WasWatching.com

« July 2006 | Main | September 2006 »

August 31, 2006

The Greatest August Collapse Of All-Time?

I know that no other team in baseball history - outside of the 2006 Boston Red Sox - has ever started the month of August in first place and then went on to lose 21 games in that month.

So, does this mean that the Red Sox winning percentage in August 2006 (.300) is the worst ever by a team for the month of August where the team started the month in first place? Seems like it, no?

There have been some great, late, collapses by baseball teams, such as:

The 1934 Giants,
The 1938 Pirates,
The 1942 Dodgers
The 1951 Dodgers,
The 1964 Phillies,
The 1969 Cubs,
The 1987 Blue Jays,
The 1993 Giants,
The 1995 Angels, and, of course,
The 1978 Red Sox.

How did each of these teams do in August those years?

The 1964 Phillies: 19-10
The 1934 Giants: 19-10
The 1978 Red Sox: 19-10
The 1951 Dodgers: 19-13
The 1969 Cubs: 18-11
The 1942 Dodgers: 18-11
The 1987 Blue Jays: 17-12
The 1938 Pirates: 16-16
The 1993 Giants: 15-11
The 1995 Angels: 13-17

As you can see, in just about all of these El Fold-o's, the bad stuff happened for these teams during the month of September - and the team hung in there during August.

The exception here being the 1995 Angels - who started to slide in August.

Still, 13-17 (for the Angels) in August 1995 is a lot better than 9-21 (for the Red Sox) in August 2006.

Therefore, does this give the 2006 Boston Red Sox the title of "Worst Ever August Collapse For A First Place Team"? It's a pretty solid case, no?

Do they give out plaques for a title like that?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:23 PM | Comments (11)

August 31st vs. The Tigers

This game is a reason why I will not miss Joe Torre when his time is done in New York.

Sure, Damon, Jeter, Abreu, A-Rod, Bernie and Melky had nice days at the plate this afternoon, but, the story of today was Randy Johnson.

Through eight, the Big Unit was the real deal - allowing only two Han Solos and an infield hit. But, after eight, he was bumping up against 100 pitches.

At that time, the Yankees had a 4-run lead heading into the 9th. This would have been the perfect time for someone like Dotel or Myers to pitch the last frame - where a grand slam would only tie you, at the worst (or best, depending on your position).

But, noooooooooo........

Joe Torre tries to milk another inning from Johnson and it back-fires. Unit allows a walk and then a homer and now it's a 2-run contest - and then there's a need to bring in a sore-armed Mariano Rivera for the save.

Rivera never should have been used in this game - if Torre had gone to another, fresh, pitcher in the 9th. As bad as some of the "B-men" in the pen may be, I'm sure that one of them could have gotten three outs before allowing four runs. Or, at least try and use someone else, who is rested - and then if they allow two, then bring in Rivera.

"Joe Torre" is to "handling pitchers" as "Clark Griswold" is to "family vacations."

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:43 PM | Comments (26)

Another Reason To Root For A Boston Loss Today

From ESPN.com -

The Red Sox's 7-2 loss in Oakland on Wednesday was their 21st during August (8-21). That tied the all-time record for losses in a month by a team that started the month in first place. Boston held a one-game lead over the Yankees at the end of July. Five other teams share the record: the 1971 Cardinals (8-21 in June), 1951 White Sox (11-21 in July), 1929 Boston Braves (8-21 in May), 1919 Yankees (13-21 in July), and 1908 New York Highlanders (7-21 in June).

So, if Boston loses today, they will have the worst August, of all-time, for any team who started the month of August in first place.

It's so true: He who chokes last, chokes best.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:13 AM | Comments (1)

News That Yankees Fans Don't Want To Hear

From the Times:

[Mo] Rivera has experienced inflammation in his right elbow and will have a precautionary M.R.I. on the elbow soon, perhaps today. He earned the save in the first game yesterday but did not pitch in the second.

After working two innings for a save on Aug. 20, Rivera did not pitch for six days, until another two-inning outing on Sunday. There was only one save opportunity in that stretch, and Rivera said yesterday that he felt good and that he had enjoyed the rest.

Asked if the innings add up this time of year, Rivera smiled and said, “They do, they do.”

Giambi had an M.R.I. on his left wrist between games of the doubleheader, after he went 1 for 3 with a sacrifice fly as the designated hitter in the opener. He missed a start Sunday in Anaheim because of cramping in his hands, and he has had his wrist wrapped lately.

The results of Giambi’s M.R.I. were not immediately available, and he started the second game as the D.H.

Giambi is one of the main keys to the Yankees offense. And, anyone who has visited the planet Earth in the last ten years can tell you how important Mariano Rivera is to his team.

Look at it this way: If Giambi can't go, you're looking at a combination of Aaron Guiel, Craig Wilson and Bernie Williams replacing his bat. And, if Rivera cannot go, Kyle Farnsworth and Scott Proctor are closing games for you in the post-season.

In both cases, the drop-off is huge.

I would rather see the Yankees shut them both down for the next 2-3 weeks, and have them rest/heal that way, than try to milk them through the next month. The season is pretty much done for New York. October baseball is the next important thing for the Yankees.

And, without Giambi and/or Rivera, New York's chances in October get a lot slimmer.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:42 AM | Comments (1)

No Love For Pavano

I think this story in the Times says it all:

Cashman sent Pavano to Tampa, Fla., where he will do no more than play catch on flat ground for two weeks. Taped to his locker at Yankee Stadium were the back pages of several New York newspapers mocking his latest injury, which Pavano did not report to the Yankees for 11 days.

“Stuff like this — hiding injuries — loses credibility and loses respect,” Cashman said. “Clearly, he has a mountain to climb to get back in the fold. That’s on him.”

Ladies and gentlemen, the players have spoken. To them, Pavano is a joke.

I wonder how ol' Carl will do when the Yankees vote on post-season shares this year?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:29 AM | Comments (8)

August 30, 2006

August 30th vs. The Tigers - Game 2

Damn, just one out away from a "W".........

But, really, rather than blame Proctor, or what may be a developing "he said, she said" situation between Torre and Farnsworth, the fact of the matter in this evening's contest was that the Yankees had just 3 hits and 3 walks, on offense, in this game - and it's real hard to win a ballgame when you put so few runners on base.

Speaking of Everyday Scottie Proctor, I noticed something this evening that could be a concern for the Yankees.

Proctor had a lot of pine-tar on the bill of his cap this evening - both on the top and the under-side. And, Scott was going to the bill of his cap just about before every pitch.

Now, this is nothing shocking - lots of pitchers use the stuff to get a better grip on their breaking pitches in very humid or cold conditions. I'm sure that Proctor is using it to help get that big twelve-to-six curveball of his to do its thing.

I'm fearful that some smart manager, say, in a post-season game against the Yankees this October, could point to the pine-tar cap and get Proctor ejected from a game - and maybe suspended. It's happened before - just last year, with Brendan Donnelly.

Hey, if it happens, I warned you.

OK, let's move to the bright side of things: Jaret Wright got an out in 7th inning! And, the Red Sox (and Curt Schilling!) got beat today.

Add the Yankees win this afternoon to these two items and it's not such a bad day today, after all, even with this tough loss.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:33 PM | Comments (29)

August 30th vs. The Tigers - Game 1

Vintage Worm Killer Wang.

By the way, I suggested the "Worm Killer" handle back on July 17th of this season - and, it seems like Yankees fans on the 'net are, pardon the pun, diggin' it. Coooool.....

Seven and two-thirds.
Three hits, two walks.
No runs.
109 pitches - 67 for strikes.
And, 13 groundouts.

Worm Killer's record is now 16-5 for the season. Since 1973, only four Yankees pitchers have had seasons with 16+ wins and 5 losses or less:

David Wells, 1998 (18-4).
Roger Clemens, 2001 (20-3).
Jimmy Key, 1994 (17-4).
Ron Guidry, 1978 (25-3).

I think that tells you how special Wang has been this season.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:03 PM | Comments (10)

In Theo "We" Trust

The Yankees have not played in the last two days, yet, thanks to the Boston Red Sox poor play, New York was able to register two more clicks (during the last two days) off their magic number for the 2006 A.L. East crown.

Before the start of today's games, the Yankees now have 33 games left to play, and their "magic number" to win the A.L. East is down to 25.

It's amazing - less than 23 months ago, the Red Sox could do no wrong, and, now, Boston is a mess.

At this rate, the Yankees might be able to clinch this thing when Boston comes into New York on September 15th.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:15 AM | Comments (13)

August 29, 2006

No Record Of Pavano Crash

From the AP:

Authorities have no record of an August car accident involving New York Yankees pitcher Carl Pavano, who told the team Monday after learning he broke two ribs in an Aug. 15 crash.

Pavano said he was hurt while at home in West Palm Beach when his car went through a puddle, spun out of control and hit a truck at a stop sign.

Lt. Tim Frith of the Florida Highway Patrol acknowledged Tuesday the accident may not have been reported to authorities.

The West Palm Beach Police Department and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office had no record of any traffic incident involving Pavano during all of 2006, according to their records departments. FHP, which often responds to vehicle crashes, also had no record of a car crash involving Pavano during the month of August.

A baseball official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the team's ongoing investigation, said Pavano did not tell the club about the accident until Monday, when a scan revealed the injury.

Hearing this, I'm really starting to think this is like the time that Jeff Kent said that he broke a bone while washing his truck. This is a cover story for Pavano.

If I'm parked at a stop sign, and I get rear-ended by a famous millionaire baseball player, I'm telling everyone that I know about it - and then the story would probably make it to the media eventually. The fact that we heard nothing on this for two weeks is fishy, at best.

If this accident happened, I would have expected to see the other driver on ESPN the next morning wearing a neck-brace.

I would love to start seeing some facts to back up Pavano's claim. But, I suspect that we will never see them.

Update, 12:44 pm ET: Benjamin Kabak has alerted that Pete Abraham is reporting the following:

There is an Associated Press story out there that claims there is no record of Pavano being in an accident. That is untrue. I just spoke to somebody with the West Palm Beach PD. There is a record. It's just that their records department is closed because of the tropical storm approaching.

