Baseball & The Boogie Down

I'm Crossing The Border Eh

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:00 +0000

Just an FYI that I'll be taking off the next few days from blogging while I attend the Yanks/Jays series up in Toronto. I might pop in here and there, but that's doubtful. While I'm gone, I'd suggest visiting any of the various Yankees blogs over on the leff sidebar. They're all good.

I'll try to bring home 3 wins but while I'm gone hold down the fort and if anyone runs into Carl Pavano, take his knees out. Rumors are swirling that he's coming back this weekend. Woe is us.

J-Boogie

Blog Updates

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:41:00 +0000

Just an FYI that I've added some blogs to the "Awesome Yankee Blogs" section on the right.

Yankee Fan Blogs being one, and Reid's The Angry Bench Coach being the other. Some of you may remember Reid from his day at MLBlogs where his blog titled "Baseball is Heaven's Gift To Mortals."

Both sites are quality stuff. Give them a look.

J-Boogie

Just When You Think You're Out, They Pull You Back In

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:05:00 +0000

I was talking to my friend and fellow Yankee fan Don last night, sometime well after the Yankee game had ended. We were talking about how pitiful the offense was and I commented how I was going to be ticked if they had a similar output today against Moose. Don immediately said that wouldn't happen and they'd score at least 9 runs. For once in his life, my man knows what he's talking about. The offense exploded today, pounding the Royals for 15 runs and 17 hits. That's more like it. Everything was clicking today. It's about time.

Moooooooooooooooose! 16 wins baby. I was a little nervous at first. He didn't exactly start out the way I had hoped, getting knocked around pretty well in the 1st. I felt a little better about things when they flashed a stat during the broadcast that showed opposing team's average off Moose during the 1st 3 times through the order. Usually, teams do better off pitchers as the game goes on. I've rarely seen it go the opposite way, where the stats favor the pitcher as he gets deeper into the game. That's how Moose's season has gone this year. I wish I wrote down the exact numbers, but teams hit like 330ish off Moose the first time through the order, 280ish the second time through, and 230ish the 3rd time through. Like I said, you don't normally see that. It's usually the exact opposite. Maybe the blogosphere's resident Statistician Magician can help us out and drop some numbers on our collective asses. That's basically the way it went today for Moose. 6 of the first 9 Royal hitters had hits off Moose. And then he aptly retired 14 in a row. That's my boy right there. Way to shut things down. I still thought it was going to be tough as the team was quickly in a 3-0 hole. With the way this offense has been, nobody, except for maybe the aforementioned Don, would have expected this offense to break out like they did today. It was nice to see them bust out the whooping sticks right out of the gate and giving Moose some much needed run support. All that leads to win #16, career win # 266, tying him with HOFer Bob Feller on the all-time wins list. 8 more starts to win 4 more games and get to that elusive 20 win total. Very doable. If only Mariano hadn't given up that game-tying 3-run bomb in Minnesota. Oh well. One more time for good measure: Moooooooooooooooose!

Derek Jeter, with his 4 for 4 performance today, now has his batting average up to .295. Jeet has been swinging a hot bat, going 12-19 over the last 4 games. 300 is within reach. He'll be there in no time. A-Rod's 3-run HR in the 1st was so great to see. I was so afraid he'd K looking or ground into a DP, but he came through and set the tone for the rest of the day. That was big right there, both for A-Rod and the team. After that the flood gates pretty much opened. After a Giambi ground out, the next 4 hitters hit for the cycle, with Nady going deep, Cano singling, Molina doubling, and the lightning quick Brett Gardner hitting an RBI triple. There was no stopping these guys against Brian Bannister. The final nail in the coffin was the Giambino's grand slam. They got the big hits in key spots today. It was nice to see. And getting back to Alex, I really hope his 3-for-3 day with 2 walks snaps him out of the funk he's been in. We need that bat. We need all the bats really. More games like today fellas. More games like today. IS it me or have I become a big fan of repeating myself for "dramatic" effect.

So it's time for another road trip. The boys head north of the border for a 3 game set with the Jays (I'll be there!!), and then head down to Baltimore for a weekend series, before starting a homestand that brings the wild card leading Red Sox to town. The Red Sox by the are getting punked by the Jays again today, currently losing 5-3. Josh Beckett, and pretty much every Sox pitcher they've trotted out there, got hammered. Beckett gave up 8 runs in 2.1 innings before he was yanked. Assuming the score holds up, the Yanks will then be only 5 back of the Sox for the wild card. It's funny how quickly things change.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

ps- almost forgot. Congrats to Cody Ransom on his 1st hit as a Yankee, an HR!! Not a bad way to start your tenure as a Yankee. (Thanks to commenter Kishan for correcting me. I mistakenly listed it as his first ML hit, not knowing he had previously played for SF and Houston).

Yanks Pick Up An Undeserved Victory

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:04:00 +0000

The Yanks might have won today but they can't be happy with how they played. It was another typical Yankee ball game. They only won this one because the Royals had a late game meltdown. The Yanks were well on their way to getting shut out when KC's defense imploded on itself committing 3 errors in the 7th, which for all intents and purposes cost the Royals the game. But it's a victory nonetheless. Regardless of how it happens, 1 gets added in the win column. But it's not a victory to write home about.

The offense was again horrible. How can a lineup with such talent struggle so much? It's mind boggling. There's one thing they're good at and that's hitting into DPs. Another 4 today. All coming in key spots. The Yankees' half of the 4th inning is a perfect indicator of how this season has gone. Bases loaded, no outs, A-Rod whiffs looking and Giambi hits into a 4-6-3 DP. If I had hair on my head, I'd pull it out. This offense is horrible. And there's no excuse for it. It's hard to believe the pitching is this team's strong suit. They definitely won the game today.

The pitching was terrific today. Ponson surprised me. I've been predicting his downfall since day 1. I don't know how he does it. But as long as he keeps doing it, I'm cool. The bullpen today was outstanding, giving up only 1 hit in 6.2 innings. Bruney got the clutch out there in the 7th with his bases loaded, line out inning ending double play. That was big. Damaso Marte is suffering from Yankee lefty-speacialist syndrome. Every Yankee "lefty specialist" I can remember as of late, can't get out lefties. Lefties are hitting .273 against Damaso, with an OBP of .385 and a SLG of .545. I wasn't surprised at all when he came in to face the lefty Teahen and walked him. Typical. Everybody else though, greta job. Way to keep the team in the game and give the offense numerous chances to finally scratch won across. As has been the case so many times this year, the bullpen gets the game ball.

