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March 31, 2008

Looking For A House In The Red Light District?

Here's one for you. Via the Medfield Press:

Sure, he can mow down Yankee batters on a surgically-repaired ankle on the way to the Red Sox's first World Series win in nearly a century, but can Curt Schilling pull off a real miracle - selling a multi-million dollar home in a depressed real estate market?

The Red Sox ace and playoff hero this week put his 11,000-square-foot Medfield home, complete with pool, elegant spiral staircase, batting cage and nearly 26 acres of property, on sale with an asking price of $8 million.

Looks like ol' Schill figures there's no need to stick around Beantown now.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:08 PM | Comments (0)

That Crazy New Math

Bruce Bukiet, "NJIT's indefatigable math professor," is predicting that the Yankees will win 98 games this season. Then again, last season, he predicted that the Yanks would win 110 games.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:05 PM | Comments (0)

No Go On The Joba Show

Via Neil Best:

Joba Chamberlain found that out when he came within a midge's whisker of signing up for a weekly spot on Michael Kay's ESPN 1050 show, which recently added controversy-in-waiting Billy Wagner.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman nixed the idea. Turns out such gigs are a Yankees no-no.

"It's a policy I've had in place for a long time now," he said before Monday's mist-out. "We should speak with one voice, whether it is the manager or general manager. They can speak postgame or pregame or in their normal interview process but not have a regular schedule."

...We should speak with one voice, whether it is the manager or general manager...

Unless, of course, it's Hank's voice. Then, all bets are off.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:55 PM | Comments (0)

Getting Jiggy With Cash

Via Ken Davidoff:

The conditions were brisk but beautiful, the 2008 Yankees took their first hacks at this cathedral in the Bronx and a relaxed-looking Brian Cashman held court in the home dugout. You can't see the new Yankee Stadium from the old Yankee Stadium, yet Cashman's mind-set - at reporters' prompting - veered in that direction.

"We're hoping to rock the house for one more season before it's done," a smiling Cashman said yesterday. "Or someone's going to rock my house."

[Tom Jones with some help from Art Of Noise] Think I'd better dance now... [/TJwshfAON] To that end...

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:48 PM | Comments (0)

Pinstriped MacArthur Parking Ticket

Like the members of the team, fans get pretty excited about Opening Day as well. Those on the team talk about getting "butterflies." I can understand that - as you do feel the excitement in your stomach on Opening Day, even as a fan. (At least, I do.)

The weather today was a true wet blanket on that, again, at least for me. It's like the relief pitcher who gets the call to warm up in the pen and then is told to sit down (rather than come into the game). The players have an expression for that. The first word is "dry" and the second word starts with an "H" and rhymes with "lump."

Once those butterflies are stirred, it's hard to recapture that feeling again. I'm going to be thrilled to watch Yankees baseball tomorrow - in a game where it counts - but, it's not going to be amped up to the level of a "true" Opening Day. It's just not the same.

Plus, with so many other teams having now already enjoyed their opener, it feels like the holiday has passed and the Yankees fans were left off the party list.

If you never understood what was meant by the phrase "Someone left the cake out in the rain," well, baby, this is it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:50 PM | Comments (0)

LaTroy Hawkins Wants To Wear #21

Bryan Hoch has the story.

You know, Tony Kubek, Dick Howser, Frank Fernandez, Danny Cater, Celerino Sanchez, Chris Chambliss and Rick Cerone all wore #10 after the Scooter...and Rizzuto's number still got retired.

For the Paul O'Neill fans, I offer that this evening.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:40 PM | Comments (1)

I Just Heard The Groans Of 57,545 People

Via the Yankees site:

The final Opening Day at Yankee Stadium will have to wait. Rain postponed Monday's game with Toronto, which will be played on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET.

Betcha less than 40,000 return for the game tomorrow. That retractable dome would have come in handy today.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:33 PM | Comments (4)

Gotta Go To...Macy's?

From the Atlanta Business Chronicle:

Macy's has gathered a collection of 15 MLB stars, including Atlanta Braves pitcher Tom Glavine, and is pairing them with baseball team deals for a Father's Day promo.

While athletes are often used to tout licensed apparel, using them to endorse a specific retailer is unusual, especially with a group that includes so many likely hall of famers. A star-packed group gathered recently in Florida for a photo shoot, including Glavine, New York Mets manager Willie Randolph, Los Angeles Dodgers skipper Joe Torre, New York Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, Detroit Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson, Boston Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez, San Francisco Giants center fielder Dave Roberts, Seattle Mariners left fielder Raul Ibanez, Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent, Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips, Florida Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla, Chicago Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Dan Haren, and Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt.

The players and managers will appear on the cover of a multimillion circulation Father's Day Gift Guide that Macy's will distribute during the next few months. In addition, many of the players will appear in local print ads.

I wonder if some of his Yankees teammates will now call Mo Rivera "Zoolander" - just to give him a hard time on this one?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:28 PM | Comments (0)

Today's Game

Is it just me, or, is this weather today a total bummer?

There's no way in the world, at this point, that the game will be called. So, get ready for a sloppy mess and the possibility a few rain delays too.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:15 PM | Comments (1)

Yikes, I Never Thought Of It That Way

Via Ed Price -

The new stadium opens in a year. But the Yankees' new era begins today.

Owner George Steinbrenner has ceded control of the team to his two sons. Joe Girardi takes over as manager after Joe Torre guided the team to the playoffs 12 straight years. And there is a commitment to young players -- such as Phil Hughes, who was 9 years old the last time someone other than Torre managed a Yankees game.

Think about that for a minute. When Jim Leyritz hit that homer in the rain, Phil Hughes was almost 9 years and 4 months old.

Makes you wonder what 9-year olds out there now will be in the Yankees starting rotation in the year 2020?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:20 AM | Comments (1)

Ehrke: Are Players Better After Joining Yanks?

Don Ehrke of Dugout Central looks at the question "Does putting on a Yankee uniform still make a man a better player?

Looking at "at every significant performer (minimum 200 at bats or 60 innings pitched) who joined the Yankees from another team between 1997 and 2007," Don concludes:

Overall, 45 significant players joined the New York Yankees between 1997 and 2007, and surprisingly, 25 didn’t play as well in the Bronx as they had with their previous team.

And, who was the G.M. of the Yankees during almost all of this time period?

The biggest problem found in the study was pitching. As Don wrote:

Twenty-four pitchers joined the Yankee staff from a different club and pitched 60 innings or more. Nine pitchers improved their ERA plus while 15 declined. Among pitchers who performed better in New York the average improvement in ERA plus was 24 points, while the average decrease among those who performed worse was 56 points (excluding Chris Hammond – an extreme statistical outlier).

And, that didn't include Kei Igawa. Ouch.

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

Will RSN Move Allow Yanks To Ignore StubHub Deal?

According to The Biz of Baseball, the Red Sox have broken ranks with MLB on their agreement to use StubHub as a secondary ticket market of choice.

If MLB allows the Sox to get away with this move, will the Yankees be far behind?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:21 AM | Comments (1)

What Scouts Think Of Yankees Chances This Season

Via John Harper today -

The Yankees could well win multiple championships over the next 10 or so years, thanks largely to a pitching staff built around young guns Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy. But this year? Forget it. It's more likely their streak of 13 straight playoff seasons will come to a crashing halt.

Each of the six [major league scouts and executives who saw the Yankees multiple times this spring] polled made a point of saying they were impressed by the way the young trio performed in spring training, yet four of the six said they believe the Yankees indeed will miss the playoffs in 2008, citing the inevitable growing pains as well as questions about the rest of the pitching staff.

"I love their future," was the way one scout put it. "But if you think those young guys aren't going to take their lumps at times this season against American League lineups, you're dreaming."

Against this backdrop, then, consider some of the observations the scouts and executives raised about the Yankees as the new season begins:

They wonder if Wang's horrible ALDS has caused a confidence crisis. The sinkerballer threw a lot more sliders and changeups in spring training, trying to give hitters different looks, but his 8.02 ERA was largely the result of the same thigh-high sinkers he was throwing in that playoff series against the Indians.

They don't see how the 38-year-old Mussina can have anything more than occasional success this season with a fastball mostly clocked at 85-86 mph this spring.

They suggest the relief tandem of Kyle Farnsworth and LaTroy Hawkins won't be reliable enough to allow the Yankees to move Chamberlain from the bullpen this season.

So, some scouts and members of the media agree that the Yankees pitching this season is a potential concern.

Me, I still think the Yankees will win 92 games this season - even with the pitching concerns. Will that be enough in 2008? Well, six months from now, we'll know...

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:33 AM | Comments (1)

March 30, 2008

Roy Halladay & Worm Killer Wang @ The Bronx

The last time that Roy Halladay pitched a game against the Yankees, in the Bronx, where he got the loss, was September 21, 2004. Since 2001, Halladay has made 11 starts at the Stadium and Toronto has won 8 of those 11 games.

In his career, Chien-Ming Wang has made 5 starts against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. He's never gone less than 7 innings in any of those games - and he's never allowed more than 3 earned runs in any of those outings. The Yankees have won 3 of those 5 games - and each of the two losses were by just one run.

So, what are the odds of tomorrow's home opener being just like the one from 1998? Yeah, I doubt it too.

It will probably be more like the Yanks home opener from 1992 or from 1986.

It's interesting, there have not been a lot of Yankees home openers where the starting pitchers from both teams were really on their game. You probably have to go back to 1968 or to 1966 to find one.

Actually, since this current Yankee Stadium opened in 1973, there have been probably just two games where the Yankees starting pitcher was lights-out in the home opener: Rick Rhoden in 1988 and Catfish Hunter in 1977.

Maybe Wang can make it three guys before they shut the door on this Stadium?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:26 PM | Comments (0)

Mussina: Torre Would Close Barn Door After The Horses Got Out

Via The Globe and Mail -

"Joe [Girardi] does a little more talking to the players as the game goes along," Mussina said on Friday. "Joe [Torre] kind of sat back and let the guys make the mistakes and then gave the instructions. Joe [Girardi] may not let it go that far. He might make sure he reminds people of stuff before it ever happens.

"I know he's talked to me a lot more than Torre did," Mussina added. "It can be good or bad, you know? There are certain situations where you want to let the guy work out of it.

"But there's also time to remind guys what to do in different situations because this is a game of different situations, where you can experience something suddenly that you haven't experienced for two or three years."

...[Torre] kind of sat back and let the guys make the mistakes and then gave the instructions...

Just another feather in the cap of the theory that once Don Zimmer left New York any hope for Yankees in-game strategizing went with him.

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

Hey, Over Here!

Andrew Ratner, in the Baltimore Sun, has a nice feature today on Orioles bloggers.

It would be nice if the New York media did such a story on Yankees-bloggers someday. [Just a hint in case someone from the New York papers is reading this!]

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:49 AM | Comments (1)

Rob Neyer's Big Book Of Baseball Legends

Three years ago, in March of 2005, in the 24 hours that passed after the first report of [former Red Sox pitcher] Dick Radatz' death, there were many stories published about Radatz' match-ups with Mickey Mantle and how often Radatz whiffed Mickey. In those 24 hours, I saw the following claims published in various outlets:

54 K's in 67 attempts.
47 in 63.
44 in 66.
44 in 67.
44 in 63.
And, 12 in 16.

And, it was that last one which was true. What's the old saying about when the legend is better than the truth, print the legend? Related, so often, when it comes to baseball stories, facts are stretched, or commingled with ones from other stories, on just they are just flat-out fabricated. And, the older the story, the worse it seems to get.

If you're like me, and you're interested in knowing the truth when it comes to baseball history, rather than the fish stories, then you're going to love "Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Legends: The Truth, the Lies, and Everything Else" (which goes on sale this week on April 1st).

With this new book, Rob Neyer goes through both well-known and obscure baseball stories found in books, news reports, game broadcasts, and the like, and turns them inside out to determine the truth.

In the lyrics of an ol' Romeo Void song ("Your Life Is A Lie") there's a part that goes "You're a great silhouette. You cast a shadow. But you don't stand up to the light." And, in so many (but not all) of these baseball tall tales, Neyer finds out that they do not stand up to the light.

As a Yankees fan, I'm sure you've heard the story about how Thurman Munson, after hearing that Carlton Fisk was leading him in catcher's assists, went out and dropped a bunch of third-strikes to pad his assist total and pass Fisk. I know that I've heard it about a hundred times. Guess what? It never happened - as Rob proves in his book.

There are around 100 great stories looked at by Neyer in "Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Legends" - such as the Munson/Fisk story. Rather than spoil too many of them for you, I'll just share that they include (but are not limited to) people like Rube Waddell, Ty Cobb, George Steinbrenner, Reggie Jackson, Billy Martin, Fred Lynn, Jackie Robinson, Harvey Haddix, Bob Feller, Don Drysdale, Willie Mays, Bill Mazeroski, Honus Wagner, Hal Chase, Leo Durocher, Pete Alexander, Casey Stengel, Dizzy Dean, Yogi Berra, Bob Gibson, Dwight Gooden, Joe Morgan and some guy named Babe Ruth.

As a Yankees fan, you'll be interested in two items in this book where Ken Singleton tells a story about Ron Guidry and Willie Wilson and where Michael Kay tells a story about Derek Jeter and Joe Torre - both debunked by Neyer. It's proof that you can't believe everything that you hear during a YES broadcast. (It's O.K. Kenny - you're still a pleasure to listen too - even if you are loose with the facts some times.)

You can read "Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Legends" from the first page to the last page, or, you can just attack at it and cherry pick the stories that attract your attention first. With either approach, it's an entertaining and informing read. Along with his other two "Big Books" - "Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Blunders" and "Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Lineups" - "Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Legends: The Truth, the Lies, and Everything Else" is a must have for the serious baseball library and just a fun read for the thinking baseball history fan. I highly recommend it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)

Time Of Last Dance TBD?

Tomorrow is Opening Day for the Yankees. Currently, on the Yankees schedule, September 21st - the last regular season game scheduled for Yankee Stadium - is listed as "TBD" for the time of the game.

As I have said before, if ESPN turns this game into a 8:05 PM start, that will be a crime. Imagine if the last out of such a game is at 11:00 PM? What cermonies are you going to start then? How long could they last? It's crazy. So, what are you going to do, have the ceremonies before the game? That could be a huge distraction to a game that could be important to the standings. The whole thing is starting to smell.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:06 AM | Comments (2)

Serby Q&A With Murcer

Steve Serby has a nice Q&A posted today with Bobby Murcer - some highlights:

Q: Being in the booth with Scooter (the late Phil Rizzuto)?

A: One of the greatest times in my whole life. I became the cannoli expert of the world for Oklahoma. We had more cannolis and salamis and cheeses. ... I never gained so much weight in my life. I learned a lot from Scooter. You had to be on your toes because he was liable to throw you a curveball or a spitter at any time.

Q: You were in the booth for the George Brett pine-tar game.

A: I've never seen such a crazed man in my life. It's a good thing somebody intercepted him. He was ready to choke somebody, wasn't he? Good thing he was in shape, otherwise he might have had a stroke! I was doing the color with Frank Messer. I actually got it right, what they were doing when they were measuring with the pine tar being too far up the label.

Q: You didn't appreciate Gaylord Perry's spitball, so you sent him a gallon of lard.

A: I think I got the clubhouse kid to get it. I just asked him to get me some pure, old grease.

You'll never find a nicer guy than Bobby Murcer.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:59 AM | Comments (0)

Hawkins Is A Good Teammate

Via George King -

When the Yankees signed La Troy Hawkins as a free agent, they heard he was a wonderful presence in the clubhouse. Friday night he proved it.

Seeing that Scott Patterson was upset about being sent out, Hawkins headed for Patterson's locker. Hawkins knew Patterson was almost perfect in eight games (one hit, no runs in 71/3 innings) and figured he needed some encouragement.

"I told him to go to his room and have some drinks and charge it to my room, 901," Hawkins said.

Patterson didn't run up Hawkins' room service bill but appreciated the support.

"That was awesome, I probably needed that at that point," said Patterson, who will open the season at Scranton-Wilkes Barre.

Hawkins also gave Patterson advice he received from Kirby Puckett, Rick Aguilera and Kevin Tapani when he was with the Twins.

"I told him I have been there before and they know what you can do," Hawkins said. "He isn't that far away. They put him in every situation they could and he came out smelling like a rose. He got big-league hitters out. It was OK to be upset."

Love to see this stuff. Great move by La Troy.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:41 AM | Comments (0)

Abraham Q&A With Cashman

In case you're one of the few to miss it, you should check out Peter Abraham's fan Q&A with Brian Cashman. I loved what Cash said about Brett Gardner.

For the record, I sent Pete a question as a suggestion. It was not used. Here's the question from me:

Brian, last season you elected to feature two question-marks in the starting rotation, Pavano and Igawa, and it backfired. Luckily, you were able to go out on the market to pick up Roger Clemens as a band-aid last year - albeit an expensive one. This season, you've elected to feature two question-marks in the rotation again, Hughes and Kennedy, along with a quasi-question mark in Mussina. If some of these question-marks in the rotation fail this season, what's your contingency plan for this year - without having a Clemens type out there to fall back on?

Shame, I really would have liked to have heard what Brian's plan was for this season on this matter.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:25 AM | Comments (4)

March 29, 2008

And, That's A Wrap On Spring Training...

With their win tonight, the Yankees go 14-12-2 for the spring. Considering that, coming into tonight's contest, New York had lost 5 of their last 6 games, 14-12-2 is pretty good.

An interesting game by Phil Hughes tonight.

The great news: He threw 64% of his pitches for strikes, used only 3.45 pitches per batter, and retired 75% of the batters that he faced. Plus, his fastball was clocked at 94 to 95 MPH in the fifth inning. If he does all that every time out, he'll be a 20-game winner.

The only concerning news: 73% of Hughes' non-strikeout outs came on fly balls - on a night playing in a big ballpark with wind at 11 MPH coming in from center. Ideally, you want to see Phil keep the ball on the ground more. (Paul Hoover gave one shot off Hughes a pretty good ride in the fourth. Had that one been a little deeper, it changes the look to Phil's outing tonight.) But, at the end of the day, it all worked out for Hughes this evening in terms of the bottom line.

So, now, we wait until Monday afternoon...it's going to seem like forever.

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

Phil Hughes = Not An Innings Eater In '08

Last night, I made the following comment at this blog:

Heck, you may never see Mussina or Hughes go late into a game this year.

And, already, I'm catching some heat from the "Friends of Hughes" throng for that statement. So, I thought I would add this to show why I made that statement.

Last season, Hughes made 13 big league starts. In 6 of those 13 starts, he did not pitch 6 innings. And, in fact, in only one of those 13 starts did he pitch 7 innings.

Based on Phil Hughes' P/BF mark of 4.04 last season, and the fact that the Yankees will probably keep him to about 100 pitches per start this season, you can only expect Hughes to face around 24 batters per game this year. So, for Hughes to pitch 7 innings in a game this season, with that P/BF rate of 4.04, he's going to have to pitch a three-hitter with no walks allowed, each time out. And, that's not going to happen.

You see, when I say "go late into a game" I mean pitch 7 innings in the contest.

Andy Pettitte had 7+ innings in a start last year 17 times. Chien-Ming Wang did it 14 times in 2007. It can be done.

I just don't see Hughes pitching 7 innings or more (in a start) too many times in 2008. If he does it more than seven times all season, I'll be shocked.

If you think Phil Hughes will pitch 7+ innings in a start, and meet my definition of "go late into a game," more times than not this season, then that's great for you. Me? I've yet to see anything to suggest that's a reasonable expectation to have for this season.

Sure, maybe Hughes can improve on his 4.04 P/BF rate this season? Maybe that will allow him to go deeper in games? But, we have not seen that this spring. So, again, I stand by my prediction: You may never see Hughes go late into a game this year.

O.K. never is a strong word. Make that "hardly ever." Yeah, that's better. "You may hardly ever see Hughes go late into a game this year."

Let's all promise to look back at this come October, OK?

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

Wild, Wild, East?

Ken Davidoff is predicting the Yankees to finish in third this season - behind Boston and Toronto.

Bob Nightengale and Mel Antonen of USA Today both also have the Yankees finishing in third this season - with the Blue Jays finishing in first followed by the Red Sox.

You don't see too many predicting the Yankees to finish in third place this season.

What do you think? What are the odds that the Yankees finish third in 2008?

Me? I suppose that it's possible. But, for me, it would mean that both Toronto and Boston have more than 92 wins this season. I think Boston should be right around 92 wins. But, Toronto? Well, I could see them winning about 87-88 games. So, with some luck, they could push that to close to 92 wins.

And, as crazy as this sounds, I saw a projection somewhere (I forget where) that had the Rays getting close to 90 wins this season. When you factor in that the Red Sox, Yanks, Jays and Rays all play each other 19 times this season, each, well, it could just be a Wild, Wild, East in the A.L. this season.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:49 AM | Comments (5)

Thank You Colorado

Gerry Fraley looks at the chain of events that led General Joe to the Bronx:

After another consuming spring training day in the crucible that is managing the New York Yankees, Joe Girardi pondered a what-if question.

What if the Rockies had not selected Girardi in the 1992 expansion draft?

"Without Colorado," Girardi said, "I'm probably not sitting here."

Without Colorado's foresight, Girardi would have sunk deeper into the role of backup catcher with the Chicago Cubs.

Without Colorado's opportunity, Girardi would not have made himself into an attractive player during three seasons as the Rockies' starter.

Without Colorado's payroll squeeze, Girardi would not have been traded to the Yankees after the 1995 season.

The deal started a relationship that will enter a new chapter Monday, when Girardi is scheduled to make his regular-season debut as manager in the final Opening Day at Yankee Stadium.

For a moment, Girardi might flash back to the Rockies' first home opener, when a crowd of 80,227 at Mile High Stadium saw him catch Bryn Smith in an 11-4 win against Montreal.

"I've been fortunate everywhere I played," Girardi said. "But Colorado was a special experience."

"We knew there were so many positives that Joe could contribute to a first-year club," said Arizona vice president Bob Gebhard, who was the Rockies' first general manager. "He was not only a good defensive catcher. He was smart, a leader, a very respectable young man. He was the right type of guy for us."

At the same time, Girardi grew in stature. His ability to work with and protect a pitching staff, which the Cubs had discounted, caught everyone's attention.

"Joe was the leader," said Yankees bullpen coach Mike Harkey, a Girardi teammate with the Cubs (1990-92) and the Rockies (1994). "He was the most prepared guy I'd ever been around. It wasn't going to work with him. You learned."

The run ended after the 1995 season, when the Rockies sent Girardi to the Yankees for right-hander Mike DeJean and a minor league pitcher. The trade was surprising because Girardi had played such a vital internal role on a club that reached the playoffs as a wild card.

Girardi, who had a prominent role with the Major League Baseball Players Association, had a run-in with Rockies management during the 1994-95 strike regarding its efforts to use minor leaguers in spring training replacement games. Girardi does not believe his stance caused the trade.

"I believe things happen for a reason," Girardi said. "You're always sad when you leave a team, because you've developed relationships with the guys there. But it works out."

Gebhard said payroll concerns influenced the decision. The Rockies had re-signed shortstop Walt Weiss and were pursuing free-agent second baseman Craig Biggio. They could not afford to keep Girardi.

"I did not want to lose Joe, and Don did not want to lose Joe," Gebhard said. "He was vital to our success. But it was a dollars-and-cents decision."

A great story of one door closing and another one opening.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:27 AM | Comments (0)

March 28, 2008

Yanks Pen Will Be Tested Early

At this moment, the weather forecast for the Yankees home opener is as follows: Cloudy and breezy with a chance of rain - High: 47 °F RealFeel®: 38 °F. Just a chance of rain is pretty good. Not as good as "sunny" - but, better than a high chance of rain. The current forecast for later that same day is: Periods of rain in the evening; otherwise, cloudy - Low: 45 °F RealFeel®: 36 °F.

Let's hope that rain on Monday night does not show up early and bring cause for the Yankees to push the opener to Tuesday. Granted, it's supposed to be in the 60's on Tuesday with sun. But, if the Yankees play on Tuesday, and not Monday, then it means they will open their season with 20 games in 20 days. (Sure, it may not seem that much different than 20 games in 21 days - but, every bit helps.)

In any event, given that it's the start of the season, I don't think you'll see many Yankees starting pitchers going deep into games over the first two weeks or so. (Heck, you may never see Mussina or Hughes go late into a game this year.) So, the Yanks' bullpen will be called upon - and often - during the first 20 games of the season. Let's hope they're up for the task right out of the chute.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:40 PM | Comments (4)

2008 Opening Day Roster

According to Peter Abraham, the Yankees have now cut down to 25 players on their active big league roster.

The pitchers:

Jonathan Albaladejo
Brian Bruney
Joba Chamberlain
Kyle Farnsworth
LaTroy Hawkins
Phil Hughes
Ian Kennedy
Mike Mussina
Ross Ohlendorf
Mariano Rivera
Billy Traber
Chien-Ming Wang

The position players:

Bobby Abreu
Wilson Betemit
Melky Cabrera
Robinson Cano
Johnny Damon
Shelley Duncan
Morgan Ensberg
Jason Giambi
Derek Jeter
Hideki Matsui
Jose Molina
Jorge Posada
Alex Rodriguez

When Andy Pettitte comes off the D.L. next weekend, either Albaladejo, Bruney or Ohlendorf will come off the roster. My money is on Albaladejo.

The Yankees are covered when it comes to having nine sticks to put in the line-up.

It will be interesting to see how Girardi handles the infield if something happens to Jeter and Cano in the same game. Granted, the odds are against something happening to both in the same contest - but, it's not impossible. Either Betemit plays SS and Ensberg will be pressed into duty at second, or, Betemit plays second, A-Rod moves over to short, and Ensberg plays third. So, there's some coverage there - albeit just unconventional.

It will also be interesting to see what happens with Posada and Giambi if they're on base late in a close game. Do you pinch run for them? If so, do you use Betemit? For Giambi, probably - sure - as Betemit can then play first and you don't lose him. But, if you run Betemit for Posada and then Molina comes in to catch, you're without that true back-up middle infielder for the rest of the game. So, look for Duncan or Ensberg to run for Posada in those spots.

On the whole, the Yankees took most of the players that one would expect. Albaladejo, Bruney and Ohlendorf will need to pitch well, from day one, and keep it up, to stick around - after we know which of the two survive Pettitte's return. In any event, the bullpen does not look terrible.

The big trick is the starting rotation - as, for the most part, they did not have the greatest spring training in history (as a group). It's old news, but, as the starters go, so will this team.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:03 PM | Comments (10)

What's The Best Way To Peel Baseball?

Ken Rosenthal threw down an interesting glove in his column today predicting who will win it all in 2008. Here is what he said:

Bloggers, it's your lucky day.

Not that you ever need prompting to rip apart the latest ill-informed splattering from the mainstream media, but here's an invitation on a gold-engraved, all-but-autographed platter:

Embarrassing as it is to admit, my annual column predicting which team will win the World Series often defies sabermetric orthodoxy, not to mention conventional logic. Sort of like baseball itself.

Statistical analysis is an invaluable tool; that discussion is over. But we've gotten to the point where everyone from the casual fantasy player to the shrewdest GM wants to know the end of the story before Chapter One is written.

Mercifully, that's not how the game works.

Phil Allard, for one, is already on Rosenthal for this statement.

It's an interesting debate. When it comes to making declarations like these, do you go with your head or your heart? Or, do you combine the two and use the "Part Art, Part Science" approach?

I have to confess, for me, it's the combination thing. But, it's not a 50-50 deal. Actually, most times, I'll go with my feelings and then see if the numbers back it up.

Truly, there were many things that I intended on publishing here, at one time or another - but, once I looked at the numbers behind what I felt, and realized that I was wrong, I ditched them.

Sure, that makes it sound like I live and die by the stats. But, it's not true. I don't let the stats drive me towards my thoughts - I only use them to prove them out (after my gut gets me there).

Well, at least, that's most times. There are still some things out there where I cannot turn my back on what my sixth-sense tells me. So, I somewhat understand Rosenthal here in that, at times, you have to let the force be your guide...

Speaking of space, there's a line from the very first episode of Star Trek Deep Space Nine entitled "Emissary" where the character Benjamin Sisko uses the game of baseball to explain the concept of linear time and essentially how humans experience life:

"The rules aren't important. . . .what's important is - it's linear. Every time I throw this ball a hundred different things can happen in a game. . . . He might swing and miss, he might hit it. . . .The point is you never know. . . . You try to anticipate, set a strategy for all the possibilities as best you can. . . . but in the end it come down to throwing one pitch after another. . . . and seeing what happens. With each new consequence, the game begins to take shape. . . ."

It's that "you never know" thing that made me fall in love with baseball. And, since "you never know," why not follow your gut once in a while instead of letting the math dictate your moves?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:24 PM | Comments (2)

To PSL Or Not To PSL At New Stadium?

Via Crains -

Tribune Co. is considering personal seat licenses at Wrigley Field as part of a plan to sell the ballpark to the Illinois Sports Facility Authority, Alderman Tom Tunney (44th) said in an interview Friday.

But Cubs management denied that seat licenses were on the table.

Personal seat licenses, or PSLs, are typically one-time fees for the right to buy season tickets, on top of the annual charge for the tickets themselves. PSLs are common among National Football League franchises, including the Chicago Bears, which implemented PSLs to help fund a $606-million revamping of Soldier Field earlier this decade. The Bears’ PSLs currently range from $2,400 to $10,000 per seat.

PSLs are rare for the 30 teams in Major League Baseball, though the New York Yankees recently added them for a new stadium expected to open in 2009.

The Yankees are going PSL? That's not what I last heard. So, I looked now and found this at The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel:

However, the use of PSL's is somewhat controversial, since long-time season ticket holders may resent having to pay an additional one-time "user fee" to have the right to renew their seats. Also, government officials may not react favorably where a team owner seeks to introduce PSL's at a new facility that has also received substantial public funding. These are two key reasons why neither the New York Mets nor Yankees plan to require the purchase of PSL's for their new stadia, even though it is conservatively estimated that by doing so each team could raise more than the Cardinals' $40 million.

Well, for whatever the reason, and to whomever deserves the credit, here's a big THANK YOU for making sure the Yankees don't go the PSL route.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:31 PM | Comments (2)

New Feature On YES Network Site

The YES Network has a fun little feature up now with some historical Yankees stats. Click here to see it.

At least I think it's new. Happy clicking!

Posted by WW Staff at 12:48 PM | Comments (2)

THT: Five Questions: New York Yankees

Click here to check out SG's Five Questions: New York Yankees feature at The Hardball Times. It's extremely well done and recommended reading. Here's his summary:

The Yankees project to have the top offense in baseball again in 2008, even with the expected declines by Rodriguez and Posada. I've got them projected to score around 930 runs this season.

Their defense won't be particularly great with Jeter and Giambi out there, but Damon replacing Matsui should help a bit. I figure them to be about 15 runs below average defensively in total.

On the pitching side, Pettitte and Wang should be good for 400 innings of 4.00-4.25 ERA, so the Yankees will sink or swim on the backs of their young pitching. If they get an overall average performance out of them and an average performance out of the bullpen, they are probably a 95-win team. If they get a 5.00 ERA out of the non-Wang/Pettitte part of the pitching staff, they would be closer to an 88-win team.

This all makes sense, if you ask me.

Posted by WW Staff at 12:22 PM | Comments (5)

No, I'm Not Ignoring You [Update]

I'm now in Day 4 of my situation, FYI - and, I'm still trying to fix it. Just wanted to share this so you know why I've been quiet. Hopefully, I'll have an answer soon.

PS - if anyone has some experience in converting from Movable Type to WordPress and is willing to share on that, please drop me an e-mail.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:19 PM | Comments (0)

Steinbrothers: Yanks Not For Sale

Via Mark Feinsand:

Despite rumors to the contrary, Hal Steinbrenner reiterated his stance that he and his brother, Hank, won't be looking to sell the Yankees any time soon.

"That's the plan," Hal Steinbrenner said. "There are no plans to sell, though I know there's been speculation. This has been in our family a long time - longer than we've been in Tampa, even. That's not going to change."

This reminds me of a scene from "Heaven Can Wait" -

Former owner: He got my team. The son of a bitch got my team.

Advisor to former owner: What kind of pressure did he use, Milt?

Former owner: All I asked was sixty-seven million, and he said "O.K."

Advisor to former owner: Ruthless bastard.

Let's hope someone like Donald Trump doesn't make the Steinbrothers an offer that they can't refuse.

Posted by WW Staff at 10:18 AM | Comments (5)

March 27, 2008

2008 Yankees Win Total Prediction

Always best to make a prediction before the season starts, right? O.K., here goes...

I've looked at many of the various "scientific" projection models performed to date for this season. And, I've done some 'back of the envelope' calculations on my own. Between what I've seen and how I feel...

[insert drum roll]

I'm predicting that the Yankees will win 92 games this season.

Of course, they could win a few more than that - if some things break their way. But, even if things are just close to "normal" for them, in terms of reasonable expectations, they should win at least 92 games (in 2008).

Now, I expect 37% of those wins to be credited to the pitching records of Andy Pettitte and Worm Killer Wang. So, if something should happen to one or both of them, well, then all bets are off.

If one of the two goes down for half the season, then the Yankees only win about 87 games this season. (If they both miss about 7 starts each, then the team probably wins about 87 games this season too.)

If one of the two goes down for most of the season, then the Yankees only win about 83 to 85 games this season. (And, if they both miss half of the season, then the team wins about 83 to 85 games too.)

If both Pettitte and Wang miss most of the season, then it gets real ugly in Yankeeland. In that case, I could see the team struggling to finish at .500 in 2008.

But, for now, I'm assuming that Pettitte and Wang can make 60 starts combined and the Yankees (as a team) will win around 92 games this season.

Will 92 wins be enough to get into the post-season? Man, that's a close call. There are probably a half-dozen teams in the A.L. this season capable of winning 90 games (including New York). And, 92 is so close to 90...

I feel pretty comfortable predicting the Yankees to win 92 games in 2008. But, I don't feel comfortable at all predicting them to reach the post-season this year - because 92 wins just may not be enough.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:01 PM | Comments (6)

Lucchino: Sox Got Bill James To Offset Yanks 'Intense Scrutiny Of Statistics'

Via CBS News:

"[Bill James'] reputation had preceded him," says Larry Lucchino, a partner in the Red Sox. "So we knew we were getting a guy who was unusual and I thought it was a giant step forward," he says. His partner in the Sox, Tom Werner, believes James' brand of analysis is crucial now. "The truth is, Morley, this is a very sophisticated business these days….When Larry and I first came into the business, the general manager relied fairly much on gut instincts…we’ve taken a much more systematic approach, which really comes from Bill," he tells Safer.

But everybody's getting into this act, says Lucchino, especially the New York Yankees, known in Boston as the "Evil Empire." "[The Yankees] are [utilizing an intense scrutiny of statistics] but there are several teams in baseball that are doing it," Lucchino says. "But the Yankees always tend to spend a little more money at whatever it is they’re doing. So, we're concerned about our competition," he tells Safer.

You hear that Michael Fishman? Red Sox Nation is afraid of you!

Posted by WW Staff at 05:26 PM | Comments (0)

Survey Says! [Ding!]

The WasWatching.com Reader Survey 2008 is now closed.

Are you a guy, Yankees fan, between the ages of 26 to 30, living in the tri-state area, who has been reading this blog more than once a day for the last 2 to 3 years?

Then, you are not alone. What follows below are the percentage breakdowns for the answers to some of the questions in our survey. The answers in bold are the majority percentages.

How long have you been reading WasWatching.com?

Less than one month = 4.1%
More than one month but less than six months = 6.2%
More than six months but less than one year = 11.0%
For the past year = 13.1%
More than a year but less than 2 years = 26.2%
More than two years but less than 3 years = 31.0%
Since April 2005 = 8.3%

On a monthly basis, how often do you read WasWatching.com?

More than once per day = 63.4%
Just once a day = 22.1%
A few times per week = 12.4%
Just once a week = 0.7%
A few times per month = 0.7%
Just once a month = 0.0%
Less than once a month = 0.7%

What best describes where you are located?

NY/NJ/CT Tri-State Area = 49.0%
Northeast US = 19.3%
Southeast US = 12.4%
US West Coast = 5.5%
United States = 9.0%
Outside the United States = 4.8%

What's your gender?

Male = 89.7%
Female = 10.3%

What's your age group?

Younger than 18 years old = 3.4%
18 to 21 years old = 8.3%
22 to 25 years old = 16.6%
26 to 30 years old = 20.0%
31 to 35 years old = 15.9%
36 to 40 years old = 11.0%
41 to 45 years old = 8.3%
46 to 50 years old = 6.9%
Over 50 years old = 9.7%

Which is your favorite baseball team?

Yankees = 98.6%
Mets = 0.0%
Red Sox = 1.4%
Other = 0.0%

Yes, there were more questions on the survey than these. And, I'll share some of that data soon. In the interim, I thought that some of you may be interested in the "Who are you?" [I really want to know!] survey results.

And, thanks to all of you who took the survey!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:22 PM | Comments (0)

YankeeZzzzzzzzz Baseball?

The Yankees had 5 hits in their exhibition game today. And, yesterday, they only had 4 hits in their game. Both contests were losses.

In fact, the Yankees have now lost 4 of their last 5 spring training games.

Whatever happened to turning up the intensity a notch during the last week of spring training?

Posted by WW Staff at 04:02 PM | Comments (0)

BA's Callis: Yanks Funding Other Team's Farms

Baseball America Executive Editor Jim Callis just made Hank Stein's day.

Via Forbes.com:

While seven-figure bonuses have become the norm for top baseball picks, the league has actually done a pretty good job of taming the inflation that was so rampant in the 1990s, according to Baseball America Executive Editor Jim Callis.

During that decade, bonuses increased by double-digit percentages in every year but one, including three jumps of 40% or more.

The catalyst was infamous Yankee prospect Brien Taylor, who shattered the bonus record after he signed for $1.55 million as the top pick out of high school in 1991. Taylor eventually flopped, never making it to Yankee Stadium. By the end of the decade, owners had figured out a way to curtail the upward spiral of signing bonuses.

In 2000, the commissioner's office recommended a slotting system for the owners to follow, which set limits on the bonus of a top-five pick. While you'd think the players union would be up in arms about such price fixing, it isn't.

Why?

An agent who thinks a certain player can get more than a slotted amount for a high draft pick simply makes it known his client won't sign with a team poised to take him in the top five. The result: The player slips down to a large-market team that's willing to meet his demands.

"It plays right into the hand[s] of the big market teams," Callis says, adding that's how the Yankees were able to draft top pitching prospects Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy.

So maybe it's no surprise that many of the top picks fizzle; they're chosen as much for economics as they are for ability.

Not that small-market teams mind such an arrangement--not when it comes complete with a generous revenue-sharing arrangement. With the draft costing the league's 30 teams some $150 million annually, the likes of Pittsburgh and Milwaukee are happy to make the trade-off.

"Most teams don't have a problem with the Yankees and Red Sox going over the slots," Callis says. "Those two teams effectively pay for their draft."

Posted by WW Staff at 01:05 PM | Comments (0)

TSN's Pinto: Rays Pitching Better Than Yanks Staff

The Sporting News' David Pinto just did not make Hank Stein's day.

Via TSN:

With the American League East pitching rotations coming into focus, the division looks to produce four competitive starting staffs. The Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays have a mix of outstanding veterans and talented young pitchers.

Which starting rotation is best? The projections might be surprising.

The wide range of possibilities for each team shows the difficulty in choosing the best rotation. Most teams will experience a mix of good and bad performances and probably end up near their mid point.

Tampa Bay, however, stands a good chance of becoming the class of the AL East. The Rays show strength in eqERA and innings pitched at every level. With only three-tenths of a run separating the top from the bottom, these four teams should produce great pitching matchups as they face each other 108 times during the 2008 season.

Posted by WW Staff at 12:58 PM | Comments (3)

SNY's Boorstein: Picking A 'Pen

Tom Boorstein of SNY.tv takes a look at the Yankees bullpen and thinks there are people there who can contribute this season. Let's hope he's right.

Posted by WW Staff at 12:28 PM | Comments (0)

Godzilla Gets Hitched

Via Ed Price -

Hideki Matsui has just released a statement revealing he was married yesterday in New York (the team had given him the day off).

Big news in Japan. He will hold a news conference at 10:40 a.m.

"The bride is a 25-year-old civilian and had been formerly working in a reputable position at a highly respected company," the statement said.

Matsui met his wife (whose name he declines to reveal) in the 2006-07 offseason and had been planning the wedding about six months -- successfully keeping it from getting public.

Matsui always seemed like a cool dude. I'm happy for him and his new bride.

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

It's A MAD World For Some Yankees Alumni

Thanks to Austin Trunick of Warner Brothers Entertainment Group for sharing a preview of the cover for MAD Magazine #489 (which goes on sale next month).

Click on the thumbnail below to enlarge the image:

Back in the early 1970's, I used to read MAD Magazine all the time. (That probably explains a lot.) Seeing this funny cover brought back a lot of cool memories. Thanks Austin.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:14 PM | Comments (1)

SABR Minor Leagues Database

I am having too much fun with the SABR Minor Leagues Database. (Hat tip to Dave Studeman.)

Did you know that Babe Ruth and Freddy Parent were teammates on the 1914 International League Baltimore Orioles? Go figure.

Awesome job by SABR to put this together and make it available to the public. They even included Indy Leagues as well. Man, two thumbs up for you SABR.

Posted by WW Staff at 10:27 AM | Comments (1)

Will Yankees Lack Of Defense Hurt Them This Season?

There were a couple of plays in the Yankees exhibition game yesterday against the Phillies where Worm Killer Wang could have been helped out by his fielders – but, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano muffed the plays and it turned out to cost Wang some runs.

Thinking about this led me to consider the Yankees defense this season, as a whole, and question whether or not they will be able to help a starting rotation filled guys who, for the most part, pitch to contact (as opposed to being high strikeout pitchers).

The Yankees infield, this season, defensively, does bring some cause for concern.

