Rich Monteleone that he had what Joe Torre described as "soreness or tenderness" in his right arm.

"He didn't feel like his arm had a lot of pop today," Torre said. "He didn't throw a couple of pitches and say, 'I can't do this.' He pitched his inning, so in my mind, it's nothing more than that he's not ready yet."

Back on April 22nd, I wrote:

I can't get as warm and fuzzy as some other Yankees fans when they drool over Dotel.

Just for the record, I'm still cold and un-fuzzed about Octavio Godot - but I think now I'm not as alone in Yankeeland as before.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:13 PM | Comments (2)

He Ain't Nothing But A Hole Digger

Bryan Tsao at THT takes a look at the biggest holes on A.L. contenders. (Hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org.) According to Tsao, here are the Yankees holes:

Sidney Ponson, starting pitcher, New York Yankees

Innings: 75.1
ERA: 5.26

That the Yankees have turned to Cardinals cast-off Sidney Ponson to solve their fifth starter woes says a lot about their pitching depth. Predictably, he pitched poorly in his first start in pinstripes, giving up four runs in 6.2 innings against the Mariners. Ponson hasn't been even a decent pitcher for a few seasons now, and his starts down the stretch could be the difference in a competitive AL East race that actually means something for once.

Bernie Williams, right fielder, New York Yankees

Plate appearances: 294
OPS: .743

There are players having worse offensive seasons than Bernie Williams, but few are as bad in the field as Williams has been this season. Once a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder, Bernie is now one of the worst everyday defensive players in the AL. And injuries to Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield have thinned the Yankee outfield.

Tsao also gave Andy Phillips an honorable mention.

It's hard to disagree with these Yankee-mentions. But, while I agree that Bernie's played the outfield this season as if he was the Black Knight from Monty Python's Holy Grail ("It's just a flesh wound!"), Williams is not the worst hitting OF in the AL this season. Via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia:

OK, Bernie is the 10th worst offensive OF in the AL this season.

How many days until Godzilla comes back?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:08 PM | Comments (10)

When Moose Is Loose

When it comes to Mike Mussina's contract, the Yankees have a team option, at $17 million, for 2007 - or there's a buyout at $1.5 million.

Mussina has been one of the ten best SP in the AL so far this season. He's been the Yankees ace this year. But, Moose will be 38-years-old next year - and I doubt the Yankees are going to pay him $17 million next season.

I'm sure the Yankees would want to pay Mike the $1.5 buyout and then offer him a 2007 contract in the range of $9 million - perhaps with an evergreen clause that could give him another year (in 2008) at that rate if he pitches at least 180 innings in 2007.

But, Mussina's agent is Arn Tellem. Yes, the man that Big Stein said is "no good."

So, let's say that Tellem (and perhaps the MLBPA) tells Mussina "You have to test Free Agency. You were one of the best pitchers in the league last year. You owe it to yourself and the other players."

And, then Moose allows some other offers to come in. And, before you know it, the Boston Red Sox start making a hard push for Mussina.

What should the Yankees do, in that case? Get into a bidding war with the Sox (over Mussina)? Or, make a fair offer and then let the chips fall where they may?

Personally, I would be very leery about giving Mussina big money in 2007 and/or offering more than a one-year deal. But, on the flip-side, without Mussina in 2007, who will be in the Yankees rotation next year?

Johnson, Wang, and.......? Pavano? (He says, as he rolls his eyes.)

Wright's probably not coming back. Basically, the Yankees rotation next year is wide open - and they're going to need bodies.

Mussina, Tellem, and the Red Sox are going to make this situation very interesting 4 months from now.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:30 PM | Comments (16)

And A-Rod Makes Nine

If he gets two hits tonight, Alex Rodriguez will have 2,000 hits in his career. By rough count, the only other players to get 2,000 hits in a career by the season in which they were 30-years-old are the following:

Ty Cobb
Hank Aaron
Rogers Hornsby
Mel Ott
Jimmie Foxx
Robin Yount
Vada Pinson
Joe Medwick

If you play with the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia, you'll see that A-Rod matches up best to Hank Aaron in this group:

No right-handed batter has more career hits (3,771) than Aaron. At his current pace, A-Rod could pass Aaron around the year 2015 - when Rodriguez will be 39-years-old.

I would say that there's an excellent chance that A-Rod will be the all-time hit king for RH batters.

Alex would have to play until he was 42-years-old (at the least) to have a shot at the all-time hit record (held by Pete Rose). I do not think Rodriguez will play that long.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:42 PM | Comments (0)

A Pressing Sign?

I was just looking at the career strikeout rates for Alex Rodriguez:

This is interesting. In Seattle, as well as in Texas, A-Rod whiffed once every five At Bats - it's clear. In New York, Rodriguez is striking out at a higher frequency.

If you throw out the two cups of coffee that Alex had when he was 18 and 19, three of the four worst years in his career, in terms of whiffing, have come in New York. (And, for what it's worth, the one non-Yankees year in the top four was the season prior to becoming a Free Agent in Seattle.)

A bad sign is the AB/SO trend line in New York for A-Rod:

2006: 4.26
2005: 4.35
2004: 4.59

This is trending in the wrong direction.

What does this all mean? I think it's sign that Alex Rodriguez is not comfortable in New York. When someone with the talent level of A-Rod starts striking out more often it's usually because they are thinking too much and/or pressing.

Of course, there are studies out there that say a strikeout is no big deal - it's just another form of an out and it hurts the team no more than a pop-up or a fly-out, etc.

But, in the case of Alex Rodriguez in New York, I think strikeouts matter. The casual fan sees a strikeout as the ultimate failure. Even Joe Average Fan knows that, when a ball is in play, anything can happen on a batted ball and it's hard to get on a hitters case if the outcome is not favorable.

Maybe this mindset thing all goes back to "The Mighty Casey" striking out?

It just seems to me that making better contact could make A-Rod's life in New York a little easier - in terms of the fan reaction.

If Rodriguez is going to whiff once every four At Bats, then it's a lock that the fans will have one chance a game to boo him (for "failing").

Less strikeouts mean less booing - and less booing could mean less pressing - which should mean less strikeouts.

But, more strikeouts mean more booing - and more booing could mean more pressing - which should mean more strikeouts.

It's either a great circle or a nasty one - depending on the strikeout rate.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:37 AM | Comments (11)

Batter The Jays

Here is how the Yankees have been batting, so far, this month - via Baseball Musings Day By Day Database:

The numbers tell us that (what is now) the Yankees top of the order is laying down the heavy lumber these days: Damon, Melky, Jeter and A-Rod.

Over the next four games in Toronto, these four need to continue their great pace this month - because Halladay, Burnett, and Lilly will be pitching three of these games for the Blue Jays.

Of course, if Giambi or Posada wants to go on a four-day explosion, that would be welcome as well.

The Yankees have a chance to knock Toronto far off their tail this weekend. It would be a shame if they did not take advantage of this spot.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:06 AM | Comments (4)

Feeding the Monster

Dave Studeman has reviewed "Feeding the Monster" over at THT.

I'm torn on this one. Part of me wants to read this book, as a Yankees fan, to get a better angle of how things work with the Red Sox. But, the other part of me thinks, as a Yankees fan, that reading about the glorification of the Red Sox will make my stomach turn.

Right now, the fear of acid reflux overrides my competitive curiosity.

Maybe this position will change if I hear from some Yankees fans that this is a book that I should read - based on their experience reading it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:08 AM | Comments (2)

No Can Go

I heard Brian Cashman talking about Robinson Cano on ESPN Radio this morning. And, while that's not as thrilling as seeing Lon Chaney walking with the Queen doing the werewolves of London, it was interesting.

Cash said that Cano might be out another two weeks. Back on June 25th, I thought it could be a month for Robby.

Here's a question: The Yankees have gone 13-6 without Cano. Does this maybe make the Yankees think that he could be included in a trade if it was the right deal?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:07 AM | Comments (10)

July 19, 2006

Shea Hillenbrand

River Ave. Blues has an idea around the recently DFA'ed Shea Hillenbrand:

Well, I have the perfect landing place for Hillenbrand: The Bronx. Shea Hillenbrand would be a huge upgrade for the Yankee bench.

On the season, Hillenbrand is hitting .301/.342/.480 with 12 home runs in 296 at-bats. That instantly makes Hillenbrand better than any of the other Yankee back-up infielders. Miguel Cairo and Nick Green can’t hold a candle to Shea. At least he has some pop in that bat.

......

Cut Cairo; keep Green. Or cut Green, and keep Cairo. Either way, adding Hillenbrand to the mix would be a huge upgrade for a depleted bench.

I have a couple of issues with this idea. First, Green is on the team for one reason - because Robinson Cano is on the D.L.

Once Cano comes back, you need the spot that Green is place-holding now.

This leaves it to Miggy Cairo. But, if you cut Cairo to make room for Hillenbrand, then you have no back-up SS on your roster - unless the plan would be to have A-Rod play SS when Jeter is removed from a game or taking the day off. I'm not sure the Yankees and Alex are interested in doing that now.

Secondly, Cairo is a well liked player in the clubhouse. Hillenbrand, by his comments in the mlb.com story on his status, sounds like the second coming of Ruben Sierra circa 1996. How would the Yankees players and Torre feel about trading Cairo for Hillenbrand?

I would opt to pass on Hillenbrand.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:41 PM | Comments (18)

Aaron Guiel, On Being A Yankee

Via the Langley Times -

“It is a great experience,” said Langley’s Aaron Guiel, who debuted with the New York Yankees earlier this month.

“You walk into every stadium and as much as teams loathe you, you can tell there is still an instant respect, from the fans as well,” Guiel said.

“Even though they don’t like the team and they root against you, there is an instant respect that you can feel.

“It is pretty neat.”

“We would go to cities with Kansas City and people would tell you that ‘you suck’ and deep down, we knew that we did,” Guiel said.

“With New York, it is a whole different story.”

“From what other people have said, you expect a soap opera-type atmosphere,” Guiel said.

“It is a very normal clubhouse.”

Nice. It's better to be "very normal" than "abby normal" - every time.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:26 PM | Comments (2)

Cash Can't Do Math

From Jon Heyman -

[Brian] Cashman went on to wonder why Mets third baseman David Wright gets positive publicity while lately A-Rod's seems all negative, despite the two having similar years. "He's having the same season as David Wright," Cashman said. "He's not getting the same love because of the money he makes. Bottom line."

Really? Their stats, to date, from the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia:

OPS and RC/G above are "vs. the league average."

I'm a Yankees fan, so, I hate to admit this, but, this season, to date, Wright is a lot better than A-Rod. Anyone who says different is not looking at the stats.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:54 PM | Comments (7)

July 19th vs. The Mariners

It's 10 minutes before game-time today as I write this entry.

The Yankees are playing well these days. It's a beautiful day outside.

Yet, I'm nervous about this game today. Why?

Is it because the bottom of the Yankees line-up today is Phillips, Guiel, Green and Stinnett? Nah.

It's two words: Randy Johnson.

You just never know which Randy Johnson will show up these days, it seems.

And, I should not feel this way. I know that Randy does a decent job against teams not named the Mets or Blue Jays. Still, it, the doom and gloom potential, is hard to shake.

OK, now that I've said that, watch - Unit will pitch a perfect game today. And, if he does, I'm taking all the credit for the reverse whammy.

UPDATE 1:19 pm ET: Well, there goes the perfect game, the no-hitter, and the shutout. That was quick.

UPDATE 4:03 pm ET: What a not an Alfred E. Neuman moment for me on this one. Johnson has what is probably his 2nd best start of the season today. But, the Yankees only have 2 runs through 8 innings. Maybe I should have been more concerned about the line-up?

UPDATE 4:19 pm ET: Oh, this one hurts. Yanks lose 3-2. And, in the 7th, with that 3-2 score, New York had a runner on 3rd with one out and PH Bernie Williams whiffs. You have to make contact in that game situation. Worse, Boston won it's second "1-0" win in two days.

The Blue Jays are going to be loaded for Bear. The Yankees need to be sharp, everyday, against them.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:54 PM | Comments (10)

Edwar Ramirez

From Our Sports Central -

Edwar Ramirez, a dominant closer for the Pelicans last season, was selected to the United League All-Star Game this season as a member of the Edinburg Coyotes. On July 9th his contract was bought by the Yankees Organization and he will report to the Tampa Yankees of the Class-A Florida State League. Ramirez is the first player in United League Baseball history to have his contract bought by a major league team.

He's now 25-years-old. So, Ramirez could move up the chain quickly. He was in the Angels minor league system at first. He pitched in just 12 games over two years in their system and then was released in 2004. Then, in 2005, he shows up as a great closer in the Indy Leagues. There's a story here - I just don't know what it is (at this moment).

