Results tagged ‘ Joba Chamberlain ’
Yanks’ Backs to Wall, Rangers In Control of ALCS
Well boys and girls, it’s been a long season…a long season of silence and observation, but after witnessing arguably the most disgusting level of play the Yankees have displayed since the 2003 World Series, I felt it was time to dust off the old keyboard and put in my two cents. Before I go any further, let me premise this entry by congratulating the Texas Rangers on their outstanding effort and play during this American League Championship Series. As for my beloved Bronx Bombers…well, your medicine is coming in the following paragraphs.
The Yankees have absolutely nobody to blame for being down 3 games to 1 in the 2010 ALCS but themselves. Okay, I stand corrected. Joe Girardi (sound eerily familiar?), Brian Cashman, and a group of overpaid, underachieving Ed Whitsons can squarely be blamed for the Bombers’ season being of the eve of the end for 2010, thus their reign as World Champions does as well. Let’s take a closer look at some of the basic mistakes that were made at the beginning and during the series, and then I will address the bigger picture of how this incarnation of the Yankees were built to fail…
1. Joe Girardi switching Phil Hughes and Andy Pettitte in the starting rotation for Games 2 and 3. Yes, the Yanks lost both games, but should they of? If Girardi was going to concede Game 3 as a loss due to the Yanks facing Cliff Lee, then why waste a valiant effort by Andy Pettitte? Hughes could’ve gotten rocked by the Rangers just as easily in Game 3 as he had in Game 2. The difference is, I believe Pettitte outduels Colby Lewis and the Bombers return to NY up 2-0 instead of 1-1. If they lose Game 3 with Hughes, and again tonight with Burnett, the Yanks are still looking good to win the series because Sabathia returns on full rest for Game 5, and Pettitte again in Game 6, thus the Yankees avoid ever seeing Cliff Lee in a possible Game 7 scenario. Now, even if the Yankees win tomorrow, and manage to take Game 6, Cliff Lee is sitting and waiting for another chance to shut the door and end the title defense run.
2. Knowing that if Burnett got beat in Game 4, which he did, why would Girardi put the Yankees in a no-win situation by having to come back from 3-1 to win a series, when C.C. Sabathia’s career E.R.A. on 3 days rest is 1.01? So what if Pettitte and Hughes have to pitch on short rest. As former New York Jets’ Coach Herm Edwards once said…”You play to win the game!” Somewhere along the line Girardi has forgotten that, just as he did when he conceded the division title to Tampa instead of going for best record and the division title.
Now that Mark Teixiera is gone for the season, the Yankees are as good as done. It’s not as if the rest of the lineup outside of Cano has shown up anyway, but losing a Gold Glover like Tex spells doom for a shaky and old Yankee infield. The Yanks get Wilson tomorrow, Lewis if it goes that far, and then Cliff Lee. Speaking of Cliff Lee, let’s take a peek as to why Lee is a Ranger instead of a Yankee right now…
On July 5th, 2010, the Yankees and the Seattle Mariners had a deal worked out to send Cliff Lee to the Bronx for a handful of prospects as well as Joba Chamberlain. The Yankees balked, because they felt giving up the prospects AND Joba was asking too much. Why would that be asking too much Brian Cashman? After all, YOU are the one that dealt super prospect Austin Jackson along with solid lefty reliever Phil Coke AND once promising prospect Ian Kennedy away in a 3-team deal for…Curtis Granderson? Really? Knowing that only a year from that point Carl Crawford would be a free agent, and you could’ve added him to an outfield of Brett Gardner, Austin Jackson and Nick Swisher? It’s reminiscent of Yankee days gone by of the 1980s…trade away solid young talent for has beens and never will bes. Instead, Lee goes to Texas for Justin Smoak and a bag of baseballs. Yes, the Yankees during this upcoming offseason will probably back the Brinks truck up to Mr. Lee’s front door and tell him to name his price, but at what price title defense in 2010? Ask the Texas Rangers Mr. Cashman as they win the American League pennant in YOUR HOUSE tomorrow afternoon!
