April 19, 2008
Joba Back, 'Sado To Play First?
George King is reporting that Joba Chamberlain will return to the team this evening and that Jorge Posada will be playing first base tonight instead of Jason Giambi.
One has to wonder if Jorge at first is going to become a long-term thing...
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:05 PM | Comments (0)
Giambi's Batting Skill Worthless & Yanks Should Cut Him
One of the splits that they track at Baseball-Reference.com is how a batter does against Power and Finesse pitchers. This is how they see each type of pitcher:
Power pitchers strike out or walk more than 28% of batters faced, Finesse pitchers strike out or walks less than 24% of batters faced. Stats are based on the three years before and after (when available), and the season for when the split is computed. A split in 1994 would consider years 1991-1997.
Note these Power/Finesse splits for Jason Giambi over the last three seasons - with 2008 being as of this morning:
2008 PA BA OBP SLG BAbip vs. Power 35 .037 .229 .037 .048 vs. avg.P/F 3 .000 .333 .000 .000 vs. Finesse 17 .286 .412 .857 .182 2007 PA BA OBP SLG BAbip vs. Power 84 .176 .333 .206 .293 vs. avg.P/F 149 .248 .349 .496 .261 vs. Finesse 70 .281 .400 .561 .239 2006 PA BA OBP SLG BAbip vs. Power 122 .157 .369 .348 .153 vs. avg.P/F 311 .280 .434 .561 .296 vs. Finesse 146 .271 .404 .712 .207
Note the difference for Giambi against Power and Finesse pitchers:
Power PA BA OBP SLG BAbip 2008 35 .037 .229 .037 .048 2007 84 .176 .333 .206 .293 2006 122 .157 .369 .348 .153
Finesse PA BA OBP SLG BAbip 2008 17 .286 .412 .857 .182 2007 70 .281 .400 .561 .239 2006 146 .271 .404 .712 .207
These splits are interesting. Clearly, over the last three seasons, Jason Giambi is completely over matched against Power pitchers. But, against Finesse pitchers, his OPS numbers are great.
That said, note the BAbip (Batting Average on balls in play) numbers for Giambi against Finesse pitchers: .182, .239, and .207.
When I see these numbers, it suggests to me that, against Finesse pitchers, Giambi's greatest skill is working a walk and hitting some big flys. And, it's basically that all (BB or HR) or nothing for Giambi against Finesse pitchers. In a sense, it's as if Jason Giambi's best offensive weapon here is when the (Finesse) pitcher makes a mistake - meaning a walk or a hanger.
In summary, it appears evident that Jason Giambi cannot hit a Power pitcher. And, there's some evidence to suggest that Giambi's best success against a Finesse pitcher only comes when the pitcher makes a mistake. In total, as a batter, left to his own skill, Giambi - over the last three years - is worthless.
Yes, I know, I haven't addressed Giambi's batting results against "average Power/Finesse" pitchers here. In 2006, Giambi's numbers against these types were very good. And, in 2007, they were acceptable. But, like the importing/exporting debate on Seinfeld, I would question if "average Power/Finesse" pitchers do more Finesse work than Power work and that's why Giambi fares well here - like he does against "true" Finesse pitchers.
Why the Yankees keep running Jason out there, I dunno? I know that Giambi is due $23,428,571 this season. So, I can see why, maybe, the Yankees feel like they need to play him.
Me? I'd go another way. I would just cut him, at this point. He cannot play the field. He can't run. And, as the stats show, he's very limited as a hitter. Sure, you run the risk of him going somewhere else, with you paying him, and maybe hitting some homers (off mistake pitches). But, I'd be willing to trade that for getting someone on the roster (in place of Giambi) that can help the team.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:27 AM | Comments (0)
Note On Leaving Comments
In support of today's scheduled platform conversion for this blog from Movable Type to WordPress, the commenting system for readers has now been shut down. Once we're up and running on WordPress, I will restore the commenting feature. Thanks in advance for your patience with regard to this situation.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:47 AM | Comments (0)
April 18, 2008
April 18th @ The Orioles
Through the first five innings, Phil Hughes looked pretty good tonight. He wasn't lights-out. But, it was a solid outing (to that point): 5 innings, 80 pitches, 4 hits, 2 walks, and just one run allowed.
Early in the game, Hughes was getting ahead of batters most of the time - but, he did, still, allow himself to work-up some deep counts at times too.
What happened in the sixth? I don't think he was gassed - as the TV gun still had his fastball at 91 MPH in that frame. Maybe he lost a little command of the curve? I'm not sure. In any event, when Hughes was lifted, he was still in a spot, with a little luck, to have a decent statistical outing. But, La Troy Hawkins made sure that didn't happen.
I just hope this doesn't turn into one of those things where it's May 12th and Hughes is still waiting for his first "W" of the season. That's not going to help him or the team.
At the end of the day, whatever happened for the Yankees pitchers in this one didn't matter much. Outside of Chad Moeller, the Yankees offense was not impressive.
I swear, someday, Daniel Cabrera is going to pitch for the Yankees. Just a gut feeling. Yes, his career numbers are terrible. But, he's had some games against the Yankees that standout - albeit due to his talent or the Yankees being flat. I just fear someone in the Yankees front office is taking notes off those good games and putting a star next to his name for future reference. Hopefully I'm wrong on this one.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:05 PM | Comments (3)
Max [Canseco's Claimed PED Referral To A-Rod] Steps Forward
Via Sports Illustrated:
[Joseph] Dion said that Canseco is partially accurate in his portrayal of Max. Yes, Dion is a Canadian-born trainer who knew Canseco during his Toronto Blue Jays days. And it's true that Dion moved back to Miami, where he was raised, and was introduced to Rodriguez by Canseco in the late '90s. Dion said he worked with Rodriguez for four years when the current Yankee played for the Seattle Mariners.
But Dion adamantly denies Canseco's written account of Max as a "fan of steroids" who began working with Rodriguez specifically to juice the young phenom's body with illicit performance-enhancing drugs.
"That's really, really funny because I am the one person that hates steroids," Dion said. "I'm against it 100 percent. And, A-Rod, at the time that I trained him -- and this I swear to God -- was 100 percent against steroids. He was one of the hardest working guys, and most natural guy, that I've met in my life. He hated steroids. We talked about it."
This is the strange part for me - see the Daily News report on this matter:
[Alex] Rodriguez, in Baltimore for the Yankees' Friday night game with the Orioles, challenged Canseco's account for the first time. Canseco, he said, did not introduce him to Dion. He met him through Eddie Rodriguez, his mentor at a Miami Boys & Girls Club.
"He's a Christian man. A good man. Good man. Great man, actually," A-Rod said of Dion.
"I had no idea that he even knew the other guy (Canseco)."
Joseph Dion says that it was Canseco who set him up with Alex. But, A-Rod is saying that Eddie Rodriguez did it. This seems like an odd disconnect here. And, I suspect that we've not heard the last of this story.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:47 PM | Comments (1)
Tomasino: Hughes At Crossroads
Via Dan Tomasino of The Post:
Phil Hughes is in dangerous territory. The 21-year-old Yankees right-hander will make his fourth start of the season tonight against the Orioles in Baltimore but already he faces a crossroads.
At 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA, Hughes could see his season spiral out of control quickly if he doesn't correct whatever has hindered him the last two starts.
Hughes and the Yankees coaching staff said his mechanics were off when the Red Sox pounded him for six earned runs on six hits and three walks during his two-inning performance Sunday.
"I see him rushing, trying to do too much instead of trusting his abilities, trusting his pitches," first-year pitching coach Dave Eiland said. "All young pitchers do it. He has to slow down the game a little bit in his mind. He's doing everything too quick."
That can be interpreted as a positive or a negative analysis.
On the plus side, it indicates that, if Hughes can calm his mind and allow his body to work, he'll be effective. On the other hand, for a pitcher who's been praised as much for his maturity and demeanor as for his fastball, the idea that his struggles are rooted in his mental approach is not a good sign.
"There's going to be rough spots," said Hughes, who will be opposed by hard-throwing right-hander Daniel Cabrera (0-0, 5.94 ERA). "You've just got to put your head down and go to work and get through them."
This will be the first time that Phil Hughes has ever pitched at Camden Yards. Here are Hughes' career splits, via Baseball-Reference.com, when batters hit the ball off him:
PA BA OBP SLG Babip To Infield 106 .058 .058 .058 .058 To Outfield 151 .500 .490 .804 .462 Ball In Play 250 .298 .294 .396 .291 Fair Terr 250 .327 .323 .510 .300 Foul Terr 7 .000 .000 .000 .000 Pulled-RHB 31 .400 .400 .600 .379 Up Mdle-RHB 78 .280 .269 .373 .260 Opp Fld-RHB 30 .172 .172 .172 .172 Pulled-LHB 34 .500 .500 1.088 .414 Up Mdle-LHB 64 .250 .250 .344 .250 Opp Fld-LHB 20 .450 .450 .750 .421
Note these splits (from the above):
PA BA OBP SLG Babip To Outfield 151 .500 .490 .804 .462 Pulled-RHB 31 .400 .400 .600 .379 Pulled-LHB 34 .500 .500 1.088 .414 Opp Fld-LHB 20 .450 .450 .750 .421
These suggest that Phil Hughes gets battered, but good, when he allows hits into the outfield - especially when it's hit towards left-field or pulled into right-field.
Camden Yards is not going to help Phil in this respect. It could be a very interesting game for Hughes tonight down in Hot L Baltimore.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:29 PM | Comments (2)
Movable Type To WordPress Conversion Tomorrow
It's expected that, sometime tomorrow, we will be moving the platform for this blog from Movable Type to WordPress. Related, later this evening, I will be shutting down the option to leave comments on entries - to ensure nothing is lost in the conversion. (I'll make note of the closure when it happens.) Once we're up and running on WordPress, I will restore the commenting feature. Thanks in advance for your patience with regard to this situation.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:16 PM | Comments (1)
How's A-Rod Doing In The Clutch This Year?
So far, this year, Alex has been terrible in the "clutch." But, there's only been 12 such Plate Appearances (PA) on him to look at here. Some career "clutch" situational splits for Alex Rodriguez via Baseball-Reference.com -
2008 PA BA OBP SLG BAbip sOPS+ High Lvrge 12 .167 .167 .250 .286 14 Medium Lvrge 30 .259 .333 .481 .300 122 Low Lvrge 31 .414 .452 .793 .409 228 2007 PA BA OBP SLG BAbip sOPS+ High Lvrge 132 .349 .439 .706 .360 196 Medium Lvrge 312 .328 .433 .660 .333 182 Low Lvrge 264 .278 .402 .594 .255 164 2006 PA BA OBP SLG BAbip sOPS+ High Lvrge 150 .273 .367 .500 .300 124 Medium Lvrge 266 .251 .380 .429 .280 110 Low Lvrge 258 .338 .419 .627 .387 174 2005 PA BA OBP SLG BAbip sOPS+ High Lvrge 131 .268 .366 .509 .291 130 Medium Lvrge 280 .345 .454 .629 .394 185 Low Lvrge 304 .322 .414 .636 .332 180 2004 PA BA OBP SLG BAbip sOPS+ High Lvrge 126 .314 .405 .559 .329 152 Medium Lvrge 249 .310 .398 .551 .329 144 Low Lvrge 323 .258 .347 .466 .283 115
Lvrge = Game importance of the PA.
BAbip = Batting Average on balls in play.
sOPS+ = OPS+ of this split relative to the major league OPS for this split.
Check out those sOPS+ marks for High Leverage situations with 2008 being through last night:
sOPS+ Year 196 2007 152 2004 130 2005 124 2006 014 2008
Granted, again, it's a small sample size for 2008. But, at this pace, 2008 looks to be, at least, as "un-clutch" a season for A-Rod as 2006. Then again, it is important to stress that an sOPS+ of 124 in High Leverage situations in 2006 still means Alex was above average in those situations. It's just that he's not as "clutch" as he was in 2005, 2004, and 2007.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:43 PM | Comments (1)
April 17, 2008
April 17th vs. The Red Sox
This game, for me, touches five Yankees pitchers. I'll explain...
I missed the first few innings of this one. (More on that later). And, I didn't pick up the contest until the bottom of the fourth - when the Yanks were already down, 5-zip. At that time, I was listening to the radio broadcast (in my car).
Props to John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman for getting on Kyle Farnsworth (Pitcher #1) in seventh inning for throwing behind Manny. As they stated, yes, please, move him off the plate. But, you never throw behind a batter's head just because he's using your team as a batting tee.
While on Waldman, she and John (at one point) were talking about the Brewers signing Jeff Weaver. Suzyn said something like "I cannot believe that someone didn't sign him until now" or "I was surprised to see him not get signed until now." Man, if I were in charge of the Yankees broadcasts, I would fire her for making a comment that dumb. Jeff Weaver? Has she seen his stats over the last two years? He's been the worst pitcher in baseball since 2006.
Speaking of bad pitchers, some job by Mussina (Pitcher #2) today, huh? Seventeen batters, 77 pitches, and 5 earned runs. Thanks to that terrible effort, the Yankees had to use Jonathan Albaladejo (Pitcher #3) and he didn't exactly help either.
I was able to catch the last couple of innings on YES. It was exciting when the Yanks got the tying run to the plate in the ninth. Looking at all those empty seats at the Stadium, I was thinking "How cool would it be if they came back and won this game? All those who left would be kicking themselves." But, again, thanks to Moose and Albaladejo, that hill was too tough to climb tonight.
Now, when you combine this game with the one from Wang (Pitcher #4) last night, it really puts some pressure on Phil Hughes (Pitcher #5) to give the team some innings on Friday. If not, the bullpen is going to be working on fumes this weekend.
Why I missed the start of the game: Tonight, I had dinner with some of the good folks from SNY.tv at Ben Benson's in NYC. (It took me two and a half hours to drive from Peapack-Gladstone, NJ, to 52nd Street in Manhattan. Thank you, Lincoln Tunnel.) Good eats at Benson's - much better than the usual Hungry Heifer steakhouses that I usually frequent. It was great to meet some of the creative forces behind SNY.tv. They're doing some cool things at the site. And, they're continuing to add more to it. If you haven't checked it out, or been there recently, give it a try.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:44 PM | Comments (17)
Curse Jersey Current Bid: $7,100.00
Wow. And, there's still almost a week left of bidding!
Click here to bid or watch the auction.
If you have the money, hey, it's for a good cause!
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:52 PM | Comments (0)
Manny To Follow Damon On Haircut Trail?
Is there a chance that the Red Sox do not pick up Manny Ramirez' contract option for 2009?
Related, what happens if the Yankees do not bring back Bobby Abreu next season? You know that Jason Giambi will be gone after this year. Does the money saved on Giambi and Abreu, coupled with the need for a right-fielder and three-hitter (if Abreu leaves), bring cause for the Yankees to chase a 37-year old Manny Ramirez on the free agent market?
Me? In my lifetime, I've seen some great right-handed batters play: Jeff Bagwell, Edgar Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, Frank Thomas and Albert Pujols come to mind. And, I'd put Manny Ramirez up there with any of them - if not on the top of the list. But...man...the whole Manny being Manny thing...in Yankeeland? I dunno. I just don't know...
What about you? How would you feel about "Manny In Pinstripes '09"?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:28 PM | Comments (12)
In Case Cooperstown Is Not Keeping Count
Alex Rodriguez played in 485 games with the Texas Rangers. And, he also played 790 games with the Seattle Mariners.
Coming into this season, A-Rod has played 629 games with the Yankees. This means, assuming Alex doesn't miss much time this year, come early 2009 Alex will have played in more games with the Yankees than any other major league team.
Any question what cap should be on Rodriquez' plaque in Cooperstown? Even if he retired today, I don't see how it can be anyone else but the Yankees now.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:30 AM | Comments (6)
Shandler: Contact Rate Is Revealing
Via Ron Shandler in the USA Today (with a hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org):
There is a high variability in the batting average statistic. Once a batter makes contact with the ball, the final disposition of that at-bat is largely out of his hands (home runs excluded, naturally). Two identically hit line drives might yield different results depending upon where the fielders are standing.
So, when it comes to batting average, perhaps the skill that we should be tracking is the rate at which a batter makes contact.
Contact rate (at-bats minus strikeouts, divided by at-bats) is a statistic that is far more stable and projectable. League level rates run about 80%. Our .300 hitters often come from those with contact rates greater than 90%. Batters with rates less than 70% typically have trouble keeping their batting average above .250.
I've always had this thing about making contact. So, I'm loving this talk about Contact Rate. Granted, there's more to it. A guy like Ted Sizemore made great contact - but, he didn't much else with the bat. Still, Shandler's comments are great food for thought.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:10 AM | Comments (0)
Rotation To Be Altered?
Via Kat O'Brien -
The Yankees may split up Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy in the rotation following the off-day Monday. Asked if that was under consideration, Girardi smiled and said; "It's a possibility."
It makes sense. Having Mussina, Hughes and Kennedy in a row is a tax on the bullpen. Back in March, I said that you don't want Pettitte and Wang pitching back-to-back. Nothing has changed that opinion for me.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:59 AM | Comments (1)
Yankees Worth $1.3B
Via the AP:
The New York Yankees' value increased to $1.306 billion US over the past year, according to the annual estimates by Forbes magazine, a rise of 9 % over the past year.
The New York Mets were second at $824 million and the Boston Red Sox third at $816 million, the magazine said yesterday. After that, there was a big gap to the Los Angeles Dodgers ($694 million) and the Chicago Cubs ($642 million).
The Yankees were listed by Forbes as having $327 million in revenue last year and a $47.3 million operating loss, up from a $25.2 million loss on revenue of $302 million the previous year. Forbes' revenue figure is after deducting revenue sharing payments, which the Yankees estimate at about $92 million. The team also paid approximately $24 million in luxury tax, which is reflected in the operating loss.
Just wait till next year when the new Death Star, errrr, I mean, Stadium is fully operational. It could be closer to two billion.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:55 AM | Comments (1)
April 16th vs. The Red Sox
Man, if you would have told me this past off-season that the Yankees would face the Red Sox in April, and win a wild one, where the heroes for the Yankees in the contest would be Chad Moeller, La Troy Hawkins and Brian Bruney, well, that would have been a good laugh. Baseball is a funny game, huh?
I just hate it when two starting pitchers have to face each other in back-to-back starts, five days apart. It's no wonder that both starters in this game had issues.
The final score in this one is a lie. Until the bottom of the 8th, this game was way too close for comfort, for me.
It will be interesting to see the reaction of Red Sox Nation today regarding the performance of Clay Buchholz. Will they ignore his stat line and rave about how impressive his stuff was? Will they blame his numbers on the fact that it's early in the season and claim that he just needs to warm up this year? Will they try and pass this on the umpire and say he was being squeezed all night? Will they somehow try and blame the weather? Will they say things like "Let's not forget about that night where he had the no-hitter! That's the true Clay!" Or, will they just say that he stunk?
What would Yankees fans do in this situation, say, if it were Phil Hughes who had a game like Buchholz had in this one? I think we know the answer, no?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:49 AM | Comments (10)
April 16, 2008
SI: The Secret Of Wang
Albert Chen of SI has done a big feature on Chien-Ming Wang. Click here to read it. (Hat tip to the print issue of SI in the waiting room of my periodontist.) Some of the cool parts:
[Wang] sits in the passenger seat of a midnight-blue minivan with tinted windows as it squeezes through a swarm of cars and motorbikes, on the city's main avenue. Peering through the side window he spots a line of customers at a street vendor's cart and decides that he wants what they want: a small piece of cake stuffed with red bean -- a local specialty he won't be able to get once he returns to the U.S. in another week. But because he is Chien-Ming Wang, pitcher for the New York Yankees, he can't step out of his vehicle, or even roll down his window, without making news in the next day's papers. "The street food, it's what I miss most in America," he says in a rare moment of wistfulness. Wang could dispatch his bodyguard, Daniel, who is driving, but left waiting in a parked van, Wang would surely be recognized through the front windshield. It happened two years ago, when, on his way home from the airport, a mob of more than a thousand blocked the narrow street to his home. For more than a hour, he sat with his wife in a stationary car, surrounded by the throng until 40 policemen arrived.
So to the notion of buying a piece of cake, Wang says, "Forget it," and the van rolls on, headed to a gym, where it pulls up to the rear entrance.
Wang had been exposed as a one-pitch anomaly, or so said the baseball cognoscenti, the scribes and the sabermetricians who've long proclaimed the 6-foot-3, 225-pound righthander the beneficiary of a large amount of good fortune. How else to explain why a pitcher with a minuscule strikeout rate, who misses fewer bats than almost every other major league starter, could be so successful? No, Wang's October wasn't just a pair of fluke performances in an otherwise accomplished season, nor was it the result of a tired arm, but rather the sign of something larger. This, the skeptics said, was perhaps where the end began.
The adopted son of workers in a metal utensil manufacturing company, Wang played Little League but was never regarded as a standout while growing up in Tainan. "In high school, he was kind of terrible," says Louis Yu, a sportswriter who covered Wang then. "He was tall and very, very skinny. His delivery wasn't smooth, and his fastball was not impressive."