This could be a nice story for the Yankees.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:15 PM | Comments (0)

Scott Williamson

From the Post:

While there are very few stones making ripples in the trading pool, that hasn't stopped teams from doing their due diligence. With the Yankees interested in upgrading their bullpen if the price is right, the Cubs, who have relievers to deal, had Randy Bush, an assistant to GM Jim Hendry, at Yankee Stadium last night.

According to NL sources the Cubs aren't shopping lefty Scott Eyre or righty Bobby Howry, but are likely to move righty Scott Williamson soon.

I guess Jay Witasick is not available.

Could Williamson help the Yankees?

Could sitting on a cactus help soothe and shrink hemorrhoids? You'll never know, for sure, until you try. But, I'd hate to be the one who has to be the test subject.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:32 AM | Comments (1)

July 18th vs. The Mariners

There's going to be some tired ball players in the Bronx for the day game today.

What a thrill to wake up this morning and see the score of this game - and how they won.

Just the other day, I said: "I'd rather be lucky than good any day." So, I'll gladly take that call at first on Posada.

As far as Ponson, as much as the YES crew was painting him to be the greatest find of the century, let's remember that his ERA for this game is 5.40. And, that's about right for him.

On ESPN News this morning, they showed Damon catching Melky's helmet at home plate, and then spiking it like it was a TD catch. Very funny and cool.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:53 AM | Comments (4)

July 18, 2006

Rodriguez & Rickey

Via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia we're able to look at Alex Rodriguez' entire batting career to date, through last night, in the form of some advanced relative performance metrics:

As you can see, A-Rod, this season, is on pace to match his production for the Yankees during the 2004 season. And, these seasons (2006 and 2004) would be his worst offensive seasons since 1999.

However, for the record, last year (in New York) was the best offensive season in Rodriguez' career.

Holy Sabermetric Double Stuff Oreo Cookie Batman!

This got me thinking about players who have come to the Yankees from other teams and who had a "monster" batting season while with the Yankees.

If you exclude Babe Ruth, it's a somewhat small group:

Roger Maris
Reggie Jackson
Dave Winfield
Rickey Henderson
Paul O'Neill
Jason Giambi
Alex Rodriguez

And, you can almost throw out O'Neill because his "big" year came during the shortened season of 1994.

I think everyone knows how Jason Giambi has done, at the plate, over the last five years in New York.

Roger Maris, came to the Yankees, had two huge seasons at the plate, and then followed that up with three solid years (before dropping off the table).

Reggie Jackson was pretty much the real deal the entire time he was in New York.

Dave Winfield was all over the map, offensively, in the Bronx - he had great years, good years, and bad years during the 1980's.

When Rickey Henderson joined the Yankees in 1985, he had his best season to date (at that time). But, his next two seasons, while great for most players, were not at (what was then) normal Rickey-levels (at the plate). And, two years later, he was out of New York.

There more that I think about Rickey the Yankee, the more I start to see some connections to A-Rod in pinstripes.

Both are among the all-time greatest players ever. Both came to the Yankees in big trades. Both joined New York in their prime (where they were under thirty). Both felt the sting of the New York media and fans (albeit fair or not) while in New York - despite both having all-time type seasons. (Rickey in 1985 and A-Rod in 2005.)

Is it safe to say that Alex Rodriguez in New York is Rickey Henderson in New York, just 20 years later? Will A-Rod's stay with the Yankees be as short as Rickey's was - despite the great talent that each provided?

If I had to make a call on this, today, I'm leaning towards answering "yes" to both questions.

I'm not saying this is what Rickey deserved in New York - or what A-Rod deserves today. Sometimes, what happens is "what happens." This is especially true when it comes to things that happen in New York.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:48 PM | Comments (14)

Yanks To Get Big Head?

From the Daily News:

The Rangers are looking to move outfielder Kevin Mench, who is making $2.8 million this year and will be a free agent in the winter, so he could be a decent rental option for the Yanks if they are looking for someone to plug into their right field hole. Texas has had interest in Shawn Chacon in the past - one of the few major leaguers the Yanks would be more than willing to move - though it's unclear if the Rangers still like the struggling righthander.

Ah, Kevin Mench - he of the size 8 1/4 hat fame.

When I first look at Mench, and include this year, I see that his OWP, ISO, SEC, BPA and SLG have now gone down for three years in a row. And, when you're 28, playing in an extreme hitters park, and this happens over the years 2004 through 2006, well, I think that might bring some whispers in your direction.

In any event, there's one thing that Mench can do - he punishes LHP. He did it in 2004. He did it last year. And, he's doing it this year.

So, if the plan is to pick up Mench and then platoon him in RF with Aaron Guiel, then I'm all for that.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:25 PM | Comments (7)

No Major Trades Coming For Yankees

Fresh from the USA Today -

"Patience might not be the right word," he (meaning Brian Cashman) says. "We have a game plan, and we're sticking to it. If circumstances present themselves that fall into what we're trying to accomplish both short term and long term, then we'll become very aggressive. If not, we'll pass."

"We're looking for small moves that pay big dividends," Cashman says. "If you turn the clock back, this is what we tried to do last year."

"We're looking for small moves."

That's pretty clear, huh?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:51 AM | Comments (0)

Jays G.M.: Yanks Need Pitching

From the Toronto Globe & Mail -

He [being Blue Jays G.M. J.P. Ricciardi] wonders about the Yankees. No, he worries about the Yankees. Not the Red Sox, who lead the American League East. The Yankees.

"If the Yankees go out and add another bat, you know, I'm okay with that," Ricciardi said. "I'm okay with matching up with their starting rotation as it is right now. But if all of a sudden you're going from [Mike] Mussina to [Randy] Johnson to, say, [Roger] Clemens, that's different. If the Yankees get Roger Clemens or Andy Pettitte or . . . you get the picture."

This is pretty much what I said yesterday.

It's not hitting that the Yankees need to separate them from the pack - it's pitching. If a G.M. from another team realizes this, does Brian Cashman realize it too?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:06 AM | Comments (4)

July 17, 2006

July 17th vs. The Mariners

On May 25th of last year, I suggested that we should start calling Chien-Ming Wang "Obi Wang." I know that people liked that - because I've seen references to it in many places since that suggestion was first made here.

Still, on May 17th of this year, I wrote about Chien-Ming Wang:

Chien-Ming Wang is now there for me as well - because he is an absolute ground-ball freak. I love to watch him pitch just to see all those grounders. I'm not sure if the stats point to someone else - and I really don't care, to be honest - because my eyes tell me and my heart believes it - there's no one better in the game now at getting ground-ball after ground-ball.

And, no one can stop him.

Mr. Wang-der-full, the Grounder King, having it his way. Long live the king!

And, I've repeated the "Mr. Wang-der-full" reference, here, at least four times since my first mention of it this past May.

But, now, I think it's time to move past Obi Wang and Mr. Wang-der-full.

Chien-Ming Wang, after coming through again tonight, saving his teammates, the game, and the Yankees place in the standings, with grounder-after-grounder, deserves an even bigger nickname.

From now on, he's "Worm Killer" Wang to me.

I was going to borrow from Bob Ferguson and suggest "Death to Crawling Things" Wang - but, I like the angle of having "Killer" in the nickname (because that's what Wang is on the mound).

Lastly, why do I think that A-Rod's big left toe is going to be, over the next few days, the most talked about hallux since Sergeant Hulka?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:01 PM | Comments (4)

Should I Lock The Door?

The Red Sox' Curt Schilling is making the internet posting rounds lately.

Yesterday, around 7:30 pm ET, he was posting over at Yanksfan vs. Soxfan. And, later that day, around 11 pm ET, he was posting over at NYYFans.com.

Let me guess. Desperate Housewives must be in repeats or something.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:49 PM | Comments (2)

A-Rod: Media "My Worst Enemy"

Via this link:

The Sacramento Bee sat down with Rodriguez the weekend before the All-Star break for a one-on-one session.

I found this one Q&A the most interesting:

Q: Is that who matters most to you - how you're perceived by your teammates, the fans and the media, to a degree, because they portray your image?

A: Obviously, the media doesn't portray (expletive) for me. So, in many ways, they're my worst enemy.

Then, maybe he should stop talking to them?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:10 PM | Comments (4)

Reggie Sanders

From Jon Heyman today:

The Yankees are heavily involved in trade talks to acquire either the Phillies' Bobby Abreu or the Royals' Reggie Sanders.

On Friday the Royals dropped their asking price on Sanders, and talks have progressed to the point where the Royals had a scout watching the Yankees over the weekend. Kansas City apparently is no longer insisting on prized pitching prospect Phil Hughes, Jose Tabata or Melky Cabrera and appears willing to choose from New York's second-tier prospects, which include Tyler Clippard, Jeff Karstens, Stephen White, Jeff Kennard and T.J. Beam. A deal may be expanded to also send relievers to the Yankees, possibly including veteran Elmer Dessens.

You know, there's probably a reason why Reggie Sanders has played on 8 different teams in the last 9 years. (If he came to New York this season, it would be nine in nine for him.)

Sanders has been terrible this season. His Offensive Winning Percentage, to date, is .334 - yes, three-thirty-four. He's 38-years-old. He's whiffed about once every three At Bats this year for the Royals - and has walked 22 times in about 15 weeks of play.

If I were Brian Cashman, I would not trade one of Joe Torre's used green tea bags for Reggie Sanders.

Why New York would give playing time to someone like Reggie Sanders over Kevin Thompson is beyond the reaches of my mind.

Actually, no, I can comprehend the reason for such a move - it would be gross incompetence.

Please, pass on Sanders.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:59 PM | Comments (3)

Big Stein Has Left The Building

From Peter Abraham today:

A few writers tried to get some comments from the Boss when he left the Stadium. The police told them the sidewalk where they usually wait was off limits. So the writers waited in the lobby, a public area.

When Steinbrenner came out of the elevator, one of his security people literally shoved two writers aside with a shoulder block. He tried to crack another writer with his arm and missed.

There's a simple solution here. Have George leave his office and the Stadium through a back-door and then announce to the media "Big Stein Has Left The Building."

It worked for Elvis.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:49 PM | Comments (0)

Arms Race To Come?

Using the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia, I decided to look at how the Yankees team was doing this season, to date, in terms of hitting and pitching. Here are the stats:

HITTING, AL, BY TEAM:

PITCHING, AL, BY TEAM:

So, the Yankees, even with all their injuries and struggles to score leading up to the All-Star break, have the best offense in the American League, to date, this season (along with the White Sox and Blue Jays).

On the pitching side, the Yankees are in the middle of the pack - just about league average - along with the Boston Red Sox.

When I see this, I have to think that it's a priority for the Yankees and the Red Sox to improve their pitching before the trading deadline. It will be interesting to see who wins this arms race.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:46 PM | Comments (1)

Lake Mahopac's Newest Attraction

From NewsChannel 9 WSYR -

MAHOPAC, N.Y. (AP) - Yankee manager Joe Torre has bought a lake house in Putnam County.

Torre and his wife, Alice, closed July 7th on the 16-hundred square foot home with three bedrooms and small boathouse on Lake Mahopac.

The price according to public real estate records was 1.1 million dollars.

Torre says it's a summer house and that he's still living in the 43-hundred-square-foot home in Harrison that he bought for 999-thousand dollars in 1997.

Torre and his wife bought the lake house from Janet Rotner, who moved to Chicago because of a job change. She bought the house in October 2002 for $775-thousand dollars.

Carmel Town Supervisor Connie Munday admits that although she's a Red Sox fan, she's thrilled that the Yankee's manager has chosen her town for a recreational house.

Here's something about where Joe bought:

Mahopac is well known for a series of celebrities who have lived in the town. Among those who resided here were several members of the rock band, the B-52s, the mother of actor Henry Winkler and former Seattle Mariners pitcher David Anthony Fleming.

Wow. The Fonz' mom!

That's a tough act to follow Joe.

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

Somebody Call The Wambulance!

Thanks to Repoz for a tip on the link that leads to Steve Ouellette's lamenting, as a Red Sox fan, over the fact that his 6-year-old son is playing for a T-ball team named "Yankees." Ouellette writes:

Recently, my now 6-year-old son came home from T-ball picture day sporting his new jersey.

It was spiffy and professional-looking, with the sponsor's name on the back.

On the front were the letters Y-a-n-k-e-e-s.

When I came to, the name on the front was still the same, and my wife handed me a paper bag to hyperventilate into.

"We won't be buying any T-ball pictures this year," I told my wife.

