The Sporting Brews

Matsuzaka Posted!

2006-11-01T14:18:00.000-05:00

The Seibu Lions said Matsuzaka's rights will be "posted," meaning that all 30 major league teams can bid on the 26-year-old right-hander. The team with the highest bid gains the right to attempt to sign the pitcher.

The Lions reportedly plan to seek $30 million from a major league team just for rights to negotiate with Matsuzaka. That's not including the $13-15 million annual salary he'll likely earn.

Translation: If we don't get $30 million, we pull back the posting and he plays another year. It's obviously a price-inflating ploy. If Seibu doesn't accept a top bid of, say, $25 million, they can pull Matsuzaka back, but I don't see them taking that path. He becomes a free agent following 2007, at which time the Lions would receive no compensation for his departure. And something tells me that the extra revenue he draws minus his salary is over $25 million (for clarification, since I suck at verbalizing math: Total Revenue Solely Generated by Matsuzaka - Matsuzaka's Salary ≠ $25 million).

Then again, a $30 million bid may be required to top the field. Based on nothing but anecdotes I've read over the past two months, no team plans to bid that $30 million. The Red Sox may go between $20 and $25 mil just to compete with the Yanks. But I think that if Cashman plops down $30 mil, Matsuzaka will be wearing pinstripes in 2007.

So Just Chill, 'Till the Next Episode

2006-10-30T16:21:00.000-05:00

As you've been able to glean over the past month and a half, the new job has taken a considerable amount of my writing time. I have ideas ready to put into column form, but it's difficult to sit in front of a computer for 10 hours a day, and then go home to spend more hours with one. I'm acclimating myself well, though, and should have more time to write in the coming weeks.

Going through a similar situation is Benjamin Kabak of Off the Facade. He's a fine writer, and is hampered by a busy schedule with a new job. We've been familiar with one another's situation for quite some time, and are now prepared to do something about it.

Yes, I'm joining Ben at Off the Facade, where we hope that by combining our limited schedules, we can still provide the very best in Yankees coverage.

However, this in no way is the demise of the Sporting Brews. The decision to join Ben was largely influenced by the time of year: I may not have come to the same decision had this been in April. For now, though, I'll be writing and promoting myself at OtF, while simulcasting my material here. I'll also try for a Friday roundup of significant Yankees storylines.

But, for now, Off the Facade

Why Am I Routing For the Cardinals?

2006-10-27T09:52:00.001-04:00

I hate Preston Wilson: he's not good at baseball.
I hate Juan Encarnacion: he's inconsistent and also not very good at baseball.
I hate David Eckstein: the media paints him a darling when he's just an average player.
I hate Jeff Weaver: you all know why.
I hate Ronnie Belliard: that he lets his tongue flap in the wind while batting makes me want to take hedge clippers to it.
I hate Scott Spiezio: hey, I dyed my goatee, too...when I was 17 years old. You're 34, therefore ridiculous.

Despite these despicable characters, I sit in front of my TV every night and cheer when they succeed. I get especially heated when Pujols, Rolen, Edmonds, Molina, or Miles comes to the plate. And I get really amped up when Chris Carpenter takes the mound.

The only question that remains: do I go get a Cardinals shirt to wear to the bar tonight? I'm vehemently against sports polygamy, but I'm just so excited about the prospect of the World Series ending tonight at the new Busch Stadium.

Many people call this Tigers team "likeable," but I just don't see that. Yes, I like Bondo and Verlander because they're young and exciting pitchers; same goes for Zumaya and, to an extent, Fernando Rodney. But what about the rest of the team?

Pudge: notice how he's not so pudgy or muscular anymore. Also notice when this transformation occurred and what rule began being enforced. Hmmm...
Casey: he used to be good, and he has come through big in the playoffs. I'm indifferent, leaning towards "don't like."
Polanco: loved him because he helped my fantasy team; hate him because he forced me to piecemeal an infield for the last month and a half of the season.
Guillen: he's quite good, so I can't hate him. But I don't like him by any means. Hideously indifferent
Inge: other than his 27 homers, he's not that good.
Monroe: I guess I kind of like him because he was a platooning God on my team in MVP Baseball 2004.
Granderson: young, slick leadoff hitter. Leaning towards liking him.
Magglio: fuckin jerk.
Thames: it's tough to like former Yankees who weren't with the big league team for any significant time.
Rogers: you know.
Robertson: $50 says his ERA clocks in at over 4.20 next year.

Why Am I Routing For the Cardinals?

2006-10-27T09:52:00.000-04:00

Where do Honeydews Go For the Summer?

2006-10-23T09:43:00.000-04:00

John Cougar Mellencamp! Badum-CHING!

I contend that his appearance before Game Two last night was the most uninteresting moment in World Series history. Who cares about John Mellencamp, anyway? Yeah, he had some hit songs back in the day, but the more I listen to them, the more boring they are. He's on my iPod, and I can't remember a time in the last year when I haven't immediately hit "next song" when he came up on Random.

But what was the point? No one wanted to hear his crappy song; we hear it two dozen times every Sunday during football. Not to mention, it's a shitty song. It's generic, contrived, and a last-ditch effort to make some money before everyone realizes he's completely washed up. Plus, didn't he cover that base with "Ain't That America"?

So John tops the "Fuck you" list of Game Two. The rest:

Kenny Rogers: Of course he's up there. I still want to see him start on the road, but that's not going to happen.
Jeff Weaver: For looking like the Weaver of old after looking like his younger self in the Mets series.
Albert Pujols: Dude, we're depending on you for the upset of the year. You're killin' us here.

I Swear, I'm Not Dead

2006-10-20T15:05:00.000-04:00

Long week at work this week (55 hours, plus an hour and 15 minute commute each way), so that's the reason I haven't moved to the off-season landscape.

I'll have something on Monday. Promise.

State of the Yankees

2006-10-16T09:39:00.000-04:00

The past week has been filled with various (mostly retarded) off-season plans that will (supposedly) enable the team to get over the LDS hump and return to glory. However, there is no surefire off-season plan that will right the Yankees ship; there are simply too many obstacles in the way to makeover the team in one off-season. So instead of writing a fantasy column spewing unreasonable ideas (i.e., the departure of Jason Giambi—sorry, there’s just no justifiable way to make that happen), this will be a series of logical maneuvers that would indicate a new direction. It’s obviously not the only solution, nor is it a certainty to work. But it will fall within the realm of possibility. And no, it won’t involve overpaying for the top veteran free agents.

Before I broach the subject of transactions, the State of the Yankees must be addressed. Not only will it give an idea of where the team stands heading into the off-season, but it will help make clearer the areas in which they can change. And honestly, if there’s an area where change is possible, it probably should be enacted; they didn’t drop right out of the playoffs without reason.

Seven of the eight position players are playing with multi-year contracts, and of those at least six will be back next year: Jorge Poasda, Jason Giambi, Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, and Bobby Abreu. There is either no reason to move these guys (Matsui, Damon, Jeter, Posada) or they are unmovable (Giambi, Abreu [no trade clause]). In addition, Robinson Cano will remain property of the Yankees, guaranteed to be back for at least c.$400k. However, the Yanks should try to lock him down through his arbitration years; allowing the 23-year-old who finished third in the AL batting race to go to arbitration next year would be rather foolish.

This leaves little flexibility in the starting nine. One area in which the Yankees can bend is first base/DH. Giambi can be moved to permanent DH, both for defensive and health reasons, which allows the Yanks to slide a new body onto the first base bag—and Andy Phillips is not the answer. Hindering their flexibility, however, is the lefty situation. Of the seven players mentioned above, five are lefties and one is a switch, leaving Jeter as the lone righty. The problem therein is transparent: Derek Jeter will not suffice as the lineup’s power righty.

Alex Rodriguez was left off the certain-to-come-back list because of the probability that Cashman is listening to offers. This isn’t to say that he’s on his way out the door, but if we’re focusing on roster flexibility, he’s the most expendable. He is a great player, better—in theory—than anyone on the list of returning players is, but he’s the only commodity that will yield a return of starting pitching. Then again, as we can see, they’d need another righty with some pop to replace him. One look at the third base market shows that the team isn’t likely to find that in the vacated position. This is why the A-Rod conundrum needs its own column.

People talk about the team’s chemistry and how it dwindled over the season’s final month, spurred by the returns of Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield. While those two heavy hitters may have altered the shape of the team, the chemistry banter is nonsense. If you want to pin the blame on those two, you can point to the flexibility issues they created (and that I noted above). In addition to flexibility, the other main issue hindering the 2006 Yankees was the pitching staff. It is exceedingly difficult to win a playoff series with just one reliable pitcher (not to say that it can’t be done).

Only a few of the Yanks pitchers are guaranteed contracts for next season: Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano, Mariano Rivera, Mike Myers, and Kyle Farnsworth. However, there are an additional few that are property of the Yankees due to lack of service time: Chien-Ming Wang, Darrell Rasner, Jeff Karstens, Scott Proctor (likely arbitration-eligible), and Sean Henn—not to mention the guys on the brink in the minors. The positive spin to the few returning arms is that the Yankees can begin their pitching overhaul. The negative is that these guys would not comprise an intimidating pitching staff.

Before I begin to address the issues at hand, here is a breakdown of where each 2006 Yankee stands:

Contractual obligations

C	Jorge Posada	$12m
1B	Jason Giambi	$21m
2B	Robinson Cano	$400K
3B	Alex Rodriguez	$16m
SS	Derek Jeter	$20m
LF	Hideki Matsui	$13m
CF	Johnny Damon	$13m
RF	Bobby Abreu	$16m

SP	Randy Johnson	$16m
SP	Carl Pavano	$10m
RP	Mariano Rivera	$10.5m
RP	Kyle Farnsworth	$5.25m
RP	Mike Myers	$1.25m

Team Options (buyout in parenthesis)
Jaret Wright—$7m ($4m)
Gary Sheffield—$13m ($0)
Mike Mussina—$17m ($1.5m)

Arbitration EligibleThree full years MLB service
Sal Fasano
Aaron Guiel (not quite sure, but he’ll be close)

Protected PlayersLess than three years MLB service
Robinson Cano (he won’t have two full years service time, so it’s unlikely he’ll be a “Super Two,” therefore ineligible for arbitration)
Chien-Ming Wang (same deal as Cano)
Scott Proctor (probable Super Two)
Nick Green
Andy Phillips
Wil Nieves
T.J. Beam
Brian Bruney
Melky Cabrera
Sean Henn
Jeff Karstens
Darrell Rasner
Kevin Reese
Kevin Thompson
Jose Veras

Unrestricted Free Agents
Octavio Dotel
Tanyon Sturtze
Ron Villone
Bernie Williams
Miguel Cairo
Craig Wilson

Don't Fire This Man

2006-10-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

Since no soul lacks an opinion on this matter, I’ll keep it succinct: the Yankees would be remiss to fire Joe Torre as manager. I spent the entire day yesterday trawling through various views on the subject, and after all the, “if he got all the credit, he deserves all the blame,” and, “he makes terrible managerial decisions like his bullpen usage and batting A-Rod 8th” arguments, I’ve realized that one point is absent. Who would manage the team?

The mainstream media wants you to believe Lou Piniella is the man for the job, but I don’t see how this would work at all. He knows plenty of baseball and has had success as a manger, but does anyone honestly thing he’s better than Joe Torre is? Other than A-Rod, who would welcome Lou with open arms? How would he get through to all of the egos in the clubhouse, before the start of the season? Remember that this isn’t Little League, where tossing a chair will get you the team’s attention. Lou would have to enter a clubhouse filled with egos the likes of which he’s never seen, and I don’t think he’d be able to handle the situation.

In fact, I don’t think many, if any, managers could handle that kind of situation. Except, of course, for Joe Torre. Not only would a newcomer need to learn the team and earn their respect, but he’d also have to learn the ropes of the New York media, which would be frenzied upon his hiring. Maybe Joe Girardi could fill these shoes, but it would be tough even for him. And much as I admire Don Mattingly, this wouldn’t be the proper circumstance for his promotion.

This all leads back to one point: why fire him with just one year left on his deal? It’s not like the base of this organization is going to change. Cashman will still be the GM, Jeter will still be the Captain, and for the most part, due to contractual obligations, most of the team will remain the same over the off-season. What’s the harm in allowing Torre to finish out his contract and work with these players who are so familiar to him? Or, more accurately, does Steinbrenner honestly think that a new manager will be the solution to his team’s (relative) woes?

The best solution, as I see it, is to allow Torre to manage in 2007 and hand the reins to Mattingly in 2008. I sense some more roster shaking this off-season, but not enough to really makeover the team. In 2008, however, there should be plenty of new faces in the crowd, the proud result of Damon Oppenheimer’s scouting regime. That is when you’ll begin seeing the guys currently playing in Trenton, Tampa, Charleston, and Staten Island. And, since there should be an influx of talent from the minor leagues, why not promote the manager from within as well?

Most of all, I don’t think Steinbrenner truly wants to fire Torre. It was a knee-jerk reaction perpetuated by the New York media for lack of anything better to write. Yeah, there was the whole A-Rod story, but after Games One through Three, there was little left to say on the matter. The whole team stunk (apologies to Jeter, Matsui, and Posada) in the final two games, and it’s tough to lay blame on nine All-Stars. So the next natural step is the manager, and look, Torre’s been at the helm far longer than any manager has in the Steinbrenner era. The Boss had a bout with his old self after the game, ready to fire Torre on the spot. Of course, logic, reason, and old age kicked in later on, and I’m sure George realizes that firing Torre accomplishes absolutely nothing.

It would be far more productive to simply bring on a bench coach who is strategically savvy. Forget Lee Mazilli, who ostensibly did very little this season (you heard praise heaped on the entire coaching staff, but not a word on Maz). Find Torre a recently retired catcher to sit next to him on the bench, and I think you’ve found a much better solution than firing the man.

It’s easy to make someone the scapegoat. The loss wasn’t Torre’s fault, but as they say, you can’t fire the players. Let’s hope Steinbrenner decides not to taint Torre’s legacy with an unnecessary firing. There are, after all, plenty of more important issues at hand.

It's just a report, but the word on the street now is that Torre will keep his job. I'll wait for his press conference at 1 p.m. to see if how he addresses the issue.

Final Update: He stays. I am happy.

Taking A Break

2006-10-09T08:51:00.000-04:00

Not a long one, though. In fact, I've already written 4,500 words on what the Yankees can reasonably do to right the ship next year. However, pursuant to the direction this site will take, I'm going to take the ideas within those 4,500 words and craft five, maybe six shorter but more pointed pieces. I'll start posting them next week. It's just too soon to begin commentary, because most everything you see for the next week is going to be ridiculous.

What I will do, and hopefully this will be ready for tomorrow, is comment on the media's dealing with the Torre situation. It's sad, really. The arguments are rarely reasonable, mostly sensational. And that, my friends, leads to irrational discourse and the misleading of the general public. Mainstream sports media is a freakin' joke.

Other than that, I hope you enjoy the rest of the playoffs. I'm in the A's corner right now. If the Yanks can't win it, I'd love to see Billy Beane stick it to all of his detractors. I need to go over the game logs soon so I can put together a list of the "little things" Oakland does to win. I watched most of the series, and I'm pretty certain the A's weren't stealing, or first-to-thirding, or bunting (sacrificing), or hit-and-running, or any other stupid cliche Joe Morgan puts in your head.

Hate...You...Guys

2006-10-07T00:38:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it? Kenny Rogers pitched more scoreless postseason innings tonight than he had in his career to this point.

Kenny Rogers' Postseason History

2006-10-06T09:34:00.000-04:00


Year Round Tm  Opp WLser  G GS  ERA    W-L  SV CG SHO  IP   H   ER  BB  SO
+------------------+-----+--+--+------+-----+--+--+---+-----+---+---+---+---+
1996 ALDS  NYY TEX   W    2  1   9.00  0-0   0  0   0   2.0   5   2   2   1
     ALCS  NYY BAL   W    1  1  12.00  0-0   0  0   0   3.0   5   4   2   3
     WS    NYY ATL   W    1  1  22.50  0-0   0  0   0   2.0   5   5   2   0
1999 NLDS  NYM ARI   W    1  1   8.31  0-1   0  0   0   4.3   5   4   2   6
     NLCS  NYM ATL   L    3  1   5.87  0-2   0  0   0   7.7  11   5   7   2
2003 ALDS  MIN NYY   L    1  0   0.00  0-0   0  0   0   1.3   1   0   1   3
+------------------+-----+--+--+------+-----+--+--+---+-----+---+---+---+---+
 3 Lg Div Series    2-1   4  2   7.04  0-1   0  0   0   7.7  11   6   5  10
 2 Lg Champ Series  1-1   4  2   7.59  0-2   0  0   0  10.7  16   9   9   5
 6 Postseason Ser   4-2   9  5   8.85  0-3   0  0   0  20.3  32  20  16  15
+------------------+-----+--+--+------+-----+--+--+---+-----+---+---+---+---+

Only five runs over seven and two-thirds innings in his last postseason start! It's a marked improvement. The best part of this table is the very first line: two games, one of which was a start in the 1996 ALDS, pitching a total of two innings. Muy ridiculoso. How is Jim Leyland allowing him to start tonight? Isn't there a guy named Jeremy Bonderman on this team? I'd much rather throw the dice with an inexperienced playoff pitcher (hey, it worked for Verlander) than trot out Kenny Rogers. His last postseason start:


New York Mets         IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR
Rogers L(0-1)          5.1   9   4   4   3   1   2

Though, the worst of the worst:


New York Yankees      IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR
Rogers                 2     5   5   5   2   0   1

You can take one guess as to what game that was. I'll give you a hint: a pitcher's career was ruined that night, but unfortunately, it wasn't Rogers'.

Just to take up space, here's our guy:


Year Round Tm  Opp WLser  G GS  ERA    W-L  SV CG SHO  IP   H   ER  BB  SO
+------------------+-----+--+--+------+-----+--+--+---+-----+---+---+---+---+
1995 ALDS  SEA NYY   W    2  1   2.70  2-0   0  0   0  10.0   5   3   6  16
     ALCS  SEA CLE   L    2  2   2.35  0-1   0  0   0  15.3  12   4   2  13
1997 ALDS  SEA BAL   L    2  2   5.54  0-2   0  1   0  13.0  14   8   6  16
1998 NLDS  HOU SDP   L    2  2   1.93  0-2   0  0   0  14.0  12   3   2  17
1999 NLDS  ARI NYM   L    1  1   7.56  0-1   0  0   0   8.3   8   7   3  11
2001 NLDS  ARI STL   W    1  1   3.38  0-1   0  0   0   8.0   6   3   2   9
     NLCS  ARI ATL   W    2  2   1.12  2-0   0  1   1  16.0  10   2   3  19
     WS    ARI NYY   W    3  2   1.04  3-0   0  1   1  17.3   9   2   3  19
2002 NLDS  ARI STL   L    1  1   7.50  0-1   0  0   0   6.0  10   5   2   4
2005 ALDS  NYY LAA   L    2  1   6.14  0-0   0  0       7.3  12   5   1   4
+------------------+-----+--+--+------+-----+--+--+---+-----+---+---+---+---+
 7 Lg Div Series    2-5  11  9   4.59  2-7   0  1   0  66.7  67  34  22  77
 2 Lg Champ Series  1-1   4  4   1.72  2-1   0  1   1  31.3  22   6   5  32
10 Postseason Ser   4-6  18 15   3.28  7-8   0  3   2 115.3  98  42  30 128
+------------------+-----+--+--+------+-----+--+--+---+-----+---+---+---+---+

But, more importantly:


IP   H  R ER BB SO HR PC-ST  ERA
6.0  2  0 0  3  4  0  91-59  5.37
8.0  4  4 4  1  8  3  106-76 4.94

And you all remember that two of the runs in the second game came in the ninth. All things considered, I don't think there's a chance Randy Johnson pitches the ninth today, barring a no-no.

So how confident are you about tonight?

Amped Up for Some Day Baseball

2006-10-05T11:25:00.000-04:00

Maybe the Tigers are bitter about losing home-field advantage. It seemed that way yesterday, as the newspaper stories this morning mentioned how the Tigers were miffed that they were not informed of the “certainty” of a postponement. Maybe if they had won a single game against the Royals, they wouldn’t have been in this predicament. It’s home-field advantage, guys, and it’s not just advantageous because the crowd is screaming for you.

So we move the game to 1:00 today, which miffs me a bit because, like most of you, I’m at work and in front of a desk all day. Thankfully, MLB.tv will have the archive waiting for me when I get home. The question, though, is if I can avoid any baseball banter at work.

Here’s the thing with today’s game: both pitchers have to mentally prepare for the game again, which is probably detrimental to the fragile psyche of a pitcher. Gotta give the advantage to the Yanks here for two reasons. First, Mussina supposedly knew about the impending postponement, meaning he was able to relax earlier than Verlander, who was throwing warm-ups during the delay. Compounding this issue is Verlander’s inexperience. The second advantage is that if pitchers are truly bruised by having to mentally prepare for a game twice (and we don’t know how true that is), the Yankees lineup can surely outslug the Tigers. That is, the Yankees would likely score more runs off a loopy Verlander than the Tigers would against a loopy Mussina.

In other LDS news:

The A’s took a swift 2-0 series lead against the home-field Twins, with the series headed back to Oakland. I’ve seen Oakland take 2-0 series leads on the road in the past, and I have one bit of advice for them: SLIDE, YOU STUPID FUCKING RUNNER, SLIDE!

The Mets, despite Billy Wagner’s efforts to blow the game, took a 1-0 lead over the Dodgers. The worst part of it all: the commentators began comparing Carlos Delgado to Derek Jeter. Do I even need to begin telling them how far off-base and sensationalist they’re being? Or would a thwap to the head with a frying pan serve them better?

Is there really anything to say about the Cards/Pads series beyond the obvious? The winner is rewarded by a pounding by the Mets or Dodgers.

In other, non-sports news:

I got both the new Killers and new Beck albums. I’ve listened to them once each, and have the following assessments:

Killers—I, uh, really don’t dig this. Maybe it’s because they set the bar so high with the first album. Then again, I wasn’t a big fan of “One Way Ticket to Hell and Back” by the Darkness when it came out, ostensibly for the same reason. So, while “Sam’s Town” gets a negative from me in the beginning, it surely will get another listen or two before I banish it to the land of CDs I no longer listen to.

Beck—It’s Beck, through and through. If you liked “Mellow Gold,” “Odelay,” and “Guero,” this one is right up your alley (though, my favorite album by him remains “Midnite Vultures”). The only difference I see among these albums is that “The Information” is a bit more upbeat. Not that the other albums aren’t; but there are less mellow tracks strewn throughout his latest offering.

Yankees Lead Series, 1-0

2006-10-04T09:55:00.000-04:00

We all watched last night—or have read the newspaper recap—so I’ll spare you the play-by-play. There isn’t too much to say for the game because it went exactly as expected. The Yanks mashed Robertson, benefited from a solid starting pitching performance, and labored through the bullpen to get to Rivera. All in all, a productive if not predictable Game One. I have a gripe, however, and I’m sure many of you share it.

In the top of the seventh, with two outs recorded and no base runners allowed that inning, Joe Torre decided to make a pitching change. Jigga-what? It’s not like Wang had thrown a ton of pitches (it was 96) or was showing signs of wearing down. The Tigers leadoff hitter, Curtis Granderson, was due up, and apparently Torre though this was the perfect time for a lefty-lefty match-up. Nevermind that Wang had settled down since allowing three runs in the fifth, recording two strikeouts and four groundouts since Sean Casey’s run-scoring double. This is exactly what I was thinking when this happened:

Strawberry: You're pinch-hitting for me?
Burns: Yes. You see, you're a left-hander and so is the pitcher. If I send up a right-handed batter it's called playing the percentages. It's what smart managers do to win ballgames.
Strawberry: But I hit nine home runs today.
Burns: You should be very proud of yourself.

This was a classic case of overmanagement. Some may call it hindsight and second-guessing the manager, but this hardly the case. My girlfriend (who routinely asks questions about the rules of the game) was aghast when Wang left the game (her: “You know what he’s thinking now, right? ‘Stupid Americans, won’t let me finish my game. You’re ruining it for me! Ruining it!!!’”).

What I least understand is the necessity to bring in a lefty specialist for Curtis Granderson. Yes, he’s a good player who poses multiple threats. But he’s no David Ortiz, Travis Hafner, Justin Morneau, or Jim Thome. Those are the guys for whom you bring in a lefty specialist. The Tigers, sadly, lack an overly threatening lefty. In fact, it may have been the smart move to leave Myers off the ALDS roster for that reason. And should the Yanks face the Athletics in the ALCS, he should be left off there as well. I hear a lot of complaints about his taking up a roster spot in general, and that’s magnified when his services aren’t really needed.

So yeah, anyway, the plan totally backfired on Torre, who was forced to go to Proctor to finish the frame. It took him a while to settle in, but he didn’t seem overly nervous, even after he had allowed two baserunners. With Farnsworth’s “I’m a pussy” treatment, Proctor will likely be the eighth inning guy tonight, should a setup man be necessary in that spot. I’m not overly confident in him at this point, but the Yanks have trotted out lesser arms in that spot in the recent past.

And what can we say about the Farns? The leadoff walk inspired my ire like none other, since that’s the first sign of an ineffective Farnsworth. When Pudge popped out to left, I thought he got all of it. Thankfully, he juuuuuust missed, and Farnsworth was able to fend off the next two hitters dutifully. My biggest gripe with Farns is that he’s had the same problems all year, and he seemingly refuses to correct them. The first is the overuse of his slider. His fastball is devastating and sliders hang. If the other team is going to beat you, have it be on a 98 m.p.h. heater rather than a hanging slider—unless your idol is Mark Wohlers.

On a closing note, here’s a big FUCK YOU to Chris Russo. I distinctly remember an exchange between he and Francessa back in late May or early June regarding Bobby Abreu. He said something to the effect of Bobby never coming up in a big spot—failing to note that Abreu had never been to the playoffs in a major capacity (yeah yeah, Houston in 1997). They may not have been the biggest of spots last night, but his four RBI kinda won the Yanks the game. Also take note that yesterday, Mr. Russo called Alex a weakness in the Yankees lineup. I’m hoping to shove that down his throat as well.

Some Infrequently Used Data

2006-10-03T11:40:00.000-04:00

Just for fun, let’s play with one of my favorite stats, Pitcher’s Quality of Batters Faced. It’s quite simple: you take the averages of every better a pitcher has faced, just like the name indicates. The question remains how we should interpret this data, but for now I’m going with the most basic use: comparing this to the hitters said pitcher will be facing.

Note: I’m going to use some more advanced pitching stats. For definitions, see The Hardball Times Stats Glossary.

ERA: 3.84
FIP: 4.81
xFIP: 4.63
DER: .723
LOB%: 76.1

What we can glean from this information is that Robertson pitched considerably above his head this year. The defensive efficiency behind him is quality, which aids his cause. But it seems to me that he puts guys on base at a decent clip and works out of jams. His left on base percentage somewhat justifies that claim. Both of these qualities work against him when facing the Yankees.

Quality of Batters Faced:
Avg: .272
OBP: .340
Slg: .432
OPS: .772

As we move forward, we’re keeping in mind that he put up the first set of numbers against a hitter that averages .272/.340/.432. Let’s look at the Yankees lineup:

Johnny Damon: .285/.359/.482
Derek Jeter: .343/.417/.483
Bobby Abreu: .330/.419/.507
Gary Sheffield: .298/.355/.450
Jason Giambi: .253/.413/.558
Alex Rodriguez: .290/.392/.523
Hideki Matsui: .302/.393/.494
Jorge Posada: .277/.374/.492
Robinson Cano: .342/.365/.525

(Aside: they say you can’t hit your way to a title, but have “they” ever seen a lineup quite like this? I have to go with the negative, since I don’t believe such a lineup ever existed.)

And there you have it. Only one Yankee came in below any of Robertson’s QBF categories, and that’s Jason Giambi’s average. However, I think that his .073 advantage in OBP and .126 advantage in Slugging negate Robertson’s .019 advantage in batting average.

So what are we to conclude from this? Well, since I haven’t really seen studies performed as to a pitcher’s performance against a lineup that is far better than the average he’s faced this year, I would say the results are inconclusive at best, misleading at worst. I’m just trying to put this match up in the best possible perspective, and these “Quality of” stats are rarely used.

Originally, I intended to post each Yankee’s Quality of Pitchers faced, until I realized that the numbers are more or less the same. The idea here is just the same as batters: the higher the numbers, the worse the pitcher. For the Yankees, this bodes well:

.260/.340/.415

Over the course of the year, the average pitcher they faced had a .260 BAA, .340 OBPA, and a .415 SLGA. Those are pretty decent numbers for a pitcher. Robertson’s line against:

.259/.320/.424

Once again, we run into an issue of interpretation. Against guys hitting .272/.340/.432, Robertson posted a line of .259/.320/.424, meaning he outpitched his opponents. On the other hand, the every Yankee (except Giambi in the batting average department) outhit the pitchers they faced.

What does all this mean? To be honest, I’m not quite sure. I’m trying to process the data, but since it’s relatively new and not frequently analyzed, I’m a bit stuck. Anecdotally, I fully expect the Yanks to light up Robertson tonight. He’s an average pitcher who ostensibly pitched above his head this year, and is facing hands down the best lineup in baseball. Statistically, though, it appears that Robertson may have just enough to keep the Yanks in check. Lucky for the Yanks, the undisciplined Tigers are facing ground ball machine Chien-Ming Wang. They might not even need more than two runs.

But I think I’m getting ahead of myself…

Your 2006 Yanksblog.com Fantasy Baseball Champs

2006-10-02T14:31:00.000-04:00

I stole Big Papi with the eighth overall pick (seriously, are there eight better hitters in the league, fantasy-wise, than Ortiz????), nabbed Roy Oswalt on the way back, and took Joe Mauer with my third pick. From there, it was all pitching that won me the 2006 Yanksblog.com fantasy baseball league. Thanks to all who participated, especially Mike from In George We Trust/Baby Bombers/Pending Pinstripes, who wrote me off at the beginning of August.

Not that anyone cares, but this is how I won the league:

1) PITCHING! I drafted Oswalt and Zito, but beyond them, my pitching was just okay. Jeremy Bonderman was a sleeper, skyrocketing my strikeout totals. My bullpen was in shambles all season, with Huston Street and Derrick Turnbow anchoring the crew. Turnbow worked out for half the season, but nearly killed my playoff chances in July. Scot Shields and Clay Hensley were decent stopgaps, though. I believe Joe Blanton was my only remaining starter from the draft.

Over the course of the season, I was able to expose the lack of knee-jerk reactions by the rest of the league by picking up Bronson Arroyo, Jered Weaver, and Cole Hamels. Combined with Zito, Oswalt, Bonderman, and Blanton, this was probably the best staff in the league, closers be damned.

2) Hitting where it counts. Ortiz was always solid, and Mauer was great from June on. How I got away with Lance Berkman is beyond me, but his 48 homers certainly had something to do with my winning. Another thanks goes to Nick Swisher for rocking, and yet another to David DeJesus for vindicating my decision to keep him through his injury.

Bill Hall and Placido Polanco were great at the beginning, though slipped a bit at the end. Jorge Cantu was a monumental disappointment, as was Jhonny Peralta, who didn't last more than two months. My biggest thanks go to the teams who dropped Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla. With an infield of Mauer, Ortiz, Uggla, Ramirez, and Hall, I was pretty set there. The outfield of Swisher, DeJesus, and Berkman worked well, too. I just wish I had a decent utility guy -- Trot Nixon and Kevin Youkilis were worthless in September, and by that time I had already given up on Milton Bradley.

So yeah, this is the first time I've ever won a fantasy baseball league. And, for the record, 1) I didn't make ANY roster moves in April. I didn't even switch out my starting pitchers or sub for off-days. 2) I didn't know the championship went for two weeks, and as such didn't make any roster moves last week. On Monday, I was down 9-1.

Let the Season Begin

2006-10-02T11:28:00.000-04:00

What a dang surprise. Just about everyone was preparing for a Yanks-Twins ALDS, what with the Tigers leading by a game and holding the tiebreaker with four to play. And although the Twins won just one of their last three, they managed to overcome the Tigers, currently embroiled in a five-game losing streak, including the final three to the Royals.

I have to say that this bodes considerably well for the Yankees. All the hoopla this week was about how the Yanks stood the worst chance in a short series against the Twins, who have the only truly dominant starter of 2006. This scenario works out even better if the Yanks can knock off the Tigers in three (completely feasible, considering the only two losses to the Tigers this season came in the ninth inning while Mariano Rivera was unavailable—and that whole messy business of them being swept by the 100-loss Royals). The A’s and the Twins look to have at least a four-gamer on their hands, and for them to go to a fifth game would mean Johan Santana would only be available for one game in the ALCS, unless they’re willing to start him twice on three days rest.

When facing the Tigers, let’s make sure not to make the mistake of thinking they’re the Tigers from season’s beginning. Those Tigers are not these Tigers. On July 1, they were at 55-26; on August 1 they were 71-35 and 7.5 games up on the second-place White Sox. And on October 2, they finished the season 95-67. Yes, that means they went 24-22 over the last two months, and 40-41 over the last three. To reiterate: 55-26 in the first 81 games, 40-41 in the final 81 games. In contrast, the Yankees were at 46-35 on July 4th, when they hit 81 games. They finished the season 97-65, meaning they went 51-30 in the second half.

For my opinion of the Tigers, I’ll refer to the bit I wrote for Was Watching:

Justin Verlander is a rookie and already in uncharted innings pitched territory. Kenny Rogers is Kenny Rogers, which means he folds at even the slightest hint of pressure. Nate Robertson is largely unproven. That leaves Jeremy Bonderman, whose near 4.00 ERA doesn't really put him at a dominating level.

