The Curse Of Jeff Nelson

April Review

2008-04-30T23:53:00.002-04:00

Well, if you would have told me that at the end of April the Junkees would be 14-15, I'd say SIGN ME UP.

I know the fans will complain about injuries, but come on. Every team has to deal with injuries, and when you have a payroll of $200 million, you find a way to get the job done anyway.

Starting pitching: Wang has defied all expectations. I know, let's see him do this in October, but you don't get there if he stinks during the season. Other than the Boston drubbing (8 ER in 4 IP) he's been excellent. Mussina is doing better than anyone thought (that's because everyone thought he was shot!), and Pettitte's been okay, if inconsistent. And Hughes and Kennedy - let's just say that Hank Steinbrenner is probably calling Ca$hman everyday asking why he didn't get Johan Santana.

Relief pitching: Russ Ohlendorf has been quite good, and much to my chagrin, it seems that Joba Chamberlain's '07 campain was no fluke. Charlie Brown is still going strong, but otherwise you have no one. That said, if you have two guys who are absolutely dominating, you're better off than (at least) 25 other teams. So when Old York has a lead in the late innings, I'm nervous.

Offense: The good - Shemp (.955 OPS), Melky (5 HR), Damon (.381 OBP).
The bad - Jeter (.303 OBP), Giambi (.171 BA).
The ugly - Cano (.459 OPS).

Defense: Well, you have Damon's girlie-arm out there (sometimes), Jeter with no range, and Shemp playing like a stooge. If you watch the games like I do, you can see occasions when these little things add up to runs for the other teams.

Overall, you can never stick a fork in the Yankees and assume they're done (see 2005 and 2007), but they have two huge holes in their rotation, and a couple of question marks. You know their offense will heat up and they'll start scoring like crazy (although Ringo's absense could hurt some). So it'll be up to the pitching to overcome the 11-9 contests.

But again, this could have been 2003 (18-3 start) all over again, so I ain't complaining.

2008 Preview

2008-04-02T14:16:00.003-04:00

Nice to hear some of the experts predict that Old York will miss the playoffs this year. They've been a lock forever, so their season opener notwithstanding, here's how I see the team this year:

C - Ringo Posada. Old man. Will not duplicate his 2007 numbers. He's 36, and his .338 was a fluke. Isn't moving to DH yet, so Yankee fans, have fun!

1B - Juice-on Giambi. Reports say he's healthier and in better shape than he's been in years, but I don't see how he becomes a better defensive player at 37.

2B - Robinson Cano. Can't argue with his .314 lifetime average, so let's just hope he takes another step back (he did go down 49 points in OPS from '06 to '07, so who knows).

SS - Derek Cheater. Worse defensive SS in baseball. Enough said.

3B - A-Schmuck. Well, he did win the MVP and have a fantastic 2007. Pisses me off that he's back, but then again, how many rings has he won? Exactly.

LF - Johnny Damon. Gotta love a guy with a .396 slugging percentage as your everyday left fielder. Too bad for the Yanks, they're stuck with him and his arm that can get the ball from the gap to second base on seven hops.

CF - Melky Cabrera. For all his hype, he also ended up with a pathetic slugging percentage - .391. His OBP wasn't too hot, either (.327). So we'll see.

RF - Bobby Abreu. Heard all the excuses why he was horrid in the first half of 2007, but still gets on base a ton and is pretty good in the outfield. We'll see if he hits more than 16 home runs in '08.

DH - Shemp. Can't field a lick (too bad they moved him off the field) and isn't the 30-homer guy Old York thought they were getting when they signed him in '02. Still, solid offensive numbers, and now that the ridiculous streak has ended, has a chance to rest and be okay. At the same time, realize that the Junkees almost shipped him off to San Francisco, so that says something.

SP - No sure bet. Pettitte's breaking down, you can't trust Mussina, Wang is up and down (more up than down, but still - not to mention October), and who knows what you'll get from Kennedy and Hughes.

RP - I've been writing off Charlie Brown forever, but until he proves that he's finished, I have to give him his due. Joba had a few good innings in '07, so I'd be cautious if I were a Yankee fan, and the rest of them (Hawkins, Farnworthless, Ohlendorf, and Traber) will be useful in the 10-1 games. Otherwise, cross your fingers.

PREDICTION: The pitching will be the downfall. They'll get enough offense from A-Schmuck and Co., but the bullpen will blow leads, and the starters will struggle. Unless Boston falls apart, we may finally have a Yankee-free October!

Mr. Intangibles, Again

2008-02-17T07:40:00.000-05:00

Check this article out for details.

Like Father, Like Son

2008-02-12T21:09:00.002-05:00

Daddy George guaranteed Bob Lemon and Yogi full seasons in the Bronx. Hank guaranteed that Joba would be a starter for the entire 2008 season.

In case you still thought you could take Hank Steinbrenner seriously, that's your answer.

It's been a successful winter for Yankee despisers. The Mitchell Report reminded us that the Yankees' aura and mystique are just what Curt Schilling told us they were. Joe Torre told Floundering Hank sayonara and went to LA. The Mets made the big splash this offseason; maybe it's not good for baseball, but it's good for Yankee haters. And the hot stove season was capped off with Roger Clemens lying through his teeth yesterday.

In a way, Clemens has turned the Yankees into the San Francisco Giants - a team where the specter of steroids overshadows the rest of the team. All eyes will be on Andy Pettitte as this soap opera inevitably continues.

An up-and-coming Rays team should continue to give the Yankees headaches, and the underrated Jays should give 'em a hard time, too. Hopefully Boston picks up where they left off and takes away the bad taste that Belicheck and Co. left in New England. Bring on 2008!

Bronx Zoo All Over Again

2008-01-14T23:53:00.000-05:00

With Roger Clemens headed to Capitol Hill, we'll be seeing a media circus from now until the whole thing is over, which may take several months.

I agree with Buster Olney, that no matter what happens, Clemens's reputation is toast. And the way the Hall of Fame voters are treating Mark McGwire, there's a good chance that Clemens will not be voted into the HOF.

So Pettitte may get dragged into the whole mess, and who knows who else will be involved.

Although Clemens is done with baseball, it'll be interesting to see if this effects the Junkees in '08. I'm not a big believer in the idea that this off-the-field distraction will lead to Yankee losses, but one never knows.

What a way to start the Hank Steinbrenner era!

Maybe It Isn't Jeff Nelson

2007-12-13T21:08:00.000-05:00

The last great season for Yankee fans was 2000. It was the season that David Justice saved a slumping offense, capping it off with ALCS MVP honors. It was a season when Glenallen Hill went from being a fourth outfielder to having such a torrid hot streak, he made Shane Spencer look like Rey Ordonez. It was the Rocket's second season as a Yankee, and he made it a great one, capping it off with a masterpiece in Game 2 of the World Series, shutting down the Mets after throwing a bat at Mike Piazza.

What do these guys all have in common? They made it to the Mitchell Report.

When all is said and done, there was an astounding number of juicers on the 2000 Yankees. You thought the Bash Brothers A's were bad, but the Junkees, living up to their nickname more then ever, are easily the most-juiced World Series champs ever.

Here's the complete juiced-up roster from the 2000 season:

David Justice
Roger Clemens
Denny Neagle
Chuck Knoblauch
Andy Pettitte
Glenallen Hill
Jose Canseco
Jason Grimsley
Mike Stanton

Maybe this excerpt can explain Hill's hot streak:

Radomski recalled meeting Hill at a social function in 2000 when Hill was still
playing in Major League Baseball. Radomski said that Hill told him that he was getting human
growth hormone in San Francisco and was “not feeling anything.” Radomski thereafter sent Hill a “sample bottle” of human growth hormone without charge and told him to try it. Hill tried it and told Radomski that he “felt everything you told me I would feel.” Radomski told Hill the human growth hormone Hill had been taking likely had spoiled. Hill purchased two kits ofhuman growth hormone from Radomski.

Now, I know some of the Yankee fans will point out that, upon further review of the Mitchell report, many of these players didn't order PEDs until after the 2000 season. However, when there's smoke, there's fire. These guys were Grimsley's teammates, and had plenty of access There are many more transactions that Mitchell doesn't know about. But once someone's on the list, I think it's fair to speculate that they took PEDs even before the dates mentioned in the report.

But forget Jeff Nelson: this might be the real reason the Yankees haven't won since that year.

It's the Curse of the Juice.

Some fans think the records held by juice-users should be erased. Perhaps, on that basis, the 2000 World Series should be taken from the Yankees. But if they're cursed, hey, that's fine with me.

LaTroy Hawkins? Nice

2007-12-10T09:24:00.000-05:00

I'm actually happy to see that Old York picked up Hawkins to be this year's Luis Vizcaino. Hawkins was pretty good as a Twin, but he's been spotty since then. He's bounced around a bunch of times, and looking at his stats over the past few years, I can see why. But the interesting thing is that his strikeouts are way, way down. This past year he stuck out 29 (walked 16) in 55.1 innings.

Essentially he had a couple of really good years, and those were in '02 and '03. You can throw '04 in there, too, but since then he's been nothing special.

What's also interesting is that he's never had the nerve to be a closer. They've tried him in that role in Minnesota and in Chicago (with the Cubbies) but his constant implosions always put him back into middle relief.

Like I said, I'm glad that Old York is getting a guy who'll be 35 and will probably be relegated to mop-up duty by mid-June. It's too bad he's signed for only one season.

Sayonara Shemp?

2007-12-06T15:39:00.001-05:00

The rumors linking Hideki Matsui to the Giants is hardly surprising. Surprising in the sense that the Yanks would be willing to give up on such a PR source, but not surprising that Sabean and the Giants would take someone past his prime.

But the Yanks’ plan appears to be as follows: move Damon to left, and go after Aaron Rowand for center field. I think the Yanks are a sleeper on this one, especially after Rowand had a monster series against them a few years ago. The Yanks are one of the few teams that can overpay for the guy, who had a career year at the perfect time.

Turning into 2002 All Over Again

2007-11-28T20:40:00.000-05:00

I remember listening to Chris "Mad Dog" Russo on those long, summer days five years ago. If you recall, the CBA was up, and there was a possibility of a strike. And for good reason - baseball was messed up. The large market teams had unfair the advantage of being able to spend as much money as they wanted, and the small market teams simply could not compete. Once in a while you'd get an Oakland A's team that got lucky in that all their prospects flourished at the same time, but once their star players reached free agency, they were gone. So Russo used to scream that it's unfair, and he was actually rooting for a strike just to fix things up.

Well, they didn't strike, because after 9/11, they couldn't afford the PR hit, but with luxury taxes, revenue sharing, and mutiple streams of income, things got a little fairer. Suddenly, the Angels and the Marlins won Series, the White Sox did so with a mid-range payroll, but most impotantly, teams had the dough to resign their players. So Ben Sheets remained a Brewer. CC Sebathia stayed with the Indians. Suddenly 24 out of 30 teams had a chance to make the playoffs entering a given season. Baseball was back to its glory days.

Alas, the times they are a changin'. Michael Kay made this point on his radio show, that Johan Santana will be available, and it's only the big three or four teams involved in the bidding. Twins? No chance. Phillies? No shot. Padres? Forget it. Same with Miguel Cabrera.

Granted, small-market teams have more money, but so do the big-market teams. So what will happen is that the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Dodgers, and Angels will have payrolls in the $200 millions, and the rest of the teams will have less than half that. And once again, the big boys will gobble up the free agents, and it'll be back to the early 2000s, when 18-20 teams had no shot on April 1st.

Now Kay blamed teams like the Royals for overpaying Gil Meche, or the Angels for overpaying Torii Hunter (I guess his pro-Yankee bias had to come through sometime), but unless the system changes, it won't matter. You'll have teams like the Marlins constantly starting over with a rebuilding plan. The Blue Jays will be perennial losers.

I'll admit - as much of a baseball nut as I am, I was a much bigger fan these past four or five seasons than I was in the late '90s and early 2000s. But if Selig and company don't fix this, I'll have to move on to other hobbies and interests.

But Can He Handle New York?

2007-11-27T10:12:00.000-05:00

The Yanks are now involved in the Johan Santana sweepstakes, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he ended up a Yankee. If it costs Hughes, Cano, and Melky, so be it. Plus, the Yanks are one of the few teams that can pay the guy the $20 million per year it will take to keep him. I think they’re the frontrunners to get him, especially because the Mets’ farm system is inferior.

The biggest thing separating the Yankees from the Red Sox is a postseason dominator. The Sox have a couple in Beckett and Schilling. Chien-Ming Wang showed that he certainly doesn’t fit the bill, and while Pettitte has been mostly good, if he retires, who’s the go-to guy in October? The Yanks want Santana like crazy, because right now, it’s all about matching up with Boston.

But the biggest question is, can Santana handle New York? Minnesota is a different world. And I know he’s pitched a couple of times in the ALDS, with pretty good results. But he’s never succeeded on a big stage.

Boston did an excellent job getting Beckett and Schilling, because those two had proven they can win in baseball’s biggest stage, the World Series. You knew they’d do just fine in Red Sox Nation. Matt Clement was a question mark in this area, and turned out to be a disaster.

Now, if the Yanks get Johan, I’m sure he’ll do great in the regular season, just like A-Rod has done. But in the Bronx, it’s all about October. Will Johan be more Wang or Beckett when it counts? There’s no way to know. One thing’s for sure: The Yanks are willing to bet the farm to find out.

"Definitely Not Dolan"

2007-11-26T18:11:00.000-05:00

Interesting piece about Hank by Bob Klapisch. Most interesting development will be what happens with Cashman; and if the Yankees start off slowly next year, does Hank feel the heat and go for a win-now approach? As Klapisch correctly points out, the verdict is still out on Hank. It's too early to tell.

And for all we know, he might very well turn out to live up to his "Hank Dolan" moniker.

A-Schmuck May Not Be Official

2007-11-15T12:50:00.001-05:00

So here I was, all depressed that A-Fraud is coming back because (a) the guy is the best player in baseball; and (b) one of these Octobers he's got to break out.

Didn't take much solace knowing that I was right. (Indeed, I had predicted that he would opt out, but would eventually re-sign with Old York.)

Yet Wallace Matthews in today's Newsday gives a glimmer of hope. He says that until the papers are signed, this could be simply a negotiating ploy that Boras and A-Rod concocted. Makes sense when you consider that the Yankees' involvement means that the other teams will have to up the ante to get him. So maybe the Angels come up with an eleventh hour offer of, say, $300 million.

Yeah, I know, sounds an awful like denial. But it does provide a glimmer of hope....

Don't Come Back!

2007-11-15T11:17:00.000-05:00

Jim Caple has an excellent piece on A-Rod, one of the most rational and logical I've seen. In a sense, A-Rod is like Bonds. He's far from being a likeable guy, doesn't do a great job endearing himself to the fans, but he can flat-out hit. And that's all that matters.

And that's why I was hoping he'd leave the Bronx. I said a few weeks ago that the Yanks would have a huge hole to fill if A-Rod left. Forget the first-round disappointment. If A-Rod doesn't play for the Yanks this year, the Yanks don't sniff the playoffs. Especially if Seattle and Detroit wouldn't have folded down the stretch.

I know, the guy hasn't had his Jeter moment (though he was better than Derek this October), his Brosius moment, or any big October moment, and it's definitely a fair point. But overall, he's the best in the game right now. And that's why I'd love to see him in an Angels uniform.

But although it looks like A-Rod will be back, I take solace in the fact that his team hasn't won a World Series with him. And re-signing Posada, a guy with a .236 career postseason average, should help keep that streak alive.

Business As Usual

2007-11-13T06:53:00.000-05:00

Wow. I thought only the Mets would be crazy enough to offer Posada a four-year deal. But sure enough, Jorge's gonna be here for a while. Hey, all you Yankee fans bragging about your team getting young: how does it feel to know you'll have a 40-year catcher on the payroll in a couple of years?

I know Posada's numbers were excellent this walk year, but come on, they were an aberration. He batted 40 points above his career mark. I don't buy that Tony Pena changed the guy's life. And I don't think the guy's gonna have his best years past age 37.

So let's say they move him to first base. Bad idea. Posada's never had enough power to be a first baseman. Let's say, based on his career numbers, Posada hits .277 with 25 homers (and that was in his prime). Not bad, but a $200 million payroll could do better.

And I don't think they're keeping Posada for his leadership abilities. The guy fought with Tino and didn't speak to him for months, and couldn't get along with David Cone and Randy Johnson. As a clubhouse and on-the-field leader, he's more Paul LoDuca than Jason Varitek.

In any case, expect plenty of double plays in the Bronx over the next four years.