The other game ball has to go to Brett Gardner. 3 hits and the game winning single. Good for him. I'll get excited when he does this consistently. Melky has a good game every once in a while too. Joe, the blogosphere's resident Statistician Magician, left a comment in one of my previous entries that Gardner looks like he is better at drawing walks than Melky and maybe that's what the Yanks are hoping for. I'd agree with that. Gardner has a lot more plate discipline and it could translate into a much better OBP than what Melky is capable of. I'd agree with that but I still think, as does Joe, that the Yankees OF needs to be Abreu, Damon and Nady. I'm desperate to buy but I'm far from sold on Brett. Hopefully his second stint goes much, much better than his first. I won't complain if it does. And if you're not checking out Joe's blog on the regular, you should. I recommend it. It's one of the very few Red Sox blogs i read and enjoy.

Joe Girardi continues to irritate me with his decisions. You'd think he'd have learned by now that putting in a pinch runner for Jason Giambi rarely works. It's a lesson that Joe Torre had trouble learning also. It seems that more often than not the pinch runner doesn't score and Giambi's spot in the lineup comes around again in a key situation. I wish I could put together a laundry list of examples when this has happened, but it's not something I've ever tracked, but I've noticed it happens a lot and always seems to backfire, like it did today when he pinch ran Ransom for Giambi in the 7th and the very next hitter, Nady, hits into a DP. The game goes extras and Giambi's spot in the order comes up 3 times. And who do we have to rely on? Wilson Betemit. Ugh. He may have walked twice but still, who would you rather have up? Giambi or Betemit? No-brainer. Wilson had a chance to win it in the 12th and what did he do? Whiffed. Good job fellas.

So the Yanks picked up an undeserved win. It wasn't pretty but I'll take it. Too bad both the Twins and White Sox won. The Red Sox are currently getting shut out by Roy Halladay. Hopefully that score holds up and we can pick up a game and move to only 6 back in the wild card race. 6 back with 39 to play. Yeah, I'm not liking our chances, especially if they continue to play like they did today. My man Moose goes tomorrow. Hopefully he brings his A-game because it's unlikley the offense will give him much support. Score him some runs guys. Score him some runs!

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

So What Else Is New?

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:13:00 +0000

You. Have got to be. Kidding me. Is it possible that the 9th inning of tonight's game could have gone any worse? Holy freeholy. The go-ahead run scores on a wild pitch. Justin Christian gets picked off. And the Yankees, in typical Yankee fashion, leave the bases loaded. Yankees lose. Thuhhh Yankees lose. So what else is new?

My jaw hit the floor when Justin Christian got picked off in the 9th. I know the kid is a rookie, and I know he has blazing speed, but there is no excuse for that. He steals a base or two here and there and thinks he's automatic. It's the same thing with Melky and his arm. He throws a few guys out at the plate and thinks he can do it every time, so he overthrows the cut off man, the run scores, and the runners advance. Same thing in my eyes. Christian's mindset needs to quickly change from "I'm stealing" to "I'm stealing if I can." I think he has it in his brain that he has to steal no matter what. Girardi needs to squash that. Speaking of Joey G, as much as this is going to hurt, I have to give Michael Kay credit for what he said after Christian's blunder. Kay commented that one of the reasons Girardi was brought in as manager was because of how well he does with the fundamentals and squeaking out a run or two here and there. Yeah, I'm not getting that from this team. They're playing horrible baseball.

Super Mariano has been less than super lately. He's now given up runs in 4 of his last 7 games. 5 if you count the run he gave up against the Angels. He's 0-2 with 2 saves and 1 blown save in those 7 games. His numbers, while still awesome, have been getting progressively worse. When it rains it pours.

So why did they send down Melky and bring up Brett Gardner? If you didn't read my last post, this is what I said about that move, "I'm not sure that bringing Brett Gardner up does the team any better. They're pretty much the same type of player. Having Gardner in the lineup is almost like playing Melky." Gardner in his return to the bigs went oh-fer-4. Melky could have done that. Sure he threw a guy out at the plate, but Melky could do that too. Like I said, they're pretty much the same player, a sucky one if you will. Brett looks totally lost at the plate. I've seen nothing from him that makes me think he'll succeed on a big league level. The Yanks are giving him a second shot and I really don't know why. I hope he proves me wrong, but i don't see it happening.

Andy Pettitte had a decent outing. Not his best, not his worst, but good. His 2 unintentional walks did him in. They pretty much led to all 3 of the runs he gave up. He pitched well enough to give the Yanks a shot to win. Too bad the offense didn't come through. So what else is new?

And as we've seen so much over the last week or so, when the Yanks lose, everyone ahead of them wins. Tampa Bay won. The Twins won. The White Sox are currently tied in the 9th. The Red Sox got rained out. The Yanks aren't doing themselves any favors by playing such poor baseball. Like I said Thursday, it's gut check time. Time to dig deep and pull a Michael Phelps on these fools. Man that dude is awesome!

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Yanks Making Moves Y'all

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:45:00 +0000

According to Pete Abe's blog, the Yankees made some moves today. Melky Cabrera was optioned to the minors and Richie Sexson was released. The Yanks recalled Brett Gardner and also Cody Ransom.

I've made it perfectly clear here that I'm not a big Melky fan. He's nothing more than a 4th OF at best. I never understood why he got as much love from the Yanks as he did. Don't get me wrong, he was good out of the box, but his value has been rapidly declining ever since. It was time to move him out, but I'm not sure that bringing Brett Gardner up does the team any better. They're pretty much the same type of player. I'd almost argue Melky has more value. For one he's a switch hitter whereas Gardner strictly hits from the left. Melky probably also has a leg up on Gardner defensively, definitely having the better arm. I would assume that this means Johnny Damon is the new everyday CF, with Nady taking over the full-time gig in LF. If it's not that way it should be. Like I said, having Gardner in the lineup is almost like playing Melky. Unless they're trying to send a message to Melky, or give him time to figure things out int he minors, I don't quite get it. (edited to add @ 4:45- Gardner is the starting CF tonight. Now I really don't get this move??)

As for Richie Sexson getting released? I'm a little surprised by that too. I thought he's done alright for the Yanks, better than expected. He hit .250 with an OBP of 371 as a Yank. Not superstar numbers, but not bad. He was pretty much there to hit against lefties, which he seemed to be doing a good job of for the Yanks. He was hitting .273 with an OBP of .393 and a SLG of .455 against LHPs. Seems decent to me. Ransom has some OK #s this year for Scranton. Overall, he's hitting .255 with an OBP of .338 and a SLG of .482. Against LHPs, he's .203/.303/.520. Nothing to excited about. So again, this move, like the other one, not making a whole lot of sense. It's not like Sexson was making millions.

These 2 moves aren't going to do much to improve the Yankees chances at making the postseason. It makes me wonder if something else is on the horizon?? Cough, cough, Barry Bonds. Don't forget to vote in the "should the Yanks sign Bonds" poll in the upper left.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

ps- if the "plagiarizer" reads this, that's how you do it. Credit the source and expand on it with your own insight. Not too difficult.

