Constructing the ALCS Roster

The cool thing about the postseason is that teams that advance to the next round can adjust their roster, for whatever reason--maybe someone gets hurt, maybe someone is better against one team than another.

With the ALDS over, the Yankees can now construct their ALCS roster.

This roster will largely remain the same--the differences come down to basically whether or not, against the Angels, you want an extra pinch runner or an extra arm out of the bullpen.

For the ALDS, the Yankees went for the extra bullpen arm and stuck with just Brett Gardner and Jerry Hairston as pinch runners.

Here is the way I'd construct the roster for the ALCS, bold selections are explained below:

1) Derek Jeter
2) Johnny Damon
3) Mark Teixeira
4) Alex Rodriguez
5) Hideki Matsui
6) Jorge Posada
7) Robinson Canó
8) Nick Swisher
9) Melky Cabrera

10) CC Sabathia
11) AJ Burnett
12) Andy Pettitte
13) Chad Gaudin

14) Brett Gardner
15) Jerry Hairston, Jr.
16) Freddy Guzman
17) Jose Molina
18) Francisco Cervelli
19) Eric Hinske

20) Joba Chamberlain
21) Phil Hughes
22) Mariano Rivera
23) David Robertson
24) Alfredo Aceves
25) Phil Coke


Chad Gaudin/Joba Chamberlain: I put Gaudin in fourth starter's spot because, at the moment, I have more confidence in his ability than I do in Joba's. There are a couple of points here: Joba has not started since his final start of the season, which I was, uh, fortunate enough to attend in person. He was, more or less, awful.

While Gaudin, through the course of the season, was a roll of a dice once one hit the sixth inning, the five innings he did get through were much cleaner than those Joba pitched.

It's entirely possible, come Game 4, depending on what the scenario is, that Joe Girardi asks CC Sabathia to go on three days' rest and thus the Gaudin/Joba debate becomes moot. Still, Girardi has shown a tendency to play-by-the-book and it's hard for me to imagine him, in the ALCS, asking Sabathia to go on such short rest unless the Yankees were down 3-0 in the series.

There's no question about keeping Joba on the roster, merely a question of where he would best be used. If you think Joba, and not Gaudin, should be the game four starter, please feel free to say so in the comments.


Freddy Guzman: My major move here is that I take Damaso Marte off the roster and put Freddy Guzman on it. It's not just that Marte was completley ineffective in his one appearance, but that if Johnny Damon continues to struggle as he is, Girardi might give a thought to starting Gardner--the considerable loss of potential power may, in fact, be negated by the improvement in outfield defense--and having Guzman on the bench means that doing so would not leave Girardi without a pinch runner for Posada or Matsui.

I still remain of the opinion that if you're going to have someone not named Jorge Posada catch--which I don't agree with, but can live with--that your better option is Cervelli, who is a more than adequate defender and not an automatic out in the line up.

Since there's utterly no chance of Girardi removing Molina for Cervelli, however, I will have to let the three catchers stand as is. If the Yankees are going to start Molina, they almost have to carry Cervelli--as, in game 2, if Posada pinch-hits for Molina and then someone pinch runs, you still need another catcher.


It's extraordinarily tempting to want to add another pitcher. Six doesn't seem like enough, and while I still stay far, far away from Brian Bruney, there's a part of me that doesn't have any issues with putting Mark Melancon on said roster, even if he's just along for the ride in the sense that Jeter and Rivera were in 1995.

If you keep Guzman on the roster, and you don't remove either Molina or Cervelli, the tempting thing to do would be to remove Eric Hinske--Hairston is probably better defensively in the outfield, and certainly the faster runner--but the extremely superstitious person in me balks. Hinske's got some seriously good World Series luck that you don't want to touch.


It's pretty amazing how intricate the arguments can be when choosing between just one or two players that, all told, are not expected to have an impact on the series the way that Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez might, but then, it's not too hard to remember how Luis Sojo and Jose Vizcaino basically won the 2000 World Series for us, and then we know the importance of every spot on the roster.

Yankees to start Molina in the Postseason a mistake?

Via numerous sources, it has been established that Jose Molina will catch AJ Burnett in the ALDS.

I have no personal issue with Molina, but I am of the opinion--and I know I'm not alone in this--that this is a mistake.

I'd forgive Girardi, for it being his first postseason and all, but the stakes are too high. In a five game series, a team can't really afford to lose even one game at home, and if Burnett starts game two, as seems likely, then the Yankees will have seriously weakened their offense by starting a back up catcher who did not even hit .250 for the season.

If Girardi doesn't want to start Posada, if Burnett has a problem with Posada, at the very least Girardi could consider starting Cervelli. I know Cervelli is a rookie with limited experience, but as he's shown during the season, he's not as slow as fill-in-the-metaphor like Molina, but a legitimate threat to beat out an infield hit.

Neither Cervelli nor Molina, however, can replace Posada's bat.

If the Yankees lose game one tomorrow night and Burnett is indeed the game two starter, the pressure will be on Burnett to deliver.

Still, the Yankees have an offense that will, even without Posada's bat, be more potent than either that of Detroit or Minnesota, and Girardi was a weak-hitting catcher himself, but that didn't stop him from winning rings in 96, 98 and 99.

Maybe he knows something we don't.

Let's hope this is the case.

