The Bronx Is Yearning

I Won't Lie

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 01:30:00 +0000

I am pulling for the Dodgers, if only to stick it to the Yankees, who didn't make it to the playoffs in the first Torre-less year in 12 years.

Call Me

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 03:37:00 +0000

I think I am free a few nights in October. No plans.

Still Waiting

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:15:00 +0000

I will make this short and sour:

There I was, watching the Yanks try to recover from giving up a big lead to the Blue Jays. Men on first and second (Jeter, as always, was on second). Alex Rodriguez steps to the plate. No outs. Ninth inning.

Double play.

I sat there in disbelief as Kay tried to defend Arod by admiring how hard he hit the ball. And I thought to myself: "How many times have I seen this."

Seriously -- it's not hyperbole anymore. I feel like every time I see Alex up in a big spot, he hits into a double play. He can't even help us out by just making one out.

And then came the stat line:

"Alex has driven in one run this year in the ninth inning."

Now, you can't measure "clutch." There is no stat. But this is as close as we may get. One run in the ninth inning. I don't know what the league average is. I don't know how many runs in the ninth Jeter or Jacoby Ellsbury or Josh Hamilton have driven in. So this could be one of those "the numbers lie" moments. But I know Carlos Beltran drove in four recently, to the tune of a come-from-behind Grand Slam.

I am still waiting this year for that Alex moment in pinstripes. Problem is, it may never come.

UPDATE: I've corrected the spelling of Jacoby's last name thanks to a deserved tongue-lashing from Jo Jo.

As Different as Day and Night

VinFitz@gmail.com (Vinnie) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:52:00 +0000

I woke up in such an optimistic mood today. Michael Strahan was going to play the part of the world's biggest band-aid. The Yankees had a pitching advantage of Andy Pettitte vs. the recently injured Time Wakefield, and the Phillies were going to reclaim 1st place over the team in NY that plays like it cares these days. Around 6pm it all began to unravel.

Michael Strahan is the rare athlete who is staying retired. Andy Pettitte let the Yankee universe down, and Jamie Moyer pitched like a man his age.

What is most disheartening about the Pettitte disaster is that it came at the hands of a Red Sox lineup that the 9 year old too good to pitch little league could have dominated. Jeff Bailey and Kevin Cash are not household names. Jacoby Ellsbury and Coco Crisp are not that good. And Manny isn't there anymore. Yet all of the above mentioned Red Sox got hits. I can't bear to hear the fan who mentions that many of the hits were dribblers. Pettitte put the ball where it could be hit, and it was hit.

Also ofnote is that the Yankees struggled wildly with fielders not being properly positioned. Arod was on the lip of the grass on the Bailey and Cash hits, and Jason Bay and David Ortiz just hit the ball away from where Yankee fielders were positioned. Why David Ortiz would ever again see a pitch to hit is a question worth asking.

There were also the standards: a mental lapse by Giambi in the field, and Arod continuing to be a Bizarro world Robin Hood who steals from the rich, and leaves us feeling poor. Why Giambi still his 5th is another question worth asking. Giambi swings for the fences every time up because that is all he has left. He is not nearly the imposing contact hitter Arod needs to protect him. Arod is a vanity player who always wants to hit a rally killing homerun, instead of keeping the carousel moving with a simple run scoring single.

Of course Arod made a stellar play at third to end the 4th inning, but the score was alrady 6-2 Sox. Typical Yanks.

The night started poorly. Lets see how it ends.

Looking in Another Direction

VinFitz@gmail.com (Vinnie) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:24:00 +0000

Today is an off day for the Yanks. I could write about how the upcoming series against Boston is a make or break series, because I believe it is, but that's not breaking any new ground. I could also write about how I loathe Jason Giambi in the 5 spot, and how I prefer Xavier Nady or Hideki Matsui as his timing improves, but I'm going to go down a different road. I'm going to talk football.

I should first note the absence of my blog partner. I was informed by my absentee brother that I have offended him, and his punishment is to withhold his words of wisdom from me and any readers. Offended him?? I didn't realize there were blog commandments that could be broken.

Truth be told, Anthony burned his fingers when a stuffed sausage he was eating drooled some hot cheddar on him. As it stands, no more hunting and pecking for Anthony. Good for us. Now back to football.

Today I almost drowned in reports that the Osi Umenyiora injury was devestating to the Giants chances of repeating. But I ask: where is the perspective? It is true that losing a starter is never good, and losing a pro bowl pass rusher is a tough blow, but Ernie Accorsi and Jerry Reese prepared us for this by drafting pass rushers. Here are my arguments.

1.) Any team in football would be happy with a pass rush tandem of Justin Tuck and Matthias Kiwanuka. Throw in the possibility of adding Michael Strahan, who would excel in passing situations, and who has proven that preseason and camp are irrelevant, and the Gmen have a new 3 headed pass rush monster.

2.) I believe the secondary is better with the maturation of Aaron Ross and Corey Webster. Also, anyone who watched Kenny Phillips play has reason to be excited. This will take pressure off the pass rush.

3.) The Giants will have a dominant rushing tandem of Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, Derrick Ward, and Reuben Droughns. This will also help keep the defense off the field.