Joe Girardi’s contract expires as the end of this season. ESPN and the MLB Network have reported that the Chicago Cubs have tepid interest at best in bringing the Illinois native home. I say let him go!!! LET HIM GO!!! LET HIM F-ING GO!!!! The man has made a mockery not only of the defending World Series Champions, but we as Yankee fans everywhere. In his first season, he missed the playoffs with a better roster than Joe Torre walked away from at the end of 2007. In his second season, the Bombers win it all on the backs of C.C., Tex, A-Rod, and Pettitte. This season, the team with the second best record in baseball, is going to get swept at home to end their season! Does this sound like a recipe for a new contract? The man who should be getting ready to take over the reigns in the Bronx is now employed in Baltimore. That leaves two men, and two men only to make things right. Former Yankee player, manager, and G.M. Lou Piniella and of course Joe Torre. I didn’t like Torre the first time around, but I have to admit, after 3 mind-numbing seasons with Girardi at the helm, Torre couldn’t do much worse. As for Sweet Lou, his fire and desire to win, especially in the Bronx is a welcome site for someone who dearly misses the days of Billy Martin demanding perfection out of 25 guys.
So, that leaves tomorrow’s game. Game #5. I hate to say it, but I will not be watching, nor will I be following by mobile device. I’ve had enough for one season. A season that has seen the underachievement of Tex, Burnett, A-Roid, Jeter, hell, the entire team. Girardi let Rivera sit and rust the entire season, trying to save him for the postseason…oops Joe, I guess you didn’t think you had to figure out how to win when it mattered. I pray to the baseball gods that it is good riddance to you at the end of this most disappointing campaign, along with Mr. Burnett, Gardner, Swisher, Vazquez, Granderson, Posada, and the rest of the old, decrepit group. What this team needs is some young blood. Some fresh faces, some reduced contracts, and some hunger for a dynasty now lost. The faces of Carl Crawford, Cliff Lee, and top of their game players like them should all be in pinstripes next season, regardless of cost. Why? That’s the Yankee way. That’s the way George would want it…now let’s see for the first time if Junior Steinbrenner has the stones to continue the legacy of championship caliber leadership that made his father so beloved by Yankee fans, and so hated by the rest of baseball.
As always, take care, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
Be Excited Yankee Fans! You Got Exactly What You Wanted!
That’s right! I said it. Be excited Yankee fans. You are the ones who kept emailing me and telling me that I was overreacting the the Yankees’ performance over the last season plus and that Girardi and Cashman would get everything straightened out. It finally dawned on me last night, that this organization is as rotten to core from top to bottom as a 10 year old corpse. Hey wait, the Yankees are a 9 year old dead corpse. Okay, I was close.
Listening to Michael Kay, Ken Singleton and David Cone piss their collective pants over the fact that Joba Chamberlain was so “dominant” last night made me want to throw my remote through the television set. Dominant? I did see Joba get slammed for 4 runs and 5 hits in that first frame didn’t I? Wasn’t that enough to WIN THE BALLGAME after only 1/2 of an inning? Yeah, it was. Granted, Joba bounced back and looked good. Not great, good.
Kay, Singleton and the rest of YES need to stop the ******** now. I know they are the Yankees’ bought and paid for network, but enough already. When are the Yankees going to get it through their collective heads that Joba Chamberlain will NEVER BE a dominant starter. I don’t care that since his and I quote Kay on this “…first start last season, he has the 5th best E.R.A. in baseball, and the rest of those guys ahead of him are pretty darn good.” You know why those guys are good? They’ve done it over and over and over. In the regular season and the postseason. Does the fact that Nationals lefty Joe Beimel having a 1.53 E.R.A. qualify him as an elite closer in the National League? Hell no. Joba is the same way. Again, he is an adrenaline junkie who thrives on being pumped. He is worth far more to the YANKEES as the 8th inning setup guy to Rivera than he is once every 5th day, 30-35 times per season.