And don't forget: Jorge hit .133 in the ALDS this year. And his lifetime postseason average? .236. Nice going, Cashman!

Tejada - The Infield Version of Barry Zito

2007-11-09T09:17:00.000-05:00

Another guy who might be in the mix at third? Miguel Tejada. Heck, I hope the Yankees get him. Check out these numbers:

.534 - .515 - .498 - .442

Those are Miguel Tejada’s slugging percentages from ’04 to ’07. Why do I compare Tejada to Zito? Because both players were a lot better in 2002 than they are today. And granted, the Yankees won’t overpay for Tejada the way the Giants did for Zito (between that contract and the infamous Pierzynski trade, Brian Sabean has fallen bigtime). And he’s an above-average hitter, too. But his numbers, both offensively and defensively, have slipped a lot the past few years. The guy has shown flashes of a bad attitude, but I give him a pass for that. It’s gotta be brutal playing for an idiot like Peter Angelos. However, hard to imagine that playing for Hank Dolan would be much better.

It’s too bad that Miggy’s consecutive-games streak ended last year. You know if the streak was still intact, he’d be a Yankee already. It would be like Matsui before his injury. Tejada’s 0 for his last 25? Gotta keep him in the lineup! Gotta keep the streak alive!

- One thing that worries me: I can see Tejada turning out like Justice and Abreu – a veteran who comes to the Yankees and starts tearing it up. Maybe leaving Baltimore will motivate him to return to old form. But maybe he is actually on the decline. And maybe he’ll be a bad fit for a Yankee team trying to get younger.

One wild card in case the O's want too much for Tejada: Melvin Mora. He's an ex-Met, and another guy Hank thinks can still hit.

Am I Wrong? Not Yet

2007-11-08T14:21:00.000-05:00

Sounds like Hank Steinbrenner has nixed any chance that the young pitchers will be traded for Cabrera. And you don't get the feeling that the Marlins will take Clippard and Chase Wright instead. So was I wrong? Are the Yankees not going to get Cabrera?

I think once A-Rod signs with another team, things will change. You get the feeling that the Yankees are holding out hope that he comes back. But once he signs elsewhere, and especially if and when Lowell re-signs, there will be a sense of desperation in the Bronx. There won't be another bat like A-Rod's to fill third base. Rolen, Chavez, and Crede aren't gonna cut it. The Yanks will have a void in their offense, and will be hard-pressed to fill it.

Another x-factor: if A-Rod goes to Queens or Boston (no!), that changes everything. Then Hank will feel the pressure to take headlines away from Minaya or Theo, and if that means Phil Hughes in a Marlins uniform, so be it.

We've already learned not to take Hank Dolan too seriously. I'm not going to believe him on this one until spring training.

Why Girardi Is The Wrong Choice

2007-11-05T11:22:00.000-05:00

I was rooting for the Yanks to hire Girardi, and I'm glad they did.

The best piece I’ve seen about Joe Girardi was written back in August, back when the Yanks were surging and the chances of Joe Torre wearing Dodger blue were about as great as the Royals’ chances of signing A-Rod. Joel Sherman discussed how Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez, and Ricky Nolasco all were injured in 2007. Not to mention the surprising off-year of Dontrelle Willis, who pitched a ton in 2006. I know some have given Girardi a pass for all this, but to have four guys go down? Hard to believe it’s all coincidental.

Perhaps Torre’s worst flaw as Yankee manager was his mishandling of the bullpen. And Girardi doesn’t look like he’ll fare much better in handling pitchers.

The Yanks, more than ever in recent memory, need someone who can develop their young arms properly. They can have the best rotation in the game in a few years, or have their guys turn out like the Mets’ Generation K. I don’t see how Girardi will help.

Additionally, does Joe have what it takes to deal with Hank? Torre was great in his dealings with George, although he got lucky the past few years, with George out of it and nobody really in charge. Perhaps Torre saw the writing on the wall, with the way Randy, Hank, and Hal dealt with his contract, and saw it was time to go. Girardi had issues with the Florida personnel, as we all know. And while one can give him a pass since the payroll was heavily reduced after he was hired, I can’t imagine that Hank is going to be easy to deal with. Should make for great back page action, that’s for sure.

Third, having a hard-line manager doesn’t always work with a veteran team. Just ask Larry Bowa. Then there’s the issue of making the Bronx an appealing place for veterans, as I’ve discussed earlier.

Finally (and YD alluded to this in his last piece), the dumbest part of the decision for me is, why do they need to pick a manager with a PR connection? Why couldn’t they go outside the organization? Is playing for the Yankees a prerequisite for the job? Are more fans going to show up to the Stadium because Girardi is manager, not Trey Hillman? I find that very hard to believe.

In fact, the one guy I didn’t want the Yankees to hire was Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell, who’s widely touted as one of the brightest guys in the game. Thankfully, Farrell’s staying in Boston, having recently turned down an interview opportunity in Pittsburgh. I also think Hillman would’ve been a good choice, and I’m glad he got the job in KC.

Overall, Girardi should be a better tactical manager than Torre, which isn’t saying much. But the breakdown of Florida’s pitchers should be a concern. In terms of other managerial duties, like motivating players, dealing with the Yankee front office, and the New York media, he’s definitely a step down from Torre. I don’t think he’ll hurt the team considerably – they’ve still got lots of talent – but Cashman could’ve done a lot better.

Hey Ca$hman, All Your PR Moves Have Been Busts!

2007-11-02T22:54:00.000-04:00

Manny made a great point about Guidry a while back, and that is, when you get a guy for PR, it might put a few fannies in the seats, but it's usually a disaster for the team.

Come to think of it, almost all of Old York's PR moves have been horrid.

Johnny Damon: Got him because he was a star for the Red Sox who beat the Junkees with that huge Game 7 home run in the 2004 ALCS. Well, he slugged a robust .396 this year. He's got no arm, and the Junkees would love to dump him for 2008, but is any team dumb enough to pick him up? I think not.

Shemp: Okay, so you get some Japanese gelt, but the guy has not lived up to his reputation as Godzilla (except maybe to Harold Moskowitz, AKA John Sterling), save for 2004 when he smashed 31 homers. Another guy who can't field, creating a logjam at DH with he, Damon, and Giambi.

Miguel Cairo: Ca$hman loves bringing ex-Yankees back, and the fact that he played for the Mets added more to his PR value. Lucky for them Snorre gave him only 107 at bats, so that his .626 OPS didn't totally kill them. But again, he had one good year (2004 - .292 batting average in 122 games), so he's a beloved figure in the Bronx.

Doug Smith (Mientkiewicz): Ex-Met, played for Boston, funny last name - that is awesome PR. Only a September surge saved him from an otherwise abysmal season.

Roger Clemens: No comment necessary.

Well, let this be a lesson for the Junkees. Perhaps when the Mets give Ringo $15 million to hit .250 they'll learn their lesson, too.

Then again, the more PR Ca$hman does, the better it is for me.

Who's On Third?

2007-11-02T13:06:00.000-04:00

With A-Rod likely out of New York, time to figure out who’s next? I’m gonna run down the possible candidates, and give my take on each one:

Mike Lowell – Can’t see him pulling off a Johnny Damon. Then again, who thought Damon would jump ship to the Bronx? I think the Yanks will definitely offer more money and years, and I could see the Phillies jumping into the mix, too. I think he’ll stay in Boston. But if he leaves, I would trust Theo’s judgment. He was right on with not re-signing Pedro and Damon, and Lowe’s been average in a great pitcher’s park.

A-Rod – sorry YD, I don’t think A-Rod’s coming back. Hard to see George bring the guy back after what Hank said. And the way things played out Sunday, where A-Rod barely responded to the Yankees’ offer, also tells me he’s not interested in coming back. Throw in the Joe Girardi factor, and unless the Yanks want to offer $45 million a year, he’s done in the Bronx.

Joe Crede – would be a classic Hank Dolan move. He probably still thinks Crede is good, and may have seen the guy done well against the Yanks a few times. Keith Law referred to Crede as “a terrible player” in a recent ESPN.com chat, but I could see Crede being the ’08 version of Tony Womack.

Scott Rolen – another move I can see Hank doing. Not clear if St. Louis wants to trade him.

Eric Chavez – would not be surprised if the A’s salary dump this guy to New York. Wow, has his star fallen. Beane signing him to a long-term deal? Mistake. Doesn’t really fit the Yanks’ style either, with a .347 lifetime OBP.

Aaron Boone – they’ll sign the guy as a backup. Would be one of the biggest PR moves ever. Let’s see if they dump him when he’s hitting .175 in June.

Wilson Betemit – has about as much of a chance as Mike Lamb did in the winter of 2004. And how about Cashman calling out Betemit for not being in shape? Never seen Cashman do anything like that. Must be hanging around Hank too much.

Miguel Cabrera – My prediction. He’s on the trading block, he’s young, knows Girardi from Florida, and has potential star power. As soon as Hank finds out he’s available, I bet he’ll be willing to give whatever it takes to get this guy. I would love to see this happen, because I think Cabrera would be a bad fit for New York. He’s got insubordination issues, weight and conditioning issues, and would be a great source for back-page fodder. Would Hank fine him for every pound he’s overweight, like his dad did with Lou Piniella? Maybe he and Betemit can eat chips in the Yankee clubhouse.

If the Yanks get Cabrera, count on them getting Willis, too. The guy would be like the Mike Lowell of the deal, as Florida wouldn’t mind getting rid of his $6.5 million salary. He’d be a great PR factor, too – the funky first name, the cool delivery, and would be a good lefty option if Pettitte doesn’t come back. Besides, he’s also a guy that Hank probably thinks is still a dominator.

And if Hank wants him, then he’ll give up some of the kids. I can see the Yanks building a package around Wang or Hughes as well as Kennedy and Melky, for starters.

Hank and Hal Dolan Keep The Yankees Skidding

2007-10-30T21:24:00.000-04:00

Two days without internet access, and the s**t hits the fan in Yankee-land, while they're parading up in Boston. Where do we begin?

- No surprise that A-Rod made his announcement during the World Series. But if he's done as a Yankee, then New York will have some very, very big shoes to fill. Since '02, the Yanks have had at least one big power bat in the lineup. Giambi was The Man for a couple of years, followed by A-Rod and Sheffield. But after A-Rod, the Yankee with the most homers in '07 was Matsui (with 25). And he's on the downside of his career. Giambi is going to be 37, and it's unclear how much he has left in the tank. If not for A-Rod, the '07 Yanks miss the playoffs. If his Yankee career is over, that team is in trouble.

Then again, the last Yankee team without a player with 30 homers? The '99 World Champions.

- I've got a lot to say about Dallas Green II, aka Joe Girardi. That gets its own post. But for now, one reason this is a bonehead move - if the Yanks want to attract a mix of veterans and youth, Joe's the wrong guy. In Boston, Francona isn't a great field manager, but he's a guy that veterans want to play for. For all of Torre's foibles, the same held true for him. Girardi's hiring might mean new teams for A-Rod, Posada, Rivera, and Pettitte. Joe was good for the $15 million Marlins, but he's not a great fit for New York.

- If Torre takes the job in LA, then I give the guy a ton of credit. Here's a guy who was pretty successful for the Yankees, a guy who can hang 'em up with a great run. But he wants to challenge himself, wants to show he can win without George's payroll. I respect that.

YD's Predictions Bound to Go Wrong

2007-10-25T16:31:00.000-04:00

(1) Mattingly will be the next manager. After taking a big PR hit with Torre's firing, the bosses will be looking to get back into the fans' good graces. Even Yankee-haters like Donnie Baseball, so he gets the nod. When the Yanks lose a few in a row in May, look for some uncomfortable moments during the press conferences.

(2) A-Rod will opt out, and George will resign him anyway. This will be George's last hurrah. Manny and I thought Clemens was it, but A-Rod's $300 million contract will be the one.

(3) The Junkees will be on the market for a good PR move in the form of an ex-Yankee. Manny thinks it'll be Kenny Lofton. My guess is Tony Clark. Feel free to make predictions in the comments section.

What a Baby

2007-10-23T15:27:00.000-04:00

If you needed any more reasons to hate Randy Levine, Richard Sandomir of the Times provides a few more here.

Go Boston!

2007-10-22T22:35:00.001-04:00

Great to see the Red Sox in the World Series. What an ALCS it was, definitely a classic. I loved seeing Big Papi in the dugout in the ninth, with the muscle tank and the goggles on, ready to go. He's played through all sorts of pain, and put up great numbers this year. I loved seeing Manny get interviewed after the game. The guy's the hardest-working player in the game, and it's good to see people finally begin to realize that.

And suddenly, the J.D. Drew deal doesn't look too bad. Good for him, that grand slam in game 6 was huge.

In terms of the team's character, the Sox haven't changed much since '04. Lowell reminds me of Bill Mueller - a guy who plays the game right, a guy that's impossible not to root for. Ellsbury reminds me of Dave Roberts - the fleet-footed outfielder you wish you'd see out there more often. And Youkilis is like Millar - so much fun to watch, but Youk is much better both as a hitter and as a defender.

Plus, I'll take Paps over Keith Foulke any day.

If any guy can put an end to the Rockies' magical run right now, it's probably Josh Beckett. Hopefully he can dominate once again, and get the tide turning Boston's way. And if Schill can do what he does best in Game 2, and Dice-K can pitch like he did in the World Baseball Classic...

- And while the Yanks worry about A-Rod, their next manager, and whether Hank, Hal, and Randy are gonna keep screwing things up, the Sox get another visit to the Fall Classic. Go Sox!

Dynasty Over; New Era of Chaos Begins

2007-10-19T09:26:00.000-04:00

To me, the Torre legacy is as follows: he had one good year as a field manager, many years as a bad field manager, and all of his years, was a great politician.

Torre was definitely below-average as a field manager. I liked him in '96 because he brought over an NL style of managing. There was a lot more running and bunting than there had been during the Showalter era. And he did a great job in the World Series; instead of doing like Francona and keeping slumping veterans in the lineup, he shook things up and it worked really well.

After that, I can't say he made any impact moves that helped the team win. '98-'00 was just a steamroll through the rest of the league. It was all about having the best players and the highest payroll.

And all those division titles? Same thing. When you have the highest payroll in the game, anything less is a big flop. If you can't beat the Orioles, Rays, and Blue Jays in over 55 games a year, you're awful.

In the postseason, Torre stunk. The Jeff Weaver incident in '03? Bad. Blowing out every reliever's arm, so they couldn't do a thing come October? Stupid. Torre did a terrible job there, capped off with the Joba rules this year. To me, that was the beginning of the end for Joe.

What did Torre do best? He kept a sense of calm around the team, no matter what happened. You can talk about the pressure in '96 after losing the first two games to Atlanta, October '98 after 114 wins and the Knoblauch incident, all the tragedies in '99, and even the way he handled the choke in '04. Even the way Torre has handled the muddled front office situation this year. Torre kept his cool almost all the time

Torre has been the anti-Ozzie Guillen, always saying the right thing. Always. In the age of 24/7 media and blogging, it's a great skill to have. No wonder some people think he'd make a great mayor or CEO. I don't know if you'd get results, but you'd get lots of banal soundbites.

But as I said last week, being a manager of the highest payroll means you have to win it all every year. Torre started his Yankee tenure with a bang, but ended it with seven years of big disappointment. And in terms of strategy, Torre is not even close to legends like Weaver, Herzog, and LaRussa. Or even possible successor Bobby Valentine.

- Now that he's left the team, the place is in chaos. The Yanks will have a hard time finding another manager who can be such a good politician; maybe Mattingly can. But the front office handled the whole incident terribly, you have Cashman, Levine, and two Steinbrenners all fighting for power, and a team with a very uncertain future.

Bye Bye Snorre

2007-10-18T17:39:00.000-04:00

Wow. I am surprised that he's gone. At first I thought that he'd be a goner and that George would make good on his ALDS threat. But after a few days I figured, okay, he's coming back.

Here's what happened. They didn't want him, but they didn't want to take the PR hit of firing the beloved Joe Torre. So they made him this insult of an offer knowing he'd turn them down, and now they can save face. If I were a Junkee fan who loves Torre I'd be more mad at this than if they had just let him go. But I suppose that's become the Junkee way. Like with Bernie Williams this past offseason. They didn't want him, but rather than say so, they offered him a spring training invite.

Well, we'll miss his blowing out his middle relievers' arms. And we'll miss his occasional boneheaded moves.

It's amazing how suddenly I don't hate him anymore.

