Results tagged ‘ Rays ’
Hey Yankeeland…Can You Hear Me Now? Good.
I hate to be the one that said I told you so…BUT I TOLD YOU SO! All of you diehards out there with your navy blue caps and your interlocking NYs…I said during spring training that THIS Yankees team would finish double digits behind the division winner, which appears as if it is going to be the Rays, not the Red Sox. At least Boston still has a legitimate chance to win this division and defend their world championsip. What do the Yankees have to look forward to? Eliminating the bloated contracts (well, a few of them anyway) and rebuilding for 2009.
Tuesday night’s harrowing experience in the Boogie Down was a perfect example of why the Red Sox are competing for a World Series title every year now, and the Yankees are doing nothing but running in place. The difference is, running in place for the Yankees is actually watching them fall deeper and further behind as the Rays are young, the Red Sox have built from within, the Orioles are a couple of arms away, and the Blue Jays aren’t going anywhere. The names on the lineup card look real nice…if the year was 1999. It is time to take the wrecking ball to this club and do something productive during the 2008-2009 offseason.
I will quickly go over what happened yet again last night. Pettitte couldn’t find the strike zone, A-Rod was well, A-Rod, and before the Yankees knew what hit them, a second run had scored on an infield hit. I will personally send anyone $5.00 if they can find and certify to me, the last time 2 runs scored on 1 infield hit..all while Jason Giambi stood there, ball in hand and watched. 
The Red Sox are a model of what to do right when it comes to building a major league franchise. The Bombers…everything that is wrong. Overpriced free agents who underperform, turning down trades to acquire the elite players that can help win titles, and such a thin farm system, that the scouting is so ignorant, that they tend to trade off talent that turns into what? Productive major league talent within years of leaving the Yankees stunted farm system.
I hate to be the one to say I told you so Yankeeland…but I told you so. Joe Girardi looked absolutely clueless in the dugout as the Red Sox continued to rack up hits, score runs, and get quality pitching from everyone they threw out there. I can only ride that horse so many times. Will the Yankee brass wake up and fire this incompetent ******* already? It’s almost comical to watch Buck Showalter on ESPN discuss the Yankees, knowing what he would and wouldn’t tolerate from THIS bunch of Yankees. Buck has that sly grin as he knows the phone should be ringing this coming offseason, that he doesn’t have to take a jersey number to signify what his goal as manager would be. To listen to Joe Girardi and A-Rod make their customary excuses for last night’s performance, click the link next to Girardi’s Corky-lookin’ mug:
What could have the Yankees done to salvage this season? Well, as I come to understand the waiver-trade markety, they could’ve acquire Paul Pyrd, oh wait, the Red Sox did that. They could’ve signed Freddie Garcia for the stretch run, oh wait Detroit did that. They could’ve acquired themselved a SOLID centerfielder to upgrade the defense, oh wait, Boston did that too by getting Mark Kotsay from the Braves. Now it could all be too little too late. Then again, I have been tootin’ that horn for weeks as well. The Tigers recently placed Kenny Rogers on waivers. Before you get excited about the possibility of the Gambler returning to the Bronx, let me remind you what he did as a Yankee, when it truly mattered:
In one ******** World Series start back in 1996, Rogers lasted exactly 2 innings, while giving up 5 earned runs. If it weren’t for the heroics of Jim Leyritz, the Yankees probably don’t win that series. If Brian Cashman happens to be reading this…DON”T BRING HIM BACK! You would have better results cokin’ Doc Gooden up and hoping for a few innings. Hell, bring Boomer Wells back. At least that guy knows how to win when the chips are down, but don’t you dare bring back the gutless wonder, Kenny Rogers.