So Who Starts Game Two?

The biggest question the Yankees have going into the postseason not named Joba Chamberlain is who will pitch game two?

The way the current rotation slots out, either AJ Burnett or Andy Pettitte could pitch game two of a postseason series.

The most cogent argument I've seen as to who the game 2 starter should be hinges on the fact that Burnett has clearly been a better pitcher at home and Pettitte better on the road. This argument also includes the notion that Pettitte, and not Burnett, has significant postseason experience, so in a must-win game on the road, Pettitte is probably the guy you want on the mound.

The argument to reverse the two is that Pettitte has been the better pitcher--more consistent--over the course of the entire season, but even so, I would rather Pettitte pitch where he has clearly performed better this year.

Take a look at these splits: Pettitte's home ERA is exactly an entire run higher than his road ERA, an OPS against that's over 100 points lower on the road and fourteen home runs surrendered at home against only five on the road.

Burnett's splits are similar to Pettitte's in terms of home-road difference, just reversed. It should, however, be noted that Burnett's road stats are likely inflated from his poor performances at Fenway Park (if the Yankees and Sox play each other in the LCS and it is possible to arrange it so, I can almost guarantee Burnett will be your game 2 starter...).

The Burnett should start game 2 argument has convinced me.

There are those that argue that Jose Molina should not have two postseason starts, but the likelihood of Molina starting just to soothe Burnett even though his bat is a serious liability--one that makes Francisco Cervelli look like a more reasonable choice--is extremely slim. I know Girardi has made some "buh" decisions, but he doesn't get to the best record in baseball by being bad at his job. Just sayin'.

Breaking Down the Yankees for the Second Half--The Bench

[So the All Star Game is officially over--and we can thus consider ourselves in the second half.

This is where it gets fun.

All of those days players got rested in the first half? Well, now they have to play. Now the pennant races start to heat up, and every move a team makes, be it a trade, a free agent signing or simply bringing someone up from AAA has even more added meaning.

What do we expect from the Yankees?

I'm going to do a series of posts addressing this, because there's so much to say that having it all in one post would a) kill your eyes and mine, and b) give me carpal tunnel at the age of 23.]

Next on our list, we have the ever-changing and always underrated bench

The Bench

The Yankee bench went from being centered around Jose Molina and Cody Ransom to Francisco Cervelli and Ramiro Peña and then back to Molina and Ransom again.

It's not a knock on Cervelli and Peña, but rather a compliment: the Yankees have seen that much more potential in Cervelli and Peña than they expected so they're giving the two a chance to blossom even more in AAA. Both of them will likely be up again in September--if not before. Cody Ransom, at least, isn't giving the Yankees a whole lot of good reasons to keep him at this level...

(In alphabetical order)

Francisco Cervelli

Cervelli was never supposed to make it to the majors this year. It took injuries to both Jorge Posada and Jose Molina within days of each other, and the Yankees unwilling to panic and sign for another catcher, to get the .190 hitter in AA a call up to the big leagues.

At the time, the only thing the Yankees were hoping for was someone that could catch the pitches when thrown to him and possibly throw a runner out at second. They didn't really expect anything from him offensively, so when he hit .269/.284/.346, it was quite a pleasant surprise.

Granted, the low on base percentage and almost zero slugging power would have eventually caught up to him, but Cervelli had a knack for timely hits (even infield ones), running well for a catcher, and all of the pitchers seemed to enjoy throwing to him. And, of course, the dreamy eyes of doom.

Anyway.

Cervelli earned himself a getting-sent-down-promotion, in that instead of being sent back down to AA, he was sent to AAA, where he should have been this season had he not lost so much of 2008 to a wrist injury.

Cervelli always has been a legitimate prospect--but without the bat of Montero, Romine or some of the other Yankee catching prospects--and thus perhaps not seen as such. Until he develops more power, he'll only project as a back up, but the Yankees would probably be quite fine with that, using Cervelli and Posada in tandem until teh Jesus makes his first appearance.

Or until one, or both, of them is traded.

Assuming the Yankees don't trade Cervelli, look for him to re-appear sometime around September.

Brett Gardner

Gardner won the starting CF job, then lost it to Melky, and now, seems to have wrestled back a platoon position--which is probably what the Yankees wanted all along. The trade off with Melky is speed vs. power; and don't underrate Gardner's speed--he does have an inside-the-park-home run.

While Melky may be Clutchy McClutchbrera, Gardner hasn't done too badly for himself, coming off the bench, either.

In 21 plate appearances when coming into a game as a sub, Gardner is batting an insane .556/.600/.889/1.489. Small sample size all you want, but this is more than three at bats we're talking about.

No, I can't explain it, either.

In the second half, don't be surprised if Girardi eventually decides to ride the hot bat--the Yankees are getting more out of their 4th OF centerfield than I think anyone thought they would, and they seem to do quite nicely when platooned. Gardner's other benefit is that unlike McClutchbrera, he can hit lead off, which allows Girardi to rest Damon and/or Jeter on occasion, and the two will certainly need a day or two off down the stretch.


Eric Hinske

A late addition to the Yankees, Hinske has already hit three home runs as a Yankee, winning himself the urging of fans everywhere to play him more.

Therein lies the problem.