Jorge Posada has never been a great pitch-blocker. And, sometimes his mitt turns to stone and balls that should be caught go “Clang!” But, he’s not the worst of this infield unit. Alex Rodriguez, at third, has never been good with pop-ups, balls hit down the third base line, or on charging bunts/slow-rollers. Yet, the big concern for me, this year, on A-Rod is that he has shown signs (during spring training) of having his throwing woes (from 2006) return. If this happens, it will not be good news for Yankees pitchers. We all know about Derek Jeter at short – and his lack of range. Everyone, including Joe Girardi, agrees about Derek’s lack of range going to his left. The funny thing is that few realize that he has issues going to his right as well. Many see that Jeter “jump-pass” throw from the hole as a sign of skill. Actually, all it means is that he’s not able to get into the hole, field the ball, and plant his feet for a throw like most big league shortstops. Second base, and Robinson Cano, is vexing for me. Cano has a great arm and the quickest hands possible in the field. Robinson’s biggest problem in the field is when he falls into these lapses (for lack of a better word) where he just allows his glove-work slip. And, do we even need to discuss Jason Giambi, at first base, with the mitt?

The Yankees outfield, this season, defensively, is not as concerning as their infield – but, it does have its warts.

I’m assuming that Johnny Damon will get most of the time in left field – since Giambi playing first will allow Matsui to DH. Damon has great range for a left fielder. That’s a plus. And, in left, his wet-noodle arm is not as much of a liability as it was in center. Melky Cabrera is a tough call in center. Many have stats that say he’s not great in terms of range. And, yes, he does take some awkward routes on balls. Yet, while I think Melky is better suited for right field – where he would be a Gold Glover – I don’t think Cabrera will kill the Yankees in centerfield this year. Plus, Melky’s arm out of center is a true weapon. The real weak spot in the Yankees outfield is Bobby Abreu in right field. I laugh whenever I hear someone refer to him as being average to above-average out there. On August 27, 2007, I wrote: “Bobby Abreu plays the outfield like a pregnant camel trying to walk across a frozen lake.” And, I still stand by that – as it is true.

In summary, I can see Abreu, Jeter, and Giambi being defensive liabilities this season – because of them not reaching balls that other fielders would turn into outs. And, I could see a few situations this year where A-Rod, Cano and Posada have misplays that cost the Yankees pitchers some runs.

Of course, the trick with all of this is: Will it matter – as the bats of Abreu, Jeter, A-Rod, Cano, Posada and (possibly) Giambi will make up for whatever runs their fielding allows? During most games, in the regular season, this is probably the case. But, in games where the Yankees face good pitching, it might not always be the case.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:06 AM | Comments (4)

Igawa Can Pitch His Way On To Team Today

Via Mark Feinsand -

Kei Igawa will start Thursday against the Pirates, making his final pitch for the long-relief spot in the bullpen. Although Jeff Karstens and Darrell Rasner were considered the two top candidates, Igawa has moved into the race, with one Yankees official saying he would be considered the front-runner with a strong effort today.

Is someone in the Yankees front office reading WasWatching.com?

Posted by WW Staff at 09:16 AM | Comments (1)

March 26, 2008

One Way For Season Ticket Holder Relo Plans To Work

Friend of WasWatching.com Sean McNally shared with me today that he's had a half-season package for the Washington Nationals for three years and recently went through their relocation/allocation process.

The Nats started by taking a $150 deposit mid-last-season from all current holders and new customers. Then, those folks were given a 25 (or so) question survey about seating preferences (aisle, section, etc.).

Later, in early December 2007, Sean was assigned his seats. The relo-seats were assigned in decending order - longest term holders down to new customers. Those groups were then divided by type of package: full, half then partial.

According to Sean, his new seats are a little higher up (in the upper deck behind homeplate) than he requested - but, they're roughly the same spot. The new seats are $16 a piece, up from last year's cost of $14 each. All told, Sean said it was a relatively painless process to be relocated in the Nats' new park.

I have to confess, as much as I am a died in the wool Yankees fan, there's a part of me that is jealous of fans who are connected to teams like the Nationals, A's, Twins, etc., who are getting new parks and not being hassled in terms of getting good, affordable, seats (and the like).

There's no way, at all, with respect to the new Yankee Stadium relo-plans (TBA), that Yankees season ticket holders will only see a 14% increase in their ticket prices, and will also sit just about where they request, like the deal Sean got with the Nats.

I just don't see it happening at all.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:51 PM | Comments (1)

Hank Stein: Discount Canseco & A-Rod Is "Just Friggin’ Great"

Pete Caldera has the scoop -

Yanks GM Hank Steinbrenner urges fans to "consider the source" of steroid allegations against A-Rod. In his spirited defense of A-Rod on Wednesday, Steinbrenner told The Record: “Consider the source, that’s number one,” Steinbrenner said of Canseco. “He wouldn’t have been able to hit the ball out of the infield without steroids.”

“There are certain naturals. There are guys who can just do it, and Alex is one of those guys,” Steinbrenner said, during the interview in Clearwater, Fla. “He’s just friggin’ great.”

He’s just friggin’ great.

You know, Jason Varitek wears a "C" on his jersey because the team wanted him to don it, as their captain. Maybe Hank should get A-Rod to wear a "JFG" for “Just Friggin’ Great” on his jersey now?

Yes, I'm joking. But, “He’s just friggin’ great,” is an automatic classic. Thanks Hank.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:40 PM | Comments (2)

Silent Steve

I'm still having issues with respect to being able to make comments.

And, I'm still trying to correct the matter. This evening, in the interim, I found a work-around that allowed me to leave some comments. The trick was to remove the registration requirement for leaving comments to the blog. The problem with this is that, when I make this change, I have to "rebuild" every page of this site - and that takes around 10 to 15 minutes to run. And, once the requirement is lifted, then the spam programs start running through the entries like wildfire...leaving spam all over the place (which I then have to go and clean-up, one by one). Further, to prevent the spam comments from becoming a monster number, I have to restore the registration requirement when I'm done commenting - and then "rebuild" the entire blog again...which again takes 10 to 15 minutes.

That's too much work and time just to be able to leave some comments. So, I've decided to stop with the work-around and I will not be leaving comments to entries until I can do it the "normal" way. Therefore, if you make a comment and you are expecting me to answer a question, or defend a statement, etc., and you see nothing from me...it's not because I don't want to address you - it's because making comments, for me, now, is like jumping through hoops. Lots of hoops.

Hopefully, I can get this fixed soon. Until then, I'm on radio silence outside of the actual entries that I post here.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:22 PM | Comments (0)

It Happens Every February?

I just came across this oldie but goodie from Buster Olney - from back in February of 2000. The feature discusses some young Yankees pitchers heading into that Spring Training. Some highlights:

With the Yankees' pitchers and catchers beginning workouts in four days in Tampa, Fla., the pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre and General Manager Brian Cashman reviewed their list of spring training goals yesterday for each of the pitchers in camp. They had a long list of young pitchers to discuss.

Cashman and other Yankees officials are trying to stock the organization with new and talented pitchers, to fill needs and for trades.

Cashman dealt for Ed Yarnall last spring, and this year, Yarnall will open camp as the front-runner to be the No. 5 starter.

Compared with most organizations, the Yankees have a wealth of up-and-coming pitching talent.

As training camp begins, virtually all of the spots on the Yankees' major league pitching staff will be accounted for. But if an injury or two occurs, then the right-hander Ben Ford, 24, may be the first called up. Ford is 6 feet 7 inches and throws hard, and he had a decent season last year, going 6-3 with a 4.73 earned run average, permitting 69 hits and walking 39 in 701/3 innings. ''He could develop quickly,'' Cashman said.

This season will be important for the Yankee prospect Ryan Bradley. A high draft pick in 1997, Bradley, 24, blew through the minors in 1998, advancing from Class A Tampa all the way to the majors, and it seemed as if he might progress to the big leagues for good last year.

But Bradley's control suffered in spring training and never really improved during the regular season, and his confidence suffered; he went 5-12 with a 6.21 e.r.a. for Class AAA Columbus, surrendering 163 hits, 73 walks and 23 wild pitches in 145 innings.

The Yankees shifted Bradley, who has an aggressive mound demeanor, from the starting rotation to the bullpen, a role for which club officials feel he is better suited. Assigned to the Arizona Fall League, the right-hander had some success, but finished poorly. ''He moved very, very quickly through the minors, so he's probably a league ahead of himself,'' said Mark Newman, the Yankees' president of baseball operations. ''Last year challenged him, and challenged his confidence.''

Jake Westbrook, a former first-round draft pick of the Colorado Rockies, was acquired in the deal for Hideki Irabu with Montreal. Executives from other teams raved about the right-hander and his sinking fastball; the Yankees think that he has developed a slider good enough to complement that fastball, and that he just needs some refining before he is ready for the big leagues. At 22, he has received high marks from scouts for his durability and mental toughness. He went 41-25 in his first four years in the minors and will open in Class AAA, but he could advance to Yankee Stadium by year's end.

''He's had at least 170 innings in each of his full seasons in the minors,'' Cashman said. ''You don't see that very often in the minor leagues.''

Luis De Los Santos, 22, possessed enough stuff to compel the Yankees to hold him out of the Chuck Knoblauch deal with Minnesota two years ago. Since then, however, he has sustained major elbow and knee injuries and may spend much of this year rehabilitating. Similarly, Darrell Einertson -- a right-hander once viewed as a prospect -- is still recovering from shoulder surgery.

Craig Dingman, a right-hander who turns 26 next month, is coming off a year in which he had a 1.57 e.r.a. for Class AA Norwich, and he was added to the 40-man roster in the off-season.

...Cashman and other Yankees officials are trying to stock the organization with new and talented pitchers, to fill needs and for trades...

...Compared with most organizations, the Yankees have a wealth of up-and-coming pitching talent...

Anyone else hearing "I Got You Babe" on their alarm clock radio at this moment?

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

Verducci: Restocking A Rivalry

Tom Verducci has an excellent feature up today at SI.com on how the Yankees and Red Sox have been using the draft lately to their benefit. Click here to read it. Some highlights:

The Yankees' future, meanwhile, looked even more dire in 2005. After New York blew a three-games-to-none lead to Boston in the 2004 ALCS, G.M. Brian Cashman tried to fortify his pitching by acquiring Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright. None would be as good as advertised. "We had a chance to really go into an abyss," Cashman said earlier this year.

Cashman, who often clashed with owner George Steinbrenner's Tampa-based brain trust, persuaded the Boss to give him more control of baseball operations, a change he would get in writing in his new contract after the season. He promoted prospects Chien-Ming Wang and Robinson Cano to the majors in May and gave responsibility for the draft to scouting director Damon Oppenheimer.

"[Cashman] knew my passion was on the amateur side," Oppenheimer says. "He gave us a little more specific thinking on the draft, and we started looking for high-impact talent, premier players at premier positions."

Since 2005 the Yankees and the Red Sox have continued to sink more money into scouting and the draft. Says one rival AL G.M., "They've become what the U.S. and Russia were during the cold war: There is them, and there's everybody else. My goodness, the Yankees took a guy in the first round [Andrew Brackman in 2007] who needed Tommy John surgery, and they gave him a four-year major league contract. Nobody else can do that."

In terms of the Yankees - and Cashman giving Oppenheimer "more specific thinking on the draft" - well, better late than never, right?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:22 PM | Comments (8)

Giambino's Lack Of Good Face

Jason Giambi, on this season, via the Daily News:

"Sometimes you just go on these streaks where you get hurt and it seems like one thing after another," Giambi says. "This winter, I really trained hard and I was really excited because Joe had called me and said that.

"I'm in great shape and the numbers have always been there when I've been healthy."

Giambi knows that his health will always be a question mark. He has admitted using performance-enhancing drugs before the 2004 season and he has broken down in the past because of the wear and tear of playing first base. He has been only a part-time first baseman for the last three years, playing 164 games there while being the Yanks' designated hitter in 182 games.

"You know what? In this game, as you get older, you're always proving yourself," Giambi says. "You want to show that Father Time isn't catching up to you. I've had a lot of great years and I've had a few where I've been injured, but if I stay healthy and I'm out there every day, the numbers will be there."

I’ve been debating on whether or not to share something on Giambi for the last three days. I wasn’t sure if it was ‘suitable’ (for lack of a better term). But, here goes nothing...

I saw some video footage (on YES) of an interview with Jason Giambi over the past weekend. The camera was focused just on his face. And, he looked terrible. His face was bloated and blotchy. He looked like Gwildor - badly in need of a tan. I hope this is not insensitive to say, but, he looked like he just had been fished out of the water after lying face down in the river for a week. I’m not in the medical field, but, if asked, I would say his face looked like the face of a guy who’s about to have a heart attack at any minute. He just looked very unhealthy to me.

Now, who knows? Maybe he had a touch of the flu? Or, maybe he was coming off a big night of partying or something?

But, for sure, Giambi didn’t look like a guy who had been working out, under the sun, in Florida for the past month. Giambi’s face looked like he was the love child of Rodney Dangerfield and Carnie Wilson. It did not resonate with a sense of being in “great shape” or being “healthy.”

Has anyone else seen Jason Giambi’s face lately? Am I the only one seeing this area of concern now?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:19 PM | Comments (6)

No, I'm Not Ignoring You

Yesterday, I lost my ability to make comments to blog entries. It's a MT and/or TypeKey issue - because I had too many URLs listed in a comment post that I made yesterday morning. Basically, I'm shut out from being able to comment - regardless of the PC, ISP, or TypeKey account that I'm using. I'm looking into the immediate fix and long-term solution now. Sorry to anyone who is waiting on me to answer a comment.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:18 PM | Comments (0)

Jeter Family Down With OCP

...as in Omni Consumer Products. (See the "RoboCop" mention below.) And, yeah, this WePlay.com thing could be a cash cow for Derek too. Should we start calling him "Captain Digital" instead of "Captain Clutch"?

Via the Herald Tribune:

Late last year, Pamela Firestone, the mother of Tony Parker, the San Antonio Spurs point guard, went rooting through her home in Paris and dug up a VHS tape of a 9-year-old Tony on a Parisian basketball court with his two brothers.

“O.K., let’s start,” the future N.B.A. star says in French. “It’s going to be the Chicago Bulls versus the San Antonio Spurs.”

In most families such artifacts are merely heirlooms, their value measured in memories. For the Hollywood talent agency Creative Artists Agency and the hedge fund Pequot Capital, these are assets to be exploited.

Photos and videos showing blue-chip athletes like Mr. Parker, LeBron James, Derek Jeter and Peyton Manning will be part of a new venture that C.A.A. and Pequot along with the Internet arm of Major League Baseball are expected to announce today.

The venture, WePlay.com, a social networking site for youth sports — something like Facebook for young athletes — is expected to start in mid-April. The site caters to youth athletes, parents and coaches — a vast audience. About 52 million children a year participate in organized sports leagues, according to the National Council of Youth Sports.

Young athletes will be able to set up a profile, post pictures, communicate with friends and share videos of games. Parents will be able to get practice schedules, coordinate car pools and find out which equipment to purchase. Coaches will be able to communicate with their players and parents, as well as learn about strategy and other skills.

Other athletes involved in WePlay.com have been looking for their own relics of early stardom. In a spare bedroom at her home in New Orleans, Olivia Manning collected relics from her son Peyton’s days as a child quarterback to be copied and digitized by an employee from Major League Baseball Advanced Media.

Mr. James’s mother rustled up old photos and videos of her son from a storage area in her garage. And in New Jersey, Mr. Jeter’s mother found a video of her son playing Little League — a treasure whose value was diminished 10 minutes into the film because someone in the Jeter family taped over it with the movie “RoboCop.”

So for players like Mr. Jeter, who will make about $20 million this year playing shortstop for the Yankees, being a hired promotional gun is not enough. Mr. Jeter, who in addition to receiving equity in WePlay in exchange for his involvement also invested some of his own money (he will not say how much), began filming clips for the site in mid-December. Having equity, Mr. Jeter said in a telephone interview, is “very important, because you can really feel good about something if you help build it.”

The focus of the business also fits with Mr. Jeter’s own philanthropy. “What it boils down to is, it’s a really outstanding idea,” he said. “I have my own foundation, and we are trying to get kids to be active and play sports. Kids today spend too much time playing video games, and there’s a huge obesity problem in this country.”

Posted by WW Staff at 10:06 AM | Comments (1)

March 25, 2008

A-Rod & Canseco Timeline Splits

According to the source that's out there, it looks like the reported PED dealer recommendation, that Jose Canseco made to Alex Rodriguez, happened after the 1999 season.

Mario Alejandro said that Alex and Jose trained together in 1998. And, Canseco says he met the dealer when he was with the Blue Jays - when Jose played there in 1999. So, the end of the 1999 season seems to make sense, in terms of timing.

Here's an interesting split for you, on A-Rod:

1994 through 1999: RCAA/PA = .051
2000 through 2007: RCAA/PA = .087

That may not seem like much, but, based a season of 600 PA, that's a difference of +22 RCAA...or the difference between a season of 30 RCAA and 52 RCAA. So, in reality, it's a fair difference.

Another split for Alex:

1994 through 1999: BB vs. Lge Avg./PA = -.016
2000 through 2007: BB vs. Lge Avg./PA = +.049

That's a huge difference. Based on 600 PA, that's the difference between being 10 walks less than league average and 29 walks better than league average.

O.K, last split for Rodriguez:

1994 through 1999: OPS vs. Lge Avg. = +.134
2000 through 2007: OPS vs. Lge Avg. = +.227

So, A-Rod "Before 2000" and A-Rod "After 1999" were not the same, in terms of their batting performance. A-Rod "After 1999" was more selective, more productive, and, I suppose, more feared.

Then again, Alex was very young "Before 2000" - as he didn't turn age 24 until July of 1999. So, the improvement in his offensive game could have just been natural maturity. But, without question, if someone wants to say that A-Rod was a great batter before this alleged meeting took place and he was a great batter after it, they're ignoring the facts.

Oh, and, by the way, the 2000 season was Alex's "walk year" in his contract - before he signed the mega-deal with Texas. In terms of timing, he couldn't have picked a better season to bring his game to a new level.

There is one issue here for me in all of this: 1996. That season, as a 20-year old, A-Rod was off the charts in terms of his offensive production. Of course, he had Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner batting behind him that season - and all three of those guys had great seasons. Griffey had 61 RCAA, Martinez had 71 RCAA and Buhner had 32 RCAA. That had to help Alex in 1996.

In any event, there's a lot to digest here in terms of the facts we know and the assumptions that can be made off them. And, I suspect that folks will be eating off these quite a bit in the next week or so.

It's too bad. Baseball, the Yankees, and A-Rod don't need to be dealing with this so close to Opening Day. But, if Canseco is telling the truth, then maybe the parties involved had this all coming anyway?

It will be interesting to see what Alex has to say in his statement that he's now promised. Stay tuned.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:51 PM | Comments (7)

Now Leaving Jericho...

Just for the record, I am truly bummed over the news regarding CBS' Jericho. Man, it's a good show. Too bad the network doesn't get it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:54 PM | Comments (8)

Allard: Who Is Joe Girardi’s “Man” At 3rd?

Phil Allard takes an interesting look at the Yankees third base coach this season, Bobby Meacham, with some fun memories mixed in. Click here to read it.

My funny (?) story on Meacham: I saw an interview with Bobby's wife on TV once, around 1990ish. Meacham was with the Royals' Triple-A team trying to get back to the bigs, if I remember right. I think the interview with her was to get the wife's take on life in the bushes. Anyway, in the interview, she offered this gem: "Before I met Bobby, I dated Mark Langston. I guess I married the wrong ball player?"

Ouch.

And, Mrs. Meacham has a tie to Joe Girardi too. Back in 1997, she wrote a feature on Joe coming to New York for a site called TheGoal.com - which is connected to TheGoal.org. If you follow this link, you'll find stories about many Yankees on TheGoal.com.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:56 PM | Comments (1)

What People Are Saying About WasWatching.com (Part II)

Last Thursday night, we launched the first ever WasWatching.com Reader Survey.

Thanks to all who have responded to date! And, if you haven’t taken the survey yet, please consider taking it. The survey will be up and open for a few more days, at the least.

Last Friday, we shared the first 50 “answers” to the survey question “What do you like best and least about WasWatching.com?”

Wanting to expand on that, what follows are the next 20 “answers” to the survey question “What do you like best and least about WasWatching.com?”

(Again, this type of feedback is extremely useful. Thanks to all for taking the time to share!)

I appreciate the fact that you tell it like it is. Despite what I perceive as you being a die hard fan, you present an unbiased account of what you think is going on. You lay the blame where it needs to be. (Non Michael Kay like). Thanks for the great job and keep it up.

I f**king hate you, Steve. I won't give you the satisfaction of registering for an account. God, I am so thankful I'm not you. You are such a f**king f**kass. Keep on hating Hughes. If we're lucky, you'll eat a tailpipe.

I like the excerpts from articles that I wouldn't find elsewhere and the game summaries that offer some commentary beyond the box score. I don't like the "what do you think, readers?" segments. State your piece. I'd rather you care less what we think.

Best - By far, no other blog comes close to updating as frequently. Also, enjoy writing style. Least - I don't think Steve is a basher in any way, but when he doesn't like someone (for what ever reason it may be), he seems to go out of his way to "prove" he's right about them (Hughes, A-Rod, Cashman, etc.). When he gets on a roll about these topics, it can certainly give the blog a negative/bashing kind of feel.

I like the opinions, statistical analysis, and comments. I don't like when people who comment get all bent out of shape because they disagree with an opinion, instead of debating it in a more calm fashion.

It is my favorite Yankees blog out of all of them. Keep it going!

A little too pessimistic usually but always intelligently written and updated promptly.

Personally, I don't usually read the user comments and stick to just the blog posts themselves; I come to the site to read the blog writers' perspectives, opinions, and news scoops. I like the fact that the site is updated regularly and links off to various news sources, and I do appreciate the color commentary and opinions -- if I wanted just the news I'd stick to just yankees.com and ESPN's news wire!

I enjoy the behind the scenes coverage and info that you don't get from typical sports news sources.

I find Steve's opinions very interesting and well worth reading. I don't care for the negative tone of some of the readers. Steve is sometimes bluntly honest which can have negative overtones but it’s always his honest opinion and that counts. The readers ought to respond with their opinions and defend their positions, not just knock Steve.

Best -- The author's personal views on the Yankees very much come through to a greater extent than most other sports blogs. Least -- Probably the flip side of the above - Steve is so "glass half-empty" that it can get a little depressing.

Great site, but a little negative on opinions of certain players.

Best: Facts and history. Worst: Consistently bigoted comments.

Your opinion on Yankee News.

The frequency and variety of topics posted is the best thing. Not only the news, but also research and opinion from other sources like Yankee blogs, general baseball blogs, and newspapers from around the country. The worst thing is the frequent criticism, both directly and by inference, of Cashman's pitching acquisitions, which when examined in complete context, especially at the time they were made, are not nearly as bad as portrayed.

It's so pessimistic. Sometimes that's a good thing, but I get weary after the billionth anti-Mike Mussina post.

The best part of the blog is Steve's commentary. I don't always agree, but I appreciate his viewpoint. The worst part is the overly negative and childish comments from posters who disagree with Steve. Many post just so they can hurl insults while adding absolutely nothing to the discussion.

I like the constant updates and the different posts about the Yankees. I don't like some of the player comparisons that are made.

Best: 1) The most unique stories 2) The best blend of sabermetrics, game discussion threads, and slice-of-life topics on the internet. 3) The core group of readers/commenters Worst: Author/staff has a tendency to nitpick or overreport negative slants and holds biases rooted in paranoia instead of fact or logic.

Stays current with a wide source of Yankee info.

I like the commentary everyone brings to the table. For the worst, sometimes I really don't like the blast from the past posts.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:55 PM | Comments (0)

A-Rod On Canseco Book News: "No Comment"

Via Ken Davidoff and Kat O'Brien -

When first told Tuesday morning that Canseco had leveled accusations against him, Rodriguez asked what more Canseco had said than in previous accusations. Told that Canseco had written about introducing him to a known supplier of steroids, Rodriguez said, "I really have absolutely no reaction."

Lavin, who posted his findings on his blog, joelavin.com, also reported that Canseco accused A-Rod of pursuing Canseco's wife, the reason for Canseco's clear animosity toward the Yankees' third baseman.

When Rodriguez was told about that, he raised his eyebrows and asked, "He said that in his book?", then said, "I have absolutely no comment."

Maybe the media should go ask Hank for a reaction - I'd bet that he'd have some reaction or comments that could be interesting.

Posted by WW Staff at 01:18 PM | Comments (2)

Canseco: I Introduced A-Rod To Steroids Dealer

Via Joe Lavin with a hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org (who, themselves, give a hat tip to Deadspin):

As for Alex Rodriguez, Canseco says he didn't inject Rodriguez, but that he "introduced Alex to a known supplier of steroids." Canseco didn't mention Rodriguez in the first book because he "hated the bastard." He was worried that people would have "questioned [his] motives" had he included Rodriguez.

Why all the hatred, you ask. Well, Canseco claims that A-Rod was trying to sleep with Canseco's wife. Apparently, even after Canseco had been nice enough to help A-Rod find a friendly steroids supplier, A-Rod kept calling Canseco's wife.

And, in case there's any further confusion about Canseco's true feelings, he ends the chapter by saying:

So A-Rod, if you're reading this book, and if I'm not getting through to you, let's get clear on one thing: I hate your f***ing guts.

Two years ago, Canseco's wife had a book out - "Juicy: Confessions of a Former Baseball Wife." I wonder how many people are going to scurry and check that one out to see if there's any mention of A-Rod? Checking what you can see on Amazon, I noticed that there's at least one Alex reference. But, what that means, I dunno?

But, if, former-Hooters girl Jessica (Sekely) Canseco does want some life in the spotlight again, and she comes forward with some confirmation about Alex lusting after her, then you have to wonder if what Jose is saying could be true?

Then again, A-Rod has an easy out here...as he can just confirm that Canseco did introduce some guy; but, it never went any further than that.

Update, 5:20 PM ET, 3/25: While some have suggested that this story is a spoof, Joe Lavin has shared with me that it is, indeed, legit.

Update, 7:05 PM ET, 3/25: On his ESPN Radio show this evening, around 5:15ish, Michael Kay was reading the Canseco book on the air and his reading backed up everything that Lavin said was true - further evidence that this is a legit story.

Posted by WW Staff at 11:42 AM | Comments (2)

Has The Quest For A Curve Turned Phil Hughes Into A Flyball Pitcher?

Via Cliff Corcoran of Bronx Banter last night, on Phil Hughes:

Who Didn't [Pitch Well]: Phil Hughes struck out six in five innings, but also allowed three runs, two of them on a Pedro Feliz homer in the fourth. Hughes, who was targeted for 90 pitches, used up 86 of them in those five frames and seven of his nine outs on balls in play came on flies. That combination of inefficiency and fly-ball tendencies is what we were seeing from Hughes last year after he came off the DL, whereas earlier this spring he was back to being the dominant groundballing power pitcher he'd been in the minors.

An excellent observation by Cliff. This forced me to look back at Hughes' batted ball ratios in the bigs last season:

Date	Opp	IP	BF	Pit	Str	GB	FB	LD	Str%	GB/FB
Apr 26	TOR	4.1	21	91	53	7	4	4	58.2%	1.75
May 1	@TEX	6.1	20	80	50	8	3	0	62.5%	2.67
Aug 4	KCR	4.2	22	92	63	7	4	4	68.5%	1.75
Aug 10	@CLE	6.0	23	95	66	3	11	2	69.5%	0.27
Aug 15	BAL	5.0	23	94	60	4	10	3	63.8%	0.40
Aug 20	@LAA	6.1	27	92	54	9	6	3	58.7%	1.50
Aug 26	@DET	6.0	24	97	65	3	12	2	67.0%	0.25
Aug 31	TBD	4.1	24	94	59	7	5	4	62.8%	1.40
Sep 5	SEA	6.0	24	97	61	7	6	2	62.9%	1.17
Sep 11	@TOR	6.0	25	106	67	7	8	6	63.2%	0.88
Sep 17	BAL	5.2	24	96	57	6	6	7	59.4%	1.00
Sep 22	TOR	5.0	23	99	68	6	5	8	68.7%	1.20
Sep 27	@TBD	7.0	26	102	65	8	7	3	63.7%	1.14

On the whole, Hughes' groundball to flyball ratio was 0.94 last season. But, to Cliff's point, if you take out his first two starts of the season, it's closer to 0.84. This suggests that Hughes is a flyball pitcher - or, at least, he was last season.

How about in 2006? Well, according to this data, Hughes groundball to flyball ratio in 2006 was 1.42 (on the year).

So, what's going on here? Why would a pitcher who was a groundball guy in the minors turn into a flyball pitcher in the majors?

Was Carlos Gomez correct (?) back in May of last year, on Hughes, when he wrote:

[Hughes'] steeper shoulder tilt in '07 tells the story. You can also reference the first video clip. Notice how, in '07, his throwing arm finishes closer to his left leg. That is consistent with a higher slot. This article, a Q&A with Phil Hughes, makes a reference to his higher arm slot. Hughes says:

They weren't anything major, just things like staying back and getting my arm in the proper slot. I struggled a bit off the bat when I got [to Trenton], but was able to put together a few good starts and build on them. Things started clicking, with a big part of that being the improvement of my curveball... I throw more of a 12-to-6 when I'm mostly looking to get it over, and then with two strikes I throw one that has a little more plane to it; more of a 1-to-7.

In order to get a true 12-6 break on a curveball, a pitcher has to impart true 12-6 back-to-front topspin on the ball so that there is minimal lateral break. This is nearly impossible (except for Eddie Degerman, he of the highest arm slot the world has ever seen) because of the angle of release. I would call Hughes' curve a 1-7 curve. It used to be more of a 2-8 curve because of his lower release point. The point is that Hughes is trying to make it a 12-6 curve by being more over the top and has done so with all his pitches. A higher release point on his fastball translates to a fastball that is straighter with minimal lateral break. Why do the one-arm pitching machines throw the straightest fastballs? Because they come straight over the top and put perfect backspin on the ball.

And yet, even with his four-seam fastball, and such an over the top delivery, how did he get a reputation for being a groundball pitcher? Is it mostly his curveball that causes all those ground outs? His fastball in '07 is more conducive with flyouts/strikeouts... I can see the ground balls with his '06 mechanics, and I'm willing to bet that he's been getting more fly balls after the arm slot change.

...and I'm willing to bet that he's been getting more fly balls after the arm slot change...

Sounds like Carlos' and Cliff's observations are tying together here, no? Gomez predicted at the start of last season that Hughes would be a flyball pitcher because of the change in his slot, and Corcoran is confirming that change, based on last year's data and what we've seen this spring.

Now, of course, the question is: What will the change in style mean for Phil Hughes at the big league level? Will more flies mean more big flies and balls going over the wall? It might - but, we'll have to wait and see, for sure.

Posted by WW Staff at 10:59 AM | Comments (1)

Pettitte Moved Back In Rotation

The Yankees have announced that Andy Pettitte will not pitch the second game of the season - and Mike Mussina will follow Worm Killer Wang to start the year.

Actually, this line-up makes more sense. Wang and Pettitte are the guys who should take you deeper into a game. The bullpen could be better off if Mussina and the kids don't pitch three days in a row.

Posted by WW Staff at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)

Alex, Hank, Hal, & Cash - Years From Now

From John Harper today –

Alex Rodriguez looking back at his decision to leave the Mariners and go play with the Rangers:

"I went for the contract when my true desire was to go play for the Mets," Rodriguez said of his decision to ink his $252 million deal with Texas eight years ago.

And, how the past impacted his call to come back to the Yankees after 2007:

"So to make the right decision just feels really good," Rodriguez said, "versus being taken down a road where I'm like, 'Oh, my God, where am I? Oh, $400 million to play in some place I hate? Great, I'll blow my --- head off.'

"I wanted to remain a Yankee and for once I put my money where my mouth was. It felt good to make a decision on my own and execute it - to deal with Hank and Hal (Steinbrenner) on a one-on-one basis and get a deal done.

"If people want to question why I did it, I don't care because it made me happy. If I had gone to Team X, Y or Z, it wouldn't have made me happy. It would have been because Scott wanted me to go - it would have been for the most money. And then I'm always going to be known as a guy who always wanted the most money."

…It felt good to make a decision on my own and execute it - to deal with Hank and Hal (Steinbrenner) on a one-on-one basis and get a deal done…

Whether you love A-Rod or you hate him, or, if you love him now and come to hate him later, or, if you hate him now and grow to love him in time, I think it’s important that all Yankees fans remember that A-Rod is a member of the New York Yankees because the Steinbrothers elected to allow him to come back to the team, and elected to pay him extremely well, after Brian Cashman went on record with the stance of “If he opts out, he’s out.” It’s not the first time that a Steinbrenner went around his G.M. – and, it probably will not be the last. But, I could see where the Rodriguez contract becomes something, with time, that gets lost with regard to who made the call to bring Alex back to New York. If, at the end of the day, it’s a dream come true, then thank the Steinbrothers. But, say, if it’s six years from now and A-Rod’s contract is starting to look like an albatross in pinstripes, don’t blame Brian Cashman – because he had nothing to do with this deal.

Posted by WW Staff at 10:11 AM | Comments (0)

March 24, 2008

Yanks Sign Leonid Stadnik?

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Yankees have signed Leonid Stadnik - the world's tallest human, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, who stands 8-feet-5-inches tall.

New York sees him as having potential on the mound.

According to the report, the Yankees intend to put Stadnik into their big-man pitching prospect "fast track" program - meaning he'll be scheduled for Tommy John surgery the day after he signs. An unnamed high-ranking Yankees official, quoted in the report, had this to say about the Stadnik signing:

"Our thought process for the past few years has been to stockpile as many young pitchers as we can, so you don't have to go into the free agent market and do desperate things. My feeling is we're the Yankees and we should be very aggressive in going after the best amateur talent, even if it comes with some risk. People who know pitching, people we trust, say he has major league stuff and it's just a matter of fixing his mechanics."

The report also said the Yankees see this signing as a way to bring the Yankees-brand into the Ukraine (where Stadnik is from).

And, yes, I'm kidding with all of this.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:37 PM | Comments (5)

Phil Hughes' 5th Start Of The Spring

Here's a scoop! We have a sneak preview of Phil Hughes' next blog entry - to be posted soon after his pitching effort against the Phillies this evening. Here it is:

Hi gang! Phil here. I threw too many pitches tonight. My writing coach, Pete Abe, told me that I threw 86 pitches over 5 innings. When I was pulled from the game after five, Carl Pavano told me that I had the "Wright" stuff. That was cool. But, then he called me "Jaret." So, I think he might have been talking in his sleep. With the start tonight, I lowered my spring ERA on 7.02. To mark this achievement, I'll be signing 7,002 baseballs tomorrow with Steiner Sports. I can't wait to tell Ian about it when I'm done. P.S. - I'm going to do another contest tomorrow. The first person to name my favorite Teletubbies episode will get a PFP-used Joba Chamberlain sanitary sock. TTNF. LOL. Your pal, Phil.

O.K., seriously, after back-to-back waxings by the Red and the Pirates, Hughes was better this evening. Not great, but, better. If this was a regular season game, I think maybe Girardi would have let him start the sixth inning. And, if Hughes was able to work through a scoreless sixth, in a game like this one, then it's a pretty good start for him. But, we'll never know - because Hughes was lifted after five because of his pitch-count.

It will be interesting to see how Phil does in April. Will it be like tonight's game? Or, will it be like the two before it? Or, will it be like both, at times?

And, what happens, if, come May 1st, Hughes has an ERA that's close to the one he posted this spring (meaning way over six)? I guess a lot of that depends on how the team is doing as a whole and how guys like Alan Horne are doing down in Triple-A.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:31 PM | Comments (20)

Will The Yankees Always Draw This Way Now, Going Forward?

The Yankees announced today that they have reached 3.8 million tickets sold for 2008, already, before their first pitch of the regular season.

There's little doubt that the Yankees will draw 4 million fans this year - making it four years in a row that they do four-plus. Next season should be good for another four-mill - with the opening of the new Stadium.

And, you have to wonder how long this will last in the Bronx?

In 1990, the Blue Jays drew 3.8 million - and then followed that up with three years, in a row, of four million. But, once the Jays started playing poorly after the 1994-1995 work stoppage, the fans stopped showing up in Toronto. In fact, from 2000 to 2004, the Jays couldn't even draw 2 million a season.

In 1993, in their first season, the Rockies drew 4.4 million - and then, after a small dip, they were near 3.8 million each season from 1996 through 1998. But, since 2003, Colorado has basically been a team that draws around 2 million a season.

From mid-season 1995 through 2000, you could not get a ticket to an Indians game. They sold out every game. But, since 2003, Cleveland has been lucky to draw 2 million fans a season.

Also, once Camden Park opened in 1992, the Orioles were good for at least 3 million fans each season - many years way past that, in fact. But, around 2005 the bottom dropped out and the team has barely taken in two million fans in each of the last two seasons.

Then again, since 1977, the Dodgers are usually good for 3 million fans (or more) a season.

I'm sure that's the model that the Yankees want to follow. The trick is to make sure that you manage, most of the time, to finish first, second or third - like Los Angeles has done since 1977.

But, the Dodgers have been lucky too - because the N.L. West is nothing like the A.L. East should be this season and in the next five years to come.

Who knows? Maybe, sometime around 2013, we'll be talking about the days "back when" when the Yankees used to sell out all the time...like the fans of the Blue Jays, Indians, Rockies and O's do now...

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:18 PM | Comments (5)

Lloyd Christmas & Harry Dunne

Playing around with the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia and setting the controls for:

CAREER, 1987-2007, LEFT HANDED PITCHERS
with GAMES STARTED BETWEEN 400 AND 500, and
NEUTRAL WINS <= 210;
show WINNING PERCENTAGE, INNINGS PITCHED and ERA vs. the league average

gives us the following:

RSAA                           RSAA      ERA      GS       IP       N_W      PCT    
1    Kenny Rogers                137     0.36      444   3129        191     .595   
2    David Wells                 108     0.35      489   3439        209     .604   

Funny, I never noticed how close the relative career stats were for Boomer Wells and Kenny Rogers - two former Yankees pitchers.

Rogers is still pitching, of course. And, Wells wants to pitch again this season. Let's just hope that the Yankees don't have to reach out to someone like Wells for help this season - like they did with Clemens in 2007.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:00 PM | Comments (0)

Would You Spend $25 For A Baggie Of Yankee Stadium Dirt?

Via the Post today -

The Yankees and Mets are in secret talks with the city to buy their old ballparks before the wrecking balls hit - so they can plunder them for lucrative memorabilia to peddle to fans, The Post has learned.

A spokesman for Mayor Bloomberg confirmed the negotiations but would not say how the deals might go down - specifically, whether the city would hope to get a lump sum from the teams or a percentage of the profits of any sale or auction of items.

"At other stadiums, everything from the scoreboards to the dugout urinals have been snatched up by fans, but Yankee Stadium is in a whole other league of collectibles," said Mike Heffner, president of Lelands.com, which has handled several stadium garage sales.

"Each brick could sell for $100 to $300," Heffner said. "I doubt we'd have any trouble selling every seat in the house for as much as $1,000.

"With its huge fan base, Shea Stadium will also fetch a big payday."

Yankee sources and a Mets spokesman separately confirmed the teams' negotiations with the city but refused to give details, citing their ongoing talks.

While the city owns the two stadiums, experts said the teams are in a far better position to bring in bigger bucks from a sell-off because of the emotion factor.

A tiny baggy of infield dirt from Yankee Stadium could fetch $25, experts said.

Well, that's a lot less than what Big Stein paid Howie Spira, years ago, for some dirt...so, maybe it's a bargain?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:34 PM | Comments (3)

RLYW Diamond Mind Projections '08

SG at Replacement Level Yankees Weblog does his annual stats version of Pamplona and his numbers tell us that the Yankees should win about 95 games this season - give or take 2 or 3 wins either way.

That's a number that's possible, for sure. But, as stated here, before, in this blog...it will all come down to the number of quality starts the Yankees get out of Mussina, Hughes and Kennedy.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:09 PM | Comments (0)

Study Backs Up General Joe's Pen Wishes

Steve Wang is a Swarthmore College statistician. I just this nugget from from a study of his:

A manager who prefers to stay with his starters might be best suited for a team with veteran starting pitching, whereas a team with fragile young arms might do best with a manager who uses his bullpen aggressively.

A hat tip to Alan Boyle for his blog entry "The science of baseball stats" which led me to Wang's study.

...a team with fragile young arms might do best with a manager who uses his bullpen aggressively...

Makes sense, no? And, it probably explains why Girardi wants a bullpen that's deep and flexible this season.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:23 PM | Comments (1)

WasWatching.com 2008 Reader Survey

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Posted by WW Staff at 03:18 PM | Comments (0)

The Abreu Trade, In Retrospect

John Beamer at The Hardball Times takes an interesting look back at the Yankees trade for Bobby Abreu. His finding:

This analysis is relatively straightforward. Right now the players the Yankees sent to the Phillies have close to no value. The question is have the Yankees had fair value from Lidle and Abreu. To ask the question another way, how much have the Yankees spent per win compared to what they could acquire on the free agent market?

Using the OPS wins shortcuts: WAA = 0.025x(1.7 OBP + SLG - 1) and converting to replacement level weighting by playing time (using 650 at-bats as a season) Abreu ends up being 4.75 WAR for the one and a bit season he played in pinstripes.

During his time at Yankee Stadium, Abreu has received about $19.5 million. Doing the math that is about $4.1 million per win, which isn't too different to the Yankees signing Abreu as a free agent. In the end the Yankees were right not to give up too much to the Phillies.

Of course, this does not factor in the season to be played (this year). Abreu's performance in 2008 could make this analysis break in another direction, albeit good or bad.

Posted by WW Staff at 12:52 PM | Comments (5)

Meanwhile, In Korea...

Ah, a Karim Garcia sighting!

Chilling with Jose Lima in Korea, heh, Karim?

Did you know that Alfonso Soriano was the last Yankee to get a hit in a World Series game? And, did you know that the last Yankee before Soriano to get a hit in World Series game was Jorge Posada? And, did you know that the last Yankee before Posada to get a hit in World Series game was Karim Garcia?

Yup, it happened in Game 6 of the 2003 World Series - in the 5th inning - when Garcia led off the bottom of the 5th inning of that game with a single.

You've come a long way Karim.

Posted by WW Staff at 11:58 AM | Comments (2)

SNY's New Loud Mouths Show

Click here to see what this is all about.

Don't be shy Yankees fans. Why not call or e-mail Adam and Chris with plenty of Yankees questions, comments, and the like? I'm sure they would love to discuss it.

