Sign of the Times

Jason Giambi was released today and John Smoltz DFA'd.

Giambi was batting .193 and had an OBP in the .330s. Smoltz, well, we know what he did last night.

At one point in time both were among the elite; Smoltz is widely still considered a first-ballot Hall of Fame candidate while Giambi has had some not-so-great moments with PEDs and golden thongs, but he did spend seven seasons in pinstripes, attempting to fill the shoes of the now-legendary clutch Tino Martinez.

More and more of the stars from the late 90s and 00s are nearing the end.

Sad, sure, but in their wake we get to see guys like Mark Teixeira and Jair Jurrjens.

So, as Dr. Seuss would say, don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.

Giambino (Postgame Notes 28 August 08)

All season long we've heard about and talked about how Jason Giambi has not been clutch, killing the team in important situations, hitting .205 with runners in scoring position.


Today, by himself, he may saved the Yankees' season.

Starting the game on the bench, Giambi didn't look like he would be much of a factor, but Joe Girardi guessed right and pinched hit with Giambi for Molina with two outs in the seventh inning. Giambi crushed a two run home run to center, and at once re-energized the Yankees enough to win the game.

Mike Mussina had some of his better stuff today, though, as has haunted him his entire career, he did not get the win. The quest for 20 wins is alive, though it is fading. Still, if it wasn't for Mussina, the Yankees would likely not even be a .500 team. Mussina has, quite simply, been amazing this season.

As a ballgame, today's game was a classic. Great pitching from both Mussina and Lester, and from both bullpens, and, of course, late inning drama. For the final Sox-Yankees game at the Stadium, it was certainly fitting.

Now the Yankees get to welcome Toronto for three--and once again have to deal with AJ Burnett and Roy Halladay. The Yankees can't let that faze them, however--they're in such a situation right now where they simply have to win every game they can.

There's still a month left.

Anything is possible.

Sweltering (Postgame Notes 04 August 2008)

There aren't too many nice things liberal New Yorkers like to say about Texas.

After tonight, there are probably even fewer nice things New York Yankees fans will say about Texas.

Last year, Phil Hughes lost most of the season after pulling a hamstring while pitching a no hitter in Arlington. In June, Chien Ming Wang severely injured his foot while rounding the bases in a 13-0 Yankees win in Houston.

Now, add another casualty to the Texas injury list: Joba Chamberlain.

Nevermind that the Yankees lost the game on a bottom of the ninth inning grand slam--and now appear to be as snakebit against Texas as they are against Baltimore.

There is a far more important concern.

A shoulder injury for a pitcher is never good, and any thought that Joba's injury was just a cramp was dismissed when the Yankees stated that he had a "stiff shoulder". While it may not be serious, one should note that the Mets just placed John Maine on the disabled list with a "stiff shoulder".

We won't know the full extent of Joba's injury for a little bit, but it is a huge concern. The loss of Chien Ming Wang was hard enough to take; the loss of Joba for any extended period of time would be absolutely brutal when one considers where the Yankees are in the standings and the upcoming schedule.

As for the good news, shaving the 'stache seemed to work for Giambi; Robinson Canò went upper deck and would have had another hit if not for a Marlon Byrd (@$*@#$*&@#$*) catch, and Xavier Nady continues to make Brian Cashman look real good.

Sweeping Second Half Start (Postgame Notes 20 July 2008)

If there's any way for the Yankees to start the second half of the season, a three-game sweep of Oakland is certainly up there.

Today's game wasn't the everything-firing-on-all-cylinders win of Friday or the win-in-spite-of-the-offense victory of yesterday, but instead a win because Andy Pettitte simply outpitched Justin Duchscherer.

Andy Pettitte has been known as a second half pitcher, and today he had one of his best starts all season. He went eight innings, giving up one run on four hits and striking out eight without walking a batter. He threw nine pitch innings in both the first and second inning, and finished with 114 pitches.

Mariano Rivera was more like himself in the ninth today, though there was an awkward play involved. With one on and one out, a fly ball was hit to Bobby Abreu, who caught the ball, and then dropped it before the out was called. Abreu overthrew it to Derek Jeter at second, but Alex Rodriguez who was probably in the wrong place at the right time, recovered and threw to Jeter for the force out.

Jose Molina once again proved himself to be one of Brian Cashman's best moves last season, calling a great game and then throwing out Rajai Davis at second to end the game.

Molina doesn't just have a cannon for an arm; he's throwing runners out at such a pace--almost 50%--that makes you forget that the league average for caught stealing is much less than that.