Last night, the Yankees’ broadcasters were discussing how Joba and his Dad have it in their hearts that Joba is going to be a starting pitcher because that’s what he’s always done. What is this? The Dalles Little League circa 1989? I remember another guy not so long ago that really, really wanted to be a starting pitcher. The team he played for was a World Series contender, and their rotation was good, not great, and the only hole on the roster was as a closer. This young man kept insisting that he be in the rotation. The manager simply explained that his talents would serve the team better as the closer. The young man reluctantly agreed, and here we sit a couple of years later, and this guy is arguably one of the most dominant closers in all of baseball. The team? The Boston Red Sox. The guy? Jonathan Papelbon. As I said yesterday, the Yankees need to take a page, hell the entire book and remake the Yankees from top to bottom in the likeness of their hated rivals, who are now 5-0 against them this season.
The Yankees knew coming into this season, that the bullpen could be a problem spot. What did they do to correct it? Put Joba in the rotation, and told Bruney that he was the 8th inning setup guy. Ooops, Bruney is hurt, again! I like a bullpen of Veras, Coke, Ramirez, Chamberlain, Alfredo Aceves, and Rivera. I like a rotation of Sabathia, Burnett, Wang, Pettitte, and Hughes. It isn’t rocket science here Yankee fans. It’s common sense, and until the powers that be (whoever the hell that might be in Yankeeland now) grow a set of stones and say enough is enough, and clean house from top to bottom, bring in qualified baseball people to remake this once proud franchise, overhaul the minor league and scouting departments, and shed the aging contracts in favor of “baseball players”, the Yankees will continue to sit in limbo, while teams like Boston and Tampa and Toronto, and yes, very soon Baltimore figure things out and continue improving.
As always, take care of yourself, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
Hughes Shines in Debut…Like We Knew He Would!
So all of you naysayers can now shut your collective pieholes! Yes, that includes the analysts at ESPN who specifically wrote about how Phil Hughes is overrated and that the only legitimate pitching prospect in the Yankee farm system was Joba Chamberlain. I’ve liked Hughes since the Yankees drafted him out of high school in Southern California. He was a sandwich pick, and could be a steal for the Bombers.
From everything I have read and reviewed since he Yankees announced over the weekend that Hughes was going to start Tuesday night in Detroit, was that he would be overmatched by a veteran and powerful Tigers offense. Really? These are the same folks that believe Dontrell Willis will someday be a dominant Major League starter. You are all wrong on both accounts.
Hughes sparkled in his ’09 debut against a quality offense. He showed poise, he showed a variety of pitches, and he showed confidence. The nickname “Baby Rocket” didn’t just fall out of the sky. His delivery is almost spookily similar to the former Cy Young winner, and Hughes was showing nice velocity on his fastball, hitting 94 consistently through the first few innings. His curveball made hitters look silly, his cutter kept lefties off the plate and we even saw a changeup dropped in a handful of times.
So, for those of you still on the Joba Chamberlain bandwagon, it’s time to get off your knees for what has amounted to the Native American version of Hideki Irabu since his insertion into the starting rotation. Don’t be surprised if Joba gets lit up tonight that he finds his fat *** back in the bullpen where it belonged the whole time. Hughes is the real deal, and when Chien Ming Wang gets healthy, we will see how serious the Yankee brass is about winning the World Series.
I honestly hope that Chamberlain proves me wrong. I love his arm, I love his intensity, and I love his high energy approach to pitching. The problem with Joba is, is that a starter cannot run on adrenaline every outing for an entire season. His makeup has him better suited to lockdown the game for Mariano Rivera, with Joba eventually taking over as the next closer. Those are the facts, and they are indisputable.
I also want to give kudos to backup catcher Jose Molina, who called a brilliant game last night for Hughes and the Yankees. His steadfast leadership and superior game calling abilities turned what was looked at as a fearful start for Hughes by the Yankees into the highlight of the night, and could prove to be the changing factor for the Yankees chances in 2009.
I’ll return tomorrow to review Joba Chamberlain’s performance tonight against the Tigers, as the Bombers attempt to build some momentum after getting embarrassed in Boston this past weekend.
As always, be good, take care of yourself, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
One Game…Does It Really Matter Now?