Guidry and Rickey

2007-10-17T12:20:00.000-04:00

The lesson from this year's season in New York? Don't hire coaches with PR being the primary motive. The fans don't really care, and it doesn't help the team at all. Looks like early-'90's hero Dave Eiland (who also had a cup of coffee with the '96 team) will take over, and if he's responsible for Chamberlain and Kennedy's early success, he's easily a better pitching coach than Guidry.

Which Yankees did better under Guidry than before he came along? Not one of Cashman's better decisions.

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part

2007-10-17T09:56:00.001-04:00

Last couple of days have been difficult for me as a baseball fan. I'm glad I have other interests, because it's getting frustrating?

- I'm waiting to hear the verdict on Joe Torre. I'm not going to write an in-depth piece on the managerial candidates until we hear official word that he's fired. What are Hank and Hal waiting for? The suspense in killing me. I will say this - I would love to see Joe Girardi in the dugout. The guy is a young Dallas Green. I'll elaborate if/when Torre goes.

- I'm waiting for the Rockies to lose a game. Their run is simply unreal. Very hard to believe. But it's too storybook, too cliche for me to enjoy. It sounds like something from a kids fiction book. I liked the Cardinals story last year. Team almost pulls a Mets-like collapse in September, falls victim to one of the greatest catches ever, and ends up winning it all. Hard to script that one.

- I'm waiting for the Sox to face Sabathia and Carmona again. I hate to ruin your day, but in the back of my mind I hear a John Sterling classic monologue - "you know Suzyn, that's why baseball is such a great game. You can't predict it! You have to actually play the games! You have Wang against McClung, and the Rays winning 8-1, you can't predict that!" The Sox did a great job against Sabathia and Carmona, and did nothing against Westbrook and Byrd.

Problem is, let's say the Sox beat those two again, and force a game 7. Who do you send out there? Dice-K? Wakefield? Hard to be optimistic right now.

New Kids In Town

2007-10-14T12:01:00.000-04:00

The Post reports that Hal and Hank Steinbrenner are taking over. What does this mean for the future of the Yankees? I think it will bode very well for Yankee haters.

This fascinating piece in the Conde Nast Portfolio tells us a lot about Hank Steinbrenner. The guy hasn't made many decisions in the past, but the few times he's gotten involved, it's been a flop. In 1986, he tried convincing the Yanks to put Dave Righetti back in the starting rotation, suggesting that a no-name minor leaguer take over. Nobody listened, and Righetti laughed at Hank's ignorance.

Then, in '02, Hank pushed like crazy for the Yanks to get Raul Mondesi. And we all know how that one worked out.

The big x-factor is how much control Cashman will retain in the organization. After '05, when Cashman pushed for a bigger role in building the team, George was already fading from the limelight. So Cashman had the upper hand, and was able to take control.

But with two new faces eager to take control, will Hank listen to Cashman? In the Post piece, Hank says that he'll insist on Joba being a starter. Now, let's say Rivera signs elsewhere, or, come April, it's clear that Rivera's age has caught up with him. Does Hank let Cashman do what the Red Sox did with Papelbon this year? Or does he stand firm?

And will the Steinbrenners push to win now, and trade the farm for guys like Johan Santana? We don't know how much Hank will be like George, but it sure will be very interesting to find out.

Who's Staying, Who's Going

2007-10-10T14:51:00.000-04:00

This is easily the most fascinating Yankee offseason in recent memory. Lots of big names are free agents, and this team might have a very different look next spring. Here are my picks and analysis for where some of the big names will end up:

A-Rod

Why he’ll go – you know Boras will opt out. He’s looking for a situation where he can get a bunch of bidders out there to drive A-Rod’s price as high as it can possibly get. Even if the Yanks offer $30 million a year, A-Rod’s going to test the waters. George would give the guy $50 million a year to stay in town, but if Cashman has his way, once A-Rod opts out, he’ll no longer be a Yankee. I also think Arte Moreno will be willing to pay whatever it takes to make A-Rod an Angel.

Prediction: Angels

Jorge Posada

Why he’ll go – I don’t see George pushing to keep the guy, and I can’t see Cashman being interested in spending over $10 million a year on a catcher in his upper 30’s. I know Posada had a career year this year, but he looked spent in October and is due for a big decline next year. Cashman wants to get younger, and I can see him using Molina or making a trade to fill the role. The PR factor will be too much to resist for Omar Minaya and Co.

Prediction: Mets

Mariano Rivera

He’s pissed about the Yankees waiting to re-sign him, and doesn’t seem very interested in returning. I think he’d definitely stay if Torre stuck around. Of course, Torre is likely out, so whoever the replacement is might be a big x-factor here. The Yanks will probably be willing to pay top dollar for him, and that will, of course, be the biggest factor in his decision.

Prediction: Yankees

Andy Pettitte

No Clemens and no Torre means he’ll probably want out of New York. Does he want to go back to Houston? Hard to imagine, because that team is not a contender. I think he’ll either go back to the Yanks or call it a career.

Prediction: Retirement

Bobby Abreu

Yanks will spend whatever they have to in order to bring the guy back. He scored points with that shot off Borowski in Game 4, and is a huge asset in wearing down opposing pitchers. Only other factor would be if the Yankees pursue Torii Hunter or Andruw Jones. Would they shift Melky to right? Put him back on the bench? The Yanks surprised everyone by getting Damon a couple of years ago, so I wouldn’t be surprised if one of those two (or Aaron Rowand) ends up in pinstripes.

Prediction: Yankees

Luis Vizcaino

Because Edwar Ramirez and Ross Ohlendorf stunk, they’ve gotta bring this guy back. He’ll get overpaid, but that’s hardly a surprise.

Prediction: Yankees

Torre Deserves The Axe

2007-10-09T21:02:00.000-04:00

There's been a mini-lovefest for Joe Torre going on, as many out there think the Boss is wrong for wanting to get rid of the guy. I've discussed Torre on this blog many, many times, so I'll be quick with this one.

The Yankees have the highest payroll in the game, and, understandably, the highest expectations in the game. This is not Tampa Bay or Washington, where Joe Maddon and Manny Acta get extensions just because they didn't lose 100 games. When you have the highest payroll in the game, you've got to capture the highest prize in the game - that world championship flag. Winning the division title? Meaningless. Even in a tough town like Philly, Charlie Manuel will come back next year, even though his team was awful in the NLDS.

For seven years, Torre has not gotten the job done. In most baseball towns, you don't get seven years as a manager if you can't get it done. True, Torre did win four world championships, so maybe you can't kill the Yankees for keeping the guy a few years after. But with a seven year drought under his watch, Torre has failed repeatedly. His time has come.

WHOA NELLIE! CURSE LIVES ON!!!!

2007-10-08T23:41:00.001-04:00

And don't blame A-Rod for this one; he ended up hitting a respectable .267.

I wanna see Yankee fans finally boo Jeter; he was terrible in this series - only a 2-5 job in Game 4 helped him raise his average to a glorious .176.

And Jorge Posada, who made the last out, was even worse. He went 1-5 to boost his average - to .133.

Shemp Matsui - terrible. .182. He hasn't done jack in the postseason since the 19-8 game.

A tip of the cap to Damon, who showed that even in pinstripes, he shows up for games like these. Cano did very well, too.

But overall, Captain Clutch showed up a little too late.

Wang Not The Man

2007-10-08T21:46:00.000-04:00

After this October, Yankee fans have to wonder if they can count on Wang when it matters. As I write this, it's still only the bottom of the fifth. But Wang had nothing again, putting his team in a big hole early.

I'm not going to say that Wang is overrated. He's been one of the AL's best pitchers over the past two years. But he's not dominant. Sure, he's had a few starts where he's been lights-out, including the one against Boston this past August. But overall, he's not dominant. Opposing batters hit .265 against him in '07, and .277 in '06. His lifetime ERA is 3.74. Pretty good, not great. Jorge Sosa, Jason Marquis, and Anthony Reyes had better BAA than Wang this year.

When you're not dominant, you have to rely on getting out of jams. Maybe that's a good approach against the Orioles, but the Indians have been excellent in getting 2-out hits this series. And that's one of the reasons you wonder if Wang is a big-game pitcher.

Torre Gets Another Day

2007-10-07T23:09:00.001-04:00

When Clemens left and the Indians finished the inning up 3-0, I got optimistic. Would've been sweet to see the Yanks get swept out of the first round. Instead, the Yankee bats came alive against Westbrook, as expected. Phil Hughes was impressive, keeping the Indians at bay and bailing out the $28 million (old) man.

- After Wang's outing last time, it's clear that the Yanks have a problem similar to the Mets: they have no guy you can absolutely count on in October. The Yanks need a guy they can count on in October. Pedro was like that before the injury, El Duque was like that at one point, David Cone and David Wells were that way in their prime, and Beckett and Schilling are like that.

You have to wonder which Chien-Ming Wang will show up tomorrow night; the one who had nothing on Thursday night, or the one that has driven me crazy over the last couple of years.

- Joba got touched up again tonight, and you wonder if he's finally coming back down to earth.

- Paul Byrd has been horrendous against the Yankees, and this is an important game for Cleveland. Even if they bring the series back to Cleveland for Game 5, who knows if C.C. Sabathia will have control issues again. The Indians better wrap this thing up tomorrow night.

The Latest Steinbrenner Interview

2007-10-07T11:00:00.000-04:00

A few thoughts on the latest rant by George:

- George must be at the stage where he has his lucid days and his not-so-lucid days. He sounds like he knows what he's talking about in this interview, as he did in May when he ripped Cashman. But overall, he's been suspiciously quiet.

- George says Torre's job is on the line, but doesn't say a word about Cashman. I think George is realizing what most of the front office is realizing - Torre is not a great manager. Once the front office had to institute the Joba rules to keep Torre from turning the kid into the next Scott Proctor, you knew Torre's stock had fallen. Besides, Cashman redeemed himself in the second half, as the development of Duncan, Joba, Kennedy, etc. showed that the Yankee farm system is richer than it was during the Dioner Navarro era.

You get the feeling that George is waiting for the right time to oust Torre, for the point when the PR fallout will not be too bad. It would be ironic that Randolph gets to keep his job despite missing the playoffs, while Torre would get fired even though he made it till October. But it makes sense, too: the Mets failures were more about the front office and Minaya, while the Yanks' biggest management problem may be Joe Torre.

- You knew George would have what to say about the bugs incident in Game 2. It affected both teams, but George doesn't have to be rational.

- George says the Yanks will re-sign A-Rod no matter what. For the first time in months, you see a rift between Cashman and Tampa, as Cashman has said that if A-Rod opts out, he's done as a Yankee. My money is on George getting his way here, even if A-Rod strikes out three times tonight and the Yanks lose. And as long as A-Rod keeps failing in October, I have no problem with him staying a Yankee.

- In the long run, you wonder what the Joe Torre legacy will be. True, he won four championships. But if he ends his Yankee career with seven failures in October and a growing record of poor management, he may not be up there with the likes of Stengel, McCarthy, and even Billy Martin.

Yankee Fans Praying For Jeremy Giambi

2007-10-06T19:50:00.000-04:00

The Yanks have been here before. In 2001, the Yanks were down 2-0 to the A's in the ALDS. Then came a Derek Jeter play for the ages, with a little help from Jeremy Giambi. Thanks to a Posada homer, the Yanks eked out a 1-0 win. After that, the Yanks won two more en route to shocking the A's.

But most fans forget that the difference-maker that game was Mike Mussina. Moose's postseason record is mostly disappointing (5-7 as a Yankee), but he pitched the game of his life that night, shutting down an A's offense featuring Tejada, Chavez, and the well-juiced duo of Jason and Jeremy Giambi.

Tomorrow night, the Yanks do not have Moose in his prime going for them. They have Roger Clemens, a Clemens way past his prime. The Yanks have no idea what they're gonna get from the guy. His career ERA in ALDS games is 4.36. The last time he pitched a must-win game in pinstripes, he did not get the job done. It was Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, and he did a lousy job (3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER), only to be redeemed by Grady Little and Aaron Boone.

But the biggest thing going for the Yankees is that ex-Yankee Jake Westbrook is a far cry from the 2001 version of Barry Zito. He got pounded by the Yanks this year (12.46 ERA in two starts), and the Indians will have to keep hitting if they want to wrap this thing up. They've batted .329 in the first two games, and if they keep that going, they should have no problem sending Joe Torre and Co. to the golf course.

- To the commenters: The 22-0 Indians win took place in 2004.

- A telltale sign that Joba still hasn't fully grasped the Yankee way:

"They bugged me, but you have to deal with it," Chamberlain said. "I will never make an excuse. I let my guys down."

I'm sure he got a good talking-to from Mike Mussina and Torre after that one. Real Yankees make excuses.

Why The Indians Can Beat The Yankees

2007-09-25T18:32:00.000-04:00

So, the Yankees are making the playoffs. Am I upset about them not playing the Angels? Not really.

Of course, conventional wisdom favored them playing the Angels. Cleveland went 0-6 vs. New York this year, while LA has given the Yanks trouble in the regular season as well as '02 and '05.

But I wouldn't have been too excited about LA this year. One big difference between this year's Angels team and those of years past? The bullpen. In 2002, their bullpen ERA was 2.98. In '05, it was 3.52. This year? 4.07, 19th in baseball. Cleveland's pen? 3.76.

In terms of pitching, the Indians have the best 1-2 punch in the AL, in Sabathia and Carmona. After that, it's shaky. Do you trust Paul Byrd in a big game? Carmona is similar to Wang, a sinkerball pitcher who's successful inducing grounders. But Carmona is better (for starters: .248 BAA vs. Wang's .265). The Yanks, after Wang, have very questionable starting pitching. Pettitte has had mixed results in the postseason. Clemens has been hurt, and you don't know what you'll get from him. Mussina's had a good September, but can he bring it against a good offense in October? The rookies? Unclear.

But whoever's starting, the Yankees will take a lot of pitches. They'll wear out the starter, and feast on a team's crappy middle relief. We've seen it time and time again.

The Angels pen is not what it used to be. Scot Shields has had a bad second half (9.00 ERA in August; 6.17 in September), and Justin Speier has injury issues. They won '05 on the strength of the bullpen, and while it didn't hurt them in the regular season, it's a concern in October.

The guy who worries me most on the Indians is Joe Borowski. No question. Yanks have a huge edge in the closer department.

But their middle relief is much better, in Betancourt and Rafael Perez. I think those are two guys that can match up very well against Joba.

Overall, good pitching beats good hitting. And the Indians had the second-best ERA in the second half this year, at 3.58. Toronto beat them with a 3.55 mark (and if McGowan and Marcum can continue to progress, Halladay bounces back, and Burnett stays healthy, the Jays might have the best pitching in the East and possibly the entire AL come 2008).

As for the hitting: Pronk had an off year this year, but a .970 OPS in September is encouraging. They've got a balanced lineup, and guys like Garko, Blake, and Asdurbal Cabrera make it hard to find an easy out in the lineup.

Clearly, the Yanks have the better lineup, but the Indians can hold their own. And I think Sabathia and Carmona have a better chance at quieting the Yankee bats than Wang and Pettitte quieting Cleveland's.

Prediction: Indians in 5.

1978? Not This Year

2007-09-24T13:01:00.000-04:00

With the Sox having clinched a playoff berth, we can finally put the 1978 talk to rest. Now, we've just gotta worry about the Sox pitching, but I think they'll be fine come October. As will Manny.

Last Year's Lessons

2007-09-20T19:58:00.000-04:00

Can it get any worse? Who knows. Talk about the Yankees picking up games like candy. Unbelievable.

I didn't think they could play .650 ball for the second half. I was wrong. But how many of you thought they were gonna be in this position when they looked dead in June?

The only thing that gives me hope right now (and this goes for Mets fans too) is that last year's World Series teams, the Tigers and Cardinals, had rotten Septembers. So did the 2000 Yankees. If the Red Sox get into the playoffs, it doesn't matter how. Yes, it would be embarrassing if they lost the lead, but does any Red Sox fan feel like '04 is less legit because they were only the wild card winner? No.

Unless the Sox totally fall apart over the next two weeks, they're making the playoffs. October's a brand new season. This month has been brutal, and I give a lot of credit to Cashman and the Yankees - but there's still a lot of baseball to be played.

The Manny Factor

2007-09-17T16:36:00.000-04:00

After a brutal series against the Yankees, Dan Shaughnessy says, "if you like the Red Sox you do not like the idea of facing these Yankees again in October."

I know the Yanks just won 5 of 6 from Boston, but most of those wins were close games. It's not like the Yanks blew away Boston.

And one factor I haven't heard anyone discuss: Manny did not play any of those six games. I'm not making excuses for the Sox, but his absence was definitely felt. Especially in a one-run game.