The Yankee offense was not great today, but that was more a product of Justin Duchscherer's pitching than anything else. Where the Yankees needed runs, they got them--and may have had more than two if Alex Rodriguez had not been thrown out at home after the first.

Jason Giambi won't admit it, but with stats like 6-8, four home runs and two doubles, he owns Duchscherer.

First Half Recap

So now that we've reached the midpoint of the season, it's a good time to take stock of where the Yankees are now, where they are headed and what they need to do in the second half of the season.

I was curious to see what Yankee fans other than myself thought about this season so far, so I set up a short poll here, in a Yankees' fans community.

Some notes on the results:

It's pretty obvious that the biggest (pleasant) surprise of the season has been Mike Mussina.

He won 11 games all of last year, and has already equaled that total this year. He's throwing more first pitch strikes, walking almost no one and giving the Yankees a chance to win in almost all of his starts.

He's even solved the issue of how to pitch to Manny Ramirez--just hit him!

Joking aside, whatever the Yankees expected they'd get from Moose this year, it wasn't this.

Mussina had, after all, pitched himself out of the rotation last August. He was supposed to be competing for the fifth spot, and when he ended up in the two spot because of an injury to Andy Pettitte, you could hear Yankees' Universe holding its breath.

Eleven wins later, there are still doubters, those that think Mussina will fall off, because pitchers in their late thirties aren't supposed to be this good.

The numbers don't lie, though. Without Mussina, the Yankees are under .500 and in last place.

He's stayed healthy all year, and pitched quality start after quality start, even if they haven't all been wins.



In terms of other surprises, the Yankee bullpen has come out of almost nowhere, and transformed from the greatest Yankee liability to the greatest asset. I'm not joking.

First of all, it doesn't hurt that Mariano Rivera is not just having a career year, he's having the type of year that can stand on its own for generations, like a Maris '61 or Pedro Martinez '99, and even then...

While, at 1.06, Rivera's ERA is about the highest it's been all season, it's still the lowest it's been in his career. In 42.1 innings pitched, he's allowed five runs. Five--and only one of those has come in a save situation.

His strike out per nine ratio is over 10; the only season in which he was better in that regard was in 1996, when he worked multiple innings as a set-up man, and his strike out to walk ratio, of 12.5, is by far the best it's ever been in his career. Considering that Mariano Rivera was headed to the Hall of Fame before this season started, that says something.

Never mind that he has converted all of his 23 save opportunities thus far.


Thing is, the bullpen hasn't been successful just because of Rivera.

With the probable exception of LaTroy Hawkins, everyone currently in the bullpen now is pulling his weight.

At the beginning of the season, the bullpen was a serious concern--outside of Joba Chamberlain and Rivera, there was no real confidence in any one of the relievers.

Somewhere along the line, however, the bullpen straightened itself out. Kyle Farnsworth figured out how to pitch and keep the fly balls in the ballpark, and Jose Veras went from being wildly inconsistent to a solid seventh inning guy. While Veras has given up a couple late inning home runs, for the most part he has come through in a big way.

The result of Farnsworth's and Veras' success is that the workload for Edwar Ramirez has been reduced--meaning that his change up is more effective because hitters see it less--and Dan Giese has thrived as a long man, while Dave Robertson has become another solid arm.

Joe Girardi has done a great job of spliting up the workload in the bullpen, but that alone cannot be the explanation to the bullpen's success.

Somewhere along the line--about the same time the Yankees decided to make Joba a starter--the bullpen figured it out.

To put it in statistical terms, considering the following splits, courtesy of Baseball Reference:

ERA
1998: 3.76
2008: 3.56

BAA
1998: .252
2008: .232

OBP
1998: .320
2008: .308

SLG
1998: .386
2008: .371

K/BB:
1998: 1.91
2008: 2.39


Granted, there's still a whole half season to go, but if the bullpen keeps this up, then once again we've got ourselves a team that can shorten games to six innings, and we know what happens when that occurs.




On the flip side of things, the most disappointing aspect of the season so far has easily been the offense.

At the same time there are both a million reasons for the fall off from last year, and no reasons at all.

You can look at all the injuries as an excuse--it's hard to manufacture runs when you have Jose Molina, Alberto Gonzalez and Wilson Betemit all with regular playing time, you might say--or, you can say, well, the Red Sox lost Ortiz and they're still scoring something like seven runs a game.