4.) If this were the Jets in 1999 when Vinny Testeverde ruptured his achilles tendon, or even Shawn Merriman's obliterated Posterior Cruciate Ligament this year, I would be worried, but the Giants are not a team on the cusp of a title. They have already won one, and repeating is never probable. The fact that Osi is only 26 years old, and has a ring, makes this tolerable.

5.) I know Osi had 13 sacks last year, but no one in the media mentioned that 6 of those came in one game against rookie tackle Winston Justice of the Philadelphia Eagles. I am in no way devaluing Osi's output, but that game does skew the numbers a little bit.

In the end, Giants fans have seen there team win a title without its starting QB in 1991, and its leading receiver last year. Losing a pass rusher will not make or break a team whose offense is sure to have improved, and whose GMs past and present have stocked up on premier pass rushers.

The Heat of the Moment

VinFitz@gmail.com (Vinnie) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:15:00 +0000

Often times I will not wait for a game to end before I blog. I choose instead to write as a fan caught in the moment. When the moment is as poor as this one is, it makes it that much more cathartic.

As I wrote last night, my enthusiasm over the wins of the past 2 days was lessened by the fact that Darryl Raspberry started today's game. As usual, I had reason to be frightened. When I watch Rasner pitch, it's eerily similar to the first 20 times I watched the Exorcist. I have a blanket over my eyes, and I always end up having nightmares about it.

It began with Rasner putting a Yankees offense that is impotent at times in the hole in the 1st inning by giving up back to back jacks. Rasner went on to allow 3 earned runs and gave up 8 hits in 3 plus innings of season jeopardizing work. What' s worse is the fact that Rasner was at 81 pitches in the 3rd inning, ensuring another long day for the Patchwork Family bullpen.

There are however, other frustrating tidbits, such as Dave Robertson and Edwar Ramirez surrendering a sizeable lead, the latter giving up a 2 run homerun to Brian Roberts after being summoned by Joe Girardi to replace Robertson.

As it stands right now, it is 7-7 in the bottom of the 6th inning. My hair and fingerails have grown an inchsince the beginning of the game, and I have napped twice. With Ramirez still on the mound, Orioles runners occupy 1st and 3rd base. More to come later.

I Have Seen it, and I Believe!

VinFitz@gmail.com (Vinnie) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 03:47:00 +0000

Apparently God sent an angel into Yankee land to roll back the stone that once sealed Carl Pavano in his tomb. For one night at least, Pavano is Yankees savior. Like I wrote yesterday, I still believe the Yankees season is far from over, especially in a race close enough to warrant a magic number of 30 for their elimination.

In any playoff push, or championship season, there is always a moment or two in which things come together. Perhaps Yankees fans will look back on tonight as one of those moments. I don't mean to get ahead of myself, but as the Yankees and their fans find themselves in this most unfamiliar of territories, we have to have something to hold on to.

In times of struggle, I will take 5 innings of 3 run baseball from a starter who hasn't pitched in 2 years. Especially pleasing is the fact that all 3 runs were given up in one inning. Four scoreless innings for Pavano could be an important stepping stone toward viability.

Since I have been wishy washy on the trade for Ivan Rodriguez, it is fair for me to state that I came to the realization that he has a greater purpose than being an "upgrade" in the number 8 spot in the lineup. His true value is catching Carl Pavano. In a time when at least 2 Yankees starters are opting for Jose Molina to catch them over the "upgrade", it is important that Irod have someone who feels comfortable with him. It is also worth noting that Pavano had his greatest, and for that matter, only success with Irod as members of the world champion Marlins. It only took the return of a pitcher who strikes terror in the hearts of insurance companies to make the acquisition of Irod make sense.

My glee over tonight's win is tapered a bit by the realization that Darrell Rasner gets the ball tomorrow. I can't help but think it's aready 3-0 Orioles. Somewhere west of a marked up Stub Hub special in Yankee Stadium, Phil Hughes shakes his head and wonders when.

The One Truth Not Predicted

VinFitz@gmail.com (Vinnie) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:44:00 +0000

Somewhere between uttering the question: "May I take your order?", and the command: "You have to be a paying customer to use the bathroom!", Anthony attempts to write. I give the lad kudos for trying, but the result has me feeling locked in a vacancy.

I can almost tolerate obvious cliches like "rookie speedster", and I might even be able to live with the unoriginality of nicknames such as "American Idle", but a bullimic has a better chance of keeping a big meal down than I do of tolerating being told I don't know what I'm talking about by a frustrated writer whose last name ryhmes with an italian cheese and meat stuffed pastry.

When we look back on this season we will remember the lack of run production, which I cited when I mentioned that the team was supposed to score 1000 runs. It must also be pointed out that this team has allowed 571 runs. Only the Orioles have allowed more runs in our division. And while Anthony has blamed age on some of the injuries, he forgets that Wang, Chamberlain, and Hughes are young and hurt., while Mussina is old and very healthy.

I have to congratulate Anthony on his prediction that this would be the first year in a 15 year stretch in which the Yankees MIGHT not make the postseason. I am going to have to smooth things over with baseball's Nostradamus in order to procure from him tonight's winning lottery numbers. My next blog will be written while sipping mojitos on a white sand beach.