Gut Check Time

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:52:00 +0000

The worst case scenario for the Yankees happened yesterday. They lost and all the key players ahead of them won. Yesterday could not gave gone any worse for the Yankees. Hopefully, the off day gives them time to recharge, and maybe, just maybe, might energize them enough to make one final push. Here's where they currently stand:

AL EAST
Tampa Bay 72-47 -
Boston 70-51 3
New York 64-57 9

WILD CARD
Boston 70-51 -
Chicago 67-52 2
Minnesota 67-53 2.5
New York 64-57 6

I've pretty much written off the AL East. They're 10 back in the loss column with just over 40 to play. The Rays would have to totally collapse, which is highly unlikely, or the Yanks pretty much have to run the table against both the Rays and the Red Sox to pull that off, again, highly unlikely. For those not familiar with the schedule they have 6 games left with each. Catching Boston for the wild card is possible, but I'm not liking our chances. And even if we do catch the BoSox, we still need some help leap-frogging the other two. It's gut check time. Time for these guys to dig deep and show us what they're made of.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

What A Difference A Year Makes

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:12:00 +0000

I didn't catch much of the game today, which is usually the case during Wednesday day games. They always start during a standing meeting and always seem to fall on Wednesdays when there's a meeting that follows the 1st meeting. I try to follow along on the Yahoo gamecast as best I can, but I can't really pay it much attention.

I saw on the gamecast that we jumped out to an early lead, scoring in the 1st. When my 1st meeting ended, it was still 1-0. I was liking their chances. And then I come back an hour later and it's 3-1 with Giese on the hill. Ugh. I listened all for about 15 seconds when it became 4-1 Twins. I heard the "rally," if you can even call it that. Last year, A-Rod would have yanked that pitch out of the park. This year, not so much. What a difference a year makes. It's frustrating to watch.

In looking at the box score, it doesn't look like the Yankees did much of anything. 5 hits and 2 walks? This offense is capable of so much more. Actually, maybe they're not. They haven't exactly torn the cover off the ball this year. Maybe it is what it is. And what it is is mediocrity. Coming into today, the Yanks were ranked 5th in the AL in batting average (.272), 3rd in OBP (.344), and 6th in SLG (.425). You'd think that those stats would mean they'd score more runs. They rank 7th in runs scored (578), which works out to 4.79 runs a game. Last year, they averaged 5.98 runs per game. What a difference a year makes. It's frustrating to watch.

So it's back to the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium for a 3 game set against the 54-65 Royals. This might be just what the doctor ordered. Back at home where they're 36-26 against a team with a 26-31 road record. They really need to sweep these guys. The up-to-date standings have the Yanks 8.5 back of the Rays, 5.5 back of the Red Sox, 3.5 back of both the Twins and White Sox. It's actually worse than that because they're 10 back in the loss column against the Rays, 6 against the Red Sox, 4 against the Twins, and 5 against the White Sox. 41 games left in the season. There's time to make a run, but if they continue to play like they have been, it'll be over before we know it. Last year at this time the Yanks were 67-54, 5.5 games out of 1st and only .5 games back in the wild card standings. They're only 3 games worse than they were last year but they looked so much better. So much better. What a difference a year makes. It's frustrating to watch.

Peace, love, and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

J-Boogie Gets Plagiarized!!!

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:44:00 +0000

There is a post about tonight's Yankee extra-inning victory, but I wanted to give this top-billing. If you scroll down or click here, you'll find that entry. But if you want to read about someone stealing my work and passing it off as their own, read this first.

Wow. I never thought this would happen. I've been plagiarized by a fellow Yankee blogger. Jason from Heartland Pinstripes (great blog, check it out if you're not already) tipped me off that a blog popped up at our old stomping grounds, MLBlogs. It was the "blogger's" first post and he pretty much ripped off a post I did the other day word for word. He even used the same title as I did.

How messed up is that? It's crazy. What's even more crazy is that the "blogger," if you can even call him that, got busted on it in his first post. Jason made sure to point out to him in his comments that he pretty much ripped my post off. Thanks Jason for having my back. Wow. I'm not even sure what to think here. I'm pretty dumbfounded that something like this happened. I wouldn't say I'm upset about it, far from it actually. It's just really, I don't know, odd I guess. I'm a little miffed just on the whole principle of things, but I'm not going to sweat it. If money were involved that would be a whole other story. But seriously. How hard is it to give credit to someone for their opinion, and then lend your own thoughts to it? That would have been the sensible, not to mention the right thing to do.

Sadly, not much will come of something like this. MLBlogs is a free site. The "blogger" can just create a new blog and no one is the wiser. I'm not sure what will become of the "blog." I wouldn't be surprised if it's the one and only post. Actually, I just noticed he updated it, and added this line and is trying to pass it off like it was always there: "Check out what my friend over at Baseball and the boogie down put together..." He then added this comment, "wow... are you both blind?" There's only one word that comes to mind, and that's "douchebag." And dude, whoever you are, we're not friends.

For those that are interested in reading what he wrote, err, I mean stole, here's his post:

With Bonds still available and willing to play at the League minimum i believe the Yankees need to pull the trigger.
why????
If the Yankees were to sign Bonds, they can easily option Christian back to the minors. If i'm Girardi I then park Melky's rump on the bench, move Damon to CF, put Nady in LF, and have Bonds DH. Damon needs a day off? Fine. Put Melky in CF. Nady needs some rest?? put Damon in LF and put Melky in CF. Oh, Abreu tired? Put Nady in RF, Damon in LF, Melky in CF. Melky basically would become the 4th outfielder with the acquisition of Bonds. which truthfully is all he should be.
Lineup:
Damon (CF)
Jeter (SS)
Abreu (RF)
A-Rod (3B)
Bonds (DH)
Giambi (1B)
Nady (LF)
Cano (2B)
Pudge (C)

Talk about a sick Lineup. Even if you shake it up, say move Abreu down, Flip-Flop bonds and A-rod, whatever. It's a billion times better than with Melky in there. If you ask me... It's a really smart move Considering it will only cost the league minimum. Isn't that what we're doing with Sexson anyway? If the Yankees don't do it some other contender will. they'd all be dumb not to.
Sign him before 9/1 and he'll be eligible for the playoffs. Rosters also expand on 9/1, so sending down a guy like Christian who gives you late-inning speed on the bases is only temporary!
Desperate times call for desperate measures!

Sound familiar? It should. It's verbatim from what I wrote a few days ago. And here's how you know he's full of it: I didn't write this part and he credits me for doing it: With Bonds still available and willing to play at the League minimum i believe the Yankees need to pull the trigger.why???? He asked the question, and used my post to answer it. Incidentally, now when you click on the comments, it says page not found. Interesting. Can you say guilty?

Again, one word comes to mind. Danny Mac, the floor is yours.....don't let me down.

J-Boogie

10am update: The post has disappeared??? Interesting.