I'll believe it when I see it.

Update, 4:52 pm EST: There is a report.

I now believe it.

Amazing. A millionaire gets into an accident causing $50,000 worth of damage and it doesn't make the news when it happens. Go figure.

Sorry Carl. You're not a liar. Unless, of course, one believes in lies by omission......then, it looks like you were just a liar until you got caught.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:20 PM | Comments (16)

The Three Faces Of A-Rod

Three things that we know to be true about Alex Rodriguez this season:

1. He does not bat well when the Yankees are trailing (in score) and it's a close contest.

2. He does not bat well when facing a pitcher in a game for the first time.

3. He does not bat well when there's a runner on third base and there's less than 2 outs.

These three facts, when examined together, support the theory that A-Rod is pressing this season - and that's his biggest problem.

Basically, in spots where Rodriguez feels that he has to make something happen - he fails. I wonder if Jim Fannin is focusing on these areas with Alex?

This all also makes me think that, if the Yankees can get A-Rod into a spot where he doesn't need to be "the man" - like in 2005 - then perhaps Alex will rebound once that happens.

But, until that happens, I suspect that we will continue to see what we're seeing from Rodriguez this season - strikeouts and double plays in big spots - and a failure to step up when needed.

This whole thing reminds me of the best baseline in the history of modern popular music. I won't say it - because then it will stuck in your head for hours.

And, as the three faces of Alex Rodriguez has shown us this season, having something stuck in your head can be a bad thing.

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

The Voice In A-Rod's Head Speaks - To Us!

Jim Fannin speaks, via the S.I. Advance, on Alex Rodriguez:

[A-Rod] "Never had a slump," Jim Fannin said.

"He was player of the month in May," Fannin noted. "He played very solid in July. And he's having a very solid August. He had a June that was not him, but that's long in the past."

When told that others -- ignorant as they may be -- have pointed to his past seven games, during which A-Rod has gone 4-for-28 with 16 strikeouts, as a sign that perhaps August has not been so ducky for the reigning league MVP, Fannin replied: "August is not over yet."

"(Rodriguez) is the most dedicated, most positive client that I've ever had," Fannin said. "I've coached Grant Hill, Frank Thomas. I'm coaching Barry Zito now. I've coached 22 baseball All-Stars and four Cy Young Award winners. A-Rod is at the top in terms of preparing to get on the field."

"Will there be bumps in the road? There will be," he said. "Will there be potholes where you don't reach your standards? You hope not, but there will be. This is a marathon. I'm not phased by any point of the marathon."

"Alex is awesome," Fannin said. "I have confidence he'll do whatever he needs to do. He is just awesome."

I've heard this before........it went like this:

The mind is a strange thing, men.
We must begin by asking it... ...
"What is losing?"
Losing is a disease.....as contagious as polio.
Losing is a disease.....as contagious as syphilis.
Losing is a disease.....as contagious as bubonic plague...... attacking one... ... but infecting all.
But curable.
Now, I want you to imagine.....you are on a ship at sea...
...gently rocking.
Gently rocking.
Gently rocking.
Gently rocking.

Man, what ever happened to see the ball and hit the ball?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:20 AM | Comments (3)

Damon: It's Go Time

From the Daily News today:

"I think we're the best team out there," Johnny Damon said. "We have to show it. We have to go for the jugular. We have to start abusing people."

In terms of a battle cry, it's not "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!" - but, it will do.

Now that he's said it, I want to see it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:18 AM | Comments (4)

August 28, 2006

Time To Send Pavano Packing

This is a true story.

At 5:14 pm ET today, a friend in my office (who is a fellow Yankees fan) dropped me an e-mail which simply read:

"Confirmed - Carl Pavano was in a car accident a few weeks ago and may have a broken a rib."

Thinking that this was a total joke, I wrote back to him and said:

"Either that, or, on the day of his first start, he'll say that his period is really heavy and the cramps won't allow him to pitch."

I had no idea that what my friend was telling me was a fact. I mean, come on now - everyone jokes about the next Pavano story, but - a car accident story, now, seemed way too far out to be true.

And, just now, I see that my friend was not kidding me - at all. This is incredible.

Worse, Pavano never told the Yankees about the accident until 2 weeks after it happened.

This is not the same as Aaron Boone's basketball knee. There, Boone got hurt doing something that he was no supposed to do. Here, Pavano got hurt doing something within his rights - but, he was supposed to tell the team about it when it happened.

While this might be a tougher fight to get Pavano's contract voided, I hope the Yankees do go after him. I see no reason to pay this dud another $20 million dollars.

Reportedly, but from fair sources, many Yankees players view Pavano as a joke. And, they are correct. The Pavano situation is an embarrassment to the ballclub. Brian Cashman needs to live up to the fact that this was a bad signing - even if the Red Sox, Tigers and Mariners wanted Pavano too - and cut his losses while given this chance.

And, if the Yankees opt not to get rid of Pavano now, then, going forward, every stupid thing that Pavano does should be blamed on Cashman (and company) and not Pavano.

If you're standing around in the park and a bird poops on your head, it's O.K. to curse the bird. If you go to the park another day, and the bird poops on your head again, even though you're standing in a different spot, it's still O.K. to curse the bird. If you go to the park a third time, and it happens again, it's still probably O.K. to curse the bird.

But, if you have a chance to go to the beach, and decide to stick with going to the park, and, when you do, the bird poops on your head again - it's your fault for being a moron when you had a great chance to get out of it (and do something else).

Don't be a moron Yankees. Here's your chance. Do the right thing.

And do it before this bird poops on your head again.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:27 PM | Comments (19)

A-Rod Now A Mistake Hitter?

I was just looking at some of Alex Rodriguez' "splits" to date - and this jumped out at me:

When A-Rod faces a pitcher for the first time in a game, he's terrible.

Really. When facing a pitcher for the first time in a game, Rodriguez whiffs nearly one-third of the time - and when he manages to make contact he's batting a whopping .197.

Yes, one-ninety-seven.

But, when Alex faces a pitcher in a game for the second time, or more, he's superhuman. (Here, we're talking about an OPS of greater than one superhuman.)

So, what is it about fresh pitchers that A-Rod doesn't like?

If I had to guess, on average, I would say that a pitcher has his best velocity and control when he's first in a game. And, with these skills, I want to assume that a pitcher can get his fastball in a good spot on Alex - say, up and in. (Based on watching games this season, it does appear that anything with some speed, up and in, is the pitch that Rodriguez struggles with - most of the time.)

This makes me wonder - is Alex Rodriguez now the type of hitter who can be pitched to, if you have your stuff and command, and who will only crush a mistake?

Hey, there's nothing wrong with that. Many hitters have had great careers with this approach: Make your pitch, beat me. Don't make your pitch, I beat you.

But, typically, these types of hitters, on very good teams, tend to bat lower in the line-up - somewhere around the range of 6th or 7th.

You know the type of hitter and the range we're talking about here. If not, think "Jorge Posada."

In fact, this season (to date) A-Rod has 19 RCAA in 561 PA while Posada has 14 RCAA in 445 PA. That's pretty close, no?

Maybe it's time to move Alex Rodriguez down in the line-up (at least until he proves that he can hit good "pitcher's pitches" again)?

Maybe Torre should use Damon, Jeter, Abreu, Giambi and then someone - and bat A-Rod 6th? Of course, the question is "Who's someone?"

This is where the Yankees miss Matsui and/or Sheffield.

It appears that the Yankees have no other option now than to bat Alex Rodriguez in the top five of the line-up - and just hope that pitchers make mistakes against him (and that he takes care of them when they do).

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:37 PM | Comments (9)

Final Post-Season Touch?

This time last year, the Yankees picked up Matt Lawton and Mark Bellhorn via deals. And, I'm wondering if New York will pull a pre-August-31st-post-season-roster-deadline deal again this season?

If I had to guess, pitching would be of interest. But, what are the odds of some decent pitcher passing through waivers?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:09 PM | Comments (9)

One Big A-Bee

As we all know by now, in his last 5 games, Alex Rodriguez has come to the plate 21 times and has struck out 14 times (in those 21 PA).

If there's good news for A-Rod here, it's that this happened some 3,000 miles away from the Bronx.

However, starting tomorrow, the Yankees will now play 6 games in a row at home.

What do you suppose will happen if Alex whiffs his first time up (for the Yanks) tomorrow against the Tigers?

I'm pretty sure that the fan reaction will be ugly, and that might lead to more pressing from Rodriguez and then more whiffs.......and the cycle will continue.

Therefore, A-Rod's next At Bat might just be the most important one that he's had this season. A nice clean hit could just be what the doctor ordered.

At the least, solid contact is a must.

It's an interesting sub-plot to what is a pretty big series for New York.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:48 PM | Comments (7)

3rd Not The Charm

I was just reading, over at Baseball Musings, how the Red Sox are starting to fold up like a cheap suit.

And, this made me wonder - if the Red Sox finish 3rd in the A.L. East this season, does that take David Ortiz out of the MVP race picture?

The Blue Jays are only 2 games behind Boston now.

It's possible.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:20 PM | Comments (4)

Move Over McGriff & Emanski

I just found out that Brian Cashman is endorsing a DVD called "Power Yoga For Baseball" - see below:

And, now, Don Mattingly is also hawking his own line of baseball bats and training tools.

What's next, Derek Jeter pushing perfume? Oh, wait, never mind........

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:52 AM | Comments (1)

August 27, 2006

For Those Scoring At Home

With the conclusion of today's games, the Yankees now have 33 games left to play, and their "magic number" to win the A.L. East is 27.

Hey, it's never too early to start a countdown.......

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:38 PM | Comments (0)

August 27th @ The Angels

Watching Bernie Williams have a big day in this game reminds me of something that I saw the other day over at Yankees WPA Rundown.

The study there was through August 19th. But, if you look at it, in terms of WPA, when the Yankees win, Giambi, A-Rod, and Bernie bat well. But, when the Yankees lose, Giambi and Bernie do very poorly in terms of helping with the bat.

Does this mean that Bernie Williams is the MVP for the Yankees this season?