Just as Wang was about to sign with Seattle, with him and his family sitting at home in Tainan wearing Mariners caps, New York swooped in with a $1.9 million offer. "While we knew Tsao could be a star," Yu says, "Wang never had a great game in high school or college like him. People in Taiwan were surprised [the Yankees] gave him so much money. No one thought he could be a star."
Wang's sinker gradually earned a reputation as one of the game's filthiest pitches. "An ultimate weapon, like Johan Santana and his changeup," says Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte. "It's the best sinker I've ever seen."
Halfway around the globe, in a baseball-crazed country starved for somebody to root for, Wangmania took off.
Now Taiwan's major newspapers charge a higher advertising rate for issues published on a day that Wang pitches, as well as the day after each start. The country's largest circulation daily, Apple Daily, estimates that it sells as many as 300,000 extra papers on days that carry reports of another Wang victory. Endorsements that have come Wang's way include McDonald's, Ford, E Sun Bank (one of the largest in Taiwan) and computer-maker Acer, which claims that Wang's name alone has increased its product sales by 10% and lowered the average age of its consumer by almost four years.
On the Yankees, Wang has no close friends. He has known second baseman Robinson Cano the longest -- the two rose through the minors together and were promoted to the majors within a week of each other in the spring of 2005 -- but neither can recall the last time they socialized outside the ballpark.
More than the fans, major league clubs believe what they've seen from Wang. Over the last two years they have signed 15 players from Taiwan, and nearly half the teams have full-time scouts on the island. Kao sees the talent coming up through the high schools and colleges, and it gives him hope. "The quality level here is getting better," he says. "Coaches are learning, coaching smarter."
Will there be another Chien-Ming Wang? Kao laughs, sounding as if he thinks the question is absurd. "No, I don't think so, not while I'm still living," he says. "He is a precious gem. Our precious gem."
Great story.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:55 PM | Comments (0)
Span: What Price Shorter Bathroom Lines?
Emma Span ponders the old and new Yankee Stadium via the New York Press:
After spending more than two hours huddled in a jam-packed, dank and filthy bleacher concourse, with miles of bathroom lines and rusty water (God, I hope it was water) dripping onto the crowd, the idea of a new and improved Yankee Stadium does seem slightly more appealing.
It’s just too bad nobody I know will be able to afford to see it from the inside.
“We tried to reflect a five-star hotel and put a ballfield in the middle,” Yankees Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost told the AP earlier this year, describing features like a video conferencing room and concierge service. With comments like these, and with their “Yankees Premium” website—promoting the new stadium’s luxury suites as “An Exclusive Experience... For Those With Discerning Tastes... Who Seek The Very Best... Life Has To Offer”—the Yankees seem to be deliberately appealing to ostentatiously wealthy snobs who might or might not enjoy having a baseball game on in the background as they show off for potential clients. What price shorter bathroom lines?
You know, it's kind of interesting in that the Red Sox are playing in a ballpark that opened five days after the sinking of the Titanic (and they're making money there) whereas the Yankees are building their version of the Titanic for a new ballpark in order to make money. Yes, in both cases, the fans have to pay through the nose to get into the games. But, you don't hear too much about Fenway "deliberately appealing to ostentatiously wealthy snobs"? I wonder why that is?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:07 PM | Comments (1)
Odds Botkins!
Much like Horatio Prim and Melody Allen being stuck in the well, it seems like the ghosts of Yankee Stadium will have to watch Yankees games on YES next season - just like most of the income-challenged Yankees fans out there.
Via Steven Marcus of Newsday:
The new baseball structure going up in the Bronx may represent something strange in the neighborhood for the ghosts of Yankee lore. They may not so readily transfer their energy from the old rafters to the new suites and skyboxes.
With their lease on eternity at the old Yankee Stadium endangered, perhaps Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio and Mantle will opt to become free-agent spirits.
That is one theory.
Dominick Villella, who works for Paranormal Investigation of New York City, has grave doubts that the Yankee ghosts will change addresses.
"I don't think it is possible to move any type of paranormal activity from one building to the next," he said. "It is probably going to be tied to that building. The old stadium is going to retain whatever energy it had. It would be nice if you could take some of the old energy over, but I don't think it is possible."
Villella thinks the current Yankee Stadium undoubtedly has enormous spiritual vibes.
"Babe Ruth's energy is contained as a replay in time," he said, "like a film loop that maybe could happen again and again -- if conditions were right.'' So, when the wind swirls and there is distant thunder, Ruth apparently has lived in the bats of Yankees who have hit dramatic home runs.
Villella said that bringing objects from the legendary players could contain energy to jump-start the new building.
"Bring over things that were associated with the players," he said. "If they leave it at the old stadium, that energy will remain there."
[Yankee chief operating officer Lonn] Trost said the current stadium has undergone many changes over the years and it did not seem to disturb the ghosts.
"We've changed the dirt here as many times as I've cut my hair," he said. "The sod is different, the field is different, the irrigation is different, the lockers look different. Even the rodents are different. The most important things, the championship banners and the fans, we are taking with us."
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:25 PM | Comments (2)
Catching Up With Carl
Via the Star Ledger -
The days blur together, distinguished only by minor developments in his throwing program -- an extra 10 feet of distance, another dozen throws. For Carl Pavano, even these marginal increments serve as benchmarks on yet another agonizingly slow journey back to the mound.
The rest of the time, he's just passing the time.
"I've got the baseball package, I watch all our games, I relax," Pavano said yesterday at the Yankees' complex in Tampa. "I mean, what is there really to do? I try to eat well, and stay in shape, and look forward to my next throwing session. That's really all I've got going right now."
In his time with the Yankees, he's pitched in only 19 games, going 5-6. He missed all of 2006 and is still a ways off from throwing off a mound this year, as he focuses on getting his surgically repaired elbow up to strength with long-tossing.
Aside from watching the Yankees games on TV, Pavano doesn't stay in contact with any of his teammates. When asked if he would visit the team during their series with the Tampa Bay Rays this week, he shook his head and said, "no chance."
Pavano's agent Tom O'Connell -- the fourth agent the right-hander has gone through in his career -- believes that Pavano would still be a desired commodity on the free-agent market this winter, even with his injury history.
"Carl's a 1-2 starter," O'Connell said. "Those guys don't grow on trees. Those guys are very rare, 200-inning guys are very rare in this game, and they're the ones that make the money. And he did it two years in a row, before he got hurt, and I'm sure he's going to do it again."
"Carl's a 1-2 starter."
Well, I'll give him # 2. But, I'm thinking of "# 2" as in what you teach a toddler to say when they have to go potty and it's more than just a tinkle.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:32 PM | Comments (5)
Farnsworth: "Time To Stop Finessing Slider"
Hey, check out Farnsie...he's going John Daly on us. Grip it and Rip it. Via Newsday -
Farnsworth said he watched video of his slider on Monday and feels as if he may have picked up something that will help him get it down and in to a lefthanded batter - like Joba's slider - instead of in the fat of the plate.
"At times I've babied it a lot, which is stupid of me to do," he said. "I'm not a finesse pitcher. Just trying to make a perfect pitch like a finesse pitcher would do. I don't need to be doing that because my arm will drag and more times than not it's been left over the middle of the plate."
This could be a "Ebby Calvin 'Nuke' LaLoosh" moment for Kyle. Don't think, Meat. It can only hurt the ball club.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:16 PM | Comments (1)
Keri On Why Yanks Will Win Or Lose A.L. East
Jonah Keri via the New York Sun:
WILL WIN IF: The young pitching pans out. Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are off to rough starts this year. But Hughes in particular has both the stuff and the minor league track record to succeed at the big league level — it's just a question of when it will happen. There's a potential chain-reaction effect on the Yankees' staff. If Hughes or Kennedy don't pan out or Andy Pettitte's balky elbow gets the best of him, the Bombers could consider moving Joba Chamberlain to the rotation. Underrated and talented newcomer Jonathan Albaladejo has a chance to become a very good setup man if the team lets him, which could make it easier to get Chamberlain in the rotation where he belongs.
WILL LOSE IF: The team's veteran hitters show their age. Already, the normally durable Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada have battled injuries. Jason Giambi's been declining for a while now, Johnny Damon looks like a Punch-and-Judy hitter and Bobby Abreu hasn't topped 20 homers in three years. The offense will be good, no matter what. But it needs to be great for the Yankees to win it.
It's an interesting point on the "power" question. Are Godzilla and A-Rod the only "true" power threats on the Yankees now? I could see where a case could be made to support that claim.
Posada and Cano should be good for 20 homers each - but, not much more. At this point, the only two guys on the Yankees who are pretty much "good" for 25+ homeruns these days are Matsui and Rodriguez, no?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:48 AM | Comments (2)
Former Yanks P.R. Director To Lead Hall At Cooperstown
Via the Daily Star -
The Daily Star learned exclusively Tuesday night that Jeff Idelson will be named the permanent president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame today. An announcement will be made during a media conference this afternoon at the shrine in Cooperstown, a source speaking on the condition of anonymity said.
Idelson, 43, succeeds Dale Petroskey, who resigned March 25 after nearly nine years. The same day, the Hall named Idelson as its acting president, an interim tag that lasted three weeks. The Hall’s 17-member Board of Directors made the decision to hire Idelson, the source said.
The Hall hired Idelson as its director of public relations and promotions in 1994. In 1999, Idelson earned a promotion to vice president of communications and education, an appointment he continued to hold even after he was named acting president. Before working at the Hall, Idelson served as assistant vice president and senior press officer for World Cup USA in 1994, the year the U.S. played host to the World Cup for men’s soccer. From 1989-93, Idelson worked as the New York Yankees’ director of media relations and publicity after holding a similar position with the Boston Red Sox from 1986-88.
Idelson graduated from Connecticut College with a degree in international economics May 25,1986, and began working in the Red Sox’s PR department 11 days later.
After having to deal with the 1986 Red Sox and those Yankees teams from 1989 to 1992, dealing with anything else should be a snap.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:36 AM | Comments (1)
Hawkins Would Rather Switch Than Fight
Via the Yankees site -
Tired of receiving flak for wearing a number last used by Paul O'Neill, the Yankees' LaTroy Hawkins has decided to surrender his No. 21 before the club opens a two-game series against the Red Sox on Wednesday.
The right-hander declined comment after the Yankees' 5-3 victory over the Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, but Yankees director of media relations Jason Zillo confirmed the change. Hawkins' decision was first reported by CBSSports.com.
According to CBSSports.com, Hawkins made the decision after discussions with Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and other Yankees veterans, who told Hawkins that the number is not worth the headache it's causing.
"I figure if it's important enough for Jeter and Mariano and some other veterans to ask me about it, it's not worth it to keep wearing the number," Hawkins told the Web site.
Hawkins will wear No. 22, last worn by Roger Clemens, when the Yankees take the field on Wednesday.
As many married men will tell you..."You can be happy, or, you can be right." Whether or not Hawkins was within his rights to wear #21, based on the reaction from the fans, it seems like his life will be happier with the switch to #22.
There's enough pressure playing in New York. No need to look to add to it if you can avoid it. Smart move La Troy.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:53 AM | Comments (4)
April 15, 2008
April 15th @ The Rays
The Six Sigma police probably would have locked up the Yankees offense today and thrown away the key. Clearly, the ratio of the output to the input of the Yankees bats this evening left something to be desired.
The Yankees sent 42 men to the plate in this one, in nine innings, looking at 189 pitches, scoring only 5 runs, and yet won the game.
Since 1988, there's only been one other game in Yankees history where it's been a nine inning game, New York sent at least 42 men to the plate, saw at least 185 pitches, scored five runs or less, and won. That one was also a road game under a dome: August 27, 1995.
Obviously, Andy Pettitte earned his pay today.
Want one more fun stat? This evening was only the 3rd time in his Yankees career (and the first time since 2006) that Kyle Farnsworth pitched in the 8th inning or later of a road game, that the Yankees won, where he threw one inning and it was a two-run lead or less when he threw, while not allowing any baserunners and using 10 pitches or less. The other times were August 21, 2006 and July 7, 2006.
There must be a blue moon tonight.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:11 PM | Comments (3)
When Al Leiter Almost Got Linked To Babe Ruth
Raise your hand if you remember May 31, 1988.
That was the game where Neil Allen came within 3 hits of pulling an Ernie Shore. Well, except that Leiter gave up a hit...sure.
Now, this would be a good one for Yankees Classics, no?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:13 PM | Comments (3)
Salfino: Evolution & Pitching Mechanics
Michael Salfino of SNY.tv takes a look at internet reports on the mechanics of Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain. Click here to read his feature.
I can remember watching a Yankees game in 1995. At that time, Jim Kaat was comparing the mechanics of two young pitchers in the Yankees starting rotation: 23-year old Andy Petitte and 24-year old Sterling Hitchcock. If I recall correctly, Kaat (then) projected Pettitte more likely to be free of issues because his delivery ended on a bent leg whereas Hitchcock pitched off a stiff front leg. In retrospect, Kitty was right.
I'd love to see someone with a lot of pitching experience, as a player and a coach (and maybe a broadcaster too), take a look at the mechanics of Hughes, Kennedy and Chamberlain and see what they have to say...someone like Kaat, Orel Hershiser, or...hey, what about Al Leiter? (Nah, YES would never go for that.)
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:01 PM | Comments (3)
So, How's The Yankees Defense & Pitching Doing?
If you looked at the metrics available via The Hardball Times, as of this morning, you'd see this:
R/G ERA FIP DER SLG LOB% NYA 4.21 4.06 4.00 0.702 0.382 71% League 4.42 4.16 4.16 0.698 0.399 72% LD% GB% IF/Fly K/G BB/G HR/G HR/Fly NYA 20% 49% 9% 6.4 2.9 0.90 11% League 18% 46% 17% 6.1 3.4 0.89 11%
That's pretty much smack-dab in line with being league average, across the board, no?
It will be interesting to see if this improves, declines, or stays the same as the season moves forward.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:00 PM | Comments (0)
No, They Wouldn't...Would They?
A wild and ugly thought just occurred to me. Oooooh, it's giving me chills.
Assume that Jorge Posada's shoulder turns out to be a chronic thing. "No problem," you say, "Giambi's gone after this season. Juan Miranda's not doing too well at Triple-A and Eric Duncan is a bust. The Yankees can play Jorge at first next season and through the rest of his contract. Plus, this way you save money on chasing after Teixeira."
Yeah, but, then, the Yankees are still going to need a catcher since their back-stop prospects are not ready for the bigs yet.
And, there's a certain catcher and "free-agent to be" out there who Brian Cashman loves....
No, stop! I can't...I just cannot picture that.
They wouldn't...would they?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:32 PM | Comments (5)
Posada To Take Cortisone Shot?
Via George King:
Jorge Posada is mulling the pros and cons of getting a cortisone shot in his ailing right shoulder.
"It's 50/50 it would work because of where the problem is," Posada told The Post during batting practice last night at Tropicana Field. "Where the problem is isn't where the shot would go, so it's 50/50. I am considering it."
Click here (or here) to learn everything that you've ever wanted to know about cortisone shots.
I believe, back in 1989, former pitcher Don Robinson claimed that he had somewhere around 150 to 200 cortisone shots during his career. And, the practice of getting these shots goes way back in baseball. (Call it a PED with an Rx.)
So, I can see why Jorge is mulling it - as it's pretty much S.O.P. for situations like his, when it comes to the game. Fifty-fifty odds? Yeah, I can see Posada going for the shot, for sure...as it could help.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:09 AM | Comments (1)
The Best Reason To Dig Up That Ortiz Jersey
I’m really surprised at the number of fans and members of the media who are on the Yankees about their efforts to get that Red Sox jersey out of the foundation of the new Yankee Stadium. I’ve seen it referred to as a waste of time and/or money. Some have called the Yankees paranoid and/or stupid. Stuff like this is all over the internet and airwaves.
These people just don’t get it.
The other day, at BaseballThinkFactory.org, I saw something that I believe is being credited to Larry Mahnken on this – and, it’s dead on. The comment: What price would you pay to keep the CHB, RSN, FOX, ESPN, and others from mentioning the buried jersey, over and over, until the Yankees win their first ring in the new Stadium?
If you had a chance to get that thing out of the foundation, you had to go for it – just for this reason alone. If it cost the Yankees $50,000 to make it happen, it’s money well spent...rather than having to hear about it, over and over, etc. - as would be the case.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:01 AM | Comments (1)
Trenton Trappings
Stephen Cornell of phillyBurbs.com has a nice column today on some happenings with the Trenton Thunder - including updates on Austin Jackson, Chase Wright and Jason Jones. Click here to read it.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:27 AM | Comments (0)
Hey, Doc, Guess What? We Don't Want Him!
Schilling wants to pitch for Yanks in '09?
Via WBZTV.com
Will Curt Schilling pitch for the Red Sox again? His personal doctor says probably not - and he could finish his career in New York.
Dr. Craig Morgan told ESPN Radio in Philadelphia Monday that, in his opinion, Schilling will not be back to pitch in Boston this season.
"Not only that, it's my opinion he's angry enough that it's entirely conceivable even though he's 40 years old, it's entirely conceivable that he will have the operation, rehab, and pitch for the Yankees next year," Morgan said.
There has been no comment from Schilling, the Red Sox, or the Yankees.
I'd rather watch Kei Igawa take a regular turn, and get pounded every time time, than have an old, fat, and done Curt Schilling on the Yankees next season.
Update, 4/15, 11:49 pm ET: Schilling: I think my doc "misrembers"...
Hey, careful Red Light. The public doesn't seem to be willing to buy that ol' "misrembers" card like they used to....
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:21 AM | Comments (3)
April 14, 2008
April 14th @ The Rays
The first six and a half innings of this contest, for a Yankees fan, were a dream. Ian Kennedy was cruising along. The Yankees bats were looking good. Tampa trailed New York by a score of 7-2. It looked like a cakewalk Yankees victory.
Me and my T.V. were just chilling out, and enjoying it all - or, so, I thought. Then came the bottom of the seventh....
Jason Bartlett smacks one off Kennedy, literally. "Noooooooo!" I scream at the T.V.
Billy Traber comes in and allows some hits and runs. But, it's still 7-4 in favor of New York. Then, Brian Bruney comes in and allows a two-run homer to B.J. Upton. It's now a one-run game. "Oh, please, no!" I plead to the T.V.
Next, Bruney allows another homer to Evan Longoria. Again, I scream out to the T.V. "Nooooooooooo!" It's a tie game, at seven.
We need a hero - and here comes Robinson Cano. Boom! A pinch-hit homer in the Yankees' eighth to give New York the lead again, 8-7. "Sweeeeeeeet! I say out-loud, wondering if the T.V. wants me to shut-up at this point.
But, we're still not done. Joe Girardi allows Brian Bruney to come out for the eighth. My T.V. should have expected it by now...and I let out another "Nooooooooo!
Jason Bartlett just misses one off Bruney. "Ugh!" is all I can muster - not even caring if my T.V. cares or not at this point.
Here comes Mo to nail it down...done. It's a "W." There's just one missing piece....
There it is: Ian Kennedy, in the YES post-game saying that he's fine, that he'll probably be somewhat sore, but, the ball from Bartlett's bat did not cause serious injury. "Whew! That's a relief!," I think to myself...knowing by now that the T.V. really doesn't care about this like I do.
Fine, T.V. - be that way. The blog cares. The blog gets it. Don'tcha blog?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:17 PM | Comments (4)
Many Thanks To Jessica Alba & Ricky Ledee
Because it's just not right for me to keep calling him "The fat kid from the Nationals that we traded Tyler Clippard for....," I'm now going to make a concentrated effort to learn how to pronounce Jonathan Albaladejo's last name.
Back when the Yankees traded for him, their official site read that Albaladejo was pronounced "Alba-la-DAY-ho."
That doesn't look that hard. It starts with "Alba" as in "Jessica Alba" and it ends with "ho." I think I can remember those two parts easy enough. And, in the middle, it has "la-DAY," which is sort of like how "Ricky Ledee" had his last name pronounced.
(Jessica) Alba, (Ricky) la-DAY, ho.
I'm not sure how Jessica would like that, but, Ricky may enjoy the sound of it. And, it's going to help me, for sure, remembering how to say his name.
Jonathan, Alba la-Day ho.
Yeah, I'm golden with this one now. It's locked down, solid.
It's so nice to no longer have my tongue tied on "Albaladejo."
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:37 PM | Comments (1)
When Chad Moeller Is A Winner, He's Not A Loser
Via Baseball-Reference.com - Chad Moeller's career batting results, in games that his team has won and lost:
PA BA OBP SLG BAbip tOPS+ in Wins 665 .258 .327 .405 .308 132 in Losses 656 .190 .240 .289 .240 68
To be honest, I have no idea what this means. But, it could suggest that he's got no chance, whatsoever, against good-to-great pitching...and, against weak pitching he's not an automatic out.