Girardi stated before the game yesterday that New York had to win 2 of 3 to stay in this thing. WRONG AGAIN! The Yankees needed a sweep. Why? Because heading into play last night, the Yankees were only 5 back of Boston in the wild card chase. A sweep makes it a 2 game deficit. Now, they are starting play tonight 6 back in the wild card and the best they can hope for, is to be back within 4 games IF they can take the next 2. That is a full two game swing, if they win the next 2, which is highly unlikely. At least when the Yankees stunk in the late 80s and early 90s, they played hard. This batch of Bronx Bums are playing like death, which is exactly where their season is close to ending up.
The Red Sox have the perfect blend of youthful talent and veterans that care about winning. What a noble concept. The Bombers youngsters either have underperformed (Melky Cabrera, Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy), or don’t care because they’ve already been paid (Robinson Cano, Chien Ming Wang). How refreshing is it to hear players like Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury talk about the team, about winning, and getting back to October. The only thing this group of Yankees care about is getting paid. Well Mr. Steinbrenner, you have gotten exactly what YOU have paid for. I was just discussing this the other day with my wonderful, who I remind you is a Red Sox fan. I asked her if a rivalry can truly exist without both teams being competitive, She didn’t think so, and neither do I. The Red Sox have done their part…perhaps someday, the Yankees will to.
I will be back later to discuss various topics throughout the world of baseball, or if anything new occurs in Yankeeland between now and the opening pitch of game 2 between Paul Byrd and Sir Sidney.
As always, take care of yourself, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
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Familiar Feelings…
You ever get that feeling, when something isn’t going so great, whether it be in life or in sports, that you have felt that feeling before? Perhaps you think getting past that feeling, and doing what you have to do to make things right will eliminate ever having that bad feeling again? With the whipping that the Yankees took last night, perhaps this is that sinking feeling that we have collectively been waiting for since the end of the 2001 World Series, which is the end date that ESPN’s Buster Olney labelled as “The Night the Dynasty Died.”
Perhaps he was right. Maybe Olney knew something that we in Yankeeland did not-that the Yankees were simply treading water since the Diamondbacks conceivably ended our proud dynasty. From that day forward, familiar and comfortable names such as O’Neill, Tino, Brosius and the like left our lips, only to be tucked away into the good memories of our mind. Since then, we have become familiar with Mondesi, Sheffield, Abreu, Weaver, Ventura, Giambi, Damon and a whole other cast of characters that still don’t get it. Perhaps they never will. As we said good bye to team guys, and said hello to stat compilers, the Yankees have been stuck on 26 World Series titles, with no more seemingly to be in the immediate future. All this, while Boston has won 2, the Angels 1, and probably a second this fall, the Marlins 1, the Cardinals 1, and even the White Sox 1. And what do these teams have, that all of Mr. Steinbrenner’s money on the face of the earth can’t buy? Character…not characters, character, and a deeper desire to win rings rather than MVP trophies and stat leaderboard categories.
The Blue Jays are hungry, the Yankees are gluttons. The Blue Jays are tired of mediocrity, the Yankees are satisfied with the current result. Blue Jays management made dugout changes with the hopes of saving this season, and building for next year. The Yankees’ management doesn’t have a clue. And with that, another double digit beating, making it the Bombers’ worst of the season. Ponson looked like he did the first time around in pinstripes. The offense was dead yet again, despite Hideki Matsui’s 3-run blast, which was too little, too late. The defense was once again questionable, showing little range or arm ability in the outfield. Is it going to mean a fourth place finish for the Yankees as an organization to wake up and smell the fact that it is not the late 1990s anymore?
Tonight the Yankees start the second leg of their current road trip against yet another AL East foe that has something to prove. The Orioles feel they are on the verge within the next season or so of becoming the next Tampa Bay Rays, while the Yankees continue to get older and more complacent with each passing day. If wholesale changes are not made in the Bronx during the winter of 2008 and early 2009, come October of 2009, they could find themselves in a place that only a year ago would have seemed unthinkable. The place? Dead last in the AL East. Everyone in the division is getting younger and better. All while the Yankees just sit. Father time forgives nobody, including the boys in the pinstripes. Don’t be shocked if last night’s humiliating defeat up North is only the first sign of the wheels coming completely off this big, bloated bigrig with a $200 mil+ payroll. Why you might ask? Carl Pavano for one. Mr. Injury himself is getting the nod from Girardi after I blogged that Victor Zambrano actually earned the shot.