Bullpen Woes Continue But Yanks Win In Extras

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:34:00 +0000

Just when you think things can't possibly get any worse, Mariano blows his 1st save of the season. Ugh. What makes it especially worse is that it happened to my man Mike Mussina, costing him his 16th win of the season. I so couldn't wait to bust out a Moose call with 16 Os in it. Damn. If he ends the year with 19, this will be the one that got away. I hope it doesn't come down to this game. But at least they won, and that's what matters. Too bad the Red Sox and White Sox both won. No ground gained, no ground lost. Let's hope at least the Rays lose. They're currently down a run in the bottom of the 8th.

Moose was again on tonight. He's been the one point of consistency all year. I shudder to think how far out of it we'd be without him. I really hope the Yankees do the sensible thing and bring Moose back for another go around. He's truly reinvented himself and he's definitely the current ace of this staff. A rotation made-up of Moose, Joba, and Chien-Ming Wang isn't a bad 1-2-3. If Phil Hughes can get it together, which I think he will, next year's rotation is going to be one of the Yankees strong points. Oh man. I'm talking about next year. Not a good sign.

I got ahead of myself and thought for sure the game was over when Girardi brought Mariano in. Finally a move of Girardi's I agreed with. And of course, it backfired. Go figure. It was the right call bringing in Mo for 5 outs. Marte, as he's done so often since being acquired from Pittsburgh, couldn't get the job done. He needed to be yanked. He's been a huge bust. Counting tonight, he's thrown 7.1 inning as a Yankee. 9 hits, 9 earned runs, 11.05 ERA. Who knew he'd suck just as bad, if not worse than Kyle Farnsworth? Perhaps Girardi needs to re-evaluate his choice for the 8th inning setup role. Too bad everybody else sucks right now too. Now add Mo to that list. This is the 3rd game in Mo's last 6 outings where he's given up a run. That magical season of his is slowing starting to turn. Don't get me wrong. He's still the man. I'll take him any night in any situation, of anybody else. He could continue to tank and my faith in him wouldn't waver. He's earned that, not just from me, but from all of us.

What the heck is up with A-Rod? Talk about sucking. In his last 10 games, he's 7 for 36 (.194). His average has dropped 12 percentage points in those 10 games. He's horrible with RISP. He's grounding into DPs. Not what we've come to expect from Alex. He did come through and give us what we expect of him in the 12th with his solo shot to dead center. That was clutch. Hopefully that turns him around because they need him to produce if they want to have any kind of shot at making a run.

Xavier Nady is awesome. His 2-run bomb in the 12th out it out of reach. In his 17 games as a Yankee, he's now 21 for 61 (.344) with 6 HR and 17 RBI. No complaints here. It's amazing he was a "throw-in" in the Marte deal.

Johnny Damon is the man. 3 more hits tonight for JD. He's locked in. He's hit safely in his last 12 games, and in 17 of his last 18. It's his 6th straight multi-hit game. He's had 2 or more hits in 7 of his last 8 games, and in 10 of his last 16 games. Like I said, he's the man. You'd think with him setting the table the way he has would lead to more runs and more wins.

I hope everything is OK with Derek Jeter. Getting lifted for a pinch runner in a key agme isn't a good sign. If everything is OK with him than it was a bone-headed move by Girardi. I understand thinking maybe Melky would score on a double, but the odds of that happening were small, so keeping Jeter in would have been the right move. Besides, Bobby Meachem probably would have held the runner anyway. Man he's brutal. If the season continues to go the way it's been going, a few heads are bound to roll, namely Meachem and probably hitting coach Kevin Long. Long should be real worried about his job. This team has been awful all season when it comes to hitting in the clutch. Long has to figure something out.

They all do.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Yanks Move One Step To Closer To Golfing In October

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:27:00 +0000

Aaargh. I'm trying to think of the perfect adjective to sum up how I feel right now but I'm drawing a blank. But every Yankee fan right now has to be feeling the same way, so you know where I'm coming from. This series with the Twins is pretty big. The Twins started the day 3 games ahead of the Yankees in the wild card standings and what do the Yankees do? They get shut out. They were just pitiful tonight and it all falls on the shoulders of Joe Girardi.

I am so sick of Joe Girardi trying to live off the mentality that you need to have as many righties in a lineup against lefties as you possibly can. Girardi is obviously a big lefty/righty guy and that mentality is a proving to be a huge mistake. It burned them the other day when he pinch ran Pudge and pinch hit Melky. It burned them tonight by sitting Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi. John Flaherty made a sweet comment on the broadcast tonight that there are only about 45 games left and you have to put your best lineup on the field every night. Johnny Damon is leading the league in batting average. He should definitely have been in the lineup. Jason Giambi's OPS against LHPs is .919. He should have been in the lineup. Instead we have Justin Christian (0-4), Melky Cabrera (0-3 with a rally killing DP), and Richie Sexson (0-2 w/1 BB). Smart move Joe. Smart move. Now I can see maybe sitting Damon and Giambi against a lefty if the pitcher shuts down lefties, but that's not the case with Glen Perkins. Coming into tonight's game, lefties were hitting .338 against Perkins. It's not as if he's a lefty killer. What's even worse is the 2 Yankee lefties, Abreu and Cano, accounted for 3 of the Yankees 4 hits, combining to go 3 for 6 with 1 walk. Again, smart move Joe. Smart move.

So with the loss the Yankees now find themselves 3.5 back of the Twins. The Red Sox are 3 defensive outs away from beating the White Sox. If that score holds up, the Yanks are 5 back of Boston. These are the game the Yankees have to win. And to do that they need the best team on the field every day. It's gut check time and they can't be trucking out a weak lineup like they did tonight. Terrible job Joe. Just terrible.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Yanks In Need Of A Performance Enhancer

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:25:00 +0000

OK, I slept on it. And right now if the Yankees want to make a serious run at the postseason, they need to inject some life into this ballclub. Pitching is a major concern, but the offense is also struggling mightily. I've mentioned it before and though I highly doubt it will happen, I think it's the perfect move. Bring in our favorite big-headed monster, Barry Bonds.

If Bonds truly will play for the league minimum like he's said he would, than this is a no-brainer. I'm not sure if what the exact pro-rated league minimum is, but I believe it's less than $200k. This is another one of those low risk, high reward moves. I don't even think you can put a ceiling on how high that reward would be. Just penciling that name into the lineup makes it infinitely better, even if Bonds strikes out every plate appearance. Who would you rather have in the Yankees' lineup? Justin Christian, Melky Cabrera, or Barry Bonds? Stupid question if I ever heard one.