Posted by WW Staff at 11:36 AM | Comments (1)

SBJ Mention Of SNY.TV Redesign & Blog Input

The current issue (Mar. 24 - Mar. 30, 2008, Vol. 10/Issue 47) of Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal includes a report on SportsNet New York "overhauling its SNY.tv Web site with a slate of independent blogs and exclusive broadband shows."

WasWatching.com is one of those aforementioned independent blogs.

The feature in SBJ requires a subscription to view it. However, here are some of the highlights therein:

"The new [SNY.tv] site, which also will feature a redesign, plans to relaunch March 31, in time for Opening Day."

SNY.tv also is planning to roll out up to four broadband programs specific to the site.

The site does not plan to repurpose content from the TV channel, though it will feature video highlights from Mets games.

Related, yesterday, Multichannel News reported that:

Sweeny Murti (WFAN, YES) officially becomes the [SNY] network’s New York Yankees insider/beat reporter, where he will also appear throughout the network on programs such as Geico SportsNite and Daily News Live.

And, I suspect that you'll be able to access much of what Sweeny has to say on SNY via SNY.tv's Yankees page.

The SBJ report has a snapshot preview of the new look for SNY.tv - and, based on that, and the other things happening at SNY.tv, its shows that SNY.tv is working hard towards making itself the "Online Home of All Things NY Sports." It's exciting to be part of what's happening there.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:48 AM | Comments (0)

Ohlendorf, Bruney, Britton & Patterson

From the four choices below, which one should make the Yankees bullpen this season?

Ross Ohlendorf?
Brian Bruney?
Chris Britton?
Scott Patterson?

If you follow the links on each name, you'll see that the choice of this blog is Ohlendorf. But, what do other Yankees fans think? Let us know in the comments section below.

Posted by WW Staff at 10:06 AM | Comments (3)

Karstens, Rasner Or Igawa As Long Man?

Via George King -

According to Girardi, Karstens is competing with left-hander Kei Igawa and right-hander Darrell Rasner for the long man role. Igawa pitched four hitless innings against Trenton (Double-A) yesterday and fanned eight.

"Today was the best I have seen him," Girardi said of Igawa. "He kept the ball down. He threw his curveball and slider for strikes and the biggest thing he wasn't behind the hitters. There weren't many good swings against him."

Regarding Igawa, well, there's a huge difference between facing the Red Sox in Fenway Park and facing a bunch of Double-A guys, in an exhibition game, at 10 AM - following a Saturday night in Tampa.

Yeah, I know that Rasner and Karstens both have spring ERAs near nine, so far, in this camp. But, I would hate to see Igawa get on the Opening Day roster just because he's got a serious contract and because he's the least terrible out of three terrible options.

But, then again, there are no other options on the Yankees roster for guys who can be long-men out of the pen or a spot-starter (when needed). So, if Joe wants a long guy, it has to be Karstens, Rasner or Igawa. Yikes.

The only other hope, at this point, is if someone quasi-decent gets let go by another team this week and then maybe the Yankees can pick him up. Just doesn't seem right, though, that the Yankees should have to pick up someone off the trash heap to fill out their pitching staff, to start the season, does it? It makes it seem like the really didn't have a complete plan coming into this spring, if you ask me.

Posted by WW Staff at 09:39 AM | Comments (11)

From Pettitte's Back To My Stomach

Via Peter Abraham -

"I was really feeling pretty good last night, and feeling good about it, what today was going to bring," Pettitte told reporters at Legends Field.

"Then I woke up this morning and it was kind of tight on me again.

"I've already lost two days. I don't want to set it back any. I'm just going to wait until tomorrow and hopefully it's a lot better and I can feel comfortable playing catch."

But Pettitte could be bumped back a few days.

"We've got options," he said. "It's just the first start of the season. I don't want to do that, but I want to make sure that I'm healthy and not go into the season with a bad back."

I’m starting to get a knot in my stomach over this one. A healthy Andy Pettitte and Worm Killer Wang are key to the Yankees success this season – perhaps more so than anything else. Mussina, Kennedy and Hughes are not going to give you 200 innings each this season – so, Pettitte and Wang must be able to give you 200+ IP each this year. Without Pettitte or Wang making more than 30 starts each, then you have to start calling on guys like Karstens, Rasner and Igawa. And, that’s not good.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:49 AM | Comments (1)

March 23, 2008

Gardner Expects Himself To Be Yanks Future CF

Via Jack Curry -

Brett Gardner envisions himself as the center fielder of the future for the Yankees. About a millisecond after Gardner was asked if he could see himself starting in center for a team that has a crowded, mostly well-paid outfield, he said, “Absolutely.”

“It’s not a knock against Melky Cabrera or Johnny Damon or whoever happens to be out there,” Gardner said. “Obviously, that’s their job now. But I know if it were my job, someone else would be behind me wanting my job, too. Ever since I got drafted, that’s been my goal.”

At some point in 2009, or, for sure in 2010, I would love to see a Yankees outfield of Austin Jackson in left, Brett Gardner in center, and Melky Cabrera in right. Not a drop of rain would fall between those three.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:50 PM | Comments (8)

Yankees Bloggers Predict 2008's Big Story

Five days ago, I reached out to about a dozen or so select Yankees bloggers and asked them for a prediction on what will be the biggest story in Yankeeland this season.

When I did this last year, the response was pretty good - and the common theme, at that time, was A-Rod.

This year, the reponse was different from last season, to say the least.

One blogger said they couldn't respond because they were swamped with work. I can understand that. Another said that they would pass on this one because they "don’t feel terribly strong about anything" at this point. And, I can appreciate that for being an honest answer. But, the majority of bloggers asked didn't get back to me at all. So, either they don't like me - and, we know that can't be true! - or, perhaps most feel that it's too difficult to make a prediction about what will be the Yankees biggest story this season? In any event, here's some feedback from those who were up to the call:

Via Greg Cohen of Sliding Into Home:

The biggest story in Yankeeland this season will be new Yankees manager Joe Girardi. No doubt about it. Just like 1996, which turned out to be the year of Joe Torre, 2007, for better (hopefully better) or worse, will be the year of the other Joe.

For evidence of this all you need to do is look at Spring Training, the Yankees running, the Yankees showing up to camp in shape, Duncan's slide, Pettitte's inside pitch to Ortiz, no matter what happens, it's somehow related to Joe Girardi, even when it has nothing to do with him. And that's how this upcoming season will be, everything will be about Joe Girardi.

Then there are these questions that will be asked throughout the season: How is Girardi handling the New York media, especially in times of adversity? How will he handle the young pitchers? Will he get along with Hank Steinbrenner, or will we have another Jeffrey Loria situation on our hands? And don't forget the ghost of Joe Torre; you know he's going to be around for a long time.

No matter what happens this year it's all going to be about Joe Girardi.

Via "YF" of YFSF:

The Yankees cannot be contained by a single storyline. Girardi's first season. The ascendance of the Brothers Steinbrenner. The Agony of Alex Rodriguez. The hagiography of Derek Jeter. The Clemens legacy. The Big Three. The All-Star Game. The quest for the pennant. The battle with the Sox. Cashman's future. Circumstance will dictate which of these capture the day's headlines. But the single story that will serve as the season through-line; that would have to be the story of Yankee Stadium's last year.

Via "Jeteupthemiddle" of Almost Perfect:

I believe that the biggest story this season will be the development of the Yankees' young pitchers. No matter what results Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy give this season, there will be dozens of articles about it. "Can the Yankees make the playoffs with this young rotation?" "The young guns saving the team!" "These players weren't worth Santana?" "Cashman saved the farm, should Cashman's job be saved?"

What about me? Personally, I think the above three responses are all on point. Coming into this, I felt that the biggest story of the Yankees 2008 season would either be Joe Girardi - and the "edge" that he provides to the Yanks this year - or, it would be about the Yankees' call to go with young pitching on, at least, one-third of their staff and whether or not that was the right thing to do - with no back-up plan.

But, just to be different, and despite the fact that I still feel that Girardi and the kid pitchers are major storylines this season for New York, I'm going to suggest that the biggest story in Yankeeland this season will be...drum roll...Hideki Matsui having a MVP type season with the bat. Then again, I said that last year too - so, what do I know?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:15 PM | Comments (7)

Quick Chat With HighFarGone.com

I recently did a quick Q&A regarding some Yankees issues with "HighFarGone.com." If you'd like to see it, click here. And, since HighFarGone.com is somewhat new, you may want to add it to the list of Yankees-blogs that you like to check out.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:02 PM | Comments (0)

No Man Is As Island, But, Eiland Sounds Like A Man's Man

Ed Price has a must read feature on Dave Eiland today. Click here to read it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:52 AM | Comments (3)

Getting To Know Hank's Little Brother

If there's a Steinbrenner out there, Kat O'Brien can get them to talk! Via Newsday today -

Both Hank, 51, and Hal, 39, are general partners of the Yankees and the sons of principal owner George Steinbrenner. Despite wielding the same ability as Hal to make decisions on all things Yankees, Hank has effectively served as the lone public voice for the entire family (including their sisters, Jenny Swindal Steinbrenner and Jessica Lopez). Hank has dealt with late-night phone calls from the media and held impromptu news conferences, winding up on the back page with some regularity.

Hal, on the other hand, has steered clear of the public eye as much as possible.

...Hal is no recluse. He is a pilot, is an NFL fan (he has multiple Vikings jerseys in his office) and likes classic rock music and the original Star Trek. In person, he is engaging with a dry sense of humor and careful opinions.

Every major decision must be agreed on by the two brothers, Hal said.

And if they can't agree?

"I think we've just decided we won't do it," Hal said. "If it's raising more debt, if it's making a capital expenditure, if it's raising ticket prices, if it's having a $100-million contract on the baseball side, I think the family agrees that we both need to be on board. And it worked really well in the offseason."

The one thing Hal was famously against was trading for Twins ace Johan Santana, who wound up going to the Mets. The Twins were asking for centerfielder Melky Cabrera, righthander Phil Hughes and righthander Ian Kennedy, and a hefty contract extension for Santana also would have been necessary.

"I was against it, there's no doubt about it," Hal said. "Personally, for me, it was an easy decision to say no to. Economically and financially, there were reasons I'm not going to get into. But even from a baseball standpoint ... I'm no expert on baseball matters, believe me, but I didn't want to get rid of the centerfielder, and I didn't want to get rid of Hughes."

There's a part of this that still scares the bejesus out of me. You can only have one quarterback in the huddle. Eventually, I could see this becoming an Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe type battle. And, that will not be good for the Yankees.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:30 AM | Comments (4)

A-Rod On A-Rod & Some Other Players

Via Nick Cafardo:

Yankee fans were all over the guy in '06. Yeah, he had a horrible season (note sarcasm): .290 with 35 homers and 121 RBIs with a .392 on-base percentage. But A-Rod was perceived as a guy who couldn't get the job done in the clutch, and it gnawed at him.

"I always knew I was a great player," he said. "Some years are better than others. I'm sure you go through it, too. [Not really, Alex].

"2005 was an MVP year. '06 was a bit of a down year, and '07 was a pretty good year again. It's kind of like the stock market. Up and down.

"You wish you could have an MVP year every year - 20 years of great years - but it's not realistic. Sometimes, like in '06, I think you wind up learning the very most about yourself. You get a chance to look in the mirror and be honest with yourself and just figure out what you need to do to get back on top again."

"I love New York," said Rodriguez. "I was born there. Look, New York is not an easy place, and it hasn't been easy for me. I've had my best times and my worst times. But I think at the end of the day - like Boston - it's a place that makes you look in the mirror and be honest with yourself and to be accountable for some of the stupid crap you do.

"And at the same time, when you do well, you can match up against some of the greatest in history. Whether it's a Joe DiMaggio or Mickey Mantle or the numerous Hall of Fame players that have put on this uniform.

"To be in this Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is a gift. I think anyone who played in New York or Boston and then goes somewhere else, at least for me, it would be quite a drop-off."

[A-Rod] spoke about his affection for Manny Ramírez and responded to a story that he had advised Ramírez to hire Boras.

"I talk a lot with Manny, but I really don't want to talk about any promotion for anyone," he said. "Definitely don't want to promote that.

"When all is said and done, Manny will be the greatest righthanded hitter ever. I'm very biased because he's one of my best friends. I just love Manny.

"I love your center fielder [Jacoby Ellsbury]," he said. "I like his attitude. I like his energy. He looks to be a bright, bright star. I like that kid that went from Detroit to Florida [Cameron Maybin]. I think the kid in Detroit [Curtis Granderson] is about to take off. He's an MVP-type player.

"I'll also say I've never seen a guy do what Big Papi did. That I haven't seen. He went from platoon player to great player. And he did it in his mid-20s. To be an average-to-good player, platoon player, to be an absolute All-World. Granderson has that chance."

It's interesting that Alex gave such a long interview to someone with the Boston Globe. He's been short with the New York media lately. Granted, Nick Cafardo is a very good writer. But, still, I have to wonder if, privately, some of the local media in Yankeeland are thinking "Sure, he talks to an out of town guy....." Then again, you can't blame Alex for shutting them out...considering the treatment he got from most of them the past few years.

Speaking of media, it will be interesting to see how the local boys handle Alex this season, if he has, say, "just" 17 homers and as many as 12 errors by the All-Star break. Will the MVPs of 2005 and 2007 buy him some slack? Or, will it be 2006 all over again?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:10 AM | Comments (0)

March 22, 2008

Tino Provides Input On Yanks Roster Decisions

Via Jim Baumbach -

GM Brian Cashman, Girardi, the coaching staff and special assistant to the GM Tino Martinez met behind closed doors in Girardi's office before the game for about a half-hour. Several roster decisions are looming.

So, does this mean Tino is the new Stick Michael?

This is good news to me. From what I've read, Martinez was a huge part of what was working well back when he was on the team - and I'm talking about things other than his batting and fielding. This is very good news, indeed.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:33 AM | Comments (2)

Nettles Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer

George King has the story in the Post today.

Autopsy studies done way back, in 1969 (I believe), revealed that an incidental finding of prostate cancer in 50-year-old American men was 30%, and for 80-year-old the corresponding figure was 70%.

For more on the condition, click here.

This is a good reminder for the guys out there to get themselves checked for this - as you can beat it when you find it during the early stages.

And, of course, all my best wishes to Graig Nettles with regard to his surgery, treatment and recovery.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:14 AM | Comments (0)

Yanks Interest In Darvish Rumors Continue

Via the Boston Herald -

Unfortunately for Major League Baseball fans, unless Nippon Ham deems [Yu] Darvish more valuable by posting him to teams in the United States (as the Seibu Lions did with Matsuzaka), the phenom won’t be eligible to play for a big league team for years.

But with rumors floating around that the Yankees would be willing to dwarf the Red Sox’ posting price of $51 million for Matsuzaka, that timetable could quicken.

“There’s no sign that he’s interested (in playing in the major leagues), so we as Japanese are thinking maybe Darvish isn’t interested in MLB,” Kojima said. “But the truth is that only Darvish knows.”

This news picks up from the rumors I shared three months ago. Well, the Yankees will have a lot of money coming off the payroll next year...

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:10 AM | Comments (0)

ESPN Tribute to Yankee Stadium On March 20th

This clip aired last Thursday. It was pretty good. I'm sharing it, via RedLasso for those who missed it. (Thanks to Eric for sending it to me.) It's 6 minutes long.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:59 AM | Comments (0)

March 21, 2008

Ensberg Added To Roster

Pete Abe is reporting that Morgan Ensberg has made the Yankees and will not be wearing #21 this season.

He wore #14 at USC and in Houston - and he wore #2 with San Diego. My guess is that he'll grab #11, #12, or #19 when one of them opens up come Opening Day.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:01 PM | Comments (3)

Patterson's Perfect?

Is this true?

I was just looking at Scott Patterson's spring training game log, to date, this season.

It says he's pitched in 6 games, thrown 6 innings, and, get this, in those 6 innings he's thrown 28 pitches - all for strikes.

That can't be right, can it? He hasn't thrown a "ball" yet this spring? Really? Even some of those pitch counts look funky. Five out on six pitches, all strikes, during his last outing? Actually, in total, it seems too far out - 18 outs on 28 pitches, all strikes? Com'on, not even Sidd Finch was that good.

Update 3/21, 11:14 pm ET: It's comfirmed. This is just a mlb.com reporting error. Too bad. It made for a great story. File this one under: It's not true, but, it's accurate.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:37 PM | Comments (2)

The Case For Ross Ohlendorf

Here are the results of Ross Ohlendorf's seven outings, this spring, to date, with totals on the last line:

 IP	H	R      ER       HR	BB       SO 
1.0	1	0	0	0	 0	  0 
0.6	1	0	0	0	 0	  2 
1.0	3	2	1	1	 0	  0 
1.0	0	0	0	0	 0	  1 
1.0	3	2	0	1	 0	  0 
1.0	1	0	0	0	 1	  1 
1.0	0	0	0	0	 0	  2 
                                                    
6.6	9	4	1	2	 1	  6 

For those scoring at home, that's an ERA of 1.36 - but, more importantly, so far in games, Ross has thrown 80% of his pitches for strikes.

It's starting to look like Ohlendorf may have won a spot on this team. By the way, is it just me, or, does Ross sort of look like a certain former Yankee whose name also starts with an "O"?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:18 PM | Comments (3)

Stottlemyre: M's Rotation Better Than He Ever Had With Yanks

Via Bob Nightengale the other day in USA Today -

The Mariners, with the acquisitions of Erik Bedard and Carlos Silva, have put together one of the scariest rotations in baseball. They have an imposing 1-2 punch with Bedard and Felix Hernandez, who combined for a 27-12 record last season with 386 strikeouts. Silva, Jarrod Washburn and Batista each pitched at least 193 innings last season, making at least 31 starts each of the last two seasons.

It may be the finest rotation, pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre says, that he may have been part of during his 22-year major league coaching career, including a 10-year stint from 1996 to 2005 with the New York Yankees.

"The '86 Mets were probably the closest thing to a similar situation I've had," Stottlemyre says, recalling the staff of Dwight Gooden (17-6), Sid Fernandez (16-6), Bobby Ojeda (18-5) and Ron Darling (15-6). "We've got five starters here that all have a chance to win at least 15 games."

The Mariners' biggest acquisition, the starters say, may have been Stottlemyre, who was lured out of retirement. Stottlemyre addressed the pitching staff the first day of camp, Batista says, and told them there was only one reason he came to Seattle.

"I want everybody to be watching us in October," Stottlemyre said, according to Batista.

I believe that Mel was with the Mets from 1982 to 1991, the Astros from 1992 to 1993, and the Yankees from 1996 to 2005. Just for the fun of it, I looked at the 100 best team totals in RSAA from 1982 to 2005 - to see if any of Stottlemyre's teams made the cut.

Just one did: The 1998 Yankees, with a rotation of Pettitte, Cone, Wells, El Duque/Mendoza, and Irabu. And, they were tied for 44th on the list.

So, maybe it's true that Mel Stottlemyre never had a "monster" pitching staff before - despite what our memories may want to suggest?

I've never been a huge fan of M's G.M. Bill Bavasi. However, you could claim that he laid the groundwork for that Angels team that won in 2002 (with great pitching) and now he's built a potentially great staff in Seattle. And, you have to love a G.M. who's able to build a great pitching staff.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:48 PM | Comments (6)

Posting Issues Fix?

If you've been having problems posting comments to this blog in the last couple of weeks, while using Internet Explorer (IE), I have something for you to try.

While using IE,

1. Go to Tools > Internet Options, then select the Privacy tab.

2. In the Web Sites area at the bottom of the tab, click Edit.
(You also may see a button, instead, for "Sites" - if yes, click that.)

3. In the "Address of website" field, type
http://www.waswatching.com/
and click Allow.

4. Next, in the "Address of website" field, type
http://www.typekey.com
and click Allow.

5. Then, click OK at the bottom of that dialogue box. And,

6. Click OK on the Privacy tab.

The other possible cause for your issue may be a Windows update that inadvertantly changed the date on your system clock making each cookie TypeKey planted on your system as automatically expired.

If you think about it, this makes sense because the last time we had this "issue" with TypeKey and some versions of IE was last March - and March is when Daylight Savings Time starts, etc.

So, if the first suggested fix here doesn't work, and you're willing, delete your temporary internet files and then reopen IE and try to make a comment here.

I hope this helps. If you've been having issues, and one of these recommendations works for you, please post a comment here and let us know which one worked for you.

Posted by WW Staff at 04:17 PM | Comments (4)

What People Are Saying About WasWatching.com

Yesterday evening, we launched the first ever WasWatching.com Reader Survey.

Thanks to all who have responded to date! And, if you haven’t taken the survey yet, please consider taking it. The survey will be up and open for a few more days, at the least.

The data received back so far from the survey is very informative, interesting, helpful and appreciated! While I expect to share some findings once the survey is closed, in the interim, I thought some of you may be interested in the first 50 “answers” to the survey question “What do you like best and least about WasWatching.com?”

As I said, this type of feedback is extremely useful to me. Thanks to all for taking the time to share. Now, see what some have to say about what they like best and least about WasWatching.com:

Steve tells it like it is. He doesn't sugar-coat things and praise Cash like he's the messiah as others do.

I really enjoy the unique perspective and the realistic analysis. I dig all the stats work, too. Dislikes: inane comments from others who don't agree with Steve et al, but that will never stop me from reading it way too often. Write more!

I am a die-hard Yankee fan from Toronto. There isn't a lot of Pinstripe love up here, so this blog is breath of fresh air. My favorite blog!

Not enough coverage of Hideki Matsui. Too much emphasis on historical data which is not very relevant in this era.

Best is the constant updating, I come here first for my Yankee news. I think your readers would like to know more about you, you should do a post about that.

Best - frequency, variation, and concision of posts. Least - analysis of pitching.

I'd have to say that the thing I like least about WW is the website itself, the colors and layout are harsh. I'm not asking for pastels or anything, but I think the right idea is black text on a white background in the news area and then a soothing blue background elsewhere. Content-wise, this place is amazing.

BEST: lots of content LEAST: can't really think of anything

Good content. Updated daily or more.

Unlike the man your site is named for you are not complete homers. Sometimes I think you're too negative toward Yankee players and front office, but that helps balance out the other Yankee sites out there. If it wasn't for Bill White telling it like it was, the Scooter would have been really hard to take.

Best - updated very frequently, lots of links, good discussions in comments (this seems to have been tailing off of late, however... but I'm waiting for the season to begin before passing judgment as to whether or not this indicates that the site has fundamentally changed. I certainly miss the more substantive and intimate debates of yesteryear) Worst - Steve's hatred for Phil and A-rod.

I love passionate NYY fans (best). As only a "light" reader/follower of BP, sometimes the statistical analysis goes over my head and bores me (least).

Best-analysis & opinion. Least-stats.

Best- author's passion Worst - author's second-guessing of team

You are very informative and thought provoking. Sometimes some of your articles are boring. It is hard to tell who the articles/stories are written by.

I love the perspective. I hate the commenting system.

Best - the frequency of the posts. I know I can come to this site and Steve is on top of any breaking news. I also really like in general the tone and demeanor of Steve and his simple but effective writing style Least - there is nothing I don’t like. Sorry, I know this is supposed to be constructive/helpful criticism, but I really don’t dislike anything about the site.

Quite recently, I have been unhappy with how negative the site's become, with all the doom-saying about young pitchers, and the constant criticism of the GM.

I enjoy the opinions and posts from Steve Lombardi. They offer something that most Yankee blogs do not and that's caution. Most blogs sweeten the reality of today's Yankees MLB club and especially the minor leagues. Steve calls it like he sees it, shares his input, and then defends his material to the reader. By reading the comments, most readers despise Steve for what they call a negative attitude. I just see it as an opinion and go from there. It's a great forum for conversation about both the good and bad of today's team. The one thing I would say I least like is comparisons to teams and players from the 70s. I know it's important to Steve's analysis, but it was a completely different era for baseball. And I find it difficult to compare relievers and young pitchers from then to now. The handling and preparing of players over the last 40 years is beyond comparisons. However, it's not something that takes away from this site whatsoever, and I really have no dislike for the site at all. Great Blog.

I like when you point out Yankees news sources in and around the tri-state area. I dislike when you "hype" yourself. I always imagine your head growing bigger as you speak about your awesomeness.

I like the short, Quick, Posts, Without having to skim through long-winded posts. I also like the off-the field Stuff about baseball

You make a lot of examples about things like "well this team couldn't do it, therefore the Yankees statistically shouldn't do it." You also made a lot of "well I just don't like the guy" types of comments, especially with Cashman. I like the stuff that you back up with hard statistical facts. That's how I got hooked on the site to begin with.

I enjoy the commentary on Yankee news and analysis.

Best: the discussions that take place on the site among the readers. Least (only mentioned because it's required): the sometimes over-the-top negativity directed at certain players, while favorite (or preferred) players are endlessly praised or made excuses for.

I love reading the comments by many WW readers. Least, well, the inability to admit when somenone's wrong.

I like the statistical research done in order to give context to what some players are doing and what some are going through. I disagree with some of the author's opinions, but that's to be expected because it's his blog.

Best: Love your comments and opinions on the Yankees and baseball as a "non-blinders" Yankees fan. Least: continually post of the same topic over and over with different titles in it, i.e. Hughes and Cashman.

The volume of posts is fantastic but not all of them grab my attention and really make me want to read the post. Great job

I love the frequent posts, and links to papers and blogs that I don't normally read but might provide a good story. Some of the statistical evidence used to prove points or opinions is sometimes valuable. What I can't stand is the overly negative tone of the blog. As a pessimistic person I feel like you're giving us a bad name. It's almost like you want the Yankees to fail so you can show everyone that you were right. Can these young pitchers fail? Of course, but they're so talented that it's impossible not to be excited. After years of watching other teams develop top young talent, we finally have our own. It's exciting to be a Yankee fan right now, but whenever I visit your site that excitement is usually replaced by disappointment. You run a good site and I enjoy the links to other articles and most of your statistical analysis, but your constant harping on certain subjects just kills me. How Cashman sucks, Phil Hughes won't be good, and before that your constant, non-stop A-rod articles. Just try to be more balanced. Please.

To be very honest, I think this site was a lot better up until the recent trend of constant negative comments. Seemingly every day there is a post about "what happens if...." that portends negative things for the Yankees. Many of which are just silly - like the recent "what if posada hits 50 points below his career avg instead of above it like last year". It’s as an insightful post as "what if arod, jeter, cano, and damon all break their legs in the first week of the season". Obviously, it will not be good for the Yankees. We get it. We’re not dumb and oblivious to the flip side. its a sport, its supposed to be fun and an escape from more serious things in life (though I do admit some people take sports way too seriously) - so writing constantly negative things is as uninteresting as the stupid things the mainstream media (Post, espn, Daily News, etc) writes. I had actually stopped reading the site because of the recent constant negative tone - but came back because it was entertaining to read the commentary between Steve and those attacking him. That commentary has calmed down, so I would not be surprised if people just gave up reading. I hope this is viewed as constructive comments and not attack comments. I have read this site for a long time, and there were and are some very good posts, but like I said, recently its gotten away from what made it good - your posts are typically different than many other Yankees blogs who just rehash what others are saying.

I really love Was Watching's article, opinions, and stats. But I think the most valuable thing about Was Watching is its frequent updates. I love checking the site in the morning, and then in the noon, and then later at night when I get home from work. The thing I like the least about Was Watching is the lack of reader comments. For all the visitors on the site, there is rarely any debates or discussions. I don't usually even bother to click on the few comments that appear.

WW is perhaps my favorite of all Yankee blogs ... and I read several. It is usually well-written and presents intelligent arguments (even if I don't always agree: see Cashman). IOW, the commentary gives pause for reflection and sometimes causes me to re-assess. I'm on a learning curve re: statistical analysis so I appreciate the new ability to enjoy (or occasionally despair of) the merits of my team's players. Can't think of anything I really dislike. Thanks for your passion and all of your hard work!

Worst - format/layout of page = kind of boring and hard to capture interest best - news updates and interesting anecdotes from other sources I don't have the time to look through are awesome

Your Opinion/Commentary is the best. What I like least are the readers complaining about your opinions. I enjoy the reader comments, but do not like that aspect of it. Despite that, you leave such comments open and you defend yourself. I applaud that. Keep up the great work! I am thoroughly addicted. I check your blog constantly at home and at work. During my morning and evening commute, I am able to view the RSS feed on my mobile phone that way I am always on top of your stories at every moment. This especially livens an otherwise boring train ride.

I've never been able to successfully register to comment. On the flip side that probably left me more time to read other blogs :)

Like the statistical analysis or links to it. The author can be fickle and sometimes forgets that the season is 162 plus games. There is a lot of behind the scenes information that the author does not have and probably never will have. Trying to judge the manager or GM when you do not have all of the facts is an exercise in futility.

Best : different perspectives on the game (or players) Least : the loudest, most obnoxious readers with the least concern for civility have driven off the more interesting ones and greatly limited the diversity of comments.

Keep doing what you're doing.

Best = Steve's opinions on the current state of the Yankees. Least = The lack of comments made.

The pessimism of Steve. I don’t like.

Reading about information that I usually wouldn't find in any other blog is what I like best. The least liked thing about WW is the over-the-top doom and gloom articles.

The best part for me is that I learn news from other sites and papers I would never come across. I have absolutely no use for the new statistics which have become prevalent on this site over the past year. Either just don't get it, or feel that much too much value has been placed on things that I think are basically useless: for example "ROIIX" or something to that effect. There are too many immeasurables in the game to place that much value on sabermetrics.

Historical context pieces, stat analysis, news, etc.

Best - variety of topics and opinions/commentary covered Least - Cashman-bashing

The best and worst things may actually be one and the same. I appreciate that Steve has solid opinions and stances about issues in Yankeeland, and that drives discussion and creates a great atmosphere because Steve is so articulate. However, it is a bad thing when Steve refuses to back down even when faced with multiple areas of contradiction, and his predictable responses can sometimes take away from the experience.

The way Steve is obsessed with Cashman - let it go, dude! It sounds like Brian ran over your dog or something. Same thing with Phil Hughes.

Too pessimistic

I hate the smart-asses who quickly criticize Steve for his biases & opinions (...because I usually concur with him!).

Best - Lots of updates. Worst - Too much negativity

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:17 PM | Comments (2)

When Was The Last Time The Yanks Had 2 Effective Lefties In their Pen?

To answer the above question, I used Baseball-Reference.com's Play Index and I set the controls for:

Yankees, LHP seasons, 1957 to 2007
where Inherited Runners % =<.5 and
WHIP<=1.3 and
at least 80% games came in relief, and
at least 45 Innings Pitched.

and, this is the result of that query:

1959 Bobby Shantz
1960 Bobby Shantz
1961 Luis Arroyo
1962 Bud Daley
1963 Steve Hamilton
1965 Steve Hamilton
1966 Steve Hamilton
1967 Steve Hamilton
1968 Steve Hamilton
1969 Steve Hamilton
1970 Steve Hamilton
1972 Sparky Lyle
1973 Sparky Lyle
1974 Sparky Lyle
1976 Sparky Lyle & Grant Jackson
1977 Sparky Lyle
1981 Dave LaRoche
1982 Rudy May & Dave LaRoche
1984 Dave Righetti
1985 Bob Shirley
1986 Dave Righetti
1989 Lee Guetterman
1990 Lee Guetterman
1991 Steve Howe
1997 Mike Stanton
1998 Mike Stanton
2001 Randy Choate
2002 Mike Stanton
2003 Chris Hammond

Based on this, it's not a reach to say that, since 1957, the Yankees have only had two seasons, 1976 and 1982, where they had two effective left-handed relief pitchers in their pen.

That's an amazing stat - just twice since 1957. Or, so I thought...

...until I looked at the same sort for all big league teams, and this is what I found, in terms of teams with two or more effective lefties in the same season:

2006	NL	N.Y. Mets	        Wagner / Feliciano / Oliver	3
2003	AL	Tx. Rangers	        Shouse / Mahay / Erasmo Ramirez	3
1998	NL	Pittsburgh Pirates	Christiansen / Rincon / Tabaka	3
1997	AL	Baltimore Orioles	Orosco / Myers / Arthur Rhodes	3
1983	NL	New York Mets	        Orosco / C. Diaz / Tom Gorman	3
2007	AL	Seattle Mariners	G. Sherrill / Eric O'Flaherty	2
2007	AL	Toronto Blue Jays	Scott Downs / Brian Tallet	2
2005	NL	Philadelphia Phillies	Billy Wagner / Aaron Fultz	2
2004	NL	Philadelphia Phillies	Rheal Cormier / Billy Wagner	2
2004	NL	St. Louis Cardinals	Ray King / Steve Kline	        2
2003	NL	Colorado Rockies	Brian Fuentes / Javier Lopez	2
2002	NL	Atlanta Braves	        Mike Remlinger / Chris Hammond	2
2002	AL	Minnesota Twins	        J.C. Romero / Eddie Guardado	2
2002	NL	Montreal Expos	        Scott Stewart / Joey Eischen	2
2001	AL	Seattle Mariners	Arthur Rhodes / Norm Charlton	2
2001	NL	St. Louis Cardinals	Steve Kline / Mike Matthews	2
2001	AL	Toronto Blue Jays	Pedro Borbon / Dan Plesac	2
2000	NL	Colorado Rockies	Mike Myers / Gabe White	        2
1999	NL	Atlanta Braves	        John Rocker / Mike Remlinger	2
1998	NL	Houston Astros	        Billy Wagner / C.J. Nitkowski	2
1998	NL	New York Mets	        Dennis Cook / Brian Bohanon	2
1997	NL	Houston Astros	        Billy Wagner / Mike Magnante	2
1993	AL	Milwaukee Brewers	Jesse Orosco / Graeme Lloyd	2
1992	NL	Atlanta Braves	        Mike Stanton / Kent Mercker	2
1991	NL	Chicago Cubs	        Paul Assenmacher / C. McElroy	2
1991	AL	Chicago White Sox	Scott Radinsky / Ken Patterson	2
1990	NL	Pittsburgh Pirates	Bob Patterson / Bob Kipper	2
1989	AL	Milwaukee Brewers	Dan Plesac / Tony Fossas	2
1989	NL	St. Louis Cardinals	Ken Dayley / Frank DiPino	2
1988	NL	Cincinnati Reds	        Rob Murphy / John Franco	2
1988	AL	Detroit Tigers	        Willie Hernandez / Paul Gibson	2
1988	AL	Milwaukee Brewers	Dan Plesac / Paul Mirabella	2
1988	NL	San Diego Padres	Mark Davis / Dave Leiper	2
1987	NL	Cincinnati Reds	        Rob Murphy / John Franco	2
1986	NL	Atlanta Braves	        Paul Assenmacher / Ed Olwine	2
1986	AL	Detroit Tigers	        W. Hernandez / Mark Thurmond	2
1986	NL	Montreal Expos	        Bob McClure / Dan Schatzeder	2
1984	NL	New York Mets	        Jesse Orosco / Tom Gorman	2
1983	NL	Philadelphia Phillies	Al Holland / Willie Hernandez	2
1982	NL	Los Angeles Dodgers	Steve Howe / Terry Forster	2
1982	AL	New York Yankees	Rudy May / Dave LaRoche	        2
1982	NL	San Francisco Giants	Gary Lavelle / Al Holland	2
1981	NL	San Francisco Giants	Al Holland / Gary Lavelle	2
1980	AL	California Angels	Dave LaRoche / Andy Hassler	2
1978	AL	Kansas City Royals	Al Hrabosky / Steve Mingori	2
1978	NL	Los Angeles Dodgers	Terry Forster / Lance Rautzhan	2
1977	AL	Kansas City Royals	Larry Gura / Steve Mingori	2
1976	AL	Kansas City Royals	Steve Mingori / Larry Gura	2
1976	AL	New York Yankees	Sparky Lyle / Grant Jackson	2
1975	NL	Philadelphia Phillies	Tug McGraw / Tom Hilgendorf	2
1974	AL	Baltimore Orioles	Grant Jackson / Don Hood	2
1973	NL	Los Angeles Dodgers	Jim Brewer / Pete Richert	2
1972	NL	Los Angeles Dodgers	Jim Brewer / Pete Richert	2
1971	AL	Oakland Athletics	Darold Knowles / Jim Roland	2
1971	AL	Washington Senators	Joe Grzenda / Paul Lindblad	2
1970	AL	Detroit Tigers	        Fred Scherman / John Hiller	2
1968	AL	Boston Red Sox	        Sparky Lyle / Bill Landis	2
1967	AL	Washington Senators	Darold Knowles / Dick Lines	2
1966	NL	Cincinnati Reds	        Billy McCool / Ted Davidson	2
1966	NL	St. Louis Cardinals	Hal Woodeshick / Joe Hoerner	2
1965	NL	Milwaukee Braves	Billy O'Dell / Dick Kelley	2
1965	NL	Los Angeles Dodgers	Ron Perranoski / Jim Brewer	2
1964	NL	Cincinnati Reds	        Billy McCool / Bill Henry	2

That's just 63 times since 1957 - in all of baseball. Just goes to show, it's hard enough to find one good lefty for your pen...and, if you have two, you've got something special.

Posted by WW Staff at 11:59 AM | Comments (1)

All Right Is Alright?

Via Mark Feinsand -

While 20 of the 25 slots are pretty much set, the final three jobs in the bullpen remain an open competition, as do the last two places on the bench.

"We'll be busy in Florida," Girardi said, referring to the March 29-30 exhibition games against the Marlins. "The roster will shape out from here fairly quickly, but we're just trying to give everyone a fair look and make an evaluation of what this team needs the most."

Jeff Karstens figures to be the long reliever, while Billy Traber appears to have the inside track on the lefty job. That's assuming Girardi takes a lefty, something he hasn't committed to.

"We would like to have a lefthander," Girardi said. "But it's not vital because I believe our righthanders have the ability to get lefties out." Among the righties looking to win a spot are Chris Britton, Brian Bruney, Ross Ohlendorf, Scott Patterson, Jose Veras and Jonathan Albaladejo.

Last season, from the 7th inning on, in games, left-handed batters had an OPS of .788 against the Yankees (in 936 PA). But, a fair portion of that was Mariano Rivera doing a good job.

Last season, in the 7th inning alone, left-handed batters had an OPS of .903 against the Yankees (in 306 PA). And, last season, in the 8th inning alone, left-handed batters had an OPS of .833 against the Yankees (in 324 PA).

Let's hope the Yankees' pen does a better job against lefties this season - no matter how Joe wants to attack it.

Posted by WW Staff at 09:28 AM | Comments (2)

NBC 4 To Air Stadium Special 3/22 @ 7 PM

Via the Daily News -

THE LEGACY OF YANKEE STADIUM. Saturday at 7 p.m., Ch. 4

With the old Yankee Stadium entering its final season, the goodbyes are starting early, and if WNBC/ Ch. 4's special tomorrow night may not ultimately be the best, it's got pretty good stuff.

The commentators are familiar and solid: Pete Hamill, columnist Dave Anderson, boxing historian Bert Sugar and former Yankees like Sparky Lyle and Bernie Williams.

One of the most poignant is Bill Werber, who at 99 is the oldest living ex-Yankee. He remembers being on second base and getting driven in by a Ruth home run.

"Legacy" is at its best when it's going where other tributes haven't gone and are not likely to go. For the Lou Gehrig farewell, it doesn't show Gehrig's speech, but quotes a newspaper column written the next day by a reporter who sat next to Gehrig's wife, Eleanor.

Hey, it beats watching re-runs of The White Shadow, right?

Posted by WW Staff at 09:21 AM | Comments (0)

Handles For The Stadium

This morning, I found myself wondering “How are we going to make a distinction between the three 'Yankee Stadiums' when we talk about them?"

Will it be “Yankee Stadium I,” “Yankee Stadium II,” and “Yankee Stadium III”?

Or, will it be (working backwards) “Yankee Stadium,” “Old Yankee Stadium,” and “Old Old Yankee Stadium”?

Or, will it be “The Original Yankee Stadium,” “The Middle Yankee Stadium,” and “The Current Yankee Stadium”?

Or, will it be “Stadium A,” “Stadium B,” and “Stadium C”?

Or, will it be “The First Yankee Stadium,” “The Renovated Yankee Stadium,” and “The New Yankee Stadium”?

Or, will it be “Yankee Stadium ‘23,” “Yankee Stadium ‘76,” and “Yankee Stadium ‘09”?

Anyone else have some other ideas?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:47 AM | Comments (4)

March 20, 2008

Will The Yankees Monkey With Full-Season Ticket Holders Next Season?

Richard Sandomir writes about the cost of seats in the new Yankee Stadium. (I wrote about it here, three days ago.) Sandomir's feature includes this:

The e-mail message from [Yanks COO] Trost asked all season-ticket holders if they wanted to upgrade to the deluxe offerings, “for which we have already received an enormous amount of unsolicited requests.” It also began the process of relocating season-ticket holders to similar locations in the new ballpark.

The team has the equivalent of 39,121 full season-ticket holders.

But Trost cautioned in his e-mail message that “the seat location and quantity of games included in all current ticket license plans are subject to change when you relocate to the new Yankee Stadium.” He said by telephone that he was not referring to the slightly smaller capacity of the new ballpark, but the variety of miniticket plans being sold.

Well, here's the interesting thing - in the Yankees letter that came to me, it clearly states:

"Please be aware that the seat location and quantity of games included in all current Ticket License Plans are subject to change when you relocate to the new Yankee Stadium."

...the seat location and quantity of games included in all current Ticket License Plans...

The letter says nothing about the "variety of miniticket plans being sold." It just says, like in the e-mail, the "quantity of games included in all current ticket license plans."

So, which is it when they talk about quantity changes? Is it the "variety of miniticket plans being sold" or is it the "quantity of games included in all current Ticket License Plans"?

Do you trust the official communication sent to ticket holders as a warning, or, will Trost's reported phone conversation stand up in a court of law? Oh, well, at the least, they're not talking about variable ticket prices...yet.

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

Ensberg Rebuilt By Long

Via Ken Rosenthal:

Morgan Ensberg, trying to stick with the Yankees, could be another option for the Dodgers; he can ask for his release if the Yankees do not add him to their 40-man roster on Friday.

The Yankees, by placing Ensberg on their 40-man list, would guarantee his $1.75 million contract, increasing his chances of making the club.

Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long, who helped revitalize Alex Rodriguez last season, also is making a difference for Ensberg, who is batting .313 with five doubles in 32 at-bats this spring.

"It's shocking," Ensberg says. "Everything he does is so simple. He gets rid of all of your excess motions, gets you down to a good foundation.

"I used to be a guy with eight different stances and eight different hand positions. Now I'm down to one. And it took only one session, one 15-minute deal in the batting cage."

And, that, folks is why Mr. Long is getting paid close to $1 million over the next three years. Thank you Bucky Dent for bringing Long to the Yankees.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:59 PM | Comments (6)

Ensberg's Close Call Back In 2000

Ed Condran of amNewYork shares a story of terror that happened to Morgan Ensberg - eight years ago.

Something like that would provide some decent perspective about what's really bad or not. Sounds like Ensberg is taking that negative and getting something positive out of it. That's nice to see.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:05 PM | Comments (0)

Bad Company Meets Frank Sinatra?

Via Bloomberg Services -

New York Yankees fans who have dreamed of stepping up to the same plate as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Derek Jeter will get their chance.

The 26-time World Series champions are holding a fantasy camp at Yankee Stadium for the first time in August, allowing fans to don their own pinstriped uniforms and take the field, Yankees Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost said in an interview. Pricing hasn't been set. The seven-day camp at the team's spring training complex in Tampa, Florida, costs $5,500 a person.

This is final year of the 85-year-old stadium in the Bronx where Hall of Famers Ruth, Mantle and Joe DiMaggio played. The team is moving to a new $1.3 billion ballpark nearby in 2009.

Former Yankees players appearing in the franchise's annual Old-Timers Day game on Aug. 2 will coach and manage participants in the camp on Aug. 4-6, Trost said. In the past, former players Whitey Ford, Rich ``Goose'' Gossage and Reggie Jackson have played in the game.

Now...you, too, can be Billy Crystal for a day, or two...at a certain price!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:06 PM | Comments (0)

Doing It Down In Dunedin

Ian Kennedy pitched for the Yankees today, in their exhibition game against the Blue Jays, and he did just fine. In fact, here are the results for the four contests this spring where Ian has pitched, with totals on the last line:

 IP	 H	R	ER	HR     BB	SO
 2.0	 2	1	1	1	0	 0
 4.0	 2	0	0	0	1	 2
 3.0	 3	2	2	2	2	 5
 4.3	 6	1	1	0	0	 4
						  
11.3	13	4	4	3	3	11

You really can't ask for anything more than that, can you?

And, some people want to know why I'm such a Kennedy fanboy...

And, in the same game, Joba Chamberlain did what he's supposed to do with the likes of Ryan Patterson, Sean Shofit and Anthony Hatch. Set 'em up and sit 'em down.

Back to Kennedy...at this point, he's got to be the #4 man in the rotation, no? Heck, if it were up to me, I'd make him #3 in the rotation - ahead of both Mussina and Hughes.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:19 PM | Comments (2)

Will A-Rod Have Fielding Issues This Season?

As Yankees fans, should we be concerned that Alex Rodriguez has only played 45 innings at third, so far, this spring - which is about 20-35 innings less than most other full-time "3B's" have logged this spring? Related, should we be concerned that A-Rod's fielding percentage, again, this spring to date, is .895?

Even last season, Alex started to slip as the year went on, in terms of his defense at third.

In his first 78 games of 2007, A-Rod had a fielding percentage of .975 at third. In his next 79 games, it dropped down to .952.

Of course, the way Alex swings the bat, he's driving in more than he let's in, for sure. But, as we've seen with Chuck Knoblauch, sometimes, fielding woes can work their way into a guy's total game.

So, are you worried about Alex Rodriguez' fielding this year?

Posted by WW Staff at 02:44 PM | Comments (3)

BP's Goldstein Looks At Yanks Bushers

Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus offers a "State of the Systems, AL East" today. An interesting item therein is Jeff Marquez. As Kevin writes:

Despite the fact that he won 15 games last year at Double-A, right-hander Jeff Marquez is a bit of a one-trick pony who gets a ton of groundballs with his plus sinker, but his below-average secondary stuff limits his ability to miss bats.

Tommy John does not agree. Via Screwballs two days ago:

SCREWBALLS: Any guys that you managed with the Staten Island Yankees that we should look out for?

TOMMY JOHN: Jeff Marquez. He throws hard...in the mid-ninties. He just has to find out what he has to do be successful. There's power and there is pitching. Throw hard but only as hard as you effectively can.

Me? I still see no reason why Marquez cannot be a Ramiro Mendoza 2.0...in theory, at the least.

Posted by WW Staff at 12:55 PM | Comments (2)

Jeter's Value

Shaun Payne of Dugout Central attempts to answer the question "How Valuable Has Jeter Really Been to the Yankees?" (Hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org on this one.)

Fragile Freddy also looked into this question, two months ago.

After Freddy, and before Payne, this blog looked into the matter - as did Sky Kalkman as well.

It's an interesting debate. There's no question that Derek Jeter adds value to the Yankees. Perhaps the bigger question is: How much longer will Derek Jeter add value to the Yankees?

After all, Derek will be 34 this season. And, last year, he hit more like a Carney Lansford type batter than an MVP. Then, of course, there's the range issue at short.

Does Derek Jeter have five (or so) more years left in him where he can provide value to the Yankees? It's a very interesting question, indeed.

Posted by WW Staff at 10:49 AM | Comments (16)

Cashman's '08 Yanks Hope To Be One Of Five To Work Trick Since 1973

So, now, we know that the Yankees will have Joba Chamberlain in their bullpen (to start their season) this year – and Mike Mussina, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy will be in New York’s starting rotation. This got me wondering as to how many times, since 1973, has a team had someone as young as Chamberlain featured in their pen – while having two guys as young as Hughes and Kennedy, along with a guy as old as Mussina, in their rotation as well.

Well, I think most people will remember the last team to do this: The 2006 Detroit Tigers. They had old-timer Kenny Rogers in the rotation with two kids, Jeremy Bonderman and Justin Verlander, joining him. And, they had Joel Zumaya in their pen. Since that team won the A.L. pennant, it’s safe to say that this all worked out for them.

The team before the 2006 Tigers was the 1991 Chicago White Sox – who had old-timer Charlie Hough in the rotation with Alex Fernandez, a kid, and two other “kids” sharing a spot in the rotation, Ramon Garcia and Wilson Alvarez. And, they had Scott Radinsky in their bullpen. That ’91 Sox team won 87 games and finished 8 games out of first.

The team before the 1991 Chisox was the 1987 Texas Rangers - who, like the ’91 Sox, had old-timer Charlie Hough in the rotation with two kids, Bobby Witt and Ed Correa, joining him. And, they had Mitch Williams in their pen. That ’87 Rangers team finished last in their division – 10 games out of first.

The team before the 1987 Rangers was the 1982 Seattle Mariners - who had old-timer Gaylord Perry in the rotation with Mike Moore, a kid, and two other “kids” sharing a spot in the rotation, Edwin Nunez and Gene Nelson. And, they had Ed Vande Berg in their bullpen. That ’82 M’s team only won 76 games and finished 17 games back of first.

As far as I can tell, that’s it, since 1973 – just four teams in all of baseball to run the “Really Old Guy with Two Really Young Guys in the Rotation with Really Young Guy in the Pen As Well” trick.

It did not translate into success for the 1982 Mariners, 1987 Rangers, or 1991 White Sox. But, again, the 2006 Tigers made it to the World Series with this plan. Maybe the 2008 Yankees will make it to the Fall Classic as well, with this plan?

Of course, there’s the question of “offense” here too – as the 2008 Yankees will have a great offensive team.

For what it’s worth, the 1982 Mariners were a terrible offensive team, the 1987 Rangers were a bad offensive team, the 2006 Tigers were not a good offensive team, and the 1991 White Sox were an O.K. offensive team. So, none of these four teams had anything near the fire power of the 2008 Yankees.

In the end, the key may be how the four pitchers in question do – as Bonderman, Verlander, Zumaya and Rogers were all very, very, good for the Tigers in 2006. And, in the end, just how well Hughes, Kennedy, Chamberlain and Mussina do for the Yankees may determine what kind of season New York has this year.

"Hughes, Kennedy, Chamberlain and Mussina" - these are the four biggest eggs in Brian Cashman's basket this season. As Yankees fans, let's hope that none of them break before they successfully hatch.

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

Charleston RiverDogs

Is it just me, or, are the Charleston RiverDogs the one team in the Yankees chain that Yankees fans never seem to want to talk about? Why is that?

Posted by WW Staff at 09:16 AM | Comments (6)

March 19, 2008

Steve Forbes Goes After Mitchell, Bud & Fehr

Via Steve Forbes from the magazine with his name:

Two years ago, to mollify critics, Selig contracted former Senator George Mitchell to conduct an investigation. Mitchell is a director of the Boston Red Sox, so it came as no surprise that his report named twice as many Yankees as Red Sox players. His list of suspected players was acknowledged to be woefully incomplete. Moreover, Mitchell refused to release the supporting documents.

The entire steroids affair is an ethical and moral disgrace. Baseball should appoint a new commissioner and the players union a new leader. Testing for banned substances--which should include blood samples, not just urine samples--should be more frequent and truly unannounced. And investigations of past usage and prosecutions connected with them should cease.

Any guesses as to what team Forbes roots for? Attaboy Steve.

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

My Bat Boy Days: Lessons I Learned From The Boys of Summer

Six days from today, Scribner (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) will release Steve Garvey's new book "My Bat Boy Days: Lessons I Learned from the Boys of Summer."

With this book, Garvey tells the story of how he learned life-lessons from big leaguers who he met while serving as a batboy (in Florida) from 1956 through 1961. These players (and learnings) were: Pee Wee Reese (leadership), Gil Hodges (dignity), Carl Erskine (honesty), Jackie Robinson (passion), Duke Snider (persistence), Roy Campanella (compassion), Sandy Koufax (faith), Mickey Mantle (fortitude), and Al Kaline (perfection).

Garvey's father was a bus driver for Greyhound in Florida and was assigned to drive charters for ball clubs during spring training. Through this connection, Steve was able to serve as batboy for the Dodgers, Yankees and Tigers.

"My Bat Boy Days" is a quick read. The book is 7.8" by 5.3" (in size) and is 149 pages (long).

To be candid, I enjoyed "My Bat Boy Days: Lessons I Learned from the Boys of Summer" much more than I expected going into the review process.

There are some "Yankees" ties to the story here. Garvey's parents moved from Long Island, New York, to Tampa, Florida, while Mrs. Garvey was pregnant (with Steve). Nonetheless, according to the book, Mrs. Garvey never switched her devotion to her favorite team - the Yankees. And, as stated, Garvey included Mickey Mantle among his select group of players featured in this book.

Basically, each essay on a featured player reads like a mini-biography. And, for me, this is the true value of this book. Anyone wanting to learn more about nine great players from the late 1950's - and a particular quality that made them special - can benefit from Garvey's storytelling here. And, again, it's a nice and quick read.

If there's someone in your life who was born in 1940, or earlier, and who likes to reminisce about baseball back when they were young, or, if you know someone younger, who is just learning about baseball history, "My Bat Boy Days: Lessons I Learned from the Boys of Summer" would be a nice little surprise gift to give them.

It's not the greatest baseball book of all-time. But, I've read many, many, baseball books that were so boring that I couldn't finish them - and that's saying a lot, coming from a baseball nut like me.

But, Garvey's book is quick enough, and entertaining enough, that you'll have no problem reading it. And, like me, you just might find out that you liked it better than you thought that you would (once you read it).

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:29 PM | Comments (3)

Pirates Plank Phil

This evening, against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Phil Hughes faced 22 batters and only retired 12 of them. Actually, since one Bucco reached on an error, we'll make it 13 "retired." The nine batters that reached "cleanly" had two walks, a double, and three homeruns. In total, seven runners came around to score today against Hughes - in four innings worth of work.

When Hughes was roughed up in his last start, I wrote: "I’m not ready to bury him on this game."

However, as noted in this blog two days ago, this evening was an important start in terms of monitoring Hughes' performance.

So, what happens now?

Bottom line, you hope that Phil Hughes does better in his next start - because he's what you got. There's no one behind him that can step into this rotation should he not be ready to go, for whatever reason, this season.

There's no net at all under the Yankees rotation. At least, there's nothing there now. If Hughes bombs in his next start, maybe Brian Cashman should start thinking about getting some insurance to fall back on - just in case.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:35 PM | Comments (8)

Posting Issues?

If you've been having any problems posting comments to this blog in the last week or so, please drop me a note and let me know the details. If possible, please be sure to mention what ISP and browser you're using. Thanks in advance!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:26 PM | Comments (2)

SNY's Boorstein: Traber To The Rescue?

Tom Boorstein of SNY.tv takes a look at the Yankees lefty-pen-man revolving door since 2002 and this season’s early hope to solve that problem.

Hey, in 1999, Mike Remlinger came out of the blue, for the Braves, and became an effective lefty out of the pen, for Atlanta, for the next four seasons. Maybe Traber can do that now with the Yankees? At the worst, can Traber be any worse than Sean Henn was last year? Now, that would be a trick.

Posted by WW Staff at 04:34 PM | Comments (2)

Not-So-Breaking News! Joba To The Pen

Via Dan Graziano -

Yes, Joe Girardi just informed us that Joba will be working out of the bullpen, starting tomorrow in Dunedin and also when the season starts. All five of the other starting pitchers are healthy, and none of them has ever spent two months as the best setup man in the American League, so it falls to Chamberlain to go to the bullpen and work the late innings (along with LaTroy Hawkins and -- gulp -- Kyle Farnsworth) in front of Mariano Rivera.

"I think it's going to be debated for a long time -- should he start or should he relieve," Chamberlain said. "But at the end of the day, it's about what's best for this team. It's not about Joba Chamberlain."

Asked if he thought this move was the best thing for the team, Chamberlain said, "Absolutely. No question about it."

Do you know the best seasons by a member of the Yankees bullpen, all-time, by someone 22-years old, or younger?

Hal "Porky" Reniff in 1961 and Joba last year. That's the only two seasons where someone that young pitched well for the Yankees, in a season, out of the pen.

Ron Davis in 1979 and Brian Fisher in 1985 were good as well. But, they were 23-years old then - and not 22, like Joba will be this year.

If Joba Chamberlain excels for the Yankees out of the pen this season, it would be a special thing in Yankees history, for sure.

Posted by WW Staff at 03:24 PM | Comments (0)

October 1, 1972

It was such a different game back in 1972. Just for the fun of it, let's look back to October 1, 1972 in Yankeeland.

On that day, the Indians were in New York to play a doubleheader against the Yankees.

In the first game of the doubleheader it was Fritz Peterson on the mound for the Yankees against Gaylord Perry for the Tribe. Both pitchers went 11 innings in this contest - which Cleveland won in eleven. In the top of the 11th, Peterson allowed a double followed by a ground-out and sac fly...and he ends up losing the game 2-1. The time of the game? Two hours and 19 minutes.

In the second game of the twin-bill, two throwing errors by Yankees catcher John Ellis in the 6th inning led to two unearned runs, costing the Yankees a 3-2 led, and the game which they ended up losing by a score of 4-3. To make matters worse, in the bottom of the 7th, with the Yanks down by a run, Ellis came to the plate with one out and the bases loaded, and he hits into a 5-2-3 interference double-play.

That's as tough a doubleheader loss as you can find.

Eight weeks later, the Yankees would trade John Ellis, with Jerry Kenney, Charlie Spikes, and Rusty Torres to the Indians for Graig Nettles and Jerry Moses. And, fourteen weeks after the Ellis trade, Fritz Peterson announced that he was swapping families with fellow Yankee pitcher Mike Kekich.

Posted by WW Staff at 02:31 PM | Comments (2)

The Greatest Game Excerpt

ESPN.com has an excerpt from Richard Bradley's "The Greatest Game" posted on their site today.

A copy this book has been sent to WasWatching.com and we hope to have a review posted in the next few weeks.

Posted by WW Staff at 01:42 PM | Comments (0)

SNY's Salfino: Projecting Yanks Pitchers

Michael Salfino of SNY.tv takes a stab at "Projecting the Yanks' pitching staff" this season.

It's a nice examination of Bill James, PECOTA, and ZiPS projections on some key Yankees pitchers.

Posted by WW Staff at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)

Red Sox Threatening To Boycott Japan Trip

Via ESPN.com:

The Boston Red Sox are threatening to boycott their season-opening games in Japan unless their coaches and other staff are paid for making the trip.

Mike Lowell has told The Boston Globe the team voted unanimously not to take the field for their final spring training game or to board the plane later Wednesday for Japan.

See, now is the time for Mike Mussina to give Theo Epstein a call.

Posted by WW Staff at 12:15 PM | Comments (3)

J.B. Cox Sighting

Via Chad Jennings -

Promising relief prospect J.B. Cox pitched in a game for the first time in more than a year, sending the side down in order in the eighth.

Coming back from elbow surgery, 23-year-old Cox got a fly out, a groundout and a pop-up. He said he had previously thrown four bullpen sessions to batters, but always with a screen in front of himself. He threw fastballs and sliders and said his arm felt fine.

Drafted out of the University of Texas, Cox was shutdown last spring to have the surgery. He will likely start the season in Tampa, but said he’s been told that he could join Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as soon as the weather warms up.

In 2006 he had a 1.71 ERA in Double-A Trenton.

Three years ago, many were high on Cox. He's had his issues since the Yankees signed him.

Cox could still be a sleeper to join the Yankees some time this season if he does well in the minors and there's a need in the Bronx.

Posted by WW Staff at 10:35 AM | Comments (0)

Yanks & Jimmy Fund

Half-Baked Ravings posted a good feature last night on "Hank Steinbrenner's Dirty Little Secret" and this year's WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio/Telethon. It's worth checking out.

Posted by WW Staff at 10:12 AM | Comments (0)

The Bizarro Marty Miller Story

This story confirms that good things happen to good strength and conditioning coaches.

If the Cubs ever get tired of their guy, maybe Cashman should give him a call?

Posted by WW Staff at 09:53 AM | Comments (0)

Yanks Interested In Rich Harden?

Via the San-Fran Chronicle:

Rich Harden will start at Phoenix today, and Joe Blanton at Mesa, splitting the scouting hordes that have been watching the two all spring. Both are potential candidates to be traded, and the Yankees apparently have expressed interest in Harden, according to one source.

The A's, however, won't provide any real discount for Harden, even though he has been hurt much of the past three years. They probably would ask for right-hander Ian Kennedy, for starters, and perhaps pitchers Alan Horne and Jeff Marquez as well.

Rich Harden makes Carl Pavano look like Cal Ripken Jr.

I wouldn't trade this Kennedy for him - much less Ian Kennedy. Pass.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:23 AM | Comments (3)

Big Stein Passes On Big Trop Trip

According to Jim Baumbach, George Steinbrenner did not attend the ceremony on March 18th (inducting Big Stein into the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame). As Jim wrote:

Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal accepted the award on her father's behalf. Reading from a statement, she said: "I can't thank you enough for this lovely honor. I know of no one who cherishes baseball and our country more than my father. I know that he's just very sad that he couldn't be here tonight."

Tropicana Field is not that far of a trip for George. It's sad to hear that he was not able to make it. I hope he's able to hang in there for all the fun in the Bronx over the next 12 months. He deserves to see it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:17 AM | Comments (0)

March 18, 2008

The Pride of the Yankees - Collector's Edition DVD

Today, MGM (Video & DVD) has released a Collector's Edition DVD of The Pride of the Yankees.

If you're a Yankees fan, and you've never watched "Pride of the Yankees," then you haven't experienced the full effect of being a Yankees fan.

I cannot remember the first time that I saw this movie. If I had to guess, I would say it was some time between 1974 and 1976. But, from the first time that I saw it, whenever that was, I was hooked on it. In fact, I confess that, as strange as it sounds, as a teenage boy in the mid-'70's, I once had a huge retroactive crush on Teresa Wright (who received a "Best Actress" Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Lou's wife, Eleanor Gehrig, in this movie).

This is a true story: In the late spring of 1980, I was 17-years old. One evening, I had a "date" with girl - who I was very interested in (at that time). This was probably our third or fourth "date" (that particular evening). She invited me to her home, to "hang out," because her parents and siblings were going to be out for a while. (I think you get the picture here.) Well, when I got there, as a social reflex, she asked me if there was anything that I wanted to watch on TV - and she handed me a copy of TV Guide. (Keep in mind, this was way before the days of cable, remotes, and channel guides.) Being polite, I started thumbing through the TV Guide, and I noticed that Pride of the Yankees was about to start on Channel 11. Seeing this, I asked my "date" if she had ever seen the movie. When she said "No," I did not hesitate, and, despite the how that evening was supposed to flow, I said "O.K., you're going to watch it tonight - because it's one of the best movies ever made."

Now, if that story doesn't tell you how strong I feel about Pride of the Yankees, what else could? (To close the story, she loved the movie. And, when her parents came home, her father was pretty amazed to hear her tell the story about watching the movie and how much she enjoyed it. And, this being the first time I met her dad, and seeing what a large man he was, I was feeling really good about the whole thing.)

In any event, to this day, whenever I watch "Pride of the Yankees," it provides a warm, comfortable, and (for lack of a better word) good feeling - despite the fact that I've seen it before (for many times). It's just a special movie.

If you're a fan of this movie, like me, you'll want to pick up the Collector's Edition DVD of The Pride of the Yankees. In addition to the movie, this DVD comes with six special features - including the featurette "The Making of Pride of the Yankees" and the featurette "Always" (which is the story behind the hit song from the movie - and perhaps one of the best "hooks" ever used in song).

And, as stated before, if you're a Yankees fan...heck, if you're a baseball fan, period, or someone who enjoys classic love-story movies...and you've never seen "Pride of the Yankees," then I strongly suggest that you pick up this new DVD.

Related, also today, MGM (Video & DVD) has released Collector's Edition DVDs for one of the greatest baseball movies ever made, "Eight Men Out" and, for one of the most popular baseball of all-time, "Bull Durham" - celebrating the 20th anniversary for both these films. These new DVDs contain special features - including one where the cast and crew look back, after all these years, at each film. Both of these Collector's Edition DVDs sound like something that any baseball would want to add to their DVD library.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:07 PM | Comments (3)

Yup, The Season Is Just Around The Corner...

Just about the same time as last year too. It's always a good day when these show up.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:33 PM | Comments (2)

Missing Stanton, Nelson & Lloyd (Part II)

Using the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia to identify the best seasons by a Yankees "set-up" man (in the bullpen), I was able to work up the following "best of" list:

	       YEAR	RSAA	G	SV    BR/9 IP   NW 
                                              Vs. Lge Av.  
Bob Wickman	1994	10	53	6	3.00	 6 
Chris Hammond	2003	10	62	1	1.72	 3 
Graeme Lloyd	1998	12	50	0	5.10	 3 
Jay Howell	1984	12	61	7	2.07	 8 
Jeff Nelson	2000	20	73	0	1.96	10 
Jeff Nelson	1997	13	77	2	2.53	 7 
John Habyan	1991	19	66	2	3.07	 4 
Mariano Rivera	1996	35	61	5	4.76	 9 
Mike Stanton	2002	12	79	6	1.18	 5 
Mike Stanton	2001	17	76	0	0.27    10 
Mike Stanton	1997	13	64	3	1.54	 5 
Ron Davis	1980	15	53	7	1.80	 8 
Tom Gordon	2005	17	79	2	2.81	 7 
Tom Gordon	2004	22	80	4	5.12	10 

Once again, here, we see just how important Stanton, Nelson & Lloyd were to the Yankees (during their prime).

It will be interesting to see if Joba Chamberlain can crack this "best of" list with his 2008 season.

Posted by WW Staff at 02:29 PM | Comments (3)

Hank Is Not Going To Like This Report

The Boston Globe points to an interesting study done by a firm called “Compete Inc.” (which is a Boston firm that tracks and analyzes Web traffic). According to the folks at Compete:

So what does this all mean to our original question of which “nation” is bigger? It looks to me that the “nations” are approximately the same size, with potentially a slight edge to the Yankees in a world where both teams are performing equally on the field. However, given that the Red Sox have won two World Series rings in the past four years and the Yankees have not won a championship since 2000, we are in the golden age of Red Sox baseball. Thus, at least during the post-season, Red Sox nation is BIGGER than Yankee nation.

It's a bandwagon bump, if you ask me.

Posted by WW Staff at 11:59 AM | Comments (3)

Pitch % And Average Velocity Data Now Available

Via the good folks at FanGraphs.com (last week):

I put up something new today which I think is very cool. Under each pitcher page, in the very bottom table, you can now see the percentage of each type of pitch a player threw and its average velocity. These stats are available from 2005-2007 and will be updated daily when the season starts.

(A hat tip to Lookout Landing on this one.)

Very cool, indeed! For fun, I looked at Phil Hughes and Worm Killer Wang this morning.

Last season, Hughes threw a fastball for 66.2% of his pitches at the average speed of 91 MPH. And, also last season, Wang threw a fastball for 76.4% of his pitches at the average speed of 92.7 MPH.

It will be interesting to see who wins the speed race between these two pitchers this season.

Posted by WW Staff at 10:26 AM | Comments (2)

The Virginia Tech Game

From Ed Weathers, via the Virginia Tech Collegiate Times Online Edition:

Today, I am as proud as any Yankee fan on the planet.

I teach in the English Department here at Virginia Tech, and I was about 250 yards from the shootings when they happened. One of those killed was a student of mine, Ross Alameddine, a sophomore in one of my writing classes.

For the Yankees to be on campus today honoring Ross and the other shooting victims is special for me, for I am one of those millions of original New Yorkers who have been Yankee fans all their lives, and the Yankees have been part of my family forever.

My mother, however, is a Yankee fan of a higher order. Mom once slid off the sofa trying to help Yankee leftfielder Irv Noren stretch a single into a double. Out of sheer nervousness while watching Don Larson's perfect World Series game in 1956, she ironed (according to family legend) every curtain in the house. Today, at the age of 92 and now living in Blacksburg, she listens to every Yankee game on satellite radio. In winter, Mom lives for the start of spring training.

Last season, one month after the shootings at Tech, the Yankees owner gave the university $1 million for the victims' fund. No other team responded like that -- only my Yankees. Derek Jeter handed over the check.

Today the Yankees will play some baseball at Virginia Tech. My mother and I won't go to the game; it would be a bit too much for her, and I think students should get the few seats available.

Nevertheless, mom and I are mighty puffed-up Yankee fans today, and the game will be proof, one more time, that baseball -- any sport, really -- can still be common ground, and a playing field a place of comfort in times of trouble.

If someone, albeit a fan or a member of the media, has recently got under your skin, as a Yankees fan, with comments about the Yankees "lowering themselves" because of Shelley Duncan's slide or Billy Crystal's At Bat, reaach out to them today and ask them for some thoughts on what the Yankees did last year, and are doing today, for Virginia Tech.

And, thumbs up to MLB.TV for showing the game for free today on the internet.

Posted by WW Staff at 09:17 AM | Comments (2)

March 17, 2008

Yanks To Charge $100+ For Upper Deck Seats Next Season

In case you were wondering, in the "new" Yankee Stadium, the seats in the upper deck, behind home plate, are being called "TERRACE LEVEL OUTDOOR SUITES."

Suites in the upper deck?

In any event, as per the Yankees, for next season, "TERRACE LEVEL OUTDOOR SUITE PRICES START AT $100 PER SEAT/PER GAME." Note that the Yankees say "start" in there.

Presently, those seats, for full-season ticket holders, cost $55 per seat/per game in the Stadium today.

Before the St. Louis Cardinals opened their new park in 2006, ticket prices in the ten prior new homes for baseball teams, since 2000, saw a 50 percent average increase.

Looks like the Yankees are trying to make up for the Cardinals not keeping in step with everyone else.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:29 PM | Comments (3)

What If Jorge Posada Goes The Other Way This Year?

At the end of the 2006 season, Jorge Posada had a .270 career batting average. However, for the 2007 season, Posada batted .338 - 68 points above his career average - and raised his career batting average to .277 (as it stands today).

Sixty-eight points from his career mark is a huge swing. The good news for Posada and the Yankees, last year, was that it was a positive swing.

But, what happens, this season, if Posada has another 68 point swing - in the other direction? Suppose Jorge now bats 68 points below his lifetime average - and puts up a batting average of .209 this season?

The lowest that Posada has ever batted in a full season was .245 (in 1999) and .262 (in 2005). Is a drop down to, or near, .209 even possible?

Well, what were the odds of him batting .338 last year? And, that happened.

While I still doubt that it could happen to Posada this season, man, if he hit .209 this year, it would make for an ugly scene - considering that he's in the fist year of his new multi-year contract. Hopefully, Jorge will bat between .270 and .280 this year, as he normally does, and the question will be moot.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:07 PM | Comments (2)

New Canseco Book Targets A-Rod, Other Yanks, & Mike Piazza?

Via Publishers Weekly -

Three years later, Canseco is back with his sequel, Vindicated, which Simon Spotlight will publish on April 1. This title is embargoed, and Simon Spotlight is not giving out information until Canseco appears on Nightline on Friday, March 28. Like Canseco’s career and reputation, the book has taken a beating on its way to publication. It was shopped extensively before finally being picked up by Penguin/Berkley in late December 2007.

Less than a month later, Berkley dropped the project, and it was picked up by Simon Spotlight. PW asked Jen Bergstrom, v-p/publisher of Simon Spotlight Entertainment, why she decided to publish Vindicated. “The same reason I decide to publish any book,” she says. “I started reading it, and I couldn’t put it down. I devoured it in one sitting.”

PW was able to secure a copy of the proposal that was sent around for Vindicated. It seems pretty tame stuff except for the ending, which promises “revelations about Alex Rodriguez,... Mike Piazza and other members of the New York Yankees.” The new ghostwriter, Pablo Fenjves, who wrote If I Did It with O.J. Simpson, recently told Time that Vindicated is “full of rich anecdotes,” adding, “I don’t think anybody is going to be disappointed.”

Simon Spotlight is planning a 250,000-copy first printing and plans to kick off the publicity with the Nightline appearance. Canseco will also be hitting such shows as Letterman, Howard Stern and Hannity & Colmes along with a coast-to-coast six-city tour.

The book comes out the day after Opening Day. A-Rod and Piazza? Howard Stern is going to have fun with that one.

As an aside, in the same PW feature, it mention's Kenneth Goldsmith's book Sports that's coming out later this year. Check it out. Sounds like a fun one for Yankees fans.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:42 PM | Comments (0)

Men’s Vogue Feature On A-Rod

Seth Mnookin has done a feature on A-Rod for Men’s Vogue. (Hat tip to Peter Abraham.)

There's nothing in there that you haven't heard before. Further, neither A-Rod or anyone else close to him or the team contributed much to the feature.

In fact, the best part about the whole thing is a link that can be found on the same page - showing some great old baseball photos from the sixties and seventies. And, that's the only reason why I point the whole thing out now.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:11 PM | Comments (1)

Pettitte: Back Off Big Papi

Via Nick Cafardo:

Andy Pettitte admitted he did try to back Big Papi off the plate in his second at-bat today which seemed to irritate the Sox slugger.

Pettitte, who hadn't pitched in 10 days because of elbow soreness, came in tight to Papi's midsection, but didn't hit him.

"He's a great hitter," said Pettitte. "No doubt I backed him off. You just can't lay it in over the plate for him. Got to move the ball in and out. Got to hopefully make a hitter feel uncomfortable. He's a great hitter and you have to hopefully pitch him inside.

"When you've got great hitters," added Pettitte, "you've got to throw the ball inside to them. Not balls for strikes because they can handle those balls. You've got to show them different looks; move the ball up and down and change speeds on them if you want to get them out and keep them in the ballpark."

During the YES broadcast of this game, Joe Girardi was asked about Pettitte moving Big Papi off the plate. Girardi said that he would talk to Pettitte about it - to see if it was an accident or not. But, Joe stressed that you have to move the other team's big hitters off the plate so that they cannot sit there and be comfortable - and own the outside part of the plate.

I saw the pitch in question to Ortiz. It was a perfect purpose pitch. Up around the letters and clear enough to him that he needed to get out of the way. The only way Pettitte could have hit him with that pitch would be if Ortiz had his eyes closed. It was text-book in terms of what's accepted in baseball.

And, hopefully, it's a book that the Yankees will make Ortiz read all season.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:03 PM | Comments (1)

New Yankees Stadium Premium Offerings

Click here to learn more. Fancy new digs, huh?

Really, check out the site.

Beautiful pictures of the new place - inside and out.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:50 PM | Comments (2)

We Want A Recount!

The above was clipped from MLB’s Gameday coverage for the Red Sox/Yankees exhibition contest today. Is it just me, or, does Hunter Jones have that look that screams he (and not Jerry Remy) should be the President of Red Sox Nation?

Posted by WW Staff at 04:10 PM | Comments (0)

Hashing Out The Opening Day Roster

Barring injury or a total meltdown over the next two weeks, you know that these 21 players will make the Yankees Opening Day roster this year:

2 Derek Jeter
13 Alex Rodriguez
14 Wilson Betemit
17 Shelley Duncan
18 Johnny Damon
20 Jorge Posada
22 LaTroy Hawkins
24 Robinson Cano
25 Jason Giambi
26 Jose Molina
28 Melky Cabrera
31 Ian Kennedy
34 Phil Hughes
35 Mike Mussina
40 Chien-Ming Wang
42 Mariano Rivera
46 Andy Pettitte
48 Kyle Farnsworth
53 Bobby Abreu
55 Hideki Matsui
62 Joba Chamberlain

But, what about the other four spots on the roster? Here are the players hoping to make those last remaining openings:

11 Chris Woodward
12 Nick Green
19 Jason Lane
21 Morgan Ensberg
29 Kei Igawa
30 Sean Henn
33 Brian Bruney
36 Edwar Ramirez
38 Chris Britton
39 Ross Ohlendorf
41 Jose Veras
43 Scott Strickland
47 Darrell Rasner
58 Jeff Karstens
61 Billy Traber
63 Jonathan Albaladejo
70 Scott Patterson
79 Heath Phillips
91 Brett Gardner

Will the final four spots be broken down into 3 pitchers and one bench player? Or, will it be 2 for the bench and 2 for the pen?

Many feel that Billy Traber and Morgan Ensberg have made the team already. So, could leave it down to two spots - and the question of whether it will be two for the pen or one for the pen and one for the bench.

Chris Woodward, Jason Lane, and Brett Gardner are hoping that the Yankees go with 11 pitchers and then one of them can make this team.

Kei Igawa, Brian Bruney, Chris Britton, Ross Ohlendorf, Jose Veras, Darrell Rasner, Jeff Karstens, and Scott Patterson are hoping that the last two spots go to pitchers - so that they have better odds of making the final cut.

The guess here, at this junction, assuming that Ensberg and Traber make the team, is that the last two spots come down to Chris Woodward, Jason Lane, Brian Bruney, Chris Britton, Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens, and Scott Patterson.

And, knowing that Girardi likes depth and flexibility on his bench and pen, I would suggest that Woodward and Karstens get the last two spots.

Posted by WW Staff at 12:23 PM | Comments (9)

Clock Starts Now For Phil, Ian & Joba

This morning, listening to Mark Patrick and Buck Martinez, on X-M Radio MLB Home Plate, I heard the two discussing what to watch and what not to watch with respect to a starting pitcher’s performance in spring training – and what the experts say on this topic. In summary, the consensus was:

Forget a pitcher’s first time out – as his arm strength is at a max and he could appear move overpowering than he really is, or, he could be overthrowing. Forget a pitcher’s second time out – as his arm will be sore from the effort put forth on his first outing, following the off-season layoff. And, forget a pitcher’s third time out – as this is when pitchers experience that “dead arm” period that happens every spring. To get a real feel on a starting pitcher in spring training, you want to see how he does on his fourth and fifth time out (during exhibition games).

Seems to make sense, no?

So, for the [insert the catchy name that you like to use for the group of Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Joba Chamberlain], the clock/watch starts now. Forget what we’ve seen from Hughes so far this spring. And, forget what we’ve seen from Kennedy and Chamberlain. Let’s see what they do over the next two weeks. It could just be what we should also expect to see from them this season.

Posted by WW Staff at 11:39 AM | Comments (2)

Phil Allard' s "The 10th Inning Journal" Today

Phil Allard, in his 10th Inning Journal at WCBS NEWSRADIO 880 is featuring an interview with me today. Click here to read it.

My thanks to Phil for his interest and kind words about WasWatching.com!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:50 AM | Comments (3)

March 16, 2008

Scott Patterson's Making A Case

Some Scott Patterson news from the Allegheny Times two days ago:

However, people might start paying attention to West Allegheny High School graduate Scott Patterson very soon. He is developing into one of the top stories of the Yankees’ camp.

Patterson has made five relief appearances and pitched 4 1/3 in the exhibition season and not allowed a run. Furthermore, he has allowed only one hit and no walks while striking out four for a microscopic opponents’ batting average of .071.

“They keep putting me out there and I keep getting people out,” Patterson said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more than that for my first time in a major-league camp.”

Patterson is one of the more improbable Yankees. He spent 4 ½ seasons in the independent Frontier and Atlantic leagues after graduating from West Virginia State in 2002 before the Yankees purchased his contract two years ago.

Following a phenomenal season at Class AA Trenton last season in which he posted an outstanding 1.09 ERA in 43 games and was voted by the Thunder fans as their favorite player, Patterson finds himself increasing his once long odds of making the Yankees’ bullpen with each spring outing.

“He’s been great,” first-year Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “We’ve brought him in during the middle of some innings and he’s gotten us out of three or four really tough spots. He’s done everything you could ask to rookie to do. He’s impressed me.”

With that in mind, Patterson believes he at least has a chance of going north with the major-league club.

“If Joe Torre were still the manager, my chances wouldn’t be very good,” Patterson said. “It’s different with Joe Girardi in charge. He seems very willing to go with the best players, regardless of the experience. I don’t know if I’m going to make it but I think I will at least be considered. That’s all I can ask for.”

Ah, Scott, you got a little brown on your nose there, dude. In any event, since this report, Patterson, today, threw another one and two-thirds scoreless innings.

In June of last year, I shared this report on Patterson:

"You start looking at him and think it's just unbelievable," a NL scout said. "You don't want to like him, but you come away liking him because of the stuff and the intimidation factor. He throws that fastball overhand that makes it look like it's coming out of the sky and then it sinks down . . . very heavy sink. The other stuff is just OK. He throws at 91-92 (mph), but that's like a 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4 guy throwing 93-94. He's very aggressive and attacks the zone. He's not an elite guy, but he's interesting."

Scott Patterson's delivery is disturbing as it resembles Cosmo Kramer trying to give Manute Bol a high-five. But, you cannot argue with the results last season and this spring. Regardless of whether or not anyone likes it, Patterson is on the Yankees radar and for good reason.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:04 PM | Comments (0)

General Joe's Army Shirts

Opening Day 2008 is now just two weeks away. And, if you're a diehard Yankees fan looking for some unique (and must-have!) Yankees apparel, just in time for the season, there's no better time than now to pick up some General Joe's Army Shirts.

Click here to see what they look like on a "live" person. (Yes, I am a "live" person, believe it or not!)

I've received good feedback from those who have already picked up some General Joe's Army Shirts. The common theme seems to be "When I'm wearing it, and run into other Yankees fans, I've gotten remarks like 'Cool shirt. Where can I get one?'"

The answer of course is: HERE.

And, again, with the season just around the corner, why not pick up one or more of them now?

Just remember to shop with your head, and not over it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:38 PM | Comments (8)

Madden: Two Rookies In Rotation Means No Ring This Year

Via Bill Madden today -

Pitchers that inexperienced almost never lead their team to the World Series. Hughes is technically not a rookie but for all intents and purposes he is, just 22 2/3 innings over the requirement. And with the rookie Kennedy joining him in the rotation and possibly rookie Joba Chamberlain later in the season, the Yankees, if you're judging by history, are longshots.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, there has never been a World Series team with two rookies making a minimum of just 25 starts apiece, let alone 30-34! When that number is scaled back to 20, only four teams have reached the World Series.

The four teams are: the 1982 Cardinals with Dave LaPoint and John Stuper; the 1976 Reds with Santo Alcala and Pat Zachry; the 1952 Dodgers with Ben Wade and Billy Loes; and the 1940 Tigers with Hal Newhouser and Johnny Gorsica.

But the Yankees are relying much more on their young pitchers than any of those teams did. Alcala, for instance, wasn't even on the Reds' postseason roster in '76, Wade didn't make an appearance in the '52 Series for the Dodgers and, of all of them, only Newhouser went on to greatness.

"Because of the pitch-count issue, I really can't put a number on how many starts (Hughes and Kennedy) will make," said Yankee manager Joe Girardi.

Ah yes, the pitch-count issue, yet another factor that would seem to mitigate against the two rookies being able to deliver what the Yankees are going to need to reach the postseason. Conceivably, a lot of their starts will be limited to five innings - or less - over fear of them achieving their preordained season pitch count.

I wonder if the 1982 Cardinals, 1976 Reds, 1952 Dodgers, and 1940 Tigers also had a 39-year old pitcher, like Mike Mussina, in their rotation too?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:48 AM | Comments (4)

Feinsand On Farnsworth

Mark Feinsand offers an inside look at Kyle Farnsworth -

"I always saw Kyle as a guy who went out there and threw hard, worked out - and of course, I'd seen the highlights of him body-slamming guys," says Johnny Damon, whose wife, Michelle, is a friend of Pert's. "When we started hanging out a lot, I saw how different he is. Seeing how great he is with his kids, how laid back he is, he's an awesome guy. It's amazing how a reputation can follow you."

"He's got such an image in the public," [Scott] Proctor says. "I didn't know what to expect from him, but once I got through that hard shell, I found out what a quality guy he really is."

Reading this, maybe, from now on, we should call him Kyle "Loves Daisies & Puppies" Farnsworth?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:31 AM | Comments (1)

Abreu Selling New York Condo

Via Luxist.com -

Yankees player Bobby Abreu has listed [his] two-bedroom condo at One Beacon for $7.9 million. The spare and bare apartment, shown [here], is listed here.

Martin Feldstein thinks this is a bad time to be selling Bobby.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:21 AM | Comments (1)

Is A.L. East A Four Team Race This Year & Going Foward?