I’ve had these feelings before…with the Yankees, with personal relationships, with employers, etc. The feeling that the end is near, that regardless of how badly you want things to work out, regardless of whatever personal sacrifices you are willing to make to correct the issues at hand, that no matter what you can think, feel or do, it is going to end badly. For the foreseeable future in the Bronx, that is exactly how I feel.
I will be back on later tonight to discuss the opener against Baltimore, and preview the nightmare that will become Carl Pavano on Saturday.
As always, take care of yourself, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
Yanks Handle Royals…Blue Jays, and the Return of Godzilla
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I want to apologize to everyone that was expecting an entry yesterday, or even earlier today, but I wanted to wait until the announcement regarding the possible return of Godzilla to the Bronx Bombers. With that, he has indeed returned, which I will discuss later in this entry, as well as discussing the Blue Jays, and what the Yankees get to look forward to in the coming days.
As I stated in the previous entry, I believed that the Yanks’ 13-inning victory this past Saturday could be a springboard, or the proverbial “wake up call” that we in Yankeeland have been waiting to see all season long. The Bombers indeed answered the call on Sunday, unleashing a beating on KC starter Brian Bannister that showed what this offense is capable of doing when they are focused and have their backs against the wall. Giambi, Jeter, and A-Rod earned their checks, and it seemed at least for one afternoon in August as if this team was playing towards another historical run at October. This author has already stated it is far too little, far too late. I am going to stick by what I have said, but I honestly hope for a ton of comments the day after the regular season ends saying “Billy, you were wrong!” We shall see…
As for the games today, can the Tampa Rays ever do anything wrong? They lose the wouldbe American League Rookie of the Year, they lose their top basestealing threat and catalyst, and they lose their closer. Doesn’t matter. Joe Maddon should be the AL Manager of the Year for what he has done. They simply use their 25-man roster as one, and play together like a championship-caliber should. And don’t think for one minute that the Boston Red Sox are going away either. Trade Manny, lose some firepower. Between Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and newly acquired Jason Bay, this team is poised for another World Series title. As much as I despise Theo Epstein for his lack of loyalty, and complete disregard for the chemistry of his club, he has once again proven why he is one of the best at what he does. His decisions aren’t always popular, but given his track record, they generally seem to prove to be the right decision. By the way, both Tampa and Boston handled business Monday night, thus each gaining a 1/2 game on the idle Yankees.
So the Yankees head north of the border to take on a revitalized Blue Jays squad, one who is playing with passion and a mission. It’s amazing what delving into the past and brining back a successful field boss can do for a young team. J.P. Riccardi’s decision to give Cito Gaston another chance has proven fruitful. Before I go any further, I have never seen a 2-time World Series winning manager be more disrespected throughout the major leagues as I have Gaston. It’s refreshing to see him get another chance, because he has stayed LOYAL to the Toronto organization, even after giving him the axe some time ago. Good luck Cito!
Darrell Rasner takes the hill for New York, not having pitched badly this year, but just not consistent enough to be considered in that Shawn Chacon mold just yet. It’s too bad that Cashman, when shaking up the big club by demoting Melky Cabrera, shitcanning Richie Sexson, and promoting speedster Brett Gardner, didn’t see any reason to give some of the unheard of young guns a shot to earn their spot to stick either. Tuesday’s matchup will be a difficult one. A.J. “I’m pitching now the way I should’ve the day I signed my big contract” Burnett is on the mound for the Jays. I shouldn’t ever be surprised anymore at how I see players perform when a contract is on the line, but yet I always am. Manny dogged his way out of Boston and could finish in the top five in NL MVP voting, C.C. Sabathia is making a case for NL Cy Young consideration after a putrid start this season in Cleveland, and that brings us to Burnett.