Whether it be pitching woes or hitting woes, or both, the one confounding variable Anthony failed to mention was the contribution the Rays have made to a potential Yankees demise. Had the Rays occupied their familiar place in the AL east cellar, the Yankees would have only the Twins to catch in the Wild Card race. Surely a 6 game deficit with only the Twins in front is not so ominous a task. As it is, the Rays have put the Yankees behind not only the Twins, but the rival Red Sox as well, and overcoming the both of them is alot to ask. Unless your team has a $215,000,000 payroll, and then maybe it isn't too much to expect.

There you have it. I have addressed the white elephant in the room. I am now going to sit back and allow my last word freak fellow blogger to offer the obligatory response. Such acts of compulsivity are not uncommon in his brand of personality disorder. I can only hope he stops writing long enough to change the oil in the french fry machine. I will not be engaging in this "war" any longer, so as to not further sully the good name of the blog my absentee brother worked hard to create.

But I admonish my brother when I say: Dr. Frankenstein, your monster is out of control, and it must be destroyed.

Sigh

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony F) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:52:00 +0000

Man, you know it's a slow Friday at the office when you get into a blog war. Especially a blog war where it's obvious one of the combatants doesn't know what he's talking about. To quote Vinnie:

The notion that anyone could have expected this team to struggle is ludicrous. This team was predicted to score 1000 runs. Instead, it may very well allow 1000.

Vinnie, expecting this team to struggle was not ludicrous. Based on the evidence of the actual season, I'd say it was prescient. By your logic, anybody who accurately predicts the outcome of a season is insane. Anyone who gets it dead wrong, like yourself, is a genius. (And you obviously don't have a grip on this season's struggles at all. It is the lack of hitting that is killing this team, not the pitching.)

There were way too many question marks coming into this season: Matsui's health, A-Fraud's allergy to clutch-hitting, dependence on 2-3 young pitchers to shore up your rotation in a highly competitive league and division, overreliance on ever-aging stars (Jeter, Pettitte, Posada, Damon, et al), and continued reliance on overrated has-beens (Abreu, Giambi) or never-was's (Farnsworthless, Latrine). So I should be crucifed for looking at this team and having more wisdom than Ca$hman and the Brothers Dimm to not say "Wow! Sounds like they could give the '98 Yanks a run for their money!"?!? I think not, my friend.

Part of Vinnie's problems come from "sample size." He bases all decisions and opinions on a handful of games instead of looking at the larger picture. "Hmm, Ian Kennedy pitched three good ball games last September. Guess I can pencil him in for 16 wins in 2008." "Wow, Kyle Farnsworth hasn't allowed a run in 10 appearances. Polish that Cy Young trophy and give that man a contract extension!" "A-Rod was hugely clutch last season in a potential contract walk year. Re-sign him for another 10 years. I'm sure his struggles with RISP are over!"

And Vinnie, please read my full posts and remember your history before criticizing. I was not referring to Melky's psyche being potentially damaged by this demotion. I was referring to his very first call-up (as I clearly said) which lasted for about a week, involved him not hitting and playing atrocious defense (much like this time!) and being sent back to Triple-A as he was clearly in over his head. (And I certainly won't apologize for trying to prevent one of our kids from biting off more than they can chew, as the garbage dump is sprinkled with the remnants of players who were asked to do too much too soon. If we're not careful, your golden boy Ian Kennedy may wind up on that pile too.)

And again, check your statistics before making outrageous claims. Do not even hope to compare Joba Chamberlain and Austin Jackson. Joba was dominant at every level he pitched and clearly earned his quick ascension to the majors. Jackson is hitting .295 in Double-A. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here and christen him the second coming of Bernie Williams.

And as a true Yankee fan, I will never apologize for spending my hard-earned dollars on the chance to witness the closing of the stadium.

The Myth of the Overblown Psyche

VinFitz@gmail.com (Vinnie) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:50:00 +0000

So here I am, sharing blog space with a person whose views are clearly polar opposite of mine. Of course I have papal infallibility on all matters concerning the Yankees, so I have the God-given luxury of standing firm in my beliefs. Obviously, Anthony is this blog's Lucifer, the angel who could not serve in heaven, and is trying to rule in hell. Meanwhile Brian is toiling somewhere in blog purgatory.

I look upon Anthony with pathos now that I know $300 has been given to some hustler who now has Anthony's undies in his back pocket. I am forced to wonder if a dialogue regarding the selling of a bridge had been opened, leading to this careless monetary exchange.

However, I bestow upon my fellow blogger even greater pathos when I ponder his baseball views. The notion that anyone could have expected this team to struggle is ludicrous. This team was predicted to score 1000 runs. Instead, it may very well allow 1000. Based on the performances last year of Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy in games that mattered a helluva lot more than those pitched in the very beginning of this season, the Yankees pitching staff had promise. We had Joba and Mo in the back end of games. We were solid coming in to the season.