No, it does not. What I think this all means is that it's another confirmation of the theory that the Yankees are very capable of beating bad pitching - but, if they face someone who has the stuff to get you out (which is the kind of pitcher that Bernie dies against now) then New York will lose.

The next 9 games will be another test for this theory - since the Yanks will face good pitching for the next six games and then bad pitching for the three after those contests.

While I would love to see the Yankees go 6-3 over their next 9 games, I am also prepared to see them go 3-6 as well.

Boston still has 10 games to play in a row now. Hopefully, the Red Sox will go something like 4-6 and that will help offset what the Yankees really do in their next 9 games.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:39 PM | Comments (12)

Pavano Out - Again?

From the Post -

Carl Pavano is running out of body parts to break down.

Following his rehab start for Columbus (Triple-A) Friday night, Pavano talked of a problem with an oblique muscle, and there is the possibility he will be shut down.

Asked to confirm the problem before yesterday's game, Joe Torre said he couldn't until he talked to GM Brian Cashman. After the 12-7 loss to the Angels, Torre said he still hadn't gotten in touch with Cashman.

I guess it could be worse.

Just imagine a player with the head of Alex Rodriguez and the body of Carl Pavano.

It's much better to have these issues spread out over two ballplayers - then, at least, it's not all bad news all the time with one specific player, I suppose.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:55 AM | Comments (7)

August 26, 2006

August 26th @ The Angels

I'm guessing that the Yankees game was rained out today. I turned on the T.V. to watch it on FOX this afternoon, but, instead of seeing the current first place team from the A.L. East play a 5th place team from the A.L. West, I saw a replay of one of the games between the Yankees and Angels from the 2002 ALDS instead. Weird, huh?

O.K., back to being serious, tomorrow is the end of the "21 games in 20 days Gauntlet." Back when this journey started, I wrote:

Personally, I believe, if the Yankees go 13-8 in the next 21 games, that would be amazing. And, it would probably lock up the A.L. East.

Basically, the Yankees need to go, at least, 11-10 over the next three weeks - just to hold their ground.

And, how have the Yankees done, to date?

After this mess today, the Yankees are 10-10.

I guess it's now up to young Mr. Jeff Karstens to try and get New York to that 11-10 "hold your own" mark.

The Yankees are very lucky that Boston stinks this season.

Lastly, here's a little fun fact for you in closing. Coming into this game, A-Rod was batting .283 for the season.

But, he's batting .165 (in 79 ABs) against the Devil Rays and Orioles, combined, this year. If you take out what Alex has done against Tampa and Baltimore this season, then Rodriguez is batting .307 coming into this game - with a slugging average of .565 (according to my rough math) against everyone else.

I wish someone could tell A-Rod that he's only stunk against the D-Rays and the O's this season - and that, otherwise, he has nothing to be stressed about now. Maybe that would help him relax?

Because, right now, Alex's head is more messed up than Vlad Guerrero's hair on game day. If Rodriguez doesn't start to chill soon, he's going to end up acting like Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:23 PM | Comments (7)

August 25th @ The Angels

Jaret Wright did well for the Yankees this past May. But, it's time to face facts. Over the last three months, Wright has pitched like former Yankees Rich Dotson, Joe Cowley, Dave LaPoint, Andy Hawkins, Chuck Cary, and Hideki Irabu. And, as crazy as this sounds, it's also time to replace him with Carl Pavano.

Taking it a step further, I would not include Jaret Wright on the post-season roster at this point. He just cannot be counted on - as you never know how he will pitch in a given appearance.

As to this game, for a Yankees perspective - let's just say this: "Every Yankees fan in the world should cross their fingers that the Yankees do not have to face the Angels in the post-season - because the Angels play with a ton of confidence against the Yankees."

Lastly, according to some "Golden Sombrero" stats that I've been able to locate, Alex Rodriguez is the first Yankees player to ever have two 4-strikeout games in the same season. And, only he and Bernie Williams have ever done it twice ever in a Yankees uniform. One more time and A-Rod will be the king.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:14 AM | Comments (12)

August 25, 2006

Ortiz: Yanks Helped Send Me To Hospital

From the AP via Yahoo -

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said stress and nearly a week of sleeplessness caused dehydration and eventually the irregular heartbeat that landed him in a Boston hospital last weekend.

The major league leader in home runs said he was "stressed out about everything" -- including the New York Yankees' first three wins of their eventual five-game sweep of the Red Sox last weekend that has turned both team's seasons. A team doctor advised him to go to Massachusetts General Hospital last Saturday evening.

"I stress a lot, sometimes," the usually gregarious, outwardly jolly giant said before starting again as Boston's designated hitter in the series opener against the Seattle Mariners.

"We got to play all those games against New York. You know, there was a lot of stress going on," the 30-year-old Ortiz said. "And then to go out there and receive that (butt) kicking ... I wasn't feeling good.

"I was beat."

When Boston's Manny Ramirez was told of Ortiz' condition, he went to him and said:

There is this little song I wrote
I hope you learn it note for note
Like good Manny sure can
Don't worry, Big Papi

Listen to what I say
In your life expect some trouble
But when you worry
You make it double
Don't worry, Big Papi......

OK, in all seriousness, imagine if Alex Rodriguez went to the hospital for an irregular heartbeat and he said afterwards that it was the stress of playing the Red Sox that brought it on.

A-Rod would be s'mored alive.

Back to point, does anyone think that the Yankees could stress Big Papi some more if they ever started to make him move his feet in the batter's box?

Or, at the least, maybe New York can get "The Amazing Kreskin" to convince Papi that those pitches from Yankee hurlers left out over the plate are really coming right into his belt buckle?

Hey, the guy has confessed to a crack in his armor, you have to jump on that, no?

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

Melk's Ilk

A recent entry to WasWatching.com has generated several comments in regard to who is a comparable player, in terms of demonstrated talent, to young Melky Cabrera.

I decided to use the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia to find a match, in terms of relative career production, at the same age, for Melky (since 1973). This is what I found:

Interesting, huh? It's our old friend Willow.

Yes, sure, Randolph was a second baseman and Cabrera is an outfielder. And, yes, Willie batted right-handed and Melky is a switch-hitter. But, in terms of "what did they do with the bat in the majors, up until the same age," this is a pretty good match.

Willie Randolph went on to collect over 2,200 hits in his career - to go along with over 1,200 walks. I think Melky Cabrera would sign on for that right now, if you gave him the option of taking that or taking his chances.

And, if Cabrera did that all wearing a Yankees uniform, he would join some nice company. Here are the current men in the Yankees career "2,000+ hits & 1,000+ walks" club: Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Bernie Williams.

That's it - just four, to date. (But, I would guess that Jeter will make it five in another four years or so.)

Obviously, Gehrig, Ruth and Mantle are in one class of player and Bernie Williams is in another. But, if Cabrera comes close to a Bernie Williams type Yankees career, that's nothing to turn your nose up on, for sure.

In any event, based on what he's done with the bat to date (given his age), and when you factor in his defensive ability, I'm sure that Melky Cabrera will go on to play in the major leagues for at least another dozen years (barring injury) and have several productive seasons to his credit when it's all said and done.

The kid can play.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:10 PM | Comments (1)

What, Trade Matsui?

There have been some recent comments made by readers of this blog that the Yankees should consider trading Hideki Matsui (in order to ensure playing time for Melky Cabrera in 2007).

As much as I love Melky Cabrera, I do not agree with this suggestion.

Matsui is a winner. In 33 career post-season career games with the Yankees, Hideki has an OBA of .377 and a SLG% of .556 (in 135 AB). Further, in 2004, Hideki Matsui led all Yankees batters with 44 RCAA. (And, last year, he was 5th on the team in RCAA).

Matsui's been out for most of this season and all of a sudden some people think he's turned into Craig Wilson. Absence does make the heart forget, I suppose.

There's no reason why the Yankees cannot rotate Cabrera, Damon, Abreu and Matsui in the outfield and D.H. next year and get everyone enough PA to keep them happy.

Saying hello again to Matsui does not mean having to say good-bye to Cabrera. What it should mean is saying good-bye to Bernie Williams.

Also, look back at Bernie Williams career. In 1991, Bernie got 320 ABs. That was cut back to 261 in 1992. Bernie then became a full-time player in 1993 - and, then, two years later Williams was a star.

I can see Melky doing the same - about 400 AB this season, a little less than that in 2007, then he takes over for Abreu in 2008 (and becomes a full-timer). And, around 2010, he's an All-Star.

There's no need to move Matsui to make this happen for Cabrera.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:59 AM | Comments (21)

August 24th @ The Mariners

Look at the bright side, the bullpen got the night off.

The Yankees played this game like a team that was hung-over and suffering from jet-lag.

New York's 3-4-5 hitters went 0-11 with 6 strikeouts in this contest.

Now, the first reaction to this outcome would be to say "They've been playing everyday for a while now. And, they're just coming off the tough Boston series. And, the move to the West Coast always hits on the second or third day. It's only natural for them to be playing like lead weights now."

But, on the other hand, let's not forget that, in the three series before the Red Sox series, the Yankees were playing poorly (against normal expectations). If you look at their last five series, it goes like this for New York:

@ the White Sox - lost 2 of 3
vs. the Angels - split 4 games
vs. the Orioles - lost 2 of 3
@ the Red Sox - swept 5 games
@ the Mariners - lost 2 of 3

As you can see, the only series that the Yankees have won, out of their last five, was the set up at Fenway.

It does make me (and others?) wonder, just a wee bit, now, if the result of the series in Boston was the Yankees being a great team, or, just the Red Sox being a poor team.

Now, it does seem silly to wonder this - even just a wee bit of a wonder - because the Yankees are playing .600-baseball this year, and, only one team has more wins than them in the A.L. right now.

The Yankees are 26 games over .500 at this moment. Is there something inside that number that we should be concerned about?

New York, this season to date, has a 26-10 (.722) record against three teams, combined - the Red Sox, Devil Rays and Rangers. This means that the Yankees are 50-40 (.556) against everyone else.

It should be noted that the Red Sox, Devil Rays and Rangers are 10th-11th-and-12th in the A.L. right now in team ERA. (Only the Orioles and Royals are worse than these three teams.)