Okay, so Jason Giambi comes off the bench, and delivers not once, but twice. Good for him. I have always liked Gumbi, but his time in the Bronx is short. He is just as much of the problem with this year’s Yankees as anybody. His numbers look nice, but like A-Rod, he is a compiler. Before today, when was the last time Gumbi had a meaningful, game changing at bat for the Yankees. The whole team simply stinks…so don’t be getting all excited that this could be a turning point. Not enough games remaining, not enough heart or balls.
Yes, the Yankees won the final meeting between themselves and the Red Sox, 3-2 Thursday afternoon in the Bronx. Whoopee, I think I’ll pee my pants now. 29 games remain, they are 5 back of the Sox (Red that is) in the wild card, and in comes Toronto led by A.J. Burnett. The Yankees still have not solved their starting rotation problems, there are no signs of Wang or Chamberlain coming back anytime soon, if at at. Friday night’s matchup will pair former teammates against each other, when Burnett faces convicted armed Yankee robber Carl Pavano. At least in Burnett’s case, he has pitched great this season. Not the others, but this season. Pavano hasn’t had a full season since coming to the Bronx. Perhaps he has motivation (free agency), but it is far too little, far too late. Even if Wang and Chamberlain come back and pitch at 80%, that would necessitate the Yankee lineup scoring runs consistently, which they have not done throughout the 2008 season.
Moose Mussina pitched a great game, but yet fell short of yet another step towards his 20th win of the season. Instead, the bullpen, which I feel is a strong point for the Yankees heading into the 2009 season, held the Sox at bay until the Sandman could close the door for another win. Good for my fantasy stats, but not good for Moose in his search for a career milestone. Defense was solid, Jeter is inching closer to his career .300 average, and the pressure is visibly getting to A-Rod, who after popping out in the 6th inning, returned to the dugout only to crush his bat against he bat rack close to a dozen times. I’m surprised he made solid contact.
It will indeed take a miracle for the Yankees to salvage the 2008 season. I just don’t think this group has it in them. Girardi doesn’t have a magic potion to wake this flatline group from the dead and the abyss, and the best we can all hope for is 82-85 wins to finish the season. I heard a great idea on Jason Smith’s Allnight Show on ESPN Radio last night. He suggested that had Steinbrenner used his head, he would’ve put a winterball clause into each and every one of the Yankees’ player’s contracts. You don’t make the playoffs, you play winterball and figure it out there…at the remedial level.
Unfortunately, A-Rod will be dealing with a divorce and custody battle, Jeter will retreat to Tampa for fun in the Florida winter sun, and who cares what the rest of them do. The work will come during the month of December in my hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. Why? That is where the coming Winter Meetings are going to be held. Whomever the GM is, he best be carrying an open checkbook. With the added revenue that a new stadium will provide, along with the cash flow that the YES Network consistently provides, it is not beyond normal reason to see the Yankees sign 2-4 top flight free agents. Who? Manny to DH, Sabathia and Sheets to pitch, Tex to play 1st. Perhaps this wishlist is unrealistic as a nice e-mailer pointed out earlier today, but this is not a normal offseason for the Bombers. Holes need to be filled, an arm in the bullpen (Joe Beimel perhaps), a trade here and there (Damon, Cano, Melky), could reface this organization with guys that want to win, rather than players that simply want to show up and collect a check.
Regardless of what the Yankees do, they must do something. Standing pat and throwing the young guys to wolves failed this season, and if the Yankee brass believes it will get better next season, remember a couple of things…Joba and Hughes got hurt, thus eliminating crucial experience that could’ve been gained. Ian Kennedy is not ready. He would be pitching in the AZ Fall League and winter ball-whether he wanted to or not. He must learn to throw a first pitch strike AND work on his breaking stuff. He simply stunk this year. If the Yankees make the same mistakes this offseason that they did last offseason, they can look forward to a dead last place finish in 2009. Why? Look up and down the rosters of the other teams within the division. They are all getting better, younger, and more competitive as each day passes.
As always, take care of yourself, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
Another Day…Another Injury
Pudge came out the winner as he will be listed as day to day (aren’t we all), while David Murphy is out 2-4 weeks with a severely sprained knee ligament.