The opinion that the Yankees season is over is also short sighted. If I am going to make a fatalistic statement like that, it will be after next week's Red Sox games. They will be the rebirth, or the death of the Yankees. The question of whether or not I believe the Yankees will persevere is another matter entirely, but anyone who followed the final 17 games of last season in the NL East knows anything is possible. An elephant's memory my fellow blogger does not have.

The idea that Austin Jackson should not participate in games Anthony thinks are meaningless this season, in favor of playing him in other even more meaningless games next March is worthy of an Axis 1 diagnosis. In truth, we have no center fielder right now; not Damon, not Gardner, not Christian, and certainly not Caberera; which is the perfect segue into the notion of the damaged psyche.

First of all, if a player could suffer such a narcissistic injury, I don't want him.

Secondly, Melky Cabrera was the starting center fielder for 3 years before his well-earned demotion. If his psyche isn't damaged after losing a job he held for 3 years, it was built by U.S. Steel.

Thirdly, Anthony cannot cite any promotion of Austin Jackson to the Major Leagues as rushing in any way. Of Kennedy, Hughes, and Chamberlain, it is the pitcher Anthony cites as most successful of the triplets, Chamberlain, who was rushed through the system; pitching a total of 8 innings in Scranton Wilkes-Barre.

If Anthony believes Hughes' psyche isn't bruised from his disastrous year, and he should pitch Saturday, then Austin Jackson shouldn't have to wait to play games in Florida. Give him a taste now. You never know.

Wasted Youth

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony F) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:11:00 +0000

So I had been meaning to write this post for a while, and just kept putting it off. Quite frankly, I was kind of hoping deep down I wouldn't have to write it. But it seems now is as good a time as any.

The Yankees are not making the playoffs this year, and I'm OK with it.

Look, I came into this season expecting the team to struggle. You can ask my wife, my brother, Brian, etc. I told them all that I thought this would be a bad year. Hell, it was partly my justification to spend $300 on StubHub to buy tickets to the last-ever game at Yankee Stadium. I am convinced that Sept. 21 will be the last-ever game. No October baseball in the Bronx this year.

But here's what saddens me. The team has been terrible…the playoffs are not realistic…and the season was wasted because of injuries. And I don't mean the "Oh, Posada and Wang are hurt and that's why we suck" injuries that the Brothers Dimm keep bitching about. I'm talking about the injuries to our youth.

I was content to sacrifice a year or two for rebuilding if it served the purpose of getting valuable experience for Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain. Unfortunately, all three have been hurt and not pitching at various points throughout the season. Of the three, only Joba has made any headway at all towards becoming a reliable major-league pitcher. And yet the team has been dismal anyway. It's a shame. Again, if you're going to lose, at least lose constructively.

Another injury that irks me is the loss of Francisco Cervelli for the season. Anybody remember the Rays-Yanks brawls from spring training? It sure seems like a long time ago. Anyway, it's a shame that the season in which Posada goes down for any length of time, his potential successor in the minors was already laid out. So in what would have been a "making good from bad" scenario, we could have at least gotten a good look at Cervelli and see if the scouting department is having any success in rebuilding our farm system. Alas, it was not meant to be.

So I bemoan what could have been. A season of constructive losing that was building towards something is instead just a lost season altogether. What's more frustrating is that management (i.e. Ca$hman) refuses to acknowledge the inevitable and is instead grasping at straws to save his job. There is no reason in the world Carl "American Idle" Pavano should be starting on Saturday. He is a wasted contract (courtesy of of the self-same Ca$hman) and should just go away. Phil Hughes—or even Ian Kennedy—should be starting. Don't waste playing time on a guy who isn't part of next year's plan.

Although, in a somewhat contradictory stance, I disagree with Vinnie about calling up Austin Jackson just yet. It's funny that he compares him to Cabrera, because my fear is that Jackson would experience the same disastrous welcome that Melky did on his very first call-up. The Yankees have a glut of outfielders at the moment anyway. There's no need to rush this kid up and risk damaging his psyche.

Now, giving him the chance to win the centerfield job in spring training, however…

Jerome for GM!

VinFitz@gmail.com (Vinnie) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:52:00 +0000

The Yankees, like our country, are at a crossroads. We lack consistency, like America. We pick on the little guy while failing to step up to the big guy, like America. And we are uncertain as to the direction our youth will take us, like America. Be all those things as they may: I love both entities. Our historic next election will surely signal change in our country, which prompted me to consider this possibility: what if the Yankees held an election for GM? Change is obviously needed, and a Yankees election would be as historic an occurrance as electing our first African-American President.

For the newly elected position of Yankees GM, I nominate Jerome from the Bronx. Any of you who listen to WFAN know that Jerome is ubiquitous. He calls in at midnight to the Schmoozer. He calls at 12:30PM to Beningno and Roberts. And he will call Tony Paige at 3 in the morning. Jerome is a loyal Yankees fan who is constantly thinking of ways to improve the team. He does not sleep, and that is a quality I want in a GM.

Jerome was vociferous in his demands that the Yankees trade for C.C. Sabbathia prior to the trade deadline, only to see Milwaukee soar to new heights upon attaining the powerful left hander. Jerome pined for Mark Texeria, only to be exasperated upon learning the rival Angels acquired the cornerstone player. Jerome is now on the brink implosion in his demand that the Yankees call up 21 year old CF Austin Jackson from the Trenton Thunder. I say: why not? The Melky Cabrera experiment has failed. Brett Gardner is a career defensive replacement and pinch runner; an nice gig if you can get it. Ask Dave Roberts.