That isn’t to say that the Tigers pitching staff will flop. Rather, it’s to highlight their shortcoming and prove that they’re not going to run through the playoffs with the same pitching effectiveness as they did the regular season. That problem becomes compounded when you look at their offense.

Now, their total run production wasn’t bad, but in the all-important stat, on-base percentage, the Tigers ranked 12th in the AL with a .329 mark. Translation: the Tigers make outs at an extraordinary rate, which is detrimental in the playoffs, when the impetus of each game is to make outs as infrequently as possible. When you have a finite number of outs, they become much more valuable. In a battle to avoid making the 81st out of the series, the team with the .363 OBP should outlast the team with the .329 OBP.

The only strike against the Yankees at this point is the questionable nature of the pitching staff. Chien-Ming Wang isn’t exactly playoff-proven, and he’s the ace going in. Following him is Mike Mussina, who should be reliable, but is always susceptible to a mid-game meltdown. Randy Johnson is far from a certainty. His balky back (a great term, if not overused) has his Game Three start in question, but the indication now is that he’ll start. Even then, we can gander back to the 2005 ALDS, when Randy’s abysmal performance really killed the Yanks. And then comes Jaret Wright, who, if there is a God, won’t start in the ALDS. Though, when you get to the LCS, the need for a fourth starter will certainly arise, and it looks like (to paraphrase Randy Quaid) Torre will be Old Mother Hubbard, with only Wright in the cupboard.

Still, the Yankees are the team to beat this year. The LDS, while obviously not a shoe-in, shouldn’t pose a huge problem, barring a pitching meltdown. The LCS, however, could be troublesome, with the pitching-heavy A’s or the Santana-ful (I made that up) Twins at hand. But, we’ll worry about that in a week.

Wright in Game Four? You're Kidding, Right?

2006-09-26T17:56:00.000-04:00

We’re being set up for a monumental disappointment. No, not the playoffs in general—you guys know I’m not one for doomsday predictions. But should the American League Division Series go to four games, the Yankees could be knee deep in dog shit.

Actually, allow me to rephrase. Wading in dog shit would imply that someone else left the load, and the Yanks are forced to trudge through it. However, this is not the case here, as the Yankees will be dealing with their own steaming pile of shit. His name is Jaret Wright, and he’s giving the coaching staff false hope for the playoffs.

Like most people with irrepressible opinions on the Yanks, I’ve been back and forth on Wright all year. After a shaky April, it appeared he had settled in. He was going five and six innings and only allowing a few runs, which is acceptable when your pitching staff is in shambles. But that type of performance in the playoffs is not only unacceptable, it’s potentially damning.

Imagine Wright pitching Game Four in the Metrodome with the Yanks down two games to one. How can this be justified? Where is the logic in trotting out a pitcher who hasn’t finished seven innings once this year? Up two games to one, this may be doable; if the bullpen needs to work a bit of overtime to lock down the series, so be it. Finishing in four games means two extra days off, anyway, so the extra tax on the pen can be compensated there.

I understand the lack of options Torre perceives. It will take more than one good start for Cory Lidle to regain his good graces, and it will take another year or so of pitching for Jeff Karstens or, more notably, Darrell Rasner to receive consideration. So, by process of elimination, Wright is the guy. And I suppose that announcing him as the Game Four starter may positively influence his confidence. But, by that token, how will his confidence be affected if he’s removed from his Game Four appearance before it even starts?

Let’s revisit the aforementioned scenario, in which Minnesota leads two games to one. Game Four would be played in the Metrodome, and the possible Game Six would be at Yankee Stadium. Given the circumstances of that scenario, I feel with 100 percent certainty that Johan Santana would start Game Four for the Twins. Three days rest is far from unheard of in the playoffs, and Ron Gardenhire undoubtedly would want to put the series away and avoid a return trip to the Bronx.

I now pose the question to you, the reader: would you start Jaret Wright opposite Johan Santana in an elimination situation? Excuse me, when reading that back it actually sounds rhetorical. If you have a valid reason for saying yes, I am open to hearing it. Otherwise, we’re going on the idea that it’s borderline insane. The Game One starter—ostensibly Wang at this point—would come back for a return match with Santana. Should the Yankees prevail there, Mike Mussina would start the decisive Game Five, especially so since they would get the extra travel day.

So, if you’re of the opinion that announcing J-Wright’s Game Four start will positively affect his confidence, then you have to recognize the possibility of that start not happening out of necessity, thusly negating all confidence gained and possibly killing it. Now what do you do?

Under the same scenario, let’s say that Moose has his act together and shuts down the Twins in Game Five. Now we’re onto the ALCS against Detroit. Randy Johnson would be in line to start Game One, and there surely wouldn’t be enough games in between to provide Wang adequate rest to start Game Two. That would now be Wright’s job. Think about the rollercoaster he’s been through over the course of roughly two weeks.

Pitches decently in Tampa Bay (though he still can’t finish seven innings, even with a ginormous lead), is announced as Game Four starter. Confidence is gained.

Yanks drop two of first three games; are forced to start Wang in Game Four out of the necessity of winning. Confidence gain is negated, possible detrimental confidence losses.

Yankees win series, less confident Wright is scheduled to pitch Game Two of ALCS at home.

Randy Johnson bombs, Yanks in 0-1 hole at home.

Now, once again, you run into the issue of necessity. You can’t lose Game Two at home in the ALCS; lightning rarely strikes twice, and the Yankees used up that opportunity 10 years ago in the World Series. How can you consciously send Wright out in such a pivotal game? You can’t trust him in a deciding game, so why should you trust him in a game that is all but deciding?

As you can see, announcing Wright as the Game Four starter is pointless at best, and detrimental at worst. No, I don’t honestly believe that the confidence factor will be as exaggerated as I set forth here. I do have to ask, however: what does Torre gain by making this announcement? For a guy who made his mark in the league by managing egos that wouldn’t fit in most locker rooms, I have a serious inquiry as to his reasoning here. Obviously, at this point in his career he does not need to explain himself to a jerkoff like me.

Bogged

2006-09-25T13:54:00.000-04:00

Anyone who is familiar with this site knows that my daily recaps are normally posted somewhere around 9:00 a.m., Eastern time. The procedure was to show up early for work, type until 9, and post. It worked very well, considering it was the most productive period of the day at my old job.

The new one, however, is a bit more taxing; that’s a good thing, trust me. I don’t have time to type a full recap in one sitting, and certainly don’t have time to get it done before I dive into my daily workload. In fact, my posts over the last few weeks have been written a paragraph at a time, with up to an hour between writings. As Kurt Vonnegut (my favorite author) would say, “busy, busy, busy.”

Now, down to business:

I didn’t get to watch much baseball this weekend. Friday night was dedicated to a special someone. So special, in fact, that she didn’t mind me wrenching my neck to see the score on the restaurant TV. Rocco Baldelli hit his leadoff homer just as we arrived, and seeing Delmon Young slam an impressive follow-up double didn’t help matters. Thankfully, a vodka tonic was beginning to seep through the walls of my empty stomach, easing the situation—at least in my mind.

But Wang was spot-on from that point on. I missed Cano’s homer live, but was almost giddy when I saw it later that night on the highlight reel. What a freakin’ rocket. It’s just a hunch, but I feel he has a few more like that in him. We left the restaurant with the score tied at one, and it wasn’t 10 seconds after turning on the car that Guiel hit his go-ahead homer. It appears that the Baseball Gods were repaying me for the atrocity that was witnessing a leadoff homer.

Mo looked strong, particularly after hitting Wiggington. I haven’t read anything negative about his health since, so I’m remaining cautiously optimistic. Plea with my readers: with my new job, it is difficult to keep up on news about the health of players; I’m not even able to read Will Carroll’s “Under the Knife” column, which I used to read daily. If there is any injury news coming across the wire, please e-mail it to me.

After leaving a bar at around 8:00 on Saturday night, I turned on the radio to find out Randy was down 3-0 early. Disgusted, I flipped the radio off. Our next destination had five TVs, and two were playing the same college football game. Instead of asking the bartender to flip one to the Yankees game, I decided that watching college football would make me forget about Randy. Unfortunately, Notre Dame’s comeback further ruined the mood among my friends (note: I’m indifferent when it comes to the Fighting Irish, but was with a crew of ‘Dame haters).

On Sunday, I caught the bit of the game where Matsui hit a sac fly to score A-Rod, but that was it. Come on: the Jets were on and winning. My attention had to be focused on them. The Yankees were the first backup plan for commercials, but after flipping back and seeing the score at 8-3 D-Rays, we quickly moved plans to Chicago-Minnesota, which was a great game for those of us who kind of dig Da Bears this year.

I have to admit that it will be difficult to focus on baseball this week. The Yankees have clinched, and will likely end up playing Minnesota in the first round whether they secure the league’s best record or not. The only games that remain are against Tampa Bay tonight (which I’ll undoubtedly watch), followed by three each against Baltimore and Toronto, both of whom we’ve seen very recently. The situations are nearly equally meaningless, so the urge to watch isn’t as compelling. Just as the Yankees are resting their starters for the playoffs, I’m resting my baseball-filled mind for the same.

Next Tuesday, everything changes.

Tangenital Musings

2006-09-22T14:50:00.000-04:00

Just for an update, I’m very busy at work, hence the lack of a post yesterday. However, I’d be remiss to skip two days in a row, especially as we hit the home stretch. It’s hard to believe that the season started nearly six months ago, and even harder to believe that we’re about to enter playoff season.

There is nothing more pleasing than a cold October night in the Bronx. Poems, books and essays have been written about the Yankees playoff experience, but very few come close to accurately describing the animosity among the fans. Yes, we’re spoiled and get these nights every year, but that doesn’t at all diminish the inherent value of seeing our team play for the world’s greatest prize. Each year brings its own unique blend of heroism, failure and drama.

But along with the glory felt annually by Yankees fans comes contempt from around the league. If you’re not a Yanks fan, you certainly hate them; there is no indifference when it comes to America’s richest team. Since there are fans of 29 other teams, they certainly outnumber us Yankees faithful, and they all carry one message: the Yankees are what is wrong with baseball. To the haters, the Yankees free-spending ways disables competitive balance, thus ruining baseball in small-market cities like Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay.

Remember, though, that the free-spending Yankees really didn’t come into play until after the 2001 season, when Jason Giambi left Oakland for the big house in the Bronx. Sure, the Yankees led the league in payroll in 2001, but not nearly to the degree they do now. $112 million may have been a lot, but there were two other teams with payrolls over $100 million, and a total of eight teams with a payroll over $85 million.

You know who started the Yankees free-spending ways? Alex Rodriguez, or, more accurately, Scott Boras. Market value for star players grew exponentially (obviously an exaggeration, for those of you who would pedantically point this out) when Alex signed his 10-year, $250 million deal with the Rangers. Everyone wanted a piece while the market was up, which explains the monstrous contracts of Giambi and Jeter, as well as guys like Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell, Miguel Tejada and anyone else who was deemed a “star.”

Now that the market price has fallen to a more sane level—though to describe the current salary market as sane might not be accurate in itself—payrolls are normalizing. Well, except for that of the Yankees. Most people blame this on their splurges in free-agency, as they can afford to take on risks that other teams simply cannot. While that’s true to a degree, it’s not completely accurate.

The Tigers feared that Jeff Weaver wouldn’t be worth his expensive contract; the Yankees took him off their hands. The Dodgers wanted Kevin Brown off the books; the Yankees took on his inflated contract. The Blue Jays loathed Raul Mondesi; the Yankees, in search of a right fielder, took him off their hands. The Diamondbacks, realizing that a change of personnel was crucial to return to winning, needed to rid themselves of Randy Johnson; the Yankees, needing a dominant starter, took a risk and traded then-valuable commodities for the 40-year-old Johnson and his prickish attitude. And, most recently, when Pat Gillick realized that he needed to clean house to return the Phillies to contention, he looked immediately to dumping off Abreu or Burrell; Cashman swooped in and took Abreu’s $16 million for 2007 off his hands.

So, while the Yankees do have a payroll that triples or quadruples that of many clubs, they have lent valuable fiscal assistance to these clubs by taking on their unmanageable and, to an extent, albatross contracts (or at least relatively). They’ve helped grant a reprieve to teams who made terrible personnel decisions. And, in the process, they’ve gained themselves. It’s almost a win-win situation, though the outcome does more greatly benefit the Yankees; they have the players and the better team, while the smaller market clubs are still susceptible to bad management decisions.

This idea warrants a full column itself, but I truly think the competitive balance in baseball can be restored without a salary cap. More than limits on spending, baseball needs an influx of more competent front office personnel. The game has change a lot since the 60s (and hell, since the 70s, 80s and 90s, too, for that matter), and to continue employing these old school thinkers in a decision-making capacity is counter productive. Businesses need to employ progressive thinkers to get ahead; baseball teams are businesses. Yet, they continue to employ people who refuse to acknowledge advances in information processing and insist on doing things they way they were. If Smith Barney employed economists and traders who insist on using techniques and philosophies from the 1970s, they’d be underwater almost instantly.

I know I sound like an apologist of gargantuan proportions, but this needs to be said. The Yankees shouldn’t be the model of how to run a baseball team, but to say that they are what is wrong with baseball is preposterous and one-sided. Hate if you will, but hate with emotion. Hate the mystique and aura of the Yankees. Hate their arrogant players. But please, don’t hate the way they do business. Not only do they pay money to help fund small market teams, but they unburden them of past mistakes.

Waiting for a Sheff

2006-09-20T10:36:00.000-04:00

I’ll admit it: I can’t wait for Gary Sheffield to get back on the field. Hearing that he was activated from the DL before last night’s game has me kind of giddy. Despite his mood being comparable to a snobby teenage girl, he freakin’ produces, and is one of the most intimidating players in the league. You just can’t quantify the fear he strikes in the heart of pitchers as he violently wags his bat.

So, when Jason Giambi was removed from the game, I was pretty psyched to see Sheffield. Unfortunately, Joe went with the increasingly uninspiring Craig Wilson. It’s understandable to a degree, but I don’t understand why Joe is reluctant to use Sheffield at this point. He says he wants to wait until the Yankees clinch, but at one game away, there is no reason to hold him back right now. Especially after an injury to Giambi.

Accordingly, I expect Sheff to start at first base tonight. He may be rusty from missing a few months, but as we saw with Matsui, that doesn’t take the expected toll on a true competitor. Sheffield, at this point, seems hungry to play, and sitting him on the bench while active is only going to upset him. The regular first baseman is injured; it’s time to give him his shot. And really, with a few games of experience, will he be that much worse than Giambi defensively?

The only question is of his slot in the lineup. As we’ve witnessed over the first two years of Sheffield’s tenure in New York, he doesn’t take kindly to hitting anywhere but third. But that’s Abreu’s spot, and rightfully so; he’s a prototypical No. 3 hitter. A-Rod is entrenched in the fourth slot, so the fifth spot may be logical. However, with the lefty-heavy Yankees, it wouldn’t be advisable to hit two righties in a row, as that sets up the rest of the lineup to be lefty-heavy. My proposal, considering Giambi is out for the next few games:

Damon – CF
Jeter – SS
Abreu – RF
Alex – 3B
Cano – 2B
Sheffield – 1B
Matsui – DH
Posada – C
Cabrera – LF

Normally, I’d swap Matsui and Cano, but Cano is a machine, while Matsui is still in the reacclimation process. Even without Giambi, that is one scary freakin’ lineup. Just imagine how it’s going to look in the playoffs, when the ever-capable Cabrera is relegated to substitution and pinch-hitting duties. Lord, the opposing pitchers are in for a fit.

As for last night: Bobby Abreu is my hero, Jeff Karstens is better than Jaret Wright and Cory Lidle, and Matsui just might be breaking through another level of his recovery. In other words, it may have looked like just another 6-3 win on paper, but to me it was a sign that the Yanks are really progressing towards the postseason as THE dominant force.

In case you don’t read other Internet sites, I cannot endorse Tom Verducci’s piece on A-Rod’s struggles enough. It answers the question we fans were asking all summer: what is the team doing to address Alex’s newfound shortcomings? It’s the cover story for this week’s Sports Illustrated, though I’m glad I read it online first; I can now read the “Inside Baseball” section and file the issue away for safekeeping. I like to save all the Yankees covers, and not only is this one Yankee-centric, but it’s beautifully designed (much like most of SI’s covers).

P.S. Still lazy, still no standings update. Magic Number is 1. You all know this.

Just Three More

2006-09-19T11:21:00.000-04:00

Just minutes into the bottom of the first inning, Darrell Rasner was poised to make me look like a fool. After a set of impressive performances, Rasner immediately found himself in a struggle, loading the bases without recording an out. Say what you will about the Blue Jays (and I have), but they are no slouches on the offensive side. To escape that inning with only two runs would have been a relief for the Yankees.

But that Rasner; oh, that Rasner. I don’t know how directly responsible a pitcher is for inducing a weak pop-up, but the two next guys did just that, negating the run-scoring sac fly or grounder to the infield. A strikeout later, and he had escaped a monumental jam. Unfortunately, he met a similar fate in the second inning, but this time wasn’t able to exit so gracefully. It was only one run, but it didn’t bode well for the 25-year-old Nationals castoff.

Things went kind of smoothly from there. Rasner threw nearly 60 pitches through three innings of work, but finished the sixth inning at just 104. After a rocky start, he settled in nicely, left with the leader after six, and looked certain for a victory after the Yankees tacked on three insurance runs in the top of the ninth. However, Ron Villone and Octavio Dotel had other plans.

Forced into action because of Farnsworth’s unavailability, Villone promptly put two men on base. Obviously frustrated, Torre yanked him before he could do any more damage, opting for Dotel to face Troy Glaus. The result is what you’d expect from a pitcher who doesn’t, you know, pitch often. It was some low gas, but right over the plate, and Glaus rapped it into right-center for a three-run shot, bringing the Jays to within one. Not even trusting Dotel with the bases empty at this point, Torre called on Mike Myers.

With men on first and second and two outs, the Yankees were still looking for a savior to descend from the heavens and finish this goddamn game. Unfortunately, Mo is still sidelined, so they had to settle for Jose Veras. I nearly had to cover my eyes, completely unconvinced that Veras could retire the final batter. But he accomplished what three others could not and retired the final batter of the inning.

This situation is not going to get any prettier. Bruney is going to need a day off – preferably today – and Villone and Proctor likely won’t be available, as they’ve been working a lot lately. Then again, that’s never stopped Torre before. Tonight’s bullpen is going to consist of Beam, Farnsworth and Veras, though Bruney will likely be available for an inning. This is exactly where the Yankees could have been utilizing the skills of J.B. Cox.

We’re just three away, folks. I’m just begging the Yanks to tally off three straight, because I don’t want to be reliant on the Red Sox to win this thing. It’s always a hollow feeling when you clinch the division during a game you lose.

Additional apologies for not updating the standings in a while. Tonight.

Reasons for the Lack of an Update

2006-09-18T16:37:00.000-04:00

Greetings from a computer that faces the wall rather than one facing anyone who walks by.

Today is the first day at the new job, hence no posting. It appears, however, that this job will afford me the opportunity to keep this blog up to date. But you know how it is with the first week and all, so posting might be light. I'll try to get something cooked up tonight for tomorrow.

Also, I'm in the finals of the Yanksblog.com fantasy baseball league. Sweet deal.

Beckett Tonight

2006-09-15T11:53:00.000-04:00

Josh Beckett's ERA vs. the Yankees this year: 12.21. It's shitty AND palindromic.

Thanks to Baseball Musings for the heads up.

The Rasner Bandwagon

2006-09-15T11:43:00.000-04:00

Everyone, gather ‘round. We have a new student in class today, and I’d like to introduce him. He goes by the name Darrell Rasner, and no, we haven’t thought of an appropriate nickname yet. But when we do, you’ll certainly be the first to know.

See, Rasner was picked up as a castoff from the Nationals over the off-season. Jim Bowden apparently thought that he had no use for a promising 25-year-old pitcher, and cut bait. Cashman, being the astute executive he is, quickly nabbed Rasner, knowing that at age 25, he’s quite young for a pitcher. Additionally, the Yankees now own his services for at least four more years, and it could be five depending on his exact MLB service time.

The main question we should all be asking now is, “why? Why did Bowden let Rasner go?” It must have been his minor-league track record, right? He was a second round pick, after all, so a decidedly subpar minor league performance could get him the pink slip. His numbers from AA Harrisburg, a National’s affiliate, in 2005:


IP           ERA    K/9    BB/9    HR/9    K/BB    WHIP
150.1      3.59    5.75    1.74     0.60      3.31      1.19

Are you kidding me? That’s the kid Bowden let go? How did this one slip under the radar? He’s only 25, and those are, by all means, very impressive numbers for a youngster. He may not blow people away, but he has control (1.74 BB/9? Freakin’ excellent, my friend) and, most importantly, keeps the ball in the park. His 0.60 HR/9 is no aberration; he’s kept a similarly low rate throughout his minor league career.

He’s ours now, and Joe would be wise to give him a few starts down the stretch. He’s relatively unknown, unscouted, and unseen by the AL playoff hopefuls, giving him the K-Rod and Jenks edge (an edge also in Bruney’s favor). But most importantly, he throws strikes, which can’t be said of Cory Lidle or Jaret Wright. Why would you trot out either of them when you know that the game hinges on their suspect control? Wouldn’t you rather have a guy who 1) your opponent hasn’t seen and 2) actually puts the ball over the plate and won’t “clog the basepaths” via walks? And, as it is integral in the playoffs, keep the ball in the park (though in Wright’s defense, he does a stellar job of this)?

The only way to see if he’s capable is to give him more starts. I know Chien-Ming Wang is going for 20 wins this season, but what’s more important, attaining 20 wins, or being well rested come playoff time? If the Yanks are close or have home field advantage locked up by the last week and a half of the season, I see no reason to not give Rasner two starts. He’s got the tools, he’s got an edge, and he has a potential void to fill.

This all comes on the hells of his lights out performance last night, allowing just one hit over four innings of relief work. You can discount it all you want, considering it was the Devil Rays, but they sure didn’t look like a crappy team against Jeff Karstens over the first five innings. Some other highlights of Rasner’s evening: he tossed a mere 45 pitches over those four innings (a stellar 11.25 per inning), 36 of which were strikes. Eighty percent. That’s downright sick. He also posted five strikeouts, mostly courtesy of his honed hook, and added to that an impressive 5-2 ground ball to fly ball ratio.

I know it’s early to be jumping on the bandwagon, but seriously, what Yankees starting pitcher not named Wang, Johnson, or Mussina is better than Rasner right now? With him and Bruney on the postseason roster, the Yanks will be that much stronger. Now it’s just a matter of convincing Torre that his “Reliable Veterans” aren’t quite as reliable as a 25-year-old Nationals castoff.

Yank 8, Rays 4

2006-09-14T09:58:00.000-04:00

It looks like the initial rush of adrenaline has worn off and Cory Lidle has reverted to the below average pitcher we knew for so many years in Toronto and Philadelphia – though Oakland did squeeze a couple good years out of him. Even just a week ago, it was pretty much assumed that Lidle would be the fourth starter in the playoffs, taking the place of the largely ineffective Jaret Wright. Now, though, it will take at least two more strong performances from Lidle for his name to come back into the conversation.

Right from the get-go, things looked ugly. Not only did Rocco Baldelli (honestly, is there a tougher sounding name than Rocco?) hit a leadoff home run, but, uh, I guess I'll let the image do the talking.

Rocco fall down, go boom

Seeing an egregiously fat pitch, Baldelli swung so hard that he lost balance and fell over. He wouldn't be able to do that on a sharp breaking pitch; he surely would have swung right through it. But he recognized “hanging curveball” right from the get-go, reached back, and swung with all his might. John Sterling had me believing there was a shot it would stay in the yard, but once I got home and watched the MLB.tv archive, yeah, that was a sure thing the second it hit the bat.

I ran into a 7-11 immediately afterwards, and upon my return was greeted by Sterling saying something about Carl Crawford and the short porch in right. Wonderful. I wondered if he would make it out of the first inning.

The Yanks answered and took the lead in the first, which left me at least a little at ease. Sure, Lidle was still coming out for the second, but he's not THAT bad, is he? The short answer is no, since he did pitch into the fifth. But you surely have to expect more from your No. 4 starter than 80 pitches over 4-plus innings. Hell, Jaret Wright has done better than that plenty of times this season. Though, it's usually just slightly better.

Let's check in with the rest of the pitching staff:

Bruney, 2.0 IP, 26 pitches, 0 ER
Myers, 0.2 IP, 7 pitches, 0 ER
Proctor, 1.1 IP, 15 pitches, 0 ER
Farnsworth, 1.0 IP, 11 pitches, 0 ER

It appears that we saw the full crew of Mo's setup men last night, and they all gave us reason to breathe a sigh of relief. Of course, everything that happens over the course of this series has to be taken in perspective. These are, after all, the freakin' Devil Rays. They may not be a good barometer, but these are still Major League games, and to see this crew emphatically slam the door eases some of the concern I have about the playoffs.

In essence, except for Lidle, the Yanks looked like a team ready to mow down some playoff opponents. Can we just end the season now and begin postseason play? Is anyone as ready as I am?

If I find video of this segment, I'll surely post it, but today I'll leave you with a quote from Jeff Brantley from last night's edition of Baseball Tonight. Please note that inconsequential words like “a” and “the” may not be 100 percent accurate, but the important words are all there.

“I'll tell you what, though. The only way to beat the Yankees is to outscore them.”
Jeff Brantley, commenting on the Yankees playoff status.

Nothing Boring About This 12-4 Win

2006-09-13T09:56:00.000-04:00

Mike Mussina had been feeling what he described as a “twinge” in his shoulder following his 86-pitch start last week, fresh off the disabled list. Originally scheduled for a Sunday start, he was pushed back for precautionary reasons. Still not 100 percent – though most players aren't at this time of year – Mussina took the mound last night against the fledgling Devil Rays, hoping to make progress towards a return to form by playoff time. His teammates had his back.

Fueled by El Comedulce's six RBI, Mussina's task transformed from the arduousness of pitching a Major League game to the ease of spinning batting practice. An additional three runs in the third really let Mussina relax and test his arsenal. Think of it as a glorified rehab start, though you can be more optimistic about the results since they came against (supposedly) Major League hitters. His next assignment will be a better indicator of where he stands, as he's scheduled to face the Red Sox on Sunday.

For the most part, I liked what I saw from Mussina. He had a few control issues here and there, but in the long run, his 87 pitches over six and a third is quite impressive. It sets him up nicely for Sunday, when he'll likely extend his workload to near 100 pitches. With two starts to follow that, he should be in fine shape for the playoffs, joining Wang and Randy as a formidable 1-2-3 punch.

The spotlight was spread out at Yankee Stadium last night. Even the stellar performances of Moose and Abreu couldn't steal all the attention from the Yankees Faithful, as Hideki Matsui returned to action emphatically. Following a bloop RBI single in the first, Matsui hammered a single to right to lead off the third. His swing was as beautiful as you'll find in baseball, graciously sweeping through the zone. Of course, one game isn't indicative of future success, but you have to feel good about a guy who goes 4-4 in his first game after nearly five baseball-free months. I'd say dormant months, but as we saw and read all summer, Hideki was everything but.

A little bit of envy flowed around the clubhouse yesterday, as Gary Sheffield preened on about his probable return this weekend. His mood swings make a pregnant woman seem tame, but you still have to be excited about the prospect of adding his killer bat to this lineup. It would be, just – I have to use the word here – unconscionable. My jaw dropped at the sight of last night's lineup, and to add Sheffield to the mix would be not only to further strengthen the lineup, but to make it deeper and more suited for a playoff run. Not that it's ill-suited at this point, or at any point this season. Hell, with a reliable pitching staff, the Yanks could have done it like they did in June and July.

With the Yanks up 12-0 after the third, I figured that Moose would toss five or six innings, dependent upon his pitch count. It was quite a surprise to see him come out for the seventh, though his low pitch count gave Torre good reason to give him the okay. T.J. Beam got some work in, and actually looked impressive this time around, recording five outs with only 13 pitches. However, he did come into the game with a runner on first, enabling him to induce the double play on two pitches. After hitting B.J. Upton to start the eighth, he plowed through the remaining Devil Rays.

The same can't be said for Octavio Dotel. There is simply no justification for allowing four freakin' runs in the ninth inning of a 12-0 game. Little to no chance exists at this point for his making the postseason roster. Further complicating matters is the Torre bullpen system, which will surely shut Dotel out of any games with a less than eight run difference. Maybe he can find a groove if the Yanks clinch home field, but judging by the hard evidence presented by his performance, I'm not at all convinced that's a real possibility. What it does, however, is further solidify Brian Bruney's spot.

I'd be a heathen if I didn't mention that Jeter's hit streak does, in fact, stay in tact. You have to record an official at bat in a game for a streak to be broken, and neither a walk nor a hit by pitch, Jeter's only results from last night, count. This would put an odd twist on any kind of extended streak, especially considering it would have to wrap over to next year.

Tonight, Cory Lidle gets a chance to redeem himself after a pitiful outing last Friday in Baltimore. I like Lidle, though I can't say I'd trust him pitching in a playoff series. Actually, should Jeff Karstens fare well against the Red Sox on Saturday, I might even be more trusting of him. Judging by his stuff, Karstens shouldn't be an overly reliable Major League starter, but he's young and basically unseen by most of the American League. Toss him against the A's and the Tigers (the Twins have seen him), and you might be able to catch lightning in a bottle.

Tonight's Mind-Blowing Lineup

2006-09-12T18:50:00.000-04:00

Johnny Damon - CF
Derek Jeter - SS
Bobby Abreu - RF
Alex Rodriguez - 3B
Jason Giambi - 1B
Jorge Posada - C
Robinson Cano - 2B
Hideki Matsui - DH
Melky Cabrera - LF

Do I even need to comment on the sheer potential for dominance from this crew?

Can't Complain

2006-09-12T09:46:00.000-04:00

If this is the worst we'll see of Randy from here on out, consider me a happy camper. Nearly every pitcher (with the possible exception of Johan “Shoe In” Santana) is susceptible to inadequate performances, and that factor is magnified once you're over the age of oh, say, 43. I don't mind this right now, but as Randy said following the game, that performance won't hold up in a playoff game, and – like last year – could be detrimental in a 5-game series.

Two things in baseball piss me off more than anything: losing winnable games, and failing to score runs off a pitcher with a 5+ ERA, particularly ones who lead the AL in losses. The Yanks nearly did both last night, but thanks to some late-innings heroics by Robinson Cano, the Yanks were able to salvage this one, despite Proctor insistence on allowing Ramon Hernandez to jack one.

And while we tout Cano for driving in the go-ahead run, let's not forget Brian Bruney. Some of us, myself included, have jumped to some serious conclusions about this kid and what he can do for the Yanks postseason run. It would be nice to have him step in like a Bobby Jenks or Francisco Rodriguez, but the difference is that the Yanks have a closer – or at least should have a closer. This makes Bruney more like what Kelvim Escobar was for the Angels last year, which, if you paid any attention to the ALDS, is a scary proposition.

Even with the emergence of Bruney, the Yanks still absolutely need Proctor, Farnsworth, and even Villone to pitch like they were in late July and early August. Thankfully, Torre has given Villone a few days off, resting his ostensibly tired arm. Proctor has received no such luxury, and pitched in his third straight game last night. Why Torre continues to do this I don't know. He wants to go to his best relievers because he wants to win the game at hand, and that's understandable. However, if by going to your best reliever too frequently you compromise his effectiveness, I cease to see the logic. Hopefully he'll get the Tampa Bay series off, but I think that's as likely as him getting the start on Wednesday.

A win is extra nice here, if for no other reason than the first inning omen. With Damon and Jeter having singled, the heart of the order was on with no outs and some speed on the bases. But then Abreu struck out. And then A-Rod was absolutely frozen by a 3-2 curveball, which immediately begs the question of how many times Lopez has thrown a 3-2 curve, and furthermore how many times he's gotten it over for a strike. I'm figuring that he throws a curve 3-2, eh, 1 out of 15 times, and probably gets that over for a strike 1 of 4. Of course, that's all anecdotal, and I'm simply not willing to pay Baseball Info Solutions for the hard data. Not yet, at least. After Posada dinked one to second, Lopez escaped the inning unfazed.

But, in the end, they all made up for their first-inning shortcoming in the seventh. Abreu hit a sac fly to get the ball rolling, Alex followed it up with an RBI single, and Jorge took one for the team, which set the table for Cano's rip shot. For Orioles fans, only one name comes to mind here: Fernando Tatis. As we say in the land of Deadspin, “Stupid Angelos.”

So remember all those bench guys who have gotten in the lineup lately? Yeah, that's all about to change, as we can expect Hideki Matsui to be penciled in as the DH tonight against Tampa Bay. It's especially nice because the game is at home, and I expect nothing less than a roaring ovation for Godzilla. One of the managers at my now-former place of employment predicted that Matsui would hit a homer in his first game back, but that's nothing more than a sensational prediction. Facing Tim Corcoran may assist said prediction, but in reality, I'd actually be happier if he drew a walk or two and slapped a single to left. Over his first week or so back, you have to be more concerned with timing and discipline than power.

Jason Giambi is also set to return to the lineup, as he'll become the everyday first baseman for the foreseeable future. He always complains of unbalanced splits and performing worse as a DH, but I've always blamed that on the fact that most of the time that he's DHing, he's suffering from some minor ailment. This year, however, he's been the DH to provide playing time to Andy Phillips and Craig Wilson. His splits:

1B .293/.463/.624
DH .215/.366/.518

Get this man out in the field, immediately and often.