"Too late, we already have," she said.

"I'll just burn them. Every single one of them."

I find myself withholding fatherly baseball activities. No, sorry, I can't play catch. No, I can't help you with your swing. I fear that if he improves, he'll just keep playing next year and might be placed with the Yankees again.

When games start, I guess I'll go and watch, but I'll have to sit on the opposition's side, and root for my son to strike out — a difficult feat in T-ball.

Somehow, I believe, if Ouellette's kid grows up to be a great college baseball player, and is drafted by the Yankees, and is then subsequently offered $2.5 million to sign with New York, that Steve Ouellette will be singing a different tune.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:33 AM | Comments (3)

July 16, 2006

A Face In The Crowd

Who is that man under the yellow arrow?

It's me!

Thanks to Jen for the photo.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:35 PM | Comments (8)

July 16th vs. The White Sox

For a trip to Yankee Stadium that started on a down-note for this Yankees fan, it turned out to be a great day in Yankeeland, after all.

We ended up leaving the house about 15 minutes later than first planned. And, you know how that works when going to Yankee Stadium (from New Jersey). This means you get to the GWB 15 minutes later than usual. And, getting to the GWB 15 minutes later than planned can be the difference between zipping over the bridge or sitting in a mess.

We got the mess today. It took us about a half-hour to get across the bridge. Luckily, I take local streets right after the bridge - and that saves a ton of time. But, by the time I got to the parking garage between 162nd and 164th Streets, it was full to the roof - except for half of the first level that they keep closed off.

I knew that I needed a quick exit after the game - to relieve our baby-sitters. (I was at the game with my wife.) And, parking on the first floor was a must. So, I played the game:

Me, to the attendant waiving us up the parking ramps: "Can I park over there?" (Pointing to the first floor section that was closed off.)

The attendant: "No, that's closed."

Me: "But, I really want to park there."

The attendant: "Ten bucks."

Me: "OK."

So, for an additional $10 to the $13 to get in the garage, I was able to make up for getting stuck on the GWB. And, when it was time to go home, I was able to sail out of the lot.

And, the Yankees threw the leather around today like I was throwing around parking money.

A-Rod starting the run-down in the 1st - to nail Iguchi at the plate. A-Rod starting the DP in the 1st to end the inning. Guiel nailing Thome at 2nd in the 3rd. Melkly nailing Crede at home in the 6th. And, then the two DPs turned at the end of the game - in the 8th and 9th. When your margin of victory is two runs, and you throw out two runners at the plate, you're doing something right.

In addition to the "D," you had big homers (Jeter and A-Rod in the 1st) and big two-out hits by Cairo and Crosby in the 4th. (Cairo's coming on an 0-2 pitch!)

And, of course, you have Mo Rivera getting the last 6 outs for career save #400.

Like I said, not a bad little day in Yankeeland - and, then you add Boston's loss today, which puts the Yankees just a half-game out of first, and it gets even better.

One last interesting thing: There were two young guys sitting behind us who were White Sox fans. From listening in on their conversation, they seemed like pretty knowledgeable fans and they were certainly courteous and respectful of their surroundings. So, I asked them "Did you guys come in from Chicago for this game?" They laughed and said no - and shared that they're more local. That made me ask "How did you guys end up White Sox fans?" They shared that they were from west New York State, and, being there, they just gravitated towards the White Sox.

It wasn't until I got home that I realized that there are two Great Lakes between New York State and Chicago. (Yeah, I'm geography-challenged.) That's some gravitation pull, huh? Maybe it was WGN-assisted?

I wish that I had connected on this at the Stadium. I would have loved to ask them more about the origin of their fandom. There's got to be a story there. In any event, if you have to sit in front of two guys rooting for the other team, you couldn't ask for two better fans.

Having sat near Mets fans, Indians fans, Red Sox fans, among others, at the Stadium in the past, who were less than polite, it's was a pleasant change of pace today.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:20 PM | Comments (7)

July 15, 2006

Big Stein Likes Abreu

Via the New York Times:

As the trading deadline approaches, the object of the Yankees’ affection is becoming more and more obvious. As he left Yankee Stadium after yesterday's game, in fact, the principal owner George Steinbrenner even said a player's name.

“There is a guy I prefer but I am not going to talk about it now,” Steinbrenner said as he left with team officials after a 14-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

When asked if that player was Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bobby Abreu, Steinbrenner said: “I like Bobby Abreu. Everybody likes Bobby Abreu.”

While there's always the chance that Big Stein might be confused here and is thinking that "Bobby Abreu" is "Baba Booey" - after all, this is the man who thinks the top of the house is "the ruff" - I have to take this news as a signal that Abreu is beeping pretty hard on the Yankees radar.

Contrary to some who think that I don't like Abreu's skills, I do believe that Abreu is a strong offensive player. I even said, two weeks ago, that:

You could bat Abreu second in New York, and just let him take his walks, and then bat Jeter in the 3rd slot.

Of course, there have always been less than great reports on Abreu's attitude, like this one in the Boston Globe a couple of years ago:

Francona's message to his players was succinct: I'll fight for you, as long as you follow my rules. Abreu, an outfielder with a sweet swing, tested Francona's patience by arriving late to the park. The first time, the manager ushered him into his office and calmly explained tardiness was unacceptable. The second time, the player was fined. The third time, Francona threw Abreu out of the clubhouse.

"Terry wanted to send Bobby home, but the ball club wouldn't let him," Mills said. "Even though the front office wouldn't stand behind him, Terry still found a way to make it work. He stayed on Bobby. He made him a better player."

Further, I remember a feature in Baseball America during the summer of 2004 that said Abreu, while he has a great all-around game, does not apply himself 100% at all times - according to many teammates (current and former) and opponents.

Then again, in Baseball America's 2005 "Best Tools" survey, Abreu was voted, by league managers, as the following in the N.L. -

3rd BEST HITTER,
Overall BEST STRIKE-ZONE JUDGMENT, and
3rd BEST BASERUNNER

Big Stein is right. That's a lot to like there - in terms of an offensive player.

Now, defensively, I'll defer to the Fielding Bible. There, about Abreu, it says:

...he is a very conservative defender. He has been accused of having lapses in concentration, fear of diving for balls or running into walls on the warning track, and just not giving a maximum effort in the field. He often gets bad jumps on the ball and in the past has let a lot of balls fall in front of him. Great batter? Yup. Great defender? Nope.

According the Bible's Plus/Minus rankings for 2005, Abreu was Matt Lawton like in right-field last year. But, that was still many points better than Gary Sheffield.

Bottom line, you have to look at who the Yankees have been playing in RF this season since Sheffield went down, what the odds are of Sheffield helping the team if and when he can come back this season, and who the Yankees have to play RF after this season. When you roll that all up, having Bobby Abreu for this season and the two after it may not be the worst thing that can happen to the Yankees.

But, it all comes down to the cost. How many prospects? Who are they? Does a deal for Abreu mean that Melky Cabrera is traded too? Until I know those answers, I cannot say for sure that getting Abreu is the right thing to do this season.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:06 PM | Comments (12)

July 15th vs. The White Sox

It's interesting to see back-to-back score outcomes like yesterday and today.

It's interesting to me because it helped form this question in my head this evening: From the Yankees fan perspective, which type of "win" is more "enjoyable" - the "late and close win" or "the laugher"?

In terms of "viewing pleasure," I would imagine that there's a view-angle contingency.

If you're watching the game at home, on TV, I would bet that the "late and close" game keeps your attention longer than the game where the score is 8-0, Yanks, after four.

But, if you're at the Stadium, where you can revel with 50,000 others, then I think, maybe, the romp-win is the preferred game outcome. Then again, the greatest games that I've ever attended in person have been those which have been "late and close" wins.

In terms of "comfort level," there's no question that "the laugher" is less stress on your heart and/or sphincter - regardless of where you watch the game.

At the end of the day, all "wins" are enjoyable - regardless of the shape or size. And, perhaps, just as "variety is the spice of life," having variance in the way you win is what keeps it the most entertaining for the fans?

Speaking of winning, as I write this, Boston is leading Oakland, 5-0, in the 4th inning. As a Yankees fan, of course, I find that a shame. It would have been extra sweet to see the A's beat the Red Sox tonight and slice the "Games Back" column to a half at the close of business today.

I'll be at the Yankees game tomorrow - and, I was looking forward to being at the game where (maybe) it could be said (with a Yankees win tomorrow and another Boston loss on Sunday) that the Yankees went into first place in 2006 and never looked back.

Then again, maybe the A's can come back in this game today? Or, is that being greedy after watching the Yankees beat the defending World Champs the last two games?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:04 PM | Comments (2)

July 14, 2006

July 14th vs. The White Sox

I'm not lying when I confess this: Had this game been a one-game "play-in" elimination game, instead of a regular season game in July, I would have soiled myself during A.J. Swizzle Stick's At Bat against Mo Rivera in the 9th inning.

Watching Melky Cabrera get the big hit tonight, makes this news even more depressing than it is just as a standalone item:

General manager Brian Cashman has made it clear that pitching prospect Philip Hughes is as close to untouchable as any player in the Yankees' farm system.

Melky Cabrera on the other hand, may not be.

According to a Major League executive, the Yankees and Pirates have discussed a deal that would send the young outfielder to Pittsburgh in exchange for outfielder Jeromy Burnitz and first baseman/outfielder Craig Wilson.

Right now, I'd rather have Melky Cabrera and Aaron Guiel on my team than Jeromy Burnitz and Craig Wilson.

This is no knock on Craig Wilson. I like Wilson. I would trade Matt Smith or T.J. Beam for Wilson. But, that's about it. If the cost is Cabrera, then I don't want Wilson.

And, I see no value at all in picking up Burnitz. Since 2000, he's been an average batter - at best. There's no need to give up anything to acquire a player like him at this stage in his career.

Moving on, when I wake up tomorrow morning, I expect to see the Yankees be just a game and a half out of first place - and, just one game back in the loss column.

Thanks, recently, to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Oakland A's, Boston is feeling it right now. Maybe this makes the Yankees lucky? So, what? But, I'd rather be lucky than good any day.

And, I'll take 7 innings and just 3 runs allowed from Randy Johnson every time out. I just hope that the right arm-pit issue from the game tonight is not going to be a problem for him now.

Lastly, ain't it sweet to spoil the winning streak for Contreras?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:58 PM | Comments (17)

Torre: This Is Fun

From Newsday -

Joe Torre said yesterday he is having so much fun during his 11th season as Yankees manager that his wife, Ali, no longer is trying to get him to retire. "I've enjoyed this year as much as any," he said, "maybe more than the last few years, for some reason."

It's amazing what a little less Kim Jones can do for a man.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:14 PM | Comments (7)

July 13, 2006

Yanks G.M. Is Brilliant - Not

My friend just called. He said that he just heard on WFAN that the Yankees are about to announce that they picked up Sidney Ponson.

Let me just say this: If Sidney Ponson is a pitcher of major league caliber, then I am a purple unicorn with wings.

Ponson could be the bastard child of David Wells and Jose Lima.

He's Dean Vernon Wormer's worst nightmare. ("Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.")

As a Yankees fan, I find this very embarrassing.

I hope that it's not true.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:42 PM | Comments (30)

Bonds, Sheffield, & Giambi

There have been many reports out in the last few days that say Barry Bonds is about to be indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of perjury and/or tax evasion.

If they go after Bonds on perjury, would they also go after Gary Sheffield?

When Sheffield testified on the BALCO mess, Gary said that he trained with Bonds before the 2002 baseball season and that Bonds had arranged for him to receive "the cream," "the clear" and "red beans." OK, that sounds straight and honest. But, Sheffield also said that Bonds never told him that the substances were steroids.

Did Sheffield commit perjury when he said that he was never told what the stuff was?

I guess that's hard to prove - and that Sheffield should be out of this situation. Still, wouldn't that be a kick in the head - meaning when Sheffield comes back from his injury then he has to deal with this stuff.

At the time, when Giambi testified and admitted that he used performance-enhancing drugs, I thought Jason should have played the "dumb" card like the others. But, in the end, looks like he did the smart thing.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:35 PM | Comments (2)

Jon Lieber, In Center Square, To Block

Michael Silverman, in the Boston Herald, lists the Red Sox' "Seven things must happen for path to postseason." The first item is "Find a fifth starter" where it states:

Could a fifth starter be had in a trade? Names being fed into baseball’s rumor mill include San Francisco’s Jason Schmidt, Washington’s Livan Hernandez, Atlanta’s John Smoltz, Philadelphia’s Jon Lieber, the Cubs’ Greg Maddux and Oakland’s Barry Zito.