The good news is this…Pudge is a warrior, and will probably only miss a day or two to recover. The Yankees however, are in deeper water yet, as Joba Chamberlain’s visit to Dr. James Andrews produced the diagnosis of rotator cuff tendinitis. My question is, how can Joba be that worn out at only 22 years old, when he barely surpassed the 100 inning mark? ESPN announcer Rick Sutcliffe made a great point during last night’s Yankees/Rangers game when he stated that the reason Joba wasn’t drafted higher was because he has had a history of arm problems and injuries, and believes this could be a sign of things to come throughout the young hurler’s career.
As I stated in yesterday’s entry, the Yankees need to suck it up and move on. Yes, Joba will be back within a couple of weeks, but ESPN’s Steve Phillips believes that once he does, that his days as a starting pitcher (at least this season) are over, and that Joba will once again be placed back into the 8th inning role in front of Mariano Rivera (which is what I have argued should have been the case all season). The other good news, is that the Yankees finally won a game, beating Texas last night 5-3.
Sidney Ponson, who is pitching for his professional life, has been a godsend to the Yankees, moving his season record to 7-2. Will he ever be a #1 ace? Absolutely not, but if Pettitte can rebound and get back on track, along with the solid season Moose is having, the Yankees should be in pretty good shape if they can patch the other two spots together over the next few weeks. Ponson also had some extra motivation last night: stick it to the team who cut him loose earlier this year. I hate to tell Rangers’ fans, but Ponson, attitude problem or not, was probably your best starter-and yes that includes the 2008 bloated version of Kevin Millwood. I don’t want to hear about what a bad seed Ponson was, because this is the same organization that signed, promoted for the All Star team, and did next to nothing when Milton Bradley attempted to go after a Kansas City Royals play by play guy when he didn’t like some of the opinions portrayed about him during a Rangers/Royals telecast. Boo hoo. Talk about hypocritical.
Buster Olney reported yesterday, that Joba will rest for one week before starting a throwing program to regain strength in his shoulder. Here’s an idea: push yourself away from the clubhouse spread and spend a few more hours on the track running. Is it me, or does Joba literally look like he is blowing up like a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day balloon? Perhaps Pettitte can show him the advantages of taking care of your body and preparing all year around to pitch with success at the major league level. Olney also reported, as did Rex Hudler on FSN SoCal, that he heard in the Orioles clubhouse, that the Yankees were sending Ian Kennedy ahead of the team for a Friday night start in Anaheim against the Angels. Kennedy has pitched well for Triple A Scranton, and we can only hope that a strong performance Friday will go along way towards solidifying the rotation down the stretch.
Peter Gammons reported on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight, that the Yankees are still in pursuit of a waiver wire deal that could land them either Paul Byrd of Cleveland, or Jarrod Washburn of Seattle. Unfortunately as Steve Phillips pointed out during that same telecast, that because the pursuit for the AL Wild Card is so tight, that the Yankees would be hard pressed to be able to acquire either of the hurlers, as teams like the Twins and Rangers would probably block any move the Yankees attempted to make.
The Yankees head into the series finale needing to split before heading out to California to face the Angels. It was nice to see Ponson, the middle relief corp, and Mo Rivera slam the door on the best offense in baseball last night. A split would go along way towards re-motivating this Yankee team into going on one of it’s annual streaks (which at this point in the season, and given the standings situation is almost a must).
That’s all for now, I want to send my deepest thanks to all of you that have taken interest in my blog, and continue to spread the word about my sometimes over the top opinions of the Bombers. As I always say, I firmly believe I am the Yankees’ harshest critic, and it is only because after being a fan for so many years, I know what they are capable of. Please continue to check back in each day for the latest, and drop me a comment with a link for a blog, a website, or anything that might be of interest to the rest of Yankeeland.
As always, take care of yourself, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
Pitching Woes…Pitching Answers…& Joba…What Now?
The Yankees and Andy Pettitte laid another egg last night, making the casual baseball observer feel as if the Texas Rangers were actually the Anaheim Angels-meaning the best team in baseball. This is not the way to start a crucial road trip, one in which the Yankees can either gain ground on both Boston and Tampa, or by the time they get back to the Bronx, Toronto could replace them as the team chasing the American League Wild Card. I will get back to their Texas performance thus far later in this entry.