And granted, Manny hasn't been vintage Manny this year, but if you slot him in there with Ellsbury, and maybe use Drew for matchups, the lineup gets a lot better.

So I'm not thrilled with how this series turned out. But is it a sign of things to come? Not if Manny's in the lineup.

- And with the Yanks 2.5 up in the wild card with series coming up against Baltimore, Toronto, and the Rays, forget about a Yankee-free October. But if they get knocked out in the first round again, then hey, I'll take it.

The Hate Is Back

2007-09-15T20:22:00.000-04:00

With the Red Sox safely in first for much of the summer, I wasn't feeling the Yankee hate as much I have in the past. In fact, there were certain points early in the year when I almost felt sorry for the team. And as they got better over the summer, it was frustrating to see them vault into the wild card lead, but again - the Red Sox were in first, so I couldn't go too crazy.

But after Friday night's gut-wrencher, the hate is back. I'm taking the gloves off.

That instant "YES classic" was easily the most brutal game of the year for me. Especially seeing them tee off against Okajima and Papelbon. In the big scheme of things, I didn't think it was a big deal - if Mariano can have his off days, so can anyone else. I'll still take Okajima and Paps in a playoff game against the Yanks over almost anyone else out there. But to see them blow it against the Yankees in Fenway, to see the glee on the Yankee fans' faces - it was too much for me.

- One saving grace: the Red Sox can beat Yankee starting pitching. They hit well against Pettitte and Wang, the Yanks' two best arms.

Not Looking Good

2007-09-07T13:03:00.000-04:00

Yanks pulled off an impressive series against Seattle, and now stand 3 up in the wild card. Seattle looks done, and their lack of pitching caught up to them.

- What scares me most is, the Yanks have the easiest schedule of the three wild-card contenders. Let's have a look:

Yankees
-3 at KC
3 at Toronto
3 at. Boston
3 vs. Baltimore
3 vs. Toronto
3 at TB
3 at Baltimore

In the second half, the Yanks have gone 6-1 vs. KC and 5-2 vs. Toronto. Baltimore has beaten them in two series, but the O's look dead right now. Aside from Boston, Yanks have it easy the rest of the way.

Seattle
3 at Detroit
3 vs. A's
4 at TB
3 at A's
4 at LA
4 vs. Cleveland
3 vs. Texas
The Mariners have three tough series, and the rest isn't too bad. (They're 10-3 vs. Beane's team this year.) Although the way Seattle has been playing lately, even the A's might be a challenge.

Detroit
3 vs. Seattle
1 vs. Toronto
3 vs. Texas
3 at Minnesota
3 at Cleveland
3 vs. KC
3 vs. Minnesota
3 at White Sox

The series vs. Seattle can go either way, and the rest isn't too bad, although Minny might be tough. Detroit has been 7-5 vs. the Twins so far, but they'll have to do better for the wild card.

Right now, I think Detroit has a much better shot of catching New York than Seattle. But with the Yankees having a soft schedule coming up, the Tigers will have to be red-hot. Otherwise, we'll have to hope for another 1st-round embarrassment by the Yankees.

The YD Reverse Jinx - Yankees 12, Mariners 3

2007-09-05T14:36:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I feel like we've got a variation of the SI cover jinx going on here. Whenever I talk about a guy who's slumping, he gets a few hits the next night. Yesterday, I had what to say about Abreu and Cano's struggles. And last night, they exploded for 4 hits each. And if I talk about how great the Yanks are doing, do they slow down? No. It only works one way.

Anyway, the Yanks have Phil Hughes taking the hill tonight. I like the Mariners' chances.

Bats Slowing Down? - Mariners 7, Yankees 1

2007-09-03T22:38:00.000-04:00

Clemens is gonna miss a start? What were the odds of that happening? After dominating the Red Sox last week, the 45-year old version of Roger Clemens came back. And Mussina didn't look much younger following him up. King Felix kept the Yankee bats at bay, and Seattle broke a losing streak with a big win.

Key here is, Seattle now can't lose much ground in the series. Even if the Yanks win the next two, they'll still be only 3 games out. Yanks now face a couple of must-win games, or else their October slot will once again be in jeopardy.

- In the past seven days, only one team has had a worse average than the Yanks (.235) - the Giants at .215. Key guys are struggling, such as Damon (4-last 24, .167), Abreu (4-25, .160), and Matsui (4-25). Cano had 2 homers in the Yanks win last Thursday, but aside from that, he's 2 for his last 21.

The Yankee bats were hot all summer, but it was inevitable that they'd slow down. And that just might doom their playoff hopes.

The Manager Without The Mystique

2007-09-03T14:03:00.000-04:00

One guy who doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves? Terry Francona. He's arguably a better manager than Torre, certainly when it comes to managing a bullpen. And Dan Shaughnessy has an excellent piece on Francona in today's Globe. Read it; it really makes you appreciate the guy and the job he's done.

Meanwhile, Wally Matthews says the next month will determine whether Joe Torre will be brought back next year.

If You Thought ... - Devil Rays 8, Yankees 2

2007-09-02T17:27:00.000-04:00

... that the Yankees would sweep Boston then lose two of three to Tampa Bay, please stand up. And if you thought Ian Kennedy would be the Yanks' best starter over the weekend, stand up too.

Weekends like these are why I love Tampa Bay. Even though they got thoroughly trounced last time they played the Yanks, this time they showed up, taking two of three.

They beat up on Phil Hughes, whose ERA is up to 5.65. At this rate, he's not looking much better than Jeff Johnson, who had a 5.95 mark as a rookie in '91. I can give the guy a bit of a pass for being young, but if he turns out to be the next Bobby Munoz, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.

- Kennedy pitched well in his debut, but so did Tyler Clippard and Chase Wright, both of whom have become afterthoughts. When Mussina was taken out of the rotation, I was surprised that their names weren't mentioned. After all, they weren't great, but they weren't horrible, either. They weren't nearly as awful as Kei Igawa. And for all the talk you hear about Joba and Kennedy, you hear nothing about Wright or Clippard. Those four homers in a row against Boston probably doomed Wright, and both guys will probably get traded sooner or later.

- Highlight of the weekend was Buchholz's no-hitter. For all I know, the guy might fade into mediocrity like Wilson Alvarez, the last guy to pull off the feat in his second ML start. But it's always great to see baseball history be made at Fenway, and steal some thunder from the Yanks. More importantly, it got Boston back on track after four straight losses.

- And speaking of teams that need to get back on track, I have no idea what to expect from the Yanks vs. Seattle this week. The Yanks who played Boston so well might show up, and put the wild card race to rest. Or the Yanks who played the Rays might show up, and Seattle might be able to turn things around. Gonna be one of the best series of the year.

Pitching Wins - Yankees 5, Red Sox 0

2007-08-30T16:18:00.000-04:00

The Yanks swept through the Red Sox this week, and the pitching was tremendous. I don't expect the pitching to do so well consistently, so I'm not too worried. You're almost never gonna see two near no-nos in a row.

And Joba Chamberlain has become the best 8th inning reliever for the Yanks since Mariano in 1996.

Manny not in the lineup? Not an excuse. The Sox have a high payroll. And they can do better than Hinske out there.

A tough series to swallow, but at least the Sox have a 5-game cushion. But the Yanks are now one step closer to October. Their starting pitching showed up this week. Did it ever.

Minaya and Cashman, Revisited

2007-08-29T09:30:00.001-04:00

Back in June, I compared the performances of Omar Minaya and Brian Cashman. And Minaya won; it wasn't even close. But a few months later, at least in terms of 2007, it's become a tough call.

Let's face it: Minaya did a bad job this winter. Burgos for Brian Bannister was a flop, as Bannister has quietly become a very good pitcher for KC. When they signed Alou, I knew the guy was gonna get injured; it was inevitable. And you knew Shawn Green was on the decline. The Mets have smartened up and given Milledge more playing time, but Green might've cost them a few wins.

The biggest issue I have with Minaya is the bullpen. Terrible job there. Re-signing Mota after he was off the juice? Stupid, stupid, stupid. And I know Bradford would've cost a lot to re-sign, but these are the big-market Mets - money is not an excuse. And giving Schoenweis three years was straight out of the David Littlefield school of management. What the heck were they thinking? Heilman has turned into the second coming of David Weathers, and Feliciano has been iffy. Meanwhile, Heath Bell and Dan Wheeler are doing well for other teams.

Minaya deserves credit for cutting PR project Julio Franco, but why did it take so long?

Sure, there have been many unexpected injuries, especially in the outfield and at second base. But the pen has been a big problem for the Mets, and that's why you can't expect much from them in October.

And Cashman's performance will hinge upon whether the Yanks make it to the playoffs. He's redeemed himself over the past few months, totally revamping the bench (Duncan, Molina, Betemit, Phillips) and the bullpen (Chamberlain, Edwar Ramirez). But if the Yanks are playing golf in October, it'll be too little, too late to make up for mistakes like Nieves and Mintkiewicz.

UPDATE: Cashman also has to answer about the starting pitching mess. Giving Moose a new two-year deal was stupid, Kei Igawa was a horrendous signing, and Clemens has been somewhat better than Matt DeSalvo, but not worth $18 million. Pettitte was a great pickup, but there's a lack of depth there. And right now, starting pitching is the biggest question-mark for New York.

Yanks Bounce Back- Yankees 5, Red Sox 3

2007-08-29T07:26:00.000-04:00

Today's one of those days where I've gotta tip my cap to Andy Pettitte. Truth is, I've always liked Pettitte more than most other Yankees. The guy seems like a genuine nice guy, and I still feel bad that George gave it to him for his kid wearing a Mets cap in the dugout years ago. And I like the way he got the heck out of the Bronx after '03. And last night, he got the job done.

Joba Chamberlain nearly lost it last night, allowing a couple of baserunners. J.D. Drew bailed him out, but let's face it - it wasn't pretty.

Anyway, I think Boston just needs one win in the series. Like this, they come out 7 ahead, a comfortable lead. And barring an utter collapse, seven games should be enough for Boston to grab their first division title since '95. So the Yanks' win last night is disappointing, but not painful.

But with another Mariners loss, the Yankee-free October is in jeopardy once again. I am not looking forward to next week's series.

- And Ian Kennedy will replace you, Moose.

Best Of The Year? - Tigers 16, Yankees 0

2007-08-27T22:19:00.000-04:00

After each season, I like to make a list of the top 10 Yankee despiser moments of the year. And tonight just might be #1 for 2007.

Tonight had everything. Another dud by Mussina, no pop in the lineup (Verlander was excellent), and the Yankee bullpen giving out walks like hot cakes. Plus, it was a game the Yankees needed. True, the Yankees had a lot of sweet losses early in the year, but everything gets magnified this time of year. Even though an April loss counts as much as an August loss, an August loss is bigger - time is running out. And make no mistake; this was a huge loss. If George was in better shape, oh would he have what to say.

And after this series, I give the Tigers a lot of credit. I was worried about them playing without Sheffield this weekend. But they were excellent. They're now only a game behind the Yanks in the wild card standings, and if they can stay hot, they'll turn it into a three-team race.

I don't know what will happen the rest of the way, but tonight was one of the highlights of the year.

- Yanks now face Boston, entering the series 8 games behind the Sox. This series is almost as irrelevant as the Yanks-Sox was last September. If the Yanks sweep, they'll only be 5 out. Like I've said before, I only worry when the lead is cut to four.

The only question, of course, is the wild card. The Angels and M's will play each other this week, and Seattle did not look good against Texas over the weekend. Detroit better stay hot.

Quick Update

2007-08-26T16:19:00.001-04:00

I didn't catch this piece in doing the roundup, but it looks like Torre is already trying to get his way with Joba Chamberlain. As a Yankee-hater, I'm rooting for Joe.

And the Tigers eke out a win against the Yanks. Another bad outing for Hughes. I have no idea what the future holds for Hughes, but the Yanks cannot rely on this guy in a big game this year. All you can say about him is that he's better than alternatives like Igawa and Clippard. The Despiser was right the other day; the Yanks have big starting pitching issues, and that might be the difference-maker over the last 5 weeks of the season.

Sunday Roundup 8/26/07

2007-08-26T10:23:00.001-04:00

Been a while since the last roundup, but we're back.

Many Yankee fans relish the idea of having Joe Girardi take over as skipper when Torre hangs 'em up. And the PR factor, the positive vibes from the dynasty years, and the Marlins' surprisingly good performance in '06 will help Girardi's cause. But Joel Sherman's piece will make them think twice. If you thought Joe Torre was lousy when handling pitchers, just ask Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez, and Ricky Nolasco about Girardi. Good for Sherman for not falling for the Yankee mystique.

There's a lot out there about the "Joba Rules." It's nice to see Nardi Contreras' name back in the papers. My take on the rules? I'm surprised they've lasted this long, and I'd be very surprised if they last much longer. You get the feeling Torre's been somewhat marginalized in the organization. I'm sure if he had his way, Chamberlain would be used like his name was Tanyon Sturtze. And if the Yankees play in October, they're gonna have Joba out there every night.

Mike Lupica reminds us that for the Yankees, it's still all about October. Really now!

And after another Yankee win, John Harper gives Joe Torre the genius treatment, because Torrre had a meeting with the players before the game. Yeah, and if Igawa is out there instead of Wang and gets his butt kicked, then what, Torre's an idiot? This crap has got to stop already.

And in this piece, Jim Leyland complains that the long rain delay Friday night threw his team off their game and contributed to their loss on Saturday. Actually he doesn't. Other teams don't do that.

Pick of the week: It wasn't in Sunday's paper, but a chat with Peter Gammons? I'll take it any day of the week.

Clueless Moose

2007-08-25T23:16:00.000-04:00

Typical Mussina comment in this piece in the Times. When told that his rotation spot is in jeopardy, he asked, "who are they going to replace me with?" Coming from one of the most aloof and arrogant Yankees, is a statement like that any surprise? Doesn't the guy realize how lousy he's been this year? Reminds me of Cone in 2000. And believe me, they will not miss Mussina if they make the playoffs. Better off putting Phil Hughes out there behind Wang, Pettitte, and Clemens.

I think if Mussina gets thumped on Monday, he should get the Sterling Hitchcock treatment for the rest of the year. And the way Cashman and Torre have behaved lately, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. Giambi and Damon are now part-time players. Giambi has started once in the past five games, and Melky is the full-time center fielder. Only in Yankee-land do you keep $36 million on the bench almost every day.

But that's why I tip my cap to Torre on this one. He doesn't care. Melky's better, so he gets more playing time. And if they have any brains, Mussina will help the Yanks bench get even more expensive.

- Gotta root for the Mariners the rest of the way, though I don't like their chances that much. But if Sheffield doesn't get better, then we can't expect much from the Tigers, either.

- Clemens ERA: 4.34.

May All Over Again: Angels 18, Yankees 9

2007-08-22T07:31:00.000-04:00

Every time the Junkees do well, I'm too mad to blog. But then you have games like the last two against Anaheim, and you realize that life ain't so bad after all, and my dream of a Yankee-free October may come true after all.

When they were playing .750 ball, I thought, that's it. These guys are going to win the World Series. But a closer look at that run reveals that a lot of the games were blowouts where Old York scored a ridiculous number of runs, which, as we know, is not the way to win pennants.

In other words, the starting pitching is still spotty, and Mike Mussina is pitching exactly the way I thought he would. Giving up 7 earned runs in less than two innings gives him a hefty 5.22 ERA. His signing this past offseason may have been the worst in baseball.

Then the Yanks pull within two, scoring four in the third to make it 7-5. But Ron Villone and company gave it right back, and now we can see what the pitching situation is;

Mike Mussina: Done.

Chien Ming Wang: Been struggling lately. Is prone to giving up a lot of hits, gtes out of them with double plays, but has been lousy starting with the Toronto bombing. His ERA has gone from 3.49 to its current 4.10.

Clemens has looked old at times.

Phil Hughes has shown that his six no-hit innings against the Rangers was a fluke. He has gotten shelled in three of his last four starts.

And that leaves us with Andy Pettitte, who has been pretty good for the most part, despite a WHIP of 1.40.

So come playoff time, the Yanks have Pettitte, and no one else they can count on. So maybe all those blowouts weren't so bad after all.

Three In A Row - Yankees 9, Tigers 3

2007-08-19T19:30:00.000-04:00

Respect for the Yankees right here. After game one, they did a good job over the rest of the series. The only thing you can say is that Detroit had a bunch of guys suffering from the flu, but still - the Yanks played well. They got a good game out of the $13 million pinch hitter Johnny Damon, and so far Cashman is looking smart for getting Betemit and bringing up Chamberlain and Edwar Ramirez. Still a month-plus to go for the season, but let's be frank- the Yanks are dangerous right now.