Burnett signed for a king’s ransom three seasons ago, after having just over a .500 record during his career in Florida. Nobody has ever questioned his stuff, which is Beckett-like when he is healthy. But a slew of injuries since signing that contract made the Jays out to look like fools, similar to the Yankees in the Pavano signing. The difference is, A.J. can opt out of his contract at season’s end and become a free agent yet again. Pavano is making every attempt to come back this season because he too can hit the open market next winter. Burnett should get some Cy Young love at the end of the season, and get yet another pay day, and I will predict right here, right now, that his next contract will be bigger that his current deal. You watch…blisters, elbow pain, shoulder tiredness, or painful gas will shelve Burnett, much like it has during his career in Toronto. Buyer beware.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, they will see the Cy Young candidate with dollar signs in his eyes later tonight. I haven’t seen a starter yet that THESE Yankees couldn’t knockout inside of three innings when they decide to do so. But focus, consistency, and being professional are battles THIS Yankees squad has struggled with for much of the last three season. The Yankees gain back a leader and a big bat tonight with the return of Hideki Matsui.
Matsui, who has been on the DL with knee problems for most of the season, looked very good during his simulated rehap and minor league rehab assignments. I wouldn’t expect anything less from “Godzilla”, as he has always taken pride in his professionalism, and pride in his performance. He just as easily could’ve ended his season by having surgery, and getting ready for 2009. Matsui however, is a consimate pro, and if he felt he could be productive and contribute to this year’s team, a pack of horses wasn’t going to keep him off the field. Perhaps young players such as Robinson Cano could take a lesson on personal pride, and dedication to one’s craft from a guy like Matsui. He will probably bat 5th, and DH for the Bombers tonight. Look for an immediate offensive impact from the man they call “Godzilla”.
The Yankees have 38 games left to the 2008 regular season. They currently stand 5 1/2 games back in the AL Wild Card chase. 28 of their next 38 games are on the road, meaning they are going to have to do things the hard way. They’ve backed themselves into an almost no-win corner. Can they make the impossible happen? It worked for the Rockies, who were far less talented. Again we shall see…stay tuned. I will be back tomorrow night with a review of the opening game between the Yankees and the Jays.
As always, take care of yourself, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
It’s Official: Yanks Should Start Looking Towards 2009
I could’ve sworn that I have seen this before. I could’ve sworn I saw this identical ending to a game, less than a week ago. Wait a minute, I did. In fact, this game looked eerily similar to the game my family and I travelled to Anaheim for this past Sunday. Shoddy defense, inattention to detail on the basepaths (A-Rod last weekend, Justin Christian last night), and the Yankees fail to drive in runners when the game is on the line. Last weekend: Angels 4, Yankees 3. Last night: Royals 4, Yankees 3.
I hate to be the one to break the bad news (I know all of you out there in Yankeeland are some of the smartest fans alive), we can officially stick the proverbial fork in the New York Yankees for the 2008 season. A miniature pre-game roster shakeup did nothing to motivate the players that needed to find something within themselves. Cashman can’t simply blame Melky Cabrera and Richie Sexson for this mess. Given, Melky has regressed since making his debut three seasons ago, but so has Robinson Cano. Perhaps sending both of them back to Triple-A would’ve turned some heads, stating that nobody is safe. Hell, at least Wilson Betemit hustles out his hit balls and plays hard on defense. Can anybody, and that includes Robbie’s dad, the former major leaguer, say that Robbie Cano has done that in 2008? And poor Richie Sexson…steals a king’s ransom from the Mariners, underperforms, gets cut, signs for the league minimum, and cries that he can’t change to being a platoon player. Here’s some advice for you Mr. Sexson: don’t strike out 190 times every season, and hit better than .215, and perhaps somebody else will take you seriously. If not, perhaps you should spend your offseason in Henderson, Nevada at the Jason Giambi Hitting Academy. Sure couldn’t hurt.