Does this mean that the Yankees can only man-handle teams with very weak pitching, and, against other teams, New York is more like a barely-90-win team (in terms of pace) than a team that would win close to 100 games?

I'm starting to think that the answer here is "yes."

This is not to say that the Yankees will not make the post-season - because they will, without question.

But, this does make me strongly consider the notion that, once the Yankees are in the post-season and start facing teams with better than average pitching, each series is going to be a challenge for them - and, I expect them to have to struggle and push the series to the max (in terms of the number of games) in order to win (and advance). Also, they're going to need some breaks in the post-season to succeed.

Yes, I'm talking "Jeffrey Maier HR" and "Tim Welke Block" type breaks here. A "Mark Wohler's Slider" would be helpful as well.

These things can happen - they did in 1996 - but, without them, when the Yankees hit the playoffs this year, it's going to be just like 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 all over again (when they reach the teams with pitchers who can stop them).

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

August 24, 2006

BP's UTK On Sheffield

From Will Carroll -

Over the past two weeks, I've been hearing whispers, over and over from disparate and independent sources, that Sheffield was slowing his rehab deliberately, feeling no pressure to return. "He says he's not needed," one source told me, "and that he's got to worry more about next year than this year." Several people I spoke with that have knowledge of his rehab process claim that Sheffield shouldn't be behind Hideki Matsui. "[Matsui']s busted his [rear] and [Sheffield] is negotiating his contract. He talks more to his agents than he does the trainers."

Here's the thing for me:

Sheffield has a torn ligament and dislocated tendon in his left wrist.

Matsui has a fractured left wrist.

It's not the same injury. More so, Sheffield bats right-handed and Matsui bats left-handed.

For a right-handed batter, the left wrist is everything. It's the power wrist. The other hand, the right wrist, guides the bat. But, it's the left wrist that provides all the strike-force and which requires the most strength and movement - again, for a right-handed batter like Sheffield.

For a left-handed batter, like Matsui, the right wrist is more important - as that's the strike-force, etc. The left wrist to a left-handed batter is the same as the right wrist to the right-handed batter (meaning it's a guide hand and not the fulcrum wrist for the swing).

A left-handed batter can get by with a left wrist that's not 100%. But, for a right-handed batter, you need your left wrist to be 100% to be effective.

Comparing Sheffield's recovery period to Matsui's is like comparing apples to oranges - because they do not bat from the same side of the plate.

It's a big difference.

As far as Sheffield feeling not needed, I think this shows that he has a brain. It's the truth. The Yankees are fine with Abreu and Cabrera in the outfield.

Yes, Sheffield could help at DH - when Giambi plays 1B. But, only if he's able to hit. And, again, to hit, he needs to have his wrist at 100%.

Anyone who has read this blog in the last 16 months knows that I'm not shy about getting on the case of a Yankees player. In fact, I'm ragged about doing it - all the time. Yet, I just don't see the reason to get on Sheffield at this time. Like I wrote yesterday, when it comes to Sheffield, it's 'thanks for the memories and don't let the door hit you on the way out.' He's old news.

Just say good-bye and leave it at that.

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

Starting To Noodle This Year's A.L. MVP Debate

Using the data for this season, as of yesterday's games, in the Baseball Musings Day By Day Database, I was able to put together the following chart for the fan/media M.V.P. favorites out of Boston and New York this year:

First, yes, without question, David Ortiz hits for more power than Derek Jeter. We don't even need numbers to come to that conclusion.

But, what I found interesting here is where these two players are "making out."

Boy, that doesn't sound good. That's a mental picture that neither the fans in Boston or New York would want to see.

OK, let's try another way to paint this picture.

When the score is tied, both of these players "reach base" (is that better?) around the same rate.

But, when the Red Sox are leading by 1-3 runs, this is where Ortiz really excels at reaching base (and not making out). Jeter, on the other hand, is an on-base monster (to the tune of reaching base half of the time) when the Yankees are trailing by 1-3 runs.

So, what's more valuable - not making outs when your team is up by 1-3 runs or not making outs when your team is losing by 1-3 runs?

Of course, it should be noted that Ortiz still gets on base when the Sox are down 1-3 runs - just as Jeter still gets on base when the Yankees are up 1-3 runs. But, they both take it to another level in certain situations - Jeter when his team is down in a close game and Ortiz when his team is up in a close game.

Excelling in both of these game-score states has value. Doing well when you're up, but close, helps put the game away for your team. Doing well when you're down, but close, helps your team get back into the game.

For me, the latter state has more value - helping to try and turn a loss into a tie or win. Adding to a game where you're already winning, albeit a close game, is nice - but, hey, the team was still winning the game when you did it, no?

It will be interesting to look at the Ortiz-Jeter debate, via this type of view, when the season is over and the stats are final.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:41 PM | Comments (6)

August 23rd @ The Mariners

What can possibly be said about Worm Killer Wang that hasn't already been said this year? If you want to say that "Mussina=Schilling" and "Johnson=Beckett," then Wang is the difference between the Yankees and the Red Sox this year. And, it's a big difference.

Watching the Yankees man-handle "King Felix" last night (who, this time last year, was the best pitching prospect in baseball) and how the Yankees battered the Red Sox pitching prospect jewels Craig Hansen and Jon Lester this past series in Boston, is actually a good primer for Yankees fans to (again) level set their expectations on Philip Hughes.

It's one thing to star in the minors and it's another thing to get that to translate into big league success.

And, it also tells you how special it is to see Wang doing what he's doing now - just in his second year.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:26 AM | Comments (17)

August 23, 2006

They Must Think They're In! (v.2006)

I just got the bill for my 2006 Yankees post-season tickets. The price always goes up.

Last year, for my seats, it was:

LDS: $71 per seat
LCS: $106 per seat
WS: $191 per seat

Now, for 2006, for my same seats, the post-season prices are:

LDS: $76 per seat
LCS: $106 per seat
WS: $231 per seat

And, I betcha there's some convenience fee or something to be added when you try and pay for them on-line.

In 2001 and 2002, the prices for these same seats were:

LDS: $45 per seat
LCS: $70 per seat
WS: $175 per seat

The World Series seats this year are through the roof. That's too big a leap in one year.

In the end, what can you do? If you want to go, you have to pay.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:17 PM | Comments (4)

Heyman: Why The Buddy Pass For Sheff?

Since this topic has been mentioned in comments to another entry here, I thought I would offer an opinion on it.

Today, over at SI.com, Jon Heyman wrote the following:

Let's get this straight: Alex Rodriguez gets ripped like Dean Martin at closing time for casually mentioning that he has played hurt this season -- and those close to A-Rod say he weathered a nagging groin injury and food poisoning in Detroit -- and yet his long-sidelined teammate Gary Sheffield gets a pass for publicly pledging he won't play through pain?

Sheffield's attitude stinks, a fact no one ever mentions. His free pass continues. It's like nobody remembers he took steroids, either. (Sheffield told SI's Tom Verducci in October 2004 that he unknowingly took the Clear and the Cream and has denied allegations in the book Game of Shadows that he took injectable testosterone and human growth hormone.) The only difference between Sheffield and his ex-workout partner Barry Bonds is that Bonds is closing in on an all-time record. Yet there's no criticism for Sheffield, no investigation involving Sheffield, no feds chasing Sheffield.

It's a wonder the media cut him so much slack. Maybe they fear Sheffield. Or maybe they fear losing him as a quote; you never know what he might say next.

Here's the deal with Sheffield. In 2004, he was playing on one arm - and gave the Yankees an MVP-like-effort. Gary won over a lot of Yankees fans that year - this one included. And, in 2005, Sheffield had another good season - in fact, he was probably the 6th most effective batter in the A.L. East last year.

This season, Sheffield got hurt in early May - and he tried to come back from that after two weeks on the D.L. But, a week later, the pain was just too great - and Sheffield had to go back on the D.L.

Sheffield has a torn ligament and dislocated tendon in his left wrist. For a right-handed hitter, this is a serious injury - and that's why Gary has been out for most of the last 4 months.

There's probably not many Yankees fans with a beef on Sheffeild in terms of his production and effort. Sure, he has a big mouth sometimes. But, in New York, if you play hard and produce, you can get by with a big mouth. The fans loved David Wells when he was here - didn't they?

Plus, most Yankees fans know that Sheffeild is history, in terms of being a Yankee, in about two months from now.

Face it, Gary Sheffield is old news in Yankeeland. People are not getting on his case for this reason.

Heyman should not try and make Sheffield's situation to read like Carl Pavano's situation. Sheffield played hard for the Yankees before he got hurt. And, he played well.

Heyman also paints Sheff as a "me first" player. I will not disagree with that. But, Sheffield's mistake there is being open about it. Seventy percent of the Yankees are probably "me first" players - but, they just don't say it out-loud. Trust me, Sheffield is not the first "me first" player in the game - and he won't be the last. Again, a baseball player 'only looking out for himself' is the norm in most cases - and the fans and media will not get on someone for being that way if they produce well on the field. And, in New York, Sheffield was a good producer when he played.

I see no reason why anyone should get on Sheffield at this point.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:14 PM | Comments (6)

A-Rod's Milestone On Monday

This one slipped under the radar a bit. During the 4th inning of last Monday's game, Alex Rodriguez grounded into a double-play.

That was the 19th time that A-Rod has grounded into a double-play (GIDP) this season - and that's now his career high for most GIDP in a season.

Alex's previous season high for GIDP was 18 - which he set during his first season in New York (2004). In his recent MVP season, last year, Rodriguez only had 8 GIDP.

Prior to joining the Yankees, during the 8 seasons from 1996 through 2003, A-Rod averaged 14 GIDP per season - with a low of 10 in 2000 and a high of 17 in 2001.

The Yankees record for most GIDP in a season was set by Dave Winfield in 1983 when he had 30 that year. The last Yankee to have 19+ GIDP in a season was Jorge Posada (who had 24) in 2004.

There are no accounts of what has happened to the ball from the play on Monday where A-Rod set his new personal best season record in GIDP.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:54 PM | Comments (7)

Hacked Bernie Hacked

Bernie Williams' website was hacked. Deadspin has the story and images. (Hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org.)

When asked about the incident, Bernie Williams said "Man, are you kidding? I have a website? Wow, that's cool."