The truth is, the injuries that should have hurt us the most--the loss of Alex Rodriguez in May and Jorge Posada for much of April and May--shouldn't be considered a factor any more (well, at least A-Rod. Jorge is still playing with a tear in his shoulder.)

Instead, the Yankees need to look at other factors. For instance, Derek Jeter is having the worst offensive year of his career. Robinson Canò, who has started slowly every season, has started especially slowly this season, and Bobby Abreu isn't just not hitting, he's not even walking at the pace that he's set for himself in years previous.

Nevermind the offensive contributions (or lack thereof) from Melky Cabrera, Wilson Betemit or any of the other bottom-of-the-lineup guys; when the top and heart of the order aren't producing, it's real hard for the rest of the line up to make up the difference.



So for the second half of the season, if the Yankees want to have a real shot at a playoff spot, what do they need to do?

First, they need to keep pitching as they are. They aren't getting perfect starts, but for the most part, their starters are giving the team a chance to win which is all you can ask for game in and game out. The bullpen is shutting the opposing team down in a way they haven't really done since the late nineties.

Second and more importantly, the Yankees need to get out of this offensive malaise. They need to follow Brett Gardner's lead when it comes to grinding out at bats--if they remember how to work pitchers again, success will eventually follow. They need to be willing to sacrifice an out to move the runner over if they're facing a tough pitcher, and they need to stop acting as though a nine run outburst every once in a while is a substitute for a consistent offensive effort.



So, can the Yankees make the playoffs this year?

They can, but it won't be easy. With both Boston and Tampa Bay ahead of them, the Yankees have even more games to make up and less AL East teams to feed on--even traditional cellar dwellers of late, the Orioles, are exceeding expectations.

The Yankees still have ten games left against Boston, and I think a similar number against Tampa Bay, which is more than enough to make something happen, but they can't sit around and wait for those games to occur.

The Yankees have to start putting together win streaks of four or five in a row, and then not follow them with losing streaks of almost equal length.

The Yankees can do it with the players they have on their team now--after all, they did it last year--but they have got to pick it up and come out of the break flying.

They've been in worse situations before, and made the playoffs, but they have some serious work to do.




First Half Yankee Awards:

MVP: Mike Mussina. The team is nowhere this year without him.
Cy Young: Mariano Rivera. Read above. 'Nuff said.
Rookie of the Year: Joba Chamberlain. Has over exceeded expectations.
Comeback Player of the Year: Mike Mussina

Best Win: 6/5/08 vs. Toronto. Jason Giambi has a two strike, two out, two run home run in the bottom of the ninth to cap a comeback from down 7-2 to win the game.

Most important win: 7/5/08 vs. Boston. Mariano Rivera pitches into a bases-loaded, no one out jam before pitching himself out of trouble and helping the Yankees to a series split with Boston.

The Losses Keep Coming (Postgame Notes 13 July 2008)

No excuses.

The Yankees had another lackluster effort today.

Andy Pettitte had one bad inning in the second, and it cost the Yankees the game.

A solo home run by Jason Giambi in the ninth was the only offense the Yankees could muster against AJ Burnett, who was pitching on three days' rest, on a 90 pitch count and pitched into the ninth inning.

It is certainly not the way the Yankees wanted to go into the All Star Break, but, like their entire season so far, the offense is non existent.

*****

Check back tomorrow for some more detailed insight into the first half of the Yankees' 2008 season.

Power of the 'Stache (Postgame Notes 09 July 2008)

I have a confession to make.

I went to the Yankee game today.

I was at the Yankee game, and for the first time since August 5th, I witnessed a Yankee victory. It was my first win this season (on my sixth try), and I have to say, it was a quality win as well.

I wasn't expecting a whole lot from Sidney Ponson (I mean, dude, he's Sidney Ponson), but he did ore than exceed my expectations in only surrendering one run over six innings. That's not to say Ponson didn't flirt with disaster throughout a couple of those innings, but he was able to reprise his Houdini act from his start against the Mets and give the Yankees what they needed.

It proved to be important as even though Edwin Jackson wasn't anything special, the Yankees again had trouble scoring with runners in scoring position.

It's probably fitting, then, that on Mustache Day, Jason Giambi had an RBI single in the first, and that, after making an excellent catch in the 8th, Bobby Abreu had the double in the tenth to win the game.

Don't look now, but the back end combination of Veras, Farnsworth and Rivera looks unhittable. Granted, Mo's Cy Young season helps, but that's not the point.