Hinske's most valuable coming off the bench--he did it for Tampa and Boston and killed the Yankees every time. Playing him every day, the team will take a hit defensively--he's really not as good as Swisher; certainly not as good as anyone the Yankees have on the infield--but off the bench, he has enough pop to be a legitimate pinch-hitting threat. Certainly a better one than Cody Ransom.

Look for him to start periodically to spell Swisher and Damon, but don't be surprised if he ends up with more ABs as a pinch-hitter. For what it cost the Yankees--two low-level prospects that don't profile very high--the Hinske pick up was, thus far, a good move indeed.


Jose Molina

The back up catcher who played too much last season has now played too little this season to really know much.

The wear and tear of last season did seem to still be effecting him as his defensive numbers were down in April and May, until he got hurt, but now that he's healthy, it's as though he starts with a clean slate.

The MO on him has always been that he's one of the best back ups in the game but should not start; the Yankees haven't seen anything to prove differently. In the second half, pray Posada stays healthy and that Molina doesn't have to do more than back up--although, at least this time around, the Yankees have a more than able third-stringer in Cervelli which would undoubtedly soften the blow.


Ramiro Peña

Strangely, the highest compliment that can be paid to him may be the fact that he's in AAA learning how to play center field.

It's not that Peña couldn't play third or short or second--but rather that he could play all three that has the Yankees trying to see if they can expand his versatility as a defensive player and thus make him that much more valuable.

The knock on him was always that he could field, but no one knew anything about his bat--and then he surprised everyone by being not-so-much an automatic out. He did not hit for much power and his batting line differs from Cervelli only in a slightly higher OBP, but he's still young enough that some more time at AAA may help him come even farther.

At any rate, his defense is, right now, anyway, so much better than Cody Ransom's, one has to consider if the Yankees would consider calling him up before September to take Ransom's spot. It's one of those situations in which the Yankees have to balance the immediate needs of this season with the long-term goals of the future, and it will be interesting to see how it pans out.

If Cody Ransom's defense ends up costing the Yankees a game (or three), it will be that much harder to justify keeping him over Peña.


Cody Ransom

Kind of said it all above, but when the best thing you've got going for you is your crazy 5' vertical jump, that's not going to do you much good.

He's not very good on offense, not very good on defense and, already past 30, is a finished product. At this stage, the only reason to justify keeping Ransom on the bench is to give Peña some more ABs in the minors, but this may wear thin pretty soon if other options make themselves available.

As stated above, if his defense ends up costing the Yanks a game or two, it will be that much harder to justify keeping him.

Then again, you never know, he could catch fire...and the Nationals mathematically can still win the World Series...

Bad Field for Scranton Creates Problems for Big Boys, Too

Today I went with my friend Brent and longtime blog reader Gayle to Scranton for the second-annual LoHud blog group meet up.

We had only just parked when those in the car next to us told us the doubleheader was canceled due to unplayable field conditions.

After having driven for two hours none of us were in the mood to turn back immediately, so we got out and ended up eating lunch at the Legends Restaurant which is attached to the ballpark.

From the restaurant, large windows look out onto the field, and we could see, first hand, the unplayable field.

In right field, which was closest to us, the field was torn up as though someone had kept stomping the grass with their spikes.

The infield was still wet--even after two days of sun and a helicopter that--somehow (ask Shelley Duncan, he knows)--tried to dry the field.

Some of the Pawtucket players came out to try to have a catch; as we watched we could see them sinking into the ground.


Scranton Yankees' officials acknowledged that the problem is a drainage problem that dates back to when they replaced the turf field with a grass field; the problem has been made all the more the worse by the absurdly wet June.

The problem has gotten so bad, now, that there is talk of finding somewhere else for the team to play. Simply put, too many games are getting postponed or canceled outright. It's not just that it makes it hard for the league, which has to reschedule all of the games, or the team, which has to manage the logistics of double headers and the like, but it also means that players that need to play don't.

For example, Jose Molina was supposed to do his rehabbing at Scranton. Because the field has been so bad, he is instead doing his rehabbing at Trenton.

Pitchers that need to pitch have their slot pushed back and prospects that need to play to develop aren't getting the chance to do so.

Every team, except those with domed or retractable roofs, has a game or two delayed by rain or rained out, but what has happened in Scranton is certainly abnormal.

There are rumors now that the team may consider playing games at Syracuse or Lehigh Valley, which are the only other "close" places with facilities that could handle an AAA team. The other option is to find a field--any field--and play, but Scranton, like the big boys, has season ticket holders to appease.


One can talk all he or she wants about how a professional ballclub, especially one associated with the Yankees, should never have to worry about an unplayable field, but right now, that's not the immediate concern.

Right now, the Yankees need to solve the problem.


While the Yankees' top prospects right now may be at the lower levels, AAA does have Austin Jackson, Mark Melancon and Ivan Nova.

All of them need to play.

They deserve a field to play on.

Yankees Lose Fifth Straight (Postgame Notes 7 May 2009)

Maybe it's the Stadium.

First the rain, now the injuries...Molina, and maybe Mo.

Somewhere the baseball g-ds are displeased, and the Yankees have lost five straight.

It's not the end of the world, but it isn't doing the Yankees any favors. Granted, when your back up catcher gets hurt and you have to use a guy hitting below the Mendoza line at AA?

Yeah, that's not a recipe for anything good to happen.