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:23 PM | Comments (0)

The Power Of Abreu & Giambi

Here are the Yankees team batting stats this season, by month:

The first thing I noticed here was May. Look at that team slugging percentage. Even with the great month of May from Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees were punch-less in May.

June is interesting here as well. The Yankees hitters were mixed in June - half doing well and the other half not helping. A-Rod and Giambi not hitting in June worked against the Yankees.

In July, Giambi was invisible again - as he hit .186 that month - but, Jeter, Damon, Cabrera and A-Rod were swinging good sticks for the Yankees last month.

And, this brings us to August. Notice the numbers - so far, this month, the Yankees offense is back to being the high-powered machine it was back in April.

Bobby Abreu is a big part of this - and having Giambi hit better than he did in June and July helps too.

Thinking about this, I now believe that Abreu and Giambi are the keys to the Yankees offense.

Look at it this way: Suppose that Abreu & Giambi average 9 pitches per PA between the two of them in a game. On average, by the fifth inning of a game, the two of them would force the starting pitcher to throw over 27 pitches just pitching to two batters.

Considering that most starting pitchers are only good for 100 quality pitches per game, Abreu and Giambi eat up over 25% of what a starter has to offer - by the 5th inning of a game! Then, factor in Damon, Jeter and the others and you can see what's happening here. Once again, the Yankees are back to that mode of "Get the starter out early and attack the other team's weak link - their middle men in the pen."

Mark it down now - as go Abreu and Giambi in the post-season this year, so will the Yankees. These two are the keys for the Yankees batting success.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:21 AM | Comments (5)

August 22nd @ The Mariners

You always hate to lose by a run in the bottom of the 9th. But, given the streaks that both the Yankees and M's were on, you knew, coming into this game, that it was going to be a hard game for the Yankees to win. The odds were too strong against them. So, the sting of the walk-off loss here is offset, somewhat, by the knowledge of odds strength in this contest, I suppose.

If you had to lay blame on this one, I would not assign it to Villone. I give it to Torre. Close game, 7th inning, and you leave Jaret Wright in the game as a relief pitcher? Wright allows too many base runners to be trusted in a spot like that one - and, of course, he loaded the bases.

Not a bad first start for Jeff Karstens. I think he showed the Yankees something in this game. Sure, he might look a little like Steve-O, but, the kid did not melt out there. I'm looking forward to his next start.

Hey, look at the bright side - the Red Sox lost too. Yankees are still up by 7 in the loss column and there's now just 38 games left to the season.

New York can just shake this game off and come back in the next one.

If there's any concern from this game - let it be about Giambi's hammy. The Yankees need him to be fine - if he's not, that's a hole in the line-up.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:03 AM | Comments (20)

August 22, 2006

Yanks Seeing Red

From Bloomberg.com (with a hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org) -

The New York Yankees are losing money even as they're winning games, General Manager Brian Cashman said.

The team's highest-in-baseball payroll, revenue-sharing outlay and other expenses eclipse its revenue, Cashman said in an interview on Bloomberg radio's ``On the Ball,'' to be aired this weekend.

``We're making a lot, but we're spending more than we're making,'' Cashman said. He declined to say how much the team is losing.

The Yankees this year became Major League Baseball's first team worth more than $1 billion, according to Forbes magazine's annual valuation published in April. The team had a baseball- best $277 million in revenue, Forbes said.

Forbes said the Yankees lost $50 million last season before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization because they paid $77 million in revenue sharing to less wealthy clubs.

The New York Daily News reported in December that the team lost between $50 million and $85 million last season, even while becoming only the third team ever to draw more than 4 million fans to home games. Neither publication cited anyone from the Yankees organization.

I have to wonder - does the loss include the money made from the YES Network? I wish they would be clear on this.

Sure, it's a separate "company" from the Yankees. But, to not include YES in the picture would be like saying that Aquafina lost money for Pepsi last year - and then ignoring how much money Pepsi made on their cola line of drinks.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:46 PM | Comments (8)

Left Side Cold Front

Five days ago, I wrote:

While I would suggest that Derek and Alex are not best buds these days, I have seen enough of them over the years to know that they do not strongly dislike each other. At the worst, I would say that they're now like any other two co-workers who know that it makes more sense to get along and be civil (and sometimes joke with each other) rather than to work against each other.

That was just an observation on my part - from a distance. But, today, a contact that I have who is friendly with a member of the Yankees asked me if I saw the Mike Lupica column on Sunday. When I said, "No, why?" they replied with "Trust me, it's dead on." So, I just found it. Here are the highlights from the feature:

I asked four Yankees last week to talk about the relationship between Jeter and A-Rod on the condition that none of their names would be in the newspaper, just because asking either Jeter or A-Rod about this union is about as illuminating as asking the Clintons about theirs. All of the Yankees I talked to have baseball opinions I respect. Not one of them has a beef with either player.

"I would call the relationship professional," the first one said. "And that's all it needs to be, as far as I'm concerned. As long as any two guys on a team don't have the kind of relationship that gets in the way of us winning, that's pretty much all anybody cares about."

"No more than that?" I said.

"Professional," he said.

The second guy I asked described the relationship as "professional" as well, saying that he saw the normal camaraderie between Jeter and A-Rod that he saw between other guys in the clubhouse.

The third Yankee smiled and said, "Let's just say they're acquaintances."

I told him they had to be more than acquaintances, they've nearly played together now for three full seasons.

"Acquaintances," he said again.

I asked him if he thought it was important to A-Rod that Jeter liked him. The guy nearly yelled out an answer, laughing now as he did.

"Alex wants everybody to like him," he said. "I like him. But when you want everybody to like you or love you as much as he does, and you're playing alongside somebody the fans are always going to love more, then you're going to have problems. Not Jeter. Jeter's Jeter, he doesn't change. I'm talking about Alex. He worries about stuff that Jeter never does."

The last guy was simply asked to come up with one word to describe the relationship. He thought about it for a while.

"Truthfully?" he said. "It's chilly."

The other day, a reporter was talking to another star Yankee and the Yankee saw the crowd in front of A-Rod's locker and said, "Better get going, you don't want to miss today's excuse."

For what it's worth, Gehrig and Ruth were not friends - and neither were Munson and Jackson - and they won rings together. So, I don't see this as being a big issue. But, it's still interesting to know how the two feel about each other - since they're both under contract to play with the team for the next four years.

I have to wonder if their relationship will get better, or worse, over that period of time. Jeter will never ask out of New York. It's his town - heck, he's earned it. A-Rod has to learn that he can't be "Jeter" in the hearts of most Yankees fans. If he can't come to terms with that, maybe Alex will ask out of New York?

I have a feeling that the topic of the relationship between Jeter and A-Rod is something that we will hear about again - before it's said and done.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:14 PM | Comments (9)

The New Curse In Town

I thought this fact, about the Yankees sweeping the Bosox, from the ATM-Reports Blog was very interesting:

The Yankees became just the 2nd 1st place team to have a 5 game sweep over a team that started the series in 2nd place, joining the 1923 Giants (sweeping the Reds).

So, what you just saw happen this weekend has never happened before in American League history. (And, it's only happened twice in big league history now.)

While this fact doesn't take the full sting away from being the first team to lose a 7-game post-season series after being up 3-0, knowing that the Sox choked this weekend in a historically unique fashion makes you wonder if Babe Ruth has decided (in retrospect) that (lifting his curse in) 2004 was a bad idea at a practical joke on his part and he's gone back to putting his curse on (in full effect).

Either that, or, the Curse of Johnny Damon now supercedes the recently reversed Curse of the Bambino.

Should it be called "The Curse of Johnny Damon"? Personally, I think "Damon's Curse" has a better ring to it. Hopefully that ring will be # 27 for the Yankees this season.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:57 PM | Comments (3)

A-Rod In August (And After)

We know that August is usually good for Alex Rodriguez. So, how's he doing, so far, this August?

These are A-Rod's stats this month to date:

Games: 21
At Bats: 81
Homeruns: 3
RBI: 17
Average: .321
On Base: .417
Slugging: .519

How could Yankees fans not be happy with those numbers?

Those figures are very impressive, no? But, I talked to some Yankees fans today who are still not thrilled with Rodriguez - even given these numbers.

If there's a downside to A-Rod's August, it's his overall batting numbers this month with Runners In Scoring Position (RISP). Here are those stats, for him, this month to date:

At Bats: 39
Ks: 7
BB: 7
Average: .256
On Base: .362
Slugging: .359
GIDP: 4

The most important number here is "On Base" - when Alex Rodriguez has come to bat, this month (so far) with RISP, he reaches base 36% of the time. That's very good.

However, what probably sticks in the minds of many are the "bad" numbers here: Ks, Slugging, and GIDP.

Think of it this way: They see A-Rod (this month) come to the plate 46 times with RISP. And, in those chances, nearly 25% of the time he strikes out or hits into a double play. And, when he's not making an out, he's not hitting for extra bases.

And, face it, that's what people want to see from a bopper like Alex when he comes to the plate with RISP - they want to see moon shots like those off the bat of Manny and/or Ortiz.

When people don't see that from A-Rod (with RISP) then it doesn't matter if he's batting .321 for the month with an OPS near one. The mental image of the whiffs and the DPs with RISP is branded on to their brain (and it's the first impression for them).

In some ways, A-Rod might be better off if he was one of those hitters who only hits with runners on - and is an auto-out when he's up with no one on base. "That guy" probably gets a pass in the eyes of many because he comes through "in the clutch." If memory serves correct, Graig Nettles had this type of rep - good with runners on and pedestrian (at best) with no one on. I'm sure there are other hitters with that rep too.

In the end, maybe it's just best for Yankees fans to look towards Damon, Jeter, Abreu, Giambi, Posada, Cano and Cabrera in terms of carrying the team - and just take A-Rod for what he provides (as gravy) and not dwell on him (as having to be 'the guy')?

It's sort of what happened up in Boston this weekend. Rodriguez was there. He was not the hitting star of the series - but, overall, he didn't stink either. And, Damon, Abreu, Giambi, and the others, got all the attention.

I'm sure it was a pretty peaceful 5 games for Alex. It was probably the most comfortable time he's had in Fenway as a Yankee.