Also, for what it's worth, when he's faced with a full-count, in 179 career PA, he's just a .182-hitter...but, in those spots he also has a career .397 on base average. Now, that's freaky. Probably the result of batting in front of the pitcher, a lot, in the National League. Better to walk him and take your chances with the pitcher, etc.
Lastly, in 188 lifetime PA, his BA/OBA/SLG line is .304/.311/.459 when he hits the first pitch. So, if he wants to hack at the first pitch, I'm not going to fault him on that...it seems to be working for him.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:37 PM | Comments (1)
Albaladejo/Moeller Are In, Joba/Betemit Are Out
George King has the story. Chamberlain to the bereavement list and Betemit to the D.L. with pink eye.
You know, the formal word for pink eye is conjunctivitis - and that sort of rhymes with gingivitis.
Here's a true gingivitis story. Back in the early 1990's, I worked at a bank - in the human resources department. On the same floor was the bank's medical department. One day, at the front door of my department, I met a man who had very limited command of the English language. He kept telling me that he had "gingivitis" - or, at least, that's what I thought he was telling me.
Each time he said it, I told him that he needed to see the medical department, around the corner, and not the human resources department. We went through a few rounds of this and then he produced a piece of paper...and, then, I knew that he didn't have "gingivitis"...what he had was a "change of address"! Trust me, what he was saying sounded much more like gingivitis than change of address.
Funny, I bet that many Yankees fans, today, wish that Wilson Betemit was given a "change in address" rather than coming down with "conjunctivitis." Me? I dunno, I still think Betemit has value as a first baseman against right-handed pitching and as a back-up third baseman. If Giambi breaks down, Betemit could come in handy.
But, if Betemit is just on the team as a back-up middle infielder, and, it's clear that the team doesn't trust him in that role...it probably makes sense to move him along...
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:24 PM | Comments (1)
Is Ian Kennedy Not Ready For Prime Time?
In his first game this season, Ian Kennedy faced 15 batters and allowed the following BA/OBP/SLG line: .364/.533/.455.
In his second game, he was better, facing 13 batters and allowing this BA/OBP/SLG line: .182 /.308/.273.
So, which Ian Kennedy will show up this evening? Will it be more like the one that got banged around, or, more like the one who pitched better?
The truth of the matter is that we just don't know, yet, how Kennedy will fair against advanced professional hitters. Yes, last season, Ian was awesome in both Triple-A and the big leagues. However, coming into this season, Kennedy only has six Triple-A starts and three major league starts to his credit. Those nine starts, combined, cover 53.6 innings pitched.
If that's not a small sample size, nothing is. Seeing this, I'm beginning to wonder if the Yankees have rushed Ian Kennedy to the big leagues. Sure, he breezed through the minor leagues last year. But, still, wouldn't you rather see a pitcher make at least twenty starts in Triple-A before you start pushing him out there every five days against big league batters? Even if he's lights-out at Triple-A, there are always things that he can learn in those starts.
In any event, we're here now with Ian Kennedy. And, starting this evening, we'll see if, indeed, he's ready for prime time or not. Hopefully, he's looking good and has no problems. But, if he does struggle, you have to wonder about if the Yankees fast-tracked him too much...and at what cost.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:44 PM | Comments (2)
Day 20
Today is now "Day 20" for me not being able to leave comments to blog entries. To address that, I'm looking to move the platform for this blog from Movable Type to WordPress. That should fix the issue. As I have more on the conversion, I'll update you. In the interim, thanks for your continued patience with regard to this situation.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:38 PM | Comments (0)
USA Today Looks To Crown Best Yankees Team
USA Today has decided to have the 1998 Yankees play the 1938 Yankees in order to crown the greatest New York Yankees team ever. (Hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org on this one.)
I've always wanted to see the '98 Yanks play the '39 Yanks. But, this is close enough...I guess.
USA Today will be unveiling the results of each game of the best-of-seven series (between the '38 and '98 teams) each Friday until they crown the all-time champion Yankees team.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:04 PM | Comments (0)
Klapisch On Hughes
Via Bob Klapisch of The Record:
Scouts still believe Hughes is on a long-range path to success; but he’s making obvious mistakes with a fastball that’s been curiously anemic. On Sunday night, the radar gun had Hughes in the 90-91 mph range, and sometimes it wasn’t even that quick.
"Obviously (Hughes) is not where we want him to be, but he’ll get better," Joe Girardi said. "I still believe in my guys."
It’s true, Hughes is being given a wide berth by everyone in the organization, up to and including Hank Steinbrenner. But make no mistake, the corporate plan also calls for a 13th consecutive trip to the postseason, and if the Yankees have any hope of winning the wild card, let alone catching the Red Sox, they’ll need more from Hughes.
Question is: Just how much can the Yankees really expect from the prospect who was hailed as a young John Smoltz?
In three starts, (11 innings), Hughes has allowed 11 earned runs on 16 hits, including eight walks. These aren’t just growing-pains numbers, these are signs of distress.
One scout who’s watched Hughes recently said, "He’s going to need a plus fastball to keep hitters honest. He’s got a great curveball, but they’re going to start sitting on it sooner or later."
"I wish I could pinpoint it," Hughes said of his struggle. "I pride myself on getting ahead in the count and then having pinpoint control of my fastball. But I have been out of my comfort zone lately."
You know, the super-hype on Phil Hughes goes back for at least two years now - probably even longer...going back to when he was drafted in 2004.
The more I think about it...it seems like it's just too much pressure to live up to those expectations. And, now, it's worse for Hughes, because of the whole Johan Santana trade-talk thing.
Andrew Brackman is next up...the hype is already building on him.
It just seems like it's going to much easier for guys like Zach McAllister and Alan Horne to break into the big leagues, in the New York market, than the Hughes and Brackman types who need to be lights-up from jump street.
It's too late to make things easier for guys like Hughes - with respect to the spot-light being on them. Hopefully, there's a lesson learned in here for the team. Don't support or allow the hype and give these kids a chance to ease into it. Do whatever you have to make it possible for them to sneak in a back-door rather than just throw them out on stage...billed as the next coming of the savior.
It's bad enough that it's all uphill trying to break into the bigs as a pitcher. Is there really a need to tie weights to the guy's shoulders at the same time?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:33 AM | Comments (9)
Harlan Chamberlain In Critical Condition
Via Mark Feinsand:
The Yankees likely will be without Joba Chamberlain on Monday night in Tampa Bay, as the reliever left the team on Sunday night to tend to his ailing father.
According to sources, Harlan Chamberlain collapsed at his home in Lincoln, Neb. He was listed in critical condition at St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln, a nursing supervisor there told the Daily News on Sunday night. Chamberlain learned the news after the Yankees' loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Chamberlain's sister called a Yankees official during the eighth inning in an attempt to reach Chamberlain, who was in the bullpen at the time.
After the game, a source said, Chamberlain returned the call, only to learn of his father's collapse.
Sources said Chamberlain broke down in tears inside the clubhouse, as manager Joe Girardi consoled him.
I heard this driving into work this morning and got that sick feeling in my stomach the minute that I heard it. Even though I'm both a son and a father, I can only imagine what's going through Joba Chamberlain's head at this moment. This is very sad news. The Chamberlain family, while blessed in some ways, seems to have had more than it's share of serious challenges. My heart goes out to them today.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:54 AM | Comments (0)
Molina's Hammy May Lead To Chad Moeller Call-Up
Via Tyler Kepner: Help Wanted: Yankees Need Catcher After Falling at Fenway.
Squatting requires significant hamstring co-contraction (according to Google). Best bet is to have Molina go on the D.L. and get himself 100% sound before he returns.
Besides, with a bad hammy, it takes the speed factor out of Jose's game. (Yes, I'm kidding with that last part.)
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:45 AM | Comments (4)
April 13, 2008
April 13th @ The Red Sox
This is now two really bad starts in a row for Phil Hughes.
Whether Hughes was too amped up in the first, or, if it was just a meltdown thing (see the bad pitch-out and the cross-ups), the result was the same: 39 pitches for that one frame is just flat out ugly.
Actually, truth be told, I was very impressed when Hughes returned the next inning and only needed 11 pitches in the second. When that happened, I thought "Hey, there's a chance that he might rebound here and actually give the team four or maybe five innings tonight." But, then came the third inning - where Hughes was done for good...just 15 pitches into it.
Next Friday night will now be a big start now for Hughes. He needs to show a better effort in that one, against the O's.
If Hughes is unable to give the Yankees a decent start more than half the time he pitches, New York will have to begin to consider a point where it's time to ponder other options - just as they will for Ian Kennedy if he continues to struggle as well.
Presently, the next great Yankees pitching prospect, Alan Horne, is injured. This means the pool of potential replacement starters at Triple-A is down to Darrell Rasner, Steven White, Jeffrey Marquez, and Kei Igawa.
Marquez and White, to date, have been pitching poorly at Scranton-Wilkes Barre. Rasner and Igawa have both done well in their first two starts there - but we've seen what major league hitters can do to them.
Brass tacks, there's no net here. If Hughes and Kennedy cannot consistently do the job, the Yankees, and their season, could be toast.
Sure, it's been bad weather and the Yankees have been facing good teams and hot teams in their first 13 games this year. Personally, I see these things as just being excuses. You're going to face bad weather and good/hot teams in October. So, what's the difference about facing them in April?
And, yes, I know that this "BF<=15 and ER>=6" game result tonight from Hughes and the "BF<=15 and ER>=6" game result from Kennedy on April 4th have come just as we're barely into the season. Additionally, I know that Andy Pettitte, in his Yankees career, has posted 5 games where he's pulled the "BF<=15 and ER>=6" trick - including this turkey as a 23-year old in his 18th career start - and Andy's career has lived to tell.
So, yes, the last two games for Hughes - and Kennedy as well - should not be taken as a lock that they will continue to fail more often than not and will need to be replaced in the rotation.
But, you cannot ignore the last two games for Hughes and Kennedy and just write them off...especially if they continue to struggle.
It's a big night for Kennedy tomorrow and a big night for Hughes on April 18th. Hopefully, they'll both start to pitch better than we've seen lately.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:35 PM | Comments (9)
Back When The A.L. East Was A Place To Get Fat
WasWatching.com reader "dave24s" asked this question today: "In 2004, how in the world did the Yankees win 101 games with that rotation?"
First, some stats via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia:
Runs Saved Above Average Leaders, Teams, AL, 2004:
RSAA RSAA 1 Red Sox 118 2 Twins 114 3 Rangers 91 4 A's 81 5 Angels 48 6 Orioles 16 7 White Sox 7 8 Blue Jays 2 9 Yankees -41 10 Indians -42 11 Devil Rays -62 12 Tigers -76 13 Mariners -84 14 Royals -115
Runs Created Above Average Leaders, Teams, AL, 2004:
RCAA RCAA 1 Red Sox 119 2 Yankees 112 3 Indians 60 4 Tigers 53 5 Angels 25 6 A's 8 7 Orioles 3 8 Mariners -21 9 White Sox -42 10 Devil Rays -49 11 Rangers -50 12 Twins -54 13 Royals -90 14 Blue Jays -146
Yes, the Yankees pitching in 2004 was bad. There were really only four teams in the league with worse pitching that season: The Rays, Tigers, M's and Royals. But, as you can see, the Yankees had great hitting in 2004 - with only the Red Sox being just a tick better.
There are three teams to really note in the above charts: The Orioles, Blue Jays and Devil Rays.
The Orioles were just about league average in hitting and pitching. The Blue Jays had average pitching and no hitting whatsoever. And, the Devil Rays had no pitching or hitting, period.
The Yankees got to play these three teams 57 times in 2004. And, the average pitching of the O's and Jays were no match for the Yankees bats. And, as bad as the Yankees pitchers were, since Toronto and Baltimore did not have great bats, they could handle the O's and Jays batters. And, like I said, Tampa Bay was just terrible in 2004.
New York, that season, went 41-16 in those 57 games against the Orioles, Blue Jays and Devil Rays. That's a winning percentage of .719. Against the rest of baseball, the Yankees went 60-45 - a winning percentage of .571.
It was because the Yankees bats were able to beat up on the O's, Jays, and Rays - while the batters for Baltimore, Toronto, and Tampa Bay were not much trouble for the weak Yankees pitching - that New York was able to win 101 games in 2004. Without those three teams to feast on, the Yankees probably would have been a 90-win team in 2004.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:01 PM | Comments (1)
Dig This: New Yankee Stadium Now Minus One Buried Big Papi Jersey
Via the Post:
The curse has been broken - out of the ground, that is.
A pair of hardhats working at the new Yankee Stadium dropped a dime on the location of a buried Red Sox jersey.
Beantown-loving construction worker Gino Castignoli, who lives in The Bronx, confessed to The Post last week that he buried a Red Sox slugger David Ortiz jersey at the site last summer while working at the stadium.
After reading about the traitorous act in The Post, the two workers approached a construction manager and said they remembered Castignoli, who only worked at the Stadium one day, and thought they knew where he must have placed the shirt.
They led the manager to a service corridor near the site of the planned Legends Club restaurant, behind home plate and toward the third base side.
After the hardhats pointed to the spot, workers brought out jackhammers and dug furiously for five hours, creating a 2-foot- by-3-foot, gravel-filled pit in their search for the tainted threads.
They spotted the jersey at 3:25 p.m. and called Yankee brass. The cursed shirt was about two feet deep in cement.
"They absolutely pinpointed that if it was in the ground, that's where it was," team spokeswoman Alice McGillion said, as she let The Post inspect the now partly buried shirt.
But the team declined to identify its latest heroes.
Said McGillion: "The workers came forward this morning and said that they thought if there was a shirt buried, this is where it was" - on the stadium's lowest level, behind where the field-level seats will be.
After the discovery, the team ordered the work stopped - and left the shirt in the cement in preparation for an extraction ceremony today.
"We want to thank The Post for raising the issue," McGillion said. "The [two] workers were terrific in coming forward. They wanted the shirt out of there."
As it turns out, Castignoli, 46, has been in trouble before. The hulking mason once pleaded guilty to involvement in a $40 million illegal gambling operation with ties to the Gambino crime family.
He was busted in February 2002 during a roundup of mob-connected gambling dens, according to the Brooklyn DA's Office.
But it was the betrayal of his borough that elicited Bronx cheers from many Yankee fans - including the new Boss, Hank Steinbrenner.
"I hope his coworkers kick the s- - - out of him," said George's boy, who now runs the team with his brother Hal.
Other reports say that the Yankees plan to donate the jersey to charity. I'd almost rather see them put it on display somewhere in the Yankees museum that will be down the right field line at the new Stadium. Let it stand as testament to the fact that Yankees fans will leave no stone unturned in an effort to show their support for the team.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:37 PM | Comments (2)
Girardi Goofed Not Having Fresh Arm Face Manny
In what turned out to be the biggest moment in yesterday's Yanks-Sox game, Joe Girardi let the call sit in Mike Mussina's hands. Via Sam Borden:
[Girardi] saw Kevin Youkilis in the on-deck circle and thought about how good Youkilis is at taking pitches and working walks. If Mussina put Ramirez on and loaded the bases, he would have had little wiggle room against Youkilis and his honed batting eye. The choice wasn't as clear-cut as it seemed, Girardi thought.
So Girardi didn't send pitching coach Dave Eiland to the mound. He went himself, and then he asked Mussina which hitter he was more comfortable facing. Mussina indicated he had no particular preference, and would just as soon prefer trying to get Ramirez. "He asked me, I told him what I thought, and he seemed OK with it," Mussina said. Girardi was. He nodded and, as he started to leave the mound, Mussina told him that he would just walk Ramirez if he fell behind in the count. Girardi then returned to the dugout.
Whether you believe it was a good one or not, that was the plan: Stay away, nibble at the plate and, if you get down in the count, put Ramirez on. The only problem was that it turned out that there was no count at all. The first pitch was supposed to be a down-and-away curveball and it backed up over the plate. Ramirez swung, the sellout crowd screamed and the Yankees went from ahead to behind on the scoreboard.
As much as I love Joe Girardi - and, I do think the world of him - I have some issues with this one. First, the pitcher is always going to think that he can "get this guy" - at least he will if he's worth his salt. So, asking Mussina if he had a "preference" on who to face is probably a waste of time. But, more importantly, if the plan was to nibble and then walk Manny if you fell behind in the count, doesn't it make more sense to have a fresh pitcher in the game in that spot?
Mussina, leading into that at bat with Manny, had thrown quite a few pitches requiring some effort, and, given that it was the sixth inning, Moose's command - which was good most of the game - was probably starting to weaken.
Granted, Brian Bruney was up in the pen - and he's not exactly someone who you can trust to hit his spots.
Perhaps it would have made sense to have Ross Ohlendorf up in that spot? To date, this season, Ohlendorf has faced 25 batters, walked none of them, and whiffed six. In addition, to date, right-handed batters are only hitting .083 against Ohlendorf.
Sure, that's a tough spot for a rookie - Fenway Park, Manny, etc. But, I'd rather have a fresh-armed rookie who has shown some good stuff and control in that situation than a somewhat gassed and past his prime Mussina.
This one hurts - because it turned out to be a one-run loss to the Red Sox. But, hopefully, it's a learning experience for General Joe. It's fine to ask the opinion of your players, and, it's fine to have a plan; but, next time, have the right players in place to give you a chance to succeed at that plan.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:31 AM | Comments (5)
Pascarelli: Hughes To Be Future Ace
Via Peter Pascarelli of ESPN.com -
In Hughes, the Yankees have someone who they believe is destined to be an ace-caliber pitching star. Only Arizona's Justin Upton (by two months) is younger than Hughes in the major leagues this season. But Hughes' ability is far beyond his years.
And in his brief major league tenure, Hughes has already earned the respect of his veteran Yankees teammates. "He's going to be an ace down the road when he gets comfortable and pitches more at this level," said Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon.
What makes Hughes such an enticing prospect is not just his considerable physical ability, but his feel for pitching, which is so advanced for someone so inexperienced.
"When he's putting his fastball in the spots he wants, he can handle any lineup," said first-year Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland, who has overseen Hughes throughout his meteoric rise through the New York farm system. "He has a very good curve ball -- a legit outpitch -- and both his change and slider have kept improving.
"He also has a poise and presence that you don't see in many young players. He can be as good as anyone."
Via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia, career leaders in Runs Saved Above Average (RSAA) since 1973 by pitchers 21 or younger with at least 10 big league starts:
RSAA RSAA IP GS 1 Dwight Gooden 99 744.2 99 2 Dave Rozema 51 427.2 56 3 Bret Saberhagen 42 393 50 4 Fernando Valenzuela 40 495 62 5 Mark Fidrych 38 250.1 29 6 Frank Tanana 36 552.1 72 7 Dennis Eckersley 25 386 54 T8 Felix Hernandez 20 465.2 73 T8 Britt Burns 20 250.2 34 T8 Jose Rosado 20 106.2 16 T8 Rick Ankiel 20 232 41 12 Mike Witt 19 308.2 47 T13 Ismael Valdes 18 226 28 T13 Bob Welch 18 111.1 13 T15 Storm Davis 16 301 37 T15 Matt Cain 16 237 38 T15 David Palmer 16 132.1 12 18 Kerry Wood 15 166.2 26 T19 Terry Forster 14 172.2 12 T19 Jerome Williams 14 131 21 T21 Dontrelle Willis 12 160.2 27 T21 Dennis Blair 12 309.1 49 T23 Gil Meche 10 171.1 30 T23 John Candelaria 10 120.2 18 T23 Yovani Gallardo 10 110.1 17 T26 Mark Prior 9 116.2 19 T26 Bill Gullickson 9 142 19 T26 John Henry Johnson 9 186 30 T29 Chad Billingsley 8 90 16 T29 Don Robinson 8 228.1 32 T29 Dan Petry 8 262.2 40 T29 Floyd Youmans 8 77 12 T29 Jamey Wright 8 91.1 15 T29 Steve Trout 8 177.1 21 35 C.C. Sabathia 7 390.1 66 T36 Scott Kazmir 6 219.1 39 T36 Jeff Russell 6 68.1 10 T36 Rick Jones 6 104 14 T36 Edwin Nunez 6 140 10 T40 Juan Cruz 5 142 17 T40 Bud Smith 5 84.2 14 T42 Brandon Lyon 4 63 11 T42 Alan Wirth 4 81.1 14 T44 Brandon McCarthy 3 67 10 T44 Brad Havens 3 78 12 T44 Mark Lemongello 3 244 34 T47 Roger Clemens 2 133.1 20 T47 Dave Stieb 2 129.1 18 T47 Jerry Garvin 2 244.2 34 T47 Phil Hughes 2 72.2 13 T47 Miguel Asencio 2 123.1 21 T47 Jon Garland 2 186.2 29 T53 Steve Avery 1 309.1 55 T53 Wilson Alvarez 1 56.1 10 T53 Jaret Wright 1 90.1 16 T56 Dan Larson 0 92.1 13 T56 Andy Benes 0 66.2 10 T56 Bill Pulsipher 0 126.2 17 T56 Pete Redfern 0 118 23 T60 Sid Fernandez -1 96 16 T60 Mike Jones -1 80.1 12 T60 Tom Carroll -1 78 13 T60 Tom Gordon -1 178.2 18 T60 Ramon Martinez -1 134.1 21 T65 Rich Harden -2 74.2 13 T65 Mark Gubicza -2 189 29 T65 John Mitchell -2 121.2 20 T68 Steve Baker -3 63.1 10 T68 Jim Abbott -3 181.1 29 T70 Brett Myers -4 72 12 T70 Tommy Boggs -4 117.2 19 T70 Dennys Reyes -4 114.1 15 T73 Kyle Davies -5 87.2 14 T73 Chris George -5 74 13 T73 Rich Dotson -5 222.1 37 T73 Carlos Zambrano -5 116 17 T77 Jeff D'Amico -6 221.2 40 T77 Joel Davis -6 176.2 30 T79 Jim Clancy -7 76.2 13 T79 Pat Mahomes -7 69.2 13 T79 Lary Sorensen -7 142.1 20 T79 Gene Nelson -7 162 26 T79 Alex Fernandez -7 279.1 45 T79 Nick Neugebauer -7 61.1 14 T79 Sean Burnett -7 71.2 13 T86 Mike Norris -8 112.2 22 T86 Larry Demery -8 95 15 T86 Mario Soto -8 78.2 11 T86 Jake Peavy -8 97.2 17 90 Scott Scudder -9 100.1 17 T91 Pete Falcone -10 190 32 T91 Kevin Kobel -10 177.2 25 T91 Larry Christenson -10 229 36 T94 Ramon Garcia -11 78.1 15 T94 Gary Serum -11 207 23 T94 Moose Haas -11 213.2 34 T97 Edwin Jackson -12 75.1 14 T97 Todd Van Poppel -12 88.2 17 T97 Roger Erickson -12 265.2 37 T97 Bruce Robbins -12 97.2 14
As you can see from the list, there have been about 60 pitchers, since 1973, who pitched well in the majors at the same age, or younger, that Hughes is now, up until that stage. And, there have been at least another 40 pitchers, same age, etc., who didn't pitch all that well.