Is it too late to move back to the old building?

Hughes Dominant as Yankee Offense Explodes in the Seventh (Postgame Notes 28 April 2009)

You may be forgiven if, in the ninth inning, you forgot that the first six innings had been a crazy good pitcher's duel.

Still, you should not forget how dominant 22-year-old Phil Hughes was-providing the Yankees with exactly what they needed.

Having lost four straight games, the Yankees really needed a win, perhaps more for the sanity of their fans than for the team itself, and with the way the offense had been performing over the past two games, it seemed like the Yankees would need an almost unhittable pitcher to have a chance.

Hughes gave them that chance.

Hughes had pretty much just one shaky inning, when the Tigers loaded the bases with two outs, but escaped that inning without allowing a run-and the ability to do that is a staunch difference from last year in which the flood gates would have (likely) opened.

Meanwhile, the Yankee offense didn't do much of anything while Edwin Jackson was in the game.

Take Jackson out in the 7th, however, and the Yankees fully exploited the weak underbelly of the Tigers' kittenpen (uh, it's certainly not a bullpen...)

The statement du jour came off of José Molina's bat. Probably the least likely in the line up to hit a home run (Gardner could give him a run for his money, although running isn't really fair to Molina), Molina cranked a grand slam out to left center and the Yankees went up 10-0.

Mark Melancon pitched just one inning today, but the usual caveat of his multiple inning minor league appearances held: he only threw 10 pitches.

Now, the Yankees have a chance to take two out of three in Detroit, and tomorrow's Joba-Porcello match up should be more than worth the wait.

Yankees at Tigers, 27 April 2009: A Liveblog

4.13 PM: Lots of discussion today about Molina's catcher's ERA versus Posada's. You can find a good discussion here. There are a few caveats:

1) Posada has caught all of Wang's starts
2) Molina has started less than Posada
3) It's still a really small sample size.

Still, Molina is getting the nod at catcher tonight and it will be interesting to see if it alters CC's performance in any way.

5.00 PM: They're kidding, right?

5.37 PM: Weather forecast for Detroit doesn't look that great...it'd be awesome if they bumped the start time up an hour, but of course I'm sure it's not worth the lost revenue.


5.39 PM: You can view a weather map here.

6.12 PM: My brother just showed me this and you have to see it to believe it.

Go to espn.com and Press these buttons and then keep on pressing enter Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Enter.

6.43 PM: Johnny Damon doesn't want to get his shoulder looked at. Everyone with me here: "uh-frackin'-oh".

7.11 PM: This could be a looong night. Yankees go down in order in the first and it's not even close.

7.17 PM: Miguel Cabrera hits a single past a diving Jeter (where have we heard this before?) and it's 1-0 Tigers as Magglio Ordoñez scores from second. Like I said, this could be a long night.

7.23 PM: Jim Joyce must have the most remarkable vocal chords known to mankind.

7.27 PM: Robbie Canó hits a one out single and is stranded as Swisher and Melky Cabrera strike out. I wonder, if I build a temple in Jerusalem and start sacrificing red bulls, if that will do anything...

7.38 PM: CC works around a one out hit and gets a GIDP.

7.38 PM: José Molina hit pretty well the last game he played, too. He is just toying with us.

7.43 PM: Why do I feel like Jeter read the post I wrote last night?

7.51 PM: Quick 1-2-3 inning for Sabathia. Meanwhile, these stop smoking PSAs are really grating on me. I don't smoke. I have no plans to start. So why do I have to sit through this?

7.55 PM: Hey! Look! Nick Swisher with a hit! I'm an idiot. It was Matsui.

7.58 PM: Ayayay Robbie...Okay, here is Nick Swisher.

8.00 PM: And just like Swisher, there's the strikeout. The Yankees right now are making my head hurt. A lot.

8.03 PM: Head, meet desk. Seriously, what does the team have to do to get a run-scoring hit with RISP? Sacrifice virgins or something?

8.11 PM: O Hai Thar CC that we paid craploads of money for in the offseason! That was a beautiful half inning to watch.

8.18 PM: Through 4.5 innings, Verlander has struck out eight. The Yankees may have gotten themselves beat this weekend, but tonight I'm not sure anyone could beat Verlander. Then you add in the Yankees' chronic inability to hit with RISP...

8.22 PM: Swisher may have forgotten how to hit, but he can still play some decent D.

8.25 PM: Good, ole' fashioned pitchers duel right here. If you're a baseball purist (and, uh, not a Yankee fan) it doesn't get better than this.

8.31 PM: Right now looks like Verlander could pitch a complete nine and not even feel it. Great for him and fantasy teams everywhere, bad for the Yankees.

8.39 PM: I think I counted five seconds before someone in a Yankee uniform got to that baseball. Damon looks like he's really hurting.

8.56 PM: Molina took a hard one there. Hope Molina's okay, head injuries are no laughing matter. Dude's tough as nails.

Meanwhile, the Yankees have six outs to score four runs.

Yeah, I'm tempted to turn the channel, too.

9.11 PM: The Yankees may never score a run again.

9.22 PM: Whoa. A run? Where did it come from?!

Analyzing the Yankee Bench

The issues facing the Yankees' rotation and starting line-up have been well documented--for example, check out LoHud's post on the rotation. While some still seem to be unable to rid themselves of the sign-Ben-Sheets mantra, the basic problem facing the rotation is still the lack of a quality fourth starter.