If A-Rod can do "this" - meaning be another person who helps to keep moving the chains towards a first down, and not have to be the person to make the big TD play - I think he's also going to be fine for the rest of this season and the post-season that follows too.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:30 PM | Comments (0)

Opening Day 2009

If you asked me, now, to tell you the Yankees line-up for the first game in the new Stadium, I would suggest that it will look like this:

1. Brett Gardner CF
2. Derek Jeter SS
3. Johnny Damon 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez DH
5. Melky Cabrera RF
6. Hideki Matusi LF
7. Robinson Cano 2B
8. Hank Blalock 3B
9. Johnny Estrada C

And, if it's not those two players at 3B and C, it will be two players like them.

That's not the worst line-up in the world, is it?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:55 AM | Comments (9)

Who Did What In Boston

Stats via Baseball Musings Day By Day Database. How the Yankees players just did up in the Fenway series:

The Hitters:

The Pitchers:

Lidle, Wang and Proctor stand out among the pitchers. And, Giambi, Damon, Posada, Abreu, and Cano stand out among the hitters. But, also, don't forget about the two big hits from Jeter in this series as well.

Still, if I had to pick one player who had the biggest impact for the Yankees in this series, I would say that it was Damon, no, wait, Proctor. Or, maybe Giambi, or Abreu..........man, this is hard.

Maybe we can use WPA to tell us the answer? Via FanGraphs.com, here's the key Yankees pitchers and batters for each of the games in the Fenway series.

Friday's Day Game: Proctor & Damon
Friday Night's Game: Proctor & Jeter
Saturday's Game: No Pitcher, but Cano & Damon as batters
Sunday's Game: Rivera & Giambi
Monday's Game: Lidle & Abreu

So, that's two "votes" for Proctor and Damon each. They were, most likely, the two key players for the Yankees in this series.

And, since I can't pick one over the other, in terms of being the "MVP" for the Yankees in this showdown, I'll call them "co-MVPs" for the series. They both stepped up for the Yankees this weekend and served as leaders for the team.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:04 AM | Comments (3)

August 21, 2006

Un-Torre-ing The Set-Up Men In September

Right now, the Columbus Clippers are in last place - 8 games back of first.

Given this knowledge (that Columbus' season's dreams are done already), here's what I would like to see happen: ASAP on September 1st, the Yankees call up Brian Bruney, T.J. Beam, Jose Veras, Aaron Small and Jesus Colome.

And, then, for the month of September, as a rule, the Yankees follow these guidelines for using Proctor, Farnsworth, and Villone:

1. They can only pitch in games where the score is tied or the Yankees are winning by less than 4 runs or the Yankees are losing by 2 runs or less.

2. They have a pitch limit of 25 pitches per game - and come out at that point, regardless of the score or how many innings they have thrown.

3. They are only allowed to throw 5 innings, in total, in a given week. Once they hit five for the week, they're "not available" until the next week.

This will keep these three pitchers sharp - and also provide some much needed rest at the same time.

And, then the Yanks can use guys like Bruney, Beam, and Veras for the games where they lead by 4 or more or are losing by 3 or more runs. (Along with Dotel and Pavano, if they're around.) And, if it's a huge blowout game, use Aaron Small and Jesus Colome.

Proctor, Farnsworth, and Villone are going to be very important keys for the Yankees in the post-season. It's time to take care of them now. I hope the Yankees understand this as well.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:48 PM | Comments (8)

Hey, Larry, Who's Your Empire?

From the New York Times -

My absence is what prompted me to call Larry Lucchino, the Red Sox’ chief executive, an hour after the final out of the five-game sweep.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve,” he said, surprisingly taking the call. “After being beaten up as we were this weekend, it’s hard to be analytical and objective at this moment, so I don’t think I have anything to say.”

Do you have a reaction, I asked? “Of course, I have a reaction,” he replied.

Would you care to share it?

“No,” Lucchino said. “I said I’m not going to have anything to say. I make a practice of not having postgame or post-series comments. I try to let a little time and perspective intervene, so I’m going to stick to that.”

How much time would he need?

“Wait a few days,” he said.

I was prepared to do that, but less than a minute later Lucchino changed his mind.

“One observation one could make without a need for any additional perspective,” he said, “is the Yankees are a formidable ball team at this time. They have depth and talent and balance and an approach and philosophy that are to be admired.”

Larry, I would just like to remind you of something you said less than 20 months ago:

"We have a slogan around here: 'Any group of schlemiels can win once.' We gotta win more than once...."

Guess what L.L. Fool Day, you're soon going to be 0-2 now after that "once." And, we're still waiting......for proof that you're not a schlemiel.

I can't get the picture out of my head now - Larry Lucchino wearing the sweater with the big "L" on it, and John Henry in a poodle skirt, arm in arm, skipping down the street singing "Schlemiel, schlimazel, hasenpfeffer incorporated!"

Maybe Theo Epstein can be Andrew 'Squiggy' Squiggmann and Curt Schilling can be Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski too?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:40 PM | Comments (3)

August 21st @ The Red Sox

Sweep Fancy Moses!

Los calcetines rojos son muertos!

It's over in the A.L. East. What a story!

Forty-two games ago, on July 4th, the standings in the A.L. East were as follows:

And, now, today, with the Yankees taking 5 games in a row from the Red Sox, in dramatic fashion, at Fenway Park, the Yankees presently lead the Boston Red Sox by 6 1/2 games in the standings.

This is a swing of 10.5 games in the standings over a period of seven weeks.

From here, if the Yankees just play .500 baseball over the rest of the season, the Red Sox need to play nearly .700 baseball (.698 actually) to beat New York.

It's over Boston. The New York Yankees will win the A.L. East for the 9th year in a row - thanks to the results of this 5-game series.

If the Yankees go on to win the World Series, I want to see a box-set of DVDs released covering the Yankees run this year - and every one of these 5 games should be included in the set, in their entirety.

What a great plane ride the Yankees are going to have - as they head out to Seattle. And, they earned it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:12 PM | Comments (17)

R.S.N. This A.M.

Yeah, this is not nice. But, they would do it to us if the roles were reversed. So, what the hey! Here's what R.S.N. is thinking today:

From Sawx Blog -

There's a part of me that almost wants the Yankees to sweep today. The Red Sox should get freaking booed off of the field. What they've done as a team this weekend has been a mockery to the uniform.

From Singapore Sox Fan -

Damn it. Damn it all to hell. At least get one for pride.

From Hardball Heaven -

Sorry for the trite reference, but the fat lady is officially singing. It is 1:28 A.M. Eastern time, Monday morning, August 22, 2006, and the Red Sox are officially dead. It is over. O-v-a-h.

The Yankees just beat the Sox for the fourth time in a row, 8-5, as the Sox bullpen again imploded in late innings. The lead is now 5 1/2 games, and the Red Sox are done before Labor Day. Why oh why do we do this to ourselves?

From Fire Brand Of The American League -

Excellent team you’ve built, Theo. Long-term/short-term plan be damned - the bottom line is you’ve shown us you can craft an offense, but you can’t craft pitching. Funny, since you say games are won on pitching - try following your own advice.

From the Joy of Sox -

Another game, a new worst loss of the year -- as Tito descends to a depth of managerial idiocy that might surprise even Grady Little.

From Surviving Grady -

No more talk of payrolls. No more talk of deadline trades not made. No more talk of injuries. When you shine the cold light of reality on things it comes down to this: the people who were getting things done early in the year are no longer coming through.

From Out In Left Field -

So, are you ready for some football?

After this weekend's disaster at Fenway, with the Yankees taking four straight games at Fenway in what has easily been the worst series in memory for me, I'm starting to think Patriots and my fantasy football draft board.

All interesting stuff. But, I think FenwayNation.com says it best:

Reading all this, I think it's important for the Yankees to win Game 5 today - or, if they have to lose, just lose it clean - - don't let it be an Ortiz walk-off HR in the 9th that will perform CPR on RSN today.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:01 PM | Comments (5)

August 20th @ The Red Sox

Overheard....Boston's David Ortiz to his manager, Terry Francona, at the end of this game:

"Tito, I don't think we're in 2004 anymore."

It's late. So, I'll just close with a question. Is it just me, or, does Jonathan Papelbon's stupid game face remind you of Vincent D'Onofrio's Private Pyle towards the end of "Full Metal Jacket"?

Gosh, I hope the YES Network one day over the winter does a marathon of the last four games. Each one is better than the one before it.

I hope Lidle can top this contest later today. It just seems like it has to happen now.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:28 AM | Comments (14)

August 20, 2006

C.J. Henry A.Y. (After Yankees)

This afternoon, we took the kids to go see the Lakewood BlueClaws play.

This is the 5th minor league team we've seen this summer - having also seen the Sussex Skyhawks, Trenton Thunder, New Jersey Jackals, and Staten Island Yankees.

Lakewood is the nicest ballpark - by far. I recommend it.

In any event, it was fun to watch C.J. Henry play in person. I can see that he has some tools. Still, after seeing what Bobby Abreu has meant to the Yankees, so far, I would do that deal again in a minute.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:10 PM | Comments (5)

Tonight's Hero?

I was just looking at the Yankees hitters stats against Curt Schilling.

Damon, Cano and Posada have owned Schilling in their career. When they face Curt, it's like batting practice for them.

Whereas Jeter and A-Rod can't touch Schilling. Giambi's been all-or-nothing against Schilling: .269 OBP and a .583 SLG%.

Lastly, Abreu has done well against Schilling in his career as well. Bernie Williams has also hit Schilling well in the past - but he was younger in the past too.

The A-Rod numbers off Schilling are .179/.207/.393 (BA/OBP/SLG) in 28 ABs (with 8 K's). Jeter is just as bad: .222/.243/.306 in 36 ABs (with 11 Ks).

Does it make sense for Torre to play Green at 3B tonight - going for defense (which Mussina would love) and then bat Posada 5th and Cano 6th in the line-up? (And, give Alex the night off in the process.)

What are the odds of this happening?

It's a shame - because, based on the numbers, it's the right move. It's like sitting Tino and Boggs in the 1996 World Series. But, that was a different Torre, I guess.