Of these 100 pitchers combined, some went on to have nice careers, a few became Hall of Famers, and many (or most?) of them flamed out due to injury and/or ineffectiveness.
Based on this, I would suggest this is the way one should look at Phil Hughes future/potential: There's a 5% chance he'll be a Hall of Famer, there's about a 25% chance that he'll go on to have a fine major league career, and there's about a 70% chance that his career, albeit due to injury or lack of performance, will be a disappointment.
Just being young, advanced, poised, polished and in the big leagues doesn't make you a lock to be a future ace.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:49 AM | Comments (9)
April 12, 2008
12 Games Into The Season - Where Are The Bats?
I'm still not feeling it with the Yankees offense yet this season. Allow me to run through their games to date...
Game 1: Yanks score only 3 runs - and one of the three was thanks to Aaron Hill muffing a DP chance.
Game 2: Yanks only score 2 runs.
Game 3: Yanks score only 3 runs - and one of the three was set up by a wild-pitch.
Game 4: Yanks score 4 runs - but, they come against Andy Sonnanstine (who has a lifetime ERA near six).
Game 5: Yanks score only three runs.
Game 6: Yanks score only two runs.
Game 7: Yanks score 6 runs - but, four come against Jason Hammel (who has a lifetime ERA over six).
Game 8: Yanks only score two runs.
Game 9: Yanks score zero runs.
Game 10: Yanks score 6 runs - but, four come off 34-year old journey-man John Bale and two come off a washed-up Hideo Nomo.
Game 11: Yanks score 4 runs - but, two come off a rusty 42-year old Mike Timlin coming off a stint on the D.L.
Game 12: Yanks only score three runs and one is scored on a wild pitch.
So, if you take out the gift runs and those from facing human batting tees, the Yankees runs scored over their first 12 games this season could look as follows: 2, 2, 2, 0, 3, 2, 2, 2, 0, 0, 2, 2.
Not very impressive, at all.
The funny thing is...A-Rod, Matsui, Abreu, Melky, and Molina have good offensive numbers, to date.
Basically, it's been Jeter, Posada, Damon, Cano and Giambi who have killed the Yankees, offensively, so far this season. However, Posada and Cano seem to be coming around. And, Jeter is out.
That just leaves Damon and Giambi. Two guys who reportedly came into camp this year in great shape and ready to have comeback seasons. Well, so far...we ain't seeing it...and they're not helping the team.
If this continues much longer for these two, the Yankees should consider moving them out and replacing them with Shelley Duncan and Brett Gardner. But, because of money, that will never happen - or, will it?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:44 PM | Comments (2)
April 12th @ The Red Sox
Soooooo close, yet, soooooo far. One stinking run. This one hurts.
Some observations:
Mike Mussina got lucky, somewhat, in the second inning when his defense helped him out. With that, he was able to weave together a decent start through five. But, it all caved in for him in the sixth. Tough spot in that frame, for sure. You're up, 2-1, with two out. And, your choice is to pitch to Ramirez with runners on second and third...or...walk Manny and pitch to Youkilis with the bases loaded. Either way, it's a dangerous spot. Maybe it would have made more sense to have Bruney pitch to Ramirez - rather than have Mussina pitch to him? Then again, Bruney gave up the hit to Youkilis, after Moose allowed the one to Manny...so, who knows?
It was nice to hear the FOX guys talk about Alberto Gonzalez, and see the kid have a moment in the sun there, during the top of the sixth.
I wish I was as happy about the top of the seventh as I was the top of the sixth...
Yanks down by two and A-Rod walks on four pitches to start the inning. Giambi's up next. New York needs baserunners and the Sox are giving Jason the entire left side of the infield - but Giambi pulls the ball into the shift for a double-play. Considering that the next two batters singled and doubled, that could have been a huge inning if Giambi took the free hit. I think I'm going to have to start a count-down clock on his contract expiring.
I was shocked to see Jonathan Papelbon comeback after a rain-delay of 2 hours and 11 minutes. But, he did it. Hopefully, this will turn into a case of winning a battle that will cost you the war. Let's see how Private Pyle's arm feels later this week.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:11 PM | Comments (5)
Short Follow-Through Trouble For Joba?
Driveline Mechanics, two days ago, took a look at Joba Chamberlain's pitching mechanics. Their conclusion:
I think Joba’s injury concerns are well-founded. He has a lot of the classic signs of hyperabduction, rushing, hung arms syndrome, and a bad followthrough. That he does a few things right and is blessed with obvious genetic gifts does not make him a good bet to avoid serious injury in the future. Throw in some conditioning concerns and you have a legitimate reason to fear for Joba’s future.
I think I liked it better when people just wanted to debate his Brad "The Animal" Lesley routine after a strike-out to end an inning rather than have any possible discussion about Joba's mechanics being flawed.
Best approach on this one, to me? Bookmark the observation and then wait and see. Could be something here...then again, it could be nothing too.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 06:53 PM | Comments (0)
Should Damon Sit Again Today?
In 68 lifetime PA against Josh Beckett, Bobby Abreu has batted .180 - yes, one-eighty. But, Abreu's lifetime on-base average against Beckett is .397 - thanks to 18 walks in those 68 PA.
Here's some other stats for Yankees against Beckett:
Melky Cabrera is a lifetime .318 hitter (7 for 22).
Robinson Cano is a lifetime .389 hitter (7 for 18.)
Jorge Posada is a lifetime .400 hitter (6 for 15).
Hideki Matsui (.214) and Johnny Damon (.238) have not hit Beckett well in the past. But, Godzilla is swinging a hot bat lately.
When I see all these stats, I think General Joe has to give Johnny Damon another day off today, no?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:03 AM | Comments (2)
Welcome To The Fens Joba
Via George King:
Joba Chamberlain and a few people seated near the Yankees' bullpen thought an unruly Red Sox fan was throwing ice cubes at the reliever while he warmed up in the latter innings of last night's 4-1 Bomber win.
Mike Harkey, the Yankees' bullpen coach, said the items being sent Chamberlain's way were pumpkin seeds.
Whatever the objects were, they caught Chamberlain's attention.
"They came by me on the right side but they didn't hit me," Chamberlain said.
Said fellow reliever La Troy Hawkins of the Red Sox fans: "They were just telling him they love him."
Know what the Yankees should do when they go to Fenway? They should have someone in the pen armed with a digital camcorder. And, when stuff like this happens, they should record the fan(s) giving them a hard time and then turn the tapes over to the media and/or MLB.
Granted, Red Sox players get their fair share of abuse at Yankee Stadium. But, in the last five years or so, it seems like the visiting bullpen area at Fenway Park is a real hot spot for trouble. And, it's time for visiting teams to start protecting themselves out there.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:35 AM | Comments (2)
Bombers, Birds, & Bimbos
I missed this one last week. (A report in the Calgary Herald just got it on my radar.) Via the Daily News on April 6th:
The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Yankees Wednesday night, but there was no ill will between the two teams later that evening when some of the players showed up at Rick's Cabaret to, um, blow off some steam.
The Blue Jays bought the Yanks their first round of drinks.
"Later, they even 'traded' some of Rick's Girls. Multiple blonds and brunettes danced for both teams," our snitch says.
"Dancer" Karen (34C-23-35) said, "I love the Yankees, but the Toronto guys had a lot of class. Oh yeah, they were great tippers."
Somehow, I don't see this happening if it's the Red Sox or Rays instead of the Blue Jays.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:20 AM | Comments (0)
Daily News Stadium Site
If you haven't seen it yet, you should check out the site that the Daily News has set up on Yankee Stadium. Click here to see it. It has some really fun features in there.
Lisa Swan from Subway Squawkers got to do the features for the "not-so-great" Stadium moments. Click here to see the one on Howie Spira and how things changed for Big Stein after that.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:01 AM | Comments (0)
April 11, 2008
Jose "Mr. Doubles" Molina
Jose Molina had two doubles in the Yankees game today.
True story: Since the start of the 2001 season, this is only the third time where the Yankees "back-up" catcher had a game where he hit two doubles in the contest. That's just three times in the last seven (and a tad) seasons.
In addition to Molina today, Wil Nieves last did it on July 21, 2007 and Todd Greene did it before Nieves on June 7, 2001. (Thanks to Baseball-Reference.com's Play Index Batting Game Finder for this information.)
Next, I turned to the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia for some more data on catchers and doubles.
I asked the "CBE" to give me a list of the most doubles by a catcher, from 2004 to 2007, where the back-stop had at least 800 PA during that period. Then, I dumped the data into Excel to come up with a list of the best "Doubles per PA for Catchers, 2004 to 2007." Here's the result:
2B PA 2B/PA Brian McCann 79 1248 6.33% Josh Bard 53 845 6.27% Johnny Estrada 113 1807 6.25% Michael Barrett 106 1768 6.00% Damian Miller 87 1455 5.98% Mike Matheny 64 1081 5.92% Victor Martinez 148 2510 5.90% Rod Barajas 78 1355 5.76% Ivan Rodriguez 124 2195 5.65% Mike Lieberthal 72 1284 5.61% Joe Mauer 97 1755 5.53% Jorge Posada 123 2227 5.52% Javier Lopez 62 1126 5.51% Mike Redmond 50 920 5.43% Russell Martin 58 1088 5.33% Gregg Zaun 85 1634 5.20% Yor. Torrealba 57 1104 5.16% Paul Lo Duca 109 2129 5.12% Kenji Johjima 54 1055 5.12% Javier Valentin 48 942 5.10% Jose Molina 44 868 5.07% Henry Blanco 43 850 5.06% Jason LaRue 65 1292 5.03% Gerald Laird 46 918 5.01% Ramon Hernandez 89 1793 4.96% Jason Phillips 51 1055 4.83% Mike Piazza 42 881 4.77% A.J. Pierzynski 97 2059 4.71% Toby Hall 62 1318 4.70% Jason Varitek 94 2009 4.68% John Buck 69 1496 4.61% Chris Snyder 49 1076 4.55% Ronny Paulino 44 980 4.49% Miguel Olivo 68 1531 4.44% Yadier Molina 62 1429 4.34% Brian Schneider 79 1828 4.32% Jason Kendall 103 2474 4.16% Gary Bennett 33 814 4.05% Dioner Navarro 37 942 3.93% Bengie Molina 69 1787 3.86% David Ross 36 972 3.70% Brad Ausmus 65 1798 3.62%
There's our new buddy, Jose Molina, just knocking on the door of the "Top 20" for "2B/PA By Catchers" over the last four seasons. Not too shabby for a guy who looks like a fat Luis Sojo when he steps to the plate. Not too shabby at all.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:35 PM | Comments (1)
April 11th @ The Red Sox
This evening, Chien-Ming Wang destroyed the notion that he cannot pitch well at Fenway Park. Heck, he more than destroyed it. Wang vaporized it. If Bobby Abreu wasn't such a stiff with the leather, we might be talking about something even more special with this one. As it is, Wang's effort tonight was the best pitched game by a Yankees starter in Fenway Park in the last six years. Just an awesome, awesome, game for the Wanger.
Hey, don't look now, but...Alberto Gonzalez has an OPS of 1.069 after this game. Jeter who?
Lastly, is it just me, or, does Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz look like he could be the love-child of Rosalie "Hotsy" Totzie and Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell? See below:
Yeah, I know...I probably watch too much T.V.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:44 PM | Comments (3)
Hank On The Sox Series
Via Bob Klapisch -
"Honestly, I’m not reading too much into this series. We’re too banged up for that," is what Hank Steinbrenner said by telephone on Thursday.
Just how early is it? Not too early for Hank Steinbrenner to say before hanging up, "you always have concerns. That’s part of being a winning team, addressing any problems if there are any."
Via Kat O’Brien -
"I think overall, the Yankees have dominated the AL East for a long time," said Hank Steinbrenner, who was named co-chairperson of the Yankees on Thursday. "In the last 12 years, 13 years, we’ve got four (World Series titles), they’ve got two. As far as the last seven years ... that’s what I aim to correct."
Steinbrenner said: "Injuries are frustrating. I’d rather get them out of the way now and have them healthy later. Beckett’s the best pitcher in baseball, and he got hurt. You never know. Of course, everybody’s disappointed with the slow start, but it’s a long season."
Steinbrenner said he enjoys the competition between the teams: "I always do. I think everybody does. I think the players do. I think the fans do. I think all of baseball does. Without the Yankees-Red Sox series, I don’t think baseball would be getting all the attention it does."
What may be more interesting is the quotes to come from Hank after this series...
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:21 PM | Comments (2)
Is Tonight A Must Win Game For The Yanks?
No, it's impossible to have a "must win" game in April - especially when it's the first time that you face a rival that you're going to face many, many, times again later in the season. But, tonight's game is somewhat important in the sense that it's Worm Killer Wang for the Yankees - to be followed in the next two games by Mike Mussina and Phil Hughes.
You just don't know what you're going to get from Mussina and Hughes, at Fenway Park, at this stage of their careers. The chances of them pitching poorly are the same as the chances of them pitching well. So, you need a great game from Wang tonight - and you hope that he can do better than his lifetime ERA of 6.17 at Fenway Park.
The Yankees don't want to get swept in their series against the Sox. And, if they lose today, because of the questions on Mussina and Hughes, it's not unrealistic that they will be swept. But, a win today takes away a lot of that "don't get swept" pressure. Therefore, while tonight is not “must win” for New York, it’s still a “You really don’t want to lose this one” game.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:45 AM | Comments (2)
Sox Tee Buried At New Yankee Stadium?
Via the Post with a hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org -
The new Yankee Stadium may be cursed!
A devilish Boston fan working on a concrete crew at the $1.3 billion stadium covertly buried a Red Sox T-shirt under what will become the visiting team's locker room to jinx the Yanks, two construction workers told The Post yesterday.
"In August, a Red Sox T-shirt was poured in a slab in the visitor's clubhouse. It's the curse of the Yankees," one worker said. "Nobody knows about it. It's in the floors, it's buried."
The workers say they now fear that they unwittingly helped hex their beloved Bronx Bombers.
"I don't want to be responsible for sinking the franchise," said a second worker, who witnessed the sabotage. "I respect the stadium."
The Post has withheld their identities because they are not authorized to speak to media.
As for the buried emblem of hated Boston, the Yankees say they aren't the least bit worried.
"It sounds like a tall tale, and it would take more than a Red Sox T-shirt to put a curse on the Yankees," said team spokesman Howard Rubenstein.
The solution here is simple. Get one of those T-shirts that reads: "Boston: There was no curse. You just sucked all these years." - and then have it buried somewhere else in the Stadium. That should balance the whole thing out.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:28 AM | Comments (5)
April 10, 2008
April 10th @ The Royals
In the YES post-game for this one, Bob Lorenz talked about "the resurgence of the Yankees offense."
Really?
The Yankees first run came on Melky Cabrera's homer - which looked like it was helped a tad by the wind. Their second run came on a DP grounder from Jose Molina with runners on the corners. Their fourth run came on a fielder's choice. And, their fifth and sixth runs came via homers off Hideo Nomo - who has just as much a right to be pitching in the majors now as Leif Garrett had singing "I Was Made For Dancin'" in 1978.
In any event, gutty effort from Pettitte this evening. Nice to win this one. Now, the funs starts tomorrow...
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:39 PM | Comments (3)
Giambi: Yanks Playing Like Old Men
This quote from Jason Giambi yesterday is getting a lot of play in blog-land; so, I thought I would add to the party:
"You've got the young kids (on the Royals) running around like maniacs," Jason Giambi said, "and we're playing like a bunch of old men right now."
Last time I checked, the Yankees only have two non-pitchers on their team who are age 35 or older: Jorge Posada (who didn't play last night) and Jason Giambi.
So, if Jason is concerned about the Yankees being more youthful, maybe he should retire now and then the team can replace him with someone like Shelley Duncan or Brett Gardner? If Giambi were to express an interest to retire, today, I'm sure that the Yankees would be willing to discuss some settlement terms on the remainder of his contract to make it work for both him and the team.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:46 PM | Comments (9)
Cone On Kennedy Getting Yanked
Yankee Stadium Insider has the smoking gun on this one. (Hat tip to Subway Squawkers.)
Too bad there was no happy ending for Ian on this one.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)
Mike Pelfrey Vs. Phil Hughes
I looked at this debate, briefly, 15 months ago.
What have we learned since? Well, Hughes is still two years younger than Pelfey - yes, I say that tongue in cheek - and, to date, Phil has out-pitched Mike at the big league level so far. Last time I checked, younger and better is a pretty good edge.
But, it's a small sample size too. Hughes has made 15 big league starts and Pelfrey has made 18 starts (and he also pitched in relief during two games).
Pelfrey's big problems seem to be the 3rd and 5th innings of the games where he's started whereas Hughes' problem area is the 1st and 5th innings of games that he's started. On the whole, neither of them has established that they're a lock for a good game beyond 5 innings of work.
It will be interesting to see which of these two projected "No. 1 starters" has the better season in 2008. It will add to the bragging rights battles between Yankees and Mets fans, for sure.
Who do you think will have the better season and/or the better career?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:47 AM | Comments (1)
Melky Is Money
I love the fact that Baseball-Reference.com now gives you splits for Leverage Situations. Check out Melky Cabrera's career numbers on this to date:
G PA AB BA OBP SLG OPS BAbip tOPS+ High Lvrge 149 220 189 .323 .369 .444 .814 .370 122 Medium Lvrge 235 437 395 .258 .319 .377 .697 .280 90 Low Lvrge 242 521 460 .272 .348 .376 .724 .290 99
This suggests that Melky brings his game up a notch or two when the chips are on the line. It's nice when the numbers support what you believe is true.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:21 AM | Comments (0)
Go Far East Old Godzilla?
He’s one of my favorite Yankees – ever since he got here in 2003. And, sure, he’s one of the few Yankees swinging a good bat these days. I also know that his knee is not 100% sound at the moment. But, in the four games that I’ve seen Hideki Matsui play the outfield this season, he’s been a liability. In the past, defensively, he’s been inconsistent – sometimes making a muff, sometimes making a great play, and most of the time being just fine. However, this season, it seems like he’s always coming up short or reacting late – or just flat out kicking the ball around out there.
Again, I love the guy. He’s a professional. He wants to play. He wants to win. He doesn’t melt under pressure and he never dogs it or complains. Still, whether it’s due to age, injury, or lack regular time in the field, his defense – at least from what we’ve seen so far this season – is borderline intolerable.
Godzilla is under contract through next season at $13 million a year and he has a no-trade clause. I suppose that he can be the Yankees primary D.H. this season and next. But, after 2009, I think it will be time for (the then 36-year old) Matsui to think about finishing out his career back in Japan.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:07 AM | Comments (2)
Buck Showalter Heading Back To ESPN
Some Buck Showalter news via the USA Today -
...ex-Texas Rangers manager Buck Showalter is being added to ESPN's Baseball Tonight.
Not a bad spot for Buck to be in...keeps him in the public view...just sitting there waiting for an opening somewhere...