Hernandez and Lieber are the only two who will not require an exorbitant price tag in terms of the Sox giving up talent, but they come with performance questions.

The Yankees must block Jon Lieber going to the Red Sox. If Boston wants to trade for a pitcher, then New York should make sure that they have to trade for someone who is going to cost them some decent prospects.

The Yankees cannot afford to let someone like Lieber - who has been a capable SP in his last five seasons and someone who will not fold under pressure - join the Red Sox in exchange for so-so talent.

If the Yankees let Lieber go to Boston, it will be an even bigger mistake than letting him go to the Phillies in the first place.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:19 AM | Comments (20)

Horn Tooting

Remember what I said two days ago about this blog soon reaching the level of 18,000 hits in a day?

Well, yesterday, WasWatching.com received 19,237 hits.

Wow. That was quick!

As always, thanks to all for making this happen - and for your interest in WasWatching.com.

Update, July 15, 2006: Guess what? On July 13th, the day that I posted this, we had 21,314 hits on WasWatching.com. A new record!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:56 AM | Comments (2)

Who Am I?

There's a lot of talk recently about an outfielder that the Yankees might acquire via a trade.

There's just one problem. This player has some holes in his game.

First off, for some reason, when he's on the road, he stinks. I just looked at his road stats - from the start of the 2004 season through the All-Star break this year - and this is what I saw:

199 Games
832 At Bats
203 Strikeouts
.242 Batting Average
.286 On-Base Average
.427 Slugging Percentage

That's ugly. And, considering that it's over two-and-a-half seasons, it's not a fluke. Clearly, this player is someone who's made a name for himself playing his home games in a hitter friendly park.

Secondly, against right-handed pitching, he's an all-or-nothing hacker. Here are his stats versus RHP for 2004, 2005, and 2006 to date:

Don't those stats look like they would belong to a Dave Kingman, Rob Deer, or Ron Kittle type?

The last time I checked, the Yankees are required to play road games and face right-handed pitching. Therefore, this player's holes should be a concern to the brass in New York.

And, the player? It's Alfonso Soriano. But, you probably guessed that by now, right?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:40 AM | Comments (11)

July 12, 2006

Who Is Bobby Abreu?

With all the talk lately about the Yankees going after Bobby Abreu, I decided to use the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia to see if I could come up with a hitter that matches him. This is what I found:

While Will Clark had a great career, and he should get more consideration for Cooperstown, how much would you be willing to trade for a 32-year-old Will Clark? That should be the same thing that you're willing to trade now for Bobby Abreu.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:07 PM | Comments (8)

ESPN.com Baseball Quiz

Everyone seems to be linking to this test these days - so, I thought that I would as well.

I took it quickly and got 44 out of 50 correct.

How did you do?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:33 PM | Comments (8)

Reggie & A-Rod

I was 14-years-old when the Yankees signed Reggie Jackson. At the time, I thought that Reggie was over-rated. In my mind, he was a butcher in the outfield. He whiffed too much. And, outside of the year that he worked with Charlie Lau (1980), I thought he hurt as much as he helped at the plate.

But, you have to remember, this was a quarter-century ago and I knew very little about the right stats to use when judging a player. Today, looking at the stats, I see a different picture of Reggie Jackson. Here are his batting stats with the Yankees:

Clearly, Reggie was the most effective Yankees batter on the team, each season that he was in New York - sans his last year here. And, even in 1981, Reggie was still one of the better batters on the team.

And, Reggie still caught a ton of heat from both the fans and the media during his time in New York. He even caught it from the Yankees management as well.

In terms of having people on his case, Reggie, when in New York, had it many, many, more times worse than A-Rod is getting it now.

When you consider that A-Rod was probably the Yankees 3rd best batter in 2004 and maybe their 4th best batter (so far) this season, even though he was their best batter last season, it seems like Alex is getting a better deal in New York than Reggie got while in the Bronx.

Related to all this, last week, I saw this in the Daily News:

Torre also said that he's mentioned to Rodriguez several times that he may want to emulate another former Yankee in how he handles the criticism: Reggie Jackson.

"Reggie had more of a knack to have the booing and stuff drive him," Torre said. Asked if he thinks Rodriguez needs to develop that quality more, Torre nodded and said, "He's going to have to find it."

Good call there Joe.

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

Forty Days & Forty Nights....

....have passed and no one knows "Where in the world is Darrell Rasner?"

When he went on the D.L. back on June 3rd, the story was that his shoulder would be OK in a few days.

And, then silence. Crickets. Big time.

Is it time yet to get out the yellow ribbons?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:09 AM | Comments (1)

The A-Rod Story

Yesterday, on the drive home, I was listening to Max Kellerman fill in on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN Radio (in NYC).

And, I must say that Kellerman is as big an A-Rod Apologist as Kay.

Kellerman went on for a while about how under-appreciated Alex Rodriguez is in New York. Mostly, he cited A-Rod's OBA/SLG/OPS totals and offered something along the lines of "With numbers like these, given they're not typical Rodriguez numbers, but, they're still great, how can he not be helping your team?"

As I was listening to this, all I could think about was "It's too bad that Max knows nothing about Win Probability Results - because I would love to hear his reaction to how Alex fairs in that department this season."

But, then I quickly moved on to other thoughts and forgot about it.

However, just this morning, I noticed that Tom Tango had something posted about Win Probability Results on his site yesterday - that mentioned a New York Times feature by Alan Schwarz on Win Probability Results. This got me thinking about the Kellerman thing again. And, I thought, "I should pull up the numbers to see where A-Rod ranks now, in terms of Yankees Win Probability Results (WPA)." Here's what I found:

Here we see that Alex Rodriguez, according to WPA, is closer to Melky Cabrera, in terms of deserving credit toward helping his team win, than he is to guys like Jeter, Giambi, Posada and Damon. He's much closer to Cabrera than to Damon and Posada. And, Rodriguez is miles away from Jeter and Giambi.

Of course, this is only in terms of this season - to date. Things can change.

Nonetheless, the fans watch the games and they know the big spots that come up in each contest. And, if they're watching the games this season, they know how A-Rod has faired this season in those spots. And, this is why so many are down on Alex this season.

On the flip side, there will be people like Kellerman, who think they're advanced in terms of statistical appreciation, who will point to A-Rod's OBA/SLG/OPS numbers this season and say "You're using your eyes, gut, and heart when talk about coming through for the team. You have to look at the important stats in terms of A-Rod's production this year."

And, just as I thought yesterday, when I hear this, I wish those who like to look at the stats in an attempt to defend Alex Rodriguez would also look at Win Probability Results - because that's the A-Rod Story, so far, this year.

It's also the reason why many people are down on Rodriguez this season.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:42 AM | Comments (11)

July 11, 2006

A Fast Seller

There's a Red Sox 2004 World Series ring for sale on eBay. Deadspin has the story. Looks like it's from Victor Cruz - from the 2004 Sox front office.

I'm a little confused here. The Red Sox "bought the ring" in 2004 when they bought Schilling, Foulke, Manny, and Damon (among others). And, now, a Red Sock wants someone else to "buy the ring"?

I've heard of refried beans. But, I've never heard of a twice-bought ring.

I wonder if Larry Lucchino will buy it to say that he now has two World Series rings?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:43 PM | Comments (6)

Almost 18

The record for most hits in a day for WasWatching.com, for a while, was 17,682.

Yesterday, we had 17,949 hits. And, when I saw that today, I thought "Nice, a new record." But, then I noticed that we had 17,999 hits (here) the other day on July 6th. (Yes, I don't check the counts everyday.)

Man, so close to 18,000! Based on the way the hit count keeps climbing each month, I bet we see 18,000 very soon.

Thanks to all for making this happen - and for your interest in WasWatching.com.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:07 PM | Comments (3)

Summing Up The First Half

Peter Abraham has it all covered in terms of the numbers for the Yankees in the first half of this season:

Yankees by the numbers

31: Crowds of more than 50,000 in the first 43 home games.

24: Points difference between Alex Rodriguez's batting average at home (.270) and on the road (.294) this season.

10: Interleague victories. That's six fewer than the Red Sox and five fewer than the White Sox.

20: Times the Yankees have had a lead and gone on to lose the game.

That last one stings.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:46 AM | Comments (4)

Big Stein Sleeping In Today?

I just read that the Mets signed Francisco Pena for $750,000.

Earlier this year, the Yankees gave $1 million to UNC to name the courtyard at the entrance to Boshamer Stadium. Shoot, in 2000, Steinbrenner gave $1.5 million towards the new band room in OSU.

And, now, the Yankees couldn't come up with a million bucks to play keep-away from the Mets?

I don't get it.

Yes, I know that Team Stein just signed Jesus Montero. But, is there a law somewhere that says you can't have two catching prospects at the same time?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:12 AM | Comments (5)

The 5th Yankee

From Brandweek -

Package delivery service DHL has unveiled a national program, “ Hometown heroes” to support its role as the official express delivery and logistics provider of Major League Baseball.

The effort will be anchored by hall-of-fame type program in which each of MLB’s 30 teams will nominate five players from its history who best represent each teams’ accomplishments, character and leadership. Fans will then vote on their favorites from July 18 through September 17. The official winning roster will be unveiled prior to the playoffs in September.

This got me thinking. For the Yankees, I think most people would go with Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle and DiMaggio on the top four. But, who would be #5?

Berra? Dickey? Jeter? Bernie? Ford? Rivera?

Lefty Gomez? Red Ruffing?

This is a tough one.

Right now, Berra, Dickey, Ford, Gomez and Ruffing are in the Hall of Fame. So, you have to consider them.

But, Jeter and Rivera are on Hall of Fame paths as well.

I think that I may have to go with Mo Rivera as my 5th - because of the dominance factor that he has at his position. But, then again, Berra and Dickey were two of the best hitting catchers ever, as well.

Of course, Jeter is the modern face of the Yankees - like Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle and DiMaggio were in their time. That has to count for something.

Rivera. Jeter. Berra. Dickey. Who is the best of the four? Man, that's a very tough question.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:46 AM | Comments (2)

Meanwhile, In Kansas..........

A letter sent to the editor of the Lawrence (Kansas) Journal-World:

Disappointed fan
Tuesday, July 11, 2006

To the editor:

Ever since the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, we have had a large banner celebrating the once-in-a-lifetime event hanging on the front of our house on Michigan Street. You may have seen it.

Well, recently some misguided Yankees fan decided to come onto our private property and vandalize the sign by spray-painting it with Yankees graffiti.

What was my first reaction? “Isn’t that just typical of a Yankees fan — when given a chance, be a jerk.”

My second reaction was, “Well, they’re probably jealous.”

Why? Because the Yankees are currently three games behind the Red Sox and, with the largest payroll in baseball, their fans are concerned that their team won’t be any more successful at winning the big one than they have been in the last five years.

The Red Sox in 2004. The White Sox in 2005. Marlins in 2003. Angels in 2002. Diamondbacks in 2001. How galling that must be to that poor graffiti artist. And the poor guy couldn’t even get his team colors right. But at least he used K.C. Royals blue.

Then, a week later to the day, the entire sign was stolen off the front of our house.

Oh, those Yankees.

By the way, we’ll be having a replacement sign made ... and hanging it higher.

Kendall Simmons,
Lawrence

OK, first off, I think that going on to someone's private property and vandalizing something is a chicken spit punk move - and, obviously, a crime. Personally, I've been a victim of it - a few times, actually. So, I know the anger and pain that it can cause for someone. It's a personal violation - no question about it.

But, Mr. Simmons, in his letter, is way off base. He's painting with a very broad bush here. His references to Yankees fans in his letter would be the same as me saying "All Red Sox fans are paranoid about Yankees fans - especially those who live in Kansas."

However, that would be stereotyping - and wrong.

In any event, I do find it amusing that Mr. Simmons refers to the Red Sox ring in 2004 as a "once-in-a-lifetime event." While I find most of the baseball-fan-related items in his letter to be wrong, I hope that he's dead-on correct with his position on that. I would hate to see something happen to the legacy of The Boston Schlemiels.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:59 AM | Comments (5)

A-Rod: Win East Or Bust

From the New York Post:

The challenge of the second half is clear. Alex Rodriguez sees it.

The Yankees must beat Boston or go home.

"The wild card will not come out of the East. Period," Rodriguez told The Post yesterday at the American League All-Stars' press conference.

How sure was he of that? "One-hundred percent," he said.

A-Rod is right. The Yankees have to make up ground against their archrivals or the postseason will be played without the Yankees for the first time since 1993.