Anyway, I've got a few pictures from the day.


Outside Gate 6


My brother, having fun with the 'stache.


My friend Andrea and her friend Alisa 'staching it up.


Ponson walking out to the bullpen to warm up


John Sterling with some more facial decoration. Waldman had one, too.


Brett Gardner warming up. He did successfully steal second the one time he reached base.


View from our seats


The 'Stache after the RBI single in the first


The Spanish language broadcasters pushed the button to 32 home games left.


Well, what are you waiting for?


Jose Veras. The back end of the bullpen has really become something.


Enter Sandman


Exit light, enter night.


Walk off celebration


Mobbing Bobby

Found in New York (Postgame Notes 2 July 2008)

FOUND IN NEW YORK

The missing offense advertised last night has been found today, at the corner of 161st Ave and River Avenue. It was found in a condition healthy enough for 18 runs on 16 hits and 7 walks.

The offense was returned by pitchers L. Mendoza, W. Madrigal and J. Wright and hitters J. Giambi, B. Abreu, A. Rodriguez, R Canò, and B. Gardner.

The reward for the tip will be given to one Hank Steinbrenner, whose pre-game comments were instrumental in the offense's return.

Pitchers Mendoza, Madrigal and Wright have the thanks of the Yankees' pitching staff, and Sir Sidney Ponson would like to offer his own personal "thank you" as well.

******

NOTICE

WARNING: On 3 July, a group of baseball players known as the Boston Red Sox will be arriving at Yankee Stadium. Said group of baseballers are known to be unwelcome in the city of New York, and fans of the New York Yankees are asked to exercise all due caution in watching said baseball games.

Known consequences of watching Yankees-Red Sox include: heart arrythmia, hyperventilation, compulsive nail biting, exclamation of vulgar remarks, alcoholic beverage spillage and minor property destruction.

Casual baseball fans are advised not to watch said games unless under proper fanatical supervision.


(actually, you might want to reverse that)

The Renaissance of Jason Giambi

Admit it.

Two months ago you were calling for the DFA'ing of Jason Giambi. You couldn't wait for his money to come off the books. Actually, you probably still can't wait for his money to come off the books, but that's not the point.

Two months ago Giambi was done; a shell of his former self, a shell of what he had been able to do while in Oakland.

Two months ago, Giambi was hitting .164 with a .315 OBP and an OPS under .800.*

Two months ago, Jason Giambi was dead weight.


Then came the mustache.


A .315 May and a .324 (so far) June. An OPS this month of 1.071. Suddenly, Giambi has 17 home runs (among the league leaders) and 44 RBI.*

Suddenly, Jason Giambi is no longer dead weight.


Joke all you want about the 'stache. It's hideous, it mysteriously darkens, it makes Groucho Marx look like Johnny Depp, and it works.

There's no other plausible explanation as to why Giambi, on a team known for their strict grooming code, has been allowed to keep it.

Okay, so Giambi's renaissance (of sorts) can not be entirely blamed on the mustache, but that's not the point.


Perhaps you saw Giambi's numbers coming--after all, when he was making outs in April, they weren't strike outs, but simply hitting into the wrong side of the shift, and he was working his walks. More importantly, the hits he did get tended to count--of his twelve April hits, eight of them were for extra bases.

If you did see it coming, however, you would have been in the minority. After all, former steroid users don't suddenly have a mid-Spring renaissance.

Right?



Then again, how many players can boast of the 'Stache?



*Statistics from Yahoo

Red Light, Green Light (Postgame Notes 22 June 2008)

The New York Yankees looked as though they had finally turned things around, and then they ran into Edinson Volquez and offensive apnea on Friday and Saturday.

So today the Yankees were left to attempt to avoid being swept by the Cincinnati Reds. Fortunately for them, the one pitcher that they would have wanted on the mound--Andy Pettitte--was, in fact, on the mound.

Pettitte had to labor--through six innings he threw 97 pitches, giving up four hits and walking two, but he had four strike outs and did not surrender a run. Had it not been for an hour rain delay during a nasty thunderstorm--if you can get a chance to see the replay, watch the wind pick up on this one--Pettitte may have pitched into the seventh as well.

The Yankees' offense seemed to come out of its slumber after the rain delay. They scored one run in the fifth inning, before the delay, which was important--as the completion of the fifth inning made the game official--but had their best inning in the bottom of the sixth, when Giambi and Posada each had doubles to drive in a total of three runs.