Jackson is currently number 49 on MLB.com's list of the top 50 prospects; a noble ranking when you consider how any baseball prospects there actually are. He is hitting .290 with the Thunder, and has hit 9 home runs while driving in 68. With an OBP of .368 he clearly demonstrates the plate discipline Melkey Cabrera lacks, and he might be the injection of life the Yankees desperately need like Cano and Wang used to be. Jerome has not been wrong in any of his demands this season, and after Johnny Damon dropped two fly balls my brother could have caught in blinding sun without his glasses, I waited for Jerome's call to demand change. I got it, and I agreed with his demonic sounding rantings.

With a bench full of designated hitters like Matsui, Giambi, and Damon, it might be time to call up a promising young athlete to roam the hallowed grounds of centerfield at Yankee stadium; a once sacred piece of land whose current landlords have turned it into a tenement.

It's about change. And upon the impeachement of Brian Cash Man, I nominate Jerome for Yankees GM. Now guess who I hope his running mate wil be.

I Will Believe it When I See It

VinFitz@gmail.com (Vinnie) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:01:00 +0000

Right now the Yankees are auditioning pitchers for the role of savior the way Mike Francesa is going to be auditioning fans at "Bar A" for the role of deferential sidekick. Taking the hill like Douglas MacArthur will be Carl Pavano....maybe. Perhaps Anthony should have waited until after Pavano made the start, and then written about in retrospect. Afterall, there is still 48 hours before the scheduled start, that is alot of time for a man to hurt himself. Anyone following the story of the richest Yankee to have never played knows that Pavano suffered some neck stiffness after a recent outing. Fortunately for the Yankees, Pavano is now officially out of body parts that he could damage. His next two injuries will be a sprained aura, or perhaps a broken chi.

Perhaps in the hours before the game one of Pavano's relatives will suffer a minor injury, or God forbid die, placing Pavano on the bereavement list. With so many stints on the disabled list, Pavano is sure to want to spend some time on a list of a different sort. Then he can blame the poor relative, and Mike "Lazarus" Mussina can't question his desire to pitch.

It's amazing to me that with all the injuries this man has suffered, the one thing that has remained unbroken is his spirit. Lord knows his conscience is far from fractured.

Anyone who believes in the notion that contract years prompt players toward big time production will believe that the Yankees will make the playoffs on the strength of Carl Pavano's 5-0 record with an ERA just under 3.00. This will invariably force the Red Sox to sign him to a 5 year deal worth roughly $125,000,000, where he will win 2 World Series rings, and 2 Cy Young Awards. Such is life in the Yankees universe. I in turn believe that the opposite will be true, and the Red Sox will continue to laugh at us behind closed doors.

Speaking of Cy Young; I don't think my fellow blogger should put Kyle Farnsworth in the same sentence as Denton True Young. Afterall, Young lost 316 games in his career. My boy Kyle will never touch that.

When Pavano falls out of bed Saturday morning and breaks his ego, the Yankees will turn to Victor Zambrano. Once again the Yankees end up on the short end as the good Zambrano pitches for someone else...Lou Piniella, who the Yankees could have had if they could have just had the baseballs to "insult" Torre a year earlier.

I know Phil Hughes struggled in his last start in the minors, but the Yankees need to get him off the milk carton and get him back to the Bronx. If they expected him to be a saviour in the beginning of the year, he certainly deserves the chance to be the saviour at the end of the year; most certainly above Pavano and Zambrano.

Of course there may very well be no hero out there who will save the team whose worst enemies sit on its dugout bench. The Yankees may not reach the playoffs for the first time in the entire life of my 10 year old daughter, along with many 20 year old Yankees fans who have experienced Derek Jeter playing in October every year of their fandom.

At the moment of elimination, a whole new group of young Yankees fans will experience the yearning of the Bronx in a much truer way.

Even Satan Can't Afford Rising Oil Prices

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony F) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:28:00 +0000

Yes, Yankees fans, hell is freezing over. No, not because the Red Sox have inexplicably won two world titles in the last four years. Not because Vinnie thinks Kyle Farnsworthless is the second coming of Cy Young. And no, it's not because the Yankees are about to miss the postseason for the first time in 14 years.

Ladies and gentleman, Carl "The Human Infirmary" Pavano is starting against the Orioles on Saturday. Of course, this being Carl Pavano, I think the odds are better that he'll spontaneously combust like a Spinal Tap drummer before then. If I were Brian Ca$hman, I might consider draping him in bubble wrap and sealing him in a plastic bubble until game time.

Shakeup in Queens

VinFitz@gmail.com (Vinnie) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 01:31:00 +0000

It's nice to have a minute to not focus on the failure that was Richie Sexson, and the poster boy for regression that is Melky Cabrera, but the reason for the digression is none too pleasurable. Mike and the Mad Dog are no more.