There's no question that Buck deserves another chance to manage again. I could see it happening in the next one to two years.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:00 AM | Comments (1)
April 09, 2008
April 9th @ The Royals
Where do you start on an evening like this one?
O.K., first, I was 100% down with General Joe's call to open up with the pen and to save Ian Kennedy for later in the game (for when it looked like it would not be a rainout). In fact, I suggested using this plan for yesterday's game with Phil Hughes. So, either the Yankees are following current events in baseball, or, they're reading this blog. Either way, two thumbs up to them for paying attention in some manner.
Next, on the Morgan Ensberg and Shelley Duncan bait and switch move to open up a spot for Alberto Gonzalez...well, it sounds like the Yankees tried to pull a fast one there. I'm not sure if Ensberg or the league called them on it. But, if it was the former, Morgan didn't win himself any fans with the Yankees "brain trust" - more than likely. Personally, the whole Morgan Ensberg scene is starting to get a "Todd Zeile 2003" vibe to it for me. Maybe it's time to rethink that roster spot?
Now, to the result of today's rain-soaked contest.
Yes, I know the Yankees have run into a hot K.C. team and an equally hot Zach Greinke. Also, I realize that Jeter and Posada are out of the line-up. And, I know that the Yankees are probably tired from having to play a day game yesterday, on the road in a new time-zone, after a night game, at home, the day before...but...still...
...the "Bombers" have scored only 25 runs in 9 games this season - and some of those 25 runs were handed to them. Where, oh, where, have the Yankees bats gone? Oh, where, oh, where, can they be?
According to Tyler Kepner:
It is [the Yanks'] slowest start on offense since 1989, when they scored 24 runs in their first nine games for Dallas Green en route to an 87-loss season. They are hitting only .167 (11 for 66) with runners in scoring position.
When you see that, it's amazing that they've won 4 of their 9 games played this season. How's that for ending on a positive note?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:23 PM | Comments (6)
When Jesse Pulled A Pavano In '92
Witnessing Jason Giambi's slow start to this season got me looking backwards...to 1992.
In the Yankees first 30 games that season, Jesse Barfield (played in 27 games and) went 11 for 84 to start the season. That's a batting average of .131 - yikes. All told, in those first 30 games, Barfield posted a BA/OBP/SLG line of .131/.215/.226 (in 93 PA). He would play only 3 more games for the Yankees that season. Actually, the Yankees were looking to dump Barfield and, then in May, according to the Times:
Jesse Barfield hurt more than his left wrist and left elbow when he slipped and fell in his sauna Saturday night. The struggling Barfield damaged his chances of regaining his starting right-field spot and may have hurt any chances the Yankees had of trading him in the near future.
Barfield burned his left wrist and suffered contusions and swelling on his left elbow and wrist in what he described as a bizarre accident at his New Jersey home.
A month later, Barfield, after missing 23 games because of the sauna thing, returned to action on June 17th and reinjured the wrist striking out in his second at-bat in a 4-3 loss to Boston. And, that was the end of his career - at the age of 32.
That whole thing makes the Giambi start this season look not so bad.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:48 PM | Comments (2)
Sickels Talks Yankees
Bugs & Cranks has a nice Q&A posted with John Sickels on some Yankees prospects. Click here to check it out. (Hat tip to Sliding Into Home.)
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:38 PM | Comments (0)
Gonzalez Here, Who's Going?
Via George King -
The Yankees don't know how long Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada are going to be out with leg and shoulder problems, respectively.
What they do know is that Alberto Gonzalez, not Wilson Betemit, will play shortstop until Jeter returns.
Gonzalez, an above-average minor league defender who didn't look sure of himself in a 12-game big-league gig last September, joined the Yankees today from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A) and is expected to be in the starting lineup tonight against Royals right-hander Zach Greinke at Kauffman Stadium.
Cashman said Gonzalez is coming to play, so that means he will be at shortstop until Jeter is ready.
Brian Cashman wasn't ready to divulge who was out to make room for Gonzalez, 25, but did say the Yankees were staying with 12 pitchers.
That means Morgan Ensberg, Shelley Duncan and Betemit are candidates to be packing. Betemit looked bad in the field during Tuesday night's 5-2 loss to the Royals, dropping a throw from Posada at second base and striking out three times. In his last eight at-bats, Betemit fanned six times.
Duncan has minor-league options remaining. Ensberg has an option but must consent to being sent out because he has five-plus years of big-league service time.
Betemit, who is batting .154 (2-for-13) and has fanned seven times, is out of options.
Poor Shelley Duncan. It's always the guy with the options who ends up going. It's like clockwork - just like the moment when you think the killer in a slasher movie is dead, but then he springs back to life for one last scare. Happens every time.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:09 PM | Comments (7)
Some Housekeeping On Comments Regarding Me
The feedback from the recent “WasWatching.com Commenting System Survey” has been interesting. Thanks to all who have answered it to date. Two comments left in the survey (so far) really caught my attention. I thought I would share them here and address where I stand on the issue that they mention.
Here are the comments:
I don't know how you put up with people who bitch about your writing -- who then come back every single day and bitch some more. They suck at life. I'd just get rid of the bashers, send them an e-mail with links to other Yankees-related sites and tell 'em to have a nice day. It's your space and no one is forced to come here if they are repeatedly put on tilt by what they read.
I have reached the point where I am so turned off by the personal attacks directed towards Steve that have nothing at all to do with his posts, that visiting the site is becoming an increasingly negative experience. If people don't like Steve personally or want to complain to him about whatever shortcomings they feel he has as a Yankee blogger, don't force it on the rest of us. They should be encouraged to send him a PM, or an email separate from the comments section. They're ruining it for the rest of us. The comments are as integral to the site IMO as the original post made by Steve, and refraining from reading them would lessen the experience. I know I'm not alone when I say that I especially enjoy when a debate breaks out and all parties are arguing passionately. Now it seems that the only comments left are the complainers.
To all that feel this way, please, don't let these people bother you. Here's why:
Six weeks ago, I went out to dinner with some old friends. One of the friends is a sports fan – but, he’s not someone who plays around with the Internet nor is he a Yankees fan. Therefore, he’s not someone who reads this (or any) blog. Nonetheless, at the dinner, I was explaining the blog to him and he was interested about how many people read it. When I told him, he was amazed – and, he offered “A lot of people must like it.” I laughed and shared “Well, I get a lot of great – and positive – feedback. But, I also get a pretty decent handful of folks who like to tell me that I’m an idiot, that they hate me, and that I should do ‘something’ to myself.”
When I told him that, he said “Oh, I get it. It’s like Mike Lupica. So many people say that they can’t stand him, etc. Yet, they all keep buying the Daily News and the first thing that they read when they get it is Mike Lupica.”
I never thought of it that way – but, my friend was right. While I probably don’t want to be compared to Mike Lupica in terms of some of his views, it would never be an embarrassment to be compared to him in terms of the platform that he has established and the attention that comes his way.
If someone wants to call me a fool, or a negative person, or a non-Yankees fan, because of something that they’ve read here – and they keep coming back and posting it over and over again – who’s really the fool or being negative? Anyone who doesn’t like this blog, because of me, and who keeps coming back to read it (and to make posts attacking me) is the true fool. In fact, by coming back, again and again – and I have the stats to prove that they keep coming back – they’re helping me by driving up my page views. If they really wanted to “hurt” me, instead of calling me an idiot or griping about my views, the smartest thing would be for them to never read this blog again.
But, I suspect that those people who like to complain about me will keep on reading this blog - as well as linking to it, or referencing me at other blogs - just like all those people who complain about Lupica keep reading him in the Daily News. And, just as I would imagine that Lupica could care less about those people who complain about him, that’s the way that I feel as well.
So, if it doesn’t bother me, then you shouldn’t let it bother you.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:46 PM | Comments (3)
Phil Hughes First 15 Big League Career Starts
I thought it would be interesting to look at the start of Phil Hughes' big league career, in terms of his "Game Scores."
Game Score is a measure of pitching performance for starting pitchers developed by Bill James.
The formula consists of eight parts:
1. Start with 50.
2. Add 1 point for each out recorded.
3. Add 2 points for each inning the pitcher completes after the fourth inning.
4. Add 1 point for each strikeout.
5. Subtract 2 points for each hit allowed.
6. Subtract 4 points for each earned run allowed.
7. Subtract 2 points for each unearned run allowed.
8. Subtract 1 point for each walk.
Consider this pitching line:
IP H R ER BB K
8.1 5 2 1 2 7
The game score for the performance shown would be 72 (50+25+8+7-10-4-2-2).
An average start would score 50. One start in 300 reaches a score of 90 or better, and an all-time great performance would reach 100.
Here are Phil Hughes' Game Scores, to date:
GS IP Pitch GSc 1 4.1 91 37 2 6.1 80 76 - - - - 3 4.2 92 29 4 6.0 95 65 5 5.0 94 47 6 6.1 92 44 7 6.0 97 49 8 4.1 94 31 9 6.0 97 58 10 6.0 106 58 11 5.2 96 50 12 5.0 99 43 13 7.0 102 68 - - - - 14 6.0 87 59 15 3.0 87 33
GS = Career Start #. Pitch = Pitches thrown in start. GSc = Game Score.
I've drawn a line between GS #2 and #3 since that's pre- and post- Hughes' hamstring D.L. time in 2007. And, I've drawn a line between GS #13 and #14 since that's the end of the 2007 season and the start of this season.
As you can see, in 5 of his last 7 starts, over the past two seasons, Hughes has posted a Game Score of 50 or better. That's good - in terms of coming through consistently with his effort. But, on the whole, in those seven starts, his average Game Score is about 53 - and that's just "average."
From a really good starter in the majors, you want to see somewhere between 10 and 15 games in a season with a Game Score of 60+. And, from great starter, you expect to see somewhere between 15 to 20 games in a season with a Game Score of 60+.
It's not impossible for a young guy to reach these numbers. King Felix Hernandez had 12 games last season, as a 21-year old, where he had a Game Score of 60+. And, Matt Cain, in 2006, as a 21-year old had 15 such games - and Cain, in 2007 (at age 22), had 14 games with a Game Score of 60+. Carlos Zambrano, as a 22-year old in 2003, had 14 games with a Game Score of 60+. Oliver Perez, as a 22-year old in 2004, had 12 games with a Game Score of 60+.
In fact, since 2003, there have been others, 22 or younger, who have posted at least 12 games in a season with a Game Score of 60+. This includes Mark Prior, Jake Peavy and Dontrelle Willis in 2003 - as well as Francisco Liriano in 2006 and Jeremy Bonderman in 2005.
I expect Hughes to be able to do this (meaning 12+ starts with a Game Score of 60+) in 2008 as well. Any less would be considered to be a disappointment - and probably bad news for the Yankees chances this season.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:42 PM | Comments (1)
Alberto Gonzalez Coming?
Via George King -
Shortstop Alberto Gonzalez was lifted from Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre's game against Louisville last night and is a good bet to be with the Yankees in time for tonight's game versus the Royals.
With Derek Jeter out at least until Friday and possibly a DL candidate due to a strained left quad, the Yanks need somebody better defensively at short than Wilson Betemit, who has filled in the past two games.
Gonzalez, who was obtained from Arizona in the Randy Johnson deal, is a defensive whiz with trouble putting two good halves together at the plate.
GM Brian Cashman said he would be comfortable with Alex Rodriguez returning to the position he played during the first 10 years in the big leagues. However, Cashman said that would only happen in a long-term situation. As of last night, a decision to place Jeter on the DL hadn't been made.
Girardi said yesterday that Jeter, who initially felt what he thought was a cramp during Sunday's game, left Monday's game after two innings and had an MRI Monday night. The test didn't reveal a tear but showed something, and Jeter will miss the three games against the Royals and be evaluated prior to Friday night's tilt at Fenway Park against the Red Sox.
Jeter couldn't tell what shape the leg was in yesterday since he didn't test it. Jeter started the 2001 season on the DL with a strained right quad.
"I haven't done anything today," Jeter said after an extensive stint in the trainer's room for treatment. "I don't feel it walking around. I don't have anything for you."
As for placing Jeter on the DL, Girardi said that decision isn't imminent.
"We are a long way away from that," Girardi said. "We will evaluate after this three-game series."
I would be pretty excited to see what Gonzalez could do, defensively, if given an extended period to play short in the big leagues.
What happens, if, Alberto shines with the leather (and is not an auto-out with the stick) and, say, Jason Giambi breaks down in a major way? Would the Yankees then dare ask Jeter, when he returns, to play first (for Giambi) and keep Gonzalez at short? Would Jeter do it?
What a story that would make, huh?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:30 AM | Comments (17)
Ian "Throw Back" Kennedy
One of the things that has always interested me about Ian Kennedy is his face. When I see him, I think he looks like, facially, what ballplayers looked like in the 1930's. Anyone else ever see this?
Here's a side-by-side of Monty Stratton and Ian Kennedy. (Click on the thumbnail to enlarge it.) See what I'm talking about here?
It just seems like Ian has that "1930's" look - again, to me.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:04 AM | Comments (4)
April 08, 2008
Posada: My Shoulder Feels "Dead"
Via Bryan Hoch:
Already without Derek Jeter for at least three games, the suddenly snake-bitten Yankees are now facing the possibility of losing All-Star catcher Jorge Posada to the disabled list.
Posada was removed from the Yankees' 5-2 loss to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium in the sixth inning on Tuesday, feeling a recurrence of the right shoulder stiffness that began to affect him following New York's season opener last week.Asked how the shoulder feels, Posada said: "Dead. It's like I've got no strength."
The Royals ran wildly on Posada, stealing four bases -- three by speedster Joey Gathright -- and Yankees manager Joe Girardi acknowledged that keeping Posada behind the plate would now be a weakness.
"It's not sore," Girardi said. "The ball is just not coming out of his hand the way you want it to. His footwork is fine and everything. We'll have to sit down and talk about that tonight and evaluate what we're going to do."
On November 1, 2007, I wrote:
In terms of being a durable catcher, after age 30, Posada already stands with Carlton Fisk and Bob Boone as the three best guys in baseball history - again, in terms of durability.
As Fisk and Boone have proven, it's possible for a 40-to-42-year old catcher to play 120 games behind the plate in a season.
Well, it looks like I gave Jorge the kiss of death with that one. Sorry Sado.
What's the difference between having Posada/Molina (with Posada getting most of the time) and having Molina/Moeller (with Molina getting most of the time)? I dunno? But, I would bet that it's at least a loss of 50 runs on offense - if this turns out to be a season-long thing for Posada.
Most Yankees fans were O.K. with the Yankees re-signing Jorge this off-season because of the fact that the Yankees had no one in the organization who was close to being ready to catch, full-time, in the majors. That fact has not changed. So, let's hope that Jorge can heal fast and recover from this set-back.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:24 PM | Comments (3)
WasWatching.com Commenting System Survey
It's been two weeks since I've been able to leave comments to entries at this blog. But, I'm still working on a solution!
In the meantime, I was curious as to what others thought about the current commenting system here. If you have 30 seconds, please take this survey and let me know. Thanks!
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)
April 8th @ The Royals
Some might want to talk about the Yankees lack of sleep for this game. Others might want to cite the weather conditions. Or, perhaps some might want to talk about the homeplate umpire's strike zone. But, the fact of the matter is, bottom line, it was just not the Yankees day today - and it was a much better day to be a Kansas City Royal.
File this one under: Sometimes You Get the Bear, Sometimes the Bear Gets You.
You just hope the Yankees can shake it off and have a better showing tomorrow.
I had a chance to listen to some of this game on X-M Radio during the drive home this evening. (Thank you I-287 traffic.) Since it was a Royals' home game, X-M was carrying the Kansas City broadcast with Denny Matthews and Bob Davis.
Man, I could just picture those two sitting on a front porch, somewhere, in rocking chairs, wearing short-sleeve dress shirts and slacks, with suspenders - along with a pitcher of lemonade at their side - doing the broadcast of the game. It was as if Harry Doyle and Archie Long got a gig to broadcast a game. It's sooooooo much different than listening to John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.
I'm not sure if it's better or worse - but, for sure, it's different.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:44 PM | Comments (2)
New Look To SNY.tv
SNY.tv (the “Online Home of All Things New York Sports") has launched a redesign of their site today. Click here to check it out.
This includes an “At the park” live view of games in progress – provided by STATS Inc. Click here to see the current Yankees-Royals game – in progress as this is posted.
And, the SNY.tv/STATS home page for the Yankees is one that you’ll want to bookmark. Also, check out the player profile pages that you can now find via SNY.tv/STATS. Here’s A-Rod’s page.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:06 PM | Comments (0)
Time For Some New Muzik?
Via Surfing the Mets -
The Mets will have a runoff to determine their new eighth-inning sing-along tune.
The organization received 5 million votes on its Web site after inviting fans to choose from among 10 selections to potentially replace Sweet Caroline. An issue arose, however, when FARK.com readers bombarded the Mets with gag votes for a write-in candidate: Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up.
The Astley tune actually won.
Rather than commit to that as the new eighth-inning tune since it probably doesn’t reflect the fan base’s wishes, the Mets will play the top six selections once apiece during the first six games of their home stand. The one that draws the largest crowd response will stick.
The other songs that made the cut, in descending order: Livin’ on a Prayer, Bon Jovi; I’m a Believer, The Monkees; Movin’ Out, Billy Joel; Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond; and Build Me Up Buttercup, The Foundations.
The Mets suggested the Fark tune winning didn’t necessarily result in the runoff, saying the contest rules stipulated Internet voters would “help decide” the outcome.
Funny, I never think of the Mets when I hear Sweet Caroline. But, I do think of the Red Sox when I hear it. More than once, in my life, have I said "Turn that off, it's a Red Sox song!" when I've been somewhere and have heard "Sweet Caroline." It makes sense for the Mets to look for a change here.
What about the Yankees? I think many Yankees fans would like to retire "Cotton-Eyed Joe," no? If so, what would be a good replacement?
Below is one suggestion, from me. It has nothing to do with the Yankees, or baseball, but, I just think it would be cool to hear 50,000 people singing along to it.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:02 PM | Comments (2)
Mano De Piedra Posada?
Emma Span, over at Bronx Banter, wonders "Is Jorge Posada good at calling games?"
Well, the good folks at The Hardball Times have some data that is helpful at looking at such a question.
In terms of ERA, it seems as if it really doesn't matter who the Yankees catcher is, since 2004:
Year Last First Inn ERA 2007 Phelps Josh 1 0.00 2004 Navarro Dioner 13 1.38 2008 Posada Jorge 27 2.00 2005 Nieves Wil 9 4.00 2005 Flaherty John 345 4.12 2006 Posada Jorge 1050 4.37 2007 Nieves Wil 169 4.37 2006 Stinnett Kelly 222 4.39 2007 Posada Jorge 1111 4.50 2007 Molina Jose 169 4.62 2004 Posada Jorge 1102 4.65 2005 Posada Jorge 1077 4.67 2006 Nieves Wil 19 4.74 2006 Fasano Sal 153 4.83 2004 Flaherty John 328 4.93 2008 Molina Jose 36 5.00
A third of a run difference, here and there, doesn't seem huge.
But, there's something else to consider here. Check out the numbers for WP+PB per game:
Year Last First Inn WP+PB/G 2006 Nieves Wil 19 1.421 2007 Posada Jorge 1111 .526 2008 Molina Jose 36 .500 2004 Posada Jorge 1102 .482 2006 Posada Jorge 1050 .428 2005 Posada Jorge 1077 .343 2007 Molina Jose 169 .319 2004 Flaherty John 328 .302 2006 Stinnett Kelly 222 .244 2006 Fasano Sal 153 .236 2007 Nieves Wil 169 .213 2005 Flaherty John 345 .183 2008 Posada Jorge 27 .000 2004 Navarro Dioner 13 .000 2005 Nieves Wil 9 .000 2007 Phelps Josh 1 .000
Over the last four seasons, Posada is good for at least one wild pitch or passed ball (just about) every 2.25 games played behind the plate. And, that could be the rub as to why some Yankees pitchers prefer to pitch to someone other than Jorge - if it's true that some don't like throwing to him. It could be possible that some pitchers see those PB and/or WP as plays that should be made - and situations that they just don't want to deal with when they happen...maybe.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:00 PM | Comments (2)
Sox To Give Out Rings While Yanks At Fenway
Via wbztv.com:
Boston fans now have the chance to own their own 2007 World Series ring.
Starting on Tuesday, fans ages 18 and older can buy $10 tickets for their chance to win one of the nine World Series rings being raffled off, or a new Volvo C30 Red Sox special edition car.
Tickets will be sold at the Fenway Park ticket office and designated kiosks around the park until noontime on July 5. The Red Sox will sell a maximum of 200,000 raffle tickets.
All net proceeds from the ring raffle will benefit the Red Sox Foundation, according to the team.
A similar raffle took place in 2005 after the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series. "When we won the World Series in 2004, (the fans) supported our first ring raffle and helped raise $2 million for the Red Sox Foundation," said Chairman Tom Werner. "This year we have increased the number of prizes and opportunities to win. It is a great way to reward the best fans in baseball while also helping children and families across New England."