If the Yankees were to sign Bonds, they can easily option Christian back to the minors. If I'm Girardi I then park Melky's rump on the bench, move Damon to CF, put Nady in LF, and have Bonds DH. Damon needs a day off? No problem. Put Melky in CF. Nady needs some rest? Put Damon in LF and put Melky in CF. Oh, Bobby Abreu is tired. Nady in RF, Damon in LF, Melky in CF. Melky basically becomes the 4th OF, which truthfully, is all he should be. Think about this lineup, or something like it:

Damon CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
A-Rod 3B
Bonds DH
Giambi 1B
Nady LF
Cano 2B
Pudge C

Talk about a sick lineup. Even if you shake it up, say move Abreu down, flip-flop Bonds and A-Rod, whatever, it's a billion times better than it is with Melky in there. If you ask me, it's the smart move, considering it only would cost the league minimum. It's pretty much what they're doing with Sexson. If the Yankees don't do it, some other contender will. They'd all be dumb not to. Sign Bonds before 9/1 and he is eligible for the playoffs. Rosters also expand on 9/1, so sending down a guy like Christian, who gives you late-inning speed on the bases, is only temporary.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. So am I the only one on this Bonds bandwagon?? Feel free to comment and/or cast a vote in the poll in the upper-left.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Women And Children First

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:31:00 +0000

Even though the Yankees are only 4 games out of the wild card, I'm losing faith quite rapidly that they'll be able to make a run at the postseason, and even if they do by chance make it to October, they've got no chance against the Angels. The Yankees look terrible right now. They can't hit, can't pitch, and there manager is proving to be out of his league. Why would you have A-Rod try to steal 3rd with 1 out in a tie game? I understand you're hoping to score him on a fly ball, but that's a pretty big risk. A base hit likely scores him. Let Nady and Cano take their whacks. Flashback to yesterday, why have Jeter bunt with 2 on and no out? Go for the jugular!! Jeter is one of the best hitters in the game. I don't understand having him give himself up. It doesn't make sense to play for 1 run, especially in the 7th. And it's not like Abreu and A-Rod are slouches either. I was a big Girardi guy when he was hired over Mattingly. Now? Not so much.

There's still time and the lead Boston has over the Yanks for the WC is by no means insurmountable. But if they keep playing this way, it won't be long before they find themselves on the outside looking in. They need to play up to their potential. If you look at all that's gone on this year and consider their record and their place in the standings, it's obvious that this team has what it takes to win ballgames. They just need to put it all together. Time is running out. I hope they figure out a way.

I'd write more but I'm getting aggravated just thinking about them.

J-Boogie

Pitching Bad, Really Really Bad

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 14:25:00 +0000

I said before last night's game that it was important for Ian Kennedy to pitch well and get off on the right foot. Well it couldn't have gone any worse for IPK. It was his shortest outing of the year if you can believe that. I was shocked too when I looked. But it's been that kind of year for Ian. He just can't get it done at this level. I thought yesterday he was a victim of some bad beats. The fly ball to the wall in the 1st that scored too was a catchable ball. It reminded me of when Bubba Crosby and Gary Sheffield ran into each other out there in the ALDs a few years back. Better communication between Johnny and Melky and I'm sure 1 of them hauls it in. And there were a few hits in the 3rd inning that we're pretty weak bloopers made on decent pitches. But even still 9 hits in 2 innings is a bad outing, regardless if they're rockets or bloops and bleeders. Kennedy has to pitch better. No 2 ways about it.

Robbie Cano had another multi-hit game, his 2nd of the month. Typically when he has 2 or more hits the Yanks win. With the loss, they're now 24-8 in games where Cano picks up 2 or more hits. He's swinging a good bat. I'd like to see him reach .300 by the end of the year but that might be a stretch. His buddy Melky will be lucky to finish the year at .250. Another oh-fer. Melky is oh-fer August, going hitless in his 17 August ABs. Surpisiningly, he did manage to get wood on the ball and score Cano in the 6th. He's not even having good at-bats. 3 groundouts and a pop out. He's just brutal and Girardi needs to stop playing him. Girardi needs to wake up and realize that Melky Cabrera isn't all that good. Everybody else sees it. I'm really starting to dislike Girardi. He's making some really poor decisions in my opinion. i still can't get past him using Pudge as a pinch-runner and Melky as a pinch-hitter. That could be one of the worst moves of all-time.

Today should be another interesting game. Dan Giese vs. John Lackey. The boys hit Lackey last week so I'm confident he won't shut them down. Giese's performance is the question mark. Enjoy the game.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Elect Moose!

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:46:00 +0000

I was just looking at some career #s to see where my man Moose stacks up against the game's most elite pitchers. Right now a lot of people think Moose is on the bubble when it comes to being a HOFer. For my money, he is one. For those that are on the fence or think he's not, consider this:

Moose currently ranks 37th on the all-time wins list with 265, tied with Jim McCormick. 31 of the 36 pitchers ranked ahead of Moose are currently HOFers. I am including Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux in that list as they are all sure fire HOFers. The 5 that aren't are Jim Kaat, Tommy John, Bert Blyleven, Tony Mullane, and Bobby Mathews.

There are only 5 people ranked ahead of Moose in wins that have better career winning percentages. That's right. Only 5. And they're all HOFers. Which means 26 of the 31 HOF pitchers ahead of Moose on the all-time wins list have lower career winning percentages. The 5 that don't are Jim Palmer (.638), Randy Johnson (.650), Roger Clemens (.658), Christy Mathewson (.665), and Lefty Grove (.680). Moose's career winning percentage is .637. Incidentally, there are 8 pitchers in the HOF with fewer career wins than Moose but with higher winning percentages. Al Spalding, Whitey Ford, Sandy Koufax, Lefty Gomez, Mordecai Brown, John Clarkson, Dizzy Dean, and Pete Alexander.

There is only 1 HOFer that has a better career strikeout to walk ratio than Moose, and that's John Ward. 3.64 k/BB to Moose's 3.56 K/BB.

Moose ranks 21st on the all-time strikeout list. 15 of the 20 pitchers ahead of him are retired. 4 aren't in the HOF and one of them is Roger Clemens. So basically there are 3 guys with more Ks than Moose that aren't in the HOF that are eligible for election. Bert Blyleven, Mickey Lolich, and Frank Tanana. Tanana currently ranks 20th, 14 Ks ahead of Moose. Lolich ranks 18th, 59 Ks ahead of Moose. Moose will no doubt catch Tanana by the end of the year. Lolich will easily be passed if Moose pitches next year.

For all intents and purposes there are 75 pitchers in the HOF. 71 have been elected and 4 (Clemens, Maddux, Glavine, and Johnson) will certainly be joining them. I'm not going to argue semantics about Clemens and steroids. He'd be in if not for that. 75 HOF pitchers and Moose bests 44 of them in career win total, 70 of them in career winning percentage, 74 of them in strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 62 of them in total strikeouts. 41 of the HOF pitchers have thrown more innings than Moose.

And currently, every pitcher eligible to be elected to the HOF that has at least 100 more wins than losses has been elected. Moose's career record is 265-151. Swish.