Mike and the Mad Dog are the reason I bother to contribute to this blog, and they have helped shape my relentless style of sports talk in the local taverns. What they were to me was really good company when I was stuck in traffic, or home sick from work. They could be entertaining, enlightening, and infuriating all on the same day. They were opposites in their views, fandom, and even the pitch in their voices was polar opposite. Yet, they were the same in that they obsessed over baseball, and new nothing about hockey.

Anything I could say about them will already have been written a million times before, so all I have left to contribute is what they meant to me as a fan and sometimes caller. Even as the big guy moves forward with Francesa on the FAN, I will inevitably have to sneak away to hear the "aaaaaaaand" when Russo opens his first show.

Certainly Joe Beningno and Michael Kay are salivating; the former at the chance to partner with his idol, and the latter who so desperately wants to conquer the FAN in the 25-54 age demographic.

Fortunately Francesa has vowed to never work with another regular partner. I only hope that when Russo realizes his listening audience has dwindled down to the amount of words in Phil Mushnick's vocabulary, he will return to the vacated chair to Francesa's left.

Shakeup in the Bronx

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony F) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:06:00 +0000

The NY Daily News reported this afternoon that 1B Richie Sexson has been released and CF Melky Cabrera has been sent to the minors. OF Brett Gardner will be returning to the club for his second stint, and IF Cody Ransom (who?) will also come up to take their respective roster spots.

At this point, it's clear the Yankees realize how much trouble they're in and that the status quo just isn't working. While I may not be thrilled about having Johnny Damon's lollipop arm in centerfield on a daily basis, this might be the kick in the ass Melky needs to get his head screwed back on straight. This also seems to hint that Hideki Matsui is very close to a return, as he would most likely be the everyday DH, and with Xavier Nady in left, centerfield was the only way to get Damon's much-needed bat in the lineup.

Sexson's release should please Vinnie greatly. I'm not bemoaning it all, but it is a shame that instead of his stellar glove (and empty bat) at first base on Giambi's off-days, that means we're now going to see even more of Wilson Betimit's lousy glove and empty bat.

I also can't help but wonder if Cano might not have been ticketed for the minors as well if Ca$hman hadn't lavished that obscene contract extension on him before the season…

Baseball Dementia

VinFitz@gmail.com (Vinnie) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:32:00 +0000

I believe there was a time when Ivan Rodriguez was the best player in the game. He was a phenomenal hitter, and he dominated his position like no one else in baseball did. However, today he was just a has been looking bad on a swinging third strike; the last out in a game the Yankees had to have. Adding insult to injury is the fact that Robinson Cano drew what may have been his first career walk, making Pudge the tying run.

Like many, I display the compulsive behavior of slowing my car down to observe car crashes. Today the car crash was in my living as I watched a lethargic bunch of anti-Yankees movie closer to playing out the string. When I watched Bobby "Mr. Softee" Abreau get caught trying to steal second with Giambi up as the tying run and 2 outs, my suspicion grew. Then when I saw Johnny "I wish he was Aaron Rowand" Damon catch a fly ball, then throw it to 2nd base, allowing a runner at 2nd base to tag up and move to 3rd base, my suspicions were confirmed: the Yankees have forgotten how to play baseball.

Then there is the spectacle of Richie Sexson. Has anyone ever looked more awkward in a batter's box? Sexson was brought here because of his .330 batting avg. against left handed pitching. After Sexson struck out, it occurred to me that such a high avgerage against lefties is easily achieved in games that don't count. Throw a circus freak like Sexson into a situation in which every AB has playoff implications, and you find out just how hard the big fall.

The Yankees were big once....TIMBER!

It Sucks to be Right...Sometimes

VinFitz@gmail.com (Vinnie) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:20:00 +0000

When Joe Girardi put his hand into his cap to pick today's starter, he pulled Darrell Rasner's name out. Am I the only fan who believes the starter is chosen this way in Yankeeland these days? Giese, Ponson, Rasner, Kennedy...when he visits. It's reminisent of the way in which Billy Martin chose lineups during slumps.

These days the Yankee staff is divided into guys with can't miss stuff i.e. Wang, Chamberlain, Hughes, and guys whose stuff can't afford to miss. Rasner, Giese...you get the point. As I write this, The Razz Man just surrendered a 3 run bomb to Delmon Young, whose former team, the Tampa Bay Rays, became stronger without him...a la Arod. However, extra credit must be given to Robinson Cano, who after not diving for a ball 2 nights ago, and committing a base running gaffe last night, left 2nd base early on a fielder's choice force out of Joe Mauer on a ground ball by Justin Morneau.

If there is a symbol of ineptitude on this team it is Cano. He can't hit, or perhaps chooses not to, he has less interest in defense than did Harold Baines and Edgar Martinez, and he seems to smile often in that simpleton kind of way. I wonder if the Yankees can somehow stal Larry Bowa from the Dodgers. When Bowa left for the left coast, he took the lighter he stuck under Cano's hind quarters with him. The result is obvious.

My Lord if I could have constructed this team: Soriano at 2nd, Aaron Rowand in CF, Joe Crede at 3rd...I salivate at the notion. As for Rasner, maybe he should be shipped to the "weaker" NL and go on to greatness like Jeff Karstens, at the expense of all those inferior hitters.