Solid Weekend

2006-09-11T09:43:00.000-04:00

It is no secret that baseball is, by far and wide, my favorite sport. No other game captures the essence of man quite like it. Is there another game where the strategy changes sometimes 130 times in a game, after each pitch? Give me the MLB Extra Innings package (or MLB.tv, greatest $100 I've spent all year) and I'll have something to watch every night of the week.

This makes early September a bit awkward, as the second love of my life is resurrected from seven months of dormancy. Here we have the stretch run of baseball, quite possibly the second most important month in the sport, and opposite it is the NFL, which evokes a completely different feeling. It's man taking out aggression on man, where baseball is man taking out aggression on a round ball with a cylindrical stick.

Yes, I watched my fair share of baseball this weekend, though that's not to say I didn't spend time with my other love. It's quite easy, actually, to flip back and forth between football and baseball because they're both play-based games. There's a stop in the action between each play, meaning enough down time to hit the “r-tune” button on the remote and catch up with the happenings in the other game.

Such is the way it went on Saturday. I didn't want to miss the Yankees try, try again with Cy Loewen nor did I want to miss Penn State/Notre Dame. They played opposite each other, and I managed to miss little on each end, though I was more adamant about seeing the Orioles on offense, since Wang was once again up to his crafty ways. Perhaps the greatest story to emanate from the 2006 Yankees is the emergence of Chien-Ming Wang. He showed flashes of serviceability surrounding a shoulder injury last year, but it was a long shot to predict that he'd turn into arguably the Yankees most valuable pitching weapon. Say what you will about Mike Mussina and how his brilliance salvaged the first half of the season; right now, Wang is the ace of the staff.

We'll get a more telling peek at the state of the Yankees pitching staff over the next few days. First comes tonight, as Randy Johnson gets a chance to prove that his recent mastery is more than just a long string of luck. He'll get four more starts for the rest of the season, which could get cut to three if the Yankees find themselves in a more favorable position come the last week of September.

I know it's a bit short today, but I have too much on my mind regarding the Jets and their season-opening victory to keep prattling on about a successful weekend in Baltimore. On a closing note, isn't it plainly obvious to everyone at this point that there is no sense in sending out Wright for the seventh inning?

Are You Trying To Say That Jesus Christ Couldn't Hit A Curveball?

2006-09-08T15:12:00.000-04:00

Apparently these are nothing new, but odl reliable James pointed me in their direction, and I simply must share.

All the credit goes to Alien Loves Predator. Masterful, brilliant job.

Yes, Pedro Martinez would totally have beaned Jesus in the head. Also accurately portrayed in this strip is Stu Scott. I do wonder, though, if Steinbrenner would allow Jesus Christ himself to sport the full beard. It's against team policy, yes, but I think Mr. Christ can present a compelling argument.

There is one egregious inaccuracy here. The profile of Jesus shows him batting right-handed against Pedro Martinez. Are you telling me that Jesus Christ, the son of God, wouldn't be a switch hitter? If you can turn water into wine, walk on water, and heal the wounded, it stands to reason that hitting from the left side of the plate would just come naturally.

Of course, speaking of Jesus in such tones probably makes me a Godless Sodomite.

As If I Even Need To Point You In That Direction

2006-09-08T10:30:00.000-04:00

SG is his usual analytical self over at Replacement Level, as he breaks down the possible playoff combinations of Giambi, Matsui, Melky, Sheffield, and Wilson. Best Yankees read all week.

Around the League

2006-09-08T09:57:00.000-04:00

There's not too much to say about the Yanks in the wake of an off-day. They're playing well, the Red Sox are not, and the division looks to be a lock at this point. So, let's take a look around the league.

Dmitri Young was released by the Tigers on Wednesday night. This would have been a controversial move if Dmitri was actually, you know, good. Paul Hagan of the Philadelphia Daily News disagrees:

Now, these are smart baseball guys who have won before. Still, you have to wonder. It's a curious move at best.

The Tigers' biggest problem is that they haven't been scoring enough runs. So instead of adding a hitter, they deleted one. Not just any hitter, either. Their designated hitter, a guy who hours earlier had started and batted third, the spot usually reserved for the most accomplished bat in the lineup.

First, the third spot is not reserved for the best bat in the lineup. But why look at his position, status, or spot in the order when you can call up some simple statistics: .250/.293/.405/.698. Those are not the numbers of a DH on any team not named the Royals. It's not a curious move at all; it's cutting bait on a player who wasn't at all working out. Also from Hagan:

Adding to the intrigue was the fact that both Dombrowski and Leyland insisted that the move was based strictly on Young's lack of performance.

This is coming from a Philly columnist. From Detroit News columnist Tom Gage (who is definitely closer to the situation than Hagan):

"To put it bluntly," said a source within the organization, "he was a growing cancer, someone who cared too much about himself, and not enough about the team.
"I thought this was going to happen. You could see it building. People will say all the right things, but the truth is he won't be missed by many of us."

A schmuck who can't hit? Yeah, that warrants a release any day.

Baltimore Sun columnist Rick Maese is a smart, smart, smart man:

You know the plan, right? It goes like this:

Peter Angelos sells the team.

Someone else buys it.

Wait-till-next-year doesn't mean a whole lot for the Orioles. (Don't we always know what next year brings? Fourth place in the American League East.)

With three weeks still remaining before the Orioles' ninth straight losing season is official, Angelos' time as a baseball owner has been a failure. He has become emblematic of the Orioles' bigger problem. There's a culture of losing that's so pervasive that it completely chokes any progress this franchise attempts to make.

As we say in the land of Deadspin, Stupid Angelos.

Bob Elliot of the Toronto Sun gives me some ammo for my drubbing of J.P. Ricciardi:

The Blue Jays have drafted 248 players since June 2002.
We’re going to go with second baseman Aaron Hill, former No. 1 pick out of LSU in 2003, as the best homegrown prospect the organization has produced since then.

He then goes on to talk about newly recalled Adam Lind and Russ Adams as the next best homegrown players. Gee, I wonder if the Blue Jay's lack of talent evaluation could be part of the reason they're doing diddly squat in the AL East. Just a thought, you know, because Ricciardi's mentor, Billy Beane, could not have done what he did in Oakland without impeccable scouting and statistical interpretation.

Finally, Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle talks about the Astros failures this year and compares them to the relative success of the Florida Marlins. It seems he wants to blame GM Tim Purpura for the mess, but realizes that he's constrained by owner Drayton McClane and Jeff Bagwell's contract.

What I Learned While Beating the Royals

2006-09-07T10:15:00.000-04:00

It seems kind of boring to recap an 8-0 win, no? I mean, I could, but it would look something like:

Jorge hit two three-run blasts and Randy Johnson threw seven innings of shutout ball, and over the first six allowed zero hits. Kyle Farnsworth sucks. The end.

How happily humdrum that was. But instead of leaving it like that, let's move to a list of things I learned last night while watching the game:

Exciting as no-hitters are, I'd prefer Randy Johnson never again flirt with one. It obviously gets in his head – Jorge had to go out to the mound in the sixth and tell him to get it off his mind – and it has some kind of tryptophan-esque effect on him. I guess the nerves get to him, making him unable to finish what he started, despite the fact that he still hadn't given up a run at the end of seven and had only tossed 81 pitches. At that pace, he would have finished the game with just over 100 pitches, which doesn't seem to be much an issue for RJ. And while I'm very pleased with his performances of late, everyone has to understand that he's going to throw garbage at least one more time this season. And as long as it doesn't come at a critical time (i.e. the Red Sox series), I'll be fine with it. That is, just so long as he handles his biz in the playoffs. All in favor of making sure he starts on the road, say “eye!”

Apparently, Joe Torre doesn't think Scott Proctor could use a few days off. Nevermind that he leads the league in appearances. No, that doesn't matter to Torre. What matters is keeping him sharp, sharp for the Orioles series. Because, you know, there are going to be some hard-fought battles with the orange-birds, and Proctor will need to be sharp for some tough seventh- and eighth-inning situations.

In a more serious tone, I would much rather give him an extended break now and worry about re-acclimating him at a later point in the season. Remember, we're not done until October 1.

Riddle me this: if Kyle Farnsworth is surrendering ninth-inning home runs to the Royals in 8-1 games, how is he going to fare against White Sox hitters in a 2-1 game in the playoffs? On second thought, that's not a riddle, it's a rhetorical question. Please do not answer, for I fear what you all might say.

Every time Bobby Abreu does something good, I like him more. Every time he does something bad, I mutter to myself, “three out of ten is a Hall of Famer, three out of ten is a Hall of Famer.” And then I look up the stats and realize that yes, Bobby Abreu is kicking some mighty fine ass. Idiot Chicago newspaper columnist Phil Rogers (doesn't even get the dignity of a link) claims that the Dodger's acquisition of Greg Maddux was the best deadline deal. I ask him: have you watched a single Yankees game since the trade? Do you not realize that the trade filled two significant holes in the Yankees lineup? The Dodgers acquired a good pitcher in Greg Maddux (and that's all he is at this point in his career, though he likely doubles as a pitching coach), but the Yanks acquired a player perfectly fit for their scheme in Abreu and a serviceable starter in Lidle. Call me biased, but I don't think there's much of an argument against this being the deal of the deadline.

Areas where the Red Sox are terrible: shortstop, starting pitching. What they gave up this winter: Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez, a shortstop and starter. And a starter who (as you know, unless you avoid any non-Yankees news) pitched a no-no last nigh, and on the whole looks promising. Good thing they got that good starter Beckett in return. Oh, wait...

If you don't think I'm working on a diatribe about Theo's blunders, you don't know me well at all (and in which case I invite you to read some of the archives). Theo and Ricciardi have made far too many mistakes in their attempt to catch the Yankees, and it's all starting to manifest now. It will be interesting to see who makes the more batshit insane move during the Winter Meetings. I'm a betting man, so my money is on Ricciardi, if he even has his job at that point (which, if I'm Ted Rogers, he doesn't).

Today is September 7. The season ends on October 1. The Yankees Magic Number is 15. Yeah, I think that's do-able, don't you?

Lest we forget the Trenton Thunder, who began their Eastern League playoff run last night by defeating the Portland Sea Dogs 3-1. Phil Hughes was his usual brilliant self, tossing six innings of one-run ball, over which time he walked just one and struck out THIRTEEN. Hideki Matsui took his first live swings, and struck out in the bottom of the first. He recovered, though, lining a ball to right in his next at-bat, followed by an intentional walk and finally an RBI single in the seventh. He'll have another go at it tonight, as Tyler Clippard takes the mound for the Thunder. In a few short years, these two men (Hughes and Clippard) could be pitching back-to-back in the Yankees rotation.

From the reliable, interesting, and informative Pete Abraham:

Back in the spring, when he was struggling, Johnson was unusually talkative after games. He would smile, crack jokes about his age and expound on what he was trying to accomplish and the difficulties he was facing.

Now Johnson is back to pitching like an ace and the snarl is back on the face of the Big Unit. If you're a fan of the Yankees, it's a good sign. If you're a reporter looking for a good quote, it's time to go talk to Jorge Posada.
...
For Randy, being happy means being upset. If that makes any sense.

When we got Randy, I completely expected him to be a sniveling prick who doesn't get along with teammates. That's fine; I can accept that so long as he's dominating the opposition, and would much rather have that than have a cheerful Randy Johnson that gets rocked every other start. If he's gotta be a dick, he's gotta be a dick. No complaints on this end.

Hey, These Guys Did Sweep the Sox

2006-09-06T09:55:00.000-04:00

When a control pitcher misses a few starts, he's bound to have issues. Mussina felt those issues last night, though all told it wasn't that bad. I don't like seeing a pitcher give up four runs over five-plus any more than you, but games will be lost. You'd like to not lose those games to the Royals, but hey, at least we're not getting swept here (thank you, thank you Red Sox).

Plenty of negatives manifested themselves over the course of the game. Like the oh-so-typical 11 men left on base which never fails to turn me a certain shade of red. Compounding the issue is that the Yankees managed nine hits and drew four walks (meaning two double plays), but had nothing to show for it. It's a shame, really, but a shame from which they'll surely recover tonight.

Let's talk about those four walks. Normally, I wouldn't sneeze at the team walking four times in a game. But the Yankees lead the league in OBP by a fairly wide margin and are second in walks; four walks should be the norm against a decent pitcher. Two walk just four times against two pitchers who combine for 5.75 - five and three quarters! - walks per nine innings is the sign of the team not exactly running at full capacity. Then again, a glance at the lineup may have suggested that before the game.

There were some positives to be taken from last night, like the fact that Farnsworth didn't blow a save in Mo's absence. For every day Mo is unavailable, we should thank our lucky stars when Farns doesn't blow a game, even if he's never put in a position to do so. Thankfully, Ole Howdy Ho got the night off, along with the rest of his regular bullpen cast. Proctor and Villone sat in the 'pen, probably swapping secrets on how to keep your arm attached to your body in Joe Torre's bullpen.

Sean Henn may have been roughed up a bit, but it's good to see him out there. I've long been a supporter of his switch to the bullpen, as I think he can be a reliable 6th and 7th inning man in 2007. Hopefully his third cup of coffee tastes more like Kona and less like the percolator at work. Even an impressive September probably won't get him on the playoff roster, but the better he looks now the better chance he's going to get to make the team in Spring Training.

Speaking of postseason rosters, how about that Brian Bruney? The guy looked decent when he was first called up, but now he's progressing towards downright filthy. In a bullpen that needs just one more reliable arm, he could be a perfect fit. Much thanks go to ex-Sox assistant GM Josh Byrnes for casting Bruney off back in May. Cashman just may have found the solution to the “Proctor and Villone are pitching waaaaaaaaay too much” problem.

Finally, despite his not allowing a run over an inning pitched, I was not at all impressed with Octavio Dotel. I know the team wants to be cautious because of his surgery and subsequent setbacks. However, if he's going to help the team in the postseason, he's going to need some consistent work down the stretch. He can't just pitch an inning one day, take three off, pitch a game, and then take four off. He's not a starter, so it doesn't work that way. Finding him an inning every other day – and on occasion back to back days – is the only way he's going to work himself back into form.

It's all going to be about balance down the stretch. Proctor and Villone need rest while Bruney and Dotel need work, but none can have too much. To rest Proctor and Villone too much could mean a loss of command; working Bruney and Dotel too much could burn them out right before the team needs them the most. For example, make sure Proctor gets today off, but make sure he gets into the game on Friday. And with Villone, well, maybe he needs a week off. His situation is unlike Proctor's, in that Proctor pitched a lot from the get-go, building his arm strength and getting used to the workload, whereas Villone abruptly went from sparse use to every day use. Get him some rest, and get him on a regular pitching schedule. See, that's the advantage of being eight games up in your division at this point; you can play with your bullpen to make sure it's in optimal shape for the postseason.

All that being said, I think it's a foregone conclusion that not only will Proctor pitch tonight and Friday, but Torre will take him to Pittsburgh on Thursday to throw the football with Ben Roethlisberger. ABT – always be throwing.

AL Playoff Race: The Starters (An Addendum)

2006-09-06T08:54:00.000-04:00

Ben Valentine from the newly revamped Sportszilla and the Jabber Jocks weighs in on the AL contending starters.

I listed the starters FIP (fielding independent pitching) and xFIP (FIP with homer rates normalized) courtesy of Hardball Times

 
Tigers:
Bonderman-    3.04   3.44
Verlander-    4.09   4.50
Rogers-       4.86   4.76
Roberston     4.68   4.45
 
Yankees:
Mussina-  3.49   3.84
Wang-     3.97   4.30
Johnson-  4.47   4.52
 
A's:
Haren:   3.86   3.93
Blanton: 3.95   5.01
Zito:    4.86   5.34
 
White Sox-
Contrares- 4.12  4.76
Vasquez-   4.21  4.63
Garland-   4.52  4.84
Garcia-    4.87  4.73
Buerhle-   4.93  4.87
 
Twins:
Santana: 3.19  3.36
Radke:   4.64  4.74

The most underrated guy on here is Jeremy Bonderman. After Santana and Liriano, he should be the best pitcher in the postseason. His VORP rating and RA+ aren't as good as the others, but that's likely because of his high BABIP. Over at Hardball Times they have his FIP at a whopping 3.04! Even if you normalize his homer rate with xFIP, it's still just 3.44. His FIP is 1st in the A.L. and his xFIP is second to Santana. Mussina is a good pitcher, but I'd rather have Bonderman. Unfortunately, Leyland will probably pitch him #3 in the series, unless they're really worried about Verlander's arm.

The A's are interesting. Dan Haren is actually their ace as his 3.86 FIP would indicate. However the A's will probably pitch him #2 and as a result will have the edge against any team that doesn't have Liriano. Zito I really don't like with his 4.86 FIP and his even higher xFIP, though that's somewhat mediated by ballpark I'd imagine. Blanton actually should be more effective, so he's capable of matching up with anyone's third in October. Of course this doesn't account for the wild card which is Rich Harden.

The Yankees ace is Mike Mussina, not Wang. That being said, Wang gives the Yankees the best second starter outside of Liriano, as he's better than Verlander, Blanton or any Chi Sox starter. Johnson is a third at this point and while he's not as bad as his actual ERA indicates, he's at best a wash with these teams #3 (even the White Sox) and potentially worse (A's)

You're dead on with the Sox. They're a rotation of third and fourth starters.

Finally, I think the Twins numbers are misleading. For starters, it looks as though they'll have Liriano back. Secondly, the young pitchers are unproven, but unless they tank, Silva will probably not see a postseason start (which is why I didn't list him). Remember, they'll have to pitch well if the Twins are going to get in, so I expect either Garza or Bonser to find their way into the postseason rotation especially if Radke can't make it back. They will be unpredictable; no Yankee fan should want to see them come October. You could pull off a sweep or get swept.

The Yankees rotation would probably rank fourth if the Twins make it. But the key with the Yankees is that their offense is by far the best, so they still end up being the best team.

AL Playoff Race: The Starters

2006-09-05T09:24:00.000-04:00

Starting Pitching

Team	IP/GS	ERA	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	K/BB	Avg	OBP	Slg	OPS
White Sox	6.44	4.72	5.45	2.25	1.23	2.42	.278	.326	.446	.772
Tigers	6.13	3.90	6.16	2.76	1.00	2.23	.257	.315	.408	.723
Twins	5.86	4.69	6.93	2.04	1.43	3.39	.282	.322	.464	.786
Athletics	6.18	4.25	5.74	3.04	1.09	1.89	.274	.336	.430	.766
Yankees	5.81	4.52	5.83	2.82	1.02	2.07	.265	.323	.410	.733

Lots of numbers here, and without breaking them down further, it's tough to get a grasp of what they really mean. But, generally, it looks like the Tigers and Twins have the best pitching staffs of the group. The White Sox look the worst, while the Yanks look lucky and the A's look solid.

As with offense and defense, I’m going to break the pitchers down on an individual basis. I’ve chosen RA+ and VORP because they compare the pitcher to the rest of the league; BABIP is there to account for any amount of luck being bestowed upon a pitcher (between .280 and .290 is average). This list requires a minimum of 130 innings pitched.

No. 1 Pitcher	IP/S	RA+ (rank)	VORP (rank)	BABIP
Johan Santana	6.83	1.58 (1)	65.7 (1)	.276
Justin Verlander	6.35	1.41 (3)	47.8 (4)	.288
Barry Zito	6.52	1.30 (5)	48.6 (3)	.282
Chien-Ming Wang	6.64	1.28 (6)	46.5 (5)	.285
Jon Garland	6.65	1.10 (15)	30.7 (16)	.305

A huge hole for the White Sox manifests itself right at the start. You know you have problems when Jon Garland is leading your starters in RA+ and VORP – by a wide margin. As you'll see later, the back of their rotation is superior to their foes, but that's not going to help them down the stretch and in the playoffs. I know hindsight is 20/20, but it looks like Brandon McCarthy would have been a better option to start the year in the rotation.

No. 2 Pitcher	IP/S	RA+ (rank)	VORP (rank)	BABIP
Mike Mussina	6.26	1.24 (8)	39.9 (8)	.282
Dan Haren	6.62	1.22 (9)	43.7 (6)	.289
Jeremy Bonderman	6.50	1.15 (11)	36.8 (11)	.317
Jose Contreras	6.62	1.08 (17)	29.4 (17)	.283
Brad Radke*	5.81	1.01 (25)	20.9 (25)	.327

* likely done for season

You could reasonably slide Francisco Liriano into this slot, though there are far too many question marks surrounding his injury and return to bank on anything at this point. The A's and Yankees No. 2 starters trump those of the Twins and Tigers, evening out the pack a bit. This will become especially important in a short series.

No. 3 Pitcher	IP/S	RA+ (rank)	VORP (rank)	BABIP
Kenny Rogers	6.07	1.13 (14)	33.1 (13)	.257
Joe Blanton	6.22	1.02 (22)	23.7 (23)	.332
Mark Buehrle	6.50	0.96 (30)	18.9 (28)	.304
Randy Johnson	6.21	0.90 (35)	11.8 (35)	.279
Carlos Silva	5.52	0.68 (42)	-17.9 (42)	.338

And the Twins fall right off the table. They have a few youngsters that are giving them quality innings, but Silva is the final pitcher on their staff who qualifies for the ERA title. And, of the 42 AL pitchers who qualify, Silva ranks dead last. I've pointed out some errors in numbers in regards to Yankees players, since I'm more familiar with them. Having selected Silva in fantasy baseball – and dropping him within a month – I'm kind of familiar with his horrible start, from which he's recovered decently. Since his decrepit start, Silva has been much better than his 0.68 RA+ indicates. Same goes for Randy Johnson. The problem is that Randy can be good at times, but simply cannot be defined as consistent. I'm going to be biting my nails during Game Three of the ALDS.

Other Ranking Pitchers	IP/S	RA+ (rank)	VORP (rank)	BABIP
Nate Robertson	6.52	1.09 (16)	31.0 (15)	.278
Javy Vazquez	6.19	0.95 (31)	16.0 (31)	.308
Freddie Garcia	6.41	0.93 (33)	14.9 (32)	.300

While their RA+ figures are below league-average, Vazquez and Garcia aren't horrible. The problem is, their numbers are very close to those of their No. 3 starter, Mark Buehrle. So, in essence, the White Sox have a No. 2 starter, a No. 3 starter, and three guys you could fit into the No. 3 or No. 4 roles. Where have I seen that before? Oh yeah, the Yankees of recent years past. We all saw how far that formula took them.

Nate Robertson's presence here means that the Tigers have four starters – four of 'em – with an RA+ over 1.00. Crazy, huh? I think I saw that formula before, too. Yep, the 2005 White Sox.

Notable Non-Ranking	IP/S	RA+ (rank)	VORP rank)	BABIP

Esteban Loaiza	5.90	0.94	10.9	.315
Jaret Wright	4.91	0.97	13.0	.335
Francisco Liriano	6.47	2.10	49.7	.286
Kirk Saarloos	5.92	1.00	13.7	.292
Cory Lidle	5.95	0.95	12.4	.305

This breakdown makes the Tigers dominance in the starting pitching department most evident. It also shows you the dramatic drop-off of the White Sox staff, whose top starter is only 15th best in the league. With the AL Wild Card race so tight between the Twins and White Sox, I’d normally say that the Twins have a huge edge here. However, there’s an egregious snag there, as the Twins second best qualified pitcher is done for the season, and their third best starter ranks last among those qualified. They do have Liriano readying for a return, but there’s no guarantee as to his effectiveness. Having that 1-2 punch is great, but it is a significant drop-off from there. It looks like this race will be decided over the course of the season’s final series.

Pitching is how the A’s have kept ahead of the pack in the AL West. They have solid Nos. 1 through 3 pitchers, and serviceable options at four and five with Loaiza and Saarloos. They’d be a ton better with a healthy Rich Harden, but they can’t be dwelling on that right now. For the ALDS, they should be a formidable opponent, though their offense may hamper them to the point of elimination rather quickly. Having three great starters with that offense gives you a fighting chance; having three reliable but not great starters with that offense is a ticket to a first-round exit.

And out come the biases. The Yankees may not look particularly strong, as judged by these breakdowns. However, Randy’s numbers are horribly skewed by those six terrible starts back in April and May. He’s since recovered, and is much better than his 0.90 RA+ indicates. This, however, brings up that point for every pitcher on this list. Are his numbers loaded in the front of the season and he’s faltering now? Vice versa? As I Yankees fan, I know that Randy is more at the level of Kenny Rogers and Jose Contreras than at the level of Carlos Silva and Mark Buehrle. And that’s being generous to Contreras, whose numbers were loaded in the first half; he posted a crippling 7.50 ERA in August.

These numbers also don’t tell that Jaret Wright’s stay in the rotation may be close to an end, as Darrell Rasner was impressive against the Twins on Sunday. So yes, while these tables should be telling, there are obvious biases involved. If you notice an inconsistency here – that is, someone whose numbers don’t do justice to their impact -- e-mail me with your argument, and I’ll analyze and post it.

The Hitters
Defense

AL PLayoff Race: Defense

2006-09-04T10:50:00.000-04:00

Team Defensive Efficiency

Team	DER	AL Rank
Tigers	.718	1st
Yankees	.707	2nd
White Sox	.703	4th
Athletics	.701	5th
Twins	.687	11th

There are differing schools of thought on the use of DER, as it’s indicative not only of defense, but of pitching. However you choose to interpret it, there is no coincidence in the Yankees and Tigers being 1-2 in DER and 1-2 in the AL.

Two playoff teams last year had a DER in the range of Minnesota – Boston and New York. Judging by their results, the Twins don’t look to be in a favorable position right now. However, their overall DER number may be skewed because of the inconsistencies they’ve had across the diamond this year. Their individual breakdowns may prove more favorable.

It’s kind of pointless to do ZR for catchers, since they’re mostly at 1.000. However, Joe Mauer is at .875, second to last among qualified AL catchers.

Number in parenthesis represents number of qualified players.

SS (11)	ZR	AL Rank
Juan Uribe	.875	1
Bobby Crosby	.855	2
Carlos Guillen	.828	5
Derek Jeter	.811	9
Jason Bartlett	.857	n/a

Bartlett has been with the Twins for quite some time now, and although he doesn’t have the numbers to qualify, his Zone Rating is right up there. Note to Jeter fans: he’s ranked 9th of 11 in the AL in Zone Rating. And when you add in guys like Bartlett who are close to qualifying, he’s closer to the cellar in the AL. For reference, he was at .830 last year, which put him fifth out of 10 qualifiers. If there’s any justice, there will be no Gold Golve at shortstop in Yankeeland this year.

2B (13)	ZR	AL Rank
Placido Polanco	.887	2
Mark Ellis	.866	3
Robinson Cano	.825	7
Tad Iguchi	.818	8
Luis Castillo	.804	11

You know, I always thought Ted Iguchi was a good fielder, at least better than Cano. And when I looked at the ZR from 2005, it does appear that Iguchi was better than Cano by a decently wide margin (.834 to .818). But Iguchi was still in the bottom half of second basemen, and it appears that he’s regressed a bit in his second Major League season, while Cano has flourished just a little bit. The Tigers won’t be missing Polanco’s defense as much as you’d think; Neifi Perez has quite the glove. He’s just an abomination at the plate.

CF (10)	ZR	AL Rank
Brian Anderson	.889	3
Torii Hunter	.885	5
Curtis Granderson	.883	6
Johnny Damon	.874	7
Mark Kotsay	.857	9

Remember last year, when the Yanks were kinda sorta interested in acquiring Mark Kotsay? Yeah, totally glad that didn’t happen. Damon may rank in the lower half of AL center fielders, but having watched the majority of the games this year, I haven’t seen many that he would have caught with the speed of Torii Hunter. It’s good to see Brian Anderson holding his weight defensively, because he sure as shit ain’t handling himself at the plate. I wonder what Kenny Williams has in store for him this off-season, whether he’s still thought of highly as the future center fielder, or if his shaky 2006 has the White Sox reconsidering.

3B (11)	ZR	AL Rank
Brandon Inge	.832	1
Joe Crede	.786	4
Eric Chaves	.776	5
Alex Rodriguez	.736	10
Nick Punto	.767	n/a

Yes, it’s sad but true: Alex ranks second to last among qualified AL third basemen. He’s been better lately, though, especially since he ceased using his teeny shortstop glove. That could have made a difference, though his mental state seems to have taken a turn for the better lately (look at all those home runs last weekend!). Nick Punto may have a decent ZR as a third baseman, but he’s been seeing much more time at second this year. I’m not sure how ZR translates from one position to another, but he’ll have to improve on his current mark to hack it at second.

LF (6)	ZR	AL Rank
Scott Podsednik	.882	2
Melky Cabrera	.824	5
Nick Swisher	.879	n/a
Craig Monroe	.854	n/a

Podsednik’s glove = stellar. Podsednik’s bat = vomit-inducing. My questions actually surround Melky’s ranking of fifth out of six. Are his numbers skewed by his shaky start following his call-up? Are not as many balls hit to him as should be? You do n’t see him miss balls he’s close to very much, which leaves me very curious. Looking at other outfielders, it appears that he should have a higher rating if he is, in fact, a good left fielder. This may be grounds for further analysis.

RF (7)	ZR	AL Rank
Magglio Ordinez	.860	4
Michael Cuddyer	.856	5
Jermaine Dye	.849	7
Bobby Abreu	.873	n/a
Milton Bradley	.906	n/a

I’m not so much concerned about a right fielder’s range as I am his arm. Dye can cut it with his throwing, so I don’t think his Zone Rating hurts the ChiSox that much. But that’s just an opinion; for all I know he could be pulling a Bernie and missing routine fly balls.

A sure sign defensive stats are still in their infancy: when you look at the Zone Ratings and compare them to the team DER, the results don’t seem right. The Yankees have players who are near the middle of the pack or the bottom of the league, and the Twins seem league-average on a player-by-player basis. However, the Twins look terrible in team DER while the Yanks look to be flourishing. This leads me to believe that DER has more to do with pitching than many currently think. I do think we’ll get a better idea of defense when the numbers are compiled at year’s end, when guys like David Pinto, John Dewan, and Mitchel Licthman come out with their defensive stats.

For further reference: The Hardball Times. Thanks to Studes for the update.

The Hitters
The Starters

AL Playoff Race: The Hitters

2006-09-03T18:01:00.000-04:00

I had this idea to compare the five teams currently vying for four American League playoff spots in the three basic categories: offense, defense, and pitching. Originally, I was going to simply post the teams stats, offer a bit of interpretation, and leave it at that. But then I got on a roll over at Baseball Prospectus, and started breaking down the players by position, which came with more interpretation and commentary. It all kind of snowballed from there, leaving me with the easy decision to cut this into three separate posts.

I apologize in advance for using BP’s advanced metrics. Some may not believe in them, but I truly believe that the ones I selected are the most indicative of a player’s worth. For instance, I used EqA for hitters because it takes into consideration all production on the offensive side: total bases, walks, strikeouts, stolen bases, etc. VORP is there because it compares players at their respective position.

I’ll be coming back to this at the end of the season to see how everything worked out, and to see what we can expect come playoff time.

Team Batting Stats

Team	Avg	OBP	Slg	OPS	R/G
White Sox	.285	.346	.470	.817	5.59
Tigers	.276	.328	.448	.776	4.97
Twins	.285	.346	.425	.771	4.96
Athletics	.255	.336	.403	.739	4.63
Yankees	.283	.362	.457	.819	5.63

It should come as no surprise that the team with the highest OBP has scored the most runs per game. The Yankees are making outs at a lesser rate than the rest of the contenders and are scoring runs at a greater rate. The White Sox are right behind, aided by their .013 advantage in Slugging. And for those out there who want to discount OPS, keep this chart in mind. OPS from greatest to least: Yankees, White Sox, Tigers, Twins, A’s; Runs per game from greatest to least: Yankees, White Sox, Tigers, Twins, A’s.

For some more numbers to digest, here are the five playoff contending teams broken down by position. I’ve chosen EqA and VORP, not for their sheer complexity, but because they are the most encompassing stats available. The parenthesis indicates the number of qualified players in VORP for each position.

Catcher (12)	EqA	VORP	AL Rank
Joe Mauer	.318	56.7	1
Jorge Posada	.288	24.5	3
A.J. Pierzynski	.266	16.9	6
Ivan Rodriguez	.258	13.6	8
Jason Kendall	.259	9.4	11

You can point to Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano all you want as the reasons why the Twins have rebounded. And, by all indications, you’d be right. But while it’s tough to underrate Joe Mauer at this point, I believe that may be the case. The offensive output by a catcher is one of the most valuable commodities in baseball, because of the general lack of hitting at that position across the league. Mauer is so far ahead of the catching pack that he makes up for holes at other positions on the diamond (as you’ll shortly see, left field and DH for the Twins). They could trot out league-average hitters at every other position and still have a reasonably above-average hitting team.

The A’s and Tigers are hampered by below-average catchers. Thankfully for them, plenty of teams survive just fine with below average catchers.

SS (13)	EqA	VORP	AL Rank
Derek Jeter	.316	68.4	1
Carlos Guillen	.303	52.2	3
Jason Bartlett	.290	20.8	n/a
Juan Uribe	.241	1.2	9
Bobby Crosby	.233	-4.8	10

While Mauer provides astonishing value at catcher for the Twins, Jeter provides even more value at shortstop for the Yankees. His value is more than double that of Michael Young, who is the fourth ranked shortstop in the AL. This speaks volumes for Carlos Guillen as well, which is especially important because of the hole Pudge creates at catcher. If qualified, Jason Bartlett would be near the top of the shortstop heap, which gives the Twins quite an advantage. Not quite the advantage of the Yankees, however, who have excellent production from the two most defensively demanding positions. Oh, but it doesn’t end there.