As for the problems, it appears as Joba Chamberlain makes his way down the Carl Pavano Highway to Dr. James Andrews, the Yankees need to quit feeling sorry for themselves, accept the fact that Joba could and probably will be lost for an extended period of time, and look at some possibilities to revamp the starting rotation before their regular season becomes irrelevant in 2008.
According to a New York Post Blog the Mets have the inside track amongst the 12 teams who witnessed free agent starter Freddie Garcia workout yesterday at the University of Miami. Reports state that Garcia topped out around 87 mph on his fastball, and that both his curveball and slider looked sharp. This is the time when Brian Cashman must overpay for what could be a season saving stopgap measure. Garcia is a career 6-2 in 11 postseason starts, and has proven himself in big game, pressure situations. Garcia’s agent stated that Freddie would be ready for a return to the majors around the 1st of September.
We can’t forget about Eric Milton. He too is rehabbing, having thrown a simulated game on July 29th, and reported no pain in his surgically repaired elbow, and like Garcia, could be ready for a September return. Okay, so I bet you are asking, what do the Yankees do between now and September 1st? Ahh, good question grasshoppers. I am not one to throw out problems without having done my research. The following could and should be considered for the remainder of August…afterall, what do the Yankees have to lose other than the rest of this season?
First and foremost, Girardi and Cashman should wholeheartedly forget about using both Dan Giese and Darrell Rasner for the 4th and 5th spots in the rotation. They both have pitched poorly in their opportunities, Giese out of the bullpen and Rasner in spot duty. The following prospects in my opinion, have earned their shot with the big club. If management ignores these young arms, then what good is a farm system…I mean really!
1.Kei Igawa. Before you start laughing, consider this much: Igawa has pitched plenty of innings this season throughout the Yankees minor league system. As of this entry, Igawa is 12-5 with a 3.39 ERA. His advantage: he is left-handed, which is custom built for Yankee Stadium. His disadvantage: he has taken plenty of lumps, both from big league hitters and from the white hot spotlight of the New York City media.
2. Jason Jones. Who? The big right hander is 11-5 with a 3.03 ERA at Double A Trenton. Yes, it is a big jump from Trenton to the Bronx, but the Yankees seemed not to have any problem doing the same thing with Chamberlain, Hughes and Kennedy. Why not give the kid a shot?
3. Chase Wright. A familiar name to most Yankee fans, Wright has served in the spot start big league-back-to-the-minor league role before. Wright knows the pressure of pitching in the Big Apple, won’t be intimidated by a late season, pennant chase call up, and is currently 8-2 with a 2.96 ERA for Trenton.
4. Phil Coke. This guy could be a dream for Madison Avenue advertising firms, as Coke could be it-if given a chance. At Trenton, Coke is 9-4 with a 2.51 ERA.
So Yankee fans, before you jump off the bridge, and call this season a bust, know that the farm has capabale arms, arms and names that might not be as sexy and popular as the Big Three of Chamberlain, Hughes and Kennedy, but capable nevertheless. Perhaps that has been the problem with this Yankee team all along. Maybe reputation has replaced common sense for a franchise that once prided themselves on performance over public image. Don’t get me wrong, every Yankee fan can appreciate what Reggie brought to the table, and Jeter and A-Rod these days. Unfortunately, injuries and poor performances don’t win World Series titles, but they sure look good in their uniforms and on their respective commercials.
Back to last night’s performance (or lack thereof). When this Yankee team is dependent on a .210 hitter to hit a game-tying grand slam to get their sorry butts back in the game, something is seriously wrong. Andy Pettitte, who has historically been lights out after August 1st, looked old and disinterested at best. 5 earned in 5 innings isn’t going to help keep a bullpen fresh for what is turning into a very long road trip already. With another choked away opportunity last night, the Yankees fell 6 1/2 games back in the AL East, and only have the 6th best record in the American League. The last time I looked, only 1 non-division winner gets to play in October. Over the last couple of days, for the first time in a very long time, I am mentally preparing myself for a postseason without the Bombers. It’s that sick in the stomach, almost ”can’t wait for the season to be over” type nightmare. What it comes down to and what it will come down to over the next 8 road games for this Yankees’ team, is poop or get off the pot. Quit playing games with our collective hearts and minds. If you don’t care, quit making us in Yankeeland believe that we should-at least for the remainder of this season.