With the Yankee line-up, the questions are a little more subtle--do you start Nady or Swisher? Gardner or Cabrera? Where do you bat Canò?

However, one of the issues that is receiving relatively little attention is that of the Yankee Bench.

Sure, the bench might not be as critical as the rotation, but anyone that says the bench isn't important simply didn't watch Yankee baseball in 2008.

So, for the sake of discussion, let's assume that the 2009 seasons started on 14 January and that the Yankees decided to DH Matsui and to start Nady over Swisher, and Gardner over Cabrera.

That leaves us with a bench of Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher, Josè Molina and Cody Ransom.

The one guy listed there that you can almost guarantee the Yankees won't touch is not, in fact, Nick Swisher but Josè Molina.

Jorge Posada did have major shoulder surgery last year, and while he seems to be recovering nicely, we still don't know how his arm will respond in an in-game situation. If it responds poorly, not only is Molina an adequate back-up, he is, by some accounts, the best defensive catcher in the game. Hey, when you throw out nearly half of everyone trying to steal a base, I'm not complaining.


The other person that stands out on that list is Nick Swisher.

Swisher is clearly the best bat of the bunch, but that in itself presents its own problems. Teams don't generally give five-year, nearly $27 million contracts to players to come off the bench.

Had the Yankees been unable to sign Teixiera, Swisher would have been a very viable plan B, but as it is, the Yankees did sign Teixiera and now there are rumors rampant that the Yankees are looking to move either Nady or Swisher. Swisher is drawing more interest than Nady-which should tell you something about whether or not other teams think Swisher belongs on the bench.

Guess it also says something about the Yankees, that they can afford to have Swisher on the bench...

Cody Ransom was a great story when he came up last season and started Shane Spencering everywhere, but at 32 he doesn't exactly have youth on his side, nor does he have very promising career numbers, just in terms of games played alone.

That said, right now Ransom is the only bench option that can fill in at third, short and second, which is a very good reason for the Yankees not to move him. Between Rodriguez, Jeter and Canò, one is historically not looking at a whole lot of playing time from the bench, but things happen. Players get hurt, ejected, etc. One only has to remember the beginning of last season-while there is certainly no replicating the bat of Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter, one hopes to have more production than, say, Alberto Gonzalez.

So while Ransom remains a great story and a likable fellow, he's probably not the guy you want to see come up in the ninth inning with a man on second and two outs.

This brings us lastly to Melky Cabrera.

For a time in 2008 it looked like Cabrera was going to have a break-out year, and then, all of a sudden, he stopped.

It got bad enough to the point that Cabrera was sent down to AAA Scranton-though at this point it was becoming pretty clear that the Yankees were not going to make the playoffs.

As one ESPN analyst said last year, theoretically Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner are both "warming the seat" for Austin Jackson...but Jackson is still likely a full season away from the majors, which means that the Yankees have a center field issue for 2009.

Since Nady has stated he doesn't play a good center and Cashman has stated that Swisher won't play center, that leaves the Yankees with the Cabrera/Gardner platoon.

Although Cabrera is technically a switch-hitter, his numbers suggest that he is much better from one side than the other. When you consider that Gardner has better speed and is patient enough to be a lead off hitter (although his power is sorely lacking), Gardner would seem like the better starting option.

The problem with trying to move Melky is that, after last season, the Yankees would be unlikely to be able to center a deal around him, unless they were trading for a player of a similar caliber--which isn't exactly what the Yankees need to do unless they are that desperate for a player at a certain position.

Defensively, Carera can be great--that is, as long as he's not getting distracted by the Roll Call (I should know, I was at that game!)--but right now neither his bat nor Garnder's offers anything like the power the Yankees are usually accustomed to getting from their center fielders.



The Yankees bench, if it started today, would be far from the worst that the Yankees have ever had--April 2007, anyone?--but it does present some concerns. There's only one player than can play all the infield positions (Ransom), a bat that is, from a cost-effective point of view, getting paid too much to ride the pine (Swisher) and the latter half of a center field platoon that might very well duke it out in Tampa to see who gets to hit in the nine spot.

Right now the bench is not the Yankees' overriding concern, but it is an issue that they should address in some fashion before the season starts.

To a Wyoming Senator that Caught the Last Home Run at Yankee Stadium

[I actually tried sending this email to the email address listed on the state senator's webpage--sharshman@wyoming.com, as the folks at River Ave Blues have encouraged, but I got this message in response:


I'm sorry to have to inform you that the message returned
below could not be delivered to one or more destinations.

: Permanent Failure: Mailbox would exceed maximum allowed storage

Maybe I'll try sending it again in a few weeks. After the election.]




Hello--

How's Wyoming? I've never been. My brothers both have, though, and they agree--it's a beautiful place and a haven for outdoor sports. That's not something you often get in New Jersey or in the Bronx so I guess I'll have to make my way out there some time. I've been killing to go kayaking, real kayaking, for ages.

I hope you liked your trip to New York. It's a great city, isn't it?

You should have been here for the Super Bowl last year, the entire city, even Jets fans, banding together to support the Giants, who were beyond lucky to win that game. It's the City's first professional sports championship since 9/11--the Devils won the Stanley Cup in 2003, yes, but they belong to New Jersey.