2B (15)	EqA	VORP	AL Rank
Robinson Cano	.283	27.8	2
Tad Iguchi	.265	18.3	4
Luis Castillo	.258	16.7	5
Placido Polanco**	.244	6.5	12
Mark Ellis	.251	3.7	13

** Likely out a considerable amount of time

Losing Placido Polanco (.294/.325/.359/.684) could be detrimental to the Tigers, as he’s being replaced by Omar Infante (.263/.306/.372/.678) and the abysmal Neifi Perez (.254/.266/.343/.609 with Cubs, .156/.206/.156/.362 in 32 AB with Tigers).

The A’s continue their trend of trotting out pure drivel at the tough end of the defensive spectrum, as they rank last among contending teams at the top three positions. The Yankees, on the other hand, add to their dominance of the spectrum with Cano. He’s demonstrably better than any second baseman on this list.

CF (12)	EqA	VORP	AL Rank
Johnny Damon	.297	45.2	3
Torii Hunter	.271	19.7	5
Curtis Granderson	.267	17.2	8
Mark Kotsay	.252	5.0	9
Brian Anderson	.238	-5.1	12

More Yankees dominance, and this time by a radical margin. Johnny Damon is more than twice as valuable to his team as Torri Hunter is to the Twins. It’s even worse for the A’s, as it becomes more and more confusing as to how they’re running away with the AL West. As you’ll see soon in the pitching comparisons, they’re not exactly top of the league in that department, and they look to be terrible on the offensive side of the ball. Mark Kotsay (who brings a ninth of Damon’s offensive value to the table) is aided only by the struggling rookie Brian Anderson here.

3B (12)	EqA	VORP	AL Rank
Alex Rodriguez	.299	34.1	1
Joe Crede	.289	28.8	4
Nick Punto	.277	15.4	6
Eric Chavez	.270	5.0	10
Brandon Inge	.262	4.1	11

What a bum. I mean, really, look how terrible Alex Rodriguez is, with his No. 1 ranking among AL third basemen in VORP (and EqA, for that matter). The worst part of it for the rest of the league: he’s starting to heat up. And by heat up, I mean that he’s looking like MVP A-Rod, the guy who murdered the ball in 2005. If he can find and keep in that groove for two months, the Yanks could easily be looking at No. 27.

More futility here by the A’s, as they’ve been last or second to last among contending teams at each position so far.

LF (15)	EqA	VORP	AL Rank
Craig Monroe	.272	13.9	8
Jay Payton	.263	10.1	9
Melky Cabrera	.273	7.6	10
Scott Podsednik	.253	-7.6	14

And finally, some value for the A’s. And it’s only relative value, because the best left fielders in the league do not play for contending teams. This chart could look more different than any other chart come October 1, as Shannon Stewart may return for the Twins and Hideki Matsui is poised for a return to the Bronx.

RF (15)	EqA	VORP	AL Rank
Jermaine Dye	.329	62.1	1
Bobby Abreu*	.308	25.4	n/a
Michael Cuddyer	.291	28.5	4
Magglio Ordonez	.270	14.3	10
Milton Bradley	.278	9.1	n/a

Jermaine Dye has it tough here, since he has to carry the non-producers Podsednik and Anderson on his back. But he’s doing a fine job of it, nearly doubling the value of the third man among AL leaders, Ichiro. Bias alert: Bobby Abreu is actually better than his EqA and VORP indicate. He’s been a monster since being traded to the Yanks, and has certainly outperformed his first half in Philadelphia.

Milton Bradley could have helped the A’s out here, but he’s been on the DL a few times this season, forcing the A’s to trot out lesser players in his place.

1B	EqA	VORP	AL Rank
Justin Morneau	.308	46.2	1
Jason Giambi	.324	43.5	n/a
Paul Konerko	.306	38.9	2
Nick Swisher	.283	14.4	7
Sean Casey*	.261	-2.3	n/a

* New to team, not enough plate appearances to rank in league

In the A’s and Swisher’s defense, he would have ranked much higher as a left fielder. But Dan Johnson lost his touch, and Swish has been forced into action at first, where he does not reach the production of the monsters ahead of him. Baseball Prospectus has Giambi listed as a DH, hence his lack of a ranking. But I think it more accurate to list Giambi as a first baseman and Bernie Williams as the DH, since they both qualify.

DH	EqA	VORP	AL Rank
Jim Thome	.330	53.9	3
Frank Thomas	.308	33.4	5
Marus Thames	.299	22.7	n/a
Bernie Williams	.273	11.8	n/a

This is why I’m not high on the White Sox right now: their pitching isn’t nearly what it was last year, and they’re loaded up on the right side of the spectrum. The only problem with that logic is that Thome and Dye are just head and shoulders above everyone else at their position, at least among contenders.

Bernie’s numbers are surprisingly high, and they’ll become even more valuable once he’s relegated to a bench role. That time is only a few weeks away, as Hideki Matsui will return by mid-September. It’s certainly within the realm of possibility that he bolsters the DH and LF positions, which are the only two in which the Yankees are lacking.

Defense
The Starters

My Liver, My Liver! (Lower, Dude) My Liver, My Liver!

2006-08-31T12:51:00.000-04:00

After trawling the Interweb for further confirmation, I've got nothing. But I still think this warrants mentioning:

Carl Pavano is now claiming shoulder problems.

Unfortunately, that link requires a Baseball Prospectus subscription. It comes from the ever-reliable Will Carrol in his "Under the Knife" column. It's just a one-line quip with no elaboration, and there is no indication of the source.

I'll be browsing sources of information during today's game, and will post anything further I find. If this is true, it should be the last straw.

Update: Here's confirmation from Sports Illustrated.

They Use Advanced Metrics in the NFL

2006-08-31T09:29:00.000-04:00

Late last night, I was routinely browsing one of my favorite sites, Fire Joe Morgan. After reading the hilarious dissection of the latest JoeChat, I found an absolutely brilliant blurb.

Look at the formula for QB Rating. It's a fucking nightmare. Yet NFL fans -- NFL fans! -- are smart enough to realize that regardless of how hard it is to compute, it gives us a basic overall understanding of how good a quarterback is. It may not be perfect, but it's better than just looking at a QB's, say, completion percentage.

Why is this the first time I'm reading about this association? Advanced baseball statistics are thrown out the window because of they are difficult to compute (though, contrary to mainstream perception, they are not at all difficult to understand). How is EqA any different than QB rating?

Just listen to dak, people:

Say it with me: "Oh, okay. It's a weird equation, but at least now I have a pretty good sense of how good this particular position player is at hitting. .260 is average, .300 is really good, and .350 is like top of the league shit. This is like QB rating only better because it's about baseball and baseball is better because it's untimed and beautiful and doesn't feature guys hitting each other super hard and people like John Updike write about it more and stuff!"

And, for the record, I agree with his statements in the final sentence. Nothing against football, but baseball remains the greatest game ever invented.

You Gonna Eat That Stapler? Wanna SPLIT It?

2006-08-31T09:23:00.000-04:00

At about 9:15 last night, I began devising my column for today. It was to be a joyous poring of words, reflective of the Yankees season-long dominance of the Detroit Tigers. But now? Not so much. I'd like to thank Scott Proctor, but most of all I'd like to thank Joe Torre for burdening my mind with last night's ninth inning loss. You know how I always get a little more worked up when the Yanks lose a winnable game? This is like that times a thousand, because there is absolutely no reason for a team to blow a game in the ninth inning. Especially not when you have the greatest closer in the history of the game roaming in your bullpen.

But Mo was unavailable for last night's bout because he closed the 2-0 win earlier in the day. And while I agree that Mo shouldn't have been used in both games, I don't exactly see eye-to-eye with Torre on his usage in the first. Obviously, the thought process was that they had a game to win right then, and he wanted to make sure his team closed it out. That's all fine and good under normal circumstances. Had Wang finished the eighth, I would have wholeheartedly agreed with the move to pitch Mo in the ninth. The reason I disagree is the same reason the Yanks lost the second game: Scott Proctor.

With a man on first in the top of the eighth, Curtis Granderson doused a double off Wang, leaving runners on second and third. This was cause for the hook, and Proctor was brought in to finish off the inning. And he did, in remarkable fashion by getting Magglio Ordonez to pop out on the first pitch. Excellent, right? With a two-run lead, the Yanks have a little wiggle room, and Proctor should have been fully prepared to pitch the ninth. I mean, what's the sense of warming up one of your best relievers, having him toss one pitch, and then pulling him at the end of the inning? Joe Torre is notorious for his overuse of trusted relievers, a group to which Proctor belongs. It would stand to reason that Torre fully intended to use Scott in the second game, especially since Jaret Wright was to pitch.

I do not subscribe to such logic. If you're going to get Proctor up and warming – and according to Gamecast, he was up in the seventh – you might as well use him to his full capacity. Because using him for that one pitch and that one pitch only is a complete waste if you're playing a doubleheader. If you want to use him again, you have to get him up and warming in the second game and then trot him out there. All told, Proctor probably threw some 50 pitches yesterday with all his warmups included. True, some of those pitches aren't with full exertion, but he's still performing an unnatural motion 50 times. Proctor blamed his failures on not attacking hitters, and while that's mostly true, the objective reason he failed last night was fatigue, which played a part in his hanging of a slider to Craig Monroe.

My suggestion, if you will, is that Proctor should have closed the first game since he was already in it. He's a big boy and he hadn't pitched in a few days. A rested Proctor could have handled the Tigers in the ninth, but a tired Proctor had too much going against him to stave off the best team in the AL. It's not that he was doomed from the start; it's that the probabilities involved were pretty much against him. And I don't know the exact odds or the calculations, but I'm saying this from an anecdotal point of view. Trust me, if I had time to study the effects of using a pitcher twice in the same day, I certainly would. And maybe I will make that a future endeavor. But for now, you'll just have to follow the logic.

The last-minute loss places the pressure firmly on Randy to avoid a series loss. The Yanks have dropped two straight series on the heels of the Red Sox sweep, so while it's not completely necessary to take two of three from the Tigers, it would be a nice step in the battle to attain home field advantage in the playoffs. Because with eight games separating the Yankees and Red Sox, the AL East seems all but a certainty.

My favorite appearance of the night was by newcomer Brian Bruney, of whom I've become very fond lately. He was cast off by the Diamondbacks in late May, and was signed by the Yankees in early July. Now he has the chance to make an impact in the bullpen down the stretch. The guy tosses gas, and I figure that a little work with Joe Kerrigan and Ron Guidry could mean miles of progress for this kid (and I use kid lightly; he's but two months older than yours truly). And, dare I say it, he could end up being our Bobby Jenks/Francisco Rodriguez. The best part about that is he wouldn't even be saddled with the pressured burden of closing games. He'd be another guy in the seventh and eighth inning mix, and would clearly give the Yanks the best bullpen in the league. I may be getting ahead of myself here, because we've seen precious little of Bruney. But you can be damn sure he'll get his work in, and we'll have a great gage of him by the time the playoffs roll around.

While I'm talking about pitchers, let's talk about Sunday. The rainout gave the Twins a break, as they won't have to see the Yankees ace during their weekend series. It is extra burdensome to the Yankees, as they need yet another starter to fill a gap, a gap that Carl Pavano should be filling. But he's a bum and isn't there when his team needs him, even though he should have been back for that start. The YES commentators were speculating that Ron Villone could be called on to start, but he's far too valuable in the bullpen to waste for six days (figure three days before the start, and at least three days after). The roster expand tomorrow, so a minor leaguer could be an option. But who? Tyler Clippard? Certainly Phil Hughes won't be in the discussion. Personally, I believe it will be recently activated Darrell Rasner, who had an “eh” outing for Columbus earlier this week. He definitely has Major League stuff, and probably would already have started a game or two for the big league club had he not gone down with a phantom/freak injury shortly after his June call up. For the sake of testing the youth, I'd like to see Clippard in that spot. But since he's just 21 years old and likely doesn't have enough stuff to face Major Leauge hitters yet – not to mention that the Thunder are headed for the Eastern League playoffs, possible with Hideki Matsui on their roster – I'd expect to see Rasner in that spot.

In closing, I'd like to thank Alex Rodriguez for barely nubbing the ball last night, which allowed Derek Jeter to score from third. A pop up and the game is still tied; a strikeout and we want to kill him; even if he had hit the ball hard, there's a chance that he hits it right at someone, reducing Jeter's chances of scoring on the play. So, uh, thanks for not hitting the ball hard, Alex. Now acknowledge my gratitude by getting a hit today. Just one. All I ask is that you just hit it hard somewhere. Hell, if someone makes a diving catch on a ball you hit hard, I won't even get mad. I'm just sick of the pop outs and the strikeouts.

On Gamecast

2006-08-30T09:37:00.000-04:00

Should the rain permit the Yankees and Tigers to start today's doubleheader on time, the first pitch will be delivered right around the time I take lunch. Same for tomorrow's scheduled game. These games are quite burdensome to the baseball-obsessed working man, because it means that we have to follow the game through the dreaded Gamecast. You can take your pick of ESPN, CBS, FOX, or MLB, but it won't matter. They all share the same premises: follow the game in near-real-time, but find yourself grossly uninformed.

There are no spectacular plays on Gamecast. Melky made a diving catch to end the threat in the fourth, you say? Looked like a routine pop-up to me. Jeter really did beat that throw to first? Wish I could have seen that. Instead, I just saw some text scroll by that said, “Jeter grounds out to third.” And so the agony goes. You never really get a feel for the game while watching Gamecast; what you get is a ticker-tape of the game's events.

Thankfully, there have been advances in Gamecast technology over the past few years that have made the necessary experience a bit more bearable. Pitch location is the most notable improvement. And, on sites like CBS, they'll even give you the velocity and the pitch type, which further helps the viewer paint a mental picture of the game. Hell, I'm to the point of almost being able to write a recap from the Gamecast version of the game. With ESPN adding a graphic depicting the ball in flight, we have a more total understanding of what's happening on the field.

My question is: how can we further improve Gamecast to better cater to the working man? One of the few joys that breaks the drudgery of a 40+ hour work week is daytime baseball. We can forget our misery for just a few hours and think about nothing but baseball. In the days before Gamecast, our heads were filled with idle thoughts about the game. Can I get to my car and catch a score on the radio? I wonder if Mattingly hit another homer. But now with Gamecast, we can have some idea of what's happening to our beloved team. And as the years pass, we're getting a better and better idea of what's happening.

CBS has employed an individual to watch each game and write up an inning-by-inning Game Log (Glog). This is a nice idea, except it gets posted at the end of every inning. It's basically like a more quickly updated beat reporter, but not quite quick enough. The descriptions are often bland, as if you're reading the actual Gamecast, but you have to wait until the end of the inning to view it. If this is going to be a straightforward synopsis, why not employ that individual to type these descriptions real time? For example, instead of Gamecast saying, “Jeter grounds out to third,” and the Glog saying, “the replay showed that he was safe,” why don't we just include that description with the Gamecast?

Ball, strike looking, strike swinging, ball, Jeter grounds out to third
Strike swinging, ball, ball, strike looking, ball, foul, foul, foul, Abreu walks
Ball, ball, strike looking, ball, Giambi grounds into double play, shortstop Guillen to first baseman Casey

That's how an inning might look on Gamecast. And, thanks to the updated technology, I can see the location of the pitches Abreu fouled off. I can also judge, using my knowledge of Giambi's swing, whether he reached too far on that double play, or if he just missed a pitch in his zone. What I'm missing is what the inning looked like.

Ball, strike looking, strike swinging, ball, Jeter grounds out to third
From the replay, Jeter appeared to have beat that throw by a half step
Strike swinging, ball, ball, strike looking, ball, foul, foul, foul, Abreu walks
Ball, ball, strike looking, ball, Giambi grounds into double play, shortstop Guillen to first baseman Casey
Neifi Perez almost lost the ball in the exchange, but still had enough time to throw out Giambi

See? Little stuff like that would amplify the effectiveness of Gamecast tenfold. It would not only lead to a better understanding of games which we cannot see, but it makes the working man's day just a little easier. Because if you're stuck in front of a computer for most of the day, well, you probably need the mental break. For the sake of your own sanity and in the name of all that is baseball.

So in the future, when you sit down to watch the 2008 Yankees on Gamecast at work and you see vivid descriptions and accounts of the events on the field, you can think, “wow, it looks like that Joseph finally did something with his life.”

And I'll be sitting at my desk, watching the same advances in Gamecast, and think, “wow, somebody actually read that post.”

Just A Few Wins Away

2006-08-29T09:48:00.000-04:00

A lot can happen in the season's final month. Just ask the Yankees, who trailed the Red Sox by two and a half games heading into last September. Or Oakland, who had a one-game lead over Anaheim. Or even Chicago, who led Cleveland by seven games at this point last year. They may not have been usurped, but they had to fight into the last series of the season for their AL Central crown. September is a cuh-razy month where anything is conceivable.

Except, of course, for the Red Sox making a comeback in the AL East race. Hell, they may have played themselves out of a Wild Card berth. They are currently 71-60, seven games behind the Yankees and six behind Wild-Card-leading Minnesota. That's a lot of ground to make up in a single month, even if the Indians set a similar precedent last year. The difference is that this Red Sox team isn't nearly as well off as the 2005 Indians. Hell, they're not as well off as the 2005 Blue Jays.

Unless you actively avoided baseball during the Yankees off-day, you know that David Ortiz has left the Red Sox to undergo tests for an irregular heartbeat. This is coupled with the loss of Manny Ramirez, who is day-to-day with a strained vagina. Just look at the lineup fielded by the Sox last night:

Crisp, CF
Cora, SS
Loretta, DH
Youkilis, LF
Hinske, RF
Lowell, 3B
Lopez, C
Pena, 1B
Pedroia, 2B

Who in that lineup scares you? The only guy who frightens me more than even Melky Cabrera is Youkilis, and he's Jewish so it doesn't count. This group of pedestrians stuck it to Esteban Loaiza last night, scoring a whopping zero runs over his seven innings of work. Joe Kennedy and Chad Gaudin finished off the Sox, making Yankees fans everywhere just a little happier. As it stands, the Red Sox are only two games ahead of Toronto, and nothing would be sweeter than seeing the Blue Jays second in the 2006 AL East standings.

Remember the 21-game, 20-day stretch the Yankees endured (had to ask, some people might be senile)? The Red Sox are right in the middle of their own version, which started with the five-game sweep. Imagine that. You're heading into the longest uninterrupted sequences of games of the season, and you kick start it by dropping five straight to the first place team in your division. And in the process, you lose your superstar left fielder to his menstrual cycle and your superstar DH because of medical concerns. Which, by the way, he might have been able to avoid if he could turn down his nightly bucket of KFC once in a while.

Boston doesn't get a rest until a week from Thursday, but that's not the worst of it. In that time, they have two more games against the A's – and against decidedly better pitchers – four games against the Blue Jays, and three games against the White Sox before they're mercifully bestowed a day of rest. The have another off-day that wraps around a weekend series in Kansas City (though we can't be sure they'll find any reprieve there), and three in Baltimore before heading into Yankee Stadium, where their season will officially come to an end if it already hasn't by that point.

And, as if the Baseball Gods – or at least the scheduling Gods – have a bone to pick with Red Sox Nation, they head right from New York back home to face Minnesota, and then north of the border to once again face Toronto, who, prior to the five-game sweep, were giving the Red Sox much more trouble than the Yankees. So it appears that everything is stacked against the Sox. Which brings me to this:

Everything was stacked against the Red Sox before, namely in the 2004 ALCS. However, there is a huge difference between then and now, and it's evident when you scroll through their current roster and stat sheets. There are serious problems with your pitching staff when you're forced to trot out Kason Gabbard* on any kind of regular basis. So when your stopper doesn't stop, your next best starter could go down on a moment's notice, your overpaid free-agent misses the second half of the season, your Mr. Reliable misses two and a half months, your rookie "sensation" hits the DL for the remainder of the year, and your next best option is a Royals castoff, you're in for a shitty finish to what started off as a great season.

As a commenter at Pinstripe Alley hilariously states in his signature line:

I wish the Red Sox the best of luck in their 2090 pennant chase.

Carl Pavano: Big Fat Sinkin' Pussy

2006-08-28T18:38:00.000-04:00

Read this, then puke

I told myself that after I left work today, I wouldn’t think about baseball until midnight at the earliest. For my mental stability, the best action would to be avoid thoughts of the game until waking tomorrow morning, but I know I can’t keep away for that long.

Of course, I check my mail when I get home, and there are two e-mails in my Inbox, both with the word “Pavano” in the subject line. Obviously, I broke my resolve and read the linked article, in which Buster Olney details a car accident involving our troubled starter on August 15. The gist is that he may have fractured a rib in said accident, and that is the pain about which he is currently complaining.

This has Yankeeland up in arms, and with good reason. I can understand the frustrations with Pavano, since he began his Yankee career by not pitching well, and continued by not pitching at all. I, for one, gave him somewhat of a break when May rolled around and bone chips were discovered in his pitching elbow. I had a sneaking suspicion that he had never been healthy while with the Yanks, and that basically confirmed it for me. The bone chips caused him discomfort, causing him to alter his mechanics, which led to the shoulder tendinitis and his sidelining for the second half of 2005. And then he further altered his mechanics as to favor his elbow AND shoulder, and effed up his back. It’s not scientific, but it follows a path of reasonable logic. But I digress. From the article:

Pavano was injured on the day he pitched for Class A Tampa on Aug. 15 but pitched that night anyway, throwing four innings.

Pavano’s line from that night:

IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR
4.0	1	0	0	1	5	0

Okay, so it’s a 30-year-old Major Leaguer going against Advanced-A players. But he put up those numbers despite having been in a car accident earlier in the day. One would think that if there was a problem, it would have been evident at that point. But since he walked only one batter and managed more strikeouts than innings pitched, you’d think he would be fine. And, according to him, he was.

His next start, on the 20th in Trenton:

IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR
4.0	3	1	1	0	5	0

Couple more hits, one run, higher level of competition. Everything seemed to be moving along smoothly, and once again, no complaints about the after-effects of a car accident. Next up, Columbus, another five days later:

IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR
6.0	8	2	2	1	5	0

Afterwards, the indication was that he was ready to go should the Yankees need him. But, oh, now is a great time to bring up that injury, Carl. You know, because you wouldn’t want to go through the pressure of pitching in New York, now would you?

And, as an update, the Yankees have removed any news of Pavano’s injury from their official website. I have no idea what this could possibly mean at this point.

Update: Thanks to Pete Abraham for keeping us on the up and up. Here are some quotes in which Carl basically admits that he's a pussy:

"I'm going to keep moving forward to the big-league club," Pavano said. "I don't feel (the injury) will hold me back. But if I feel it's something that's going to jeopardize my arm or the team, those are things I need to take into account. I can't be selfish and feel like I have to prove to the world that I can pitch through this."

No, Carl, you do have to prove to the world that you can pitch through this. Had you succumbed to injury in, say, June or thereabouts, that might be a valid statement. But at this point, with the amount of time you've missed and the progress you've recently made, you need to get your ass out there and pitch.

From Peter himself:

Pavano said on a conference call that the "only reason" he told the team was that the injury wasn't getting better. He seems to be in clear violation of his contract, which obligates him to inform the team of any change in his health or injuries. The Yankees could make a move in terms of trying to invalidate his contract.

Pretty please?

Bob Klapisch Watches Baseball

2006-08-28T11:18:00.000-04:00

Over the past few weeks, I've written criticisms of mainstream columnists and their outlandish opinions about what they perceive to be sports. This brought my some degree of joy, because I feel that poor writing needs to be exposed as such. Even if I'm only reaching 150 people with this message, it's 150 more people who understand the lamentable state of mainstream sports writing.

A recent discussion with a much more popular blogger brought something to my attention, however. Instead of extolling the virtues of good sports writing, what I'm doing is merely pointing out bad writing and offering snarkiness in place of a solution. This can be funny to a degree, but in the long run, it's rather meaningless. No one is going to remember that someone pointed out how markedly terrible Writer A was. It's an ephemeral practice that, while entertaining, shouldn't be overdone.

I'm taking the same idea in a different direction today. I'm sure there are plenty of over-dramatic and under-analyzed columns this morning, plenty of which are prime for a ripping. But, to paraphrase vintage Bill Simmons, what does that prove? Why do I want to make a name nitpicking other writers? Wouldn't I rather accomplish something original? And wouldn't I rather do it in a positive manner?

As fun as ripping columns was, it's just not the direction in which I'd like to take the site. If there is something that really sets me off, as was the case with the original Mike Vacarro column, I'll probably rip into it. But this will no longer become a weekly witch hunt for poor writing. It's out there. You know it, I know it, and it doesn't take a web trawler to pick out a few.

So, as my closing segment, I present you with a fine piece of sportswriting. You may not agree, and there may be some flimsy analysis mixed in. However, no one's perfect, and this column does a good job of analyzing a situation with reason and logic, which is all I ask for from a sports columnist. I'm not going to rip this one, but I will quote a bit from it and comment. I urge you to click the link and read it in it's entirety.

Subway Series winner? Read on
By Bob Klapisch

NOTE: I got a complaint or two about the [MORE] button not working. It works from this computer. If you are having a similar problem, hit "reload" and then try it again. If, for some reason, it still doesn't work, just click the post title. They're always linked to the permalink.

[MORE]Willie Randolph was dead-on accurate last week when he nominated the Mets as the National League's premier team. All the evidence supports his theory – stats, personnel, momentum and, perhaps most significantly, the dramatic three-game sweep of the Cardinals, who were supposed to be one of the Mets' only obstacles to the World Series.

If they could crush Tony La Russa without Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez, it's hard to imagine the suddenly resurgent Dodgers having better luck in October. So if the Mets are theoretically headed to the Fall Classic, how would they match up against the Yankees?

Introduction, evidence, thesis. This is a pointed, relevant column from the beginning, giving it two more legs than most mainstream columns I've read in the past, oh, decade.

Granted, this is a presumptive question, since the Bombers will have a tougher time than the Mets in winning the pennant. Still, there are moments, like in the Yankees' five-game sweep of the Red Sox, when another Subway Series seems inevitable. And unlike the five-game 2000 edition, which was a mismatch between an aging Met team against a Yankee club that was in the latter stages of its late-90s dynasty, Round 2 would be a fiercer battle.

And a concession, as to not say, “this is going to happen! The Yankees WILL win the AL!” Klapisch understands the nuances of baseball, and isn't a guy who needs to make a bold prediction in order to garner attention.

The Yankees have better starting pitching, at least until the Mets prove they're healthy. The Yankees have a more dangerous offense, and they'll have the home-field advantage this year. But the Mets are younger and more athletic; certainly they play better defense. Their bullpen is more dependable, too. But most of all, Randolph's club has a certain charm that is periodically bestowed upon a team that seems destined to win it all.

The only thing I don't like about that paragraph is the blurb about the Mets “certain charm.” But that's just the objective analyst coming out in me. To deny that intangibles affect a team to a degree is to lose contact with what is human. I just don't like harping on these intangibles, since there's no real way to prove that 1) they exist and 2) the degree to which they affect the team. Thankfully, this “certain charm” is not the focal point of the article.

STARTING PITCHING: Chien-Ming Wang doesn't have quite the same bite on his two-seam fastball from earlier in the season, but his 3.13 ground ball/fly ball ratio (best in the AL) is still good enough to throttle the Mets. Wang's only demerit is his anemic strikeout percentage (2.96 per nine innings), which is the result of hitters swinging early in the count. That keeps his pitch-count low, but too many balls are put in play – which is always a potential threat with Alex Rodriguez 90 feet away.
...
Of all the Mets' starters, it's rookie John Maine who has the arm strength to neutralize the Yankees; he's the only one who throws hard enough to get swings and misses in the strike zone with his four-seam fastball. Everyone else is relying on deception and change of speeds. That's risky business against one the AL's more potent lineups.

Not only does Klapish quote the numbers, but he puts them into perspective. And when numbers don't tell the whole story, as in the case of John Maine, he sticks to relevant rhetoric and analysis. That's the main reason why this column is superior to its peers: relevancy.

RELIEF PITCHING: Mariano Rivera has that nearly untouchable postseason resume, although the AL's average against him has risen by almost 50 points from last year and his strikeouts per nine innings are down by 33 percent (9.19 to 6.05). Nevertheless, it's hard to say which team has the advantage in the ninth inning, even though Billy Wagner has converted on 24 of 26 save opportunities since May 3 and has 77 strikeouts in 601/3 innings.

The real separation between the Mets and Yankees is in the rest of the relief corps. The Met bullpen's 3.19 ERA is second in the NL, no small achievement considering the club lost Duaner Sanchez. Scott Proctor has a better fastball than Aaron Heilman, but with his league-high 65 appearances, is there any doubt he's headed for the same doom as Paul Quantrill and Tanyon Sturtze?
The Yankees believe Octavio Dotel will eventually phase out Proctor, but the Mets' secret weapon could be Guillermo Mota. Just a hunch.

Once again, he's talking numbers and putting them in perspective. Though, I would have replaced the phrase “eventually phase out Proctor” with “eventually unburden Proctor of some innings.” And, in a reach of a statement, he purports that Mota could play a large part in the Mets bullpen. But, he makes sure to note that this is a hunch, not something he can prove. Other columnists might make such a statement as if it were fact.

The most interesting comparisons are found on the left side, where Derek Jeter's bat trumps Jose Reyes'. Defensively, Reyes eclipses Jeter in range and in arm strength. Third base is an even more compelling one-on-one. David Wright's post-home run derby drought (none since July 28, .210 average in August) is odd, although not entirely inexplicable. He just looks and plays like he's burned out (or bored), which is a possibility on a team with a 14½-game lead.

Wright figures to recover next month. But will A-Rod? His league-leading 22 errors are baffling, coming from a former two-time Gold Glove shortstop. Rodriguez looks even worse lately swinging and missing at middle-of-the-plate fastballs. If he comes up short in the playoffs – or even more damning, evaporates against the Mets in a Subway Series – he may have to rethink his vow to retire in pinstripes. It might be time to move on.

At second base, we'll take Robinson Cano over Jose Valentin, and at first base Jason Giambi over Carlos Delgado, although just barely.

Behind the plate, Jorge Posada has a better throwing arm than Paul Lo Duca and hits for more power. But Lo Duca is at least an accomplished gap hitter, batting over .300 with 30 doubles. It's a push between the catchers.

If this column wasn't near over, I'd probably cease quoting from it. Everything is presented in an easy-to-understand format, and there aren't any ridiculous, attention-garnering statements strewn within. I think Mike Lupica could learn a lot from Klapisch...even though Lupica broke onto the scene earlier.

OUTFIELD: The Mets are worse off in the corner positions than they were on opening day; the opposite is true of the Yankees. The Bombers have the better rookie (Melky Cabrera over Lastings Milledge, who was sent down last week) and made the more dramatic trade (Bobby Abreu over Shawn Green).

Green is already a crowd pleaser at Shea, but the Mets could still use some of Xavier Nady's home run potential from the bottom of the order. Green's slugging percentage, which peaked at .598 in 2002, has declined steadily to its current .429.

In left field, the Mets were clearly disappointed by Milledge's lack of production, albeit in a small sample, once Cliff Floyd became a non-factor. Milledge will get a much longer look in 2007, but in the short term he's been outplayed by Cabrera. You have to at least wonder if Omar Minaya miscalculated when he refused to consider dealing Milledge as part of a deal for Barry Zito.

Johnny Damon obviously can't match Carlos Beltran's production in center, but between Cabrera and Abreu – not to mention the expected returns of Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield – the Yankees have more firepower than the Mets could cope with in a short series.

See what I mean? Does anything here seem egregious? Does he misuse numbers, or blur the lines between opinion and fact? If the most inaccurate statement is that the Yankees expect Sheffield to return, you've got yourself a quality column.

MANAGER: Willie Randolph knows every one of Joe Torre's secrets and tactics, the most important of which is keeping his team calm in the face of relentless pressure. Torre isn't perfect; his Bombers melted in the 2001 World Series, and no one will ever forget the 2003 ALCS collapse against Boston. But beating the Sox five straight at Fenway went a long way in proving Torre still has the right touch in the clubhouse.

Randolph is just as cool and composed, certainly as confident. All that's missing is the October experience.

And he finishes not by lubing Randolph's and Torre's chipmunks, but by noting their flaws and extolling their virtues.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you are looking for well-written, pointed Yankees and Mets analysis, look no further than Bob Klapisch. He may not be perfect, but there really is no perfect writer. I'm just thankful that I can go to a newspaper website and read something smart and insightful, rather than something that's printed merely to push buttons.

Unburdening the Yanks

2006-08-28T09:41:00.000-04:00

I really needed a weekend away from baseball. And, thanks to the inconvenient timings of the Angels series, I was able to successfully avoid the bulk of Friday and Saturday's bouts. Apparently I was fortunate; the results were typically pathetic, the absurd number of men left on base being the revisited main story – 13 on Friday and another 10 on Saturday. These numbers are expounded when you factor in the Yankees run totals from those days, 5 and 7, respectively.

I caught the first three and the final two innings of yesterday's game, which was a combination of unimaginable glee and pure disgust. How we're going to rely on Kyle Farnsworth in the eight inning of playoff games is beyond me. I've been behind this guy all year and have endured flat slider after flat slider after hundreds of pitches outside the strike zone. At this point, I'm quite sick of him, and will accept any and all related complaints. And the backup plan, the guy who might have been able to wrest some of the workload and related pressure from Farnsworth, isn't close to being ready.