Edwar Ramirez pitched a brilliant 7-pitch seventh inning. He is a wild card in the Yankees' bullpen--either unhittable or horrible, and today the Yankees had the unhittable version today.

Kyle Farnsworth, however...

Farnsworth breezed through the first two outs, throwing as high as 101 mph on the gun. However, he gave up a solo home run to Ken Griffey, Jr. (because it's not a Farnsworth appearance without a HR) and then made a stupid--reflexive, but stupid--move when he attempted to barehand a line drive off the bat of Brandon Phillips. He missed the ball, and injured himself on the play. Apparently, he cut the webbing between his fingers and needed stitches (which, all things considered, would be a really lucky break), but I'm not positive so don't quote me on that.

Mariano Rivera had to come on for a four out save. He got the first out with ease, but did not look particularly sharp by his standards, as he gave up two hits with only one strike out. However, as he's, well, Mo, he did not surrender a run and earned his 21st save of the season.

The Yankees get to head into the off day tomorrow on the heals of a win, and they will fly to Pittsburgh, a place they have not been since of 1960. Speaking of the 1960s, today's win was the first time the Yankees have beaten the Reds at Yankee Stadium since that 1961.

Meanwhile, Boston and St. Louis are in extra innings. If St. Louis can find a way to sweep the Sox (in Boston) the Yankees can cut their deficit in the division to four games.

Not that you're paying attention to these things.


Yet.

Five for Fighting (Postgame Notes 17 June 2008)

The Yankees seem to have discovered the perfect instant jolt for a win streak: the National League.

The San Diego Padres tonight played as though they were a Triple-A team, and the Yankees, believe it or not, played like the Yankees.

While Randy Wolf couldn't make it into the fifth inning for the Padres, Andy Pettitte had one of his best games of the seasons, striking out nine, while surrendering only five hits and one walk. Pettitte had no double-plays, but he did have one of his patented pick-offs in the first, which seemed to set the tone for the entire game.

The Yankee offense looked stellar. Alex Rodriguez homered on the first pitch he saw from Randy Wolf, and two batters later, Jason Giambi sent one into the right field stands. Giambi would homer twice in the game.

In the fourth inning, the Yankees were the Yankees--they capitalized on errors by the Padres, and ended up scoring five runs in the inning. It originally looked like they would have only scored two, from Giambi's second home run, but the Padres botched what should have been a double play off of Derek Jeter's bat, and the floodgates opened.

In the past two games, the Yankees have combined for 21 runs, while allowing 0. In fact, they have not allowed a run since Ross Ohlendorf allowed one in the 14 June game in Houston.

The injury to Chien Ming Wang has detracted from one simple truth--the Yankees, of late, have been playing good baseball. They've won five in a row, six of seven and ten of thirteen (if my math is right).

That they're currently playing under-performing teams in the Astros and Padres, one can't chalk up this streak to an easy schedule--the Yankees took two out of three in Oakland, a surprising team second in the league in the Wild Card race.

Though one can't say for sure that the Yankees have utterly turned the corner over the past week until the end of the season, it's looking more and more like the Yankees have finally figured out how to, well, be the Yankees.

They certainly played like it tonight.

A Healthy Dose of Optimism

Don't look now, but there's a team that's just won nine of twelve games to move to four games over .500. In the past three games, they gave up a grand total of five runs while scoring 23 themselves. In the past six, they've given up 15 runs while scoring 34.

With the exception of one bad start in Oakland, the starting pitching has been exquisite--even going back to the last game of the Kansas City series, despite the Yankee loss.

Mike Mussina deserves a spot on the All Star team. Whether or not he gets it is, of course, up in the air, but if there's any Yankees' pitcher not named Mariano Rivera that deserves a spot this year, it's Mussina. He has been the Yankee stopper, on pace for twenty wins this season, which is all the more amazing when one considers that at the beginning of the season, most of the fan base (and even the experts) figured he'd be lucky to win ten games all year.

Joba Chamberlain's transition to starter has not been flawless, but he's improved significantly in each start, and in his next one, he will not have a pitch count limit. In his last start he allowed just one run over six innings while throwing 88 pitches--and hitting 97 MPH on his last pitch.

Andy Pettitte looked more like his old self in his most recent start, getting both the ground balls and the double plays, and Chien Ming Wang looks as though he has emerged from his pitcher's slump, though it may be a while before he makes his next start.