Seems like a no-brainer. When it's all said and done, we'll see him in Cooperstown.

J-Boogie

Yanks Split Series, Moose Again Awesome

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:58:00 +0000

Say it with me Yankee fans: Mooooooooooooooose! In keeping with the tradition I've started here, there's one O for every Moose victory. The win total has now reached 15. 15 wins. 15 Os. 5 more Os and I'll be a happy camper. Well, I'm already a happy camper. Moose has won 15 and nobody expected him to do that. 5 more wins and I'll be happier than a pig in, well, you know. Moose is having an awesome season. I'll go as far as saying he's worthy of some heavy Cy Young consideration. That's not to say he should win, but he definitely deserves some serious consideration. Moose could win out though and I don't think he'd win. Cliff Lee has it wrapped up. But what Moose is doing is unreal. Nobody could have predicted this. 15-7 with an ERA of 3.27. Leading the league in wins. Yeah baby. I was most impressed with Moose shutting down the most potent offense in the league, and getting 11 ground ball outs, with only 3 coming on the fly ball. The OF thanks you for giving them the night off. Ground balls equal double plays. Double plays equal getting out of trouble. Moose induced 3 DPs. Those definitely were a key to his success tonight. So the Yankees have 47 games left. Assuming Mike stays healthy that's a minimum of 9 more starts. He'll squeeze out 10 if they keep on his regular rest, with his final start coming on the last day of the season against the Red Sox. 5 wins in 9/10 starts? I don't want to get ahead of myself but that's very doable. This could make for 1 fun fan club dinner. Oh, if there are any Moose fans out there, check this out. Nice interview with Moose posted on Yahoo today. Give it a look.

The bullpen was again rock solid. I wasn't a fan of pulling Bruney for Marte but it worked out. Mo again remained perfect in save situations. 28 for 28. He somehow needs to convince himself that every game is a save situation. His dominance in those games is amazing. Vintage Mo. He's definitely having one of, of not the best seasons of his career.

I wasn't overly impressed with the offense. 11 hits, 3 walks, a HBP and all they muster are 3 runs. This team needs to be more efficient at the plate. The DPs are killing them. As a fan it's extremely frustrating to watch them hit into so many rally killers. They've hit into 8 DPs in their last 3 games. Frustrating. Very frustrating. The pitching is definitely carrying this ball club. Robbie Cano had a solid night at the plate. It was his 8th multi-hit game in 19 games since the break. The Yankees are 8-0 in those games. Cano now has 31 multi-hit games this year. The Yankees in games when Robbie has 2 or more hits: 24-7 (.774). Considering Robbie has increased the # of multi-hit games each month, we might be in for a nice run the rest of the way if he stays hot and that winning percentage holds up. For the statheads out there, here are Robbie's multi-hit games by month and the Yankees record in those games:

April = 2 (1-1)
May = 6 (5-1)
June = 9 (6-3)
July = 13 (11-2)
August = 1 (1-0)

Cano has been a better hitter in the 2nd half of the season statistically speaking. Take my word for it. I'm not looking those up. Robbie is swinging a good bat. Unlike his buddy Melky. I'm glad Girardi has decided that the kid needs to sit. There are a lot of better options than than Cabrera. I like him as the late inning defensive replacement. I have the sinking suspicion that Girardi won't be sitting him for long. I won't be a fan of that move.

Tomorrow marks the return of Ian Kennedy. We should all be a little nervous. I think IPK's success is going to be based a lot on his confidence level. I hope he's built that up during his stint in the minors because we need Ian to be a lot better than he was earlier this year. In 9 minor league starts this year, Kennedy was 5-2 with an ERA of 1.99, with a WHIP of 0.88. I don't know about you but that would build up my confidence level. Tomorrow is going to be an important start for IPK. Getting off on the right foot is a must. And that goes for the Yanks too. No more of this losing the 1st two games of the series and winning the last 2 BS. Let's kick it off with a win and build on the momentum that has come from the last 2 games.

And one more time for good measure: Mooooooooooooooose!

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

Smoke And Mirrors

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:15:00 +0000

For the life of me, I do not know how Sidney Ponson does it. Our Wednesday night softball game ended around 8:30. Once I hopped into the car, I immediately turned on my XM radio and flipped it to the Yanks/Rangers game. It was zero-zero, bottom of the 2nd, bases loaded with Rangers, no outs. I immediately started cursing Posnon's name and thought to myself here we go again. Ponson likes to let guys on base. That's no secret. But somehow, don't ask me how because I have no idea, few of the guys score. I'm a firm believer that it's a matter of time before this catches up to him. The innings per game will drop and the ERA will go up. We saw it two starts ago when he only lasted 4 innings and allowed 7 runs. But then he busts out with 7 innings of 2-hit ball in his next start. When he allowed 2 2nd inning runs i thought that was just the tip of the iceberg. I thought for sure he'd get shelled. I'm really surprised he didn't. He had another great outing. 2 in-a-row. I'm shocked. I really am. It's hard to believe that a guy with a WHIP of 1.56 and an opponent's batting average over .300 has an ERA of 4.23 and is 7-2. The Yankees are 5-2 in his 7 starts. You can't deny the team wins when Sidney pitches. As long as he and they keep it up, let him pitch. But somebody tell me how he does it?

Mariano needs to treat every game like a save situation. 27 for 27 in save opportunities. He looked good tonight. Vintage Mo. Doesn't look like the back spasms are anything to be concerned about. I should have waited to say that. Let's see how he feels tomorrow. I'm knocking on wood. Last thing we need is to lose another key player.

The bullpen finally got back to the dominant form we saw in July. 2.2 IPs, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 K. Good stuff. The Yankees really need the bullpen to take care of business. Thing in the rotation are up in the air right now. It sounds as if Ian Kennedy will be back to start Friday's game against the Angels, with Dan Giese going Saturday. They can't rely on those two yet. If needed, the bullpen needs to do its thing and keep the game close so the offense can take over. They're more than capable. They just need to execute.

Jason Giambi amazes me. He slumps, grows a 'stache and goes on a tear. He slumps, shaves the 'stache, and goes on a tear. 4 for 8 with 2 HRs since shaving that sucker off. Remarkable. It's funny how things like that work out. I was so glad to see Damon in CF. Melky's bat is a huge negative in the lineup right now. Damon can cover just as much ground and even though Damon's arm is extremely weak, I'll sacrifice Melky's arm for another bat. Too bad that bat has to be Wilson Betemit. He picked up an RBI today, but he's another weak one. Not sure what they see in him. As much as I'd hate to see this happen, I really think the Yankees should consider bringing in Barry Bonds. I hate even saying that. But there's no denying adding his bat to the lineup would make it one of the sickest lineups ever assembled. The tandem of Bonds and A-Rod would be 10 times better than Manny and Ortiz ever were. Okay, maybe not 10 times better. That's a little much. But it would definitely improve the lineup tenfold. With the way the offense has struggled, it's worth a shot. Bonds has reportedly said he'd play for the league minimum and he'd even donate his salary to charity. I say give him a shot. Move Damon to CF. Leave Nady in LF. Let Bonds DH. How could it possibly hurt?