As for the present…the Bombers now fall 10 1/2 behind the Rays in the AL East, basically ending any chance of winning the division with 39 games left to play, and I believe the count is now at 7 or 8 games behind Boston in the wild card chase. The historic consecutive postseason run of this proud franchise will indeed end in 2008. What should the Yankees do now? Here are some ideas…1. Bring back up Hughes and Kennedy. Why? Let them take their lumps at the major league level against big league hitters. Make this an extended spring training so that by the time next year starts, these two promising arms have some experience to fall back on. 2. Do not, and I cannot overstate this enough, give Carl Pavano a snowball’s chance in hell of taking the mound in 2008. Why? He has already fleeced this team for $40 mil, and is only trying to rush back before he hits the free agent market in 2009. Don’t help him do this to another team for God’s sake. 3. Bring up some of the younger players along with Hughes and Kennedy and get them some big league at bats and innings pitched. The future has to start somewhere, and it might as well be now. Christian and Gardner are already here, give a young catcher like Chris Stewart the opportunity, afterall, Molina and Posada won’t be around forever. Give guys like Alan Horne and Mark Melancon the chance to show their stuff at the Stadium.
The national media always says that the Yankees don’t rebuild, they reload. Okay, given, the Yankees perhaps go a little overboard on their free agent spending. And what has it gotten us as fans since 2000? Two World Series losses, an LCS collapse, and a handful of 1st round ousters. These should be the finals weeks of Yankee careers for the likes of Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu, and Carl Pavano. The free agent market shows some promise with Brewer aces C.C. Sabathia, and Ben Sheets, along with a guy out in Anaheim that plays first base…Mark Teixiera. I would also propose attempting to deal Cano for some arms, and a power hitting outfielder (one that is in his prime for once…Matt Holliday anyone?), and insert Betemit as the future second baseman. He plays better defense, hustles, and has much better power numbers over the long haul than does Cano…and he is a switch hitter. I like the makeup of the young bullpen…they are taking their lumps, but they will be a strong point for New York in ’09 led by the aforementioned Mark Melancon assuming the 8th inning role left vacant by Joba Chamberlain. Melancon will be and is the heir apparent to Mariano Rivera in the closer’s role. Throw in a healthy Humberto Sanchez, Jason Jones, and Daniel McCutchen, along with Chamberlain, Hughes, Kennedy and whoever the Yankees sign between Sabathia and Sheets, no to mention a fully recovered Chien Ming Wang, and the Yankees not only have a stable of young horses, but young horses with firepower.
Now, who should the Steinbrenner’s use to harness and nurture all of this youth and inexperience? The same two men that did it the last time the Yankees were in the toilet and needed mouth to mouth an electric shock to the heart to get them back where they belong…Buck Showalter in the dugout, and Gene “Stick” Michael in the GM’s chair. While Big Boss was gone suspended, Michael drafted and kept the likes of Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. I don’t think those guys turned out too bad did they? Hard to argue with 4 World Series titles, 6 American League pennants, and 10 division titles with those cornerstone players. Buck was rushed out the door, and Stick had simply had enough. Perhaps the younger Steinbrenner will look to the past to brighten the Yankees’ future.
Sidney Ponson will be taking the hill for the Bombers in Game 2 of the home set, and I have absolutely no idea who is pitching for the Royals. At this rate, it really doesn’t matter, because the Yankees will play shoddy defense, pitch well enough to win, and find a way to let an inferior team beat them yet again. It truly amazes me how long this Yankees’ squad was able to stay in contention before the wheels came off. I do have one question, and perhaps one of my fellow Yankee fans can answer it for me. This is the third year in a row that injuries have decimated this team. Why isn’t the training team being questioned or held accountable for this annual M*A*S*H unit that is held together from one DL stint to the next? I know the team loves assistant trainer Steve Donahue, but they also loved Mickey Mantle. Mantle knew when it was time to go…perhaps Donahue needs a push from upstairs to find his way out as well.
I will be back on later today or early tomorrow morning to summarize what I am sure will be another agonizing loss for Yankee fans to stomach, and perhaps shed some light on what went wrong yet again.