The quick answer is to re-slot the bullpen. Move Proctor into the eight inning role, Villone into the seventh, and have Farnsworth work random spots in the sixth and seventh innings. The problem, of course, is the abuse Torre levies on his late-innings men. This is why Dotel's recovery is so integral to the team's success in the stretch. If he can return to form and lock down the seventh or eighth inning, that removes stress from the already overworked relievers. We are, after all, approaching bullpen abuse reminiscent of 2004. We don't want to fight that battle again.

2006	G	AL Rank	2004	G	AL Rank
Scott Proctor	66	1	Paul Quantrill	86	1
Kyle Farnsworth	61	2	Tom Gordon	80	2
Ron Villone	60	3	Mariano Rivera	74	7
Mariano Rivera	57	12

Thankfully, there's one more to take the load, though it doesn't seem to be helping too much. Proctor is on pace for 82 appearances, which will near Quantrill's mark. Farnsworth is on pace for 76, Villone 75, and Mo 71. Ideally, you'd like to see Dotel snatch up three or so innings from each guy, but he's not going to be able to accomplish that as he currently stands. This, I think, is going to turn into the story of September. No, wait, I totally forgot the way more important story.

Let me all tell you a tale about a man so great that his only downfall was himself. He goes by the moniker A-Rod, but those of us who don't hate him just call him Alex. Once upon a time, he was the best player in baseball, knocking 36 homers and 54 doubles at the age of 20. And, as if that wasn't enough, he hit 42 home runs and stole 46 bases two years later, firmly installing him in the elite class of the greatest game on the planet. Even as recently as last year, he hit an astounding .321/.421/.610. It seemed as if Alex would be remembered by gilded shrines memorializing his status a man among slightly lesser men.

Even the super-smart people out there who avoid the mainstream Yankees coverage are by now familiar with Alex's struggles at the plate. Even yesterday, as he broke an 0-for-20-something skid at the plate, he didn't look particularly comfortable. It was a pitch slightly above the waist from the lefty Joe Saunders, and Alex slapped it into center for a base hit. On the upside, it didn't look like he tried to do too much with the pitch. His swing looked pointedly shorter, and he just wanted to slap that ball somewhere for base hit. The problem I saw with it was that he was very slow reacting and deciding whether to swing. Had he started his swing sooner (as a result of deciding to swing earlier), he might have drilled that ball on a line to center. Of course, that might have headed straight into Chone Figgins's glove, but I would have rather seen a laser right to a fielder than to see his continued discomfort at the plate. It's like when your buddy is on a dry spell with the ladies; you'd rather see him have the confidence to talk to a beautiful woman and get rejected than sidle up next to the skankiest ho at the bar. However, sometimes it's that skank that puts you back in a more realistic frame of mind, so there is still hope for Alex's recovery. There's always hope when you're 31 and your past includes two MVP trophys.

I said that a lot would be revealed about this team over the 20-day stretch, but that turned out only partially true. We lost quite a few winnable games, especially earlier on (i.e. Chicago), which is disheartening, but it was nice to see them pick up all the pieces and throw them at Boston, who comprised just shy of a quarter of the stretch. Slaying their most direct competitor showed valor on the Yankees part, and gives me hope and confidence that this team can survive a playoff series or two (but hopefully three).

What we haven't seen is the recovery. The team still barely managed to tread water over the span, and much will be learned as they host Detroit and Minnesota this week. Four out of six here would be pretty sweet, as the following 11 days are filled with 10 games against Kansas City, Baltimore, and Tampa Bay. Then it's Boston at home for four, up north to Toronto, down to Tampa Bay (thank jebus there's an off-day in between), then back home to finish the season against Baltimore and Toronto. Judging by the way the team has played over this stretch, the strength of the division and the strength of remaining schedule, the Yankees are set up nicely for another AL East title.

Interesting

2006-08-25T11:47:00.000-04:00

Since I just posted another article from a mainstream sportswriter, I decided to Google the two most popular, Paul Ladewski and Mike Vaccaro.

Vaccaro

Ladewski

As you can see, my post shows up on the first page. Since it's well known that everyone Googles their own name from time to time, I'm pretty sure that these authors have read or will read these articles. Makes me kinda happy.

Ken Fidlin Doesn't Watch Baseball

2006-08-25T10:30:00.000-04:00

I'm going to have to ask that you click the link and read this article in it's entirety. Go ahead, it won't hurt. It's actually not that long, probably because Ken Fidlin ran out of inane, unsubstantiated arguments. It's right here. I'll wait for you.

The Last Word
by Ken Fidlin, as printed in the Toronto Sun

You can pick at the scabs of this Blue Jays season all you want, but no amount of introspection will solve the real dilemma that keeps this team perennially out of the playoffs.

As I see it, J.P. Ricciardi is the problem and anyone who thinks he has done a good job is in denial. Or is still swooning over Moneyball. Just a thought.

[MORE]The true concern has nothing to do with the John Gibbons’ propensity to get in his players’ faces. It has nothing to do with the offence or the defence or the bullpen or anything else related to actual baseball issues.

As I've done more and more of this style of writing, the theme has moved from generally shitty sportswriting to sportswriters who suck because they obviously don't watch the games. Here we have Ken Fidlin, and he basically admits that he doesn't watch the games. Allow me to add the perspective of someone who watches almost 1,500 innings of baseball a year. The team doesn't make the playoffs because (when they play games) they score less runs than their pitchers allow, at a greater rate than two other teams in their division. I shouldn't have to explain this to a sports columnist.

To take it even further, what ails the Blue Jays is not just Toronto’s problem, but baseball’s problem.

Uh oh. I had a feeling this was coming. Better erect a dam, because here comes the river of tears.

The Jays jacked up their payroll by nearly 40% this year, from $50 million US to more than $71 million. It was a big step up for this team’s ownership, which has lost a ton of money over the years. Unfortunately, in the pursuit of competitive balance within the American League East, that increased spending by Toronto is only a drop in the bucket.

Kudos to the Blue Jays management for that payroll increase. They're receiving revenue sharing dollars, and it appears that money is being put back into the team, which is more than can be said for many small market teams. But 15 teams still spend more than them. So if you're going with the argument that a better record is attainable through more spending, you're shooting yourself in the foot. If dollars equaled wins, the Blue Jays would be even further out of contention.

This is a division in which the two biggest spenders in baseball — the Yankees and the Red Sox — reside and, until Major League Baseball is able to figure out a way to put a punitive muzzle on the free-spending ways of those two rich franchises, the other teams that exist in the AL East have no real possibility of rewarding or growing their fan base. And any team that has no way of rewarding its fans, even occasionally, is courting disaster.

How long have you been waiting to break out the phrase, “punitive muzzle?” Did it come to you in a glorious epiphany? But that's beyond the point.

I have a simple counter-argument to Fidlin's assertion that other teams in the AL East “have no real possibility of rewarding or growing their fan base.” If you spend that $70 million like a sane person, you might just be able to field a competitive team. Look at the Twins ($64 million) and the A's ($62 million). They both have better records than the Blue Jays, and face similar financial limitations. But your GM spends money like a psychopath determined to dive into every high-risk situation the market affords.

Since 1994, when baseball split up into three divisions (creating a playoff structure of three division champs and one wild-card), the Yankees have made the playoffs every year for the past 11. Nine times they have won the AL East and twice they have made it as the wild card.

In that same 11-year span, the Red Sox have made the playoffs six times — five as the wild card, once as division champ.

Thanks for the facts, Ken. Now what does it all mean?

During that period, no team has come even close to spending as much as the Yankees on an annual basis.

True, but should they be so harshly criticized for putting money into their team? I'll get into this later, because Fidlin comes back with a monster of an observation.

Teams in the AL Central and Western divisions at least have the opportunity to compete, more or less, against teams in their own economic strata for the division titles. That’s how teams such as the Angels, the A’s, the Twins and the White Sox have been able to create some excitement in their own markets by making the playoffs.

No snarkiness, just tables:

AL West	Payroll	Record
Oakland	$62 million	72-55
Anaheim	$103.5 million	67-60
Texas	$68 million	65-63
Seattle	$88 million	57-69

What it proves: Uh, payroll doesn't mean as much as you make it out. Not at all. The A's are pretty much at their spending cap (read: over $30 million less than the Angels), and are firmly ahead in the division. So they're competing with a financial juggernaut and winning.

AL Central	Payroll	Record
Detroit	$82.6 million	81-46
Chicago	$102.7 million	74-52
Minnesota	$63.4 million	73-52
Cleveland	$56 million	57-68
Kansas City	$47 million	46-82

Once again, there is much disparity in the AL Central payrolls. The Twins aren't even close to the White Sox in payroll, but trail them in the standings by a half game. Notice, too, that the two $100 million teams in these divisions aren't even leading. The two successful teams with the low payrolls, Minnesota and Oakland, prove that you don't need to spend a lot to win; you just need to spend wisely. The Blue Jays are not spending wisely. That's the problem. Is it clear yet?

In the cases of the White Sox and Angels, they’ve even been able to win a World Series.

Chicago's $75 million payroll in 2005 ranked 13th in baseball. The Angels $61 million payroll in 2002 ranked 15th.

Occasionally, as it looks like it might this year, one of the also-rans from those divisions even gets a shot at the wild-card.

You mean the also-ran White Sox, now with the fourth highest payroll in baseball?

In baseball’s 2002 labour agreement, a luxury tax was instituted to penalize teams whose player payrolls exceeded a defined threshold. For the 2006 season, the Yankees, with a payroll of about $200 million, will pay a tax calculated at 40% of their total player salaries that exceed $136.5 million.

That's roughly $30 million in the pockets of smaller market teams. You should be grateful, because that money is being distributed to the Blue Jays.

It didn’t even make the Yankees blink. They earn revenues in excess of $300 million a year and that doesn’t even include all the money they earn from their local TV package, reputed to be the best in baseball.

Well, when you earn revenues like that, it's smart to put that money back into the business. And the Yankees do earn more money from their local TV package than any team in baseball, mainly because George Steinbrenner is smart and decided to create the station himself. There aren't rules against that; the Blue Jays could up and do that tomorrow if they so desired.

NOTE: I've been informed by a beautiful lady that the Jays may not be able to create their own regional sports network. This is only because they play in Canada, and if Canadian law prevents such an endeavor (not familiar with Canadian law), I have little sympathy.

Yes, it’s complicated, but all you need to understand is that, whatever the penalty is, it’s not large enough to deter the Yankees from spending whatever it takes to not only put the best team on the field, but to fill in the mid-season gaps when players are injured or fail to produce.

Yes, it's complicated, but you need to understand plenty more than what Fidlin purports. This is a tool used by the newspaper columnist to make themselves feel important when, in fact, they have nothing interesting to say. I mean, there's obviously more to understand than Fidlin has presented, since he's presenting a ludicrous side of a multifaceted argument.

What it all boils down to is that baseball needs a hard salary cap and it needs to share more of its revenue if it wants to build and maintain a healthy competitive balance.

Every year, the same shit. Where were you in 1994, when Donald Fehr strong-armed the owners and made a salary cap an impossibility? Why make such a statement when it's never going to happen so long as the MLB Players Association stays in tact? It's a topic revisited year after year by columnists who are frustrated that their team sucks.

I'm kind of torn on the revenue sharing issue, though. While I think it would help baseball for the Yankees to include their revenues from YES in their shared dollars, I don't feel Steinbrenner should be obligated to just hand over money from the behemoth that he created. I guess that while I don't have a clue as to how revenue should be shared, I do agree that the current system needs an overhaul. However, no matter what argument you present, I will never agree that merchandise sales should be shared. If you spend money on good players and field a good team, people will buy your merchandise, and that's money you shouldn't have to hand back to the fledgling Royals.

The Jays have a decent team and a lot of folks wonder why more fans don’t show up. Well, it’s simple. Fans aren’t stupid. How can you make an investment, both emotional and financial, in a team that begins every season with only a vague chance?

Keyword: decent team. The hype was all about the Blue Jays having a team good enough to compete with the Yankees and the Red Sox, but anyone with a modicum of baseball knowledge knew that hype wouldn't hold up.

I have an answer for Fidlin's ostensibly rhetorical query. You invest emotionally and financially in a baseball team because you have a passion for baseball, not because they're winning. They have a term for people who only stand behind their team when they're winning: front runners. We don't want no stinkin' front runners, Ken, so please don't encourage them. If you love baseball, you'll stick by your team in the best of times and blurst of times.

Last year’s NHL labour impasse was a wrenching ordeal for everybody involved. But, in the long run, there are indications that the entire game will be healthier and more stable as a result.

Or it will be stuck with record low attendances for the next decade, as precedented by the baseball strike. And what are these “indications” you speak of, Ken? Are they indications, or is that just you making stuff up to fill space in your column? The NHL stuck on OLN, a channel most people can't find on their dial. Healthy is not exactly the way I'd describe the league now, or how it projects 10 years down the road. I'll even go out on a limb and predict that the NHL will fold before it reaches the level of prosperity it was at before the strike.

In the NFL, where many revenues are shared equally, the small centres such as Green Bay and Minneapolis, can compete on a level playing field.

NFL teams play once a week and their games are televised on a national basis. Thus, it is much more conceivable to share that revenue rather than appropriate it to larger market teams. Baseball plays 162 games a year, only a handful of which are nationally televised. This just isn't a fair comparison.

When their teams fail, fans in every NFL city and every NHL city can legitimately criticize their team’s management, coaching and talent evaluation and hope that things get better next year.

You can do that in baseball, too. In fact, I just did when I said that J.P. Ricciardi is a nutjob who duped people into thinking he can run a successful baseball team. The Blue Jays have one of the worst minor league systems in the game and have a disproportionate amount of their payroll committed to guys like A.J. Burnett (4.46 ERA).

In baseball, and especially in places like Toronto, the playing field is so badly tilted that it’s not even a real issue.

Wait, what? Not even a real issue? Then why the fuck did you just write that article? Man, I love the pages of my local paper filled with stories about issues that aren't really issues. It is an issue, and it's going to take a more creative solution than, “hard cap, more revenue sharing,” to get it done.

It’s baseball’s obligation to make it an issue.

Too bad that train left the station 12 years ago.

When watching sports with a big group of guys, there's always one guy there who doesn't have a clue, but wants to fit in and seem smart about sports. So he goes and makes some wacky statement, hoping to spark debate. And when he's lambasted by his more sports-privy compadres, he spouts off nothings in a vain attempt to defend himself. I've seen this, you've seen this, and hopefully you've never been that guy. Fidlin is that guy. Fidlin is like the guy I trouned in Madden two years ago, who was “so psyched to used the Chargers because they signed Drew Brees to a long-term contract.”

Or, more accurately, he was the guy in April who was singing doomsday songs for the Yankees while thinking that his Blue Jays were the next big thing. Not that he actually did that in his columns (having a hard time finding his archives), but he's the kind of guy that would have. And then complained endlessly in August when the Blue Jays performed like, well, most reasonable people expected.

Now how about watching some of those games, Ken? I hear there's some interesting stuff to see.

Ah, Crap. Lost A Series To A Cellar Team.

2006-08-25T09:06:00.000-04:00

Late inning comebacks are the stuff of inspired and/or well rested teams. For the series in Seattle, the Yankees were neither, and it resulted in dropping two of three. Normally, the mantra is to feed on the weak teams, but on the heels of the Boston series, I don't think it matters much that the Yanks lost this series. Sure, you'd like to take at least two of three from a last place team, but under the circumstances this is forgivable.

Despite the four runs he allowed over the first three innings, Randy Johnson gets the game ball for last night. After the third, he started to look like a more serviceable starter than he had in the first three frames, sitting down the Mariners while facing just two more than the minimum for the rest of the game. There is the key, folks: the rest of the game. Randy's perseverance gave everyone in the bullpen the day off, so there was something to gain by this game, despite the loss.

Now the bullpen will be rested, and the team will be inspired heading into Anaheim, a place where the Yanks can't seem to win consistently. Having a well rested bullpen is certainly one of the keys to this series, as the Yankees are trotting out Jaret Wright and Jeff Karstens for two out of the three games, and Cory Lidle – and you can't really expect anything from him – in the other.

Worrying my more than the pitching situation are the bats. We're entering the final three games of the 20-day, 21-game stretch, and the position players have to be reeling. This does not bode well for the series, since it's unlikely the Yanks and Angels will be mired in any pitching duels.

So, to recap:

Randy: awesome for finishing the game and giving the bullpen a day off.

Bats: worrisome because the pressure will be on them this weekend.

Karstens and Wright starting in the same series: frightening.

Day off on Monday: priceless.

I've got something up my sleeve for later today. Another idiot has written an article about how it's not fair that the Yankees spend a lot of money. So I'll have my commentary on that.

Yanks 9, Ms 2

2006-08-24T09:49:00.000-04:00

Some of you may be familiar with the piece I wrote a week and a half ago on Chien-Ming Wang's workload, and how a few bad starts in a row could be blamed on that factor. His start after that article was the Friday game against Boston, which – despite the win – still left me unconvinced that he would be reliable down the stretch. Wang was good against Boston, but not to the level that he demonstrated earlier in the year. But last night had to prove something, right?

I'm actually labeling the results inconclusive. Many of you probably think I'm insane, and I don't blame you. By all appearances, Wang was dominant last night, even racking up five strikeouts, a sure rarity. But you have to consider the team he was facing before you analyze the results. It's no coincidence that Wang has a history of dominating the Mariners; he's an extreme groundball pitcher that relies on his opponents hacking at low pitches and beating them into the dirt. And – surprise, surprise – Seattle is sitting on a team .320 OBP, good for 13th in the American League, ahead of only Tampa Bay.

To clarify, so I don't get angry comments, I'm not saying Wang pitched badly, not by any stretch. Rather, I'm just pointing out that he faced an ideal team at a time when fatigue may be catching up with him. His ability to pitch down the stretch will become more evident next week, when he faces the Tigers. I'm not sure how the pitchers will line up, but I would be ecstatic to see Wang-Verlander. I will also be ecstatic if we get to face Kenny Rogers. But that's all for next week.

What I enjoyed most about the game was that the Yankees managed nine runs on zero home runs. We all love the longball, but to rely on it is to exit the playoffs early. The manufacturing of runs is more impressive when you consider the pitcher, Felix Hernandez, who attains the bulk of his outs via the groundball and the strikeout (an ideal pitcher, in theory). Instead of looking to whale low, sinking pitches over the fence, the Yankees worked with what they were dealt and slapped singles and doubles all over the park. The only downfall of the lack of a longball: 12 men left on base, which has become pretty much commonplace for the Yanks, win or lose.

When you're hitting a stretch like this there's not much to analyze. It's much easier to sit down and write a diatribe after a loss than an article of praise following a win. I'm sure Randy will give us plenty to talk about tonight, though.

Still looking for a columnist to rip this week, so if anyone has read anything that would suggest the author doesn't watch the games, send it my way.

Could Have Told You That Three Weeks Ago

2006-08-23T10:20:00.000-04:00

I'm coming up on some good stuff in my quest to find a shitty column to rip. From Tony Massarotti of the Boston Herald:

Let’s be honest, Sox followers: The Javy Lopez acquisition has been a disaster. Dealt an unfortunate blow with the loss of Jason Varitek, Sox officials acquired Lopez from the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 4. Lopez has since batted .238 with no home runs and has done little to shed a questionable reputation behind the plate.

Yeah, and Theo Epstein is the personnel genius?

Manny Ramirez is a Great Baseball Player

2006-08-23T10:14:00.000-04:00

But do you really want him on your team? From the insufferable Dan Shaughnessy:

This time, we have a juicy conspiracy theory, which holds that Ramírez is annoyed because of an official scorer's decision in Friday night's loss to the Yankees. Manny, who was absolutely scalding the baseball throughout the Yankee series (8 for 11 with nine walks), lost a base hit when a hard hopper clanged off the backhand glove of Derek Jeter in the fifth inning of the second game. In yesterday's Providence Journal, Sean McAdam wrote, "Ramírez was enraged by the call, and was so angry about it the next day that he had to be talked into playing the Saturday afternoon game."

Yeah, that's the attitude of a winner. Say what you will about Alex Rodriguez and his psychological problems, I still hold him in a higher regard than Manny, who routinely chooses to turn it off over the course of a season.

OK, it's Manny being Manny and everything is always forgiven by fanboys and sycophants because the numbers are there at the end of the year. For sure, none of Manny's teammates will call him out now because, like Francona, they know there's no upside to challenging Ramírez. But you can be pretty sure they're wondering what is going on with the savant slugger as he rests his hamstring while the team is freefalling.

Just ridiculous.

Got Greed?

2006-08-23T09:51:00.000-04:00

I guess I answered my question from yesterday. For those curious, it feels just as bad as losing the games to the White Sox two weeks ago, but a little worse because the Mariners are no Pale Hose. It was a 100 percent winnable game in which the Yankees just couldn't score the guys on the basepaths. And as I've said before, that's going to happen to teams built like the Yankees. Let's hope that kind of luck doesn't spill over into tonight.

Since I'm sick of leading these stories with Alex, I'm going to jump right to Jeff Karstens. He looked a little shaky – all right, a lot shaky. His 61-30 strikes to balls ratio wasn't bad, but just about everything else was. This includes his two home runs surrendered (Sexson and Beltre, which irks me just a bit), six total hits in five and a third innings, and his “eh” two walks to two strikeouts. Jeff at Lookout Landing has a take on that situation:

You see, Karstens was born without a lower jaw, and he's exploited this feature to his advantage by adopting a deceptive and distracting presence on the mound that keeps hitters off balance. It's been the key to his entire professional career, because he certainly doesn't have the kind of raw stuff on which he can survive alone. That became abundantly clear very early, when he flashed a straight fastball around 91mph, a slider with practically zero speed difference, and a curve that was more eephus than legitimate Major League weapon. Oh, and he threw them all with spotty location, routinely forcing Posada to move his glove a considerable distance to receive the pitch. After walking Chris Snelling, Karstens threw an absolutely godawful fastball to Adrian Beltre that would've crossed the middle of the plate at the belt had Beltre not crapped all over the ball and sent it beyond the left-center fence. Just like that, the Mariners had a 2-0 lead. Richie Sexson followed that with a deep fly out, Raul Ibanez followed that with a double, and Karstens' fate became clear - if he didn't start directing these balls in play towards his teammates instead of the wall, he'd be gone so fast his ghoulish head would spin, and he'd never get another chance in the big leagues again.

So, naturally, he settled down, aided by some unfortunately-textbook terrible approaches at the plate by Mariner hitters.
...
Karstens was surviving by the skin of the upper row of his teeth, and he knew it. Against any other lineup in any other stadium, he'd have been gone by the third, getting ready to take his Pony League repertoire back to AAA where he'd collect a smaller paycheck and get into arguments over why he has to pay his dentist a full bill for doing half the work. But no, not in Safeco, not against Seattle - in that environment, he was one out away from a quality start in his Major League debut in front of his disgustingly obese and unattractive family.

One could guess that Karstens would learn a bit from his first Major League outing and apply it when he faces a much tougher Angels lineup on Sunday. But after reading Jeff's assessment, I'm not so confident in that anymore. He may not be a professional, but Jeff often provides excellent insights into the nuances of pitching. It makes me want to go back and watch the game with a finer eye, but since I have this shitty job, that's not going to be possible. Though, I have to say, watching the game with the intention of nitpicking Karstens's performance isn't any less productive than what I get done at work.

Wanting to punch a hole in the TV: Alex Rodriguez striking out in his first two at bats.
Wide-eyed and cheering like a madman: Alex Rodriguez plastering one way into the upper deck.
Out at PC Richards, buying a new TV: Alex Rodriguez strikes out again in the ninth.

He had the chance to be a hero, in front of one of the three crowds in baseball that most detests him, against a terrible reliever (Julio Mateo – 27 strikeouts to 20 walks, 1.69 WHIP, 4.82 ERA). After taking the first three pitches and falling behind 1-2, he got beat with some high heat, leaving Jeter and Guiel on the base paths. If anything, this dispelled the notion brought up following his home run off rookie O'Flaherty that he only whales on shitty pitching. Because it doesn't get much shittier than Mateo.

Ron Villone didn't waste any time, though that home run is a bit confounding. It came on the fourth pitch of the at bat, on the heels of two swinging strikes. Normally, I'd blame a performances like this on the fatigue incurred by the Yankees pitchers over the weekend, but it seems that this was simply a misplaced pitch. The good news: he didn't work too hard, so if you give him the day off today he should be back to full strength tomorrow. And since we know Torre is wont to use Villone and Proctor as much as humanly possible, Wang absolutely needs to go deep into this game. I'm talking at least seven, hopefully eight innings, and we're desperately hoping for a 5-plus run lead, since Mo could use another day off as well. I can't envision a situation more appealing than Wang going eight followed by Dotel in the ninth. Of course, I also can't envision a situation more appealing than going 162-0, so yeah, just to put that in perspective.

So, what did we learn last night?

1)It still sucks balls to lose winnable games, even after you beat the second place team in your division five straight.
2)Alex Rodriguez needs to go to Baseball Analysts and read that breakdown of his swing, because there's obviously something wrong.
3)Jeff Karstens, while not very good, may very well be better than Jaret Wright
4)I can't believe I'm saying this, but...we could really use Carl Pavano right now. Hey, at least the guy is/was a Major League pitcher.
5)If your team rattles off a five-game winning streak amidst a 14-day, 15-game stretch, chances are you're going to lose the 16th game.

And we'll take these thoughts into tonight, as the Yankees second-year phenom faces the Mariners second-year phenom. Wang vs. Felix. It should be the best game of the series.

DH for MVP?

2006-08-22T09:44:00.000-04:00

John over at Pinstripe Alley has penned a few paragraphs beautifully describing why a DH should not win the MVP award:

Francona said Loretta was getting treatment all Sunday night to be ready for Monday's game. You can be sure the Yankee players were just as tired. Manny leaves in the fourth because of cramps. Crisp bangs his hand in the outfield trying to snare Giambi's game winning blast. Melvin Mora leaves a game after stabbing a Posada liner last week at third. David Ortiz never has to face this situation.

It's definitely the best argument I've heard to date because it doesn't home in on the value of defense, but rather the long-term difference between a full-time player and a DH. If Ortiz played first base daily, it's doubtful he would put up such gawdy numbers.

What Does It Feel Like To Lose?

2006-08-22T09:35:00.000-04:00

Click on the smaller image to pull up the full statistics table from the Yanks/Sox series. Those offensive numbers...they're just insane. I'm just wondering how we're all going to react when they drastically drop off over the next few days.

I'll admit that I'm kind of scared about the next six games. The Yankees put it all on the line this weekend against Boston, and they were able to thwart their most looming threat. But now they're headed out west to face a couple of teams that will have little bearing on their postseason fate. And considering one of those teams is the Angles, I'd be ecstatic to go 3-3 through Sunday.

Tonight's bout is one that, while yielding some potential, could end unfavorably for the Yankees. But I implore everyone to not judge the team or Mr. Jeffrey Karstens on the ultimate outcome of the game. He's a 23-year-old righty who has seemingly found his stuff over the course of the season. He's being given a tryout start here because, well, Sidney Ponson can't hack it as a Major League pitcher. As such, it's important to remember that he's going to walk a few guys, and he's going to toss some hittable pitches. If he makes it through five innings (that's all I envision him going) and gives up four or less runs, consider it a success.

For some more info on Karstens, check out this assessment by Mike A., formerly of In George We Trust, currently of Baby Bombers:

Karstens seems destined to start 2006 at Triple-A Columbus after winning 12 games and posting a remarkable K/BB ratio of 3.5 (147/42) at Double-A. He's got the look and stuff of a solid back-of-rotation starter, where his impeccable command would be a welcome addition. With the Yankees crowded rotation, he could fit in as a Tanyon Sturtze type swingman, where his bullpen experience would be a plus. If he continues to improve and has a good year at Triple-A, it's possible he could earn a big league call-up come September. If not, he should see some major league action during the 2007 campaign.

With rest being doled out by Torre, you can expect the Yankees will score only about three runs tonight, so a loss may be in the cards. But after gaining five games in the AL East in the last four days, the Yankees can afford to gamble with the kid here. This allows Jaret Wright to slide back into Mike Mussina's spot, giving both men extra rest between starts. If Karstens can hold his own, he can be used to spell Wang in September. That's also where our boy Carl Pavano comes into the picture. He threw nearly 80 pitches in his last rehab outing, and plans to top that mark Friday for Columbus. Even if everything goes exactly to plan (which it never does), Pavano likely won't be back until the rosters expand. Even then, he can be a huge help, adding a sixth (or seventh, if Karstens inspires optimism) arm to the rotation, which will help the Yanks prepare for the playoffs.

Another important factor in this series will be Octavio Dotel. He's been used in limited spurts since his return from the DL, and has been yanked at the first sign of trouble. That makes sense, considering the gravity of the series the Yanks just completed. However, one would expect Dotel to pitch a full inning in two out of the three games in Seattle. This is not to disrespect the Mariners, but more that they aren't a contending team and the Yankees can afford to take a few risks.

It's a 10:00 start tonight for you east coast folk, meaning it's best to curl up on the couch with the alarm clock set for whatever time it is you get up for work. Then again, these games shouldn't go too much longer than those in the Boston series.

Numbers from Baseball Musings

Woke Up This Morning, Got Myself Some Schadenfreude

2006-08-21T09:55:00.000-04:00

I'm...I'm having trouble beginning my column for the day. You see, I never expected to sit down at my keyboard this morning having to talk about the Yankees tallying four straight wins against the Red Sox. Honestly, I was prepared for a splitsville piece, with some Wells-bashing for good measure. But right now, David Wells is the furthest thought from my mind. Instead, I keep replaying the bottom of the 9th and the top of the 10th in my head, awestruck as to how the Yanks even sent the game to extras. I'd like to thank Eric Hinske for playing like Eric Hinske and sending a crisp breeze through Fenway Park with his contact-less bat.

There is but one word in my mind right now: Schadenfreude. So it seems like the most appropriate thing to do is quote sorrowful Boston columnists and bask in their agony. Hey...it's the right thing to do.

Boby Ryan in the Boston Globe:

It really doesn't matter what David Wells does today. The humiliation is complete. The Red Sox are now six games behind the Yankees in the loss column, so you can forget about the American League East. And if you're thinking wild card, be advised that the Red Sox are three behind the Twins and four behind the White Sox in that same loss column.
...
The sorry summation of the story is that right now the Yankees simply do not know how to lose to the Red Sox. They take whatever Boston dishes out and they trump it. If you want to go all historical and compare this to the debacle in 1978, I won't be the one to stop you. But that Red Sox team got back in the race. This Red Sox team has one starting pitcher who engenders any confidence at all, and he has lost two well-pitched games in five days.
And please don't embarrass yourself by referencing 2004, either. Just don't.

Ryan's colleague, Nick Cafardo, has a piece on Theo Epstein's excuse for getting slaughtered by the Yanks.

"Yeah, conceivably that's an example where we didn't have the resources to take on his salary this year or next year, but we have tremendous resources, don't get me wrong," Epstein said. ``We have fantastic resources; that's just not something we can do with a [luxury tax hit] of $20 million-plus dollars. That's not something we can do. To upgrade in right field is not worth it to us because we have to spread that money around to execute our plan and build the '07 team."
...
Before you feel too sorry for Boston, consider the A's probably couldn't have picked up either Eric Hinske or Javy Lopez had Jason Kendall or Jay Payton been lost to injury. But the difference is the Red Sox are spending $74 million less than their biggest rival.
...
"We're not going to change our approach and all of a sudden try to build an uberteam, and all of a sudden win now at the expense of the future. That's not an excuse. (emphasis mine) I'm not trying to throw some sort of a cloak over the clear holes that are on this team by sort of talking instantly about the future. I'm not. Our goals are now and our goals are to put ourselves in a position to win every single year."

First off, it sounds like an excuse to me. Second off, if you're going to give a press conference essentially conceding the 2006 season, why not come out and say it? I'm not saying that saving and building for the future is a bad plan. But when you have a fanbase expecting playoffs and when you have a team with parts integral to the “win now” mantra, you have to do your team justice. Theo had better hope the 2006-2007 off-season goes better than his trading deadline, or he could be in deep shit next year. I don't think the Nation will appreciate the same message at this time next year.

Tony Massarotti of the Boston Herald apologizes for Theo:

Obviously, the last two seasons have been quite a time for the GM of the Red Sox. After winning a World Series in 2004, Epstein was needlessly forced to wait for a contract extension. Then came last offseason’s soap opera in which Epstein resigned and returned. In his absence, the majority of roster moves were made.

At times yesterday, while fielding questions from reporters, Epstein looked like his head might explode. He scowled. He clenched his jaw. And though he answered every question without raising his voice, it is in those moments the competitor in him tries to fight through the layers of skin.

Those are the moments, too, where you cannot help but respect him.

“Anytime you don’t win, the criticism is fair,” Epstein said. “Our job as an organization is to win. The criticism is always fair. We’re extremely critical of ourselves and I’m critical of myself.”

But not critical enough, apparently.

Michael Silverman has a piece in the Herald, in which he reveals David Ortiz's quote of the year:

“It’s not fair, man, these guys aren’t playing around,” Ortiz said. “They should have let us win that game to make the series interesting.”

To what degree he's kidding is unknown. But even to jokingly make that quip after dropping four straight to the first-place team in your division is Bush League. Another Ortiz gem:

“We had our best pitching and they still beat us,” Ortiz said.

Reason No. 1 why the Sox won't make the playoffs: their best pitching was on display this weekend. One serviceable starter, no bullpen before Papelbon. I hope that's an off-white flag you're waving, Papi, because I don't think you're fit for a pure one.