While Darrel Rasner faltered in his last start, it was most likely fatigue after having thrown 110+ pitches in his previous outing. With the exception of that start--one clunker in seven starts--he has given the Yankees a chance to win every time he steps on the mound.

The bullpen, too, has stepped it up a notch. Kyle Farnsworth recorded a save in the Yankees' 2-1 victory on Friday, and then pitched the eighth in Saturday's game, which, at the time the Yankees lead by only two runs. Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez have been excellent; after pitching in five games out of six, Mariano Rivera has not pitched now in four games, so he should be available in the upcoming Padres and Reds series. Though he has given up a couple ninth inning home runs, he has not blown a save opportunity.


The offense, it seems, has finally figured out a way to score runs. Johnny Damon has been utterly on fire--currently hitting over .330, he is perhaps the Yankees' most valuable offensive player of the moment.

Derek Jeter's average isn't quite as high as he'd like, but his eighth inning home run on Friday illustrated why he has been dubbed Captain Clutch.

Alex Rodriguez has also been on fire since coming off of the disabled list; he's had two home runs in the past two games--a sign that he is utterly locked in--and, in other just-off-the-dl-news, Jorge Posada gives an added punch to the Yankee line up.

The rejuvination of Jason Giambi also continues--whether because of the 'stache or thong, though, is a question best left unanswered, and Hideki Matsui is still among the league leaders for batting average.

What does this all mean?

The Yankees have climbed to four games over .500, and while there's no guarantee, it feels like the Yankees have finally broken through the .500 barrier. There's still a while to go before they can catch Boston, but it's not quite time to worry about that just yet.

Currently, the Yankees are only 3.5 games back in the Wild Card--trailing only Oakland (from whom they just took two out of three) and Tampa Bay.

So while you're sitting there waiting for news on Wang, perhaps it will cheer you up to remember that these are the Yankees, and no season is ever over before July 4.

Joba Geise Win (Postgame Notes 08 June 2008

Don't look now, but the Yakees are beginning to fall into place.

Today's game was just the type of game we'd hope the Yankees would play this season--solid pitching, timely hitting, and more than five runs. If not for some stellar outfield defense from Kansas City's Joey Gathright, the Yankees would have at least had another two runs; probably closer to another three or four.

Anyway, to start at the beginning, coming off of yesterday's improbable win (I'm not quite sure how I managed to keep my car on the road while listening to the game on my way to Scranton), the Yankees were once again at .500 and with emotion on their side.

It was Joba's second start, and while he certainly wasn't perfect, Yankee fans (and management) have got to be pleased with his performance today. He threw 78 pitches, mostly strikes, going 4.1 innings. He did give up three runs, but two of those came on one mistake pitch to Jose Guillen and the third was unearned, on a passed ball.

Dan Giese, the Designated Reliever on Joba days, was excellent. In 2.2 innings, he allowed exactly one baserunner--and even that baserunner technically struck out. Jose Veras pitched a very good 8th and Mariano Rivera was, well, Mariano Rivera.

As for the offense, well, it was only the third time all year the Yankees had their Opening Day line up, but the line up performed as expected.

Johnny Damon continued his hot hitting (what is he eating for breakfast, and where can I get some?) despite going only 2-4...

Bobby Abreu had a two-run home run, adding to his RBI total, and the renaissance of Jason Giambi continued as he hit the home run to break the three-three tie.

If not for Joey Gathright, Jorge Posada would have had a two-RBI hit as well.

Right now, the Yankees look like they are finally beginning to figure out this season. Once again, they are above .500--and this time, they've gotten there with energized line ups and actually playing all 27 outs of the game.

Looks like the sleeping beast is beginning to wake up.

****

Had a tremendous night in Scranton last night with some of the fellow LoHud readers. A special thanks goes to Ron H. for putting it all together. It was wonderful to be able to meet so many people--here's hoping we can do it again next year!

And the Beat Goes On...

(Guest post: Brent Nycz from The Bronx Block)

"Just like my love everlasting
And the beat goes on
Still moving strong on and on

Do you ever wonder
That to win, somebody's got to lose
I might as well get over the blues
Just like fishing in the ocean
There'll always be someone new
You did me wrong 'cos I've been through stormy weather..."

I can't help but think that the Whispers accurately described tonight's game 18 years ago. Plus, Michael Kay said it twice in the 5th inning.