Three In A Row - Tigers 8, Yankees 5

2007-08-16T23:55:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I was dreading this series. The Yanks were red-hot, and the Tigers looked like they were primed to repeat last season's August collapse (which has been forgotten thanks to the ALDS). But after tonight, I'm feeling a little bit better.

Hey, the Yanks have lost three in a row. True, they've faced two of the best pitchers in the league in Verlander and Bedard, but the offense has finally slowed down. Also, Rivera and Mussina have looked lousy the last few days.

The Yanks are mortal again.

Rivera Back In Trouble

2007-08-15T17:08:00.000-04:00

The Yankee fans will say it's just been a bad week for Mariano, but I'm not so sure. Mariano had that rough stretch early in the year, then returned to vintage form for a while. But right now, the April Mariano is back.

And it's possible that he never really left. Opposing batters are now hitting .260 off Rivera. That would be his highest BAA since his rookie year of '95, when it was .266. I know his control has been phenomenal this year, and he has an un-Yankee-like 10.60 K/BB ratio, but those are a lot of hits allowed.

The guy is 37 years old. The Yanks have to start worrying about Rivera, because the guy's lost a step. He's still one of the better closers in the game, but he's giving up a lot more hits than usual, and it's starting to catch up to him.

- I think the Yanks should start grooming Chamberlain to take over for Rivera. I know Chamberlain is supposed to be a starter in the long run, but so was Jonathan Papelbon.
Then again, let's see just how long the guy stays hot.

"The Scooter On The Air Means Fun For The Fans"

2007-08-15T16:37:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was one of those days when it's really hard to be a Yankee despiser. Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed every minute of the 12-0 thrashing they received from Baltimore.

But hearing the news about Rizzuto was tough. It was sad to see the Scooter go.

I grew up hearing Rizzuto do the games with Seaver and Murcer. I was too young to appreciate the guy for all he had to offer, but I could tell that the guy created action. He was the most exciting guy in the booth. Unfortunately, as the '90's progressed, Rizzuto got more and more erratic, and became harder to watch.

There are two kinds of play-by-play guys - the fun guys and the professionals. The pros try to stay as neutral as possible, and generally stick to discussing the action in the game, with the occasional anecdote or joke. The best "professional" announcers today? Easily Vin Scully, Jon Miller, and Dan Shulman.

Then you have the fun guys, guys who don't take themselves too seriously. They'll clown around in the booth, and shamelessly root for the home team. Ken Harrelson of the White Sox is a classic example of a fun guy.

And Rizzuto was the same way. Whether you liked the Yankees or not, you couldn't help but like the guy. He had his shtick and was clearly a homer, but didn't think of himself as a professional type of broadcaster. The guy made watching Yankee games fun, and clearly lived up to the title of this post (which I ripped off on an old Yankee yearbook). RIP.

- Rizzuto's approach reminds me of why I can't stand Harold Moskowitz (who later changed his name to John Sterling). Moskowitz wants to have it both ways. He's got his cringe-worthy home run calls for every Yankee, the "Yankees win!" shtick, and will start singing during a 10-0 game. But the guy insists that he's a professional, and not a homer. He sounds pompous and aloof, as if he knows everything about the game. Moskowitz's pompousness will prevent him from ever being as universally loved as the Scooter was.

Four Out

2007-08-12T23:46:00.000-04:00

What can I say? The Yanks ripped right through the Indians this weekend, picked up two games on the Sox, are tied for the wild card, and are now 15 games over .500. This team is for real. These are not the Yankees we saw in April and May.

Time for some NFL preseason action.

An Aberration - Blue Jays 15, Yankees 4

2007-08-09T10:44:00.000-04:00

I'm not getting excited over one blowout loss. This is an aberration, compared to the way the Yanks have played lately. With this series win, they've won every series since the all-star break except the one vs. Baltimore. And at 20-8, they still have baseball's best record since the break.

Wang got rocked yesterday, and when you look at his numbers, he will have a start like this every now and then. Plus, his BAA for the season is .273 and for his career is .271. Let's face it - Wang's weakness is giving up a lot of hits. And usually, a double-play ball will cover up for it. But once in a while, it catches up to him. The .273 number isn't terrible, especially compared to some others out there (Pettitte - .287, Mussina - .295). But you expect more from your ace, and almost every team in the game has a starter with better numbers.

I'm looking forward to the Cleveland series, even though the Indians have not been great lately. But they're one of those teams that can send the Yanks back into a funk, and let's hope they do just that.

- If Hughes struggles again, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Yanks bring Wells back for round 3. And even if Hughes does well, maybe they use Wells in the pen to get lefties out.

Here We Go Again: Yankees 5, Blue Jays 4

2007-08-06T23:19:00.000-04:00

Doesn't matter that Andy Pettitte was mediocre. Doesn't matter that Snorre's new boyfriend, Luis Vizcaino, almost blew the game. Doesn't matter which hitters went hitless, and which guys are in a slump. What matters is that my hopes and dreams of a Yankee-free October are flying away in the wind.

Yanks won a heartbreaker, 5-4 on Monday. The Jays had a lead, couldn't hold it, nearly came back, but didn't. And Old York continues to roll.

When they beat up on the bad teams, it was upsetting, but as Manny pointed out, whadaya expect? And give credit where credit is due - the Yanks haven't merely "gotten lucky," they've played really well.

Yes, the slugging has to take a break at some point, but when? Will it be too late? The Blue Jays were supposed to be better than the bad teams. But one game into the series and they are not.

Oh the pain. Oh ... the pain.

For Real? - Yankees 8, Royals 5

2007-08-05T23:33:00.000-04:00

Positives coming out of the weekend: Hughes was lousy, and the Sox took two of three from Seattle. That's all.

Give the Yanks credit. Coming out of the all-star break, they had a month of easy baseball to play. And with this sweep of the Royals and the Tigers' collapse, they find themselves just a half-game out of the wild card.

In the past week, the Yanks have had a team OBP of .447. Since the all-star break, the Yanks have had a team average of .330 and a team OBP of .400. This is a team, that, offensively, is firing on all cylinders right now. Robby Cano is batting .434 in the last month. I though age and the wear of catching would slow Jorge Posada in the second half, and he's batting .400 over the last month. Abreu is at .350 over the last month, Matsui at .345 with 11 dingers. All of those guys who looked old and done in the first half, have suddenly come alive. And how.

Of course, the other side of the story is that the Yanks have accomplished all this in playing most of their games against KC, Tampa Bay, and the White Sox, three teams that are at the bottom (along with Texas) in the AL ranking in team ERA. Against teams with decent ERAs like Toronto and Baltimore, the Yanks went 4-3.

Yanks now go up against Toronto, Cleveland, and Baltimore. Gonna be a lot more difficult than what they've faced. However - I've said it a million times, and I'll say it again - the mark of a good team is the ability to dominate against bad teams. And the Yanks have done that very well over the last month. But the bats have to cool off sometime, and that better happen now.

Clemens Gets Hammered - White Sox 13, Yankees 9

2007-08-02T21:07:00.000-04:00

I was watching the Red Sox game today, and Jerry Remy said, "word from New York is that Roger Clemens didn't get the same reception from the fans that he got when he announced he was coming back."

It was great to see Clem get hammered. Not sure which pitcher I most enjoy seeing get knocked out early, but this year, it's probably Clemens, especially with all the money he's making.

The Yankee offense almost bailed him out, but Karstens and Farnsworth made sure that wouldn't happen. And both the Red Sox and Indians win, pushing the Yanks back a game in each category.

Another joke series this weekend coming up against KC, followed by a quasi-joke in Toronto, and then Cleveland, Detroit, and the Angels will tell us whether the Yanks have a shot.

"I Just Won You The Pennant, I Got You Wilson Betemit"

2007-08-01T09:39:00.000-04:00

Last year, the Yanks shocked everyone by getting Bobby Abreu in a salary dump from the Phils. This year, the big winner at the trading deadline is Scott Proctor, whose arm will get a lot less abuse from Grady Little than it did from Torre.

I actually think Betemit wasn't a bad deal for New York. It makes their bench go from pathetic to simply weak. Truth is, I give Cashman credit. Between Jose Molina, Shelley Duncan, Andy Phillips and Betemit, the guy has improved what was a horrendous bench in the first half.

And with Giambi on the way back, the Yanks will have too many everyday players. Do they put Melky back on the bench? You get the impression that Damon makes the most sense on the bench, as Cabrera is a much better outfielder and Giambi is a better DH. I, for one, would love to see Damon turn into a bench player.

I think the Yanks are gambling by thinking Joba Chaimberlain will be to them what K-Rod was to the Angels in 2002 - a young lights-out guy who helps carry his team to the World Series. I know Chaimberlain has been excellent in the minors, but there's no guarantee his results will hold up in the big leagues. And if he doesn't pan out, who are the Yankees' other options? Especially after Luis Vizcaino's arm gets tired.

- Great job by Theo getting Gagne. The Red Sox were gonna make the playoffs this year, unless something crazy happened. By getting Gagne, Theo gives the Sox a chance to go all the way and win the World Series again. Bullpens play a huge role in the postseason, and the Red Sox now have one of the best in the game.

Torre's New Boyfriend

2007-07-31T10:34:00.000-04:00

Which pitcher has appeared in the most games in July? Answer: Luis Vizcaino, with 16. The guy has been lights-out this month, with 17 K and a 1.62 ERA. Vizcaino is also tied for second for the most appearances all season, with 54.

But the question is, how long will Vizcaino stay hot? The guy looked like the second coming of Gabe White earlier in the year. He reportedly had Rivera help him out with some mechanical issues, but how long will Vizcaino stay hot?

More importantly, will his arm hold up to Torre's abuse? He's projected to pitch 80 innings (probably more, now that he's been so effective), and has only done that once in his career.

- I'm hoping the Yanks don't get Gagne, but even if they do, I'm not worried. I don't see Gagne having the same impact as Abreu had last summer.

A-Roids?

2007-07-30T10:11:00.000-04:00

Very interesting news piece about Jose Canseco, claiming he has "stuff" about A-Rod in his new book. I know when Canseco came out with "Juiced," nobody took him seriously, and, in the words of Fred Hickman, people just thought he had an ax to grind with the guys he ripped.

But after McGwire's infamous "I'm not here to talk about the past" line and Palmeiro getting busted, I think we've realized Canseco isn't totally off. Plus, I haven't seen "bit characters" in the book like Pudge and Juan Gonzalez running to sue Canseco for defamation.

So I look forward to hearing what Canseco has to say. And this time, he's got more credibility than when his first book came out.

- Whether you wanna call it a split or 2 out of 3, I liked what I saw this weekend. After ripping through Tampa Bay and KC, the Yanks looked poised to put the O's hot streak to rest. Instead, the Yanks have lost that momentum, and Farnsworth's antics certainly didn't help the cause. I wouldn't be surprised if, after the trading deadline, the Yanks designate him for assignment and
eat the rest of his large contract. Cashman, what the hell were you thinking?

OK, So I Was Wrong

2007-07-26T23:31:00.000-04:00

I guess I was a little off about the results of the Yankees-Royals series, with the Yankees cruising through games 1-3 before stinking it up tonight, behind Kei Igawa.

But hey, you can only give me a hard time for being off if you picked the Tigers to win the AL pennant last March.

I know the Royals are bad, but the Yanks have played solid ball in the last week. The offense has been on fire, but you know that won't last. And the pitching was pretty good, but not great, this past week.

Let's see how long the offense stays hot. They clearly weren't on tonight, but maybe they'll bring it tomorrow. Who knows.

Royals Won't Be Easy

2007-07-23T12:38:00.000-04:00

After demolishing the Rays, it looks like the Yanks are in good shape. And with four games against the Royals while the Sox play the Indians, maybe the Yanks can gain some ground.

It won't be easy. Kansas City just took two of three from Detroit, arguably the best team in baseball, and as Buster Olney discusses in today's blog post, the Royals are slowly improving and recovering from a decade of futility. They've got a very good bullpen behind Grienke, Soria, and Dotel, Gil Meche has made Dayton Moore look very smart so far, and the Royals' collective .292 team average for the month of July trails only the Yanks and Boston in the AL.

So I don't expect the Yanks to get past the Royals as easily as they blew by the Rays. I wouldn't be surprised if the Yanks take three of four this week, but there's a pretty good chance KC can do the same.

- Even though he lost last time out, Wang is still the best bet for a win this series. Clemens has had a few good starts, but the low Ks aren't a good sign. And you don't know what to expect from Moose (ERA now at 4.97) and Igawa.

Twinbill Sweep For Yankees

2007-07-22T13:01:00.000-04:00

Gotta admit I was impressed by the Yankees sweep yesterday. After Friday night's 10 BB disaster, the Yanks regrouped in a big way. Sweeping the twinbill behind Igawa and DeSalvo reminded me a little of the doubleheader in 1996, when the Yankees started Brian Boehringer and Ramiro Mendoza. They easily swept the Indians, and that was one of the early indications that the '96 Yankees were a special team. But believe me, '07 is a far cry from '96.

The biggest difference between the two sweeps? The '96 one was against one of the great Indians teams of the '90s, one which had come very close to winning the Series the year before, the Indians of Manny, Thome, and Albert Belle.

This sweep was against the Devil Rays, one of the worst teams in professional sports history. Can't get too excited.

But the Yanks proved something yesterday - sometimes, they can still beat up on horrible pitching. And they'll need to do that consistently over the next couple of weeks, before August brings them the Tigers, Angels, and Red Sox.

The Sox Will Be Fine

2007-07-19T23:02:00.000-04:00

Great post today on one of my favorite baseball sites, The Hardball Times. The piece is entitled, "Are the Red Sox Collapsing?" and as you can tell from my title, the answer is no. Gassko does a good job going through the numbers (Hey Johnny Damon fans, did you know Coco Crisp has an OPS of over 1.000 in the past month?), and concludes that we don't have much to worry about.

Between that and a sweet win by the Jays, not a bad day.

Can't Panic Yet - Yankees 6, Blue Jays 1

2007-07-18T22:40:00.000-04:00

At the break, I was worried about the Yankees and their soft schedule. Well so far, they're 6-1 since the all-star break, and they're 7 out of the division and 6 from the wild card.

And tonight was a solid win. Clemens gave up nine hits and had only three Ks, but 1 run in 6 innings is very good. And he's gotten his ERA down from 5.32 to 3.88. A-Rod put the Yanks up front, and they didn't look back.

One positive from this game: 4 walks from the bullpen. Let's face it - nobody is reliable in the pen this year. Even Mariano is no longer Mr. Automatic - batters are hitting .247 off Rivera - not bad, but it's his highest since '95. (His career BAA is .215.) Sometimes I think I'd rather see the Yanks get a first baseman than a guy like Otsuka or Gagne - their pen is very shaky.

As I said in a comment, I'm not worrying until the Red Sox lead is cut to 4. Obviously, the past few days have stunk - the Yanks have won three against the Jays, and the Sox lost two of three to KC. But the Yanks still have their fair share of question-marks, especially the bullpen, the bench, and whether Abreu and Matsui will stay hot. And I'm hoping this streak fades as quickly as the one in May did.

Oh, the Pain! Yankees 3, Blue Jays 2

2007-07-18T07:38:00.000-04:00

It's bad enough that the Red Sox lost, but for the Yankees to win back to back games in which (a) Kei Igawa started and (b) Roy Halliday opposed them, that is torurous.

The Jays left a ton of guys on base, but then again so did Old York. It came down to a blown save, which is the thing that kills Yankee despisers most. You think you have it in the bag, and the guy BALKS in a run! Oh, the pain!

This had all the makings of a good Yankee loss. Jeter and Abreu both 0-5. Damon 0-3 (albeit with two walks) to drop his average to .238. Pettitte pitches well enough to win (for a change) but comes away emptyhanded. Farnworthless, who Snorre assures us is still his eighth inning guy, allows the go-ahead run.

But of course, the tables are turned, and Old York is on a roll in which once again, they are picking up games on Boston like candy. Oh, the pain!

BTW - Damon's July average? .188.

Please, please lose a game!

Another Close One - Yankees 6, Toronto 4

2007-07-17T08:21:00.000-04:00

This was one of those games that the Despiser described so well the other day - Yankees against a bad team, Yankees with three times the payroll, and it ends up being a very close one. The Sox showed the Yankees how to play bad teams last night, shutting out KC behind Kason Gabbard.

Igawa had another awful outing, and is starting to give Pavano a run for his money as worst Yankee pitcher signing of the decade.