The rings will be identical to the 2007 World Series rings given to Red Sox players. It will be the same make and model and will be made with the same materials and jewels, according to Red Sox officials.
The raffle drawing will be held on July 11 and winners will have until July 17 to claim their prize, which will be presented during a pre-game ceremony before the Red Sox/Yankees game on July 26.
Oh, I'm sure that the timing of this is just a cowinky-dink thing. It's not like the Sox are looking to rub the Yankees noses in this...not.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:34 PM | Comments (0)
Today's Forecast In K.C.
The current weather report for today's Yankees game via the K.C. Star:
Kansas City, MO
Conditions as of 10:23 AM
Rain
Temperature: 45°
Wind: ENE 12 mph
Dew point: 41°
Pressure: 29.85 in.
Wind chill: 39°
Humidity: 87%
Visibility: 2.0 miles
Observed at: Kansas City, MO
Seeing this, I wonder if the Yankees should consider using Phil Hughes the way that the Giants used Tim Lincecum last week? But, that all depends if it looks like the rain will break later on in Kansas City. If it's going to rain all day, then it makes more sense to just start Hughes and see where it goes from there.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:57 AM | Comments (0)
Sox Making Money At Yankees Expense?
Via the FOX Business Network -
The Red Sox may have won two of the last four World Series, but as a business, the franchise has two strikes against it: the smallest ballpark in the Majors and one of the highest payrolls. At Fenway Park, every home game has sold out since 2003, leaving little opportunity to boost sales.
"We need to be creative," says Mike Dee, the team's COO. "We're not building a new ballpark à la the Yankees." So in 2004, he launched Fenway Sports Group, FSG, a marketing subsidiary of Sox parent New England Sports Ventures that creates new businesses based on the team's relationships.
The Sox are now drawing revenue -- more than $200 million a year, sources say -- from Nascar, pop music, and even the New York Yankees. And because most of the work doesn't involve the team, nearly all of the new income falls outside the league's revenue-sharing agreement. "We turned a profit in year one," Dee says.
It's a tough act for most teams to follow -- they're focused on filling seats. But "teams are keeping an eye on [FSG]," says Joe Giles, the Philadelphia Phillies' director of business development. "I like their aggressiveness."
Online Ads
FSG proved so adept at selling online ads for the Red Sox Web site that MLB Advanced Media contracted it to do the same for other teams -- even the Yankees. So, yes, when New York fans visit yankees.com, they're indirectly paying the enemy.Travel
Red Sox Destinations offered $5,000 packages to Boston's opener in Japan, featuring a chartered 747 and a meet and greet with players. FSG has organized previous trips to New York and Baltimore. An offshoot does trips for BC.
Great, just great. MLB (or, if you prefer, MLBAM) is asking the Red Sox to sell ads for the Yankees site. And, the Yankees are allowing the Red Sox to bus in Sox fans for games at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees can't do much about the former. But, they should try, without question, to stop the latter. It's just not right.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:38 AM | Comments (5)
Would Yanks Use A-Rod To Fill In For Jeter?
Via the Post:
The Yankees don't want to believe Derek Jeter's strained left quadriceps will cost him more than a few games. But what if they aren't so fortunate?
One possibility Joe Girardi didn't rule out last night was moving former shortstop Alex Rodriguez back to his old position.
"There's a lot of different scenarios we would talk about as a club," Girardi said after the Yankees beat the Rays 6-1 at the Stadium. "Right now we're just keeping our fingers crossed it won't be too long."
Is A-Rod at shortstop among those scenarios?
"It's something we'll talk about internally and let [everybody] know," Girardi said. The manager said Wilson Betemit will start today's game in Kansas City at shortstop. Betemit began last night's game at first base and shifted to short in the third inning after Jeter departed.
Rodriguez last started a game at shortstop in his final season with the Rangers (2003).
Since joining the Yankees, A-Rod has played short for two innings in 2004 and for six innings in 2005. So, in the four years prior to this season, Alex has played eight innings of shortstop.
Based on this, it seems a bit unfair to ask Rodriguez to play there again - outside of an emergency basis. The last thing Alex needs, or the Yankees - for that matter, is for A-Rod to be in a situation where he hurts the team, or himself, because he's pressed into duty for a few games at short.
Call someone up from Triple-A, even if it means sending down Shelley Duncan or Ross Ohlendorf for ten days or so, if Jeter is going to be day-to-day for a week or so. Either that, or, stick Giambi or Jeter on the D.L. and give them a full two weeks to heal.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:46 AM | Comments (6)
A Moose Can Change His Stripes?
Back on March 13th, I wrote:
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%."
Let's take a look at what Mike Mussina threw in his great start last night:
Fastball 9.8% Curve 35.4% Splitter 12.2% Change 11.0% Sinker 12.2% Slider 11.0% Unknown 8.5%
While it's not dead-on with what I suggested in March, this spread shows that Moose decided (at least for last night) to use his "fastball" (if you could call it that) as just a "show" pitch and to use his curve one-third of the time and his non-curve breaking and/or off-speed pitches close to half of the time. And, it worked.
Based on this, I would suggest that Mussina sticks with this "M.O." until it stops working. It just might mean a 15-win season for him.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:14 AM | Comments (2)
April 07, 2008
April 7th vs. The Rays
Ah, some runs! (Thank you El Comedulce & Godzilla.) Still, it's a borderline sin that Mo Rivera had to start warming in the 9th during this game. Shame on Hawkins.
Great effort from Mike Mussina in this one. He reminded me of Eddie Harris. Although the semi-hissy fit on the field after the Cano error was not exactly "old pro" material.
And, yes, while it's still very early, I'm starting to get into the slimmed down and longer haired version of Brian Bruney.
Lastly, I have to wonder if a roster move is coming with Jeter's injury in this one. Or, are the Yankees O.K. playing Wilson Betemit at short for a few days with no other back-up middle infielder on the bench? That could be dicey. It may make sense to have someone from Triple-A travel with the team on this road-trip, just in case - and then have them handly for when Giambi's groin goes out and then you can D.L. him and activate the traveling middle infielder. Because, you just know that Giambi is going to play within the next few days and get hurt again...right?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:26 PM | Comments (8)
Moose: 29 And Out
In his Yankees career, Mike Mussina has pitched in 33 games where he's faced 30 batters or more. But, he only pitched one game in 2007 where he had 30+ BF and one game in 2006 where he had 30+ BF.
So, what are the odds that Moose faces at least 30 batters in his game tonight?
Mussina is usually good for at least 20 BF in a game - even in recent seasons. He did this 23 times in 2007 and 30 times in 2006. And, it's not that hard for him to reach 25 BF either. But, somewhere between 26 and 29 BF is usually the limit for him. That's fine, when you're pitching a perfect game. But, when the league bats over .300 against you...well...that's not so good.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:06 PM | Comments (2)
WasWatching.com Readership
This was an interesting study that I just did - so, I thought that I would share it here as it also leads to a message that that I wanted to convey (after seeing the results myself now).
Using the total "Page Views" for WasWatching.com for May 2007 as a "baseline," I looked at (page views for) the next 11 months forward - including a pro-rated April 2008 - to see where those months "sat" (in terms of a percentage) compared to that May 2007 baseline. Here are the results:
May-07 100.0% June-07 92.3% July-07 115.6% August-07 94.0% September-07 92.7% October-07 96.1% November-07 91.5% December-07 94.3% January-08 91.3% February-08 101.1% March-08 106.7% April-08 139.7%
The dip from November 2007 through January 2008 can be written off due to it being the "off-season" and I'm willing to look past that. But, what's nice to see is that the numbers for February 2008 are right there where they were for May 2007. And, the numbers, when you look at March and April 2008, are climbing.
Seeing this, I wanted to take a second to thank the readers of WasWatching.com for their interest in this blog. The numbers show that just as many people read it now as was reported a year ago. (And, they also suggest that even more are reading it now - or, at the least, those reading it are reading it more often.)
It's awesome to see that my fellow Yankees and/or baseball fans get something out of WasWatching.com.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:20 PM | Comments (1)
Don't Believe Kay's Folktale About Jeter & Torre
During the bottom of the 3rd inning in yesterday's game, on the YES broadcast, Michael Kay went into a story about how Derek Jeter, in his rookie season, was thrown out trying to steal third (against the White Sox) when there were no outs in the inning. As Kay tells the story, Jeter went right up to Joe Torre on the Yankees bench, immediatley after the mistake, and sat down next to him - rather than avoid any possible lecture about not making the first or third out at third base during an inning. (As Kay tells the story, Torre told Jeter to "Get outta here" because Jeter didn't need to be reminded that it was a bonehead play.)
In his "Big Book Of Baseball Legends," Rob Neyer noted that Kay also told this story during a YES broadcast on June 13, 2007.
However, as Neyer notes:
"Jeter was caught stealing seven times in his rookie season. Once was at third base: August 12 against the White Sox. However, it was the third out of the inning - not the first - so Jeter couldn't have sat down next to Torre (at least not right away) because he had to immediately grab his glove and play shortstop."
Maybe Jeter went to Torre during the top of the 9th or 10th innings of that game? And, because it's a much better story, Kay makes it out to be like Jeter did it right after he was caught stealing. It's possible.
Actually, in the 10th inning, Jeter was on-deck when the final out was made. So, he probably only had a small window to make it happen in that frame - if it happened at all. And, the 9th inning for the Yankees in this contest was quick too - three up, three down. If Derek did it then, it probably had to be quick as well.
There's a good chance that this story never happened at all, in reality.
Update, 4/7/08, 1:00 pm ET: Thanks to reader "christopher" for some links (in the comments below) that indicate Jeter went to Torre in the next half-inning (during the 9th). It appears this story does have some legs! (Sorry Michael!)
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:43 AM | Comments (6)
Rough Starts With The Bat Not Always Bad News
I was just looking back at the 1977 Yankees. That season, in their first 10 games, New York had a BA/OBP/SLG line of .232/.296/.315 in 378 PA. They went 2-8 in those first 10 games. And, four of those eight losses were by one run...and another was a 2-0 loss. But, at the end of the season, the 1977 Yankees had the league's best mark in Runs Created Above Average (146) and they won the A.L. East.
Doing some research on this now, I saw that The Sommer Frieze had a post on this as well yesterday. Ah, the line-up out of the hat trick. Does General Joe know about that one?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:23 AM | Comments (0)
The 21 Project
Derek Jacques has an intersting idea on addressing the La Troy Hawkins uniform number situation. Click here to see it.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:14 AM | Comments (0)
Pags: Hughes Loses Velocity Because Of Mechanics
Last week, I reached out to Jim Callis, Kevin Goldstein, and Deric McKamey on the topic of Phil Hughes' fastball, its current velocity, and how it impacts Hughes' status as a prospect. Their feedback suggested that Hughes' heater is what it's always been - and that there was nothing wrong with it and therefore his status was just fine.
At the same time, I reached out to Mike Pagliarulo with the same question. Last night, Mike posted his response at Dugout Central. With the permission of Adam White (the CEO of Dugout Central/Baseline Group) here's what Mike Pagliarulo wrote...
...via Dugout Central:
Great question from Steve L. over at www.waswatching.com:
Mike - Last season, the Yankees Phil Hughes’ fastballs were averaging 89 to 92 miles an hour. However, reports said that Phil usually threw around 92 to 95 MPH. Even Yankees GM Brian Cashman was curious about this last August. At that time, Hughes’ fastballs were averaging 88 to 91 miles an hour, according to Cashman, when they should have been 91 to 93. Here’s what Cashman had to say about Hughes drop in velocity: “I don’t know why. It’s our job to continue to look and see if there’s anything mechanically. He could still be just building arm strength from being down for so long.” Phil Hughes, this spring, said that he never really trusted his leg (after his hamstring injury) and that did not allow him to let loose with his pitches. But, Hughes maintained that he was sound now and it was no longer an issue. However, in his start last night, Hughes was, once again, consistently at 91 MPH with his fastball. In your opinion, how does this development impact Phil Hughes in terms of his status of being a pitching prospect?
A big difference between good organizations and bad organizations is their ability to develop their own prospects. Scouting and the ability to make sound player acquisition decisions are the other two big ones, but we’ll leave those for another day.
The reason Phil Hughes isn’t throwing his fastball faster than 91 MPH is mechanics – and nothing else. Why doesn’t Brian Cashman know this? Because he’s an expert at managing groups, people and processes; he’s NOT a baseball expert in terms of scouting, of understanding pitching mechanics, or understanding hitting mechanics, etc. That’s in no way an insult to Brian. Jack Welch, formerly CEO of General Electric, is one of the most respected business leaders of our time, and he couldn’t build a jet engine or a refrigerator himself. But he could manage the people who could.
So, it’s unfair to ask Cashman the Hughes question since it’s not his area of expertise. It’s like asking Joe Girardi about brain surgery.
What to do about Hughes? He needs to change his delivery, just as Roger Clemens did when he went from Boston to Toronto. Hughes’ mechanics are the weakest during pitching stages three and four, the time in which he takes the ball out of glove to when the ball leaves his hand. Two issues: First, he’s not getting full arm extension after taking the ball out of his glove – and this creates an inconsistent release point and, therefore, an inconsistent pitcher. Second, he’s leading with his head instead of staying back and throwing “around” his head – something that young, aggressive hitters can be guilty of.
The effects of these issues:
+ Reduced velocity on his fastball, because he isn’t able to fully leverage his lower half.
+ His changeup is ending up off the plate to Hughes’ arm-side of home plate.
+ His curve (normally a 70/75 grade pitch on a 20-80 scale) is being left up in the zone.
You’ll notice that Hughes has been throwing his slider more often, despite the fact it’s just his fourth best pitch. Because of his mechanics, Hughes’ arm slot is lower than ideal and, thus, his slider is the only breaking pitch that he can command effectively. It’s the same reason you don’t see three quarter or side arm pitchers with good curveballs. It’s also why if you’re looking at Hughes behind home plate his curve ball is breaking at a 10 to 4 angle as opposed to its typical 12 to 6.
The good news is that Hughes’ mechanics are fixable. Whether he is coachable – a trait needed for a player to improve – is another thing. I’m not saying he isn’t coachable; I just don’t know the guy, so I can’t say.
My guess is that if Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland is allowed to really work with him, Hughes will be on track by 2009 or 2010. Let’s not forget this kid should still be in AA Trenton.
But this is the risk the Yankee front office is taking. And it’s a big risk, given that it deviates from previously successful methods of developing prospects for championship teams in the minors, not the majors. Looking at the last generation of Yankees stars, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Bernie Williams, Mo Rivera and Jorge Posada were all much more advanced in their development prior to their call-up than Hughes. Jeter (21), Pettitte (23) and Williams (22) were close to the same age as Hughes when they started contributing to the major league club, but development is about being ready to produce, not just age.
This is interesting stuff. And, it somewhat ties into what Carlos Gomez had to say about Hughes last season - that's it's an arm slot and/or angle of release, related to throwing the curve, that's impacted Hughes' fastball.
It seems, based on the reports from Pags and Gomez, that Hughes is not helping himself by throwing a 1-7, 2-8, or 10-4 curve in addition to trying to throw one with a 12-6 break. Maybe Phil should stick with one type of curve - or just ditch it and go back to the slider? Personally, when I hear all this talk about monkeying around with the curve and a (perhaps) slower fastball, I start to get Barry Zito images in my head. And, while Zito was great from ages 22 to 28, we all saw what happened to him last season (and this one, so far).
In any event, my thanks to Mike Pagliarulo for taking the time to write about this matter - and to Dugout Central for allowing me to share it here.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:30 AM | Comments (7)
April 06, 2008
April 6th vs. The Rays
Typical Yankee Stadium game for Chien-Ming Wang - meaning he was super on the mound. Considering the Yankees could only muster two runs today - and, thank you Godzilla for those two runs! - Wang was just what the doctor ordered.
Anyone else think that General Joe really wanted to lock this one down as soon as possible? Kudos to Girardi for not being afraid to bring in Joba Chamberlain during that high leverage situation in the 7th inning of this game - rather than just follow the "script" and have Farnsworth (or someone else) come in there (and then hold Joba for the 8th inning).
Also, considering that Mike Mussina gets the start tomorrow - and you never know how Moose will do - this is a huge win. If this game is a loss, then the Rays had an excellent chance to sweep the four game series. That would have hurt - even if it is "just" April.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:11 PM | Comments (2)
Hey, Yanks Bats Could Be Worse...
...they could be as bad as the Giants or Red Sox.
Via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia, here are the Runs Created Above Average (RCAA) totals for all the teams in the big leagues, through yesterday's games:
RCAA RCAA 1 Brewers 11 2 Braves 10 3 Mets 8 T4 White Sox 7 T4 Devil Rays 7 6 Orioles 6 T7 Pirates 5 T7 Angels 5 9 Cardinals 4 T10 Diamondbacks 3 T10 Padres 3 T12 Phillies 2 T12 A's 2 T12 Blue Jays 2 T15 Rangers 1 T15 Marlins 1 T15 Cubs 1 18 Tigers 0 T19 Royals -2 T19 Nationals -2 T21 Dodgers -3 T21 Mariners -3 23 Twins -4 24 Astros -5 T25 Indians -6 T25 Reds -6 27 Rockies -7 T28 Yankees -8 T28 Giants -8 30 Red Sox -10
Granted, yes, it's only been five games for the Yankees. But, when you look at the individual RCAA totals for them:
RCAA RCAA T1 Melky Cabrera 1 T1 Bobby Abreu 1 T1 Alex Rodriguez 1 T4 Wilson Betemit 0 T4 Morgan Ensberg 0 T4 Jose Molina 0 T4 Hideki Matsui 0 T8 Jason Giambi -1 T8 Shelley Duncan -1 T10 Derek Jeter -2 T10 Johnny Damon -2 T10 Jorge Posada -2 13 Robinson Cano -3
It tells you that no one on the team has come out of the chute swinging a hot stick. Is it the weather? Is it the opponent's pitching? Both? Or, something else?
It's way too early to panic. Let's check back at this in two weeks before getting nervous. Boston is dealing with the same thing. Let them start to climb out on the window ledge before in happens in Yankeeland.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:23 AM | Comments (4)
Gardner Hits Big Fly
Via the Scranton Times Tribune:
It’s not a question about what Yankees fans will be excited about when they scan the Triple-A box score this morning.
Nor is it a question of what they should be excited about.
There, in the small type next to the home run category, they’ll find Brett Gardner’s name. They’ll see that he hit a two-run blast in the fifth inning that helped the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees put away Lehigh Valley for the third consecutive day — this one a 7-2 triumph. And that will be exciting enough.
What they won’t know is that this wasn’t a cheap home run. It was a blast off a fastball from a pretty good left-hander named Brian Mazone that landed in the net that hangs from PNC Field’s message board in right-center field, just to the right of the power alley and the 371-foot sign on the blue wall.
Fans will see that, and see a brighter future. All that debate about whether the 5-foot-10, 180-pound leadoff man could ever drive the ball well enough to stick in pinstripes will probably end for a while. This will be all the proof some fans will need.
If you’re one of them, just keep this disclaimer from the man himself in mind.
“That’s one at-bat, so you can’t say I’m a power hitter after I hit one home run in however many at-bats,” Gardner said. “It’s not a case where I’m going to try to hit a bunch of home runs this year to try and prove people wrong. I’m just going to try to become a better hitter, whether I don’t hit another homer all year or end up hitting 15. I’m just trying to be more consistent all year.”
Interesting timing. When Giambi came up lame yesterday, my first thought was "If they D.L. him, maybe Gardner gets the call-up? And, maybe he can be a spark for this team like Cano in 2005 and Melky in 2006?" But, then, thinking about it, the question was "Where would he play?"
Damon, Cabrera, Abreu and Matsui fill the outfield and DH slots. And, Gardner is not going to play first. Basically, for Gardner to have any shot at playing time, he needs one of the Yankees outfielders to go down, not Giambi.
The numbers are just not working here for Gardner, now - in terms of getting a window to join the Yankees (this season).
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:37 AM | Comments (1)
April 05, 2008
April 5th vs. The Rays
Another "Awwwww [insert your favorite curse word]!" loss in the Bronx today.
What's really bothersome: If not for Aaron Hill botching Matsui's potential double-play grounder during the 7th inning on Tuesday night, and, if not for Dustin McGowan's wild pitch to A-Rod during the 6th inning on Thursday night, the Yankees would probably be an 0-5 team at this moment.
That's really close to being winless in your first five games to start the season. Yikes.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:15 PM | Comments (4)
A Different Idea About Retiring Uniform Numbers
The Scranton Times Tribune has a feature today on Yankees retired uniform numbers and the Paul O'Neill/La Troy Hawkins situation. Three months ago, I offered a suggested guideline on determining who's number should be retired in Yankeeland.