He said he feels good about the Yankees' chances of overtaking the Red Sox. "We've been pretty banged up and to be three games out, yeah, it could be better, but it could be a lot worse too," A-Rod noted. "We have good character, we have hungry players. For the first half, I give our team a B-plus.

Obviously, A-Rod and I don't agree on the grade - but, we're close.

I do agree that the Yankees have character and hungry players. They just need to sometimes play better.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:33 AM | Comments (0)

July 10, 2006

Flying The Friendly A-Rod Skies

From mlb.com -

Pittsburgh's not the easiest Major League city to get to, and several All-Stars from opposing teams hitched rides with each other to get to the game on time.

Tampa Bay ace Scott Kazmir was invited by Yankees shortstop Alex Rodriguez to travel to Pennsylvania aboard A-Rod's private jet, along with Rodriguez and Yankees closer Mariano Rivera.

"We had a good talk, a good conversation," Kazmir said of the flight. "About everything and about anything you could think of. It was fun. It was enjoyable to be on the same plane with superstars like A-Rod and Mariano Rivera. Those guys are Hall of Famers. They just kind of gave me a heads-up on what to expect. That was kind of a good way to kick off the All-Star celebration. It was unbelievably cool. I could definitely get used to that. That's definitely the way to fly."

I guess Derek Jeter had his own ride to Pittsburgh.

As soon as I heard "A-Rod's private jet," it came to me. Alex Rodriguez is Auric Goldfinger. Think about it. The card playing. The private jet. It all comes together when you line up the pieces.

I just wonder if A-Rod's pilot looks like Ms. Galore?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:34 PM | Comments (4)

2006 A-Rod = 1964 Maris?

At the 2006 All-Star break, Alex Rodriguez has a Slugging Percentage .066 better than league average and an On Base Average .049 better than league average. Seeing this, I was curious as to what other Yankees had seasons with marks in this range. So, I called upon the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia and found the following:

Roy White was just 24 in 1968. And, Bernie Williams was 26 in 1995.

Harry Wolter was a converted pitcher from the Dead Ball Era. I have to throw him out of the mix.

Now, Roger Maris was 29 in 1964. And, A-Rod is 30 this season. Here, I think we have a match.

For what it's worth, two years after 1964, Maris was out of New York. It will be interesting to see if A-Rod ends up that way too.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:48 PM | Comments (0)

Blog Roll

I thought I would post some links to good baseball blog-type-sites today (below). With no Yankees games for four days, you might want to check out some of these sites between now and Friday - as they are entertaining.

Almost Perfect
Another way to waste a few minutes
Baby Bombers
Baseball Musings
Baseball Think Factory
Blogging the Bombers
Bronx Banter
Canyon of Heroes
Count The Rings
Fire Joe Torre Blog
The Hardball Times
High and Tight
i live for this
I’m No Idiot
Inside The Stadium
The LoHud Yankees Blog
Minor League Ball
NoMass.org
No Sense Worrying
Off The Facade
On The Yankees Beat
Replacement Level Yankees Weblog
YanksBlog
Yankees Chick
Yanks Fan Vs. Sox Fan

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:11 PM | Comments (1)

This Time Last Year

From the Star Ledger today -

A 6-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tropicana Field, in which the Yankees blew a five-run lead as owner George Steinbrenner looked on, left them three games behind the Boston Red Sox in the American League East.

The Yankees have their largest deficit at the All-Star break since 1997, also the last time they did not win the division.

When I read that today, I thought "Whoa, that can't be right. They started out so slow last year, right?" So, I checked - and, it's right. At the All-Star break last year, the Yankees were 2 1/2 games back.

Still, it's pretty close between the two seasons.

Hey, whatever happened to all that talk from the Yankees this year about how important it is to get off to a fast start?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:38 PM | Comments (1)

The King of Wishful Thinking

As we enter the 2006 All-Star break, the Yankees trail the Red Sox by three games in the standings - and Toronto is two back of New York. Here are the remaining games for each of these three teams this season:

The Blue Jays are in the hole here - they have two less games left than the Yankees and Red Sox. Also, Toronto has more road games left than home games.

The Yankees have 45 games (out of 76) against the rest of the A.L. East. In order for the Yankees to win this year, they're going to have to beat Toronto, Baltimore and Tampa Bay in the second half - and hold their own when they play Boston (9 times).

The Red Sox are in the drivers seat here. They have 44 of their remaining 76 games scheduled at Fenway Park. Plus, Boston has 39 games left against teams who are presently not .500 ballclubs.

The great hope for the Yankees here is that the Red Sox still have 15 games to play on the West Coast - whereas the Yankees have just 6 West Coast games left this season. Maybe those West Coast road trips will take a bite out of the Red Sox in the second half?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:57 PM | Comments (1)

Biggest Disappointment In 1st Half

On The Yankees Beat got me thinking about this question. Who was the Yankees biggest disappointment in the first half of 2006?

The candidates:

Shawn Chacon
Kyle Farnsworth
Randy Johnson
Hideki Matsui
Andy Phillips
Gary Sheffield
Tanyon Sturtze
Bernie Williams

Well, Matsui and Sheffield got hurt trying. So, you can't get on their case too much. And, I wasn't expecting all that much from Phillips, Sturtze and Bernie - so, it's hard to disappointment when you're not expecting much.

This leaves Chacon, Farnsworth and Johnson.

Farnsworth has been about average - according to the stats. While I expected more from him - he hasn't been a flat-out bust. This leaves Chacon and Johnson.

Because of the expectations that he brings, Randy Johnson has to be the Yankees biggest disappointment in the first half of this season. I know that sounds strange - considering that he's won 10 games in the first half. But, it's those other 9 starts of his - including four against the Blue Jays and Mets - where he earned this title.

Basically, so far this season, Johnson has had twice as many bad starts as one would expect from him. And, that's a big disappointment.

On the bright side, Johnson has a chance to be the Yankees biggest help in the second half of the season - if he puts together a long string of starts where he's a winner each time out.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:16 AM | Comments (6)

Maybe They Should Trade Philip Hughes?

Newsday has some news on Hughes -

Phil Hughes isn't buying it.

Not yet, anyway.

Maybe he'll feel differently if July 31 passes and he still can wear a Yankees cap, as he did yesterday.

"You never know," the righthander said at PNC Park. "As much as they might say they want to hold on to you, a deal that comes up could be too good to refuse."

Officials around the game believe that Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will not relent in his intent to keep Hughes. No matter that he is in demand by teams that call Cashman, and that the Yankees enter the All-Star break trailing in the races for both the American League East and wild card.

I was thinking about Hughes this morning. Assume that the Yankees will not call him up this year - which is the right thing to do, given his age and experience. When he does get called up sometime next year, or the year after, it will be around three years where we've heard him hyped to death. Because of this, the expectations on Hughes, as they are now, will continue to be, pardon the almost-pun, huge.

But, think about these facts. In his first season, Roger Clemens had an ERA of 4.32. In his first two seasons, Johan Santana had ERAs of 6.49 and 4.74. Greg Maddux, in his first full year, had an ERA of 5.61. The Big Unit, in his first full season, had an ERA of 4.82.

Not every star pitcher breaks into the game like a Doc Gooden or Pedro Martinez. So, what happens to Hughes, if, in his first season in the Bronx, he posts an ERA of 4.80 in 30 starts?

If you're Chien-Ming Wang or Andy Pettitte and you do this, you will live to see another day. The hype was not there for them. But, for Philip Hughes, they way the Yankees and the media (and now the fans) speak of him, he almost has to win the Cy Young Award in his first season. And, is that going to happen?

When I think of this, part of me wants to say - better to trade him now, while his value is so high, than to keep hyping him to the point where he's bound to fail at first due to the bar being set too high and then gets fried in New York by both the media and the fans in the process.

Either that, or, maybe the Yankees (and the media) should stop talking about the kid like he's the next Syd Finch - and give him a fighting chance of surviving New York when he does get here.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:10 AM | Comments (21)

July 09, 2006

July 9th @ The Devil Rays

We took the kids to go see the Trenton Thunder play today (against the Binghamton Mets) and I missed the Yankees game.

If you count the last minor league game that I went to this season, I'm two-for-two this year - in terms of having the Yankees lose a bad game while I was away having fun at another ballpark.

They announced an interim Yankees score at the park in Trenton - when it was 5-0 in favor of New York. And, I thought "Cool, this one should be in the bag." When I got home from Trenton, and turned on the T.V., I saw Nancy Newman showing highlights of Baldelli throwing out Melky and robbing Jeter. And, then, I said, out-loud, what any Yankees fan would say seeing that and learning the final score.

Mercer County Waterfront Park at Trenton is very nice. I asked for tickets in the shade (as the kids are little and fry in the sun). And, they gave us perfect seats - right behind home plate and under cover. Boomer is the mascot for the Thunder and he did a good job of working the crowd with his water cannon. And, the Thunder had a nice give-away for the kids today - a logo softball.

We sat surrounded by a fair-sized group of folks who must be regulars for the Thunder - as they sounded like they go to a lot of games. We were also about 20 feet from the Annies section - where the gals were busy reading books, talking on their cells, and working on their tans. It was a funny sight.

Most of all, it was great to see, in person, guys like Tyler Clippard, Brett Gardner, Kevin Howard, Vince Faison, Felix Escalona, Eric Duncan and Randy Ruiz.

For those wishing to see Philip Hughes in New York soon, let me tell you, Double-A play is far away from the Major League level - let's give Hughes some time in Triple-A before he hits the Bronx.

Back to the Yankees game today, well, the only thing that I can say now is: Thank you Jermaine Dye!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:31 PM | Comments (6)

July 8th @ The Devil Rays

Once again, Mr. Wang-der-full comes through for the Yankees. Mussina is the Yankees ace this year. But, over the last two years, it's Wang who has been New York's ace, in my opinion.

Speaking of coming through, is it just me, or is Boston's David Ortiz getting into one of those streaks where he's winning games for the Red Sox everyday?

Actually, if you check the stats, both Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz have been tearing it up for the Sox since June 6th. Here are their numbers since then, as well as some Yankees players during the same time:

Wow. How valuable has Johnny Damon been for the Yankees over the last month?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:41 AM | Comments (9)

July 07, 2006

July 7th @ The Devil Rays

Game Score is a measure of pitching performance for starting pitchers. It was developed by Bill James. The formula consists of eight parts:

1. Start with 50.
2. Add 1 point for each out recorded.
3. Add 2 points for each inning the pitcher completes after the fourth inning.
4. Add 1 point for each strikeout.
5. Subtract 2 points for each hit allowed.
6. Subtract 4 points for each earned run allowed.
7. Subtract 2 points for each unearned run allowed.
8. Subtract 1 point for each walk.

An average start would score 50. One start in 300 reaches a score of 90 or better, and an all-time great performance would reach 100.

Tonight, Jaret Wright had a Game Score of 74.

There have only been five other times this season, to date, where a Yankees starter has had a Game Score of 70+. They are:

Randy Johnson: 78 on 6/26
Mike Mussina: 77 on 5/31
Randy Johnson: 76 on 4/23
Chien-Ming Wang: 74 on 5/12
Chien-Ming Wang: 70 on 6/13

Yes, Jaret Wright just pitched the 5th best game by a Yankees pitcher in the first half of the 2006 season. Yup, there have been 84 games started now, this year, by Yankees pitchers and tonight's effort by Wright is the 5th best out of the 84 games.

Talk about the Wright stuff!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:36 PM | Comments (8)

Is There An Age Limit?

From the AP:

Twelve-year-old Brian Swain has just hit Yankees star Alex Rodriguez with a pitch, and he is proud of it.

"I beaned A-Rod on purpose," said Swain, who lives in Pittsburgh but was born in Boston. "I'm a die-hard Red Sox fan. The Yankees can die."

Swain got his chance to pitch to Rodriguez at Major League Baseball's Fanfest, which opened Friday and runs through the All-Star game Tuesday. Among the plethora of attractions are video pitching and batting cages that allow fans to virtually face off against baseball stars like Rodriguez, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.

All I want to do is push one bunt, up the first base line, and then step on Curt Schilling's ankle as he goes to cover first - even if it's just in virtual reality and about 21 months too late.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:50 PM | Comments (5)

Objects In The Mirror.........

I hope the Yankees don't think it's just between them and Boston in the east this year.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:40 PM | Comments (1)

Chacon For Pineiro?

Thanks to WasWatching.com reader Nick from Washington Heights for the heads-up on this story in the Post:

Shawn Chacon went from the Yankees' rotation to the bullpen yesterday. Now there is a chance he could be headed to Seattle.