Think about it: Jason Giambi has been on fire, and tonight was another example of that. 2-for-3 with 2 walks. The last couple of games, he has been having very productive at-bats characteristic of most of his career. After last night's walk-off single, Robinson Cano went 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs and a walk. Yes, a walk and Cano appeared in the same sentence. Heck, even Shelley Duncan got into the action, providing the first big blast, his 3-run HR in the 2nd inning.

Apparently, Yankees.com had a play on the fact that it's a Friday and the Yankees scored 13, 13 hits and 13 men sent up to the plate in the 8-run 5th inning. If we want to continue this theme, I sat in Section 37, Row D, seat 13 last night while wearing my new t-shirt, #13, Alex Rodriguez. Maybe I had something to do with it? Eh?... Anyway!

The Yankees appear to have gotten some mojo back.


And just for fun, here's a commercial that, if you watch the games on YES, you know all too well.

Bronx Bombin' (Postgame Notes 08 May 2008)

In a lot of respects, this game was eerily similar to the first game of the series--a close game where the Yankees' offense was mostly a product of Jason Giambi and Robinson Canò--but, unlike that game, the Yankees won this one.

Mike Mussina started the game great, giving up a lead-off single to Grady Sizemore and then retiring twelve in a row before hitting a wall in the fifth. It was certainly not Mussina's best start of the season, but it was good enough to give the Yankees a chance, and one cannot ask for much more than that from a (supposedly) back end starter.

Ross Ohlendorf, who has not pitched in a while, had an excellent outing and is making a strong case for the eighth inning when Joba makes the transition to a starter.

Joba Chamberlain rebounded from his poor start--this time striking out David Dellucci, and he did not bother to hide the emotion.

On the offensive side of things, Johnny Damon had two crucial hits, Jason Giambi hit at least two balls to the left side (even if they were outs) and a two run home run, and Robinson Canò had (arguably) the best game of his season. Even Wilson Betemit had his first home run of the season.

Hideki Matsui now has a 17 game hitting streak, getting a hit in his first at bat.

OPTIMIST TAKE: The Yankees' offense was able to pick up Mussina after he hit a wall, and they combined for four home runs. Mariano Rivera had a "poor" outing for himself, but his line is still sick. Although the Yankees finish the home stand at 4-5, one can argue that it should have finished at 5-4, had Joba not had the bad outing.

It's a dirty Joba (Postgame Notes 06 May 2008)

Nothing about tonight's game felt normal, but until the top of the eighth, the Yankees looked as though they might escape with a win.

They had a one run lead, behind solid pitching from Andy Pettitte, who made one mistake in the early innings to Jhonny Peralta, and Kyle Farnsworth (yes, that Kyle Farnsworth), and they had timely hitting from Jason Giambi (yes, that Jason Giambi) and Robinson Canò.

Of course, Joba Chamberlain was not going to go his entire career without giving up a run or losing a game at Yankee Stadium, and one might say the sooner he has to deal with adversity, the sooner he can overcome it.

Still, the fact is, Joba had very poor command tonight, as he walked two and nearly walked a third. One might argue that Joe Girardi should have gone to Mariano Rivera to pitch to David Dellucci, but if Rivera wasn't ready yet (and given Joba's general success in the eighth, he was probably in no rush), Joba would have had to pitch to Dellucci anyway.

It is a tough, depressing loss to take for the Yankees and their fans, but they happen. One can only hope that Chien Ming Wang is able to out duel the surprising Cliff Lee tomorrow.

OPTIMIST TAKE: Hideki Matsui had a three hit night and is now on a fifteen game hitting streak. Jason Giambi looked possibly the best he's looked all season, even if he only had one hit, he had quality at bats. Pettitte seems to have recovered from his fifth inning implosions in Cleveland and against Detroit.

And Win for the Road (Postgame Notes 20 April 2008)

The Yankees needed a solid win today--good starting pitching, offensive effort--and they got it, but the question is at what price.

Andy Pettitte was exactly what the Yankees needed on the mound, perfect through four and two thirds, and going seven strong with no runs and only four hits. Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes should take note; Pettitte threw a clinic out there on the mound.

Johnny Damon, who has been blasted for poor play, blasted a two-run home run, and Derek Jeter had a three RBI double in the ninth.

However, the much bigger concern is Alex Rodriguez who left the game with a strained quad, just as Jeter did a few weeks ago While there is no knowing just yet as to how bad the strain is, losing a bat such as Rodriguez's in the line up is not what the Yankees need.

Jason Giambi continues to struggle, as he grounded into a double play with the bases loaded and went 0-3 on the day over all. It has gotten to the point where he is doing more harm on the Yankee line up than good, especially when the Yankees have other options in Morgan Ensberg (who will play third while Rodriguez is down) and Shelley Duncan.