Failures Past, and Failures Future

VinFitz@gmail.com (Vinnie) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:14:00 +0000

If I was too look at all the players with failings early in their Yankees career, and then cast them off due to those failings, I night never have seen Bernie Williams or Mariano Rivera win 4 World Series Championships. The point is that in my opinion Kyle Farnsworth is the more viable 8th innning option for Joe Girardi. He had been pitching well and I am willing to forget 2 1/2 years of struggle for a pitcher who may have finally figured it out.

The other aspect to this whole Marte for Farnsworth exchange is that in no way can it be pointed out that any of us expected Jeff Karstens to pitch "decent" in the "weaker" NL, while at the same time raining plaudits upon Damaso Marte for all the success he had in that same "weaker" league. It makes no sense. Marte's ERA takes the same 1 run per 9 innings pitched jump that any pitcher's ERA would upon coming to the AL. He simply isnt talented enough to avoid that.

I also have to take issue with anyone who refers to Karsten's brief success as "decent". Fifteen straight scoreless innings is not decent, it's dominant, and 7 innings of 3 run ball in a loss yesterday is good enough for me. The Yankees have a long and illustrious history of letting the wrong guy go i.e. Tippy Martinez, Larry Gura, and a host of others my fellow bloggers wouldn't remember because they were still sperm when these men pitched. Maybe if I threw around a Jose Rijo or Doug Drabek reference, it would make a little more sense. Karsten's performance has me at least curious to see him in Minny today instead of Darrell Rasner.

Darrell, Jeff...Damaso, Kyle...the Yankees might be entering a cycle of getting it wrong all over again.

Finally...Jose Molina threw out yet another attempted base stealer last night. If we are going to refer to Pudge as an "upgrade", we have to look at the entire picture. Pudge is no longer a defensive upgrade over Jose Molina. He was just a desperate move by a desperate GM, but that NAME sure does look good alongside all the HOF names in the lineup.

Intervention

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony F) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:34:00 +0000

I hereby make a public plea to Brian to sit Vinnie down in a room and convince him to get help. Apparently, Kyle Farnsworthless has become Vinnie's personal savior. Dear Lord, Vinnie, is this how far we've fallen? The panic of one potential non-playoff season is driving you to this?!? Or do we just have temporary amnesia of all the games Farnsworthless blew for the Yankees for two-and-a-half years? Or I guess I never realized that Mariano Rivera's dominance for 12 years was the result of divine inspiration from Farnsworthless, which is why he faltered last night. Vinnie, you are one post away from re-making Mrs. Robinson:

Where have you gone, Kyle Farnsworth? Vinnie turns his lonely eyes to you…ooh, ooh, ooh.

Pig Pen

VinFitz@gmail.com (Vinnie) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 03:17:00 +0000

As I write this, the Farnsworth-less pen tandem of Damaso Marte and Mariano Rivera surrendered a beautifully pitched game by the Moose, costing him his 16th win. Of course Mariano was pitching in the 8th inning because by starting Joba Chamberlain and ruining his shoulder, and trading Kyle Farnsworth for the supposed "upgrade", Mariano was summoned in the 8th inning after Marte the Great put runners on. Kyle? Hello?? Can You Hear Me???

I hope all the HOF voters who might knock Mussina for never having won 20 games will remember nights like this. Thank you Moose for all the heart. I'm sorry your brilliance is wasted on this piece of garbage bunch of underachieving losers.

And just to knock Girardi a little bit, lefties went into last night's game against Twins starter Glen Perkins hitting .330, so I am sure we can all understand why Girardi would sit Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano.

They Said It Couldn't Be Done!

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony F) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:49:00 +0000

But is Anthony actually writing a post defending A-Fraud?!?

When Manny Ramirez got traded away from the Red Sox in the aftermath of his pathetically awful run of tanking it ("Um, my knee hurts but I don't remember which one."), I read a write-up somewhere that quoted an anonymous AL GM saying something along the lines of:

What Manny did was awful. Say what you want about A-Rod, but at least that guy is out there giving it his all every day.

As much as it pains me to say it, I have to agree. For all his flaws—self-inflicted mental blocks, self-inflicted publicity nightmares, trying too damn hard for his own good sometimes, robotic canned comments to the media, scary blue lips—A-Fraud does indeed give 110% every night. It's a stark contrast to the likes of Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera, to name a few. It's ironic, considering both of these guys have said in the past that they look up to A-Fraud as a mentor. Maybe they don't know what that means then, because they're doing a piss-poor job of emulating his work ethic.

Bigger question to ask, though: How is that the Yankees went from the asleep-at-the-wheel managerial style of Joe Torre to the militaristic style of Joe Girardi and these young players seem to have gotten worse?

Dead Kennedy

VinFitz@gmail.com (Vinnie) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:45:00 +0000

Ian Kennedy's time in the Bronx during his latest visit was actually shorter than my marriage, and I didn't think that was possible. This time he returned to Scranton Wilkes-Barre with a pocketful of wisdom given to him by Andy Petitte. Petitte informed Kennedy, who is quickly becoming one of the Dead Kennedys, that his "I am not too upset about it" post game comments were inappropriate, and offended some of the players. Are you kidding me???