According to several industry sources there is a possibility the Yankees will send the slumping Chacon to the Mariners for right-hander Joel Pineiro. The sources explained teams know Chacon is available and the Mariners have a scout watching the Yankees at Jacobs Field.

Brian Cashman refused to get into specifics about what deals he can or can't make.

"I am making calls but there is nothing close," the GM said yesterday.

The last time Pineiro was a good pitcher was in 2003. How bad has he been since then? Think "Jose Lima" bad.

I've looked to see if there's anything inside the numbers to suggest that Pineiro could help the Yankees, some way, this season. And, I found nothing.

The only upside on this deal would be that the Yankees can control where Chacon goes immediately after getting him off the team. Of course, the M's could later trade him or cut him - and then he could go somewhere that the Yankees would not like - but, it won't happen right away (relatively speaking).

This assumes that the Yankees might be concerned about Chacon going to Boston or Toronto and then coming back to haunt them.

Otherwise, I would not even bother with this deal - it's easier to just let Chacon go and not take on Esteban Loaiza, er, I mean, Pineiro.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:21 AM | Comments (9)

Seung-yeop Lee

From The Chosun Ilbo -

A few Major League teams including the New York Yankees have their eyes on Korean slugger Lee Seung-yeop, who plays for Yomiuri. In his Sports Illustrated column "Around the majors" that appeared on Thursday, Jon Heyman wrote, "Several teams, including the Yankees, are scouting Yomiuri Giants power hitter Seung-Yeop Lee, the biggest slugging star from the World Baseball Classic."

Heyman said that with his 26 homeruns and .646 batting average, Lee, who will become a free agent after this season, is leading the Central League. However, the magazine quoted a scout as saying, "He's good but not quite as good as (Hideki) Matsui."

I first heard of Seung-yeop three years ago.

I'm not sure about this one. When I think about it, it seems like he would be a Pete O'Brien type player in the United States.

That's an OK-player. But, is that much different from a Carlos Pena or Andy Phillips?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:50 AM | Comments (6)

July 06, 2006

July 6th @ The Indians

With his great effort in this game, Randy Johnson is now on pace to have a record of 18-7 this season (for the Yankees).

Last year, the Big Unit went 17-8 for New York. So, it looks like Johnson, this season, will be doing what he did last season. And, that's not bad.

Five months ago, I said that anything over 16 wins from Randy in 2006 would be a miracle. Hey, what can I say? Hallelujah!

If Johnson does win 17+ games again for the Yankees this season, it will be the first time in a while, for New York, where a pitcher has won 17+ in back-to-back years. Here's the list of the most recent times that it has happened:

Mike Mussina 2001-03
Andy Pettitte 1996-97
Jimmy Key 1993-94
Ron Guidry 1978-80
Tommy John 1979-80
Catfish Hunter 1975-76
Fritz Peterson 1969-70
Mel Stottlemyre 1968-69

Therefore, the Big Unit would become only the 4th pitcher in the last quarter-century to have back-to-back seasons of 17+ wins for the Yankees. That's an interesting stat.

And, with the game tonight, if you took Johnson's stats for the season, and removed the two games each that he pitched against the tip-reading Mets and the Blue Jays, then his season ERA would be 3.61 (in 94.67 IP).

An ERA of 3.61 would be the 12th best mark in the American League right now.

The last time the Yankees had a left-handed SP make 30+ starts in a season and have an ERA of 3.61 or better was David Wells in 1998. Nine seasons is a long time.

When you look at it all this way, getting Randy Johnson was not such a bad move by the Yankees - even if he was over forty at the time.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:31 PM | Comments (12)

Jeter's So-Called Power Outage

Derek Jeter has gone 165 At-Bats without a homerun. And, everyone wants to know what has happened to his "power" this season.

But, has Jeter's "power" left him this season? How about his Slugging Percentage [SLG] and Isolated Power [ISO] so far this year - compared to recent seasons?

Isolated Power is a player's Slugging Percentage minus his Batting Average. Bill James provided its current name. Branch Rickey championed the stat, calling it "Power Average." It's a measure of a player's ability to hit for power considered apart from his ability to hit singles.

Here are the SLG and ISO numbers for Jeter, this season to date, and the four years prior:

This is interesting. Jeter's SLG this year is right in line with recent previous seasons. And, his ISO this year is in line with what he did in 2002 and 2003. But, what's with the spike in ISO for Jeter during 2004 and 2005?

Don't forget that, in 2004, Jeter was the Yankees lead-off hitter about half of the time. And, he was their lead-off hitter just about every game last season. Prior to that, he was usually the Yankees #2 hitter.

I would bet that Jeter, as a lead-off hitter got more fastball strikes and he was able to sit dead-red in spots more often than now (or before when he batted # 2) and that led to some more longer-hits for him. (Think: Bobby Jones 2000 World Series.)

In any event, in terms of hitting for "power," Jeter is doing this year what he's normally done - it's just not coming out in the form of homeruns. (I would be more concerned if he had a big drop in SLG and ISO at this stage - and that's not there.)

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:17 PM | Comments (6)

So Long Chacon?

From the Daily News (with a hat tip to Count the Rings™) -

It appears unlikely that Shawn Chacon will make his scheduled start Sunday, but that could be the least of his concerns. With Chacon failing to show any of the magic he had last season, his time with the Yankees could be coming to an end.

But it is not just Chacon's performances that have been discussed. Sources indicated that his attitude has also become an issue, particularly as it relates to how often he's been used and how much patience Torre has shown him during his outings. There are also questions about his work ethic. One source said the Yankees have become so irked with Chacon that he's "not in their plans" for the future.

Maybe Chacon is partying too hard?

Meanwhile, one of the kids that the Yankees traded for Chacon, Ramon Ramirez, is dealing now for the Rockies. Based on what he's done so far this year, Ramirez has future closer written all over him.

Can Cashman blame this on Victor Hu?

I would say "no" - as I doubt it was Hu who (is that redundant?) suggested to trade Ramon Ramirez.

Based on all this, I think the Yankees have to try and trade Chacon rather than let him walk for nothing. Maybe they can get lucky with a prospect (from someone)?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:12 PM | Comments (11)

What, No Shakira?

From Baseball America:

The Yanks went for quality and quantity when the July 2 international signing date arrived. Not only have the Yankees signed catcher Jesus Montero for a reported $2 million bonus (Yankees international scouting director Lin Garrett declined to comment on signing terms), but they have signed eight players total, three from Venezuela and five from the Dominican Republic. And Garrett said he hopes the organization is not done yet, as general manager Brian Cashman authorized the international scouting department to be aggressive this summer.

The Yankees also signed Venezuelan shortstop Jose Pirela for a reported $300,000. Pirela has good hands and an above-average arm, but his speed might be his best tool. The third Venezuelan the organization signed is catcher Francisco Arcia.

New York also nabbed five Dominicans: outfielders Carlos Martinez Urena (who reportedly signed for $350,000) and Arielky LaPay, shortstops Jimy Paredes and Jose Toussen and righthander Hairo Heredia. Garrett said Heredia had "now stuff," which prompted the Yankees to make him the only pitcher they have signed so far. He also characterized Toussen and Urena as players with present offensive skills and future power potential.

Arielky LaPay?

Gosh, I hope Bob Sheppard gets to say that name someday.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:52 PM | Comments (7)

Here's The Pitch.....Clank!

I've always thought that Jorge Posada had stone hands behind the plate. But, I never knew for sure - it was just my opinion. And, I was not sure what this meant, if true, in terms of impacting the team. Now, I have a batter idea.

From Dave Studeman's Ten Things I Didn't Know Last Week (today):

Baseball Reference's Sean Forman gave a presentation at SABR called Better Defense Through Bruising. In it, he counts the number of passed balls and wild pitches for all catchers since 1957. Among his interesting conclusions are:

......

+ One missed pitch costs .27 runs, on average. A good catcher can save his staff four runs a year; a bad catcher can cost that many.

Here's the data in the study for Posada:

Since he's been a full-time catcher, on average, according to these stats, Posada costs the Yankees around 13 runs per year (on missed pitches). Remember, here, what the study said: "A good catcher can save his staff four runs a year; a bad catcher can cost that many."

Jorge Posada. Stone hands, indeed.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:16 AM | Comments (3)

Poor Joe?

This morning, on the radio, I heard comments about how Joe Torre "is holding it all together in New York" despite the fact that his team has been crippled with injuries. The commentary went on saying that "Poor Joe Torre" is doing a great job.

Hmmmm.

Let's take a moment to look at some stats, up-to-date for this season, via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia:

American League Leaders in RCAA & RSAA

So, even with all their players on the D.L. this season, to date, the Yankees still have 4 of the top 22 batters in the league and 3 of the top 17 pitchers in the league - and this does not include Chien-Ming Wang and Johnny Damon (who are having good seasons, albeit not currently warranting showing in these "Top 25" lists now).

I think most major league managers would be thrilled to take their chances with a Wang, Damon, and 7 of the best players in the league, and see where the chips fall after that.

Before we start comparing Joe Torre and Hans Brinker, let's remember that he still has several All-Stars at his calling on any given day. That's not trying to make a glass of wine out of water. It's making a glass of wine from a bottle of Silver Oak 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

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

Not Taylor Made Life

The Daily News has a great story on where Brien Taylor is today. Three quick snips from it:

It has been 15 years since the Yankees made Brien Taylor the No. 1 pick in the 1991 draft, and 14 seasons since Baseball America rated him the top prospect in the country, ahead of Pedro Martinez (No. 10) and Manny Ramirez (No. 37). He had two superb years in the minors and he, his left arm and his 98 mph fastball were rocketing toward the Bronx, until it all came undone one night outside a ramshackle trailer.

"He'd be making $15 or $20 million a year now if he hadn't gotten hurt," says Gary Chadwick, Taylor's former coach at East Carteret High School.

Brien Taylor used to throw heat. Now he lays bricks, working with his father, earning $909 per month, according to financial records filed in a child-support application. He has five daughters and wants to live his life and prefers not to answer any questions, about then or now. When he finds out it's a reporter calling, he hangs up.

"We're out of the public eye now," Bettie Taylor says. "Our lives are private and that's the way we like it."

Taylor worked briefly as a UPS package handler in the Raleigh area, and reportedly had a stint working for a beer distributor. He moved around a lot, apparently had a series of relationships and liked to move fast; his collection of speeding tickets includes one for doing 91 mph in a 45 mph zone in March 2003. There was a more serious brush with the law in January 2005, in Wake Forest, N.C., where police charged Taylor with misdemeanor child abuse for allegedly leaving four of his children - ranging in ages from 2 to 11 - alone for more than eight hours. According to a law-enforcement source, Taylor said he was out shooting pool and thought the children were with their mother. He didn't show up for his court date. There are four outstanding warrants for his arrest, Wake County records show.

Sounds like the Dwight Gooden story - without the good parts.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:30 AM | Comments (6)

July 05, 2006

July 5th @ The Indians

Torre said it best in the post-game tonight: "We did a lot of things good" (in this game). It's amazing how easy it is to win when your whole line-up hits, your starter goes a solid six innings, and your bullpen allows one runner in three innings.

But, two things bother me about this game.

First, Kris Wilson throwing two innings. This means Chacon will probably start on Sunday. I was hoping to see them give that start to Wilson.

Secondly, the Damon oblique muscle injury. In the post-game, Torre said that it was in the front and not the side. The Indians' Casey Blake just had this and here's what Rick Wilton said on that two weeks ago:

The Indians have lost a key component to their offense for the foreseeable future. Blake has a strained left internal oblique muscle. The injury occurred during batting practice on Wednesday. This injury is a little less common than the external oblique strains that have happened so often in recent years.

The internal oblique is located below the tip of the left hip and just outside of the rectus abdominus muscles (the main muscles down the middle of the abdomen). Both ends of this muscle connect to two different parts of the hip bone. One physical therapy expert I talked to today believes this injury is a bit harder to recover from than the external oblique because of its location.

We'll use a baseline of 30 days for a recovery from the injury and work off that number. The Indians' medical staff has already stated he will miss more than two weeks or the minimum DL time. Once Blake gets a few days into his recovery program, the medical staff will have a better idea how long he'll be out. Because of the location, I'm predicting a 4-6 week recovery unless the ailment turns out to be minor.

The Yankees cannot afford to lose Johnny Damon, now, for 4-6 weeks. Imagine no Matsui, Sheffield, or Damon for the next month? It will be turn out the lights time - because the party will be over.

Lastly, how 'bout those Tampa Bay Devil Rays?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:42 PM | Comments (8)

In His Hands, Or, On His Neck?