OPTIMIST TAKE: The performance from Andy Pettitte was stellar. He's certainly not a young pitcher, but he is proving why he was worth the $16 million. The Yankees get a much, much needed off day tomorrow. Not only will the regulars get some rest, but Girardi and Co. might take the opportunity to realign the rotation so Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are not pitching back-to-back. Yankees are back to .500 on the season.

Pregame Notes 16 April 2008

The Yankees will be in an unfamiliar place tonight: home, though they will only be there for two nights against the Red Sox before heading back out on the road.

Even so, it is better than not coming home at all.

Chien Ming Wang is on the mound, and two of his last three starts against the Sox going back to last year have been gems. His last start, on Friday, was a complete-game, two-hit shut-out that should have arguably been a no-no or one hitter.

Johnny Damon has the night off; Matsui will play left, Melky Cabrera center and Posada will DH.

Jason Giambi only has two hits this year--two home runs off of Mike Timlin, and while his OBP is acceptable, one has to wonder how long he can not hit before he loses serious playing time to Morgan Ensberg or Shelley Duncan is brought up again.

Mariano Rivera has made two straight appearances, so the Yankees have some runs to score if they want to give their closer--five saves and an ERA of 0.00--a night of rest.

I Miss Twinkies (Exhibition Notes, Game 5)

Okay, I miss all those devil dog-like things with immortal shelf lives, but that's not what you care about, I'm guessing.

Anyway, some notes:

1) I missed the first half of the game, when the Yankees scored all their runs, taking a mid-term. I'm assuming there's no correlation there.

2) I did see Joba's second inning of work. He looked shaky, but I'm assuming he was using the opportunity to work on a curve and a change, in which case the shakiness is to be expected. If he's still pitching like this in the middle of May, well, then I might get a little concerned, but, dude, if you can hit 97 MPH on March 5th, I'm not exactly worried.

3) Albaladejo was good enough, in my opinion, but Edwar is a little worrying. He's simply either really good or really bad, and, well, when it's the ninth inning with a one run lead in September at Fenway with the division on the line, do you really want to be worrying about whether or not it's a good day or a bad day?

4) So right now I'm thinking the Yankees may get more production out of their first base platoon situation than the mainstays. Or maybe Shelley is just that insane.

5) I'm waiting for this game to end so I can go make pasta and study Neuro, but it doesn't want to end. One of those things, I guess.

Same Ole, Same Ole (Postgame notes Exhibition Game Two)

Some notes from today's exhibition game:

1) It looks like there's going to be some competition for the first base spot, and if competition gets guys to produce, I'm all for it. Giambi had a great game, and looked good even on defense.

2)Jason Lane, a guy you might not have been aware of before today, hit to the hard half of the cycle, with a home run and a triple.

3) A-Rod and Posada each just missed their own home runs, and Bobby Abreu is already having a great spring. In fact, if you didn't know it was Abreu's walk year before, you'd probably recognize it now.

4) A bunch of notes pitching-wise:

--Andy Pettitte had an okay first (for him) and a great second. As per Andy Pettitte Start Regulations (tm), there was a double play and a pick-off.

--Steven White couldn't finish his two innings and did not look sharp at all. Four runs and five hit in 1 and 2/3 innings.

--Scott Patterson only pitched 1/3 innings but did his job.

--LaTroy Hawkins looked great, one inning no BBs, hits or runs.

--Kyle Farnsworth picked up where he left off, giving up a home run on his second pitch, but he settled down after that. It's only one inning for one game so it's too early to make any judgments; next few times out should tell us a lot more. However, John Sterling, Suzyn Waldmen and Michael Kay all have amazing timing.

--Sean Henn, (surprisingly) did not give up a run.

--Brian Bruney, despite looking much better conditioned, did not pitch well. Three hits, two runs and a walk in an inning of work. He and Farnsworth need to be able to pitch well for us to be able to start Joba as a starter, so there's some work to do there.

--Jose Veras looked great. I think he threw a grand total of six pitches, but I might be wrong on that.


5) I like the no extra innings in spring training.


6) That is the first TV I've watched since the episode of "House" after the Super Bowl. That was 5 February. Which means...I had gone 25 days without watching TV. And no, I did not watch the Oscars or any American Idol. My TV must have been mad at me; it randomly turned off in the middle of the game (and then turned back on again).