As always, take care of yourself, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya. I will be checking back in later tonight after Game #3 of the series, as Sidney Ponson returns to the team who cut him loose over character issues. If that happened to be the case throughout the Yankee clubhouse, how do you cut 25 guys?
Like Sands Through the Hourglass, So are the Days of the Yankees’ Life
Growing up as a multi-sport athlete, my father instilled in me, that regardless of the outcome on the scoreboard, I should always play balls to the wall until the contest came to an end. Often times while he and I would be going over game film, or watching games on television-regardless of the sport, sometimes we would watch as the star of the sport, or the game’s highlighted player would pull up lame or get injured. My father had a term for this, and it is one in which I still often label players I watch today…He coined the term “loser’s limp”. Simply stated, once winning was no longer an option, or the pressure got to be too much, players simply fold or create an injury to avoid competition. Monday night in Arlington, I firmly believe that is what occurred with Yankees’ starting pitcher Joba Chamberlain. He was struggling with his control most of the game, and the Ranger hitters weren’t fooled often by what he was throwing. After losing yet another hitter to a full count walk, Joba grabbed his shoulder (remember, Girardi was coming to give him the hook anyway). What easier way to save face and some embarrassment than to come out injured rather than for no other reason than he simply sucked?
Let’s assume for a split second that Chamberlain is legitimately injured with a shoulder strain, how important does Freddie Garcia’s open scout workout later today now become to the Yankees? If Chamberlain is out for any extended period of time, rest assured the Yankees will get something for the wasted contract they handed Carl Pavano-even if it means he reinjures himself. At this point, if Girardi blows Pavano’s arm up to the point of no longer being able to ever pitch again, call it even for robbing the Bombers of $40 mil for nothing. Absolutely nothing. The Yankees announced Dan Giese will be taking over Darrell Rasner’s spot in the rotation. Why? He has pitched like cow flop too. How about perhaps giving someone down on the farm who has busted his butt all season the shot to prove himself? Why not? Because that would make way too much sense in a season that so far, has had very little if any.
I was one of the loudest critics of Girardi, Cashman, and the Steinbrenners when they cried like little babies that Chamberlain needed to be inserted into the starting rotation. Why? Again, Chamberlain was worth more several days a week that perhaps one start a week. Not since the Rivera-Wetteland setup have the Yankees had a more dominating duo at the back end of the bullpen. Why would they have kept that intact? Because it simply made too much sense. And if Chamberlain is indeed injured for an extended period of time, Girardi has repeated his performance of burning out young arms, just like he did in Florida with the Marlins. Hughes, Kennedy, and now Chamberlain-all injured!
With Tampa Bay continuing to give the rest of the division opportunities to catch them, and the Red Sox now seeing that Jason Bay is not Manny Ramirez, the Yankees continue to shoot themselves in the foot. Why can’t the Yankees hammer a reliever such as Jamey Wright right out of Arlington? Why did it come down to Damaso Marte (another guy struggling with his control Monday night) giving up a walkoff jimmy jack salami to Marlon Byrd of all people? These are the games that wouldbe playoff teams know they have to win and find ways to win. Instead, the standings stay the same, as one more day comes off the calender as the end of the regular season looms only eight weeks away. At this rate, the Bombers will indeed miss the playoffs, and the Yankees have absolutely nobody to blame, except themselves.
Perhaps Girardi before the game tomorrow instead of having the team take batting practice should have them all sit down in the clubhouse and watch the Wizard of Oz? Why? Because at least the tinman knows he doesn’t have a heart, and searches for a way to get one. Perhaps the Yankees can take a lesson, look into the mirror and see that the ablility is there, and that all of us in Yankeeland, when they continue to fail only see a 25-man version of “loser’s limp.”
I will check back in later today, and as always, be good, take care of yourselves, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
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