And I wonder how long Andy Phillips will stay hot. I wouldn't bet on it lasting too long. But as long as he fades in September, when it counts the most, I've got no complaints.

If you're rooting for a Yankee-free October, you've gotta hope Phillips plays well through the trading deadline, so the Yanks don't get a guy like Teixera to boost their chances. Then again, to get Teixera, they'll have to part with some great young arms. It's unclear what the better outcome is here. But I'd be shocked if Phillips keeps hitting like this the rest of the year.

Another Hole In The Torre Mystique

2007-07-16T13:12:00.000-04:00

A lot has been said about Gary Sheffield's comments on Joe Torre, and most people, knowing Sheffield has a tendency to rant, aren't taking him seriously. But I think there are a couple of reasons to believe the guy:

1) Kenny Lofton agreed with the guy. True, Darryl Strawberry disagreed, but I'd be curious to hear the take of other black players from the Torre era (Raines, Hayes, Chili Davis, Charles Gipson, etc.). Anyway, it isn't just Sheff.

2) Why would Sheffield pick on Torre? The guy's played for many managers in his career, from Tom Trebelhorn to Jim Leyland. I know he had issues with Davey Johnson in LA, but he never called the guy a racist. If Sheffield has a beef with a manager, he's not shy about it. So why would he make allegations about Torre, and not about any other manager he's had over his long career?

It's very difficult to know whether Sheffield is correct; who knows what goes on behind closed doors. But for the reasons mentioned above, I wouldn't dismiss his statements too quickly, either.

Lousy Pitching, Yankees Win Anyway, Beat D-Rays 7-6.

2007-07-15T23:12:00.000-04:00

I know it's sour grapes, but the Yankees were able to fiest on lousy Tampa Bay pitching for most of this series. Sure, they couldn't pull out a win when Clemens pitched a stinker on Friday, but on Sunday they did just enough to win. But come on, Edwin Jackson was not beating the Yankees.

It's never good when the Yankees win, but Mussina was spotty as usual, and the bullpen nearly gave the D-Rays a win with Villone stinking up the joint, and Farnsworthless reverting to form.

On Saturday you had Wang do the same as Mussina, 3 earned runs in 6 innings. I don't care that people call that a quality start. A 4.50 ERA doesn't cut it.

Clemens, of course, got rocked on Friday, with 5 earned runs in 5.1 innings. Another start or two like this and he ought to go the way of Julio Franco. Ah, all those fans who got pumped about two decent outings in a row....

So out of four games, they got only one good start, and that was from Andy Pettitte. What you have to take out of this is that a team that has even mediocre pitching will eat up these type of performances. Old York was lucky that as bad as their arms were, Tampa Bay's were worse. To put things in perpective, the D-Rays are dead last in ERA in the majors with a (gulp!) 5.80 mark. The second worst? The Texas Rangers at 5.05. Wow.

If these were all 5-0 games, I'd be way more paranoid. But the way they played this weekend gives me hope.

Lousy Start to Second Half: Junkees 7, D-Rays 3

2007-07-12T22:55:00.000-04:00

What a game. What a crappy game. Andy Pettitte didn't have his best stuff, got out of some jams, but it didn't matter, as Tampa Bay was as flat as a pancake, losing to Old York 7-3 in a 1998 kind of game - you were never confident that the Devil Rays were going to start a rally.

Worth pointing out that Pettitte's been horrible in June and July. With 3 earned runs in 5.2 innings, his ERA creeps up to 4.27. Nice.)

On one hand, you can say that Tampa Bay stinks, so what do you expect. On the other hand, however, I don't like to think that way. I know Yankee fans are horny about their schedule, facing sub-.500 teams for the next few series, but any of those teams could get hot and give the Yanks a run for their money. In the beginning of the season Old York was getting beat by Tampa, Toronto, Chicago, so to me it's not hopeless.

Only two things to highlight. First, two caught stealings for Old York, one for Damon, and the other Melky. Second, Cano went 0-4, but who cares. This better not be the start of a roll.

- Red Sox won, so the lead remains at 10, and the tragic number for elimination in the AL East dips to 67.

Lousy Ending To A Great First Half

2007-07-09T11:09:00.000-04:00

I was away for the weekend, and no time for a Sunday roundup yesterday. My apologies.

But the way things turned out, it was a rotten weekend. 2005 hero Ervin Santana got spanked by New York, and Wang pitched well again. Meanwhile, the Red Sox got swept by Detroit, a team they'll probably face in the playoffs. And the Yanks have an easy couple of weeks ahead of them, playing Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and KC. The Rays better show up against the Yankees, even though they've been dead the past two weeks.

In any case, if you would've told me in March that the Red Sox would have a 10 game lead on the Yankees at the break, I would've given you a wave, thinking, "don't be ridiculous," and walked away. If you would've told me that the Yankees were gonna be under .500 come the All-Star break, I would've looked at you like you had seven heads. And don't forget, the Yanks still have 8.5 games to cover in the wild card standings.

So while seeing the Yankees go 5-2 against the Twins and Angels is frustrating, they still need a Red Sox collapse to win the division, and need to pass a whole bunch of teams to catch Cleveland for the wild card.

And that's why even after a rough weekend, I will still spend the All-Star break celebrating the Yankees' worst half-season in the post-dynasty era.

Igawa Stinks Up Joint (What Else Is New?), Junkees Win Anyway 7-6

2007-07-05T20:11:00.000-04:00

Wow, hard to believe Igawa's ERA is ONLY 7.14, after giving up 5 earned runs in 5 innings. Wait a minute, I thought he got straightened out in AAA.... Hard to believe it's only 7.14 because that means he gives up 7 earned runs every 9 innings. I don't remember any scoreless innings. Where did those go?

So the Yankees jump out to a 5-2 lead, and of course, Igawa can't hold it. Shemp's homer in the eighth puts them ahead, and Mariano comes in for a SHAKY ninth, allows a run but nails his eleventh save after a pretty questionable strike three call, but the calls have gone both ways this year, so I can't complain too much. Nevertheless, he got a little lucky. If Cuddyer walks you have Morneau up with a couple runners on, and I don't think Mariano holds on. He was far from dominating today, and we haven't seen the dominant Mariano in quite some time. So that's a good sign.

Offensively Old York did well against lousy pitching, getting 13 hits. The only highlight was Ringo's 0-5. Ringo's July average is .176, so we'll keep an eye on that.

So that's it. Otherwise, Detroit won, so Old York gains nothing in the wild card race, and Anaheim comes into town, and they always give the Yankees fits. Should be a fun weekend.

Moose Pitches Like Old Self: Twins 6, Yankees 2, Tragic Number in AL East 70

2007-07-04T21:57:00.000-04:00

For all you Yankee fans who got horny when the Moose shut down the A's last time - ha! Actually, he wasn't horrible (even though I don't consider 3 ER in 6 innings a "quality start"), but he couldn't hold the lead either, and after giving up the 2-run homer to Kubel, you knew he was out of gas. So his record is now 4-6.

Has anyone noticed that A-Schmuck is 0 for his last 18? His last hit came on June 29th. Yes, he still has great numbers, and he may still be the AL MVP this year, but he's been hot and cold. Great April, lousy May, great June, lousy July (so far).

Speaking of cold, that was the Yankee lineup today. They came up with four hits, and I know some of the regulars weren't playing, and it was Johan Santana, but they way the Old York broadcasters were going crazy about the offense in the previous few games, you expected something better.

And Brian Bruney came on in the ninth, trying to keep the lead to a managable two runs, and he gives up a home run to a guy hitting .182. If he gives one up to Morneau or Mauer, fine. But Luis Rodriguez? Gotta love it!

And the Red Sox won, so the lead goes back to 12. To be honest, I got paranoid after Tuesday's Yankee win. I thought it was the start of another hot streak. But Minny wins at Yankee stadium for only the third time in their last 18 games, and all is well in Yankee Despiser land.

- BTW, didn't go crazy about A-Rod's hammy injury because until I see him on the DL, it's much ado about nothing. Although Snorre may use it as an excuse for Alex's cold streak.

Easy Win For Yanks - Yankees 8, Twins 0

2007-07-03T22:52:00.000-04:00

Even in a down year, the Yanks are managing to beat the Twins. Tonight's game was a joke, with a mismatch of pitchers between Silva and Wang. Wang was sharp, and every Yankee starter except A-Rod got at least a hit.

Yankee fans can't get excited yet, however, not after another great outing by Dice-K and another Red Sox win. Still an 11-game gap. And I don't think the Yanks will get 14 hits every night. They'll probably take 3 of 4 from Minnesota, but hey, their last hot streak feels like a million years ago.

I predict the Yanks will end up with 87 wins this year. It wouldn't be too bad; 12 games over .500, but not nearly good enough to make the playoffs.

Listless Twins Lose: Junkees 5, Twins 1

2007-07-02T22:46:00.000-04:00

Well, the Red Sox won, so the lead stays 11.

That said, the Twins were listless. They were swinging early in the count, not hitting the ball hard ... either Clemens was incredible or Minny just didn't have it.

But I'm not here to make excuses for the Twins. Yes, they played a night game in Detroit and came in late, but they could have done better.

Only thing good was Shemp going 0-4. He's been in a tremendous slump, 3 for his last 26. But they won, so today's not the day to give them a hard time about re-signing him a year ago. It's like Julio Lugo in Boston. Major bust, but with the team up 11 games, no one's going to go too crazy.

Charlie Brown gave up a pair of hits in his one inning of work. Thirty hits in 31 innings is pretty human.

But the big story is Clemens. If he pitches this well each time out, that'll be pretty scary. This could have been a fluke, and perhaps his previous two starts are more indicative of how he'll do from here on out. We'll wait and see.

So not much to get excited about. The tragic number for the AL East is 72, so we'll keep an eye on that.

Top Ten Reasons The Yankees Missed the Playoffs in 2007

2007-07-02T10:58:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, premature. But it's not looking too good right now, and I guess I should preface the title with "If they miss the playoffs, here's why." But I'm in an optimistic mood right now, so let's go with the flow.

(10) Relying on Pavano: Carl Pavano has had a total of one good year in his career, and that came in 2004 as a member of the Marlins. Since joining the Yankees in '05, he's been perhaps the worst signing for Old York this century. As a Yankee, he's won a grand total of five games. Yet Ca$hman was talking about Pavano coming back and having a big year in '07, probably to get some of the $39 million worth. They could have traded him and gotten a better pitcher but kept Carl, and relied on him to be an ace. Ha. He's on the shelf, and may never throw another pitch as a Yankee.

(9) Dropoffs for Melky and Cano: In 2006, Melky Cabrera batted .280, with a .360 OBP. In 2007, he's hitting .259 with a .320 OBP. In 2006, Robinson Cano batted .342, nearly won the AL batting title, and had an OPS of .890. In 2007, Cano is hitting .265 and has an OPS of .701. Had these guys maintained their '06 form, who knows. But all those extra outs add up.

(8) As Manny wrote a few weeks ago, once you get past the regulars, who do you have? Miguel Cairo, Kevin Thompson, Wil Nieves ... a joke. Granted, in the AL the bench is not as important as in the NL, but you figure that there will be injuries, there will be doubleheaders where you want to rest a regular, and Ca$hman was terrible in not acquiring any bench help. And that's killed them.

(7) Ringo's Arm: The guy can't throw anyone out anymore, it's psyching out the pitchers and giving the opponents a lot of extra bases.

(6) Johnny Damon's Injuries: The guy's been a bust in 2007, mostly because he's been playing injured, and refuses to go on the DL! So he wastes a roster spot, has terrible power for a DH, and is slow in the outfield. Had the guy taken a couple of weeks off in early May, perhaps he'd come back and do better.

(5) Charlie Brown and the Yankee Bullpen: This was finally the year we'd all been waiting for - the year he became just another pitcher. Horrible in April, decent in May, mediocre in June... and the team gave him very few save opportunities, but that's because the rest of the pen couldn't hold leads! Lefties are hitting over .300 against Mike Myers, Vizcaino was a bust, Farnsworthless is just that, and even guys like Brian Bruney are walking a ton of guys. As Manny pointed out, the K/BB ratio for the Yankee pen may be the worst in recent history. Snorre's boyfriend Scott Proctor hasn't gotten the job done, and it'll only get worse in August when their arms fall off.

(4) Outfield defense: In a word, pathetic. Shemp, Damon, and Abreu have terrible arms, and smart teams have been taking advantage of that all season long. Cabrera has a decent arm, but he misplays so many balls that he's worthless as well. Matsui is good at getting a read on fly balls and tracking them down, but he's still lost a step or two from his first couple of years here. Extra hits and extra bases taken lead to extra runs and extra losses. It's that simple.

(3) Moose: Re-signing Mike Mussina was a disaster. Every once in a while he pitches a brilliant game, so Old York figures that as long as they can straighten him out, he'll be a Cy Young winner. In 2007, however, his brilliant games have been few and far between. Nearly halfway through the season, he's got a grand total of 4 wins and an ERA of 4.63. And get this - he's on pace to strike out about 90 batters. Ca$hman, I know the market for starting pitching was thin, but what the hell were you thinking?

(2) First base mess: Relying on Doug Mienkiewicz was silly, considering the guy hasn't hit a lick in years, but at least he was great defensively. After Doug came Josh Phelps, Andy Phillips, and Miguel Cairo. Nada. Junkee first basemen rank 10th in the AL in OPS, and in the bottom half of just about every category. Had they gotten someone decent, we might not be dreaming of a Yankee-free October.

(1) Abreu over Sheffield: We've gone through this many times, but to me, this is the move that killed them more than anything else. Other than A-Schmuck, they don't have a legit home run hitter. A-Rod's hit 28 home runs. The next best is Ringo at 9. Abreu is at 4. Sheffield, meanwhile, over in Detroit has hit 18 dingers, and has an OPS of .931. Abreu's OPS? Only 200+ points lower at .689. Ca$hman may have had enough of Sheff's antics and thus let him go, but Abreu was yet another bust, and this was the bust that broke the camel's back. So bye bye Yankees.

- Feel free to add your own in the comments section.

Sunday Roundup 7/1/07 - Write 'Em Off

2007-07-01T16:27:00.000-04:00

For weeks, we've heard rumblings like "it's only April," "it's only May," "it's gonna be 1978 all over again." After yesterday's embarrassing loss, the Yanks are almost halfway done with the season, and a long ways from the division and the wild card.

Very good piece by Larry Brooks in the Post, about how the Yanks aren't in a rough patch; this is just the way the whole season has gone. He points out what Despiser mentioned a few weeks ago, that aside from A-Rod, the Yankees have no power bats. This team could use Gary Sheffield.

Dom Amore of the Hartford Courant also discusses the Yankee troubles, and mentions that the lefties (Matsui, Abreu, and Cano), who usually hit well against lefties, have not hit them well in '07.

Classic Joe Torre: Igawa gives up 4 runs in 6+ innings, but he's headed in the right direction. What's he gonna say next, that Clemens is a Cy Young candidate?

Mike Lupica echoes a piece I wrote in May. His piece, entitled "Who's Watching The Store?" is basically the same as my "Who's Running The Show"? But Lupica doesn't even address George's health issues. Bad job there.

Great piece by Bill Madden, who says things will only get worse for the Yanks in '08, '09 and beyond. Here's an excerpt:

"Take a good, hard honest look at this underachieving, uninspired, aging Yankee team and then weep if you will. The entire outfield of Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu is clearly past its prime and in need of being replaced. There is no first baseman. The catcher, Jorge Posada, is 36 and a free agent at the end of the season. The DH, Jason Giambi, is a broken-down, old 36 and probably done, certainly as a big-time middle-of-the-order run producer. And lest we forget (easy to do since we've seen him so infrequently this season), Mariano Rivera is going to be 38 in November when he, too, will be a free agent.

Nobody wants to talk about the fact that Derek Jeter will be 35 when the Yankees are in the new ballpark in '09 - and the silence has been deafening regarding that opt-out clause in Alex Rodriguez's contract. Whereas a couple of months ago the Yankees could smugly say they would not allow themselves to be held hostage by A-Rod, now it may not even be their choice."

The only area that Madden doesn't address is that the Yanks will likely pick up some big-name free agents over the next few years. They'll make huge offers to Johan Santana, Jake Peavy, Andruw Jones, and others. But as we've seen over the past few years, that won't help them all that much. Plus, with revenue sharing, maybe teams like the Twins and Padres will be able to keep their young stars.

Torre was not a big fan of Farnsworth's antics on Friday, but the guy isn't going anywhere. He's gonna get $7 million next year, and no team will take him unless the Yankees eat that up. It's one of the worst signings in the Cashman era.

Manny Ramirez is playing harder than ever this year, says Tony Massarotti.