Via Murray Chass:

The Yankees have finished first or second for 14 successive seasons. The Red Sox had eight successive second-place finishes, then tumbled to third in 2006. They rebounded into first last season, finishing two games ahead of the Yankees.

So what will happen this season? Will the AL East produce the wild card? Or will it come from the Central, the Tigers or the Indians; or maybe the West, the Angels or the Mariners?

But is it possible that neither the Yankees nor the Red Sox will finish second? That neither will finish first? Can the Blue Jays keep one or both teams from the playoffs? And is it remotely possible, as unlikely as it seems, that the Rays can challenge for the division's runner-up spot?

"If anyone takes the Blue Jays and the Rays lightly, they're out of their mind," Bill Bavasi, the Mariners' general manager, said. "You have to understand these are teams that are going to win. You have to watch out for Toronto, watch out for Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay is really loaded with talent. Toronto could win outright."

Hey, none of this would be a shocker. You heard it all here, first:

January 14, 2008: "Me? I guess I would have to say, now, that I would not be shocked if the Yankees finished third [behind Boston and Toronto] this year – I can see their bullpen and the question marks in their rotation being a potential downfall."

January 23, 2008: "It's an interesting thought: That the teams who Yankees might have to worry about this season are the Indians and Mariners (in a fight for the Wildcard). This assumes that the Red Sox, Tigers and Angels will be as good as people say they will be in 2008."

February 19, 2008: "Some time around 2009 or 2010, there's a chance that this [Tampa Bay Rays'] talent could gel into a contending team. What happens if this comes true in 2009 - as the Yankees continue to get older next year? What happens if the Tampa Bay Rays finish higher than the Yankees in the standings during the first year of the new Yankee Stadium?"

It's a whole new world in the A.L. East these days. Those 57 games that the Yankees have to play against Boston, Toronto, and Tampa are going to be tough. Think about that - it's one-third of their schedule. New York better be up for it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:07 AM | Comments (1)

Bud Busts Reggie

Via George King -

Major League Baseball has ordered Reggie Jackson out of uniform for the remainder of spring training games after the Hall of Famer was on the field during this past Wednesday's altercation.

Jackson, who was on the field dressed in gray baseball pants, windbreaker and Yankees hat, was fined $250 by MLB. Jackson, a special advisor during the season, also doubles as a spring training instructor.

"I am going to call Bud (Selig) today," said Jackson, who explained he was on the field in the role of a peacemaker. "I called him (Saturday) and left a message. I was trying to make peace. I didn't have my number (44) on but I had the windbreaker that a lot of guys wear. (Don) Zimmer was on the field. He walked out; I jogged."

What a joke. Check the video, below. There are a ton of Rays on the field in windbreakers as well. Do we know who they all are? Do they have a right to be on the field? What, Reggie gets singled out because he has a famous face? Com'on Bud. Really.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:36 AM | Comments (1)

March 15, 2008

Cano & Strawberry

This evening, I was watching a replay of Robinson Cano's two-run double that came in the second inning today off Justin Verlander, and, it made me think back to something that I once read about Cano and former Yankee Darryl Strawberry. Tyler Kepner wrote about it back in 2005:

When Cano signed with the Yankees in 2001 for a $150,000 bonus, it was a dream come true. Cano had spent his first three years of high school in Newark, and the Yankees were his favorite team. He went to one game at Yankee Stadium, sitting in the upper deck behind home plate.

Darryl Strawberry hit two home runs that day, Cano remembered, but his favorite player was Bernie Williams.

I'm guessing that game for Cano was July 24, 1998.

In any event, I've always felt that there was something about Cano's swing that reminded me of Darryl Strawberry's swing. I once mentioned this to a friend and he said "Yeah, I can see that. But, it's not on the Straw big homer buggy-whip swing. It's Strawberry's hitting a hard single swing. Yeah, on that swing I can see where Cano's swing would remind you of Darryl."

Has anyone else ever thought this too? Or, am I the only one who sees some Darryl Strawberry when Robinson Cano swings the bat?

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

Today's Results Of Yanks '06 1st & 2nd Round Draft Picks

Including today, here are Joba Chamberlain's spring training stats to date for each time out:

IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	NP-S 
2.0	2	2	2	1	1	1	36-20
2.1	2	0	0	0	0	1	14-12
3.0	4	3	3	1	3	2	29-17

And, also including today, here are Ian Kennedy's spring training stats to date for each mound appearance:

IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	NP-S 
2.0	2	1	1	1	0	0	33-18
4.0	2	0	0	0	1	2	23-18
3.0	3	2	2	2	2	5	39-25

On average, both have been using about 11 pitches per inning this spring - Ian at 10.6 and Joba at 10.8 (per inning). That's really impressive. And, Kennedy has thrown 64% of his pitches for strikes whereas Chamberlain has thrown 62% of his pitches for strikes.

The biggest problems for Ian and Joba this spring, to date, have been the long balls that they've allowed. But, that's going to happen when you're around the plate so much. The key is, of course, not having many runners on base when you allow those homers.

So far, this spring, all things considered, Chamberlain and Kennedy have done pretty much what you would hope for...from two guys who were just drafted 21 months ago.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:20 PM | Comments (0)

Non-Slugging Productive Yankees

Recent talk here about Brett Gardner's lack of batting power got me wondering about Yankees who were also not great sluugers - but who were also productive big league batters. So, I turned to the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia and asked it to give me Yankees with at least 1,000 PA (with the team) where their SLG% was at least 20 points below the league average - and where their Runs Created Above Average was positive. Here's what I got:

SLG                             SLG      PA       SLG      SEC     RCAA    
1    Wade Boggs                 .407     2600    -.021     .240       74   
2    Chuck Knoblauch            .402     2478    -.034     .306       27   
3    Chad Curtis                .400     1162    -.033     .338       11   
4    Luis Polonia               .389     1019    -.030     .234        0   
5    Lyn Lary                   .388     2010    -.030     .277        5   
6    Joe Sewell                 .367     1754    -.044     .212        0   
7    Butch Wynegar              .363     1712    -.040     .280       12   
8    Willie Randolph            .357     7465    -.041     .282      115   

To me, when you look at Boggs, Knoblauch and Randolph on this list, it suggests that a player with little pop can a productive big league player if he:

1. Hits for a pretty decent batting average, and
2. Walks a lot, and
3. Is a good base-stealer.

How would this list look if you moved the bar to 5,000+ career PA and included all teams? Here's the answer:

SLG                             SLG      PA       SLG      SEC     RCAA    
1    Darin Erstad               .411     6123    -.021     .239        2   
2    Rafael Furcal              .407     5027    -.028     .278       12   
3    Mark Loretta               .399     6057    -.036     .204       10   
4    Jason Kendall              .394     7098    -.038     .217       58   
5    Bill Bruton                .393     6668    -.021     .234        3   
6    Tony Phillips              .389     9110    -.022     .320      146   
7    Richie Ashburn             .382     9736    -.031     .246      282   
8    Delino DeShields           .377     6652    -.039     .320       36   
9    Pee Wee Reese              .377     9470    -.024     .287       13   
10   Brett Butler               .376     9545    -.024     .292      215   
11   Willie Wilson              .376     8317    -.023     .232       52   
12   Jim Landis                 .375     5025    -.023     .297       35   
13   Eddie Yost                 .371     9175    -.025     .347      162   
14   Max Bishop                 .366     5776    -.049     .362       53   
15   George Case                .358     5516    -.033     .231       16   
16   Mike Scioscia              .356     5056    -.033     .234        4   
17   Willie Randolph            .351     9462    -.044     .265      131   
18   Dave Collins               .351     5507    -.042     .255        6   
19   Eddie Stanky               .348     5435    -.043     .322      122   
20   Ron Hunt                   .347     6158    -.037     .192       58   
21   Jimmy Slagle               .317     5770    -.030     .227       21   
22   Miller Huggins             .314     6799    -.029     .288       83   

Interesting list there. And, getting back to Brett Gardner, it leads to this question: Will he be more like Darin Erstad/Dave Collins or more like Brett Butler/Richie Ashburn as a player?

If it's the former, yes, then people being concerned about his lack of power have a point. But, if it's the latter, then the Yankees have a very useful player on their hands here.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:53 PM | Comments (9)

It's Time For "Havok" Gardner To Shine?

Via Kat O'Brien:

Brett Gardner (batting .368 this spring) was 1-for-2 with a walk, two steals, a run scored and an RBI [in yesterday's game]. “He’s an exciting player,” Girardi said. “He creates havoc.”

Can we start calling Brett Gardner "Havok" now?

As the hardcore readers of this blog know, I've been tracking Gardner since June of 2005. And, I thought he had a chance to help the Yankees last season.

Brett's coming off a good Winter Arizona Fall League effort. He's not short on confidence and Brian Cashman likes him.

This all makes me wonder: Should the Yankees be working the phones with the Cubs (who need a center fielder) and the Giants (who need outfielders, period), or, perhaps with a team like the Padres (who may be interested in picking up an outfielder), and pitching Johnny Damon (in a trade) to make room for Gardner, now? Or, do you just wait for Damon to break down this season and then slide in Gardner at that point? The latter probably makes more sense.

Maybe it's the fanboy in me, but, I can see Brett Gardner helping the Yankees this season the way Robinson Cano helped in 2005, Melky Cabrera did in 2006, and Shelley Duncan did in 2007. He just needs a chance to play.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:22 AM | Comments (5)

Double Hanker Day - Get Two Hanks For The Price Of One

The silence is over! Kevin Kernan has both reports.

First, on Hank's twister sister moment:

That was Hank Steinbrenner's no-nonsense message yesterday. Steinbrenner made it clear that he is firmly in Joe Girardi's corner in the battle of aggressiveness with the Rays and that the 2008 Yankees will continue to play hard throughout the season and protect their players.

"Girardi has his players' back and I have his back and that's never going to change," Steinbrenner told the Post in the wake of suspensions and fines of Shelley Duncan and Melky Cabrera , and fines of Girardi and coaches Bobby Meacham and Kevin Long for the Shelley Spike Slide into second base Wednesday against the Rays and ensuing brawl.

"There are going to be problems, especially if they go after our stars," Steinbrenner said. "It's not going to be tolerated. We never have done it to them. It's just not going to happen anymore."

As for the suspensions and fines, Steinbrenner said, "If I got any problems with any of that I'll take care of that with Bud [Selig]."

Steinbrenner said he does not want to interfere in Girardi's handling of such matters.

"All that is up to Joe," Steinbrenner said. "All I can tell you is that I will support everything he does, and that will never change. Because this is the manager I wanted, and that's not anything against Joe Torre. That's the manager we wanted at that time. Times change."

Next, Hanks says that Private Pyle Papelbon has a case of the Sniffles:

It's one thing for owners to have a little back-and-forth like John Henry and Hank Steinbrenner did recently in regard to Red Sox Nation vs. Yankees Universe. It's another for a young player to take a shot at an owner.

That's what Jonathan Papelbon, 27, did in criticizing Steinbrenner.

"I don't know if he's trying to stir things up or not," the Bosox closer said. "I sure as hell don't care, because he sure as hell hasn't stepped on a baseball field. He needs to just stick to pencil-pushing, I guess."

Hammerin' Hank fired back yesterday.

"Being insulted by Papelbon is like being attacked by a mouse," Steinbrenner told The Post.

"John Henry and I traded a couple of jabs good-naturedly," he added. "So now, all of a sudden, this player, this 20-something kid who really doesn't know his way in the world, comes out with a personal insult. There's no excuse for that."

Who knew Hank was capable of such a jab-cross combination?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:12 AM | Comments (0)

Brown: With Inflation Factor Yanks Ticket Cost 1029% More Than in '67

Maury Brown, in The Biz of Baseball, follows up on the Yankees ticket prices story. (Hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org .) The highlights:

+ The longest stretch without an increase was from 1968-1975 where the price remained $4.00
+ In the last decade alone, the cost of a box seat has increased 332 percent, accounting for inflation.
+ The cost of a ticket in 1987 ($10) was less than what a ticket cost in 1967, when accounting for inflation ($12.28)
+ From 1967 to 1994 (27 years), the cost for a box seat was under $20.
+ The cost for a box seat from 1994 was under $30 for only 2 years (1995-1996), $40 for one year (1997),$50 for one year (1998)
+ The largest percentage of price increase is from last year to this: $100.

As I noted in my comments yesterday, the Yankees increases from 1994 through 1998, and from 2005 through 2008, are just obscene from a few-years standpoint.

And, seeing these reports doesn't change the way I felt last December when I wrote:

Is the only way that you’ll be able to afford decent seats to a Yankees game will be if you’re willing to scalp after the first inning is already played?

Worse, I don’t think that the Yankees care that they’re forcing the “everyday diehard fan” out of being able to go to a game. There will be enough well-to-do people, celebrities, corporations, etc., willing to buy tickets for games at the new Stadium – so, at the end of the day, the Yankees will still get their revenue. But, I will suggest this: There will be a change in the atmosphere at the new Stadium. With the “died in the wool” fans relegated to the few seats affordable and available in the upper deck and/or bleachers, and the majority of the seats filled with “Milli Vanilli type” poser-fans, going to a Yankees game, after 2008, will have an artificial feel to it.

It's going to happen. No doubt about it, for me.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:58 AM | Comments (1)

Impulse Buy Pays Off So Far

Just wanted to share that, on Thursday night, I followed my urge and went out and got one of the new Yankees jackets. Very cool technology behind its construction. So far, I'm loving it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:49 AM | Comments (1)

March 14, 2008

Daddy Duncan Not Pleased - With Maddon

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan, flush with the excitement of having a new million-dollar arm in camp, still has something to be furious about. The slow-burn coach, the longest serving pitching coach in baseball history, was irate with how son, Yankees first baseman Shelley Duncan, has been described after a slide that erupted the rivalry between Tampa Bay and the Yanks this past week.

“Borderline criminal” was how one baseball official put it.

And Duncan was simmering before his kid’s suspension was announced Friday.

“I don’t like the comments being made,” Papa Duncan told the media Thursday before discussing the pending arrival of Kyle Lohse. “He plays the game hard. He plays to win. He plays the way you want everybody to play.”

Dave Duncan said his son slid late, sure, but it was far from “dirty,” and the pitching coach fumed that a manager would dare to call another player “borderline criminal.” Duncan said there’s no place in the profession for public comments like that. He then went on to say that his boys — Shelley and Cardinals outfielder Chris Duncan – learned to play the game to win. And that meant “slide for the glove and hope you knock the ball out.”

Chris Duncan stayed away from the topic when reporters asked — he has his own concerns, starting with a batting average that came in at .050 today and has since dropped with an 0-for-3. And, other Cardinals players told one report to take the controversy back to Tampa. Family ties won’t bring an AL East spat into the Cardinals’ clubhouse, nor into any game.

Still, comments aren’t forgotten. Especially not Maddon’s. The media will ask.

The Rays do visit St. Louis this summer.

Man, you don't want to mess with the Duncan Family!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:04 PM | Comments (0)

Big Stein To Become Part Of The Big Trop

Via John Heyman -

George Steinbrenner is being inducted into the Ted Williams Hall of Fame March 18 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., and Reggie Jackson will make the presentation to Steinbrenner. Also being inducted are Roberto Alomar, Goose Gossage and Andre Dawson. Alomar said, "My one regret was not playing for George Steinbrenner.'' Steinbrenner has been seen rarely this year around Steinbrenner Field, but people around the team say he seems to be doing better than last spring.

John Henry was inducted into the Ted Williams Hall of Fame back in 2005. I wonder if he'll make an appearance when Big Stein has his day there? If so, maybe Hank will show up too? Could be a fun day.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:37 PM | Comments (1)

Phil Hughes Seeing Red Today

Phil Hughes was roughed up today by the Reds. Hughes faced 17 batters, only retired 8 of them, and allowed 4 runs in 2.2 innings pitched.

Just as I wasn’t ready to give Hughes the 2008 A.L. Cy Young Award based on his starts earlier this spring, I’m not ready to bury him on this game. It’s March 14th. There’s a very good chance this just may be a tired arm situation for Phil – that many pitchers endure in spring training.

I’m more interested in seeing Hughes’ next start and the one that follows. We’re probably looking at March 19th and March 24th as Hughes’ next two turns. These could be his last two spring starts before the regular season. Most baseball people in the know say that it’s only the last two weeks in spring training that you should count in terms of watching someone’s performance.

Let’s see how Phil Hughes does in those two starts. If they’re both like today, then it’s something to talk about. But, if he does fine in those games, well, then, today is just a blip on the radar and it means nothing.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:34 PM | Comments (4)

Watson Does It Again - Melky Suspended

Via the AP -

Yankees center fielder Melky Cabrera and first baseman Shelley Duncan were suspended for three games each for their roles in Wednesday's spring-training fracas between New York and the Tampa Bay Rays.

In announcing a three-game suspension for the Yankees' Shelley Duncan, Major League Baseball called his actions -- including this takeout slide -- "violent and reckless."

Tampa outfielder Jonny Gomes was suspended for two games Friday. All three players were fined along with Yankees manager Joe Girardi, third-base coach Bobby Meacham and hitting coach Kevin Long.

The suspensions, unless appealed, will start at the beginning of the regular season.

Both Duncan and Gomes were ejected from the game in question. Melky Cabrera was not ejected. So, how in the name of Sam Hill does Melky get a three-game suspension, like Duncan, and one more game than Gomes, when the umpires didn't think it was warranted that Cabrera was ejected from the game?

This is just flat out wrong.

Back in 2004, Watson did this to the Yankees as well. He suspended Tanyon Sturtze for three games when the umpires never threw Sturtze out of the game in question (at Fenway).

Forget about George Mitchell potentially favoring the Red Sox. Instead, baseball needs to look at Bob Watson continually grinding an axe with his ex-employers, the Yankees.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:07 PM | Comments (9)

Scouts Love A-Rod, Cano, Mo & Joba

Click here to read the story. Click here to see who the scouts thought are baseball's best.

No love on this list for Derek Jeter, huh?

Posted by WW Staff at 12:28 PM | Comments (3)

Marchman: Sox Better Planners Than Yankees

Via Tim Marchman today -

The Yankees tend to make big, risky bets, like the decision to bank this year on rookie pitchers. It fits the structure of the team, which has always focused on running out the best star talent available and filling the gaps around the edges as needed. The top-level talent in the Bronx is, and has been for several years, a bit better than that in Boston. Problems come in at the edges, when the team ends up relying at times on the likes of Wil Nieves and Aaron Small.

Conversely, Boston tends to hedge its bets. Beckett, felled by a sore back, is expected to skip at least the Red Sox's upcoming trip to Japan, where they'll open the season. (Spending a day in a plane is good for no back, let alone a strained one.) Schilling will open the year on the 60-day disabled list and could conceivably miss the year. Still, even with both their World Series MVPs down, the team presents a credible rotation.

By the way, is it just me, or, does Tim Marchman (left, below) look just like Jeff Karstens (right, below)?

In any event, Marchman makes an interesting point. For example, what happens if one of the Yankee kids in the rotation fails this season and Mussina is a bust? Four as cheap as $4.25 million on a one year contract, the Yankees could have had a decent back-up plan this season.

As it stands now, the Yankees back-up plan for starting pitchers would be guys like the aforementioned Karstens and Kei Igawa.

Not pretty there. Not pretty at all.

Posted by WW Staff at 11:38 AM | Comments (12)

Are Yankees Batters Missing The Protection Of Unit & Pavano?

Peter Abraham takes a look at some Yankees HBP stats in his blog today. In summary, on the matter, Peter says:

Every fan is convinced that their team doesn’t retaliate enough, that the announcers are biased against them and that beer costs the most in their stadium. You react to what you see every day. But in the end, it’s about the same for everybody.

Based on this, I decided to look at the last four years in Yankeeland, and have come up with the following stats via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia:

	   YEAR	 BFP	HBP	Hit Rate
Pitchers   2004	 6240	60	104.0   
Pitchers   2005	 6182	84	 73.6   
Pitchers   2006	 6215	59	105.3   
Pitchers   2007	 6285	60	104.8   
                                        
	   YEAR	 PA	HBP	Hit Rate
Batters    2004	 6364	80	 79.6   
Batters	   2005	 6405	73	 87.7   
Batters	   2006	 6455	72	 89.7   
Batters	   2007	 6527	78	 83.7   

The way this reads is the following: In 2004, a Yankees batter was HBP once every 79.6 PA – and, in the same season, a Yankees pitcher hit an opposing batter with a pitch once every 104 PA.

So, in the last four seasons, the only year where Yankees pitchers hit batters with a pitch, with near the same frequency that Yankees batters were plunked, was 2005.

Clearly, in 2004, 2006 and 2007, Yankees batters got hit around once every 80 PA whereas batters facing the Yankees were hit with a pitch around once every 100 PA.

So, what happened in 2005? As much as I hate to say this, it was the Randy Johnson and Carl Pavano factor. Both of those pitchers showed excellent control in 2005 – according to their BB/9 IP and SO/BB ratios – but, they also hit a lot of batters, compared to other Yankees pitchers that season. You can make a case that Johnson and Pavano were hitting people with some intent in 2005.

Pavano was done after his games in 2005. And, Johnson was no longer nasty after 2005. And, then, the Yankees HBP mismatch picked up in 2006 where it left off in 2004.

Or, am I missing something here?

Posted by WW Staff at 09:50 AM | Comments (3)

Yankees Ticket Prices

Via the AP -

Top ticket price for a box seat at Yankee Stadium. All seats in this area sold as parts of season tickets in recent seasons, and listed price includes discount for season ticket holders....

2008 $ 250.00
2007 $ 150.00
2006 $ 110.00
2005 $ 90.00
2004 $ 80.00
2003 $ 72.00
2002 $ 62.00
2001 $ 62.00
2000 $ 55.00
1999 $ 50.00
1998 $ 45.00
1997 $ 35.00
1996 $ 25.00
1995 $ 25.00
1994 $ 17.00
1993 $ 16.00
1992 $ 14.50
1991 $ 12.50
1990 $ 12.00
1989 $ 12.00
1988 $ 11.00
1987 $ 10.00
1986 $ 9.75
1985 $ 9.75
1984 $ 9.00
1983 $ 9.00
1982 $ 8.50
1981 $ 7.50
1980 $ 7.50
1979 $ 7.00
1978 $ 6.50
1977 $ 6.00
1976 $ 5.50
1975 $ 5.00
1974 $ 4.00
1973 $ 4.00
1972 $ 4.00
1971 $ 4.00
1970 $ 4.00
1969 $ 4.00
1968 $ 4.00
1967 $ 3.50

Think this is bad? Just wait and see what it will cost next season.

Posted by WW Staff at 09:36 AM | Comments (5)

March 13, 2008

When A Moose Looks Like A Byrd

During Mike Mussina's last two spring training outings, I noticed Moose throwing a lot of 76 MPH breaking pitches. And, in today's game, I noticed that Mussina's fastball was between 85 and 88 MPH.

These observations made me reach for my copy of The Bill James Baseball Handbook 2008 to check James' pitching leader boards (therein) for some pitch type and speed data.

Of all pitchers in the A.L. last season, with a minimum of 162 IP, after Tim Wakefield (74.2 MPH), Paul Byrd had the slowest average fastball - at 85.6 MPH. No other RHP (in the A.L. with 162+ IP) averaged under 89 MPH. On the season, Byrd actually threw 632 pitches - of all types - that were less than 80 MPH.

So, if Moose is going to feature a fastball in the range of 85 to 88 MPH this season, he's going to be right up there with the junkiest of junkballers in the league.

Seeing the stats, last year, for Byrd, I noticed that his ERA was 4.59 - which is not terrible. But, his Component ERA was 4.80 (in 192.1 IP).

Last season, Mike Mussina's ERA was a terrible 5.15 - but, Moose's Component ERA was 4.87 (in 152 IP). It's interesting that Byrd and Mussina had Component ERAs that were so close in 2007 - since they were not close in RSAA. (Byrd was +4 last season whereas Mussina was -8.) Byrd also had more value last season in that he gave his team 40 more IP - albeit perhaps driven by some aid.

In the N.L., last season, the slowest right-handed (average) fastballs belonged to Livan Hernandez (83.6 MPH), Greg Maddux (84.7 MPH), Woody Williams (86.5 MPH) and Matt Morris (87.4 MPH). Outside of Maddux, none of these RHP were very effective in 2007.

I would suggest, this season, for Mussina to be effective, Moose should only throw his "fastball" about 45% of the time. And, he should feature that 76 MPH breaking pitch about 25% of the time. For those who don't want to do the math, that leaves 30% of the time for Moose to throw "something else." At times, Mussina has featured a slider and a two-seam fastball that acts like a change-up with some sink. While the slider and the change were never main weapons for Moose, he may need to call on them more often now - to fill in that "30%." He may even want to take a tip from Byrd and throw in an old fashioned full wind-up once in a while too. At this stage, whatever Mike can do to fool a batter, it's going to help him.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:50 PM | Comments (8)

Downtime Today

From 5:20 pm EST until 9:12 pm ET, today, WasWatching.com was not available. This was the result of our host provider's server being down due to a networking issue at their upstream provider. A networking switch at the datacenter failed and had to be replaced. Please accept our apologies for any inconveniences which this downtime may have caused you. It was clearly beyond our control. Thank you for your patience during this downtime.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:25 PM | Comments (0)

Maybe The Yankees Don't Need To Worry About Clay Buchholz Anymore?

Looks like Sticky Fingers Buchholz has a potential Anna Benson on his hands (and other parts).

Via the Boston Herald -

As you may have suspected, life is good if you’re Red Sox hurler Clay Buchholz.

First he throws a no-hitter in his second start in the bigs. Then Josh Beckett goes down with a bad back, meaning Clay’s odds of starting just got a whole lot better. And if that’s not enough, Clay is dating Penthouse Pet of the Year Erica Ellyson!

Buchholz’s dad confirmed to WZLX yesterday that his boy has spent some quality time with the 23-year-old centerfold.

“I know he’s met her, gone out with her, but I don’t know if you consider that dating . . . but hey, a boy could do worse,” Skip Buchholz told ’ZLX’s Karlson & McKenzie yesterday.

Apparently Erica also spilled the beans - somewhat - to Howard Stern the other morning, telling the satellite shock jock that she was sleeping with someone on the Sox.

“It doesn’t surprise me any,” said Clay’s dad. “Last year up in Boston he was dating a Victoria’s Secret model, so he’s moving up the ladder . . . . I mean, he’s got pretty good taste.”

Here's hoping Clay becomes a perfect bookend to Oil Can Boyd in Sox history.

Posted by WW Staff at 05:01 PM | Comments (0)

Today's Billy-Crystal-Ball Special

There's no joy in Crystalville today. The Mighty Billy struck out.

And, Jeff Karstens didn't exactly have the best of days today, either.

However, Mike Mussina posted some good numbers in today's game. Granted, he was facing the shell of one of the worst teams in the National League. And, I think that's how it's going to roll for Moose this year. Put him up against the Red Sox or Tigers and he will get hit. But, against weaker teams he'll be able to spin it enough to get you a decent start - like today.

Posted by WW Staff at 04:23 PM | Comments (4)

Thunder A 16th Seed?

Darren Rovell is running his annual Minor League Baseball Logo Contest at CNBC.com. Being seeded at 16, it's going to be an uphill battle for the Trenton Thunder. So, what do you say Yankees fans? Can we help them out?

Posted by WW Staff at 03:54 PM | Comments (0)

Redesigned On-Field Premier Yankees Jacket

I was curious as to what Yankees fans thought about the new jackets that the team will be wearing on the field this season.

Click here to see a photo of the new style.

While I love my current Yankees jacket, it is about 8 or 9 years old now. And, I think I like the new one - and I might have to go out and get one.

Anyone else sort of getting into the new style for this year?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:46 PM | Comments (0)

Spring Battle For Bullpen Jobs

Some spring training stats for Yankees pen men coming into today's action:

PLAYER        W  L  S  ERA   G GS CG SHO    IP   H   R  ER
------        -  -  -  ---   - -- -- ---    --   -   -  --
B Traber      1  0  1  0.00  4  0  0   0   3.2   1   0   0
S Patterson   0  0  1  0.00  4  0  0   0   2.2   0   0   0
R Ohlendorf   0  0  0  0.00  2  0  0   0   1.2   2   0   0
H Phillips    0  0  0  0.00  3  0  0   0   3.1   2   0   0
K Igawa       0  0  0  0.00  2  0  0   0   4.0   0   0   0
C Britton     0  0  0  0.00  3  0  0   0   3.0   1   1   0
J Karstens    1  1  0  1.80  2  0  0   0   5.0   5   1   1
J Albaladejo  0  0  0  3.85  3  0  0   0   4.2   7   3   2
S Henn        0  0  0  4.50  2  0  0   0   2.0   4   2   1
D Geise       0  0  0  4.50  2  0  0   0   2.0   1   1   1
B Bruney      0  0  0  6.00  3  0  0   0   3.0   5   2   2
J Veras       0  0  0  9.00  2  0  0   0   2.0   2   2   2
D Rasner      0  0  0 10.13  3  0  0   0   5.1   6   6   6
E Ramirez     0  1  0 10.15  4  0  0   0   2.2   4   4   3
                                                          
PLAYER        W  L  S  ERA   G GS CG SHO    IP   H   R  ER
------        -  -  -  ---   - -- -- ---    --   -   -  --
M Rivera      0  0  0  0.00  2  0  0   0   2.0   0   0   0
L Hawkins     0  0  0  0.00  3  0  0   0   3.0   3   2   0
K Farnsworth  0  0  0  2.25  4  0  0   0   4.0   3   1   1
J Chamberlai  0  0  0  4.16  2  1  0   0   4.1   4   2   2

Let's assume that Karstens gets the job as long man in the pen and Traber gets the lefty-specialist slot. Who should get the last spot in the pen? Patterson? Ohlendorf?

Here's a dark horse, of sorts: Kei Igawa.

For what it's worth, last year, batters hit .235 against Igawa during his first 25 pitches in a game and they hit .353 against him during pitches 26 through 50. Maybe Igawa can be a useful one-inning middle reliever and a mop-up long-man to be used in blow-outs?

A use for Kei Igawa, outside of a daily reminder for Brian Cashman on ways to throw away $46 million - imagine that!

Posted by WW Staff at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)

Mientkiewicz Mid-May Return?

I just read where Doug Mientkiewicz is trying to play some outfield and third base for the Pirates this spring - in addition to his usual position.

It was not too long ago where I heard Michael Kay (on the The Michael Kay Show on ESPN Radio - 1050 AM in NYC) tell a story where, supposedly, Mientkiewicz came to Brian Cashman this off-season, with his hat in hand, looking for a job. As Kay told it, Cash told Mientkiewicz that he was looking in another direction – to which Mientkiewicz, reportedly, told Cashman 'Just watch, you’re going to miss me; and, I’ll be back on your team by May 15th.’

Again, this was all per Kay, so, who knows? But, assuming it is true, it will be interesting to see if Mientkiewicz was right or not, once May 15th comes up on the calendar.

Posted by WW Staff at 11:56 AM | Comments (2)

The Silence Is Deafening II

Hank Steinbrenner had nothing to say during the first 11 days of February. Then, he appeared again around mid-month. And, he really let loose at end of the month.

But, now, he's silent again - for the first 13 days of March, thereabouts. Not even a peep about the stuff with the Rays.

Where, oh, where, has our Hankie boy gone? Oh, where, oh, where can he be?

Or, is Hank only working the second half of each month this season?

Posted by WW Staff at 11:35 AM | Comments (0)

It's The Yankees, On Line One...

I just got a message that "the Yankees" called me and wanted to get some feedback from me on my experience attending games last season. "Oh, boy, this is great!," I thought to myself as I dialed back the call back number that was left as part of the message.

Guess what?

It was the Staten Island Yankees who had called me, as I learned when I returned the call, and not the New York Yankees.

Still, it's a nice touch for them to reach out to their fans and see what works and what doesn't, in terms of the fan's experience at the park.

File this under: Something that the big league team can learn from their minor league team.

Posted by WW Staff at 10:15 AM | Comments (1)

March 12, 2008

Yankee Slides Spikes High

Nope, we're not talking Shelley Duncan here. Instead, we're going back to October 6, 1977.

Game 2 of the 1977 ALCS - and it's the top of the 6th inning.

Frank White whiffs to start the frame for the Royals and that's followed by a Freddie Patek double. The next batter, Hal McRae walks - putting runners on first and second with one out.

Next, George Brett grounds a ball to Graig Nettles who fields it and throws to second, forcing McRae- where Willie Randolph attempts to turn a double play. However, McRae knocks Randolph into what seems like short left field with a nasty take-out "slide" and Patek rounds third and scores. This tied the game at two runs apiece. Al Cowens later flies out to center to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 6th, Graig Nettles goes down swinging as the lead-off batter for the Yankees. Thurman Munson then singles to center. After a Reggie Jackson pop-up to second, Lou Piniella singles to center. On the hit, Munson rounds second and slides late, and hard, with his spikes high, into third - where George Brett was covering the bag.

Afterwards, Munson said "I slid late just to let him know I was there. If I'd have wanted to hit him, I would have hit him. My argument isn't with George Brett. The guy I want to get is McRae. He better stay away from me. I told him so. He's been trying to hurt people for eight years."

The Yankees rallied from that point in the inning. Cliff Johnson doubled - scoring Munson and moving Piniella to third. After an intentional walk to Chris Chambliss, Willie Randolph hit a grounder to third that led to a George Brett error and that plated Piniella and Johnson. Bucky Dent popped to second to end the inning - but the Yankees scored three runs and took a 5-2 lead. (New York would go on to win the game, 6-2.)

Back in the day, I don't think too many Yankees fans were upset with Munson for sliding into Brett, late, with his spikes high. Then again, maybe it was a different day and age, and game, back then too?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:37 PM | Comments (13)

Rays Not Happy With Duncan

Marc Lancaster of the Rays Report has all the juicy quotes from the Tampa players on Shelley's Slide.

Posted by WW Staff at 03:46 PM | Comments (17)

The Brawl Game In St. Pete Today

Via Mark Feinsand:

Heath Phillips, starting in place of an injured Andy Pettitte, was ejected with two outs in the first after brushing Rays third baseman Evan Longoria across the chest with a pitch.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi argued the ejection, but home plate umpire Chad Fairchild stood by his decision.

Shelley Duncan led off the top of the second with a base hit to left field, which he tried to stretch into a double. With the throw beating him easily to second, Duncan came sliding hard into second baseman Akinori Iwamura, leading with his spikes.

Second-base ump Charlie Reliford immediately ejected Duncan, who had made some thinly veiled comments a few days ago about ratcheting up the intensity of the spring games against the Rays after watching Tampa Bay infielder Elliot Johnson bowl over Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli last weekend, fracturing Cervelli’s wrist.

With Duncan still on the ground following his hard slide, Rays right fielder Jonny Gomes sprinted in and jumped on Duncan, prompting both benches to clear. The two teams tangled around second base for a few minutes, though it didn’t appear any punches were thrown.

Duncan and Gomes were ejected, as were Yankees third-base coach Bobby Meacham and hitting coach Kevin Long.

Remember Rico Bergman? I think we need to start calling Shelley Duncan "Kong Hustle" going forward - because he's built like Dave "Kong" Kingman and plays like Pete "Charlie Hustle" Rose.

You don't want to mess with one of Kong Hustle's homies, because, if you do, you will answer to Kong Hustle, it appears.

Posted by WW Staff at 02:25 PM | Comments (8)

Allard On-Air Tomorrow With Camp Talk

Phil Allard of WCBS Newsradio 880 will be doing a (mid-March) update about the Yankees Spring Training camp, tomorrow, at 7 pm ET, as part of his bi-monthly show on Gotham Baseball Live. Click here for more details.

Posted by WW Staff at 02:10 PM | Comments (0)

Pettitte Scratched Today

Via the AP:

New York Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte was scratched from his start Wednesday against Tampa Bay due to a minor muscle irritation in his left forearm.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Pettitte will make his next scheduled start in five days, and that the injury will not keep the pitcher from being ready for the start of the regular season.

"It is nothing serious," Girardi said. "He's mad at us for not letting him throw today, but it was kind of an executive decision that we made. We figure we'll just back him off and he'll make his next start, and it won't change where he starts during the season."

Girardi said Pettitte felt the discomfort after his last bullpen session.

Let's hope this is nothing. If not, it's not good news.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:30 AM | Comments (1)

Alex Rios

Ever watch someone who plays for another team and get that feeling that says "Someday, this guy is going to be on the Yankees"?

Sometimes, guys end up playing for the Yankees and it's someone that you never expected would play for them. Players like John Montefusco, Lee Mazzilli, Mike Easler, Jack Clark, Gaylord Perry, Ken Holtzman, John Olerud, Mark Whiten, Tim Foli, John Mayberry, Darryl Strawberry, Phil Niekro, Tom Brookens, Jesse Barfield, Spike Owen, Aurelio Rodriguez, Rondell White, Tony Fernandez, Rafael Santana, Omar Moreno, Claudell Washington and Steve Sax come to mind. And, such a list can go a lot longer.

But, for me, everyone once in a while, I see someone and think "I don't know how, or when, but, it just feels like this guy is going to end up in the Bronx someday playing for the Yankees."

It doesn't always work out. I used to feel that way about Harold Baines - and it never happened.

Yet, whenever I see Alex Rios, I think he's going to end up with the Yanks at some point in the future. I know that Rios is not eligible for free agency until after the 2010 season - and that's three long years from now. And, it's not like the Yankees and Blue Jays are best trading buddies. So, the "how" part here is a tough nut.

But, who knows? Maybe Rios has a huge 2008 and the Jays decide that dealing with him in salary arbitration is too much and the Yankees, needing a right-fielder after Abreu, make Toronto an offer that they cannot refuse? Stranger things have happened.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:50 AM | Comments (5)

What's In A Name?

Moshe Mandel over at the Bronx Block is having a "Name The Three Kids Contest" and is offering a Yankees DVD set and Yankees tickets for the best suggestion.

If anyone goes with "Leiter, Arnsberg and Fulton," I want to split the prize with you if you win.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:30 AM | Comments (0)

Cashman On Brackman

Via John Harper -

"You saw what David Price did, right?" Cashman was saying Tuesday. "Well, up until April of last year, the question in the industry was who was going to be the No.1 pick, Price or Brackman.

"So as much as the talk was about Price that day, I was thinking, 'I can't wait until our guy has a chance to get out there and feature the stuff he has.' Because he was neck-and-neck with Price until he hurt his arm, and I believe we'll see that same kind of talent when he comes back."

"It will just take a little more of what we've been asking for around here," Cashman said. "And that's patience."

"He wasn't even on our radar until the injury because he was going to go so high," Cashman said. "That allowed us to have a chance, and we knew he'd probably need Tommy John surgery, but we've had a history of success with guys who had it done, and there's a 92% success rate with it throughout baseball, so we decided to go ahead and take him.

"My feeling is we're the Yankees and we should be very aggressive in going after the best amateur talent, even if it comes with some risk."

This is an interesting concept. I don't know where Cash gets his "92% success rate" on TJ surgery cases - so, I cannot confirm it or contest it.

I found a very recent feature that says "Today, the success rate for Tommy John surgery is about 85 percent, with pitchers following a rehabilitation timeline not all that different from the one John used during 1975."

In any event, I would like to see that broken down to "success rate" on proven major league pitchers and "success rate" on amateur pitchers - which Brackman really is, at this point, since he's yet to throw a real pitch in a professional game.

This is just a gut feel thing - but, I would bet that the "success rate" is higher on guys with professional track records over guys who had it in High School or College. Again, this is not based on fact. It just seems that, if someone's ulnar collateral ligament is ready to blow at such a young age, without all the pressure of the innings logged as a professional, it's a sign that we're not dealing with the greatest wing in the world here.

Without the benefit of any study and/or data, this is all just words in the wind...and I admit that, freely. Perhaps someone has already studied this? It would be a nice report to see...and apply it to Brackman's case.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:54 AM | Comments (2)

Phil Hughes & Jaret Wright

In "The Baseball Prospect Book 2007," John Sickels listed the Yankees' Phil Hughes as the best pitching prospect in all of baseball. In "The Baseball Prospect Book 1997," Sickels listed the Indians' Jaret Wright as the best pitching prospect in all of baseball.

Just playing around with the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia, looking for 21-year old pitchers who had the same relative command as Phil Hughes (last season), I set the controls for:

1997-2007, RIGHT HANDED PITCHERS who were AGE <= 21
with GAMES STARTED BETWEEN 10 AND 20 and
STRIKEOUTS/WALKS BETWEEN 0.2 AND -0.2 vs. the league average
and RSAA BETWEEN 0 AND 5.
Show INNINGS PITCHED and ERA vs. the league average.

And, this is what came up:

RSAA                          YEAR    RSAA      GS      SO/BB    RSAA      IP       ERA    
1    Phil Hughes              2007        2       13     0.00        2     72.2     0.05   
2    Jaret Wright             1997        1       16     -.04        1     90.1     0.19   

Check it out. Twenty-one year old Über-Pitching-Prospect Phil Hughes, in 2007, had the same relative pitching results, in just about the same number of innings, etc., as twenty-one year old Über-Pitching-Prospect Jaret Wright had in 1997.

This doesn't imply anything. It's just interesting to see how close they were - all things considered.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:45 AM | Comments (10)

March 11, 2008

Edwin Jackson

Tonight I find myself thinking about a non-Yankee baseball thought. It's the story of Edwin Jackson.

In the 2004 Edition of Baseball Prospectus, on Jackson, it said: "Some people consider Jackson to be the best pitcher under 21 in professional baseball. It's easy to understand why: After a full-season at Double-A Jacksonville at the age of 19 (where he struck out more than a batter per inning, and posted a K:BB ratio of three-to-one), Jackson debuted at Dodger Stadium on his 20th birthday." In fact, in the same BP 2004, Rany Jazayerli ranked Edwin Jackson as the best pitching prospect in baseball and the 6th best prospect overall in the game.

And, BP was not alone in their praise of Jackson. In Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects 2004, they listed Edwin Jackson as the top pitching prospect in the game and the 4th best overall prospect in the game.

Lastly, in his Baseball Prospect Book 2004, John Sickels listed Edwin Jackson as the third best pitching prospect in baseball - behind Zack Grienke and Ryan Wagner. Further, in an ESPN.com feature near the end of the 2003 season, this is what Sickels had to say about Jackson:

Although he has yet to receive much media attention, Dodgers right-hander Edwin Jackson has snuck into the upper tier of minor-league pitching prospects.