I just hope that Torre does not give Giambi the night off - and then bats A-Rod clean-up. Having Jeter and A-Rod one batter apart against Schilling is like giving the Red Sox 4 innings where they know they can get two quick outs.

I also hope that Damon, Cano, Posada and Abreu do what they always do against Schilling this evening.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:52 PM | Comments (7)

August 19, 2006

August 19th @ The Red Sox

When it comes to the Yankees playing the Red Sox, there was a time where there was nothing better than beating Pedro Martinez. And, once Slippery Pete decided to move his Mango Tree to Queens, the ultimate "Beat the Sox pleasure" became taking the tar and feathers to Curt Schilling.

While Schilling will always be Blanco Primera, pounding the stuffing out of Josh "You Can Take The Boy Out Of The Trailer Park, But Not The Trailer Park Out Of The Boy" Beckett is as sweet as rock candy too. So, this game was very enjoyable.

There's just something about Beckett. I've always felt that, if Roseanne Barr - the original one, before all the plastic surgery - had a sex change, she/he would look just like Josh Beckett, and act just like Josh Beckett, today. And, that's one annoying fem-dude. I guess that's it about Beckett - the fem-dude-ness that he gives off with all the strutting, whining and the can't-grow-any-facial-hair thing.

In any event, watching the way the Yankees and the Red Sox have each conducted their business in these first three games has gotten my blood thirst up - and, now, I want the sweep.

It's just a shame that we have to wait over 24 hours (from the last out of this game) until the first pitch of Game Four.

The Yankees will have to change their game plan for this next one because Schilling will not walk people. And, Mussina will have to be on his game. But, seeing the results of the first three games makes me now feel that the next two should be fun too.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:29 PM | Comments (14)

Here's (To) Johnny!

From the Boston Globe:

Damon has played hurt and played tough. He's brought the same intangibles to New York he did to Boston by taking pressure off his teammates, including answering endless questions from the media so others don't have to.

``He's got this great ability to bring everybody together for a common goal," said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman between games of the doubleheader. ``His toughness is unbelievable. He brings an infectious life into our clubhouse. Everything we always heard he did with the Red Sox, he's doing here. We're so pleased to have him."

``I'm just so happy he's on our side," said Jason Giambi. ``Everything you've read about him is true. He's changed our clubhouse."

In terms of influencing the team and playing well at the same time, in the last quarter-century, Paul O'Neill was a great pick-up for the Yankees. So was Tino Martinez - Jimmy Key too.

And, there were others, of course.

But, at this moment, Johnny Damon is right up there with the rest of them.

When this season is said and done, and you factor in everything (such as allowing Jeter to bat second where he's a force), Johnny Damon might just be the Yankees M.V.P. this year - despite the fact that other players have better numbers.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:29 PM | Comments (2)

Ponson, Bruney, Out. Karstens, Guiel, In.

Via Peter Abraham -

The Yankees designated Sidney Ponson for assignment and optioned Brian Bruney to Columbus. OF Aaron Guiel and RHP Jeff Karstens were called up from Columbus and made 7:30 a.m. flights to Boston.

Man, I hope to see Bruney back in 10-12 days. In fact, I would rather see him in a game now than Dotel.

On the plus side, it's See-Ya Sidney time! Finally.

I like Guiel. But, would not a back-up CF and pinch-runner be more useful now? Did Bubba Crosby burn his bridge on the way out? And, what's the story with Kevin Thompson?

Maybe the Yankees are thinking about platooning Guiel and Wilson at DH when Damon is in CF and Giambi is at first base? That might not be a bad idea. But, would Torre then bench Bernie? Other than that, I'm not sure how they would use Guiel now.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:53 PM | Comments (7)

Jeter Advice: Keep It Simple & Don't Worry About Your Stats

Words of wisdom on winning from Derek Jeter, via the New York Times:

“I think that’s where people get in trouble, when they start complicating things,” Jeter said. “It’s really not that complicated. The more complicated you make it, the more difficult it is on you. You’re playing a game where you fail more than you succeed. You’ve got to try to keep it as simple as possible.”

“It’s simple if you look at it as: Try to win,” Jeter said. “That’s the bottom line. If you win, everybody benefits. It’s not like, ‘I won, I lost.’ It’s, ‘We win, we lost.’ That’s the only way I’ve thought about it.”

“I don’t know what it would be like, but I wouldn’t change,” he said. “Now don’t get me wrong, I do understand it’s a game of numbers and people are going to pay attention to your numbers, say you did this or did that. I would love to hit .400. That would be a lot better than .200. You take pride in how you play. But that shouldn’t be your main focus. Your main focus should be whether you win or lose.”

“If you constantly sit around worrying about your stats, once you get in a funk, you’ll never get out,” Jeter said. “Because all you’re worried about is yourself. If you’re worried about how we can win today, that’s your only concern.”

I have to ask this one question: Is Derek talking about himself when he says all this - or, is he talking to someone else on the team?

To me, it sounds as if he's doing a little of both.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:06 AM | Comments (4)

August 18th @ The Red Sox - Game 2

After watching this game for 4 hours and 45 minutes, I only have the strength left to say two things:

1. Boy, am I glad that the Yankees won this one. And,
2. After these two games today, the day game tomorrow, er, I mean later today, is going to be very interesting - because of lots of very tired players.

In the interim, if you want to know what happened in this game - feel free to see the "Official WasWatching.com Scorecard for the Night Game of August 18, 2006."

(Yes, I kept score this evening. It's something that I almost never do - really - in the last twenty years, I've maybe kept score of less than a half-dozen games. But, for some reason, tonight, during dinner, I thought "Maybe keeping score will prevent me from stressing on this one - with Ponson pitching?" Talk about picking the wrong game to score! Note that I had to use extra pages on this one.)

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:37 AM | Comments (2)

August 18, 2006

Staten Island Frank Is In The House

From Newsday -

Infielder Frank Menechino signed a minor-league contract and will report to Triple-A Columbus.

I'm calling it now. The Yankees will activate him after September 1st as a back-up. He'll get into a game somewhere and win it with a clutch hit or a great play in the field.

And, hey, that one win may be the difference between making the post-season or not. I like this move by Cashman. No downside - whatsoever - but could pay a bonus in a few weeks.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:21 PM | Comments (7)

August 18th @ The Red Sox - Game 1

Nothing like a four-hour, 9-inning game - when you win.

The Yankees hitters did what they should do in this game. The faced very weak pitching and put a 12-spot on the board. The Yankees one-through-five batters were outstanding today. And, Wang kept it together just long enough as to not burn the pen.

As great as this game was, to a Yankees fan, I can't help but wonder if tonight will be Boston's turn to score 12 runs when they face Ponson. I hope Torre takes Ponson out of the game the minute he allows his 4th run - no matter what the inning. It would be nice to keep the team in the game and go for the sweep.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:28 PM | Comments (1)

Predicting The Five Spot At Fenway

It always comes down to pitching. So, I will use that view in an attempt to predict what we will see from the Yankees-Bosox series over the next four days.

This afternoon:

Jason Johnson (3-11, 6.26 ERA) versus Chien-Ming Wang (13-5, 3.84 ERA)

This is a must win game for the Yankees because Johnson is starting for the Red Sox. The only thing that concerns me here is that Wang is not the same pitcher on the road - as he is in the Bronx. And, Wang has not been lights-out sharp in recent starts. Also, it always seems like the Fenway infield gives the Yankees players issues - and that's not going to work in Wang's favor. I could see this game being one of those 7-6 affairs - and I hope the Yankees come out on top.

This evening:

Jon Lester (6-2, 4.09) goes against Sidney Ponson (4-5, 5.82)

Ponson has never pitched well against Boston. But, Lester has been punched around lately. This one will be a battle of the bullpens. Whichever team does not burn out it's pen in the first game today should win this game. Since Torre always burns his pen, and the Wang start is a must win game, I expect Boston to be better prepared to take this game tonight.

On the whole, I see the teams splitting the day-night double-dip today. Yanks get the day game and the Sox get the night-cap.

Tomorrow:

Josh Beckett (13-7, 5.02) and Randy Johnson (13-9, 4.92)

You never know which Randy Johnson will show up. And, if I recall correctly, he's not a great Fenway Park pitcher. You also never know which Beckett will show up each start as well. I think this game has the potential to be another 7-6 contest. Since I think the Yankees will probably end up punting the night game today, and (hopefully!) not using their good staff from the pen, I think that Villone, Proctor and Farnsworth are going to be needed in this game. But, I think they will come through and the Yankees will win the game.

Sunday:

Curt Schilling (14-5, 3.83) versus Mike Mussina (13-5, 3.54)

Mussina always pitches well in Fenway - at least it seems. But, Schilling, even when he's going bad, always hits another gear for the Yankees - at least it seems. I expect this one to be a close game - and not as high scoring as the three before it. Since the Yankees will have to use their pen to win the day game on Friday and the game on Saturday, I can see this one going to the Red Sox, late, because Torre went to someone like Proctor or Farnsworth (or even Mo) too many times in the first three games and then he tries to get blood from a stone in this one - and gets burned. Plus, it's an ESPN game. The Yankees always lose the ESPN games - at least it seems. Boston evens the series with a win in this game.

Monday afternoon:

David Wells (2-2, 6.06 ERA) against Cory Lidle (9-9, 4.64 ERA)

This one is going to be fun. Both teams are going to want this one. Since the bullpens on both teams should be toast by this game, it's going to come down to Wells and Lidle. You know Wells wants this game. And, I believe that Lidle will be up for it as well. I can see this game coming down to which team makes the plays in the field. All I can say is: Please don't hit it to A-Rod.

I cannot get a good feel for this game at this point. So, I will play it safe and say that Boston wins this one.

In total, I expect Boston to win 3 of the 5 games in this series. And, since that will result in just a one-game move in the standings - with the Yankees leaving Boston still in first place, that won't be the worst thing that can happen to New York.

All I can say to the Yankees is: Make sure you win the two that you're supposed to win in this series. And, that starts with the first game in a couple of hours.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:00 AM | Comments (19)

August 17, 2006

The Pop-Up

Since everyone in the media seems to want to talk about this play, I'll offer an opinion. Here's the story off the AP Wire tonight:

The play that epitomized the blowout came in the five-run sixth inning, when a pair of All-Stars turned a simple pop fly into an embarrassing error.