Of course, the fine folks at Boston Dirt Dogs have a few self-deprecating remarks.

Finally, Boston Globe beat reporter Gorden Edes has this to say about Boston's situation in the bottom of the ninth:

Mariano Rivera pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth and the teams went into extras.

Funny, I figured there would be something in there about the Sox shitting the bed. Don't worry, Gordon, we all know it's not fair that the Red Sox couldn't muster a run with a man on third with less than two outs.

Another day game today, and since there are a grand total of four people in the office, I think I'll be watching it. Thank MLB Advanced Media for not blacking out ESPN day games.

Oh, and if you have any particularly interesting Boston reactions, e-mail them or leave them in the comments.

Brilliance Personified

2006-08-18T12:49:00.000-04:00

Go Team Child Molester!

Joseph's Top 40

2006-08-18T10:53:00.000-04:00

First, off, congratulations to Aaron Gleeman, for furthering his dream and signing a multi-year deal to write for a living. Hats off, Aaron (and that's not in my normally snarky tone). Aaron has given me hope for my writing career. If he can do it, I can do it, and that's no insult to one of the pioneers of baseball blogging.

In the linked post, Aaron posted the first 40 songs that came up when he hit "shuffle" on his iPod, and challenged fellow bloggers to do the same. Well, here's mine:

The Zutons, Havana Gang Brawl
The Urge, Gene Machine
Pearl Jam, W.M.A.
Black Crowes, Lickin'
Tool, Useful Idiot
The Sex Pistols, Problems
Weezer, Butterfly
Snoop Doggy Dogg, For All My Niggaz and My Bitches
Incubus, Make Yourself (acoustic)
Green Day, 1,000 Hours
Nirvana, Something In the Way
Pearl Jam, Better Man
Green Day, Are We the Waiting
The Notrious B.I.G., Me & My Bitch
The Roots, I'm Out Deah
Pearl Jam, Rats
moe., Nebraska
Starland Vocal Band, Afternoon Delight
Eagles, Life in the Fast Lane
Blur, Parklife
The Clash, Remote Control
Alice in Chains, Swing on This
The Cars, Tonight She Comes
Pride & Glory, Lovin' Woman
Phish, Tweezer
Allman Brothers Band, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed
Aerosmith, Big Ten Inch Record
Mindless Self Indulgence, Played
Outkast, Toilet Tisha
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stadium Arcadium
Nine Inch Nails, The Fragile
Public Enemy, Cold Lampin' With the Flavor
Outkast, Synthesizer
A Tribe Called Quest, The Pressure
Boston, Rock & Roll Band
The Urge, Divide and Conquer
The Hives, A Little More for Little You
Red Hot Chili Peppers, 21st Century
Elvis Costello, Man Out Of Time
Rush, Something for Nothing

All I have to say is that it's not quite the list I was looking for, but when you have 3,821 songs on random, you rarely get everything you want. For the record, I'm absolutely obsessed with the new Muse album, "Black Holes and Revelations." The last song, "Knights of Cydonia," is pure musical genius, and has an equally brilliant video (you can find it by searching at YouTube.)

Tyler Fucking Clippard!!!!!!

2006-08-18T10:32:00.000-04:00

Just look at the box score.

And then let out a cry of joy.

I Hate Losing to the Orioles

2006-08-18T09:48:00.000-04:00

That didn't exactly go as planned. A four and six start to a 21-game stretch is no way to assert your dominance. And losing two of three to the Orioles? Inexcusable in every way. We managed a total of four runs against Rodrigo Lopez and Adam Loewen, who bear ERAs of 6.03 and 6.12, respectively. If crappy pitchers can dominate the Yankees, we're absolutely screwed this weekend. A looksee at the Boston rotation:

Pitcher	IP	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	K/BB	ERA
J. Johnson	25.0	4.32	3.96	0.72	1.37	7.20
J. Lester	72.2	6.70	4.46	0.74	1.50	4.09
J. Beckett	152.1	7.46	2.95	1.83	2.52	5.02
C. Schilling	166.2	8.04	1.19	1.35	6.77	3.89
D. Wells	26.0	4.50	1.73	2.42	2.60	6.23

So yeah, pretty terrible other than Schilling.

I can't even analyze this series. You can break it down all you want, but there is no predicting what will happen over the course of these five games. The pressure really is on Wang not only to win the series opener, but take some pressure off Ponson in the night cap. Statistics can tell you a lot, but they can't tell you how Ponson will perform in the face of a loss vs. a win.

This isn't a certainty, but it's been seriously discussed over the past few days. My buddy Andy and I are starting up another sports blog, An Irrational Discourse, and we're thinking about live-blogging the Saturday game. We'll be discussing our reactions to everything, along with poking fun at Tim McCarver (but no Joe Buck! WOOOOOOOOO!!!). Be sure to tune in around noon, since it wouldn't be a live blog if we didn't rip on the pre-game show. Then again, I don't know if I have the patience to handle Jeannie Zelasko.

And you know what? The boss is out until Monday, so there's a chance of a live-blog this afternoon. I might get the broadcast on MLB.tv, since I've gotten ESPN day games before. If not, it will be off the radio broadcast, so I may need some commenters here to explain a big, since Sterling rarely tells you the whole story.

That's All We Got? Two Goddamn Runs?

2006-08-17T09:11:00.000-04:00

I'll be brief with the recap for two reasons.

1)I fuckin' hate losing to the Orioles. It's one thing to 1-run games to good teams like the White Sox, but to drop last night to the Orioles was inexcusable. And somewhere, someone is finding a way to pin this loss on Alex.
2)My main writing for the day can be found over at Off the Facade. It's my, uh, different take on Yankees/Red Sox weekend.

So let's start the bullet points:

After the third inning, we were ready to hang Cory Lidle. But then he settled in and sat down the Orioles like the fourth place team they are. We knew what we were getting when we acquired him: six innings, three runs, just about every time. He gave us six and a third last night, though it didn't look like he'd make it that far after the third. Had he been able to finish off the Orioles after getting two quick outs just one of those innings, and we have a different ballgame. That's baseball for ya.

It was evident from the beginning that the Yanks probably weren't going to hit Adam Loewen very hard, but one would think that the Os bullpen would blow it as they always do. When Loewen exited after five and a third, you could feel the excitement; LaTroy Hawkins, meet your owners. Alas, the cold bats stretched throughout the night, and the Yanks couldn't even pull through when Abreu and Alex gave them a fighting chance in the eighth.

Even though the Red Sox won, this loss didn't phase me like some losses earlier in the season. I guess I'm coming to the realization that you're not going 162-0. I should pen a book called, Teams Will Lose Games, Even In A Championship Season. The tabloids would never allow its release, though, because that viewpoint would put them out of business.

If we lose again today, however, I'll be chirping about it.

I guess the team is going to head out to Boston immediately after the game. Hopefully it will be via plane, because no one's going to want to sit in the New York-New England rush hour traffic right after a day game and right before a doubleheader. I suggest the Yankees each take an Ambien upon entering their hotel and rest up for tomorrow. The prospect of this doubleheader is scaring the shit out of me.

Larry Brooks Does Not Watch Baseball

2006-08-16T14:11:00.000-04:00

Intangibles Still in Torre's Corner

by: Larry Brooks, somehow printed in the New York Post

August 16, 2006 -- JOE TORRE was talking about the Red Sox, whom the Yankees will play five times in four days at Fenway beginning Friday, but he just as well could have been talking about his own team.

Interesting. Continue, Larry.

"Good teams find a way to get things done," Torre said last night when asked if he still considered Boston to be as serious a threat as ever, injuries to people like Jason Varitek, Trot Nixon and Tim Wakefield notwithstanding. "That's the intangible [that's tangible]."

Cliché quote? Check. Mention of intangibles? Check. I think we're in for an “old school” column, folks.

[MORE]It's the intangible that somehow kept the Yankees afloat in 2005 when their pitching staff fell to pieces and the season as well appeared about to shatter in the aftermath of miserable performances last June in Kansas City, Milwaukee and St. Louis.

And all this time I thought it was common knowledge that it was the fluky brilliance of Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon combined with the return of -- and serviceable performances by -- Jaret Wright and Chien-Ming Wang that kept them afloat in 2005. But I'll be darned, it was an intangible all along. But which intangible was it? Grittiness? Grinding it out? Regardless, I'm thankful for the correction of my logic. Where would I be without Larry Brooks to correct the flaws in my thinking?

It's the intangible that provided the stitches of the fabric this year that allowed the Yankees to prosper after corner outfielders Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield went down in May.

Once again, I was misled on this issue. But I'm still confused, Larry. Are the performances of Melky Cabrera and Bernie Williams intangible? Are Johnny Damon, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Robinson Cano, and Jorge Posada intangible? What about Wang and Mussina? I thought those were the “stitches of the fabric,” the guys who carried the team. According to Brooks, either I'm wrong or all of these players and their numbers are intangible. I wonder if Larry owns a dictionary.

Players come and players go. Heroes and goats exchange roles. Johnny Damon turns in a cowboy hat for Pinstripes. But still, for the ninth year running, and with the latest, greatest version of baseball armageddon just a couple of days away, there are the Yankees in first place and there are the Red Sox in second.

Do I need to point out that the first two lines are retardedly poetic? And did anyone else know that they wore cowboy hats in Boston? This jumble could be reduced to the following sentence: “Despite the constant swapping of players, the Yankees are in first and the Red Sox are in second for the ninth year running.” See how much tighter and to the point that is? Oh, damn, forgot about Larry's word count. And here you have the M.O. of sports columnists: why waste time with insight when I can string together meaningless words and sentences? Bravo.

And there are the Yankees in first place by three games after rallying to defeat the Orioles 6-3 in the first of three in the Bronx, while the Red Sox were losing their second straight at Fenway to the Tigers.

From the last paragraph: “...there are the Yankees in first place...”
From this paragraph: “...there are the Yankees in first place...” My copy editor would have lambasted me for this. Apparently Larry's doesn't hold him to as high a standard.

The Yankees are 24-11 since July 4 and 9-5 since Brian Cashman worked the trade deadline to give them a lineup that, including Bobby Abreu and Craig Wilson, is so long and deep that Torre can't quite figure out how to get Bernie Williams the at-bats he's earned. They've picked up seven games on Boston since July 4, four games since the deadline.

I have issue with the Bernie Williams statement. If Bernie so deserves these at-bats, then why did Cashman deem it necessary to go get Abreu and his $25 million contract? If you answered: “because there's no way Bernie would keep up this level of play through the rest of the season,” you win the knowledge that you are smarter than Larry Brooks. Though, I guess that's not much of an achievement.

"We can't worry about Boston yet," said Damon, who jacked a two-run blow in the seventh to get the Yanks even. "We have business to take care of with Baltimore."

The Yankees were somewhat fortunate last night to get away with a game that was hardly spotless. Perhaps it was a manifestation of intangibles, perhaps a manifestation of talent.

Alex singled with the bases loaded. That's tangible. Damon homered to tie it. That's tangible, too. Cano doubled to put them ahead. Like the first two, that is tangible. I think the latter would be the correct answer, Larry, because of one minute fact: scoring runs is a tangible event. The ball that's thrown, that's tangible. So is the ball hitting the bat. And then the ball landing where the fielders aren't, that's as tangible as it gets.

Abreu, who tripled two batters after Damon's homer and scored the winning run on Robbie Cano's two-out double, continued to look as comfortable in right field as Joe Lieberman at a Democratic Party-sponsored anti-war rally, misplaying a fourth-inning fly into a double. But respect for his arm kept the Orioles from trying to score what would have been a fourth run in the sixth when Miguel Tejada hit a one-out bases-loaded pop into shallow right.

Shtick alert! Not only was that not funny, but it was preceded by way too many qualifiers. How about, “Bobby Abreu continued to look uncomfortable in right field?” Or is that not artistic enough? I think it conveys the point just fine, and it makes you sound less like less of a dolt.

Alex Rodriguez, who did knock in a run in the sixth with a bases-loaded single, fanned with runners on first and third in the seventh after an intentional walk to Jason Giambi. And he continued to experience the yips at third, botching another easy one that might have been an inning-ending, run-saving double play in the sixth.

Larry does not watch baseball games. Because if he did, he would know that Alex didn't fan with runners on first and third. Rather, he popped one straight up. Happens to the best of us. How this made it to press is fucking mind boggling. His opinions are asinine, but they'll continue to seep through the pages of the Post daily because the idiot editors allow it. However, fact-checkers and copy editors can prevent patently false statements. Way to drop the ball, guys.

Still, when the game was there to be had, Damon helped grab it; Damon, who is two years removed from capturing the title that has eluded the Yankees since 2000, and who has brought every intangible with him from Boston to the Bronx.

Ah, the misused semicolon. See, a semicolon separates two complete yet related thoughts. For example: “He went to the store; he bought milk while he was there.” Yet, there sits a fragment on the right side of said semicolon. I'll cut him some slight slack and note that when speaking, this could be an acceptable form. But in print, it's just wrong.

Further nitpicking: Damon didn't capture the title, his team did. And I'm not concerned with the immeasurables he brought with him, I'm concerned about the baseball skills. But Larry doesn't like baseball, as we've recently discovered.

Note: I cut out some stupid quotes here because athletes rarely have anything interesting to say. This instance was no different.

There are games to be won tonight and tomorrow. Every game the Yankees win against the rest of the schedule reduces the urgency to devour the Red Sox, when the teams throw their intangibles and their talent against each other in an August Armageddon.

Remember before when I asked if Larry Brooks owns a dictionary? Obviously he doesn't. Because if he did, he would realize that the statement, “throw their intangibles” is, well, wrong by definition. But that doesn't matter to sportswriters today. Can't find anything interesting to say? Talk about intangibles. That way, you can spout off complete drivel and justify it by saying, “well, they're intangibles, so they can't be measured.”

And if he thinks that every Yankees win “reduces the urgency to devour the Red Sox,” then he's batshit insane. Forget the fucking rivalry, because it's manufactured by the fans. The Yankees want to beat the Red Sox because they're gunning for a division title, and the Red Sox are their closest threat. If they're up by 4 ½ games going into the series, they'll play it with the same tenacity as they would if they were up by 1 ½. Because if they didn't, they'd get shelled and lose the division. But that doesn't compute with Larry Brooks, avid baseball non-fan.

I've been running this Fire Joe Morgan-esque posts a lot recently, but I think they're justified. For this column, Larry Brooks was paid to say nothing. Seriously, what is the message? I'm not even being snarky here; I'm genuinely curious as to what I'm supposed to gain by reading this (see, proper semicolon usage).

Call It A Comeback

2006-08-16T09:17:00.000-04:00

What if was to tell you that the Yankees would be losing to the Orioles 3-1 in the seventh inning. Is that something you would be interested in? Certainly not I, as the channel changed plenty of times between the fifth and seventh innings. In more ways than the preceding adapted quote, last night's game was much like Sunday's episode of Entourage

(I'll keep this part brief, as I understand that not everyone watches Entourage. But you should.)

We came into last night's game like Eric went into his meeting with Bob Ryan. He figured he was working with one of the all-time great producers and could come up with a project for Vince. The Yankees went into the game against the Orioles knowing they were working with one of the worst teams in the league and could at least maintain their lead over the Red Sox. Things went wrong for Eric when he got to Ryan's house, where there was no project for Vince. Things went wrong for the Yankees when they allowed the Orioles to score three runs before the seventh, and it looked like they wouldn't widen the gap with the Red Sox.

But things turned around for E when he noticed a picture of the Ramones in Ryan's house. Things turned around for the Yankees when Johnny Damon slammed a ball over the right field wall. Ryan and E went over a winning script, and Robinson Cano delivered a winning double. E, Ryan, and Vince went to Ari to close the deal, and Torre went to Mo for the same.

Sometimes it's nice to watch Yankees games with non-fans. I have to stifle my emotions just a bit – though the Damon homer still got a fist pump – but I feel more relaxed when I'm not in a room filled with baseball fans. And, if things get frustrating, the non-fans are more than willing to change the channel. That was the case in the sixth inning, as Miguel Tejada came to the plate with runners on first and third with none out. Dog the Bounty Hunter was on A&E, and while I find that show numbingly boring, it was better option than watching the Yanks collapse to the dismal Os.

There was no way, however, that I could refrain from asking to check a score during commercials. So when I saw Damon at the plate with a runner on third and no outs in the seventh, I kindly asked that the channel stay at 9 for a bit. A few seconds later I was vindicated, and the score was tied 3-3. An Abreu double and a Cano double later, the score was 4-3, and I felt at ease watching the rest of the game uninterrupted.

Before Mo induced a grounder off the bat of Chris Gomez, the out of town scoreboard flashed, revealing that the Red Sox had lost to the Tigers. Actually, I had gotten a text message to that effect a minute earlier. But when Michael Kay revealed that Wily Mo Pena dropped a fly ball that plated the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth and then struck out in the bottom half, I was a happy man. The lead is now three, a comfortable margin with which to enter this weekend's series. The best part is that the Yankees have a free chance to gain a half game before then.

The somewhat recovered Cory Lidle squares off against Adam Loewen tonight, and it's high freakin' time that the Yanks laid into this guy like the rest of the league. The scouting report is that he's wild, so when he came out throwing strikes a few Saturdays ago, it surely caught the Yanks off guard. I would hope that they get to him by the second time through the order, but we all know how the Yanks fare against young, struggling pitchers.

What do you think?

2006-08-15T13:48:00.000-04:00

Predicatably, Joe Torre has implied that Sidney Ponson will start one game of Friday's doubleheader against the Red Sox. this seems logical at a glance, but allow me to offer an alternative.

Five games against the Red Sox, five pitchers in the rotation. You would think that the best solution would be to toss your five rotation starters into the fire for that series. Ponson would take Jaret Wright's start against the much less threatening Orioles on Thursday, paving the way for Wriggidy to pitch the day half of Friday's set. Wang would pitch the night game, followed by the normal rotation of Johnson, Mussina, and Lidle.

The catch: with Wang and Wright starting on Friday, the Yanks are left with a conundrum on the following Tuesday in Seattle. You either start Wright on three days rest (because there's no way in fucking holy hell Wang should be pitching with LESS rest), or toss Ponson that game. Now, Ponson's one decent outing this year came against the Mariners, with the bulk of the damage inflicted by a Richie Sexson home run.

Wright has had a light workload this year, so starting him once on three days rest isn't the worst idea. Starting Ponson in that spot, however, allows the Yanks to give Wang five days off rather than four, which would be ideal at this point. It would also set up the rotation for the Detroit series at the end of the month, with everyone getting an extra day off because of the Monday off-day.

So here are your choices:

Start Ponson against the Red Sox and all but forfiet the game.

Start Ponson Thursday against the Orioles, Wright and Wang for the doubleheader; Wright starts on three days rest Tuesday in Seattle.

Start Ponson Thursday against the Orioles, Wright and Wang for the doubleheader; Ponson starts again Tuesday, allowing Wang an extra day off and setting up the front of the rotation for Detroit, with each starter getting a day off.

Call me crazy, but I'm taking the third one.

This guy is much more intense than me

2006-08-15T12:52:00.000-04:00

For any of you that don't check out the comments after each post, reader Kyle has taken my Ladewski bashing a bit further: he sent a series of e-mails to Mr. Ladewski, citing a whole ton of statistics that I'm much to lazy to look up.

His exchange is documented here.

The result is the exact reason that I don't attempt to correspond with these people. They're arrogant and don't believe that they could possibly be wrong and/or stupid. Kyle objectively broke down the scenario and forwarded those numbers along. I suspect that Ladewski didn't even look at the numbers, as his response didn't make any mention of them. Rather, he cited one flimsy statistic, and didn't even acknowledge the fact that the games are being called the same both ways.

When I rip a columnist, it's usually for my own pleasure. I make no secret of my aspirations to one day get paid to write about sports -- albeit never at the newspaper level. Ribbing the guys who currently are paid for this work gives me some degree of satisfaction. For the most part, I don't care who sees it. This time around, I'm kind of hoping Ladewski stumbled upon that post. And, if he wishes, we could go toe to toe. Not only do I have my own arguments, I have Kyle's rigorous research.

Alex Rodriguez Interpreted

2006-08-15T12:48:00.000-04:00

I can't find any direct quotes, but apparently Alex mentioned on Sunday that he had been playing through the year with numerous nagging injuries. He went on to say that he's not making excuses, but you know how I feel about that kind of statement based on my Ladewski bashing.

But allow me to apologize for Mr. Rodriguez once again. I interpret these statements to mean: "Look, guys, I haven't exactly been healthy all year. I could have used a few days off in June and July to recover, but I didn't take them because the team needed me. Sheff, Matsui, and Cano were out, and the lineup couldn't lose another player. So please back the fuck off and let me play baseball now."

He says he's near 100 percent healthy now, so we'll see how those statements hold up.

Yanks 7, Angels 2 -- That Rocked, Just a Lil Bit

2006-08-15T09:27:00.000-04:00

Blah blah blah, it was nice to get a split with the Angels, blah blah blah, they're the only team with a winning record against Torre's Yanks, blah blah blah. True, this is some solace to be taken from a split with the Angels, but the story focuses more on last night.

We're at the point where there is no telling what Randy Johnson we're getting on any given night. He surely has some implosions left in him this season, but he'll have a few more stellar performances, a la last night, when he didn't give up a run until there were two outs in the second. The brightest spot in the evening for Johnson came in the fourth, when he whiffed Tim Salmon for his 4,500th career strikeout. He received quite the standing ovation, and was greeted loudly again after he retired Robb Quinlan to end the frame. Three innings later, and Johnson exited as the pitcher of record, not only giving his team a chance to win but giving Proctor and Villone the night off.

I'm a pitching guy, and whenever a starter goes seven innings and only allows two flukey runs, he's going to get the lede. However, there is one name that I seriously considered supplanting Johnson at the top of the article: Alex Rodriguez. As you all know, I've become Alex Apologist No. 1, going so far as to avoid calling him that abbreviated moniker. Last night wasn't the best of his games, going 0 for 2 with a walk. However, in the bottom of the seventh, with the Yankees having just surrendered their 2-0 lead, Alex shined.

The inning was abnormal to say the least. It all started with a Damon bloop single behind third base. D-Rock stepped up next, and he was prepared to sacrifice. Normally, I totally disagree with such strategy, since Jete is batting .345 with a .420 OBP. But it was the seventh, and you gotta score that leadoff run. So he laid one down the third base line, hustled his ass off, and beat the throw, giving the Yanks first and second with none out. With Abreu, Giambi and Alex due up next, the probability was high that Damon would score from second.

Much to the surprise of about everyone at the Stadium, Abreu stepped into the box also ready to bunt the runners over. So many things seemed wrong about that scenario, yet so many things seemed right. Farnsworth and Mo were fresh for the eighth and ninth, so a run there could have been lights out for the Angels. Swinging away left open the possibility for a double play, so Torre decided to play for the one run. Abreu was successful, coming within a stride of beating the throw to the bag. Second and third, one out, Giambi up.

And Giambi walk. John Lackey wanted no part of him, opting to pitch to Alex with the bases loaded and one out. Big mistakey. I know Alex hasn't been as threatening a presence at the plate this year, but you simply do not walk the bases loaded for the man. I guess Mike Scocia was thinking...hell, I don't know what he was thinking! But Harry Doyle aside, he simple thought that pitching to Alex with a force at all bases was a better option than going at Giambi – who apparently owns Lackey – with a base open. After all, we've seen Alex ground into a big double play here and there.

The tension in the crowd was palpable as Lackey got ahead 1 and 2. A strikeout would be detrimental; a grounder to short worse. But these are all things many Yankees fans have come to expect of Alex when he's put in a big spot. Lackey delivered the 1-2, and as if answering directly to the fans, Alex took a mighty swing and hit one high and deep down the right field line. There were gasps in the crowd, because that one came rather close to getting out (it was in the corner and my view was obstructed, so I can't really speak to how deep it truly was). But it did the job, as Damon was able to score from third, and the Yankees took the lead for good, 3-2.

This hit was especially relieving, since it was down the right field line, a place Alex hasn't hit many balls this year. That could be due to altered mechanics in his swing, which is described in the linked article. From that article:

Notice how there's nothing down the right field line. His ability to slap hits there may determine his success from here on out.

I'm not going to wrap this up until I officially congratulate Jorge Posada on breaking out of his slump in a big way. He singled twice and should have been credited with an RBI on the first one. Problem was, Giambi was the runner, easily thrown out at home plate. This sparked a discussion between my buddy Jon and I about which diet would work best for Giambi, South Beach or Zone? Anyway, Jorge officially kicked the slump to the curb with a laser home run to lead off the eighth, giving the Yanks a two-run cushion. They blew it open from there, and went on to finish off the Angels 7-2.

Boston dropped to Detroit, putting our lead back at two games. They have two more games against Detroit this week while we're facing Baltimore for three. Hopefully Torre can give some guys a rest on Wednesday and Thursday (night game-day game), because they're going to be facing Boston for two on Friday. Oh yeah, and the Sox get Thursday off, which completely sucks. The good news: we'll get to face Josh Beckett, who was the pitcher of record last night.

This is the money week, folks. Shitty team followed by the rivals. How the Yanks come out of the weekend may indicate where they come out on September 31.

Rock on!

2006-08-14T09:55:00.000-04:00

So I'm sitting at my desk, plodding through a Monday morning. In walks my boss, who says, "I've got two tickets to tonight's game and I can't use them. Joseph (yes, they call me that at the office), do you want them?"

Fuck yes I want them!

I'm officially psyched. They're loge box seats, meaning I'm in the second section up right behind first base. I've been spoiled with these sweet tickets lately, and am uneagerly anticipating my return to the bleachers for the Detroit series later this month.

Of Wang and Workloads

2006-08-14T08:40:00.000-04:00

Before 2006, Chien-Ming Wang had never thrown more than 150 innings. That mark was set last year, when he missed a good portion of the season due to a freak rotator cuff injury. Right now, he’s at 166.1 innings, and it’s starting to show. The imminent question: is this a sign of things to come for the rest of ’06?

Allow me to quote someone with a bit more expertise in this field. From Baseball Prospectus’s Will Carroll (talking about Scott Kazmir, also in his second year):

He's testing the 130-inning hurdle, one of the four landmarks for seasonal fatigue. They start at 100 innings, then every 30 additional innings. Research has shown that the ability to "clear" one of the hurdles for the second time shows an ability to consistently hit that level.

Wang pitched 125 innings in 2003, 149.1 innings in 2004, and 150.1 innings in 2005 before his 166.1 so far this year. He’s hit the second hurdle, but for only the first year. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find any further literature about these "landmarks for seasonal fatigue," so what follows is in accordance with my interpretation, based on this theory and other innings-based pitching theories.

[MORE]While Wang may have the experience of a second-year player, he basically has the arm endurance of a rookie. The main difference between rookie and veteran pitchers is the length of season. Most minor leaguers are limited to somewhere around 150 innings max for a season. So when they get to the Major League level, the extra month-plus workload makes them more susceptible to fatigue and injury.

For an example of this in motion, I’ll point to one of the phenom rookie pitchers this year, Justin Verlander. Since Verlander pitched only one year in the minor leagues, I’m going to stretch back to his college numbers.

Year	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
IP	113.0	116.1	105.2	130.0	140.0

Verlander hit his innings mark from last year during a 6.2-inning, eight-strikeout performance against Cleveland on July 26. His next start, on five days rest, was against Tampa Bay on August 1, where he allowed three runs on eight hits through five innings. The main reason for his removal was his pitch count, 91. Three days later, it was announced that Verlander would miss his next start. Nothing seemed wrong, just a precautionary measure due to his lack of experience.

"I'm definitely not hurting. You can nix that one. Obviously, there was a little fatigue that I felt last time out, so to be on the precautionary side, I get a start off.

"But to be honest, this is the best I've felt after a start in a while."

That quote seemed innocent at the time, but became suspect when Verlander, on nine days rest, got bombed by the White Sox on Friday, to the tune of 13 hits, five runs (four earned), and two home runs over five innings (98 pitches). The Tigers now face a major question in their pennant run: can they rely on Verlander down the stretch with so many innings already under his belt? This will probably manifest itself during Verlander’s next scheduled start, which would be Wednesday at Fenway, barring a further setback. Another weak outing could mean some extended time off for the 23-year-old.

The question is, are these situations comparable?

Year	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Verlander	113.0	116.1	105.2	130.0	140.0
Wang	78.1	125.0	149.1	150.1	166.1

Wang has consistently pitched more innings than Verlander, which at first glance doesn’t make the situations line up. However, they both demonstrated a drop-off when they reached their personal highs in innings pitched (both attained in 2005). The Tigers are making the right move by trying to give Verlander more rest. Unfortunately, that isn’t a viable option for the Yankees, who have no real adequate backup plans.

Let’s place this against a larger sample, Wang’s 2005 rookie pitcher class.

Year	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
C. Wang	78.1	125.0	149.1	150.1	166.1
F. Hernandez	-	69.0	149.1	172.1	136.1
S. Kazmir	18.0	109.1	134.1	186.0	128.2
Z. Duke	60.0	141.2	148.1	192.2	143.0
E. Santana	-	154.1	43.2	192.0	147.1
D. Haren*	193.2	173.1	174.0	217.0	161.2
G. Chacin	119.2	69.1	167.1	203.2	51.1

*not technically a rookie, but the first year he pitched the bulk of his innings in the majors

Chacin has been mired with injury this year, which becomes more understandable when you look at his innings totals. Before the 119.2 innings in 2002, he had tossed 132 and 140 innings. This is quite the workload for a young pitcher (his age 19 and 20 seasons), especially at the start of a career (he pitched 64 innings in rookie ball the year before his 132-inning stint). The 2003 injury and subsequent drastic workload increase is probably the reason he’s having trouble staying healthy this year. It speaks volumes about the proper care of young pitchers (I’ll get to this with Phil Hughes in just a second).

Beyond that, it seems that most of these pitchers were properly worked in their respective farm systems. They are also well positioned at this point in the season; almost everyone is well below last year’s total except our good friend Wang. The only pitcher that comes close to him as far as IP for 2006 is Dan Haren, and his situation is more understandable, since he’s handled heavier workloads in the past.

So have the Yankees done a poor job in managing Wang this season? Looking at his peers, it would appear so. It is possible that his workload has been the result of consequence (i.e. the absence of $40 million dollar man Carl Pavano), leaving the Yankees with little beyond the option of pitching him normally and hoping there isn’t any negative result.

Just for kicks, let’s look at some 2003 rookies and their innings pitched loads in the subsequent years:

Year	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
J. Bonderman	-	156.2	162.0	184.0	189.0
R. Harden	74.1	153.1	176.1	194.2	131.0*
C. Lee	-	156.0	132.0	179.0	202.0
B. Webb	162.1	159.0	198.2	208.0	229.0
D. Willis	93.2	157.2	197.0	197.0	236.1

* injury season.

It appears that Wang hasn’t been nurtured like the rest of these arms. What it actually proves is up for debate, but I think it speaks to the development of young pitching and how their workloads need to be carefully monitored. These players were properly and incrementally worked harder each year, and are finding much success in the Major Leagues. It doesn’t make me any more confident about Wang.

Post-Script:

With this information in hand, let’s look at how the Yankees are handling Phil Hughes.

Year	2004	2005	2006
IP	5.0	86.1	131.0

He’ll likely have three more starts this year (by the way, killer outing yesterday, 5 innings, 9 Ks, 2 BB, 0 ER), putting him at roughly 146 innings for the year. The idea next year would be to get him up to 160-170 innings, so that he’ll have a chance to hit 200 for 2008, which would likely be his rookie season. There is always the chance of his arrival in 2007, but due to his limited experience and workload, it may be more beneficial in the long term to keep him in Columbus. That is, unless he utterly dominates opponents in AAA. He’d just have to be closely monitored in the bigs, and would likely be a spot starter. The point is, though, that the Yankees are doing a good job of keeping his innings in check, positioning him better for future success.

Stats obtained from The Baseball Cube

Paul Ladewski: Every Day, Normal Idiot

2006-08-11T09:20:00.000-04:00

A number of things piss me off when it comes to sportswriting. The first is one-sentence paragraphs, the Bill Plaschke specialty. Another is prevalent in the following article: shtick. If you're not funny, please do not waste my time with your attempts. Making pedestrian similes with an attempt at humor is a waste of words, and should be punished with termination if used frequently.

What follows is one of the most biased articles I've read. Yes, we all have a level of bias when it comes to our favorite sports team. But as a columnist, Mr. Ladewski is supposed to transcend that bias at appropriate times, providing us with objective analysis and insight; he fails in both regards here.

In lieu of pointing out every instance of shtick here on, I'm going to note the egregious offenders with italics.

In this corner, QuesTec out on strikes
Or: A stupid title for a stupid column

By Paul Ladewski, as printed in the Daily Southtown

[GET TO THE RIPPING!]White Sox general manager Ken Williams would rather kiss a pig on the lips than talk about it.

Off to a great start, Paul. I'm on the edge of my seat, anxiously pondering exactly what “it” is, and why “it” is so bad that Williams would rather smooch Babe than talk about “it.”

"I prefer not to get into it," K-Will said while his team prepared to square off against the New York Yankee$ at The Cell earlier this week.

More suspense! Oh, I'm just dying here. C'mon, c'mon, what is it? Oh, by the way, spelling “Yankees” with a dollar sign? Fucking brilliant. Get this guy a pulitzer.

Check that. Ken Williams wants to make a public issue of it the way he wants malaria.

What better way to follow up a cliffhanger than with more shtick! And if you’re counting at home, we have three paragraphs so far, all of which are one sentence, two of which provide inane idioms, and one of which is an unrevealing quote. Hats off, Paul. Hats off.

"You do want to me talk about it, don't you?" he said.