He has one of the best fastballs in the system, hitting 95 mph at times, with movement. He also has a very good slider. His curveball and changeup are inconsistent, but both have promise. Jackson's command is excellent. He throws strikes with regularity, and his mechanics are both clean and consistent, which helps keep his command in gear. He has a good feel for pitching, needing only additional experience to round out his package of skills.

There are no holes in Jackson's stat line. His K/BB, K/IP, and H/IP ratios are all significantly above league average this year. Of note is the increase in his strikeout rate between last year and this season, especially impressive since the improvement has come at a higher level against older competition. Jackson has given up just 11 homers in his professional career, another good sign. Lefties have hit him at just a .188 clip this year, another positive marker.

...

Jackson has had no significant injury problems. His athleticism and clean mechanics should help keep him healthy, and he has less mileage on his arm than many pitchers his age.

So, what happened?

Jackson tanked in 2004 and 2005. He lost some life on his fastball and command as well. And, prior to the season of 2006, he was traded by the Dodgers, at the age of 21, to the (then) Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Sadly, he struggled in 2006 as well. But, then in Spring Training of 2007, Edwin Jackson, still (then) just 23 years of age - the same age as Ian Kennedy and just a year older than Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes now - got back on track.

During Spring Training 2007, Edwin Jackson pitched in 7 games, covering 20.6 innings, allowing just 17 hits while whiffing 18 batters. On the spring, his ERA was a sparkling 1.74 - and it appeared that Edwin was back to where he was at the start of 2004.

And, what happened?

Jackson, in 2007, pitching in the big leagues, tanked again. Of all the pitchers to log 150+ IP in the A.L., he was the least effective pitcher in the league.

It's pretty interesting how a guy can go from being considered, universally, as the best pitching prospect in the game at age 20 to being the worst pitcher in the majors at age 23 - without any serious injury to tie it back to as the cause.

It just doesn't seem possible, does it? But, it happened. Back at the end of 2003, I bet few predicted that the next four years would be as bad as they have been for Jackson. Baseball is a funny game.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:34 PM | Comments (6)

Verducci: 5 Breakout Pitchers For '08

Tom Verducci, today, lists "5 pitchers who could make a big jump in 2008" and none of them are named Wang, Hughes, Chamberlain or Kennedy.

Oh, what a house of pain....

("Jump" around...get it?)

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:07 PM | Comments (7)

Rocks: Zero Chance On Fuentes

Via the Denver Post -

Reliever Brian Fuentes also is attracting interest, with the Yankees keeping an eye on him. They had a scout at Monday's game as Fuentes threw a scoreless fifth inning.

Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd confirmed Monday there is "zero chance" he would trade the setup man right now.

This is a shame, for the Yankees, if true. Fuentes is a pretty good pitcher. And, he's good against both lefties and righties. He would be a solid pick-up for the Yankees bullpen.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:05 PM | Comments (0)

All In A Day's Wang

Today, down in Tampa, Worm Killer Wang started an exhibition contest for the Yankees, against the Blue Jays, and faced 13 batters - going 3.2 innings. Eight of the 11 outs he recorded were retired via ground balls (including a DP). The other two outs were a strikeout and flyball. (He also have up two hits and two walks.)

Fear not for the Wanger at this moment. All looks good in Worm-Killer-Land today.

Posted by WW Staff at 02:49 PM | Comments (2)

SNY's Salfino: Projecting Yanks

Michael Salfino of SNY.tv takes a stab at "Projecting the Yanks' lineup" this season.

It's a nice examination of Bill James, PECOTA, and ZiPS projections on some key Yankees.

Posted by WW Staff at 12:25 PM | Comments (4)

Hughes and Kennedy Keys To Yanks Big Season?

Inspired by yesterday's Quality Start conversation, I decided to look at five A.L. teams and how they've done the last three seasons in games where they got a Quality Start. Here's the data:

Based on this small sample of data, it suggests that a good team in the A.L. probably needs about 84 Quality Starts from their starting rotation - and maybe closer to 90. And, if they have a decent offense, they should win about 75% of those games.

Think about that for a moment. If a team gets 84 Quality Starts, and they play .750-ball in those games, which they should, then that’s 63 wins. This means the team would then have to only go 37-41 in their other 78 games to win 100 games on the season. Sounds easy, huh?

To get 84 Quality Starts on the season means you basically need a Quality Start every other day, during the year. Or, you need 16 Quality Starts from each of the five guys in your rotation - thereabouts.

For the Yankees, you have to expect that Wang and Pettitte can give you 16 Quality Starts each this season. The question remains: Can Mussina, Hughes, and Kennedy also give you 16 Quality Starts, each, this year?

Maybe they can? Or, maybe they can't? Hughes and Kennedy have never done it before in the majors. Last season, Mussina had 13 Quality Starts - which is close to 16. If he can do that again in 2008, it would help.

At the end of the day, the key to the Yankees 2008 season may just be how many Quality Starts they can get from Hughes and Kennedy. If it's around 30 or more, combined, that should be enough to win the A.L. East for the Yankees - assuming Pettitte, Wang, and Mussina are their usual thing.

Posted by WW Staff at 11:30 AM | Comments (1)

Are There Sox Fans In Mets Clothing?

From Ben Shpigel of the Times -

The Mets and the Red Sox, despite their memorable tussle in the 1986 World Series, are unofficial allies. They share a common enemy in the Yankees, whose senior vice president, Hank Steinbrenner, engaged in some kind-of, sort-of, not-really-unfriendly verbal jousting a week ago with Boston’s principal owner, John Henry, when Steinbrenner questioned the popularity of Red Sox Nation.

I have a few friends who are Mets fans who say that the Red Sox are their "second favorite team" or their "favorite A.L. team" - and they swear it has nothing to do with the Yankees. Sure.

It's funny, in Yankeeland, it doesn't work the other way. You don't see a lot of Yankees fans saying that the Phillies, Braves, or Cardinals (or whoever) are their second favorite team, etc.

What do you think? Are fans of the Mets, based on your experience, also often rooting for the Red Sox too? What's your thoughts on that?

Posted by WW Staff at 10:19 AM | Comments (8)

Filling Out The Yankees Roster

Pete Caldera on the Yankees roster:

At the start of business Monday morning, there were 16 legitimate reliever candidates inside the Yankees' clubhouse at Legends Field.

Opening day is in less than three weeks, and manager Joe Girardi believes that the battles among relievers and extra men could be waged until the final hours.

Shelley Duncan entered Monday with a .500 batting average (8-for-16), with nine RBI and was leading the Grapefruit League in slugging percentage. Next door to Ensberg's locker, old friend and former Astro Jason Lane was batting .312 (5-for-16), with a double, triple and home run.

If Girardi carries only Wilson Betemit as a backup middle infielder, there would be room for Ensberg, a career third baseman who is now making the transition to first base.

But the Yankees also like Lane, 31, another non-roster veteran slugger who is looked at mostly as an outfielder.

Duncan's spot is secure, though how he'll be used -- with a healthy Jason Giambi starting the bulk of games at first base -- is something of a mystery.

If Betemit is the lone extra middle infielder, it would cancel the candidacies of non-roster infielders Nick Green, Cody Ransom, Bernie Castro and Chris Woodward, who entered Monday with a .529 batting average (9-for-17), but had two errors in seven games.

With the relievers, Girardi said he hasn't seen much separation from his power right-handers. But he really won't be looking that deeply until the final 7-10 days of camp.

Sean Henn, who is out of options, is being pushed to the limit by Billy Traber, the non-roster lefty who could stick as a specialist.

There might be two spots to fill among Jonathan Albaladejo, Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens, Edwar Ramirez, Jose Veras and Bruney.

If Duncan has made the team, then you don't need Lane. And, you probably could then also consider Woodward over Ensberg - but, I would like to see the Yankees keep two righty bats, like Duncan and Ensberg, so that they can sit both Abreu and Giambi against tough lefties.

Traber or Henn? That's easy - if Traber is healthy, you have to give him the nod, even if it means losing Henn.

I think Karstens gets a bullpen spot - since Girardi has said he likes having a long man in the pen. As far as the last spot in the rotation, between Albaladejo, Ohlendorf, Ramirez, Veras and Bruney, man, that's a tough call. I don't think anyone can make a prediction there at this stage of the spring.

Posted by WW Staff at 09:51 AM | Comments (2)

March 10, 2008

Yanks Checking Out Blanton?

Via the San Francisco Chronicle:

A Yankees scout was at Sunday's game tracking Joe Blanton, a subject of trade rumors. "Until any trade happens, I can't worry about it," Blanton said.

Man, I dunno. When you look at the last two seasons, it seems like 2005 was a fluke for Blanton. Granted, he'll get you 30+ starts and 200 innings - and, that's awesome. But, at what price - in terms of what you have to give up to get him? Making a one-year offer to Kyle Lohse seems to make more sense than giving up prospects for Joe Blanton.

Via The Bill James Gold Mine 2008:

"The overall team winning percentage for pitchers making less than 20 starts is .439; for pitchers making less than ten starts it's .411 (data covers 2005-1007). The great value in a Livan Hernandez is that he minimizes the games you have to give to those spot starters who are generally going to get you a loss."

Kyle Lohse and Joe Blanton fit the Livan Hernandex profile too. But, again, if you have to give up prospects to get Blanton, then just sign Lohse.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:49 PM | Comments (1)

A-Rod: Jeter & I On The Honeymoon Again

Is that Ed Norton I hear on the piano, getting loose with Swanee River? A-Rod, on WFAN yesterday, via Kat O'Brien on his relationship with Jeter:

As for his relationship with Derek Jeter, [Alex] said: "I'll give it an A, A+. We're on the honeymoon again ... Things have been really good. It reminds me a little bit of our old days, back when we were kids."

This backs-up a George King report from February 23rd.

I asked Seth Maxwell if he thought the concept of Alex and Derek being on their honeymoon was gross and he said "That's not gross! [Bleep], gross is when you go to kiss your grandpa good night and he sticks his tongue down your throat. That's gross!"

Who am I to argue with that? Party on Alex and Derek.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:21 PM | Comments (0)

Maybe The Yanks Should Think Twice On Damaso Marte?

Via The Bill James Gold Mine 2008 on Damaso Marte:

Worst ERA When Recording a Hold in 2007 (min. 10 Holds):

Doug Brocail - 7.87 ERA - 10 Holds
Damaso Marte - 7.50 ERA - 15 Holds
Shawn Camp - 6.43 ERA - 11 Holds
Brad Hennessey - 6.35 ERA - 13 Holds
Kyle Farnsworth - 5.40 ERA - 15 Holds

Wow. Worse than Farnsie? Dat's no good. It's berry, berry, bad, my friends.

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

No, I'm Not Ignoring You

Yesterday, I lost my ability to make comments to blog entries here from my home ISP.

I think it's a TypeKey cookies issue or something. I'm trying to fix it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:08 PM | Comments (0)

The Doings Down In Tampa This Evening

Nice effort by Ian Kennedy in the game this evening against the Reds. You really can't ask for more than that - at this stage of the spring.

And, Joba Chamberlain in this game? Simple: Too many pitches per batter. He was supposed to go three or four innings tonight and only made it through two and a third. Not that it's a huge cause for concern - now. But, you want to see better from him during his next appearance. If not, then you can start to get concerned - but, just a little bit, and, not a lot (yet).

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:46 PM | Comments (2)

Billy Crystal, Latest Yankees Phenom

Via the AP -

Billy Crystal will get to "look mahvelous" in pinstripes. The actor will sign a one-day, minor league contract with the New York Yankees and play in Thursday's exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Crystal, an avid Yankees fan, will work out with the team on Wednesday and will wear uniform No. 60 for the game — to be played one day before his 60th birthday. The Yankees said Monday they have the approval of baseball commissioner Bud Selig.

"I've been waiting 50 years for this call," Crystal said in a statement released by the team. "I'm overwhelmed by the generosity of the Yankees and commissioner Selig. I know this'll be tougher than the Broadway Softball League, but I'm looking forward to helping the younger players, which by the way is all of them. Oops, I have to go, Scott Boras is on the phone."

Crystal, according to the Yankees hit .348 and was captain during his senior year at Long Beach High School in New York. He directed and produced "61 ," a move about Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle and the 1961 Yankees.

"The Yankees are excited to welcome the newest member of our team known for his humor and wit as well as his undying love for the Yankees," chief operating officer Lonn Trost said.

Better that Crystal plays Thursday, rather than Wednesday. The Yankees play the Rays on Wednesday. Billy would be no match for Elliot Johnson, if they should meet on the baselines.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:38 PM | Comments (0)

March 2008 Survey Question #1

Should a Rangers/NHL hockey game be the last sporting event played at the current Yankee Stadium before it is closed for good?

Update: This poll is now closed. Click on the thumbnail below to see the results:

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:34 PM | Comments (0)

Yanks Sign Moeller

Via the official Yankees site:

The Yankees' catching situation is cemented at the big league level, with veteran Jose Molina backing up starter Jorge Posada. But Moeller said that he has been told a starting job awaits at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

"They told me to come in and be ready to play this spring," Moeller said. "Catching is already set here, but it's an opportunity to go and play at Triple-A and be on the field. That's pretty much all you're asking for."

Via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia:

Catchers, 1973-2007, min 1300 PA, ranked by worst OWP:

OWP                             OWP      PA     
1    Matt Walbeck               .237     2279   
2    Steve Swisher              .237     1577   
3    Chad Moeller               .242     1321   
4    Jorge Fabregas             .244     1994   
5    Joel Skinner               .258     1551   
6    Henry Blanco               .267     2249   
7    Gary Bennett               .276     1851   
8    Andy Allanson              .287     1633   
9    Mike Matheny               .288     4287   
10   Mike DiFelice              .289     1692   

Hey, what can I say? He's worse than Joel Skinner. Wow.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:59 PM | Comments (3)

Inside Access Derek Jeter DVD

ESPN Inside Access--Derek Jeter (DVD) will be released on April 15, 2008. The skinny:

ESPN Inside Access grants fans an unprecedented look into the lives of sports living legends. Witness Mr. November's greatness first-hand in this in-depth and unique profile of Yankees All-Star Derek Jeter. Lauded for his signature moments, including The Flip and The Dive, and cheered for his stats and on-field heroics (career batting average of .317, three Gold Gloves, two Silver Slugger Awards), Derek Sanderson Jeter has risen to MLB superstardom. Since making his big league debut in 1995, Jeter has led the Yankees with his bat, his glove and a champion's will. The only player in MLB history to win MVP of both the All-Star Game and the World Series in the same year (2000), the All-Star shortstop has guided his team to four World Series titles in five appearances and has been in the playoffs every year of his career. Filled with rare footage of Jeter's minor league stint with the Columbus Clippers, interviews with family, teammates and broadcasters, exciting MLB footage, and funny off-the-field appearances on such shows as Saturday Night Live, witness the Yankees captain as you never have before. Go beyond the diamond to understand why Derek Jeter, in the tradition of such legends as Mantle, DiMaggio and Ruth, is the Yankees next great legacy.

Betcha all those "Past-a-diving Jeter" clips got left on the cutting room floor.

Posted by WW Staff at 04:37 PM | Comments (1)

The Best Fielding SS In Yankees History

Five days ago, I wrote:

If I had to offer an all-time “Top Ten” of Yankees slick fielding shortstops, I would offer the following list – with the caveat that it’s derived in the absence of data and formed mostly due to subjective feelings:

1. Bucky Dent
2. Gil McDougald
3. Alvaro Espinoza
4. Fred Stanley
5. Phil Rizzuto
6. Tony Kubek
7. Everett Scott
8. Gene Michael
9. Tom Tresh
10. Frankie Crosetti

Then, yesterday, Sky Kalkman suggested a way to quantify defensive value, rather than use to "feel" method (that I employed).

As a follow up to all this, I asked Sky to derive a list of the best and worst fielding shortstops in Yankees history, based on his data and approach, realizing that he's only going back to 1956. And, this is what we was able to provide:

All Yankees with positive career contributions at SS:

Bucky Dent 66
Tony Kubek 66
Gil McDougald 16
Wayne Tolleson 13
Tom Tresh 13
Alvaro Espinoza 10
Andy Stankiewicz 8
Fred Stanley 5
Joe DeMaestri 5
Andre Robertson 4
Jerry Kenney 2
Jim Mason 2
Bobby Murcer 1
Wilson Delgado 1
Felix Escalona 1
Fritz Brickell 1
Ron Hansen 1
Phil Linz 1

Bottom 10 with ties:

Randy Velarde -5
Tim Foli -5
Enrique Wilson -5
Alfonso Soriano -5
Dave Silvestri -5
Mike Gallego -6
Bob Meacham -11
Rafael Santana -11
Roy Smalley -11
Horace Clarke -11
Erick Almonte -16
Derek Jeter -96

So, my "feel" on the following wasn't so bad, after all:

1. Bucky Dent
2. Gil McDougald
3. Alvaro Espinoza
4. Fred Stanley
6. Tony Kubek
9. Tom Tresh

It seems the one that I missed on was Stick Michael.

Since Dent played less games at short for New York than Kubek and they both had equal "positive career contributions," I feel pretty good about sticking with Bucky Dent as being the best fielding shortstop in Yankees history.

Posted by WW Staff at 03:38 PM | Comments (0)

Should I Stop Hoping?

Mets Geek has an interesting interview posted with Yankees beat reporter Bryan Hoch. (Hat tip to MetsBlog on that one.)

It's funny, Hoch grew up a big Mets fan, and is covering the Yankees. Meanwhile, Peter Abraham grew up following the Red Sox and he also covers the Yankees. Maybe there's no hope for a Yankees fan to cover the Yankees in the media someday?

Posted by WW Staff at 02:28 PM | Comments (1)

Budget Travel Blog Takes The Tour

Anthony Falcone of Newsweek's Budget Travel Blog takes "A Tour of Baseball's Cathedral" - aka Yankee Stadium. This includes a nice slide show to check out, in case you're interested.

Posted by WW Staff at 01:59 PM | Comments (0)

Can Yanks '08 Rotation Match '07 Rotation?

WasWatching.com reader “Andrew” recently made the following comment at this blog (in another entry):

“…I really think you're completely missing the boat on the 'rolling the dice' with the kids. Last year, the Yankees won 94 games, and their only two reliable starters were Wang and Pettitte. So, replace the rest of the junk in the rotation from 2007, and put in Hughes, Kennedy and Chamberlain.

Here, some proof. From starters not named Wang, Pettitte, or Hughes, in 2007, those starters compiled a nice stat line of something like a 6-something ERA. So if you expect the same from Wang, Pettitte, and a 4.50 ERA from Hughes, all the Yankees need is a 6.00 ERA from Kennedy, Chamberlain, Moose and whomever else to match last year! 94 wins! Yet the Yankees are betting the season on the young arms and if they fail the Yankees are sunk. Well, okay. But completely, utterly, false.”

This was food for thought. So, I decided to go back and look at the stats from 2007 – to see just how much starting pitchers “Not named Pettitte or Wang” helped the Yankees last season. To that end, I decided to use “Quality Starts” as a yardstick. What follows below is a breakdown by month, for 2007, in terms Quality Starts for the Yanks and who made them:

As you can see, when things were going good for the Yankees last year, they received about 15 Quality Starts from their pitchers each month. And, ballpark, Andy Pettitte and Worm Killer Wang were good for about half of those Quality Starts each month.

This means, if the Yankees (in 2008) want to “match last year” (as Andrew puts it) “the rest of the junk in the rotation from 2007” (meaning pitchers not named Pettitte and Wang) and use “Hughes, Kennedy and Chamberlain” (or, Hughes, Kennedy and Mussina – since everyone knows that Moose will be in the rotation to start the season), they’re going to need 7 or 8 Quality Starts from those starting pitchers “Not Named Pettitte or Wang” per month.

To me, if I’m doing my math correctly, this means that those starting pitchers “Not Named Pettitte or Wang” will need to post a Quality Start one out of every two times they take the mound. (Again, assuming that Pettitte and Wang can, combined, give the Yankees 48 Quality Starts this season, then Mussina/Hughes/Kennedy, combined, will have to give the Yankees 48 Quality Starts as well – to give the Yankees 96 Quality Starts on the year, which would be an average of 15 per month on the season.)

Personally, I still think it’s going to be a tall order – because of the advanced age of Mussina and the young ages of Hughes and Kennedy – to expect these guys to post a Quality Start one out of every two starts that they make this season. But, if someone else wants to believe otherwise, I will not stand in their way.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:27 PM | Comments (17)

The Joe Girardi Show

Via the YES Network site with a hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org:

The Joe Girardi Show, a weekly half-hour show presented in high-definition featuring first-year New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, will premiere on the YES Network (www.yesnetwork.com) on Sunday, April 6, at 5 pm ET, immediately following the Tampa Bay-Yankees post-game show. A new episode of The Joe Girardi Show will premiere each Sunday during the season.

On his show, Girardi, a former Yankees analyst on YES, will discuss the overall state of the Yankees, review the team's previous performances and dissect its upcoming schedule. In addition to his weekly YES show, Girardi will participate in weekly chat sessions on YESNetwork.com.

Let's just hope this is not something that gives Randy Levine an excuse to whisper into Kim Jones' ear. O.K., seriously, I'm looking forward to this - it could be very interesting. Or, then again, it could be a weekly puff piece - like a Yankees On Deck for adults. Time will tell.

Posted by WW Staff at 09:26 AM | Comments (3)

El Niño de Grasa Missed The Memo

Via Anthony Rieber:

Much has been made of the Yankees' improved fitness, and many players are in better shape (Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Brian Bruney, to name a few). One player who apparently didn't get the memo is reliever Jonathan Albaladejo, whom the Yankees got from Washington for Tyler Clippard. Albaladejo is listed at 6-5, 260 pounds but has what generously can be called a lumpy body. GM Brian Cashman, though, said Albaladejo is not out of shape as far as he's concerned (appearances notwithstanding, apparently). "That's the way he was when he came over from Washington," Cashman said. "He's a big boy."

When asked about Cashman's remark, Albaladejo, pictured below, had no comment.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:51 AM | Comments (0)

Duncan Sends Message To Rays

Is Shelley Duncan turning into our own little Kevin Millar circa '04? Via Mark Feinsand -

"What it does is it opens another chapter of intensity in the spring training ballgames," Duncan said Sunday about the incident in Saturday's game between the Yankees and Rays. "They showed what is acceptable to them and how they're going to play the game, so we're going to go out there to match their intensity - or even exceed it."

"There's going to be no malicious evil intent in terms of carryover, but it just adds a different type of fire to your gut when you play that team because you understand how they're playing the game and what their mind-set is," Duncan said.

Good for Duncan to lay this out on the line. Last season, the Yankees went 10-8 against the Rays. Considering how much Tampa Bay is improved now, it won't hurt the Yankees to turn up the intensity dial when they face the Rays this season.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:36 AM | Comments (0)

March 09, 2008

Replay Of Me On On Gotham Baseball

To hear a replay of Mike Silva's interview of me, that aired tonight on Gotham Baseball Live, click here.

The interview (with me) starts 34 minutes and 4 seconds into the clip (found on BlogTalkRadio via the link).

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:28 PM | Comments (2)

Hughes Remains Scoreless This Spring

Another good outing today for Phil Hughes. So far, this spring, Hughes has not allowed a hit or run in five innings worth of work. And, related, fans of Phil are elated. Then again, also with his work today, Kei Igawa remains perfect on the spring - not allowing a hit or run in four innings of work.

Spring training stats are tricky. Last spring, Igawa fashioned an ERA of 2.65 in 17 innings worth of work - and we all know how his regular season went down.

The true test for Hughes, and Igawa as well, begins now. Phil's next three starts will be closer to regular season action - as opposed to the line-ups that he's faced to date and the conditioning of their batters.

Personally, I'll be rooting for Hughes to keep up the great work - because that would be great news for the Yankees. Over the next three weeks, we'll see if my hopes come true or not.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:58 PM | Comments (6)

Gotham Baseball Live - Tonight 7 PM

Just a reminder that tonight, during the 7 pm (ET) hour, I'll be on Gotham Baseball Live with Mike Silva - to talk some Yankees baseball and happenings about this blog. Click here for more information.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)

Yanks Scoping Out Damaso Marte?

Kevin from Queens asked recently, via e-mail:

What's the latest with the Yankees and southpaw Damaso Marte? I read rumors about a potential trade with the Pirates during Winter Meetings but have not heard much since. He seems like an ideal arm to add to the bullpen and would make Joba's transition from reliever to starter much smoother. Any chance this could still happen or am I just dreaming? What do you think the Pirates would demand in return?

According to Nick Cafardo this morning, "The Yankees are looking far and wide for a lefthanded reliever. According to scouts, they have their eyes on Pittsburgh's Damaso Marte and Colorado's Brian Fuentes."

So, it appears that Marte is still on the Yankees radar - as he was last December and the December before that.

My guess is that the Yankees want to see Marte throw some more this spring while also figuring out if Billy Traber has some value, before making a move on the Pirates' lefty.

And, the cost? Marte is signed for this season and the Pirates have an option on him for 2009 as well. So, this would not be a situation where the Pirates have to trade him or risk losing him for nothing at the end of the season. That said, I don't think it would take a "blue chip" pitching prospect to get him - like Alan Horne. But, it would not shock me to see the Pirates ask for someone like Dan McCutchen, Jeffrey Marquez, or George Kontos in combination with a position propsect like Damon Sublett, Josue Calzado or Jose Pirela.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:01 AM | Comments (3)

Kalkman: Historical Yankee Fielding

Sky Kalkman has decided to examine historical Yankee fielding. What follows below is Sky's own words. Thanks to Sky for sharing this content with WasWatching.com!

With the re-re-revival of the Derek Jeter fielding debate and the recent post [here] about historical Yankee fielding, I wanted to take a look at what the numbers have to say. I realize the numbers are exactly what many Derek Jeter supporters are railing against, but let's consider this a tour of Yankee history and a jumping off platform for more discussion.

First of all, what exactly are these numbers? I'm using TotalZone zone rating for the years 1956 through 1986 and STATS zone rating from 1987 through 2007 to measure range. (You can find links to these files, plus more, at this page.) The concept behind the two systems is the same, but the data through 1986 isn't as complete and therefore is a bit less accurate. But it's still way better than using fielding percentage or range factor. Why? Well, here's the short version. For a longer version, try this.

Zone ratings measure the number of batted balls turned into outs compared to the number of opportunities a fielder has. By opportunities, I mean any balls hit within a pre-defined area of responsibility on the field. (That's why you need play-by-play data -- it contains hit locations.)

Then, each player is compared to average for his position, and the number of plays above- or below-average is converted into runs. Each extra play made is worth about .8 runs. That number might seem large at first, but it's just the difference between the average value of an out (+.3 runs) and a single (-.5 runs) from the defense's perspective.

Team-Seasons

Ok, on to the numbers. Actually, let's start with a graph of Yankee team fielding runs compared to average for every season since 1956.

Before 1980, only four Yankee teams were worse than average. Since then, only four have been above average. Overall, things even out with the organization only 27 runs worse than average in 52 years. Compare that to the Mets, who were more than 1000 runs worse than average since 1962. Ouch.

Let's take a look at the positive end of the spectrum first with the best fielding season, 1976. The bicentennial team was 94 runs better than average, which lopped more than half a run off each pitcher's ERA. Graig Nettles (3B) led the way with +26 runs, but every other starter except Fred Stanley was at least +8 runs at their position: Willie Randolph (2B), Chris Chambliss (1B), Mickey Rivers, (CF), Roy White (LF), and Oscar Gamble (RF). Even Jim Mason was +7 runs in part time duty.

1960 wasn't a bad year, either, clocking in at +84 runs. That team was more top-heavy in the field, with four players at least +14 runs relative to their position: Tony Kubek (SS), Clete Boyer (3B), Roger Maris (RF), and Gil McDougald (2B/3B). Moose Skowron also had his best fielding season over at first base.

The only very good fielding season since 1978 came in the magical year of 1998, at +44 runs. Scott Brosius (3B) was all that his legend claims him to be, saving 23 runs compared to average. Paul O'Neill (RF) was excellent, Chad Curtis and Bernie Williams both cracked double digits, and Derek Jeter managed a positive number. On the negative side, Homer Bush (2B), Dale Sveum (UT), and Tim Raines (OF) were all -5 runs.

All-Time Leaders

Who are the best fielders in Yankee history? Here are the top and bottom career performers by position, only including their seasons in pinstripes.

Moose Skowron takes the top first base spot at +43 career runs, followed by Chris Chambliss (+35), Joe Pepitone (+30), and Tino Martinez (+28). Nobody truly awful has played first base for the Yankees in the past 50 years, although Jason Giambi scores the lowest at -14. Surprisingly, Don Mattingly clocks in at -10 runs in his career.

Willie Randolph (+51) and Horace Clarke (+45) are the runaway leaders at second base, while Alfonso Soriano and Chuck Knoblauch bring up the rear at -24 runs.

At short, Bucky Dent and Tony Kubek both contributed +66 runs over their careers. And yes, Mr. Jeter brings up the rear at -96 runs.

Stellar play at third base is definitely a Yankee tradition. (Maybe that's why the team left Jeter at short when ARod joined the team...) Four players were at least 40 runs better than average over their careers: Clete Boyer (+124), Graig Nettles (+98), Scott Brosius (+45), and Jerry Kenney (+44). Mike Pagliarulo brings up the rear (-27).

Center field isn't as impressive, with Mickey Rivers (+30) and Rickey Henderson (+24) leading the way. Bernie Williams (-67) held on to his position too long, while Bobby Murcer (-28) and Mickey Mantle (-21) are also worth mentioning.

In the corners -- I'm combining LF and RF because players at those positions often play both -- Roy White (+80) is the only player more than 20 runs above average. On the other end of the spectrum you've got Hideki Matsui (-34) and Dave Winfield (-29).

Single Season Leaders

How about the best individual performances in a single season? Let's move to a chart form:

Pos	Name           	Year	Runs
1B	Pep/Tino      	'63/'00	+10 
2B	W. Randolph	1976	+19 
SS	Bucky Dent      1980	+20 
3B	Clete Boyer	1961	+30 
CF	R.Henderson	1985	+15 
CO	Roy White   	1969	+15 

No surprises there, except Rickey taking the top spot in center, perhaps.

And the worst:

Pos	Name            Year	Runs
1B	Blomberg/Mantle	'72/'68	 -9 
2B	Chuck Knoblauch	1999	-15 
SS	Derek Jeter	2007	-20 
3B	Mike Pagliarulo	1987	-20 
CF	Bernie Williams	2002	-21 
CO	Steve Kemp      1984	-11 

I'm somewhat surprised Chuck Knoblauch's worst season is only at -15 runs. His range must have been pretty good to make up for some of the errant throws.

Gold Glove Winners

I went through every Gold Glove awarded to a Yankee and listed their runs above average for that season. The fifth column notes the actual deserving winner or contains other information. I left some comments blank when the Gold Glove was obviously undeserved (like during Mattingly's run.)

Pos	Year	Player		Runs	Comments        
1B	1965	Joe Pepitone	+7	close enough    
1B	1966	Joe Pepitone	+6	George Scott +15
1B	1969	Joe Pepitone	+4	close enough    
1B	1978	Chris Chambliss	+10	close enough    
1B	1985	Don Mattingly	-2	                
1B	1986	Don Mattingly	-4                      
1B	1987	Don Mattingly	-1	                
1B	1988	Don Mattingly	+5	                
1B	1989	Don Mattingly	-4	McGwire won '90 
1B	1991	Don Mattingly	0	                
1B	1992	Don Mattingly	-1	                
1B	1993	Don Mattingly	+6	only legit GG   
1B	1994	Don Mattingly	-2	                

2B	1961	Bobby Richardso	-11	worst in majors
2B	1962	Bobby Richardso	+3	Je. Kindall +19
2B	1963	Bobby Richardso	+12	only legit GG  
2B	1964	Bobby Richardso	0	Bobby Knoop +25
2B	1965	Bobby Richardso	-12	worst in majors

SS	2004	Derek Jeter	+3	Bobby Crosby +15 
SS	2005	Derek Jeter	+1	Jhonny Peralta +9
SS	2006	Derek Jeter	-5	Juan Uribe +14   

3B	1977	Graig Nettles	+9	George Brett +16
3B	1978	Graig Nettles	+11	deserved        
3B	1994	Wade Boggs 	+5	deserved        
3B	1995	Wade Boggs 	+13	deserved        
3B	1999	Scott Brosius	+9	deserved        

OF	1958	Norm Siebern	+8	close enough          
OF	1960	Roger Maris	+16	deserved              
OF	1962	Mickey Mantle	-13	second worst in majors
OF	1965	Tom Tresh      	-8	                      
OF	1972	Bobby Murcer	-3	                      
OF	1982	Dave Winfield	-9	                      
OF	1983	Dave Winfield	-16	worst in majors       
OF	1984	Dave Winfield	-6	                      
OF	1985	Dave Winfield	-3	                      
OF	1987	Dave Winfield	-1	                      
OF	1997	Bernie Williams	+1	                      
OF	1998	Bernie Williams	+10	only legit GG         
OF	1999	Bernie Williams	-15	                      
OF	2000	Bernie Williams	-5	                      

I have no idea how Clete Boyer never won a Gold Glove. Any thoughts on Mattingly's numbers? Was he more style than substance? Was his main strength scooping balls thrown his way? (According to Sean, no.)

One thing that would be worth exploring further is players winning the award a year or two after a great defensive season. It takes a little time for the managers to catch on, I think.

Finally, a note on Dave Winfield. His fielding reputation was obviously more for his arm, not his range. The value of most corner outfield arms swing from about -7 to +7 runs, but it's certainly possible to be higher than +10 runs, with a one-off season maybe at +15. Adding 10 runs per season to Winfield's total makes some seasons acceptable, although he's still a corner outfielder competing against center fielders. (Why isn't there a separate Gold Glove for center fielders?)

You can download and peruse these values at your leisure, but I'm also happy to answer questions about specific players, teams, or methods in the comments. Or email me -- skyking162@gmail.com

Sky writes about fielding and other under-appreciated aspects of baseball at his blog, skyking162.com

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:54 AM | Comments (4)

March 08, 2008

Rays Elliot Johnson Injures Yanks Francisco Cervelli

Elliot Johnson signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2002 - out of high school. In his six seasons in the minors, to date, he's fashioned a lifetime batting average of .250 with an OPS of .702 (in 2,205 AB). He's played second base during most of his minor league career. He'll be 24-years old, tomorrow.

During the top of the ninth inning of today's exhibition game between the Rays and the Yankees, Johnson attempted to barrel over Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli as he tried to score a Willy Aybar double. Johnson lowered his right shoulder into Cervelli and the impact resulted in a fractured right wrist for the Yankees catching prospect.

Johnson's reaction on the play, via mlb.com -

"I'm not trying to hurt anybody, especially in a Spring Training game," Johnson said. "I hope he doesn't lose his job. But I'm trying to show these guys what I can do. I'm just trying to score the run. Looking back on it, I'd have to say I'd probably do the same thing."

"With the time that I had there, the instinct was to slide and be out, or hit him and see if I could pop the ball loose," Johnson said.

You don't have to be a genius to figure out what this is all about on this play. In summary, you have a player who is an absolute non-prospect trying to make an impression that his team will notice. And, it seemed to work. Note Rays manager Joe Maddon from the same mlb.com report:

"I loved the hardball," Maddon said. "We're playing it hard, we're playing it right. It was a bang-bang play at the plate. I couldn't tell exactly where the catcher was in regard to the plate. He was trying to score a run right there, and that was part of the game."

General Joe is not happy about it. Via Ed Price:

Yankees manager Joe Girardi: "I think it's uncalled for. I'm all for playing hard, but I don't think it's the time (of year) when you run over a catcher. ... He's got to go get X-rays, from a spring-training game. I don't understand it. During the season, I'm all for it. It happens in the season. I understand that. As a (former) catcher, I understand that. Spring training -- I don't believe in it."

Was it just good ol' fashioned "hardball"? Or, was it a "bush league play"? I'm sure the Rays are convinced of the former and many Yankees think it's the latter.

This will be an interesting test for Joe Girardi. If this had happened in Yankeeland, under Joe Torre in the post-Zimmer era, Torre would have been upset, voiced his opinion, and then settled down over a nice warm cup of green tea. And, that would have been the end of it.

Will Joe Girardi elect to turn the other cheek and allow this to quell down and fade to black ala' Torre? Or, should the Rays batters be on their toes the next time the Yankees face them?

The Yankees will visit the Rays in their spring training camp next Wednesday - and I believe that Andy Pettitte will start that game for the Yankees. If I had to make a guess at this point, I would offer that, at some point in this game, a Rays batter gets a fastball in the thigh.

Just a message to Joe Maddon and the Rays as to what "hardball" is really all about.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:08 PM | Comments (24)

The Bill James Gold Mine 2008

As promised, I had a chance to check out "The Bill James Gold Mine 2008."

If circumstances only allow you to purchase and/or read one baseball book this spring, you cannot make a better choice than "The Bill James Gold Mine 2008."

In this book, James provides fun and informative statistical analysis on every big league team - in addition to 17 new essays that are a treat to read.

Among my favorites were:

"Three to Five Run Records" - which shows you the best and worst teams when they scored or allowed three to five runs in a game.

"The Dave Kingman Award" - where James uses "HR/[RC+10]" to show us which batters over the last 30 years were the "best" at "hitting home runs without doing anything else positive as a hitter."

"The Turk Farrell Award" - which identifies good pitchers who had terrible records because their team stunk.

"The Nolan Ryan Award" - given to unreformed power pitchers via James' formula of "[W*L*SO*BB]/IP."

"End Game" - which identifies "the moment at which it ain't over, but it's over" for a team with respect to their place in the standings. (This essay suggests that the three greatest collapses in baseball history belong to the 1951 Dodgers, 1964 Phillies, 2007 Mets, and 1978 Red Sox - in that order.)

"Closer Fatigue" - where James shows how fatigue level of a closer impacts success for his team.

"Strength Up the Middle" - that confirms good teams are strong "up the middle" - and it's more true that bad teams are weak in this area.

"Bullpens and Crunches" - that establishes teams with good bullpens "tend to exceed expectations" in one-run and close games. But, it also shares that there's no definitive evidence that teams with strong bullpens do well in the post-season.

"Herbie" - where James introduces a stat that identifies "a more reasonable candidate for the league's best pitcher than the actual ERA leader."

Brass tacks, if you were a fan of The Bill James Baseball Abstracts, you will enjoy this book. And, if you've never read James' Abstracts, and always wondered what the fuss was about, you owe it to yourself to pick up this book.

"The Bill James Gold Mine 2008" is the type of baseball book that's so much fun, and enlightening, that you'll want to re-read it, again, the minute you finish reading it for the first time. And, there's a good chance that you'll want to read it a third time after that - as there's so much good stuff in it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:33 AM | Comments (0)

Yanks Want To Slow Joba Down

Via Kevin Kernan -

Manager Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman made that clear yesterday. They want Joba Chamberlain to continue to be his outgoing self - but they also want to make sure the rookie right-hander does not get carried away with his newfound celebrity status and spread himself too thin.

There's only so much Joba to go around, and pitching for the Yankees must be his top priority. Chamberlain has gotten the message.

"He's kind of drinking from a fire hose right now," Cashman said at Legends Field.

"So much has happened for him because of the 24 innings of major-league work. It was 24 innings, so it's incumbent on all of us around him who care about him, his father and everyone in the Yankee family to make sure that we slow it all down for him because sometimes that stuff can carry you away."

It has been a while since the Yankees have had a player as young, and colorful, and talented as Joba.

Talented and young, and in demand? Sure - you've had guys like Jeter, Bernie, Mattingly, Nick Johnson, Soriano...and even guys like Melky, Wang, Cano, Hughes and Kennedy today. But, none of those guys have the personality factor of Joba.

In some respects, but not entirely, this is somewhat like when Deion Sanders played for the Yankees in 1989-1990. Granted, Joba is no where near the red light hound that Deion was, back in the day. But, the media will be on him like they were on Sanders at that time.

Personally, I think Chamberlain will be fine. While he's talented, he's had to work hard to get here as well. And, he seems to have that "worker" mentality as part of his make-up - even now. The Yankees are right to be concerned about this...but, I doubt Joba will give them much reason to have to turn the dial up on that concern.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:09 AM | Comments (4)

March 07, 2008

Billy Traber Tales

Tyler Kepner and Peter Abraham feature stories on Billy Traber this evening. (For the record, Ken Davidoff wrote about Traber 11 days ago.)

Back on February 24, 2008, I suggested that Traber had a shot to make the Yankees pen this season.

The last time the Yankees had a highly effective lefty in their pen was 2001 (Mike Stanton). Granted, last season, Ron Villone and Mike Myers were not terrible for New York - but, it's not like they were stellar. (You could also say that Chris Hammond was good for the Yankees in 2003 - but, he was not like Mike Stanton was in 2001.)

To be candid, it's been a long time since the Yankees had a lefty in their pen who posted a season like Hideki Okajima (in Boston) or Rafael Perez (in Cleveland) did last year. You'd probably have to go back to Dave Righetti in 1986. But, considering we've been seeing guys like Sean Henn, Gabe White, and Felix Heredia fail in Yankeeland (as lefty relievers) over the past few seasons, if Traber can be better than Villone and Myers (last season) - even if not as good as Hideki Okajima and Rafael Perez (also last season) - I think the Yankees will consider him to be a "find."

From 2001 through 2003, Billy Traber kept an on-line journal at "At The Yard." In that respect, Traber was sort of the Phil Hughes of his time. (How freaky will it be if, in March of 2012, we find ourselves talking about Phil Hughes' chances to win a job in some team's bullpen and reflecting on him having a blog back in 2008?)

In any event, Traber has the Yankees attention at this time - without question. If he keeps doing what he's doing, he should be on the team come March 31st.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:06 PM | Comments (1)

A-Rod, Posada, Are Sore Winged

Via Ed Price -

Alex Rodriguez has a sore shoulder but is in today's Yankees lineup as the designated hitter.

"I only feel it a little bit when I throw," he said.

And catcher Jorge Posada was scratched from today's lineup with a similar ailment.

Manager Joe Girardi said both issues with more with the "lat" (latissimus dorsi), and Girardi said he may wait until Monday before having Posada catch and Rodriguez play in the field.