The third baseman and shortstop were settling under the popup when they came together. The ball glanced off Rodriguez's glove and fell behind Jeter. Both players looked so disgusted that neither seemed anxious to retrieve the ball.

"I thought he had it," Jeter said. "I didn't touch the ball. When it was hit, I was calling it. I guess he didn't hear me. I thought he had it."

At first the error was charged to Rodriguez, which would have given him a league-leading 22 for the season. After official scorer Howie Karpin looked at replays, he changed the error to Jeter for impeding the catch. Miguel Tejada scored on the play and Tatis followed with a two-run homer, completing the scoring.

"It was a stupid play all around," Rodriguez said. "He called. I called. We didn't hear each other."

Torre was as disgusted as anybody.

"It was out there for everybody to see," he said. "Somebody's got to make the play."

I just finished watching the play in question via the Yankees Encore on YES - so, I can report on what I saw with my own eyes.

First off, the game was already out of hand when the play occurred. So, don't let anyone fool you by saying this was a game impacting error. In the big picture, it (the muff) meant nothing to this contest.

In the YES replays, you clearly see Jeter moving his mouth when the pop is in the air. It appears that he's saying "I got it!" a few times. In the same replays, you never see A-Rod open his mouth, at all.

Rodriguez was clearly planted under the ball. He was in perfect position to catch it. Jeter had to range to his right to get towards the ball. I would offer that Derek had to move around 10 feet, away from his position on the pitch, towards the foul line, to get to where the ball was going to land.

Jeter went behind A-Rod and their gloves bumped as they both reached up for the ball. That appeared to be the only serious contact between the two players. It seemed as if their gloves met just as the ball was going into the pocket of A-Rod's mitt - and that knocked the ball loose.

After this happened, Jeter stood behind A-Rod for about 6 seconds with a stone-cold expression on his face. The only way I can describe the look is to say it's the same type of look that a husband gets from his wife when he says "I think your hair looks fine." It's the are-you-eff'ing-kidding-me and/or are-you-that-clueless look of disapproval.

While I could not see A-Rod's expression when this happened (or, maybe I missed it?), I can say that YES had Jeter and Rodriguez on a split screen after the miscue (and the subsequent replays) and, while Jeter still had the same all-the-nerves-in-my-face-are-dead expression, Alex Rodriguez had a semi-giggle smile on his face. It appeared to be a not-knowing-what-else-to-do nervous type reaction. I think A-Rod's facial reaction could be filed under "Smile, because it rains on you everyday, anyway."

Based on what I saw during the YES replays, the distance between the two players on the pop-up, and the post-error reaction from Jeter, I do not believe that A-Rod ever called for the ball (despite his reported claim that he did). And, this was the miscommunication that led to the error.

Does this play give us a hint that perhaps Derek Jeter has a dislike for Alex Rodriguez? I doubt it. In fact, I will say that I do not think that Jeter dislikes A-Rod.

While I would suggest that Derek and Alex are not best buds these days, I have seen enough of them over the years to know that they do not strongly dislike each other. At the worst, I would say that they're now like any other two co-workers who know that it makes more sense to get along and be civil (and sometimes joke with each other) rather than to work against each other.

What I think the play tells us is that Derek Jeter dislikes sloppy baseball - no matter what the score. And, perhaps, and I stress perhaps (because I'm just guessing), Jeter's reaction was an expression of his cumulative feelings towards the way A-Rod has handled himself defensively this season.

Should teammates allow expressions like this to be seen on the field? I think that most would say "no" - that it's not something that you should see - even in Little League. Remember what happened years ago when David Wells (in Baltimore) showed that he was upset that Derek Jeter didn't make a play? This situation is no different. It was a mistake for Jeter to allow that to be seen today.

But, you know that the beauty of baseball is that sometimes you do everything perfect and it fails in the end - and sometimes you do nothing right and you get lucky with success.

Maybe this can be a time where Jeter makes a mistake and yet something good comes out of it?

Let's be clear on this point. I'm not saying that something good will come from this event. I just hoping that something good can come from this in the end.

In fact, if you asked me if you should bet money on something good happening, I would tell you to invest your funds on lotto tickets - the odds would be more in your favor.

It's probably better to give the matter another 24-hours to see which way the media and fans take it - as it can go any direction at this point.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:28 PM | Comments (8)

August 17th vs. The Orioles

At this point, it's a good idea to look at the last three series that the Yankees have played - and see how they did.

August 8th-10th, @ the White Sox:

The Yankees lost 2 of 3 games and barely won the one game. In the win, the Yankees had a 7-0 lead after 6 1/2 innings and allowed the White Sox to get within a run. And, if the White Sox' Joey Cora uses his head in the 9th inning of that game, it's a tie-game with the White Sox still batting in the 9th.

August 11th-14th, vs. the Angels:

The Yankees split the four game series. But, if not for some terrible relief pitching by the Angels' Brendan Donnelly in one game, the Yankees could have lost three of the four games to the Angels.

August 15th-17th, vs. the Orioles:

The Yankees lose 2 of the 3 games against the Orioles. In the two losses, they get killed in one game and blow many chances to win in the other. And, in the one game that they won, the O's LaTroy Hawkins helped them out.

In total, the Yankees have gone 4-6 in their last ten games - and their record could have easily been 1-9 in these ten games.

Face it, it's the make-it-or-break-it point in the Yankees schedule and New York is playing bad baseball now. And, if you think that's the bad news, get ready for this:

The Yankees now go up to Boston, to play the rested Red Sox - five times in four days.

At this point, I expect to see the Yankees be one game out of first place on the morning of August 22nd - but, tied in the loss column with the Red Sox.

That would turn the season into a 40-game contest. The Yankees better start to play better over those 40 games - or else they may miss the post-season for the first time since 1995.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:09 PM | Comments (14)

Lidle Out, Bruney In

From Newsday -

Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle was placed on the bereavement list Thursday following the death of his grandmother.

The assignment is for a minimum of three days and maximum of five.

To replace Lidle on the roster, the Yankees purchased the contract of pitcher Brian Bruney from their Columbus affiliate. Bruney was signed to a minor league contract by the Yankees after being released by Arizona July 1.

I thought that Bruney pick-up might come in handy.

If I had to guess, I would say that Lidle's grandmother was at least 74-years old. She could be as old as 94, as far as I know. Based on Lidle's age, the range of 74-94 seems to be right.

Given her age, I doubt that Lidle is so shocked over her passing that it will casue him to miss his next start in Fenway.

In a way, this helps the Yankees - an extra arm to mop up, if needed, in the first four games of the Boston set - and then Lidle comes back to make his start.

Larry Lucchino will probably demand to see the death certificate when he hears this news.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:01 PM | Comments (7)

Chien-Ming Wang's Claude Rains Act

If you saw Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Mussina, Mo Rivera, Johnny Damon, Gary Sheffield, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, or Randy Johnson walking down the street, in "normal" clothing, without wearing a cap, you would know who they were - when you saw them?

You could probably say the same thing about Robinson Cano and Bobby Abreu - and even Sal Fasano.

But, be honest, if you saw Chien-Ming Wang walking down the street, in plain clothes, without a baseball cap on his head, would you know that it's Chien-Ming Wang - for sure?

I know that I could not be sure. And, it's not a caucasian guy not being able to recognize an Asian guy thing. If I saw Hideki Matsui walking down the street in a T-shirt and jeans, I would know that it's Godzilla when I saw him.

It must be nice for Wang to be able to walk the streets, visit a Mall, see a movie, etc., and not get hassled by the public.

How many other important Yankees get to play that card?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:40 AM | Comments (6)

Best Yankees Fans Ever?

Did you know that the first year where the Yankees ever averaged 25,000+ fans a game, in attendance, was 1946? (They drew 29,422, on average, a game that season.)

Up until 1946, the Yankees only averaged around 12,000 fans per game at Yankee Stadium. As the Yankees started playing home night games in 1946, having lights sure helped getting people to the games.

But, what was going on in Yankeeland during 1952 and 1953?

The Yankees won the World Series for three years in a row (1949-1951) heading into the 1952 season. And, they added # 4 in a row in 1952. But, the Yankees averaged 21,165 fans a game in 1952.

And, in 1953, after winning four rings in a row - and while working on their 5th consecutive ring - the Yankees averaged 20,368 fans per game.

In gets worse in 1963. The Yankees won the World Series in 1961 and 1962. During that 1963 season, the Yankees had a strong team - they went on to win 104 games that season (and the pennant). Yet, during the 1963 season, the Yankees averaged 16,260 fans a game.

Where was everybody?

This season, and the two before it, the Yankees are averaging close to 50,000 fans a game (in attendance).

Does this mean that the Yankees fan base is more zealous these days - than ever before? Or, is it just a matter of New York only having two teams these days as opposed to three?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:07 AM | Comments (9)

August 16, 2006

Carlos Pena To The Red Sox

From the Boston Herald -

According to a source, the Red Sox have signed first baseman Carlos Pena, the former Northeastern star who most recently had been playing for the New York Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate. The club had no comment on the matter prior tonight’s game at Fenway Park against the Detroit Tigers.

Pena played in 105 games this season for the Columbus Clippers but exercised an option in his contract and was released, allowing him to sign with another big league team. He was hitting .260 with 19 home runs and 66 RBI. He had a .370 on-base percentage.

Though Pena would likely report first to Triple-A Pawtucket, he could conceivably fill two needs at the major league level: a left-handed bat off the bench and defense at first base.

I wonder if the Yankees feel "used" on this deal? I never thought that the Yankees could be someone's "slumpbuster." But, this whole development sort of smells to me.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:53 PM | Comments (6)

August 16th vs. The Orioles

It's because of games like these that I should keep a Gatorade bucket and a Louisville Slugger close to the T.V.

OK, trying to stay positive for those who want to see some of that.....tonight, Cory Lidle reminded me of someone. Little - as in under 6 feet - right-handed pitcher. A bit of an extra chin on an otherwise normal sized fr