Well, uh ...

Say it, Paul. You want to know. You want to know bad, as badly as the public wants to know what the Bush administration is really up to. You see what I did there, Paul? I made a statement, and then succeeded it by making a stupid and irrelevant comparison. Man, I must be a great sportswriter.

"Excuse me," K-Will said. "I think I'll watch batting practice now."

I have ditched women for less teasing than this. And what the women were teasing was much more enticing than a Paul Ladewski column.

In that case, as a public service, at the risk of strangulation, allow me to reveal the dirty little secret around The Cell these days. As much as they rather not say so publicly, the Sox believe they haven't gotten a fair shake from the umpires this season. Specifically, that goes for their rotation, whose combined ERA is nearly one full run more than a year ago.

So it’s okay for the White Sox pitchers to benefit from a wider strike zone, but when the zone is tightened and they can’t react, it’s the umps’ fault? I assert that if Garland, Buehrle, and Garcia need a liberal strike zone to succeed, they aren’t necessarily good pitchers. (I’m watching the Yankees-Sox game right now. For the record, the ump is calling strikes plenty low.)

"No," pitching coach Don Cooper said flatly when asked if the team was afforded the same respect of a World Series ago. "No, we're not."

If I was the White Sox PR guy, that's not what I'd have Cooper say to the press. Rather, I think a more appropriate statement would be, “Yes, we're getting a fair shake from the umps. It's just that our pitchers all had exceptional years last year, and they're just on the other side of the mean right now. It's a shame, but that's baseball for you.” While that’s not the best way to describe your pitchers to the press, it’s a ton fucking better than sounding like a little bitch.

Cooper will talk about it — even if it makes him about as comfortable as a wool turtleneck in the summertime.

I can't even begin to point out how stupid this simile is. Did Ladewski stay up all night thinking of that one? (Nah, got to bed at 2, 2:30).

"We don't make excuses," Cooper said. "We get what we get. It is what it is. We have to be like the Marines — adapt and overcome — because (the umpires) won't adjust to us."

You know what I want to do to Don Cooper right now? I want to open a dictionary to the page containing the word “contradiction” and beat him over the head with it. You don't make excuses, Don? Didn't you just make an excuse, that the umps are being unfair to you? Oh, I think you did.

This also makes me want to take a shit in Coop's mouth. Not in a kinky, sexual, Cleveland Steamer kinda way, but in a, “you are a piece of shit, so it's high time you ate a piece of shit,” kinda way.

To say the least, the Sox are in a tough spot here. In the Williams era, especially since manager Ozzie Guillen took over, the complaint department has been closed for business. This is a team that takes pride in accountability, and we've seen the results. Frankly, I believe the gripe is legit, especially when you consider these are the defending world champions here. But as concerned as they are about it, the Sox come off as whiners or worse if they beef in public.

So the most compelling evidence for believing that the Sox are getting screwed is that they're the defending World Champions? In what world does that logic make sense? Yes, the umps have it out for the White Sox because they won the World Series last year. In fact, they’re always biased against the defending World Series Champions. That's why the Yanks weren't able to string together three straight in the late 90s.

And trust me, the Sox believe this is a big deal given the closeness of the AL wild-card race. So big that they've quietly spent a lot of effort and a lot of time to state their case to the major league honchos, who promised to monitor the situation, if nothing else.

If true, I would think this would be a big deal regardless of the circumstances. But that's just me.

So what's behind the perceived slight? Is it a Guillen backlash? Some sort of Fox Sports conspiracy?
Would you believe QuesTec?

Hear, hear! The machines are taking over. Get your Robot Insurance here.

"The bleepin' camera at the end of the dugout has something to do with it," Cooper said. "When the umpires come here, they know this is a QuesTec park. That's something we have to realize. That's the way it is."

QuesTec is the name of the electronic eyes that Major League Baseball uses to judge its umpires every season. In theory, QuesTec is the best idea since Barry Bonds behind bars. For years, umpires said to heck with the rule book and called balls and strikes as they darn well pleased. QuesTec was supposed to take care of that.

Paul, I agree with you -- in theory. In theory, communism works. In theory.

Trouble is, QuesTec has fewer friends than a former Enron official. From players to coaches to managers, almost nobody likes it. For one, not every ballpark is equipped for the technology at the moment. The system is capable of mistakes itself, as the manufacturer admits. Worse yet, when Big Brother watches, some umps become so defensive their strike zones are tighter than manhole covers, to hear some players and coaches tell it.

Okay, now I get to the meat of the argument. I could have stated this obvious idea at the beginning of the column, but I decided to wait until after the explanation of QuesTec. Laewski has purported that the Sox are getting screwed by the umps, and is now citing QuesTec as a major reason. But what he's implying is far more egregious: the umps are tightening the zone for the Sox, and widening it for their opponents. And that, my friends, is fucking ridonkulous. See, the idea of QuesTec is to grade the umps by creating an objective estimation of the strike zone. So if an umpire was to call balls and strikes differently for each team, he would be immediately outed. And that, in essence, is the greatest benefit of QuesTec. When a manager (or Hawk Harrelson) bitches and whines about the umps, MLB can look at the QuesTec findings and determine if, in fact, the ump was calling balls and strikes differently for each team.

Of course, no one working for the White Sox could ever come to that conclusion. They're too busy worrying about being screwed over, oblivious to the fact that there may be better teams in the American League. Because in baseball, if it's unfair for both sides, it comes out fair. Kinda like multiplying a negative by a negative results in a positive.

Hey, if you knew QuesTec grades determined postseason assignments, how would you react?

I would react by saying, “well, these guys best understand what Major League Baseball wants the strike zone to look like. They can call balls and strikes objectively, without bias towards a certain team.” Because really, all we’re looking for is consistency and a little sense.

"QuesTec is a tighter zone. It's as simple as that," Cooper said. "It sounds like a pitching guy talking, but that's the reality of it for me. It's a factor. How much of a factor, I don't know. What I do know is, the (strike) zone is different this year."

Yet, it's the same for both teams. Unfortunately, that idea is far beyond Cooper's comprehension.

Is QuesTec the reason why the Sox are on a pace to win only 96 games this season? Don't be silly. In fact, Cooper spoke only on the condition his words wouldn't sound like an alibi of some kind. "I don't want you to turn this into an excuse, because we have none," he said.

Wait, wait. You just spent all that time bitching and whining about QuesTec and how it's supposedly screwing your shitty finesse pitchers, and now you're writing it off? What was the fucking point of this column, then? And, as you may note, Cooper has once again contradicted himself. You go from, “it's a factor,” to, “we have none [excuses].” This makes as much sense as Matt Hasselbeck getting flagged for making a tackle. Man, I'm on a roll!

While I’m at it, I might as well bust Ladewski and Cooper for the “wouldn’t sound like an alibi” bit. It’s like the famous saying, “No offense, but you’re an asshole.”

But is QuesTec part of the reason why finesse pitchers Mark Buehrle and Jon Garland have seen their ERAs blow up this season? Could be.

You’re so repetitive that I have to be careful commenting on this statement, for fear of my own repetitiveness. But let's get this straight. The notion that QuesTec is the reason that the White Sox are on pace to win fewer games than last year is silly, but it could very well be the reason Buehrle and Garland have inflated ERAs. That's what you said. Now let's think about it for a second. The White Sox are scoring more runs than last year, so their offense is not the cause of the dropoff. Their defense has had one switch, Brian Anderson for Aaron Rowand, which is a push at worst. So, by that logic, the pitching would be the reason the White Sox are winning at a lesser rate. Get my point? Of course you do. Smart people can make that association. Ladewski? Not so much.

"The umpires are very aware of the zone east and west but not as conscious north and south," Cooper said. "That's what the camera has done. Is it the rule book strike zone? Absolutely not. Is it knees to the letters? Absolutely not."

Bitch, bitch, btich. But remember, he’s not making excuses here.

That's bad news for comparative soft-tossers such as Garland and especially Buehrle, who have to live on the edges in the absences of 90-mph heat. Or to put it another way, when the Greg Maddux Strike Zone is in effect, Buehrle and Garland are very difficult to beat. When it isn't, Home Run Derby has been known to break out sometimes.

Does Ladewski read his columns back to himself before he submits them? Because in case he wasn’t aware, copy editors only correct technical errors, not a writer’s misguided thoughts. What you said about the Greg Maddux Strike Zone reinforces my earlier assertion that if you absolutely need a liberal strike zone to succeed, you are not necessarily a very good pitcher.

Take the key sequence in the seventh inning Monday night. With Buehrle on the mound, the Los Angeles Angels' Tim Salmon got the benefit of not one, not two, not three but four strikes, replays showed. It was almost as if home-plate ump Eric Cooper said, "How do you like QuesTec now, buddy?"

If Buehrle wasn’t getting strikes on certain portions of the plate, he probably shouldn’t have thrown pitches in that locale.

Sure enough, Salmon eventually walked, the Angels scored three times and Buehrle did a slow burn on his way to the showers.

"I mean, I don't know ... " he said the next day. "I'll kind of wait on that and stay out of trouble. But I watched the game and hoped everyone else saw that."

Nothing snarky. Just pointing out that Ladewski is glorifying Buehrle’s whining.

Meanwhile, did you see the game Javier Vazquez pitched in Toronto last week? Wore out the corners for eight innings. Struck out 13. Rogers Centre doesn't have QuesTec, by the way.

Ladewski, you diabolical! You have the whole scheme figured out. Based on one game pitched by Javy Vazquez in a non-QueTec ballpark, you’ve proven beyond a reasonable doubt that QuesTec is the sole source of the White Sox woes. Is it possible to win a Pulitzer and a Nobel Prize for the same column? Because if you can, I’d like to introduce the nomination committees to Mr. Paul Ladewski.

And you thought the Yankee$ were the machine that concerned the Sox most these days.

I think he’s referring to the Yankee$ (clever, even the second time around) as a corporate machine. However, the only Yankees machine the White Sox should be worrying about is the juggernaut that is the Yankee offense.

UPDATE: Commenter Ben V. from Sportzilla and the Jabber Jocks puts some numerical analysis to my lashings:

Somehow I doubt Ladewski bothered to look, but just for fun, here are Mark Buerhle's home and road splits:

Home: 4.34 ERA, 89.1 IP, 16 HR, 43/24 K/BB, .254 Opp BA

Away: 5.69 ERA, 61.2 IP, 8 HR, 24/12 K/BB, .329 Opp BA

Could QuesTec be trashing Buerhle? Sure. But why is he worse on the road this year, especially when he has a 3.70 road ERA over the past three seasons? Maybe he's just not pitching well.

Oh and Javy Vasquez walked six and K'd eight yesterday. That had to be the result of QuesTec and not the fact his stuff was likely all over the place.

ChiSox 5, Yanks 4

2006-08-11T09:05:00.000-04:00

And we begin yet another edition of, “Oh, That Again,” the only show where the Yankees can manage 12 hits, but off-set them by leaving 15 men on base. Really, it was a pathetic effort on all fronts. Mussina didn't look great and his defense hurt him further. He was struggling through the second inning, and errors by Alex and Melky blew the game open to 4-0. It was surmountable, but you don't like to put that much pressure on your offense that early.

Then again, the defense didn't allow a double to Brian Anderson, which combined with the Podsednik single was the difference in the game. However, I'm not going to hold this over Mussina's head, because when you look at the game as a whole and factor in the immense damage of the two errors, it's clear that he put himself in position to win the game. The second inning was his only truly shaky frame, and as I've noted, it wasn't all his fault. And the damage could have been further, as Robinson Cano botched the transfer on a double-play ball. I'm just thankful he held on long enough to get Podsednik out at second.

The offense absolutely laid the groundwork for a breakout game, but couldn't quite fit all the pieces together. Javy Vazquez's final line was five innings, six walks, six hits, 111 pitches. And that should have been worth four runs. But instead, the offense managed half of that, and only mustered another two over four innings of bullpen work, where they usually thrive. The problem, I think, was the lack of walks drawn against the bullpen. There was only one, off Neal Cotts in the sixth inning. Brandon McCarthy (charge him with the Melky homer), Matt Thornton (who sucks, so there's no excuses), and Bobby Jenks didn't allow any free passes and nailed down the game.

Once again, Boston gaining a game would have made this hurt a lot. It wasn't as winnable a game as Tuesday, as you can't expect your offense to string together six runs every game. The Yankees simply fell victim to their own devices. Patience and power is a great formula, but the faults were evident last night. It takes hits to eventually drive in the runners that walk, and since the best players only succeed three out of 10 times, there are going to be games where you just can't bring enough guys home.

Many might think that the Yankees are cooling off, but I beg to differ. They may have dropped two of three, but they did it against a desperate team. The White Sox are far downhill from the AL Central leading Tigers, and the Wild Card race is as tight as your sister (too shticky?). They played as hard as they could, and damn near swept the Yanks. But each game was hard fought by the Bombers, and in each they caught a few unlucky breaks. So you move on to the next series, which thankfully is at home.

Sunday will be the game to watch against Anaheim, Chien-Ming Wang vs. Jered Weaver. I, for one, am totally down for handing Weaver his first Major League loss, despite the fact that he's the reason I've surged in my fantasy league. Preceding that matchup we have Cory Lidle vs. Joe Saunders (25-year-old rookie, 3-0, 1.29 ERA; yikes!), Jaret Wright vs. Kelvim Escobar (no matter what kind of season he's having, he scares the bejeezus out of me), and on Monday it's Randy Johson vs. John Lackey. I'd take a split any day of the week in this one.

Stay tuned, as I have cooked up another edition of Rip the Columnist. I'm particularly proud of this one, as it is one of the most moronic columns I've ever read. And it's actually about baseball, too, so it should be extra sweet.

P.S. Sorry, Rob, for failing you on the graphing front. I didn't get home until 1:30. No way I was doing anything but passing out at that point.

This Win Should Have Been More Satisfying

2006-08-10T09:18:00.000-04:00

It was a win, but it sure didn't feel like redemption for a game we should have won on Tuesday. Maybe that's because Kyle “I'm a pussy; please don't pitch me two days in a row” Farnsworth can't, well, pitch two days in a row. His entrance was suspect from the beginning, as the Yankees were leading 7-2. Why bring in Farnsworth with an 8-run lead?

I imagine Torre was thinking about the White Sox propensity to whale on the ball and bring themselves right back into a ballgame. Hell, after six no-hit innings, they touched up Randy Johnson in the seventh, plating two runs and leaving runners on second and third before recording an out; and that out wasn't even Johnson's doing.

Even though the Yanks took the game, I did not go to bed a happy man. As recently as the top of the sixth, I was feeling relieved. In fact, on the Pinstripe Alley message board I posted something along the lines of, “No Mo tonight!” after Robbie went deep to lead off the inning. After Tuesday's debacle, the bullpen could have used the rest.

But apparently I had forgotten that Randy Johnson is no longer Randy Johnson, but rather some carbon-dated pitcher who doesn't quite understand the inner workings of his degenerated body. I mean, you'd think that after six innings of no hit, one walk ball that he'd at least be able to finish off the seventh. Hit or no hit, at the time there was no reason to believe the Yankees wouldn't go into the eighth inning up 7-0.

But Johnson's antics forced Villone, Farnsworth, and Rivera into the game, all of whom will be unavailable for tonight's game. This puts the pressure on Mike Mussina, who hasn't been very sharp of late. The Yanks desperately need seven innings out of him tonight so that they can turn the game over to the bastardized crew of Jose Veras and Scott Proctor to close the game. Though I would expect Mike Myers to make some sort of appearance.

The problem with writing a recap for a game like this is the lack of preparation. Before the seventh inning, I had planned to keep this short and sweet, praising Randy and the offense for some sweet revenge over a team that stole a game the night prior. But then everything changed so quickly. Randy exited, but Villone picked up the pieces. There ya go. There's the story right there.

But Kyle, oh Kyle, you had to ruin everything for me. The story went from, “awesome win, we totally needed that,” to, “we were goddamn lucky to escape that one.” No team up 7-0 in the seventh should have to invoke such thoughts. Teams that are up 7-0 in the seventh should head to the hotel after the game and rest easy, knowing that they completely shut down a team.

For the rubber game, we square off against Javier Vazquez. He's been mostly terrible this year, though his last outing was a gem to the tune of 13 strikeouts, two hits, and just one earned run over eight innings. This does not bode well for the Yankees; Javy should be amped up for this game.

"I've had four consistent seasons in the major leagues, and for one bad second half it's unfair that they want to trade me," Vazquez said. "I still trust in my abilities, and if the Yankees trade me, they will regret it."

Let's see if he comes through with that promise.

I'd like to close this by thanking David DeJesus (fantasy sleeper pick; go me) and Mike Sweeney for their efforts in Kansas City's ninth inning comeback. Papelbon blew another save, further distancing himself from comparisons with Mariano Rivera. And I don't want to hear it about how Mo blew a save Tuesday. That's not even the point.

ChSox 6, Yanks 5 -- Hey, At Least Boston Lost

2006-08-09T09:12:00.000-04:00

This is the first instance in a long time where I'm more pissed off at a loss the morning after. This is easily explained: the game ended later, thus I was a bit more tired (and a little, uh, medicated). Coupled with the Boston loss, I was content heading to bed.

But reality struck this morning, as I couldn't get the thought out of my brain: we lost a winnable game. There is nothing that irks me more, especially when the loss is in the first game of the series. That now puts the pressure on to take the next two, which is no simple task against the White Sox. Thankfully, we get the back of the rotation and they get our No. 1 and No. 3.

After his last few outings, this simply wasn't expected of Wang. The Podsednik double should have been an indicator of how the night would go, but since Wang induced two groundouts to end the first, everything looked hunky dory. But then Paul Konerko led off the second with a double, followed by a Jermaine Dye double, and we knew there'd be trouble. And when he gave up a two-run single to Alex Cintron, I was afraid we'd be seeing Ponson.

My blood pressure thanks Wang for kind of settling down, allowing just a Joe Crede solo homer in the fourth, leaving the game tied at four. Four runs in five innings isn't exactly “keeping your team in it,” but with the Yankees lineup and bullpen, it could have been enough to eek out a win.

Then again, we did get a few breaks along the way. The game would have progressed in a far different manner – likely favoring the White Sox – had Scott Podsednik been called safe at third in the first inning. Same with Machowiak's dinky grounder right back to Wang. And then there's the whole matter of Ozzie sending steal signs, only to be rebuffed by catching stud Jorge Posada.

Those breaks, however, were off-set in the eighth inning. With Abreu on first and Jeter on second, Alex ripped a single to right-center. Problem was, he hit it hard right at Brian Anderson, forcing Larry Bowa to hold Jeter at third. Neil Cotts entered the game to face Jason Giambi, promptly hitting him on the elbow (x-rays negative) and forcing in the go-ahead run. Still bases loaded, still one out, and Jorge stepped up batting from the right side. And, as if it was nothing but payback for the Machowiak play, mighty Jorge had grounded into a double play.

S'all good though, right? Farnsworth in the eighth, Mo in the ninth, another game gained on the Red Sox. Well, Farny did his job. Unfortunately, Mo was the culprit in this one, surrendering a solo blast to Paul Konerko leading off the ninth to tie the game. That means extra innings, which for the Yankees means swinging for the fences on every pitch. They did not fail to deliver.

There was a glimmer of hope in the 10th, as Alex drew a two-out walk. Surely Giambi would react to the pressure and bring home the go-ahead run once again. Problem was, Giambi's elbow had swelled up, placing Bernie Williams into action against Bobby Jenks. Had the Yankees been losing at that point, I would have left the room. I'd say the odds of Bernie catching up to and hitting a Bobby Jenks fastball is about 10 percent, if that. Like clockwork, Bernie looked foolish on a pitch up by his shoulders.

As for Proctor, well, I'm not so pissed at him. He wasn't even supposed to have pitched tonight, yet came in and fanned three straight in the tenth before losing it in the 11th. At least he lost it to the heart of the ChiSox order; I would have been fuming right now if Alex Cintron drove in the game-winning run. Jermaine Dye, however, is having a monster year, and like with Mariano and Vernon Wells, I can forgive Proctor for this gaffe.

All in all, it wasn't the way you want to start an endurance stretch. Not only did Wang's performance force the bullpen into heavier action, but the extra innings put a bit more wear and tear on them. More than ever, we need Randy to pitch deep tonight. With two questionable performances preceding this one, I think it's fair to expect that he'll rack up seven innings and allow three or less runs. But Randy's been known to disappoint in the past.

Time To Visit the Garden

2006-08-08T20:36:00.000-04:00

The Yankees start in a half-hour, giving me ample time to complain about my favorite topic: the New York Knickerbockers. That rascally GM was up to it again, using the Knicks only means of player acquisition to land Jared Jeffries. Allow me to set this to an analogy:

Isiah:Shitty Players::Crakhead:Crack

To be fair, Jeffries may not be a shitty player, per se, but he’s certainly not a player who can help this Knicks team. News of Isiah’s interest broke a few weeks ago, to which I responded, “who? Oh, thaaaaat guy.” At which point I realized that we’re now committing $12 million per year to the alliterative tandem of Jared Jeffries and Jerome James. I absolutely foresee Walt Frazier referring to Jerome Jeffries and Jared James early in the season.

At this point, the Knicks only hope is that they come down with Three Stooges Syndrome. The problem with that is even a slight breeze could…

Indestructible.

Let’s look at some quotes from Isiah to shed some light on this matter:

"One of the things that was written and said was true about us: chemistry wasn't right. What Jared brings to us more so than talent, he brings chemistry.”

If that chemistry is in the form of a Mr. Wizard Science set, I am totally on board.

"His ball-handling skills are pretty unique for a player of his size, and his passing skills are pretty unique," Thomas said. "He's pretty complete as a player. Every night you can mismatch your lineup.”

So he’s pretty…unique? Though that’s not nearly as hilarious as his assertion that you can “mismatch your lineup.” You sure can, Isiah. You sure can.

The article then goes on to more standard Isiah bullshit, about how this one guy is going to make all the difference, blah blah blah. Let me all remind you of what Isiah said last year at the signing of Jerome James:

“When I look at Jerome, the first thing I see is his shot-blocking ability, presence, and ability to clog up the middle -- and that is what we lacked last year,” President, Basketball Operations Isiah Thomas said. “We needed a space eater. We also needed some intimidation in the middle. Well, we definitely have a presence in the middle now. He provides all of that.”

It was Benjamin Franklin who famously said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” One of our forefathers would have believed that Isiah Thomas is insane. Who are you to disagree?

I Guess This Guy Doesn't Like Baseball

2006-08-08T10:43:00.000-04:00

Editor's Note: Yep, looks like I swung and missed on this one. This has taught me an important lesson: you can't force snarkiness. In the long run, all it means is I won't run this feature weekly unless I get something good.

End self-deprication sequence.

Cards' torrid bats, Weaver put Reds in their place
By Bernie Miklasz
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

Welcome to the big series, the showdown by the river, the Cardinals vs. the Reds in a mighty struggle for the soul and control of the National league Central.

Or something like that.

Something like that, indeed, Bernie. Except replace “the soul and control of” with “the lead in,” and you're pretty much accurate. Oh, and the one-sentence paragraph count is now at two.

Oh, never mind that the first-place Cardinals came into this donnybrook with a 29-34 record since May 24, and that the second-place Reds were 21-30 since June 8.
No, Bernie, I'm pretty sure you need to mind those records. After all, your record determines your post-season status. Unless you don't care about the post-season. Apparently Bern doesn't, though. He explains in the next sentence – which makes for a column record two-sentence paragraph:
In the NL Central, we'll take the drama where we can find it. We are not opposed to manufacturing it.

In the AL East, we'll take the drama where we can find it, too. But we don't need to manufacture it. It kinda happens out on the field. I thought it did in all of baseball, but apparently I was mistaken. Isn't it great that sports columnists don't find the games interesting enough?

[MORE]Yes, there was some build-up in St. Louis as the Reds and Cardinals prepared to meet for a four-game series here, followed by a three-game set next week at Busch Stadium.

These seven games certainly could influence the race. Gotta interject mid-paragraph here, buddy (a three-sentence one!!!!). A first place team squaring off against a second place team, separated by 3.5 games? That goes beyond your notion that “these seven games certainly could influence the race.” These games WILL influence the race. Even if they go 4-3, it will influence the race. This is certainly a more important series to the Reds, who trailed the Cardinals by 3 1/2 games in Monday morning's standings. That's why the Reds tried desperately to pack The Great American Ballpark by enticing fans with half-price tickets and $1 hot dogs.

Let's start with the second sentence in that paragraph. This series, while vitally important to the Reds, is also important for the Cardinals, who are sliding like crazy. One team fighting to get in, one team hanging on. That sounds like equal importance to me.

Based on the series-opener, if Reds made a bold statement on their home turf, it was along these lines:

We are not worthy.

We cannot even beat Jeff Weaver.

Okay, that was good. Gotta chalk it up.

Monday night, the Cardinals quickly reaffirmed their superiority with a five-run first inning en route to a 13-1 victory. After an eight-game losing streak, the Cardinals have pieced together three impressive wins to open a 4 1/2-game lead in the division.

Of course, getting Cardinals manager Tony La Russa to crow about winning the first of a four-game series would be like hearing baseball's most celebrated vegetarian announce he was taking on Kobayashi in the annual 4th of July hot-dog eating contest.

Let's compare Paragraph A and Paragraph B. Paragraph A talks about baseball. The sentences are nicely structured, and the message is clear and concise. Full of facts, just like a baseball column should be.

And then we get to the abomination that is Paragraph B. Naturally, it's of the one-sentence type. And it reeks of shtick. This is the fatal flaw of most sportswriters; they get too caught up in themselves and actually believe that they're funny. How many managers in baseball would “crow about winning the first of a four-game series?” If any did, they'd surely be out of a job. You go out there and say it was a good win for the team, and that's it. The joke itself: not funny. Not even concisely written. Nothing about it lends itself to the column as a whole. Next sentence/paragraph.

Here's La Russa's reaction to his impressive team's five-run, first-inning barrage against helpless Reds starter Elizardo Ramirez:

"I was sweating bullets."

Well, Weaver was pitching, you know.

Okay, that was another good series of thoughts. After that, I'm sure you have some insights as to the enigma that is Jeff Weaver.

But Weaver was the surprise of the evening. I am not going to be a phony here; I thought Weaver was a candidate to get rocked. You and everyone else who has an elementary understanding of baseball. He had an 8.68 ERA in his first four starts for the Cardinals, and had been blast-capped for six home runs in 18 innings. Moreover, Weaver was entering the danger zone of a rocket-launcher ballpark; 175 homers were hit in the first 58 games played this season at The Great American Ballpark.

Call it nit-picking, but doesn't the phrase “entering the danger zone of a rocket-launcher ballpark” sound, I dunno, stupid? Plus, it makes me think of Kenny Loggins.

If any pitcher seemed incompatible with this shooting gallery, it was the extremely laid-back Weaver, the SoCal surfer dude who reminds me of the "Spicoli" character in the classic comedy, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." Do you really need to qualify that? Hasn't everyone seen Fast Times? And if you haven't seen it, do you think the qualifier really makes a difference in your understanding of your point? But the Reds only hurt Weaver once, on a solo homer by Javier Valentin in the second. Weaver's six-inning, one-run, seven-strikeout performance bolstered La Russa's credibility.

Bolstered La Russa's credibility? How so? Because he rolled the dice and it came up box cars this time? What will it say for his credibility when he carts out Weaver in five days and he resumes sucking?

"It's not pressure that I'm feeling," Weaver said. "As much as just wanting to do well for my teammates and this organization. They went out and traded for me when I was really struggling and that means a lot."

“When I was really struggling,” is a bit of an understatement. You were, after all, DFA'd, so a trade or release was imminent. And the Cardinals only traded for you because their next best option was Sidney Ponson...

After Weaver got blistered by Philadelphia at Busch Stadium last week, I thought La Russa had eaten some bad tofu or otherwise flipped out when announcing Weaver as his starter for Monday in Cincinnati. But score one for the skipper and the surfer: Spicoli was focused Monday. Sure, it helps to have a 5-0 lead before throwing a pitch, but he pitched very well.

In fairness to La Russa, he doesn't exactly have many options.

"The way we evaluate him is, each time he's gone out there he's done something better,'' La Russa said. "He may not be at his best yet, but if you look at history, there's something to work with.''

Okay, Bern, you get a reprieve here, because it is La Russa making the absurd statement. Of course, he's just defending his player, which is totally acceptable. But could he find a more accurate way to praise Weaver? He hasn't done better each time out; in fact, as Bernie pointed out, he allowed seven runs over three and a third innings his last time out. The time before that, he allowed four runs over five and two-thirds. And even before that, he allowed one run over the same number of innings. So La Russa's assertion is just plain false.

It's heartwarming. If Weaver is Spicoli, then La Russa is Mr. Hand -- the gruff, hard-edged teacher who eventually turns Spicoli around.

That is, if Weaver doesn't flop his next time out. And, judging by his past, he certainly will.

As if getting shut down by Weaver wasn't enough, boisterous groups of Cardinals fans had the loudest voices in the crowd of 34,262.

In this somewhat forced but interesting division-race drama, Cincinnati wasn't ready for a close-up.

Forced drama? I just don't get it. They have a legitimate division race going on, and you have to force drama? For baseball fans, the drama is already there. For fans of – actually, I'm not sure what Bernie is a fan of – well, you can make up your drama. Just don't go misleading the actual fans out there.

See, this column wasn't completely moronic, a la the Vaccaro one from last week. Hopefully, with all 30 teams playing tonight, some moronery will appear in tomorrow's papers. In fact, I'm just waiting for Phil Rogers to completely embarrass himself. I could have ripped him today, but I'm waiting for a Type A Rogers column. He's been putting out Type B ones lately, ones that are pretty moronic, but not over the top. Once he steps in with another “A-Rod should be traded to the White Sox for players of little value” type column, I'll be all over it.

As always, if you notice any egregiously stupid baseball columns, e-mail them over. The more I get, the more I rip. And the more I rip, the better it gets.

Refreshed

2006-08-08T09:36:00.000-04:00

Nothing like an off-day to clear your head. See, I spend way too much time thinking about baseball. Even at work, there's always something baseball related open in a Firefox tab. I'm constantly minimizing windows and pulling up phony spreadsheets so that I can mask this obsession. But it's there, and it's not going away any time soon. I've got the baseball bug so bad that I usually complain of drab off-days.

Yesterday, however, was different. Maybe it's because I know we're entering a huge stretch and I needed to gear up. Maybe it's because I've overloaded myself with baseball and I needed a day off. But whatever the reason, I'm back and in the motivated mood. The only problem is that I can't really think of anything new to say about the Yankees.

Normally, I do my thing when I get into work at 8:20 in the morning. When I sat down at the keyboard, I had nothing. I guess I could go onto a tangent about how smart Torre is for setting up his rotation so that his three best go against Chicago's three worst; that's pretty sweet. But to prattle on about that for 700 words is no fun.

My next idea was to shift up my columnist-ripping charade a day. The plan was to run it every Wednesday, but since there was no Yankee baseball yesterday, today seemed like the perfect opportunity. Too bad there weren't any egregiously moronic columns today. Except, of course, for one penned by Mr. Jay Mariotti, but I'm not touching that one. In fact, I'm just going to pretend that Mariotti doesn't even exist. He won't be missed.

Alas, I've rambled.

In researching an idea for my weekly drubbing of a print columnist, I stumbled upon Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He's not a class A moron in the Chris Russo mold (man, would I love for him to pen a weekly column), but he speaks plenty of non-baseball talk. Call it a warm-up for when I read something completely moronic.

Oh, wait, I did this morning. Mike Celizic of MSNBC wrote a piece asserting that we would, in fact, have a Subway Series this year. This is the perfect column to rip. However, the fellows at Fire Joe Morgan have, for all intents and purposes, called dibs on ripping him. Plus, they're a lot funnier than me.

I'll post my Bernie drubbing in little bit...

Livan Dealt

2006-08-07T15:34:00.000-04:00

Proving that I don't check the major sports sites very much, I found this little bit on Yahoo! Jim Bowden sent Livan Hernandez packing for a pair of minor league pitchers.

This is quite surprising, given Bowden's failure to trade Alfonso Soriano. Twenty-three year olds Garrett Mock and Matt Chico were the compensation. As you can see from their stats, it appears Chico is the more promising of the two, but that's based entirely on a quick statistical analysis. I'm not sure as to their projections.

I don't know if it's a knee-jerk reaction to question Jim Bowden while trading, but I fail to see the sense in this. As stated, this comes with little to no knowledge of either Chico or Mock, but I certainly haven't heard their names making it around prospect circles. If anyone (Mike A., I'm looking at you) has any further information on these guys that would mitigate Mr. Bowden, please forward it along.

Apparently, Bowden's hope was that Hernandez would clear waivers, but the pitching starved D-Backs put in a quick claim. And I'm kind of figuring that the Red Sox put in a claim as well. In fact, with the pitching needs of most of the top teams, one wonders if Bowden truly believed that Livan would clear. If that in fact is the case, Bowden should be fired right now.

It would make more sense, to me, for Livan to be traded over the off-season. There isn't much pitching help available, making Livan an attractive option come Winter Meetings time. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see Arizona flip Livan and his inflated salary the Meetings for a better return than Mock and Chico.

This is When It Gets Tough

2006-08-07T09:33:00.000-04:00

Let's just say this was an acceptable weekend. We won two out of three, which is always acceptable for a division foe. It is extra acceptable when the Red Sox drop two out of three, moving us up a game in the standings. One quick thought before I get to Mike Mussina.