ANTI-PICK OF THE WEEK: With the Yankees having their worst season since 1992, what could be more juicy than an interview with George Steinbrenner/Harold Rubinstein? Instead, the folks at the Daily News serve up bigger softballs than the ones Andy Pettitte gave to the A's this afternoon. Very disappointing. Terrible job by the News.

Then again, maybe I can't kill the News here. The interview was probably rigged by George's handlers. They don't want him to cause any controversy. There are a lot of layers there, and I'm pretty sure they didn't let the News ask the questions the fans wanted to hear answered.

PICK OF THE WEEK: One of my guilty pleasures? Checking out nyyfans.com when the Yanks are playing lousy baseball. Check out this piece: "DAMON HOLDS YANKEES HOSTAGE: DAY 82 + COUNTING."

- Yanks lose again, with Pettitte putting out his worst effort of the season. Everybody was impressed with his hot start to the season, but I figured he'd lose a step or two as the season went on. He had a 4.77 ERA in June, and he'll have to do really well to bring that figure down on July. The guy isn't getting any younger, and was pitching above his level, better than he did against the weak NL Central the past couple of years. I'd be surprised if he ended up with a sub-4.00 ERA.

- Two of my favorite teams, Minny and the Angels, take on the Yankees for the next seven days. Looking forward to this one.

Lethargic - A's 7, Yankees 0

2007-06-30T23:58:00.000-04:00

I love this quote from Jorge Posada: "Luck comes when you go after it. It seems like there are times we go through the motions and today was one of those games," Posada said. "I think everyone knows what I'm talking about."

The guy admitted that the team wasn't trying. They're just going through the motions, said Posada.

So much for that great motivator, Joe Torre. I've said it a million times, I'll say it again: Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius, David Cone and the rest of the dynasty Yankees would've been motivated with Art Howe or Stump Merrill in the dugout. Torre was a non-factor. This year has been a real challenge in terms of motivation, and Torre has failed miserably. Heck, he's failed every October for the last five years. To me, the turning point was game 4 of the 2002 ALDS. When Wells got pissed when Bernie screwed up a fly ball, the team went limp and you knew Torre was not in control.

Maybe the pyromaniac Proctor can help things. The guy was burning his equipment out there? Whack-job. And Farnsworth got pissed when he was replaced by Rivera Friday night. This team has gone completely limp and off-the-wall. How long till someone punches a wall?

- Can't get excited about Mussina's outing Friday night. Oakland came into the game tied for the second-worst average in the AL, with a .257 clip. They've got 10 players on the DL, and it caught up to them against the Mets and Cleveland.

If anything, the fact they've hit Igawa and the Yankee bullpen hard tells you just how awful the Yanks are right now.

- Tomorrow's matchup looks like a great one: Danny Haren against Andy Pettitte.

The Bullpen's Control Issues

2007-06-28T13:45:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to build on a point in Despiser's recap of last night's game. The Yankee bullpen has allowed the most walks in the game, more than any other pen in baseball.

The Yankee relievers have allowed 138 walks, the most in baseball - Florida is second with 127. By contrast, in '01 and '03, when the Yanks made the World Series, their bullpen had the second-fewest walks allowed in baseball.

The '07 Yankee bullpen has an atrocious K-BB ratio - 1.18. By contrast, the Dodgers are at 3.36, and the Brewers at 2.47. The lowest K/BB ratio by any pen in the last 5 years? Tampa Bay, with a 1.34 mark in 2005.

And thanks to guys like Wang and Clemens last night, the Yanks pitching as a whole (including starters) has the worst K/BB ratio in the game, at 1.44. The only teams with lower marks in recent memory are the Royals, Rockies, Devil Rays, and the '03 119-loss Tigers.

- Why have the Yankee arms deteriorated so much in this department? I think it's because Cashman and Torre have fallen in love with power pitchers who have bad control. Farnsworth has always thrown 100 MPH but with lousy control, going back to his Cubs days. And Bruney throws gas too, but he's allowed 26 K and 24 BB. Not good.

The other guys are somewhat more surprising. Proctor had 33 BB allowed last year, but has 22 already. Luis Vizcaino's struggles are also surprising, at first glance - he allowed 29 BB all of last year, and is up to 27 BB this year already. I would blame the NL-AL switch here. Even the Devil Rays have a more daunting lineup than the Dodgers and Giants.

Many have discussed the causes of the Yanks' underacheiving, and focused on Abreu, Damon, and other struggling veterans. But in addition to having the worst bench in recent memory, the '07 Yanks might have the worst bullpen.

Bedard Shuts 'Em Down - Orioles 4, Yankees 0

2007-06-27T23:02:00.000-04:00

Even with Boston getting swept in Seattle, it's still a good day, as the Yanks looked lousy on both the pitching and hitting ends. Clemens is looking like an $18 million bust, with the ERA now up to 5.32. Hey, Cashman, Tyler Clippard gives you the same thing for a fraction of the price.

And the hitting was horrible as well. After Abreu got the A-Rod treatment last night, he got moved to sixth tonight, and is now in a 3-25 (.120) funk. When he had a hot streak a few weeks ago, I felt like an idiot for comparing him to David Justice in '01. But after his average has dipped from the .270s to a bad .256, the guy still looks lost out there.

And Matsui is struggling too, 3-24 in the last week (.125). Between those two holes in the lineup, plus the joke at 1B and DH, it's no wonder the Yanks are a mess right now.

- In 2005, we thought the Yanks were done. But they were much closer to the playoffs than these guys. Here's a look at the standings two years ago and today:

2005: Yankees 39-37, 5.5 GB, 3 WGB
2007: Yankees 36-39, 11 GB, 8 WGB

After this date, the Yanks had the best record in the game, going 56-30 (.651 WP) the rest of the way. And even then, they were only able to tie Boston for the division.
The way this team is going, they're not playing .650 till the year's over.

Clemens Should Have Signed With Boston: Orioles 4, Yankees 0 - Tragic Numbers 77, 79

2007-06-27T22:54:00.000-04:00

So far, Clemens is 1-3 with an ERA of 5.32. I told you guys he'd have issues in the AL after dominating the NL (Comedy) Central. But no, the Junkee fans didn't believe me. What can I say? This is not Ca$hman's year. So it's probably better he didn't go to Boston.

Once again, the Bronx Bombers failed to do anything offensively. Damon went 0-4, as did Abreu, and zero extra base hits for anyone.

This team is starting to remind me of the Yankees of 1989-1992, when they couldn't buy a win. But hey, I'm not complaining.

- One thing I've noticed but haven't pointed out is that Old York is issuing a lot of free passes this year. They're third in the AL in walks allowed, trailing only Texas and Baltimore. This means more baserunners, and greater pitch counts, which is why Snorre is killing the bullpen.

- They've also allowed the most stolen bases in the league.

- What makes these losses even sweeter is that it's the Orioles without Miguel Tejada. Before the series I thought, okay, what can you do? They're going to face lousy teams and beat up on them. Yet here I am a couple of days later, and the O's may take out the brooms.

- Not too upset at Boston's struggles, because Old York hasn't gained anything.

- As much as they may not be out of the wild card race, still like the fact that they have four teams to jump over. Obviously if they win 20 in a row it won't matter, but even if they pick it up, all those teams have to go in the toilet for them to get past them all.

- Wang faces Cabrera in the series finale. Wang was unimpressive in his last outing, but who knows. Could go either way. (Really insightful point, if I may say so myself.)

Pen Does It Again - Orioles 3, Yankees 2

2007-06-27T00:03:00.000-04:00

In case there were any Yankee fans still believing that this team was the second coming of 1978, nights like tonight make it very hard to believe this team will go far.

The Yankee bullpen stinks this year. In fact, it really hasn't been the same since the Nelson and Stanton era. Karsay did keep things under control in '02, but after that, it's been a total disaster. Flash Gordon was a good reliever until October, when Torre's abuse caught up with him at the worst possible time.

You can't rely on Proctor. Big game, small game. He's above average, but you never know what you'll get from him. And at some point, Torre's abuse will catch up to the guy. Bruney's been a pleasant surprise, but Yankee fans wouldn't trust him in a big game. Vizcaino and Farnsworth have been terrible. And as mentioned in my Sunday column, Mike Myers can't get lefties out.

Hard to believe that just two weeks ago, the Yankees were making our worst nightmares come true. If they lose to the O's again, maybe we'll start hearing rumblings about Torre and Cashman again. And based on the bullpen's performance, some well-deserved rumblings.

Ringo's and Nieves's Arms: Killing the Junkees

2007-06-25T13:50:00.000-04:00

First let's start off with Nieves: After Sunday's debacle, with the Giants stealing five bases off Old York, Nieves has now allowed 10 SB's while catching 5 runners. That's a 33 percent success rate. Not great, but not horrible.

Now Ringo: It's great that Posada's having a career year at the plate, because behind the plate, he's been absolutely dreadful. So far, opposing base stealers have made it safely 55 times, and have been caught only a baker's dozen. That's 55 for 68. Horrible.

I know, they've played 73 games, so we're taking less than a steal per game. And even if it were a steal a game, how much does that matter?

Well, for one, on some occasions, a well timed steal makes a huge difference. Dave Roberts in the '04 ALCS, for example. So once in a while, a steal will be big. Another thing is that the other teams might catch on and start taking advantage. Old York is lucky that you have teams like the A's and the Blue Jays who don't believe in stealing bases. But teams that do will run all over you.

Another factor is that the pitchers might get paranoid every time there's a guy on first that in a few moments he'll be in scoring position. That could lead to more fat pitches. (I've noticed more pickoff attempts.)

Finally, once teams notice they may start running even if they normally wouldn't.

Of course, the counterargument is something like this: Obviously there are more teams that don't run a whole lot, because there's only an average of one attempt per game. If this were 1985, it would be a problem, but not so much in 2007. As for the paranoia factor, there's no clear evidence that there's anything to it, and even if other teams start running, Ringo will revert back to his old ways of throwing out guys 30 percent of the time, not 19, thus, this is just an abberation.

I guess we ought to hope it continues and that other teams catch on.

(To be fair, as bad as Ringo's been, Boston's Jason Varitek has been even worse. He's thrown out only 3 of 24! But when you lead by 11+ games, it's not that big a deal.)

Sunday Roundup 6/24/07 - A Quieter Weekend

2007-06-24T09:47:00.000-04:00

The past few weeks, the Yanks have been THE story on Sunday. Whether it was a Yankees-Red Sox game, Clemens' debut, or the Subway Series, there's been a lot to talk about.

But the Yankees-Giants, aside from Barry, is much less compelling. Anyway, here's what's happening:

Surprise, surprise, another piece about the trading deadline by Joel Sherman. Sherman discusses how Cashman and Minaya are much more reluctant to trade young arms for veteran help then they've been in the past.

One thing Sherman gets wrong is as follows:

“And don’t put three Grade-C prospects together and expect anything back just because of quantity,” an AL executive said. “Garbage plus garbage just means you are giving me more garbage.”

So don’t think the Yanks, for example, can take Eric Duncan, Bronson Sardinha and Colter Bean and spin it into Mark Teixeira."

Did Sherman forget about the Bobby Abreu deal? Because that was a trade of four grade C prospects for one of the better outfielders in the game. Granted, it was an unusual situation, but if a team needs to dump salary, the Yanks will be more than happy to give them some faux-prospects to make the deal look legit.

Plus, Sherman leaves out the George factor. If the Yanks keep struggling, there will be a sense of urgency that will make the Yanks give up some very good prospects.

This piece in Newsday says the Yanks are interested in Eric Gagne and Akinori Otsuka.

Tyler Kepner recaps yesterday's game. He mentions that lefties are batting .306 off Mike Myers this year. Well done, Cashman. Plus, Abreu is now in a 3-23 funk.

Yesterday's Yankee loss featured a dramatic Yankee HR, followed by a walk-off loss on a bloop single. Brought to mind one of my favorite Yankee losses of all-time, game 7 of the 2001 WS. Not the same without Rivera, though.

One difference between the '06 and '07 Red Sox? Pitching depth, says Tony Massarotti.

Who should be The Man after Torre? Bob Klapisch thinks it should be Bobby Valentine. Bobby V is definitely a better in-game manager than Torre. I don't think Torre could've taken a team with Benny Agbayani and Timo Perez to the World Series.

I know some people will say Torre is much better with a team's chemistry and confidence, but I think that's a load of bunk. When the Yanks were stinking it up in May, some people ripped Torre for not motivating the team. And dropping A-Rod to 8th last fall didn't do a thing. Bottom line: When Torre wins, he gets praised to the heavens. When he loses, he gets ripped, but not as much as he deserves.

And the same held true for Bobby V. He got much praise in the magical years of '99 and 2000, but when '02 was a disaster, he was blamed.

The days of Yankee games on free TV may be over, writes Bob Raissman. In the same piece, he also has a funny anecdote about Sterling and Waldman.

And check out this quote from Bill Madden's column, on Milton Bradley:"He'd be a natural for the Yankees," said one scout, "except for his temperament. Oakland was really the perfect place for him. Now it looks like he'll never reach his potential."

PICK OF THE WEEK: Excellent human-interest piece about Mets' pitching coach Rick Peterson and his unique, successful approach in the Star-Ledger. As discussed many times on this blog, Peterson may be the man most responsible for the Mets' success the past few years. And Yankee fans, keep in mind that if George and Cashman ran the Mets, Tom Seaver would be their pitching coach.

16 Men Left On - Giants 6, Yankees 5

2007-06-24T00:10:00.000-04:00

I love watching games like this, even more than games where the Yanks get blown out. Games like these personify the post-dynasty Yankees.

These Yankees have all the superstars, all-stars at almost every position. They've got plenty of guys with gaudy numbers. But they can't pull it together. They can't get the hits when they count. And they can't get the wins when they need them.

Looked like the Yanks were cruising early on, but Wang and the pen helped the Giants in the seventh.

In a possible World Series preview, Boston beat San Diego Friday night behind Dice-K, but is getting shut out by Chris Young tonight. But with the Yankees' loss, I can live with it.

Another Despiser Classic: Do It George! Get Milton Bradley!

2007-06-22T08:24:00.000-04:00

With the Yankees in need of another bat and Bradley having just been dumped by the A's, the guy is once again a perfect fit. And even though many of the facts below have changed, I don't really need a new post for it.

--------

November 7, 2005

One of the rumors swirling around is the Yankees trading for Dodger CF Milton Bradley. There are also rumors about Brian Giles, though I would be surprised if the Junkees go there. The guy is 35, and, while getting out of Petco will help his numbers improve, the Yanks would probably want to go young. There's always Johnny Damon, too, but Boston is gonna try hard to keep him. And he's no youngster, either. So that means Bradley is more of a possibility.

Additionally, I think that George will try to get Bradley, for two reasons: he loves troubled people. Darryl and Doc? The Yanks were ready and willing to take them, with all their baggage. Now granted, Bradley has different issues than those guys (attitude as opposed to drugs), but George loves the idea of taking a troubled player and having him turn his career around in pinstripes. It makes for great PR. Remember Doc Gooden's no-hitter? If his 15 minutes of comeback fame wouldn't have ended so soon, they probably would have made a movie about that.

I also think that George likes to tweak Torre by bringing in clubhouse problems. Heck, that was one of the reasons that Ruben Sierra got a second go-round for the Junkees (although Sierra, to his credit, has matured and toned it down since '96). But even guys like Weaver and Brown: I think George was partly motivated by the fact that he knew Snorre wouldn't go for those guys. And while Sheff, A-Rod, and Johnson are players any GM would get if they could afford it, I'm sure George liked their attitudes, too. And so Milton Bradley might be the ultimate tweak.

Besides, he'd be a great fit with the Yankees. Too bad Brown is done, because I'd love to see him and Bradley try to get along. But the Yanks still have A-Rod, Sheff, and the Big Unit. And Jorge Posada, who didn't talk to Tino for a few months after one of their tiffs.

So for all those Yankee despisers out there, go for it George! Get Milton Bradley! And after that, try to convince Terrell Owens to try baseball.

How Sweep It Is! Rockies 4, Junkees 3: Tragic Numbers 82, 86

2007-06-21T21:49:00.000-04:00

What a day. Roger Clemens struggled big time. I know, he didn't give up a ton of runs, but anytime you throw 90 pitches in 4.1 innings, you know you don't have your best stuff. I'm sorry, 4 earned runs in 4+ innings is not why you're getting $18 million! Seven hits and a walk in 4+ innings - he's lucky they didn't score more runs.

Props to the bullpen -- Snorre's boyfriend in particular (Scott Proctor) -- pitching a scoreless rest-of-game, but it wasn't enough as the offense, once again, faltered.