Has anyone pulled Arod aside and said, "Hey, $250,ooo,000 bust, you're messing around in your personal life and it's hindering your ability to hit with RISP"? Has anyone offered Melky Cabrera a bat the size of a tree trunk to help him hit? Nope. But in a game where we are supposed to believe that the athletes should have short memories, Kennedy is not permitted to not have a breakdown after an outing against the best team in baseball. Perhaps if Ian would have admitted a certain amount of suicidality after the start, which let's face it was akin to being sliced with a Ginsu and tossed into shark infested waters, he would have won the respect of veterans, and would still be in the bigs.

Maybe Kennedy was upset, and just didn't want to provide that insight to the media. God forbid we don't know the state of mind of every player in every moment in this media saturated baseball universe. I'm sorry I missed the days when baseball writers protected players.

Trade Deadline or Trade Flatline?

VinFitz@gmail.com (Vinnie) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 21:50:00 +0000

Brian Cashman had an average trade deadline season. In fact, if any intelligent Yankees fan looks closely, the moves not made by the Cash Man may lead to an even lower grade. Xavier Nady is the steal, but the Red Sox still got the better Pirates player in Jason Bay. It seems that in recent years that has happend to the Yankees GM often. The Sox get Schilling, and we get Johnson. The Sox get Beckett, and we get Pavano. The Sox get Dice-K, and we get Igawa, but I digress.

Marte is the next in a long line of relievers the Yankees have coveted, eventually acquired, and who ultimately fail i.e. Luis Vizcaino, Paul Quantrill, Steve Karsay, and Gabe White among others. So basically, the Yankees replaced Farnsworth, who had finally begun to right himself, with Marte, who is a giant question mark. As I write this, the Farnsworth-less Yankee bullpen tandem of Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, and Dan Robertson surrendered a 3-1 Yankee lead faster than I could type. Kyle? Hello?? Where are you???

Ivan Rodriguez is a sexy name....about 5 years ago. Sure he is an upgrade over Chad Moeller, but so are most of us. No player who is inserted into the number 8 spot in a lineup is that much of an upgrade. Furthermore, had Cashman addressed the true glaring holes in the lineup i.e. Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano (but isn't the entire lineup a glaring hole in one way or another?) we would've survived fine with the defensive excellence of Jose Molina behind the plate. If you're going to bring in another old catcher with an obvious history of steroid use, wouldn't it have made at least some sense to bring in Barry Bonds for a prorated salary of $390,000? Surely he could have hit higher in the order than 8th.

Speaking of glaring holes, how about the pitching rotation...or lack there of? When last I checked, Jarrod Washburn was still in Seattle. I know Cashman can't possibly have the Mariners on call block because he spoke to them long enough to be convinced to accept Richie Sexson. Sexson...Bonds....Sexson...Bonds...hmm.

Simply put, the teams the Yankees are in competition with got better, especially when Arte Moreno got a leg up in the Mark Texeria lottery. But hey, when you have the tandem of Giambi and Sexson, you surely don't need the services of a 28 year old, gold glove winning, switch hiting first baseman. Surely the Cash Man will try to flex his wallet in the off season and try to win the player in free agency, and will try to look like a genius for not having given up players at the deadline. But Mark is getting a nice little taste of sunny Cali right now, and 30 games over .500 might be good enough reason to stick around for awhile....oh how I lament the moves not made.

By the way, 3-1 Yankees has morphed into 11-3 Angels...on the day the season died.

A Blind Man Could Have Seen This Coming

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony F) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:18:00 +0000

I had promised Brian I'd write up a long blog post about all the trades Ca$hman made at the deadline. It's not long, but here it is: I thought Ca$hman had a great trading deadline season.

I liked the Pirates deal, and still do. No, I'm not scared off by Marte giving up a grand slam the other night. Nor am I daunted by Karstens nearly throwing a perfect game. I knew Karstens would have a better chance to be decent in the weaker NL. In the end, Karstens and Rasner are carbon copies of each other. And no, you don't need two borderline fifth starters/long relievers on your roster.

The Ivan Rodriguez trade? A total steal. Even if he doesn't hit a lick, he's still an upgrade over Chad Moeller. And it is possible he won't hit. After all his stats, and his weight, have nosedived since MLB started testing for steroids. Gee, what a coincidence! Anyway, Vinnie said the other day:

…the Yankees gained Ivan Rodriguez, who probably fits into the Damon/Johnson category…

Vinnie got two things wrong with this assessment. One, unlike the long-term deals Johnny Damon and Randy Johnson got, Pudge is a two-month rental to cover a glaring hole on the roster. The Yankees lose nothing trading for him and then releasing him after the season. And two, the Yankees really lose nothing, because they had to trade nothing in return to get him. Did anyone not see this coming, courtesy of the ESPN.com Power Rankings?

More of the same for the Tigers' bullpen. Kyle Farnsworth has allowed three home runs and blown two saves in his first three outings.

Boy, it sure was nice of the Tigers to take Farnsworthless off our hands. Hee hee!