I'm sure as a sports fan you can get an idea of what Yankee Stadium means to the City. It's not just a place where they play baseball, it's part of the psyche, the consciousness, the being of the City. It identifies us, unites us, and is a place we can go to to live out some of our happiest memories.

Living in the Bronx has been a major culture shock to a girl from suburban New Jersey, but it is a vibrant community and now that I'm here, I absolutely love it. Like your state, it's a place that works its own magic. I'd love to take you to an Arthur Ave restaurant or let you sit in on my medieval history classes at Fordham University.

I can't put into words how much the Yankees mean to a place that for so long has been synonymous with urban decay.

So, while I congratulate you on catching the Jose Molina home run ball, I have to ask, nicely, if you would consider returning it.

You caught the ball, I'm sure you've taken pictures of yourself with the ball, you've seen it, you've touched it...most Yankee fans, myself included, have never caught so much as a foul ball and you caught something historic.

I can't speak for the Yankees, but I'm sure they'd be more than willing to send you all sorts of autographed memorabilia for that baseball or maybe get you tickets to a game at the new place, or pretty much, whatever you want.

But that ball deserves a place to rest not in a safe deposit box but in the New Yankee Stadium, reminding the fans that may have momentarily forgotten of their team's heritage, tradition, pride and importance both in the local community and in the larger context of the American sports world.

You will already be known as the guy to catch the last home run at Yankee Stadium and for that reason might find your name in the history and record books. You shouldn't need a baseball to prove it.

I hope the autumns in Wyoming are as pleasant as they are here, where we are approaching peak foliage--it's not Vermont, but it's ours. As is Yankee Stadium.

--

Rebecca
A Yankee Fan

Let the Old Time(r)s Roll (Postgame Notes 2 August 2008)

There are few certainties in life.

Death, taxes. and that Old Timer's Day will always leave a chill in your Yankee fan blood.

At about noon this morning, it was pouring Noah's Flood, and it looked like the Yankees would be lucky to get the ceremonies in, but, almost as if by destiny, the skies cleared and 72 former Yankee players--some Hall of Fame Legends, some that just caught lightning in a bottle--were able to assemble on the field of the House that Ruth Built for one last time.

While Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford produced goosebumps, and Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, David Cone and David Wells made you pine for the late nineties, it was the return of Willie Randolph to the Stadium that received the most attention from the Stadium crowd.

As Michael Kay said in his introduction, "once a Yankee, always a Yankee."


The game that followed did not disappoint, from a Yankee point of view.

Mike Mussina pitched an absolute clinic--he did not allow an Angel baserunner to reach after the second, retiring seventeen in a row. It was a pure vintage performance, and while he struggled with his control in the first two innings, he found a rhythym and didn't look back.

The Yankee offense was sparked by an unusual source: a two-run home run from Wilson Betemit in the bottom of the second inning, the first of four Yankee home runs on the day.

After last night's offensive debacle, the Yankees had home runs from Betemit, the streaking Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez, and Jose Molina, who had his first home run of the season as part of a 3-3 day.

The Yankees now have a chance to salvage a split out of the four game set--which would be impressive against a team as good on the road as the Angels are--though a win last night would have meant the possibility of taking three out of four.

Brian Bruney, who was not expected to be back at all this season, pitched a one walk, one hit ninth inning. His command was a little off, but given the time he has missed, it is understandable.

One of These is Not Like the Other

The way it's playing out right now, there are three candidates for Yankees' team MVP.

Two will be extremely obvious. You can probably guess them right now without me saying anything else, and you would be more than justified.

The third, however, will be so outlandish as to make you want to stop reading this blog all together. In fact, if you were to go by stats alone, this player would probably be in contention for least valuable. Curious? Keep reading.

Let's start with the first two blindingly obvious candidates: Mike Mussina and Mariano Rivera.

Mike Mussina

This is a guy that was supposed to spend 2008 competing for the five spot in the rotation. The only reason he started in the two spot at all was because Andy Pettitte started the season on the disabled list (remember that?).

He didn't have an exceptional April, either--two starts against the Red Sox will do that to you if you keep pitching to Manny Ramirez--but since then, he has gone 10-3, with just one start, against Baltimore, bad enough to remind one of 2007.

How good has Mike Mussina been this year? Check this out:

Last year, all season, Mussina struck out 91 batters.

This season, on July 24, he has already struck out 81.

Last year, he walked 35 batters; this year, past the all star break, he's only walked 16--and none in his last start.

His ERA? At 3.29 it's the lowest it's been since his first year with the Yankees. In 2001.

You can also look at it this way: if Mussina makes ten more starts this season, and only wins five of them, he'll still finish with 18 wins...and the way he's pitching right now, the Yankees will probably win more than five of his remaining starts

It's not just that Mussina has been so valuable to the Yankees this year; it's that no one expected it--probably not even Moose himself. When the Comeback Player of the Year discussions start, his name will be mentioned, not just because of how well he has done for himself, but because of how much he has meant to the Yankees in 2008.


Mariano Rivera

Let's start with the obvious here: closers are not supposed to have career years at the age of 38, but that is exactly what Rivera is doing.