Johnny Damon is absolutely killing them. He's now batting .249 with no power, and has no business playing. As I've said a zillion times, if you're injured, go on the freakin' DL. Who knows - perhaps there's an element of PR that the guy has never been on the DL, and gosh darnit, they intend to keep it that way even if he can't move.

Abreu, ever since that 4 for 4 day is 6-28, also known as a .214 batting average. Cairo's doing nothing, and Andy Phillips can't buy a hit. Otherwise, the Yanks had opportunities but sqaundered them. In the series, they went 1-18 with runners in scoring position.

But not to worry, Snorre and Clemens had plenty of excuses: "I was taking deep breaths on the mound. My mouth got dry a couple times," Clemens said. "That was the more difficult part. Heat or cold is not a big deal. The one inning a storm blew in and the wind changed direction. The wind hit my chest and caused me to throw the ball out of the zone. But I made the adjustment. Then, the wind started to blow straight out." Can't make this stuff up.

So now it's on to San Francisco. We'll see what happens. Kei Igawa pitches Game 1, so we may as well pencil in another Yankee loss. Then Wang on Saturday and Mussina on Sunday. The Giants are a lousy team, they don't score any runs, but the pitching is not bad. In this series, they have (in order) Matt Cain, who's pitched way better than his 2-7 record, Matt Morris, who's having a really good year, and Noah Lowry, who has underachieved. I'm actually glad they don't face Zito, who stinks this year.

Because of the anemic offense of the Giants, I wouldn't be shocked if Old York takes 2 out of 3, but I wouldn't mind another series loss or sweep.

Yankees-Mets PR Blitz

2007-06-21T14:54:00.000-04:00

When I first started following sports, I got excited every time I heard of a guy who played for both the Yankees and Mets. Rafael Santana was the big name in that category for a while. I got very excited when I found out that the awful Tim Leary had a cup of coffee with the Joe Torre Mets in the early '80s. I'll admit, that's creepy. And when Tim Burke and Lee Guetterman got traded, and then in '93 when the Yanks got Frank Tanana for the last week of the season, that was exciting. And then we got treated to some big names: David Cone, Darryl, Doc Gooden.

But now it seems like every few months, someone from the other Subway team gets called up or signed.

I was at the Mets game last night, and was talking to a friend about Ricky Ledee. He mentioned to me that there are 101 players who have played for both the Yankees and Mets. I thought the number sounded way too high. Turns out, he's right.

But I'm not crazy, either. What you may not know is, that ten years ago, following the 1997 season, there were only 61 players on the list. The size of the list has nearly doubled in the last ten years.

Or think about it this way. The Mets came into existence in 1962, and in the 35 years from then until '97, there were only 61 players to play for both teams. That's about an average of about 1.7 new Yankee-Mets a year.

From '98 to '07, less than 10 years, there have been 40 players added to the list. That's an average of 4 new Yankee-Met players per year! The PR war has gotten out of control, folks.

Next time a Met outfielder gets injured, who's gonna get called up first? Aaron Guiel? Do they trade for Bubba Crosby or Kevin Reese? At this rate, they'll be inviting Chad Curtis to spring training next year.

-- Today's the Rocket's biggest test of the year so far. The Yanks need a win today, to avoid slipping back to their old ways. You don't know what Igawa will give you tomorrow night. I know it's Coors Field, but Yankee fans better hope Clemens shows them why they gave him all that cash.

Back To Double Digits - Rockies 6, Yankees 1

2007-06-20T23:50:00.000-04:00

The two-week nightmare may still be going on for Met fans, but for Yankee haters, it's just a memory. The Yanks are back to their old ways - bad hitting and bad pitching. Pettitte stunk tonight, and the offense didn't show up again. And the Sox beat up on Atlanta, 11-0, pushing the lead to 10 games. The days of "the Yankees picking up games like candy" are thankfully over.

Torre was full of excuses as usual, claiming that the Yanks had trouble picking up Francis' pitches because they've never faced the guy before. Too bad.

One guy who's back to normal? Bobby Abreu, hitting 5-21 (.238) this past week. With a .333 SLG, to boot.

And with Damon a possibility to go on the DL, the Yanks need depth. Phillips won't help much at first. I think the Yanks will get a stopgap like Shea Hillebrand, and, come the trading deadline, go for a big name like Teixera. You knew Cairo wasn't a solution there.

Great to see the Sox back to their old ways. The way Tavarez is pitching, it takes away from the disappointment of Schilling's DL stint. But I think Gabbard and Lester should be fine filling in.

Just What the Doctor Ordered: Rockies 3, Junkees 1

2007-06-20T00:12:00.000-04:00

Ah, life is back to normal. With a Red Sox win and a Yankee loss, I will sleep like a baby tonight.

Wow, this is not your father's Oldsmobile. These are not your father's Rockies, with scores like 16-15. Last time Mussina pitched in Colorado he said afterwards that he couldn't wait to get out of there and hoped to never go back again. Well, he pitched well (for him, 3 runs in 6 innings is pitching well), but Fogg was better, holding Old York to one run on seven hits.

The Yanks had oppotunities, leaving 13 runners on base, but the Rockies also left a bunch on (14 to be exact), nothing noteworthy other than Cano going 0-4, but the loss coupled with the Red Sox win makes the deficit 9 games, and they're 5 back in the wild card race. Couldn't ask for anything more.

Wednesday's game features Pettitte against Francis, two pitchers having outstanding seasons. For all I know, it could be a blowout, and I might be in a bad mood when all is said and done. But I'll take what I can get, and a Yankee loss always puts a smile on my face.

Yankees Win, Ho Hum: Junkees 8, Schmets 2

2007-06-18T08:26:00.000-04:00

The only good thing to take out of the weekend is that Boston swept the Giants, so with the Yankee loss on Friday night, Boston gains a game, so the lead remains 8.5.

But that's the only good thing. Everything else is still lousy. The outslugged the Mets on Saturday, and made it no contest on Sunday. Wang is pitching like Sandy Koufax, and A-Rod keeps hitting A-Bombs.

But I have a feeling, paranoia notwithstanding, that this will be a good week. Colorado is a tough place for visitors, Old York loses their DH (which, if you think about it, ain't much of a loss!), and you have the Mike Mussina and Ringo situation. Mussina's personal catcher is Wil Nieves, who can't hit a lick. But you can't DH Posada, so what do you do? Put him at first base and let him embarrass himself? And who the hell is Mussina that he has to have a personal catcher? For guys like Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson, I understand, but Mike Mussina? Another example of the inmates running the asylum.

And of course, expect to hear grumbling from Mussina and company when they give up a ton of runs, blaming the high altitude, the heat, or whatever other excuses they come up with.

The Rockies are actually half decent this year. Looking forward to the series.

Sunday Roundup 6/17/07 - Jeter and the Subway Series

2007-06-17T15:14:00.000-04:00

The big story today is Jeter's performance in yesterday's game. I hate Jeter as much as the next Yankee-hater, but he and Rivera are the only current Yankees who have excellent track records in tough spots. Pettitte has a very mixed record (see game 1 of the '96 WS and game 6 of the 2001 WS), and the newer guys (Giambi, A-Rod, Mussina) have done very little. You can hate Jeter, but you've gotta respect him.

Still, I cringe every time the media has one of its Jeter lovefests, making him out to be the greatest ever to put on the pinstripes. And today is one of those days.

Ian O'Connor has a very good piece bringing us back to Jeter's early years, when it seemed like the Yanks wouldn't stop winning World Series. But over six years after the 200o Subway Series, Jeter is still waiting.

Kernan has the obligatory "Jeter proves he's better than Reyes" piece. Kernan is the most predictable columnist in the city, and a big reason the Post's sports section has jumped the shark.

And here are a couple of Jeter love-rants: one from Newsday, one from the Hartford Courant.

But enough about Jeter. There's other stuff to talk about, too.

In this piece, Tyler Kepner writes about how Luis Vizcaino says Rivera helped him with his mechanics, and Vizcaino has had five good outings in a row (but keep in mind, mostly against lousy offenses). Also, with Clippard going back to AAA, Kei Igawa is most likely to take his spot in the rotation.

Dan Shaugnessy talks about how Dice-K has not gotten ripped by Boston fans despite a disappointing start to the season. And Dice-K was huge yesterday.

Joel Sherman's favorite time of year is coming up - trading season. Thankfully, he doesn't share any of his trading proposals in this piece. If anything, the impression you get from this piece is that there won't be a ton of action, because - a) many teams still have a shot, and aren't giving up their spare parts yet, b) some GMs of lousy teams (like Jim Bowden) won't give up their guys unless they get top names, and c) Boras clients in their walk years (like Mark Teixera) are unattractive to most contenders.

For the millionth time, Torre blames a lousy Rivera outing on rust.

Tony Massarotti makes a great point in this piece:

"Since taking 2-of-3 from the Red Sox at Fenway Park [map] on the first weekend of June, the Yankees had played series against the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and Arizona Diamondbacks entering this weekend’s affair with the Mets. In order, those three clubs ranked 30th, 23rd and 26th among the 30 major league teams in runs scored this season, which is just what the doctor ordered for a Yankees staff that has employed 12 starting pitchers this season and only one (Pettitte) who had made more than 10 starts."

PICK OF THE WEEK: Great job by Bob Klapisch giving an update on whether A-Rod will stay or go after the season. We all thought he was done after he was on the cover of the Post a few weeks ago, but he and the Yanks have only gotten better since then. I don't care if 1978 happens again - I still think if A-Rod has a lousy October and the Yanks get bounced in the first round, he'll be outta here.

Klapisch also discusses the Yankees other options at third, if A-Rod goes. Miguel Cabrera is a possibility, but will cost a few top prospects. I'd love to see the Yanks get him, because I don't think he can handle New York.

- My big brother, a big Pat Tabler fan back in the day, will be very excited about a note in Klapisch's piece: Jorge Posada is batting .667 (8-12) with the bases loaded this season.

Split So Far

2007-06-16T22:00:00.000-04:00

After the Yanks finally lost Friday night, today's Yankee win doesn't hurt too much. Especially with the Sox winning two against the Giants. I know the Giants are awful, but I find Dice-K's excellent outing to be a sign of things to come.

Any Yankee fans still horny about Tyler Clippard? Time to give it up. The guy stunk today, and was bailed out by the even worse Glavine and Mota. Anyway, Clippard now has a 6.33 ERA; whatever the Yanks get from the guy is a bonus.

Mets have 10 steals in the series so far. Good job, Posada.

Hideki Matsui (.421, 9 RBI in past 7 gm) has quietly been on a hot streak. Melky Cabrera (1 for his last 14) has quietly cooled off.

Finally, it's mid-June, and Mariano Rivera has a 4.50 ERA.

Reality Check For Yankee Fans

2007-06-14T20:50:00.000-04:00

Great piece in the New York Sun by Steven Goldman, giving some important perspective on the Yankees' winning streak. With another easy Yankee win and Boston currently getting ripped by the Rockies, it's always good to remember that weeks like these will pass. We'll be back to normal soon.

And I think the Mets will bring it this weekend. They've been cold, the Yanks have been hot, but they'll step it up a notch against the Yankees. My prediction? Mets, two out of three.

Anyway, here's Goldman's piece. A couple of interesting points he mentions: Mussina's Ks have been declining, and Jeter has been very ordinary as of late.

"By the time you read this, the Yankees will either be in the middle of an eight-game winning streak or have won seven of eight games — a nice showing for a team that had struggled, either way. But whether the Yankees can sustain that pace or something like it and ultimately upend one or both of the wild card leaders, Detroit and Cleveland (they are currently tied), or the AL East-leading Red Sox will depend on general manager Brian Cashman's ability and willingness to summon reinforcements, both from inside the organization and out.

The "inside" refers to the bullpen. The Yankees need help in that area, but they have internal options, including the porcine but productive Chris Britton and the indie league find, Edwar Ramirez (the changeup artist has struck out 62 double- and triple-A hitters in 34.1 innings). On the other hand, the Yankees may or may not have the will to try those options and cut bait on familiar but pointless vets such as Luis Vizcaino, Ron Villone, and the exasperating Kyle Farnsworth. A hallmark of the Cashman/Torre administration is to accept poor but predictable performances rather than risk failure by chasing improvements — despotic rulers rarely have innovative subordinates — and no one wants to stick their neck out for a policy if it means getting your head chopped off.

The Yankees also have the internal resources to compensate should Mike Mussina prove to have reached the rapid decline phase of his career, which seems likely from his declining strikeout rates. With luck and smart management, the team can develop enough pitching this year that they won't be trading for any Shawn Chacon types for years to come.

The Yankees are hitting .316 AVG/.393 OBA/.501 SLG this month, which would seem to suggest that the offense has finally clicked and no enhancements need be considered, but it's unlikely the Yankees will sustain this pace over the hundred games still left on the schedule. What we're seeing is an 11-game hot streak, not a new Murderer's Row. The Yankees might stay hot to some degree, with help from their cast of pedigreed hitters, but they won't stay this hot for long. Bobby Abreu will not hit .488 during the rest of the season and finish with a batting average of .401.; the balance of Alex Rodriguez's June might look more like his May; Derek Jeter, whose meager six stolen bases in 11 attempts could be the first signs of the 33-year-old's declining speed, might continue to hit .261/.333/.391, as he has this month, and the durable Jorge Posada could get hurt, leaving the Yankees with a month or more of Wil Nieves 0-fers.

Not all of those things will happen, but some of them will, in addition to other unforeseen occurrences. When they do, the Yankees will need other hitters to pick up the slack. That will mean acquiring a first baseman, a designated hitter, or both — the Yankees have problems at both positions, and the answers, to put it plainly, don't reside in the organization.

As a DH, Johnny Damon makes for a fine gimpy centerfielder. Despite a recent hot streak, he's hitting .239/.314/.304 in June and .255/.359/.321 as a DH. The average hitter at the position is batting .260/.352/.432. First base is a joke; the Yankees have enjoyed some short-term gains from Miguel Cairo's singles and his middle-infield ability with the glove, but Cairo is a career .267/.315/.359 hitter and eventually the singles will dry up, and the Yankees will need big league offense from the position. Awaiting the return of Doug Mientkiewicz is not a serious solution.

The big fish in the likely trading pool are the Rangers' Mark Teixeira and the Reds' Adam Dunn, with a resurgent Dmitri Young bringing up the rear. But the potential catch of the day could also include any number of less desirable Royals (Mike Sweeney, who hasn't hit) and White Sox ( Jermaine Dye, who hasn't hit and doesn't fit New York's needs).

Unless the Yankees land Teixeira, a two-time Gold Glove winner currently on the disabled list with a strained quadriceps, they will have to accept less than stellar defense at first. Dunn is the worst left fielder in the game today and a largely untried first baseman — reviews of his time at the position have not been kind. Young is a very big man with a very small glove. Sweeney is a miserable first baseman who hasn't logged any real time at the position in years. Of course, if the Yankees accept that they have a problem at DH, they can find room for an offense-only player.

The good news is that they may be able to do both. The Yankees' pitching depth is now so good that they may be able to match up with a trading partner without ever bringing a Phil Hughes into the discussion. The Yankees could be this year's Cinderella team, but they're going to have to get someone to give them a glass slipper to complete their miracle comeback."

"Yankees picking up games on Boston like they're picking up candy."

2007-06-14T20:44:00.000-04:00

Those words were spoken by the great Christopher Russo, AKA the Mad Dog from WFAN.

Why? Why do I subject myself to such torture? Why don't I just become a Pirate Despiser, so that I won't have to aggravate myself every year? Why didn't I become a Devil Ray Despiser?

Here we go again. The Junkees look like they're down and out, and they come storming back, ripping my heart out in the process. And they're not even sweating these games out. It's coming easy to them. Too easy. Like it did for the '98 Yankees. Show up, score a bunch of runs, shut down the opponent, and hello World Series.

Why? Why do I have to sit in my car, turn on the radio, and hear John Sterling tell me that A-Rod hit another A-Bomb? Why do I turn on the YES Network, and when the score pops up, my heart drops and I scramble for something else to watch?

Why? Why do I have to pick up the local papers to read the columnists laud this team as the greatest bunch since the '61 Yankees (after week of ripping them, no less)?

Why? Why couldn't I be like my buddy from LA whose dad took him to a Dodgers game when he was eight, only to decide that sports is stupid, and a waste of time? If I hated sports, would I care if the Junkee won or lost?

Why? Why do I waste my time? It's hopeless. They're going to the playoffs, and I'll have fifteen ulcers before all is said and done.

Then again, another October choke would make it all worthwhile.