"You err on the side of caution now," Girardi said.

Click here to learn everything that you'll ever want to know about the Latissimus Dorsi muscle.

Give credit to Girardi for providing some specifics here. Gone are the days in Yankeeland where the manager would just say that some body part of a Yankee was "barking" and that was the reason why they were being held back from something.

Posted by WW Staff at 01:20 PM | Comments (2)

Tony Roth Update

Via Our Sports Central -

The Southern Illinois Miners have acquired infielder Tony Roth from the Evansville Otters in exchange for first baseman Scott Simon and a player to be named later.

Roth hit .378 with a .439 on base percentage in 10 games with the Otters in 2007. The former Yankees prospect spent the majority of the 2007 season with the Texas Rangers organization where he advanced as high as Triple-A.

"Tony is the definition of a 'gamer'," Miners Manager Mike Pinto said. "He can play excellent defense at multiple positions on the infield, and he plays the game all-out all the time. His ability to hit to all fields and his strike zone discipline gives us a lot of options. We really liked what we saw in him on the field against us at the end of last season. He is a great addition to the Miners lineup and I believe he has the skills to be an all-star caliber player for us."

Tony Roth never really had much of a chance in the Yankees system. He was a 2B at Creighton and was signed as a non-drafted free agent (NDFA) by New York in 2005. Maybe the "tools" are not there - but, he seems like a true "ballplayer." I hope he does well in the Indy league and gets another chance in an affiliated chain somewhere.

Posted by WW Staff at 01:10 PM | Comments (2)

Blowing Our Own Horn For A Minute

Wikio, an aggregator of online news and blogs, has recently kicked off their own blog rankings. Their "Top Blogs" ranking features a bunch of different categories - including "Sports."

Currently, "WasWatching.com" stands at # 35 in their ranking for all "Sports" blogs.

So how does their Top Blogs ranking work? The position of blogs in their Wikio ranking depends on the number and value of links that other blogs point toward them. The value of these links depends on the ranking of the blog publishing them. So in their algorithm, the value of a link published on a highly ranked blog is more important than a posted link on a blog with a lower ranking.

Here's the "Top 75" of Wikio's "Top Sports Blogs" at the moment:

1 Deadspin
2 The Big Lead
3 Baseball America
4 MLB Trade Rumors
5 Kissing Suzy Kolber
6 D.C. Sports Bog
7 Baseball Musings
8 mgoblog
9 EDSBS
10 Minor League Ball
11 The LoHud Yankees Blog
12 Baseball Analysts
13 Sabernomics
14 With Malice...
15 Can't Stop The Bleeding
16 MetsBlog.com
17 Golden State Of Mind
18 U.S.S. Mariner
19 Forum Blue And Gold
20 Need4Sheed.com
21 Sunday Morning Quarterback
22 Detroit Bad Boys
23 Mr. Irrelevant
24 gladwell.com
25 EPIC CARNIVAL
26 Baseball Toaster
27 I Want to be a Sports Agent
28 The Basketball Jones
29 Clips Nation
30 The Wages of Wins Journal
31 Beyond the Box Score
32 Dawg Sports
33 Uni Watch
34 Hardwood Paroxysm
35 WasWatching.com
36 Rocky Top Talk
37 Bugs & Cranks
38 Home Run Derby
39 The Sports Economist
40 Blog a Bull
41 Baseball Digest Daily
42 Lion in Oil
43 YOU BEEN BLINDED
44 Kuklas Korner
45 Larry Brown Sports
46 Shades of Blue
47 Gaslamp Ball
48 Bullets Forever
49 The Big Picture
50 Loser with Socks
51 The Wizard of Odds
52 Viva El Birdos
53 Dan Shanoff
54 Wizards Insider
55 Japers' Rink
56 Ladies...
57 Ballbug
58 Bronx Banter
59 OTB Sports
60 Rumors and Rants
61 Sactown Royalty
62 FakeTeams
63 Baseball Crank
64 Bleed Cubbie Blue
65 KnickerBlogger.Net
66 Basketbawful
67 SimonOnSports
68 Anaheim Angels all the way
69 the Blowtorch
70 South Side Sox
71 The Detroit Tiger Weblog
72 Capitol Punishment
73 Babes That Love Baseball
74 The Starting Five
75 Talking Points with Tim Kawakami

WasWatching.com is honored to placed among all these other great blogs. And, to think, we haven't even turned three-years old here yet! Cool.

Posted by WW Staff at 12:37 PM | Comments (6)

The Top 52 Yankees Individual Seasons

Inspired by something going on at Yanksfan vs Soxfan, and powered by the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia, I decided to take a 15-minute stab at ranking the "Top 52" seasons in Yankees history. (I went with "52" and not "50" because I could not choose between Mantle '55, A-Rod '05 and A-Rod '07 for #50.)

Here's are the lists:

Batters:

Pitchers:

As expected, Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle and DiMaggio own the batter's list. But, look at the pitcher's list. See Catfish's 1975 and Pettitte's 1997? Did you expect to see them in a "Top 52" seasons, all-time, for the Yankees?

I won't get into my formula for picking the "Top 52" since it was done on the fly. But, what do you think of these rankings? Anyone you would add, remove, or re-position?

Posted by WW Staff at 12:04 PM | Comments (0)

And You Think Girardi Is Tough?

From the K.C. Star -

It didn’t matter Thursday that Ryan Shealy had just hit a game-ending homer for a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Surprise Stadium. Or that the Royals had just won their fourth game in a row. Or even that it’s just spring training.

Hillman had seen too many base-running mistakes earlier in the game.

His solution was to gather the entire team at the plate for what amounted to a 15-minute lecture in full view of the Diamondbacks and the departing crowd of 5,539. Hillman then spent another 10 minutes in discussion with veteran second baseman Mark Grudzielanek near third base before initiating his postgame news conference at the dugout.

“I was just talking about running the bases,” Hillman told reporters. “We had a couple of mistakes today. I’m not displeased. We won the ballgame.

“We’ve got to run the bases the right way all of the time. And today, we had a couple of mistakes. We could have been in a better position.”

Hillman declined to elaborate and soon ended discussion of the matter by replying, “Done,” to a follow-up question.

I wonder if this will come up on the next weekly Cashman-Hillman call?

Posted by WW Staff at 09:55 AM | Comments (0)

The 1970 Yankees

Via Tracy Ringolsby:

NUMBERS GAME

67 starts the past six seasons for Yankees pitchers 25 or younger. They could have more than that this year alone with Ian Kennedy, Phil Hughes and Joba Cham- berlain in line for spots in the rotation. The previous time the Yankees got 70 starts from pitchers 25 or younger was 1970, when Stan Bahnsen led the group with 35, Steve Kline made 15, Mike Kekich 14, John Cumberland eight, Bill Burbach four, Ron Klimkowski three and Rob Gardner one.

The 1970 Yankees had the third best record in the American League. And, this is interesting because they were not a powerhouse team in terms of hitting or pitching that season. And, for the next three seasons that followed, the Yanks were pretty much a .500 team.

I didn't start following the team until 1973, so, I can't speak to the 1970 season off the top of my head. In any event, it will be interesting to see how the Yankees current crop of young pitchers, and the fortunes of the team, carry forward compared to that of the 1970 group.

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

Gennaro: Joba's ROI Higher In Rotation

Via Vince Gennaro through Yahoo! Sports -

By placing Chamberlain in the starting rotation versus the bullpen, the Yankees stand to gain more than $24 million in value over the next six years before he is eligible for free agency.

The value could be even greater when we consider that a commitment to a No. 3 starter via free-agency would come in the form of a multi-year contract, which is fraught with injury risk. Chamberlain could be retained on a series of one-year contracts, minimizing the Yankees’ exposure to risk of a catastrophic injury. Should he perform at the level of a No. 2 starter, he would be worth about $50 million versus a setup role.

In a study like this, rather than use the factor of how much money the Yankees will save with Joba in the rotation over a high-priced vet, I would like to see something that factors in the value of the relief pitcher with respect to his contribution towards wins - perhaps factoring in Leverage Index - and then put a dollar sign on what wins mean to the team, in the bottom line.

Is there value, outside of salary saved, for the Yankees to have Chamberlain make 20 beautiful starts in a season and then have half of those gems turned into losses because the team lacked quality arms in the pen (such as his)?

For me, it always comes down to that golden rule in baseball: Every season, with the exception of maybe the 1962 Mets or 1998 Yankees, every team in baseball is going to win 60 games, no matter what, and every team in baseball is going to lose 60 games, no matter what - and, it's what you do in those remaining 40 games that will make or break your season.

A team needs to do whatever it takes to win as many of those 40 games as possible. And, if that means applying your resources in a manner that's best aligned for success, regardless of the salary savings or lack thereof, then that's what a team should do, no?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:42 AM | Comments (4)

March 06, 2008

What Do You Want To Know?

In the next day or two (or three?) I expect to post a "Mailbag Feature" here. It might be fun. Related, if you have a Yankees-related or WasWatching.com-related question where you're looking for some opinion and/or an answer, please send it to me at:

staff (at) waswatching (dot) com

I can't ensure that I will be able to answer all the questions - but, I'll do my best to get to as many as possible. Thanks in advance to those who send something.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:05 PM | Comments (0)

Lefty Kraly Update

Via USBC Communications:

More than five decades ago, Steve Kraly of Johnson City, N.Y., helped Major League Baseball's New York Yankees to a record fifth-consecutive World Series title.

Now 55 years later, the 78-year-old left-hander traveled to the Albuquerque Convention Center in search of a prestigious title of a different kind at the USBC Open Championships.

This week, Kraly made his 19th appearance at the Open Championships, an event that began in 1901 and pre-dates the modern World Series by two years. Each year, more than 60,000 bowlers take to the tournament lanes seeking championship glory in team, doubles, singles and all-events.

During his bowling career, Kraly has proven that he can throw strikes on the lanes as well as he did on the pitcher's mound, and the accomplished southpaw has multiple 300 games to his credit.

...Steve Kraly of Johnson City, N.Y., helped Major League Baseball's New York Yankees to a record fifth-consecutive World Series title...

In 1953, pitching in his only big league season, Kraly appeared in 5 games for the Yankees - facing 111 batters, notching 25 innings, while allowing 19 hits, 16 walks, and plunking two batters.

O.K, so, the USBC got a little loose with some of their words. In any event, kudos to Kraly for still going strong at the young age of seventy-eight. We should all be that good when we're knocking on the door of our eighth decade.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:51 PM | Comments (0)

Midgeball Unraveled

Kenneth Chang of the Times uses mathematics to explain mysterious midge behavior. I'm still a little causality loopy from reading it. But, I'm guessing, now, after learning more about midges, that Joba Chamberlain must taste like one great big sweet diatom.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:42 PM | Comments (0)

Trust Your Stuff

In the words of Captain Spaulding, "Pardon me while I have a strange interlude."

During any given episode of American Idol, you may hear Randy Jackson say something like:

Awww, right, check it out. Yo, yo, yo...I'm keepin' it real. Guess what? You've got some mad skills. Reeealy, man, you can blow. For me, dawg, mmmmmm...you've just got to let it go. Dude, don't hold back. Yeah, yeah, let it go. Dawg, dat's the bomb. Dat's what I'm talkin' bout. It's hot!

And, here's the twist for me. When I hear this, I'm not hearing a judge for a singing competition counsel a contestant. I hear those words and I hear a pitching coach preaching to a prospect...

"Trust your stuff."

That's awesome advice for life too. Once you're not comfortable about what you're doing, you will lose confidence. This leads to being unsure and nervous. And, walking on egg shells is no way to live your life.

The best way to combat this is to remember those three little words that you hear so often in baseball: "Trust your stuff."

We can learn many things from baseball. Gosh, I love this game. If I could, I would ensconce myself with it.

OK, enough on this random realization of mine. We now return to your regularly scheduled programming.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:13 PM | Comments (1)

Farnsworth Is No Math Whiz

Via Newsday -

"I always have confidence in myself, definitely," [Kyle Farnsworth] said. "But it's tough when you do lose the confidence from your manager to maybe prepare yourself day in and day out when you have no clue about anything."

Farnsworth criticized the way the Yankees handled him last season, saying no one asked him if he could pitch on consecutive days or in the middle of an inning, two things Torre was reluctant to do. The Yankees decided unilaterally on "The Farnsworth Rules," according to the reliever.

"I know that's been going on in the past, especially last year," he said. "They decided not to use me back-to-back days. They never came up to me and asked me. I don't know why that came about."

...They decided not to use me back-to-back days. They never came up to me and asked me. I don't know why that came about...

2007, Kyle Farnsworth:
+ Pitching with no days rest: 6.75 ERA in 5.3 IP
+ Pitching with one days rest: 5.47 ERA in 24.6 IP
+ Pitching with two days rest: 2.70 ERA in 10 IP
+ Pitching with three days rest: 2.00 ERA in 9 IP

2006, Kyle Farnsworth:
+ Pitching with no days rest: 5.11 ERA in 12.3 IP
+ Pitching with one days rest: 7.71 ERA in 23.3 IP
+ Pitching with two days rest: 2.35 ERA in 15.3 IP
+ Pitching with three days rest: 0.96 ERA in 9.3 IP

Need an answer as to "Why?" Kyle? Check the stats. You stink when you're pitching with less than 2 days rest.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:32 PM | Comments (3)

Gotham Baseball Live - Sunday, March 9th

This Sunday, March 9th, during the 7 pm (ET) hour, I'll be on Gotham Baseball Live with Mike Silva - to talk some Yankees baseball and happenings about this blog. Click here for more information. Mike does a great job with his show - am I'm looking forward to appearing on it again.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:24 PM | Comments (0)

Bill James: Yanks & Red Sox Share The Same Problem

Via a Time Magazine Q&A with Bill James -

Your archrivals in the American League East, the New York Yankees, have a new manager, and with George Steinbrenner's sons taking over the day-to-day operations, new owners running the show. What's your gut reaction to what they've done, and where you see them going this year?

Well, the Yankees are kind of moving on to the future. There's something I call Sam's Law — after Sam Rich, an attorney from Pittsburgh who has been a friend of mine for many years. Sam's Law is that young pitchers will break your heart. I think that when teams go into a pennant race depending on young pitching, it very often it takes a year or two for that young pitching to be as good as you thought it would be. The Yankees have that problem, and we have that problem — we're depending on [Jon] Lester and [Clay] Buchholz and some other guys to be useful to us. It's going to be interesting to see how many of those young pitchers live up to those expectations.

Now I have this mental picture of Brian Cashman running through the halls of the Yankees HQ down in Tampa, in a George Costanza type fashion, frantically asking the admin staff "Did Hank's copy of Time come in the mail yet? Did anyone deliver it to his desk yet? Please, somebody, tell me that he hasn't seen it yet!"

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:29 PM | Comments (1)

Heyman: Lohse Moose Insurance?

From Jon Heyman today -

Mike Mussina said his recent spring pasting is no cause for alarm. But scouts aren't so sure. They saw a fastball in name only, down from the high 80s to the mid or even low 80s and a continuing belief that he's nearing the end.

The Yankees would be better off keeping Joba Chamberlain in the pen, which would keep their fantastic late-game combo intact. But to do that, they'll need not only youngsters Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy to come through, but also Mussina to remain viable. Or they'll need to look into the free-agent market, which is a lot better then one might suspect at this point. They could sign Kyle Lohse, who's still available. Or if they don't mind waiting, they could try for Freddy Garcia, a past ace who's hoping to be back from shoulder trouble by midsummer.

Kyle Lohse? Man, that rings a bell. Did you know that the Phillies went 9-2 in the 11 games that Lohse started for them last year from August 2nd through September 26th? Granted, his ERA was 4.84 in those 11 starts - but, at least he kept his team in those important games.

But, who needs a Loshe in the wings when you've got Kei Igawa ready to step into the rotation when needed? (Yes, my tongue is firmly placed in my cheek when I say this.)

Posted by WW Staff at 03:45 PM | Comments (15)

Is This Good News Or Bad News For Chien-Ming Wang?

Here's an interesting stat/fact via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia:

Chien-Ming Wang made 30 starts last year and had 21 Runs Saved Above Average (RSAA). In 2006, Wang made 33 starts and had 17 RSAA.

So, how many pitchers in Yankees history have had back-to-back-to-back seasons where they've made 30+ starts and had 15+ RSAA? The answer is just five:

Whitey Ford 1961-64
Joe Bush 1922-24
Lefty Gomez 1933-35
Red Ruffing 1936-38
Ed Lopat 1949-51

Note that Ford did it four years in a row.

Think about this for a minute. Since 1951, only once, has a Yankees pitcher made 30+ starts and had 15+ RSAA in a season for three years in a row. And, since 1938, it's only happened twice.

That's just twice in the last sixty-nine years!

This tells me two things: One, if Worm Killer Wang can pull the 30/15 trick again in 2008, he's putting himself in very select company here. And, two, based on past experience in Yankeeland, the odds of Wang posting a season with 30+ starts and 15+ RSAA this year seem to be remote.

Here's the list of the 129 times a pitcher has had 30+ starts and 15+ RSAA in a season for three years in a row - since 1900:

1    Carl Hubbell             1929-37    9   
2    Bert Blyleven            1971-78    8   
T3   Christy Mathewson        1907-13    7   
T3   Walter Johnson           1910-16    7   
T3   Grover C Alexander       1911-17    7   
T3   Stan Coveleski           1917-23    7   
T3   Gaylord Perry            1969-75    7   
T3   Roger Clemens            1986-92    7   
T3   Greg Maddux              1996-02    7   
T10  Cy Young                 1900-05    6   
T10  Hal Newhouser            1944-49    6   
T10  Robin Roberts            1950-55    6   
T10  Ferguson Jenkins         1967-72    6   
T14  Joe McGinnity            1900-04    5   
T14  Bill Dinneen             1900-04    5   
T14  Christy Mathewson        1901-05    5   
T14  Hippo Vaughn             1916-20    5   
T14  Lefty Grove              1928-32    5   
T14  Juan Marichal            1962-66    5   
T14  Tom Seaver               1967-71    5   
T14  Greg Maddux              1989-93    5   
T14  Kevin Brown              1996-00    5   
T14  Randy Johnson            1998-02    5   
T14  Carlos Zambrano          2003-07    5   
T25  Deacon Phillippe         1900-03    4   
T25  Noodles Hahn             1901-04    4   
T25  Eddie Plank              1902-05    4   
T25  Doc White                1902-05    4   
T25  Jake Weimer              1903-06    4   
T25  Addie Joss               1905-08    4   
T25  Jeff Pfeffer             1914-17    4   
T25  Joe Bush                 1921-24    4   
T25  Urban Shocker            1921-24    4   
T25  Lon Warneke              1932-35    4   
T25  Tommy Bridges            1934-37    4   
T25  Dutch Leonard            1938-41    4   
T25  Bob Feller               1938-41    4   
T25  Bucky Walters            1939-42    4   
T25  Mike Garcia              1951-54    4   
T25  Warren Spahn             1951-54    4   
T25  Whitey Ford              1961-64    4   
T25  Jim Maloney              1963-66    4   
T25  Jim Bunning              1964-67    4   
T25  Jim Palmer               1970-73    4   
T25  Phil Niekro              1971-74    4   
T25  Tom Seaver               1975-78    4   
T25  Jim Palmer               1975-78    4   
T25  Phil Niekro              1976-79    4   
T25  Rick Reuschel            1977-80    4   
T25  Dave Stieb               1982-85    4   
T25  Denny Neagle             1995-98    4   
T25  Roy Oswalt               2004-07    4   
T25  Brandon Webb             2004-07    4   
T25  Johan Santana            2004-07    4   
T55  Jack Taylor              1902-04    3   
T55  Rube Waddell             1903-05    3   
T55  Bob Ewing                1905-07    3   
T55  Ed Walsh                 1906-08    3   
T55  Three Finger Brown       1908-10    3   
T55  Ed Walsh                 1910-12    3   
T55  Rube Marquard            1911-13    3   
T55  Carl Weilman             1914-16    3   
T55  Wilbur Cooper            1920-22    3   
T55  Red Faber                1920-22    3   
T55  Eddie Rommel             1921-23    3   
T55  Howard Ehmke             1924-26    3   
T55  Ted Lyons                1925-27    3   
T55  Tommy Thomas             1927-29    3   
T55  Wes Ferrell              1930-32    3   
T55  Larry French             1930-32    3   
T55  Lefty Gomez              1933-35    3   
T55  Hal Schumacher           1933-35    3   
T55  Dizzy Dean               1934-36    3   
T55  Lefty Grove              1935-37    3   
T55  Red Ruffing              1936-38    3   
T55  Paul Derringer           1938-40    3   
T55  Mort Cooper              1942-44    3   
T55  Bob Feller               1946-48    3   
T55  Bob Lemon                1948-50    3   
T55  Don Newcombe             1949-51    3   
T55  Ed Lopat                 1949-51    3   
T55  Early Wynn               1954-56    3   
T55  Johnny Antonelli         1954-56    3   
T55  Frank Sullivan           1955-57    3   
T55  Jim Bunning              1960-62    3   
T55  Warren Spahn             1961-63    3   
T55  Camilo Pascual           1961-63    3   
T55  Bob Gibson               1964-66    3   
T55  Bob Veale                1964-66    3   
T55  Bob Gibson               1968-70    3   
T55  Sam McDowell             1968-70    3   
T55  Bill Hands               1968-70    3   
T55  Wilbur Wood              1971-73    3   
T55  Don Sutton               1971-73    3   
T55  Andy Messersmith         1973-75    3   
T55  Frank Tanana             1975-77    3   
T55  Steve Carlton            1976-78    3   
T55  Dwight Gooden            1984-86    3   
T55  Mike Witt                1984-86    3   
T55  Bert Blyleven            1984-86    3   
T55  Jimmy Key                1985-87    3   
T55  Jack Morris              1985-87    3   
T55  Teddy Higuera            1986-88    3   
T55  Mark Langston            1987-89    3   
T55  Mark Gubicza             1987-89    3   
T55  Orel Hershiser           1987-89    3   
T55  Bruce Hurst              1988-90    3   
T55  Dennis Martinez          1990-92    3   
T55  Kevin Appier             1991-93    3   
T55  Jose Rijo                1991-93    3   
T55  Tom Glavine              1991-93    3   
T55  Jack McDowell            1991-93    3   
T55  Kevin Appier             1995-97    3   
T55  Roger Clemens            1996-98    3   
T55  Tom Glavine              1996-98    3   
T55  Pedro Martinez           1996-98    3   
T55  Jeff Fassero             1996-98    3   
T55  Jamie Moyer              1997-99    3   
T55  Bartolo Colon            1998-00    3   
T55  Mike Hampton             1998-00    3   
T55  Mike Mussina             1999-01    3   
T55  Brad Radke               1999-01    3   
T55  Tom Glavine              2000-02    3   
T55  Barry Zito               2001-03    3   
T55  Tim Hudson               2001-03    3   
T55  Jamie Moyer              2001-03    3   
T55  John Smoltz              2005-07    3   
T55  John Lackey              2005-07    3   
T55  Aaron Harang             2005-07    3   

Posted by WW Staff at 02:13 PM | Comments (1)

Having Command & Pitching To Contact Not So Good?

Reading Tyler Kepner's feature on the command/control of Ian Kennedy (with his pitches) got me wondering as to which pitchers, in recent Yankees history, were the best in terms of having control and pitching to contact. So, I turned to the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia and set the controls for:

NEW YORK YANKEES, CAREER, 1973-2007 where
INNINGS PITCHED >=100
STRIKEOUTS/9 IP < -1 vs. the league average
WALKS/9 IP >= 1 vs. the league average

and, this is what I got:

WALKS/9 IP                      DIFF   PLAYER   LEAGUE     IP      RSAA    SO/9 IP   BB/9 IP   
1    Jon Lieber                 2.43     0.92     3.34    176.2        2    -1.25     2.43   
2    Steve Howe                 1.64     1.98     3.62    227         20    -1.28     1.64   
3    Ramiro Mendoza             1.52     1.98     3.50    699.2       32    -1.01     1.52   
4    Carl Pavano                1.43     1.62     3.05    111.1       -3    -1.36     1.43   
5    Paul Quantrill             1.35     1.91     3.26    127.1      -11    -2.98     1.35   
6    Bob Tewksbury              1.34     2.09     3.43    163.2        5    -2.50     1.34   
7    Tommy John                 1.15     2.13     3.28   1367         59    -1.85     1.15   
8    Larry Gura                 1.09     2.30     3.39    207.1        9    -1.38     1.09   
9    Fritz Peterson             1.03     2.39     3.43    191.2       -4    -2.08     1.03   

Outside of Ramiro Mendoza and Tommy John, the Yankees have not really had a "high command/contact" pitcher do well for them, lately, have they? And, with these two, having killer sinkers helped them.

What about Worm Killer Wang? Simple, his "WALKS/9 IP vs. the league average" (to date) is 0.79 - and that's why he missed being on this list.

Update, 3/6/08, 4:08 pm ET: Reader "Carla" asked:

"How does the list change if you use K/9 just less than league average instead of a whole unit fewer than the league average?"

Here it is:

NEW YORK YANKEES, CAREER, 1973-2007 where
INNINGS PITCHED >=100
STRIKEOUTS/9 IP < 0 vs. the league average
WALKS/9 IP >= 1 vs. the league average

WALKS/9 IP                      DIFF   PLAYER   LEAGUE     IP      RSAA    SO/9 IP   BB/9 IP   
1    Jon Lieber                 2.43     0.92     3.34    176.2        2    -1.25     2.43   
2    David Wells                1.87     1.47     3.34    851.2       45     -.41     1.87   
3    Steve Howe                 1.64     1.98     3.62    227         20    -1.28     1.64   
4    Ramiro Mendoza             1.52     1.98     3.50    699.2       32    -1.01     1.52   
5    Carl Pavano                1.43     1.62     3.05    111.1       -3    -1.36     1.43   
6    Paul Quantrill             1.35     1.91     3.26    127.1      -11    -2.98     1.35   
7    Bob Tewksbury              1.34     2.09     3.43    163.2        5    -2.50     1.34   
8    Jimmy Key                  1.33     2.37     3.70    604.1       52     -.04     1.33   
9    Scott Sanderson            1.33     2.09     3.41    401.1       -9     -.32     1.33   
10   Tommy John                 1.15     2.13     3.28   1367         59    -1.85     1.15   

This gets David Wells, Jimmy Key and Scott Sanderson into the top ten cut - with Wells and Key pitching effectively.

Posted by WW Staff at 12:50 PM | Comments (3)

Why We Do What We Do

Steven Kotler of Psychology Today Blogs tells us that Luis Tiant was not lying back in 1979 when he said, as he took a bite from his Yankees Frank, "It's great to be with a weiner!"

But, then again, this doesn't explain all those people who became Yankees fans from the mid-60's to the mid-70's, does it?

Posted by WW Staff at 12:19 PM | Comments (0)

Cashman Talks About How The Yanks Roll These Days

Via the Pioneer Press:

And the irony of Cashman's position — that the Yankees, who could have afforded Santana's enormous contract, were better off keeping prospects Ian Kennedy, Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera — is that he was following the example of another organization that tries to grow its own future stars.

The Twins.

"Absolutely. We've tried to learn a lot from the way the Twins operate; they've done an exceptional job for years," Cashman said. "They've kicked our (butt) in the amateur (scouting) department for a decade or more."

Adding Santana to the Yankees' roster would've made a great deal of sense, Cashman admitted. He just wishes they had done it eight years ago.

"My philosophy is, we should have been as smart as Minnesota and drafted him as a Rule 5 guy (in 2000)," said Cashman, the Yankees' general manager since 1998. "See, that's where we need to be better. That's the time we should have gotten him. Not now, not when the price is over $100 million and some of our best prospects."

The Twins under Andy MacPhail, Terry Ryan and now Smith always have done business like that. In their case, emphasizing scouting and development is an economic decision as much as a philosophical one, but Cashman says he has a new Twins-like appreciation for the value of drafting well. Cheap young talent is the most valuable commodity in the game, and it doesn't make sense not to pursue it, he said.

"There are a lot of things going on in New York that can make us lose sight of that. There's always the next big-ticket free agent coming on the market," said Cashman, who signed Alex Rodriguez to a contract worth $275 million in December. "For too long, we were using only one tool — writing a big check. We're going to be a lot better off in the long run if we are more successful on the front end — the draft, international players, the amateurs. And Minnesota is excellent at the front end, by necessity."

But Cashman cites several successes over the past few seasons — turning over second base to Robinson Cano, promoting Cabrera when Hideki Matsui was injured rather than making a trade, and passing up Eric Gagne at the trade deadline last season in favor of trying untested Joba Chamberlain — that strengthened his resolve to hang on to the team's top youngsters, and its draft picks.

"Everyone said, this guy (Cabrera) can't play defense. And now we have an everyday center fielder that our fan base has fallen in love with," Cashman said. "People said (of Chamberlain), 'What a joke. They're going to try this kid nobody's ever heard of. They don't know what they're doing.' And now Joba is a big name.

"It seems like Minnesota is forced to build from within like this, and you know what? Some guys really step up."

Terry Ryan, in his time with the Twins, set the gold-standard for what a baseball G.M. should be...in terms of success. Someone should write a book about what was going on in Minnesota from 2001 through 2006 (and what led up to that). If Cashman wants to model his game after another G.M., he couldn't have made a better choice than Ryan.

Posted by WW Staff at 09:48 AM | Comments (3)

The April Gauntlet Of '08

Via Ed Price -

The Yankees' April schedule is "terrible," as general manager Brian Cashman said yesterday, and it will affect the roster decisions they make in spring training.

After an eight-day, seven-game homestand, the Yankees spend 19 of the next 21 days on the road -- the only exception a two-game series against the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees are scheduled to play 18 road games in April, which would be a franchise record.

Traditionally, teams get extra off days in April. But this year the Yankees have a stretch of 19 consecutive days with a game, April 2-20.

"It's pretty stupid," Johnny Damon said. "Every year it doesn't make sense. We come home for two days. It's brutal. We're gone for seven, come home for two, gone for 10. Why even come home?"

There are a two main reasons for the brutality:

The Pope. The original schedule had a more balanced April. But after it was completed, Pope Benedict scheduled an April 20 mass at Yankee Stadium. So some Yankees home games were flipped to accommodate the event and its preparation.

An unusually early start to the season. The Basic Agreement allows teams no more than 10 off days before the All-Star break. But the All-Star break this year is in the 16th week of the season instead of the usual 15th. So some games were moved to the first half of the season, and many teams have only two off days in April.

Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina said the worst aspect of the April schedule is six night "getaway" games, series-ending games after which the team flies to another city. So they will arrive in the wee hours in Boston on April 11 (from Kansas City), in Tampa Bay on April 14 (from Boston) home from Tampa Bay on April 16 and home from Cleveland on April 29.

Manager Joe Girardi said he can't remember being on a team that played 19 straight days in April. The Yankees will have to be ready to go.

Back on January 21st, it was noted in this blog that:

In March/April, the Yankees only play 11 home games - compared to 18 on the road. And, in those 18 road games, they have to go to Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland (among other stops). New York better be more ready to play well, out of the gate, this season - compared to last year.

March/April has been a bad scene for the Yankees over the last four years. They went 9-14 in 2007, 13-10 in 2006, 10-14 in 2005, and 12-11 in 2004. (In 2003, they went 21-6 in April - but, then they went 11-17 in May.)

Really, the last time the Yankees had an awesome first two months of the season was 2002 when they went 17-10 in April and 19-9 in May.

Because of the schedule to start this season, perhaps it makes sense for Yankees fans to level-set their expectations of the Yankees' start to this season and just be happy to see the team playing .500-ball come May 1st?

Posted by WW Staff at 09:17 AM | Comments (4)

March 05, 2008

Juggernaut Duncan Gaining Momentum

General Joe on Shelley Duncan, via Kat O'Brien -

"Very impressive," manager Joe Girardi said. "[Duncan's] been patient at the plate. He's gotten good pitches to hit. He's done everything that you can ask a man to do. He's trying to earn playing time."

"He's taking advantage, and he's a ball of energy," Girardi said. "He's ready to play all the time, no matter what time of day it is."

Repeating what I wrote last July - what's not to like about Shelley Duncan's approach and attitude?

When you consider the way Abreu and Giambi have issues with left-handed pitching, of late, there's got to be a way to get Duncan on the Opening Day roster and see if he can help the team this season.

It's been a while since the Yankees have had someone on the roster with the kamikaze-play-style like Shelley. If the Diamondback's Eric Byrnes can be called Captain America, maybe we can start calling Shelley Duncan "The Juggernaut?"

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:37 PM | Comments (1)

Can't Throw Too Many Stones At Sox On This One

I've been wavering on commenting on the Jesse Levis situation. Part of me, as a Yankees fan, wants to poke some fun at the Red Sox over this - such as asking if Levis was using Lena Blackburne Rubbing Mud or some cheap imitation.

But, the fact of the matter is that this is a serious crime, if what's reported is true. And, it's not cool to make too much fun out of a serious crime. Also, let's not forget about what happened to (then) Yankees "special adviser" Dick Williams in 2000.

As Yankees fans, we have to remember that part of our house is glass when it comes to stuff like this case - thanks to the Williams' situation.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:15 PM | Comments (0)

Plans Under Way To Knock Down & Sell Off Current Stadium

Via Paul White of USA Today -

Plans to raze Yankee Stadium and auction off some of its contents are being put in place by the team and New York City, but don't make any plans for a big haul of memorabilia.

Once the Yankees are settled into their new Yankee Stadium on the other side of 161st Street in the Bronx next season, the old one across the street will be awaiting the wrecking ball.

The plans were confirmed by a city Department of Parks and Recreation official with knowledge of the plans who couldn't comment because the deal hasn't been signed. The department has operated the ballpark since the city purchased it from the team in 1972. There's no timetable set yet for the demolition of the famed stadium, which has stood near the Harlem River in the Bronx since 1923, nor have details been finalized for the planned auction.

Though details are still being worked out, the Yankees expect the stadium will be replaced by a complex of three fields, one for softball, one with Little League dimensions and one for high school and college games. A running track will ring the field, and 12,000 trees will be planted to form the outline of the old stadium around the facility.

It would not shock me to see some outfit like Steiner Sports make a bundle off stuff from the current Stadium when they take it down. It will much different than when they took the "old" place down after 1973 when, for a few bucks, if you were there at the right time, someone with a blow-torch would rip you off a few seats and even let you pick which numbered seats you could carry away.

File this one under: When it was a game.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:58 PM | Comments (3)

The Hardball Times Season Preview 2008

As promised, I had a chance to check out "The Hardball Times Season Preview 2008."

This is a fun book to get you primed for the season. The folks at The Hardball Times reached out to various internet baseball authors to cover each team in the majors. Those who frequent baseball sites will recognize many of these folks - such as Brian Borawski, Lisa Gray, Bradford Doolittle, Dave Studenmund, Larry Mahnken, Steve Treder and John Brattain - who have contributed to "The Hardball Times Season Preview 2008."

For each team in the majors you get the following:

+ A projection on their 2008 won-loss record.
+ A summary of their 2007 season.
+ General comments on the team's strengths, weaknesses, G.M., Manager, ballpark, minor league system, and a listing of "favorite team blogs."
+ Keys for 2008 in terms of players lost and acquired, reasons to be optimistic and pessimistic, who's due for a better and worse season, and what's left for the team to do.
+ Player statistical projections for 2008.

In addition to all this, you also get an essay from David Gassko on projecting career statistics and an essay from Chris Constancio on rookies to watch for 2008.

In terms of the Yankees, "The Hardball Times Season Preview 2008" sees them winning 93 games this season and finishing four games back of the Boston Red Sox in the A.L. East - with some interesting individual numbers such as A-Rod hitting "just" 41 homers, Matsui having 72 RBI, Phil Hughes going 7-7, and Ross Ohlendorf posting an ERA of 6.53 in 89 innings pitched.

As a fellow blogger, I do have one gripe with an element of this book. Where they listed "favorite team blogs" for each team, in some cases - such as when Larry Mahnken covered the Yankees, Jim McLennan covered the Diamondbacks, Bradford Doolittle covered the Royals, and Eric Johnson covered the Brewers - some authors listed their own blogs as being among the "favorite" for the team they were covering. That seems like a little "homerism" to me - but, then again, it could be sour grapes too since WasWatching.com was not listed among the "favorite" Yankees blogs. And, again, only some of the authors did this - not all of them.

This small nitpick aside, I recommend checking out "The Hardball Times Season Preview 2008." Whether you're a fantasy baseball participant looking for some handy draft/auction reference material or just a baseball fan looking to get some interesting insight on your favorite team as well as the rest of the teams in the big leagues, this book lends towards satisfying your needs.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:06 PM | Comments (2)

Twins Defeat Yanks Today

Oh, well, there goes the undefeated spring training record for this year.

Posted by WW Staff at 04:37 PM | Comments (0)

Good News On Murcer

Ed Price reports that "tests undergone on Bobby Murcer's brain showed a form of necrosis, or scar tissue from radiation treatments and not another cancerous tumor."

This is great to hear - and, on the lighter-side, I'm sure the boys in the YES booth will give Bobby the requisite amount of "X-Rays Of Murcer's Head Shows Nothing" jokes.

Posted by WW Staff at 01:07 PM | Comments (4)

The Battle For Yanks Super Utility Player

Ed Price has a feature today in the Star Ledger on the battle between Nick Green, Cody Ransom and Chris Woodward to be the Yankees super-utility player this season.

Since all three of these players can play anywhere on the diamond north of the pitcher's mound, the man with the best bat should get the nod.

However, when it comes to players that rarely play, it's not fair to judge them by their batting average - as it's tough to fashion a good average when you do not consistently appear in games.

In this case, something like Secondary Average - which is the stat that measures those offensive components that are not measured in batting average - might be a better tool to compare these players. The formula for this is [(TB-H+BB+SB)/AB]. The suggestion here is that a good Secondary Average might be an indicator that the player is capable of a big hit, walk, or steal in a spot - and that's exciting out of a bench player.

Here are the career Secondary Average marks for the three:

Chris Woodward: .217 in 1,774 PA
Nick Green: .193 in 799 PA
Cody Ransom: .264 in 163 PA

That's a very small sample size on Ransom - and you have to wonder if the .264 mark is a real number for him. So, for me, I think the true battle here is between Woodward and Green.

The Yankees have issued Woodward #11 this spring - and Green was given #12. This suggests that the brass may consider them both as having a legit shot at making the team. (For the record, Cody Ransom was issued #60.)

Nick Green has shown a better ability to hit left-handed pitching - compared to Woodward. But, like the numbers on Ransom, it's over a small sample size. Chris Woodward has a huge edge over Green in terms of big league experience.

It would not shock me to see Woodward get the nod over Green (because of the experience factor) - with the latter then going down to Triple-A to start the season there.

Then again, if guys like Morgan Ensberg and Shelley Duncan both make the Yankees team this year, there will be no room for guys like Woodward or Green.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:08 PM | Comments (8)

Yanks Who Were Not Short On Leather

With so much recent discussion about Derek Jeter’s fielding ability, today, I found myself wondering “When was the last time that the Yankees had a full-time defensive asset playing shortstop?”

You probably have to go back to 1991 – when Alvaro Espinoza was the Yankees shortstop. (From 1992 to 1994, Mike Gallego did a solid job for the Yankees with the glove when he played short – but, he was never really a full-time shortstop in New York.) The problem with Alvaro Espinoza was that he was one of the worst batters in Yankees history.

If I had to offer an all-time “Top Ten” of Yankees slick fielding shortstops, I would offer the following list – with the caveat that it’s derived in the absence of data and formed mostly due to subjective feelings:

1. Bucky Dent
2. Gil McDougald
3. Alvaro Espinoza
4. Fred Stanley
5. Phil Rizzuto
6. Tony Kubek
7. Everett Scott
8. Gene Michael
9. Tom Tresh
10. Frankie Crosetti

What do you think about this? Would you rank them different? Would you include someone else? Would you take someone off this list?

Posted by WW Staff at 09:33 AM | Comments (5)

March 04, 2008

Yanks Come To Terms With All - Sans Joba

According to the AP, the Yankees have agreed to terms (for a 2008 contract) with RHP Jon Albaladejo, RHP Chris Britton, OF Melky Cabrera, C Francisco Cervelli, 1B Shelley Duncan, SS Alberto Gonzalez, LHP Sean Henn, RHP Phil Hughes, RHP Jeff Karstens, RHP Ian Kennedy, RHP Jeffrey Marquez, RHP Ross Ohlendorf, RHP Edwar Ramirez, RHP Humberto Sanchez, RHP Jose Veras and RHP Stephen Wright.

However, the Yankees had to renew the contract of RHP Joba Chamberlain for this season - at the big league minimum of $390,000.

Of course, this assumes that Joba makes the big league roster this season.

Yes, I'm kidding. (Kidding, that is, about him making the team. The contract information is the truth.)

For what it's worth, back in March of 1997, Derek Jeter - coming off a Rookie of the Year season - wanted a contract of $550,000 while the Yankees were offering $450,000. Then, there were hints that New York was about to have Jeter's contract renewed. But, in the end, the two sides came to terms for a $540,000 contract - plus bonuses.

Maybe Joba just needs to go out and win the Rookie of the Year Award this season and then the Yankees will be willing to throw him a few extra bucks - this time next year.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:37 PM | Comments (4)

The Old Soft Shoe Dances No More In The Bronx

Via an ESPN.com feature by Bob Klapisch:

Mike Mussina seemed to be speaking for the entire team when he said, "We loved Joe [Torre], but we all knew things had to be different. Especially the guys who've been here a while and haven't won, we were very disappointed at the way things had been going."

No one says so in quite so many words, but the Yankees had become comfortable with Torre, perhaps too much so. It didn't help that the Yankees hardly ran at all last spring -- "We learned you have to do more than take grounders and BP and then hit the showers," Mussina said -- which left the team unprepared by Opening Day.

Looking back now, Torre says, "I think change was probably best for both parties." But how was Girardi going to win over Torre's captain, Derek Jeter, rebels Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi, and a clubhouse intellectual like Mussina?

Girardi has done it by mingling with players, which Torre did less and less in his later years, choosing to leave the policing to Jeter. Damon says, "Joe [Girardi] walks in here and he asks for your opinion, he asks how you're feeling, he gives you the feeling that what you think matters."