As always, take care of yourself, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
Royals/Yankees Preview…Roadtrip: What Went Wrong
The Yankees open up a crucial three game series with their long time rival Kansas City Royals Friday night at the Stadium. This will be the last time that the Royals visit Yankee Stadium before it closes at the end of the 2008 season. Over the years, there have been quite a few memories made between these two teams. Historic events such as the Pine Tar Game in 1983, Chris Chambliss’ pennant-winning blast are a couple just to mention.
The 2008 version of this matchup is not quite as sexy as in years past, but is just as important for the Yankees as any series against Kansas City has been in years. Why? Simply stated, the Yankees are 9 1/2 games back of Tampa, and 6 games back in the wild card entering play Friday night. For the Yankees to reach the postseason, their playoffs start now…they start tonight as Andy Pettitte, who historically is lights out from August 1st on, has been anything but. Fortunately for the Yankees, the Royals are in as much of a slump as they are. Difference is, the Royals were expected to play this way, while the Yankees, given their large payroll and big headlines, were supposed to compete for a World Series title. Gil Meche will take the hill for the Royals. Kansas City scored a mere two runs in their recent three game sweep at the hands of the AL Central Division leading Chicago White Sox. The Yankees, come limping home on the heels of a 3-7 roadtrip that saw them split a four game set in Texas, getting swept by the Angels out in California, and losing two of three to the Twins in the Metrodome.
So what went wrong? The bullpen showed its inexperience. The offense failed to hit not only with RISP throughout the roadtrip, but also failed to do the small things that get rallies started and starting pitchers knocked out. They failed to capitalize on opportunities that opposing starters gave them. Players on this Yankees’ team showed signs of lackadaisical play, shoddy defense, and an indifference for their play that is reminiscent of the early 1990′s Yankees’ squads that lost anywhere between 85-95 games over that timespan.
What needs to happen? Patience at the plate. Make the Royals’ starters work for their success. They may all collectively pitch well, but make them earn it. Work the count, know your strikezone, and if you make an out, make it a productive out, move some runners over either by fly ball or groundout behind the lead runner. Take the extra base, make the defense make a perfect play, and show some hustle. It’s amazing how well Mike Sciosia’s Angels play when they force the hand of the opposing team. Drop down a bunt when one isn’t expected, steal a base. Do the little things that win games. Put a winning streak together. Handle things at home. Use this brief homestand to build some momentum to take on the road and show that this team isn’t dead in the water. For if the Yankees fail to pull themselves up by the bootstraps this weekend, and lose two of three, or god forbid, get swept at home, the season will essentially be over. After this weekend, there will be 37 games remaining and the clock is ticking. The Red Sox and Rays aren’t going away. Make them look over their shoulders…make them think “Oh no, here we go again.” Just like each of the past three seasons, when everyone left the Yankees for dead, this year might actually be the season the dragon has finally been slayed.
I’ll be back on later tonight to review Game 1 of the Royals/Yankees matchup, and see where this team is headed.
As always, take care of yourself, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
Reality Check…They Just Don’t Care
“One hit? That’s all we got, one goddamn hit?”
Tribe Announcer Harry Doyle-From Major League
Normally I would be angry, seething at the opportunity to shred this Yankees team apart for their customary lackluster play…but after the final leg of this roadtrip has begun, I will quote the mighty Led Zep…”The Song Remain the Same”. So much for urgency, these games are playoffs from here on out. They are indeed, but don’t tell that to the Yankees, who were shutout and four-hit by a pitcher who was running on next to no rest as he became a father less than 24 hours prior to the start of this game. Didn’t matter. Minnesota starter Perkins showed heart…Perkins showed guts…Perkins pitched with a sense of urgency…a sense that his team had to win the game against the Yankees if the Twins’ season was to continue past the final week of September. This is a reoccurring theme for the Bombers, as they needed another win to keep the pace, and instead they packed it in like a second rate, second division team. Perhaps that is indeed what they are.