Rivera might not have the saves that Fransico Rodriguez of the Angels has, but that's because saves are a by-product off wins. As the Angels have the best record in baseball, Rodriguez has more save opportunties. Unlike Rodriguez, however, Rivera has so far converted all of his opportunities.

I've gone over Rivera's crazy stats before, but if you need a refresher:

ERA: 1.21 (career best)
SO/BB: 13.5 (career best) (54 K/4 BB)
BAA: .168
OBP: .198
SLG: .232
OPS: .430

Rivera has always been immensley valuable to the Yankees. For the past 11 years now, if Rivera's healthy and the Yankees are winning after eight innings, you can almost guarantee a win a the Yankee column.

This season, however, he's pitching on another level.

Right now, the rest of the bullpen looks just as untouchable as Rivera, but earlier in the season, when that wasn't the case, Rivera was still the one guy the Yankees could count on to get themselves out of a tight spot.

Closers aren't supposed to have career years at age 38, but Mo's could not possibly have come at a better time.



Right. So those are two of the blindingly obvious team MVP candidates. While it's hard to quantiy value to a team, both Mussina's and Rivera's stat lines give you some idea as to the type of seasons they are having.


The next guy I'm going to suggest is not having a career year. Not even close. He's only hitting .222, has no home runs, no speed and isn't actually supposed to play every day.

At the same time, he's so good defensively, he is one of the few that can change the way another team plays a game.

If you haven't guessed by now that I'm referring to Jose Molina, well, you've not been watching a lot of Yankee baseball this season.

When the Yankees traded for Jose Molina last year, they weren't looking for another starting catcher; they were looking for someone that could spell Posada who hit a bit better than Wil Nieves.

Molina fit the profile, and the Yankees gave up very, very little to get him.

Value is relative--it's based on how much more (or less) you get from someone (or something) than you expect.

The Yankees expected a competent defender that could manage to get on base once in a while, too.

What the Yankees got was a catcher that has thrown out nearly 50% of all baserunners attempting to steal, helped Mike Mussina become the de facto ace of the Yankees staff, worked well with every pitcher in the rotation, and, oh yeah, he's played in 64 of the Yankees 101 games thus far--well on pace to break his career high of 78 games played in 2006.

Granted, he doesn't hit much, but if everyone else in the Yankee line up starts to hit--as they've done during this, their second longest winning streak of the season--Molina's defense more than makes up for his weak bat.


Consider it like this way: Mussina and Rivera are putting up seasons that could make them contenders for league MVP if not for 1) the league's MVP bias against pitching, 2) Cliff Lee and 3) Francisco Rodriguez.

Jose Molina is much more important to the Yankees in terms of suiting their needs right now, than he would likely be to any other team.

Oh, and one more thing:

Molina's tough as nails. In the 2-1 Yankee win over Boston during the July 4 weekend series, Molina was hit by a pitch while catching in a region that, for reasons of gender and anatomy, I will never fully understand what it feels like to get hit there.

He stayed in the game.

In the Yankees 4-3 win over Oakland last Saturday?

Molina stuck his knee out with the bases loaded to take a HBP for the team and win the game.

The next night?

He ended the game by throwing out a runner trying to take second.


The last time the Yankees had a back up catcher that meant as much to the team as Jose Molina currently means to the Yankees? Think 1998, with Joe Girardi and a young Jorge Posada.




So there you have it. My three candidates for team MVP (please do keep in mind this is team, and not league, MVP).

Two of them you probably guessed right off the bat; the third, probably not so much.

Enjoy the day off--exciting weekend coming up!

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.

Office Correspondance (Postgame Notes

Memo

To: Yankees
From: Baseball G-ds
Re: Mariano Rivera

Of six runs allowed this inning, five have come in tie games. You may want to consider this before putting him in tie game situations in the future.


Memo

To: Yankees
From: Baseball G-ds
Re: Offense

Look, we can only help so much. If Robinson Canò and Brett Gardner are going to have good days, the least you can do is make sure the rest of the line up, including the "big names" like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi, actually hit with runners in scoring position.

Seriously, we really do want to help. We understand that this is the last year of Yankee Stadium, so it would be criminal not to play baseball here in October, but we can only do so much. If it's on us for allowing free will, it's on us, but really, we help those who help themselves.

And dude, falling down while trying to steal second with no outs in the ninth? Not a great idea.


PS: By the way, someone's going to want to take Jose Molina out to dinner tonight.


Memo
To: Baseball G-ds
From: the New York Yankees
Re: Correspondance

Duly noted.


Memo
To: Yankees
From: Baseball G-ds
Re: Told ya so!

See what happens when you listen to us? Also, we would like to congratulate Robinson Canò on his best game of the season, and the pitching staff for their 18 strike outs on the day--eight from Joba Chamberlain alone.

Texas Two-Step (Postgame Notes 30 June 2008)

Apparently, no one told the Texas Rangers or the New York Yankees that they were supposed to hit tonight.

Two line ups--one with this year's best offense, and one with last year's best offense (nearly all returning this year, too)--could not manage more than three combined runs in tonight's game.

While Texas had the misfortune of running into a stellar Mike Mussina, the Yankees have no excuse for their utter lack of hitting since Friday evening.