Joba's injury has been described as rotator cuff tendinitis. He could probably pitch again this season, but I don't see the Yankees rushing him back. Like I said the other day, Joba is the future of the Yankees rotation. Cashman and crew are going to do everything they can to protect that arm for the future. And if that means sitting him the rest of the way, they'll do it. No sense bringing him back early and having the condition end up worse, a la Jorge Posada. Ask him how that worked out.

Was I the only one a little worried when Pudge stayed down after that home plate collision. I was fully expecting the injury to be worse than it is, which is just a bruised knee. He'll be day-to-day. With how the Yankees season has gone lately with the injuries I thought for sure it was worse. Finally, we catch a little break. Great play by the way. Nice throw by Bobby. Nice block by Pudge. Play of the game. It saved Ponson, that's for sure.

My man Moose goes tomorrow night, looking for win #15. I really want to see Moose win 20. By my calculations, he has about 10 starts left this season, 11 tops. I'll feel good about 20 if he can win tomorrow. I want to see these guys score early and score often. Don't even make it close. Give my man some run support.

And for God's sake, I'm sick of seeing the Rays and Sox continue to win. But I'm not worried. The Indians and Royals are 2 of the worst teams in the AL. The only team that's worse is the Mariners. When it's all said and done, the Yanks will be there. They just need to stay healthy.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

ps - and for those that are wondering, which is probably none of you, we won our softball game 12-8. It was the 1st game of the playoffs (double elimination). I ended up with the win and the save. Yeah, our "coach" lets too many people play so I split time on the mound with another guy. It looked like we were going to roll them b/c it was 8-0 after 3. Our coach, anticipating a victory via the mercy rule, pulled me after 3, even though I was throwing a no-no. I had only allowed a walk. Anyway, we took a 12-0 lead into the 5th inning when the other team scored seven 2-out runs. I went back in to pitch the 6th and 7th and secured the victory. Thus, the win and the save. A first for me. Probably a last also.

Question For Joe Girardi: WTF????

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:44:00 +0000

Alright. I'm getting a little tired of the strings that Joe Girardi has been pulling lately. Nothing seems to work and he made back-to-back moves tonight that totally made no sense. It all started last night when he left Damaso Marte in to pitch to Marlon Byrd. Marte had walked the bases loaded had thrown 30 pitches in the 9th inning alone. Result: game winning walk-off grand slam. But the moves he made tonight in the 7th inning make were by far a million times worse. Let me recreate the scenario:

Top of the 7th. Texas 5 Yankees 1. Jason Giambi is up with 1 out and runners on 2nd and 3rd. Justin Christian is on deck. Giambi walks. Girardi sends in a pinch runner. That pinch runner is....Pudge Rodriguez? Ok, odd move. Oh wait, here comes a pinch hitter....Melky Cabrera? And Melky, predictably, pops out to short. The rally is now pretty much killed. Those 2 moves made absolutely no sense whatsoever. It's as if Girardi messed up and sent each guy to the wrong place. It would have made more sense to have Melky pinch run and to have Pudge pinch hit. Melky is obviously the faster runner. Pudge is obviously the better hitter. I'm sure Giradi didn't mess it up. I'm sure he put Melky into pinch hit over Pudge because Melky, being a switch hitter, could bat from the left side of the plate against Rupe, a righty. I've never been a fan of trying to play the lefty/righty match-up. The question I want answered is can the guy hit righties? Let's look at the stats:

In 2008, Melky is hitting .253 against RHPs, with an OBP of .301 and a SLG of .655. 265 ABs.
In 2008, Pudge is hitting .293 against RHPs, with an OBP of .332 and a SLG of .435. 239 ABs.

Career: Melky is hitting .272 against RHPs, with an OBP of .331 and a SLG of .391. 1009 ABs.
Career: Pudge is hitting .299 against RHPs, with an OBP of .332 and a SLG of .474. 6428 ABs.

It's pretty clear cut that Pudge hits RHPs better than Melky, wouldn't you say? Am I the only one that thinks Girardi made the wrong move here? No brainer. Justin Christian started over Melky for a reason? And it has nothing to do with the Rangers' starter being a lefty. It's because Melky sucks right now. How the heck did Joe Girardi win the Manager Of The Year Award? Aargh! WTF?

I started typing this post during the bottom of the 7th. When the inning started it was 5-2 Texas. Brian Bruney came in and it was quickly 8-2. But Richie Sexson just went yard. Grand Salami style. 8-6 Rangers. That makes Girardi's moves a little easier to swallow, but he's still horrible. Thatta boy Richie. If anybody heard John Sterling's HR call, let me know what it was. I'm dying to know. I'm pulling for "Richie Sexson. Sexson time! It's niiiice." Done of course in the voice of Borat. Yeah, doubt that happened. No doubt it's something really dumb.

Melky's up. Gee I wonder what's going to happen? Wow. Hit by the pitch. Didn't see that coming. He still sucks. Damon just missed tying up the game by a few feet. So close. Jeter leads off the 9th unless Girardi decides that putting in a pitcher to pinch hit is a better option. It wouldn't surprise me. Hey, at least Jeter can't ground into a DP.

The Yankee pitching staff has been less than stellar lately. For the most part, they've been awful. Except of course for my boy Moose. He's the man. I didn't think Pettitte pitched horribly, but he was far from good. Really far. That makes 2 straight cruddy outings for AP. Can't remember the last time I used the word "cruddy." But that's what AP was. AP has to be better than that. Especially with Joba's status up in the air. Andy has always been a better 2nd half pitcher. So far, not so good. He was on a tear there for a while but has digressed over his last 2 outings. In his last 2 outings, 10.1 IPs, 17 hits, 14 ER, ERA about 12.20.

The bullpen has also been cruddy lately. They were absolutely lights out until they ran into the Orioles. Counting tonight, in their last 9 games, collectively the bullpen has throw 29.2 IPs, has given up 32 hits, yielded 21 walks, and allowed 26 earned runs, ERA about 7.89. And it's been a different culprit every night too. They've got to turn it around. They're better than this. We've seen it.

Leadoff walk by Jeter. Abreu gets caught looking on a full count. The pitch looked pretty darn good to me. You have to swing if it's close. Who does Bobby Abreu think he is? Carlos Beltran? A-Rod is now battling, down 1-2 and has fouled off a few pitches. Come on Alex. And it's 5-4-3 around the horn DP. How fitting. The 4th DP the Yankees offense hit into tonight. Man they blew this game.