Via the AP tonight:

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner couldn't stay completely quiet following the 18-run loss, which happened on his 76th birthday, releasing a vague statement about general manager Brian Cashman.

"Brian Cashman is working hard to improve the team and the responsibility is totally in his hands," Steinbrenner said.

Meaning, if the Yankees screw up this season, the Teflon Stein will not be taking the hit here. George is playing Uncle Ben to Cash's Peter Parker with this message.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:30 PM | Comments (1)

Kris Wilson

Peter Abraham is reporting that the Yankees have called up Kris Wilson.

Wilson has been great at Triple-A this year, so far. He's no prospect - as he will be 30-years old in a month. When given a chance in the majors, in the past, with the Royals, he was almost as good as average. He's got decent control but is not going to over-power anyone. Think Aaron Small. The big question is "Which Small - 2005 or 2006?"

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:40 PM | Comments (2)

Aaron Guiel

I just read that the Yankees have acquired him off waivers from Kansas City. He has some skills - in the field and at the bat (against RHP). But, he's 33-years old and was not good enough for the Royals to keep.

I suppose that he's an upgrade over what the Yankees have in the corners now. Maybe he can have a Shane Spencer moment in New York for a few months? If he does, I won't complain about it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:35 PM | Comments (4)

Look, It's A Tip Calculator

From Jon Heyman:

Here's the real reason Randy Johnson was pounded by the Mets while throwing 97 mph: He was tipping his pitches. "Definitely,'' one Yankee said, adding that Carlos Delgado is the master at detecting pitch tipping. "I don't know what you're talking about,'' Delgado said with a smile. "I was on the third-base side. I couldn't see.'' Delgado was asked whether he'd admit to tipping off teammates to Johnson's tipping, and Delgado responded, "I wouldn't tell you.''

OK, if the "one Yankee" knew it, why didn't he put a stop to it? It did seem like the Mets were swinging like they knew what was coming.

This could sort of explain why the Blue Jays bash Randy as well. Maybe it's something that Delgado picked up when he was there? It would make sense for the Yankees to fix this - quickly.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:59 PM | Comments (0)

Joe D. Had Friends

Steve Politi in the Star Ledger has a great story about how some "good fellas" help Joe DiMaggio get his lucky bat back in 1941. It's worth reading.

Joe called his bat "Betsy Ann." Funny, Shoeless Joe Jackson called his bat "Black Betsy."

I wonder if they were related?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:25 PM | Comments (3)

A-Rod To The Cubs?

From the blog Bleed Cubbie Blue (with a hat tip to MLB Trade Rumors):

First, I want to tell you of a trade rumor I heard today, and you're going to dismiss it, but I heard this from a source I trust, and it makes sense on a number of different levels.

The Cubs are reportedly "in discussions" with the Yankees for a deal in which the principals would be Aramis Ramirez... and Alex Rodriguez.

Yes, that's right, A-Rod could become a Cub.

Don't laugh. It does make sense; apparently the Yankees are maxed out enough on their payroll and luxury tax that they are looking to cut; they seem somewhat disappointed in A-Rod's performance so far this year, which, although very good (.279/.390/.502), is below his career norms, and they apparently feel that Ramirez, once he gets to a place where he doesn't have to be the main guy (and also would have a large Dominican community to support him), would blossom.

Am I saying this will happen? No. But, it's worth chasing this story down to see if there is some buzz on this out there. I'll see if I can get someone (in the know) to share if they've heard anything on this one.

This would be the story of the year, if it happened.

Maybe A-Rod is tired of New York? I just saw this in the USA Today:

His back was quite literally against the wall, outside the New York Yankees clubhouse, when Alex Rodriguez was asked to weigh the meaning of his 10th All-Star trip. The people had voted him in. The same people who revel in whatever poxes can visit the house of a megastar athlete with leading-man looks and a contract that would feed Southeast Asia.

"The whole world is not New York," Rodriguez said. "There are people out there who like me."

I wonder how Yankeeland would react to a trade like this?

Update: I've asked several in-the-know types "if they heard anything on this?" I'll share the replies here as they come in:

Answer #1: "I'm searching for the word. What's less than nothing?"
Answer #2: "Nope. Are the Yankees starting to wonder if A-Rod can handle NY? Yes. But, that's about it."
Answer #3: "No, haven't heard that one. Better throw Mark Prior in the deal to make it happen, though, huh?"
Answer #4: "I haven't heard anything about this and I can't even begin to imagine there's anything to it. Ramirez has been about ten billion shades of godawful this year for one thing, and the Tribune Co. would never approve this kind of payroll increase in-season, I don't think. Who knows, though? Would be fun."

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:35 AM | Comments (12)

How I Would Fix The Yankees

Before you can fix something, you have to know where/why it is broken. Therefore, let's talk about the root causes of the Yankees big issues first.

1. Offensively, Bubba Crosby, Melky Cabrera, Bernie Williams, and Andy Phillips are not cutting it.
2. On the mound, Jaret Wright and Shawn Chacon are offering very little.
3. Defensively, A-Rod is under-performing at 3B and Bernie Williams is a nightmare in RF.

Right away here, we notice that there is an overlap in items one and three - Bernie Williams. Therefore, that's one answer off the top - move Bernie Williams to the bench. But, someone has to play RF, no? Since we know that Bubba and Melky cannot hit to warrant full-time OF play this year, this means that someone from Columbus, or outside the system, must be acquired to play RF.

Since A-Rod cannot be moved off 3B, there's nothing else to do with item three. Therefore, the focus should go back to items one and two.

Offensively, Bubba Crosby and Melky Cabrera should not be on the team, together, right now. Bubba has more speed and Melky has more bat, but, on the whole, they provide the same thing now - good OF defense and not much with the stick. At this point, it makes sense to get Bubba Crosby off the team. If the Yankees can get a bat to play a decent RF, then the team should be able to live with Cabrera in LF, batting 9th, until Sheffield or Matsui can come back.

Lastly, Andy Phillips should just be a bench player/1B caddy at this point. He's a nice player - but not someone who should be given more than 200 ABs in a season. When Crosby comes off the roster, someone should be added to the team who can DH and/or play 1B on a full-time basis (with Giambi filling the other spot).

So, you move Bernie Williams to the bench and send Bubba Crosby to Columbus to make room for a bat that will also allow Andy Phillips to be a bench player. Now, you also need to move someone to get a player to replace Bernie in RF. This will probably be Nick Green or Kevin Reese when Cano comes off the DL. But, what two players can be added?

At this point, the Yankees only options are internal. This means Kevin Thompson and Carlos Pena from Columbus. (Pena, after a slow start at Triple-A for New York has started to bat much better lately.)

Now, on to Chacon and Wright. On the whole, Wright has shown more this season than Chacon. And, if the Yankees had a decent 4th starter, the team could probably live with Wright out of the last spot in the rotation. So, the answer here is to replace Chacon in the rotation with someone who can give you some innings each time out.

Again, the only options that the Yankees have now are internal. The choices are not pretty here: Kris Wilson, Ramiro Mendoza, Jorge De Paula, or Steven White. (Whatever happened to Darrell Rasner?) Of all those mentioned, White has the most potential now. I would give him a chance.

In summary, here's the plan:

1. Bench Bernie Williams. Send Bubba Crosby and Kevin Reese (or Nick Green) to Columbus. Call-up Kevin Thompson (and play him in RF) and Carlos Pena (to play 1B). Giambi becomes the DH. You bat Pena 7th in the line-up, Thompson hits 8th, and Cabrera stays in LF and bats 9th.

2. Move Chacon out of the rotation. Either put him on the D.L. or trade him for cheap. If needed, stick him in the pen to be Wright's long-man back-up and send down Beam. Call up Steven White and give him a chance in Chacon's spot. (If White bombs, try Mendoza or Wilson for a while after that.)

Is this all "great stuff"? No, not really. But, it's better than doing nothing at this point. It's worth a try for a few weeks, at the least.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:55 AM | Comments (4)

Rodrigo Lopez

From Ken Rosenthal -

The Red Sox and Yankees both have shown interest in Orioles right-hander Rodrigo Lopez, a pitcher who has attained a measure of success in the A.L. East. Lopez, 30, would be a better fit for the Yankees — he's 10-8 with a 4.44 career ERA against the Red Sox, 6-6 with a 6.47 ERA against the Yankees. The Mets also like Lopez . . .

Lopez is an interesting case. In his first full season, 2002, he looked great. Then, the next season (2003) he tanked. But, then, in 2004 he rebounded to have a good season. However, last year, he tanked again.

He was starting to look like one of those "Good in an even year, Bad in an odd year" pitchers - like the opposite of Bret Saberhagen in the late '80's. But, this season he has not pitched well. So, there goes the odd-even theory.

Also, for those who like to look at hard-core stats like expected-ERA and such, there's a case here that Lopez' ERA is misleading - in that he's not been as good as he seems, or as bad as he seems, and he's more like a pitcher with an ERA around 4.50 on the whole.

But, Lopez, in my opinion, has never been an "innings" guy. He'll get you five and then will run into trouble around the sixth. Sounds like Jaret Wright to me.

Unless the Yankees know for a fact that Jaret Wright has an injury and will not be able to pitch in the second-half, I see no reason to go after Lopez - if it costs anything. If the O's want to give him up for someone like Shelly Duncan (from the Yankees) then it might be worth a flier. (And, if he stinks that bad after a start or two, you let him go.)

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:15 AM | Comments (2)

July 04, 2006

Yankees Trade Bait

From the New York Times:

One general manager, who asked not to be identified because of baseball's tampering rules, said the Yankees relievers T. J. Beam and Matt Smith would have value in trades.

Pitching prospects like Steven White and Jeff Karstens have also drawn interest, but the Yankees' best prospects, pitcher Phil Hughes and outfielder José Tabata, are unlikely to be dealt.

Well, Beam gave up 6 ER in two-thirds of an inning tonight. So, I'm sure that impacts his trade value.

Looking at what the Yankees are willing to give up tells you something about what they potentially might get back in a trade. If the Yankees are peddling "Grade C" prospects like Beam, Smith, White, etc., then, at best, anyone who they acquire will be someone in the last year of their contract and/or someone who's presently making too much money. And, it will not be someone who's a superstar.

Players like Jeromy Burnitz, David Dellucci, Aubrey Huff, Phil Nevin, Paul Byrd, and Javy Lopez come to mind - in terms of the kind of players that you might get for a "Grade C" prospect (or two) now.

I also think this tells us that the Yankees have just one trade in them - because they have so little to offer. It probably makes sense to go for a hitter and then try and fix the rotation from within.

On the whole, it's not very exciting out there - the market is not very good now. This helps someone like Washington with Livan Hernandez. He's not great - but, because he's one of the best of the mess out there, the Nationals can get more for him.

During the course of the game tonight, I did come up with a "Plan B" for the Yankees this year. Here it is: In their next game, they intentionally walk the first batter, and, they keep issuing free passes to every batter who follows - non-stop. This way, the inning will never end, and the game will never end, and therefore their season will never end. Maybe this will buy some time until Hughes and Tabata are ready to help the big club?

Yes, I'm kidding.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:42 PM | Comments (5)

July 4th @ The Indians

Add another one to the list!

Worst Yankees Losses

Aug. 31, 2004: Cleveland 22, Yankees 0
July 4, 2006: Cleveland 19, Yankees 1
June 17, 1925: Detroit 19, Yankees 1
July 29, 1928: Cleveland 24, Yankees 6
July 19, 1987: Texas 20, Yankees 3

Funny, in that 2004 game, it was Jake Westbrook, like tonight, who got the benefit of all those runs. Actually, that 2004 game started out like this one tonight for the Yankees. Javy Vazquez allowed 6 runs in 1.3 IP to start that game. Tonight, Chacon allowed 7 runs in 1.3 IP to start this game.

I had tickets to that 2004 game and sold them to someone that I worked with at that time. The next morning, I told him "I will never sell you tickets again. You're bad luck." But, who can I blame for today?

I think it has to start and end with Shawn Chacon. Don't get me wrong, last year Chacon and Aaron Small were Cinderella Men for the Yankees. But, there was evidence that suggested that was just a lightning strike. There were stats that said Chacon was just lucky last year.

The Yankees have already pushed the button on Small. It's time to do it now with Chacon as well. Yes, he's a great guy and super in the clubhouse. But, he's not a good pitcher. This season, he's pitching like I said that he would when the Yankees were going after him last season.

Give Ramiro Mendoza, Steven White, or Jorge De Paula a chance. They've been pitching OK at Columbus. Put it this way, could they do any worse than Chacon has lately?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:49 PM | Comments (17)

Mid-Season Report Card, A Day Early

Since I was a day late with the mid-season Yankees report card last year, I decided to do it a day early this season.