Since that time, I've come up with a new idea: No "retired" numbers. Instead, if the player was beloved, then no one can wear his number for "X" years (following his retirement) where "X" was the number of years that the beloved player was on the team. After that, the number is allowed to be used again. For example: If Joe Star played for the Yankees for 15 years, and he was beloved by the fans, then, after he retires, no one can wear his number for the next 15 years. But, after those 15 years, it's put back into circulation.
You can still do something for the player - like maybe a "Circle" or "Wall" of Fame - where you can put his name up there. And, you can still do something for those Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle types - like put up a statue for them. But, stop the practice of taking the number off the field forever.
Besides, it may be a better way to remember the player - when his number comes back into play. I could see it now: "Jim Prospect was assigned number #12. It had been reserved for the 8 years following Mike Beloved's retirement. I'm sure it's a great honor for Jim to have that number. And, when fans see it now, they'll think of both Jim and Mike."
What do you think of this idea? Should the Yankees take all their retired numbers, and put them back into use, and then use this idea going forward?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:54 AM | Comments (1)
It's Now Time For Me To Lay Off Phil Hughes' Fastball
On April 3rd, I wrote:
If Hughes is throwing 91 MPH as a 21-year old, he's not going to gain speed as he gets older. It doesn't work that way. Give him about 2,000 big league innings and he will lose four MPH on his fastball (at the least). And, then, Phil Hughes will be a 31-year old pitcher who features a fastball that's in the range of 89 to 87 MPH. And, that's not good.
And, some Yankees fans didn't take kindly to that comment. So, I decided to take the question to a higher court.
I reached out to a few folks "in the know" and (pardon the pun) "pitched" the following to them:
Last season, the Yankees Phil Hughes' fastballs were averaging 89 to 92 miles an hour. However, reports said that Phil usually threw around 92 to 95 MPH.
Even Yankees G.M. Brian Cashman was curious about this, last August. At that time, Hughes' fastballs were averaging 88 to 91 miles an hour, according to Cashman, when they should have been 91 to 93. Here's what Cashman had to say about Hughes drop in velocity: “I don’t know why. It’s our job to continue to look and see if there’s anything mechanically. He could still be just building arm strength from being down for so long."
Phil Hughes, this spring, said that he never really trusted his leg (after his hamstring injury) and that did not allow him to let loose with his pitches. But, Hughes maintained that he was sound now and it was no longer an issue.
However, in his start [on April 3rd], Hughes was, once again, consistently at 91 MPH with his fastball.
In your opinion, how does this development impact Phil Hughes in terms of his status of being a pitching prospect? He's 21 years old now. Will his velocity increase as he approaches age 30, or, will it stay the same? Or, will it decrease? What about life after age 30? If he's throwing 91 MPH in his 20's, should we expect Hughes to be throwing in the high 80's when he's in his 30's? If so, should Yankees fans be concerned about the long-term projection on Hughes' performance?
Here's what they had to say:
Via an e-mail from Jim Callis of Baseball America -
This doesn't concern me at all. Interesting to see Hughes confirm what I thought all along about 2006, that he wasn't 100 percent physically and that led to decreased velocity. He pitched just fine anyway, of course. As for last night's start, it's one start, it's early in the year, it wasn't warm--I don't think this means we saw what his velocity is going to be from here on out. And even if he sits at 90-92 mph, he has good life on his fastball, he commands it well--it will still be a good pitch. As for how well he maintains velocity in the long run, a lot of that has to do with how hard he works and how healthy he stays--hard to project with much accuracy at this point.
Via an e-mail from Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus -
In the minors, Hughes was generally 90-95, so if he was consistently 91 his first time out, I wouldn't really be too concerned at all or see it as a trend, yet. Maybe something to keep an eye on at most, but hardly a reason to panic. A lot of velocities are off in start No. 1.
I also spoke to Deric McKamey of Baseball HQ and he said that past reports on Hughes' velocity, as is often the case with pitching prospects, were greatly exaggerated. Deric said that he personally timed Phil Hughes while he was in the minors, and, while Hughes was able to touch 95 MPH "maybe a handful of times," that Phil's fastball was in the range of 89 to 92 MPH and that was "pretty much what he threw."
That said, McKamey offered that Hughes was more about movement on the fastball and an ability to disguise his pitches - offering batters the same look, arm-slot, etc., whether it was a two-seam fastball or a curve.
As far as the future, Deric suggested that "big guys" (like Hughes) who "use their legs" generally don't lose velocity as they get older. He did say that Phil could lose a few MPH when he's in his mid-30's; but, that he should still be around 91 MPH when he reaches thirty.
Just for the fun of it, I shared my "Andy Benes" observation with McKamey and he thought that was a "pretty good comp." It's important to note that, Deric stressed, as I did last year, that there's nothing wrong with being the next Andy Benes - and that most organizations would be thrilled to have a 21-year old Andy Benes on their roster.
This was an interesting exercise for me. First, I want to thank Callis, Goldstein and McKamey for their great insight! Secondly, it has changed my opinion on the matter.
I'm no longer concerned, at all, with Phil Hughes' fastball velocity in terms of where it sits now with respect to what it was, reported, in the past; and, in terms of what it means with respect to his future. Unless Phil's fastball starts to dip below the 90-91 MPH mark, I feel there's no need to be tracking it. And, I'm not going to expect him to be hitting 95 MPH with any consistency - because that seems to be a myth in the first place.
So, personally, it's time to just look at Phil Hughes pitching results and not the speed of his fastball - as long as he keeps it around 91 MPH. I cannot wait until his next appearance and the start of this new view for me.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:45 AM | Comments (6)
April 04, 2008
April 4th vs. The Rays
The Yankees lose this game, 13-4. And, their record on the season is now 2-2. To date, including this game, the Yankees have allowed 22 runs this season and they have scored 12 runs.
So, look at the bright side, the Yankees are out-playing Pythagorean Winning Percentage so far this year, right?
Ian Kennedy had no command this evening. And, we got to see what can happen to him when he cannot locate his pitches. Not pretty, huh?
You probably have to go back to Darrell Rasner's start of September 28, 2006 to find a game where a Yankees starter pitched at Yankees Stadium as poorly as Kennedy did this evening. (I was there that night - and it was not a fun evening in the Bronx either - like this game.)
Speaking of flashbacks, 24 years ago, almost to the day, the Yankees had another game like this one at the start of their season. It was April 5, 1984. Check out the boxscore for that game - where the Royals beat the Yanks, 15-4. Omar Moreno, Toby Harrah, Tim Foli, Shane Rawley, and Bob Shirley all played for the Yankees. If that's not interesting enough, note that Don Mattingly came into that game, late, as a caddy for Lou Piniella. And, actually, that's what Mattingly did in the Yankees first four games that season - meaning he was a late innings sub. In Game 5 of 1984, Mattingly became a full-time player and went on to lead the league in batting that season.
Three years ago, I shared that, back in 1984 and 1985, I kept a game log of sorts, for every Yankee game. Just a few notes per day, etc. Just now, for the heck of it, I went back to those notebooks to see what I wrote about that Yankees-Royals game (in 1984). Here it is:
- @ K.C., Lost 15-4
- Shirley gave up 3 run HR to Balboni on an 0-2, 2 out pitch.
- Rijo looked good for 5 inn.
- Harrah dove for a ground ball when down 14-0.
Why do I share all this? I dunno...beats talking about the rotten game in the Bronx tonight...no?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:23 PM | Comments (4)
35 Years Ago This Sunday...
In two days, it will be the 35th Anniversary of Ron Blomberg becoming the first "D.H." to appear in a regular season game. The Yankees are home that Sunday. It would be pretty cool if they were able to get Blomberg to throw out the first pitch of the game that day.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:48 PM | Comments (4)
Wait Till Next Year?
These are the top team payrolls in baseball this season:
1 New York Yankees $209,081,579
2 Detroit Tigers $138,685,197
3 New York Mets $138,293,378
4 Boston Red Sox $133,440,037
The Yankees have a chance to take $81 million off their payroll this coming off-season. When you factor in bare-minimun replacement players, that would put the Yankees payroll for next year closer to $133 million.
If that happens, there's a chance that the Yankees will not have the highest payroll in baseball next year. How about that?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:22 PM | Comments (15)
Jason "Twinkle Toes" Giambi
Via Howard Megdal -
“I’d get hurt all the time, and I just took it as part of getting older,” Giambi said as he stood near his locker before yesterday's game against Tornoto, a bat leaning against his leg. “But when I worked toward getting back from the plantar fasciitis, I worked with a new doctor, who deals with—well—ballet dancers. And he told me that I had really high arches. I got these inserts—“he gestured toward prescription orthotics in his cleats “and suddenly it didn’t hurt to run anymore.”
His high in batting average since 2002 is .271, and last year he even saw his power drop precipitously, to just 14 home runs in 254 at bats.
His ability to take walks remained, though, and Giambi believes that his stronger legs will improve his offense, too.
“Well, for one thing, I hope my doubles go back up,” said Giambi, who had as many as 47 doubles in his prime, but just 8 last year. “A lot of singles last year should be doubles this year. And there should be more first-to-third, more second-to-home.”
Let's just hope that these inserts are better than the ones Giambi got last May - because they didn't seem to work out.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:37 AM | Comments (1)
Fenway Park News With Yankees Ties
I heard about these two stories this morning, listening to Mark Patrick and Buck Martinez, on X-M Radio MLB Home Plate, and thought they were worth sharing here.
From the Boston Herald -
It came blasting out of the air at Fenway yesterday, but it wasn’t a wayward baseball that crashed down on a visiting schoolgirl - it was an attacking hawk.
The hawks’ target?
A-Rod.
No, not the Evil Empire’s third baseman, Alex Rodriquez, but an eighth-grade girl from Memorial Boulevard Middle School in Bristol, Conn., who was on a field trip with classmates. Alexa Rodriguez, whose nickname is A-Rod, wasn’t seriously injured. Televised news reports this morning said the girl’s coach calls her “A-Rod.”
Alexa was taken to an area hospital and released, according to the Red Sox. The hawk was apparently nesting and may have been protecting its egg, which was removed after the scary incident by the Boston Animal Rescue League under the direction of the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game.
I think the "real" A-Rod should send the girl an autographed ball or something. That would be a nice story.
Also from the Herald -
"The Sopranos” star Michael Imperioli was willing to throw out the first pitch at the Red Sox-Yankees game April 11 - but only if he could wear Pinstripes!
“Well, I am a Yankees fan,” the late, lamented Christopher Moltisanti told Karlson & McKenzie on WZLX yesterday.
Imperioli and his band, La Dolce Vita, are in town to play Bill’s Bar on the 11th and he could certainly be available for first-pitch duties. But we’re thinking the Sox said “thanks but no thanks.”
“I was in Miami and they asked me to do a promotion for the Miami Heat and I said, ‘I can’t I’m a Knicks fan.’ ” he recalled. “They thought I was kidding but those are real things. I went to my first Yankees game when I was 3 years old, it was Mickey Mantle’s retirement. If that’s your team, that’s your team.”
Attaboy Michael!
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:14 AM | Comments (2)
O'Brien: Blogging Way Of Expression For Yanks Fans
Kat O'Brien of Newsday takes a look into the world of Yankees blogging. Click here to see her story.
Kat asks "So just who are the people behind the sites?" - and she provides the answers as well!
(Yeah, I'm in there too. Thanks Kat!)
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:06 AM | Comments (1)
April 03, 2008
Yeah, You Can Let "Him" In
Via Neil Best with a hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org:
In my item in Tuesday's paper on Paul O'Neill limiting himself to 25 games per season on YES, I forgot to mention an amusing moment:
I was walking with O'Neill toward the Blue Jays' locker room when a security guard stopped him and demanded to see a credential. O'Neill didn't have one, but politely pointed out he is, well . . . Paul O'Neill!
The guard wasn't buying it. I was about to chime in (and risk arrest) when another guard came over and said O'Neill was OK to go through.
I told O'Neill that maybe if he called more than 25 games a year, the staff would know who he is.
Maybe the guard though O'Neill was a La Troy Hawkins imposter?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:25 PM | Comments (0)
I Take Back What I Said About The New Yankee Stadium
One month ago, I questioned the "look" of the new Yankee Stadium. At that time, my words were "it’s starting to look more like a mausoleum than a ballpark."
Boy, was I wrong.
Last night was the first time that I've seen the construction site in person since last season. To be honest, when I came off the Eddie Grant Highway and made a right onto Jerome...and then I saw "it"...I thought to myself "Wow! It's majestic!" It truly hit me like a ton of bricks. It was a "That's no moon, it's a space station!" type moment. Very impressive. Jaw dropping when it enters your gaze.
I snapped a few pictures once I was on foot. The better ones follow below.
Click on them to enlarge. The first two are the new digs. The last one is a shot of the current Stadium and some of the work they're doing next to it.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:00 PM | Comments (1)
April 3rd vs. The Blue Jays
Whew!
Good game to win. You know, Toronto did lose two of these three games; but, they should come away from this series with the feeling that they can go toe-to-toe with the Yankees...because they really did in these first three games.
Earlier today, I wrote:
If I had to make a prediction for Hughes tonight, I would offer 90 to 100 pitches thrown, five to six innings pitched, and two to three earned runs allowed. And, if that happens, that's not bad at all. I think the Yankees, their fans, the media, and Hughes would all be fine with those results.
So, what happened? Hughes throws 87 pitches, goes six innings, and allows two earned runs. (Man, I should have played lotto today.) That's a sweet outing from Hughes and one the Yankees would be willing to take from him - every time out.
O.K., still, you know I have to bring up the velocity thing. Yes, for the second year in a row.
In the first inning, the YES gun had Hughes at 91 MPH with his fastball. (For what it's worth, Gameday had him at 90 MPH in the first.) And, through the fifth inning, I was still seeing 91 MPH on the heater for Phil. (Most of the time it was 91 MPH. Sometimes it was 90 MPH and other times it was 89 MPH. But, again, most of the time it was 91 MPH.)
So, what happened to the theory that it was his leg that caused Hughes to lose four MPH on his fastball? He's as healthy as a horse now, and, still, we're seeing 91 MPH.
Sure, some probably want to scream "It's the slow YES gun!" Well, through the first five innings, the same YES gun had Toronto's Dustin McGowan around 94 MPH with his fastball. And, the YES gun had Brian Bruney throwing around 95 MPH and Joba Chamberlain in the mid-to-high 90's. If the YES gun is slow, then McGowan, Bruney and Chamberlain were all throwing 100 MPH - which I cannot believe is true.
Now, at this point, Phil Hughes featuring a 91 MPH fastball is no big deal. With his curve, as long as he has command of the fastball, he'll be fine - as he was this evening.
Where this becomes an issue is the year 2018. If Hughes is throwing 91 MPH as a 21-year old, he's not going to gain speed as he gets older. It doesn't work that way. Give him about 2,000 big league innings and he will lose four MPH on his fastball (at the least). And, then, Phil Hughes will be a 31-year old pitcher who features a fastball that's in the range of 89 to 87 MPH. And, that's not good.
Again, and I want to stress this, Phil Hughes throwing 91 MPH now is fine. There's no issue with this fact. It does not suggest that he cannot be a great pitcher now and for the next 8 to 10 years. However, I'm offering, because Hughes is throwing "only" 91 MPH now, at age 21 and with complete health, that I believe it is doubtful Hughes will be an effective major league pitcher after he turns 30-years old.
Hughes could end up with a Jon Matlack type career. Stellar in his 20's, a major pitcher on winning teams, and then, after 30, not so much. Note, I said "could" - again, just because there's no where for his velocity to go, but down, and it's barely over 90 MPH and he's at the age where his fastball should be at its peak.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:10 PM | Comments (13)
Room 222
File this under: Silly but fun things that you can do with Baseball-Reference.com’s Play Index, Excel, and a few minutes time.
Last night, Mike Mussina and La Troy Hawkins both allowed hits on an 0-2 count.
This had me wondering: How many 0-2 hits have Yankees pitchers allowed since I started writing this blog (on April 20, 2005)?
Here’s the answer: 222 hits allowed on 0-2 counts.
Randy Johnson allowed 35 such hits and Mike Mussina, including last night, has allowed 30 (in this time).
Click here to see the entire list of 222 hits allowed.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:08 PM | Comments (1)
Some Phil Hughes Math
Last season, in terms of BA/OBA/SLG allowed, these were Phil Hughes' splits:
Home: .313/.375/.451 (161 BF)
Away: .148/.243/.313 (145 BF)
But, last season, Toronto, facing Hughes three times, did this against him (in 69 PA): .266/.319/.328 (And, two of those three games were in the Bronx.)
If I had to make a prediction for Hughes tonight, I would offer 90 to 100 pitches thrown, five to six innings pitched, and two to three earned runs allowed. And, if that happens, that's not bad at all. I think the Yankees, their fans, the media, and Hughes would all be fine with those results.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:04 PM | Comments (4)
Would You Like Some Cheese With That Whine Larry?
Via the AP -
The Red Sox have steadily upgraded Fenway since the current owners bought the team in 2002, with the most visible change being the seats added above the Green Monster in 2003. Along the way, they've increased the capacity from under 34,000 seats to almost 40,000.
"With the Yankees opening a new ballpark in 2009, they have dramatic new revenue sources," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said Tuesday after giving the media and Boston city officials a tour. "So we've got to do everything we can to make this little engine that could keep up with the bullet train in the Bronx."
Let's go back to a Washington Post report from last October:
Off the field, the Red Sox have turned a beloved regional franchise into an international marketing juggernaut. Late in 2001, when Lucchino joined with commodities giant John Henry and television producer Tom Werner in a group that purchased the team, Forbes magazine estimated the club's value at $339 million. This year, the magazine estimates the Red Sox are worth $724 million. In 2006, they brought in $234 million in revenue. Among baseball's 30 franchises, only the rival New York Yankees generate more money.
See that Larry? The Red Sox are worth $724 million. "This little engine"? Please...stick it. Stop trying to paint the Red Sox as being in the same boat as the Pirates or Royals. You can't be a "little engine" when your team is worth $724 million.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:19 PM | Comments (3)
Small Giambi Rant
I’m not sure if this came up in the YES broadcast last night – as I was at the game – but, I have to rant on Jason Giambi a bit for something that didn’t happen in the game last night.
After six and a half innings, the Yankees were trailing the Jays by a score of five-zip. In the Yankees half of the seventh, Abreu leads off with a walk and then A-Rod hits one into the bullpen to cut the score to 5-2. Toronto then lifts A.J. Burnett and replaces him with Brian Tallet. Jason Giambi is the first batter to face Tallet.
It’s the bottom of the seventh, no outs, no one on, and the Yanks down by three. The crowd is still buzzing about the Rodriguez homer. It’s a great time to get a rally going – if you’re a Yankee. The Blue Jays put the shift on Giambi – where the third baseman is at least 40 feet off the line and deep. The rest of the infield is swung over to the right side of the infield. And, this makes sense, as, in the fifth inning, Giambi grounded out into the shift.
At this point in the game, the Yankees need base runners. This keeps the rally going and it keeps the crowd into the game. In this at bat, Giambi is not going to hit a homerun to tie the game – as there’s no one on base. (Last time I checked, you can’t hit a three-run homer when there’s no one on.) In this situation, the best – and most exciting – thing that could happen would be for Giambi to push a bunt down towards third base. Once it’s past the pitcher, with the shift on, there’s no way the Jays could throw out Jason (even with his lack of speed). If Giambi reaches in a manner like this, the crowd would go crazy and it then brings the tying run into the on-deck circle.
But, what does Jason Giambi do? He swings from the heels on a 1-0, 85 MPH cutter, and misses. Then, when the count is 3-1, he takes a 87 MPH fastball for a strike. Finally, on a full count, Giambi then takes another big rip and whiffs on a 86 MPH cutter. And, like the air coming out of a balloon, the crowd dies down and now it’s one out with no one on – and the Yankees still down by three.
Why, oh, why, when the Jays are giving Giambi that free hit (with the shift), would he not take it in a spot that screams with the need for base runners? Didn’t we hear all spring about how Jason was going to use the whole field to hit this year? Or, was that just talk? I just don’t get it.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:04 PM | Comments (4)
Morgan Ensberg Is A Learner
One of the new Yankees gets introduced to "Hang Up & Drive" - the hard way. Next lesson? I believe that one is "You should not drink, and bake! Good luck Morgan.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:51 AM | Comments (2)
General Joe Knows Math
Looks like Joe's sister is not the only math-person in the family. Via Peter Abraham -
Today was my first look at the manager’s office at Yankee Stadium since Joe Girardi took over.
But what caught my eye immediately was a copy of the Baseball Prospectus 2008 annual on the shelf behind the desk. Baseball Prospectus in the manager’s office?
Yep, Joe Torre doesn’t live here any more.
Reason # 127 to love having Joe Girardi manage this team.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:27 AM | Comments (1)
April 2nd vs. The Blue Jays
Mike Mussina started this game for the Yankees and was dealing 86 MPH fastballs out of the chute. He was pretty much around 86 MPH most of the night - although he did touch 89 MPH a few times. And, in his last frame of work, he was down to 84 MPH. And, the Blue Jays batters handled Moose, accordingly.