And it all starts with the skipper. WTF Joe? WTF?

Sox won. Rays won. What a cruddy night.

I'll be back tomorrow with more.

J-Boogie

Yanks Lose Twice And They Only Played Once

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:07:00 +0000

I slept on last night's loss and I'm still a little irked at Joe Girardi's decision to leave Damaso Marte in the game when he was struggling. He had walked 3 in the inning and had thrown a lot of pitches. If it was a lefty, OK, maybe I'd let that go. But I was calling for Girardi to bring in David Robertson. Based on Marte's performance in the game and the game situation itself, in my opinion it was the right move. I also understand that several guys were unavailable. Makes me wonder what Girardi's plan was for extra innings. Was he just going to let Marte keep throwing? According to my crackerjack research staff, aka Pete Abraham, the grand slam came on Marte's 42nd pitch, the most he's thrown in a game in almost 2 years. I think it was Marte's 30th pitch of the inning. Again, he should have been yanked after facing Hamilton. I love the moniker Pete slapped on Damaso, calling him Damaso Proctor. I was leaning toward Dumasso, but that's too obvious and not too clever. So far, he hasn't worked out to well for the Yanks. Unlike......

The X-Man. Xavier Nady. He's now hitting 400 with 4 dingers since joining the Yanks. Talk about making an impact. I said it yesterday. I'll say it again. He was the best offensive trade deadline pick-up. He fit many a need for the Yanks and he's having a great year. No signs of that slowing with the change in leagues. I really like having him in the lineup. I'm expecting big things.

It's amazing that Jason Giambi shaves off his glorious 'stache and immediately breaks out of his slump, going 3 for 4 with a pop and 2 RBI. If only he shaved it off a few days ago right? I heard he shaved it off during the Angels' finale after Teixeira hit the go ahead grand slam. Classic. Baseball players are a superstitious bunch. If you haven't checked this book out, it's a good read. It's called "Jinxed: Baseball Superstitions From Around The League." I myself am very superstitious when it comes to baseball and the Yanks. I'll sit in the same spot on the couch if the game is going well, making sure not to move if it's a no-hitter. I'll switch places or rooms if the game is going bad. I've worn the same shirt day after day during winning streaks. I'll switch between wearing different Yankee bracelets if I think ti could help switch up the mojo. Anybody else have any weird things they do?

Perhaps the biggest loss of the night is the injury (stiff right shoulder) that Joba sustained. I have no doubt in my mind he'll miss a start or two, maybe even longer. Cashman and crew have a lot to consider in terms of when to brink Joba back. Let's face it, he's the future of this franchise. He has all the tools of a true #1 starter. The Yanks would be foolish to bring him back a day before he's truly 100%. It may end up making sense to sit him the rest of the way. It make no sense to try and bring him back just to help the team make a late push. I don't want to see them pack it in, but I don't want them to sacrifice his arm to try and win a few ballgames. I don't really think they'd do that. Cashman is a smart guy. He won't jeopardize Joba's future for the present. The real question is can the Yankees win without Joba in the rotation? My gut reaction is to say no, but Joba only pitches once every 5 games. But then I look at the other options and that worries me. I'm already worried about Ponson and Rasner/Giese. In case you missed it, Giese is starting Friday instead of Rasner. Taking Joba out of the equation means we'll have 3 big question marks in the rotation. That would be make it extremely tough. But they have the firepower to make up for some pitching shortcomings. I don't know. I can't wrap my arms around it quite yet. But one doesn't have to be Tanner Boyle to know that this spells bad news for the Yankees.

Man, I'm still ticked about last night's loss. The Sox and Rays were both losers before the game ended. Picking up a game would have been HUGE! It also would have been a nice kick-off to a 10 day road trip. Again, thanks a lot Joe. I hope you learned a lesson. Pettitte better pitch a good one. The fewer decisions Girardi has to make about relievers the better.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Bullpen Mismanagement Makes Me Want To Hurl

noreply@blogger.com (J-Boogie) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:09:00 +0000

I'm starting this post before the end of the game. Late games are not my friend. I prefer to blog after the game and not the next day. The rooster crows early at my house and I like to get in my sleep. Johnny Damon just doubled with 2 outs in the 9th. El Capitan is at the plate, down 0-2. Come on Captain Clutch! And he gets robbed by Josh Hamilton!! D'oh. That Hamilton. He good. He good.

Joba wasn't at his best tonight. Lots of factors could have contributed to the poor outing. The temperature was over 100 degrees. The ballpark isn't exactly pitcher friendly. The Rangers are the best offensive team in the league. And then there's the "stiff shoulder." Hopefully, it's not too serious an injury. The last thing we need right now is to lose Joba. That would be a big blow. I wonder if he hurt himself when he "jumped" out of the way of Pudge's throw to 2nd. David Cone and I are on the same page there. Anyway, from my vantage point, that being the comfort of my couch, it looked like he just ran out of gas. I can't speak 1st hand what it's like to pitch in 100 degree heat but I can't imagine it's too comfy. I wonder if he was rocking his Phiten necklace?? I'm not too concerned about the outing. I am though concerned about the shoulder. My fingers are crossed.

Marte just issued a leadoff walk and visions of Dave Roberts are dancing in my head. Leadoff walks are never a good thing. However, striking out Ian Kinsler is a good thing. We might dodge a bullet.

Big up to the bullpen for again doing their thing. They kept it a 5-4 game and that gave the Yanks time to knot things up at 5. I am so glad Kyle Farnsworth was sent packing. It's evident that his services aren't needed. There are plenty of candidates to fill in for the 8th inning setup role. The 3 guys that have pitched so far tonight (Edwar, Bruney, and Marte) are all suited for the role. Bruney looks most like the part to me. Damaso Marte is good, but he's been a little erratic so far. He just walked Gerald Larid to put the winning run on 2nd. Yikes. Bruney on the other hand has been solid all year. I understand he just came back from injury and maybe it's best not to throw him to the wolves right out of the gate, but he can handle it. I'd prefer to see him take over the 8th inning role in the near future.

2 outs and it's Marte vs. Josh Hamilton. This is what Marte is here for, to get out the tough lefties. The Yankees have struggled in recent years with their "lefty specialists." Let's see if Marte can take care of business. He did it in his first Yankee appearance, striking out David Ortiz. And he just walked Hamilton to load 'em up. Nice. Grand slam. Nicer. Way to go Kyle, err, I mean Damaso.

Nice job there Joe. You just blew a perfect chance to gain a game on both Boston and Tampa. Why leave Marte in to face the righty? Especially when he can't find the strike zone? Why? Why? Why? Ugh. I'm disgusted. Thoroughly disgusted. I don't even want to finish this post. I don't think I'm going to. I'll be back sometime tomorrow morning to finish up my post about this disgusting loss.

$#@%#@!!!

J-Boogie