Overall Team Batting: C+
Comments: Overall, the Yankees have been, through the first half of this season (TFHS), very good with the bat. But, that's overall. Because of their weak performance over the last month, New York goes from a "B" to a "C+" here.

Batting at Home: C
Comments: In terms of Home OPS over TFHS, the Yankees are 7th out of fourteen in the AL. That's just average.

Batting on the Road: B
Comments: In terms of Road OPS over TFHS, the Yankees are 3rd best in the AL. This and the last grade (above) go hand-in-hand because the Yankees have so many batters - like A-Rod, Bernie, Damon, and Cano - who have hit so much better on the road this year than at home (so far).

Batting with Runners in Scoring Position with 2 Outs: B
Comments: As much as the mind wants to say that the Yankees are bad here, in TFHS, the stats say they perform to the tune of an OPS of .811 in these spots (which is the 3rd best mark in the AL).

Overall Team Pitching: B-
Comments: How many teams in the AL, over TFHS, have a better team ERA than the Yankees? Just three. As funny as this might sound, it's been the Yankees pitching that has kept them in the race this last month when their batters went south.

Starting Pitching: C
Comments: This is the hardest grade to assign. Mussina and Wang have been good enough to offset Johnson and Chacon. And, Wright, while he doesn't go deep, has provided a fair amount of decent starts - especially in May. Overall, for TFHS, I think the unit deserves a "C." That's better than last year - when they got a "D-" here.

Bullpen: A
Comments: In terms of Batting Average allowed, only the Tigers have been better than the Yankees over TFHS in the AL. It might be conventional wisdom to say that the Yankees need help in the pen this year; but, according to the stats, New York's bullpen has been just fine so far.

Outfield Defense: C+
Comments: This is the average of an "A" in LF, a "B" in CF and an "F" in RF.

Infield Defense: D
Comments: Last year, here, I wrote: "Giambi at first is very poor. Cano needs to be more consistent. A-Rod at third has gone backwards. Jeter, while sure-handed and capable of big plays on pop-ups, lacks the range of younger, quicker, SS in the league." There's no change to that this season.

Catching/Game Calling: C
Comments: Posada and Farnsworth are pissy with each other. First Stinnett is working with Unit all the time. Then, he's working with Wright all the time. It just seems like the pitchers don't enjoy working with Posada. Also, Posada, over TFHS, has nailed 33% of his baserunners attempting to steal. That's about average. There's no reason to give the Yankees an "F" or a "D" here - but, there's no reason to give them an "A" or a "B" either.

Overall Fielding: C
Comments: Same as above. There's no reason to give the Yankees an "F" or a "D" here - but, there's no reason to give them an "A" or a "B" either.

Overall Team Grade: B-
Comments: This is a hard final call. It could be a "C+" or it could be a "B-" just based on overall averages. Last year, here, for TFHS, the Yankees earned a "C+." When I look at the team last season, and then this season, both at the half-way mark, I see this team as being better. Therefore, I'm going with the "B-" here. The credit for this grade goes to the team batting in April/May and the team pitching in May/June. Still, this overall mark should not be a sign that all is well in New York. They still have many areas where they need to improve (and can) - like batting at home, fielding at 3B and RF, and pitching from the back end of the starting rotation.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:35 PM | Comments (5)

Happy Birthday Big Stein!

George Steinbrenner turns 76 today. Happy Birthday Boss!

Charlie Comiskey, Clark Griffith, Bill Veeck, and Tom Yawkey are all in Cooperstown. Will Steinbrenner ever join them?

He's owned the New York Yankees for 33 years now. In those years, his teams have finished:

1st - 15 times
2nd - 6 times
3rd - 3 times

24 out of 33 in the 1st division. Twice, when they finished 4th, the team won 89 games. In 27 of 33 seasons, the team has been over .500 - - and, in one year that they were under, their record was 80-82.

His team has won their DIV crown 15 times (in 33 years, if you count 1994). They have 10 pennants and 6 W.S. rings.

How many owners in the history of baseball can match this pace of success? (I say pace since many have owned teams much longer than 30 years.)

I have no idea how the Cooperstown process works with owners. Do they have to be retired for 5 years as well before they can get in? If not, the minute that Steve Swindal takes over full-time, I hope that the Hall gets George in there - so that he's alive when it happens. What a shame it would be for him to be elected after he passes.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:45 AM | Comments (3)

Jesus Montero

From the Daily News:

While the Yankees were in the process of taking two of three games from the Mets this weekend, they were also beating out their intra-city rivals in the race to sign a top international prospect, the Daily News has learned. The Bombers inked Venezuelan catcher Jesus Montero almost immediately after the international signing period opened late Saturday night, sources said.

Montero, 16, is a right-handed hitter with tremendous power, according to scouts and the Yanks lured him away from the Mets and Red Sox, sources said, by offering the top bid of $2 million.

There had been talk of Montero switching positions (likely to first base) if he signed with other clubs, but the Yankees will keep him behind the plate.

“He’ll instantly become the highest catching prospect in our system,” GM Brian Cashman said. “One of our scouts believes he’s the best prospect to come out of Venezuela since Miguel Cabrera.”

This is exciting. The Yankees need catching prospects - badly.

OK, Montero is 16 and Posada is 34.

So, when Montero is 20, Posada will be 38.

It still sounds like the Yankees will need someone after Posada and before Montero.

And, besides, remember Jackson Melian? Not every 16-year old, can't miss kid (that the Yankees throw millions at) makes it in the end.

Like I said, this is exciting - but, in a wait and see kind of way.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:18 AM | Comments (4)

July 03, 2006

July 3rd @ The Indians

Anyone who reads Baseball America can tell you that (the Indians) Jeremy Sowers is a very promising young pitcher. So, I'm torn on the outcome of this game (from the Yankees fan perspective).

First, throw out Wang's effort. He got some pitches up. Still, even if he only allowed 2 runs tonight, the Yankees are not going to win this game. Again, it's the Yankees offense that was the game-breaker in this loss.

Ok, back to the source of my Imbruglia agita. Was tonight just a matter of Sowers' talent? Or, is it just the Yankees being as bad, still, now, as they were for most of June? Maybe the offensive explosion from last night was less Yankees goodness and more the sucky-ness of the Mets' starter Olay O-lay Soler?

If I had to make a call on this now, with all due respect for young Mr. Sowers, I have to say that this evening is just the Yankees continuing to struggle to score runs.

And, it may get worse. Take a look at Bernie Williams since June 21st. His batting average is close to a hundred. Around 5 weeks ago, I said "Forget what I said in December. Bernie's not washed up. He can help this team in some ways." But, in reality, maybe Bernie, this year, is Tino Martinez from last year?

Remember last season? Tino was supposed to be a glove-caddy at 1B. But, he got a bunch of playing time early in the year and hit better than anyone expected. And, it was a Tino-love-fest at the Stadium. Sounds just like Bernie this year, right? And, how did Tino do in the second-half last year? We could be seeing the same thing happening now with Bernie.

And, if Bernie is going to be a dud, then the Yankees are left with just one outfielder who's going to hit. That's not going to help the Yankees offense be better.

Speaking of which, notice that Todd Hollandsworth went deep against the Yankees tonight? That's the second time (this year) that he's busted up a game for the Yankees with a long ball. I told you back in December of last year that he could be a useful bench player. Looking at the Yankees' corner outfielders the last month, I would now say that he would have been a very useful bench player for New York.

He would be a lot better than Bubba Crosby and Kevin Reese.

You know, some say that it was the lack of a decent bench that cost the Yankees from winning the division, outright, last season. Are things any better this year? Are they worse?

For what it's worth, this exact time, last year, I wrote:

This is the problem when you have three-quarters of your infield making ~$51 million, your outfield making ~$32 million, and four-fifths of your starting rotation making ~$59 million.

To fill out the rest of your team, you're left to the Kevin Reeses, Wayne Franklins, Jason Andersons, Bubba Crosbys, Brad Voyles and Aaron Smalls of the world.

Sad, huh? But, get used to it. Yankees fans have another two years of this situation after this season.

What you see now from the Yankees - the inability to survive injury - just may be the state of the team for a while.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:18 PM | Comments (7)

July 2nd vs. The Mets

OK, now that (bottom of the 3rd inning) was a rally! I'm glad that the Yankees were listening.

I have to confess that I fell asleep around midnight, in front of the TV, just about the start of the 7th inning. Somehow, I got myself from the couch to the bedroom in a sleep-walk manner. But, I knew the Yankees were way ahead as I hit the pillow. Still, when I woke up this morning, I had to think to myself "Don't tell me that they blew this game in the last three innings." I'm glad that they didn't.

Paul Lo Duca has now made my "He's An A-hole" list. Here are his comments regarding his beef from last night (via the News):

Alex Rodriguez struck the big blow of the night, but Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca didn't think he handled it in a classy way at all.

When Rodriguez crossed the plate after his third-inning grand slam, the two of them had such a heated exchange that plate umpire Tim McClelland had to get between them.

Lo Duca said that not only did Rodriguez spend too much time watching the flight of his home run, he didn't like the way the 2005 MVP flipped his bat or that he looked into the Yankees' dugout en route to first base.

"You hit a home run. It's a big home run," Lo Duca said. "Listen, I understand he's getting booed. To me he's a great player. So you hit it, you watch it. That's fine.

"You don't toss your bat and look in your dugout and do that. I thought that was disrespectful."

Really?

This is funny, because, I could swear that I saw Jose Reyes during Saturday's game, on second base in the 4th inning, clapping and doing a mini-version of the chicken dance while pointing to the Mets dugout when the Mets took a (then) 5-2 lead on Randy Johnson. Am I just dreaming this? If not, then Lo Duca should take a look at his own house before reacting like he did last night. Besides, A-Rod didn't do anything show-boaty last night, compared to today's standards. Lo Duca's position on this thing just stinks of punk.

Speaking of A-Rod, some game, huh? You have to be happy for him. And, I can't help but wonder how Ron Villone felt about this series. He grew up a Yankees fan in New Jersey. Think he ever imagined himself, while playing whiffle-ball in his backyard as a kid, pitching for the Yankees against the Mets, in front of a full house? Now, he got to do it, twice, and win. That's cool.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:54 AM | Comments (12)

July 02, 2006

It Just Doesn't Add Up

Here are the Runs Scored and OPS team stats for the A.L. during the month of June:

The Yankees batted fairly well during the month of June. Yet, they were nearly the worst team in the league last month in terms of scoring runs.

Guys are hitting for New York. It just seems like they can't do it collectively. Whatever happened to "One team. One mission."?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:01 AM | Comments (4)

July 01, 2006

Brian Bruney

From the Daily Astorian -

Warrenton’s Brian Bruney has started the climb back to the Major Leagues, and he’ll do it in Yankee pinstripes this time.

Released by the Arizona Diamondbacks last month, Bruney was signed this week by the New York Yankees, and will head to Tampa, Fla. to begin work on the mound.

“He’s coming off rehab (from stretched ligaments in his elbow), so they’ll have him throw at the A level (Tampa Yankees) until he gets comfortable,” said Bruney’s father, Joe Bruney. “Then after that they’ll ship him to Columbus, Ohio (with the Triple A Columbus Clippers) until they feel confident with him.”

Bruney will get a fresh start – and a fresh shave – with the Yankees.

Joe Bruney said his son threw in the bullpen for four teams in the last week, working out with Cincinnati, Seattle and Detroit Friday of last week and with the Yankees Monday.

Three years ago, Bruney was a pretty hot closer prospect. He's just 24-years old now. You have to wonder why the D-backs took him off their roster. Still, this could be a sleeper find for the Yankees.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:38 PM | Comments (1)

July 1st vs. The Mets

Part of me wants to get on Randy Johnson today for ignoring the DNR Order on the Mets. But, in reality, even if the Big Unit posted a Quality Start today, the Yankees would still not win this game.

Why? Because they are terrible at scoring runs these days.

So, for the sake of the Yankees, I would like to share the following information:

ral·ly
v. ral·lied, ral·ly·ing, ral·lies
v.tr.
1. To rouse or revive from inactivity or decline:
2. To join in an effort for a common cause:
3. To recover abruptly from a setback or disadvantage.

Maybe now that they know what it is, they can do it once in a while.

Com'on Yankees. Learn it, know it, live it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:34 PM | Comments (4)

Big Stein On A-Rod Being Booed

From the Journal News -

"Nobody likes to hear that, but he has to put up with it."

Anyone else hear Dallas Green talking to Stanley Jefferson when they read this?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:26 AM | Comments (0)