A.J. Burnett started this game for the Blue Jays and he was pumping gas. And, he handled the Yankees batters, accordingly.
That was pretty much the story for this game.
Oh, and, it was cold at the Stadium. I lost the feeling in my toes around the 8th inning.
By the way, where were all the Yankees fans for this one? There were probably only about 40,000 there, in person, for this game. And, by the end of the 7th inning, there was probably only about 20,000 fans left. In the 9th inning, there was probably only about 10,000 people in the stands.
Sure, it was cold. And, sure, Mussina was not great and the Yankees bats, outside of an A-bomb from A-Rod, were so-so. But, the Yanks had the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the 9th with less than 2 outs. It was not a blow-out. Where did everyone go?
The Yankees can talk about drawing 4 million and selling out every game, but, when you see how the fans came out for this one, and how they left early, well, you have to wonder about who's buying the tickets for these games...the diehards or somebody else.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:43 AM | Comments (9)
My Moment In The Stadium Sun
So, it's April 2, 2008, and I'm at Yankee Stadium. It's about a half hour before the start of the game and I'm sitting there minding my own business. Then, a Stadium personnel member comes up to me - and, he asks if I would be interested in answering the Stadium "Trivia Question" during the game, after the end of the second inning.
"Why not?" I offered. So, he then takes down my name and address and tells me that he'll be back with a camera man during the second inning.
How cool is this?
The game starts and, as promised, during the second inning my new friend returns with his camera man. When the final out of the Yankees half of the second is recorded, it's show time.
Here come the pictures...click on them to enlarge.
Oh, my stars and garters, there's me on the big screen!
O.K., snap out of it. Here comes the question:
Which Yankee has the most 40-homerun seasons?
A. Alex Rodriguez
B. Babe Ruth
C. Lou Gehrig
D. Reggie Jackson
I know it's not A-Rod or Reggie. I think it's Ruth. But, I'm also thinking this may be one of those trick questions where it seems like it has to be Ruth but it's really Gehrig. So, I think about it some more...
But, then, knowing it's time to fish or cut bait, I think "Don't doubt the Big Bam. Trust your stuff. Let it loose. Go with Ruth..." And, my answer is...
Good thing I took "B" - because it was the right answer! And, I was spared from getting the business from my fellow Yankees fans for pulling a rock. Whew. That would have been embarrassing.
Many thanks to my game-mate, MJ, for taking the pictures! It's nice to have some evidence to go along with a fun memory.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:03 AM | Comments (10)
No, I'm Not Ignoring You [Update]
FYI, I'm still having issues posting comments. Sorry. I am still working on it - rest assured!
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:01 AM | Comments (0)
April 02, 2008
Barrow Book
The Hardball Times has an excerpt from, and a review of, "Ed Barrow: The Bulldog Who Built the Yankees' First Dynasty" by Dan Levitt.
Barrow is a huge piece of Yankees history. Those who want to know Yankees history should learn more about him - and, this book is probably a good start.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:47 PM | Comments (2)
MLB To Canseco: Uncle Bud Wants You!
Via the Post -
When Jose Canseco showed up today at Barnes & Noble in Midtown for a book signing, there was a surprise waiting for him.
Two members of the newly formed Major League Baseball Department of Investigations were waiting there to talk to Canseco about his possible cooperation in their steroids probe.
Senior investigators Victor A. Burgos and Eduardo Dominguez met with Canseco and asked for his help, something his lawyer said he would provide.
And, if Jose Canseco continues to finger A-Rod, will Major League Baseball's Department of Investigations want to talk to Alex about his reported meeting with a PED dealer?
Baseball, in the past, has brought in players to talk about "things" and it was not well known (when it happened). Bowie Kuhn called in Pete Rose, when he was a player, to talk to Henry Fitzgibbon (who was a former FBI agent hired to head baseball's security office, at the time, checking on players who may have been involved in drugs and/or gambling). If someone with the (then) star-status that Rose had could be called in because of "suspicions" only, then it's possible that MLB could call in Alex based on Canseco's "cooperation."
But, today, it will be more difficult to have such a meeting on the "QT." Stay tuned...
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:30 PM | Comments (1)
Game 2 Streak - Albeit A Little One
Last night was a fun one in Yankeeland. How will today's game go?
Let's hope it's better than Game 2 of 2007. Proctor, Vizcaino and Jeter were not great that day. In fact, as a team, the Yankees were 3 for 13 with RISP. This is what I wrote about that game:
A: The rear view of an adult male baboon with external hemorrhoids.
Q: What is almost as ugly as the way the Yankees, as a team, played in this game.
And, then there was Game 2 of 2006. In that game the Yankees bats went 2 for 15 with RISP and Proctor blew it in the 9th. But, as I wrote back then...Joe Torre was more to blame for that one than Proctor.
The Yankees wouldn't pull this again, tonight, in Game 2 (for the third year in a row) would they? If so, can they just tell me now and save me the drive tonight...please?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:19 PM | Comments (4)
Duke Castiglione On Yanks Chances
Via the Gothamist -
How do you think the Yankees and Mets will do this year? I think the Mets will be playing in the World Series. The addition of Johan Santana and a healthy Pedro make them the team to beat. And Duaner Sanchez needs to solidify that bullpen -- be the bridge to Billy Wagner.
The Yankees will be interesting because of the innings limits they have on Chamberlain, Kennedy and Hughes. What about Mussina, is this a bounce back year for him? As Joe Torre pointed out in my interview with him this Spring in Vero Beach at Dodger’s camp when I asked him about this, Andy Pettitte has never been an Ace -- can he handle that? I think all this means they may need to go out and get another starter. I do think the Yanks will be in the Post Season -- how far they go in October is hard to determine -- it all depends on their pitching. Another thing to remember, which is commonly stated, is the talent pool in the American League is much deeper than the National League, and a big reason for that is the designated hitter – so when you get to the Playoffs you may have to faces guys like Justin Verlander and C.C. Sabathia twice in the first round. Because of that it's just too hard to predict how far an American league team will go. My teams to watch in the AL are The Yanks, Boston, Detroit, Toronto, Cleveland, L.A.A, and the Mariners.
Who would you pick to win the World Series? The Mets. I just have a feeling it's their year.
For the record, Duke Castiglione is not high on my list of favs.
In any event, what's this about "As Joe Torre pointed out in my interview with him this Spring in Vero Beach at Dodger’s camp when I asked him about this, Andy Pettitte has never been an Ace -- can he handle that?"
Pettitte pitched like an ace for Torre during 2003 and in the World Series that season. And, Pettitte was fine last season and during the ALDS. So, why would he melt this season? There's no reason.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:47 PM | Comments (5)
Mussina Feels Better This Year
Via Peter Botte -
Following what he referred to as a "more-involved" workout regimen before and during spring training, Mussina says he feels "better physically now than I did last year," when he missed a few early starts with hamstring problems.
With Mussina's contract set to expire in October, the Yanks are counting on a healthy and productive season from the righthander, who is 43rd on the all-time list with 250 wins after reaching double-digits for an AL-record 16 straight season.
"It's just like the end of any other contract. You've just got to play," Mussina said. "This team doesn't negotiate early, so that's not an issue. And because I'm getting up there in age, there are other factors that go into what I'm going to do next year. So I'll just play."
I'm not expecting much from Mussina this season. But, I would be thrilled if he does well - because that would be good news for the team. However, I will say this: Even if Moose has a season this year where he goes 20-3 with an ERA under three, there's no way in the world do I want the Yankees to resign him after this season. If the Yankees bring Mussina back, well, I dunno what I will do...but it won't be pretty.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:37 AM | Comments (1)
Where We Are With A-Rod & Canseco On April 1st
Via the Daily News -
Alex Rodriguez maintained his silence regarding all things involving Jose Canseco Tuesday. A-Rod said he would have nothing to say about Canseco's allegations "for the rest of the year," vowing not to comment regardless of what Canseco has to say during his book tour.
Via Newsday -
While Alex Rodriguez has been reticent in responding to allegations of steroid use, Jose Canseco hasn't been shy about sharing his thoughts on the Yankees' star third baseman.
Canseco said Rodriguez's relative silence on the issue is an attempt at trying to "sweep it under the rug."
"He should just say it was the truth and move on," Canseco said at a book signing in Ridgewood, N.J. for his newest book, "Vindicated."
Canseco questioned Rodriguez's recent responses by saying if he was ever wrongly accused, he'd immediately, and publicly, fight back.
"Really, you have to win this in the public's opinion, and how do you do that? Take a polygraph, pass it and get the results out," Canseco said.
I thought it would be interesting to make note of where we are with this story, on April 1st, to use as a point of comparison in the future. Will it go away? If not, will we be at this same point - where Canseco says "X" and Alex will not comment? And, for how long will it stay this way? Until the All-Star Game? The end of the season? 2009? I just have a feeling that, at some point, something more will come of this...and one of these two will be proven to be telling the truth. Either it will be a ex-girl friend that comes out of the woods, or, some former teammate that pops-up, or something else, that will be the source of something that will be the ammo that either Canseco or A-Rod needs to get this story to go one way and stay that way. It always seems to work out that way, no?
And, I have to wonder, if Alex is proven to be a PED-user, how Hank will feel about all that extra money he's going to pay A-Rod for reaching homerun marks - - if the public ends up feeling the same way about Alex reaching them as they did about Barry Bonds reaching them (after we found out he used PEDs).
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:33 AM | Comments (6)
April 01, 2008
"Mad Dog" Russo: Pedroia Takes Back-Seat To No A.L. 2B - Including Cano
Since some have brought this up in comments made here today, I thought that I would add my two cents. Yes, I heard Chris "Mad Dog" Russo on WFAN (660 AM Radio in NYC) today, between the hours of 5 pm and 6 pm (ET), go into his mini-rant on how Dustin Pedroia was a 'winner' and a 'gritty player' (etc.) and how Pedroia should not have to take "back-seat to any second baseman in the A.L." Russo went on to say that Pedroia was a clutch post-season performer, saved no-hitters, etc.
First of all, I think Russo was trying to push buttons with this comment. But, let us assume that he actually believes this to be true. Does he have a case?
Last season, as a 23-year old second baseman, in 581 Plate Appearances, Dustin Pedroia had 15 Runs Created Above Average as a batter. In 2006, as a 23-year old second baseman, in 508 Plate Appearances, Robinson Cano had 21 Runs Created Above Average as a batter. And, last season, Cano had 11 Runs Created Above Average in 669 Plate Appearances. So, on the whole, it appears that the two are close in age and somewhat close in terms of their relative offensive production. But, I'll get back to that in a moment.
What about defense? According to The Fielding Bible, Robinson Cano was +17 in the field last season for second baseman - which was third best in the league behind Aaron Hill and Mark Ellis. And, Pedroia? Well, all we know from what's publicly available (and free) is that Dustin Pedroia was less than +7 and greater than -10 in 2007. So, clearly, last season Robinson Cano was a better defender than Dustin Pedroia.
Getting back to hitting, check out the home and road splits for these two players.
In his career, at this moment, Dustin Pedroia's BA/OBA/SLG marks at Fenway Park are .334/.391/.482 - but, on the road they're just .265/.335/.365.
In his career, at this moment, Robinson Cano's BA/OBA/SLG marks at Yankee Stadium are .296/.329/.468 - and, they're .330/.361/.508 on the road.
This is interesting - as it shows that Pedroia can't reach base outside of Fenway Park and Cano has issues reaching base in Yankee Stadium...but, at least Cano drives the ball, no matter where he plays, whereas Pedroia has no pop outside of Fenway.
So, in the end, this (to me) suggests that Cano is a better defensive player than Pedroia. And, Cano's bat carries more sock than that of Pedroia. If that's not a back-seat position for Pedroia (compared to Cano), I don't know what is...right?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:24 PM | Comments (8)
April 1st vs. The Blue Jays
If someone from outer-space landed on earth and they wanted to see an example of what baseball was...and you showed them this game as an example of what it's all about, I wouldn't have a problem with your selection. Somewhat of a pitcher's duel, crisp game - just about two and a half hours, some good plays, packed house, good electricity, etc.
Don't get me wrong - the Yankees were far from perfect in this game. There were some key runners left on - like the Damon lead-off triple in the 8th. And, actually, Halladay out pitched Wang. If not for the short fence in right on Melky's homer and the play where Hill missed the potential double-play grounder from Matsui, then Halladay wins this game. And, Wang was helped out by his defense more than a few times tonight. (Was it just me, or, did Jeter look more rangy this evening?)
Still, it's a good win for the Yanks. That's now 11 home-openers in a row. Amazing.
Just two small gripes to close with...It's just not the same with Jim Hall. I really do miss Bob. And, Joba has to tone it down with his reaction on the mound. That celebration he did tonight after closing out the 8th was just too much.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:04 PM | Comments (6)
Freakonomics Q&A With Bill James
Bill James answers some Yankees related questions. Via Freakonomics:
Q: Based on your statistical analysis, how do you feel about the Yankees’ young prospects, namely Chamberlain, Kennedy, and Hughes, making a huge (positive) difference for the Yankee pitching staff?
A: The same as I feel about our young pitching prospects with the Red Sox, really — Buchholz and Lester and Masterson. When you’re depending on young pitching, you’re vulnerable. Some of these guys are going to be very good, but probably not all of them, and there are going to be bumps in the road that will rattle your teeth.
Q: Do you think we will ever see another 300-innings-pitched season from a starter? How could they do it in the past, but not now? Given a Phil Hughes-type pitcher, what is the best regiment he could be given now that could prepare him for 300 I.P. in the future?
A: There is absolutely no way you could train Phil Hughes to throw 300 innings in modern major league baseball. “Ever” is a long time, but I don’t see it. Many different changes in the game are working against that happening — for example, the length of the games, in minutes and hours, and the fact that there is more emphasis now on getting strikeouts.
Unexpected changes occur because the system breaks down at some point. But until it breaks, there are 30 different trends in motion which all have the effect of driving innings by top starting pitchers downward.
There are many, many, other questions that James addresses in this Q&A. It's worth checking out.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:55 PM | Comments (3)
The Cubs?
Some folks connected to SNY.tv were asked to make predictions on the 2008 season. Click here to see the results.
I have to confess that I only spent about 10 minutes noodling this over. But, when I was done, I saw that I had the Chicago Cubs winning it all this year.
"The Cubs?" I said to myself, when I realized who I picked. "Did I just really pick the Cubs to win it all?"
In any event, since it was what I came up with, looking at everything quickly and without going into deep analysis, I thought "Why not? The Red Sox finally won. The White Sox finally won. Why not let the Cubs have a turn now?"
So, there it is...yeah, "The Cubs." Go figure.
Oh, yeah, and the Blue Jays thing...well, I'm just taking a flier there. I figure that the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Rays are going to fight each other, tooth and nail, all season in those head-to-head match-ups...and the one team with the best starting rotation (in terms of star power and depth) will finish on top by a nose. And, the Jays have the potential to have that rotation. Your mileage may vary.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:53 PM | Comments (4)
Some News For Jets Fans
TheJetsBlog.com has joined MetsBlog.com, GiantsFootballBlog.com and WasWatching.com and as the newest member of the SNY.tv Blog Network. I thought those Jets/Yankees fans out there would want to check them out.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:06 PM | Comments (1)
Can You See Me Now?
If you see someone up at the Stadium tomorrow, wearing a Yankees 100th Anniversary Cap and a Redesigned On-Field Premier Yankees Jacket, there's a good chance that it will be me.
Say hello if you're there and you think that you've spotted me.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:57 PM | Comments (2)
Biff At Yankees Spring Training 2008
If you haven't seen it yet, go over to the Letterman site and check it out.
Just don't drink a soda while you're watching it. If you do, it will come out your nose.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:42 PM | Comments (0)
Girardi Wants '08 Yanks To Remember '07 - Like the '98 Yanks Remembered '97
Via Jack Curry -
Even though the Yankees were supposed to play their first game Monday, Girardi explained that he gave his season-opening speech Saturday. He said he thought some players would be too busy on game day to absorb the message.
Before Girardi spoke to the team Saturday, he showed a seven-minute videotape. The tape opened with the last game the Yankees played, a 6-4 loss to the Cleveland Indians in the 2007 American League division series. The current Yankees watched Jorge Posada strike out for the final out and then watched the camera shift from one glum Yankee to the next.
Girardi wanted the players to remember how despondent they felt because he still recalled how depressed he was after the Yankees lost to the Indians in the 1997 playoffs. On the flight home from that series, Girardi opened his laptop, wrote about his feelings and used those memories to motivate himself in the off-season. He wanted these Yankees to do the same.
“We talked about where the club ended up last year and how empty that feeling is and doing whatever it takes to not let that happen again,” Girardi said.
When it comes to motivation, it always boils down to pleasure and pain: I will do this because it will give me pleasure. Or, I will do this because, if I don’t, it will bring me pain. (On the flipside, it’s: I’m not doing this because it brings me no pleasure. Or, I will not do this because, if I do it, it will bring me pain.)
I think Torre was playing the “do it” for “pleasure” card long enough. Clever move by Girardi to try the “do it” to avoid “pain” card now. I also (like Girardi) think that "pain" factor motivated the ’98 Yankees. Hopefully it will do the same for the 2008 Yankees.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:49 AM | Comments (1)
Canseco: I Have 'Ace In The Hole" & A-Rod Knows It
Via the Daily News -
It's been a week since fans learned of Canseco's claims that he introduced A-Rod to a steroid dealer, and that the third baseman returned the favor by trying to sleep with Canseco's then-wife. Canseco is still reveling in the discomfort he's caused Rodriguez. Every awkward "no comment" from A-Rod gives Canseco great glee.
The best part, Canseco says in an exclusive interview at the Omni Berkshire in midtown, is that Rodriguez can't do anything about it. If A-Rod threatens to sue Canseco or goes on "60 Minutes" to attack his credibility, Canseco will respond with "Max," the Canadian steroid dealer he claims to have hooked A-Rod up with in the late 1990s. If Canseco is sued or attacked, Max - up to this point simply known as an unidentified steroids supplier - will go public with everything he knows about A-Rod, says Canseco. This, Canseco adds, is not a war that A-Rod can win.
"I've got the ace in the hole," Canseco says with a laugh. "And he knows it. So there's no way that he's going to fight me. He's trying to make it go away."
Clever move here by Canseco. Now, Alex is in that tough spot of having to deal with the question of "Why won't you sue or go after Jose for what he's said about you?" Canseco, like the good book seller, is doing his best to make sure this story doesn't go away. And, for now, he's winning that battle. At some point, A-Rod is going to have to back off the "no comment" stance and go back at Jose...or else Canseco will keep beating on this drum. If not, now, it looks like A-Rod is concerned about "Max" - thanks to this latest play by Canseco.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:35 AM | Comments (8)
Cash Playing April Fool's A Day Early?
Via the Globe and Mail -
It was rainy and cold in New York yesterday, not ideal conditions to celebrate the final home opener in the grand and glorious history of Yankee Stadium.
That was the feeling of the decision makers, and after a rain delay of 1 hour 20 minutes, they pulled the plug and postponed the American League season opener between the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays.
Today was supposed to be an off-day in the three-game series between the teams. But because of the postponement, an attempt will be made to get the first game in tonight, beginning at 7:05, weather permitting.
"You guys are lucky with that retractable roof," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said while riding on an elevator with Toronto reporters after the game had been officially washed out. "We just can't afford that here in New York."
I don't believe, for a minute, that the Yankees could not afford a retractable roof. Reportedly, the roof would have cost another $350 million to add to the new Stadium. How in the world can you afford to tinkle away $46 million on Kei Igawa and then say you can't afford $350 million for a retractable roof?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:58 AM | Comments (3)
Feds Looking Into New Yankee Stadium Deal
Via the Daily News:
FBI agents and prosecutors working in U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia's public corruption unit - the same one that brought down Gov. Spitzer in a prostitution ring scandal - have quietly and slowly been building files on a number of potential corruption cases in the Bronx.
The investigations, centered out of the unit's ninth-floor offices in the federal courthouse in Foley Square, have been going on for about two or so years now, according to our sources - plural - and are focusing on a wide range of cases.
The probes are looking into certain aspects of the new Yankee Stadium deal, the involvement of certain community organizations, the giant water filtration plant under Van Cortlandt Park, a branch of the local legal system and the actions of certain Bronx political figures, we're told.
When or if any of those investigations come to fruition is another matter. But be prepared - and stay tuned.
Now, if only we could get the Feds to look into those deals for Javier Vazquez, Jeff Weaver, Kevin Brown, Carl Pavano and Kei Igawa...
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:46 AM | Comments (3)
WasWatching.com #23 In Wikio's "Sports" Blogs Rankings
Currently, "WasWatching.com" stands at # 23 in Wikio's rankings for all "Sports" blogs. (Wikio is an aggregator of online news and blogs.)
How does Wikio's 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.
WasWatching.com is honored to placed among all these other great blogs. Thanks to all my fellow bloggers for linking to WasWatching.com and making this possible.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:29 AM | Comments (1)