Yesterday the only run they managed came off of the bat of Wilson Betemit, and today they managed just four hits against a Texas team known for everything but their pitching. While Alex Rodriguez had (yet another) mammoth home run and Jason Giambi had his first triple since 2002, the utter lack of offense from the top and bottom part of the line up is astounding, frustrating, and extremely hard to watch.

On most teams, if your starter can go six innings while yielding just two runs, he is usually in line for the win, but Mike Mussina seems to be cursed in his quest for 20 wins--He has not won since the series in Houston, taking the loss against Edinson Volquez and having his start rained out in Pittsburgh (when the Yankees were actually winning the game).

Mussina and the Yankee bullpen ought to be credited for keeping the most potent offense in the league to just two runs, though that won't happen because of the loss.

In the seventh inning there was an exceptionally scary moment as Jose Molina was crossed up on a pitch by Jose Veras and a fastball hit him...well, let's just say he's probably worshipping at the alter of athletic cup makers tonight. As a true testament to the amazingness that is a Molina brother, Jose Molina stayed in the game.

Brett Gardner also had his much awaited major league debut today, and while he did not get a hit, he worked a full count twice and reached on a Fielder's Choice before promptly stealing second. He might not hit for much power, but the kid can fly and was adequate, though largely untested, in left field.

Joba Chamberlain will pitch for the Yankees tomorrow--with luck he will recieve a little more support than just one run.

Pregame Notes 14 April 2008

There's no easy way about it.

The Yankees knew April was tough, with 18 of 20 games on the road, and the two home games coming against the Sox.

However, the injuries just keep coming. First it was Jeter and Posada; now Molina is down as well, and, while not an injury, Joba's personal situation will have a similar effect in rendering him unavailable for at least three games (thoughts and prayers are with Joba and family).

Without a long reliever, the bullpen can only go so long. Wang's complete game on Friday was a godsend, but last night's poor outing from Phil Hughes relegates it a moot point. The Yankees don't have a long reliever because neither of the top candidates--Rasner or Karstens--had a particularly encouraging Spring Training, but the bullpen can only go so long before they're scorched.

The Yankees face Tampa Bay tonight, in Tampa, so, to extricate good news from the situation, the Yankees will not be playing in winter weather.

Wilson Betemit has been sent to the DL with conjunctivitis (pink eye) so that Chad Moeller can be brought up to catch and Albaledejo has been brought up to replace Joba who is on the bereavement list.

Also of note, Alex Rodriguez's wife is expecting this week, though given that Morgan Ensberg is on the bench already, it should not be the Yankees number one concern.

Topsy-Turvy Washout (Postgame Notes 09 April 2008)

Any game in which the starter relieves the bullpen is going to have a topsy-turvy feel to it. For the Yankees, however, it was no better than yesterday afternoon.

It wasn't that the Yankees pitched exceptionally poorly; they took a scoreless game to the sixth and learned the hard way that Kyle Farnsworth really can't go back to back innings, and then Ian Kennedy had his soon-to-be-patented first inning jitters.

It was that the Yankees still have yet to put together a solid offensive performance, even when all the cogs are not working. Most notable, they have not figured out a way to hit with runners in scoring position, the same major issue they had in the postseason. After one or two games, you don't worry, but going into the middle of the month, it becomes frustrating, and then the pressing starts.

There's something to be said for the horrible game conditions, in terms of weather and temperature, that have dogged the Yankees for the first nine games, but even so, if the other teams have been able to do it, why not the Yanks?

That said, it will turn around. No team can pitch as well as the Yankees have , on the whole, been pitching and sustain losing.

OPTIMIST TAKE: There's actually a lot to be optimistic about--first, Brian Bruney. He was excellent. Sure, he was no Joba or Rivera, but the turnaround from last season to this season is incredible and inspiring. Girardi and Eiland are not the first managers/coaches in baseball history to pull a starter due to rain, but it does show ingenuity on their part and a willingness to adapt on the fly as needed. Alberto Gonzalez, the one who's not supposed to be able to hit, actually had one of the hardest hits for the Yankees, with a stand-up double. Jose Molina threw out two baserunners attempting to steal, again showing himself to have been the best move the Yankees made at last year's deadline.


SCORES AND STUFFS

The ones that'll interest you:

Detroit beat Boston, 7-2, getting their first win of the season. The Sox and the Yankees now have the exact same record, neck and neck for....the AL East cellar!

Oakland beat Toronto, 6-3, mounting a four-run ninth to do so.

Seattle beat Tampa, 7-1, and Baltimore-Texas was a rainout.

In the National League, Mets beat the Phillies 8-2, and the Cubs and Pirates have hit the 15th.

Something Cone-y This Way Comes (Exhibition Game Notes)

Some notes from today's game against Toronto:

1) Chien Ming Wang looked MUCH better today than he did his last time out, keeping it a little too high in the first inning, but getting much better as the game went on, which is obviously a really good thing.

2) The bats did their thing today. If there's one aspect of the 2008 Yankees I'm really not worried about (well, at least, not right now), it's the offense.

3) Molina was totally safe on the slide, but, that aside, I'd pay good money to see him and Posada in a foot race. An Olympic track star, he is not. However, trying to steal on him would be like signing my own 'out' warrant.

4) Cone was awesome in the broadcast booth. I could listen to him game in, game out.

5) Girardi, to use a geek term, pwned Michael Kay during the interview, and it was a beautiful thing.