...No one says so in quite so many words, but the Yankees had become comfortable with Torre, perhaps too much so...

I cannot say that I disagree with that. After the 2006 ALDS, I wrote:

Joe Torre had never been to the mountain top prior to 1996. Then, he lived on top of the mountain for several years to follow. In 2001, Torre fell off the mountain. And, while Joe has tried to re-climb the mountain several times now - over the last 5 years - it's just not happening for him and his camp. As the Times author wrote "the magic he once wielded" has "disappeared."

It's time for new blood in Yankeeland. The old blood is tired.

If Brian Cashman and the Yankees felt the same way after 2006, and Torre was let go, I wonder if 2007 would have been different for the Yankees - and maybe the Red Sox too.

In any event, it's clear that General Joe is not short on hunger and energy - and, hopefully, that will rub off on the players this season as well.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:17 PM | Comments (3)

Two Angles On The Same Game Today

Both the Journal News and the Toronto Star are live blogging the "big" game in Dunedin today.

It's interesting to note the difference in angles and styles here. Compare the top of the second inning:

From Peter Abraham of the Journal:

Jorge Posada grounded to second. Shelley (5 for 8 in spring training) doubled to left. The Melkman followd with a ground single into left. Shelley was steaming around third and had Gregg Zaun lined up. Fortunately for Zaun and his ribs, left fielder Shannon Stewart kicked the ball around and there was no play at the plate. 1-0 Yankees.

Now it’s starting to rain harder.

Castro grounded into a force. Damon then lined to left. Vernon Wells made a nice sliding catch.

From Cathal Kelly of the Star:

1:23 - After frightening the beejeezus out of a Knology security guard with a hard-hit foul, Jorge Posada grounds out 4-3.

1:25 - Shelley Duncan rips one into left-field just beyond Shannon Stewart. Duncan runs the bases like he's being chased.

1:26 - Cabrera rips one foul in the general direction of where my car is parked. Pray for me, people. I took the damage deductible.

1:27 - From now on, all bat work will be referred to as ripping. I should add that Duncan was in with a double.

1:28 - Cabrera knocks a grounder into left-field. Stewart bobbles it. Duncan scores. 1-0 Yanks. Cabrera on first. One out.

"Crowds are getting heavier now," Fidlin says. The Doppler said that would happen. Oh wait, here it comes. Spike Lee attempted to weather the storm for "about 10 seconds", Sandler says. The game continues while the crowd flees.

Baseball's come a long way, huh? Back in 1989, you'd be happy to get week-old regular season stats when The Sporting News showed up in your mailbox. Today, we have media members offering live play-by-play text from Spring Training games. My, how times have changed.

Update, 1:46 pm EST: Well, so much for that - the game was called due to rain after one and a half. Looks like neither Peter or Cathal will be getting carpal tunnel over this one today.

Update, 3:32 pm EST: Spoke too soon on that one! Looks like they started up again with this game around 2:35 pm ET. And, they played for another hour, thereabouts, before finally pulling the plug.

Hey, it turns out that Kei Igawa is a mudder! [Insert your Abbott & Costello "The Noose Hangs High" joke here.]

Posted by WW Staff at 01:31 PM | Comments (6)

Melky Cabrera The RBI Maker?

Pride of the Yankees wonders today if Melky Cabrera is an RBI machine in the making. Related, I went over to the Baseball Musings Day By Day Database to see where Melky ranked in terms of RBI Percentage last season. To see the full list, via Baseball Musings, click here. Snipping some of the data from the results, you can see where Melky sits compared to some other "RBI" guys:

Player	    Runners On	RBI	HR	RBI% 
David Wright	428	107	30	17.99
Ryan Howard	501	136	47	17.76
David Ortiz	463	117	35	17.71
Bobby Abreu	501	101	16	16.97
Chipper Jones	435	102	29	16.78
Troy Tulowitzki	461	99	24	16.27
Manny Ramirez	418	88	20	16.27
Hideki Matsui	483	103	25	16.15
Albert Pujols	440	103	32	16.14
Todd Helton	461	91	17	16.05
Ryan Zimmerman	422	91	24	15.88
Melky Cabrera	410	73	8	15.85
Adrian Gonzalez	442	100	30	15.84
Kevin Youkilis	425	83	16	15.76
Robinson Cano	498	97	19	15.66
Jorge Posada	452	90	20	15.49
Ken Griffey Jr.	413	93	30	15.25
Derek Jeter	424	73	12	14.39
Paul Konerko	421	90	31	14.01
Jason Varitek	413	68	17	12.35

As you can see, in 2007, Melky Cabrera held his own, pretty well, in the RBI Percentage department - despite a lack of power.

Next, I went over to Baseball-Reference.com's Play Index feature and asked it to show me all PA (for the Yankees) last season that came in a game from the 7th inning on - with runners on base, and, to show me all RBI (for the Yankees) last season that came in a game from the 7th inning on. Combining the results from the two reports enabled me to make the following table - that I'm calling "Yankees RBI rate, 2007, Late In Game Situations":

 		PA	RBI	RBI/PA
Alex Rodriguez	101	42	0.416
Derek Jeter	89	25	0.281
Melky Cabrera	94	26	0.277
Hideki Matsui	104	28	0.269
Robinson Cano	110	28	0.255
Bobby Abreu	114	28	0.246
Jorge Posada	108	26	0.241
Johnny Damon	84	14	0.167

Once again, Melky's got nothing to be embarrassed about here.

Back in June of 2006, Joe Torre said, about Cabrera: "He likes to be the one that you're counting on."

These numbers suggest that Torre was right on that one. The Melk-man delivers.

Posted by WW Staff at 12:07 PM | Comments (7)

Doing It In Dunedin

Whether you call it hopes, dreams, aspirations or fancies, for Yankees fans, you’ll see both extremes of “it” on the mound today during New York’s exhibition game with the Blue Jays – as both Phil Hughes and Kei Igawa are slated to pitch for the Yankees.

Hughes will start and go 2 or 3 innings – depending on his pitch count – and Igawa will follow. If Hughes goes three, it could help Igawa as some of the Jays’ regulars may be leaving the game by the time Kei is getting his work in today.

It will be interesting to see how both these pitchers throw today – even if it’s just an exhibition game, and, a very early game in the spring training season, at that.

Either they’ll both pitch well, or not. Or, one will pitch well and the other will not.

If both pitch well, Yankees fans will be happy. If Hughes shines and Igawa does not, most in Yankeeland will still be happy with that. If both struggle, Yankees fans will probably just write it off. But, what happens if Hughes gets cuffed around today and Igawa is lights-out?

In the end, that latter scenario probably means nothing – because it is very early in the spring. But, it would set the stage for an interesting next appearance for the two – to see if Hughes struggles in back-to-back games and if Igawa can post good outings two times in a row. And, if both of those things happen, then appearance after the next one gets even more interesting.

But, that’s getting way ahead of things here. In all likelihood, Hughes will be fine today and Igawa, well, let’s just say the ball boys in Dunedin better be ready to give the umps plenty of new balls in case some of them start leaving the park when Kei is throwing.

Posted by WW Staff at 10:25 AM | Comments (6)

Who Is Johnny Damon? [Revised]

Back on November 30, 2005, this blog asked the question "Who Is Johnny Damon?" and came up with the answer of "Clyde Milan."

But, that was two baseball seasons ago. So, how about now? Using the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia and some creative filters, including age, we've come up with the following:

CAREER, OF, where AGE <= 33, and PA >=7800 and RCAA <= 130
(OPS and SB are vs. the league average)

                               RCAA      PA      RCAA      OPS      SB       OWP    
1    Johnny Damon                128     8184      128     .013      207     .550   
2    Willie Davis                105     8035      105     .010      230     .546   

This is a fun comp. Willie Davis is another lefty hitting and throwing center fielder - like Damon. And, Davis had a near/borderline Hall of Fame career.

Still, whether the comp for Damon is Milan or Davis, it still suggests that Johnny has, maybe, this season and the next one left in him - and then it's time for the Yankees to say "Thanks and good-bye!" to him.

As to the question of "Was this [Damon] a good signing for the Yankees?" Well, a lot of the answer will be derived this season.

Posted by WW Staff at 09:36 AM | Comments (0)

Mister Rivera

Bill James noted this in the "The Bill James Gold Mine 2008" -

Were Mo Rivera and Henry Fonda separated at birth?

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the image:

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:40 AM | Comments (0)

March 03, 2008

Hank & Henry Should Take Note Of This One

Via the Cambridge Chronicle: Red Sox mob beats up Yankees fan in Cambridge.

This is a sad story to read. From the report:

A group of men — some with Irish accents — beat up a 23-year-old Cambridge man and sent him to the hospital after they spotted him sporting a Yankees baseball cap.

Witnesses told police the group of apparent diehard Red Sox fans beat up the victims after an argument inside a Central Square bar. The group then ran away on Mass. Ave. towards Harvard Square.

The victim’s sobbing girlfriend told police the couple went to the Cantab Lounge at 738 Mass. Ave. midnight Saturday. The couple was inside the bar for a while when a large group of people came up to them and started arguing with the victim because he was wearing a New York Yankees baseball cap, according to police reports.

Sure, it's fun when the billionaire owners of the Sox and Yanks trade barbs. But, the fact of the matter is, between the fans of these two teams, the reality still exists where a person can get their face kicked in because of the baseball cap on top of his head.

Perhaps the saddest thing here is that this reality will be with us for generations to follow.

I can understand having team pride and deriving some fun from poking at your rival. I'm guilty of it here, many times. But, there's a line that should not be crossed. Clearly, this situation in Cambridge got out of hand. Sad, indeed.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:36 PM | Comments (4)

Chass: Regrets? The Yanks May Have One

Murray Chass thinks the Yankees may regret banking on their kids and passing on Johan Santana:

Maybe Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain will become the reincarnation of Vic Raschi, Allie Reynolds and Eddie Lopat. But maybe they will be more reminiscent of Andy Hawkins, Dave LaPoint and Tim Leary, vintage 1990.

Of the front-office officials who have responsibility for baseball decisions, Hank Steinbrenner was the lone Santana advocate. Gene Michael, a longtime executive and now adviser, joined him.

Cashman and the rest of the baseball operations people opposed giving Minnesota a hefty package of young players. Hal Steinbrenner opposed giving Santana a ton of money.

Cashman didn’t want to give up any of the Yankees’ good young players. Hal Steinbrenner didn’t want the mammoth payroll to grow even more obese. They eventually wore down Hank Steinbrenner with their arguments, and the Yankees withdrew from the Santana running, letting him go to the Mets.

Well, last season, Cashman & Company were counting on Carl Pavano, Kei Igawa and Kyle Farnsworth to hold down the roles that we expect Hughes, Kennedy and Chamberlain to fill this season. And, as bad as Pavano, Igawa and Farnsworth turned out, the Yankees still won 94 games (in 2007).

It probably won't be the regular season where the Yankees "miss" Santana - if they miss him at all. More likely, it will come during the post-season. Don't worry about missing it, if it happens. Hank will let us know about it when it happens, for sure.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:13 PM | Comments (4)

Moose Has A Better Shot At Being Hank's Latex Salesman

Via Kat O'Brien -

So when Mussina was asked if there is any more pressure on him to eat innings because of the tight reins on Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy, he said: "Somebody's got to eat them up, I guess ... But I'm trying to get to the seventh inning every time, anyway."

In 2003, Mussina gave the Yankees seven innings, or more, in 21 of his starts. Since then? Here's his numbers: 2004, 9 times. 2005, 10 times. 2006, 10 times. 2007, 5 times.

Worse, in 2003, Mussina gave the Yankees five innings, or less, in just 3 of his starts. Since then? Here's his numbers: 2004, 8 times. 2005, 7 times. 2006, 6 times. 2007, 10 times.

So, in 2007, Mike Mussina started 27 games - ten times giving the Yankees 5 innings or less and five times giving the Yankees 7 innings or more.

Moose's going to be the Yankees innings eater in 2008?

I don't think so.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:56 PM | Comments (0)

Facing Clemens: Hitters On Confronting Baseball's Most Intimidating Pitcher

Jonathan Mayo is a senior writer for MLB.com. Tomorrow, his new book, "Facing Clemens: Hitters on Confronting Baseball's Most Intimidating Pitcher," will be released.

I had a chance to do a quick Q&A with Mayo on his book. It follows below:

WW: What was the inspiration behind the concept that you chose for this book?

Mayo: It came about during conversations with Lyons Press about a number of different ideas I’d had running around in my head. This one, however, I cannot take credit for. They had done two similar books on boxers: “Facing Ali” and “Facing Tyson.” The feeling was the concept would work well for baseball and Clemens, at the time, seemed to be the perfect candidate. I took the concept from there and ran with it, figuring out who would make for the best chapter subjects.

WW: Can you provide some more detail on how you found the best chapter subjects? Was there anyone that you found that you wanted to feature in the book and could not?

Mayo: I’ll answer the second question first. Probably the guy I wanted to talk to the most was Mike Piazza, for obvious reasons. I figured if I could get him to talk about the 2000 World Series as well as how well he hit Clemens, that would be ideal. But Mr. Piazza wasn’t interested. Maybe he’s saving the story for his own autobiography?

In terms of finding other chapter subjects…It started with a lot of searching on Retrosheet.org. Those guys are awesome and I always have to give them credit. I began by looking at Clemens’ career batter vs. pitcher stats. From there, I was able to pick out the guy who’d faced him the most (Cal Ripken Jr.) and a guy who’d had considerable success against him (Ken Griffey Jr.). Doing some more digging allowed me to find someone who was in the lineup when Clemens made his big-league debut (Julio Franco) and, in general, the research enabled me to build out chapters based on a single meeting like a World Series. Along the way, I found interesting tidbits like the fact that Dave Magadan faced Clemens in the 1983 College World Series. Doing something on one of the 20-strikeout games was a must and I was able to contact Phil Bradley who was on the Mariners in 1986 and was the 20th and final “K” of the game.

WW: It is interesting that, with each subject who talks about Clemens, in your book, you're able to paint a picture about them or about some event they were part of (etc.) while also staying true to telling their "Clemens" story. During this process of learning more from the subject themselves, was there one thing that amazed you the most? What was it?

Mayo: I don’t know if there was any one thing about the subjects that came out that amazed me. It certainly was enjoyable uncovering facts like the fact Torii Hunter really wasn’t as serious about baseball as he was about football until late in his high school career when scouts started paying attention to him or that Johnny Drennen, the minor leaguer who homered off of Clemens in 2006, has a dad who had a military career. There were great tidbits like the fact that Cal Ripken Jr. never struck out more than 100 times in a season and only topped 90 twice, the first two years of his career. Or how about that Clemens wasn’t even supposed to pitch against the Mariners in 1986 when he struck out 20. He was supposed to pitch one game earlier on the road, but it got rained out. The most amazing thing about that game, and his repeat performance in 1996 against the Tigers, is that he didn’t walk anyone in either start. That’s right, 18 IP, 40 K, 0 BB. That’s amazing.

WW: With all that we've been hearing about Clemens lately, is there anything that was not included in the book that, now, you wish you had been able to address?

Mayo: Wow, that’s a loaded question now, isn’t it? Had there been time, I would have liked to go back and either include reaction from each subject in each individual chapter or do some sort of epilogue, a one chapter add-on that would include as much reaction to the recent news as I could get. I’m sure some players might want to stay away from the subject, but I bet some of the former ones would have some really interesting things to say. Who knows, maybe some day I’ll be able to do just that (second printing? Sequel?), but for now it’ll have to suffice to let the book stand on its own merits and try to address the Mitchell Report and everything in interviews like this.

WW: Timing is everything, huh? When I read the chapter from Ripken (on Clemens) where Cal said that Roger's fastball had dropped off in his last few years in Boston and then suddenly came back strong when he was in Toronto, I thought "Had George Mitchell read this, Cal Ripken may have had a date on Capital Hill!" Actually, in reading the book, to me, it comes across as a good "old fashioned baseball book." By this, I mean that it was entertaining and educational to me, as an adult - but, it was also a book that I would have no reservations recommending to a younger baseball fan - say, someone as young as ten years old - because there's nothing in these stories that you would not want a kid to read. Was there a target audience that you had in mind for your book? Or, did it just work out that way that it's a good read for baseball fans of all ages?

Mayo: I think the idea was just to target baseball fans in general, though I had adults in mind as I was reading it. I wouldn’t have hesitated to put some salty stories into it had they come up, but almost all of the conversations I had were very baseball-centric. There were other tales told about friendships and meetings, things of that nature, but it’s not like I kept any sordid clubhouse lore from the book because I was catering to a younger audience. If it works out that it’s good for baseball fans of all ages, I’m all for that!

WW: What would you say is the one, or most important, thing that you want people to take away from reading “Facing Clemens”?

Mayo: That I’m a nice guy with two young children to support? In all seriousness, if it’s at all possible to separate out what’s happened in recent months, do so. There is no doubt that the landscape has changed, but I think the one thing the book says strongly is that the challenge of trying to hit Roger Clemens is no different. Regardless of your current opinion of him, at the time of the meetings between the hitters I interviewed and Clemens, none of that mattered. He was, and will forever be, one of the toughest right-handers to face in the history of the game. I think readers of the book will gain an understanding and appreciation of that far beyond what looking at his career numbers would do.

Thanks to Jonathan Mayo for spending some time to share more about "Facing Clemens: Hitters on Confronting Baseball's Most Intimidating Pitcher."

I found the book to be an interesting read. The book gives you a good feel for how batters felt about Clemens' "mound presence" - in that, when he pitched, it was as if "he owned the ballpark."

There's plenty of other insight in the book as well. For example, here's Darryl Hamilton talking about the 2000 World Series: "We [the Mets] went into the World Series thinking we had a better team the year before, but we didn't get there. I think we were happy, obviously, to be in the World Series, but we weren't so locked that we were saying we could win it. I know that's weird to hear, but I think that's just the way a lot of guys were thinking. Especially after losing the first game the way we did, it really brought a downer to the way we were going, If we win Game 1, obviously, the intensity turns around."

Hey, what can a Yankees fan say to that - other than "Thank you Timo Perez!" And, of course, thanks to "Facing Clemens" for the telling of the story!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:08 PM | Comments (0)

The Look Of The New Stadium

See the images below - it's a comparison of what the new Yankee Stadium was supposed to look like, when they announced the deal back in June of 2005, and how it's actually shaping up today.

As you can see, in terms of the “structure” the actual new Stadium is dead-on for what was suggested two-and-a-half years ago. But, the color scheme is not the same. In fact, the actual “new” Stadium really looks drab, as in lacking liveliness or charm - if you ask me.

I suppose that they may have some plans to paint the new place, or something. But, if you look at color pictures of the “first” Yankee Stadium, you see that they color of the new structure is pretty close to what the first place looked like (on the outside). And, I’m pretty sure that’s the look the Yankees are going for with the new place.

Again, to me, it’s starting to look more like a mausoleum than a ballpark.

When I compare this to what the Mets are doing with their new park (with the brick work on the outside) and then also look at parks such as Camden and Arlington, I’m thinking maybe the Yankees should have gone with a different look for their exterior.

Maybe Lou Di Falco was right? What do you think?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:20 PM | Comments (7)

Moose In Spring Time

Mike Mussina got banged around a bit in his spring training game today. It’s hard to tell when it comes to Moose and his spring stats. See the following:

Season	S.T. ERA  ST. IP   Reg. RSAA
2002	5.57	  21.0	       7    
2003	2.37	  19.0	      23    
2004	9.00	   8.0	      -3    
2005	3.81	  26.0	       1    
2006	7.32	  19.7	      18    
2007	3.79	  19.0	      -8    

In 2002, he was hit hard during exhibitions and had an O.K. year.
In 2003, he was great both in the spring and regular season.
In 2004, he had a rough spring and regular season.
In 2005, he had a good spring and an average season.
In 2006, he was hit hard during exhibitions and had a very good year.
In 2007, he had a good spring and rough season.

So, in the last 6 years, he’s had three good springs that only led to one good season. And, he’s had three rough springs but two times they led to good seasons. Basically, when it comes to Mussina, you have to throw the spring stats out the window – unless his ERA is way below three or way above eight, I suppose.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:59 PM | Comments (2)

Yanks & Mets Fans Tuning In Quickly This Year

Some interesting stats from Neil Best's Watchdog blog:

On the Mets - Last year, SNY's first spring training Mets telecast attracted only 0.14 percent of area households - understandable on a weekday afternoon.

This season's first spring training game Friday afternoon drew 0.80 percent of homes - more than five times as many as last year.

On the Yankees - Sunday's Yankees game was the second highest-rated and second most-watched preseason game in YES history, trailing only a 2004 game against the Red Sox.

The game attracted 2.31 percent of households and an estimated 177,00 viewers.

Of course, it’s sort of unfair to compare a Friday day-time broadcast to a Sunday day-time broadcast. Therefore, one cannot compare the Mets first spring TV game ratings here to the Yankees first spring TV game ratings. However, if anything, these stats tell us that both Yankees and Mets fans were really interested in watching their team this spring as soon as possible – and more so than last year. If this level of interest keeps up, it should be a fun summer in the Tri-State area this season.

Posted by WW Staff at 01:05 PM | Comments (3)

Yanks [Just About] All Left Last Season

Chris Jaffe, over at the Hardball Times, takes a look at 2007’s Most Historic and Impressive Team Splits. Looking at the splits for every team from 1957-2007, Chis found this about the '07 Yanks:

The 2007 Yanks...made the playoffs despite...having [a] historically one-sided offense...

The Yanks set several records for left-handed batting in the years under examination: most plate appearances by southpaw hitters (4059), most hits (1017—the first team to crack the Dee Fondy barrier), most runs (599), most RBIs (573), and most total bases (1622). They also had the second-most doubles (208, one behind the 2001 Twins), and 13th-most walks.

This is pretty interesting - when you consider that Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter combined for over 1,400 PA last season.

Last season, those Yankees batting lefty had some issues against left-handed pitching. Against righties, they posted an OPS of .831 – and their OPS dropped down to .766 when facing lefties. But, those Yankees batting righty did well versus left-handed pitching in 2007 – to the tune of an OPS of .810 on the season. They can thank A-Rod, Jeter and Posada (when batting right) for that one.

Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi were not effective against lefties last season. Really, that’s been the case for them the last two seasons. While that’s bad news for the Yankees, in one way, it could be good news for Shelley Duncan and/or Morgan Ensberg in terms of their making and helping the team this season.

Posted by WW Staff at 12:31 PM | Comments (0)

Wanted: Strike Throwers For Yanks Pen

During the YES broadcast of the Yankees-Phillies game yesterday, General Joe, being interviewed during the contest, made a reference of the importance of his pitchers throwing strikes.

Throwing strikes is something that troubled the Yankees last season. See these stats via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia:

AMERICAN LEAGUE, 2007, WALKS/9 IP

                              BB/9 IP   
1    Orioles                    4.35   
2    Rangers                    4.20   
3    Yankees                    3.59   
4    Devil Rays                 3.57   
5    Tigers                     3.52   
6    Mariners                   3.43   
7    A's                        3.29   
8    Royals                     3.26   
9    White Sox                  3.12   
10   Red Sox                    3.02   
11   Angels                     2.99   
12   Blue Jays                  2.98   
13   Twins                      2.63   
14   Indians                    2.52   

But, when you drill down deeper into the numbers, you can see that it was the Yankees bullpen, for the most part, that hurt them here last season:

YANKEES, 2007, WALKS/9 IP

                              BB/9 IP     IP      RSAA    
1    Colter Bean               15.00      3         -2   
2    Jose Veras                 6.75      9.1       -1   
3    Brian Bruney               6.66     50          0   
4    Sean Henn                  6.63     36.2      -10   
5    Matt DeSalvo               6.26     23         -3   
6    Edwar Ramirez              6.00     21         -8   
7    Tyler Clippard             5.67     27         -5   
8    Jeff Karstens              5.52     14.2      -10   
T9   Jim Brower                 5.40      3.1       -3   
T9   Chase Wright               5.40     10         -3   
11   Luis Vizcaino              5.14     75.1        3   
12   Kei Igawa                  4.92     67.2      -12   
13   Scott Proctor              4.80     54.1        5   
14   Ian Kennedy                4.26     19          6   
15   Kyle Farnsworth            4.05     60         -1   
16   Ron Villone                3.83     42.1        2   
17   Phil Hughes                3.59     72.2        2   
18   Mike Myers                 3.54     40.2        9   
19   Darrell Rasner             2.92     24.2        2   
20   Andy Pettitte              2.88    215.1       15   
T21  Ross Ohlendorf             2.84      6.1        1   
T21  Chris Britton              2.84     12.2        2   
23   Roger Clemens              2.82     99          5   
24   Chien-Ming Wang            2.66    199.1       21   
25   Joba Chamberlain           2.25     24         11   
26   Mike Mussina               2.07    152         -8   
27   Carl Pavano                1.59     11.1        0   
28   Mariano Rivera             1.51     71.1       12   

It’s pretty obvious that, last season, guys like Kyle Farnsworth, Luis Vizcaino, Brian Bruney, Scott Proctor, Sean Henn and Edwar Ramirez did not help themselves, or the Yankees, by allowing as many free passes as they did (in 2007). On the bright side, it appears, at least now, that perhaps only Kyle Farnsworth will be returning to the Yankees pen (in 2008).

With the exception of his time with the Giants in 2005, LaTroy Hawkins has been a strike-thrower for the last 6 years. And, Mo Rivera and Joba Chamberlain should be able to throw strikes this season.

It will be interesting to see who wins the other three spots in the Yankees bullpen this spring – and how much throwing strikes has to do with them making the team. If Girardi gave us a hint yesterday, it could have a lot to do with them making the squad.

Posted by WW Staff at 11:13 AM | Comments (0)

My Thanks For A Giant Welcome

Thanks to Anthony De Rosa of Giants Football Blog for welcoming me to the SNY Blog Network family.

It's an honor to join Anthony in the sports-blog network for SportsNet New York's official website, who, as Anthony puts it, is in the "unique position of being a television network with a growing portfolio of websites run by experienced bloggers."

In his welcome message, Anthony wrote:

I can’t wait for the Subway Series to watch Mets Blog and Was Watching toss food at each other at the SNY Blog Network dinner table.

That one made me laugh out loud. Don't worry Anthony, as long as the eats aren't bad, there's no fear of me tossing it around the table.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:51 AM | Comments (0)

Spring Training Stats

If you want to see how the Yankees players are doing this spring, compared to Spring Trainings in the past, ESPN.com has a good source page - click here to see it.

Boy, Josh Phelps and Kei Igawa looked decent last spring, huh?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:46 AM | Comments (0)

What Winning Rosters Are Made Of...

Joe Posnanski, of the K.C. Star, offers the following over at his blog yesterday:

But it seems to me that if you are going to try and create a blue print for how to design a pennant winner, well, to repeat:

1. One player (or more) should have an MVP type season.
2. Four or five players need to have All-Star Type season.
3. Ten or eleven players need to have good seasons.

This got me thinking back to something that I came up with in December of 2005 regarding what a team needs to win, and which I haven't thought about in a while. Here's my theory (back then):

...a World Championship roster should have:

1. Great table-setters at the top of the line-up, and
2. At least one SP who is not afraid of the post-season - a guy who wants the ball in the big game, and
3. A good/solid LHP in the pen, and
4. A good/solid LHP in the rotation, and
5. A back-up INF with good hands, and
6. A 4th OF who can hit, and
7. An effective guy in the pen who can start or relieve (in any inning), and
8. A shut-the-door closer, and
9. A catcher who is not an auto-out, and
10. Two guys in the middle of the line-up who make contact as well as drive the ball.

Numbers 2, 3, and 7 need to emerge this season for the 2008 Yankees, still, in my opinion. It's possible they're on the roster, somewhere. But, we just don't know who they are yet.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:13 AM | Comments (5)

March 02, 2008

Bernie Day Coming?

Via the AP -

Hank Steinbrenner said there’s not an official plan yet, but former Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams will be honored by the team. “Obviously, Bernie is special to us,” Steinbrenner said.

Some stats via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia:

1994-2002
with the Yankees, Runs Created Above Average (RCAA) Leaders

                                RCAA      PA        G     
1    Bernie Williams             355     5578     1251   
2    Derek Jeter                 213     4981     1093   
3    Paul O'Neill                150     4821     1113   
4    Jason Giambi                 75      689      155   
5    Tino Martinez                73     3896      923   
6    Wade Boggs                   62     1956      459   
7    Jorge Posada                 61     2864      724   
8    Tim Raines                   32      940      242   
9    Mike Stanley                 30      906      228   
10   Darryl Strawberry            28      779      231   

We see why Hank, we see why - indeed.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:20 PM | Comments (0)

Hank Stein & John Henry, Sitting In A Tree?

Via Ed Price -

While the latest flare-up between the Yankees and Boston Red Sox has descended into jest, Yankees general partner Hank Steinbrenner said yesterday there are talks about an unspecified partnership with Red Sox principal owner John Henry.

"Nothing to do with baseball," Steinbrenner said after watching yesterday's game with his father, George, from their Legends Field suite. "A couple of things have been talked about, that's all."

Steinbrenner said his "whole family ... love(s)" Henry.

"We've got no problem with John, I'll tell you that much," Steinbrenner said. "I'm sure we'll be working on things with him in the future."

I'm starting to get a bad visual in my head...where Frank Sutton is playing Hank and Carol Wayne is playing Henry, and they're, well...it's just wrong.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:55 PM | Comments (1)

Carlos Pena, What Happened?

The Tampa Tribune has a nice feature on Carlos Pena meeting Joe Torre. Here's a snip:

"I have to pay my respects to someone who deserves it," is how Pena put it, so he walked up to the then-skipper of the Yankees.

He wasn't prepared for what happened next.

Instead of giving a perfunctory handshake and quick nod - hi, howareya, good luck - as he headed to the team bus, Torre cupped Pena's face with both hands, looked him squarely in the eyes, and said, "I am so proud of you."

"That meant a lot to me," he said. "Joe Torre is one of the best managers of all time, so coming from him that meant a lot to me. I really appreciated that. He didn't have to do it. It was really cool. It was a very classy thing to do."

Looking back, you have to wonder what was going through the Yankees minds in 2006 - with respect to Pena. New York had him down in Triple-A, while batters like Andy Phillips, Craig Wilson, Miguel Cairo, and Aaron Guiel were playing first for them at the big league level. And, the Yankees let Pena walk-away from them on August 16, 2006 - rather than call him up to the major league roster.

Well, on the bright side, the Red Sox let him slip through their fingers as well. Imagine if both David Ortiz and Carlos Pena had fell into the Sox' laps out of the clear blue sky. Yikes.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:37 AM | Comments (14)

Yanks Bring In Phillies Scout To Help Hitters?

Via Tricities Sports -

So how respected is [Tim] Nolan?

He will be in Kingsport this weekend and then in Tampa, Fla., next week teaching what he knows to the likes of Alex Rodriguez and the other New York Yankees.

"I am heading from here to Spring Training in Florida,'' said Nolan in an interview at the complex Saturday morning. "I'll work with the Yankees, as well as Tampa Bay and the Philadelphia Phillies. I will be there approximately three weeks and then go to Arizona and work with the Royals, Rangers, Brewers and Padres.''

Nolan, who also serves as an associate scout for the Phillies, works with both baseball and softball players to improve their swings. He works on fundamentals with an eye on improving speed, strength and power.

The training is designed to make hitters quicker, faster and stronger with the bat through use of proper techniques.

"We are doing weight training with baseball and softball players,'' said Nolan. "We are teaching them fundamentals of the swing. We teach them what traditional players have done and are doing.''

I have to think this is more of a marketing meeting/sales pitch thing with (batting coach) Kevin Long for Nolan's system rather than Nolan coming into the Yankees camp to teach "what he knows to the likes of Alex Rodriguez and the other New York Yankees." The latter just sounds too bizarre to be true.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:49 AM | Comments (0)

Reggie Likes Austin Jackson

Via the Daily News:

Austin Jackson, a 21-year-old outfielder, made a terrific running catch of a low line drive, prompting Reggie Jackson to call him the best athlete in the organization and offer comparisons to, among others, Devon White, Gary Pettis and Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson. Reggie predicted the youngster would be in the majors in 2010.

Jackson, who batted .304 in 128 games in the minors last year, mostly at Class A, grinned when told of the Hall of Famer's comparisons. "It feels good, coming from one of the best players in the game," Jackson said.

It doesn't get any better with the leather in center than Devon White and Gary Pettis. That's some company. Still, I've also seen reports that Austin has lost some speed since High School and that he still needs some polish in the outfield. So, we have to remember the source, Reggie, on this one and not get too giddy on this report.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:38 AM | Comments (2)

Sox Make Hank A Member Of RSN

Via the Boston Herald Clubhouse Insider Blog:

“I’m a big Hank [Steinbrenner] fan,” wrote [Red Sox principal owner John] Henry in an email. “Just to ensure he knows how cool Red Sox Nation is, (Saturday) we officially inducted him as a member of Red Sox Nation and we are sending him his membership card giving him access to an array of options including our newsletter, bumper stickers, pins, Green Monster seats and a hat personally autographed by David Ortiz.”

Well, you can't say that Hank didn't ask for this. The question is, now, what does Hank send back to Henry as a token of thanks?

Maybe Hank can find a picture of John Henry together with Bud Selig and Jeffrey Loria - and send it to Henry asking him to autograph it?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:22 AM | Comments (2)

March 01, 2008

Austin Krum Arrested

Via WTSP-TV:

A Minor League baseball player for the New York Yankees was arrested after refusing to leave a restaurant/bar even after being told he was no longer welcome there.

Tampa Police say bouncers kicked out 22-year-old Austin Michael Krum from Tia’s Tex Mex Restaurant/Bar after trying to start a fight inside. Uniformed officers on scene told Krum several times that he would have to leave, but Krum refused to do so.

Officers say that he returned to the restaurant even after being escorted off the property, so they decided to arrest him for trespassing. Krum allegedly tried to resist the arrest and officers had to physically take him to the ground to handcuff him.

Krum was charged with Trespass After Warning and Resist Officer Without Violence. No one was injured in the incident.

Krum was drafted by New York in 2007 and currently plays outfield for the Staten Island Yankees.

Here's what Baseball America had to say about Krum leading into the draft last summer:

While he has solid tools across the board, some scouts wonder how his game will translate to pro ball. He doesn't have a true plus tool, will have to tone down his approach and may be a 'tweener more than a true center fielder or corner outfielder.

And, here's some interesting stuff on Krum via a Baseball America feature on ESPN.com last May:

Q: I understand you pattern your game after Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore. How come?

Austin Krum: He competes every single day. He plays every single day with a balls-to-the-wall mentality. That's something that I hope that I do in my game. He just gets after it in everything he does, whether at the plate, diving for the balls in the outfield, stealing bases, whatever it is.

Q: I understand you've got some unusual walk-up music. Care to explain?

Krum: The Gummi Bear theme song. That was my walk-up song in high school. When we got here, I just figured that I would keep the tradition. It's been my walk-up song for five years now.

Q: What ever made you decide back in high school to go with the Gummi Bears song?

Krum: It was kind of just a big joke. Some kids on my basketball team introduced it to me. To tell you the truth, I think it's kind of a cool song. It relaxes me, makes me have fun, that's important. Why not, you know?

Playing at Staten Island last year, Krum's bat was about as useful as handling a plugged in toaster during an attempt at a relaxing bubble-bath.

Either the food at Tia’s Tex Mex Restaurant/Bar is really that good that you just don't want to leave, or, Krum's got some things to work out besides just his hitting.

It's probably time for someone in the Yankees organization to give Austin a modified version of the Dean Vernon Wormer speech.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:00 PM | Comments (0)

WasWatching.com Joins SNY Sports-Blog Network

Towards the close of 2007, I was contacted regarding an opportunity to join the sports-blog network for SportsNet New York's official website, SNY.tv. Since that time, and after discussing the matter with SNY.tv, it became clear to me that this was something that made sense - and I have agreed to join SNY.tv's network.

The first thing you see when you visit SNY.tv is that they aim to be the "Online Home of All Things NY Sports."

Related, SportsNet New York (SNY) is working towards featuring more regularly-updated, original content, on its website - and they came up with this notion of a fan-run network of blogs for all the New York sports teams. And, their network got off the ground when Matthew Cerrone’s MetsBlog.com was the first blog to officially agree to a partnership with SNY's site.

Now, I realize that some may be thinking, here, "Ah, yeah, that sounds nice. But, still, the Mets own SNY, jointly with Time Warner and Comcast. Isn't it a little odd for a Yankees-themed blog to have a relationship with a Mets owned entity?"

To be candid, at first blush, this entered my mind for a second or two as well.

But, the answer here goes back to SNY.tv’s laudable mission to be the "Online Home of All Things NY Sports." In terms of covering all the New York sports teams, SNY is operating in a nonpartisan manner. Therefore, it is not odd for a Yankees-themed blog to be featured there – regardless of who owns the entity.

Further, once I thought about it more, it became clear that a move like this made perfect sense for this blog.

The agreement that I have with SNY.tv, at a high level, can be broken down as follows: WasWatching.com, gets plugged in, as is, in to SNY's sports-blog network. Related, SNY gets to run some promotional material on my site and they will provide WasWatching.com with publicity and other perks. But, I still maintain total editorial control over the content of this blog.

That last item is the most important thing to me on this deal. SNY.tv is willing to allow me to keep "doing my thing" here - no strings attached. I can write whatever I want about the Yankees - or the Mets - or any other team, just as I always have here, under the terms of this agreement.

Since WasWatching.com prides itself in being (for the most part) "Yankees-blinders and Pinstripe-Pollyanna" free as well as not being shy about commenting on the Yankees rivals, it is logical that, if I was going to have an affiliation with an RSN website, that it would be with one that would allow me to be on their website and write with full editorial license about the Yankees as well as other teams. And, once SNY.tv confirmed that (with this agreement) I still had editorial oversight and could write freely about the Mets (which Yankees bloggers sometimes do), there was no issue for me in terms of having a relationship with a Mets owned entity.

It's flattering that SNY.tv reached out to me to add WasWatching.com to their "Online Home of All Things NY Sports" and enhance their "Yankees" coverage. Under the terms of our agreement, I see this as being nothing but "good things" for this blog. As such, this is a very exciting time for WasWatching.com.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't thank two parties who had a huge hand in making this all happen.

First, my thanks to Matthew Cerrone for getting SNY.tv and me to the table to hammer out this deal. It's an honor to join his MetsBlog.com in the sports-blog network for SportsNet New York's official website.

And, secondly, thanks to all the readers of WasWatching.com for their interest in this blog - and all their wonderful comments.

When WasWatching.com was launched in April 2005, it averaged about 30,000 to 40,000 page views per month in its first few full months. Over the last nine months, WasWatching.com has averaged around 500,000 page views per month. To have an increase of that size in less than 35 months, to me, is jaw-dropping.

I am very grateful for all those who have an interest in this site - and even more thankful for all those who leave such entertaining and insightful comments on entries. You've all helped get WasWatching.com to where it is today. And, I hope that you continue to visit this blog now that more "good things" will be happening here as a result of this new agreement with SNY's sports-blog network.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:38 AM | Comments (14)

Hank: Igawa? Don't Ask

Via George King:

Hank Steinbrenner was done talking about the wonderful pitching performance turned in by Generation Trey against USF yesterday at Legends Field when he was asked about Kei Igawa's miserable outing against the Big East school.

"Let's not bring that up," Steinbrenner said. "Hopefully we can straighten him out."

Ah, a year later, and things seem to be the same for the "Not So Fat Pussy Iguana."

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:28 AM | Comments (0)

Raissman On Murcer

Bob Raissman has a touching feature on Bobby Murcer today. Click here to read it.

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

Red Sox Respond To Hank

Via Dan Shaughnessy:

Red Sox owner John Henry, responding by e-mail to Steinbrenner's comment, wrote: "A wise man once said, 'Don't poke the bear!' "

And Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino - no stranger to pie tossing with the Yankees - cackled when he heard the statement.

"I don't deny there are Yankee fans everywhere," said Lucchino. "But it's blind of him not to see the phenomenon that is Red Sox Nation. I expect he will become more aware of the passion and breadth of Red Sox Nation as long as he is actively involved in baseball. I do appreciate that he has picked up on the Star Wars metaphor, though. He said he was happy to be Darth Vader and we are happy to be the Rebel Alliance."

After what Hank said, you just knew there would be a reaction from the Sox brass.

The question is, today, "Will Hank respond and say something else now?"

Something tells me that he won't be able to stay quiet on this one too long.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:15 AM | Comments (1)

Cashman On Gardner & Yankees "Old Farts"

Via Peter Abraham:

"Melky has to fight for what he has,'' Cashman said. "I can't stand here and tell you he's going to be our center fielder moving forward. That's up to him.''

It wouldn't be wise to get comfortable. In 24-year-old Brett Gardner and 21-year-old Austin Jackson, the Yankees have one player on the verge of being ready for the majors and another who is moving quickly in that direction.

Gardner is an unusual Yankees outfield prospect in that he's small of stature (5-foot-10, 180 pounds) and short on power (six home runs in 1,115 minor league at-bats). But that's the point, Cashman said.

"Brett Gardner is not your typical Yankee-profile type of player,'' he said.

"We're trying to break that profile to some degree because there's more to this game than hitting for power.

"We think he could be a Juan Pierre who takes a walk. Here's a guy who can steal bases; he can get on base; he plays the short game. We need athleticism like that, especially when you have a bunch of these old farts filling the roster out. Those young burst-of-energy, athletic guys really stand out on a team like ours.''

We need athleticism like that, especially when you have a bunch of these old farts filling the roster out. Those young burst-of-energy, athletic guys really stand out on a team like ours.

Great plan by Cash, truly - no kidding. However, as I wrote on February 22, 2008:

To me, then, in order to keep the youth pipeline pumping, the Yankees must keep spots clear for guys like Austin Jackson, Jose Tabata, and Brett Gardner in the outfield and for guys like Juan Miranda, Jesus Montero, and Bradley Suttle at first base.

This means you let Giambi, Damon, Abreu and Matsui go when their contracts are up. And, you pass on potential free agents like Mark Teixeira. I feel good about the Yankees doing the former - but I'm not sure they would do the latter.

It will be interesting to see how this plan worked, or not, this time next year.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:03 AM | Comments (6)