We as Yankees’ fans cannot blame the players alone. I will give you an example. During this 2008 campaign, Perkins batting average against when facing left-handed hitters is .468. Instead of facing a barage of lefties, Girardi benches Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi and inserts Justin Christian and Richie Sexson. Given that Christian seems to be the only one on the roster even showing a spark of hustle, as his crashing attempt to rob Adam Everett of a 2-run homer showed. Christian is trying to win himself an opportunity to play at the big league level not only this season, but beyond, as his wheels and ability to run once he gets on base should earn him a spot on the 2009 roster.
The same hustle cannot be seen by Robinson Cano, who is starting to show signs of prima donna behavior, much like his better paid teammates. Instead of hustling down the line during a second inning base hit, Cano stood their and admired his work, while the centerfielder bobbled the ball, and then overthrew the second baseman. Cano trotted down to first content on staying at first. Only after a botched pickoff throw by Perkins did Cano advance to third. Then, to top things off, Melky “I still can’t hit Major League pitching” Cabrera grounds into an inning-ending double play. That was the sum of the game. I won’t go any further into the details of Monday night’s sleeper. I should’ve watched Aaron Rodgers debut as Packers quarterback instead. This team flat out sucks. Michael Kay of the YES network was not happy about Cano’s lack of hustle either, over and over repeating his displeasure with how after getting humiliated in California, this team still is showing the life of a corpse.
Mike Mussina takes the mound later tonight for the Yankees. Talk about a guy with the personality of a corpse. At the game out in Anaheim during batting practice, he along with one other player were the only ones in the bullpen. Fans are yelling for Moose, attempting to get something signed by the future couldbe Hall of Famer, and instead of playing to the fans, he sits with his back turned as if none of us are there. Shame on you Moose. The reason the Yankees have all that dough laying around to pay over the hill bums like you is because of the fans like us…the fans who come from all over the country to see your sorry ***** make little to no effort in a game you had to win. Moose owns the Twins, but so did Ponson. One other note about Moose in Anaheim…I spoke to a nice couple, all decked out in Yankees’ gear just like I was, with an infant boy dressed up in the pinstripes…I witnessed them attempt to get an autograph of any kind from anybody in the bullpen numerous times…and walked away with nothing. You pieces of crap almost aren’t even worth the trouble.
The Red Sox won, and the Rays were off, so the Yankees now fall 4 1/2 back in the wild card, 9 back in the east. It would take a Ruthian miracle during the final months of the House that Ruth Built to see this team turn it around. Never during this latest postseason streak (’95-’07), have I been so disappointed and hurt by the performance of the Yankees. Yes, the ’04 collapse hurt, the ’01 World Series hurt, but this team reminds me a bunch of the ’03 Yankee squad that barely got past Boston, only to lay down to a far inferior squad in Florida. At the end of that World Series, I literally packed all of my Yankee gear away for the winter, and had to have friends and family talk me out of burning it all in a barrel. I’m to the point where I am sick all over from the lack of anything this team shows. I don’t want to hear about injuries, lack of experience, and so on. I don’t want to hear it anymore. This team is the highest paid in baseball history, and they don’t care.
I was sitting with my wife (remember, she is the Red Sox fan), she could be gloating over my Yankees; failures and apparent postseason-free life that is coming in less than 8 weeks. Instead, she seems almost sorry for me, knowing what this team is capable of doing, and yet they don’t care. I asked her what she thought was wrong, and she replied “They’ve got no heart.” She is absolutely right. Her Red Sox know what heart is all about. Twice in the last four years, her Red Sox have been on the ropes in the ALCS, and not only do they come back to win the series, but then go on in both years to SWEEP the World Series. Perhaps Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi, and the rest of the Yankees should take lessons in competition and intestinal fortitude from their hated rivals up north.
Tune in later as I breakdown what will probably be another nail in the coffin of this franchise as they embarrass themselves before moving into the new house across the street.
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?
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