I don't think the importance of sweeping the Blue Jays is adequately stated at this point. If the Yankees make it to the World Series this year, you can look right back to the Jays series as a serious turning point. Of course, the obvious place to look is the sweep of the White Sox in the series after the All-Star break, as the Yankees have been hot ever since. But to sweep a division rival and for all intents and purposes knock them out of the AL East race is just huge. The Jays can play great ball for the rest of the year, but because the Yankees utterly dominated them for three straight games, they stand only a minimal shot of playing past October 1.

Now on to the Moose. The bats are in order and are only going to get stronger. This means, as we've known for quite some time, that we're going to need some top-notch pitching out of Wang, Moose, and Randy. They're our top guys, they have to anchor the rotation so that when Wright and Lidle inevitably screw up, we'll be able to recover. While stellar in April and May, Mussina fell off a bit in June, recovered at the end, and slipped again in July. August didn't get off to such a hot start, either.

In his final two July starts, Mussina was spot on, going seven innings and allowing one run while striking out six and walking two. He followed that up with a four-inning shutout of the Mets, but was unable to continue on after a lengthy rain delay. And, if you remember, he complained of a groin problem when exiting. It appears that the injury lingered throughout July. His numbers from July 5 through August 5

	IP	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	K/BB	ERA
July-August	37.0	7.78	1.94	0.97	4.00	4.38
April-June	116.1	8.04	1.70	1.08	4.72	3.17

There's only a slight shift in peripherals, so it appears that luck is a big factor here. He's still striking guys out at a more than acceptable rate, and still refuses to walk too many batters. All of his ratios appear to be in order, though he could do himself well by cutting back on the homers. It's mainly due to his extreme flyball tendencies, as he's sitting on a 1.02 ratio His hits per nine has increased over the aforementioned period, so inducing the ground ball may be the remedy for Mussina's woes. Of course, that's much easier for me to sit here and write than for Mussina to do, but yeah, that looks to be the problem.

Have I mentioned that I'm on the Bobby Abreu bandwagon? The more he plays, the more I see that he's the perfect fit in this lineup. As the No. 3 hitter, he adds a threat to the basepaths. Damon, Jeter, Abreu, and Alex all pose basestealing threats, making pitchers especially uneasy. And then you have Giambi batting fifth, where his low average/high OBP/high Slugging make him a perfect fit. The top four are hitting and on-base machines, and Giambi packs the base clearing power.

Enjoy the day off today, folks, because we're hitting the 2120-day stretch. No days off, so there has to be at least a prayer going out for rain at some point along the way, preferably on Thursday the 17th, a home game against the Orioles that immediately precedes the five-game stint in Boston. Not only will that give the team a rest, but it will allow for a bit more flexibility in the rotation.

There's more injury reprieve on the way. We know that Cano will return on Tuesday (good timing by Cairo on that injury), and now there are whispers circulating about Carl Pavano and Octacio Dotel. Not that I have faith in the return of either, but they're both working in the minors, hopeful for a September return. Dotel has been working out in the Rookie league, and Pavano is set to make a start on Thursday for the Tampa Yankees.

I know everyone is down on Carl Pavano, and for good reason. The guy signed a huge contract and came in with corresponding expectations. He pitched like crap upon arrival, which has everyone thinking that he's a bum. I don't disagree. However, I do think that he was injured some time in Spring Training 2005, and pitched at far less than 100 percent until he was sidelined in early July. The bone chips he just had scoped out almost certainly existed throughout 2005. So to judge his effectiveness for the Yankees on his abbreviated stint last year isn't exactly fair.

We all know how good Pavano can be. We also know how disappointing he's been. There doesn't seem to be a place on this team for him, but with the two huge question marks in the rotation, he could provide some innings down the stretch. However, since he's been out all year, I don't expect he'll be able to build up enough stamina between now and September 1 to really play a part in the rotation. The bullpen may be his home in September and October, where I think he could be put to quality use. He'll replace Sidney Ponson, which makes plenty of fans happy. And, bum or not, I would think the guy could tough it through one inning at a time, providing an even more solid bridge to Mariano. If the Yanks can stock the bullpen with Villone, Pavano, Proctor, Dotel, and Farnsworth before Mo, they'll be set. This gives you multiple options, meaning that many of the guys won't have to pitch back to back days.

This is all speculation based on a notion that Dotel and Pavano can not only come back, but be effective. But dammit, we have to have some hope in us that those investments will pay off in some way. It's not like the stock market where we can sell off these failed endeavors. No, Dotel and Pavano are like Certificates of Deposit: you're stuck with them until a certain maturity date, lest you pay an early withdrawal penalty (the penalty being the remainder of the contracts...not so attractive). In these situations, all we really have is hope. Now I feel like a goddamn after school special.

Tomorrow will be another edition of my weekly drubbing of a sports columnist. I'm trying to pick an author in a different region, but if anyone has seen some especially bad New York sportswriting today or over the weekend, forward it along to me.

Projected Rotation

2006-08-04T09:56:00.000-04:00

I'm getting excited. Real excited. Excited to the point where I have to take a step back and realize that although the Yankees are playing some of the best ball in the Majors right now, anything can happen in two months. Cliché, yes, but all too true.

I think I'm harping on this more emphatically than just about any other sports writer I know or have read: the Yankees are in for one helluva 22-game stretch this month. Absent a rain out, the team is going to be all sorts of tired at some point during this three-week stretch. To think that none of the five starters will have a meltdown start is quite naïve.

Because there's not much interesting to write about today – and because I don't have enough time to do adequate research for a substantial column – let's peek at the projected rotation throughout this horrid stretch of 22 games in 21 days (well, 25 in 24, since I'm going to start with this weekend). The city name denotes an away game, team name a home one.

Date	Opp	Pitcher
8/4	Baltimore	Randy
8/5	Baltimore	Mussina
8/6	Baltimore	Wright
8/7	OFF!
8/8	Chicago	Wang
8/9	Chicago	Lidle
8/10	Chicago	Johnson
8/11	Angels	Mussina
8/12	Angels	Wright
8/13	Angels	Wang
8/14	Angels	Lidle
8/15	Orioles	Johnson
8/16	Orioles	Mussina
8/17	Orioles	Wright
8/18	Boston	Wang
8/18	Boston	Ponson*
8/19	Boston	Lidle
8/20	Boston	Johnson
8/21	Boston	Mussina
8/22	Seattle	Wright
8/23	Seattle	Wang
8/24	Seattle	Lidle
8/25	Anaheim	Johnson
8/26	Anaheim	Mussina
8/27	Anaheim	Wright

* He's the only guy available who wouldn't be on short rest, and you don't want to be pitching on short rest during a stretch like this in August.

Of course, this whole table could be moot should Joe decide to juggle the rotation during the off-day. I wouldn't advise it, since you want to (intangibles warning) keep everyone in a groove entering a stretch like this.

This is, of course, a best-case scenario. And when you look at it, the matchups aren't terrible. Wright misses Boston, though Ponson will be forced into action. The biggest disappointment, I'd say, is that Mussina won't pitch against Chicago, which gives me the feeling that Joe will, in fact, juggle the rotation to set that up.

You'd also like to get Wright-Lidle-Randy against the Orioles. I'm wondering aloud of any of these can be accomplished with the utilization of the off-day.

UPDATE!!

Date	Opp	Pitcher
8/4	Baltimore	Randy
8/5	Baltimore	Mussina
8/6	Baltimore	Wright
8/7	OFF!
8/8	Chicago	Wang
8/9	Chicago	Johnson
8/10	Chicago	Mussina
8/11	Angels	Lidle
8/12	Angels	Wright
8/13	Angels	Wang
8/14	Angels	Johnson
8/15	Orioles	Moose
8/16	Orioles	Lidle
8/17	Orioles	Wright
8/18	Boston	Wang
8/18	Boston	Ponson
8/19	Boston	Johnson
8/20	Boston	Mussina
8/21	Boston	Lidle
8/22	Seattle	Wright
8/23	Seattle	Wang
8/24	Seattle	Johnson*
8/25	Anaheim	Mussina
8/26	Anaheim	Lidle
8/27	Anaheim	Wright

*This start, in my mind, is dependent on circumstance. If the team is doing well through this stretch and have won the first two games against Seattle, I am in favor of pitching Ponson in this spot, sliding Johnson back to pitch the opener against Anaheim. That will set up the series as Randy-Moose-Lidle, which I like a ton better than Moose-Lidle-Wright. Of course, there's the possibility that Seattle is playing better than Anaheim at this point, making the substitution moot.

It will be of the utmost importance to get Ponson into some games – preferably in relief of 5-Innings Wright – prior to the Boston series. If he's going to pitch, you don't want him pitching with rust in such an important series.

Then again, the rotation can be juggled so that Wright pitches in the Boston series instead. Pitching Ponson against the Orioles would be the alternative here, which works for me on two levels. First, it's against a much shittier team. Second, it's against Ponson against his old team, one who he believes wronged him. It may not be true, but that's what he believes. Might as well give him a shot against them.

Date	Opp	Pitcher
8/4	Baltimore	Randy
8/5	Baltimore	Mussina
8/6	Baltimore	Wright
8/7	OFF!
8/8	Chicago	Wang
8/9	Chicago	Johnson
8/10	Chicago	Mussina
8/11	Angels	Lidle
8/12	Angels	Wright
8/13	Angels	Wang
8/14	Angels	Johnson
8/15	Orioles	Mussina
8/16	Orioles	Lidle
8/17	Orioles	Ponson
8/18	Boston	Wang
8/18	Boston	Wright
8/19	Boston	Johnson
8/20	Boston	Mussina
8/21	Boston	Lidle
8/22	Seattle	Wright
8/23	Seattle	Wang
8/24	Seattle	Johnson*
8/25	Anaheim	Mussina
8/26	Anaheim	Lidle
8/27	Anaheim	Wright

Asshole Bosses

2006-08-04T08:55:00.000-04:00

I had my whole day at work planned out. It was carefully crafted, leaving me just enough work to get me through until the boss leaves. And then it's off to the shore for the weekend.

I sat down at my desk 10 minutes ago, and I immediately had a wrench thrown in. Apparently my boss is steamed that I didn't start something he told me to start Monday. This is not an isolated occurrence.

I was hired as the Assistant Editor, I am given writing and editing assignments, yet I am hounded incessantly about selling ads. Yes, that's how the publication makes money. No, that's not really what I was hired to do.

Anyway, it might be an hour before I post something, so in the meantime you can visit Off the Facade for the Yankees Family Tree.

And keep those sports columnist suggestions rolling in. I've gotten a few great ones so far, and the more I get the more I'll post.
Mail 'em here

Yanks 7, Jays 2 -- Did You See That Slide?!?

2006-08-03T09:08:00.000-04:00

I was elated in the eighth inning of the Red Sox-Indians game last night, when David Ortiz – two nights removed from yet another walk-off homer – struck out, covering his head with the shameful Golden Sombrero. After Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell were retired behind him, I came to a glorious realization: Papi wouldn’t be up in the ninth. The 6-7-8-9 hitters were due up, so it would take the Indians loading the bases, allowing the tying run to score, and recording two outs for the feared marauder to appear again.

Thankfully, he never got that chance. Mark Loretta took care of business one batter before him, slamming a bases-loaded double off the Monster, giving the Red Sox another come from behind victory against Cleveland, 6-5. That’s twice in the three games that the Red Sox mounted a ninth inning rally, a fact that just makes me sick. The first one hurt because it was Papi again. The sting in this one came because Eric Wedge seemingly doesn’t care anymore. Why Fausto Carmona (A+ for the name, F for the performance) was left in after beaning two straight batters is beyond all comprehension.

I know, I should be focusing on the Yankees and their second straight thumping of the Blue Jays, further widening the gap between first (second? whatever) and third place. As on Tuesday night, the Yankees struck hard enough in one frame to live comfortably for the rest of the game. And it all started in the sixth.

Alex, in the midst of another hot streak, hit a screaming low liner to left field. From the replay, he looked to be going hard from the get go, ostensibly thinking double all the way. The only problem is that he no longer poses the speed threat of his youth. Many moons ago in a place, now extinct, known as Seattle, Alex hit 42 home runs and stole 46 bases in a season. He was young, athletic, and powerful. Well, now he’s a lot more powerful, and still just as athletic. Problem is, with all the bulk he added during his years in Texas and New York, he’s lost significant speed. It’s evident when he grounds out to deep short; he runs hard out of the box, but when the out is recorded, he’s still two or three steps away. But speed be damned, Alex wanted a double on this one.

The throw came in from left, and before the camera panned to second base, I just figured Alex would be safe. But when the bag was in the center of the screen, only his fingers were visible. It was a scene reminiscent of Willie Hayes’s failed steal attempt for the Indians (I believe they only showed him getting caught once in the whole movie, aside from the Clue Haywood pickoff on Opening Day). But instead of sliding in short and allowing Aaron Hill to lay on an easy tag, Alex played trickery, lifting his left hand, shifting his weight, and planting his right hand on the bag, untouched by Hill. There is no doubt it was an excellent reaction by Alex, but I wonder how much of that was planned. Heading towards second, he had a clear view of the ball being fielded and thrown, so he must have known he was toast. I postulate that he began his slide early on purpose, figuring his best way of reaching safely was to head in slow, giving him more time to react.

Posada wasted no time in putting two more runs on the board, taking Ted Lilly’s second offering to the back of the netting over Monument Park. After Craig Wilson’s inaugural hit as a Yankee and a Melky ground-rule double, Lilly was finished, meaning John Gibbons’s overmanagement seminar was about to begin. He tried Dustin McGowan (no relation to Rose, I think), but to no avail; walking Miguel freakin’ Cairo to load the bases is a sure sign that you don’t belong in the game. Johnny Damon whacked one into center field, plating Wilson. Derek Jeter drew a walk for another RBI, and McGowan was done, though he was really done before he started. Scott Downs fared a bit better initially, striking out Bobby Abreu on a five-foul, 10-pitch at bat. But then came Alex, still riding that adrenaline high like it was black tar heroin. His rip shot to left-center plated two more, giving the Yankees a 7-0 lead.

It was Jorge’s turn next, and even though he had started the scoring, I was disappointed when he came up. Downs is a lefty, meaning Jorge was batting from the right side, the side from which he homered earlier in the inning. It would have been sweet as hell had he batted and gone deep from the left side, which would have made him the third player in Major League history to accomplish that feat. It was first done in 1993 in Yankee Stadium, of all places, by Carlos Baerga, of all the random people. I actually remember watching that game; it was a total blowout, so much so that I’m not even going to look up the gory details on Retrosheet. Eventually joining Baerga was Mark Bellhorn in 2002, while playing for the Cubs. After reading that, I’m not so disappointed that Jorge didn’t get his chance; I mean, would you want to be categorized with Baerga and Bellhorn?

Do I even need to make mention of Wang's outing? I mean, we can all read a box score, and that pretty much tells the story. Though, I should make note of the nastiest pitch of the game, his sixth inning strikeout of Lyle Overbay. Wang delivered an inside fastball that looked to be just a hair off the black of the plate. But wait for it...wait for it...BAM! The ball took one of the nastiest right-hand turns I've seen, freezing Overbay and ending the inning. If Wang can hone his slider and develop an off-speed pitch over the winter, he could be one of the dominant pitchers in the game. He trows hard, has a nasty, ground-ball inducing sinker, and a two-seamer that has some nice movement to the right. A honed slider would give him a pitch that breaks to the left, and an off-speed delivery allows him to keep hitter off time.

I was kind of surprised to see Villone in the ninth, considering he had pitched an inning and two thirds on Tuesday. I guess Torre is being cautious in using his mop-up guy, since Lidle is starting today. Of course, making sure a mop-up guy is there to pitch you three or four innings isn’t merely predicting the worst. It’s just that no one knows what to expect from Lidle, so having a break glass in case of emergency plan is strategically sound.

Oh, and on that Glaus shot in the ninth: I was a little surprised and confused when I saw 30-something man (he was at least 30, though could have been older; I didn't get the best look) sprinting into the black seats to recover the ball. I thought about the games I've seen at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, where swarms of kids would race to any home run hit onto the grassy knoll in center. And here we are in New York, with a middle aged man racing the kids to get the ball. I have to say that I was at least a bit relieved to hear a roar from the crowd, followed by the camera panning to the ball, now lying in center field. Kudos to that guy; you ALWAYS throw it back. I just wish he didn't have a pansy arm.

Day game today. I hope all you bored suckers at work can get the streaming audio from wcbs.com. I wouldn't want any of you to miss the triumphant debut of Cory Lidle. Okay, maybe I'm getting just a little too excited.

Mike Vaccaro in the New York Post

2006-08-02T11:51:00.000-04:00

Admittedly, I'm riffing on the style of the guys at Fire Joe Morgan. But I'm goddamn sick and tired of shitty sportswriting in our major newspapers. I figure I'll do a feature like this once a week, maybe more if I can find more shitty sportswriting (which I'm sure won't be a difficult task). Dan Graziano will surely be next.

Bombers Are Not Cuddly Anymore
by Mike Vaccaro

THE Yankees never did wear the vestments of upstarts and overachievers very well. It's hard. The uniform is comprised of pinstripes, after all, not polyester.

No, I'm pretty sure the uniform is made of polyester.

They Yankees are catered buffet tables, not lunch buckets. They are about blue blood, not blue collars. Always have been. Always will be.

You know, I'm not quite sure what anything in this paragraph means. This is an article about baseball, right?

For more than a month, the Yankees featured a lineup that was almost downright cuddly.

This may be the first time I heard a group of baseball players described as “cuddly.” Once again, the meaning of this sentence is lost on me. Does Vacarro spoon with the bench players after a good assfucking?

[MORE]Aaron Guiel and Bubba Crosby were in there a lot. Nick Green was in there a lot, and Andy Phillips. Melky Cabrera was in there, getting his hands dirty. Miguel Cairo. Even a guy like Bernie Williams, as beloved as he is, as accomplished a career as he's had, belonged in that group.

Thank you for letting me know who has played over the last few months. My eyes couldn't see those players out there on the diamond, nor could they read the text in the box scores. Thank you, Mike Vaccaro, for bringing this point to light.
For a good month, the Yankees were almost impossible to hate, even among that segment of baseball society that likes nothing better than emanating a searing loathing for them.

No, I'm pretty sure everyone who hated the Yankees before the season continue to hate the Yankees now. I guess columns aren't fact-checked, because the word “impossible” here, by definition, is false.

Who can hate Aaron Guiel?

Allard Baird and Dayton Moore.

Here's the thing, too: Using all those mix-and-match lineups, the Yankees not only treaded water, they actually gained on the Red Sox, and gained on the White Sox, and put themselves into perfect position to make a 12th straight run at the postseason.

I'll nitpick here, since most of the assertions herein are true. There's no need for the second “and gained,” and there are too many “and”s in this sequence. Plus, I don't like the use of “too” here. Unnecessary. If I copy edited this, it would read:
Here's the thing: Using all those mix-and-match lineups, the Yankees went beyond treading water. They actually gained on the Red Sox and the White Sox and put themselves in ~~perfect~~ position to make a run at a 12th straight postseason.

"Watching what the guys have been doing," Gary Sheffield said yesterday, "it's really been kind of inspiring."
Well, the inspirational part of the Bronx baseball program is officially over. Sheffield's wrist is getting better and better. So is Hideki Matsui's. Robinson Cano could be back inside a week. And yesterday, the Yankees handed out fresh uniforms to their cavalry of deadline acquisitions. The purge is just starting. The Yankees' days as cute, feisty battlers are dead. The heavy guns are in place.
Let the fear and loathing begin anew.

How about just saying that some impact players are due to return from injury, and that the fill-in players will be relegated to normal roles. And I don't think Melky, Bernie and Co. would appreciated being referred to as cute and fiesty.

Philly is a place with a baseball tradition so thin that the general manager can actually inform his ticket-buying public that not only have the Phillies given up on 2006, but they shouldn't be counted on to compete in 2007, either. New York is a place where a GM espousing such a philosophy wouldn't only be fired, but committed.

Ron Villone came from the same situation in Florida, as did Carlos Delgado and Paul LoDuca for the Mets. Why no mention of that situation, which is much more egregious than the Phillies mini-firesale?

So the Yankees, as always, grab with both fists. Within a few weeks, the every-day lineup could well feature nine All-Stars, which will give Yankee haters the bends, which might make at-bats hard to come by, which could cause some problems.

Yes, because handing out at-bats to the best players on the team can cause problems. I wonder if Vaccaro realizes that by September, everyone who was supposed to be a starter will be a starter, and that everyone who was supposed to play a bench role will play a bench role. Unless you think Bernie will cause a ruckus in the clubhouse because of his reduced playing time.

The mystique of the Yankees is a little easier to define. They are back to what they're supposed to be. They are cuddly no longer. They are cute no more. Starting last night, they started flexing big-boy, old-school Yankee muscle again. Somehow, the world seems to be spinning back on its axis again.

“Starting last night,” is the line that gets me. The only change last night was DHing Bernie Williams and putting Bobby Abreu in right field. Apparently, Abreu declined Vaccaro's offer of a blowjob during their interview, thus precluding him from being “cute and cuddly.”

So, in essence, the crux of Vaccaro's column is that the Yankees added a big bat, and that one more big bat transformed a cute and cuddly team into a lean, mean, run scoring machine.

Ladies and gentlemen, this man gets paid for these “insights.”

Yanks 5, Jays 1 -- Live From Yankee Stadium

2006-08-02T09:46:00.000-04:00

I was in attendance last night, so it's time for the Game Experience Recap. I hope the GERs are more fun to read, because they're a ton more fun to write. If I ran a newspaper, this is what I would have my beat reporter doing.

Not to go all Peter King on everyone, but there's a preface to this GER. I left work early so I could catch a train my buddy had boarded at a previous stop, and noticed that the parking lot was rather packed. From the street, I definitely saw one spot, so I figured I was set. What I didn't count on was an un-uniformed man roaming the parking lot, telling me that I need to pay him $7 to park here. There was nothing about him that signaled that he was in any way official, so I wasn't about to hand him over the dough without a little interrogation.

“I'm sorry, but there are no signs anywhere that indicate I need to pay for parking.”
“Look at the lot, man, it's full (yet there was a spot, about 50 feet away). They (who are “they?”) charge for the lot and the meter is down (I looked everywhere for a meter, did not see one). And when it gets full we have to move cars around, so I need your keys.”

It was then that I knew I wasn't catching the train. Why in the world would I hand this unofficial looking fellow my money and my keys? I may be a suburban white kid, but I'm not stupid like the stereotype would have you believe.

“Do you have a supervisor with whom I could speak?”
“No, man, it's just me. Look at the lot, I ain't lyin' to you. Use common sense.”

That, my friends, put me over the top. Had I any formal fight training, I would have stepped out of the car and socked him. Instead, I let out a huge FUCK YOU.
NOTE: I removed a reference here that I'm not particularly proud of. I wrote without thinking, and I was fortunate enough to have reader Tonya L. point out the error of my ways. Thank you, Tonya. God, I feel like Ozzie Guillen now.

To the bus station I went, which was late, and took forever to get to the city. All of that, and I only missed the top of the first.

On a sweltering, humid night in the Bronx, Jaret Wright is not the guy you want on the mound. He has trouble throwing strikes, and works at a pace similar to a Giambi sprint. Throwing 45 pitches in the first two innings isn't ideal in any game, but last night's was especially damning. And after seeing the Yanks flail their first time through the order, I didn't have a whole lot of confidence.

But then came the fourth. The crowd went a little nuts when Jeter walked to lead off the inning. And they got a little more nuts when he stole second. So the place was obviously booming when Giambi hit it over the shift, putting runners on first and third with none out. And then it happened...

During Giambi's at bat, I turned to my buddy Jon and said, “I'm giving Alex a standing O when he comes up.” This was in reaction to the morons surrounding us who deemed it suitable to boo him after striking out in the second. I mumbled something about Plato and the Alex booers being lovers of opinion rather than seekers of knowledge, but I'm rusty on my Plato and it may have come out sounding like gibberish.

Much to my surprise, about 30 people in my section alone did the same. You could hear a few boos in the background, but the cheers certainly drowned them out. This wasn't a big big spot, but the Yanks were down one and could certainly have used a run.

And then he delivered.

He didn't try to put it over the fence. He didn't rear back and swing with all his might. But holy shit did Alex tear the cover off that ball. Jeter could have stopped for a beer on the way home, but unfortunately Giambi was the man on first base.

Run you fucking fatass, run!

Up came Abreu, and you could just feel that he was going to plate those two runs. He went down 0-2, and like Giambi I don't mind that count on Abreu. He worked six more pitches – three balls and three fouls, in that order – before finally taking his free pass. It's not a home run, but we do pay him to walk. Jorge couldn't get in on the action, striking out for the first of the inning.

Bernie was next, leaving me very insure of our chances of bringing in even one run. As you may have picked up from reading this site, my friends and I routinely refer to Bernie as the Double Play Machine. This was the perfect situation for a DP, with the game tied and a potential rally on the base paths. “Uppercut, Bernie!” I yelled from about 12 rows behind home plate. He obviously didn't hear me, because he took a level cut and planted the ball in the left-center field gap. Abreu scored from first, and the game was opening up, 4-1 Yanks.

The subway races came on between innings, an event on which I'm sure guys in the bleachers are gambling. Te race has degenerted over the years, as it's now just a John Sterling recording over some generic CG sequences. In the end, it's basically a random number generator. Why can't we do it like they do in Milwaukee, with a Polish Sausage, Italian Sausage, Bratwurst, and a chorizo racing until the bitter end? We can afford Bobby Abreu, but we can't afford to suit up four guys per game for our entertainment value.

Jaret Wright managed to finish the fifth after 103 pitches, and while he didn't get a standing O, he deserved at least a pat on the back. He did what was expected, which is five innings and less than three runs. This allowed Villone to get some action, and boy did he deliver. Not only did he pitch an effective inning and two-thirds, but he made an excellent knee-jerk play, snagging a ball that very well could have hit him in the face.

Proctor and Farnsworth finished the job, with Farnsworth even impressing his biggest detractors. That, my friends, is what you can do when you throw 100 mph gas instead of a weak slider. There is, however, one play I would like to harp on for a second.

In the sixth, Alex tried to score on a Posada single. This was reasonable, since he was on second. However, the ball was hit right to Eric Hinske, who threw it on target to Gregg Zaun. The plate was completely blocked, and Alex was a dead duck. He knew it, Zaun knew it, the ump knew it, the whole stadium knew it. It's part of baseball, it happens. He tried to maneuver around Zaun, but with no success. Of course, the boo birds could be heard in the background, but it was more like crickets chirping at a barbeque. Everyone in the surrounding seats questioned why he didn't slide, and since I was a bit tipsy (hey, they delivered the beer right to my seat! What was I supposed to do, not drink?), I felt the need to interject my first-hand experience as a catcher:

“If Alex slid, it would have been right into Zaun's shin guard, which is one of the last things you want to do. No sense in risking a broken ankle in a 4-1 game. Zaun's actually the lucky one, though, because if the game was any closer, Alex would have probably tried to plow him, and Zaun would have ended up with a knee to the skull. Not fun, especially when a guy as small as Zaun gets plowed by a guy as jacked as Alex.”

My only regret is that I didn't meet up with Ben of Off the Facade, but that's a product of my own stupidity.

First place, baby! Thank you loss column.

The Truth About Trading

2006-08-01T09:32:00.000-04:00

Today, I was going to explain the process by which teams can continue to make trades through waivers. It is an overlooked aspect of the game, since ESPN and other major sports news outlets will have you believe that July 31st is the be-all, end-all of trades. So I Googled a few terms just to make sure I was passing along facts, and I struck gold:

A full explanation by Scout.com

Usually, players with larger, multi-year contracts are the ones who clear waivers. You can be damn sure that both Mike Sweeney and Pat Burrell pass Go. Even if a team – for some reason beyond all logic – wanted either Burrell or Sweeney, they'd likely let him clear rather than put in a claim, since their respective team would let them go, leaving the claiming team with the bloated contract.

Remember those Andruw Jones rumblings? They could re-surface in August, as Jones is owed roughly $17 million between this year and next. If they're slipping a little bit, the White Sox would likely put in a claim on him, as could the Blue Jays or Angels. The risk is that John Schuerholz will tell them to keep Andruw and the $17 mil owed to him. But the more likely scenario is that Mr. S tries to work out a deal with the lowest ranking bidder before revoking the waivers all together.

Think the Red Sox need outfield help still? Geoff Jenkins and his $10 million could pass through waivers. Shawn Green and Luis Gonzalez will clear; you'd better believe Richie Sexson, Jarrod Washburn, Joel Pineiro and Adrian Beltre will clear; Livan Hernandez should clear, and I'd put good money on his departure; Javy Lopez should clear and could be dealt. This is just a partial list, as many teams make it practice to place everyone on waivers and wait for the fallout.

It looks, however, like the Yankees are done shopping. Unless an opportunity arises for a more reliable starter, there are no real needs at this point, assuming Dotel will one day be back. And it all may be moot anyway. The Yankees can currently block any player from making his way to the Red Sox, but if there's a flip flop in the standings, there's a flip flop in the waiver order. So for the time being, I'm content with the Yankees in second place, since the Red Sox have more needs that could be filled via waivers.

But enough about maneuvering. It's time to concentrate on the games. I'll be there tonight, yo.

Don't Believe Everything You Read and Hear

2006-08-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Just in case you heard someone say that Cory Lidle is a great second-half pitcher: his starts from July 15 through October 5 of the years 2001-2005.

Year	IP	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	W	L	ERA
2001	97.3	5.00	2.10	2.35	11	2	2.96
2002	98.1	4.90	1.7	2.84	6	2	2.29
2003	67.1	4.80	3.60	1.33	2	7	5.35
2004	90	5.00	2.90	1.72	6	5	5.00
2005	68.2	6.20	2.10	2.94	5	5	6.03

So yeah, that whole thing about him being a great second-half pitcher is a crock of shit.

Splits obtained from Baseball Musing's Day by Day Database

The Construction of a Lineup

2006-07-31T19:02:00.000-04:00

I ran the Yankees lineup with current stats through Baseball Musing's Lineup Analysis tool. This optimizes lineups based on historical research of SLG and OBP.

The following lineup is expected to score 6.387 runs per game, which, for anyone lacking a calculator, extrapolates to 1,035 runs for the season.
1. Jeter
2. Alex
3. Sheffield
4. Giambi
5. Posada
6. Matsui
7. Damon
8. Cano
9. Abreu

The problems herein: 1) Matsui and Sheffield's stats represent a small sample size; 2) Abreu would never bat ninth, and could show a power surge in the Bronx; 3) going righty-righty-righty-lefty-switch-lefty-lefty-lefty-lefty isn't exactly sound lineup strategy.

There are other variations of the lineup, each of which negligibly reduces the run total. It is interesting to note, however, that each and every variation has Jeter leading off and Abreu batting ninth (probably because they have the high OBP/mediocre SLG pedigree of a leadoff hitter). The majority of the variations pen the order as Jeter-Alex-Sheffield-Giambi, and then a mixing of the order down to Abreu at ninth.

I also ran it sans Sheffield/Matsui and with Cabrera/Wilson, which came in at 6.312 runs per game.
1. Jeter
2. Alex
3. Posada
4. Giambi
5. Damon
6. Wilson
7. Cano
8. Cabrera
9. Abreu

Of course, we know these situations will never come to fruition. Damon will bat first and Jeter will bat second for as long as they both play for the Yankees.

Yanks Land Wilson; Dodgers Get Maddux

2006-07-31T16:09:00.000-04:00

On the Maddux front, from FoxSports.
No solid details yet, other than the over $1 million changing hands. I'm sure that link will update as we hear more. CBS Sports Line is reporting that the compensation is Ceasar Izturis.

Word from MLB Trade Rumors is that the Yanks sent Shawn Chacon packing for Craig Wilson. Not bad, as I guess this spells the end for Andy Phillips.

Definitely will have more on the Wilson deal when I get it.

Mets Get Their Booty

2006-07-31T15:29:00.000-04:00

Magnificents Add Hernandez, Perez from Pirates

The Yankees had been long connected with Hernandez, who didn't re-sign with the Mets after last season because of confusion over his role. But with Duaner Sanchez now done for the season, his role will be clearly defined as the prime setup man for Billy Wagner.

The Mets take a gamble here, taking on Oliver Perez. The thinking, presumably, is that Rick Peterson believes he can make a reclamation project out of Perez, who is 2-10 with a 6.63 ERA this season. He's shown promise, going 12-10 with a 2.98 ERA in 2004, though hasn't been able to find the same groove since.

This isn't so bad, considering Perez's potential. It must be noted that the problem with Pittsburgh could be in the developmental and/or pitching departments. After a sensational rookie season, Zach Duke has regressed, sitting on a 7-9 record with a 5.26 ERA and walking way too many batters. The Pirates always seem to come up with pitching phenoms who don't pan out. Maybe the change of tutelage will help Perez rediscover himself.

The cost was only Xavier Nady, which works just fine for the Mets. The fans in the right field seats better be poised for some high-fivin', because baby, Lastings will be back in town.

Padres get Walker

2006-07-31T15:13:00.000-04:00

CBS Sports Line reports the deal.

Now, I don't want to go sounding like the overzealous Yankees fan who wants to snatch up everyone on the market. However, adding Walker wouldn't have been a terrible move on the Yankees part. Consider:

1) He'd be a much better fill-in at second while Cano tends to his hamstring
2) He'd be a much better fit at the first-base slot than Andy Phillips.

Phillips has more power, but no discipline. Walker may not rake, but he'll hit a dozen homers (probably six more this year), is adequate with the glove, and much to my delight has walked 11 more times than he's struck out this season.

It's not the deal that got away, but it was a potential improvement.